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

3. K-K5 P-B3

The King was threatening to enter via Q5 and B6.

4. K-B5 Kt-K3

If Black wishes to obviate the threat: Kt-K5-B4, and plays P-Kt4, the White King goes to QB5 and wins all the pawns easily. Therefore Black endeavours to sacrifice a pawn in order to exchange the two others, after which a draw could be forced by exchanging the Knight for the remaining White pawn.

5. Kt-K5 P-B4

6. Kt-B4 P-Kt4

7. KtxP P-B5

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8 | | | | | | | | |

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7 | | | | | #K | | | |

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6 | | | | | #Kt| | | |

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5 | ^Kt| #P | | | | ^K | | |

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4 | | | #P | | | ^P | | |

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3 | | | | | | | | |

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2 | ^P | ^P | | | | | | |

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1 | | | | | | | | |

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 84.

8. K-K5 Kt-B4

9. Kt-B6ch K-B1!

Not K-B2, because of 10. K-Q4, Kt-Q6; 11. Kt-K5ch.

10. Kt-R7

Here White had only considered the following answer:

Kt-Q6ch; 11. K-Q4, KtxKtP; 12. KtxP, Kt-Q6; 13. P-B5, Kt-Kt5; 14. Kt-B3, Kt-B7ch: 15. KxP, Kt-K6ch; 16. K-B5, KtxP; 17. P-R4, Kt-K2; 18. Kt-Q5, Kt-B1; 19. K-B6, K-K1; 20. K-B7, Kt-R7; 21. K-Kt7, and wins the Knight.

Black however draws, through a pretty combination:

10. … P-Kt5

11. K-Q4 P-B6

12. K-B4 PxP

13. KxP KtxP

and White cannot prevent the ultimate exchange of Kt for P. The last winning chance would have been: 10. K-Q4!, Kt-Q; 11. K-B3. This is in any case the more plausible line, because now White can attack the pawns with both King and Knight, as both the Black pieces are away from the field of operations. The sequel could be: 11. KtxBP; 12. P-R3 (Kt-R7 would only draw: Kt-K7ch; 13. K-Kt4, Kt-B8 14. P-R3, Kt-R7ch; 15. KxP, P-B6); 12. Kt-Q4ch 13. K-Q4, Kt-B5; 14. K-K4 (Kt-R7 ?, Kt-K7ch!!; 15 K-K3, P-B6), Kt-Q6; 15. P-Kt4, Kt-Kt7 16 Kt-Q4, and wins

III. From a game Blackburne-Schlechter (Vienna, 1898).

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8 | #R | | | | #R | | | |

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7 | #P | #P | #K | #B | | #P | #P | #P |

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6 | | | | #P | | | | |

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5 | | | | ^P | | | | #Q |

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4 | | | ^P | | | ^Q | | |

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3 | | | | | | ^Kt| | |

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2 | ^P | ^P | | | | ^K | ^P | ^P |

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1 | | | | | ^R | | | ^R |

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 85

White has just played Q-B4. P-B5 is threatened, and Black is forced to exchange Queens. The ensuing end-game, however, is inferior for Black, because the QP is weak and White threatens eventually to force his Queen’s Pawn through.

1. … Q-B4

2. QxQ BxQ

3. Kt-Q4 B-Kt3

4. RxR RxR

5. R-K1 RxR

If Black wants to avoid the exchange, he must yield up the King’s file to White, and that would surely spell disaster, as the Black Rook would have no field of action, and would have to go to Q1 to avoid the loss of a pawn through Kt-Kt5ch, after which the White Rook would take possession of the seventh rank, fettering the action of the Bishop into the bargain.

6. KxR B-Q6

7. P-QKt3 K-Q2

Black is condemned to inactivity, and White can quietly set to work to force his pawn through.

8. K-Q2 B-K5

9. P-Kt3 B-Kt8

10. P-QR3 B-K5

11. K-K3 B-Kt8

12. Kt-B3

In order to play P-QKt4 and P-B5, then to force Black to exchange at B5, White must first have the opportunity of bearing a second time on Black’s Queen’s Pawn. Therefore he prepares the manoeuvre Kt-B3-Q2-B4.

12. … K-K2

13. P-QKt4 B-B4

14. P-B5 B-Q2

15. K-Q4 B-K1

16. Kt-Q2 B-Q2

17. Kt-B4 PxPch

18. PxP P-B3

It is not yet easy to materialise the advantage in position The advance P-Q6ch would be very bad, as B6 and K6 would be made accessible for Black. White starts by tempting the pawns forward and thus systematically creates points of attack.

19. Kt-Kt2 B-B4

20. P-QR4 K-Q2

21. P-R5 P-QR3

The Queen’s side is paralysed. The text move is forced, as P-R6 would give White yet another passed pawn. Now White turns his attention to the King’s side.

22. Kt-B4 K-B2

23. Kt-Q6 B-Q2

24. K-K4 B-R5

25. P-Kt4 B-B7ch

26. K-Q4 B-Kt3

Black wishes to play P-R4, in order to get a passed pawn too, the only chance of saving the game.

27. P-R3 K-Kt1

Now P-R4 would be countered by Kt-B5, forcing the exchange and leaving a backward pawn at Kt2 and the Rook’s pawn would be bound to fall.

