Flashy finishes with queen sacrifices make a pretty picture but plenty of work has to be done before embarking on sacrificial combinations. Sometimes these wrap ups, which appear brilliant, might be because of the opponent’s blunder while at other times, they might be calculated ones.

In the game which follows, the opening is interesting with White giving up a rook for a bishop to get active play. Black suffers from development problems and White gains the upper hand in the middle game. The finish is quite spectacular with White offering his queen but then that is because Black has blundered.

White: Vladimir Doroshkievich (2400); Black: Andrei Shishkov (2303)

St Petersburg, 1999

Nimzo Indian Defence

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4. The Nimzo Indian Defence.

4. Qc2 0–0 5. e4 c5. Interesting continuation. Black can also play 5. ... d6 or 5. ... Nc6.

6. a3 Qa5 7. axb4. A good move. If 7. e5 cxd4 looks better for Black.

7. ... Qxa1 8. bxc5. If 8. dxc5 Na6 and if 8. e5 cxd4 9. exf6 dxc3 10. fxg7 Kxg7 11. Qxc3+f6 12. Bd3 Nc6 13. Nf3 Qa4 14. Bd2.

8. ... Nc6 9. Nf3 e5. Playing a new move here. A better option for Black is 9. ... b6 10. e5 Ne8 11. Be2 (11. cxb6 Nb4 12. Qd2 axb6) 11. ... bxc5 12. dxc5 f6.

10. dxe5. If 10. d5 Nb4 (10. ... Nd4 11. Nxd4 exd4 12. Nb5 Nxe4 13. Bd3 Qa5+ 14. Kd1 Nf6) 11. Qd1 Re8.

10. ... Ng4 11. Be2. White wants to castle and get his King to safety with the Black queen waiting in his territory.

11. ... Qa5. If 11. ... Ngxe5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. 0–0 Qa5 14. Be3.

12. h3 Ngxe5 13. Nxe5 Nxe5 14. Be3 b6. If 14. ... Qa1+ 15. Nd1 Qa5+ 16. Nc3 and if 14. ... Qb4 15. b3 b6 16. f4 Ng6 17. cxb6 axb6 18. 0–0 Bb7.

15. cxb6 axb6 16. 0–0. White castles and appears out of any danger. 16. ... Bb7. 16. ... Re8 does not work because of 17. Nd5.

17. Qb3 Ba6. Black is making a mistake. The best move here or the most necessary one here was 17. ... Rfb8 18. Qxb6 Qxb6 19. Bxb6 Bxe4.

18. Nd5. A good move and he is not tempted to play 18. Bxb6 as 18. ... Rfb8 19. Nd5 Qd2 works better for black.
18. ... Rfb8. It is important to position the right rook for if 18. ... Rab8 19. f4 Nc6 20. Nxb6 white is ahead in material and if 20. Bxb6 Nd4.

 19. Bf4. White enjoys bishop pair advantage. If 19. Nxb6 Ra7 leads to slightly unclear position.

19. ... d6. If 19. ... f6 20. Nc7 and if 19. ... Re8 20. Nc7 wins for white.

20. Bxe5 dxe5 21. Ne7+ A decisive invasion by the knight.

21. ... Kh8. The King is pushed far into the corner and the back rank looks vulnerable now. But then, Black hardly has any choice as 21. ... Kf8 22. Nc6 Qc5 (22. ... Qd2 23. Nxb8 Rxb8 24. Bg4) 23. Nxb8 Rxb8 24. Rd1 loses.

22. Nc6 Qd2. If 22. ... Qc5 23. Nxb8 Rxb8 24. Rd1 with White enjoying a better position.

23. Nxb8 Rxb8. If 23. ... Qxe2 24. Qxb6 and Black loses immediately.

24. Bf3. White can also play 24. Bd3 Rd8 25. Rd1 Bxc4 26. Qa4 b5.

24. ... Qd4 25. Rc1 Rc8. Not the right move! Better would have been 25. ... Ra8.

26. Qa3. If 26. c5 bxc5 (26. ... Rxc5 27. Rd1) 27. Qxf7 Qxb2 28. Rxc5 Qb8 29. Rxc8+ Qxc8.

26. ... Ra8. He has already wasted a move. If  26. ... Bxc4 27. b3 Be6 28. Rxc8+ Bxc8 29. Qf8 checkmate and if  26. ... Bb7 27. Rd1 Qc5 (27. ... Qxc4 28. Qe7) 28. Qxc5 bxc5 29. Rd7 Ba6 30. b3 Rb8 31. Rxf7 Kg8 32. Ra7 with a win for White.

27. c5 bxc5 28. Rxc5 28. ... Rb8. Black should have played 28. ... Rg8 29. Rc7 Bc4 30. b4.

29. Rc7. It is all over now.

29. ... Bc4. If 29. ... Bd3 30. Rxf7 Rg8 31. Qc3.

Diagram 1
30. Qb4. Sacrificing the queen to finish with a flourish. Black resigned.

Diagram 2
White to play and win
1. Nxe5+ fxe5 2. Bxc5 Rc1. If 2. ... Rg2+ 3. Qxg2.
3. Qh5+ and White wins.
Manisha Mohite