If I had the white side, I would probably have played 34. Rxe6. It wins a piece, so it must be the best move, right?>

It's a real embarrassment of riches situation. 34.Rxe6 isn't half bad, e.g. 34...Rxa2 35.Rxg6+ hxg6 36.Qxd7 and Black can only delay mate by throwing away his rooks with spite checks; 34...Rd8 35.Ref6! Qe8 (35...Qxg4 36.Rf8+ Rxf8 37.Rxf8#) 36.Qe6+! Qxe6 (after 36...Kh8, 37.Qe5, 37.Qxe8+, and 37.Qxc8 all mate quickly) 37.Rf8+ Rxf8 38.Rxf8#.

Not yet having looked at the game, I hazard a guess: Black's last move was 34. ...Rxc2.

Apparently having failed to "tune [his] tactical antenna," Neiman performed a chessic impression of _Mad_ magazine's Alfred E. ("What, me worry?") Neuman. He saw an undefended pawn on c2 and made off with it. After all, his knight on e6 is stopping the mate threat on f8, and the knight is defended by his queen, so what could possibly go wrong?

The answer is also the solution to our puzzle:

<<•>35. Qxe6†!...>

Meanwhile, White approached the position with a question of his own: "If that knight weren't on e6, I'd have a mate with Rf8, so how can I get rid of the knight?"

<<•>35. ...Qxe6>

Having committed himself by grabbing the pawn, Black doesn't have any better choices: 35. ...Kh8 is still met by 36. Rf8#.

<<•>36. Rf8#>

How hopeless this was is pointed up by the fact that White could also have picked off the knight on e6 with his rook rather than exchanging; it was merely the availability of this combination as a superior alternative that prevented his making that choice.

This raises a question: Where *did* Black go wrong?

Increasingly, I suspect that 14. ...Qd7 is too passive. After that point, the text seems fairly consistent for both players, and seems to tend toward a dangerous attack by the first player. The most obvious alternative would appear to be 14. ...Na5, when play might continue 15. Bc2, Nc4; 16. Qd3, g6; 17. Bf4, Bf5; 18. Qd1, Bxc2; 19. Qxc2, c5.

The tricky position is this one, with black to play:

click for larger view

I think we'd all far rather be white here. He has more space, the makings of a kingside attack and a relatively safe king.

And now black played 30...Rc2. I have to be honest at this point and say that I might have been tempted by that move too. It seems to get a bit of counterplay for black. It starts an attack on the a2 pawn which we ideally need to get out of the way so we can roll our queenside pawns. Black may still be slightly behind but at least he's fighting.

As the old saying goes, I'd rather die with my boots on. Actually I've never quite understood that one. I'd rather die with all my clothes off and a contented smile on my face, but that's another story entirely.

But it turns out that 30...Rc2 turns a "meh" position into a "mwahahahaha" situation. Now white unleashes a forcing sequence to riff off that unfortunate Rc2.

31. Bh6! threatening mate on the move is always fun, but this also opens the e file for later frisky frolics. And it gains control of f8.

31...g6 32. e6

click for larger view

I've got a sneaking affection for positions with multiple pawn threats at the same time, like a thicket of spears. For some reason it always reminds me of the film Zulu.

32...fxe6 33. fxe6 Nxe6

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The stage is set for a chain reaction combination where the Re2 captures on c2, distracts the c8 rook, captures on e6 to remove the last defender of f8 and then a bishop and rook mate, with the rook striking all the way from f1. If this was a film it would be the end of a James Bond flick when the whole set blows up in a gout of fire and smoke.

One last thought, after 35. Qxe6+ Kh8

click for larger view

35.Rf8+ Nf8 36.Qxd7 Nxd7

OOPS!
try the other way around:

32.e6 rocket 35.Qxe6+ in best it I seem for queen 35.Qxe6+ in for

mix he line sth6 a net rookf1 nexus lap toe in evermore f8 amen in

jah bitte 35...Qxe6 rook and bishop ping queens of tendil largely ar

to is it handle in f8 rook having bishop companion it bred in butter

<Once> <30...Rc2. I have been tempted by this move too>.

Therefore: