Hello Chess lovers
I did some of my usual research on TWIC and found a lovely positional game by GM Bauer of France.In this game he manages to show a number of skills: favourably transforming the position, engage in schematic thinking,rearrange the pieces so that they pressure the IQP, convert a material advantage. Lets see this in action.
Bauer vs Hammes
1.d4e6 2.Nf3Nf6 3.Bf4d5 4.e3Bd6 5.Bg3Ne4 6.Nbd2Ng3 the first critical point. The pawn structure changes and this is to be of some significance later.
7.hg3Nd7 8.c3e5 9.de5Ne5 10.Ne5Be5 11.Nf3Bf6 12.Qc2g6 13.0-0-0c6 14.e4!
At first it seems as if Bauer is playing simple chess. Developing, exchanging and castling. However the last move radically alters and transforms the position.With the black king in the centre ...de4 is not likely. White is mobilized and more harmonious than black as a result of the the time consuming moves Nf6/e4/g3.
14....Qa5 15.ed5cd5 Here we reach one of the turning points in the game. The pawn structure has changed again and white has a focal point to play against. From this point onwards to move 31 white organizes his play around the point. Sometimes this situation arises. One particular theme dominates the position and it is up to the player to demonstrate skill in organizing the play around the theme.
16.Qb3Be6 17.Bb5Kf8 The effect of this is to slow black's attempts to reinforce d5.
18.Nd4Rd8 19.Be2 The bishop awaits new instructions on this square before going on the next mission.
19...Bc8 20.Kb1 protecting a2 so as to enable a few other moves.
20....Kg7 21.g4 Square denial. The f5 square is taken away from the c8 bishop.Good positional players gradually reduce their opponent's options.
21...Rd6 22.Qc2h6 23.Qd2 Bauer cannot hide his intentions any longer. The major pieces will gang up against the d-pawn.
23...Rdd8 24.Rh3! Now the other point behind g4 is clear . The third rank is free for the rook to go to d3.
This clearly did not involve calculation but schematic thinking on a grand scale. The queen came in from the left to the centre and now the rook comes in from the right to the centre.
24...Qc7 25.f4!More square denial and preparing an aggresive move in the future. 25...Qc5 26.Rd3b6
27.Ka1 White has improved nearly every piece. Only the minor pieces need regrouping.
27....a5 28.Bf3a4 29.Nc2Be6 30.a3Qc4 31.Ne3Now the knight joins the assault on d5....Qc8
32.Nd5Bd5 33.Rd5Qc7 34.g5! The follow up. When the dark square bishop moves The queen will check on d4 and then black will have to fret about the a pawn and his back rank.
34....Be7 35.Qd4 + 1-0 Black had enough.
Summary
The opening seemed unremarkable. However the time-consuming 5...Ne4 and 6...Ng3 altered the position.
14.e4! Opened and transformed the position, leaving black with an IQP. He could not generate enough activity to compensate for the static pawn and seemed not to recognise the danger enough. What happened between move 18 and 31 involved planning and schematic thinking. White started to think where his pieces were best located in the future and then working back to the present. The rest was execution and conversion. I hope this was a good clear example of it in action.
Wednesday 15 February 2012
Gems from Gibraltar Part One-Hou Yifan's Defensive Dexterity.
Hello Chess lovers
I would like to share with you an example of one of Hou Yifan's major qualities which was on show in the Gibraltar Open. Her defensive dexterity when playing the Sicillian defense.She played a marvellous game against Hunt and showed amazing composure to refute wave after wave of attack on her king. This is an important skill in practical over-the-board chess. One must prepare mentally for very aggressive and ambitious players.
Lets look at the battle.
Hunt vs Hou Yifan
B81 Sicillian
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3e6 Steering the opening into a Scheveningen set up which was mastered so well by Kasparov in the mid-eighties.
6.g4 The Keres attack. I learned about this in the 80s from an English magazine which explained that the major aim was to chase away the f6 knight and help to dominate d5 in general terms and to prepare a king-side attack specifically.
