Genrikh Kasparyan
"Turkmenskaya iskra" 1940
4th hon. mention
Win

White: Kh5, Rc1, Nh8; pawns - d7, e5
Black: Kg8, Ra7, Rg7, Nf7; pawns - e7, f5

1.Rc8+ Nd8!/i 2.Rxd8+ Kh7 3.Nf7!/ii Rxf7/iii 4.Re8!!/iv Rxd7 5.e6! and
Black, with an extra rook, loses. The white pawn cannot be stopped. Now
we can appreciate the significance of 4.Re8!! The e8 square is a staging-
post for the promotion, whether via the d7 or f7 square.
i) To obstruct the white pawn. White wins at once after Kh7 2.Nxf7.
ii) The other square for the knight (Ng6?) would be relatively fatal: Rxg6
4.Rh8+ Kxh8 5.d8Q+ Kg7, and Black has the upper hand.
iii) White must now act with energy, but neither 4.Rh8+? Kxh8 5.d8Q+,
nor 4.e6? Rg7, is of any avail, seeing that White can be double-rook mated
on the h-file.
iv) Only this self-effacing move guarantees victory. 4.Rc8? Rxd7 5.e6 Rd8
draws.  [Nowhere but on the e8 square will the white rook be protected
after his e-pawn has captured a black rook!]