Missed Chance (3)

Position from Shirov - Dominguez-Perez (Wijk aan Zee 2010). White in time trouble missed an easy win and accepted the draw.

Now 31.b4! would have been the winner because the black queen is not able to protect d8 and a8. After 31.- Qc7 32.Qa8+ Bf8 33.Rf1! (33.Rd8 Qf4) the bishop is lost.

Unfortunately Shirov did not find it (click video below to watch).

Smart Moves (1)

A slight advantage for black in this position because he is a pawn up. He can manage to transform to a rook endgame with one pawn. Those positions are drawn, but one can try to play on without fear to lose the game.

In the position seen in the diagram Aronian with the black pieces chooses to "offer a draw" with 1.- Re2 and White in a stalemate position takes the offer with 2.Rg7+ Kxg7 and draw with stalemate in Dominguez-Perez-Aronian (Linares 2009).

Not very instructive. But sometimes there are no better news.