<p><br /><br />Material balance can be deceptive and it is never an indication of the direction a chess game can take! At all times and after every move, it is the position which is supreme.</p>.<p> Of course many a time an equal appearing position can lull a player into false sense of security and just one weak move suffices for the game to crash like a pack of cards.<br /><br />In the game which follows, the position is fluctuating and just when it appears that the game might be heading for a draw with each player having a queen, rook and identical pawns, Black commits a mistake. Thereafter there is no saving grace for Black and he immediately ends on the losing side.<br /><br />White: Rustem Dautov (2597) – Black: Dirk Paulsen (2331)<br />Altenkirchen, 1999<br /><br />Queen’s Gambit Declined<br /><br />1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 0–0 7.Rc1 dxc4 8.Bxc4 a6 9.a4 c. Generally the usual continuation is 9...c5 10.0–0 cxd4 <br />10.0–0. If 10.e4 b5 11.Bd3 bxa4 12.Qxa4 <br />10...b5. Black has a go on the queen side<br />11.Bd3 <br /><br />If 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 12.Bd3 Bb7 And if 11.Bb3 Bb7 12.Qe2 b4 13.Nb1 c5 14.Rfd1 cxd4<br />11...Bb7 <br />If 11...bxa4 12.Nxa4 <br />12.Bxf6 <br />White had a better option in 12.Qe2 Rc8 13.Rfd1 and even 12.Qc2 also looks good <br />12...Bxf6. If 12...Nxf6 13.Ne4<br />13.Qc2 g6. <br /><br />Black could have played 13...h6 14.Ne4<br />14.Ne4 Be7 15.Rfd1 bxa4 16.Qxa4 Qb6 17.Qc2 a5 18.h4 Rfc8 19.h5<br />If 19.Nc5 Nxc5 20.dxc5 Qc7<br />19...c5 20.Ne5 Nxe5 21.dxe5 Bd5<br />Black enjoys the bishop pair advantage. If 21...c4 22.Bxc4 Bxe4 23.Qxe4 Qxb2 24.hxg6 hxg6 25.Rb1 <br />22.Nd6. Almost forcing Black to part with a bishop for knight. If 22.hxg6 hxg6 23.Rd2 <br />22...Bxd6. The correct response. <br />If 22...Bb3 23.Nxc8 Rxc8 24.Qb1 Bxd1 25.Rxd1 <br />23.exd6 Qxd6. If 23...Bb3 24.Qc3 Bxd1 25.h6 f6 26.Qxf6 <br />24.Bxg6. White suddenly decides to sacrifice his bishop.</p>.<p> The correct continuation here is 24.hxg6 hxg6 25.Bxg6 Qe5 26.Bd3. If 24.e4 Bb7 and Black is better <br /><br />24...hxg6. If 24...fxg6 25.e4 (25.hxg6 Qe7 26.e4 Bb7 27.gxh7+ Qxh7) 25...Ra7 26.exd5 exd5 27.hxg6 hxg6 28.Rd3 <br />25.e4 Kh7. Black cannot move the bishop as he then loses the queen. If 25...gxh5 26.Qd2 f6 27.exd5 Rd8 28.Qh6 exd5 29.Qg6+ Kf8 30.Qh6+<br />26.hxg6+ fxg6 27.Rd3 Qe5<br />If 27...Bxe4 28.Rxd6 Bxc2 29.Rxc2<br />28.exd5 exd5 <br /><br />The game is more or less evenly balanced with both players having double rooks and queen each<br />29.Re3 Qf6 30.Rce1 Rc7 <br />If 30...Ra7 31.Re6<br />31.Rh3+ Kg8 32.Ree3 <br />A mistake! White should have played 32. Rf3 or even 32. Rhe3 for that matter<br />32. ..Rf8 <br /><br />If 32...Rb8 33.Reg3 gives advantage to White <br />33.Reg3 Kg7 34.Rf3 Qd6 35.Qd2 <br />If 35.Rxf8 Qxf8 (35...Kxf8 36.Qc3 d4 37.Qxa5) 36.Qd2 with an equal position <br />35...Rh8 <br /><br />If 35...Rxf3 36.Qh6+ Kf7 37.Rxf3+ Kg8 38.Rg3 Rg7 (38...Qe5 39.Rxg6+ Rg7 40.Re6 Qf5 41.g3 ) 39.Rh3 Kf7 40.Qh8 Qd7 41.Rf3+ Ke6 42.Qh4 <br />36.Rxh8 Kxh8 37.Qh6+ Kg8 38.Rg3 <br /><br />Diagram 1<br />38...Rg 7A blunder! Black could have offered more resistance with 38. Qe5 Rxg6+ 39.Rg7. If 38...Rc6 39.Rh3 Qe5 40.Qh7+ Kf8 41.Re3<br />39.Rh3 Re7 <br />If 39...Kf7 40.Qh8 <br />40.Qh8+ Kf7 41.Rf3+ 1–0<br /><br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Qd8+ Kf7 2.e6+ Qxe6+ <br />If 2...Kxe6 3.Qe8+ 3.Bc4 and White wins.<br /></p>
