Black just played 29. … b5? in a game between De Firmian and Thorhallson (2003). This was clearly a mistake in already difficult position. How can white finish the game in style? Please scroll down for the answer.

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The start is quite obvious and straight forward: 

30. Nf6+ 

Black has to take otherwise it is mate. 

30. … gxf6 31. gxf6+ Kh8 32. Rg1 

And now? Black still has ‘a sort of’ defense:

32. … Bh6

But that’s not a problem:

33. Rxh6 Qg8

How to finish in style? 

34. Qg7+! 

And black doesn’t have any better than:

34. … Qxg7 35. Rg1xg7

And mate in one. 

However, De Firmian played in the game 34. Qh3. It is also winning. But takes a bit longer. Anyhow his opponent had enough of it and resigned. You can replay the sequence in the viewer.

To answer the question in the header: yes it was an easy one, but you had to see the ‘defense’ 32. … Bh6 and how to react to it. 

Source: A Modern Guide to Checkmating Patterns (New In Chess)