Does a blunder settle the eventual outcomes of a chess game? In most cases the answer would be in the affirmative with utmost emphasis as even a slight inaccuracy suffices to lose a game.
However there are instances when a blunder is reciprocated by another blunder, an occurrence usually found during time trouble.
In the game which follows, Black blunders and misses an easy checkmate in just two moves. But incredibly White too blunders and misses a drawing opportunity to end up on the losing side.
White: Dmitry Chuprov (2411) - Black: Maxim Turov (2529)
St Petersburg, 1999
Caro-KannDefence
1.e4 c62.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4
Exchangingthe central pawn
4.Nxe4Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nh3
Anold-forgotten line, popular in the Tal Vs Botvinnik World Championship.
7...e6 If 7...e58.dxe5 Qa5+ 9.c3 Qxe5+ 10.Be2 Nf6 11.0-0
8.Nf4Bh7 9.Bc4
If 9.c3 Nf610.Bd3 Bd6 11.Ngh5 Bxf4 12.Nxf4 Bxd3 13.Nxd3 Qd5
9...Nf610.Qe2
If 10.c3Nd5 And if 10.0-0 Bd6 11.Nxe6
10...Bd611.c3
White hardly has any choice here. If 11.Bxe6 0-0 And if 11.Be3 Nbd712.Ngh5 Nxh5 13.Nxh5 Rg8
11...Nbd712.Ngh5
A tadtoo aggressive! White had another option in 12.Bxe6 fxe6 13.Nxe6
12...0-013.Rh3
Betterappears 13.Be3 e5 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.0-0-0 13...Qc714.g4
If 13.g4Nsh5 14.Nxh5 e5
14...e5 Black can also play 14, ..Nxh5 15.Nxh5 e5 16.Be3 b5
15.Nxf6+ If 15.dxe5Bxe5
15...Nxf616.dxe5 Bxe5 17.Nd3
If 17.g5Bxf4 18.gxf6 Rfe8 19.Be3 Bf5 is better for Black
17...Rfe8 Threatening a discovered attack as White's King and Queen are standing on the same file
18.Be3 If 18.Nxe5Rxe5 19.Be3 b5 20.Bb3 Qd7 21.Rg3 Bd3 and White is in trouble
18...b5 Better appears 18...Bxd3 19.Bxd3 Nd5 20.Kf1 Bf4
19.Nxe5Qxe5 20.Bb3 Nd5 21.Rd1
A wrong choice! Better is 21.Bxd5Qxd5 22.Qf3 Be4 23.Qd1 Qe6
21...Nf422.Qf3 Re7
Black misses 22...Qc723.Rg3 Nd3+ 24.Kf1 Nxb2 23.Qxc6 It appears that White is back in the game once again
If 23.Rg3Nd3 23...Rae824.Rg3 Nd3+ 25.Kf1 Be4
Black'spieces look menacing now! If 25...Nxb2 26.Rd5 Qxg3 27.Qxe8+ (27.fxg3Rxe3) 27...Rxe8 28.fxg3 Bd3+ 29.Kf2 a6
26.Qa6Bb7 If 26...Nxb227.Rd4 Bd3+ 28.Kg1 Qc7 29.g5 Rxe3 30.Rxe3 Rxe3 31.fxe3 Qg3+ 32.Kh1 Qh3+ 33.Kg1Qxe3+ 34.Kh2 Qf2+ 35.Kh1 Be4+
27.Qg6 If 27.Qxa7 Nxb228.Rd2 Nc4 (28...Bg2+ 29.Kxg2 Rxa7 30.Bxa7 Nc4 31.Bxc4 Qe4+ 32.Kh2 Qxc433.Bd4 Ra8) 29.Bxc4 Bg2+ 30.Kxg2 Rxa7 31.Bxa7 Qe4+ 32.Kh2 Qxc4
27...Nxb228.Rd4 Nc4 29.Bxc4 bxc4 30.Qh5 A bad move! White could have perhaps saved the game with 30.Qf5 Qxg3 (30...Be431.Qxe5 Rxe5 32.Ke1) 31.fxg3 Rxe3 32.Qb1 Be4 33.Qb5
30...Qxg3 Black sacrifices the queen
31.fxg3Rxe3 32.Qf5 If 32.Rd2R8e5 And if 32.g5 Re1+ 33.Kf2 g6
Diagram 1
32...Be4 A horrifying blunder by black in time trouble, missing a checkmate after 32...Re1+33.Kf2 R8e2
33.Qb5Re1+ 34.Kf2 Bd3 35.g5
Incredible as it appears, it is White who makes the next blunder. He should have played 35.Rxd3 R1e2+ 36.Kf3 cxd337.Qxd3 Rxa2 And if 35.Kf3 Be4+ 36.Kf2 and salvage a draw
35...R8e2+36.Kf3 Rf1+ 37.Kg4 Bf5+ 38.Kh5 Bg6+ 39.Kg4 h5+ 0-1
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Bf4Qxf4 If 1...Qf62.Bg5
2.Qxe7checkmate.
