Category Archives: Defensive strategy

Chess Tactics in application

4
Posted by ChessMaster on September 13, 2010 – 3:23 am
Filed under Attacking tactics, Chess Basics, Chess lessons, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials, Defensive strategy
Tagged as attacking chess, attacking chess tactics, Attacking tactics, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials

In our ten-part article series on chess tactics (starting with 12 chess tactics … – Part 1), we have discussed the different tactics that go into different combinations. You have seen excerpts from chess games that illustrated the use of such chess tactics.

Now I would like to show you some full games that abound in such tactics and are quite exciting to play out. The purists may argue that the loser played poorly, allowing the brilliant attacking tactics and sacrifices of the winner to come through. But as we mentioned somewhere, all brilliancies result from some inaccurate play by the loser. Would you agree that if both players play perfect chess, the only outcome is a draw? Moreover, a post-game analysis taking your own time with a Rybka or Fritz or something like those by your side to find the mistakes of the loser is completely different from thinking up combinations to exploit the weak moves of the loser under tournament conditions. Just ask yourself – how many of such critics would be able to create those brilliancies on their own within the time limits of the game? Very few, I’m sure. So, instead of getting into those arguments, just try to enjoy the winner’s moves.

Here follows a game that I have thoroughly enjoyed in playing through. The winner sacrificed all his minor pieces to steam-roll his attack and all the material advantages of the loser ultimately came to nothing.

Glucksberg-Najdorf, Warsaw, 1929
Dutch Defense (ECO: A85)

1. d4 f5
2. c4 Nf6
3. Nc3 e6
4. Nf3 d5
5. e3 c6
6. Bd3 Bd6
7. O-O O-O
8. Ne2 Nbd7
9. Ng5 Was he thinking of a knight fork with 10. Ne6? He should have expected Black’s next move.

 
9. … Bxh2+
10. Kh1 Ng4 10. Kxh2 brings 11. … Ng4+ 12. Kg1 Qxg5
11. f4 Qe8
12. g3 Qh5
13. Kg2 Bg1
14. Nxg1 Qh2+
15. Kf3 e5
16. dxe5 Ndxe5+
17. fxe5 Nxe5+
18. Kf4 Ng6+
19. Kf3 f4
20. exf4 20. Bxg6 Bg4+ 21. Kxg4 Qxg3+ 22. Kh5 hXg6+ 23. Kxg6 Rf6+ 24. Kh5 Rh6#

 
20. … Bg4+
21. Kxg4 Ne5+
22. fxe5 h5#

 

Some of you may raise the doubt that Najdorf could produce such an attack because of the weak opponent. To dispel this doubt, here is another game played by him against a stronger opponent. This game is also an excellent example of attacking tactics. However, Black could possibly salvage a draw at some stage, but with two pieces up, who would think that negatively when unble to guess White’s plans?

Najdorf-Szapiro, Lodz, 1929
French Defense (ECO: C10)

1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3. Nc3 dxe4
4. Nxe4 Nd7
5. Nf3 Ngf6
6. Bd3 Be7
7. O-O b6
8. Ne5 Bb7
9. Nxf6+ gxf6

 
10. Nxf7 Kxf7
11. Qh5+ Kg8
12. Re1 Nf8
13. Rxe6 Nxe6
14. Bc4 Qd6
15. Bh6 Bf8
16. Re1 Bc8 16. … Bxh6 17. Bxe6+ Kg7 18. Qf7#
17. Qe8 Bd7

 
18. Rxe6 Rxe8
19. Rxe8+ Be6
20. Bxe6+ Qxe6
21. Rxf8#

 

12 chess tactics and how to use those to gain advantage – Part 10, 11 and 12

4
Posted by ChessMaster on July 24, 2010 – 4:01 am
Filed under Attacking tactics, Chess Basics, Chess lessons, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials, Defensive strategy
Tagged as attacking chess, attacking chess tactics, Attacking tactics, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials

In English, a “baker’s dozen” means 13 and not 12, originating from an old practice of bakers giving one loaf extra when someone bought a dozen! Borrowing the idea in a converse sense, I am writing ten articles to cover the 12 chess tactics. Earlier, we devoted one article for each tactics to avoid cluttering up the lessons. But in this one, we have covered the remaining three tactics. The reason for this will be clear from what I have explained below.

