Chess with Attitude

Posted on March 5, 1998 by DrDave

Phil Adams, CCC

“Games like this [Penrose-Botvinnik] (and there were plenty in this
tournament) impressed on me that ‘wanting to win’ was perhaps more
important than ‘playing good moves’.”

— KEENE, ‘Becoming a Grandmaster‘.

“At that age (ten), the odd piece here or there
often makes little difference. Rather, ingenuity and the will to
win may prove decisive.”

— ZAK, Improve your chess results.

1) Draw?

Success in chess, as in all sports, requires not only skill but
other qualities such as determination and a positive mental
attitude. I thoroughly recommend Simon Webb’s book Chess
for Tigers for help in developing the best attitudes for
competitive success.

For many years, British players were regarded as a
“soft-touch” by foreign masters because they lacked
stamina and determination and were too eager to accept draws.
Obviously, if a draw is all you need to win the tournament, then it
would be silly to play all-out for a win, but in general, if you
want to succeed in chess you need to get into the habit of always
playing to win and always being prepared, mentally and physically,
to play long, hard games. Some quotations to inspire you:

IM Simon Webb in Chess for Tigers:
“A game of chess is never drawn until it’s drawn. (…) All too
frequently players agree draws in level positions, without
realising that there are ways of winning these positions against a
careless opponent.“

American GM Andrew Soltis in Confessions of a
Grandmaster: “A few years ago, John Fedorowicz was
described as having become ‘one of the deepest strategic thinkers
in American chess’. When I told ‘the Fed’ about that, he replied,
‘Yeah? Well, my new strategy is just to stop taking
draws.’“

Soltis again, referring to the advice of American IM
Norman Weinstein: “‘You can’t expect to go through a tournament
without losing. Losing is part of the game, like hitting your clock
and writing down the moves. And you can’t expect to do well just by
offering draws when you think you’re in trouble or in an unknown
position.’ I realized that I had become more concerned with not
losing than with winning. I decided to stop worrying about norms
and ratings and the gnawing feeling you get when you lose, and see
what happened. It worked.“

Canadian IM Lawrence Day writing recently in the top
American magazine Inside Chess: “Imagine two
guys, one who always draws and the other who alternates winning six
and losing six. After a year, they have the same number of points
and the same ratings. The difference is that the risk player has a
big pile of money, while the drawmaster made nothing.“

2) The will to win

From a discussion on the internet, plus some ideas gleaned from
Ariel Mengarini:

Many people love chess but somehow when they sit down to
play a match or tournament game, they find it difficult to produce
their best effort. Somehow they find it difficult to stay focused
and to summon up the necessary concentration. It is as if the will
to win has drained away.

Do this every time. Before you start play, think of these
3 things:

1) How much time and effort and money you have already spent on chess.: I’d better win, otherwise that was all pretty stupid of
me
2) All the other things that you could be doing instead.: I’d better win, otherwise I am stupid right now for wasting
my time
3) How bad it feels to lose.: I’d better win, because I hate the feeling I get when I
lose!

NERVES

OK, you’ve decided to give it your best shot, you’ve worked on
building up your will to win. The problem is, you now feel nervous
and jittery, and now that is affecting your concentration! What
should you do?

You have to be able to come to terms with an important
paradox:

a) you have decided to devote some hours of your life
every week to chess; your time is valuable, therefore it is worth
giving it your very best, so concentrate!

b) yet, you must admit, in the “great scheme of
things“, in the “big picture“, the result of one game
of chess is utterly trivial, so RELAX!

So, the ideal is relaxed concentration.

Fear of losing

Everybody hates losing, but for good results it is important during
the game to play without any FEAR of losing. Negative emotions
affect your motivation and depress your level of brain efficiency.
A game of chess is a fight; you must learn to love the fight
itself, and play fearlessly.

Best Wishes,
—
Phil Adams
Three Cs, Oldham, (=Children’s Chess Club)

Penrose Jonathan (ENG) – Botvinnik [A42] Hastings
(9), 1967

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c4 d6 4.Nc3 c6 5.Nf3 a6 6.Be2
b5 7.a3 Bb7 8.0-0 Nd7 9. Be3 e6? 10.d5! [winning]
exd5 11.exd5 c5 12.cxb5 Ne7 13.bxa6
[13.Bf4!+-] 13…Bxa6 14. Bxa6 Rxa6 15.Qe2 Rb6
16.Bg5? h6 [16…f6? 17.Bh4 g5 18.Bg3 f5 19.Bxd6 Rxd6
20.Nb5 Nb6 21.Nxd6+ Qxd6 22.Rfe1 Nbxd5 23.Rad1 Kf7 24.Qc4 Rd8
25.b3? Bf6 26.Re2 g4 27.Ne1 Nc6 28.Red2 Nd4 29.b4 Qe6 30.bxc5 Nc3
0-1 Penrose Jonathan (ENG)-Botvinnik/Hastings 1966-67 is an
alternative version given on a database] 17.Bh4 g5 18.Bg3
f5 19.Bxd6? Rxd6 20.Nb5 Nb6 21.Nxd6+ Qxd6 22.Rfe1 Nbxd5 23.Rad1 Kf7
24.Qc4 Rd8 25.g3 Bf6 26.Re2 g4 27.Ne1 Nc6 28.Red2 Nd4 29.b4 Qe6
30.bxc5 Nc3 0-1 [even now 30… Nc3 31.Qxc3 Ne2+
32.Rxe2 Bxc3 33.Rxe6 Rxd1 34.Rxh6! is not completely lost]

The Queen’s Gambit Accepted/Isolated Queen’s Pawn

Posted on March 2, 1998 by DrDave

Peter Lane, 2nd March 1998

‘…a system, imperfect though it may be, is preferable to move
to move improvisation‘ — KONIG

Studying opening theory is one of the best and worst
tasks for the ambitious chess player: the best, because catching
your opponent with a prepared tactical or strategical plan gives
you a headstart to victory; the worst, because no- one likes
mugging up variations.

I long ago gave up the idea of memorising openings —
sets of moves simply do not remain in my head long enough; once
I’ve looked up the correct reply to 4.Bd3 in the
French Winawer, it may be 6 months before the position appears
again on the board! And so I avoid this unpleasant aspect of
openings, though I’m sure it pays dividends to those with a good
memory.

Instead I prefer to combine work on opening theory with
attempts to master basic strategical concepts. My favourite
strategical concepts are pawn centres and the theories of
Nimzowitsch. One topic that is key in almost any of the literature
is that of the Isolated Queen’s Pawn (IQP). And this topic often
occurs in games between top ranking masters.

This session will examine some games in the Queen’s
Gambit Accepted (QGA), and so illustrate the key themes of play for
and against an IQP.

I : THEORY

First, we must get an idea of the characteristic
motifs. The basic structure is shown in the diagram:

The IQP is the White pawn on d4. The basic features of the position
which stand out are:

1. White has more space

2. Black has two pawn islands to White’s three

3. White has a strong square on e5 — f6 would weaken the
e-pawn

4. Black has an outpost on d5

5. the c-file is open.

The combination of (1) and (3) basically mean White has
the better middle game chances, and especially to whip up an attack
on the Black king. The combination of (2) and (4), coupled with the
isolation of the White d-pawn, mean Black has the better endgame
chances. (5) can be useful to both players.

OVERALL CONCLUSION: a dynamic imbalance — either player
may win!

(The IQP is also frequently found with a Black pawn on c6
instead of e6; the evaluation is unchanged, although White may have
better attacking chances.)

The IQP can arise from numerous openings, which is why it
is a stategem worth studying; no matter your opening repertoire,
there is bound to be some variation in which it could (or does)
arise.

The basic move-order is a Queen’s Gambit Accepted:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O Be7 7.cxd4
exd4. Also possible is the line: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5
4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nf3 etc.

The Slav complex, (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6) also gives
rise to similar positions, and Matthew Sadler frequently plays the
QGA and Slav, perhaps for this reason.

Popular lines of the Nimzo-Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6
3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 O-O 7.O-O Nc6) and the
Tarrasch (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5) lead to a
characteristic clash of c and d-pawns, which can lead to an IQP on
either side.

The e-pawn openings are not immune either: from the
French Defense there is: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4
or 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5, and from the
Caro-Kann: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4, and from the
Petroff, after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4
d5 6. Bd3 and a later c2-c4

II : PLAYING AGAINST THE IQP

‘For Black the following are desirable.

(i) All cases (ceteris paribus) of a pronounced end
game character.

(ii) Those where Black has played Nd5xNc3;bxc3, with
the idea of pinning down White’s Pc3 from the start and of laying
siege to it.‘ — NIMZOWITSCH

First up, a game to illustrate how the endgame can go in
Black’s favour, played by that maestro of clear-cut strategy,
Dr.Lasker.

Akiba Rubinstein vs Dr.E.Lasker, Moscow 1925.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7
6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Be2 a6 9.O-O Bb7 10.b3 Be7 11.Bb2 O-O 12.Ne5
c5 13.Bf3 Qc7 14.Nxd7 Nxd7 15.Ne4 Rad8 16.Rc1 Qb8 17.Qe2 cxd4
18.exd4

I have skipped over the opening stage, which illustrates one
transposition into a basic IQP position. Black has begun to gain
some space on the queen-side, and now, through exchanges, removes
any attacking ideas White may have in order to work on the IQP
itself.

18…Rc8 19.g3 Qa8 20.Kg2 Rfd8 21.Rxc8 Rxc8
22.Rc1 Rxc1 23.Bxc1 h6 24.Bb2 Nb6 25.h3 (White is trying
to avoid further exchanges ) Qc8 26.Qd3 Nd5!

Thematically sitting on the outpost square, with a threat,

27.a3 Nb6!

which White prevents (…Nb4), but at the cost of
weakening b3, which Black now seizes upon. One of the problems when
playing with one weakness, the IQP, is that you are liable to
create further weaknesses elsewhere; Nimzowitsch calls these
‘reflex weaknesses‘.

28.Kh2 Bd5 29.Kg2 (White’s oscillation
of the king does not appear as worthwhile as Black’s oscillation of
his knight!) Qc6 30.Nd2 a5! 31.Qc3

Finally submitting to the exchange of queens, but the
‘reflex weaknesses‘ will tell.

31…Bxf3+ 32.Nxf3 (not 32.Qxf3 Qc2)
Qxc3 33.Bxc3 a4! 34.bxa4 bxa4 35.Bb4 (the threat
was …Nc4) Bxb4 36.axb4 a3 37.Nd2 Nd5

and Black will win the endgame,

e.g. 38.b5 Kf8 39.Kf1 Ke7 40.b6 Nxb6 41.Ke2 Nd5
42.Kd3 a2 43.Nb3 Kf6 44.Kc2 Kf5 45.Kb2 Ke4 46.Kxa2 Nc3+- e2
etc.

As a further illustration of this theme, we follow:

M.M. Botwinnik vs M. Euwe, Hastings, 1934-5.

1.c4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6
6.Bg5 e6 7.Nf3 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Be7 9.O-O O-O

A standard position for this system. White would like to play Qe2,
but cannot because of the d-pawn weakness. Ideally the B now sat
proudly on g5 would be on e3, but to retreat is to lose face, and
time.

10.Rc1 a6 11.Bd3 h6!

An important move, aiming for control of f4. A mistake
would be 11…b5 12.Ne4! Bb7 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nc5

12.Be3

Instead, a better move is 12.Bh4 Nb4 13.Bb1 b5 14.a3 Nbd5
15.Qc2 would force g6 or g5.

12…Nb4 13.Bb1 b5 14.Ne5 Bb7 15.Qd2
Re8

Preventing sacrifices on h6 by enabling …Bf8 to
cover.

16.f4 Nbd5 17.Nxd5 Qxd5 18.f5 Bd6 19.fxe6
Rxe6

Black’s play can be recommended as a model for the defense. White’s
Ne5 is now unable to retreat, due to the weakness of g2.

20.Bf5 Re7 21.Bh3 Bxe5 22.dxe5 Qxe5 23.Bf4 Qd5
24.Qxd5 Nxd5

and Black went on to win with his extra pawn (in 56
moves).

Finally, a game to illustrate how easy it is to defend a
structurally sound position against an opponent aiming to attack
‘no matter what‘.

D.Janowski vs. Dr.E.Lasker, Match Game, 1910

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c4 e6 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.O-O
dxc4 7.Bxc4

Transposing to the QGA, but with loss of time for
White.

7…a6 8.a4

Creates a hole on b4 — and watch Lasker make a point of
it!

8…Be7 9.Nc3 O-O 10.b3 dxc4 11.exd4 Nb4! 12.Bb2
b6 13.Qe2 Bb7 14.Rad1 Nfd5 15.Ne5

Black’s pieces are perfectly positioned, and the Bb7 compares
favourably with its counterpart, the Bb2. Because of b3 and d4, any
endgame would be lost for White, and so he must attack, ‘no matter
what’. Nevertheless, Lasker provokes.

15…Nf4 16.Qg4 Nbd5!

And not 16…Nxg2? 17.d5! Nh4 18.dxe6 f5 19.Qg3 with
advantage to White. The d-pawn must be kept securely blockaded.

17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.Rfe1 Bb4!

This move keeps White on his toes. The rook moved to
allow f4, without Black forking his rooks. This bishop move drives
the R to e2, where Nc3 forks become a combinative motif. Further,
it allows Black to defend his k-side along the second rank.

19.Re2 Rc8 20.f4 Rc7!!

I think Black’s last move is a beauty. By defending the Bb7, it
also threatens …h5:Qf3 Nc3! winning the exchange.

21.f5

‘Leading to the loss of a pawn or the exchange; but
Janowski prefers to lose the game his own way: a somewhat dubious
satisfaction.‘ – – REINFELD.

21…h5 22.Qxh5 Nf4 23.Qg4 Nxe2+ 24.Qxe2 exf5
25.Qh5

Threatening?

25…Bd5!

Cold-blooded — occupy the outpost square, stop Ng6 with
‘mate!

26.Rd3 f6 27.Rh3

‘Janowski’s first logical move in the whole game, as
the situation obviously calls for hara-kiri!‘ — REINFELD

27…fxe5 28.Qh7+

‘In return for the piece, Janowski obtains two P’s
and four checks.‘ — REINFELD

28…Kf7 29.Qxf5+ Ke8 30.Qh5+ Bf7 31.Qxe5+ Qe7
1-0

If 32.Qxg7 Qe1+ 33.Bf1 Qxf1+ 34.Kxf1 Bxc4+ 35.Kg1 Rf1
‘mate.

‘One of those remarkable games in which Lasker makes
his opponent look childish.‘ — REINFELD

After all that, why does White take on an IQP?

III : PLAYING FOR THE IQP

‘In general it may be said that the two following
cases are worth striving for by White.

(i) When White has effected d5, exd5; a piece xd5,
and thereby gets the better, because a centralised position. (ii)
When White has built up a position in the c-file.‘ —
NIMZOWITSCH

How should the White pieces place themselves with regard
to the isolani? I quote Nimzowitsch as, although his piece
placements in themselves are not always followed, the spirit
certainly should be!

‘Many players with an isolani proceed much too
violently, but it seems to me that there is no objective motive for
“plunging” on a desparate attack. At first the utmost solidity is
called for. The attack will come of itself in good time, for
instance when Black has withdrawn his Nf6, which he will at some
time naturally do, since the N wants to get to d5. In the
development stage, we would therefore recommend the solid
construction, Be3 (not Bg5), Qe2, R’s c1 and d1 (not d1 and e1),
further Bd3 or b1 (not b3). … A solid position aimed at
maintaining the security of the Pd4 is the one and only right
course, and it must ever be remembered that the Be3 belongs to the
Pd4 as does a nurse to a suckling child!

‘It is only when Black has withdrawn his pieces from
the K-side that White may sound the attack, and this, if he will,
he may carry out in sacrificial style.‘

As an illustration we will follow:

Timman-Panno, Mar del Plata 1982:

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nc3 e5 4.e3 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6
6.Bxc4 Be7 7.Nf3 O-O 8.h3 Nbd7 9.O-O Nb6 10.Bb3 c6 11.Re1
Nfd5

A good standard position. Black’s last move occupies his outpost
and offers an exchange of knights, but moves one piece away from
the king-side. White, with the isolani, avoids the exchange and
moves his knight closer to the king-side.

12.Ne4!

Can attacking chess be so simple? If you follow basic
precepts, yes!

12…Re8 13.Bd2 Bf5 14.Ng3 Be6 15.Bc2 Nd7 16.a3
Nf8 17.Bd3 g6?!

According to Timman, 17…f6 was better, but White would
still have the initiative. Note how White studiously avoids
exchanges, and Black makes concessions in order to exchange.

18.Bh6 Nf6 19.Qd2 Bd5 20.Ne5 (avoid
Bxf3) Ne6 21.Bc2 (avoid Nxd4) Nd7
22.Ng4 (avoid Nxe5) Bg5 23.Bxg5 (OK, one
got away, but look at those dark squares) Qxg5 24.Qb4 Nf6
25.Re5 Qh4 26.Nxf6+ Qxf6 27.Ne4 Qd8

Missing a chance to simplify with 27…Bxe4 28.Bxe4 Re7.
Note though that White is always calling the tune, and Black is
still hoping to sit through to the endgame. This sort of
manoeuvring by White (moves 13-22) can look difficult, until you
realise he’s merely avoiding piece exchanges, and controlling the
dark squares! White now makes a more concerted attacking
attempt.

28.Bb3! a5 29.Qc3 Bxb3 30.Qxb3 Qxd4 31.Nf6+ Kh8
32.Rae1 Reb8?!

Here’s the signal for White to attack. Any takers for a
continuation?

33.R1e4 Qd8 34.Rxe6! fxe6 35.Qc3 Qe7
(35…Qf8 36.Nxh7+ Kxh7 37.Rh4+ Qh6 38.Qf6! is given by Timman)
36.Nh5+ Kg8 37.Rxe6 Qf7 38.Nf6+ Kf8 (38…Kh8
39.Re7) 39.Qc5+ Kg7 40.Re7 Kxf6 41.Qe5 ‘mate

A game to remember!

If you are in an ultra-aggressive mood, and find all that
waiting around for Black’s pieces to move away from the king-side
etc etc a bit of a drag, then you might prefer the more direct
approach of the following game:

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5

(Note that Black cannot keep his pawn: 3…b5 4.a4 c6
5.axb5 cxb5 6.Qf3!)

4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Be7 7.Nf3 O-O 8.h3
c6 9.Be3 Bf5

White’s development is a model of restraint, Be3 just as
Nimzowitsch prescribes. 8.h3 is useful, preventing the pin of the
Nf3. But how does that Black Bf5 fit in?

10.g4!?

Scrub that last comment! ‘White’s restrained
development‘? Can White really attack like this? Perhaps this
is why 9…Nbd7 is a more popular choice for Black.

10…Bg6 11.Ne5! Nbd7 12.Nxg6 hxg6
13.h4!

White cannot waste any time, as the open nature of the
position would give Black ample opportunity to counterattack — if
he can get organised.

13…Nb6 14.Bb3 Nfd5 15.h5 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Bh4+
17.Kd2 gxh5 18.Qf3 Bg5

If you can find White’s next move, you have my full permission to
play like this.

19.Raf1!!

‘Never forget your queen’s rook‘ — easy?!

19…Qxd4+ 20.Kc2 Qf6 (20…Qxg4
21.Bxf7+ Kh7 22.Qxg4) 21.Rxh5! Qg6+

(If 21…Qxf3 22.Rxf3 Be7 23.Rhf5 {note, shift the attack
to the f7 pawn} Bf6 24.g5 Bxc3 25.bxc3 Nd5 26.e4! Also, 21…g6
22.Qh3 gxh5 (22…Qe5 23.Rf5) 23.Rxf6 Bxf6 24.Qxh5 with g5-g6 to
follow.)

22.e4 Nd5 23.Rfh1 Bh6 24.g5! f5 25.Nxd5 cxd5
26.Bxd5+ Kh7 27.Rxh6+ Qxh6 28.gxh6 1-0

No prizes for guessing this is in ‘ye olde style’ — it
is in fact the 15th game of the first match between La Bourdonnais
and McDonnell, played in 1834. In the 85(!) games these two
amassed, the Queen’s Gambit Accepted featured prominently in La
Bourdonnais’ arsenal, and thereby were some wonderful victories
gained!

FURTHER READING

Imre Konig, ‘Chess from Morphy to
Botwinnik‘.

Yakov Neishtadt, ‘Uncrowned Champions‘.

Aron Nimzowitsch, ‘My System‘ and ‘Chess
Praxis‘.

Yuri Razuvaev, ‘You are right, Monsieur La
Bourdonnais!‘ (in Mark Dvoretsky and Artur Yusopov
‘Opening Preparation‘).

M I Shereshevsky, ‘Endgame Strategy‘ (the
chapter on ‘Positions with an isolated d-pawn‘).

Lessons from Bobby Fischer

Posted on February 27, 1998 by DrDave

His book, My 60 Memorable Games, was one of the first adult books on chess I bought, and while it was far too hard for me at the time (and still is, I fear) there is much to be mined in its pages. Each time I come back to it I learn something new, and I have selected some positions below which have taught me something in each phase of the game.

Lessons in the Opening

Fischer,Robert J – Celle,O (Davis sim) [C51] opening attack, 1964

In an old-style opening Fischer gives a terrific display of attacking power against an uncastled King – just the sort of thing you want to see at a simultaneous display.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4

Evans’ Gambit, an old favourite.

4… Bxb4 5. c3 Be7 6. d4 d6 7. dxe5 Nxe5 8. Nxe5 dxe5 9. Qh5 g6 10. Qxe5 Nf6 11. Ba3 Rf8 12. O-O Ng4 13. Qg3 Bxa3 14. Nxa3 Qe7!

White has a lead in development, but how can he take advantage of it?

  [Event "Fischer,Robert J - Celle,O (Davis sim) [C51] opening attack, 1964"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "r1b1kr2/ppp1qp1p/6p1/8/2B1P1n1/N1P3q1/P4PPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 15"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

15. Bb5+! c6 (x d6) 16. Nc4 Qe6

  [Event "Diagram 2"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "r1b1kr2/pp3p1p/2p1Q1p1/1B6/2N1P1n1/2P3q1/P4PPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 17"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

17. Rad1!

[17. Qc7 Qd7 18. Nd6+ Ke7 19. Nxc8+ Raxc8 20. Qxd7+ Kxd7]

17… cxb5 18. Qc7 Bd7 19. Nd6+ Ke7 20. Nf5+!

“Material is not what counts now, but open lines”

20… gxf5 21. exf5 Rac8 22. Rxd7+ Qxd7 23. f6+ Nxf6 24. Re1+ Ne4 25. Rxe4+ Kf6 26. Qxd7 Rfd8 27. Qg4 1-0

Petrosian,Tigran – Fischer,Robert (Buenos Aires m [A06] opening, 1971

Many years ago Reti described “Americanism” in the chess of Pillsbury and others, a sort of full-blooded practical-minded style – and in Fischer’s play it is easy to see a parallel.
1. Nf3 c5 2. b3 d5 3. Bb2 f6

  [Event "Diagram 3"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pp2p1pp/5p2/2pp4/8/1P3N2/PBPPPPPP/RN1QKB1R w - - 0 4"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

Now that’s what I call a move. Having been reared on Chernev’s adulation of Capablanca, I got the idea that you should play in the opening only the most natural and harmonious of moves. Now here is Fischer, in the Candidate’s Final to qualify to play Spassky, and he is declaring his intention to refute his opponent’s opening using three Pawn moves as Black.

This game had a terrible effect on me, I often still can’t resist trying to refute my opponent’s odd moves immediately. Although Petrosian fumbles at the end you can see how Fischer’s grip on the game never relaxes.

4. c4 d4! 5. d3 e5 6. e3 Ne7 7. Be2 Nec6! 8. Nbd2 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. e4 a6 11. Ne1 b5 12. Bg4 Bxg4 13. Qxg4 Qc8 14. Qe2 Nd7 15. Nc2 Rb8 16. Rfc1 Qe8 17. Ba3 Bd6 18. Ne1 g6 19. cxb5 axb5 20. Bb2 Nb6 21. Nef3 Ra8 22. a3 Na5 23. Qd1 Qf7 24. a4 bxa4 25. bxa4 c4 26. dxc4 Nbxc4 27. Nxc4 Nxc4 28. Qe2 Nxb2 29. Qxb2 Rfb8 30. Qa2 Bb4 31. Qxf7+ Kxf7 32. Rc7+ Ke6 33. g4 Bc3 34. Ra2 Rc8 35. Rxc8 Rxc8 36. a5 Ra8 37. a6 Ra7 38. Kf1 g5 39. Ke2 Kd6 40. Kd3 Kc5 41. Ng1 Kb5 42. Ne2 Ba5 43. Rb2+ Kxa6 44. Rb1 Rc7 45. Rb2 Be1 46. f3 Ka5 47. Rc2 Rb7 48. Ra2+ Kb5 49. Rb2+ Bb4 50. Ra2 Rc7 51. Ra1 Rc8 52. Ra7 Ba5 53. Rd7 Bb6 54. Rd5+ Bc5 55. Nc1 Ka4 56. Rd7 Bb4 57. Ne2 Kb3 58. Rb7 Ra8 59. Rxh7 Ra1 60. Nxd4+ exd4 61. Kxd4 Rd1+ 62. Ke3 Bc5+ 63. Ke2 Rh1 64. h4 Kc4 65. h5 Rh2+ 66. Ke1 Kd3 0-1

Middlegame

Fischer,Robert – Robatsch,Karl (Varna ol final R) [B01] middlegame attack 1, 1962

In one of his games, Fischer describes having the attack on the fianchettoed Black King’s position down to a science: open the h-file, “sac, sac, …mate!”
Once you see it done, you can imitate it with effect. It is less usual for these straightforward attacks to be successful at master level, but among club players my money is on the player with a plan they understand.

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8!? 4. d4 g6!?

Two !?s sometimes add up to a ?, sometimes a !

Robatsch’s ideas have a hard reception here.

5. Bf4! Bg7 6. Qd2! Nf6 7. O-O-O c6

  [Event "Diagram 4"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "rnbqk2r/pp2ppbp/2p2np1/8/3P1B2/2N5/PPPq1PPP/2KR1BNR w - - 0 8"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

8. Bh6 O-O? 9. h4 Qa5 10. h5! gxh5

“Horrible, but Black must keep the h-file closed”

11. Bd3 Nbd7 12. Nge2 Rd8 13. g4! Nf8 14. gxh5 Ne6 15. Rdg1 Kh8 16. Bxg7+ Nxg7 17. Qh6 Rg8 18. Rg5 Qd8 19. Rhg1 Nf5?

[19… Qf8 20. d5! Bd7 21. d6 Nf5 22. Qxf8 Rgxf8

[22… Raxf8 23. Bxf5 Rxg5 24. Rxg5 h6 25. dxe7 Rb8 26. Rg3 Bxf5 27. Rf3]

23. Bxf5 h6 24. dxe7 Rfb8 25. Rg7 Bxf5 26. Rxf7]

20. Bxf5 1-0

Fischer,R – Stein,L (Sousse izt) [C92] middlegame attack, 1967

A far more complex attacking game. Lasker once said that no-one can hope to master chess who does not take on the Ruy Lopez in all its manifestations; Fischer’s games feature many striking successes in a surprising variety of lines, from the Exchange to the Steinitz, and as below, what we now call the Zaitsev, played by the then Soviet Champion.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3

  [Event "Diagram 5"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "r1bq1rk1/2p1bppp/p1np1n2/1p2p3/4P3/1BP2N1P/PP1P1PP1/RNBQR1K1 b - - 0 9"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

9… Bb7

[9… Na5 10. Bc2 c5 Tchigorin]

[9… Nb8 10. d4 Breyer]

10. d4 Na5

Heading for d7, the long way round

[10… Nb8 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Qxd8 and now 12… Bxd8 is best, but awkward]

11. Bc2 Nc4 12. b3 Nb6 13. Nbd2 Nbd7

  [Event "Diagram 6"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "r2q1rk1/1bpnbppp/p2p1n2/1p2p3/3PP3/1PP2N1P/P1BN1PP1/R1BQR1K1 w - - 0 14"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

Made it! But it has taken a lot of time.

14. b4! exd4

going for counterplay, rather than hanging on to e5

15. cxd4 a5 16. bxa5 c5 17. e5! dxe5 18. dxe5 Nd5 19. Ne4 Nb4! 20. Bb1 Rxa5 21. Qe2!

  [Event "Diagram 7"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "3q1rk1/1b1nbppp/8/rpp1P3/1n2N3/5N1P/P3QPP1/RBB1R1K1 b - - 0 21"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

21… Nb6?

A piece possibly better reserved for defending the King.

[21… Re8]

22. Nfg5!

“The threats are beginning to jell.”

22… Bxe4!

[22… h6 23. Nh7!! Kxh7

[23… Re8 24. Nhf6+ Bxf6 25. Nxf6+ Qxf6

[25… gxf6 26. Qg4+ Kf8 27. Bxh6+ Ke7 28. e6 Kd6 29. Qg3+ Kc6 30. Be4+ N4d5 31. exf7 Rh8 32. Bxd5+ Nxd5+- ]

26. exf6 Rxe2 27. Rxe2]

24. Nxc5+ Kg8 25. Nxb7]

23. Qxe4 g6 24. Qh4 h5 25. Qg3 Nc4 26. Nf3?

[26. e6]

26… Kg7 27. Qf4 Rh8 28. e6! f5 29. Bxf5! Qf8

  [Event "Diagram 8"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "5q1r/4b1k1/4P1p1/rpp2B1p/1nn2q2/5N1P/P4PP1/R1B1R1K1 w - - 0 30"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

30. Be4?

[30. Nh4! Littlewood 30… Bxh4 31. Qxh4 Qxf5

[31… gxf5 32. Qg5+ Kh7 33. e7 Qe8 34. Re6]

[31… Qf6 32. Qg3]

32. Qe7+ Kg8 33. Qd8+ Kg7 34. Qc7+ Kg8 35. e7]

30… Qxf4 31. Bxf4 Re8?