6...Nc6!? 7.g5Nfd7 8.Be3Be7 9.h4a6 10.Qe2Qc7 11.Bh3?! A really double edged move.In these positions, white does take aim at the e6 square.However, because Qe2 was played Bc4 is not available immediately.It blocks the h-file for white and it was to later play a sacrificial role on f5.
11....Nc5 A great multi tasking move. First black targets e4 and helps to bolster e6 and secondly black clears the second rank for defence. This is vital in this variation.
12.0-0-0 Nd4 13.Bd40-0 A very critical moment. Opposite side castling has occurred. Every move has to be very precise now or the game can end very quickly. Every tempo is vital.
14.Rdg1b5 A good move which actually clears b7 for the queen.
15.Bf5?! -Usually a knight is sacrificed on f5.Hou Yifan made sure to exchange the knight.It is interesting to note that Hunt did not play 15.Kb1!?b4 16.Nd1a5!? 17.h5.Instead she attacks with pieces.
15...ef5 16.Nd5Qb7! 17.Qh5The next wave attacks are coming. 17...Ne6!The knight is brilliantly posted here. 18.Nf6Bf6 19.gf6g6 20.f3Kh8 The next procedure. Hou Yifan clears g8 for the rook. Square clearance is important for defence. 21.Qh6Rg8 22.h5The next wave of attack....22...g5!! 23.Be3f4!
24.Bf4 More commital chess. 24...Nf4 25.Rg5Rg5 26.Qg5Ne6 27.Qg2Bd7! Only now does the bishop move.The g8 square is covered. Hou Yifan has moved on the second and first rank for many moves repelling wave after wave of attacks on the black king.
28.Rg1Qb6! Hunt had enough. If 29.f4Qe3 ensues.
Summary.
White appeared to be preparing an assault on e6 but as soon as Yifan castled went all out with a piece assault instead of the h4-h5/g5-g6 battering ram.
Once white played 15.Bf5?! it was the point of no return. Hou Yifan believed in her defensive resources on the second rank. The knight on e6 covered g7 and the Bishop on e7 covered f6.The bishop on c8 covered e6.At the right moment g7-g5! closed the lines on the h and g files. Only on move 28 did Hou Yifan emerge from her trenches to start a counterattack. This is an example of someone trained by computer as much as a personal coach.I hope you found this blog instructive.
I would like to share with you an example of one of Hou Yifan's major qualities which was on show in the Gibraltar Open. Her defensive dexterity when playing the Sicillian defense.She played a marvellous game against Hunt and showed amazing composure to refute wave after wave of attack on her king. This is an important skill in practical over-the-board chess. One must prepare mentally for very aggressive and ambitious players.
Lets look at the battle.
Hunt vs Hou Yifan
B81 Sicillian
1.e4c5 2.Nf3d6 3.d4cd4 4.Nd4Nf6 5.Nc3e6 Steering the opening into a Scheveningen set up which was mastered so well by Kasparov in the mid-eighties.
6.g4 The Keres attack. I learned about this in the 80s from an English magazine which explained that the major aim was to chase away the f6 knight and help to dominate d5 in general terms and to prepare a king-side attack specifically.
6...Nc6!? 7.g5Nfd7 8.Be3Be7 9.h4a6 10.Qe2Qc7 11.Bh3?! A really double edged move.In these positions, white does take aim at the e6 square.However, because Qe2 was played Bc4 is not available immediately.It blocks the h-file for white and it was to later play a sacrificial role on f5.
11....Nc5 A great multi tasking move. First black targets e4 and helps to bolster e6 and secondly black clears the second rank for defence. This is vital in this variation.
12.0-0-0 Nd4 13.Bd40-0 A very critical moment. Opposite side castling has occurred. Every move has to be very precise now or the game can end very quickly. Every tempo is vital.
14.Rdg1b5 A good move which actually clears b7 for the queen.
15.Bf5?! -Usually a knight is sacrificed on f5.Hou Yifan made sure to exchange the knight.It is interesting to note that Hunt did not play 15.Kb1!?b4 16.Nd1a5!? 17.h5.Instead she attacks with pieces.
