<p>A victory garners only one point whether it is achieved with a positional grind or with fireworks but fetches more than a smile when it is a result of an explosive combination.<br />In the game which follows, Black blunders and the position is rife with numerous sacrificial combinations possible for White to wrap up the game with a flourish. White however misses an easier and faster route to victory but the ending is combinative nevertheless.<br /><br />White: Svetozar Gligoric – Black: Gudbjartur Gudmundsson<br />Amsterdam,1950 Petroff Defence<br />1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6<br />The Petroff Defence<br />3.d4 Nxe4<br />If 3...exd4 4.e5 Ne4 5.Qxd4 d5 6.exd6 Nxd6 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.Qf4 Be7 9.Nc3 with a more or less balanced position<br />4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Be7<br />If 5...Bd6 6.Nc3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Qh4 8.0–0 0–0<br />6.0–0 0–0<br />Quick castling by both<br />7.c4 Nf6<br />If 7...c6 8.Nc3<br />8.Nc3 Nbd7<br />If 8...dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nc6 10.Be3<br />9.Bg5 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nb6 11.Bb3 Nfd5<br />Black is keen on a few exchanges. If 11...Be6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Bxe6 fxe6 14.Qg4 Qe7 15.Rae1 Rad8<br />12.Bxe7 Nxe7 13.Qf3. Interesting move!<br />13. .. Be6<br /><br />Virtually forcing another exchange<br />14.Bxe6 fxe6 15.Qxb7 Qxd4 16.Qxc7<br />Black has lost a pawn<br />16. ..Ned5 17.Qd6 Rf6 18.Rad1 Qh4<br />Swinging to the queen side<br />19.Nxd5 exd5<br />If 19...Nxd5 20.Rxd5 exd5 21.Qxd5+ with White in the driver’s seat<br />20.Qe7<br />Invading the seventh rank<br />20. ..Qh5 21.Nd3 Raf8<br />Even 21..Rh6 does not work for Black. If 21...Rf7 22.Qe6<br />22.Qe5<br />White can also have a good position after 22.Qxa7 Rg6. White however decides to play safe and invites the exchange of queens<br />22...Qg4<br />Black cannot afford the exchange and instead tries to build up some threats. He can also look at the possibility 23... Rg6<br />23.h3 Qa4<br /><br />Once again swinging to the queen side<br />24.a3 Re8 25.Qc7 Rc8 26.Qe7<br />If 26.Qb7 Rf7 and Black bounces back into the game<br />26...Re8 27.Qb4<br />With an extra pawn and a good position, White is interested in swapping queens<br />27. ..Qc2 28.Qd2 Qb3 29.Nc5 Qb5 30.Qd4 Re2 31.b4 a5 32.Rd3 axb4 33.Rg3 Rf7 34.axb4 Qc4 35.Qd1 Rc2 36.Rg4 Qa2 37.Qd4 Rd2 38.Qe3 Nc4<br />A blunder! This move does appear tempting but quickly ruins everything for Black. He could have tried 38...Re2<br /><br />Diagram 1<br /></p>.<p><br />39.Qe8+<br />White could have wrapped up the game faster with 39.Rxg7+ Kxg7 40.Qg5+ Kh8 41.Qd8+ Kg7 42.Ne6+ Kg6 43.Qg5 checkmate.<br />And if 39...Kh8 39... Kf8 40.Rg8+ Kxg8 41.Qg5+ Rg7 (41...Kh8 42.Qd8+ Kg7 43.Ne6+ Kg6 44.Qg5 checkmate) 42.Qd8+ Kf7 43.Qd7+ Kg6. This is a position where the beginners can try out the various checkmate which are possible in different variations<br />39...Rf8 40.Qe6<br />If 40.Rxg7+ Kxg7 41.Qe7+ Rf7 (41...Kg6 42.Qxf8 and if 41...Kg8 42.Ne6 Rf7 43.Qe8+ Rf8 44.Qxf8 checkmate) 42.Ne6+ Kg8 (42...Kh8 43.Qd8+ Rf8 44.Qxf8 checkmate.) 42...Kg6 43.Qg5 checkmate. And if 42...Kh6 43.Qg5 checkmate) 43.Qd8+ Rf8 44.Qxf8 checkmate]<br />40...Kh8 41.Qe7 Rg8 and Black resigned as 42.Ne6 Qb2 43.Ng5! Ra8 (43...h6 44.Rh4 Qf6 45.Rxh6+ Qxh6 46.Nf7+ Kh7 47.Nxh6 Kxh6 48.Re1) 44.Nf7+ Kg8 45.Qe6 and he cannot escape the loss.<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /></p>.<p><br />Black to play and win<br />1. ..Rxa4 2.Rxa4 Rc1+ 3.Bf1 Bh3 and Black wins<br />And if . 2.Rd1 Rxd4 3.Ra1 Rd2 and Black should win.</p>
