<p>There is a perception amongst beginners and amateurs that perhaps the easiest way to hold a position against a higher rated or ranked player is to force exchange of pieces and try to steer the game towards a draw. However this can be the biggest mistake as higher the rating and ranking, better is the understanding of the end-game which then becomes more a matter of technique than ingenuous ideas.<br /><br />In the game which follows, it seems rather odd to see the knights huddled together at the sides of the board in the early part of the game. Just when it appears that White may have wriggled out of his problems, he hurries to exchange pieces and the resultant ending does not pose any problems for Black to convert it into a victory.<br />White: Dimitry Atlas (2315) – Black: Yannick Pelletier (2515)<br />Dresden, 1998<br /><br />Sicilian Defence<br /><br />1.e4 c5<br />The Sicilian Defence<br />2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4<br />He can also play 4.Nf3<br />4. ..g6 5.Nf3 Bg7 6.Na3<br />If 6.Be3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Nf6<br />6...cxd4 7.Nb5. 7.Bc4 Qd8 (7...Qe4+ 8.Be3 ) 8.Qb3 e6 9.Nxd4 Ne7 10.Bg5 h6 11.Be3 Nd5 12.Bxd5 exd5<br />7...Na6 8.Nfxd4<br />A novelty! Previously played is 8.Be3 Bg4 (8...Nf6 9.Bxd4 0–0 10.Be2 And if 8...e5 9.cxd4 exd4 10.Bc4 Qc5 11.Bxd4 Qb4+ 12.<br />8...Nf6. If 8...e5 9.Nf3 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 Ke7 11.Be3 f6<br />9.Qf3<br />An invitation to trade queens<br />9. ..0–0 10.Qxd5<br />If 10.Be2 e5 11.Qxd5<br />10...Nxd5 11.Be2<br />White could have thought about 11.Bc4<br />11. ..Nc5 12.0–0 a6 13.Nb3<br />If 13.Na3 Rd8 17.Nb6 Rb8 18.Be3! Nxd4 19.Bf4<br />13...Na4 14.Na3<br />Not an often witnessed sight in chess to see the three knights close together at the sides of the board. If 14.N5d4 e5 15.Nf3 Nf4! 16.Bxf4 exf4 17.Nbd4 Re8<br />14...e5 15.Bf3 Rd8 16.Na5<br />Another odd knight move. Nothing prevents White from playing 16.Nc4<br />16. ..Rb8 17.N3c4<br />If 17.Rd1 Be6 18.c4 Nb4! 19.Rxd8+ Rxd8 20.Nxb7 Rd7 21.h3 f5<br />17...Ne7 18.Bd1<br />Another unnecessary retreat. White can play 18.Rd1<br />18...b5 19.Bxa4 bxa4 20.Be3 Rb5<br />An good move which takes care of the knights<br />21.b4. Trying to untangle but the correct move here is 21.Rfd1 Rdd5<br />21...Be6. Black could have en-passed 21. ..axb3<br />22.Bc5 Rc8. If 22...Nd5 23.Nd6<br />23.Bxe7 Bxc4 24.Rfd1<br />If 24.Nxc4 Rxc4 25.Rfd1 h5<br />24...h5<br />Diagram 1<br /><br />25.Rd8+<br />In his haste to exchange pieces White makes a big mistake and his position crumbles. He could have tried to hold the position with 25.Nxc4 Rxc4 26.Rd6 Rxc3 27.Rxa6 Ra3 28.h3 Kh7 29.Bc5 e4 30.Re1 Rxa2 31.Rxe4<br />25...Rxd8 26.Bxd8 Be6 27.Be7 e4 28.Rc1 Rd5<br />Black takes charge of the only open file. If 28...Bxa2 29.c4 (29.Ra1 Rd5! 30.h3 Rd2) 29...Rb8<br />29.c4. If 29.h3 a3 (29...Rd7 30.Bg5 Bxa2 31.Ra1 Bb3 32.Nxb3 axb3 33.Rb1) 30.Nb3 Rd7 31.Bg5 Bxb3 32.axb3 e3<br />29...Rd2 30.Bc5<br />If 30.c5 Rxa2 31.c6 Rb2 32.c7 a3 33.Nc4 a2 And if 30.b5 axb5 31.cxb5 Bd4 32.Bh4 e3 33.fxe3 Bxe3+ 34.Kf1 Rxa2<br />30...Rxa2 31.Be3 Rb2! 32.c5 a3 33.c6 a2<br />0–1<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br />1.Qh7+ Kxh7 2.Rxg7+ Kh8 3.Rh7+ Kg8 4.Rag7 checkmate<br /> <br /><br /></p>
