Hello Chess Lovers
Today we get all hardcore with the Najdorf! Specifically the 6.Bg5 line. Its amazing to think that we can get to original moves and positions before move 36. Yet in 2011 Carauna tried an interesting move against French genius Vachier Lagrave . Lets check it out.
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3a6 6.Bg5e6 7.f4h6 8.Bh4Qb6 9.a3!?All of a sudden this works.If black played 7....Qb6 8.a3?! would not have the same effect because the bishop is on g5 so
after 8 ...Nc6 9.Bf2 is impossible. Now if 9...Nc6 10.Bf2 is possible. As Naiditsch asserts black has the burden of proof in demonstrating that ...Qb6 is sensible especially as the sugarcoated b-pawn is doused with cyanide poison now.Worse news for black the queen on b6 blocks the b-pawn so b7-b5 is delayed for a move.
9...Nbd7 (9...Nc6 10.Bf2Qc7 11.Qd3) 10. Bc4 g5 This is a typical idea in the Sicillian with pawns on e6 and d6.The idea is to attack the f-pawn and divert it away from e5. The alternative is the 10...Be7. Players who are in a combative mood and are not afraid to lose a fighting game will try ...g5.Players who have classical beliefs/doctrines will go for development with ...Be7. It is also a question of priorities. One school of thought says that because there is a bishop on c4 it makes perfect sense to fight for e5 and get an outpost for the d7 knight with a tempo.The other school of thought is to get another piece into action. We will look at 10...Be7 in part two.
11.Bf2Qc7 (11...Nc5 12.Qf3g4 13.Qe3Qb2 14.0-0 white is more harmonious in this position.
Black is barely able to land a decent blow)
12.Be6!?A really courageous move made by those in the mood for posing serious problems to the opposition.12....fe6 13.Ne6Qc4 14.Nf8Rf8 15.Qd6a5 Here we have to take stock no some smoke has cleared.
White has removed three pawns from the board for the brave sacrifice of the bishop on e6.He is also able to marshall his rooks to the central files quite soon. There is no forced mate in 16 here.However the position forces black to come up with active moves for defence. Psychologically its unpleasant to be thinking of defending the black king for the next 10 moves so the annoyance factor is huge. Black will start thinking that he/she would rather be playing some other sport or doing something more pleasurable.
16.0-0-0Ra6 -Active defence! 17.Qd2gf4 18.Rhe1At this point white centralises his pieces like Topalov.Re6 19.Bd4Ng4 20.Nd5!b6 21.Kb1 At this point GM Naiditsch decides to stop. He simply leaves the ECO sign indicting initiative for white. However we can get deeper here. The contrast between the sides is extremely strong. White has the burden of proving that he has offensive momentum and resources. Black has to show not just resourcefulness in defence but actually like defending this position and proving that in the long run he can come out on top in the endgame. At this point I got really curious at how Rybka and Fritz 13 would break down such a position. Lets take a look.
The search engines of Rybka trotted out active moves first.
Here I would like to look at 21...Bb7 first. So the plus side is that it brings another piece into the fray e4 is a target.The minus side is that d7 is a vulnerable square on an open file. Lets take a look at a sample variation:
21...Bb7 22.Nf4Re4 23.h3Ngf6 24. Bf6 Nf6 25.Nh5!? Highlighting black's problem on d7.
25...Qc7 26.Qh6Qe5 and here I leave the position to you chess lovers who want the deep truth about this line. I hope I have opened some more doors for debate.
Sunday 25 December 2011
Sunday 25 September 2011
The concept of momentum in the games of Ivan Sokolov's games Pt.1
Hello Chess lovers,
I wish to share with you a concept which some Grandmasters use in their openings especially with the white pieces when they assume the responsibility that comes with the white pieces. Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand and Carlsen all have this aura when they play with the white pieces. The impression is that they are the ones doing the action and their opponents just applaud. In many cases we see them assuming an unstoppable initiative. The positions are not all very forced and they find moves that prepare for onslaughts and keep the momentum going.
At the same time they are alert for counterplay. They also are aware of the GMs who try very solid variations in which they are happy to respond to the ideas of white and then develop potential as GM Rowson would put it.
In this small trilogy I will focus on a GM who is quite powerful with the white pieces.Ivan Sokolov, the Bosnian-Dutch player who really causes more than his fair share of problems with the white pieces. We shall see how he maintains the momentum with the white pieces in positions where there are no forced lines until much later in the middlegame.
Unto the game!
I Sokolov v Akopian
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nc3d5 By transposition, the players have reached the Queen's Gambit Declined, a favourite of the world's top players in the 80s and 90s until the Slav defence took over.
4.cd5ed5 5.Bg5Be7 6.e3c6 7.Bd3Nbd7 8.Qc2 This move order keeps open the possibility of playing 0-0-0 and Nge2.
8...0-0 9.Nf3Re8 10.h3Nf8This is the standard plan for black.The h7 square is over protected and the c8 bishop gets some air.However it requires a lot of patience. 11.0-0Ng6 12.Ne5Ne5 13.de5Nd7 14.Be7Qe7 15.f4 The position has been transformed.The dark square d6 has been weakened by the exchange of the bishops on e7.
15...Nf8 16.Qf2From this position the queen prepares for action in a different sector of the board.
16...b6 17.e4This is the beginning of a passage of play where it seems that the only direction that white is going is foward.
17...Bb7 18.Rad1Ne6 It appears that black is placed to deal with various white threats.The problem is that black is passively placed and has no target to aim at.
19.ed5!This exchange leaves b5 free for the knight.
19...cd5 20.Nb5 The knight heads for d6.
20...Nc5 21.Nd6Mission accomplished.To get this position against a strong GM like Akopian is a wonderful achievement.21...Re8
22.Rfe1a5 23.Bb1This is both a preparatory and information gathering move.It is possible that Ivan also had the idea of a3 and Ba2.
23...Bc6 24.Nf5!Qe6 25.Qh4g6 26.Nh6Kf8 27.f5!Qe7 28.f6!Qc7 29.Nf5!This position must have been a nightmare.Nothing is forced yet Ivan is able to develop a steady momentum.
29...h5 White now invades the weakened dark squares. 30.Qg5Ne6 31.Qh6Ke8 32.Nd6Rd6 This is perfectly understandable. However it introduces a new line of attack-the e-file.
33.ed6Qd6 34.Qh7 now f7 is the new focal point.
34...Kd8 35.Qf7Nf4 36.Qe7Qe7 37.Re7 and black had enough.1-0
So what were the key moments here?
A) The move 12.Ne5 and the subsequent exchange on e5.
B) The move 14.Be7 removing a defender of the dark squares.
C)15.f4 grabbed more space.
D)19.ed5 resulted in the knight's move to b5 and then to d6.
E)27.f4-f5 the beginning of an onslaught on the dark squares.
It should be noted that the c3 knight became a star player for white causing a lot of trouble. In this game most of the white pieces went forward and Ivan exploited the changes in the pawn structures very well against a strong GM with a good track record.
I wish to share with you a concept which some Grandmasters use in their openings especially with the white pieces when they assume the responsibility that comes with the white pieces. Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand and Carlsen all have this aura when they play with the white pieces. The impression is that they are the ones doing the action and their opponents just applaud. In many cases we see them assuming an unstoppable initiative. The positions are not all very forced and they find moves that prepare for onslaughts and keep the momentum going.
At the same time they are alert for counterplay. They also are aware of the GMs who try very solid variations in which they are happy to respond to the ideas of white and then develop potential as GM Rowson would put it.
In this small trilogy I will focus on a GM who is quite powerful with the white pieces.Ivan Sokolov, the Bosnian-Dutch player who really causes more than his fair share of problems with the white pieces. We shall see how he maintains the momentum with the white pieces in positions where there are no forced lines until much later in the middlegame.
Unto the game!
I Sokolov v Akopian
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nc3d5 By transposition, the players have reached the Queen's Gambit Declined, a favourite of the world's top players in the 80s and 90s until the Slav defence took over.
4.cd5ed5 5.Bg5Be7 6.e3c6 7.Bd3Nbd7 8.Qc2 This move order keeps open the possibility of playing 0-0-0 and Nge2.
8...0-0 9.Nf3Re8 10.h3Nf8This is the standard plan for black.The h7 square is over protected and the c8 bishop gets some air.However it requires a lot of patience. 11.0-0Ng6 12.Ne5Ne5 13.de5Nd7 14.Be7Qe7 15.f4 The position has been transformed.The dark square d6 has been weakened by the exchange of the bishops on e7.
15...Nf8 16.Qf2From this position the queen prepares for action in a different sector of the board.
16...b6 17.e4This is the beginning of a passage of play where it seems that the only direction that white is going is foward.
17...Bb7 18.Rad1Ne6 It appears that black is placed to deal with various white threats.The problem is that black is passively placed and has no target to aim at.
19.ed5!This exchange leaves b5 free for the knight.
19...cd5 20.Nb5 The knight heads for d6.
20...Nc5 21.Nd6Mission accomplished.To get this position against a strong GM like Akopian is a wonderful achievement.21...Re8
22.Rfe1a5 23.Bb1This is both a preparatory and information gathering move.It is possible that Ivan also had the idea of a3 and Ba2.
23...Bc6 24.Nf5!Qe6 25.Qh4g6 26.Nh6Kf8 27.f5!Qe7 28.f6!Qc7 29.Nf5!This position must have been a nightmare.Nothing is forced yet Ivan is able to develop a steady momentum.
29...h5 White now invades the weakened dark squares. 30.Qg5Ne6 31.Qh6Ke8 32.Nd6Rd6 This is perfectly understandable. However it introduces a new line of attack-the e-file.
33.ed6Qd6 34.Qh7 now f7 is the new focal point.
34...Kd8 35.Qf7Nf4 36.Qe7Qe7 37.Re7 and black had enough.1-0
So what were the key moments here?
A) The move 12.Ne5 and the subsequent exchange on e5.
B) The move 14.Be7 removing a defender of the dark squares.
C)15.f4 grabbed more space.
D)19.ed5 resulted in the knight's move to b5 and then to d6.
E)27.f4-f5 the beginning of an onslaught on the dark squares.
It should be noted that the c3 knight became a star player for white causing a lot of trouble. In this game most of the white pieces went forward and Ivan exploited the changes in the pawn structures very well against a strong GM with a good track record.
Monday 5 September 2011
Theoretical highlights from Sunningdale Congress Part One
Hello Chess lovers, I would like to share with you the theoretical highlights of the August edition of the Sunningdale Congress. Before I get into the openings I would like to say that these tournaments organised by Sean Hewitt give hundreds of players an opportunity to earn norms and simply advance their ratings. Its a quiet venue in Windsor, England and hotel rates are ultra reasonable.The atmosphere is friendly and the playing conditions excellent.
Onto the first theoretical highlight featuring the really creative, out-of-comfort zone play by GM Simon Williams.
McClement v Williams Sunningdale Congress
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 giving the invitation to white.... 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3g6 ...so it looks like we will see a straight Dragon....
6.Be3a6 !? -This is not a new concept. GM Williams wrote a book on this line. Black does not just routinely play Bg7 and 0-0 allowing white to know the fixed address of the king. Instead he plays for an attack on e4 and to develop on the queenside. It is also an information gathering sequence. Imagine a young player booked up for the Dragon and ending up playing such a move order. All of a sudden new questions emerge about tempi lost and gained and where white should put his pieces.
7.f3(7.Qd2Ng4 was Ivanchuk v Ljubojevic 1992)b5!? Square denial. The c4 square is taken away from white's bishop.
8.Qd2Bb7
And now black's design are clearer. Black anticipates that white will castle long and so clears c8 for a rook.This means that it is black who will be poised for an attack. Pyschologically this is really hard for white. Generally he has a bishop on b3 in normal Dragon lines. Now white is having to adjust to black's ideas.
9.Bd3Nbd7 10.0-0-0e5!? 11.Nb3
All of a sudden the big picture changes. The problem for white is that his pieces are in the path of black's pawns. between moves 11 and 17 the board changes irrevocably with pawn advances by black.
11....b4 12.Ne2a5 13.Kb1Qc7 14.g4a4! 15.Nbc1a3 16.b3d5! black has more than equalized. He has shifted white from an offensive mindset to a defensive mindset.
17.g5d4 18.Bf2Nh5!? contesting f4 and physically delaying h4-h5 ideas.
19.h4Be7 20.Rdf10-0 - an interesting decision.GM Williams realized that the move 17.g5 prevents Bh6.
Therefore the danger of a mate on the dark squares is remote.
21.Ng3Nf4 22.Nce2Ne2 23.Ne2Rfc8 24.h5Ba6 25.Rfg1Nc5 26.hg6hg6 27.Rg2Ne6 28.Rhg1 and here we can see that the game is simply in black's favour. Black's pieces are poised on key squares and lines.The g5 pawn is a key concern and other points will soon receive GM William's treatments.
28...Bd3 29.cd3Ra6!? 30.Rc1Rc6! 31.Rc6Qc6 32.f4Nc5 black continues to improve his position.In this phase of the game, no concrete tactical variations need to be calculated. The simple aim is piece optimization.
33.Qc2Qa6 34.Qc4?! -The lower rated player often does this.Seeking the refuge of a simpler position he exchanges a valuable piece. The problem is that pawn structure changes radically in favour of black.
34...Qc4 35.dc4d3! 36.Ng3ef4 Things fall apart. 37.Bc5Rc5 38.Nf1Bg5 and black has a massive edge.White puts up symbolic resistance. 39.Nd2Bf6 40.Nf3Rh5 41.Kc1Bc3 and white had enough.
so ...0-1 In this game GM Williams did not play a single move novelty but rather developed an entire concept of playing. Some of the key phases came early.
1) 7....b5 took away c4 and prepared Bb7.
2) 10...e5!? fixed the e4 pawn and also contested f4.
3) Moves 11 -17 radically altered the pawn structure in black's favour.
4) It was uncomfortable for white to shift from offence to defense.
Onto the first theoretical highlight featuring the really creative, out-of-comfort zone play by GM Simon Williams.
McClement v Williams Sunningdale Congress
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 giving the invitation to white.... 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3g6 ...so it looks like we will see a straight Dragon....
6.Be3a6 !? -This is not a new concept. GM Williams wrote a book on this line. Black does not just routinely play Bg7 and 0-0 allowing white to know the fixed address of the king. Instead he plays for an attack on e4 and to develop on the queenside. It is also an information gathering sequence. Imagine a young player booked up for the Dragon and ending up playing such a move order. All of a sudden new questions emerge about tempi lost and gained and where white should put his pieces.
7.f3(7.Qd2Ng4 was Ivanchuk v Ljubojevic 1992)b5!? Square denial. The c4 square is taken away from white's bishop.
8.Qd2Bb7
And now black's design are clearer. Black anticipates that white will castle long and so clears c8 for a rook.This means that it is black who will be poised for an attack. Pyschologically this is really hard for white. Generally he has a bishop on b3 in normal Dragon lines. Now white is having to adjust to black's ideas.
9.Bd3Nbd7 10.0-0-0e5!? 11.Nb3
All of a sudden the big picture changes. The problem for white is that his pieces are in the path of black's pawns. between moves 11 and 17 the board changes irrevocably with pawn advances by black.
11....b4 12.Ne2a5 13.Kb1Qc7 14.g4a4! 15.Nbc1a3 16.b3d5! black has more than equalized. He has shifted white from an offensive mindset to a defensive mindset.
17.g5d4 18.Bf2Nh5!? contesting f4 and physically delaying h4-h5 ideas.
19.h4Be7 20.Rdf10-0 - an interesting decision.GM Williams realized that the move 17.g5 prevents Bh6.
Therefore the danger of a mate on the dark squares is remote.
21.Ng3Nf4 22.Nce2Ne2 23.Ne2Rfc8 24.h5Ba6 25.Rfg1Nc5 26.hg6hg6 27.Rg2Ne6 28.Rhg1 and here we can see that the game is simply in black's favour. Black's pieces are poised on key squares and lines.The g5 pawn is a key concern and other points will soon receive GM William's treatments.
28...Bd3 29.cd3Ra6!? 30.Rc1Rc6! 31.Rc6Qc6 32.f4Nc5 black continues to improve his position.In this phase of the game, no concrete tactical variations need to be calculated. The simple aim is piece optimization.
33.Qc2Qa6 34.Qc4?! -The lower rated player often does this.Seeking the refuge of a simpler position he exchanges a valuable piece. The problem is that pawn structure changes radically in favour of black.
34...Qc4 35.dc4d3! 36.Ng3ef4 Things fall apart. 37.Bc5Rc5 38.Nf1Bg5 and black has a massive edge.White puts up symbolic resistance. 39.Nd2Bf6 40.Nf3Rh5 41.Kc1Bc3 and white had enough.
so ...0-1 In this game GM Williams did not play a single move novelty but rather developed an entire concept of playing. Some of the key phases came early.
1) 7....b5 took away c4 and prepared Bb7.
2) 10...e5!? fixed the e4 pawn and also contested f4.
3) Moves 11 -17 radically altered the pawn structure in black's favour.
4) It was uncomfortable for white to shift from offence to defense.
Tuesday 2 August 2011
Crisis Point in the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
Hello Chess Lovers,
I think that the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit needs to be addressed by anyone contemplating an
entry into the world of the Slav and Semi-Slav. Its very important to understand that it is not
a gambit built on rapid attacks. Its built on the notion that open e and f-files and a clear a2-g8
diagonal offer lots of chances for active play.
Black's responses depend on the move orders white chooses:
A) 1d4d5 2.Nc3Nf6 3.e4Ne4 4.Ne4de4
And now for a number of responses:
A1) 5.f3e5! Black has a lot of scope for trouble free development.
A2) 5.Bc4Nc6 6.c3e5 One can see a clear repetition of the ideas for black.Strong central reactions.
A3) 5.Bf4e6 6.Qd2c5 7.0-0cd4 8.Bb5Nc6 9.Ne2Bd7
In all of these cases black manages to get on with development and strike out in the centre.
B) 1.d4d5 2.e4de4 3.Nc3Nf6 4.f3ef3 5.Nf3g6 6.Bc4Bg7 7.0-00-0 8.Qe1Nc6 9.Qh4Bg4
10.Be3Bf3 11.Rf3e5 12.Rd1Nd4 13.Rf2b5 with an advantage for black.
Black has no trouble in finding very easy moves. White on the other hand has to keep justifying his gambit.
At move ten, black took off a potentially strong knight. The thematic e7-e5 came in and the centre was liquidated thereafter. I believe this is where white has work to do to justify the investment of a pawn.
You can have fun with Rybka or Fritz on this. Blessings. John
I think that the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit needs to be addressed by anyone contemplating an
entry into the world of the Slav and Semi-Slav. Its very important to understand that it is not
a gambit built on rapid attacks. Its built on the notion that open e and f-files and a clear a2-g8
diagonal offer lots of chances for active play.
Black's responses depend on the move orders white chooses:
A) 1d4d5 2.Nc3Nf6 3.e4Ne4 4.Ne4de4
And now for a number of responses:
A1) 5.f3e5! Black has a lot of scope for trouble free development.
A2) 5.Bc4Nc6 6.c3e5 One can see a clear repetition of the ideas for black.Strong central reactions.
A3) 5.Bf4e6 6.Qd2c5 7.0-0cd4 8.Bb5Nc6 9.Ne2Bd7
In all of these cases black manages to get on with development and strike out in the centre.
B) 1.d4d5 2.e4de4 3.Nc3Nf6 4.f3ef3 5.Nf3g6 6.Bc4Bg7 7.0-00-0 8.Qe1Nc6 9.Qh4Bg4
10.Be3Bf3 11.Rf3e5 12.Rd1Nd4 13.Rf2b5 with an advantage for black.
Black has no trouble in finding very easy moves. White on the other hand has to keep justifying his gambit.
At move ten, black took off a potentially strong knight. The thematic e7-e5 came in and the centre was liquidated thereafter. I believe this is where white has work to do to justify the investment of a pawn.
You can have fun with Rybka or Fritz on this. Blessings. John
Saturday 30 July 2011
How the greatest players wield minor pieces as weapons of mass destruction Part Two
Hello Chess lovers,
I have the real pleasure of sharing with you a game that did not reach the books as a masterpiece.
At least I have not seen a lot of writing on it. Sutovsky 2669 went into overdrive against Ivanchuk then rated at 2711 in a Sicillian. What was so wonderful about this game is how Ivanchuk withstood waves of Sutovsky attacks with a virtuoso performance in terms of the use of multitasking knights. Ivanchuk's knights performed both offensive and defensive roles in a way that is hard to find in the upper stratosphere of chess.
Now unto this superlative battle!!
Sutovsky vs Ivanchuk Aeroflot 2005/6
1.e4c5 2.Nf3 Sutovsky developed a reputation in the mid nineties as a very inspired and dynamic chess player. I saw him live in West Bromwich Albion as he brutalized Ivan Sokolov over the board. He is fierce and often accurate.
2....e6 Ivanchuk has done well with this move before. 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4a6 5.Nc3Qc6 6.Bd3Nf6
7.Qe2Bd6!? - Ivanchuk plays an idea that started with the trainer of Tal, Koblenz in 1958. After one game in that year it resurfaced in 1991!! It really is relatively virgin territory for creative players. It stops white from castling for a move but also contests the f4 square. Normally, it is played a move earlier. Ivanchuk first played
...Nf6 to stop Qg4.
8.Nf3Nc6 9.0-0b5 10.Re1Ng4! one idea is to play ...Nge5 and then capture on d3.This knight was to prove quite a thorn in white's flesh.
11.Nd5?! - Sutovsky goes for a typical knight sacrifice in the Sicillian. He sees that the king is in the center and he believes in provoking a crisis. When confronted by this Ivanchuk showed just how much resources there were in the position.
11....ed5! Testing the opponent. 12.ed5Ne7 13.Bf4Qc5! Ivanchuk defends e7 twice and the queen can multi task on the 5th rank.
14.Nh4!? attacking the knight on g4 and ready to swoop in on f5. 14....h5 15.b4Qb4! -Ice cold.
Ivanchuk has clearly worked out that black has sufficient resources to handle white's onslaught.
It takes great nerves to play like this.
16.Bd2Bh2! 17.Kh1Qc5! targeting f2.
18.f4?!trying to stop the bishop from returning to d6. 18...Bg3 19.Nf5 A curious moment. Both sides are preparing assaults on each other's king. A slugfest!!
19....Nf2 20.Kg1Nh3 21.Kh1Nf2 22.Kg1Nd3 23.Be3Nf4!!! Ivanchuk follows Fischer's main principle "blow for blow" the equal or stronger threat rules in tactical skirmishes.
24.Qf3Qd5 25.Qg3Nf5! and now knight number two comes out. It takes massive courage to allow a discovered attack on one's king. Now the other knight will show defensive multitasking.
26.Bf4Kf8 27.Qd3d6! The knight on f5 makes this possible. 28.Rad1Qc6 29.Re2Be6 30.Bd6Kg8
The king runs to an escape hatch-all in time!!
31.Be5Rh6 !! Ivanchuk proves how many resources there are in the position. 32.R2d2 Sutovsky is planning the second wave -assault on the back rank. 32...Rg6! From defense to offense! 33.g3Kh7 34.Rd8!Qb6!
Sutovsky's charge of the light brigade has been stopped with a double attack. It was a refreshingly barbaric encounter between these two.
What was fascinating was how Ivanchuk used centralized pieces to strike out and then a rook lift to create more protection for an escaping King.
