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

16. Q-K3 K-R2

17. P-KR3

in order to play Kt-R5, which otherwise would be answered by B-Kt5.

17. … KR-Kt1

18. K-R1 P-B4

19. Kt-R5 B-K3

BxP was threatened.

20. R-KKt1 P-B5

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

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

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6 | | | | | #B | | #Kt| #P |

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

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

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3 | | ^B | ^P | ^P | ^Q | ^Kt| | ^P |

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 105

P-K5 would seem to be better, as it opens a diagonal for the KB, and a diagonal, too, for the QB, as White has to exchange the pawns. Indeed Black would soon have obtained a winning advantage, e.g. 20. … P-K5; 21. PxP (Kt-R2, Q-R5; 22. Q-K2, Kt-K4), BPxP; 22. Kt-R2, Q-R5; 23. Q-K2 (P-KKt4 or B-Q1, P-B4), Kt-K4, threatening Kt-Kt5 and Kt-Q6. As it is, White gains a little time, although Black’s position still remains superior.

21. Q-K2 Q-K2

22. P-Kt4 P-B3

to prevent P-Kt5.

23. R-Kt2 QR-K1

24. R-K1 Q-B2

25. Kt-Q2

intending to play P-B3, thus retarding Black’s P-K5, which is still hanging over White like Damocles’ sword. The move, however, lets in the Knight.

25. … Kt-R5

26. R-R2 P-B4

27. P-B3 P-K5

Now this move is no longer feasible, as White’s brilliant sacrifice demonstrates. To make the move possible, long preparations would have been necessary, such as: R-Kt3, B-Q2-B3, etc.

28. QPxP QPxP

29. KtxKP PxKt

30. QxPch R-Kt3

31. R(R2)-K2

The scene has changed with startling suddenness. White has open files and diagonals for all his forces, whilst Black’s pieces are immobilised. Whatever he plays, Black must lose the piece he has gained.

31. … B-Q3

32. Q-Q3 BxB

33. RxR Q-B5

He cannot play B-Q4 on account of Q-Q4.

34. Kt-B6ch K-Kt2

35. QR-K7ch BxR

36. RxBch KxKt

37. Q-Q6ch Resigns.

GAME No. 6

White: Mason. Black: Gunsberg.

Giuoco Piano.

1. P-K4 P-K4

2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

3. B-B4 B-B4

4. P-Q3 P-Q3

5. B-K3 B-Kt3

6. P-B3 Kt-B3

7. QKt-Q2 Q-K2

8. P-QR4

A lost move. The logical continuation is Kt-B1-Kt3 and Castles.

8. … B-K3

9. B-QKt5 BxB

Generally speaking, exchanges such as this are doubtful. However, in the present case, although it opens the B file for White, White cannot prevent Black from obtaining the same advantage.

10. PxB P-QR3

Black gives up the move he has gained. There is no justification for this, as nothing prevents him from proceeding with his development at once with 10. … Castles.

11. BxKtch PxB

12. P-QKt4

White is anxious lest his KtP should be made “backward” by P-QR4 and P-B4. This is one of the drawbacks of the premature advance of the QRP.

12. … Castles KR

13. Castles Kt-Kt5

14. Q-K2 P-KB4

15. PxP BxP

16. P-K4 B-Q2

17. Kt-B4 Kt-B3

18. Kt-K3 P-Kt3

19. P-B4

This creates a weakness at Q4.

Unimportant as it appears to be, it is the cause of the loss of the game, as the opposing Knight gets in ultimately. The doubling of the Rooks on the KB file would seem to be the best plan.

19. … Kt-R4

20. P-Kt3

White’s weaknesses at KB3 and KR3 are more damaging than the corresponding ones in the Black camp, as Black still possesses a Bishop of the same colour as the weakened squares. But the move is now compulsory; for were White to allow the Black Knight to his KB5, and to drive him off then with P-Kt3, the Knight could play to his R6 and prevent the doubling of the White Rooks.

20. … B-R6

21. R-B2 Kt-Kt2

22. Q-Kt2

White begins to operate in the centre and on the Q wing, as his position on the K side begins to be doubtful. The intention is to play P-Q4, which, however, Black opposes at once.

22. … Kt-K3

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

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

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

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

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

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3 | | | | ^P | ^Kt| ^Kt| ^P | #B |

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2 | | ^Q | | | | ^R | | ^P |

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 106

If now White plays P-Q4, he loses a piece by PxP; 24. KtxP?, RxR; 25. KxR, Q-B3ch.

23. R-K1

The Rook has no future here, and R-Q1, in order to play P-Q4, is more logical. But as Black obviously threatens to double his Rooks on the KB file, it would be advisable to play for an exchange of Rooks, with: Kt-Kt2, QR-B1 and Kt-K1.

23. … R-B2

24. QR-K2 QR-KB1

25. Kt-K1 Kt-Q5

26. R-Q2 Q-Kt4

27. Kt(K3)-Kt2 BxKt

28. KxB

KtxB is frustrated by Kt-B6ch.

28. … Q-K6

All the Black forces are now in action, and White has no defence, as his pieces can hardly move.

29. K-B1 Kt-Kt6!

Resigns.

If R-K2 or B2, there follows RxRch; 31. RxR, Kt-Q7ch; 32. QxKt, QxQ.

GAME NO. 7

White: Marshall. Black: Tarrasch.

