2009 August — Chess Blog

Monthly Archives: August 2009

A vivid example on importance of center control in chess

Posted by ChessMaster on August 29, 2009 – 8:57 am

Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Basics, Chess Opening, Chess Strategy, Chess lessons
Tagged as Chess Opening, chess opening tips, Chess Strategy, Chess tactics

Starting from our article on winning chess strategies in various posts we have stressed the importance of controlling the center in your chess games. In our latest series of articles, we mentioned this strategy as one of the aims for any chess opening as can be seen in Chess Opening: Control of Center, showing the theoretical analysis of some popular openings. This idea was further developed through examples of master games which showed how such opening theories are put into practice in these games.

We now show you a vivid example of how the aggressive play by one GM against another who was somewhat passive in this respect made a very short shrift of the game in only 15 moves. This may be an extreme example and was chosen only to stress our point, therefore don’t expect to get such quick results in your games. However, the idea remains valid.

The game employs Pirc Defense (ECO code: B07) which gives Black an advantage of adapting his center policy to the development strategy employed by White. But this has the drawback of giving White a much greater freedom in the center. As a result, in case of aggressive play by White, Black gets so busy in tackling White’s thrusts that he may miss out on his own plans unless he treads very carefully.

This game was played out in a tournament at Tashkent in 2008. In the FIDE list of Grandmasters as on April 1, 2009, White was ranked at 67 and Black at 393.

	Igor Kurnosov (Russia)	Marat Dzhumaev (Uzbekistan)
1.	e4	d6
2.	d4	Nf6
3.	Nc3	g6
4.	Bg5	Nbd7	Black’s text move is considered unfavorable. The recommended line is 4. … h6 5. Bh4 Bg7. Other lines like 4. … Bg7 or , to remain more flexible, 4. … c6 followed by b5 and Qa5 for action on Queen side are also expected to give Black a better game.
5.	Qd2	a6
6.	0-0-0	b5
7.	e5	b4	Black overstretched himself by this move if you consider the lines suggested by theory.

8.	exf6	bxc3
9.	Qxc3	e6	The unopposed progress of the advanced White pawns so close to the hemmed in Black King and Queen remain a thorn in the flesh, seriously affecting the normal development of Black pieces
10.	Re1	Nb6
11.	d5	Na4	11. Nxd5 would not help against what followed
12.	Qc6+	Bd7

13.	Rxe6+!	fxe6
14.	dxe6	Bg7	A case of too little too late! If 14. … Bxc6 15. f7#
15.	exd7+	Resigns

	The final position

15. … Qxd7 16. f7+ Kxf7 17. Qxd7+ Kf8 18. Qe7+ Kg8 19. Bc4+ d5 20. Bxd5#

15. … Kf7 16. Bc4+ Kf8 17. fxg7+ Kxg7 18. Bxd8 Rhxd8 19. Qxa4 gives White overwhelming material superiority.

Endgame technique: King and Queen against Pawn on 7th rank with Support of King

Posted by ChessMaster on August 25, 2009 – 3:43 pm

Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Basics, Chess Strategy, Chess tactics, Endgame Tactics
Tagged as chess endgame, Chess tactics, Endgame Tactics

King and Queen vs. King and Pawn on seventh rank

White to play and win.

We have started with White King and Queen quite far removed from Black’s King and Pawn though in actual such situations they may be closer – but the tactics remain the same.

Let us see what strategy White must follow.

Queen must keep Black King in check to stop the pawn promotion except in situation at 6.
Primary aim is to capture the pawn after which checkmate is easy as it becomes a King and Queen vs. King endgame.
Except for giving checks, Queen alone can achieve nothing. To capture the pawn, White King has to occupy one of the three squares on sixth rank that are in contact with the pawn.
To move White King, Queen has to stop moving (i.e., giving check) and this is possible only if Black King can be made to block its own pawn.
To force this on Black, the Queen must be able to give check from a square on Black’s sixth rank which is on a file next to the pawn’s file
When the Black King moves to a square on 7th rank next to the pawn, Queen can take the square on the other side of the pawn.
If the Queen gets an opportunity to move to the promotion square, the fight is over.

In the position shown, if the Queen can force the Black King to d1 or f1 square, then a check from d3 or f3 respectively will compel the King to move to e1 blocking the pawn. The White King can use this opportunity to advance one square and through this process reach d3 or e3 or f3 square after which the Queen can capture the pawn.

Black’s strategy is not to allow the Queen to move to e1 as that virtually ends the fight. His King should remain within one square of the pawn and avoid moving to e1 square if possible.. Even when it is forced to e1, it should go to f2 or d2 on next move depending on whether the Queen is on d3 or f3. If Black King goes to f1 or d1, the Queen will simply move to f3 or d3 to force the Black King back to e1 and the end will be faster!

Use the following to create a .pgn file and use a program like Winboard to play the moves.

