JOIN USIt is better not to exchange pieces when one has an attack going in a game of chess and the opponent appears to be in a spot of bother. Many a time exchanges takes the fizz out of the attack and just the absence of an active piece might steer the game towards a draw.
In the game which follows, White is having advantage as Black’s King is stranded in the centre and his pieces are well posted. Black tries to initiate the exchange of queens twice to blunt out the attack but both times White refuses the offer and with the help of the queen, clinches victory.
White: Alexander Khalifman (2655) – Black: Yasser Seirawan (2625)
Amsterdam , 1995
Caro-Kann Defence
1.e4 c6
The Caro-Kann Defence
2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4
Deciding on exchanging the pawn at the centre
4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6
One of the popular lines in the Caro-Kann.
7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5
If 8.Bd3 Bxd3 9.Qxd3 Ngf6
8...Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Qc7
If 10...Ngf6 11.Bf4 e6 12.0–0–0 Be7 13.c4 b5 14.c5 0–0
11.Bd2 e6 12.0–0–0
If 12.Kf1 0–0–0 13.b4 Ngf6 14.Re1 Bd6 15.Qa3 Kb8 16.c4
12...Bd6
If 12...Ngf6 13.Kb1
13.Ne4 Ngf6 14.Kb1
If 14.Nxd6+ Qxd6 15.Qe2 b5 16.Kb1 Qd5 17.Rh4 a5
14...Bf4
If 14...Nxe4 15.Qxe4 0–0–0 And if 14...b5 15.Ba5 Qxa5 16.Nxd6+ Ke7 17.Ne5 Kxd6 18.Qg3
15.Nxf6+
White played a new move here. If 15.Bb4 a5 16.Ba3 Nxe4 17.Qxe4 Bd6 18.Bxd6 Qxd6 19.Ne5 0–0 20.f4 Rfd8 21.g4 Nxe5 22.Qxe5 Qxe5 23.dxe5
15...Nxf6
If 15...gxf6 16.Bc3
16.Bxf4 Qxf4 17.Qa3 Qc7 18.Ne5
Anchoring the knight at the centre
18. ..Qe7
The Black King is still at the centre and naturally Black would be interested in swapping queens
19.Qe3
Offer declined! If 19.Qxe7+ Kxe7 And if 19.Rh3 Qxa3 20.Rxa3 Ke7 with more or less a balanced game
19...Nd7
If 19...0–0 20.g4 And if 19...0–0–0 20.c4 Nd7 21.Nf3
20.Nd3
White can consider 20.f4
20. ..Qg5
Trying to attack but Black can play 20. ..Nf6 or even castle here. If 20...0–0 21.f4 And if 20...0–0–0 21.d5 cxd5 22.Qxa7
21.f4 Qxg2 22.Rhg1 Qd5
If 22...Qh2 23.f5 0–0–0 24.Nf4
23.Ne5 Rg8
If 23...0–0 24.Qg3 And if 23...Kf8 24.Qa3+ Kg8 25.Qe7 And if 23...Nf6 24.Rxg7 Rf8 25.f5 Nxh5 26.c4 Qd6 27.Rh7 works out better for White in all variations
24.c4 Qd6 25.d5 cxd5
If 25...Qc5 26.Qb3 Qb6 (26...Nxe5 27.Qxb7 Rd8 28.dxe6) 27.Qc3 Nxe5 28.dxe6 And if 25...Nxe5 26.fxe5 Qe7
26.Nxd7 Qxd7
If 26...Kxd7 27.cxd5 exd5 28.Qf3 Kc6 29.Rd4
27.cxd5 Rd8 28.f5 e5 29.Qxe5+ Qe7
Diagram 1
30.Qd4
Once again with a full fledged attack going, White declines to exchange queens
30. ..Kf8 31.d6 Qf6
If 31...Qd7 32.Qd5 Qc6 33.Qxc6 bxc6 34.Rg3 35.Re3 g6 36.f6
32.Qc5 b6 33.Qd5 Rh8 34.d7 Qh4
More in desperation than anything else!
35.Rge1 Kg8 36.Re8+ Kh7 37.Qxf7 Rhxe8 38.Qg6+
1–0
Diagram 2
White to play and checkmate
1.Qb6+ Ke5 2.Qd4+ Ke6 3.Bb3 checkmate