Chess Vibes Training

No. 7, June 18, 2011

TRAINING let's improve youR chess

A sudden change of character The most quiet positions can sometimes turn ito a real mess in just a few moves. This is what happened in one of my games at the French Team Championship last month. by GM ANISH GIRI

giri's grab bag Giri-Sanikidze French Team Ch (Mulhouse), 29.05.2011 1.¤f3 ¤f6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.¥g2 ¥e7 5.0–0 0–0 6.d4 dxc4 7.£a4 a6 8.£xc4 b5 9.£c2 ¥b7 10.¥d2 ¥e4 11.£c1 ¤c6 12.¥e3 ¦c8 13.¦d1 ¤a5 14.¤bd2 ¥b7

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+rwq-trk+0 9+lzp-vlpzpp0 9p+-+psn-+0 9snp+-+-+-0 9-+-zP-+-+0 9+-+-vLNzP-0 9PzP-sNPzPLzP0 9tR-wQR+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy It all started with a quiet, positional Catalan, but here I noticed a funny sequence... 15.a3! b4! Black can't afford to be tied down with the standard a3-b4! setup, so this move is practically forced. 15...¤d5 16.b4 ¤xe3 17.fxe3 ¤c6 18.¤e1 and the weakness of the c5-square counts way more than the formally bad pawns on e3 and e2. 16.axb4 ¥xb4 From now on I had quiet alternatives, but I saw a fun line and decided to trust my calculations and intuition and go for it. It wasn't objectively correct, as it happens, but practically speaking it was impossible to evaluate all the complications. 17.¦a4 ¤d5 18.¥g5!? f6 19.e4! The point. This was where I'd ended my calculations when I played 15.a3, but then I



quickly found out that Black has a strong reply: 19...fxg5 20.exd5 c5!? I'd actually been calculating this position for a long time during my opponent's think, and without too much hesitation I went all-in again. 21.dxc5!? 21.¤e4!? was a quieter alternative. I thought it was unprincipled, but it may actually have been the best option. 21...¤b3 The thought of the knight coming back into the game disturbed me, but in fact the variation only starts here: 22.£e3 ¥xd5 23.dxc5! ¥xc5 24.¤xc5 ¤xc5 and White is somewhat better after either ¦ad4 or even the sharp ¤xg5!?, but it seems the position leads to some major exchanges and liquidation. 21...¥xc5! 21...¦xc5 was a somewhat unsound alternative, but Black equalizes here with some forced play: 22.£b1! It's important for the queen to take part in the game, as here Black can't answer with £b6, because of ¤xg5 attacking h7, while after £a1, £b6 would be easy and strong. 22...¥xd2 23.¤xd2 Now I calculated all the captures on d5. They all lead to an advantage for White, whose main idea is b4, but Black has a strong alternative that went unnoticed by both of us 23...£b6! 24.¦f1 ¤b3! and the likely result is a draw, as White is forced to exchange first the knights, then the pawns, and then the bishops. 22.£a1 (diagram) 22...¥b6? Played after a very long think. My opponent didn't dare to capture on f2 after all, but it was

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+rwq-trk+0 9+l+-+-zpp0 9p+-+p+-+0 9sn-vlP+-zp-0 9R+-+-+-+0 9+-+-+NzP-0 9-zP-sN-zPLzP0 9wQ-+R+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy practically the only correct decision, as after this move I'm able to win a pawn and consolidate the position. 22...¥xf2+! Of course I saw this shot, but I didn't realize that after 23.¢xf2 (23.¢h1 ¥b6 is a clearly better version of what Black got in the game.) 23...£b6+ 24.¢e2! (I thought this move was a nice refutation) Black isn't obliged to follow the same approach he would against the normal ¢f1, but can instead simply leave his knight en prise. (24.¢f1 ¤b3! 25.¤xb3 £xb3 26.¦a3 £b6! and it took me some time to realize that in fact White's king is doomed.) 24...¥xd5! 25.¦xa5 g4 and it's White who has to beg for a draw after 26.¦xd5! exd5 27.£a4! gxf3+ 28.¥xf3. 23.dxe6 £c7 24.¦f1! I did have a lot of alternatives, but this move suddenly makes it clear that the position is no longer a mess but simply a calm position where White has an extra pawn. Black still can fight on, as he does have some pressure on f2 anyway, but from this point on it was already clear that White has a clear advantage, plus my opponent was in severe time trouble. 24...¥d5?! 25.e7! ¦f5? 26.¤d4! ¥xd4 27.¦xa5 ¥xg2 28.¦xf5 ¥xf1 29.£a2+ ¥c4 30.¤xc4 £xe7 31.¤d6+ ¢h8 32.¤f7+ ¢g8 33.¤xg5+! ¢h8 34.¤f7+ ¢g8 35.¤d6+ ¢h8 36.¤xc8 £e1+ 37.¢g2 £e4+ 38.¦f3 1–0 

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ChessVibes TRAINING Let's improve your chess

No. 7, June 18, 2011

Dealing with the IQP Two issues ago we showed a nice game by Andreikin, who used the IQP to create attacking chances. Now we look at how Bacrot combats such a pawn, providing some balance to our view of this famous pawn structure. by IM MERIJN VAN DELFT

guess the move Bacrot,E (2705) - Rozentalis,E (2573) French Team Ch (Mulhouse), 31.05.2011

