To Take or Not to Take? - Chess.com
Gaining a material advantage is a classic way of winning in chess. In some situations an extra pawn is sufficient for a victory, in others even being up a queen doesn’t guarantee anything. After all, the main goal of chess is to checkmate the opponent’s king, not to capture all the pieces (pawngrabbers – take notice!). Positional factors often outweigh the material balance. Frequently we have to make a decision whether to win material or not. It occurs in the following situations: 1) Your opponent offers you a sacrifice 2) You have a positional advantage, which can be converted into a material advantage 3) Your opponent blundered.
Let’s consider the cases one at a time.
Your opponent is offering a sacrifice
First you have to determine whether it is a sound sacrifice. If it is incorrect and there are no better moves, you can accept the sacrifice. If the sacrifice is sound, things are more tricky. Sometimes it is better to accept it, sometimes not. The hardest case is when it is not possible to calculate the consequences of a sacrifice (e.g. your opponent gives up a knight for a long-lasting initiative against your king) and there is a choice whether to accept the sacrifice or to decline. Here you will have to consider lots of factors: what can the sacrifice lead to (e.g. are you risking losing, or does your opponent have a perpetual at best?), which side has the easier play after it, how much time both of you have, etc.
You have a positional advantage, which can be converted into a material advantage
As you probably know, gradually increasing your positional advantage often forces the opponent to give up some material. Your task is to evaluate where you have higher chances: with the material advantage or without it. In some positions it makes sense to continue the attack or keep on building up pressure instead of, let’s say, grabbing a pawn or an exchange and having a hard time converting it. Of course, each case is unique. Most pros prefer an easy technical win (even if it takes a lot of moves to play out) to computer-like variations where a single misstep may cost you the game. However, a proper balance is required between trying to play perfectly and relying exclusively on technique.
Your opponent blundered
Unless you have an even more tempting option, you should capitalize on your opponent’s blunders. Watch out for traps though!
In the following game played vs WGM Stojanovic at the Women’s Chess European Championship-2011 I had a few chances to win material.
To Take or Not to Take?
Submitted by WGM Natalia_Pogonina
Gaining a material advantage is a classic way of winning in chess. In some situations an extra pawn is sufficient for a victory, in others even being up a queen doesn’t guarantee anything. After all, the main goal of chess is to checkmate the opponent’s king, not to capture all the pieces (pawngrabbers – take notice!). Positional factors often outweigh the material balance. Frequently we have to make a decision whether to win material or not. It occurs in the following situations: 1) Your opponent offers you a sacrifice 2) You have a positional advantage, which can be converted into a material advantage 3) Your opponent blundered.Let’s consider the cases one at a time.
Your opponent is offering a sacrifice
First you have to determine whether it is a sound sacrifice. If it is incorrect and there are no better moves, you can accept the sacrifice. If the sacrifice is sound, things are more tricky. Sometimes it is better to accept it, sometimes not. The hardest case is when it is not possible to calculate the consequences of a sacrifice (e.g. your opponent gives up a knight for a long-lasting initiative against your king) and there is a choice whether to accept the sacrifice or to decline. Here you will have to consider lots of factors: what can the sacrifice lead to (e.g. are you risking losing, or does your opponent have a perpetual at best?), which side has the easier play after it, how much time both of you have, etc.
You have a positional advantage, which can be converted into a material advantage
As you probably know, gradually increasing your positional advantage often forces the opponent to give up some material. Your task is to evaluate where you have higher chances: with the material advantage or without it. In some positions it makes sense to continue the attack or keep on building up pressure instead of, let’s say, grabbing a pawn or an exchange and having a hard time converting it. Of course, each case is unique. Most pros prefer an easy technical win (even if it takes a lot of moves to play out) to computer-like variations where a single misstep may cost you the game. However, a proper balance is required between trying to play perfectly and relying exclusively on technique.
Your opponent blundered
Unless you have an even more tempting option, you should capitalize on your opponent’s blunders. Watch out for traps though!
In the following game played vs WGM Stojanovic at the Women’s Chess European Championship-2011 I had a few chances to win material.
