There may be many ways for victory but it is important to take the simplest and the most economical one.
In the game which follows, both players are in attacking mode, but it is White’s bishop which is instrumental in weaving a checkmating net.
White: Anatoly Karpov (2720) – Black: Miguel Najdorf (2515)
Mar del Plata, 1982
Queen’s Indian Defence
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 . Black finachetto’es his bishop on the queen side and this opening is the Queen’s Indian
4.Nc3 Bb7 5.a3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.e3 Be7 8.Bb5+ c6 9.Bd3 c5
Black has probably rushed through with this advance! If 9...Nxc3 10.bxc3 c5
10.Nxd5 Bxd5
If 10...Qxd5 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Bb5+ Ke7 13.Qe2 a5 14.Bd2 Rd8 15.Bc3 Kf8 16.0–0
11.dxc5 bxc5. Things have cleared quite a bit at the centre. If 11...Bxc5 12.b4 Be7 13.Bb2 with slight advantage for White
12.0–0 0–0 13.Qc2
White could have given some thought to advance his central pawn 13.e4
13. ..h6 14.Bd2 Nd7 15.Bc3. White has trained both his bishops on the king side
15. ..Rb8. Black can try 15...Qc7 or even 15. ..Bxf3 to disturb White’s castle but instead chooses to come onto the open file
16.e4 Bc6 17.Rac1 Qc7 18.Rfe1 Rfc8 . All the pieces have now taken up positions
19.Ba6 Rd8 20.Bf1 a5
Black can also think about 20. ..Bd6
21.a4 Ra8 22.b3 Nb8 23.Qb2 Bf8
Interesting to note that in all the last three moves, Black has retreated back three of his pieces to the original squares
24.Ne5 Be8 25.Re3. Not exactly the right move! If 25.Bc4 Nc6 26.Nxc6
25...f6 26.Nc4 Nc6 27.e5.
A good advance!
27. .. f5 28.Nd6 Bxd6 29.exd6 Rxd6 30.Bc4 Kh7 31.Rxe6 Rad8 32.Rxd6 Rxd6 33.Bf1. White is worried bout his back rank but he could have also played 33.h3
33...Qb7 34.Qe2
If 34.Bb5!? Bf7 35.Bxg7 Rg6
34...Bf7 35.Qf3 Qd7 36.Ba1 Nd4 37.Bxd4 Rxd4. If 37...cxd4 38.Bd3 g6 39.Qa8 and White is better
38.Qc3. If 38.Rxc5 Rd1 39.Qxf5+ Qxf5 40.Rxf5 Bxb3 41.Rc5 Ra1
38...Rb4 39.Bb5 Qd4 40.Qc2. White does not want to equalise with 40.Qxc5
40...Rxb3 41.Qxf5+
If 41.Qxc5 Qxc5 42.Rxc5 Rb1+ 43.Bf1
41...Bg6 42.Qe6 Rb2 43.Qe1
If 43.Rf1 Bd3 44.Bxd3+ (44.Be8 Qxf2+) 44...Qxd3 45.Qe5 Rb1 And if 43.Qe3 Rc2 is better for Black
43...Rc2 44.Rd1 Qf4
44...Qf6 works better for White
45.Bc6 c4 46.g3 Qf5
Perhaps 46...Qf6 is also worth a look
47.Rd6 Kh8. If 47...Rb2 48.Kg2 Rb6! 49.Rxg6 Rxc6! 50.Rxc6 Qd5+ 51.Kf1 Qxc6 52.Qb1+
48.Bd5. A good move, working for a checkmating net!
48. ..Qg5. If 48...Kh7 49.Rd8 Qg5 50.Bg8+ Kh8 51.Rc8! Rc1 52.Bxc4+ Be8 53.Rxe8+ Kh7 54.Bg8+ Kh8 55.Bb3+ Kh7 56.Bc2+ (56.Bd1 Qd5 57.Qe4+ Qxe4 58.Rxe4 Rxd1+ 59.Kg2 Ra1) 56...Rxc2 (56...g6 57.Bd1 Qd5 58.Qe7+) 57.Qe4+ Qg6 58.Rh8+
49.f4 Qh5 50.Rd8+ Kh7
Diagram 1
51.Bg8+ This check is necessary to set up the checkmating finish.
51. ..Kh8 52.Bf7+ Kh7 53.Rh8 and Black resigned for there is no escaping checkmate after 53.Kxh8 Qe8+ 54.Kh7 Qh8 checkmate.
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Qxa8 Rxa8. If 1...f5 2.Rd8
2.Rd8+ Rxd8 3.Rxd8 check-mate.
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