Ramesh_rb_-_fundamental_chess_-_logical_decision_making_metropolitan_2015_ocr (1).pdf

Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making

GM Ra1nesh RB

METROPOLITAN CHESS PUBLISHING

First Published in the US by Metropolitan Chess Publishing Copyright© 2015 Metropolitan Chess lst Edition All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the Publisher. ISBN- 13: 978-0-985628 1-6- 1 ISBN- 10: 0-9856281-6-2

Cover by Jyoti Vishnoi Rastogi Edited by Gabriella Kay Printed in the US by Lone Star Press Metropolitan Chess Publishing is

an

imprint of Metropolitan Chess, Inc

Metropolitan Chess, Inc. , PO Box 251 12, Los Angeles, CA 90025-01 12 email: [email protected] website: www.metrochessla.com

METROPOLITAN CHESS PUBLISHING Commissioning Editor: Ankit Gupta Editor-in-Chief: Gabriella Kay Assistant Editor: Alex King

Table of Contents Preface Introduction

PART ONE: Logical Reasoning Ch 1 Assessment of the Position Ch 2 The Problem of Choices Ch 3 Choosing Between Active and Passive Defense Ch 4 Exchanging Pieces PART TWO: Practical Chess Play Ch 5 Initiative Ch 6 Converting an Advantage Ch 7 Maintaining Tension Ch 8 Improving the Position of Pieces Ch 9 Playing on Colors Ch 10 Prophylactic Thinking I The Drawback Principle PART THREE: Fundamentals of Chess Training Ch 11 Studying the Opening Ch 12 Tournament Preparation Ch 13 Essential Endgame Principles Ch 14 The Importance of Results and Ratings Ch 15 Self Analysis and Self Control Ch 16 Learning and Unlearning Ch 17 Using Computers Conclusion Index of Games Bibliography

5 6

9 18 66 91 104

123 125 144 156 168 208 225

232 234 247 256 265 270 275 278

281 284 287

Symbols

! !! ? ?? !? ?! # D 00 =

;!; + ± + +­ -+ t 00 00

Good move Excellent move Bad move Blunder Deserves attention Dubious Checkmate Forced; the only move Unclear position Equal position Slight advantage for White Slight advantage for Black Distinct advantage for White Distinct advantage for Black White is winning Black is winning with the initiative with the attack insufficient compensation for the material sufficient compensation for the material with counterplay with the idea . . . better i s. . . Novelty Time pressure

Preface

H ten, I have had an interesting j ourney with chess. I have experienced my aving been a chess player for over twenty years and a coach for around

fair share of ups and downs - hopes raised high one moment, only to fall flat the next. As a young player without the assistance of a coach, I had to rely on books (the computer era hadn't yet begun), tournament play, and analyzing with friends to learn the nuances of the game. I have made many mistakes in my chess career but I did a few things right, too. I could not have asked for more from this wonderful game. In this book, I will try to share the lessons I've learned from my own chess career, from my chess friends who have represented India at top-level competitions around the world, from the books I have read and from working with players of different levels as a chess trainer. I hope this book will provide a practical approach to chess understanding and provide a slightly different perspective on chess improvement.

Ramesh RB Chennai October 2015

Preface

5

Introduction

I becoming a grandmaster in 1988. My priority at the time was to win every started playing chess at the age of twelve, inspired by Viswanathan Anand

game I played. I lived for the thrill of beating my opponents, who were mostly friends and neighbors. Once I started playing in tournaments, I realized that mere passion and silly tricks alone would not be enough to win and I undoubtedly needed to upgrade my skills and understanding of the game. I was a very aggressive player by nature and I enj oyed surprising opponents with my knowledge of opening theory. This approach enabled me to score quick wins against opponents who were not tactically sharp or equipped with a deep understanding of opening theory. After a few years, I had achieved a decent rating and soon realized that my opponents were not falling for opening tricks and unsound attacks as frequently as they did in the past. Thus began the journey of slogging long hours in front of the chessboard. The lack of proper coaching facilities and information accessible at the time forced players of my generation to learn chess by drawing upon their own past games and from reading the few good books that were available in India back then. There was often a limited supply of competitions, coaches, chess literature, and prize money, among other things, that players today may take for granted. As a result of these limitations, my approach to learning consisted of asking relevant questions about various aspects of my games, and thinking deeply about the problems I faced. Eventually, I came up with answers I felt comfortable with and later verified with other experienced players. Finally, I attempted those ideas in my tournament games and the whole process began again. This trial and error method, which I practiced in my formative years in India, meant that progress in chess was slow and time-consuming but the lessons learned were the bedrock of my chess understanding. Later on, I gained access to many good books, especially those written by Mark Dvoretsky. This discovery proved to be a turning point in my career. For 6

Introduction

the first time, I learned how a chess professional needs to think about different aspects of the game, but more importantly, how to be mentally tough to handle the many ups and downs in one's chess career, which are bound to come, no matter what. I became an International Master within a few years of starting to play the game, but it took me eight long years to graduate to the next level of becoming a Grandmaster. There were many frustrating and rewarding moments that shaped me as a chess player in those eight years. Progress in chess involves continuous self-introspection, learning new skills and un­ learning bad qualities in our thinking process. In this book, I will frequently use terms like "stronger player" and "younger player" to denote a chess player's level. The term "younger player" is not meant to be derogatory, but will be used to refer to someone struggling to improve to the next level in the upcoming player category (from roughly 1500 to 2400 ELO rating). By the term "stronger player", I refer to players with a 2550+ ELO rating. All others will fall under the "intermediate level". In addition, I will use the male gender in this book to describe a chess player, which is purely a matter of convenience. This book is aimed at players who wish to improve their overall understanding of the game. We will attempt to learn how to look at and evaluate a position, which patterns to watch out for, which factors we ought to consider before finalizing our move, and much more. For this, we need to have some basic knowledge of key chess principles, which I mention repeatedly throughout the text. There are many contradictory principles at play in various positions and I have tried to explain how to choose the appropriate principle using logical reasoning. This does not in any way negate the importance of calculation and concrete thinking in chess. We will try to stick to positions where decisions can be made with the help of logical thinking. I have tried to put my thoughts into words without hiding much from the reader, on the topics covered in this book. I thank Ankit Gupta of Metropolitan Chess for presenting me with this opportunity to write a book on the topic of my choice. My special thanks to the editors Gabriella Kay, Alex King, and Kostya Kavutskiy, who have done an excellent job of making sense of what I am trying to say, and giving the shape to this book. I thank all those who have been present throughout my chess career chess friends, fellow chess players, tournament organizers, arbiters, coaches, and authors of chess books I have read. I would especially like to thank Mr. Dakshinamoorthy, who was my patron from my youth, and all others from whom I learned most of what I have written in this book. Special thanks to my wife Aarthie, my daughter Varsha and son Karthik, my parents and in-laws, who have all been very patient with me while I was writing this book. Thanks for your understanding and support. To the readers, let us begin our journey towards understanding chess in a logical way!

Introduction

7

PART ONE: Logical Decision Making

Wmore and more concrete as players rely heavily on deep analysis of ith the advent of computers, especially the engines, chess is becoming

complex variations to make decisions. Making decisions based on what I call "logical reasoning'' has taken a back seat especially with young players who want to calculate by brute analysis. AB a coach, I sense an alarming change in the approach to the game among younger players. They make decisions after intense effort by calculating hundreds of variations in almost every game. Young players are able to solve many important challenges with this approach, but they also must incorporate logic and common sense, backed up by sound knowledge of important principles.

A good chess player makes use of concrete variations and logical

The structure of the position on the board should dictate which kinds of moves the player should look for. A sharp position should dictate the player to make active moves, whereas in a slower position, the player must try to maneuver his pieces, regardless of whether he generally prefers to play "actively" or "strategically". To play good positional chess, it is essential to have a working knowledge of the main chess principles at your disposal to use in different circumstances. We should know the principles for playing with a good pawn structure, capitalizing on weak squares and pawns, exploiting our opponent's bad bishop, playing with the bishop pair, handling minor pieces in the endgame, winning with a passed pawn, conducting attack and defense, and countless others. Quite often it happens that after playing a tough game in a tournament, we show the game to a stronger player and he immediately comes up with better suggestions we never even suspected. How does he do this? What does he see that we don't? How does he calculate so quickly and eliminate irrelevant moves? reasoning to make decisions at the board.

Part One: Logical Reasoning

9

We must learn to identify the important moves and take certain factors into consideration when assessing a position. Not only does a stronger player see more, he also seems to find the best moves with less time and effort. He goes to the heart of the position and comes up with an appropriate solution. The rules are the same for both sides but the stronger player evaluates and decides differently! These were some of the many ideas that used to go round and round in my head when I was an upcoming player. In this book, I will share how I handled these questions and the conclusions I came to. Strangely enough, the answers to the questions are not as important as asking the questions, thinking them over, drawing your own conclusions, learning from others' experiences and trying to apply these principles to our games. This might sound illogical considering the fact that most, if not all, key principles in chess have more or less already been found, or at least, that is what we all believe to be the case. If the guiding principles are already known, why do I need to rethink them? Can't I just apply them to my games and reap the

Chess principles tell us what needs to be done on the board in certain situations. They help us decide what is most important in a given position. For these principles to become an automatic part of the thinking process, a player can't merely know these principles at the theoretical level; he must understand the basis of these principles. This understanding comes from the personal experience of applying these principles in games and in training. Following the right principle at the right time, and also knowing when to break the rules at the appropriate moment is the hallmark of an experienced professional. Principles guide us by giving direction but we should realize that there will be exceptions to the rule, and we must approach each position with fresh eyes to find our own path in the checkered jungle. What does it take to be a good chess player? There are many aspects to this question and we can never give one correct answer that fits all cases. A good player should obviously have the basic talent and aptitude for the game, sound knowledge of the various principles, and the skill to apply them over the board. He has seen the most important games and has the capacity to learn from his mistakes. His intuition comes from experience and knowledge, and he puts the required time and effort into studying the game. A good chess player has the humility to accept his shortcomings yet find the determination to overcome them. He is motivated to get better, is hungry for success, and constantly aims higher. By no means is the above list complete. There are many other attributes required to become a strong chess player, but we get a fair idea of just a few of the requirements. Studying chess is not the difficult part, it is rather having the right mindset and attitude to learn. benefits?

10

Part One: Logical Reasoning

The Twin Tracks of Calculation and Lolic

Playing chess, in many ways, is like driving a train on the two tracks of calculation and logic. Even though chess is becoming more concrete, especially after the arrival of analysis engines, I believe there is still a lot of scope to find the best moves in a position with the help of sound logic and understanding. Ideally, calculation should justify the logical thinking of the player. In this book, we will focus on trying to understand the game and the various concepts behind it by using logic and common sense. Every sphere of chess has its own set of important principles, which tell us how to handle a certain aspect in the position. For example: bishops are good in open positions, rooks are good on open files, etc. These are simple principles, self-explanatory, understood without difficulty and quite easy to apply in practice. But there are more complex principles that are difficult to apply in our games. To go from knowing these principles to applying them in our games, we need to make them a part of our thinking process and maintain a firm belief in them. For example, we say, "Sometimes it's a good idea to sacrifice a pawn in order to make our pieces more active." Knowing this principle and understanding the logic behind it is easy, but if we don't have a firm conviction in the principle, it is really difficult to give up a pawn "just" to activate a piece.

Carlsen - Aronian Bilbao Grand Slam Final 2008

15.d5/!N

I remember checking this position with an engine and 15 .d5 was its 31st choice! Does this make d5 good or bad? I believe such questions should not stand in the way of the pure joy of seeing moves like 15 .d5 played in an actual game. These days every human

decision on the board is weighed in the prism of an engine's perception. In my opinion a move does not have to be completely correct to be played. If it feels comfortable in the mind of the player playing it, and if it has been analyzed reasonably well and without flaws, that should be enough reason to play it. Carlsen came up with the surreal move 15.d5 ! ! to open up the dark-squared bishop and to create attacking chances against the Black king, temporarily stuck in the center of the board. It is not unusual for strong players to give up a pawn for the initiative. But would the mere knowledge of this principle convince us to play this move in an actual game? I think not. 15. . . Nxd5 Apart from the chess reasons in favor of 15.d5, the psychological benefits should also not be ignored. Black was probably a bit under shock Part One: Logical Reasoning

11

upon seeing such an audacious pawn sacrifice. He also needs to calculate the various possible recaptures and evaluate the resulting positions correctly, which will take up time on the clock. 15 . . . cxd5? is clearly the worst choice: 16.Bb5+ Nd7 17.Ne5 Bc8 18 .Qh5 g6 19.Qf3+15 ... exd5 would be answered by 16.Nd4� with ideas of Qa4 and Nf5, with good compensation for White. White also seizes the initiative after 15 . .. Qxd5 16.Ne5 Bb4 (Or 16 . . . Bd6 17.e4 Qc5 18.Rcl t) 17.Qa4 0-0 18. Rfdlt 16.Ne5 Nf6 Preventing White's queen from reaching g4 or h5, but also spending a valuable tempo. After 16 ... Be7 17.Qh5 g6 18.Qh6 Bf6 19.e4 Nb6 20.Rablt Black has a difficult defense. 1 7. Qa4

White brings a new piece into the game with a threat on every move. 17. . . Bb4 Black cannot wait anymore by playing defensively and tries to complete his development as soon as possible. 12

Part One: Logical Reasoning

18. Nxc6 Bxc6 19. Qxc6+ Ke7 20. Rfdl White has regained one pawn and denied Black the right to castle. He obviously has enough compensation for the pawn but Black only needs to develop his queen, bring his rook on h8 into the game and take his king to safety - then White's advantage will only be symbolic. 20. . . RcB 21. Qf3 Qb6 With idea of Rhd8, with a solid defense, so White must act fast. 22. Bd4 Qb8 23. Ba6 Rcd8 Now the king's rook is denied the dB-square. Hence bringing in the rook will be one additional concern for Black, along with his king safety. 24. Bb7!? Preparing Bb6. 24 . . . h5 25. h3

The immediate 25.Rabl was probably stronger with the idea of sacrificing the exchange on b4, followed by Bc5+. 25 . . . Ng4 (25. . . e 5 26.Rxb4! exd4 27.Rbxd4 Rxd4 28.exd4±) 26.h3! White's king has nothing to fear: 26 . . . Qh2+ 27.Kfl Ne5 28 .Qe4 Ng6 29.Bxg7± 25. . . h4 ?!

25 ... e5! could have neutralized White's initiative, with the following computer line: 26.Bb6 Rd6! 27.Bxa5 Rxdl+ 28.Qxdl Qxb7 29.Rbl Nd5 30.e4 Ra8! 31.Qxd5 Qxd5 32 .Bxb4+ Qd6 33.Bxd6+ Kxd6= With the help of an engine this line is not that difficult to find, but for a human under pressure it is asking a bit too much. 26. Rabl t e5 2 7. Rxb4! Removing the defender of the dark squares. 27. . . axb4? 27 . . . exd4 was necessary, where Black is much worse. 28. Bc5+ Ke6 28 . . . Ke8 leads to forced mate: 29.Bc6+ Rd7 (29. . . Nd7 30. Qf5 Qc7 31. Qg5+- Threatening mate on e7.) 30.Rxd7! Nxd7 31.Qf5 Qc7 32 .Qg5 f6 33 .Qxg7+29. Ral!+ -

After 29 . . . Rd2 White wins with 30.Ra6+ (Or simply 30.RaB+-) 30 ... Kd7 31 . Bxb4!+30. Bxd6 Kxd6 30 . . . Qxd6 31.Ra6+31. Qc6+ Ke7 32. RaB White wins the rook and with it the game. All that remains is the matter of Black's b-pawn. 32 . . . Qd6 33. Qxd6+ Kxd6 34. RxhB b3 35. Ba6 Nd7 36. Rxh4 36 . . . Nc5 1 - 0 3 6 . . . Nc5 37.Bc4+-

With idea Ra6. When we are attacking, we need to take care not to exchange too many pieces and be left with nothing to attack the opponent. 29. . . Rd6 Giving back some of the material, a common defensive strategy, though it is already too late. Part One: Logical Reasoning

13

Nprinciple to having conviction in the principle? The answer: by applying it

ow this begs a question: how do we go from having mere knowledge of a

in our games. It is imperative that a player successfully applies these principles to his own games and training. This alone will give him complete belief in the principle and thus it becomes a part of his thinking process. This is easier said than done. In practice, players often find it difficult to come out of their comfort zones, to take that leap of faith, and carry out a bold plan. I strongly recommend that readers attempt my "logical reasoning" process rather than know the theory and not apply it in practice. Patience and persistent effort is required on a long-term basis to become a successful chess player. In this book, we will try to understand the position, find the relevant moves, and analyze them using logic as the key tool. We will not be covering positions which require deep calculation, sacrificial attacks or concrete play. Before we delve into the meat of the book, let us consider how we should study chess at home. I have noticed that most players, even at the level of International Master, tend to believe that seeing games will be sufficient in­ itself to improve their skill. Unfortunately, this is not the case. When we study games, we become familiar with a few patterns related to those positions. But it's not necessarily improving our analytical and problem-solving skills, which are essential for strong players. When we watch top-level games, we should always guess the move first in our mind, taking anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes for each move (unless the move is forced, then we can just make a quick guess). If we feel the position requires more thought, we can study it with deeper analysis later. Concrete Thinkinl{ vs. Intuition

W a solution in a position. Either the player relies too much on concrete

hen it comes to young players, we see two extreme approaches to finding

calculation or he moves intuitively, without doing the necessary background checks to ensure a safe position. Since the arrival of computers, chess has become more concrete. Openings that were considered bad have become popular again. Positions that were thought to be risky have become playable. Grandmasters used to stop the analysis at some point, with an evaluation, that one side is slightly better or the position is equal. But these days, almost everyone uses a chess engine before passing judgment on any position. In the era of Kasparov, we saw more reliance on gaining an advantage in the opening. Players preferred positions where things were known and well analyzed at home. They avoided unknown positions in the opening stage and fought fewer endgame battles. In many interesting endgame positions, we saw players agreeing to draws all of a sudden.

14

Part One: Logical Reasoning

The emphasis was clearly on getting an advantage out of the opening. Failing to do so, many players did not want to pursue the fight in an equal middlegame and would agree to a draw, go back to the drawing board and continue analyzing with the engine to find an advantage in a given opening. Initially, this approach worked well for many players. Grandmasters who started using this technology early on for opening preparation, over a period of time, collected vast amounts of theoretical knowledge. Many lines that were known to have clear refutations became suddenly unclear with the aid of computer analysis. Over a period of time, new problems arose. As engines started getting faster and stronger, and as the software became more and more advanced, the old engine analysis started becoming obsolete. Many positions that were considered += or even +/- were newly assessed as equal. And so the quest began for many top players to identify the best engine among the many available. They ran computers against each other to get that "perfect analysis". The engines suggested creative new ways to gain advantages in many well-known openings. As this process continued, the data collected became a problem in itself. Against every opening, computers suggested numerous approaches to get an advantage; and each approach had many more pages of analysis. This started to test the memories of chess players. These days, we need to study pages of analysis and games to prepare just one sideline. Players today are trying to overcome this problem by using a variety of memory devices to remember opening lines. For example, some players create opening trees of their material using database programs. Technology makes our preparation easier and more complex at the same time. New resources are constantly being found for both sides in every major opening, making the volume of work extremely large for a professional player to be well-prepared. In recent years, most of the important theoretical ideas in the opening have been discovered with the help of engines. Comparatively, the endgame stage requires players to look for all possible resources by themselves, and try to find the best moves over-the-board. Players like Carlsen use this aspect of the endgame to outplay very strong opponents and maximize their results. While engines have exposed openings to massive scrutiny, endgame positions are relatively untouched by the machines, except for tablebases which can now solve positions with up to seven pieces on the board. As we have seen, opening preparation has become more concrete than ever before and it is constantly subjected to computer analysis. As a result, some players are moving towards offbeat sidelines and variations that were never taken seriously by top players of the past. Contemporary players like GM Baadur Jobava and GM Richard Rapport successfully play untested lines at the top level in order to avoid deep computer preparation.

Part One: Logical Reasoning

15

My understanding of intuition is that it is the output of our knowledge, experience and confidence at that point in time. When we are more confident, we boldly make intuitive decisions. When we lack self-belief, we tend to play cautiously rather than rely on our intuition. The success rate of our intuitive decisions depends upon our accumulated knowledge and experience in similar situations. Thus, to improve our intuition, we should work on accumulating more knowledge and experience in various types of positions. For example, if someone has not studied rook and pawn endings, their intuitive suggestions are bound to be in the wrong direction in most cases. But the same person, having studied rook and pawn endings, will be able to spot a correct idea quickly, thanks to his developed intuition. An expert driver will have a more accurate intuition in traffic-related issues than a new driver would have. The former world champion Mikhail Tai is well known for his tactical, attacking, risk-taking skills and his phenomenal calculative abilities. His intuitive decisions are far more likely to be accurate in tactical positions, than in say, a quiet ending. This is because his knowledge and experience in quiet ending positions is likely to be far less when compared to his experience and knowledge in complex, tactical positions. Even though chess is becoming more and more concrete with the influence of computers, players like Carlsen are showing that chess at the highest level is not only concrete, but also demonstrates the importance of logical, intuitive thinking. Since chess is still largely played over the board in tournaments around the world, the importance of logical thinking and intuition is indisputable. Calculation and logical thinking are like two tracks of a train. Both are necessary for the train to run its course without accident. To calculate everything in every position is an impossible task for any non-computer. Add to this: time constraints, human limitations in memory, concentration and capacity; we must rely on other methods for making decisions on the board. We cannot use brute calculation alone. There are positions where complex variations are relatively easy to calculate and there are other positions that are so complex, even days of analysis will not bring us any closer to the truth. A player's ability to come up with the best move continuously depends on a large number of factors like age, experience, knowledge, concentration, stamina, skill, form, the type of position, etc. There are many positions where calculating variations should be the last thing we do. In positions where forcing moves are absent, we need to rely on logical thinking to make decisions. An absence of any pawn breaks in the position is also an indication that we should approach the position from a logical viewpoint. In many positions, all we have to do is simply improve our badly placed pieces, clear the back rank of weakness, prevent our opponent from realizing his ideas, improve our pawn structure, etc. Such decisions do not require too much analysis other than a good understanding of the needs of the position. It is always advisable to calculate all the necessary variations in any given position. We also need to take into account the time available on the clock 16

Part One: Logical Reasoning

before we decide how long to spend in calculating variations. When we have more time on the clock, we should try to make a decision after completing the calculation, if it is within our capacity to calculate. If it is too complex for our ability, or if we don't have sufficient time on the clock, then we have to make decisions trusting our intuition.

Part One: Logical Rea soning

17

Chapter 1 Assessment of the Position

Wthought process when considering a position:

hen we observe closely, the following are the most important steps in our

• Assessment of the position; • Identifying the ideas and drawbacks of the opponent's move; • Making a list of possible moves or ideas available to us; • Analyzing our options as efficiently and correctly as possible; • Finishing the analysis with an appropriate evaluation; • Deciding on a move based upon the evaluation; and • Managing the time on the clock while doing all of the above. Each step above has its own set of principles and methods. A broad knowledge of various chess concepts is thus a necessary requirement for a player to understand and assess the position before making the right decision. At the beginning levels, a player may still win if he breaks these principles unknowingly, but an intermediate player must learn increasingly complex principles as he progresses in strength. Later on as an expert, he will learn to break the rules to gain advantages based on the unique characteristics of the position. Just like a doctor needs to closely monitor the symptoms of a patient's body to successfully diagnose the disease, a chess player has to learn to study the various important features of the position to come to a correct assessment. A correct diagnosis goes a long way in identifying a cure for the disease. Similarly, a correct assessment of the position lets us narrow down the path we need to take to identify the best possible move(s) in a given situation. The assessment of the position is generally done prior to identifying moves or analyzing specific variations, much like the doctor must assess his patient before discussing

18

Chapter 1 : Assessment of the Position

specific treatment plans. The evaluation of the position comes at the end of the analysis process, as does the proper diagnosis and cure. One of the key attributes necessary to be a good chess player is to know how to assess which elements in the position require more attention. This will narrow down our area of focus to just the essential elements in that position. Not only will this method guide our thinking process, it will save time on the clock. The six most important elements when assessing a position are: king safety, activity of pieces, material, pawn structure, space and weaknesses. We will cover each element in this chapter. Here are some of the most commonly used terms among chess players: passed pawn, open file, pair of bishops, outpost, space advantage, strong center, good pawn structure, weak squares, weak pawns, cramped position, prophylaxis, etc. Many of us know these terms and more, but are some more important than others? Let's try to prioritize the most important elements for a proper assessment of the position:

1) KING SAFETY The aim in chess is to deliver checkmate to the opposing king, which we attempt in a variety of ways, either by winning material, promoting a pawn, launching a ferocious attack, obtaining small positional advantages or by meticulously building a substantial advantage with good technique. Everything ultimately leads to checkmate, but as we have seen in the short list above, the ways in which players reach that destination are varied. Hence, king safety gets paramount consideration when evaluating a position. A safe king frees other pieces from the responsibility of having to defend their king from an opponent's attack. Our now unburdened pieces can gather small positional advantages or go after our opponent's king. On the contrary, a weak king denies our pieces space and the opportunity to play an active role in the game. They are condemned to play the passive role of defending the king. How to Keep the King Safe In general, it is advisable to keep one minor piece in front of the king and have three pawns nearby in order for the king to feel secure from a frontal attack. The attacking units of our opponent (including pawns and pieces) should never outnumber the defensive units near our king by more than three. In such a case, our king could come under serious attack.

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

19

Krasenkow - Garcia Ilundain

28.Bxf6 Rxf6 29. Qe4+

Las Palmas 2003

We need at least one minor piece in front of our king to reduce the possibility of a successful frontal attack by our opponent. Black's pieces are crowded mainly on the queenside with little influence on the rest of the board. The presence of White's two bishops and the queen pointing towards Black's kingside indicates the possibility of tactics in the position. 24.Bxf71 Kxf7 25. Qh7+ The reason behind the need to have at least three pieces in an attack is to be able to give up one to open up the opponent's king and use the remaining two to either deliver mate or win material. 25 Ke6 25 . . . Kf6 would lose even more quickly after 26.Qxh6+ Kf7 27.Qh5+ Ke6 28.QxeS+ Kxd6 29.Qxc8+26. Qg6+ Nf6 2 7. Be5 Notice how one forcing move leads to another in an attack. 27. . . RfB 27. . . QdS can be met with 28.Bxf6 Rg8 29.d5+! Kd6 30.Qxh6 Qe8 31.Bxg5+ Rg6 32.Qh4+•..

20

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

29... Kf7 There is no way for Black to escape heavy material losses. 29 . . . Kd7 30.Qh7+ Or 29 . . . Kd6 30.Qe5+ 30. Qh7+ Kf8 31. Qxa7 1 - 0 And White converted the material advantage convincingly.

Al Masshani - Sasikiran

20. . . Bxfl 21. Rxfl Qd5 0-1

Asian Nations Cup 2014

When we compare king positions in this diagram, we can see that Black's king has lost the right to castle while White's king looks happily out of danger. But looks can be deceiving at times. White's pieces are all arranged on the queenside and while his king has three healthy pawns for protection not a single piece is nearby. Sasikiran exploited this wonderfully with 17. . . Bd5! 18. Qa6 Bxg2! Once again, when we have three pieces available for an attack we should try to sacrifice one of them in order to destroy the opponent's pawn cover, followed by using the other two to execute the attack. 19. Nc4 After 19.Kxg2 Qg5+ 20.Khl Qf4-+ White is getting mated. The pieces on the queenside are mere spectators to the action on the kingside. 19. . . Bc7 20.(4 20.Kxg2 Qg5+ 21.Khl Qf4-+ does not change anything.

And Black converted his extra exchange into a win without any problems.

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

21

T least one minor piece as well as three pawns in front of our king for the

he pivotal lesson from the above examples demonstrate the need for at

king to really be safe. In case of the absence of a minor piece in front of the opponent's king, we should try to launch a frontal attack with pieces.

Andreikin

-

Topalov

FIDE Candidates 2014

18. Kcl! Black has sacrificed a pawn to keep White's king in the center of the board and hopes to exploit it with an attack by opening up the position. But as we can see, Black can only open the position on the kingside as the center and queenside are reasonably securely held by White. But this may not be the case in the long run, hence White should act with urgency to bring his king to safety before Black can successfully open up the position. 18 . . . BcS 18 . . .g4 can be met with 19.hxg4 hxg4 20.Kbl! A fantastic idea. At the cost of a piece White's king will become perfectly safe while Black's king will :find himself in great danger. 20 . . . gxf3 21.gxf3 Ng5 22.Ka2+- Followed by f3f4 & Ragl , with a winning attack. 19. Kbl!

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Chapter 1 : Assessment of the Position

With calm moves White has neutralized Black's completely activity and now the "active" pawns on the kingside look more like a weakness than a strength. 1 9. . . Re8 20. Ka2! Now the king is in safe territory and the rooks are connected. Once White posts his rooks on reasonable squares, Black will have nothing to show for the pawn deficit and the kingside weaknesses. 20. . . Ra7 Getting the rook into the game. 21. Radl Developing the rook and strengthening the blockade of the d5pawn. 21 . . . Kf8 22. Rhfl!

A deep prophylactic move. How does one :find such moves? The logic could go something like this: In the opening, we try to develop our pieces as fast as possible and in the process some of our pieces may not land on the

best squares. In the middlegame, we try to improve such pieces by moving them to better squares. After this, the best way to continue improving our position is to either change the pawn structure or activate our pieces even further. In this position, all of White's pieces are well placed except the rook on hl, which can only become active if Black plays g5 -g4, which seems unlikely as of now. Since all of White's other pieces appear to be on good squares, we can think of changing the pawn structure. In that sense, h3-h4 is the only good pawn break available to White, as it would secure the f4square for one of White's knights. But after h4 Black would play g5 -g4 and the f2-pawn would fall. Hence Rhfl defends the pawn on f2 in advance. 22 . . . Kg7 Black indicates the absence of any active plan and is waiting for White to show his plan. In such situations, we can delay our own plan for a little while and make all the useful moves available to us first. 23. Kal Bf8 24.Ne2 Though the knight on d4 was well placed, it was blocking the d-file. By attacking the d5-pawn with a tempo, White has the option of rerouting the knight to another good square as can be seen in the game: 24 . . . RdB 25. h4/

This multi-purpose move aims to clear the f4-square for the knight on e2 (improving the piece) and also exploits Black's weaknesses on the kingside. 25 . . . g4 26.Nf4/ KgB 27. Nxd5 1 - 0 White has won a second pawn and Topalov saw no reason to continue the game. After 27.Nxd5 Rxd5 28.Rxd5 gxf3 simplest is 29.Qxe4+- with a decisive material advantage.

F safe. Black tried to exploit the presence of White's king in the center by rom the above game, we learned the importance of keeping our king

advancing his pawns and opening up the position. White clearly understood the need to get his king to safety before it became too late. The maneuver involved some loss of time, which Black was not able to exploit successfully.

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

23

Anand - Topalov 2nd M-Tel Masters 2006

In this complex position, Topalov opted for activity with 21 ... Rc6! The more sedate 2 1 . . .Qc5 22.Qxc5 Nxc5 23.Racl Nb7 24.b3;!; would allow White to use the c-file before Black can activate his king and rook on h8. 22. Qb7 Threatening Qa8+ and keeping the knight on d7 and a6-pawn under attack. 22 . . . Rc2! Avoiding the simplifying 22 ... Qb6 23 .Qxb6 Rxb6 24.b3 Ke7 25.Racl Ra8!?= with the idea of advancing the a-pawn to create queenside counterplay, where chances are equal. 28. Qxa6 0 - 0 t

24

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

In this way, Topalov managed to take his king to safety and create some pressure of his own against White's king at the cost of a pawn. Here the evaluation of the position is heavily influenced by the relative safety of the kings and the activity of the pieces. Black's pieces are better coordinated, as the d7-knight and f8-rook can quickly become active. Anand was unable to find the best defense and went on to lose the game.

Keeping our king safe is the most important task we seek to achieve in each and every game. To make this happen, we must sometimes compromise on piece activity and retreat to defend our king. Other times, we are forced to compromise and turn down free material to protect our king. Often, it is a matter of compromising our pawn structure, i.e. voluntarily breaking our pawn structure if it is required to keep our king safe. Every once in a while, we must play in a slightly cramped position, or have weaknesses in our position like deficient pawns or vulnerable squares - all this and more just to keep our king safe. Our opponent's priority is to keep his king safe, too. We can go to any extent to make our opponent's king unsafe by weakening his pawn structure, by sacrificing pieces (provided we have enough material left near his king to have a decisive attack!), and so on. We can use our knowledge of how to keep our king safe to compromise our opponent's king safety.

2) ACTIVITY

OF

PIECES

We might assume that the same pieces have the same power in all situations. For example, two different knights or two different queens of any color on any chessboard should have the same power in all possible positions. It is not so! A piece that is actively placed is much more powerful than one passively placed. To understand this better, we should know when a piece is considered active or passive. We only have pieces and pawns on the board and we know that pieces are the more powerful of the two. So, we can conclude that playing with active pieces is more important than having a good pawn structure or playing with an equal number of pawns. If we are given two options: a. Play with equal material but have passive pieces; or b. Play with less material, say a pawn, but have active pieces. We should choose option b! Active pieces easily compensate for a slight material deficit. Knowing this rule of thumb is easy, but sacrificing a pawn "just" to improve our pieces in a tournament game is not easy at all. Knowing is NOT doing!

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

25

Korchnoi - Beliavsky Leon 1994 l.c4 c6 2.d4 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3 0 - 0 8. Bb2 '11 e 5 9. cxd5 cxd5 1 0. dxe5 Nxe5 ll. Be2 Nxf3+! 12. Bxf3 d4!

White delayed castling in order to first develop his queenside bishop and achieve a grip over the d4-square. Beliavsky understood that if White was allowed to castle and bring both rooks to the c- and d-files then due to the isolated pawn on d5 he would quickly fall worse. Hence he acts with alacrity and sacrifices a pawn in order to expose the enemy king and disrupt White's plans. 13. exd4 13.Ne4 was another option, after which 13 ... Bb4+ leads to excellent counterplay for Black: 14.Kfl Nxe4 15.Bxe4 dxe3 16.fxe3 (16.Bxh7+?! KhB 17.fxe3 f5! 18.Bg6 Qg5-+ and Black threatens f5-f4 in addition to winning White's bishop.) 16 . . . Qh4t 13 . . . ReB+ 14. Kfl Black would get good compensation against White's other tries as well: 14.Ne2 Bb4+ 15.Kfl (15.Bc3 loses by force after 15... Bf5! 16. Qd2 Bxc3 26

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

17.Qxc3 RcB 18. Qb4 Bd3-+) 15 . . . Bd7t With ideas of Rc8, Bb5, etc. After 14.Be2, interesting is 14 . . . b5!

This is not suggested by the computer. The idea is to pour more fuel onto the fire, threatening b4 and facilitating the development of Black's light-squared bishop to the more active b7-square. a) 15.0-0?! Qc7+ Hits the pawn on h2 and prepares b5-b4, winning a piece. b) 15.Nxb5?! Grabbing the pawn cannot be recommended. 15 . . . Bg4 16.f3 Rc8 17.Qd2 (17.Nc3 Nd5 18. 00 Qh4 19.g3 Bxg3-+ is crushing for Black.) 17. . . Ne4! A beautiful shot, targeting the bishop on e2 . 18.fxe4 Rxe4 19.Nc3 Rxc3! 20.Bxc3 And Black wins after 20 . . . Qh4+ 21.Kdl Rxe2 22 .Qxe2 Bxe2+ 23.Kxe2 Qe4+ 24.Kd2 Bf4+-+ Followed by Qd3+, etc. c) Best is 15.a3 where Black has a choice of 15 . . . Bb7 (and 15. . . Bg4, both with full compensation.) 14 . . . Qa5

When we are in the process of attacking, we should often try to bring new forces into the game. Trying to attack with pieces that are already developed can be less efficient when compared to involving the rest of our pieces in the attack. 15. Qdl Bb4 15 ... Bf5 was another good possibility, provoking White to play g2-g4. 16. Rcl Bd7 1 7. a 3 17.Bxb7? i s a blunder i n view of 17... Bxc3 18.Bxc3 Qb5+-+ 17. . . Bxc3 18. Rxc3? 18.Bxc3 was necessary, where after 18 ... Qxa3 19.Bxb7 Rab8 20.Ral Qe7 21.Bf3 Ne4+ Black is clearly better due to the lack of harmony in White's position and undeveloped rook on hl. 18. . . Nd5 Much stronger was 18 ... Ne4! for instance 19.Bxe4 Rxe4 20.Rcl Rae8 21.a4 Qa6+ 22.Kgl Bh3! The most direct win. 23.gxh3 R4e6! With the deadly threat of Rg6+, winning. And if 24.f3 Re2-+ White cannot stop Qg6+ 19. Bxd5 19.Rc5? Bb5+ 20.Kgl Rel+-+ 19. . . Qxd5

In positions with opposite color bishops, the side with positional domination or the side with an attack has a huge advantage over his opponent. This is because opposite color bishops increase the intensity of an attack. 20. a4 RacB Eliminating the only good defensive piece in White's position, a typical attacking theme. 21.(3 Rxc3 22. Bxc3 Re3+ 23. Bal 23.Qd2? would run into 23 ... Rxf3+! 24.gxf3 Qxf3+ 25.Kgl Bh3 26.Qf2 Qxc3-+ 23 . . . Rxb3 24. Kf2 Bxa4 The two pawns on the queenside and the vulnerable White king ensure Black's winning advantage. 25. Rel f61 This relieves the back rank weakness and also follows the principle which says we need to keep the pawns near our king on the same color as the opponent's bishop. 25 ... Rb2+?? would spoil everything after 26.Bxb2 Bxdl 27.ReS# ! 26. Qcl Bc6 2 7. Qf4 h5

Chapter 1 : Assessment of the Position

27

Anand - Vallejo Pons 7th Bilbao Grand Slam Masters 2014 1 . d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 8. e4 Nc6 4.Nf8 Bg4 5. d5 Ne5 6. Bf4 White is not afraid of having doubled pawns on the kingside in case Black captures on f3 as it will strengthen White's center. 6. . . Ng6 7. Be8 e5 8. Bxc4 Nf6 9.Nc8 a6 10. Be2 Bd6

Since Black is not able to use his pieces alone to increase the intensity of the attack, he involves the h-pawn to put more pressure on White's position.28. h4 Ra8 En route to a2. 29. Kg8 Ra2 80.Bc8 Qf7 81. Qf5?! A final blunder. More stubborn would have been 31.Kh2 Qg6 32 .Qg3 Qxg3+ 33.Kxg3 a5-+ where Black should eventually win with his outside passed pawns. 81 . . . Qc7+ 0-1 And in view of 32. Kh3 Bd7, White resigned. In the above game, Black understood the long term problems associated with having an isolated pawn, hence he opted to sacrifice a pawn to open up the center and activate his pieces.

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Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

A bishop can become a bad bishop if there are pawns fixed in the center on the same color as that bishop. In that sense, the bishop on d6 and the bishop on e2 are both potentially bad bishops. 11.Nd2 White correctly transfers his knight to c4 and offers an exchange of his worse bishop. 1 1 . . . Bxe2 12. Qxe2 0 - 0 18. 0 - 0 Qe7 14. Rfdl Even though the d-file is currently blocked, Black might have to challenge White's space in the center with the c7-c6 break sooner or later. At that time, the move Rfdl will come in handy. It is essential to foresee to some extent how play might turn

out in the future and place our rooks accordingly. 14 . . . RacB 15.g3 Restricting the knight on g6 and making luft for the king. It is important to note that Black is not in a position to exploit the weakness on the light squares as a result of g2-g3 . 15. . . h6 16. Racl White has completed his development and is ready to increase his pressure on the queenside with moves like Nd2-c4-a5 and a2-a3 & b2-b4, etc. Black must do something to activate his pieces. 16. . . c6 1 7. Nc4 cxd5 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 19. Rxd5 Here we can see that all of White's pieces are in active positions while the same cannot be said for the Black pieces. His knight, bishop, queen, and rook on f8 are all playing passive roles. Since both kings are currently safe and White has the more active pieces we can say that White is clearly better. 19. . . Bc5 20. Rcdl Bxe3 21. Nxe3

Black has succeeded in exchanging his bad bishop but is now faced with other problems. The knight on g6 is a terrible piece, White has control over

the d-file and a potential to attack on the kingside using the f5-square for his knight. 21 . . . Qb4 22. Nf5 Rc4 23. Nd6 Rc6 24. a3 When we have such a superior position, we should often try to improve our position to the maximum extent before undertaking any active operations. 24.a3 disturbs the Black queen, as it was the only active piece causing any trouble. 24 . . . Qb3 25. R5d3 Qb6 26. Nf5 Re8 2 7. Rd7 White wants to play h4-h5 shortly without allowing Ne7. The threat of Nf5-d6 is also real, as the rook on d7 pressures the pawns on b7 and f7. 27. . . Rf6 28. Qg4 Qc6 29. h4!

A standard attacking motif targeting the knight on g6. Black is helpless to the attack. 29 . . . h5 30. Qxh5 Qxe4 31. RdB Qc6 32. Qg5 Qe6 33. Rld6 1 - 0 I n this game we saw that all the White pieces were well placed while the same cannot be said about Black. Restricting the opponent's pieces while improving our own is an important strategic skill.

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

29

How to Spot an Active Piece: In the eyes of a novice, it is easy to spot an active piece. An active piece is one that attacks some target like a pawn or another piece, or controls open lines or squares. When seeking active piece placement, we aim to place a rook on an open file, a bishop on a long-range diagonal, a knight on an outpost, an advanced king in the endgame, etc. How to Spot a Passive Piece: Let us now see how to identify a passively placed piece. There are several criteria for a piece to be deemed passive:

Position 1

Position2

White's bishop and rook are blocked by the e4 pawn, hence they are very passive. White should try to advance the pawn in such cases, or alternatively move the bishop and rook to a more active square.

Even though the bishop on g2 and rook on e l are on an open diagonal and file, respectively, with no pawns blocking their path, the knight on e4 slightly restricts their activity, so they can be labeled as a little passive.

30

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Positi on

Position 3

Position 5

The knight on f3 is dominated by the opponent's pawns on c5 and ffi, and is thus passive.

The knight on f3 is restricted by our own pawn on d4 and the opponent's pawn on m.

Position 4

Position 6

The knight on f3 is restricted by our own pawns and is performing a defensive role, which makes the knight even more passive.

White's pieces are all limited in activity as they are attacking a pawn which is defended by another pawn. In such cases we should aim for a pawn break on either c5, d4, or f4 in order to break apart the opponent's structure.

Chapter 1: A ssessment of the Position

31

WWe should never play with passive pieces in our position and should take e have now learned under which circumstances a piece becomes passive.

urgent measures to activate them at the first opportunity. Any delay can make our position go from bad to worse. We will see more on this theme in the chapters on "Active Defense" and "Improving Pieces."

Gabdrakhmanov - Yusupov Riga 1977 This position is given in one of Dvoretsky's articles on the Chess Cafe website. Since the position is instructive, I am republishing it here with some added analysis.

1 . . . Bc7! Black has an awful position due to his very bad bishop. But even positions like this may be defended successfully. The queen must be set free for active play. We must remember that playing with active pieces down a pawn is easier to handle than a position with equal pawns but passive pieces. l...Be7 fails in view of 2 .Qxe5+ Bf6 3.a5! The key move. 3 . . . Qc6 (Or 3 . . . Qbl 4.Bh6+! Kxh6 5.Qxf6 Qa2+ 6.Kh3 Qxc4 7.Qh8+ Kg5 8.f4#) 4.Qd5± 2.Bc:J

32

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

Now we have a typical situation. Black can either defend the pawn on e5 and play with passive pieces, or he can trust in his potential piece activity and sacrifice a pawn. Yusupov choses the latter. 2 . . . Qb:J!

This is a normal decision for strong players but a difficult pawn sacrifice to make for others! 2 . . . Qd6?! 3.f4± 2 . . . f6? Apart from being a defensive move, this also weakens Black's kingside too much. White wins after 3.Qd7+ Kg8 4.Bd2 Qd6 5.Qe8+ Kg7 6.Bh6+! Kxh6 7.Qh8+ Kg5 8.h4# 3. Bxe5+ Bxe5 4. Qxe5+ Kg8! 4 . . . Kh7 leaves the f7-pawn hanging which White could attack later to gain an important tempo. For example 5.Qxc5 Qc2+ 6.Kh3 Qe2 7.Qe5! Qxf3 8.Qf4!+5. Qxc5 Qc2+ 6. Qf2

White is forced to give back one of his extra pawns. 6.Kh3 Qe2! = And Black has enough counterplay to survive. 6 Qxc4 In queen and pawn endgames, having a passed pawn is more important than most other forms of advantage. So taking the pawn on c4 is more relevant than taking the a4pawn. 7. a5 Qb4! ..•

Taking away the d2 and d4squares away from White's queen. As much as possible, it is important to centralize your queen in this kind of endgame. 8. Qa2 8.Qb6 Qd2+ 9.Kh3 Qd7+= 8 . . . Qel= % - % White i s unable t o improve his position as the king is exposed and his queen must prevent checks and defend the a5 -pawn simultaneously.

3) MATERIAL It is easier to play with more material unless, of course, your opponent has successfully sacrificed for activity. When we have more material, we should try to exchange pieces to reduce our opponent's chances of creating complications, activity, attack or initiative. We must understand that to keep our king safe (or to weaken our opponent's king position) we can give material away, as previously discussed. We can also play with less material (e.g. a pawn) to keep our pieces active. The three factors mentioned above (King Safety, Activity of Pieces, Material) are, in my opinion, the most relevant when assessing a position. We will now look briefly at other factors as well, to understand how they affect the position.

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

33

4) PAWN STRUCTURE Having a good pawn structure is an asset. Some common examples of bad pawn structure are: isolated pawns, hanging pawns, backward pawns, doubled pawns, tripled pawns, over-advanced pawns, having too many pawn islands/chains, etc. Strong players sometimes voluntarily choose to have a bad pawn structure to keep their king safe or to have active pieces. Again, we see that king safety and active pieces take precedence over everything else.

Bacrot - Sargissian 2nd lnventi Chess 2009 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Bc4 Nxf3+ 6.gxf3/

Here we can see White willingly ruined his own pawn structure in order to fight for the initiative in the opening. Not only is the e4-pawn secured but Black's knight on f6 is suddenly passive and White also gets the open g-file as well. This idea was first introduced by GM Evgeniy Najer against GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in the 2005 World Cup. Now comes the question: When should we make such risky decisions? Black lost time moving his knight three times to take on f3, and this was enough provocation for White to take 34

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

some risk and fight for the initiative. When we feel our opponent has lost time or has played unnaturally in the opening, then I believe it is correct to be willing to take a risk for the initiative. After 6.Qxf3 d6 7.d3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0, White does not have much of an advantage. 6 . . . Bc5 7. Rgl While playing for the initiative, one should try to punish the opponent's every move by identifying its drawback and exploiting it. 6 . . . Bc5 weakened the g7-pawn and White is quick to put pressure on it. 7. . . Nh5?/ Stronger was 7 . . . g6 where play might continue 8.d3 c6 9.f4 d5! Following the principle of striking back in the center when the opponent is attacking on the flank. 10.exd5 cxd5 l l .Bb5+ Bd7 12.Bxd7+ Nxd7 13.Nxd5 0-0� With good compensation for the sacrificed pawn, as White is now far behind in development. 8. d4/? An enterprising sacrifice, opening up the bishop on cl. Even stronger was 8.f4!

This move poses immediate problems for Black to solve. 8 ... Nxf4 is met with 9.d4!, opening even more lines! (But not 9.Rxg7?! Qf6! 10.Rxf7 Bxf2+ 11.Kfl Qh6t where White is in trouble.) a) 9 . . . exd4 loses instantly after dxc3 ll.Bxf7+! Kxf7 10.Bxf4 12.Rxg7+! Kxg7 13.Qg4+ Kf7 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Ke2 !+- And the second rook enters the game to deliver mate. b) 9 . . . Bxd4 10.Bxf4 Bxc3+ 1 1.bxc3 exf4 12 .Qh5!-+ With a powerful attack, as 12 . . . 0-0? allows a simple but decisive combination: 13.Qh6 g6 14.Rxg6+! hxg6 15.Qxg6+ Kh8 16.Qh6+ Kg8 17.0-0-0+Black's best try is 8 ... Qh4 though he is still in trouble after 9.Qf3!

And now: a) 9 . . . Nxf4 10.Rxg7± b) 9 . . . exf4 10.Nd5 0-0 11 .b4! Bd4 12 .c3 Bb6 13.d4± Threatening Qxh5 & Nf6+ as well as just capturing the pawn on f4, with a huge advantage. c) 9 . . . Qxf4 10.Qg2! White is winning, but it's not easy to judge this position correctly without the help of an engine, which may explain why Bacrot chose 8.d4 instead of 8.f4. White threatens both d2-d4 and Nd5-the following lines are fun to analyze: 10 . . .Qf6 (10. . . Qh4 11.d4! exd4 12.Bg5 Nf4 13.Bxf4 Qxf4 14.Nd5 Qe5 15.{4+-) l l . Nd5 Qd6 12 .d4! Bxd4 13 .Qf3 ! Nf4 14.c3 Bb6 15.Rxg7+- With a winning attack. 8 Bxd4 . . .

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

35

initiative, though objectively the position is balanced. Worse is ll . . . Qf6 12.Bxg5 c6 13 .Qa5 threatening mate on d8 in case Black's queen moves away. 13 . . . b6 14.Bxf6 bxa5 15.Be5;!; and Black will have a hard time dealing with White's dark-squared bishop. 9. Ne2 ?!

8 . . . exd4 seems to be a better alternative than the move played in the game. Now play could proceed: 9.Rg5 ! Be7 10.Qxd4!? A dynamic exchange sacrifice. (In case of 10.Rxh5 dxc3 11. Qd4 0-0 12. Qxc3 d6 13.Be3 Bf6 14. Qb3 c6 Black is doing fine.) 10 ... Bxg5 11.Qd5!

This in-between move is the point of 10.Qxd4. After 1 1 ...0-0 12.Bxg5 Qe8 13.Bh6! a) 13 . . . Nf6? 14.Qg5+b) 13 ... gxh6 14 .Qxh5� With decent compensation for the exchange. c) 13 . .. Qe6 14.Qxh5 Qxh6 15.Qxh6 gxh6 16.Nb5!� With a continuing 36

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

The wrong square for the knight. 9.Nb5! was more precise, not giving Black the resource 9 . . . Qe7. 9 . . . d 5 10.Bxd5 c 6 ll.Nxd4 cxd5 12.Rg5!i which transposes to the game. 9. . . d5?! Missing 9 . . . Qe7! 10.Nxd4 Qb4+ l l .Qd2 Qxc4 12.Nf5 g6+ where White is struggling to equalize. 1 0. BxdS c6 Black also plays actively, not wanting to defend a passive position. After both 10 . . . Bb6 ll.Rg5;!; And 10 . . . Qf6 ll. Nxd4 exd4 12.Bg5 Qb6 13 .c3 ! White gets the upper hand. 13 . . . Qxb2 (13 ... dxc3 14.Bc6+! is the nice point, followed by QdB#) 14.cxd4± with a strong center and the two bishops. 11.Nxd4 ll.Bb3 0-0 12 .c3 Bb6 13.QxdS Bxd8= and Black is all right.

11 . . . cxd5 12. Rg5/

A key move, attacking everything along the fifth rank. 12 . . . exd4 13. Rxd5/ is move This intermediate important. But not 13.Re5+ Be6 14.exd5 0-0 15.dxe6 Qh4!+ 13 Qb6 14. Rxh5;!; White has won a pawn but things are not so simple, as his king may become vulnerable after a future f7-

1 6. Bb2 g6 16 . . . Rfd8 leads to 17.Qd2 Rac8 18.Rdl!± The d4-pawn is lost. (But not 18. 0-0-0? d3�) 1 7. Bxd4 Qc 7'1'1 More stubborn was 17 ...Qd8 where White retains a large advantage after 18.Rc5 b6 19.Rc3± 18. Bf6/ 1 - 0

••.

f5.

14

Be6'1/ Better was 14 . . . 0-0 15.b3! The only way to fight for an advantage. 15 .. .f5! Black should try to exploit White's king on el. 16.Bb2 fxe4 17.fxe4 Qg6 18.Qxd4 Bg4 19.Re5;!; Houdini assesses this position to be slightly better for White, though for a human it is very risky to play. 15. b3/± Developing the bishop to the perfect square, taking aim at the d4-pawn and controlling the long diagonal. 15. . . 0- 0 '1/ Black's king would be safer on the queenside: 15 ... 0-0-0 16.Bb2 g6 17.Rh6 f5 18.Qd3± •••

Black resigned a s there's no good way to prevent White's queen from reaching h6 . 18.Bf6 Qf4 19.Be5!+- is an important point - Black's queen is trapped.

