<p>But a draw is not always dull and short and some games fought in the best of spirits might also result in a draw.<br /><br />The game which follows has both players playing actively though they miss a couple of chances. However an interesting position is reached at the ending with both players having a pawn pushed to the sixth rank and queen in each other’s territory. Here they seek a technical draw by giving perpetual checks and give a feeling that draws can also be just results.<br /><br />White: Emil Sutovsky (2575) – Black: John Nunn (2600)<br />Oxford Grandmasters, 1998<br />Four Knights Game<br /><br />1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6<br />The Four knights game<br />4.Bb5 Nd4 5.0–0<br />The popular continuation is 5.Ba4<br />5...Nxb5 6.Nxb5 c6 7.Nc3 d6 8.d4 Qc7 9.Bg5<br />White is slightly ahead in development<br />9...Be7 10.h3<br />If 10.Qd3 0–0 11.Rfd1<br />11.Qd2<br />Also worth a try is 11.Qd3, 11...Be6<br />If 11...Re8 12.Rad1 Nd7 13.Rfe1 a6 14.Bxe7 Rxe7 15.Re3 Nf8 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.Rd3 Be6 18.Rd6 f6 19.b3 Rae8 20.g4 Ng6 with more or less an equal game<br />12.a4 Rfd8<br />If 12...a5 13.d5 cxd5 14.exd5 (14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Qxd5 Qxc2 17.Rfc1 Qxb2 18.Rab1 Qa3 19.Rc7 Rac8 20.Rxc8 Rxc8 21.Rxb7 Qc1+ 22.Kh2 Qf4+ 23.Kh1 Rf8 24.Rc7)<br />13.a5. This one looks interesting!<br />13. .. h6. If 13...a6 14.Be3 with a very slight edge for White<br />14.Bxf6 Bxf6. <br />15.d5 Bd7. Now this bishop is badly placed<br />16.a6. Marching right in to the enemy territory. White is better now!<br />16...c5 17.axb7 Qxb7 18.Ra5 Rdc8<br />If 18...Qxb2 19.Rb1 works well for White<br />19.Rfa1 a6 20.Nd1 Bd8 21.R5a2 f5<br />Black is trying to play aggressively to get out of this cramped position<br />22.Qe2. Also worth a try is 22.Nc3<br />22...c4<br />If 22...fxe4 23.Qxe4 Bb6 24.Ne3 Rf8 25.Nd2 Bc7 26.Qd3<br />23.Nd2 Bb5<br />If 23...fxe4 24.Ne3 Bb5 25.Qg4<br />24.Nc3 f4<br />If 24...fxe4 25.Ndxe4 Be7 26.Qg4<br />25. Nxb5 axb5 26.Qg4<br />26...Be7. If 26...Rxa2 27.Rxa2 gives White advantage<br />27.Nf3 b4 28.Kh2<br />28...Rxa2. If 28...b3 29.Ra7 Rxa7 30.Rxa7 Qxa7 31.Qxc8+ Kh7 32.Qxc4 ,<br />29.Rxa2 Ra8 30.Rxa8+ Qxa8 31.Qd7<br />31...Kf8 32.Nd2<br />White had a better option in 32.Qc7<br />32...Qa6. 33.Qc7<br />White would have had advantage if he had initiated the exchange of queens with 33.Qc6 Qc6 Qxc6 34.dxc6 Bd8 35.Nxc4 Ke7 36.c3 bxc3 37.bxc3 Ke6 38.Na3<br />33...c3 34.bxc3 Qe2 35.Nc4<br />If 35.Qc8+ Kf7 36.Nc4<br />35...Qxf2 36.Qc8+ Kf7 37.Qe6+ Kf8 38.Qc8+ Kf7 39.Nxd6+ Bxd6 40.Qe6+ Kf8<br />Black has lost a pawn in the skirmish. White queen is roaming free.<br />41.Qxd6+ Kg8 42.Qg6 bxc3 43.d6 Qxc2<br />Both now have a passed pawn pushed to the sixth rank and both queens are in each other’s territory<br />Diagram 1<br />44.Qe6+ If 44.d7 Qd3 45.Qe8+ Kh7 46.d8Q Qg3 and draw by perpetual checks<br />44...Kh7 45.Qf5+ Kh8 46.Qf8+ Kh7 and draw with perpetual checks<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Bxh6+ Kxh6 2.Qh3+ Kg7 3.Rf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh7+ Kf6 5.Rf1+ Kg5 6.h4+ Kg4 7.Qxg6+ Kxh4 8.Rf4 checkmate.<br /><br /></p>
