Chess Vibes entrenamiento de apertura 9

No. 9, July 2, 2011

TRAINING let's improve youR chess

Chess is cruel In the last round in Malmö, Wesley So played a fantastic game against Jonny Hector to catch both me and Tikkanen in the standings. The game could have turned out differently, but well, what can you say, chess is cruel. by GM ANISH GIRI

giri's grab bag Hector - So Sigeman (Malmö), 2011 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.¤c3 ¤f6 4.¥g5 ¥e7 5.e5 ¤fd7 6.h4!? 0–0!? 7.£g4 f6!? With cooperation from both players the board quickly turned into a mess... 8.¤f3!? 8.£xe6+ is risky, as after 8...¢h8 9.¤xd5 ¤c6 10.¤xe7 Black has 10...¤xd4 11.£c4 ¤xe5. 8...¦f7 9.exf6 ¤xf6 10.£g3 ¤c6 This seemed very ugly to me. High-tech equipment supports my opinion. 10...c5 is somewhat more natural. Black should be fine. 11.0–0–0 £f8! This move looks good, somehow. 12.h5 ¥b4 13.¥xf6 Jonny decided to deal with the threat of Bxc3, yet giving up such a bishop isn’t something you want to do. 13.¥d3!? was possible. I suppose Wesley intended something like 13...¥xc3 14.bxc3 ¤e4 15.¥xe4 dxe4 16.¤d2 and now Black has various ways to complicate matters, for example 16...b5!? 17.¤xe4 e5 with a mess. 13...¦xf6 14.¥d3 ¥d6! Sensing the danger, Wesley offered a draw, but Jonny bravely rejected it. 15.¤e5 ¦xf2? Actually a losing move. Wesley should have taken a different pawn. 15...¤xd4! 16.¥xh7+ ¢xh7 17.¦xd4 ¦xf2 18.¤d1! and it should end in a draw one way or another, for example 18...¦f5 19.£g6+ ¢g8 20.¤g4 ¥f4+ 21.¦xf4 ¦xf4 22.h6 ¥d7! 23.¤e5 ¥e8 24.£xe6+ ¥f7 25.£h3 and everything’s balanced. 16.¦df1 ¥xe5 17.dxe5 ¦xf1+ 18.¦xf1 £e7



XIIIIIIIIY 9r+l+-+k+0 9zppzp-wq-zpp0 9-+n+p+-+0 9+-+pzP-+P0 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-sNL+-wQ-0 9PzPP+-+P+0 9+-mK-+R+-0 xiiiiiiiiy While Jonny was thinking here (and so was Hans Tikkanen), I thought, "after the game, I shouldn't forget to tell him that he had ¥g6!" 19.¥g6!! Obviously an attacker like Jonny saw it as well. 19...hxg6 This one must have shocked Jonny. Maybe it didn’t, but it did shock me. 19...¤d8 seemed to me to be the only defense, but it turns out it doesn’t help either. 20.¤b5!? A surprising route for the knight. (20.¤e2!? While the game was being played I saw this manoeuvre, but I wasn’t sure where the knight was going. Now, with the help of some equipment, I figured it out easily - 20...¥d7 21.¤f4 ¥e8 (21...¤f7! The toughest defense - here Black manages to save his skin 22.¤xd5 £g5+! 23.£xg5 ¤xg5 24.¤e7+ ¢h8 25.¦f4 but Black is busted anyway.) 22.h6! hxg6 23.¤xg6 This is where the knight belongs! 23...¥xg6 24.£xg6 ¤c6 25.¦f7 £xf7 26.h7+ taking the point.) 20...¥d7 21.¤d6! and it becomes obvious that Black is lost 21... hxg6 22.hxg6 cxd6 23.exd6 £e8 24.£g4! ¥b5 25.¦f2! and £h5 is inevitable. 20.hxg6 ¤d4 21.¦f7 £d8

XIIIIIIIIY 9r+lwq-+k+0 9zppzp-+Rzp-0 9-+-+p+P+0 9+-+pzP-+-0 9-+-sn-+-+0 9+-sN-+-wQ-0 9PzPP+-+P+0 9+-mK-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy 22.£f4?? A terrible blunder. There’s nothing for the queen to do on this square. 22.£g4! with the threat of £h5 was much more natural and strong. 22...¤f5 23.£h5 ¤h6 24.g4 £e8! (24...¥d7 25.g5! ¤xf7 26.gxf7+ ¢f8 27.g6! is a cute end, as the queen will pick up the g7–pawn.) 25.¦f1 c6! Once the knight joins the attack there’s no longer anything Black can do - 26.¤e2! (26.g5 ¤f5) 26...¥d7 27.g5 ¤f5 28.¤d4 ¢f8 29.£h8+ ¢e7 30.¤xf5+ exf5 31.£xg7+ ¢d8 32.¦e1 and Black is unable to defend due to his lack of coordination. 32...f4 33.£f6+ ¢c7 34.e6. 22...¤f5! 23.g4 ¤h4! Now it became clear that the g6–pawn was lost and so was the game, but things weren’t over yet, and before collecting the point Black had to march his king all the way to f2. 24.¦xg7+ ¢xg7 25.£f7+ ¢h6 26.£h7+ ¢g5 27.£h5+ ¢f4 28.¤e2+ ¢e3 29.g5 ¤f3 Now that the knight has joined him the king has never felt better. 30.¢d1 £xg5 And now the queen has joined the king he feels even better! 31.£h7 ¢f2! The final touch. Not only has Black managed to secure his own king, but at the same time he’s going to checkmate his opponent’s! 0–1 

