Last week I offered you two puzzles for the price of one, taken from a recent rapid game I played against Maks in one of our online arenas.

Here, I should have played 25. fxe5 fxe5 26. Rxf8+! Nxf8 (or 26… Rxf8 27. Qxe6) 27. Bg5 Qd6 (to prevent 28. Bf6+/#) 28. Qf7 Nd7 29. Bh3 Rbd8 when 30. Bxd8 is good enough to win, but even stronger is 30. axb6 axb6 31. Ra7 Rf8 32. Qe7 Qxe7 33. Bxe7 when all Black’s pieces are hanging.

Two moves later I missed 27. Bxe6 Rxe6 (or 27… Bxe6 28. Rxf8+) 28. Qd5! Qe8 (or 28… Qxd5 Rxf8+) 29. Nxd4! exd4 30. Rxf8+! Qxf8 31. Qxd4+ Qf6 32. Qxf6+ Rxf6 33. Bb2 Kg7 34. Rf1 when White will regain the rook with a winning ending.

Two interesting sequences, I think, especially the second, and perhaps not so easy to find in a rapid game.

What do you think?

Would you have found them?