The Minority Attack
The minority attack is one of the most important middlegame plans. It
occurs in asymmetrical pawn structures in which one side has a half-open
file. With the use of a pawn lever he then tries to make the file fully open,
creating weaknesses in the enemy camp in the process.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
The opening in which the minority attack most commonly occurs is the
Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation, which often starts with the
moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5. In this position both sides
have half-open files, White's being the c-file and Black's being the e-file.
Both sides will build their game around these assets. After Black plays ...
c7-c6, to get both his c- and d-pawns protected, White's minority attack
takes shape. By playing b2-b4-b5 he pries open this file leaving Black
with some kind of pawn weakness whatever he does.
The following two games provide a nice introduction to this plan, both of
them feature model displays by White. In subsequent articles I hope to
look at other aspects of this pawn structure, for now it's enough that we
deal with White's minority attack plan.
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Byrne, Robert (2560) - Eliskases, Erich
Helsinki ol (Men) fin-A (1), 1952
Queen's Gambit Declined [D36]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 c6 7.Qc2 Nbd7 8.
Bd3 Nh5 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nge2 Nb6 11.0–0 g6 12.Na4!
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Black's knight on b6 was making a minority attack (b2-b4-b5) difficult
because of its potential to occupy the c4-square. So White exchanges it
off.
Play the Catalan
by Nigel Davies
12...Nxa4 13.Qxa4 0–0 14.b4
Starting Out:
Queen's Gambit Declined
by Neil McDonald
Starting the minority attack. Black's next move holds it up for a while, but
in the long run it's very difficult for him to stop b4-b5.
Let's take a look at the pawn structure by itself:
14...a6 15.Qb3
After 15.b5?, Black could play 15...cxb5 16.Bxb5?? Bf5!, which would
leave the bishop on b5 without a retreat.
15...Be6 16.a4 Rfc8 17.Qb2 Ng7 18.b5
And now the minority attack breaks through. Whatever Black does he
will end up with some pawn weaknesses; for example, capturing on b5
with his c-pawn leaves the d5-pawn weak. In the game he opts for
contracting a weak c6-pawn.
Let's take another look at the pawn structure:
18...axb5 19.axb5 Bf5
Black should have tried 19...c5 when 20.dxc5 Qxc5 leaves a great square
for White's knight on d4, but this should not be the end of the world.
20.Nf4 Bxd3 21.Nxd3 Nf5 22.Rxa8 Rxa8 23.bxc6 bxc6 24.Rc1 Nh4 25.
Qe2
25.Rxc6 Nxg2 26.Kxg2 Qe4+ 27.Kg3 Qxd3 gives Black counterplay.
25...Ra3 26.g3
Here 26.Rxc6 is answered by 26...Qe4 (26...Nxg2) 27.Ne1 Ra1 28.f3 Nxf3
+ 29.gxf3 Qh4 30.Kf1 Qh3+ 31.Kg1 Qh4 with a draw by repetition.
26...Qe4 27.Ne1 Nf5 28.Qc2!
The exchange of queens kills Black's counterplay. Torture time!
28...Qxc2 29.Rxc2 Ne7 30.Kf1 f6
30...h5! would have been a good idea so that White's g2-g4 would not
leave Black with a weak h-pawn.
31.Ke2 Kf7
31...h5! was still the right idea.
32.Nd3 Ke6 33.Rb2 Ra7
33...h5! is still correct, and this was the last chance.
34.g4!
Fixing Black's h-pawn as a target.
34...g5 35.Rb8 Kf7 36.Rh8 Kg7
36...Kg6 37.h3 Rc7 38.Kd2 Rc8 39.Rxc8 Nxc8 40.Kc3 would see White's
king heading for c5 with the pressure going into the knight endgame.
37.Rd8 Rc7
37...Kg6 38.Rd6 prevents ...h7-h5.
38.Nc5 Kf7 39.Kf3 Ng6 40.Kg3 Ra7 41.Rd6 Rc7
41...Ne7 42.Nd7 Ng8 43.Nb8 wins a pawn.
42.Na6 Rc8 43.Rd7+ Ne7 44.Nc5 Ra8 45.Rd6 Ra1
Seeing that White is ready to play h2-h4 and maybe f2-f3 and e3-e4,
Black decides that passive defense is doomed to failure.
46.Nd7 f5 47.Ne5+ Kg7 48.h3 fxg4 49.hxg4 Rc1
Or 49...Ra6 50.Re6 Kf8 51.Nf3 leaves Black unable to defend the g5pawn.
50.Re6 Ng6
50...Kf8 51.Nf3 wins the g5-pawn.
51.Rxc6 Rxc6 52.Nxc6
White is now a pawn up with the d5-pawn being very weak as well. He
does a neat job of winning the endgame.
52...Kf6 53.f3 Ke6 54.Nb4 Kd6 55.Kf2 Nf8 56.e4 dxe4 57.fxe4 Ne6 58.
e5+ Kd7 59.Ke3 Nf4 60.Nd3 Nd5+ 61.Ke4 Kc6 62.Nf2 Nf4 63.Nd1 h5
64.gxh5 Nxh5 65.Ne3 Nf4 66.Ng4 Ne2 67.Nf6 Ng3+ 68.Kf3 Nf5 69.d5+
Kc5 70.Kg4 Nh6+ 71.Kxg5 Nf7+ 72.Kf4 Kd4 73.e6 Nd6 74.e7 1–0
Reshevsky, Samuel - Myagmarsuren, Lhamsuren
Sousse Interzonal (1), 1967
Queen's Gambit Declined [D36]
1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 0–0 7.Bd3 c6 8.
Qc2 Nbd7 9.Nf3 Re8 10.0–0 Nf8 11.Bxf6
With this and his next move, White gets his minority attack going straight
away. Another way to play for b2-b4 is 11.Rab1!?.
11...Bxf6 12.b4
Again it is important to note the pawn structure:
12...Bg4 13.Nd2 Rc8 14.Bf5 Bxf5 15.Qxf5 g6
In some ways Black would prefer not to do this, because one day he
might like to get a rook to g6 or h6. Another possibility was 15...Be7 16.
Rab1 a6 17.a4 Bd6, positioning his bishop so that it points at White's
kingside.
16.Qd3 Qd6 17.Rfb1 Bg7 18.a4 Nd7 19.Ra2
White can't play 19.b5 straightaway because of 19...c5 20.dxc5 Nxc5.
19...Re6 20.Rc2 Rce8 21.Nb3 Nf6
Perhaps Black would have had better chances of counterplay had he
played 21...f5!? trying to lever open the e-file. This too is a minority
attack, trying to extend control of the half open e-file with a pawn lever.
22.h3 b6 23.Nc1 Bh6 24.N1e2 Nh5 25.b5!
This was a long time in coming, but it's very strong. White is breaking
through on the c-file and the d5-pawn becomes very weak.
25...Qd7 26.bxc6 Rxc6 27.Qb5 Rec8 28.Rbc1 R8c7?!
And here 28...Qe6 would have been better, unpinning the rook and
introducing the possibility of a sacrifice on e3.
29.g4 a6
Both 29...Nf6; and 29...Ng7 are answered by 30.Nxd5!.
30.Qxa6 Nf6 31.Nxd5 Nxg4
If 31...Nxd5, there follows 32.Rxc6 Rxc6 33.Qa8+; and 31...Qxd5 is met
by 32.Rxc6 Rxc6 33.Qa8+ too.
32.Rxc6 Qxd5? 33.Qa8+! 1–0
After 33...Kg7 34.Rxg6+, Black loses his queen.
Exercises (solutions next month)
Steinitz, William - Lee, Francis
London (11), 13.06.1899
White to play. What is his best move?
Kotov, Alexander - Ragozin, Viacheslav
URS-ch17 Moscow (11), 02.11.1949
White has just played 27.b4-b5. What did he have in mind after 27...c6c5?
© 2009 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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f5 in the f4 Sicilian
Throughout the 1980s Britain's Grand Prix weekend tournament circuit was
dominated by players who used an attacking system against the Sicilian based
on an early f2-f4 (either 1.e4 c5 2.f4 or 2.Nc3 followed by 3.f4). The two
most notable exponents of this system were David Rumens and then Mark
Hebden; both these players literally devastated the opposition.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
In the UK this opening later came to bear the name "Grand Prix Attack." The
reason it was so devastating is that Black's most natural system of
development seems to be 2...Nc6, followed by a kingside fianchetto, but this
can lead him into very dangerous waters, as we are about to see. The
exponents of this variation would simply put their bishop on b5 and then take
the knight on c6. And Black, to his horror, discovered that this left him with a
very passive position.
White meanwhile could then martial the rest of his forces on the kingside
using the very simple strategy of Qd1–e1–h4 and f4-f5, unleashing his bishop
on c1. After exchanging one of the last defenders of Black's king with Bc1–
h6, they would then bring the rest of their pieces into play with Nf3-g5, plus
assorted rook lifts.
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It's sometimes difficult to believe that this crude plan could possibly work, let
alone be utterly deadly. But work it does, and sometimes against quite strong
opposition. The following two games are nice examples of this plan in action.
In the first game Mark Hebden dispatches one of his great rivals at the time,
Peter Large. And in the second it is a British GM from a different generation
who picks up the f4-f5 baton.
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Hebden, Mark – Large, Peter
BCF--ch Torquay (2), 1982
Sicilian Defense [B21]
Play the Catalan
by Nigel Davies
1.e4 c5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.Bb5 Bg7 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.d3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0–0 8.0–0
b6
Black's position seems solid enough but his problem is finding an active plan.
The pawn structure makes this very difficult.
9.Qe1! Ne8 10.Qh4
10.f5! was stronger immediately, because now Black could and should have
stopped it.
10...Nd6
Black really had to play 10...f5!? here, blocking White's f-pawn and thus
keeping the bishop on c1 out of play. Now the floodgates open.
11.f5!
The f4 Sicilian
by Nigel Davies
Maybe Black thought that he had this covered, but White's attack is
devastating. If anything, the move 10...Nd6 made it even stronger.
11...gxf5 12.e5!
Hitting the knight and at the same time stopping Black from using the f6square.
12...Ne8 13.Bh6!
And not 13.Ng5? because of 13...Qd4+ exchanging queens.
13...f6 14.Kh1 Bxh6 15.Qxh6 Ng7 16.Rae1 Be6 17.Ne2
All of White's pieces are headed towards the enemy gates.
17...c4 18.Nf4 cxd3 19.cxd3 Bxa2
After 19...Qd7, 20.Re3
intending to bring the rook to g3 or h3.
20.e6 Qc8 21.Re3! Nxe6
Desperately trying to beat off the attack.
22.Nxe6 Bxe6 23.Rxe6! Rf7
Or 23...Qxe6 24.Ng5 etc.
24.Rfe1 Qd7 25.Nh4 Re8 26.Nxf5 Qxd3 27.Nd6! 1–0
Jones,Gawain C (2567) - Abhishek,Das (2383)
Wch U20 Yerevan (1), 03.10.2007
Sicilian Defense [B23]]
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3
2.f4 went out of fashion because of the gambit line of 2...d5!
3.exd5 Nf6!. But in this game Gawain Jones reaches the same position via a
tricky move order.
2...Nc6 3.Bb5 g6
One of the points of this line is that after 3...Nd4 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.0–0
d5, White has the spectacular 7.exd5 exd5 8.Nxd5! Nxd5 9.Nxd4 cxd4 10.
Qh5 Be6 11.Re1, winning back the piece with interest because of the threats
of 12.Rxe6+ and taking the knight on d5.
4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.f4 Bg7 6.d3 Nf6 7.Nf3 0–0 8.0–0 b6
Actually transposing into Hebden - Large. Black does things a bit differently
in this game, but it still doesn't save him.
9.Qe1 Bg4 10.Ne5
Preserving the knight.
10...Qc7 11.Qh4 Be6 12.Nf3 h6
13.f5!
Once again the key pawn advance, and this time h6 is hanging should Black
capture on f5. There's only one thing he can try but it meets with a spectacular
reply...
13...g5 14.Nxg5!
Great stuff! Of course there's no way Black's going to survive this attack
unless he can feed pieces over to the kingside, and White's powerful c2-f5
pawn chain kind of rules that out.
14...hxg5 15.Bxg5 Bc8 16.Rf3 Rd8
Or 16...Qd6 17.Rg3 threatening 18.Bf4.
17.Bh6 Ne8 18.Bxg7 Nxg7 19.Rh3
19...f6
Black's last few moves have been forced.
20.Qh7+ Kf7 21.Qg6+ Kg8 22.Rf1!
Attack as a numbers game.
22...e6 23.Qh7+ Kf7 24.fxe6+ Bxe6 25.Rh6
25...Qe5 26.Qg6+ Kg8 27.Rxf6 Qd4+ 28.Rf2 1–0
Black has no good way of stopping 29.Qh7 mate.
Exercises (solutions next month)
White to play. How should he break through here?
White to play. Black has just prevented mate on h7 by 12...h6. How should
White reply?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Steinitz, William – Lee, Francis Joseph
London (11), 13.06.1899
White to play. What is his best move?
25.Nc5!
The best, leading to the win of a pawn. Steinitz was not a young man when
this game was played and here he lets his opponent off the hook after 25.b6.
After 25...Qc8 26.Qa7 f4! Black suddenly got counterplay on the kingside
with a minority attack of his own. The game concluded 27.Nc5 fxe3 28.Nxb7
exf2+ 29.Kf1 Bf5 30.Bxf5 Qxf5 31.Nxd8 Qd3+ Perpetual check. 32.Kxf2 Qd2
+ 33.Kf3 Qd3+ 34.Kg4 Qf5+ 35.Kg3 Qd3+ 36.Kh4 Qxd4+ 37.g4 Qf6+ 38.
Kg3 Qe5+ with a draw by perpetual check.
25...Qc8 26.Qxb7 Qxb7 27.Nxb7 Bc7 28.Nc5 Be8 29.bxc6 Bxc6 30.g3 and
Black will have a tough time saving the game.
Kotov, Alexander – Ragozin, Viacheslav
URS-ch17 Moscow (11), 02.11.1949
White has just played 27.b4-b5. What did he have in mind after 27...c6-c5?
27...c5
The game actually went 27...Rac7, when 28.bxc6 Kg7 (28...Nxc6 29.Bb5
Nxd4 30.Rxc7 Rxc7 (30...Nxc2 31.Rxc8 Nxa3 32.Rxe8+ Kg7 33.Bd3 is
winning) 31.Qxc7 Nxb5 32.Qxd6 Nxd6 brings about an endgame in which
White should win.) 29.Qb1! Nxc6 30.Qxb6 Rb8 31.Qxb8! Nxb8 32.Rxc7
Qxa3 33.Bxg6 Nc6 34.R1xc6! Bxc6 35.Rxf7+ Kh6 (35...Kh8 36.Bh7
threatening Ng6# wins) 36.f4! Qxe3+ 37.Kh2 Qxe5 38.fxe5 and Black
resigned.
28.dxc5!! Qxe5
Or 28...bxc5 29.Rxc5 Rxc5 30.Qxc5 Qxe5 31.Qxa7 etc.
29.cxb6 Rxc3 30.bxa7!! Rxc2 31.Rxc2! and White will queen his a7-pawn.
© 2009 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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Attacking a Second Weakness
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
A classic strategy in both warfare and chess is to tie the enemy down to a
particular weak spot and then use his lack of mobility to launch a second
attack elsewhere. Sun Tzu sums it up in his famous book, The Art of War:
"Appear where they cannot go, head for where they least expect you." In
chess terms this scenario usually arises when one of the players has done
everything in his power to attack a certain weakness only to have his
opponent defend it with equal force. What one must then do is find a way to
attack him on a different part of the board in the expectation that his pieces
will be unable to cope with the new threat.
Here are a couple of classic examples. In the first of these Vidmar gets tied
down to stopping Alekhine's passed b-pawn, whilst in the second it is
Donaldson's own b-pawn that gets him in knots.
Alekhine, Alexander – Vidmar, Milan Sr
Hastings (2), 1936
Queen's Gambit Declined [D65]
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.e3 Be7 6.Nf3 0–0 7.Rc1 c6 8.Qc2
a6 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Bc4 Nxc3 12.Qxc3 c5 13.dxc5 Qxc5 14.
Bb3 b6 15.Qd2 Qh5 16.Bd1 Nc5 17.b4 Ne4 18.Qd4 Bb7 19.0–0 b5 20.Ne5
Qh6 21.Nc6 Bxc6 22.Rxc6
Black is under tremendous pressure here because of White's superior
development and the badly placed queen on h6. Eventually it's the weak a6
pawn that falls.
22...Nf6 23.Bf3 Rad8 24.Rd6 Rxd6 25.Qxd6 Qh4 26.a3 Qc4 27.Qxa6 Nd5
28.a4 Nc7 29.Qc6 Qxc6 30.Bxc6 bxa4 31.Ra1 Rb8 32.Rxa4 Kf8
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White has won a pawn but it's not easy to convert this into an actual point
because Black is able to blockade the b-pawn. Here's what Alekhine himself
had to say:"White's winning plan is easy to explain, but rather difficult to
carry out. White exploits the fact that the black pieces are occupied on the
queenside to create, by the gradual advance of his pawns and their exchange,
vulnerable points in Black's position in the centre and on the kingside. Only
after this preparatory work can the decisive offensive be begun."Black's first
"weakness" is the pawn deficit on the queenside and the second will be
created on the kingside.
33.g4! Ke7 34.b5
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34...e5 35.f4 f6
Black should have tried 35...exf4 when 36.Rd4 allows Black to save himself
with 36...Nxb5 37.Rb4 fxe3 38.Bxb5 Kd6 39.Rb1 Rb6 which is drawish.
White would have had to play 36.exf4, which gives him winning chances but
without it being as easy as the game.
36.fxe5 fxe5 37.Ra2 Rb6
White's last move prevented 37...Kd6 because of 38.Rd2+ followed by 39.
Rd7.
38.Rb2 h6 39.Kf2 Ke6 40.Kf3 Nd5 41.h4!
It's better to stay out of the rook endgame for the time being.
41...Ne7 42.Be4 Nd5 43.Rb3 Kd6 44.g5
Black now has a second weakness, the pawn on g7.
44...hxg5 45.hxg5 Ke6 46.Bd3 Kd6 47.Ra3 Nc7 48.Ra7 Rb8
48...Nxb5 49.Rxg7 would be hopeless for Black.
49.Ke4
49...g6
Stopping 50.Kf5.
50.Ra3 Rb6 51.Bc4 Rb8
Or if 51...Kc5 there follows 52.Ra7 Kxc4 (Or 52...Nxb5 53.Bxb5 Kxb5 54.
Re7) 53.Rxc7+ Kxb5 54.Kxe5 and Black is losing the rook endgame.
52.Rd3+ Kc5 53.Rd7 Ne8 54.Bf7 Nd6+ 55.Kxe5 Rb6 56.e4 Nxb5
Finally getting rid of the b-pawn but at the cost of his entire kingside.
57.Rd5+ Kb4 58.Rd8 Na7 59.Rd6 Nc6+ 60.Kf6 Kc5 61.Rd5+ Kb4 62.e5
Kc4 63.Rd1+ Kc5 64.Rc1+ Kd4 65.e6 Ke3 66.Bxg6 Nd4 67.Bf7 Ne2 68.
Re1 Kf2 69.Rxe2+ 1–0
Donaldson, John (2430) – Taimanov, Mark (2425)
Owens Corning Wrexham (2), 15.10.1997
Bogo-Inidan Defence [E11]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 a5 5.g3 d5 6.Qc2 Nc6 7.a3 Be7 8.Bg2 0–
0 9.0–0 Bd7 10.Rd1 a4
In retrospect this can be seen as quite an ominous move. Later in the game
Taimanov will use the a-file and weakness of the b2-pawn very effectively.
11.cxd5 exd5 12.Nc3 Na5 13.Bg5 Nb3 14.Rab1 Ra5!
Defending the d5 pawn whilst simultaneously activating the rook.
15.Ne5 Be8 16.e3 h6 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Nd3 Bc6 19.Nb4 Qd7 20.Nca2 Be7
21.Nc1?!
Not the best. White mistakenly believes that the doubled b-pawn will not be a
problem but Taimanov will demonstrate otherwise. 21.h4 intending 22.Bf3
and 23.Kg2 would have been better.
21...Nxc1 22.Rdxc1?
He should have tried 22.Nxc6 after which 22...Qxc6 23.Qxc1 (23.Qxc6 Ne2+
24.Kf1 Nxg3+ 25.hxg3 bxc6 is also be fine for Black) 23...Qxc1 24.Rdxc1 c6
is dead equal.
22...Bxb4 23.axb4 Ra6 24.Qc5 Rb6!
Black's eventual winning plan starts to take shape. The Black rook will
pressurise White's doubled and isolated b-pawns with its colleague joining in
later.
25.Bf1?! Bb5! 26.Qxc7 Qxc7 27.Rxc7 Bxf1 28.Kxf1 Rxb4
Black has all the chances in this endgame. White's main problem is that his
rooks are tied down as if this were to fall Black would get two connected
passed pawns on the queenside. And as the game goes Black gets to create
weaknesses on White's poorly defended kingside.
29.Ra1 Ra8! 30.Ra2 Ra5!
Taking the same route as his colleague on b4.
31.Ke2
If 31.Rc5, there would follow 31...Rxc5 32.dxc5 Kf8 and Black's king would
be en route for c6 to attack the c5-pawn.
31...Rab5
32.Rc8+ Kh7 33.Rc2 Kg6 34.Kd2
It was probably better to put the king on f3 and just wait. In the game Black's
king gets in amongst White's kingside pawns.
34...Kf5 35.f3 h5 36.Kc1
And here 36.h3 looks better so as to meet 36...g5 with 37.g4+ and keep
Black's king out.
36...g5 37.Rc7 f6 38.h3
31...Rab5
38...g4!
Now Black's king gets a way through.
39.fxg4+ hxg4 40.h4
So White gets his own passes pawns and the game becomes quite sharp. To
his credit Taimanov proves to be more than a match for his younger opponent.
40...Ke4!
41.Re7+ Kf3 42.h5 Rb6 43.Ra3
Or 43.h6 f5 44.h7 Rh6 etc.
43...Kxg3 44.e4+ Kf4 45.exd5 Rc4+ 46.Kb1 Rxd4?!
The only mistake in an otherwise excellent game. Black should play 46...f5 ,
advancing his pawns whilst stopping the h-pawn in its tracks.
47.h6 f5 48.Re6 Rb5 49.Rh3?
Clever but not the best. 49.h7 would have made it difficult for Black.
49...Rd2
Not 49...gxh3 50.h7 etc.
50.h7 Rbxb2+ 51.Kc1?
51.Ka1 was mandatory.
51...Rdc2+ 52.Kd1 Rh2!
Threatening 53...Rb1 mate.
53.Rxh2 Rxh2 54.Re7 g3 55.Rg7 g2 0-1
After 56.Rxg2 Rxh7, Black wins easily thanks to his a- and b-pawns.
Exercises (solutions next month)
White to play. He has successfully tied Black down to the weakness on d6 and
also made progress on the kingside, but how does he put the ball in the net?
Black to play. Black has tied White down to the g-pawn but still needs to
break through. How does he do it?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Joerg, Harald (2189) – Shekhter, Dmitriy (2104)
Landesliga Sued 0405 Bayern (7.3), 13.02.2005
White to play. How should he break through here?
19.Nge6! is a spectacular way to close the game out. After 19...Bxf4 20.Rxf4
Qd6 White finished off neatly with 21.Rxf7! Rxf7 [21...Qxg3 22.Rxf8+ wins
a rook for starters.] 22.Qxg6+ Kh8 23.Qxf7 Qe5 24.Rf1 1-0
Shabanov, Yuri (2431) – Rudnik, Heinz (2157)
EU-chT Seniors 6th Dresden (1.2), 22.02.2004
White to play. Black has just prevented mate on h7 by going 12...h6. How
should White reply?
13.fxg6! Bd4+
And not 13...hxg5 because of 14.Qh7#.
14.Kh1 fxg6 15.Nf3
Now Black's kingside is falling apart.
15...h5 16.Bh6 Rf6 17.Bg5 Bxc3 18.bxc3 Rf7 19.Qg3 Qf8 20.Qc7
Winning the c6 pawn with more to follow.
20...b4 21.c4 Nf6 22.Ne5 Ne8 23.Rxf7 Qxf7 24.Qxc6 1-0
© 2009 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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Countering the Minority Attack:
Capablanca's Maneuver
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In October's column I looked at the minority attack, now I'm going to show
you one of the means of trying to counter it that was used by the great Jose
Raul Capablanca during his match with Alexander Alekhine. This plan still
occurs in games played today and represents a major weapon in Black's
arsenal of ideas.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
Capablanca's remarkable intuition led him to understand that in the Queen's
Gambit Declined Exchange Variation the very best place for a black knight is
on the d6-square. From here it not only helps defend against the minority
attack (b4-b5) but it is ready to hop into either c4 or e4 at the right moment.
Additionally the knight can be used to support an exchange of the lightsquared bishops with ...Bc8-f5 (White's bishop presumably standing on d3).
This is one of Black's major themes in this opening because it makes b4-b5
even harder for White to achieve and may also help to expose the c4-square.
Rules of Winning Chess
by Nigel Davies
Alekhine, Alexander - Capablanca, Jose Raul
World Championship 13th Buenos Aires (14), 14.10.1927
Queen's Gambit Declined [D64]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nd7 4.Nc3 Ngf6 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 0–0 7.Rc1 c6 8.Qc2
a6 9.a3
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Exchange Variation
by Nigel Davies
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9...h6
9...Re8 may be more accurate, so as to meet 10.cxd5 with 10...Nxd5!. White
would then be unable to avoid the exchange of his dark-squared bishop.
10.Bh4 Re8 11.cxd5 exd5
With the moves 9...h6 and 10.Bh4 interposed, White can now meet 11...Nxd5
with 12.Bg3!, avoiding exchanges. So Black finds it more difficult to free his
position.
12.Bd3 Nh5 13.Bxe7 Rxe7 14.0–0 Nhf6 15.h3?!
Not the best. 15.b4 was more challenging with the idea of Nc3-a4-c5 and later
a3-a4. Now Black gains equality with his celebrated knight manoeuvre.
15...Ne8! 16.Ne2 Nd6!
The Tarrasch Defence
by Nigel Davies
This is a really superb post for the knight, as it's now very difficult for White
to achieve any of his desired pawn levers (b4-b5 or e3-e4). The game now
sees steady simplification after which nobody has much to play for.
17.Ng3 Nf8 18.Ne5 f6 19.Ng6 Nxg6 20.Bxg6
The squares around Black's king look a bit weak but White can not exploit
them.
20...Be6 21.Ne2 Qd7 22.Nf4 Bf5!
Another point behind having the knight on d6 is that it is often able to support
this exchange.
23.Bxf5 Qxf5 24.Qxf5 Nxf5 25.Nd3 Nd6 ½–½
The next game is an even more vivid demonstration of Black's strategic
themes. He exchanges light-squared bishops in the opening and with the
knight on d6 effectively stymies any hope that Portisch might have had of
playing b4-b5. And the knight later plays a decisive role in both Black's
kingside pawn advance and an eventual harvest of White's queenside pawns.
Portisch, L (2600) - Kasparov, G (2775)
Skelleftea, 1989
Queen's Gambit Declined [D35]
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5
No doubt played to avoid tricky lines such as 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5 .
But Black has an easier time of it now than in some other forms of the
Exchange Variation.
4...exd5 5.Nc3 c6 6.Qc2 Na6
7.a3
Again trying to stop the slightest possibility of tricks, this time with ...Na6-b4.
However, a more testing way to play this is with 7.Bg5 Be7 8.e3 after which
8...Nb4 9.Qb1 g6 10.Qd1! Bf5 11.Rc1 gives White a good game.
7...Nc7 8.Bg5 g6!? 9.e3
White might have tried the sharp 9.e4!?, but this wasn't in Portisch's game
plan.
9...Bf5 10.Bd3 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 Be7 12.0–0 0–0 13.b4
It might have been a good idea to deprive Black of one of his knights via 13.
Bxf6 Bxf6 14.b4. By move seventeen Portisch was probably regretting this
decision.
13...Ne4! 14.Bf4!
One of the tactical points behind Black's last moves is that after 14.Bh6?! Re8
15.Nxe4? dxe4 16.Qxe4 Black wins a piece with 16...Bf8 17.Qf4 Ne6.
14...Nxc3 15.Qxc3?
White should definitely take out Black's remaining knight via 15.Bxc7.
Probably he missed Black's clever sixteenth move.
15...Bd6 16.Bxd6
16...Nb5!
Very clever. Now Black's knight gets to the ideal square and it becomes much
easier for him to advance on the kingside than it is for Portisch to make
progress on the other flank.
17.Qb3 Nxd6 18.a4 a6 19.Ne5?!
The knight will get driven away from here via ...f7-f6. 19.g3 might have been
a better plan intending to reinforce White's king position with Nf3-h4-g2. It
would have been very difficult for Black to make progress after that.
19...Re8 20.Rfe1 Qg5 21.h3?!
21.g3 was better here too, not least because Black's breakthrough may come
via ...f7-f5-f4.
21...Kg7 22.Qc2 Re6 23.Rac1 Rae8 24.Qb1?!
And here 24.Qd1 was better, keeping the queen in contact with the kingside.
24...Qh5! 25.Qb3 f6
26.Nd3?!
Yet another sub-optimal move. 26.Nf3 would have been much more
tenacious, the idea being that 26...g5 27.Nh2! would hold White's kingside
together.
26...g5 27.Qd1 Qg6 28.Qc2 R6e7! 29.Red1 h5 30.Qb1
After 30.Ne1, Black would avoid the exchange of queens with 30...Qh6! in
order to maintain his chances against White's king.
30...h4 31.Qc2 g4 32.Nf4?
This loses. White's best try was 32.hxg4 Qxg4 33.Nf4 after which 33...Kh6 34.
Kh2 Rg8 gives Black very dangerous attacking chances but nothing that's
crystal clear.
32...Qxc2 33.Rxc2 g3! 34.Rd3
34.fxg3 is powerfully met by 34...Nf5!.
34...Kh6 35.Kf1 Kg5 36.Ne2?!
In time trouble Portisch's resistance crumbles and we see the d6-knight make
a decisive entrance. 36.Re2 was the best, though Black could then play 36...
Ne4 37.f3 Nd6 intending 38...Nc4.
36...Nc4! 37.Rcc3 Nb2 38.Rd2 Nxa4
The first pawn falls with more to follow.
39.Rb3 Nb6 40.Ng1
Or 40.fxg3 Nc4 etc.
40...Nc4 41.Nf3+ Kh5 42.Rdd3 a5!
43.bxa5 Ra8 44.Rd1 Rxa5 45.Re1 b5 46.Re2 Ra1+ 47.Re1 Rea7 48.fxg3
Rxe1+
48...hxg3 would also have been good.
49.Kxe1 Ra1+ 50.Ke2 hxg3 51.Ne1 Ra2+ 52.Kd1 Rd2+ 53.Kc1 Re2 54.
Kd1 Rxe3 55.Rxe3 Nxe3+ 56.Ke2 Nf5 57.Nc2 Nh4 58.Nb4
58.Kf1 Kg5 59.Nb4 Kf4 would see Black's king make a decisive entrance.
58...Nxg2 59.Kf3 Nh4+ 60.Kxg3 Nf5+ 61.Kf4 Nxd4 62.Ke3 Nf5+ 0–1
Exercises (solutions next month)
Black to play, what should he do here?
Black to play, what's his best move?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Vachier Lagrave, M (2718) - Yu Yangyi (2527)
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (3.1), 27.11.2009
White to play. He has successfully tied Black down to the weakness on d6 and
also made progress on the kingside, but how does he put the ball in the net?
49.Rxa5!
This neat combination exploits all of White's advantages.
49...Qe7
Black has no choice. After 49...Rxa5 50.Rb7 Kf8 (50...Rd7 51.Rb8+) 51.Qxg7
+ Ke8 52.Qh8+ leads to mate.
50.Rxa7 Qxa7 51.Rxb4 Kh8 52.a4 Qd4 53.Rb7 Rg8 54.g3 Qd2 55.Kg2
Qc3 56.Qf7 Qd3 57.Qg6 Qc3 58.Rb5 Qd2 59.a5 Qa2 60.Qg4 Qc2 61.a6 1–0
Sefc, Jan - Petrosian, Tigran
EU-chT (Men) Vienna (4), 1957
Black to play. Black has tied White down to the g-pawn but still needs to
break through. How does he do it?
