Anchoring or posting pieces deep into enemy territory is one of the winning motifs in chess but many a time, playing such a move blindly can lead to disaster! It is necessary and important to calculate each and every possible move carefully before playing it on the board. Many a time, it is possible that both players may commit plenty of mistakes and the position can fluctuate.
In the game which ensues, there is hidden danger in the position even though one gets the appearance that the position is benign. White suddenly decides to invade his opponent’s territory and posts a knight on the sixth rank. Black then in the driver’s seat, also strays and the position fluctuates many a time in this topsy turvy game.
White: Gunnar Finnlaugsson (2215). Black: Sigurbhorn Bjornsson (2210)
Reykjavik , 1998
Pirc Defence
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7
The Classical system of the Pirc Defence. This is one of the closed defences and one can see quite a bit of internal manoeuvring in this Opening
5.Be2 0–0 6.h3 a6 7.Bf4
If 7.0–0 Nc6 (7...b5 8.e5 dxe5 9.dxe5 Nfd7 10.Bf4 Nc5 11.Qxd8 Rxd8 12.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 13.Rxd1 Nc6 ) 8.Be3 e5 9.d5 Ne7 10.Ne1 Nd7 11.g4 f5 12.f3 Kh8
7...b5 Black decides to play on the queenside. He could also play 7. ..Nbd7
8.e5 Nfd7 9.a4
White can think about castling on the queenside after 9. Qd2 or he can also consider castling short immediately 9.0–0
9...b4 10.Nd5 Nc6 11.exd6 cxd6 12.Qd2
If 12.0–0 e6 13.Ne3 (13.Nxb4 Nxb4 14.Bxd6 Nc6 15.Bxf8 Nxf8 16.c3) 13...e5 14.Bg5
12...Qa5 13.Ne3 e5 14.dxe5
If 14.Nc4 Qd5 15.dxe5 Qxd2+ 16.Bxd2 dxe5 17.0–0–0
14...dxe5 If 14...Ndxe5 15.0–0
15.Nc4 Qc7 16.Be3
If 16.Bh6 Bxh6 17.Qxh6 f6 18.Ne3
16...e4 If 16...Rd8 17.Bg5 Nf6 18.Qe3 e4
17.Ng5 Na5 If 17...Rd818.Nxe4 Nc5 19.Ned6 (19.Qxd8+ Nxd8 20.Nxc5 Ne6) 19...Ne4 (19...Bxb2 20.Nxb2 Rxd6 21.Qc1 Nd4 22.Bxd4 Rxd4 23.Qe3 Ne6) 20.Bb6
Diagram 1
18.Nd6 It is always tempting to anchor your pieces deep into enemy territory but here it is a mistake! White could have tried to gain advantage with 18.Qxb4 Nxc4 19.Qxc4 Qxc4 20.Bxc4 Bxb2 (20...Rb8 21.Rb1) 21.Rb1
18...Bxb2 19.0–0 Bxa1
Black can also pile on the pressure with 19. ..Bc3 20.Qd5 Bb7 21.Nxb7 Nxb7 22.Nxe4 Bxa4
20.Ndxf7 If 20.Rxa1 b3 (20...Qc3 21.Qxc3 bxc3 22.Rd1)
20...Nf6
Black once again misses a good move! He should have played 20...Bc3+ 21.Bd4 (21.Qd5 Bb7 22.Bd4 Nf6 (22...Bxd5 23.Nh6 checkmate) 23.Nh6+ (23.Bxf6 Bxf6 24.Nh6+ Kh8 25.Nhf7+ Kg7 26.Ne6+ Kxf7 27.Nxc7+ Bxd5) 23...Kh8 24.Nhf7+ Kg7 25.Ne6+ Kxf7
21.Nh6+ Kg7 22.Rxa1 Nc4
Another mistake! Black should have played 22. ..Nc6 23.c3 Qe5
23.Bxc4 Qxc4 24.Qd6
Black has squandered all his advantage and suddenly now White is in the driver’s seat!
24...Re8 If 24...Nd5 25.Qe5+ Rf6 (25...Nf6 26.Qe7+) 26.Nxe4
25.Bd4 Re6
If 25...Be6 26.Ng4 and White is better
26.Nxe6+ Qxe6 27.Qf4
White is not interested in exchanging queens and intensifies the pressure on black’s king
27. ..Qe7™ 28.Re1
White can also think about 28.g4
28...Bd7 If 28...Bb7 29.Ng4
29.Rxe4 Qf8 30.g4
If 30.Qg5 Re8 31.Rxe8 Bxe8 32.Bc5! Qh8 33.Be7 Nd7 34.Qf4
30...Bc6 31.Re6
Also winning outright is 31.g5
31...Rd8 32.Bxf6+ 1–0
Diagram 2
1.Qe6+ Qxe6 2.dxe6 Kg7 and White wins.
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