Chapter 1 : Assessment of the Position

37

Ponomariov - Gashimov FIDE Grand Prix Astrakhan 2010

Here Black has the better pawn structure but his kingside does not have a defender, which means that it can come under pressure in the near future. Moreover, all of White's pieces are active (except the rook on fl), giving White a preferable position. 19. Rfdl Now all White pieces are actively controlling files, diagonals, and key squares (like b5 and f5). In such a scenario, having a slightly compromised pawn structure is an acceptable risk. 19. . . Na5 Black tries to relieve the pressure on b7 by either playing Rac8 and b7b6 or by playing Bc6 and exchanging a set of minor pieces. 20. Be4! White exploits the lack of defenders on Black's kingside, trying to provoke a weakness. 20. . . g6 21. Qf3 It is instructive how Ponomariov keeps rearranging his pieces and creates one problem after another for Black. Instead of worrying about which plan to follow, we can focus 38

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

on improving our pieces to directly impact the position in our favor. 21 . . . Bc6 21...RacB fails in view of 22.Bxb7 Nxb7 23.Rxb7 Qxc3? 24.Qxc3 Rxc3 25.Nf3+- And the bishop is lost. 22. Nxc6 Rxdl+ 23. Rxdl Nxc6

After every exchange w e should try to assess the situation with fresh eyes and take into consideration the capabilities of each piece in the new position. 24. Bd5 Usually the side with the better pawn structure should try to exchange pieces and simplify the position. Black in that sense has been successful to some extent by exchanging a pair of rooks and a set of minor pieces. White should activate his remaining pieces as much as possible. 24 . . . ReB 25. c4 Securing the bishop on d5 and opening up the third rank for White's major pieces. 25. . . Qe7 26. Kg2 Since the e2 -pawn is not actually hanging, defensive moves like e2-e3 should be postponed until they are necessary. Instead, we should play moves that improve our position and

create new problems for our opponent. 26.Kg2 keeps the king a little safer from any possible checks and also gives White the option to use the h-file. 26 . . . h5?! Psychologically this move is easy to understand. Threatened with the possibility of action along the h-file Black preempts it with a slight weakening of his kingside. Instead 26 ... Ne5 27.Qf4 b6;!; would keep White's advantage to a minimum. 27. Rd3 When we play with a bishop versus knight along with major pieces, we should try to place our heavy pieces on the opposite color squares of the bishop. White's plan is now to play Qf4 and Re3. 27. . . Kg7 27 . . . Ne5? would be met with 28.Qe4! Nxd3 (28 . . . b6 29.Re3±) 29.Qxg6+ Kf8 30.Qh6+ Kg8 31.exd3 h4 32.Be4± with a large advantage, as White will pick up the h4-pawn next. 28. Qf4! Rf8 29. Re3

White's pieces are in full control, putting pressure on Black's entire position. 29 . . . Qd7 30. a3! Since White has improved all ofhis pieces to the maximum, he can afford to make preventive pawn moves like this one. Black's pieces are slowly but surely running out of good squares. 30. . . QdB 31. Rb3 Qd7 32. e4 The threat of e4-e5-e6 adds more pressure on Black. 32 Qe7 33. Qd2! The threat of Qb2 forces further concessions from Black. 33 . . . Kh7 34. Qb2 Nd8 35. Rf3! Switching back to the f7-pawn. 35. . . Nc 6 35 . . . b6 36.a4± gives an additional idea to White in a4-a5 & Ra3, though objectively it would have been a better choice for Black. 36. e5! . • .

Now threatening e5-e6. 36 . . . a5 This pawn is now no longer hanging on a7 in certain lines, but this doesn't save Black. 36 . . . Qxe5 37.Qxb7 Nd8 38.Qxa7+­ is hopeless.

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

39

Perhaps Black's only chance was 36 . . . Nxe5 37.Re3 f6 38.f4 Qc5 39.Qxb7+ Kh6 40.Qb4! A key idea, which had to be seen in advance. 40 . . . Nd7 41.Qxc5 Nxc5 42 .Re7± With a likely winning endgame for White. 3 7. e6! A nice breakthrough. 3 7. . . (5 37 . . . fxe6? 38.RxfB Qxf8 39.Qxb7++38. Qb6 38.Rb3 Nd8 39.Qe5+- was another way to proceed. 38 . . . ReB 39. Re3 Rc8 40. Rd3 Kg8 41. Qe3+-

With the strong passed pawn on e6 and the vulnerable enemy king, White was able to win without any problems: 41 . . . g5 42. Bxc6! Finally exchanging to gain decisive control over the 7th rank. 42 . . . bxc6 43.Rd7 Qf6 44. Rf7 Qg6 45. Qe5 f4 46. Rf5 f3+ 4 7. Kh2 1 - 0

Wcircumstances. When

e already know that pieces are more powerful than pawns under normal our opponent gets into a bad pawn structure situation, whether intentionally or not, we should immediately try to exchange his most active pieces to prevent him from gaining compensation for the bad pawn structure in the form of active pieces. Having active pieces will naturally lead to an initiative or attack. Tip: It follows that when we have a good pawn structure, we should try to exchange down to reach a simplified position. Do not allow your opponent to get active pieces and create counterplay.

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Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

Mikhalchishin - Beliavsky Moscow 1981 1.Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4.Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 0 - 0 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5 Nc6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Be2 Bxc5 10. 0- 0 Be6 11.Ne5!

11... Bd6?! Better was l l . . . Ne7 after which 1 2 . Bf3;!; gives White a small advantage. 12.Nxc6 White is willing to alter the pawn structure since he'll be able to favorably exchange two minor pieces. The result will be a simplified position where Black's weak pawns will be the main feature of play. 12 . . . bxc6 13. Qa4 The bishop exchange can hardly be avoided by Black, so White is not in a rush to take on d6 and concentrates on developing his pieces instead. 13 Bxf4 14. Qxf4 c5 15. b3 Effectively fixing the hanging pawns. 15. . . Qa5 16. Racl RacB 1 7. Qa4 White offers the exchange of queens to exploit his superiority in pawn structure. 17. . . Qxa4 ?!

It was better to sidestep with 17 . . . Qb6 but White can still apply pressure after 18 .Qa6!? with the idea of Na4. And if 18 . . . Qb8 then 19.Nb5!;!; is annoying to meet. 18.Nxa4

White went on to convert this advantage in an instructional manner. We will see the rest of the game in Chapter 6: Converting an Advantage.

..•

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

41

5) SPACE The chessboard is divided into eight ranks and eight files. It is natural to assume that each player would want to control as many files and ranks as possible with his pieces. In the starting position, both white and black have control of four ranks each. In such a situation, neither player gets a space advantage. But when one side's pawn crosses over into the 5th rank, then that side gets a small space advantage. The more space we have under our control, the more freely our pieces can move and infiltrate our opponent's position. The player who controls the fewest ranks can only move his pieces within first three ranks. With less ranks, we have less useful squares available to our pieces. We call this a cramped position. The player who gets more space in the center of the board has a slightly better chance in the game. The center of the board is like the capital of a nation - power flows from the center to the rest of the board!

Naiditsch - Timman Dortmund 2002 1 . e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3 . d4 d6 4 . c4 Nb6 5. exd6 exd6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Bd3 0 - 0 8.Nge2 Nc 6 9. 0 - 0 Bf6 1 0. b3 Bg4 1 1 . Be3 Re8 12. Qd2 Nb4 18. Bbl Bxe2 14. Nxe2 c5 15. a8 Nc 6 16. Ra2

16... Qe7?/ After 16 ... cxd4 17. Nxd4 d5 18 .c5;!; White retains a small advantage because of the weak d5 -pawn. 42

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

1 7. h8 Also possible was 17.d5 Ne5 18.h3;!; with the same structure as in the game. 1 7. . . g6 18. d5;!; Naiditsch seizes space with this central thrust. 18 . . . Ne5 1 9. Qcll White has more space for his pieces. When we have a long-term advantage such as extra space we should not rush to come up with a winning plan or resort to drastic measures to increase our advantage. The important thing to do is to not let our opponent get counterplay and at the same time gradually improve the position of our pieces. With 19.Qcl Naiditsch clears the 2nd rank for his rook which could later come to e2 and also denies Black any chances to create complications with Nxc4. The immediate 19.a4 was also possible as after 19 ... Nbxc4 20.bxc4 Nxc4 21 .Qd3 Nxe3 22.fxe3± Black cannot take on e3 due to his hanging bishop on f6 . 19. . . Bg 7 20. a4

White threatens to advance the a-pawn all the way to a6, followed by Nc3-b5, putting pressure on the a7pawn. 20. . . Nbd7 21. Nc3

With idea Re2 , harassing Black's queen along the e-file. 21 . . . (5 Such "active" reactions with pawns inevitably weaken important squares in one's position. With passive pieces it is better to refrain from pseudo­ active pawn advances and instead go for active pawn breaks. Or, if there are no active pawn breaks as in the present case, then a quiet regrouping of pieces should be preferred, for instance 21...Nf6 22.Re2 Qc7 (22 ... Qd7? 23.{4+-) 23.Nb5 Qd8 24.Rfel a6 25.Nc3 Ned7;!; White retains his advantage but Black has stayed solid and is not making it easy for his opponent. 22. Bg5!? White's plan is to play f2-f4 at some stage. 22.Re2:t is good as well. 22 . . . Bf6?! Trading bishops leaves Black with dark-squared weaknesses around his king.

Better was 22 . . . Nf6!? keeping Black's dark-squared bishop on the board. White retains a small plus after 23.Re2 Qd7 24.Rfel Nf7 25.Bf4 Rxe2 26.Rxe2 Re8 27.QeH 23. Bxf6 Qxf6 Or 23 . . . Nxf6 24.Re2 Qd7 25.RfeH Followed by f2-f4 and Re6. 24. Re2

24... Re7?! Black had to prevent White's plan with 24 . . . f4! though White is still better after 25 .f3:t 25.(4! Gaining control over the e-file. 25. . . Nf7 26. Rxe7 Qxe7 2 7. Rel Qh4 28.Re6 NfB 29. Re2 Nd7 30. Kh2! Planning to push Black's queen back with g2-g3 . 30. . . a 6 30 . . . Nf6?! would leave Black's queen stranded after 31 .g3 Qh5 32.Kg2 Re8 33.Rxe8+ Nxe8 34.Qel± 31.g3 Qf6 32. Kg2 Rd8 33. Qe3 Qd4 34.g4 Not so bad was 34.Qd3 !?± followed by Re6 or Re7. 34 . . . Nf6 35. Qf3 ?

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

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Blundering a pawn. The simple 35.Kf3 !± would have kept White's advantage. 35 . . . fxg4 3 6. hxg4 RfB? Timman either misses o r refuses to accept the gift. Turning the tables was 36 ... Nxg4! taking advantage of the hanging knight on c3. 37.Re4 (37. Qxg4 Qxc3 38.Bc2 + is the lesser evil, with compensation for White as he still controls the e-file.) 37. . . Qg7 38.Re7 Nf6 ! 39.Rxb7 Re8+ 3 7. Ne4 Nxe4 38. Qxe4 Qc3 39. Bc2 Qal 40. Rel Qc3 41.g5/ Restricting the knight on f7. 41 . . . RbB 42. Re2 This move releases White's queen from defending the bishop and protects the 2nd rank. 42. . . RfB 42 . . . b5 was not possible: 43.axb5 axb5 44.cxb5+- and Rxb5 loses to Qe8+. 43. Qd3/

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Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

One important tool which many lower-rated players and especially young players dislike is simplification - in this case, exchanging queens. For a strong positional player, simplifying the position to a slightly better endgame is like going on a picnic. He just loves it! If I remember correctly, GM Sasikiran once told me, "The easiest way to defeat a young player is to take him to an endgame." Lesson to the young players: don't neglect endgame work at home! 43 . . . Qxd3 44. Bxd3 NdB 45. Kg3 Black's knight has absolutely zero active prospects. White eventually wins by breaking through on the kingside: 45. . . a5 46. Bc2 Rf7 46 . . . Kg7 would lose instructively after 47.Kg4 h5+ 48.gxh6+ Kxh6 49.Re7 b6 50.Be4! A very nice zugzwang. 50 . . . Rf6 51.Re8 Nf7 52.RbB+4 7.(51 gxf5 48. Kf4 KfB 49. Bxf5 Black now has two weaknesses: the h7-pawn and d6-pawn. With such passive pieces this position is practically indefensible. 49. . . Rg7 50. Rh2 KgB 51. Rh 6 Nf7 52. Be6/

55. . . Kd7 56. Kh5 Ke7 Otherwise Rf6. 57. Re6+ Now this move comes with check, and White's king invades. 57 Kd7 58. Kh6 1-0 And Black resigned in view of 58.Kh6 b6 59.Rf6 Re7 60.RfB+­ Followed by Rh8 with an easy win. .•.

Simplifying again, this time into a completely winning rook endgame. 52. . . KfB 53. Bxf7 Rxf7+ 54. Kg4 Ke7 55. Kh41 A precise move. 55.Kh5 Kd7 56.Re6?! would allow 56 ... Rf3 !+±

Wrank, for example, we should keep as many pieces on the board as possible hen we have more space, when our pawn has crossed over into the 5th

in order to advance further up the ranks into enemy territory. The contrary is also true. When our opponent has more space, our goal is to exchange pieces (preferably our passive pieces for his active pieces ! ) to free up the position for our remaining army. Imagine four people inside a phone booth and one person at a six-seat dinner table. Which is more comfortable and why? We realize that the cramped feeling has to do with how many pieces are fighting for that available space. Too many pieces fighting for a small region of the chessboard leads to a cramped position. If there are fewer pieces fighting for that same space, the position won't feel so cramped. More pieces with more space - yummy! Tip: When your opponent's pawn reaches the 5th rank, try to meet it with a pawn break to fight for space. This will open up the position for our pieces.

Chapter 1 : Assessment of the Position

45

Topalov - Mamedyarov FIDE Candidates 2014

White has more space in the center and better control over the d4-square. Black's knight on a5 and bishop on d7 are both are passive along with his rook on f8. To activate his pieces from this cramped position, he will need to utilize a pawn break soon. 16 . . . Rfe8 1 7. Rhfl e6/ Mamedyarov challenges the pawn on d5 and creates dynamic potential for his pieces. 18. Rf2/ This mysterious move protects the knight and the pawn on c2 prophylactically, which will be important as the game progresses. 18.dxe6? would be a grave error due to 18 . . . Rxe6 (Perhaps even stronger is 18... Bxe6 19.Kbl Bc4!t) 19.Bd4 Qxc2+! 20.Qxc2 Rxc2+ 21.Kxc2 Rxe2++ and Rxg2 . Black gets great counterplay after 18.Bd4 e5 19.Bb2 (19.fxe5?? Bh6!-+ would be a bolt from the blue!) 19 . . . e4 20.Bxg7 Kxg7

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Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

Black's pressure along the c-file is quite strong. 21.Qd4+?! (Better is 21.Kbl {5?. and Black is not worse, with ideas of b5-b4 and Bb5.) 21...KgS 22 .c3 b4! 23.c4 It looks like White has closed down the queenside, but this is just the beginning: (23. Qxb4 RbB 24. Qa3 Bb5+) 23 . . . Ba4! ! White cannot be given time to consolidate with Kb2 , hence the urgency. 24.Kb2 (24. bxa4 Nxc4 25.Kbl Na3+- +) 24 . . . Nxc4+! 25.bxc4 Bxdl 26.Rxdl Qxc4 27.Qxc4 Rxc4+ With a rook and two pawns against two minor pieces, Black is clearly better. 18 Nc4! . •.

This piece sacrifice looks suspect but seems to work with accurate play from Black. After 18 ... b4 White has to walk a narrow path to get an advantage: 19.Kbl exd5 20.Bd4! Trading off Black's best piece and securing the d4-outpost for the knight. 20 . . . Bxd4 21.Nxd4 Qc5 protecting the weak pawns and preparing Nc6. 22.f5! Nc6 23.Nxc6 Bxc6 24.h4;!; Now Black should try to bail out into the endgame with either Qc3 or Qe3 . Despite being a pawn down, White is better since he'll soon win back either the b4 or d5-pawn, and then have a healthier structure. 19. bxc4 bxc4

Black's compensation comes from his powerful bishop on g7, open b-file and potential threat of c2-c3. 20. Bd4 The safe choice, allowing a drawish endgame. The critical line was 20.Qb4!? Rb8 21.Qa3 Bb2+ (21 ... c3 looks scary but is answered with 22.Rd3!+-) 22.Qxb2 Rxb2 23.Kxb2 c3+ 24.Kal Rb8 25.Bd4 Initially this position looks winning for White since he has a rook and two pieces versus the queen, but with

a series of engine suggested moves Black maintains the balance: 25 . . . e5! 26.fxe5 dxe5 27.Bxc3 Qc5 (27... Bb5 28.Bel! Bc4 29.Nc3 Qd6 30.Rbl ± And White consolidates his pieces, beating back Black's attack.) 28.Rf3 e4 29.Rg3 Bb5 30.Nd4 Bd3! The last saving resource. 3 1 .Rgxd3 exd3 32 .Rxd3 Qa3 33.Ne2 Qa4 34.Nd4 Qa3 With a draw by repetition. 35.Ne2 Qa4= 20 . . . c3/ 21. Qxc3 Qxc3 22. Nxc3 Bxd4 23. Rxd4 Rxc3 24. dxe6 Rxe6 25. Rfd2 Rg31=

Keeping the rook active until the end! 26. Rxd6 Rxd6 2 7. Rxd6 Bxg4 28. hxg4 Rxg2 29.g5 R'(2 30. Rd4 f6 31. a4 fxg5 32.fxg5 Rf5 % - %

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

47

Wojtaszek - Kazhgaleyev French Team Championship 2014 1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 When a pawn reaches the 5th rank it can be considered a gain of space. Here White gets more space in center. 3 . . . e5 4.Nc3 d6 5. e4 Be7 6.g3 Nbd7 7. Nf3 Nf8 8. Bg2 Ng6 9. Qd3 h5 10. h4 Bd7 1 1 . a4 b6 12.Ng5 a6 13.Bh3

Black has a potentially bad bishop on e7 due to the presence of his central pawns on d6 and e5. In this situation, White should try to exchange off all the other minor pieces and leave himself with a strong knight against the passive bishop. 13 . . . RbB 14. Bd2 Due to White's extra space, Black has a cramped position. In this kind of scenario we need to focus on two things: 1) Preventing the opponent from executing a pawn break that will give him activity. 2) Preparing our own pawn break and executing it at the right time. You should first improve your position to the maximum before attempting to breakthrough. 14 . . . Bxh3 15. Nxh3 Qd7 1 6. Rbl

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Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

This move prepares the b2-b4 break but it should not be executed in haste. 1 6. . . NfB 1 7. Qe2 Putting some pressure on the h5pawn and also allowing for a possible Nh3-f2-d3 maneuver later on. 17. . . Qc7 When one makes a move within the first two ranks it is mainly to vacate that square for another piece. From this we can deduce that the idea behind Qc7 was to clear the d7-square for one of Black's knights. 18.(3

As we can see, White has the option of breaking with both b2b4 and f2-f4. But Wojtaszek delays this decision until Black manages to create a plan for himself. Currently all Black can do is shuffle, as the b6b5 break is not possible. This gives White the freedom not to rush, and he can patiently improve his position first. 18 . . . N8d7 19. Nf2 Kf8 20. Kdl By placing his king on c2 White reveals his intention to play on the kingside with either f3-f4 or g3-g4. Just because he played 16.Rbl does not mean he has to follow through

with b2-b4! Having extra space gives you the luxury of switching between plans. 20. . . g6 21. Kc2 Kg8 Black has finally come up with a plan - exchanging his dark-squared bishop with Bf8-h6 . Facing this idea, Wojtaszek correctly decides it is time to press forward. 22.f4/

Rg8 2 7.fxeS Since Black cannot recapture with the knight, White makes this exchange now. 2 7. . . Bxd2 After 27 . . . Nxe5 28.Qxf6+ Bg7 29.Qg5 Bh6 The queen is trapped but White has already captured one piece and can now take two more: 30.Qxh6! Rxh6 31.Bxh6 Nxc4 32 .g4!+- The rook and two minor pieces are more powerful than the queen and Black's king is under serious pressure as well. 28. Kxd2 dxe5 29.Nh3 Rf8 Prophylactically defending the f7pawn to enable Ng4. 29 . . . Ng4 is met with 30.Ng5± 30. NgS Rh6 31. Rfl Kg7 32. Qd3

22... BfB 23. Qf3 Showing nuanced positional chess. Since White has slightly weakened the e4-pawn one would expect Black to play Re8 at some point, when the queen on e2 would not feel very comfortable. This move improves the queen and strengthens the idea of f4f5.

More to the point was 23 .f5 Bh6 (23...gxf5 24.exf5-+ and the g3-g4 break will open up Black's king.) 24.Bg5 !-+ Followed by preparing g3 -g4, with an impending breakthrough. 23 . . . Bh6 24.Rhgl Again we see patience and slow preparation by White. Black does not have an active plan so White should improve his pieces as much as possible before opening up the position. 24. . . Rh7 25. Rg2 Kh8 26. Rbgl

Black is getting ready for Ng4 which should be challenged by Ndl-e3 or Ndl-f2 , both of which would allow the b6-b5 break. Qd3 discourages this and facilitates the knight maneuver to the kingside. 32 . . . Qd6 33. Ndl ?I This makes the win much harder for White, but does not spoil the advantage. It was better to play 33.Rgf2 , not allowing the knight on f6 to move. By doubling the rooks on the f-file White Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

49

ensures that both of Black's knights cannot move and a rook needs to be present on f8 to defend the f7-pawn. White should then prepare the g3g4 break by tripling his major pieces on the f-file and rerouting his knight to e3. Since Black is left without any active counterplay, White can also afford the time to secure the safety of his king as well. For example 33 . . . Rhh8 34.Rf3 Rb8 35.Rlf2 Rhf8 36.Kel Rb7 37.Kfl Rbb8 38.Kg2 Rb7 39.Qfl Rbb8 40.Ndl Rb7 (40... b5 41.axb5 axb5 42.cxb5+- Gives Black nothing.) 41.Ne3 Rbb8 42 .b3 Rb7 43.Kh2 Rbb8 44 .Qh3 b5 45.g4+- And the opening of the kingside is decisive. 33 . . . Ng4 34. Ne3 Ndf6 Exchanging a pair of knights makes Black's defense somewhat easier, as he is the one lacking space. 35. Nxg4 Nxg4 36. Rf3 RhhB 3 7. Qe2 Qd7 38. b3 a5 Indicating that Black has no ambitions to execute b6-b5, and will instead try to hold the kingside. 39. Rgl f6!? A very interesting decision to sacrifice the exchange and attempt to create a blockade. Instead after 39 ... Kg8 40.Rgfl f6 41.Ne6 Rf7:t it is unclear if White has a winning plan/breakthrough. 40.Ne6+ Kh 7 41.NxfB+ RxfB 42. d6!

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Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

A crucial move, as otherwise Black will establish a full blockade after Qd6. Now White can use the d5square for his major pieces. 42 . . . ReB Taking the pawn is inadvisable: 42 . . . Qxd6+ 43.Rd3 Qe6 44.Kcl f5 45.Rfl f4 46.Qd2± And White's extra exchange should eventually decide. 43. Kc2 Clearing the d-file for the major pieces. The only way for White to win is to combine the pressure along the d­ and f-files and look for an opportunity to break with either g3-g4 or even b3b4. 43 . . . Re6 44. Rdl Nh 6 Black has no intentions of capturing the pawn and handing the d-file over to White. He must stay put. 45. Rfd3 ReB 46. R3d2 Kg7 4 7. Qd3 Nf7 48. Rgl Nh 6 49. Qd5 Instead 49.Kb2 !? preparing the b3-b4 break looks very strong: 49 . . . Ng4 50.Rel Kf7 51.b4 ! !

A powerful breakthrough, opening lines on the queenside. a) 51...Qxa4 52 .bxc5 bxc5 53.Rbl+­ and White's rook will infiltrate along the b-file. b) 51...cxb4 52 .Qd5+ Kg7 53.c5+­ is also winning. Note how Black's knight on g4 is simply sidelined. c) 51...axb4 52.a5! bxa5 53 .Qd5+ Re6 54.Qxc5+- White has broken through. 49 ... Re6 50.Rgdl Nf7 51.Qf3 Taking the pawn now would leave Black in a devastating pin. 51...Nh6 52 .Rd5 Ng4 53 .b4! cxb4 54 .Qe2+­ White has ideas of either c4-c5 or Rb5, and his extra exchange should be decisive. 49. . . Nf7 50. Kb2 Re6!

All of a sudden Black is now ready to capture on d6. Instead 50 ... Nh6 would again run into 51 .b4!+51. Qa8 Rxd6 52. Rxd6 Nxd6? Throwing the game away. After 52 . . . Qxd6 Black threatens to invade with his queen. 53.Qd5 (Or 53.Rg2 Qd7 54.Kc2 Qd4=) 53 . . . Qxd5 54.exd5 (54. cxd5 f5 55.Rel Kf6 looks like a solid fortress for Black.) 54 . . . f5;l; And it's highly unlikely White will be able to win this position, as the knight will defend nicely from d6. 53. Qd5 Qh3 54. Ka3 Nf7 55. Qc6 1-0 With the queenside falling Black is completely lost.

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

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6) WEAKNESSES First, we should know what is meant by the word "weaknesses". Any positional concession, or anything that is wrong in a position, can be described as a weakness. For example: weak pawn(s), weak square(s), an opponent possessing a passed pawn or a pair of bishops, a weak king, etc. Remember our opponent's strength is our weakness! Weaknesses can be short-term or long-term and potential or actual. Let's discuss this in detail. Short-Term and Long-Term Weaknesses : An uncastled king in the opening stage, undeveloped pieces, and hanging pieces are short-term weaknesses. The moment the uncastled king is castled into safety or the undeveloped pieces are developed or the hanging piece is defended/moved away, then that particular weakness vanishes. From this we can infer that when an opponent has short-term weaknesses, we must act immediately to try and exploit the weakness before it is corrected. When our opponent has an uncastled king or undeveloped pieces, we must try to open the position (preferably in the center) even at the cost of a pawn to create threats and win space or material. When our opponent has a passed pawn, better pawn structure or a pair of bishops, or when we have a defenseless king, weak pawns, and weak squares, these weaknesses are long-term in nature. Long-term weaknesses mean long­ term problems. The side with long-term advantages should try to play a quiet, uncomplicated game by exchanging pieces at correct moments to simplify the position.

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Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

Kramnik - Leko Miskolc Rapid 2007 1.Nf3 Nf6 Some of Kramnik's analysis from Chess Informator is shown and indicated as such in this game. 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 Nc 6 4.g3 d5 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 dxc4 7. Nxc6 Qxdl+ 8.Nxdl bxc6 9. Bg2 Nd5 10.Ne3 e6 11.Nxc4 Ba6 12. b3 Bb4+ 13. Bd2 Bxd2+ 14. Nxd2 Nb4 15. Kdl 0- 0 - 0

Here we can see a typical battle of a good pawn structure versus initiative and piece activity. If White manages to neutralize all of Black's threats and at the same time bring his pieces to good squares then he will have a long term advantage in the form of a better pawn structure. Black should strive not to allow White to consolidate his position and try to keep White busy with new threats on every move. 16. a3 Nd5 1 7. Rcl Kb7 18. Kell Kramnik finds a strong way to neutralize Black's pressure in the center. He is planning to play e2-e3 and Bfl to exchange the active bishop

on a6, followed by Ke2 to connect the rooks. 18 . . . e5 19. e3t.. Kramnik also gives 19.Ne4 Kb6 20.Nc5 Bc8 21.e3;t with an edge for White. 19 . . . Kb6 19 . . . f5 could be met with 20.e4!? according to Kramnik. 20 ... fxe4 21.Nxe4 Kb6 22.Nc5 Bc8 (22 . . . Bb5? 23. a4+-) 23.Ke2 Bg4+ 24.f3;t 20. Bfl 20.Nc4+ was also possible 20 ... Bxc4 21.Rxc4 Rd6 22.Ke2 Rhd8 23.RhcU but Kramnik decides the knight would be better suited to target Black's weaknesses. 20. . . Bb5 21. Bc4

To enable Ke2 next. We can see that Black has lost most of his initiative and White is consolidating his advantage. Black's broken pawn structure will soon become a liability. 21 . . . f6 22. Ke2 Rd7 23. Rc2 a5 24.Rhcl Ne 7 25. BxbS Even stronger was 25.a4! Bxc4+ 26.bxc4! Rhd8 (Or 26. . . RbB 27.Rbl+ Kc7 28.RxbB KxbB 29.Nb3 Ra7 30.Rd2± where White has a lot of pressure.) 27.Rbl+ Kc7 28.Rcb2±

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

53

Followed by Ne4. Black's knight on e7 is especially passive. 25. . . cxb5 26. a4!t

Mere control of the c-file is not enough for White - he is trying to combine it with threats against the Black king. 26. . . RhdB 2 7. axb5 Kxb5 28. Ne4 Ra7 Other moves do not help Black either: 28 . . . Kb6 29.g4± 28 . . . Nd5 29.Rc6t with idea Rlc4, trapping Black's king. 29.g4! When there are knights on the board, seizing space by advancing pawns is an important method of pressing an advantage. 29. . . h6 30. h4 Kb6 31.gS 31.Rc4± should also come into consideration, keeping more pawns on the board and planning Nc5-a4 to harass the Black king. 81 . . . hxgS 82. hxgS fxg5?1 Maybe 32 ... f5 was better: 33.Nc5 Nd5 34.Nd3! Re7 35.Rc6+ Kb7 36.Rg6± 83. Rgl!

54

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

Black is left with two weak pawns on the kingside. 83 . . . RcB 84. Rd2! It is important for White to keep as many pieces on the board as possible to be able to create threats and pose problems for Black. 34.Rxc8 Nxc8 35.Rxg5 Re7± is somewhat easier to defend for Black. 84 . . . Nc6 85. RxgS a4 Desperately trying to trade off all the pawns. 86. bxa4 Rxa4 8 7. Nd6 37.Rb2+! Rb4 38.Rxb4+ Nxb4 39.Rxe5+- was stronger. 8 7. . . Rc7 88. NeB Since this is a rapid game, it is understandable that there were mistakes in this stage of the game from both sides. 38.Rg6! Rb4 39.Ne8 Rc8 40.Nxg7 was more precise. 88 . . . Rca7 39. Nxg7 39.Kf3 Ra2 40.Rxa2 Rxa2 41.Nd6 Kc5 42 .Ne4+ Kc4 43.Rxg7± would also give Black less saving chances than the game. 89 . . . Ra2! 40. Rxa2 Rxa2+ 41. Kf8 Kc5 42. NfS Nb4! 48. Ng8 Kd5 44.Ne4 Ra8 45. Nf6+ Ke6 46. Ng4 Nd8 4 7. Rg6+ Kf5 48. Rf6+ Kg5 49. Rd6

50. Kg3+ Now it's all over. Black loses his last pawn by force. 50. . . e4 51. Rd5+ Rf5 51...Kg6 52 . Ne5+ Nxe5 53.Rxe5+52.f4+/ Kg6 53. Rd4 Nc5 54. Ne5+ Kg7 55. Rc4 Nd3 56. Nxd3 exd3 57. Rd4 l - O

49... RfB+? 49 ... Nc5! would have likely saved the game for Leko. 50.Rd5 (50.Nxe5 R{B+ 51.Ke2 Rx'{2+! 52.Kx'f2 Ne4+ 53.Kf3 Nxd6=) 50 ... Rf8+ 51.Kg2 Kxg4 52 .Rxc5 Re8;!; with a drawn rook endgame.

Potential and Actual Weaknesses: Let's imagine a position where our opponent has a pawn without any other pawn support. This means he has a potential weak pawn. When this potential weak pawn comes under direct attack, it becomes an actual weakness . A potential weakness does not necessarily turn into an actual weakness. Only when a potential weakness is under attack, does it become an actual weakness. From this, we can learn that we must strive to attack our opponent where he is weak to take advantage of the potential weak areas in his position. If we don't attack where our opponent is weak, then we aren't acting on our strengths or exploiting his weaknesses. We must constantly watch out for potential weak areas in the position both for ourselves and for our opponents. We need to expect our opponent to exert pressure on our weak spots and take precautionary measures against possible attacks.

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

55

Geller - Boleslavsky

20. Bxe6 Nxe6 21. Nc4

USSR Championship 1952 1 . c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4.d4 Bg7 5.(3 0 - 0 6. Be3 e5 7. Nge2 Nbd7 8. Qd2 c6 9. 0 - 0 - 0 Qa5 10. Kbl a6 1 1 . Ncl ReB 12.Nb3 Qc7 13. dxe5 dxe5 14. c5!

With this move White seizes more space on the queenside, gains the c4square for his pieces and also fixes the b6 and d6 squares as weaknesses. White will try to use these squares while Black will try to use d4 and f4 . 14 . . . NfB With idea to play Ne6 and either Nd4 or Nf4. 15. Qd6! When we have a positional advantage, we should try to go to an ending where it is easier to exploit our long-term pluses and make it harder for Black to achieve counterplay. 15 . . . Ne6 16. Bc4 BfB 1 7. Qxc7 Nxc7 18.Na5 Because of his passive position Black is unable to gain anything from his control over the d4 and f4 squares. 18 . . . RbB 19. Na4 Be6 Exchanging a piece to relieve some pressure. 56

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

White's knights dominate all the weak squares in Black's position. White also controls the d-file and the dark-squared bishop is bad due to the central pawn on e5. All this ensures White has a clear advantage. 21 . . . Nc 7 22. Nab6 Ne6 23. b4 Nf4 24. Rd2 RbdB 25. Rhdl Rxd2 26. Rxd2 Bg7 2 7. Na5! RbB 28. Bxf4 exf4 29. Nd7! White simplifies into a technically winning position. 29. . . RdB 30. Nxf6+ Bxf6 31. RxdB+ BxdB 32. Nxb7+ -

The rest is simple. White just needs to bring the king in and create a queenside passer. 32 . . . Bc 7 33. Kc2 K(B 34. Nd6 Ke7 35. Nc4 Ke6 36. Kd3 h5 3 7. Nd2 Be5 38. Nb3 Kd7 39. Nd4 Bf6 40.Kc4 Be5 41.a4 Bf6 42. b5 cxb5+ 43. axb5 a5 43 ... Bxd4 44.bxa6!+44.Nc6 1 - 0

Keres - Gligoric Zurich 1959

27. Qg5/ The position looks complicated and not very clear at first glance. Going by the king's position, we can see that White's king is safer as the dark-squares near Black's king are weak and can be exploited. We can also notice that the open b- and d-files are under White's control, leading to the assessment that White is better in this position. 27. . . NeB ?I Black plans to reinforce the e5pawn with f7-f6 and reroute the knight to e6 via g7. The drawbacks with this plan are the following: it involves a loss of time, the d5-square is left unguarded, more squares will

be weakened after f7-f6, and the plan does not improve the position of Black's other pieces. After the more solid 27 ... Kh8 28.Rb4 a5 29.Rb5 Rde8;!; White's advantage is kept at bay. 28. Qe7 Exploiting the drawback of Ne8 the knight on d7 is under tremendous strain now. 28 . . . Ng7?1 28 . . . f6 29.Rb4? Rf7 30.Qe6 Nc5 31 .Qxc4 Rxdl+ 32.Bxdl Nd6 33 .Qe2 a5 34.Rbl Ba6t Black has seized the initiative and even ends up having the better position. 29.Nfl Rf7 30.Qa3 Nf8 31.Rxd8 Qxd8 32.Ne3± The c4-pawn is weak and Rdl is next. 29. Nfll

Since Black does not have any threat or idea worth preventing, White focuses on improving his worst placed piece to a better square. This combination of prophylaxis and piece improvement can help us handle most positions without pawn breaks reasonably well. 29 . . . Ne6 30. Ne3 Nf4

Chapter 1 : Assessment of the Position

57

Controlling the d5-square and threatening Ne2+. 31. Kfl Stopping Black's threat. 31 . . . (6 ? Preparing Rf7 and securing the e5-pawn, but this is too weakening. White is clearly better after 31... Rfe8 32 .Qh4 (Or 32. Qd6±) 32.Ng4!+ There is no defense against White's threat of Nh6-f7, winning an exchange. 32 . . . Nd3 33. Rxd3!!

A direct attack on Black's king finishes the game in White's favor. 33 . . . cxd3 34.Bb3+ Kh8 35. Nxf6! The key point to White's combination. 35. . . Rxf6 36. Ng5! Black's queen is hanging on c7, so there is no way to defend the h7pawn. 36 . . . Rxf2+ 3 7. Kgl! Precision until the end. 37.Kxf2 Qc5+ 38 .Qxc5 Nxc5 39.Nf7++- is also winning, but Keres wants to force mate. 37. . . Rfl+ 38. Kh2! 1 - 0 And mate can n o longer be stopped. 58

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

38.Kxfl?? Rf8+ 39.Kgl Qc5+ would let Black off the hook completely.

Topalov - Ivanchuk Las Palmas 1996

26.Bg7? This throws away most of White's advantage. 26.Rd7! would have decided the game in White's favor. 26 . . . Rc7 (26... Bc7 27.Re7!+- Active prophylaxis! Black was threatening Bc6 to chase the active White rook away from the 7th rank. Now 27. .. Bc6 is met with 28.Ba6!) 27.Rd8+ Kh7 28.Bg7 Rc8 29.Rd7 ! An important move, forcing Black's rook to the 7th rank. (The immediate 29.Rdl is met with 29... g5) 29 . . . Rc7 30.Rdl Threatening Rhl+. 30 . . . g5 (30... Bh4 31.RdB RcB 32.Rd7+-) 31.Rd8!+- and Bd3+ is coming next with mate. This winning triangulation with the rook is quite impressive. 26. . . g5! Facilitating the Black king's escape. 2 7. Rd7? 27.Rhl is met with 27 . . . Bh4!= Another important point of g5.

Best was 27.c4 a5 28 .b4;!; 27. . . Bc6/ lvanchuk rightly goes for piece activity at the cost of a pawn, although here he really did not have much of a choice! Also possible was 27 . . . Bd5!? 28.Rxa7 Bc4!� 28. Rxa7 Rd8/'f.

Black has seized the initiative and went on to win the game: 29. a4 Be5 30. a5 Rd2 31. Bc4 b5 32. Bb3 Bxf3 33. Re7 Rd6 34. ReB+ Kh7 35. Bf8 Rdl+ 36. Ka2 Bxf6 3 7. a6 g4 38. c4 Rd2 39. cxb5 g3 40. b6 g2 41.Bc5 Bxb2 0-1

T plays the crucial part in the assessment of the position and subsequent

he two previous games show us the importance of king safety. This element

play.

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

59

Potkin - Filippov Russian Team Championship 2003

White's kingside pawns are broken but going by king safety we can see that Black's king is in much more danger of coming under attack. This single factor decides the assessment of the position in White's favor. 15. . . Bd7! Black is up a pawn, and he understands that any danger for him here is due to the unsafe position of his king. Hence he tries to castle queenside as soon as possible. 16. 0- 0 16.Qh5+?! g 6 17.Nxg6 i s far too optim istic: 17 ... 0-0-0! 18.Nxh8 Qxd4 and White is busted. 19.Ra2 Bxb5!-+ After 16.Nxd7 Kxd7 17.0-0 Rd8 18.Nc3 Kc8+ Black is able to castle artificially anyway. 16. . . 0 - 0 - 0 + Now that both kings are reasonably safe, piece activity will be the main factor that decides the assessment of the position. In addition to the extra pawn, Black can also put lots of pressure on White's d4-pawn. 1 7.Nc3 60

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

17.Nf7 would be answered with 17 . . . Bxb5 -+ 1 7. . . Bc5?! This move is based on either a miscalculation or a misjudgment. The correct way to proceed was 17. . . Be8! defending the f7-square while putting pressure on d4. 18.Ne2 Kb8 19.Khl Bd6 ! (Black should not touch the b5-pawn 19... Qxb5?! in view of 20.Rbl t) 20.Nf7 (20.Nc4 Qxb5 21.Nxd6 Rxd6 22.Nc3 Qd7! 23.Nxe4 Rxd4- + and Black is just two pawns up.) 20 . . . Bxf7 21.Rxf7 Rhf8! Activity is more i mportant than counting pawns in this position. 22.Rxg7 Rf2 23.Rbl e5+ White's position is under huge pressure due to his passive queen and knight. 18.Na4 Bxd4+ 1 9. Khl Qd6 20. Nf7 Qd5 21. NxhB RxhB�

Black has given up an exchange but has two bishops and the passed e-pawn which gives him adequate compensation. 22. Nc3! Bringing the corner piece into the game immediately, using simple tactics. This was possibly missed by Black, who was perhaps relying on playing against the offsides knight.

22 . . . Bxc8 28. Qc2 White wins the piece back by force. 28 . . . Qd2 23 . . . Qc5 24.RacH 24. Racl Qxc2 25. Rxc2 Bxb5 26. Rf7 Rd8 2 7. Rxc8+ Bc6 28. Kgl %-*

Black has a rook, bishop and three pawns against White's two active rooks. Usually the side down the exchange should not want to trade off their own rook but in this case 28 . . Rd7 is necessary to defend the kingside pawns. After this, Black should have enough counterplay to hold and the game was soon drawn. In this example we saw that the important roles played by king safety and piece activity take precedence over other factors.

Landa - Khismatullin Russian Team Championship 2014 1 . d4 Nf6 2.g8 d5 8. Bg2 c6 4.Nf8 Bf5 5. c4 e6 6. Nc8 Nbd7 7. Qb8 Qb6 8. c5 This advance, seizing space, is typical in this kind of structure. 8 . . . Qa6 More common is 8 ... Qxb3 9.axb3 where White will try to put pressure on Black using the open a-file and potential b4-b5 advance. 9. Bfl!

.

An unexpected retreat to harass Black's queen on a6, threatening e2e4. This move exploits the drawback of Black's last move. 9 . . . Be4 9 . . . Ne4 could be met with 10.e3 b5 l l . Nh4!;t with ideas of f2-f3 and capturing on f5, giving White an unopposed light-squared bishop. 10. Nxe4 Nxe4 1 1 . Nd2! Exchanging the opponent's most active piece immediately. Never ignore a strong enemy piece for long. l l . . . Nxd2 l l . . . Qa5! leads to interesting variations: 12 .Qxb7?! This is not a pawn White should take. (Better is Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

61

12.{3 Nxd2 13.Bxd2 Qc7= with a close to equal position, as Black will play e6-e5 soon with counterplay.) 12 . . . Rb8 13 .Qxc6 Bxc5! ! The only way to punish White's pawn grab. Black must proceed energetically. 14.Bg2 (14. dxc5 Ke7! 15.e3 Nexc5t White is in huge trouble, Black threatens both RhcB and Ne5, winning the queen.) 14 . . . Nxd2 15.Bxd2 Bb4 16.Bc3 Ke7!t With Rhc8 coming, Black has seized the initiative. 12. Bxd2 b6 When lacking space, it is important to challenge advanced pawns and fight for space with a break. This move also facilitates the queen's retreat when she comes under attack by the bishop on fl. 13. e4! Fighting for the initiative. Note how strong players don't always react immediately to pawn breaks. Pawn exchanges should be made only when they benefit us directly. 13 . . . Qb7 14. exd5 Opening up the center for the two bishops and the e-file to target Black's king. GM Landa has probably seen his next few moves in advance. 14 . . . exd5 15. 0 - 0 - 0!

62

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

For improving players, the presence of pawns on c5 and b6 would be unnerving and they would try to release the tension immediately by playing cxb6. This exchange will give Black's rook on a8 an open file. We should avoid exchanges that improve our opponent's pieces or pawn structure in a significant way unless the exchange leads to some concrete benefit. After the calm 15.Bd3 Be7 16.00 0-0 17.Rfel Bf6 18.Be3;!; White's advantage is minimal. 15. . . Be7 1 6. Rel Preventing Black from castling. 1 6. . . Nf6 While on the offensive, you should look for all forcing moves and try to exploit the drawback of each of your opponent's moves. Here the knight has left the queenside and no longer controls c5. 1 7. cxb6! The right moment to exchange, as Bb4 is a very serious threat. 1 7. . . 0 - 0 Forced. 17 . . . axb6 loses after 18.Bb4 c5 19.Bxc5 !+18. Rxe7!

Dramatically changing the character of the game. For the exchange, Black will have to deal with a passed pawn on b7 and White's pair of bishops. 18.Ba6 Qxa6 19.b7 Raes 20.Bf4 Nd7+ does not lead to anything for White. 18 . . . Qxe7 19. b 7 19.Bb4? runs into 1 9. . .c5! 20.Bxc5 Qel++ and White has to grovel with Qdl. 19. . . RabB 20. Ba6 Ne4 20 . . . Qe4?! winning a pawn doesn't work: 21.Rdl Qxd4 22.Be3 Qe5 23.Bxa7± 20 . . . c5 Trying to open up the queenside is interesting, but White is better after 21.Rel Qd7 22.Bf4 Qc6 23.BxbS Rxb8 24.Qa3 cxd4+ 25.Kbl Ne4 26.Re2 !± followed by Rc2 . 21.Rel ?I Natural but a mistake. Stronger was 21.Bb4! Nd6 (21 . . . c5 is met with 22.dxc5 Qd7 23.{3! Qc6 24.fxe4 Qxa6 25. exd5 Qxb7 26.Ba3!±) 22 .Qa3 which leads to the following line with best play: 22 . . . RfdS 23.Rel Qf6 24.Bxd6 Rxd6 25 .Qc5 Qxf2 26.Re2 Qfl+ 27.Kc2 Qf5+ 28.Bd3 Qd7 29.Qxa7 Black's back-rank weakness prevents him from being able to capture on b7. 29 . . . Qc7 30.Re7! Qd8 31.a4! Kf8 32.Re3 Qc7 33.Ba6± 21 . . . Qf6?! Returning the favor. Black's best defense was 2 1 . ..Qc7! threatening Nxd2 and Qa5+. 22.Rxe4 (22.Bf4?? Qa5+ with a double attack against White's rook and bishop.) 22 . . . dxe4 23.Qb4 Though White i s down two exchanges, the b7-pawn is strong and Bf4 will win back some material. 23 ... RfdS 24. Bf4 Qb6 25 .Qxb6 axb6= A complicated endgame that should be drawn with best play. Black's

rooks cannot achieve much against White's bishops and b-pawn. 22. Bf4 g5?! This weakens the Black king. 22 . . . Qxd4 23.Be3 Qf6 24.Bxa7± 28. BxbB Rxb8 24.(8 Nd6 25. Re5+ ·

Now White has an extra pawn and the more active position. 25. . . h 6 26. Qb4 QdB 2 7. a4 Kg7 28. Kbll Securing the king to avoid any tricks. 28 . . . Qf6 28 . . . Qc7 29.Qc5 Nxb7 30.Qxa7 29. Ka2! Qd8 80. h4 Only after ensuring the safety of his king does White embark on direct action. 80 . . . gxh4 81.gxh4 Qc7 82. Qel!

Chapter 1 : Assessment of the Position

63

White missed a good chance in 21.Bb4, which could have allowed him to play for the advantage, and Black returned the compliment by playing a mistake himself with 21 . . . Qf6? Once White's advantage was clear, he took care to keep his king safe before undertaking any active operations to try to convert his advantage into a win.

Switching sides, Black's king is too vulnerable and soon falls to a decisive attack. 82 Qb6 88. Qg8+ Kf8 84. Qf4 Kg7 85. Rh5 f6 86. Rxh6 Qd8 87. h5 Ne8 88. Qg4+ Kf8 89. Qe6 1-0 I n this game, Black played the provocative move 9 . . . Qa6 and White took up the challenge courageously by playing the non-regular move 10.Bfl ! In the opening phase, if we wish to fight for the initiative or advantage then we must seize our chances that come our way by means of provocative, unusual moves from our opponent. • . .

Just when it looked like black has solved his opening problems and had neutralized White's initiative by playing 18 . 0-0, White added more fuel to the fire by going for complications with 19.Re7! In positions with the initiative, it is important not to lose it completely by playing quiet moves but we must take further risks to keep the initiative going failing which there is a danger that the initiative will pass on to the opponent. ..

64

Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position

Chapter Summary Using the factors we have discussed, we can assess who is better in any given position, what the strengths and weaknesses are on both sides, on which side of the board we should base our play, whether we should play with a quiet or action-packed approach, and much more. You may have noticed that I have devoted less space to the factor of pawn structure (including space and weaknesses), even though it is quite an important aspect of the evaluation of any position. This is because I believe that king safety, piece activity, and material balance play a larger role in influencing the assessment of a position. It's only when these three factors are relatively balanced, or not in huge favor of one player, that the structure starts playing a much bigger role. Now that we know the different factors that need to be considered to properly assess a position, we can use this skill during our games/analysis when trying to choose between multiple continuations. As you'll notice, this chapter is much larger than other chapters, simply for the reason that assessment is a vast and extremely important topic!

Chapter 1 : Assessment ofthe Position

65

Chapter 2 The Problem of Choices

Wlook for on the chessboard, we should be ready to pay the appropriate

e usually want to have our cake and eat it too! For every advantage we

price. If we want to launch a kingside assault, then we may be forced to leave ourselves vulnerable to attack on the queenside or in the center. If we want to gain a space advantage by advancing our pawns, then we are temporarily ignoring our development in that phase of the game. In his book How Life Imitates Chess, Kasparov discusses evaluating a position by three criteria: time, material, and quality. "Tal," he says, "valued time over all. When his attacking genius was in full flight, his pieces seemed to move faster than his opponents." " WHEN ATTACKING, BEING A MOVE AHEAD IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MATERIAL , BUT HOW MUCH MATERIAL FOR HOW MUCH TIME? " -KASPAROV

The beauty of chess lies in the fact that there is no single correct solution to most positions in our games. There are, of course, thousands of positions where there is only one correct path. Yet in most other positions, there is much scope for creativity and adjustment. There are so many approaches at our disposal. We can use our own preferences, tastes, likes and dislikes regarding our style of play. We can take into consideration our current form on that day, the demands of the tournament situation, an opponent's playing style, his strengths and weaknesses, and countless other factors that influence our judgment to help us find an optimal solution to the problem at hand.

66

Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

Some other examples of the problem of choices are: • • • • • • • • • •

Choices in move order; Choices regarding openings; Choices in plans or approach; Choices in exchange; Choices in choosing the correct file for rooks; Choices in maintaining tension; Choices regarding quality, quantity and time; Choices between playing it safe and taking risks ; Playing moves which give us more choices on our next turn; and Playing necessary moves over good-looking moves.

It is easier to play a move if it is more or less forced than when we are presented with a choice of options. The problem of choices arises when we have more than one reasonable looking move or idea but we can only choose one to pursue. In a chess game, we are constantly in the process of making decisions, either consciously or unconsciously. It is important to realize that we have choices before us, in many situations. We must not get carried away by the first move that comes to mind. It's impossible to make a mistake when your move is a forced move, but it is easy to choose an incorrect move from among many options. In some ways, playing a game of chess is like trying to cross a turbulent river filled with crocodiles and rocks that look alike. If we are equipped with only a stick in our hand, it is important to poke the rock-like object with the stick to ensure it is a rock, and not a crocodile, and only then do we place our foot on it. This process has to be repeated until we reach the other side of the river. The rocks and crocodiles represent the correct and the good-looking moves, respectively. The good-looking moves need not mean they are always correct. The analogy of poking with our stick represents the analytical process in our mind. Using our analysis, we are able to find out and confirm that our move is the right one. Lasker has famously expressed this process, ''When you see a good move, look for a better one". This teaches us that there are good-looking moves and there are good moves. Our analysis alone should establish the difference between the two - not our likings or prejudices. We may like to move our pieces around the board in a certain way, and we should analyze these moves first, but this should not be a factor in deciding the final move that is played. It is essential to be as objective as possible without curbing our natural instincts. Not an easy task, but entirely possible! It also teaches us the importance of the "searching" quality that is required to be a good player. We are constantly searching for the best move, even after we spot moves that appear "logical" or "forced". Once we have established that our move is not forced, we first need to survey the options available to us. For this, I strongly suggest employing the Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

67

"scanning technique" to make a list of possible good-looking moves, what we call "candidate moves". To employ the scanning technique, first scan the board from the a-file to the h-file, starting with the pieces and then the pawns. Try to find all possible good-looking moves for each piece and make a mental list. Then do the same for all the pawns. Now we have a complete list of all the candidate moves in the position. We can then proceed to follow any of the approaches below: Remove bad-looking moves from the list by process of elimination; Analyze the most forcing continuations (checks, captures, threats and pawn breaks) to see if they work; or • Analyze the move you like most and if it looks like it won't work, follow the process of elimination to discard bad ideas or search for the most forcing continuation. • •

W in a book whose name I cannot recall. The author's brilliant concept

hen I was an up and coming player, I read about the scanning technique

helped me identify all the good-looking moves in a position. Kotov's "Tree of Analysis" from the book Think Like a Grandmaster was improved upon by GM Nunn in his book Secrets of Practical Chess. GM Tisdall's book Improve Your Chess Now and GM Krasenkow's article "Wandering in the Jungle" in Dvoretsky's Attack and Defense have all tried to explain and unravel the art of analysis and calculating variations. To anyone who is interested in studying the art of analysis, I recommend the above books. When we are presented with choices of moves, we must realize that it is important to choose the most practical. We should postpone making a committed decision between the options and play a move that is more or less forced, or should be played anyway. This way we avoid making an incorrect choice, especially when a more practical option is available. Contradictory principles occur all over the board in any given position. We need to choose the principle appropriate to the position at hand in order to find the best move or a decent plan. In each of the following examples, one or both of the players will have to face the problem of choices. I advise the reader to pay careful attention to each example with awareness of the theme at hand:

68

Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

Theme: Development or King Safety?

