Chapter 49
Luring enemy pieces to bad squares
Here, we are concerned with luring an enemy piece to a bad square or line, with the idea of exploiting its position. Naturally, the opponent will not usually put a piece on such a bad square voluntarily, so we have to make some exertions to bring this about. For example, sacrifices can be used for this purpose.
304 *
Paul Keres
Conel Alexander
Hastings 1954 (3)
White has the advantage, but the tactical solution is rather unusual.
16.♘e5! ♘xe5 17.♗f5!!
Lightning from a clear sky.
More complicated but possible was 17.♕xa7!? ♘c6 18.♕a8+ ♘b8 19.a4! ♗d6 20.a5 ♕c6 (20…♗xg3 21.a6 c6 22.♗f5+–) 21.♗h4! ♘e4 22.♗xd8 ♖xd8 23.a6 b6 24.♕xc6 ♘xc6 25.♗xe4 dxe4 26.♖xe4, with the advantage in the endgame;
But nothing was achieved by 17.♗b5 c6 18.♕xa7 cxb5∞.
17…♕xf5 18.♖xe5 ♕d3?
Losing at once. But even after the strongest continuation, White keeps extra material:
A) 18…♕d7 19.♕xa7 ♕d6 (19…♕e8 20.♖ae1 ♘e4 21.♕a8+ ♔d7 22.♕xb7 ♘d6 23.♕xd5+–) 20.♖ae1 ♗f8 (20…♕a6 21.♕xa6 bxa6 22.♖xe7+–) 21.♖f5 ♕c6 22.♗h4 ♗g7 23.♖e7 b6 24.♗xf6 ♖de8 25.h4
;
B) 18…♕g6 19.♖xe7 ♖d7 20.♖xd7 ♘xd7 21.♕xa7.
19.♖xe7 ♖d7 20.♖e3! ♕a6 21.♕xa6 bxa6 22.♗e5 ♖d6 23.♗xd6 cxd6 24.♖e7
1-0
305 *
Konstantin Sakaev
2665
Denis Yevseev
2580
St Petersburg 2004 (9)
If we exchange the ♗f7, Black recaptures with the rook. The diagonal remains partly closed, and White cannot exploit it. Therefore, White carries out the exchange on another square, exploiting a tactical motif:
22.e6! ♗xe6 23.♗xe6+ ♕xe6 24.♖xd7!
First, White lured the enemy queen onto the desired diagonal, and now he deflects her from it.
24…♕xd7 25.♕c4+ ♖f7 26.♕xc5
The white knight quietly returns to the centre, and the e-pawn, supported by its pieces, proves decisive.
26…h6 27.♘c3 g5 28.♗d6 ♕g4 29.e5 h5 30.♕e3 ♖e8 31.♘e4 ♖f5 32.♔g2
Black resigned.
306 **
Pavel Eljanov
2683
Peter Leko
2728
Saratov 2011 (2)
The black king is in danger. The f7-square looks inadequately defended, and the set-up ♕h7-h8 and ♗b1-h7 is crying out to be played. However, the ♘f5 prevents this, and after the straightforward 27.♕h8, there follows the simple 27…g7-g6. A nice tactic comes to the rescue:
27.♘e7!
In the game, White did not find this move, and after 27.♖d1 ♕c6 28.♕xg8+ ♔xg8 29.♘e7+ ♔f8 30.♘xc6 ♖xc6 Black managed to save this difficult endgame.
27…♘xe7
In the event of 27…♕xe7 28.♖xe7, White has a decisive material advantage.
28.♕h8+ ♘g8 29.♗h7
And Black is mated.
307 **
Levon Aronian
2809
Boris Gelfand
2740
London ct 2013 (2)
25…♖c8?
Black would probably have managed to draw after 25…♗d5.
26.♗h6+!
Luring the king onto a knight fork.
26…♔g8
Other retreats are no help:
A) 26…♔xh6 27.♖xc8 ♗xc8 28.♘xf7+ ♔g7 29.♘xd8+–;
B) 26…♔f6 27.♗g5+ ♔xg5 28.♖xc8 ♗xc8 29.♘xf7+ ♔f4 30.♘xd8 ♔e4 31.f3+ ♔e3 (31…♔xd4 32.♘c6+ ♔c4 33.♘xa7 ♗d7 34.b5+–) 32.b5.
27.♖xc8 ♗xc8 28.♘c6 ♗f6 29.b5 ♗d7 30.g4 g5
Black could not play 30…a6 because of 31.g5! axb5 (31…♗h8 32.♘e7#) 32.♘b8 ♗xd4 33.♘xd7 ♗xb2 34.♔f1+–.
31.h4! gxh4 32.g5 ♗xc6 33.bxc6 ♗d8 34.♔g2 ♗c7 35.♔h3
Black resigned.
308 ***
Boris Grachev
2668
Alexander Krapivin
2491
Moscow 2010
White has a good position in the centre, but his king is on an unpleasant diagonal, where it faces threats of checks. This is felt especially in conjunction with the position of the ♗f4, which is currently cut off by the e3-pawn from the diagonal a5-e1. This circumstance could be exploited with the surprising…
15…♕a6+!
The game went 15…♕b5+ 16.♔d2 ♕a5 17.♔e2 ♕a6+ 18.♔d2 ♕a5 19.♔e2 ♕a6+, with a draw by repetition.
16.♔d2 ♘c2!
With this move, Black lures one of the white pieces to c2.
17.♖xc2
On 17.a3, Black wins immediately with 17…♗b4+!.
If White defends the king with 17.♕d3, then after 17…♕a5+ 18.♔e2 ♘xa1 19.♖xa1 ♕a4, he not only loses the exchange, but also concedes the c-file, which gives Black a decisive advantage.
17…♖xc2+ 18.♔xc2
After 18.♕xc2 ♗b4+ 19.♔d1 ♕f1+, White is mated.
18…♕e2+ 19.♔b1 ♕f1+ 20.♔c2 ♖c8+ 21.♔d2 ♕xa1 22.♔e2 ♕c1
Black is winning.
Additional material
Kasparov-Ligterink, La Valetta Olympiad 1980 – White’s 22nd move