[Event "Croatian Chess Championship 2021"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2021.11.30"] [Round "1"] [White "Livaic, Leon"] [Black "Saric, Ivan"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2570"] [BlackElo "2674"] [Annotator "USER"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [FEN "4n3/2p4b/p3k2p/4N1p1/4Pp2/BP3P1P/P2r2P1/K1R5 w - - 0 45"] [SetUp "1"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/xvNWRvku/V4i3J8EP"] [Orientation "white"] { One of Leon's most successful tournament results so far was third place in the Croatian National Championship in 2021. In the very first round of that competition, he announced he has come to compete for the prizes by beating the reigning champion and the highest-rated Croatian player, Ivan Šarić, with the White pieces. --- We join the action on move 45. Leon has obtained a winning position using his favourite variation against the King's Indian defence (on which he has made a Chessable course: https://www.chessable.com/dismantling-king-s-indian-razor-sharp-makagonov/course/60093/). However, Black is kinda active so the conversion is not super easy. Can you find a nice simplifying combination Leon spotted here? } 45. Rc6+ { A very nice move, correctly evaluating that the resulting endgame of the rook vs two minor pieces is totally won for White. } 45... Kxe5 (45... Nd6 { Is probably more resistant, but then White plays } 46. Nc4 { And wins the pawn on a6 and then the one on d6 next. Still, this was better than what happened in the game. }) 46. Bb2+ Rxb2 47. Kxb2 { And White has only one pawn and a rook against the two pieces, but all of Black's pawns are weak and falling like apples. Also, the pieces are not very coordinated and lack good squares. Leon went on to win the game easily with the passed a-pawn! } { [%csl Ra6,Rc7,Rh6][%cal Ga2a4] } 1-0