I have the real pleasure of sharing with you a game that did not reach the books as a masterpiece.
At least I have not seen a lot of writing on it. Sutovsky 2669 went into overdrive against Ivanchuk then rated at 2711 in a Sicillian. What was so wonderful about this game is how Ivanchuk withstood waves of Sutovsky attacks with a virtuoso performance in terms of the use of multitasking knights. Ivanchuk's knights performed both offensive and defensive roles in a way that is hard to find in the upper stratosphere of chess.
Now unto this superlative battle!!
Sutovsky vs Ivanchuk Aeroflot 2005/6
1.e4c5 2.Nf3 Sutovsky developed a reputation in the mid nineties as a very inspired and dynamic chess player. I saw him live in West Bromwich Albion as he brutalized Ivan Sokolov over the board. He is fierce and often accurate.
2....e6 Ivanchuk has done well with this move before. 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4a6 5.Nc3Qc6 6.Bd3Nf6
7.Qe2Bd6!? - Ivanchuk plays an idea that started with the trainer of Tal, Koblenz in 1958. After one game in that year it resurfaced in 1991!! It really is relatively virgin territory for creative players. It stops white from castling for a move but also contests the f4 square. Normally, it is played a move earlier. Ivanchuk first played
...Nf6 to stop Qg4.
8.Nf3Nc6 9.0-0b5 10.Re1Ng4! one idea is to play ...Nge5 and then capture on d3.This knight was to prove quite a thorn in white's flesh.
11.Nd5?! - Sutovsky goes for a typical knight sacrifice in the Sicillian. He sees that the king is in the center and he believes in provoking a crisis. When confronted by this Ivanchuk showed just how much resources there were in the position.
11....ed5! Testing the opponent. 12.ed5Ne7 13.Bf4Qc5! Ivanchuk defends e7 twice and the queen can multi task on the 5th rank.
14.Nh4!? attacking the knight on g4 and ready to swoop in on f5. 14....h5 15.b4Qb4! -Ice cold.
Ivanchuk has clearly worked out that black has sufficient resources to handle white's onslaught.
It takes great nerves to play like this.
16.Bd2Bh2! 17.Kh1Qc5! targeting f2.
18.f4?!trying to stop the bishop from returning to d6. 18...Bg3 19.Nf5 A curious moment. Both sides are preparing assaults on each other's king. A slugfest!!
19....Nf2 20.Kg1Nh3 21.Kh1Nf2 22.Kg1Nd3 23.Be3Nf4!!! Ivanchuk follows Fischer's main principle "blow for blow" the equal or stronger threat rules in tactical skirmishes.
24.Qf3Qd5 25.Qg3Nf5! and now knight number two comes out. It takes massive courage to allow a discovered attack on one's king. Now the other knight will show defensive multitasking.
26.Bf4Kf8 27.Qd3d6! The knight on f5 makes this possible. 28.Rad1Qc6 29.Re2Be6 30.Bd6Kg8
The king runs to an escape hatch-all in time!!
31.Be5Rh6 !! Ivanchuk proves how many resources there are in the position. 32.R2d2 Sutovsky is planning the second wave -assault on the back rank. 32...Rg6! From defense to offense! 33.g3Kh7 34.Rd8!Qb6!
Sutovsky's charge of the light brigade has been stopped with a double attack. It was a refreshingly barbaric encounter between these two.
What was fascinating was how Ivanchuk used centralized pieces to strike out and then a rook lift to create more protection for an escaping King.
Tuesday 26 July 2011
How the greatest players wield minor pieces as weapons of mass destruction Part One n.
Hello Chess lovers,
I would like to share with you a chess masterpiece by Vladimir Kramnik against Gary Kasparov.
Played in 1996 it was one of the few occasions where Kasparov was confronted with defensive tasks with the white pieces. Generally Kasparov would use the white pieces to break through. In this game he plays a novelty however Kramnik, divining what his opponent was up to took a high-risk high reward decision which paid off.
In this game the two bishops are used as a weapon of mass destruction:
Kasparov v Kramnik Dos Hermanas 1996
1.d4d5 2.c4c6 3.Nc3Nf6 4.Nf3e6 5.e3Nbd7 6.Bd3
With this move order, Kasparov gives his opponent information. He wishes to enter into t.he sharp
Meran lines.
6...dc4 7.Bc4b5 8.Bd3Bb7
This sub variation goes by two names: the Wade or Wade-Larsen variation. It is popular because it
offers imbalances and asymmetry, often important for victory.
9.0-0 Kasparov was always an advocate of rapid development and decides not to play 9.e4 or 9.a3
9...a6 Preparing c6-c5-c4. 10.e4c5 11.d5 The usual line. Black has not castled yet and so white seeks to open central files. 11....c4 12.Bc2Qc7 13.Nd4Nc5 In Gelfand v Dreev Tilburg 1993 and Carlsen v Shirov 2011 13...e5?! was played.
14.b4 Harassing the defender of e6 and hoping to open lines. 14...cb3 15.ab3b4 16.Na4Nce4
Kramnik centralises the knight and leaves Kasparov's knight on a4 -where it will stay till the end of the game.
17.Be4!? At the time this was played this was a new move and the aim of it was to free the g4 square for the Queen. Kasparov gives up the bishop pair in order to open up the central lines faster. Kramnik's king is in the center and time is of the essence.
17...Ne4 18.de6Bd6!? A very brave move. There are a number of reasons why Kramnik will play this move. Time is also important and he saw that castling queen side would mean face 19.Qg4 right away with
the idea of e7+. One line given by Igor Stohl is 19....Nf6 20.Qh3Rd4 21.e7+Kb8 22.ef8Rf8 23.Be3Bc8
24.Nc5Qc5 25.Qg3+ followed by Qg7. Kramnik prepares for King side castling but also takes aim at the white king which is about to come under serious attack from the two bishops. If one looks on the left of the board for black, almost everything is aimed at white's king side. White has a rook on a1, bishop on c1 and a knight at a4.
19.ef7Qf7 20.f3Qh5! Kramnik gets an exclamation mark for this act of courage.Black is willing to sacrifice a piece for an attack against the white king.No less than four black pieces are trained on the white king.The two bishops are aimed at him like long range missiles or snipers.
21.g3 The only move. If 21.fe4?Qh2 22.Kf20-0 ! If 21.h3Qe5 22.f4Qf6 and in both cases black is better.
Psychologically it would have been difficult for Kasparov to cope with this turn of events. He created a new move then finds himself on the defensive with the white pieces-which is very rare.It would have been hard to make this adjustment.
21...0-0 The alternative was the hyper aggressive and accurate ...Ng3.Kramnik is human after all and he must have been anxious about leaving the king in the open.In addition the rook is on the f-file now and this gives rise to some more possibilities.
22.fe4 Kasparov challenges his opponent to prove his concept. He had another move :22.Ra2Nc3 23.Nc3bc3 24.Ne6Bc5 with and advantage for black. 22.Ne6?Ng3 23hg3Bg3 24.Ra2Rf3 and black has the two bishops.
22....Qh3 This is the move that pushes Kasparov towards his first blunder.He has five different moves and two of them are very bad :
A) 23.Nf5?Be4 24.Ra2Rf5 25.Rf5Qf5 26.Qd6Qf3 winning.
B) 23.Bf4Bf4 24.Rf4Rf4 25.gf4Qe3 26.Kf1Be4 27.Ne2Qf3+
C)23.Ra2!?Be4 I will challenge the reader to finish the analysis.
D)23.Rf8Rf8 24.Qe2
E)23.Qe2!Bg3
I have decided to leave the reader to figure out the remaining moves in order to promote active reading.
In lines c to e the motif is the same: lateral defense along the second rank.
23.Nf3? Bg3! Black's idea is brutally simple: Rf3 and take on h2 with the queen.
24.Nc5? This is possibly the decisive mistake. 24.Qe2 was available.
24....Rf3 25.Rf3?? 25.Ra2Rf1 26.Qf1Qf1 27.Kf1Rc8 28.Be3Bf4!? Allows white to stagger bleeding into
an endgame which is not so clear cut.
25...Qh2 26.Kf1Bc6!! Kramnik moves his second bishop in like a sniper who will hit the king from another angle. I really believe Kasparov missed this. He saw the direct threats and then he has to contend with this new idea.
27.Bg5 Kasparov sees another attack coming when his king tries to "run away" so he guards d8.
27...Bb5 28.Nd3Re8 ! With the idea of Qh1 and Re4. 29.Ra2Qh1 30.Ke2Re4 31.Kd2Qg2
32.Kc1Qa2 33.Rg3 Qa1 34.Kc2Qc3 35.Kb1Rd4 At this point Kasparov simply had enough.
0-1
I hope you enjoyed that. Rarely has Kasparov been so roughly treated as white and it is so odd
to see his king being ripped like that. What was interesting was how Kramnik deployed his bishop straight away on d6 not bothering to recapture on e6. The big turning point came at move 20 when ...Qh5 brought another black piece to the party. At that moment the imbalance on the board was clear. White had three assets -rook bishop and knight stuck on the queen side. Black had a queen and two bishops trained on the white king.
Moves 23 to 25 decided the outcome with the bishops and the queen doing the damage. Kramnik proved in this game that he was more than a match for Kasparov's idea and built a fear factor around the way he used the two bishops.
Tuesday 19 July 2011
World Open Highlights and Delicacies Part One
Hello Chess Lovers
I would like to share with you the delightful attacking game played by Molnar and Smirin in the World Open USA. It was a fantastic advertisement for creative chess and involved some very attractive motifs.
Lets go!!
Molnar v Smirin World Open
1.e4c5 2.Nf3e6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4a6 5.Bd3Bc5 This line of the Paulsen is popular. Interesting is 5....Ne7
6.0-0Nbc6 7.Nc6Nc6 8.Be3Be7 Shirov v Carlsen Linares 2008
6.Nb3Ba7 7.Qg4 The most aggressive try. This is one of those high risk, high return variations.
7...Nf6 8.Qg3d6 9.Nc3Nc6 10.0-0b5 11.Qg7?! A key moment in the struggle white seeks an imbalance
that will hopefully disrupt black's plans for harmonious development. Black gains vital open lines.
11...Rg8 12.Qh6Ne5! A knight is heading to g4. 13.Kh1Nfg4! 14.Qh7Kd7!! A highly creative concept.
Now the g and h files are open.Smirin has calculated that he has enough time to bring his guns to bear on the white king.
15.h3Bb7!! Knowing that 16.hg3Rh8 wins the white queen, Smirin lines up the bishop on the a8-h1 diagonal. 16.f4Qf6!! Smirin does what very strong GMs do. Since the time of Fischer they always look for the equal or stronger threat. If 17.fe5Nf2+ is coming. 17.Qh5Nd3 not wasting time. 18.cd3Nf2 19.Rf2Bf2
20.Na5 And right here Smirin sets up a brutal finish. 20...Rg3! In response to every threatening white move from move 15 onwards, Smirin finds active counter measures and this is the hallmark of the sharp tactician finding active moves but also the quiet ones. 21.Nb7Rh8 22.e5Qg7! 23.Ne4Rh3!!
And white had enough. 0-1 I hope this was a wonderful experience for you.A great advertisement for active attacking chess.
I would like to share with you the delightful attacking game played by Molnar and Smirin in the World Open USA. It was a fantastic advertisement for creative chess and involved some very attractive motifs.
Lets go!!
Molnar v Smirin World Open
1.e4c5 2.Nf3e6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4a6 5.Bd3Bc5 This line of the Paulsen is popular. Interesting is 5....Ne7
6.0-0Nbc6 7.Nc6Nc6 8.Be3Be7 Shirov v Carlsen Linares 2008
6.Nb3Ba7 7.Qg4 The most aggressive try. This is one of those high risk, high return variations.
7...Nf6 8.Qg3d6 9.Nc3Nc6 10.0-0b5 11.Qg7?! A key moment in the struggle white seeks an imbalance
that will hopefully disrupt black's plans for harmonious development. Black gains vital open lines.
11...Rg8 12.Qh6Ne5! A knight is heading to g4. 13.Kh1Nfg4! 14.Qh7Kd7!! A highly creative concept.
Now the g and h files are open.Smirin has calculated that he has enough time to bring his guns to bear on the white king.
15.h3Bb7!! Knowing that 16.hg3Rh8 wins the white queen, Smirin lines up the bishop on the a8-h1 diagonal. 16.f4Qf6!! Smirin does what very strong GMs do. Since the time of Fischer they always look for the equal or stronger threat. If 17.fe5Nf2+ is coming. 17.Qh5Nd3 not wasting time. 18.cd3Nf2 19.Rf2Bf2
20.Na5 And right here Smirin sets up a brutal finish. 20...Rg3! In response to every threatening white move from move 15 onwards, Smirin finds active counter measures and this is the hallmark of the sharp tactician finding active moves but also the quiet ones. 21.Nb7Rh8 22.e5Qg7! 23.Ne4Rh3!!
And white had enough. 0-1 I hope this was a wonderful experience for you.A great advertisement for active attacking chess.
Saturday 16 July 2011
Asymmetrical warfare in chess: The Ultra Flexible 1...g6 Part Three
Hello chess lovers
In the final part of this trilogy I would like to share the brilliant game Ioseliani vs Svidler 1998 with you.
Aside from looking at the unorthodox nature of black's concept we can also explore the cross pollination of ideas in the Modern Defence and see how ideas from the Sicillian Dragon are quite similiar.
This game has some aesthetic qualities which will be backed up by variations.
Ioseliani v. Svidler 1998
1.e4g6 2.d4Bg7 3.Nc3d6 4.Be3a6 5.Qd2Nd7 6.f3b5 7.h4Ngf6 8.g4h6!? Svidler is using a lot of flexible moves here.He is ready for h4-h5 or g4-g5.
9.Nh3Nb6 10.0-0-0b4 11.Nb1?! A critical moment. White wants the bishop on f1 to guard c4 and so leaves the knight on this sad outpost.The problem is that it leads to a lot of mating ideas on the b2 square.Svidler develops a plan around this.
11....a5 12.Nf4Nfd7Svidler prepares for action on the queenside.Note that his king has a fixed address. 13.Bb5
(13.e5de5 14.de5Be5 15.Nfd5Bb7 16.Nb6cb6 17.Bb5Bd6)
13...Bb7 14.d5c5!! Beautiful concept.This is all based on the important square c4. Now we have a Sicillian type structure where c5 is played with loads of attractive variations.
15.dc6!? (15.Ne6fe6 16.de6Bc6!! 17.ed7 -17Bc6Nc4! 18.ed7Kf8- 17...Qd7 18.Bc6Qc6 19.Qe20-0)
15...Bc6 16.Qe2(16.Bc6Nc4 with the idea of Bb2#)Rc8 17.Bc6Rc6At this point black is virtually playing a form of Sicillian Dragon with the open c-file and white's king in his sights.
18.Nd50-0
Only now does Svidler castle in order to secure the king and get the other rook into action.
19.Bd4Bd4 20.Rd4e6 21.Ne3Nc5 At this point white goes quite wrong.However she was under some pressure and she also has to a
djust to the fact that she has no aggressive possibilities.
22.Nc4?
(22.Qb5Qf6 ; 22.b3e5!)
22...Nc4 23.Rc4d5 24.ed5ed5 25.Rhd1Nd3!! A lovely line clearance move with a check.
Svidler plays this part of the game extremely well. The white king has been a liability on c1 for many moves and Svidler cashes in.
26.Qd3Rc4 27.Nd2Rc6 now we reach the business end of the game where results are all important.
28.h5Qg5 29.hg6fg6 30.Kb1Sadly for white this did not improve the situation.
30...Rfc8 31.Nb3Rc2 32.f4Qf4 33.Qg6 Kh8 34.Rh1Rh2 And here white had enough. 0-1
Summary:
Svidler played for imbalances in the opening. He was playing fora win in this event and he chose
something that his opponent would be unfamiliar with.The opponent played well for 10 moves and then 11.Nb1?! allowed Svidler to develop a concept around the b2 square and the bad position of white's King which was stuck on the c-file.
In the final part of this trilogy I would like to share the brilliant game Ioseliani vs Svidler 1998 with you.
Aside from looking at the unorthodox nature of black's concept we can also explore the cross pollination of ideas in the Modern Defence and see how ideas from the Sicillian Dragon are quite similiar.
This game has some aesthetic qualities which will be backed up by variations.
Ioseliani v. Svidler 1998
1.e4g6 2.d4Bg7 3.Nc3d6 4.Be3a6 5.Qd2Nd7 6.f3b5 7.h4Ngf6 8.g4h6!? Svidler is using a lot of flexible moves here.He is ready for h4-h5 or g4-g5.
9.Nh3Nb6 10.0-0-0b4 11.Nb1?! A critical moment. White wants the bishop on f1 to guard c4 and so leaves the knight on this sad outpost.The problem is that it leads to a lot of mating ideas on the b2 square.Svidler develops a plan around this.
11....a5 12.Nf4Nfd7Svidler prepares for action on the queenside.Note that his king has a fixed address. 13.Bb5
(13.e5de5 14.de5Be5 15.Nfd5Bb7 16.Nb6cb6 17.Bb5Bd6)
13...Bb7 14.d5c5!! Beautiful concept.This is all based on the important square c4. Now we have a Sicillian type structure where c5 is played with loads of attractive variations.
15.dc6!? (15.Ne6fe6 16.de6Bc6!! 17.ed7 -17Bc6Nc4! 18.ed7Kf8- 17...Qd7 18.Bc6Qc6 19.Qe20-0)
15...Bc6 16.Qe2(16.Bc6Nc4 with the idea of Bb2#)Rc8 17.Bc6Rc6At this point black is virtually playing a form of Sicillian Dragon with the open c-file and white's king in his sights.
18.Nd50-0
Only now does Svidler castle in order to secure the king and get the other rook into action.
19.Bd4Bd4 20.Rd4e6 21.Ne3Nc5 At this point white goes quite wrong.However she was under some pressure and she also has to a
djust to the fact that she has no aggressive possibilities.
22.Nc4?
(22.Qb5Qf6 ; 22.b3e5!)
22...Nc4 23.Rc4d5 24.ed5ed5 25.Rhd1Nd3!! A lovely line clearance move with a check.
Svidler plays this part of the game extremely well. The white king has been a liability on c1 for many moves and Svidler cashes in.
26.Qd3Rc4 27.Nd2Rc6 now we reach the business end of the game where results are all important.
28.h5Qg5 29.hg6fg6 30.Kb1Sadly for white this did not improve the situation.
30...Rfc8 31.Nb3Rc2 32.f4Qf4 33.Qg6 Kh8 34.Rh1Rh2 And here white had enough. 0-1
Summary:
Svidler played for imbalances in the opening. He was playing fora win in this event and he chose
something that his opponent would be unfamiliar with.The opponent played well for 10 moves and then 11.Nb1?! allowed Svidler to develop a concept around the b2 square and the bad position of white's King which was stuck on the c-file.
Asymmetrical warfare in chess: The Ultra Flexible 1...g6 Part Two
Hello Chess Lovers
In Part One we saw a successful black strategy where white was encouraged to build a big center and then black chipped away at the center with moves like ...f6 and ...fe5. In this game we shall see how white reacts to this hyper modern build up by gradually grabbing squares and working on long term goals such as greater space and the inducement of weaknesses. This game features Swedish GM Emanuel Berg versus Koukufikis of greece.
Berg v Koukofik
1.e4g6 2.d4Bg7 3.Nc3d6 4.Be3a6 5.Qd2b5 Black has another option: 5...Nd7 6.h4Ngf6 7.f3b5 8.0-0-0Bb7.g4h5 10.g5Nh7 11.d5c5 12.dc6Bc6 13.Bd4! a key move taking away black's best piece. 13...Bd4 14.Qd40-0 15.Nge2Qb6 16.Bh3!Rfd8 17.Nd5Bd5 18.ed5Nhf8 19.f4 grabbing more squares. 19...Qd4 20.Nd4 and white's advantage is durable he has more space and can organize pressure against e7.
6.h4h6 This slightly weakens g6.White works on this later on.7.0-0-0 Bb7 8.Nh3Nd7 9.f3c6?! 10.Kb1Qc7 11.Nf4Ngf6 12.g4Its good to notice that the white bishop on f1 is left at home in this structure.
12...Nb6 13.Qf2! Berg is very patient. He anticipates black's pseudo-active moves with Nc4 and he is ready to play the bishop to c1.
13...b4 14.Nce2Nc4 15.Bc1Nd7 16.Ng3Ndb6 17.Bc4Nc4 18.Qe2!Nb6 Now we can take stock.
White has more space and he can organise play in the center and on the king side.Black cannot really generate more aggression on the queen side.
19.h5!g5 A big turning point in the game. The f5 square turns into good real estate for white and this will mean grave difficulties for black.
20.Nf5!Bf8 21.e50-0-0 22.Nd3!Nd5 23.f4!c5?! 24.ed6ed6 25.dc5dc5 26.fg5With each pawn exchange the game opens up for white's better placed pieces.A key skill in chess is to anticipate changes in pawn structure.
26....c4 27.Nf4! Nc3A committal move made by a player who must have felt the need to do something drastic. (27...Nf4 28.Rd8Kd8 29.Rd1Nd5 30.Ne3Qc5 31.Nd5Bd5 32.Qe5!)28.bc3Bh1 29.Rh1bc3 30.Qf3Bd6 31.Ne2Qb6 32.Ka1Be5 33.Ne7Kd7 34.Qf7Rhf8 35.Rd1+ 1-0
So its important to summarize the key points of this game:
1) White set out to grab space without generating threats early.
2) At move 19 white showed his major card-h4-h5 inducing a weakness on f5.
3) With e4-e5 and f3-f4 white opened up the position with well placed pieces.
White showed patience in this game and at the right time, opened the game up.Also he showed an understanding of structural changes.
In Part One we saw a successful black strategy where white was encouraged to build a big center and then black chipped away at the center with moves like ...f6 and ...fe5. In this game we shall see how white reacts to this hyper modern build up by gradually grabbing squares and working on long term goals such as greater space and the inducement of weaknesses. This game features Swedish GM Emanuel Berg versus Koukufikis of greece.
Berg v Koukofik
1.e4g6 2.d4Bg7 3.Nc3d6 4.Be3a6 5.Qd2b5 Black has another option: 5...Nd7 6.h4Ngf6 7.f3b5 8.0-0-0Bb7.g4h5 10.g5Nh7 11.d5c5 12.dc6Bc6 13.Bd4! a key move taking away black's best piece. 13...Bd4 14.Qd40-0 15.Nge2Qb6 16.Bh3!Rfd8 17.Nd5Bd5 18.ed5Nhf8 19.f4 grabbing more squares. 19...Qd4 20.Nd4 and white's advantage is durable he has more space and can organize pressure against e7.
6.h4h6 This slightly weakens g6.White works on this later on.7.0-0-0 Bb7 8.Nh3Nd7 9.f3c6?! 10.Kb1Qc7 11.Nf4Ngf6 12.g4Its good to notice that the white bishop on f1 is left at home in this structure.
12...Nb6 13.Qf2! Berg is very patient. He anticipates black's pseudo-active moves with Nc4 and he is ready to play the bishop to c1.
13...b4 14.Nce2Nc4 15.Bc1Nd7 16.Ng3Ndb6 17.Bc4Nc4 18.Qe2!Nb6 Now we can take stock.
White has more space and he can organise play in the center and on the king side.Black cannot really generate more aggression on the queen side.
19.h5!g5 A big turning point in the game. The f5 square turns into good real estate for white and this will mean grave difficulties for black.