<p>There is a perception amongst beginners and amateurs that perhaps the easiest way to hold a position against a higher rated or ranked player is to force exchange of pieces and try to steer the game towards a draw. However this can be the biggest mistake as higher the rating and ranking, better is the understanding of the end-game which then becomes more a matter of technique than ingenuous ideas.<br /><br />In the game which follows, it seems rather odd to see the knights huddled together at the sides of the board in the early part of the game. Just when it appears that White may have wriggled out of his problems, he hurries to exchange pieces and the resultant ending does not pose any problems for Black to convert it into a victory.<br />White: Dimitry Atlas (2315) – Black: Yannick Pelletier (2515)<br />Dresden, 1998<br /><br />Sicilian Defence<br /><br />1.e4 c5<br />The Sicilian Defence<br />2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4<br />He can also play 4.Nf3<br />4. ..g6 5.Nf3 Bg7 6.Na3<br />If 6.Be3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Nf6<br />6...cxd4 7.Nb5. 7.Bc4 Qd8 (7...Qe4+ 8.Be3 ) 8.Qb3 e6 9.Nxd4 Ne7 10.Bg5 h6 11.Be3 Nd5 12.Bxd5 exd5<br />7...Na6 8.Nfxd4<br />A novelty! Previously played is 8.Be3 Bg4 (8...Nf6 9.Bxd4 0–0 10.Be2 And if 8...e5 9.cxd4 exd4 10.Bc4 Qc5 11.Bxd4 Qb4+ 12.<br />8...Nf6. If 8...e5 9.Nf3 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 Ke7 11.Be3 f6<br />9.Qf3<br />An invitation to trade queens<br />9. ..0–0 10.Qxd5<br />If 10.Be2 e5 11.Qxd5<br />10...Nxd5 11.Be2<br />White could have thought about 11.Bc4<br />11. ..Nc5 12.0–0 a6 13.Nb3<br />If 13.Na3 Rd8 17.Nb6 Rb8 18.Be3! Nxd4 19.Bf4<br />13...Na4 14.Na3<br />Not an often witnessed sight in chess to see the three knights close together at the sides of the board. If 14.N5d4 e5 15.Nf3 Nf4! 16.Bxf4 exf4 17.Nbd4 Re8<br />14...e5 15.Bf3 Rd8 16.Na5<br />Another odd knight move. Nothing prevents White from playing 16.Nc4<br />16. ..Rb8 17.N3c4<br />If 17.Rd1 Be6 18.c4 Nb4! 19.Rxd8+ Rxd8 20.Nxb7 Rd7 21.h3 f5<br />17...Ne7 18.Bd1<br />Another unnecessary retreat. White can play 18.Rd1<br />18...b5 19.Bxa4 bxa4 20.Be3 Rb5<br />An good move which takes care of the knights<br />21.b4. Trying to untangle but the correct move here is 21.Rfd1 Rdd5<br />21...Be6. Black could have en-passed 21. ..axb3<br />22.Bc5 Rc8. If 22...Nd5 23.Nd6<br />23.Bxe7 Bxc4 24.Rfd1<br />If 24.Nxc4 Rxc4 25.Rfd1 h5<br />24...h5<br />Diagram 1<br /><br />25.Rd8+<br />In his haste to exchange pieces White makes a big mistake and his position crumbles. He could have tried to hold the position with 25.Nxc4 Rxc4 26.Rd6 Rxc3 27.Rxa6 Ra3 28.h3 Kh7 29.Bc5 e4 30.Re1 Rxa2 31.Rxe4<br />25...Rxd8 26.Bxd8 Be6 27.Be7 e4 28.Rc1 Rd5<br />Black takes charge of the only open file. If 28...Bxa2 29.c4 (29.Ra1 Rd5! 30.h3 Rd2) 29...Rb8<br />29.c4. If 29.h3 a3 (29...Rd7 30.Bg5 Bxa2 31.Ra1 Bb3 32.Nxb3 axb3 33.Rb1) 30.Nb3 Rd7 31.Bg5 Bxb3 32.axb3 e3<br />29...Rd2 30.Bc5<br />If 30.c5 Rxa2 31.c6 Rb2 32.c7 a3 33.Nc4 a2 And if 30.b5 axb5 31.cxb5 Bd4 32.Bh4 e3 33.fxe3 Bxe3+ 34.Kf1 Rxa2<br />30...Rxa2 31.Be3 Rb2! 32.c5 a3 33.c6 a2<br />0–1<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and win<br />1.Qh7+ Kxh7 2.Rxg7+ Kh8 3.Rh7+ Kg8 4.Rag7 checkmate<br /> <br /><br /></p>
