Chess Strategy by Edward Lasker (inspirational novels .TXT) 📕

Diag. 78

which the greater mobility is the deciding factor. Although White has one pawn more, he can only win by reducing the mobility of the Black Rook through the following manoeuvre: 1. R-B2, R-Q2; 2. R-R2, R-R2. Now the Black Rook has only one move left, whilst the White Rook has the freedom of the Rook’s file. For instance, the Rook can be posted at R5 and prevent the Black King from attacking White’s King’s side pawns, whilst the White King makes for the R at R7 and effects its capture. If, on the other hand, the Black King tries to obstruct the way to the Queen’s side, White penetrates into the Black pawn position. Black cannot maintain the opposition because the White Rook has spare moves, the Black Rook none. e.g. 3. K-B3, K-Kt3; 4. R-R5, K-B3; 5. K-K4, K-K3; 6. R-R4, P-Kt3; 7. R-R5, K-Q3; 8. K-Q4, K-B3; 9. K-K5, and wins the pawns.

Having the move, Black would draw the game by: 1. … R-Q7ch; 2. K-R3, R-R7. By placing his Rook behind the passed pawn he condemns the opposing Rook to inactivity, whilst his own is free to move on the Rook’s file. If now the White King comes up, he will in the end force the sacrifice of the Black Rook for the pawn, but meanwhile the Black King captures the White pawns, and with passed pawns on the King’s side might get winning chances.

When there is only one pawn left in endings of R against R, the weaker side maintains the draw, if the King can command the queening square. Diagram 79 shows a position favourable to the stronger side, and which can mostly be obtained in this end-game. But here, too, Black forces a draw with a pretty manoeuvre: 1. … R-B2; 2. R-KKt2, R-Q2ch; 3. PXR, and Black is stalemate.

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 79

The chances of a draw are even greater in endings of Q against Q, as the King on the stronger side can seldom evade perpetual check. For the sake of completeness I will show a few cases in which Q or R cannot win against an advanced pawn.

In Diagram 80 White can still draw, for in five moves the pawn reaches Kt7, supported by the King at R7, and in that time Black cannot come up with his King, so that he must give up the Rook for the pawn. Two passed pawns win, even when the King is away from them, if they have reached their sixth square. In Diagram 81, for instance, White is lost,

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 80.

as Black gives up his Rook at Q7 and plays P-Kt6, after which one of the pawns queens.

The Queen wins against an advanced pawn, even when the latter is supported by the King; only the R or B pawn can

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 81.

draw sometimes, when the pawn is on the seventh supported by the King, and the opposing Q cannot move to the queening square.

The following illustrates the three principal cases:

A. Position—White: K at QKt8, P at QR7

Black: K at QR8, Q at QB3

Black must stop the pawn and plays Q-Kt3ch. White answers with K-R sq and is stalemate unless White lets the Kt’s file free again. This end-game can only be won if the stronger King can assume the opposition in two moves. Therefore, if in the above example the Black King was standing at Q5, Black would win as follows: 1. … Q-K1ch; 2. K-Kt7, Q-K2ch; 3. K-Kt8, K-B4; 4. P-R8 = Q, K-Kt3. and White cannot cover the mate.

B. Position—White: K at QKt8, P at QB7

Black: K at Q5, Q at QB3

White draws: 1. … Q-Kt3ch; 2. K-R8, QxP stalemate.

C. Position—White: K at QKt8, P at QKt7

Black: K at Q5, Q at QB3 White loses.

1. K-R7, Q-R5ch; 2. K-Kt6, Q-Kt5ch; 3. K-B7, Q-B4ch; 4. K-Q8, Q-Q3ch; 5. K-B8, Q-B3ch; 6. K-Kt8, K-B4; 7. K-R7, Q-R5ch; 8. K-Kt8, K-B3; 9. K-B8, Q-R3, etc.

