Changing Tracks

The solution to the position given in the previous post (ECM position #441) was to annihilate White's key defending piece. 1. ... Qxc1 2. Rxc1 R8a2+ 3. Kc3 Rxc1+ 4. Kd3 Bb5# (or 4. Rc2 and Black remains a piece ahead).

Reinfeld position #454
White to move

This position represents the inflexibility I often seem to exhibit in interrupting my train of thought and finding one last idea having already discovered 95% of the solution. Clearly White has mating ideas involving Re8+ Bf8, Bd4#, if only the Queen could be deflected from defending e8. And should the Queen block Bd4+, Rxf8 will be mate.

I became fixated on the idea that 1. Qxd6 must be the solution, forcing 1. ... Qa4, but then what? Queen and Rook barrage on e8 by 2. Qe7? Even if nothing better, 2. ... h5 defends that threat. 2. Re7 looks threatening, but what is the actual threat? My problem was that 1. Qxd6 looked so good, I was reluctant to abandon it and look for a different solution.

In fact, it's not the solution per se that's different. The idea was quite correct, just completely useless without the ability for the idea to 'jump tracks' and find the right key move. After 1. Qxa7 it all works; 1. ... Rc7 2. Qxc7 Qxc7 3. Re8+ and we're in 3. ... Bf8 4. Bd4+ Qg7 5. Rxf8#

Chess isn't about just finding the right idea, without finding the most accurate way to exploit it you still don't get to win.