Chapter 126: Escaping from the Death Door
"Oh, no! Sheva makes a mistake!" Bagas jumped in panic as he saw the evaluation bar spike in Mads Andersen’s direction. "No...After playing perfectly for 29 moves, Sheva finally makes his first ever mistake, and it is very crucial! Now, Grandmaster Mads Andersen has a chance to capitalize on it and win the game..." He exclaimed in a wail, expressing his regret over the blunder that his best friend had made.
He himself still didn’t know why the move that Sheva made was considered a mistake. However, in this case, he trusted the computer’s evaluation, and since it showed –1.8 for Mads Andersen’s favor, there was no reason not to believe it. Also, in this case, understanding was one thing, but letting the audience understand the grave of this situation was another. As for the explanation, he knew that it was about to come from the expert he had invited.
"It is a subtle, but very fatal mistake that Sheva made here." True enough, a moment later, Irfan chimed in with an explanation. However, his tone was somber since he himself also noticed how dire the boy’s situation was. "Sheva is a little bit impatient here, and honestly, I cannot blame him. After GM Andersen takes his pawn, he wants to equalize it directly, yet by doing that, he leaves his king in the open. Yes, he can bring back his rook or put the knight onto the rook’s previous spot to protect the king, but both choices still leave him vulnerable."
*Author note: If you want to visualize the position better, check the comment below.
"Master Irfan, can you tell why?" Bagas asked.
"Well, if Sheva protects his king with the knight, his rook will be frozen on the C file to protect his knight, and it allows GM Andersen to target his B pawn easily. Once that B pawn is taken, the black’s passed pawn on the A file will be a menace in the long run, and honestly, it would be impossible to stop it without sacrificing one of Sheva’s minor pieces." Irfan explained.
"Hmm... What about if he protects it with his rook?"
"Oh, it is definitely going to be worse, and I hope Sheva wouldn’t make this kind of mistake here." This time, Irfan’s expression was solemn. "If that happened, all GM Andersen has to do is to exchange his rook, and once that happens, give the white king a check. It gives Master Andersen a chance to infiltrate Sheva’s defense and breaks the pawn chain easily, and if Sheva decides to defense it by not rushing his king outside, Master Andersen’s king will be quick enough to get into his B pawn, and the result will be the same as the first scenario, the passed pawn on the A file will be unstoppable." Irfan analyzed thoroughly while also showing the move on the screen, making it easier for even Bagas himself to understand why the move was considered a mistake.
Sheva himself also realized the blunder he had just made. Unfortunately, he was just one breath too late, as the move had already been made. However, a miracle suddenly happened here, as if the God of Chess was really on his side. At this time, the time advantage that he had built since the opening stage finally bore fruit, as Andersen, who only had four minutes left, didn’t even think too much of it, resulting in him making a mistake too.
The man indeed moved his rook, but instead of going to A1 square to give Sheva a check, he slid it one square horizontally, trying to pursue Sheva’s B pawn. Of course, Sheva noticed that too. His eyes lit up instantly, realizing that his chance was still open. He moved his knight immediately, covering the B1 square that could be used by the black rook to check his king. Once this happened, the evaluation bar spiked up again, giving the game an equal evaluation just like before.
*Author note: If you want to visualize the position better, check the comment below.
"OH! GM MADS ANDERSEN FAILS TO SEE THE BLUNDER! SHEVA IS ESCAPING FROM THE DEATH DOOR!" By now, Bagas was shouting in front of the mic, his voice echoed loudly in the broadcast room.
On the table, it seemed that Andersen also noticed his slip, too, and unlike Sheva, he was pretty open in showing his remorse here. The man groaned weakly, covering his face immediately as he had just realized he missed his only chance to win here. It was as if his soul had just left his body here.
They played for a while, shifting their pieces back and forth while trying to get another chance. However, after Sheva managed to force an exchange between his knight and Andersen’s bishop, the rook-and-pawns endgame that they were entering next was an absolute draw. There was no way either of them would make a huge mistake that would lead to their opponent gaining an advantage, not at this point.
Noticing this, Andersen finally sighed, smiling weakly as he offered Sheva a handshake. "Draw?" He asked.
"Sure." Sheva nodded stiffly.
Once they both shook hands, Sheva suddenly felt a huge burden lifted from his shoulder, and relief washed over his mind. This was probably the hardest game he had ever played, even harder than the time he had to play for more than 100 moves against Arfan. After all, in his game against Arfan, he still believed that he could hold a draw even if he was down by a queen, but in this game, the boy felt like he was walking on a thin line. One mistake, and everything was over.
"I was so unlucky here." Mads Andersen suddenly muttered to himself. "I was too hasty. I still had four minutes left. If only I could think slowly, I would be able to see the blunder and make a move accordingly..."
Sheva just smiled, but did not indulge in the man’s pity party. Although indeed, he was lucky here, Sheva also realized that it was also because of the pressure he created since the opening stage. Not that he would say it out loud, of course, since he still respected the man here. He got up from the chair, stretching his body a little while also somehow feeling free after playing such a long game.
’Man, what an exhausting day...’ He mumbled. ’Now, I wonder how Sister Irene and Ia are faring against their opponents...’