The problem with some positions is the first-rank pieces you haven’t touched yet.
Mikhail Tal White
Wolfgang Uhlmann Black
Herceg Novi 1970
Reti Opening A00
1 g3 d5 2 ♗g2 ♘f6 3 c4 dxc4 4 ♘f3 ♘bd7
It’s not evident but Black’s main opening problem is how to develop his queenside pieces. One solution is 5 ♕a4 a6 6 ♕xc4 b5! and ...♗b7.
5 0-0 a6 6 ♘a3
Black can’t stop ♘xc4 with 6...b5 in view of 7 ♘d4! (7...♖b8?? 8 ♘c6).
Moreover, 6...♘b6 7 ♘e5 e6 favors White after 8 ♘axc4 ♘xc4 9 ♘xc4 ♗e7 10 d4 because of Black’s queenside stragglers (10...0-0 11 ♗g5 ♖b8 12 ♖c1 ♗d7 13 ♘e5).
6...c5? 7 ♘xc4 e6 8 d4!
Now 8...cxd4 9 ♕xd4 is followed by 10 ♘d6+ (or 9 ♘xd4 and ♗d2/♖c1 with advantage.
Question 366: What about 8...♘b6 ?
8...♖b8? 9 ♗f4! ♖a8
Black can’t survive the loss of two tempi.
10 dxc5! ♘xc5
Or 10...♗xc5 11 ♗d6! and Black cannot castle (11...♗xd6 12 ♘xd6+ ♔f8 13 ♘g5 or 12...♔e7 13 e4 with a near-winning position).
11 ♕xd8+ ♔xd8 12 ♖fd1+
Now 12...♘d5 13 ♘b6 is like the game. So is 12...♘cd7 13 ♘b6 ♖a7 14 ♗b8 – except that White has the even better 14 ♖ac1! and ♖xc8+.
12...♘fd7 13 ♘b6 ♖a7 14 ♗b8! resigns.
Malek Mohammed Abdul White
Mehdi Hasan Black
Dhaka 2004
1 ♘f3 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 ♕a4+ ♘d7 4 g3 ♘gf6 5 ♗g2 c6 6 ♕xc4 ♘b6 7 ♕c2 ♗g4 8 h3 ♗xf3 9 ♗xf3 e6 10 0-0 ♘bd5 11 d3 ♕b6 12 ♘d2 ♖d8 13 a3 h5? 14 e4! ♘c7 15 ♘c4 ♕d4 16 ♖d1 ♕d7 17 d4 ♗e7 18 ♕b3 ♕c8 19 ♗e3 ♘a8 20 ♗g5 b5? 21 ♘e5 ♘g8 22 ♗xe7 ♘xe7 23 ♖ac1 ♕a6 24 ♕e3 f6 25 ♘d3 ♘b6 26 ♘f4! ♘c4 27 ♕e2 h4 28 ♘xe6 ♖d7? 29 ♘c5 resigns.