Author Archives: John Mackinnon

The trouble with good positions

I think it was Donner who said he hated good (or was it winning ?) positions. I’ve often found my heart rate increasing when I begin to think I am winning. I suppose, if one wants to win, one had better learn to put up with good positions, but I have recently had some reason to dislike them.

Here are three positions I recently had.

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4rbk1/pb3p1p/1p3Pp1/r7/2pPP3/2P3Q1/5RBP/1qB1R1K1 w - - 4 28

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4rr1k/pp4pp/3bb3/2pp3q/1n2n3/1P2NNP1/PB2PPBP/1QR2RK1 b - - 18 19

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3r2k1/1pq3p1/2ppbr1p/8/1PPQ1P2/4P1P1/6BP/R1R3K1 w - - 5 25

I am White to move in the first and last, and Black to move in the second. I think a reasonable prediction of my score, against similarly graded players and without severe time trouble, might be about 2.5. As I only managed one point, I need a story. Here goes.

The first game was played for Dulwich in the London League. One way to mess up a good position is to spend too long trying to win it. I have taken up recording both players’ clock times after each move and this time they told a sorry tale.

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1. c4 {75 minutes for 30 plus quickplay, against an opponent I had beaten twice before.} 1... Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. g3 {Holding back the d pawn denies Black his usual Gruenfeld target.} 4... g6 5. Bg2 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Rb1 Nc6 8. Nf3 (8. h4 {does quite well.}) 8... O-O 9. O-O e5 10. d3 (10. Ne1 {has been played a couple of times.}) 10... Rb8 11. Qc2 (11. Ng5 {perhaps followed by Ne4-c5 is worth considering.}) 11... b6 12. Ba3 Re8 13. Nd2 Bb7 14. Rbe1 Qd7 15. f4 { [] I have tried similar f4 pushes in a few games in the English, so far without satisfactory results. The computer doesn’t like it. There is a positional logic to securing the central majority, but it tends to create weaknesses in White’s position as well.} 15... exf4 16. gxf4 Ne7 17. e4 c5 18. f5 Nc6 ({The computer is happy to eat the pawn with} 18... gxf5) 19. Nc4 Ne5 20. Nxe5 Rxe5 (20... Bxe5 {looks better. The game begins to turn my way.}) 21. Bb2 c4 {I had ideas of c4 and f6. This move cramps my bishop but at too much cost in the centre, I think.} 22. d4 Ra5 23. f6 Bf8 24. Bc1 Qa4 {Bold, but White’s central and kingside control should outweigh the queenside demonstration.} 25. Qf2 Qxa2 26. Qg3 Re8 27. Rf2 Qb1 { [] At this point we had the same amount of time, but I now started thinking too long.} 28. e5 ({Played quite quickly, but} 28. Qc7 {is probably better here. I had thirteen minutes left before move 30 so should perhaps have thought more.}) 28... Bxg2 29. Qxg2 Qb5 30. e6 {Ten minutes on this, mainly thinking about the follow-up. I couldn’t see a clear win but hoped something would appear. But the risk is greater than I realised.} 30... Rxe6 31. Rxe6 {Another long think looking for a win, after which I had nine minutes for the rest of the game.} 31... fxe6 32. f7+ Kg7 33. Qh3 Qh5 {I thought this was forced.} ({The computer prefers} 33... h5 34. Qxe6 Qd5) 34. Qxe6 {Now White has enough for a draw, but not more.} 34... Rf5 35. Bf4 Qg4+ 36. Bg3 (36. Kh1 {seems to be better. Now I had four minutes left and some difficulties over the board. My opponent has twenty minutes left and although both of us play inaccurately from here on my mistakes are bigger.}) 36... Qd1+ (36... Qg5 37. Qxc4 Qe3 {may be better.}) 37. Kg2 Rxf2+ 38. Bxf2 (38. Kxf2 {should draw.}) 38... Qc2 (38... h5 {and Black is better.}) 39. Kg1 (39. Qe5+ {gives a perpetual, but this takes calculation and it’s not easy to jettison ones best asset.}) 39... Qf5 40. d5 {Finally losing.} (40. Qxc4 Qxf7 {and Black should have good chances of converting his extra pawn.}) 40... Qxe6 41. dxe6 Kf6 {and I resigned.} *

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The second game, played as Black for Dulwich in the London League, shows something about calculation. What one calculates is always a choice, but some things are mandatory, though I’ve never seen an author clearly say which they are. The moral of this tale is: keep an eye on the oponent’s candidates.

