Patience and perseverance pay off in a game of chess. It is important to maintain cool and calculate each and every possibility carefully right till the last move is made.
Sometimes players tend to be a tad careless when the position appears equal and the game is heading towards a draw. A hasty move can ruin all the previous good moves.
In the game which follows, white is better for a while but then the position gets equal and just when it appears that white would be able to hold on, he commits a horrifying blunder and there is no escape from defeat after that.
White: Jean Marc Degraeve (2542) – Black: Anatoli Vaisser (2564)
France, 1999
The French Defence
1.e4 e6
The French defence
2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4
Here 4. ..dxe4 is also played
5.exd5. Here 5.e5 is also good
5. ..Qxd5 6.Bxf6 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 gxf6 8.Nf3 b6
If 8...Bd7 9.Be2 Qa5 10.0–0 Qxc3 11.Rb1 Bc6 12.Bb5 Bxb5 13.Rxb5 Nd7 14.Rxb7 Nb6 15.d5 Nxd5 16.Rb3 Qc5 leads to an unclear position
9.Be2. If 9.g3 Nd7 10.Bg2 Ba6 11.Kd2 0–0–0 And if 9.Qd2 Bb7 10.c4 Qd6 11.Be2 Nd7 12.0–0–0 Rg8 13.Rhg1 Qa3+ 14.Kb1 0–0–0 15.Qe3 Qb4+ 16.Ka1 c5
9...Bb7 10.0–0
If 10.Qd2 Nd7 11.c4 Qf5 12.0–0–0 0–0–0 works better for Black
10...Rg8. Immediately pouncing on the open file to target White’s King
10...Nd7 11.a4 Rg8 12.a5 b5 13.Qd3 f5 14.Rfe1 (14.Qxb5 Qxb5 15.Bxb5 Bxf3) 14...a6 15.Kf1 Nf6 16.c4! bxc4 17.Qxc4 Qxc4 18.Bxc4 Bxf3 19.gxf3
11.c4. The players are still following a previously played line. If 11.a4 Nc6 12.Qd3 0–0–0 13.Rfb1 Qh5 14.Ne1 Qg6 15.Bf3 Qxd3 16.cxd3 Na5
11...Qe4 12.d5
This does look like a dubious move!
12. ..Nd7
If 12...exd5 13.Re1 Kf8 14.Bf1 Qf5 15.Nd4 Qf4 16.cxd5 Bxd5 17.Nb5
13.g3 0–0–0
Black does castle on the long side which is a good move!
14.Nd2 Qg6 15.Bh5
A rather careless move! White could have tried out 15.Nb3 f5 16.a4 Nf6 17.a5 c5 18.axb6 axb6 19.Ra7 exd5 20.cxd5 Nxd5 21.Bf3 leading to a bit of an unclear position
15...Qg7 16.dxe6 fxe6
Black looks better
17.Qe2
If 17.Bf3 Ne5 18.Bxb7+ Kxb7 19.f4 (19.Qe2 Rxd2) 19...Nc6 20.c5 h5
17...e5 18.Nb3
White should have tried to exchange the light square bishop with 18.Bf3
18...Qe7
Taking measures to prevent the exchange of the bishops.
19.a4 a5 20.Bf3 e4 21.Bg2 f5 22.Rfe1 c5
Worth a look is 22. ..Ba6
23.Nd2 Ne5 24.Rad1 Kb8 25.Nf1 Rxd1 26.Rxd1 Qe6 27.Qh5 Qg6
An invitation to trade queens
28.Qh4. If 28.Qe2 f4 29.Qd2 e3 30.fxe3 f3 31.Bh3 Nxc4
28...Nxc4
If 28...Qg4 29.Qxg4 fxg4 30.Ne3 Bc6
29.Qf4+ Ka7 30.Rd7 Rc8 31.Bh3 Qc6 32.Qxf5 e3
If 32...Rc7 33.Rxc7 Qxc7 34.Bg2 Qe7
33.fxe3 Re8
If 33...Nd6 34.Qf4 Qh1+ 35.Kf2 Ne4+ 36.Ke1
34.e4. White misses a much better move in 34.Qf7 Rxe3 35.Rxb7 Qxb7 36.Qxc4
34. ..Ne5 35.Rxh7 Qxa4
Diagram 1
36.Qh5. A horrifying blunder which loses at once. If 36.c3 Qd1 White would have been able to hold on.
36...Qd4+ 37.Kh1 Qxe4+ 38.Kg1 Qd4+ and White resigned.
Diagram 2
Black to play and win
1. .. Bxf2 2.Qxc8 Nxg3+ 3.Kg2 Nf4+ 4.Kxf2 Qxh2+ 5.Ke3 Qxe2+ 6.Kd4 Qxb2+ 7.Ke3 Ng2+ and Black wins.
Manisha Mohite
