A Moment of Overload

The ability to spot the moment for a combination is a great gift that should be trained constantly. After all no one will approach us during a game to announce that we have to look for a combination at this precise moment. Contrary to practicing from a book, we need to feel that something is wrong the opponent’s camp, and just after that to try and calculate our killer move till the end. Here is a recent sample of how White felt a moment of overload:
Lajthajm,B (2493) - Kojovic,D (2381)
3rd Open Paracin SRB (5), 13.07.2010


One should have great tactical view to discover the flaws in Black's set up. Those are: the fact that almost all his pieces are protected from the light squares, which may mean that black queen and some other piece can be overloaded and the active white knights ready to deliver deadly double attacks. Lajthajm found a marvelous decision: 27.Rxg6!! Nd4 Black declined the offer, but this is hopeless. The main line of the combination runs after: [27...Kxg6


28.Rxc6+! Much better than the immediate: (28.Qg4+ Kh7 29.Rxc6 Nf6 30.Nxf6+ Rxf6 31.Qe4+ Qf5 where White is still better, but Black can hold.) 28...Qxc6 If Black ignores the rook: (28...Kh7 he can insist: 29.Rxc7!) 29.Qg4+ Kh7 Unfortunately for Black he cannot save the knight with: (29...Kf7 30.Qxf5+ Nf6 31.Nxe5+) 30.Qxf5+ Qg6


(30...Kh8 31.Qxh5 is prosaic win for the first player.) 31.Neg5+ hxg5 32.Nxg5+ Kh6 33.Nf7+ Kh7 34.Qxg6+ Kxg6 35.Nxd8+-


; 27...Rxf3 the desperado try cannot save the materal neither- 28.Qxf3 Kxg6 29.Rg1+] 28.Nxd4 exd4 29.Rcc6 Qf7 30.Qg2 Nf4 31.Bxf4 Rxf4 32.Qg3 Rf8 33.Kg2 Qe7 34.h5 R4f5


35.Rxc7 1–0