[31… Rxa2 32. Rxa2

[32. Rad1 Ra7]

32… Nxa2 33. Ne5 g5 34. Bg3 with some initiative but no win yet]

32. Rad1 Ra6 33. Rd7

[33. Bb7!]

33… Rxe6 34. Ng5 Rf6

[34… Ra6 35. Bb1 Kf6 36. Ne4+ Kf7 37. Nxc5]

35. Bf3 Rxf4 36. Ne6+ Kf6 37. Nxf4 Ne5 38. Rb7 Bd6 39. Kf1

  [Event "Diagram 9"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "4r3/1R6/3b1kp1/1pp1n2p/1n3N2/5B1P/P4PP1/4RK2 b - - 0 39"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

winning

39… Nc2 40. Re4 Nd4 41. Rb6 Rd8 42. Nd5+ Kf5 43. Ne3+ (sealed) 43… Ke6 44. Be2! Kd7 45. Bxb5+ Nxb5 46. Rxb5 Kc6 47. a4 Bc7 48. Ke2 g5 49. g3 Ra8 50. Rb2 Rf8 51. f4 gxf4 52. gxf4 Nf7 53. Re6+ Nd6 54. f5 Ra8 55. Rd2! Rxa4 56. f6 1-0

Endgame

Gligoric,Svetozar – Fischer,Robert (Yugoslavia ct ) [B99] endgame, 1959

This was an interesting game for me. I’d got the hang of Pawn weakness and while I knew that having a weakness didn’t mean you should resign, I think it’s fair to say I was much more impressed with Pawns than pieces!
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. g4 b5 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. f5 Ne5 13. Qh3 O-O

  [Event "Diagram 10"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "r1b2rk1/2q1bp1p/p2ppp2/1p2nP2/3NP1P1/2N4Q/PPP4P/2KR1B1R w - - 0 14"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

“Black’s “ugly” defence is based on sound positional considerations: once he can consolidate, there is strong potential in the two Bishops coupled with the beautifully posted Knight and compact Pawn mass. These assets, in the long run, hopefully should outweigh the temporary weakness of his King and the immobile target on e6. ”

14. Nce2 Kh8 15. Nf4 Rg8 16. Rg1 d5 17. fxe6 dxe4 18. Nd5 Qc5 19. Nxe7 Qxe7 20. Nf5 Qxe6 21. Qh6 Bd7 22. Rd6 Nxg4 23. Rxg4 Qxf5 24. Rxg8+?

[24. Rf4]

24… Rxg8?

[24… Kxg8]

25. Rxf6 Qd5 26. Rd6 Qf5 27. Rf6 Qg5+ 28. Qxg5 Rxg5 29. Rxf7 Bg4 30. Kd2 Bf3 31. Ke3 Rg1 32. Bh3 Re1+ 33. Kf4 Bd1

  [Event "Diagram 11"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "7k/5R1p/p7/1p6/4pK2/7B/PPP4P/3br3 w - - 0 34"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

“Playing, as Dr.Tarrasch wryly put it, “for the loss”. Nowadays I would know better than to try to squeeze a win out of such a simplified position. ”

34. Ke5!

Inviting Fischer to overextend.

[34. Re7 Bxc2 35. Bf5= ]

34… e3 35. Bf5 Rg1 36. Rxh7+ Kg8 37. Rc7 Bg4?

[37… e2 38. Kf6 Kh8 39. Rh7+ Kg8 40. Rc7 Kh8= ]

38. Bxg4 Rxg4 39. Rc3 e2 40. Re3

  [Event "Diagram 12"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "6k1/8/p7/1p2K3/6r1/4R3/PPP1p2P/8 b - - 0 40"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

“Fortunately, Black can still hold the draw”

40… Rg2

[40… Rg7? 41. Kd4]

41. Kd4 e1=Q!

[41… Rxh2 42. Kd3+- ]

42. Rxe1 Rxc2 43. Rb1

  [Event "Diagram 13"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "6k1/8/p7/1p6/3K4/8/PPr4P/1R6 b - - 0 43"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

43… Kf7!

[43… Rxh2 44. Kc5]

44. a3 Ke6 45. b3 Rxh2 46. Kc5 Kd7 47. Kb6 Ra2 48. Kxa6 Rxa3+ 49. Kb7 Kd6 50. Kb6 Kd7 51. b4 Rh3 52. Rc1

  [Event "Diagram 14"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "8/3k4/1K6/1p6/1P6/7r/8/2R5 b - - 0 52"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

52… Rh8?

“After the game, Olafsson scolded me: “How can you play an ending like this so fast?” (I’d only been taking a few seconds a move for the last dozen moves or so.) “Because there’s no danger. It’s a dead draw,” I replied. ”

[52… Rh5 53. Rc5 Rxc5 54. Kxc5

[54. bxc5?? b4-+ ]

54… Kc7 55. Kxb5 Kb7

  [Event "Diagram 15"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "8/1k6/8/1K6/1P6/8/8/8 w - - 0 53"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

with the opposition, a book draw and easy to hold]

53. Kxb5?

“As Olafsson showed me, White can win with 53. Rc7+! It’s hard to believe. I stayed up all night analysing, finally convincing myself and, incidentally, learning a lot about Rook and Pawn endings in the process.”

(Gligoric failed to point it out in his notes to the Bled tournament book.)

[53. Rc7+! This helps keep the Black King away, so the White King can control the Queening square. If the Black Rook checks, White will interpose the Rook. 53… Kd6

[53… Kd8 54. Rc5 Kd7 55. Kb7! Kd6 56. Rxb5]

54. Rc6+ Kd7

[54… Kd5 55. Kxb5 Rb8+ 56. Rb6]

55. Kxb5 Rb8+ 56. Rb6 Rh8 57. Rb7+ Kc8 58. Ka6 Rh6+ 59. Ka7+- ]

53… Rb8+ 54. Ka4 Ra8+ 55. Kb3 Rc8 56. Rxc8 Kxc8 57. Kc4 Kb8!

  [Event "Diagram 16"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "1k6/8/8/8/1PK5/8/8/8 w - - 0 65"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

holding the “distant opposition”

[57… Kb7 58. Kb5 Kc7 59. Ka6 Kb8 60. Kb6 Ka8 61. Kc7 Ka7 62. b5 Ka8 63. Kb6 Kb8 64. Ka6 Ka8

[64… Kc7 65. Ka7]

65. b6 Kb8 66. b7

If you can play to the seventh without check, it’s a win, because the King is on the queening square, and has to move off.

66… Kc7 67. Ka7 Kc6 68. b8=Q]

[now 57… Kb8! 58. Kc5

[58. Kd5 Kb7]

58… Kc7 59. Kb5 Kb7]

1/2-1/2

Fischer,R – Euwe,M (Leipzig ol) [B13] endgame, 1960

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qb3 Bxf3 9. gxf3 e6 10. Qxb7 Nxd4 11. Bb5+ Nxb5 12. Qc6+ Ke7 13. Qxb5 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Qd7

  [Event "Diagram 17"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "r4b1r/p2Qkppp/4p3/1Q6/8/2P2P2/P4P1P/R1B1K2R w - - 0 15"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

15. Rb1!

“…Horrible as White’s Pawn structure may be, Black can’t exploit it because he’ll be unable to develop his King’s-side normally. It’s the little quirks like this that could make life difficult for a chess machine.”

15… Rd8?

[15… Qxb5 16. Rxb5 Kd6 17. Rb7 f6 18. Ke2 Kc6 19. Rf7 a5 20. Be3 +/-]

16. Be3 Qxb5 17. Rxb5 Rd7 18. Ke2 f6 19. Rd1! Rxd1 20. Kxd1

  [Event "Diagram 18"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "5b1r/p3k1pp/4pp2/1R6/8/2P1BP2/P4P1P/3K4 b - - 0 20"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

20… Kd7 21. Rb8 Kc6 22. Bxa7 g5 23. a4 Bg7 24. Rb6+ Kd5 25. Rb7 Bf8 26. Rb8 Bg7 27. Rb5+ Kc6 28. Rb6+ Kd5 29. a5 f5 30. Bb8

  [Event "Diagram 19"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "1B5r/6bp/1R2p3/P2k1pp1/8/2P2P2/5P1P/3K4 b - - 0 30"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

30… Rc8 31. a6 Rxc3 32. Rb5+ Kc4

[32… Kc6 33. Ra5 Bd4 34. Be5?

[34. Ke2]

34… Rc4!= ]

33. Rb7 Bd4

  [Event "Diagram 20"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "1B6/1R5p/P3p3/5pp1/2kb4/2r2P2/5P1P/3K4 w - - 0 34"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

34. Rc7+ Kd3 35. Rxc3+ Kxc3

  [Event "Diagram 21"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "????.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "?"]  [Black "?"]  [Result "*"]  [FEN "1B6/7p/P3p3/5pp1/3b4/2k2P2/5P1P/3K4 w - - 0 36"]  [SetUp "1"]   *

36. Be5 1-0

Lessons from Morphy

Posted on February 25, 1998 by DrDave

Paul Morphy is the perfect model for improving players — lots of fast development, vigorous attacking play, bright tactics, and killer instinct in the finish. His brisk disposal of two toffs at the opera has been an inspiration to generations.

   [Event "Opéra Hous: Morphy-Duke of Brunswick"]  [Site "Paris"]  [Date "1858.11.02"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Morphy, Paul"]  [Black "Duke of Brunswick, Count"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "C41"]  [Annotator "Lessons from Morphy"]  [PlyCount "33"]  [EventDate "1858.??.??"]  [EventType "tourn"]  [EventRounds "30"]  [EventCountry "FRA"]  [SourceTitle "EXT 2017"]  [Source "ChessBase"]  [SourceDate "2016.10.25"]  [SourceVersion "1"]  [SourceVersionDate "2016.10.25"]  [SourceQuality "1"]   1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Bg4 4. dxe5 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 dxe5 {[#] Morphy had many  contemporaries who could attack as well as he, but more than anyone Morphy  knew how to create an attack out of the opening through accurate play. Here he  already has a development advantage and the two bishops.} 6. Bc4 Nf6 {[#]} 7.  Qb3 {keeping the initiative going} Qe7 8. Nc3 c6 9. Bg5 {White needs only two  more moves to complete his development - breathtakingly efficient work.} b5 {  [#] just the wrong sort of move} 10. Nxb5 cxb5 11. Bxb5+ Nbd7 12. O-O-O {  [#] Black's pieces are treading on each other's toes.} Rd8 13. Rxd7 Rxd7 14.  Rd1 {a nicely-coordinated crossfire of pins} Qe6 15. Bxd7+ Nxd7 16. Qb8+ {  apparently dramatic...} Nxb8 17. Rd8# {[#] this masterpiece of economic  development and slashing attack has become rightly famous; the final position  is very neat} 1-0   [Event "USA-01 Morphy Casual Games"]  [Site "New York"]  [Date "1857.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Morphy, Paul"]  [Black "Meek, A."]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "A43"]  [Annotator "Lessons from Morphy"]  [PlyCount "25"]  [EventDate "1857.10.??"]  [EventType "game"]  [EventCountry "USA"]  [SourceTitle "EXT 2004"]  [Source "ChessBase"]  [SourceDate "2003.11.25"]  [SourceVersion "1"]  [SourceVersionDate "2003.11.25"]  [SourceQuality "1"]   1. e4 e6 2. d4 c5 3. d5 e5 4. f4 d6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. fxe5 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 dxe5 {  [#] White has a development advantage and a passed d-pawn, all in seven moves!}  8. Bb5+ Nd7 9. Nc3 Ngf6 10. Bg5 Be7 {[#]} 11. d6 {a decoy} Bxd6 12. O-O-O Be7 (  12... Ke7 13. Nd5+ Kf8 14. Bxd7 Qxd7 15. Nxf6 gxf6 16. Qxf6) 13. Bxf6 1-0       [Event "Casuals Morphy-Bird +10-1=1"]  [Site "London"]  [Date "1858.08.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Bird, Henry Edward"]  [Black "Morphy, Paul"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "C41"]  [Annotator "Lessons from Morphy"]  [PlyCount "58"]  [EventDate "1858.07.??"]  [EventType "game"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [SourceTitle "MainBase"]  [Source "ChessBase"]  [SourceDate "1999.07.01"]  [SourceVersion "2"]  [SourceVersionDate "1999.07.01"]  [SourceQuality "1"]   1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. Nc3 fxe4 5. Nxe4 d5 6. Ng3 e4 7. Ne5 Nf6 8. Bg5  Bd6 9. Nh5 O-O 10. Qd2 Qe8 11. g4 {[#] White is pushing his luck} Nxg4 12. Nxg4  Qxh5 13. Ne5 Nc6 {Black is achieving his usual brisk development} 14. Be2 Qh3  15. Nxc6 bxc6 16. Be3 Rb8 17. O-O-O {[#] not an easy decision} Rxf2 {bold but  probably too optimistic} 18. Bxf2 Qa3 {the point} 19. c3 Qxa2 20. b4 Qa1+ 21.  Kc2 Qa4+ 22. Kb2 {[#]} Bxb4 23. cxb4 Rxb4+ 24. Qxb4 Qxb4+ 25. Kc2 {Black has  some material back, and his initiative persists} e3 {a clearance sacrifice} 26.  Bxe3 Bf5+ 27. Rd3 Qc4+ 28. Kd2 Qa2+ 29. Kd1 Qb1+ {[#] White is in an insoluble  muddle} 0-1       [Event "Morphy casual"]  [Site "London"]  [Date "1858.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Morphy, Paul"]  [Black "Medley, George Webb"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "C39"]  [Annotator "Lessons from Morphy"]  [PlyCount "51"]  [EventDate "1858.07.??"]  [EventType "game"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [SourceTitle "EXT 1999"]  [Source "ChessBase"]  [SourceDate "1998.11.10"]  [SourceVersion "1"]  [SourceVersionDate "1998.11.10"]  [SourceQuality "1"]   1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 Nf6 6. Bc4 d5 7. exd5 Bd6 8. d4  Nh5 9. Nc3 Bf5 10. Ne2 Qf6 11. Nxf4 Ng3 {[#] a confused picture, where White's  central hold is more secure} 12. Nh5 Nxh5 13. Bg5 Bb4+ (13... Qg7) 14. c3 Qd6 {  [#] White is offered material} 15. O-O {but completing development is more  important} Ng7 16. Rxf5 Nxf5 17. Qxg4 Ne7 18. Re1 {the last White piece enters  the fight, and Black faces early defeat} h5 19. Qf3 Rh7 {[#] Well, White's  pieces are well-placed, but how to push Black over the edge?} 20. Bb5+ c6 21.  dxc6 bxc6 22. Nxc6 Nbxc6 23. Bxc6+ {[#] the White force is perfectly  coordinated and Black is helpless to defend all his pieces} Kf8 24. Bxe7+ Qxe7  25. Rxe7 Bxe7 26. Bxa8 1-0

Clock control

Posted on February 22, 1998 by DrDave

Or, The Thirty-Third
Piece

A. Introduction

Chess is played not with 32 pieces, but 33: the handling of the
extra piece, the clock, sometimes being the deciding factor.

Time trouble is the most obvious manifestation of clock
difficulties but there are other symptoms: I remember Brian Hewson
being irritated just on principle that I had played an automatic
move in a tense position – after the game it became clear that I
had missed a mate in three at that point.

So, below I’ll talk around time trouble but also time
management in general, and what you might want to do about it.
Often, simply diagnosing a problem is to start curing it.

A. Introduction
B. Time trouble

B1. Causes of time trouble
B2. Effects of time trouble
B3. Treatment of time trouble

C. Time management

C1. Regis, Hampton, 1993 (Game 2)<h2><a name=”RTFToC2″ id=”RTFToC2″>Or, The Thirty-Third
Piece</a></h2>

<hr />

<H1><a name=”RTFToC3″ id=”RTFToC3″>A. Introduction</a></h1>

Chess is played not with 32 pieces, but 33: the handling of the

extra piece, the clock, sometimes being the deciding factor.

  Time trouble is the most obvious manifestation of clock

difficulties but there are other symptoms: I remember Brian Hewson

being irritated just on principle that I had played an automatic

move in a tense position – after the game it became clear that I

had missed a mate in three at that point.

  So, below I’ll talk around time trouble but also time

management in general, and what you might want to do about it.

Often, simply diagnosing a problem is to start curing it.

<ul>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC3″>A. Introduction</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC4″>B. Time trouble</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC5″>B1. Causes of time trouble</a>

<ul>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC6″>Inadequate theoretical preparation</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC7″>Inadequate practical preparation</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC8″>A genuinely complicated game</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC9″>Conscious entry into time trouble</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC10″>Doubts concerning analysis</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC11″>Doubts linked to own style</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC12″>Doubts linked to opponent’s style</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC13″>Doubts linked to importance of the

game</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC14″>Doubts linked to previous course of the

game</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC15″>Doubts linked to own experience</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC16″>B2. Effects of time trouble</a>

<ul>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC17″>Failure to react to changes in the

position</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC18″>Inclination towards obvious moves</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC19″>Seeking exchanges</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC20″>Postponing decisions</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC21″>Playing safe and solid moves</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC22″>Reliance on constant elements of the

position</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC23″>Less strategy, more tactics</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC24″>Temptation to blitz the time-troubled

opponent</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC25″>B3. Treatment of time trouble</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC26″>C. Time management</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC27″>C1. Regis, Hampton, 1993 (Game 2)</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC28″>C2. Tal-Bronstein 1960 (Game 6)</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC29″>C3. Botvinnik-Tal 1960 (Game 7)</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC30″>D. References</a>

<div class=”c1″>

<ul>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC31″>Game 1: (59) Korchnoi – Suetin [C83] Moscow

(XXVII USSR Ch.), 1960</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC32″>Game 2: Regis,D (1935) – Hampton,M (1900)

[E91]</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC33″>Game 3: Botvinnik ,M – Tal ,M [E10]: Match,

Moscow (Russia) Match, Moscow (Russia) (8), 1960</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC34″>Game 4: Gligoric,S – Tal,M [A78] Yugoslavia

ct Yugoslavia ct (4), 1959</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC35″>Game 5: Blackstock,L – Webb,S [C09]

Borehamwood, 1977</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC36″>Game 6: Tal, Mikhail, Bronstein, David,

Baku ch-SU, 1961</a></li>

<li><a href=”#RTFToC37″>Game 7: Botvinnik,M (2500) – Tal,M [E69] WM

Moskau, 1960</a></li>

</ul>

</div>

<hr />

<H1><a name=”RTFToC4″ id=”RTFToC4″>B. Time trouble</a></h1>

Time trouble is time pressure that you cannot bear or want to be

rid of: different players have different views about what is

tolerable. The Grandmaster and psychologist Krogius gives a horror

show of time trouble examples in his book on chess psychology. He

classifies the examples as follows:

<hr />

<h2><a name=”RTFToC5″ id=”RTFToC5″>B1. Causes of time

trouble</a></h2>

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC6″ id=”RTFToC6″>Inadequate theoretical

preparation</a></h3>

Cures: better theoretical preparation (duh) but also

improved experience: with more experience of different types of

position you will have improved general assessment/intuition. It is

an unrealistic goal to set yourself to be able to play any type of

position, but if you have a weakness, work on it.

  On the other hand it is not a complete cure: Bronstein

has encyclopaedic knowledge, wonderful intuition… and a marked

time trouble habit.

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC7″ id=”RTFToC7″>Inadequate practical

preparation</a></h3>

Cures: more practice, practice at speed chess

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC8″ id=”RTFToC8″>A genuinely complicated

game</a></h3>

“This is ‘normal’ time trouble and I have no intention of

giving it up.” – Botvinnik.

  There is no doubt that some good players are prepared to

put in a good half-hour or so in the early middlegame in the belief

that the position deserves it and the expectation that it will be

rewarded by an easier – maybe winning – game later.

  I remember when Kramnik beat Kasparov on the Black side

of a Semi-Slav he criticised Kasparov for making a move after only

quarter of an hour or so. He said that this was too fast, and that

he would have taken what the position deserved – “maybe one

hour”(!).

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC9″ id=”RTFToC9″>Conscious entry into time

trouble</a></h3>

In order to upset the normal run of events. – See Game 1.

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC10″ id=”RTFToC10”>Doubts concerning

analysis</a></h3>

“Do not search for objectively the best move because frequently

there is no such move. In most cases it is simply a matter of taste

– simply look for a good move!” – Spielmann

  In a complex position, do not always try to resolve it

tactically, but maybe just play a good positional move.

(Nimzovitch)

Cure: Have confidence in your own judgement and

ability, at least the courage to learn from any mistake you might

be making.

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC11″ id=”RTFToC11″>Doubts linked to own

style</a></h3>

In World Championship matches Botvinnik very often fell into time

trouble in complex, dynamic positions conjured up by those wizards

of the chessboard, Bronstein and Tal. Bronstein’s time trouble, by

contrast, was in relatively simple positions where Botvinnik had a

small – maybe insignificant – positional advantage.

Cure: Go for positions you feel at home in; study

positions you need to feel at home in.

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC12″ id=”RTFToC12″>Doubts linked to opponent’s

style</a></h3>

e.g. against opponent who has a large plus score against you.

Cure: win a game…!

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC13″ id=”RTFToC13″>Doubts linked to importance of

the game</a></h3>

e.g. this move is too important, I must be 110% sure…

Cure: put such thoughts aside if you can; play the

board.

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC14″ id=”RTFToC14″>Doubts linked to previous

course of the game</a></h3>

e.g. I should have won earlier: see Game 2

Cure: think about the position in front of

you!

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC15″ id=”RTFToC15″>Doubts linked to own

experience</a></h3>

e.g. a little knowledge dangerously distracting you from your own

judgement

Cure: Have confidence in your own judgement and

ability, at least the courage to learn from any mistake you might

be making.

<hr />

<h2><a name=”RTFToC16″ id=”RTFToC16″>B2. Effects of time

trouble</a></h2>

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC17″ id=”RTFToC17″>Failure to react to changes in

the position</a> 

<a name=”RTFToC18″ id=”RTFToC18″>Inclination towards obvious

moves</a></h3>

Cure: Think if you can for a moment longer, try not to get

in a rut of thinking.

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC19″ id=”RTFToC19″>Seeking exchanges</a> 

<a name=”RTFToC20″ id=”RTFToC20″>Postponing decisions</a> 

<a name=”RTFToC21″ id=”RTFToC21″>Playing safe and solid

moves</a> 

<a name=”RTFToC22″ id=”RTFToC22″>Reliance on constant elements of

the position</a></h3>

e.g grabbing back material too soon

Cure: To combat all of these tendencies, try to

play the move that you think best meets the requirements of the

position, not the requirements of your nerves.

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC23″ id=”RTFToC23″>Less strategy, more

tactics</a></h3>

Cure: You do need to check for concrete traps, but as Nimzo

says, you can sometimes short-circuit analysis of variations by a

good positional move. This is appropriate even in quickplay

finishes where you do not want to prolong the game.

<hr />

<h3><a name=”RTFToC24″ id=”RTFToC24″>Temptation to blitz the

time-troubled opponent</a></h3>

Game 3: “I made the last move instantaneously – as if seized by

the time pressure of my opponent. I had formerly seen that I would

win the exchange, but I had but to think a little; then I would

have come up with the absolutely correct idea: the other Rook must

go to c8 (winning the exchange but keeping the b7 Pawn.)” –

TAL

  [“Here it is: the hypnotic power of ‘natural’

moves!” – Krogius]

  “It could be noticed from my opponent’s expression

that he had been rather surprised by the unexpected turn of events,

but in spite of intense time pressure he successfully responded to

the reversal of the conditions and immediately found the best

continuation.” – Tal

Cure:

  “Instead, thoroughly analyse a plan several moves

deep and play the moves rapidly” – Krogius

  “Set a trap and play the moves rapidly.” –

Webb

  It is even possible to use your opponent’s propensity to

time trouble: see Games 4 and 5

<hr />

<h2><a name=”RTFToC25″ id=”RTFToC25″>B3. Treatment of time

trouble</a></h2>

“Time trouble is a completely surmountable difficulty… not

only (through) training in chess technique, but chiefly with

psychological training.” – Krogius

  Self-control is often a key to success in chess.

  Follow the principal rules about chess thinking: what is

my opponent’s idea?

  Diagnose your own causes of time trouble, and make a

conscious attempt to develop your decisions and resilience in those

circumstances.

  Use your opponent’s time: work out a provisional reply

for each move, and use your opponent’s time for looking at the

clock

  Botvinnik recommends playing training games where what

you are trying to improve is use of time – making it more even or

at least more appropriate to the position. He says that 90% of time

trouble addicts can be cured using this method, although Averbakh

adds “if so, then it seems I am among the remaining 10%… and

perhaps so is the author of the method…”

<hr />

<H1><a name=”RTFToC26″ id=”RTFToC26”>C. Time management</a></h1>

You do see a variety of strategies for the use of time in club

play: players who routinely use too much or too little time,

players who have a marked “stop-go” cycle, and players who seem to

be just haphazard in their use of time.

  Undoubtedly you can’t comment on this without respect to

the position, but it is worth reflecting on your own patterns of

chess play. I have routinely marked the times taken by myself and

my opponent for years – a minor additional distraction and I have

found it valuable food for thought. I believe it has led to me

making better use of the clock, which is to say, to use time when I

need to use it, and get on with it when I don’t.

  There are marked differences in the way people use the

clock, but I might be permitted a general observation or two:

Better players use more of their time than

worse ones. Moral: chess is hard, and the longer you

think the better, provided you have something to think with – that

is, you have an understanding of that type of position and have

ideas about the issues at stake.

Better players think when they are supposed

to: that is, when there is something to think about –

as opposed to just dithering in a level position. They are better

at judging the critical moments and turning points of a game, so

that when they are short of time later, the moves may be easy to

find because the game is decided by that point.

  Here are a few natural histories of the chess clock:

<hr />

<h2><a name=”RTFToC27″ id=”RTFToC27″>C1. Regis, Hampton, 1993 (Game

2)</a></h2>

<img alt=”[Graph of Clock Times (1)]” src=”/wp/chessx/clock1.gif” />

  White’s total elapsed time is shown above, and Black’s

below; control at 40 moves in 100 minutes. White lost on time at

move 39.

  This is the only game I have ever lost on time, and some

of the reasons are to be found in the notes. It was quite in

Krogius’ class of doubts linked to the earlier course

of the game.

 

  But on the graph you can also see some interesting

features of the use of time: Black having some periods of slow

play, followed by fast play, whereas White’s use is much more even

– however, White was unable to speed up at the end of the game when

approaching the time control. It may be the ideal style is more

even than Black’s and less even than White’s!

<hr />

<h2><a name=”RTFToC28″ id=”RTFToC28″>C2. Tal-Bronstein 1960 (Game

6)</a></h2>

<img alt=”[Graph of Clock Times (2)]” src=”/wp/chessx/clock2.gif” />

This chart shows the time taken for each move rather

than total time, and is taken from the Furstenburg/Bronstein title

“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. White above the line

and Black below. Who won?

”…Tal played the first seven moves with great

confidence, accepting my Pawn sacrifice. With his next five moves

he tried to justify his decision.”

”With hindsight one can see that from moves 18 to 24

Tal used a lot of time, trying to reduce the pressure of the Black

pieces, but it was in vain. It would have been better to use this

amount of time, about one hour, to play the opening more

carefully.”

”This is only one example and the reader who is

interested in this aspect of chess should start recording times; it

might well be that his chess improves immediately.”

 

<hr />

<h2><a name=”RTFToC29″ id=”RTFToC29″>C3. Botvinnik-Tal 1960 (Game

7)</a></h2>

<img alt=”[Graph of Clock Times (3)]” src=”/wp/chessx/clock3.gif” />

  Move by move, with notes by Tal:

  W13: “The text move is the most precise, but the time

spent in thinking about it proved that Botvinnik had not played

competitively for some time. Why was it necessary to waste ten

minutes out of an allotted two and one-half hours to play the most

evident and surely the strongest continuation of the previous

move?”

 

  B14: “Black took a long time to choose which plan he

would use in the middle game.”

  B18: “A rather long think for this move – sixteen

minutes. Black was calculating whether or not he should temporarily

pass on his idea and carry it our later.”

  B23: “It is interesting that Black spent fifteen minutes

thinking about the move that immediately followed the piece

sacrifice. … This is but a confirmation, if it can be

expressed this way, of an intuitive sacrifice, a confirmation of

the fact that Black did not calculate all of the variations

beginning with the sacrifice and ending with mate.”

  B28: “(After disturbance by spectators) I consciously

chose the less strong but safer continuation.”

  B36: “Beginning with the 26th move, Black has been

playing lightning chess.”

  B41: “Forty moves had been made but the opponents

remained in their places. Obviously, Botvinnik considered that

since Black was playing at such a rapid speed, he must have made a

mistake somewhere, and as for me, I was still full of energy.”

