Better Thinking, Better Chess by Joel Benjamin

Author:Joel Benjamin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New in Chess

CHALLENGE 47

Where should White move his knight?

15.♘ce3

This move was played relatively quickly on feel, but just a little bit of calculation would have helped.

15…g6 16.♘h4

Now 16…♗h6! would have given Black a big edge, as White’s structure will be ripped apart.

16…♗g7 17.♖e1?

White is okay after 17.♖c2.

17…♗h6

Better late than never.

Black won quickly after

18.dxc5 ♖xe3 19.cxb6 ♖xc1 20.♗xc1 ♕xb6 21.fxe3 ♗xe3+ 22.♔h1 ♘g4 23.♖f1 ♗xc1 24.♕xc1 ♗xe2 25.♘f5 ♗xf1 26.♕c8+ ♘f8 27.♘e7+ ♔g7 28.♕xg4 ♕f2 29.♗xd5 ♗g2+ 0-1

If you are extending your analysis for forcing moves, you catch 16…♗h6. Consequently, Tan could have considered two alternatives which seem more promising to me.

A) 15.♘cd6 doesn’t work that well after 15…♖xe2 16.♗a1 ♗xd6 17.♘xd6 ♖c6 18.dxc5 ♖e6 19.♗xd5 (19.♖e1 ♖xe1+ 20.♕xe1 bxc5 21.♘f5 ♖e6) 19…♖exd6 20.♗xc6! ♖xd1 21.♖fxd1 ♕e7 22.♗xd7 ♘xd7 23.c6 ♘c5 24.c7 ♕xc7 25.b4 h6 and the long diagonal will be a major problem for White. But this line is complicated and not all that obvious. Black might well opt for 15…♗xe2 16.♕d2 ♗xf1 17.♖xf1 when White’s activity will greatly compensate for the pawn deficit;

B) 15.♘e5 is totally fine except for 15…g6 16.♘e3 ♘xe5 17.dxe5 d4!, which gives Black an advantage. But even if Black finds this, White is still better off than in the game.

Normally you would want to be calculating this earlier; at least before move fourteen, and ideally before 12.♘h4. The moves in this sequence are somewhat forcing and predictable, so it’s not unreasonable for a strong, hard-working player to do so. But at minimum, White should stop at move fifteen and seriously consider the ramifications of different knight moves.

This is where discipline in the calculation process is so important. So many mistakes are made not by miscalculating, but by not calculating. If you let yourself be dragged along by the flow of the position, anything can happen to you.

Compare candidates

Players often assume that they must reject a move when they spot a flaw. But before you go in a different direction, you must make sure the alternative isn’t worse. You may have to come back to the rejected move and try to make it work better. Otherwise, it’s from the frying pan into the fire.

Game 59

Trung Nguyen2147

Brandon Jacobson2333

Morristown jr 2017 (4)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.♘f3 ♘f6 4.g3 g6 5.♗g2 ♗g7 6.0-0 0-0 7.♘bd2 b6 8.b3 ♗b7 9.♗b2 ♘a6 10.♖c1 c5 11.dxc5 bxc5 12.cxd5 exd5 13.♕c2 ♖e8 14.♖fe1 d4 15.a3 ♖b8 16.♕d3 ♘d7 17.h4 ♘c7 18.♘c4 ♗a6 19.♕c2 ♘b5 20.e3 dxe3 21.♖xe3 ♖xe3 22.♘xe3 ♘d4 23.♘xd4 cxd4

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