• When we develop our pieces, we are ignoring the castling of our king. When we castle, we are not developing our pieces.

Yu Yangyi - Bu Xiangzhi 13th Asian Continental Championship 2014

positions, and intuition to make an appropriate decision. 12. h4 a5 13. h5 a4 14. BdS b4 15. Bxf6 exf6 1 6. Ne2 f5 1 7. hxg6 hxg6 18. exfS/ A previous game saw 18.Bxa8 Qxa8 19.Qxd6 Bb5 20.Nf4 Rd8 21.Qb6 fxe4� where Black had excellent compensation in Mamedov-Guseinov, Shamkir 2014. 18 . . . Bxf5 1 9. BxaB Qxa8 20. Rdll Bringing the rook into the game. 20 . . . RcB 21. Qxb4 Rxc2 22.Rd2!

1. e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0 - 0 8.Bb3 d6 9.fa Bd7 10. Qd2 Nxd4 1 1 . Bxd4 b5

This is a critical position in the Accelerated Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defense. White has basically two main options here: To go for the kingside attack immediately with 12 .h4 or to play on the queenside with 12.a4. As is apparent, these are completely contrasting approaches. A player often has to choose between various plans not just in the opening, but in the middlegame and endgame as well. It is not easy to decide when we have such a choice; we have to rely on calculation, knowledge of similar

Very precise, trading off Black's most active piece. 22.Rxd6? Rxb2-+ would give Black a winning attack. 22.Qxd6?! would also give away the advantage: 22 . . . QeS 23 .Rd2 Rcl+ 24.Rdl Rc2= 22 . . . Rxd2 23. Qxd2± After perfect play in the opening and early middlegame, White went on to convert his advantage into a win.

Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

69

Hou Yifan - Shirov FIDE World Cup Tromso 2013 1 . e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3. Nge2 g6 4.d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 0 - 0 8.Bb3 d6 9.(3 Bd7 10. Qd2 Nxd4 1 1 . Bxd4 b5

As in the previous game, White has to choose between queenside play with 12.a4 and kingside play with 12 .h4. 12.a4 bxa4 Another option is 12 . . . b4 e.g. 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.exd5 Qb6 16.h4!-+ as in Kokarev-Kovalenko, Khanty-Mansiysk 2012. 13. Bxa4 a5 14. 0 - 0 Qc7 A logical alternative was 14 . . . RbS an is 15.Bb3!? Perhaps improvement: 15 ... Rb4 16.Be3 Bc6 17.Ne2 Qc7 18.Nd4 Bd7 19.Qc3 Qxc3 20.bxc3;!; 15.Bxd7 Qxd7 16.b3 Qc7 17.Rf2 e6 18 .Qd3 d5 19.exd5 Rfd8= Vallejo Pons-Topalov, Leon 2012. 15. Rfdl 15.Rf2 !? was also possible:

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Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

15 . . . Bxa4 (The point of 15.Rf2 becomes apparent after 15... RfbB ?! 16.Bxf6! Bxf6 17.Nd5;!; and there is no check for Black's queen.) 16. Rxa4 Qb7 l7.b3 Rfc8 18.Ndl e5 19.Bb2 d5 20.exd5 Nxd5 21.Rxa5 and here Black's best chance seems to be 21...Bh6!? 22 .Qel Rxa5 23.Qxa5 Ra8 24.Qel f6 25 .g3;!; with good compensation, although in the long term White can hope to consolidate and convert his material advantage if Black does not manage to create enough concrete threats. 15. . . RfbB ?! A better try was 15 . . . Bxa4 16.Rxa4 Rfb8 17.b3 Rb4 with counterplay. 1 6. Bxd7 Qxd7 1 7. b3 t. White has stabilized her advantage and went on to win

Theme: Development or Initiative?

• When an opponent deviates from recognizable opening principles, how do we react? Do we calmly develop our pieces or do we take some risk in trying to open the position and launch an attack so that we don't lose the opportunity?

Monnisha

-

fighting for a lead in development, it is just as important not to allow our opponent easy development as it is to develop our own pieces. 8 .cxd5! is the clear-cut way to punish Black's play. White should focus on completing his kingside development quickly and castling in order to create problems for the Black king stuck in the center. 8 . . . Nxd5 9.Bc4 Nxc3 10.bxc3

Quek

World Youth U16 Olympiad Gyor 2014 1. e4 c5 2.Nf8 e6 8.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc8 d5?/

Black deviates from normal opening theory. How should White react? 7. exd5! 7.cxd5?! exd5 8 .e5 Ne4 9.Bd3 Bc5 10.Be3 Bxd4 ll.Bxd4 Nc6 gives Black adequate counterplay. 7.e5?! Ne4 is nothing special for White either. 7. . . exd5 8. Bg5?! Even though this move is developing with tempo (since the d5pawn is under attack) it also allows Black to develop easily. When we are

White has managed to exchange Black's only developed piece while simultaneously completing the development of his own kingside. 10 . . . Be7 (10... Qe7+ 11.Kfl! Nd7 12. Qa4 Qc5 13. Qb3 Ne5 14.Bd5 leaves Black's position hanging together by a thread, for example 14 . . . Bd6 15.{4±) 11.Qf3 ! Developing with tempo. (11.0-0 allows the annoying 11 ... Qc7!) 11 . . . 00 1 2 .Bf4! Preventing Black from developing his queen to c7. 12 . . . Nd7 13.0-0;!; Next, White should occupy the open files with his rooks. White should have a pleasant advantage, since it will not be easy for Black to activate his pieces. 8 . . . Be7

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71

With simple moves, Black is progressing towards equality. 9. Be2 serious two were There alternatives: 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.Qe2+!? Kf8 11.Rdl (Less good is 11.0-0-0 Nc6 and opening the b-file looks even less appealing for White with his king on the queenside.) ll . . . Nc6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.cxd5 a) Worse is 13 . . . cxd5?! 14.Nxd5 Bb7 15.Qc4! Kg8 16.Be2 Rc8 17.Qb3 Qa5+ 18.Kfl Bxd5 19.Rxd5 Rcl+ 20.Bdl Qc7 21 .h4! h5 22.Rh3! g6 23.Rhd3± b) 13 . . . RbS! Only this move gives Black counterchances. As we see time and again, activity and initiative are very important in open positions. Even a tiny loss of time can be enough to throw everything away. 14.dxc6 Qa5 15.Rcl Bg5! 16.Rdl Bf6= The other option was 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Nxd5 Qxd5 (but not 10 ... Bxg5?! 11. Qe2+ Be7 12. Qe5! K{B 13.0-0-0±) 11.Bxe7 Kxe7 12 .Qa4 Rd8 13.Rdl Nc6 14.Nxc6+ Qxc6 15.Qxc6 Rxdl+ 16.Kxdl bxc6;!;: with only a small structural edge for White. 9. . . dxc4

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Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

10.Bxc4?! It was better to delay this capture in favor of king safety and development. Better was 10.0-0! and if Black tries to hold on to the pawn with 10 . . . b5?! then ll.Be3! preventing Ra7. 11 . . . 0-0 12 .Bf3! Ra7 13.Ne6! Bxe6 14.QxdS Rxd8 15.Bxa7± White is up an exchange for a pawn. 10 0 - 0 11. Qd2 ?! The queen is not particularly useful here, and furthermore will run into a subsequent pin on the d-fi.le. 1 1.0-0 was absolutely necessary. 1 1 . . . Qc7 12.Bb8 • • •

And here after 12 . . . RdB! - +

Theme: Endgame Middlegame?

or

• Should we transpose to an endgame or keep the queens on the board and take our chances in the middlegame?

Yusupov - Sokolov Tillburg 1987

Black could have posed White serious practical problems. Instead

Black played 12 ... Bd7?! and the game ended in a draw after many more mistakes from both sides in time trouble. In this game we saw that after Black's unsound opening play, White did not react forcefully enough to create problems for Black. 24.Bc7! Because White has the two bishops and Black's d4-pawn is very weak, Yusupov decided to head for an ending to convert his advantage. White would also have been better in the middlegame after 24.Be5!? Bc5 25.Bxf6 gxf6 26.Racl± but his decision to enter the endgame is instructive. 24 . . . Qc5 25. Qxc5 Bxc5 26. Racl±

Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

73

In open positions and especially in the endgame, the bishop pair is very effective. The a8-rook is not playing an effective role here and the d4-pawn is weak as well, giving White a clear advantage. 26 . . . Ne4 ? A better defense was 26 . . . Bb6 but White retains his advantage: 27.Bxb6 axb6 28.Rxd4 Rxa2 29.Rb4 h5 (29. . . RbB 30.Rxb6! highlights another problem in Black's position: the weakness of his back rank.) 30.Rxb6 Ng4 (30. . Re2 31.Bf5! again takes advantage of the back rank.) 31.Bfl Ne5 32 .Kg2± 27. BfS/ Accurately calculated. 27. . . Bb6 28. Bd7/ .

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Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

28.Bxb6 axb6 29.Rxd4± was also good, but the text is even stronger. 28 . . . Re7 29. Bc6/ RfB The only move. If 29 . . . Rc8 30.Bxb6 axb6 31.Bxe4+- and White wins a piece. 30. Bxb6 axb6 31. Rell f5 32.f3 d3/ The best defense, threatening 33 . . . d2 . 33. Rcdl d2 34. BdS+ Kh8 35. Rxd2/ Avoiding the final trick 35.Re2? Nc3 ! 3 5. . . Nxd2 36. Rxe7+ -

White has won a pawn, while the d2-knight remains cut out of the game. 36 . . . g6 3 7. Re2 Nbl 38. Rel Rd8 39. Rdl! 1 - 0 Black resigned, since there is no defense to the plan of Kf2-e3-d4, winning the bl-knight. Theme: The Power of Files •

Which file is more important?

Van Wely - Lautier Wijk aan Zee 1997

29.Rel! Pressuring the weak e6-pawn and preparing to open the center with a timely d4-d5 breakthrough. Of course not 29.Re2? Nxh2! 30.Kxh2 Qh5+-+ but 29.Qel!? good were 29.Qb3 !? and alternatives. 29. . . Nf6? Ending all hopes of a kingside attack. Instead 29 . . . f4!

was Black's best chance for counterplay. 30.h3 ! Usually we should not play on the side where we are weak, especially with pawns, but this is a concrete exception. (Worse would be 30.Rce2?! Qh5 31.{3 Ne3�) 30 . . . Qg6 ! (As i n the game, retreating with 30. . . Nf6?! allows White to maintain control after 31. Qb3! Qh5 32.Kg2t.) 31 .Qb3?! allows the dangerous idea 31...Ne3! 3 2 .fxe3 Qxg3+ 33.Kfl f3 and now White has to find the difficult defensive move 34.Rdl! Qxh3+ 35.Kel Qg3+ 36.Rf2t. and Black probably does not have sufficient compensation for the piece, although the position is still dangerous. 31.Qc3 ! Nf6 (Now if 31 ... Ne3? 32.fxe3 Qxg3+ 33.Rg2+- and the el-rook is defended.) 32.Rce2 fxg3 33.fxg3 Rc7t. When compared to the game, White's kingside is much more vulnerable here. 3 0. Qb 3 ?!

Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

75

The queen adds more indirect pressure on e6 and supports d4-d5, while also retaining the option of swinging over to f3 if needed. However, more accurate was 30.Rce2! Ne4 31 .Qb3± followed by f2f3, kicking the knight. 30 . . . Qc6 ? The best defense was 30 . . . Qf7 31.Rce2 Ren and if 32.Rxe6? Ne4! 33 .d5 Nc5 34.Qb5 Nxe6 35.dxe6 Qe7 White has no more than sufficient compensation for the exchange. 31. d5! The start of a forcing sequence that solidifies White's advantage. 31 . . . exd5 32. cxd5 Qd7 Of course not 32 ... Qxd5?? 33.Rdl!+­ winning immediately. 33.d6+ Qf7 34. Rc7! Qxb3 35. axb3 Rd7 No better was 35 . . . Rbb8 36.Ree7+­ or 35 . . . Rxc7 36.dxc7 Rc8 37.Bxf6 gxf6 38.Re7+3 6. Bxf6 gxf6 1-0

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Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

Black resigned due to the variation 37.Recl Kf8 38.Rxb7 Rxb7 39.Rc8+ Kf7 40.Rc7++-

Alatortsev - Capablanca Moscow 1935

19.Rfbl?! The correct plan was 19.Rabl Rfc8 20.a5!= eliminating White's only weakness and equalizing the position completely. Now 20 . . . b5? does not work as after 2 1.Qxb5 there is no check on the back rank as in the game. 1 9. . . RfcB+ 20. h 3 Now if 20.a5?! Black responds 20 ... b5!+ Exploiting White's back rank weakness to create a passed pawn:

21.Qxb5? (or 21.Rxb5? Rcl+-+) 21... Qxb5 22.Rxb5 Rcl+ 23.Rxcl Rxcl# 20. . . a6/

Now, whenever White plays a5 Black can respond with b6-b5. 21. Qa3 Rc21 Seizing the second rank. 22. Qd6? White's position was already unpleasant, but this allows a combination that ends the game immediately. 22.Ra2? would also lose to 22 .. . R8c3! 23.Rb3 (23. Qb4 a5!-+) 23 . . . Rcl+ 24.Kh2 Qc7+ 25.f4 (25.g3 Qc6!- + Threatening mate on hl.) 25 . . . Rxb3 26.Qxb3 Rc3 27.Qb2 Rxe3-+ But after 22 .Rb2 ! Rcl+ (22 ... R8c3?! 23.Rxc2! Rxa3 ?! 24.Rxa3�) 23.Rxcl Rxcl+ 24.Kh2 Qc7+ 25.f4 Rc3 26.Rb3+ Black's advantage would be kept to a minimum. 22 ... Rx'f2/

23.Qg3 The point is seen after 23.Kxf2 Rc2+ 24.Kg3 Rxg2+ 25.Kf4 Rf2+ 26.Kg5 Qg2+ 27.Kh4 g5+ 28.Kh5 Qxh3+ 29.Kxg5 Rf5# 24.Kel Qxg2 There is no defense to the threat of Qe2#. White has only a few spite checks: 25.QbS+ Kg7 26.Qe5+ f6-+ 23 Re2 0-1 White's resignation in this position was perhaps a bit premature, although it is easy to understand why he felt the position was hopeless: Black is up a clear pawn with much more active pieces. • • .

Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

77

Yusupov

-

Van der Wiel

25th Olympiad Lucerne 1982

17.Rfdll 17.Radl?! looks like the natural choice, so that 17 . . . Nb4 can be met with 18.Bbl But here (If 18.Bh6 as in the game, then 18. . . Nxd3! 19.BxfB QxfB 20.Rxd3 Ba6!= winning back the exchange.) 18 ... Rc8 gives Black sufficient counterplay. 1 7. . . Nb4 Of course 17. . . Nxd4? loses to 18.Bxd4 Qxd4 19.Nf6++- winning the queen. 18. Bh6!

The only way to continue. 78

Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

Neither 18.Ng5? Nxd3 19.Rxd3 Rc8 20.Qh4 h5+ nor 18.Nf6+? Bxf6 19.exf6 Nxd3 20.Rxd3 Qxf6 21.Bg5 Qf5+ promise White anything. 18 . . . ReB Now if 18 ... Nxd3 19.BxfS Qxf8 20.Rxd3+- there is no skewer with Ba6 as there was after 17.Radl. 19. Bb5! With the g6-pawn well defended, White looks for better opportunities for this bishop. 19 . . . Bc6 If 19 ... Nc6 20.Racl Rc8 Black is completely tied up and White has several good continuations, for example 21.Qf4 followed by 22.Nd6, with a clear advantage. 20. Bxc6 Nxc6

21. Rabll± Prophylaxis to prevent Nb4-d5. This is another reason why 17.Rfdl was the correct rook to move. 21.Qf4?! would allow 21...Nb4! 22.Ng5 Bxg5 23.Bxg5 Nd5! 24.Qh4 Qd7 25.Qh6 f5 26.exf6± and Black has slowed down White's attack at the cost of a pawn. But 21.a3± was equally as good as the text. 21 . . . Qd5?

This move loses a tempo, which usually spells doom in a dynamic position where each move counts. Best was probably 21 . . .f5 but after 22 .exf6 Bxf6 23.Qf4-+ White would still retain a dangerous attack. 22. Qf4 Threatening 23. Nf6+. 22 . QdB 23. Rb3! ..

In any attack it is important to involve as many pieces as possible, even ones which are far from the action. 23 . . . RcB 24. h4!? White is not in a hurry, as Black has no counterplay. This adds more fuel to the attack while also making

The dl-rook keeps White's center intact and the other pieces focus on the attack. A beautiful alternative was suggested by former World Champion Mikhail Tal: 25.d5! exd5 26.Rxd5 ! Qxd5 27.Nf6+! Bxf6 28 .Qxf6 Qxe5 29.Re3 !+25. . . Rf8 No better is 25 . . . Bxh4 26.Nd6+­ threatening Nxe8 and Nxf7. 26. BxfB Qxf8+White is up an exchange for no compensation. 2 7. d5!

luft.

More direct was 24.Rf3 24 . . . Rf8 is forced, giving up an exchange. 24. . Rc7 25. Rf3 .

Improving White's least active piece: the dl-rook. Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

79

27. . . exdS 28. RxdS Nb4 29. Rdl Rc6 30. Nd6 Nxa2 31. Qa4! 1 - 0

Theme: Kingside. Queenside or C enter Play?

• On which side of the board should we play?

While returning the pawn with 17. . . Bd6 18.Qxb5 Nc7 further highlights White's edge in development: 19.Nxc7 Qxc7 20.Racl! Bxh2+ 21.Kfl Qb8 (Worse is 2 1... Qe5 22.Rc5 Qe4 23.Bg5 Qg6 24.g3±) 22 .g3 Bxg3 23.fxg3 Qxg3 24.Qf5;1; and although material is equal, White's pieces are fully mobilized and he should have the better chances. 18. Radl Bxe3 19. Rxe3 �

Leko - Gelfand FIDE Grand Prix Nalchik 2009

White has sacrificed a pawn in the opening for the initiative. How should he continue? 17. Be3! At the time, this was a theoretical novelty. White centralizes his pieces and completes development before undertaking any concrete action. Meanwhile Black will also need some time to complete his development. 1 7. . . BcS! Indirectly protecting the b5pawn, since now 18.Qxb5? would leave the d5-knight hanging. The slow move 17 . . . a6? would be punished by 18.Nb6! Rb8 19.Redl Bd6 20.Qd5! Bc7 21.Nd7+-

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Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

White's lead in development and centralized pieces give him chances for a kingside attack. Also, even in the case of simplifications it will be hard to imagine Black making much use of his extra pawn, since it is doubled. 19 . . . QaS Again, the slow move 19 ... a6?! would allow White to develop a dangerous initiative after 20.f4! Kh8 (20... Qa5? is strongly met with 21. Qc2! threatening 22.Ne7+ KhB 23. Qxh7+! 21 ... RfeB 22.{5 NfB 23.Ra3! QdB 24.Nc7+-) 21.f5 Nc5 22 .Qc3 Rc8 23.Qd4t with threats of 24.b4 or 24.f6. It would be very difficult for a human to defend accurately in this position. 20. Qc2!

With the threat of 21.Ne7+ Kh8 22.Qxh7+! forcing a thematic mate. 20 RfeB 20 . . . RfdB? 21.Ra3!+- and the Black queen is trapped! 21.f4/ ..•

In order to justify his sacrifice, White has to keep up his initiative by adding more fuel to the :fire. 21 ... b4 Creating space for the queen. Black's queen would again end up trapped after 21...RadB? 22.Ra3 Nd4 23.Qf2+22.f5 Nf8 The attempt to trade pieces with 22 ... Qc5? 23.Qf2 NfB would fail after 24.Nf6+! gxf6 25.Rg3++23. Red3/ White does not want to exchange rooks, which would only ease Black's defensive task. 23. . . Nd7'11 After the game, it was determined that 23 . . . Re5!? was a better defense, although White retains sufficient compensation after 24.f6� 24. Qc7/

Surprisingly, this is just a brief stop for the queen on her way to the kingside! 24 . . . Qc5+ 25. Kfll This is actually a safer square for White's king than hl, since it is less vulnerable to a back-rank mate. 25 Qb5 26. Qg3 With this queen transfer, White has mobilized all of his pieces for decisive action near the Black king. 26 Ne5'1 Although the d3-rook i s pinned, Black will not even have time to capture it. A better defense was 26 . . . RacB! 27.f6 g6 28.Ne7+ Rxe7 29.fxe7 and now 29 . . . Ne5! wins back the exchange, although Black's position will still be difficult to play, due to White's far advanced passed e-pawn. 2 7.f6/ . • •

. • .

Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

81

After a long series of forcing moves, White finds the final blow to transition into a winning ending. 34 . . . Rxg7 35.fxg7+ Kxg7 36. Rxf5 gxf5 No better is 36 . . . Ne3+ 37.Kel! gxf5 38.NxaB Nxdl 39.Kxdl+3 7. NxaB Ne3+ 38. Ke2 Nxdl 39. Kxdl Kf6 40. Kd2 Ke5 41.Nc7 f4 42. Kd3 a6 43.NaBI 1-0

The final attack starts. 27. . . g6 28. Qg5 Indirectly pinning the e5-knight (due to the possibility ofNe7+, winning Black's queen) and also threatening 29.Qh6 followed by mate on g7. 28 . . . KhB 29. Qh6 RgB 30. Nc 7/ Qc4 31. b3/ Qg4 Another thematic mate can be seen after 31...Qxc7? 32.Qxh7+! Kxh7 33.Rh3# 32. Rd4/ And the rook escapes. 32. . . Qf5+ 33. Rf4 Ng4/

34. Qg7+/I

82

Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

And the knight escapes, leaving White with a decisive material advantage. A fantastic performance by Leko.

Theme: Timing of Action • Should we advance our pawns now or after adequate preparation?

19.Nf3 Moving a piece toward the kingside and clearing the second rank for the rooks and queen. 19 Qc7 If 19 ... Nf8 then White is ready for immediate operations: 20.e4! g6 2 1.e5 Bg7 22. Nh4 Kf7 23.g4 Qb6 24.Qf2 followed by f4-f5 with a winning attack. 20.g4/ . • •

Kramnik - Serper Dortmund 1993

Black's

queen,

b6-knight

and

a8-rook are stuck on the queenside

and unable to generate any threats. Meanwhile, White's pieces are all developed toward the center and kingside. Kramnik finds a concrete way to proceed. 16.Bxe6/ fxe6 1 7. Bxf6/ Bxf6 18.(41 White restricts Black's remaining minor pieces and closes the center, preparing for a pawn storm on the kingside. 18 . . . Nd7 Black tries to transfer his pieces to the kingside to prepare for the coming attack. Another defensive possibility was 18 . . Nc8 19.g4 Nd6 20.Qg6 Qd8 21.Nf3 Nf7 trying to prevent g4-g5. Here White could continue 22.Re2! followed by Rg2, to enforce the advance of the g-pawn. .

Since Black is unable to generate any threats on the queenside or open the center for counterplay, the White attack proceeds, unchallenged. 20. . . Nf8 21.gSI hxg5 22.fxgS Be7 23. e4/ White acts energetically before Black has a chance to consolidate his position. 23 . . . dxe4 Or 23 . . . Rad8 24.exd5 exd5 25.Qf5! and after 25 . . . Qd7 26.Qxd7 Rxd7, White retains a clear advantage even without the queens: 27.h4 a6 28.Kg2 b5 29.Ne5 Rd6 30.Rf5 Ne6 31.Nf3± 24. Qxe4 Although White's kingside is slightly compromised because of the advance of the g-pawn, Black is in no position to exploit this. Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

83

Theme.. The Problem of Exch ange

. Should we ke ep our b ls hop or our . knight in certam positions? •

Fischer - Petrosian 71 . 19 Buenos Aires

�

.

If 26. . b5 then 27. Ne 4 threatenmg : 28 Nf6+ ls goo d for White. 27.Ne5! 1- O . Black has no defense agamst White's attack. 51 For instanc 27 Ne5 Qb6 28.Qhwi B d 6 30.Qf7+ K Qxd4+ 29.Kg 31. Rf4+·

;

12.. . Qd7?! It was b etter to keep more pieces on the 0 ith 12 . . . Bd7 13 . Qd4 e 5.Bf4 ;J; 0-0 14. e 13. Rell± . 13.Bb5 lS only slightly bett"sr fior White after 1 3 . . . axb5 14.Qxa 0-0± But F"lSCher choo ses positional 1 . . . pre S;ure over w1nn1ng mater1a 13 Qxa4 14. Nxa 4 Be6 15. Be3 0 - 0 1 6. Bc 5

: �r.: �\

·

• . .

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Chapter 2·. The Problem o{ Choices

Because of the d5 -pawn, the e6-bishop is a potential bad bishop. Fischer is trying to exchange the other minor pieces, especially the dark-squared bishops, which will ensure White complete control over the dark squares. 16. . . RfeB 1 7. Bxe7 Rxe7 18. b4!± Fixing the a6-pawn and the dark squares. Whenever black plays a6-a5 White will get a strong passed pawn with b4-b5. 18 ... K(B 19. Nc5 Bc8 20.(3 Restricting the f6-knight, facilitating Kf2 when required and clearing the back rank weakness. 20. . . Rea7 21. Re5! Bd7

22.Nxd7+! 22.a4 is possible of course, but Fischer had a preference for bishop over knight which is apparent from his games. And he exchanged his excellent knight for the "bad" bishop. According to him, what remains on the board is more important than what leaves the board! 22 . . . Rxd7 23. Rcl± All the White pieces are in dominating positions while all the Black pieces are mere spectators to what is going on. 23 . . . Rd6 24. Rc7 Exploiting a drawback of Rd6 and threatening to double on the seventh rank. 24 . . . Nd7 25. Re2 g6 26. K(2

Time and again we see strong players putting their king to good use in endgames. White's position is clearly better and he should not worry about winning the game as quickly as possible. 26. . . h5 2 7.(4 h4 28. Kf3 (5 29. Ke3!? d4+ 30. Kd2+ Now the king is centralized and controls a few key squares. 30. . . Nb6 31. Ree7 Nd5 32. R(7+ Ke8 33. Rb7 Nxf4 Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

85

33 . . . Nxb4 34.Bc4 34.Bc4 1 - 0

12.Bh6! RfdB 13. Bxg7 Kxg7 14. Ng5 Nxc3?1 Simply giving up too much for too little. Better was 14 . . . h6 15.Nxe6+ Qxe6 16.e4 Nf6 17.Qe3 Nb4 18.Re2 Ng4 19.Qd2 c5 20.d5;t Or 14 . . .Nac7 15.e3 Nf6;t 15. bxc3 White's center is more secure, he has more control over the dark squares and he gets the b-file as well. 15 . . . Bc4 16. Bh3!±

The bishop proved superior to the knight!

Meier - Sanikidze French Team Championship 2011

11. Qcl Rac8 Black had exchanged his d-pawn for White's c-pawn. The presence of the d4-pawn gives White more control over the dark squares around it. White wants to exploit the weakened dark squares more effectively by exchanging the dark­ squared bishop. 86

Chapter 2: The Problem of Choices

Exploiting the drawback of Bc4 and provoking more weaknesses on the dark squares. This will play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the game. 16 . . . e6 1 7. Nf3! The knight has done its job on g5, and now f3 is the ideal spot to probe the dark-square weaknesses in the center. 1 7. . . Qe7 18.Ne5 b5 If 18 ... c5 19.Nxc4 cxd4 20.Ne5 dxc3 21.Nd3 then White should be able to use the extra piece to his advantage. 19. Bg2!? Never miss an opportunity to improve the position of your pieces.

The bishop had also done its job by provoking the weakening e7-e6 by Black. Now White returns the bishop to the good square g2 , which wins a tempo by attacking the c6-pawn. 19.a4 was also quite strong: 19 . . . Nb8 20.axb5 cxb5 21.e4 b 4 22.d5± 19. . . NbB

20.Nxc4?! Better was 20.a4! c5 21 .Qb2 cxd4 22.axb5! dxc3 23.Qxc3 Bxb5 24.Qb2 ! a6 25.Nc6++20. . . bxc4 21. Rbl c5 Almost the only move for Black. He must eliminate one of his weak doubled c-pawns. 22.Qa3?! Though positionally this move is understandable, White underestimated Black's counterplay as a result of 27 ... e5! 22 .e3 Rc7 23.Rb5 Nd7 24.Qa3;!; would be a better way to exploit the weaknesses in Black's position. 22 ... Rc7 23.e3 Strengthening the center. 23... cxd4 24. Qxe7 Rxe7 25. exd4

Now the c4-pawn will be the target for White's pieces. He has to use the b-file effectively toward this purpose. 25. . . Rc7 26. Re5 Improving his pieces. 26. . . Nd7 2 7. Ra5 Nb6? A natural but passive move. 27 . . . e5! would have given Black adequate counterplay: 28.dxe5 Nc5 29.f4 Rd2� 28. Rbb5± Rdd7 29. Kfl!

The king is on its way to b4! 29. . . h5 30. Ke2 Kf6 31. Kd2 Ke7 32. Be4 NcB 33. Bf3 Nd6 34.Rc5 Rxc5 35. Rxc5 KdB

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If 35 ... RdB 36.Ra5 Rd7 37.h4 White maintains his grip on the position. 36. Kc2 Rc7 3 7. Ra5 Rook and bishop is generally better than rook and knight. Hence, White is willing to keep one pair of rooks to attack the distant pawn weaknesses in Black's position. 87. . . NcB 38. Kb2 Kd7 39. Ka3 Kd6 40. Kb4 Nb6 41.Rc5 Re7 42. a4! e5 Now it's too late! 48. dxe5+ Rxe5 44. Rxe5 Kxe5 45. a5 Nd7 46. Be2 Kd6 4 7. Bxc4+-

4 7.. ; {6 48.h4 Nc5 49.(3 g5 50.Kb5 a6+ 51.Kb6 gxh4 52.gxh4 Na4+ 53.Kxa6 Nxc3 54.Kb7 Na4 55.Bb5 1-0

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Sasikiran - Yu Yangyi 13th Asian Continental Championship 2014

14.Rel It is important to note some small details here. The cl-bishop has a wide choice of decent squares (b2 , f4, g5). In such cases, it makes more sense to keep the options open and develop a piece that doesn't have such a wide choice. 14 . . . Nd6 15. Bf4 ReB 1 6. h3 Fixing the back-rank weakness and restricting the f6-knight. 16. . . BfB 1 7. Be5 When our opponent has a cramped position we should keep as many pieces on the board to not give him space to maneuver his forces. 17. . . g6 18. Re3 Doubling rooks is often a good way of increasing the pressure. 18 . . . Nh5 19. Rael

Concrete calculation takes over as soon as pawn tension is introduced into the game. 23 . . . Rxe3 24. Qxe3 Bxd6 25. Qh6 With the idea of Ng5 . 25 . . . Be7 No better is 25 ... KhS 26.Ng5 Qg8 27.gxf5 Nxf5 28.Bxf5 gxf5 29.Khl+26.gxf5 Nxf5 2 7. Bxf5 gxf5 28. Khl! Bf6 29. Rgl+ Kh8 30. Nh4! 1 - 0

White has completed development holds an overwhelming positional advantage. 19. . . Ng7 20.g4 Sasikiran uses his pawns to restrict Black's knights - an important positional technique. 20 . Bb7 21. Qd2 The White queen considers moving to the kingside to exert more pressure there. 21 . . . a6 22. a4 Preventing Black's active plan of and

..

b6-b5.

Due t o the threat of 31.Ng6+, Black resigned.

22 .. (5 .

23.Bxd6

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Chapter Summary Good players make moves that keep their options flexible on the next tum, and postpone making committal decisions if it is not necessary to do so right away. It also makes sense to play moves that give a wide range of options to your opponent, to complicate the position so they possibly make a wrong move. In addition to the problems related to choosing various paths in a position, we also face similar choices with regard to our preparation methods. What should I prepare? Which aspects of the game do I need to work on first, and which ones can wait until later on? There are multiple paths (choices) available to us to help us solve our many problems in chess. Our individual creativity has a lot of scope and can take full advantage of the multiple options available to us. Each of us needs to nurture and enrich our individual qualities and identify, accept and overcome our weaknesses. We will explore the topics of individual improvement and tournament preparation in great detail later on in this book.

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Chapter 3 Choosing Between Active and Passive Defense

Wfor example, our instinctive reaction is to defend it immediately. We

hen our opponent attacks a weakness in our position, like a pawn,

have seen in previous lessons that a defensive piece is a passive piece. In Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position, we learned that once our king has castled into safety, the activity of the pieces plays a decisive role in measuring the outcome of the game. It is very important not to play with a passive piece for too long, or even temporarily. Imagine a patient going to a doctor with complaints of stomach pain, and the doctor suggests that surgery be done the next day! Is it normal? Shouldn't he have done a thorough and proper diagnosis, prescribed relevant medicines, or even advised his patient to change food habits? Only as a last resort should he suggest surgery. In chess, we should see defensive moves as something of a surgery. It should only be done as a last resort. If this is the case, how are we supposed to react when our opponent threatens a pawn in our position, for example? 1) A strong counter-attack is the best defense. Try to attack something in your opponent's position instead of passively defending. 2) Try to defend yourself indirectly - maintain pressure, using tactical means. If he takes your pawn, he should lose something else. 3) Sacrifice the attacked material in exchange for piece activity, initiative, an attack or positional compensation. 4) Postpone playing a defensive move by at least one move. This is a significant improvement over defending it immediately. 5) If none of the above work, only then should we defend directly.

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Bu Xiangzhi - Movsesian Pearl Spring 2008

21 . . . RadBI 22. RxdB Rxd8 23. Ra4 23.Qxb7? Rxdl+!-+ Exploiting the back rank is the point behind 21. . . Rad8. 23 . . . Qc7 24. Rc4 Qa5 25. h3= By temporarily ignoring the threat to his b7-bishop and seeking active counterplay, Black got a satisfactory position, although he later misplayed it and ended up losing.

The bishop on b7 is under attack. What is your first instinct?

I by initiative. To make it simple to comprehend, the one who gives threats

nitiative is the essence of any sport. Let us try to understand what we mean

has the initiative and the one who responds to threats is on the defensive. Right from the opening, there is a struggle for initiative. Both sides should ideally develop their pieces early on, castle their king to safety and prevent their opponent from doing the same, whenever possible. We should also try to put our opponent on the defensive right from the start. We will see more about initiative in a later chapter. Suffice it to say, when we play defensive moves we are handing the initiative over to our opponent on a silver platter. What's wrong with playing a defensive move? The defending piece becomes passive and initiative shifts over to our opponent. His pieces will become active and flourish, while our position will stay passive and cramped. Defending passively against every threat is a common problem for many upcoming players. It is essential that they change this defensive mentality to improve in their chess strength. If we analyze deeply why a player plays defensively, we can understand that the root causes are: giving undue importance to material, a "safety first" approach to chess, an unwillingness to take risks, overestimation of the opponent, underestimation of ourselves, lack of trust in our ability to calculate,

These are some of the main causes that make a player play defensively. To play strong, active chess, we must improve ourselves in the above areas. Imagine two lions in a jungle. The first lion roars ferociously at the second lion. Hearing this, the second lion runs away. What do you think of the second lion? Doesn't the first lion get a psychological advantage over the second lion?

and fear of making a mistake.

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What does it tell us about the second lion's estimation of its own capabilities? Can this lion be a worthy King of the Jungle? When we play defensive moves, we are putting ourselves in the position of the second lion. Is that what we really want? Many young players don't hesitate to play defensive moves like h2-h3 and a2-a3 for White or h7-h6 and a7-a6 for Black in the early stages of the opening, fearing a pin from their opponent's bishop. Such moves, however, involve a loss of time. We often see in a young player's games a willingness to retreat to defend against threats. Such play should be avoided, unless it's forced. We should move our pieces forward and resist the temptation to defend passively. Now let's see how strong players react to threats in an active manner:

Mamedyarov - Bacrot FIDE Grand Prix Elista 2008

The position looks hopeless for Black, being an exchange down with his knight and kingside pawns hanging. But it is in such tough situations that one should not lose hope and keep looking for chances to create counterplay and make life as difficult as possible for the opponent. The stronger grandmasters have this ability to pull themselves up when it is most required and it is a quality one should try to cultivate when young. 41. . . Kg7/I A highly unexpected resource.

Similar moves don't lead to the same result. This is one such example: 41...Kg6? 42.Rxb4! f3+ 43.gxf3 gxf3+ 44.Kxe3! f2 45.Rb6+ This check is now possible (unlike in the game), and White wins after a series of very precise moves: 45 . . . Kh7 46.Rxh5+ Kg7 47.Rg5+ Kh7 (47. . . KfB 48.Rb8+ Ke7 49.Rb7++-) 48.Rb4! Threatening mate on h4 - active defense! 48 . . . Rf3+! A last trick i n a desperate position. (48 . . . Kh6 49.Rg2+-) 49.Kd2! Not allowing the pawn to promote with check. 49 . . . Rh3 (49. . . Kh6 50.Rg2 Kh5 51.Rb8+-) 50.Ke2+42. Rxb4 42.Rdl leads to difficulties after 42 . . . Rc7!+± Most ambitious was 42 .Rg5+ Kh6 43.Re5 f3+ 44.gxf3 gxf3+ 45.Kfl Nc200 with a very complicated position. 42 (3+ 43.gxf3 gxf3+ 44. Kfl . . •

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93

h4 59. b6 h8 60. b7 Kg2 61. bBQ h2 62. QgB+ Khl 68. Qg8 1h - 1h

44.Kel?? would be a huge blunder: 44 . . . f2+ 45.Kfl e2+-+ 44 . . . Rc7! 44 . . . Rd7 leads to the same. But not 44 . . . e2+? 45.Kf2 Re7 46.Rg5+ Kh6 47.Rgl+45. Ra7 The only move to prevent mate. 45. . . Rxa7 46. Re4

Black's efforts have resulted in an endgame with excellent chances to survive, which Bacrot managed to do: 46. . . Kf6 47. Rxe8 Rxa4 48. Rxf8+ Kg5 49. Ke2 Ra2 50. Rb8 Kg4 51. Kd2 Ral 52. Rg8+ Kh4 58. Rg2 Kh8 54. Re2 Rbl 55. Kc2 Rhl 56. b4 Rxh2 57. Rxh2+ Kxh2 58. b5 94

From this example we can see that having the ability to calculate well is an important quality for a strong chess player. Many resources and ideas would be impossible to find over the board without improving your calculation. Solving tactical puzzles from many different sources, solving endgame studies, analyzing complicated games and studying the games of dynamic players will help immensely in improving our calculating ability.

Panchanathan - Ramesh Training Game 2001

What should Black do here to gain counterplay? 28 . . . b4!? It is clear that White has most of the long-term advantages: an extra pawn, better control of the dark squares, the bad bishop on b7, three­ to-one pawn majority on the kingside, and reasonably active pieces, while Black has a slightly weakened king position. But Black has an important factor in his favor: it is his turn

Chapter 3: Choosing Between Active and Passive Defense

to move! Time could be a crucial element in any dynamic position and Black is obliged to complicate the position for him to have any chances for survival. Worse is 23 ... Qh6 24.Nd4. Another reasonable try is 23 . . . d4!? 24.Rxd4 Rxd4 25.Nxd4 b4! 26.Kal bxc3 27.bxc3 Nd5 although here the Black king is also very exposed. 24. Qe3 If 24.Nxb4 d4!t Or 24.Kal bxc3 25.bxc3 Qc7 26.Qe3 Rc8 27. Nd4 Qxc3++ 24 ... Qxe3 25. Nxe3 bxc3 26. bxc3 Rd(B!

Black survived i n this game because he realized in time that his long-term prospects were bleak and he was therefore obliged to do something immediately to complicate the position and gain counterplay. This sense of timing is very important.

Gavrilov - Amonatov Moscow Championship 2007

By attacking the weak pawns Black gains comfortable equality. 27.Rdfl Worse would be 27.Rhfl fxg4 28.Bxg4 Rxh2= 27... RcB 28. Rcl 28.Kb2 would be met with 28 . . . Rh6! 29.Rcl R f8 30.Rcfl Rc8= 28 . . . Rc(B 29. Rcfl RcB % - % in White's position,

38. Qxd6! Playing actively is the only way to survive. We should always look first for forcing moves in any position, and

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95

only when those don't work in our favor should we look at quiet moves. 38.Qxc3? loses to 38 . . . Qg3+ 39.Khl Re5-+ 38.Qf2? is not much better. Such passive defense rarely works and often makes things worse: 38 . . . Re5 39.Bf4 (Or 39.Rdl Bb4 40.Rd4 Bc5 41.Rh4 Rg5+!-+J 39 . . . Rh5 40.Qg2 Bd4+-+ 88 Rxe8 ? . • .

and Black has nothing more than a perpetual: 41 Qg8+ 42. Khl Qh8+ 48. Kgl = . • .

Rivas Pastor - Adams Las Palmas 1993

Correct was 38 . . . Bg7! keeping the Black king safe and threatening Rxe3. 39.Bd2 Qh4! Enabling Bd4+ on the next move. (But not 39 ... Kh7? 40.Rf2 Re5 41.Rg2?) 40.Rf2 ! ? Qd4! 41.Qh2! Re2 42 .Kfl Re5 43 .Qg3 Qal+ 44.Kg2 Rh5 45.Rfl Qxa2 46.Qd6 Kh7 47.Qd3+ and White still has to suffer to make a draw. 89. QbB+I In the game, White got into a lost position after 39.Qxg6+? Bg7 40.Rdl Rxf3 41.RdS+ Rf8 42.RxfS+ Kxf8+ 43 .Qe4 Qd7 44.b4 Qd4+ 45.Qxd4 Bxd4+ 46.Kg2 Bc3 47.a3 Ke7 48.Kf3 Bb2 49.a4 Bc3 50.b5 c5 51.Ke4 Kd6 52 .Kf5 Ba5 53.Kf6 h5 89 Kh7 Or 39 . . . Kf7 40.Qf4+! 40. Qa7+/ Kg8 41. Qxe8

What should Black play?

• . .

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Chapter 3: Choosing Between Active and Passive Defense

29. . . Nd6/ For Black the f8-rook and c8knight are horribly placed and his priority should be to get them into the game at the earliest possible moment, even at the cost of temporarily sacrificing a pawn. Apart from having two passive pieces, Black's pawn structure also leaves a lot to be desired. Hence drastic measures are called for. 80.Nxe7?/ White makes a common mistake: going for material without proper calculation of variations. In the process, he loses all of his positional advantages. Best was 30.Nxd6 ! exd6 31.b4!

This gives life to the White rooks and opens the position for his queen as well. When we have a positional advantage, it is usually better to keep it rather than trade it in for a small material gain. 31...cxb4 32 .Qc7 Qb8! 33.Qc4 Qa7 34.Rxb4 Kg8!? (34 ... Qxe3 35. Qxa2±) 35.Qb3 f5 36.Rb7 Qa6 37.Rb8!± and Black's weak king and numerous structural weaknesses make White's position clearly preferable. 80 . . . Qd7 31. Nc 6 ?

Overlooking Black's clever trap. Best was again 31.b4! ! after which Black should ignore the material with 3 1 . . .f5! ! which leads to a perpetual: (31 ... Qxe7 32. bxc5 Nfl 33.Ra3! Rxa3 34. Qxa3 Kg7 35.Rb5± and White's connected passed pawns are quite strong.) 32 .bxc5 Nxe4 33.d6 Nxf2 34.Kgl Nh3+ 35.Khl f4 36.Qc3! The only move, and Black should repeat moves with 36 . . . Nf2+= Followed by Nh3+, etc. 31 Nxe4/ 32. Rxe4 Qxd5 33. Qc4 Qxc6+ • • .

By taking a risk in a difficult position, Black managed to complicate things enough to induce a mistake from his opponent and even end up with a better position. Despite tough resistance, Adams was able to convert his advantage and win the game.

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97

Movsesian - lvanchuk Nanjing Pearl Spring 2008

Black is uncoordinated but if he is able to activate his pieces White will be in trouble. How should White defend this position? 30.(41 Black has a material advantage and if given time he will consolidate his position and play for a win. So White should find a concrete solution. Many of my students preferred 30.c4? failing to sense the practical danger of the position: 30 . . . bxc4 31.Rxd7+ Rxd7 32 .Qc5+ Kf6 33 .Qc6+ Kg7 34.Qxd7 Bb6 35.Qc6 Bd4-+

And surprisingly White's position is completely lost, since next is Rxf2 and Rxb2. 30. . . exf4

31.e5/ 31 .Qd6+! is another way to force a draw: 31...KeS 32 .Qd4 Rc7 33 .QhS+ Ke7 34.Qxh4+ Ke8 35.Qh8+= 31 . . . Re2 32. Rxd7+ Rxd7 33. Qf6 %-%

With a draw by perpetual.

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Karpov - Sveshnikov USSR Championship 1973

Karpov has just played 24.b5, attacking Black's knight. 24 . . . BxdSI The most obvious move in the position 24 . . . Ne7?! is actually not good for Black and would get him into difficulties. When we want to play defensive moves or when we are planning to retreat a piece, that moment is crucial. We should pause our thought process and ask ourselves if we can avoid playing such a passive move and instead try to go for an active continuation - even if we have to calculate some extra variations and make more effort than playing the obvious easy move. 25.Nxe7! 25 . . . Qxe7 26.Ra7 Qe8 27.Bfl Bb3 28.Qc3 Qe6 29.Rd3!± No better is 25 ... Bxe7? 26.Ra7 Qc8 27.Rxe7 Qxc4 28.Ne3 Qa2 29.Qc3+­ where in both cases Black's king is very vulnerable. 25 . . . Bxc4 is relatively best. 26.Nc6 Bxb5 27.NxbS Rxb8 28.RaS± 25. RxdS Ne7 26. QxeS+ dxe5 26 . . . Rf6 27.Rdl+-

and 26 . . . Bf6 27.Qxd6+- both leave White with a decisive advantage. 2 7. Rxd7

27... NcBI 28.Rc7 Bd8/ 29.Rc6 29.Rc5?! would allow 29 ... Nb6 30.Ral Nxc4 31.Rxc4 Rxb5= 29. . . Nb 6 30. Rb4 Nxc4 31.Rcxc4 Bb6/

31 . . . Ba5?! is the move suggested by most of my students, and it is illogical. We should not disturb our opponent's badly placed piece even if we gain a tempo in doing so. 32.Rbl Rfd8 33.g3± 32. Kfl ? Not the most testing.

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99

Instead White should have tried 32.Rbl! Rfd8 33.Rc6! Rd5 (If 33 ... Rd2?! then 34. Ne3 f4? 35.Rxb6!+- is a nice trap.) 34.Kfl Rd2 35.Kel! Ba5 36.Ral! Rxc2+ 37.Rxa5± although Black may still be able to draw this with precise play. 32 . . . RfdB With the idea of 33 . . . Rd2 . 33. Ke2 Ba5! 34. Rb3 Rd2+

By playing aggressive chess and seeking counterplay Black has managed to create serious problems for White and in the end was able to hold the draw: 35. Ke3 f4+ 36. Ke4 Rxf2 3 7. Kxe5 Rxg2 38. Nd4 Rxh2 39. Rc6 Bb6 40.Ne6 f3! 41. Rxf3 Rh5+ 42. Kf6 Rxb5 43. Rd6 Rb2 44. Ke 7 Ba5 *·*

Caruana - Baramidze Mitropa Cup 2008

What should Black do to save the position? In the game Black did not calculate properly and quickly got into a lost position after 27. . . Qxb4? Also bad would be 27. . . Kg8? when White has to find 28.Be7! Bxd7 29.Bf6 g6 30.Qh4+- and mate is unstoppable. Correct was 27 . . . Bxd7! 28 .Qd3+

a) 28 . . . g6? 29.Qxd7 Qxb4 30.Qxf7+ Kh6 (30. . . KhB 31. Qf6+ Kh7 32.Re3+-) 31.Qf4+! Kh7 32.Re3 Qe7 33.bxa4 Rf8 34.Rh3+ Kg8 35 .Qd2± 100

Chapter 3: Choosing Between Active and Passive Defense

and Black is struggling to find sufficient compensation for his two­ pawn deficit. b) 28 . .. KgB! 29.Qxd7

I believe that Black saw this far and rejected the line, as the a4-knight and c8-rook are under attack at the same time. But if he had analyzed correctly and found that all other continuations are bad for him, he would have persisted here and found the correct continuation: 29 . . . Rxc4! We have to calculate forcing moves first and that will save lot of time. This counter-shot would have saved the day for Black. As long as there are forcing moves to be calculated, we should not stop our analysis midway and come to a conclusion. When the forcing moves run out, we can stop our analysis, evaluate and decide whether our idea works or not. 30.Bd2 (The rook is untouchable: 30.bxc4 ?? Qxb4+ 31.Kc2 Qb2+ 32.Kd3 Nc5+-+) 30 ... Rd4 31 .QeB+ Kh7

And White would be forced to give a perpetual: 32.Qxf7 (Or 32.Re3 Rxd2 33.Rh3+ Kg6 34.Rg3+ Kh7=) 32 . . . Rxd2 33.Qh5+ Kg8 34.QeB+ Kh7 35.Qh5+= 28. Rxf7 Rg8

29.Qh3+ Kg6 30. Qxe6+ 31. Qf5+ Kh6 32.Re3 1-0

Chapter 3: Choosing Between Active and Passive Defense

Kh7

101

Abergel - Vachier Lagrave French Championship 2008

26... Qd7! Black understands that the g7pawn does not need immediate protection and :finds the most effective way to launch a counter attack. White comes out on top after 26 ... Nd5 27.Rxg7 Ne3 (27. .. Nc3+ 28. bxc3 Qxc3 loses to 29.Rh7+! Kxh7 30.Ng5+) 28.Ng5!± where Black's counter attack does not land in time. Similarly 26 ... Qb7 also falls short: 27.Rxg7 Qe4+ 28.Ka2 Nd5 29.Ng5! This is an important resource for White in many variations. 29 . . . hxg5 30.Rxg5 Qh7 31 .Qf3 !+27. Rxg7? White had to safeguard his king with Ka2 . 27. . . Qd8+!

27. . . Qdl+ would lead to a draw by repetition after 28.Ka2 Nd5 29.Ng5 Nc3+ 30.bxc3 hxg5 31.Rxg5= where Black is forced to give a perpetual. 28. Ka2 Nd5 The point of playing 27 . . . Qd3 instead of 27. . . Qdl is now obvious White doesn't have Ng5. 29. Rg4 Nc8+! 80. bxc8 Qc2+ 81. Kal

At :first glance it looks like a draw, but Vachier Lagrave has no intentions of giving a perpetual. . . 8 1 . . . Qxc8+ 82. Ka2 Qc2+ 88. Kal Qcl+ 84. Ka2 Rc8! 0-1 And White resigned since Nd4 is met with Qd2+, followed by mate. 102

Chapter 3: Choosing Between Active and Passive Defense

Chapter Summary 1) Try not to play "automatic" defensive moves for every threat made by the opponent. Playing defensively can be seen as a "bad habit". 2) Offence (or counterattack) is the best form of defense in many cases.

3) We should not be lazy to do some complex calculation when it comes to choosing between active or passive defense. 4) We should reject the impulse to defend passively by constantly looking for

active moves. 5) Passive pieces lose most of their power while remaining in passive positions; do not condemn a piece to passivity by playing defensive moves. 6) A defensive move usually hands over the initiative to the opponent, so

avoid them as much as possible.

Chapter 3: Choosing Between Active and Passive Defense

103

Chapter 4 Exchanging Pieces

0 ne common habit among many players is exchanging pawns or pieces

immediately, on auto-mode, at the first opportunity they see. Exchanging pieces brings an immediate clarity to the position which is tempting, but we have to keep certain points in mind: • Not all exchanges are equally favorable to both players. Usually, an exchange favors either White or Black, by a slight margin. We should agree to an exchange only if it favors us more than our opponent. • Sometimes, even if the proposed exchange favors us more than our opponent, it can be advantageous to delay the exchange by even one move (in order to put psychological pressure on our opponent and try to induce a mistake), so long as the proposed exchange cannot be avoided by the opponent. • If an exchange is favorable to our opponent, it would be in our interest to avoid or delay exchanging. • If our opponent gains anything from an exchange, it would be in our interest to avoid or delay exchanging.

Exchanges should not be made on auto-mode, and if an exchange does favor us, the where-when-how questions should also be considered before making a decision. It is important to remember that as per Fischer, "What goes off the board is less important than what remains on the board after an exchange". Rubinstein was excellent in the art of exchanging pieces. I would strongly recommend readers to study his games keeping this point of view in mind. Exchanging pieces can be an important tool in the hands of an experienced player who likes to play endgames. Exchanging the right pieces

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Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

can transpose us to an advantageous ending or to an endgame where we have fighting chances to win or draw, based on what our position calls for. Tip: It is better to avoid exchanging pieces when you have a space advantage or when you are trying to launch an attack on your opponent's king. Conversely, it is desirable to exchange pieces when you are under an attack, or when your position is cramped from a lack of space.