<hr />

<h2><a name=”RTFToC30″ id=”RTFToC30″>D. References</a></h2>

FURSTENBURG/BRONSTEIN – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

  KROGIUS – Psychology in Chess.

  TAL – Tal-Botvinnik 1960: Match for the World

Championship 1960.

  WEBB – Chess For Tigers.

<hr />

<h5><a name=”RTFToC31″ id=”RTFToC31″>Game 1: (59) Korchnoi – Suetin

[C83] Moscow (XXVII USSR Ch.), 1960</a></h5>

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5

7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Qe2 Be7 10.c3 0-0 11.Nd4 Qd7 12.f3 Nc5 13.Bc2

f6 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.Nxe6 Qxe6 16.Qxe6+ Nxe6 17.Bb3 Rad8 18.Rd1 Ne7

19.Nd2 Kf7 20.Rf1 c5u

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/tx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”4″ src=”/wp/chessx/brd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”4″ src=”/wp/chessx/brd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

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“/wp/chessx/bnd.gif” /><img alt=”k” src=”/wp/chessx/bkl.gif” /><img alt=”0″

src=”/wp/chessx/bpd.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=

“|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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“/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”B” src=”/wp/chessx/wbl.gif” /><img alt=”)”

src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”P” src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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“/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”H” src=”/wp/chessx/wnd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

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src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=

“|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”$” src=

“/wp/chessx/wrd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”G”

src=”/wp/chessx/wbd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”R” src=”/wp/chessx/wrl.gif” /><img alt=”I”

src=”/wp/chessx/wkd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/bx.gif” />

Suetin has gained the advantage and steadily increases the

pressure. Korchnoi was able to divert his opponent from the

measured tempo if his play only by provoking his own time

trouble.

21.f4 c4 22.Bd1 Nc6 23.Nf3 d4 24.Ng5+ Bxg5

25.fxg5+ Ke7 26.Re1 Kd6 27.cxd4 Nexd4 28.Bd2 Rde8 29.Rc1 Kd5 30.b3

Rxe1+ 31.Bxe1 Ne5 32.bxc4+ bxc4 33.Rb1 Rc8 34.Bc3 Nb5 35.Ba1 c3

36.a4 Nd6 37.Bb3+ Ke4 38.Re1+ Kf5 39.Bc2+ Ke6 40.Bb3+ Kf5 41.Bc2+

Ke6 42.Re3 Ndc4 43.Rxc3 Rd8 44.h3 g6 45.Bb3 Kf5 46.Kh2 Rc8 47.Rc2

Rc6 48.Re2 Rb6 49.Bc2+ Ke6 50.Bd4 Rd6 51.Bc3 Rb6 52.Kg3 Kd5 53.Kf4

Nc6 54.Re1 Rb7 55.Be4+ Kc5 56.Rc1 Rb3 57.Bg7 Nb4 58.Bf8+ Kd4

59.Rd1+ Nd3+ 60.Rxd3+ Rxd3 61.Bg7+ 1-0

  Suetin incorrectly believed that he had the chance of an

early win, began to hurry, committed some serious errors and

lost.This game decided first place in the championship.

<hr />

<h5><a name=”RTFToC32″ id=”RTFToC32″>Game 2: Regis,D (1935) –

Hampton,M (1900) [E91]</a></h5>

Clock control: Devon vs. Wilts devon vs. wilts, 1993

1.e4 0m 1…g6 0m 2.d4 1m 2…Bg7 0m 3.c4

1m

  Black was visibly upset by this move.

  I know from playing the Modern myself that few 1. e4

players will transfer to a Queen’s-side opening, but that’s always

been where my heart is.

3…d6 1m 4.Nc3 1m

4…Nf6 2mThe game is now more or less a King’s

Indian… [4…Nc6 Keeps in independent ‘Modern’

lines.]

5.Be2 2m 5…0-0 2m

6.Nf3 2m 6…c5 6m

  …or a Benoni. [6…e5 is the King’s

Indian]

7.d5 5m 7…Bg4 10m

8.Nd2 6mOver-eager.In any event, Black now starts

a phase of thinking for a long while over his moves.

[8.Ng1 Bxe2 9.Ngxe2]

8…Bxe2 14m 9.Qxe2 8m

9…Nfd7 14m 10.0-0 10m

10…Na6 15m 11.f4 11m

11…Qa5 30m 12.Nf3 15m

  I was feeling quite pleased here: that I had both a chess

and a psychological initiative out of the opening. I don’t think I

have played Benonis any more often than my opponent but have looked

at this type of position and felt at ease with it.

12…Nc7 36m

[12…Bxc3 13.bxc3 Qxc3 14.Bb2 Qa5 15.e5]

13.e5 20m 13…a6 44m

14.Bd2 23m 14…Qb6 45m

15.e6 29m looks good but perhaps I was not

sufficiently developed for this…

[15.b3]

15…fxe6 46m 16.dxe6

29m 16…Nf6 47m

  Black now has another long thinking phase, which leaves

him in time trouble for the rest of the game.

17.Ng5 35m

[17.Rae1 or 17 b3 17…Qxb2 18.Rb1 Qc2 19.Rxb7 Nfe8

20.Rc1 Qf5 21.Nd5]

17…d5 51m 18.cxd5 35m

18…Nfxd5 53m 19.Qf3 42m

19…Nxc3 68m 20.Bxc3 43m

20…Bxc3 75m 21.bxc3 46m

[21.Qxc3 Rf6 22.Qh3 h5 23.f5 c4+ 24.Kh1 Raf8 25.Nf7]

21…c4+ 83m 22.Kh1 46m

22…h6 84m 23.Nf7 56m

23…Nxe6 87m [23…Kg7 24.f5]

24.Nxh6+ 58m 24…Kh7 88m

25.f5 63m

  [25.Qh3 Nxf4 26.Rxf4 Rxf4 27.Nf7+ (27.Re1 Kg7 28.Ng4

Rf7 29.Qh6+ Kg8-+;

27.Nf5+ Kg8 28.Nxe7+ Kg7 29.Nd5 Qb2 30.Rd1u)

27…Kg8 28.Qh8+ Kxf7[[threesuperior]] 29.Qxa8]

25…Kxh6 91m 26.Qh3+

64m 26…Kg7 91m 27.fxe6 ?m saves

the pawn but now Black has a strong initiative.

  White now starts to consume time in great forkfuls: I

remember finding it very hard to forget the earlier part of the

game where I thought I had done enough to win, and couldn’t get on

and defend.

27…Rxf1+ m 28.Rxf1 ?m

28…Rf8 m 29.Rg1 79m [29.Re1

Qf2] 29…Rf2 93m 30.Qh4 81m

30…Qc5 95m 31.a4 83m

31…b5 96m 32.a5 84m which made

me think …b5 was wrong 32…Re2 97m

33.Re1 91m 33…Rf2 m

34.h3 93m 34…Rf6 m

35.Qe4 96m 35…Qf2 m

36.Rg1 ?m [36.Qe5 Qf5]

36…Qf5 m 37.Qb7 ?m

37…Rxe6 m 38.Rd1 ?m

38…Qe5 m 39.Qd7 ?m

39…Qe2 m White lost on time; I

had even put 36…Qf5 down as a White move and was one out!

[39…Qe2 40.Qd4+] 0-1

<hr />

<h5><a name=”RTFToC33″ id=”RTFToC33″>Game 3: Botvinnik ,M – Tal ,M

[E10]: Match, Moscow (Russia) Match, Moscow (Russia) (8),

1960</a></h5>

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7

7.Bg5 0-0 8.e3 Re8 9.Nd2 d6 10.Be2 a6 11.a4 Nbd7 12.0-0 Qc7 13.Qc2

Nb6 14.Bf3 c4 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.a5 Nd7 17.Nce4 Be5 18.Qxc4 Qd8 19.Qa2

f5 20.Nc3 g5 21.Nc4 g4 22.Be2 Qf6 23.Na4 Kh8 24.g3 h5 25.f4 Bd4

26.Qa3 Rb8 27.Nab6 h4 28.Rad1 Bxb6 29.axb6 Nc5 30.gxh4 Bd7 31.Qc3

Qxc3 32.bxc3 Bb5 33.Rfe1 Ne4

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/tx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”4″ src=”/wp/chessx/brd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

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“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”B” src=

“/wp/chessx/wbl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”R” src=”/wp/chessx/wrl.gif” /><img alt=”$”

src=”/wp/chessx/wrd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”I”

src=”/wp/chessx/wkd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/bx.gif” />

34.Rc1 Rbc8?? “I made the last move

instantaneously – as if seized by the time pressure of my opponent.

I had formerly seen that I would win the exchange, but I had but to

think a little; then I would have come up with the absolutely

correct idea: the other Rook must go to c8 (winning the exchange

but keeping the b7 Pawn).” – TAL

  [“Here it is: the hypnotic power of ‘natural’ moves!” –

Krogius]

[34…Rec8]

35.Na5 Bxe2 36.Rxe2 Nxc3 “It could

be noticed from my opponent’s expression that he had been rather

surprised by the unexpected turn of events, but in spite of intense

time pressure he successfully responded to the reversal of the

conditions and immediately found the best continuation.” – Tal

37.Rxc3!

[37.Ree1 Ne2+]

37…Rxc3 38.Nxb7 “Black decided he

still had chances to win…” – Tal

38…Rcxe3

[38…Rexe3 is given in some sources]

39.Rxe3 Rxe3 40.Nxd6 Rd3?

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/tx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”i” src=”/wp/chessx/bkd.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

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src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

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src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=

“|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

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src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”I” src=

“/wp/chessx/wkd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/bx.gif” />

“Adjourned. At first I was extremely optimistic…” –

Tal

  [40…Kg8 “was better, but Black was under the

erroneous impression that all was in order”]

41.Nf7+ (sealed) “I immediately

resigned.” 1-0

  [41.b7 “during the game I was convinced that this

guaranteed a win for Black” 41…Rb3 42.Nf7+ Kh7! 43.Nd8 a5

44.d6 a4 45.d7 a3 46.Ne6 a2-+;

  41.Nf7+! Kg7 but now (41…Kh7? 42.d6!) 42.b7

Rb3 43.Nd8 a5 44.d6 a4 45.d7 a3 46.Ne6+!+- “Upon returning home

my trainer and I had only to investigate the subtleties of this

rather simple analysis. We began to play through the game and in

the process of analysis we simultaneously we discovered that Black

could have forced his win on his 34th move. There was nothing to

say and we didn’t sleep a wink the whole night.”]

<hr />

<h5><a name=”RTFToC34″ id=”RTFToC34″>Game 4: Gligoric,S – Tal,M

[A78] Yugoslavia ct Yugoslavia ct (4), 1959</a></h5>

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3

Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Nd2 Na6 11.Rb1 Bd7 12.Re1 Rb8 13.b3 b5

14.Bb2 Nc7 15.Qc2 Qe7 16.Nd1 Bh6 17.f3 Nh5 18.Nf1 Nxd5 19.exd5 Bf5

20.Qc3 Bg7 21.Qc1 Bxb1 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Qxb1 Nf4 24.Nfe3

Qe5

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/tx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”4″ src=”/wp/chessx/brd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”r”

src=”/wp/chessx/brl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”0″ src=

“/wp/chessx/bpd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=”i”

src=”/wp/chessx/bkd.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=

“|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”0″ src=”/wp/chessx/bpd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”p”

src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=”0″

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<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

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src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”P” src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”H”

src=”/wp/chessx/wnd.gif” /><img alt=”P” src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=

“+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=

“|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”P” src=

“/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”B”

src=”/wp/chessx/wbl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”P”

src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=

“|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”Q” src=”/wp/chessx/wql.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”N” src=”/wp/chessx/wnl.gif” /><img alt=”$”

src=”/wp/chessx/wrd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”I”

src=”/wp/chessx/wkd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/bx.gif” />

Black has a small advantage, difficult to exploit with regular

means against an opponent with such a clear logical head.

25.Bxb5 Rxb5 26.Nf5+ gxf5!? Tal chooses a sharp

hazardous continuation, probably not the strongest but Gligoric

became confused, thought for a long while, got into time trouble,

made serious mistakes and lost.

[26…Qxf5 27.Qxf5 gxf5 28.Rxe8

Nxd5[[threesuperior]]]

27.Rxe5 Rxe5 28.g3 Ne2+ 29.Kf2 Kg8

30.Ne3?

[30.f4! Re8 31.Qxf5]

30…Nd4 31.f4 Re4 32.g4!? Rxf4+ 33.Kg2 fxg4-+

34.Nc4 Nf3 35.Qc1 Rf6 36.Qe3 Kf8 37.Qe4 Rb8 38.Qxh7 Re8 39.Qh8+ Ke7

40.Qg7 Nh4+ 41.Kg1 Nf3+ 42.Kg2 Rg6 43.Qc3 Nd4 44.b4 Kf8 45.Ne3 g3

46.h3 Rf6 0-1

<hr />

<h5><a name=”RTFToC35″ id=”RTFToC35″>Game 5: Blackstock,L – Webb,S

[C09] Borehamwood, 1977</a></h5>

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd6

7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.0-0 Nge7 9.Nb3 Bb6 10.Re1 0-0 11.Be3 Bf5 12.c3

Be4

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/tx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”r” src=

“/wp/chessx/brl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”1″ src=”/wp/chessx/bqd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”4″ src=”/wp/chessx/brd.gif” /><img alt=”k”

src=”/wp/chessx/bkl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”0″ src=

“/wp/chessx/bpd.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”h”

src=”/wp/chessx/bnd.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=

“0” src=”/wp/chessx/bpd.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=

“/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”g” src=”/wp/chessx/bbd.gif” /><img alt=”n”

src=”/wp/chessx/bnl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”B” src=”/wp/chessx/wbl.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

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src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”P” src=

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src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

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src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=

“|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”$” src=

“/wp/chessx/wrd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”Q” src=”/wp/chessx/wql.gif” /><img alt=”$”

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src=”/wp/chessx/wkd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/bx.gif” />

“A non-forcing position: there is little to choose between several

moves, and Black has such a wide choice of moves that it’s

impossible to analyse definite lines.”

  “White thought for about half-an-hour here”.

13.Bxb6 Qxb6 14.Nfd4

  “Again this took him a while – re-thinking what he’d

thought about on the previous move.”

14…Nxd4 15.Nxd4 Nc6

[15…a6 16.f3]

16.Bxc6= bxc6 17.Qb3 Qc7

  “It’s better to keep the Queens on anyway, but this is

also leaves White without a clear plan.”

  “White has used about on hour of his 1 hour 45 to reach

move 48″.

18.Qa3 c5 19.Nb3 Rac8 20.Re2

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/tx.gif” /> 

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“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”r” src=

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src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

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src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”!” src=

“/wp/chessx/wqd.gif” /><img alt=”N” src=”/wp/chessx/wnl.gif” /><img alt=”)”

src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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“/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”R”

src=”/wp/chessx/wrl.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=

“P” src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=

“/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”$” src=

“/wp/chessx/wrd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”I”

src=”/wp/chessx/wkd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/bx.gif” />

“It’s still very difficult for White to decide what he should be

doing, e.g. which file for which Rook? There’s not much to choose

between them, but it gives him a nice harmless way of using up

time.”

20…Bf5! 21.Rae1 Be6

  “Good all round: securing the d-Pawn and prolonging the

position where White can’t decide what to do.”

22.Rd2 h6!

  “Continuing to do nothing until he gets really short of

time… but a move like …Kh8 would have been a bit obvious!”

23.Red1 Rfd8 24.h3

  “Les now has about 1 minute left for 24 moves, is

concentrating hard, and is ready to meet ‘nothing’ moves with

‘nothing’ replies – so now is the time to start doing

something.”

24…Rd6 25.Qa4 Rb6 26.Nc1 Qb7

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/tx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”r” src=

“/wp/chessx/brl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”k”

src=”/wp/chessx/bkl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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“/wp/chessx/bpd.gif” /><img alt=”q” src=”/wp/chessx/bql.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=”0″

src=”/wp/chessx/bpd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”4″ src=”/wp/chessx/brd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”b”

src=”/wp/chessx/bbl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”0″ src=”/wp/chessx/bpd.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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“/wp/chessx/wql.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=

“/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”P” src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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“/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”$” src=”/wp/chessx/wrd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”P”

src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”H” src=

“/wp/chessx/wnd.gif” /><img alt=”R” src=”/wp/chessx/wrl.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”I”

src=”/wp/chessx/wkd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/bx.gif” />

27.b3? d4! 28.cxd4?

  With more time White might have found a better move. But

if he had played a better move here, Black had planned 28…Bxh3!

“which is impossible to meet with less than a minute for 20

moves”.

[28.b4!? dxc3 29.Rd8+ Rxd8 30.Rxd8+ Kh7 31.Qc2+ g6

32.Qxc3;

28.Qa3!?]

28…Ra6 0-1

<hr />

<h5><a name=”RTFToC36″ id=”RTFToC36″>Game 6: Tal, Mikhail,

Bronstein, David, Baku ch-SU, 1961</a></h5>

1.e4{0m}d5{2m}2.exd5{0m}Nf6{0m}3.c4

{3m}c6{2m}4.d4{0m}cxd5{0m}5.Nc3

{0m}g6{10m}6.Qb3{2m}Bg7{1m}7.cxd5

{0m}O-O{2m}8.Nf3{11m}Nbd7{3m}9.Bg5

{1m}Nb6{3m}10.Bc4{4m}Bf5{5m}11.Rd1

{10m} Ne4! {16m} 12. O-O {11m}

Nxc3 {22m} 13. bxc3

{0m}Rc8{2m}14.Bb5{4m}h6!{8m}15.Bh4

{8m}g5!{5m}16.Bg3{0m}Qxd5{1m}17.Qb4

{0m}Bg4{4m}18.Rfe1{19m}Bxf3{5m}19.gxf3

{0m} e6! {2m

  “Probably the winning move” – DB}

 

20.Bd3{6m}Qxf3{4m}21.Rd2{28m}Rfd8{10m}22.Re3{18m}Qc6{1m}23.Bb5{0m}Qd5{1m}24.

Rde2 {15m} Nc4 {10m} 25.

Bxc4 {0m} Rxc4 {0m} 26.

Qb2{0m}Rdc8{2m}27.Be5{3m}Bxe5{2m}28.Rxe5

{0m}Qc6{1m}29.R2e3{5m}b6{5m}30.Qa3

{1m}Rxc3{1m}31.Qxa7{0m}Rxe3{2m}32.Rxe3

{0m}Ra8{2m}33.Rc3{0m}Qe4{0m}34.Qc7

{0m}Rxa2{1m}35.Rc1{0m}Qxd4{1m}36.Qg3

{0m}Kg7{2m}37.h4{0m}Qxh4{5m}38.Qc3+

{0m}Kg6{1m}39.Qd3+{0m}Kh5{0m}40.Qe3

{0m} Ra4 {4m} 0-1

<hr />

<h5><a name=”RTFToC37″ id=”RTFToC37″>Game 7: Botvinnik,M (2500) –

Tal,M [E69] WM Moskau, 1960</a></h5>

1.c4 (0h:00) 1…Nf6 (0h:02)

2.Nf3 (0h:03) 2…g6 (0h:03)

3.g3 (0h:06) 3…Bg7 (0h:03)

4.Bg2 (0h:06)4…0-0 (0h:04)

5.d4 (0h:08) 5…d6 (0h:04)

6.Nc3 (0h:09) 6…Nbd7 (0h:04)

7.0-0 (0h:10) 7…e5 (0h:05)

8.e4 (0h:10) 8…c6 (0h:05)

9.h3 (0h:11)9…Qb6 (0h:06)

10.d5 (0h:15) 10…cxd5 (0h:08)

11.cxd5 (0h:16) 11…Nc5 (0h:09)

12.Ne1 (0h:20) 12…Bd7 (0h:13)

13.Nd3 (0h:30) 13…Nxd3 (0h:16)

14.Qxd3 (0h:30) 14…Rfc8 (0h:32)

15.Rb1 (0h:50) 15…Nh5 (0h:41)

16.Be3 (0h:53) 16…Qb4 (0h:41)

17.Qe2 (0h:59) 17…Rc4 (0h:50)

18.Rfc1 (1h:08) 18…Rac8 (1h:06)

19.Kh2 (1h:14) 19…f5 (1h:17)

20.exf5 (1h:16) 20…Bxf5 (1h:18)

21.Ra1 (1h:17) 21…Nf4 (1h:23)

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/tx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”r” src=

“/wp/chessx/brl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”k”

src=”/wp/chessx/bkl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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“/wp/chessx/bpd.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”g”

src=”/wp/chessx/bbd.gif” /><img alt=”p” src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=

“|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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src=”/wp/chessx/bpl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

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“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”P” src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”0″

src=”/wp/chessx/bpd.gif” /><img alt=”b” src=”/wp/chessx/bbl.gif” /><img alt=

“+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=

“|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=

“/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”1″ src=”/wp/chessx/bqd.gif” /><img alt=”r”

src=”/wp/chessx/brl.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”h” src=”/wp/chessx/bnd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=

“/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”H” src=

“/wp/chessx/wnd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”G”

src=”/wp/chessx/wbd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”)”

src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”P” src=”/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=

“|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”P” src=

“/wp/chessx/wpl.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=”.”

src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+” src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”Q”

src=”/wp/chessx/wql.gif” /><img alt=”)” src=”/wp/chessx/wpd.gif” /><img alt=

“B” src=”/wp/chessx/wbl.gif” /><img alt=”I” src=

“/wp/chessx/wkd.gif” /><img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”|” src=”/wp/chessx/lx.gif” /><img alt=”$” src=

“/wp/chessx/wrd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”$”

src=”/wp/chessx/wrd.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”+”

src=”/wp/chessx/b.gif” /><img alt=”.” src=”/wp/chessx/w.gif” /><img alt=”|”

src=”/wp/chessx/rx.gif” /> 

<img alt=”+—————–+” src=”/wp/chessx/bx.gif” />

22.gxf4 (1h:26) 22…exf4 (1h:23)

23.Bd2 (1h:36)23…Qxb2 (1h:37)

24.Rab1 (1h:40) 24…f3 (1h:41)

25.Rxb2 (2h:01) 25…fxe2 (1h:41)

26.Rb3 (2h:02) 26…Rd4 (1h:43)

27.Be1 (2h:08) 27…Be5+ (1h:45)

28.Kg1 (2h:08) 28…Bf4 (1h:46)

29.Nxe2 (2h:14) 29…Rxc1 (1h:46)

30.Nxd4 (2h:17) 30…Rxe1+

(1h:46) 31.Bf1 (2h:17) 31…Be4

(1h:49) 32.Ne2 (2h:21) 32…Be5

(1h:51) 33.f4 (2h:22) 33…Bf6

(1h:53) 34.Rxb7 (2h:24) 34…Bxd5

(1h:53) 35.Rc7 (2h:24) 35…Bxa2

(1h:54) 36.Rxa7 (2h:26) 36…Bc4

(1h:55) 37.Ra8+ (2h:27) 37…Kf7

(1h:56) 38.Ra7+ (2h:28) 38…Ke6

(1h:56) 39.Ra3 (2h:29) 39…d5

(2h:05) 40.Kf2 (2h:29) 40…Bh4+

(2h:06) 41.Kg2 (2h:29) 41…Kd6

(2h:07) 42.Ng3 (2h:35) 42…Bxg3

(2h:07) 43.Bxc4 (2h:36) 43…dxc4

(2h:07) 44.Kxg3 (2h:36) 44…Kd5

(2h:08) 45.Ra7 (2h:40) 45…c3

(2h:12) 46.Rc7 (2h:42) 46…Kd4

(2h:13) 0-1</li></ul>
C2. Tal-Bronstein 1960 (Game 6)
C3. Botvinnik-Tal 1960 (Game 7)
D. References
B. Time trouble

Time trouble is time pressure that you cannot bear or want to be
rid of: different players have different views about what is
tolerable. The Grandmaster and psychologist Krogius gives a horror
show of time trouble examples in his book on chess psychology. He
classifies the examples as follows:

B1. Causes of time
trouble

Inadequate theoretical
preparation

Cures: better theoretical preparation (duh) but also
improved experience: with more experience of different types of
position you will have improved general assessment/intuition. It is
an unrealistic goal to set yourself to be able to play any type of
position, but if you have a weakness, work on it.

On the other hand it is not a complete cure: Bronstein
has encyclopaedic knowledge, wonderful intuition… and a marked
time trouble habit.

Inadequate practical
preparation

Cures: more practice, practice at speed chess

A genuinely complicated
game

“This is ‘normal’ time trouble and I have no intention of
giving it up.” – Botvinnik.

There is no doubt that some good players are prepared to
put in a good half-hour or so in the early middlegame in the belief
that the position deserves it and the expectation that it will be
rewarded by an easier – maybe winning – game later.

I remember when Kramnik beat Kasparov on the Black side
of a Semi-Slav he criticised Kasparov for making a move after only
quarter of an hour or so. He said that this was too fast, and that
he would have taken what the position deserved – “maybe one
hour“(!).

Conscious entry into time
trouble

In order to upset the normal run of events. – See Game 1.

Doubts concerning
analysis

“Do not search for objectively the best move because frequently
there is no such move. In most cases it is simply a matter of taste
– simply look for a good move!” – Spielmann

In a complex position, do not always try to resolve it
tactically, but maybe just play a good positional move.
(Nimzovitch)

Cure: Have confidence in your own judgement and
ability, at least the courage to learn from any mistake you might
be making.

Doubts linked to own
style

In World Championship matches Botvinnik very often fell into time
trouble in complex, dynamic positions conjured up by those wizards
of the chessboard, Bronstein and Tal. Bronstein’s time trouble, by
contrast, was in relatively simple positions where Botvinnik had a
small – maybe insignificant – positional advantage.

Cure: Go for positions you feel at home in; study
positions you need to feel at home in.

Doubts linked to opponent’s
style

e.g. against opponent who has a large plus score against you.

Cure: win a game…!

Doubts linked to importance of
the game

e.g. this move is too important, I must be 110% sure…

Cure: put such thoughts aside if you can; play the
board.

Doubts linked to previous
course of the game

e.g. I should have won earlier: see Game 2

Cure: think about the position in front of
you!

Doubts linked to own
experience

e.g. a little knowledge dangerously distracting you from your own
judgement

Cure: Have confidence in your own judgement and
ability, at least the courage to learn from any mistake you might
be making.

B2. Effects of time
trouble

Failure to react to changes in
the position
Inclination towards obvious
moves

Cure: Think if you can for a moment longer, try not to get
in a rut of thinking.

Seeking exchanges
Postponing decisions
Playing safe and solid
moves
Reliance on constant elements of
the position

e.g grabbing back material too soon

Cure: To combat all of these tendencies, try to
play the move that you think best meets the requirements of the
position, not the requirements of your nerves.

Less strategy, more
tactics

Cure: You do need to check for concrete traps, but as Nimzo
says, you can sometimes short-circuit analysis of variations by a
good positional move. This is appropriate even in quickplay
finishes where you do not want to prolong the game.

Temptation to blitz the
time-troubled opponent

Game 3: “I made the last move instantaneously – as if seized by
the time pressure of my opponent. I had formerly seen that I would
win the exchange, but I had but to think a little; then I would
have come up with the absolutely correct idea: the other Rook must
go to c8 (winning the exchange but keeping the b7 Pawn.)” –
TAL

[“Here it is: the hypnotic power of ‘natural’
moves!” – Krogius]

“It could be noticed from my opponent’s expression
that he had been rather surprised by the unexpected turn of events,
but in spite of intense time pressure he successfully responded to
the reversal of the conditions and immediately found the best
continuation.” – Tal

Cure:

“Instead, thoroughly analyse a plan several moves
deep and play the moves rapidly” – Krogius

“Set a trap and play the moves rapidly.” –
Webb

It is even possible to use your opponent’s propensity to
time trouble: see Games 4 and 5

B3. Treatment of time
trouble

“Time trouble is a completely surmountable difficulty… not
only (through) training in chess technique, but chiefly with
psychological training.” – Krogius

Self-control is often a key to success in chess.

Follow the principal rules about chess thinking: what is
my opponent’s idea?

Diagnose your own causes of time trouble, and make a
conscious attempt to develop your decisions and resilience in those
circumstances.

Use your opponent’s time: work out a provisional reply
for each move, and use your opponent’s time for looking at the
clock

Botvinnik recommends playing training games where what
you are trying to improve is use of time – making it more even or
at least more appropriate to the position. He says that 90% of time
trouble addicts can be cured using this method, although Averbakh
adds “if so, then it seems I am among the remaining 10%… and
perhaps so is the author of the method…”

C. Time management

You do see a variety of strategies for the use of time in club
play: players who routinely use too much or too little time,
players who have a marked “stop-go” cycle, and players who seem to
be just haphazard in their use of time.

Undoubtedly you can’t comment on this without respect to
the position, but it is worth reflecting on your own patterns of
chess play. I have routinely marked the times taken by myself and
my opponent for years – a minor additional distraction and I have
found it valuable food for thought. I believe it has led to me
making better use of the clock, which is to say, to use time when I
need to use it, and get on with it when I don’t.

There are marked differences in the way people use the
clock, but I might be permitted a general observation or two:

Better players use more of their time than
worse ones. Moral: chess is hard, and the longer you
think the better, provided you have something to think with – that
is, you have an understanding of that type of position and have
ideas about the issues at stake.

Better players think when they are supposed
to: that is, when there is something to think about –
as opposed to just dithering in a level position. They are better
at judging the critical moments and turning points of a game, so
that when they are short of time later, the moves may be easy to
find because the game is decided by that point.

