Attractive superficial moves seriously weaken position

Chess Checks

Having development problems and a King stuck in the centre of the chess board without castling are liabilities any chess player can do without. Development problems many times occur because a player goes around looking at moves which might be attractive superficially but they seriously weaken the position and  allow the opponent an easy target.

Keeping King  in the centre without castling might work in a few cases but more often the King is safer in a castled position.

In the game which follows, White to a certain extent is to be blamed for having development problems and also keeping his King without castling.

White goes for an opening novelty which weakens his King side and later tries to bluff his way though in a combination which allows a couple of pieces to invade the enemy territory but leaves his own King vulnerable in the end.

White: Sergei Volkov (2545) – Black: Valerji Filippov (2595)
Novgorod , 1998
Nimzo Indian Defence
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4
The Nimzo-Indian Defence
4.f3 0–0 5.e4 d5 6.e5 Nfd7
Playing strictly according to book theory
7.cxd5
If 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 dxc4 9.f4
7...exd5 8.f4
This time playing a new move. If 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 f6 10.exf6 (10.f4 fxe5 11.dxe5 Nxe5
8...c5 9.a3 Ba5
White’s King side pieces have still not developed and hence Black wants to retain the diagonal
10.Nf3
If 10.dxc5 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Nxc5
10...Nc6 11.Be3 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Re8 13.Be2
Wanting to develop his King side pieces quickly as Black has already castled and is getting his pieces into position
13. ..f6
Black would like to open up some crucial files to capitalize on the fact that White’s King is still in the centre
14.Ndb5
14.e6 Nxd4 15.exd7 Rxe3 16.Qxd4 Rxc3 and if  a16...Qxd7 17.Qxe3 d4 18.Qf3 dxc3 19.bxc3 Bb6  and if b)16...Bxc3+ 17.bxc3 Rxe2+ 18.Kxe2 Qxd7 19.Rhe1±; 17.bxc3 Qxd7
14...d4
A good move!
15.Bxd4
White decides that development can wait!.
He can however maintain an equal balance with 15.Nxd4 fxe5 (15...Nxd4 16.Bxd4 fxe5 17.fxe5 Nxe5 18.0–0 Bb6) 16.Nxc6 bxc6
15...fxe5 16.Qb3+ Kh8 17.Nd6 Rf8
These moves are forced
18.Bf2
White can also look at 18.Bxe5
18. ..Nd4
A very strong move! This will put White totally on the defensive now
Diagram 1
19.Nf7+
For this move, White had shunned development!
But this move fetches him nothing except a few exchanges
19. ..Rxf7 20.Qxf7 Nc2+
White has not castled and as such the King becomes a good target
21.Kd2 Nxa1
Both have exchanged rooks in combinations
22.Rxa1 Nc5+ 23.Ke1 Be6
Black’s pieces are combining beautifully
24.Qh5 Nd3+ 25.Bxd3 Qxd3 26.Rd1
If 26.Qxe5 Bc4 27.Bd4 Qf1+ 28.Kd2 Qxg2+
 26...Qe4+ 27.Kf1 Qxf4 28.Ne2 Qa4
Roaming almost at Will!
29.Rd6
White manages to drive away a crucial defender. If 29.Rc1 Bd2 30.Ra1 Bg4 31.Qf7 (31.Qh4 Qc4) 31...Qa6
29...Qc2 30.Qg5
If 30.Ng3 Rf8
30...Bc4 and White resigned for if  31.Qe3 Qb1+
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Nh7+ Ke8 2.Rd2 Qh8 3.Nf6+ exf6
If 3...Qxf6 4.Rg8 checkmate
 4.Rge2+ Kf8 5.Rh2 Qg8 6.Rdg2  and White should win this position.