Thinking process (how to make final move?); Timman - Huebner, 1982.

 

In the game played 1982. in Wijk aan Zee, Timman finished this game with great tactical move we'll see in next diagram. Not so hard to see for experienced player, and perhaps Timman saw it too when certain tactical complications were raised. 

But if we just set a diagram and ask what is the best move here for white. Which steps would lead us to the winning move?

Step 1: Counting the material
By raw count of pieces on board, we may notice material balance.

Step 2: Pawn structure
More or less equal, we may also notice that white king is better protected by his own pawns than black king.
Result:Black king's shelter is not quite solid! White king is safe enough and can't be soon faced with direct threats.

Step 3: Position of kings

White king is generally safe enough. There are no immediate threats, checks etc. Black king is not safe, indeed, just simple check (if could be done) might be checkmate.

Step 4: Position of pieces
White rook is on open file, cutting off black king. Not just cutting off, if white could give a check it would be checkmate(!?).
White queen is well placed on diagonal b1-h7 targeting directly to black king, attacking and pinning black knight on e4 (actually if queen may take on e4 it would be direct checkmate).
White knight on d7 is hanging, but this knight is able to checkmate by Nf8 or Nf6.
White knight on f4.
Black rook is more or less OK, attacking knight on d7, btw.
Black queen is more or less OK, but it has to defend knight on e4, it has to defend from getting checkmate on f8, and it is attacking knight on d7.
Black bishop is good on h8, defending critical f6 square (Nf6#) and controlling complete a1-h8 diagonal.
Black knight is not good on e4, it is pinned and it restricts black queen from any action.

Result: White knight on d7 may checkmate by Nf8 if queen may be removed from it's defense. White knight may checkmate by Nf6 too but at this moment f6 is well defended. White queen may checkmate by Qxe4 if black queen (again!) may be removed from it's defense. Black queen has to defend two points, it seems to be overloaded.

Step 5: Any checks to the black king? Perhaps only Nf8, but if black queen takes on f8 and white queen takes on e4, black would play f7-f5 and there will be no checkmate.

Step 6: Any captures? Only available is Qxe4 which does not work - black queen will take this with check and then it will defend from Nf8 checkmate.

Step 7: Any threats? Last puzzle in our assessment of this position.
Well nothing form above still works, as last option we have to combine previously said facts (marked with blue color) and we may again get back to the black queen which seems to be most important point here;
a) Nf8+ would draw out queen from defense of Ne4, but after white queen takes on e4 black will play f5 and there is no clear win for white
b) Qxe4 would take away black queen from f8, but black queen will take on e4 with check and white is lost
c) Nd5 would attack black queen which can only move to e8, but black can take on d7 by the rook and white is big troubles
d) So how to force black queen to move?.... check next diagram for solution.

 

 

 

Before your scroll down and see solution, try to think few seconds more!

 

 

 

 

Winning move is : Ne6!!

Fantastic end of the game! After this move, white is threatening both; Nf8+ (since now black queen can't just take because other knight would take it back to f8 with checkmate) and Qxe4.  Now we see that only way to defend e4 is to play Qxe6 but then f8 remains unprotected and checkmate will follow.