Modern computers have shown us that in some non-dynamic positions there are many acceptable ways to skin a cat. In other words, so long as you play a reasonable move, you are fine. The problem
for humans is determining which positions these are (criticality assessment) and the ability to then pick out a reasonable move fairly quickly, leaving time for more analytical, critical moves later.
always sufficient. For example, where to place the king, whether to trade queens, or whether to go into a king-and-pawn endgame can also be extremely critical decisions.
31… ♕g5!
The only move to secure an advantage. The threat is 32…♕e3+ picking up the knight at c3. Notice how active the bishops are here, compared to the line where Black appropriately avoided the queen trade on move 29. It only took one or two inaccuracies by White and accurate moves by Black to turn things around.
32.♕e1? …
White is suddenly on the defensive and, as so often happens, he is not able to shift gears and find a good defense. It is psychologically difficult to go into defensive mode after not playing defense for a while. White had to play the dangerous-looking 32.♘f5! when, after 32…♗xf5 33.♕xf5 ♕xg3+ 34.♔f1 ♕f4+ (necessary because White’s queen was ideally placed for counterattack), White plays 35.♔e2 with chances to hold. But it’s understandable that, once we calculate as far as 33…♕xg3+, losing a pawn with check might cause us to eliminate that line at that point. The problem is that the alternatives, such as the game continuation, are even less promising.
32… ♔f7?
Missing the win. The bishops break in after 32…♕d2! 33.♕xd2 ♗xd2–+ and White has to place his attacked knight on an awkward square. After that, the bishops would rule.
33.♔g2 …
It’s much easier to make meaningful mistakes when the play gets sharper. Again the sacrifice 33.♘f5! ♗xf5 34.exf5 ♕xf5 35.♘e4 was best, when two important general principles help to offset White’s loss of a pawn:
Black had to give up the bishop pair (worth on the average a half a pawn, and here clearly at least that) to win the pawn; and
Notoriously, queen and knight is a better combination of pieces to have than queen and bishop.
Despite the above, the action at this point in the game is more about careful analysis than about understanding general principles.
33… ♔e8(?)
Now 33…♕d2+!–+ is on again, although the computer has to look deeper than on the previous move to see that this continuation is still winning. Missed opportunities abound, but that’s normal even for strong players when the game gets complex. You can’t worry about making mistakes – they are going to happen, and mistakes earlier in the game are gone (worry about them after the game
when you study what you did, to learn something for future play). During the game you can only be
concerned about doing the best that you can with the actual position and your clock situation. Anything that detracts from your ability to find the best move that you can in a reasonable time is detrimental.
34.♕f2(?) …
During the game you can only be concerned about doing the best that you can with the actual position and your clock situation. Anything that detracts from your ability to find the best move that
you can in a reasonable time is detrimental.
Interestingly, switching the side of action to the queenside with 34.♘a4! or 34.♘b1! gives White equal play.
34… ♕e3?
The series of errors continues, as Black just doesn’t realize how strong the idea of 34…♕d2! is, e.g. 35.♕xd2 ♗xd2 36.♘a2 ♔d7, with a very likely win for Black.
35.♘f5? …
As happens elsewhere in this book, the formerly saving move is now a clear mistake! Those things can happen even when the position only changes a little. Instead 35.♕f6 makes the best of a bad situation.
Black to play and win:
Black to play after 35.♘f5?
Missing the win with 35…♗h3+ 36.♔g1 (Of course not the removal-of-the-guard 36.♔xh3? ♕xf2, winning the queen. If you assumed that was the entire answer, you are incorrect since taking the bishop is not forced. You have to prove the win in each critical line against best play, not just against one poor defensive line) 36…♗xf5–+ winning a piece after 37.exf5 ♕xc3, but not 36…♕xc3? 37.♘xh6, or 36…♕c1+? 37.♔h2 ♗xf5 38.♕xf5 ♕xc3 39.♕xh5+, picking up the bishop with a slight advantage to White.
36.♘xh6= …
With a sigh of relief?! Now it’s White who threatens to escape with 37.♕f7+ and Black has to look for the counter! In dynamic positions, things can change fast with even one critical mistake.
36… ♕d3(!)
Since 37.♕f7+ cannot be stopped, Black makes sure that his queen is in a good position to counterattack if White stops afterwards to take a pawn.
37.♕f7+ ♔d8=
38.♕g8+ …
The awkward placement of the knight, combined with the exposure of White’s king, makes it difficult for White to do serious damage to Black’s king. Still, more accurate was 38.♕f8+ with equality, to prevent Black’s king from going to the c-file due to 38…♔c7? 39.♕xc5+.
38… ♔c7!
39.♘xg4? …
Black to play after 39.♘xg4?
g4, he should first have played 39.♕f7+ ♔b6 40.♕g6+ (guarding the e4 square is crucial, as compared to the game) 40…♔a5 41.♘xg4 hxg4 42.♕xg4 c4 43.♕d7!□ .
39… ♕xe4+!
40.♔h3?–+ …
The easiest endgame to lose (and win) is the king-and-pawn endgame, which White invites with
this move. Much more important to learn than positional principles like “doubled pawns are bad” is, “Never intentionally go into a king-and-pawn endgame that can be avoided if you are not pretty
sure of getting what you want.” This is an extension of the famous principle, Avoid trades of pieces when you are losing. Here White wants at least a draw, but I don’t think he gave a lot of thought as to
whether the resulting king-and-pawn endgame was salvageable before he allowed the queen trade.
Instead, the calm 40.♔f1 gave White good chances for survival in a tricky queen-and-pawn ending down a pawn after 40…♕xg4 41.d6+! ♔xd6 ♕b8+ 42.♔d5 ♕xb7+ 43.♔c4 b6!. In queen-
and-pawn endgames, sometimes the advantage lies not with the player with the most pawns, but the one with the most dangerous passed pawn.
40… ♕xg4+!
41.♕xg4 hxg4+
42.♔xg4 …
Black to play after 42.♔xg4
42… ♔d6
Also instructive – and winning – is 42…c4 43.♔f3 c3 44.♔e3 e4! (tying up the white king) 45.g4 ♔d6 46.g5 ♔xd5 47.g6 ♔e6 and Black wins easily. If Black could have looked ahead and seen that 44…e4 would freeze the white king and that he would therefore have the time to both pick up the d-pawn and stop the g-pawn, he could have won immediately. You can’t play these very