1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 e6 3.¤c3 ¥b4 4.g3 c5 5.¤f3 b6 6.¥g2 ¥b7 7.0–0 cxd4 8.£xd4 ¤c6 9.£d3 0–0 10.b3 d5 11.cxd5 ¤xd5 This new move for Black doesn’t seem to solve his opening problems. The best choice may still be the tactical sequence 11...¤e7! 12.¥d2 ¦c8 13.e4 ¥xc3 14.¥xc3 ¤xe4! 15.¥xg7 ¢xg7 16.£xe4 ¥xd5 17.£g4+ ¤g6 and even though White is more comfortable, Black managed to neutralise the pressure in Topalov-Anand, Morelia/Linares 2008. After 11...exd5 12.¥g5 Black has problems creating the active piece play he is usually looking for when playing with the famous Isolated Queen’s Pawn (IQP). 12.¤xd5 £xd5 13.£xd5 exd5 14.¥b2 In the aforementioned game Bruzon-Andreikin, Black managed to get his game going in the middlegame. The current game serves as an example of how to play against the IQP in the endgame. 14...¥a6 15.¦fc1 ¦ac8

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+r+-trk+0 9zp-+-+pzpp0 9lzpn+-+-+0 9+-+p+-+-0 9-vl-+-+-+0 9+P+-+NzP-0 9PvL-+PzPLzP0 9tR-tR-+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy



Question 1 Would you play: A) 16.¦c2 to prepare the doubling of rooks while defending e2; B) 16.¥f1 to prepare the exchange of a further piece; C) 16.¥h3 to disturb the coordination between Black's pieces. 16.¥h3! This nasty bishop move catches Black unawares and forces a serious concession on Black’s part, 5 points. 16.¦c2 is a little modest, since it allows Black to coordinate his defence with 16...¤e7 therefore no points. 16.¥f1 is simply too passive to be a serious candidate, no points. 16...f5

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+r+-trk+0 9zp-+-+-zpp0 9lzpn+-+-+0 9+-+p+p+-0 9-vl-+-+-+0 9+P+-+NzPL0 9PvL-+PzP-zP0 9tR-tR-+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 2 Would you play: A) 17.a3 to push the bishop back; B) 17.e3 to secure control over the blockading d4-square C) 17.¤h4 to increase the pressure against the

new weakness on f5. 17.e3! A constructive move, fixing Black’s weaknesses on d5 and f5, 5 points. 17.a3 works tactically since 17...¥xe2 is met by 18.¤h4 but isn’t really necessary (3 points). 17.¤h4 is a step in the wrong direction, since Black can defend with 17...g6 therefore no points. 17...g6

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+r+-trk+0 9zp-+-+-+p0 9lzpn+-+p+0 9+-+p+p+-0 9-vl-+-+-+0 9+P+-zPNzPL0 9PvL-+-zP-zP0 9tR-tR-+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 3 Would you play: A) 18.¤d4 to increase control over d4; B) 18.¥g2 to redirect the bishop; C) 18.¤g5 to make use of the new weaknesses. 18.¥g2! Now that its job is done, the bishop retreats to its natural position, 5 points. 18.¤g5 followed by a subsequent ¥g2 is of about equal value (4 points). 18.¤d4 ¤xd4 19.¥xd4 ¢f7 is an instructive mistake, giving away the advantage (no points). White already has enough control over the position (and d4 in particular) and should instead fight for the initiative. 18...¤e7 19.¤d4 Now this move is fine, making use of the weaknesses created in Black’s camp.

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

19...¦fd8 20.¤e6 Again keeping Black busy. 20...¦xc1+ 21.¦xc1 ¦c8

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+r+-+k+0 9zp-+-sn-+p0 9lzp-+N+p+0 9+-+p+p+-0 9-vl-+-+-+0 9+P+-zP-zP-0 9PvL-+-zPLzP0 9+-tR-+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 4 Would you play: A) 22.¦c7 to force Black to exchange rooks; B) 22.¦xc8 to exchange rooks in the most forceful manner; C) 22.¦d1 to keep one pair of rooks on the board. 22.¦c7! White has nothing against a further exchange of rooks, but on his own terms, 5 points. 22.¦xc8+ ¥xc8 23.¤c7 leaves Black with slightly more freedom of choice (4 points). 22.¦d1 allows active counterplay with 22...¦c2 so no points. 22...¦xc7 23.¤xc7 ¥b7 24.a3 ¥d6 24...¥c5 25.b4 ¥d6 comes down to the same thing. 25.¤e8! The loss of the pawn on d5 can no longer be prevented after this most elegant of ¤ manoeuvres. 25...¤c8 After 25...¥b8 26.¤f6+ Black has to give up the pawn on h7. 26.¤f6+ ¢f7 27.¤xd5 ¥a6

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+n+-+-+0 9zp-+-+k+p0 9lzp-vl-+p+0 9+-+N+p+-0 9-+-+-+-+0 9zPP+-zP-zP-0 9-vL-+-zPLzP0 9+-+-+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 5 Would you play: A) 28.¤b4 to chase the black bishop pair; B) 28.e4 to further open the position; C) 28.¥f1 to exchange a further set of pieces.

