Play with no Fear

White: Paul D Lane

Black: Grandmaster: Leonid Shamkovich

National Open 1993

Round 2

I have seen this many times in my chess playing, a weaker player is paired up against a Stronger player. They play horribly and lose like a child. The feeling about when this happens is you must think only of what you must do you have too play with no fear, what have you got to lose? Nothing!

  1. e4 c5 I expected the Sicilian, Shamkovich was known as a great opening expert.
  2. Nf3 d6
  3. d4 cd4
  4. Nd4 Nf6

  5. Nc3 e6 The Scheveningen a fluid line of the Sicilian it takes the tack of not playing to aggressively at first and taking a wait and see policy.
  6. Be2 a6 this move is played many times in the Sicilian it can be used later on to play b5 and try and control c4.
  7. a4 Nc6
  8. 0-0 Bd7

  9. Be3 Be7
  10. Nb3 Na5 I played the line 9.Nb3 because it is a good idea here. What do you do when you have an advantage in space? You avoid exchanges which will help relieve your opponent’s position, and this explains Shamkovich’s reply he wants to trade and come closer to equality.
  11. Nd2!? Qc7 I played 11.Nd2 with the thought of playing for the attack. It is a known idea why would I want to trade for the knight on a5? This move is a nice idea here avoiding exchanges and trying to keep it complicated.
  12. f4 0-0 He really had to castle here if he waited much longer he could become stuck in the center.

  13. Bd3 Nc6 now he must waste time bringing the knight back from its bad square.
  14. g4 d5 both of these moves are correct, you counter wing attacks by central counter play if you can. The move 14.g4 for white does have its demerits though,

    15. It position wise burns whites bridges his attack must succeed or his pawns will be ripe for the picking later on.

  15. g5 Nxe4
  16. Ncxe4 de4


  17. Nxe4 Nb4
  18. Nf6+ gxf6??
  19. Bxh7+ 1-0 Black resigns Shamkovich played his 18th move too fast Bxf6 would have lasted longer, The Grandmaster spent almost an hour after my 19th move trying to figure a way out, which he could not. Play could continue 19�Kxh7


  20. Qh5+ Kg8 21.g6 fg6 22. Qxg6+ Kh8 23.Rf3 and black wont be able to stop mate.

I really think this games shows how you should play when paired up. The thing is just play with no fear of rating and play one move at a time.