Here are a few natural histories of the chess clock:

C1. Regis, Hampton, 1993 (Game
2)

White’s total elapsed time is shown above, and Black’s
below; control at 40 moves in 100 minutes. White lost on time at
move 39.

This is the only game I have ever lost on time, and some
of the reasons are to be found in the notes. It was quite in
Krogius’ class of doubts linked to the earlier course
of the game.

But on the graph you can also see some interesting
features of the use of time: Black having some periods of slow
play, followed by fast play, whereas White’s use is much more even
– however, White was unable to speed up at the end of the game when
approaching the time control. It may be the ideal style is more
even than Black’s and less even than White’s!

C2. Tal-Bronstein 1960 (Game
6)

This chart shows the time taken for each move rather
than total time, and is taken from the Furstenburg/Bronstein title
“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice“. White above the line
and Black below. Who won?

“…Tal played the first seven moves with great
confidence, accepting my Pawn sacrifice. With his next five moves
he tried to justify his decision.”

“With hindsight one can see that from moves 18 to 24
Tal used a lot of time, trying to reduce the pressure of the Black
pieces, but it was in vain. It would have been better to use this
amount of time, about one hour, to play the opening more
carefully.”

“This is only one example and the reader who is
interested in this aspect of chess should start recording times; it
might well be that his chess improves immediately.”

C3. Botvinnik-Tal 1960 (Game
7)

Move by move, with notes by Tal:

W13: “The text move is the most precise, but the time
spent in thinking about it proved that Botvinnik had not played
competitively for some time. Why was it necessary to waste ten
minutes out of an allotted two and one-half hours to play the most
evident and surely the strongest continuation of the previous
move?”

B14: “Black took a long time to choose which plan he
would use in the middle game.”

B18: “A rather long think for this move – sixteen
minutes. Black was calculating whether or not he should temporarily
pass on his idea and carry it our later.”

B23: “It is interesting that Black spent fifteen minutes
thinking about the move that immediately followed the piece
sacrifice. … This is but a confirmation, if it can be
expressed this way, of an intuitive sacrifice, a confirmation of
the fact that Black did not calculate all of the variations
beginning with the sacrifice and ending with mate.”

B28: “(After disturbance by spectators) I consciously
chose the less strong but safer continuation.”

B36: “Beginning with the 26th move, Black has been
playing lightning chess.”

B41: “Forty moves had been made but the opponents
remained in their places. Obviously, Botvinnik considered that
since Black was playing at such a rapid speed, he must have made a
mistake somewhere, and as for me, I was still full of energy.”

D. References

FURSTENBURG/BRONSTEIN – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

KROGIUS – Psychology in Chess.

TAL – Tal-Botvinnik 1960: Match for the World
Championship 1960.

WEBB – Chess For Tigers.

Game 1: (59) Korchnoi – Suetin
[C83] Moscow (XXVII USSR Ch.), 1960

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5
7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Qe2 Be7 10.c3 0-0 11.Nd4 Qd7 12.f3 Nc5 13.Bc2
f6 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.Nxe6 Qxe6 16.Qxe6+ Nxe6 17.Bb3 Rad8 18.Rd1 Ne7
19.Nd2 Kf7 20.Rf1 c5u

Suetin has gained the advantage and steadily increases the
pressure. Korchnoi was able to divert his opponent from the
measured tempo if his play only by provoking his own time
trouble.

21.f4 c4 22.Bd1 Nc6 23.Nf3 d4 24.Ng5+ Bxg5
25.fxg5+ Ke7 26.Re1 Kd6 27.cxd4 Nexd4 28.Bd2 Rde8 29.Rc1 Kd5 30.b3
Rxe1+ 31.Bxe1 Ne5 32.bxc4+ bxc4 33.Rb1 Rc8 34.Bc3 Nb5 35.Ba1 c3
36.a4 Nd6 37.Bb3+ Ke4 38.Re1+ Kf5 39.Bc2+ Ke6 40.Bb3+ Kf5 41.Bc2+
Ke6 42.Re3 Ndc4 43.Rxc3 Rd8 44.h3 g6 45.Bb3 Kf5 46.Kh2 Rc8 47.Rc2
Rc6 48.Re2 Rb6 49.Bc2+ Ke6 50.Bd4 Rd6 51.Bc3 Rb6 52.Kg3 Kd5 53.Kf4
Nc6 54.Re1 Rb7 55.Be4+ Kc5 56.Rc1 Rb3 57.Bg7 Nb4 58.Bf8+ Kd4
59.Rd1+ Nd3+ 60.Rxd3+ Rxd3 61.Bg7+ 1-0

Suetin incorrectly believed that he had the chance of an
early win, began to hurry, committed some serious errors and
lost.This game decided first place in the championship.

Game 2: Regis,D (1935) –
Hampton,M (1900) [E91]

Clock control: Devon vs. Wilts devon vs. wilts, 1993

1.e4 0m 1…g6 0m 2.d4 1m 2…Bg7 0m 3.c4
1m

Black was visibly upset by this move.

I know from playing the Modern myself that few 1. e4
players will transfer to a Queen’s-side opening, but that’s always
been where my heart is.

3…d6 1m 4.Nc3 1m
4…Nf6 2mThe game is now more or less a King’s
Indian… [4…Nc6 Keeps in independent ‘Modern’
lines.]

5.Be2 2m 5…0-0 2m
6.Nf3 2m 6…c5 6m

…or a Benoni. [6…e5 is the King’s
Indian]

7.d5 5m 7…Bg4 10m
8.Nd2 6mOver-eager.In any event, Black now starts
a phase of thinking for a long while over his moves.

[8.Ng1 Bxe2 9.Ngxe2]

8…Bxe2 14m 9.Qxe2 8m
9…Nfd7 14m 10.0-0 10m
10…Na6 15m 11.f4 11m
11…Qa5 30m 12.Nf3 15m

I was feeling quite pleased here: that I had both a chess
and a psychological initiative out of the opening. I don’t think I
have played Benonis any more often than my opponent but have looked
at this type of position and felt at ease with it.
12…Nc7 36m

[12…Bxc3 13.bxc3 Qxc3 14.Bb2 Qa5 15.e5]

13.e5 20m 13…a6 44m
14.Bd2 23m 14…Qb6 45m
15.e6 29m looks good but perhaps I was not
sufficiently developed for this…

[15.b3]

15…fxe6 46m 16.dxe6
29m 16…Nf6 47m

Black now has another long thinking phase, which leaves
him in time trouble for the rest of the game.
17.Ng5 35m

[17.Rae1 or 17 b3 17…Qxb2 18.Rb1 Qc2 19.Rxb7 Nfe8
20.Rc1 Qf5 21.Nd5]

17…d5 51m 18.cxd5 35m
18…Nfxd5 53m 19.Qf3 42m
19…Nxc3 68m 20.Bxc3 43m
20…Bxc3 75m 21.bxc3 46m
[21.Qxc3 Rf6 22.Qh3 h5 23.f5 c4+ 24.Kh1 Raf8 25.Nf7]
21…c4+ 83m 22.Kh1 46m
22…h6 84m 23.Nf7 56m
23…Nxe6 87m [23…Kg7 24.f5]
24.Nxh6+ 58m 24…Kh7 88m
25.f5 63m

[25.Qh3 Nxf4 26.Rxf4 Rxf4 27.Nf7+ (27.Re1 Kg7 28.Ng4
Rf7 29.Qh6+ Kg8-+;

27.Nf5+ Kg8 28.Nxe7+ Kg7 29.Nd5 Qb2 30.Rd1u)
27…Kg8 28.Qh8+ Kxf7[[threesuperior]] 29.Qxa8]

25…Kxh6 91m 26.Qh3+
64m 26…Kg7 91m 27.fxe6 ?m saves
the pawn but now Black has a strong initiative.

White now starts to consume time in great forkfuls: I
remember finding it very hard to forget the earlier part of the
game where I thought I had done enough to win, and couldn’t get on
and defend.

27…Rxf1+ m 28.Rxf1 ?m
28…Rf8 m 29.Rg1 79m [29.Re1
Qf2] 29…Rf2 93m 30.Qh4 81m
30…Qc5 95m 31.a4 83m
31…b5 96m 32.a5 84m which made
me think …b5 was wrong 32…Re2 97m
33.Re1 91m 33…Rf2 m
34.h3 93m 34…Rf6 m
35.Qe4 96m 35…Qf2 m
36.Rg1 ?m [36.Qe5 Qf5]
36…Qf5 m 37.Qb7 ?m
37…Rxe6 m 38.Rd1 ?m
38…Qe5 m 39.Qd7 ?m
39…Qe2 m White lost on time; I
had even put 36…Qf5 down as a White move and was one out!
[39…Qe2 40.Qd4+] 0-1

Game 3: Botvinnik ,M – Tal ,M
[E10]: Match, Moscow (Russia) Match, Moscow (Russia) (8),
1960

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7
7.Bg5 0-0 8.e3 Re8 9.Nd2 d6 10.Be2 a6 11.a4 Nbd7 12.0-0 Qc7 13.Qc2
Nb6 14.Bf3 c4 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.a5 Nd7 17.Nce4 Be5 18.Qxc4 Qd8 19.Qa2
f5 20.Nc3 g5 21.Nc4 g4 22.Be2 Qf6 23.Na4 Kh8 24.g3 h5 25.f4 Bd4
26.Qa3 Rb8 27.Nab6 h4 28.Rad1 Bxb6 29.axb6 Nc5 30.gxh4 Bd7 31.Qc3
Qxc3 32.bxc3 Bb5 33.Rfe1 Ne4

34.Rc1 Rbc8?? “I made the last move
instantaneously – as if seized by the time pressure of my opponent.
I had formerly seen that I would win the exchange, but I had but to
think a little; then I would have come up with the absolutely
correct idea: the other Rook must go to c8 (winning the exchange
but keeping the b7 Pawn).” – TAL

[“Here it is: the hypnotic power of ‘natural’ moves!” –
Krogius]

[34…Rec8]

35.Na5 Bxe2 36.Rxe2 Nxc3 “It could
be noticed from my opponent’s expression that he had been rather
surprised by the unexpected turn of events, but in spite of intense
time pressure he successfully responded to the reversal of the
conditions and immediately found the best continuation.” – Tal
37.Rxc3!

[37.Ree1 Ne2+]

37…Rxc3 38.Nxb7 “Black decided he
still had chances to win…” – Tal
38…Rcxe3

[38…Rexe3 is given in some sources]

39.Rxe3 Rxe3 40.Nxd6 Rd3?

“Adjourned. At first I was extremely optimistic…” –
Tal

[40…Kg8 “was better, but Black was under the
erroneous impression that all was in order“]

41.Nf7+ (sealed) “I immediately
resigned.” 1-0

[41.b7 “during the game I was convinced that this
guaranteed a win for Black” 41…Rb3 42.Nf7+ Kh7! 43.Nd8 a5
44.d6 a4 45.d7 a3 46.Ne6 a2-+;

41.Nf7+! Kg7 but now (41…Kh7? 42.d6!) 42.b7
Rb3 43.Nd8 a5 44.d6 a4 45.d7 a3 46.Ne6+!+- “Upon returning home
my trainer and I had only to investigate the subtleties of this
rather simple analysis. We began to play through the game and in
the process of analysis we simultaneously we discovered that Black
could have forced his win on his 34th move. There was nothing to
say and we didn’t sleep a wink the whole night.”]

Game 4: Gligoric,S – Tal,M
[A78] Yugoslavia ct Yugoslavia ct (4), 1959

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3
Bg7 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Nd2 Na6 11.Rb1 Bd7 12.Re1 Rb8 13.b3 b5
14.Bb2 Nc7 15.Qc2 Qe7 16.Nd1 Bh6 17.f3 Nh5 18.Nf1 Nxd5 19.exd5 Bf5
20.Qc3 Bg7 21.Qc1 Bxb1 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Qxb1 Nf4 24.Nfe3
Qe5

Black has a small advantage, difficult to exploit with regular
means against an opponent with such a clear logical head.
25.Bxb5 Rxb5 26.Nf5+ gxf5!? Tal chooses a sharp
hazardous continuation, probably not the strongest but Gligoric
became confused, thought for a long while, got into time trouble,
made serious mistakes and lost.

[26…Qxf5 27.Qxf5 gxf5 28.Rxe8
Nxd5[[threesuperior]]]

27.Rxe5 Rxe5 28.g3 Ne2+ 29.Kf2 Kg8
30.Ne3?

[30.f4! Re8 31.Qxf5]

30…Nd4 31.f4 Re4 32.g4!? Rxf4+ 33.Kg2 fxg4-+
34.Nc4 Nf3 35.Qc1 Rf6 36.Qe3 Kf8 37.Qe4 Rb8 38.Qxh7 Re8 39.Qh8+ Ke7
40.Qg7 Nh4+ 41.Kg1 Nf3+ 42.Kg2 Rg6 43.Qc3 Nd4 44.b4 Kf8 45.Ne3 g3
46.h3 Rf6 0-1

Game 5: Blackstock,L – Webb,S
[C09] Borehamwood, 1977

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd6
7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.0-0 Nge7 9.Nb3 Bb6 10.Re1 0-0 11.Be3 Bf5 12.c3
Be4

“A non-forcing position: there is little to choose between several
moves, and Black has such a wide choice of moves that it’s
impossible to analyse definite lines.”

“White thought for about half-an-hour here”.

13.Bxb6 Qxb6 14.Nfd4

“Again this took him a while – re-thinking what he’d
thought about on the previous move.”

14…Nxd4 15.Nxd4 Nc6

[15…a6 16.f3]

16.Bxc6= bxc6 17.Qb3 Qc7

“It’s better to keep the Queens on anyway, but this is
also leaves White without a clear plan.”

“White has used about on hour of his 1 hour 45 to reach
move 48”.

18.Qa3 c5 19.Nb3 Rac8 20.Re2

“It’s still very difficult for White to decide what he should be
doing, e.g. which file for which Rook? There’s not much to choose
between them, but it gives him a nice harmless way of using up
time.”

20…Bf5! 21.Rae1 Be6

“Good all round: securing the d-Pawn and prolonging the
position where White can’t decide what to do.”

22.Rd2 h6!

“Continuing to do nothing until he gets really short of
time… but a move like …Kh8 would have been a bit obvious!”

23.Red1 Rfd8 24.h3

“Les now has about 1 minute left for 24 moves, is
concentrating hard, and is ready to meet ‘nothing’ moves with
‘nothing’ replies – so now is the time to start doing
something.”

24…Rd6 25.Qa4 Rb6 26.Nc1 Qb7

27.b3? d4! 28.cxd4?

With more time White might have found a better move. But
if he had played a better move here, Black had planned 28…Bxh3!
“which is impossible to meet with less than a minute for 20
moves”.

[28.b4!? dxc3 29.Rd8+ Rxd8 30.Rxd8+ Kh7 31.Qc2+ g6
32.Qxc3;

28.Qa3!?]

28…Ra6 0-1

Game 6: Tal, Mikhail,
Bronstein, David, Baku ch-SU, 1961

1.e4{0m}d5{2m}2.exd5{0m}Nf6{0m}3.c4
{3m}c6{2m}4.d4{0m}cxd5{0m}5.Nc3
{0m}g6{10m}6.Qb3{2m}Bg7{1m}7.cxd5
{0m}O-O{2m}8.Nf3{11m}Nbd7{3m}9.Bg5
{1m}Nb6{3m}10.Bc4{4m}Bf5{5m}11.Rd1
{10m} Ne4! {16m} 12. O-O {11m}
Nxc3 {22m} 13. bxc3
{0m}Rc8{2m}14.Bb5{4m}h6!{8m}15.Bh4
{8m}g5!{5m}16.Bg3{0m}Qxd5{1m}17.Qb4
{0m}Bg4{4m}18.Rfe1{19m}Bxf3{5m}19.gxf3
{0m} e6! {2m

“Probably the winning move” – DB}

20.Bd3{6m}Qxf3{4m}21.Rd2{28m}Rfd8{10m}22.Re3{18m}Qc6{1m}23.Bb5{0m}Qd5{1m}24.
Rde2 {15m} Nc4 {10m} 25.
Bxc4 {0m} Rxc4 {0m} 26.
Qb2{0m}Rdc8{2m}27.Be5{3m}Bxe5{2m}28.Rxe5
{0m}Qc6{1m}29.R2e3{5m}b6{5m}30.Qa3
{1m}Rxc3{1m}31.Qxa7{0m}Rxe3{2m}32.Rxe3
{0m}Ra8{2m}33.Rc3{0m}Qe4{0m}34.Qc7
{0m}Rxa2{1m}35.Rc1{0m}Qxd4{1m}36.Qg3
{0m}Kg7{2m}37.h4{0m}Qxh4{5m}38.Qc3+
{0m}Kg6{1m}39.Qd3+{0m}Kh5{0m}40.Qe3
{0m} Ra4 {4m} 0-1

Game 7: Botvinnik,M (2500) –
Tal,M [E69] WM Moskau, 1960

1.c4 (0h:00) 1…Nf6 (0h:02)
2.Nf3 (0h:03) 2…g6 (0h:03)
3.g3 (0h:06) 3…Bg7 (0h:03)
4.Bg2 (0h:06)4…0-0 (0h:04)
5.d4 (0h:08) 5…d6 (0h:04)
6.Nc3 (0h:09) 6…Nbd7 (0h:04)
7.0-0 (0h:10) 7…e5 (0h:05)
8.e4 (0h:10) 8…c6 (0h:05)
9.h3 (0h:11)9…Qb6 (0h:06)
10.d5 (0h:15) 10…cxd5 (0h:08)
11.cxd5 (0h:16) 11…Nc5 (0h:09)
12.Ne1 (0h:20) 12…Bd7 (0h:13)
13.Nd3 (0h:30) 13…Nxd3 (0h:16)
14.Qxd3 (0h:30) 14…Rfc8 (0h:32)
15.Rb1 (0h:50) 15…Nh5 (0h:41)
16.Be3 (0h:53) 16…Qb4 (0h:41)
17.Qe2 (0h:59) 17…Rc4 (0h:50)
18.Rfc1 (1h:08) 18…Rac8 (1h:06)
19.Kh2 (1h:14) 19…f5 (1h:17)
20.exf5 (1h:16) 20…Bxf5 (1h:18)
21.Ra1 (1h:17) 21…Nf4 (1h:23)

22.gxf4 (1h:26) 22…exf4 (1h:23)
23.Bd2 (1h:36)23…Qxb2 (1h:37)
24.Rab1 (1h:40) 24…f3 (1h:41)
25.Rxb2 (2h:01) 25…fxe2 (1h:41)
26.Rb3 (2h:02) 26…Rd4 (1h:43)
27.Be1 (2h:08) 27…Be5+ (1h:45)
28.Kg1 (2h:08) 28…Bf4 (1h:46)
29.Nxe2 (2h:14) 29…Rxc1 (1h:46)
30.Nxd4 (2h:17) 30…Rxe1+
(1h:46) 31.Bf1 (2h:17) 31…Be4
(1h:49) 32.Ne2 (2h:21) 32…Be5
(1h:51) 33.f4 (2h:22) 33…Bf6
(1h:53) 34.Rxb7 (2h:24) 34…Bxd5
(1h:53) 35.Rc7 (2h:24) 35…Bxa2
(1h:54) 36.Rxa7 (2h:26) 36…Bc4
(1h:55) 37.Ra8+ (2h:27) 37…Kf7
(1h:56) 38.Ra7+ (2h:28) 38…Ke6
(1h:56) 39.Ra3 (2h:29) 39…d5
(2h:05) 40.Kf2 (2h:29) 40…Bh4+
(2h:06) 41.Kg2 (2h:29) 41…Kd6
(2h:07) 42.Ng3 (2h:35) 42…Bxg3
(2h:07) 43.Bxc4 (2h:36) 43…dxc4
(2h:07) 44.Kxg3 (2h:36) 44…Kd5
(2h:08) 45.Ra7 (2h:40) 45…c3
(2h:12) 46.Rc7 (2h:42) 46…Kd4
(2h:13) 0-1

Simple Chess

Posted on February 11, 1998 by DrDave

by Mark Blackmore

The aim of this session is to suggest some simple rules for how to get from 100 grade to the dizzy heights of 150. If applied firmly, I am convinced they will lead to better results without any extra study.

This first game is more or less the opposite of how you ought to model your play: an unattainable standard of mayhem…

Ivanchuk,V – Yusupov,A [E67] (cm 1/4), 1991 [MB]

1.c4 e5 2.g3 d6 3.Bg2 g6 4.d4 Nd7 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Nf3 Ngf6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Qc2 Re8 9.Rd1 c6 10.b3 Qe7 11.Ba3 e4 12.Ng5 e3 13.f4

+-----------------+

13…Nf8 14.b4 Bf5 15.Qb3 h6 16.Nf3 Ng4 17.b5 g5 18.bxc6 bxc6 19.Ne5 gxf4 20.Nxc6 Qg5 21.Bxd6 Ng6 22.Nd5 Qh5 23.h4 Nxh4 24.gxh4 Qxh4 25.Nde7+ Kh8 26.Nxf5 Qh2+

+-----------------+

That’s the first move I’ve expected so far!

27.Kf1 Re6 28.Qb7 Rg6 29.Qxa8+

[29.Bxf4 Qxf4+ 30.Kg1 Qh2+ 31.Kf1 Qh1+ 32.Bxh1 Nh2+ 33.Ke1 Rg1#]

29…Kh7 30.Qg8+ Kxg8 31.Nce7+ Kh7 32.Nxg6 fxg6 33.Nxg7 Nf2 34.Bxf4 Qxf4 35.Ne6 Qh2 36.Rdb1 Nh3 37.Rb7+ Kh8 38.Rb8+ Qxb8 39.Bxh3 Qg3 0-1

Wonderful, exciting chess – but not, I believe, the way to get results. In fact, not even Yusupov believes this is the way to get results – this was actually a quickplay tie-break where nerves count as much as chess. Normally, Yusupov prefers the bear-hug.

Fischer, although very sharp, was also a very strong positional player, achieving good results with apparently straightforward means. As an example, we can cite:

Fischer – Panno, 1970

1.c4, Black resigns

After a solid opening by White, Black found he was unable to organise a defence. This illustrates how you needn’t do anything very complicated to win games, just applying good sense may be enough.

Let’s see that approach at work in a slightly longer game.

Fischer – Spassky WCh [D59] (we (6), 1972 [MB]

1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 0-0 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 b6 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Rc1 Be6 12.Qa4 c5 13.Qa3 Rc8 14.Bb5 a6 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.0-0 Ra7 17.Be2 Nd7 18.Nd4 Qf8

+-----------------+

19.Nxe6 fxe6 20.e4! d4 21.f4 Qe7 22.e5 Rb8 23.Bc4 Kh8 24.Qh3 Nf8 25.b3 a5 26.f5 exf5 27.Rxf5 Nh7 28.Rcf1 Qd8 29.Qg3 Re7 30.h4 Rbb7 31.e6 Rbc7 32.Qe5 Qe8 33.a4 Qd8 34.R1f2 Qe8 35.R2f3 Qd8 36.Bd3 Qe8 37.Qe4 Nf6 38.Rxf6 gxf6 39.Rxf6 Kg8 40.Bc4 Kh8 41.Qf4 1-0

This game makes chess seem so smooth, so easy – even so attainable.

If nothing else it should reinforce the importance of positional sense. Why did Gary Lane beat us all in the Simul., without seeming to do anything remarkable? I think one of the biggest obstacles to good positional play is muddy thinking – and I think there are three rules to avoid muddiness and improve your game.

Blackmore,M – Lane,P [C02] (Exeter Club Ch’p (6)), 1997 [MB]

The three rules of good positional play:

(1) respect your opponent (don’t play for cheapos)

(2) ask yourself: what will the reply be?

(3) think about a move before you make it – not after (Taimanov).

From Game 1 we can add Rule (0): don’t hack!

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Bd3 Rc8 7.a3 f6 8.0-0 fxe5 9.Nxe5 Nf6

Illustrating the importance of rules (1) and (2). Peter was never going to miss the cheapo, so what else would he play?

[9…cxd4 10.cxd4 Nxd4 11.Qh5+]

10.Bg5 c4 11.Bxf6 Qxf6

Rules (1) and (3): White sees an opportunity to prevent Black from castling.

12.Nxd7 Kxd7 13.Bc2 Bd6 14.f4

Rule (2).

14…Kc7

The Black King is perfectly OK here.

15.a4 Rule (2) again:

15…Rcf8 If White was hoping for …a5 he was disappointed.

16.Na3 Rule (2) again: what one-move threat does this move make, and what one-move reply is at least adequate?

16…a6 17.b4 Rule (2): White again is hopeful (…cxb3 e.p.)

17…Bxf4 18.Qg4 Rule (2): does this move really embarrass Black?

18…Be3+ 0-1

Of course, you can argue that I was always going to lose to Pete, but I think my point stands. If I’d followed my own rules, I would at least have put up a better fight.

Ayress – Blackmore,M [C02] (5), 1997

The way to improve, I believe, is to do simple things well. Solid, harmonious moves, emphasising good piece play and good defence, provides the best basis for attacking and can win games just on its own merits. The ability to do this is, I am convinced, the main difference between a 100-grade and a 150-grade player.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.d3 Be7 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nbd2 Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.Nh2 Bxe2 10.Qxe2 d5 11.a3 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.dxe4 Bc5 14.Be3 Qe7 15.Rad1 Rad8 16.Nf3 Kh8 17.Rd2 Rxd2 18.Nxd2 Rd8 19.Kh2 Bxe3 20.Qxe3 Qd7 21.Nb3

+-----------------+

Without trying at all hard, Black has been gained a nice juicy open file. 21…b6 22.f3 a5 23.Rf2 Qd1 24.Nc1 f6 25.Re2 a4 26.Re1 Qd7 27.Re2 Na5 Adding to his collection of advantages. 28.Qf2 h6 29.Qe3 Nc4 30.Qf2 Qd1 31.Na2 c5 32.Rc2 Rd7 33.Kg3

+-----------------+

33…Rd2 34.Rxd2 Nxd2 winning because of the embarrassed White Knight. But it gets better: 35.Kg4 Nxe4 36.Qe3 Qd7+ 37.Kh4 g5+ 38.Kh5 Ng3+ 0-1

Now here I obeyed all the rules and the game fell into my lap. Do the same, along with plenty of practice and you’ll find you’ve picked up a lot of the basic positional stuff Dave keeps banging on about.

I’m convinced your results will improve.

The ideas behind the Modern Defence

Posted on February 6, 1998 by DrDave

+-----------------+

References:

BOTTERILL/KEENE The Modern Defence
(Batsford)

DAVIES The Modern Defence (British
Internet Chess Server, Warwick)

HORT The Modern Defence
(RHM)

NORWOOD Winning with the Modern
(Batsford)

NUNN The Pirc for the Tournament Player
(Batsford)

NUNN The Complete Pirc (Batsford)

NUNN New Ideas in the Pirc
(Batsford)

SOLTIS Black to play and win with 1…g6
(Chess Digest)

The basic idea
behind the Modern Defence:

First Black allows White to set up a Pawn centre.

+-----------------+
(This is the simplest kind of Pawn centre that White can set
up.)

Then Black hits back at it.

+-----------------+

Black’s pieces are all on good squares and Black even has a share
of the centre. White can try and grab more of the centre than this,
but the more White tries to grab, the bigger target you have
got!

This is quite a fun idea and often leads to more
unbalanced battles than boring old 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.
Bc4 Bc5…

[I must add that there are lots of ways to unbalance
the old Italian game (4. c3, 4. b4) and you can always try
something else at move 3 (3. Bb5, 3. d4)]

Good points for Black about the Modern
Defence:

It is unusual and White may not have a clue how to behave
It is difficult and unbalanced and so is a good system to play
for a win with.

Good points for White in the Modern
Defence:

White is given a free hand to set up the centre just as they
like.
White holds the centre so it is much easier for White to get
pieces from one side to the other.
White can use the big centre to attack down the middle of the
board with e4-e5 or f4-f5
Black has weakened the King’s-side and White has a little start
towards a King’s-side attack down the h-file.

Bad points about the Modern Defence:

The Modern Defence is one of the most difficult and awkward
defences played by Grandmasters, and you can often lose games
without ever understanding why you lost.

Juniors and amateurs may have much more fun, and learn
much more about the basics of chess, when playing the familiar open
games beginning 1. e4 e5. One more caution:

Non-governmental
health warning

One of the first times I ever saw the Modern Defence played was in
1980 at the Cambridge Open. Local expert Erik Teichmann had the
Black pieces against an opponent, who, while a strong County
player, was graded far below Erik.

Game 1: Charity,A – Teichmann,E [B09]
(Cambridge Open), 05.1980

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 0-0

+-----------------+

White plays a direct attacking line against Black’s hypermodern
opening.

6.Bd3 Nc6

White breaks in the centre.

7.e5 dxe5 8.dxe5 Nd5 9.Bd2 Nb6 10.0-0
f6

Black shouldn’t open lines on the King’s-side, that’s
just what White wants!

11.exf6 Bxf6 12.Ng5 e6

+-----------------+

White plays a temporary sacrifice: White’s centralised pieces can
attack Black’s King while the Black Queen’s-side pieces cannot get
back to defend.

