<p>Many times beginners and even Masters think that a bluff sacrifice can complicate things and bring about a reversal in the position when things appear to be going wrong. At times it can work but most often it does not!<br /><br /></p>.<p>In the game which follows, Black is in an inferior position and tries to wriggle out by sacrificing a knigh. White accepts the sacrifice and coasts to a comfortable victory.<br />White: Sergey Volkov (2480) – Black: Viktor Bologan (2575)]<br />Kstovo , 1997<br /><br />Nimzo Indian Defence<br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qc2 d6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3 0–0 8.b4<br />If 8.e3 a5 9.b3 Re8 10.Bb2 e5 11.Qc2 Bg4<br />8...e5<br />Black makes things interesting by sacrificing a pawn in the centre. If 8...Re8 9.b5 Ne7 10.g3 is a rather passive continuation<br />9.Bb2<br />White played a novelty here but he could have reacted sharply with 9.dxe5 dxe5 ( 9...Ne4 10.Qe3 f5 11.Bb2 Qe7 12.exd6 Qxd6)<br />9...e4. Black decides to slug it out in the centre and pushes on. If 9...Re8 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 dxe5<br />10.Nd2 d5. He could have consolidated with 10. ..Re8<br />11.e3 Ne7 12.b5<br />White wants to activates his light square finachettoed bishop but 12.h3 keeps the game balanced<br />12...c6<br />If 12...a6 13.a4 (13.bxa6 b6 14.Be2 Bxa6) 13...axb5 14.axb5 Rxa1+ 15.Bxa1 c6<br />13.a4 Re8 14.Rc1 Be6 15.Be2 Ng6 16.0–0 Nh4<br />16...Bg4 17.f3 (17.Bxg4 Nxg4 18.cxd5 cxd5 19.Qc7 Re7) 17...exf3 18.gxf3 Bh3 19.Rf2 Qe7 20.Bf1<br />17.bxc6 bxc6 18.g3 Ng6 19.cxd5 Bxd5<br />If 19...cxd5 20.Ba3<br />20.Nc4 Qd7 21.Rfd1 h5 22.Ne5 <br />A good move!<br /> 22. ..Qf5. Not exactly the right move as it concedes advantage to White. If 22...Nxe5 23.dxe5 Ng4 24.e6 fxe6 25.Bxg4 hxg4 26.Qe5. 23.Nxc6 Ng4<br />If 23...Rac8 24.Qa5 Ng4 25.Rf1<br /> 24.Qe1<br /><br /> Diagram 1<br /><br /> 24. ..Nh4. A last ditch effort by Black, sacrificing his knight! If 24...h4 25.h3 Nf6 26.g4<br /> 25.gxh4<br />White has no hesitation in accepting. If 25.Ne5 Nf3+ 26.Nxf3 exf3<br /> 25...Qg6 26.Kh1<br />Trying to get out of the line of fire! Better is 26.Bxg4 Qxg4+ (26...Bxc6 27.Rxc6) 27.Kf1 Bb3 28.Qe2 Qh3+ 29.Ke1 though White still remains better<br /> 26...Bxc6 27.h3 Nh6 28.Rc5 Bxa4 29.Ra1 Rab8 30.Bc3 Qe6 31.Qf1 If 31.Rxa4 Qxh3+ 32.Kg1 Ng4 33.Bd1 Qxh4<br /> 31...Bd7 32.Bxh5 Qxh3+ 33.Qxh3 Bxh3 34.Kh2 Bg4 35.Bxg4 Nxg4+ 36.Kg3 Nh6 37.Rxa7 Rb6 38.d5<br />White could have held on to his advantage with 38.h5 to prevent any last minute counter-play by Black<br /> 38...Rg6+ 39.Kh3 Nf5 40.Rc6 Rg1<br />Black should have considered 40...Rd8 41.Rxg6 fxg6 42.Ra4 Rxd5 43.Rxe4<br /> 41.d6 Rh1+ 42.Kg4 Nh6+<br />If 42...Nxh4 43.d7 f5+ 44.Kf4 (44.Kg5 Rf8 45.Rc8?? Nf3+ 46.Kf4 g5+ 47.Kg3 Rg1+ 48.Kh3 g4 checkmate)<br />43.Kg3 Rd1. If 43...Nf5+ 44.Kf4<br /> 44.d7 Rd8 45.Rcc7 Nf5+ 46.Kf4 Ne7<br />If 46...Nxh4 47.Kxe4. 47.Ke5<br />The monarch at the centre has taken command of the game. If 47.Kxe4 Nd5 48.Rc8 Nxc3+ 49.Rxc3 R1xd7<br /> 47...Rd5+<br />If 47...Nd5 48.Rc8 And if 47...f6+ 48.Ke6<br /> 48.Kxe4 f5+ 49.Kf3 Kf7 50.h5 Ng8 51.Kf4 Ne7 52.Ba5 Ke6 53.Kf3 R8xd7<br />If 53...Rd3 54.Rcb7 R8xd7 55.Rxd7 Rxd7 56.Rxd7 Kxd7 57.Bc3<br /> 54.Rxd7 Rxd7 55.Rxd7 Kxd7 56.Bc3 Ke6 57.Bxg7 Kf7 58.Be5 Nd5 59.Kg3 Nb4 60.Kh4 Nd3 61.f4. 