88...e4!
This just wins material. White has no choice but to take this pawn as Black is
threatening 89...e3.
89.fxe4 Nxd3 90.Rxf5 Nc5 91.Rfd5 Rxb3 92.Rxd6+ Ke7 93.R6d4 Rc3 94.
e5 b3 95.Rxh4 Rc1+ 96.Kf2 b2 0–1
© 2009 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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The Double Bishop Sacrifice
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
This month's theme is one for the rabid attackers out there, a double bishop
sacrifice to strip away the pawn cover in front of a castled king. The attacker
then follows up by bringing in a queen and rook in order to mate the
undefended king. To bring off this attack successfully there should be no
minor pieces defending the opponent's king position. This means they either
have to be driven or lured away; for example, via exchanges. The first game I
know of in which this sacrifice was played was the game Burn - Owen,
Liverpool 1884, but the first really famous one was played by the future
World Champion, Emanuel Lasker. In his game against Bauer in 1889, he
draws the defending knight away with 14.Nh5 before laying waste to Black's
kingside pawn protection.
Lasker, Emanuel - Bauer, Johann Hermann
Amsterdam (1), 26.08.1889
Bird's Opening [A03]
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1.f4
Already something unusual. Throughout most of his career Lasker specialised
in 1.e4.
1...d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.b3 e6 4.Bb2 Be7 5.Bd3 b6 6.Nf3 Bb7 7.Nc3 Nbd7 8.0–0 0–
0 9.Ne2
Bxh7+
by David Rudel
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The knight is en route for the kingside to help with White's build up of forces.
Black might have answered this with 9...Nc5 in order to exchange off the
bishop on d3, but he continues the rather passive development of his pieces.
9...c5 10.Ng3 Qc7 11.Ne5 Nxe5 12.Bxe5 Qc6 13.Qe2 a6?!
Had Black tried 13...g6 he might have been able to defend himself. Now the
storm breaks.
14.Nh5 Nxh5
1.e4 for the Creative
Attacker
by Nigel Davies
After 14...d4, there would follow 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Qg4 Kh8 (16...e5 is
decisively answered by 17.Be4!) 17.Rf3 Rg8 18.Bxh7!, the point being that
18...Kxh7 19.Nxf6+ gxf6 20.Rh3# is mate.
15.Bxh7+!
Both brilliant and essential. After 15.Qxh5, Black can stop White in his tracks
with 15...f5.
15...Kxh7 16.Qxh5+ Kg8 17.Bxg7!!
Today Lasker might have tried to copyright this idea.
17...Kxg7
If Black had tried to bail out with 17...f5, White would have 18.Be5 Rf6 19.
Rf3 with a winning attack.
18.Qg4+
And not 18.Rf3 because of 18...Rh8 19.Rg3+ Bg5! 20.Rxg5+ Kf6 when
White lacks a good follow-up.
18...Kh7 19.Rf3 e5 20.Rh3+ Qh6 21.Rxh6+ Kxh6
22.Qd7!
The sting in the tail, winning a piece and the game.
22...Bf6 23.Qxb7 Kg7 24.Rf1 Rab8 25.Qd7 Rfd8 26.Qg4+ Kf8 27.fxe5 Bg7
28.e6 Rb7 29.Qg6 f6 30.Rxf6+ Bxf6 31.Qxf6+ Ke8 32.Qh8+ Ke7 33.Qg7+
Kxe6 34.Qxb7 Rd6 35.Qxa6 d4 36.exd4 cxd4 37.h4 d3 38.Qxd3 1–0
Although this attacking scheme is very well known that does not mean it has
lost its relevance. The following game is an ample demonstration, with the
former World Champion Anatoly Karpov falling victim to it.
Polgar, Judit (2722) - Karpov, Anatoly (2693)
Essent Crown Hoogeveen (1), 12.10.2003
Petroff Defence [C42]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0–0 Nc6 8.c4
Nb4 9.Be2 0–0 10.a3 Nc6 11.cxd5 Qxd5 12.Nc3 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Qd6 14.Rb1
b6 15.Re1 Be6 16.Bd3 Rae8 17.Rb5!
From the fifth-rank this rook can swing across to the e-file or even the
kingside.
17...Na5 18.Rbe5 Nc6 19.R5e2
The transfer of White's rook to e2 leaves her with strong pressure. It's far from
easy for Black to free his position without some horrid accident befalling him.
19...Bd7 20.d5 Na5
Of course 20...Qxd5?? 21.Bxh7+ would cost Black his queen. So his knight
must journey to the edge of the board.
21.Ne5 Bf6 22.Bf4! Bxe5 23.Bxe5 Qxa3
24.Re3!
With the rook's transfer to the third rank things are looking ominous for
Black's king.
24...Qc5?
Missing the threat, though in any case Black is in serious trouble here. For
example, after 24...h6, White can play just 25.Bxc7 (25.Rg3 f6 is
unconvincing) 25...Rxe3 26.Rxe3 with a powerful passed d-pawn.
25.Bxh7+! Kxh7 26.Qh5+ 1–0
Realising what he had fallen into Karpov resigned. Actually there is no
defence; for example, after 26.Qh5+ Kg8 there follows 27.Bxg7 Kxg7 (27...f5
28.Be5 would also give White a mating attack) 28.Rg3+ Kf6 29.Qg5# is mate.
Exercises (solutions next month)
White to play. What should he do here (solution next month).
White to play. What should he do here (solution next month).
Solutions to last month's exercises
Eisenmann, Wolfgang - Heller, Martin
Schleswig Holstein-ch 43rd Gluecksburg (3), 1988
Black to play, what should he do here?
Black uncorked the move 20...Rxe3! which wins a vital pawn. The problem
for White is that 21.fxe3 can be met by 21...Ng3+ after which 22.hxg3 Qh5#
is mate. White didn't see the point of Black's rook sacrifice until 21...Ng3+
was played, but he then promptly resigned.
Sabel, Reinhard - Schwarz, Peter (2280)
Wiesbaden op (1), 1994
Black to play, what's his best move?
23...Nxe3! Smashing open White's defences. The problem is that after 24.fxe3
Qxg3+ White cannot play 25.Qg2 because 25...Qxe3+ would pick up the
knight on c3. Instead there followed 25.Kh1 Rxe3 26.Ne2 Qh3+ 27.Kg1 Qg4
+ 28.Kf2 Rae8 29.Rd2 Rf3+ and White resigned. After 30.Ke1 Qg3+ 31.Kd1
Rxf1#, he is mated.
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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The Backward d-Pawn in the Sicilian
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
One of the discoveries of the so-called 'Soviet School of Chess' was that the
discovery that static pawn weaknesses might not necessarily be weak and that
much depends on both the positioning of the pieces and any dynamic
compensation. This was really a breath of fresh air at a time when people
thought that chess was being played out. Botvinnik really got the ball rolling
by playing openings such as the Stonewall Dutch (1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.
g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 d5) and his own 'Botvinnik Formation' in the English
Opening and as Black against the Closed Sicilian (1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6
4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e4 and 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 followed
by 6...e5 respectively).
In both these formations Botvinnik created a hole in his position; e5 in the
Stonewall, d4 in the Botvinnik English, and d5 in his treatment of the Closed
Sicilian. These days such things are considered quite normal but at the time it
was revolutionary. Other Soviet players had similarly dynamic thinking, most
notably Isaac Boleslavsky. As well as being the main pioneer of the King's
Indian Defence, together with David Bronstein, Boleslavsky invented a
system of play in the Sicilian whereby he voluntarily accepted a backward dpawn and created a hole on d5. The line which now bears his name runs 1.e4
c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be2 e5, though in many
ways he could be considered the father of all the Sicilians with...e7-e5.
Black's reasoning is that...e7-e5 gives him a strong outpost in the centre whilst
White meanwhile will find it difficult to exploit the supposedly weak d5square. Indeed, White must first establish a piece on d5 for this hole to be any
kind of problem and then he needs to watch out for Black's counterplay on
other parts of the board. If all these boxes are ticked then he might well have
an advantage. In the following game Bobby Fischer gives us an object lesson
in exploiting the weakness on d5:
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Bxh7+
by David Rudel
Fischer, Robert James - Bolbochan, Julio
Stockholm Interzonal Stockholm (21), 03.03.1962
Sicilian Defence [B90]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 Nc6 7.g4 Nxd4 8.
Qxd4 e5
The Closed Sicilian
by Nigel Davies
Taking on a backward d-pawn and creating a hole on d5. But can White
exploit it in this particular version?
9.Qd3 Be7
9...Be6 defending the d5-square would have been a better idea. Now White
stops it by driving the knight on f6 back to d7.
10.g5! Nd7 11.Be3 Nc5?
And here Black should bail out with 11...Bxg5 12.Bxg5 Qxg5 13.Qxd6 Qe7.
He's worse after 14.Qxe7+ Kxe7 15.Nd5+ Kf8 16.0–0–0, but this is nothing
like as bad as the game.
12.Qd2 Be6 13.0–0–0 0–0 14.f3 Rc8 15.Kb1 Nd7
Perhaps Black should have tried to free himself up with 15...f6, though it
looks dangerous to let White open and occupy the g-file with 16.gxf6 Rxf6 17.
Rg1.
16.h4 b5 17.Bh3 Bxh3
I'm sure that Black really didn't want to play this move, but the problem is in
finding an alternative. After 17...Nb6 18.Bxb6 Qxb6 19.Nd5 Qd8 (19...Bxd5?
20.Bxc8) 20.Nxe7+ Qxe7 21.Qxd6, White wins a pawn; whilst 17...Re8 18.
Nd5 Bf8 19.h5 leaves Black in a horrible bind.
18.Rxh3 Nb6 19.Bxb6 Qxb6 20.Nd5!
This gets to the ideal scenario from White's perspective, a monster knight on
d5 against Black's bad bishop on e7. Fischer now uses the extra mobility this
gives him to operate on both sides of the board and stretch Black's defences
beyond breaking point.
20...Qd8 21.f4
And not 21.Nxe7+? Qxe7 22.Qxd6?? because of 22...Rfd8.
21...exf4 22.Qxf4 Qd7 23.Qf5 Rcd8
White would win immediately after either 23...Rfd8? 24.Qxd7 Rxd7 25.Nb6
+-; or 23...Qxf5? 24.Nxe7+, etc.
24.Ra3! Qa7 25.Rc3
Another tempting possibility was 25.Nf6+!? when 25...Bxf6 (25...gxf6? 26.
gxf6 Kh8 27.Qg5 Rg8 28.fxe7! wins on the spot) 26.gxf6 g6 27.Qf4 Kh8 28.
Rad3 must surely be winning for White. But it's understandable that Fischer
wishes to keep his knight for the time being.
25...g6!
The best try. After 25...Rd7?, White would win with 26.Nf6+!; for example,
26...Bxf6 (Or 26...gxf6 27.gxf6 Kh8 28.fxe7 Rxe7 29.Qf6+ followed by mate)
27.gxf6 g6 28.Qf4 Kh8 29.Qh6 Rg8 30.Rc8 followed by mate on g7.
26.Qg4 Qd7 27.Qf3 Qe6 28.Rc7 Rde8 29.Nf4 Qe5 30.Rd5 Qh8 31.a3
With Black's position being totally passive, White takes the opportunity to
rule out any back rank accidents.
31...h6
After 31...f6, White can play 32.Rxd6!; for example, 32...fxg5 (Or 32...Bxd6
33.Qb3+) 33.Qb3+ Rf7 34.Rxe7 Rexe7 35.Rd8+ Kg7 36.Qc3+, etc.
32.gxh6 Qxh6
Or 32...Bxh4? 33.Qg4 Qxh6 34.Rh5 winning the bishop.
33.h5 Bg5
After 33...g5, White would play 34.Ne2, intending Ne2-g3-f5.
34.hxg6! fxg6
Or 34...Bxf4 35.gxf7+ Rxf7 36.Rxf7 Kxf7 37.Rh5! with a winning attack.
35.Qb3! Rxf4
35...Kh8 was a better try, but then White can win with 36.Nxg6+ Qxg6 37.
Rxg5 Rf1+ (37...Qxg5 38.Qh3+ leads to a quick mate) 38.Ka2 Qxg5 39.Qh3+
Kg8 40.Qxf1 with an extra pawn plus an ongoing attack against the exposed
king.
36.Re5+ Kf8 37.Rxe8+ 1–0
Black is mated after 37.Rxe8+ Kxe8 38.Qe6+ Kf8 39.Qc8+ Bd8 40.Qxd8#.
To show the other side of the coin, this next game is one in which White does
not manage to establish a piece on d5. And in this case the positive sides of
Black's position come shining through, such as the pressure on the half open cfile and against the pawn on e4. When the backward pawn finally advances
(24...d5!) Black's strategic triumph is complete.
Unzicker, Wolfgang - Taimanov, Mark
Saltsjobaden Interzonal Saltsjobaden (8), 26.09.1952
Sicilian efence [B58]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 e5
7.Nf3
One instructive tactical point in this line is that after 7.Nb3 Black does not
need to play 7...h6 because after 7...Be7 8.Bg5 (trying to eliminate a defender
of the d5 hole) he can play 8...Nxe4! 9.Bxe7 (Or 9.Nxe4 Bxg5 10.Nxd6+
Ke7) 9...Nxc3 10.Bxd8 Nxd1 with a good game. Now however White is
'threatening' to play Bc1–g5 and take on f6, because 7...Be7 8.Bg5 Nxe4?? 9.
Nxe4 would defend the bishop on g5. This in turn explains Black's next move.
7...h6! 8.0–0 Be7 9.Re1 0–0 10.h3 a6 11.Bf1 b5 12.a3?!
Too cautious. White should play 12.a4 b4 13.Nd5 with complex play. After
the text White starts to find it difficult to make a plan.
12...Bb7 13.b3 Rc8 14.Bb2 Rc7 15.Nb1?!
Unzicker wants to play c2-c4 so as to get a bind on the d5-square.
Unfortunately for him, he is unable to achieve this goal, so it would have been
better to play 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Nb8 17.Rc1. Even so Black would have a
good game after 17...Nd7, his kingside pawn majority can become a major
trump whilst White will find it difficult to advance his extra pawn on the
queenside without creating weaknesses.
15...Qa8 16.Nbd2 Nd8!
This excellent move is essentially the refutation of White's fifteenth move.
The threats to his e4-pawn force White to defend passively. Had Black played
the hackneyed 16...Rd8 White would have been able to achieve his goal with
17.c4.
17.Bd3 Ne6 18.Rc1
After 18.c4, there is 18...Nc5!
18...Rfc8 19.Nh2 Nd7 20.Nhf1 Ndc5 21.Ng3 g6 22.Ne2
22...Bg5!
Increasing the pressure. White's last move set an interesting trap. After 22...
Nxe4 23.Nxe4 Bxe4 24.Bxe4 Qxe4, White would finally be able to get a
knight into d5 via 25.Nc3! Qh4 26.Nd5! when the position is far from clear.
23.Nc3 Nd4
23...Nxd3? 24.cxd3 Nc5 was tempting, but then 25.Qe2 Bxd2 26.Qxd2 Nxb3
27.Qxh6! Nxc1 28.Bxc1, threatening 29.Bg5, would be quite dangerous for
Black's king. So once again Taimanov prefers to keep the pressure.
24.Ncb1 d5!
The backward d-pawn finally advances. The game is opening up when
White's pieces are horribly placed so matters are quickly decided.
25.exd5 Nxd3 26.cxd3 Rxc1 27.Bxc1 Bxd5 28.f3
28...Rc2! 29.a4
After 29.Rxe5, there would follow 29...Qc6 30.Re1 Rxc1 31.Qxc1 Qxc1 32.
Rxc1 Ne2+, etc.
29...b4 30.Kh1 Qc6 0–1
There is no defence to the multitude of threats.
Exercises (solutions next month)
Although White appears to have a classic 'good knight vs. bad bishop'
advantage, the knight is a long way from its ideal square on d5 and Black's
pieces have become very active. How did Black to play win the game?
White to play. Although this position did not arise from an ...e7-e5 Sicilian
the structural characteristics are the same. How did White to play exploit the
pawn's weakness?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Koltanowski, Georges - Defosse, Marcel
Belgium, 1936
White to play, what should he do here?
22.Bxh7+! The standard introduction to the double bishop sacrifice. 22...
Kxh7 23.Qh5+ Kg8 24.Bxg7! Kxg7 25.Qg5+ Kh7 26.Rd4 Bh2+ 27.Kh1
Qf4 The only defence to the threat of 28.Rh4#, though after the queen is lost
Black is left in a hopeless position. 28.Rxf4 Bxf4 29.Qxf4 Rg8 30.Re5 1–0
Filatov, Leonid (2293) - Mayer, Steven (2222)
World Open Philadelphia (5), 02.07.2000
White to play, what should he do here?
14.dxc5! This paves the way for the double bishop sacrifice by opening the
long a1–h8 diagonal for the bishop on b2. White is threatening to hold the c5
pawn with b3-b4, so Black feels obliged to recapture. 14...Nxc5 14...Bxc5
might have been a better try but White seems to be winning anyway, for
example 15.Bxh7+ Kxh7 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Bxg7 Bxe3+ 18.Kh1 f6 19.Bh6
Ne5 20.Bxf8 Rxf8 21.fxe5 Bxd2 22.Rf3 gives White an ongoing attack. 15.
Bxh7+! Kxh7 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 17...f6 18.Rf3 would lead to a
quick win for White. 18.Qg4+ 1–0
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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The Bad Stonewall Bishop
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
A bad bishop is one that is shut in by its own pawns. For this reason it is
usually advisable to put pawns on the opposite color to your remaining bishop
if you only have one of them left. There are also situations in which your
pawns are on the same color as your remaining bishop, but the bishop is
outside the pawn chain. In this case the pawns do not limit the bishops range
of movement as much, so it may not be a liability. One of the pawn structures
most commonly used to illustrate the problems with a bad bishop is the
Stonewall formation. In this pawn structure, Black puts pawns on d5, e6 and
f5, limiting the scope of his light-squared bishop on c8.
In a future column I will take a look at how this bishop can be activated to
good effect. But now let's take a look at why this bishop acquired such a poor
reputation. The first game is a classic demonstration of how White should
play, posting his knights on d3 and f3 and then aiming for a breakthrough on
the queenside. The second game shows an attempt by Black to bring the bad
bishop out to b7, and it later emerges via a6. But meanwhile some other
strategic issues emerge.
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Mastering Positional Chess
by Daniel Naroditsky
Geller, Efim – Szabó, László
Budapest (12), 1952
Slav Defense [A92]
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.c4 d5 7.Nbd2 c6 8.Ne5
Nbd7 9.Nd3 Qe8 10.Qc2 g5
After 10...Bd6, White could adopt another strategy typical of Stonewall
formations, the exchange of Black's dark-squared bishop with 11.Nf3,
followed by 12.Bf4.
Play through and download
the games from
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Killer Dutch
by Simon Williams
11.Nf3
Placing both knights within reach of e5 is a highly effective plan for White.
With the center under close observation it is very difficult for Black to
mobilize his forces for a kingside attack.
11...Ne4
Complete Chess Course
[FEN "r1b1qrk1/pp1nb2p/2p1p3/3p1pp1/2PPn3/
3N1NP1/PPQ1PPBP/1RB2RK1 b - - 0 12"]
12.Rb1!
Another important and thematic move. It is not enough to have e5 under
control, White needs to penetrate his opponent's position in some way. The
simplest and most logical way to achieve this is via a queenside pawn
advance.
12...Bf6 13.b4 b5
Preventing b4-b5 but contracting a new weakness on c6 and has issues in
finding a way to evacuate his knight from e4. With his next move White takes
d6 away from it and intends to play f2-f3 as soon as possible.
14.c5 a5 15.a3 axb4 16.axb4 g4
Setting about making g5 available for his knight on e4, but now White's f2-f3
will lever open files on the kingside.
17.Nfe5 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Bd8 19.Bh6 Rf7 20.f3 Bg5
[FEN "r1b1q1k1/5r1p/2p1p2B/1pPpPpb1/
1P2n1p1/3N1PP1/2Q1P1BP/1R3RK1 w - - 0 21"]
The only way to rescue his knight. After 20...gxf3 21.exf3 Ng5 22.h4, it
would not have a square.
21.Bxg5 Nxg5 22.fxg4 Rfa7
And not 22...fxg4, because of 23.Nf2 when 23...h5? 24.Qg6+ wins on the spot
23.gxf5 exf5 24.Qd2 Nf7 25.Qf4 Ra2
Should Black target the e5-pawn with 25...Re7, there would follow 26.Ra1
when after 26...Rxa1 27.Rxa1 Nxe5 28.Nxe5 Rxe5 29.Bf3, Black would be
defenseless against White's invasion along the a-file.
26.Qe3 Qe7
[FEN "r1b3k1/4qn1p/2p5/1pPpPp2/1P6/
3NQ1P1/r3P1BP/1R3RK1 w - - 0 27"]
27.Bh3 Ng5
27...Qg5 would have been more tenacious, but Black is still in a poor position
after 28.Nf4 R2a3 29.Qd4; for example, 29...Nd8 30.e4! fxe4 (30...dxe4 31.
Qd6 threatening 32.e6 is too strong) 31.Bxc8 Rxc8 32.Nxd5 cxd5 (32...Rxg3+
is met by 33.Kh1) 33.Qxd5+ with a winning attack.
28.Bxf5 d4 29.Qxd4 Rxe2 30.Bxc8 Raa2 31.Nb2 Rxe5 32.Rbd1 Re2 33.
Rd2 Rxd2 34.Qxd2 Ne4 35.Qf4 Rxb2 36.Be6+ 1–0
O'Kelly de Galway, Alberic – Donner, Jan Hein
Amsterdam (8), 1950
Dutch Defense [A81]
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.b3 d5 7.Bb2 Qe8 8.Ne5
Nbd7 9.Nd3 Bd6 10.c4 c6 11.Nd2 b6
[FEN "r1b1qrk1/p2n2pp/1ppbpn2/3p1p2/2PP4/
1P1N2P1/PB1NPPBP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 12"]
An excellent plan, intending to develop the bishop on b7. But these days we
tend not to mix it with the old fashioned idea of bashing White on the
kingside with ...Qe6, ...Qh5 and some general thuggery.
12.Rc1 Ne4 13.Nf3
The same positioning of the knights as in the Geller game.
13...Bb7 14.Nfe5 Rc8
Black should have played 14...Nxe5 after which 15.dxe5 (15.Nxe5 Bxe5 16.
dxe5 dxc4 17.Rxc4 c5 is also OK for Black) 15...Be7 16.Nf4 Bc5 with a
playable position for Black.
15.f3 Nef6 16.c5!
Creating a breach in Black's pawn structure.
16...bxc5 17.Nxc5 Nxc5 18.dxc5 Bc7 19.Qd4 Ba6
[FEN "2r1qrk1/p1b3pp/b1p1pn2/2PpNp2/
3Q4/1P3PP1/PB2P1BP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 20"]
A good example of the 'bad' bishop operating outside his pawn structure, in
which case it becomes rather good. The problem for Black here is that White's
strong grip on the d4- and e5-squares gives him the better of it anyway.
20.Rfe1 Bb5 21.a4
Starting the advance of his pawn majority on the a- to c-files.
21...Ba6 22.Bc3 Rb8 23.Rb1 Rb7 24.b4 Bxe5 25.Qxe5 Qe7 26.Qe3 Nd7?
[FEN "5rk1/pr1nq1pp/b1p1p3/2Pp1p2/PP6/
2B1QPP1/4P1BP/1R2R1K1 w - - 0 27"]
Black wants to play ...e6-e5, but he's missing an important tactical theme. 26...
Bc4 would have been better.
27.f4?
Missing an immediate win of a piece via 27.b5! cxb5 28.c6.
27...Bc4 28.Bd4 a6 29.Rec1 Rfb8 30.Rxc4!
White finally cracks the Stonewall structure with this nice exchange sacrifice.
30...dxc4 31.Qc3 e5
After 31...Nf6, there would follow 32.Bxf6 Qxf6 33.Qxc4 threatening both
the c6- and a6-pawns.
32.fxe5 Qe6 33.e4 a5?!
[FEN "1r4k1/1r1n2pp/2p1q3/p1P1Pp2/
PPpBP3/2Q3P1/6BP/1R4K1 w - - 0 34"]
33...fxe4 34.Bf1 was also good for White, but Black would be better off than
in the game.
34.b5! cxb5 35.exf5 Qxf5 36.Rf1 Qe6 37.Bxb7 Rxb7 38.Qf3 Rb8 39.c6 b4
40.cxd7 Qxd7 41.Bc5 h6 42.Bd6 1–0
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "rn2qrk1/1bb3pp/2p1p3/p1P2p2/
PpNP4/1Q3BP1/1P2P2P/R1BR2K1 w - - 0 18"]
White to play. This is not a combination, just a good positional move. How
does White get the right set of bishops left on the board?
[FEN "r5rk/2RN1Rp1/b3p2p/3p1p1P/
p2P1K2/Pp2PPP1/1P6/8 w - - 0 36"]
Although this position did not have arise directly from a Stonewall formation
it shows the same strategic features. How did White to play crown his
excellent positional play?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Unzicker, Wolfgang – Fischer, Robert
Varna ol (Men) fin-A (7), 1962
[FEN "2r3k1/q4pp1/3p3p/1p1QpPb1/
4P3/1NP3PP/rP6/R3RK2 b - - 0 26"]
Although White appears to have a classic 'good knight vs. bad bishop'
advantage, the knight is a long way from its ideal square on d5 and Black's
pieces have become very active. How did Black to play win the game?
26...Rxc3! This brilliant shot exploits the weakness of White's king. Unzicker
resigned here, but let's look at what could have happened had he continued:
27.Rxa2 Or 27.bxc3 Qf2#. 27...Rf3+ 28.Ke2 Rf2+ 29.Kd3 Qxa2 30.Ra1
Qxb2 is winning for Black as besides his material advantage White's king is
hopelessly exposed.
Smyslov, Vassily – Reshevsky, Samuel
World Championship Den Haag/Moscow (11), 11.04.1948
[FEN "rn5k/1p2qpp1/pB1pn2p/4p3/4P1Q1/
1BP3P1/PP3P1P/3R2K1 w - - 0 25"]
White to play. Although this position did not arise from an ...e7-e5 Sicilian
the structural characteristics are the same. How did White to play exploit the
pawn's weakness?
25.Bxe6! Far from obvious because White is giving up his bishop-pair. The
point comes on the next move. 25...fxe6 26.Qh4! This is very unpleasant for
Black who needs his queen on the board to defend d6. Once they are
exchanged the pawn falls. 26...Qd7 26...Qxh4 27.gxh4 also leaves the d-pawn
defenseless. 27.Qd8+ Qxd8 28.Bxd8 Nd7 29.Bc7 and Black could no longer
defend the d6-pawn and eventually lost the game.
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
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The Weak Doubled Pawn
Whilst it is not always the case, doubled pawns can become a serious liability.
The situation in which they are particularly weak arises when they cannot be
protected by their fellow pawns and need to be supported by pieces. Even if
such pawns can be defended this way, they can spread gloom over a position
by simply requiring such defense. Pieces that are reduced to such a role can be
very passively placed and bear the seeds of defeat. Players will usually only
accept such pawn weaknesses if they believe they have excellent
compensating factors.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
One of the best known opening variations in which doubled pawns arise is the
Sämisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3
Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3. Neither of White's doubled c-pawns can be defended
by another pawn because the d-pawn has already advanced to d4. This makes
both of them very vulnerable. What does White have as compensation for this
weakness? Well, first of all he has the two bishops and his dark-squared
bishop in particular can become very dangerous if it gets active. And secondly
his d4-pawn is well supported by the pawn on c3, which means that Black
will find it difficult to undermine White's pawn center with ...c7-c5.
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Critical Moments in Chess
by Paata Gaprindashvili
Because of these clearly defined positional motifs the play can become very
sharp, and this opening has been a dangerous weapon in the hands of
attacking players such as David Bronstein. On the other hand those who are
more structurally inclined, like Vassily Smyslov, appear to have enjoyed
playing the black side of this position. This month we will be focusing on the
weakness of the doubled c-pawns and seeing how this can be exploited. The
two games are both classics featuring world class grandmasters.
Play through and download
the games from
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DGT Game Viewer.
Botvinnik, Mikhail – Reshevsky, Samuel
World Championship, Den Haag/Moscow (14), 18.04.1948
Nimzo-Indian Defense [E29]
Power Play 13: The Squeeze
by Daniel King
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Nc6 7.Bd3 0–0 8.
Ne2 b6 9.e4 Ne8!
Starting Out: Nimzo-Indian
by Chris Ward
[FEN"r1bqnrk1/p2p1ppp/1pn1p3/2p5/2PPP3/
P1PB4/4NPPP/R1BQK2R w KQ - 0 10"]
An instructive move. Black avoids the pin with Bc1–g5 whilst simultaneously
preparing to meet f2-f4 with ...f7-f5 and routing his knight around to d6.
10.Be3 d6
Defending the c5-pawn, but ruling out the possibility of a later ...Ne8-d6.
11.0–0 Na5
This, together with Black's next, are very typical moves for Black in this line,
latching onto the weak pawn on c4.
12.Ng3 Ba6 13.Qe2 Qd7!
[FEN "r3nrk1/p2q1ppp/bp1pp3/n1p5/2PPP3/
P1PBB1N1/4QPPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 14"]
Another instructive move. Now Black wants to bring his queen to a4 to have a
third piece attacking the weak c4-pawn.
14.f4
14.e5! would have been much more dangerous for Black, immediately
unveiling the d3-bishop against Black's kingside. After 14...Qa4 15.Bg5!,
White would threaten 16.Be7, so Black should probably play 14...f5 anyway.
14...f5 15.Rae1 g6 16.Rd1 Qf7
After 16...Qa4, White can play 17.d5!?.
17.e5 Rc8 18.Rfe1?!
[FEN "2r1nrk1/p4q1p/bp1pp1p1/n1p1Pp2/
2PP1P2/P1PBB1N1/4Q1PP/3RR1K1 b - - 0 18"]
After this, White's position starts to develop signs of Rigor mortis. 18.d5 was
a more interesting try.
18...dxe5 19.dxe5 Ng7 20.Nf1 Rfd8 21.Bf2 Nh5 22.Bg3 Qe8
With the queen having done her job on f7, it looks for a more venomous post
on a4.
23.Ne3 Qa4 24.Qa2 Nxg3 25.hxg3 h5!
A nice prophylactic move from Reshevsky, ruling out any counterplay via g3g4.
26.Be2 Kf7 27.Kf2 Qb3!
[FEN"2rr4/p4k2/bp2p1p1/n1p1Pp1p/2P2P2/
PqP1N1P1/Q3BKP1/3RR3 w - - 0 28"]
With the exchange of queens the weakness of White's doubled pawns
becomes even more significant.
28.Qxb3 Nxb3 29.Bd3 Ke7 30.Ke2 Na5 31.Rd2 Rc7 32.g4
Desperation.
32...Rcd7 33.gxf5 gxf5 34.Red1 h4 35.Ke1?
A blunder in a difficult position.
35...Nb3 36.Nd5+ exd5 37.Bxf5 Nxd2 38.Rxd2 dxc4 39.Bxd7 Rxd7 40.Rf2
Ke6 41.Rf3 Rd3 42.Ke2 0–1
In this next game, Efim Geller plays rather better than Botvinnik did against
Reshevsky, but even so the doubled pawns tell against him. Particularly
worthy of note is how Smyslov snuffs out White's kingside play with 13...
Qh4, followed by 15...f5.
Geller, Efim – Smyslov, Vassily
Candidates Tournament Amsterdam (2), 28.03.1956
Nimzo-Indian Defense [E29]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 6.e3 b6 7.Ne2 Nc6 8.Ng3
0–0 9.Bd3 Ba6 10.e4
[FEN "r2q1rk1/p2p1ppp/bpn1pn2/2p5/2PPP3/
P1PB2N1/5PPP/R1BQK2R b KQ - 0 10"]
10...Ne8
Capturing the d4-pawn is very dangerous for Black after 10...cxd4 11.cxd4
Nxd4 12.e5! Ne8 13.Bb2 Nc6 14.Qh5 g6 15.Qh6, followed by h2-h4.
