Calculation essential in sacrifices

Amateurs and beginners may relish spectacular finishes with combinations and sacrifices, and at times may get carried away. It is to be noted that while sacrificing even a small pawn or a piece, like the knight or the bishop, careful calculation is necessary as even the tiniest mistake might make it difficult to stay in the game. However if the calculations work out, then the proceedings are entirely enjoyable to the player and the spectators.

In the game which follows, White suddenly decides to sacrifice his queen when he had the option of retreating his queen. However the sacrifice backfires and White cannot get back into the game and has to watch helplessly as his opponent’s queen and rook invade his territory to wrap up the game.

White: Nikolai Borge (2466) – Black: Sune Berg Hansen (2499)
Aarhus, 1999
Sicilian Defence
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4
Immediately targeting the bishop. If 6...e6 7.Qd2 b5 8.f3 Bb7
7.Bc1
Back to square one! White does not want to exchange the bishop and has lost out on a move. White could have considered 7.Bg5 or 7.Bc4
7. ..Nf6 8.f3 e6
Black could have directly played 8. ..e5
9.Be3 b5
A rather aggressive pawn advance by Black but it is better to develop pieces with either 9. ..Be7 or 9. ..Nc6
10.Qd2 Bb7
Here 10. ..Bd7 appears better
11.a4
White also advances his pawn. He could have considered 11.Bd3
11. ..b4 12.Na2 d5 13.e5 Nfd7 14.f4
If 14.Nxb4 Nxe5 with not much trouble for Black
14. ..Nc5 15.Bd3
If 15.Nxb4 or 15. Ne4 are not good for White
15...a5 16.f5
Both Kings are still on original squares, without castling and both players are trying to launch attacks
16. ..Be7 17.fxe6 0–0
If 17...fxe6 18.0–0 and it is difficult for Black to castle on the King-side and White will try to attack aggressively
18.exf7+ Rxf7 19.0–0–0
The players have castled on opposite flanks
19. ..Qc7 20.e6 Rf8 21.Kb1 Nc6 22.Rhe1 Ne4 23.Bxe4 dxe4 24.Nb5 Qe5 25.Qd7 Rab8 26.Rd5
The pieces have moved a lot suddenly and have taken up positions
26. ..Qxh2 27.Red1 h6 28.Nc1 Bf6 29.Rc5 Ne5 30.Qc7 Rfc8 31.Qxb7?
Diagram 1
A shocking decision by White to sacrifice his queen, especially since it is not forced and nor has his position deteriorated to warrant such drastic measures. If 31.Qxa5 Nc4  32.Qa7
31...Rxb7
Black ahs no hesitation in accepting the offered ‘gift’
32.Rxc8+ Kh7
It is difficult for White to survive now in this game as his pieces are dis-jointed and the pawn structure leaves a lot to be desired
33.Nd6 Re7 34.Nxe4 Rxe6 35.g3
If  35.Nxf6+ Rxf6 36.Bd4 Rg6 37.Rc5 Nc6
35...Ng4 36.Nxf6+ Nxf6 37.Bf4 Qg2
If 37...Nh5 38.Bd6 Qf2
38.Rd2 Qh1 39.Rd4 Re1
Not it is soon going to be all over for White!
40.Rc7. A blunder! But then White is already in a disastrous state and it is difficult to play in this position.
If 40.Rcd8 Ne4  41.R8d5 Nxg3  42.Rxa5 Ne2
40...Nd5
0–1
Diagram 2
White to play and checkmate in two moves
1.Qh6+ Kf5 2.g4 checkmate