<p>In the game which follows both players are trying to escort their pawns to the last rank but White appears to be coasting for a victory. However White blunders and makes things interesting with a checkmate in sight for Black. However, incredibly on the very next move, Black counter blunders and it is White who is sighting checkmate.<br /><br />White: <em>Viktor Korchnoi</em> (2635) – Black:<em> Alon Greenfeld</em> (2570) <br />Beersheba, 1995<br />English Opening<br /><br />1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.g3 Qb6 7.Ndb5 Ne5 8.Bf4<br />White plays a new move rather early in the opening. Other popular continuation is 8. Bg2 8.Bg2 a6 9.Qa4 Rb8<br />8...Nfg4 If 8...d6 9.Bg2 a6 10.Qa4 Bd7 <br />9.e3 Qc6<br />This was not needed. Black had a better move in 9. ....a6 10.Nc7+ Qxc7 11.Qxg4 d6 <br />10.h3 Wanting to drive back the knight and here this is an interesting move by White, tempting Black with a rook offer. If 10.e4 Bc5 11.Bxe5 Nxe5 12.f4 a6 13.fxe5 axb5 14.cxb5 Qc7 <br />10...Nf3+ If 10...Qxh111.hxg4 Nf3+ 12.Ke2 e5 (12...Ng1+ 13.Kd2) 13.Nd6+ (13.Nc7+ Kd8 14.Nxa8 exf4 15.gxf4 b5)<br />11.Ke2 Nge5 <br />If 11...e5 12.Qd5 12.b3 g5 Attempting to trap White’s dark bishop. If 12...a6 13.Bg2 axb5 14.Bxe5 Qc5 15.Bxf3 Qxe5 16.Nxb5 gives White better chances <br />13.Bg2 If 13.Bxe5 Nxe5 14.Bg2 Qxg2 15.Nc7+ Kd8 16.Nxa8 b6 and Black stands better <br />13...gxf4 14.exf4 <br />More or less a forced move for if 14.gxf4 Rg8 <br />14...a6 If 14...Qb6 15.fxe5 Nxe5 16.Na4 Qa5 15.fxe5 axb5 16.Bxf3 Qc5 <br />A few interesting exchanges on both flanks of the board<br />17.Nxb5 Qxe5+ 18.Kf1 Bg7 19.Kg2<br /><br />White has artificially castled If 19.a4 Qxa1 20.Qxa1 Bxa1 21.Nc7+ Kd8 22.Nxa8 Bd4 23.Ke2<br />19...Qxa1 If 19...Qb8 20.Nd6+ Ke7 21.c5 Bxa1 22.Qxa1 Rg8 23.Re1 Qa7 24.Nf5+ Kf8 <br />20.Nc7+ Kd8 21.Qxa1 <br />If 21.Nxa8 Qxa2 22.Nb6 Qa5 and White is distinctly better<br />21...Bxa1 22.Nxa8 Bd4 23.b4 <br />If 23.Rd1 e5 24.a4<br />23...b6 24.Rd1 e5 25.a4 Rg8 26.c5<br />If 26.Rxd4 exd4 27.Nxb6 Re8 28.Kf1 d3 and things become a bit unclear <br />26...bxc5 27.b5 Rg6 28.b6 Rf6 29.Rb1 c4 <br />If 29...Rxf3 30.Kxf3 Bb7+ 31.Ke2 Bxa8 32.b7 Bxb7 33.Rxb7<br />30.b7 Bxb7 31.Rxb7 d5 32.Rb8+<br />Worth a look is 32.Rb5<br />32...Kd7 33.Bg4+ Kc6 34.f4 c3 <br />Black’s rook is awkwardly placed! <br />35.a5 c2 <br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 1<br /><br />36.a6 A terrible blunder! Black should have played 36.Nb6 Bxb6 37.axb6 Kc5 38.Rc8+ Rc6 39.b7 c1Q 40.b8Q Qd2+ 41.Kf1 Qc1+ 42.Kf2 Qd2+ 43.Be2 Qd4+ 44.Kf1 Qa1+ 45.Kg2<br />36...Bc5 Black now reciprocates the blunder. Black was simply winning after 36...Kc5 37.Bd7 Bc3 38.Rc8+ Kd4 39.Nc7 Rb6 40.a7 c1Q 41.Nb5+ Rxb5 42.Bxb5 Qb2+ 43.Kf3 Be1 44.Kg4 Qa3 45.a8Q Qxg3+ 46.Kf5 Qg6 checkmate<br />37.Rc8+ Kb5 38.Nc7+ Kc4 39.Be2+ Kb3 40.Ne6<br />If 40.a7 c1Q 41.a8Q Qg1+ 42.Kf3 Qf2+ 43.Kg4 Qxe2+ 44.Kh4 Rh6+ 45.Kg5 Qh5 checkmate <br />40...c1Q 41.Nxc5+ Ka3 <br />If 41...Ka2 42.a7 Ra6 43.a8Q Rxa8 44.Rxa8+ Kb1 45.Ra1+ Kxa1 46.Nb3+<br />42.a7 Ra6 43.a8Q Rxa8 44.Rxa8+ Kb4 and Black resigned for White is threatening 45.Nd3+<br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br />1.Qxh7+ Rxh7 2.Rg8 checkmate.</p>