1–0<br /><br /> Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and checkmate in two moves<br />1.Qxh7+ Nxh7 2.Ng6#<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Many times beginners and even Masters think that a bluff sacrifice can complicate things and bring about a reversal in the position when things appear to be going wrong. At times it can work but most often it does not!<br /><br /></p>.<p>In the game which follows, Black is in an inferior position and tries to wriggle out by sacrificing a knigh. White accepts the sacrifice and coasts to a comfortable victory.<br />White: Sergey Volkov (2480) – Black: Viktor Bologan (2575)]<br />Kstovo , 1997<br /><br />Nimzo Indian Defence<br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qc2 d6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3 0–0 8.b4<br />If 8.e3 a5 9.b3 Re8 10.Bb2 e5 11.Qc2 Bg4<br />8...e5<br />Black makes things interesting by sacrificing a pawn in the centre. If 8...Re8 9.b5 Ne7 10.g3 is a rather passive continuation<br />9.Bb2<br />White played a novelty here but he could have reacted sharply with 9.dxe5 dxe5 ( 9...Ne4 10.Qe3 f5 11.Bb2 Qe7 12.exd6 Qxd6)<br />9...e4. Black decides to slug it out in the centre and pushes on. If 9...Re8 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 dxe5<br />10.Nd2 d5. He could have consolidated with 10. ..Re8<br />11.e3 Ne7 12.b5<br />White wants to activates his light square finachettoed bishop but 12.h3 keeps the game balanced<br />12...c6<br />If 12...a6 13.a4 (13.bxa6 b6 14.Be2 Bxa6) 13...axb5 14.axb5 Rxa1+ 15.Bxa1 c6<br />13.a4 Re8 14.Rc1 Be6 15.Be2 Ng6 16.0–0 Nh4<br />16...Bg4 17.f3 (17.Bxg4 Nxg4 18.cxd5 cxd5 19.Qc7 Re7) 17...exf3 18.gxf3 Bh3 19.Rf2 Qe7 20.Bf1<br />17.bxc6 bxc6 18.g3 Ng6 19.cxd5 Bxd5<br />If 19...cxd5 20.Ba3<br />20.Nc4 Qd7 21.Rfd1 h5 22.Ne5 <br />A good move!<br /> 22. ..Qf5. Not exactly the right move as it concedes advantage to White. If 22...Nxe5 23.dxe5 Ng4 24.e6 fxe6 25.Bxg4 hxg4 26.Qe5. 23.Nxc6 Ng4<br />If 23...Rac8 24.Qa5 Ng4 25.Rf1<br /> 24.Qe1<br /><br /> Diagram 1<br /><br /> 24. ..Nh4. A last ditch effort by Black, sacrificing his knight! If 24...h4 25.h3 Nf6 26.g4<br /> 25.gxh4<br />White has no hesitation in accepting. If 25.Ne5 Nf3+ 26.Nxf3 exf3<br /> 25...Qg6 26.Kh1<br />Trying to get out of the line of fire! Better is 26.Bxg4 Qxg4+ (26...Bxc6 27.Rxc6) 27.Kf1 Bb3 28.Qe2 Qh3+ 29.Ke1 though White still remains better<br /> 26...Bxc6 27.h3 Nh6 28.Rc5 Bxa4 29.Ra1 Rab8 30.Bc3 Qe6 31.Qf1 If 31.Rxa4 Qxh3+ 32.Kg1 Ng4 33.Bd1 Qxh4<br /> 31...Bd7 32.Bxh5 Qxh3+ 33.Qxh3 Bxh3 34.Kh2 Bg4 35.Bxg4 Nxg4+ 36.Kg3 Nh6 37.Rxa7 Rb6 38.d5<br />White could have held on to his advantage with 38.h5 to prevent any last minute counter-play by Black<br /> 38...Rg6+ 39.Kh3 Nf5 40.Rc6 Rg1<br />Black should have considered 40...Rd8 41.Rxg6 fxg6 42.Ra4 Rxd5 43.Rxe4<br /> 41.d6 Rh1+ 42.Kg4 Nh6+<br />If 42...Nxh4 43.d7 f5+ 44.Kf4 (44.Kg5 Rf8 45.Rc8?? Nf3+ 46.Kf4 g5+ 47.Kg3 Rg1+ 48.Kh3 g4 checkmate)<br />43.Kg3 Rd1. If 43...Nf5+ 44.Kf4<br /> 44.d7 Rd8 45.Rcc7 Nf5+ 46.Kf4 Ne7<br />If 46...Nxh4 47.Kxe4. 47.Ke5<br />The monarch at the centre has taken command of the game. If 47.Kxe4 Nd5 48.Rc8 Nxc3+ 49.Rxc3 R1xd7<br /> 47...Rd5+<br />If 47...Nd5 48.Rc8 And if 47...f6+ 48.Ke6<br /> 48.Kxe4 f5+ 49.Kf3 Kf7 50.h5 Ng8 51.Kf4 Ne7 52.Ba5 Ke6 53.Kf3 R8xd7<br />If 53...Rd3 54.Rcb7 R8xd7 55.Rxd7 Rxd7 56.Rxd7 Kxd7 57.Bc3<br /> 54.Rxd7 Rxd7 55.Rxd7 Kxd7 56.Bc3 Ke6 57.Bxg7 Kf7 58.Be5 Nd5 59.Kg3 Nb4 60.Kh4 Nd3 61.f4. 1–0<br /><br /> Diagram 2<br /><br />White to play and checkmate in two moves<br />1.Qxh7+ Nxh7 2.Ng6#<br /><br /><br /></p>