20.Nf5!Bf8 21.e50-0-0 22.Nd3!Nd5 23.f4!c5?! 24.ed6ed6 25.dc5dc5 26.fg5With each pawn exchange the game opens up for white's better placed pieces.A key skill in chess is to anticipate changes in pawn structure.
26....c4 27.Nf4! Nc3A committal move made by a player who must have felt the need to do something drastic. (27...Nf4 28.Rd8Kd8 29.Rd1Nd5 30.Ne3Qc5 31.Nd5Bd5 32.Qe5!)28.bc3Bh1 29.Rh1bc3 30.Qf3Bd6 31.Ne2Qb6 32.Ka1Be5 33.Ne7Kd7 34.Qf7Rhf8 35.Rd1+ 1-0
So its important to summarize the key points of this game:
1) White set out to grab space without generating threats early.
2) At move 19 white showed his major card-h4-h5 inducing a weakness on f5.
3) With e4-e5 and f3-f4 white opened up the position with well placed pieces.
White showed patience in this game and at the right time, opened the game up.Also he showed an understanding of structural changes.
Friday 15 July 2011
Asymmetrical warfare in chess: The Ultra Flexible 1...g6 Part One
Hello Chess lovers
I wanted to explore with you hypermodern concepts that can arise out of 1.e4g6. The move order is amazing flexible for a number of reasons:
1) The knight has not been committed to f6 which means the bishop on g7 is not obstructed-like a sniper on the flanks ready to take aim at d4 and the b2 square.
2) Black is not compelled to play ...d6 and so he can also play ...c6 and d5.
3) Black can also get into Sicillian like positions with the inclusion of Bg7/Nd7/d6/c5
I have very pleasant memories of Tiger Hillarp Persson explaining his version of the Modern Defense.
He wanted to have a kind of Accelerated Dragon but the the knight not obstructing the the bishop on g7 for some moves. Petr Svidler seemed to find this attractive along with a number of other players. Kramnik played the ultra flexible move order against Grischuk this year. So this now leads to white's strategy. Often the strategy is one of containment of the wings with a2-a4 and h2-h4. We will look at black and white's strategy and I hope this will be exciting for you.
The first game features
Bonev v Chatalbashev
1.e4g6 2.d4Bg7 3.Nc3c6 4.f4d5 Chatelbashev wants an imbalance against the lower rated player so he plays in an asymmetrical way. 5.e5Nh6 and now one can determine black's idea. He will use the white center as a target and post his pieces from the flank.
6.Nf3f6 Phase two -black begins to hit at the center. 7.Be2Bg4 8.0-00-0 9.Be3Nd7 10.Qd2e6 11.Nd1White wants to free the c-pawn for action and black prepares for an assault on the center.
11...Nf5Black reaps one of the benefits of encouraging white to build his center.He gets a nice square for his knight.
12.Nf2Bf3 13.Bf3fe5 14.fe5Qb6! A key move, black pins the d pawn and puts pressure on b2.
15.c3Ne5! 16.Qe2Ne3 17.Qe3Nf3 18.gf3e5! Strategically black has done everything right.The computer gives black a massive advantage with one type of software and a win on others.
19.Rfd1ed4 20.cd4Rae8 21.Qd3Bd4!! Out of nowhere black finds a lovely tactical blow. White had enough and resigned. If he went on he would have faced : 22.Qd4Re1!! 23.Kg2Qd4 24.Rd4Ra1 with a win.
That was a good advertisement for the strategy of encouraging white to build a big center then undermining it.
This can be compared with Aikido in the martial arts!!
Key Moments:
6...f6 - Undermining the center.
14...Qb6 setting up tactical possibilities
I wanted to explore with you hypermodern concepts that can arise out of 1.e4g6. The move order is amazing flexible for a number of reasons:
1) The knight has not been committed to f6 which means the bishop on g7 is not obstructed-like a sniper on the flanks ready to take aim at d4 and the b2 square.
2) Black is not compelled to play ...d6 and so he can also play ...c6 and d5.
3) Black can also get into Sicillian like positions with the inclusion of Bg7/Nd7/d6/c5
I have very pleasant memories of Tiger Hillarp Persson explaining his version of the Modern Defense.
He wanted to have a kind of Accelerated Dragon but the the knight not obstructing the the bishop on g7 for some moves. Petr Svidler seemed to find this attractive along with a number of other players. Kramnik played the ultra flexible move order against Grischuk this year. So this now leads to white's strategy. Often the strategy is one of containment of the wings with a2-a4 and h2-h4. We will look at black and white's strategy and I hope this will be exciting for you.
The first game features
Bonev v Chatalbashev
1.e4g6 2.d4Bg7 3.Nc3c6 4.f4d5 Chatelbashev wants an imbalance against the lower rated player so he plays in an asymmetrical way. 5.e5Nh6 and now one can determine black's idea. He will use the white center as a target and post his pieces from the flank.
6.Nf3f6 Phase two -black begins to hit at the center. 7.Be2Bg4 8.0-00-0 9.Be3Nd7 10.Qd2e6 11.Nd1White wants to free the c-pawn for action and black prepares for an assault on the center.
11...Nf5Black reaps one of the benefits of encouraging white to build his center.He gets a nice square for his knight.
12.Nf2Bf3 13.Bf3fe5 14.fe5Qb6! A key move, black pins the d pawn and puts pressure on b2.
15.c3Ne5! 16.Qe2Ne3 17.Qe3Nf3 18.gf3e5! Strategically black has done everything right.The computer gives black a massive advantage with one type of software and a win on others.
19.Rfd1ed4 20.cd4Rae8 21.Qd3Bd4!! Out of nowhere black finds a lovely tactical blow. White had enough and resigned. If he went on he would have faced : 22.Qd4Re1!! 23.Kg2Qd4 24.Rd4Ra1 with a win.
That was a good advertisement for the strategy of encouraging white to build a big center then undermining it.
This can be compared with Aikido in the martial arts!!
Key Moments:
6...f6 - Undermining the center.
14...Qb6 setting up tactical possibilities
Thursday 14 July 2011
In the spirit of Paul Keres 4.Bg5 vs. the Pirc Part Two
Hello Chess lovers,
I will be sharing with you an unusual treatment of 4Bg5 in the Pirc by Svidler who was once a great e2-e4 expert. In the following game he encounters an unusual strategy from Sunil Weeramanty and then gradually takes over the game.Lets see:
Svidler v Weeramanty
1.e4d6 2.d4Nf6 3.Nc3g6 4.Bg5Nbd7 5.f4h6 6.Bh4c5 7.d5Bg7 8.Nf3Qb6 Black's move order resembles a Dragon set up with the pawn at c5 and the Bishop on g7 ready for action. Svidler appears to play passively inviting the opponent to premature aggression.
9.Qc1Nh5 10.Nd1g5 Black is trying to assume the initiative and I believe that the last two moves in particular prompted this pseudo active continuation.The problem is that it all runs out.
11.fg5Ne5!? 12.gh6The trend of the game has changed. Black has surrendered material for active pieces and the hope of landing a blow somewhere.The problem is that there is no concrete forcing variation here.Black's position looks optically interesting but there is a point beyond which he cannot improve his position.
12....Qb4 13.Nc3Bh6?! (13...Nf3 14.gf3Bc3 15.bc3Qc3 16.Kf2f5!? would be more interesting)
14.Bg5Nf3 15.gf3Bg5 16.Qg5Qb2 17.Kd2Qb4 18.Qe3a6! 19.Rb1Qa5 20.e5!? This is the turning point.
Svidler points out the flaw of black's concept: The address of his king is fixed and white mounts an attack on the King.
20....de5 21.Qe5Nf6 22.d6 Svidler uses every resource. 22...Qd8 23.Nd5Qa5Lashing out. 24.Kd1Nd5 25.Qh8Kd7 26.Rb3Kd6 27.Bc4Be6 28.Qa8 The Queen is the star of this game.From c1 it has travelled all the way to a8!
28...Nc3 29.Kd2Nb5 30.Kc1Bc4 31.Rd1Ke6 32.Re3Kf6 33.Qh8 And black is out of business.
1-0 I hope that was a lot of fun and excitement. For a while it appeared that white was defensive as black took an extremely active stance early on. By move 20, the game was turning against black.Usually players have difficulty adapting to changes in the game if they were active and then they have to go on the defensive.
Svidler managed to handle to aspects very well-mounting an attack in the center and fending of black's counter attacks. This takes a certain cold blooded attitude.
I will be sharing with you an unusual treatment of 4Bg5 in the Pirc by Svidler who was once a great e2-e4 expert. In the following game he encounters an unusual strategy from Sunil Weeramanty and then gradually takes over the game.Lets see:
Svidler v Weeramanty
1.e4d6 2.d4Nf6 3.Nc3g6 4.Bg5Nbd7 5.f4h6 6.Bh4c5 7.d5Bg7 8.Nf3Qb6 Black's move order resembles a Dragon set up with the pawn at c5 and the Bishop on g7 ready for action. Svidler appears to play passively inviting the opponent to premature aggression.
9.Qc1Nh5 10.Nd1g5 Black is trying to assume the initiative and I believe that the last two moves in particular prompted this pseudo active continuation.The problem is that it all runs out.
11.fg5Ne5!? 12.gh6The trend of the game has changed. Black has surrendered material for active pieces and the hope of landing a blow somewhere.The problem is that there is no concrete forcing variation here.Black's position looks optically interesting but there is a point beyond which he cannot improve his position.
12....Qb4 13.Nc3Bh6?! (13...Nf3 14.gf3Bc3 15.bc3Qc3 16.Kf2f5!? would be more interesting)
14.Bg5Nf3 15.gf3Bg5 16.Qg5Qb2 17.Kd2Qb4 18.Qe3a6! 19.Rb1Qa5 20.e5!? This is the turning point.
Svidler points out the flaw of black's concept: The address of his king is fixed and white mounts an attack on the King.
20....de5 21.Qe5Nf6 22.d6 Svidler uses every resource. 22...Qd8 23.Nd5Qa5Lashing out. 24.Kd1Nd5 25.Qh8Kd7 26.Rb3Kd6 27.Bc4Be6 28.Qa8 The Queen is the star of this game.From c1 it has travelled all the way to a8!
28...Nc3 29.Kd2Nb5 30.Kc1Bc4 31.Rd1Ke6 32.Re3Kf6 33.Qh8 And black is out of business.
1-0 I hope that was a lot of fun and excitement. For a while it appeared that white was defensive as black took an extremely active stance early on. By move 20, the game was turning against black.Usually players have difficulty adapting to changes in the game if they were active and then they have to go on the defensive.
Svidler managed to handle to aspects very well-mounting an attack in the center and fending of black's counter attacks. This takes a certain cold blooded attitude.
Sunday 19 June 2011
In the spirit of Paul Keres 4.Bg5 vs. the Pirc Part One
Hello Chess Lovers
I wish to explore a line which has been called rare.1.d4g6 2.e4d6 3.Nc3Bg74.Bg5!? Yet top Russian GMs have used it. Svidler, Dreev and Tiviakov have played some very good games with it.Peter Leko has also tried it. The point of the move is to provoke black into making awkward moves like 4...h6. Also white wants to relocate his king to c1 so the move makes sense in that regard. Paul Keres showed that 4...c5 is met with a poisonous line:
5.dc5Qa5 6.Bd2Qc5 7.Nd5e6? 8.Bb4Qc6 9.Bb5 winning. Of course you can also look for alternatives to 7...e6.
So let us get into the inspirational game of Dreev vs Azmaiparashvili Moscow 1989
I will give credit to Dreev for some of the following analysis and then add some of my own commentary.
1.d4g6 2.e4d6 3.Nc3Bg7 4.Bg5!?Nf6 5.f4 this move takes advantage of black's concession in space.
I should remark here that most Super GMs as white, go for a spatial advantage because it is a lasting advantage.
5...c6 Black was at a serious junction here.
5....c5?! 6.e5Nh5 (6.cd4?7.ef6ef6 8.Qd4Qe7 9.Nce2Nc6 10.Qc3 winning) 7.dc5de5 8.Qd8Kd8
9.0-0-0Bd7 10.fe5h6 11.Be3Be5 12.Nd5Nc6 13.Nf3Bg7 14.Bb5 with a pleasant position for white.His pieces find very natural squares.
5...h6?! 6.Bh4c5 7.e5Nh5 8.dc5Nf4 9.ed6g5 10.Bf2
6.Qd2b5 7.Bd30-0 8.Nf3Bg4 9.e5!b4 10.Ne2Bf3 11.gf3Nd5 12.Bc4a5
Here we can look at the position in depth. White has completed development, got the two bishops and also knows the address of the opponent's King.He has straightforward possibilities against the fortress on the right side of the board. Over on the left side of the board, black has not completed development but his pawns are well advanced. If white castles queen side, he must always reckon with ...b3 followed by ...a4.Nevertheless Dreev played :
13.0-0-0Qd7 In 1996 Dreev vs Zakharevich featured : 13...f6!? 14.ef6ef6 15.B4Bh6 16.Bf2Nd7 17.h4N7b6 18.Bd3Na4 and now 19.Kb1 is a good prophylactic move getting the king off the h6-c1 diagonal and then preparing to move the queen as well. You can look at this in detail with any of the software programmes available. The game lasts only 11 more moves after black's queen move.
14.f5! White wastes no time and proceeds to create a crisis. The plan is simple : take on g6 and then push the h-pawn.
14....Qf5 15.Ng3 sustaining the initiative. 15...Qe6
If the black queen gets a hefty appetite for pawns the punishment is spectacular:
15....Qf3 16.Rdf1Qg4 17.Nf5!? - Fritz- 17...gf5 18.Rhg1Qh5 19.Bd5cd5 20.Be7Nd7 21.Bf6Nf6
22.gf6b3 23.a3!? I leave the rest to everybody who wants to analyse this.
16.f4! Wave after wave. Its tough to face this pressure. 16....de5
(16...h6 17.f5gf5 18.Bf4 -white will go for Rhg1/Nh5)
17.f5!Qd6 18.fg6hg6 19.Rdg1 white is planning a very spectacular move. 19...ed4?!
Black stumbles.This is understandable. He is under pressure and he goes for an active continuation. If 19...f5 20.h4 is also very critical.
20.Nf5! A spectacular move hoping to rip open black's fortress and pressuring e7 and d6.
20...Qe5 21.Ng7Ne3?! 22.Be3de3 23.Qd3Kg7 24.Bf7!! Destruction of the pawn cover!
24...Qh5 25.Rg6 1-0 Black had enough.
What was so instructive was the way in which so many things happened on the f5 square.
In the meantime the black pawns on a5 and b4 are frozen not doing a thing.Its important to note that a move like 20.Nf5 could only come to an open mind. Dreev is a disciple of Dvoretsky and no doubt had seen many attacking motifs before.
I wish to explore a line which has been called rare.1.d4g6 2.e4d6 3.Nc3Bg74.Bg5!? Yet top Russian GMs have used it. Svidler, Dreev and Tiviakov have played some very good games with it.Peter Leko has also tried it. The point of the move is to provoke black into making awkward moves like 4...h6. Also white wants to relocate his king to c1 so the move makes sense in that regard. Paul Keres showed that 4...c5 is met with a poisonous line:
5.dc5Qa5 6.Bd2Qc5 7.Nd5e6? 8.Bb4Qc6 9.Bb5 winning. Of course you can also look for alternatives to 7...e6.
So let us get into the inspirational game of Dreev vs Azmaiparashvili Moscow 1989
I will give credit to Dreev for some of the following analysis and then add some of my own commentary.
1.d4g6 2.e4d6 3.Nc3Bg7 4.Bg5!?Nf6 5.f4 this move takes advantage of black's concession in space.
I should remark here that most Super GMs as white, go for a spatial advantage because it is a lasting advantage.
5...c6 Black was at a serious junction here.
5....c5?! 6.e5Nh5 (6.cd4?7.ef6ef6 8.Qd4Qe7 9.Nce2Nc6 10.Qc3 winning) 7.dc5de5 8.Qd8Kd8
9.0-0-0Bd7 10.fe5h6 11.Be3Be5 12.Nd5Nc6 13.Nf3Bg7 14.Bb5 with a pleasant position for white.His pieces find very natural squares.
5...h6?! 6.Bh4c5 7.e5Nh5 8.dc5Nf4 9.ed6g5 10.Bf2
6.Qd2b5 7.Bd30-0 8.Nf3Bg4 9.e5!b4 10.Ne2Bf3 11.gf3Nd5 12.Bc4a5
Here we can look at the position in depth. White has completed development, got the two bishops and also knows the address of the opponent's King.He has straightforward possibilities against the fortress on the right side of the board. Over on the left side of the board, black has not completed development but his pawns are well advanced. If white castles queen side, he must always reckon with ...b3 followed by ...a4.Nevertheless Dreev played :
13.0-0-0Qd7 In 1996 Dreev vs Zakharevich featured : 13...f6!? 14.ef6ef6 15.B4Bh6 16.Bf2Nd7 17.h4N7b6 18.Bd3Na4 and now 19.Kb1 is a good prophylactic move getting the king off the h6-c1 diagonal and then preparing to move the queen as well. You can look at this in detail with any of the software programmes available. The game lasts only 11 more moves after black's queen move.
14.f5! White wastes no time and proceeds to create a crisis. The plan is simple : take on g6 and then push the h-pawn.
14....Qf5 15.Ng3 sustaining the initiative. 15...Qe6
If the black queen gets a hefty appetite for pawns the punishment is spectacular:
15....Qf3 16.Rdf1Qg4 17.Nf5!? - Fritz- 17...gf5 18.Rhg1Qh5 19.Bd5cd5 20.Be7Nd7 21.Bf6Nf6
22.gf6b3 23.a3!? I leave the rest to everybody who wants to analyse this.
16.f4! Wave after wave. Its tough to face this pressure. 16....de5
(16...h6 17.f5gf5 18.Bf4 -white will go for Rhg1/Nh5)
17.f5!Qd6 18.fg6hg6 19.Rdg1 white is planning a very spectacular move. 19...ed4?!
Black stumbles.This is understandable. He is under pressure and he goes for an active continuation. If 19...f5 20.h4 is also very critical.
20.Nf5! A spectacular move hoping to rip open black's fortress and pressuring e7 and d6.
20...Qe5 21.Ng7Ne3?! 22.Be3de3 23.Qd3Kg7 24.Bf7!! Destruction of the pawn cover!
24...Qh5 25.Rg6 1-0 Black had enough.
What was so instructive was the way in which so many things happened on the f5 square.
In the meantime the black pawns on a5 and b4 are frozen not doing a thing.Its important to note that a move like 20.Nf5 could only come to an open mind. Dreev is a disciple of Dvoretsky and no doubt had seen many attacking motifs before.
In the spirit of Paul Keres 4.Bg5 vs. the Pirc Part One
Hello Chess Lovers
I wish to explore a line which has been called rare.1.d4g6 2.e4d6 3.Nc3Bg74.Bg5!? Yet top Russian GMs have used it. Svidler, Dreev and Tiviakov have played some very good games with it.Peter Leko has also tried it. The point of the move is to provoke black into making awkward moves like 4...h6. Also white wants to relocate his king to c1 so the move makes sense in that regard. Paul Keres showed that 4...c5 is met with a poisonous line:
5.dc5Qa5 6.Bd2Qc5 7.Nd5e6? 8.Bb4Qc6 9.Bb5 winning. Of course you can also look for alternatives to 7...e6.
So let us get into the inspirational game of Dreev vs Azmaiparashvili Moscow 1989
I will give credit to Dreev for some of the following analysis and then add some of my own commentary.
1.d4g6 2.e4d6 3.Nc3Bg7 4.Bg5!?Nf6 5.f4 this move takes advantage of black's concession in space.
I should remark here that most Super GMs as white, go for a spatial advantage because it is a lasting advantage.
5...c6 Black was at a serious junction here.
5....c5?! 6.e5Nh5 (6.cd4?7.ef6ef6 8.Qd4Qe7 9.Nce2Nc6 10.Qc3 winning) 7.dc5de5 8.Qd8Kd8
9.0-0-0Bd7 10.fe5h6 11.Be3Be5 12.Nd5Nc6 13.Nf3Bg7 14.Bb5 with a pleasant position for white.His pieces find very natural squares.
5...h6?! 6.Bh4c5 7.e5Nh5 8.dc5Nf4 9.ed6g5 10.Bf2
6.Qd2b5 7.Bd30-0 8.Nf3Bg4 9.e5!b4 10.Ne2Bf3 11.gf3Nd5 12.Bc4a5
Here we can look at the position in depth. White has completed development, got the two bishops and also knows the address of the opponent's King.He has straightforward possibilities against the fortress on the right side of the board. Over on the left side of the board, black has not completed development but his pawns are well advanced. If white castles queen side, he must always reckon with ...b3 followed by ...a4.Nevertheless Dreev played :
13.0-0-0Qd7 In 1996 Dreev vs Zakharevich featured : 13...f6!? 14.ef6ef6 15.B4Bh6 16.Bf2Nd7 17.h4N7b6 18.Bd3Na4 and now 19.Kb1 is a good prophylactic move getting the king off the h6-c1 diagonal and then preparing to move the queen as well. You can look at this in detail with any of the software programmes available. The game lasts only 11 more moves after black's queen move.
14.f5! White wastes no time and proceeds to create a crisis. The plan is simple : take on g6 and then push the h-pawn.
14....Qf5 15.Ng3 sustaining the initiative. 15...Qe6
If the black queen gets a hefty appetite for pawns the punishment is spectacular:
15....Qf3 16.Rdf1Qg4 17.Nf5!? - Fritz- 17...gf5 18.Rhg1Qh5 19.Bd5cd5 20.Be7Nd7 21.Bf6Nf6
22.gf6b3 23.a3!? I leave the rest to everybody who wants to analyse this.
16.f4! Wave after wave. Its tough to face this pressure. 16....de5
(16...h6 17.f5gf5 18.Bf4 -white will go for Rhg1/Nh5)
17.f5!Qd6 18.fg6hg6 19.Rdg1 white is planning a very spectacular move. 19...ed4?!
Black stumbles.This is understandable. He is under pressure and he goes for an active continuation. If 19...f5 20.h4 is also very critical.
20.Nf5! A spectacular move hoping to rip open black's fortress and pressuring e7 and d6.
20...Qe5 21.Ng7Ne3?! 22.Be3de3 23.Qd3Kg7 24.Bf7!! Destruction of the pawn cover!
24...Qh5 25.Rg6 1-0 Black had enough.
What was so instructive was the way in which so many things happened on the f5 square.
In the meantime the black pawns on a5 and b4 are frozen not doing a thing.Its important to note that a move like 20.Nf5 could only come to an open mind. Dreev is a disciple of Dvoretsky and no doubt had seen many attacking motifs before.
I wish to explore a line which has been called rare.1.d4g6 2.e4d6 3.Nc3Bg74.Bg5!? Yet top Russian GMs have used it. Svidler, Dreev and Tiviakov have played some very good games with it.Peter Leko has also tried it. The point of the move is to provoke black into making awkward moves like 4...h6. Also white wants to relocate his king to c1 so the move makes sense in that regard. Paul Keres showed that 4...c5 is met with a poisonous line:
5.dc5Qa5 6.Bd2Qc5 7.Nd5e6? 8.Bb4Qc6 9.Bb5 winning. Of course you can also look for alternatives to 7...e6.