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ChessVibes TRAINING Let's improve your chess

No. 9, July 2, 2011

Domination with heavy pieces Just as in the games we examined in CVT 2 and 3, White plays a positional pawn sacrifice, this time resulting in a typical position with only heavy pieces. by IM MERIJN VAN DELFT

guess the move Tomashevsky (2707) - Boacharov (2580) Russian Championship (Taganrog), 2001

1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 b5!? A highly ambitious move. Black is trying to reach an improved Benoni. 5...d6 would lead to standard Benoni positions. 6.e4! White’s choice is no less principled: a positional pawn sacrifice. 6...¤xe4 7.¥g2!? Tomashevsky decides to go his own way. 7.£e2 £e7 8.¥g2 f5 9.¤h3 b4 and here L’Ami played a very instructive positional exchange sacrifice, leading to a quick victory: 10.0–0! ¥a6 11.£c2 ¥xf1 12.¢xf1 g6 13.¤d2 ¥g7 14.¤xe4 fxe4 15.d6 £xd6 16.£xe4+ ¢f8 17.¥f4 1–0 L’AmiStella, Hoogeveen 2010. 7...¤d6 8.¤f3 ¥e7 9.0–0 0–0 10.¥f4 White can develop his pieces freely, while Black is struggling to coordinate his forces. 10...¤a6 11.¦e1 ¥b7 12.¤c3 b4

XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-wq-trk+0 9zpl+pvlpzpp0 9n+-sn-+-+0 9+-zpP+-+-0 9-zp-+-vL-+0 9+-sN-+NzP-0 9PzP-+-zPLzP0 9tR-+QtR-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 1



Would you play: A) 13.¤a4 to keep all the pieces on the board; B) 13.¥xd6 to fight for the initiative; C) 13.¤e4 to keep centralizing. 13.¥xd6! 5 points for this strong novelty. Black gets no time to breathe. 13.¤a4 has been played twice in tournament games, but gives Black more chances to finish his development (2 points).13.¤e4 ¤xe4 14.¦xe4 d6 gives Black a normal position, therefore no points. 13...¥xd6 14.¤e4 Again, Black has to react. 14...¥e7 14...£c7 15.¤h4 g6 16.¤f5! gives White fantastic attacking chances on the kingside. 15.d6 Cutting Black’s position in two. 15...¥f6

B) 16.£d3 to connect the rooks while targetting a6 and h7; C) 16.¤xf6 to keep Black's options strictly limited. 16.¤xf6+! A somewhat counter-intuitive move (because it helps Black develop some of his pieces). The potentially strong defender, ¥f6, is immediately eliminated, 5 points. 16.£d3 ¥xb2 17.¦ab1 ¥d4 (17...¥f6? 18.¤xf6+ £xf6 19.¤g5! wins a piece.) 18.¤eg5 gives White good gambit play as well, 2 points. 16.£d2 ¥xe4 17.¦xe4 ¦c8 gives Black more chances to survive, so no points. 16...£xf6

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Question 3 Would you play: A) 17.£d3 to connect the rooks and put pressure on ¤a6; B) 17.¦e7 to enter Black's position with gain of time; C) 17.¤e5 to keep attacking without loss of time.

Question 2 Would you play: A) 16.£d2 to connect the rooks while defending b2;

17.¤e5! 5 points for this very concrete move. It now becomes clear that by exchanging the 

In this game quiz you can get a maximum of 40 points by answering the eight questions that follow the eight diagram positions. More important than points though, is that you enjoy playing over the game and learn a few new ideas. If you feel that the quiz questions are generally too difficult for you, don't be discouraged by the point system. You can simply make a quick guess at the diagram positions and enjoy the beauty of the game.

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ChessVibes TRAINING Let's improve your chess

other minor pieces, White is emphasizing the out-of-play position of ¤a6. 17.¦e7 and 17.£d3 are very decent moves by themselves (1 point), but here it’s necessary to keep the initiative going. 17...¥xg2

XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+-trk+0 9zp-+p+pzpp0 9n+-zP-wq-+0 9+-zp-sN-+-0 9-zp-+-+-+0 9+-+-+-zP-0 9PzP-+-zPlzP0 9tR-+QtR-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 4 Would you play: A) 18.£d3 to first harass the black ¤; B) 18.¤xd7 to play for a bigger material gain; C) 18.¢xg2 to simply recapture the ¥. 18.¢xg2! 5 points for just taking back the bishop and keeping all the other threats in reserve. 18.¤xd7! gets 2 points, and you get another 2 if you saw the follow-up 18...£f5 19.¤xf8 ¥f3 20.d7! with dangerous threats. We don’t expect anyone to calculate beyond this point, but for entertainment purposes here’s how the line continues: 20...¥xd1 21.¦axd1 h6 22.d8£ ¦xd8 23.¦xd8 Now White has at least a perpetual, but he can play for more: 23...b3! Black must somehow get the ¤ back into play. (After 23... c4 24.¦e5! £b1+ 25.¢g2 c3 and now the fantastic 26.h4!! with the idea of creating a mating net with h5, White is winning.) 24.axb3 ¤b4 25.¦ee8 £b1+ 26.¢g2 ¤d3 27.¤e6+ ¢h7 28.¦h8+ ¢g6 29.¦xd3! fxe6 30.¦e3 and Black is still on the defensive. 18.£d3 simply loses a piece after 18...c4! 19.£xc4 ¥b7 and now 20.¤xd7 fails to 20...£f3 therefore no points. 18...¦ad8

