Every move counts on the road to victory

Chess Checks

One horrifying move and the whole game can collapse like a pack of cards and this does not pertain just to amateurs or beginners. Even at the highest level of the game, when the pressure is high and the clock is ticking ominously, these things do happen.

The following game is one such rarity when both things happen in a matter of just two moves! White in a totally winning position blunders and the game looks set for a draw when immediately on the next turn, White  blunders again and this time the game swings from a draw to a loss. Two moves nullify all the previous good ones!
White: Dimitri Tyomkin (2495) – Black: Michael Mulyar (2410)

Financial Concept Open,  North Bay, 1999
1.d4 d6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 Nc6 5.Be3 e5 6.d5 Nce7
Also playable is 6...Nd4
7.c5 a6. If 7...f5 8.cxd6 cxd6 9.Bb5+
8.cxd6. White had a better move in  8.Qa4+ Kf8 (8...Qd7 9.Nb5 Rb8 10.Nxc7+ Kd8 11.Qb4
8...cxd6 9.Qa4+ Kf8. If 9...Bd7 10.Qb4
10.f3. Difficult to understand this move! White had other good options like 10.Qb3 or 10.Qa3 and If 10.Bd3 Bh6 11.Bxh6+ Nxh6 12.Qb4
10...Bh6 11.Bf2.
Declining the swap of bishops
11...f5 12.Bd3 Nf6 13.h3. Black King has forsaken castling but right now there are hidden under currents on the King side
13...b5 14.Qc2 b4 15.Na4 Rb8 16.b3 Bd7 17.Nb2
If 17.Bxa6? Bxa4 18.bxa4 Qa5
17...Rc8 18.Nc4 Bb5 19.Ne2 Kg7. Trying to get the King to safety with artificial castling
20.g4 fxe4 21.fxe4 Rf8 22.Rg1 g5
This move virtually imprisons his dark squared bishop but he hardly has any options. If 22. ..Bf4 23.Nxf4 exf4 24.Bd4
23.Qd2.
White also had the option of 23.Bb6
If 23.Ng3 Nd7 24.Ke2
23...Bxc4 24.bxc4 Nd7
If 24...Rxc4 25.Bxc4 Nxe4 26.Qe3 Nxf2 27.Rf1
25.Ng3 Rf4. A mistake! Black is in a disadvantageous position and tries some desperate measures. If 25...Nc5 26.Bxc5 Rxc5 27.h4
26.Qxb4 Nc5 27.Nh5+ Kg8 28.Nxf4 exf4 29.Bxc5 Rxc5. Perhaps better for Black would have been 29...dxc5 30.Qa4 Qd6 31.Rf1 Ng6 32.Rb1
30.e5. White also had good options in 30.Rb1 or 30.Rf1
30...Bg7 31.Rb1. If 31.exd6 Qxd6 followed by Qe5
31...Bxe5 32.Kd1. Ironically, at this point this looks the safest square for the King
32...Qf8 33.Re1 Qf6 34.Qb7. Here 34.Qa4 or 34.Qb6 looks more promising
34…f3 35.Qd7 f2 36.Rb8+ Kg7 37.Rf1 Qf3+Things are getting interesting with both players infiltrating into each other’s territory
38.Be2. Here 38.Kd2 is more appealing. If 38.Kc2 Rxc4+ 39.Bxc4 Qc3+
38...Rxd5+ 39.cxd5 Qxd5+ 40.Kc1
If 40.Kc2 Qxa2+
40...Bf4+ 41.Kc2 Qd2+ 42.Kb3 Qxe2 43.Rxf2! Qe3+ 44.Ka4 Qd4+ 45.Rb4 Qd1+ 46.Ka5. If 46.Rb3 Qd4+ (46...Kf7 47.Qa7) 47.Ka5 Qd5+ 48.Kxa6 Qa8+ 49.Kb6 Qb8+ 50.Qb7 which works handsomely for White
46...Qd5+

Diagram 1

47.Kb6. A blunder! This one bad move nullified all the previous good ones! White should have continued 47.Kxa6 Qa8+  48.Kb5 Qd5+ 49.Ka4
47...Be3+ 48.Kc7
Another horrifying blunder! From a winning position to a lost one, in just two moves. White could have settled for a draw with 48.Kxa6 Qa8+ 49.Kb5 Qd5+
48...Qa5+ 0–1

Diagram 2

White to play and win
1.a3 Na6 2.Qa4+ and White wins.