So let us get into the inspirational game of Dreev vs Azmaiparashvili Moscow 1989
I will give credit to Dreev for some of the following analysis and then add some of my own commentary.
1.d4g6 2.e4d6 3.Nc3Bg7 4.Bg5!?Nf6 5.f4 this move takes advantage of black's concession in space.
I should remark here that most Super GMs as white, go for a spatial advantage because it is a lasting advantage.
5...c6 Black was at a serious junction here.
5....c5?! 6.e5Nh5 (6.cd4?7.ef6ef6 8.Qd4Qe7 9.Nce2Nc6 10.Qc3 winning) 7.dc5de5 8.Qd8Kd8
9.0-0-0Bd7 10.fe5h6 11.Be3Be5 12.Nd5Nc6 13.Nf3Bg7 14.Bb5 with a pleasant position for white.His pieces find very natural squares.
5...h6?! 6.Bh4c5 7.e5Nh5 8.dc5Nf4 9.ed6g5 10.Bf2
6.Qd2b5 7.Bd30-0 8.Nf3Bg4 9.e5!b4 10.Ne2Bf3 11.gf3Nd5 12.Bc4a5
Here we can look at the position in depth. White has completed development, got the two bishops and also knows the address of the opponent's King.He has straightforward possibilities against the fortress on the right side of the board. Over on the left side of the board, black has not completed development but his pawns are well advanced. If white castles queen side, he must always reckon with ...b3 followed by ...a4.Nevertheless Dreev played :
13.0-0-0Qd7 In 1996 Dreev vs Zakharevich featured : 13...f6!? 14.ef6ef6 15.B4Bh6 16.Bf2Nd7 17.h4N7b6 18.Bd3Na4 and now 19.Kb1 is a good prophylactic move getting the king off the h6-c1 diagonal and then preparing to move the queen as well. You can look at this in detail with any of the software programmes available. The game lasts only 11 more moves after black's queen move.
14.f5! White wastes no time and proceeds to create a crisis. The plan is simple : take on g6 and then push the h-pawn.
14....Qf5 15.Ng3 sustaining the initiative. 15...Qe6
If the black queen gets a hefty appetite for pawns the punishment is spectacular:
15....Qf3 16.Rdf1Qg4 17.Nf5!? - Fritz- 17...gf5 18.Rhg1Qh5 19.Bd5cd5 20.Be7Nd7 21.Bf6Nf6
22.gf6b3 23.a3!? I leave the rest to everybody who wants to analyse this.
16.f4! Wave after wave. Its tough to face this pressure. 16....de5
(16...h6 17.f5gf5 18.Bf4 -white will go for Rhg1/Nh5)
17.f5!Qd6 18.fg6hg6 19.Rdg1 white is planning a very spectacular move. 19...ed4?!
Black stumbles.This is understandable. He is under pressure and he goes for an active continuation. If 19...f5 20.h4 is also very critical.
20.Nf5! A spectacular move hoping to rip open black's fortress and pressuring e7 and d6.
20...Qe5 21.Ng7Ne3?! 22.Be3de3 23.Qd3Kg7 24.Bf7!! Destruction of the pawn cover!
24...Qh5 25.Rg6 1-0 Black had enough.
What was so instructive was the way in which so many things happened on the f5 square.
In the meantime the black pawns on a5 and b4 are frozen not doing a thing.Its important to note that a move like 20.Nf5 could only come to an open mind. Dreev is a disciple of Dvoretsky and no doubt had seen many attacking motifs before.
Saturday 18 June 2011
Crisis Point in the Kings Gambit 3...Ne7 Part Two
Hello Chess Lovers,
In this part, I will be looking at the unusual reaction of white to 3...Ne7. Black emerges with good development and then proceeds to gain concessions from white. In the end he demonstrates good endgame skill which really is a premium requirement for further progress especially with black.
Michalzak v Svetushkin
1.e4e5 2.f4ef4 3.Nf3Ne7 4.Bc4Ng6 5.h4?! A seemingly logical move but the pawn ends up being a target.
Black responds in a logical and good way:
5...d6!? There are two points to this move. If 6.h5Ne5! comes in. The second point is that ...Bg4 will be coming soon with good effect.
6.c3Be7 7.Qb30-0 8.Qb5!? indirectly defending the h pawn.If black takes on h4 then Qh5! is available.
However this means a delay in development. When white has to spend tempi like this in a Kings Gambit the trend favours black.
8....Nd7 9.d4Nb6 10.Bb3Bg4! 11.h5Nh4 12.Kf2d5! freeing d6 13.Bf4Nf3 14.gf3Bh4! 15.Kg2c6! Now white has to retreat without really being able to pressure black. This change in the overall situation -switching from the offensive to the defensive- is simply too much sometimes.
16.Qd3Bh5 17.Nd2Bg6 18.Qe3Be7 19.Nf1Re8 And black is definitely better here.However the creation of targets or pressure points is important.
20.Ng3de4 21.fe4Bh4 22.e5Nd5 23.Qf3Bg324.Kg3a5 25.a4Qb6 and black has reached another high point in the game. His pieces have been optimized and there is a lot of harmony. Now for the creation of pressure points and entry points.
26.Ra3Rad8 27.Bg5Rd7 28.Rh2Qc7 29.Bf4Qd8 now black prepares c6-c5.
30.Ra1c5! 31.Rd1cd4 32.Rd4Ne7 33.Rd7Nf5! a good Zwischenzug. 34.Kf2Qd7 35.Bd5Qa4! finally
a favourable change occurs where entry points have been created. The game gets easier for black.
36.Bb7Rb8 37.Kg2Ne7! With the idea of Rb7 and Be4.
38.Kg3Nf5 39.Kh3Qd7 black regroups with purpose : he can focus on the white king.
40.Bc6Qe7 41.Rd2h6 42.Qg4Rd8 43.Bd5Kh7 black prepares for exchanges and moves out of danger.
44.c4Rb8 45.Kh2Rb3 46.Re2h5 47.Qg5Qg5 after the queen exchange the game reaches another stage. Black works on the white king.
48.Bg5Nd4 49.Rf2Ne6 50.Be7Re3 51.Bd6Kg8 52.c5Be4 53.Bc4Ng5!! black has created a mating net.
54.Rf7Nf7 55.e6Bg6 Black responds to desperation in a cold blooded manner.
56.Bf4Re4 57.Bd3Re6 0-1 From the response to 5.h4 to the ending black played good practical chess.
Nothing spectacular but slowly grinding down the resistance. This is a vital part of being strong-being prepared for a long grind with black.
Blessings
John
36.
In this part, I will be looking at the unusual reaction of white to 3...Ne7. Black emerges with good development and then proceeds to gain concessions from white. In the end he demonstrates good endgame skill which really is a premium requirement for further progress especially with black.
Michalzak v Svetushkin
1.e4e5 2.f4ef4 3.Nf3Ne7 4.Bc4Ng6 5.h4?! A seemingly logical move but the pawn ends up being a target.
Black responds in a logical and good way:
5...d6!? There are two points to this move. If 6.h5Ne5! comes in. The second point is that ...Bg4 will be coming soon with good effect.
6.c3Be7 7.Qb30-0 8.Qb5!? indirectly defending the h pawn.If black takes on h4 then Qh5! is available.
However this means a delay in development. When white has to spend tempi like this in a Kings Gambit the trend favours black.
8....Nd7 9.d4Nb6 10.Bb3Bg4! 11.h5Nh4 12.Kf2d5! freeing d6 13.Bf4Nf3 14.gf3Bh4! 15.Kg2c6! Now white has to retreat without really being able to pressure black. This change in the overall situation -switching from the offensive to the defensive- is simply too much sometimes.
16.Qd3Bh5 17.Nd2Bg6 18.Qe3Be7 19.Nf1Re8 And black is definitely better here.However the creation of targets or pressure points is important.
20.Ng3de4 21.fe4Bh4 22.e5Nd5 23.Qf3Bg324.Kg3a5 25.a4Qb6 and black has reached another high point in the game. His pieces have been optimized and there is a lot of harmony. Now for the creation of pressure points and entry points.
26.Ra3Rad8 27.Bg5Rd7 28.Rh2Qc7 29.Bf4Qd8 now black prepares c6-c5.
30.Ra1c5! 31.Rd1cd4 32.Rd4Ne7 33.Rd7Nf5! a good Zwischenzug. 34.Kf2Qd7 35.Bd5Qa4! finally
a favourable change occurs where entry points have been created. The game gets easier for black.
36.Bb7Rb8 37.Kg2Ne7! With the idea of Rb7 and Be4.
38.Kg3Nf5 39.Kh3Qd7 black regroups with purpose : he can focus on the white king.
40.Bc6Qe7 41.Rd2h6 42.Qg4Rd8 43.Bd5Kh7 black prepares for exchanges and moves out of danger.
44.c4Rb8 45.Kh2Rb3 46.Re2h5 47.Qg5Qg5 after the queen exchange the game reaches another stage. Black works on the white king.
48.Bg5Nd4 49.Rf2Ne6 50.Be7Re3 51.Bd6Kg8 52.c5Be4 53.Bc4Ng5!! black has created a mating net.
54.Rf7Nf7 55.e6Bg6 Black responds to desperation in a cold blooded manner.
56.Bf4Re4 57.Bd3Re6 0-1 From the response to 5.h4 to the ending black played good practical chess.
Nothing spectacular but slowly grinding down the resistance. This is a vital part of being strong-being prepared for a long grind with black.
Blessings
John
36.
Crisis Point in the Benko Gambit Part Three B) The Argument for 9.Nh3
Hello Chess lovers, here I will look at game in which white gets in the thematic e4-e5 thrust. We will see the impact of two main events in a Benko: the exchange of the dark square bishops and the decision to play c5-c4
Pogorelov v Magem Badals 2000
1.d4Nf6 2.c4c5 3.d5b5 4.cb5a6 5.ba6Ba6 6.Nc3g6 7.g3d6 8.Bg2Nbd7 9.Nh3Bg7 10.0-00-0
11.Qc2Nb6 12.Rd1Qd7 13.Rb1Rfb8 14.Nf4 Another possibility with Nh3.The knight can be transferred to
e2 or d3.
14....Bb7 15.b3Qd8 16.h4 a useful move stopping g6-g5 ideas. 16...Bc8 This move is an admission that the job on a6 is done.
17.Bb2Bf5 18.e4Bg4 black is probing looking for some activity. 19.Re1Ne8 ready to face off on the a1-h8 diagonal.
20.Nd3preparinf e4-e5. 20...Bd7 21.e5Bf5 22.Be4Be4 23.Re4Nc7 24.ed6ed6 25.b4 A key moment -the pawn structure changes.Black has to reckon with a defensive ending in which there is no compensation for the lost pawn.
25...c4 Black concedes the d4 square.This turns out to be a key moment as white gets to use the d4 square.
26.Nf4Qd7 27.Rbe1Qf5 28.Qd2h5 29.a3With a series of simple moves white shows that he understands he is better in the long run. Exchanges favour him. Black cannot find another point to attack.
29...Ne8 30.Nb5 pressuring d6. 30....Qd7 31.Bg7Ng7 33.Nd4 and now the drawback of c5-c4 is shown.
27.Rbe1Qf5 28.Qd2h5 29.a3Ne8 30.Nb5Qd7 31.Bg7!Ng7 after this exchange its easier to work on the dark squares.
32.Nd4Ra3 33.Nc6Rf8 34.Qd4 white uses the d4 square very well.
34....Na4 35.Qc4 and white's pieces are more coordinated.
35....Nf5 36.Ne7Ne7 37.Re7Qg4 38.R7e3Re3 every active black piece is coming off making the ending easier.
39.Re3Rc8 40.Qd4Qf5 41.Kg2 one of the useful moves to make in positions like this.The king comes off the back rank. 41...Qc2 42.Qf6Nb6 43.Re7Maximum pressure. The exchange of the dark square bishops made the game quite easy.
43....Rf8 44.Qd6Nc8 45.Qc7Ne7 and black resigned here rather than continue. 1-0
That was a technical game in many ways. White made extremely practical moves and black made some commital moves and concessions. Two key moments often come in the Benko Gambit:
1) The exchange of the dark square bishops
2) The pushing of the c-pawn to c4.
Pogorelov v Magem Badals 2000
1.d4Nf6 2.c4c5 3.d5b5 4.cb5a6 5.ba6Ba6 6.Nc3g6 7.g3d6 8.Bg2Nbd7 9.Nh3Bg7 10.0-00-0
11.Qc2Nb6 12.Rd1Qd7 13.Rb1Rfb8 14.Nf4 Another possibility with Nh3.The knight can be transferred to
e2 or d3.
14....Bb7 15.b3Qd8 16.h4 a useful move stopping g6-g5 ideas. 16...Bc8 This move is an admission that the job on a6 is done.
17.Bb2Bf5 18.e4Bg4 black is probing looking for some activity. 19.Re1Ne8 ready to face off on the a1-h8 diagonal.
20.Nd3preparinf e4-e5. 20...Bd7 21.e5Bf5 22.Be4Be4 23.Re4Nc7 24.ed6ed6 25.b4 A key moment -the pawn structure changes.Black has to reckon with a defensive ending in which there is no compensation for the lost pawn.
25...c4 Black concedes the d4 square.This turns out to be a key moment as white gets to use the d4 square.
26.Nf4Qd7 27.Rbe1Qf5 28.Qd2h5 29.a3With a series of simple moves white shows that he understands he is better in the long run. Exchanges favour him. Black cannot find another point to attack.
29...Ne8 30.Nb5 pressuring d6. 30....Qd7 31.Bg7Ng7 33.Nd4 and now the drawback of c5-c4 is shown.
27.Rbe1Qf5 28.Qd2h5 29.a3Ne8 30.Nb5Qd7 31.Bg7!Ng7 after this exchange its easier to work on the dark squares.
32.Nd4Ra3 33.Nc6Rf8 34.Qd4 white uses the d4 square very well.
34....Na4 35.Qc4 and white's pieces are more coordinated.
35....Nf5 36.Ne7Ne7 37.Re7Qg4 38.R7e3Re3 every active black piece is coming off making the ending easier.
39.Re3Rc8 40.Qd4Qf5 41.Kg2 one of the useful moves to make in positions like this.The king comes off the back rank. 41...Qc2 42.Qf6Nb6 43.Re7Maximum pressure. The exchange of the dark square bishops made the game quite easy.
43....Rf8 44.Qd6Nc8 45.Qc7Ne7 and black resigned here rather than continue. 1-0
That was a technical game in many ways. White made extremely practical moves and black made some commital moves and concessions. Two key moments often come in the Benko Gambit:
1) The exchange of the dark square bishops
2) The pushing of the c-pawn to c4.
Sunday 12 June 2011
Crisis Point in the King's Gambit -3...Ne7 Part One
Hello Chess Lovers
I move now to one of the most romantic of chess openings-an opening that from move 2 breaks the balance of the game in material terms and seeks gains in time and quality and hopefully leads to all out offensives on black's king.As with many openings the quick victories gave way to new defenses which included a contribution from the late Robert Fischer. After 1.e4e4 2.f4 white invests material in the hope of building a big center and getting an open f-file.However the drawback is that black also gets chances as early as move two to give a check on the white king -Qh4 and then go back to e7.
A few GMs will pull it out as a surprise every now and then and some like Federov insist on trying to find some edge in it.However most GMs would rather develop some pieces and then go for another Gambit which does not compromise the security of the white king. Many attacking players simply do not like being attacked.Kasparov has never played it in a serious game and he is known for securing his king before he launches all out assaults on his opponent's king. Now we will look at the sequence 1.e4e5 2.f4ef4 3.Nf3Ne7!? -Black's move is a departure from the pawn moves like 3...d6-favoured by Fischer- or 3...g5 or 3..h6-favoured by Leko or 3...d5.It has two meritorious points. Firstly, it is ready to relocate to g6 where it will have an interesting function in delaying the recapture of the f4 pawn and inviting white to play h2-h4 which in turn gives black a target when he plays ...Be7. Secondly it makes ...d5 even more sound and this cuts across white's plan of Bishop to c4. A third point could be made in that black avoids a commital pawn move.
Lets see how this might work in practice:
Blom v Bok 2010
1e4e5 2.f4ef4 3.Nf3Ne7 4.d4d5! This poses a serious question to white: will he alter the pawn structure in such a way that the game takes on a closed character?
5.e5 In this game he answered in the affirmative. 5...Ng6 6.Bd3Be7 Now white faces the task of removing the annoying f4 pawn. 7.0-00-0 8.c4 and here we have a departure from the typical King's Gambit. A center crowded with pawns.
8...dc4 9.Bc4Nc6 Black has managed to develop his pieces to good squares and d4 will become a target.
10.Nc3Bg4 -A crisis point has been reached.Black confronts white with another problem-defending d4.
11.Bd5Bb4 Now the black queen has more scope and the white knights are under pressure.
12.Bc6bc6 13.Ne2Bf3 14.Rf3Ne5! Black's central strategy has been a success. White tried to defend d4 by removing the c6 knight but lost an essential attacking unit in the shape of the white-square bishop.What is more troubling is that he is two pawns down.He cannot be thinking about an attack at the moment.Therefore this switch from an offensive mode of thinking to a defensive mode will have an impact on him.
15.Rb3Be7 16.Bf4Ng6 17.Bg3Bd6 going for the exchange of white's active pieces. 18.Rc1Qd7 19.R3c3Rb8 20.Qc2Ne7 21.Bf2Nd5 This knight has been a star!! 22.Rh3f5! cutting across white's intentions. 23.b3Rbe8 24.Kf1Qe6 For the next few moves black improves his queen's scope. 25.Re1Qe4! 26.Qc4Kh8 27.Nc3Qf4 28.Ne2Qg5 and black has found an good address for his queen.
29.Qc6f4 30.Rf3Re6 31.Nc3Re1 32.Ke1Bb4!After this the game favours black.Notice that the play has no intensely tactical character to it.
33.Kf1Bc3 34.Rc3Nc3 35.Qc3Qh5! The double attack on h2 and d1 is decisive. 36.Qc7Qd1 ! 37.Be1Re8! and white had enough 0-1
It is interesting to note that the game had a positional character in which both sides were trying to improve their pieces.
The move 8.c4?! -Changed the structure and the trend of the game.Black got a clear target in terms of hitting d4. Instead of attacking black's king, white ended up trying to defend d4 and then hitting queen side targets on the c-file.The queen side migration meant that black could go to the king side for counter play- this is against the spirit of the King's Gambit.Therefore black's strategy succeeded. Hopefully 3...Ne7 will see many more practical tests.
I move now to one of the most romantic of chess openings-an opening that from move 2 breaks the balance of the game in material terms and seeks gains in time and quality and hopefully leads to all out offensives on black's king.As with many openings the quick victories gave way to new defenses which included a contribution from the late Robert Fischer. After 1.e4e4 2.f4 white invests material in the hope of building a big center and getting an open f-file.However the drawback is that black also gets chances as early as move two to give a check on the white king -Qh4 and then go back to e7.
A few GMs will pull it out as a surprise every now and then and some like Federov insist on trying to find some edge in it.However most GMs would rather develop some pieces and then go for another Gambit which does not compromise the security of the white king. Many attacking players simply do not like being attacked.Kasparov has never played it in a serious game and he is known for securing his king before he launches all out assaults on his opponent's king. Now we will look at the sequence 1.e4e5 2.f4ef4 3.Nf3Ne7!? -Black's move is a departure from the pawn moves like 3...d6-favoured by Fischer- or 3...g5 or 3..h6-favoured by Leko or 3...d5.It has two meritorious points. Firstly, it is ready to relocate to g6 where it will have an interesting function in delaying the recapture of the f4 pawn and inviting white to play h2-h4 which in turn gives black a target when he plays ...Be7. Secondly it makes ...d5 even more sound and this cuts across white's plan of Bishop to c4. A third point could be made in that black avoids a commital pawn move.
Lets see how this might work in practice:
Blom v Bok 2010
1e4e5 2.f4ef4 3.Nf3Ne7 4.d4d5! This poses a serious question to white: will he alter the pawn structure in such a way that the game takes on a closed character?
5.e5 In this game he answered in the affirmative. 5...Ng6 6.Bd3Be7 Now white faces the task of removing the annoying f4 pawn. 7.0-00-0 8.c4 and here we have a departure from the typical King's Gambit. A center crowded with pawns.
8...dc4 9.Bc4Nc6 Black has managed to develop his pieces to good squares and d4 will become a target.
10.Nc3Bg4 -A crisis point has been reached.Black confronts white with another problem-defending d4.
11.Bd5Bb4 Now the black queen has more scope and the white knights are under pressure.
12.Bc6bc6 13.Ne2Bf3 14.Rf3Ne5! Black's central strategy has been a success. White tried to defend d4 by removing the c6 knight but lost an essential attacking unit in the shape of the white-square bishop.What is more troubling is that he is two pawns down.He cannot be thinking about an attack at the moment.Therefore this switch from an offensive mode of thinking to a defensive mode will have an impact on him.
15.Rb3Be7 16.Bf4Ng6 17.Bg3Bd6 going for the exchange of white's active pieces. 18.Rc1Qd7 19.R3c3Rb8 20.Qc2Ne7 21.Bf2Nd5 This knight has been a star!! 22.Rh3f5! cutting across white's intentions. 23.b3Rbe8 24.Kf1Qe6 For the next few moves black improves his queen's scope. 25.Re1Qe4! 26.Qc4Kh8 27.Nc3Qf4 28.Ne2Qg5 and black has found an good address for his queen.
29.Qc6f4 30.Rf3Re6 31.Nc3Re1 32.Ke1Bb4!After this the game favours black.Notice that the play has no intensely tactical character to it.
33.Kf1Bc3 34.Rc3Nc3 35.Qc3Qh5! The double attack on h2 and d1 is decisive. 36.Qc7Qd1 ! 37.Be1Re8! and white had enough 0-1
It is interesting to note that the game had a positional character in which both sides were trying to improve their pieces.
The move 8.c4?! -Changed the structure and the trend of the game.Black got a clear target in terms of hitting d4. Instead of attacking black's king, white ended up trying to defend d4 and then hitting queen side targets on the c-file.The queen side migration meant that black could go to the king side for counter play- this is against the spirit of the King's Gambit.Therefore black's strategy succeeded. Hopefully 3...Ne7 will see many more practical tests.
Saturday 11 June 2011
Crisis Point in the Benko Gambit Part Three A) The argument for 9.Nh3
Hello Chess lovers.
I want to share with you a line that is not as popular as 9.Nf3 and 10.Rb1 which is the defacto main line.
I had success with this line myself and I noticed how it really shook my opponent during and after the game.
It appears to be sound and also a great labour saving device and for creative imaginative players. There are a number of merits to the move. Firstly, it does not obstruct the g2 bishop. Secondly d5 can be overprotected easily against a black assault with moves like Ra7/Qa8/Bb7/Ne8-c7.Thirdly, the knight on h3 allows the f-pawn to come in handy either on f3 or f4. Lets see how this worked in practice.
Ivanov vs Sakaev 2000
1.d4Nf6 2.c4c5 3.d5b5 4.cb5a6 5.ba6Ba6 6.Nc3g6 7..g3d6 8.Bg2Bg7 9.Nh3!?Nbd7 10.0-00-0 11.Rb1 This is the crucial line. White plays useful moves. The rook comes off the a1-h8 diagonal and b3 and a4 will soon come.
11...Qa5 12.Qc2 freeing d1 for the rook and over protecting c3. 12....Rfb8 `13.b3Ne8 14.Bb2!? The bishop will face off against the g7 bishop and its usually a small victory to get the dark squared bishop.