28. Kt-B5 BxKt

29. PxB K-B2

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8 | | | | | | | | |

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7 | | #P | #K | | | | #P | #P |

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6 | #P | | | | | #P | | |

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5 | ^P | | ^P | ^P | | ^P | | |

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4 | | | | ^K | | | | |

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3 | | | | | | | | ^P |

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2 | | | | | | | | |

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1 | | | | | | | | |

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 86.

It would now seem as if Black might have played P-KKt4 here, securing a passed pawn, and forcing a draw. After 30. P-R4 Black would play P-R3, and it is not evident how White is to win. But 29. … P-KKt4 is parried by PxP e.p. The difference in the pawn positions, which decides the issue for White, is found in the fact that the White passed pawn at Q5 is unassailable because the support of the BP cannot be taken away by Black’s P-Kt3, whilst Black’s passed pawn at his B3 can be isolated at any time through P-R4-R5. White would take up a position on the Knight’s file with the King, and push on the Rook’s pawn. The isolated pawns are then an easy prey. On the text move White also pushes the Rook’s pawn on to compel P-R3 and reduce Black to moves by the King. The passed Queen’s pawn decides the game.

30. K-K4 K-Q2

31. K-B4 K-K2

32. K-Kt4 K-Q2

33. P-R4 K-B1

34. P-R5 P-R3

Otherwise there follows: P-R6, K-R5, etc.

35. K-B4 K-Q2

36. K-K4 K-B2

37. P-Q6ch K-B1

38. K-Q5 K-Q2

39. P-B6ch PxPch

(compare Diagram 68)

40. K-B5 Resigns

IV. FROM A GAME BIRD-JANOWSKI.

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8 | | | | | | | #K | |

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7 | #P | | ^B | | | | | #P |

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6 | | | | | | | | |

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5 | ^P | | | | | #P | | |

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4 | | ^P | | | #P | | | |

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3 | | | ^P | | | | ^P | |

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2 | | | | | ^K | | | ^P |

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1 | #R | | | | | | | |

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 87

In spite of the preponderance of material, the win is not an easy one for Black, because of White’s alarming pawn array on the Queen’s side. The King must first make use of his great power as an end-game piece.

1. … K-B2

2. P-Kt5 K-K3

3. P-Kt6 PxP

4. PxP K-Q2

5. B-K5

threatens P-Kt7. But as White must first move his Bishop to cover his pawn, the Rook’s pawn is lost, and the manoeuvre therefore unsound. P-R3 was indicated; it threatens the break-up of the Black pawns by P-Kt4 and their capture by the King.

5. … K-B3

6. B-Q4 R-R2ch

7. K-K3 RxP

8. K-B4 R-Q7!

9. P-Kt4 RxB

Black reduces the position to an elementary ending, which is theoretically a win. Whilst the two White passed pawns are isolated and fall singly, Black obtains two passed pawns, which are united and unassailable.

10. PxR P-K6

11. KxKP PxP

12. K-B4 P-R4

13. P-Q5ch KxKtP

14. K-K5 K-B2

Resigns.

V. FROM A GAME STEINER-FORGACZ (SZEKESFEHERVAR, 1907).

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8 | #R | | | | | | | |

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7 | #P | | #P | | #K | #P | #P | #P |

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6 | | #P | | | | | | |

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5 | | | | | ^P | | | |

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4 | | ^R | | | | | | |

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3 | | | | ^P | | | | |

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2 | ^P | | ^P | | | | ^P | ^P |

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1 | | | | | | ^K | | |

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 88

White has an advantage in the greater mobility of his Rook, and makes the most of it in an instructive fashion.

1. R-Kt4 P-Kt3

White provokes this move in order to produce a weakness at KB6.

2. K-K2 K-K3

3. R-KB4 R-KB1

Black naturally dare not allow the Rook to penetrate into the seventh.

4. P-Q4 P-QB4

This move would win the game, if the Rooks had been exchanged, because in that case the distant passed pawn which Black could obtain on the QKt file would decide the issue. But, supported by the mobile Rook, the centre pawns become irresistible. Instead of the text move, P-KB4 was necessary in order to release the Rook.

5. P-B3 PxP

6. PxP P-KB4

If it were not for the Rooks, the centre pawns would not help White, because Black would obtain a passed pawn on either wing.

7. K-Q3 P-KKt4

8. R-B2 R-B1

9. P-Kt4 P-B5

If PxP, 10. R-B6ch, K-K2; 11. R-R6 wins.

10. P-KR4 P-KR3

11. PxP PxP

12. R-R2 R-B1

13. R-R6ch K-K2

14. P-Q5 P-B6

15. R-K6ch K-Q2

16. R-B6! Resigns.

For after RxR, 17. PxR, White captures the BP, and still overtakes the passed pawn which Black obtains on the Queen’s wing; the pawns at Q5 and B6 are unassailable (K-K8, P-Q6, K-B7, P-Q7, etc.). The consequences of 16. R-B6 had to be calculated to a nicety. If, for instance, the QKtP were already at his fourth, White would lose. In four moves Black would have one of his pawns at his R6, the other at Kt5. In the meantime White would have taken the BP and come back to the Q file. Now Black would win with P-Kt6, because after PxP the RP queens unmolested.

VI. FROM A GAME CHAROUSEK-HEINRICHSEN (COLOGNE, 1898).

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8 | | | #R | | | | #K | |

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7 | #P | #P | | #Q | #R | #P | #P | |

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6 | | | | | | | | #P |

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5 | | | #P | | | ^Q | | ^P |

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