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1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 e6 4. dxe6 fxe6 5. g3 (5. c4 b5 {goes into the Blumenfeld}) 5... d5 6. Bg2 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 Nc6 9. cxd5 exd5 {White’s play is rather passive, though Black has to be careful about d5.} 10. b3 Bf5 11. Bb2 Kh8 {the check on d5 is annoying in some lines} 12. Nbd2 Qd7 13. Rc1 Rae8 14. Re1 Ne4 15. Nf1 Qf7 16. Ne3 Be6 17. Rf1 Qh5 18. Qd3 Nb4 19. Qb1 { [] Black has built an excellent position and now has to look for concrete ways to win. I still had almost half an hour to move 30, then twenty minutes for the rest of the game, so there should be time.} 19... Bh3 {Four minutes here, looking for a win.} 20. a3 Bxg2 (20... d4 {wins according to the computer. If} 21. Nc4 ({another line is} 21. Bxh3 Qxh3 22. axb4 dxe3 {with a huge attack}) {Black has} 21... Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Nxg3 23. hxg3 Rxe2 {and if} 24. Ne1 {then} 24... Bxg3 25. Kxg3 Nd5 {with a forced mate coming}) 21. Kxg2 Rxf3 {Here, despite six minutes’ thought, is the fatal mistake. I remember verbalising the sequence of actions, as the variations were confusing me. But the one crucial thing when sacrificing to force a win is to search carefully for the opponent’s candidates on each move. You can be more relaxed about your own candidates if you have know you have at least one good line.} ({I also considered} 21... Nxf2 {which turns out to be very good} 22. Rxf2 Rxe3 {and} 23. axb4 ({better} 23. Bxg7+ Kxg7 24. Qb2+ Kg8 25. axb4) {can be met by} 23... Rxe2 {with a decisive X-ray that I hadn’t seen}) ({Alternatively} 21... Nc6 {keeps the pressure on with d4 to follow.}) 22. exf3 Nd2 (22... Ng5 23. Qf5 {is also good for White.}) 23. Qf5 {I simply missed this. f5 was previously obstructed by the knight and multiply protected but a careful search should have spotted the move. White gains a tempo and wins at least a piece.} ({After sacrificing the exchange I had seen} 23. Bxg7+ Kg8 24. Qa1 (24. Qf5 {wins as in the game}) 24... Qxf3+ 25. Kg1 {which is very good for Black.}) 23... Qxf5 24. Nxf5 {I thrash around a bit as the team needed the point but the game is lost.} 24... Be5 25. Bxe5 Nd3 26. Bxg7+ Kg8 27. Bc3 Nxf1 28. Rxf1 Re2 29. f4 d4 30. Ba1 Ra2 31. a4 b6 32. Kf3 Nxf2 33. Bxd4 (33. Rxf2 Rxa1) 33... Nd3 34. Ke4 Nb4 35. Bc3 Re2+ 36. Kf3 Rxh2 37. Bxb4 cxb4 38. Rd1 Rc2 39. Rd3 Kf7 40. Nd4 Rb2 41. Nc6 a5 42. Ne5+ Ke6 43. Nc4 Rc2 44. Nxb6 Rc3 45. Ke4 h5 46. Nc4 {and I resigned.} *

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I don’t usually play on successive days, but the day after this debacle I had to play for Pimlico. It was a relief to discover that some positions, despite their excellent appearance, can actually be won.

