Lesson
White to move. Main line: 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 c5 4. c4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. a3 a6 8. b4 Bd6 9. Bb2 O-O 10. Qd2 Qe7 11. Bd3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Bd3 Rd8 14. Qe2 Bb7 15. O-O Ne5 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. f4 Bc7 18. e4 Rac8 19. e5 Bb6+ 20. Kh1 Ng4 21. Be4 Qh4 22. g3 Rxc3 23. gxh4 Rd2 24. Qxd2 Bxe4+ 25. Qg2 Rh3
Rubinstein’s pieces converge before 22...Rxc3!, when the rook removes a defender and cannot be taken without opening decisive lines. White instead grabs the queen with 23.gxh4, apparently winning the exchange outright.
The reply 23...Rd2 forces White’s queen onto d2, and 24...Bxe4+ activates the bishop with check. After 25.Qg2 Rh3, mate is unavoidable despite Black having given up the queen; the bishops and rooks dominate every escape.
Replay the final phase while tracking functions rather than values. The c3-rook removes a guard, the d8-rook enters with tempo, and both bishops cut the king’s position apart. Every sacrifice accelerates a concrete line.