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What is the most amazing chess position you have seen?

I have been wanting to ask this question for a while, but feared it would be closed. Since the "Uniquely Satisfying Puzzle" and "What is the most complex chess problem?" questions were not closed, I am going to post it. I hope that this is not voted closed as it is a chance to share some amazing positions.

Please post only one position per answer, but feel free to answer multiple times.

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    Yes, it is opinion-based, but not the first opinion-based question that you have let through. There should be a way to share interesting positions with the community without having to contrive some stupid question to make it fit the rules. There are enough questions that are "out there" already.
    – PhishMaster
    Commented Dec 1, 2019 at 17:40
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    @RewanDemontay Thanks. I wanted everyone to get some, and to have the opportunity to see some cool positions. I hope you liked them. There is plenty of junk asked here, so at least this is some nice chess. I have no problem with it, but the "question" yesterday, "Uniquely Satisfying Puzzle" was not even a question. :)
    – PhishMaster
    Commented Dec 1, 2019 at 17:56
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    @RewanDemontay By the way, although I did think about people having the opportunity to get some upvotes, the main reason I wanted each post separate was so we would know which ones people liked the most.
    – PhishMaster
    Commented Dec 1, 2019 at 17:59
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    Perhaps a dedicated chatroom might work? See also Give each site a parallel site for polling, recommendations and subjective-ish stuff on Meta.SE and related topics.
    – Glorfindel ♦
    Commented Dec 2, 2019 at 11:42
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    Maybe the title can be changed (perhaps exclude "most"), but I think having a Q/A of amazing positions would be interesting and valuable. I really don't think there is a lot of disagreement on what an "amazing" position is.
    – Akavall
    Commented Dec 2, 2019 at 17:40

4 Answers 4

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White to win. L Kubbel 1927

 [FEN "8/8/1p6/kp3p2/p7/1PP1p2B/5p2/5R1K w - - 0 1"]


 1. Ra1 $1 {Threatening Bf1 stopping the pawns.} e2 2. Bf1 $1 e1=Q 3. Rxa4+! bxa4 4. b4#
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  • This is my favorite. Incredible economy of forces.
    – PhishMaster
    Commented Dec 2, 2019 at 12:24
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And one last one from a real game. Black to move and win.

 [Date "2003.??.??"]
 [White "Ibrahim"]
 [Black "Ibarra"]
 [FEN "3q4/1p1n1pk1/p1r1p1p1/2P1Pn1p/1P1N1P2/B5rP/5RPK/Q3R3 b - - 0 1"]

 1... Nxd4 $1 2. Kxg3 (2. Qxd4 Rxa3 3. Rd1 Qh4 {is just up a piece.}) 2... Qh4+ $3 3. Kxh4 Nf5+ 4. Kg5 Nf8 5. g4 {and there is no defense to....} Nh7#
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A missed variation from the game Najer-Nepomniachi, Moscow 2006. Black to move and win. 

 [FEN "5rk1/3R1p2/4p2p/4P1pP/2q4r/P1n1BQ2/2P2PP1/4R1K1 b - - 0 1"]

 1... g4 2. Qg3 Qf1+ $3 3. Rxf1 (3. Kxf1 Rh1#) 3... Ne2#
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White to move and draw. Y. Afek 1978

 [FEN "8/5N1p/8/b6p/7P/6KP/7R/4kr2 w - - 0 1"]

 1. Ne5 $1 {Rf7 and Bc7 are both threatened.} Bc7 2. Rh1 $3 Rxh1 (2... Bxe5+ 3. Kg2 Rxh1 4. Kxh1 {And while black is up a piece, and can win all of white's pawns, this is a known drawn position since the white king cannot be ousted from the corner of the "wrong" bishop.}) 3. Kg2 Rf1 4. Nd3+ $1 Ke2 5. Nc1+ $1 Ke1 6. Nd3+ Ke2 7. Nc1+ Rxc1 {Stalemate!!}
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    These are all from Dvoretsky's last book, "Chess Tests". Just amazing positions.
    – PhishMaster
    Commented Dec 1, 2019 at 14:37

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