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-tr-trk+0 9zp-+p+pzpp0 9n+-zP-wq-+0 9+-zp-sN-+-0 9-zp-+-+-+0 9+-+-+-zP-0 9PzP-+-zPKzP0 9tR-+QtR-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 5 Would you play:

No. 9, July 2, 2011

A) 19.£a4 to chase the black ¤; B) 19.£d5 to centralize the £; C) 19.f4 to support the strong ¤ on e5. 19.£d5! is positionally the strongest move (5 points). Centralization can never be bad. 19.£a4 is not bad either (3 points), but there is no need to chase the ¤ away from its bad position. 19.f4 is clearly worse, since there is no need to weaken White’s ¢ position (no points). Remember that the pawn on f2 always plays a key role in shielding the ¢. 19...¤b8 20.£xc5 ¤c6

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-tr-trk+0 9zp-+p+pzpp0 9-+nzP-wq-+0 9+-wQ-sN-+-0 9-zp-+-+-+0 9+-+-+-zP-0 9PzP-+-zPKzP0 9tR-+-tR-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 6 Would you play: A) 21.a3 to open up the a-file; B) 21.¤xc6 to create a passed d-pawn; C) 21.¦ad1 to complete the centralization of White's pieces. 21.¤xc6! 5 points. The strong passed d-pawn will play a key role in paralysing Black’s position. 21.¦ad1 would be a bit too standard in this case, 2 points. 21.a3 is not bad, but also misses the point somewhat, 2 points. 21...dxc6 22.¦ad1 Preserving the dominating position by defending the big pawn on d6 and centralizing the remaining rook. 22...£xb2 22...¦d7 23.¦e7! is very good for White. 23.d7 As the old saying goes: passed pawns need to be pushed. 23...£c3? Bocharov probably underestimated White’s next move. 23...£xa2 24.£xb4 £a6! would have been relatively stubborn. Question 7 Would you play: A) 24.£xa7 to reestablish material equality; B) 24.£xc3 to ruin Black’s pawn structure; C) 24.£e7 to create back rank threats.

24.£e7! This powerful moves forces Black’s next, 5 points. 24.£xa7 gives Black chances to defend, 2 points. 24.£xc3 gets no points, because in the rook ending Black has excellent defensive chances. 24...£f6 25.£xb4 Now that White has finally won back his gambit pawn, he has a strategically won position. Black’s queenside pawns are weak, and for the remainder of the game White takes his time picking them up. 25...£f5 26.£d6 £b5 27.¦d2 White’s in no hurry. 27...c5 28.£d5 g6 29.¦c1 £b4

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-tr-trk+0 9zp-+P+p+p0 9-+-+-+p+0 9+-zpQ+-+-0 9-wq-+-+-+0 9+-+-+-zP-0 9P+-tR-zPKzP0 9+-tR-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 8 Would you play: A) 30.¦xc5 to eliminate the next pawn; B) 30.¦dd1 to slow down the pace of play; C) 30.h4 to provoke a weakness in Black's ¢ position. 30.¦dd1! 5 points for not hurrying and keeping everything under control. 30.h4 h5 is usually worth including, since it softens up Black’s ¢ position, 4 points. 30.¦xc5 runs into 30...¦xd7! so no points. No matter how positional the character of play, one always has to be on the lookout for tactics. 30...£b6 31.£xc5 Now it’s safe to take the pawn. 31...£b7+ 32.£c6 And the rook ending is now lost for Black as well. 32...£xc6+ 33.¦xc6 ¦a8 34.¦dc1 and resigned, as 34...¦ad8 35.¦c7 a5 36.¦1c5 and the a-pawn will be lost. 1–0 Conclusion: This game confirms the rule of thumb that once the passed d-pawn has reached the 6th or 7th rank in positions with heavy pieces, it’s strategically won.  

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ChessVibes TRAINING Let's improve your chess

No. 9, July 2, 2011

Fighting the IQP Positions with an Isolated Queen’s Pawn are famous for their dynamic character. In this issue, I’ll provide you with examples of how to neutralize the IQP. by IM THOMAS WILLEMZE

improve your play Victoria de Marco (1836) - Echevarria (2037) Valencia, 07.02.09 Later this year, we’ll shift our attention to the side playing with the Isolani, involving some real fireworks. 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 ¤f6 3.c4 c6 4.d4 cxd5 5.¤c3 ¤c6 6.¥e3 It’s usually a bit passive to put the ¥ on e3 when it’s not forced. According to the useful rule of thumb you no doubt know about starting with developing moves, it would be best to play 6.¤f3 and decide the placement of the other pieces based on what Black does next. ¤f3 is the main line, but leads to an ending with a very high draw percentage after 6...¥g4 7.cxd5 ¤xd5 8.£b3 ¥xf3 9.gxf3 e6 10.£xb7 ¤xd4 11.¥b5+ ¤xb5 12.£c6+ ¢e7 13.£xb5 £d7 14.¤xd5+ £xd5 15.£xd5 exd5 If White wants to avoid this ending, he should go for 6.¥g5 which is very popular nowadays. 6...g6 7.¤f3 ¥g7 8.£b3 More or less forcing Black to take on c4, but not without a price. 8...¤a5! A very strong move! An IQP structure is soon going to arise and Black would be very happy to exchange pieces, especially the potentially strong ¥ on f1. 9.£b4 ¤xc4 10.¥xc4 dxc4 11.0–0 0–0 12.£xc4

