Material VS Piece Activity

Here is a game where my opponent gives away quite a bit of material in exchange for piece activity. I can't say with certainty whether these sacs were intentional, but in my novice opinion they were unsound. Sound or not we ended up in a situation where I'm up huge in material but I'm frantically trying to defend. I knew, though, that if I weathered the storm the material would win big in the end.

I don't think this particular game is really noteworthy, but it is a personal lesson for me. That you can give up big material for piece activity, but if you fail to capitalize you'll pay dearly later.

[Event "Open invite"]
[Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"]
[Date "2011.10.24"]
[EndDate "2011.10.29"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Knight Lightning"]
[Black "USArmyParatrooper"]
[WhiteRating "1498"]
[BlackRating "1625"]
[WhiteElo "1498"]
[BlackElo "1625"]
[Result "0-1"]
[GameId "8800108"]

Really nice game 🙂
Your opponent missed a trick (and yet more saccing) to salvage a draw.
instead of 32. Qg3, white could sac the first Rook with Rh7+, you would have had to take to avoid checkmate, sac the other Rook with Rg7+, king takes again, then the Queen has the perpetual on the g and h files.

This is the drawing variation your opponent missed that Morq spotted.



White can also try the sneaky win trap.



In that line if Black tries 1...h6 then Rooks swap files in the win.



So maybe there is something to be said for piece activity after all. 😉

Originally posted by USArmyParatrooper
Here is a game where my opponent gives away quite a bit of material in exchange for piece activity. I can't say with certainty whether these sacs were intentional, but in my novice opinion they were unsound. Sound or not we ended up in a situation where I'm up huge in material but I'm frantically trying to defend. I knew, though, that if I weathere ...[text shortened]... Rf8g8 35. Qg3f4 Rb8c8 36. Qf4xf7 Qc2d1 37. Kg1h2 Qd1xg4 0-1[/pgn]

Hi,

As a general rule, as soon as you are enough material ahead to win, try to simplify as much as possible to eliminate any swindle chances (as you allowed in this game)

After all does it really matter if you are a bishop ahead or a bishop and 3 pawns ahead... both win unless "strange circumstances exist on the board.
In light of this why play

21..... Rab8? for example
then was the time to start developing with 21..... Bd7, threatening Bb5 etc