13.Nxh7! Kxh7 14.Qh5+ (at this point
Erik ceremoniously tore up his score sheet) 14…Kg8
15.Qxg6+ Bg7 16.Qh7+ Kf7 17.Bg6+ Ke7 18.Qxg7+ Kd6 19.Ne4+ Kd5
20.Qc3 Qe7 21.Qb3+ Nc4 22.Qb5+ Kd4 23.Bc3+ (Resigns)

[23.Bc3+ Ke3 24.Rae1#]

1-0

Rather an abrupt game. Now, most of your opponents can’t
play as well as Alec Charity, but if Erik can be blown away using
this defence so can you. What went wrong here? Well, if you think
about it, White’s most basic plan in the opening is:

1. Develop quickly and grab as much of the centre
as you can

2. Use your development and space advantage to
attack the opponent’s King

3. Attack by opening up lines for your better
pieces.

Now, in the Modern Defence Black seems to help White do
all these things! All right, it isn’t quite that simple, but if
White is determined to attack Black it is very difficult to stop it
happening, and there are several sharp White systems which come
very close to delivering mate almost by force. All you need is one
little mistake and Black is finished.

In playing the Modern Defence you are playing a very
risky, dangerous system with rules all of its own. To rub this
point in, I give below a few master games where strong Black
players just get smashed right out of the opening (Hue-Donner,
Hessmer-Haefner, Fischer-Udovcic). You must be aware that this
can happen to you, and what the do’s and don’ts are of these
positions.

Here’s Steve Haataja:

Good lines, in some sense, are ones that your usual
opponents cannot refute. If you are having trouble dealing with
early queen sorties, then your opponents are playing “good lines”
by bringing out the queen early. If handling this situation gives
you trouble, I suggest playing more offhand games against players
who do this, and trying it out some yourself. You will learn how to
deal with such situations by a combination of observing others
handle it and good old trial and error.

Here is a personal example. When I began playing the
Modern Defence, things went pretty well at first. But then I ran
into a fellow at the club who would quickly castle Queen’s-side,
play h2-h4, then h5. The h-file would open up and he’d checkmate me
in maybe fifteen more moves. These were five-minute games, BTW. He
did this to me several times that first night.

It became terribly frustrating. Nobody else attacked
as savagely as he did, and I did fine against less violent
variations. He went so far as to play 1.e4 g6 2.h4 (a slap in the
face) a couple times, with great success. But after about four
weeks of beatings, I finally timed the counter-punch in the centre
correctly (the general principle: counter a flank attack with play
in the centre). His attack lost steam and I won. He soon stopped
single-mindedly playing for checkmate down the h-file as I was
winning every such game. That was one of the best chess lessons I
ever learned. Quickly hitting back in the centre became an
instinctive reaction to the dreaded h2-h4. You can read the
principle 100 times in books, but until you actually experience it
firsthand, it’s just somebody else’s theory. — Steve
Haataja

White Pawn
centres

Classical centre

+-----------------+
This is the most modest centre that White can build up. Black can
easily get a share of the centre with …e7-e5 but that doesn’t do
the Bg7 any good, so Black must also be careful to keep White’s
pieces under control and look for any active play that is going.
It’s actually quite an annoying system to play against! (See
the games Cramling-Yrjola, and Kauranen-Richardson)

Geller
system

+-----------------+
This is another quiet system – White does not bite off more than
can be chewed, and supports the d-Pawn against any pressure from
the Bg7. Black can play …c7-c5 and/or …e7-e5 which may open up
the long dark diagonal again. (See Filip-Bronstein).

Three-Pawn
centre

+-----------------+
This centre takes a little while to set up but is quite solid and
can be dangerous once White gets some pieces behind it. Black must
hit back with moves like …c7- c5 and …e7-e5. (See the games
Stein-Suttles and Byrne-Donner below.)

Pseudo-Austrian
centre

+-----------------+
This is one of the most dangerous systems for White (as we saw
in Charity-Teichmann), and many Black players try to move into
a solid Hippopotamus or Gurgenidze system in response (Games:
Hippopotamus: Barczay-Ivkov, Keres-Navarovsky, Engedal-Davies,
Gurgenidze: Herrera-Garcia)

Pseudo-Samisch
centre

+-----------------+
White can play quietly behind this centre but can also use it to
launch a King’s-side Pawn storm with moves like g2-g4 and h2-h4.
Black must try to keep this storm under control while hitting back
in the centre or on the Queen’s-side.

Averbakh
centre

+-----------------+
White can transfer the weight of the attack to the Queens’-side by
playing c1- c4 before developing the Queen’s Knight. This can be
very like – even become – lines of the King’s Indian Defence
(Games: Korchnoi-Fischer).

Ideas for
Black

Dark square strategy

+-----------------+

This is the most common sort of central counter-attack. Black must
be careful to get the King out of the way before opening up lines
in the centre. (Games: Kauranen-Richardson,
Cramling-Yrjola)

Light square
blockade (Gurgenidze)

+-----------------+

This is a very solid system which Black players often play against
dangerous White systems like the Pseudo-Austrian. Black should aim
to hold things tight on the King’s-side and gradually move into
White’s Queen’s-side.

This is almost a separate opening, and can actually arise
commonly from the Caro-Kann Defence. Below I give several whole
games to give you a feel for this way of playing, and if you want
to take up this strategy, I recommend you play over all of them
(as notes to Herrera-Garcia).

Queen’s-side
attack

+-----------------+

Black hopes to make trouble on the Queen’s-side – either opening a
file or nudging the Knight away from the defence of e4. Black must
be careful though, because White can also try to make use of open
lines there if White has not castled Queen’s-side. But if the White
King is to be found there, the Black Bg7 is already pointing
straight at him!

(Games: Crawley-Hodgson, Nunn-Shirov,
Polajzer-Davies)

Hippopotamus
strategy

+-----------------+

Black can set this arrangement up against more or less any White
system. It is not a strategy in itself, just a way of waiting. It
is very flexible and Black can try to make a break at any point on
the board, but Black can get stuck without any active play because
Black cannot get enough pieces to any one spot on the board. White
can then pick a time and place to break through. So Black cannot
just curl up, but should aim to break up White’s centre with moves
like …c7-c5 (Games: Barczay-Ivkov, Keres-Navarovsky,
Engedal-Davies).

Variations of
the Modern and Pirc Defences

Byrne variation: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3
d6 4. Bg5

White can play with pieces or follow up with f2-f4.

System with Be3: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3
d6 4. Be3

Usually White plays Qd2, maybe with a Samisch-style centre, maybe
not.

System with h3: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6
4. Nf3 Nf6 5. h3 O-O 6. Be37

One idea is to play a sort of classical variation with Bc4.

Classical variation: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3.
Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Be2

A modest system aiming for quick development and a small edge.

Austrian Attack: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3
d6 4. f4

An aggressive line grabbing space in the centre and King’s-side.

Gurgenidze system: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3
c6 4. f4 d5

A blockading line, useful against the Austrian Attack.

Monkey’s Bum: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6
4. Bc4 d6 5. Qf3

An anti-Gurgenidze idea: “If that works, then I’m a Monkey’s
Bum!” (Nunn-Shirov)

System with Bc4: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3
(or 3. Nf3) 3…d6 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. Qe2

White often follows with e4-e5; with early Nf3 White may play
quietly with c3

Geller’s system: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c3 d6
4. Nf3

Another modest system hoping to blot out the Bg7

King Fianchetto variation: 1. e4 g6 2. d4
Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nge2 Nf6 5. g3

A quiet line with slow play: Black can play standard moves.

Three Pawns attack: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c3
d6 4. f4

Another space-grabbing line, but not very good on piece
development.

Variations with an early Be2: 1. e4 g6 2. d4
Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Be2

White intends to follow up with h2-h4 or g2-g4, hoping for an
attack.

Averbakh Variation: 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4
d6

A move towards Queen’s-side openings like the King’s Indian or
Benoni

P.S. The Modern
Defence and related openings.

The Modern Defence is just the fianchetto of the King’s Bishop
while delaying the development of the King’s Knight. If the King’s
Knight is played to f6 early on, we may have transposed into one of
two other openings: the Pirc Defence or the King’s Indian Defence.

The Pirc Defence is usually played with
the move order 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3, which
stops White moving into a Queen’s-side opening with c2-c4. With a
Modern Defence move order White can play something like 1.
e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 when a later …Nf6 will transpose
into the King’s Indian Defence. This is a good
fighting defence to the Queen’s-side openings, which many
Grandmasters like to play, and usually begins 1. d4 Nf6 2.
c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 (see
Korchnoi-Fischer).

If you don’t like playing the King’s Indian Defence (it
is very complicated – whole books have been written about single
variations of the Defence!) but still want to play the Modern
Defence, you don’t have to play …Nf6 and instead you can find
some other move after 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 d6 4.
Nc3, like 4…Nc6, 4…Nd7 or even 4…f5. On the other
hand, Black’s side in these various lines of the Averbakh Variation
can be tricky to handle.

One clever move order is 1. e4 g6 2. d4 d6 3.
c4 when 3…e5 is the idea. If White now
pushes on here with 4. d5 you can play 4…f5, and
if White plays 4. dxe5 dxe5 5. Qxd1+ Kxd1 then
your King’s Bishop can come out to c5 instead of being stuck on g7.
If you don’t want to White to be able to move over to a
Queen’s-side opening at all, you can always play the Pirc Defence
with an early …Nf6 and Nb1-c3.

Example games:

White’s King’s-side attack

Game 2: Liu Wen Hue – Donner H [B07] Buenos
Aires ol. FS, 1978

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 5.g4 h6?

Weakening the King’s-side even more; 5…c6 6. g5
Nfd7 is better, or 5…Na6 planning …c5.

Oddly, in reply to 5. h4, Black
can reply 5…h5, because it is difficult
for White to open a file without creating weaknesses in White’s own
position. 5…c5, hitting back in the
centre, is also a good reply.

6.h3 c5 7.d5 0-0?

Having weakened the King’s-side so much, that’s the last
place Black should put his King! Perhaps Jan thought that White had
given up the idea of a King’s-side attack after 6.h3, but…

8.h4! e6

+-----------------+

9.g5 hxg5 10.hxg5 Ne8 11.Qd3 exd5 12.Nxd5 Nc6 13.Qg3 Be6
14.Qh4

+-----------------+

14…f5 15.Qh7+ Kf7 16.Qxg6+! Kxg6 17.Bh5+ Kh7 18.Bf7+
Bh6 19.g6+ Kg7 20.Bxh6+

[20.Bxh6+ Kh8 21.Bxf8+ Qh4 22.Rxh4#]

1-0

Game 3: (75) Hessmer – Haefner Th. [B09]
Corr., 1986

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.e5 Nfd7 7.h4
c5 8.h5 cxd4 9.hxg6

+-----------------+

9…dxc3 10.gxf7+ Rxf7 11.e6 cxb2 This may win
by force but Black is taking an awful risk playing this way. This
game was played by correspondence, so he may have thought he could
find his way out of any trouble, or he may just have trusted his
books…

[11…Rf6 12.exd7 Bxd7 13.Bd3 h6 14.bxc3
Nc6[[threesuperior]]]

12.exf7+ Kf8 13.Bxb2 Bxb2 14.Bc4 Qa5+ 15.Kf1 Nf6
16.Rb1 Qc3 17.Bb3!?

[17.Ne5 Bf5; 17.Bd3 Bg4]

17…Bg4 “with great advantage to
Black” – Botterill & Keene. 18.Ng5!
Bxd1

[18…Qxb3 “better, but still winning for White”
– Nunn]

19.Rxh7 Nbd7 20.Ne6# 1-0

Game 4: (77) Fischer,R – Udovcic,M [B06]
Rovinj/Zagreb Rd: 12, 1970

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 Nc6 5.Be3 Nf6 6.h3 0-0
7.g4

+-----------------+

An enormously bold – even arrogant – way of playing. White
intends to swamp the Black King’s-side.

The first rule of these positions is:

Hit back in the centre!

7…e5! 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.f5 gxf5 10.gxf5 Nd4

Exchanging Queens first was safer! 11.Nf3 c5
12.Bg5 Qb6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Nd5 Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Qh4+ 16.Ke2 Be6 17.Ne3
Rad8 18.Rg1

+-----------------+

Black has some ideas for counterplay, but is in too much trouble
on the open g-file. 18…Kh8 19.fxe6 fxe6 20.Qg3 Qf6
21.Qxg7+ Qxg7 22.Rxg7 Kxg7 23.Ng4 Rf4 24.Ke3 Rdf8 25.Be2 h5 26.Nxe5
Rh4 27.Rg1+ Kh7 28.Rh1 Rhf4 29.Nd3 R4f7 30.Nxc5 Rc8 31.Nxe6 1-0

Black’s dark-square strategy

Game 5: Kovacevic,V – Seirawan,Y [B07] Wijk,
1980

1.d4 g6 2.e4 d6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Be2 Nf6 5.g4 c6 6.g5 Nfd7 7.h4
b5 8.h5 Rg8 9.hxg6 hxg6 10.Nf3 b4 11.Nb1 a5 12.a4 c5 13.d5 Nb6
14.c4 Kd7 15.Nbd2 Rh8 16.Rg1 Kc7 17.Rb1 Rh3 18.b3 Qh8

+-----------------+

Black’s control of the dark squares is complete. 19.Nf1
N8d7 20.Bf4 Ne5 21.Nxe5 Bxe5 22.Bxe5 Qxe5

+-----------------+

The disappearance of Black’s monster Bishop has not saved White,
the dark squares still belong to Black. 23.f3 Bd7 24.Qc2
Qd4 25.Rg2 Rh1 26.Rf2 Qh8 27.f4 Qh4 28.Rd1 f6 29.gxf6 exf6 30.e5
fxe5 31.fxe5 Rf8 32.exd6+ Kb7 33.Bd3 Re8+ 34.Be2 Rxf1+ 35.Kxf1 Qh1#
0-1

Game 6: Cramling,D – Yrjola,J [B08]
It shv., 1984

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Be2

[5.h3 0-0 6.Be3 a6 7.a4 b6 (7…Nc6; 7…d5!?)
]

5…0-0 6.0-0 Bg4

[6…c6]

7.Be3 Nc6 8.Qd2 e5

+-----------------+

This standard position has been largely abandoned by White,
while bored Blacks have been experimenting with an early …c6.
9.dxe5

[9.d5 Ne7 10.Rad1 Bd7 11.Ne1 b5! 12.a3 (12.Bxb5
Nxe4) 12…a5 13.Nd3 c6 14.dxc6 Bxc6 15.Bh6 b4 16.Bxg7 Kxg7
17.axb4 axb4 18.Nb1 Qb6 19.Kh1 Rab8 Barlov-Jansa, Bor 1985: Black
is at least equal, according to John Nunn]

9…dxe5 10.Rad1 Qc8 11.Qc1 Rd8 12.Rxd8+
Qxd8

[12…Nxd8!?]

13.Rd1 Qf8 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3

+-----------------+

15…h5!? with the idea of exchanging the B on
h6. 16.Nb5 Rc8 17.c3

[17.Nxa7 Nxa7 18.Bxa7 b6 and the Bishop is buried ]

17…Kh7 18.Na3 Bh6 19.Bxh6 Qxh6 20.Qxh6+ Kxh6
21.h4 Kg7 22.Nc4 a5 23.Kf1 Kf8

+-----------------+

This is quite OK for Black. 24.Ke2 Ke7 25.Ke3 b5 26.Na3
Na7 27.Be2 c6 28.Nb1 Ne8 29.Nd2 Nd6 30.g3 Rd8 31.f4 exf4+ 32.gxf4
Nac8 33.Nf3? Nc4+ 34.Kf2 Rxd1 35.Bxd1 Nxb2 36.Be2 Na4 37.c4 b4
38.Nd4 Kd7 0-1

Knocking out White’s big centre

Game 7: Stein ,L – Suttles,D [B06] Sousse
Tunisia, 1967

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c3 d6 4.f4 c5

+-----------------+

A bold but hopefully temporary Pawn sacrifice. 5.dxc5
Nf6!? 6.cxd6 exd6 7.e5

[7.Nf3 0-0 8.Bd3 Black can exploit the act that he has
already castled: 8…Nxe4! 9.Bxe4 Re8]

7…dxe5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.fxe5 Re8
10.Nf3

+-----------------+

Duncan Suttles may have chosen wrongly here:
10…Nc6?

[10…Ng4!? (Botterill/Keene) 11.Bg5+ f6 12.Bh4
(12.Bf4 fxe5 13.Bg5+ Kc7) 12…Nxe5 e.g. 13.Nxe5 Rxe5+
14.Kf2 Rf5+! with easy equality, since White has no good square for
his King.]

11.Bb5 Bd7 12.Bxc6 Bxc6 13.0-0 Ng4 14.Bg5+ Kc8
15.Nbd2 h6 16.Bf4 g5 17.Bg3 Ne3 18.Rf2 Nf5 19.Nc4 Bd5 20.Nfd2 Nxg3
21.Nd6+ Kd7 22.Nxe8 Rxe8 23.hxg3 Bxe5 24.Rd1 Kc6 25.Nb3 b6 26.Nd4+
Kc5 27.g4 Bf4 28.Nf5 Re5 29.g3 Rxf5 30.gxf5 Bxg3 31.Rfd2 Bf3 32.Rf1
Bf4 33.Rxf3 Bxd2 34.Rd3 Bf4 35.Rh3 Kd5 36.Rxh6 Ke5 37.Rh7 f6
38.Rxa7 Kxf5 39.Kf2 Bd6 40.Rb7 Bc5+ 41.Kg2 1-0

Game 8: Byrne ,R
– Donner ,J [B07] San Juan Puerto Rico, 1969

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c3 d6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Bd3 e5 6.Nf3 exf4
7.Bxf4 0-0 8.0-0 c5 9.Nbd2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Nc6

+-----------------+

White still has his centre but none of the advantages that can
go with it. Black has good development and an equal game.
11.Qb3 d5 12.e5 Ne4 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Bxe4 Nxd4 15.Qe3 Ne6
16.Bg3 Qb6 17.Qxb6 axb6 18.b4 b5 19.Rf2 Re8 20.Rc2
1/2../strong>

Game 9: Filip,M
– Bronstein,D [B07] Moskva, 1967

1.Nf3 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.e4 d6 4.c3 Nf6 5.Nbd2 0-0 6.Be2
b6

+-----------------+

Preparing …c5 7.0-0 e6 8.Re1 Bb7 9.Bd3 c5 10.dxc5 bxc5
11.e5 dxe5 12.Nxe5 Nc6 13.Ndc4 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Qc7 15.Qe2
Rab8

+-----------------+

Black’s split Pawns are not weak because White is not organised
to attack them – in fact, the half-open b-file gives Black a little
initiative. 16.Bd2 Ba8 17.Nc4 Nh5 18.Be4 Bd5 19.b3 Rfd8
20.Rad1 Nf6 21.Bc2 Qb7 22.Na5 Qb6 23.Nc4 Qa6 24.Ne3 Qxe2 25.Rxe2
Bc6 26.f3 a5 27.Be1 Rxd1 28.Nxd1 a4 29.bxa4 Ra8 30.Bf2 c4 31.Bd4
Nd5 32.Bxg7 Kxg7 33.Be4 Rxa4 34.Bxd5 Bxd5 35.Ne3 Bc6 36.Rc2 Kf6
37.Kf2 Ke7 38.Ke1 Kd6 39.Kd2 Kc5 40.Kc1 Ra8 41.Rd2 f5 42.Rd4 Ra4
43.Kb2 e5 44.Rd8 Ra8 45.Rxa8 Bxa8 46.Nd1 Bc6 47.Kc1 g5 48.Kd2 Bd7
49.Ke2 f4 50.Nb2 h5 51.Kf2 g4 52.g3 Bc6 53.fxg4 hxg4 54.gxf4 exf4
55.Kg1 Bf3 56.Kf2 Be4 57.Kg1 Bc2 58.Kf2 Bb1 59.a3 Bc2 60.Ke1 Kd5
61.Kf1 Bd3+ 62.Kf2 Bg6 63.Nd1 Be8 64.Nb2 Bb5 65.Ke2 Ke4 66.Kf2 Kf5
67.Kg1 Kg5 68.Nd1 Kh4 69.Kg2 Ba4 70.Nf2 g3 71.hxg3+ fxg3 72.Kg1 Bc2
73.Kf1 gxf2 74.Kxf2 Kg5 75.Ke3 Kf6 76.Kd4 Bb3 77.Kc5 Ke7 78.a4 Kd7
79.a5 Kc7 80.Kb5 Kb7 81.Kc5 Ka6 82.Kb4 Ba2 83.Ka4 Bb1 84.Kb4 Bd3
85.Ka4 Bc2+ 0-1

Black’s Queen’s-side play

Game 10: Nunn John D M,J – Shirov Alexei,A
[B06] Bundesliga, 1996

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.Bc4 d6 5.Qf3 e6 6.Nge2 b5 7.Bb3
a5 8.a3 Ba6 9.0-0 Nd7 10.Bf4 Qe7 11.Rad1 e5 12.Bg5 Ngf6

+-----------------+

Black insists on a share of the centre as well as a
counter-attack on the Queen’s-side. 13.d5 c5 14.a4 b4
15.Nb5 Nb6 16.Qd3 c4 17.Bxc4 Nxa4 18.Ra1 Nxb2 19.Qb3 Nxc4 20.Qxc4
Rc8 21.Qd3 Qd8 22.c4 0-0 23.Ra2

+-----------------+

A tense position where all the play is on the Queen’s-side, and
Black must be pleased with the two connected passed Pawns. Black
sacrifices the exchange to remove White’s last Queen’s-side Pawn…
23…Rxc4 24.Bxf6 Bxf6 25.Qxc4 Qb6 26.Qc7 Qxb5 27.Qxd6 Kg7
28.Rc1 Rd8 29.Qc6 b3 30.Rb2 Qd3 31.Rcb1 Rc8 32.Qa4 Rc2 33.Rxb3 Qxe2
34.Rf3 Bd3 35.Qd7 Bxe4 36.Rxf6 Kxf6 37.Qd6+ Kf5 38.Rf1 Bd3 39.Qd7+
Kf6

+-----------------+

Black has nibbled in a circle all the way around the board to
finish off the White King! 0-1

Game 11: Crawley
,G – Hodgson,J [B07] 1989

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.a4 0-0 7.h3
b6 8.Nge2 Bb7 9.0-0 Nbd7 10.Bg5 a6 11.Re1

+-----------------+

An unusual opening by White: Black starts his Queen’s-side play
as usual.

11…b5 12.Qd2 b4 13.Nd1 a5 14.Bh6 e5 15.Bxg7
Kxg7 16.Ne3 c5 17.d5 Ba6 18.c4 bxc3 19.Nxc3 c4 20.Nb5 Nc5 21.Qc2
Rb8 22.Nxc4 Bxb5 23.axb5 Rxb5 24.Bf1 Nb3 25.Ra3 Nd4 26.Qc3
Qb8

+-----------------+

Black has a comfortable initiative on the Queen’s-side.

27.Kg2 Rc8 28.Rxa5 Rb3 29.Qc1 Qb4 30.Ra6 Rxb2
31.Qxb2 Qxe1 32.f3 Nxf3 33.Ra1 Qxe4 34.Nxd6 Rc2+ 0-1

Black’s light-square blockade

Game 12: Herrera C – Garcia G [B15] Ch Cuba,
1989

1.e4 c6

[1…g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4 (4.Bc4!? when 4…d6
may be best) 4…d5 5.e5 h5 is the Modern Defence move
order.]

2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 g6 4.e5 Bg7 5.f4 h5 6.Nf3
Nh6 (6…Bg4!?)

cuuuuuuuuC

(rhb1kDw4}

70pDw0pgw}

6wDpDwDph}

5DwDp)wDp}

&wDw)w)wD}

3DwHwDNDw}

2P)PDwDP)}

%$wGQIBDR}

+-----------------+
7.Be3 Qb6

[7…Bg4 is more usual: 8.Be2 (8.h3!?)

A) 8…e6 9.Qd2

(9.Bf2 Nf5 10.g3 Bf8 11.Qd3 Nd7 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 c5
14.Ne2 Qb6 15.b3 Nxd4 16.Nxd4 cxd4 17.c3 Rc8 18.Bxd4 Bc5 19.0-0 Nb8
20.Rf2 Bxd4 21.cxd4 Nc6 22.Rd1 Kd7 23.Kg2 Ne7 24.g4 hxg4 25.hxg4
Rc6 26.Qe3 Qb4 27.Qd2 Qb6 28.Qe1 a6 29.Rfd2 Qb4 30.Qf2 Rc3 31.Rc2
Rxc2 32.Qxc2 Rc8 33.Qd2 Qxd2+ 34.Rxd2 Rc3 35.Kf2 Kc6 36.Be2 Kb6
37.Rd3 Rc2 38.a3 Ra2 39.b4 Kc7 40.Ke3 Kd7 41.Rc3 Nc6 42.b5
Nxd4 0-1 Aseev Konstantin N-Titov German/Kostroma Russia
1985)

9…Nd7 10.g3 Nf5 11.Bf2 Bf8 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Bb4!

(13…h4!? 14.g4 Ng3!? with counterplay for the
Pawn that will be lost on g3. 15.Rg1 Qb6 16.0-0-0 Qa6 17.Qd3
Qxd3 18.Rxd3 c5 19.Nb5 c4 20.Rdd1 Rc8 21.Bxg3 hxg3 22.Rxg3 a6
23.Nc3 b5 24.Rh1 Rh4 25.Ne2 Nb6 26.g5 c3 27.b3 a5 28.Bg4 Bb4 29.Ng1
a4 30.Rh2 Ke7 31.Kd1 Ra8 32.Nf3 Rhh8 33.Ne1 Nd7 34.Nd3 axb3 35.cxb3
Ba5 36.Nc1 Nb8 37.a3 Bb6 38.Ra2 Rc8 39.Rd3 Nc6 40.Rxc3 Bxd4 41.Rd3
Bb6 42.b4 Nxb4 43.axb4 Rxc1+ 44.Kxc1 Rxa2 0-1 Arnason Jon
L-Christiansen Larry M/It open 1986)

14.a3 Qa5! 15.g4 hxg4 16.hxg4 Rxh1+ 17.Bxh1 Ne7 18.Bh4
Nb6 at least equal if not better for Black: Pasman-Ciocaltea,
1982;

B) 8…Nd7;

C) 8…Nf5 9.Qd2 e6 10.Nd1 Nd7 11.0-0
Bh6 12.Nf2? Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Nxe5 14.dxe5 d4 15.Bxd4 Qxd4 16.Qxd4 Nxd4
17.Nd3 Nxc2 18.Rac1 Nd4 19.Kf2 0-0-0 20.Rfd1 Nxf3 21.Kxf3 Rd4 22.g3
Rhd8 23.Nf2 Bf8 24.Rxd4 Rxd4 25.Rc2 Kc7 26.Ke3 Rd5 27.Ne4 Be7
28.Rc1 a5 29.b3 b5 30.h3 a4 31.g4 h4 32.bxa4 b4 33.Rb1 Ra5 34.Nd6
Rxa4 35.Nxf7 Rxa2 36.Nh8 Bc5+ 37.Kd3 Ra3+ 38.Ke2 Re3+ 39.Kd2 Rxh3
40.Nxg6 Rg3 0-1 Morris-Norwood, 1990]

8.Rb1!? Bg4 9.Be2 e6 10.b4 Nf5 11.Bf2
Bf8

+-----------------+

“Black has done everything right.” – Norwood. 12.0-0 Nd7
13.Na4 Qc7 14.c3 Be7 15.Nb2 a5 16.a3 Kf8 17.Ng5 Bxe2 18.Qxe2 Kg7
19.g3 Qd8 20.Qd2 axb4 21.axb4 Ra2 22.Kg2 Nb6!

+-----------------+

This is good for Black, White has no real idea what he can do next.
23.Qc1 Bxg5 24.fxg5 Nc4 25.h4 Qd7 26.Kh3 Re8 27.g4 hxg4+
28.Kxg4 Rh8 29.Rh1 Qd8 30.Rh3 Qg8 31.Nxc4 dxc4 32.Rb2 Rxb2 33.Qxb2
Qh7 34.Kf4 Qh5 35.Qd2 Ra8 36.Rh1 Ra3 37.Be1 Ne7 38.Kg3 Ra1 39.Rh2
Rd1 40.Qf2 Nf5+ 41.Kf4 Rd3 42.Qe2 Ne7 43.Qxh5 gxh5 44.Ke4 Nd5
45.Bd2 Kg6 0-1

The Hippopotamus

Game 13: Barczay Laszlo – Ivkov Borislav
[B06] Sousse Tunisia, 1967

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.Bc4 a6 5.0-0 e6 6.Bg5?!
Ne7 (Black was going to do this anyway) 7.Qd2 h6
8.Be3 Nd7 9.Nc3 b6 10.Rfe1 Bb7 11.a4

+-----------------+

Black may be crouching but his position is solid. White, having
achieved more or less complete development, just decides to try and
hack through straight away, but it all goes wrong …
11…Nf6 12.e5 Nfd5 13.Bf4 Nxc3 14.Qxc3

[14.bxc3]

14…0-0 15.exd6 cxd6 16.Qa3

+-----------------+

White’s attack has produced a threat to the d-Pawn, but Black is
ready to counterattack. 16…Nf5 17.c3?

