1) Bb5 is the sort of tactic you could easily miss in a blitz game, particularly if you'd already been planning Bxf5.
2) I spent a lot of time trying to make 1 bxa5 work - the idea is that if 1 ... Qxa5 2 Nd5 Qd8 3 Rxb8 wins and 1... Re8 2 Rb6 also seems promising. But 1 ... Ra8 is a problem. So maybe just 1 b5 to lock up the queenside.
3) I assume that 1 Rh1 is right - it's hard to see a better move, although it seems really natural, so I'm surprised that white didn't play it. After 1 ... Qf7 2 Kg1+ Kg7 3 Rh7+ Kxh7 4 Ng5+ picks up the queen.
4) 1 h4 wins - black can't give up the g-pawn, but after 1 ... Kg6 2 Rd7 threatens h5#, and after 2 ... h5 3 gxh5+ Kxh5 4 hxg5 wins.
Answers in the next comment:
1) Bb5 is the sort of tactic you could easily miss in a blitz game, particularly if you'd already been planning Bxf5.
2) I spent a lot of time trying to make 1 bxa5 work - the idea is that if 1 ... Qxa5 2 Nd5 Qd8 3 Rxb8 wins and 1... Re8 2 Rb6 also seems promising. But 1 ... Ra8 is a problem. So maybe just 1 b5 to lock up the queenside.
3) I assume that 1 Rh1 is right - it's hard to see a better move, although it seems really natural, so I'm surprised that white didn't play it. After 1 ... Qf7 2 Kg1+ Kg7 3 Rh7+ Kxh7 4 Ng5+ picks up the queen.
4) 1 h4 wins - black can't give up the g-pawn, but after 1 ... Kg6 2 Rd7 threatens h5#, and after 2 ... h5 3 gxh5+ Kxh5 4 hxg5 wins.
Number 1
1. Bb5 c6xb5
2. c2xc8+ Kf7
3. c8xh8 --> win a bishop
Number 2
1. b5 --> passed pawn, but not sure how to follow
so better try to attack knight and force g6
1. f4 d5
2. b5 d5xe4
3. c3xe4 ...
or
1. Nc3e2 d6
2. c3 a5xb4
3. c3xb4 Rf8c8
4. Qc3 Bf8
5. Ng3 Nxg3
6. h2xg3 --> open h file
if
4. ... g6
5. Ng3 Ng6 --> h pawn can advance, or align queen, bishop on a1-h8 diagonal
number 3
1. Rh1 Qf7
2. Kg 1+ Kg7
3. Ng5 f7xd6
4. g5xd6+ --> wins a piece
number 4
1. Ng3
1. ... f4xg3
2. g2xg3 --> final with 1 pawn up?
otherwise not sure what's the best line
1. ... Be3
2. Rf5 Bf4
3. Na5 Bd3
4. Rf6+ Ka7
5. Rf7+
Sounds like a brutal injury, get well soon Martin!
It is better now. It is now diagnosed to be a morton's neuroma, which is some kind of nerve damage. Not very pleasant while it lasted