A devastating continuation

In 1987, the chess grandmaster Evgeny Vladimirov, a native of the then USSR, won a game against his countryman Vladimir Epishin. That game made the list of ‘the ten best chess moves of all time’. 

The move was 26. Bh6!! It earned a double exclamation mark by all analysts. Imagine White has a queen to capture and the queen is left en prise. The capture would have equalized the position. Instead, White showed preference for a simple bishop move. However, when it was carefully examined, it was not such a simple move at all. It was a devastating continuation. The diagram demonstrates the position on Black’s 25th move, immediately before White played his finishing move.

White: Evgeny Vladimirov
Black: Vladimir Epishin
Date: 1987
Type of Game: Sicilian Defence, Keres Attack

1. e4c5 2. Nf3d6 3. d4cxd4 4. Nxd4Nf6 5. Nc3e6 6. g4h6 7. h4Be7 8. g5hxg5 9. Bxg5Nc6 10. Qd2a6 11. O-O-OBd7 12. f4Nxd4 13. Qxd4Bc6 14. Rg1Qa5 15. Bh3Qc5 16. Qd3b5 17. f5b4 18. Be3Qa5 19. Qc4Bb7 20. fxe6bxc3 21. Rxg7d5 22. Qb3cxb2+ 23. Kb1Qb5 24. exf7+Kf8 25. Rdg1Qxb3 26. Bh6Ng4 27. Rh7+Nxh6 28. Rxh8+Kxf7 29. Rh7+ 1-0.