Stubborn ways may serve no purpose

Chess Checks

Anchoring pieces in enemy territory may be desirable and often paves the path for victory but it is important to realise for how long they can stay there and when and whether they should retreat or advance. Sometimes, due to enthusiasm and even stubbornness, many players refuse to retreat the piece or even try to support them on the occupied squares with the support of pawn.

In the game which follows, Black is already in a difficult position and wrongly decides to infiltrate with his knight. He then chooses to stay there despite being targeted. He had a choice of either moving the knight or lending support with his second knight but decides to support it with a pawn. His game thereafter crumbles.

White: Vitali Golod (2590) – Black: Carsten Hoi (2408)
Politiken Cup, Copenhagen, 2000
Modern Defence

 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.e4 d6 4.Nc3 Nc6
The Modern Defence which is a bit dull
5.d5 Nd4 6.Be3 c5 7.Nge2 Qb6 8.Na4 Qa5+
If  8...Qb4+ 9.Bd2 Qxc4 10.Nec3 Qb4 11.Nb5
9.Bd2 Qd8. Retreating to the original square!. He could have played 9...Qc7
10.Bc3 e5.
If 10...Bg4 11.f3 Bxf3 12.gxf3 Nxf3+ 13.Kf2
11.dxe6 (en-passant) Nxe6 12.Bxg7 Nxg7 13.Nac3
If 13.Nf4 Nf6 14.Bd3 0–0 15.0–0
13...Nf6 14.g3 0–0
If 14...a6 15.Qd3 0–0 16.Bg2 Be6 17.0–0
15.Bg2 a6. Black played a novelty here. Previously played was 15...h5 16.0–0 h4 17.Qd2 Ng4 18.b3 hxg3 19.fxg3
16.Qd2 Be6. If 16...b5 17.e5
17.b3 Qe7. White could have played either 17. ..Qd7 or 17. ..Qc7. If 17...b5 18.cxb5 axb5 19.Nxb5 Bxb3 20.e5 dxe5 21.Qxd8 Rfxd8 22.Bxa8 Rxa8 23.Nec3
18.0–0 Rab8 19.a4 Rfd8 20.h3 Bd7 21.Rad1 Bc6 22.Rfe1 Nge8
This is not a good move. Black should have played 22. ..Qc7 or 22. ..Qd7. If 22...b5 23.cxb5 axb5 24.axb5 Bxb5 25.Nxb5 Rxb5 26.e5
23.Nf4 Nc7 24.a5 Qf8 25.Re3 Rd7 26.Rd3. If 26.Nfd5 Bxd5 27.exd5
26...Rbd8 27.h4  Nce8
Here 27. ..Ng4 appears better. If 27...Ne6 28.Bh3
28.Re1 Ng4
Another mistake! It was necessary to play 28...Rb8 29.Ncd5 Bxd5 30.exd5
29.Bh3
Diagram 1
29. ..h5
Black is making a few mistakes and White is better now. Black could have played 29...Nef6 30.Ncd5 or 29...Ne5 30.Rde3 Rc7
30.Bxg4
White could have improved his position with 30.Ncd5 Bxd5  31. Nxd5 Ne5 And if 30.f3 Ne5 31.Rde3
30...hxg4 31.Nfd5 Qg7
If 31...f5 32.exf5 gxf5 33.Qg5+ Qg7 34.Qxf5 Rf7 35.Qe6 and White wins
32.Qf4
White is also winning after 32.Qg5 f5 33.exf5 gxf5 34.Qxf5 Rf7 35.Qe6
32...Qe5 33.Qxg4 Nf6 34.Qg5 Qxg5 35.hxg5 Nh7 36.f4 Kg7 37.Red1 f6 38.gxf6+ Nxf6 39.Nxf6 Kxf6 40.Rxd6+ Rxd6 41.Rxd6+ Rxd6 42.e5+ Ke6 43.exd6 Kxd6 44.Kf2 Bd7 45.Kf3 Be6
If 45...Bf5 46.Ne4+ Kc6 47.g4
46.g4 Kc6 47.Nd5 Kd6
Black loses even after  47...Bxd5+ 48.cxd5+ Kxd5 49.f5
48.Kg3 g5
There is no respite. 48...Bxd5 49.cxd5 b6 50.axb6 a5 51.Kf3 c4 52.Ke3 cxb3 53.Kd2 also wins for White
49.Nf6 gxf4+ 50.Kxf4 Kc6 51.g5 b5
Black can only delay the inevitable for a while with  51...Bf7 52.Kf5 b6 53.axb6 Kxb6 54.Ne4 Ka5 55.Nxc5 Kb4 56.Nxa6+ Kxb3 57.c5 Bd5 58.Nb8
 52.axb6 Kxb6 53.g6
 1–0
Diagram 2
White to play and win
 1.Rxe5 dxe5 2.Qf6 Rh7 3.Bf7+ Kf8