Milady-de-Winter vs magnuscarlsen

Black was to move and chose 26...Rxe7, capturing the white bishop on e7 with the rook from e8. The capture eliminated White's most active piece – the bishop that was eyeing the g7‑pawn and the h6‑pawn – and placed a black rook on e7 where it now attacks the undefended white pawn on e4 and eyes the f1‑rook. The move also resolves the immediate tactical threat of White’s hxg7 ideas, because after the capture White’s pawn on h6 can only take on g7, leaving Black’s rook ready to infiltrate on the seventh rank. No material was lost; Black remains up a piece, and the only undefended black piece (the pawn on f5) stays safe for the moment.

The engine marks 26...Rxe7 as the optimal move because it neutralises White’s most dangerous piece while improving the rook’s activity. Alternatives such as ...Qxe7 would exchange the queen for a bishop, leaving the rook on e8 passive and allowing White to keep the dangerous bishop on the board. By playing ...Rxe7 Black keeps the queen on b5, maintains pressure on the queenside, and creates concrete threats: the rook on e7 attacks e4, supports a later ...Rxd6, and can swing to the seventh rank (e.g., ...Re6) after White’s hxg7. The move therefore preserves the material advantage, eliminates a key tactical threat, and improves piece coordination, whereas any other capture would either give White counterplay or waste a tempo.

Eliminate the opponent's active piece and improve piece activity: When an opponent’s piece occupies a strong square and creates multiple threats, capture it (or force its exchange) while placing your own piece on a more active post. This both removes the opponent’s tactical resource and maximises your own piece’s influence, a decisive principle in converting a material advantage.