<p>Sometimes when the position appears evenly balanced, there are chances that a player might relax just that tiny bit and make a careless move.<br /><br />In the game which follows, the position is evenly balanced but Black plays a innocuous but careless rook move which suddenly changes the balance. A weak rook move in the ending and Black suddenly finds himself at the losing end.<br /><br />White: Bjorn Ahlander (2436) – Black: Tom Wedberg (2487) <br />Scandic Hotels CC Stockholm ,1999<br />Nimzo-Indian Defence<br /><br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0–0 5.e4 d5<br />This is not a frequently played line. Here Black has many moves at his disposal like 5...c5 Nc6 6.Nf3 d6 7.Be3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 e5 9.d5 Nb8 10.c5 Ng4 11.Bg5 f6 12.Bd2. Also played is 5...d6<br />6.e5 If 6.cxd5 exd5 7.e5 Ne4 8.Bd3 c5 <br />6...Ne4 7.Bd3 c5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Nge2 cxd4 Black ahs a better option in 9...Nc6<br />10.Nxd4 Nd7 11.f4 Qh4+ <br />The Queen springs into action with a check. Black can play 11...Ndc5 12.0–0 Bxc3 (12...Nxd3 13.Qxd3 Bc5 14.Be3 Bxd4 15.Qxd4 Nxc3 16.bxc3) 13.bxc3 Qa5<br />12.g3 Qh3 However tempting the move 12...Nxg3 may be to continue the attack, it loses immediately because of: 13.Qf2 Nc5 14.Bc2 Nce4 15.Bxe4 dxe4 16.Qxg3<br /> 13.Bf1 Retreating back the bishop for defence! If 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.Qxe4 Nc5 <br /> 13...Qh5 14.Bg2 Nb6 <br />If 14...Qg6 15.Bd2 Bxc3 16.Bxc3 Qa6 17.Qe2 Qxe2+ 18.Nxe2 white will have a positional advantage in the endgame<br /> 15.a3 Till now the players were following a previously played line but now White deviates with anew move. If 15.0–0 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Bh3 17.f5 <br /> 15...Bxc3+ If 15...Bc5 16.Nxd5 Bxd4 17.Ne7+ Kh8 18.Qxe4 Rd8 19.f5 is better for White <br />16.bxc3 Bh3 <br />Here Black can also look at 16...Bf5 <br />17.0–0 After some tricky moves, White finally castles! If 17.Bxe4 dxe4 18.Qxe4 Rac8<br />17...Bxg2 18.Qxg2<br />If 18.Kxg2 Rac8 is slightly better for Black <br />18...f5 If 18...Nxc3 19.g4 Qh4 20.Nf5 Qd8 21.Bb2 And if 18...Rac8 19.g4 Qh4 20.Nf5 Qd8 19.exf6 ( en-passant) Nxf6<br />The position more or less is equal after 19...Rxf6<br />20.f5 White decides to march into enemy territory <br />20...Rac8 If 20...Ne4 21.g4 Qh4 22.Ne6 Rf7 <br />21.Ne6 Rfe8 If 21...Rf7 22.Be3 <br />22.Be3 Rxc3 23.Bd4 Rc4<br />Better appears 23...Rc6 <br />24.Rad1 Rec8 25.h3<br />A mistake! White plans to push his King side pawns which does not look like a good idea <br />25...Rc2 Infiltrating into the seventh rank<br />26.Rd2 Rxd2 27.Qxd2 h6 <br />If 27...Qxh3 28.Qg5 g6 (28...Nh5 29.f6 And if 28...Ne8 29.Nxg7 h6 30.Qg6 And if 28...Qg4 29.Bxf6) 29.Nf4<br />28.Qg2 Qf7 29.g4 <br /><br />Diagram 1<br /><br />29. ..Re8 A mistake! Black could have maintained balance with 29. ..Nc4 or 29. .Nbd7. If 29...Nbd7 30.h4 Nf8 31.g5 hxg5 32.hxg5 Nh5 33.g6 Qd7 34.Qg5 And if 29...Qe7 30.h4 Rc4 31.g5 31...hxg5 32.Qxg5 <br />30.h4 Rxe6 31.fxe6 Qxe6 32.g5 hxg5<br />Black can think about 32...Ne4<br />33.Qxg5 Nbd7 <br />If 33...Ne8 34.h5 Qe4 35.Bc3<br />34.h5 Qg4+ If 34...Qf7 35.h6 Kh7 36.hxg7 Qxg7 37.Qxg7+ Kxg7 38.Bxa7 <br />35.Qxg4 Nxg4 36.Rc1 Ndf6 <br />If 36...a6 37.Rc7 Ndf6 38.Rxb7 Nxh5 39.Rd7Ngf6 40.Ra7<br />37.Bxf6 Nxf6 38.Rc7 b5 <br />If 38...a5 39.Rxb7 Nxh5 40.Ra7 Nf4 41.Kf2 39.Rxa7 Ne4 40.Kf1 Kh7 41.Ke2 Nd6 42.Kd3 Nc4 43.Ra6 1–0<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br />1.Rxh7+ Kg8 2.Rh8 check-mate.</p>
