One capture can make the difference

Chess Checks

The difference between a draw and a loss can be  just this one capture, especially when done so with a wrong piece. The game below is from a World championship match and here Michael Adams probably surprises Anand with the Alekhine Opening which rarely makes an appearance at this level. Anand is better placed and Adams helps his cause when he captures one of Anand’s pieces with the wrong rook on the 30th turn whereas a capture with the right rook would have perhaps salvaged him a draw.

White : V Anand (2720) – Black: Michael Adams (2640)
PCA-World Championship Candidates, 1994

Alekhine Defence

1.e4 Nf6. The Alekhine defence which one hardly witnesses in World Championship Games these days
2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 dxe5 5.Nxe5 g6 6.g3. Anand surprises by fianchettoing his bishop on the King side. The usual continuation is 6.Bc4 c6
6...Bg7 7.Bg2 0–0. If 7...Nb4 8.Nf3 (8.Na3 Bxe5 9.dxe5 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 N8c6)]
8.0–0 c6. If 8...Nb4 9.Nf3 Bf5 10.Na3 
9.Re1 Bf5 10.c3. A solid move! If 10.c4 Nb4 11.Na3 (11.Re2 Nxa2) 11...a5
10...Nd7 11.Nf3. All of White’s pieces on queen side are still on their original squares
11. ..Re8 12.Nbd2 N7f6. Not exactly the right move. Black would have been better after 12...e5 13.Nc4 Qc7
13.Nc4. A good move!
13. ..Qc7 14.Nce5. If 14.Qb3 Rad8 15.Nce5
14...Ng4. If 14...Nd7 15.Nxf7 Kxf7 16.g4 e6 17.gxf5 exf5 And if 14...b5 15.a4
15.Nh4 Nxe5 16.Nxf5 gxf5. If 16...Nc4 17.Nxg7 Kxg7 18.b3 with advantage for White
17.dxe5 e6. If 17...Bxe5 18.Bxd5 cxd5 19.Qxd5 Bg7 20.Qxf5 is also better for White
18.Qe2 Ne7 19.f4. If 19.c4 c5 And if 19.Bg5 Ng6 20.f4 h6
19...Nd5 20.c4. Immediately wanting to dislodge the centrally posted knight
20. ..Ne7 21.Be3. The bishop comes out after a long time
21. ..Rad8 22.b4. Expanding on the queen side. 22. ..Rd7 23.Qf2 Nc8. If 23...b6 24.a4
24.a4. Refraining from grabbing the pawn. If 24.Bxa7 b6 And if 24.Red1 Red8 25.Rxd7 Rxd7 26.a4
24...Red8. Doubling forces on the open file. 25.a5 f6 26.exf6 Bxf6 27.Rab1. If 27.Rac1 Rd3. 27...Bc3 28.Rf1. If 28.Rec1 Bd2. 28...Rd3 29.Kh1. If 29.Bxa7 Nxa7 30.Qxa7 Bd4+
29...Bd4 30.Bxd4
Diagram 1
30. ..R3xd4. Capturing with the wrong rook. Black should have played 30...R8xd4 31.c5 (31.Rfc1 Nd6) 31...a6 32.Qe2 Qd7 33.Rfe1 Ne7 34.Qxe6+ Qxe6 35.Rxe6 Rd1+ 36.Re1 Rxe1+ 37.Rxe1 Rxb4 which would have made the position balanced
31.Rfe1. White also has a good move in 31.Bd5 R4xd5 32.cxd5 exd5
31...Qf7. If 31...Rxc4 32.Rxe6 (32.Qe2 Rcd4 33.Qxe6+ Qf7 34.Qxf7+ Kxf7 35.a6 bxa6 36.Bxc6) 32...Qd7
32.Bd5 Qg7. If 32...R4xd5 33.cxd5 exd5 (33...cxd5 34.Qe3) 34.Re5
33.Re5. If 33.Bxe6+ Kh8 34.Bxf5
33...R4xd5 34.cxd5 cxd5. If 34...exd5 35.g4. 35.g4 Ne7. If 35...fxg4 36.Rg5
36.Rxe6. If 36.gxf5 exf5 37.Rg1 Ng6 38.Rxf5.     36...fxg4 37.Qh4 Rd7 38.Rbe1 Kf8
If 38...Nf5 39.Qh5 Qf7 40.Qg5+ And if 38...Ng6  39.Qxg4. 39.f5 And Black resigned for if  39...Nxf5 40.Rf6+ Rf7 41.Rxf5 Rxf5 42.Qd8+ Kf7 43.Re7+ and it is all over.
Diagram 2
White to play and win.  1.Bb5 Qxb5 2.Rxh7+ Kxh7 3.Qh5+ and White wins.