White could go all trappy instead, and play 8.Qe2 - a reasonably useful move in its own right - with the idea 8...Qxb2 9.Na4 Qa3 10.Nb6, winning a piece. Not the usual 'poisoned pawn' scenario, but effective, all the same. I can't tell you, even in my limited experience, just how many times opponents have grabbed the b-pawn, then wondered where their queen went...

After 9...Bd6, White might have gone in for 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.e5 fxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Qh5ch, with a promising attack. ++++++ Instead of 11.g3 - strong enough for a winning advantage though it is - far more powerful would have been 11.h3! ... with the idea 11...Bh2ch 12.Kh1 and suddenly Black finds himself over-committed, and about to lose heavily. After 11...Nh2 12.Nxh2 Bxh2ch 13.Kh1, Black simply runs out of attack. After pulling the bishop back to d6, 14.dxe6 Bxe6 15.Re1, and White has a strategically winning game.

White had an amazing range of good options from which to choose. The best ones were I think 13.Re1 or 13.c4, but 13.Nh4 and even 13.h3 look pretty good for a winning game. 13.Nc5 isn't the best - I'm not sure it even makes the top five - but it's still good enough for a winning edge. Having such an 'embarras de richesses' can be as much a liability as an asset.

!! Double attack. Black can defend with 15...Qe5, but 16.Qe2 effectively renews the double attack, after which Black has to shed a piece. The best way seems to be ...Nxh2, but really, Black is busted.

Maybe hoping to effect something on the weak White squares in front of White's King?

16...Ne5 was a pretty good defence in a really hopeless position.

White could have afforded an exchange sacrifice, here, with 19.Nf5 Bxf1 20.Rxf1 Qxa2 21.Bc3 ... With two bishops for rook, and a much more active position, White would have been having all the fun. Having said that, the rook move to the e-file is also very strong.

The f5-square beckons...

20...g6 was a dreadful mistake in a desperate situation, but White hasn't taken full advantage. 21.Nh6ch would have been curtains, pretty much.

Fortunately White's position and material advantage is so overwhelming, that the loss of a piece is hardly noticeable.

Horrors. And White finds a response even better than the win of a knight by Rxe5. I note, on reflection, that White had already planned the game continuation. Well thought out!

Black was facing the loss of the queen. When your best move is to give up the queen in order to avoid incurring worse, the situation is dire, raised to the power of aaarrgghh!

A rook ahead, and attacking, this is as close to a 'gimme' as one ever gets in chess.