annotated chess game for beginners - page 5

11.Nxd4 exd4 12.Nb1

After just 12 moves, White is in a desperate situation. Beside he is in disadvantage with a pawn, his king is very poorly defended. Once again: White's dark squares are weak by two causes: the pawn f2 and the bishop of dark squares don't exist anymore. Corroborating this with the fact that his king is still in the center, we can begin a mate attack.
When you are attacking, you have to think like this: The last defender of the King is...(think..., think...): the pawn g2. Without this pawn, Black could checkmate in just 2 moves: Qd8-h4+ and Qh4-f2#. Then how can we eliminate this pawn? Even with a sacrifice! Who can attack this g2-pawn? The light-squares bishop:
12.Bh3!
White cannot take this bishop because of the mate. If he advances 13.g3, Black captures the rook with Bg2. If White protects this pawn, for example with 13.Bf3, then 13.Bxg2, eliminating the defender, 14.Bxg2 Qh4 15.Ke2 Qf2#.
White chose to defend the g2-pawn and, at the same time, to prevent the check Qh4+:
13.Kf1

chess game
page 5

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