Chess Fundamentals Part 11

11. B - Q 3 Kt - K 1

The alternative was Kt - Q 4. Otherwise White would play Q - R 3, and Black would be forced to play P - K Kt 3 (not P - K R 3, because of the sacrifice B P), seriously weakening his King's side.

12. Q - R 3 P - K B 4

White has no longer an attack, but he has compelled Black to create a marked weakness. Now White's whole plan will be to exploit this weakness (the weak K P), and the student can now see how the principles expounded previously are applied in this game. Every move is directed to make the weak King's p.a.w.n untenable, or to profit by the inactivity of the Black pieces defending the p.a.w.n, in order to improve the position of White at other points.

13. B B Q B 14. O - O R - B 3 15. K R - K 1 Kt - Q 3 16. R - K 2 B - Q 2

{86} At last the Bishop comes out, not as an active attacking piece, but merely to make way for the Rook.

17. Q R - K 1 R - K 1 18. P - Q B 4 Kt - B 2

A very clever move, tending to prevent P - B 5, and tempting White to play Kt B, followed by B P, which would be bad, as the following variation shows: 19 Kt B, Q Kt; 20 B P, Kt - Kt 4; 21 Q - Kt 4, R B; 22 P - K R 4, P - K R 4; 23 Q R, P Q; 24 R R ch, K - R 2; 25 P Kt, Q P. But it always happens in such cases that, if one line of attack is antic.i.p.ated, there is another; and this is no exception to the rule, as will be seen.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

19. P - Q 5 ! Kt Kt

Apparently the best way to meet the manifold threats of White. B P P would make matters worse, as the White Bishop would finally bear on the weak King's p.a.w.n _via_ Q B 4. {87}

20. R Kt P - K Kt 3 21. Q - R 4 K - Kt 2 22. Q - Q 4 P - B 4

Forced, as White threatened P K P, and also Q P

23. Q - B 3 P - Kt 3

Q - Q 3 was better. But Black wants to tempt White to play P P, thinking that he will soon after regain his p.a.w.n with a safe position. Such, however, is not the case, as White quickly demonstrates. I must add that in any case Black's position is, in my opinion, untenable, since all his pieces are tied up for the defence of a p.a.w.n, while White's pieces are free to act.

24. P P B - B 1

[Ill.u.s.tration]

25. B - K 2 !

The deciding and timely manoeuvre. All the Black pieces are useless after this Bishop reaches Q 5. {88}

25. ........ B P 26. B - B 3 K - B 2 27. B - Q 5 Q - Q 3

Now it is evident that all the Black pieces are tied up, and it only remains for White to find the quickest way to force the issue. White will now try to place his Queen at K R 6, and then advance the K R P to R 5 in order to break up the Black p.a.w.ns defending the King.

28. Q - K 3 R - K 2

If 28...P - B 5; 29 Q - K R 3, P - K R 4; 30 Q - R 4, R - K 2; 31 Q - Kt 5, K - Kt 2; 32 P - K R 4, Q - Q 2; 33 P - K Kt 3, P P; 34 P - B 4, and Black will soon be helpless, as he has to mark time with his pieces while White prepares to advance P - R 5, and finally at the proper time to play R B, winning.

29. Q - R 6 K - Kt 1 30. P - K R 4 P - R 3 31. P - R 5 P - B 5 32. P P P P 33. R B Resigns.

Commenting on White's play in this game, Dr. E. Lasker said at the time that if White's play were properly a.n.a.lysed it might be found that there was no way to improve upon it.

These apparently simple games are often of the most difficult nature.

Perfection in such cases is much more difficult to obtain than in those positions calling {89} for a brilliant direct attack against the King, involving sacrifices of pieces.

23. RELINQUIs.h.i.+NG THE INITIATIVE

In the third case, there is nothing to do, once the material advantage is obtained, but to submit to the opponent's attack for a while, and once it has been repulsed to act quickly with all your forces and win on material.

A good example of this type of game is given below.

EXAMPLE 53.--From the Havana International Masters Tournament, 1913. (Ruy Lopez.) White: J. R. Capablanca. Black: D. Janowski.

1. P - K 4 P - K 4 2. Kt - K B 3 Kt - Q B 3 3. B - Kt 5 Kt - B 3 4. O - O P - Q 3 5. B Kt ch P B 6. P - Q 4 B - K 2 7. Kt - B 3

P P might be better, but at the time I was not familiar with that variation, and therefore I played what I knew to be good.

7. ........ Kt - Q 2 8. P P P P 9. Q - K 2 O - O 10. R - Q 1 B - Q3 11. B - Kt 5 Q - K 1 12. Kt - K R 4 P - Kt 3

{90} Black offers the exchange in order to gain time and to obtain an attack. Without considering at all whether or not such a course was justified on the part of Black, it is evident that as far as White is concerned there is only one thing to do, viz., to win the exchange and then prepare to weather the storm. Then, once it is pa.s.sed, to act quickly with all forces to derive the benefit of numerical superiority.

13. B - R 6 Kt - B 4 14. R - Q 2 R - Kt 1 15. Kt - Q 1 R - Kt 5

To force White to play P - Q B 4, and thus create a hole at Q 5 for his Knight.[7] Such grand tactics show the hand of a master.

16. P - Q B 4 Kt - K 3 17. B R Q B 18. Kt - K 3

Kt - K B 3 was better.

18. ........ Kt - Q 5 19. Q - Q 1 P - Q B 4

In order to prevent R Kt giving back the exchange, but winning a p.a.w.n and relieving the position.

20. P - Q Kt 3 R - Kt 1

In order to play B - Kt 2 without blocking his Rook.

{91} Black's manoeuvring for positional advantage is admirable throughout this game, and if he loses it is due entirely to the fact that the sacrifice of the exchange, without even a p.a.w.n for it, could not succeed against sound defensive play.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

21. Kt - B 3 P - B 4 22. P P P P

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The position begins to look really dangerous for White. In reality Black's attack is reaching its maximum force. Very soon it will reach the apex, and then {92} White, who is well prepared, will begin his counter action, and through his superiority in material obtain an undoubted advantage.

23. Kt - B 1 P - B 5 24. Kt Kt B P Kt 25. Q - R 5 B - Kt 2 26. R - K 1 P - B 4

He could not play R - K 1 because of R Q P. Besides, he wants to be ready to play P - K 5. At present White cannot with safety play R K P, but he will soon prepare the way for it. Then, by giving up a Rook for a Bishop and a p.a.w.n, he will completely upset Black's attack and come out a p.a.w.n ahead. It is on this basis that White's whole defensive manoeuvre is founded.