[17.Rad1]

17…Bxf3 18.gxf3 e5! 19.Bg3

[19.dxe5 dxe5 20.Bxe5 Bxe5 21.Rxe5 Qg5+ 22.Kh1 Qf4]

19…h5 20.dxe5 dxe5 21.Kh1 Qg5

[21…Qg5 22.Rg1 (22.Bxe5 Bxe5 23.Rxe5 Qf4)
22…h4 23.Bxe5 Qh5]

0-1

Game 14: Keres,P
– Navarovsky [B06] Luhacovice (13), 1969

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Nf3 a6 5.Bc4 e6 6.Bg5 Ne7 7.0-0
h6 8.Be3 Nd7 9.a4 b6 10.Re1 Bb7 11.Ra3

+-----------------+

Paul Keres was one of the greatest attacking players of the
game, but grinds to a halt against the Hippopotamus… 11…Nf6
12.Bd3 0-0 13.h3 c5 14.dxc5 bxc5 15.e5 dxe5 16.Nxe5 Nfd5 17.Bxc5
Nxc3 18.Rxc3

+-----------------+

A confused position where both sides have loose pieces.
18…Qd5 19.Bf1 Qxd1 20.Rxd1 Bd5 21.Bxe7 Rfe8 22.Rc5 Bb7
23.Rc7 Bd5 1/2../strong>

Game 15: (80)
Barczay Laszlo – Suttles Duncan [B06] Izt., 1967

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.Bc4 c6 5.Nc3 b5 6.Bb3 b4 7.Ne2
a5 8.c3 Nf6 9.e5 dxe5 10.Nxe5 0-0 11.0-0 Nfd7 12.Ng4?! a4! 13.Bc2
c5 14.Bh6 a3!

+-----------------+

Black is determined to open up the long dark diagonal!
Nimzovitch always used to say that a Pawn chain should be attacked
at its base, which in this case is b2. 15.Bxg7 axb2
16.Rb1

[16.Bxf8 bxa1Q 17.Qxa1 Nxf8 18.Nh6+ Kg7 19.cxb4 Kxh6
20.dxc5 Wade says this is better for Black.]

16…Kxg7 17.cxb4 Nb6 18.Ne5 cxd4 19.Bb3? f6
20.Nd3 e5 21.Rxb2 Nc6 22.a4 Qd6 23.Qc2 Bf5 24.Ng3 Bxd3 25.Qxd3 Nxb4
26.Qb5 Rfb8 27.Ne4 Qe7 28.a5 Nd7 29.Qc4 f5 30.Ng5 Qxg5 31.Qf7+ Kh6
32.Qxd7 Nd3 33.Rbb1 Nc5 34.Qd5 Rxa5 35.Bc4 Rxb1 36.Rxb1 Qe7 37.Bf1
Ra7 38.Re1 Rd7 39.Qg8 e4 40.Bc4 0-1

Black’s active pieces

Game 17: Povah Nigel – Nunn John [B08]
1977

1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Bc4 Nc6!?

[4…Nf6 is a normal Pirc]

5.Nf3 Nf6 6.h3 0-0 7.Qe2 e5 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.0-0 Nd4
10.Qd3 Nd7 11.a4?! Nc5 12.Qd1 c6 13.b3 Nce6 14.Nb1 Qf6 15.Nh2 Nf4
16.c3 Nde6 17.Ng4 Qh4 18.Nd2 Ng5 19.f3

+-----------------+

19…Ngxh3+

[19…Ngxh3+ 20.gxh3 Qg3+ 21.Kh1 Qg2#]

0-1

Black’s King’s-side attack

Game 18: Kauranen,R – Richardson,K [B08] CC
WM 10,F FS 1978

This game was played in the world correspondence championship.

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.Be2 Nf6 5.Nc3 0-0
6.0-0 Bg4 7.Be3 Nc6 8.Qd3 e5 9.d5 Ne7 10.Rad1 Bd7

+-----------------+

Black wants to keep the ‘good’ light-squared Bishop on the
board. It’s not quite a King’s Indian but in this game Black
eventually fires off a classic KI-style King’s-side attack.
(Compare Korchnoi-Fischer 1970) 11.Nd2 Nh5 12.g3 a6 13.Bf3
b5 14.a3 Qe8 15.Qe2 Nf6 16.b4 h5 17.Nb3 Ng4 18.Nb1 f5 19.exf5
gxf5

+-----------------+

Recapturing with a Pawn leaves Black in control of lots of
central squares, and gives him the g-file to attack down.
20.Bg5 Bf6 21.Bxf6 Nxf6 22.Bg2 Qf7 23.Qd2 Kh7 24.Na5 Rg8
25.c4 bxc4 26.Nc3 h4 27.Kh1 Qh5 28.Qe2

+-----------------+

28…Ng4 29.Bf3 Qh6 30.Bxg4 Rxg4 31.f3 Rg7 32.gxh4 Rag8
33.Nxc4 Qxh4 34.Ne3 f4 35.Ng4 Nf5 0-1

Game 19:
Kortchnoi,V – Fischer,R [E97] 1970

This exciting game was played in a blitz tournament.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0
6.Nf3 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2 c5

+-----------------+

Black blocks the Queen’s-side so it is harder for White to
attack there. 10.a3 Ne8 The Knight gets out of the
way of the f-Pawn. 11.b4 b6 12.Rb1 f5 13.f3 f4 14.a4
g5

+-----------------+

In this typical King’s Indian position with a blocked centre,
it’s as if each side has their own private arena for action.
15.a5 Rf6 16.bxc5 bxc5 17.Nb3 Rg6 18.Bd2 Nf6 19.Kh1 g4
20.fxg4 Nxg4 21.Rf3 Rh6 22.h3 Ng6 23.Kg1 Nf6

+-----------------+

24.Be1 Nh8 The real Grandmaster touch.
25.Rd3 Nf7 26.Bf3 Ng5 27.Qe2 Rg6 28.Kf1 Nxh3 29.gxh3 Bxh3+
30.Kf2 Ng4+ 31.Bxg4 Bxg4 It’s easy to see the appeal of
the KID after such a game. 0-1

What’s wrong with club players? An MOT for us all

Posted on January 15, 1998 by DrDave

Overprotection and prophylaxis are all very well, Dave, but what
about ordinary players, what do they need? I believe that we don’t
really know a lot about the chess thinking of ordinary players.
There are some things that have been done on amateur games over the
years (by de Groot, Euwe/Meiden, Webb, Heisman, Silman,
Rubin/Emms and Davies) and there are a set of common beliefs about
amateur play, but I think that amateurs are a lot more complex than
is often suggested.

Amateurs are more diverse than is given credit for – they often
have marked strengths and weaknesses, but these weakness and
stylistic preferences may be very different between players. I was
interested to look at this book which focuses on one particular
amateur chess player, and offers some Grandmaster comments upon a
game. [Steve Davis Plays Chess (Norwood/Davis), also published as
Grandmaster meets Chess Amateur]

   [Event "Friendly"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "1994.??.??"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Norwood, David"]  [Black "Davis, Steve"]  [Result "1-0"]  [Annotator "Training Game"]  [ECO "C68"]  [WhiteElo "2500"]  [BlackElo "1600"]  [PlyCount "73"]  [EventDate "1994.??.??"]   1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O {"I am not happy with my Pawn structure"} Bg4 {"counterattack"} 6. h3 Bxf3 {"I thought it wasn't a good idea to get the Queen out at an early stage ". (but here it can't be harassed)} 7. Qxf3 {#0/0 "DN: " Where do your pieces belong?" SD: " Nf6, Bd6/ c5, Qe7, O-O-O DN: " Can't find anything to fault there"} Nf6 8. d3 Nd7 {"SD thought about:"} (8... Be7 {"idea"} 9. Bg5 {"but..."} (9. Qg3 {"hence the chosen move"}) 9... Nd7) (8... h6 {" to stop the pin "}) 9. Nd2 Bd6 10. Nc4 O-O 11. Ne3 Qf6 12. Qg4 (12. Qg3 {"was analysed:"} Qg6 13. Qxg6 hxg6) 12... Nc5 13. Nf5 Qg6 {#} 14. Be3 (14. Qxg6 {"analysed:"} fxg6 {"x e5"}) 14... Rfe8 15. Nh4 {# When I showed this game without identifying the combatants a disdainful howl went up when White provoked the exchange of Queens - "White's just playing for a draw". No - this was part of White's winning plan! Exchanges are like other moves, they make a difference. In this case, White would like to get to an endgame, so the exchange improves White's chances.} Qxg4 (15... Qe6 {"overlooked"}) 16. hxg4 {"No Pawn breaks " DN} Ne6 17. f3 {#0/0 "Maybe I should swap Bishops?" (Yes! see his own comment at move 8)} Nd4 18. Bxd4 exd4 19. f4 {"Oh hell"} f6 20. g3 g5 {#} 21. Nf5 {"and he can check me on h6"} c5 22. Kg2 {"He's going to double Rooks, I'll get the King out of the way"} Kf7 23. fxg5 Re6 (23... fxg5 24. Nxd6+) 24. gxf6 Rxf6 25. g5 {"From bad to worse"} Rxf5 {cutting losses} 26. Rxf5+ Kg6 27. Rf6+ Kg7 28. Raf1 Be5 29. R6f5 Re8 30. Kh3 Re6 31. Rf7+ Kg6 32. Kg4 b6 33. Rd7 h6 34. gxh6 Kxh6 35. Rh1+ Kg6 36. Rdh7 Bd6 37. R1h6# 1-0

Norwood,D (2500) – Davis,S (1605) [C90],
1994

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0

I am not happy with my Pawn structure

5…Bg4

counterattack

6.h3 Bxf3?

I thought it wasn’t a good idea to get the Queen out at an
early stage “. (but here it can’t be harassed)

7.Qxf3

+-----------------+

DN: ” Where do your pieces belong?

SD: ” Nf6, Bd6/c5, Qe7, O-O-O

DN: ” Can’t find anything to fault there

7…Nf6 8.d3 Nd7

SD thought about:

[8…Be7 idea 9.Bg5 but… (9.Qg3! hence the chosen move)
9…Nd7!;

8…h6 ” to stop the pin “]

9.Nd2 Bd6 10.Nc4 0-0 11.Ne3 Qf6 12.Qg4

[12.Qg3 was analysed: 12…Qg6 13.Qxg6 hxg6]

12…Nc5 13.Nf5 Qg6

+-----------------+

14.Be3

[14.Qxg6 analysed: 14…fxg6? x e5]

14…Rfe8 15.Nh4 Qxg4

[15…Qe6 overlooked]

16.hxg4

No Pawn breaks ” DN

16…Ne6 17.f3

+-----------------+

Maybe I should swap Bishops?

(Yes! see his own comment at move 8)

17…Nd4 18.Bxd4 exd4 19.f4

Oh hell

19…f6 20.g3 g5?

+-----------------+

21.Nf5

and he can check me on h6

21…c5 22.Kg2

He’s going to double Rooks, I’ll get the King out of the
way

22…Kf7 23.fxg5 Re6?

[23…fxg5 24.Nxd6+]

24.gxf6 Rxf6 25.g5

From bad to worse

25…Rxf5

[cutting losses]

26.Rxf5+ Kg6 27.Rf6+ Kg7 28.Raf1 Be5 29.R6f5 Re8 30.Kh3
Re6 31.Rf7+ Kg6 32.Kg4 b6 33.Rd7 h6 34.gxh6 Kxh6 35.Rh1+ Kg6
36.Rdh7 Bd6? 37.R1h6# 1-0

This was the first time I had played Steve. During the
course of the game I made several observations about his chess
ability:

Reasonable grasp of strategy – understood
the importance of the centre and the need to have active pieces

Positional understanding less adequate –
did not appreciate the full importance of Pawns and Pawn structure.

Planning patchy – good at short-term
planning, but found it difficult to formulate a long-term plan.

Calculates well but prone to tactical
errors – poor sense of danger.

Little opening knowledge – did not know the
general strategy behind one of the main line openings.

Good at assessing positions – main weakness
here was a tendency to be over-pessimistic.

…These are among the most typical failings of the
club/occasional chess player who wants to improve their
game

— NORWOOD in NORWOOD/DAVIS, Steve Davis
plays Chess (a.k.a. Grandmaster Meets Chess
Amateur)

Now, assuming that at least some of these might apply to at
least some of us, let us review these comments one by one, and
suggest some therapy.

I’ve recommended some books. This is the easy bit. There are
lots of good books which will give you the ideas you need, rather
fewer that will allow you to check your understanding and help you
incorporate the ideas into your own play.

The best ways to improve in all respects are to study games,
your own and others’, and check out your conclusions. We don’t do a
lot of this in group coaching sessions, but that’s what you should
be doing.

Get hold of collected annotated games, or get some recommended
to you. Pick games which illustrate the theme you are working on,
pick openings which feature the theme, and pick games by players
who are noted for their facility with your theme. Play through the
games three times: once quickly to get a feel for the game and its
phases/turning points, once slowly, making your own notes, and once
comparing your notes to the annotator’s. Games by the old masters
like Tarrasch, Lasker and Capablanca, are all pretty useful,
perhaps also some by the moderns like Alekhin, Botvinnik, Fischer
and Nunn, but these are more complex. The older guys are useful for
all points of study below, in my view – you can look to Lasker for
his endgames, his tactical alertness, his preferred classical
openings, and his swindles and general fighting spirit.

Reasonable grasp of strategy – understood the importance
of the centre and the need to have active pieces

Comment (DR): I wonder if DN would say that
after playing more games with SD. My scan through the openings in
the Minor section at WECU suggest to me that at least some club
players don’t have a good understanding of the centre, in
particular how to defend when your opponent has closed the centre
(as in this game). Moreover, when asked to come up with some plans
in a minority attack position (A), participants at a session
recently came up with some rather passive plans (B) rather than
more active ones (C).

(A)

+-----------------+

(B)

+-----------------+

(C)

+-----------------+

What you can do to get better : We can play and
study openings where the centre and activity are important (say,
like the Scotch Game), we can study games by other players in our
chosen openings (Lautier and Kasparov have been important in the
recent theory of the Scotch, and earlier Penrose played the Gambit
line), and study players whose style is marked by central control
and/or piece activity (Tarrasch, Capa, Lasker, Alekhin, Tal).

Good further reading : Logical Chess (Chernev),
The Middle Game (Vol. II, Euwe/Kramer).

Little opening knowledge – did not know the general
strategy behind one of the main line openings.

Comment (DR): You would have thought with all
those openings books out there, we’d be better than this, but we
aren’t.

What you can do to get better : DN’s next step
was to advise SD to play the Modern Defence, which I think is
wholly mistaken. It is important to become an expert in your
openings systems, but there is too much to the Modern to get a hold
of for Minor players. What else, then? Pick something more
straightforward, less flexible, more classical, more clearly
characterised. You must also learn to combat the common ‘no-theory’
systems like the Stonewall.

This is potentially a huge topic, but Tony D’s repertoire might
run: Scotch, French or Petroff as Black, QGD Swiss as Black, with
against the half-open defences: Tarrasch French, Panov Caro-Kann,
Alapin Sicilian (three systems with overlapping Pawn structures),
Exchange Alekhin, Be3 Pirc. I (DR) recommend: Italian Game (Giuoco
Piano and related openings) as White, with against the half-open
defences either the King’s Indian Attack and/or a selection from
Classical French, Classical Caro-Kann, Bb5 Sicilian, Exchange
Alekhin, Be3 Pirc. As Black, as well as approving Tony’s ideas, I
would also look at the Semi-Slav or Stonewall Dutch.

The real point is to find a repertoire which suits you, which
you believe in, and which has some consistency of style about
it.

Good further reading : The Ideas Behind The
Chess Openings (Fine), Chess Openings for Juniors (Walker), The
Chessplayer’s Battle Manual (Davies)

Calculates well but prone to tactical errors – poor
sense of danger.

Comment (DR): This apparent contradiction is
commonly found. We see tactics once they start happening, but can
blunder terribly if the danger light is off

What you can do to get better : Tactics really
is something you can get your eye in for. Euwe says: study, learn
and revise all the basic ideas, then rehearse examples (in your
mind or at the board). I came up with the mnemonic:
J ust M ight F
ind a N eat P owerful
T actic for J umps
M ates F orks N
ets P ins and T ies. What we also
need is a book of tactics with a realistic proportion of false
leads and positions with no tactical solutions. No such book
exists, but there are lots of straightforward tactics books. On
developing a sense of danger: I’ve just done two sessions and
looked at 111 games on this recently, so a quick run through the
positions given there might give you a better sense of when the
trap detector should be turned up a level.

Also, Steve didn’t recognise real and apparent dangers – he was
afraid of a measly check by a lone Knight, but didn’t appreciate
the concessions he was making on the king’s-side.

Good further reading : Winning Chess
(Chernev/Reinfeld), Test Your Chess IQ (Livshitz), Danger in Chess
(Avni), Chess for Tigers (Webb). Games by Tarrasch, Lasker.

Good at assessing positions – main weakness here was a
tendency to be over-pessimistic.

Comment (DR): Again, I wonder whether DN would
still say this after playing many games with minor players. Club
players seem to me to have a fine capacity for missing the
positional point just as much as the tactical point. It’s not that
we are thinking about nothing, we are making some sense and
noticing some features of the position, but we are often missing
much more important features.

What you can do to get better : We need to
review and refresh our stock of ideas, and check them out. I came
up with the mnemonic To Know What Plan to
Follow Look Carefully , for
T actics, K
ing safety, W eak squares & weak Pawns,
P iece position, F orcing moves
(initiative, breakthroughs), L ine control,
C entre and space . Many books review the
positional elements, but in terms of books for self-assessment we
have a market of about one. So, we are back studying master games.
On pessimism: this is again mostly attitude, but you might work on
it by finding more resources in your old games, perhaps by playing
over master games whose players might have shown a more
forward-going attitude in similar positions.

Good further reading : The Most Instructive
Games of Chess Ever Played (Chernev), The Strategy of Chess
(Cafferty), My System (Nimzovitch), Think/Plan Like A Grandmaster
(Kotov), How to Reassess Your Chess (Silman), Test Your Positional
Play (Bellin/Ponzetto). Games by Capa and Botvinnik.

Positional understanding less adequate – did not
appreciate the full importance of Pawns and Pawn
structure.

Comment (DR): I think Pawns and Pawn Structures
are the easiest thing in chess to learn about (what’s hard is
linking the understanding to piece play).

What you can do to get better : Choose openings
for study and play which have characteristic Pawn formations:
Scotch Four Knights, French Defence, Caro-Kann Panov, Ruy Lopez
Exchange all have these features. (I’ll do a session on it if you
like.)

Good further reading : The Middle Game Vol. 1
(Euwe & Kramer), Pawn Structures (Baburin), Test Your
Positional Play (Bellin/Ponzetto). Games by Capa, Botvinnik.

Planning patchy – good at short-term planning, but found
it difficult to formulate a long-term plan.

Comment (DR): Not all positions require
long-term planning – watch for priorities. There are some positions
which have marked long-term features which can be easily
understood. In this game Black had a long-term headache on the
Queen’s-side and with the dark-squared Bishop, which he sort of
recognised but did nothing positive about. When I showed this game
without identifying the combatants a disdainful howl went up when
White provoked the exchange of Queens – “White’s just playing for a
draw”. No – this was part of White’s winning plan! Exchanges are
like other moves, they make a difference. In this case, White would
like to get to an endgame, so the exchange improves White’s
chances.

What you can do to get better : Play and study
some games with ‘long-term’ features – things like weak Pawns or
Bad Bishops, in openings like the French Tarrasch, QGD or Exchange
Ruy – and see how these features are reflected or superceded in the
following play. Planning comes down to: Ready, Aim, Fire!
Ready – Notice and assess the positional elements
(see below), Aim – form a realistic plan based on
an appraisal of the chances for each side, then
Fire! – pick the moves which best meet your
needs.

Good further reading : Think/Plan Like A
Grandmaster (Kotov), The Chess Struggle in Practice (Bronstein –
some of the best bits are quoted by Kotov), How to Reassess Your
Chess (Silman). Botvinnik games again.

Also:

The endgame

Comment (DR): It didn’t arise in the Davis
game, but club players are widely regarded as being poor at
endgames, and everything I’ve observed at the club reinforces
this!

What you can do to get better : (1) know your
onions – get to grips with the theory of basic endings and general
endgame principles, (2) study the play and writings of endgame
specialists like Capa, Smyslov, Mednis, Karpov, (3) play “endgame
openings” with an early exchange of Queens – Ruy Lopez Exchange,
and French Tarrasch for example.

Good further reading : Winning Endgames
(Kosten), Capablanca’s 60 Best Chess Endings (Chernev), Rate Your
Endgame (Mednis/Crouch).

Panic and Collapse

Comment (DR): You notice in the game SD
panicked when he was attacked and lashed out with the horrible
20…g5 , instead of looking for defensive
improvements like centralising Rooks or finding Queen’s-side
counterplay, and later he allowed mate in one. By the time it came
to cutting his losses it was already over. Quite often in club
chess games are won by the more determined as often as by the
stronger player.

What you can do to get better : Again, the
blunders sessions hold some clues – so often I was writing “from
the frying pan into the fire”, and “panic” or “bluff”. This is a
change of attitude as much as theory. Try looking at the games of
the great swindlers – Marshall, Lasker, Webb – and the great
defensive players – Steinitz, Petrosian, Karpov – and the
counter-punchers like Korchnoi.

Good further reading : Chess for Tigers (Webb),
The Chess Amateur (Silman).

Inconsistency: know all the words, but there is no
consistency or rigour.

Comment (DR): It takes a bit of time to spot
this, but listen out for it. DN didn’t particularly emphasise this
in his notes, but SD was in two minds about whether to get shot of
his dark-squared Bishop. Undoubtedly he should have done – he did
talk about it more than once, but never got around to it. I think
this lack of clarity is more characteristic of club players than
lack of knowledge. Chess positions are complex and often pretty
balanced, so it is often possible to talk for a long time about a
chess game without saying anything wrong, but without really
getting to grips with it.

What you can do to get better : This goes back
to the first point about studying games and checking out your
conclusions, and the study of guys like Botvinnik who have a
well-marked analytical prowess.

Good further reading : How to Reassess Your
Chess (Silman), The Amateur’s Mind (Silman) Test Your Positional
Play (Bellin/Ponzetto).

OK, get that lot sorted out and then get back to me!

Books with amateur games

DAVIES The Chessplayers Battle Manual

EUWE/MEIDEN Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur

HEISMAN The Improving Annotator

RUBIN/EMMS Chess for the Rank and File

SILMAN The Amateur’s Mind

WEBB Chess for Tigers

Useful books for club players

Don’t buy the lot – just one from each category
(opening/strategy/endgames) – start with the ones marked * first,
then **

AVNI Danger in Chess

BABURIN Pawn Structures

BELLIN/PONZETTO. Test Your Positional Play

BRONSTEIN The Chess Struggle in Practice (some of the best bits
are quoted by KOTOV),

CAFFERTY, The Strategy of Chess

*CHERNEV Capablanca’s 60 Best Chess Endings

**CHERNEV, The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played

*CHERNEV, Logical Chess

*CHERNEV/REINFELD, Winning Chess

DAVIES The Chessplayer’s Battle Manual

**EUWE & KRAMER, The Middle Game Vols. I/II

FINE, The Ideas Behind The Chess Openings

**KOSTEN, Winning Endgames

KOTOV, Think/Plan Like A Grandmaster

**LIVSHITZ, Test Your Chess IQ, Vol I

MEDNIS/CROUCH. Rate Your Endgame

NIMZOVITCH, My System

**PACHMAN Modern Chess Strategy

**SILMAN. How to Reassess Your Chess

*WALKER Chess Openings for Juniors

My adventures with the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit

Posted on December 12, 1997 by DrDave

Exeter Chess Club: My adventures with the Blackmar-Diemer
Gambit

Introduction

If you haven’t met this spendid opening before, do check out Tom
Purser’s BDG
World magazine for games, variations, stories and a chance to
meet the characters of the BDG community.

The opening is named for Blackmar, who described
the gambit 1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. f3 , and for
Diemer, who improved the line by avoiding the defence
3…e5, suggesting and practicing instead 3. Nc3
Nf6 4. f3 [4…e5 e.g. 5. d5].

I have a book and a
database on the BDG, and in each White scores about 80%! This
must be too good to be true, I thought (and it is), but certainly
worth a look. So, I entered Tom Purser’s BDG
e-mail theme tournament to find out more about this opening,
which survives despite the scepticism. Here are my games in a
preliminary section (BDG-P01, 1997) [where, for the record I used
Andres Valverde’s cracking little ECTOOL programme to keep track
of the games.].

One key line I didn’t get to try was the Teichmann Defence,
5…Bg4. During the tournament I played the BDG in blitz against an
IM, and guess what he came straight back with? Anyhow, here’s how
the games went. I won’t get into the opening theory too much, apart
from noting known or speculative alternatives, and will concentrate
on what I thought were the critical moments of the games. When he
knew I was planning this session, Pete Lane e-mailed me the
following quote:

‘It should also be noted that there are openings
where I feel the chances for theoretical rebirth are extremely
poor. An obvious example is the Blackmar-Diemar Gambit: 1.d4 d5
2.e4. Sacrificing a prime central pawn for a tempo in the face of a
healthy, solid Black position cannot be sound.’ —
MEDNIS

There is of course, LOMBARDY’S Defence to Mednis’ System:

“At amateur level, all openings are
sound.”

I remain like Mednis a sceptic about the theoretical status of the
line, but no player from a country where also lives Mike Basman can
possibly dismiss the practical chances afforded by unorthodox
lines.

Anyhow, I enjoyed the games, and I learned not just about
the BDG but some general lessons as well. Check out the games from
the links above.

Summary of lessons:

play with a plan: plausible or visually appealing moves are not
good enough, OTB or CC
Playing by analogy is OK but notice the differences.
you can accept a gambit Pawn and win
“Don’t believe all you read” and
“Look before you leap!”
Play good moves, not good-looking ones.
Don’t drift, waiting for your opponent to build up: hit back
when you can!
Don’t panic! You must search for an answer to your opponent’s
threats. Juniors are sometimes very worried by opponent’s
king’s-side attacks, and go into a hedgehog posture, and it’s the
posture that kills them. I sometimes say, oh, don’t worry about
that, they’re only threatening mate.
Fight back! You must not drift when you are worse, you must
fight a way to create problems, and think seriously about our
opponent’s counters.
“Don’t believe what you read!” (again)
Passive play is difficult; Mednis calls it “awaiting the
undertaker”
Maybe it’s really true, the only way to refute a gambit is to
accept it!
Long aside…
Don’t hope, don’t fear: analyse and find out!

Dave Regis 0-1 Unes Hassim

My first game did not proceed quite the way it goes in the Books.
White’s attack doesn’t get started and the counterattack was rapid
and lethal.

BDG Vienna Defence

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 Bf5

Black aims to pick up the Pe4 without developing the
Ng1.

5.fxe4

[5.g4!? I tried in my other match with this defence.
Several of the games rapidly slid out of the gambit accepted (which
surprised me, as this must be the real test of the line) so I
played the text move which turns the game back into a gambit
again!]

5…Nxe4 6.Qf3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Qc8 8.Bc4

[8.Bd3! 1-0 Leisebein P-Kneipp G/DDR/M\927 1989 (20
moves) “very good for White” – Theo. Hommeles.;

8.Rb1 1-0 Dahlen-Alfredson/Stockholm 1963 (16);

8.Ba3 1/2-1/2
Evers,L-Cramling,Pia/Essen-Simultanveranstaltung (+24,=6,-5) 1987
(55);

8.Bb5+ 1/2-1/2 Cody P-Burk D/corr ESMT 1988/9 (01) 1989
(25)]

8…e6

[8…c6 1-0 Zechiel David-Brodersen BF/corr Golden
Knights SFs 1982 (41);

8…g6 1-0 Schmidt H-Wolfram R/corres-GT 118 1983
(19);

8…Bg6 1-0 Peilen M-Koons C/ESMT prelim 1988 (21)]

9.Nh3

[9.Ne2!? untested 9…Be7 (9…c6 10.0-0 Nd7 11.h4
Nb6? 12.Bd../em> Lane 12…Qd7 13.Bxf5 exf5 14.Qxf5 Qxf5
15.Rxf5 Bd6=) 10.Ng3 Bxc2 (10…Bg6) ;

9.Rb1 As played by Diemer himself in two short wins e.g.
1-0 Diemer Emil-Stehle/Schwenningen 1937 (18). It seemed to me the
Rook would be better placed immediately on the King’s-side without
exposing itself to later discomfort after …Bxc2, but what do I
know.;

9.g4 0-1 Laengl-Varga Z/Nuernberg (3-6) 1989 (28)]

9…Bd6

[9…Nd7 1-0 Sammet-Bachmann/Biel cc 1952 (24);

9…Be7 1/2-1/2 Voelker James-Echert Doug/Crestwood March
Rapids 1992 (32) 10.Qg3]

10.0-0

[10.g4 Bxc2 (10…Bg6 11.Ng5 h6) 11.0-0 0-0
12.Ng5 Bg6 13.d5 e5]

10…0-0

[Now this next one was encouraging: 10…Nd7 11.Ng5 0-0
(11…h6? 12.Nxf7) 12.g4 Bg6 13.h4 Nf6 14.h5 Bxc2 15.h6
Be7 16.hxg7 Kxg7 17.Bd3 Bxd3 18.Qxd3 Rh8 19.Qf3 Qg8 20.Ba3 Nd5
21.Bxe7 Nxe7 22.Nxe6+ 1-0 Diemer Emil-Synave H/SMX Ghent 1956:
after Ng5 White’s position looked great!]

CRITICAL POSITION: White needs to come up
with an attacking plan.

