Everybody appreciates entertaining chess! To create this kind of game one of the players must invariably take risks. A slight error on part of his opponent and the risk-taker can be richly rewarded. But sometimes these risks backfire horribly, and he will be severely punished, but even so the spectator will always be the winner!
I call this kind of chess ‘stormy chess’, far from perfect but filled with spirit and enterprise. Below are a few examples from recent events. Enjoy!
(Note: I am using the RPB pluggin: just click on any move with your mouse and a floating diagram will appear.)
im Xiang,Z (2435) – gm Ma,Qun (2630) Chinese League 9.5.2019 0-1
In this game White plays to get the Bishop Pair, but in doing so lags behind Black in development. Black plays energetically and quickly opens up the c-file to expose the White Queen. When White loses further time with his Queen, Black smashes open the Kingside and the rest was a massacre.
Brutal! Sometimes it is just too risky going after the Bishop Pair early on, especially at the cost of your development.
A very sharp line of the Tartakower Queen’s Gambit Decline where White castles Queenside with the hope of advancing his pawns on the Kingside. Both Karpov and Kasparov have successfully played this way in the past, including against each other!
In this game here Black is the higher rated player (and more experienced!) and therefore decides to enter into the sharpest (and riskiest) line, avoiding the exchange of Queens. He quickly finds that White is better prepared. The ending is very pretty as White sacrifices his Rook on the Kingside.
A piece is a piece is a piece! Black clearly risked too much and underestimated his much younger opponent. These days the younger players often know the theory better!