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We've reached a typical IQP position. White has more space and his main plan is basically to start an attack on the kingside, while in the meantime threatening to push the d-§. Later this year, I'll dedicate several issues of CVT to explaining the finesses of White's plan in great detail. This will also be useful for players who rarely play with or against an IQP, as many ideas can also occur in completely different types of positions. 12...£a5 13.£e2 Black’s rough plan consists of three phases. First, the d-§ should be kept under control. Second, Black would like to exchange as many minor pieces as possible. With only heavy pieces left, the d-§ will suddenly become weak and the last stage will be to conquer it. 13...¦e8 13...¥e6 would be the most precise move, blocking the d5–square, with ¦ac8 and ¦fd8 to follow. 14.¤g5 is not a move to be worried about. The ¤ is dreaming of the e5–square and after 14...¥f5 he will soon return to f3, in order to reach his favorite outpost after losing a tempo. 14.h3 ¥f5 15.¦fe1 ¦ad8 16.¤e5 ¤d5 17.¥d2 £b6 Black is playing well, more or less forcing White to exchange another piece. Black has an edge, but should never underestimate the dynamics of the white position. It’s only if more minor pieces are exchanged that he can start considering the d-§ weak. 18.¤xd5 ¦xd5 19.¥c3 ¥e6 20.£f3 ¦dd8 21.£g3 ¥d5 22.a3 a5 23.¦ad1 £a7 24.£d3 b6 25.¤c4 (diagram) White is initiating a fatal plan. It would have been best to play 25.¦c1 and just do nothing for a while, waiting for Black to come up with a plan. In the game, White voluntarily exchanges

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-trr+k+0 9wq-+-zppvlp0 9-zp-+-+p+0 9zp-+l+-+-0 9-+NzP-+-+0 9zP-vLQ+-+P0 9-zP-+-zPP+0 9+-+RtR-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy another piece, which suddenly makes the d-§ very weak. 25...£b7 26.¤e3 ¦d7 27.¤xd5 ¦xd5 28.£e3 Black is close to reaching the perfect position when playing against an IQP. First he puts as much pressure on the § as possible. 28...e6 29.¦d3 ¦ed8 30.¦ed1 £d7 31.£d2

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-tr-+k+0 9+-+q+pvlp0 9-zp-+p+p+0 9zp-+r+-+-0 9-+-zP-+-+0 9zP-vLR+-+P0 9-zP-wQ-zPP+0 9+-+R+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy This is a diagram to remember, as it's White's worse case scenario. His pieces are tied to d4 and can only wait for the next thematic move: 31...e5! Using the pin. The § is lost. 32.b4 32.£e2 exd4 33.¥d2 was more stubborn. 32...e4! 33.¦g3 ¥xd4 34.¥xd4 ¦xd4 35.£xd4 £xd4 36.¦xd4 ¦xd4 37.bxa5 ¦d1+ 38.¢h2 bxa5 39.¦e3 Necessary was 39.¦c3! ¦d3 40.¦c4 ¦xa3 41.¦xe4 a4 42.g4 with a lot still to play for. 39...f5 40.¦b3 ¦d3! 41.¦b7 ¦xa3 42.¦a7 f4 43.¦e7 ¦a4 44.g4 h6 45.h4 ¦d4 46.g5 hxg5 47.hxg5 ¢f8 48.¦a7 a4 49.¦a6 ¢e7 50.¦xg6 ¦d2 51.¢g1 a3 52.¦f6 a2 53.¦a6 ¦d1+ 0–1 

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ChessVibes TRAINING Let's improve your chess

No. 9, July 2, 2011

further examples 11...¤h5 This is a common manoeuvre, aiming to exchange the dark-squared ¥s. An alternative would be 11... b6 followed by ¥b7 and ¦c8. The main challenge for Black in this kind of position is to find a nice post for his light-squared ¥. 12.¥xe7 ¤xe7 13.¥b3 ¤f6 14.¤e5 ¥d7 This is another common way of activating the ¥. Of course, Black doesn’t mind exchanging it for the strong ¤ on e5. 15.£e2 ¦c8 16.¤e4 This looks like an active move at first glance, but if we keep the standard plans for both sides in mind then it’s easy to draw the conclusion that it only helps Black. He’s the one who would like to exchange pieces! 16...¤xe4 17.£xe4 ¥c6 18.¤xc6 ¦xc6 19.¦c3 19.¦xc6 bxc6! and all hopes of a d4–d5 break are gone. 19...£d6 20.g3 ¦d8 21.¦d1 ¦b6 22.£e1 £d7 Black is maximizing the pressure on d4, just as in the main game. 23.¦cd3 ¦d6 24.£e4 £c6 25.£f4 ¤d5 26.£d2 £b6 27.¥xd5 Again, the exchange only helps Black. 27...¦xd5 28.¦b3 £c6 29.£c3 £d7 30.f4 Preventing e5, but weakening the kingside. 30...b6 31.¦b4 b5 32.a4 bxa4 33.£a3 a5 34.¦xa4 £b5 35.¦d2 e5 36.fxe5 ¦xe5 37.£a1 £e8 38.dxe5 ¦xd2 39.¦xa5 £c6 40.¦a8+ ¢h7 41.£b1+ g6 42.£f1 £c5+ 43.¢h1 £d5+ 0–1

