In a previous article on chess tactics, you saw how a GM (Tartakover) transferred his vision to reality by adopting sacrificial tactics. In the game below, see how the same GM displayed a surprising lack of vision to succumb to the brilliance of another GM (Reti) in only 11 moves!
Here is how it happened.
| 1. |
e4 |
c6 |
| 2. |
d4 |
d5 |
| 3. |
Nc3 |
dxe4 |
| 4. |
Nxe4 |
Nf6 |
| 5. |
Qd3 |
e5 |
| 6. |
dxe5 |
Qa5+ |
| 7. |
Bd2 |
Qxe5 |
| 8. |
0-0-0 |
Nxe4 |
Position after Black’s move 8
Even as a beginner, you would surely try to guess White’s motives behind his castling, even surrendering his Knight when he could easily provide additional support for it (the Knight of course could not move as it was pinned). Black on his part must have seen that White Rook could pin his Queen on the next move, but he might have banked on 8. … Be7 to take care of it. Was it a false sense of security or was the
temptation of gobbling a Knight too irresistible?
| 9. |
Qd8+ |
Kxd8 |
| 10. |
Bg5+ |
Kc7 |
| 11. |
Bd8# |
|
Beginners often ask about what opening move is best! It is like asking which of your legs should be put forward first when you start a walk! But from general principle of controlling the center, you should choose one of the four central pawns namely KP, QP, KBP, and QBP. Your choice depends on the style of play you like (more strategic or more tactical), the types of openings that go with it and so the first pawn move that is required by that opening theory! But since transposition is possible quite often, the first pawn move need not be a rigid requirement even for the opening strategy adopted by you.
In this respect, you may like to know opinions of some of the past masters. Emanuel Lasker, a world champion and one of the greatest chess players of all time, in talking about common sense in chess forbade using any opening move other than d4 and e4!
It seems that Paul Morphy, another all-time great and a chess genius, never used d4. On the other hand, Gruenfeld who was a GM and authority on opening play, used e4 only once in his tournament career (against Mark Taimanov in 1950 and lost the game)! When asked about the reason for not using e4, he stated that he never made a mistake in the opening! Probably once was enough!
If all IMs and GMs were listed by the initials of their full name, who do you expect to head the list? I am not sure but my money would be on Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine as he would appear as A.A.A.!
All chess masters have the important ability to visualize a board position after certain moves. Actually, even as a beginner, you are doing the same when you are working out a combination but may not be to a significant depth. Some people seem to have an instinct for it and even if you are not so blessed, you can still improve on this quality with practice, In fact, for great players, even the reverse holds true meaning that they can visualize a winning possibility and then work backward to find the moves that will lead to that visualized position!
Here is a position from a game between two Grandmasters. You would think that with a balance in pieces and pawns, the position looks equal. Though white pieces are more aggressively poised, Black pieces have the mobility to come to the King’s defense. But White visualized a passed pawn that could change the balance in his favor and lead to a win! Can you see that passed pawn?
White saw the possibility of the pawn at f5 to become a passed pawn if the Black pawn at f6 were removed for which it was necessary to remove its support pawn at g7. This is how he proceeded to realize his goal.
| 1. |
Rxg7 |
Rxg7 |
|
The support pawn is gone |
| 2. |
Nxf6 |
Qe7 |
|
The Knight created a fork while removing the “blockader” |
| 3. |
Nxe8 |
Qxe8 |
|
Only two pawns for a Knight, but White gets his passed pawn and Black’s Knight is pinned |
| 4. |
Qf4 |
Re7 |
|
The White Queen takes up position to put pressure on e5 and also to occupy f6 if needed |
| 5. |
f6 |
Ng6 |
|
Now the passed pawn is on March, showing its power! If 5. … Re6 6. Rxe5 Rxe5 7. f7 and Black needs to answer 8. Qf6# or 8. fxe8=Q+ or 8. Qxe5+ Qxe5 9. f8=Q# |
| 6. |
Rxe7 |
Nxe7 |
|
|
| 7. |
f7 |
Resigns |
|
because of 7. … Qf8 8. Qf6# |
Even when you lose a game due to some blunders on your part, do not lose your heart because you may take consolation from the fact that there are Grandmasters and World Champions to give you company!
In the above position, Alekhine (I am sure you now know about him!) as Black played Qxf4, without realizing that White could now play Nh5+ with a Knight fork to capture the Black Queen! But White, a relatively unknown player, also missed this golden opportunity thrown his way which would have won him the game then and there! Instead, he replied with Nxe4! This game earned its place in chess history not because White ultimately prevailed against Alekhine but because of the absolutely incredible double blunders!
