Figure 5.2.1.5[White to move]

Another case of compression, this time at the other end of the board. Black has a little knot of pieces in the corner. They protect each other in a circle. The rook on g8 guards the rook on h8. The bishop on h7 guards his rook on g8. The rook on h8 guards both the bishop and the other rook. That last observation is the critical one: we see one enemy piece guarding two others—a clue that it may be overworked. Play with captures in various orders to see if the replies leave one of the other pieces an odd man out. White might like to try 1. RxR, but then Black replies RxR and the Black rook left on g8 remains guarded by the bishop on h7. But 1. RxB for White is different: once Black plays RxR, his rook on g8 is left loose. White takes it with his remaining rook on the g-file. Or Black can reply to RxB with RxRg1; then White plays RxRh8. Either way, White wins a piece.