No. 7, June 18, 2011

magician. He doesn’t care about the doubled pawns, since he will get powerful bishops, 5 points. 28.e4 fxe4 29.¥xe4 is of course perfectly playable, but not very thematic, 3 points. 28.¥f1 ¥xf1 29.¢xf1 gives Black more space for his pieces than he deserves, 2 points. 28...¥xb4 29.¥d5+ An essential inbetween move to keep the black king passive. 29...¢f8 30.axb4 ¤e7 31.¥e6 ¥b7

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-mk-+0 9zpl+-sn-+p0 9-zp-+L+p+0 9+-+-+p+-0 9-zP-+-+-+0 9+P+-zP-zP-0 9-vL-+-zP-zP0 9+-+-+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 6 Would you play: A) 32.¥c4 to prevent the exchange of bishops; B) 32.¢f1 to centralize the king; C) 32.¥f6 to dominate Black's king. 32.¥c4! The right move to harmonize White’s pieces and pawns, 5 points. 32.¢f1 ¥d5 leads to the wrong exchange of pieces, no points. 32.¥f6 ¤d5 is even worse, forcing opposite-coloured bishops, no points. 32...¥e4 32...¥d5 33.b5! is the big point of White’s play, since White will completely dominate the ensuing ¥ versus ¤ endgame. 33.h4 It was time to grab some space on the kingside as well. 33...h6 34.b5 ¤d5 35.¥e5 ¢e7

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36.¢f1! With everything else taken care of, it’s time for the ¢ himself to enter the stage, 5 points. 36.¥g7 is almost as strong, 4 points. 36.¥b8 is playable (2 points), but gets no points if you missed 36...¢d7 37.¥xa7 ¢c7! trapping the bishop. 36...g5 37.¥g7 gxh4 38.gxh4 h5 39.¢e2 ¤f6 40.¥h6 ¤d7 White has conserved his winning position and keeps improving with little steps. 41.¥g5+ ¢e8 42.¥f4 ¢e7 43.¢d2 ¥f3 44.¢c3 ¤c5

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-+-+0 9zp-+-mk-+-0 9-zp-+-+-+0 9+Psn-+p+p0 9-+L+-vL-zP0 9+PmK-zPl+-0 9-+-+-zP-+0 9+-+-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy Question 8 Would you play: A) 45.¥b8 to finally attack Black's queenside; B) 45.¢d4 to further activate the king; C) 45.¥g3 to keep everything defended. 45.¢d4! Based on good calculation, the white ¢ now decides the battle, 5 points. 45.¥b8 also works here if your idea was 45...¢d7 46.¢d4 (4 points; 46.¥xa7 ¢c7 no points) while 45.¥g3 ¤e4+ 46.¢d4 ¤xg3 47.fxg3 is much less convincing, therefore no points. 45...¢f6 After 45...¤e6+ 46.¢e5 ¤xf4 47.¢xf4 Black will lose a second pawn: 47...¥e4 (47...¥g4 48.f3 ¥h3 49.¢g3 even loses a piece.) 48.¢g5. 46.¥b8 1–0 Conclusion: Bacrot’s technique in both creating weaknesses in Black’s position and converting his extra pawn is very instructive. His experienced grandmaster opponent lost this game without a chance.  

Question 7 Would you play: A) 36.¥b8 to attack the Black queenside first; 28.¤b4! B) 36.¢f1 to centralize the king; A remarkable decision by the French positional C) 36.¥g7 to attack the Black kingside first.

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ChessVibes TRAINING Let's improve your chess

No. 7, June 18, 2011

Rook in the corner Rooks can be very powerful when using open files to reach the 7th rank. Today, however, we’ll see what a rook looks like on a bad day: stuck in the corner and unable to move. by IM THOMAS WILLEMZE

improve your play Daday,C - Vilmundarson,L (2044) Gardabaer (Iceland), 15.12.2010 1.d4 d6 2.¤f3 g6 3.c4 ¥g7 4.¤c3 ¥g4 5.e4 ¥xf3 Black doesn’t hide his intentions. Right from the start he’s putting as much pressure on d4 as possible. 6.gxf3 ¤c6 7.¥e3 e5 8.d5 ¤d4 9.¥xd4 It was very tempting to capture the annoying ¤, but it would have been better simply to ignore it with 9.¥g2 followed by f4. In the game, the exchange on d4 opens a lot of dark squares for the ¥ on g7. 9...exd4 10.¤b5 a6 10...c6 would have given Black a strong initiative. After 11.¤xd4 £a5+ 12.¢e2 £c5 White is in serious trouble. 11.¤xd4 £f6 12.£a4+ b5 13.¤xb5! £xb2 14.¦d1! The only move! There was no time for a discovered check, as Black was threatening ¥c3 and £d2 mate. 14...¢e7

XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+-+ntr0 9+-zp-mkpvlp0 9p+-zp-+p+0 9+N+P+-+-0 9Q+P+P+-+0 9+-+-+P+-0 9Pwq-+-zP-zP0 9+-+RmKL+R0 xiiiiiiiiy This is an important moment in the game. Black is threatening ...axb5 followed by ...¥c3 and White needs to develop his ¥ quickly. The only question is: where to? 15.¥g2 This move has two serious drawbacks, as we’re

soon about to see. 15...axb5 16.£xa8 £b4+ Missing a chance to finish the game at once. Black could have played 16...¥c3+! 17.¢f1 £c2 and a ¥ on e2 would have been very welcome to support the ¦. White is lost. 17.¢f1 £xc4+ Now the second drawback of ¥g2 becomes clear. The white ¢ is driven all the way to g1, after which the ¦ on h1 can serve as a nice illustration of our subject for today. 18.¢g1 ¤f6