11.Be3 Na5 12.Qe2 Rc8 13.d5 Qh4!
After 13...Nd6?, White plays 14.e5 Ndxc4 15.Qh5 g6 16.Qh6, threatening 17.
Nh5.
14.0–0 Nd6 15.Rad1 f5
15...Bxc4 is very dangerous for Black because of 16.f4.
16.dxe6 dxe6
16...f4 is bad because of 17.exd7 Rcd8 18.e5 Ndxc4 19.Nf5, etc.
17.exf5 exf5 18.Qf3 Bb7
Here too the move 18...f4 would fail to produce the expected returns after 19.
Qd5+ Nf7 20.Nf5.
19.Qf4 Qf6
[FEN "2r2rk1/pb4pp/1p1n1q2/n1p2p2/2P2Q2/
P1PBB1N1/5PPP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 20"]
Smyslov is playing very securely, so as to keep White's dangerous bishop-pair
at bay; if he kills White's piece play, the weakness of the doubled c-pawns is
going to make itself felt. After 19...Qxf4 20.Bxf4 Ndxc4, White can simply
play 21.Bxf5.
20.Bb1 Ne4 21.Rd7 Qc6! 22.Rxb7
This exchange sacrifice is White's best chance, gaining activity for his bishoppair as compensation.
22...Qxb7 23.Nxf5
23.Nxe4 fxe4 24.Bxe4 may have been better from an objective point of view,
but Geller would not have relished playing the endgame that arises after 24...
Rxf4 25.Bxb7 Rff8 26.Bxc8 Rxc8.
23...Rce8 24.Qg4 Kh8 25.Ng3 Nxg3 26.hxg3 Qf7
Threatening 27...Rxe3.
27.Qh4 h6 28.Bd3 Qf6 29.Qh5 Rd8 30.Be2 Qf5 31.Qh4 Qf6 32.Qh5 Nc6
33.g4 Qf7 34.Qh4 Ne7 35.Qh3 Ng6
[FEN "3r1r1k/p4qp1/1p4np/2p5/2P3P1/
P1P1B2Q/4BPP1/5RK1 w - - 0 36"]
36.Qh2?
With both players in time trouble Geller makes it easier for Black. 36.g3! was
a better move, keeping Black's knight out of f4.
36...Nf4 37.Bf3 Qxc4 38.g5 Rd6 39.Rc1
After 39.gxh6 Rxh6 40.Qg3, Black even has a mating combination with 40...
Qxf1+ 41.Kxf1 Rh1# mate.
39...Rg6 40.gxh6 Rxh6 41.Qg3 Qe4!
[FEN "5r1k/p5p1/1p5r/2p5/4qn2/
P1P1BBQ1/5PP1/2R3K1 w - - 0 42"]
Black's queen finishes here entertaining voyage with a neat trick. Should
White take the queen, then he loses a piece to 42...Ne2+, 43...Nxg3+ and 44...
Nxe4.
42.Qxf4 Qxf4 43.Bxf4 Rxf4 44.Re1 Ra4 45.Re8+ Kh7 46.Be4+ g6 47.g4
Rxa3 48.Re6 Rxc3 49.Kg2 b5 50.f3 b4 51.g5 Rh4 52.Bxg6+ Kg7 53.Kg3
Rd4 54.Be8 b3 55.g6 Rd8 56.Re7+ 0–1
After 56.Re7+ Kf6 57.g7 Rxe8!, White loses his passed pawn.
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "6k1/p1nr2q1/bp2p2p/n1p1Ppp1/2P2P2/
PBP1B3/4Q1PP/2N2RK1 b - - 0 28"]
Black to play. How can he exploit the passivity of White's pieces to increase
his pressure?
[FEN "1k3r1r/p2q1p2/bp1p1np1/n1pPp3/
P1P1P1PP/2PBN1B1/1K2Q3/R6R b - - 0 27"]
Black to play exploited the weakness of White's doubled c-pawns with a deep
combination. What was it?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Davies, Nigel (2510) – Dive, Russell (2315)
Wrexham, 1994
[FEN "rn2qrk1/1bb3pp/2p1p3/p1P2p2/
PpNP4/1Q3BP1/1P2P2P/R1BR2K1 w - - 0 18"]
White to play. This is not a combination, just a good positional move. How
does White get the right set of bishops left on the board?
18.Bf4! A simple and strong move, forcing the exchange of the dark-squared
bishops. Black cannot retreat to d8 because of 19.Nd6. 18...Bxf4 19.gxf4
White has a massive positional advantage and later won via a direct attack
along the g-file. The rest of the game does not relate directly to the theme, but
the reader may enjoy the remaining moves. 19...Ra7 20.Kh1 Qe7 21.Ne5 Ba8
22.Rg1 Rf6 23.Rg5 Kh8 24.Rag1 Rh6 25.R1g3 Qe8 26.Qe3 Qc8 27.Qg1 g6
28.Bh5! A rare example of a sacrifice on an empty square. Next move I give
up a second piece on an occupied square. 28...Rxh5 29.Nxg6+! hxg6 30.
Rxg6 Qd7 There's no defense for Black. Now I get to sacrifice a rook. 31.Rg8
+ Kh7 32.Rh8+ 1–0
Alekhine, Alexander – Yates, Frederick
BCF Congress London (10), 1922
[FEN "r5rk/2RN1Rp1/b3p2p/3p1p1P/
p2P1K2/Pp2PPP1/1P6/8 w - - 0 36"]
Although this position did not have arise directly from a Stonewall formation
it shows the same strategic features. How did White to play crown his
excellent positional play?
36.Nf6! The start of a beautiful combination with minimal material. Black
cannot take the knight because of mate on h7, but he was probably relying on
his next move. 36...Rgf8 37.Rxg7! Rxf6 38.Ke5! 1–0 The sting in the tail.
Black cannot put either rook on f8 because of 39.Rh7+, followed by 40.Rcg7
mate.
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
will be posted below daily.
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The Power of Passed Pawns
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
When Aaron Nimzowitsch wrote that "a passed pawn is a criminal that must
be kept under lock and key," he was not far off the mark. The value of pawns
can rise dramatically as they approach the eighth rank and completely
overturn conventional material assessments. Accordingly, they should be
pushed! There are several ways in which a passed pawn can win the game.
The first and most obvious is that it might actually promote and become a
queen, thereby leading to a decisive material advantage. A second and more
subtle way is for a passed pawn to provide a distraction that can draw the
opposing pieces away from a vulnerable part of the board. Often you get these
two dynamics combined as the possessor of the passed pawn gradually
manoeuvres his opponent towards the precipice.
In the first of this month's games, we see a classic demonstration of passed
pawn power from the great Akiva Rubinstein. After gaining a passed pawn,
he uses it to distract his opponent's forces whilst bringing his own king to a
better position ready for the endgame. A timely simplification is followed by
some classic endgame technique on Rubinstein's part.
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Chess College 2: Pawn Play
by Efstratios Grivas
Canal, Esteban – Rubinstein, Akiva
Karlsbad (17), 20.08.1929
Symmetrical English [A30]
1.Nf3
Very trendy amongst the younger masters of the time. Perhaps he also hoped
to bamboozle the elder statesman with his hypermodern opening.
1...Nf6 2.b3 g6 3.g3 b6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0–0 0–0 7.c4 c5 8.d3 d5!
Power Play 5: Pawns
by Daniel King
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[FEN "rn1q1rk1/pb2ppbp/1p3np1/2pp4/2P5//
1P1P1NP1/PB2PPBP/RN1Q1RK1 w - d6 0 9"]
Exploiting White's passive 8.d3 to take space in the centre of the board. 8.Nc3
would have been better.
9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.Qd2 Nc6 12.Nc3 Nxc3 13.Qxc3+ Kg8 14.
Qb2?!
Another quite passive looking move that allows Black to take more space. 14.
e3 was better, trying to get in Rfd1 and a quick d3-d4.
14...Qd6 15.Rfd1 Rad8 16.Rd2 Rd7 17.Rad1 Rfd8 18.h4 e5 19.e3 h6
Power Play 3: Pawn Storm
by Daniel King
[FEN "3r2k1/pb1r1p2/1pnq2pp/2p1p3/7P//
1P1PPNP1/PQ1R1PB1/3R2K1 w - - 0 20"]
Setting up slightly better protection of his kingside dark squares and preparing
to meet 20.h5 with 20...g5.
20.Bh3
The bolt for freedom with 20.d4 runs into 20...cxd4 21.exd4 e4 22.Ne1 e3!,
which inflicts heavy damage on White's kingside.
20...Re7 21.Bg2
In this position, 21.d4 is strongly met by 21...exd4 22.exd4 Qf6!, hitting the
knight on f3 whilst pinning the d4-pawn against White's queen.
21...Qf6 22.Nh2 h5 23.Nf3 Nb4!
This attack on the d3-pawn drives White into an even more passive position.
24.Ne1 Bxg2 25.Kxg2 a5!
[FEN "3r2k1/4rp2/1p3qp1/p1p1p2p/1n5P//
1P1PP1P1/PQ1R1PK1/3RN3 w - a6 0 26"]
Maintaining an iron grip on the position by preventing the idea of a2-a3 and
b3-b4.
26.Nc2 Red7 27.Nxb4
This leaves White's a2-pawn vulnerable, but he was rather at a loss for good
alternatives.
27...axb4 28.Qc2 Qc6+ 29.f3 Rd5 30.Kf2 Qd7 31.Kg2 f5 32.Qc4 Kg7 33.
Kf2 Rf8
Combining threats against the d3-pawn and White's kingside. The threat now
is to create a breach in White's position with 34...f4!, and this teases another
concession out of White.
34.f4 Rd8 35.fxe5 Rxe5 36.Qf4 Rd5 37.Qc4 Qc6 38.Qc2 Qf6 39.Qc4 Qc6
40.Qc2 b5!
[FEN "3r4/6k1/2q3p1/1ppr1p1p/1p5P//
1P1PP1P1/P1QR1K2/3R4 w - - 0 41"]
Introducing another thematic idea, a pawn lever with ...c5-c4. With the
constant threat of this move hanging over his head, Canal tries to get some
freedom.
41.Rc1 R8d6 42.d4
So the pawn is no longer being targeted on d3, though it is still unable to leave
the d-file because of the pin against his rook on d2.
42...Qd7 43.Rcd1 Kf7
And not 43...cxd4? because of 44.Qb2!, winning back the d4-pawn with a
much freer position than before.
44.Qb2 Qd8 45.Kg2 Rd7 46.Kh2 Kg8 47.Kg2 Kh7 48.Kh2 f4!
[FEN "3q4/3r3k/6p1/1ppr3p/1p1P1p1P//
1P2P1P1/PQ1R3K/3R4 w - - 0 49"]
At long last a breakthrough that gives Black a passed d-pawn. But even after
this the position is very difficult to win.
49.exf4
49.gxf4 Qxh4+ would lead to a winning attack on White's king so he is forced
to capture the other way.
49...Rxd4 50.Rxd4 cxd4 51.Rd3
51.f5!? would have been a better try for counterplay.
51...Qf6 52.Qd2 Qd6 53.Kg1 Kg7 54.Kh2
54.f5 would no longer help White, because of 54...gxf5 55.Qg5+ Qg6, ending
the counterplay.
54...Qc5 55.Kg2 Qd5+ 56.Kh2 Qe4 57.Kg1 Kf6 58.Kf2 Ke6 59.Rf3 Rc7 60.
f5+ Kd5!
[FEN "8/2r5/6p1/1p1k1P1p/1p1pq2P//
1P3RP1/P2Q1K2/8 w - - 0 61"]
Avoiding 60...gxf5 61.Rf4!, when White would be right back in the game.
61.Rf4 Rc2!
Simplifying into a winning rook endgame.
62.Rxe4 Rxd2+ 63.Kf3
63.Re2 Rxe2+ 64.Kxe2 gxf5 would give Black a winning pawn endgame.
63...gxf5 64.Re8 Rxa2
Finally picking up the pawn that was weakened by White's twenty-seventh
move.
65.Rf8 Rb2!
The fall of the b3-pawn will give Black another passed pawn.
66.Rxf5+ Kc6 67.Rxh5 Rxb3+ 68.Ke4
[FEN "8/8/2k5/1p5R/1p1pK2P/1r4P1/8/8 b - - 0 68"]
68.Kf4 Re3 would make Black's b4-pawn too strong, all the more so because
its colleague on b5 would prevent it from being attacked from behind by
White's rook.
68...Rxg3 69.Kxd4 Kb6 70.Rg5 Rh3 71.Rg1
The only way to stop the b-pawn.
71...Rxh4+ 72.Kd3 Rc4 73.Rb1 Rc3+ 74.Kd4 Ka5 75.Ra1+ Ra3 76.Rh1
Ka4 77.Rh8 Rg3 78.Kc5 Rc3+ 79.Kd4 Rc4+ 80.Kd3 b3 0–1
The following game is a relatively modern example of a passed pawn
deciding a game, with Boris Spassky drawing blood in his successful 1969
match against Tigran Petrosian. This time the passed pawn largely does the
damage on its own, though there is a brief moment (23.Qf5, threatening 24.
Ng5) in which the element of distraction is in evidence.
Spassky, Boris – Petrosian, Tigran
Moscow (m/5), 1969
Queen's Gambit Declined [D41]
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.d4 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 cxd4 8.
cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 0–0 11.Bc4 Nc6 12.0–0 b6 13.Rad1
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/p4ppp/1pn1p3/8/2BPP3/
5N2/P2Q1PPP/3R1RK1 b - - 0 13"]
At the time this was a new move, but it makes perfect sense. White is
following the well known principle of getting his rook behind his d-pawn, one
that will soon become passed.
13...Bb7 14.Rfe1 Rc8 15.d5! exd5?
According to Efim Geller, Black should have tried 15...Na5! when 16.dxe6
Qxd2! (And not 16...Nxc4? because 17.exf7+ Kh8 18.Qxd8 Rcxd8 19.Rxd8
Rxd8 20.e5 would create an unstoppable passed pawn duo on the e- and ffiles) 17.exf7+ Kh8 18.Nxd2 Nxc4 19.Nxc4 Rxc4 20.e5 Bc8! 21.e6 Bxe6 22.
Rxe6 g6 would lead to a rook endgame in which Black could hold the draw.
Obviously, these lines would have been difficult to calculate at the board,
even for a player of Petrosian's ability.
16.Bxd5 Na5 17.Qf4 Qc7 18.Qf5 Bxd5 19.exd5
[FEN "2r2rk1/p1q2ppp/1p6/n2P1Q2/
8/5N2/P4PPP/3RR1K1 b - - 0 19"]
Obtaining a powerful passed d-pawn that will ultimately decide the game.
Spassky will have no qualms about pushing it.
19...Qc2 20.Qf4
20.Qxc2 Rxc2 21.Re7 would have been another strong line.
20...Qxa2
Here Geller suggested that Black should have played 20...Rce8, which he
claimed would hold the position after 21.d6 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Qd3. But White
has a strong line of play in 23.Nd4 Nb7 24.h3 followed by 25.Nf5, both
holding the d-pawn and creating threats against Black's king.
21.d6 Rcd8 22.d7 Qc4 23.Qf5
[FEN "3r1rk1/p2P1ppp/1p6/n4Q2/
2q5/5N2/5PPP/3RR1K1 b - - 0 23"]
Briefly menacing Black's kingside with the threat of 24.Ng5 whilst supplying
further support for the d-pawn.
23...h6
23...Qc6 is strongly met by 24.Ne5 Qe6 25.Qc2, intending 26.Qc7.
24.Rc1! Qa6 25.Rc7 b5 26.Nd4! Qb6
26...b4 27.Qe5 would threaten both 28.Nf5 and 28.Ra1, with decisive effect.
27.Rc8 Nb7 28.Nc6 Nd6 29.Nxd8!
An attractive finish to a powerfully played game.
29...Nxf5 30.Nc6 1–0
Black has no good defence to 31.Rxf8+ followed by queening his d-pawn.
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "r3r1k1/3q1pbp/p2P2p1/1p6/2p5/
2P2Q2/P4PPP/3RRNK1 w - - 0 25"]
This position arose in the 1969 Hungarian Championship. How did White to
play use his passed pawn to secure victory?
[FEN "8/pR4pk/1b2p3/2p3p1/
N1p5/7P/PP1r2P1/6K1 b - - 0 31"]
This position provides a graphic illustration of the strength of passed pawns.
How did Black pull off a spectacular win?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Geller, Efim – Smyslov, Vassily
Candidates Tournament Zurich (7), 09.09.1953
[FEN "6k1/p1nr2q1/bp2p2p/n1p1Ppp1/2P2P2/
PBP1B3/4Q1PP/2N2RK1 b - - 0 28"]
Black to play. How can he exploit the passivity of White's pieces to increase
his pressure?
28...Nd5! Using the pin on White's doubled c4 pawn to bring his knight to a
much stronger square. Black threatens both to capture the pawn on c3 and
play 29...Nxe3 followed by taking on c4. 29.Bd2 gxf4! In the game Smyslov
played 29...Nxf4, but the text is even stronger. 30.Bxf4 After 30.Rf3, Black
has 30...Nxb3 31.Nxb3 Qg4. 30...Nxc3 31.Qc2 Bb7 and Black's extra pawn,
pressure on the a8-h1 diagonal and outpost on e4 gives him a winning
position.
Diez del Corral, J – Larsen, Bent
Palma de Mallorca, 1969
[FEN "1k3r1r/p2q1p2/bp1p1np1/n1pPp3/
P1P1P1PP/2PBN1B1/1K2Q3/R6R b - - 0 27"]
Black to play exploited the weakness of White's doubled c-pawns with a deep
combination. What was it?
27...Nxe4! A fantastic move, exploiting the pressure on White's doubled
pawns to force through ...f7-f5. 28.Bxe4 f5 29.gxf5 gxf5 30.Bxf5 Rxf5 31.
Nxf5 Qxf5 Black has emerged the exchange down, but with the fall of the c4pawn his king position becomes fatally weak. 32.Rhf1 Qg6 33.Rg1 Nxc4+ 34.
Ka2 Qe8 35.Qc2 Ne3 36.Qe4 Nc4 37.Qc2 Bb7 The fall of White's d5-pawn
signifies the beginning of the end. 38.Rad1 Ne3 39.Qb3 Ba6 40.Ka3 Bc4 41.
Qb1 Nxd1 42.Qxd1 Qf7 43.Rg2 Rg8 44.h5 Rg5 45.h6 Qh7 46.a5 b5 47.Qf3
Rf5 48.Qe4 Qxh6 49.Kb2 Rf1 50.Be1 Rf4 51.Rg8+ Kb7 52.Qg2 Rf7 53.
Bd2 53.Qg4 Rf2+! leads to mate. 53...Qh5 54.Rg7 Ka6 0–1
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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The Greek Bishop Sacrifice
One of the best known sacrificial themes is the 'Greek Bishop' sacrifice on h7
or h2. For this reason there is a dearth of examples in modern chess, at least at
grandmaster level, but as one moves down the rating scale an ever increasing
number of players can get caught by it. For this reason it is an essential theme
to master.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
The aim of this bishop sacrifice is to break open the opposing king position
whilst gaining time to follow in with other pieces. When enough
preconditions are met (for example, if there are relatively few defenders) it
can be immediately decisive, in more complex examples it can lead to less
clear positions in which there are attacking chances for the sacrificed material.
Sometimes it will not work at all, so sound calculation is required when
embarking on this sacrifice.
There are several openings which feature this sacrifice, perhaps the most
notable one being the French Defence when Black castles kingside
prematurely. A white pawn on e5 can keep Black's knights out of the f6square, which will deprive him of his main defensive possibility. The attack
can be even stronger should White play h2-h4 to support a knight following in
to g5.
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Chess Duels
by Yasser Seirawan
Another opening which often features this theme is the Colle System, an
opening popularised by the Belgian master Edgar Colle. The apparently quiet
development with e2-e3 and Bf1–d3 frequently foreshadowed an explosive
attack against Black's castled kingside, a classic example being the following
game:
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Colle, Edgar – O'Hanlon, John
Nice (9), 1930
Colle System [D05]
Zuke Em
by David Rudel
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3
Colle's unpretentious opening system which came to bear his name. It features
an unusually large number of Greek Bishop sacrifices on h7 and indeed one of
the exercises is also a Colle.
3...c5 4.c3 e6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.Nbd2 Nbd7 7.0–0 0–0 8.Re1 Re8
Black wants to expand in the center with ...e6-e5, so White needs to play e3e4 himself before this happens. Black could also try the immediate 8...e5 after
which White should play 9.e4.
9.e4 dxe4
White was threatening e4-e5, forking the knight on f6 and bishop on d6.
10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Bxe4 cxd4
Starting Out: The Colle
by Richard Palliser
[FEN "r1bqr1k1/pp1n1ppp/3bp3/8/3pB3/
2P2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQR1K1 w - - 0 12"]
Either missing or underestimating White's reply, so Black should have played
something else.
11...e5 loses a pawn after 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.Be3
Bd6 16.Rad1, threatening 17.Bxc5 amongst other things.
But maybe Black would have done better to play 11...h6 when his kingside
looks secure and he's probably not much worse.
12.Bxh7+
A bolt from the blue. The set up White has for this sacrifice seems far from
optimal; for example, he would like to have a cramping pawn on e5 that
covers the f6-square. Nonetheless, it seems to offer White at least equal play
with many ways for Black to go wrong.
12...Kxh7 13.Ng5+ Kg6
Another and perhaps superior possibility was 13...Kg8 when 14.Qh5 Qf6 (14...
Ne5 15.Rxe5 Bxe5 16.Qxf7+ Kh8 17.Qh5+ Kg8 18.b3 decisively threatens
Bc1–a3 and Qh7+; whilst 14...Bxh2+ 15.Kh1! Qf6 would give White ongoing
attacking chances after 16.Qh7+ Kf8 17.Ne4 Qg6 18.Qh8+ Ke7 19.Qxh2 etc.)
15.Qh7+ Kf8 16.Ne4 Qe5 17.cxd4 Qxh2+ 18.Qxh2 Bxh2+ 19.Kxh2 Nf6 the
endgame looks about equal. Of course none of this is easy to find over the
board and the fact that Black has a defence in no way detracts from Colle's
conception.
14.h4 Rh8
[FEN "r1bq3r/pp1n1pp1/3bp1k1/6N1/3p3P/
2P5/PP3PP1/R1BQR1K1 w - - 0 15"]
This loses to Colle's brilliant reply. Black's best chance was 14...f5, but then
15.h5+ Kf6 16.Qxd4+ Be5 17.Qh4! leaves Black without a good defence; for
example, 17...Qa5 18.h6 Rh8 19.b4 Qc7 20.f4 etc.
15.Rxe6+!! Nf6
After 15...fxe6, there follows 16.Qd3+ Kf6 17.Qf3+ Bf4 18.Qxf4+ Ke7 19.
Qf7+ Kd6 20.Qxe6+ Kc7 21.Bf4+ followed by mate.
16.h5+ Kh6 17.Rxd6 Qa5 18.Nxf7+ Kh7 19.Ng5+ Kg8 20.Qb3+ 1–0
This next game is a rare example of the Greek Bishop sacrifice in relatively
recent grandmaster chess. Yasser Seirawan probably allowed it with a heavy
heart after seeing no other way to meet White's powerful 10.c5!. Yet the
outcome is by no means a foregone conclusion and this time it is the defence
that triumphs:
Quinteros, Miguel – Seirawan, Yasser
Biel ((izt), 1985
Bogo-Indian [E11]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 c5
An interesting speciality of Victor Korchnoi, which accepts a weakening of
Black's pawn structure in the hope of getting some dark-square control.
5.Bxb4 cxb4 6.Nbd2 0–0 7.e4 d6 8.Bd3 Qc7?!
A much simpler and safer way to play it was via 8...e5 when 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.
Nxe5 would be bad for White after 10...Re8 11.f4 Qd4 12.Qe2 Qxb2.
9.0–0 Nbd7?
And this is a clear mistake after which lightning strikes on the kingside. 9...e5
was still the right move.
10.c5! dxc5
It's too late for 10...e5, because White can play 11.cxd6 Qxd6 12.Nc4 hitting
both Black's queen and the e5-pawn. Meanwhile, White is threatening cxd6
followed by e4-e5.
11.e5 Nd5
[FEN "r1b2rk1/ppqn1ppp/4p3/2pnP3/1p1P4/
3B1N2/PP1N1PPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 12"]
12.Bxh7+! Kxh7 13.Ng5+ Kg6
After 13...Kg8, White can play 14.Qh5 N7f6 15.exf6 Nxf6 16.Qh4,
recovering the piece whilst keeping dangerous threats against Black's king
position.
14.Qg4?!
A typical move for a Greek Bishop sacrifice attack, but maybe not the best in
this particular position. 14.Qc2+ f5 (14...Kxg5 gets into a mating net after 15.
Qh7!; for example, 15...cxd4 16.f4+ Nxf4 17.Ne4+ Kg4 18.Nf2+ Kg5 19.h4#)
15.exf6+ Kxf6 16.Qh7 Qf4 17.Nde4+ Ke7 18.Qxg7+ Rf7 19.Nxf7 Qxf7 20.
Qg5+ and White is clearly better because he has recovered the material and
has ongoing pressure against Black's king.
14...f5
There is an interesting alternative in 14...N7f6, but it still looks good for
White after 15.Qh4 (15.exf6 is well met by 15...Qf4!) 15...Bd7 16.Ndf3 Bc6
17.exf6 Rh8 18.Qe4+ Kxf6 19.g3 stopping 19...Qf4 and thus keeping White's
attacking chances.
15.Qg3 f4 16.Qh3?
Missing the right way. After 16.Qg4 N7f6 17.exf6 Nxf6 18.Nxe6+ Nxg4 19.
Nxc7 Rb8 20.dxc5, White is just a pawn up in the endgame whereas now he
should be struggling.
16...N7f6
And not 16...Kxg5? because of 17.Qh7! with a mating net.
17.Nde4 cxd4?!
[FEN "r1b2r2/ppq3p1/4pnk1/3nP1N1/
1p1pNp2/7Q/PP3PPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 18"]
[It seems that 17...Qe7 was a better defence; for example, 18.exf6 gxf6 19.
Nf3 e5! 20.Nh4+ Kg7 21.Qb3 f5 22.Nxc5 (22.Qxd5 fxe4 is just good for
Black) 22...Rd8 23.Qh3 exd4 24.Nxf5+ Bxf5 25.Qxf5 Qxc5 26.Qg5+ is a
draw by perpetual check and nothing more.
18.exf6 Nxf6 19.Nxf6 gxf6 20.Nxe6 Bxe6 21.Qxe6 Qe5 22.Qg4+
22.Qb3 Rfd8 23.Qxb4 d3 would see Black take the initiative.
22...Qg5 23.Qf3 Rad8 24.Rad1 Qf5 25.Rd3
25.Qxb7 d3 26.Rd2 wasn't out of the question here either.
25...Rd5
[FEN "5r2/pp6/5pk1/3r1q2/1p1p1p2/
3R1Q2/PP3PPP/5RK1 w - - 0 26"]
26.Rfd1?!
26.Qe2 is better intending 27.Qd2 and 28.Rfd1. With the need to protect his
d- and f-pawns I don't see Black winning this.
26...Re8 27.h4?!
This looks like a new weakness. Just 27.h3 would have been better.
27...Re4 28.R3d2 a5 29.Rd3 Qe6 30.Qh3?
It seems that time trouble might have been taking its toll. The endgame is very
bad for White.
30...Qxh3 31.gxh3
31.Rxh3 Re2 is also very good for Black.
31...Re2 32.h5+ Kxh5 33.R1d2 f3! 34.Rxd4 Rg5+ 0–1
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "r2r2k1/ppqbbppp/4pn2/4N1B1/8/
3B4/PPP1QPPP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 16"]
Here's another position from Colle's practice. What did White do in this
position?
[FEN "r4rk1/3bnppp/1p2p3/p2pP3/Pn1P4/
B1qB1N2/2P2PPP/RQR3K1 w - - 0 16"]
White to play appears to have his pieces on the wrong side of the board for
any kingside action, but nonetheless manages to pull it off. How exactly did
he do this?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Csom, Istvan – Ribli, Zoltan
Hungarian Ch Budapest, 1969
[FEN "r3r1k1/3q1pbp/p2P2p1/1p6/2p5/
2P2Q2/P4PPP/3RRNK1 w - - 0 25"]
This position arose in the 1969 Hungarian Championship. How did White to
play use his passed pawn to secure victory?
25.Re7! Qf5 After 25...Rxe7, there follows 26.dxe7 Qe8 27.Qxa8! Qxa8 28.
Rd8+ etc. 26.d7 1-0 After 26...Red8 27.Qxa8 Rxa8 28.Re8+, White wins
easily.
Ortueta Esteban, Martin – Sanz Aguado, Jose
Madrid, 1934
[FEN "8/pR4pk/1b2p3/2p3p1/
N1p5/7P/PP1r2P1/6K1 b - - 0 31"]
This position provides a graphic illustration of the strength of passed pawns.
How did Black pull off a spectacular win?
31...Rxb2!! 32.Nxb2 c3 33.Rxb6! After 33.Nd3, Black wins with 33...c4+ 34.
Kf1 cxd3 35.Ke1 c2 36.Kd2 Be3+ etc. 33...c4!! 33...axb6 34.Nd3 stops the cpawn. 34.Rb4 a5! 35.Nxc4 Or 35.Rxc4 cxb2 , when the pawn queens. 35...c2
0–1
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
will be posted below daily.
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White's Pawn Storm in the QGD Exchange
When the kings are castled on opposite sides of the board, one of the most
effective attacking methods is to advance your pawns towards the opposing
monarch in order to pry open files. This represents a far less costly way of
opening the enemy king up than sacrificing pieces to do so. The opposite side
castling makes it much more feasible, because you won't be exposing your
own king when the pawns move forward.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
Opposite side castling can occur in many different openings, the most
common one being the Sicilian Defense. But the pawn storm theme is more
purely illustrated in games in which the center is relatively stable, which is
most decidedly not the case in the Sicilian. A good vehicle for showing this
strategy is in fact the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined and
the plan of castling queenside for White. A sample move order is 1.d4 d5 2.c4
e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 0–0 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.Qc2 c6 9.Nf3
Nf8 10.0–0–0 after which White will advance on the kingside with h2-h3 and
g2-g4, whilst one of the main plans for Black is to storm his a- and b-pawns
down the board.
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Play the Queen's Gambit
by Chris Ward
A very important point I would like to make is that it can be a major mistake
for Black to touch his kingside pawns with either ...h7-h6 or ...g7-g6. This is
because it becomes far easier for White to then open files and get his rooks
into play; for example, after ...h7-h6 he might go g2-g4-g5, whilst after ...g7g6 there's the possibility of h2-h4-h5, again prying open a line. But if the
Black pawns stay on f7, g7, and h7, it will be much harder for White to
achieve his open file; he probably has to get his pawns all the way to h5 and
g6 before achieving his objective and even then he might not manage it.
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Accordingly, White will often try to provoke a weakening of Black's kingside
with piece play; for example, by lining his pieces up against the h7-pawn he
might get Black to play ...h7-h6. After that the pawn storm will be much more
effective.
Starting Out: Queen's
Gambit Declined
by Neil McDonald
In the following game the German grandmaster Rainer Knaak cleverly got
Black to play ...g7-g6 after which h2-h4-h5 had the desired effect of opening
up lines. Of course, it's not that simple as White had to combine his strategic
thinking with some nice combinational pyrotechnics:
Knaak, R – Petkevich, J
Zabrze, 1977
Queen's Gambit Declined [D35]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 Nf6
Black can also delay this move with 5...c6 6.e3 Bf5.
6.e3 c6 7.Bd3 0–0 8.Qc2 a5?! 9.Nf3 Na6 10.a3 Nc7? 11.Ng5!
Playing the Queen's Gambit
by Lars Schandorff
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/1pn1bppp/2p2n2/p2p2N1/
3P1B2/P1NBP3/1PQ2PPP/R3K2R b KQ - 0 11"]
This powerful and non-stereotyped move forces a serious weakening of
Black's pawn cover on the kingside.
11...g6
It would have been with a heavy heart that Black played this way. From a
strategic point of view 11...h6 would have been the lesser evil, but here it
loses a pawn to 12.Nh7 Nxh7 (Or 12...Re8 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Bxc7 Qxc7 15.
