Middlegame Lessons From Crete IV

IN this series I am looking at important middlegame tactical and positional decisions players faced in my games at the Amateur Chess Organization's world senior championship at the Fodele Beach Resort, Crete.

In round five I had white against Martin Schaefer, a German with a Fide rating of 1929. The full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/06/crete-round-five.html

White has just played 14.Qe2-d2

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14...Ra4?

The rook had to leave e4, but this aggressive-looking move is a mistake. The rook is short of squares on the queenside, and in danger of being out of play. Correct is 14...Re6, which at least partly conforms with the rule that rooks tend to be awkwardly placed on central squares in the middlegame. Another improvement on the text, according to the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1, is sacrificing the exchange with 14...Rxe3?!, although Black almost certainly does not have enough compensation.