As we saw in a few examples in Chapter 1, it is better to exchange pieces when we have a superior pawn structure and avoid piece exchanges when our pawn structure is worse. The presence of central pawns on one particular color can make the bishop of that same color passive. To exploit this weakness in your opponent's position, exchange all the other minor pieces and leave him with that particular color bad bishop.

Ramesh - Mohota Pune Open 2004 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0 - 0 Be7 6. Rel b5 7. Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9. h3 Na5 1 0. Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12. d5 Nc4 13. b3 Nb6 14. a4

14... bxa4 Other options include 14 . . . Bd7 15.a5 Nc8 16.c4N g6 17.Nc3 Nh5 18.Ne2 Re8 19.Ra2 Bf8 20.g4 Ng7 21.Ng3 f6 22.Nh2 Re7 23 .h4 Rf7 24.f4;!; Topalov - Shirov, Linares 2004

Or 14 ... RbS 15.Qe2 c4 16.a5 Nbd7 17.bxc4 bxc4 18.Nbd2 Nc5 19.Nxc4± Azarov-Sevian, Rockville 2014. 15. bxa4;!; a5?! Voluntarily weakening the b5square is not advisable, especially when White has easy access to the square with Na3 . 16. Na3 Ba6 1 7. Be3!? The text threatens to play Bd3, after which c5-c4 can be met with Bxb6, winning a pawn for White. Also playable was 17.Rbl Rfb8 18.Nb5 Bxb5 19.Rxb5 but I wanted to include Be3 and tempt Black to play Nc4. 17. . . Nc4 ? A bad choice of exchange by Black. The e7-bishop is potentially bad because of the central e5- and d6 pawns fixed on dark squares. When the opponent has a bad bishop, we should try to exchange all the other minor pieces and aim for a good knight versus bad bishop ending if possible. In light of this, Black should have kept as many minor pieces on board as possible. Better was 17 . . . RfbS 18.Nd2;!; 18. Nxc4 Bxc4 19. Bd3! Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

1 05

19... Bxd3 No better was 19 . . . Bxd5!? 20.exd5 e4 21.Bb5 exf3 22 .Qxf3± leaving White with a pair of powerful bishops. 20. Qxd3 R(bB 21. Nd2/ White's pieces are rushing to take control over the light squares. 21 . . . Nd7 22. Rebl h6 Not just making luft for the king, but also threatening to trade the problem bishop with Bg5 . 23. Nc4/? Rxbl+ If 23 . . . Bg5 24.Bxg5 hxg5 25.Qg3 f6 White can now exploit the weakness of the light squares created by the moves h6 and f6: 26.Qg4! Nf8 27.Rb5! Rxb5 28.axb5+­ The result of all this is that White's minor piece advantage has now been converted into a different form: more space and more active pieces. Black's a-pawn is doomed and the position is untenable. 24. Rxbl Rb8 25. RxbB+ NxbB 26. Qbl ±

Seizing the open file. All of White's pieces are better than their counterparts, and White went on to win the game.

Smyslov

-

Tai

Candidates Tournament Bled 1959 1 . e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. 0 - 0 0 - 0 9. Be3 Qc7 10. a4 Be6 11. a5 Qc6 12. Bf3 Nbd7 13. Nd5 Bxd5 14. exd5 Qb5

The e7-bishop is passive because of the d6-e5 pawn chain. White's trumps include the two bishops, a 106

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

queenside pawn majority and more space in the center. But Black's pawn structure is without any apparent weakness and White is unable to advance his queenside pawns to exploit his advantage there. Black, if given time, would like to move the f6-knight and start advancing his kingside pawns forward with tempo. Before Black has time to organize this plan, White should create his own threats. 15. Qd3/ An unexpectedly strong move. By exchanging the queens and doubling the d-pawns, White simultaneously opens the queenside and slows down the advance of Black's e- and f-pawns. Additionally, White's bishop pair will likely gain in effectiveness in the endgame. 15. . . RfcB Preventing White from playing c2-c4. 16. Rfcl Reinforcing the threat and obliging Black to exchange. 16. . . Qxd3 1 7. cxd3;!;

,,,,,� /

White has achieved a favorable structural transformation. 17... g6 18. Rc3 ?1

Probably better was 18.Nd2! to activate the awkward knight as soon as possible, for example 18 . . . Nc5 19.Bxc5 Rxc5 20.Rxc5 dxc5 21.Nc4;!; 18 . . . Rxc3 1/ Further transforming the pawn structure in White's favor. A better defense was 18 . . . Bd8;!; with only a small edge for White. 19. bxc3 Rc8 20. c4 Now White threatens to improve his rook with Ra4-b4 so Black decides to force things immediately. 20 . . . e4/ 21. dxe4 Rxc4 22. Nd2 Rc2 ?/ A more stable square for this rook was 22 . . . Rb4 23. Bdl Rc3 24. Kfll Never forget the king in the endgame! 24 . . . NcS 25. Bd4 Rd3

26.BxcSI dxc5 27.Ke2 Rxd2+/? An interesting attempt to sacrifice the exchange and make it difficult for White to convert his material advantage, as White's bishop will not have any target to attack and his rook will not have any entry point on the b-file. White will have to show fantastic technique to win the resulting unbalanced endgame. Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

107

More solid was 27 . . . Rd4 but after 28.Bc2 Kg7 29.f3;t sooner or later the central pawns will start rolling forward. 28. Kxd2 Nxe4+ 29. Kc2

29... Nd6 Of course not 29 . . . Nxf2? 30.Bf3! and the knight is trapped: 30 . . . f5 31.Rbl Bd8 32.Rxb7 Bxa5 33 .d6+30. Be2 Bf6 31. R bl KfB 32. Kb3 Ke7 33.Bd3 An ideal place for the bishop, dominating the d6 -knight. Now that White has stopped all threats on the queenside, he can try to create an open file on the kingside by advancing his pawns there. 33 . . . Kd7 34.f4 Bd4 35. Rfll White wants to play f4-f5 and take on g6, forcing Black to take back with the h-pawn. White will then try to create an outside passed pawn on the h-file. 35. . . Be3 35 . . . f5 36.Rel! would give White an entry point on the e-file. He can then prepare the advance g2-g4 in order to open the kingside in his favor. 36.f5 Bd2 3 7.fxg6 hxg6

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Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

Now White is ready to create an outside passed pawn. If instead 37 . . . fxg6 38.Rf8 Bxa5 39.Rh8 Ke7 40.Rxh7+ Kf6 41.Rd7 Ke5 42.Bxg6± the resulting pawn race should be in White's favor. 38. Ral Ke7 39. Ra2 Bb4 40. h4! Less accurate would be 40.g4?! in view of 40 ... g5! impeding the creation of a passed pawn. 40. . . Kf6 41.g4 Bel 42. h5 Kg5 43. Ral Bd2 44. Rhl gxh5 45.gxh5

45... c4+?! More stubborn was 45 . . . Kh6 but still after 46.Ka4 c4 47.Be2 Kg7 48.Rdl c3 49.Bd3 Kh6 50.Rhl f5

51 .Kb3+- White should be able to win this without much trouble. 46. Bxc4 Kh6 47. Rfl Kxh5 48. Rf6 1 - 0

Having activated his rook, White won quite easily from here. Tip:

Carlsen manages to come up with all kinds of setups in the opening to get positions that his opponents least expect and feel most uncomfortable with, and at the same time suit himself well. Spassky was a specialist in such structures. 7. . . Nge7 8.(4 Here is an example of Spassky's handling of the same opening: 8.0-0 0-0 9.f4 exf4 10.Nxf4 Ne5 ll.h3 Be6 12 .Qd2 Qd7 13.a3 Rae8 14.Kh2 b6 15.g4;!; Spassky-Franke, Germany 1981. 8 . . . Nd4 9. 0 - 0 0-0 10. Qd2 Bd7 1 1 . Ndl Moving the knight to the kingside for a later attack while also preparing to drive out the powerful central d4knight with c2-c3. 1 1 . . . QcB 12. Nd'[2 Ndc6 13. c3 b5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15. Bh6/

if possible, exchange off

the best defender of the opponent's

king to make your attack stronger.

Carlsen - Wojtaszek 41st Olympiad Tromso 2014 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6 5. d3 Bg7 6. Be3 e5 7. Nh3

Exchanging the main defender of Black's kingside. Once this bishop is exchanged, White should try to launch an attack on the dark squares. However, the center is not fully closed so White needs to be careful about Black trying to open up the queenside and center. 15 . . . N7c6 1 6. Bxg7 Kxg7 1 7. Nf4 Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

1 09

QdB 18. Radl White has completed his development. He is getting ready to play d3-d4 with maximum effect. 18 . . . RcB 19. Qe2 Threatening to win the e5 -knight after d3-d4. 19. . . h5 This creates more weakness on the kingside. White slowly creates problems with subtle threats without being in a rush to actually execute them. 20. d4 cxd4 21. cxd4 Ng4 22. h8 Nxf2 28. Qxf2

The dark squares around the Black king are slowly getting more and more vulnerable. 28 . . . Ne7 To stop White from playing Nd5, but this blocks Black's queen from covering the dark squares on the kingside. 24. Rd8 b4 25. Rf8 QeB ? 25 . . . Kg8 was the only way for Black to put up real resistance. White can now switch his attention to the queen's flank: 26.a3! (But not 26.d5? Qb6!) 26 ... bxa3 (If 26... a5 then now 27.d5! is strong, as Black cannot play Qb6. The point is that the e7-knight is 110

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

cut off from the game.) 27.Rxa3 Qb6 28.Rfal Rc7 29.Ra6;t 26.g4/?

26.d5± was also quite strong, preparing to play Qd4 and go after Black's queenside, but Carlsen prefers to break through with a kingside attack. 26 . . . hxg4 27. hxg4 Bb5 27 ... Bxg4? would lose immediately to 28.Rg3 Bd7 (or 28... Qd7 29. Bh3! Bxh3 30.Nh5++-) 29.Nh5++28. Rel QdB After 28 ... Rh8 White wins with 29.d5 ! , for instance: 29 . . . Qd8 30.Qd4+ Kg8 31.Qf6 Rh7 32.Nh3+- followed by Ng5 . 29.g5 Qb6 80.Bh8 RcdB

31.Be6! The final stroke - Black's position collapses. 31 ... BeB 32. Nd5 Nxd5 33. Bxd5 1-0 Here Black resigned as White is threatening to double his major pieces on the h-file and deliver mate, which is essentially impossible to prevent.

16. a5! The exclam is for White's creativity. 16 . . . Bxa5 1 7. Ng5 Re8 18. Qf3 Nf8 18 . . . Re7 would be met with 19.Nxe6! Rxe6 (or 19. . . Nxe5 20. Qh3!+­ and Black's queen, knight, and bishop are all under attack.) 20.Qxd5+- with a double attack on a5 and e6. 19. Qf7+ Kh8 20. Qxb7 Qb6 21. Qxb6 Bxb 6

Apawns

bad bishop defending important or important squares is sometimes considered a "useful bad bishop". It is important not to exchange useful bad bishops so we don't lose control of important squares or pawns.

L'Ami - Van Kampen Dutch Championship 2010 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. 0 - 0 0 - 0 9. Qe2 Nbd7 10.e4 Bg6 11.Bd3 Bh5 12. e5 Nd5 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Qe3 Bg6 15. Bxg6 fxg6

We have reached an interesting ending. White's dark-squared bishop is potentially bad because of the d4 and e5 pawns. The b2-pawn is also potentially weak for White. Black's Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

111

rooks have better chances to control the b- and c-files than White's rooks. Black is also threatening h7h6, g6-g5, and Ng6, not to mention the current attack on the d4-pawn. Despite all these factors in Black's favor, White has certain advantages. If he can get his "bad bishop" to c3 then most of his problems on the queenside will be solved. The c-file would be neutralized and the b2 and d4-pawns would be well-protected. He could then use the kingside pawns to create chances there. 22. Nf8 White wants to be able to meet h6 with h2-h4. 22 . . . RecB 23. Bd2 h 6 24. h4/ Preventing the opponent's ideas is often more important than executing our own ideas. 24 . . . KgB

move as it is purely defensive in nature. Instead he can use that time to improve the position of his other pieces. 25 Nd7 26. RfaU/ This may have been taking things too far. Now looks like a good time for 26.Bc3 26 Kf7'1/ After 26 . . . Rc2 ! 27.Bc3 White would like to play 28.Nel Re2 29. Kfl driving the rook away. However both players missed 27 . . . RfB ! = and now the knight cannot move and leave the f2-pawn hanging, so the active rook on c2 remains safe. 2 7. Kfl NbB 28. Ke2 Nc6 Black has managed to improve his minor pieces but his rooks are not so active. 29. Kda RabB 30.Bca KeB

25.Ra4 When I show this game to my students almost everyone prefers 25.Bc3 here. That gives a secure feeling that the queenside pawns are safe and the Black rook cannot penetrate on the c-file. Of course White also considered 25.Bc3 but decided to postpone making that

31.g3/ White wants to put his knight on d3 so he protects the h4 pawn in anticipation of Black's maneuver Bd8-e7-b4. 31 . . . Kd7 32. Ke2 Clearing d3 for the knight. Also by not playing Nel first White masks

1 12

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

• • .

• . •

his intentions and keeps all options open. 82 . . . Bd8 33. Nel Be7 34. Nd3 Just in time to prevent the exchange of his "bad" bishop on c3, which is in fact performing a vital role by protecting the b2- and d4pawns. 84 . . . Ke8 35. Rhl! When we have put all our pieces on optimum squares it often happens that we still cannot find a direct way to further improve our position. In such cases we can either change the pawn structure or relocate some of our good pieces to even more aggressive posts. 85 . . . Kf7 36. h5! Following the principle of two weaknesses: the a7-pawn is weak, but Black has it sufficiently defended, so now White aims to create a second weakness on the kingside. 86 . . . gxh5 3 7. Rxh5 Rh8 38. Ral Relocating the rook to the kingside where the action is heating up. 88 . . . g6 39. Rh3 h5 40. Rahl Rhg8 41.(8! Threatening to play g3-g4 and open the f-:file after a trade of pawns on g4. 41 . . . Rbf8 42.g4 hxg4 ? Falling in with White's plans. Black had to try to keep the kingside closed with 42 . . . h4! 43.f4 g5 ! after which it is not so easy for White to break through. 48.fxg4±

White has ideas of Nf4 and Rfl to put pressure on Black's pawns on e6 and g6. 43 . . . Rg7 44.Ral! This is the advantage of creating weaknesses on both sides of the board - we can jump from one weakness to the other and keep our opponent on his toes, in the process likely provoking more concessions. 44 . . . Rb8 45. Rh6! Diverting the bishop to g5 so that c5 becomes available for White's knight. 45 . . . Bg5 46. Rfl+ Kg8 4 7. Rh2 Re8 48. Rfhl Kf7 49. Nc5 Ke7 50. b4!

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

1 13

Continuing to play on both sides. White now has a winning positional advantage. 50 ... RbB 51. Rh 7 Rbg8 52. b5 NdB 58. Ral! KeB 53 . . . Rxh7 54.Rxa7+ Ke8 55. Rxh7+- is equivalent. 54. Rxa7 Rxa7 55. Rxa7 1 - 0 Black resigned a s the b-pawn is unstoppable.

Less cooperative would have been 13 . . . Bd7 14. Bxc4 Qxc4 15. Bg5! RfeB?! Defending the bishop, but putting the rooks "forking distance" apart, which Smyslov immediately takes advantage of. 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 1 7. Nd5!±

E exploit

xchanges can also be used to weak squares in an opponent's position.

Smyslov - Rudakovsky USSR Championship 1945 1.e4 c5 2.Nf8 e6 8.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc8 d6 6. Be2 Be7 7. 0 - 0 0-0 8. Be8 Nc 6 9.(4 Qc7 10. Qel Nxd4 11. Bxd4 e5 12. Be8 Be6

18.(5 White is aiming to trade off all the minor pieces except for his good c3 -knight and Black's bad e7-bishop. 18 . . . Bc4 ?! This falls in line with White's plan. 1 14

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

White already has a strategically won position. In addition to the minor piece imbalance in White's favor, Black also has a weak backward pawn on d6 and is potentially vulnerable to a kingside attack. 1 7. . . BdB 17 . . .Qxc2 loses an exchange after 18.Rf2 ! (But not 18.Rcl ?! Qxb2 19.Nc7 Qxa2 and Black gets too many pawns for the exchange.) 18 . . . Qc5 19.Rcl Qd4 20.Nc7 Bg5 21.Rdl Qb6 22.Nxa8 Rxa8 23.Khl Rc8 24.Re2± and White should eventually consolidate and convert his material advantage. 18. c8! Stopping any possible queenside counterplay connected with b7b5-b4. 18 b5 19. b8 Qc5+ 20. Khl Rc8 21. Rf8 KhB • . .

T in

he side with small advantages the endgame should try to defend his weak pawns and successfully attack and capture his opponent's weak pawns. The side playing with a disadvantage, on the other hand, should try to exchange off weak pawns to lessen the number of weaknesses he must defend. In other words, the side with the advantage should keep weaknesses alive, while the side trying to save an endgame should exchange off weaknesses.

22.(61 Having prevented all counterplay, Smyslov now switches over to a devastating kingside attack. 22 . . . gxf6 No better is 22 ... Bxf6 23.Nxf6 gxf6 24.Qh4+- followed by 25.Rh3 . 23. Qh4 RgB 23 . . . f5 would be met with 24.Nf6+24.Nxf6 Rg7 25. Rg3 Bxf6 26. Qxf6 Rcg8 2 7. Rdl+ -

Tiviakov - Karjakin Wijk

aan

Zee 2006

1 . e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4.Nf8 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 Nb6 8.Bb5 Bd7 9.Nc3 dxe5 1 0. dxe5

10... a6?/ The main line is 10 . . g6 11.0-0 Bg7 11. Be2/ After ll.Bd3 Nb4 (or 11 . . Bg4!?) 12 .Be4 Bc6 Black would get some activity. 1 1 . . . Bg4 ?/ .

Black has n o moves completely lost. 27. . . d5 28. Rxg7 1 - 0

and

is

.

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

1 15

Black wants to play e7-e6 with his bishop outside the pawn chain, but this results in a loss of time and White exploits this by playing actively and aggressively. 12. Be3! Qxdl+ 13. Rxdl Nd7

White has a big lead in development with five pieces versus three for Black, and it is White's turn to move! But despite such an overwhelming superiority in development, White is in danger of losing the e5-pawn. This is a common irony in chess: when we play all the correct-looking moves continuously, we still end up with positions which demand an even greater degree of accuracy from us. The stakes are raised when the opponent plays uncompromising moves (which may even be mistakes) and the only way to punish them is by continuing to play principled and with precision. 14. h3! After 14.Nd4?! Bxe2 15.Kxe2 Ndxe5 16.f4 Nxd4+ 17.Bxd4 Nc6 18.Nd5 Rc8 19.Bb6 e6 20.Nc7+ Ke7+ White lacks coordination and Black will soon wriggle out of the current mess and develop his kingside pieces. 14 . . . Bxf3 116

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

Black can no longer avoid the upcoming sacrifice: 14 . . . Bh5 15.e6 fxe6 16.Ng5 Bxe2 17.Kxe2± Or 14 . . . Bf5 15.g4 Bg6 16 .e6± 15. e6!

This is the move that justifies White's entire concept. 15. . . fxe6 Much easier for White would be 15 . . . Bxe2?? 16.exd7+ Kd8 17.Bb6# 1 6. Bxf3 t By sacrificing a pawn White has damaged Black's pawn structure while also gaining the two bishops and an active position. Black will find it difficult to complete his development while simultaneously tending to his weak pawns. 16 . . . RdS 1 7. Bxc6! Cashing in a bishop to further ruin Black's pawn structure. 1 7. . . bxc6 18.Ke2! The White king will feel completely safe here. 18 . . . g6 19. Na4 Bg7 20. Rd2 Rc8 21. Rcl Be5! Black correctly shifts his bishop to d6, where it will control some weak squares and neutralize the pressure on the d-file. 22. Rdc2 Nb8 23. Ba7 Kf7 24. b3

Bf4 25. Rdl Rc7 26. BxbBI Trading in the other bishop in order to remove the knight, which was defending Black's weak pawns. 26. . . RxbB 2 7.NcS

32.a4! was White's last chance to retain his advantage. 32 . . . Rb4 33.Rxb4 Bxb4 34.Rf8+ Kd7 35.Ng5 h6 36.Ne4± 32 . . . cSI?

White has simplified into a position where his knight is very effective in pressuring Black's weak pawns. Nevertheless, the bishop should not be underestimated and Karjakin defends very well. 2 7. . . Rb6 28. Rd3 Since Black has no counterplay or pawn breaks, White can slowly but steadily improve the position of his pieces. 28 . . Bd6 29. Rf3+ Ke8 30. Nxe6± White has won his pawn back while retaining the better pawn structure and active pieces, but Black has brought some semblance of order to his pieces. 30. . . Ra7 Aiming to advance the a-pawn to activate the rooks. 31.Rc4 ?! Correct was 31.g3 ! limiting the bishop and preparing to meet 31.. .a5 with 32.a4! as in the next note. 31 . . . aS 32. Re4 ?!

Although this appears to make Black's bishop even worse, Black is preparing some combination of a5-a4 and c5 -c4 to open up the queenside and create counterplay. 33. RfB+ Kd7 34. RhB a4! 35. Re3 After 35.bxa4 Rb4 36.Rxb4 cxb4? The b-pawn will quickly become very dangerous. 35. . . axb3 36. axb3 h5 3 7. NfB+ Kc7! An accurate move. Worse was 37 . . . Kc6?! 38.Nxg6 c4 39.RcS+! Bc7 40.Nxe7+± 38. Nxg6 c4! 39. bxc4 Ra2+ 40. Kf3 Rbb2 41. RxhS Rxf2+ 42. Ke4 Rxg2

.

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117

Karpov - Kramnik Vienna 1996

has counterplay Black's succeeded and although he is now down a pawn, his active pieces provide sufficient compensation and the reduced material means that the draw is clearly in sight. 43. Ne5 Ra5 44. Kf3 -* · -*

21. Bxf6/ gxf6 22. Rfel/ Usually a bishop is better than a knight when there are no central pawns and there are pawns on both flanks of the board. But here White is better because of his more active pieces and Black's doubled pawns on the kingside. Also, unlike in the Tiviakov - Karjakin example, here White makes sure to trade one pair of rooks in order to limit Black's chances for counterplay. 22 RfeB 23. Radl Rxel+ 24. Rxel RdB 25.g3/ White places his pawns on the same color as his opponent's bishop in order to limit it. 25 . . . Rd7 26. Re2 White first prevents any active counterplay, and only then proceeds to improve the position of his pieces. 26. . . Kg7 27. Nh4 Rd5 28. Re7 Rc5 29. Rd7 b5 30. b41 • . .

1 18

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

Although this fixes another pawn on the color of Black's bishop, where it could potentially become a target of attack, it also fixes Black's a- and b-pawns on squares where they can only be defended by the rook, thereby tying it down to their defense. Meanwhile, White will focus on improving his position on the kingside. 30 Rc2 31. Nf5+ Kg6 32. Ne3 Rcl+ 33. Kg2 Be5 34. Ra71 Less accurate would be 34.f4 Bc3 35.Nd5 Rc2+ 36.Kf3 Bel+± 34 :Rc6

king to create threats against the Black king. Black could have also aimed for a pure rook ending with 34 . . . Bd4 35.Rxa6 Bxe3 36.fxe3 Rc2+ 37.Kh3;!; but this would have involved suffering passively for the rest of the game, and Black was understandably hoping for more active counterplay. 35. Nd5 Bd6 36. a3/ It is not going to be easy for Black to attack White's a-pawn. 36. . . Kf5 3 7. Ne3+ But not 37.Rxf7? Ke6 38.Rxf6+ Kxd5 39.Rxh6 Rc3+ 3 7. . . Kg6 38. Kf3/? Playing for the attack. 38.f4!? was an attractive alternative. 38 Be5?/ A better defense was 38 . . . f5 39.Nd5 Kg7 39. Nd5 Kg7 4 0. Ne7/ • • •

•••

..•

Mission accomplished. Now White can try to use his knight and

Restricting the mobility of the Black king. 40 . . . Rc3+ Black finally abandons passive defense and goes for active counterplay. If Black sits tight with 40 . . . Re6 then White would play 41.Kg4 Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

119

followed by h2-h4-h5 and Nf5+, trying to force the Black king away from the defense of f7. 41. Kg4 Rxa3 42.f4 Bc3 43. Kh5! White leaves his queenside for dead in hopes of queening a pawn on the kingside. 43 . . . Bxb4 44.Nf5+ Kg8 45. Ra8+ Kh7 46. Ra7 Kg8 4 7. Nxh6+ Kf8 48. Rxf7+ Ke8 49. Kg6!

Clearing the route for the h-pawn to advance. Minor pieces are usually ineffective defenders against passed rook pawns. Of course not 49.Rxf6?! allowing 49 . . . Bc3 and the bishop is well-placed for both attack and defense. 49. . . Bc3 The passive 49 . . . Be7? would fail to the sudden 50.Nf5 Bd8 51.Nd6#! 50. Nf5! Keeping the f6-pawn blocking Black's bishop. 50. . . b4 51. Rb7! As usual, rooks belong behind passed pawns. White also has ideas of creating a mating net around the Black king with Nd6+ followed by Kf7-Ke6 and Rd7#. 51 . . . Ra2 52. h4 Nothing can stop this pawn now. 120

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

52 . . . a5 53. h5 a4 54. h 6 Rh2 55. h7 Kd8 After 55 . . . a3 White wins by setting up mating threats: 56.Nd6+ Kd8 (56 ... KfB 57.Rf7#) 57.Kf5! a2 58.Ke6 Re2+ 59.Kd5 Rh2 60.Kc6+­ And Rd7# will follow. 56. Nh4 f5

57.Rxb4! Eliminating Black's queenside counterplay. The bishop must stay on the long diagonal. 57. . . Rh3 58. Rxa4 Rxg3+ 59. Kxf5 1-0

Chapter Summary 1) Not all exchanges are equally beneficial for both players; most exchanges favor one side more than the other, so one should carefully weigh the pros and cons before agreeing to an exchange of a pawn or piece.

2) Even for exchanges which would be in our favor, we can choose to delay the exchange by one or more moves and maintain tension for the time being, so that we can potentially extract more advantage by delaying or try to induce a mistake from our opponent. 3) When we have a long term positional advantage we should try to reduce the number of pieces on the board to deny the opponent any active counter chances. 4) When we are under attack it makes sense to exchange pieces (but not the ones in front of our king! ) so that the opponent's attack loses its venom.

5) Having a good pawn structure is also grounds for exchange pieces in order to neutralize the opponent's counterplay in the form of active pieces. 6) When we are playing for the advantage in the endgame, it is better to defend our weak pawns while trying to win the opponent's weak pawns. While defending a slightly worse endgame, however, it is ideal to trade off our weak pawns to increase chances for a draw. 7) When the opponent has a potentially bad bishop, it is good to exchange all the other minor pieces and aim for a good knight versus bad bishop endgame.

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces

121

PART TWO: Practical Chess Play

I facilitate logical thinking in our games. We learned how to assess the factors

n the previous section, we saw many key concepts that will enable us to

most relevant to evaluating a position, how to make certain decisions during a game, when to exchange pieces, and why active defense is almost always preferable to passive defense. These are broad methods to successfully play using logic and common sense. Now we will take a look at practical elements that will help us apply logical reasoning in our thinking. We'll cover the concepts of initiative, how to convert an advantage, improving the position of our pieces, prophylactic thinking, the drawback principle, and playing on a specific color. In any sport, the concept of initiative is important. Not letting our opponent dictate the terms ensures we can bring in our own ideas into fruition in the game. Holding the initiative ensures we have sufficient control over the direction and outcome of the game. Through initiative, we aim to create weaknesses in the opponent's position which we can then convert to bigger advantages either through direct attack or through sustained pressure and improvement of our pieces. A common problem for players below the grandmaster level (sometimes even for many grandmasters) is the technical conversion of a positional advantage into a well-deserved win. Exploiting the weaknesses in the opponent's position requires a lot of nuance and perseverance on our part. Not allowing our opponent to improve his position, at the same time strengthening our own position requires a special set of skills along with a heavy dose of patience. With good technique, we can score crucial half points from slightly better positions (by converting a small advantage into a win) or from worse positions (by saving them from defeat). In every game, we play moves with good intentions containing ideas which we think are good. Sometimes it turns out that our executed moves and Part Two: Practical Chess Play

123

ideas were good , while in other cases our play turns out to be incorrect in varying degrees. From this we can infer that every move has its own advantages and drawbacks. This is true for our opponent's moves as well. Thus it makes sense to spend several seconds after every move made by the opponent to figure out his intentions/ideas and to also search for any drawbacks to his last move. If the opponent's idea is preventable and worth preventing then we can do so; or if his move has some drawback we can try to punish it. In the following part of the book we will also be looking at the concepts of maintaining tension and playing on colors. Briefly, the idea of maintaining tension suggests that we should release the tension of a potential exchange only if it favors us or if we have a concrete follow up. Otherwise, it makes more sense to maintain the tension for at least one more move (if only to put pressure on the opponent or aim to induce a mistake). Lastly, on a chess board there are only two colors of squares - light and dark. The bishops' job is to control them. When one of the bishops leaves the board, then the squares it was guarding become weak. How we play to gain control of the weakened squares or prevent our opponent from gaining control of them is discussed in Chapter 9: Playing on Colors.

124

Part Two: Practical Chess Play

Chapter 5 Initiative

I unless we possess the ball firsthand. Similarly, in chess, we need to create

nitiative is the essence of any sport. In soccer, we cannot hope to score a goal

threats at various stages of the game to have any chance of playing for a win. There will be moments in a game when one side makes threats and the other side must respond to, react against, or defend those threats. The side that gives the threats is said to possess the initiative and the side reacting/ defending/responding is said to have lost the initiative. One of the primary indicators of a successful opening is when a player gets possession of the initiative early on. As long as both players are developing their pieces, fighting for control of the center, castling their king into safety and trying to complete an early development, neither player usually possesses the initiative. In most games between younger players, however, one side or the other fails to do all of the above. One player may unnecessarily make too many pawn moves, fail to develop pieces on one side of the board, move the same piece many times over without a valid reason, leave the king in the center for a bit too long, or he may try to win material at the cost of development. In other words, when one side breaks some opening principle, at that exact moment, the initiative is likely to change hands if the player is willing to take advantage of his opponent's errors. When we realize that our opponent has made an unusual move or has broken an important opening principle, we should try to seize the initiative with forceful moves. Play forcing moves (checks, captures, threats, or pawn breaks) in succession and avoid making passive, defensive or quiet moves. When one side gives a threat or attacks something, like a pawn, the other side should try not to defend against that threat directly for as long as possible. As mentioned earlier, counterattack is the best form of defense. When one side plays defensively, the other side should keep giving threats. With every move,

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125

we seek to put the defending side into a defensive position, forcing him to give concessions to the side with the initiative. There is always a struggle for initiative in any given position. One side wants to dictate the terms of the game, to decide the direction in which the game should proceed, and the other side tries to do the same. The one who blinks first (or the one who starts playing passively) loses the initiative to the opponent. The signal that you should start playing for the initiative by using forceful moves is when your opponent makes an unusual or passive move. The struggle for initiative begins from the very first move. We can see in numerous games that a player will sacrifice material (typically a pawn) to complete his development quickly, to put the opponent on the defensive, to strand the opponent's king in the center of the board, or to delay the opponent's piece development. We must understand the nature of the initiative in order to handle it better. Initiative usually lasts only a few moves and then it subsides, in most cases. Generally, a series of quiet moves follow before threats and counter­ threats suddenly erupt again, followed by more quiet moves. What explains this shift from active play to quiet play and back again? Strong players play for initiative to exploit their opponent's passive moves, mistakes, or on the mere suspicion that the opponent has played a suspect move. It is easy to get confused between an attack and initiative. An attack should have an object of weakness on which we focus our efforts. The presence of a weakness in our opponent's position is mandatory for an attack to succeed. It could either be a weak king, a weak pawn(s), a weak square(s), etc. An attack can be developed slowly over time if the opponent does not have any active counterplay in return. To gain an initiative, on the other hand, there is no need for the presence of a weak target. Initiative is the reflection of a sense of urgency in the position. The initiative's aim is the creation of weakness. Once a weakness has been created in our opponent's position, we can exploit it quickly (if it is a short-term weakness) or in a slow manner with good technique, if the weakness is long-term in nature.

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Gupta

-

Sokolov

40th World Open 2012

21. h3 From here onward, White uses the initiative to neutralize Black's long-term advantage of the bishop pair and better pawn structure. Each White move is a forcing move (check, capture, exchange, threat or pawn break) and exploits the drawback of Black's previous play. 21 . . . Be6 22.fSI Bd7 22 ... Bxf5?? 23.Re5+23. d4/ Exploiting the hanging d7-bishop. 23 . . . Bxd4 23 ... Bd6 would be met with 24.Ne4 Bf4 25.Nc5 Bxf5 26.Nxb7± 24. Redll But not 24.Radl? Bxc3 25 .bxc3 Bxf5+ 24 . . . cS 25.Ne21

25... Ba4 Black could try 25 . . . Bxb2 26.Rabl Ba4!? but White can still generate counterplay: 27.Rd5 Bf6 28.Rxc5 Rae8 29.Ng300 with very active rooks to compensate for Black's two bishops. 26. Rd2 Bf6 2 7. Nc31 Bc6 28.Nd5=

With a series of forcing moves White has equalized the position and went on to make a draw: 28 . . . BgS 29. Re2 Rfe8 30. Rael Kf8 31. Nb 6 Rxe2 32. Rxe2 Rd8 33. Bxc6 bxc6 34. Kg2 Bf6 35. b3 Rd3 36. Na4 Bd4 3 7. Nb6 Bf6 38. Na4 Bd4 % - % Chapter 5: Initiative

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Berkes - Bogner Bundesliga 2012

White. Berkes finds a good way to seize the initiative by playing forcefully instead of trying to defend the position passively. 34... hxgS 34 . . . Be6 is met with the strong 35.f5 ! , exploiting the drawback ofBe6. 35 . . . Bd7 36.f6+! And White is clearly better after 36 . . . Kxf6 37.Rxf'7+ Kxg5 38.Rxd7 Rxa3 39.Rxb7 Nf4 40.Rg7+ Kf6 41.Rc7± 35. h6± This advanced passed pawn creates a lot of problems for Black. 35 BfS After 35 . . . Nf6 36.fxg5 Bf5 , even stronger than capturing on f6 is the following forced sequence: 37.e4 Bg6 38.Rxg6! fxg6 39.gxf6+ Kxf6 40.d4!+- Surprisingly, Black's rook cannot defend against White's passed pawns, for example 40 . . . Rxa3 41.e5+ Kf'7 42.e6+ Kf6 43.h7 Kg7 44.e7 and White wins. 36. e4 •••

32 Nc7'11 Black's best chance of converting was 32 . . . Bf5! aiming to trade off White's strong knight: 33.Rxg7 Kf8 34.Rgl Bxe4 35.Bxe4 Rxa3+ 33. Rxg7 Nd5'1 Once again best was 33 . . . Bf5 34.RgS Bxe4 35.dxe4 Rxa3 36.RhS;t where White's h-pawn will be hard to deal with. 34. NgSI •••

36 Nxf4'1/ 36 . . . g4 37.Bxg4+The best defense was 36 . . . gxf4 37.exf5 Nf6 38.h7 Nxh7 39.Rxh7 Rxf5 40.Bh5± with some minor drawing chances for Black. •••

White was about to lose the pawn on f4 or a3, when Black's queenside would pose a serious threat for 128

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37. exf5 Kf8 37. . . Kf6 38.Rg8 Nxd3+ 39.Kg3 Ra4 40.h7 Rh4 41 .hSQ+ Rxh8 42.Rxh8+- is a simple win for White. 38.{6 1 - 0

Kramnik - Naiditsch

is very important while executing our idea. 14 . . . Nf6 14 . . . Kxg7 15.Bxd5 exd5 16.Qc3+ Qf6 17.Qxc5 Bc6 18.Be3± White's a clear pawn up and has potential to attack on the dark squares. 15. Bh6+-

37th Olympiad Turin 2006 1.Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 8.g8 d5 4. d4 cxd4 5. Bg2 e6 6. 0 - 0 dxc4 7.Nxd4 Nd5 8. Qa4+ Nd7 9. Qxc4 N7b 6 10. Qb8 Bd7 11.Nc8 Bc5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5

13.Nf5/N After 1 3 . Bxd5 Bxd4 14.Bxb7 Rb8 15.Rdl± White wins a pawn here too but the pin on the b-:file and the fact that Black has reasonably active pieces means White has to be careful. This would be acceptable if in fact White did not have a better way to play the position in 13.Nf5! 13 . . . 0 - 0 14. Nxg7/ Starting with 14.Bxd5 exd5 15.Nxg7 (15. Qxd5 RcB�) runs into Bh3!00 That is why White should not take on d5 :first! We can see that playing the correct sequence of moves

White has won a pawn and caused a permanent weakening of Black's kingside. He clearly stands better thanks to the forcing sequence of moves starting with 13.Nf5 . 15 .Qc4!? was also strong: 15 . . . Rc8 (Or 15... Be7 16.Bh6 KhB 17.Nh5! Nxh5 18. Qg4! Qa5 19.Bf3!±) 16.Qh4 Kxg7 17.Bh6+! Kh8 18.Bg5 Be7 19.Be4! The only way to get an advantage. 19 . . . Nxe4 20.Bxe7 Qe8 21.Bxf8 Qxf8 22.Qxe4+15. . . Qe7 15 . . . Ng4 is met with 16.Nh5! Nxh6 17.Qc3 Nf5 18.Qxc5+1 6. Qf8 Transferring the queen to the scene of action - the kingside. 16 . . . Bc6 1 7. Qf4 KhB 17 . . . Bxg2? 18.Nf5!+18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. Racl

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Kramnik - Sadvakasov Astana 2001

19... Bd6 19 . . . Nd5 20.Qf3 Bd4 21.Nh5+­ followed by e2-e4. 20. Qh4 Ng8 21. Qxe7 Bxe7 21...Nxe7 22.Nh5+- is no better, White is up a pawn with more active pieces. 22.Nxe6 Nxh6 23. NxfB Bxf8 24.Rxc6+-

The rest was simple technique for Kramnik: 24 . . . RdB 25. Rfcl Kg7 26. Rlc2 Nf5 27. e3 a5 28. Ra6 Rd5 29. e4 Rdl+ 30. Kg2 Nd4 31. Rc7 Nb5 32. Rb7 Nd6 33. Rd7 1 - 0

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13... e4 With this move Black is trying to seize the initiative if White plays passively. White is clearly better after a "normal" move by Black: 13 . . . Qe7 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Bxd5 Bg4 16.Qc4± or 13 . . . Bg4 14.h3 Bh5 15.g4± 14.Ng5/ It is natural to react defensively when the opponent makes a threat, but sometimes it is better to go for a counter-offensive. Of course, this must be supported by accurate calculation. 14 . . . Bd6?1 Black should have continued actively with 14 . . . Bg4! valuing development over material. 15.Nd5! Again, counterattack is the best defense. (15.{3?! is quite good for Black after 15 . . . exf3 16.gxf3 RaeB! 1ZNge4 Nxe4 18.Nd5 QdB 19.fxg4 Qg5+) 15 . . . Bxe2 16.Nxc7 Bxdl (16... Bxc4 17. bxc4 RacB 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.cxd5±) 17.Nxa8;!; 15. Nd5/?

Kramnik sacrifices the h2-pawn

to maintain the initiative.

15.h3 Bf5 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.Bxd5 Raes 18.Qc4 Bh2+ 19.Khl Be5 20.Bxe5 Rxe5 21.Nxe4± was another path to a clear advantage. But not 15.Nxf7?! Bxh2+ 16.Kh l Rxf7 17.Nd5 which just barely falls short after 17 . . . Nxd5 18.Bxd5 Be5! 19.Bxf7+ Kxf7 20.Qh5+ Ke7 21 .Qg5+ Kf8 22.Bxe5 Qxe5 23.RdS+ Kf7 24.Qxe5 Nxe5 25.Rcl Nc6 26.RhS = 15 . . . Nxd5 16. Rxd5 Black's king is defended only by its pawns, which will be no match for the combined power of White's entire army. 16. . . Bxh2+ 16 ... h6 would be met with 17.Qh5! hxg5 18.Bxg7! Kxg7 19.Qxg5+ Kh7 20.Qh4+ Kg7 21.Rg5+ Kf6 22.Rh5+ Kg7 23 .Qg5# 17.Khl Be5 18. Qh5

At the cost of a pawn, White has managed to get most of his pieces crowded around the Black kingside. 18 . . . Bf5? Black could have survived into an endgame with 18 . . . h6 19.Nxf7! Rxf7 20.Rxe5! (But not 20.Bxe5 Qe7!) 20 . . . Nxe5 21.Bxe5 Qe7 22.Bxf7+ Qxf7 23.Qxf7+ Kxf7 24.Rcl± 19. Nxf7! Much less convincing is 19.Nxh7 Bxh7 20.Bxe5 Nxe5 21.Rxe5± 19 Rxf7 • . •

No better is 19 . . . Qxf7 20.Rxe5+­ or 19 ... Bxb2 20.Rxf5 g6 2 1 .Qh6! gxf5 22.Nd8+!+20. Qxf5! Chapter 5: Initiative

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Again Kramnik is not satisfied with "only" a clear advantage after 20.Bxe5 Nxe5 21.Rxe5 Qxe5 22 .Qxf7+ Kh8 23.Rdl Bg6 24.Qd5 Qe7± 20. . . g6 The other possibilities were 20 . . . Rxf5? 21.RdS# and 20 . . . Bxb2 21.Rd7! Kh8 22 .Qxf7 Qe5 23.Radl+- with an extra exchange. 21. Bxe5 1 - 0

After 21.Bxe5 Black has n o way of continuing the game: 2 1 . ..gxf5 (21 ... Rxf5 22.RdB#) 22.Bxc7 Rxc7 23.Rd7++-. In this game, Kramnik seized the initiative at the right moment by taking the appropriate risk and not shying away from calculations.

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EJjanov - Sokolov Sarajevo 2009

12. e4/ White's e3-pawn is potentially a long-term headache since it is on a semi-open file. Thus, White correctly decides to seize the initiative by playing aggressively. 12 . . . b4 13.Na4 dxe4 14.Nb6 Ra7 15. Qb3/ Since the c8-bishop is hanging, White does not have to worry about the d4-pawn. 15. . . Re7 16.NxcB Qxc8 1 7. Bf4± By temporarily sacrificing a pawn to open the position, White has activated his pieces and trapped the Black king in the center. 1 7. . . (5 18. 0 - 0 - 0

22 . . . Nd5?? would now lose to 23.Bxd5 cxd5 24.c6+23.g4!'1 23.Be6 Qb7 24.d5! would have won more quickly, but the game continuation is also instructive. 23 . . . Nd5 23 . . . Nxg4 would allow the breakthrough 24.d5! after which the game might end as follows: 24 . . . Ne5 25.Bxe5 Bxe5 26.dxc6 Rc7 27.Rd5 Bf6 28.Rd6 Be5 29.Re6++24.gxf5 gxf5 25. Bxd5 cxd5 26. Rhfl+ · 18 Nd7 19.Bd6 Nf6 20.Bc4 Eljanov is not in a rush to recover the sacrificed pawn; instead he is focused on the initiative and piece activity. 20 . . . Rd7 21. Kbl! Before beginning the final attack, Eljanov first ensures the safety of his king. 21 . . . Qb7 With the threat of 22 ... Nd5, blocking the diagonal of White's bishop. 22.Qa4! During an attack, prophylaxis is still an important technique. 22 . . . QaB •.•

Black's pieces are all tied up and from here the end is swift. 26 . . . KdB 2 7. Rxf5 Re8 28. Qxb4 Re6 29. Rdfl KcB 30. RfB+! BxfB 31. RxfB+ RdB 32. Qb6 1 - 0

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133

Negi - Berg Politiken Cup Helsingor 2009

13. e5! White is castled and fully developed except for the hl-rook. Black's king is stuck in the center and his pieces are all awkwardly placed. White opens the center in order to gain access to the Black king. 13 . . . dxe5 14.fxe5 Nh7 If 14 ... Qxe5 then 15.Bxb7 Rb8 16.Nc6+15. Rhfl Bringing the last piece into the action. 15 . . . Nc4 16. Nd5!!

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16... QcB 16 . . exd5 would be met with 17.Bxd5 Rc8 18.Bxf7+ Ke7 19.Bxg6+­ with a winning attack. 1 7. Qf2 Now the Black queen cannot defend f7. 1 7. . . (5 17. . . exd5 18.Qxf7+ Kd8 19.Bxd5+­ again gives White a decisive attack. 18. exf6 exd5 19. Bxd5 Bd6 .

20.Bf4 More forcing was 20.f7+ Kd8 21.Ne6+ Bxe6 22.Bxc4!+20. . . Qc7 21. Bxd6 Nxd6 22. Qe3+ Kd8 23. Qe7+ KcB 24.Ne6 Qb6 25.(7 Qe3+ 26. Kbl Qe5 2 7.fBQ+ Rxf8 28. RxfB+ 1- 0

Negi - Nielsen Politiken Cup Helsingor 2009

19.d5/ Even in apparently quiet positions, strong players are always looking for chances to seize the initiative. After 19.Nf5?! Qf8 White does not have a good follow-up. 19. . . Qd6 19 . . . Nxd5 would be met with 20.Bxh6! gxh6 21.Rxd5 Nf6 22.Rd3 and the Black king is too exposed. 20. dxe6 Rxe6?/

22.Rxe6 fxe6 23.Bf4;!; where White has only a pleasant positional edge. 21. Qf3 Ne5 22. Qxb7 Sometimes greedily taking a pawn is the only way to play for the advantage. 22 . . . RbB 23. Qa7 Keeping the Black queen tied to the defense of the b8-rook and also attacking the a4-pawn. 23 . . . Nc6 24. Qxa4 Nd4 25. Qc4±

White has consolidated his queenside and stands clearly better with the extra material. Black pins his hopes on a desperate attack, but it ends up not being enough: 25. . . NdS 26. Rxe6 Qxe6 2 7. Ba5 Qe5 28. Rel Ne2+ 29. Rxe2 Qxb2+ 30. Kd2 Qxa3 31. Qxd5 Qxa5+ 32. Ke3 Rd8 33. Qe5 Qa3+ 34. c3 Qcl+ 35. Kf3 Rd3+ 36. Re3 Qdl+ 3 7. Kf4 Rd6 38. Nf5 Rf6 39. Kg3 1-0

The lesser evil was 20 . . . Qxe6 21.Qxe6 (21. Qb5 Qa2 +!) 21...Rxe6 Chapter 5: Initiative

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Korchnoi - Karpov Alekhine Memorial Moscow 1971

15.Ne5?! Better was 15 .Qd2= 15 . . . Bxe5! The start of a series of forcing moves in order to seize the initiative. 16. Bxe5 f6 1 7. Bf4 Rac8 18. Qa4 ?! Not sufficiently appreciating the upcoming danger. Better was 18.Qd2 ! g5 19.f3! Bd7 (19...gxf4 20.fxg4 fxg3 21. hxg300) Qg6 21 .Qxg5+ 20.Bxg5! fxg5 22.Qxe700 Such a concrete approach is more commonly seen in today's computer era. 18 . . . g5! 19. Bcl The previous moves clearly established that Black was the one making the threats while White was only reacting to those threats by playing defensive moves. After 19.Bd2 Qxb2+ White does not have much to show for the pawn deficit. 19 . . . Be2 20. Rel d3

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After a series of forcing moves Black has firmly taken control of the game. 21. Bfl! Exchanging Black's strongest piece. 21 . . . Bxfl ?! Releasing the tension and making White's task significantly easier. Correct was 21. . .Qb4! 22.Qxb4 Nxb4 23.Bxe2 Nc2! 24.Bxd3! Nxel 25.Be2 Nc2 26.Rbl Nd4 27.Bg4 Rc2 28.Be3 Nb5+ Black has won an exchange for a pawn, although White has significant compensation because of his pair of bishops and good pawn structure. 22. Rxfl Rc2 23. Be3 Nc5

24.Qd4?! Removing the dangerous pawn on d3 should have been White's priority: 24.Qa3 !? Rc8 25.Bxc5 R8xc5 26.Qxd3 Rxb2+

24 ... e5 25. dxe6 Qxe6 26. Racl ?! A better defense would have been 26.b4 Nxe4 (26 ... Rc4 2 7. Qd5 Qxd5 28.exd5 Na6 29. b5 Nb4 30.Radl Nxd5 31.Rxd3=) 27.Qxd3 Rc3+ although Black can hope to generate threats against the White king using the weakened light squares. 26 ... RcB 27. b4 ?! Just as White thinks about winning the d3-pawn, tactics come to Black's aid. That is because White postponed taking concrete action against the dangerous d3-pawn for too long. Better was 27.f3+ 27... Nxe4!

28.Rxc2 Korchnoi realized that after 28.Qxd3 , Black has the shot 28 . . . Nxf2 ! 29.Rxf2 Rxcl+ 30.Bxcl Rxcl+ 31. Kg2 where Black has good winning chances after 31 . . . Kg7+ It is interesting to see how simple tactics come to our aid when we are in apparent problems but have active pieces. 28 . . . dxc2 29.Rcl b6 30.(8 Nd6 31. Qd3 Rc6!

The c2-pawn is taboo for now, so Black uses this time to defend his knight and free his queen for active operations.

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32. a4 Qc4 Aiming for simplifications. 33. Qd2 Nf7 34.{4 g4 35. b5 Rc8 36. Qd7 h5 3 7. Kf2 Qc3 38. Qf5 Re8 0-1

White has long term positional advantages in the form of the bishop pair and Black's hanging pawns, but Black is on move and can create concrete threats to seize the initiative. 15 . . . Rxel+ The start of a forcing sequence. 16.Nxel Ba6 1 7. Qdl Re8 18.Nd3 After 18.Be3 Black would play 18 . . . Ne5 threatening both 19 . . . Neg4 and 19 . . . Nc4. 18 . . . Qb6+ Making it difficult for White to develop his cl-bishop. With a series of forcing moves Black has put White on the defensive. 19. h3 This loses time but secures the back rank. 19 . . . h6!

McShane - Rapport Bundesliga 2014 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Be7 4 . c3 c5 5. dxc5 Bxc5 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. Qe2 Qc7 8.Ngf3 0- 0 9. 0 - 0 Nbd7 10. Bc2 b6 11. exd5 exd5 12.Nb3 Re8 13. Qd3 a5 14. Nxc5 bxc5 15. Rel

Since White is finding it difficult to develop his queenside, Black solves his own back rank problem. The timing factor is very crucial here: when should one play such quiet moves which eliminate/protect our own weaknesses? It is appropriate to make this kind of move when we are keeping the pressure on our opponent and he does not have an 138

Chapter 5: Initiative

obvious way to solve his problems or generate threats of his own. 20. Rbl Bc4 '1/ The most forcing way to keep up the pressure on White was 20 . . . Ne4 21.Bf4 (21.Be3 d4!) 2 1 . . .g5! 22.Be3 d4! 23.cxd4 cxd4 24.Bd2 Ndf6 25.Bel Nd5+ 21. a4 '1/

Missing a chance to gain counterplay. After 21.b3! Ba6 22 .c4! dxc4 23.bxc4 Qe6 24.Be3 Qxc4 25.Rcl !? White has managed to activate his pieces and will win back the c5pawn. 21. . . Ne4 Black again seizes the initiative. 22.Bd2 '1' 1 A n unsurprising blunder given that White was under serious pressure. Best was 22 .Be3 d4 23.cxd4 cxd4 24.Bf4 Ndf6+ 22 . . . Bxd3 23. Bxd3 Nxf2/

24. Qf3 White's king is hopelessly exposed after 24.Kxf2 c4+ 25.Kfl cxd3-+ 24 . . . Nxd3 25. Qxd3 c4+ 26. Qd4 Re2 - + Black is up a pawn with a winning position. 2 7. Rdl Qxb2 28. QxdS Qc2 29. Bf4 Rxg2+ 30. Khl Re2 31. Rgl Qd3 32. Qxd3 cxd3 33. Bxh6 d2 34. Rxg7+ Kh8 35. Rgl Ne5 36. Bf4 Nf3 0-1

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139

Sakaev - Eljanov Russian Team Championship 2009

White has a dream position with the bishop pair, the open g-file, and a mobile pawn center. Black has only one tempo to try to take advantage of White's uncastled king. 21 . . . c5! A pawn break is an important tool to open up the position to gain access to the opponent's king in the center. 22. dxc5 After 22.Qxc5 Rac8 23 .Qb4 Rc2+ Black gets his last inactive piece into the game with tempo. 22 . . . d4! Eljanov correctly takes a risk to open up the center and exploit White's weak king position. 23. exd4 Qh4+

24.Kd2?! White understandably tries to head to the safety of the queenside, but there was a much better way to neutralize Black's initiative, albeit not without risk. The engine suggests 24.Kfl! f6 25.Bg3 Nxg3+ 26.hxg3 Qh2 27.Bc4 Bxc4+ 28 .Qxc4+ Kf8 29.Qd3! Taking control of the e3-square. 29 . . . RadS 30.Rg2 Qhl+ 31.Rgl= and White survives. 24 . . . Qh6+ 25. Kc2 f6 26. Bg3 Rad8

With each move Black poses concrete problems for White. 2 7. Radl Bf7?! 140

Chapter 5: Initiative

Instead, the greedy 27 . . . Ne3+! 28.Kbl Nxdl 29.Rxdl Bf5+ 30.Bd3 Re3!+ 31.Qc4+ Be6 32 .Qc2 Qh5+ would have given Black a clear advantage. 28.Bd3 Ne3+ 28 . . . Re3?! would allow White the possibility of 29.Bxf5!? Rxc3+ 30.bxc3;; 29. Kbl Nxdl 30. Rxdl Re3

And Black soon went on t o win.

