The game went 15...Qb5+ 16.Kd2 Qa5 17.Ke2 Qa6+ 18.Kd2 Qa5 19.Ke2 Qa6+, with a draw by repetition.
On 17.a3, Black wins immediately with 17...Bb4+!.
If White defends the king with 17.Qd3, then after 17...Qa5+ 18.Ke2 Nxa1 19.Rxa1 Qa4, he not only loses the exchange, but also concedes the c-file, which gives Black a decisive advantage.
If White defends the king with 17.Qd3, then after 17...Qa5+ 18.Ke2 Nxa1 19.Rxa1 Qa4, he not only loses the exchange, but also concedes the c-file, which gives Black a decisive advantage.
Unity Chess Club
Viktor Bologan 2652 Vladimir Akopian 2678 Moscow match rapid 2002 Black to move
Both sides have very exposed kings, but it is Black’s move and he has a queen pointing at the white king. The rook on f3 stops a deadly check on f2, so the solution is easy to find:
Unity Chess Club
Kaido Külaots 2581 Michal Krasenkow 2628 Warsaw Ech rapid 2012 White to move
How can the rook ‘hurdle’ the knight and give a deadly check on d8? One needs to find the square where the knight will be most effective in the attack, even if that square is empty:
The knight is invulnerable (24...exf5 25.Qf6), and by comparison with other squares to which it could have jumped, from here it attacks g7 and e7.