In this next example, Grandmaster Dusan Popovic uses forcing play to create major tactical problems for his opponent directly out of the opening.
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 is the main line of the Scandinavian, as discussed in a previous post. The same principles apply: The opening itself is totally playable, but accuracy and care are needed to avoid immediate problems.
4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4?! looks natural, but has a serious flaw: White will immediately gain time by attacking the bishop.
Gaining Time on the Bishop
5… Bf5 is a more solid developing move, not allowing White to attack the bishop with gain of time. 6.h3 Bh5 6… Bxf3 might be objectively forced, but 7. Qxf3 picks up the bishop pair while developing a new piece. 7.g4! Unpinning the knight allows it to jump to e5 next move.7…Bg6 8.Ne5
8…e6 8… c6 is what I thought Black had to do, preparing a retreat square for the queen. But it runs into serious problems as a result of being too slow. An example line: 9. h4! White wants to play h5 and force the bishop to e4, where it will be a tactical target. 9…Nbd7 10. Nc4 Qc7 11. h5 Be4 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Qf3 White has picked up the bishop pair and continues to develop with tempo, preparing Bf4 next. 9.Nc4 This forces Black’s queen to a6, where it is uncomfortably regarded by White’s light squared bishop.
9…Qa6 9… Qb4 10. a3 Qe7 would be even worse for Black, obstructing the development of the bishop. 10.h4
We already know the idea here: A timely h5, forcing the bishop to be a target on e4. 10…Bb4 The best try, developing and pinning the knight. 11.Rh3 This looked good to me when I saw it: Activating the rook while getting out of the way of …Be4 in advance. Apparently it gave Black a chance to resist. 11.h5! was more forceful and stronger.
Exploiting Tactical Weaknesses
 11… Qc6? This unnecessary queen move will be severely punished! 11… h5 prevents what is coming in the game, although 12. Ne5 still looks promising for White. 12.h5!
This initiates a forcing sequence that wins material. White is not exactly exploiting a lead in development – after all, Black has a bunch of pieces in the game. Rather, he is taking advantage of a couple tactical weaknesses: The LSB being almost trapped, and the black queen and king being lined up on the a4-e8 diagonal. 12..Be4 13.Nd2!
Very clever: White simultaneously unpins the knight on c3 and unblocks his light squared bishop, threatening Bb5. In many lines the attack on the bishop on e4 will also be important.
13…a6 14.a3! The forcing moves keep on coming. If Black captures on c3, the rook will take back with an attack on the queen. If not, the pressure on the bishop on e4 will win material.
14…Bd6 (14…Bxc3 15. Rxc3 Causes another problem: If the queen retreats, g5 will chase away the only defender of the bishop. 15…Qd5 protects the bishop but 16. f3 traps it. 15.Ndxe4 This may be the most convincing way to convert the advantage. White lures the black knight into a fatal pin. 15…Nxe4 16.Bg2
Pinning and winning. 16…f5 This leaves the black king horribly exposed, but there was no other way to protect the knight. 17.gxf5 exf5 This opens the e-file. . .
Tactics to Realize the Advantage
18.Nxe4 fxe4 19.Bxe4! For this tactical shot. Black cannot recapture, since Re3 would pin the queen to the king. As a result, his king is marooned in the center in a wide open position. White also has an extra pawn and the two bishops.
19…Qd7 20.Rf3 Here the rook prevents Black from kingside castling. 20…Nc6 21.Bg5
Activating a new piece and making it difficult for Black to organize queenside castling. Note that they weren’t actually able to play …0-0-0 immediately regardless due to Bf5. 21…Ne7 22.Bxe7 At this point White has many ways to convert the advantage. But I find his way instructive: This exchange creates a middlegame with bishops of opposite colors, which tend to favor the attacker. With Black’s king stuck in the center, that will be White. 22…Bxe7 23.Qd3 Preparing long castling. Note that Black still can’t castle either direction!
24…Qg4 24.Bxb7 Not so much to take a pawn as to expose the black king: Now Bc6+ is possible.
 Converting the Advantage
24…Rb8 (24… Qg1+ 25.Ke2 Qxa1 allows White to swiftly give checkmate on the light squares: 26.Bc6+ Kd8 27.Qf5 and Qd7 is unstoppable. In middlegames with bishops of opposite colors, attacking on the color of your bishop is a key plan.) 25.Bc6+ Kd8 26.O-O-O Qxh5
27.Kb1 Avoiding …Qh6+, which would fork the king and bishop. No matter how well it’s going, you have to look for your opponent’s forcing moves! 27…Rf8 Trying to finish development, but this allows a concluding attack on the light squares.
28.Rxf8+ Bxf8 29.Re1 Threatening mate. . . 29…Be7 30.Qc4 and threatening virtually unstoppable mate. Black resigned.
White’s forcing response to the dubious 5…Bg4?! Allowed him to generate an initiative straight from the opening. White found some strong forcing moves to keep the initiative going, most notably 13.Nd2! And 14.a3!, simultaneously exploiting the exposed bishops and queen. The pseudo-sacrifice 19.Bxe4! took advantage of Black’s uncastled king. White converted the advantage by entering an opposite colored bishop middlegame where the decisive feature was Black’s exposed king.