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Gaining minor advantages a key factor

Chess Checks
Last Updated 10 December 2016, 18:27 IST

Beginners and amateurs like to flip through chess games which are replete with combinations and sacrifices, in short they relish games with plenty of fireworks. In modern times, most of the games are played along purely positional lines where warfare is centred along gaining minor advantages and then using that advantage to victory.

The game which follows is a delight to go through, especially since it is brought alive by a spectacular queen sacrifice. What is more amazing is that this is not a calculative sacrifice which is thought throughly but is one of the intuitive ones, based on experience. A point which can be emphasized here is the co-ordination between Black's pieces.

White: Guillermo Soppe (2448) – Black: Pablo Ricardi(2474)
Buenos Aires , 1999
King’s Indian-Classical
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6
The King’s Indian defence which is one of the sharp defences against the queen’s Gambit
3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 Nbd7
If 6...e5 7.0–0 exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 c6 10.Kh1 Nbd7. 7.0–0 e5 8.Rb1 c6 9.b4. White can play 9.dxe5 Nxe5  10.Nxe5 dxe5
9. ..exd4
If 9...Re8 10.d5 c5 11.
10.Nxd4 Re8 11.Bg5
If 11.f3 a5 12.b5 c5 13.Nc2 Nb6 14.Bg5 Be6 15.Ne3 h6 16.Bh4 g5 17.Bf2 Nh5 18.Na4 Nxa4 19.Qxa4 Nf4 20.Qc2 Be5 led to a draw in a previously played game
11...h6 12.Bh4 Nb6. Better appears 12. ..Qb6. If 12...g5 13.Bg3 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 Rxe4 15.Nf5 Qf6
13.Nb3. Most definitely the best move. Better is 13.Qd3 g5 14.Bg3 d5 15.exd5 (15.cxd5 cxd5 16.e5 Nfd7) 15...cxd5 16.c5 Ne4

Diagram 1

13...Nxe4. A very interesting decision by Black, to sacrifice the queen. If 13...g5 14.Bg3 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Rxe4 16.c5 Nd5 17.Bf3 Nc3 18.Qxd6 Qxd6 19.cxd6 Rxb4 20.Rbe1 Bf5 with advantage for Black
14.Bxd8. White does not have any hesitation in accepting the queen
14. ..Nxc3 15.Qxd6 Nxe2+ 16.Kh1 Nxc4
Black nets two pieces and a pawn for the queen.
17.Qd3. If 17.Qc5 Be6 18.Be7 Nc3
17...Bf5. The combination continues and now Black catches the queen and rook on the same diagonal
18.Qxc4 Bxb1 19.Rxb1 Raxd8 20.g3
If [20.a3 Nc3 21.Rf1 Re4 22.Qc5 Rde8 (22...Nb5 23.Na5 Rd5 24.Qc2 Re7 25.Nc4) 23.g3 Nb5 also works in Black’s favour
20...Nc3 21.Rf1 Re4 22.Qc5 Nb5
Another good move by Black!
23.a4 Rd5. Black’s pieces enjoy good co-ordination
24.Qc2 Nc3 25.a5 a6. If 25...Rxb4 26.Re1 Rdb5
26.h4 h5 27.Kg2 Rxb4 28.Re1 Ra4
The best move here was 28...Rdb5
29.Re8+ Kh7 30.Nc1
If 30.Re7 Ra2 31.Qc1 Rf5 32.Qe1 (32.Nd2 Bd4 33.f3 Nd5) 32...Nd1
30...Raxa5 31.Re7 Rf5 32.Rxb7 Rab5 33.Ra7. If 33.Rd7 a5 34.Nd3 a4
33...Bd4 34.Rxa6 Rxf2+ 35.Qxf2 Bxf2
White has also lost his queen and now Black enjoys a dominant position with two extra pawns.
36.Kxf2 Rf5+ 37.Kg2 Nd1. Better is 37...c5
38.Rxc6 Ne3+ 39.Kg1 Rf3 40.Rc7
If 40.Kh2 Rf2+ 41.Kh3 Rf1
40...Kg7 41.Nd3 Ng4 42.Nf4 Rxg3+
White might as well resign now!
43.Kh1 Re3 44.Kg2 Re5 45.Ra7 Ne3+ 46.Kh3 Nf5 47.Ng2 Rb5 48.Rc7 Rb3+ 49.Kh2 Rf3 50.Ra7 Ne3 51.Ne1 Rf4 52.Kg3 Rg4+ 53.Kh3 Nf5 54.Ng2 Rg3+ 55.Kh2 Rf3 56.Rb7 Ne3 57.Ne1 Rf1 58.Nd3 Nf5 59.Kg2 Rd1 60.Ne5 Nxh4+ 61.Kf2 Kf6 62.Nxf7 Nf5 63.Nh8 Rd8 64.Rf7+ Kg5 65.Rh7 Nd6 66.Kg2 Rf8 67.Kg1 Rb8 68.Kg2 Rb7 69.Rxb7 Nxb7 0–1

Diagram 2

White to play and win
1.Be6+. Sacrificing he bishop. 1. ..KxBe6
Black has not choice, it is a forced move
2.Qe8+ Nce7   3.d5 checkmate.


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(Published 10 December 2016, 16:53 IST)

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