14....Nc7 This queenside migration means that the king side is a man light. Now watch how Ivanov works on this. 15.Rfc1 white is ready for action on c3 and also leaves f1 open for the g2 bishop. 15....Ne5 16.Ng5Bc8 17.h3 square denial. Black's pieces are being limited.
17...Bf5? This active move leads to an assault on the black king with a gain of a tempo. 18.e4Bc8 19.f4Nd7 20.e5! Cutting the board in two.The majority of the black pieces are on the left side of the board and the black King looks isolated.
20...de5 21.f5!Ne8 and now to look at some alternatives :
a) 21....gf5 22.Qf5Nf6 23.Qe5h6 24.Nge4Nfd5
25.Qh5 with an attack.
b) 21...h6 22.fg6hg5 23.gf7Kf7 24.Ne4 and white has two good attacking options : a hit on g5 or the move d4-d5.
22.Rf1Nef6 23.fg6hg6 24.Nce4Qb6 25.Nf7Nd5 26.Ned6!! The virtues of Nh3 have come to the fore:
The f-pawn played a role, now the bishop on g2 looks powerful and the knight on g5 plays an aggresive role.
26....c4 (if 26...ed6 27.Qg6N5f6 28.Nh6Kh8 29.Nf5Bf8 30.Rf4!!ef4 31.Qh5Kg8 32.Bd5Nd5 33.Qg6 winning)
27.Kh2Ne3 This show of aggression is shot lived. 28.Qg6Nf1 29.Rf1ed6 30.Nh6Kh8 31.Rf7 and black had enough 1-0
In this game, every virtue of 9.Nh3 came out. The Knight went to g5 and was ready to go to e4 and d2 as well. The bishop on g2 made a pseudo-sacrifice on d6 possible.The f-pawn went on into the attack as a battering ram. You cannot ask for more from 9.Nh3.
I want to share with you a line that is not as popular as 9.Nf3 and 10.Rb1 which is the defacto main line.
I had success with this line myself and I noticed how it really shook my opponent during and after the game.
It appears to be sound and also a great labour saving device and for creative imaginative players. There are a number of merits to the move. Firstly, it does not obstruct the g2 bishop. Secondly d5 can be overprotected easily against a black assault with moves like Ra7/Qa8/Bb7/Ne8-c7.Thirdly, the knight on h3 allows the f-pawn to come in handy either on f3 or f4. Lets see how this worked in practice.
Ivanov vs Sakaev 2000
1.d4Nf6 2.c4c5 3.d5b5 4.cb5a6 5.ba6Ba6 6.Nc3g6 7..g3d6 8.Bg2Bg7 9.Nh3!?Nbd7 10.0-00-0 11.Rb1 This is the crucial line. White plays useful moves. The rook comes off the a1-h8 diagonal and b3 and a4 will soon come.
11...Qa5 12.Qc2 freeing d1 for the rook and over protecting c3. 12....Rfb8 `13.b3Ne8 14.Bb2!? The bishop will face off against the g7 bishop and its usually a small victory to get the dark squared bishop.
14....Nc7 This queenside migration means that the king side is a man light. Now watch how Ivanov works on this. 15.Rfc1 white is ready for action on c3 and also leaves f1 open for the g2 bishop. 15....Ne5 16.Ng5Bc8 17.h3 square denial. Black's pieces are being limited.
17...Bf5? This active move leads to an assault on the black king with a gain of a tempo. 18.e4Bc8 19.f4Nd7 20.e5! Cutting the board in two.The majority of the black pieces are on the left side of the board and the black King looks isolated.
20...de5 21.f5!Ne8 and now to look at some alternatives :
a) 21....gf5 22.Qf5Nf6 23.Qe5h6 24.Nge4Nfd5
25.Qh5 with an attack.
b) 21...h6 22.fg6hg5 23.gf7Kf7 24.Ne4 and white has two good attacking options : a hit on g5 or the move d4-d5.
22.Rf1Nef6 23.fg6hg6 24.Nce4Qb6 25.Nf7Nd5 26.Ned6!! The virtues of Nh3 have come to the fore:
The f-pawn played a role, now the bishop on g2 looks powerful and the knight on g5 plays an aggresive role.
26....c4 (if 26...ed6 27.Qg6N5f6 28.Nh6Kh8 29.Nf5Bf8 30.Rf4!!ef4 31.Qh5Kg8 32.Bd5Nd5 33.Qg6 winning)
27.Kh2Ne3 This show of aggression is shot lived. 28.Qg6Nf1 29.Rf1ed6 30.Nh6Kh8 31.Rf7 and black had enough 1-0
In this game, every virtue of 9.Nh3 came out. The Knight went to g5 and was ready to go to e4 and d2 as well. The bishop on g2 made a pseudo-sacrifice on d6 possible.The f-pawn went on into the attack as a battering ram. You cannot ask for more from 9.Nh3.
Wednesday 8 June 2011
Crisis Point in the Benko Gambit Part Two
Hello Chess lovers and serious players, I will now look at a sideline which Topalov himself had to face and
we can open up a debate as to whether white can improve on the line. Using the game Topalov vs Leon Hoyos Mexico City 2010 as a starting point of a discussion, we can look at the merits of different setups in this sideline which has been Championed by GM S Kasparov.
Topalov v Leon Hoyos
Mexico City 2010
1.d4Nf6 2.c4c5 3.d5b5 4.cb5a6 5.ba6g6 6.Nc3Ba6 7.g3d6 8.Bg2Bg7 9.Nf3Nfd7 Here black plays a logical move.The bishop on g7 improves its scope and like a sniper, overlooks movement on the h8 -a1 diagonal.The knight can move to b6 and then there is one possibility Ba6-b7 and N8a6-b4/c7.White has to delay Rb1 and b3 for a moment.The drawback which Avrukh has pointed out is that this migration to the queenside leaves the black kingside almost bare. In this game Topalov chose :
10.0-0 -Natural but now white must take time to get the rook on to d1 after Qc2. Avrukh is of a different view and puts forward the following idea:
10.Qc2Nb6 (10...0-0 11.h4Nf6 12.h5Nh5 13.Rh5gh5 14.Ng5f5 15.Ne6 with a big advantage to white)
11.h4!?h6 (11...h5?! 12.Ng5; 11...Bb7 12.e4Na6 13.h5Nb4 14.Qd1Ba6 15.Bf1!?) 12.Nh2N8d7 13.h5g5 14.Ng4Nc4 15.0-0Qa5 16.a3!? with the idea of Ra2 and then b2-b3.
I hope people will try it so we can see how the battles went.
Topalov's decision is natural.
10...Nb6 11.Qc2N8d7 12.Rd1 now e2-e4 can be played. 12...0-0 13.Rb1 13.Nd2 has been tried without practical success. Topalov gets into a setup he faced against Kramnik in 2003 where he was outplayed in the ending.
13....Bc3 Crisis point-Black goes for the return on his investment of a pawn.However this turned out to be a massive concession in the game.Topalov is in his element with the 2 bishops. 14.Qc3Be2 15.Bh6! Its important to note how very strong players always go for the equal or stronger threat. Fischer was a major advocate of this.
15....Nf6 16.Rd2Bf3?! another concession.The problem is that white's two bishops will face off against the two knights and facing Topalov in this situation is not mentally comfortable.Computer evaluations do not matter in this practical scenario.
17.Bf3Re8 18.b3Nbd7 19.a4 -This outside passed pawn often consumes massive energy on the part of black and with the possession of the two bishops, white's chances look very good.
19...Qa5 and here black probably feared some white aggression on the kingside and so goes for a queen exchange-quite understandable.Interestingly Topalov does not resist this exchange and goes for it. There is scope for improvement here.
20.Qa5Ra5 21.h3 at this point Topalov adopts the patient approach expecting black to do something about the a4 pawn.He wants to take away squares from black's knights.
21...c4 This move is typical in these types of lines.When we look at the main line we shall see how this is also played.
22.bc4Ra4 23.Rc2Rc8 24.Rbc1Ne5 25.Be2 notice the patient unhurried buildup play in the ending.
25...Ne4 26.Kg2f5 27.Be3Kf7 28.g4Nf6 29.f3Ra3 30.Bh6Ra7 31.c5Rc5 32.Rc5dc5 33.Rc5Ra2
34.Kf1fg4 35.hg4Ra3 36.Bc1! Topalov is showing how much he has grown since 2003 when Kramnik beat him as white in this line.His experience of playing equal positions here tells.
36....Rb3 Black makes a slip which Topalov punishes.The black king position on f7 makes a double attack threat with Bc4 likely.
37.d6! opening the a2-g8 diagonal. 37...Nfd7 38.Rc7Rb6 39.f4!Rd6 40.fe5Ne5 and Topalov's patience is rewarded.This is where the difference in the strength of the GMs is shown.
41.Bg5Rd7 42.Rc5Nd3 43.Rc3Nb4 44.Kg2 these are the simple things super GMs do-improve their pieces when there is no massive battle going on.
44...Nd5 45.Bc4e6 46.Rf3Kg7 47.Kg3Rf7?! a natural looking move which Topalov punishes.
48.Bh6!Kg8 49.Rb3Rc7 50.Bd5ed5 51.Rd3Rd7 52.Kf4 the king's entry is decisive. 52....Kf7 53.Ke5g5
54.Rf3 and black gave up as he loses by mate or by the torture of seeing his pawns being fed to the bishop.
I hoped to show two approaches at move 10. Topalov goes the natural way.Avrukh wants to punish this migration to the left of the board by black and so hit black on the right of the board. I hope that like Avrukh I have opened the debate to more people. Take care and enjoy chess!!!
we can open up a debate as to whether white can improve on the line. Using the game Topalov vs Leon Hoyos Mexico City 2010 as a starting point of a discussion, we can look at the merits of different setups in this sideline which has been Championed by GM S Kasparov.
Topalov v Leon Hoyos
Mexico City 2010
1.d4Nf6 2.c4c5 3.d5b5 4.cb5a6 5.ba6g6 6.Nc3Ba6 7.g3d6 8.Bg2Bg7 9.Nf3Nfd7 Here black plays a logical move.The bishop on g7 improves its scope and like a sniper, overlooks movement on the h8 -a1 diagonal.The knight can move to b6 and then there is one possibility Ba6-b7 and N8a6-b4/c7.White has to delay Rb1 and b3 for a moment.The drawback which Avrukh has pointed out is that this migration to the queenside leaves the black kingside almost bare. In this game Topalov chose :
10.0-0 -Natural but now white must take time to get the rook on to d1 after Qc2. Avrukh is of a different view and puts forward the following idea:
10.Qc2Nb6 (10...0-0 11.h4Nf6 12.h5Nh5 13.Rh5gh5 14.Ng5f5 15.Ne6 with a big advantage to white)
11.h4!?h6 (11...h5?! 12.Ng5; 11...Bb7 12.e4Na6 13.h5Nb4 14.Qd1Ba6 15.Bf1!?) 12.Nh2N8d7 13.h5g5 14.Ng4Nc4 15.0-0Qa5 16.a3!? with the idea of Ra2 and then b2-b3.
I hope people will try it so we can see how the battles went.
Topalov's decision is natural.
10...Nb6 11.Qc2N8d7 12.Rd1 now e2-e4 can be played. 12...0-0 13.Rb1 13.Nd2 has been tried without practical success. Topalov gets into a setup he faced against Kramnik in 2003 where he was outplayed in the ending.
13....Bc3 Crisis point-Black goes for the return on his investment of a pawn.However this turned out to be a massive concession in the game.Topalov is in his element with the 2 bishops. 14.Qc3Be2 15.Bh6! Its important to note how very strong players always go for the equal or stronger threat. Fischer was a major advocate of this.
15....Nf6 16.Rd2Bf3?! another concession.The problem is that white's two bishops will face off against the two knights and facing Topalov in this situation is not mentally comfortable.Computer evaluations do not matter in this practical scenario.
17.Bf3Re8 18.b3Nbd7 19.a4 -This outside passed pawn often consumes massive energy on the part of black and with the possession of the two bishops, white's chances look very good.
19...Qa5 and here black probably feared some white aggression on the kingside and so goes for a queen exchange-quite understandable.Interestingly Topalov does not resist this exchange and goes for it. There is scope for improvement here.
20.Qa5Ra5 21.h3 at this point Topalov adopts the patient approach expecting black to do something about the a4 pawn.He wants to take away squares from black's knights.
21...c4 This move is typical in these types of lines.When we look at the main line we shall see how this is also played.
22.bc4Ra4 23.Rc2Rc8 24.Rbc1Ne5 25.Be2 notice the patient unhurried buildup play in the ending.
25...Ne4 26.Kg2f5 27.Be3Kf7 28.g4Nf6 29.f3Ra3 30.Bh6Ra7 31.c5Rc5 32.Rc5dc5 33.Rc5Ra2
34.Kf1fg4 35.hg4Ra3 36.Bc1! Topalov is showing how much he has grown since 2003 when Kramnik beat him as white in this line.His experience of playing equal positions here tells.
36....Rb3 Black makes a slip which Topalov punishes.The black king position on f7 makes a double attack threat with Bc4 likely.
37.d6! opening the a2-g8 diagonal. 37...Nfd7 38.Rc7Rb6 39.f4!Rd6 40.fe5Ne5 and Topalov's patience is rewarded.This is where the difference in the strength of the GMs is shown.
41.Bg5Rd7 42.Rc5Nd3 43.Rc3Nb4 44.Kg2 these are the simple things super GMs do-improve their pieces when there is no massive battle going on.
44...Nd5 45.Bc4e6 46.Rf3Kg7 47.Kg3Rf7?! a natural looking move which Topalov punishes.
48.Bh6!Kg8 49.Rb3Rc7 50.Bd5ed5 51.Rd3Rd7 52.Kf4 the king's entry is decisive. 52....Kf7 53.Ke5g5
54.Rf3 and black gave up as he loses by mate or by the torture of seeing his pawns being fed to the bishop.
I hoped to show two approaches at move 10. Topalov goes the natural way.Avrukh wants to punish this migration to the left of the board by black and so hit black on the right of the board. I hope that like Avrukh I have opened the debate to more people. Take care and enjoy chess!!!
Monday 6 June 2011
Crisis Point in the Benko Gambit Part One 5...e6 line.
Hello Chess lovers.
Having noticed the tendency of players of a certain rating range to play the Benko gambit I thought I would try and examine why the Benko is not played at the highest levels. In this series I will look at key games and the analysis of Boris Avrukh as well. I hope this can give a clearer picture on the problems faced by black in different lines. First we will look at the 5...e6 line where black aims for the disintegration of the white center.
Sahovic v Rogers Nis 1985
1.d4Nf6 2.c4c5 3.d5b5 4.cb5a6 5.ba6e6 6.Nc3Nd5 7.Nd5ed5 8.Qd5Nc6 9.Nf3Be7
-Here black has another move 9....Ba6 10.Bd2Be7 11.e4!Qb6 (11...Bf112.Kf10-0 13.g3Nb4 14.Bb4cb4 15.Kg2Ra5 16.Qb3Qa8 17.Rhe1 and white holds on to the extra pawn without suffering) 12.Ba6Qa6 13.Ne5! this move comes up frequently. 13...0-0 14.Nc4Nd4 15.0-0Nc2 16.Rac1Nd4 17.Rfe1Qa2 18.Qd7Ra7 19.Qg4 white is well coordinated and also a pawn up.Avrukh
10.Ne50-0 11.Nc6dc6 12.Qd8Rd8 This is a critical point. When the minor pieces come off, black will have problems with the c-pawns. 13.e3Bf6 14.Bc4Ba6 15.Ba6Ra6 16.Ke2c4 17.Rd1Rb8 18.Kd2 and the difference between the two sides is quite apparent.White has the better King and the c-pawns are easy targets.In practical terms the endgame is easy here.
18....Kf8 19.Kc2Ke7 20.a3 -Avrukh suggests 20.f4!?
White has a secure outside passed pawn-one of the best types of passed pawns in practical games.
20...Ke6 21.Ra2R6b6 22.a4Rb3 23.a5c5 black is left with few active options. 24.a6c3 25.bc3Rc3 26.Kd2R3b3 27.a7Ra8 28.Ra6Ke7 29.Ba3 -White has accomplished a lot.The passed pawn has reached a7 tying down black's rook.The bishop on a3 is going to c5.
29....Ke8 30.Bc5 This is important.Rb7 31.Ke2Rc7 32.Rd5Be7 33.Bd4Now the bishop increases its radius of action 33...f6 34.Rb5Kd7 35.Rb8 penetration after preparation. R7c8 36.Ra8Ra8 37.Kf3 1-0
When looking at the pawn structure following move 12 one can understand white's policy- take off many minor pieces and then improve the King.The involvement of the white King was decisive.Note the power of the outside passed pawn.
Having noticed the tendency of players of a certain rating range to play the Benko gambit I thought I would try and examine why the Benko is not played at the highest levels. In this series I will look at key games and the analysis of Boris Avrukh as well. I hope this can give a clearer picture on the problems faced by black in different lines. First we will look at the 5...e6 line where black aims for the disintegration of the white center.
Sahovic v Rogers Nis 1985
1.d4Nf6 2.c4c5 3.d5b5 4.cb5a6 5.ba6e6 6.Nc3Nd5 7.Nd5ed5 8.Qd5Nc6 9.Nf3Be7
-Here black has another move 9....Ba6 10.Bd2Be7 11.e4!Qb6 (11...Bf112.Kf10-0 13.g3Nb4 14.Bb4cb4 15.Kg2Ra5 16.Qb3Qa8 17.Rhe1 and white holds on to the extra pawn without suffering) 12.Ba6Qa6 13.Ne5! this move comes up frequently. 13...0-0 14.Nc4Nd4 15.0-0Nc2 16.Rac1Nd4 17.Rfe1Qa2 18.Qd7Ra7 19.Qg4 white is well coordinated and also a pawn up.Avrukh
10.Ne50-0 11.Nc6dc6 12.Qd8Rd8 This is a critical point. When the minor pieces come off, black will have problems with the c-pawns. 13.e3Bf6 14.Bc4Ba6 15.Ba6Ra6 16.Ke2c4 17.Rd1Rb8 18.Kd2 and the difference between the two sides is quite apparent.White has the better King and the c-pawns are easy targets.In practical terms the endgame is easy here.
18....Kf8 19.Kc2Ke7 20.a3 -Avrukh suggests 20.f4!?
White has a secure outside passed pawn-one of the best types of passed pawns in practical games.
20...Ke6 21.Ra2R6b6 22.a4Rb3 23.a5c5 black is left with few active options. 24.a6c3 25.bc3Rc3 26.Kd2R3b3 27.a7Ra8 28.Ra6Ke7 29.Ba3 -White has accomplished a lot.The passed pawn has reached a7 tying down black's rook.The bishop on a3 is going to c5.
29....Ke8 30.Bc5 This is important.Rb7 31.Ke2Rc7 32.Rd5Be7 33.Bd4Now the bishop increases its radius of action 33...f6 34.Rb5Kd7 35.Rb8 penetration after preparation. R7c8 36.Ra8Ra8 37.Kf3 1-0
When looking at the pawn structure following move 12 one can understand white's policy- take off many minor pieces and then improve the King.The involvement of the white King was decisive.Note the power of the outside passed pawn.
Violent overthrows of kings in modern chess part two
Hello Chess Lovers,
I hoped you liked the I Sokolov vs Dreev game. Now I want to present a game which features a sustained initiative which lasts beyond a queen exchange and still ends up with a mating attack against the king.Again the game is not played by the elite but nevertheless the 2 GMs are outstanding:
Khalifman vs Van Wely Wijk aan Zee 2002
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3a6 6.f3e6 7.Be3h5?!
-This was a favourite of Topalov's.Black anticipates whites g2-g4 thrust and insists on trying to dominate on the queen side.The problem with this is the address of the black king.Its a fixed address on e8 for quite some time.This allows white to draw on his major firepower and aim for a breakthrough with pawns.
8.Qd2Nbd7 9.Bc4!? This natural move was new at the time.Khalifmann simply pursues a policy of centralisation followed up by some very concrete tactics. The move Nbd7 temporarily interferes with the c8 bishop and its ability to protect e6.
9...Ne5 A good choice bad was 9...b5? 10.Be6fe6 11.Ne6Qa5 12.b4Qb4 13.Nc7+-
9...d5 10.ed5Nb6 11.Bb3Nfd5 12.Nd5Nd5 13.0-0-0 with a promising position that looks like Sozin line.
In the English attack the bishop stays at home on f1 for some time before deploying to h3 or g2 sometimes.
10.Bb3b5 11.0-0-0 Here Khalifman gives himself a small advantage. His centralised pieces gave him the force necessary for a breakthrough in the centre.Most attacking players centralise.
11....Bb7 12.Bg5Qa5?! This move was to be the cause of a lot of problems for black.The problem is the lack of adequate cover for the d7 square in some variations. Van Wely should not be blamed for facing a novelty like 9.Bc4 with some active moves.
13.Kb1 -Like most attacking players, Khalifman makes his prophylactic move.
13...Nc4?! Once again Van Wely shows a desire to be active but now there is a positional concession.
14.Bc4 Khalifman follows the general principle of removing the opponent's active pieces. 14....bc4
15.Rhe1 centralisation before all hell breaks loose.Of course many players would ask how Van Wely was to come under such pressure at this stage. Most of black's queen side pieces have been mobilized. Its clear black wants to hold up as much as possible in the center and on the right side of the board.
15...Rb8? This is a step too far on the left of the board. If 15...Be7 16.f4 is good with the idea of a breakthrough with e4-e5 and Bf6 then hitting black on d7.
16.Nf5ef5 (16...Rd8 17.Bf6gf6 18.Nd5Qd2 19.Nf6#- A beautiful mate with two knights)
17.e5!! Breakthrough. At this point it is important to go through black's choices.
A) 17...de5? 18.Bf6 and Qd7 follows.
B) 17...Nd5 18.ed6Kd7 19.Nd5Qd5 20.Qd5Bd5 21.Rd5+-
C)17...Kd7 18.ef6g6 19.Bf4Qc5 20.Bd6Bd6 21.Re7Kc8 22.Na4+-
D) 17..Nh7 18.ed6Kd7 19.Re7Be7 20.de7Bd5 21.Qf4!
17....Bc8 This is an admission of the need to defend d7. 18.ef6Be6 19.fg7Bg7 20.Qd6!Rb2
Black lashes out.Van Wely is known to be an optimist.
21.Kb2Qc3 22.Kc1Kb2 23.Kd2Qd4 24.Qd4Bd4 -Van Wely has done well to reach this stage of this game.Khalifman simply turns up the pressure.
25.Ke2Bb6 26.Rb1Bc7 27.Rb7!!Bh2 28.f40-0 The black king appears to have eluded his pursuers.
Khalifman showed this to be an optical illusion:
29.Rh1Bg3 30.Rh5Kg7 31.Bh6Kg6 32.Rg5!
In view of the moves Rg3 and Rb1-h1 mate Van Wely resigned. So what were the key points in this game?
A) 7...h5?! Keeps the King on e8 a bit longer.
B) 9.Bc4 kept up pressure on e6 and also removed a good active black knight.
C) 15.Rhe1 completed centralisation.
D) 17.e5! Was the key to the breakthrough.
E) 27.Rb7 was the key move removing a defender.
I hope this was enjoyable and instructive.
