The Long and Winding Winning Combination!

Recently, in a game against my good friend SJSharify, i got into this position:

I had some issues with posting the diagram correctly, so in case you haven't seen this... Good luck once again!

I must be missing some of black's defensive resources, because this looks good to me:

1. Nxa4 Qxa4 2. Bc4 threatens mate on f7.

a) 2. ... Qd7 3. exd6 threatens Rhe1+

     i) 3. ... Bxd6 4. Rhe1+ Kf8 5. Be7+ and Qxf7 cannot be stopped.

    ii) 3. ... cxd6 4. Rhe1+ Be7 5. Qxf7+

b) 2. ... Be6 3. Qxb7 already wins a pawn and threatens the a8 rook. 3. ... Qxc4 4. Qxa8 pins the b8 knight.

c) 2. ... Kd7 3. Qxf7+ Kc6 and white has different

winning choices here, the simple 4. Qd5+ Kd7 5. e6+ Ke8 6. e7 winning the f8 bishop. or 4. Bd5+ and chasing the king with Be3 and Rd3.

Here's a diagram with the variations.

I quite like the idea of 1. exd6 Bxd6 2. Qe4+ which appears to win the knight.

Presumably I'm missing something, I hope it's not glaringly obvious.

Yes, so if Nxc3:

1. exd6 Nxc3 2. Re1+ Be7 3. bxc3 and now black will lose his bishop, hence white is still a piece up.

Again, if I'm missing anything... just tell me. 

1. exd6 f6 might be the way for black to try to hold on in this line. Though it still probably turns out really bad after 2. dxc7 or 2. Re1+. I've only looked at these briefly.

I don't know what the OP had in mind, hopefully he'll say eventually, but it sure looks like black's position isn't going to hang on for 11 moves.

Very well analyzed, Loomis and Nytik! But it's still not what I had in mind.

I believe that you had already deduced that there is no checkmate at the end of the combination I had in mind. Now, to Loomis, since you completely slowed down Nytik's line: your main line actually wins quicker than mine! And the ideas in it are quite similar with the actual combination, so I can say that you're on a good way to solve it. What would bother me is your first variation, starting with 2... Be6. If I were Black, I'd prefer it to the main line. I think it's a bit trickier, because there might even be a chance of trapping White's Queen, which, as you left it, isn't well coordinated with other White's pieces, but I won't analyze those possibilities, simply because I think you'd do a much better job! My point is, after 2... Be6 Black might also be losing, but he can prolong the resistance, and also it's not going the right way, unlike the main line, which, as you pointed out, can be avoided. It would be great if you could post your continuation of the 2... Be6 variation, but keep in mind that your main line is much closer to the truth, and try to follow the hints I left you all! If you don't solve it next time, I'll be forced to reveal more information about the ending! 

Dimitrije, you mean this line?

1. Nxa4 Qxa4 2. Bc4 Be6 3. Qxb7 Qxc4 4. Qxa8 Qb4 5. Rhe1

I don't think at all that white's queen is in danger of being trapped or is cutoff from being coordinated with the attack. The queen is pinning the b8 knight and supporting the rook going to e4.

Meanwhile, black has no moves. The knight is pinned. The queen is tied down to guarding it. If the light squared bishop moves, exd6 is check. This leaves only Be7 to be tried.

5. ... Be7 6. exd6 Bxg5+ 7. Nxg5 White is winning more material and has an overwhelming attack.

White also could have played 5. Nd4 (instead of Rhe1) threatening to go Nc6 attacking the queen and pinned b8 knight. I'm still in favor of bringing the second rook into the attack, but as a basic rule, when there are this many good moves, it's game over.

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I also don't think that I completely slowed down Nytik's line. 1. exd6 f6 2. Re1+ Kd8 3. dxc7+ Kxc7 4. Bf4+ Kd8 5. Qxd7 followed by Nxa4 still wins a piece for white. So Nytik's line might be the best idea in this position.

How about:

1. exd6 f6 2. Re1+ Kd8 3. Qe5 Bxd6 4. Bxf6+ gxf6 5. Qxf6+ Be7 6. Qxh8+ Qe8 7. Qxe8+ Kxe8 8. Nxa4

That picks up more than a piece! 

Tricky line, there are come clever tactics that make it work:

1. exd6 f6 2. Re1+ Kd8 3. Qe5

a) 3. ... cxd6 and now if 4. Bxf6 Kc7 white has a bishop and queen hanging, but wins with 5. Nd5+ Kc6 6. Nd4+ Kc5 7. b4# pretty

b) 3. ... fxg5 4. dxc7+ Qxc7 5. Qe8#

Well, I was rather skeptic about trapping the Queen, Loomis, and your lines are very good, but still not it. So, here's another hint:

1. This is actually the first hint, only improved, so I decided to include it: material is level at the end of the combination, but White's better developed and enjoys a RELATIVE material advantage.

3. Black is forced to capture on the last move of the combination, and he can capture in two different ways, but one capture loses a pawn immediately, while the other delays the loss of a different pawn for another move.

Good luck? Yes!

that's why I stopped posting in this thread tony, just not interested in guessing how white cleverly allowed black to hang on for 11 moves when he's crushing him so badly.

OK, I just wanted to see if you could possibly guess what I saw was playable, and thanks for the great analysis! One last clue: think Romantic. If no one gets it soon, I'll post the solution. Oh, and I also thought the combination was rather interesting. Yes, it involves sacrifices.

I didn't mean "the correct move" in that sense of the word, I meant "correct" as "what I wanted him to find, AKA my first move". And I admit Nytik has found a better first move than I have, so no need to get angry, tonydal.

P.S. And by the way, even after Nytik's first move, Nxa4 could be played on the second move, so that it transposes to the same line that I actually played.

Go tonydal! Don't worry Dimitrije everyone's wrong at some point and everyones a bit stubborn when they don't like their idea being turned down like that, even me. Once I the argument/battle was lost, but I didn't want to go down without "a small fight." Of course the correct thing to do is apologise correctly (which I did and still do now) and then add in your "but" hehe. eg: "but at least you could respect my opinion/line and thought as well since i'm not as good as you all".

Very nice long winding combination!

Yes, AGAIN, I know my line is inferior to Nytik's, I was just joking!

And thanks, SerbianChessStar!