"The most important feature of the chess position is the activity of the pieces. This is absolutely fundamental in all phases of the game (opening, middlegame and especially endgame). The primary constraint on a piece's activity is the Pawn structure." -- Michael STEAN
- Piece activity is more than enough to win a game. (Rubinstein-Schlechter)
- Having just one better piece can win you the game. (Euwe-Thomas, Tal-Lisitsyn)
- It can be worth giving up material to get more activity. (Karpov-Kasparov, Marshall-Capablanca)
- Sacrificing a piece for an attack on the King is a special case of this general idea. (Geller-Papapavlou)
- It is nearly always worth giving up a pawn to activate a Rook in the endgame. (Tarrasch-Rubinstein)
- Your pawns can make pieces good or bad (e.g. Bad Bishop - Bernstein-Mieses, Kramnik-Leko).
- Lack of space can make your whole position bad (Fischer-Gheorghiu, Karpov-Westerinen)
Click [...] to see list of games
[Event "San Sebastian International Masters-02"]
[Site "San Sebastian"]
[Date "1912.03.07"]
[Round "13"]
[White "Rubinstein, A."]
[Black "Schlechter, Carl"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D41"]
[Annotator "strategy: centralisation"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "1912.02.19"]
[EventRounds "22"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 cxd4 8.
cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Qa5 10. Rb1 Bxd2+ 11. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 12. Kxd2 {[#] White has the
same material but much better mobilised. Black has got some benefit from the
exchanges but has lost all three pieces that were once developed.} O-O 13. Bb5
a6 14. Bd3 Rd8 15. Rhc1 b5 {[#] White is completely developed and plans his
invasion.} 16. Rc7 Nd7 17. Ke3 Nf6 18. Ne5 Bd7 {[#] White's centralised pieces
have scope on both sides of the board. His next few moves aim at reducing the
already limited scope of the Black pieces.} 19. g4 h6 20. f4 Be8 21. g5 hxg5
22. fxg5 Nh7 23. h4 Rdc8 24. Rbc1 Rxc7 25. Rxc7 Rd8 {[#] Grunfeld-type endings
with a Black Queen's-side majority are structurally quite OK for Black, but
here the Black pieces are so poorly placed Schlechter decides to abandon a
Pawn in the hope of mobilising some piece power.} 26. Ra7 f6 27. gxf6 gxf6 28.
Ng4 Bh5 29. Nh6+ Kh8 30. Be2 Be8 31. Rxa6 Kg7 32. Ng4 f5 33. Ra7+ Kh8 34. Ne5 {
[#] White's centralised pieces still dominate the board. They harass Black on
both sides and at first glance appeared to me to outnumber the Black army!}
fxe4 35. Bxb5 Nf6 36. Bxe8 Rxe8 37. Kf4 Kg8 38. Kg5 Rf8 39. Kg6 1-0
[Event "Christmas Congress 1934/35-15 Premier"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1934.12.31"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Euwe, Max"]
[Black "Thomas, George"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D69"]
[Annotator "bishops: good and bad"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "1934.??.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Nf3 Nbd7 7. Rc1 c6 8. Bd3
dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O Nxc3 12. Rxc3 e5 13. Nxe5 Nxe5 14. dxe5
Qxe5 {[#] Good Bishop} 15. f4 Qe7 $2 (15... Qf6) (15... Qe4) 16. f5 b5 17. Bb3
b4 18. f6 $1 gxf6 19. Rxc6 Qxe3+ 20. Kh1 Bb7 21. Rcxf6 Qe4 22. Qd2 Kh8 23. Bxf7
Rac8 24. R6f2 Rcd8 25. Qg5 Rd6 26. Bd5 1-0
[Event "URS-ch23 Final"]
[Site "Leningrad"]
[Date "1956.01.28"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Lisitsin, GM."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B71"]
[Annotator "endgame: KUFTE"]
[PlyCount "121"]
[EventDate "1956.01.10"]
[EventRounds "17"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. f4 Nc6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8.
e5 Nd7 9. exd6 exd6 10. Be3 Be7 11. Qf3 d5 12. O-O-O Bf6 13. Bd4 O-O 14. h4 Rb8
15. Qf2 Rb4 16. Bxf6 Nxf6 17. a3 Qb6 18. Qxb6 Rxb6 19. Na4 Rb7 20. Bd3 Nh5 21.
Rhf1 Re7 {[#] How to save the f-pawn?} 22. f5 {! Can't be done, but Tal gives
it up for a high price - scrambled pawns.} gxf5 (22... Bxf5 23. Bxf5 gxf5 24.