<p>In the game which follows both players are trying to escort their pawns to the last rank but White appears to be coasting for a victory. However White blunders and makes things interesting with a checkmate in sight for Black. However, incredibly on the very next move, Black counter blunders and it is White who is sighting checkmate.<br /><br />White: <em>Viktor Korchnoi</em> (2635) – Black:<em> Alon Greenfeld</em> (2570) <br />Beersheba, 1995<br />English Opening<br /><br />1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.g3 Qb6 7.Ndb5 Ne5 8.Bf4<br />White plays a new move rather early in the opening. Other popular continuation is 8. Bg2 8.Bg2 a6 9.Qa4 Rb8<br />8...Nfg4 If 8...d6 9.Bg2 a6 10.Qa4 Bd7 <br />9.e3 Qc6<br />This was not needed. Black had a better move in 9. ....a6 10.Nc7+ Qxc7 11.Qxg4 d6 <br />10.h3 Wanting to drive back the knight and here this is an interesting move by White, tempting Black with a rook offer. If 10.e4 Bc5 11.Bxe5 Nxe5 12.f4 a6 13.fxe5 axb5 14.cxb5 Qc7 <br />10...Nf3+ If 10...Qxh111.hxg4 Nf3+ 12.Ke2 e5 (12...Ng1+ 13.Kd2) 13.Nd6+ (13.Nc7+ Kd8 14.Nxa8 exf4 15.gxf4 b5)<br />11.Ke2 Nge5 <br />If 11...e5 12.Qd5 12.b3 g5 Attempting to trap White’s dark bishop. If 12...a6 13.Bg2 axb5 14.Bxe5 Qc5 15.Bxf3 Qxe5 16.Nxb5 gives White better chances <br />13.Bg2 If 13.Bxe5 Nxe5 14.Bg2 Qxg2 15.Nc7+ Kd8 16.Nxa8 b6 and Black stands better <br />13...gxf4 14.exf4 <br />More or less a forced move for if 14.gxf4 Rg8 <br />14...a6 If 14...Qb6 15.fxe5 Nxe5 16.Na4 Qa5 15.fxe5 axb5 16.Bxf3 Qc5 <br />A few interesting exchanges on both flanks of the board<br />17.Nxb5 Qxe5+ 18.Kf1 Bg7 19.Kg2<br /><br />White has artificially castled If 19.a4 Qxa1 20.Qxa1 Bxa1 21.Nc7+ Kd8 22.Nxa8 Bd4 23.Ke2<br />19...Qxa1 If 19...Qb8 20.Nd6+ Ke7 21.c5 Bxa1 22.Qxa1 Rg8 23.Re1 Qa7 24.Nf5+ Kf8 <br />20.Nc7+ Kd8 21.Qxa1 <br />If 21.Nxa8 Qxa2 22.Nb6 Qa5 and White is distinctly better<br />21...Bxa1 22.Nxa8 Bd4 23.b4 <br />If 23.Rd1 e5 24.a4<br />23...b6 24.Rd1 e5 25.a4 Rg8 26.c5<br />If 26.Rxd4 exd4 27.Nxb6 Re8 28.Kf1 d3 and things become a bit unclear <br />26...bxc5 27.b5 Rg6 28.b6 Rf6 29.Rb1 c4 <br />If 29...Rxf3 30.Kxf3 Bb7+ 31.Ke2 Bxa8 32.b7 Bxb7 33.Rxb7<br />30.b7 Bxb7 31.Rxb7 d5 32.Rb8+<br />Worth a look is 32.Rb5<br />32...Kd7 33.Bg4+ Kc6 34.f4 c3 <br />Black’s rook is awkwardly placed! <br />35.a5 c2 <br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 1<br /><br />36.a6 A terrible blunder! Black should have played 36.Nb6 Bxb6 37.axb6 Kc5 38.Rc8+ Rc6 39.b7 c1Q 40.b8Q Qd2+ 41.Kf1 Qc1+ 42.Kf2 Qd2+ 43.Be2 Qd4+ 44.Kf1 Qa1+ 45.Kg2<br />36...Bc5 Black now reciprocates the blunder. Black was simply winning after 36...Kc5 37.Bd7 Bc3 38.Rc8+ Kd4 39.Nc7 Rb6 40.a7 c1Q 41.Nb5+ Rxb5 42.Bxb5 Qb2+ 43.Kf3 Be1 44.Kg4 Qa3 45.a8Q Qxg3+ 46.Kf5 Qg6 checkmate<br />37.Rc8+ Kb5 38.Nc7+ Kc4 39.Be2+ Kb3 40.Ne6<br />If 40.a7 c1Q 41.a8Q Qg1+ 42.Kf3 Qf2+ 43.Kg4 Qxe2+ 44.Kh4 Rh6+ 45.Kg5 Qh5 checkmate <br />40...c1Q 41.Nxc5+ Ka3 <br />If 41...Ka2 42.a7 Ra6 43.a8Q Rxa8 44.Rxa8+ Kb1 45.Ra1+ Kxa1 46.Nb3+<br />42.a7 Ra6 43.a8Q Rxa8 44.Rxa8+ Kb4 and Black resigned for White is threatening 45.Nd3+<br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br />1.Qxh7+ Rxh7 2.Rg8 checkmate.</p>