11.Ng5?!

In this position, rather an aimless swing. Playing by
analogy is OK but notice the differences.

[11.g4!? Bxc2 (11…Bg6) ;

11.d5!? c6! 12.Ng5 cxd5 13.Bxd5 Bxc2 (13…Bg6)
;

11.Nf4?! Bxc2 12.Nh5]

11…h6! 12.g4 Bg6

[12…Bxc2?! rather invites 13.Nxf7 ;

the apparently awkward defence 13…Bg6 fails to 14.Nxd6
cxd6 15.Bxe6+ Qxe6 16.Qxf8+ Kh7;

12…hxg5? 13.gxf5 exf5 (13…e5 14.f6 g4
15.Qe3) 14.Qxf5 Qxf5 15.Rxf5]

I played the obvious reply without much thought:

13.Ne4

Now I think this is rather good for Black; the Knight is almost in
the way here.

13…Nd7 14.h4 Nb6

Best, I thought. In fact I had the dubious merit of
predicting almost all of my opponent’s remaining moves, without
seeming to break out of the spell!

[14…f5 15.Bxe6+; 14…Kh8; 14…Bxe4 15.Qxe4]

15.Bd3?!

I realised Black’s reply would be very strong here but I
didn’t know what else to play!

[15.Bb3 a5 16.a4 Be7 (16…Bxe4 17.Qxe4 c5 may
be awkward) 17.g5 looks unconvincing]

15…f5!

[15…e5 16.h5]

16.Nxd6

[16.gxf5 looked the right one to analyse first. I became
discouraged after 16…Bxf5! and Black should be able to cover
everything. (17.Rb1; 17.h5; 17.Qg2 Kh8 18.Be3
Qd8)]

16…cxd6 17.Bd2

[17.Ba3? Qxc3 18.Bxd6?? Qxd4+;

17.h5? Qxc3]

17…Nc4! 18.Bxc4

[18.Rad1 Nxd2 19.Rxd2 Qxc3]

18…Qxc4 19.h5

[19.Qxb7 fxg4 20.Qe7 leaves Black completely in
control.]

19…Be8 20.g5

[20.gxf5 Bc6]

20…hxg5 21.Bxg5 Rc8

White is still down by his gambit Pawn and the counterattack is
starting to boil over. Black always has …Bc6 available.

22.Rae1

[22.Be7 Rf7 23.Bxd6 Qxc3; 22.Bf4]

22…Qxc3

[22…Qxa2; or 22…Bc6 23.Qg3 Qd5 24.h6 Qh1+ 25.Kf2-
+]

23.Rxe6 Hoping for a blunder more than
anything else

[23.Qxc3 If White heads immediately for the exchange of
Queens 23…Rxc3 24.Be7 Rf7 25.Bxd6 Rxc2 26.Rf2 Rxf2 27.Kxf2 Bd7 he
soon runs out of counterplay]

23…Qxd4+!

[But if Black goes for the endgame 23…Qxf3 24.Rxf3 Bxh5
25.Ra3 a6 26.Rxd6 White may be escaping]

24.Be3 Qh4 25.Rxd6

[25.h6 Rxc2; 25.Rf2?? Bc6]

25…Rc4 Black is taking over.
Everything wins…

[25…Rxc2; 25…Bxh5]

26.Bf4 Bc6 0-1

Lessons:

play with a plan: plausible or visually appealing moves
are not good enough, OTB or CC

Playing by analogy is OK but notice the differences.

you can accept a gambit Pawn and win

Dave Regis 1-0 Volker Drueke

An abrupt end; in a slightly uncommon line White moves pieces
across to the King’s-side until a combinational break can be
launched.

All according to plan, but for a moment White’s edifice
may have proved vulnerable to a Black central break.

BDG Bogolyubov Defence

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7
7.0-0 0-0 8.Qe1 Bg4 9.Qh4 Bxf3

[9…Nc6 often transposes]

10.Rxf3 Nc6

This is a very well-known type of position for the BDG fraternity,
although the combination of an immediate …Bxf3 and …Nc6 is not
so common. Conventional attacking approaches risked playing into my
opponent’s hands, so I resolved to play a less commonly-tried
approach.

11.Ne2 Qd7

[11…Nd5 has been tried a few times, e.g. 1-0 Schuh H
FM-Kohler/Baden Team CS 1982 (23);

11…e5 12.Bg5+/-]

12.Bg5

[12.Rh3? Qg4-+;

12.Bh6? Qg4]

12…Ng4

[12…Rad8 13.c3 Na5 14.Bd3 Rfe8 15.Raf1 Qc6 16.b4 Nc4
17.Kh1 Nb6 18.Rh3 h5 19.Rhf3 Nbd7 20.b5 Qe6 21.h3 Nf8 22.R1f2 Qd7
23.Bc4 Ne6 24.Nf4 Nxf4 25.Rxf4 Rf8 26.Qg3 c6? 27.Bxf6 Bxf6 28.Qxg6+
Kh8 29.Qxh5+ Kg8 30.Rg4+ 1-0 Hall A-Wells PK/London 1977;

12…h6 I was quite worried by this move during the game,
perhaps needlessly e.g. 13.Bxh6 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Bxh6 15.Rd3 Bg7
16.Ne6!]

13.c3

[13.Rh3?! h6 (13…Bxd4+ 14.Nxd4 Qxd4+ 15.Be3 Qxe3+
16.Rxe3 Nx../em> 14.c3 transposes below.;

13.h3? Bxd4+;

13.d5? Nce5]

13…h6

CRITICAL POSITION: Quite right! Now what is
White to do?

I knew 14.Bf4 had a precedent but I thought I had
to be sure before playing it… but in fact, I’m still not
sure!

14.Bf4!?

Alternatives:

[14.Raf1?! hxg5 15.Qxg5 Nge5 (15…Nf6 16.Qxg6 Nd8
17.Rg3 Ne8 18.Rh3 Nf6 19.Rxf6 Qxh3 20.gxh3 exf6 21.Nf4)
16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Rh3 Qg4! (17…Nxc4 may also be good
enough) 18.Qxg4 Nxg4 19.Rg3 (19.Nf4 Ne5 20.Bb3-+)
19…Ne5 20.Bb3 Rad8 21.Nf4 e6 22.h4 Bh6 23.h5 Kg7 24.hxg6 Bxf4
25.Rxf4 Nxg6 26.Rb4 b6 27.Rc4 c5 28.Ra4 a5 29.Bc4 Rd1+ 30.Bf1 Rfd8
31.b4 cxb4 0-1 Mondragon-Gu Muller/corres ch we BDG 1975;

14.Rg3!? cf. Mondragon above 14…hxg5! 15.Qxg5
(15.Qxg4 Qxg4 16.Rxg4 Bf6 17.Ng3 e5 18.d5 Na5 19.Bd3 Be7)
15…Nge5 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Bb3 Bf6-+;

14.Rh3-+ e5! 15.Rd1]

14…h5!?

[14…g5!? was the line to check: 15.Bxg5 hxg5 16.Qxg5
Nf6 (16…Nh6 17.Raf1 Kh8 18.Rh3 Qd6 19.Bxf7 Rad8 20.Rg3 Rg8
21.Bxg8 Rxg8 22.Qh5+/-) 17.Rg3 Ne8 18.Nf4!? (idea Nh5)

A) 18…e6!? Opening up the second rank
to defend g7 looks the toughest defence; the Black Knights prove
very awkward for White. 19.Nh5 f6! 20.Qh6 Rf7 21.Rxg7+ (21.Re1
Nd8) 21…Nxg7 22.Nxf6+ Rxf6 23.Qxf6 Rf8;

B) 18…Nxd4?! 19.Nd5 Nc6 20.Re1]

So I might have been quite wrong to offer the Bishop, and
Volker was wrong to trust me (or Sneiders).

15.Raf1?!

Just to be different, but without immediate threats. Shades of the
last game, I fear: a good-looking move rather than a good one.
Black has a window of opportunity…

[15.Qg3? e5 16.dxe5 Ncxe5-+;

[15.Qg5? e5-+]

[Sneiders, to whom credit or blame for the idea of
sacrificing the Bishop is due, had played a game with: 15.h3!? Nf6
16.Qg3 e6 (16…Kh7) 17.Re1 (17.Raf1 Ne4 18.Qh4 Ne7
19.g4&=) 17…Ne4 18.Qh2 This position didn’t appeal to me
at all. 18…Rae8 19.Bb5 e5 20.dxe5 Qd5 21.Bxc6

A) 21…bxc6 1/2-1/2 Sneiders
E-Frings/corres I.BDG Weltt 1968. Although a draw was agreed here I
quite like White’s position. 22.Re3 f6 (22…Bxe5 23.Bxe5 Rxe5
24.Nf4+/-) 23.Ng3+= But:

B) 21…Qxc6! seemed better to me 22.Re3
(22.Nd4 Qd5 23.Rfe3 Bxe5 24.Bxe5 Rxe5 25.Nf3 Re7) 22…Qb6
23.Nd4 f5 24.exf6 Nxf6 25.Bxc7 Rxe3 26.Rxe3 (26.Bxb6 Rxe1+
27.Kf2 Ng4+) 26…Qxb2-+]

15…Na5

Decentralising but not bad, I think.

[15…e5? 16.Bg5 intending Be7 with an attack on f7
(16.h3 e4) 16…exd4 (16…Nd8 17.Be7 Re8 18.Bxd8 Qxd8
19.Qxd8 Rexd8 20.Rxf7 Ne3 21.Rxc7+ Nxc4 22.Rxc4 Rd7 23.dxe5
Bxe5) 17.Rxf7 Rxf7 18.Rxf7 Qxf7 19.Bxf7+ Kxf7 20.h3 dxc3
21.Nxc3 Bd4+ 22.Kf1;

15…Rad8;

15…Nf6 16.Qg5 Kh8;

15…Rac8!? looking after c7 also looked OK to me, when
White still has it all to prove. However, I was most afraid of the
text move.]

16.Bd3 b6?!

[The move that I was anxious about at the time was
16…e5!?

17.dxe5 (17.Bg5 Rae8; 17.Bg3 exd4) 17…Nxe5
18.Bxe5 Bxe5 when I could see nothing very convincing for White;
Black needs to avoid to obvious knockouts however and on second
glance may not find it easy to do so.

19.Qg5 Rfe8 (19…Nc6 20.Bc4!; 19…Rae8 20.Bxg6!
fxg6 21.Rxf8+ Rxf8 22.Rxf8+ Kxf8 23.Qxe5) 20.Rxf7 Qxd3 21.Qh6
Qe3+ 22.Qxe3 Bxh2+ 23.Kxh2 (23.Kf2 Rxe3 24.Kxe3)
23…Rxe3]

After Black has declined (or missed) this oppportunity,
White is allowed to build up a powerful attack.

17.h3

Back to the Sneiders game, more or less.

17…Nf6

[17…e5 obviously now fails to 18.hxg4 exf4
19.gxh5+-;

17…Nh6 looked interesting but unnatural]

18.Ng3

[18.Be5 first could have been tried, or 18.Qg3]

18…c5

looks the right strategy, trying to break up White’s
centre and get some active play, because there seems no immediate
prospect of Black achieving exchanges.

[18…Nc6 19.Bg5 was another critical line. I didn’t
analyse it much at the time, waiting for Volker’s actual choice to
arrive.

A) 19…e5?? 20.Bxf6;

B) 19…Nh7 20.Nxh5 gxh5
(20…Nxd4) 21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qxh5+ Kg8 23.Bh6;

C) 19…Rad8 20.Bxf6 exf6 21.Nxh5 Nxd4
22.Nxf6+ Bxf6 23.Rxf6 Ne6]

19.Be5

[19.dxc5; 19.Bg5]

19…cxd4

[19…Nc6 now meets the same reply.]

20.Bxf6 1-0

This move provoked Black (who perhaps anticipated the
immediate recapture on d4) into resigning(!). Black is certainly
beset with threats but can hope to steer out into a simplified if
inferior position. The variations are I guess quite thematic for
the BDG but I’m not confident that I haven’t missed something
familiar to readers.

But let us look at what might have happened:

20…exf6!

White now has a choice of sacrificial lines:

[20…Bxf6?! 21.Rxf6

A) 21…dxc3 22.R6f3 Rac8 23.Nf5 f6
24.Rg3 c2 25.Qxh5 Kf7 (25…e5 26.Nh6+) 26.Qxg6+ Ke6
27.Re3+ Kd5;

B) 21…exf6 22.Nxh5 gxh5 23.Qg3+ Kh8
24.Rxf6]

21.Bf5!?

getting the Bd3 out of the way of the Qd7

[21.Rxf6? is not the right one at all: 21…Bxf6 22.Qxf6
Qe6;

21.Nxh5!? was the one I looked at first and longest
21…dxc3! exposing the Bd3 (21…Nc6 22.Nxg7 Kxg7 23.Qxf6+ Kg8
24.Bc4 Nd8 25.Qxg6+ Kh8 26.Qh6+ Kg8 27.Rg3+;

21…gxh5 22.Qxh5 Rfe8 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Rg3 Ke7 25.Rxg7
Qe6 26.Bg6 Rf8 27.cxd4 Ke8 28.Bxf7+ Rxf7 29.Qg8+ Ke7 30.Rxf7+ Qxf7
31.Re1+;

21…Qd6!? covering g3 and f6, not to mention
d4, but allowing White to capture on f6 with gain of time.
22.Nxf6+ Bxf6 23.Rxf6 Qe5 24.Bxg6)

Now 22. Qxf6 is an idea, or 22.Nxg7 Kxg7
23.Qxf6+ Kg8 24.Rf4 Qc6 (24…Qe6 25.Qxe6 fxe6 26.bxc3)
25.bxc3 is worse for Black but not losing. So White should think
again:(25.Rh4 Qxf6 26.Rxf6 cxb2;

25.Qxc6 Nxc6 26.Be4 Rac8) ]

21…Qd6!

covering d4, g3 and f6 again, and without being exposed
to Rxf6. White has to spend a while organising a threat on the
g-file.

[21…gxf5? 22.Nxf5 dxc3 (22…Rfe8 23.Qg3)
23.Nxg7;

21…Qa4? 22.Nxh5 gxh5 23.Qxh5 Rfe8 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Rg3
Ke7 26.Qxg7! (26.Rxg7 Qxa2) 26…Qxa2 27.Re1+ Kd6
28.Qxf6+]

22.Nxh5 gxh5 23.Rg3

[23.Qxh5 Rfd8]

23…Rfd8

[23…Nc6 24.Rff3 Ne5 25.Rxg7+ Kxg7 26.Qg3+ Kh8 27.Qf4
Ng6 28.Qh6+ Kg8 29.Bxg6 fxg6 30.Qxg6+ Kh8 31.Rf5 Qe7 32.Rxh5+ Qh7
33.Rxh7#]

24.Rff3 Kf8

[24…dxc3 25.Qxh5 Kf8 26.Qh7 Qc5+ 27.Kh2 cxb2 28.Qxg7+
Ke8 29.Qxf6 Qd6 30.Re3+]

25.Qxh5

Does White really win in all variations from here?

25…dxc3 26.Qh7

which looks very risky for Black, e.g.

26…Qc5+ 27.Kh2 Nc4

[27…c2 28.Re3]

28.Qxg7+ Ke7 29.Bg6 Rf8 30.Qxf6+ Kd7 31.Bf5+
Kc7 32.Rxc3…

Lessons:

“Don’t believe all you read” and

“Look before you leap!”

Play good moves, not good-looking ones.

Don’t drift, waiting for your opponent to build up: hit
back when you can!

Dave Regis 1-0 Kevin Kent

This was a fairly smooth game where for once I saw the problem
coming and successfully avoided it.

BDG Vienna Defence

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 Bf5 5.g4 Bg6 6.g5 Nd5
7.Nxe4

Here I ran to the databases for some guidance. White has
no Pawn deficit but needs a plan. The model game is Tartakower’s,
but Black can improve.

[7.Nxe4 e6 8.c4

A) 8…Bb4+ 9.Ke2 (9.Kf2? Nb6 10.c5
Bxe4 11.fxe4 Bxc5-+) 9…Nb6 10.c5 Nd5 11.a3 Ba5 12.Qa4+ Nc6
13.Qc4 Bxe4 14.fxe4 Nde7 15.Be3 1-0 Gedult #-Gorfinkel/Vittel
1973;

B) 8…Nb6 9.Be3 Nc6 (9…N8d7
10.h4) 10.a3 (10.h4) ;

C) 8…Ne7 9.Ng3 (9.Bg2 1-0
Sneiders E-Vashegyi E/corres ICCF/m 1969 (27)) 9…Nbc6
10.Be3 Nf5 11.Nxf5 Bxf5 12.Bh3 Bxh3 13.Nxh3

C1) 13…Ne7! Muller 14.Qd2 Nf5 15.Bf2
a5

C1a) 16.c5 b6 17.Rd1 (17.Nf4)
;

C1b) 16.a3 ;

C2) 13…Be7?! 14.Qa4 Bb4+ 15.Kf2 0-0
16.Rad1 (16.c5 e5) 16…Bd6 17.c5 Be7 18.Rhg1 Rb8 19.Rg4
Qd5 20.Nf4 Qf5 21.Ne2 Rbd8 22.b4 a6 23.Nc3 Rd7 24.h4 Rfd8 25.Kg2
Bf8 26.Qb3 Ne7 27.Re4 Nd5 28.Ne2 Nxe3+ 29.Qxe3 Qd5 30.Nc3 Qf5
31.Rd2 Qg6 32.Ne2 Qf5 33.Rb2 Qd5 34.Nc3 Qc6 35.a4 b5 36.axb5
axb5

Black is being strangled. I love to play this way as White, even
more perhaps than winning by a Queen sacrifice! Tartakower now gets
in through the a-file while Black is too cramped to oppose it.

37.Qd3 Rb8 38.Ra2 Qb7 39.Re1 c6 40.Rea1 Rbd8 41.Ra7 Qb8
42.Rxd7 Rxd7 43.Qe4 g6 44.Ra6 Qd8 45.Ne2 Rd5 46.Rxc6 Bg7 47.Ra6 Bf8
48.Rb6 h6 49.f4 hxg5 50.hxg5 Bg7 51.Kg3 Bxd4 52.Nxd4 Rxd4 53.Qe5!
Rd3+ 54.Kh4 Qe8 55.c6 Rd8 56.c7 Rc8 57.Qd6 Kh7 58.Rb8 Kg7 59.Qd8
1-0, Tartakower-Simonovitch, Paris 1954]

7…e6 8.c4 Nb6 9.Be3 Nc6

… This reminds me of an Alekhin’s Defence: Black has no central
foothold but White’s centre is loose and may be undermined.

10.h4 Bb4+ 11.Kf2

[11.Ke2 0-0 12.c5 Nd5 13.a3]

11…0-0 12.Rc1

[12.c5 Nd5 13.a3 Ba5 14.b4 f5 15.gxf6 Bxe4

A) 16.fxe4 Qxf6+ 17.Nf3 (17.Kg2
Nxe3+;

17.Ke2 Nc3+) 17…Nc3 18.Qe1 Qxf3+;

B) 16.fxg7 16…Rxf3+ 17.Nxf3 Nxe3
18.Kxe3 Bxf3 19.Kxf3 (19.Qxf3 Qxd4+ 20.Ke2 Qxa1) 19…Qd5+
20.Kg3 Qxh1]

…all looked fine for Black. Since then I hear from
Jyrki
Heikkinen that he can improve with 12.c5 Nd5 13.a3 Ba5
14.Qd3…

12…Bxe4

[12…e5 13.d5]

13.fxe4 f5

[13…f6]

14.exf5

[14.gxf6 e5 (14…Qxf6+ 15.Nf3 e5 16.Bg5 Qg6
17.c5) 15.c5 Qxf6+ 16.Nf3;

14.c5 fxe4+;

14.e5]

14…exf5

[14…Rxf5+ 15.Nf3 e5 16.Bd3 (16.Bh3 Rf8 17.Kg2)
]

15.Nf3

[15.c5 f4]

15…f4

[15…g6 16.d5 Ne7 17.a3; 15…Qe7; 15…Qe8; 15…Be7
16.d5 Nb4]

16.Bd2 Qe7

[16…Bxd2 17.Qxd2 Qe7 18.Bh3 Qe3+ 19.Qxe3 fxe3+ 20.Ke2
(20.Kxe3 Rae8+ 21.Ne5 Nxe5 22.dxe5 Rxe5+ 23.Kd4 Rfe8=+)
20…Rae8 21.d5 Ne5 22.Nxe5 Rxe5 23.Be6+ Kh8 24.Rhf1;

16…Be7 17.Bc3+=]

Now the position reminds me of a King’s Gambit!

CRITICAL POSITION: Black has an advanced
protected passed Pawn, but needs to find a way of making use of it
– or else he will be driven back. I spent a long time analysing
this move, because if a planned finesse at move 21 doesn’t work,
this is the place to repair it.

17.Bh3

[17.d5 Ne5 18.Bxb4 (18.Nxe5 Qxe5 19.Bxb4 Qe3+ 20.Kg2
Qg3#) 18…Qxb4 19.Nxe5 Qxb2+ -+]

17…Bxd2

[17…Rae8 18.Re1 Qf7 (18…Qd6 19.Rxe8 Rxe8
20.c5) 19.Bxb4 Nxb4 is also critical;

White may still be able to claim an edge because of the
unstable Black Knights. 20.a3]

18.Qxd2 Qe3+ Tempting but probably
mistaken.

[18…Rae8 19.Rhe1 Qf7 20.d5 Rxe1 (20…Nd8)
21.Qxe1 Nd8 22.Ne5 (22.b3 Re8 23.Qa5 a6;

22.Qd2 Re8 23.b3) 22…Qe8 23.b3 Kh8 24.Rd1 Nf7
25.Nxf7+ (25.Be6 Nxe5 26.Qxe5 Qh5 27.Rh1 c6) 25…Qxf7
26.Be6 Qh5]

19.Qxe3 fxe3+ 20.Ke2

[20.Kxe3 Rae8+ didn’t detain me long, so White must
concede the Pawn another step forward. I think Black must have
mis-assessed this line with Ke2, or surely he would have chosen
something else earlier.]

20…Rae8

Now Black has a little opportunity to play …Rxf3 and
…Nd4+, so White must anticipate this by enabling Be6+ interfering
with the line of the Re8.

21.d5!?

[21.b3 Rxf3 22.Kxf3 Nxd4+ 23.Kg2 e2 24.Kf2 h5 25.gxh6 gxh6]

21…Ne5

[21…Rxf3!? looked alarming but 22.Kxf3 (22.dxc6
Rf2+) 22…Nd4+ 23.Kg2 e2 (else Rd1) 24.Be6+ and I think White
comfortably survives to win.]

22.Nxe5 Rxe5

[22…Rf2+ 23.Kxe3 Rxb2 24.Be6+]

23.Be6+ Kh8 24.Rhf1

Now it’s all over: White will consume the e-Pawn and the poor
Knight still has nowhere to go. Black has rather drifted into this
lost position without having a definite plan for counterplay. Don’t
drift, but fight back!

24…Rd8

[24…Rf2+ 25.Rxf2 exf2+ 26.Kxf2 Re4 27.Kg3! (27.c5
Na4 28.b3 Nb2 29.Rf1) 27…Rxc4 (27…Nxc4 28.Rf1 Re3+
29.Kg2;

27…h6 28.g6 Re3+ 29.Kg2 Re2+ 30.Kg1)
28.Rf1]

25.Rf3 g6

[25…c6?? 26.Rcf1 h5 27.g6 Nd7 28.Bxd7]

26.Rcf1

[26.Rxe3 Rxe3+ 27.Kxe3 Kg7 (27…c6 28.Ke4 Kg7)
28.b3 (28.Ke4 Rf8) 28…Re8 29.Kd4 Rf8 30.c5 Nc8 31.Ke5
Ne7]

26…h5

[26…Nxc4 27.Rf8+ Rxf8 28.Rxf8+ Kg7 29.Rg8#;

26…c6 27.Rf8+ Rxf8 28.Rxf8+ Kg7 29.Rg8#]

27.Rf8+

[27.b3 c6 28.Rxe3 Rxe3+ 29.Kxe3 cxd5 30.cxd5 Nxd5+
31.Bxd5 Rxd5 32.Rf7]

27…Rxf8 28.Rxf8+ Kg7 29.Rf7+ Kh8 30.Rxc7+-
Re4

[30…Na4]

31.b3 Rxh4 32.Kxe3 Rh2 33.c5 Nxd5+

[33…Rxa2 34.cxb6 axb6 35.d6 Rg2 36.d7]

34.Bxd5 Rxa2 35.Rxb7 Rc2 36.c6 1-0

Lessons:

Don’t panic! You must search for an answer to your
opponent’s threats. Juniors are sometimes very worried by
opponent’s king’s-side attacks, and go into a hedgehog posture, and
it’s the posture that kills them. I sometimes say, oh, don’t worry
about that, they’re only threatening mate.

Fight back! You must not drift when you are worse, you
must fight a way to create problems, and think seriously about our
opponent’s counters.

Volker Drueke 0-1 Dave Regis

The lure of a good example. White follows the precedent of a
dramatic win by Sneiders, but unfortunately ends up playing, not
some hacker from Exeter, but GM Joe Gallagher.

BDG Euwe Defence

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7
7.Bd3

A less common approach.

7…c5

As played by Diemer as Black!

[7…Nc6;

7…Nbd7 8.0-0 (8.Qd2/ JG 8…c5
9.0-0-0) 8…c5 9.dxc5 Bxc5+ 10.Kh1 h6 11.Bh4 0-0 12.Qe2 =
Liesebein, -+ Gallagher 12…Be7 13.Rad1 Qa5 14.Ne4 Qxa2 15.g4 Qxb2
16.g5 hxg5 17.Nfxg5 e5 18.Nxf6+ Nxf6 19.Rxf6 Be6 20.Qh5 Bd5+ 21.Kg1
Qd4+ 22.Bf2 1-0 Leisebein P-Friedrich G/DDR-corr-Meisterklasse
1990]

8.dxc5

[8.Qd2 cxd4 (8…Nc6 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.0-0-0 0-0 11.Rhf1
Be7 12.Qf4 Nd5 13.Nxd5 Bxg5 14.Nxg5 f6 15.Bxh7+ Kh8 16.Qh4 fxg5
17.Qh5 1-0 Bent Scott-Neumeier Michael/Cincinnati, Annual Gold
Cup Benefit O 1991) 9.Nxd4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Nc6 11.Nf3 Qa5
12.Bc4 0-0-0 13.Qe2 h6 14.Bd2 Bb4 15.a3 Bxc3 16.Bxc3 Qc7 17.Ne5
Nxe5 18.Bxe5 Qa5 19.Rd3 Bc6 20.b4 Qb6 21.Rc3 a6 22.Rf1 Rhf8 23.g4
Rd7 24.Rf4 Nd5 25.Bxd5 Rxd5 26.Bxg7 Rfd8 27.Rxf7 a5 28.Bf8 Rd1+
29.Kb2 axb4 30.Bxb4 Kb8 31.Qxe6 Re8 32.Qxh6 Ree1 33.Qf4+ Ka7 34.Rc5
Re4 35.Ra5+ Qxa5 36.Bxa5 Rxf4 37.Rxf4 Rh1 38.Bc7 Rxh2 39.Rf5 1-0
Roos-Soller/corres ch we BDG 1975]

8…Qa5

[8…Bxc5 9.Qe2 (9.Ne4 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.Bb5+ Nd7
12.Nd6+ Ke7 13.Qd2 a6 14.Qb4 a5 15.Nxc8+ 1-0 Merkl
K-Riesen/unknown 1955) 9…Be7 10.0-0-0 Nd5 11.Bb5+ Bd7
12.Rxd5 exd5 13.Nxd5 f6 14.Nxf6+ gxf6 15.Bxf6 Bxb5 16.Qxb5+ Kf7
17.Qh5+ Kxf6 18.Qh6+ Kf7 19.Ne5+ Kg8 20.Qe6+ Kg7 21.Qf7+ Kh6
22.Ng4+ Kg5 23.h4+ 1-0 Diemer Emil-Terzi/Rastatt BDG 1953;

8…Nc6 9.0-0 Bxc5+ 10.Kh1 h6 11.Bh4 g5 12.Nxg5 hxg5
13.Bxg5 Nh5 0-1 Penk-Diemer Emil/corr [Fp 1955]

9.0-0 Qxc5+ 10.Kh1 Nbd7

[10…h6]

11.Qe1 a6

CRITICAL POSITION 1: That’s a funny little
move by Black: can you see what the idea is?

12.Qh4 Qb4!

Ha! Now White has to exchange Queens or throw in another
Pawn.

13.Nd4

[13.Ne4]

13…Qxb2 14.Nce2 Ne5 15.a4 Qb6

CRITICAL POSITION 2: You’re nearly on your
own here: there is only one recorded game, where White won in
twenty moves after 16. Rxf6. What do you do?

16.Rxf6?

Nearly on your own, but not quite. I fear Volker hasn’t
seen Joe Gallagher’s “Beating the Anti-Indians“, which
analyses this move. In fact, he assesses White’s position as simply
lost even before this move! So White has to bale out before
somewhere earlier, or, if you don’t believe JG, then find an
improvement here.

[16.Be3; 16.Rab1 Qd8;

16.Bxf6!? Drueke 16…gxf6 17.Rab1 Qc7 which still has
some play in it, however White cannot preserve the Bd3 by 18.Be4?
f5!]

