The idea is that after checking on d8 and then d7 white takes the pawn on c7. White can then hold onto one of his queen-side pawns, but after 32. Rd8+ Kg7 33. Rd7+ Kg6 34. Rxc7 Rc2. 35. Rxb7 Rxc3 36. Rxb6+ Kg5 white has both the c4 and g4 pawns attacked and black can probably still draw.

It's a tempo gainer.... sort of. But where Black would have lost ground in picking up weak White pawns, he would have gained by bringing his King nearer the action.

White needed more finesse than this if he wanted to develop winning chances. Mind you, I reckon this rook ending was likely drawn anyway (one line I looked at a couple of moves back beginning 32.Rd8ch led to what looked like a drawn endgame with Black two pawns down! For the curious, it went like this: 32.Rd8ch Kg7 33.Rd7ch Kf6 34.Rxc7 Ra3 35.c5!? bxc5 36.Rxc5 Ra1ch 37.Kh2 e3! 38.fxe3 Re1 39.Rh5 Kg6 40.Re5 Kf6 41.Re8 Rc1 42.Rf8ch Kg5 43.Rg8ch Kf6... Maybe White can win from here, but it don't look easy!

I reckon Joe has the right of it, Charles. One little slip (...Qc5) made it a bit harder and could have gone turnip shaped (Qd1! with an edge), but even then at no point was White more than 'slightly better'. Although ahead in material for most of the end game, his pawns were too scattered and weak to offer real hopes for a win.

Thank you - you and all my readers - are most welcome