Open position needs plenty of calculation

Chess Checks

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. 

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.

White: Tibor Tolnai (2514) – Black: Robert Ruck (2485)
Budapest, 1999
Sicilian Defence
 1.e4 c5

The Sicilian Defence

 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 Bd7 7.Be2 Qa5 8.Bxf6 gxf6
Nothing new! This is a often played line
 9.0–0  White castles on the King side where one crucial file is already opened
 9. ..Nxd4 10.Qxd4 Rc8 11.a4 Qc5
If 11...Rg8 12.Bb5 Bh6 13.Ra3 Qb6 14.Qxb6 axb6 15.Rb3
 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
 12...Rg8  If 12...a6 13.Kh1
 13.Bb5 Rg6  If 13...e6 14.Bxd7+ Kxd7 15.Rfd1 Rc7 17.Na4 Qxc2
 14.Ra3  White can also consider 14.Rfd1
 14...e6 15.Bxd7+  If 15.b4 Qxb4 16.Rb3 Qc5 17.Bxd7+ Kxd7 18.Rxb7+ Ke8 19.Rb3
 15...Kxd7 The King is stuck in the centre as Black has not castled. However White cannot really take advantage of this
 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
If 18.Rh5 Be7 19.g3 And if 19.Rxh7 Rxg2+ 20.Kxg2 Rg8+ 21.Kf3 Qxf1 works better for Black
 18...Rc5
Diagram 1
 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
 19...Rxb5 20.Nxb5 Qxb5 21.bxa7
White is over banking on this passed pawn and as a result Black looks merry with the extra material
 21. ..Qa6  Black can also think about 21...Qa4 22.Qe3 Bh6  
 22.Qd4 Be7  The bishop finally moves for the first time
 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
 23...Rg8 24.Ra1 Qc6 25.c4 Ra8  This is a necessary move
 26.b4 Kc7 27.h3 Kb7 28.Ra5 e5 29.Qa1 Bd8  Black had a better move in 29...Qxc4
 30.Rb5+ Bb6 31.Qf1 Kc7 32.c5 If 32.Rd5 Rxa7 33.Qe2 Ra1+ 34.Kh2 Bd4 gives advantage to Black
 32...dxc5 33.bxc5  If 33.Qc4 Qe6 34.Qc2 Kc6 35.Qa4 Rxa7 36.Ra5+ Kb7 37.Rxa7+ Bxa7
 33...Bxc5 34.Kh1  If 34.Qb1 Rxa7   
 34. ..Rxa7 35.Qc4 Kd6 36.Rb8 Bb6  Defending every attacking possibility
 37.Qb4+ Bc5  Here the simple 37. ..Kc7 is the best move  38.Qd2+ Bd4 39.Qh6  Desperately trying to gain some counter play
 39. ..Kc5 40.Qf8+ Kc4 41.Rc8 Rc7 42.Rb8 and white resigned.

Diagram 2
White to play and win 1.Bxg6+ Qxg6 2.Rh8+ Kxh8 3.Qxg6 and White wins