Rxf5) 23. Rfe1 (23. Bxf5 Ng3) 23... Rfe8 24. Rxe7 Rxe7 25. Kd2 {[#] In Exeter
we say "KUFTE!" (King Up For The Endgame!)} Ng3 26. Kc3 f4 27. Kd4 Bf5 {
[#] And there it is, nicely posted in the middle of a lot of weak Black pawns.}
28. Rd2 Re6 29. Nc5 Rh6 30. Ke5 {!} Bxd3 31. cxd3 Rxh4 32. Kd6 Rh6+ 33. Kc7 Nf5
34. Kb7 Nd4 35. Rf2 a5 36. Rxf4 Ne6 37. Rg4+ Kf8 {[#]} 38. Kxc6 {!} Nxc5+ 39.
Kxc5 Re6 40. Kxd5 Rb6 41. b4 axb4 42. axb4 Ke7 {Too late} 43. Kc5 Rf6 44. Rd4
Rf5+ 45. Kb6 Rf6+ 46. Kc7 Rf5 47. Re4+ Kf6 48. Kc6 Rf2 49. g4 h5 50. gxh5 Kg5
51. b5 f5 52. Rb4 f4 53. b6 f3 54. b7 {1-0} Rc2+ 55. Kd5 f2 56. b8=Q f1=Q 57.
Qg3+ Kf6 (57... Kxh5 58. Rh4#) (57... Kh6 58. Qg6#) 58. Qe5+ Kf7 59. Rb7+ Rc7 (
59... Kg8 60. Qg7#) (59... Kf8 60. Qh8#) 60. Rxc7+ Kf8 61. Qh8# 1-0
[Event "World-ch33-KK4 Kasparov-Karpov +4-4=16"]
[Site "Seville"]
[Date "1987.11.04"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D87"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]
[BlackElo "2740"]
[Annotator "pawn sac: activity"]
[PlyCount "140"]
[EventDate "1987.10.12"]
[EventRounds "24"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
1. d4 {Regis,Dave} Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7
7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Bg4 11. f3 Na5 12. Bxf7+ Rxf7 13. fxg4
Rxf1+ 14. Kxf1 cxd4 15. cxd4 Qb6 16. Kg1 Qe6 17. Qd3 Qxg4 18. Rf1 Rc8 19. h3
Qd7 20. d5 Nc4 21. Bd4 e5 22. dxe6 Qxe6 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. Nf4 Qd6 25. Qc3+ Kh6
