Games: Chess

How far ahead do you have to calculate? The only possible answer - smug though it may sound - is "as far as necessary" - but I would love to know Black had really seen through to the end of the complications in today's game from the World Team Championships.

When Black played 33...Nxe3, he must have seen White's reply, 34.Rc7, which threatened a devastating attack with Rxg7+. So he must have prepared the clever counter with 34...R8xe6 and 35...Qb8, but how much had he seen after that?

One possibility for White was 36.Rxg7+ Kxg7 37.Qg3+ Ng4+! 38.Kh1! when White stands probably a little worse. Instead, White played 36.Rc1!? allowing the combination with 36...Ng4+ (Rf5+? loses to Qg3) 37.Qxg4 (37.Kg1 Rxe2 leaves Black threatening Qh2+) 37...Rxe2+.

If Black was doing his work properly, however, he had to see as far as 39.e7! with its threat of 40.Rc8+ and realise that 39...Kf7! was adequate, since 40.Rc8 allows a back rank mate with Re1.

The result of all the complications was a queen and pawn endgame in which White was a pawn ahead.

White: I Novikov

Black: J Borges

Queen's Gambit Declined

1 d4 d5 40 Qd7 Rxe7

2 c4 c6 41 Qxd5+ Kg6

3 Nf3 Nf6 42 Qd3+ Kh6

4 Nc3 e6 43 Qd2+ g5

5 Bg5 Nbd7 44 Rd1 Kg7

6 cxd5 exd5 45 a4 Qe5

7 e3 Be7 46 Qd8 h5

8 Qc2 0-0 47 Rd7 Kf7

9 Bd3 Re8 48 Rxe7+ Qxe7

10 0-0 Nf8 49 Qd1 Kg6

11 Rae1 Be6 50 Qb3 Kh6

12 Ne5 Nfd7 51 g3 a5

13 Bxe7 Rxe7 52 Kg2 Qc7

14 f4 f6 53 Qd1 Qc6+

15 Nf3 Nb6 54 Kh2 Qe4

16 f5 Bf7 55 b3 Qe5

17 h3 Qc7 56 Kg2 h4

18 Qf2 Rae8 57 gxh4 gxh4

19 Re2 Nc8 58 Qf3 f5

20 Nd2 Nd7 59 Kf2 Qh2+

21 Rfe1 c5 60 Kf1 Kg5

22 Qf3 Qd6 61 Qc3 Qd6

23 Bb5 a6 62 Qxa5 Qd3+

24 dxc5 Qxc5 63 Kf2 Qc2+

25 Bxd7 Rxd7 64 Kg1 Kf4

26 Nb3 Qb6 65 Qd8 Kf3

27 Na4 Qa7 66 Qd5+ Qe4

28 Nac5 Rde7 67 Qd1+ Qe2

29 Rc1 Nd6 68 Qf1+ Qxf1+

30 Nd4 Re5 69 Kxf1 Ke3

31 Kh2 Nc4 70 b4 Kd4

32 Nce6 Bxe6 71 Ke2 Kc4

33 Nxe6 Nxe3 72 b5 Kb4

34 Rc7 R8xe6 73 Kf3 Kxa4

35 fxe6 Qb8 74 b6 Kb5

36 Rc1 Ng4+ 75 Kf4 Kxb6

37 Qxg4 Rxe2+ 76 Kg5 Kc5

38 Kh1 Re5 77 Kxh4 b5

39 e7 Kf7 White resigned