16…gxf6!

[16…gxf6! White now assessed his chances as zero and
resigned, which may be appropriate if Gallagher
was playing all the rest of my moves, but I’d have to start
thinking for myself soon! I had to check all the lines before and
after this point, of course, or I might fall into the very trap
that I hoped Volker was making – of trusting the books.

16…Nxd3? 17.Rff1 f6 18.Be3 Nc5? (18…Ne5)
19.Nb3 Qc6 20.Bxc5 Bxc5 21.Qh5+ 1-0 Sneiders E-Breunig O/corr 1BDGW
1970/71 (02) 1971 I guess Volker was hoping to go all the way down
the line following this game.]

Possible continuation:
17.Bxf6

[17.Be3 there might be some nibbles in this line still:
17…Nxd3 18.cxd3 Bd7 19.Nf5 Qd8 20.Ng7+ Kf8 21.Qh6
(21.Bh6) 21…Kg8 22.Rf1 Qf8]

17…Qd8! 18.Rf1 (“what else?”,
asks JG)

[18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Qg3 Nxd3 20.cxd3 Bd7 e.g. 21.Qc7 Bc6
22.Qb6 Rc8 23.Rc1 Bxg2+ 24.Kxg2 Rxc1 25.Nxc1 Qg5+ 26.Kf2 Qxc1
27.Nxe6 Qd2+ 28.Kf3 Qxd3+ 29.Kf4 Qd2+ 30.Kf5 Qd5+]

18…Bxf6 19.Rxf6 Ng4!-+
20.Nxe6

[20.Qxg4 Qxf6 21.Ng3 (21.Nf4 Qxd4) 21…Bd7
22.Nh5 Qe5]

20…Qxf6 21.Nc7+ Kd8 0-1

Lessons:

“Don’t believe what you read!” (again)

Unes Hassim 1/2-1/2 Dave Regis

Black wimps out of accepting the BDG to try a solid defence and the
hope of gaining some small positional pluses later. Just when Black
starts to feel more confident the Queen discovers she cannot
settle, and the game ends in a draw by repetition.

BDG Langeheinecke Defence

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 e3 5.Bxe3 e6

[I had played my first ever BDG against my esteemed
Exeter clubmate Richard Towers. Rich seems to have made a move from
gambit play to anti-theoretical and solid chess, hoping to outplay
his opponent in the middlegame, and so I made a determined effort
to play very actively against him by playing 1. e4, which of course
met with his Scandinavian 1…d5, “sucking all the life out of
the position” as someone once said. Now 2.d4: I assumed Rich
knows no more about the Caro or French than I do, but that need not
be true. 2…dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 e3 5.Bxe3 c6 Still playing the
Scandinavian! 6.Bd3 (6.Bc4) 6…Nbd7 7.Nge2 e6
(7…e5?!) 8.0-0 Nd5 To develop the Bc8, but shedding
another tempo. (8…Nb6; 8…Bd6 9.Ne4 Bc7 10.c4; 8…Be7)
9.Nxd5 exd5 10.Re1 Be7 11.Ng3 0-0 12.Nf5 (12.Qe2; 12.c4)
12…Bf6 13.Qd2 Nb6 14.b3!?

CRITICAL POSITION: Should Black go solid or
try to force the issue here?

[On 14…c5!? I had resolved to play 15.dxc5 Bxa1 16.cxb6 Bf6
(16…Qf6?! 17.Nd4 Bb2 18.c3 Ba3 19.bxa7 Be6?? 20.Bg5)
17.bxa7 when I though White had good compensation and has succeeded
in unbalancing the game]

14…Be6 15.c3 Nc8 (15…Qd7 16.Qc2) 16.Re2 Ne7
17.Ng3 g6 18.Rae1 Qd7 19.Bg5 Bg7 (19…Bxg5 20.Qxg5)
20.Qf4 Rae8

I’ve seen Richard win happily from dozens of these
passive-but-solid positions.

21.Bf6 (This took me 20 minutes!) Another

CRITICAL POSITION: can you find a way to
hold the line?

21…Kh8??

(21…Nf5; 21…Bxf6; 21…a5!? “Pass”.;
21…Nc8! (idea Qd6/Qe7))

22.Nh5 It took me ages to realise (a) that Nh5 was a
useful candidate (it was useless before), and (b) that it won,
although the first move I though of was Qh6!

22…gxh5 23.Qh6 1-0

Richard might well have battled on after e.g. 21…Nc8!
but White has an easy game to play; the way to play for a result is
with moves like 14…c5!

Lessons:

Passive play is difficult; Mednis calls it “awaiting
the undertaker”

Back at the main game: 6.Bd3 Be7

[6…Nbd7 1-0 Fuller RA-Dilworth V/British CS OA/ 1965
(38);

6…Bb4 Richter_Mendau J-Roos B/5/23 cr 1BDGW fnl 1972/74
(03) 1974/1-0 (65);

6…Nd5 1-0 Schuh H FM-Treffert/BndLiga 1984 (22);

6…Nc6]

7.Nge2 Nbd7 8.0-0 0-0

[8…c5 9.f4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.Be2 Nd5]

9.Bf2

[9.Qe1 is more normal:

A) 9…c5 is analysed at BDG world:
10.Rd1 cxd4 11.Bxd4 Qc7 12.Qh4 Bc5 13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Nf6 15.Qh4
e5 16.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 17.Kh1 Be6 18.Nc3 h6 19.a3 Rad8 20.f4

A1) 20…exf4 21.Qxf4 (21.Rxf4
Nd5) 21…Qg5 (21…Nd5 22.Qe4 g6 23.Qh4+=) 22.Qxg5
hxg5=;

A2) 20…Rd4?! 21.Ne2 Rd7 22.b4 Qc7
23.fxe5 Qxe5 24.Nf4 Bg4 25.Rde1 Qg5 26.Qf2 b6?? (26…Bf5 27.h4
Qg4 28.Be2 Ne4) 27.h4 1-0 Hommeles-Ligterinck, NDR 1992;

B) 9…Nd5 0-1 Bachl E-Bocki/Germany?
1978 (34)]

9…c5 10.Qe1

[10.Qe1 cxd4 11.Nxd4 (11.Bxd4 Bc5 12.Qf2 Bxd4 13.Qxd4
e5 14.Qd6 Re8) 11…Nc5 (11…e5 12.Nf5 Bc5 13.Bxc5 Nxc5
14.Qxe5);

10.Be1; 10.Ne4; 10.dxc5]

10…cxd4 11.Nxd4

[11.Bxd4]

11…a6

[11…Nc5; 11…e5?! 12.Nf5; 11…Bc5? 12.Na4; 11…b6?
12.Nc6; 11…Qa5!?]

12.Rd1 Qc7+=

White’s active pieces give him a small edge, but Black has no
weaknesses and can work towards equality.

13.Kh1

[13.Ne4]

13…Nc5

[13…Ne5; 13…Bc5; 13…Qe5 14.Qd2; 13…b5!?]

14.Bg3

[14.Bh4; 14.Bc4]

14…Qb6

[14…Nxd3 15.Bxc7 Nxe1 16.Rfxe1 Bb4 17.Be5 Bxc3
18.bxc3+=;

14…Qd8 15.Qe3 Qb6 16.Nb3 Na4 17.Qxb6 Nxb6+=]

15.Nb3 Nxd3 (two Bishops!)

[15…Nxb3 16.cxb3 Rd8 17.Bf2]

16.Rxd3 Rd8

[16…Bd7 17.Qe5 Rac8 18.f4 Bc6 19.f5]

Black is holding the line, and the game grinds to a
halt.

17.Rxd8+ [17.Bf2 Qc7 18.Bg3]
17…Bxd8 [17…Qxd8] 18.Bf2
[18.Qe2] 18…Qc7 19.Qe3 Bd7 [19…b5 20.Nc5]
20.Rd1 Bc6

I felt confident that Black had equalised and was start to think
about playing for a win with the two Bishops, but…

21.Bg3

[21.Nd4 Be7]

21…Qb6 22.Qe1 Be7 23.Bf2

[23.Bd6]

23…Qc7 24.Bg3

[24.Nd4]

24…Qb6 It is difficult for White to
play for a win and the Black Queen has no comfortable hiding place;
if the c5 point is conceded Black may find himself worse.
1/2../strong>

Lessons:

Maybe it’s really true, the only way to refute a gambit
is to accept it!

Long aside…

…Steinitz said, The best way to refute a gambit is to
accept it, and Lasker added, especially centre Pawns. But I
sometimes imagine that accepting a gambit is the best way to fall
into the main idea of something nasty that your opponent knows all
about. That may still be true, but I’m starting to think that
Steinitz is absolutely right. That is, if you want only equality,
decline by all means, but if only who dares wins.
There are one or two gambit lines which I am seeing in junior
matches that I cannot see a good way to play for a win against by
declining, which seem relevant here.

I was looking at the Max Lange attack and was struck by
Black’s fundamental choice at move 5:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0: now: 5…Bc5
or 5…Nxe4 ?

5…Bc5 just seems a glorious mess, just the sort of
thing to be avoided, but I couldn’t see a way for Black to play for
a win after 5…Nxe4

e.g. 5…Nxe4 6.Re1 d5 7.Nc3 dxc3 [7…dxc4 8.Rxe4+
Be7 9.Nxd4 f5 10.Rf4 0-0 11.Nxc6 Qxd1+ 12.Nxd1 bxc6 13.Rxc4 Bd6
14.Nc3 = Botvinnik] 8.Bxd5 Be6 [or 8…Bf5 9.Bxe4 Bxe4
10.Rxe4+ Be7] 9.Bxe4 Bb4 10.b3 Qxd1 11.Rxd1 Rd8 12.Be3 a6:
Black has an extra pawn which is hard to keep and hard to make use
of.

Also after 1.e4 e5!? 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 The Goring
Gambit. Black can readily equalise with 4…d5 but cannot hope for
a win. The moral is once again, that the best way to refute a
gambit may be to accept it.

Kevin Kent (0-1) Dave Regis

This was a good scrap; White was always one move short of landing
the final blow and Black wriggles out into a better endgame. This
is I guess how you are supposed to play with Black; easier in
correspondence than OTB! It also confirms my prejudices about the
line: in my games Black scored 2/3 in the gambit accepted!

BDG Bogolyubov Defence

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7
7.0-0 0-0 8.Qe1 Nbd7

This is a well-known position, and both sides have tried several
alternatives. I was heading for a position which Harding assesses
as =+ but White is by no means obliged to comply.

9.Qh4 Nb6

[9…c5 looks the only realistic alternative here.]

10.Bb3 a5 11.a4 Nbd5

This is the first CRITICAL POSITION. White
has an apparent opportunity to win back the Pawn, but Harding
thinks this gives Black slightly the better position.

12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Bxd5 (13.c4) 13…Qxd5 14.Qxe7 Qc6
(14…Bxd4+ 15.Nxd4 Qxd4+ 16.Be3 Qd7;

14…Qd7) 15.c3 Be6 16.Bf4 Rac8 17.Ne5 Qd5 =
Lane, =+ Harding

I hoped White would try and win the e-Pawn, but instead
he goes for a slow build-up in the familiar manner. All the books
give only 12. Nxd5, but White actually has lots of
alternatives:

(12.Bg5; 12.Bh6; 12.Ne5 Be6 13.Bh6 c6; 12.h3; 12.Ng5
h6)

12.h3

An interesting move, the motivation of which it is worth
pondering. Black often has trouble developing the Bishop on c8, and
in the BDG it is often useful to send this Queen’s-side piece out
to g4 and exchange it for the dangerous Knight on f3.

I probably wouldn’t have gone for …Bg4: I don’t really
approve of giving up the two Bishops like this and the offer to
bring the Rf1 into play on f3 also seems unnecessarily helpful.

12…c6

[12…Qd6 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.c4 Nf6 15.Bf4 Qb6;

12…Be6 13.Ng5 Ra6?? 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Rxf6]

13.Bh6

[13.Ng5 h6]

13…Nxc3

Black has many alternatives here but this looked
clearest.

14.bxc3

[14.Ng5 Ne2+ 15.Kh1 Qxd4]

Another CRITICAL POSITION: White has a
straightforward plan of Ng5, Bxg7, Rxf6 and Qxh7 against routine
tries by Black. So Black must both avoid this idea and make sure
nothing worse awaits him.

14…Nh5

It was hard to see much else. I looked at a long forcing
line here which White played straight down the middle of. Black can
and should have confidence in the position to face attacks like
this, look them in the eye, and find the way to safety. Neither
hope nor fear are friends to the chess player, only judgement and
analysis!

15.Bxg7

With hindsight White should have preferred:

[15.Bg5 or; 15.Be3, when it’s still a fight]

15…Kxg7 16.Ng5

[16.g4 Nf6 17.Ng5 h6 18.Nxf7 Rxf7 19.Bxf7 g5 20.Qg3 Kxf7
when Black might make something out of the material imbalance.
21.Rab1]

16…e6

provocative! – but importantly pins the Knight to the
Queen

17.g4

[17.Nxe6+ Bxe6]

17…h6 18.Nxe6+

[18.Nf3 Qxh4 19.Nxh4 Nf6;

18.gxh5 hxg5 (18…Qxg5+ 19.Qxg5 hxg5 20.hxg6
Kxg6) 19.h6+ Kh7 20.Qe4 f5 (20…Qd6 21.Rf3) 21.Qe3
Qf6 22.Rae1 Bd7 23.Bxe6 Rae8]

18…Bxe6 19.Qxd8 Raxd8 20.Bxe6 Ng3! 21.Rf3 Ne2+
22.Kf2 Nxc3 23.Rxc3

[23.Bb3 Ne4+ 24.Ke3 Ng5 (24…f5 25.gxf5 gxf5 26.Rg1+
Kf6 27.Rgf1 Nd6 28.c4 Rde8+ 29.Kd3) 25.Rg3 Rfe8+ 26.Kd3 Ne4
27.Rf3 Nc5+ 28.Kc4 Nxb3 29.Rxb3 is rather like the game
continuation in the end!]

23…fxe6+

… and Black has wangled his extra pawn back. If I had been
frightened of the attack at move 14-18 I might have had to back out
of the whole line, but I couldn’t see a way through, and wanted to
prove the point. This is easier in correspondence than OTB, I
admit, but you must have this attitude. Even if you are wrong and
are proved wrong about the variations, your attitude is still
right.

24.Ke3 e5! 25.dxe5 Rd5 26.Rb1

Probably best?

[26.Ke4; 26.Rb3]

26…Rxe5+ 27.Kd4 Rd5+ 28.Kc4??

throwing away another Pawn because of the loose Rb1.
White seemed to lose heart here but some of the Rook endgames could
have been awkward for Black.

[28.Ke4! and Black has to decide if he is going to go
passive or try for activity. Although the books say in general you
should go for activity I think uncoiling from a stonewall is
Black’s best hope here. 28…Re8+ 29.Kf3 Re7 30.Rcb3 Rdd7 Now Black
can transfer the King to c8 and get a Rook free to harass White’s
loose Pawns.]

28…Rf4+ 29.Kb3 Rb4+

[29…b5 30.Rxc6 (30.axb5 cxb5) 30…Rxa4 31.Re1
looked less in control]

30.Ka2 Rxa4+ 31.Kb2 Rb4+ 32.Ka2

[32.Rb3; 32.Kc1]

32…Rdb5

forcing an exchange and on Black’s terms.

33.Rxb4

[33.Rd1 Ra4+ 34.Ra3 Rxa3+ 35.Kxa3 Kf6]

33…Rxb4 34.Rd3

[34.Rc5 Rb5 35.Rc4 Kf6]

34…Kf6

Just in time. The Queen’s-side Pawns are all little monsters; White
cannot stop them without bringing the Rook back, and if he brings
the Rook back, the Black King will nibble the King’s-side Pawns.

35.c3 Rc4 36.Kb3 b5 37.Kb2 a4 38.Ka3 Ke5 39.Kb2
h5 40.gxh5 gxh5 41.Ka3? Ke4 42. Rg3 h4 0-1

Lessons:

Don’t hope, don’t fear: analyse and find
out!

The Great BICS Internet Chess Match

Posted on November 28, 1997 by DrDave

Warwick University Chess Club vs. Exeter
Chess Club

Match results (Exeter players named
first)
ExeterPlayerA – WarwickPlayerA
WarwickPlayerB – ExeterPlayerB
(1880)
ExeterPlayerD – WarwickPlayerE
WarwickPlayerD – ExeterPlayerE
warwickg – ExeterPlayerF
WarwickPlayerH – ExeterPlayerG
(1605)
ExeterPlayerH – Varl (1660)

Match results (Exeter players named
first)

Time control: whole game in 75 minutes each

1a Peter Lane (174) 1/2-1/2 Matt Fletcher
(156)

2b Andrew Pickering (172) 0-1 Richard Maclannan
(88)

3d Ian Ashford (115) 0-1 Simon Gardner
(111)

4e Keith Atkins (112) 1/2-1/2 Joe Sansom
(96)

5f Stuart Cooke (113) 1-0 Tim
(ungraded)

6g Tom Stephenson (100) 1-0 James Humpherson
(ungraded)

7h Alan Maynard (89) 0-1 (time) – Adrian Varley
(ungraded)

Exeter 3 – Warwick 4

ExeterPlayerA – WarwickPlayerA

bics rated standard game bics, University of Warwick, England
(, 1997

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 O-O
6. Nf3 c5 7. Be2 Nc6 8. O-O cxd4 9. exd4 a6 10. Ne5
Be6

11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Qa4 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Nd5 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15.
Bb3 Bd7

16. Qb4 a5 17. Qd2 Bf5 18. Rac1 Rc8 19. Rxc8 Bxc8 20. Rc1
Qb6

21. Rc5 e6 22. Be3 Bd7 23. Qxa5 Qxa5 24. Rxa5 Rc8 25. Ra7
Bb5

26. a4 Bxd4 27. Rb7 Bxe3 28. fxe3 Bd3 29. Kf2 h5 30. Rb4
Kg7 31. Rd4 Be4 32. a5 Rb8 33. Ba4 Rxb2+ 34. Ke1 e5 35. Rd2
Rxd2

36. Kxd2 d4 37. exd4 Kf6 38. dxe5+ Kxe5 39. g3 f5 40. Bd7
g5

41. h4 gxh4 42. gxh4 Kf4 43. Bc8 Ke5 44. Bd7 f4 45. Be8
Bf3

46. a6 Kd6 47. a7 Kc7 48. Bxh5 Bb7 49. Ke2 Kb6 50. Bf3
Ba6+

51. Kf2 Kxa7 52. Bd5 Bd3 53. Kf3 Kb6 54. Be4 Bc4 55. h5
Kc7

56. Kxf4 Kd6 57. h6 Bg8 58. Kg5 Ke7 59. Kg6 Kf8 60. Bd5
Bxd5 Game drawn by mutual agreement Q

WarwickPlayerB – ExeterPlayerB
(1880)

bics rated standard game bics, University of Warwick, England
(, 1997

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5.
Nxf6+ gxf6 6. Be3 Bf5 7. Bd3 Bg6 8. h4 Qc7 9. Qd2 Nd7 10. Nf3
O-O-O

11. O-O-O Kb8 12. Bxg6 hxg6 13. Bf4 e5 14. dxe5 fxe5 15.
Bxe5 Nxe5

16. Qxd8+ Qxd8 17. Rxd8+ Kc7 18. Nxe5 Bh6+ 19. Rd2 Black
resigned 1-0

ExeterPlayerD – WarwickPlayerE

bics rated standard game, bics, University of W, 1997

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nc3 g6 4. e3 b6 5. Bxc4
Bb7 6. Nf3 e6 7. Qc2 Nf6 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. a3 Ne7 10. Ne4
Nxe4

11. Bxe4 Bxe4 12. Qxe4 Qd5 13. Qxd5 Nxd5 14. Bd2 c5 15.
dxc5 Bxc5

16. e4 Nf6 17. Bc3 Be7 18. Nd2 O-O 19. O-O Nd7 20. f4
Nc5

21. f5 Bg5 22. Nf3 Be3+ 23. Kh1 Nxe4 24. Bb4 Rfe8 25. fxg6
hxg6

26. Rae1 Nf2+ 27. Kg1 Ng4+ 28. Kh1 Bh6 29. Ne5 Nxe5 30.
Rxe5 Bg7

31. Re2 Rac8 32. Ref2 a5 33. Bd6 f5 34. Bg3 e5 35. Rd2
e4

36. Rd6 Kh7 37. Rd7 Rc2 38. Bf2 e3 39. Be1 e2 40. Rg1
Rc1

41. g3 Kg8 42. Rd2 Rd1 43. Rc2 Bd4 White resigned
0-1

WarwickPlayerD – ExeterPlayerE

bics rated standard game, bics, University of W, 1997

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. a3
Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Nf6 7. c4 c6 8. Bg5 O-O 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Nf3
Re8+

11. Be2 Nc6 12. O-O Bg4 13. h3 Rxe2 14. Qxe2 Nxd4 15. Qd3
Nxf3+

16. gxf3 Bxh3 17. Rfe1 Qd6 18. f4 Bd7 19. Bxf6 Qxf6 20. Qg3
Bf5

21. c3 Rd8 22. Re5 d4 23. cxd4 h6 24. Rae1 Rxd4 25. Kh2
Be6

26. R5e4 Rd5 27. Re5 Rd4 28. R5e4 Rd5 29. Re5 Game drawn by
mutual

agreement Q

warwickg – ExeterPlayerF

bics unrated standard game, bics, University of, 1997

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 e6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. d3 a6
6. a3 b5 7. Bb3 Nf6 8. Bg5 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Re1 Bb7

11. d4 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Qc7 13. Bxe6 Nxd4 14. Bd5 Nxd5 15.
Nxd5 Bxd5

16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. exd5 Qf6 18. Re4 Nf5 19. Qf3 Nh6 20. Qe3
Qxb2

21. Re1 Rac8 22. Re8 Qxc2 23. Qe7 Rcxe8 24. Qxe8 Ng4 25.
Re2 Qc1+

26. Re1 Qxa3 27. Qc6 Ne5 28. Qc7 Nd3 29. Rf1 Qc5 White
resigned 0-1

WarwickPlayerH – ExeterPlayerG
(1605)

bics unrated standard game, bics, University of, 1997

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2
Qe7 6. d3 Nf6 7. Qxe7+ Bxe7 8. Bg5 Be6 9. Nc3 Nc6 10. d4
Nb4

11. O-O-O Nbd5 12. Nxd5 Nxd5 13. Bxe7 Kxe7 14. Bc4 Nb6 15.
Bxe6 fxe6

16. Rhe1 h6 17. Re2 Rhf8 18. Rde1 Rf6 19. b3 Nd5 20. c4
Nf4

21. Re4 Nd3+ 22. Kd2 Nxe1 23. Rxe1 Raf8 24. d5 Kd7 25.
dxe6+ Rxe6

26. Rd1 g5 27. Rf1 Ref6 28. Ke2 g4 29. Ng1 Re6+ 30. Kd3
Rfe8

31. f3 gxf3 32. Rxf3 Re1 33. Nh3 R1e2 34. Rf7+ Kc6 35. Nf4
Rf2 36. Kd4 h5 37. a4 h4 38. b4 b6 39. g3 hxg3 40. hxg3
Rg8

41. Re7 Rxg3 42. Nd5 Rd2+ 43. Ke4 Rxd5 44. cxd5+ Kb7 45.
Kf5 Ra3

46. a5 bxa5 47. bxa5 Rxa5 48. Ke6 Rc5 49. Rh7 a5 50. Rh1
a4

51. Rb1+ Kc8 52. Ra1 Ra5 53. Kf5 a3 54. Ke4 a2 55. Kd3
Kb7

56. Kc2 Kb6 57. Kb2 Kc5 58. Rxa2 Rxa2+ 59. Kxa2 Kxd5 White
resigned 0-1

ExeterPlayerH – Varl (1660)

bics rated standard game, bics, University of W, 1997

1. e4 d6 2. g3 Nf6 3. d3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 Nc6
6. O-O O-O 7. Nbd2 Bg4 8. h3 Bd7 9. Re1 Re8 10. Nf1 e6

11. c3 Ne7 12. e5 Nfd5 13. exd6 cxd6 14. d4 Nf6 15. Bd2
Bc6

16. Qc1 Rc8 17. Bh6 Nf5 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. N1h2 Qc7 20. h4
Nd7

21. h5 e5 22. hxg6 fxg6 23. Qg5 exd4 24. cxd4 Nf6 25. Ng4
Nxg4 26. Qxg4 Qd7 27. Rad1 Rxe1+ 28. Rxe1 Re8 29. Rxe8 Qxe8 30. Ng5
Bxg2

31. Kxg2 Qe7 32. d5 h5 33. Qf4 b6 34. Ne6+ Kh7 35. g4
hxg4

36. Qxg4 Qf6 37. Kh3 Ne7 38. Ng5+ Kg7 39. f3 Qf5 40. Ne6+
Kf6

41. Kg3 Qxg4+ 42. Kxg4 Nxd5 43. Nd4 Nb4 44. a3 Nd3 White
ran out of time

0-1

Phil Adams, CCC

1) Draw?

2) The will to win

NERVES

Fear of losing

Peter Lane, 2nd March 1998

Lessons in the Opening

Fischer,Robert J – Celle,O (Davis sim) [C51] opening attack, 1964

Petrosian,Tigran – Fischer,Robert (Buenos Aires m [A06] opening, 1971

Middlegame

Fischer,Robert – Robatsch,Karl (Varna ol final R) [B01] middlegame attack 1, 1962

Fischer,R – Stein,L (Sousse izt) [C92] middlegame attack, 1967

Endgame

Gligoric,Svetozar – Fischer,Robert (Yugoslavia ct ) [B99] endgame, 1959

Fischer,R – Euwe,M (Leipzig ol) [B13] endgame, 1960

Or, The Thirty-Third Piece

A. Introduction

B. Time trouble

B1. Causes of time trouble

Inadequate theoretical preparation

Inadequate practical preparation

A genuinely complicated game

Conscious entry into time trouble

Doubts concerning analysis

Doubts linked to own style

Doubts linked to opponent’s style

Doubts linked to importance of the game

Doubts linked to previous course of the game

Doubts linked to own experience

B2. Effects of time trouble

Failure to react to changes in the position Inclination towards obvious moves

Seeking exchanges Postponing decisions Playing safe and solid moves Reliance on constant elements of the position

Less strategy, more tactics

Temptation to blitz the time-troubled opponent

B3. Treatment of time trouble

C. Time management

C1. Regis, Hampton, 1993 (Game 2)

C2. Tal-Bronstein 1960 (Game 6)

C3. Botvinnik-Tal 1960 (Game 7)

D. References

Game 1: (59) Korchnoi – Suetin [C83] Moscow (XXVII USSR Ch.), 1960

Game 2: Regis,D (1935) – Hampton,M (1900) [E91]

Game 3: Botvinnik ,M – Tal ,M [E10]: Match, Moscow (Russia) Match, Moscow (Russia) (8), 1960

Game 4: Gligoric,S – Tal,M [A78] Yugoslavia ct Yugoslavia ct (4), 1959

Game 5: Blackstock,L – Webb,S [C09] Borehamwood, 1977

Game 6: Tal, Mikhail, Bronstein, David, Baku ch-SU, 1961

Game 7: Botvinnik,M (2500) – Tal,M [E69] WM Moskau, 1960

by Mark Blackmore

White’s King’s-side attack

Game 4: (77) Fischer,R – Udovcic,M [B06] Rovinj/Zagreb Rd: 12, 1970

Norwood,D (2500) – Davis,S (1605) [C90], 1994

Exeter Chess Club: My adventures with the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit

Or, The Thirty-Third
Piece

B1. Causes of time
trouble

Inadequate theoretical
preparation

Inadequate practical
preparation

A genuinely complicated
game

Conscious entry into time
trouble

Doubts concerning
analysis

Doubts linked to own
style

Doubts linked to opponent’s
style

Doubts linked to importance of
the game

Doubts linked to previous
course of the game

Doubts linked to own
experience

B2. Effects of time
trouble

Failure to react to changes in
the position
Inclination towards obvious
moves

Seeking exchanges
Postponing decisions
Playing safe and solid
moves
Reliance on constant elements of
the position

Less strategy, more
tactics

Temptation to blitz the
time-troubled opponent

B3. Treatment of time
trouble

C1. Regis, Hampton, 1993 (Game
2)

C2. Tal-Bronstein 1960 (Game
6)

C3. Botvinnik-Tal 1960 (Game
7)

Game 1: (59) Korchnoi – Suetin
[C83] Moscow (XXVII USSR Ch.), 1960

Game 2: Regis,D (1935) –
Hampton,M (1900) [E91]

Game 3: Botvinnik ,M – Tal ,M
[E10]: Match, Moscow (Russia) Match, Moscow (Russia) (8),
1960

Game 4: Gligoric,S – Tal,M
[A78] Yugoslavia ct Yugoslavia ct (4), 1959

Game 5: Blackstock,L – Webb,S
[C09] Borehamwood, 1977

Game 6: Tal, Mikhail,
Bronstein, David, Baku ch-SU, 1961

Game 7: Botvinnik,M (2500) –
Tal,M [E69] WM Moskau, 1960

Game 4: (77) Fischer,R – Udovcic,M [B06]
Rovinj/Zagreb Rd: 12, 1970

Norwood,D (2500) – Davis,S (1605) [C90],
1994

Exeter Chess Club: My adventures with the Blackmar-Diemer
Gambit