Lasker - Capablanca World Ch (Havana) 1921

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Yet another famous game in which Black succesfully combats the IQP. 16.¦fe1 ¤bd5 17.¥xd5 This makes life too easy for Black. Critical would have been 17.¥xf6 ¥xf6 18.¥xd5 exd5 19.¤g4 ¥g5 20.£f5 after which White at least isn’t the only one with an IQP. 17...¤xd5 18.¥xe7 ¤xe7 19.£b3 ¥c6 20.¤xc6 We’ve reached a very instructive position. The obvious quiz question would be: how should Black recapture? 20...bxc6! Excellent. Just as we saw briefly in the previous example, Black prefers to recapture with the § as that puts an end to the ambitions of the d-§. 21.¦e5 £b6 22.£c2 ¦fd8 23.¤e2 Too passive. 23...¦d5 24.¦xd5 As the game transposes to another structure, I’ll give the rest without further comments. 24...cxd5 25.£d2 ¤f5 26.b3 h5 27.h3 h4 28.£d3 ¦c6 29.¢f1 g6 30.£b1 £b4 31.¢g1 a5 32.£b2 a4 33.£d2 £xd2 34.¦xd2 axb3 35.axb3 ¦b6 36.¦d3 ¦a6 37.g4 hxg3 38.fxg3 ¦a2 39.¤c3 ¦c2 40.¤d1 ¤e7 41.¤c3 ¦c1+ 42.¢f2 ¤c6 43.¤d1 ¦b1 44.¢e2 ¦xb3 45.¢e3 ¦b4 46.¤c3 ¤e7 47.¤e2 ¤f5+ 48.¢f2 g5 49.g4 ¤d6 50.¤g1 ¤e4+ 51.¢f1 ¦b1+ 52.¢g2 ¦b2+ 53.¢f1 ¦f2+ 54.¢e1 ¦a2 55.¢f1 ¢g7 56.¦e3 ¢g6 57.¦d3 f6 58.¦e3 ¢f7 59.¦d3 ¢e7 60.¦e3 ¢d6 61.¦d3 ¦f2+ 62.¢e1 ¦g2 63.¢f1 ¦a2 64.¦e3 e5 65.¦d3 exd4 66.¦xd4 ¢c5 67.¦d1 d4 68.¦c1+ ¢d5 0–1

The main challenge for Black is usually to find active squares for his pieces. Black wisely starts with the most difficult one. 11...b6! 12.a3 ¥b7 Once the light-squared ¥ has found a nice post, the others follow easily. 13.£c2 13.¦c1 ¦ac8 14.¥d3 ¦fd8 15.¥b1 followed by £d3 would have been a more challenging plan. 13...¦ac8 14.¦ad1 ¦fd8 15.£d2 ¤d5 16.¤b5 The main focus for White should be on the kingside, so it would have been more natural to play 16.¤e4 £b8 after which Black is doing fine, but at least White has more chances of getting an initiative on the kingside. 16...£b8 17.¥d3 ¥f6 To be followed by ¤ce7. Black is playing very thematically. 18.¥b1 ¤ce7 Black already has a very comfortable edge, as his pieces are much better coordinated. 19.¥g5 a6 20.¥xf6 20.¤c3 ¤xc3 21.bxc3 ¥xf3 22.¥xf6 gxf6 23.gxf3 f5 would also have led to a large advantage for Black. 20...¤xf6 21.¤c3 ¥xf3 22.gxf3 ¤g6 23.¥xg6 hxg6 24.£g5 ¤d5 25.£d2 £b7 26.¢g2 ¦d7 Again, Black is starting to build up pressure on the d-§. 27.¤e2 ¦cd8 28.¦c1 ¤e7 The ¤ is no longer needed for the blockade. 29.¦c3 ¤f5 30.¦d3 e5! 31.¦d1 ¦d5 32.£c3 £d7 The § is lost, but Black goes for a more valuable scalp. 33.£c4 b5 34.£b4 ¤h4+ 35.¢h1 £h3 0–1

Pustovoitov - Morozov Moscow, 2005

Korchnoi-Karpov WCh (Merano) 1981

Maliszewski-Adamski Warsaw, 2009

XIIIIIIIIY 9r+l+-trk+0 9zpp+-vlpzpp0 9-+nwqpsn-+0 9+-+-+-+-0 9-+-zP-+-+0 9+-sN-vLN+-0 9PzP-+LzPPzP0 9tR-+QtR-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy

