CHESS

WHEN NO obvious move suggests itself - and even sometimes when it does - I have often found it effective to consider moving a piece to one's opponent's best-protected point. If such a move proves to be playable, it will destroy the enemy's morale. And even if it is not playable, it will surely make him feel awkward to see you staring fixedly at his strongest point.

White: Lubomir Ljubojevic

Black: Loek van Wely

Monte Carlo "Amber" Rapidplay, 1998

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.d4 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.Qc2 Qe7 10.f3 c6 11.Bf2

The bishop retreats to avoid any nonsense with ...d5.

11...Nh5 12.Qd2 Be5 13.g3 Bh3 14.Bf1 Qd7 15.0-0-0

When your opponent's entire strategy is geared to preventing you from castling K-side, it makes sense to change direction.

15...Na6 16.g4 Bxf1 17.Rhxf1 Nf4 18.Bg3 Ne6 19.Nf5!

Good thinking: 19...gxf5 is met by Bxe5.

19...Bxg3 20.Nh6+ Kg7 21.hxg3 f6 22.Rh1 Ng5 (See diagram.)

Black attacks the f-pawn and makes it more difficult for White to execute his planned f4 advance by attacking e4 as well. It is time for White to examine his opponent's strongest point.

23.e5!!

Spot on! Now 23...fxe5 loses the knight on g5, 23...dxe5 loses the queen, and 23...Nxf3 24.exf6+ is most unpleasant.

23...Rxe5 24.f4 Ne4 25.Qe3 Nxc3 26.fxe5 Nxd1 27.exf6+ Kf8

27...Kxf6 28.Qd4+ drives the king further into the open.

28.Rxd1 c5 29.Qf4 Rd8

Black's deft horsemanship has enabled him to maintain the material balance, but his game is quite lost. The pawn at f6 is simply too powerful.

30.Re1 Nb4 31.Qd2

Black's Nd3+ is stopped, and the threat of 32.Re7 is now fatal. 31...Re8 loses to 32.Rxe8+ Kxe8 33.a3 Nc6 34.Qd5.

31...Qa4 32.a3 Na2+ 33.Kb1 Qxc4

Not so much winning a pawn as dying with a full stomach.

34.Qe3 resigns.

There is no defence to Qe7+.