Combination of pieces is very vital

Checkmate is the most beautiful sight on a chessboard and it conveys the harmony and co-ordination between the pieces. For any attack to culminate into a check-mate, all the pieces should combine together, first to make inroads into the enemy territory, then decimate the defence and then catch the King in a checkmating net.

In the game which follows, White’s queen, two rooks and bishop break through all the barriers and set up a neat check-mating  net. Black on the other hand desperately tries to initiate the exchange of queens but is unsuccessful.

White: Christian Maier – Black: Gerlef Meins

German Championship, 1998
Sicilian Defence

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.f4 e5 7.Nf3 Be7 8.Bd3 0–0 9.0–0 exf4 10.Bxf4 Qb6+ 11.Kh1
11. ..Qxb2 12.Qd2
If 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Ne5 14.Bxe5 dxe5 15.d6 Bf6 16.Rb1 Qa3 17.Nd2 Qxd6 18.Ne4 Qe7 19.Nxf6+ gxf6 20.Bxh7+ Kg7 21.Rb3 Rh8 22.Be4 Rb8 23.Qe1 Be6  was played in a previous game and resulted in a victory for Black
12...Qb6. Retreating, all the way back. If 12...Qb4 13.Rab1 Qa5 14.Bc4
13.Nd5 Qd8. All the way back to the original square! If 13...Nxd5 14.exd5 Nd8
4.Nxe7+ Qxe7.  If 14...Nxe7 15.Bxd6 (15.Bg5 Ng4 16.Rad1 h6 17.Bh4) 15...Qxd6 16.e5 Qc7 17.exf6 gxf6 18.Nd4

15.Bxd6
15...Qxd6 16.e5 Qb4
Almost a forced issue since 16...Nxe5 17.Bxh7+ and Black loses the queen
17.c3. White tries to attack the Queen which is a big blunder! If 17.exf6 Qxd2 18.Nxd2 Nb4 19.Be4 Rd8

17...Qg4. Black reciprocates with another mistake, shifting the queen to the King side. The correct continuation here is 17...Ne4 18.cxb4 Nxd2 19.Nxd2 Rd8 20.Bc4 Rxd2 21.Bxf7+ Kf8 22.Bc4+ Ke8 And if 17...Qe7 18.exf6 Qxf6 19.Ng5
18.exf6 gxf6 19.

A good move which unmasks the open  ‘f’ file
19...Nxd4. If 19...Qg5 20.Qc2 Qh4 21.Nxc6 bxc6 22.Rae1And if 19...Ne5 20.Rxf6 Nxd3 21.Qxd3 and White stands better
20.cxd4 Qg5. Offering to exchange queens
21.Rf4 Bg4. Better appears 21...Be6
22.Qf2. A good move!
22. .. Rad8. If 22...Kg7 23.h4 Qh5 24.Qg3+ And if  22...Qg7 23.Bxh7+ Kxh7 24.Qh4+ Qh6 25.Qxg4
23.h3. If 23.Rxf6 Be6 24.Rf1
23...Be6
If 23...Bh5 24.Rf5 (24.Rxf6 Bg6!) 24...Qh6 25.Qh4 Qe3 26.Rxh5 Qxd3 27.Qxf6
24.Rxf6 Kh8. If 24...Rfe8 25.Rf1 Rd7 26.Rf3 And if 24...Kg7 25.Rf3
25.Re1 Rg8 26.Re5
Better appears 26.Be4 Qg3  27.Rh6 Rg6
26...Qc1+Black. This check does not bring any cheer. Perhaps Black could have tried 26...Qg3 27.Rh6
27.Kh2 Rg7. If 27...Qd1 28.Rfxe6
28.Be4. White could have played 28.Bxh7 Bd5  29.Be4 Bxe4  30.Rxe4
28...Qc3 29.Rh6 Qxd4
If 29...Rxd4 30.Bxh7 Rd2 31.Bd3+ Kg8 32.Rh8+ Kxh8 33.Qh4+ Kg8 34.Qd8 checkmate

Diagram 1

30.Qf6
All of White’s pieces are actively engaged in the attack
30...Kg8 31.Bxh7+. There is no respite for Black now
31...Rxh7. If 31...Kf8 32.Rxe6 Qxf6 33.Rexf6 Rd2 34.Be4 And if 31...Kh8 32.Bf5+ (32.Bg6+ Kg8 33.Reh5 Qd6+) 32...Kg8 33.Bxe6
32.Rxh7. If 32.Rxh7 Kxh7 (32...Qxe5+ 33.Qxe5 Kxh7 34.Qh5+ Kg7 35.Qg5+ ) 33.Rh5+ Kg8 34.Rh8 checkmate
1–0

Diagram 2

White to play and check-mate in two moves
 1.Qxc6+ bxc6 2.Bxc6 check-mate