<p>An attack in a game of chess does not always culminate in a checkmate however much a player would like or wish it to be. For a neat, if not beautiful checkmate, the pieces have to combine and co-ordinate with precise timing. Premature attacks can easily be repulsed or blunted out by your opponent.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In the game which follows, Black first sacrifices a piece in an attempt to shatter his opponent’s castle. Thereafter his knight, bishop and queen try to attempt a checkmating campaign but a premature check in a not so advantageous position turns the tables immediately and results in White gaining a devastating attack.<br />White: Yuri Shulman (2523) – Black: Jaan Ehlvest (2590) <br />Dhaka, 1999<br /><br />Nimzo-Indian Defence<br /><br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Nge2 d5 6.a3 Be7 7.cxd5 exd5<br />If 7...Nxd5 8.g3 <br />8.b4 <br />Early commitment on the queen side<br />8...Re8 <br />If 8...b6 9.Nf4 <br />9.Ng3 Nbd7<br />If 9...c6 10.Bd3 Nbd7 <br />10.Bd3 g6 <br />Black could have played 10. ..c6 here<br />11.0–0 Nf8 <br />Retreating to baseline to regroup. Black can also play either 11. ..c6 or 11. ..Nb6<br />12.b5 <br />White decides to push through on the queen-side with this advance<br />12...Ne6 13.a4 <br />White can also think of advancing on the King-side with 13.f4<br />13. ..h5 14.h3 <br />If 14.Qc2 h4 15.Nge2 h3<br />14...Bf8 <br />Now the bishop retreats to the baseline!<br />15.Qc2 White played a novelty here<br />If 15.Ba3 Bh6 16.Qc2 h4 17.Nge2 Ng7 18.Na2 Bf5 19.Nb4 Bxd3 20.Nxd3 has been played before<br />15...Ng7. If 15...Bh6 16.a5 h4 <br />16.Ba3 Bxa3 17.Rxa3 h4 <br />Trying to attack on the King-side<br />18.Nge2 Nfh5. If 18...Bf5 19.Nf4<br />19.Na2. White can also play 19.a5<br />19...Qg5 <br />The queen enters the warfare. If 19...Ne6 20.Rc1 And if 19...Bf5 20.Nb4<br />20.Kh1. <br />If 20.Qxc7 Bxh3 21.Qh2 Bf5<br />20...Qf6 21.Kg1 <br />If 21.Nb4 Rxe3 22.Kg1 <br />21...Ne6. Black refuses the option of trying to settle for a draw by repeating the moves here. If 21...Qg5 22.Qc1 <br />22.Nb4 Ng5 23.f4 <br />White can consider 23.Qxc7 Nxh3 24. Kh2 Qe6. If 23.Nxd5 Nxh3+ 24.Kh1 Nxf2+ 25.Kg1 Nh3 And if 23.Qxc7 Nxh3+ 24.Kh2 (24.gxh3 Bxh3) 24...Qe6<br />23...Nxh3+ Black sacrifices a piece to try and get his attack going<br />24.gxh3 Bxh3 25.Rf2 Rad8 <br />If 25...Qe7 26.Qc5<br />26.Qd2 Qe6 27.Nc2 <br />Looks like Black has no compensation for the sacrificed piece. White also had another nice option in 27.Kh2 Qxe3 28.Qxe3 Rxe3 29.Nc2 Rg3 30.Nxg3 hxg3+ 31.Kxh3 gxf2 32.Kg4<br /><br />Diagram 1<br /><br />27...Qg4. Black finds it difficult to resist this check with the queen. However this does not work as better appears 27...Ng3 28.Nxg3 hxg3 29.Rf3 Qg4 30.Ne1 Kg7 31.f5! Rh8 32.f6+ Kg8 33.Rc3 even though Black cannot settle out all his problems<br />28.Kh2 Re7 <br /><br />Trying to get in reinforcement but this is a rather slow process. If 28...Ng3 29.Ng1 Ne4 30.Bxe4 Qg3+ 31.Kh1 dxe4 32.Nxh3 Qxh3+ 33.Kg1 can offer more resistance though White does not have any problems<br />29.Ra1 Qd7 30.f5 <br /><br />The finishing touches!<br />30. ..Bxf5 31.Bxf5 gxf5 32.Rg1+ Kh7 33.e4 Rxe4 34.Qg5 Qd6+ 35.Nf4. 1–0<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />Black to play and checkmate in two moves<br />1.h4 Rc3+ 2.Kd5 Rxc5 checkmate.