<p>Beginners and amateurs are often confused about the way to proceed when a chess game is evenly balanced. In such cases even though a draw might appear the logical conclusion, care has to be taken that the position remains equal after each and every move. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Of course there are positions in which a player can try and stretch with a safe approach but even the slightest carelessness can result in a loss.<br /><br />In the game which follows, there is material and positional balance in the middle-game and just when a draw looms large, White plays an innocuous looking queen move, which completely disturbs the balance of the game. Black gets a strong advantage and then surprisingly both fail to play accurately and finally black wins the game.<br /><br />White: Ruediger Seger (2412) – Black: Ullrich Krause (2263)<br /><br />Altenkirchen, 1999<br />French Defence<br />1.e4 e6<br />The French Defence<br />2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6. The Tarrasch variation of the French defence<br />4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 Qb6 9.Nf3 f6<br />If 9. ..Bb4+ 10.Bd2<br />10.exf6 Nxf6 11.0–0 Bd6 12.Nc3 0–0 13.Be3 Bd7. <br />14.Rc1 Kh8. If 14...Rac8 15.Ne5 Be8 16.Qd2 Ne7 17.f3<br />15.Ne5. If 15.Na4 Qc7 16.Bd2 Bb4 and if 15.a3 Rac8 16.Na4 Qd8 17.Nc5<br />15...Be8 16.Na4. If 16.Nb5 Be7 17.Qd2<br />16...Qa5 17.Nxc6<br />White had a better move in 17.Bd2 Qd8 18.Nc5 Bxc5<br />17. ..Bxc6 18.Nc3<br />Also playable is 18.Nc5<br />18. ..e5 19.Bf5 Rae8 20.a3 a6<br />Cautious moves by both!<br />21.Qd2 Qc7 22.g3. White can think of 22.dxe5 Rxe5 23.Bh3 Ree8 24.g3 Ne4<br />22. ..Qf7 23.f3 Qh5 24.Bc2<br />White can play 24.Bd3<br />24. ..Nd7 25.Qg2<br />White had a better option in 25.Qd1 Re6 26.f4 Qxd1 27.Rcd1 e4 28.Rc1 Nb6<br />25. ..exd4 26.Bxd4 Ne5. Here Black had a better move in 26. ..Nc5<br /> 27.f4 Nc4. The game is evenly balanced at this point<br />28.Bd1 Qf5 29.Bc2 Qh5 30.Bd1 Qf5 31.Bc2 Qd7. A good move!<br />Diagram 1<br />32.Qf3. <br /><br />This move disturbs the balance of the game and gives advantage to black. White should have played 32.Bb1 Be7 33.g4 Bf6<br />32. ..Qh3 33.Nb1<br /><br />White completely fails to sense the danger. He should have tried to strengthen his defence with 33.Rf2<br />33...Be5. Black also misses a good continuation 33...Ne3 34.Bxe3 d4 35.Qf2 (35.Bf5 Qxf5 36.Rxc6 Rxe3) 35...Rxe3 36.Bd1 Bxf4 37.Rxc6 Rxg3+ 38.hxg3 Be3<br />34.fxe5. <br /><br />If 34.Qc3 Bxd4+ 35.Qxd4 Re2 36.Rf2 Rfe8<br />34...Rxf3 35.Rxf3 Kg8<br />Black has won White’s queen for a rook and bishop<br />36.Rcf1 g6 37.Rf7. White’s rook invades the seventh rank but it is a mistake!. He should have played 37.Re1 Bd7<br />37...Nxe5. Black was simply winning with 37...Ne3 38.R7f2 (38.Bxe3 d4 39.R7f2 dxe3 40.Bb3+ Kh8 41.Rc2 Be4 42.Re2 Bd3) 38...Nxf1 39.Rxf1 Bb5<br />38.Bxe5<br />It is turning out to be a blunderfest! White once again errs with this move when he should have played 38.Bxg6 hxg6 (38...Nxf7 39.Bxf7+ Kf8 40.Bh5+ Kg8) 39.Bxe5 Qh6 (39...Qxf1+ 40.Rxf1 Rxe5) 40.Rg7+ Qxg7 41.Bxg7 Kxg7<br />38...Rxe5–+ 39.Bxg6 Re2<br />If 39...hxg6 40.Rf8+ Kg7 41.R1f7+ Kh6 42.Rh8+<br />40.Bxh7+ Kh8 and White resigned for if 40...Kh8 41.Rf8+ Kxh7 42.R1f7+ Kg6 43.Rf6+ Kg5<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Bxc6 bxc6 2.Rd1 Rad8 3.Bc1 Qb5 4.Bxd2 and White wins<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Beginners and amateurs are often confused about the way to proceed when a chess game is evenly balanced. In such cases even though a draw might appear the logical conclusion, care has to be taken that the position remains equal after each and every move. