En Passant Checkmate + The Chessboard Queen

[FEN "r1b2rk1/1pp3p1/p3p2p/4B2Q/1n5P/8/PPP2qP1/1K1R1B1R w - - 0 18"]

18. Qg6 {Threatening mate on g7 and covering c2.} 18... Qf7 {Well spotted. The White Queen is unprotected.} 19. h5 {Well spotted. The White Queen is now protected.} 19... Nc6 {The loose Bishop on e5 is being attacked.} 20. Re1 {Wrong! QxQ+ was the move. White has made a common RHP error. Forgetting pieces can move backwards.} 20... Nxe5 {White cannot play RxN as Qxf1+ picks up a piece. (It does not lead to mate the e5 Rook can drop back to e1.) But White is thinking he is OK because after....} 21. Qxf7+ {White can safely take the e5 Knight after Black plays Rxf7.} 21... Nxf7 {Ahhh....Knights can move backwards. So White is a piece down. Resign?. No not yet.} 22. Bc4 b5 23. Bxe6 Bxe6 24. Rxe6 Ng5 25. Rc6 {Black is a piece up and now Rf7 allows the a8 Rook to grab one of the central files.} 25... Ra7 {An awful move. A move that gives a beaten opponent hope. Better to let a pawn go than tie down a Rook by putting it on that dreadful square. That a7 Rook takes no further part in the game.} 26. a3 {A wee bit of luft which will free the h1 Rook from back rank duty.} 26... Rf2 27. Rg1 {Deplorable. Did White not read that note after Black played Ra7. Open files all over the board and these guys are using Rooks to defend pawns.} 27... Ne4 28. Re6 Nd2+ 29. Ka2 {Now Black should probably play Kf7 and get that stupid a7 Rook into the game.} 29... Nc4 {Instead he goes on the attack when he is in effect the exchange down. Only active pieces count when looking at material or considering options. Bring that a7 Rook in from the cold and then attack. Black is thinking he is a piece up and he cannot lose this.} 30. Re8+ Kh7 31. Rd1 {Excellent, White at last has the right idea. Activity, especially when losing is more important than material. You are lost, things cannot get any worse. Keep active, something may turn up. This is RHP.} 31... Rxc2 {And something indeed has turned up. Nd6 was one move (of many) that stopped the coming disaster.} 32. Rdd8 {Black is lost. There is no defence. Mate on h8 is coming or.....} 32... Rxb2+ 33. Ka1 g5 34. Rd7 {....mate on d7 (or e7). Knights move backwards, never relax if you are winning, keep your eyes peeled for chances when you are losing. Keep active and stay active. Don’t incarcerate Rooks and never give a beaten opponent any reason to carry on playing.}

[FEN "2r3k1/5ppp/Rp2p3/3nP3/1P1p1P2/B5P1/2rK3P/7R w - - 0 25"]

25. Kd3 {Now R8-c3+ and White gets mated on d4 or e4. The d5 Knight supplies the hook and the Rook Hook mating patterns kick in. Black most likely missed it because he was too scared to take a Rook off the back rank - even with check.} 25... R2c4 26. Rc1 {A cheeky trap from White. He is tempting Back to capture twice on c1 and then play Ra8+ mating. But this a genuine trap and it has genuine hole.} 26... Nxb4+ {Well played. Black picks up the exchange without weakening his back rank.} 27. Bxb4 Rxc1 28. Ra2 R1c4 29. Bd6 f6 {End of back rank tricks and Black puts his feet up letting this one win itself.} 30. h4 Kf7 31. Ra7+ Kg6 32. g4 b5 33. h5+ Kh6 {The only move, that should have sent Black a danger signal.} 34. f5 {White spots am amazing ambush. Sit back and enjoy, what you are about to see is fairly unique.} 34... Ra4 {OK White to play - what would you do.} 35. exf6 {Black cannot believe his luck, this is going to be easier than he thought.} 35... Rxa7 {This losses. he had to play exf5.} 36. Bf4+ g5 {So....Did Black know about the next move or did he simply miss it?} 37. hxg6 {An En Passant Checkmate - not many of those knocking about.}