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1. c4 {75 minutes with a 15 second increment} e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 f5 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. d3 ({I had played} 5. e3 {a few weeks before. I am still not sure of White’s best approach here.}) 5... Bb4 {This reversed Grand Prix does quite well for Black and my opponent said he has good results with it.} 6. Bd2 O-O 7. a3 Bxc3 8. Bxc3 d6 (8... d5 {is rare but worth considering.} 9. cxd5 Nxd5 {when} 10. Qb3 {seems not to work after} 10... Be6 11. Qxb7 Qd6) 9. e3 {Rare.} (9. Nf3 {and}) (9. b4 {are more popular.}) 9... Be6 10. Nf3 h6 {With the thought of starting operations in the centre. In similar positions Black often plays Qe8-h5 with a kingside attack.} 11. b4 e4 {Afterwards my opponent wondered if this was too early.} 12. Nd4 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Qd7 14. O-O Rae8 15. Rc1 a5 { [] Committing to a pawn sacrifice, in the hope of using the half-open files on the kingside.} 16. Bxf6 Rxf6 17. dxe4 fxe4 18. Bxe4 axb4 19. axb4 c6 (19... Bg4 20. Qd5+) ({Against} 19... Bh3 {I had planned} 20. Qd5+ Kh8 21. Bg2 {with the thought of bringing the Queen to g2.} 21... c6 {seems to stop this but the computer points out} 22. Bxh3 Qxh3 23. Qg2) (19... Bxc4 {loses a piece to} 20. Rxc4 c6 21. Bg2) 20. Bg2 Qf7 21. Qd4 Rf8 22. f4 {Making Black’s last few moves retrospectively mysterious. I think my opponent missed this idea when sacrificing the pawn.} 22... Ra8 23. Ra1 {I was pleased with this, further frustrating my opponent.} 23... Rd8 (23... Rxa1 24. Rxa1 Bxc4 {runs into} 25. Ra8+ Kh7 26. Be4+ g6 27. Bxc6 {which the computer likes even more than I did.}) 24. Rfc1 Qc7 25. Rd1 Rff8 26. Qc3 {Trying to restrain all of Black’s pawn breaks} ({the computer suggests} 26. b5) 26... Qf7 27. Rac1 Rfe8 28. e4 b5 29. cxb5 {I thought this won a pawn, but in any case it seems right to start opening lines.} (29. c5 {is also possible}) 29... cxb5 30. Qc6 Bg4 {I missed this and was lucky it didn’t matter.} 31. Re1 ({Of course not} 31. Rd2 Rc8) 31... Qa7+ 32. Kh1 Qa4 33. Qd5+ Be6 34. Qd4 Bc4 {I hadn’t really meant to allow the bishop to this active-looking square, but in fact it may be no better than it was on the kingside.} 35. Qd2 {Although White seems to be retreating, the threat of Ra1 and Re3 pushes Black’s queen back.} (35. Bf1 {was tempting but the ending after} 35... Qxb4 36. Bxc4+ bxc4 37. Qxc4+ Qxc4 38. Rxc4 d5 39. Rd4 dxe4 40. Rdxe4 Rxe4 41. Rxe4 {is drawn}) 35... Qa7 36. Red1 Qc7 37. Qd4 Kh8 38. Ra1 Ra8 39. h3 ({avoiding} 39. Rxa8 Rxa8 40. Qxd6 Qxd6 41. Rxd6 Ra1+) (39. e5 {is possible}) 39... Rxa1 ({Black could simply wait as the ending after} 39... Red8 40. Rxa8 Rxa8 41. Qxd6 Qxd6 42. Rxd6 Ra1+ 43. Kh2 Ra2 44. Rd1 Rb2 {could still be tricky though White should win.}) 40. Rxa1 Re7 41. Ra6 Rd7 42. h4 { [] With only three minutes plus increments, Black starts to cave in.} 42... d5 (42... Bf7) 43. Bh3 Qb7 44. Rxh6+ Kg8 45. Be6+ Kf8 46. Rh8+ (46. Qc5+ {is more clinical.}) 46... Ke7 47. Qxg7+ {and Black resigned. Capturing the bishop allows immediate mate and otherwise White can exchange off on d7 and win the ending, though the computer says Kd6 Qf6 is mate in seven.} *

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Intuition and its inconveniences

Intitution, prejudice, or whatever one calls one’s immediate reaction to an idea or a situation, is essential to chess. We analyse a tiny fraction of the possibilities; the strength of computers only illuminates the difference between their calculation and our thought. But precisely because intuition helps to weed out ideas, it can feed laziness. In this recent draw played for Dulwich in the London League, I twice discount the idea of putting the queen on the same diagonal as the opponent’s bishop in order to attack a pawn on b7. The computer, at any rate, thinks I was wrong to.

