This is one of the most well-known attacking formations in chess. If you don’t know it, you should. It’s been around since the 1880s when Lasker defeated Bauer. Tarrasch later defeated Nimzovitch with this same set up. Of course, you have to see all the alternative moves Black would play and how you would meet them.

Vaisser-Alexis, 1996: 1.Bxh7+ Kxh7 [Declining the sacrifice doesn't work: 1...Kh8 2.Qh5 Qf4 (2...Bf3 3.gxf3 Rfe8 4.Bg6+ Kg8 5.Qh7+ Kf8 6.Qxg7+ Ke7 7.Qxf7#) 3.Bg6+ Qh6 4.Qxh6+ Kg8 5.Qh7#] 2.Qh5+ Kg8 3.Bxg7 Kxg7 [If 3...f5 4.Qh8+ Kf7 5.Bxf8 Bb8 6.Qg7+ Ke8 7.Qxc7 Bxc7 8.Bd6 Bxd6 9.cxd6 Rxd6 10.Rfd1 and the rook will easily defeat the bishop in the endgame.] 4.Qg5+ Kh8 5.Qf6+ Kg8 6.Rc4 and the rook lift brings down the curtain as mate is unavoidable. For example, if 6...Rfe8 7.Rh4 [Several ingredients were necessary to cook up this mate. Black's castled position had no pieces defending along the three pawn front, the easy access of the two bishops and queen to the kingside and the ability, after the bishop sacrifices, to have a rook lift ready to go.

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