<p>In the game which follows, White enjoys the upper hand but just when the players are reaching a double bishop and rook each ending, a blunder by Black ends the game abruptly in White’s favour. Black, without much thought, thinks that he is forcing the exchange of rooks but overlooks a simple pawn move which results in the loss of a piece.<br />White: Evgeny Sveshnikov (2541) – Black: Suat Atalik (2598) <br />Bled, 1999<br /><br />French Defence <br />1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 <br />The advanced variation of the French Defence<br />3. .. c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 7.Na3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Nf5 <br />This is one of the often played continuations<br />9.Nc2 Rc8<br />The usual played move here is 9. ..Qa5+ 10.Bd2 Qb6<br />10.0–0. If 10.Bd2 Qb6 11.Bc3 Na5<br />10...Qb6 11.g4 <br />An aggressive advance<br />11. ..Nfe7 12.Nh4. If 12.Nfe1 h5 13.gxh5 Nf5 14.Be3 f6 15.Nd3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 fxe5 17.dxe5 Qc7 18.Rc1 Nxe5 19.Nd4 Nc6 20.Bg4 Rh6<br />12...Ng6 13.Ng2. If 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.Rb1 Be7. 13. ..f6 14.exf6 gxf6 15.Kh1<br />The king gets away from the diagonal. If 15.f4 f5 (15...Bd6 16.f5 exf5 17.gxf5 Nge7) 16.gxf5 exf5 17.Bf3 Nce7 18.Re1 Bg7 And if 15.h4 Bd6 16.Bh6 Bf8<br />15...Bd6. If 15. ..Rg8 16.f4 f5 17.gxf5 And if 15...Bg7 16.f4 f5 . 16.f4. If 16.b3 Qc7 and if 16.Bh6 Bf8 17.Be3 Bg7<br />17...Nce7 17.Qd3 f5 18.Nce3 <br />Incidentally White offered a draw here which was refused<br />18...fxg4 19.Nxg4 Nf5. If 19...0–0 20.Ne5 Bxe5 21.dxe5 Nf5 is better for Black. 20.Nf6+ Ke7<br />A colossal blunder! Black walks headlong into the only existing trap. Black could have simply maintained his advantage with 20...Kd8 21.Rd1 Bc6 22.Bg4 Be7 23.Bxf5 exf5 24.Nh5 Rf8<br />21.Qxf5. White is quick to seize the opportunity<br />21. .. exf5 <br />Perhaps Black should have seriously looked at 21...Qxd4 22.Nxd5+ (22.Be3 Qxf6 (22...Qxb2 23.Nxd5+ exd5 24.Qxd5 Bc6 25.Qg5+) 23.Qxf6+ Kxf6 24.Bd4+ Kf7 25.Bxh8 Rxh8) 22...Qxd5 23.Qxd5 exd5 24.f5 Ne5 25.Bg5+ <br />22.Nxd5+. Catching the King and Queen in a fork<br />22. .. Kf7. If 22...Kd8 23.Nxb6 axb6 <br />23.Nxb6 axb6 24.Bf3 Rhe8<br />Black could have offered more resistance with 24...Bc6 25.Bxc6 Rxc6 <br />25.Bxb7 Rc2. Invading the seventh rank. 26.a4 <br />White could also have looked at 26.h4<br />26. ..Ree2. Both the black rooks are now patrolling the seventh rank but it is still not enough for Black to get out of trouble<br />27.Bf3. If 27.Ne1 Bc6+ (27...Rxh2+ 28.Kg1 Rxc1 29.Rxc1 Rh4 30.Ng2) 28.Bxc6 Rxc6. 27...Rf2 28.Rxf2 Rxf2 29.Bd5+ Be6 30.Kg1 <br />If 30.Bxe6+ Kxe6 31.Kg1 Rf3<br />30...Rc2 31.Bf3 Rc4 32.Be3 Rb4 33.a5<br />Intersting move! If 33.d5 Bd7<br />33...bxa5 34.Rxa5 Rxb2 35.Ra6<br />If 35.Ra7+ Ne7 36.d5 (36.Bh5+ Kf6) 36...Bc8. 35...Be7 36.Ra7<br />Diagram 1<br />36. .. Ra2. A big blunder by black which firmly shuts the game for him, If 36...Bc4 37.Bc6 Ke6 38.Bd7+ Kd6 And if 36...Nf8 37.d5 (37.Bh5+ Ng6 38.Nh4 Rb1+ 39.Kf2 Rb2+ 40.Kg3 Rb3) <br />37.d5 <br />And Black resigned for if 37.d5 Rxa7 38.dxe6+ Kxe6 39.Bxa7. 1–0<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Nb6+ cxb6 2.Be6 and White wins.<br /></p>