In the following pages I give some instructive examples taken from tournament play. Step by step we will find how very important is the knowledge of the simple endings treated in the last chapter. We shall see that it is often necessary to consider many moves ahead to find the correct line, but that it is nearly always possible to foresee every consequence with unfailing certainty. Moreover, because of the reduction of forces there is no call to take very many variations into consideration. This explains why there is a tendency in modern master play to enforce the exchange of pieces, as soon as there is the slightest advantage sufficient to bring about one of the elementary end-game positions, in which the win can be forced.

1. FROM A GAME TEICHMANN-BLACKBURNE (BERLIN, 1897).

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 82.

Black has an extra pawn on the Queen’s side. But as it is doubled, the material superiority is of no account. A perceptible advantage, however, lies in the fact that White cannot bring about a “forced move” position, as Black has the move P-QB4 in reserve. White has also an infinitesimal weakness on the King’s side, the Rook’s pawn having advanced two squares and being therefore an easy mark. This disadvantage soon becomes apparent.

1. P-B3 K-B4

2. K-B2 P-R4

3. K-Kt2 P-Kt4

4. K-R3 K-K4

With this move advantage is taken of one of White’s weaknesses. White must exchange pawns. If the King moves, Black captures, freeing B 5 for his King, from where he can later on get to K6 or Kt6. But after the exchange at Kt4, Black has the chance of obtaining a “distant passed pawn” on the Rook’s file.

5. PxP PxP

6. K-Kt2 K-B4

7. K-R2 K-B3

If Black were to play P-R5 at once, White would reply with 8. K-R3, and after PxP, 9. KxP. Black would have to give up the spare move P-B4, to gain the square at B5 for his King. The game then would be drawn after 10. K-Kt2! K-B5, 11. K-B2, because White maintains the opposition, and Black cannot get through at K6 or Kt6. Black therefore manoeuvres his King first in such a way that the square at his B4 is only reached when the White King is at Kt3.

8. K-Kt2 K-Kt3

9. K-R2 P-R5

Now neither PxP nor P-B4 is of any use. In the first case Black obtains the distant passed pawn. In the second White obtains the distant passed pawn after 10. P-B4, PxBP; 11. PxRP, but loses it again after K-R4; 12. K-R3, P-B4.

10. K-R3 PxP

11. KxP K-B4

At last Black has captured the coveted square, whilst keeping the spare move in hand.

12. K-B2 K-B5

The White King cannot move to Kt2 now, because in that case Black would move the King to the White QBP and queen in seven moves, and White, after seven moves, would only have the KB pawn at B7.

13. K-K2 K-Kt6

14. K-K3 P-B4

and wins, for White cannot hold the KBP now, but must capture the KtP in exchange for it, after which the Black King reaches the Queen’s side two moves ahead, e.g.:

15. K-K2 K-Kt7

16. K-K3 K-B8!

17. K-K4 K-B7

18. K-B5 KxP

19. KxP K-K6, etc.

Black would have forced a win also if White had played K-Kt2 on his twelfth move thus: 12. K-Kt2, K-B5; 13. K-B2.

Now White has the opposition, and after Black wrings it from him by playing the spare move P-B4, he assumes it again with 14. K-K2, K-Kt6; 15. K-K3. But he cannot maintain it after Black’s K-R6 because the square at Q3 for distant opposition is not accessible. After 16. K-Q2, K-R7!; 17. K-K3, K-Kt6; 18. K-K2, K-Kt7; 19. K-K3, K-B8 we get the same result as before.

II. FROM A GAME ED. LASKER-ROTLEVI (HAMBURG, 1910).

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 83.

White has the advantage, because Black must keep either his King or his Knight permanently near the passed pawn, guarding against its advance, whilst both White’s King and Knight can attack the Black pawns. As yet they stand so far in the rear that the White King cannot approach them Therefore White must first try to force their advance.

1. Kt-B5 P-Kt3

2. Kt-Q3 P-R4

This is now necessary, because the square B3 is weak after P-Kt3 and the White Knight threatens to win the Rook’s pawn eventually with a check at B6. For this reason Kt-Q 2, for instance, could not be played instead of the move in the text, because 3. Kt-K5 would follow. Black now cannot exchange, of course, otherwise the position would resolve itself to an easy end