<p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Therefore it is imperative to look at forced moves or a forced sequence while embarking on a combination or a sacrifice. Sometimes superficially, a position might look appealing and promising but after careful consideration the flaws might become apparent. </p>.<p>In the game which follows, Black has not castled and his King is stranded in the middle of the board. White sensing a King hunt gets into aggressive mode and sacrifices a knight, banking heavily on his passed pawn which is reaching the seventh rank. Superficially for a while, this position does look attractive for White but Black carefully blunts out the attack and grabs the pawn to end on a winning note.<br /><br />White: Tibor Tolnai (2514) – Black: Robert Ruck (2485)<br />Budapest, 1999<br />Sicilian Defence<br /> 1.e4 c5 <br /><br />The Sicilian Defence<br /><br /> 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 Bd7 7.Be2 Qa5 8.Bxf6 gxf6 <br />Nothing new! This is a often played line<br /> 9.0–0 White castles on the King side where one crucial file is already opened<br /> 9. ..Nxd4 10.Qxd4 Rc8 11.a4 Qc5 <br />If 11...Rg8 12.Bb5 Bh6 13.Ra3 Qb6 14.Qxb6 axb6 15.Rb3 <br /> 12.Qd2 Declining to exchange queens. If 12.Rfd1 Bg7 13.Bb5 Qxd4 14.Rxd4 f5 15.Rb4 Bxc3 16.bxc3 fxe4 17.Bxd7+ Kxd7 18.Rxb7+ Ke6 <br /> 12...Rg8 If 12...a6 13.Kh1 <br /> 13.Bb5 Rg6 If 13...e6 14.Bxd7+ Kxd7 15.Rfd1 Rc7 17.Na4 Qxc2 <br /> 14.Ra3 White can also consider 14.Rfd1<br /> 14...e6 15.Bxd7+ If 15.b4 Qxb4 16.Rb3 Qc5 17.Bxd7+ Kxd7 18.Rxb7+ Ke8 19.Rb3 <br /> 15...Kxd7 The King is stuck in the centre as Black has not castled. However White cannot really take advantage of this<br /> 16.Rb3 b6 Also worth a look is 16...Bh6 17.Qd3 Qc6 (17...Rcg8 18.g3 Kc8 19.Nb5) 18.g3 Rd8 19.Rd1 17.Rb5 Qc4 18.a5 <br />If 18.Rh5 Be7 19.g3 And if 19.Rxh7 Rxg2+ 20.Kxg2 Rg8+ 21.Kf3 Qxf1 works better for Black <br /> 18...Rc5 <br />Diagram 1<br /> 19.axb6 A blunder? Difficult to understand why White sacrifices the knight. He could have continued 19.Rxc5 Qxc5 20.axb6 axb6 21.Ra1 and maintained balance <br /> 19...Rxb5 20.Nxb5 Qxb5 21.bxa7 <br />White is over banking on this passed pawn and as a result Black looks merry with the extra material<br /> 21. ..Qa6 Black can also think about 21...Qa4 22.Qe3 Bh6 <br /> 22.Qd4 Be7 The bishop finally moves for the first time<br /> 23.b3 White had a chance to advance this pawn two squares and it is difficult to understand why he just advanced it by a square?. If 23.b4 Rg8 24.Ra1 Qb7 25.c4 Ra8 (25...Qxb4 26.Qd1 Qxc4 27.a8Q Rxa8 28.Rxa8 Qxe4 29.Qa1 e5) 26.b5 Ke8 27.g3 Bd8 28.Ra6 Bc7 29.h4 (29.Qxf6 Rxa7 30.Rxa7 Qxa7 31.Qh8+ Ke7 32.Qxh7 Qd4) 29...Ke7 30.h5<br /> 23...Rg8 24.Ra1 Qc6 25.c4 Ra8 This is a necessary move<br /> 26.b4 Kc7 27.h3 Kb7 28.Ra5 e5 29.Qa1 Bd8 Black had a better move in 29...Qxc4<br /> 30.Rb5+ Bb6 31.Qf1 Kc7 32.c5 If 32.Rd5 Rxa7 33.Qe2 Ra1+ 34.Kh2 Bd4 gives advantage to Black <br /> 32...dxc5 33.bxc5 If 33.Qc4 Qe6 34.Qc2 Kc6 35.Qa4 Rxa7 36.Ra5+ Kb7 37.Rxa7+ Bxa7<br /> 33...Bxc5 34.Kh1 If 34.Qb1 Rxa7 <br /> 34. ..Rxa7 35.Qc4 Kd6 36.Rb8 Bb6 Defending every attacking possibility <br /> 37.Qb4+ Bc5 Here the simple 37. ..Kc7 is the best move 38.Qd2+ Bd4 39.Qh6 Desperately trying to gain some counter play<br /> 39. ..Kc5 40.Qf8+ Kc4 41.Rc8 Rc7 42.Rb8 and white resigned.<br /><br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win 1.Bxg6+ Qxg6 2.Rh8+ Kxh8 3.Qxg6 and White wins<br /><br /></p>
