<p>The most dangerous thing to do while playing a game of chess is to get lured into a sense of complacency when the position appears dull or even and a draw appears as the most logical outcome. In such positions, carelessness or even laziness in calculating can make the difference between winning and losing.<br /><br /></p>.<p> In the game which follows, the exchanges give the impression that perhaps the game might be heading for a draw but a few tame moves by White allows Black to win. <br /><br />White: Alexander Goldin (2545) – Black: Andrei Kharlov (2580)<br />St Petersburg , 1993<br />Queen’s Gambit Accepted<br /><br /> 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4<br />Accepting the gambitted pawn<br /> 3.e4 Nf6<br /> If 3...e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 Bb4+ 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.0–0 Qf6 8.e5<br /> 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bxc4 Nb6<br />In five moves, this knight has had to move three times. Black can also play 5. ..Nb4 6.Nf3 And if 5...Nc6 6.Ne2<br /> 6.Bb3<br />If 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Be3 Nb4 8.Be4 f5 9.exf6 exf6 10.Nc3 f5 11.Bf3 N4d5 12.Bd2 Be6 13.Nge2 Qd7 14.0–0 0–0–0<br /> 6...Nc6<br />If 6...c5 7.dxc5 Qxd1+ 8.Kxd1 N6d7 9.e6 fxe6 10.Be3<br /> 7.Ne2<br />White could have also thought of 7.Nf3<br /> 7. ..Bf5 8.Nbc3 e6 9.a3<br />This appears a bit passive. White could have developed 9.Be3. If 9.0–0 Be7 (9...Qd7 10.Be3 Rd8 11.a3) 10.Be3 0–0 11.Ng3 Bg6 12. Na5 13.d5 Nbc4 14.Bc1 Bc5+ 15.Kh1 Qh4?? 16.Bxc4 Nxc4 17.f5<br />9...Be7<br />Black could have given a thought to the aggressive looking 9. ..Qh4<br />10.0–0 Qd7 11.Ba2<br />White can exchange the light squared bishop after 11.Bc2<br />11. ..0–0 12.Be3 Rfd8 13.h3 h6<br />If 13...Na5 14.Ng3 Bg6 15.Qe2<br />14.g4<br />White uncorked a novelty here but does not appear to give him any advantage. In fact Black looks better14.Qc1 Bf8 15.g4 Bh7 16.f4 Na5 17.f5<br /> 14...Bh7 15.f4 Bh4<br />If 15...Na5 16.b3 Bxa3 17.Bb1 Bb4 18.f5 Rac8 19.Qc1<br /> 16.f5<br />An interesting advance!<br /> 16. .. exf5 17.e6 fxe6 18.gxf5 Nd5<br />An interesting move and after a long time, the knight gets back into the game!<br /> 19.fxe6 Qxe6 20.Nxd5 Rxd5 21.Bxd5 Qxd5<br />An interesting position where Black has managed to get two pieces for the rook while White’s King appears vulnerable with the castle shattered<br />22.Nc3<br />Not exactly the right move! White could have played 22.Nf4 or even worth a look is 22.Qd2<br />22...Qe6 23.Bf4 Ne7<br />If 23...Qxh3 24.Bxc7 Bg3<br />24.Qg4<br />An invitation to trade queens! <br />24. ..Qxg4+ 25.hxg4 c6 26.Rad1 Rd8 27.b4<br />White could have played 27.Kh2 or 27.Kg2<br />27...a6 28.Rd2 Bg6 29.Kg2 Bf7 30.Kh3 Ng6<br /><br />Diagram 1<br /><br />31.Be3<br />A mistake! White could have tried to maintain balance with 31.Bg3 Bc4 32.Re1<br />31. ..Be6<br />Better is 31. ..Re8 32.Bg1 Bc4<br />32.Ne4 h5 33.Bg5 Bxg4+ 34.Kg2<br />This loses immediately! White could have tried out 34.Kh2 Re8 35.Bxh4 Rxe4 36.Bf2 Be6<br />34. ..Re8 35.Nd6 Bxg5 and White resigned<br />0–1<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and checkmate in two moves<br />1.Nxc5+ bxc5<br />If 1...Ka5 2.Qa6 checkmate<br />2.Qa6 checkmate<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>The most dangerous thing to do while playing a game of chess is to get lured into a sense of complacency when the position appears dull or even and a draw appears as the most logical outcome. In such positions, carelessness or even laziness in calculating can make the difference between winning and losing.