JOIN USPlaying a chess game needs precise calculation without wasting moves as the opponent then gains advantage. Beginners tend to waste moves as most often they are forced to move the same piece more than once in the beginning either to attack or ward off an attack on the piece.
In the game which follows, Black is on the back foot but then loses his grip on the game when he suddenly decides to shift his dark squared bishop to a different diagonal in the middle-game. The bishop moves thrice without gaining anything and this allows White to get into a commanding position.
White: Evgeny Sveshnikov (2585) – Black: Alexander Semeniuk (2415)
Vladivostok Vladivostok , 1994
Two Knights Defence
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4
The Scotch Opening where White immediately tries to strike at the centre with a pawn sacrifice
4. ..exd4 5.e5 Ng4
Black can also play 5. ..d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4
6.Qe2
White can castle 6.0-0 Be7 7.Re1 d6
6. ..Qe7 7.Bf4 f6
If 7...d6 8.exd6 cxd6 9.Nbd2 Bf5 10.Nb3 Qxe2+ 11.Kxe2 Nge5 12.Bb5 Nxf3 13.Kxf3 0–0–0 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Nxd4 Bd7 And if 7...d6 8.exd6 cxd6 9.Nbd2 Bf5 10.Nb3 Qxe2+ 11.Kxe2 Nge5
8.exf6 Nxf6
If 8...gxf6 9.0–0 Qxe2 10.Bxe2 Nge5 11.Nbd2 d5 12.Nb3 Bd7 13.Nfxd4 Nxd4 14.Bh5+ Ng6 15.Nxd4 0–0–0 16.Bg3 And if 8...Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Nxf6 10.Nbd2 d6 11.Rhe1 Bf5 12.Kf1+ Kd7 are previously played continuations
9.Nbd2
If 9.Bxc7 d6 10.Bb5 Qxe2+ 11.Kxe2 Kd7 12.Ba5 a6 13.Bxc6+ bxc6
9...d5
An interesting move! If 9...Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 Bc5 11.Rhe1 d5 12.Kf1+ Kd8 13.Bd3 Nb4 14.Nb3
10.Bb5 Qxe2+
Black decides that it is time to exchange queens!
11.Kxe2 a6 12.Bd3
If 12.Bxc6+ bxc6 13.Bxc7 (13.Nxd4 c5 14.N4f3 c6) 13...Bg4
12...Bg4 13.Bxc7 Rc8
If 13...Kd7 14.Bg3 Re8+ 15.Kf1 Bd6
14.Bg3 Bb4 15.h3 Bxf3+
If 15...Bh5 16.Bf5 Rd8 17.Bh4
16.Nxf3
The correct move!
16. ..0–0
Black finally gets to castle
17.Rhd1 Ne4 18.Bh2 Rf6
The rook has many options to move now If 18. ..Re8 19.Kf1 Re7 And if 18...Bd6 19.Bxd6 (19.Bxe4 dxe4 20.Bxd6 exf3+ 21.gxf3 Rce8+) 19...Nxd6 20.Kf1 Rf4 21.Re1 Nc4
19.Kf1 Appears like a sort of artificial castling manoeuvre
19. ..Bc5 20.Re1 Re8 21.Re2 Rfe6 22.Rae1
The ‘e’ file is crowded with four rooks and a knight fighting to get control
22. ..h6 23.a3 b5
Black can think of 23...Kf7
24.Kg1 Bb6
Better appears 24...Kf7
25.Nh4
Diagram 1
25. ..Ba5 This move is difficult to understand as to why he leaves an important diagonal and then retreats, wasting a move
26.b4 Bd8 27.Nf5 Bf6
A mistake! Black should have thought of 27. ..Ng5 28.Nd6 Rxe2
28.Nd6 Rxd6
Black need not have traded pieces. Better is 28. ..R8e7 29.Nxe4 dxe4 30.Bxe4 Kf8
29.Bxd6 Rd8 30.Bf4 Kf7
A few inaccurate moves by Black
30. ..Rf8 31.Bxe4 dxe4 32.Rxe4 Kf7
31.Bxe4 White can play 31.f3 Ng5 32.h4
31. ..dxe4 32.Rxe4 d3 33.cxd3 g5 34.Rc1
And Black resigned as 34. ..Nd4 35.Rc7+ Kg6 36.Bg3 And if 34. ..Ne7 35.Be5
1–0
Diagram 2
White to play and checkmate
1.Ree8 a1Q 2.Rhf8 checkmate