Vaganian - Farago World Student Team Championship Graz 1972 1 . d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 b6 4 .a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. e3 Nbd7

31.Bd6?/ Even after the best move 31.f4 Bg6 32.Qc4+ Kh8 33.Bxg6 Qxg6++, Black has good winning chances. 31 . . . QhS 32. Qc2 Qd5/ Despite his long journey, the White king still does not feel safe on the queenside. 33. Bh7+ KhB 34. Be4 Qa2+ 35. Kcl Bb3 - +

8.cxd5 Even in the opening, White begins a forcing sequence of moves to seize the initiative. 8 . . . Nxd5 8 ... exd5 9.Bd3;t has given White good results in practice. 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. NxdS Bxd5 Chapter 5: Initiative

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10 . . . exd5 1 1.Qa4;!; with a similar structure to the previous note. 11. Rcl

14.Bb5?! Starting from move 8, White has played consecutive forcing moves and obtained a clear advantage but falters here by choosing the second best continuation. 14.dxc5! would have continued the string of forcing moves and led to a White advantage: 14 . . . Qxc5 runs into 15.Qd2! Qe7 16. Rc7+14 . . . bxc5 15.Bb5;!;, followed by Rdl, would give White a clear structural and development advantage. 14 . . . Nxc5 15.Bb5+ Bc6 16.e5! Qc7 17.Bxc6+ Qxc6 18.0-0± 14 . . . 0- 01=

With each move White is either creating threats or bringing new pieces into the game. 11 Qd6?! Too passive. Instead Black should have tried ll . . . c5 although perhaps he was worried about 12.Bb5!? 12. Qc2!'1 c5 Finally Black gets in the much needed break, but it is one move too late. 13. e4 Bb7 •••

After this move, Black obtained sufficient counterplay although he later misplayed the position and lost.

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Chapter 5: Initiative

Chapter Summary We have seen some examples which taught us about the need to seize the initiative by playing forcing moves, by generating threats and thereby putting our opponent on the defensive. In the opening, all developing moves, castling, fighting for the center, etc. can be considered "initiative moves". Any move that wastes time, is passive or defensive in nature usually hands over the initiative to our opponent. An unusual move made by the opponent is an invitation for us to seize the initiative through risky, active moves. The initiative is short term in nature and can disappear in a few moves. Within this short time we should play as forcefully as possible to extract a positional or material concession from the opponent - which we will later try to exploit to our advantage once the initiative fizzles out. Thus the aim of the initiative phase is to create a weakness in the opponent's position that we can exploit later. During the initiative phase we should avoid playing quiet, defensive moves. Exchanges should also be avoided unless they serve a particular purpose in our favor. Each move should come with a threat and put our opponent further on the defensive. If we have to sacrifice some material towards this objective, so be it! Initiative often changes hands between the players during the game. When a player plays defensive/passive/unusual moves, the initiative goes to the opponent, provided he takes the risk to seize it by playing forcefully. So we should always be on the lookout for seizing initiative! Stronger players like to play with the initiative in their hands and sometimes even sacrifice a pawn or destroy their own pawn structure towards this objective. And they often extract larger concessions from the opponent in the process. If we have many long term advantages (defined in Chapter 1) and our opponent possesses the initiative, we should be very careful and work hard to neutralize his activity at the earliest possible moment so the opponent's pieces cannot cause extensive damage to our position. If we are successful, then we can work on increasing our long term positional advantages with good technique.

Chapter 5: Initiative

143

Chapter 6 Converting an Advantage

There are three kinds of advantages in chess: material advantage, and positional advantage .

attacking advantage,

The nature of these advantages can either be short-term or long-term. Some examples of short-term advantage are: a lead in development, the opponent's king stuck in the center, the opponent ignoring the development of his queenside, an opponent's piece temporarily stuck on a bad square, etc. Such advantages will disappear within a few moves if we don't act forcefully. Time is of the essence in such positions. Most other advantages are long-term in nature. In positions with long­ term advantages, we should try to keep the game relatively quiet with as few complications as possible. Material Advantage It is generally easier to play with a material advantage in most cases, as the side with the material advantage seeks to simplify the position to deny the opponent any chances of a successful counterattack. Exchanging pieces is the easiest way to prevent counterplay or activity for your opponent as compensation for the material deficit. Attacking Advantage In this book, we try to look at situations either positional or strategic in nature and not positions which are dynamic or complicated that require a more direct handling. Still, to complete the topic under discussion, let us look briefly at how to handle a position in which one side has chances of launching an attack. 144

Chapter 6: Converting an Advantage

To be successful, we need to carefully consider the following issues when deciding on an attack. We must consider the object of attack (the target), with what to attack (pawns or pieces), the timing of the attack (now or later), the pace of the attack (slow or rapid), and the approach of the attack (with equal material or with sacrifices) . Some things w e need to keep i n mind while attacking are: • Attack with more material. Try to exceed your opponent's defensive resources by a ratio of 3 : 1 ; • Always calculate simple variations at the lower level and complex variations at the higher level; • Give your attention to forcing moves in calculation. Look for checks, captures, threats, and pawn breaks; • Identify the weakness in your opponent's position and aim your attack there. It could either be a pawn or a square; • Use your imagination and try to find unusual or unexpected ideas that will throw your opponent off guard. Just make sure the idea is reasonably safe; and • Do not be hesitant to give up material for a long-term attack or for reasonable compensation, either in the form of active pieces or a vulnerable king for your opponent. Positional Advantage This is the most common form of advantage a player gets in games, and the most difficult to handle in practice. Some examples of positional advantage are: possession of a passed pawn or pair of bishops, good pawn structure, safe king, space advantage, the presence of weak squares or weak pawns in an opponent's position, control of files or long diagonals, a strong center, an advantage in endgame, etc. Positional advantages are mostly long-term in nature. We now return to the game Mikhalchishin - Beliavsky, which we started analyzing back in Chapter 1, on page 40.

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145

Mikhalchishin - Beliavsky Moscow 1981

dxc4 19. bxc4 c4 18.Nxa4 20. RfdU Rfd8 ?! Better was either 20 . . . Nd5 21.Rd4 Nb6 22.Nc3 Rfd8 23.Rcdl Rxd4 24.Rxd4;t; or 20 . . . Rc7 21.Nc3 Rb8 22 .e4 g6 23.RbU 21. RxdB+ Exchanging one pair of rooks is an important strategy when exploiting a positional advantage in the ending. Retaining one rook helps in attacking the opponent's pawn weaknesses. 21 . . . RxdB 22. Nc51± Bd5 Worse would be 22 . . . Rd2 23.Bfl Rxa2 24.Nxe6 fxe6 25.Bxc4± 23.(3 Rc8 24.Na4 Be6 25. e4

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This is the ideal pawn structure for White as it restricts both of Black's minor pieces and also enables White to bring his king to d4. 25. . . Nd7 26. Kf2 Nb 6 2 7. Nc3 f5 28. Ke3 fxe4 29.fxe4 White now gets a passed pawn as well. 29. . . KfB 30. Rbll Since the c-pawn is well blockaded by the c3-knight, White improves the position of his rook. 30. . . Bd7 31. Kd4 Ke 7 32. Rb4 Also possible was the immediate 32.a4 Nxa4 33.Nxa4 Bxa4 34.Rb7+ Bd7 35.Bxc4± 32 . . . RdB

33.Bxc4/ Bh3+ 34.Nd5+ Nxd5 35.exd5 Bxg2 36.KeSI+· Rd7 37.RbB! 1-0 The final continuation might be 37.Rb8 Bf3 38.Rg8 g6 39.d6+ Rxd6 40.Rg7+ Kf8 41.Rf7++-

Miles - Larsen Tillburg 1978

Here we have an endgame where White is clearly better due to Black's doubled pawns on the d-file, the bad bishop on b7, and the passive knight on d7 (as of now). 18 . . . g6 19.f3 Sending the active knight on e4 backwards. The weakening of the e3-pawn is not of great consequence as it cannot be easily attacked and can be supported. The White pawns on f3-e3 -d4 restrict the Black knights wonderfully. 19 Nef6 20. Nxf6+ Nxf6 21. Kf2 Kf8?/ 21...h5! should have been played immediately. Though White retains a clear advantage even here, his job becomes significantly tougher. 22.g4! •••

This goes to show that even in endgames where one side has a clear advantage, you need to be alert for the opponent's chances for counterplay. The main point to be understood in this position is this: the only open file in the position, the c-file, is not so useful as White can control the entry points cl and c2 with his king on d2 . In such positions it is better to keep one rook so as to play on both sides of the board. Since Black already has one weakness on d5, White wants to create a second weakness by advancing his pawns on the kingside. 22 .h4?! would be answered with 22 . . . h5! 22 .b4?! also doesn't promise White much after 22 . . . b5 a) 23.a4 Rxcl 24.Rxcl and Black is just in time to equalize: 24 . . .bxa4 25.Ral Bc6 26.Bxa6 Rb8 27.b5 Bxb5 28.Rbl a3 = b) 23.Rxc8 Rxc8 24.a4 bxa4 25.Rxa4 Rc6;!; 22 . . . Ke7 22 . . . g5 23.Ne2 followed by Ng3-f5, h3-h4, etc. 23. h4 White wants to advance h4-h5 and have the option of opening the h-file for his rook. He also wants to increase Chapter 6: Converting an Advantage

147

the pressure on the d5-pawn by improving his bishop with Bc2-b3 , threatening g4-g5 . 23 . . . b5?!

Black wants to go Nd7-b6-c4. Since this is not such a serious threat (it can be parried easily with b2-b3 later on) White carries on with his intended idea. From this we learn that it is essential to see all of the ideas behind the opponent's move but it is not mandatory to prevent all of his ideas. It is important to also note that the a5-square is weakened with this move. 24. h5 Nd7 25. RxcB Exchanging one pair of rooks and maintaining another to exploit the weaknesses in Black's position on both sides of the board. 25. . . RxcB 26. Rhl NfB 26 . . . Nb6? 27.hxg6 hxg6 28.Nxg6+ is an example of how we should never stop calculating and looking for concrete variations right until the end, especially when we are in technically won or advantageous positions. 28 . . . fxg6 29.Rh7++27. hxg6 hxg6 28. Ke2 The king heads to d2 to cover the entry points on the c-file and also 148

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assist the Bc2-b3 maneuver. We see that White is steadily improving the position of his pieces and doesn't allow his opponent to do the same. 28 . . . Kf6 29. Kd2 Kg7 Black takes his king away from the center to control the entry points on the h-file, and now White exploits this fact with the unexpected . . . 30. Rcl!± The Black king has gone too far away from the queenside and White exploits this change in circumstance to trade off the rooks and clear the White king's path to the a5-square. 30 . . . Rxcl 31. Kxcl Kf6 32. Kd2

32... b4 Black tries to prevent White's king from becoming active. Let's see what could happen after other potential defenses: 32 . . . Bc6 hoping to play a6-a5 and b5-b4 is met with 33.a4!+­ Prophylaxis against Black's plan, and White breaks through on the queenside. 32 . . . Ke7 leads to an instructive line: 33.Kc3 Kd7 34.Kb4 Kc7 35.Bc2! Nd7 36.Nh3! Targeting all the weak pawns in Black's position. Playing for more weaknesses in the opponent's

camp is more effective than focusing on only one weakness. 36 . . . NbS 37.Ng5 Nc6+ 38.Kc3 Nd8 39.Nh7± 32 . . . Kg5!? 33.Ng2 Bc6 34.a4 Ne6 35.axb5 axb5 36.Kc3+- and White should win this endgame. 33. Kc2 a5 34. Bb5!

Prophylaxis! After 34.Kb3 Bc6 White would have a hard time breaking through. 34 . . . Ne6 35. Nxe6 fxe6 36. Kb3 The White king has a free hand on the queenside, which proves decisive. 36. . . Kg5 3 7. Ka4 e5 38. Kxa5 exd4 39. exd4 Kf4 40. Bd7! Trapping the Black bishop. 40. . . Ke3 41. Kb 6 BaB 42. Ka7 Kxd4 43.(4 1 - 0

Englisch - Steinitz London 1883 1 . e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0 - 0 8. 0 - 0 Ne7! 9. Qd2 d5 10. exd5 Nexd5 ll.Nxd5 Qxd5 12. Be2 Ng4

With this move Black ensures he will be getting the advantage of the pair of bishops, which is something to play for a win with. 13. Bxg4 Bxg4+ 14. Nb3 Qxd2 The two bishops are just as useful (if not more so) in the endgame as in the middlegame. 15. Nxd2 RadB Simple development. When we already possess certain positional advantages (pair of bishops in an open position, in this case) we should not strive to increase our advantage in a hurry, but patiently improve our position, while preventing our opponent from doing the same wherever possible. A mixture of "sword and shield" policy. 15 . . . Bxb2 16.Rabl Be5 17.Rxb7 Though Black retains some advantage here too, White manages to activate his pieces to a considerable extent. Chapter 6: Converting an Advantage

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When converting advantages, we should choose paths which ensure that the opponent's pieces are kept as passive as possible, rather than go for concrete lines where the enemy pieces become active. 16. c8 Rfe8 Completing development. We don't need to do anything special in most cases, just follow the basics properly and be alert for the opponent's counter chances when we decide to act proactively. 1 7. Nb8 b6

Restricting an enemy knight with our pawns (without creating a new outpost for the knight in the process!) is an important positional tool of preventing activity. 18. h8 Be6 18 ... BcS Pulling bishops back so they don't stand in the way of other pieces is also possible, but instead Steinitz wants to put pressure on White's knight and a2-pawn. 19. Rfdl 19.Nd4 Bc4 20.Rfdl c5 21.Nc6 Rc8 ! It is very important to precisely calculate such short variations in endgames. 22.Nxa7 Rc7-+ White's

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knight is trapped. 22.Rd6 would be met with 22 . . . BfB. 19 . . . c5 Further restriction. With simple but effective moves, Black improves his position little by little. White is not able to do the same. 20. Bg5 (6

Usually we should not block our own piece with a pawn like this but here is an exception. The bishop on g7 was already restricted by the b2-c3 pawn chain and f6 would not hurt it any more. Moreover, f6 enables Black to bring his king out towards the center. At the right moment, Black should improve his bishop. When we have the pair of bishops, activating them is not the priority in the early stages, but rather in the later stages of realizing the advantage. This explains why in some cases we see top players pull their bishops back with moves like Bfl, Bel, etc. 21. Bf4 Kf7 Improving the king. 22.(8 g5 The principle of creating a second weakness: it is becoming tough to further improve our pieces without

making concessions in the position, so Black decides to play for a second weakness in the opponent's position by initiating a pawn advance on one flank. This is a typical method which should be remembered in endgames. Care should be taken that the pawns do not get fixed when we play with bishops, as bishops prefer flexible and mobile pawn structures. It is knights that do well in fixed pawn structures. For those who are wondering what is the first weakness of the opponent, it is our pair of bishops! Our strength is our opponent's weakness too! 23. RxdB Rxd8 24. Be3 h 6 Preparing f6-f5 and opening up the bishop again. 25. Rel f5 Continuing with the principle of creating a second weakness. 26.(4 26.g4 f4 27.Bcl Rd3 28.Kf2 Bd5 is hopeless for White. 29.Nd2 Bxa2-+ 26. . . Bf6 Keeping the pawns flexible. 27.g3 a5 Pushing a rook pawn for space is another effective tool when we have the pair of bishops in an endgame. 28. Ncl a4 29. a3 Though it looks like the queenside pawns are fixed, Black can still prepare b5-b4, opening up the queenside at the right moment. The benefit of advancing the pawns is obvious: White's pieces are being pushed back steadily. 29. . . Bc4 30. Kf2 gxf4! The play becomes more concrete and forcing now. This shows that Steinitz was alert to the tactical possibilities in the position. 30 . . . Rd5 preparing b5 -b4 is also very good. 31.Bxf4 Bg5!

Exchanging one bishop at the right time - Black will infiltrate with his rook on the d2-square. 32. Bxg5 Similar to the game is 32.Ke3 Re8+ 33.Kf2 Bxf4 34.gxf4 Rd8 35.Ke3 Kg6 36.Rgl+ Kh5-+ 32 . . . hxg5 Black has demonstrated another important principle while playing with the pair of bishops, which is the option to exchange one or both the bishops at the appropriate moment. The point is to transfer the advantage of the pair of bishops to another kind of advantage, which may ease the technical process of conversion. Here, Black's rook and bishop are far stronger than White's rook and knight. 33. Ke3 Kf6 Do not hurry, improve your pieces. 34. h4

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151

Kg3 0-1 An excellent illustration of how to use the pair of bishops advantage in the endgame. Playing such a beautiful game in 1883 makes it all the more special!

Short - Kasimdzhanov Wijk

aan

Zee 2009

Now with simple but correct calculation, Black wins the game by force. Try finding the winning continuation here for Black: 34 . . . gxh4 34 . . . f4+ 35.gxf4 gxh4-+ is also winning but not as simple. 35.gxh4 Re8+ 36. Kf2 Rxel 37. Kxel Ke5!

Now the h4-pawn is lost. Nice centralization by Black. Neither 37 ... Kg6 38.Kf2 f4 39.Ne2 Nor 37 ... f4 38.Ne2 Kf5 39.h5 would lead to a clean victory for Black. 38. Ne2 Bxe2 39. Kxe2 Kf4 40. c4 Kg4 41.Ke3 f4+ 42. Ke4 f3 43.Ke3 152

Chapter 6: Converting an Advantage

In this position, White has a structural advantage due to Black's doubled f-pawns. But Black's pieces are reasonably active, so White should try to exchange at least one pair of rooks to neutralize the opponent's activity. 26. . . Rd3 2 7. ReB+ White now comes up with a quick and precise variation by which he neutralizes Black's pressure on the f2-pawn and gains control of the e-file. 27. . . Kg7 28. Ke2! Rd7 29.{3 The rook on f5 is temporarily jobless and the weakness on a5 will keep one of Black's pieces tied to its defense until Black can play b7-b6. 29. . . Bgl Allowing for the b-pawn to advance to either b6 or b5. 30. Rd2!

Exchanging one pair of rooks to neutralize Black's pressure. 30 . . . Rfd5 31.g4

White aims to fix the pawns on h6 and f6 (the same color as Black's bishop) and get access to the f5 and h5 squares for his knight. 31 . . . Rxd2+ ?1 This voluntarily gives up one pair of rooks along with control of the 5th rank. Much stronger was 31...f5! A good way to fight for initiative, not releasing the tension by exchanging on d2 . After the critical line 32.Rxd5 Rxd5 33.Re5 Rxe5+ 34.Nxe5 Kf6 35.Nc4 b6 36.b4 b5! 37.axb5 a400 Black would have certain drawing chances. 32.Nxd2 f5 Black gets rid of his weak pawns at the earliest moment before the bind is complete. 32 . . . Rd6 33.Re7 Rc6 34.Kd3± and White slowly makes progress. 33. Re51 Nice centralization. White takes control of the important 5th rank, which will activate his rook and prevent Black from exchanging more pawns.

33 . . . fxg4 34. hxg4 b6 35. Ne4 Bh2 36. Rf5

Preventing Bf4. 36. . . Re 7?1 36 ... Bd6! was absolutely necessary, preventing b3-b4. 37.Rd5 Re7 38.Kd3 Be5 39.Rb5! (39. b4 axb4 40.cxb4 c6 41.RdB Ra7!-+t.) 39 . . . f6!;!; Freeing the rook from defending the bishop and threatening to activate via Rd7. Although Black has a bad pawn structure and White has a potential passed pawn on the queenside, Black's activity gives him hopes for survival here. 3 7. b4 Re5? Exchanging the rooks puts Black in a passive position with no chances for counterplay. Better was 37 . . . axb4 38.cxb4 c6 39.a5 Bd6! (39... Rd7 40.axb6 Rb7 41.Rh5 Bf4 42.Kd3 Rxb6 43.Kc4 White retains pressure.) 40.b5 bxa5 41.bxc6 Bb4 42 .Rb5 Rc7 43.Rb6;!; With some winning chances for White. 38. Rxe5 Bxe5 39. bxa5 bxa5 40. Ke3 c6 41.f4 Bc7 42. Ng3!

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153

Not allowing Black the possibility of creating a passed pawn by means of a pawn sacrifice like f7-f5, followed by h6-h5. 42 . . . Kg6 43. Ke4 Bd6 44.Nf5 Bc5 45.Nh4+ Kg7 46. Nf3 White's aim is to attack the c6-pawn and induce it to advance to c5, creating more weaknesses in Black's position. 46. . . f6 47.Nd2 With the idea of Nc4. 47. . . Bb6 48. Kf5 Kf7 49. Nb3! Kg7 49 . . . Bc7 50.Nd4 c5 51.Nb3 Bb6 52 .c4+- And Black is in zugzwang. He must either give up a pawn or allow White's king to penetrate. 50. c4 1 - 0

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And Black resigned as 50.c4 Kf7 51.c5 Bd8 52 . Nd4 Be7 53.Nxc6 Bxc5 54.Nxa5 is winning without trouble for White. In this game we learned that although the position was difficult for Black visually, he could still put up a good fight by relying on active counterplay and by calculating precise variations when in trouble.

Chapter Summary One of the key attributes distinguishing a good player from a very strong player is the ability to win better positions more often. These days, chess players make fewer mistakes than in the past and most common defensive techniques are widely known. So one cannot reasonably expect the opponent to make mistakes and make our job easier. Hence, the ability to convert small advantages into more tangible ones is vital to scoring crucial points. When converting an advantage, two things should go hand in hand - we improve our position and prevent our opponent from doing the same. Apart from these two aspects, other weapons like the principle of two weaknesses, being patient, seizing the initiative, activating the king, zugzwang, etc. also play important roles. The book Endgame Strategy by Mikhail Shereshevsky is a good one to start with for covering these topics. If preventing the opponent from improving his position while improving our own position is all one has to do to better one's technique, then why is it so difficult to apply in practice? It is because once we attain an advantage, we tend to think about winning the game and start building castles in the sky. In the process, we fail to pay attention to the small but important things. Improving the position means playing simple moves like g2-g3 and Kg2, which on their own will not win the game on the spot, but will increase the quality of our position. When we reach the endgame, inexperienced players usually feel the end is very near but an experienced hand will know that there is still a lot of work to be done and will pay appropriate attention to what's happening on the board. Though we don't have to spend as much time thinking in the endgame as in complicated middlegame positions, we still have to be ready to play a large number of moves to get the point home. Patience is a virtue in quiet endgames. But that does not mean we stop calculating variations. We can calculate relevant variations and still play quiet moves which improve our position bit by bit.

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155

Chapter 7 Maintaining Tension

I equally advantageous to both players. In most exchanges, one side benefits

n Chapter 4: Exchanging Pieces, we learned that not every exchange is

more than the other. The same goes for pawn exchanges. It is often a test of "who blinks first?" Lower rated players are not comfortable in situations where there is some kind of tension, so they are eager to simplify the position by trading. A higher rated player has more capacity to withstand tension in the position for a longer period of time. By maintaining the tension, we add pressure to the opponent psychologically and we also gain certain concrete advantages in the position. It is easier to make a mistake when we have a choice than when we don't have one. So by keeping pawn tension a little longer, we give our opponent a chance to make the incorrect decision among the choices available. We should release the tension only when we: • Get something concrete in return, like control of a file, a passed pawn, initiative, the pair of bishops, better pawn structure, etc.; • Cannot postpone releasing the tension, as our opponent will release the tension in his favor on his turn; or • See that no useful purpose is served by keeping the tension.

Now let us look at some examples where one side, or sometimes both sides, keeps the pawn tension longer. When possible, strong players add fuel to the fire by introducing more pawn tension.

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Leko - Carlsen Wijk

aan

Zee 2008

17. . . b4 18. Qc2 White keeps the tension a little longer. Black is doing well after 18.cxb4 axb4 19.d5 c6 20.dxc6 Bxc6 21.Bc4 Nb6? 18 d51? Black adds to the tension! More solid was 18 ... bxc3 19.Bxc3;t 19. cxb4 White releases the tension now, as maintaining it is no longer in his favor. White is unable to maintain the tension with 19.Radl because of 19 . . . dxe4 20.Nxe4 Nxe4 21.Bxe4 Bxe4 22.Rxe4 f5? followed by e5-e4. Also fine for Black is 19.exd5 bxc3 20.Qxc3 Nxd5 21 .Qxa5 exd4!= with the threat of Nc5. 19 ... dxe4 ?! In any position with pawn tension, there is a great deal of pressure on both sides to play accurately in order to survive. Here Black wrongly aims for a long forced sequence. Better was 19 . . . axb4 when play might proceed 20.Bg5 (20.exd5?! exd4 21.RxeB Nxe800) 20 . . . c5!? 21.Nxe5 Nxe5 22 .dxe5 Rxe5 23.Bf4 Bd6 !

24.Bxe5 Bxe5 25.Racl Bc3 26.Redl d4iii With excellent compensation for the exchange. 20. Nxe4 Bxb4 21. Bxb4 Bxe4 22. Bxa5 Bxd3 23. Qxd3 e4 24. Qc4 exf3 No better is 24 . . . Nb6 25.Bxb6 cxb6 26.Ne5± 25. Bxc7 Qc8

..•

26.BxbB? The correct move order was 26.Rxe8+! Nxe8 27.Bxb8 Qxb8 28.a4± 26 . . . QxbB 2 7. RxeB+ Qxe8?

Compared to the previous note, here Black's queen and f6-knight are much more active. Chapter 7: Maintaining Tension

157

28. a4! Knights defend poorly against a passed rook pawn. White uses this effectively by quickly advancing his dangerous passed pawn with the support of his rook. 28 . . . fxg2 The combination of queen and knight can be deadly in an attack on the king. Black uses this fact to obtain counterplay on the kingside. 29. aS Qe4! Black's survival depends fully on whether he can create dangerous threats quickly enough against the White king. 80. a6 Nb6

81.a7?! All the earlier calculations have taken their toll in the form of time trouble and White nearly drew the game with this mistake. Correct was 31.Qc5! Nfd5 32.a7 Kg7 33.a8Q Nxa8 34.Rxa8± 81 . . . Kg7? Black could have reached a holdable ending after 31...Qf3 ! 32.a8Q+ Nxa8 33 .Qc8+ Kg7 34.Rxa8 Nd7! 35.Qxd7 (Or 35. QhB+ Kh6 36. QeB Kg7! repeating the position.) 35 . . . Qxa8 36.Qd6;!; and White's 158

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exposed king should give Black sufficient counterplay. 82. Qc7 Qxd4 88. Rel Qb4! 84.Re7 Qxb8 85. Kxg2 Qd5+ 86. Kgl Qdl+ 8 7. Kg2 Qd5+ 88. Kgl Qdl+ 89. Kh2

89... Qf3? One move before the time control... The best defense was 39 ... Qd4! 40.Qg3 Qd5 41.Qf4 although White still retains some chances as long as the a7-pawn is alive. 40. Qxb6 Qf4 + 1 - 0 Having reached the time control with a lost position, Black resigned. The checks run out after 40 ... Qf4+ 41.Kg2 Qg5+ 42 .Kfl Qcl+ 43.Rel Qc4+ 44.Kgl+-

Movsesian - Wang Hao Sarajevo 2009

17.g4!! It is this kind of decision that a player with weaker nerves would find very difficult to make on the board. With this pawn sacrifice White obtains a protected passed pawn and gets tremendous positional compensation - the Black pieces won't find any active roles, while White will be able to slowly improve the position of his pieces and create active play on the queenside. 17. . . fxg4 18.(5 Bf7 19. Qdl l? Movsesian chooses to keep the Black pieces under control and retains the possibility of improving his pieces and slowly creating play on both sides of the board. After 19.f6 Ng6 20.fxg7 Kxg7 21.Nb3 Nxb3 22.Qxb3 Nf4 23.Nc2 h5 24.Ne3 Be6� it is not easy for White to open the position in his favor. Black has decent compensation for the piece and his kingside pawns could pose serious problems for White if he is not careful. 19. . . h5 20.Nc2 Again 20.f6 Bxf6 21.Rxf6 Be6 22.Rxf8+ Rxf8 23.Nc2 Ng6 24.Ne3

Nf4 would give Black decent compensation for the piece. 20. . . Bf6 21. Ne3 Kg7 22. a4�

The remammg moves of the game do not relate to the topic under discussion so we will not examine them closely. White soon challenged the blockade on a5 and opened the queenside in his favor, while Black could not do the same successfully on the kingside: 22 . . . Ng8 23.Bc3 Bd8 24. Nb3 Nxb3 25. Qxb3 Nf6 26. a5 Qb7 2 7. axb6 Bxb6 28. Qdl Qe7 29. Bd2 Rg8 30. Ra6 Kf8 31. Qcl Rb8 32. Ndl Nh7 33.(6 Qd7 34. Ne3 Rg6 35. Nf5 Rb7 36. Be3 Be6 3 7. Ra2 Kf7 38. Raf2 Bd8 39. Ng 7 g3 40. hxg3 Bg4 41.Nf5 Bxf6 42. Bf3 Bxf3 43.Rxf3 Kg8 44.R3f2 Bd8 45. Kg2 Qe6 46. Bd2 Rd7 4 7. Ne3 Rf6 48. Nf5 Rg6 49. Qdl Nf6 50. Ne3 Rh7 51. Rf5 g4 52. Qal h4 53.gxh4 g3 54. Rhl Ng4 55. Nxg4 Rxg4 56. h5 Rf7 57. Qdl Rgg 7 58. Rhfl Qe7 59. h6 Qh4 60. Rhl Rxf5 61. Rxh4 Rf2+ 62. Kgl g2 63. Qg4 1 - 0

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159

Hammer - Huschenbeth 38th Olympiad Dresden 2008

1 7. . . f5 Black has introduced tension into the position. 18. Bg2 Coolly developing a piece. Always remember that piece development comes before everything else in the opening (except king safety). 18 . . . Rf7 Because of the pawn moves g7-g6 and f7-f5 the dark squares around Black's king have been weakened considerably. So he plans to maneuver his bishop to g7 to cover the dark squares and release his queen from having to protect the bishop. 19. 0 - 0 - 0 Bf8 20.(41 Introducing more tension and trying to open up the kingside 20 . . . Bg7 21. h5/ Even more tension! 21 . . . QfB 22. Kbll When our opponent remains passive we should not hurry in trying to finish him off. We should improve our own position slowly. This will in turn make our opponent desperate for counterplay and in this desperation there is a good chance 160

Chapter 7: Maintaining Tension

he will do something harmful to his own position. 22 . . . RdB 23.Nc41

Before the final assault, White brings his last piece into the action. 23 . . . b5 24. Nce3 b4 At last Black goes for active counterplay but it is already too late. His pieces are struck on the kingside so this attack on the other side is doomed to failure. 25. cxb4/ For the first time White releases the tension - and wins a pawn! 25. . . RbB 26. a3 Nd4 2 7. hxg6 Gaining an open file is another concrete reason to release tension. 2 7. . . hxg6 28. Qxa61 The main reason for this additional pawn grab was to stop Black's idea of opening the b-file with a6-a5. 28 . . . Nb5 29. Qc6 Ra7 30. Rd3/

A simple but effective combination. The immediate 34.Bd5+ was also winning: 34 . . . Ne6 35.Nxe6! Rxcl+ 36.Rxcl+- but the text continuation is simpler. 34 . . . Be6 34 . . . exd4 loses to 35.Bd5+ As does 34 ... Raxc7 35.Bd5+ 35. Rc4 1 - 0

Vachier Lagrave - Harikrishna

3Bth Olympiad Dresden 2008 White has a large material superiority - in such positions where we are clearly winning in the long term, it is very important not to try to win immediately by doing something hasty. The first priority is to prevent the opponent's counterplay, and only then should we start thinking in terms of concrete action. 30 Nd4 31. Qcl Bd7 32. exfS Opening the diagonal for the g2bishop. 32. . . gxfS 33. Nc 7/ Now the newly freed bishop is threatening to come to d5 with check. 33 . . RcB 34. Rxd4/ •.•

.

1 7. . . c6 Black introduces tension. 18.c4 And White adds to it! Keeping the e4-d5 pawn chain restricts the b7-bishop and other pieces indirectly, as well. White will maintain a space advantage and Black will find it difficult to find decent squares for his pieces. 18 . . . Nb6 19. Qe2 Maintaining the tension, defending the c4-pawn and connecting the rooks. 19 . . . bxc4/? Black releases the tension with the hope that the pressure on the

Chapter 7: Maintaining Tension

1 61

c4-pawn will give him adequate counterplay. 19 . . . cxd5! would have been a more active way of releasing the tension. 20.cxd5 Nbxd5! The concrete follow­ up. 21.exd5 Nxd5� It may not be immediately clear what Black has achieved from his sacrifice, so here are some sample lines: 22.Racl (22. Be4?! Nc3 23. Bxb7 Nxe2+ 24.Nxe2 d5! 25.BxcB Qxc8+ and Black gains the upper hand because of his strong central pawns and the uncoordinated White pieces.) 22 . . . Nxe3 23.fxe3 (Or 23. Qxe3 d5�) 23 ... e4 24.Nd4 Qg5 25.Nfl Bxd4 26.exd4 f5� Black's protected passer will be a constant annoyance in White's position. 20. bxc4 a5 21.Rabll

This is the drawback of Black releasing the tension with 19 . . . bxc4: with the pawns still on b3 and b5, Rbl would have made less sense. 21 . . . Nfd7 22. Bd3 Again just calmly improving his pieces without releasing the tension. 22 . . . Ba6 23. Recl Na4 24. Qd2/ Keeping the pressure on the a5pawn, and also retaining the option of pulling the bishop back to fl if Black plays Nc5. 162

Chapter 7: Maintaining Tension

24

Nac5 25. Bfl Rf8 26. Rdll Patience ! When our opponent has no active counterplay we should improve our position slowly. Since White has calculated that 26 . f5 is not possible, he puts more pressure on the d6 -pawn. 26. . . a4 All pawn moves create weak squares, and this is no exception, as now b4 is weakened. 26 ... f5? would be met with 27.dxc6 Rxc6 28.Qd5++27. Nel/� • . .

.

.

Heading for the weakened b4square. 2 7. . . h5 28.f3 Black was threatening to play h5h4 and win the e4-pawn. We should make pawn moves only with a clear reason, otherwise focus on piece play. 28 . . . ReB 29. Nc2 29.dxc6 Rxc6 30.Nc2 was also very good for White. 29. . . BfB 30. Nb4± Mission accomplished. 30 . . . Bb7 31. Ne2 Another knight heads to the queenside where all the action is taking place. Both sides are

maintaining the tension - Black out of necessity and White by choice. 31 . . . QaS 32. Nc3 Ba8

33.dxc6! Here the concrete reason for releasing the tension is that now the d6-pawn is weak and White will seize the d5 and b5 squares. 33 ... Bxc6 34.NbS Re6 35. NdS Qxd2 36. Bxd2 Bxd5 3 7. cxdS Ree8 38. Nc3! Backward moves are very difficult to make psychologically. White is making way for his bishop to come to b5. 38 . . . Kh7 39. BbS a3 40.Bc6 f5 41. NbS!

Again maintaining the pawn tension because e4 cannot be taken due to the pressure on the d7-knight. 41 . . . fxe4 42.fxe4 Rb8 43.Bb4 Red8 44. Rfl! Again we see the drawback of Black releasing the tension! With the pawns still on f5 and f3 this move would make no sense. 44 . . . KgB 45. Bxd7 Releasing the tension, but winning a pawn. 45. . . Nxd7 46. Bxa3

And White won the game easily from here: 46 . . . RdcB 4 7. Bxd6 Ra8 48. BxfB Nxf8 49. Rf2 Rcb8 50. Rfb2 Nd7 Chapter 7: Maintaining Tension

1 63

51. Nc3 Rc8 52. Rb7 Nc5 53. R 7b6 R a 3 54. Rc6 Rxc6 55. dxc6 Rxc3 56. RbB+ 1 - 0

Naiditsch - Ponomariov Dortmund 2014

22.Rcl Maintaining the tension. If 22 .e5 then 22 ... Nf4 with the idea of c6-c5 gives Black good counterplay. 22 . . . Nf4 22 . . . dxe4 would be met with 23.Nxe4 threatening d4-d5. 23 . . . Nhf6 24.Nxf6+ Nxf6 25.Ne5± Followed by Bc4. 23. Bfl Qb8 23 ... dxe4 24.Nxe4 Nd5 25.Ne5;!; leaves Black with a weak c6-pawn. 24.g3 Ne6

164

Chapter 7: Maintaining Tension

25.h4/ To restrict the e6-knight, create some attacking chances on the kingside and give the fl-bishop a square on h3. 25. . . Bg7 26.Bh3 c5/ Strong players are not afraid to increase the pawn tension and often welcome the opportunity to do so. Black would fall slightly worse after 26 . . . dxe4 27.Nxe4 c5 28.Ne5 Bxe4 29.Rxe4 Nf6 30.Reel cxd4 31.Rxc8 Qxc8 32.Bxd4;!; 2 7. dxc5 Bxb2 28. Qxb2 Ndxc5? This is a serious mistake which gives White a clear advantage. When there is pawn tension for a long period of moves, it can induce mistakes even from very strong players. 28 . . . Nexc5 was necessary, where after 29.Bxd7 Nxd7 30.Rxc8 Qxc8 31.e5;!; White has a small advantage. 29.Ne5/±

White maintains the tension of the e4 and d5 pawns a little longer and tries to exploit the downside of the move Ndc5. The e5-knight is headed to g4 in order to target the abandoned dark squares near the Black king. 29. . . RedB 30. Bxe6/ Releasing the tension for concrete reasons. The point of Black's previous move was 30.Ng4? d4! and now Nf6+ does not win the exchange on e8. 30. . . Nxe6 Black's king is too exposed after 30 .. .fxe6? 31.exd5 exd5 32.Ng4+31. Rxc8/ Qxc8 Not 31...Rxc8? 32.Nd7+32. Rcl ?I Stronger was 32 .exd5! Bxd5 (32 ... Rxd5?! 33.Ng4+-J 33.Ng4± 32 . . . QaB 33. exd5 Bxd5 34. Ng4

34 Bhl? This active-looking move ends up backfiring on Black. Best was 34 . . . h5! 35.Nh6+ (Also unclear is 35.Nf6+ K{B 36. Qe5 Bhl 37.Nde4 Bxe4 38.Nxe4 Qd5'f!) 35 . . . K f8 and surprisingly after 36.Qf6 (or 36.Rel Qb7 37. QhB+ Ke7 38. Qc3 Qc6=) 36 . . . Qb7!;!; White has no knockout blow. 35. Nf6+ Kf8 36. Nxh7+ Kg8 3 7. Nf6+ Kf8 38.(31 Bxf3 39. Qa3+ Kg 7 40.Nxf3 Kxf6 41. Qb2+ Ke7 42. Ne5 After a long forcing sequence, White can again claim a clear advantage due to Black's exposed king. 42 . . . Nd4 43. Rfl f5? The last chance was 43 . . . Qd5± 44.Rel+..•

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1 65

Black has no longer any chances to survive: 44 . . . Qd5 45. Qb6 Rd6 46. Qc7+ Kf8 47. Nxg6+ Rxg6 48. Qe7+ Kg8 49. QeB+ 1 - 0

166

Chapter 7: Maintaining Tension

Chapter Summary Chess is not a game where only the strength of the moves (or lack thereof) alone decides the outcome of a game. It is also partly psychological and one should try to get as much of the upper hand as possible over one's opponent. We should try to add to our opponent's mental pressure by using specific tools in chess; and maintaining tension is one such important tool. Playing quickly, playing with a good amount of display of confidence, even banging the clock assertively can be weapons which could work in our favor at the lower levels. But as a player progresses in chess, he should add more on-the-board tools which can add pressure to our opponent. Playing for a win every game, playing for a win in equal positions, having good opening preparation, voluntarily creating complications, transposing to an endgame when the opponent is not comfortable in endgames, and taking on a lot of risk to play for the win are such tools. Maintaining tension between pawns and pieces also falls under this category. Young players often release tension as soon as it appears on the board either by fixing the pawns or exchanging the pawn creating the tension. Strong players, on the other hand, relish maintaining tension between pawns or pieces for as long as possible and release it only when it is clearly in their favor, or if continuing to maintain the tension could lead to problems. By maintaining tension, we constantly keep our opponent under pressure by forcing him to consider at each turn, "What will happen if I release the tension on the next move?" He has to be alert and calculate move to move and cannot play casual or intuitive moves. By giving concrete problems for our opponent to solve, we increase the probability of our opponent making a mistake in calculation - or we force him to play an intuitive move without carefully considering the consequences, and then try to exploit it to our advantage.

Chapter 7: Maintaining Tension

167

Chapter 8 Improving the Position of Pieces

M I am at a loss of what to do. How do I form a plan?" One simple suggestion

any chess players often ask the question, ''After the opening stage is over,

is to ask yourself, "Which is the worst-placed piece in my position?" Your goal is then to set about improving it. " IN SITUATIONS INVOLVING STRATEGIC MANEUVERS (WHEN THE TIME FACTOR IS NOT OF DECISIVE IMPORTANCE ) , LOOK FOR THE PIECE WHICH STANDS WORSE THAN THE OTHERS . MAKING THIS PIECE MORE ACTIVE WILL OFTEN TURN OUT TO BE THE SUREST WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR POSITION AS A WHOLE " - KosIKOV, SECRETS OF POSITIONAL PLAY

In the opening, we mainly focus on developing our pieces quickly but sometimes we don't put them on the right squares. The early middlegame is the time to set them right. When we improve the position of a single piece, we also improve our position as a whole, in the process. Good positional chess is about improving our position bit by bit and at the same time taking care not to allow our opponent to do the same. Thus, prophylaxis and improving our pieces play a crucial role in positional play. We can see many players complaining that they get good positions but are unable to win them. Combining prophylaxis and improving one's pieces will surely help to overcome this problem in technique. We often find young players too enthusiastic about advancing pawns in their games. While in a sense it shows that the player likes to play active, aggressive chess, which in itself is a good thing, pawn moves are not always advisable. In positions where we have long-term positional advantages, and in positions without pawn breaks, it is more important to play calm, quiet chess. A combination of prophylaxis and piece improvement would be a better way to handle such positions. 168

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

Whenever we feel the urge to make a pawn move, we can try asking ourselves if a better piece move is available in the position; and given a choice between a pawn move and a piece move, choose the latter. Not for nothing do they say, "Once a pawn moves forward, it cannot be taken back." Pawn moves are advisable when we are trying to launch a pawn attack on our opponent's kingside, for seizing initiative, for advancing our pawn majority to create a passed pawn, for seizing space, for advancing a passed pawn, and for controlling the center or an important square. In positions where pawn tension is already present on the board and where forcing moves (checks, captures, threats and pawn breaks) are possible, calculation is a necessity. In positions where forcing moves are absent and there are no present pawn breaks, using logical thinking with knowledge of various chess principles will be the ideal way to find the best continuation. To play logical chess, as I mentioned earlier, a sound knowledge and understanding of chess principles is necessary. I strongly suggest to readers: give importance to prophylaxis along with the drawback principle, improve your pieces and when all your pieces are improved, change the pawn structure in the position. We will explore the topic of prophylaxis in the tenth chapter. Regarding improving pieces, we need to know how to identify active and passive pieces first. This has been handled in Chapter 1: Assessment of the Position, under the section "Activity of Pieces". Now that we know how to identify active and passive pieces, we should prioritize the order in which they should be improved, in case more than one passive piece is present on the board. I was taught the following order in a FIDE trainer's camp a few years back, which I find very useful: The Order of Improvinl{ Pieces 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

WORST PIECE QUEEN RooK KING MINOR PIECES

The logic is simple to understand. Let us assume three patients come to

a doctor at the same time for treatment. One has a migraine, one has a fracture

in his hand, and one has a severe head injury. In which order should the doctor treat the patients? Obviously, the one with the head injury gets top priority, followed by the one with a fracture in his hand, then finally the one with a migraine headache. Similarly, in any position where logical thinking is required, we need to make use of prophylaxis more. If that is not required, then we need to focus on improving our passive pieces. We have already seen how a passive piece varies according to the situation. An undeveloped piece, a piece in the corner of the board, a piece attacking a pawn which is defended by another pawn, and Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

1 69

a knight restricted by pawns of either color are usually are the worst placed pieces in any position. They should always get top priority when you're trying to improve your position. If there is no "worst piece" in the position, then the biggest piece gets priority. Given an option between playing with a bad bishop or a bad queen, playing with a bad bishop is preferable. By the same logic, after improving the queen's positioning, we need to focus on the rooks. After the major pieces have found better squares, we have a small twist. We need to improve our king position first, and only after, do we seek to improve the minor pieces. When we improve our major pieces, sometimes the king position becomes vulnerable due to the presence of a back rank weakness. To avoid this, first clear the back rank of any weaknesses by moving a pawn near the king. (When your opponent has only one bishop, it is better to keep the pawn(s) near our king on the same color as the bishop to eliminate checks) Now, we are ready to reposition the minor pieces. Even in endgames, given an option to improve our king or minor pieces, we should improve the king first. The exception is if any of the minor pieces is the "worst piece," then it should get priority. We should not blindly follow this order, of course. It is only a guiding principle. But it works say 80% of the time, which is a very good success rate! When we identify the worst piece and improve it, we must be cautious of our opponent's reply. If his reply makes any of our pieces the "worst piece", then again, we have to fix the position of this piece before moving down the list to the queen. At every move we should ask ourselves, which is my worst piece? Only when there are no ''worst pieces" present, do we move to the next in the order. When we use prophylaxis and the drawback principle (Chapter 10), we're denying our opponent the opportunity to improve his position. When we employ the improving pieces method we improve our position as a whole. This combination of denying our opponent a chance to improve his position while we improve ours increases our advantages to win. If we learn to get better in the art of improving pieces and in prophylaxis, our positional play will improve significantly.

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Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

Grachev - Popov Biel 2009

What is White's worst-placed piece? The c3-bishop looks bad but is fulfilling an important function by defending the a5 and e5 pawns. The knight on f3 is somewhat restricted but is also well-placed for defense as well as a potential kingside attack. In this position White chose to ignore the attacked pawn on a5 and played 25. Qc2! Declaring his intention to attack Black's king. 25. . . Bxa5 25 . . . Nxa5? 26.Bxe6+26. Qg6! Bxc3 2 7. Ng5!

automatically of Instead recapturing, White puts two more pieces en prise! 27. . . hxg5 28. Rxd7! Neither 2 8.Rd3? Nxe5 nor 28.Bd3? Kg8 are sufficient for White. 28 Qxd7 After 28 . . . Rxd7 White wins with 29.Qh5+! Kg8 30.Bxe6+ Kf8 31.QhS+ Ke7 32 .Qxg7++29. Rxd7 Rxd7 30. Qh5+ Kg8 31. Bxe6+ Kf8 • • •

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82.Bxd7 Perhaps even stronger was 32 .bxc3!?+82. . . Bxe5 83. Qxg5 Rd8 34. Qf5+ Bf6 85. h3

From here White went on to convert his material advantage: 85. . . Ne7 36. Qg4 g5 3 7. h4 gxh4 88. Qxf4 Kg7 39. Qg4+ Kh6 40. Qf4+ Kg7 41. Qe4 b 6 42. b3 a5 43. Kfl Ng6 44. Qb7 Ne7 45. Qc7 Nd5 46. Qc6 Ne7 4 7. Qb7 Bd4 48. Qe4 Bf6 49. Qc4 Kh6 50. Qf7 Rxd7 51. Qxf6+ Ng6 52.{4 Kh7 58.{5 Nh8 54. Qxh4+ Kg8 55. Qg5+ 1- 0

1 72

Lysyj

-

Stubberud

European Club Cup 2010 1 .Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4 . e4 d6 5. d4 0 - 0 6. h3 e5 7. d5 a5 8.g4 Na6 9. Be3 Nc5 10.Nd2 Bd7 11. Be2 c6 12. h4 cxd5 13. cxd5 a4 14. a8 Qa5

Black threatens to capture on e4. 15. Kfl! b5 1 6. h5! Raes 16 ... b4 would be met with 17.Nc4! Qc7 18.axb4 Ncxe4 (18 . . . Nb3 19. h6! BhB 20.Bb6 QbB 21.Ra3±) 19.Nxe4 Nxe4 20.Rcl Qb7 21.Kg2 Nf6 22.Nxd6 Qxd5+ 23.Bf3 Qxdl 24.RhxdU 1 7.g5 Ne8 18. hxg6 White didn't want to allow 18.Kg2 f6!+t 18 . . . fxg6 19. Kg2 Rf7 Again if 19 . . . b4 20.Nc4! Qc7 21.axb4 Nb3 22.Nb6+- and White's pieces are dominating. 20. Rh4!

