This position comes from the game Aronian-Harikrishna 2011. This game is interesting because it features 10.h4 in the Lasker variation of the QGD, an idea only seen once before but this game really brought it to prominence. Really interesting and new idea in a very well-known position.

Anyway, in the diagram above, Aronian played 26.Rf4! Kudos to those that got it right. It's a subtle, but very strong move, and honestly not one I would have found OTB. It took me quite a while of looking at the position and playing around with Houdini to understand what is going on.

It's a great move because it maintains the initiative and makes several threats. If black plays something active like 26...Rb6, then 27.Rd4 <bishop move to say b3 or f3> 28.e6! and black can't capture because the d8 rook is unprotected. Black played 26...Rf8 to protect the rook, but there followed 27.Rd4 Bc6 28.e6! and black's game soon fell apart.

Aronian's play from the diagrammed position is very impressive to me. We can all maintain the initiative when we've got a queen and 2 minors attacking and we're making mate threats and winning material from knight forks. But to maintain the initiative in an endgame and win so convincingly is very cool.

Here is the full game and a PGN dump if anyone is interested.

http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=70505

We're up a pawn that's doubled and isolated on the e-file, our king's got some air around it, but we do have a rook on the 7th and it just looks like his pieces might struggle to coordinate to defend the king.

A move like 1. e6 looks like the right idea. If 1...Rxe6 2. Bxe6 we won the exchange and should do well. If 1...Bxe6 2. Bxe6 fxe6 Rff7 and while black will have a check on d1, that won't lead to anything, but our rooks doubled on the 7th give us at least a draw but probably more. However, 1...fxe6 and I'm a little stuck. Nothing really happens there.

So maybe keep the idea, but play a different move first, such as 1. g6 to deflect the f-pawn, but 1...Rxg6+ ruins that. What about 1. e4 to deflect the bishop instead? 1. e4 Bxe4 2. e6 fxe6 but the sac doesn't work with 3. Bxe6+ Rxe6 4. Rff7 and at the least 4...Rg6.

Maybe then what we need is 1. Rd1 so that with similar ideas, we end up with a discovered attack on the rook and win that. If 1...Bc6 2. e6 Bxd7 (2...fxe6 3. Bxe6+ and Rxd8 as explained) 3. Rxd7 (Rcxd7 or Rdxd7) is winning I believe. If 1...Be6, it's not as clear, but after 2. Rxb7 I think white has some advantage after any trades on d7. What can black play, then? 1. Rd1 Bf3 2. Rd4 or even 2. Rd6 looks good.

Ok, now I'm cheating. Oh, not far off, I'll take partial credit. The computer agrees that 1. Rd1 is winning, but it likes 1. Rf4 a lot more. It is interesting. I never looked at 1. Rf4 and I still struggle to understand what makes it best.

These are pretty much my exact thoughts, and what motivated me to post this diagram. I feel like I understand it better after playing around with Houdini a bit, but I still don't totally grasp it. Just a really great move, because the computer likes it nearly +1 more than alternatives.

seem to be e6 cutting off the rook

if Black Bxe6 Bxe6 for white and no matter rook or pawn takes , white got the 7th

if black fxe6 Bb5 and again white get the 7th

seem pretty clear

Your move is still winning, but like my move, it's a whole tier below Rf4. I guess the position is easily won for white, and while we're all coming up with similar themes, Rf4 is just more winning than our ideas.

I thought e6 exactly like Montreal, ganstaman's thinking plus meeting fe with Bb5 and Rff7

Most logical to me seems: 1.e6, idea of trying to get two rooks on the 7th. 1...fxe6 2.Bb5 followed by Rff7 looks pretty crushing to me. 1...Rxe6 looks pretty hopeless to me after white takes the bishop then the pawn on b7. 1...Bxe6 2.Bxe6 Rxe6 3.Rfxf7 just looks completely winning with no reason to calculate any further.

Huh, yeah I guess Aronian's logic is that black is completely tied up whatever he does, so he may as well go for improving his position before giving the death blow with e6.

1. e6 looks best. e6 must be captured, it would seem, else e7. Capturing with the R drops the exchange immediately.
1...... Bxe6 2. Bxe6 followed by Rff7, and the R's on the 7th would appear to be decisive
1....fxe6 2. Bb5 R moves 3. Rff7 and again the R's on the 7th should decide.