<p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Therefore it is imperative to look at forced moves or a forced sequence while embarking on a combination or a sacrifice. Sometimes superficially, a position might look appealing and promising but after careful consideration the flaws might become apparent. </p>.<p>In the game which follows, Black has not castled and his King is stranded in the middle of the board. White sensing a King hunt gets into aggressive mode and sacrifices a knight, banking heavily on his passed pawn which is reaching the seventh rank. Superficially for a while, this position does look attractive for White but Black carefully blunts out the attack and grabs the pawn to end on a winning note.<br /><br />White: Tibor Tolnai (2514) – Black: Robert Ruck (2485)<br />Budapest, 1999<br />Sicilian Defence<br /> 1.e4 c5 <br /><br />The Sicilian Defence<br /><br /> 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 Bd7 7.Be2 Qa5 8.Bxf6 gxf6 <br />Nothing new! This is a often played line<br /> 9.0–0 White castles on the King side where one crucial file is already opened<br /> 9. ..Nxd4 10.Qxd4 Rc8 11.a4 Qc5 <br />If 11...Rg8 12.Bb5 Bh6 13.Ra3 Qb6 14.Qxb6 axb6 15.Rb3 <br /> 12.Qd2 Declining to exchange queens. If 12.Rfd1 Bg7 13.Bb5 Qxd4 14.Rxd4 f5 15.Rb4 Bxc3 16.bxc3 fxe4 17.Bxd7+ Kxd7 18.Rxb7+ Ke6 <br /> 12...Rg8 If 12...a6 13.Kh1 <br /> 13.Bb5 Rg6 If 13...e6 14.Bxd7+ Kxd7 15.Rfd1 Rc7 17.Na4 Qxc2 <br /> 14.Ra3 White can also consider 14.Rfd1<br /> 14...e6 15.Bxd7+ If 15.b4 Qxb4 16.Rb3 Qc5 17.Bxd7+ Kxd7 18.Rxb7+ Ke8 19.Rb3 <br /> 15...Kxd7 The King is stuck in the centre as Black has not castled. However White cannot really take advantage of this<br /> 16.Rb3 b6 Also worth a look is 16...Bh6 17.Qd3 Qc6 (17...Rcg8 18.g3 Kc8 19.Nb5) 18.g3 Rd8 19.Rd1 17.Rb5 Qc4 18.a5 <br />If 18.Rh5 Be7 19.g3 And if 19.Rxh7 Rxg2+ 20.Kxg2 Rg8+ 21.Kf3 Qxf1 works better for Black <br /> 18...Rc5 <br />Diagram 1<br /> 19.axb6 A blunder? Difficult to understand why White sacrifices the knight. He could have continued 19.Rxc5 Qxc5 20.axb6 axb6 21.Ra1 and maintained balance <br /> 19...Rxb5 20.Nxb5 Qxb5 21.bxa7 <br />White is over banking on this passed pawn and as a result Black looks merry with the extra material<br /> 21. ..Qa6 Black can also think about 21...Qa4 22.Qe3 Bh6 <br /> 22.Qd4 Be7 The bishop finally moves for the first time<br /> 23.b3 White had a chance to advance this pawn two squares and it is difficult to understand why he just advanced it by a square?. If 23.b4 Rg8 24.Ra1 Qb7 25.c4 Ra8 (25...Qxb4 26.Qd1 Qxc4 27.a8Q Rxa8 28.Rxa8 Qxe4 29.Qa1 e5) 26.b5 Ke8 27.g3 Bd8 28.Ra6 Bc7 29.h4 (29.Qxf6 Rxa7 30.Rxa7 Qxa7 31.Qh8+ Ke7 32.Qxh7 Qd4) 29...Ke7 30.h5<br /> 23...Rg8 24.Ra1 Qc6 25.c4 Ra8 This is a necessary move<br /> 26.b4 Kc7 27.h3 Kb7 28.Ra5 e5 29.Qa1 Bd8 Black had a better move in 29...Qxc4<br /> 30.Rb5+ Bb6 31.Qf1 Kc7 32.c5 If 32.Rd5 Rxa7 33.Qe2 Ra1+ 34.Kh2 Bd4 gives advantage to Black <br /> 32...dxc5 33.bxc5 If 33.Qc4 Qe6 34.Qc2 Kc6 35.Qa4 Rxa7 36.Ra5+ Kb7 37.Rxa7+ Bxa7<br /> 33...Bxc5 34.Kh1 If 34.Qb1 Rxa7 <br /> 34. ..Rxa7 35.Qc4 Kd6 36.Rb8 Bb6 Defending every attacking possibility <br /> 37.Qb4+ Bc5 Here the simple 37. ..Kc7 is the best move 38.Qd2+ Bd4 39.Qh6 Desperately trying to gain some counter play<br /> 39. ..Kc5 40.Qf8+ Kc4 41.Rc8 Rc7 42.Rb8 and white resigned.<br /><br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win 1.Bxg6+ Qxg6 2.Rh8+ Kxh8 3.Qxg6 and White wins<br /><br /></p>
