39.Rc1 (doesn't matter I believe whether the rook protects the knight first or the bishop) Qg2 40.Be1 b5 completes the sequence and black is up 2 pawns and regains the piece.

I did not really have the confidence in the first move, but once I saw the featured game collection says this is the first move, it gave me the confidence to go ahead and analyze it fully

Any need for taking the bishop immediately? Does the simple Qg7 fail?

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The white bishop is pinned (because of ...Qxc3+). Now, if 39 bxc4 dxc4, below, black gets the white bishop next move and is up a pawn.

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It sounds like you're a slow player (like me!). During a tournament the other day, I checkmated my opponent with only 2 seconds remaining and my second opponent with only 10 seconds remaining. This is a tough problem to kick. My instructor suggests playing a lot of 2 minute games with a 5 second increment or 5 minute games with a 5 second delay. The time control is useful if you typically play with a 5 second increment or delay so you may have to adjust the time control depending on what you typically use.

This helps improve board vision and also helps in practicing openings. You will know more quickly what is safe and what isn't...if something is en prise, etc. It will also point out flaws in time management. For example, if it's a book move then you shouldn't take 10 seconds to play it (e.g. in a 2 minute game). Or you take a lot of time figuring out which rook to move to the center when there is only a fraction of difference between the two. These types of non-critical moves should be played very quickly, while more time is spent on critical moves.

Thanks for the tips! :)

I'll start doing that, to see if it helps me. :)

But I'll have to wait, because I have a tournament on Saturday, and I don't want to get used to play 2 min games now, because it can make me to overlook things on the tournament(its 15 0).

I know I get caught in the trap of overthinking and will plan and replan a strategy during a match when I don't actually have the time to do that. However, becoming aware of your time usage helps, and I find myself getting better at stopping unnecessary analysis OTB but at least doing more than just shuffling the pieces around.

Also, the slow analysis here is helping greatly to keep from making bad moves and to be able to find candidate moves which is something everyone struggles with. GM's will blithely point out that the first step is to find the right candidates and then do the analysis, which skips a whole lot of mental work to just get to step one. I think these puzzles are a great way to get onto that step.

Black has a tempting temporary sacrifice: 37...Nxe5 38 dxe5 Bxe5 and White's N is pinned and attacked. Black controls d4 twice, so 39 Bd4 does not work. This leaves 39 Be1 and now d4 wins back the piece. 40 Rc1 protects, but unfortunately for White dxc3 41 Bxc3 Bxc3 42 Rxc3 Qg7! pins the R and seems to win it (if my sight of the board 5 moves ahead is right, not guaranteed). Time to check: ====
Yes. I had missed 38 Bxb5 which is a good try, but 38...Ng4 winning at least a piece is an easy move to find. Crafty End Game Trainer finds en even more efficient win in the main line, but my line iseems good enough. You are defending as White starting as below:

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37... Qf5!!

Threatening 38... Qc2 and seizing control of key light squares.

A) 38.Bd3 Qf3! 39.bxc4 (otherwise 39... Nb2 wins material) dxc4 (the point - the Bd3 is pinned) 41.Kb1 (d5? Bxe5 42.Qh7+ Ng7 43.Rc1 Qxd3) cxd3 42.Qg1 Rh8! and white has no good defense against the threat 43... Rh1! 44.Qxh1 Qxf2 winning.

B) 38.Rc1 Nxe5! 39.dxe5 Bxe5 40.b4 Rh8 41.Qg1 Qf6 42.Be1 d4 and black regains the piece with a big advantage

C) 38.bxc4? Qc2 39.Na4 Rxa4 40.Rb1 Qc3+ forces mate.

Just for interest the following were moves available to White after 38...Ng4. All would be classified as blunders.

1. (-8.58): 41.Bxc6 Rc8
2. (-10.84): 41.Rf1 Nxd4
3. (-11.37): 41.Ba4 Nxd1
4. (-11.98): 41.Rc1 cxb5
5. (-13.53): 41.Re1 Bxd4

White lost the plot commencing:-

36.Qh2 -0.83. (Bg1, =0.10)

37.b3 -2.06. (Bxc4, -0.83)

38.Bxb5 -7.54. (Bxe3, -2.26)

I think it's as strong as the game continuation, but perhaps a bit more complicated.

Black may have seen the difference and chose the game line, but maybe he didn't feel it necessary for him to analyze 37...Qf5 fully because as you said 37...Nxe5 is much stronger and more logical.

<CHESSTTCAMPS>

I think that if there is more than one variation that wins and just as strong or stronger than the game continuation, the variation that is definitely winning with less complication is, in my opinion, superior when it comes to human players. I've seen where GM's could have played simple chess and won but instead chose complex variations they thought were better and gave their opponent chances to draw or turn the game in their favor.

<jheiner>

In retrospect 37...Nxe5 may be simplest and truest as you say, but on instinct 37...Qf5 seemed best to me.

In your line above , I believe <CHESSTTCAMPS> suggested 41...Rh8 (threatening 42...Rh1) in an attempt to protect black's d pawn.

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Playing white against Crafty via the link that I reference in my last post http://www.chessvideos.tv/endgame-t... , I reached the position that <Jim> diagrammed in his last post and I could not defend the position in 3 attempts. My first try was 43.Qf2 Qxf2 44.Bxf2 Rh2 45.Ne4 c5 46.dxc5 Bxe5+ 47.Kb1 Bd4 48.Bxd4 Nxd4 and white can't seem to save the game. Give it a try - perhaps you can improve.

2) Black queen has posession of the open-file attacking the underprotected bishop

3) Black rook can seize the h-file attacking the out of placed queen

4) g7 bishop shadow on the WK and unprotected knight along the g7-a1 long diagonal

Candidate: 1 Nxe5

a) 2 dxe5 Bxe5 3 (Be1 or Rc1) b4 net Black two pawns