When you find your fingers making an ugly-looking move, it’s too late. You should have asked:
Do I really need such a move?
Viktor Kupreichik White
Albin Planinc Black
Sombor 1970
Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Variation C62
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 ♗e7 4 0-0 ♘f6 5 ♖e1 d6 6 c3 0-0 7 d4 ♗d7 8 h3 ♖e8
Question 187: Did Black miss a tactic?
9 ♘bd2 ♗f8 10 ♗c4 exd4 11 cxd4 d5
Black neutralizes the b3-f7 line. He stands well after 12 exd5 ♖xe1+! 13 ♘xe1 ♘xd4 and 13 ♕xe1 ♘b4 .
12 ♗b3! dxe4 13 ♗xf7+ ♔xf7 14 ♕b3+
14...♔g6??
This looks so awful that he had to hunt for alternatives.
He could see that 14...♔e7? is bound to turn out badly after 15 ♘xe4 and a discovered check (15...♕b8 16 ♘d6+! ♔xd6? 17 ♗f4+).
That would force him to look at 14...♗e6!. At first, he would think 15 ♘g5+ ♔g8 16 ♘xe6 wins. But then he might see the saving 16...♘a5! (17 ♘xd8+ ♘xb3).
15 ♘h4+! ♔h5
Or 15...♔h6 16 ♘xe4+ g5 17 ♗xg5+.
16 ♘xe4 ♖xe4
And 16...♘xe4 17 ♕f3+ and mates.
17 ♖xe4 g5 18 ♕f7+ ♔h6 19 ♘f5+! resigns.
It’s mate after 19...♗xf5 20 ♖h4+.
Peter Kahn White
Boris Gruzmann Black
Saint Vincent 2003
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 d6 4 d4 ♗d7 5 c3 ♘f6 6 0-0 ♗e7 7 ♖e1 0-0 8 ♘bd2 ♘xd4! 9 ♘xd4 exd4 10 ♗xd7 dxc3! 11 ♗a4 cxd2 12 ♗xd2 ♘d7 13 ♗c3 ♗f6 14 ♖e3 ♗xc3 15 ♖xc3 ♘c5 16 ♗c2 ♖e8 17 ♕g4 ♕f6 18 ♖d1 g6 19 f4? ♘xe4 20 ♖xc7 ♕xb2 21 ♕d7 ♕b6+! White resigns.