26. Nd5 Qe5 27. Qd3 Kg7 28. Nf6 Qd6 29. Qc3 Qe5 30. Qd3 Qd6 31. Qc3 Qe5 32. Qb3
Rc7 33. Qd3 Rf7 34. Qxc4 Rxf6 35. Rd1 b5 36. Rd7+ Kh6 37. Qe2 Qc5+ 38. Kh2 Qe5+
39. g3 Qc3 40. Kg2 Qc4 41. Qe3+ g5 42. Rd2 Qf1+ 43. Kh2 Qf3 44. Qd4 Re6 45. e5
Qf5 46. Re2 {Regis,Dave: '#'} a5 {Regis,Dave: '!' Regis,Dave: '"An outstanding
method of active defence." - KEENE.'} (46... Rc6 {Regis,Dave} 47. Qxa7 Rc2 $4 (
47... Qf1 48. Rd2 $1) 48. Qb6+ Kg7 49. Qf6+ Qxf6 50. exf6+ Kxf6 51. Rxc2) (
46... a6 {(Regis,Dave) Houdini} 47. Rf2 Qb1 (47... Qxe5 $1)) (46... Qf3 {
Regis,Dave} 47. Rf2) (46... g4 {Regis,Dave} 47. Qxg4 (47. hxg4) (47. Qf4+ $5
$14) 47... Rxe5) (46... Qf7 {Regis,Dave}) 47. Qd5 b4 48. Qxa5 Qd3 49. Rg2 Qd4
50. Qa8 Qxe5 51. Qf8+ Kg6 52. Qxb4 h5 (52... Qa1 {Regis,Dave} 53. a4) (52...
Qe4 {Regis,Dave} 53. Qxe4+ Rxe4) 53. h4 gxh4 54. Qxh4 Rd6 55. Qc4 Rd4 56. Qc6+
Kg7 57. Qb7+ Kh6 58. Qc6+ Kg7 59. Rc2 Rh4+ 60. Kg2 Qe4+ 61. Qxe4 Rxe4 62. Rc7+
Kg6 63. Ra7 Re3 64. Kh3 Rc3 65. Ra8 Rc4 66. a4 Kg5 67. a5 Ra4 68. a6 Kh6 69.
Kg2 Ra3 70. Kf2 Kg7 1/2-1/2
[Event "Lessons from Capa 5 : Zugzwang"]
[Site "Lessons from Capa 5 : Zugzwan"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "F.J. Marshall"]
[Black "J.R.C., (New York 1918)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D64"]
[PlyCount "78"]
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Rc1 c6 8. Qc2
dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nd5 10. Bxe7 {Capablanca's move, leading to freeing exchanges.}
Qxe7 11. O-O Nxc3 12. Qxc3 b6 {This is very important, and, according to
Capablanca, is the key to the variation. Black simplifies as much as possible,
and then solves the development of his queen's bishop. He intends continuing
with Nf6 ... Rac8 ...} (12... Rd8) 13. e4 Bb7 14. Rfe1 Rfd8 15. d5 Nc5 {
Marshall is not interested in black's freeing operation, and wants to open the
game up for an attack ... 16. dxe6 would leave black with an awkward e-pawn.}
16. dxe6 Nxe6 17. Bxe6 Qxe6 18. Nd4 $1 {Capablanca had thought the attack on
a2 would force a defensive move, when ...c5 follows with a better position for
black DIAGRAM and if ... Qxa2 : Ra1 wins the queen! attack.} Qe5 $3 {
Capablanca is not interested in defensive play, and instead offers a pawn and
the queen exchange, but for what?} (18... Qd7) 19. Nxc6 (19. Nf5 f6 20. Qg3 Kh8
21. Rcd1 {else Rcd1 Qf7 : Nh6+ wins the queen} Qc7 22. h4) 19... Qxc3 20. Rxc3
Rd2 $1 21. Rb1 {... a rook on the seventh! Now, white should play for a draw
with} (21. Ne7+ Kf8 22. Rc7 Re8 23. Rxb7 Rxe7 24. Rb8+ Re8 25. Rxe8+ Kxe8)
21... Re8 22. e5 (22. f3 f5 23. exf5 Ree2 {with double rooks on the seventh
"enough to frighten a man to death" Chernev.}) 22... g5 $1 {... but this is a
master move: stopping f4, allowing Kg7, and threatening Bxc6...Rxe5.} 23. h4
gxh4 24. Re1 (24. f4 h3 25. g3 h2+ 26. Kh1 Rc8 27. Rbc1 Kf8 28. f5 Ke8 29. e6
fxe6 30. fxe6 Rd6 $1 {wins the knight...}) 24... Re6 25. Rec1 Kg7 26. b4 b5 {
stopping the support of the knight ...} 27. a3 Rg6 {
[%eval -32767,0]
Note the
focus on g2. White's pieces are totally tied up, and he is heading for
zugzwang.} 28. Kf1 Ra2 29. Kg1 h3 30. g3 a6 {And now white must lose something
...} 31. e6 Rxe6 32. g4 {Knight moves still lose:} (32. Nd8 h2+ 33. Kxh2 Rh6+ {
-h1 'mate.}) 32... Rh6 33. f3 {... trying to close the long diagonal. If} (33.
