Skill, patience needed to tackle rivals

Chess Checks

Bringing about these types of position in a game needs skill and experience both and a player has to also maintain patience and steer his opponent  into this net.

In the game which follows White is on the better side in the initial stages and then there follows a  sort of series of inaccurate moves by both players before White is forced into a zug-zwang and loss of the game.

White Christopher Dunworth (2308) – Black: Victor Mikhalevski (2516)
London MSO Masters,1999
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 c5 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Qb3
This is not one of the frequently played lines
7. ..Ne4 8.Qb5+
Virtually forcing the early exchange of queens
8. ..Qxb5 9.Nxb5 Na6 10.cxd5 Nexc5
White who looks better now. If 10...0–0 Bxb2
11.Rc1
A good move! If 11..0–0–0 Ne4 12.Bg3 Bf5
11...Ne4
Black played a new move here. If 11...Bf5 12.Rxc5 Nxc5 13.Nc7+ Kd7
12.Nc7+ Nxc7 13.Rxc7
The White rook has infiltrated the seventh rank very early in the game
13. ..g5 If 13...Bxb2 14.Bb5+ Kd8 15.Rc2 and White is better
14.Bg3
If 14.Bb5+ Kd8 15.Rc4 gxf4 16.Rxe4 fxe3 And if 14.Bd3 gxf4 15.Bxe4 fxe3 16.fxe3 Bxb2
14...Bxb2  15.Bd3 Bf5 16.Ke2
If 16.Rxb7 Nxg3 17.hxg3 Bxd3 18.Rxb2 Be4 19.d6 exd6 20.f3
16...Rd8 17.f3
A blunder? Better is 17.Rxb7 Nc3+ 18.Ke1
17...Nxg3+ 18.hxg3 Bxd3+ 19.Kxd3 Rxd5+20.Kc2 Be5 If 20...Rb5 21.a4 Be5 22.Rc8+ (22.Rxe7+ Kxe7 23.axb5 Rc8+)
21.Rc8+ If 21.Rxb7 0–0
21...Kd7 A mistake! Winning is 21...Rd8–+
22.Rxh8 Bxh8 23.Rxh7 Bf6 24.Ne2 A good move which allows White some play
24...Ra5 25.Nc1 Rc5+ 26.Kd1 Ke6 27.Rh1
Another wrong move. Almost forced is 27.e4
27...Rb5 28.Nb3 a5 29.Kc2 a4 30.Nd4+ Bxd4 31.exd4 a3 Another good move!
32.Re1+ Kd6 33.Re2 Rb2+ 34.Kd3 f5
If 34...Rxe2 35.Kxe2 Kd5 36.Kd3 b5 37.Kc3 g4 38.fxg4 f6
35.Rc2 If 35.Rxb2 axb2 36.Kc2 Kd5 37.Kxb2 Kxd4 38.Kb3 e5
35...f4 Black had an easier win with 35...Rxc2 36.Kxc2 Kd5 37.Kb3 Kxd4 38.Kxa3.Kc3 39.Ka4 e5 40.g4 fxg4 41.Kb5 gxf3 42.gxf3 e4 43.fxe4 Kd4
36.gxf4 gxf4 37.Re2 e6 38.Rc2 b6
Black once again misses the clear cut 38...Rxc2 39.Kxc2 Kd5 40.Kb3 Kxd4 41.Kxa3 Ke3 42.Kb4 Kf2 43.Kc5 Kxg2 44.a4 Kxf3 45.a5 Ke3
39.Re2 If 39.Rxb2 axb2 40.Kc2 Kd5 41.Kxb2 Kxd4 42.Kb3 Ke3 43.Kc4 Kf2 44.Kb5 Kxg2 45.Kxb6 e5 46.a4 e4 47.a5 exf3 48.a6 f2 49.a7 f1Q 50.a8Q+ Qf3 51.Qg8+ Qg3 52.Qd5+ f3
39...Kd5 40.Re5+ Kd6 41.Re2 Rxe2 42.Kxe2 Kd5 43.Kd3 b5 44.Kc3 e5 45.dxe5 Kxe5 46.Kb3. If 46.Kd3 Kd5 47.Kc3 Kc5 And if 46.Kb4 Kd4 47.Kxb5 Kc3 48.Kc5 Kb2 49.Kc4 Kxa2 50.Kc3 Kb1
46...Kd4 47.Kb4 If 47.Kxa3 Kc3
47...Kd3 48.Kb3 If 48.Kxb5 Kc3 And if 48...Kc2 49.Kc4 Kb2 50.Kd3 Kxa2 51.Kc2
48...Kd2 49.Kb4

Diagram 1

49. ..Kc2 White has no choice but to accept one of the pawns and lose the game
50.Kxa3 Kc3 A zugzwang position and White is forced to resign as  50...Kc3 51.g4 fxg3 52.f4 g2 53.f5 g1B 54.f6 Bc5 checkmate.

Diagram 2

Black to play and win 1.     .. f3+ 2.Kg3 Qxf1 3.Ne3 Qg1+ 4.Kxf3 Rd2 5.Qh3+ Kg8 6.Qe6+ Kh7 7.Qh3+ Kg6 8.Qf5+ Kf7  and Black wins.