When scrambling to keep an initiative running, consider forcing moves far from the center of action.
Ljubomir Ljubojevic White
Ricardo Calvo Black
Lanzarote 1973
Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense C67
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 ♘f6 4 0-0 ♘xe4 5 ♖e1 ♘d6
Black gains time by threatening ...♘xb5. He would be worse after 5...♘f6 6 ♘xe5 ♘xe5? 7 d4! and 8 dxe5.
6 ♘xe5 ♗e7 7 ♕h5 ♘xe5
White’s mini-initiative sputters after 7...g6. Then a queen retreat to e2 or f3 invites 8...♘d4. Also, 8 ♕h6 ♘f5 and 8 ♘xc6? gxh5 9 ♘xd8? ♘xb5.
8 ♕xe5
White would have a tiny edge after 8...0-0 9 ♕xe7 ♘xb5 10 ♕b4. Or 8...f6 9 ♕h5+ g6 10 ♕d5 ♘xb5 11 ♕xb5.
8...♘xb5?? 9 ♕xg7! ♖f8
Now 10 d3 d5! is fine for Black (11 ♗h6 ♗e6 12 ♕xh7 ♘d4! with advantage).
Also too slow is 10 ♘c3 ♘xc3 11 dxc3 d5 12 ♗h6 ♗e6. White needs to stop ...d5!.
10 a4! ♘d6 11 ♘c3
White threatens ♘d5 and would answer 11...c6 with 12 ♕f6 (threat of ♕xd6).
Question 182: And on 12...♘c4 ?
11...♘f5 12 ♘d5!
The ♘f6 mate threat decides.
12...f6 13 ♕xh7 d6 14 ♕g6+ resigns.
Mate is nigh: 14...♖f7 15 ♘xf6+ ♔f8 16 ♕g8.
James Sherwin White
Arthur Bisguier Black
New York 1962
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 ♘f6 4 0-0 ♘xe4 5 ♖e1 ♘d6 6 ♘xe5 ♗e7 7 ♗d3 ♘xe5 8 ♖xe5 0-0 9 ♘c3 ♗f6 10 ♖e3 g6 11 b3 ♗d4 12 ♖e2 b6 13 ♗a3 c5 14 b4 ♗b7 15 bxc5 bxc5 16 ♖b1 ♖b8 17 ♘e4? ♗xe4 18 ♖xb8 ♕xb8 19 ♗xe4 ♖e8 20 d3 ♘b5! White resigns.