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1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 f5 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. e3 Bb4 {A Grand Prix Sicilian reversed.} 6. Nge2 O-O 7. O-O d6 8. a3 {This seems to be new here and may be a mistake. In what follows White has to fight for both d3 and d5 and could do with both knights whereas Black’s dark-squared bishop can’t get at these squares.} (8. Nd5) (8. d3) 8... Bxc3 9. Nxc3 Be6 { [] } 10. Nd5 {Possibly a mistake.} ({I think I was worried about} 10. d3 d5 {but} 11. Qb3 {seems to be good}) (10. b3) 10... e4 {I saw this after I moved and now had a long think. The game now becomes a skirmish for central squares slightly sooner than is comfortable for White.} 11. d3 Ne5 {I saw this while he was thinking. My long think had been about his two main alternatives} (11... exd3 12. b3 {is OK for White} ({rather than} 12. Qxd3 Ne5 13. Qc2 c6 {when c4 is likely to fall})) (11... Nxd5 12. cxd5 Bxd5 13. dxe4 {and} 13... Bxe4 ({better} 13... Bc4 14. Re1) {loses to} 14. f3) 12. Nf4 Qe7 ({I was more worried about} 12... Bf7) 13. h4 {Securing the knight on f4 and thus the d3 square} ({I didn’t want to allow the knight into d3 but the computer thinks White is OK after} 13. b3 g5 14. Nxe6 Qxe6 15. dxe4 fxe4 16. Bb2 Nd3 17. Bd4 c5 18. Bc3 {with a good dark-squared bishop and f3 coming}) 13... Nxd3 (13... exd3 14. b3) 14. Nxd3 exd3 {I was relieved by this.} ({I was worried about} 14... Bxc4 15. Nf4 Bxf1 16. Bxf1 {when I felt Black would be able to mobilise his pawns though White’s unchallenged bishops look good.. My opponent didn’t like this because he wanted to get rid of the f4 knight and the computer agrees with him.}) 15. Qxd3 d5 {I think this caught me by surprise. It makes sense for Black to break quickly as the existing structure might be pleasant for White if he had time to develop.} ({the computer suggests} 15... Ne4 {when if} 16. Bxe4 fxe4 17. Qxe4 {Black has} 17... Qf7 {threatening Bh3 and Bc4}) 16. cxd5 (16. b3 {seemed a bit weakening.} 16... dxc4 17. bxc4 Rad8 (17... Qc5)) 16... Rad8 { [] } 17. e4 ({Here I overestimated the position I get in a few moves and thought I was choosing activity over material.} 17. Qb3 {is probably better; the second time in the game I underestimate this idea, not liking to expose my queen too early. After} 17... Bxd5 18. Bxd5+ Rxd5 19. Qxb7 Qd6 {the computer suggests freeing the bishop with} 20. e4 {and prefers White}) 17... fxe4 18. Bxe4 Bxd5 (18... Nxe4 19. Qxe4 Rxd5 20. Re1 Rd6 21. Bf4 Rc6 {is good for White}) 19. Bxd5+ Rxd5 ({better than} 19... Nxd5 20. Bg5 Nf6 21. Qb3+) 20. Qb3 {I hoped to show that the bishop was better than the knight here. But Black has too much activity and the knight will be very happy on d5.} 20... c6 {Hereabouts my opponent offered a draw} 21. Be3 a6 22. Rad1 Qf7 {I missed this} 23. Rxd5 Nxd5 24. Bd4 Re8 25. Qd3 ({I was tempted by} 25. Kg2 {which loses to} 25... Nf4+) 25... Qe6 26. Kg2 Qg4 {Now I realised I was in difficulties as Nf4+ is threatened and White has no very convenient answer} 27. Be3 {Here I offered a draw and my opponent rather surprisingly accepted. Black is better but maybe my opponent had underestimated his position earlier and had been playing to equalise. A short draw but quite an interesting one.} *

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Things fall apart

Pilfered as it was by the chemist from Brantham, and more productively appropriated by the great Nigerian novelist the Nobel committee studiously ignored, Yeats’ message in a bottle pitches up very nicely on the shores of the late middle game. Very often, the player who has dominated the middle game finds that, once he cashes his positional advantage in, the position explodes in his hands. He is still winning, but the play becomes randomised, time short, and the player is beleaguered by a sense of injustice that random tactics should be allowed to disrupt his strategy. I’ve lost plenty of games this way. I’ve read that getting an advantage is a different skill from keeping it, but they are both composites of many skills; the ability to keep control in the late middle game is completely different from endgame technique.

Two recent games for Pimlico and Dulwich illustrate this. In this first game, I was careful but still almost slipped; in the second, I was careless and lucky.

