Trick is to gain early control of the centre

Chess Checks

A chess game always starts with both players trying to gain control of the centre, with pawns leading the way.

Basics, stress on the early developments of knights and bishops to pave way for other pieces to infiltrate and attack. The idea in the initial stages is to gain as much space as possible by posting your pieces around the centre and driving back the pieces of your opponent.

In the game which follows, Black is on the back foot as he is hampered by development problems.

It is interesting to see how in the middle game, White’s pieces are positioned on vital squares and slowly gain territory to clinch victory.

White: Vladislav Borovikov (2385) – Black: Andrei Maksimenko (2435)
Nikolaev , 1993
The Dutch Defence
1.d4 f5
The Dutch Defence
2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7
Fianchetto y both on King-side
5.0–0 0–0 6.b3
Fianchetto on the queen-side also by White. He can play more actively with 6.c4 or 6.Nc3
6. ..d6 7.Bb2 Qe8 8.Nbd2
White still could have played 8.c4
8. ..Na6 9.c4 e5
If 9...c6 10.Qc2 And if 9...h6 10.Qc2
10.dxe5 Ng4 11.Ba3
If 11.Qc2 dxe5 (11...Nxe5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 ) 12.e4 f4  13.c5 fxg3 14.hxg3 Qb5  15.a4 Qxc5 16.Qxc5 Nxc5 17.Ba3 b6 18.Bxc5 bxc5 19.Rac1
11...Nxe5 12.Nxe5
If 12.Rc1 Nc5 13.Nxe5 Qxe5 14.Nf3 Qe7 15.e3 a5 16.Qc2 Bd7 17.Nd4 Ne4
12...Qxe5 13.Rb1
White made a new move here.
13...Nc5
Not exactly the right square to land on! Black can try to maintain balance with 13. ..Qa5  14.Bb2 And if 13...Qe7 14.b4 (14.e3 Nc5 15.b4 Ne4) 14...f4 15.Rb3 And if 13...f4 14.Bb2 Qe7 15.Bxg7 Qxg7 16.b4
14.b4
An interesting move!
14. ..Nd7
If 14...Ne4 15.Nxe4 fxe4 16.Bb2 Qe7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Qd4+ And if 14...Ne6 15.Bb2 And if 14...Na6 15.e3 with White holding edge
15.c5 dxc5
Here Black can think about 15. ..Nf6  16.Bb2 And if  15...d5 16.Nf3 Qe6 17.Ng5
16.bxc5 c6

Diagram 1

17.Nc4
Totally pushing Black on the back foot. Black is hampered by severe developmental problems, especially his light squared bishop is still standing on the original square
17. ..Qe7 18.Qa4
White now misses a good move in 18.Nd6 Nf6 19.Qb3+ Kh8 (19...Be6 20.Qxb7 Qxb7 21.Rxb7) 20.Nxc8 Raxc8 21.Qxb7 Qxe2
18...Qxe2
If 18...Nxc5 19.Qa5 b6 20.Nxb6 And if 18...Nf6 19.Nb6 Rb8 20.Qxa7 Be6
19.Qb3 Qe6 20.Rfe1 Qf7 21.Qc2 Nf6
Some chance for the light squared bishop to enter the game!
22.Nd6 Qc7 23.Re2 Kh8 24.Rbe1 f4
Desperate to gain some counter play. If 24...Ng8 25.Ne8 Qf7 26.Bb2 Nf6 27.Nxg7
25.Re7
Invading the seventh rank
25. ..Qa5 26.Bb2 fxg3 27.hxg3 Bf5
The bishop finally gets a chance to enter the game but cannot do anything to save the game. If If 27...Qxa2 28.Rxg7
28.Qc4 h5 29.Nf7+ Kg8
If 29...Kh7 30.Bxf6 Bxf6 31.Ng5+
30.Bxf6  And Black resigned for if 30.Bxf6 Bxf6 31.Ng5+ Kh8 32.Rh7 checkmate is unavoidable.
1–0

Diagram 2

White to play and checkmate
 1.Ng6+ Kg8 2.Ne7+ Kh8
The entire sequence is forced as Black does not have any other option
3.Rxh7+ Kxh7 4.Rh1 checkmate.