Candidates are Qxg6, Qxf8, Rcxf7 and Rfxf7. The queen sac does not produce any meaningful result, neither does Rcxf7. Rfxf7 threatens mate in two.

27. Rfxf7 Rxf7 (Qxd6? 28. Rg7+ Kh8 29 Rh7+ Kg8 30. Rcg7#)

White to play (27.?) "Medium/Easy"

Material is even, but White's queen is en prise. Despite this fact, White can ignore this and play a rook sham sacrifice which threatens mate.

27. Rfxf7! Rxf7

Or 27...Qxd6 28. Rg7+ Kh8 29. Rh7+ Kg8 30. Rcg7#.

Black threatens 27... Qxd6.

The black bishop is defenseless but after 27.Qxd8 Nxd8 the knight protects it.

The pawn on f7 avoids 27.Qxg6+. This suggests 27.Rfxf7:

A) 27... Qxd6 28.Rg7+ Kh8 29.Rh7+ Kg8 30.Rcg7#.

B) 27... Rxf7 28.Qxg6+ Kh8 (else mate next) 29.Qh5+ and mate in two.

C) 27... Ne5 28.Rg7+ and mate in two.

Fritzie finds a defence I hadn't considered. After 27. Rfxf7 Ne7

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For a brief second we have that horrible sinking feeling. Have we miscalculated? Does the knight jam up the rooks on the seventh and protect g6?

Nope, it's an illusion. The brutal warriors amongst us would play 28. Rcxe7 and continue as before. The philosopher aesthetes would choose 28. Qxg6+ and chuckle at the ironic repetition of the queen sac theme.

It's an interesting game to play through. Black seems determined to play with only his king's knight whilst white pushes pawns, grabs space and infiltrates with rook and queen.

There is an interesting moment after 24. Rd7 Ne5

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Black's Ne5 leaves two pieces en prise, but white shouldn't take either of them. Fritzie says that 25. Rxb7 Qxc3 is pretty level, which seems a shame after white has had so much of the play. And of course 25. Qxe5 Qxd7 loses the exchange.

It turns out that white has only one move to preserve his advantage and get us closer to our POTD. 25. Rc7 protects the Nc3 and keeps a white hand around black's throat.

27 R(f)xf7 is obviously forcing -- it threatens mate in a couple of ways, threatens a bishop, steals a pawn, etc. 27 ... Qxd6 allows a straightforward mate-in-three via Rg7+/Rh7+/R(c)g7#. And so the main line becomes:

27 R(f)xf7 Rxf7
28 Qxg6+ Kh8
29 Rxf7

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27. Rfxf7! Ne7, 28. Qxg6+! Nxg6, 29. Rg7+ Kh8, 30. Rh7+ Kg8, 31. Rcg7# 1-0

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