Nxd5 etc.) 13.Bxh7+ Kh8 14.Bxc7 Qxc7 15.Nxd5 etc.
12.h4 Ne6 13.Be5! Ng7 14.0–0–0 h5 15.f3 Bf5 16.g4 Bxd3 17.Qxd3
[FEN "r2q1rk1/1p2bpn1/2p2np1/p2pB1Np/
3P2PP/P1NQPP2/1P6/2KR3R b - - 0 17"]
17...b5
After 17...hxg4!?, White has 18.h5 Ngxh5 (If 18...Nfxh5, there follows 19.
Nxf7! when Black's kingside collapses; for example, 19...Kxf7 20.fxg4 Nf6
21.Rh6 Rg8 22.Qxg6+ Kf8 23.g5 and White's other rook is coming to f1) 19.
Rdg1 g3 (19...gxf3 20.Ne6 also wins material because Black dare not take the
knight) 20.Ne6 is winning, as if 20...fxe6?, there follows 21.Qxg6+ Ng7 22.
Rh7 Rf7 23.Rgh1 Kf8 24.Rh8+ Ng8 25.Rxg8+ Kxg8 26.Qh7+ Kf8 27.Qh8#.
18.Rdg1 b4 19.Na4!
From this square the knight helps hold up Black's counterattack.
19...bxa3 20.bxa3 hxg4 21.h5 Nfxh5 22.fxg4! Bxg5 23.gxh5 f6
[FEN "r2q1rk1/6n1/2p2pp1/p2pB1bP/
N2P4/P2QP3/8/2K3RR w - - 0 24"]
24.Rxg5! fxe5
Or if 24...fxg5 there is 25.h6 Rf7 26.Qxg6 etc.
25.Rxg6
25.Qxg6 is also good, but it's worrying that Black can attack the a3-pawn with
25...Qe7.
25...e4 26.Qe2 Kh7 27.Qg4 Qe7 28.Rh6+ Kg8
Black cannot take the rook because of mate on g6.
29.Nc5 Rf3 30.Rg6 Kh8 31.Rg1 Qf8 32.Rh6+ Kg8 33.Qe6+! Qf7 34.Qxf7+
Rxf7 35.Ne6
The endgame is winning for White because he can exchange off into a pawn
endgame.
35...Raa7 36.Rg2 Rab7 37.Kc2 Rbe7 38.Kb3 Rd7
[FEN "6k1/3r1rn1/2p1N2R/p2p3P/
3Pp3/PK2P3/6R1/8 w - - 0 39"]
39.Ka4! Ra7 40.Rhg6 Kh8 41.Nxg7 Rxg7 42.Rxg7 Rxg7 43.Rxg7 Kxg7 44.
Kxa5 c5 45.dxc5 d4 46.Kb4 1–0
In this next game, we see another aspect of the pawn storm theme in that
Black hits back in the center with his 13...c5, but finds himself with a weak dpawn and an outpost for White's pieces on d4. This is a good example of how
a player should not pursue his "plan" too dogmatically. If the position
changes, we have to adjust to the new situation and regroup accordingly:
Ryzhkov, J – Faibisovich, V
USSR, 1972
Queen's Gambit Declined [D36]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.cxd5 exd5 6.e3 c6 7.Bd3 Be7 8.
Qc2 0–0 9.0–0–0
A sharp way of playing the position. A completely different plan is to aim for
a "minority attack" with 9.Nf3 Re8 10.0–0 Nf8 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.b4 as
discussed in one of my earlier columns.
9...Re8 10.Nf3 Nf8 11.h3
Preparing to play g2-g4 in order to storm Black's kingside with pawns.
11...Be6 12.Kb1 Qa5 13.g4
[FEN "r3rnk1/pp2bppp/2p1bn2/q2p2B1/3P2P1/
2NBPN1P/PPQ2P2/1K1R3R b - g3 0 13"]
13...c5!?
A logical attempt to get counterplay by striking back in the centre. But White
is not restricted to playing for the attack, he can also try to exploit the isolated
d-pawn that this move creates. [Perhaps Black should have played 13...Ne4!?
when 14.Bxe4 dxe4 15.Bxe7 Rxe7 16.Nd2 Rae8 is far from clear.
14.dxc5 Qxc5 15.Nb5! Qxc2+ 16.Bxc2 Rec8 17.Bf4 a6
If Black defended the c7-square with 17...Ne8, then 18.Bb3 would spell the
end for Black's d-pawn.
18.Nc7 Ra7 19.g5 Nh5 20.Nxd5 Bxd5 21.Rxd5 Nxf4 22.exf4 b5 23.f5 Rc5
24.Bb3 Rac7 25.Re1 Nd7
[FEN "6k1/2rnbppp/p7/1prR1PP1/8/
1B3N1P/PP3P2/1K2R3 w - - 0 26"]
26.g6!
Devastating because of the support from the bishop on b3. Note that White
should avoid 26.Rxe7?? because of 26...Rc1#.
26...hxg6 27.fxg6 Kf8 28.Rxc5 Nxc5 29.Bxf7
Not only is this a vital pawn, the proximity of White's massed forces also
gives Black's king serious problems.
29...Nd3
[FEN "5k2/2r1bBp1/p5P1/1p6/8/
3n1N1P/PP3P2/1K2R3 w - - 0 30"]
29...Rc8 would have been more tenacious, but it's still quite lost for Black
after 30.Ne5.
30.Ng5! 1–0
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "4r2k/pbr1q2p/1p2np2/2pp3N/3P3P/
3BP1R1/PPQ2P2/1K4R1 w - - 0 27"]
White's pawn storm has already produced dividends in that he has broken up
Black's king position. But how can he now convert this into victory?
[FEN "r2qrnk1/pp3p2/2p3p1/3pP2p/
5Pb1/2NBP3/PPQ5/1K4RR w - - 0 19"]
How did White to play engineer a decisive attack?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Colle, Edgar - Berger, Victor
Hastings (1), 27.01.1928
[FEN "r2r2k1/ppqbbppp/4pn2/4N1B1/8/
3B4/PPP1QPPP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 16"]
Here's another position from Colle's practice. What did White to play do in
this position?
16.Bxh7+! This is stronger than 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Bxh7+ as then Black can
fight on with 17...Kf8!. 16...Kxh7 16...Kf8 17.Bd3 would now leave Black a
pawn down for nothing. 17.Bxf6 Bxf6?! 17...Be8 would have been more
tenacious, though White is a good pawn up after 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.c4. 18.Qh5
+ Kg8 19.Qxf7+ Kh7 20.Rd3 1-0 There is no good defence to the threat of
21.Rh3+.
Matulovic, Milan (2525) - Carvajal, Juan
Tel Aviv ol (Men) qual-B (4), 1964
[FEN "r4rk1/3bnppp/1p2p3/p2pP3/Pn1P4/
B1qB1N2/2P2PPP/RQR3K1 w - - 0 16"]
White to play appears to have his pieces on the wrong side of the board for
any kingside action but nonetheless manages to pull it off. How exactly did he
do this?
16.Bb2 Qc7 17.Bxh7+! A very surprising version of the Greek Bishop
sacrifice. Should Black take it then White plays 18.c3+ followed by 19.cxb4,
winning a pawn and living Black's kingside stripped of pawn cover. 17...Kh8
Probably best, but it leaves Black a pawn down for nothing. 18.c3 Nbc6 19.
Bd3 f6 20.Ba3 fxe5 21.Nxe5 Nxe5 22.dxe5 and White was a good pawn up
and went on to win.
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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The King's Gambit Pawn Duo
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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A duo of united central pawns on e4 and d4 has long been known to be
advantageous as long as the pawns can be maintained and they do an effective
job of cramping the opposing forces. When Black allows White to set up such
pawns, as in the Grünfeld Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 and now
typically 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4), the King's Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7
4.e4) or the Pirc (1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6), he usually has plans to hit back
at the center with ... e7-e5 or ...c7-c5. Because of this, these defenses do not
neglect the center, it is rather a case of delayed occupation. So what if Black
leaves himself unable to counterattack the center, for example if he pursues
the gain of material rather than positioning his pieces appropriately? In this
case the central pawns can have a huge influence on the course of the game,
often making it impossible for the cramped side to get any play.
One of the main openings in which he might be tempted to do so is the King's
Gambit Accepted (1.e4 e4 2.f4 exf4). Now there are lines in which Black can
break up White's central pawn duo with a quick ...d7-d5, but given this
gambit's shady reputation many black players are tempted to hang on to the
material. They do so at their peril, as although it may be possible to defend
Black's position in theory, in practice it is very difficult to play. This month's
illustrative games feature two grandmasters who are willing to take the white
side of such positions and serve as a warning of the dangers Black faces.
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Tricks & Traps Vol. 1
by Nigel Davies
Jonkman, H (2520) – Pegorari, P (2386)
VIII Leonardo di Bona Open Cutro ITA (1), 24.04.2002
King's Gambit [C34]
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d6 4.Bc4
This ancient continuation has long been neglected. White's usual procedure
against the Fischer defense (3...d6) has been 4.d4 g5 5.h4 g4 6.Ng1.
Gambiteer II
by Nigel Davies
4...h6 5.d4 g5 6.g3 g4
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Jumping at the opportunity.
7.Nh4 f3
Gambiteer I
by Nigel Davies
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/ppp2p2/3p3p/8/2BPP1pN/
5pP1/PPP4P/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 8"]
Creating a fascinating position in which Black already has a protected passed
pawn on f3. Can White's central pawn duo and the weakening of Black's
kingside offer sufficient compensation?
8.Nc3
A natural developing move, but this is not the only possibility. 8.h3 was
played in Gabrielian,A (2462)-Ponkratov,P (2579), Voronezh 2009, the game
continuing 8...h5 9.Nc3 Nc6 10.Be3 Be7 11.Nf5 Bxf5 12.exf5 Bf6 13.Nd5
with an interesting game in prospect.
8...c6 9.Qd3 Ne7 10.Bf4 Bg7 11.0–0–0 b5 12.Bb3 Na6?!
After this, White has a stunning piece sacrifice that sets a dangerous attack in
motion. Upon 12...a5, the same sacrifice would be less convincing; for
example, 13.Nxb5!? cxb5 14.Qxb5+ Nbc6 15.Qh5 0–0 (After 15...Rf8, White
can make life very difficult for his opponent with 16.Ba4) 16.Bxh6 a4 17.Bd5
Nxd5 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qxd5 Ra6 20.Nf5+ Kg6 leaves White with nothing
convincing, despite the scary position of Black's king. Certainly this would
have been a sterner test of White's opening.
13.Nxb5! cxb5 14.Qxb5+ Kf8
Another possibility was 14...Qd7, which White would also have met with 15.
Qh5.
15.Qh5 Be6
[FEN "r2q1k1r/p3npb1/n2pb2p/7Q/3PPBpN/
1B3pP1/PPP4P/2KR3R w - - 0 16"]
16.d5!?
Interesting, but not necessarily the best. There also seems to be a good case
for just 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.Qxg4 when White will get a third pawn for the piece
and have ongoing play against Black's exposed king.
16...Bc8 17.e5
The central pawns show their teeth!
17...Nc5 18.e6 Nxb3+ 19.axb3 Ng6?
After this, Black is always struggling because of the strength of White's
unchallengeable e6-pawn. Instead of this he should try 19...fxe6 after which
20.dxe6 Bxe6 21.Rhe1 Bf7 22.Qxg4, is not great for Black, but he could still
put up a fight.
20.Nxg6+ fxg6 21.Qxg4 g5 22.Bd2 Qf6
22...Ba6 would have been strongly met by 23.c4.
23.Bc3 h5 24.Qe4 Qe7 25.Qxf3+ Ke8?
25...Kg8 was relatively best, but far from pleasant. After the text White is
winning.
26.Rhf1 Ba6
[FEN "r3k2r/p3q1b1/b2pP3/3P2pp/8/
1PB2QP1/1PP4P/2KR1R2 w - - 0 27"]
27.Qf7+
Not bad, but 27.Qe4! would have been immediately decisive; for example,
27...Bxf1 (Or 27...Bxc3 28.Rf7 etc.) 28.Qa4+! Kd8 29.Qc6! with the deadly
threats of 30.Qxa8+ and 30.Ba5+.
27...Qxf7 28.Rxf7 Bxc3 29.bxc3 h4 30.Kb2 hxg3 31.hxg3 g4 32.c4 Rb8 33.
Rd4 Rg8 34.Rxa7 Bb7 35.Rf4 Rg7 36.Kc3 Ke7 37.Kd4 Ke8 38.b4
Preparing c4-c5 after which the pawns will take some stopping.
[FEN "1r2k3/Rb4r1/3pP3/3P4/
1PPK1Rp1/6P1/2P5/8 b - - 0 38"]
38...Ke7 39.c3 Ke8 40.c5 dxc5+ 41.bxc5 Rg5 42.c4 Bxd5 43.cxd5 Rb4+ 44.
Kc3 Rxf4 45.gxf4 Rxd5 46.Kc4 Rf5 47.c6 Rxf4+ 48.Kd5 1–0
After 48.Kd5 Rf1 49.c7 Rd1+ 50.Ke5 Re1+ 51.Kf6 Rf1+ 52.Kg5, White will
queen his pawn.
In this next game, Black does not set up a protected passed pawn, but he does
go a pawn up when White renounces any attempt to recover his gambit (6.g3).
Yet once again we see the powerful influence the central pawn duo can have
as Black struggles to find any kind of plan.
Hector, J (2513) – Wedberg, T (2540)
Swedish Championship Skara SWE (5), 04.07.2002
King's Gambit [C34]
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 h6 4.d4 g5 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.g3!?
[FEN "rnbqk1nr/pppp1pb1/7p/6p1/3PPp2/
2N2NP1/PPP4P/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 6"]
Immediately setting about breaking up Black's kingside pawn mass, albeit at
the cost of a pawn. White will be left with a pawn center that will be difficult
for Black to challenge.
6...fxg3
If Black tries to set up a passed f-pawn in this position, he gets into serious
trouble; for example, 6...g4 7.Ne5 Bxe5 8.dxe5 f3 9.h3 Nc6 10.Bf4 and the f3pawn has its support undermined.
7.hxg3 d6 8.Bc4 Bg4 9.Rf1 Qd7 10.Qd3 Bh5
10...Nc6 11.Be3 0–0–0 12.0–0–0 also leaves Black with the problem about
what to do next. White's center keeps him bottled up very effectively.
11.Be3 Ne7 12.0–0–0 Nbc6 13.Rd2 a6 14.a3
[FEN "r3k2r/1ppqnpb1/p1np3p/6pb/2BPP3/
P1NQBNP1/1PPR4/2K2R2 b kq - 0 14"]
Interestingly this move is a "theoretical novelty," though it's never easy to
know if this is by accident or design. In the game Fedorov,A (2589)-Pilgaard,
K (2400), Linares 2002 White played 14.Rh2 after which 14...Bg6 15.d5 Ne5
16.Nxe5 Bxe5 17.Bd4 Kf8 18.Rhf2 b5 19.Bb3 Bxd4 20.Qxd4 Rh7 21.e5! was
another triumph of the central pawn duo.
14...Qg4 15.Rdf2 Rf8
Black might have rejected 15...Qxg3 because of the line 16.Ne2 Qg4 17.Nh2
Qh3 18.Ng1 Qd7 19.Bxf7+ Bxf7 20.Rxf7 , though Black can then play 20...
Rg8 . Lines such as this show just how hard it is to play Black's position
because even the playable lines can look horrific.
16.Qd2 Bg6
This time around 16...Qxg3 can be answered by 17.Nxg5 hxg5 18.Rg2 Qh3
19.Rh2 and White will get the bishop on h5.
17.Nh2 Qd7 18.g4
Keeping Black bottled up by preventing any ...f7-f5.
18...f6 19.Qe2 Rh8?
[FEN "r3k2r/1ppqn1b1/p1np1pbp/6p1/
2BPP1P1/P1N1B3/1PP1QR1N/2K2R2 w q - 0 20"]
This runs into a powerful reply. Black should probably try 19...b5!? whilst
keeping his f6 pawn well defended.
20.Rxf6! Bxf6 21.Rxf6 Nd8
Stopping 22.Be6.
22.Qf3 c6 23.Bf2 b5 24.Bb3 h5 25.Bg3 hxg4 26.Qe3 Rh3
[FEN "r2nk3/3qn3/p1pp1Rb1/1p4p1/
3PP1p1/PBN1Q1Br/1PP4N/2K5 w q - 0 27"]
Temporarily stopping 27.Rxd6 (because of 27...Qxd6), but the reply is simple
enough.
27.Qf2 Qa7 28.Bxd6 g3 29.Rf8+ Kd7 30.Qf6 1–0
After 30.Qf6 Rh7, White can simply remove the dangerous pawn with 31.
Bxg3.
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "rnbq1r1k/pp5p/2pp4/5p2/2BPPNpb/
2N1Q1n1/PPP3P1/R1BK2R1 w - - 0 15"]
In this wild looking position it is White's central pawns that lend his pieces
their power. How did he now set about finishing Black off?
[FEN "rnb3kr/pp2q2p/2pp4/6P1/3PPQp1/
2N5/PPP3P1/4RRK1 w - - 0 17"]
White to play brought off a stunning finale. What was it?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Kuzmin, G.P – Kerius, N
Harrachov, 1967
[FEN "4r2k/pbr1q2p/1p2np2/2pp3N/3P3P/
3BP1R1/PPQ2P2/1K4R1 w - - 0 27"]
White's pawn storm has already produced dividends in that he has broken up
Black's king position. But how can he now convert this into victory?
27.Bxh7! A devastating combinative blow. 27...Rcc8 Taking the bishop also
loses after 27...Qxh7 28.Qxh7+ Rxh7 29.Nxf6 which threatens both 30.Rg8
mate and 30.Nxe8. 28.Qg6! Rf8 This time round 28...Qxh7 loses to 29.Qxh7+
Kxh7 30.Nxf6+ Kh8 (Or 30...Kh6 31.Rg6#) 31.Rg6! with the deadly threat of
32.Rh6 mate. 29.Ng7 Ng5 Or 29...Qxg7 30.Qxg7+ Nxg7 31.Rxg7 threatening
both 32.Rxb7 and 32.Bf5 followed by 33.Rh7 mate. 30.hxg5 Qxg7 31.gxf6
Qxg6+ 32.Bxg6 Rc7 Or 32...Rxf6 33.Bf5! threatening both 34.Bxc8 and 34.
Rh3+ followed by mate. 33.Rh3+ 1–0
Nisman, B – Burlaeev
USSR, 1967
[FEN "r2qrnk1/pp3p2/2p3p1/3pP2p/
5Pb1/2NBP3/PPQ5/1K4RR w - - 0 19"]
How did White to play engineer a decisive attack?
19.Rxg4! Commencing the decisive breakthrough. 19...hxg4 20.Qh2 f5 21.
e4! A crucial follow up to White's 19th move; Black dare not open the a2-g8
diagonal for White's bishop (with ...dxe4) so the attack comes crashing
through. 21...g3 On 21...fxe4, there follows 22.Nxe4 dxe4 (Or 22...Kf7 23.Nd6
+ Ke6 24.f5+ Kd7 25.e6+ etc.) 23.Bc4+ Re6 (Or 23...Ne6 24.Qh8+ Kf7 25.
Rh7#) 24.Bxe6+ Nxe6 25.Qh8+ Kf7 26.Rh7+ Ng7 27.Qxg7+ Ke6 28.Qf7#.
22.Qh8+ Kf7 23.exf5 gxf5 24.Bxf5 g2 25.Qh5+ Ke7 26.Qg5+ Kf7 27.Qxg2
1–0 There was a mate in four to be had via 27.Bg6+ Nxg6 28.Rh7+ Kf8 (28...
Ke6 29.Qg4#) 29.Qh6+ Kg8 30.Qg7#, but humans are often better off taking
the slow, certain route!
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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Hanging Pawns
In many ways a hanging pawn duo is similar to the King's Gambit Pawn Duo
that we looked at last month. In both cases the pawns, when united, control a
valuable range of squares thath restrict the opposing pieces. They can also be
used as a battering ram, a thrust of either pawn having the potential to release
the army that is gathered behind them.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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The hanging pawn duo also has a disadvantage, however, in that it can be
quite vulnerable to attack because one or both of the pawns will usually stand
on a half-open file. And the fact that there are no friendly pawns on adjacent
files means that they heed to be protected by pieces. These factors lend
hanging pawns some unique factors that tend to produce sharp and doubleedged positions. And when one considers the huge variety of openings that
lead to this structure the importance of understanding what to do becomes
clear.
Just to mention some of the more common routes to hanging pawns, Paul
Keres used to like to play 4.e3 against the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.
c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6, which leads to a typical hanging pawn position after 4...Bb7 5.
Bd3 Be7 6.0–0 0–0 7.b3 d5 8.Bb2 c5 9.Nc3 (or 9.Nbd2) 9...dc 10.bc cd 11.
ed. Personally speaking, I prefer to avoid this with black and I play the 5...d5
6.0–0 Bd6 line. Similar to Keres's 4.e3 is the system 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3
and after 3...b6 or 3...d5. White fianchettoes his queen's bishop and may
eventually play c2-c4. This used to be a firm favorite of Artur Yusupov and
he played it with considerable success. It can transpose into the 4.e3 Queen's
Indian.
During my five years of living in Israel, I learned a great deal from the former
Soviet Champion Lev Psakhis, and he influenced me in my decision to play
hanging pawn positions as black. If White plays 4.g3 against the Queen's
Indian, it was Psakhis's opinion that the only way Black could play for a win
was by accepting hanging pawns in the line 4...Ba6 5.b3 Bb7 6.Bg2 Bb4+ 7.
Bd2 Be7 8.0–0 0–0 9.Nc3 Na6, followed by 10...d5 and a later ...c7-c5.
Psakhis had learned this system of defense from his former trainer, Anatoly
Vaiser. Another strong Israeli player, Leonid Yudashin, also favored this kind
of position as black, which further convinced me it was a good idea.
I have had excellent results with it including a win over the Peruvian
grandmaster Granda-Zuniga. There are many lines in the Queen's Gambit that
give rise to hanging pawns, but this discussion would hardly be complete
without mentioning the Tartakover-Makogonov-Bondarevsky Variation: 1.d4
d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0–0 7.e3 b6. The FischerSpassky encounter below is a good example of the hanging pawns becoming
weak, but this does not always happen if Black plays precisely.
First, let's see the dynamic advantages of the hanging pawns with a Keres
masterpiece against Mark Taimanov:
Keres, Paul – Taimanov, Mark
USSR Championship Moscow, 1951
Queen's Indian Defense [E14]
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 Be7 5.b3 0–0 6.Bb2 b6 7.d4 Bb7 8.Bd3
dxc4 9.bxc4 c5 10.0–0 cxd4 11.exd4
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Gambiteer II
by Nigel Davies
Gambiteer I
by Nigel Davies
[FEN "6k1/p4ppp/1p2p3/8/2PP4/8/P4PPP/6K1"]
Arriving at a typical hanging pawn position. White's pawn duo on d4 and c4
stake out a lot of central territory, but the pawns are rather vulnerable because
of a lack of support on the b- and e-files.
11...Nc6 12.Qe2
Although this sets a nice trap, it isn't the best move. White should have played
12.Rc1 Nb4 13.Bb1, so as to avoid shutting in his rook on a1.
12...Re8
Black correctly avoids 12...Nxd4? as after 13.Nxd4 Qxd4 14.Nd5 Qc5 15.
Bxf6 Bxf6 (15...gxf6 16.Qg4+ Kh8 17.Qh4 f5 18.Nxe7) 16.Qe4 g6 17.Nxf6+
White wins material.; On the other hand, there was a stronger move in 12...
Nb4!, after which 13.Bb1 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 (Keres mentioned 14.gxf3 Qxd4 15.
Ne4, with some attacking chances for the pawn) 14...Qxd4 15.a3 Na6 16.Qb7
Bd6! 17.Qxa6 Bxh2+! gives Black a winning attack.
13.Rfd1 Rc8 14.Rac1 Qd6?!
Black should still have played 14...Nb4 when Keres gave the line 15.Bb1
Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Rxc4 17.d5 exd5 18.a3 Nc6 19.Ba2. But this seems quite good
for Black after 19...Nd4 20.Qh3 Rxc3 with a fork on e2.
15.Bb1 Qf4 16.d5!
[FEN"2r1r1k1/pb2bppp/1pn1pn2/3P4/2P2q2/
2N2N2/PB2QPPP/1BRR2K1 b - - 0 16"]
This is often a key move for White in such positions, unleashing the power of
his pieces and in particular his pair of bishops.
16...exd5 17.cxd5
Keres also considered the line 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.cxd5 Bf6 19.dxc6! Rxe2 20.
cxb7, which objectively speaking would have been stronger. But he chose the
simple recapture with the pawn because he was unable to calculate this out.
17...Nb8?!
After 17...Ba3?, White wins on the spot with 18.dxc6! Rxe2 19.cxb7; but
Black might well have considered the more active 17...Nb4. Taimanov's
choice is rather passive and allows White to build up a strong attack.
18.Rd4 Qd6 19.Rcd1 Bf8
Underestimating the strength of White's reply. 19...Nbd7 would have been a
better defense.
20.Ne4! Nxe4 21.Rxe4 Rxe4 22.Qxe4 Qh6
22...g6 was a better defense, though it still looks good for White after 23.Qd4
(23.Ng5 is also very dangerous) 23...f6 24.h4 followed by 25.h5.
[FEN"1nr2bk1/pb3ppp/1p5q/3P4/4Q3/
5N2/PB3PPP/1B1R2K1 w - - 0 23"]
23.Ng5! Bd6
After 23...g6, there is 24.Nxf7!, etc.
24.h4! Nd7 25.Qf5 Nf6 26.Bxf6
With time trouble rearing its ugly head a few errors start to creep in. 26.Nxf7!
was even stronger, for example 26...Kxf7 27.Qe6+ Kf8 28.Qxd6+ Kg8 29.Qe6
+ Kh8 30.d6 wins easily.
26...gxf6
After 26...Qxf6, White has a strong line in 27.Qxh7+ Kf8 28.Bf5 Re8 29.Qh5
Kg8 (29...Qxf5 30.Nh7+ wins the queen) 30.Be6! g6 31.Qh7+, etc.
[FEN"2r3k1/pb3p1p/1p1b1p1q/3P1QN1/
7P/8/P4PP1/1B1R2K1 w - - 0 27"]
27.Nxf7! Qc1
After 27...Kxf7, White would play 28.Qd7+ Kg8 (28...Be7? 29.d6 Rc1 30.
Qxe7+ Kg8 31.Qxh7+ wins immediately) 29.Qxd6 Rc1 30.Qb8+ Bc8 31.
Rxc1 Qxc1+ 32.Kh2 Qxb1 33.Qxc8+ Kf7 34.d6 with a winning queen and
pawn endgame.
28.Qxh7+ Kf8 29.Nxd6 Qxd1+ 30.Kh2 Qxd5 31.Nxb7 Qe5+ 32.g3 Rc7 33.
Qh8+ Kf7 34.h5 Rxb7 35.Qh7+ Ke6 36.Qxb7 Qxh5+ 37.Kg2 1–0
Fischer, Robert – Spassky, Boris
Reykjavik (m/6), 1972
Queen's Gambit Declined [D59]
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 0–0 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 b6
This move characterizes the Tartakover Variation, which often leads to
hanging pawns for Black.
8.cxd5
An alternative treatment is 8.Be2 Bb7 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.cxd5 exd5, which was
heavily debated in games between Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. This
became popular when ways to neutralize Fischer's play in the present game
were discovered.
8...Nxd5 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Rc1 Be6 12.Qa4 c5 13.Qa3 Rc8 14.
Bb5
Cleverly hindering the development of Black's knight on b8 by preparing to
exchange it should it come to d7. This causes Black to indulge in some
convoluted maneuvers to eject the bishop.
14...a6
One of the antidotes Black later discovered was to play 14...Qb7 in this
position. Should White take the pawn on c5 via 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.Rxc5 Rxc5
17.Qxc5 there follows 17...Na6 18.Bxa6 Qxa6 19.Qa3 (White cannot castle
without ejecting Black's queen from the a6-f1 diagonal) 19...Qc4 20.Qc3
Qxa2 21.0–0 Rb8, recovering the pawn with pressure against White's b-pawn.
15.dxc5 bxc5
[FEN"6k1/5pp1/p6p/2pp4/8/4P3/PP3PPP/4K3"]
White could meet 15...Rxc5 with just 16.0–0 because both Black's a-pawn
and c5 rook are pinned.
16.0–0 Ra7?!
After this White has long term pressure. Black later found the line 16...Qa7 17.
Ba4 a5 18.Qd3 Nd7.
17.Be2 Nd7 18.Nd4! Qf8?
[FEN"2r2qk1/r2n1pp1/p3b2p/2pp4/3N4/
Q3P3/PP2BPPP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 19"]
This leads to an unpleasant position when Fischer now 'unhangs' Black's
pawns but fixes them on dark squares. Black should have played 18...Nf6
when 19.Nb3 c4 20.Qxe7 Rxe7 21.Nd4 is better for White but not easy to
win.
19.Nxe6! fxe6 20.e4! d4
After 20...dxe4 21.Rfd1, Black's weak pawns will not all survive and those
that are left would spread doom over his position. On the other hand, 20...Nf6
looks more tenacious, at least not giving White the c4-square without a fight.
21.f4 Qe7 22.e5!
Fixing the weakness on e6.
22...Rb8 23.Bc4! Kh8
On 23...Nb6, White can play 24.Qb3! because the knight on b6 is pinned.
24.Qh3 Nf8 25.b3 a5
[FEN"1r3n1k/r3q1p1/4p2p/p1p1P3/
2Bp1P2/1P5Q/P5PP/2R2RK1 w - - 0 26"]
26.f5! exf5 27.Rxf5 Nh7 28.Rcf1 Qd8 29.Qg3 Re7 30.h4 Rbb7 31.e6!
Creating threats such as Rxc5, Rf7 and Qe5.
31...Rbc7 32.Qe5 Qe8 33.a4 Qd8
White has a winning attack after both 33...Nf6 34.Rxf6! gxf6 35.Rxf6; and
33...Kg8 34.Rf7.
34.R1f2 Qe8 35.R2f3 Qd8 36.Bd3 Qe8
[FEN"4q2k/2r1r1pn/4P2p/p1p1QR2/
P2p3P/1P1B1R2/6P1/6K1 w - - 0 37"]
37.Qe4!
Threatening mate via 38.Rf8+.
37...Nf6 38.Rxf6 gxf6 39.Rxf6 Kg8 40.Bc4 Kh8 41.Qf4 1–0
41.Qf4 Kg8 42.Qxh6 will lead to mate.
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "1r3rk1/p4ppp/2q1p3/1pPn4/
3Pb3/P3B3/3QBPPP/R4RK1 b - - 0 20"]
Black to play has successfully blockaded the hanging pawn duo but now
managed to use the blockading pieces to great effect. How did he do it?
[FEN "3r1rk1/p3qp1p/2bb2p1/2pp4/8/
1P2P3/PBQN1PPP/2R2RK1 b - - 0 18"]
Black to play used his hanging pawns to initiate a powerful attack. How did
he do this?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Sokolov, Andrei (2605) – Kekov, Alexandr
URS Army-ch Simferopol, 1989
[FEN "rnbq1r1k/pp5p/2pp4/5p2/2BPPNpb/
2N1Q1n1/PPP3P1/R1BK2R1 w - - 0 15"]
In this wild looking position it is White's central pawns that lend his pieces
their power. How did he now set about finishing Black off?
15.Ng6+! Black resigned when he saw this crushing blow. Let's see what
would have happened had he continued: 15...Kg7 15...hxg6 16.Qh6# is mate
straightaway. 16.Qh6+ Kf6 17.Qxh4+ Kg7 17...Kxg6 18.Qh6#. 18.Qh6+
Kf6 19.Bg5# is mate.
Morphy, Paul – Meek, Alexander
Beaufort Alabama, 1855
[FEN "rnb3kr/pp2q2p/2pp4/6P1/3PPQp1/
2N5/PPP3P1/4RRK1 w - - 0 17"]
White to play brought off a stunning finale. What was it?
17.Nd5! A terrific move, offering the knight so as to get the rook on e1 into
play. 17...cxd5 After 17...Qg7 18.Qxd6, Black would soon be mated. 18.exd5
1–0 Black has no defense to the terrific fire power along the e- and f-files. For
example taking the rook on e1 is met by 19.Qf7 or 19.Qf8 mate.