<p>But a draw is not always dull and short and some games fought in the best of spirits might also result in a draw.<br /><br />The game which follows has both players playing actively though they miss a couple of chances. However an interesting position is reached at the ending with both players having a pawn pushed to the sixth rank and queen in each other’s territory. Here they seek a technical draw by giving perpetual checks and give a feeling that draws can also be just results.<br /><br />White: Emil Sutovsky (2575) – Black: John Nunn (2600)<br />Oxford Grandmasters, 1998<br />Four Knights Game<br /><br />1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6<br />The Four knights game<br />4.Bb5 Nd4 5.0–0<br />The popular continuation is 5.Ba4<br />5...Nxb5 6.Nxb5 c6 7.Nc3 d6 8.d4 Qc7 9.Bg5<br />White is slightly ahead in development<br />9...Be7 10.h3<br />If 10.Qd3 0–0 11.Rfd1<br />11.Qd2<br />Also worth a try is 11.Qd3, 11...Be6<br />If 11...Re8 12.Rad1 Nd7 13.Rfe1 a6 14.Bxe7 Rxe7 15.Re3 Nf8 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.Rd3 Be6 18.Rd6 f6 19.b3 Rae8 20.g4 Ng6 with more or less an equal game<br />12.a4 Rfd8<br />If 12...a5 13.d5 cxd5 14.exd5 (14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Qxd5 Qxc2 17.Rfc1 Qxb2 18.Rab1 Qa3 19.Rc7 Rac8 20.Rxc8 Rxc8 21.Rxb7 Qc1+ 22.Kh2 Qf4+ 23.Kh1 Rf8 24.Rc7)<br />13.a5. This one looks interesting!<br />13. .. h6. If 13...a6 14.Be3 with a very slight edge for White<br />14.Bxf6 Bxf6. <br />15.d5 Bd7. Now this bishop is badly placed<br />16.a6. Marching right in to the enemy territory. White is better now!<br />16...c5 17.axb7 Qxb7 18.Ra5 Rdc8<br />If 18...Qxb2 19.Rb1 works well for White<br />19.Rfa1 a6 20.Nd1 Bd8 21.R5a2 f5<br />Black is trying to play aggressively to get out of this cramped position<br />22.Qe2. Also worth a try is 22.Nc3<br />22...c4<br />If 22...fxe4 23.Qxe4 Bb6 24.Ne3 Rf8 25.Nd2 Bc7 26.Qd3<br />23.Nd2 Bb5<br />If 23...fxe4 24.Ne3 Bb5 25.Qg4<br />24.Nc3 f4<br />If 24...fxe4 25.Ndxe4 Be7 26.Qg4<br />25. Nxb5 axb5 26.Qg4<br />26...Be7. If 26...Rxa2 27.Rxa2 gives White advantage<br />27.Nf3 b4 28.Kh2<br />28...Rxa2. If 28...b3 29.Ra7 Rxa7 30.Rxa7 Qxa7 31.Qxc8+ Kh7 32.Qxc4 ,<br />29.Rxa2 Ra8 30.Rxa8+ Qxa8 31.Qd7<br />31...Kf8 32.Nd2<br />White had a better option in 32.Qc7<br />32...Qa6. 33.Qc7<br />White would have had advantage if he had initiated the exchange of queens with 33.Qc6 Qc6 Qxc6 34.dxc6 Bd8 35.Nxc4 Ke7 36.c3 bxc3 37.bxc3 Ke6 38.Na3<br />33...c3 34.bxc3 Qe2 35.Nc4<br />If 35.Qc8+ Kf7 36.Nc4<br />35...Qxf2 36.Qc8+ Kf7 37.Qe6+ Kf8 38.Qc8+ Kf7 39.Nxd6+ Bxd6 40.Qe6+ Kf8<br />Black has lost a pawn in the skirmish. White queen is roaming free.<br />41.Qxd6+ Kg8 42.Qg6 bxc3 43.d6 Qxc2<br />Both now have a passed pawn pushed to the sixth rank and both queens are in each other’s territory<br />Diagram 1<br />44.Qe6+ If 44.d7 Qd3 45.Qe8+ Kh7 46.d8Q Qg3 and draw by perpetual checks<br />44...Kh7 45.Qf5+ Kh8 46.Qf8+ Kh7 and draw with perpetual checks<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Bxh6+ Kxh6 2.Qh3+ Kg7 3.Rf7+ Kxf7 4.Qh7+ Kf6 5.Rf1+ Kg5 6.h4+ Kg4 7.Qxg6+ Kxh4 8.Rf4 checkmate.<br /><br /></p>