g5 h2+ 34. Kh1 Rxc6 35. Rxc6 Rxf2 {to f6 wins with the pin.}) 33... Rd6 34. Ne7
Rdd2 35. Nf5+ {to stop Kd7} Kf6 36. Nh4 Kg5 37. Nf5 Rg2+ 38. Kf1 h2 39. f4+ {
watch the mate threat!} Kxf4 {"An ending worth very careful study", says
Capablanca.} 0-1
[Event "Olympiad-11 Preliminaries A"]
[Site "Amsterdam"]
[Date "1954.09.05"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Geller, Efim P"]
[Black "Papapavlou, Paulos"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D46"]
[Annotator "sacrifice: Bxh6 speculative"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1954.09.04"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[WhiteTeam "Soviet Union"]
[BlackTeam "Greece"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "URS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GRE"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. e4 dxe4 8. Nxe4
Nxe4 9. Bxe4 Nf6 10. Bc2 O-O 11. O-O c5 12. Bg5 cxd4 13. Qxd4 Be7 14. Qh4 h6
15. Bxh6 gxh6 16. Qxh6 Qa5 17. Ng5 e5 18. Bh7+ Kh8 19. Be4+ Kg8 20. Rae1 Bg4
21. Re3 Rad8 22. Rg3 Rd4 23. Ne6 (23. Ne6 fxe6 24. Rxg4+ Kf7 25. Qg6#) 1-0
[Event "San Sebastian"]
[Site "San Sebastian ESP"]
[Date "1911.02.28"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Siegbert Tarrasch"]
[Black "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C10"]
[Annotator "DrDave"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "1911.02.20"]
{[%evp 0,79,19,31,41,46,51,35,47,38,49,37,58,55,47,52,44,25,58,56,53,21,90,47,
51,48,55,6,5,8,0,-14,23,11,21,-2,19,0,8,5,13,11,18,5,26,2,0,1,3,-22,-22,-5,21,
27,28,28,49,41,49,56,53,41,98,98,93,101,93,107,176,154,127,119,77,82,104,85,89,
23,30,25,35,51]} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Bd3
Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nxf6+ Nxf6 9. Ne5 c5 10. dxc5 Qc7 11. Qe2 Bxc5 12. Bg5 Nd7
13. Nxd7 Bxd7 14. Rad1 Bc6 15. Qh5 g6 16. Qh4 Rfe8 17. Rfe1 Be7 18. Bxe7 Qxe7
19. Qxe7 Rxe7 20. Be4 Rc8 21. c3 e5 22. Rd6 Bxe4 23. Rxe4 f5 24. Ra4 b6 25. g4
e4 26. gxf5 gxf5 27. Kf1 Kf7 28. Rad4 Re6 29. Rd7+ Re7 30. R4d5 Rxd7 31. Rxd7+
Kg6 32. Rxa7 Rd8 33. Ra6 Rd2 34. Rxb6+ Kg5 35. Ke1 Rc2 36. Rb5 Kg4 37. h3+ Kxh3
38. Rxf5 Rxb2 39. Rf4 Rxa2 40. Rxe4 h5 41. c4 Kg2 42. Rf4 Rc2 43. Rh4 Kf3 44.
Kd1 Rxf2 45. c5 Ke3 46. Rxh5 Kd4 1/2-1/2
[Event "Coburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1904.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bernstein, Ossip"]
[Black "Mieses, Jacques"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B45"]
[Annotator "pawns: colour complex"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[EventDate "1921.??.??"]
[EventType "corr"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. e5 Nd5 8.
