JOIN USIn the initial stages of the game the King has to be protected with his pieces hovering around him but with the exchange of pieces, the King can get into action.
When and where, the King can actually join the warfare actively is left to calculation and intuition of the players concerned.
In the game which follows, White does not castle and later when the King is attacked resorts to sort of artificial castling manoeuvres. Later on the King once again tries to join the warfare by once again travelling back which costs him time and ultimately the game.
White: Svetozar Gligoric (2476) – Black: Vitaly Tseshkovsky (2556)
Petrosian Memorial,1999
Pirc Defence
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be3
Black can also castle here
5. ..c6 6.h3 0–0 7.Qd2
Is White planning on castling on the queenside?
7. ..b5
Black immediately decides to strike on the queen-side. However he could have developed his pieces
8.Bd3 Bb7
Black could have also played 8. ..Qc7. If 8...Re8 9.0–0 Bb7 10.a4 b4 11.Ne2 a5 12.Ng3 Nbd7 13.Bh6 Bh8 14.e5 dxe5 15.dxe5 Nd5 16.e6 Nc5 17.exf7+ Kxf7 18.Ng5+ Kg8 19.Bc4 Bxb2had resulted in a victory for Black in a previous game
9.Bh6
White could have had a go at the centre with 9.e5 dxe5 10.dxe5 Nd5.He also could have prevented the thrust b4 with9. A3. If 9.a3 Nbd7 10.e5 dxe5 11.dxe5 Nd5 12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Bd4 a6 14.0–0 Qc7 15.Qe3 e6 16.Rfe1 Bc6 17.Nh2 a5 18.Ng4 had resulted in a victory for White in a previous game
9...b4 10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.e5
If 11.Ne2 c5
11...bxc3
Another good alternative was 11...dxe5 12.dxe5 bxc3 13.exf6+ exf6 14.Qxc3 Re8+ 15.Kf1 Qb6 16.Kg1 c5 17.Nd2 Nd7 and white suffers because of lack of development
12.exf6+ exf6 13.Qxc3 Re8+ 14.Kf1
If 14.Kd2 c5
14. ..Na6. Missing the promising continuation 14...Nd7 15.Rd1 c5 16.Bb5 And if 14...Qb6 15.Re1 Nd7 16.Kg1 c5
Diagram 1
15.Kg1. Not exactly the right way to bring the King into the game
15. ..c5
Black can also play 15. …Qb6
16.Bxa6 Bxa6 17.Kh2
Sort of artificial castling manoeuvre. If 17.dxc5 dxc5 18.Qxc5 Qd7 19.Qd4 Qc6 20.c3 Be2 and Black has better piece placement. 17...Re2
Infiltrating immediately onto the seventh rank but better appears 17. ..Be2
18.Rhe1
Challenging the infiltration and fighting for the open file. However White is a pawn down for better development
18...Rxf2 19.Kg1 Re2 20.dxc5 dxc5 21.Qxc5
If 21.Rxe2 Bxe2 22.Re1 Bxf3 23.Qxf3 Qd4+ 24.Kh1 Rd8 25.c3 Qd2 and Black is better
21...Rc8 22.Qd4
Wanting to trade queens! If 22.Qxa7 Rcxc2 23.Rxe2 (23.Qxa6 Rxg2+ 24.Kh1 Qd7) 23...Bxe2 24.Qd4 Qb8
22...Rexc2
Gobbling up another pawn and inviting White to go for the queen exchange
23.Qxd8
If 23.Qxa7 Ra8 24.Qe3 Rxb2 and Black is better
23...Rxd8 24.Re7
White also invades the seventh rank but it is too late now to undo the damage!
24. ..Rxb2 25.Rxa7 Bb7
Now white can not prevent an entry of another rook to the 7th rank which is decisive. 26.Ne1 Rdd2
0–1
Diagram 2
White to play and checkmate in two moves
1.Re8+ Nxe8 2.b7 checkmate