In this position Black has solved one of his main developmental challenges, as his ¥ is already on g4. However, he still has to be careful. He's slightly behind in development and his £ might become a little vulnerable. 11...¤d5! An important move to keep the white pieces at a safe distance. The white ¥ can no longer go to f4 and Black can now finish his development as soon as possible. 12.¤e4 £c7 13.h3 ¥h5 14.¦d1 ¥e7 15.¤g3 ¥g6 16.¤e5 0–0 17.¤xg6 Again, Black doesn’t mind exchanging a couple of pieces. 17...hxg6 18.¥f3 ¤xe3! It’s not usually advisable to capture the ¥ on e3 as it enables White to improve his §-structure. However, in this particular position White is forced to take with the £, as his ¤ on g3 is hanging. 19.£xe3 £b6 20.¥xc6 £xc6 Just as in the Lasker - Capablanca game, it would have been best to recapture with 20...bxc6 The d-§ is going nowhere anymore and Black enjoys a comfortable edge. 21.¤e2 ¥f6 22.¦ac1 £b6 It’s now code red for White. Black is getting ready to launch his final plan: doubling on the d-file and pushing e5. The best setup would be 23.b3 23.a3 ¦d5 24.b4 ¦fd8 25.¦c5 and White is still in the game. 23...¦d5 24.¦d3 ¦fd8 25.¦cd1 e5 26.£d2 e4 27.¦e3 ¥xd4 0–1  

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tactics, tactics XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-tr-+k+0 9trq+-+pzpp0 9-+-zpl+-+0 9+psn-zp-+-0 9-sN-+P+-+0 9zP-+-wQ-+-0 9-zPL+-zPPzP0 9tR-+R+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9r+l+-trk+0 9zpp+-zp-vl-0 9-wq-+-+pzp0 9+-zpPsn-+-0 9-+P+N+-zP0 9zP-+-zP-+-0 9-vLQsN-zPP+0 9+-tR-mK-+R0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-tr-mk0 9zpp+rvlpzp-0 9-+p+p+-zp0 9+-+-wq-+-0 9-+PzP-+Q+0 9+P+-+R+-0 9P+-+-+PzP0 9+-vLR+-+K0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+l+qtr-mk0 9zpr+-zpp+p0 9-+pzp-sn-wQ0 9+-zp-+psN-0 9-+-+P+-+0 9+-sNP+-+-0 9PzPP+-+PzP0 9tR-+-+RmK-0 xiiiiiiiiy

No. 9, July 2, 2011



XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+-vlk+0 9+-+-+p+p0 9-+-+-+p+0 9+-zpnzP-+-0 9-+r+-zP-+0 9zP-+-+-zP-0 9-+N+R+KzP0 9tR-+-vL-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+-+rmk0 9zpp+nwq-vlp0 9-+l+-zp-+0 9+-zppzpP+N0 9-+-+-+-wQ0 9+-+P+N+P0 9PzPPvL-+P+0 9+-+-tRRmK-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+r+-trk+0 9zp-+-wqpzp-0 9-zp-+pvl-zp0 9snL+-sN-+-0 9-+-+P+-+0 9zPl+-+-vL-0 9-zP-tRQzPPzP0 9tR-+-+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-trl+n+-+0 9zppvlrmk-zpp0 9-+-+pzp-+0 9sN-+-zP-+-0 9-+-zP-vL-+0 9+-+-+-zP-0 9P+-+-zPLzP0 9+-tRR+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy

by IM ROBERT RIS

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+r+-+k+0 9+ptr-snpzpp0 9p+-zp-sn-+0 9+-+Pzp-+-0 9-zP-+LzPP+0 9wq-+-+-sNP0 9-+PwQ-+-mK0 9+-tR-+R+-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-+-+0 9+l+-mk-zpp0 9-+-sn-zp-+0 9+p+-zp-+-0 9-zPp+P+P+0 9+-zP-zPK+P0 9r+-tR-+-+0 9+LvL-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-trk+0 9+p+-+-zpp0 9-+-vlp+-+0 9+-+-wq-+-0 9-zP-+p+-+0 9zP-+-wQ-zP-0 9-+r+L+-zP0 9tR-+-+R+K0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+-mk-+0 9wqlwQ-zppvlp0 9-sn-zp-+p+0 9+-+P+-+-0 9-+-+-+-zP0 9zPp+-zP-+L0 9-+-tR-zP-zP0 9+N+R+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy 6 of 8

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No. 9, July 2, 2011

A murderer on the long diagonal In CVT 2 we saw the strength of a ¥ compared to a ¤ in an open position. In my next example I’d like to illustrate the power a ¥ can exert together with the support of other pieces.

practical endings Markus,R (2629) - Martinovic,S (2527) Slovak Team Ch (Ljubljana), 27.05.2011

