Premature attacks can backfire

Chess Checks

An attack in a game of chess does not always culminate in a checkmate however much a player would like or wish it to be.  For a neat, if not beautiful checkmate, the pieces have to combine and co-ordinate with precise timing. Premature attacks can easily be repulsed or blunted out by your opponent.

In the game which follows, Black first sacrifices a piece in an attempt to shatter his opponent’s castle. Thereafter his knight,  bishop and queen try to attempt a checkmating campaign but a premature check in a not so advantageous position turns the tables immediately and results in White gaining a devastating attack.
White: Yuri Shulman (2523) – Black: Jaan Ehlvest (2590)
Dhaka, 1999

Nimzo-Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Nge2 d5 6.a3 Be7 7.cxd5 exd5
If 7...Nxd5  8.g3
8.b4
Early commitment on the queen side
8...Re8
If 8...b6 9.Nf4
9.Ng3 Nbd7
If 9...c6 10.Bd3 Nbd7
10.Bd3 g6
Black could have played 10. ..c6 here
11.0–0 Nf8
Retreating to baseline to regroup. Black can also play either 11. ..c6 or 11. ..Nb6
12.b5
White decides to push through on the queen-side with this advance
12...Ne6 13.a4
White can also think of advancing on the King-side with 13.f4
13. ..h5 14.h3
If 14.Qc2 h4 15.Nge2 h3
14...Bf8
Now the bishop retreats to the baseline!
15.Qc2 White played a novelty here
If 15.Ba3 Bh6 16.Qc2 h4 17.Nge2 Ng7 18.Na2 Bf5 19.Nb4 Bxd3 20.Nxd3 has been played before
15...Ng7. If 15...Bh6 16.a5 h4
16.Ba3 Bxa3 17.Rxa3 h4
Trying to attack on the King-side
18.Nge2 Nfh5. If 18...Bf5 19.Nf4
19.Na2. White can also play 19.a5
19...Qg5
The queen enters the warfare. If 19...Ne6 20.Rc1 And if 19...Bf5 20.Nb4
20.Kh1.
If 20.Qxc7 Bxh3 21.Qh2 Bf5
20...Qf6 21.Kg1
If 21.Nb4 Rxe3 22.Kg1
21...Ne6. Black refuses the option of trying to settle for a draw by repeating the moves here. If 21...Qg5 22.Qc1
22.Nb4 Ng5 23.f4
White can consider 23.Qxc7  Nxh3  24. Kh2 Qe6. If 23.Nxd5 Nxh3+ 24.Kh1 Nxf2+ 25.Kg1 Nh3 And if 23.Qxc7 Nxh3+ 24.Kh2 (24.gxh3 Bxh3) 24...Qe6
23...Nxh3+  Black sacrifices a piece to try and get his attack going
24.gxh3 Bxh3 25.Rf2 Rad8
If 25...Qe7 26.Qc5
26.Qd2 Qe6 27.Nc2
Looks like Black has no compensation for the sacrificed piece. White also had another nice option in 27.Kh2 Qxe3 28.Qxe3 Rxe3 29.Nc2 Rg3 30.Nxg3 hxg3+ 31.Kxh3 gxf2 32.Kg4

Diagram 1

27...Qg4. Black finds it difficult to resist this check with the queen. However this does not work as better appears 27...Ng3  28.Nxg3 hxg3 29.Rf3 Qg4 30.Ne1 Kg7 31.f5! Rh8 32.f6+ Kg8 33.Rc3 even though Black cannot settle out all his problems
28.Kh2 Re7

Trying to get in reinforcement but this is a rather slow process. If 28...Ng3 29.Ng1 Ne4 30.Bxe4 Qg3+ 31.Kh1 dxe4 32.Nxh3 Qxh3+ 33.Kg1 can offer more resistance though White does not have any problems
29.Ra1 Qd7 30.f5

The finishing touches!
30. ..Bxf5 31.Bxf5 gxf5 32.Rg1+ Kh7 33.e4 Rxe4 34.Qg5 Qd6+ 35.Nf4. 1–0

Diagram 2

Black to play and checkmate in two moves
1.h4 Rc3+ 2.Kd5 Rxc5 checkmate.