Puzzle of the week #312

Submitted by eugen on Tue, 03/07/2017 - 20:33
Rook's position
Level
5-Queen
Chess Diagram
[Event "Puzzle #312"][Date "2017.03.07"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r2r2k1/1pq2p1p/p4Pp1/8/1n6/1PN1Q3/1P4PP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 1"]
In this straight forward position white is hoping the checkmate threat would bring him a winning advantage, while black believes he has a good enough defence to deal with it. Your tasks:
a) Analyse the position and decide who is better
b) Find out white's winning combination despite black's good defence

Total available points for this puzzle is 20. The answers will be published next time together with puzzle #313.

Puzzle #311 solution:
Game Ebralidze – Blaghidze, Tbilisi 1946. a) Cody's most complete analysis:
Material:
Black is up 2 pawns
Kings positioning:
Kg1 is safely castled, while Ke8 is stuck in the center
Center:
White has more control of the center
Piece positioning:
White: Rooks connected, Rc1 on open c-file, Re1 on semi open e-file, Ne4 in the center, Bg5 cutting off some of the Black kings escape route, Qe5 centralized, Bd3 defending Ne4, Re1 and Qe5 on the file of the king, Pawns are defended
Black: Nd5 in the center, Bb7 on the long diagonal, Qb6 stuck, Bf8 is not developed, d4-passed pawn, Rooks not connected, Ke8 stuck

[Event "Puzzle #311"][Date "2017.02.27"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "r3kbr1/1b3p2/pq2p1pp/1p1nQ1B1/3pN3/3B4/PP3PPP/2R1R1K1 w q - 0 1"]1. Qxd5 (1. Nf6+ {Uros} 1... Nxf6) 1... Bxd5 (1... hxg5 2. Nf6+ Ke7 3. Nxg8+ {Coco, Cody}) (1... exd5 2. Nf6+ (2. Nc5+ Be7 3. Rxe7+ Kf8 4. Nd7+ {Cody}) 2... Kd8 3. Re8# {Deryk} (3. Nxd5+ {Benjamin, Coco})) 2. Nf6+ Kd8 3. Nxd5+ hxg5 4. Nxb6 {Coco, Cody, Jalen} 4... Rb8 5. Rc6 {Bradley} 5... Bb4 6. Re4 Ba5 7. Rxd4+ Ke7 8. Nd7

Correct solutions:
Cody - 18 points
Bradley, Jalen, Coco - 16 points
Benjamin, Uros, Deryk - 7 points
Dheera - 4 points

Standings:
Jalen - 109 points
Coco - 101 points
Cody - 94 points
Bradley - 92 points
Benjamin - 69 points
Deryk - 58 points
Uros - 43 points
Dheera - 27 points
Yakov - 11 points