I hoped you liked the I Sokolov vs Dreev game. Now I want to present a game which features a sustained initiative which lasts beyond a queen exchange and still ends up with a mating attack against the king.Again the game is not played by the elite but nevertheless the 2 GMs are outstanding:
Khalifman vs Van Wely Wijk aan Zee 2002
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3a6 6.f3e6 7.Be3h5?!
-This was a favourite of Topalov's.Black anticipates whites g2-g4 thrust and insists on trying to dominate on the queen side.The problem with this is the address of the black king.Its a fixed address on e8 for quite some time.This allows white to draw on his major firepower and aim for a breakthrough with pawns.
8.Qd2Nbd7 9.Bc4!? This natural move was new at the time.Khalifmann simply pursues a policy of centralisation followed up by some very concrete tactics. The move Nbd7 temporarily interferes with the c8 bishop and its ability to protect e6.
9...Ne5 A good choice bad was 9...b5? 10.Be6fe6 11.Ne6Qa5 12.b4Qb4 13.Nc7+-
9...d5 10.ed5Nb6 11.Bb3Nfd5 12.Nd5Nd5 13.0-0-0 with a promising position that looks like Sozin line.
In the English attack the bishop stays at home on f1 for some time before deploying to h3 or g2 sometimes.
10.Bb3b5 11.0-0-0 Here Khalifman gives himself a small advantage. His centralised pieces gave him the force necessary for a breakthrough in the centre.Most attacking players centralise.
11....Bb7 12.Bg5Qa5?! This move was to be the cause of a lot of problems for black.The problem is the lack of adequate cover for the d7 square in some variations. Van Wely should not be blamed for facing a novelty like 9.Bc4 with some active moves.
13.Kb1 -Like most attacking players, Khalifman makes his prophylactic move.
13...Nc4?! Once again Van Wely shows a desire to be active but now there is a positional concession.
14.Bc4 Khalifman follows the general principle of removing the opponent's active pieces. 14....bc4
15.Rhe1 centralisation before all hell breaks loose.Of course many players would ask how Van Wely was to come under such pressure at this stage. Most of black's queen side pieces have been mobilized. Its clear black wants to hold up as much as possible in the center and on the right side of the board.
15...Rb8? This is a step too far on the left of the board. If 15...Be7 16.f4 is good with the idea of a breakthrough with e4-e5 and Bf6 then hitting black on d7.
16.Nf5ef5 (16...Rd8 17.Bf6gf6 18.Nd5Qd2 19.Nf6#- A beautiful mate with two knights)
17.e5!! Breakthrough. At this point it is important to go through black's choices.
A) 17...de5? 18.Bf6 and Qd7 follows.
B) 17...Nd5 18.ed6Kd7 19.Nd5Qd5 20.Qd5Bd5 21.Rd5+-
C)17...Kd7 18.ef6g6 19.Bf4Qc5 20.Bd6Bd6 21.Re7Kc8 22.Na4+-
D) 17..Nh7 18.ed6Kd7 19.Re7Be7 20.de7Bd5 21.Qf4!
17....Bc8 This is an admission of the need to defend d7. 18.ef6Be6 19.fg7Bg7 20.Qd6!Rb2
Black lashes out.Van Wely is known to be an optimist.
21.Kb2Qc3 22.Kc1Kb2 23.Kd2Qd4 24.Qd4Bd4 -Van Wely has done well to reach this stage of this game.Khalifman simply turns up the pressure.
25.Ke2Bb6 26.Rb1Bc7 27.Rb7!!Bh2 28.f40-0 The black king appears to have eluded his pursuers.
Khalifman showed this to be an optical illusion:
29.Rh1Bg3 30.Rh5Kg7 31.Bh6Kg6 32.Rg5!
In view of the moves Rg3 and Rb1-h1 mate Van Wely resigned. So what were the key points in this game?
A) 7...h5?! Keeps the King on e8 a bit longer.
B) 9.Bc4 kept up pressure on e6 and also removed a good active black knight.
C) 15.Rhe1 completed centralisation.
D) 17.e5! Was the key to the breakthrough.
E) 27.Rb7 was the key move removing a defender.
I hope this was enjoyable and instructive.
The violent overthrow of Kings in modern chess. Part One
Hello chess lovers,
I want to share with you a game that has been mostly overlooked but yet is a masterpiece.Chess is often presented as a game where we can only learn from champions or the elite top ten Grandmasters in the world.Everyday some attacking gem is played online or in a tournament around the world.Today we will look at a clash between two GMs with high pedigree: Ivan Sokolov and Alexey Dreev has they have a go at each other in a manic frenzy of attacking chess.
Here is my account of this magnificent clash.
Sokolov I v Dreev 2001 D43
1.d4d5 2.c4c6 Dreev has been a major exponent of this defense for many years. He has earned a living from developing deeply the theory of the Slav and writing on it.
3.Nf3Nf6 4.Nc3e6
-This is a non verbal challenge to Ivan-come and try Bg5.Dreev has shown a reluctance to play Bc8-f5 because he has been an expert at chasing that bishop from the white side.
5.Bg5h6 the Moscow variation
6.Bh4dc4
Black throws down the gauntlet and takes a pawn while white seeks compensation by taking space in the center.To play such a line as black takes a certain willingness to accept a period of pressure but also a knowledge that his best winning chances may lie in creating imbalances.
7.e4g5 8.Bg3b5 9.Be2Bb7 10.h4
-An idea of Khalifmann's.Rather than give any more information on where his King will reside, white hopes to open more lines.Dreev's response is to attack on the other flank removing the defender of e4.
10...b4 11.Na4Ne4 and now Ivan has to show a return for his investment. 12.Be5Rg8 -One achievement for Sokolov: black's King needs to find a secure address.
13.Qc2!?
After this move the game moves into a vortex of complications literally having an impact on the 4 corners of the boars.
13...c5! Activity is at premium here. 14.Bc4g4 And Sokolov faces a tough choice. Does he meekly retreat the knight or counter with some aggression?
15.Bb5+ (15.Nd2Nd2 16.Qd2Nc6 is very good for black.Development is completed and there is pressure on d4 and e5?
15...Nd7 16.dc5?
This probably the decisive mistake.However it has its logic.Having played Bb5 white wants to go for c5-c6.Its quite probable that Ivan saw nothing else to keep the momentum. Stohl analysed 16.0-0-0gf3 17.dc5fg2 18.Rg1Bd5 19.c6Bd6 20.cd7Ke7 21.f3 as unclear.It is a position worth analysing in depth as it gives rise to fascinating complications.The d7 pawn is white's big asset.
16....b3!! Dreev pinpoints the flaw with white's plan and opens up the a5-e1 diagonal.He is aiming at the white King.This black's most active and threatening move.I believe that in this position Dreev looked at forcing possibilities for both sides.
17.Qd3 It turns out that 17.ab3?gf3 18.Bd7Qd7 19.gf3Nc5 20.Nc5Bc5 21.Qc5Bf3 22.Rf1Rd8 is great for black as d2 is pressured. 17.Qb3Bd5 18.Qd3gf3 19.c6Bb4 20.Nc3Ne5 21.c7Qd7 22.Bd7Kd7 23.Qb5Kc7
is also good for black.Black's king turns out to be safer than his opposite number.
17...gf3 18.c6Bb4 and Dreev shows the skills of an Aikido master on the board.White pushed as far as possible with the c-pawn and then Dreev finds the counter stroke.
19.Bc3Bc3 20.bc3fg2 21.Rg1b2 an amazing position arises: After 21 moves black has two passed pawns on the second rank while the white king is marooned in the center.
22.Rd1Qh4!!Dreev finds the time to attack the white kingside. 23.Qd7Kf8 24.Qd4b1=Q 25.Rb1Rd8 and now black's remaining forces take on active posts with a tempo.
26.cb7Rd4! In one grandmaster game three pawns reach the 7th rank! 27.b7-b8=QReincarnation!! Rd8 28.Qa7Qh2 Now black completes his coup d'etat: 29.Ke2Rd2 30.Ke3Rg3! 31.Ke4Rg4 and white resigned in view of the impending mate.
This has to be one of the most exciting games of the 21st century filled with strokes and counterstrokes.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.
John
I want to share with you a game that has been mostly overlooked but yet is a masterpiece.Chess is often presented as a game where we can only learn from champions or the elite top ten Grandmasters in the world.Everyday some attacking gem is played online or in a tournament around the world.Today we will look at a clash between two GMs with high pedigree: Ivan Sokolov and Alexey Dreev has they have a go at each other in a manic frenzy of attacking chess.
Here is my account of this magnificent clash.
Sokolov I v Dreev 2001 D43
1.d4d5 2.c4c6 Dreev has been a major exponent of this defense for many years. He has earned a living from developing deeply the theory of the Slav and writing on it.
3.Nf3Nf6 4.Nc3e6
-This is a non verbal challenge to Ivan-come and try Bg5.Dreev has shown a reluctance to play Bc8-f5 because he has been an expert at chasing that bishop from the white side.
5.Bg5h6 the Moscow variation
6.Bh4dc4
Black throws down the gauntlet and takes a pawn while white seeks compensation by taking space in the center.To play such a line as black takes a certain willingness to accept a period of pressure but also a knowledge that his best winning chances may lie in creating imbalances.
7.e4g5 8.Bg3b5 9.Be2Bb7 10.h4
-An idea of Khalifmann's.Rather than give any more information on where his King will reside, white hopes to open more lines.Dreev's response is to attack on the other flank removing the defender of e4.
10...b4 11.Na4Ne4 and now Ivan has to show a return for his investment. 12.Be5Rg8 -One achievement for Sokolov: black's King needs to find a secure address.
13.Qc2!?
After this move the game moves into a vortex of complications literally having an impact on the 4 corners of the boars.
13...c5! Activity is at premium here. 14.Bc4g4 And Sokolov faces a tough choice. Does he meekly retreat the knight or counter with some aggression?
15.Bb5+ (15.Nd2Nd2 16.Qd2Nc6 is very good for black.Development is completed and there is pressure on d4 and e5?
15...Nd7 16.dc5?
This probably the decisive mistake.However it has its logic.Having played Bb5 white wants to go for c5-c6.Its quite probable that Ivan saw nothing else to keep the momentum. Stohl analysed 16.0-0-0gf3 17.dc5fg2 18.Rg1Bd5 19.c6Bd6 20.cd7Ke7 21.f3 as unclear.It is a position worth analysing in depth as it gives rise to fascinating complications.The d7 pawn is white's big asset.
16....b3!! Dreev pinpoints the flaw with white's plan and opens up the a5-e1 diagonal.He is aiming at the white King.This black's most active and threatening move.I believe that in this position Dreev looked at forcing possibilities for both sides.
17.Qd3 It turns out that 17.ab3?gf3 18.Bd7Qd7 19.gf3Nc5 20.Nc5Bc5 21.Qc5Bf3 22.Rf1Rd8 is great for black as d2 is pressured. 17.Qb3Bd5 18.Qd3gf3 19.c6Bb4 20.Nc3Ne5 21.c7Qd7 22.Bd7Kd7 23.Qb5Kc7
is also good for black.Black's king turns out to be safer than his opposite number.
17...gf3 18.c6Bb4 and Dreev shows the skills of an Aikido master on the board.White pushed as far as possible with the c-pawn and then Dreev finds the counter stroke.
19.Bc3Bc3 20.bc3fg2 21.Rg1b2 an amazing position arises: After 21 moves black has two passed pawns on the second rank while the white king is marooned in the center.
22.Rd1Qh4!!Dreev finds the time to attack the white kingside. 23.Qd7Kf8 24.Qd4b1=Q 25.Rb1Rd8 and now black's remaining forces take on active posts with a tempo.
26.cb7Rd4! In one grandmaster game three pawns reach the 7th rank! 27.b7-b8=QReincarnation!! Rd8 28.Qa7Qh2 Now black completes his coup d'etat: 29.Ke2Rd2 30.Ke3Rg3! 31.Ke4Rg4 and white resigned in view of the impending mate.
This has to be one of the most exciting games of the 21st century filled with strokes and counterstrokes.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.
John
Thursday 5 May 2011
Crisis Point in the Sicillian Defense: 6h3 in the Najdorf Variation#2
Hello Chess lovers
In the second part of this series I would like to go back in time to the year 1962. That was a year in which the Caribbean had a lot of historic moments. There was the Cuban missile crisis.Then there was the independence of Jamaica and in chess the controversial Curacao Interzonal tournament where Fischer went on to give a rant on Soviet cheating. Prior to that there was a magnificent performance by Robert Fischer in the Stockholm Interzonal which won in impressive style. In the following game taken from that tournament, we see how Fischer played across the entire board and then finish with an efficient attack.
Fischer v Bolbochan Stockholm 1962
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3a6 6.h3Nc6 7.g4Nd4 8.Qd4e5 9.Qd3Be7 10.g5Nfd7 11.Be3
A slight inaccuracy. 11.h4Nc5 12.Qf3 was better.
11....Nc5 12.Qd2Be6 13.0-0-0 0-0? A nearly decisive mistake. Fischer now has the address of the opponent's king and starts to prepare an assault.Black had to try 13...Qa514.a3b5 15.Nb1Qd2 16.Nd20-0 with no problems.
14.f3Rac8 15.Kb1Nd7 16.h4b5 17.Bh3 as always white seeks to remove defenders in any Sicillian.Black makes the decisive mistake.
17...Bh3?? 17...Re8 18.Nd5Bf8 was called for.
18.Rh3Nb6 19.Bb6 Fischer removes the counterattacking threat of the knight. 19....Qb6 20.Nd5Qd8 21.f4ef4 22.Qf4Qd7 23.Qf5Rcd8 23...Qf5 24.Ne7 is a big mistake. 24.Ra3Qa7 25.Rc3! Fischer's play all across the board is an example of boardwide vision.
25...g6 26.Qg4Qd7 27.Qf3Qe6 28.Rc7Rde8 and Fischer is taking over more squares.
29.Nf4Qe5 30.Rd5 and the absence of black's light square bishop is keenly felt.
30...Qh8 31.a3h6 32.gh6Qh6 33.h5Bg5 34.hg6!!The way is forward 34...fg6 35.Qb3Rf4 36.Re5Kf8 and now Fischer finishes with an efficient move 37.Re8 after seeing that 37...Ke8 38.Qg8 was hopeless black resigned. 1-0
So what can be learnt from this game.
1) Black's castling was very wrong.In the Sicillian black needs to always consider what is the right moment to castle.It is an opening requiring immense accuracy.
2)17. Bh3 was a crucial part of white's strategy.Removal of key defenders is paramount in the Sicillian.
3)The use of d5 as a transit square for pieces.
4) The switching of pressure with the rook on the third rank and the infiltration on the c-file.Fabulous boardwide play by Fischer.
5) Finishing of the attack efficiently.Fischer was really interested in winning and never gave a lot of thought to beauty.
I hope you found it instructive.
In the second part of this series I would like to go back in time to the year 1962. That was a year in which the Caribbean had a lot of historic moments. There was the Cuban missile crisis.Then there was the independence of Jamaica and in chess the controversial Curacao Interzonal tournament where Fischer went on to give a rant on Soviet cheating. Prior to that there was a magnificent performance by Robert Fischer in the Stockholm Interzonal which won in impressive style. In the following game taken from that tournament, we see how Fischer played across the entire board and then finish with an efficient attack.
Fischer v Bolbochan Stockholm 1962
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3a6 6.h3Nc6 7.g4Nd4 8.Qd4e5 9.Qd3Be7 10.g5Nfd7 11.Be3
A slight inaccuracy. 11.h4Nc5 12.Qf3 was better.
11....Nc5 12.Qd2Be6 13.0-0-0 0-0? A nearly decisive mistake. Fischer now has the address of the opponent's king and starts to prepare an assault.Black had to try 13...Qa514.a3b5 15.Nb1Qd2 16.Nd20-0 with no problems.
14.f3Rac8 15.Kb1Nd7 16.h4b5 17.Bh3 as always white seeks to remove defenders in any Sicillian.Black makes the decisive mistake.
17...Bh3?? 17...Re8 18.Nd5Bf8 was called for.
18.Rh3Nb6 19.Bb6 Fischer removes the counterattacking threat of the knight. 19....Qb6 20.Nd5Qd8 21.f4ef4 22.Qf4Qd7 23.Qf5Rcd8 23...Qf5 24.Ne7 is a big mistake. 24.Ra3Qa7 25.Rc3! Fischer's play all across the board is an example of boardwide vision.
25...g6 26.Qg4Qd7 27.Qf3Qe6 28.Rc7Rde8 and Fischer is taking over more squares.
29.Nf4Qe5 30.Rd5 and the absence of black's light square bishop is keenly felt.
30...Qh8 31.a3h6 32.gh6Qh6 33.h5Bg5 34.hg6!!The way is forward 34...fg6 35.Qb3Rf4 36.Re5Kf8 and now Fischer finishes with an efficient move 37.Re8 after seeing that 37...Ke8 38.Qg8 was hopeless black resigned. 1-0
So what can be learnt from this game.
1) Black's castling was very wrong.In the Sicillian black needs to always consider what is the right moment to castle.It is an opening requiring immense accuracy.
2)17. Bh3 was a crucial part of white's strategy.Removal of key defenders is paramount in the Sicillian.
3)The use of d5 as a transit square for pieces.
4) The switching of pressure with the rook on the third rank and the infiltration on the c-file.Fabulous boardwide play by Fischer.
5) Finishing of the attack efficiently.Fischer was really interested in winning and never gave a lot of thought to beauty.
I hope you found it instructive.
Crisis Point in the Sicillian Defense: 6h3 in the Najdorf Variation#1
Hello Chess Lovers
Today I wanted to share with you a wonderful attacking game by the super talented Russian GM Nepomniatchi
who caused Carlsen serious problems from the black side of the Sicillian earlier this year. In this game we will look at the 6h3 line in the Najdorf which has been played by some of the giants of chess from the time of Fischer to Carlsen and Karjakin. The move 6h3 is intended to prepare g2-g4 and differs from the Keres attack in that the white rook on h1 is not committed to the g1 square and white preserves the option of castling.It has a similiar intention to the English attack and 6.f3.The advantage is that f3 is left for a piece and as we shall see the the f-pawn goes to f4 instead.
Lets take a deeper look.
Nepomniatchi vs Frolyanov Russian Team championship
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3a6 6.h3e6 7.g4b5 8.Bg2Bb7 9.0-0Nfd7 this is quite new.
In Carlsen v Gelfand 9...h6 10.Re1 was played. In Carlsen v Dominguez 9...Nc6 10.Nc6 was played.
In Karjakin vs Van Wely 9....b4 10.Nd5!? was played. We will take a look at these games in the future.
10.f4Be7 11.f5 and now we see the concept of white: he assaults the focal point e6 as a result of the black bishop leaving c8.Its often a rule of thumb that when the black bishop goes to b7, white assaults the e6 point.
11....e5 A critical moment.The pawn structure has changed and d5 and f5 are now inviting squares for white.
At the same time black keeps the centre closed. 12.f6!! Nepomniatchi continues with an equal or stronger threat rather than retreating the d4 knight.Time is always of the essence in the Sicillian.It is also a square clearance move. f5 is now free for the knight.
12....Nf6 13.Nf50-0 14.g5 -g-force!! The defender is removed and white now invites everyone to the party.
14....Ne8 15.Qg4Nbd7 16.Be3Rc8 17.Rf2! very good as it anticipates ..b4 by black but also blocks annoying checks by black along the a7-g1 diagonal.
17.....d5!? A very committal move which is understandable.Black is cramped and would like to get some room for the pieces to breathe.Black wants the d6 square for a piece.
18.ed5Nd6 19.Nd6!Bd6 20.Ne4
Inviting the knight to the party.Removal of defenders will always be a theme for aggressive 1.e4 players no matter which opening they face.
20....Nc5?! The first crisis point for black.The knight on e4 is an influential piece and it really is understandable for black to get rid of such a piece. Black's only other decent move seemed to be
20...Qc7 21.Nf6Nf6 22.gf6g6 23.Qg5Rfe8 24.Be4Qc4 25.Qg2Red8 26.Rd2Bc5 27.Bc5Qc5 28.Kh2Qd6 29.Raf1Rc4 30.h4b4 31.h5Rd7 32hg6hg6 33.Kg1Qc5 34.Rff2)
21.Nf6Kh8 22.Qh5gf6 23.Rf6Rg8 black tries to defend h7. 24.Rf7Rg7 25.Rg7Kg7 26.g6!! A beautiful line clearance sacrifice. 26...hg6 27.Qh6Kg8 28.Qg6Kh8 29.Rf1Bf8 30.Rf7Qh4 black finds resources but to no avail. 31.Bg5! bringing up the last reserves and black had enough. 1-0
To summarize here are the main points:
A) 6.h3 allows the f2 pawn to go to f4. In this game it went all the way to f6!
B) After d6-d5 by black the game got easier for white as e4 was used as a transfer point for white's pieces.
C)From move 20 to move 31 black was put under enormous pressure with a long series of forcing moves where all the white pieces just went forward. Wonderful attacking game.
I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.
Today I wanted to share with you a wonderful attacking game by the super talented Russian GM Nepomniatchi
who caused Carlsen serious problems from the black side of the Sicillian earlier this year. In this game we will look at the 6h3 line in the Najdorf which has been played by some of the giants of chess from the time of Fischer to Carlsen and Karjakin. The move 6h3 is intended to prepare g2-g4 and differs from the Keres attack in that the white rook on h1 is not committed to the g1 square and white preserves the option of castling.It has a similiar intention to the English attack and 6.f3.The advantage is that f3 is left for a piece and as we shall see the the f-pawn goes to f4 instead.
Lets take a deeper look.
Nepomniatchi vs Frolyanov Russian Team championship
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3a6 6.h3e6 7.g4b5 8.Bg2Bb7 9.0-0Nfd7 this is quite new.
In Carlsen v Gelfand 9...h6 10.Re1 was played. In Carlsen v Dominguez 9...Nc6 10.Nc6 was played.
In Karjakin vs Van Wely 9....b4 10.Nd5!? was played. We will take a look at these games in the future.
10.f4Be7 11.f5 and now we see the concept of white: he assaults the focal point e6 as a result of the black bishop leaving c8.Its often a rule of thumb that when the black bishop goes to b7, white assaults the e6 point.
11....e5 A critical moment.The pawn structure has changed and d5 and f5 are now inviting squares for white.
At the same time black keeps the centre closed. 12.f6!! Nepomniatchi continues with an equal or stronger threat rather than retreating the d4 knight.Time is always of the essence in the Sicillian.It is also a square clearance move. f5 is now free for the knight.
12....Nf6 13.Nf50-0 14.g5 -g-force!! The defender is removed and white now invites everyone to the party.
14....Ne8 15.Qg4Nbd7 16.Be3Rc8 17.Rf2! very good as it anticipates ..b4 by black but also blocks annoying checks by black along the a7-g1 diagonal.
17.....d5!? A very committal move which is understandable.Black is cramped and would like to get some room for the pieces to breathe.Black wants the d6 square for a piece.
18.ed5Nd6 19.Nd6!Bd6 20.Ne4
Inviting the knight to the party.Removal of defenders will always be a theme for aggressive 1.e4 players no matter which opening they face.
