JOIN USCombination of motifs could swing a game
In certain cases or routine looking positions, they can be harmless but when unleashed in a lethal combination, they can swing the game decisively.
In the game which follows fortunes sway either way before the first time control. White is distinctly better but gets rattled by a Pin and then walks into another one which would have meant curtains for him but thankfully for him, black blunders and he not only manages to escape but posts a win.
White: Peter Wells (2475) – Black: Christopher Ward (2470)
Scarborough,1999
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 g6 Unexpected but not new!.
3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.e4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Be2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Bg5 0–0 10.Qd2 Be6 11.Rc1
White can also play 11.Rd1 here
11...Qa5 12.f3 Rfc8 13.b3
White can also play 13.Nd5
13...Kf8 Interesting move! White has not castled whereas Black has castled and is now moving his King!
14.h4 Another unexpected move!
If 14.Rc2 a6 15.Na4 Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 Nd7 17.g4 14...a6 15.h5 Pushing on! If 15.Na4 Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 Nd7 17.h5
15...Rc5 16.f4 White is in an aggressive mode and is pushing his Kingside pawns. If 16.Bxf6 hxg6 Rxg5 17.gxh7 (17.b4 Qxb4 18.Qxg5 hxg6) 17...Rh5 gives advantage to Black. 16...b5 Black also wants to match White’s aggression but on the queen side. Better for him would have been 16...Rac8 17.hxg6 hxg6 18.f5 gxf5 19.Bh6 Bxh6 20.Qxh6+ Ke8
17.hxg6 fxg6
If 17...hxg6 18.f5 gxf5 19.Bh6
18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Rxh7
Infiltrating into the seventh rank. However White has to keep in mind that Black’s bishop pair could well be dangerous
19. ..Bg8 20.e5
Sacrificing the exchange!
20...dxe5 If 20...Bxe5 21.fxe5 (21.Rxe7 Qd8) 21...Bxh7 22.exd6
21.fxe5 Bg5 If 21...Bxh7 22.exf6 Kg8 (22...exf6 23.Qd6) 23.Qe3
22.Qxg5 Bxh7 23.Qh4
A timely resource which black apparently seems to have missed
23...Kg8 24.Qxe7 Rc7
Just in time to offer defence
25.Qd6 Re8 26.Kf2
Hurrying to get out of the pin which is a mistake. White could have intensified the pressure with 26.Bf3 bxc4 27.Bd5+ Kh8 28.b4 Qa3 Ne2 Rg7 while 26.b4 Qa3 27.Kd1 Rcc8 28.Nd5 Rcd8 does not help much
26...Rf7+
Diagram 1
27.Bf3 Another big mistake! White has just freed himself from one pin but gets entangled in another one, needlessly. He could have played 27.Kg3 bxc4
27...bxc4 28.e6 Rfe7
Worth a look is 28...Rf6
29.b4 Qc7
Another blunder! Black could have grabbed initiative after 29...Qa3 30.Rc2 g5
30.Qxc7
With an advantageous position, White is more than happy to exchange queens
30. ..Rxc7 31.Nd5
A good move after which White should not have any problem in posting a victory.
31...Rce7 32.Nxe7+ Rxe7 33.Rxc4 Kg7 34.Rc6 Ra7 35.Be2 a5 36.b5
Black might as well resign as with two passed pawns which are threatening to advance, Black has no counter play
36. ..Ra8 37.Rc7+ Kh6 38.b6 g5 39.e7 Be4 40.Bf3 Bxf3 41.gxf3 and Black resigned in this hopeless position as it is not possible to target both passed pawns.
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Rd5
Offering the rook in four different ways!
1…Qxd5 2.Qf6 checkmate.