Chess Opening | Chess Blog

Tag Archives: Chess Opening

Center control in Chess makes for a forceful attack

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
Tagged as Attacking tactics, chess combination, Chess Opening, chess opening guide, Chess Strategy, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials

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.

	Nicolas Rossolimo	Ivan Romanenko
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 also needs some more pawn movements like …d6, …e6, …a6 etc., allowing White a lead in development with attacking chances. Then why go for it? On the positive side, it gives Black space advantage on Queenside and further actions on that flank pawn majority at center by exchanging this pawn with White’s d4 pawn when he advances it to get full control of center control of open c-file after the exchange, using his Queen or Rook in that file to facilitate Queenside counterplay
2.	Nf3	Nc6	Moves and countermoves to wrest control of d4 and e5 squares
3.	Bb5
To quote Al Horowitz, this move was ‘actually an idea of Nimzowitsch, who called it one of his little jokes in the opening’. It was Rossolimo who adopted it many times to achieve remarkable success (as in the present game). That is how this line of Sicilian Defense goes under the name of Nimzowitsch-Rossolimo attack (ECO code: B31) The main purpose is to get a rapid development and a strong center with c3 and d4. The struggle for d4 dictates the tactics for both sides and Black must be ready to capture on d4, else White gets great lead in development.
3.	…	g6	Black is getting ready to develop his KB to g7 and to apply pressure on d4 and e5 squares. White’s usual intention is to play Bxc6, giving Black doubled pawns. Black’s major responses are 3…g6 preparing …Bg7, 3…d6 preparing …Bd7, and 3…e6 preparing 4…Nge7.
4.	0-0	Bg7	White safeguards his King and wants to use KR as part of his attacking plans. Black of course carries on with his development plans.
Position after 4 moves
5.	Re1		Normal continuation is 5. c3 Qb6 with a struggle for control of d4. The text move was introduced by Gurgenidze for expected line of play along 5. Re1 e5 6. b4
5.	…	Nf6	This changes track from control of d4 to attacking e4 pawn and exposed the Knight to an early attack.
6.	Nc3		White develops his Knight to support his QP as also his KB and adds to the control of d5
6.	…	Nd4
In keeping with the strategy discussed against move 3, Black should have gone for 6. … e5 followed later by …Qb6. Other alternatives would be 6 … d6 to enable …Bd7 or to safeguard his King (because of the distant and not so distant pins by White’s Bishop and Rook) by …0-0. The text move was not consistent with any of these ideas and hence a questionable move.
7.	e5	Ng8	Black’s inhibited play and inconsistencies allow White considerable space in center with tempo through attacks on enemy pieces.
8.	d3	Nxb5	See how Black is surrendering all initiative to White. While White opens lines for his QB, Black’s QB is still locked in and his King’s Knight has retreated and blocked castling for his King. His center pawns remain immobile. The exchange of Knight and Bishop was originally the intention of White’s 3rd move to reduce Black’s control on d4 and e5. Without being forced, Black Knight has taken the trouble of wasting several moves to give White what he wanted!
9.	Nxb5	a6	Another questionable move by Black. As subsequent moves show, White’s QN was headed for d6 square, Black’s move just assisted it in taking that step! One of the basic tenets in chess is that you should not force a badly placed enemy piece to move to a better square. By extension of the logic, do not induce your opponent to take a move that he was ready to take. Both these lose tempo for you as you could use that time to make more profitable moves for your own pieces.
Position after 9 moves
10.	Nd6+!	exd6?	White knew that the capture of his Knight would give him a fierce attacking opportunity and so his move was an excellent idea. But Black still fell for it, making a bad situation really worse by exposing his King to the possibility of a discovered check. After this, White’s attack through a brilliant combination simply rolls on.
11.	Bg5!
White has timed his moves to perfection! He held back the discovered check to first drive away the Queen which could come to some help against what White planned. With an immediate discovered check, Black would be able to extricate himself with Ne7. There is a couple of important lessons here. Firstly, you can sometimes get out of a difficult situation by returning the material that was sacrificed by your opponent to gain an attack. By doing this, you are still even on material, but the opponent’s attack may fizzle out. Trying to hold on to the material only adds to your difficulties. Secondly, you need not be in a hurry to execute a move which is there for the taking when you can make some other move that compels your opponent to attend to it first. All good players know this maxim of looking for a better move when a good move has been found. The text move by White takes care of both these possibilities.
11.	…	Qa5	11. … Qb6 would not be any better.
12.	exd6+	Kf8
At this stage, White’s win was only a matter of time and most players would possibly go for the simple 13. Qe2 with one likely line as: 13. Qe2 Bf6 14. Qe8+ Kg7 15. Ne5 (threatening 16. Qxf7#) Bxg5 16. Qxf7+ Kh6 17. Qf8+ Kh5 18. g4+ Kh4 19. Qf3 (threatening 20. Qg3#) Bf4 20.Qxf4 Nf6 (or Qb4) 21. Nf3+ Kh3 22. Qg3# But White found a more elegant line.
Position after 12 moves
13.	Re8+!	Kxe8
14.	Qe2+	Kf8
15.	Be7+	Ke8	15. … Nxe7 16. Qxe7+ Kg8 17. Ng5 with Qf7# to follow
Position after 15 moves
16.	Bd8+!	Kxd8
17.	Ng5	Resigns	It is either 18. Nf7# or 17. … Nh6 18. Qe7#
The final position:

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 lessons, Chess Opening, Chess Strategy
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.

Chess Opening: Nimzo-Indian Defense Theory to Practice

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
Tagged as Chess Opening, chess opening tips, Chess Strategy, Chess tactics, Chess Tutorials

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 Kasparov London, 2000		Evgeny Vladimirov-Garry Kasparov Batumi, 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 trapped! When Black offered the exchange sacrifice at move 14, he must have envisaged this situation.
Position after 20 moves		Position after 20 moves

21.	Nd6	Rb8		21.	Qxa7	Qc6
22.	Nf7+	Kg8	22. Ne8 would fail against 22. … Ng8	22.	Qa6	Nc4
23.	Qe6	Rf8	White’s move created Philidor’s position, which possibly made Black to bring his Rook to f8 but the Rook became vulnerable as shown by White at move 25. 23. … h5 could provide stiffer resistance.	23.	Rb1	Nc7	White resigned as he has to lose his Rook to save his Queen
		The final position

24.	Nd8+	Kh8
25.	Qe7		Black resigned as 25. … Rg8 26. Nf7# or 25. … Re8 26. Qxe8+ Nxe8 27. Rxe8#. The only line that could offer a longer resistance is 25. … Rxd8 26. Qxd8+ Ng8 27. Qd5 and White would need to play carefully to translate his advantage into a win with Black trying to avoid a Queen exchange.
The final position