Center control in Chess makes for a forceful attack

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Posted by ChessMaster on September 1, 2009 – 1:02 pm
Filed under Attacking tactics, Chess Basics, Chess lessons, Chess Opening, Chess Strategy, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials
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A vivid example on importance of center control in chess showed you the importance of this aspect of chess openings. At the risk of overstressing the point, here we bring another short game played with Sicilian Defense which is supposed to give Black a good fighting chance against White’s King Pawn opening.

We have already discussed about the theory behind one variation of Sicilian opening in Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 1 and showed examples in Chess Opening: Sicilian Defense Theory to Practice about the kind of play that can win for White or Black.

Sicilian Defense is the choice of combative players because Black is playing to create advantage, not just to achieve equality. At the same time, Black must realize that by not directly going for the control of center, he may be allowing White an early initiative. Therefore Black has to play carefully so as not to be swept off his feet by a quick attack before his own thrusts have taken effect.

Just adopting Sicilian Defense without this realization is not going to help Black to get the upper hand. He must be prepared to play aggressively but precisely in line with the theories to snatch the initiative, otherwise it could be a recipe for swift demise! That is what happened in the following game played at Bad Gastein in 1948 and we try to identify where Black went wrong and allowed White his brilliant attack.

NicolasRossolimo 
IvanRomanenko
 

1.
e4

 
Aims to control d5 and f5 and create space for King side initiative 

1.
…
c5
 
  

Shows black’s intention to go for Sicilian Defense. This move apparently violates the principle of controlling the central and semi-central squares as it applies pressure only to d4. Unlike moves like …e5 or …Nc6 which challenge center control or develop minor pieces, …c5 does neither. It [...] Continue Reading…

A vivid example on importance of center control in chess

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Posted by ChessMaster on August 29, 2009 – 8:57 am
Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Basics, Chess lessons, Chess Opening, Chess Strategy
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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 [...] Continue Reading…

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

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Posted by ChessMaster on August 25, 2009 – 3:43 pm
Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Basics, Chess Strategy, Chess tactics, Endgame Tactics
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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 [...] Continue Reading…

Chess Opening: Sicilian Defense Theory to Practice

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Posted by ChessMaster on August 18, 2009 – 3:08 pm
Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Basics, Chess lessons, Chess Opening, Chess Strategy, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials
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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 CivinPrague, 2003
 
Leonid Milov-Robert RuckGriesheim, 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 [...] Continue Reading…

Chess Opening: Nimzo-Indian Defense Theory to Practice

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Posted by ChessMaster on August 16, 2009 – 4:48 pm
Filed under Beginner Chess Tips, Chess Basics, Chess lessons, Chess Opening, Chess Strategy, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials
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Like we did in Chess Opening: Queen’s Gambit Theory to Practice to expound with examples on how QGD opening theory in Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 3 can turn out in practice, here we show practical examples on Nimzo-Indian Defense theory discussed in Chess Opening: Control of Center – Part 2.

To show both sides of the defense, we picked up two games, one going in favor of White and the other in favor of Black. What should be interesting is that in both these games of approximately equal length, Garry Kasparov was on the Black side and both were played around the same period. It gives a better opportunity to understand what Kasparov (or his opponents) did right or wrong to produce different results! Both games use the chess opening of Nimzo-Indian Defense Normal Variation (ECO code: E53).

Vladimir Kramnik-Garry KasparovLondon, 2000
 
Evgeny Vladimirov-Garry KasparovBatumi, 2001 

1.
d4
Nf6
 

 
1.
d4
Nf6
 

2.
c4
e6
 

 
2.
c4
e6
 

3.
Nc3
Bb4
 

 
3.
Nc3
Bb4
 

4.
e3
0-0
 

 
4.
e3
0-0
 

5.
Bd3
d5
 

 
5.
Bd3
d5
 

6.
Nf3
c5
 

 
6.
Nf3
c5
 

7.
0-0
cxd4
 

 
7.
0-0
cxd4
 

8.
exd4
dxc4
 

 
8.
exd4
dxc4
 

9.
Bxc4
b6
 

 
9.
Bxc4
b6
  

 

Identical position has been reached as the same moves have been played in both games. 

10.
Bg5
Bb7
 

 
10.
Qe2
Bb7
 

11.
Re1
Nbd7
 

 
11.
Rd1
Bxc3
 

12.
Rc1
Rc8
 

 
12.
bxc3
Qc7
 

13.
Qb3
Be7
 

 
13.
Bb2
Bxf3
  

 
Position after 13 moves 

 
 

14.
Bxf6
Nxf6?
 
Black’s move creates all the subsequent problems. 14. … Bxf6 would be better. But there are records of other games where the same moves were played and the games ended in a draw but in those games, Black did not accept the offer of Bishop sacrifice by White at move 15. 
 
14.
Qxf3
Qxc4!
 
With the offer of this exchange sacrifice, Black laid a nice trap for White’s Queen!

Position after 14 moves 
 

 
 

15.
Bxe6!
fxe6
 
As pointed out earlier, Black could possibly do better to play 15. … Rc7 
 
15.
Qxa8
Nc6
 

16.
Qxe6+
Kh8
 

 
16.
Qb7
Nd5
 

17.
Qxe7
Bxf3
 

 
17.
Re1
Rb8
 

18.
gxf3
Qxd4
 

 
18.
Qd7
Rd8
 

19.
Nb5
Qxb2
 

 
19.
Qb7
h5
 

20.
Rxc8
Rxc8
 

 
20.
Bc1
Na5
 
The White Queen is pathetically [...] Continue Reading…