XIIIIIIIIY 9Q+-+-+-tr0 9+-zp-mkpvlp0 9-+-zp-snp+0 9+p+P+-+-0 9-+q+P+-+0 9+-+-+P+-0 9P+-+-zPLzP0 9+-+R+-mKR0 xiiiiiiiiy White is an exchange up, but will effectively be a piece down for a while as you can't really take the ¦ on h1 seriously. For Black, the best way to exploit this is a) acting very quickly, and b) exchanging as many pieces as possible. The less pieces on the board, the more White will be hampered by his temporary material deficit. We will elaborate on this theme in the 'further examples' section. 19.£c6 White still assumes he’s an exchange up and in that scenario an exchange of £s would make perfect sense. However, as I just mentioned, Black is the one who should want to exchange pieces. 19.£a3 would have been the best move. 19...£c5 20.£e3 White doesn’t mind exchanging his £ on e3, as it would free the f2 square for his ¢. 19...£xc6 20.dxc6 ¤h5 21.¦b1 ¦a8

Black has played really well. He showed no hesitation in exchanging £s and now he realises there is no time to lose. 22.¦xb5 ¥d4 22...¦xa2 would have given Black more than enough §s to compensate for the exchange. 23.h4 ¥d4 24.¢h2 ¦xf2. 23.¦b4 ¤f4 24.a4 ¥c5 24...¥xf2+ 25.¢xf2 (25.¢f1 ¥c5 is a disaster for White.) 25...¤d3+ 26.¢e3 ¤xb4 The ¦ is free to go, but Black has a large advantage. 25.¦c4 ¤d3 26.¦c2 ¦xa4 27.h4 h5 28.¥f1 ¦a1 29.¦d2 ¤e5 It’s nice to see how long it takes White to activate the ¦ on h1. 30.¢g2 ¦a3 31.¥e2 ¤xc6 32.¦b1 Finally the ¦ is set free and White is a real exchange up. In the meantime, however, Black has picked up sufficient §s to compensate. 32...¤d4 33.¥d1 ¤e6 34.¦b7 ¥b6 35.¦b2 ¥d4 36.¦c2 ¢f6 37.¦b5

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-zp-+p+-0 9-+-zpnmkp+0 9+R+-+-+p0 9-+-vlP+-zP0 9tr-+-+P+-0 9-+R+-zPK+0 9+-+L+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy 37...¢g7 38.¦d2 ¥f6 39.¢g3 ¤c5 40.¥c2 ¥e5+ 41.¢g2 ¥f4 41...¦a2 followed by ¥c3 and ¤e6-d4 would have given White a very hard time. 42.¦b1 ¥f4. 42.¦e2 ¦c3 43.¦b2 ¥e5 44.¦a2 ¤e6 45.¦e3 ¤f4+ 46.¢f1 ¦c5 47.¥b3 ¥f6 47...¥d4 was the final chance to get an advantage. In the game, a draw is inevitable once White manages to exchange ¦s. 48.¦c2 ¦xc2 49.¥xc2 ¥xh4 50.¦c3 ¤e6 51.¥b3 ¤c5 52.¥d5 ¥f6 53.¦c2 ¥d4 54.¢g2 f5 55.¢g3 ¢f6 56.¦c4 ¥b2 57.¦c2 ¥d4 58.¦c4 ¥b2 59.¦c2 ¥d4 ½–½ 

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ChessVibes TRAINING Let's improve your chess

No. 7, June 18, 2011

further examples The first example starts with a very thematic move which has only one purpose: hindering the development of Black's pieces. 19.e6! fxe6 20.¤f3 e5! An important move. Allowing ¤e5 would have ended the ambitions of his ¥ and ¦ immediately. 21.¤xe5 e6 Freeing the ¥, and it looks as though the ¦ will follow shortly. White is, however, constantly threatening g6, and the black ¦ has to remain on guard. 22.c4 ¤e7 23.¥e3 The ¦ on h8 is out of play and, as we stated earlier in the main game, White has a simple plan: act quickly and exchange as many pieces as possible. 23...¦g8 24.¦d1 Threatening to enter on the 7th rank. Black has to do something about the ¤ on e5. 24...¤g6 The only move, but not a pleasant one. Another piece is exchanged and the black ¦ is still not going anywhere. 25.¤xg6 ¦xg6 26.¢f3 ¦d8 Again, Black has no choice other than to offer an exchange in order to keep his 7th rank clear. 27.¦xd8+ ¢xd8 28.¦d2+ ¢c7 On account of the g6-breakthrough, the ¦ on g6 will never be able to leave its post. White is simply a ¦ up on the other side of the board. It’s very instructive to observe Motylev’s technique. 29.¥d4 ¥e7 30.c5 a5 31.a3 ¢c8 32.b4 a4 33.¥e5 ¥d8 34.¢e3 ¥e7 35.¦d4 ¥d8 36.¢d3 ¥c7 37.¥xc7 ¢xc7 38.¦d6 1–0

