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Take special care when you liquidate pieces

Chess Checks
Last Updated 28 February 2015, 17:47 IST

Chess basics stress on liquidation of pieces after winning material to ensure a smoother route to victory. The idea is to eliminate all possible counter-play by forcibly exchanging the pieces and then nursing the extra material to a simple victory, without the need of any fireworks. However if not played accurately and also if the opponent manages to get some counter-play, then sighting victory may not be easy.

In the game which follows, White wins a piece and appears to be coasting towards a victory but Black keeps his chances in the game alive by pushing a passed pawn right up to the seventh rank. A wrong knight move then deprives White of a victory

White: Christian Bauer (2480) – Black: Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2441)
Batumi, 1999

Sicilian Defence
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.h3 e5 6.d3 f6 7.0–0 Nh6 8.c3 Nf7
This is not one of the usual position encountered in a Sicilian game
9.Be3 f5
Black unmasks a novelty rather early in the game. If 9...g5 10.Qe2 h5 11.Ne1 Be6 12.a3 a5
10.exf5. If 10.Qc2 f4 11.Bc1 g5
10...Bxf5. If 10...gxf5 11.Re1 Be7
11.Qb3 Qb6. Black wants to trade queens rather early as he has the bishop pair advantage
12.d4 exd4. If 12...Qxb3 13.axb3 cxd4 14.cxd4 e4
13.Qxb6 axb6 14.cxd4 c4 15.Nbd2
If 15.Re1 Bxb1 16.Rexb1 Bg7
15...b5. Black’s pawn structure on the queen-side looks formidable
16.a4 c3. If 16...Rxa4 17.Rxa4 bxa4 18.Nxc4
17.bxc3 bxa4. Black does not want to exchange rooks with 17...Rxa4 18.Rfe1 (18.Rxa4 bxa4 19.Ra1 b5) 18...Kd7
18.Rfe1 Kd8 19.Ng5 Nd6
Swapping knights looks like a better idea as White’s knight appears better placed. Black can play 19...Nxg5  20.Bxg5+ Kc7
20.Bf4. If 20.Nc4 Nxc4 21.Nf7+ Kd7 22.Nxh8 Ba3
20...Be7 21.g4. If 21.Rxe7 Kxe7 22.Bxd6+ Kxd6 23.Nf7+ Kd5 24.Nxh8 Rxh8 25.Rxa4 Re8
21...Bc8 22.Rxe7. White suddenly decides to sacrifice the rook for the bishop.
22.Kxe7 23.Re1+. He could have continued 23. Nc4 Nxc4  24.Nf7+ Kd7  25.Nxh8
If 23.Bxd6+ Kxd6 24.Nf7+ Ke7  25.Nxh8 Be6
23. ..Kd7. Better appears 23...Kf6 24.Bxd6 Kxg5 25.Nf3+ Kh6 26.g5+ Kg7 27.Be5+ Kg8 28.Bxh8 Kxh8
24.Bxd6 Kxd6 25.Nf7+ Kc7 26.Nxh8 a3 27.Nf7 a2 28.Ra1 Be6 29.Ng5
White with an extra piece would target for victory but the passed pawn on the ‘a’ file would give him a headache
29...Bd5 30.Kf1
Difficult to understand why White did not grab the pawn as it looked as the fastest route to victory. He should have played 30.Nxh7 Ra3 31.c4
30...Ra3 31.Nge4 b5 32.f3 b4 33.cxb4 Kb6 34.Nd6 Kc7 35.N6e4 Kb6
Diagram 1
36.Nd6
A mistake which allows Black to get back into the game.  White should have continued with the simpler and stronger 36.Ke2 Kb5 37.Kd1 Kxb4 38.Kc2
36...Kc7 37.Ne8+ Kb6 38.Ke2 Kb5 39.Nc7+ Kxb4 40.Nxd5+ cxd5 41.Nf1
Not exactly the right move! If 41.Kd1 Kc3 42.Kc1 g5
41...Kc3 42.Ne3 Kb2 43.Rxa2+ Rxa2 44.Nxd5 Kb3+ 45.Ke3
If [45.Kd3 Rh2 46.Nf4 Rh1
45...Kc4 46.Nf6 h5 47.gxh5 gxh5 48.Nxh5 Ra3+ 49.Kf4
If 49.Ke4 Rd3 50.Nf4 Rxd4+ 51.Kf5
49...Kxd4 50.h4
If 50.Nf6 Ra6 51.Ng4
50...Kd5 51.Kg4 Ke6 52.f4 Ra1 53.Ng3
 ½–½
Diagram 2
White to play and checkmate in two moves
1.Bh6 Qxd5 2.Rxf8 checkmate

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(Published 28 February 2015, 17:47 IST)

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