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>An attack in a game of chess does not always culminate in a checkmate however much a player would like or wish it to be. For a neat, if not beautiful checkmate, the pieces have to combine and co-ordinate with precise timing. Premature attacks can easily be repulsed or blunted out by your opponent.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In the game which follows, Black first sacrifices a piece in an attempt to shatter his opponent’s castle. Thereafter his knight, bishop and queen try to attempt a checkmating campaign but a premature check in a not so advantageous position turns the tables immediately and results in White gaining a devastating attack.<br />White: Yuri Shulman (2523) – Black: Jaan Ehlvest (2590) <br />Dhaka, 1999<br /><br />Nimzo-Indian Defence<br /><br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Nge2 d5 6.a3 Be7 7.cxd5 exd5<br />If 7...Nxd5 8.g3 <br />8.b4 <br />Early commitment on the queen side<br />8...Re8 <br />If 8...b6 9.Nf4 <br />9.Ng3 Nbd7<br />If 9...c6 10.Bd3 Nbd7 <br />10.Bd3 g6 <br />Black could have played 10. ..c6 here<br />11.0–0 Nf8 <br />Retreating to baseline to regroup. Black can also play either 11. ..c6 or 11. ..Nb6<br />12.b5 <br />White decides to push through on the queen-side with this advance<br />12...Ne6 13.a4 <br />White can also think of advancing on the King-side with 13.f4<br />13. ..h5 14.h3 <br />If 14.Qc2 h4 15.Nge2 h3<br />14...Bf8 <br />Now the bishop retreats to the baseline!<br />15.Qc2 White played a novelty here<br />If 15.Ba3 Bh6 16.Qc2 h4 17.Nge2 Ng7 18.Na2 Bf5 19.Nb4 Bxd3 20.Nxd3 has been played before<br />15...Ng7. If 15...Bh6 16.a5 h4 <br />16.Ba3 Bxa3 17.Rxa3 h4 <br />Trying to attack on the King-side<br />18.Nge2 Nfh5. If 18...Bf5 19.Nf4<br />19.Na2. White can also play 19.a5<br />19...Qg5 <br />The queen enters the warfare. If 19...Ne6 20.Rc1 And if 19...Bf5 20.Nb4<br />20.Kh1. <br />If 20.Qxc7 Bxh3 21.Qh2 Bf5<br />20...Qf6 21.Kg1 <br />If 21.Nb4 Rxe3 22.Kg1 <br />21...Ne6. Black refuses the option of trying to settle for a draw by repeating the moves here. If 21...Qg5 22.Qc1 <br />22.Nb4 Ng5 23.f4 <br />White can consider 23.Qxc7 Nxh3 24. Kh2 Qe6. If 23.Nxd5 Nxh3+ 24.Kh1 Nxf2+ 25.Kg1 Nh3 And if 23.Qxc7 Nxh3+ 24.Kh2 (24.gxh3 Bxh3) 24...Qe6<br />23...Nxh3+ Black sacrifices a piece to try and get his attack going<br />24.gxh3 Bxh3 25.Rf2 Rad8 <br />If 25...Qe7 26.Qc5<br />26.Qd2 Qe6 27.Nc2 <br />Looks like Black has no compensation for the sacrificed piece. White also had another nice option in 27.Kh2 Qxe3 28.Qxe3 Rxe3 29.Nc2 Rg3 30.Nxg3 hxg3+ 31.Kxh3 gxf2 32.Kg4<br /><br />Diagram 1<br /><br />27...Qg4. Black finds it difficult to resist this check with the queen. However this does not work as better appears 27...Ng3 28.Nxg3 hxg3 29.Rf3 Qg4 30.Ne1 Kg7 31.f5! Rh8 32.f6+ Kg8 33.Rc3 even though Black cannot settle out all his problems<br />28.Kh2 Re7 <br /><br />Trying to get in reinforcement but this is a rather slow process. If 28...Ng3 29.Ng1 Ne4 30.Bxe4 Qg3+ 31.Kh1 dxe4 32.Nxh3 Qxh3+ 33.Kg1 can offer more resistance though White does not have any problems<br />29.Ra1 Qd7 30.f5 <br /><br />The finishing touches!<br />30. ..Bxf5 31.Bxf5 gxf5 32.Rg1+ Kh7 33.e4 Rxe4 34.Qg5 Qd6+ 35.Nf4. 1–0<br /><br />Diagram 2<br /><br />Black to play and checkmate in two moves<br />1.h4 Rc3+ 2.Kd5 Rxc5 checkmate.<br /><br /><br /></p>