T.Willemze-Doostkam Bangkok open, 2011

XIIIIIIIIY 9r+lwq-mk-tr0 9zppzp-+-zp-0 9-+n+pvl-zp0 9+-+p+-+Q0 9-+-zP-+-zP0 9+-zPL+-+-0 9-+-vL-zPP+0 9tR-+-mK-sNR0 xiiiiiiiiy

XIIIIIIIIY 9r+l+-snktr0 9+-+-+-zp-0 9p+N+-+Pzp0 9+-vl-zp-+-0 9-zp-+Q+-zP0 9+-+-+P+L0 9qzPP+-+-+0 9+-mKR+-+R0 xiiiiiiiiy

XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+kvl-tr0 9+p+-zpp+p0 9p+p+-+-zP0 9+-+nzPpzP-0 9-+-+-zP-+0 9+-+-+-+-0 9PzPP+-mK-tR0 9tR-vL-+-sN-0 xiiiiiiiiy

With the black ¢ on f8 and a hostile £ keeping an eye on the weakened light squares, it's safe to say the ¦ on h8 won't be going anywhere for a while. Having seen the previous examples, we now know what to do to exploit this. You should always start by activating your pieces as quickly as possible, and then exchange the majority of pieces to let your opponent feel the absence of his ¦. 15.¤f3 ¥d7 16.0–0 ¥e8 17.£g4 e5 Although it’s very natural to push the backward e6-§ in the French, it would probably have been advisable for Black to defend it with a modest move like £c8. By playing e5 an extra pair of pieces will be exchanged and the position opened up. As a result, the black ¢ will start to feel very uncomfortable. 18.dxe5 ¤xe5 19.¤xe5 ¥xe5 20.¦fe1 ¥d6 You probably wouldn’t think so at first glance, but the Black position is already hopeless. 20...£d6 would have been better, although White wins a § after 21.£e2! ¥f6 22.¦xa7. 21.¦xe8+ At the cost of an exchange, more pieces are swapped off, making the black ¢ more vulnerable. More importantly, White has removed the last defender of the light squares. 21...£xe8 22.¥g6 £e5 23.¦e1 £f6 23...£h2+ is only a check. 24.¦e6 1–0

Black has two central §s for a piece. Furthermore, the ¥ on f6 dominates the black ¦. White has plenty of reasons to strive for an exchange of pieces. 16.£h3! £xh3 17.¤xh3 ¤xc2+ Although it makes sense to try and capture a third § when a piece down, this only helps White. He will be able to exchange an extra piece and, more importantly, his ¦s are about to find their way to the 7th rank. 18.¤xc2 ¥xc2 19.¦c1 ¥e4 20.¤g5 White should have gone for the 7th rank immediately as now Black could have stayed in the game by blocking the c-file with ¥c6. 20...¥xg2 21.¦xc7! Simply ignoring the attack on the ¦ on h1. White is winning. His control of the 7th rank and well-coordinated pieces are simply too much for the black ¢ and his paralysed ¦s. 21...¥xh1 22.¤xf7 ¥d5 23.¤xd6+ ¢f8 24.¥g5 ¦h8 25.¥h6+ ¢g8 26.¦g7+ ¢f8 27.¦c7+ ¢g8 28.¤c8 ¥c6 29.¦g7+ The ¦ will soon become a vacuum cleaner! 29...¢f8 30.¦xb7+ ¢g8 31.¦g7+ ¢f8 32.¦xa7+ ¢g8 After the 7th rank has been polished off there are many ways to win this position. However, I like this one the most: 33.¦xa8! ¥xa8 34.¤d6 ¥c6 Black now realises that both his ¢ and ¦ are trapped and there is no way he can stop the a- and b-§s. 1–0

Morozevich-Vachier Lagrave Biel, 2009

Motylev-Chernyshov Russian Ch, 2003

Kupferstich-Andreassen Danish Ch, 1953

XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+k+r+0 9zppzpq+p+p0 9-+-zp-vLp+0 9+-+-zp-+-0 9l+-sn-+-+0 9sN-+-+Q+-0 9PzPP+-zPPzP0 9tR-+-mK-sNR0 xiiiiiiiiy

I would like to finish with a crazy but very entertaining game between two top players. At this point, White is winning. 25.¦d8 ¥b7 26.¦xa8 26.¦xf8+ Would have been the most convincing path to victory. Just as in the second example from this section, the last defender of the light squares is eliminated, after which mate will soon follow. 26...¥xa8 27.h5 Missing his second chance for a win. 27.¥f1 Again, a deadly visit on the weakened light squares will follow. In the game, White gets a few more chances, but Black turns out to be a true Houdini and gets away with the awkward position of his ¦. Sit back and enjoy. 27...¦h7 28.¦e1 ¥xc6 29.£xc6 ¥d4 30.¢d2 £xb2 31.£c4+ ¢h8 32.¢d3 a5 33.£c8 £a3+ 34.¢e4 b3 35.cxb3 a4 36.¦b1 £b4 37.£c4 £b7+ 38.£d5 £b4 39.£c4 £d2 40.¥g4 a3 41.£f7 £c2+ 42.¢d5 £c5+ 43.¢e4 a2 44.¦c1 a1£ 45.¦xc5 ¥xc5 46.£d5 £e1+ 47.¢d3 £d1+ 48.¢c4 £xd5+ 49.¢xd5 ¥a3 50.¥f5 ¢g8 51.¢xe5 ¦h8 52.¢d5 ¤h7 53.gxh7+ ¢f7 54.¥g6+ ¢f6 55.f4 ¥c1 56.f5 ¥d2 57.¢d6 ¥e1 58.¢d7 ¥b4 59.¢c7 ¢e5 60.¢d7 ¥a3 61.¢c6 ¢d4 62.¢c7 ¢c3 63.¢d7 ¢b4 64.¢d6 ¢xb3+ 65.¢d5 ¥b2 66.¢d6 ¥f6 67.¢c5 ¢c3 68.¢d6 ¢d4 69.¢c6 ¦d8 70.¢b6 ¢d5 71.¢c7 ¢c5 72.¥f7 g5 73.fxg6 ¦d6 74.¥e8 ¥e5 75.¢b7 ¦b6+ 76.¢c8 ¢d6 0–1  

