The Everything Chess Basics Book (50 page)

How can I follow separate variations when playing over a
game?
A good way is to use two boards and sets to follow the game. Make the actual moves of the game on one board, and go over the variations on the other board.

This is the position in the game after 22. ... Nxc3. White to play. What would you do?

The premature capture on c3 gives White a chance to turn the tide of the game once again. Do you see White’s winning combination?

Removing the Defender

23. Rxg7!

This move removes the defender of the knight on c3.

But in this case the theme goes beyond just winning two pieces for a rook. The fianchettoed bishop on g7 was also the pride and joy of Black’s game.

This kind of move isn’t so hard to find, especially when you can foresee that it doesn’t sacrifice material. In fact, it wins material by force! The forcing nature of the combination makes these kinds of moves possible to calculate.

23.
... Ne2+.

Accuracy

24. Kf1!

Although this walks into a possible discovered check later, it is the only way to be certain of getting both minor pieces for the rook. Hiding on h1 or h2 loses more material after 24. ... Kxg7.

Calculating a series of captures accurately takes practice. That’s why one of the best things you can do (if you want to become a strong player) is to try to solve any position you see. Practice on positions that occur in somebody else’s game or that you see in a chess book or magazine, with or without a label saying “White to move and win!”

Positional Desperado

24.
... Ng3+

Since Black will lose the knight in any case, he at least doubles up the White pawns which are hiding their king. Thus tactics can be used to do more than win pieces or checkmate. They can also be used to bring about a better position in any number of ways.

25. fxg3 Kxg7 26. Kf2.

The fireworks are over.

Winning a Won Game

So no discovered check happened after all. Now White is a pawn up with the two bishops versus bishop and knight. It should be a matter of technique to win from here, but winning technique in superior positions isn’t such an easy prospect. It requires constant vigilance and attention to detail. You do not want to miss a threat at this point.

26.
... Rd8 27. Re1 Rd7.

Black prevents White from getting another rook into his seventh rank. One was enough!

28. Re6.

Since White cannot penetrate to the seventh rank, he penetrates to the sixth rank, where he threatens to win the en prise c-pawn.

28.
... Rf7+ 29. Ke1 Rc7 30. a4.

The idea in playing this move is to take away as many squares from the Black knight as possible. The threat is to march the pawn to a5 for that purpose.

Making It Easier

30.
... Kf7.

Black walks into a horrible pin. Notice the bishop on b3. He should try 30. ... Nb6 31. a5 instead.

After Black plays the better 30. ... Nb6 and White pushes the knight further back with 31. a5.

31. ... Nc8. This isn’t pleasant, but Black stays alive.

Just as bad as the move played is the aggressive-looking blunder 31. ... Bc4, when 32. axb6 Bxb3 33. cxb3 axb6 wins a piece for White.

Position after 30. ... Kf7.

Defending a difficult or losing position is a very hard task. And yet, the difficulty isn’t so much that it’s hard to find good moves. Rather, it’s psychological.

Whenever you are in a losing position, something has gone horribly wrong. You certainly didn’t plan on getting into this mess! So you get depressed, lose concentration, and make further mistakes.

On the other hand, with the right attitude, defending isn’t so hard after all. What more can go wrong? You’re already lost. So look around for the best possible move. Resist to the last. That way, an inattentive opponent can chalk up the win in his head while you pull out a stunning defense.

Pin

31. Re4.

This combination, based on the pin along the a2-g8 diagonal, wins two more pawns while getting the rooks off the board. Without it, the game might have dragged on for a very long time.

31.
... c5.

White to play. What would you do?

32. Ba3.

White makes sure of the win. The only way Black can save the piece is to force a trade of rooks, which is just what White wants.

A Variation

White had other ways to play the position. One fails to get the most out of the position because of a Zwischenzug: 32. Bxc4+ Bxc4 33. Rxc4 Re7+. The Zwischenzug. 34. Kd2 cxb4 35. Rxb4. And White didn’t trade rooks and is only two pawns up.

The other works out well enough, and would also serve White well. It is based on a temporary pin as well as a Zwischenzug: 32. Rxc4. The c-pawn is temporarily pinned. 32. ... Bxc4 33. Bxc4+. This Zwischenzug saves the other bishop. 33. ... Ke7 34. Bc3. White has two bishops and an extra pawn for the rook.