20....Nc5?! The first crisis point for black.The knight on e4 is an influential piece and it really is understandable for black to get rid of such a piece. Black's only other decent move seemed to be
20...Qc7 21.Nf6Nf6 22.gf6g6 23.Qg5Rfe8 24.Be4Qc4 25.Qg2Red8 26.Rd2Bc5 27.Bc5Qc5 28.Kh2Qd6 29.Raf1Rc4 30.h4b4 31.h5Rd7 32hg6hg6 33.Kg1Qc5 34.Rff2)
21.Nf6Kh8 22.Qh5gf6 23.Rf6Rg8 black tries to defend h7. 24.Rf7Rg7 25.Rg7Kg7 26.g6!! A beautiful line clearance sacrifice. 26...hg6 27.Qh6Kg8 28.Qg6Kh8 29.Rf1Bf8 30.Rf7Qh4 black finds resources but to no avail. 31.Bg5! bringing up the last reserves and black had enough. 1-0
To summarize here are the main points:
A) 6.h3 allows the f2 pawn to go to f4. In this game it went all the way to f6!
B) After d6-d5 by black the game got easier for white as e4 was used as a transfer point for white's pieces.
C)From move 20 to move 31 black was put under enormous pressure with a long series of forcing moves where all the white pieces just went forward. Wonderful attacking game.
I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.
Friday 29 April 2011
Kasparov's Art of War broken down into chunks Part Three
Hello Chess Lovers
I wanted to look at another example of Kasparov's warcraft. In this game Kasparov uses an old Gambit against Anand, his almost perpetual #2. What is fascinating is the way in which Kasparov causes so many problems in the opening that by move 18 Anand was in survival mode.Kasparov, more than any other GM was able to provoke a crisis and find momentum in certain positions. This was clearly a fruit of his labours off the board and then on it.
Lets go to the game:
Kasparov v Anand Tal Memorial Riga 1995.
1.e4e5 2.Nf3Nc6 3.Bc4Bc5 4.b4!?-The Evans Gambit.No doubt Kasparov was thinking of the occasion-playing the Tal memorial but also that he would play Anand for the World Championships pretty soon.
4...Bb4 (A few months later Piket tried declining it against Kasparov with awful consequences: 4...Bb6 5.a4a5 6.b5Nd4 7.Nd4Bd4 8.c3Bb6 9.d4ed4 10.0-0Ne7 11.Bg5h6 and Kasparov won after fighting for the initiative) 5.c3Be7 6.d4Na5 7.Be2!?-Kasparov got this from correspondence games where the idea is to leave the knight on a5 but also to be able to recapture on d4 with the queen.
7...ed4 8.Qd4Nf6 -Anand goes for a natural move. However this proves to be insufficient.The alternatives were Bf6,f6,Kf8,d6 -None of these would appeal to a player like Anand who is very direct when it comes to development.
9.e5Nc6 10.Qh4Nd5 11.Qg3g6 Kasparov has achieved a lot.He has induced Anand into weakening the king side. 12.0-0 Before taking on any more operartions Kasparov castles.As a rule Kasparov would secure his king and then ensure he could hunt the opponent's king in safety.Kasparov does not discurage Anand from castling as he knows he has enough pieces to storm Anand's king.
12....Nb6?! This removes a piece from the king side and it also enables Kasparov to stop it from returning.
13.c4!? There are different ideas with this.It stops a knight return to d5 and anticipates ...d5 by black.
13...d6 Anand delays castling.He clearly has developed a fear of Kasparov's attacking prowess.Calculating castling against Kasparov must have been a daunting task.
14.Rd1Nd7 the knight has moved so much. 15.Bh6! Nce5 16.Ne5Ne5 17.Nc3!? Kasparov never attacked without moving out all of his pieces. 17...f6?!18.c5!Nf7?! Its sad to see Anand reduced to defending different pressure points.
19.cd6cd6 20.Qe3Nh6 21.Qh6 Anand is now without a good defender and Kasparov has an attacker near to his king. 21....Bf8 Anand cannot allow Qg7.22.Qe3+Kf7 (22...Qe7 23.Ne4) 23.Nd5Be6?! 24.Nf4Qe7 25.Re1 and Anand simply had enough.The threat is Bf3. if 25...Qd7 then 26.Bb5. If 25...Bh6 then 26.Bc4!
So what can be learned from this game:
1) The impact of an early crisis caused by the Kings Gambit.
2) The way in which Kasparov forced his opponent to make unpleasant choices. Anand never got to develop properly.
3) The creation of threats on different points for example the threat to get to g7 and then the decisive threats on the e-file.
4) The psychological pressure of playing an opponent with aggressively placed pieces.
5) The way in which Anand was forced to move his pieces to and fro without being able to make a coherent plan.
I wanted to look at another example of Kasparov's warcraft. In this game Kasparov uses an old Gambit against Anand, his almost perpetual #2. What is fascinating is the way in which Kasparov causes so many problems in the opening that by move 18 Anand was in survival mode.Kasparov, more than any other GM was able to provoke a crisis and find momentum in certain positions. This was clearly a fruit of his labours off the board and then on it.
Lets go to the game:
Kasparov v Anand Tal Memorial Riga 1995.
1.e4e5 2.Nf3Nc6 3.Bc4Bc5 4.b4!?-The Evans Gambit.No doubt Kasparov was thinking of the occasion-playing the Tal memorial but also that he would play Anand for the World Championships pretty soon.
4...Bb4 (A few months later Piket tried declining it against Kasparov with awful consequences: 4...Bb6 5.a4a5 6.b5Nd4 7.Nd4Bd4 8.c3Bb6 9.d4ed4 10.0-0Ne7 11.Bg5h6 and Kasparov won after fighting for the initiative) 5.c3Be7 6.d4Na5 7.Be2!?-Kasparov got this from correspondence games where the idea is to leave the knight on a5 but also to be able to recapture on d4 with the queen.
7...ed4 8.Qd4Nf6 -Anand goes for a natural move. However this proves to be insufficient.The alternatives were Bf6,f6,Kf8,d6 -None of these would appeal to a player like Anand who is very direct when it comes to development.
9.e5Nc6 10.Qh4Nd5 11.Qg3g6 Kasparov has achieved a lot.He has induced Anand into weakening the king side. 12.0-0 Before taking on any more operartions Kasparov castles.As a rule Kasparov would secure his king and then ensure he could hunt the opponent's king in safety.Kasparov does not discurage Anand from castling as he knows he has enough pieces to storm Anand's king.
12....Nb6?! This removes a piece from the king side and it also enables Kasparov to stop it from returning.
13.c4!? There are different ideas with this.It stops a knight return to d5 and anticipates ...d5 by black.
13...d6 Anand delays castling.He clearly has developed a fear of Kasparov's attacking prowess.Calculating castling against Kasparov must have been a daunting task.
14.Rd1Nd7 the knight has moved so much. 15.Bh6! Nce5 16.Ne5Ne5 17.Nc3!? Kasparov never attacked without moving out all of his pieces. 17...f6?!18.c5!Nf7?! Its sad to see Anand reduced to defending different pressure points.
19.cd6cd6 20.Qe3Nh6 21.Qh6 Anand is now without a good defender and Kasparov has an attacker near to his king. 21....Bf8 Anand cannot allow Qg7.22.Qe3+Kf7 (22...Qe7 23.Ne4) 23.Nd5Be6?! 24.Nf4Qe7 25.Re1 and Anand simply had enough.The threat is Bf3. if 25...Qd7 then 26.Bb5. If 25...Bh6 then 26.Bc4!
So what can be learned from this game:
1) The impact of an early crisis caused by the Kings Gambit.
2) The way in which Kasparov forced his opponent to make unpleasant choices. Anand never got to develop properly.
3) The creation of threats on different points for example the threat to get to g7 and then the decisive threats on the e-file.
4) The psychological pressure of playing an opponent with aggressively placed pieces.
5) The way in which Anand was forced to move his pieces to and fro without being able to make a coherent plan.
Friday 22 April 2011
Kasparov's Art of War broken down into chunks Part Two
Hello Chess Lovers
Today I would like to take a look at another Kasparov gem which features some of Kasparov's most outstanding attributes as a player: enormous preparation off the board and really enormous pressure on the board with the white pieces. We will look at how his attacking philosophy worked in the 1980s.
Kasparov v Nunn
Lucerne Olympiad 1982
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nc3c5 4.d5ed5 5.cd5d6 6.e4g6 7.f4The Taimanov attack. This had a good score in the 1980s. White wants to breakthrough in the center with an eventual e4-e5 push. He also believes his space advantage will be lasting.
7....Bg7 8.Bb5+Nfd7 9.a4! This allows the bishop to retreat after ...a6 but also restricts the black queen side.
9....Na6 Nunn wants to solve his opening issues and move on to castling later.He also wants to get more information about Kasparov's intentions. 10.Nf3Nb4 11.0-0a6? 12.Bd7Bd7 13.f5 very direct.
Kasparov wishes to play Bg5.Its interesting to note that Kasparov his using his minor pieces in a classical way.The knights are on the most active posts and the bishops go to their most active posts. Now that the knight on d7 is exchanged Kasparov embarks on the strategy where he will have more pieces on the king side.
13....0-0 14.Bg5f6 Kasparov was threatening f6. Kasparov had this other method of preparing an attack: provoking weaknesses. He did the same against the Queen's Indian defence when he played his bishop to b5 to attract the move...c6.Now the e6 square is weakened.
15.Bf4gf5? 16.Bd6! Kasparov goes into a variation where black exchanges his light square bishop for the dark square bishop which then weakens e6 considerably.
16...Ba4 17.Ra4Qd6 18.Nh4!fe4 19.Nf5 -Big mission accomplished. On many occasions Kasparov expressed his fascination with having a knight on f5. 19...Qd7 20.Ne4Kh8 white his threatening Rf3 and Rg3.
21.Nc5 1-0 Brutal. Nunn is a strong GM and a good writer of many books but here he faced some really good preparation by Kasparov. Here are some key points:
1) The choice of variation.This line forces the opponent to be very accurate. Work of the highest calibre is called for.
2)The move ...Na6 and ...Nb4 meant that black was outnumbered on the king side.
3)The moves of Kasparov's dark square bishop were all decisive- Bg5 provoked ...f6, then Bf4 targeted d6
and then Bd6 got rid of the light square bishop.
4)Getting the knight to f5 was the killer move.
I hope you enjoyed that demonstration of power. John
Today I would like to take a look at another Kasparov gem which features some of Kasparov's most outstanding attributes as a player: enormous preparation off the board and really enormous pressure on the board with the white pieces. We will look at how his attacking philosophy worked in the 1980s.
Kasparov v Nunn
Lucerne Olympiad 1982
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nc3c5 4.d5ed5 5.cd5d6 6.e4g6 7.f4The Taimanov attack. This had a good score in the 1980s. White wants to breakthrough in the center with an eventual e4-e5 push. He also believes his space advantage will be lasting.
7....Bg7 8.Bb5+Nfd7 9.a4! This allows the bishop to retreat after ...a6 but also restricts the black queen side.
9....Na6 Nunn wants to solve his opening issues and move on to castling later.He also wants to get more information about Kasparov's intentions. 10.Nf3Nb4 11.0-0a6? 12.Bd7Bd7 13.f5 very direct.
Kasparov wishes to play Bg5.Its interesting to note that Kasparov his using his minor pieces in a classical way.The knights are on the most active posts and the bishops go to their most active posts. Now that the knight on d7 is exchanged Kasparov embarks on the strategy where he will have more pieces on the king side.
13....0-0 14.Bg5f6 Kasparov was threatening f6. Kasparov had this other method of preparing an attack: provoking weaknesses. He did the same against the Queen's Indian defence when he played his bishop to b5 to attract the move...c6.Now the e6 square is weakened.
15.Bf4gf5? 16.Bd6! Kasparov goes into a variation where black exchanges his light square bishop for the dark square bishop which then weakens e6 considerably.
16...Ba4 17.Ra4Qd6 18.Nh4!fe4 19.Nf5 -Big mission accomplished. On many occasions Kasparov expressed his fascination with having a knight on f5. 19...Qd7 20.Ne4Kh8 white his threatening Rf3 and Rg3.
21.Nc5 1-0 Brutal. Nunn is a strong GM and a good writer of many books but here he faced some really good preparation by Kasparov. Here are some key points:
1) The choice of variation.This line forces the opponent to be very accurate. Work of the highest calibre is called for.
2)The move ...Na6 and ...Nb4 meant that black was outnumbered on the king side.
3)The moves of Kasparov's dark square bishop were all decisive- Bg5 provoked ...f6, then Bf4 targeted d6
and then Bd6 got rid of the light square bishop.
4)Getting the knight to f5 was the killer move.
I hope you enjoyed that demonstration of power. John
Sunday 3 April 2011
Saturday 2 April 2011
Breaking down Kasparov's Art of War into Chunks Part One
Hello Chess Lovers
I was hesitant in addressing the games of Kasparov because so much has been written about him.
However I found a lacuna or "black hole" in the writing where authors addressed the moves and the
variations but not the man's own concept of how the game should be played. After reading Kasparov's book
how Life Imitates Chess, I started to connect the dots in how he worked off the board and over the board.So here I will try and condense my reading into simple blogs.
Kasparov took opening research in the 1980s to new levels.He was not satisfied with playable positions.
He wrote candidly that he loved finding the unclear positions in books.With a Sun in Aries, Kasparov was the archetypal warrior.He clearly read a lot on the history of warfare and applied it.For example he emphasised opponent research.This was not just a matter of looking at the opponent's opening choices.He followed Sun Tzu's Art of War to its logical extreme: learning what made the opposition uncomfortable.
He was also guided by the MTQ formula- Material,Time and Quality.Time was an essential component of his opening choices.He sought temporary advantages in time with pawn sacrifices and breakthrough moves which were based on the efforts of past masters.He also developed the concept of cutting the board in 2. He tried to get into positions where he would dominate the important side of the board-left or right-depending on the opening and the occasion.
Having mentioned all of that, lets see how it worked in action:
Kasparov v Marjanovic 1979 Banja Luka
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nf3b6 4.a3 This move became quite a lethal part of Kasparov's weaponry.He never allowed his opponent active possibilities.Bb7 5.Nc3d5 6.cd5Nd5 7.e3Be7?! 8.Bb5! provoking ..c6c6
Now black's bishop is not so influential.Kasparov always looked for ways to induce weaknesses.9.Bd30-0 10.e4Nc3 11.bc3c5 12.0-0h6 a slight weakening of the g6 square which will become worse later on.
These are the types of moves that alert aggressive players.
13.Bf4cd4 14.cd4Nc6 Having studied hundreds of Kasparov's games I found that quality of development was vital to him.He never embarked on committal attacks before development. Here developed and then starts with a breakthrough:
15.d5! Breakthrough. Kasparov sends the black knight to a5.This creates and imbalance on the board.
15...Na5 now black has 4 pieces on the Queen side which are not really achieving anything practical in the next 4-5 moves. 16.de6fe6 Now g6 is gravely weakened. 17.Bg3Rc8 18.Ne5! Pouncing on the g6 square and freeing g4 for the Queen. 18...Bf6 19.Qg4 Black still has 4 pieces on the queen side and white has 4 pieces which can assault the black king.
19...Qe8 20.Ng6Ba1 21.Nf8Bb2 22.Ne6and now g7 is in danger 22...h5?! Black tries to unseat the white queen from a superb outpost.
23.Qe2Bf6 24.Nc7Qf7 25.e5! Opening the b1-h7 diagonal.Qc7 26.Qh5 once again Kasparov goes for the imbalance he achieves a favourable attacking ratio.
26...Qc6 27.f3Be7 28.Bh7The queen and bishop hit black on the white squares.Kf8 29.Qf5Ke8 30.Bg6Kd8 31.Rd1Qd5 32.Rd5Rd5 33.Qd3Rc1 34.Kf2 1-0 Its important to note Kasparov always made sure that his king was secure before launching an attack.
The crucial moves were :
15.d5! -The battering ram
16.de6- weakening g6
25.e5! Opening the b1 -h7 diagonal.
The way the young Kasparov conducted this offensive game was a sign of things to come.
I was hesitant in addressing the games of Kasparov because so much has been written about him.
However I found a lacuna or "black hole" in the writing where authors addressed the moves and the
variations but not the man's own concept of how the game should be played. After reading Kasparov's book
how Life Imitates Chess, I started to connect the dots in how he worked off the board and over the board.So here I will try and condense my reading into simple blogs.
Kasparov took opening research in the 1980s to new levels.He was not satisfied with playable positions.
He wrote candidly that he loved finding the unclear positions in books.With a Sun in Aries, Kasparov was the archetypal warrior.He clearly read a lot on the history of warfare and applied it.For example he emphasised opponent research.This was not just a matter of looking at the opponent's opening choices.He followed Sun Tzu's Art of War to its logical extreme: learning what made the opposition uncomfortable.
He was also guided by the MTQ formula- Material,Time and Quality.Time was an essential component of his opening choices.He sought temporary advantages in time with pawn sacrifices and breakthrough moves which were based on the efforts of past masters.He also developed the concept of cutting the board in 2. He tried to get into positions where he would dominate the important side of the board-left or right-depending on the opening and the occasion.
Having mentioned all of that, lets see how it worked in action:
Kasparov v Marjanovic 1979 Banja Luka
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nf3b6 4.a3 This move became quite a lethal part of Kasparov's weaponry.He never allowed his opponent active possibilities.Bb7 5.Nc3d5 6.cd5Nd5 7.e3Be7?! 8.Bb5! provoking ..c6c6
Now black's bishop is not so influential.Kasparov always looked for ways to induce weaknesses.9.Bd30-0 10.e4Nc3 11.bc3c5 12.0-0h6 a slight weakening of the g6 square which will become worse later on.
These are the types of moves that alert aggressive players.
13.Bf4cd4 14.cd4Nc6 Having studied hundreds of Kasparov's games I found that quality of development was vital to him.He never embarked on committal attacks before development. Here developed and then starts with a breakthrough:
15.d5! Breakthrough. Kasparov sends the black knight to a5.This creates and imbalance on the board.
15...Na5 now black has 4 pieces on the Queen side which are not really achieving anything practical in the next 4-5 moves. 16.de6fe6 Now g6 is gravely weakened. 17.Bg3Rc8 18.Ne5! Pouncing on the g6 square and freeing g4 for the Queen. 18...Bf6 19.Qg4 Black still has 4 pieces on the queen side and white has 4 pieces which can assault the black king.
19...Qe8 20.Ng6Ba1 21.Nf8Bb2 22.Ne6and now g7 is in danger 22...h5?! Black tries to unseat the white queen from a superb outpost.
23.Qe2Bf6 24.Nc7Qf7 25.e5! Opening the b1-h7 diagonal.Qc7 26.Qh5 once again Kasparov goes for the imbalance he achieves a favourable attacking ratio.
26...Qc6 27.f3Be7 28.Bh7The queen and bishop hit black on the white squares.Kf8 29.Qf5Ke8 30.Bg6Kd8 31.Rd1Qd5 32.Rd5Rd5 33.Qd3Rc1 34.Kf2 1-0 Its important to note Kasparov always made sure that his king was secure before launching an attack.
The crucial moves were :
15.d5! -The battering ram
16.de6- weakening g6
25.e5! Opening the b1 -h7 diagonal.
The way the young Kasparov conducted this offensive game was a sign of things to come.
Thursday 31 March 2011
If it ain't the Dutch, it ain't much (Below 2500 of course)
Hello Chess Lovers
I have decided to indulge myself a bit and discuss a game of mine.I have had some success with a line of the Dutch and I believe some lighthearted chess is also so here is my game played tonight against Richmond Chess Club.
Kuhn vs Tobisch
1.d4e6 2.c4f5 3.Nc3Nf6 4.Nf3Bb4 5.Qc2b6 6.e3Bb7 7.Be20-0 8.0-0Bc3 9.Qc3Ne4 10.Qd3Qe8!?
Ever since I saw Botvinnik use this idea in a game I have come to like it. My opponent started to look worried here as he played 8.0-0
11.Nd2Nd2 12.Bd2Qg6 - I decided to make opponent feel a bit defensive. 13.f3d6 14.g4?h5 15.h3Nbd7
16.Kh2hg4 17.Rg1Qh7 18.fg4Be4! I think my opponent did not see this. 19.Qc3fg4 20.Bg4 forced Rf2
It took me some time to calculate sacrificing the e6 pawn and the d7 knight for a mating attack.
21.Kg3Raf8! Rooks are doubled. Now 21.Be6Kh8 22.Bd7Rf3 23.Kg4Qg6 24.Kh4Qh6 and Qh3+ is curtains for white.
22.Raf1?Rf1 23.Rf1Rf1 24.Be6Kf8 25.Bd7g5! And Qh4+ cannot be stopped so 0-1
I have decided to indulge myself a bit and discuss a game of mine.I have had some success with a line of the Dutch and I believe some lighthearted chess is also so here is my game played tonight against Richmond Chess Club.
Kuhn vs Tobisch
1.d4e6 2.c4f5 3.Nc3Nf6 4.Nf3Bb4 5.Qc2b6 6.e3Bb7 7.Be20-0 8.0-0Bc3 9.Qc3Ne4 10.Qd3Qe8!?
Ever since I saw Botvinnik use this idea in a game I have come to like it. My opponent started to look worried here as he played 8.0-0
11.Nd2Nd2 12.Bd2Qg6 - I decided to make opponent feel a bit defensive. 13.f3d6 14.g4?h5 15.h3Nbd7
16.Kh2hg4 17.Rg1Qh7 18.fg4Be4! I think my opponent did not see this. 19.Qc3fg4 20.Bg4 forced Rf2
It took me some time to calculate sacrificing the e6 pawn and the d7 knight for a mating attack.
21.Kg3Raf8! Rooks are doubled. Now 21.Be6Kh8 22.Bd7Rf3 23.Kg4Qg6 24.Kh4Qh6 and Qh3+ is curtains for white.
22.Raf1?Rf1 23.Rf1Rf1 24.Be6Kf8 25.Bd7g5! And Qh4+ cannot be stopped so 0-1
Monday 28 March 2011
Taoism and the Art of Playing Black: Karpov the Feng Shui artist
Hello Chess lovers,
In the the third part of this series it gives me deep satisfaction to present a game of the highest quality
by Karpov who I liken to a feng shui artist because he places pieces the way a feng shui expert would arrange furniture: in search of the ultimate harmony. Karpov faced Shirov, the ultimate "yang style" player and simply waited patiently for the game to evolve.Shirov has shown a tendency to make very committal pawn moves in this variation.
Karpov beautifully optimized his pieces and then proceeded to stretch white between the defense of pawns on the queen side and the kingside. Lets see this exhibition of Taoism on the board.
Shirov v Karpov Las Palmas 1994
1.e4c6 2.d4d5 3.e5Bf5 4.Nf3e6 5.Be2c5 6.0-0Nc6 7.c3cd4 8.cd4Nge7 9.a3?! A yang move intending b2-b4. 9...Nc8! This solves the problem of the e7 square in this variation. The knight and the bishop like the square.Also if white plays b2-b4 black will then embark on a light square strategy with the well timed moves Nb6-c4.
10.Nbd2Be7 11.b3?! This involves a slight weakening of a3.Its this type of move which gives black the information he needs to implement an appropriate and workable plan.
11...a5! Simple. The a7 square is freed for the knight which will head to b5 and leave c8 for a rook.Also the white b-pawn is restrained.So Karpov has let the game evolve and mostly moved his pieces on his first two ranks. He adjusts himself according to his opponent's plans and so it appears as if Shirov is doing the work and Karpov shows it up!
12.Bb2Na7 13.Re10-0 14.Nf1Rc8 -Simple useful moves. 15.Ng3Bg6 16.Qd2Qb6! -A reminder to white.