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
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Diagonalisation
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
Games can often be decided by the presence of a single strong bishop, but
what is it that can make them particularly strong? The answer lies in the
structure of the pawns and how the respective bishops harmonise with this.
For a bishop to be exceptionally strong it must obviously be actively placed
and not shut in by its own pawns or shut out by the opponents. This, however,
is not enough, there must also be a fixed target of attack such as the opposing
king. In theory a player's king position is not fixed because the king can be
moved, but in practice it usually difficult to reposition a badly placed king on
a board full of pieces.
Examples of a strong bishop abound in openings involving a fianchetto, but
they are especially common in various defences against 1.e4 involving a
kingside fianchetto for Black. This is because White will often try to punish
his opponent with the popular plan for White of castling long and advancing
his h-pawn up the board. But in doing so he will need to commit his king to
the queenside where it can prove vulnerable.
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The following two games are wonderful demonstrations of how Black's king's
bishop can then be opened up so that it plays a decisive role. Both were
played by former world champion Mikhail Botvinnik and both featured the
Pirc Defence.
Medina-Garcia, A – Botvinnik, M
Palma de Mallorca, 1967
Pirc Defence [B08]
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 c6 6.Bb3 0–0 7.Qe2 Bg4! 8.h3
Bxf3 9.Qxf3 e6
1...d6 Universal
by Nigel Davies
Play through and download
the games from
ChessCafe.com in the
DGT Game Viewer.
[FEN "rn1q1rk1/pp3pbp/2pppnp1/8/3PP3/
1BN2Q1P/PPP2PP1/R1B1K2R w KQ - 0 10"]
Shutting down the activity of White's bishop on b3.
10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Nbd7 12.0–0–0?
Way too ambitious. He should have settled for the quiet 12.0–0 when the
position would have been about equal.
12...Qa5 13.Qe2 b5
The advance of Black's queenside pawns nicely compliments the potential
activity of Black's bishop on g7. The main target of this action is the pawn on
b2 and of course White's king.
14.f4 b4 15.Nb1 d5 16.Nd2 c5! 17.Bxf6 Nxf6 18.dxc5 dxe4! 19.Nxe4 Nxe4
Bamboozle Your Opponents
With 1.g3!
by Nigel Davies
20.Qxe4 Qxc5
[FEN "r4rk1/p4pb1/4p1pp/2q5/1p2QP2/
1B5P/PPP3P1/2KR3R w - - 0 21"]
Despite the exchanges White is in a difficult position. The problem is that
there is no real counter to Black's pressure on the h8-a1 diagonal which Black
threatens to intensify with 21...Qe7 followed by 22...Qf6.
21.Rd7?
Trying to stop Black's queen from reaching f6 but overlooking a tactical
finesse. A more pugnacious try would have been 21.g4 , trying to break open
the a2-g8 diagonal for his own bishop. After 21...Qe7 22.f5 Qf6 23.c3 bxc3
24.fxg6! (24.fxe6 c2 25.exf7+ Kh7 26.Qxc2 Rac8 27.Bc4 Rxc4 wins for
Black) 24...cxb2+ 25.Kb1 White is still in the game.
21...Rad8 22.Rhd1?
White should have admitted his previous move was a mistake by playing 22.
Rdd1! when 22...Qe7 23.Rhe1 Qf6 24.Qe5 holds on.
22...Rxd7 23.Rxd7 Qg1+ 24.Kd2
In his initial calculations, White might have missed 24.Rd1 Bxb2+, winning
the rook.
24...Qf2+ 25.Kd3 Qf1+ 26.Qe2
After 26.Kd2, Black would play 26...Bxb2 threatening 27...Bc3 mate.
26...Qxf4
[FEN "5rk1/p2R1pb1/4p1pp/8/1p3q2/
1B1K3P/PPP1Q1P1/8 w - - 0 27"]
With an exposed king and rapidly diminishing stock of pawns White's
position is hopeless.
27.Qf3 Qe5 28.Qb7 a5 29.Qc6 Qxb2 30.Ke2 Qe5+ 31.Kf1 h5 32.Rc7 Qf4+
33.Ke2 Bd4 34.Rc8 Qe3+ 35.Kd1 Bc3 36.Rxf8+ Kxf8 0-1
This next example shows Botvinnik using the same strategic theme of
opening up his bishop on g7. This time his opponent plays rather better, so the
game is more closely contested.
Matulovic, M – Botvinnik, M
World - USSR, 1970
Pirc Defence [B06]
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.Qe2 c6 6.Bb3 0–0 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4
e5 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Nbd2
And not 10.Nxe5?, because 10...Qa5+ picks up the knight.
10...Qc7 11.Nc4 Nh5 12.Bg3 Nf4 13.Bxf4
[FEN "rnb2rk1/ppq2pb1/2p3pp/4p3/2N1PB2/
1B3N2/PPP1QPPP/R3K2R b KQ - 0 13"]
Opening the h8-a1 diagonal for Black's bishop on g7, but really there's not
much of an alternative. After 13.Qf1 Rd8, White would be unable to castle.
13...exf4 14.0–0–0?!
The immediate 14.0–0 would lose the b2-pawn after 14...b5; but 14.c3
followed by 0–0 would have been safer. Black's position would be preferable
after, say, 14...b5 15.Ncd2 Nd7, but the position would be far less dangerous
for White than the game.
14...Bg4 15.e5
Botvinnik pointed out that after 15.h3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Nd7, White can't play 17.
Nd6?! Ne5 18.Qxf4 because of 18...Rfd8!. But White can do better with 17.
Qd3 when his position is not so bad.
15...Nd7 16.Qe4 Rad8
Black could win a pawn here with 16...Bxf3 17.gxf3 Nxe5, but as Botvinnik
indicated White would get enough counterplay to draw via 18.Nxe5 Qxe5 19.
Qxe5 Bxe5 20.Rd7!, etc.
17.Qxf4 Bxf3 18.Qxf3 b5 19.Ne3 Nxe5 20.Qg3 a5 21.a3 Kh7 22.Ng4?
This attempt to simplify leaves Black with the initiative. White should have
tried 22.f4!? Nd7 23.f5 , offering the exchange of queens whilst trying to
break open Black's king position.
22...h5 23.Nxe5 Bxe5
This position now bears a remarkable resemblance to the previous example.
Once again Botvinnik is aiming to increase the pressure on the h8-a1
diagonal.
24.Qf3 Kg7 25.Rhe1 Bf6 26.c3 c5
[FEN "3r1r2/2q2pk1/5bp1/ppp4p/8/
PBP2Q2/1P3PPP/2KRR3 w - - 0 27"]
The pawns march forward to prepare ...b5-b4. 26...Qxh2? would have been
quite wrong because of 27.g3 threatening 28.Rh1.
27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.g3
28.h3 would have been better, as with the pawns on dark squares they can
become vulnerable in an endgame.
28...c4 29.Bc2 b4 30.axb4 axb4 31.cxb4 Qb6
According to Botvinnik, this was not the most accurate. He should have
played 31...Qa7! when 32.Kb1 Ra8 33.Qa3 Qb6! 34.Qxa8 Qxb4 35.Qa3 Qxe1
+ 36.Ka2 Qxf2 would harvest White's pawns.
32.Rd1
[FEN "3r4/5pk1/1q3bp1/7p/1Pp5/
5QP1/1PB2P1P/2KR4 b - - 0 32"]
32...Qxb4?!
Once again not the best. Black should have played 32...Re8! when 33.Rd7
Qxb4 34.Qd5?! Re1+ leads to mate.
33.Rxd8 Qxb2+ 34.Kd1 Bxd8 35.Qd5 Qf6 36.Ke2
36.f4 might have been better, trying to get in f4-f5.
36...Bb6 37.f4 Qc3 38.Qe4
Playing for an opposite-colour bishop endgame with 38.Qe5+ would certainly
need to be considered. But after 38...Qxe5+ 39.fxe5 Bg1 40.h3 Bd4 41.e6 f5!
Black seems to be winning.
[FEN "8/5pk1/1b4p1/7p/2p1QP2/
2q3P1/2B1K2P/8 b - - 0 38"]
38...Bd4
38...Bg1! was much more accurate; for example, 39.f5 Be3! 40.Qxe3 Qxc2+
and Black wins.
39.f5?
Losing immediately. 39.Kf1! would continue to resist.
39...gxf5 40.Qxf5 Qe3+ 41.Kf1
41.Kd1 is answered by 41...Bc3!.
41...Qg1+ 42.Ke2 Qxh2+ 43.Kd1 Qg1+ 44.Ke2 Qe3+ 45.Kf1 Qxg3 46.Qh7
+ Kf8 0–1
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/5pbp/2p3p1/p2Pn3/Pp6/
1B2BP1P/1PPQ2P1/R3K1NR b KQ - 0 15"]
Black to play has a winning sequence involving the h8-a1 diagonal What is it?
[FEN ""3b2rk/7p/p7/2pbqNrn/Pp1p1R2/
1P1Q2P1/1BPN1R1P/6K1 w - - 0 34]
In this position, it is White who decides the game on the h8-a1 diagonal. How
did he do it?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Ojanen, Kaarle Sakari – Trifunovic, Petar
Mar del Plata (6), 1953
[FEN "1r3rk1/p4ppp/2q1p3/1pPn4/
3Pb3/P3B3/3QBPPP/R4RK1 b - - 0 20"]
Black to play has successfully blockaded the hanging pawn duo but now
managed to use the blockading pieces to great effect. How did he do it?
20...Bxg2! This won an important pawn; White cannot take the bishop
because of 21...Nxe3+.
Nimzowitsch, Aaron – Tarrasch, Siegbert
St Petersburg preliminary (5), 28.04.1914
[FEN "3r1rk1/p3qp1p/2bb2p1/2pp4/8/
1P2P3/PBQN1PPP/2R2RK1 b - - 0 18"]
Black to play used his hanging pawns to initiate a powerful attack. How did
he do this?
18...d4! 19.exd4 Bxh2+! 20.Kxh2 Qh4+ 21.Kg1 Bxg2 A classic double
bishop sacrifice to expose White's king. I explored this concept in more depth
in a previous column, but here it comes with a hanging pawn twist. 22.f3 22.
Kxg2 Qg4+ 23.Kh2 Rd5 wins immediately. 22...Rfe8 23.Ne4 Qh1+ 24.Kf2
Bxf1 25.d5 25.Rxf1 Qh2+ wins White's queen. 25...f5 26.Qc3 Qg2+ 27.Ke3
Rxe4+ 28.fxe4 f4+ 29.Kxf4 Rf8+ 30.Ke5 Qh2+ 31.Ke6 Re8+ 32.Kd7 Bb5#
0–1
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
will be posted below daily.
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Sacrifices on f7
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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In the opening the f7-square tends to be the most vulnerable in Black's camp
and sacrifices on this point appear in many different openings. A couple of
good examples are the Vitolins knight sacrifice in the Petroff Defence (1.e4
e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nxf7) and the bishop sacrifice on f7 in the Muzio
Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.0–0 gxf3 6.Qxf3 Qf6 7.e5
Qxe5 8.Bxf7+). In the middlegame, especially when Black has castled, f7 is
no longer considered to be such a weakness. For example, it is usually
considered less vital than h7 or g7 and when Black has castled it will often be
protected by a rook on f8. Nonetheless, it can provide vital protection for
Black's king.
Additionally, it turns out that sacrifices on f7 are actually quite common due
to the ease of access in a number of different openings. A white bishop can
often be lurking on b3 (for example, in the Italian Game or Ruy Lopez) and
knights frequently get to e5 or g5. If the conditions are right, a sacrifice on f7
can often decide matters. The first of this month's games is an Alekhine
classic in which a bishop sacrifice on f7 provides the coup de gras:
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Alekhine, Alexander – Junge, Klaus
Poland (5), 1942
Ruy Lopez [C86]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Qe2
Tricks & Traps Vol. 2
by Nigel Davies
[FEN "r1bqk2r/1pppbppp/p1n2n2/4p3/
B3P3/5N2/PPPPQPPP/RNB2RK1 b kq - 0 6"]
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The Worrall Attack, a favourite of Alekhine, which was later used by Nigel
Short in his match victory over Anatoly Karpov. One of the ideas is to make
room to put a rook on d1 in order to apply pressure along the d-file.
6...b5 7.Bb3 0–0 8.c3 d5 9.d3 dxe4?! 10.dxe4 Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.Bg5 Ne8
Alekhine noted that the point behind his last move was that it prevents 12...
Na5 because of 13.g4 Bg6 14.Nxe5, winning a pawn.
13.Bxe7 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Nxe7 15.Rd1 Nd6 16.Nd2 c6
Alekhine suggested that Black try to get some counterplay here via 16...Kh8,
intending ...f7-f5. Certainly this would have given him more play than the
game, though there would be the isolated e-pawn to worry about.
17.Nf1 Qc7 18.a4
Bringing the a1-rook into play without moving it.
Play the Ruy Lopez
by Andrew Greet
18...Rad8 19.Ng3 Nec8 20.axb5 axb5 21.Nf5 Nb6 22.Qe3!
[FEN "3r1rk1/2q2ppp/1npn4/1p2pN2/
4P3/1BP1Q2P/1P3PP1/R2R2K1 b - - 0 22"]
Threatening both 23.Nxd6 Rxd6 24.Rxd6, picking up the knight on b6, and 23.
Qg5! Nxf5 24.ef Nd7 25.Rxd7! Rxd7 26. f6 g6 27.Qh6, followed by mate on
g7.
22...Nxf5
Black might also consider 22...Nbc4, but then 23.Bxc4 Nxc4 (Or 23...bxc4 24.
Nxd6 Rxd6 25.Qc5, when Black looks set to drop a pawn) 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.
Qc5! Nxb2 26.Ra7 Nd3 27.Qe3! leaves him without a good move; for
example, 27...Qb8 28.Qg5! g6 29.Nh6+ with mate in a couple more moves.
23.exf5 c5
Another possibility was 23...Nd5, after which 24.Qc5! gives White strong
pressure.
24.f6!
Setting fire to Black's king position and threatening 25.Qg5. The reply is more
or less forced.
24...gxf6 25.Qh6 f5
[FEN "3r1rk1/2q2p1p/1n5Q/1pp1pp2/
8/1BP4P/1P3PP1/R2R2K1 w - - 0 26"]
26.Bxf7+!!
This leads to a forced win for White.
26...Qxf7
The alternatives are no better. After 26...Kxf7, 27.Qxh7+ wins Black's queen;
whilst 26...Rxf7 27.Qg5+ wins the rook on d8.
27.Rxd8 Na4
Here too 27...Rxd8 28.Qg5+ will pick up the rook on d8.
28.b3 1–0
After 28.b3 Nxc3 (28...Rxd8 29.Qg5+ will win Black's rook with check and
then the knight) 29.Raa8, Black will be mated.
In this second game White's knight sacrifice on f7 might officially be
considered "opening theory" because it had been played in an earlier game.
Yet with Black's king castled, I nonetheless consider it to be a middlegame
motif.
Krasenkow, Michal (2525) – Arbakov, Valentin (2400)
Moscow-ch, 1989
Catalan [E05]
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Na3!?
[FEN "rnbq1rk1/ppp1bppp/4pn2/8/2pP4/
N4NP1/PP2PPBP/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 0 7"]
This enterprising line appeals to aggressive players. White will not necessarily
recover the pawn on c4, but he gets compensation for it.
7...Bxa3 8.bxa3 b5 9.a4 a6 10.Ba3 Re8 11.Ne5 Nd5
Blocking the h1–a8 diagonal, but moving the knight away from his king. This
gives White the opportunity for some speculative violence.
12.e4 Nf6
[FEN "rnbqr1k1/2p2ppp/p3pn2/1p2N3/
P1pPP3/B5P1/P4PBP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 13"]
Trying to keep the knight close to the king, but allowing an interesting piece
sacrifice. 12...Nb6 is also worth considering, though White still has dangerous
attacking chances via 13.Qh5!?, which is also interesting after 13...f6 14.Ng4.
13.Nxf7!? Kxf7 14.e5
Attacking both the knight on f6 and the rook on a8. Black's reply is forced.
14...Nd5 15.Qh5+ Kg8 16.Be4 g6
16...h6 may also be playable as Black can meet 17.Qg6 (threatening mate on
h7) with 17...b4 when 18.Qh7+ Kf8 19.Bxb4+ Nxb4 20.Bxa8 N8c6 produces
a messy position. After the move played, White must sacrifice another piece;
will he have anything better than a draw?
17.Bxg6 hxg6
This looks like the best. In the game Kuzmin-Anand, Frunze 1987, Black tried
17...Re7, but after 18.Bxe7 Qxe7, the line 19.Bxh7+ Qxh7 20.Qe8+ Kg7 21.
Qxc8 would have been quite good for White.
18.Qxg6+ Kh8 19.Rfe1
[FEN "rnbqr2k/2p5/p3p1Q1/1p1nP3/
P1pP4/B5P1/P4P1P/R3R1K1 b - - 0 19"]
Seeking more than a draw by perpetual check, which was available via 19.Qh6
+. White could also have brought the other rook into play with 19.Rae1,
though after 19...Nc3 20.Re3 Bb7 21.Rxc3 Nc6 he again seems to have no
more than a draw via 22.Qh6+, etc.
19...Nc3
Preventing White's threatened 20.Re4.
20.Re3 Bb7
This time stopping the rook coming to f3 and f7. And here White was
threatening to bring the rook to f3 and then f7, which would follow 20...Nd7
for example.
21.Rxc3 Nd7??
A natural looking attempt to bring the knight back but it loses by force. Black
should have played 21...Nc6 when White has nothing better than a draw.
22.Qh6+ Kg8 23.Qg6+ Kh8 24.Qh6+ Kg8 25.g4!
Preparing to bring his rook to h3.
25...Re7
25...Nxe5 doesn't help Black after 26.dxe5 Qd7 27.Rh3 Qg7 28.Qf4,
intending 29.Rh5.
26.Rh3 Nf8 27.Qh8+ Kf7 28.Rh6 Ke8
[FEN "r2qkn1Q/1bp1r3/p3p2R/1p2P3/
P1pP2P1/B7/P4P1P/R5K1 w - - 0 29"]
29.Rxe6!
This hammer blow decides matters. This rook has had quite a career!
29...Rxe6 30.Qxf8+ Kd7 31.Qf7+ Re7
31...Kc8 32.Qxe6+ leaves White with way too many connected passed pawns.
32.e6+ Kc6 33.Qf6 Qd5 34.Bxe7 Kb6 35.f3! Rg8?!
35...Qxf3 would lead to a lost endgame after 36.Bc5+ Ka5 37.Qxf3 Bxf3 38.
h3.
36.Bc5+ Ka5 37.Qf4?!
[FEN "6r1/1bp5/p3P3/kpBq4/
P1pP1QP1/5P2/P6P/R5K1 b - - 0 37"]
After having conducted the game brilliantly thus far, White commits an
inaccuracy. The right way to do this is via 37.Kf2! Rxg4 38.e7 Rg8 39.Qf4,
when 39...c3 40.Qe3! Qc4 41.e8Q wins Black's rook.
37...c3?
Black could stay in the game with 37...Qxf3 38.Qxf3 Bxf3 39.h3 Kxa4, as he
then has his own passed pawns. But White would still be winning after 40.Kf2
Bc6 41.Rc1, intending e6-e7.
38.axb5 axb5?
38...Qxf3 was still the best try.
39.a4 Rc8 40.axb5+ Kxb5 41.Rb1+ Kc4 42.Qe3 1–0
There's not much to be done about the threat of Rb4 mate.
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "r3r1k1/1bq1nppp/p1np4/1ppBpN2/
4P3/2PP1N2/PP3PPP/R2QR1K1 w - - 0 19"]
How did White to play launch a decisive attack?
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp3pbp/2n3p1/2pn2N1/
2N2B2/1QPP2P1/PP4BP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 16"]
This position is more tactical than the previous one featuring some decisive
cross pins. White to play and win.
Solutions to last month's exercises
Gausel, E – Davies, N
Oslo, 1988
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/5pbp/2p3p1/p2Pn3/Pp6/
1B2BP1P/1PPQ2P1/R3K1NR b KQ - 0 15"]
Black to play has a winning sequence involving the h8-a1 diagonal What is it?
15...Nc4! 16.Bxc4 Bxb2 Threatening 17...Bxa1, 17...Bc3, and 17...Qh4+.
White cannot defend everything. 17.Ne2 Qh4+ Stronger than taking the rook
straightaway. 18.Bf2 Qxc4 19.Rb1 Bc3 20.Nxc3 bxc3 21.Qd3 Re8+ 22.Kd1
Qa2 23.Rc1 Ba6 24.Qxc3 Qxd5+ 25.Qd2 Rad8 0–1
Tarrasch, Siegbert – Walbrodt, Carl August
Hastings (4), 1895
[FEN ""3b2rk/7p/p7/2pbqNrn/Pp1p1R2/
1P1Q2P1/1BPN1R1P/6K1 w - - 0 34]
In this position, it is White who decides the game on the h8-a1 diagonal. How
did he do it?
34.Rxd4! Opening up the bishop on b2 is even worth a rook. 34...Nxg3 Of
course, 34...cxd4 35.Bxd4 wins Black's queen, so he makes a desperate
counterattack. 35.Nxg3 Rxg3+ 36.hxg3 Rxg3+ 37.Kf1! Rxd3 38.Rg4! 1–0
38.Rg4 Qxb2 39.Rf8+ leads to mate next move.
© 2010 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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The Advanced Isolated d-Pawn
Whereas chess literature is replete with discussions of standard isolated dpawn positions, not much has been said about those in which the pawn gets to
the fifth rank. This is what we're going to look at in this month's update.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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Positions like this can arise from a number of different openings but are most
common in the Tarrasch Defence. In particular the line 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3
c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.
Bg5 d4 gives rise to this structure and you can get something very similar
after 9.dxc5 d4. Another common way of reaching them is via a fianchetto
line of the Grünfeld Defence; for example, 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.
g3 g6 5.Bg2 Nb6 6.Nf3 Bg7 7.O-O O-O 8.d4 Nc6 9.d5 Na5 10.e4 c6 11.Re1
exd5 12.exd5. The main feature of such positions will be the greatly enhanced
cramping effect of the d-pawn, which in turn will lead to pressure along the
half-open d-file. There's also a good chance that the pawn may charge
forward to the sixth rank. On the other hand, it no longer supports a strong
point along the half-open file (usually the e-file), because one of the
opponent's pawns will almost certainly be defending it. This contrasts with a
isolated d-pawn position in which a white pawn on d4 would support the e5square.
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These features are best illustrated by examples, so here are two great players
in action. In the first game Paul Keres provides us with a superb
demonstration of White's attacking chances, whilst in the second we see
Vasily Smyslov deftly transpose into a favourable endgame.
Keres, Paul (2600) – Byrne, Donald (2470)
San Antonio, 1972
Grünfeld Defence [D94]
Tricks & Traps Vol. 2
by Nigel Davies
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3
Although thought to be an innocuous line, this leads to positions that Keres
liked. The way that he plays it, we get a position that is akin to the Tarrasch
Defence with colours reversed.
5...0–0 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Bc4 Nb6 8.Bb3 c5 9.0–0 cxd4 10.exd4 Nc6 11.d5
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Defining our pawn structure in which the isolated d-pawn has a cramping
effect. That's not to say that Black is without his chances, as he can set up a
blockade on d6 and get play along the c-file.
11...Na5 12.Bg5 h6 13.Be3 Bg4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3
[FEN"r2q1rk1/pp2ppb1/1n4pp/n2P4/8/
1BN1BQ1P/PP3PP1/R4RK1 b - - 0 15"]
The Gruenfeld Defence
by Lubomir Ftacnik
15...Nbc4 16.Bc1 Nxb3 17.axb3 Nd6 18.Re1 Re8 19.Be3 b6 20.Bf4 Qd7 21.
Ra4
Preparing to swing the rook over to the kingside.
21...Rac8 22.g4 a5 23.Be5 Rc5 24.Rf4 Bxe5 25.Rxe5 b5 26.Qe3 Qc7 27.Rf3
b4 28.Ne2 a4?
Underestimating the danger to his king. Black should have tried to simplify
via 28...Nb5 29.Nf4 Rc1+ 30.Kg2 Qc5, after which 31.Nd3 Qxe3 32.Rfxe3
Rd1 should hold for Black in the endgame.
29.Qxh6 a3
After 29...Ra5 30.Nd4, White would be threatening to launch a mating attack
with 31.Ne6!, and there's not a whole lot Black can do about this. For
example, 30...Rxd5 (30...Rc8 31.Nc6 Re8 32.Rg5 sets up the deadly threat of
33.Rxf7!) White wins with 31.Rxf7! Kxf7 (Or 31...Nxf7 32.Qxg6+ Kh8 33.
Rxd5 with the deadly threat of 34.Rh5+ 32.Qh7+ Kf6 33.Re6+ Kg5 34.Qxg6
+ Kf4 35.Ne2+ Kf3 36.Re3# mate.
30.bxa3 bxa3
Trying to back out with 30...e6 runs into 31.Nf4!; for example, 31...Nf5 (31...
bxa3 32.Nh5! wins on the spot) 32.gxf5 Qxe5 33.fxg6 Qg7 34.Qxg7+ Kxg7
35.gxf7 Kxf7 36.Nxe6+ Kg8 37.Nxc5 bxa3 38.Kh2 Re1 (38...a2 39.Rg3+ Kf7
40.Rg1 stops Black's a-pawn) 39.d6 a2 40.d7 Rh1+ (40...Rd1 41.Nd3) 41.
Kxh1 a1Q+ 42.Kg2 Qd4 43.Rd3 and White wins.
31.Rg5 a2
[FEN"4r1k1/2q1pp2/3n2pQ/2rP2R1/
6P1/1P3R1P/p3NP2/6K1 w - - 0 32"]
After 31...Rc1+ 32.Kg2 Qc2, White has 33.Nxc1 Qxc1 34.Rxg6+, etc.
32.Rxf7!!
The point of White's play, which had to have been seen well in advance.
White has a mating attack despite the fact that Black's a-pawn is queening
with check.
32...a1Q+ 33.Kg2 1–0
There is no defence; for example, 33.Kg2 Kxf7 (33...Nxf7 34.Rxg6+) 34.Qxg6
+ Kf8 35.Qg8# mate.
This next game is slightly different in that Black has a c-pawn rather than an epawn. White's d-pawn still exerts a cramping influence, but it's in a different
sector of the board.
Smyslov, Vassily – Lilienthal, Andor
Moscow Championship Moscow, 1942
Grünfeld Defence [D76]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.Nf3 0–0 7.0–0 Nb6 8.
Nc3 Nc6 9.d5 Nb8
Too passive. These days it is widely accepted that Black's best move is 9...
Na5.
10.Nd4 e6 11.e4 exd5 12.exd5
This pawn structure is different to the one in the previous game in that Black
has a c7-pawn rather than one on e7. Accordingly, the half-open file is now
the c-file rather than the e-file, it is Black's queenside that is cramped rather
than his kingside and the main target is the pawn on c7 rather than the one on
e7. The net result of these differences is that White does not have the same
kind of attacking chances on the kingside, it's more a case of positional
pressure. And this kind of play was very much to Smyslov's taste.
12...N8d7 13.Bf4 Ne5 14.h3 Nbc4 15.b3 Nd6
Black's pieces look nicely placed, but the knight on e5 lacks pawn support.
16.Re1 Re8 17.Rc1 a6 18.Na4
Unveiling pressure against c7 from the rook on c1, and this creates a sense of
urgency in Black's mind.
18...Nb5?
[FEN"r1bqr1k1/1pp2pbp/p5p1/1n1Pn3/
N2N1B2/1P4PP/P4PB1/2RQR1K1 w - - 0 19"]
Black tries for some activity, but misses a powerful reply. Perhaps the best
chance was 18...g5!?, weakening Black's kingside, but at least making his
knight on e5 more secure. After 19.Ne6, there might follow 19...Bxe6 20.
Bxe5 Bg4+/= 21.Qxg4 Rxe5 22.Rxe5 Bxe5 23.f4 Bd4+ 24.Kh2 Qe7 25.Qxg5
+ Qxg5 26.fxg5 b5 27.Nc5 Be3 28.Rc2 Bxg5, and Black gets a more hopeful
endgame than in the game.
19.Ne6! Bxe6 20.dxe6 Rxe6 21.Nc5
White will win back the pawn and at the same time have two powerful
bishops and a weakened enemy pawn structure. In Smyslov's hands these
advantages add up to a winning position.
21...Qxd1 22.Rexd1 Rd6 23.Nxb7 Rxd1+ 24.Rxd1 Rb8 25.a4 Nc3 26.Rd2
Re8 27.Nc5 a5 28.Rc2 Nd1 29.Bd2
Black's a-pawn is too weak here and White soon captures it to obtain a
powerful passed a-pawn.
29...Bf8 30.Ne4 Rb8 31.Bxa5 Rxb3 32.Bxc7
[FEN"5bk1/2B2p1p/6p1/4n3/P3N3/
1r4PP/2R2PB1/3n2K1 b - - 0 32"]
With a good passed a-pawn up White just needs to play accurately.
32...Nd3 33.Bf1 N1b2 34.a5 f5 35.Nd2 Ra3 36.Nc4 Nxc4 37.Rxc4 Ra1 38.
Bb6 Ne5 39.Rc3 Bb4 40.Rc8+ Kf7 41.Kg2 1–0
Black will lose the exchange after 41.Kg2 Bxa5 42.Bd4 Re1 43.Rc5 Rxf1 44.
Kxf1 Bb6 45.Rd5, and in a position which would be hopeless for him.
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN"8/p1R2ppk/1p5p/3Rn1rP/1P1pr1q1/
6P1/P2QPPK1/6N1 b - - 0 32"]
Black to play set in motion a winning attack. What was the key move?
[FEN"3rr1k1/pp3ppp/8/q3n3/3p1Nb1/
P5PP/1P2PPB1/2RQR1K1 b - - 0 20"]
Black to play uncorked a ruinous blow to his great adversary, what was it?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Teichmann, Richard – Schlechter, Carl
Karlsbad (18), 14.09.1911
[FEN "r3r1k1/1bq1nppp/p1np4/1ppBpN2/
4P3/2PP1N2/PP3PPP/R2QR1K1 w - - 0 19"]
How did White to play launch a decisive attack?
19.Bxf7+! Kxf7 20.Ng5+ Kg8 20...Kf6 would have been more tenacious, but
then 21.Nxh7+ Kf7 22.Ng5+ Kf6 23.Qg4 must surely be good for White. A
sample line is 23...g6 24.Ng7! Rg8 (24...Kxg7 25.Ne6+ wins the queen) 25.
N7e6 Qb8 26.f4! opening the f-file with a winning attack. 21.Qh5 Nxf5 22.
Qxh7+ Kf8 23.Qxf5+ 23.exf5 was also good. 23...Kg8 24.Qg6 Qd7 25.Re3
1–0 There's no good defence to the threats of Rf3 and Qh7+.
Davies, Nigel (2476) – D'Costa, Lorin (2395)
BCF-chT 0708 (4NCL) Sunningdale (3), 10.11.2007
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pp3pbp/2n3p1/2pn2N1/
2N2B2/1QPP2P1/PP4BP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 16"]
This position is more tactical than the previous one featuring some decisive
cross pins. White to play and win.
16.Nxf7! Rxf7 16...Kxf7 17.Bxd5+ Qxd5 18.Nd6+ wins Black's queen. 17.
Nd6 c4 After 17...Rf8 18.Qxd5+ Kh8, White can even play 19.Re8!; for
example, 19...Rxe8 20.Nf7+ Kg8 21.Nh6+ Kh8 22.Qg8+ Rxg8 23.Nf7#. 18.
Qxc4 1–0 18.Qxc4 Qb6+ 19.Be3 Nxe3 20.Qxf7+ Kh8 21.Qe8+ is followed
by mate.
© 2011 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
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Pin Power
As Fred Reinfeld once put it, "The pin is mightier than the sword." And whilst
pins are usually associated with lethal short term tactics, they can also
dominate certain middlegame positions. This month we shall be examining
such scenarios to see just how mighty the humble pin can be; not only can it
disable the piece that is being pinned, it can also tie down the piece it's being
pinned against.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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The first of this month's games is a classic example of pin power. As early as
move five, White's knight on f3 gets pinned, tying it down and the queen on
d1 which needs to defend it. As the game progresses, a variety of other pins
make their presence felt along the h-file, d-file, and a7-g1 diagonal. The game
even ends with a pin along White's third rank, tying down the bishop on e3
and hitting the a3-pawn.