<p>A victory garners only one point whether it is achieved with a positional grind or with fireworks but fetches more than a smile when it is a result of an explosive combination.<br />In the game which follows, Black blunders and the position is rife with numerous sacrificial combinations possible for White to wrap up the game with a flourish. White however misses an easier and faster route to victory but the ending is combinative nevertheless.<br /><br />White: Svetozar Gligoric – Black: Gudbjartur Gudmundsson<br />Amsterdam,1950 Petroff Defence<br />1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6<br />The Petroff Defence<br />3.d4 Nxe4<br />If 3...exd4 4.e5 Ne4 5.Qxd4 d5 6.exd6 Nxd6 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.Qf4 Be7 9.Nc3 with a more or less balanced position<br />4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Be7<br />If 5...Bd6 6.Nc3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Qh4 8.0–0 0–0<br />6.0–0 0–0<br />Quick castling by both<br />7.c4 Nf6<br />If 7...c6 8.Nc3<br />8.Nc3 Nbd7<br />If 8...dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nc6 10.Be3<br />9.Bg5 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nb6 11.Bb3 Nfd5<br />Black is keen on a few exchanges. If 11...Be6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Bxe6 fxe6 14.Qg4 Qe7 15.Rae1 Rad8<br />12.Bxe7 Nxe7 13.Qf3. Interesting move!<br />13. .. Be6<br /><br />Virtually forcing another exchange<br />14.Bxe6 fxe6 15.Qxb7 Qxd4 16.Qxc7<br />Black has lost a pawn<br />16. ..Ned5 17.Qd6 Rf6 18.Rad1 Qh4<br />Swinging to the queen side<br />19.Nxd5 exd5<br />If 19...Nxd5 20.Rxd5 exd5 21.Qxd5+ with White in the driver’s seat<br />20.Qe7<br />Invading the seventh rank<br />20. ..Qh5 21.Nd3 Raf8<br />Even 21..Rh6 does not work for Black. If 21...Rf7 22.Qe6<br />22.Qe5<br />White can also have a good position after 22.Qxa7 Rg6. White however decides to play safe and invites the exchange of queens<br />22...Qg4<br />Black cannot afford the exchange and instead tries to build up some threats. He can also look at the possibility 23... Rg6<br />23.h3 Qa4<br /><br />Once again swinging to the queen side<br />24.a3 Re8 25.Qc7 Rc8 26.Qe7<br />If 26.Qb7 Rf7 and Black bounces back into the game<br />26...Re8 27.Qb4<br />With an extra pawn and a good position, White is interested in swapping queens<br />27. ..Qc2 28.Qd2 Qb3 29.Nc5 Qb5 30.Qd4 Re2 31.b4 a5 32.Rd3 axb4 33.Rg3 Rf7 34.axb4 Qc4 35.Qd1 Rc2 36.Rg4 Qa2 37.Qd4 Rd2 38.Qe3 Nc4<br />A blunder! This move does appear tempting but quickly ruins everything for Black. He could have tried 38...Re2<br /><br />Diagram 1<br /></p>.<p><br />39.Qe8+<br />White could have wrapped up the game faster with 39.Rxg7+ Kxg7 40.Qg5+ Kh8 41.Qd8+ Kg7 42.Ne6+ Kg6 43.Qg5 checkmate.<br />And if 39...Kh8 39... Kf8 40.Rg8+ Kxg8 41.Qg5+ Rg7 (41...Kh8 42.Qd8+ Kg7 43.Ne6+ Kg6 44.Qg5 checkmate) 42.Qd8+ Kf7 43.Qd7+ Kg6. This is a position where the beginners can try out the various checkmate which are possible in different variations<br />39...Rf8 40.Qe6<br />If 40.Rxg7+ Kxg7 41.Qe7+ Rf7 (41...Kg6 42.Qxf8 and if 41...Kg8 42.Ne6 Rf7 43.Qe8+ Rf8 44.Qxf8 checkmate) 42.Ne6+ Kg8 (42...Kh8 43.Qd8+ Rf8 44.Qxf8 checkmate.) 42...Kg6 43.Qg5 checkmate. And if 42...Kh6 43.Qg5 checkmate) 43.Qd8+ Rf8 44.Qxf8 checkmate]<br />40...Kh8 41.Qe7 Rg8 and Black resigned as 42.Ne6 Qb2 43.Ng5! Ra8 (43...h6 44.Rh4 Qf6 45.Rxh6+ Qxh6 46.Nf7+ Kh7 47.Nxh6 Kxh6 48.Re1) 44.Nf7+ Kg8 45.Qe6 and he cannot escape the loss.<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /></p>.<p><br />Black to play and win<br />1. ..Rxa4 2.Rxa4 Rc1+ 3.Bf1 Bh3 and Black wins<br />And if . 2.Rd1 Rxd4 3.Ra1 Rd2 and Black should win.</p>