<br /><br /></p>.<p> In the game which follows, the exchanges give the impression that perhaps the game might be heading for a draw but a few tame moves by White allows Black to win. <br /><br />White: Alexander Goldin (2545) – Black: Andrei Kharlov (2580)<br />St Petersburg , 1993<br />Queen’s Gambit Accepted<br /><br /> 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4<br />Accepting the gambitted pawn<br /> 3.e4 Nf6<br /> If 3...e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 Bb4+ 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.0–0 Qf6 8.e5<br /> 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bxc4 Nb6<br />In five moves, this knight has had to move three times. Black can also play 5. ..Nb4 6.Nf3 And if 5...Nc6 6.Ne2<br /> 6.Bb3<br />If 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Be3 Nb4 8.Be4 f5 9.exf6 exf6 10.Nc3 f5 11.Bf3 N4d5 12.Bd2 Be6 13.Nge2 Qd7 14.0–0 0–0–0<br /> 6...Nc6<br />If 6...c5 7.dxc5 Qxd1+ 8.Kxd1 N6d7 9.e6 fxe6 10.Be3<br /> 7.Ne2<br />White could have also thought of 7.Nf3<br /> 7. ..Bf5 8.Nbc3 e6 9.a3<br />This appears a bit passive. White could have developed 9.Be3. If 9.0–0 Be7 (9...Qd7 10.Be3 Rd8 11.a3) 10.Be3 0–0 11.Ng3 Bg6 12. Na5 13.d5 Nbc4 14.Bc1 Bc5+ 15.Kh1 Qh4?? 16.Bxc4 Nxc4 17.f5<br />9...Be7<br />Black could have given a thought to the aggressive looking 9. ..Qh4<br />10.0–0 Qd7 11.Ba2<br />White can exchange the light squared bishop after 11.Bc2<br />11. ..0–0 12.Be3 Rfd8 13.h3 h6<br />If 13...Na5 14.Ng3 Bg6 15.Qe2<br />14.g4<br />White uncorked a novelty here but does not appear to give him any advantage. In fact Black looks better14.Qc1 Bf8 15.g4 Bh7 16.f4 Na5 17.f5<br /> 14...Bh7 15.f4 Bh4<br />If 15...Na5 16.b3 Bxa3 17.Bb1 Bb4 18.f5 Rac8 19.Qc1<br /> 16.f5<br />An interesting advance!<br /> 16. .. exf5 17.e6 fxe6 18.gxf5 Nd5<br />An interesting move and after a long time, the knight gets back into the game!<br /> 19.fxe6 Qxe6 20.Nxd5 Rxd5 21.Bxd5 Qxd5<br />An interesting position where Black has managed to get two pieces for the rook while White’s King appears vulnerable with the castle shattered<br />22.Nc3<br />Not exactly the right move! White could have played 22.Nf4 or even worth a look is 22.Qd2<br />22...Qe6 23.Bf4 Ne7<br />If 23...Qxh3 24.Bxc7 Bg3<br />24.Qg4<br />An invitation to trade queens! <br />24. ..Qxg4+ 25.hxg4 c6 26.Rad1 Rd8 27.b4<br />White could have played 27.Kh2 or 27.Kg2<br />27...a6 28.Rd2 Bg6 29.Kg2 Bf7 30.Kh3 Ng6<br /><br />Diagram 1<br /><br />31.Be3<br />A mistake! White could have tried to maintain balance with 31.Bg3 Bc4 32.Re1<br />31. ..Be6<br />Better is 31. ..Re8 32.Bg1 Bc4<br />32.Ne4 h5 33.Bg5 Bxg4+ 34.Kg2<br />This loses immediately! White could have tried out 34.Kh2 Re8 35.Bxh4 Rxe4 36.Bf2 Be6<br />34. ..Re8 35.Nd6 Bxg5 and White resigned<br />0–1<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and checkmate in two moves<br />1.Nxc5+ bxc5<br />If 1...Ka5 2.Qa6 checkmate<br />2.Qa6 checkmate<br /><br /><br /></p>
