<p>. The explanations then can range from miscalculation to oversight, but ‘blunders’ are part and parcel of many chess games even at the highest level. A momentary lapse in concentration due to tiredness or sometimes just not seeing the obvious move can change the entire complexion of the game.<br /><br />In the game which follows, White appears to be holding an edge but Black equalizes and just when the game appears to be heading for a draw, Black blunders. The loss is immediate!<br /> White: Eckhard Schmittdiel (2505) – Black: Michall Feygin (2500) Master Tournament, Dortmund, 1999<br />French Defence<br /> 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 <br />The French defence<br /> 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qc7 7.Nf3 <br />Most prefer the more dynamic continuation 7.Qg4 here <br /> 7...b6 8.a4 Ne7 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.0–0 Nbc6 11.dxc5 <br />If 11.Ba3 Na5 12.Bxd7+ Qxd7 <br /> 11...bxc5 12.Ba3<br />White played a new move here. Previously played was 12.c4 a6 13.cxd5 axb5 14.d6 Qc8 15.dxe7 Nxe7 <br /> 12...Na5 13.Qd3 Rc8<br />If 13...0–0 14.Bxd7 (14.Bxc5 Qxc5 15.Bxd7 Ng6) 14...Qxd7 15.Bxc5 Rfc8<br /> 14.Rfb1 <br />Taking control of the open file<br /> 14. ..0–0 <br />If 14...c4 15.Qd2 <br /> 15.Bxc5 Qxc5 <br />If 15...Bxb5 16.Rxb5 Rfe8 17.Bd6 Qd8 18.Bxe7 Rxe7 19.Ng5 f5 20.exf6 gxf6 21.Nxe6! Rxe6 22.Rxd5 Qe8 <br /> 16.Bxd7 Rb8 <br />If 16...Rc7 17.Rb5 <br /> 17.Rb5 Rxb5 <br />If 17...Qc7 18.Ng5 Ng6 19.Bxe6! fxe6 20.Nxe6 with advantage for White<br /> 18.axb5 Qb6 19.Qd4 <br />White looks better and hence the invitation to trade queens<br /> 19. ..Rd8 20.Qb4 <br />If 20.Qxb6 axb6<br /> 20...Rxd7 21.Rxa5 Qb8 <br />Rather passive! Black could have tried for some active play with 21...d4 22.Ra1 dxc3 23.Qxc3 Qxb5 with a balanced position <br /> 22.g3 h6 23.Qa3 Ng6 24.Qa4<br />Trying for a small trap with the intention of pushing the ‘b’ pawn<br /> 24. ..Rb7 <br />If 24...Nxe5 25.Nxe5 Qxe5 26.b6 Rd8 27.bxa7 Ra8 28.Qc6 Qe1+ 29.Kg2 Qe4+ 30.Kf1 Qc4+ 31.Qxc4 dxc4 32.Ke2 Kf8 33.Ke3 Ke7 34.Kd4with White in a better position<br /> 25.b6 Interesting advance!<br /> 25. .. Rxb6 26.Rxa7 Qd8 <br />If 26...Nxe5 27.Ra8 (27.Nxe5 Qxe5 28.Qe8+ Kh7 29.Qxf7 Qxc3) 27...Nxf3+ 28.Kg2 Ne5 29.Qa7<br /> 27.h4 White decides to start proceedings on the King side with this pawn advance<br /> 27. ..Rb8 28.h5 Nf8 <br />If 28...Ne7 29.Nd4 Nc8 30.Nc6<br /> 29.Qf4 Swinging to the King side to target the vulnerable f7 pawn as his rook is also patrolling the seventh rank<br /> 29. ..Qe8 30.c4 Ra8 Black would like to exchange this rook as it is dangerously placed. If 30...Rb4 31.Nd2 <br /> 31.Rc7 <br />White is not interested in the exchange as he wants to retain the pressure<br /> 31. ..Rc8 32.Rxc8 Qxc8 33.cxd5 exd5 34.Nd4 <br />White is better placed now!<br /> 34. ..Qc3 <br />Worth a look is 34...Ne6<br /> 35.Nf5 Ne6<br />If 35...Qe1+ 36.Kg2 Ne6 37.Qf3 <br /> 36.Qa4 <br />White could also have explored the possibility of 36.Qg4<br /> 36...Kh7 37.Ne7 <br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 1<br /><br /> 37. ..Qxe5<br />A fatal blunder! In this equal position black missed a draw which he could get by playing 37...Nd4 38.Qe8 Qe1+ 39.Kg2 Qe4+<br /> 38.Qe8 <br />White infiltrates devastatingly into Black’s first rank to threaten checkmate<br /> 38. ..Qe1+ <br />More in desperation than anything else<br /> <br />39.Kg2 Nf4+ 40.gxf4 Qe4+ 41.Kg3 and Black resigned.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 2 <br /><br />Black to play and win New game<br />1. .. f3+ 2.Kg3 <br /> If 2.Kg1 Qxf1+ 3.Kxf1 Rd1 checkmate <br /> 2... Qxf1 and Black wins.<br /><br /></p>