Ne4 f5 9. exf6 Nxf6 10. Nd6+ Bxd6 11. Qxd6 Ne4 12. Qd4 Nf6 13. Qd6 Ne4 14. Qb4
d5 15. Bd3 Qd6 16. Qxd6 Nxd6 17. f4 {[#] ! A key move, preventing the advance
e6-e5 when Black's position is fine. The rest of the game features an iron
determination to prevent any freeing move by Black, and a gradual invasion on
the dark squares.} a5 18. Be3 Ba6 19. Kd2 Nc4+ 20. Bxc4 Bxc4 {[#] It is
sometimes assumed that the presence of opposite-coloured bishops is a powerful
drawing factor. This is true of some simple or blocked positions, but here all
Black's pieces stand badly because of the weak dark squares.} 21. a4 Kd7 22. b3
Ba6 23. Bb6 Bc8 24. Ke3 Ra6 25. Bc5 Kc7 26. Kd4 Bd7 27. Rhe1 h5 28. Re5 g6 29.
Rg5 Rg8 30. Ke5 Be8 31. Re1 Ra8 32. Kf6 Bd7 33. g3 Rae8 34. Ree5 Rh8 35. Rxg6
Rh7 36. Rg7 Reh8 37. Rxh7 Rxh7 38. Kg6 Rh8 {[#] While there's life...} 39. Kg7
{!} (39. Rxh5 Be8+) 39... Rd8 40. Rxh5 Be8 {White needs to be sure of his
ground here, as he has an alternative plan of advancing the h-pawn.} 41. Rh7
Rd7+ 42. Kh6 Rxh7+ 43. Kxh7 {How many moves will it take White to Queen a
Pawn? How many for Black?} Bh5 44. h4 Bd1 45. c3 Bxb3 46. g4 Kd7 47. g5 e5 48.
f5 Bxa4 49. f6 {1-0 bernstein-meises 1-0 (49) Bernstein,O-Mieses,J Coburg 1904}
1-0
[Event "WCh"]
[Site "Brissago SUI"]
[Date "2004.10.18"]
[Round "14"]
[White "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Black "Leko, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2760"]
[BlackElo "2743"]
[Annotator "endgame: KUFTE"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2004.09.25"]
[EventType "tourn"]
1. e4 c6 {A risky choice according to Leko but he only had a limited number of
defences possible.} 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h6 5. g4 Bd7 6. Nd2 $146 {# In a
sharp position white finds an early prepared novelty.} c5 7. dxc5 e6 8. Nb3
Bxc5 9. Nxc5 Qa5+ 10. c3 Qxc5 {Black is perfectly OK here both Kramnik and
Leko agreed on this after the game.} 11. Nf3 Ne7 12. Bd3 Nbc6 13. Be3 Qa5 14.
Qd2 Ng6 {Looks solid.} (14... d4 {Leko said that at a different stage of the
match he would have played this dynamic move. He thought it unclear at the
time which is why he rejected it.}) (14... O-O-O {also possible.}) 15. Bd4 $1 {
A nasty shock for Leko. He didn't take this possibility seriously before it
was played and didn't seem in the spirit of Kramnik's play so far. The endgame
is far from easy for Leko but should in the final analysis be OK.} Nxd4 16.
cxd4 Qxd2+ 17. Kxd2 Nf4 18. Rac1 h5 {Leko stood by this move after the game
and that he should always play to the maximum rather than passive defence. He
said that he had defended dynamically throughout the match and wasn't going to
change now.} (18... Nxd3 19. Kxd3 {and grovelling defence but perhaps this was
a better practical choice.}) 19. Rhg1 Bc6 (19... Nh3 $1 {Leko.}) 20. gxh5 Nxh5
21. b4 a6 $2 22. a4 $1 Kd8 23. Ng5 Be8 24. b5 Nf4 (24... axb5 25. Bxb5 {
and black's position disintegrates. Leko missed this.}) 25. b6 {[%eval -32767,
0] After the game Kramnik told Beat Zueger "I was happy when I played b6."}
Nxd3 (25... f6 26. Nf3 Bh5 27. Rxg7 Bxf3 28. exf6) 26. Kxd3 {Now black is
definitely already in desperate trouble. Although Kramnik makes it look
comparitavely easy he is very accurate in finishing the game.} Rc8 27. Rxc8+
Kxc8 28. Rc1+ Bc6 29. Nxf7 Rxh4 30. Nd6+ Kd8 31. Rg1 Rh3+ 32. Ke2 Ra3 33. Rxg7
Rxa4 34. f4 $1 {[%eval -32767,0] Looks like a winner. Perhaps even after 31.
