Last week I asked you to find White’s two winning moves in this position from a 1993 Richmond Junior Club game between Eamon Rashid-Farokhi and Andrew Bamford.

 

The first win is 28. Rf8 when Rxf8 allows mate in 1, Bxf8 also gets mated after Qa7+, and 28… e5 29. Qxe5 Bxf8 30. Bd4 leaves Black with no defence to the threat of Qg7+.

White can also play the immediate 28. Qg7+ Rxg7 29. hxg7+ Kxg7 30. Bd4+ e5 (30… Bf6 31. Bxf6+ and you can work out the mates for yourself!) 31. Bxe5+ Bf6 32. Bxf6+ Kf8 33. Bd8+ Kg7 34. Bxa5, winning on material.

Two beautiful variations: which do you prefer?

Congratulations to Chris Baker, who was the first to come up with both winning moves.

Alas, the game continuation was an anticlimax. Eamon instead played 28. Rf2 when Qc7 would have defended successfully. Andrew failed to find the defence, instead erring with 28… Bb4, when Eamon forced mate with the prosaic Qa7+ rather than the more aesthetically pleasing 29. Qg7+ Rxg7 30. hxg7+ Kg8 31. Rh8+ Kxg7 32. Bd4+ e5 33. Bxe5#.