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

taking Nel-d3 , Intending control over the b4-square and also supporting a later f2-f4. 25. . . RcB 26.Nel Rc7 2 7. Nd3 Rc2 28. Bdl Rc7 29. Ndb4! Nc5 30. Nc3! White's knights work together to lock up the queenside. 30 . . . RcB 31. Be2 RbB 32. Nc6! Bxc6 33. dxc 6 Nc 7 34. Nd5 Nxd5 35. exd5+-

Since for the moment Black's counterplay with b5-b4 is under control, White continues with his own play on the kingside. 20. . . BfB 21. Qhl Rb8 22. Na2!? Spending another move to stop Black's counterplay. Stronger was the straightforward 22 .Qh2! b4 23.Nc4 Qc7 24.axb4 Rxb4 25.Rhl Bc8 where White has the beautiful breakthrough 26.Nxe5 ! dxe5 27.d6! Bxd6 28.Nd5 Qb7 29.Nxb4 Qxb4 30.Rxh7+22 . . . Qd8 23. Qh2 Na6 24. Rhl±

35... Na6 36.Bd3 With the idea of Bxg6. 36. . . Rg7 37. Qg3 Qf7 38. Qf3 Qxf3+ 39. Kxf3 Nc7 40.Rb4 Nxd5 41. Rxb5 Of course not 41.Bc4? Rf7+!+ 41 . . . Rxb5 42. Bxb5 Nxe3 43.fxe3 1-0

24... Qe7 25.Nf3

Chapter 8 : Improving the Position of Pieces

1 73

Geller - Keres Petropolis Interzonal 1973 1 . c4 c 6 2. d4 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 Nd7 8. Bd3 Bb4 9. 0 - 0 Qe7 10. a3 Bxc3 11. bxc3

11 ... 0-0? It was better to start with ll.. .dxc4 12.Bxc4 and then castle: 12 . . . 0-0;!;; 12. cxd5 exd5;!;; White has the semi-open b-file and can put the b7-pawn under pressure. The dark squares in the center and queenside are weak for Black and White can hope to gain control of them with correct play. It is very difficult for Black to generate his own counterplay on the kingside or in the center which means he will be doomed to passive defense. 13. a4! White aims to play a5 and fix the pawn weakness on b7, and also clears the a3-square for a possible later occupation by his queen. 13 . . . RdB 14. aS NfB Threatening Bg4, trading off the bad bishop. 15. Qa4! 1 74

Stepping out of the potential pin, connecting the rooks and preparing a later Qa3 or Qb4. 15. . . Bd7 Of course now 15 . . . Bg4 can be met with 16.Ne5 16. Rfbl Rab8 1 7. Qa3!± Timing is everything: White goes for this exchange only after the developing move Rfbl. 1 7 Qxa3 18. Rxa3 c5 19. Ra2! White wants to double on the b-file but could not play 19. Rab3 due to c5-c4. 19. . . RdcB 20. Rab2 Rc7 21. h3! After improving the rook, White eliminates his back-rank weakness. 21 . . . Ne6 22. NeS BcB 23. Bf5 •••

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

28 . . . Nc7 would be met with 29.Rc3 29. Nc 6 Rb7 30. Bxd5 Bd7 31. Ne5 Ba4 32. Bxb7 Bxb3 33. Nd3 Ke7 34.Nxb4 Kd6 35.(3 f5 36.Bc8 g5 3 7. Bxe6 Bxe6 38.(4 gxf4 39. exf4 Bc4 40. Kf2 Be6 41.Kf3 Bb3 42.g4 Ke6 1 - 0

Landa - Svane Politiken Cup 2010

We can clearly see the difference

in the activity of the pieces for both

sides. 23 . . . Kf8 24. Bg41 Rerouting to f3 to target the d5pawn. 24 . . . cxd4 25. cxd4 Rc3 Black has to go for active counterplay. 25 . . . Ke7 is insufficient after 26.Bf3 Kd6 27.Rb5+26. Rb3/ Preventing all counterplay by exchanging Black's only active piece. 26. . . Rxb3 27. Rxb3 b5 28. Bf3+-

The rest is easy. 28 . . . b4

Black is ready for the freeing pawn break c6-c5. 1 7. Bfll Prophylaxis against c5. 17. . . Ne7 17 . . . c5 would be met with 18.c4! Ne7 19.d5± 18.c4 Again preventing c5. 18 . . . Rfd8 The fight continues, by covering the d5-square Black again threatens to advance his c-pawn. 19. c5/ Rd7 Intending to double rooks on the d-file and play Nf5 to put pressure on the d4-pawn. 20. Bd3 ?/ 20.Ng5 !? was stronger: 20 . . . bxc5 (20... h 6 21.Ne4±) 2 1.dxc5 Rd5 22.Bc4±

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

1 75

20 . . . RadB 21. Qc2 h6

22.Bh7+! A typical idea, driving the king to the corner where it does not protect f7 and is farther from the center in case of an endgame. 22 . . . KhB 23.Be4 Nd5 24.Rcl Since Black has doubled on the d-file, White does not want to remain in an indirect pin, so the rook moves to the c-file where it protects the c5 -pawn. White also prepares to create mating threats with the maneuver Qe2, Bbl and Qe4. 24 . . . b5 25. Qe2 Another point of 24.Rcl is that now Black cannot play Nc3 . 25.g4 is an interesting way to play for a direct attack on the kingside, but White does not want to complicate the situation and instead slowly prepares an attack, since Black has no obvious counterplay. 25 b4

26.Bc2?! serious was a 26.Bxd5!? alternative, since Black has just made the weakening pawn move b4, giving White the option of switching plans and playing to open the queenside with a2-a3: 26 . . . Rxd5 27.a3 bxa3 28.Ral± 26. . . Nc3 27. Qd3 g6 28. h4 Again strong would have been to first throw in 28.a3!? a5 29.axb4 axb4 and then 30.h4 as White can hope to later make use of the open a-file. 28 h5 29. Bb3 Defending the a2-pawn and also preparing a possible sacrifice on e6. 29 . . . Qa5 • • •

. • •

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Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

30.Qe3?! Stronger was the immediate breakthrough 30.Ng5! Rf8 31.Bxe6! fxe6 32.Qxg6 Qxa2 33.Rc2 ! Qb3 34.Qh6+ Kg8 35.Nxe6+30. . . Kg 7 31. Qg5 ReB 32. Qf6+ KgB 33. Qf4! Gaining a tempo due to the threat of Qh6 and Ng5. 33 . . . Kg7 34. Rc2 QdB A better defense was 34 . . . Ba6 but still after 35.Re3 Ndl 36.Rd2! Nxe3 37.fxe3± Black will not be able to defend the kingside. 35. Bc4 a5 36.Rd2 Qe7 3 7. Qe3 RaB 38. Qd3 QdB 39. NgS Nd5 40.g3 Nc 7 41.Ne4 Ba6 42. Bxa6 Rxa6 43. Nf6 Nb5 44. Re4! Raa7 45.g4+-

The final breakthrough. 45. . . Nc3 46.gxhS! Nxe4 47. Qxe4 Rd5 48. hxg6 fxg6 49. hS Rf7 50. Qxg6+ KfB 51. h6 Ke7 52. Qg5 1- 0

Koneru - Kononenko Women's European Club Cup 2010 1 . d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5. Qc2 b5 6. b3 e6 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. Be2 Bd6 9. 0 - 0 0 - 0 10. e4 dxe4 1 1 . Nxe4 Be7

12.Bf4 Highlighting the drawback of Black's previous move. 12 . . . Nxe4 13. Qxe4 Bb7 14. Rfdl Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

1 77

This makes it more difficult for Black to achieve the standard c6c5 or e6-e5 pawn breaks. In many openings, especially with the Black pieces, it is important to achieve a certain pawn break in the center at the right time, or else risk being stuck with a passive position. 14 . . . RcS 15. a4! By keeping pressure on the b5 -pawn, White inhibits the c5 pawn break. Without playing c5 Black will be doomed to passivity. To enable this break, Black has to drive the queen on e4 away or defend the b7bishop and release the tension on the queenside with either b5 -b4 or by capturing on a4 or c4. In the latter case, White would gain control of the b-file. 15 . . . Nf6 16. Qbll

16.Qc2?! would feel uncomfortable opposite the rook on c8 and also after a pawn trade on c4 White would not already have control over the b-:file: 16 . . .bxc4 17.bxc4 c5!+t 16 . . . b4 After 16 ... bxc4 17.bxc4 the b7-bishop is now under attack. 17 ... Ba8 18.c5! and Black's bishop looks terrible. 1 78

1 7. Ne5 a5 If now 17. . . c5 then 18.dxc5 Qa5 19.c6! Bxc6 20.Nxc6 Rxc6 21.Bf3± With the pair of bishops and a protected passed pawn, White is clearly better. 18. Bf3

There is no pawn break for White in the position, so White should keep an eye out for Black's ideas and also continue improving his own pieces. 18.Ra2 !? Qb6 19. Rad2 was another way to handle the position, followed by Bf3 . This is another advantage of 16.Qbl over 16.Qc2 . 18 . . . Qb6 Defending the b7-bishop and threatening c5. 19. Qc2 ?! 19.c5! Qa7 20.Qc2± was the correct move order. 19. . . RfdS ?! 19 . . . c5! was Black's last chance for this pawn break, which would give his pieces some space to breathe: 20.d5 Bd6 21.Bg3 Rfe8! with the threat of 22 . . . exd5 would have given Black adequate counterplay. 20. c5! Qa7 21. Nc4!

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

Although this knight was looking very good on e5, it was blocking the diagonal of the f4-bishop. 21 . . . Nd5 22. Be5! Provoking f7-f6, which would weaken the e6-pawn and also prevent Black from later playing Bf6. 22 . . . RfB Black indicates that he does not have an active plan and is struggling to find good useful moves. As we have learned in previous chapters, in such situations we should not try to force things, but instead slowly improve our position and only after all our pieces are in the best positions should we play more concretely. Keep in mind that it is more difficult to defend such positions than to "prosecute" them. 23. Rel Trying to improve both rooks. 23.Bxd5 cxd5 24.Nd6± was also possible but as I mentioned earlier, we should not force things in dominating positions where the opponent has no counterplay. 23 . . . RcdB 24.Radl Bc8 25. Rd3!

Black has only one good piece, the knight on d5, so White removes any possible target for it. Even if Black plays Nc3 , it will not attack anything. 25 . . . {6 Black decides to finally do something, but it ends up weakening his position anyway. 26. Bd6 Bxd6 2 7. Nxd6 Bd7 28. Be4! Provoking further weaknesses in Black's kingside. 28 . . . {5 29. Bf3 Also completely crushing would be 29.Bxd5 cxd5 (or 29. . . exd5 30.Re7+-) 30.f4+29 . . . Qc7 30. h4 Clearing the back rank and further cramping Black on the kingside. 30 . . . Rf6 31. Rd2 Bc8 32. Rde2 Bd7 33. Qc4 Ra8 34.Re5 Slowly increasing the pressure. 34.Rxe6? would be unnecessary and ineffective: 34 . . . Bxe6 35.Rxe6 Rxe6 36.Bxd5 cxd5 37.Qxd5 Rae8 38.NxeS Qf7-+ 34 RafB 35. Qa6 Rb8 36. Nc4+. • .

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

1 79

Muminova - Hou Yifan Women's FIDE Grand Prix Sharjah 2014 I . e4 c5 2. Nf8 Nc 6 8.Bb5 g6 4. 0 - 0 Bg 7 5. c8 Nf6 6. Rel 0 - 0 7. h8 Qb6 8.Ba4 R d B 9.d8 d5 IO.e5 Nd7

White wins a pawn and with it the game. 86 . . . BcB 8 7. Qxa5 Qb7 88. Bxd5 cxd5 89. Nb6 Qc6 40. Qxb4 Ba6 41. Qa5 BcB 42. Qb5 Qc7 48. a5 f4 44.f8 h6 45. Qe2 RfB 46. b4 QdB 47. h5 Bd7 48. b5 BeB 49. Rxe6 Bxh5 50. Re7 Bf7 51. Nd7 Qxa5 52. NxbB RxbB 58. Rxf7 Kxf7 54. Qe6+ KfB 55. Qd6+ 1 - 0

180

II.d4 Bad would be 11.e6? fxe6 12.Rxe6 Nde5+ 11 . . . NfB Note that Black has not exchanged pawns on d4, which would only free the c3-square for White's knight. 12.Na8 12 .dxc5 Qxc5 is possible but would leave White's e5-pawn weak. 12 . . . cxd4! Now that Nc3 is not possible, Black exchanges on d4. 18. cxd4 Bf5

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

makes some preparatory moves in this direction. 18 . . . Kh8 allows Rg8, preparing a later g6-g5 . 19.BbS Bh6 20. Be2 Ng7 21. NbS Nf5 22. Nc3 e6 Defending d5 and freeing the d8rook for an active role later on, as well as vacating the e7-square for the c6-knight. 23. Bg4 Nh4 24. Khl RgB 25. Rcl BfB

Black's pieces are noticeably more comfortable than White's. 14. Be3 Ne6/ Tying White's queen to the defense of the d4-pawn. 15. Qd2 Be4 16. Radl Bxf3 Even stronger was 16 . . . f6! 17.exf6 Bxf3 ! 18.fxe7 (Or 18.gxf3 Bxf6+) 18 . . . Nxe7 19.gxf3 Nf5 20.Khl Rf8+ 17.gxf3 RacB 18.f4 KhB

In order to drive away the g4bishop with h7-h5 and cover the weak c5 and d6 squares if White's knight tries to access them later. 26. Redl QdB 2 7. Qe2 Rg7/ Preparing h5. The immediate 27 ... h5?? would run into 28.Bxh5! 28. Na4 h5 29. Bf3 Nf5 30. Bg2

Both players have completed development and there are no pawn breaks in the position. Hence both players should try to improve the position of their pieces. Black wants to relocate the e6-knight to f5 via the moves Bh6 and Ng7, so she Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

181

Carlsen - Mamedyarov

Qh4 31. Qd2 Be7 32. Nc5 g5!- +

Gashimov Memorial Shamkir 2014

Just when White manages to create some threats on the queenside Black strikes on the kingside. 33. Nxb7 gxf4 34. Bxf4 Rcg8 35. Bg3 Rxg3! 36.fxg3 Nxg3+ 37. Kgl Bg5 38. Qf2 Bxcl 39. Rxcl Nxd4 40. Rel Ngf5 41.Nd6

41 ... Nf3+! 42. Qxf3 Qxel+ 0-1 White did not make any major mistakes in this game but Black's play was very impressive. She found the right squares for her pieces and chose the correct flank to focus her play on.

182

Black threatens b6-b5 to control the light squares. 16. c4! Gaining space, opening the third rank for the c2-rook, and blocking off Black's queen from the center. White can also now meet 16 . . . c5 with 17.d5! 16. . . RfeS After 16 . . . b5 17.c5!± White should be able to generate threats on the kingside, since Black's pieces are completely cut off from that area of the board. 1 7. Rdl Now that White has completed his development, he can focus on creating a kingside attack, since Black's pieces are far from that side of the board. 17. . . cS 18. d5! exd5 19. Rxd5 worth also was 19.cxd5 considering since after 19 . . . Nxe5 20.Nxe5 Rxe5 21 .Qxe5 Qxc2 22.Relt White's d-pawn is quite strong. 19. . . NfS 20. h4!

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

The Black kingside is looking more and more exposed. His rook and knight are passively placed while his bishop and queen are almost completely out of the game. 2 7. . . Qc6 27 ... Qxa2? would be suicidal: 28.Qd7 Kf7 29.Ng6 Qa6 30.Rdl! Qxc4 31.Rd3 a5 32.Bd2! Bxd2 33.Rf3++28. a3 Ba5 29. Rdl Qc7 30. Ng6 Nxg6 31. Qxg6 Qf7 32. Rd3/

Helping both the kingside attack and the defense of White's first rank. 20. . . h6 21. Be3 Ng6 22. Qd3/ The immediate 22 .h5 would allow 22 ... Ne7 23.Rd6 Nf5 so White first plays the prophylactic Qd3 . 22 . . . Re6 23. h5 Ne7 24.Rd6 Bb4 25. Rcll Relocating the rook to the d-file. White ignores the threat to his a2pawn, putting more faith in his own threats on the kingside and center. 25. . . Re8 25 . . . Qxa2? just loses to 26.Rd8+ Rxd8 27.Qxd8+ Kh7 28 .Qf8+26. Rxe6 fxe6 2 7. Nh4/±

Not allowing Black's bishop to emerge on c3. 32 . . . a6 Trading queens does not bring Black much relief: 32 . . . Qxg6 33.hxg6 Kf8 34.f4± 33. a4 Rf8 34.g4/ Qe8 35. Rd6 Qxa4 Allowing a wmnmg breakthrough, but Black was losing anyway. 36. Qxe6+ Kh8 37. Bxh6/

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

183

Salgado Lopez - Caruana lBth Pamplona International 2008

Now Black's only hope is a perpetual. 87. . . Qal+ 88. Kg2 Rxf2+ 89. Kxf2 Qel+ 40. Kg2 Qe4+ 41. Kh8 Qhl+ 42. Kg8 Qel+ 48. Kf4 Bd2+ 44. Rxd2 Qxd2+ 45. KfS gxh6 After 45 ... Qd3+ White's king escapes: 46.Kg5 Qe3+ 47. Kg6 ! Qxh6+ 48.Kf7 Qxe6+ 49.Kxe6 and White wins the queening race: 49 . . . a5 50.Kf7 a4 51 .e6 a3 52 .e7 a2 53.Kg6 ! alQ 54.eSQ# 46. QeB+ Kg7 4 7. Qe7+ and Black resigned without waiting for 47. . . KgB 48. Kg6 1 - 0

184

18 . . . eS 19. Qe8 Nf6 Controlling the d5-square and putting pressure on the e4-pawn. 20. Rd2 RacB 21. Bf8 ?! Correct was 21.f3, after which the b7-bishop and f6-knight become passive, so Black should immediately play 21...d5! 22.exd5 Nxd5 23.Nxd5 Rxd5 24.Rxd5 Bxd5= with equality. 21 . . . RcS 22. Radl Threatening 23 .Qxc5! 22. . . Qc7 Queen behind rook is a more active configuration than rook behind queen. 28. Qe2 Stopping Black's threat of a6-a5 and b5-b4. 28 . . . Kg7 Black cannot move the dB-rook because of the weak d6-pawn, so instead he simply improves the position of his king. 24. h4 h5!

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

28. c8 bxc8?! Again better was 28 . . . a5+ 29. Nxc8 Be6 80. Qe8 Bb8 81. Rel Qb4 82. Bdl Be6 88.(4 exf4 84.gxf4 d5! 85. exd5 Nxd5 % - %

As usual, it is correct to fix the pawns near our king on the same color as the opponent's bishop. A thematic idea in such positions is 24 . . . Rxc3?! although here it does not offer enough compensation: 25.bxc3 Qxc3 26.Rxd6 Rxd6 27.Rxd6 Qxa3 28.Rb6 Bc8 29.Qd2± 25.g8 Bc8 25 ... Bc6 was also possible, with the idea of pushing a5 and b4, but perhaps Black did not want to block the path of his queen. 26. a4 b4+

Black i s clearly better here, but for some reason the players agreed to a draw.

27.Na2 Qb6 Better was 27. . . a5 28 .c3 b3 29.Ncl Rc4 30.Nxb3 Rxa4+ Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

185

Grachev - Filipovic Hilton Basel Chess Festival 2013 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.Nc3 Bb7 4. Qc2 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Nf3 Nxc3 7. bxc3 g6 8. e4 Bg7 9. Bb5+ c6 10. Bc4 b5?

Maintaining the tension. White wants to capture on b5 only when he feels he will gain the most from it. 1 6 Qc7 Black now wants to break with e7-e5. 1 7. Bh4/ Further prophylaxis. 1 7. . . e6 Black is unable to execute one of his main pawn breaks. 17 e5 18.Bg3 Nd7 19.Rfdl± leaves Black tied up. and 17 c5 18.Bg3 Qd7 19.axb5 axb5 20.Ne5 Bxe5 21.dxe5 Na4 22 .Qe3;!; also looks attractive for White. 18. Rfdl • . •

11.BdB?I White could have immediately launched an attack with ll.Bxf7+! Kxf7 12.Ng5+ Ke8 13.Ne6 Qd7 14.Nxg7+ Kf7 15.Bh6 Rg8 16.0-0 Rxg7 17.f4! Rg8 18.f5+1 1 . . . 0- 0 12. 0 - 0 Nd7 13. Bg5 a6 . Black wants to play c6-c5. 14. a4 Preventing c5 by adding pressure on b5. 14 . . . RcB 15. Qe2/ More prophylaxis. 15.Radl?! would be a sign that White is not paying attention to Black's idea: 15 . . . c5! 16 .axb5 cxd4 17.bxa6 Ba800 15. . . Nb 6 1 6. Bc2/

186

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

•••

•••

White has completed his development and has a strong center which is the main feature of the position. After strengthening our center to the maximum, we should switch our attention to a flank, preferably the kingside, and start an attack there. 18 RfeB 19. Bg8 Qe7 20. Ne5 This knight can go to either d3 to eye the dark squares on the queenside, or g4 to do the same thing on the kingside. Also the White queen is now freed up to access the kingside. 20 . . . Nd7 21. Nf8 Nb6 22. h4/ White obviously does not want to repeat and take a draw. This move attacks the kingside while making luft for White's own king. 22 . . . Nd7 28. h5± Nf6 24.Bh4 Threatening 25. e5. 24 ... QfB 25. hxg6 fxg6 26. Ne5 Rcd8 2 7. Nd8+ .•.

Black has problems on all sides of the board. 2 7. . . Rd7 28. axb5 The right time to open the position! 28 . . . axb5 Black loses a pawn after 28 . . . cxb5 29.Nc5 Rc7 30.Nxb7 Rxb7 31.Rxa6+29.Bb8 Rf7 80. Nc5 Bc8 81. RaB Nh5 82. Bg5 h6 88. Be8 Kh7 84. e5 It is very instructive how White quietly improved his pieces and denied Black the opportunity to do the same. 84 . . . Nf4 85. Bxf4 Rxf4 86. Bxe6 Qh8 87. BxcB Rxc8 88. Ra7 Qe8 89. Ne4 Qe6 40. Qe8 Rff8 41.Nf6+/ 1 - 0

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

187

White mates after 41.Nf6+ Kh8 42 .Qxh6+! Bxh6 43.Rh7#

Maneuverina- of Pieces

We have seen how to improve the position of our pieces. Now let us briefly take up the subject of maneuvering our pieces. When we are improving pieces, we usually manage to do so within a move or two, saving precious time. Anything that involves more time to move a piece from a bad square to a good square, we call maneuvering.

Bu Xiangzhi - Svidler Nanjing Pearl Spring 2008

188

Black's main problem is his king preventing the h8-rook from entering the game. He should find a way to drive away White's queen without losing time. 15 . . . NdB! 1 6. Qe3 Nf7 1 7. Rfdl Kg 7 consolidated his Black has kingside and the open d-file should result in the exchange of all of the rooks. 18. Rd5 b6! So that the a7-pawn does not hang. 19. b3 Rhd8 20. Radl Rd6=

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

plays for the advantage of a passed pawn. 23. exd5! Qxe2 24.Bb3 a5 25. d6 a4 26. Bd5±

Black has equalized and the game was soon drawn.

Topalov - Aronian Narijing Pearl Spring 2008 With a large positional advantage, White was able to eventually win the game.

22. Bc2! White has restricted Black's bishop, knight, and e8-rook with his pawns on f3 and e4. It is time to improve the d3 -bishop, which is blocked by the e4-pawn, and also to clear the d-file for the major pieces. 22 . . . Bd5!? Black tries to do the same - this bishop will be better on e6 than on b7. But now White changes track and

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

189

Svidler

-

Bu Xiangzhi

Nanjing Pearl Spring 2008 1 . d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. c5 b 6 7. cxb6 Nbd7 8. Bd3 c5 9. b3 Nxb 6 1 0. Ba3 Nfd7 1 1 . 0 - 0 Bb7 12. Rcl RcB

In the time it took Black to castle, White has brought his rook from f1 to the very useful c2-square. 15. . . cxd4 1 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 1 7. exd4t.

13.Rel/ Improving his worst piece, the rook on fl. Black still needs a few more moves to develop his bishop and castle, so White uses that time to maneuver his rook to an active square. The long-term problems with Black's position are that the b6knight is restricted by the pawns on b3 and d5, while the light-squared bishop is also blocked by the d5 pawn. It is not going to be easy to activate those pieces any time soon. Of course not 13.Qe2?? c4 or 13 .Qd2?? cxd4 which both lose a piece for White. 13 . . . Be7 14. Re2/ 14.e4?! 0-0 15.exd5 would only help in improving Black's passive minor pieces. 15 . . . Nxd5 16.Nxd5 Bxd5 = 17.Bxa6?? Ra8-+ 14 ... 0- 0 15. Rec2

190

White has secured a pleasant edge, since Black's cramped queenside remains a problem.

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

Aronian - Svidler

Eljanov - Alekseev

Nanjing Pearl Spring 2008

FIDE Grand Prix Elista 2008

White stands a bit worse, so Aronian found a nice equalizing maneuver: 20. Rb2! Nh6 21. Rc2 Ne7 21...f5?! would be met with Rxc7 23.Rxc7 22.Rxc6 ! Rdc7 24.N4c3± 22. Rc3 = With his maneuver, White solved the problem of his passive bl-rook by adding protection to the d3-pawn while putting pressure on Black's weakness on c6. The game was later drawn.

1 1 . Bd3 h6 12. Bxf6 After 12.Bh4 Black could seize the initiative with 12 . . . g5! 13.Bg3 e4!? 14.Bc2 (14.fxe4 Ng4 15.Nf3 Nxe3 16.Kf2 Ng4+t) 14 . . . Re8t 12 . . . Qxf6 13. Be4! White tries to create an imbalance in the position so that he can continue playing for a win, although in this case it is with some risk, as his king is still in the center and he will need some time to complete development and castle. Strong players know when they are extending too much and when their play is within a reasonable limit of playing for win - at least, most of the time! 13.Ne2 would lead to equality after 13 . . . Bf5 14.Bxf5 Qxf5 15.Ng3 Qe6= 13 . . . Bf5 14. Bd5

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

191

Polzin - Svidler Bundesliga 2008

l4.Bxc6 Qxc6 15.Qxe5 Bg6iii leaves Black with plenty of compensation for the pawn. 14 . . . Ne7?! Black should have tried the more testing 14 . . . Qg5!? 15.Kf2 e4 16.fxe4 (16.Ne2 ?! exf3 17.gxf3 Qh4+ 18.Ng3 RfeB't) 16 . . . Bxe4! 17. Bxe4 Qh4+ leading to a perpetual after 18.Kf3 Qh5+ 19.Kg3 Qg5+ 20.Kf2 Qh4+= 15.Ne2 Nxd5 1 6. cxd5 Qd6 1 7. e4 Bd7 18. 0 - 0 '!

The protected passed pawn o n d5 gives White an advantage, and he went on to win.

192

22 . . . Na4 Can you guess the destination of this knight? 23. Rd2 Nc5 24. Qg2 ?! Correct was 24.Bxc5 Qxc5 25 .Qe3t 24 . . . Nd3 25. a4 Qb7 26. Qe4 Threatening b2-b4! followed by Rda2! 26. . . Nf4/«J

This knight took quite a long journey to come to the outpost on f4! Black is certainly not worse now.

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

Balogh

-

Kempinski

Objectively stronger was 29.Rdl Qe7 30.Qxe7 Bxe7 31.Rg4 h5 32.Rg3± 29 . . . Bg7 29 . . . dxe4? 30.Bxf7+30. Qg5 Rxe4 31. R exe4 Rg8? Black had nothing to be afraid of after 31...dxe4! 32.f6 Bf8= where White has nothing better than a perpetual. 32.f6+-

Bundesliga 2008

23. Rd41-+ KgB 23 . . . Ne4? would lose to 24.Bxe7 Qxe7 25.Nxd5 23 . . . h6 24.Rh4 Kg8 transposes to the game. 24.Rh4 This maneuver suddenly exposes just how weak the Black king is. 24 . . h6 25. Bxh6 gxh6 26. Qg3 + U 26.Rxh6 Kg7 27.Re3+- would have finished the game more efficiently. 26. . . Kh7 2 7. QgS Bf8 28. Qxf6 .

32 BfB 33. QfS+ Rg6 34.Rel 1-0 •••

28 ReB 29.Ne4?! •.•

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

193

Delchev - lbrayev

Kramnik - Carlsen

38th Olympiad Dresden 2008

Wijk aan Zee 2008

15. Nb3! This thematic shot exposes the restricted position of Black's queen. 15 . . . Qa6 15 ... cxb3 16 .axb3+- and the queen is trapped! 16.Nc5 Qa5 After 16 . . . Bxc5 17.Bxf6+ Kxf6 18.dxc5 Bxh3 19.gxh3 White wins the d5 -pawn, with a large advantage. 1 7. Bxc8 Raxc8 18. Nxb7 Qa6 19. Nc5±

14 . . . Ra7 This shifting of the undeveloped a8-rook to d7, to cover the d6 -pawn and later advance the kingside pawns, changes the dynamics of the position in Black's favor, as will soon be seen. 15. Bb2 Rd7 1 6. R acl Nc 7 1 7.Nf3 f5! 18.Nc3 g5 After defending his central pawns adequately, Black advances his kingside and seizes the initiative. 1 9. Qd2 No better is 19.Qe3 g4 20.Nd2 Bg5! 21 .Qxb6 Qa8 22.f3 Rb8 23 .Qf2 Ne5� with good compensation in the form of active pieces. 1 9. . . g4 20. Nel 20.Nd4 would be met with 20 ... Bg5 ! 21 .e3 (21.Nxc6? Bxd2 22.NxdB Bxcl 23.Nxe6 Bxb2 24.NxfB Kx{B- +) 21...Ne5+ 20. . . Bg5! 21. e3 Rff7 22. Kgl Ne8"'

With this knight journey, White gained a pawn and went on to win. 194

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

Bartel

-

Lov1' k

a1ovi . "k Open 2008

20. Ra3!± White first douhies his rooks on the a-file, and th�n improves the . position of the b2-b1shop. Qd7 Jill Bell I' 20. . . Nb 6 2 1 . R�al Rfb8 ? Necessary was 22 Rab8 2 3 Be3 Bd8 24.axb5 axb5 25.Ra6± 3 Be3 JI This man ver breaks the . pieces Black's coordination completely. Bxb6 24 ' Bxb6 23 . . . B dB 25. axbS+And Wh1"te soon won. ·

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···

•

:

. the Position of Pieces . . Chap te r 8 . Improving ·

·

195

Djuric - Yusupov Sarajevo 1984

Black is about to lose his d5 -pawn but he finds a good way to relocate his pieces and exploit White's weak king position and uncoordinated forces. 36. . . ReB!+ 3 7. Rxd5 If 37.Rb7+ then 37 . . . Kf6 (or even 37. .. KgB!? 38.Bh6 Nf5 39.Bg5 RaB+) 38.Rb6 Ne4 leads to Black's advantage, for instance 39.Bf4 Re6 40.Ne2 Kf5 41.Bg3 Nf6! 42.Rxd6 Rxe2+ 43.Kfl Re3 44.Be5 Ne4 45.Rxd5 Rxc3+ 37. . . Ne4 38. Bel Rh8! The White pieces lack harmony, while Black's coordinate perfectly and are poised to exploit the weaknesses in White's position. 39. Kfl The best chance was 39.Nf3 !? gxf3+ 40.Kxf3 Re8 41.b5 Kf6 42.b6 Ng5+ 43.Kg2 Nf7+ but Black retains good winning chances. 39. . . Rh2 40. b5 Rb2 41.Ne2 Rbl!

196

42.b6 42 .Rh5 would be met with 42 . . . Bg3!-+ 42 ... Rxb6 43. Bh4 Rbl+ 44. Kg2 Rb2 45. Kfl Kg6- + With his king ready to join the action, Black was able to convert his advantage.

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

Sorokin

-

Ramesh

Ramesh

Commonwealth Chess Championship Sangli 2000

-

Kunte

Goodricke Open Kolkata 2001

20.Nfl b4 21. Ne3 Qg5 22. Qe2! White has the better pawn structure but all of Black's pieces are active (except for the a5 -knight). He needs to coordinate his pieces and cover all his weak spots while focusing on Black's weak d6 and b4 pawns. That is achieved by the regrouping starting with 22 .Qe2 . Also interesting was 22 .h4!? Qc5 (22 ... Qf6 23. Qg4±) 23.Re2!± with a potential threat of Ndf5 . 22 . . . Qc5 23. Qd2± Black's weak pawns on d6 and b4 give White a clear advantage, although he later misplayed the game and only drew.

40. Bd3 Nh5 41. Bc2! h6 42. Bb3± This maneuver has helped White improve his "bad" bishop on e2 and put pressure on Black's kingside. 42 . . . Nf4 43. Bxf4 exf4 44. e5! Securing the d6-square for the White rook. 44 . . . g5 White's idea was 44 . . . Bf5 45.Rd6 !± 45. Qc2! Exploiting the drawback of Black's previous move. 45 . . . Be6 46. Bxe6 Rxe6 47. Qf5 Be7 48. h4!+ -

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

197

Capablanca - Yates New York 1924

Breaking the kingside completely open. Black is defenseless. 48. . . Qa7 49. hxg5 Even stronger was 49.Nd4+49 . . . hxg5 50. Nxg5 Qal+ 51. Kh2 Bxg5 52. Qxg5+ Kh7 53. Qxf4 Rh6+ 54. Kg3 Kg7 55. Rd6 Qc3+ 56. Qe3 Qxe3+ 57.fxe3 Rh5 58. Rxc6 Rxe5 59. Kf4 1- 0

This is a famous game from the past in which the White knight plays the starring role: 40. Nc3! Rc5 41.Ne4 Rb5 42. Ned6 Rc5 43. Nb7 Rc7 44.Nbxa5+· Bb5 45. Nd6 Bd7 46.Nac4 Ra7 4 7. Ne4 +·

And White went on to win.

198

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

Shomoev - Le Russian Team Championship 2013

32. . . RcB! The rook was badly placed and Black immediately takes care of it. 33. Rf3 1! The engine suggests 33 .Qb4= challenging Black's blockade. 33 . . . RhB 34. Rd3 Rh5n. Suddenly the position is turning in Black's favor. The seemingly formidable c6-knight is in fact not contributing much in terms of concrete action and may prove to be a mere spectator. The Black rook is aiming for the g3-square and also keeps White's pieces tied to the defense of the d5-pawn. 35. Qb4 Qd7 36. Qe4 Rg5 3 7. d6 Rgl+ 38. Ka2 Rg3 39. Qd5 Rxd3 40. cxd3 Qxh 3 - +

41.Ne5 If 41.d7 Qe6! 42 .Qxe6 fxe6 43 .dSQ Bxd8 44.NxdS h3-+ and the pawn promotes. 41 . . . Qe6! After the exchange of queens Black's h-pawn decides the game. 42. Qxe6 fxe6 43.Ng4 Bd4 44.Kb3 44.d7 also falls short: 44 . . . Bb6 45.Kb3 Kf7 46.Kc3 Ke7-+ 44 K(B 45. Kb4 Ke8 46.Ka5 Bxb2 4 7. Kxa6 Bxa3 48. Kxb5 Bxd6 0-1 • • •

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

199

Centralization of Pieces

One of the important principles in the opening phase of the game is to fight for central control with pawns and with pieces. The player who controls the center has better chances to realize his plans in the game. The central squares on a chessboard are like the capital of a country. It should be firmly under our control. Usually in the middlegame and in the endgame, it is not possible to keep control of the center with only pawns. Central pawns get exchanged in many cases and it becomes necessary to fight for central control with our pieces. Tip: A piece in the center controls more squares than it does from other areas of the board. A piece in the center can spread its influence in all directions.

Let's see some examples to understand how the centralization of pieces works in practical situations:

Nakamura - Bauer French Team Championship 2009

Qxa4 and although White can try 39.Bb6!? Black is safe after 39 . . . axb4 40.Qxc7+ Ke8 41.Qd8+ Kf7 and White has nothing better than a perpetual with 42 .Qc7+= 38. Kh2 axb4 39. Bxb4± White has kept his extra outside passed pawn. 39. . . Nd6 40. Bxd6!? Also fine was 40.Qd4 40 . . . cxd6?

37. Qe4! This poses serious problems for Black, forcing him to find tough "only moves" to survive (which he fails to do). 37. . . Qg5+? After 37. . . Qa3! Black can win the a4-pawn thanks to the pin on White's b-pawn. However, sidelining the queen is not an easy decision. 38.Qb7 200

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

A better defense was 40 . . . Kxd6 although after 41.h4± the two passed rook pawns give White good winning chances. 41. Qb 7+ Kd8 42. QbB+ Ke7 After 42 . . . Kd7? White wins with 43.Qb5+! Qxb5 44.axb5+43. Qc7+ 1- 0

and are scattered on the queenside. If he can successfully bring harmony to his pieces, then he should win the game without major problems. 34 NeS? After 34 Bd6? White simplifies favorably with 35.Nb4! Bxb4 36.Rxd7± and here 36 . . . Rc3? can be met with 37.a6!+Best was probably 3 4 Rc3 35.Rxd7 Rxb3;!; where White still has some work to do. 35. RdSI Centralization! The text is much stronger than 35.Nb8? Rc3 ! 36.Rbl Bd6 37.Nd2 Rc8! 38.Na6 f5 and White has made no progress toward untangling his pieces. 35. . . Nc4 After 35 . . . Rxa6 36.Rxe5 Bd6 37.Rd5± White has coordinated his pieces while Black is doomed to passivity. 36. NbB Rc8 3 7. Nd7 Be7 38. Nb6 •••

•••

••.

Winning a second pawn, after which the position is hopeless.

Karpov - O'Kelly Caracas 19 70

34. Rdl! Although White has an extra pawn, his pieces lack coordination

White has almost finished coordinating and here Black blunders: 38 . . . Rc6? It was necessary to take on b6 and try to bring the king in for defense.

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39. Nxc4 Rxc4 40. a6 Ra4 41.Ra5 1- 0 Black will have to give up his bishop for the a-pawn.

Gustafsson - Beliavsky Bundesliga 2009

We see from this game that centralization at the right time will naturally lead to an overall improvement of the position.

Rudd - Jones European Union Championships 2008 20. Qd4! Centralization! 20 . . . b5 21. cxb5 Bxb5? Better was 21...axb5 22.Bxf6 Qxf6 23.Qxf6 gxf6 24.Nd4 Bxg2 25.Kxg2 Rxcl 26.Rxcl Nd6 27.Rc7 Rd8;t although Black still has a very passive position. 22. Qb6 d5 23. Bxf6 gxf6 24. Nd4 The difference in piece activity for both sides is noticeable. Black's weak pawn structure is not helping him either. 24 . . . Nd6 25. a4 Rb8 26. Qa5 Bd7 2 7. Qxa6 1- 0 24 . . . QeB! back-rank White's Using weakness to gain a tempo, Black transfers his queen to the central e5square. 25. Qdl ? Completely missing Black's idea.

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After the best move 25.Rffl, Black keeps firm control of the position with 25 . . . Qe5 26.c3 Ne3 27.Rel g3+ 25. . . QeS 0-1

of the b6-pawn gives Black counter­ chances. 34 . . . BfB Also possible was 34 . . . Qxa2 35.QdS+ Kg7 36.Qxb6i In positions with pawns on the same side, the side with an extra pawn has better chances to play for a win if he has a knight in his possession. It is also well known that a queen and knight usually give more attacking chances against the enemy king than a queen and bishop combination. 35. Qd2 Qe4 36. Kh2 Bc5 37. Ncl Kg7 38. Nd3

Winning a piece outright.

Karpov - Vaganian Budapest 1973

34. QdS"t. White centralizes his queen which is a good strategy to follow in technically superior positions. Worse would be 34.QeS+ Kg7 35.Qe5+ Kg8 36.Nd4 Qbl+ 37.Kh2 Qxa2 38.Nf5 Bf8 and the presence

In many positions with a knight against a bishop, the knight is ideally placed on a very specific square: the square of the opposite color of the opponent's bishop, on the third rank of a central file. Here that square is d3, since Black has a dark-squared bishop. (If Black had a light-squared bishop then White's knight would be best placed on e3.) From d3, the knight can defend his pawn on f2 and it is also ideally placed to shift attention to the weakened Black kingside. White does not want to advance his f2 pawn since, as we have seen earlier, we should keep

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Karpov - Grigorian

the pawns near our king on the same color as the opponent's bishop in order to limit opportunities for checks. 88 . . . Qd4 89. Qe2 Bd6 40. Kh8 The immediate 40.Nf4 Bxf4 41 .Qg4+ Kh7 42 .Qxf4± was also possible. 40. . . Qd5 41. Nf4 Bxf4 42.gxf4±

USSR Championship 19 73

80.Qe4!? Another approach to the position would be 30.Rb2 Bf5 31.Qcl Qe5 (White was threatening to play 32 .Rb4 with tempo to protect his rook and release his bishop from the pin.) From here Karpov showed good technique and won the game comfortably: 42 . . . KfB 48. Kg8 b5 44. Qb2 Qd8+ 45. Kh4 Qd8+ 46. Kg8 Qd8+ 47. Kh2 Kg8 48. a8 Qd6 49. Qb4 Qf6 50.f8! Qh4+ 51. Kgl Qh5 52. Qe7 Kh7 52 . . . Qf5 would lead to a winning pawn ending after 53.QeB+ Kg7 54.Qe5+ Qxe5 55.fxe5 Kg6 56.f4 Kf5 57.g3+58.g4 Qh8 1- 0 After 53 ... Qh3 Black resigned before White could play 54.Qxf7+ But Black had nothing better: 53 . . . Qg6 would be met with 54.Qe4+-

204

(Worse would be 31 . . . a5?! 32. Qc7 Qxb2 33. QxbB+ Kh7 34. Qf4 Be6 35.Be4+ g6 36. Qe3± with centralized pieces and an extra pawn. White should try to advance his h-pawn in the near future to create attacking chances against the Black king while also keeping the pressure on the a5-pawn (the principle of two weaknesses.))

32.Rb4 a5 33.Qf4!? Qxf4 34.Rxf4;!; 80 Qdl+ 81. Kh2 . . •

Chapter 8: Improving the Position of Pieces

31 Be6?/ Correct was 31. .. Qd6+! 32.f4 (32. •..

g3 is met with 32 ... Qe6! exploiting the fact that h3 is now weakened. 33.Rd2 Qxh3+=) The more difficult

line to spot (without the help of an engine) is Bxh3 ! 33.gxh3 Rxb7! 34.Qxb7 Qxf4+ 35.Kg2 Qg5+ 36.Kf3 Qf5+ 37.Kg3 (37.Ke3 Qe6+) 37 . . . Qg5+= This variation does not take any credit away from White's play. It happens sometimes that when we are in pursuit of ideal positional moves we tend to overlook some tactical variations which go against us, but that is more of an exception rather than a rule. 32. Rb2 ? The nice 32.Qf4! Rxb7 33.Rd2! Qh5 34.RdB+ Kh7 35.Qe4+ would have won the exchange. 32 . . . Qd6+ 33.g3

33 Qxa3?! Black should have gone for 33 ... Bd5! 34.Bxd5 Rxb2 35.QeB+ Kh7 36.Qxf7 where White has two pawns and the initiative for the exchange, with a roughly balanced position. 34. Qe5 Centralization again! Worse would be 34.Qf4?! Re8 34 RdB 35. Be4! The centralization. Another White king will feel safe on g2 while Black's king safety is much more of an issue. 35 KgB 36. RbB Qe7 •••

• . •

..•

37. h4?

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Correct was 37.Rb7 Rd7 38.Rxa7 ! (Less convincing is 38. QbB+?! RdB 39.Rxe7 RxbB 40.Rxan) 38 . . . Rxa7

39.Qb8+ Qf8 40.Bh7+! Kxh7 41 .Qxf8 The extra pawn on the kingside empowers White to play for a win with confidence here. 37. . . a5!? In queen and pawn endgames, possession of a passed pawn is an important advantage which can compensate for a shortage in material. Here it will be Black's sole source of counterplay. 38. Qh5 No better is 38.Rb5 a4 39.Ra5 Qb4 38 . . . {5! 39. RxdB+ Qxd8 40. Bxf5 Bxf5 41. Qxf5 a4 42. Qc2 Qa5 -* · *

White has nothing more than a perpetual, as his pawns are not yet ready to support the queen in creating any serious threats around the Black king.

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Chapter Summary Often times we hear players complaining that once the opening is over they are at a loss in regard to what to do from then onwards. "I am not able to make a plan - there are so many things happening that I am confused as to where to start. What should I do?" Once the opening is over (when all eight pieces are developed), it is a very good idea to stop what we are doing, have a pause, and assess what has happened so far. Has our opponent completed his development as well? Are both kings safe? Are the pieces well placed? What about the pawn structure, are there any weaknesses or targets to attack? Asking such questions internally could tell us something more about the position and guide us to where we should focus our attention. Another way to handle an unknown situation, or a normal position without an obvious plan, is to ask ourselves which of our pieces are badly placed and try to improve their positioning. When we improve the position of one badly placed piece, we actually improve the quality of our entire position. Playing with a single passively placed piece can harm our whole position in the long run and often in the short run too. When more than one piece is badly placed, then the worst placed piece should take priority, after which the priority shifts from the most powerful pieces to the minor pieces. Removing the back rank weakness is an easy way to improve the king's position. When all of our pieces are well placed, even if we fail to anticipate a possible tactical combination from our opponent, more often than not we will have a way out due to the strong placement of our forces. Who knows, the tactics may end up in our favor as well! On the contrary, if any of our pieces are badly placed then any complications initiated will tend to end up in our opponent's favor.

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Chapter 9 Playing on Colors

0 n a chessboard we have squares in only two colors - white and black;

and we have 32 squares of each. We are given two bishops to control these squares adequately. It often happens that one or more bishops are exchanged off during the course of a game. We need to adapt our play according to the bishops that get traded off the board. If we manage to gain control of one particular color of squares, then it gives us control of over half the board! Ai3 soon as any one bishop leaves the board as a result of an exchange of pieces (or sometimes as a result of sacrifice) then, at that same moment, we should decide on which color we are going to play for the rest of the game. If a disappearance of another bishop happens, in this case, we will return to the color principle to guide us. When we want to gain control of a particular color, we usually do so by putting all our pieces on that same color. Of course, if we put our pawns on one color then all the squares of the opposite color become weak. Here is a general guide for knowing on which color to play on, depending on the situation:

1. Same colored bishops for both sides: Only the bishops should focus on their colors. All the other pieces should play on opposite colors. For exam­ ple: if both sides have dark colored bishops, we should put all our other pieces on light squares.

Two bishops versus bishop and knight: The side with the two bishops should play on the colors where the opponent does not have a bishop. The side with the bishop and knight should play on the color of the bishop. 2.

3.

Opposite colored bishops:

bishops.

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Both sides should play on the colors of their

4. One bishop versus one knight: The side with the knight should play

on the opposite color of the opponent's bishop. The side with the bishop should utilize his other pieces on the opposite color of the bishop. 5. Both sides have both bishops: When the central pawns are fixed on a particular color, we should play on the opposite color of our opponent's

centralized pawns, and try to exchange the opponent's bishop of that same color. For example: if the opponent's center pawns are fixed on light squares, then we should exchange the dark colored bishops and fight for the dark colors with other pieces.

Polzin - Motylev Bundesliga 2008

14 . . . Nc4 Both sides have dark-squared bishops, so they should try to put their other pieces on light squares. 15. Qe2 b5 White at some point could kick the c4-knight with b2-b3, so Black aims to put his pawn on a4 to stabilize the c4-square for his knight. Moreover, if Black castles on the kingside, where he does not have as many defenders, it is possible that White could launch a direct attack with f2-f4, g2-g4 and f4-f5. Hence Black wants to secure adequate counterplay on the queenside before he makes the decision to castle short. If things get too hot on the kingside, then he

could consider keeping his king in the center or even sending it to the queenside if necessary. 1 6. axb5 cxb5 1 7.f4 Qb6 18. Nd2 If White tried to launch an attack immediately with 18.g4 then Black would have adequate resources: 18 ... a4 19.Nd2 Qc6 20.f5 gxf5 21.gxf5 exf5+ and Rxf5 is impossible in view of Qg6+. 18 . . . Qc6 19. Nf3 a4+

With a small advantage, Black went on to win from here. In this example, Black not only used his pieces but also his pawns to gain control over the light squares on the queenside.

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Stenersen

-

Tiviakov

Giovik Open 2008

29 . . . RacB 30. Qd3 30.Qe2 would allow 30 . . . a3 ! 30 . . . Rc4 ':i= Since White does not have any pawn breaks, Black can slowly bring his pieces to their optimal squares. Here he wants to put the rook in front of the queen on the c-file. 31. b3 axb3 32. Rabl White has created a weakness for himself on c3 but also one for Black on b5. An important defensive technique is to exchange as many pawns as possible on the side where we are defending and aim for a position with pawns on only one side of the board. 32 . . . Qc6 33. Rxb3 Rd5

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When we have a positional advantage, we should try to keep more pawns on the board (even if they are slightly weak) and try to win our opponent's weak pawns, thereby transforming our weak pawns into passed pawns. The defender, on the other hand, should be trying to exchange as many pawns as possible. 33 . . . b4?! 34.cxb4 Bxb4 35.Bf2 would only ease White's defense. 34. Qe3 Bd8 Since White has no counterplay, Black keeps improving his pieces. Note the order in which he improved his pieces: first the undeveloped a8-rook, then the queen to c6, then the rook to d5 and finally the minor piece. His final task will be to tend to the back rank. 35. Rd3 h6! Keeping the pawns near the king on the same color as the opponent's bishop in order to limit potential checks. 36. Qe4 Ba5 3 7. Qe3 Ra4 38. Rdl Qc4 39. Rdbl Ra2+

Ni Hua - Zhou Jianchao Chinese Championship 2009

Complete domination on the light squares! Black soon broke through and won the game convincingly: 40. Qcl h5 41.gxh5 Rxh5 42. Rlb2 b4 43. Rxa2 Qxb3 44. Qal Bb6 45. Ra8+ Kh7 46. cxb4 Qe3+ 47. B'f2 Qh6 48. Bel e5 49. Qbl+ f5 50. Ra3 Bxd4+ 51. Kfl Qg6 52.g3 Rhl+ 53. Ke2 e4 54. b5 Qh5 55. Qb4 Qh2+ 56. Kdl B'f2 57.fxe4 Bxel 58. Qxel fxe4 59. Re3 0-1

In this position White has the better pawn structure, with two pawn islands versus Black's three. A better pawn structure means we can exchange more pieces if required. The only issue for White is his kingside pawns which are on the wrong color. They should ideally be on dark squares in order to limit the activity of Black's bishop. Also because of the presence of the dark­ squared bishops, both sides should aim to control the light squares as much as possible. 25 . . . Rf8 26. Qe4 Prophylaxis: Black was threatening to play Rf5 , but now it is not possible since the a8-rook would be hanging. White makes sure to centralize his queen on a light square and also increases the pressure on the e7pawn. 26. . . Rae8 2 7. Rcdl Rf5 By playing 26.Qe4 White gained one tempo by obliging Black to play Rae8 and only then Rf5. Such small things matter a lot in positional play. White is not afraid of the rook exchange and he now plays to create Chapter 9: Playing on Colors

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a second weakness by advancing his pawns on the queenside. 28.a4!

If White plays a4-a5, then one of the Black pawns will become a weakness on the queenside. However, this could also weaken White's b3 -pawn if Black opens the b-file with bxa5 , so any further advance should be done only after sufficient preparation. 28 . . . Bf6 29. RxfS gxf5 30. QdS+ Kh8 31.g4! White has a firm grip on the position so he can afford to make this risky but sound pawn break on the kingside. It does weaken his king, but Black is not in a position to exploit this and moreover Black's king could become just as exposed. 31 . . . fxg4 32. hxg4 Rg8 33. Kg2 Qe8 34. QfS Qg6 35. RdS Qxf5 36. RxfS Kg7

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37.aS! At last! The weakness on the queenside will prove decisive. 37. . . bxaS 38. RxaS Rb8 39. RbS Ra8 40. R b 7 a5 41.gS Bc3 42. Rxe7+ Kg8 43.Ba7! A very instructive move - White prevents Black from activating his rook and generating counterplay. 43 . . . Bd2 44. Bd4 Shifting the target now to Black's king and h7-pawn while also indirectly defending the g5 -pawn. White's piece activity is decisive. 44 . . . RbB 45. Rg7+ Kf8 46. Rxh7 1-0

Short - Karpov Dos Hermanas 199 7

20 . . . Rc4 21. Bd4 QbB/ Useful prophylaxis - see the explanation in the following note. 22. Rd3 After 22.Nd2 Nxd2 23.Rdxd2 Bxe5+ we would see the difference between 21... Qc7 and 21... Qb8: the rook on e8 is now defended by the queen. Again we see how strong players pay attention to such small but important details. If we cannot do the small things well, it becomes difficult to do the bigger ones well! 22. . . (4/'f. 23. Qdl Rc6/ 24.Nel ?/ 24.Qb3!? should have been played, not giving Black time to organize his pieces with Rce6. 24. . . Rce6

25.Nc2 After 25 .f3 Nd6 !+ we see the point of 22 . . . f4 and 24 . . . Rce6: the knight cannot be taken due to the pin, and now f5 is available for Black's knight. 25. . . Qb7 Defending the d5-pawn so Nb4 can be met with a6-a5. 26.(3 Nd6 2 7. b3 Nf5 Black could have also grabbed the e-pawn: 27 . . . Bxe5+ 28. Qd2 h51+

All of Black's pieces have taken up positions on light squares. Karpov does not defend his f4-pawn with g5, which would weaken the light squares. Instead, 28 . . . h5 does not Chapter 9: Playing on Colors

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commit Black to any one particular plan. He simply retains the option to play for an attack with g5-g4 in the future. For example, after 28 . . . g5 29.g3!? fxg3 30.Qxg5 gxh2+ 31 . Khl!? the position would be somewhat unclear. 29. Rel Of course not 29.Qxf4?? Bh6-+ 29. . . a5 30. Kfl Qc7 31. Kgl Kh7/ Black's last two moves were instructive. White made it clear that he does not have any active plan and is content to wait for Black to declare his intentions. In such situations, even if we have a good plan at our disposal, we can often postpone executing it and instead make small improving moves, a technique in which Karpov is unparalleled. 32. b4 a4 33. Kfl Qc4

Black has seized complete control over the light squares. 34. Kgl Bxe5/ Finally, once all of Karpov's pieces are positioned optimally, he wins a pawn and with it the game. 35. Bxe5 Rxe5 36. Rxe5 Rxe5 37.Nd4 ? Somewhat simplifying Black's task. 214

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37. . . Re3/ 38. Rxe3 fxe3 39. Qdl 39 . . . Qxc3 0-1 After 39 . . . Qxc3 40.Nxf5 gxf5 41.f4 Kg6 42 .h3 Qd2 43 .Qf3 h4!-+ Black's e-pawn is unstoppable.

Malakhov - Mamedyarov 49 th Spanish Championship 2005

1.Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 c 6 5. 0 - 0 0 - 0 6. d4 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8. Ne5 Ng4 9. Nxg4 Bxg4 10.Nc3 Nc6

ll.Be3?/ Better was 1 1 .h3 Be6 12 .e4 Nxd4 13.exd5 Bd7= 1 1 . . . e51+ With this move Black seizes the initiative. 12. Nxd5 12 .dxe5 also led to a clear advantage for Black after 12 ... d4 13.Bxc6 dxc3 14.Bxb7 Rb8 15.Be4 cxb2 16.Rbl Qxdl 17.Rfxdl Bxe5+ in Wang Yue-Vachier Lagrave, Lausanne 2006. 12 . . . exd4 13. Bcl After 13.Bf4 Black has 13 ... g5! 14.Bd2 d3 15.f3 Be6 16.e4 Bxd5

17.exd5 Qxd5 18.f4 Qc5+ 19.Khl Rae8+ 13 . . . ReB 14. Rel RcB 15. h8

Although this is technically a novelty, I don't think White prepared this position at home. On the highest level, insufficient opening knowledge is a huge disadvantage. 15. . . Bf5 1 6. a8 Qd7 1 7. Kh2 Be4 18. Nf4 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Ne5+ The battle for the light squares begins. White is going to find it very difficult to get his pieces out and fight for the light squares at the same time. 20. Nd8 Nc4 21. Bd2 21.b3 would seriously weaken the c3-square: 21...Nd6+ 21 . . . Qb5 Also interesting was 2 1 . . .b5 22 .Rcl a5 followed by a5-a4, securing c4 for the knight. 22. Rbl h5 28. h4 Re4 24. Bf4 RceB 25. Qc2 Nb6 26. Rbdl Nd5 27. Bcl b 6!? As we've seen before, when the opponent has no active plan, it is often a good idea to make useful improving or prophylactic moves instead of rushing into something concrete.