Jansa, Vlastimil – Nun, Jiri
CSSR, 1969
Ruy Lopez Defence [C72]
Tricks & Traps Vol. 1
by Nigel Davies
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0–0 Bg4
Tricks & Traps Vol. 2
by Nigel Davies
[FEN"r2qkbnr/1pp2ppp/p1np4/4p3/B3P1b1/
5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 0 6"]
Pinning the knight on f3 like this is quite awkward for White to deal with.
White tries to drive it away with his next move, but the stubborn bishop
refuses to budge.
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6.h3 h5!?
The point behind Black's last move. White can try to take this bishop, but in
doing so will open the h-file.
7.c4
The main line runs 7.d4 b5 8.Bb3 Nxd4 9.hxg4 hxg4 10.Ng5 Nh6 and
represents the greatest challenge to Black's idea.
7...Qf6 8.Qb3
Breaking the pin and attacking b7, though Black has a few more tricks up his
sleeve.
8...0–0–0!?
After 8...Bxf3, White can play 9.Qxb7; for example, 9...Qg6 10.Bxc6+ Ke7
11.g3 Qg4! 12.d4! (And not 12.hxg4 hxg4 because White would be mated on
Play the Catalan
by Nigel Davies
h1) 12...Kf6 (Or 12...Qxh3 13.Bg5+! Nf6 14.Qxc7+ Ke6 15.d5+ Nxd5 16.
cxd5# mate) 13.Nd2 , and Black's attack gets stopped in its tracks.
9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.hxg4?
Even now this turns out to be too risky. White should have settled for 10.Nh2
when his kingside will be relatively secure.
10...hxg4 11.Nh2 Qh4!
What's amazing about this move is that Black is aiming for the exchange of
queens despite being a piece down. What he's looking for are some attacking/
pinning themes down the h-file and on the a7-g1 diagonal. Meanwhile note
that the h2-knight is pinned against h1, if it moves there would be an
immediate mate.
12.Qg3 Qxg3 13.fxg3 d5! 14.Nxg4
14.d4 was another possibility, but then 14...dxe4 15.Nxg4 exd4 would leave
Black with obvious compensation because of his passed central pawn duo.
14...Nf6!
[FEN"2kr1b1r/2p2pp1/p1p2n2/3pp3/
2P1P1N1/6P1/PP1P2P1/RNB2RK1 w - - 0 15"]
15.Rxf6?
After this rather panicky looking move, White is in trouble. He should have
played 15.Ne3, after which 15...d4 16.Nf5 d3 seems best with a messy
position in which Black has definite compensation for the piece. On the other
hand, 15.Nxf6? would have been very bad because of 15...Bc5+ 16.Rf2 gxf6
threatens the spectacular 17...Rh1+ 18.Kxh1 Bxf2 followed by 19...Rh8 mate.
15...gxf6 16.b4 dxe4
16...Bxb4 17.Ba3 would eliminate Black's dangerous bishop.
17.c5 f5! 18.Nxe5?
Walking into a new pin on the h8-a1 diagonal. 18.Nf2 would have been better
though it still looks good for Black after 18...a5 19.a3 axb4 20.axb4 Rd4
threatening the b-pawn.
18...e3!
Using another pin, this time along the d-file. White's d-pawn is rooted to the
spot because it daren't allow Black's rook in to d1.
19.Bb2 Bg7!
[FEN"2kr3r/2p2pb1/p1p5/2P1Np2/1P6/
4p1P1/PB1P2P1/RN4K1 w - - 0 20"]
Yet another pin, this time along the h8-a1 diagonal.
20.Na3
20.Nd3 loses on the spot after 20...exd2 21.Nxd2 Bxb2 22.Nxb2 Rxd2 etc.
20...Rxd2 21.Bc3 Re8! 22.Bxd2 Bxe5 23.Bxe3
After 23.Rd1, Black can play 23...e2 24.Re1 Bd4+ 25.Kh2 Rh8+ followed by
mate.
23...Bxa1
Emerging from the tactics with an extra exchange.
24.Nc2 Bc3 25.Kf2 Re4 26.a3 Be5 27.Kf3 Rc4 28.Ne1 Rc3 0–1
A final pin on the bishop on e3 whilst simultaneously threatening the pawn on
a3. White's position is hopeless.
This next game is one of my own efforts played on a correspondence chess
server. Black's decisive mistake may well have been 17...Qc8, walking into a
pin on the h3-c8 diagonal. Once this happened both his queen and e6-pawn
were rooted to the spot whilst White was able to intensify the pressure.
Davies, Nigel (2355) – Wilczek, Tadeusz (2497)
Correspondence Chessfriend.com (1), 01.12.2004
Open Catalan [E04]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bb4+ 5.Nd2 Nc6 6.Ngf3 dxc4 7.0–0 c3
Holding on to the pawn, though White is going to get a fair measure of
positional compensation.
[FEN"r1bqk2r/ppp2ppp/2n1pn2/8/1b1P4/
2p2NP1/PP1NPPBP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq - 0 8"]
8.Nc4 0–0 9.Qd3 cxb2 10.Bxb2 Be7 11.e4
Simply taking space in the centre after which Black finds it difficult to gain
footholds for his pieces.
11...b6 12.a3
Again following a policy of restricting Black's counterplay. In this case it
prevents ...Nc6-b4 followed by ...c7-c5.
12...Bb7 13.Rfe1 a5
This artificial looking attempt to unravel Black's queenside works out badly.
Given that Black's aim is to play ...c7-c5, I think there was a case for the
apparently retrograde 13...Nb8. Black can try to play ...c7-c5 on his next
move.
14.Rad1 a4 15.d5 Na5
After 15...exd5? 16.exd5 Na5, White can play 17.Ng5, threatening 18.Bxf6,
and if 17...g6, then 18.d6! Bxd6 19.Bxb7 Nxb7 20.Qc3 creates deadly
pressure along the a1–h8 diagonal.
16.Ne3 Nb3?!
[FEN"r2q1rk1/1bp1bppp/1p2pn2/3P4/p3P3/
Pn1QNNP1/1B3PBP/3RR1K1 w - - 0 17"]
16...Bc5 might have been a better move, though White could then get his
pawn back with 17.Qc2 Qe7 (17...exd5 18.exd5 Nb3 is decisively met by 19.
Ng5!) 18.Qxa4, at the same time keeping the better position.
17.Qc2 Qc8
Escaping the influence of White's rook on d1, but walking into a deadly pin
on the h3-c8 diagonal. Black should have played 17...exd5 when the simplest
line is 18.exd5, with very strong pressure against Black's kingside (19.Ng5 is
a threat).
18.Bh3!
Setting up a pin which eventually decides the game. The pawn on e6 gets
rooted to the spot, as does Black's queen which is needed to defend it.
18...Nc5 19.Ng5
Not only intensifying the pressure against e6, White now has threats against
h7 as well.
19...Ne8
On 19...h6, there is 20.dxe6! fxe6 (20...hxg5 21.exf7+ wins Black's queen) 21.
Nxe6 Nxe6 22.Nd5, threatening both 23.Nxc7 and 23.Nf4.
20.dxe6 fxe6 21.Nxe6! Nxe6 22.Qc4
Setting up a second pin, this time on the e6-knight against Black's king.
22...Kf7 23.Nd5!
[FEN"r1q1nr2/1bp1bkpp/1p2n3/3N4/
p1Q1P3/P5PB/1B3P1P/3RR1K1 b - - 0 23"]
Threatening 24.Nf4.
23...b5
After 23...Ba6, White should maintain the pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal with
24.Qa2.
24.Qxb5
Starting to cash in via a crop of pawns rather than attempting an immediate
win. 24.Qa2 Ra6 would reinforce the pinned knight.
24...Ba6
And not 24...c6 because of 25.Bxe6+ Kxe6 26.Nf4+ etc.
25.Qa5 Be2
Black had several alternatives here, but none of them would have saved him
in the long run:
a) 25...Bb7 is met by 26.Qc3 Bf6 27.e5 Bg5 28.f4!; for example, 28...Bd8 29.
Bxe6+ Qxe6 30.f5 Qc8 31.Ne7! Bxe7 32.Qc4+ followed by mate.
b) After 25...c5, White has 26.Nb6 Qc7 27.Rd7 Bc4 and now 28.Qxa8 Qxb6
29.Rb7! Qd6 30.Qxa4 is overwhelming.
c) 25...Rb8 is met by 26.Nxe7 Kxe7 27.Bd4 when White will pick up the apawn (the third pawn for the piece) whilst maintaining a tremendous position.
d) 25...Bg5 26.Qc3 gives White many threats, not least of which is 27.Qe5.
26.Bxe6+
This leads to a gain of material.
26...Qxe6
And not 26...Kxe6 because of 27.Nf4+ Kf7 (27...Rxf4 28.Qd5# mate) 28.Qd5
+ with mate next move.
27.Qxa8 Bxd1 28.Nxe7 Bb3 29.Nc6
Threatening 30.Nd8+.
29...Kg8 30.Nd4 Qc4 31.Qc6
[FEN"4nrk1/2p3pp/2Q5/8/p1qNP3/
Pb4P1/1B3P1P/4R1K1 b - - 0 31"]
The exchange of queens will reduce Black's counterplay, which is why I
chose it instead of other promising lines.
31...Nd6 32.e5 Qxc6 33.Nxc6 Nc4 34.Bc1 Ra8 35.f4 Na5
Hoping for salvation via an opposite colour bishop endgame. But even this is
not enough.
36.Nxa5 Rxa5 37.f5 Rd5 38.Kf2 Rd1 39.g4 h5 40.h3
Keeping the pawns together on light squares.
40...Rxe1 41.Kxe1 Kf7
The attempt to undermine White's pawns with 41...hxg4 42.hxg4 g6 falls
short after 43.e6 gxf5 44.gxf5 Bc2 45.f6 Bf5 46.f7+ Kg7 47.Bh6+ followed
by the promotion of the f-pawn.
42.Bg5 Ke8
Or if 42...g6, there is 43.e6+ Ke8 44.gxh5 gxh5 45.Kd2 Bd5 46.Ke3
supporting the pawns. The line 42...hxg4 43.hxg4 g6 44.e6+ Ke8 45.Kd2 is
very similar.
43.e6 Bd5 44.Kf2
With the king coming to g3, the pawns will be protected by White's king.
After this Black will be unable to blockade them.
44...c5 45.Kg3 hxg4 46.hxg4 Kf8 47.Be3 c4 48.Bc5+ Kg8 49.Bb4 g6 50.Kf4
gxf5 51.gxf5 Kh7 52.Ke5 Bc6 53.f6 1–0
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN"1rbq1r1k/1ppn1p1P/p2p1n1R/3Pp1B1/
2P1P2Q/2N5/PP3PP1/2KR4 w - - 0 22"]
White to play successfully exploited the pin on Black's f6-knight. What was
his next move?
[FEN"r2qnrk1/p4ppp/bpnp4/2p1pP2/2PPP3/
P1PB4/4N1PP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 13"]
White to play used a pinning concept to set in motion a deadly attack. What
did he do?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Foerster, Andreas – Bartelborth, Thomas
Bundesliga 8384 Germany, 1984
[FEN"8/p1R2ppk/1p5p/3Rn1rP/1P1pr1q1/
6P1/P2QPPK1/6N1 b - - 0 32"]
Black to play set in motion a winning attack. What was the key move?
32...Re3! This is the key move, setting up deadly sacrificial threats against g3.
33.Qe1 33.Qc2+ d3 34.exd3 Rxg3+ leads to mate; whilst 33.Nf3 Rxf3 34.
exf3 Qxf3+ wins the rook on d5. 33...Nd3 0–1 After 33...Nd3 34.Qf1 Rxg3+
35.fxg3 Qxg3+ 36.Kh1 Qh4+ 37.Nh3 Nf2+ 38.Qxf2 Qxh3+ 39.Qh2 Qf1+,
White is getting mated.
Bronstein, David (2445) – Piket, Jeroen (2495)
Rotterdam KO (3), 1990
[FEN"3rr1k1/pp3ppp/8/q3n3/3p1Nb1/
P5PP/1P2PPB1/2RQR1K1 b - - 0 20"]
Black to play uncorked a ruinous blow to his great adversary, what was it?
20...d3! Ignoring the attack on the bishop and threatening to push the pawn on
to d2, winning one of White's rooks. 21.Rc3 White could have avoided an
immediate loss of material via 21.b4 Qa6 22.Ra1 d2 23.Rf1, but after 23...Bf5
Black's d-pawn would be a bone in White's throat. 21...dxe2 22.Qxd8 Qxd8
23.hxg4 Nxg4 White has inadequate compensation for the queen though the
game still needs winning. Piket makes an efficient job of the technical phase.
24.Bf3 h5 25.Rc2 g6 26.Rcxe2 Rxe2 27.Rxe2 b6 28.Kg2 Qd4 29.Nd5 Ne5
30.Nf6+ Kg7 31.Re4 Qxb2 32.Nd5 Nxf3 33.Kxf3 Qxa3+ 34.Re3 Qd6 35.
Nf4 a5 0–1
© 2011 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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Sacrifices on g7
Sacrifices on g7 (or g2 if it is Black) are rather more unusual than those
against f7 or h7. Part of the reason for this is that it isn't as easily targeted
from common opening systems in which a white bishop goes to the a2–g8 or
b1–h7 diagonal. It's also not going to happen against a kingside fianchetto
which characterizes many opening systems.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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So how can a g7 sacrifice be set up? First of all a bishop may be able to reach
g7 from b2 providing everything is cleared out of the way. But a far more
common scenario will arise if a knight is posted on f5 (or f4 if it is Black).
Such situations typically arise in Open Games, because the moves 1.e4 and 1...
e5 tend to leave f5 and f4 more vulnerable than in other openings, White can
no longer put his e-pawn on e3 and Black can't put his on e6.
The following encounter is a typical example from José Raúl Capablanca's
practice playing against Ossip Bernstein. Actually this was something of a
needle match, because Bernstein had argued against the young and
inexperienced Capablanca's inclusion in the tournament. Capablanca's twentyeighth move must have given him plenty of satisfaction!
Tricks & Traps Vol. 1
by Nigel Davies
Capablanca, José Raúl – Bernstein, Ossip
San Sebastian (1), 20.02.1911
Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense [C66]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6
A precise move order that avoids one of White's more dangerous systems.
After the immediate 3...d6, White can play 4.d4 Bd7 5.Nc3 Nf6 and now 6.
Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Qd3 gets Black to concede the center when White still has
queenside castling available. After 7...exd4 8.Nxd4 Bd7 9.Bg5 Be7 10.0–0–0
Ng4 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Nd5 Qg5+ 13.f4 Qd8 14.h3 Nf6 15.Nc3, White had a
clear advantage in Alekhine,A-Benitez,M, Caracas 1939.
Tricks & Traps Vol. 2
by Nigel Davies
4.0–0 Be7 5.Nc3 d6
Only now does Black play ...d7–d6, with White castled and his knight
committed to c3. These old timers were not altogether ignorant about the
openings.
Play through and download
the games from
ChessCafe.com in the
ChessBase Game Viewer.
6.Bxc6+ bxc6 7.d4 exd4
New In Chess Yearbook #97
by New In Chess
[FEN "r1bqk2r/p1p1bppp/2pp1n2/8/3pP3/
2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq - 0 8"]
8.Nxd4
One of the reasons this position went out of fashion for Black was his current
lack of space. But I think there's much to be said for his bishop-pair, the solid
trio of pawns on c7, c6, and d6, and the half-open b- and e-files.
8...Bd7 9.Bg5 0–0 10.Re1 h6 11.Bh4 Nh7
Another typical Steinitz move, freeing his position with exchanges.
12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Qd3 Rab8 14.b3 Ng5?!
But this one I don't like so much because the knight isn't on a good circuit
here and can be driven back. 14...Rfe8 is a better idea, occupying the half
open e-file.
15.Rad1 Qe5 16.Qe3 Ne6 17.Nce2 Qa5 18.Nf5
[FEN "1r3rk1/p1pb1pp1/2ppn2p/q4N2/4P3/
1P2Q3/P1P1NPPP/3RR1K1 b - - 0 18"]
An important moment as the knight menaces Black's kingside from this
square, in particular g7. And it's far from easy to get rid of this beast.
18...Nc5 19.Ned4 Kh7 20.g4!?
Banking on pushing home his kingside attack. A more solid choice would
have been 20.a3 when 20...Qxa3 21.Ra1 Qb4 22.Rxa7 gives White some
pressure.
20...Rbe8 21.f3 Ne6 22.Ne2!?
Once again this is very sharp play. In later years I suspect Capablanca would
have chosen 22.Kh1 instead.
22...Qxa2 23.Neg3?!
Continuing in a "gambit style," which seems quite untypical for the Cuban
genius. 23.Qc3 would have left White just a single pawn down but with quite
decent compensation.
23...Qxc2 24.Rc1 Qb2 25.Nh5 Rh8?
Overlooking White's combinative possibilities against g7. 25...g5! was much
better, when it's far from easy for White to break through.
26.Re2 Qe5 27.f4 Qb5
[FEN "4r2r/p1pb1ppk/2ppn2p/1q3N1N/
4PPP1/1P2Q3/4R2P/2R3K1 w - - 0 28"]
28.Nfxg7! Nc5??
Probably in shock, Bernstein's resistance caves in. 28...Ref8 would have been
much tougher.
29.Nxe8 Bxe8
After 29...Rxe8 30.Nf6+ Kg7 31.Rxc5!, Black would suffer a ruinous loss of
material.
30.Qc3 f6
Or 30...Rg8 31.Nf6+ etc.
31.Nxf6+ Kg6 32.Nh5 Rg8 33.f5+ Kg5 34.Qe3+ 1–0
Black is getting mated.
The other common situation in which g7 or g2 can become vulnerable is if a
rook gains access to this square. Usually this will mean opposite-side castling
plus a pawn storm or a rook lift; another possibility is illustrated by the
following game.
Gofshtein, Leonid (2495) – Davies, Nigel (2510)
Rishon Le Zion (9), 1994
Closed Ruy Lopez [C92]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–
0 9.h3 Be6
[FEN "r2q1rk1/2p1bppp/p1npbn2/1p2p3/4P3/
1BP2N1P/PP1P1PP1/RNBQR1K1 w - - 0 10"]
At the time of the game this was quite a specialty of mine, it seeks to
exchange White's dangerous "Spanish Bishop" on b3.
10.d4 Bxb3 11.axb3
A much quieter way to play this for White is with 11.Qxb3, and there too
Black has some trouble equalizing. For example, after 11...Qb8 12.Bg5 (12.
Nbd2 Re8 13.d5 Nd8 14.Nf1 c6 15.Bg5 cxd5 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Qxd5 was also
a bit better for White in Howell,D (2501)-Davies,N (2503), Sunningdale
2007.) 12...h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.d5 Na5 15.Qd1 c6 16.dxc6 Qc7 17.Na3 Qxc6
18.Nc2 Nc4 19.Nb4 Qc5 20.Qe2 and White's control of d5 gave him an edge
in Rogers,I (2529)-Davies,N (2503), Sunningdale 2007.
11...exd4!?
This, followed the occupation of the b4-square, is the principled way to play
for Black.
12.cxd4 Nb4
[FEN "r2q1rk1/2p1bppp/p2p1n2/1p6/1n1PP3/
1P3N1P/1P3PP1/RNBQR1K1 w - - 0 13"]
13.d5
Critical. 13.Nc3 c5 is fine for Black.
13...c5 14.dxc6 d5
14...Nxc6 15.Nc3 is just an easy edge for White.
15.e5! Ne4 16.Nc3 Nxc3 17.bxc3 Nxc6 18.Qd3 Re8
This was my attempted improvement on 18...Qd7 19.Bg5! Rfe8 20.Bxe7
Nxe7 21.Nd4, which was simply better for White in Suetin,A-Kholmov,R,
Leningrad 1962.
19.e6! fxe6 20.Rxe6 Qd7 21.Re2 b4!?
[FEN "r3r1k1/3qb1pp/p1n5/3p4/1p6/
1PPQ1N1P/4RPP1/R1B3K1 w - - 0 22"]
22.c4
In a subsequent game against Leonid Shmuter, I naively repeated this line
only to run into a powerful innovation here in 22.Bb2! after which 22...bxc3
23.Bxc3 a5 24.Ne5 Nxe5 25.Rxe5 placed me in a very difficult situation.
22...Bf6 23.Raa2 d4 24.Bg5 a5 25.Bxf6 gxf6
Although Black's king looks weak here, there is the open g-file as
compensation. Later in the game this assumes great significance.
26.Nh4 Ne5 27.Qg3+ Kh8 28.Qf4 d3 29.Re4?!
Exchanging queens with 29.Qxf6+ is also precarious for White because of
Black's passed pawns; for example, 29...Qg7 30.Qxg7+ Kxg7 31.Red2 a4! 32.
Rxa4 Rxa4 33.bxa4 b3 etc. On the other hand, 29.Re3 was well worth
considering.
29...Qc6 30.Rd4 Rg8 31.Kh2 a4 32.bxa4 Rad8 33.Rd5 Rde8 34.Rd2 b3 35.
Nf3 Nxc4 36.R2xd3 b2 37.Rb5 Ne5 38.Rdb3?
[FEN "4r1rk/7p/2q2p2/1R2n3/P4Q2/
1R3N1P/1p3PPK/8 b - - 0 38"]
Allowing the following devastating combination. White should have tried 38.
Re3 after which 38...Nxf3+ 39.Qxf3 Qd6+ 40.g3 Rxe3 41.fxe3 Rb8 42.Rxb8+
Qxb8 43.Qxf6+ Kg8 44.Qe6+ Kh8 would be a draw by perpetual check.
38...Rxg2+!
This unexpected combination overloads the rook on b3.
39.Kxg2 Rg8+ 40.Kh2 b1Q! 41.Rxb1 Nxf3+ 42.Kh1 Nd4+ 43.f3 Ne2! 44.
Rb6
Although this leads to a lost endgame, it's the best chance for White. 44.Qe3
Ng3+ 45.Kh2 Qc2+ 46.Kg1 Nf5+ leads to mate.
44...Qxb6 45.Rxb6 Nxf4 46.Rxf6 Nh5 47.Rb6 Rc8 48.a5 Rc2 49.a6 Ra2 50.
Kg1 Ng3
[FEN "7k/7p/PR6/8/8/5PnP/r7/6K1 w - - 0 51"]
Tying White up after which I can set about improving the position of my king.
51.Rd6 Kg7 52.Rb6 h6 53.h4
53.Rd6 Ne2+ 54.Kf2 Nd4+ wins the f3-pawn, because White's king cannot go
to g3 or e3.
53...Nf5 54.h5 Nd4 55.Rg6+ Kh7 56.Rf6 Kg7 57.Rg6+ Kh7 58.Rf6 Ne2+
59.Kf1 Ng3+ 60.Ke1 Nxh5 61.Rd6 Ng3 62.Rd7+ Kg6 63.a7 Nf5 64.f4 h5
65.Rb7 h4 66.Rb2 0–1
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "r2br1k1/5ppp/1qp1bn2/pp1p1NB1/
3P1P1P/5QN1/PPP3P1/2K1R2R w - - 0 19"]
White to play set in motion a devastating attack; how did he do it?
[FEN "3r2k1/1bq1np1p/p5p1/1p2p3/2p1Pn2/
2P1Q3/PPBNNPPP/R5K1 b - - 0 23"]
Black to play has a surprising combination, what was it?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Forintos, Gyozo (2425) – Baldauf, Markus (2200)
Berliner Sommer 02nd Berlin West (7), 1984
[FEN"1rbq1r1k/1ppn1p1P/p2p1n1R/3Pp1B1/
2P1P2Q/2N5/PP3PP1/2KR4 w - - 0 22"]
White to play successfully exploited the pin on Black's f6-knight. What was
his next move?
22.Rxf6! 1–0 Black resigned because 22...Nxf6 23.Bxf6+ wins Black's queen.
Bronstein, David – Najdorf, Miguel
Candidates Tournament Budapest (5), 1950
[FEN"r2qnrk1/p4ppp/bpnp4/2p1pP2/2PPP3/
P1PB4/4N1PP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 13"]
White to play used a pinning concept to set in motion a deadly attack. What
did he do?
13.f6! Kh8 13...Nxf6 14.Bg5 would set up a devastating pin that White
threatens to exploit with Ne2-g3-h5. And should Black try to escape with 14...
Qd7, then 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Ng3! Kh8 17.Nh5 would be too strong. 14.d5 Na5
15.Ng3 gxf6 Here too 15...Nxf6 16.Bg5 would be too strong. 16.Nf5 Bc8 17.
Qh5 Now the attack breaks through along the h-file. 17...Bxf5 18.exf5 Rg8
19.Rf3 Rg7 20.Bh6 Rg8 21.Rh3 1–0 21.Rh3 Ng7 22.Qh4 would leave Black
defenseless.
© 2011 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
will be posted below daily.
[ChessCafe Home Page] [Book Review] [Columnists]
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An Advanced Blockader d3
The blockade of a pawn is a very common strategic theme; for example,
countless games feature the blockade of an isolated d4-pawn with a knight on
d5. But what happens if the blockader is far more advanced, say two squares
further up? Then the position can acquire some special characteristics quite
apart from the strength of the blockading piece.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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When White's d-pawn is rooted to the d2-square it can also stop the bishop on
c1 from being developed, and this in turn can cripple the entire queenside.
With part of the army unavailable for a few moves lightning can then strike
on the other side of the board. Usually White won't have allowed this to
happen without gaining some compensating advantage such as extra material.
In this case Black will have to act fast before White finally manages to
unravel, so very sharp play can be expected. Black will try to inflict serious
damage as soon as possible, possibly by using ultra-violence on the kingside.
Naturally this motif can also occur with a black pawn rooted to d7 by a
blockading white piece on d6. But I've chosen to do it this way round to
counteract a natural complacency many players feel when playing white. The
first of this month's games features a Siesta variation of the Ruy Lopez. The
fact that White plays c2-c3 can mean that d3 is vulnerable if he doesn't also
get in the advance d2-d4. But it's not often that Black gets to exploit this
temporary vulnerability.
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Slay the Spanish!
by Timothy Taylor
Laevsky, E – Pozharsky, N
USSR, 1976
Ruy Lopez [C74]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.c3 f5
Chess Expertise Step by Step
by Efstratios Grivas
This distinguishes the so-called Siesta Variation, which is one of Black's more
interesting gambits against the Ruy Lopez.
6.exf5 Bxf5 7.0–0
White has a major alternative in 7.d4, which would prevent Black's next. By
nonchalantly castling White expects that the bishop cannot be maintained on
d3, though its removal can prove to be quite a tricky business.
Play through and download
the games from
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ChessBase Game Viewer.
7...Bd3!
Gambiteer II
by Nigel Davies
[FEN "r2qkbnr/1pp3pp/p1np4/4p3/B7/2Pb1N2/
PP1P1PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 0 8"]
8.Re1 Be7 9.Re3
White's usual choice here is 9.Bc2, aiming to eliminate the bishop on d3
without further ado. This certainly seems more sensible and in fact it scores
much more highly than the text.
9...e4 10.Qb3!?
An interesting but risky approach, trying for his own attack rather than
focusing on the removal of the bishop on d3. The main line is 10.Ne1 Bg5,
with complex play.
10...b5 11.Qd5 Qd7 12.Bb3 Nf6 13.Qf7+ Kd8
[FEN "r2k3r/2pqbQpp/p1np1n2/1p6/4p3/
1BPbRN2/PP1P1PPP/RNB3K1 w - - 0 14"]
14.Qxg7?
Too greedy. White should have forced the queens off with 14.Be6 Qe8 15.
Qxe8+ when his position wouldn't have been too bad.
14...Rf8 15.Ng5
15.Ne1 Ne5 would maintain the blockade on d3 and leave White in serious
trouble.
15...d5 16.Nxh7
Winning Black's entire collection of kingside pawns, though this has the
effect of allowing him to train his rooks on White's king.
16...Nxh7 17.Qxh7 Qe6 18.Qh3
18.Rxd3 exd3 19.Qxd3 would eliminate the crippling bishop but it's already
too late. After 19...Rf5, followed by 20...Re5, Black would have a decisive
attack.
18...Rf5! 19.Na3 Qf6 20.f3 Bc5
Winning.
21.Bd1 Ne5
[FEN "r2k4/2p5/p4q2/1pbpnr2/4p3/
N1PbRP1Q/PP1P2PP/R1BB2K1 w - - 0 22"]
22.Kf2 Ke7 0–1
White lost on time here, but it was just a merciful release.
This next game shows that even Bobby Fischer was not immune to having his
d2-pawn blockaded. The lure was the win of a pawn, but Black gets more
than enough compensation. Fischer needed both incredible skill and luck to
survive.
Fischer, Robert James – Matulovic, Milan
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal (7), 18.11.1970
Sicilian Defense [B31]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
Quite uncharacteristic of Fischer, who almost always played 3.d4 and took a
highly principled (if not stubborn) approach to the opening.
3...g6 4.c3 Nf6 5.Qe2 Bg7 6.e5 Nd5 7.Qc4 Nc7
Hernandez,G-Iwasaki,Y, Turin 2006 featured 7...Qb6 after which 8.Qxd5 (8.
d4 looks interesting) 8...Qxb5 9.Na3 Qb6 10.Nc4 Qc7 11.Qxc5 should have
been met by 11...Bxe5 12.Ncxe5 d6, with an OK position for Black.
8.Bxc6
Rather than experience the unpleasantness of the game White should have
tried the immediate 8.Qxc5 after which 8...b6 9.Qc4 Nxe5 10.Nxe5 Bxe5 11.
Qe4 is about equal.
8...dxc6 9.Qxc5 Qd3
[FEN "r1b1k2r/ppn1ppbp/2p3p1/2Q1P3/8/
2Pq1N2/PP1P1PPP/RNB1K2R w KQkq - 0 10"]
This is very unpleasant for White and it needs some great defense by Fischer
to stay on the board.
10.Qe3 Bf5 11.Qxd3 Bxd3 12.Kd1 Ne6 13.Ne1
Fischer senses the extreme danger to his position and resolves to remove the
bishop on d3 by hook or by crook. 13.Na3 Nf4 14.Rg1 Rd8 would have left
White with no play at all.
13...Nf4 14.Nxd3 Nxd3 15.f4 Bh6
Astonishingly Black rejects the win of the exchange via 15...Nf2+ 16.Ke2
Nxh1, though admittedly the position after 17.d4 h5 18.Be3 h4 19.Nd2 Ng3+
20.hxg3 hxg3 21.Kf3 would be very difficult to win because of White's
powerful pawn chain.
16.Kc2 Nxc1 17.Re1!
[FEN "r3k2r/pp2pp1p/2p3pb/4P3/5P2/
2P5/PPKP2PP/RNn1R3 b kq - 0 17"]
Perhaps this was the move that Black overlooked in playing his fifteenth,
seeing only the line 17.Kxc1 Bxf4 when Black will win another pawn because
d2-d4 is illegal.
17...0–0–0 18.Kxc1 Bxf4 19.g3 Bh6 20.Kc2
White is only slightly worse now.
20...Rd5 21.b4
Making it difficult for Black to play ...c6-c5 after White's coming d2-d4.
21...b6 22.a4 a5 23.bxa5 bxa5 24.d4 c5 25.Re4 Rhd8 26.Kd3 cxd4 27.cxd4
Bg7 28.Ke3 Bh6+
[FEN "2kr4/4pp1p/6pb/p2rP3/P2PR3/
4K1P1/7P/RN6 w - - 0 29"]
Fischer fear or time trouble? Black is clearly better after 28...f5, but instead
appears to be playing for a repetition.
29.Kd3 Bg7 30.Kc4 f5 31.Nc3 e6 32.Rh4 g5 33.Rxh7 Rxd4+ 34.Kb5 Bxe5
35.Rc1 Rb4+ 36.Kxa5 Rc4 37.Ne2 Rd5+ 38.Kb6 Rdc5 39.Rxc4 Rxc4 40.h4
Rc2 41.hxg5 Rxe2 42.g6 Rb2+ 43.Ka6 Rb4
After 43...Rd2, White get scrape a draw with 44.Re7 Rd7 45.Rxe6 Bxg3 46.
