A few scattered pawns make for complex endings

 It is also now that amateurs or beginners may start going haywire in their hurry to advance pawns.

In the game which follows, there are a few pawns for both White and black which are threatening to advance. It is here that Black makes a mistake in advancing a pawn and loses all hope of salvaging a draw.

White: Vladimir Karasev(2405) -- Black: Sergey Dyachkov(2510)
St Petersburg, 1994

Alekhine’s Defence

1.e4 Nf6. The Alekhine Defence which rarely makes an appearance in Modern chess
2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.h3 Bh5 7.0–0 Be7 8.c4 Nb6 9.exd6 cxd6 10.Nc3 0–0. If 10...Nc6 11.d5 exd5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Qxd5 Bg6 14.Qb5 Qc7 15.Bf4
11.b3 Nc6 12.Be3. If 12.d5 exd5 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.Qxd5 Bf6! 15.Qxh5 Bxa1 16.Ng5 (16.Bg5 Bf6) 16...h6

12...d5 13.c5 Nc8. The knight retreats to the back rank. If 13...Nd7 14.b4 Nxb4 15.Qb3 Qa5 16.a3 Nc6 17.Qxb7 Rac8 …18.Qxd7? Rc7. 14.b4
Expanding on the queen side

14. ..a6 15.Qa4. If 15.g4 Bg6 16.Qa4
15...Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Ra7

If 16...Bf6 17.Rad1 (17.b5 N6e7 18.g4 Ng6) 17...N8e7 18.g4 Ng6 with an unclear position
17.Rad1 Bf6 18.Qb3 N8e7 19.g4 Ng6 20.Bg2. If 20.Rfe1 Re8 and if 20.a4 Bg5
20...b6. Wanting to settle things on the queen side. If 20...Nh4 21.Bh1 And if 20...Bg5 21.f4

21.a3 bxc5 22.dxc5. If 22.bxc5 Na5 23.Qc2 Nc4 24.Bc1
22...Qb8
An interesting move where the idea is to play 23. ..Nf4
23.f4 a5
If 23...Na5 24.Qc2 Nc4 25.Bc1 a5
24.b5
White persists on the queen side. If 24.f5 Nh4! 25.Bf4 Be5 works well for Black
24...Bxc3 25.Qxc3 Qxb5 26.Rb1 Qa4
If 26...Qa6 27.Rb6 Qc8
27.f5 Nge5 28.Rf4
White can also look at 28.Bf4
28. ..Nc4 29.f6 e5. The position is very interesting with lot of possibilities. If 29...g6 30.Bc1 e5 31.Rxc4 dxc4 (31...Qxc4 32.Qxc4 dxc4 33.Bxc6) 32.Qd2 Kh8 (32...c3 33.Qh6 Qd4+ 34.Kh1 Qd1+ 35.Kh2) 33.Qh6 Rg8 34.Bxc6 Qd1+ (34...Qxc6 35.Rb8 Qxc5+ (35...Ra8 36.Qg7checkmate) 36.Kf1) 35.Kh2 Qc2+. 30.fxg7 Rc8 31.Rf6 d4 32.Bxc6 dxc3
Once again there are many possibilities in this fluid position. If 32...Rxc6 33.Rxc6 (33.Rb8+ Kxg7 34.Bh6+ Kxf6 35.Qf3+ Ke6 36.Re8+ (36.Qf5+ Kd5 37.Qf3+ Kxc5 38.Bf8+ Nd6) 36...Re7 37.Qf5+ Kd5 38.Rxe7 Qd1+ 39.Kf2) 33...Qxc6 (33...dxc3 34.Rb8+ Kxg7 35.Bh6 checkmate) 34.Bxd4 Qd5 (34...exd4 35.Qxd4)
33.Bxa4 Nxe3 34.c6 Kxg7 35.Rf3 Nd5 36.Rb5. If 36.Rd3 Nf4
Diagram 1
36...e4. With so many pawns moving around the board, careful calculations is a must. If 36...Nf4 37.Rxe5 And if 36...Rxc6 37.Rxd5 c2 38.Bxc2 Rxc2 39.Rxe5 leads to equality and Black can salvage a draw.
37.Rf1 Ne3
A mistake. Black should have played 37...Ne7 38.Rc5 Rac7 39.Rxc3 Nxc6 40.Rfc1 And if 37...Rd8 38.Rd1 Nc7 39.Rc5 (39.Rxd8 Nxb5 40.Rd1 Nxa3 41.Rd7 Ra8) 39...Rxd1+ 40.Bxd1 with just a tiny edge for White
38.Re1 c2. This advance ruins things for black. If 38...Rxc6 39.Rg5+ Kf6 40.Bxc6 Kxg5 41.Rxe3 And if 38...Nc4 39.Rc5 Nb6 40.Bb5. 39.Rc5 Nd1. Another mistake in a already bad position. If 39...Rb8 40.Bxc2
40.Rxc2+- e3 41.Rxd1 and Black resigned.
Diagram 2
Black to play and win
1.   .. Qe7 2.h4 Qe1+ 3.Kh2 Qxh4+ 4.Kg1 Qxg5 and Black wins.