17.Bd1 this move must have been annoying to Shirov. 17..Rc7 18.h4?! Another committal pawn move by Shirov.This pawn will later become a target. 18...h6 19.Re2Rfc8 20.Qf4Nb8! now for the next stage. Black wants his queen at f8 where it will pressure a3.The c7 rook will go to c6 the queen to f8 via d8.This is an amazing demonstration of using pieces in limited space.
21...Re3Nb5! 22.Ne2Nd7 23.Nh2 -Four knight moves in a row. Regrouping is the name of the game now.
23...Rc6 24.Ng4Qd8 25.Rh3Qf8! Mission accomplished. A3 is under serious threat.
26.a4Na3! 27.Ba3 Shirov wants to divert the e7 bishop. 27...Ba3 28.Rg3h5 29.Ne3Bb2 30.Ra2Bc1 ! Now the bishop slows down white's momentum on the king side-Just in time.
31.Qf4Qb4 32.Nf4Be3 33.fe3Rc1 penetration in a way similiar to Nimzovitch v Capablanca. Karpov
is now to counter attack on the back rank.
34.Ng6Rd1 35.Kh2fg6 36.Qg6Qe7 -hitting h4. 37.Rf2Qh4 38.Rh3?Qf2 and Shirov had enough 0-1
So what can we take from this game.
1) Karpov developed while Shirov played committal pawn moves.
2)Shirov strove for "yang" type moves where he sought to build momentum on the Kingside.
3) Karpov switched attacks from b3 to a3 to h4 in the game.Each time Shirov had to misplace his pieces.
4)Karpov played within the confines of his position by skillfully moving on the first three ranks.
5) In most of Karpov's games regrouping occurs as he seeks the optimal places for the pieces.This is not a matter of linear calculation but schematic thinking.
Hopefully you found this blog entertaining.
John
In the the third part of this series it gives me deep satisfaction to present a game of the highest quality
by Karpov who I liken to a feng shui artist because he places pieces the way a feng shui expert would arrange furniture: in search of the ultimate harmony. Karpov faced Shirov, the ultimate "yang style" player and simply waited patiently for the game to evolve.Shirov has shown a tendency to make very committal pawn moves in this variation.
Karpov beautifully optimized his pieces and then proceeded to stretch white between the defense of pawns on the queen side and the kingside. Lets see this exhibition of Taoism on the board.
Shirov v Karpov Las Palmas 1994
1.e4c6 2.d4d5 3.e5Bf5 4.Nf3e6 5.Be2c5 6.0-0Nc6 7.c3cd4 8.cd4Nge7 9.a3?! A yang move intending b2-b4. 9...Nc8! This solves the problem of the e7 square in this variation. The knight and the bishop like the square.Also if white plays b2-b4 black will then embark on a light square strategy with the well timed moves Nb6-c4.
10.Nbd2Be7 11.b3?! This involves a slight weakening of a3.Its this type of move which gives black the information he needs to implement an appropriate and workable plan.
11...a5! Simple. The a7 square is freed for the knight which will head to b5 and leave c8 for a rook.Also the white b-pawn is restrained.So Karpov has let the game evolve and mostly moved his pieces on his first two ranks. He adjusts himself according to his opponent's plans and so it appears as if Shirov is doing the work and Karpov shows it up!
12.Bb2Na7 13.Re10-0 14.Nf1Rc8 -Simple useful moves. 15.Ng3Bg6 16.Qd2Qb6! -A reminder to white.
17.Bd1 this move must have been annoying to Shirov. 17..Rc7 18.h4?! Another committal pawn move by Shirov.This pawn will later become a target. 18...h6 19.Re2Rfc8 20.Qf4Nb8! now for the next stage. Black wants his queen at f8 where it will pressure a3.The c7 rook will go to c6 the queen to f8 via d8.This is an amazing demonstration of using pieces in limited space.
21...Re3Nb5! 22.Ne2Nd7 23.Nh2 -Four knight moves in a row. Regrouping is the name of the game now.
23...Rc6 24.Ng4Qd8 25.Rh3Qf8! Mission accomplished. A3 is under serious threat.
26.a4Na3! 27.Ba3 Shirov wants to divert the e7 bishop. 27...Ba3 28.Rg3h5 29.Ne3Bb2 30.Ra2Bc1 ! Now the bishop slows down white's momentum on the king side-Just in time.
31.Qf4Qb4 32.Nf4Be3 33.fe3Rc1 penetration in a way similiar to Nimzovitch v Capablanca. Karpov
is now to counter attack on the back rank.
34.Ng6Rd1 35.Kh2fg6 36.Qg6Qe7 -hitting h4. 37.Rf2Qh4 38.Rh3?Qf2 and Shirov had enough 0-1
So what can we take from this game.
1) Karpov developed while Shirov played committal pawn moves.
2)Shirov strove for "yang" type moves where he sought to build momentum on the Kingside.
3) Karpov switched attacks from b3 to a3 to h4 in the game.Each time Shirov had to misplace his pieces.
4)Karpov played within the confines of his position by skillfully moving on the first three ranks.
5) In most of Karpov's games regrouping occurs as he seeks the optimal places for the pieces.This is not a matter of linear calculation but schematic thinking.
Hopefully you found this blog entertaining.
John
Taosim and the Art of Playing Black: Smyslov the Smoothie...
Hello Chess Lovers
It gives me great joy to present this game as an example of playing in accordance with the principles
of Tao and Wu Wei. Smyslov was known for his gift in handling the pieces. I get the impression that Karpov studied this style deeply. In what follows Smyslov plays very much like Capablanca, simple but profound moves where absorbs white's initial thrusts and then gradually dominates switching from "ying" to "yang".
Gligoric vs Smyslov Amsterdam 1971
Tchigorin Defence
1.d4d5 2.c4Nc6 3.Nc3dc4 4.d5! A very active "yang" move. 4...Ne5 5.Bf4Ng6 so black has absorbed
the initial pressure of having to relocate his knight. 6.Bg3e5!? Claiming some space.
7.de6 Gligoric opens the game and will want some room for the f1 bishop. 7...Be6 8.Nf3Nf6 9.Nd4Bd7
Again black parrys these attacks on his pieces.He does not seek complications. 10.e3Bb4 One of the virtues
of the Tschigorin is that the black pieces come out to active squares. Smyslov seeks dominion over the e4 square.
11.Bc40-0 12.Qc2c6 13.h3 creating an escape for the g3 bishop. Its important to note how the GMs play useful moves prior to initiating some plan.
13...Qe7 harmonising the rooks. Smyslov's pieces are all protected and serve a function. 14.0-0Bc3!
The first crucial moment of the game. A key defender of e4 is removed. An imbalance is created 15.Qc3Ne4 followed by Ng3 bad for white.
15.bc3Ne4 16.Bh2c5! 17.Nf3Bc6 more control over e4. 18.Bd3f5! in three natural and simple moves
black has assumed control over a vital square and can increase pressure on c3.
19.Rad1Rad8 -Minimal effort and simple useful moves.Facing off on the d-file.
20.Be2Qf6! Compelling white to exchange. White is tied to c3. 21.Rd8Rd8 22.Rc1h6 one of those useful
moves a GM makes when improving the pieces is difficult.
23.Bd3Kh8 another useful, prophylactic move. Kramnik and others learnt from these types of games.
24.Ne1 -white has had enough. So he prepares f2-f3. 24...c4! Now black takes over!
25.Be4 (25.Bc4Rd2 26.Qb1Qh4 27.f3Ng5 28.Bb5Nf3) 25....fe4 26.Qe2b5 27.Bg3Ne7! Black improves his worst piece.The knight will go to d5.Notice how natural and almost effortless these moves seem.
28.Qb2Nd5 29.Qa3a5 30.Kh2h5! with the threat of ...h4. First we saw ..a5 then ...h4.The black pieces are optimized.Smyslov follows Rubinstein by playing wing moves when the pieces are optimal.
31.h4Qf8! Smyslov wants to exchange white's best piece. 32.Qb2Nf6! 33.Kg1Ng4 34.Qe2Qf6!
With a simple plan: Rd7 and then Qd8. 35.f3ef3 36.gf3Ne5 37.e4Nd3! 38.Rc2Ne1 39.Be1Rd3 with pressure on f3 and c3.The principle of the two weaknesses in action.
40.Kg2Qg6 41.Bg3Kh7 !! Zugzwang. The big threat is Qf6 hitting f3 and c3. 42.Rc1Qf6 43.Be1Qf4 0-1
In view of 44.Rc2Rf3
So what can we take from this exhibition of Taoism.
1) In the early stages black simply moved out of the way of white's lunges. The knight moved from c6 to g6, the Bishop moved from e6 to d7 to c6.
2) After the extremely crucial Bb4 black began to exert "yang" energy with minimal effort.
3) After f2-f3 by white black stretched white between two pressure points : c3 and f3.
4) Black exchanged off defenders but had enough pieces to make the final blow.
5) It must be noted that the presence of bishops of opposite colors in the middlegame swung in black's favour.The dark squared bishop of white simply hit empty squares....
I hope this was instructive and enjoyable.
John
It gives me great joy to present this game as an example of playing in accordance with the principles
of Tao and Wu Wei. Smyslov was known for his gift in handling the pieces. I get the impression that Karpov studied this style deeply. In what follows Smyslov plays very much like Capablanca, simple but profound moves where absorbs white's initial thrusts and then gradually dominates switching from "ying" to "yang".
Gligoric vs Smyslov Amsterdam 1971
Tchigorin Defence
1.d4d5 2.c4Nc6 3.Nc3dc4 4.d5! A very active "yang" move. 4...Ne5 5.Bf4Ng6 so black has absorbed
the initial pressure of having to relocate his knight. 6.Bg3e5!? Claiming some space.
7.de6 Gligoric opens the game and will want some room for the f1 bishop. 7...Be6 8.Nf3Nf6 9.Nd4Bd7
Again black parrys these attacks on his pieces.He does not seek complications. 10.e3Bb4 One of the virtues
of the Tschigorin is that the black pieces come out to active squares. Smyslov seeks dominion over the e4 square.
11.Bc40-0 12.Qc2c6 13.h3 creating an escape for the g3 bishop. Its important to note how the GMs play useful moves prior to initiating some plan.
13...Qe7 harmonising the rooks. Smyslov's pieces are all protected and serve a function. 14.0-0Bc3!
The first crucial moment of the game. A key defender of e4 is removed. An imbalance is created 15.Qc3Ne4 followed by Ng3 bad for white.
15.bc3Ne4 16.Bh2c5! 17.Nf3Bc6 more control over e4. 18.Bd3f5! in three natural and simple moves
black has assumed control over a vital square and can increase pressure on c3.
19.Rad1Rad8 -Minimal effort and simple useful moves.Facing off on the d-file.
20.Be2Qf6! Compelling white to exchange. White is tied to c3. 21.Rd8Rd8 22.Rc1h6 one of those useful
moves a GM makes when improving the pieces is difficult.
23.Bd3Kh8 another useful, prophylactic move. Kramnik and others learnt from these types of games.
24.Ne1 -white has had enough. So he prepares f2-f3. 24...c4! Now black takes over!
25.Be4 (25.Bc4Rd2 26.Qb1Qh4 27.f3Ng5 28.Bb5Nf3) 25....fe4 26.Qe2b5 27.Bg3Ne7! Black improves his worst piece.The knight will go to d5.Notice how natural and almost effortless these moves seem.
28.Qb2Nd5 29.Qa3a5 30.Kh2h5! with the threat of ...h4. First we saw ..a5 then ...h4.The black pieces are optimized.Smyslov follows Rubinstein by playing wing moves when the pieces are optimal.
31.h4Qf8! Smyslov wants to exchange white's best piece. 32.Qb2Nf6! 33.Kg1Ng4 34.Qe2Qf6!
With a simple plan: Rd7 and then Qd8. 35.f3ef3 36.gf3Ne5 37.e4Nd3! 38.Rc2Ne1 39.Be1Rd3 with pressure on f3 and c3.The principle of the two weaknesses in action.
40.Kg2Qg6 41.Bg3Kh7 !! Zugzwang. The big threat is Qf6 hitting f3 and c3. 42.Rc1Qf6 43.Be1Qf4 0-1
In view of 44.Rc2Rf3
So what can we take from this exhibition of Taoism.
1) In the early stages black simply moved out of the way of white's lunges. The knight moved from c6 to g6, the Bishop moved from e6 to d7 to c6.
2) After the extremely crucial Bb4 black began to exert "yang" energy with minimal effort.
3) After f2-f3 by white black stretched white between two pressure points : c3 and f3.
4) Black exchanged off defenders but had enough pieces to make the final blow.
5) It must be noted that the presence of bishops of opposite colors in the middlegame swung in black's favour.The dark squared bishop of white simply hit empty squares....
I hope this was instructive and enjoyable.
John
Sunday 27 March 2011
Taosim and the Art of Playing Black: Capablanca
Hello Chess Lovers,
Today I want to explore a bit of philosophy with you in order to make a certain approach to
playing black more accessible and easily understood. Firstly I will explain how I reached this point.
From the mid nineties to now, I was always in search of lateral thought as far as finding new insights into
the game were concerned. Just as military commanders read the Art of War I wanted to find something else that would help me with this ancient war game. When I encountered Mark Bowen, an extremely well read young man in 1995 I realised he had a breadth of knowledge which encompassed ninjitsu and an exploration of tai chi.
I realised that different chess players manifested a certain energy on the chess board.
Fast forward to 2006 England. GM Rowson wrote the wonderful book Chess for Zebras.In that book
at page 141 he digressed unto the subject of chess and taosim.Taoism is a philosophy and religion built around the teachings of Lao Tzu in the 6th century and it advocated a harmonious coexistence with nature and natural events. Two forms of energy were in a constant state of flux- Yang (male) energy which is active and
often initiates projects and missions and then there was ying (female) energy which was a receptive energy which in real life could be interpreted to absorb, adapt and to let things happen without sweating too much.
So how does this all relate to chess. Well as GM Rowson has put it, many players believe they should be active all the time, hence the pseudo active moves which end up nowhere after the opponent defends himself.
In chess we often switch between the active "yang" mode and the receptive "ying" mode. Then there is the concept of "Wu-Wei" which involves minimizing energy at the board and absorbing events and letting things happen. This requires a wholly different type of thinking. It is the kind of thinking that anticipates.
Now, how does this apply to playing black. Well I read some of the new literature by Rowson and Watson
and one black advantage is information gathering advantage. By virtue of awaiting the moves white black anticipates white's ideas. White has to show his move first.
Now I wish to give an example of this starting with one of the greatest "Taoists" in chess history: Capablanca. I believe that Capablanca invented the "chillled out" style of playing black. A style which simply involved anticipation and absorption of the energy of the player using the white pieces then gradually taking over.
Nimzovtich vs Capablanca New York 1927
1.e4c6 2.d4d5 3.e5Bf5 - I believe Karpov was heavily influenced by this game. 4.Bd3?! this move allows black an easier time in th opening. Short began the intense movement to 4.Nf3 and 5.Be2.The point is that the bishop should be left on the "active" square in order to be attacked later on.
4....Bd3 5.Qd3e6 6.Nc3Qb6 7.Ne2c5 8.dc5 because Nimzovitch played Nc3 he preferred to surrender the
pawn centre.
8..Bc5 9.0-0Ne7 10.Na4Qc6 11.Nc5Qc5 12.Be3Qc7 13.f4?! The start of white trying to exert "yang" energy.The problem with this is that the dark squares are weakened and the f4 square becomes vulnerable to attack later on.
13...Nf5 14.c3Nc6 15.Rd1g6 and now a f4-f5 push will be harder. 16.g4!? more yang energy white believes he has to "do something" Ne3 17.Qe3h5! Capablanca is poised to open the h-file.
18.g5- A critical moment. This change in the pawn structure means that the f5 square is a nice piece of real estate for black. It also means that in an ending the f4 point will become a pressure point. Note that all Capablanca has done so far is develop and respond to each of these f and g pawn pushes by white.
18....0-0 19.Nd4Qb6 20.Rf2Rfc8 21.a3?! This is the first sign that Nimzovitch is running out of things to do.
He wants to ensure that there is no attack on a2 and of course he need to "do something".
21....Rc7 22.Rd3Na5 and now black pursues a light square strategy. 23.Re2Re8!? A mysterious move
which I believe is simply an information gathering move before it goes to c8.
24.Kg2Nc6 25.R2d2 (Not the Star Wars robot) Rc8 26.Re2Ne7 27.R2d2 this is the sign that white has now run out of ideas. Now the yang energy is used by black.
27...Rc4 28.Qh3Kg7 29.Rf2a5!? Black is poised to take ownership of b3 and to exchange on b4 should white push the b-pawn. That is an example of thinking in anticipation of something.
30.Re2Nf5 31.Nf5gf5This exchange leads to the change in the dynamic of the struggle.
It is now black that exerts "yang" energy. 32.Qf3Kg6! the King gets involved. 33.R2d2Re4
34.R3d4Rc4 35.Qf2Qb5 36.Kg3Rcd4 37.cd4Qc4 and now black has two targets : the pawns on d4 and f4 and the white King.
38.Kg2b5 39.Kg1b4 now white cannot obstruct the c-file with a rook on c3. 40.ab4ab4 41.Kg2Qc1
And Capablanca prepares an attack on f4 and on the white king.
42.Kg3Qh1 43.Rd3Re1! 44.Rf3Rd1 ...probing. 45.b3Rc1 46.Re3?Rf1 and white resigned in view of ...Rg2.
0-1
I believe that this game had a massive impact on players like Karpov and Seirawan and later Kramnik and
Jobava as well Arkell. Now to the crucial moments of the game :
4.Bd3 -made life easier for black. a potentially lethal white piece was exchanged.
13.f4 and 16.g4 were commital moves which openned up the white king position greatly.
After white pushed g4-g5, white could push no more.This is where the ying yang polarity in the game changed so black was gradually taking over. The last exchange of minor pieces meant that the heavy pieces had no problem infiltrating white's position. Capablanca did not over exert himself in the opening. However that
is not to say that he was alert to the changes in the pawn structure. I recommend going over this game in some detail.The top GMs all learned from this "Taoist" of the black pieces.
Blessings
John
..
Today I want to explore a bit of philosophy with you in order to make a certain approach to
playing black more accessible and easily understood. Firstly I will explain how I reached this point.
From the mid nineties to now, I was always in search of lateral thought as far as finding new insights into
the game were concerned. Just as military commanders read the Art of War I wanted to find something else that would help me with this ancient war game. When I encountered Mark Bowen, an extremely well read young man in 1995 I realised he had a breadth of knowledge which encompassed ninjitsu and an exploration of tai chi.
I realised that different chess players manifested a certain energy on the chess board.
Fast forward to 2006 England. GM Rowson wrote the wonderful book Chess for Zebras.In that book
at page 141 he digressed unto the subject of chess and taosim.Taoism is a philosophy and religion built around the teachings of Lao Tzu in the 6th century and it advocated a harmonious coexistence with nature and natural events. Two forms of energy were in a constant state of flux- Yang (male) energy which is active and
often initiates projects and missions and then there was ying (female) energy which was a receptive energy which in real life could be interpreted to absorb, adapt and to let things happen without sweating too much.
So how does this all relate to chess. Well as GM Rowson has put it, many players believe they should be active all the time, hence the pseudo active moves which end up nowhere after the opponent defends himself.
In chess we often switch between the active "yang" mode and the receptive "ying" mode. Then there is the concept of "Wu-Wei" which involves minimizing energy at the board and absorbing events and letting things happen. This requires a wholly different type of thinking. It is the kind of thinking that anticipates.
Now, how does this apply to playing black. Well I read some of the new literature by Rowson and Watson
and one black advantage is information gathering advantage. By virtue of awaiting the moves white black anticipates white's ideas. White has to show his move first.
Now I wish to give an example of this starting with one of the greatest "Taoists" in chess history: Capablanca. I believe that Capablanca invented the "chillled out" style of playing black. A style which simply involved anticipation and absorption of the energy of the player using the white pieces then gradually taking over.
Nimzovtich vs Capablanca New York 1927
1.e4c6 2.d4d5 3.e5Bf5 - I believe Karpov was heavily influenced by this game. 4.Bd3?! this move allows black an easier time in th opening. Short began the intense movement to 4.Nf3 and 5.Be2.The point is that the bishop should be left on the "active" square in order to be attacked later on.
4....Bd3 5.Qd3e6 6.Nc3Qb6 7.Ne2c5 8.dc5 because Nimzovitch played Nc3 he preferred to surrender the
pawn centre.
8..Bc5 9.0-0Ne7 10.Na4Qc6 11.Nc5Qc5 12.Be3Qc7 13.f4?! The start of white trying to exert "yang" energy.The problem with this is that the dark squares are weakened and the f4 square becomes vulnerable to attack later on.
13...Nf5 14.c3Nc6 15.Rd1g6 and now a f4-f5 push will be harder. 16.g4!? more yang energy white believes he has to "do something" Ne3 17.Qe3h5! Capablanca is poised to open the h-file.
18.g5- A critical moment. This change in the pawn structure means that the f5 square is a nice piece of real estate for black. It also means that in an ending the f4 point will become a pressure point. Note that all Capablanca has done so far is develop and respond to each of these f and g pawn pushes by white.
18....0-0 19.Nd4Qb6 20.Rf2Rfc8 21.a3?! This is the first sign that Nimzovitch is running out of things to do.
He wants to ensure that there is no attack on a2 and of course he need to "do something".
21....Rc7 22.Rd3Na5 and now black pursues a light square strategy. 23.Re2Re8!? A mysterious move
which I believe is simply an information gathering move before it goes to c8.
24.Kg2Nc6 25.R2d2 (Not the Star Wars robot) Rc8 26.Re2Ne7 27.R2d2 this is the sign that white has now run out of ideas. Now the yang energy is used by black.
27...Rc4 28.Qh3Kg7 29.Rf2a5!? Black is poised to take ownership of b3 and to exchange on b4 should white push the b-pawn. That is an example of thinking in anticipation of something.
30.Re2Nf5 31.Nf5gf5This exchange leads to the change in the dynamic of the struggle.
It is now black that exerts "yang" energy. 32.Qf3Kg6! the King gets involved. 33.R2d2Re4
34.R3d4Rc4 35.Qf2Qb5 36.Kg3Rcd4 37.cd4Qc4 and now black has two targets : the pawns on d4 and f4 and the white King.
38.Kg2b5 39.Kg1b4 now white cannot obstruct the c-file with a rook on c3. 40.ab4ab4 41.Kg2Qc1
And Capablanca prepares an attack on f4 and on the white king.
42.Kg3Qh1 43.Rd3Re1! 44.Rf3Rd1 ...probing. 45.b3Rc1 46.Re3?Rf1 and white resigned in view of ...Rg2.
0-1
I believe that this game had a massive impact on players like Karpov and Seirawan and later Kramnik and
Jobava as well Arkell. Now to the crucial moments of the game :
4.Bd3 -made life easier for black. a potentially lethal white piece was exchanged.
13.f4 and 16.g4 were commital moves which openned up the white king position greatly.
After white pushed g4-g5, white could push no more.This is where the ying yang polarity in the game changed so black was gradually taking over. The last exchange of minor pieces meant that the heavy pieces had no problem infiltrating white's position. Capablanca did not over exert himself in the opening. However that
is not to say that he was alert to the changes in the pawn structure. I recommend going over this game in some detail.The top GMs all learned from this "Taoist" of the black pieces.
Blessings
John
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