<p>. The explanations then can range from miscalculation to oversight, but ‘blunders’ are part and parcel of many chess games even at the highest level. A momentary lapse in concentration due to tiredness or sometimes just not seeing the obvious move can change the entire complexion of the game.<br /><br />In the game which follows, White appears to be holding an edge but Black equalizes and just when the game appears to be heading for a draw, Black blunders. The loss is immediate!<br /> White: Eckhard Schmittdiel (2505) – Black: Michall Feygin (2500) Master Tournament, Dortmund, 1999<br />French Defence<br /> 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 <br />The French defence<br /> 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qc7 7.Nf3 <br />Most prefer the more dynamic continuation 7.Qg4 here <br /> 7...b6 8.a4 Ne7 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.0–0 Nbc6 11.dxc5 <br />If 11.Ba3 Na5 12.Bxd7+ Qxd7 <br /> 11...bxc5 12.Ba3<br />White played a new move here. Previously played was 12.c4 a6 13.cxd5 axb5 14.d6 Qc8 15.dxe7 Nxe7 <br /> 12...Na5 13.Qd3 Rc8<br />If 13...0–0 14.Bxd7 (14.Bxc5 Qxc5 15.Bxd7 Ng6) 14...Qxd7 15.Bxc5 Rfc8<br /> 14.Rfb1 <br />Taking control of the open file<br /> 14. ..0–0 <br />If 14...c4 15.Qd2 <br /> 15.Bxc5 Qxc5 <br />If 15...Bxb5 16.Rxb5 Rfe8 17.Bd6 Qd8 18.Bxe7 Rxe7 19.Ng5 f5 20.exf6 gxf6 21.Nxe6! Rxe6 22.Rxd5 Qe8 <br /> 16.Bxd7 Rb8 <br />If 16...Rc7 17.Rb5 <br /> 17.Rb5 Rxb5 <br />If 17...Qc7 18.Ng5 Ng6 19.Bxe6! fxe6 20.Nxe6 with advantage for White<br /> 18.axb5 Qb6 19.Qd4 <br />White looks better and hence the invitation to trade queens<br /> 19. ..Rd8 20.Qb4 <br />If 20.Qxb6 axb6<br /> 20...Rxd7 21.Rxa5 Qb8 <br />Rather passive! Black could have tried for some active play with 21...d4 22.Ra1 dxc3 23.Qxc3 Qxb5 with a balanced position <br /> 22.g3 h6 23.Qa3 Ng6 24.Qa4<br />Trying for a small trap with the intention of pushing the ‘b’ pawn<br /> 24. ..Rb7 <br />If 24...Nxe5 25.Nxe5 Qxe5 26.b6 Rd8 27.bxa7 Ra8 28.Qc6 Qe1+ 29.Kg2 Qe4+ 30.Kf1 Qc4+ 31.Qxc4 dxc4 32.Ke2 Kf8 33.Ke3 Ke7 34.Kd4with White in a better position<br /> 25.b6 Interesting advance!<br /> 25. .. Rxb6 26.Rxa7 Qd8 <br />If 26...Nxe5 27.Ra8 (27.Nxe5 Qxe5 28.Qe8+ Kh7 29.Qxf7 Qxc3) 27...Nxf3+ 28.Kg2 Ne5 29.Qa7<br /> 27.h4 White decides to start proceedings on the King side with this pawn advance<br /> 27. ..Rb8 28.h5 Nf8 <br />If 28...Ne7 29.Nd4 Nc8 30.Nc6<br /> 29.Qf4 Swinging to the King side to target the vulnerable f7 pawn as his rook is also patrolling the seventh rank<br /> 29. ..Qe8 30.c4 Ra8 Black would like to exchange this rook as it is dangerously placed. If 30...Rb4 31.Nd2 <br /> 31.Rc7 <br />White is not interested in the exchange as he wants to retain the pressure<br /> 31. ..Rc8 32.Rxc8 Qxc8 33.cxd5 exd5 34.Nd4 <br />White is better placed now!<br /> 34. ..Qc3 <br />Worth a look is 34...Ne6<br /> 35.Nf5 Ne6<br />If 35...Qe1+ 36.Kg2 Ne6 37.Qf3 <br /> 36.Qa4 <br />White could also have explored the possibility of 36.Qg4<br /> 36...Kh7 37.Ne7 <br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 1<br /><br /> 37. ..Qxe5<br />A fatal blunder! In this equal position black missed a draw which he could get by playing 37...Nd4 38.Qe8 Qe1+ 39.Kg2 Qe4+<br /> 38.Qe8 <br />White infiltrates devastatingly into Black’s first rank to threaten checkmate<br /> 38. ..Qe1+ <br />More in desperation than anything else<br /> <br />39.Kg2 Nf4+ 40.gxf4 Qe4+ 41.Kg3 and Black resigned.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Diagram 2 <br /><br />Black to play and win New game<br />1. .. f3+ 2.Kg3 <br /> If 2.Kg1 Qxf1+ 3.Kxf1 Rd1 checkmate <br /> 2... Qxf1 and Black wins.<br /><br /></p>
