One Queen Too Many

Four moves after my opponent promoted a second pawn, my rook and queen delivered checkmate while White's two queens idly watched.

How did this come about? Where did White go wrong?

We take up the game after White's 37.Kg5.

Black to move

Black's position seems hopeless.

37...Nxe6+ 38.Bxe6 Kxe6 39.Kh6 e3

White to move

40.Re1??

White needs to push another pawn. 40.g4+-

40...d4= 41.g4 Ke5??

The king is needed elsewhere.

41...Kf7= 42.Rf1+ (42.g5?? Rd6+ 43.Kh5 Kg7-+) 42...Ke6 43.Re1=

42.g5+-

White is back in control.

42...Ke4 43.g6 d3 44.g7 Rd6+ 45.Kg5 d2

White to move

46.Rxe3+??

White spent 31 seconds--half of their remaining time in this 3 2 blitz game on this blunder.

46.Rh1+-

The rook can always remove the first queen and White's pawns are promoting first.

46...Kxe3= 47.h8Q d1Q

White to move

48.Qe8+??

Stockfish offers a long line that essentially leads to a draw by repetition.

48.Qh3+ Kd2 49.Qg2+ Kd3 50.g8Q

Black to move

Analysis Diagram

50...Qc1+ 51.Kg4 Rd4+ 52.Kh5 Qd1+ 53.Kg5 Qc1+

48...Kd2-+

Now Black is winning.

49.g8Q Qg1+ 50.Kf5 Qf2+

White to move

51.Ke5?

White steps into checkmate.

After 51.Kg5 Black has a lot of work to do to convert a one pawn advantage in a queen ending after first forcing White to exchange the second queen for Black's rook. 51...Qg3+ 52.Kh5 Qh3+ 53.Kg5 Qh6+ 54.Kg4 (54.Kf5 Rf6+ 55.Ke5 Qf4+ 56.Kd5 Rd6+ 57.Kc5 Qd4+ 58.Kb5 Rb6+ 59.Ka5 Qb4#) 54...Rd4+ 55.Kg3 Qh4+ 56.Kg2 Rg4+ 57.Qxg4 Qxg4+ 58.Kf2 Qd4+ 59.Kg2 a5-+.

51...Qf6+ 52.Ke4 Rd4# 0-1

Maybe you will find this ending both informative and entertaining.