Important to keep pieces active

Chess Checks

Inactive pieces in chess bring about a downfall as they can neither attack nor defend. Sometimes a piece strays onto one side of the board and is virtually left out of action, which could be happening on the opposite flank. It is important to try and keep your pieces in active mode.

In the game which follows, the black queen on the 16th turn moves onto the queen-side on a square. Thereafter all the action is centred on the King-side where White launches a major offensive. The Black queen is left inactive on the queenside and cannot prevent Black’s loss

White: Alexei Bezgodov (2576) – Black: Dmitry Bocharov (2475)

Samara , 2000

Sicilian Defence

1.e4 c5

The Sicilian Defence

2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6

4. ..e5 is also an option

5.Nc3 a6 Black can play 5. ..Nf6 or 5. ..Qc7

6.Be2 Qc7 7.0–0 Nf6 8.Be3 Be7 9.f4 d6 10.Qe1 0–0 11.Qg3 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 b5

He can also play 12. ..Bd7

13.a3 Bb7 14.Rae1 Rad8 15.Kh1

The King has to be taken out of the dangerous open diagonal

15. ..Bc6 16.Bf3

Diagram 1

16. ..Qb7

Not exactly the right square for the queen.

17.Nd1 g6 18.Nf2

Interesting idea !

18...Rfe8 19.c3 Nd7 20.Ng4 Bf8

If 20...d5 21.Nh6+ Kf8 22.f5

21.f5

A dangerous advance into enemy territory

21. ..e5

If 21...exf5 22.exf5 Rxe1 23.Qxe1

22.Be3 f6

If 22...d5 23.exd5 Bxd5 24.Bg5

23.Nh6+ White can try to destroy the castle with 23.fxg6 hxg6 24.Nf2 Kf7

23...Bxh6

If 23...Kg7 24.fxg6 hxg6 25.Bh5! Bxe4 26.Nf5+ Bxf5 27.Rxf5 g5 28.Rxg5+ fxg5 29.Qxg5+ Kh8 30.Bf7

24.Bxh6 Kf7 If 24...g5 25.h4

25.Qh4

The Queen positions itself to attack

25. ..Rg8

Better appears 25...Rh8 26.Rd1

26.Be3 Here White can try to wrap up with 26.fxg6 hxg6  27.Bd1 Ke7

26. ..Rg7 27.Bh6

White misses home another opportunity to be in drivers seat with 27.fxg6 hxg6 drive home advantage with 27.

27. ..Rgg8 28.Rd1 Ke7 29.Bg5

Interesting move! Black had  to be totally on the defensive side  in this game. Even now it is becoming increasingly difficult for Black to come up with ideas to maintain the balance in the game

29...Rg7 A mistake! If [29...fxg5 30.Qxh7+ Kf8 31.Rxd6 Rg7 32.Qh8+ Rg8 33.Qh6+ Ke7 34.Re6+ Kf7 35.Bg4 And if 29...Rh8! 30.Be3 Rdg8 31.Rd2 g5 32.Qh5 Bxe4 33.Rfd1 Bxf3 34.Qxf3 Qxf3 35.gxf3

30.fxg6 hxg6

If 30...fxg5 31.Qh6! Kf8 (31...Rxg6 32.Qxh7+ Kf6 33.Rxd6) 32.gxh7

31.Bg4 White’s bishops have become super active. Black’s queen is stranded on the other side of the board and cannot attack nor defend

31...Rf7

If 31...fxg5 32.Qxg5+ Ke8 33.Rxd6 And if 31...Rf8 32.Bxd7 Kxd7 33.Rxf6 Rxf6 34.Bxf6

32.Bxd7 Kxd7 [32...Rxd7 33.Bxf6+ Ke8 34.Bg7 Rde7 35.Qh8+ Kd7 36.Rxf7 Rxf7 37.Bxe5+–]

33.Rxf6 Rxf6 34.Bxf6 Rf8 35.Bxe5 Bxe4 36.Bxd6 Bxg2+ 37.Kg1 Qf3

After being inactive for a long time, the queen tries to get into action but it is too late now

38.Qe7+  and Black resigned

1–0

Diagram 2

White to play and win

1.Rxc6 Qe8  2.Rc2 and White should win this game.