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tactics, tactics XIIIIIIIIY 9r+l+k+-tr0 9+p+nzppvl-0 9p+-zp-+-+0 9+-wq-+-vL-0 9-+-sNP+n+0 9+-sN-+-+-0 9PzPPwQ-+PzP0 9+-mKR+L+R0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9r+rsn-+k+0 9+-+q+pzpp0 9-+-+-sn-+0 9+-vl-tR-+-0 9p+NvL-+-+0 9zP-+Q+N+-0 9-+-+-zPPzP0 9+R+-+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+rtr-+k+0 9zpq+-zppvlp0 9-zp-+-snp+0 9+-+P+-+-0 9-wQN+P+-+0 9+-+-+-zP-0 9PvL-+-zPKzP0 9+-+RtR-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+-+-mk0 9zpp+-+Qzp-0 9-+l+-+-zp0 9+-+-+R+P0 9-+-+-+-+0 9wqL+-+-+-0 9P+-+-zPPmK0 9+-+-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy

No. 7, June 18, 2011



XIIIIIIIIY 9-wq-+r+k+0 9zpl+-+p+p0 9-zp-tr-wQ-+0 9+-vl-+p+-0 9-+-sNp+-+0 9+-+-zP-zP-0 9P+-+-zP-zP0 9vL-tRR+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+ltr-+k+0 9+-+-wqr+-0 9p+p+-zp-wQ0 9+-sN-+-+-0 9-+P+-+-+0 9+-+L+R+-0 9P+-+-+PzP0 9+-+-+-+K0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+-+r+0 9+p+-wqk+-0 9p+p+l+p+0 9+-+pzPp+-0 9-+-zP-+Q+0 9+-+LzP-tRP0 9PzP-+-tR-mK0 9+-+-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-tr-+r+0 9zp-+-tRlmk-0 9-+-+-wq-+0 9+-+P+-zp-0 9P+-wQ-+P+0 9+-zp-+p+-0 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-+-tRLmK-0 xiiiiiiiiy

by IM ROBERT RIS

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+rtr-mk0 9+l+-+-vlp0 9-+-zp-+p+0 9wq-+-+PwQ-0 9-+-zpP+-zP0 9+p+-+L+-0 9-zP-+-vLP+0 9+R+-tR-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+r+r+-+0 9+l+-+pmk-0 9pwq-+-+p+0 9+pvlp+-+-0 9-+nsN-+-+0 9zP-sNRzPPzP-0 9-zP-+-wQK+0 9+-+-tRL+-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+k+r+-+0 9+-+-+-zpp0 9p+-+p+-+0 9vLp+r+-+-0 9-+-vl-+-+0 9zP-+-+-+-0 9-zPP+-+PzP0 9+K+RtR-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+r+-mk0 9+-+-+-zp-0 9-+-vlq+Qzp0 9+-+-zp-+-0 9-+-+P+-+0 9+n+N+P+-0 9-vL-+-+PzP0 9+-+R+-+K0 xiiiiiiiiy 6 of 8

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No. 7, June 18, 2011

Transition into a pawn ending One of the most difficult elements of practical endgames is to assess the possibility of entering a pawn ending. Apart from technical issues, psychology also plays an important role. Two examples.

practical endings Zelesco,K (1843) - Wallis, C Doeberl Cup (Canberra), 21.04.2011

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-zp-mk-+-0 9-+-+-zp-+0 9zp-tr-+Pzp-0 9PzpP+-+P+0 9+P+RmK-+-0 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-+-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy At first sight the ¦ endgame looks pretty balanced. Both sides have only five pawns left on the board, symmetrically divided. Moreover, all the black pawns are perfectly defended, while it's hard to imagine the bases of White's pawn chains (b3 and g4) coming under attack in the near future. For the moment it's only the black ¦ on c5 that is a bit clumsy. As we noted in CVT 6, activity is often the key to success in ¦ endings and hence if it was Black's turn he would certainly activate his piece with ...¦e5. The only attempt to prevent that is forcing and radically alters the position. 39.¦d5! ¦xd5 The only other option is 39...¦c6 though after 40.¦xa5 Black is not just a pawn down, but can’t even avoid losing a second one, in view of the threat of 41.¦b5. 40.cxd5 Instead of a dull ¦ ending, a tasty pawn ending has arisen where key squares, opposition and zugzwang take centre stage. 40...¢d7 For 40...¢d6 41.¢d4 see the comments after 43.¢d4!. 41.¢d3! 41.¢d4? is inferior because after 41...¢d6 42.¢c4 c6 (42...c5 is possible too.) 43.dxc6 ¢xc6 44.¢d4 ¢d6 Black takes the opposition.



