Players need to be on their toes always

To become complacent in an easy or dull looking position is something every chess player, be an amateur or Master, has to guard against! It is here that mistakes start creeping in as the player then thinks that the position is too dull and dry to give it a real thought.

The game which follows is a good example where White is the higher rated player and gets a tad too careless in a position which appears dead equal. A innocuous looking bad bishop move by White suddenly swings fortune and the game decisively tilts Black’s way.

White: Andreas Brenke (2301) – Black: Comp P ConNers
Lippstadt, 1999
Four Knights Game
1.e4 e52.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6
The four Knights! All the four knights have come out immediately for battle
4.Bb5Nd4 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.e5
Making the same moves, almost!
6. ..dxc37.exf6 Qxf6 8.dxc3 c6 9.Bd3 d5 10.0–0
Getting to safety quickly
10...Bd6 11.Qh5
If 11.Re1+Be6 12.Qh5 g6 13.Bg5 Qxg5 14.Rxe6+ Kf8 15.Qf3 (15.Qxg5 Bxh2+ 16.Kf1 hxg5) 15...Bf416.Re2
11...h612.Be3
If 12.Re1+Kd8 13.Be3 g6 14.Qe2 c5
12...0–0
If 12...Be613.Rae1
13.Rae1
If 13.Bd4Qf4 14.g3 Bg4 15.Qh4 Qf3 16.Rae1 Bf5 17.Re3 Qg4 18.Qxg4 Bxg4 19.Rfe1 f6 20.f3Bh5 21.Re6 Rfd8 22.Kg2 Bf7 23.R6e2 led to a draw in a previous game
13...Bd7
If 13...Be614.f4 Rfe8 15.Bd4 Qd8 16.f5 Bd7 17.f6 And if 17.Rxe8+ Qxe8 18.f6 Bf8 19.fxg7Bxg7 20.Bh7+ Kxh7 21.Qxf7
14.Bd4
If 14.f4 Bc715.Bd4 Bb6 16.Re5 Rfe8 leads to a balanced position
14...Qf415.Be3
If 15.Be5Bxe5 16.Qxe5 Qxe5 17.Rxe5 Rae8 18.Rfe1 Rxe5 19.Rxe5 Re8 And if 15.g3 Qg416.Qxg4 Bxg4 leads to equality in both cases
15...Qg4
Bishop pair of both sides are trained on the queen and hence exchanging queens seemsto be the obvious thing as else chances of a dangerous attack brewing holds real for both
16.Qxg4Bxg4 17.c4
If 17.f3Bd7 18.Re2
17...dxc418.Bxc4 Rfe8 19.h3
If 19.f3Bf5 20.Bb3 (20.c3 b5 21.g4 Bc2 22.Bb3 Bd3 23.Rf2 Bc5–+) 20...Be5 21.Bc1 Rad822.g4 Bg6 23.Kg2 Bf6 24.Kg3]
19...Bf520.Rd1
If 20.Re2Be5 21.Bxh6 Bxb2 (21...gxh6 22.Rfe1 Bxc2 23.Rxe5) 22.Be3 Bc3 23.Rd1
20...Rad821.Bb3
If 21.c3 b522.Bb3
21...b622.Rfe1 c5 23.g4 Be4 24.Ba4 Re7
Diagram1
25.Bf4
White has stumbled on an equal place... He should have played 25.f4 Bf3 26.Rd2 h5 27.g5 Bb7 28.Kf2 Re4 29.Bb5a6 30.Red1 axb5 31.Rxd6 Rxd6 32.Rxd6 Re6

25...Bxc226.Bxc2 If 26.Rxe7Bxd1 27.Bxd6 Rxd6 28.Bxd1 Rxd1+ 29.Kg2 Rd2 30.Rxa7 Rxb2 and Black is better  
26...Rxe1+27.Rxe1 Bxf4 28.Re7 b5
If 28...Bc129.Rxa7 Bxb2 30.Rb7
29.Rxa7g5 30.Bf5 Rd1+ 31.Kg2 Rd2 32.b3 Be3 33.Kf3 Bd4 34.a4 If 34.Ke4b4 35.f3 Kg7 36.Kd5 Be3+ 37.Kc4 Rd4+ 38.Kb5 Kf6 39.Ra6+
34...Rb235.a5  If 35.Ke4Rxb3 36.axb5 Rxb5 37.f4 Rb3 38.fxg5 hxg5 39.Kd5 Rxh3 with advantage for Black
35...Rxb3+36.Kg2 A bad move in a bad position! If 36.Ke4 Bxf2 37.a6 c4 38.Rb7
36...Rb237.Be4 If 37.Kf3c4 38.Rd7 Bxf2 39.a6 b4 40.a7 Bxa7 41.Rxa7 c3 42.Rc7 Kg7 43.Rc6 37...Rxf2+38.Kh1 c4 39.Rb7 c3 40.Rd7 Be3 41.Rc7 b4 42.a6 Ra2 43.Bd5 Rxa6 44.Bxf7+ Kf845.Bd5 Bd4 46.Kg2 Rf6 47.Rc4 Rf2+ 48.Kg3 c2 49.Rxd4 Rf4 0–1

Diagram2
White to play and checkmate  1.Ba6+ Ka7 2.Bc8 checkmate.