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{In the first game, I am playing White with 75 minutes for the game and a 15 second increment. I learned afterwards that my opponent’s experience was entirely in rapid and blitz, and he still had forty-six minutes left at the end of the game.} 1. c4 c6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. b3 Be7 (5... Bd6 {feels more normal to me in this semi-Slav structure}) 6. Bb2 h6 {My opponent was worried about Ng5 in some lines but it looks like a waste of a tempo.} 7. O-O Nbd7 8. e3 O-O 9. d3 a5 10. Qe2 Ne8 (10... Qc7 {may be better, as my opponent thought}) 11. e4 {If White allows Bf6 and the exchange of bishops his attacking chances are reduced.} 11... a4 12. Nbd2 Bf6 13. e5 {I felt this should give me an advantage.} 13... Be7 14. cxd5 cxd5 ({After} 14... exd5 {I was thinking of keeping the position closed and gradually pushing the majority though I think my opponent and the computer prefer e6.}) 15. Nd4 { [] In this French-like structure this knight is very strong, supporting an f5 thrust while impeding Black’s queenside development.} 15... Qa5 {Black is angling for Nxe5 Qxe5 Qxd2, an idea I simply missed.} 16. a3 Qa7 {We both felt Black went wrong here.} (16... axb3 {looks better when Black gets some play on the queenside.}) (16... Nxe5 17. b4 Qc7 18. Nxe6 {is the computer’s preferred option for Black.}) 17. b4 g6 18. Kh1 Ng7 19. f4 Kh7 20. Rac1 Nb8 21. N2f3 ({I spent twelve minutes trying to make} 21. Nb5 Qb6 22. Nc7 Ra7 {work but couldn’t find anything clear enough e.g.} 23. Nf3 Nc6 {and felt my position was good enough not to need dubious complications. But I was now more than twenty minutes down on time.}) 21... Bd7 22. g4 {White wants to play f5 but it’s not so easy.} 22... h5 23. h3 { [] } 23... hxg4 {Probably a serious mistake. Black’s pieces are well positioned to deter f5 but not to contest the h file, especially the g7 knight. Black’s position was already difficult but it is now probably lost} 24. hxg4 Rh8 25. Kh2 {An important move, making it possible to contest the h file.} 25... Nc6 ({Here my opponent thought for five minutes, considering} 25... g5 {after which the computer thinks} 26. Nxg5+ {is winning though I was trying to see whether I could make f5 work.}) 26. Kg3 Qb8 {Now I thought for six minutes, and couldn’t see a good defence for Black against my h-file attack. The computer confirms this.} 27. Rh1+ Kg8 28. Rxh8+ Kxh8 29. Rh1+ Kg8 30. Nxc6 {The clearing of the diagonal deters f6 and makes it harder for the king to escape.} 30... bxc6 31. Bf1 {The point of my play, getting the queen to the h file as soon as possible.} 31... c5 32. Qh2 Nh5+ {Giving a knight to slow the attack .} 33. gxh5 g5 (33... cxb4 {runs into} 34. hxg6) 34. bxc5 {White is winning and I had more than twenty minutes, but the king’s position and the opening of various lines justify care.} 34... gxf4+ 35. Kxf4 Qf8 36. Rg1+ Kh8 37. h6 {Six minutes thought on this, which blocks the h6-c1 diagonal at the cost of tying the queen down.} 37... Bxc5 38. d4 f6 {Chucking another bishop on the fire, a reasonable approach in a desperate situation.} (38... Bxa3 {can be met by} 39. Bxa3 Qxa3 40. Qg2 ({or} 40. Qh4 Qc1+ 41. Kg3 Rg8+ 42. Kh2)) 39. dxc5 fxe5+ 40. Ke3 ({My opponent expected} 40. Kxe5 {which is also fine but looks a bit hairy. I had planned Ke3 but realised at this stage that I would allow Qxc5. Fortunately I saw a response}) 40... Qxc5+ ({My original analysis had been} 40... d4+ 41. Kd2) { [] } 41. Nd4 {Not the only winning move, but a pleasingly emphatic one.} 41... Qc7 ({Of course} 41... exd4+ {losses the queen to} 42. Bxd4+) 42. Qg3 {Here my opponent resigned. I thought there might still be some fight and we looked at some amusing variations afterwards, but after Bc6 or Bb5 White can simply exchange queens with Qg7+ and then pocket the bishop, and the computer finds a mate on four with h7.} *

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The second game was played two days later. I started cautiously enough, but relaxed at a crucial moment.