15...ef5 16.Nd5Qb7! 17.Qh5The next wave attacks are coming. 17...Ne6!The knight is brilliantly posted here. 18.Nf6Bf6 19.gf6g6 20.f3Kh8 The next procedure. Hou Yifan clears g8 for the rook. Square clearance is important for defence. 21.Qh6Rg8 22.h5The next wave of attack....22...g5!! 23.Be3f4!
24.Bf4 More commital chess. 24...Nf4 25.Rg5Rg5 26.Qg5Ne6 27.Qg2Bd7! Only now does the bishop move.The g8 square is covered. Hou Yifan has moved on the second and first rank for many moves repelling wave after wave of attacks on the black king.
28.Rg1Qb6! Hunt had enough. If 29.f4Qe3 ensues.
Summary.
White appeared to be preparing an assault on e6 but as soon as Yifan castled went all out with a piece assault instead of the h4-h5/g5-g6 battering ram.
Once white played 15.Bf5?! it was the point of no return. Hou Yifan believed in her defensive resources on the second rank. The knight on e6 covered g7 and the Bishop on e7 covered f6.The bishop on c8 covered e6.At the right moment g7-g5! closed the lines on the h and g files. Only on move 28 did Hou Yifan emerge from her trenches to start a counterattack. This is an example of someone trained by computer as much as a personal coach.I hope you found this blog instructive.
Sunday 5 February 2012
Inspirational game for the month
Hello Chess lovers,
I would like to introduce to you the inspirational game of the month January. I find that the websites simply do not supply us with inspirational material. They supply us with a lot of "objective" material which is often presented in a very dry way. The purpose of this article is to inspire players to find joy in chess instead of endless analysis of opening lines.
My choice of inspirational game is as follows: Fier vs Dzagnidze
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nf3b6 4.g3Ba6 5.b3d5 6.Bg2dc4!? As early as possible, black seeks an imbalance:
7.Ne5Bb4 8.Kf1c6 9.Nc6Nc6 10.Bc6Ke7 11.Ba8Qa8 Amazing ! black trades his indolent rook for a powerful light square bishop and in the next series of moves assumes a dangerous initiative which then induces errors.
12.f3Rd8 13.Ba3Ba3 14.Na3c3!? black makes it clear that he wants to target d4.
15.Kf2e5 16.Nc2ed4 17.Nd4?! Now black works on the new feature of the position : the pin on d4.
17...Ne4! 18.fe4Qe4 19.e3Rd6! A second feature has come up-white's insecure king. 20.g4g6! Preventing Nf5. 21.Rhg1Rf6 22.Kg3Qe3! 23.Nf3Be2! 24.Qc1Rf3 0-1
Wasn't that refreshingly barbaric! I hope you enjoyed it as much as me.John
I would like to introduce to you the inspirational game of the month January. I find that the websites simply do not supply us with inspirational material. They supply us with a lot of "objective" material which is often presented in a very dry way. The purpose of this article is to inspire players to find joy in chess instead of endless analysis of opening lines.
My choice of inspirational game is as follows: Fier vs Dzagnidze
1.d4Nf6 2.c4e6 3.Nf3b6 4.g3Ba6 5.b3d5 6.Bg2dc4!? As early as possible, black seeks an imbalance:
7.Ne5Bb4 8.Kf1c6 9.Nc6Nc6 10.Bc6Ke7 11.Ba8Qa8 Amazing ! black trades his indolent rook for a powerful light square bishop and in the next series of moves assumes a dangerous initiative which then induces errors.
12.f3Rd8 13.Ba3Ba3 14.Na3c3!? black makes it clear that he wants to target d4.
15.Kf2e5 16.Nc2ed4 17.Nd4?! Now black works on the new feature of the position : the pin on d4.
17...Ne4! 18.fe4Qe4 19.e3Rd6! A second feature has come up-white's insecure king. 20.g4g6! Preventing Nf5. 21.Rhg1Rf6 22.Kg3Qe3! 23.Nf3Be2! 24.Qc1Rf3 0-1
Wasn't that refreshingly barbaric! I hope you enjoyed it as much as me.John
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)