<p>Sometimes when the position appears evenly balanced, there are chances that a player might relax just that tiny bit and make a careless move.<br /><br />In the game which follows, the position is evenly balanced but Black plays a innocuous but careless rook move which suddenly changes the balance. A weak rook move in the ending and Black suddenly finds himself at the losing end.<br /><br />White: Bjorn Ahlander (2436) – Black: Tom Wedberg (2487) <br />Scandic Hotels CC Stockholm ,1999<br />Nimzo-Indian Defence<br /><br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0–0 5.e4 d5<br />This is not a frequently played line. Here Black has many moves at his disposal like 5...c5 Nc6 6.Nf3 d6 7.Be3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 e5 9.d5 Nb8 10.c5 Ng4 11.Bg5 f6 12.Bd2. Also played is 5...d6<br />6.e5 If 6.cxd5 exd5 7.e5 Ne4 8.Bd3 c5 <br />6...Ne4 7.Bd3 c5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Nge2 cxd4 Black ahs a better option in 9...Nc6<br />10.Nxd4 Nd7 11.f4 Qh4+ <br />The Queen springs into action with a check. Black can play 11...Ndc5 12.0–0 Bxc3 (12...Nxd3 13.Qxd3 Bc5 14.Be3 Bxd4 15.Qxd4 Nxc3 16.bxc3) 13.bxc3 Qa5<br />12.g3 Qh3 However tempting the move 12...Nxg3 may be to continue the attack, it loses immediately because of: 13.Qf2 Nc5 14.Bc2 Nce4 15.Bxe4 dxe4 16.Qxg3<br /> 13.Bf1 Retreating back the bishop for defence! If 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.Qxe4 Nc5 <br /> 13...Qh5 14.Bg2 Nb6 <br />If 14...Qg6 15.Bd2 Bxc3 16.Bxc3 Qa6 17.Qe2 Qxe2+ 18.Nxe2 white will have a positional advantage in the endgame<br /> 15.a3 Till now the players were following a previously played line but now White deviates with anew move. If 15.0–0 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Bh3 17.f5 <br /> 15...Bxc3+ If 15...Bc5 16.Nxd5 Bxd4 17.Ne7+ Kh8 18.Qxe4 Rd8 19.f5 is better for White <br />16.bxc3 Bh3 <br />Here Black can also look at 16...Bf5 <br />17.0–0 After some tricky moves, White finally castles! If 17.Bxe4 dxe4 18.Qxe4 Rac8<br />17...Bxg2 18.Qxg2<br />If 18.Kxg2 Rac8 is slightly better for Black <br />18...f5 If 18...Nxc3 19.g4 Qh4 20.Nf5 Qd8 21.Bb2 And if 18...Rac8 19.g4 Qh4 20.Nf5 Qd8 19.exf6 ( en-passant) Nxf6<br />The position more or less is equal after 19...Rxf6<br />20.f5 White decides to march into enemy territory <br />20...Rac8 If 20...Ne4 21.g4 Qh4 22.Ne6 Rf7 <br />21.Ne6 Rfe8 If 21...Rf7 22.Be3 <br />22.Be3 Rxc3 23.Bd4 Rc4<br />Better appears 23...Rc6 <br />24.Rad1 Rec8 25.h3<br />A mistake! White plans to push his King side pawns which does not look like a good idea <br />25...Rc2 Infiltrating into the seventh rank<br />26.Rd2 Rxd2 27.Qxd2 h6 <br />If 27...Qxh3 28.Qg5 g6 (28...Nh5 29.f6 And if 28...Ne8 29.Nxg7 h6 30.Qg6 And if 28...Qg4 29.Bxf6) 29.Nf4<br />28.Qg2 Qf7 29.g4 <br /><br />Diagram 1<br /><br />29. ..Re8 A mistake! Black could have maintained balance with 29. ..Nc4 or 29. .Nbd7. If 29...Nbd7 30.h4 Nf8 31.g5 hxg5 32.hxg5 Nh5 33.g6 Qd7 34.Qg5 And if 29...Qe7 30.h4 Rc4 31.g5 31...hxg5 32.Qxg5 <br />30.h4 Rxe6 31.fxe6 Qxe6 32.g5 hxg5<br />Black can think about 32...Ne4<br />33.Qxg5 Nbd7 <br />If 33...Ne8 34.h5 Qe4 35.Bc3<br />34.h5 Qg4+ If 34...Qf7 35.h6 Kh7 36.hxg7 Qxg7 37.Qxg7+ Kxg7 38.Bxa7 <br />35.Qxg4 Nxg4 36.Rc1 Ndf6 <br />If 36...a6 37.Rc7 Ndf6 38.Rxb7 Nxh5 39.Rd7Ngf6 40.Ra7<br />37.Bxf6 Nxf6 38.Rc7 b5 <br />If 38...a5 39.Rxb7 Nxh5 40.Ra7 Nf4 41.Kf2 39.Rxa7 Ne4 40.Kf1 Kh7 41.Ke2 Nd6 42.Kd3 Nc4 43.Ra6 1–0<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br />1.Rxh7+ Kg8 2.Rh8 check-mate.</p>