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1. d4 {I am playing Black with 75 minutes for 30 moves and twenty for the rest of the game (a big improvement on the previous 15-minute finish). I had played my opponent several years before, when he must have been about fifteen; he’s improved since.} 1... Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 (3. dxc5 {is a reasonable alternative when} 3... g6 {is said to be risky because the pawn is hard to win back.}) 3... d6 ({I think my official repertoire is} 3... e6 {heading for a Blumenfeld after} 4. c4 b5 {but I forgot this and was trying for a Benko.}) (3... b5 {is another way to head for something like a Benko}) 4. Nc3 (4. c4 b5 {could lead to a mainline Benko}) 4... e6 5. e4 exd5 6. exd5 (6. Nxd5 {does very well in a small sample of games and may be an objection to Black’s play}) 6... Be7 7. Bf4 O-O 8. Bd3 {My opponent thought this was wrong, and I’m inclined to agree. White can ask for positional play with a4 and Nc4, or can cattle queenside and attack; my opponent had the second in mind, but this doesn’t fit.} (8. Qd2 {followed by queenside castling}) (8. Be2) 8... Na6 9. O-O Nc7 (9... Nb4 {seems not to achieve much e.g.} 10. Be2 Bf5 11. Rc1) 10. Re1 b6 {This steady approach seems to suit the position.} 11. Qe2 Re8 12. Rad1 Bb7 13. Bc4 {I was glad to have pushed his bishop here, but mine on b7 isn’t doing much either.} 13... Qd7 14. a4 a6 15. h3 Bf8 16. Qd3 {Continuing to restrain b5.} 16... g6 { [] The position is delicately balanced, but now my opponent is afflicted by an idea.} 17. Ng5 Bg7 18. Nge4 {Attacking d6, but wrong.} (18. Ne6 {was suggested by the opposing top board but doesn’t work after} 18... fxe6 19. dxe6 Qc6) 18... Nxe4 19. Nxe4 b5 {I think my opponent had forgotten about this.} 20. Ba2 c4 21. Qg3 (21. Qa3 {is also possible.}) 21... Nxd5 22. Bxd6 ({After} 22. Nxd6 {the computer likes Black after} 22... Rxe1+ 23. Rxe1 Nxf4 24. Qxf4 Qc7 ({rather than my thought} 24... Bxb2 {which runs into} 25. Rb1 Ba3 26. Nxb7 Qxb7 27. axb5 axb5 28. Bxc4)) 22... Qc6 23. c3 {This looked sensible, but now I spotted a tactic.} (23. Nc5 Bxb2 {is good for Black.}) 23... Rxe4 24. Rxe4 Nxc3 25. bxc3 Qxe4 { [] Black is a pawn up with well placed pieces, and quarter of an hour ahead on the clock, while White’s light-squared bishop is incarcerated. Unfortunately, this is where the fun starts.} 26. Bb4 Qe2 {Closing in for the kill.} (26... Be5 27. Qg4 {and Black has many good options.} ({I seem to remember expecting} 27. Qe3 {but this is not such a good idea})) 27. Rd7 {Short of time, my opponent spots his best chance.