Rf6, winning Black's last pawn; for example, 46...f4 he runs into 47.Rf8+ Kc7
48.Rf7 f3 49.g7 Rxf7 50.g8Q Rf6+ will lead to a draw.
44.g7 Bxg7 45.Rxg7 Rxa4+ 46.Kb5 Rd4 47.Re7 Re4 48.Kc5 Kd8 49.Ra7
Ke8 50.Kd6 Kf8 51.Rb7
Black's poor king position makes it impossible for him to win.
51...Re3 52.Ra7 Re1 53.Rb7 Re4 54.Ra7 Re2 55.Rb7 Re3 56.Ra7 Kg8 57.
Rb7 Re1 58.Re7 Re3 59.Rxe6 Rxg3 60.Ke5 ½–½
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "r2qk1nr/1pp3pp/p1np4/8/B3p2b/
2Pb3R/PP1P1PPP/RNBQN1K1 b kq - 0 12"]
Black to play must deal with the threat of 13.Qh5+ as well as the threat to
eliminate his bishop on d3. How should he do it?
[FEN "4r1k1/p1pb1ppp/Qbp1r3/8/1P6/
2Pq1B2/R2P1PPP/2B2RK1 b - - 0 17"]
White's development has been severely impeded by the queen on d3. But how
did Black to play deliver the knock out punch?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Alekhine, Alexander – Fernandez Rua, J
Gijon (simultaneous display), 1922
[FEN "r2br1k1/5ppp/1qp1bn2/pp1p1NB1/
3P1P1P/5QN1/PPP3P1/2K1R2R w - - 0 19"]
White to play set in motion a devastating attack; how did he do it?
19.Nxg7! A nice combination by Alekhine. Black's reply is more or less
forced. 19...Kxg7 20.f5! The key follow up. 20...Ng8 After 20...Bd7, there
follows 21.Bxf6+ Bxf6 22.Nh5+ getting the piece back with a winning attack.
21.fxe6 Qb7 22.exf7 Bxg5+ 23.hxg5 Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 Qxf7 It seems as if
Black has staved off the worst but the position he is left with is quite hopeless.
25.Nf5+ Kh8 26.Qf4 Re8 27.Re5 Qc7 28.g6 h5 29.Nd6 1–0
Kaminski, Marcin (2450) – Davies, Nigel R (2505)
Liechtenstein op 11th (7), 1993
[FEN "3r2k1/1bq1np1p/p5p1/1p2p3/2p1Pn2/
2P1Q3/PPBNNPPP/R5K1 b - - 0 23"]
Black to play has a surprising combination, what was it?
23...Nxg2! 24.Kxg2 Moving the queen away, say with 24.Qh6 would leave
White a pawn down for nothing. 24...Nf5 25.Qg5 h6 The point; White's
queen can't continue to defend d2. 26.Qf6 Rxd2 0–1 White is left a pawn
down with a hopeless position.
© 2011 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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Rooks on the Seventh
Most of us are familiar with the strength of a rook on the seventh once we are
in an endgame. Yet this can also be a powerful place to have a rook in the
middlegame. It is less common because having a larger number of pieces on
the board will tend to take away entry points, but should a rook get there it
can still be a devastating asset.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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There are other major differences when a rook arrives on the seventh in the
middlegame. It won't usually be associated with the harvesting of pawns or
confining the enemy king to the back rank. Instead it will usually be
associated with a direct attack on the opposing king. The following two games
are classic illustrations of this motif by two of the greatest players in history,
José Raúl Capablanca and Mikhail Botvinnik. The way these two maestros
lay out their game is very different, but both feature devastating attacks using
rooks on the seventh.
Alatortsev, Vladimir – Capablanca, José Raúl
Moscow Moscow (3), 17.02.1935
Queen's Gambit Declined [D53]
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5
If White wants to play the Exchange Variation, then he should really do it
now as after 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 he builds a broad pawn centre without
allowing Black to free himself with the exchange of dark-squared bishops.
4...Be7 5.e3 0–0 6.cxd5 Nxd5
Here this is rather better than 6...exd5 as now the dark-squared bishops come
off.
The Queen's Gambit Declined
by Andrew Martin
7.Bxe7 Qxe7
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Analyse Your Chess
by Colin Crouch
[FEN "rnb2rk1/ppp1qppp/4p3/3n4/3P4/
2N1P3/PP3PPP/R2QKBNR w KQ - 0 8"]
8.Nf3
In a later game Alatortsev thought better of this move and instead exchanged
knights on d5: 8.Nxd5 exd5 9.Nf3 c6 10.Qb3 a5 11.a3 a4 12.Qc2 Nd7 13.Bd3
Nf6 14.0–0 Ne4 15.Bxe4 dxe4 16.Nd2 Re8 17.Rac1 Ra5 18.Rfe1 g6 19.Qd1
h5 20.Qc2 h4 21.f4 exf3 22.Nxf3 h3 23.g3 Bf5 24.Qd2 Qd8 ½–½ was
Alatortsev,V-Liublinsky,V, Moscow 1949.
8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 b6 10.Be2 Bb7 11.0–0 c5
A typical concept which more often appears in openings like the Nimzo and
Queen's Indian Defences. Black will be posting a rook on c8 to play along the
c-file.
12.Ne5 Nc6 13.Nxc6 Bxc6 14.Bf3 Rac8
[FEN "2r2rk1/p3qppp/1pb1p3/2p5/3P4/
2P1PB2/P4PPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 15"]
Black is already very comfortably placed, in fact White must even be careful
now because of Black's queenside pawn majority.
15.a4 cxd4 16.cxd4 g6 17.Bxc6
Other moves also leave Black with a slight edge; for example, 17.a5 b5 18.
Bxc6 Rxc6 19.Qd3 a6 gives Black a strong protected passed pawn on b5;
whilst 17.Rc1 Bxf3 18.Qxf3 Qd7 makes it difficult for White to protect his apawn.
17...Rxc6 18.Qd3 Qb7 19.Rfb1?!
White really needs a pair of rooks off in this position and this won't achieve
that objective. In order to do this it was better to play 19.Rfc1 after which 19...
Rfc8 20.Rxc6 Qxc6 21.h3 Qc2 can be met by 22.Qxc2 Rxc2 23.a5 b5 24.a6!,
intending 25.Rb1, with a drawish rook endgame.
19...Rfc8 20.h3 a6 21.Qa3 Rc2 22.Qd6?
[FEN "2r3k1/1q3p1p/pp1Qp1p1/8/P2P4/
4P2P/2r2PP1/RR4K1 b - - 0 22"]
Missing the reply. Had White tried to simplify with 22.Rc1, the queen
endgame arising after 22...Rxc1+ 23.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 24.Qxc1 b5 would have
been bad for him because of Black's passed pawn (these are especially
valuable with only queens on). On the other hand he had a much better
defence in 22.Rb2!, defending his second rank whilst only allowing the
exchange of one pair of rooks.
22...Rxf2!
A devastating combination.
23.Qg3
23.Kxf2 Rc2+ 24.Ke1 Qxg2 is every bit as disastrous.
23...Re2 0–1
This next game is one of Botvinnik's most famous efforts, a brilliant
demolition of the great Hungarian GM, Lajos Portisch. In his later years
Botvinnik became more closely associated with fine endgame play rather than
combination, but given the right position he could play magnificent
combinative chess.
Botvinnik, Mikhail – Portisch, Lajos
Monte Carlo, 1968
English Opening [A29]
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5
White's move order would later go out of fashion because of Keres' treatment
with 3...c6.
4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Be6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0–0 Nb6 8.d3 Be7 9.a3 a5
[FEN "r2qk2r/1pp1bppp/1nn1b3/p3p3/8/P1NP1NP1/
1P2PPBP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq a6 0 10"]
Preventing b2–b4 like this is no longer very fashionable but that's not to say
it's necessarily bad.
10.Be3 0–0 11.Na4
In the later game, Polugaevsky,L-Hübner,R Bugojno 1982, White varied with
11.Rc1 and after 11...Nd5 12.Nxd5 Bxd5 13.Qa4 Bd6 14.Bc5 Ne7 15.e4 Bc6
16.Qc2 had quite strong pressure.
11...Nxa4
11...Nd5 12.Bc5 is probably a bit better for White, though Black can make it
difficult with 12...Bd6! and take back on d6 with the c7-pawn to keep White's
knight out of c5.
12.Qxa4 Bd5 13.Rfc1 Re8 14.Rc2
Cvitan later varied at this point with 14.Rc3!?, adding the idea of Rc3–b3 in
some positions. After 14...Bf6?!, the game continued with 15.Rc5 Nd4 16.
Rxd5 Nxe2+ 17.Kf1 Qxd5 18.Ne1 e4 19.dxe4 Qh5 20.Bf3 Qe5 (20...Qxh2 21.
Kxe2 Bxb2 22.Rb1 is also very good for White) 21.Nd3 b5 22.Qd1 Nc3 23.
Qc2 Qe6 24.bxc3, which should have been very good for White in Cvitan,OJobava,B Sibenik 2007 (in the end he only drew).
14...Bf8
14...Bd6 was certainly worth considering, lending support to both c7 and e5.
15.Rac1
[FEN "r2qrbk1/1pp2ppp/2n5/p2bp3/Q7/
P2PBNP1/1PR1PPBP/2R3K1 b - - 0 15"]
15...Nb8?
A serious mistake by Portisch who underestimates the danger to his king after
White captures on c7. His choice of this rather artificial knight move was
probably inspired by the hope of blocking the c-file with ...c7–c6, together
with the fact that the alternatives don't give him an easy life either. For
example, after 15...e4 16.dxe4 Bxe4 17.Rd2 or 15...Bd6 16.Qb5!, Black is
under pressure.
16.Rxc7 Bc6 17.R1xc6 bxc6 18.Rxf7! h6
It was probably White's last move that Portisch overlooked. After 18...Kxf7
19.Qc4+, White is winning in every variation; for example, 19...Kg6 20.Qg4+
Kf7 (Or 20...Kf6 21.Bg5+ wins the queen) 21.Ng5+ Kg8 22.Qc4+ Kh8 23.Nf7
+, etc.
19.Rb7 Qc8 20.Qc4+ Kh8
[FEN "rnq1rb1k/1R4p1/2p4p/p3p3/2Q5/
P2PBNP1/1P2PPBP/6K1 w - - 0 21"]
20...Qe6 21.Nxe5 would win a third pawn for the exchange and leave Black
hopelessly placed in the endgame.
21.Nh4!
Playing for mate!
21...Qxb7 22.Ng6+ Kh7 23.Be4!
This quiet move sets up decisive threats.
23...Bd6 24.Nxe5+ g6 25.Bxg6+ Kg7 26.Bxh6+ 1–0
26.Bxh6+ Kxh6 27.Qh4+ Kg7 28.Qh7+ Kf8 29.Qxb7 wins both Black's
queen and the rook on a8.
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "4r1k1/pR3pp1/1n3P1p/q2p4/
5N1P/P1rQpP2/8/2B2RK1 w - - 0 20"]
White to play. How did he use the rook on b7 to launch a devastating attack?
[FEN "r5rk/2RN1Rp1/b3p2p/3p1p1P/
p2P1K2/Pp2PPP1/1P6/8 w - - 0 36"]
Although the position has simplified White still has a devastating combinative
sequence at his disposal. What is it?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Autowicz, Z – Pinkas, K
Poland, 1975
[FEN "r2qk1nr/1pp3pp/p1np4/8/B3p2b/
2Pb3R/PP1P1PPP/RNBQN1K1 b kq - 0 12"]
Black to play must deal with the threat of 13.Qh5+ as well as the threat to
eliminate his bishop on d3. How should he do it?
12...Bxf2+! This immediate bishop sacrifice is necessary and has occurred in
several games. 13.Kxf2 Qf6+ 14.Rf3?! White has a better defence in 14.Kg3
when Black can repeat the position if he likes with 14...Qe5+ 15.Kf2 and now
15...Qf6+. But it looks like he can also play for more with 15...Qf4+; for
example, 16.Rf3 exf3 17.Nxd3 Qxh2 18.Bxc6+ bxc6 19.Qxf3 Ne7 gives
Black a rook and pawn for the two minor pieces plus ongoing attacking
chances. Two other games featured the move 14.Nf3 at this point, but Black
then recovers all of his material with much the better game. For example, 14...
Nge7 (14...exf3 15.Bxc6+ bxc6 16.Qxf3 Qxf3+ 17.Rxf3 Bg6 was just a bit
better for Black in Kreie,G-Cygon,J, Detmold 1976.) 15.Na3 0–0 16.Nc2 Ne5
17.Nce1 exf3 18.gxf3 N7g6 19.Qb3+ Kh8 20.Qxb7 Nf4 and Black had a
winning attack in Voitsekhovsky,S-Yandemirov,V, Moscow 1996. 14...exf3
15.Bxc6+ bxc6 16.Nxd3 fxg2+ 17.Kg1 17.Kxg2 Qg6+ 18.Kf2 Qxd3 leaves
Black the exchange up for nothing. 17...Ne7 18.Qe2 0–0 19.Qxg2 Qf5 20.
Qe2 20.Nf2 Nd5 21.d4 Rae8 would also leave White defenceless. 20...Ng6 0–
1
Paulsen, Louis – Morphy, Paul
First U.S. Chess Congress New York (4.6), 1857
[FEN "4r1k1/p1pb1ppp/Qbp1r3/8/1P6/
2Pq1B2/R2P1PPP/2B2RK1 b - - 0 17"]
White's development has been severely impeded by the queen on d3. But how
did Black to play deliver the knock out punch?
17...Qxf3! This queen sacrifice decides matters because White's pieces cannot
get over to defend. 18.gxf3 Rg6+ 19.Kh1 Bh3 20.Rd1 20.Rg1 Rxg1+ 21.
Kxg1 Re1+ is an immediate mate; but 20.Qd3 would have been a better try.
After 20...f5 21.Rd1 Bg2+ 22.Kg1 Bxf3+ 23.Kf1 Bxd1, Black has enough
material for the queen and a strong attack into the bargain. But it would have
been harder than the game. 20...Bg2+ 21.Kg1 Bxf3+ 22.Kf1 Bg2+ Missing a
quicker win with 22...Rg2!, intending 23...Rxh2 and mate on h1. But Black is
winning here in any case. 23.Kg1 Bh3+ 24.Kh1 Bxf2 Threatening 25...Bg2
mate. 25.Qf1 Bxf1 26.Rxf1 Re2 27.Ra1 Rh6 28.d4 Be3 0–1 After 28...Be3
29.Bxe3, there would follow 29...Rhxh2+ 30.Kg1 Reg2# mate.
© 2011 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
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Rooks Lifts
Continuing last month's discussion on the properties of a rook, one of the
most important attacking techniques is to develop a rook along the third or
fourth rank to bring it opposite the opposing king. Certain pawn structures
particularly lend themselves to this kind of play, one of the most noteworthy
being the asymmetrical formation arising from an Exchange Variations of the
Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5) or Caro-Kann (1.e4
c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5).
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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Translate this page
Taking the Queen's Gambit version, White's most common plan is to play a
so-called minority attack on the queenside with b2–b4–b5, prising the half
open c-file open and creating some pawn weaknesses in Black's camp. How
should Black counter this? Well, he can play for his own minority attack
with ...f7–f5–f4 in order to prise open the half open e-file. But a far more
popular approach has been to go for piece play on the kingside.
Part of this plan involves bringing a rook into play along the third rank with ...
Re8–e6 and then go on to g6 or h6. Clearly this will help with any play
against White's king but there is also another benefit. A rook on the third can
also defend a Black pawn on c6, which is one of White's major targets in the
minority attack.
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Let's see how this works out in the following classic game in which Salo
Flohr, a great exponent of the minority attack for White, faces an opponent
who knows how to defend himself. The result is a model game for both sides
in which attack and defence are evenly balanced.
Flohr, Salo – Apsenieks, Fricis
Kemeri Kemeri, 1939
Queen's Gambit Declined [D36]
What Grandmasters Don't
See, Vol. 2
by Maurice Ashley
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5
White could already create the key formation with 4.cxd5. Delaying the
exchange changes the options for both sides.
4...Be7 5.e3 0–0 6.Nf3 c6 7.Qc2 Nbd7 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bd3 Re8 10.0–0 Nf8
11.Ne5
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Plenty of other moves have been tried here, White's most popular option
having been 11.Rab1 preparing b2–b4.
11...Ng4 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Nxg4 Bxg4 14.a3
Chess Expertise: Mastering
Strategy
by Efstratios Grivas
[FEN "r3rnk1/pp2qppp/2p5/3p4/3P2b1/
P1NBP3/1PQ2PPP/R4RK1 b - - 0 14"]
Getting ready to play b2–b4. But Black meanwhile has his own ideas,
including a rook lift along the third rank to harrass White's king.
14...Rad8! 15.Rfe1 Rd6! 16.Ne2
Black's threats are already forcing White to shift forces back to the kingside.
In this case he had to deal with ...Rh6 followed by ...Qh4.
16...Rh6! 17.Ng3 Bc8 18.b4
The standard minority attack move, getting ready to play b4–b5.
18...a6!
Another instructive moment. Playing the pawn to a6 does not really stop
White's b4–b5 pawn lever. But what it means is that Black can exchange his apawn off and thus leave himself with a queenside weakness less.
19.Rab1 Qc7 20.a4 Nd7 21.Rec1
After the immediate 21.b5, Black can play 21...axb5 22.axb5 c5! with good
play, for example 23.dxc5 Nxc5 24.Rec1 b6 securing the knight's position and
stopping White from developing further pressure. So before White makes his
pawn break he has to rule ...c6–c5 out.
21...Nf6 22.Nf1 Ne4 23.b5
[FEN "2b1r1k1/1pq2ppp/p1p4r/1P1p4/P2Pn3/
3BP3/2Q2PPP/1RR2NK1 b - - 0 23"]
Finally getting in his strategic aim after which Black is forced to accept a
pawn weakness on the queenside. But with this just being c6, and the rook on
h6 both defending it and pressuring White's king, it turns out to be far from
fatal.
23...axb5 24.axb5 Bd7 25.Qa2 Qd8 26.bxc6 Bxc6 27.Bb5 Rg6 28.Bxc6
bxc6
The backward pawn on c6 is clearly a target, but White's pieces are tied down
to the need to look after his king.
29.Rb2 h5
Creating luft for the king and bringing a new attacking unit into play.
30.Rbc2 Qd7 31.Kh1 h4
[FEN "4r1k1/3q1pp1/2p3r1/3p4/3Pn2p/
4P3/Q1R2PPP/2R2N1K w - - 0 32"]
Black's counterattack begins in earnest. This has the direct threat of 32...h3
whilst a sacrifice against g2 is also in the air.
32.h3 Qf5
The c6-pawn is now immune because of the pressure on f2. Flohr brings his
knight to g4 to protect it but that still doesn't snuff out the danger.
33.Nh2 Qg5 34.Ng4 f5 35.f4 Qh5 36.Ne5 Rg3
A new target for counterplay appears, the pawn on e3.
37.Re1
A critical moment. White could have won a pawn with 37.Rxc6 Rxe3 38.Qxd5
+ but after 38...Kh7 he would have faced dangerous threats to his king.
37...Rb8 38.Kh2 Kh7 39.Nxc6 Qg6
[FEN "1r6/6pk/2N3q1/3p1p2/3PnP1p/
4P1rP/Q1R3PK/4R3 w - - 0 40"]
40.Rg1
Discretion is the better part of valour. After 40.Nxb8, there follows 40...Rxh3
+ 41.gxh3 Qg3+ 42.Kh1 Qxe1+ 43.Kh2 (43.Kg2 Ng3 44.Kf3 Ne2 45.Rxe2
Qg3#) 43...Ng3 leaving White defenceless; for example, 44.Rc1 (44.Kg2 Qf1
+ 45.Kh2 Qh1# .) 44...Qxc1 45.Qg2 Nf1+ 46.Kh1 Qb1 47.Nc6 Nxe3+ 48.Qg1
Qe4+ 49.Kh2 Qxf4+ 50.Kh1 Qf3+ 51.Kh2 Nf1+ winning White's queen.
40...Rxe3 41.Nxb8 Qg3+ 42.Kh1 Qxf4
Black could also force a draw with 42...Re1 43.Qa5 (43.Rc1 is bad because of
43...Rxc1 44.Rxc1 Nf2+ 45.Kg1 Nxh3+ 46.Kh1 Nf2+ 47.Kg1 h3 etc.) 43...
Rxg1+ 44.Kxg1 Qe3+ 45.Kh2 Qxf4+ 46.Kg1 Qe3+ with perpetual check.
43.Rd1 Ng3+ 44.Kg1 ½–½
After 44.Kg1 Qxb8 45.Qxd5 Qf4, White's king is under too much pressure for
him to realistically think about winning.
This next game features the same pawn structure with colours reversed in the
Caro-Kann Defence. This time it's White who aims for piece play on the
kingside with Jan Timman conducting the attack.
Timman, J – Pomar Salamanca, A
Las Palmas, 1977
Caro-Kann Defence [B13]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 7.Qb3 Na5 8.
Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qc2 e6
9...Qb6 may be a better move here, aiming to exchange off the light-squared
bishops with ...Bd7–b5. White should probably circumvent this idea with 10.
a4.
10.Nf3 Nc4
Once again White should probably meet 10...Qb6 with 11.a4 to keep his light
square bishop on the board.
11.0–0 Bd6 12.Be5!
[FEN "r2qk2r/pp1b1ppp/3bpn2/3pB3/2nP4/
2PB1N2/PPQ2PPP/RN3RK1 b kq - 0 12"]
A strong move which threatens 13. Bxc4 Bxe5 14.dxe5, winning a piece.
12...Qc7 13.Re1
Coming to the half open e-file which in turn lays the ground for a rook lift via
e3.
13...Nh5 14.Bxc4 dxc4
The pawn structure has been altered with the exchange on c4 to give White
greater central control (he can now use the e4 square as well). Whilst it's true
that Black's light square bishop has more scope, on the whole I think these
changes favour White.
15.Nbd2
Threatening 16.Nxc4 Qxc4 17.Bxd6, etc.
15...b5 16.Ne4 Bxe5 17.Nxe5 0–0
[FEN "r4rk1/p1qb1ppp/4p3/1p2N2n/
2pPN3/2P5/PPQ2PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 18"]
This walks into a devastating attack but it's difficult to find alternatives. White
is threatening 18.Ng5 could meet 17...h6 with 18.Nc5! Nf6 (18...Bc8 19.a4!)
19.Nexd7 Nxd7 20.Rxe6+! fxe6 21.Qg6+ Ke7 22.Qxe6+ Kd8 23.Qd5 etc..;
17...Nf6 is also unsatisfactory because of 18.Ng5 0–0 19.Ng4! etc.
18.Re3!
This rook lift is exceptionally strong.
18...Bc6 19.Ng5 g6
The only way to stay on the board. 19...Nf6? loses immediately after 20.Ng4
Rfc8 21.Nxf6+ gxf6 22.Qxh7+ Kf8 23.Rxe6! etc.
20.Rh3 Nf6 21.Qd2
Threatening 22.Nxh7 Nxh7 23.Qh6.
21...Ne4
The best try. After 21...Bd5, there follows 22.Qf4 Qe7 23.Rh6! followed by
24.Qh4 with a winning attack.
22.Nxe4 Bxe4 23.Qf4!
[FEN "r4rk1/p1q2p1p/4p1p1/1p2N3/
2pPbQ2/2P4R/PP3PPP/R5K1 b - - 0 23"]
23...Qb7?!
Missing a hidden chance of survival. Black should have tried 23...Bxg2! 24.
Kxg2 f6 after which 25.Nxg6 Qb7+ 26.Kg1 hxg6 27.Re1 gives White strong
pressure but nothing like the devastation of the game.
24.Qf6 Bxg2 25.Ng4 Rfe8?!
The final error, missing White's twenty-seventh. 25...Rfd8 was better when 26.
Nh6+ (26.Rg3 Bd5 27.Re1 would keep a powerful attack) 26...Kf8 27.Nf5?
simply doesn't work because of 27...gxf5 28.Rxh7 Ke8 etc.
26.Nh6+ Kf8 27.Nf5! 1–0
Exercises (Solutions next month)
[FEN "r1b2rk1/2q2ppp/p1n1pb2/3pN3/1p1P1P2/
2PB1R2/PP1N2PP/R2Q2K1 w - - 0 16"]
How did White to play set in motion a devastating attack?
[FEN "7r/k1pr1q2/NpQp1p1n/p4Pp1/
4P1Pp/5R1P/PPP5/1K1R4 w - - 0 29"]
How did White to play develop a winning attack?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Bronstein, David – Geller, Efim
URS-ch28 Moscow, 1961
[FEN "4r1k1/pR3pp1/1n3P1p/q2p4/
5N1P/P1rQpP2/8/2B2RK1 w - - 0 20"]
White to play. How did he use the rook on b7 to launch a devastating attack?
20.Qg6!! 1–0 20.Rxf7! also wins but the move played is far more elegant.;
The point is that after 20.Qg6 fxg6 21.Rxg7+, Black is mated next move with
22.Nxg6. Meanwhile there's no good defence to the threat of 21.Qxg7 mate.
Alekhine, Alexander – Yates, Frederick
BCF Congress London (10), 1922
[FEN "r5rk/2RN1Rp1/b3p2p/3p1p1P/
p2P1K2/Pp2PPP1/1P6/8 w - - 0 36"]
Although the position has simplified White still has a devastating combinative
sequence at his disposal. What is it?
36.Nf6! Rgf8 The only way to make White think as if he takes on g7 the
knight on f6 hangs. But a further surprise is in store. 37.Rxg7!! Rxf6 38.Ke5
1–0 The brilliant point. Whether Black retreats the rook to f8 or brings the a8
rook over to protect it he gets mated with 39.Rh7+ followed by 40.Rcg7 mate.
© 2011 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
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The Offside Knight
"You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places
which are undefended." Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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A piece is often described as being 'offside' if it is unable to take part in the
real action. Whilst all the pieces can in theory be 'offside' it is the knight that
is particularly susceptible to this problem because of its short stepping action.
Knights can derive great strength from operating within an appropriate pawn
structure, they can also find themselves hopelessly impeded by an
inappropriate structure.
This problem of having an offside knight can arise in all sorts of different
openings but there is one variation in particular in which it often decides the
game. In the fianchetto variation of the King's Indian Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4
g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0), the Panno plan of 6...Nc6 7.Nc3 a6 8.
d5 Na5 9.Nd2 c5 will often lead to the knight on a5 being out of play if
Black's tactical chances fail to produce any concrete gains. White then follows
Sun Tzu's advice in attacking the place where Black is a piece down, namely
the kingside.
The Joys of Chess
by Christian Hesse
Translate this page
The following two games provide a great illustration of this theme, the first
victim being the great Tigran Petrosian. And I should reiterate the advice to
'improve your worst place piece', and perhaps try to avoid having bad pieces
at all.
Portisch, Lajos – Petrosian, Tigran
Piatigorsky-Cup 2nd Santa Monica (3), 20.07.1966
King's Indian Defence [E66]
1.c4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.g3 0–0 6.Bg2 Nc6 7.0–0 a6 8.d5 Na5
9.Nd2 c5 10.Qc2 Rb8
The Grandmaster Battle Manual
by Vassilios Kotronias
Another plan for Black is to forego any queenside play with 10...e5, though
here too the knight on a5 can be an issue.
11.b3 b5 12.Bb2 bxc4 13.bxc4 Bh6 14.f4
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First Steps in Attack
by Andrew Martin
[FEN "1rbq1rk1/4pp1p/p2p1npb/n1pP4/2P2P2/
2N3P1/PBQNP1BP/R4RK1 b - f3 0 14"]
14...e5
Another possibility is 14...Ng4, but after 15.Nd1 Rxb2 16.Qxb2 Bg7 17.Qc1
Bxa1 18.Qxa1 Black's counterplay ran dry in Korchnoi - Bilek, Stockholm
Interzonal 1962.
15.Rae1 exf4 16.gxf4 Nh5 17.e3 Re8?
This natural move may well be the decisive error. Black's best chance here is
17...Bg7!, as subsequent games demonstrated.
18.Nce4! Bf5 19.Bc3! Nb7
The knight is just as miserably placed here but what else can Black do? 19...
Bxe4 20.Bxe4 f5 21.Bf3 was also very good for White in Donner - de Rooi,
Amsterdam 1963.
20.Qa4 a5
[FEN "1r1qr1k1/1n3p1p/3p2pb/p1pP1b1n/
Q1P1NP2/2B1P3/P2N2BP/4RRK1 w - - 0 21"]
"Black's position is already strategically lost. The knight on b7 occupies a
lamentable position as it has no chance for future improvement. White
controls the center and the threat of advance by the pawn mass hangs over
Black like an inevitable sword of Damocles. Tardily and with regret I must
state that in our day to play a difficult strategic scheme against a strong
opponent is an unpermitted luxury." – Petrosian in the tournament book.
21.Rb1 Qe7
After 21...Bxe4 22.Nxe4 f5, there follows 23.Rxb7! Rxb7 24.Nxd6 etc.
22.Rfe1 Bd7 23.Qc2 Bf5 24.Qa4
Portisch didn't really want a draw here, he was repeating the position just to
gain time on the clock.
24...Kf8?!
And Petrosian varies in order to deny him this luxury. After 24...Bd7, White
would have played 25.Qa3 with a dominating position.
25.Rb6 Rbd8
Or if 25...Bd7, then 26.Qb3, once again with massive pressure.
26.Qb3 Bc8 27.Nf1 Rd7?
[FEN "2b1rk2/1n1rqp1p/1R1p2pb/p1pP3n/
2P1NP2/1QB1P3/P5BP/4RNK1 w - - 0 28"]
This makes it relatively easy for White. 27...f5 was the most stubborn line but
then 28.Nf2!, intending Ng3, and a later e3–e4 would have left Black with
little hope in the long run.
28.Nfg3 Nxg3 29.hxg3
29.Bf6? would trap the queen but give Black three pieces for it after 29...
Nxe4!.
29...Bg7 30.Qb2! f5
30...Bxc3 31.Qxc3 Qd8 32.Rc6 threatening both 33.Qh8+ and 33.Nf6.
31.Bxg7+ Qxg7 32.Nf6 1–0
This next game is very similar in many ways, once again Black having a
knight on a5 which becomes badly placed when counterplay fails to
materialize. Note that Smejkal plays slightly differently to Portisch on his
fourteenth move.
Smejkal, J – Ciocaltea, V
Ljubljana/Portoroz, 1973
King's Indian Defence [E66]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0–0 5.d4 d6 6.0–0 Nc6 7.Nc3 a6 8.d5 Na5
9.Nd2 c5 10.Qc2 Rb8 11.b3 b5 12.Bb2 bxc4 13.bxc4 Bh6 14.Ncb1!?
[FEN "1rbq1rk1/4pp1p/p2p1npb/n1pP4/
2P5/6P1/PBQNPPBP/RN3RK1 b - - 0 14"]
An interesting alternative to the more common 14.f4. White tries to avoid
giving Black any immediate targets on the kingside, even if that means
'undeveloping' his knight.
14...Bd7 15.Bc3 Qc7 16.h3!?
Once again proceeding very carefully by taking the g4-square away from
Black's pieces.
16...Bg7
Stefan Kindermann later varies with 16...Rb7 after which 17.e4 Rfb8 18.Na3
Rb4!? gave him some serious counterplay in Reich,T - Kindermann,S,
Munich 1985.
17.Na3 Rb4?!
The rook soon has to retreat from this square which wasn't in Ciocaltea's
plans. So 17...e5 might have been a better idea.
18.Qd3! Nh5 19.Nc2 Rb7 20.e4 Bxc3?!
And here a preliminary 20...Rfb8 would have been better.
21.Qxc3 Rfb8
[FEN "1r4k1/1rqbpp1p/p2p2p1/n1pP3n/2P1P3/
2Q3PP/P1NN1PB1/R4RK1 w - - 0 22"]
22.Ne1!
After the transfer of this knight to d3 White will both cover the b2 and b4
squares on the queenside whilst supporting f2–f4.
22...e5 23.Nd3 f5 24.Kh2 Re8 25.f4
This advance heralds the final stages of White's plan. With Black's knight out
of play on a5 he will be outnumbered on the kingside.
25...exf4 26.Nxf4 Ng7
26...Nxf4 27.gxf4 would leave Black facing the strategic threat of 28.Rae1,
followed by 29.e5.
