Double Exchange Sac In Smashing Dutch Miniature - Timman vs. Van Wely, 1998
Jan Timman and Loek Van Wely are two of the greatest Dutch players of all time. In 1998, when they were separated by just over 10 Elo, they played a 10-game match in which Timman won a very memorable miniature against his younger compatriot.
The double exchange sacrifice that Timman offers in this game is extremely instructive, demonstrating that piece value is about activity, squares, and targets, and not about arbitrarily assigned numerical piece values. Perhaps most of all though, the sacrifices illustrate that chess is about calculation and tactics, and when Van Wely missteps, the end is swift.
Lessons:
- Piece values are about quality. Rooks are only as good as their scope.
- Be careful not to "castle into it" in the Sicilian Defense.
My brief annotations are below.
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