} 27... Bc6 ({At some point I had intended} 27... Qe1+ 28. Kh2 Be5 {but White has} 29. f4) (27... Be5 28. f4) 28. Re7 (28. Rc7 {loses to} 28... Qe1+ 29. Kh2 Be5 30. f4 Qxg3+ 31. Kxg3 Bxc7) 28... Qxa2 29. Qc7 Bd5 {Still thinking I had everything covered.} ({Black can bale out here and keep a winning material advantage with} 29... Be8 30. Qb7 Qb1+ 31. Kh2 Rd8 32. Ba5 Qd3) 30. Qd7 Qb1+ 31. Kh2 {I thought he might resign at the time control. Then I realised I had completely lost control of the position.} 31... Qf5 32. Re8+ {I had missed this when I took the bishop but thought my defence still worked.} 32... Bf8 33. Qe7 {I had missed this too.} 33... Rxe8 34. Qxe8 { [] } 34... Qf4+ ({Not}34... Kg7 35. Bxf8+ Kf6 36. Qe7#) 35. Kg1 Qh6 ({Black can take a perpetual with} 35... Qc1+ {but I was relieved to find something better.}) 36. axb5 axb5 37. f4 {Trying to restrict Black’s queen. But in the queen ending, this pawn turns out to be vulnerable.} 37... Qg7 38. Kf2 Bc6 ({The opposing top board pointed out} 38... f6 {which should allow Black to unravel without giving up a piece; if the light-squared bishop is attacked it can eventually run to d3 as in the next note.}) 39. Qc8 Bb7 40. Qb8 f6 {Black can win like this by giving the piece back, but it’s not necessary.} (40... Be4 41. Qe8 Bd3 {followed by f6, Qf7 and Kg7 would be much simpler. For some reason I thought my light-squared bishop needed to defend the king- perhaps a correction from my earlier carelessness.}) 41. Bxf8 Qxf8 42. Qxb7 {Queen endings are distinctive in two ways; advanced passed pawns are particularly dangerous because the defending piece cannot blockade the pawn without help from the king: and king safety is important, as the defender plays for perpetual check or occasionally mate and the attacker tries to use a fork to get the queens off.} 42... Qd6 (42... Qc5+ {looks natural but is less sharp.}) 43. Qxb5 (43. Kf3 {might be better}) 43... Qxf4+ 44. Kg1 Qe3+ 45. Kf1 Qc1+ 46. Kf2 Qxc3 {Being two pawns up allows a pawn sacrifice to force a queen exchange and leaves the opposing king more exposed than my own.} 47. Qe8+ Kg7 48. Qe7+ Kh6 49. Qf8+ Kg5 50. Qc5+ Qe5 {Using the threat of a queen exchange to protect the c pawn.} 51. h4+ (51. Qxc4 Qf4+ 52. Qxf4+ Kxf4 {and the pawn ending is winning e.g.} 53. g3+ Ke4 54. Ke2 f5 55. Kf2 Kd3 56. Kf3 g5 57. h4 h6 58. Kf2 Kd2 59. Kf3 Ke1 60. Ke3 Kf1 61. Kf3 Kg1) 51... Kg4 ({not} 51... Kxh4 52. Qxc4+) 52. Qc6 {Reginam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret.} (52. Qxc4+ Qf4+) 52... f5 { [] I played this and then thought I was getting mated.} 53. Qf3+ Kxh4 54. g3+ Kg5 (54... Kh3 55. Qh1+ Kg4 56. Qh4# {was the line that had scared me. But the h pawn’s removal has given the king freedom.}) 55. Qh1 {A last mate threat.} 55... Qd4+ 56. Ke2 Qe4+ {and my opponent resigned.} *

