taking the initiative - midgame puzzle!

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Avatar of tarius78

This is only my 2nd or 3rd puzzle that I post here, and they are usually from my games. This one is from a recent game of mine, where I felt that I was lost, playing a much higher rated player ( approx 300 point difference), and I had the brilliant idea to sacrifice a knight in the late mid-game in order to disrupt the kingside pawn structure, and exploit the ensuing weakness.

However, it turns out that the sac wasn't so bad after all - as I made use of the position to gain better and better initiative via new and renewed threats until I reached the following position which clenched the game after a long analysis and evaluation of the resulting positions. Let's see if you can figure out how I won this game:

Avatar of tarius78

The solution:

 

Avatar of Lord-Chaos

I still think c4! is the best. if Qxc4, Rf2 meaning trouble for white.
Xylograph is correct, Black has nothing at all after Qd2, well maybe some iniative, but i would prefer white since he's got the extra piece thats not SO blocked in =P

1. c4 Qd2 or Qe2 is met by Rf2.
1. c4 Qd1 is met by Rf2 as well, leading to a mate in 4 i think, you can check yourselves.
So that leaves us with the last option, 1. Qxf5! which is of course unpleasant for white. Infact, i think c4 almost forces white to lose his queen, nearly. If i were white and black played c4, i would either resign or play Qxc4... and it looks extremely dangerous for white (Qxc4 because i never like being down in material, its a lost game anyway).

Avatar of joeygaga

With black to move, black has essentially won the game (enormous advantage, computer analysis). However, after 28...Rh5, the game actually moves past equilibrium to be slightly in WHITE's favor, precisely because of the move Xylograph points out: 29.Qd2.

28...c4 is the move that wins for black.

Avatar of mississauga99

after  28.... c4 doesn't white have a fighting chance with

         29 Qe4