Early checking is premature – if you don’t have a good follow-up.
Sokor White
Volk Black
Soviet Union 1937
Gruenfeld Defense D97
1 d4 ♘f6 2 c4 g6 3 ♘c3 d5 4 ♕b3 dxc4 5 ♕xc4 ♗e6!?
Black gets good piece play after 6 ♕d3 c5 (7 dxc5 ♘bd7).
6 ♕b5+! ♘c6
Trap: 7 ♕xb7?? ♘xd4 and the threat of 8...♘c2 mate wins.
7 ♘f3 ♘d5
White’s check would turn out well after 8 e4!. Then 8...♘db4 9 ♕a4! threatens Black’s knights with a2-a3 or d4-d5.
8 ♕xb7? ♘db4!
White’s queen is suddenly at risk of 9...♖b8. After 9 ♕b5 Black has 9...♗d7! (10 ♕a4 ♘xd4 11 ♕xb4 ♘c2+).
Question 172: And if 9 ♘b5 ?
9 ♗f4
White banks on 9...♖b8 10 ♕xc7 ♕xc7 11 ♗xc7 ♖c8 12 ♖d1 ♖xc7 13 d5. Or 9...♘c2+ 10 ♔d1 ♘xa1 11 ♕xc6+ ♗d7 12 ♕xc7 and 10...♘6xd4 11 ♘xd4!, with advantage.
9...♗h6!
So that 10 ♗xh6 ♖b8!.
10 ♗xc7? ♘xd4!
White would be mated after 11 ♘xd4 ♘c2+! 12 ♘xd4 ♕d2 mate. Or 12 ♔d1 ♕xd4+.
11 ♗xd8 ♘dc2+ 12 ♔d1 ♖xd8+ 13 ♘d5 ♗xd5 14 ♕c7 ♗xf3+ 15 ♕xd8+ ♔xd8 16 exf3 ♔c7! White resigns.
Miguel Najdorf White
Laszlo Szabo Black
Mar del Plata 1948
1 d4 ♘f6 2 c4 g6 3 ♘c3 d5 4 ♕b3 dxc4 5 ♕xc4 ♗e6 6 ♕b5+! ♘c6 7 ♘f3 ♖b8? 8 e4! a6 9 ♕d3 ♗g4 10 d5! ♗xf3 11 gxf3 ♘e5 12 ♕d1 ♗g7 13 f4 ♘ed7 14 e5! ♘g8 15 ♗h3! e6 16 dxe6 fxe6 17 ♗e3 (17 ♗xe6 ♘c5!?) ♘f8 18 ♕b3 ♕c8 19 ♘e4 ♘e7 20 ♖c1 ♘c6 21 0-0 h6 22 ♖fd1 ♖h7 23 ♘c5 ♔f7 24 ♗xe6+ resigns. (24...♘xe6 25 ♖d7+).