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The best move

does not exist. Usually, there is more than one move that leaves the theoretical result of a position unchanged (whereas mistakes alter it). The difference between theoretically correct moves lies in the difficulty of the problems they pose the opponent. Which depends on who, or what, the opponent is.

Imagine a computer that had solved chess. It would always draw against itself, unless the theoretical result of the game is a win for White or Black, which seems unlikely. But put that computer in a round-robin against other, less capable machines. It might not win the tournament. And in order to win, it might have to take some risks; play some theoretically losing moves. Theoretically sound chess might be too quiet to win enough games.

At the human level, there is a kind of ethic of correctness: some risks one is ashamed to take. One feels guilty playing an objectively bad move on the assumption that the opponent will not see the refutation. But the level of risk one takes probably varies according to the opponent: both what one knows beforehand, and how one senses their play at the board. I doubt if absolute neutrality is psychologically possible; you are, much of the time, riding a wave.

In this game from the Central London League my 23rd and 24th moves constitute a pawn sacrifice which has a positional rationale but incurs some risk. I have no idea whether it loses against best play; and I don’t know whether I would have been more cautious against a different player. It gave my opponent something to think about, anyway.

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1. d4 {I am playing Black, with 75 minutes for the game plus 15 second increment. I didn’t know my opponent’s grading but knew the opposing team’s lower boards were likely to be ranked rather below ours.} 1... Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. e3 {I had nothing prepared against this move and wanted to keep the game strategically complex.} 3... e6 4. Nf3 b6 5. Nc3 cxd4 6. exd4 d6 {Black’s setup is like a Hedgehog, but against the c4-d4 centre rather than c4 and e4.} 7. Be2 (7. Bd3 {seems more natural and has better results though in a small sample of games.}) 7... Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Be3 Nbd7 11. b3 Rc8 12. b4 Qc7 13. Nb5 Qb8 14. a3 Rfe8 (14... Ba6 15. Qa4) 15. Nd2 {My opponent stakes out space with his pawns but plays a little cautiously with his pieces; a slight preference for statics over dynamics ?} Qa8 16. f3 Nd5 17. Qb3 ({or} 17. Bf2 Nf4) 17... Nxe3 {Hoping the two bishops and White’s dark square weakness will tell.} ({I considered} 17... a6 18. Nxd6 ({not} 18. Nc3 Nxe3) (18. cxd5 Bxd5 19. Qb2 axb5 {is possible.}) 18... Bxd6 (18... Nxe3 {fails to} 19. Nxc8) 19. cxd5 Bxd5) 18. Qxe3 h6 19. Rac1 e5 {Feeling I had to start doing something, and hoping my majority would be more mobile than his.} 20. d5 a6 21. Nc3 f5 22. Bd3 Bg5 23. Qe2 { [] Now I transform the position} e4 24. fxe4 f4 { [] Black gets a dark-squared blockade. I liked this Petrosian-inspired idea, but it’s a big commitment and I had fallen quarter an hour behind on the clock over the last few moves. Moreover, White has a strong pawn centre and Black’s queenside pieces are not so easy to mobilise. The computer doesn’t like the pawn sacrifice but I am not sure how grave a risk I was running.} 25. Nf3 {I think I’d missed this but fortunately it doesn’t matter too much.} 25... Bf6 26. Qf2 b5 27. Ne2 bxc4 28. Rxc4 Rxc4 29. Bxc4 g5 { [] } ({Reluctantly deterred from} 29... Rxe4 {by} 30. Nd2) 30. h3 {?} (30. Nd2 {is better and the computer still prefers White.}) 30... Rxe4 {The disappearance of the pawn revives Black’s queen’s bishop.} 31. Nd2 Re3 {Possibly too loose.} (31... Re5 {may be better}) 32. Kh1 {? After playing fast and keeping ahead on the clock my opponent now started thinking a lot and had overtaken me by move 37. But this move is again too passive, and from now on Black’s activity overwhelms White. I miss some better options but keep a winning position.} ({After} 32. Nxf4 {!} gxf4 33. Qxf4 {I think I was planning} 33... Qe8 {but the machine thinks White is doing OK. I don’t know if my opponent considered the knight sacrifice.}) 32... Bxd5 33. Rc1 Ne5 {In such a sharp position, the trick is to combine a bit of analysis with recollection of the basic positional imperatives. Here it’s important to activate all the pieces.} 34. Rc2 Nd3 35. Bxd3 Rxh3+ (35... Rxd3 36. Nxf4 {is not good for White but short of time it seemed worth preventing.}) 36. Kg1 Rxd3 37. Qf1 ({Now if} 37. Nxf4 {then} 37... Bd4) 37... Qe8 38. Nc4 Bxc4 (38... f3 {is crushing according to the machine. But I was happy to simplify a bit while keeping control.}) 39. Rxc4 Qe3+ (39... Rd2) 40. Kh1 Rd2 41. Qb1 {At last an active move, but I had it covered.} (41. Ng1) 41... Qd3 (41... Qxe2 {??} 42. Qg6+ {would be sad}) 42. Rc8+ Kg7 43. Qxd3 Rxd3 { [] The ending is clearly winning for Black. I had four minutes on the clock and was playing mainly on the fifteen-second increment, but the position is not too difficult.} 44. Rc6 Be5 45. Rc7+ (45. Rxa6 {loses to} 45... Rd1+ 46. Ng1 Bd4 47. Rxd6 Rxg1+ 48. Kh2 Be3) 45... Kg6 46. Rc1 Rxa3 47. Kg1 Ra1 48. Rxa1 Bxa1 49. Kf2 Kf5 50. g3 Ke4 {Still trying to restrict his pieces.} 51. gxf4 gxf4 52. Nc1 Bd4+ 53. Ke2 f3+ 54. Kf1 Bc3 {Here White resigned. After 54 Na2 I was planning Bd2 when both knight and king are tied down and simply advancing the h pawn will win.} *

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