<p>Chess basics always stress that if you have gained material (pawns or pieces), the position should be simplified by forcing a spate of exchanges. The extra material more or less is usually sufficient to coast towards victory.<br /><br />There are however times where it is more beneficial to return back the extra material to ensure a quicker route to victory. In the game which follows Black sacrifices a rook in the middle-game but quickly gets into a disadvantageous position. White interestingly returns back the rook at a favourable time and converts the advantageous position into a winning one!<br /><br />White: Michael Oratovsky (2465) – Black: Eran Liss (2540)<br />Rishon Le Ziyyon ,1997<br />English Opening<br />1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nc7<br />Decides to move back the knight<br />7.0–0 e5 8.a3<br />White can consider 8.d3 here<br />8. ..Rb8<br /><br />Black can play 8. ..Bd6 or even 8. ..Bg4. If 8...f6 9.Rb1 Be7 10.b4 cxb4 11.axb4 Bxb4 12.Nxe5 fxe5 13.Bxc6+ bxc6 14.Rxb4 leads to too many exchanges and resulted in a draw in a previous game<br />9.Rb1 a5<br />Black weakens the queen-side with this pawn advance. He could have gone on with his development by playing 9. ..Bf5 or 9. ..Bg4<br />10.d3 Bd7 11.Nd2 f6<br />If 11...b5 12.a4 b4 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Bxd5 Nd4 15.Nc4 Bh3 16.Bg2 Bxg2 17.Kxg2<br /><br />12.a4<br />If 12.Nc4 b5! 13.Bxc6 Bxc6 14.Nxa5 Ba8<br />12...Be7 13.Nc4 Ne6<br />If 13...0–0 14.f4 exf4 15.Bxf4 and White is better<br />14.f4 exf4 15.gxf4 0–0<br />If 15...f5 16.Nd5 0–0 17.Bd2 b6 18.Bc3 Re8 19.e3<br />16.f5 Ned4 17.Bf4 Nxf5<br />Hurrying to grab the pawn and give up the exchange which does not look like a good idea. Black can play 17...Rc8 18.Bd5+ Kh8 19.e4 Be8 20.Nb5<br />18.Bxb8<br />White does not mind grabbing the rook for his bishop<br />18. ..Qxb8 19.Nb6<br />White can play 19.Bd5+ Kh8 20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.Qd2 Bd8. If 19.Bh3 Ne3<br />19...Qd8<br /><br />Not exactly the right move! Black could have played 19...Be6 20.Bd5 Bxd5 21.Ncxd5 Qe5 22.e4 Nfd4 23.Nd7 Qg5+ 24.Kh1 Rf7 25.Nxe7+ Nxe7 26.Rc1 And if 19...Ne3 20.Nxd7 Qd6 21.Qb3+ Rf7 22.Bd5 Ng4 23.Bxf7+ Kh8 24.Rf2 Nxf2 25.Qe6<br />20.Nxd7 Qxd7 21.Qb3+ Kh8<br />If 21...c4 22.Qxc4+ Kh8 23.Bh3</p>.<p><br />Diagram 1</p>.<p><br />22.Rxf5<br /><br />White returns back the exchange!<br />22. .. Qxf5 23.Qxb7<br />The Queen invades the seventh rank<br />23. ..Bd6 24.Qxc6<br />White is a piece up now!<br />24. ..Qf4 25.Ne4<br /><br />If 25.h3 Qe3+ 26.Kf1 Bh2 27.Ke1 Bg3+ 28.Kd1 Bf4 29.Kc2 Qd2+ 30.Kb3<br />25...Qxh2+ 26.Kf1 Bf4 27.Qxc5 Rb8<br />Even though the Black queen and bishop have infiltrated, they feel the lack of pieces to assist in the attack. White has no problem as he has everything well defended<br />28.Qg1 Qh6 29.Qh1 Bh2 30.Bf3 f5 31.Nf2<br />Things are difficult for Black but he should have played 31.Ng5<br />31...Qd6 32.Qg2 g5 33.Bc6<br />If 33.Qxg5 Rg8<br /><br />33...g4 34.Qd5 Qf6 35.Kg2 Qg5 36.Qe6 f4 37.Ne4 Qh5 38.Qf6+ Kg8 39.Qe6+ Kh8 40.Qf6+ Kg8 41.Ng5 1–0<br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br />1. Rd1<br />Iit is all over for Black as the attack is on the queen and the knight which is already pined by the queen.<br />1. ..c5 2.Rxd6 Rxd6</p>