<p>In the game which follows, White enjoys the upper hand but just when the players are reaching a double bishop and rook each ending, a blunder by Black ends the game abruptly in White’s favour. Black, without much thought, thinks that he is forcing the exchange of rooks but overlooks a simple pawn move which results in the loss of a piece.<br />White: Evgeny Sveshnikov (2541) – Black: Suat Atalik (2598) <br />Bled, 1999<br /><br />French Defence <br />1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 <br />The advanced variation of the French Defence<br />3. .. c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 7.Na3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Nf5 <br />This is one of the often played continuations<br />9.Nc2 Rc8<br />The usual played move here is 9. ..Qa5+ 10.Bd2 Qb6<br />10.0–0. If 10.Bd2 Qb6 11.Bc3 Na5<br />10...Qb6 11.g4 <br />An aggressive advance<br />11. ..Nfe7 12.Nh4. If 12.Nfe1 h5 13.gxh5 Nf5 14.Be3 f6 15.Nd3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 fxe5 17.dxe5 Qc7 18.Rc1 Nxe5 19.Nd4 Nc6 20.Bg4 Rh6<br />12...Ng6 13.Ng2. If 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.Rb1 Be7. 13. ..f6 14.exf6 gxf6 15.Kh1<br />The king gets away from the diagonal. If 15.f4 f5 (15...Bd6 16.f5 exf5 17.gxf5 Nge7) 16.gxf5 exf5 17.Bf3 Nce7 18.Re1 Bg7 And if 15.h4 Bd6 16.Bh6 Bf8<br />15...Bd6. If 15. ..Rg8 16.f4 f5 17.gxf5 And if 15...Bg7 16.f4 f5 . 16.f4. If 16.b3 Qc7 and if 16.Bh6 Bf8 17.Be3 Bg7<br />17...Nce7 17.Qd3 f5 18.Nce3 <br />Incidentally White offered a draw here which was refused<br />18...fxg4 19.Nxg4 Nf5. If 19...0–0 20.Ne5 Bxe5 21.dxe5 Nf5 is better for Black. 20.Nf6+ Ke7<br />A colossal blunder! Black walks headlong into the only existing trap. Black could have simply maintained his advantage with 20...Kd8 21.Rd1 Bc6 22.Bg4 Be7 23.Bxf5 exf5 24.Nh5 Rf8<br />21.Qxf5. White is quick to seize the opportunity<br />21. .. exf5 <br />Perhaps Black should have seriously looked at 21...Qxd4 22.Nxd5+ (22.Be3 Qxf6 (22...Qxb2 23.Nxd5+ exd5 24.Qxd5 Bc6 25.Qg5+) 23.Qxf6+ Kxf6 24.Bd4+ Kf7 25.Bxh8 Rxh8) 22...Qxd5 23.Qxd5 exd5 24.f5 Ne5 25.Bg5+ <br />22.Nxd5+. Catching the King and Queen in a fork<br />22. .. Kf7. If 22...Kd8 23.Nxb6 axb6 <br />23.Nxb6 axb6 24.Bf3 Rhe8<br />Black could have offered more resistance with 24...Bc6 25.Bxc6 Rxc6 <br />25.Bxb7 Rc2. Invading the seventh rank. 26.a4 <br />White could also have looked at 26.h4<br />26. ..Ree2. Both the black rooks are now patrolling the seventh rank but it is still not enough for Black to get out of trouble<br />27.Bf3. If 27.Ne1 Bc6+ (27...Rxh2+ 28.Kg1 Rxc1 29.Rxc1 Rh4 30.Ng2) 28.Bxc6 Rxc6. 27...Rf2 28.Rxf2 Rxf2 29.Bd5+ Be6 30.Kg1 <br />If 30.Bxe6+ Kxe6 31.Kg1 Rf3<br />30...Rc2 31.Bf3 Rc4 32.Be3 Rb4 33.a5<br />Intersting move! If 33.d5 Bd7<br />33...bxa5 34.Rxa5 Rxb2 35.Ra6<br />If 35.Ra7+ Ne7 36.d5 (36.Bh5+ Kf6) 36...Bc8. 35...Be7 36.Ra7<br />Diagram 1<br />36. .. Ra2. A big blunder by black which firmly shuts the game for him, If 36...Bc4 37.Bc6 Ke6 38.Bd7+ Kd6 And if 36...Nf8 37.d5 (37.Bh5+ Ng6 38.Nh4 Rb1+ 39.Kf2 Rb2+ 40.Kg3 Rb3) <br />37.d5 <br />And Black resigned for if 37.d5 Rxa7 38.dxe6+ Kxe6 39.Bxa7. 1–0<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Nb6+ cxb6 2.Be6 and White wins.<br /></p>