1. Qd7+ Kc2 2. Qc6+ Kd2 3. Qd5+ Ke3 4. Qe5+ Kf2 5. Qf4+ Kg2 6. Qe3 Kf1 7. Qf3+ Ke1 8. Kd7 Kd2 9. Qf4+ Kd1 10. Qd4+ Kc2 11. Qe3 Kd1 12. Qd3+ Ke1 13. Kd6 Kf2 14. Qf5+ Ke3 15. Qg5+ Kd3 16. Qg3+ Kd2 17. Qf2 Kd1 18. Qd4+ Kc2 19. Qe3 Kd1 20. Qd3+ Ke1 21. Kd5 Kf2 22. Qd2 Kf1 23. Qf4+ Kg2 24. Qe3 Kf1 25. Qf3+ Ke1 26. Kd4 Kd2 27. Qd3+ Ke1 28. Ke3 Kf1 29. Qxe2+ 1-0

This technique does not work if the pawn is in bishop or rook file. With a bishop pawn, when the Queen checks Black King at b1 (or g1) from b3 (or g3) square, Black King will move to a1 (or h1) square, as the case may be. If the White King now tries to advance, the pawn gets promoted. The pawn can be left unprotected as it will be stalemate if the Queen captures the pawn!

If it is a rook pawn, Black will shuttle his King among squares a1-b1-b2 or h1-g1-g2. If the Queen delivers check from b3 (or g3), Black King goes to a1 (or h1). On check from c3 (or f3) square, Black King moves to b1 (or g1) so that no baseline check is possible from c1 (or f1) and for check from other baseline squares, the King moves to b2 (or g2). White Queen cannot go to b3 (or g3) with Black King at a1 (or h1) as it becomes a stalemate. So White King does not get any opportunity to advance.

But win is possible in these cases if the White King happens to be much nearer, within two steps of the Black King. The pawn can be allowed to Queen but taking advantage of this interval, the White Queen can deliver checkmate with support from the King. Try it out yourself keeping the strategy in mind.

Chess Opening: Sicilian Defense Theory to Practice

Posted by ChessMaster on August 18, 2009 – 3:08 pm

Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Basics, Chess Opening, Chess Strategy, Chess Tutorials, Chess lessons, Chess tactics
Tagged as chess opening guide, chess openings, Chess Strategy, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials

In Chess Opening: Queen’s Gambit Theory to Practice and Chess Opening: Nimzo-Indian Defense Theory to Practice, you have seen that starting with the basic theory of the respective openings discussed in Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 3 and Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 2, how some actual games proceeded to bring win to White as well as Black. The idea was to enable you to look carefully at the moves by the players to understand where White or Black went wrong in following the rules of chess strategy as well as chess tactics, which handed over the game to their opponents.

In continuation of the same theme for developing your comprehension about the opening theories, we now take up two games using Sicilian Defense that was discussed in Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 1. Here also, White wins one game and Black wins the other within practically the same number of moves. None of the players may be known to you but all had ELO ratings in 2300-2600 range.

Since you have seen the first five moves of Sicilian Defense Najdorf variation in Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 1, here we start with move 6 in both the games (ECO code: B95)

Borek Bernard-Tomas Civin Prague, 2003		Leonid Milov-Robert Ruck Griesheim, 2002
6.	Bg5	e6		6.	Bg5	e6
Position after move 6		Position after move 6

7.	Qf3	Nbd7		7.	Qf3	h6
8.	0-0-0	Qc7	Had 5. … a6 not been played, White Knights would be able to move to b5 to harass the Black Queen.	8.	Bh4	Nbd7
9.	Qh3	Nc5		9.	0-0-0	Qc7
10.	Bxf6	gxf6		10.	Qh3	Be7
Position after 10 moves		Position after 10 moves

You may note that White’s position is nearly identical in both games, but Black’s position looks cramped in both, though more solid in game 2.
11.	Be2	b5		11.	f4	b5
12.	a3	Rb8		12.	a3	Rb8
13.	b4	Nb7		13.	e5	dxe5
14.	Bh5	Nd8		14.	fxe5	Nxe5
15.	Rhe1	Bd7		15.	Bg3	b4
Position after 15 moves		Position after 15 moves

16.	Nd5!	exd5		16.	axb4	Rxb4
17.	exd5+	Be7		17.	Nf3	Nfg4
18.	Rxe7+	Kxe7		18.	Qh5	Bf6
19.	Qe3+	Ne6		19.	Re1	g6
Position after 19 moves		Position after 19 moves

20.	Bxf7	Kxf7		20.	Nd5	exd5
21.	dxe6+	Kg7		21.	Nxe5	0-0!
22.	Nf5+	Kg6		22.	Nxg4	Bxb2+
23.	Rd5	Resigns	White was threatening 24. Qh6# 23. … h6 24. Qg3+ Kh2 (24. … Kh5 25. Ng7#) 25. Qg7# 23. … Bxe6 24. Qh6+ Kf7 25. Qg7+ Ke8 26. Qxc7 (threatening 27. Qe7#) Bxf5 27. Qxb8+ Kf7 28. Qxh8 etc. White missed a quicker win by: 23. Qh6+ Kxf5 24. Qh5+ Ke4 (24. … Kxe6 25. Re1# or 24. … Kf4 Rd4#) 25. Qd5+ Kf4 26. Rd4#	23.	Kd1	Rd4+	White Resigned. After 24. Ke2 Qxc2+ 25. Ke3 Qd2+ 26. Kf3 Bxg4+ 27. Qxg4 Rxg4 28. Kxg4 Qg5+ 29. Kf3 (29. Kh3 Qf5+ 30. Kh4 Bf6#) Qh5+ etc. with checkmate only a matter of time.
The final position		The final position