- A hole in a chess position is a square in the pawn structure that cannot be defended by a pawn.
- It is a square that your opponent's pieces might be able to sit in and you can't get them out. (Steinitz-Blackburne) It's like having a nail in your shoe...
- A hole used like this is an outpost.(Smyslov-Rudakowsky)
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[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1945.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Rudakovsky, Iosif"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B83"]
[Annotator "strategy: knight outpost"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1945.??.??"]
{[%mdl 2064]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 Be7 7.
O-O O-O 8. Be3 Nc6 9. f4 Qc7 10. Qe1 (10. Ndb5 Qb8 11. Qd2 a6 12. Nd4) 10...
Nxd4 11. Bxd4 e5 12. Be3 Be6 13. f5 {[#]} Bc4 $2 {? Black needs that Bishop.
White now has a simple plan: exchange off the other defender of the d5 square,
improve the position of his pieces, and look for the win!} (13... Bd7 14. Rd1
Bc6) 14. Bxc4 Qxc4 15. Bg5 {!} Rfe8 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 {[#]} 17. Nd5 {!} Bd8 (17...
Qxc2 18. Rf2 Qc6 (18... Qa4 19. b3) 19. Rc1 Qd7 20. Nc7) 18. c3 b5 19. b3 Qc5+
20. Kh1 Rc8 {[#] White now transfers his attention to the King} 21. Rf3 Kh8 22.
f6 gxf6 23. Qh4 Rg8 24. Nxf6 Rg7 (24... Bxf6 25. Qxf6+ Rg7 26. Rg3 Rcg8) 25.
Rg3 Bxf6 26. Qxf6 Rcg8 27. Rd1 {Black's position cracks.} d5 28. Rxg7 {! 1-0
(28) Smyslov,V-Rudakovsky,I Moscow 1945} (28. Rxg7 Rxg7 29. Rxd5 Qf8 30. Rd8)
1-0
[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1876.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Steinitz, Wilhelm"]
[Black "Blackburne, JH."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C77"]
[Annotator "attack: very slow K-side attac"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1876.??.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {Steinitz' first important Lopez.} a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.
d3 d6 6. c3 Be7 7. h3 O-O 8. Qe2 Ne8 9. g4 b5 10. Bc2 Bb7 11. Nbd2 Qd7 12. Nf1
{[#] The Steinitz trademark.} Nd8 13. Ne3 Ne6 14. Nf5 {[#] in a blocked
position, loss of time cannot be taken advantage of so easily. In this game,
both sides re-position the knights.} g6 {[#] The moment the dark squares are
weakened, White snaps off their chief protector. but this is a permanent
weakening of the castled king's position} 15. Nxe7+ {removes the defender of
the dark squares} Qxe7 16. Be3 N8g7 17. O-O-O c5 {[#]White has completed
development and can play for direct attack} 18. d4 exd4 19. cxd4 c4 20. d5 Nc7
21. Qd2 a5 22. Bd4 f6 23. Qh6 b4 24. g5 {[#] [#] pounding at the dark squares}
f5 (24... Nge8 25. h4 Qg7 26. Qxg7+ Nxg7 (26... Kxg7 27. h5) 27. gxf6 Nh5 28.
Ng5 Nxf6 29. h5 Nxh5 (29... Kg7 30. hxg6 hxg6 31. Rh7+) 30. Rxh5 gxh5 31. Rg1
$18) 25. Bf6 Qf7 26. exf5 gxf5 {[#]} 27. g6 Qxg6 (27... Qxf6 28. Qxh7#) 28.
Bxg7 (28. Bxg7 {resigns} Qxh6+ (28... Qxg7 {heroic, but} 29. Rhg1 Rf7 30. Bxf5
$18) 29. Bxh6 Rf6 30. Rhg1+ Rg6 31. Bxf5 Kf7 32. Bxg6+ hxg6 33. Ng5+ Kg8 34.
Rge1 {[#] White's domination of the centre and King's-side, and Black's
failure to achieve counterplay on the Queen's-side (or centre), have been the
hallmarks of this game.}) 1-0