<p>Chess can at times appear to be cruel when a single mistake can ruin all the previous good work. What appeared like a sure shot victory can translate into a devastating defeat. Momentary loss of concentration is often the explanation for this debacle.<br /><br />In the game which follows, White is in an advantageous position almost for the entire duration of the game but a big blunder has him tasting defeat after just one move.<br /><br />White: Boris Avrukh (2500) – Black: Zoltan Varga (2450)<br /><br />Budapest, 1996<br /><br />Queen’s Gambit Accepted<br /><br />1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4<br /><br />Accepting the gambitted pawn! This is also one of the popular response to the Queen’s gambit<br /><br />3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 a6<br /><br />Black can have a look at 5. ..c5<br /><br />6.0–0 c5 7.Bd3 Nbd7. He can also develop the knight 7. ..Nc6<br /><br />8.Re1 Be7 9.e4<br /><br />If 9.a4 b6 10.e4 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Ne5 12.Bc2 Bb7 13.Nc3 0–0 14.Nf3 Qxd1 15.Rxd1 Nxf3+ 16.gxf3 Bc5 was played previously<br /><br />9...cxd4 10.e5 Nd5 11.Nxd4<br /><br />If 11.Bc4 Nc5<br /><br />11...Bb4 12.Bd2<br /><br />If 12.Nd2 Nf4 13.Be4 Qg5<br /><br />12...Qb6. The Black King is still on the original square and Black could have castled here<br /><br />13.Nb3. If 13.Qg4 Bc5 14.Bc3 0–0 (14...Nxc3 15.bxc3 Bxd4 16.cxd4 Qb2 17.Qxg7 Rf8)<br /><br />13...0–0 14.Nc3. White can play 14.Qc2 <br /><br />14...Nxc3 15.bxc3 Be7 16.Qg4<br /><br />The queen takes up an aggressive stance on the King-side. If 16.Qh5 g6 17.Qh6 Rd8<br /><br />16...Rd8 17.Bh6<br /><br />If 17. ..g6 18.Qc4 Qa7 19.Qf4<br /><br />17. ..Bf8<br /><br />If 17...g6 18.Rad1 Qc7 19.Bg5<br /><br />18.Bg5 Re8 19.Bxh7+<br /><br />White comes up with a bishop sacrifice which one has seen many times in such typical positions. If 19.Qe4 g6 20.Rad1 Qc7<br /><br />19...Kxh7 20.Re3. The rook expectedly joins in the king-hunt<br /><br />20. ..Kg8 21.Rh3 f5<br /><br />If 21...g6 22.Qh4 Bg7 23.Bf6! Nxf6 24.exf6 And if 21...Nxe5 22.Qh5 f6 23.Bxf6 Nd7 24.Bxg7 Bxg7 25.Qxe8+ and White is better in both cases<br /><br />22.Qh5. If 22.exf6 Nxf6 23.Qh4 (23.Bxf6 e5 24.Rh8+ Kxh8 25.Qh5+ Kg8 26.Qxe8 Qxf6–+) 23...e5<br /><br /> 22...Re7. If 22...Rd8 23.Rd1<br /><br />23.Qh8+. Infiltrating deep into Black’s territory<br /><br />23. ..Kf7 24.Qh5+. White can get his other rook to join in the action with 24.Rd1<br /><br />24. ..Kg8 25.Bxe7 Bxe7 26.Qe8+ Bf8 27.Rd1 Nxe5<br /><br />If 27...Qc6 28.Rd6 Qc4 29.Rxd7 Bxd7 30.Qxd7 (30.Qxa8 Qe2 31.Rh8+ Kxh8 32.Qxf8+ Kh7 33.h3 Qe1+ 34.Kh2 Qxe5+) <br /><br />28.Rd8. The rook too infiltrates, capitalising on the fact that Black has still not been able to complete his development. The rook on the queen side is cut off.<br /><br />28...Ng6 29.Rxc8<br /><br />If 29.Rhd3 e5 (29...Kh7 30.Qf7 And if 29...Qc6 30.Qxg6 e5 31.R3d6) 30.R3d6 Qb5 31.Qxg6<br /><br />29...Rxc8 30.Qxc8 Qd6. Black can think about 30. ..Nd7 to offer resistance<br /><br />31.Nd4. If 31.g3 Qd1+ 32.Kg2 Qd5+<br /><br />31...Nf4 32.Rf3 Qa3 [32...e5 33.Qxf5+–]<br /><br />Diagram 1<br /><br />33.g3. A major blunder! White should have played 33.h3 or even 33.h4 g6 34.Nxe6 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Nxe6 36.Qxe6+ Kh7.Now in just one move White’s winning looking position comes crashing down<br /><br />33...Qc1 checkmate<br /><br />0–1<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br /><br />1.Qh7+ Kg5 2.f4 checkmate<br /><br /> <br /><br /></p>