Rg1 this could also be said.} Ra2+ 35. Kf3 Ra3+ 36. Kg4 Rd3 $2 {Computers
start to say white is winning very clearly.} 37. f5 Rxd4+ 38. Kg5 exf5 39. Kf6
Rg4 40. Rc7 Rh4 41. Nf7+ {#} 1-0
[Event "Buenos Aires"]
[Site "Buenos Aires"]
[Date "1970.07.21"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Gheorghiu, Florin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C42"]
[Annotator "space"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "1970.07.??"]
[EventRounds "17"]
[EventCountry "ARG"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. h3 O-O 8.
O-O Re8 9. c4 Nc6 10. Nc3 h6 {[#] Black is solid but looks comfortable} 11. Re1
Bf8 12. Rxe8 Qxe8 13. Bf4 Bd7 14. Qd2 Qc8 15. d5 Nb4 16. Ne4 $1 {preserving
the Bd3} Nxe4 17. Bxe4 (17. Qxb4 {[%csl Gb4]}) 17... Na6 18. Nd4 {[#] now
Black needs some ideas} Nc5 19. Bc2 a5 20. Re1 Qd8 21. Re3 $1 b6 22. Rg3 Kh8
23. Nf3 Qe7 24. Qd4 {[#] White's advantage is settling into concrete threats
on the King's-side} Qf6 25. Qxf6 gxf6 {[#] Black has achieved an exchange, but
at cost of weak pawns, which we already know about} 26. Nd4 Re8 27. Re3 $1 {
confidence!} Rb8 {Black reckons the Rook is a drawing factor} 28. b3 b5 29.
cxb5 Bxb5 30. Nf5 {and White gains material} Bd7 31. Nxh6 Rb4 32. Rg3 $1 Bxh6
33. Bxh6 Ne4 34. Bg7+ Kh7 35. f3 1-0
[Event "Olympiad-21 Final A"]
[Site "Nice"]
[Date "1974.06.25"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Westerinen, Heikki"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C87"]
[Annotator "space: infiltration"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "1974.06.15"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[WhiteTeam "Soviet Union"]
[BlackTeam "Finland"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "URS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "FIN"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. O-O Bd7 6. d4 Nf6 7. c3 Be7 8. Nbd2
O-O 9. Re1 Re8 10. Nf1 h6 11. Ng3 Bf8 12. Bd2 {[#] modest, but White is not so
much concerned to point a battering-ram aat a weak spot (there aren't any) as
maintain a flexible position where Black will be less able to re-arrange the
pieces to stop White's latest threat.} b5 13. Bc2 Na5 14. b3 c5 15. d5 Nh7 16.
h3 Be7 17. Nf5 Nb7 18. a4 bxa4 19. b4 a5 20. Bxa4 axb4 21. cxb4 Bf8 22. Bc6 Qc7
23. b5 Nf6 24. Qc2 Reb8 25. Ne3 Bc8 26. Nc4 Be7 27. b6 Qd8 28. Ra7 {[#] The
point of using an open file is to provide an invasion points for rooks,
although it's unusual for a Rook to arrive on the seventh, supported by a Pawn.
Black cannot bear this, but the exchange concedes a monster pawn on a7.} Nd7
29. Qa4 Rxa7 30. bxa7 Ra8 31. Qa6 Qc7 {[#] Black's pieces are standing on each
other's toes and cannot escape the attack of White's pieces. The Black Rook
has nowhere to move to.} 32. Bxd7 Qxd7 (32... Bxd7 33. Nb6) 33. Nb6 Nd8 34. Qa1
1-0