Care needed when tackling open positions

Chess: Checks

Open positions in a game of chess need lot of calculating ability and good judgment. It is important to assess one’s attacking possibilities very clearly and accurately before sacrificing even a pawn! Many a times if a position is evenly balanced, it does not help in trying desperate measures to tilt the game in your favour.

In the game which follows, White is better and Black, instead of trying to defend, decides to take matters into hand and sacrifices a pawn on the 22nd turn. White is swift in retaliating and accepts the pawn to totally swing the game in his favour.
White: Mihail Kobalijail (2500) - Black: Marinus Kuijf (2460)
Hoogovens, 1998
Queen’s Gambit Declined
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c6 4.e3 Nd7 5.Bd3 dxc4
If 5...f5 6.cxd5
6.Bxc4 b5. The more popular continuations are  6...Ngf6 7.0–0 Bd6 8.Nc3 0–0 9.Qc2
And 6. ..Bd6  7.e4 e5
7.Bd3. If 7.Be2 Ngf6  8.0-0 a6  9.a4 b4
7. .. a6. An interesting move! .If 7...Ngf6 8.Qc2 Bb7 9.0–0 a6 10.a4
8.Qc2. Difficult to understand this move! White could have held onto his tiny advantage with 8.a4 Bb7 9.0–0 Qb6 10.e4
8...c5. Black equalises with this move
9.Bxh7. Another surprise by White as he goes on to grab a pawn. If 9.Be4 Rb8 10.Bxh7
9...Ngf6. If 9...g6 10.Bxg6 (10.Bxg8 Rxg8) 10...fxg6  11.Qxg6+ Ke7 12.Ng5 Ndf6 13.Nf7 Rh6 14.Nxh6 Bxh6 15.dxc5 works better for White
10.Bd3. If 10.Be4 Nxe4 11.Qxe4 Rb8 12.Nbd2 Bb7 leads to an unclear position
10...Bb7 11.Qe2. If 11.Nc3 Rc8 12.dxc5 Nxc5 13.Be2 Nce4

11...Rc8. More accurate is 11. ...e5. If 11...cxd4 12.e4 (12.exd4 Rc8 13.Nc3 Qb6 12...Bb4+ 13.Nbd2 Nc5 14.0–0 Bxd2 15.Nxd2 Qc7 16.h3 e5
12.e4. If 12.Nc3 Bd6
12. ..cxd4 13.Bg5. If 13.Nbd2 e5
13...Be7. Perhaps better appears  13...QC7  14.Nbd2 And if 13...Qa5+ 14.Nbd2 e5 15.0–0 Nh7 16.Bh4 f6 17.Nb3 Qa4
14.Nbd2 Nh5. He could have maintained equality with 14...e5
15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.g3 Nc5
Once again Black could have considered 16...e5
17.0–0. Finally White castles!
17. ..e5 18.Rac1 Rd8
A bad move! Black should have considered 18...Nf6 19.Rfd1 (19.Bb1 0–0) And if 18...Nxd3 19.Qxd3 Rxc1 20.Rxc1 f5 21.exf5 e4 22.Qc2 exf3 23.Qc7
19.Bxb5+. White sacrifices his bishop to gain initiative
19. ..Kf8
Black King was still in the centre and now feels the heat. If 19...axb5 20.Qxb5+ Qd7 21.Qxc5
20.Bc4 . If 20.Bd3 Kg8 21.Nc4
20...Rh6
A rare way to bring out the rook into play. If 20...d3 21.Qe1 (21.Qe3 Nf6 22.Rfd1)
21.Bd5
An invitation to exchange bishops but more to the point is 21.Rfe1 Na4 And if 21.b4 Na4 22.a3 Nc3 23.Qd3 f5 24.Rfe1 fxe4 25.Nxe4 Nxe4 26.Rxe4 Bxe4 27.Qxe4 is better for White
21...Bxd5 22.exd5
Diagram 1
22. ..e4
A mistake! Black can consider  22...Rxd5 23.b4 d3 24.Qe3 Nb7 25.Rc8+ Nd8 26.a3.
23.Nxd4+- Rxd5 24.N2b3 Nb7
Another mistake which totally tilts the game in White’s favour. If 24...Nxb3 25.Nxb3 Qe6 26.Qc4 also is better for White
25.Rc8+ Nd8 26.Rfc1 Qd7 27.Qxe4 Nf6 28.Qf3 Ng4 29.Rxd8+ 1–0
Diagram 2
Black to play and win
1..Bc2+
Black is diverting the King from protecting his queen.
2.KxBc2
More or less forced for White
2. ..Qxe4+ and Black wins.