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Of course there are positions in which a player can try and stretch with a safe approach but even the slightest carelessness can result in a loss.<br /><br />In the game which follows, there is material and positional balance in the middle-game and just when a draw looms large, White plays an innocuous looking queen move, which completely disturbs the balance of the game. Black gets a strong advantage and then surprisingly both fail to play accurately and finally black wins the game.<br /><br />White: Ruediger Seger (2412) – Black: Ullrich Krause (2263)<br /><br />Altenkirchen, 1999<br />French Defence<br />1.e4 e6<br />The French Defence<br />2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6. The Tarrasch variation of the French defence<br />4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 Qb6 9.Nf3 f6<br />If 9. ..Bb4+ 10.Bd2<br />10.exf6 Nxf6 11.0–0 Bd6 12.Nc3 0–0 13.Be3 Bd7. <br />14.Rc1 Kh8. If 14...Rac8 15.Ne5 Be8 16.Qd2 Ne7 17.f3<br />15.Ne5. If 15.Na4 Qc7 16.Bd2 Bb4 and if 15.a3 Rac8 16.Na4 Qd8 17.Nc5<br />15...Be8 16.Na4. If 16.Nb5 Be7 17.Qd2<br />16...Qa5 17.Nxc6<br />White had a better move in 17.Bd2 Qd8 18.Nc5 Bxc5<br />17. ..Bxc6 18.Nc3<br />Also playable is 18.Nc5<br />18. ..e5 19.Bf5 Rae8 20.a3 a6<br />Cautious moves by both!<br />21.Qd2 Qc7 22.g3. White can think of 22.dxe5 Rxe5 23.Bh3 Ree8 24.g3 Ne4<br />22. ..Qf7 23.f3 Qh5 24.Bc2<br />White can play 24.Bd3<br />24. ..Nd7 25.Qg2<br />White had a better option in 25.Qd1 Re6 26.f4 Qxd1 27.Rcd1 e4 28.Rc1 Nb6<br />25. ..exd4 26.Bxd4 Ne5. Here Black had a better move in 26. ..Nc5<br /> 27.f4 Nc4. The game is evenly balanced at this point<br />28.Bd1 Qf5 29.Bc2 Qh5 30.Bd1 Qf5 31.Bc2 Qd7. A good move!<br />Diagram 1<br />32.Qf3. <br /><br />This move disturbs the balance of the game and gives advantage to black. White should have played 32.Bb1 Be7 33.g4 Bf6<br />32. ..Qh3 33.Nb1<br /><br />White completely fails to sense the danger. He should have tried to strengthen his defence with 33.Rf2<br />33...Be5. Black also misses a good continuation 33...Ne3 34.Bxe3 d4 35.Qf2 (35.Bf5 Qxf5 36.Rxc6 Rxe3) 35...Rxe3 36.Bd1 Bxf4 37.Rxc6 Rxg3+ 38.hxg3 Be3<br />34.fxe5. <br /><br />If 34.Qc3 Bxd4+ 35.Qxd4 Re2 36.Rf2 Rfe8<br />34...Rxf3 35.Rxf3 Kg8<br />Black has won White’s queen for a rook and bishop<br />36.Rcf1 g6 37.Rf7. White’s rook invades the seventh rank but it is a mistake!. He should have played 37.Re1 Bd7<br />37...Nxe5. Black was simply winning with 37...Ne3 38.R7f2 (38.Bxe3 d4 39.R7f2 dxe3 40.Bb3+ Kh8 41.Rc2 Be4 42.Re2 Bd3) 38...Nxf1 39.Rxf1 Bb5<br />38.Bxe5<br />It is turning out to be a blunderfest! White once again errs with this move when he should have played 38.Bxg6 hxg6 (38...Nxf7 39.Bxf7+ Kf8 40.Bh5+ Kg8) 39.Bxe5 Qh6 (39...Qxf1+ 40.Rxf1 Rxe5) 40.Rg7+ Qxg7 41.Bxg7 Kxg7<br />38...Rxe5–+ 39.Bxg6 Re2<br />If 39...hxg6 40.Rf8+ Kg7 41.R1f7+ Kh6 42.Rh8+<br />40.Bxh7+ Kh8 and White resigned for if 40...Kh8 41.Rf8+ Kxh7 42.R1f7+ Kg6 43.Rf6+ Kg5<br />Diagram 2<br />White to play and win<br />1.Bxc6 bxc6 2.Rd1 Rad8 3.Bc1 Qb5 4.Bxd2 and White wins<br /><br /><br /></p>
