Care needed in accepting sacrifices

Whether to go for the offered sacrifices or to focus on development in the opening stages is a dilemma often faced by beginners and amateurs alike. Also in most instances, the temptation to gobble up the sacrificed pieces is too hard to resist.

In the game which follows, Black lures White with the offer of pieces and White cannot resist these offers time and again. It is interesting to see how Black then wraps up the game even after allowing White to promote one of his pawns into a queen.

White: Sergey Ionov (2530) – Black: Konstantin Aseev (2530)
St Petersburg, 1997 Nimzo-Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 Na6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3 Nxc5 8.b4 Nce4 9.Qd4 d5 10.c5 b6

White looks to have advantage here but the position is not new.
11.f3. Wanting to dislodge the knight from the central square
11. ..bxc5 12.bxc5 Qa5+ 13.Qb4 Qc7

Refusing to exchange queens. If 13...Qxb4+ 14.axb4 Nc3 15.Bb2 d4 16.e4 and White is better

14.fxe4 Rb8 15.Qa4+ . If 15.Qd4 e5 16.Qd3 Nxe4 17.Nf3 Be6
15...Bd7 16.c6. Black has sacrificed a knight but is ahead in development.
If 16.Qc2 Nxe4 (16...0–0 17.exd5 Qe5 18.Ra2 Rfc8
16...Qe5. This is a very strong move but this also has been played before. If 16...0–0 there are many interesting options
a) 17.cxd7 Qc3+ 18.Kd1 Nxe4 19.Nh3 Qxa1
b) 17.Bf4 Qxf4 18.cxd7 Nxe4 19.Nf3 Qe3
c) 17.exd5 Qe5 18.Ra2 Qc3+ 19.Bd2 Rb1+ 20.Kf2 Qc5+ 21.e3 Qxd5
And if Black responds with 16. ..Bxc6  17.Bf4 Qxf4  18.Qxc6+ Kd8
17.cxd7+ Ke7

Diagram 1

18.Ra2. White is already so much ahead in material and still tries to save the rook at the cost of an inferior position.

If 18.Qxa7 Qc3+ 19.Kd1 Qb3+ (19...Qxa1 20.d8Q+) 20.Ke1 Qc3+ 21.Kd1 Rhd8
White can sacrifice the rook and continue 18.Bg5 Qxa1+  19.Kf2 dxe4  20.Qxe4 Qxa3  21.e3 Rb2+
18...Qc3+ 19.Kd1
If 19.Rd2 Rb1  And if 19.Bd2 Rb1+ 20.Kf2 Ng4 checkmate And if 19.Kf2 Ng4 checkmate. These analysis in the middle-game indicates the volatility of the position.
19...Ng4 20.Qxa7. If 20.d8Q+ Rhxd8 21.Qxa7+ Rd7 and Black is better
20...Rb1 21.d8Q+ What a tragedy! Despite promoting his pawn into a queen so early in the game and his queen already posted deep on the seventh rank in enemy territory, White cannot repulse the strong attack. If 21.Rc2 Ne3+ 22.Qxe3 Qxe3 23.exd5 Rd8
21...Kxd8 22.Rc2 If 22.Qa8+ Ke7 23.Qa7+ Kf6 24.Rc2 Ne3+
22...Ne3+ 23.Qxe3
White is left with no choice!
23. ..Qxe3.
White has no chance of freeing himself from this horrible bind.
24.Nf3
White’s King-side is totally undeveloped for which he is paying the penalty. If 24.exd5 exd5 (24...Ke7   25.d6+ Kf6 26.Nf3 Rd8) 25.Nf3 Re8 and Black is still winning
24...dxe4 25.Nd2 Ra1
Still maintaining the pin!
26.Rb2
A blunder in an already bad position! Perhaps White could have tried out 26.h4 f5  27.Rh3
If 26.g3 Qxa3 27.Bg2 e3 and if 26.Nc4 Qb3.
26...Ke7 27.Rb7+
If 27.g3 Rc8 28.Rc2 Rxc2 29.Kxc2 Qc5+
27...Kf6  and White resigned for if 27...Kf6 28.Rc7 Rd8
0–1

Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Qh7+ Kxf6 2.Qxh6 checkmate.
And if 1. ..Kf8 2.Qg8 checkmate.