Need to plug open spaces to protect the king

The presence of pieces around your King does not always ensure safety and protection of the King in a chess game. The Open files, diagonals, if not plugged properly serve as entry points for the opponent’s pieces to infiltrate and drag the King into a checkmating net.

In  the game  which follows, the players castle on opposite sides and it is Black who whips up an attack first.

White weakens his Kingside with some indiscriminate pawn advances and even though he manages to bring his pieces around the King, Black breaks through the barricades to score victory.

White: Ronald Burnett (2437) – Black: Hoang Thanh Trang (2448)
Budapest, 2000
French Defence
 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5
The French Defence which is a semi-open defence
3.e5. The advanced variation
3. ..c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 c4
Black decides to close the position on the queen-side rather than exchanging at the centre
7.g3.
White decides to fianchetto his bishop
7. ..Bd7 8.Bh3 Na5 9.Nbd2 Ne7 10.0–0 h6 11.Re1.
If 11.Ne1 0–0–0 12.Ng2 Kb8 13.Rb1 Ka8 14.Kh1
11...0–0–0
Black castles on the Queenside. Opposite side castling to a certain extent makes the game interesting as both players will now try to get in their attack first.
12.Rb1 Kb8
Taking the King to a safer square.
13.Bg4
White played a novelty here. If 13.Nf1 Nec6 14.N3d2 Be7 15.Ne3 Bc8 16.Nc2 Nb3 17.Nxb3 Qxb3 18.Ne3 Qxd1 19.Rxd1 Na5  And if 13.Qc2 Rc8 14.Nf1 Nb3 15.N3d2 Ba4 16.Nxb3 Qxb3 17.Qxb3 Bxb3 18.Ne3 g5 19.f4 gxf4 20.gxf4 Rg8+ 21.Kf2 Ng6
 13...g6 14.h4
Aggression? But at what cost?
13. ..Nf5 15.Bh3.  
Vacating the square for the knight to go back and land on g4
15...Be7 16.Nh2 Rdg8
Black could have played 16. ..g5
17.Ng4 Qd8
Black has no reasons to complain and should be happy with his position but better here was to make the king safe 17. ..Ka8
 18.Kg2 Ka8.
If 18...h5 19.Nf6!? (19.Ne3 Nxe3+ 20.Rxe3 g5) 19...Bxf6 20.exf6 Qxf6 21.Nf3
19.Nf3 Nb3.
Black can think of advancing 19. ..g5
20.Bf4. White could have positioned his rook for attack with 20.Rh1
20...g5 21.hxg5 hxg5

Diagram 1

Even though most of White’s pieces are clustered around his King, his position has weakened
22.Be3 Rh7 23.Rh1 Rgh8 24.Qe2and Black is better
If 24.Nf6 Bxf6 25.exf6 Nxe3+ 26.fxe3 g4
24...Qg8
Another powerful move which gets him totally in the driver’s seat
25.Rh2. A blunder in an already difficult position. If 25.Rbd1 Qg6
25...Rxh3 26.Rxh3 Rxh3 27.Bxg5
If 27.Kxh3 Qh7+ 28.Kg2 Nxe3+ 29.Qxe3 Qxb1
27...Rh7 28.Nf6
If 28.Bxe7 Qxg4
28...Bxf6 29.Bxf6 Qg6
The game is totally lost for White now
30.Rg1 Qg4 31.Kf1
If 31.Rh1 Rxh1 32.Kxh1 Nc1
31...Nc1 32.Qd1 Nd3
Missing the easy and clear cut route to victory with 32. ..Rh2
33.Qe2 Ba4 34.Nh4 Qh3+ 35.Ng2 a6 36.Qf3 Nxb2 37.Ke2 Bc2 38.Nf4 Qh2 39.Rc1 Be4 40.Qg4 Nd3 41.Rf1 Nxf4+ 42.gxf4
If 42.Qxf4 Bd3+
42...Nh6 43.Qg5 Bd3+ 44.Ke1 Bxf1 45.Bg7 Bd3 46.Bf8 f6
 0–1

Diagram 2

Black to play and checkmate in two moves
1… Ng4+ 2.hxg4 Qh4 checkmate