![Diagram 2]( "Diagram 2")
However there are instances when a blunder is reciprocated by another blunder, an occurrence usually found during time trouble.
In the game which follows, Black blunders and misses an easy checkmate in just two moves. But incredibly White too blunders and misses a drawing opportunity to end up on the losing side.
White: Dmitry Chuprov (2411) - Black: Maxim Turov (2529)
St Petersburg, 1999
Caro-KannDefence
1.e4 c62.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4
Exchangingthe central pawn
4.Nxe4Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nh3
Anold-forgotten line, popular in the Tal Vs Botvinnik World Championship.
7...e6 If 7...e58.dxe5 Qa5+ 9.c3 Qxe5+ 10.Be2 Nf6 11.0-0
8.Nf4Bh7 9.Bc4
If 9.c3 Nf610.Bd3 Bd6 11.Ngh5 Bxf4 12.Nxf4 Bxd3 13.Nxd3 Qd5
9...Nf610.Qe2
If 10.c3Nd5 And if 10.0-0 Bd6 11.Nxe6
10...Bd611.c3
White hardly has any choice here. If 11.Bxe6 0-0 And if 11.Be3 Nbd712.Ngh5 Nxh5 13.Nxh5 Rg8
11...Nbd712.Ngh5
A tadtoo aggressive! White had another option in 12.Bxe6 fxe6 13.Nxe6
12...0-013.Rh3
Betterappears 13.Be3 e5 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.0-0-0 13...Qc714.g4
If 13.g4Nsh5 14.Nxh5 e5
14...e5 Black can also play 14, ..Nxh5 15.Nxh5 e5 16.Be3 b5
15.Nxf6+ If 15.dxe5Bxe5
15...Nxf616.dxe5 Bxe5 17.Nd3
If 17.g5Bxf4 18.gxf6 Rfe8 19.Be3 Bf5 is better for Black
17...Rfe8 Threatening a discovered attack as White's King and Queen are standing on the same file
18.Be3 If 18.Nxe5Rxe5 19.Be3 b5 20.Bb3 Qd7 21.Rg3 Bd3 and White is in trouble
18...b5 Better appears 18...Bxd3 19.Bxd3 Nd5 20.Kf1 Bf4
19.Nxe5Qxe5 20.Bb3 Nd5 21.Rd1
A wrong choice! Better is 21.Bxd5Qxd5 22.Qf3 Be4 23.Qd1 Qe6
21...Nf422.Qf3 Re7
Black misses 22...Qc723.Rg3 Nd3+ 24.Kf1 Nxb2 23.Qxc6 It appears that White is back in the game once again
If 23.Rg3Nd3 23...Rae824.Rg3 Nd3+ 25.Kf1 Be4
Black'spieces look menacing now! If 25...Nxb2 26.Rd5 Qxg3 27.Qxe8+ (27.fxg3Rxe3) 27...Rxe8 28.fxg3 Bd3+ 29.Kf2 a6
26.Qa6Bb7 If 26...Nxb227.Rd4 Bd3+ 28.Kg1 Qc7 29.g5 Rxe3 30.Rxe3 Rxe3 31.fxe3 Qg3+ 32.Kh1 Qh3+ 33.Kg1Qxe3+ 34.Kh2 Qf2+ 35.Kh1 Be4+
27.Qg6 If 27.Qxa7 Nxb228.Rd2 Nc4 (28...Bg2+ 29.Kxg2 Rxa7 30.Bxa7 Nc4 31.Bxc4 Qe4+ 32.Kh2 Qxc433.Bd4 Ra8) 29.Bxc4 Bg2+ 30.Kxg2 Rxa7 31.Bxa7 Qe4+ 32.Kh2 Qxc4
27...Nxb228.Rd4 Nc4 29.Bxc4 bxc4 30.Qh5 A bad move! White could have perhaps saved the game with 30.Qf5 Qxg3 (30...Be431.Qxe5 Rxe5 32.Ke1) 31.fxg3 Rxe3 32.Qb1 Be4 33.Qb5
30...Qxg3 Black sacrifices the queen
31.fxg3Rxe3 32.Qf5 If 32.Rd2R8e5 And if 32.g5 Re1+ 33.Kf2 g6
Diagram 1
32...Be4 A horrifying blunder by black in time trouble, missing a checkmate after 32...Re1+33.Kf2 R8e2
33.Qb5Re1+ 34.Kf2 Bd3 35.g5
Incredible as it appears, it is White who makes the next blunder. He should have played 35.Rxd3 R1e2+ 36.Kf3 cxd337.Qxd3 Rxa2 And if 35.Kf3 Be4+ 36.Kf2 and salvage a draw
35...R8e2+36.Kf3 Rf1+ 37.Kg4 Bf5+ 38.Kh5 Bg6+ 39.Kg4 h5+ 0-1
Diagram 2
White to play and win
1.Bf4Qxf4 If 1...Qf62.Bg5
2.Qxe7checkmate.
