Trying the Method

The solution to this problem didn't jump out at me, so let's try working through the method on it.

Reinfeld Position #550
White to move

What are the targets?

• Rook at d8 is unprotected
• Bishop at f8 is immobile
• King is exposed

What are the immediate threats?

• hmmm... nothing obvious

What are the potential threats?

• d6 is advanced and might be promotable
• Nxf6 further exposing the King
• somehow annihilating f6 and g5 then playing Qg5+ forking the Rook
• something like Rc2-c7 aiming the Rook at the King

Still no obvious clear win. Let's list the positional features.

• Black is already a pawn up
  
• Rook barrage on the d-file
• Black King insecure
• Open c-file
• Advanced and passed but isolated d-pawn
• Black controls half-open a-file

Can we extract some candidate moves from all this?

• Nxf6 exposing the King, maybe in conjunction with Ne4+ aiming at Nxg5 or Qxg5
  
• Rc2 aiming at the Queen and to control c-file and 7th rank, opens c1-h6 for the Queen
  
• Nxg5 exposing the King and looking for Qxg5
• d7 makes way for Nd6, the Rook needs to be moved to promote it though
• Qb1 or Qc2 might put the Queen on a better diagonal
  

Ok, a few ideas there... to the analysis of variations then.

1. Nf6 the most violent idea because I know I'm looking for a combo... so method-wise probably a bad idea. 1. ... Kxf6 we'll also have to consider whether this capture is forced. 2. Ne4+ K?? 3. Rc2 Q?? 4. Q or Nxg5. Need to replace the '??' with actual moves.

1. Rc2 not forcing a reply... 1. ... Qa4 threatens to pin with Bb3 black has other moves too.

1. Nxg5 fxg5 2. Rc2 Qf4 looks reasonable for Black, Bb3 coming again.

1. d7 lets Bf8 move again. 1. ... ??? 2. Nd6 Bxd6 3. Rxd6 ??? 4. Ne4 Qxc1 5. Rxc1 might be onto the f6 pawn... not very concrete.

In fact the whole thing's a bit flaky... all those ?? null moves. Kotov in "Think like a Grandmaster" says you should look at each variation once and once only, and be able to analyse it quickly and accurately. Lot's of work to do there!

Still, Nxf6 looks most promising, let's try to fill in some blanks.

1. Nxf6 Kxf6 2. Ne4+ the King has e6, g6, g7, f5

2. ... Ke6 Qxc4+ winning
2. ... Kg6 3. Rc2 hitting the Queen and discovering a barrage mate threat against g5, winning
2. ... Kf5 3. Rc2 Qa4 (Qe6 4. Qxg5#) 4. Qxg5+ Ke6 5. Qg4#
2. ... Kg7 3. Rc2 the Queen has e6 or a4 (or b3)

3. ... Qe6 4. Qxg5+ and Qxd8 winning
3. ... Qa4 4. Qxg5+ Kh8 5. Qxd8 threatening Qxf8 Bg8, Qf6# so Black has no time for Qxc2... winning.

There were two lines I couldn't see all the way through for myself:

3. ... Qa4 4. Qxg5+ Bg6 5. Rc7+ Kg8 6. Qxg6+ hxg6 7. Nf6+ Kh8 8. Rh7#
3. ... Qa4 4. Qxg5+ Bg6 5. Rc7+ Rd7 6. Nc3 and the overloaded Queen has to leave the protection of the Rook.

Solving these problems is one good way of practicing analysis skills, but without the skills you can't solve the problem and you end up running in circles again - knowing you're close to a solution but missing a key point in one line (ie. 6. Nc3) you have to reject the whole idea, especially in a real game.

Conclusion. Practice raw analysis of complicated positions too!

Oh yes, and I still didn't consider alternatives to 1. ... Kxf6. Neither does Fred in the solution... and really the whole thing's still a mess anyway; in the second last variation, we'd have to look at 5. ...Kh8 when there's no check with 6. Qxg6. My drawing board is very busy at the moment!