10. Zugzwang

This tactic has already been discussed at length in two earlier articles viz. Chess Tactics: should some of them be prohibited? and Chess Tactics: Some more applications of Zugzwang. We have included the topic here only for bringing the different tactics within one series. If you take the trouble of going through the articles mentioned, you will get a fair idea of what this tactic involves.

11. Zwischenzug

What has been said above applies here also. We will request you to take a look at our earlier articles Chess Tactics: Catching Opponent on Wrong Foot and Chess Tactics: more on Zwischenzug where we tried to explain what this “mouthful” tactic means and how it is applied.

12. Stalemate

Unlike all the previous 11 chess tactics which are used to attack the opponent’s position, this one is a defensive tactics. A stalemate arises when the player with the move is unable to make any legal move while his King is not under check. Had the King been under check, this situation would mean a checkmate and defeat for the player so constrained. But a stalemate means a draw and many a clever player has been able to salvage a draw in a hopeless position by maneuvering to create a stalemate condition for himself!

On the other hand, particularly when you have undisputed and even overwhelming superiority in a position, you should be especially careful about this defensive resource. You should move the pieces carefully and be wary of picking up pawns or pieces apparently left unguarded by the defender, if such move does not render a check. Otherwise you may be left to rue for missing a sure win!

Let us first look at some positions to find how the stalemate came about.

You can see that Black has an obviously superior position. Once he can get the Queens exchanged (and even otherwise), it is a matter of time that the connected King-side passed pawns will win for him. How does he play his winning hand?

43. Kd1 Qc3 Almost any move other than this one would give Black a win!
 
44. Qg8+ Kxg8 White accepted the lifeline with both hands and Black had to accept the Queen offer. White is now in
stalemate – game drawn.

 

Black is a piece up and has a passed RP. He is ready for attack on the cornered White King. He should expect that White would try to find some escape route from a sure defeat.

49. Qd2 Rxd3 Black is still in grabbing mood, otherwise he could have played 49. … Qh3+ and then bring out his Bishop via h6.
50. Rxf8+ Kxf8
51. Qh6+ drawn If Black captured the Queen, it would be stalemate. If he moved his King, the White Queen could continue giving checks, sitting by the side of Black King if necessary! Black had to accept the draw.

 

Black is in a losing situation as he cannot stop the White QNP from promotion without giving up his Rook. So he found the way to a stalemate for snatching a draw!

54. b5 Re3
55. b6 Re1+ White had eye only for promoting his pawn as quickly as possible, so he failed to see through Black’s plan!
56. Rxe1 drawn

 

Because of his King-side connected passed pawns, Black’s win seems certain. But some inaccurate moves by him gave White the opportunity to a stalemate and it is quite amusing to see the White Rook’s antics!

58. Kb4 Rb3+
59. Kxa4 Rxb2 Now White has been able to put his King in a walled space from where it cannot come out. So he has a merry time making his Rook jump around to chase the Black King, challenging a capture!
60. Rd7+ Kh6
61. Rh7+ Kg5
62. Rxh5+ Kf6
63. Rf5+ Kg7
64. Rf7+ Kh6
65. Rh7+ Kg5
66. Rh5+ gxh5 Black had enough of this circus and accepted the draw!

 

In the next two examples, the games ended in decisive results only because the losers missed (and obviously the winners also overlooked) the moves that could give a draw through stalemate.

Black obviously is in poor shape and though White still has to keep an eye on Black’s RP, his KBP is also nearing promotion and more importantly, he is in a position to deliver checkmate soon.

67. f6 Qe8
68. Qxh3 Qb8+ Black missed his opportunity here. If instead he played 68. … Qe6+, White would be forced to reply 69. Qxe6 and Black would not have any move i.e., stalemate and draw.
 
With the text move, Black resigned after another nine moves when the following position was reached (78. Qc5+)

 

Our final example shows the position just before the last moves. After Black played 59. … b3, White resigned possibly considering the mating threats by Black Queen from any of g2, g4 and h1 squares. Neither of the players realized that Black’s last move created the opportunity for White to get a draw through stalemate.

59. Rd3+ b3 Black could have played 59. … Rc3 and White would have to surrender sooner or later. But now the game could have continued:

60. Rxb3+ Kxa2 61. Ra3+ Kb2 (61. … Kxa3 62. Qa4+ or Qd3+ would force exchange of Queens by Black, leaving White with no move) 62. Qb5+ Kxa3 (if the King moved to c1, White would get a winning position!) 63. Qd3+ forcing a stalemate.