27.Rae1 Rbb8 28.exf5 gxf5
[FEN "1r2r1k1/2qb2np/p2p4/n1pP1p2/2P2N2/
2Q3PP/P2N2BK/4RR2 w - - 0 29"]
After either 28...Nxf5 29.Ne4; or 28...Bxf5 29.g4!, followed by 30.Ne4, Black
would have no good defence to the threatened Ne4–f6+.
29.Qf6! Rxe1
Or if 29...Rf8, then 30.Qh6 would threaten Nd2–f3–g5.
30.Rxe1 Re8 31.Re7 Rxe7 32.Qxe7 Ne8
Attempting to finally get the a5-knight into play with 32...Nb7 would also be
met by 33.Ne6.
33.Ne6 1–0
The adventures of this knight make a stark contrast with the one on a5.
Exercises (Solutions next month)
[FEN "6k1/5r1p/p2N4/nppP2q1/
2P5/1P2N3/PQ5P/7K w - - 0 30"]
White to play has successfully exploited Black's poorly placed knight on a5 to
develop a strong attack, but now needs a finishing blow. What did he do?
[FEN "1r3rk1/5pbp/p2p1np1/n1qP4/2p1PP2/
2B3PP/P1QN2BK/1R3R2 w - - 0 23"]
In this position I found a way to break through with White and exploit Black's
a5 knight. What was it?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Danielian, Elina (2025) – Aksiuczyc, Monika
Wch U14 Girls Warsaw (11), 1991
[FEN "r1b2rk1/2q2ppp/p1n1pb2/3pN3/1p1P1P2/
2PB1R2/PP1N2PP/R2Q2K1 w - - 0 16"]
How did White to play set in motion a devastating attack?
16.Bxh7+! Kh8 16...Kxh7 17.Rh3+ Kg8 18.Qh5 leads to mate. 17.Rh3 Nxe5
18.Bd3+ Kg8 19.Rh8+ Kxh8 20.Qh5+ 1–0 Black is mated after 20.Qh5+
Kg8 21.Qh7#
Keres, Paul – Mikenas, Vladas
Tbilisi, 1946
[FEN "7r/k1pr1q2/NpQp1p1n/p4Pp1/
4P1Pp/5R1P/PPP5/1K1R4 w - - 0 29"]
How did White to play develop a winning attack?
29.Nc5! This devastating move caused Black to resign. Here's what would
have happened had he continued: 29...bxc5 29...dxc5 30.Rxd7 also wins for
White. 30.Ra3 Kb8 31.Rxa5 will be followed by mate on a8.
© 2011 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
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The Sicilian Exchange Sacrifice
The sacrifice of rook for minor piece is known as an exchange sacrifice and
represents a form of minor material commitment. Often the compensation can
be of a purely positional nature and last for many moves.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
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One of the most common varieties of exchange sacrifice occurs in the Sicilian
Defence, in particular the Dragon Variation with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6. Black often gives up a rook for White's knight on c3,
the two major motives for doing so being to weaken White's king position
(should he be castled long) or to win the e4-pawn that is protected by a knight
on c3. Sometimes both of these objectives are fulfilled, occasionally there are
other reasons.
In the following games we see one of the great Dragon specialists at work
against grandmaster opposition. Jonathan Mestel was one of the most talented
British players and would have certainly gone much further in the game had
he turned professional.
ChessBase Magazine 143
by Rainer Knaak
Janosevic, Dragoljub (2465) – Mestel, Jonathan (2290)
Birmingham Zetters (3), 29.03.1975
Sicilian Dragon [B78]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6
The move that characterises the so-called Dragon Variation; Black posts his
bishop on g7 so as to breathe fire down the h8–a1 diagonal. One of the special
features of this development is that the bishop often facilitates exchange
sacrifices against c3.
Chess Endgames 8
by Karsten Müller
6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3
The so called Rauzer Attack which is most dangerous line against the Dragon.
White is getting ready to play Qd1-d2 and then castle long after which he is
perfectly placed to attack Black's king side fianchetto defences with h2-h4-h5
plus exchanging off Black's dark-squared bishop with Be3-h6. But as we shall
see it's not all one way traffic.
Play through and download
the games from
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ChessBase Game Viewer.
7...0–0 8.Bc4 Bd7 9.Qd2 Nc6 10.h4 Ne5 11.Bb3 h5 12.Bh6 Bxh6 13.Qxh6
Rc8 14.g4!?
Beating the Sicilian: A
Grandmaster Repertoire Vol. 2
by Victor Bologan
[FEN "2rq1rk1/pp1bpp2/3p1npQ/4n2p/
3NP1PP/1BN2P2/PPP5/R3K2R b KQ g3 0 14"]
Playing for mate against his young opponent. 14.Qe3 might have been a safer
way to proceed, preventing the exchange sacrifice on c3 at least for the time
being.
14...Rxc3 15.bxc3 Qa5 16.0–0–0
16.Qe3 was also worth considering but Black has excellent play after 16...
hxg4.
16...Qxc3 17.Kb1 a5
Threatening to win the bishop on b3 with ...a5-a4 but Jansevic just keeps
going with his own stuff.
18.gxh5 a4 19.hxg6 axb3 20.cxb3 fxg6 21.h5 Nxh5
[FEN "5rk1/1p1bp3/3p2pQ/4n2n/3NP3/
1Pq2P2/P7/1K1R3R w - - 0 22"]
22.f4?
A mistake which might have been motivated by wanting to beat his young
opponent. After 22.Rxh5 gxh5 23.Rg1+, all roads seem to lead to a draw; for
example, 23...Bg4 24.Ne6 Qd3+ 25.Ka1 Qc3+ (Or 25...Rf7 26.Qg5+ Kh8 27.
fxg4 Qc3+) 26.Kb1 Qd3+ etc.
22...Nd3! 23.Qxg6+ Ng7 24.Rh2 Rc8
Not the best. Black could actually have played 24...Qxd4! , the point being
that 25.Rdh1 (25.f5 Rxf5! 26.exf5 Bxf5 Black gets a winning attack.) 25...
Bh3! stops the mate on h8 and leaves the bishop immune because of the
threats against b2.
25.Qg1 Nxf4 26.Rc2 Qa5 27.Rxc8+ Bxc8
With two pieces against a rook Black is better here but the fact that his king is
exposed means that it won't be easy. But Mestel handles this phase with
exceptional maturity and sang froid.
28.Qe3 Qe5 29.Nf3 Qf6 30.e5 Bf5+ 31.Ka1 dxe5 32.Qxe5 Kf7 33.a4 Bc2 34.
Rd4 Nfe6 35.Qxf6+ Kxf6 36.Rb4 Nc5
[FEN "8/1p2p1n1/5k2/2n5/PR6/
1P3N2/2b5/K7 w - - 0 37"]
37.Rc4?!
A time trouble error? 37.Rb6+ was much better, when 37...Nge6 38.Nd2
makes it difficult.
37...Nxb3+ 38.Kb2 Bd1 39.Rf4+ Nf5 40.Rb4 Bxf3 41.Rxb3 Bc6
Now everything is clear because the e-pawn will cost White his rook. But
Janosevic decides to check whether his opponent knows how to mate with
bishop and knight against king.
42.a5 e5 43.a6 bxa6 44.Rb6 Nd4 45.Rxa6 Kf5 46.Kc3 Kf4 47.Kd2 Nf3+ 48.
Kd1 Bb5 49.Rb6 Bd3 50.Rb2 Kg3 51.Rb3 e4 52.Ra3 Kf2 53.Ra2+ Kf1 54.
Ra3 Be2+ 55.Kc1 Kf2 56.Rc3 Nd4 57.Kd2 Nf3+ 58.Kc1 e3 59.Ra3 Bc4 60.
Rxe3 Kxe3 61.Kb2 Kd2 62.Ka1 Kc3 63.Kb1 Nd4 64.Ka1 Nc2+ 65.Kb1
Bd5 66.Kc1 Ba2 67.Kd1 Nd4 68.Ke1 Bd5 69.Kd1 Be4 70.Kc1 Ne2+
[FEN "8/8/8/8/4b3/2k5/4n3/2K5 w - - 0 71"]
This knight has had quite a career!
71.Kd1 Kd3 72.Ke1 Ke3 73.Kd1 Bh7 74.Ke1 Bc2 0–1
This next game is an even better scalp against a future top GM and noted
Sicilian basher. Once again it's the exchange sacrifice on c3 that takes the
wind out of White's sails.
Nunn, John – Mestel, Jonathan
Hastings, 1977
Sicilian Dragon [B75]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2
Bd7
A cunning move order from Mestel which delays castling in order to deprive
White of a clear target to attack. And meanwhile he can pursue his queenside
play.
9.0–0–0
9.Bc4 is a major alternative here.
9...Rc8 10.Kb1 Ne5!? 11.Bh6
This makes the Dragon exchange sacrifice possible as White's queen is drawn
away from the defence of c3. [11.h4 was probably a better idea.
11...Bxh6 12.Qxh6
[FEN "2rqk2r/pp1bpp1p/3p1npQ/4n3/3NP3/
2N2P2/PPP3PP/1K1R1B1R b k - 0 12"]
12...Rxc3!
Here we go, an exchange sacrifice motivated purely by the desire to weaken
White's king position. Black doesn't even get a pawn for his investment, just
ongoing pressure against White's weaknesses.
13.bxc3 Qb6+ 14.Ka1 Qc5 15.Qd2
Perhaps White should have played 15.Kb2 when 15...Qb6+ 16.Ka1 Qc5
would repeat moves. And this could indicate that Nunn was playing to win at
this stage of the game.
15...0–0 16.Rb1 b6 17.Bb5
This might not be the best either as after the exchange of bishops a black
knight gets to sit on the c4 square. 17.Bd3 looks preferable.
17...Rc8 18.Bxd7 Nfxd7
[FEN "2r3k1/p2npp1p/1p1p2p1/2q1n3/
3NP3/2P2P2/P1PQ2PP/KR5R w - - 0 19"]
19.f4?!
Driving the knight to c4 so as to keep his c3-pawn, but this creates additional
pawn weakness in White's position (e4 for starters). It might have been better
to play 19.h4 though the endgame that arises after 19...Qxc3+ (19...h5!? is
also interesting) 20.Qxc3 Rxc3 looks fine for Black because of Black's solid
position, piece play and pawn for the exchange.
19...Nc4 20.Qc1 a6 21.h4 e5! 22.fxe5 dxe5 23.Ne2 Qf2!
Suddenly White is in serious trouble because of his multiple pawn
weaknesses.
24.Qd1
It is too late for White to try and bail out into an endgame, as after 24.Qf1
Qxf1 25.Rbxf1 Nc5 White's pawns would drop like over ripe apples.
24...Nc5 25.h5
Or after 25.Rf1, there follows 25...Qxg2 26.Qd5 Ne6, etc.
25...Ne3 26.Qd2 Nxe4 27.Qd3 Nxc3! 28.hxg6
Or 28.Nxc3 Nxc2+ 29.Kb2 Nb4+ 30.Qe2 Nd3+ 31.Ka1 Qd4, etc.
28...hxg6 29.Rxb6 e4 30.Qxa6
After 30.Rxg6+ fxg6 31.Qd7 Nxc2+ 32.Kb2 Na4+, White would have to give
up his queen to avoid mate.
30...Nxc2+ 31.Kb2
[FEN "2r3k1/5p2/QR4p1/8/4p3/2n5/
PKn1NqP1/7R b - - 0 31"]
31...Qxb6+! 0–1
After White recaptures his queen and king get forked from a4.
Exercises (Solutions next month)
[FEN "2r2r2/pp1bppk1/3p1np1/q3n2p/
3NP1PP/1BN2P2/PPPQ4/2KR3R b - - 0 15"]
White's attack is looking very dangerous but Black has a way of hitting back.
What is it?
[FEN "5rk1/1p1bpp1p/3p1np1/p1q1n3/
P2NP3/1BP1QP2/2PK2PP/3R3R b - - 0 17"]
Black has obtained good positional compensation for the sacrificed exchange.
How can he get rather more than that?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Petrosian, Tigran – Spassky, Boris
World Championship 26th Moscow (10), 02.05.1966
[FEN "r1b2rk1/2q2ppp/p1n1pb2/3pN3/1p1P1P2/
2PB1R2/PP1N2PP/R2Q2K1 w - - 0 16"]
White to play has successfully exploited Black's poorly placed knight on a5 to
develop a strong attack, but now needs a finishing blow. What did he do?
30.Qh8+! 1–0 This devastating move caused Spassky to resign. After 30.Qh8
+ Kxh8 31.Nxf7+, followed by 32.Nxg5, White emerges a piece to the good.
Davies, Nigel (2510) – Rayner, Francis (2285)
Wrexham, 1994
[FEN "7r/k1pr1q2/NpQp1p1n/p4Pp1/
4P1Pp/5R1P/PPP5/1K1R4 w - - 0 29"]
In this position I found a way to break through with White and exploit Black's
a5-knight. What was it?
23.Bxf6! Bxf6 24.e5! Be7 After 24...dxe5, White gets a winning position with
the sequence 25.Ne4 Qe7 26.Rxb8 Rxb8 27.Qc3 Nb7 28.Nxf6+ Qxf6 29.fxe5,
etc. 25.Ne4 Qa3?! This loses immediately but 25...Qa7 26.Qa4 Rb5 27.exd6
Bd8 28.Rxb5 axb5 29.Qxb5 would hardly be much better. 26.Rf3 1–0 The
queen is trapped.
© 2011 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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The Pros and Cons of Space
Space is an important concept in chess, as having more room to manoeuvre
means that you can switch your pieces to different parts of the board more
easily. Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch was particularly fond of it, though his teachings
lost their gravity over the years as various players showed that a certain lack
of space could also be OK.
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
One of the main weapons in the hands of the side that is cramped is to
simplify the position with exchanges, so that the pieces left can operate well
within the space available. This is what Black tries to do in the following
game, though he never quite solves his problems and then caves in towards
the end.
Tarrasch, Siegbert – Noa, Josef
DSB–04.Kongress Hamburg (1), 13.07.1885
French Tarrasch [C05]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nce2
Translate this page
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Preparing to defend his d4-pawn with c2–c3 so as to keep as much space as
possible. The modern preference is for 5.f4.
5...c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.f4 cxd4
A contemporary French expert would probably play 7...Qb6 here; for
example, 8.Nf3 f6 9.a3 Be7 10.h4 0–0 11.Rh3 a5 12.b3 Qd8 13.Ng3 h6 14.
Be3 f5 15.Bd3 cxd4 16.cxd4 Nb6 led to a complex and difficult struggle in
Sakaev,K-Bareev,E, Elista 1998.
8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Qb6 10.Nf3 0–0 11.Bxb4 Qxb4+ 12.Qd2
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[FEN "r1b2rk1/pp1n1ppp/2n1p3/3pP3/1q1P1P2/
5N2/PP1QN1PP/R3KB1R b KQ - 0 12"]
White is better here because of his space and better bishop. Of course such
positions don't win themselves, especially if Black defends himself well.
12...Nb6
12...f5 13.Nc3 Nb6.
13.Nc3 Rd8 14.Nb5
The knight is headed for its 'ideal' outpost on d6.
14...Bd7 15.Nd6 Rab8 16.Rc1 Qxd2+
Houdini 2 Standard
by Robert Houdart
Play the Benko Gambit
by Nicolai Pedersen
Not very stubborn. Instead, Black should play 16...Nc8 in order to repel the
intruder on d6.
17.Kxd2 Nc8 18.Nb5 a6 19.Nc3 N8e7 20.Bd3
White's position is very well organized now, and Black has certain dark
square weaknesses in addition to his lack of space.
20...Rbc8 21.b3 Nb4 22.a3 Nbc6
Having gone to the trouble of playing 21...Nb4 he should certainly have
followed up with 22...Nxd3. Simplification tends to be very useful when your
position lacks space.
23.b4 h6
[FEN "2rr2k1/1p1bnpp1/p1n1p2p/3pP3/
1P1P1P2/P1NB1N2/3K2PP/2R4R w - - 0 24"]
24.h4!
An instructive move, aiming to take the maximum possible space on the
kingside before carrying out his key lever with f4-f5.
24...Nb8 25.Ke3 Rc7 26.Rc2 Rdc8 27.Rhc1 Kf8 28.g4 Be8 29.Nd2 Nd7 30.
Nb3 Nb6 31.Nc5 Nc4+
Getting the d5-square, but White's space advantage stays intact.
32.Bxc4 dxc4 33.N5e4 b5 34.Nd6 Rb8
34...Rd8 would have been better, so as to meet 35.f5?! (White should prepare
this with 35.Rf2) with 35...exf5 36.gxf5 Rxd6 37.exd6 Nxf5+ 38.Kf4 Nxd6
would give Black more than enough for the sacrificed exchange.
35.f5 Bd7?!
It's a bit late for 35...exf5 36.gxf5 Rd8, because of 37.Ke4 f6 38.Nxe8 Rxe8
39.e6.
36.Rf2 Nd5+?!
[FEN "1r3k2/2rb1pp1/p2Np2p/1p1nPP2/
1PpP2PP/P1N1K3/5R2/2R5 w - - 0 37"]
After this Black loses any chance of counterplay and simply gets squashed.
36...exf5 37.gxf5 f6 was better when it still isn't easy for White.
37.Nxd5 exd5 38.g5 h5 39.Rcf1 Kg8 40.g6
Commencing the invasion.
40...f6 41.Re2 Bc6 42.Rfe1 Rd8 43.Kf4 fxe5+ 44.Rxe5 Kf8 45.Nf7 Re8
After 45...Ra8, White wins with 46.f6 gxf6 47.Rxh5 etc.
46.Ng5 Rce7 47.Nh7+ 1–0
It's fitting that this knight delivered the coup de gras as it has had quite a
career.
The dark side of taking space is that pawns can't move back, and as they
advance ever further they can leave vast gaping holes in the pawn pusher's
ranks. As long as everything remains under control this will not be a problem,
but if the opponent breaks free, the counterattack can be devastating.
In the following game we see Emanuel Lasker ingeniously provoke Tarrasch
into taking lots of space.
Tarrasch, Siegbert – Lasker, Emanuel
World Championship Germany (4), 24.08.1908
Ruy Lopez [C66]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0–0 d6 5.d4 Bd7 6.Nc3 Be7 7.Re1
Tarrasch firmly believed that this position was good for White because of his
space, and this may well be the case. But such was his liking of space that he
was probably very sure that it is very good, and it's this overestimation of
White's chances that sets him up for a fall.
7...exd4 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Bxb5 10.Nxb5 0–0 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 Re8 13.
Rad1 Nd7 14.Bxe7 Rxe7 15.Qc3 Re5!? 16.Nd4
[FEN "r2q2k1/pppn1pp1/3p3p/4r3/3NP3/
2Q5/PPP2PPP/3RR1K1 b - - 0 16"]
16...Rc5
A very provocative move by Lasker, which causes Tarrasch to lose his cool.
The rook is not particularly well placed on this square, but it provokes the
space loving Tarrasch into pushing his pawns with abandon.
17.Qb3 Nb6 18.f4
Cutting off the rook's retreat, but creating some weaknesses in White's
position.
18...Qf6 19.Qf3 Re8 20.c3
20.b3, followed by c2-c4, would have been more accurate, but Tarrasch didn't
have c2-c4 in mind.
20...a5
Setting about provoking some weaknesses in White's queenside.
21.b3 a4 22.b4?!
22.c4 would have been a better way of keeping the rook on c5 out of the
game. But after 22...axb3 23.axb3 Ra5, it might go to a2 with play on the
seventh rank.
22...Rc4
Although the rook is trapped here it ties White down to the defence of c3 and
exerts unpleasant lateral pressure. So although White's position seems
optically very good (space etc) it stands on feet of clay.
23.g3 Rd8 24.Re3
24.a3!, as recommended by Kasparov, was probably best.
24...c5 25.Nb5?
A very strange move by Tarrasch whose love of space might have prevented
him from fully seeing the danger. He should have played 25.bxc5 Rxc5 26.
Red3 with approximate equality.
25...cxb4 26.Rxd6 Rxd6 27.e5
[FEN "6k1/1p3pp1/1n1r1q1p/1N2P3/
ppr2P2/2P1RQP1/P6P/6K1 b - - 0 27"]
27...Rxf4!
Tarrasch probably missed this blow when playing 25.Nb5. White's position
now falls apart at the seams.
28.gxf4 Qg6+ 29.Kh1 Qb1+ 30.Kg2 Rd2+ 31.Re2 Qxa2 32.Rxd2 Qxd2+
33.Kg3 a3 34.e6 Qe1+ 35.Kg4 Qxe6+ 36.f5 Qc4+ 37.Nd4 a2 38.Qd1 Nd5
39.Qa4 Nxc3 40.Qe8+ Kh7 41.Kh5 a1Q 0–1
Tarrasch's late resignation indicates the extent of his trauma.
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "3rr1k1/1pqbb1pp/p4pn1/2pP4/
2P1N3/1P4P1/PBQ3BP/4RRK1 w - - 0 1"]
White to play. How did he convert his space advantage and active pieces into
a decisive attack?
[FEN "1r1qnrk1/1b1n1p1p/pppp2pQ/8/
P1PNP3/2N3PP/1P3PB1/3RR1K1 w - - 0 20"]
White to play. I had a nice space advantage in this position but needed to
break through somehow. How did I do it?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Beudaert, Xavier (2358) – Petrov, Marijan (2406)
Creon op 10th (5), 04.08.2005
[FEN "2r2r2/pp1bppk1/3p1np1/q3n2p/
3NP1PP/1BN2P2/PPPQ4/2KR3R b - - 0 15"]
White's attack is looking very dangerous but Black has a way of hitting back.
What is it?
15...Rxc3! This is the perfect moment for this thematic blow. White now has
his own king to worry about. 16.g5?! White, possibly in shock, doesn't defend
well. But both 16.bxc3 Rc8; and 16.Qxc3 Qxc3 17.bxc3 hxg4 give Black
excellent compensation for the exchange. 16...Nxe4 17.fxe4 Rc5 left Black a
good pawn up with a safe king and he later went on to win.
Abelgas, Rodolfo Varron – Hakki, Imad (2433)
Asia Classical 15th Doha (9), 14.12.2006
[FEN "5rk1/1p1bpp1p/3p1np1/p1q1n3/
P2NP3/1BP1QP2/2PK2PP/3R3R b - - 0 17"]
Black has obtained good positional compensation for the sacrificed exchange.
How can he get rather more than that?
17...Bxa4! A nice tactic that wins a extra pawn. White can't take the bishop
because of the fork on c4. 18.f4 Neg4 19.Qf3 Bxb3 20.Nxb3 Qf2+! 21.Qxf2
Nxe4+ 22.Ke2 Nexf2 23.Nxa5 Nxd1 24.Rxd1 Nxh2 and Black went on to
win the endgame.
© 2011 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
A PDF file of this month's column, along with all previous columns, is
available in the ChessCafe.com Archives.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page! Pertinent responses
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Back Rank Weakness
The potential weakness of the back rank is known to all of us, both young and
old alike. Yet that doesn't stop it being an issue at every level of the game. I
remember pulling off a back-rank mate against the family dentist when I was
just starting out, which was a pretty good result for me as he played in the
local chess club. There again I now wonder if I really needed all those fillings,
so perhaps this was something of a Pyrrhic victory!
Middlegame
Motifs
Nigel Davies
Translate this page
It's unlikely that you'll pull off a back-rank mate against a top grandmaster,
but that doesn't stop it from being an important consideration. Back-rank
vulnerability might cause them to create room for their king by moving one of
the pawns in front of it. This in turn can lead to other problems and needs to
be done with care. Some players, especially juniors, will routinely make 'luft'
for their king but I think this is a bad habit to get into. A player needs to judge
when such measures are necessary and this is part of the process of becoming
a good player.
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Chess Informant #111
by Branko Tadic
The following likely spurious game could have been one of the back-rank
classics. Edwin Adams allegedly brings off a famous victory over the famous
Repetto Torre; however, the game is probably the result of postmortem
analysis to an offhand game. Still, not many of us will ever get the
opportunity for such a combination:
Adams, Edwin – Torre Repetto, Carlos
New Orleans, 1920
Ruy Lopez [C62]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6
Black might also consider preparing this with 4...Bd7; or 4...a6 so as to
prevent the following pin.
Ljubomir Ljubojevic
by Milan Bjelajac
5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.0–0
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Chess School 1-2-3
by Slobodan Mirkovic
[FEN "r2qkb1r/ppp2ppp/2bp1n2/8/3QP3/
2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1B2RK1 b kq - 0 8"]
Objectively speaking it's probably better to play 8.Bg5 Be7 9.0–0–0, with far
more pressure than the game.
8...Be7 9.Nd5 Bxd5 10.exd5 0–0 11.Bg5 c6
Black can probably steer the game towards equality by carefully conducted
exchanges; for example, 11...Re8 12.Rfe1 h6 13.Bh4 Nd7 14.Bxe7 Rxe7 15.
Rxe7 Qxe7 16.Re1 Qf6 17.Qxf6 Nxf6 18.c4 Kf8 looks dead equal to me.
12.c4
And White in turn should probably weaken his opponent's pawn structure
with 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Rad1, with what looks like a slight edge.
12...cxd5
12...Nxd5 13.cxd5 Bxg5 14.Nxg5 Qxg5 15.dxc6 bxc6 16.Qxd6 is a bit better
for White because of his superior pawn structure.
13.cxd5 Re8 14.Rfe1 a5
14...h6 15.Bh4 Qb6 looks fine for Black.
15.Re2 Rc8?
[FEN "2rqr1k1/1p2bppp/3p1n2/p2P2B1/
3Q4/5N2/PP2RPPP/R5K1 w - - 0 16"]
And here he should play 15...h6. After the move played, White gets a strong
initiative.
16.Rae1! Qd7
This loses in spectacular style but I don't see a good alternative.
17.Bxf6! Bxf6
17...gxf6 probably qualifies as Black's 'best', but this doesn't say much about
his position.
18.Qg4!
The first queen sacrifice. Of course Black dare not take because of 19.Rxe8+
followed by mate.
18...Qb5 19.Qc4!!
Even better than the last move! Black still needs both his rook on c8 and the
queen on b5 to defend e8, so the White queen is still immune.
19...Qd7
[FEN "2r1r1k1/1p1q1ppp/3p1b2/p2P4/
2Q5/5N2/PP2RPPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 20"]
20.Qc7!!
And this is magnificent, Black having the same problem about how to defend
e8.
20...Qb5 21.a4!
And not 21.Qxb7? because of 21...Qxe2 22.Rxe2 Rc1+, etc.
21...Qxa4 22.Re4! Qb5 23.Qxb7! 1–0
The coup de gras and the end of some amazing pyrotechnics by White's
queen. Black no longer has a decent square for his queen. It is said that Torre
invented the game as a means of presenting this beautiful finish to the general
public.
The following game shows that back-rank issues are still very much with us,
though they tend to be hidden under the surface. In this game it is Gregory
Kaidanov who falls victim to a back-rank combination, limping his way to
defeat after having to jettison material:
Felgaer, Ruben (2636) – Kaidanov, Gregory (2608)
FIDE World Cup Khanty Mansiysk (1.2), 28.11.2005
Ruy Lopez [C81]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5
Be6 9.Be3
This, together with 9.Nbd2, is one of the most dangerous lines against the
Open Spanish.
9...Bc5
There is a major alternative in 9...Be7, avoiding simplification for the time
being.
10.Qe2 0–0 11.Rd1 Bxe3 12.Qxe3 Na5
[FEN "r2q1rk1/2p2ppp/p3b3/np1pP3/4n3/
1B2QN2/PPP2PPP/RN1R2K1 w - - 0 13"]
A typical move for Black in the Open Spanish, preparing to secure the d5
pawn with ...c7-c6.
13.Nbd2 Nxd2 14.Rxd2 c6
Intending to gradually activate his queenside pawn majority.
15.Re1
Attempting to improve on earlier games with simple development. After 15.
c3 Qc7 16.h3 Rae8 17.Re1 Bf5, Black had a reasonable game in Socko,BMamedyarov,S, Warsaw 2005.
15...Qc7 16.c3 Rad8 17.Rd4!?
A good old fashioned rook lift, looking to drum up some play on the kingside.
17...c5 18.Rh4 Bf5 19.Rf4
Possibly White should have played this on his previous move. Now Black
should have played 19...Qc8!, keeping the e6 square under control.
19...Bg6?! 20.e6
Threatening 21.e7, which denies Black the time he needs to take the bishop on
b3.
20...Rfe8 21.exf7+ Bxf7?
[FEN "3rr1k1/2q2bpp/p7/nppp4/5R2/
1BP1QN2/PP3PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 22"]
A mistake which sets up a decisive back-rank combination. Black should have
played 21...Qxf7 when 22.Ne5! (22.Rxf7 Rxe3 23.Rxg7+ Kxg7 24.fxe3 Kf6
would not be easy for White to win) 22...Qb7 (22...Qc7 loses to …23.Nxg6
Rxe3 24.Bxd5+!+–) 23.Qxc5 Nc4! gives Black some compensation for the
pawn, for example 24.Bxc4 bxc4 25.b4 cxb3 26.Rb4 Rxe5! 27.Rxe5 bxa2 28.
Re1 Qd7 29.Qa5 Bb1 with compensation for the sacrificed exchange.
22.Qxe8+!
Exploiting the weakness of Black's back rank to win material.
22...Bxe8
After 22...Rxe8, there follows 23.Rxe8+ Bxe8 24.Bxd5+ Bf7 (24...Kh8 is met
by 25.Rf8#) 25.Rxf7 Qxf7 26.Bxf7+ gives White an extra pawn in a relatively
simple endgame
23.Bxd5+ Bf7
Of course 23...Kh8 allows 24.Rf8#, one of those back-rank variations which
lies below the surface.
24.Rxf7 Qxf7
24...Qd6 might have been slightly better; for example, 25.Rd7+ Qxd5 26.
Rxd5 Rxd5 leaves Black's rook on a better square than in the game.
25.Bxf7+ Kxf7 26.Ng5+ Kg6 27.h4 h6 28.Re6+
White's initiative continues into the endgame.
28...Kf5 29.Rxa6 Nc4 30.Ne6 Rd7 31.b3 Ne5 32.f3 h5 33.Nxc5 Rd1+ 34.
Kh2 Rd2 35.Kg3 Ng6 36.Ne6 1–0
Exercises (solutions next month)
[FEN "rnb1r2k/pp3ppB/8/8/1Pp5/6P1/
PPQ1qP1P/R1B2RK1 b - - 0 16"]
Black to play has a way to win on the spot, what did he play?
[FEN "2r2k1r/pp1Qnppp/8/q3p3/4p3/
4B2P/PPP2PP1/2KR3R w - - 0 18"]
White to play has a winning move which exploits the weakness of Black's
back rank. What is it?
Solutions to last month's exercises
Tackacs, A – Gruenfeld
Vienna, 1927
[FEN "3rr1k1/1pqbb1pp/p4pn1/2pP4/
2P1N3/1P4P1/PBQ3BP/4RRK1 w - - 0 1"]
White to play. How did he convert his space advantage and active pieces into
a decisive attack?
1.d6! The key move, distracting Black's e7 bishop from the defence of f6. 1...
Bxd6 2.Nxf6+! gxf6 3.Bd5+ Kg7 4.Bxf6+ Kh6 5.Rxe8 The immediate 5.Qd2
+ was also good. 5...Rxe8 6.Qd2+ 1–0
Davies, Nigel (2505) – Lyrberg, Patrik (2400)
Stockholm (9), 1995
[FEN "1r1qnrk1/1b1n1p1p/pppp2pQ/8/
P1PNP3/2N3PP/1P3PB1/3RR1K1 w - - 0 20"]
White to play. I had a nice space advantage in this position but needed to
break through somehow. How did I do it?
20.e5! The decisive breakthrough. White has numerous threats now including
21.e6 and 21.Nxc6. 20...Nxe5 After 20...dxe5 21.Nxc6 Bxc6 22.Bxc6 Nef6 23.
Ne4 Nxe4 24.Rxe4, the knight on d7 falls. 21.Rxe5! dxe5 22.Nxc6 Qc7 22...
Qf6 23.Nxb8 leaves White a piece up. 23.Nd5 Qxc6 24.Ne7+ Kh8 25.Qxf8#
1–0
© 2011 Nigel Davies. All Rights Reserved.
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