<p>Chess can at times appear to be cruel when a single mistake can ruin all the previous good work. What appeared like a sure shot victory can translate into a devastating defeat. Momentary loss of concentration is often the explanation for this debacle.<br /><br />In the game which follows, White is in an advantageous position almost for the entire duration of the game but a big blunder has him tasting defeat after just one move.<br /><br />White: Boris Avrukh (2500) – Black: Zoltan Varga (2450)<br /><br />Budapest, 1996<br /><br />Queen’s Gambit Accepted<br /><br />1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4<br /><br />Accepting the gambitted pawn! This is also one of the popular response to the Queen’s gambit<br /><br />3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 a6<br /><br />Black can have a look at 5. ..c5<br /><br />6.0–0 c5 7.Bd3 Nbd7. He can also develop the knight 7. ..Nc6<br /><br />8.Re1 Be7 9.e4<br /><br />If 9.a4 b6 10.e4 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Ne5 12.Bc2 Bb7 13.Nc3 0–0 14.Nf3 Qxd1 15.Rxd1 Nxf3+ 16.gxf3 Bc5 was played previously<br /><br />9...cxd4 10.e5 Nd5 11.Nxd4<br /><br />If 11.Bc4 Nc5<br /><br />11...Bb4 12.Bd2<br /><br />If 12.Nd2 Nf4 13.Be4 Qg5<br /><br />12...Qb6. The Black King is still on the original square and Black could have castled here<br /><br />13.Nb3. If 13.Qg4 Bc5 14.Bc3 0–0 (14...Nxc3 15.bxc3 Bxd4 16.cxd4 Qb2 17.Qxg7 Rf8)<br /><br />13...0–0 14.Nc3. White can play 14.Qc2 <br /><br />14...Nxc3 15.bxc3 Be7 16.Qg4<br /><br />The queen takes up an aggressive stance on the King-side. If 16.Qh5 g6 17.Qh6 Rd8<br /><br />16...Rd8 17.Bh6<br /><br />If 17. ..g6 18.Qc4 Qa7 19.Qf4<br /><br />17. ..Bf8<br /><br />If 17...g6 18.Rad1 Qc7 19.Bg5<br /><br />18.Bg5 Re8 19.Bxh7+<br /><br />White comes up with a bishop sacrifice which one has seen many times in such typical positions. If 19.Qe4 g6 20.Rad1 Qc7<br /><br />19...Kxh7 20.Re3. The rook expectedly joins in the king-hunt<br /><br />20. ..Kg8 21.Rh3 f5<br /><br />If 21...g6 22.Qh4 Bg7 23.Bf6! Nxf6 24.exf6 And if 21...Nxe5 22.Qh5 f6 23.Bxf6 Nd7 24.Bxg7 Bxg7 25.Qxe8+ and White is better in both cases<br /><br />22.Qh5. If 22.exf6 Nxf6 23.Qh4 (23.Bxf6 e5 24.Rh8+ Kxh8 25.Qh5+ Kg8 26.Qxe8 Qxf6–+) 23...e5<br /><br /> 22...Re7. If 22...Rd8 23.Rd1<br /><br />23.Qh8+. Infiltrating deep into Black’s territory<br /><br />23. ..Kf7 24.Qh5+. White can get his other rook to join in the action with 24.Rd1<br /><br />24. ..Kg8 25.Bxe7 Bxe7 26.Qe8+ Bf8 27.Rd1 Nxe5<br /><br />If 27...Qc6 28.Rd6 Qc4 29.Rxd7 Bxd7 30.Qxd7 (30.Qxa8 Qe2 31.Rh8+ Kxh8 32.Qxf8+ Kh7 33.h3 Qe1+ 34.Kh2 Qxe5+) <br /><br />28.Rd8. The rook too infiltrates, capitalising on the fact that Black has still not been able to complete his development. The rook on the queen side is cut off.<br /><br />28...Ng6 29.Rxc8<br /><br />If 29.Rhd3 e5 (29...Kh7 30.Qf7 And if 29...Qc6 30.Qxg6 e5 31.R3d6) 30.R3d6 Qb5 31.Qxg6<br /><br />29...Rxc8 30.Qxc8 Qd6. Black can think about 30. ..Nd7 to offer resistance<br /><br />31.Nd4. If 31.g3 Qd1+ 32.Kg2 Qd5+<br /><br />31...Nf4 32.Rf3 Qa3 [32...e5 33.Qxf5+–]<br /><br />Diagram 1<br /><br />33.g3. A major blunder! White should have played 33.h3 or even 33.h4 g6 34.Nxe6 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Nxe6 36.Qxe6+ Kh7.Now in just one move White’s winning looking position comes crashing down<br /><br />33...Qc1 checkmate<br /><br />0–1<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br /><br />1.Qh7+ Kg5 2.f4 checkmate<br /><br /> <br /><br /></p>