Max Lange Attack.

1. P-K4 P-K4

2. P-Q4 PxP

3. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

4. B-QB4 B-B4

5. Castles Kt-B3

Black can avoid the complications of the Max Lange attack by 5. … P-Q3. In that case White cannot recover the pawn, and in order to develop his QKt effectively, would have to play P-B3, aiming at rapid development in return, after 6. … PxP; 7. KtxP. But Black can frustrate this plan either by pushing his pawn to Q6, so that the QKt is barred from the square B3, or by playing B-KKt5 with this probable continuation: 7. Q-Kt3, BxKt; 8. BxPch, K-B1; 9. PxB, Kt-B3, and Black has the better game, for White’s King’s side is broken up and his pieces undeveloped, while Black has prospects of attack on the open KB file.

6. P-K5 P-Q4

7. PxKt PxB

8. R-K1ch B-K3

9. Kt-Kt5 Q-Q4

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

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

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6 | | | #Kt| | #B | ^P | | |

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5 | | | #B | #Q | | | ^Kt| |

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

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3 | | | | | | | | |

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

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1 | ^R | ^Kt| ^B | ^Q | ^R | | ^K | |

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 107

This is the typical position in the Max Lange attack. With his ninth move White threatened to win a piece by KtxB and Q-R5ch. Black could not parry the threat by 9. … Q-Q3, on account of PxP followed by Kt-K4-B6ch. The position in the diagram appears to be favourable for Black, as all his minor pieces are in play, whilst White’s development is somewhat restricted by Black’s strong pawns at QB5 and Q5. For a long time this opening has not been played in tournaments, being considered unsatisfactory for White. With the present game, and his new move of 15. B-R6, Marshall has reopened the question as to whether White’s attack on the K file plus the pawn at KKt7 is sufficiently tempting.

10. Kt-QB3 Q-B4

11. QKt-K4 Castles QR

This is imperative. If Black retires the Bishop from his unsafe position, White permanently prevents Black from castling, which is bound to be fatal in view of the open K file—e.g. 11. … B-Kt3; 12. PxP, R-KKt1; 13. P-KKt4, Q-Kt3; 14. KtxB, PxKt; l5. B-Kt5, RxP; 16. Q-B3 with a violent attack.

12. KtxQB

If White tries to win the exchange in the following way: 12. P-KKt4, Q-K4!; 13. Kt-KB3, Q-Q4; 14. PxP followed by Kt-B6, Black can initiate a promising counter attack by 14. … BxP!!; 15. PxR-Q, RxQ; 16. Kt-B6, QxKt; 17. QxQ, BxQ. In this case White exposes his King’s side by P-KKt4 in order to benefit from the unstable position of the Black KB, but unless care is taken, he can easily fall a victim to an attack on the open KKt file

12. … PxKt

13. P-KKt4 Q-K4

Not Q-Q4, on account of PxP and Kt-B6.

14. PxP KR-Kt1

15. B-R6

This is Marshall’s innovation. It gets the Bishop out of play, as P-Kt5 must necessarily follow, yet the pawn at Kt7 holds the Black Rook, and there is a permanent threat of Kt-B6 either winning the exchange or, if the Knight is taken, giving White a pair of formidable passed pawns.

15. … P-Q6

16. P-B3 B-Q3

This is quite to White’s liking, since he wishes to advance Ids centre pawns. Black’s only chance of escaping disaster would be: B-K2, with R-Q2, Kt-Q1-B2. Instead of this, his next few moves do not reveal any concerted plan, and he loses in a surprisingly short time.

17. P-B4 Q-Q4

18. Q-B3 B-K2

19. P-Kt5 Q-B4

20. Kt-Kt3 Q-B2

In manoeuvring his Q, Black has achieved nothing either for counter attack or defence. Now White has numerous attacking chances. He first turns his attention to the KP.

21. Q-Kt4 QR-K1

22. R-K4! P-Kt4

23. P-QR4

and now even the QR takes part in the assault. Black’s game is hopeless.

23. … P-R3

24. PxP PxP

25. K-Kt2

attacking the KP by avoiding the check.

25. … Kt-Q1

26. Q-B3 Q-Kt3

27. R-Q4 P-B3

28. RxKtch KxR

29. QxP Resigns.

After this, no master has tried to defend a “Max Lange” in an international tournament.

GAME NO. 8

White: Blackburne. Black: Em. Lasker.

Scotch Game.

1. P-K4 P-K4

2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

3. P-Q4 PxP

4. KtxP B-B4

5. B-K3 Q-B3

The threat KtxKt and BxB must be met in some way. P-Q3 is not satisfactory, for Black remains with a trebled pawn after the double exchange. An alternative to the text move is B-Kt3. Q-B3, however, has the advantage of developing a piece, and although it is the Queen, White has no early opportunity of driving the same off, such as he often obtains when the Queen comes out so soon in the game.

6. P-QB3 KKt-K2

7. Kt-B2

In order to develop the QKt.

7. … P-QKt3!

Out of three possible moves, Lasker selects the one which contributes most to development. B-Kt3 does nothing in that direction, and BxB would bring the White Knight further into play. The text move prepares the development of the B at Kt2 with the option of Castles QR. If White exchanges Bishops he gives up the command of his Q4. Black’s P-Q3 might have had the same result, but then the exchange would have given White a majority of pawns on the K side, whilst White’s three Q side