Sometimes you can know too much about positional finesse.
Vasja Pirc White
Pal Benko Black
Yugoslavia 1948
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D28
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 ♘f3 ♘f6 4 e3 c5 5 ♗xc4 e6 6 0-0 a6 7 ♕e2 b5 8 ♗b3 ♘c6 9 ♘c3 cxd4 10 ♖d1
10...d3?
Black knew that 11 exd4 is the kind of position that favors White. For example, 10...♗b7 11 exd4 ♘a5 12 ♗c2 ♗e7 13 ♗g5 and ♘e5.
11 ♖xd3 ♕c7 12 e4!
But the over-finesse costs too much time, e.g. 12...♘a5 13 ♗g5 ♗e7 14 e5! with advantage.
12...♘d7 13 ♘d5!
Now 13...exd5 14 exd5+ profitably regains a piece. For example, 14...♘e7? 15 d6 and 14...♔d8? 15 dxc6 ♕xc6? 17 ♗d5.
13...♕b8 14 ♗f4!
So that 14...♘de5 15 ♘xe5 ♘xe5 16 ♗xe5 ♕xe5 17 ♕c2! and 18 ♘c7+ or 18 ♕c6+ wins.
14...e5 15 ♗e3 ♗b7
Or 15...♘a5 16 ♕d2 ♘xb3 17 axb3 and disaster looms on the open files, e.g. 17...♗b7 18 ♖c1 ♗d6 19 ♘c7+ ♗xc7 20 ♖xd7 ♗d8 21 ♖xf7!.
Question 380: Why not 21...♔xf7 ?
16 ♘g5! ♘a5?
Shortening the game but 16...♘d8 17 ♘b6 ♘xb6 18 ♗xb6 ♗d6 19 ♖ad1 wouldn’t last long either. Or 16…♘d4 17 ♗xd4 exd4 18 e5!.
17 ♕h5! g6 18 ♘f6+! ♘xf6 19 ♗xf7+ ♔e7 20 ♗c5+ resigns.
Julio Bolbochan White
Larry Evans Black
Helsinki 1952
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 ♘f3 a6 4 e3 ♘f6 5 ♗xc4 e6 6 0-0 c5 7 ♕e2 ♘c6 8 ♘c3 b5 9 ♗b3 cxd4 10 exd4!? ♘xd4 11 ♘xd4 ♕xd4 12 ♘d5! ♘xd5 13 ♖d1 ♘c3 14 bxc3 ♕b6 15 ♕e5 ♗b7 16 ♗e3 ♕c6 17 ♗d5 ♕c8 18 ♗xb7 ♕xb7 19 a4 ♖c8 20 axb5 ♕xb5 21 ♕d4 e5 22 ♕g4 ♖d8 23 ♖xd8+ ♔xd8 24 ♖d1+ ♔e7 25 ♕f5 resigns.