28. Kfl Qd7

Once again Black has complete domination on the light squares. 29. Nf4 Nxf4 80. Bxf4 Bf6! Black is still calmly improving his pieces. White's kingside is somewhat airy and Black correctly takes aim at it. 81. Qd2 Bxh4! 82.gxh4 g5! Throwing everything onto the fire! Always involve as many pieces and pawns as possible in the attack. It is tempting to attack only with our strongest pieces but it is usually well worth it to use all the resources at our disposal, even if it takes an extra tempo or two. 32 . . . Qh3+ 33.Kgl Qxh4 34.Bg3 Qh3 35.Qh6 h4 36.Rd3 Qg4 37.Kg2 hxg3 38.Rxg3 Qf4 would leave Black with "only" an extra pawn. 88.(8 33.hxg5 would now be met with 33 . . . Qh3+ 34.Kgl Qg4+ 35.Bg3 h4 36.Qd3 R8e5!-+ 88 . . . Rxf4 - +

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L'Ami - Nakamura Wijk

aan

Zee 2011

1 . d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 8. Nc8 Bb4 4. Qc2 0- 0 5. a8 Bxc8+ 6. Qxc8 b5 7. cxb5 c6 8. Bg5 cxb5 9.e8 Bb7 10. Nf8 h6 1 1 . Bh4 a6 12. Bd8 d6 18. 0 - 0 Nbd7 14. Rfcl

White's king is now hopelessly weak and Black won without any trouble: 84. Kg2 Qf5 85. e4 dxe8 86. Rxe8 Rxe8 87. Qxe8 Rxh4 88. RdB+ Kh7 89. Qc8 Qh8+ 40. Kf2 Qh2+ 41.Kfl Qhl+ 42. Kf2 Rh2+ 48. Ke8 Qgl+ 44.Ke4 Rh4+ 45. Ke5 Rf4 46. b4 Qg8 4 7. Qd8+ Rf5+1 0-1 White should usually try to play f2-f3 in such structures in order to control the e4-square and restrict Black's bishop and knight on f6. At the right moment he can also advance with e3-e4, as in the following game: 14.Qb4 Qb6 15.Bg3 Be4 16.Be2! Rfc8 17.Rfcl Ne8 18.Nd2 Bb7 19.Qb3 Bd5 20.Qd3 Ndf6 21.f3 Bb7 22 .Bdl Rxcl 23.Rxcl Rc8 24.Rxc8 Bxc8 25.Qc3 Bb7 26 .e4± So-Moradiabadi, Lubbock 2013. 14 . . . Qb6 15. Qc7 Rfc8 16. Qxb6 Nxb 6

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Now White should play on the dark squares since Black does not have a dark-squared bishop. Black, on the other hand, should play on the light squares since he has only a light-squared bishop at his disposal. 17. Bg3 Rxcl+ 18. Rxcl Rc8 19. Rxc8+ Nxc8 20. h3 It was more natural to play 20.Nd2 in order to gain control over the e4-square, followed by f2-f3 when White can hope to eventually play for a small advantage. However the drawback of the immediate Nd2 is that Black has the possibility of 20 . . . Nh5! = eliminating White's bishop pair advantage. 20. . . Ne4! If Black delayed this even by one move then White would permanently stop it with Nd2 . 21. Bh2 Kf8 22. Nel ?I After this error Black gets to take over the light squares. White could have maintained the balance with 22.Kfl Ke7 23.Ke2 Nb6 24.Nel= followed by f2-f3 and keeping Black's pieces at bay. 22 . . . Nd2!

Taking away the fl-square from White's king. 23.(3 f5 24.Nc2 Ke7 Nakamura uses his king to defend the weak d-pawn, freeing the c8-knight for a more active role. 25. Kf2 Nb 6 26. Ke2 Nb3 27.Nb4 Na5 28. Bc2 Nac4 29.Nd3 a5 30. Bg3 Nd5 31. Bf2 g5+

The tide has clearly shifted in Black's favor. White's pieces are serving purely defensive roles, and he is stuck with multiple pawn weaknesses on b2 and e3. 32.g4 a4 33. e4 fxe4 34.fxe4 Ndb6 35. eS?I

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35.d5! was White's last chance: 35 . . . Nd7 (35. . . exd5 would be met with 36.e5!?) 36.Bd4 exd5 37.exd5 Bxd5+ 35. . . Be4!

Landa - Burmakin Russian Championship Higher League 2009

1 . d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4. Qb3 e 6 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6.Nc3 Be7 7. e3 0 - 0 8. Bd3 a6 9. 0 - 0 h6 1 0. Bh4 Ne8 1 1 . Bg3 Bd6 12. Racl Bxg3 13. hxg3

Another picturesque domination of the light squares. 36. exd6+ Kxd6 3 7. Bg3+ Ke7 38. Kdl Bxd3 39. Bxd3 Nxb2+ 40. Ke2 Nd5 41. Be4 Nc3+ 42. Kf3 b4 43. Bel Nbdl 0-1

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The fight for the dark squares has begun. 13 . . . Qe7 14. B bl Nef6 15. e4 dxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 7. Bxe4 c5 18. RfdU Completing development and maintaining the tension. 18 . . . cxd4 19. Rxd4 Nf6 20. Bbl Qc7 21. Qe3!

32. Rd2!

Eying the central dark squares. Rd8 22. Qe5'1! Stronger was 22.Qf4, leaving the e5-square for the knight. 22 . . . Qe7 23 .RxdB+ Qxd8 24.Ne5± 22 . . . Qe7 23. Rcdl Rxd4 24. Qxd4 Bd7 25. Ne5 Be8 26. Qb6! Keeping control over dB, pressuring the b7-pawn, and keeping the Black queen away from the queenside. 26. . . Rc8 2 7. b4 Qc7'1! A better defense was 27 . . . Ba4 28.Rd4 (If 28.Rcl then 28 . . . Nd5!+ wins the b4-pawn.) 28 . . . Qc7 29.Qxc7 Rxc7 30.RdB+ Be8 31.c5 Kf8� where Black can follow up with Ke7 and Nd7, with a holdable position. 28. Qd4 a5 29. a3 axb4 30. axb4 Ra8'1! Better was 30 ... Qe7;!; to keep pressure on White's queenside pawns. 31. Bc2'1! Best was 31.b5!;!; keeping both of Black's minor pieces restricted. 31 . . . Ra2 After 31.. .Ba4 32.Bxa4 (Of course not 32.Ral ?? RdB!- +) 32 . . . Rxa4 33 .QdB+ Qxd8 34.RxdB+ Kh7 35.b5! White keeps good winning chances thanks to his more active pieces.

21

. • .

White has managed to keep his dark square control and some measure of positional advantage intact. 32 . . . Kf8 33.g4 '1! This weakening of the kinsgide was not necessary. Better was 33.Re2 Nd7 34.Nd3 b6 35.Rd2! 33 . . . b5'1! Giving White a protected passer was also not necessary. 34.c 5 Nd5 35.g3 Qa7 36. Kh2 Qa3'1 After the best defense 36 . . . QbB 37.Nf3 Bc6 38.g5 hxg5 39.Nxg5 Nf6! Black's position is just slightly worse. 3 7. c 6!± Qa7 38. Bb3! Qxd4 39. Rxd4 Ra7 40. Bxd5 exd5 41. Rxd5+-

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lpatov - Eljanov European Individual Championship 2014

1 . d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 b6 5. Bg5 Bb7 6. Nd2 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 8. e4 d6 9. Bg3 0- 0 10. Bd3 Nc 6 1 1 . Nb3 Nb4 12. Bbl c5 13.d5 e5

And the rest was simple: 41 . . . (6 42. Nd7+ Ke7 43. Rxb5 Ra2 44. Rb7 Kd6 45. b5+- Rxf2+ 46. Kgl Rf3 4 7. Kg2 Rc3 48.NbB g6 49. Nd7 f5 50.gxf5 gxf5 51. Nf6 Bxc6+ 52. bxc6 Rxc6 53. Nh5 1 - 0

With this move the pawn structure in the center becomes fixed, which will decide the potential plans available to each side. Black has two pawn breaks to play for: f7-f5 and b6b5. Similarly, White can aim for f2-f4 or b2-b4 to open the position for his pieces. The structure also dictates the color both sides should focus on: White's central pawns are on light squares, which makes his dark squares somewhat weak, while the opposite is true for Black - his light squares are somewhat vulnerable. 14. a3 Na6 15. 0- 0 g6 With the idea of 16 . . Nh5, gaining the pair of bishops. 16.(3 Nc7 .

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Black still does not know which flank will be opened first, therefore he does not yet commit his rooks and instead simply improves his worst­ placed piece. 17. Ncl Freeing the b-pawn to either break with b2-b4 or defend the c4pawn with b2-b3 if necessary. The knight will go to d3, where it will support both the f4 and b4 pawn breaks. 17. . . Ba6 18. b3 b5 19. Ba2 Rb8 20. Nd3 Nh5 Now that the queenside pieces have been improved and no progress can be made there, Black switches his attention to the other side. 21. Bf2 bxc4 22. bxc4 Na8! As usual, when our opponent has no active threats or pawn breaks it is usually a good idea to improve our pieces as much as possible before going for concrete play. 23. a4 Bc8!

Once White plays Nb5 then the bishop would not be doing anything productive on a6. Also now the a8knight can reposition itself with Nc7a6-b4. 24.Bb3 Nc7 25. Nb5!? a6 26.Nc3 Even though White lost time with Nb5 and Nc3 , his aim was to prevent Black from playing Na6-b4. White is now threatening to play a4-a5 and use the a4-square either for his knight or bishop. 26 . . . a5! Otherwise White will play a5 himself. 2 7. Nb5 Na6 28. Bc2 Nb4 29.Bbl

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221

After 29 . . . Bg5 Black may have been unduly worried about the speculative sacrifice 30.Nxc5!? dxc5 31.Bxc5 but here Black can return some material with 31...Nf4!+ and seize the initiative. 30. Bxd3 Nf4 31. Bc2 h5! Fighting for dark-square control on the kingside. 32. Bel h4 33. Qd2 RaB 34. Bf2 Bg5

Threatening 44 . . . Nxg2 ! 44. Bxf4 ?! Better was 44.Bfl, where Black has no immediate way to break through. 44 . . . exf4 45. Rel Qe5 46. Qc3 Bf6 4 7. Qxe5 Bxe5+

48.Bfl RbB 49.Ka3 Kf6 50.Rc2 g5 51.Ka2 g4!?

Black is slowly growing his advantage on the dark squares. Meanwhile, White has control of the light squares on the queenside but has yet to create any serious threats there. 35. Be3 Kg7 36. Rf2 RhB! Bringing the rook into the game via h5. 37. Kfl Qf6 38. h3 Bd7 39. Kel Rh5 Black continues to slowly improve his pieces on the kingside, while White is starting to fall into a defensive position. 40. Bd3 Bh6 41. Kdl Rg5 42. Kc2 Rg3 Black has achieved domination of the dark squares. 43. Kb3 Bg5 222

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Perhaps Black's only chance to win the game. 52. hxg4 ? Simply losing the game on the spot. Necessary was 52 .fxg4 Kg5 53.Rf2 = which would leave both

sides without a good way to make progress. 52 . . . h3! 53. Rf2 Bxb5! 54. cxb5 Bd4 55. Rc2 h2 56. Bd3 Bgl 0-1

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Chapter Summary In chess we should strive to control the position on the board through various means such as: gaining more space, attacking the opponent's king, having a better pawn structure, etc. Fighting for domination on one particular color is also an important tool to use in the fight for control over the board. If we gain control over, say, the important light squares of the position where our opponent is weak, then we effectively control the lifeline of the position. We can completely dominate the whole board by planting our pieces on the critical light squares and squeeze our opponent out of the game. When we avoid placing any of our pieces on the same color as our opponent's bishop, we are denying that bishop an effective role in the game. In the absence of bishops, the pawns play the crucial role of controlling a particular color of squares. By placing our pawns on light squares, we can gain control of the light squares but we directly weaken the dark squares at the same time. So handling our pawns without weakening our squares is important. In the presence of weakness on one color of squares, the bishop of that particular color is crucial to our position. We should not agree to the exchange of that bishop at any cost.

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Chapter lO Prophylactic Thinking and The Drawback Principle

T appear in many different positions, as these

hroughout this book, we have seen the themes of prophylaxis and drawbacks ideas are important and universal in chess. In this chapter, we will get a better understanding of both prophylactic thinking and the drawback principle. Previously this has been said about the topic of prophylaxis: " GENUINE POSITIONAL PLAY COMBINES THE CONSISTENT CARRYING OUT OF YOUR OWN PLANS WITH SIMULTANEOUS COUNTERACTIONS AGAINST THE OPPONENT'S IDEAS " - NIMZOWITSCH

"A MEASURE WHICH IS TAKEN WITH THE AIM OF PREVENTING SOMETHING WHICH IS UNDESIRABLE FROM A POSITIONAL POINT OF VIEW " - NIMZOWITSCH " THE ESSENCE OF POSITIONAL PLAY IS IN THE ENERGETIC AND PLANNED EXECUTION OF PROPHYLACTIC MEASURES " - NIMZOWITSCH " PROPHYLACTIC THINKING IS THE HABIT OF CONSTANTLY ASKING YOURSELF WHAT YOUR OPPONENT WANTS TO DO, WHERE HE WOULD GO ON HIS MOVE , THE ABILITY TO FIND A REPLY TO THE QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN POSED AND TO TAKE IT INTO ACCOUNT IN YOUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS " - DvoRETSKY

We know man is a selfish animal. This is especially true in chess as well. We all want to win games and increase our rating points without paying any attention to our poor opponent or how he would feel after a loss. This is how it should be in any sport. Not paying attention to your opponent's feelings is one thing, but not paying attention to your opponent's ideas is a different thing altogether. It directly affects our "selfish" plans of winning the game at our opponent's cost. Chapter 1 0: Prophylactic Thinking and the Drawback Principle

225

Chess principles are universal. What applies to one, applies to everyone else, too. We cannot say, if my opponent puts his rook on an open file, it is useless; but when I do the same, it matters a lot. It doesn't work that way. All the moves we make in our games are played with the impression/ assumption that they contain some good ideas, sound logic and have good intentions. So if we play a game with such moves, then logically we should win that game. Isn't it so? But it doesn't happen that way all the time. This is because most moves have good and bad elements in them. Only the ratio varies. In some moves, the good elements are on the higher side; and in other moves, the bad elements are on the higher side. Depending on the percentage of bad elements in a move, we call that move dubious, a mistake or a blunder. When there are more good elements than bad, the move becomes interesting, good or excellent. Imagine making a bad move against a stronger player. It is likely that the punishment will be swift. This is mainly because he notices a mistake has been made, and he reacts accordingly. In games between younger players, mistakes are made on both sides quite often but the punishments don't come at the right time or sometimes not at all. The one who makes the biggest mistake in the end loses the game! This happens when younger players don't realize that a mistake has been committed on the board, either by himself or by the opponent. When we describe a coin, if we talk only about the head and leave out the tail, we don't get the complete picture of a coin. Similarly, when we talk of prophylaxis, we should also talk about the drawback of the opponent's move. Both are present in every move. The Drawback Principle

To understand a move in its totality, we need to know how to identify the ideas and drawbacks behind our opponent's move. Let us learn how to pinpoint the drawbacks in our opponent's moves. When a piece remains on one square, it is doing a certain job from that square. It could be controlling diagonals, squares, files or ranks. When it moves to another square, it is controlling a different set of squares, diagonals, files or ranks. The squares, diagonals, files or ranks it abandons become the drawbacks of that piece's move. If we can exploit some weakness in those areas, it means we have taken advantage of the drawback of our opponent's previous move. When a pawn moves from one square to another, the adjacent squares become weak. When a pawn moves two squares, all four adj acent squares become weak. (See Diagrams 3 and 5 on the following pages. )

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Diagram 1 In Diagram 1, we can see the squares controlled by the queen on dl highlighted by arrows.

Diagram 2 In Diagram 2, the squares highlighted are the squares the queen abandoned when she moved from dl to e2. Black can now exploit the drawback of White's queen move by infiltrating with pawns or pieces.

Chapter 1 0: Prophylactic Thinking and the Drawback Principle

227

Diagram 3 In Diagram 3, when White played e3, the d3 and f3 squares became 50% weaker (as the pawns on g2 and c2 are still covering those squares).

Diagram 4 In Diagram 4, after White played e3 followed by g3, the h3 and f3 squares became 100% weaker, while the d3 square is now 50% weaker.

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Diagram 5 In Diagram 5, after White played e4, the d3, d4, £3, and f4 squares became 50% weaker, as White's c- and g-pawns could potentially cover those squares when required.

Prophylaxis

Usually, prophylaxis is defined as identifying an opponent's idea and then preventing it. I would prefer to treat it in a different way, without meaning any disrespect to the legends who have propounded this theory. We can include the following in our understanding of prophylaxis: • It is asking ourselves, what is our opponent's idea? (Regarding the move he just played on the board) • It is asking ourselves, what he will do on his next move? What is his general plan of action in the next few moves? • It is asking ourselves, is there something wrong with his move? Is there a drawback to his move or idea? • It is realizing that a certain variation cannot be played under the circumstances, as there is some problem at the end of it. Let's say I win a pawn in a long variation, but I am getting mated because of a back rank weakness. I realize this purely using calculation. Now, instead of rejecting this variation or idea, I find a move that will allow me to use the previous idea on the next move. So in my position, let's say I play h3, so there is no back rank weakness and I can win the pawn using the lengthy variation on the next move if my opponent doesn't see it. Chapter 1 0: Prophylactic Thinking and the Drawback Principle

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• It is looking for the drawback of our intended move or variation. On our turn, we must ask if there is a drawback to the move or idea which the opponent can exploit. • It is being aware ofyour opponent's perspective on the position. It is seeing your opponent's move in totality with its advantages and disadvantages. It does not necessarily mean we have to "prevent" all his ideas. Just being aware is good enough. Whether we have to prevent his idea or not, we must decide on a case-by-case basis. When our opponent's idea has three moves, we can try to prevent his moves in stages. If we fail to stop the first move, we can try to prevent the second move of the idea, and so on. This is also considered prophylactic thinking; andOnce we realize that our opponent's idea is not so good, it is better to permit his idea and punish its drawback. I would prefer to understand prophylaxis (for lack of a better term) in the above-mentioned manner. In the traditional understanding of prophylaxis, the preventive role gets the utmost attention. The danger with this approach is, in my opinion, young players tend to play very passively after misunderstanding prophylaxis to mean only prevention. With such a narrow understanding of the term, I have seen many young players automatically try to prevent ALL of their opponent's ideas, and in the process, become players who only react. This could make them fear an opponent's every idea; and they would stop assessing their opponent's idea objectively. Not all of your opponent's ideas will be good. If there is something wrong with an opponent's idea, we should willingly (or cunningly! ) allow it to happen and then punish him. We rarely get an opponent's perspective on the position; however, by using prophylaxis (including the drawback principle), we get a complete picture of the position on each turn. Tips: After every move your opponent makes, spend ten seconds to find all the different ideas behind the move. Spend the next ten seconds finding problems with or negative aspects of his move. The next ten seconds should be spent making a list of ideally three candidate moves, one of them tactical, if possible. Only after this preliminary work has been done, should we start the analysis process. With experience, we can learn to do the above process in less than 15 seconds. Train using this method during your home preparation to get better at this process.

Remember, prophylaxis is being aware of your opponent's ideas and drawbacks and using prevention only when necessary.

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PART THREE:

Fundamentals of Chess Training

M days. Easier because there is now more access to information, training,

aking progress in chess has become both easier and more difficult these

tournament opportunities, more support from parents and schools, etc. At the same time making progress is tougher, because there is too much of all of the above, which turns out to be a big negative if one is not able to effectively handle the excess of everything. It is common to see many coaches and the students preferring to teach/ learn sidelines against most openings. Learning the main lines involves assimilating a lot of information, spending more time and energy, whereas learning sidelines involves going over fewer games comparatively, thus saving time, effort, and energy. When solving puzzles, it is easier to get the answer by moving pieces on the board. When calculating variations, it is easier to stop the calculation at the earliest possible moment than to carry it further into the position. Playing intuitively is easier than playing after careful analysis. Working on areas we are already comfortable with is easier than working on areas which don't come naturally to us. In worse positions, playing for some cheap tricks and hoping our opponent will fall for them is easier than finding difficult moves to prolong the struggle by means of tougher defense. Releasing the tension is easier than maintaining tension, and studying chess by casually going through games is easier than studying chess in a systematic manner. To get upset after a loss and giving up in subsequent games in the guise of bad form is easier than making the effort and finding the strength and resolve from within to make a comeback in subsequent rounds. When we lose a couple of games arising out of a particular opening, it is easier to move to another opening than to dig deeper and find improvements that allow us to continue with the same opening. Similarly it is easier for the 232

Part Three: Fundamentals of Chess Training

parents to blame the child for lack of effort or seriousness in the game than to nurture the child's abilities and interest and guide the child towards effective performance. The malice runs much deeper and into the most basic of issues. The result is being given too much importance over substance and the struggle towards improvement. The ideal approach to success should be to first get to a point where we deserve success rather than to achieve it by the easiest of methods. The freedom to make mistakes and learn from them is often denied to most kids. Losing a game or doing badly in a tournament is frowned upon so much so that it is as if something tragic has happened that should never have happened, when in reality losses and learning from losses is an integral part of the improvement process. A player is judged on a daily basis by the rating points he gains or loses after every game. Every tournament becomes crucial and there is no opportunity to try new things, to experiment with one self, to try other approaches to the game. A good result is like a shadow behind the person to whom it belongs-in our mad rush towards a good result and short term success, we constantly chase the shadow and end up going nowhere, frustrated. Instead of result the focus has to be on our effort. Instead of doing things which are easier to do, we should aim to do the tougher things that are more beneficial in the long run (studying main lines, calculating deeper, etc. ) We prepare at home not only for the reason that it will help in our upcoming tournament but also to learn new things, to learn about ourselves (our good and bad qualities), to appreciate the beauty of the game, learn to be creative, to improve our analytical ability and to simply have fun with chess. We should not lose focus on the larger things in life in our mad pursuit towards success. Success should not be pursued directly as we will lose out on many important aspects in the process. Success should be earned through hard work and determination. Our preparation at home should make us a better player, who has good chess ethics. It should make us confident in our skills, and should prepare us for the tough battles that invariably will come our way.

Part Three: Fundamentals of Chess Training

233

Chapter l l Studying the Opening

T opening preparation in a player's progress in chess. In my understanding

here are different schools of thought with regard to the importance of

of the Soviet school of thought, the study of classics, analyzing one's own games, and endgame preparation are given more weight than opening preparation. A player goes through different stages in his chess career. Initially, he is a beginner who learns the basics, gets a rating, competes in various tournaments, increases his rating, achieves norms and titles like Candidate Master, FIDE Master, International Master, and Grandmaster. There is no disagreement that a strong chess player should have good mastery in all departments of the game. But there is no general agreement on whether a player should focus so heavily on opening preparation. How important is opening preparation for players below, say, 2400 ELO? Or below 2000 ELO? And so on. There are players who have achieved the level of Grandmaster with a slightly above-basic knowledge in openings, and there are many players who have phenomenal opening knowledge even at the level of 2300 ELO or less. We have seen players who invariably get into some kind of mess in the opening, but with their middlegame and endgame skills, they manage to turn the initial disadvantages into decent positions or better against reasonably strong opponents. There are players whose approach to chess is theoretical, those who hate memorizing and learning vast amounts of theory, and those who are neither here nor there! Until a player reaches a FIDE rating of around 1800-2000, he should focus not on openings, but on the middlegame. Specifically, he must learn to calculate well, learn the basic principles of chess, learn how to develop properly and quickly, how to play for the initiative, learn the value of the pieces, the art of attack, play games in tournaments and in training, learn that passive play can't always be avoided, study the classics, analyze his own games, solve a lot of puzzles, and read books on past champions as well as middlegame thinking and 234

Chapter 1 1 : Studying the Opening

basic endgames. Until a player has reached this stage, learning the principles of the opening is more important and building up a basic opening repertoire is enough. Once a player reaches around 1800-2000 ELO, he might focus a little more on openings. He needs to build a long-term plan of choosing the openings he would like to play when he reaches a level of 2400, and start working towards it in a structured manner. Ideally, he should play openings that suit his current style of play. After a player has crossed 2000 ELO, he can experiment with openings that give him positions slightly contrary to his playing style. This plan should be complemented by working on appropriate middlegame positions as well. Over the years, theory has evolved much, especially after the advent of computers and analysis engines. In most openings, we are fast reaching a point (or have already reached it! ) where it is not possible to remember all the analysis that has been made or all the important games played in a particular variation. This is a big deterrent, even for many young players, to take a theoretical approach to the game. More and more, we see a trend where young players prefer to learn sidelines instead of main lines as part of their repertoire. Even the so-called "sidelines theory" is vastly expanding. Openings like the Sicilian Rossolimo Variation, the Sicilian Alapin, the Center Counter and Giuoco Piano were considered sidelines 20 years ago. Today, they have evolved into main lines, with their own databank of theory. Similarly, many openings considered to be the main line years ago have fallen out of favor among the current generation of players. Up until 10 or 15 years ago, players used to feel that some openings were "good" and others "bad" for no concrete reason. But with the advent of analysis engines, players are boldly experimenting with lines that have a "bad" reputation, proving they are becoming playable openings. What a player expects from an opening has also undergone a vast change. In earlier days, anything a player played was a new and fresh idea. As theory started evolving, new openings were found, theory developed in different directions, many openings were tried, tested and discarded, only to be revived later on. Some openings developed a good reputation among the top players and some openings developed a bad reputation. Huge theoretical debates like the case of the Sicilian Polugaevsky Variation became the norm. Kasparov took opening preparation to a new level of importance in a player's repertoire of study. In his era, getting an advantage right out of the opening was of paramount importance. For a period of time, playing sidelines was considered "chickening out," or even bad for a player's overall chess growth. Players who courageously played cutting-edge main lines were looked upon as role models and young players took up this approach to chess. I remember the theoretical battles of then-young players like Grischuk and Volokitin in many sharp Sicilian lines in the early 2000s. Discovering novelties and obtaining small to large advantages in the opening was in flavor until the beginning of the 2 1st century. Magnus Carlsen has taken an approach of bringing his opponents into new positions early on, Chapter 1 1 : Studying the Opening 235

with the plan of grinding down his opponents in simple positions, often times extending the match into the endgame. Players like GMs Baduur Jobava and Richard Rapport choose openings considered oftbeat by the theoreticians, yet they are quite successful at the 2700+ level. Even at the top level there is a huge change taking place, with players finding it increasingly difficult to remember long variations. At times, the critical moves that need to be remembered sometimes come as late as move 20 or 30. Add to this the multiple variation branches that need to be remembered and the need to be able to play many different openings during the same tournament in order to avoid the opponent's preparation. I have personally seen 2600+ players prepare an opening in the morning and forget critical lines during their afternoon game. These issues are not uncommon even in the 2700+ levels. Opening theory has in many ways extended beyond the human capacity to memorize all possible variations. As a result, getting an advantage (based on the computer's evaluation) is becoming secondary as a growing number of players are revisiting their expectations from the openings. Guiding your opponent into unknown variations, getting positions familiar to you but not your opponent, finding a new idea, being unpredictable with larger repertoires, and adding more oftbeat lines have all become the aims of a player when preparing openings. As far as experimenting in the opening is concerned, there are many players, prominent among them are British grandmasters Tony Miles and Jonathan Speelman.

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Chapter 1 1 : Studying the Opening

GM Tony Miles as White

GM Tony Miles has played over 1000 games from the White side with 1.d4, over 300 games with 1.d4 or 1 .Nf3, and over 200 games with 1 .e4, apart from random experiments with 1 .b3, 1 .b4, 1 . a3, 1 .g3 , 1.f4, 1 .e3, and the like.

Miles as Black a1ainst 1.d4 N 782

% 49.2

Av 2517

Perf 2459

l . . .Nf6

452

50.3

2512

2457

l . . .d5

126

55.6

2517

2416

l . . .e6

84

46.4

2529

2473

l . . .d6

69

32.6

2567

2596

l . . .Nc6

30

50.0

2578

2495

l . . .b6

16

53 . 1

2239

2 182

l . . .b5

2

50.0

2545

2483

l . . .g6

1

0.0

2 133

2242

l . . .c5

1

50.0

2240

2310

l . . .Na6

1

50.0

2630

2635

Chapter 1 1: Studying the Opening

237

Miles as Black a&"ainst 1.e4

N 922

238

% 42. 0

Av 2480

Perf 2454

1 . . .c5

403

41.1

2391

2400

1 . . .Nc6

152

30.9

2582

2608

1 . . .c6

15 1

46. 7

2522

2468

1 . . .e5

76

55.9

2533

2374

1 . . .Nf6

60

41.7

2573

253 1

1 . . .d6

31

56.5

2495

2348

1 . . .b6

22

27.3

2433

2460

1 . . .e6

15

43.3

2396

2324

1 . . .g6

6

83.3

2466

2 121

1 . . .a6

3

0.0

2545

3003

1 . . .d5

3

50.0

2040

2000

Chapter 1 1 : Studying the Opening

GM Jonathan Speelman as White

With the White side, Speelman has played l.Nf3 and l.d4 with around 500 games each. He has played l.e4 and l .c4 with around 150 games each. Speelman as Black aeainst 1.e4

N 593

% 42.2

Av 2565

Perf 2544

1 . . .c6

277

42. 1

2579

2566

1 . . .e6

109

49.5

2585

2519

1 . . .c5

104

40.4

2466

2455

1 . . .g6

35

32.9

2552

2524

1 . . .e5

29

44.8

2592

2607

1 . . .d6

20

35.0

2623

2635

1 . . .d5

11

27.3

2596

2625

1 . . . Nffl

5

40.0

2561

245 1

1 . . .Nc6

2

75.0

2569

2404

1 . . . b6

1

0.0

2370

Chapter 1 1: Studying the Opening 239

Speelman as Black a1ainst l.d4

N 577

% 47. 1

Av 2582

Perf 2550

1 . . .NfO

256

50.6

2566

2514

1 . . .e6

126

34.9

2592

2612

1 . . .d6

111

50.9

2607

2548

1 . . .d5

52

55.8

2582

2529

1 . . .g6

22

45 . 5

2565

2601

l . . .Nc6

6

8.3

2550

283 1

l. . . f5

4

50.0

2612

2636

B repertoire as White and Black and are quite successful with both colors.

ased on the diagrams above, we can see that these players have a broad

There are other players too, who took a very creative, non-restrictive approach to opening theory by trying out the so-called offbeat sidelines, especially with black, with success in their games. Still, the idea of playing side variations did not capture the imagination of the general chess playing masses. In the pre-computer era, players looked to world champions to set the trends for popular openings. These days, with a larger player base of strong players, with more tournaments, and with easy access to information, players are increasingly experimenting with non-main lines. The moment opening (preparation) ends and the middlegame begins has also undergone changes. Traditionally, an opening ends and the middlegame begins when all the pieces have completed their development. In some ways, current opening theory ends when our memory inevitably fails us, or when we are met with a position that is new to us in a game. Since players often don't mind remembering long variations, opening preparation can extend well into the deep middlegame or, in many cases, even the endgame too. Every player needs to choose which approach he wants to take, as far as building a long-term opening repertoire is concerned. Some of the issues that should be considered before choosing a repertoire are: the style of the player, the personality or age of the player, the short-term and long-term ambitions of the player, the time available for tournament preparation, and how active or inactive the player is.

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Advantages of Playing Main Lines: • We are able to see more games and learn all the nuances of the opening, which increases our knowledge and understanding of the opening concerned. • Since most of the top players from the past preferred to play main lines, we have a long history and a giant database of main line openings. These lines are not easily refuted with a single powerful novelty, though it is possible in rare cases. • We have access to a supply of good quality games with strong players trying new ideas. Studying these games will enrich our chess thinking. • We learn to explore new ideas in well-known and already well-tested positions. • Since modern opening theory is so closely related to the middlegame, we learn many instructive middlegame themes when we learn main lines. • We learn the habit of persistent work. We shouldn't give up on an opening after a few damaging losses in a particular variation. Instead, we learn to dig deeper and come up with refinements. We can discover original ideas through tactical resources that we never suspected at the outset. • We can keep ourselves up-to-date on opening theory. We need to study chess on a daily basis so we don't miss out on new ideas. Basically, it keeps us on our toes !

Drawbacks of Playing Main Lines: • Vast theory is accumulated over the years, stretching our memory to its limits. • It is very easy to forget key ideas or confuse the move order in certain lines. • Choosing the best continuation out of many options that suits our style of play can be a very demanding task. • New ideas are constantly tried out on a weekly or even daily basis in topical openings. Keeping oneself updated requires a player to study games and examine the ideas on a frequent basis. This is often a difficult task for amateur players who have commitments in life other than chess. • With new games being played by top players on a regular basis, it is easy to miss key developments in some lines, which could prove costly at times.

Advantages of Playing Sidelines/Offbeat Lines: • Since sidelines are not often part of a very strong player's repertoire, we have comparatively fewer games from which to learn the opening. As a result, it does not take much time to learn these openings, which is a boon for players who have less time for chess preparation. • It is easier to remember these lines as compared to the huge amount of theory that comes with main lines.

Chapter 1 1: Studying the Opening 241

• Better chances for scoring upsets. Stronger players, in general, are well-prepared in principled lines. It is easier to catch them off guard with sidelines, at least in the opening. • Since there is considerably less theory that needs to be remembered in a sideline, we can prepare several different sidelines to make it difficult for our opponent to guess which opening we will be playing on a particular day. Drawbacks of Playing Sidelines/offbeat lines: • Since we have fewer games to study, our understanding of the structures that arise from the opening will be correspondingly minimal. • By playing sidelines, we are in some ways taking a shortcut to preparing our openings. If we aren't careful, it is likely that we may find ourselves taking a similarly lazy approach to understanding other parts of the game, as well. The tougher-to-learn things in chess may not find their place in our preparation. • If our repertoire is not broad enough, it is easier for our opponents to guess our opening choice for the game and prepare against us. • If it is easy for us to prepare a sideline, it is equally easy for our opponent to prepare a refutation against the line. • It is possible that sidelines can be refuted, or at least neutralized, with some good ideas that have not been tried before. • Playing more than a few games in the same line makes the opening lose its surprise value. We must constantly be on the lookout for greener pastures all the time. Nature of the Openings: When I attended a FIDE trainer course some years back, one of the faculty members warned that it is not advisable to teach young players the Caro-Kann Defense as Black because the young player will not learn to appreciate the value of fighting for the center with pawns. Another coach remarked that it is not advisable to teach the Dutch as Black, since the young player won't learn the importance of king safety. Some say the Sicilian Dragon is too risky, the Petroff is too solid, the Grunfeld is too theoretical, the Scotch Gambit is too drawish, the Berlin defense is too boring, etc. Every opening has its own natural characteristics that define the type of positions that may arise from that opening. Though these positions are being constantly changed by human endeavors, they still contain certain characteristics. While a player's natural style exists in his training and tournament games, it is our goal to become a well-rounded player in all styles and be able to play all positions. In the short run, it makes sense to choose openings that match up with our playing style at that point in time. In the long run, however, we should add openings contrary to our natural playing style after doing enough middlegame

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and endgame work to feel confident about our understanding once we have left the opening. If a player, by nature, likes to play aggressively, he may choose openings that will give him active positions with more pieces on the board, and with some element of risk involved. For a player's overall growth in the long run , after achieving some good results in tournament games over a period of time, he must learn to work on areas that do not come naturally to him. The aggressive, active player needs to learn to play strategic, positional chess, and learn to handle endgames correctly. After considerable work is done in the areas contrary to a player's style, he should add openings that will give him the appropriate positions to learn from actual playing experience. If such an approach is not taken from a young age, then it is likely that the player will be stuck with a one-dimensional way of thinking in chess. He will struggle in all other areas in which he is not well-versed. In general, it is advisable for young players to play sharp, open lines so the player develops risk taking abilities, learns to play for initiative, and appreciates the real value of pieces (as opposed to evaluating the position by simply counting the material on the board). If a player does not learn to take risks from the start, it is likely he may never truly master this important attribute in the later part of his chess career. It is easier for an aggressive player to learn positional chess than vice versa. If a player develops a fear of attacking and sacrificing at young age, it is likely to stick with him throughout the entirety of his chess career, curbing his creative thinking in open positions. Preparing an Opening There are many approaches to preparing an opening. I know some grandmasters who did not pay much attention to preparing openings in the early part of their career. They focused more on calculation, attack, endgames, improving their positional understanding, studying games of world champions, analyzing their own games, etc. Other grandmasters felt they needed to devote a significant amount of time to opening preparation. Both approaches seem to have worked respectively for them, which leads me to believe that there are many paths to success. What is important is not the path, per se, but the approach, attitude, talent, ability, work ethic, commitment, and discipline of the player, among other traits along the path that decide the success of a chess player. Different people prepare openings differently. Some common methods are: • Study the games of one or two experts in that opening and follow their exact move order. This is suitable for novice players who are unaware of the subtleties in a particular opening. • Prepare openings from books and encyclopedias of chess openings, databases, DVDs, online materials, etc. • Get material from an expert or coach.

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• Use a database software such as Chessbase, and learn an opening through the Reference, Search, and other functions of the program. To prepare an opening on our own, we need to do the following: • Identify which opening we want to prepare based on our style, personal preference, and time availability. • Identify the main line and sidelines that need to be prepared, and make a brief "move order tree." Keep this as the base for searching lines. Semi Slav Basic Key [GM Ramesh] ·

1 . d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3 . Nf.3 [3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 (6. Nf.3 )] 3 . . . Nf6 4. Nc3 [4.e3 Bf5 4. Nc3 (5. Qb3 Qc7) 5 . . . e6 6. Nh4 Bg6 [4. Qc2 g6] [4. Qb3] 4 . . . e6 5.e3 [5.g3] [5. Bg5 dxc4 6. a4 (6.e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7)] 5 . . . Nbd7 6. Qc2) [6 . Bd3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 b5 8. Bb3 (8. Bd3 Bb6; 8 Be2 Bb7)] 6 . . . Bd6 7. Bd3 [7.b3] [7.g4}

In the diagram above, we can see an example of a basic key for the Semi-Slav Defense from the black side. We can build on this key as we prepare our study materials. We will also use this key to search for games in each variation. We can find high quality games of players rated above 2500 for each variation, and merge the selected games separately for each variation. This will be the basic material for our preparation.

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The list in the database should look something like the diagram below: Black

White

ECO

1

Semi Slav

Basic key

2

Semi Slav

5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5

035

3

Semi Slav

4.g3

EOl

4

Semi Slav

5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4

044

5

Semi Slav

5.Bg5 dxc4 6.a4

EOl

6

Semi Slav

Exchange variation with Nf3

0 14

7

Semi Slav

Exchange variation without Nf3

010

8

Semi Slav

4. Qc2 g6

093

9

Semi Slav

3 . Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3

012

10

Semi Slav

3. Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5

012

11

Semi Slav

6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4

045

12

Semi Slav

6.Qc2 Bd6 7 .b3

045

13

Semi Slav

6.Qc2 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5

046

14

Semi Slav

5.e3 6.Bd3 dxc4 7 .Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3

046

15

Semi Slav

5.e3 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Be2

047

16

Semi Slav

5.e3 6.Bd3 dxc4 7 .Bxc4 b5 8.Bb3

047

Ai3 you can see, organizing your openings this way makes it easier to locate the exact line or variation you want to prepare.

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Using the key, you can also: Go over the games by guessing the moves for the side you are preparing. Guessing the moves will help you remember as much as possible, especially the initial moves. • Add analysis and edit material by removing irrelevant variations. Make your notes concise and relevant with the help of arrows and text commentaries. • Prepare a brief opening key based on the material you have prepared separately for each variation. This is very useful to review the opening on short notice, before a tournament game or at home. • Update the material often to be aware of recent developments. • Revise on a regular basis. •

Tips:

You may keep the move you want to play as the main line (in case there is more than one option at any point). This can be altered when a newer, better line is found, simply by promoting that move to the main line. • Explain ideas using text commentary or arrows. This way, when you review the material, the ideas behind the moves are easily understood at a glance. • Highlight important moves in a variation to mark their importance (right click on the move, go to "special annotation", then choose the "critical opening/middlegame/endgame position" option. ) • Once the material has been prepared, it i s important t o change the date of the game so that we will know when the material was last updated or revised. It becomes easier to update material by limiting the search criteria to specific dates. • Since going over the material for the entire opening will take a long time, it is advantageous to make a brief opening key for each variation and keep them saved separately to make the revising process easier. Ideally, this key should be remembered by heart. • Make a spreadsheet with a list of openings in your repertoire for both sides. Add the date next to the opening name to keep track of the last time a particular opening was played against you, to see how often you have prepared an opening, and to identify the openings you have neglected to study. A lot can be easily tracked with a little organization. •

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Chapter 12 Tournament Preparation

"To ME THE VERY ESSENCE OF EDUCATION IS CONCENTRATION OF THE MIND, NOT THE COLLECTING OF FACTS . . . " - SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

M prepare before a tournament. Preparation for the tournament can be any young players are curious, and sometimes clueless, about how to

seen from three perspectives:

1 ) PRE-TOURNAMENT PREPARATION 2) PREPARATION DURING THE TOURNAMENT 3) POST TOURNAMENT ANALYSIS Pre-tournament Preparation

Fifteen to thirty days before a tournament is to begin, we should use this time to prepare ourselves chess-wise and otherwise for the upcoming tournament. We should aim to be in our peak physical and mental form by the time the tournament starts. This won't happen all the time. If many players improve their form as the tournament progresses, the opposite must sometimes be true for others ! With regard to physical preparation, for players under the age of 18, being physically active in some sports activity should be sufficient in itself. For adults, consider vigorous sports activities or working out in a gym. Working out helps remove stress and improves our stamina and confidence levels. It also gives us more energy during chess games to handle over the board stress. Mental preparation means being able to handle the strenuous situations that might arise during the course of a tournament. We should be mentally fit

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to handle our constantly changing emotions in a mature manner throughout the ups and downs of a tournament. Handling losses in a tournament is never going to be easy and it is important that we are able to recover from the loss of a game without crushing blows to our self-esteem. The pre-tournament mental preparation can be in the form of self­ suggestions, visualization, regularly thinking about the tournament and keeping the mind in a state of positive expectations and hope. It is not uncommon to see players going into a tournament with fear, doubts, feelings of inadequateness and disquiet, or they're unsure about themselves and not satisfied with their preparation. With a negative state of mind, it is likely that their performance will reflect their fears and sense of hopelessness. Pre-tournament chess preparation is clearly very important. An experienced player usually has a good idea about his strengths and weaknesses as far as playing chess is concerned. Whether he is able to do something about it constructively varies from person to person. On the contrary, an inexperienced player is not sure where his strengths and weaknesses lie. An experienced coach or trainer can play a useful role in both of these cases. Every player should analyze his game twice: once, briefly, immediately after the game is over; and once, extensively, after the tournament is over. With the help of engines it is easy to spot where we have made a big mistake, just by looking at the change in evaluation of the position after each move. For very young players, it is better if they can analyze their game with a coach or parent who can point out the important moments, suggest better moves and identify any repeated mistakes (such as being too eager to exchange or not looking for tactical combinations). A parentJcoach can then offer helpful suggestions to overcome the student's errors for future games. The mistakes young players make are very common and can be easily identified and explained. Common Mistakes in the Opening Stage: • • •

• • •

• • • • • •

248

Not developing pieces quickly enough; Not developing pieces to good squares; Making too many pawn moves, especially defensive ones like a2-a3 , h2-h3, a7-a6 and h7-h6 when not necessary; Waiting for the opponent to castle his king before castling ours; Blocking the path of our pieces with other pieces; Not playing for the initiative when the opponent has played unusual opening moves; Not punishing the opponent's mistakes; Making routine developing moves on auto-mode; Not paying attention to the opponent's moves and ideas; Bringing out the queen too early; Pawn-grabbing at the cost of king safety and development; and Choosing the wrong opening. Chapter 12: Tournament Preparation

Common Mistakes in the Middlegame: • •

•

• •

•

•

• • •

•

• •

•

• • • • • •

Playing passively with our pieces; Readily moving our pieces backwards at the first sign of aggression from the opponent; Weakening the kingside pawn structure under the impression of attacking the opponent; Being too eager to defend against imaginary threats; Blindly exchanging pieces whenever it is offered or forcing unwanted exchanges to clarify the position; Ignoring possible counterplay in the center or on the other flank for fear of an opponent's attack on the side where we are weak; Playing too fast when it is important to ponder over the position a little longer; Thinking too much when it is not really necessary; Not calculating variations thoroughly; Not showing enough interest or inclination to find the best move in every position; Having a lethargic approach, a casual approach, or a "let me handle it after the problem comes" approach; Not paying attention to the opponent's ideas and threats; Not paying attention to the opponent's potential mistakes and missing the moment to punish them; Playing too many pawn moves in the name of activity, thus weakening the position; Incorrect exchange of pawns and pieces; Failure to identify and exploit the opponent's weaknesses; Moving pieces aimlessly; Poor time management; Lack of basic plans; and Bad evaluation or misunderstanding of the position.

Common Mistakes in the Endgame: •

• • • •

•

Playing for attack when the attack is non-existent or can be easily refuted; Ignoring the improvement of the king; Losing precious tempi by making too many pawn moves; Exchanging the wrong piece at the wrong time; Not watching out for our opponent's ideas, especially counterplay possibilities; Not being content with subtle improving moves when the situation warrants it, instead going for pseudo-active moves which spoil the position;

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• •

Lack of patience; and Not dedicating enough time to studying endings at home!

There is usually a pattern and repetition to the number of mistakes a player makes. A player generally does not make too many different kinds of mistakes but rather makes a few of them quite regularly in his games. A coach or parent (who knows chess, of course) can help the player identify common mistakes he is making in his games and work on fixing the hole(s) in that player's game. Once a recurring weakness is identified, the player may set his mind to work towards overcoming it during home preparation before the next tournament. An experienced coach once told me, "It is better to be good at calculation and tactics but weak in positionaVstrategic play, than weak in calculation and tactics but strong in positionaVstrategic play." When faced with such generalizations, I suggest asking around to get different perspectives. Use your own experience and understanding, along with the guidance of trainers, strong players or other coaches, to find your own path/solutions to these issues. B efore a tournament, I would suggest a player work on solving puzzles and studies. Additionally, review problematic openings or the openings that appear most often in his games, especially with the black pieces. A mistake with black could easily tum out to be more costly than a mistake made with the white pieces. It is important to be fit physically, mentally and chess-wise before the tournament is about to begin. One school of thought is to stop studying chess a couple of days before the tournament to give the mind the rest and relaxation it needs to maximize its full potential when the tournament starts. The other school of thought is to keep studying up until the tournament, so the mind will not become too complacent before the event begins. I leave it to you to experiment and find out which approach is suitable for you. We need to test out different approaches to our preparation so that we remain flexible and can adjust as per the needs of the situation for that tournament. When something does not seem to be working out in our favor despite several attempts, then we should try alternative approaches. Otherwise, we will be repeating the same mistakes in our games and in our approach to chess because the cause is not rectified.

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Preparation Durin.r the Tournament

My suggestions in this topic are mostly for those players who play in tournaments with a single round or, in some cases, two rounds per day. Today, most tournament games are played in the afternoon (post lunch) and go until late in the evening. In such cases, a player has time between rounds to enter the game into his computer and save it for more thorough analysis after the tournament is over. While entering the game, it is advisable to tum on the analysis engine to identify missed tactical chances/opportunities and also to identify how the play could have been improved in different situations. It is also advisable to compare our opening preparation to what arose in the actual game. If we forgot the opening theory or played a new move unknowingly during the game, it is best to immediately review the opening material. It sometimes happens that one of our competitors takes notice of our opening slip and aims to catch us in that line in a later game, either in the same tournament or a future one, even though he may not play that line regularly. Once we have analyzed the game, we have to draw some conclusions about where our mistakes were and how they can be avoided in the remaining rounds. We must be careful not to expect ourselves to play every game perfectly without any mistakes whatsoever. That is not going to happen and we are bound to slip here and there. Instead, we should aim to play as perfectly as possible while allowing a little room for the rare, occasional mistake. During a game some of the most difficult moments are when we realize we have missed a good move, or when we realize we have made a mistake, or when our opponent makes a good move that we completely missed in our preceding analysis. In such moments, it is vital to immediately accept that what has happened has happened and worrying about it will not change anything. We must take a deep breath, drink some water or juice, go to the washroom or take a short walk and use that time to compose ourselves. It is best to become slightly philosophical in such situations in order to calm ourselves down. Otherwise, we could further damage our position with more mistakes if our mind is still upset over what has already happened. During the game and throughout the tournament as a whole, we should forgive ourselves for our mistakes. In post-tournament analysis, however, we should go over our games in detail and be ruthless in searching for mistakes or weaknesses in our play. Once we have analyzed our game after the round, it is time to relax and have dinner. Some players prefer to play sports, swim, take a long walk or relax in any other way that suits the player before having dinner. By this time, we should be getting the pairings for the next day's game. We can quickly go through which openings our opponent is likely to play the next day and come up with a mental plan before going to bed. The next morning (after breakfast) it is time to prepare for the · day's round! We should search for our opponent's games and pay special attention to games from the last few years, as it is likely he will play those openings Chapter 12: Tournament Preparation

251

rather than older ones. We can make a small tree of the openings he plays to get an idea of which openings he plays most often. Some players play certain openings when they are playing for a win and other openings when they are not in the mood to take a risk and go all-out for a win. Similarly, some players play certain opening variations against lower rated players and other openings against higher rated players. Based on these kinds of observations, we can often make a reasonably good guess about which opening is likely to be played that day. Then we set about to prepare the openings. Ideally, every player should have separate databases (prepared material) for every opening they play as both white and black. Using the database, we can review what our opponent has played before and also check for any new games in those variations. If there are new games in that opening, we can analyse them using an engine and try to come up with an improvement at the earliest possible moment to take our opponent out of his preparation and into our preparation. Many young players make the mistake of trying to "punish" or "exploit" their opponent by playing openings that they believe their opponent will not handle well. In the process, they rarely stop to think about their knowledge, experience and understanding in the opening they are going to play. It so happens in this case that all the player manages to achieve is a completely unknown position both for themselves and their opponent. It is better for young players to play openings they know well rather than trying to surprise their opponent with rare sidelines. Scoring important wins with your main opening will give you valuable confidence and experience in that opening for future games. Once a player shows progress in his ratings and results, then he can slowly add more openings to his repertoire. This should not be done in a hurry or for short-term results alone. This is the way repertoires are built in the long run. After preparing for the game, especially after reviewing all the openings our opponent is likely to play, we should also be mentally prepared to handle any surprises our opponent might have in store for us. Our opponent has a right to play any opening of his choosing. Hence, it would be prudent on our part to expect the unexpected and not get overwhelmed by our opponent's opening choices. When our opponent plays a new opening or an opening we don't know well, then we should follow the basic opening principles, which are the same for all openings. We can still aim for a decent, active position. After all, openings alone do not decide the result of the game. There is always the middlegame and sometimes the endgame, where we can show our skills and decide the outcome in our favor. Over the board, we should be ready for anything and everything. Many payers make the mistake of expecting only good things from the game. They want good positions in every game and when they don't get them all the time, they begin to doubt themselves and become overly critical. We cannot always avoid unpleasant positions or difficult opponents, but we should ask for the ability, skill and toughness to handle any position or opponent. If we are mentally tough, then we can handle anything unpleasant or 252

Chapter 12: Tournament Preparation

unwanted; granted, sometimes successfully and sometimes not so successfully. Our preparation should make us tougher by the day, and we cannot become tougher by doing easy things all the time. "THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ORDINARY PERSON AND A GREAT PERSON LIES IN THE DEGREE OF CONCENTRATION . . . " - SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

B etc. we learn to handle these challenging dynamics and get better in

y playing unknown openings, difficult positions, unpleasant opponents,

the process. So let us open our heart to difficult things and turn them into opportunities, instead of losing our hope and the will to fight back and learn. We should learn to handle the tournament one round at a time. Any negative feelings we might have developed in previous rounds should not be carried over into upcoming games. I know of one player who is usually very good when it comes to calculation. In one tournament, he missed some moves in his calculation and lost the game. He started complaining, "My calculation is very bad and I am missing simple things." This negative feeling became strongly entrenched in his mind and in the rounds that followed, his prognosis became true. He began making silly mistakes in calculation and his attitude got even worse. A cruel cycle can eat away at our confidence slowly, if we let it. Later, I made him solve a few easy tactical positions and slowly we moved to tougher positions. He found to his "surprise" that he was actually calculating well! He got his confidence back but in the process lost a few crucial games in his career. The lesson to be learned is not to react too negatively to the mistakes we make during the course of a tournament. As mentioned earlier, we need to be more forgiving of ourselves for our mistakes. After the tournament is over, we can face the issues and find real solutions. During the tournament, we have to keep a record of the difficulties we faced in our games, round by round. It should contain the kinds of positions where we struggled to find the right move. For example, in closed positions I find it difficult to come up with a plan, or while calculating I miss my opponent's resources, or after getting a good position, I allowed too much counterplay and failed to win the game, etc. Your record should also contain all the openings where you had problems or where you did not make use of the time well. At some point in the game, we might have played too fast or took too much time to come up with a decision, whether good or bad. Additionally, if there is an opening we have been playing repeatedly for a matter of months and we suspect our main competitors are also aware of this, then we should make note of that as well. An accurate record such as this will help greatly in identifying our problem areas and will allow us to make changes accordingly.

