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

8. Kt-Q2 Q-Kt3

The exchange of Bishops allows White to play Kt-K3, thus avoiding the weakening move P-K Kt3. 9. B-KB4 is answered by P-Q4!.

9. BxB PxB

10. Kt-K3 R-QKt1

11. P-QKt3 Castles

12. B-B4

To prevent Black’s P-B4.

At first sight it seems as if the QBP ought to move to B4, as the advance of the QKtP has weakened it. But White dares not allow a Black Knight to settle at Q5.

12. … P-Q3

13. P-B4!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 108

Black threatens to play K-R1 in order to play P-B4. White’s position would then be very bad, and therefore he rightly decides to anticipate the move, even at the cost of a pawn. In order to gain the QBP Black must waste a number of moves with the Q, and White gains time for a King’s side attack. The pawn sacrifice is very promising indeed.

13. … Q-B3

14. Castles QxQBP

15. R-B3

There seem to be many threats here, and the position is a difficult one to fathom. After disentangling his Queen, Black tries very hard to force his P-B4. As soon as he succeeds in this he has a won game, for the open file is available both for defence and counter-attack.

15. … Q-Q5

16. K-R1 B-K3

17. R-QB1 BxB

18. RxB Q-Kt7

Q-B3 is impossible apart from the fact that it would block the KBP, e.g. 18. … Q-B3; 19. P-K5, PxP; 20. Kt-K4, etc.

19. R-QB2 Q-B3

Now the attack shown in the last note could be answered with Q-R5.

20. Kt-Kt4

Here P-KKt4 could be answered by Kt-Q5, e.g. 21. P-Kt5, Q-Kt3; 22. R-Kt3, P-B4.

20. … Q-Kt3

21. R-Kt3 P-B4

22. Kt-K5 Q-K3

23. KtxKt KtxKt

24. P-K5 Kt-Kt5!

This prevents the Rook from occupying the Q file which is about to be opened.

25. R-B4 PxP

26. Q-R1 Q-Q2!

If now QxP, Black plays R-B2 with unanswerable threats of R-K1 or Q1.

27. Kt-B3 PxP

28. Kt-K5 Q-K2

29. RxKBP QR-K1

30. Kt-B4 Q-K8ch

31. R-B1 QxQ

32. RxQ KtxP

33. P-R3 P-B5

34. R-Q3 Kt-Kt5

35. R-Q7 P-B6!

36. PxP RxP

37. RxRP Kt-Q6

threatens mate in six.

38. R-R1 Kt-K8

mate is again threatened.

39. Kt-Q2 RxPch

40. K-Kt1 R-Kt6ch

41. K-R2 R-Q6!

42. RxKt RxKtch

43. RxR RxR

44. R-Q7 R-K6

45. RxP RxP

46. RxP P-R3

47. R-B6

A few more moves “for fun.”

47. … K-R2

48. K-Kt2 P-R4

49. R-R6 P-Kt3

50. R-R4 K-R3

51. R-QB4 R-Kt7ch

52. K-Kt3 K-Kt4

53. R-B3 P-R5ch

54. K-R3 K-R4

55. R-B4 R-Kt6ch

56. K-R2 P-Kt4

57. R-R4 R-Kt7ch

58. K-Rsq P-R6

59. R-QB4 P-Kt5

60. K-Ktsq P-Kt6

61. R-B5ch K-Kt3

62. R-Bsq K-B4

63. R-Rsq R-Q7

64. R-Ksq K-B5

65. R-Rsq K-K6

66. R-R3ch R-Q6

67. R-Rsq K-K7

Resigns.

GAME No. 9

White: Salwe. Black: Marshall.

Two Knights’ Defence

1. P-K4 P-K4

2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

3. B-B4 Kt-B3

4. Kt-Kt5

This attack may be tempting, as the BP cannot be protected, but it is against that elementary principle which says that no attack should be undertaken in the opening until the minor pieces are mobilised, provided of course that Black also has made sound opening moves. There is every likelihood that the attack in the present instance will lead to nothing. It has taken many years to find the correct reply, but now that it is known, the opening has practically disappeared from master practice. Instead of the move in the text, White can play either P-Q3, leading almost unavoidably to a drawing variation of the Giuoco piano, or Castles which might bring about the Max Lange attack after 4. … B-B4; 5. P-Q4, PxP.

4. … P-Q4

5. PxP Kt-QR4!

This is a typical position in the Two Knights’ defence. The former continuation 5. … KtxQP has long been abandoned, as the attack that White can initiate by 6. KtxBP, KxKt; 7. Q-B3ch, forcing the Black King to K3, is dangerous though the result is uncertain. The move in the text breaks the attack from the very first, and Black gets the advantage

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8 | #R | | #B | #Q | #K | #B | | #R |

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

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

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

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4 | | | ^B | | | | | |

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3 | | | | | | | | |

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 109

as he can gain time by attacking the two minor pieces which it should be noted, are unsupported, and in addition obtain a speedy development, worth more than the pawn given up for it.