41...¢e7 41...¢d6 42.¢d4 transposes to the game. 42.¢c4! After the exchange of ¦s this important key square has become available for the ¢. Again 42.¢d4? is premature, in view of 42...¢d6 (see 41.¢d4.) 42...¢d6

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-zp-+-+-0 9-+-mk-zp-+0 9zp-+P+Pzp-0 9PzpK+-+P+0 9+P+-+-+-0 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-+-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy 43.¢d4! Absolutely the only correct continuation, although it seems tempting to play 43.¢b5? ¢xd5 44.¢xa5 c5 (44...¢c5 45.¢a6 ¢d4 46.a5 c5 47.¢b5 c4 comes down to the same.) 45.¢b5 ¢d4 46.a5 c4 47.a6 In pawn races time is more important than material. Not surprisingly, the alternatives lose without a fight: a) 47.bxc4? b3 and Black queens with check; b) 47.¢xb4? c3 48.a6 c2 49.a7 c1£ 50.a8£ £c3+! 51.¢b5 (51.¢a4 £a1+ loses the £.) 51...£xb3+ 52.¢a6 (52.¢c6 fails to 52...£d5+) 52...£a4+ 53.¢b7 £xa8+ 54.¢xa8 ¢e4 and now the tables are turned, as it’s Black who profits from the transition into a pawn ending!; 47...cxb3 48.a7 b2 49.a8£ b1£ and it’s White who has to be extremely careful to secure a draw. 43...c6 Black has no better choice, as 43...¢d7 44.¢c5 ¢e7 45.¢b5 ¢d6 46.¢xa5 ¢c5 (46...¢xd5 47.¢xb4 is hopeless too.) 47.¢a6 ¢xd5 48.¢b5 c5 49.a5! loses without any chances as well. 44.dxc6 ¢xc6 45.¢c4!

by IM ROBERT RIS

All subtleties are now over and the result is that White has managed to put Black in zugzwang: the black ¢ can no longer stop its counterpart. 45...¢d6 In case of 45...¢b6 White enters from the other side with 46.¢d5!. 46.¢b5 ¢d5 47.¢xa5 ¢c5 48.¢a6 ¢d4 49.¢b5 ¢c3 50.a5 ¢xb3 51.a6 ¢c3 52.a7 b3 53.a8£ b2 54.£a2 Taking control over the promotion square. Also good is 54.£e4 not allowing further support from the black ¢. 54...¢c2 55.¢c4 ¢c1 56.¢c3!

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-+-+-+-0 9-+-+-zp-+0 9+-+-+Pzp-0 9-+-+-+P+0 9+-mK-+-+-0 9Qzp-+-+-+0 9+-mk-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy Another solution would have been 56.¢d5 b1£ 57.£xb1+ ¢xb1 58.¢e6 and White wins. 56...b1£ 57.£d2# 1–0

Kazhgaleyev-Ghaem Maghami 17th Asian Cities (Jakarta), 26.04.2011

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-+-+p+-0 9-trl+-+p+0 9+-mk-+-+p0 9-+-+-+-+0 9+-sN-mK-zPP0 9-+-+-zP-+0 9+R+-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy With his last move, Black has just eliminated White's annoying passed pawn on b6. The remaining 3-3 on one wing endgame looks pretty harmless, even though White's ¢ is

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closer to the battefield. 37.¤e4+! Forcing the exchange of all the remaining pieces. In case of 37.¦xb6 ¢xb6 38.¢d4 ¢c7 39.¢e5 ¢d7 40.¢f6 ¢e8 Black is able to defend his only weakness on f7. When White’s ¤ jumps to e.g. e5, Black places his ¥ on the a2-g8 diagonal, solving all his problems. 37...¥xe4 38.¦xb6 ¢xb6 39.¢xe4 ¢c6 Covering the important entry square e5 with 39...f6 isn’t enough, in view of 40.¢d5! when the black ¢ is too far away. 40.¢e5 ¢d7 41.¢f6 ¢e8 It looks as though Black has succeeded in getting back in time. However, the difference in activity between the ¢s is enormous. 42.g4!

No. 7, June 18, 2011

XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+k+-+0 9+-+-+p+-0 9-+-+-mKp+0 9+-+-+-+p0 9-+-+-+P+0 9+-+-+-+P0 9-+-+-zP-+0 9+-+-+-+-0 xiiiiiiiiy A different method goes 42.h4 ¢f8 43.f4 ¢g8 44.f5 gxf5 45.¢xf5 ¢g7 46.¢g5 ¢h7 47.¢xh5 f6 48.¢g4 (48.g4? ¢g7 and White is forced to exchange pawns, leading to a draw.) 48...¢g6 49.¢f4 ¢h6 50.¢f5 ¢g7 51.h5 and White wins. 42...hxg4 43.hxg4 ¢f8 44.f4