 

There are examples galore in chess annals for stalemate or missed stalemate as these samples spanning a century from 1880 to 1980 amply demonstrate. When all seems lost, be on the lookout for a stalemate possibility and you need not feel like a swindler because stalemate is a legitimate rule of chess!

 

“The stomach is an essential part of the Chess master”

16
Posted by ChessMaster on June 25, 2009 – 9:28 am
Filed under Attacking tactics, Chess tactics, Defensive strategy, General Chess
Tagged as attacking chess, attacking chess tactics, Chess Strategy, Chess tactics

It takes a lot of effort in searching for suitable content, collecting information, and finally creating and editing the article for putting it up on the blog site. All this effort gets its reward when readers come out with their comments which shows firstly, that they have read it and secondly, that they felt something about it! We are thankful to the readers who write back for another reason also: their views and comments give us ideas for fresh articles and these help to sustain the cycle.

The idea for the present article came from the comments of two readers on two different topics.

Reader Ralphe commented on Chess Trivia: What the List of Grandmasters reveal by saying “I wonder why Vishy is not in the list, he was pretty young when he got his GM as well.” We clarified to him why Vishy was not on the list, but that set our thoughts to write some article using one of his games when he was pretty young. But which aspect should we consider as a theme for our article?

Here we came to remember what reader Chess king had to say on Chess Sacrifice as a Chess Tactics: to seize initiative. He brought us the quote from GM Bent Larsen: “The stomach is an essential part of the Chess master”. So why not show that Viswanathan Anand, more popularly known as ‘Vishy’ in chess circle, had it in him even when he was barely 16!

This game we have chosen was played in London in 1985 when Vishy was still an IM and his opponent Mestel was a GM.

Viswanathan ‘Vishy’ Anand (b.1969) became an IM in 1984 at the age of 15. He won the Indian Championship in 1985 and World Junior Championship in 1987. He became the first GM from India in 1988. He became FIDE World Champion in 2000 and proved his undisputed ability in the rapid play version of the game by becoming 2003 FIDE World Rapid Chess Champion. In 2006, he became only one of the four players ever to cross FIDE Elo rating of 2800 (others are Kasparov, Kramnik and Topalov). After FIDE was reunited in 2006, Anand became the undisputed World Champion in 2007 by winning the double round robin tournament held by FIDE with 8 top players (Kramnik -- reigning champion, Anand, Gelfand, Leko, Svidler, Aronian, Morozevich, Grischuk) of the time with the exception of Topalov. He successfully retained the title in 2008 by defeating Kramnik in the older format of match play between Holder and Challenger. He is the current World Chess Champion.

Note: As compensation for being denied entry to the 2007 tournament, Topalov was given some special privileges by FIDE by which, after defeating Gata Kamsky in February 2009, he is the new challenger against Anand for World Championship Match to be held later this year

Andrew Jonathan Mestel (b.1957) of UK was World Under-16 Champion in 1974 and became an IM in 1977 and GM in 1982.

The diagram shows position after 18 moves.

starting an attack keeping an eye on enemy's threats

19. Nf5 Rfe8 if 19. … Bxc3 then 20. Qxc3 Qxa2+ 21. Kc1 and any idea of Black bringing pressure on White Queen and c2 square by Rac8 fails due to White’s threat of Qg7# and trying to counter that allows White Queen to capture the Knight at b3
20. Nxg7 Kxg7
21. Qd4+ e5 This move of Black was an error because in trying to guard against one line, he exposed himself in another as White proved soon
22. Qxd6 Rac8 In trying to create his own threats, Black overlooked what White had in mind
23. Qf6+ Kg8 After Black’s previous move, White was aware that once Black got time to play Rxc3 to remove his defender knight, his King would be two moves away from a mate starting with Black’s Qxa2+. He had to be sure of retaining his tempo against that threat at the back of his mind and this showed that he had the stomach for it!
24. Rd7 Rf8 White was threatening mate in two against Black’s mate in three!
25. g6 Resigns 25. … fxg6 was obviously out because of 26. Qg7#, but other alternatives do not provide any respite. For example:
25. … hxg6 26. Rg1 with threat of 27. Rxg6+ followed by mate next move irrespective of Black’s response
25. … Rxc3 26. gxf7+ Rxf7 27. Qxf7+ Kh8 Qh7#

The position after White’s 25th move is shown below.

disregarding the Damocles' sword

So you see how Vishy kept his nerve to always remain one step ahead of Black’s threats working on the principle of attack being the best defense!

Watch the Game