6. P-Q3

B-Kt5ch is an alternative. The advantage is Black’s in this case also—e.g. P-B3; 7. PxP, PxP; 8. B-K2, P-KR3; 9. Kt-KB3, P-K5; 10. Kt-K5, Q-B2; 11. P-Q4, B-Q3 (or PxP e.p. followed by B-Q3); 12. P-KB4, PxP e.p.; 13. KtxP, Kt-Kt5 or 11. P-B4, B-Q3; 12. P-Q4, PxP e.p.; 13 KtxP, Castles. Black has an easy game and open lines.

6. … P-KR3

7. Kt-KB3 P-K5

8. Q-K2 KtxB

9. PxKt B-QB4

10. KKt-Q2

The Knight must move sooner or later.

10. … Castles

11. Kt-Kt3 B-KKt5

12. Q-B1

A sorry retreat, but the plausible Q-Q2 would be disastrous, e.g. P-K6!; 13. PxP, Kt-K5 and Q-R5ch

12. … B-Kt5ch

Black’s superior development begins to tell in no uncertain fashion. Now White can neither play 13. B-Q2 on account of BxBch; 14. QKtxB, R-K1, followed by P-K6, nor 13. Kt-B3 on account of BxKt; 14. PXB, P-B3 regaining the pawn and maintaining positional advantage. White has therefore no alternative but P-B3, which weakens his Q3, where a Black Knight soon settles down.

13. P-B3 B-K2

14. P-KR3 B-R4

15. P-Kt4 B-Kt3

At last White can castle. He can, of course, only castle on the Queen’s side, because his King’s side pawns are shattered. Now games in which the Kings castle on different wings are more or less beyond calculation, as pointed out before. On the whole, the player who first attacks wins. But experience has shown that the Queen’s side is more difficult to defend on account of its greater expanse, and this theory is supported by the present game. In addition, White’s development is not completed yet, whilst all the Black forces are ready to strike.

16. B-K3 Kt-Q2

17. QKt-Q2 Kt-K4

18. Castles P-Kt4

Storming the position with pawns is peculiar to this kind of game. The intention is to break up the opposing pawn position, and to open files for the Rooks. Pawns are cheap in such cases. Open lines for the pieces are the things that matter, and the fewer pawns there are left, the more open lines are available for the attack.

19. PxP Kt-Q6ch

20. K-Kt1 QxP

21. K-R1

The King was not safe on the diagonal. White wishes to push on his King’s side pawns (P-B4-B5, and so on). But after PxP e.p. there would be a fatal discovered check by the Black Knight.

22. … QxP

Black’s advantage becomes more marked. He has recovered his pawn, and for the ensuing attacks on both sides he is better placed, having already two open files for his Rooks.

22. P-KB4 P-QR4

23. QR-Kt1 P-KB4

24. Kt-Q4 Q-R5!

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

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

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

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

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4 | #Q | | | ^Kt| #P | ^P | ^P | |

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 110

The position bristles with chances for daring sacrifices. After 25. KtxBP, for instance, Black could play RxKt!; 26. PxR, Kt-Kt5; 27. PxKt, PxP; 28. P-R3 (Q-B4ch?, B-B2), B-B3; 29. K-R2, QxPch; 30. PxQ, RxP mate.

25. P-Kt3 Q-Q2

26. PxP BxP

27. Q-Kt2 P-B4

White’s compulsory 25. P-Kt3 has weakened his QB3, and the move in the text is intended to open the diagonal KB3-QB6 for the Black Bishop.

28. KtxB QxKt

29. QxP B-B3

30. Q-B4ch K-R1

31. Kt-K4 QR-K1

White cannot parry all the threats at once. Though he gets rid of the threatening B, he lets in the hostile R on the K file and the end cannot long be delayed.

32. KtxB RxKt

33. B-B1 KR-K3

34. B-R3 R-K7

35. KR-Q1 Kt-K8

36. BxP Kt-B7ch

37. K-Kt2 Kt-Kt5ch

and mate at R7 or B7.

GAME No. 10

White: Teichmann. Black: Amateurs in consultation.

Two Knights’ Defence.

1. P-K4 P-K4

2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

3. B-B4 Kt-B3

4. Castles

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8 | #R | | #B | #Q | #K | #B | | #R |

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 111

The idea underlying this pawn sacrifice is to open the K file for the Rook. It will be seen that, with correct play, Black manages to castle just in time, and White, though winning back his pawn, has no advantage in position. The opening is seldom played by modern masters.

Instead of the move in the text, White can hardly defend the KP with Kt-B3, as Black simply captures the pawn and recovers his piece by P-Q4, with a satisfactory position. It is even better for Black if White plays 6. BxPch in reply to 5. … KtxP. The capture of White’s KP is far more important than that of the Black KBP, particularly as the White Bishop, which could be dangerous on the diagonal QR2-KKt8, is exchanged, e.g. 6. … KxB; 7. KtxKt, P-Q4; 8. Kt-Kt5ch, K-Kt1! Black continues P-KR3,