Kasparov,Garry (2812) - Vachier Lagrave,Maxime (2715) Kasparov in Clichy, Blitz Game, 2011

Kasparov, G - Vachier Lagrave, M 2011 

"It is not common to analyze the blitz game ending" says Karsten Müller, "however, if it is played by Garry Kasparov we can do some exception." And indeed, the diagram position is quite interesting.

In the game was played:

48.e6 d2 49.e7 d1Q+ 50.Nxd1 Rxd1 51.h6!?

[51.g6 hxg6 52.h6+-; 51.exd8Q+ Rxd8 52.Rxd8+ Kxd8 53.Ke4 Kd7 54.Kd5 b6 55.a3 b5 56.Kc5 Kc7 57.g6+-]

51...Rd6 52.Kg2 Rd2+ 53.Kf3 Rd6 54.Ke2 Re6+ 55.Kd3 Rd6+

[55...Rxe7 56.fxe7 Kxe7 57.Rb8 b5 58.Rb7+ Ke6 59.g6 fxg6 60.Rxh7 Bf6 61.Ra7+-]

56.Ke4 b5 57.g6!? fxg6

[57...hxg6 58.h7+-]

58.exd8Q+ Rxd8 59.f7+

[59.f7+ Ke7 (59...Kxf7 60.Rxd8+-) 60.Rxd8 Kxd8 61.f8Q++-] 

1-0

Was the move 48.e6 the best continuation in the diagram position? What would you play? You can check you solution in the section Practical Endings.