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Post Tournament Analysis

Now that the tournament is over and we have spent a few days away from chess relaxing our mind, it is time to get back to work. We need to analyze our games from the recent tournament round by round, and this time, more slowly than the analysis done during the tournament. We have to examine each move critically and try to find improvements for both our opponent and ourselves. It is important to try to find improvements for our opponent at every tum because we might have gotten into more trouble had he played better. A stronger player would have tested us more critically. By using this method to find improvements, we are also learning to critically and objectively analyze a position without our biases or prejudices. Usually, younger players tend to ignore their opponent's better possibilities and focus only on their own moves. That is not analyzing objectively and we won't learn as much as we can about the position from analyzing this way. I know of one very strong grandmaster whose typical way of analyzing his games is like this: he keeps the same time control on his chess clock and replays the game over! The opponent's move will be the same as was played in the actual game, but when it is his tum to move, he approaches the position fresh, as if it was a new game, and tries to find the best move. He writes down his analysis but makes the move he actually played in the game. He continues this way until he reaches the end of the game. At some points the moves in the game and at home will match up and at other points in the game, the moves will vary. He approaches the position objectively this way. Seeing the same position with fresh eyes and without tournament pressure can help to get a different point of view of the same position. We have to meticulously analyze how we played every part of the game - opening, middlegame and endgame, if it went that long! Some common questions which are purely chess related that we need to ask ourselves are: • • • • • • • • • • •

Did I get the opening I prepared for? Did I remember the opening moves or did I forget something? If it was an unknown opening, did I react well? Did I develop my pieces properly or could it have been done better? Did I play the middlegame well? Did I calculate accurately? Did I take advantage of all the attacking opportunities I encountered? Did I use my pieces well? Did I defend well? Did I play passively? Did I handle the ending well? etc.

Apart from the purely chess angle, we also need to ask ourselves about the psychological part. Questions like: •

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Did I manage my time well? Chapter 12: Tournament Preparation

• • • • • • • •

Did I play too fast or too slow at some point in the game? Did I get distracted over some incident during the game? Did my opponent's antics/board mannerisms distract me? Did I concentrate well for most part of the game? Was I scared or overconfident about my opponent? Did my opponent's higher or lower rating have a negative effect on me? Did I sleep well the night before the game? Was I worried too much about losing rating points or the game itself

during the game?

Did the result of my previous encounter with my opponent affect me negatively? etc. •

Once we identify the areas of improvement, we can devise a plan and work towards overcoming the weakness.

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Chapter 13 Essential Endgame Principles

Wfelt very uncomfortable) was the endgame. It was always a mystery to me hen I was a young player, one of the areas I hated about chess (or at least

why God sometimes kept the endgame between the middlegame and a win? This was a mystery I was forced to investigate as I progressed in chess. One common complaint from young International Masters on the verge of becoming Grandmasters is, "Many times, I get good positions but I don't know how to win them, especially against higher rated players. They always come up with something that denies me the win." In chess terminology, this process of winning a won (or advantageous) position is called "technique." It is also one of the areas deeply underestimated or altogether ignored by most young players. Simply because a player feels, "Once I get an advantage I'll win somehow" - this "somehow" habit does not encourage a player to learn the important art of "technique." The player feels it is necessary to get an immediate advantage out of an opening or get a large positional advantage out of the middlegame, but after getting the advantage, he must do "something" and win the game. It is only after failing to win numerous advantageous positions doing "something'', that a player realizes the importance of improving his technique. To develop good technique, the study of endgames is crucial. In the middlegame, we have many pieces on the board and the value of each piece is not always apparent. It is in the endgame that the value of each piece becomes the crucial factor in deciding between a win, a loss or a draw. Since there are fewer pieces in the endgame when compared to the middlegame, we must handle every pawn and piece carefully and optimally. Sometimes the "trick" is in not using them, especially the pawns, keeping them in reserve for the very end of the endgame. When we ask young players, "Can we work on endgames?" the most common answer we get is a resounding: "NO!" It is very rare for young players 256

Chapter 13: Essential Endgame Principles

to show any interest in studying endgames. The reasons are not difficult to guess. In every game we play, we have to handle the opening and middlegame. Endgames, however, don't always appear; and many times, we never reach the endgame at all. Add to this, the absence of ferocious attacks or sacrificial combinations and the need to show mature thinking qualities like patience, slowly building the position, and paying attention to your opponent's ideas no wonder so few players like endings! Despite the apparent lack of flashy action, endgames are extremely interesting to a properly trained mind. "One of the best ways to defeat lower rated players is to take them into the endgame," so said a strong grandmaster; and I agree with him to a large extent. Many young players are so focused on openings and playing aggressive chess that they take a long time to come to the endgame department. Until they do, it is very likely that they will not have too much skill to show in endgames. Of course, there are many exceptions to this generalization, and I personally know of many young players who are very strong in playing endgames. But we are not talking about exceptions here. Here are in my opinion the five most important concepts to understand about the endgame: • • • • •

Prophylaxis (preventing the opponent's counterplay) Improving Pieces (including the king) The Principle of Two Weaknesses Initiative Zugzwang

The above are the chess qualities we need to understand in order to play good endgames. The following are the mental qualities we need to play better endgames: • • •

Patience (do not hurry) Alertness Self-belief We will now discuss each of these qualities in turn: Prophylaxis

We covered this topic extensively in the tenth chapter. In the middlegame, there are many pieces on the board and it is not possible to identify and prevent all threats all the time. In the endgame, however, the number of pieces is drastically reduced, thus it is possible to identify our opponent's important ideas beforehand and prevent threats in advance, provided we have the patience to think in terms of our opponent, and also provided we are alert enough not to miss our opponent's counterplay. The prevention of our opponent's counterplay is crucial to having good endgame skills. To achieve this, let us first try to understand what is meant by Chapter 13: Essential Endgame Principles

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"counterplay." To put it simply, anything that is good for the opponent can be termed as counterplay. We must constantly ask ourselves, does my opponent have any good ideas? Can he improve his position on his next move? If the answer is yes, then it is necessary to prevent it beforehand. Here are all the ways a player can create counterplay in the endgame: • • • • • • • •

By exchanging off his bad piece(s); By exchanging off his weak pawn(s); By advancing his weak pawn(s); By improving the position of his bad piece(s); By improving his king position; By attacking our weak pawn(s); By creating passed pawn(s); and By creating threats with his pieces against our king.

T when we have a slight positional advantage. When our opponent has a hese are the things we need to watch out for while playing endgames

slight advantage in the endgame, we need to achieve the above points to create counterplay. On our turn, we must ask ourselves what our opponent can do next on every move (with the exception of forced moves, which can be skipped, of course). This is difficult psychologically, as it is more natural to be concerned about what we should be doing rather than worrying about our opponent's plans and ideas. This is a good quality of a strong player - a quality which we all should learn to cultivate despite our initial apprehensions. Improving Pieces

We have investigated this topic as well, in depth, in Chapter 8. When our opponent has made his move, we must first ask ourselves, "Can my opponent do something good on his next turn?" If the answer is negative, if he does not have any direct threats, it is time to ask ourselves, "Which of our pieces is badly placed?", and try to improve them. We have already seen the order of improving pieces earlier: the worst pieces get priority, followed by the heavy pieces (the queen and rooks), then the king, and finally the minor pieces. It makes a lot of sense (when we watch closely) how stronger players handle their pieces. In the endgame, they never ignore their king. Many times simple maneuvers like g2-g3 and Kg2 are closer to the needs of the position than any pseudo-active move. The Principle of Two Weaknesses We saw in Chapter 1 what a weakness means. A weakness is anything that is wrong with the position, any positional concession. Though there are many things that can be called a weakness, there are two crucial weaknesses that play vital roles in the endgame: weak pawns and passed pawns. 258

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When there is only one weakness in the opponent's position, it is not possible to get a big advantage, as he can easily summon resources to defend the lone weakness. But when he has more than one weakness, it is harder for him to defend those weaknesses with the limited material on the board. Defense becomes even more difficult if the weaknesses are far apart from each other. It stretches the defensive resources across the board. Many endgames are won by attacking the opponent's weak pawns, eventually winning at least one of them, or by creating a passed pawn. Hence, as soon as we reach an endgame position, we should identify the potential weak pawn(s) in both our position and in our opponent's position. We also need to identify the potential passed pawns for both sides. If we have a pawn majority on either flank of the board, we should aim to eventually advance our pawns there and create a passed pawn. If there is no pawn majority on either flank, we need to attack his weak pawns, win them and create a passed pawn for ourselves. We have already learned that a passed pawn in the endgame should be blocked by the king. If our position is slightly worse in the endgame, we should aim to get rid of our weak pawns either by exchanging them off or even sacrificing them to activate our pieces, seeking counterplay in the form of activity. If, on the contrary, we have a slightly better position in the endgame, then we need to defend our weak pawns (preferably with our king) and put pressure on our opponent's weak pawns, putting him on the defensive and winning material in the process. Now that we have a good idea about which kinds of weaknesses are important in an endgame, let us tum to the Principle of Two Weaknesses. Once an endgame starts, we must ask ourselves on each turn if our opponent has any possible counterplay. If we don't find any good ideas for our opponent, then we slowly go about improving the position of our pieces, including the king. We also identify our opponent's weakest pawn and attack it with our pieces. Our opponent will likely defend his weak pawn (first weakness) and in the process his pieces become passive. We have seen in previous examples that defending pieces are passive pieces. Now, we have active (attacking) pieces and our opponent has passive (defensive) pieces. If we do the above in the proper manner, we will soon reach a position where all of our pieces are in the best position and no further improvement is possible. This is the exact moment we should strive to create a second weakness. We do this by advancing our pawns on one flank. Why do we advance our pawns after improving all of our pieces? It is for the simple reason that there is nothing else to do other than move our pawns! This leads to another question: On which flank do we advance our pawns? We should advance our pawns on the flank farthest from the opponent's first weakness. When two weaknesses are near each other, it is easier for the opponent to defend them. But when the weaknesses are farther apart, it is not so easy to defend them both adequately.

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What do we aim to achieve by advancing our pawns? How does advancing our pawns create a second weakness? When we advance our pawns, our opponent has two ways to react to it: 1) He may try to stop our pawns from advancing by advancing his own pawns to block us. It is important to remember that when our pieces are not actively placed, any pawn move made can lead to new weaknesses or a further worsening of the position. By virtue of attacking our opponent's weak pawn, we will usually force his pieces to become passive. So if the opponent tries to stop our pawn advances by advancing his own pawns (e.g. meeting h2-h4 with h7h5), he will create new weaknesses in his position-either a weakened pawn or a weakened square that we can use to infiltrate with our king. 2) He may let us advance our pawns and just wait and watch. In this case, we must continue to advance our pawns forward to cramp him completely, preventing any of his pawns from moving. Since his pieces are already tied down to their defensive roles, he will soon be left with no useful moves and will likely fall into some kind of zugzwang. He will be forced to move and make some kind of concession. This will be the second weakness. To summarize: we identify a weakness in the opponent's position attack it - make the opponent's pieces passive by defending the first weakness - prevent the opponent from getting any counterplay by foreseeing it - improve the position of our pieces, including the king. Once all the pieces are improved, then advance pawns on the flank farthest from the first weakness - create a second weakness - penetrate the opponent's position, win material or create a passed pawn - Zugzwang - win the game! If only life was so simple. Initiative Since there are fewer pieces in the endgame, it is not always easy to get the initiative in this part of the game. Still, there will be a point when all of our pieces are mobilized, (or in the process of mobilizing) that playing for initiative, which means giving one threat after another, is the only way to take the positional advantage to the next level. This could result in material advantage or in some rare cases, an attack on the opposing king. This method could be more relevant when there are very few pawns left on the board. With fewer pawns, drawing chances are higher for the defending side, so initiative should be used in positions by the side with the advantage. Zugzwang Zugzwang positions are those in which one side is forced to make a move that will worsen his position. If any move we make worsens our position, it is because in the current position all our pieces and pawns are in their best possible places, and any move will give a concession to our opponent. It is quite rare to see Zugzwang positions in the middlegame (though there are exceptions 260

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to everything, of course) as there are more pieces on the board. But in endgame positions, it is quite common to get Zugzwang positions. In mutual Zugzwang positions, whoever has to make their move must compulsorily worsen his position. In king and pawn endings, Zugzwang themes are quite common. Patience (do not hun:y) When we have a slightly superior position in the endgame, it is natural to want to increase the advantage quickly and try to win the game at the earliest moment. I normally tell my students the following scenario: Imagine a game between a strong player and an inexperienced player. They have just reached an endgame. What will be the mindset of both players? The inexperienced player will think that since they have reached an "end" game, the game is going to "end" very soon. As an analogy, if he finds himself with a little quantity of juice left in his bottle, he won't bother refilling it or get a new one. Instead, he will think this amount should be sufficient for the remainder of the "short" game. The stronger, experienced player prepares a new bottle of juice for the endgame. In short, the inexperienced player sees the "end" in the endgame while the stronger, experienced player sees the "game" that still remains in the endgame. The inexperienced player will be dreaming about the "chicken biryani" (CB - a famous food item in India) he is planning to eat on the way home after the game, while the experienced player will be settling down to play a long, grinding endgame that needs to be won with patience and perseverance. This mindset is very important to play a quality endgame. The absence of patience is, as I call it, "chicken biryani syndrome" (CBS). Only a patient mind can be content with making small improving waiting moves, instead of doing something silly in the rush for CB ! When a younger player sees endgames for the first time, he will be astonished to find that stronger players often make mysterious quiet moves "without any plan." This confuses the younger player because he has been taught or he thinks that each move should contain a "plan", or involve some form of planning in it. "You cannot just 'make a move' without any plan" is the common refrain. I believe someone once said, "A move without any plan is worse than a move with a bad plan," or something to that effect. In an endgame, it doesn't work that way. There is a big difference between making quiet, positional, improving moves and playing passive, plan-pointless moves. We should do the former and not the latter. Once we understand this important difference, it will be easier to understand what stronger players are doing in endgames. We have to play patiently because the position may be only slightly better for us, and our opponent has the opportunity to make further mistakes and worsen his position before we can think about converting the advantage into a win. By playing in this quiet manner, paying careful attention to his ideas and preventing them in advance, and by slowly and steadily improving our position, we are putting tremendous pressure on our opponent. Psychology plays a BIG part in chess. We must never forget that. Chapter 13: Essential Endgame Principles

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No one likes to play passive, lifeless, inferior positions for too long. By maintaining the pressure a little longer with our patience, we are giving our opponent just that little extra bit of rope to hang himself with in desperation, hurry and disgust. This works amazingly well in most games! Try it! When an inexperienced player gets a small advantage in the endgame, he immediately rushes to win by playing direct moves with direct ideas. A direct approach will not work most of the time - "Patience is a virtue in endgames". When the younger player sees no direct win or any direct way to improve the position, he becomes desperate, panics and assumes that there is no win and that the game is inevitably drawn. He may blunder and throw away all his advantages and in some cases, even manage to get into a worse position. We must learn the art of "doing something without doing anything." By this, I mean playing quiet, small, innocent looking, "idea-less" but useful moves. We might have already played a long, hard fought game only to reach a slightly better endgame after move 45. We may already be tired by this point and hoping to finish the game soon. All the same, we must have the patience and energy to be ready to play an additional 40 or 50 moves to win the game. It is a battle of nerves, patience, energy and determination. Rise to the occasion and learn the art of technique. It is worth it! It takes a long time to find the best moves in the middlegame but for experienced endgame players, it does not take too much time or energy to play the correct moves in endgames. It comes "naturally" to them. Be mentally ready to play another 40 or 60 moves in the endgame. But, don't worry; it won't take as much time as playing 40 or 60 moves in the middlegame. We must be prepared to play longer games in terms of the number of moves and a shorter game in terms of the time it takes to make so many moves. We will eventually reach a point where endgame moves come naturally to us. Believe in this, and work hard at home studying endgames by stronger players. Tip: When preparing for a tournament match, make sure you have enough chocolates, cookies, dry fruits, fresh juices, tea, coffee, snacks, or whatever else suits you, to dig in for long haul.

Alertness Another virtue in the endgame is "alertness". Though many good endgames will look deceptively simple and without any apparent action, an alert mind hides behind every game. We need to constantly be on the lookout for active counterplay from the opponent at each turn. Despite the attitude that it is not necessary to calculate variations in endgames, it is important to know that calculating small, precise, multiple variations is essential for good endgame play. In the middlegame, we need to calculate lengthy variations in critical positions. Sometimes the variations cannot be calculated completely, as the position could be too complex. In the endgame, it is rare to get such complicated positions. Nevertheless, we must be constantly on the alert for small trick shots that can come out of the blue. We need to consider move 262

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order tricks, where any slight change in the move order could result in drastic change in the assessment of the position. If we notice carefully, all endgame experts will also be extremely strong in calculations. The endgame is like a spider slowly weaving its complex web and then patiently waiting for its prey to make the first mistake. If the spider were jumping up and down, and constantly running all over the web, the prey would never come near the web. Here, quoting Kramnik's view on Karpov's endgame skills will not be out of place. Self-Belief Although self-beliefis important for every chess player in all departments of the game, it is especially crucial in endgames. Players are exposed to openings and the middlegame very often in their games, so they don't feel over whelmed by them despite not being good in all aspects. But endgames come rarely in young players' games for the simple reason that they avoid endgames at any cost. It is not rare to find that younger players, when offered an exchange of queens, run away with their queen as though it were under attack! A few reasons for avoiding the endgame could be: fear of their perceived "bad" endgame skills, the endgame is an unknown entity for many (and anything unknown can invoke revulsion in our mind), the false impression that all endgames are drawn, a strong feeling that endgames are boring (hence should be avoided), a lack of endurance to play long games, bad experiences from painful past endgame losses, etc. I have experience working with students who, despite putting hours and serious effort into studying endgames, still lack the courage to play them against good players. When asked why, their reply is that they are still not sure about their abilities. It is important that we experiment in our games with what we've learned in our home preparation, otherwise we won't know how well we have learned a certain endgame topic and what may need to be changed in our approach. An experienced player will be so sure of his endgame skills that he will be happy to get an equal position with a reasonably good player and still be confident that he has good winning chances. If we look closely at Carlsen's wins against Anand in the 2013 World Championship match, especially the first couple of wins, they were both in endgames where the position was more or less equal for a very long time. All of a sudden, Anand made a blunder and lost the games immediately. Despite the fact that the positions were equal, Carlsen was playing for a win in those games - not a draw. And remember, Anand is not a pushover. Such is Carlsen's self-belief in his own endgame skills, that no matter who or what the opposition is, and no matter what the position is, as long as there is some life left in the game, Carlsen is going to play for a win. He is a good example for others to follow.

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Tips: Set aside 10 to 20 days once every few months for your endgame preparation to improve your skills. You can start with basic endgame positions from any good endgame book. Then, study a lot of good endgames played by strong players like Rubinstein, Capablanca, Petrosian, Karpov, Vladimirov, Carlsen, Kramnik, Harikrishna, Sasikiran, and many others. Take any one player at a time, look at all his games with endgames, and guess the moves from his side. There are, of course, so many good endgame players; you can choose anyone you like.

Try to see how these Grandmasters think once an endgame appears. Guess their moves first before seeing what they played in the game. We can lean a lot using this method. There will be many similarities in their games. Try to make a list of them in a notebook. Pay attention to how they apply the principles we have seen above, and try to do the same in your games.

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Chapter 14 The Importance of Results and Ratings

"You ONLY HAVE CONTROL OVER YOUR ACTIONS , NOT OVER THE RESULT " - KRISHNA IN THE B HAGAVAD GITA

T any kid who has just started playing chess what his or her ambition is,

he above is an apt piece of advice for every chess player. When we ask

the instant reply is often - "World Champion!" "Grandmaster!" or "National Champion!" Not all those kids go on to become World Champions, Grandmasters or International Masters. In fact, many players don't even reach 2300 ELO in their lifetime. Most ches s players' careers taper off at a much lower level. A person must make precious sacrifices to become a really strong chess player. Missed birthdays, missed festivals, holidays and weddings, being away from family when traveling to tournaments, compromises/adjustments to getting an education, eating hotel food instead of home cooked meals, and the list goes on. This is not meant to scare young kids from taking up chess, but to share with them that special dedication and commitment are required to become a strong player. For those who accept the challenge, the reward is sure to come and it is more than worth all the sacrifices that were made. For me, chess is not just a game; it is a journey where the final destination is not known. It is a life-long love affair. It enriches us along the way with its share of ups and downs, challenges and opportunities. Successes and failures in chess come when we least expect them. It takes us to the pinnacle of glory one day, and dumps us into the pits of gloom another. If we persist with hard work, flexibility, learning, and self-belief, it is the best journey of our life! Long ago, when I was an upcoming player, I got a chance to meet Anand over a dinner with other chess friends. The important message I got out of that dinner was that no matter what, we should love the game first and foremost, and only then do other things follow. Anand's passion for chess is Chapter 14: The Importance of Results and Rating

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legendary - it is obvious from the fact that I started playing chess after Anand became a grandmaster and I have been retired from tournament play for the last six years while Anand is still one of the top players in the world! Anand emphasized that chess should be fun. If we don't enjoy the playing-practicing­ learning-struggling process, then it is going to be a difficult journey indeed. Playing chess well can bring popularity, money, titles, friends all over the world, an opportunity to cut classes in school and many other benefits. But it is a player's passion for the game that keeps him going, because the life of a chess player includes disappointments in addition to successes. When we are young and unrated, we dream of getting a rating, then we dream of getting a higher and higher rating, and along the way we want to win various titles, and so on. There is nothing wrong with any of these aspirations and that is how it should be. But when this becomes the only reason and motivation to play the game, and our preparation is solely for this purpose, then we are just chasing a mirage. Results in chess are like railroad cars. The cars always follow the engine, which alone carries the whole train forward. Without the engine, the cars lose their purpose. Similarly, passion for the game and learning are the engines that carry everything else forward in chess. Apart from openings, middlegames and endgames, we also learn a lot of important qualities from chess that make us better people in life, if we learn the right lessons, that is. The player should not look at chess through the prism of ratings and results alone. Once we give more importance to results and rating than they deserve, then learning takes a back seat. Without learning, our results won't favor us in the long run. Many young players, even at the ages of 7 or 8, are so afraid of losing rating points that they lose even more games than they normally would, just because of fear. The vicious cycle of fear and despair feeds bad results, which in turn feed more fear and despair. I know of many young players around the age of 10, whose parents often complain that their son or daughter is playing well against higher rated players but he or she plays poorly against lower rated players, losing games often. The reason is obvious - the kid is not worried about the result when playing against a higher rated player because even if he loses the game, it won't affect his rating too much. But a loss against a lower rated player means a drop in rating points, which the kid sees as unacceptable. The kid learns to think this way either on his own, from peers, from his coach or parents. Thus, the role of coaches and parents is vital here. They should steer the attention of the player away from results and towards positive effort and action, which in turn will fetch us what we deserve without fail - a Wln. There is a famous cricket player in India, Sachin Tendulkar. In cricket, if we score 100 runs it is called a century, and it is something every batsmen would like to achieve. Sachin said when his score reaches the 90s, he will stop watching the scoreboard and focus only on the game until he gets the 100. When he comes close to scoring 100, Sachin knows that the feeling will automatically 266 Chapter 14: The Importance ofResults and Rating

come: "I must score a few more runs to get that century," and that's when most batsmen get out. When there is too much emphasis on the result, I want something from this , then somehow the desire to win seems to prevent full concentration. Seeking a result creates a division in concentration. When we throw a ball at a wall, anything can happen to the ball: it can hit the wall hard and come back fast, it can stop just short of hitting the wall, or it can hit the wall and come back slowly. It all depends on how hard we throw the ball in the first place. How we throw the ball is the action (cause). What happens to the ball is the result (effect). If we want the ball to come back harder, then we'd better throw the ball with all our might. We can control the ball only though our actions and not by our emotions. It is possible that despite throwing the ball harder, the ball may not even touch the wall because either the wall is too far away, or we are too weak or a strong wind is against us. Any external factor can affect our plans negatively or positively, and we have absolutely no control over it whatsoever. We only have full control over how hard we throw the ball. Whether our effort is sufficient or not is beside the point. But no external factor should ideally stop us from giving our best shot. Let's give our best effort first and then handle the repercussions later. If my fears and lack of confidence are preventing me from giving my best shot, then that is not good at all. I am not playing to my full potential. Similarly, in chess, we just need to find the best possible move with our best possible effort. In such a case, we will have done our part. We should be satisfied. If our effort is not good enough, then during home preparation we need to improve our skills so our effort meets our expectations. If the effort is good, then we will surely get what we deserve and not what we wish for. This relationship between effort and result should be understood and accepted, so that we can understand clearly what we should focus our attention on during training, and during a tournament. Imagine this scenario: We put a piece of paper on the street on a bright, sunny afternoon. What will happen to the paper? At best, it will get warm. Now let us introduce a focal lens in between the paper and the sun. What happens now? It is the same paper and same sun as before, but now the paper starts burning within a few seconds. Why? Initially, without the focal lens, the heat energy of the sun is scattered all over the paper. But once the lens is introduced, the heat energy is focused on a particular point and voila! The paper burns. In chess, our attention is often scattered because we worry about many different factors at the same time in a game. We are focused on gaining or losing rating points, we worry too much about winning or losing during the game, we fear our opponent, we are influenced by our past results against the same opponent or our result in the previous round, we are focused on tournament points, overall standings and prize money, or whether we are playing the black or white pieces, etc. Instead, if we worry about these things before or after the game, then during the game we can focus our full attention on finding the best possible Chapter 14: The Importance of Results and Rating 267

moves. That is living in the present moment. That is what we are supposed to be doing. In the Indian epic, Mahabharata, an incident occurs. There is a great archer, Arjuna, who learns archery from his guru Drona. One day, Drona gives all his students in the class a challenging test: a revolving dead bird is tied to a rotating wheel on top of a tree. The students must take aim and hit the bird's eye with their arrows. Everyone fails and only Arjuna succeeds. When Drona asks the students what they saw before they shot their arrows, everyone gives different answers. Some say they saw the tree and the bird, some only saw the bird, some saw the sky, and so on. Arjuna, however, saw only the bird's eye before he shot his arrow, and he alone succeeded and passed the test. We need to focus on what we are doing and nothing else. We need to learn to keep our thoughts and emotions in control while playing chess.We need to have mental endurance on the object of our concentration, block all distractions from our mind, maintain our concentration for as long as our situation demands, and then act. In the book Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, written in 1990, there are certain parts of the book that I will now quote which I feel will help all chess players: "The author has been studying for over 20 years the states of optimal experience - those times when people report feelings of concentration and deep enjoyment. These investigations have revealed that what makes experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow--a state of concentration so focused that it amounts to absolute absorption in an activity. Everyone experiences flow from time to time and will recognize its characteristics: people typically feel strong, alert, in effortless control, unselfconscious, and at the peak of their abilities. Both a sense of time and emotional problems seems to disappear, and there is an exhilarating feeling of transcendence." Mihaly describes the state of flow in the following manner: Completely involved in what you are doing - focused, concentrated; A sense of ecstasy - of being outside everyday reality; • Greater inner clarity - moment to moment knowing what needs to be done, and how well we are doing; • A sense of serenity - no worries about oneself, and a feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of the ego; • Intrinsic motivation - whatever produces flow becomes its own reward; and • Timelessness - thoroughly focused on the present, hours seem to pass by in minutes. • •

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The phenomenology of enjoyment has eight major components. When people reflect on how it feels when their experience is most positive, they mention at least one, if not all of the following: 1. We confront tasks we have a chance of completing; 2. We must be able to concentrate on what we are doing; 3. The task has clear goals; 4. The task provides immediate feedback; 5. One acts with deep, but effortless involvement, that removes from awareness the worries and frustrations of everyday life; 6. One exercises a sense of control over their actions; 7. Concern for the self disappears, yet, paradoxically the sense of self emerges stronger after the flow experience is over; and 8. The sense of duration of time is altered.

T is so rewarding that people feel expending a great deal of energy on their he combination of all these elements causes a sense of deep enjoyment that

craft is worthwhile, simply to be able to feel the flow.

"YOGA IS ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST SYSTEMATIC

METHODS OF PRODUCING FLOW " -

C SIKSZENTMIHALYI

If we become a slave to our thoughts and emotions while the game is in progress, then we cannot focus our limited concentration on the game. If someone asks us to throw a ball high in the air and catch it, we can do it easily. Now if we are asked to do the same with two balls, it becomes slightly more challenging. If we have to throw three balls in the air and catch them, it becomes impossible unless if we are a professional juggler. The reason is simple: we can focus our mind only on a certain, small number of things at a time. If we have to focus on more things than we can handle, our concentration becomes scattered and distributed to all those things, and as a result our output is very poor. We should learn to leave our fears, self-doubts, and worries just outside the tournament hall, along with our mobile phones ! Do not carry them with you to the game. Negative emotions take up a crucial part of our limited concentration and leave us short of energy to analyze the position and find the best moves during the game. Truly understanding this concept means that we need to keep our minds free of worries, fears and all other negative emotions, in order to bring out our best effort, which in tum will give us the result we deserve. To achieve this, we must know about ourselves a little more and in the process, learn to control ourselves better. We will examine this further in the next chapter.

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Chapter 15 SelfAnalysis and Self Control

"As THE MIND, SO THE MAN " - SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA

L philosophy in this chapter.

et me confess at the outset that I am borrowing heavily from Indian

Sometimes we realize, despite switching off all the lights in the room, that we still cannot get to sleep at night. This is because our mind refuses to switch itself off. So, for the person to get a good night's sleep, he could take a sleep-aid medication or better, he can control his mind so he can sleep without being disturbed by a mind acting on its own. Similarly, we should learn to control our mind during a chess game, so it does not get lost in the jungle of thoughts and emotions, which will disturb our concentration. In an Indian village, it is said, there once was a farmer who had a buffalo. Every morning, he goes to the farm, ties the buffalo with a rope, gives the buffalo some grass to eat and goes to work. In the evening, he unties the buffalo and takes it home. One morning, he found that the rope was missing. He did not know what to do, so he went to an old man and asked to borrow some rope. The old man said, "I don't have a rope, but I have a solution for your problem." He told the farmer to go and tie up the buffalo with all the usual actions with his bare hands and no rope. The farmer did this; and to his surprise, the buffalo did not try to run away, though it easily could have. In the evening, the farmer asked the buffalo to move, but it refused. He again went to the old man with his new problem. The old man said, "Now do all the usual actions you perform daily with your hands to untie the buffalo." The farmer did as the old man said. Again, to his surprise, the buffalo moved this time. The old man and the farmer knew there was no rope, but the buffalo did not! It had been brain washed so many times that the mere act of pretending to tie and untie the rope was enough to fool the buffalo.

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Now, we all might laugh at the buffalo for its stupidity, but we are in many ways similar to the buffalo in the story. When we feel, "I am so worried about today's game, I am worried I am going to lose today;" we don't realize that we are putting ourselves in the buffalo's position. If we believe we can never stop worrying, we really cannot stop worrying! If we think, "I should stop worrying and I can stop worrying," then you can. As the mind - so the man. Our fears and worries take a life of their own if left unchecked. We convince ourselves that our position is worse, lose all hope, and gift the point to the opponent in some games without putting up much of a fight. Later, when we analyze that game with a chess engine, we realize our position was not so bad after all! It was just our negative mindset that led us to believe our position was worse than it actually was. I am sure this must happen (and has happened) to many players. One teenage boy was walking by the road to his house when he saw a beautiful girl in a swimsuit walking past him. He also saw a monkey climbing up a tree. When he went home, he slept and he dreamed of someone knocking at the door. When he opened the door in his dream, he saw a monkey in a swimsuit. See what ideas a human mind can come up with! Our own mind is our best friend and our own mind is our worst enemy. We are what our mind is.

I It was mostly self-analysis, discussions with friends, and reading some

n our generation, we did not rely too much on coaches for learning the game.

rarely available chess material that helped us become better players. The competition was not so tough, either. In the first four rounds, most good players had 4/4 points. It was only then that the actual tournament started. But these days, even in the first round, no one is sure if they'll win their game. Chess has progressed in certain areas so much over the years, and so have the players. These days, even an 8-year-old can have good calculation skills and decent opening knowledge in multiple openings. Intense competition has its own merits and demerits. It keeps us on our toes all the time, as we are constantly in the process of upgrading our skills to keep up with the competition. In a way, this is good. But on the flip side, players these days rarely have the habit of sitting quietly and contemplating how things are going with their chess career. We need to periodically ask ourselves the following questions (and more):

• • • • • • • •

In which direction has my chess career been progressing? Am I happy with the way things are turning out? Am I putting in enough effort? Am I learning the right things? Do I have short, middle, and long-term goals reasonably defined? Is there something I should change about my approach to the game? Is my current approach yielding the results to my satisfaction? At this rate, will I reach my goals? Chapter 15: SelfAnalysis and Self Control 2 71

What changes do I need to make in my preparation to make it more effective? • Am I spending enough time on chess, corresponding to my ambitions? • Am I afraid of playing against lower rated players or higher rated players? • Am I getting good positions from the openings I play? • Do I like the positions I get out of my openings? • Is my calculation skill good enough? • Are my endgames better? • What are my strengths and weaknesses in chess? • What more do I need to do to get better in the game? etc. •

W that we should be doing but are ignoring or postponing. Self-introspection hen we contemplate how good or bad our chess is, we realize a lot of things

teaches us that our chess is 1) good, 2) not good, and 3) not good enough! All at the same time! We can find solutions to most of our questions just by thinking about them deeply. In many cases, we already know what needs to be done but the "doing" part is where the real problem lies. Many chess players simply don't put enough time into their chess preparation at home. We need to plan our work in such a way that our preparation covers all the important themes of chess over a period of time. For those questions where we don't have an answer, we should get in touch with strong players and get their opinions and suggestions to fix our problems. Alternatively, we can contact an experienced coach and try to solve our issues with their guidance. We can also read and learn from good books that cover the topics in which we are interested. For those who don't have access to good chess players or coaches in their area, explore taking lessons online. There are many websites offering training material. The point is, when we identify a problem with our chess, or with our approach to chess, we should not just drift away and leave things as they are. We need to take corrective steps as soon as possible. Progress in chess is about learning, playing, identifying our mistakes, making corrections, playing again, and so on. Helpful Suggestions to Improve Time Management Skills: Play more blitz games to improve reflex and intuition, which will help during time trouble. • One top GM suggested advancing pawns when in time trouble. • Try not to get into time trouble in the first place by playing quickly when you have to, and by not taking too much time making normal decisions. • Learn openings thoroughly so the initial 10 or 15 moves can be made quickly. This will leave more time for the middlegame and endgame later on. •

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• Do not think before making forced or only moves. Just make them and press the clock. • Do not think more than you have to. Once you make a proper evaluation, stop the analysis at that point and make a decision. For example, once you know in a certain position that you have good chances to continue playing for a win, then go for that continuation if there is nothing better. Don't try to continue the analysis further. • Do not check your lines more than once or twice before making a move. Some players keep checking and rechecking their analysis because they are not sure if they've missed something important in their analysis. • Try to have good concentration during the thinking time. If you find that your concentration is wavering, then do something different like: go for a short walk, keep telling yourself to focus, splash your face with cold water, have something to drink or eat, or give yourself a pep-talk to boost confidence and concentration. • Do not panic when unexpected things happen on the board. Learn to accept them and try to make the best practical decisions without giving up hope. If we panic, we make bad decisions and we often take up too much time making those bad decisions. • Repeat moves wherever possible twice to gain time, but do it quickly! • Play training games with say, 10 minutes on the clock in complicated or simple positions to teach yourself to make quick decisions under various circumstances. • Give yourself 10 or 20 minutes on the clock and try to solve as many problems as possible in that limited time.

Helpful Suggestions to Improve Calculation: • Solve studies/compositions. Some good composers include: Kubbel, Afek, Gurgenidze, Smyslov, Wotawa, Kasparian, Dobrescu, Gurvitch, etc. Try to solve the easy ones first then go on to the tougher ones. The time to solve each study could be anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes, so don't lose hope and get frustrated if you don't get the answer immediately. • Solve puzzles from practical games. Many good puzzle books and databases are available. • Play out training games with complicated positions using a limited time on the clock. • Analyze complicated positions on your own without making the moves on the board and write down your analysis in a book. Compare your analysis with the comments from a book/database. • Analyze positions with a friend without looking at a chessboard. Have fun calculating simple positions to begin with. • Analyze complicated positions with a player who is strong in calculation and you will learn a lot about how they think. Try to do the same.

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Helpful Suggestions to Improve Positional/Strategic Play: Read books on the topic; there have been quite a few fantastic works on the subject of positional chess. • Play through games by players like Karpov, Capablanca, Smyslov, Kramnik and Yusupov, etc. Of course, there are many other strong players out there just waiting to teach us with their great games. Explore and enjoy! (Remember, always guess the moves first. ) •

With regard to openings and endgames, I have covered these subjects under previous chapters in this book.

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Chapter 16 Learning and Unlearning

" I F WE STOP LEARNING, WE STOP IMPROVING " - KA SPAROV " W HEN ONE WORKS WITH CONCENTRATION , LOSING ALL CONSCIOUSNESS OF ONESELF , THE WORK THAT IS DONE WILL BE INFINITELY BETTER " - S WAMI V IVEKANANDA

W to learn. Passion for the game, curiosity and the determination to succeed hen we want to learn something, we first need to have a strong motivation

are the ideal motivations for a chess player. Without proper concentration, however, there can be no learning. One of the areas a normal player and a strong player differ is in the realm of creativity. As a coach, I have seen that a majority of young players do not have much of a problem calculating simple variations but they often have trouble spotting more complex variations requiring intermediate moves or a profound tactical shot. Talented tactical players rarely miss such moments. To be more creative, we need to overcome our inhibitions about taking risks and enter unchartered territories in our thinking process. When I was young, I remember asking myself what I hate most in chess. The answer came easily: the Dutch Opening! I could not understand how a good player would obligingly play a move like 1 . . . f5 on move one and weaken his own king? So, I decided to study the Dutch with the black pieces to overcome my hatred for the opening. After all, there has to be some validity to l . . . f5 , otherwise many strong grandmasters would not play it. It is through overcoming our fears and inhibitions in certain areas of chess that one's way to progress lies. When we are young, we are taught in life that certain things are good and other things are bad; some behaviors are acceptable and ought to be pursued while others are not acceptable and should be shunned. In chess too, we learn Chapter 1 6: Learning and Unlearning 275

that some moves or ideas are good and others are bad. For example, we learn that being a pawn down is not good and we should not give away pawns for free. Then we learn to develop an attachment to playing with equal pawns. We learn we should attack our opponent's king and go for mate. We learn that playing with the pair of bishops is good. We learn all rook and pawn endings are drawn. We learn a bishop is better than a knight, we learn to play openings like the London and Colle systems, we learn gaining rating points is important, we learn losing hurts more than winning, we learn to respect higher rated opponents, we learn things from others, we learn to think before moving and not play hurriedly, etc. Over a period of time, we learn many other different aspects of chess. Our knowledge, experience, skill and rating get better as we progress as students of the game. In this proces s of learning, however, we develop certain phobias and convictions in our mind. The lesson: "We should not carelessly give away free pawns" becomes the fear: ''We should never give away any pawns." As a result, playing with equal pawns becomes an aim for many players until they reach the endgame. "Attacking the opponent's king is good" becomes the fear "The opponent will attack our king." "Playing with the pair of bishops is good" becomes giving up hope when our opponent gets the bishop pair. "A bishop is slightly better than a knight" becomes "A bishop is much superior to a knight." The drawing nature of rook and pawn endings and opposite colored bishops endings become "All such endings are drawn." When we learn sidelines like the London or Colle Systems, we learn to ignore main lines as we grow as a player in strength, age and rating. Respecting higher rated opponents becomes fearing higher rated opponents. "Think and play without hurrying" becomes time trouble problems. "Leaming from others" becomes "Not learning through one's own work/coach dependency." We learn to calculate but forget to think logically. Trying to gain rating points becomes fear of losing rating points. Love for attack becomes hatred for quiet positions and endings. And so on. As we can see, when we learn certain aspects of the game, over a period of time, we develop rigid qualities and form opinions about everything. And this becomes our undoing later on. This is how we develop weaknesses in our game and in our thinking. While we learn about various principles in chess, it is essential to remember that there are exceptions to everything and that guiding principles work in most situations but not in all situations. We need to "unlearn" the negative perceptions we develop over time. This ability to change our opinions is one of the hallmarks of a successful player. It is easy to go from one extreme opinion to the other extreme. We should strive to maintain a balance between extreme opinions . We should strive to learn when i t i s beneficial and when i t is bad to give away pawns. We should learn how to attack and how to handle our opponent's attack. We should learn how to play with and against the pair of bishops. We should learn how to play with a bishop versus a knight and vice versa. We should learn when certain endings are drawn and when we can play for a win. 276

Chapter 1 6: Learning and Unlearning

We should learn how to slowly migrate to main lines from the sidelines we played in our youth. We should learn to overcome our fear of playing against higher rated players. We should learn to manage our time better so we use most of the allotted time, without getting into chronic time trouble in every game. We should learn to gain rating points by playing good quality chess. Along with attack, we should learn how to play quiet positions and endings. For the above to be possible, we must unlearn our misconceptions and unlearn our weaknesses. We should progress from opinionated, rigid thinking to balanced, flexible thinking. When I was young, I was not good in quiet positions and endings. Over a period of time, I started developing a fear of such positions and avoided them at all costs. I started to lose more games when the position became quiet or had reached an ending. I realized this could not go on any longer, otherwise my progress in chess would be seriously affected. So I started to unlearn my hatred and fear for quiet positions by studying the games of players like Karpov, Capablanca, Petrosian and others. I started reading books on positional play and endgames. Slowly, I developed confidence in those areas and my overall playing strength improved. I have seen many players who are unable to reverse their fears and opinions. Players with time trouble remain players with time trouble throughout their chess career. Players who miss simple tactics in good positions will forever complain, "I get good positions all the time, but I miss some small tactic and lose the game." Someone who is not good at calculation or in endings or who defends badly remains the same and even gets worse over a long period of time. The ability to learn good things and unlearn bad things is essential and every player should strive to do both to reach their true potential in chess.

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Chapter 1 7 Using Computers

C viewing, analyzing, and searching of information in chess. We have reached

omputers have played a crucial role in the storing, accumulation, ease of

a stage in chess history where it is practically impossible to be a strong player without the help of computers. We have come a long way from times when there was a shortage of chess information, to the opposite extreme today, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to sort through the mass of information available, to find what is right for us and how to use that information for our chess progress. There are many popular programs like ChessBase and Chess Assistant, which are used by most players around the world for their preparation. These programs are used mainly for storing information and searching through huge databases by different criteria, as per the requirements of the player. Apart from the above-mentioned programs, we also have plenty of analysis engines. Komodo, Stockfish, Houdini and Rybka are among the popular ones available today, which are used to store and analyze positions and games as well as playing against them. Chess DVDs provide instructive lectures on all aspects of the game by many of the top grandmasters around the world. There are popular websites which allow users to play games 24/7, solve puzzles online, watch world-wide tournaments live with or without commentary, download the latest games for free, buy chess literature, provide online training, provide opening databases for a fee, and so on. There are many mobile phone apps coming out to meet the demands of a traveling chess player. Add to this, "traditional" books, periodical magazines, and tournament bulletins by authors on varying topics. We have vast amounts of information available everywhere.

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It is imperative for a player to know how to process this information to get the most out of it to aid in his chess progress. Since I use the ChessBase program, I will restrict myself to preparing chess using this software. Similar methods may be replicated using other programs as well. First, we should organize our material properly so that when we need something, we know where to look for it. I have seen many young players, in their eagerness to collect databases, clutter their screen with so much useless information that it becomes near impossible to find what they want. To avoid this, I suggest the following method: we can create a folder called "Chess Data" (or whatever you prefer) to hold all of your databases, electronic books, other resources, etc. Within your folder, we can create as many sub-folders as we want. One simple way to organize the folders is like this: • • • • • • •

Openings Middlegame Endgame Bases My games E-books DVDs

All opening materials can be stored in the "openings" folder, all middlegame-related material goes into the middlegame folder, and so on. Organization makes it easier to retrieve the material we want faster. When we want to search for a particular player's games or a specific position, we need to have a source from which the search can be made. The common sources for searching games are: Mega Database (it changes with each year), Informator (it contains games analyzed by strong players) and TWIC ( www.theweekinchess.com). TWIC comes once a week and contains games from the latest international events, up to date. All the above databases can be put into the "bases" folder we created earlier. Now it is easy to search all three databases at the same time just by clicking on the folder and calling for the search mask (ctrl+F). Finally, the folders can be accessed from the ChessBase main screen by right clicking on the screen and choosing "add folder shortcut". For TWIC, the download can be copied into the TWIC database inside the "bases" folder every week so we remain updated with the latest games. It is important to create separate opening databases inside the "openings" folder for each opening we play. These databases should contain our opening material, which we can create on our own (as explained in the chapter on Opening Preparation). The TWIC database can be used to keep us up-to-date with the latest development in opening theory and for learning from the most current games of the world's top players. While seeing the material, it is better to turn on the training mode (on the notation side, we can see the "training" button) and guess the moves before Chapter 1 7: Using Computers

279

seeing the move that was actually played in the game. This is a simple and effective way to prepare openings and learn from games in general. Some parents are worried about their child if he only plays and studies chess on a computer and does not prepare chess on a physical board using pieces. While there is no hard and fast rule, I would recommend any serious work be done using a real chessboard, as we might have to stare at a board for a long period of time in a game. Working in short sessions should not be a problem, but long hours in front of a computer could strain the child's eyes.

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Conclusion General Suuestions

Trying to become a professional chess player is not as easy as one might think. It requires parents who are supportive and understanding, a school which can accommodate the irregular attendance of the child, availability of an effective coach, regular participation in good tournaments, financial stability, and more. Apart from these external factors, the player should be reasonably talented, interested in learning despite the inevitable ups and downs, hardworking, etc. What we like versus what is good for us-progressing to liking what is good

It is in the nature of humans to do what we like to do more than what is better for us in the long run. Climbing a flight of stairs is tougher, takes longer and strains the body more than going up in an elevator. But the former is more beneficial to us from a health perspective than the latter, which is quick, easy and comfortable. Someone who is very health conscious should ideally prefer the stairs over the elevator for shorter climbs. Similarly, it is easier to make a move intuitively without calculating the critical variations and spending time and effort. It easier to play through games casually than to sit and analyze them deeply. Calculating a study until the end is tougher than solving it midway and checking the solution to see the remaining moves. It is not pleasant to sit and defend a bad position during a game against a good player; it is easier to just give up. But all these things have to be done whether we like it or not because it is good for our development to do so. An aspiring chess player should learn to do the difficult things (calculate deeply, defend stubbornly, etc. ) which other players would avoid doing simply because they are tough to do. Effort over Result

Players, coaches, and parents can sometimes focus too much on the results, and in the process the effort on the part of the player (both on and off the board) is ignored. Being successful should not be measured only in terms of ratings and titles, but also by how much a player has learned about the game and about himself. Unless there is progress made in how a player thinks, how well he calculates/concentrates/fights back in tough situations, how well he converts the advantage, the results will suffer in the long run. The sacrifice and effort that goes into becoming a better player should not be underestimated or compromised. When a player is not happy with a result, he should first accept and take responsibility for it. It is because he did certain things wrong that he got that Chapter 18: Conclusion

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particular result - a result that maybe he doesn't like but deserves. One should analyze the game objectively (which is not easy at all ! ) after the tournament is over, draw important lessons, work on rectifying the weaknesses in one's thinking, and apply the lessons learned in future games before repeating the whole process over and over again. For Parents and Coaches

Focus on the child's interest in the game-encourage and enhance his hardworking capacity, keep monitoring his interest in learning the different aspects of the game. Provide emotional support when the child is going through tough times (there will be many such moments) . Teach him how to handle successes and failures with proper perspective, not to focus too much on rating gain or loss in the short-term, and handle pressures from school-related issues like attendance, homework, and exams. The child should be given the opportunity to play in good tournaments, and have a decent training environment at home, at the chess club, etc. The child should not be criticized too much after losses. Parents should not look at the time, effort and money they spend in the process as mere investments to gain monetary returns but rather as an investment in the child's overall growth, well-being and personality development. A good coach should teach all that he knows to the student, plus learn more himself and teach them new things as well. Keeping the child's motivation to learn more and perform high is a full-time j ob. Good coordination between the coach and parents will go a long way in fulfilling this objective. The child should be encouraged to make full use of the technology available for his progress. Reading instructive books, watching good videos/commentary about chess, solving puzzles regularly, analyzing games, learning the classics, working on chess independently, and playing/watching games online should all be encouraged. The entire process of learning and competing, the associated successes and losses, losing hope and confidence, the occasional frustrations and doubts, the excitement of winning, the fear of playing against stronger players, losing to lower rated players, meeting an unpleasant position over the board, defending bad positions, coming back from a losing position to win, regaining one's confidence back through hard work and determination, and so on are all part and parcel of the journey to become a good chess player. Enjoy the whole package of the professional chess career, not only the elements that are convenient and pleasant. Enjoy the j ourney.

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Index of Games Carlsen - Aronian Krasenkow - Garcia Ilundain Al Masshani - Sasikiran Andreikin - Topalov Anand - Topalov Korchnoi - Beliavsky Anand - Vallejo Pons Gabdrakhmanov - Yusupov Bacrot - Sargissian Ponomariov - Gashimov Mikhalchishin - Beliavsky Naiditsch - Timman Topalov - Mamedyarov Wojtaszek - Kazhgaleyev Kramnik - Leko Geller - Boleslavsky Keres - Gligoric Topalov - lvanchuk Potkin - Filippov Landa - Khismatullin Yu Yangyi - Bu Xiangzhi Hou Yifan - Shirov Monnisha - Quek Yusupov - Sokolov Van Wely - Lautier Alatortsev - Capablanca Yusupov - Van der Wiel Leko - Gelfand Kramnik - Serper Fischer - Petrosian Meier - Sanikidze Sasikiran - Yu Yangyi Bu Xiangzhi - Movsesian Mamedyarov - Bacrot Panchanathan - Ramesh Gavrilov - Amonatov Rivas Pastor - Adams Movsesian - lvanchuk Karpov - Sveshnikov Caruana - Baramidze

284 Index of Players

Page #

11 20 21 22 24 26 28 32 34 38 41 42 46 48 53 56 57 58 60 61 69 70 71 73 75 76 78 80 83 84 86 88 92 93 94 95 96 98 99 100

Abergel - Vachier Lagrave Ramesh - Mohota Smyslov - Tai Carlsen - Wojtaszek UAmi - Van Kampen Smyslov - Rudakovsky Tiviakov - Karjakin Karpov - Kramnik Gupta - Sokolov Berkes - Bogner Kramnik - Naiditsch Kramnik - Sadvakasov Eljanov - Sokolov Negi - Berg Negi - Nielsen Korchnoi - Karpov McShane - Rapport Sakaev - Eljanov Vaganian - Farago Mikhalchishin - Beliavsky Miles - Larsen Englisch - Steinitz Short - Kasimdzhanov Leko - Carlsen Movsesian - Wang Hao Hammer - Huschenbeth Vachier Lagrave - Harikrishna Naiditsch - Ponomariov Grachev - Popov Lysyj - Stubberud Geller - Keres Landa - Svane Koneru - Kononenko Muminova - Hou Yifan Carlsen - Mamedyarov Salgado Lopez - Caruana Grachev - Filipovic Bu Xiangzhi - Svidler Topalov - Aronian Svidler - Bu Xiangzhi Aronian - Svidler Eljanov - Alekseev Polzin - Svidler Balogh - Kempinski Delchev - lbrayev Kramnik - Carlsen

102 105 106 109 111 114 115 1 18 127 128 129 130 132 134 135 136 138 140 141 146 147 149 152 157 159 160 16 1 164 17 1 172 174 175 177 180 182 184 186 188 189 190 191 191 192 193 194 194 Index of Players

285

Bartel - Lovik Djuric - Yusupov Sorokin - Ramesh Ramesh - Kunte Capablanca - Yates Shomoev - Le Nakamura - Bauer Karpov - O'Kelly Gustafsson - Beliavsky Rudd - Jones Karpov - Vaganian Karpov - Grigorian Polzin - Motylev Stenersen - Tiviakov Ni Hua - Zhou Jianchao Short - Karpov Malakhov - Mamedyarov L'Ami - Nakamura Landa - Burmakin Ipatov - Eljanov

286 Index of Players

195 196 197 197 198 199 200 201 202 202 203 204 209 210 211 213 2 14 216 218 220

Bibliography

Books and Periodicals: How Life Imitates Chess Garry Kaspaorv Positional Play Mark Dvoretsky Chess Informant -

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Online Resources: The Week In Chess ChessCafe Software: ChessBase Mega Database 2015 Engines: Stockfish 6 Komodo 9

Bibliography

287