Stojanovic, Andj (2326) vs. Pogonina, N. (2448)
ch-Euro Indiv Women | Tbilisi GEO | Round 8| 15 May 2011 | ECO: A46 | 0-1
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 b5 5. a4 b4 6. c4 bxc3 7. bxc3 ( 7. Nxc3 ) 7... Ba6 8. O-O Be7 9. Na3 ( 9. Ne5 ) 9... Nbd7 10. c4 c6 ( 10... dxc4? 11. Ne5 ) ( 10... Bxa3? 11. Bxa3 Bxc4 12. Nd2 ) 11. Nd2?! O-O 12. Re1?! ( 12. e4 dxc4 13. e5 ( 13. Naxc4 Nb6 ) 13... Nd5 14. Naxc4 N7b6 ) 12... Bb4 13. Nc2? ( 13. Qc2 Rc8 ) 13... Bc3 ( 13... Bxd2? 14. Qxd2 Bxc4 15. Ba3 ) 14. Ba3 ( 14. Ra3 Ba5 ) 14... Bxa1 15. Bxf8 Bxd4? ( 15... Bb2 16. Bd6 ( 16. Ba3 Bxa3 17. Nxa3 Qb6 18. e3 Qb4 ) ( 16. Bb4 dxc4 17. Bxc6 Rb8 ) 16... Nb6 ) 16. Nxd4 Qxf8 ( 16... Kxf8 17. Nxc6 Qb6 18. cxd5 Nxd5 19. Qc1 Nc5 20. Nf3 Rc8 ( 20... Qxc6 21. Ne5 Qd6 22. Qxc5 Qxc5 23. Nd7+ ) ( 20... Bb7 21. a5 Qxc6 22. Ne5 Qc7 23. Qxc5+ Qxc5 24. Nd7+ Ke7 25. Nxc5 Bc6 ) 21. Nfe5 Rxc6 22. Nxc6 Qxc6 23. Qc2 ) 17. Nxc6 Qd6 ( 17... Qc5 18. cxd5 exd5 19. Qc1 ) 18. Nd4 ( 18. cxd5 Nxd5 19. Bxd5 exd5 20. Nd4 Nf6 ) 18... Rc8 19. cxd5 ( 19. Nb5 Bxb5 20. cxb5 Qa3 ) 19... Nxd5 20. Ne4 ( 20. e3 Nc3 21. Ne4 Nxe4 22. Bxe4 Nc5 ) 20... Qb4 21. Qa1 N7b6 ( 21... Rc4 22. e3 Qa5 ( 22... Qxa4? 23. Nd6 Rb4 24. Bxd5 exd5 25. Qc3 ) 23. Nb3 Qxa4 24. Ned2 Qxa1 25. Rxa1 Rc6 26. Bf1 Nb8 ( 26... Bxf1 27. Rxa7 ) 27. Nd4 Rb6 28. Bxa6 Rxa6 29. Rxa6 Nxa6 30. Nc6 ) 22. a5 ( 22. Rb1 Qe7 ( 22... Qxa4 23. Nd6 Nc3 ( 23... Rd8 24. Qxa4 Nxa4 25. Nc6 ) 24. Qxa4 Nbxa4 25. Nxc8 Nxb1 26. Nxa7 ) 23. a5 Nc4 24. Nc3 Nxc3 25. Qxc3 ) 22... Nc4 23. Rb1 Qe7 24. h4 ( 24. Nc3 ) 24... h6 25. Nb5?! ( 25. e3 ) ( 25. Nc3 ) 25... Rb8 ( 25... Qd7 26. Nd4 f5 27. Bh3 ( 27. Nc3 Nf4 ) 27... Kh8 ) 26. Nd4? ( 26. Qa4 Ne5 27. Rb3 Rd8 ) 26... Rxb1+ 27. Qxb1 Qc7 ( 27... Nxa5 28. Qb8+ Kh7 29. h5 Nf6 30. Qe5 Nc4 31. Nxf6+ gxf6 32. Qe4+ Kh8 33. Qf4 ( 33. Nf5 Qc5 34. Nxh6 ( 34. Qa8+ Qc8 ) 34... Qxh5 35. Qa8+ Kg7 36. Qg8+ Kxh6 37. Qh8+ Kg6 38. Qg8+ Kh6 ( 38... Kf5?? 39. e4+ Ke5 40. Qd8 ) 39. Qh8+ ) 33... Kg7 34. Qg4+ Kf8 35. Qf4 Kg7 36. Qg4+ ) 28. Nb5? ( 28. Nb3 Qb8 ( 28... Nxa5 29. Nxa5 Qxa5 30. Qb8+ Kh7 31. Qxa7 ) 29. Qd1 Qb4 30. Nec5 Nxa5 31. e4 ( 31. Nxe6 Qxb3 ( 31... fxe6 32. Bxd5 exd5 33. Qxd5+ Kh7 34. Nxa5 Qe1+ 35. Kg2 Qxe2 36. Qf5+ Kg8 37. Qd5+ Kh8 38. Qa8+ Kh7 39. Qxa7 Qb5 40. Qe3 Qxa5 41. Qe4+ Kg8 42. Qe8+ Kh7 43. Qe4+ ) 32. Qxb3 Nxb3 33. Bxd5 Nc1 34. Nd8 Nxe2+ 35. Kg2 Kf8 36. Nxf7 Nc3 37. Bb3 Bb7+ 38. f3 Ke7 39. Ne5 a5 ) ( 31. Bxd5 exd5 32. Qxd5 Nxb3 33. Nxa6 Qe1+ 34. Kg2 Qxe2 35. Qb7 Qc4 36. Qxa7 Qe4+ 37. Kh2 Nd4 ) 31... Nxb3 32. Nxa6 Nc3 33. Qd8+ Qf8 34. Qd7 Nd4 35. Kh2 ( 35. Qxa7 Nce2+ 36. Kh2 Qa3 ) 35... e5 ) ( 28. Qb3 Nxa5 29. Qa4 ) 28... Qb8 29. Nec3 Nxc3 30. Nxc3 Qxb1+ 31. Nxb1 Nxa5 32. Kf1 Kf8 33. Ke1 Nb3 34. e3 Ke7 35. Bc6 Bd3 36. Nc3 a5 37. Na4 Kd6 38. Be8 f6 39. Nb2 Ba6 40. Kd1 Nc5 41. f3 Nd3 42. Na4 Ne5 43. f4 Nc4 44. e4 Bb7 45. Nc3 Kc5 46. Bf7 Nd6 47. Bxe6 Nxe4
At the beginning of the game Black turned down White’s offers of the c4 pawn. Then White chose a dubious plan and made a few mistakes, but I failed to make the most out of them (15…Bd4 instead of Bb2). In the middlegame the position was about equal, but White was always on the defensive, and spent a lot of time and energy. Then I had to choose at what point to win the a-pawn. To crown it all off, my opponent made a few inaccurate moves in time trouble and lost.
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