<p>Chess basics always stress that if you have gained material (pawns or pieces), the position should be simplified by forcing a spate of exchanges. The extra material more or less is usually sufficient to coast towards victory.<br /><br />There are however times where it is more beneficial to return back the extra material to ensure a quicker route to victory. In the game which follows Black sacrifices a rook in the middle-game but quickly gets into a disadvantageous position. White interestingly returns back the rook at a favourable time and converts the advantageous position into a winning one!<br /><br />White: Michael Oratovsky (2465) – Black: Eran Liss (2540)<br />Rishon Le Ziyyon ,1997<br />English Opening<br />1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nc7<br />Decides to move back the knight<br />7.0–0 e5 8.a3<br />White can consider 8.d3 here<br />8. ..Rb8<br /><br />Black can play 8. ..Bd6 or even 8. ..Bg4. If 8...f6 9.Rb1 Be7 10.b4 cxb4 11.axb4 Bxb4 12.Nxe5 fxe5 13.Bxc6+ bxc6 14.Rxb4 leads to too many exchanges and resulted in a draw in a previous game<br />9.Rb1 a5<br />Black weakens the queen-side with this pawn advance. He could have gone on with his development by playing 9. ..Bf5 or 9. ..Bg4<br />10.d3 Bd7 11.Nd2 f6<br />If 11...b5 12.a4 b4 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Bxd5 Nd4 15.Nc4 Bh3 16.Bg2 Bxg2 17.Kxg2<br /><br />12.a4<br />If 12.Nc4 b5! 13.Bxc6 Bxc6 14.Nxa5 Ba8<br />12...Be7 13.Nc4 Ne6<br />If 13...0–0 14.f4 exf4 15.Bxf4 and White is better<br />14.f4 exf4 15.gxf4 0–0<br />If 15...f5 16.Nd5 0–0 17.Bd2 b6 18.Bc3 Re8 19.e3<br />16.f5 Ned4 17.Bf4 Nxf5<br />Hurrying to grab the pawn and give up the exchange which does not look like a good idea. Black can play 17...Rc8 18.Bd5+ Kh8 19.e4 Be8 20.Nb5<br />18.Bxb8<br />White does not mind grabbing the rook for his bishop<br />18. ..Qxb8 19.Nb6<br />White can play 19.Bd5+ Kh8 20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.Qd2 Bd8. If 19.Bh3 Ne3<br />19...Qd8<br /><br />Not exactly the right move! Black could have played 19...Be6 20.Bd5 Bxd5 21.Ncxd5 Qe5 22.e4 Nfd4 23.Nd7 Qg5+ 24.Kh1 Rf7 25.Nxe7+ Nxe7 26.Rc1 And if 19...Ne3 20.Nxd7 Qd6 21.Qb3+ Rf7 22.Bd5 Ng4 23.Bxf7+ Kh8 24.Rf2 Nxf2 25.Qe6<br />20.Nxd7 Qxd7 21.Qb3+ Kh8<br />If 21...c4 22.Qxc4+ Kh8 23.Bh3</p>.<p><br />Diagram 1</p>.<p><br />22.Rxf5<br /><br />White returns back the exchange!<br />22. .. Qxf5 23.Qxb7<br />The Queen invades the seventh rank<br />23. ..Bd6 24.Qxc6<br />White is a piece up now!<br />24. ..Qf4 25.Ne4<br /><br />If 25.h3 Qe3+ 26.Kf1 Bh2 27.Ke1 Bg3+ 28.Kd1 Bf4 29.Kc2 Qd2+ 30.Kb3<br />25...Qxh2+ 26.Kf1 Bf4 27.Qxc5 Rb8<br />Even though the Black queen and bishop have infiltrated, they feel the lack of pieces to assist in the attack. White has no problem as he has everything well defended<br />28.Qg1 Qh6 29.Qh1 Bh2 30.Bf3 f5 31.Nf2<br />Things are difficult for Black but he should have played 31.Ng5<br />31...Qd6 32.Qg2 g5 33.Bc6<br />If 33.Qxg5 Rg8<br /><br />33...g4 34.Qd5 Qf6 35.Kg2 Qg5 36.Qe6 f4 37.Ne4 Qh5 38.Qf6+ Kg8 39.Qe6+ Kh8 40.Qf6+ Kg8 41.Ng5 1–0<br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br />1. Rd1<br />Iit is all over for Black as the attack is on the queen and the knight which is already pined by the queen.<br />1. ..c5 2.Rxd6 Rxd6</p>
