A move that looks like it wins demands accurate calculation.
Istvan Csom White
Janos Flesch Black
Szombathely 1966
Sicilian Defense, Closed Variation B23
1 e4 c5 2 ♘c3 e6 3 g3 ♘c6 4 ♗g2 ♖b8 5 ♘f3 b5 6 0-0 b4 7 ♘e2 ♘f6 8 d4!?
Now 8...♗a6 9 d5! favors White’s space and development edge.
For instance, 9…exd5 10 exd5 ♘e7 11 a3 and axb4.
8...♘xe4 9 ♘e5
This makes sense by attacking both enemy knights (9...♘f6? 10 ♗xc6!).
9...♘xe5 10 dxe5 f5!
Question 291: Why is this better than 10...d5 ?
11 h4?
This cuts off the knight’s escape route to g5 and thereby threatens f2-f3.
But 11 ♘f4! with its threat of ♕h5+ offered some compensation.
11...♗a6!
Black keeps an extra pawn or two after 12 ♖e1 ♗e7 13 f3? ♗xe2 and 14...♘xg3.
12 ♘f4 ♗xf1! 13 ♕h5+ g6!
Not 13...♔e7? in view of 14 ♗xe4 fxe4? 15 ♘d5+! exd5 16 ♗g5+.
14 ♘xg6
White concludes that this wins (14...hxg6 15 ♕xg6+ ♔e7 16 ♗xe4 and ♗g5 mate).
14...♗e2! White resigns.
There is nothing left after 15 ♕xe2 hxg6 or 15 f3 ♘xg3.
Miroslav Marovic White
Miroslav Markovic Black
Budva 2003
1 e4 c5 2 ♘c3 ♘c6 3 g3 ♖b8 4 ♗g2 b5 5 ♘f3 b4 6 ♘d5 e6 7 ♘e3 d5! 8 d3 ♘f6 9 ♘d2 ♗e7 10 0-0 0-0 11 c3 bxc3 12 bxc3 ♗a6 13 exd5 ♘xd5 14 ♘xd5 exd5 15 ♘f3 ♗f6 16 ♕c2 ♕a5 17 ♗d2 ♕b5 18 ♘e1 ♖fe8 19 ♖c1 ♕b2! 20 ♗f4 (Better is 20 ♗xd5 ♘e5 21 c4) ♕xc2 21 ♖xc2 ♖b1 22 c4 ♘d4 23 ♖d2 dxc4 24 dxc4 ♗xc4 25 ♘d3 ♗xd3 26 ♖xb1 ♗xb1 White resigns.