This super-quick video is in our Engine Snacks series! Nothing deep or instructive this time – just a fantastic move to enjoy! Hopefully ideas like this can inspire you in your own games!

This position occurred in Koivisto-Monolith, TCEC Swiss 2. White has a great-looking position with the thorn on e6 in the middle of Black’s position, but how to get the white pieces all pointing at the black king? Koivisto has a stunning answer!

28.Be5!!

What a move!! The bishop cannot be taken and so White manages to consolidate its centre with Bd4 (burying the bishop on b7) while freeing access to the h-file to the white rook on f3!

28…Qe7

28…fxe5 29.f6

The resulting line is trivial for an engine, slightly scary for a human but winning for White in the end!

29…Rxf6 30.Rxf6 Bxe3+ 31.R1f2 e4 32.Nd1 Bc5 33.Qe2 Rc7 34.Ne3 d4 35.R2f5 dxe3 36.Rxg5+ Rg7 37.Qg4 e2+ 38.Kh2 Qe7 39.Rxg7+ Qxg7 40.Rg6

29.Bd4 Bxd4 30.exd4 Rce8 31.Qe2 Kg7 32.Rg3 Qc7

32…Rh8 33.Rxg5+

33.Qh5! Qxg3 34.Qg6+ Kh8 35.Rf3 Qh4 36.Rh3 Qxh3 37.gxh3 Re7 38.Nd1 Bc6 39.Nf2 Rh7 40.Ng4 Be8 41.e7

No, the queen isn’t trapped!

41…Rxe7 42.Qh6+ Kg8 43.Nxf6+ Rxf6 44.Qxf6 Rh7 45.Qd8 Kf8 46.f6 a5 47.Qd6+ Kg8 48.Qxd5+ Rf7 49.Qd8 Kf8 50.Qxb6 Kg8 51.Qb8 Kf8 52.Qe5 c3 53.Qc5+ Kg8 54.Qxg5+ Kh7 55.Qf5+ Kg8 56.bxc3 Kf8 57.Qc5+ Kg8 58.Qc8 Kf8 59.Qd8 Ra7 60.Qd6+ Kf7 61.Qc5 Rd7 62.Qh5+ Kf8 63.Qh8+ Kf7 64.Kf2 Rd6 65.Qg7+ Ke6 66.Qe7+ Kd5 67.Qe5+ Kc4 68.Qxd6 Bg6 69.Qb8 Bh5 70.Qb5+ Kxc3 71.Qxh5 Kxd4 72.Qb5 Ke4 73.Qc6+ Kf5 74.f7 Kg5 75.f8Q Kh4 76.Qch6# 1–0