Solidity in defence vital for success on the board

Chess Checks

 Keeping pieces hanging or attacking without giving a thought to the protection of your king is fatal.

In the game which follows, both players believe in attacking without thinking much about defence. Both the kings are stranded in the middle for a long time but White does manage to castle and get the necessary safety for his King. The black king is however dragged out into the open and even though his queen and rook are on the seventh rank, there is no time to really target the white king.

White: Alexandre Igor Nataf (2504) – Black: Valerij Filippov (2605)
MK Cafe Cup, 1999
The Sicilian defence
1.e4 c5
The Sicilian Defence
2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4 Qc7 9.f4
One of the sharp responses
9. ..Qa5+ 10.Bd2 Qb6 11.c4 Qd4
Coming rather early to the centre of the boad. If 11...Ne3 12.Qc1 Nxf1 13.Rxf1 Qd4 14.Qc2 Ba6 15.Rc1
12.Qf3. Playing a new move here! If 12.Qb1 Rb8 13.b3 (13.cxd5 Rxb2 14.Qd3 Rxd2) 13...f5 and black looks better
12...Qxb2
If 12...Nb4  13.Bc3 (13...Qb6 14.Qe2) 14.Ke2 Ba6 (14...Qxc4+ 15.Kd2 Qa4 16.b3) 15.b3 Bb4 16.Rd1 Bxc3 17.Nxc3
13.Rd1. If 13.Rc1 Nb4
13...f5. Black had the option of playing 13...Nb4
14.Nd6+ Bxd6 15.cxd5
If 15.exd6 Nf6 16.Bc3 Qa3
15...Bb4.  16.dxe6 dxe6
If 16...Bxd2+ 17.Rxd2 Qb1+ 18.Kf2 Qb6+ 19.Kg3 dxe6 20.Rd6 0–0 21.Bc4 white is better
17.Qxc6+ Ke7 18.Bb5 Rd8 19.0–0
White manages to castle among the chaos. If 19.Qc7+ Bd7 20.0–0 + Kf8 Bxd2 21.Qd6+ Kf7 22.Bxd7 Be3+ 23.Kh1 Qxa2 24.Rf3
19...Bxd2
If 19...Rxd2 20.Qe8 checkmate
20.Qc7+ Bd7. If 20...Rd7 21.Bxd7 Bxd7 22.Qd6+ Ke8 23.Rxd2
21.Qd6+ Kf7.
If 21...Ke8 22.Bxd7 Rxd7 23.Qxe6+
22.Bxd7 Be3+ 23.Kh1 Qxa2 24.Qc7
Threatening a discovered check with 25.Bc6+ or 25.Bxe6+ Kxe6 26.Rxd8
24...Bb6.
If 24...Kg6 25.Bxe6 Rxd1 26.Rxd1
25.Bxe6+. White is winning by force now
25. ..Kxe6 26.Qxg7 Rd2
If 26...Rd4 27.Qf6+ Kd7 28.Rxd4+ Bxd4 29.Qd6+
27.Qf6+ Kd7 28.e6+ Kd6
If 28...Kc6 29.Qc3+
29.Qe5+ White had a better move in 29.e7+ Kd7 30.Qxf5+ Kc7
29...Ke7. If  29...Kc6 30.Qc3+
30.Qg7+ Kxe6
If 30...Kd8 31.Qf7 Bc5 32.e7+! Bxe7 33.Qxa2

Diagram 1
31.Rfe1+ Kd6 32.Qf6+ Kd5
If 32...Kd7 33.Re7+ Kc8 34.Qc6+ with checkmate to follow
33.Qe6+ Kc5
If 33...Kd4 34.Qxa2
34.Rc1+ Kb4

If 34...Kd4 35.Qf6+ Kd5 (35...Kd3 36.Qc3 checkmate) 36.Qe5 checkmate
35.Rb1+ Ka5
36.Ra1 Qxa1 37.Rxa1+ Kb4
38.Qc6
If 38.Qc6 Rad8 39.Rb1+ (39.Ra4+ Kb3 40.Qc4+ Kb2 41.Ra2+ Kb1 42.Qb3+ Kc1 43.Ra1 checkmate) 39...Ka3 40.Qc3+ and hence black resigned
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Qxh5 gxh5 2.Nxe6+ Kh6 3.Nxc7 Rb8 4.Bxd4 and white should win.