No good is 44.g5? ¢g8 45.f4 ¢f8 46.f5 gxf5 47.¢xf5 ¢g7 and Black holds. 44...¢g8 44...¢e8 45.¢g7 is a mirror-image win. 45.¢e7! ¢g7 It’s important to understand that in case of 45...f5 you need to keep pawns on the board with 46.g5! (but not 46.gxf5? gxf5 47.¢f6 ¢f8 48.¢xf5 ¢f7 and Black has the opposition: draw.) 46...¢g7 47.¢e6 ¢g8 48.¢f6 ¢h7 49.¢f7 and Black has to give up both his pawns. 46.f5 gxf5 47.gxf5 f6 47...¢g8 48.f6! doesn’t help either. 48.¢e6 ¢g8 49.¢xf6 and Black resigned. Even though he can still take the opposition with 49...¢f8 ‚ White always wins with a ¢ on the 6th rank (except for situations with an a- or h-pawn). For completeness: 50.¢e6 ¢e8 51.f6 ¢f8 52.f7 ¢g7 53.¢e7 and the pawn promotes. 1–0

solutions p.6 1  4...¥xd4! 15.£xd4 £xg5+–+ 0–1 Labedz-Doluhanova, Orlova WGM CZE (2.2), 22.05.2011 2  6.¤e6! [26...¦xd1+ 27.¦xd1+-] 1–0 Brunello-Epishin, Fynsmesterskabet Odense DEN (4.2), 03.06.2011 3  2.f6! £xe1+ [32...£xg5 33.fxg7+ ¢xg7 34.hxg5+-] 33.¦xe1 ¥xf6 34.£d2 1–0 Sanikidze-Hausrath, TCh-FRA Top 12 2011 Mulhouse FRA (7), 01.06.2011 2  7.¦xc5! ¦xc5 28.¤b6! 1–0 Fressinet-Dorfman, TCh-FRA Top 12 2011 Mulhouse FRA (7), 01.06.2011 3  3.¦g3+ ¦g7 34.£h7+! ¢f8 35.£h8+ [35...¢f7 36.¦xg7#] 1–0 Istratescu Lazarev, TCh-FRA Top 12 2011 Mulhouse FRA (7), 01.06.2011  30...¤xe3+! 31.¦exe3 [31.¦dxe3 ¥xd4–+] 31...¥xd4 32.¤xd5 [32.¦xd4 £xd4 33.¦xe8 £xf2+ 34.¢xf2 ¦xe8–+] 32...¥xd5 33.¦xe8 ¥xf2 34.¦xc8 ¥e1 0–1 Bratanov-I.Sokolov, TCh-FRA Top 12 2011 Mulhouse FRA (7), 01.06.2011 2  1...¦xd5! [21...¤xd5? 22.exd5 ¦xd5 23.¢g1±] 22.¦xd5 [22.exd5 ¤xd5 23.¦xd5 (23.£b3 ¤f4+ 24.¢g1 £g2#) 23...£xd5+ 24.¢g1 ¦xc4–+] 22...¤xd5 23.£b3 [23.exd5 £xd5+ 24.¢g1 ¦xc4–+] 23...¥xb2 24.¤xb2 ¤c3–+ 0–1 D.Fridman-Buhmann, 82nd ch-GER Bonn GER

(6.3), 31.05.2011 2  8.¥xf5! gxf5 [28...¥xf5 29.¦xf5+ ¢e8 (29...gxf5 30.£xf5+ ¢e8 31.¦xg8++-) 30.¦f6+-] 29.£h5+! ¢f8 30.¦xg8+ [30.¦xg8+ ¥xg8 (30...¢xg8 31.¦g2+ ¢f8 32.£h8+ ¢f7 33.¦g7#) 31.¦xf5+ ¢g7 32.¦g5+ ¢f8 33.£h6+ ¢e8 (33...¢f7 34.£g6+ ¢f8 35.£xg8#) 34.¦xg8++-] 1–0 Tkachiev-Maze, TCh-FRA Top 12 2011 Mulhouse FRA (7), 01.06.2011 2  5.¥b6! [25.c3? ¥e5=; 25.¦e4? ¥e5=] 25...e5 [25...¥xb6 26.¦xd5+] 26.¦xd4! [26.¥xd4? ¦ed8!=; 26.¦xd4! ¦xd4 27.¥xd4+-] 1–0 Naiditsch-Vachier-Lagrave, TCh-FRA Top 12 2011 Mulhouse FRA (9), 03.06.2011 3  0.¦f6! £c5 [30...¥e4 31.¦e6! ¥c6 32.¦xh6++-] 31.¦xh6+ gxh6 32.£f6+ ¢h7 33.£g6+! [33...¢h8 34.£xh6#] 1–0 Maze-Elbilia, TChFRA Top 12 2011 Mulhouse FRA (10), 04.06.2011 3  1.¦xf7+! ¢xf7 32.£xa7+ ¢f8 [32...¢g6 33.¥d3+ ¢h6 34.£h7#] 33.¦e6! [33...f2+ 34.¢g2 £f7 (34...£f4 35.£e7#) 35.£c5+ ¢g7 36.¦e7+-] 1–0 Ding Liren-Wang Hao, Chinese League Chengdu CHN (4), 26.05.2011 4  8.¤f4! [48...£e7 (48...exf4 49.£xg7#; 48...£xg6 49.¤xg6+ ¢h7 50.¦xd6+-) 49.¦xd6 exf4 50.£xh6+ ¢g8 51.¦g6+-] 1–0 DreevEdouard, TCh-FRA Top 12 2011 Mulhouse FRA (7), 01.06.2011

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