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+r+-trk+0 9zpp+-+pzp-0 9-+n+-vlp+0 9+-+L+-+-0 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-+-+-zP-0 9PzP-+-zP-zP0 9+RtR-vL-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy The symmetric pawn structure and open central files make an exchange of ¦s likely soon, when there won't be much left to play for. The main difference lies in the fact that White enjoys the ¥ pair, which is generally an asset in open positions. To put it more concretely, White's ¥ on d5 exerts enormous pressure on the long diagonal, not giving the ¤ a chance to move except at the cost of the valuable b-pawn. We've come straight to the Achilles' heel of Black's position, and so White's next move speaks for itself. 24.b4! Threatening to hit the ¤ and thus win the b-pawn. The other option was to transform the advantage of two ¥s into a slightly favorable pawn formation with 24.¥xc6?! though after 24...¦xc6 25.¦xc6 bxc6 26.b4 ¦d8 27.¦c1 ¦d6 Black’s weaknesses are well-defended. His next move will be ¥d4, protecting a7, followed by centralizing the ¢, when there won’t be a cloud in the sky for Black. 24...¦fd8 25.¥g2! White correctly retreats his ¥ on the long diagonal. Again 25.¥xc6?! is premature, for the same reasons explained in the previous note. 25...a6 26.a4! White simply increases the pressure on the queenside. Too hasty is 26.b5? axb5 27.¦xb5



because of 27...¤d4! 28.¦xc8 ¦xc8 29.¦b1 (29.¦xb7? underlines White’s back rank problems: 29...¦c1 30.¢f1 ¤c2 31.¦b8+ ¢h7 32.¦e8 ¥c3) 29...b5! and Black has got rid of his weakness. 26...g5 27.¢f1! A very useful prophylactic move, avoiding any fork on e2. A general rule worth remembering is that the threat is often stronger than the execution. In this particular case, however, immediate action is also strong enough. 27.b5 axb5 28.¦xb5! (28.axb5? is strongly countered by 28...¤d4! 29.¦xc8 {29.¥xb7? is met tactically by 29...¦xc1 30.¦xc1 ¤e2+!} 29...¦xc8 30.¥xb7 ¦b8 31.¥a6 ¤f3+ 32.¢g2 ¤xe1+ 33.¦xe1 ¥d4= and although White is a pawn up, his ¥ on a6 is out of play and b6 is firmly under control.)

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+rtr-+k+0 9+p+-+pzp-0 9-+n+-vl-+0 9+R+-+-zp-0 9P+-+-+-+0 9+-+-+-zP-0 9-+-+-zPLzP0 9+-tR-vL-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy when the strength of White's ¥ pair is still clearly visible: 28...¤a7 (28...¦c7? 29.¥a5!; 28...¦d7? 29.¥h3!; 28...¤d4 can be met by 29.¦xc8 ¦xc8 30.¦xb7 since 30...¦c1 31.¢f1 ¤c2 doesn’t have the desired effect, in view of 32.¦b8+ ¢h7 33.¥e4+ and White wins.) 29.¦xc8 ¤xc8 30.¦c5! and now: a) 30.¦xb7? fails to 30...¦d1! 31.¢f1 ¥c3–+; b) 30.¥xb7? allows Black to simplify with 30...¤d6 31.¦b6 (31.¥a5 ¤xb5 32.¥xd8 ¥xd8 33.axb5 ¢f8 doesn’t offer White any winning chances at all.) 31...¤xb7 32.¦xb7 ¦d1 33.¢f1 ¥c3 34.¦e7 ¦a1 35.¦e3 ¥xe1 36.¦xe1 ¦xa4=; 30...¤d6 31.¥b4 and White retains strong

by IM ROBERT RIS

pressure due to the unstable ¤ on d6 and the weak pawn on b7. 27...g4 28.¦c4

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+rtr-+k+0 9+p+-+pzp-0 9p+n+-vl-+0 9+-+-+-+-0 9PzPR+-+p+0 9+-+-+-zP-0 9-+-+-zPLzP0 9+R+-vLK+-0 xiiiiiiiiy Again, White's in no hurry and first simply improves his pieces before landing the final blow. Black has to take care of his pawn on g4, but also has to take into account the possibility of ¦s being doubled on the c-file. In case of 28.b5?! axb5 29.axb5 ¤d4 30.¦xc8 ¦xc8 31.¥xb7 ¦b8 32.¥a6 ¥d8! it's not so easy to mobilize the b-pawn. 28...¥d4 29.¦d1! Threatening to win a piece by either ¥xc6 or b5. 29...¥b6 30.¦dc1! Again, White prefers to retain the pressure rather than grab a pawn with 30.¦xd8+ ¥xd8 31.¦xg4 as then Black can get rid of his weakness on b7 by 31...b5! when his chances of holding increase significantly. 30...¦d4 31.¦4c2! It’s still inferior to gather the harvest immediately with 31.¥xc6? ¦xc4 32.¦xc4 ¦xc6 33.¦xg4 (33.¦xc6 bxc6 doesn’t cause Black any problems because his pawns are on light squares.) 33...f6 and at the cost of a pawn Black has succeeded in activating his forces. 31...¦cd8 32.a5! The last preparatory measure has been taken. After fixing the weak pawn on a6, White is finally ready to gather the fruits of his no-rush strategy. 32...¥a7 32...¥c7 33.¥xc6 bxc6 34.¦xc6 even loses a second pawn. 33.¥xc6!

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Even though White wins a healthy pawn, he must feel some regret at exchanging the strongest piece on the board. In case you’re hesitating to take such a decision, it’s good to remember that it’s not important what you exchange, but only what remains. 33...bxc6 34.¦xc6 ¦4d6 35.¦xd6 ¦xd6 36.¢e2!

