Unity Chess Club
Anatoly Karpov 2710 Ian Rogers 2450 Bath 1983 White to move
The black bishop on d5 is in a very dangerous position, and White only needs to play c2-c4.
With the same idea, White could also get a large advantage with 18.Bd2 Nxe5 19.dxe5 Nf5 20.c4 Nxe3 21.Bxe3 Qb4 22.Qe2, and the bishop is lost. Even so, the text move looks more accurate, because it does not close the d-file to his rook, and it also wins more material.
18.Be1! Nxe5 19.dxe5 Nf5 20.Rh3 0-0-0 21.c4 Qc5 22.b4 Bf3 23.Rxd8+ Rxd8 24.Qxf3 Qxe5 25.Bc3 Qd6 26.Bd3 Nd4 27.Qxf7 Nf5 28.Bxf5 Qf4+ 29.Re3
In attacking the rook, Black naively counted on ensuring a favourable exchange of light-squared bishops on g2. However, he forgot about the safety of his Bb4, which has only one retreat square. There followed:
White gets two bishops for rook and pawn, and the rook currently lacks operating space. Black’s chances of saving the game are few.
14...Re8 15.Qd1 e4 16.Be2 c6 17.axb4 axb4 18.Bd2 Qb6 19.Rc1 c5 20.Qb3
White’s centre is very strong, and after a series of general strengthening moves, there will follow the break f2-f3, deciding the outcome.
20...Ra5 21.Kg2 g6 22.h4 h5 23.Rd1 Rd8 24.Qc2 f5 25.dxc5 dxc5 26.f3 exf3+ 27.Bxf3 Qf6 28.e4 fxe4 29.Bxe4 Ra2 30.Bc1 Rf8 31.d6 Kh7 32.Qxc5 Ra5 33.Qxa5 Qf2+ 34.Kh3 Qe2 35.Bxg6+
Unity Chess Club
Eduard Meduna 2485 Yuri Yakovich 2440 Sochi 1986 White to move
Despite the fact that the black king is stuck in the centre, White cannot break through the row of strong black pawns. But the piece which comes to his rescue is the black queen, trapped in White’s camp:
18...Kf7 19.Bd2 Qc4 20.Rxc4 dxc4 21.Ne5+ fxe5 22.Qe2 Rd5 23.Qxc4 Be7 24.Bc3 Rb8 25.Bxe5 Rb4 26.Qc3 Bf8 27.Bxg7