<p><br /><br />Material balance can be deceptive and it is never an indication of the direction a chess game can take! At all times and after every move, it is the position which is supreme.</p>.<p> Of course many a time an equal appearing position can lull a player into false sense of security and just one weak move suffices for the game to crash like a pack of cards.<br /><br />In the game which follows, the position is fluctuating and just when it appears that the game might be heading for a draw with each player having a queen, rook and identical pawns, Black commits a mistake. Thereafter there is no saving grace for Black and he immediately ends on the losing side.<br /><br />White: Rustem Dautov (2597) – Black: Dirk Paulsen (2331)<br />Altenkirchen, 1999<br /><br />Queen’s Gambit Declined<br /><br />1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 0–0 7.Rc1 dxc4 8.Bxc4 a6 9.a4 c. Generally the usual continuation is 9...c5 10.0–0 cxd4 <br />10.0–0. If 10.e4 b5 11.Bd3 bxa4 12.Qxa4 <br />10...b5. Black has a go on the queen side<br />11.Bd3 <br /><br />If 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 12.Bd3 Bb7 And if 11.Bb3 Bb7 12.Qe2 b4 13.Nb1 c5 14.Rfd1 cxd4<br />11...Bb7 <br />If 11...bxa4 12.Nxa4 <br />12.Bxf6 <br />White had a better option in 12.Qe2 Rc8 13.Rfd1 and even 12.Qc2 also looks good <br />12...Bxf6. If 12...Nxf6 13.Ne4<br />13.Qc2 g6. <br /><br />Black could have played 13...h6 14.Ne4<br />14.Ne4 Be7 15.Rfd1 bxa4 16.Qxa4 Qb6 17.Qc2 a5 18.h4 Rfc8 19.h5<br />If 19.Nc5 Nxc5 20.dxc5 Qc7<br />19...c5 20.Ne5 Nxe5 21.dxe5 Bd5<br />Black enjoys the bishop pair advantage. If 21...c4 22.Bxc4 Bxe4 23.Qxe4 Qxb2 24.hxg6 hxg6 25.Rb1 <br />22.Nd6. Almost forcing Black to part with a bishop for knight. If 22.hxg6 hxg6 23.Rd2 <br />22...Bxd6. The correct response. <br />If 22...Bb3 23.Nxc8 Rxc8 24.Qb1 Bxd1 25.Rxd1 <br />23.exd6 Qxd6. If 23...Bb3 24.Qc3 Bxd1 25.h6 f6 26.Qxf6 <br />24.Bxg6. White suddenly decides to sacrifice his bishop.</p>.<p> The correct continuation here is 24.hxg6 hxg6 25.Bxg6 Qe5 26.Bd3. If 24.e4 Bb7 and Black is better <br /><br />24...hxg6. If 24...fxg6 25.e4 (25.hxg6 Qe7 26.e4 Bb7 27.gxh7+ Qxh7) 25...Ra7 26.exd5 exd5 27.hxg6 hxg6 28.Rd3 <br />25.e4 Kh7. Black cannot move the bishop as he then loses the queen. If 25...gxh5 26.Qd2 f6 27.exd5 Rd8 28.Qh6 exd5 29.Qg6+ Kf8 30.Qh6+<br />26.hxg6+ fxg6 27.Rd3 Qe5<br />If 27...Bxe4 28.Rxd6 Bxc2 29.Rxc2<br />28.exd5 exd5 <br /><br />The game is more or less evenly balanced with both players having double rooks and queen each<br />29.Re3 Qf6 30.Rce1 Rc7 <br />If 30...Ra7 31.Re6<br />31.Rh3+ Kg8 32.Ree3 <br />A mistake! White should have played 32. Rf3 or even 32. Rhe3 for that matter<br />32. ..Rf8 <br /><br />If 32...Rb8 33.Reg3 gives advantage to White <br />33.Reg3 Kg7 34.Rf3 Qd6 35.Qd2 <br />If 35.Rxf8 Qxf8 (35...Kxf8 36.Qc3 d4 37.Qxa5) 36.Qd2 with an equal position <br />35...Rh8 <br /><br />If 35...Rxf3 36.Qh6+ Kf7 37.Rxf3+ Kg8 38.Rg3 Rg7 (38...Qe5 39.Rxg6+ Rg7 40.Re6 Qf5 41.g3 ) 39.Rh3 Kf7 40.Qh8 Qd7 41.Rf3+ Ke6 42.Qh4 <br />36.Rxh8 Kxh8 37.Qh6+ Kg8 38.Rg3 <br /><br />Diagram 1<br />38...Rg 7A blunder! Black could have offered more resistance with 38. Qe5 Rxg6+ 39.Rg7. If 38...Rc6 39.Rh3 Qe5 40.Qh7+ Kf8 41.Re3<br />39.Rh3 Re7 <br />If 39...Kf7 40.Qh8 <br />40.Qh8+ Kf7 41.Rf3+ 1–0<br /><br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Qd8+ Kf7 2.e6+ Qxe6+ <br />If 2...Kxe6 3.Qe8+ 3.Bc4 and White wins.<br /></p>
