Chess Fundamentals Part 13

10. B - Q 3 Kt Kt 11. P Kt P P 12. B B P B - B 3

(I did not want White's Kt to come to K 5, from where I could not dislodge it by P - K B 3 without weakening my K P.) The same result could be accomplished by playing B - Q 3. Incidentally it bears out my previous statement that the B should have been originally played to Q 3.

13. O - O

The alternative was P - K 4, followed by P - K 5, and then O - O. White would thereby a.s.sume the initiative but would weaken his p.a.w.n position considerably, and might be compelled to stake all on a {102} violent attack against the King. This is a turning point in the game, and it is in such positions that the temperament and style of the player decide the course of the game.

13. ........ O - O 14. P - K 4 P - K 4

[Ill.u.s.tration]

15. P - Q 5

(White might play 15 K R - Q 1, keeping the option of breaking up the centre later on. I wanted him to advance this P as there is now a fine post for my B at Q B 4.) By this move White shows that he does not understand the true value of his position. His only advantage consisted in the undeveloped condition of Black's Q B. He should therefore have made a plan to prevent the B from coming out, or if that were not possible, then he should try to force Black to weaken his p.a.w.n position in order to come out with the B. There were three moves to consider: first, {103} P - Q R 4, in order to maintain the White B in the dominating position that it now occupies. This would have been met by Q - B 2; second, either of the Rooks to Q 1 in order to threaten 16 P P, B P; 17 Kt B, Q Kt; 18 B P ch. This would have been met by B - Kt 5; and third, P - K R 3 to prevent B - Kt 5 and by playing either R to Q 1, followed up as previously stated to force Black to play P - Q Kt 4, which would weaken his Queen's side p.a.w.ns. Thus by playing P - K R 3 White would have attained the desired object. The text move blocks the action of the White B and facilitates Black's development. Hereafter White will act on the defensive, and the interest throughout the rest of the game will centre mainly on Black's play and the manner in which he carries out the attack.

15. ........ Q - B 2 16. B - Q 3

(This seems wrong, as it makes the development of Black's Queen wing easier. At present he cannot play P - Q Kt 3, because of the reply P P followed by B - Q 5.)

16. ........ P - Q Kt 3 17. P - B 4 B - Kt 2 18. K R - B 1

(With the idea of Q R - Kt 1 and P - B 5. But it only compels Black to bring his B to Q B 4, which he would do in any case.)

{104} /* 18. ........ B - K 2 19. R - B 2 B - B 4 20. Q - Kt 2 P - B 3 */

(It would have been better, probably, to play 20...K R - K 1, with the idea of P - B 4 presently.) Black's play hereabout is weak; it lacks force, and there seems to be no well-defined plan of attack. It is true that these are the most difficult positions to handle in a game. In such cases a player must conceive a plan on a large scale, which promises chances of success, and with it all, it must be a plan that can be carried out with the means at his disposal. From the look of the position it seems that Black's best chance would be to ma.s.s his forces for an attack against White's centre, to be followed by a direct attack against the King. He should, therefore, play Q R - K 1, threatening P - K B 4. If White is able to defeat this plan, or rather to prevent it, then, once he has fixed some of the White pieces on the King's side, he should quickly s.h.i.+ft his attack to the Queen's side, and open a line for his Rooks, which, once they enter in action, should produce an advantage on account of the great power of the two Bishops.

21. Q R - Kt 1 Q R - Q 1 22. P - Q R 4 B - R 3 23. R - Q 1

(White has clearly lost time with his Rook's moves.)

23. ........ K R - K 1 24. Q - Kt 3

{105}

(To bring his Queen across after Kt - R 4 and B - K 2.)

24. ........ R - Q 3 25. Kt - R 4 P - Kt 3 26. B - K 2

[Ill.u.s.tration]

26. ........ P P

(I thought this exchange necessary here, as White is threatening to play his Bishop via Kt 4 to K 6. If he retook with the Bishop's p.a.w.n I intended to exchange Bishops and rely on the two p.a.w.ns to one on the Queen's wing. I did not expect him to retake it with the King's p.a.w.n, which seemed to expose him to a violent King's side attack.) Black's judgment in this instance I believe to be faulty. Had White retaken with the B P, as he expected, he would have had the worst of the p.a.w.n position, as White would have had a pa.s.sed p.a.w.n well supported on the Queen's side. His only advantage would lie in his having a very well posted Bishop against a badly {106} posted Knight, and on the fact that in such positions as the above, the Bishop is invariably stronger than the Knight. He could and should have prevented all that, by playing B - B 1, as, had White then replied with Q - Kt 3, he could then play P P, and White would not have been able to retake with the B P on account of B P ch winning the exchange.

27. K P P P - K 5 28. P - Kt 3 P - K 6

I do not like this move. It would have been better to hold it in reserve and to have played P - B 4, to be followed in due time by P - K Kt 4 and P - B 5, after having placed the Q at Q 2, K B 2, or some other square as the occasion demanded. The text move blocks the action of the powerful B at Q B 4, and tends to make White's position safer than it should have been.

The move in itself is a very strong attacking move, but it is isolated, and there is no effective continuation. Such advances as a rule should only be made when they can be followed by a concerted action of the pieces.

29. P - B 4 B - B 1 30. Kt - B 3 B - B 4 31. R - Kt 2 R - K 5 32. K - Kt 2 Q - B 1 33. Kt - Kt 1 P - K Kt 4

{107}

(If now 34 B - B 3, P P; 35 B R, B B ch, with a winning attack.)

34. P P P P 35. R - K B 1 P - Kt 5

R - R 3 was the alternative. White's only move would have been K - R 1. The position now is evidently won for Black, and it is only a question of finding the right course. The final attack is now carried on by Sir George Thomas in an irreproachable manner.

36. B - Q 3 R - K B 3 37. Kt - K 2 Q - B 1

[Ill.u.s.tration]

(Again preventing B R, by the masked attack on White's Rook. White therefore protects his Rook.) If Kt - B 4, P - K 7 !; 39 Kt P, R Kt ch; 40 R R, B - K 5 ch !!; 41 B B, best, R R and White is lost. If, however, against 38 Kt - B 4, Black plays Q - R 3, and White 39 Q - B 2, I take pleasure {108} in offering the position to my readers as a most beautiful and extraordinary win for Black, beginning with 39...Q - R 6 ch !!! I leave the variations for the student to work out.

38. R (Kt 2) - Kt 1 Q - R 3 39. Q - B 2

(Making a double attack on the Rook--which still cannot be taken--and preparing to defend the K R P.) If either the Rook or Bishop are taken White would be mated in a few moves.

39. ........ Q - R 6 ch 40. K - R 1 R P !!

[Ill.u.s.tration]

(If 40...R - R 3; 41 Kt - Kt 1, Q Kt P; 42 Q - K Kt 2. Black therefore tries to get the Queen away from the defence.) A very beautiful move, and the best way to carry on the attack.

41. Q R

{109}

(The best defence was 41 R B, but Black would emerge with Queen against Rook and Knight.)

41. ........ B B

(Again, not R - K R 3; because of P - Q 6 dis. ch.)

42. R R

(If 42 Q B, then, at last, R - R 3 wins.)

42. ........ B Q 43. Kt - B 4 P - K 7 !

[Ill.u.s.tration]

(The Queen has no escape, but White has no time to take it.)

44. R - K Kt 1 Q - B 8