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-+k+0 9vl-+-+pzp-0 9p+-tr-+-+0 9zP-+-+-+-0 9-zP-+-+p+0 9+-+-+-zP-0 9-+-+KzP-zP0 9+-tR-vL-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy

No. 9, July 2, 2011

Simple fundamental endgame rules should be applied here as well: the ¢ has to join the battlefield. 36.¦c7?! leads nowhere, because of 36...¥d4! (but not 36...¥b8 37.¦c8+ dropping the ¥.) 36...¥d4 37.¥d2 ¦e6+ 38.¥e3 ¢f8 39.¢d3 ¥xe3 If Black intends to keep ¥s on the board with 39...¥f6 he has to reckon with 40.¦c8+ ¢e7 41.¥c5+ ¢d7 42.¦f8! and another pawn will fall. 40.fxe3 ¦d6+ 41.¢e4 g6 After 41...¦d2 there’s hardly anything to be gained from having a ¦ on the second rank: 42.¦c6 ¦b2 43.¦b6! and the ¢ will pick up the pawn on g4. 42.¢f4 f5 43.¦c7!

In contrast to its counterpart, the white ¦ has an important task on the penultimate rank: the black ¢ is cut off. 43...¦e6 44.¦b7! Black resigned as his position is absolutely hopeless, e.g. 44...¦e4+ 45.¢g5 ¦xe3 can be met by 46.b5! axb5 (46...¦e6 fails to 47.b6!) 47.a6 ¦a3 48.a7 followed by ¦b8 check and the a-pawn promotes. 1–0 Conclusion: I believe this is a perfect example of the kind of impact ¥s can have in open positions. Other thematic endgame principles like ‘don’t hurry’ and the ‘transformation of advantages’ should also have been clarified.



solutions p.6  26.£xc5! [26...dxc5 27.¦xd8#] 1–0 Kostrikina-Savina, 61st ch-RUS HL w Taganrog RUS (3), 17.06.2011  38...¦xc2! [39.¦xc2 ¤e3+–+] 0–1 Bocharov-Reshetnikov, 64th chRUS HL Taganrog RUS (5), 19.06.2011  24...£xg3+! [25.¢xg3 ¤xe4+ 26.¢g2 ¤xd2–+] 0–1 Schirra-Ehlers, ODEM U25–A Oberhof GER (5.16), 14.06.2011 1  7...£xb2! 18.£xb2 ¤d3+ 19.¢e2 ¤xb2–+ Severina-Pustovoitova, 61st ch-RUS HL w Taganrog RUS (5), 20.06.2011 2  1.¤f4! ¥f8 22.¤g6+ ¦xg6 23.fxg6+– 1–0 Shanava-Harutyunian, 4th Karen Asrian Memorial Jermuk ARM (1), 16.06.2011 3  4...¦a1! 35.¦b2 [35.¥c2 ¦xc1–+] 35...¦xb1! [36.¦xb1 ¥xe4+ 37.¢f2 ¥xb1–+] 0–1 Guttulsrud-Kuljasevic, 5th Open Pula Pula CRO (2.5), 19.06.2011 2  6.¦xf7! [26.dxe5? ¦xd1+ 27.¦f1 ¦xf1#] 26...¦xd4 [26...¦xf7 27.dxe5+; 26...¦fd8 27.¥e3! ¢g8 28.¦xe7!+–] 27.¦xf8+ ¥xf8 28.£xd4 1–0 Orhan-Usczeck, ODEM U25–A Oberhof GER (2.35), 12.06.2011

2  1...£c5? [21...¥xe5! 22.¥xe5 ¥c4! 23.¥xc4 (23.£g4 f5!–+) 23...¤xc4 -+] Van Wely-Van den Doel, NK Internet Final 2011 PlayChess.com INT (2.4), 18.06.2011 2  3...¦f3! 24.¥xf3 [24.£g1 ¦xe2–+; 24.¦xf3 exf3 25.£xe5 ¥xe5 26.¥xf3 ¥xa1–+] 24...¦xh2+! 25.¢xh2 £xg3+ 26.¢h1 £h2# 0–1 SmeetsBrandenburg, NK Internet Final 2011 PlayChess.com INT (2.4), 18.06.2011 1  5.e5! [15.¦f3? ¦g8!; 15.e5! dxe5 16.¤ce4! fxe4 17.¦xf6!+–] 1–0 Jovanovic-Heikkila, 5th Open Pula Pula CRO (1.3), 18.06.2011 2  1.¥c6! ¥xa5 [21...bxc6 22.¤xc6+ ¢f7 23.¤xb8 ¥xb8 24.¦xc8+–; 21...¦d8 22.¥xe8 ¥xa5 (22...¢xe8 23.¦xc7+–) 23.exf6+ gxf6 24.¥xb8+–] 22.exf6+ ¤xf6 23.¥xd7 ¥xd7 24.¥xb8+– 1–0 PashikianGharagyozian, 4th Karen Asrian Memorial Jermuk ARM (1), 16.06.2011 2  8...f5! 29.¤c3 [29.£c1 ¦c8!] 29...¦c8 30.¤b5 £a6 0–1 PapinJakovenko, 64th ch-RUS HL Taganrog RUS (6), 20.06.2011

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