Is White really better in this position? Black has an exchange and a pawn for a Rook. However, Black has a pair of connected pawns. White should White do here? 
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1. Rxe4 dxe4 2. Rc5+ should win for white
kamal is right. After 2.Rc5+, white mates quickly unless black exchanges its queen for the rook right in this moment or somewhat later (but not much later!!)
there is no ‘somewhat later’. after 1.Re4 dxe4 2.Rc5+ Kb7 its mate after 3.Qd7+ no matter what Black does
The main variations:
1. Rxe4
a)… Qxd4 2. Rxd4 wins a knight
b)… dxe4 2. Rc5+ 3. Qxc5 wins Q + N for 2 rooks
c)… Qxb4!? (threatening counterplay against the white king as well as threatening the Ra5) and now not 2. Rh6+? Kg5, but 2. Re6+! Rd6 3. Qxd5+!
I am confused about the assumption Rxe4 necessitating dxe4….what if the response is Qxb4? I like black then? Don’t I? Explain it to me.
Chess Novice
To: “I am confused about the assumption…”
Read the other posts!
Susan: watch out, you are putting “White should White” in several places…
Kerry Liles
indeed 1.Rxe4 does the trick…idea dxe4 2.Rc5+ +-
btw I want to add
Susan I just replayed the first two games of your book(I mean these in the special games section)
they were so crystal clear 😉 Ljubojevic and the brother of Portisch had no counterplay in both games…really amazing how you handled these two titled players 😉 especially the one again Ljubojevic was like a game from Karpov ;)) slowly and steadily you were killing him 😉
1 Re4
I) Qe4-2Re4 +-
II) Qe4-2Rc5-Kb7 3Qe4+-
a)Ka6-2Ra5-Qa5 3 ba5+-
b)Kb8-2Qe8
b1)Kb7-3Qc8 mat
b2)Qd8-3Qd8-Kb7 4 Qc8-Kb6 5 Qc6 mat