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

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1. ... K-Q3
2. P-B3 K-B3
3. K-B4 and wins.

This settles all typical end-games of King and pawn against King. There is, however, one exception to the rules set out, namely, when a ROOK'S PAWN is concerned. Here the isolated King always succeeds in drawing if he can reach the corner where the pawn has to queen, for he cannot be driven out again. The Rook's pawn affords another opportunity for the weaker side to draw. Diagram 55 will illustrate this, and similar positions are of frequent occurrence in practice. Here Black draws with 1. ... K-B5. As he threatens to capture the pawn, White must play 2. P-R4. Then after the reply K-B4, White is still unable to cut the opponent off from the corner with K-Kt7, as the loss of the pawn is still threatened through K-Kt5. And after 3. P-R5 Black attains the position which is typical for this end-game, namely the opposition against the King on the Rook's file. The latter cannot escape without giving up the contested corner, and the game is drawn. 3. ... K-B3; 4. K-R7, K-B2; 5. K-R8, K-B1; 6. P-R6, K-B2; 7. P-R7, K-B1: and White is stalemated.

---------------------------------------8 | | | | | | | | ||---------------------------------------|7 | | | | | | | | ||---------------------------------------|6 | ^K | | | | | | | ||---------------------------------------|5 | | | | | | | | ||---------------------------------------|4 | | | | | | | | ||---------------------------------------|3 | | | | #K | | | | ||---------------------------------------|2 | ^P | | | | | | | ||---------------------------------------|1 | | | | | | | | |---------------------------------------A B C D E F G H

Diag. 55

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P-QKt4

19. KR-Q2

This holds Black’s Kt at B1. White’s next move prevents the Bishop getting into action by P-B4. After depriving all the Black pieces of their mobility, White turns his attention to a determined assault on the Black King.

19. … QR-K2

20. P-QKt4 K-B2

21. P-QR3 B-R1

22. K-B2 R-R2

23. P-Kt4 P-R3

24. R-Q3 P-QR4

25. P-KR4 PxP

26. PxP R(R2)-K2

There are no prospects on the Rook’s file, and Black is restricted to keeping his pieces mutually protected. He cannot prevent White from penetrating the King’s side.

27. K-B3 R-Kt1

28. K-B4 P-Kt3

29. R-Kt3 P-Kt4ch

30. K-B3

If Black captures the pawn, he would lose it again forthwith through White’s R-R3, and the pawn at R3 would also be captured.

30. … Kt-Kt3

31. PxP RPxP

32. R-R3 R-Q2

33. K-Kt3

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

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

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

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

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

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3 | | | ^Kt| | | | ^K | ^R |

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 127

The White King leaves the diagonal because Black’s P-B4 would interfere with the combination by which White intends to annihilate Black’s game in a few moves.

33. … K-K1

34. QR-KR1 B-Kt2

35. P-K5!!

A beautiful final stroke.

35. … QPxP

36. Kt-K4!! Kt-Q4

37. Kt(K6)-B5 B-B1

Black dares not move the Rook on account of KtxB and Kt-Q6ch.

38. KtxR BxKt

39. R-R7ch R-B1

40. R-R1 K-Q1

41. R-R8ch B-B1

42. Kt-B5 Resigns

Mate in two is threatened. Black’s only move is Kt-K2, after which he is helpless, and White can capture the pawns one by one at his leisure (R-B7, etc.). In this game, so beautifully engineered by White, we have a further example of Lasker’s remarkable grasp of position.

GAME No. 19

White: Eduard Lasker. Black: Janowski.

Four Knights’ Game.

1. P-K4 P-K4

2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

3. Kt-B3 Kt-B3

4. B-Kt5 B-Kt5

B-K2; 5 Castles, P-Q3; would lead into the Ruy Lopez.

5. Castles Castles

6. P-Q3 P-Q 3

It is, of course, better to castle before playing P-Q3, as the opponent could at once play Kt-Q5 and utilise the pin to initiate an immediate attack, e.g. 5. Castles, P-Q3; 6. Kt-Q5, B-B4; 7. P-Q4, PxP; 8. B-Kt5.

7. B-Kt5

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 128.

The position is not unlike that in Diagram 90, and the same remarks apply to it. Here B-K3 is inadvisable, because P-Q4, threatening to fork two pieces, forces the exchange of Black’s centre pawn. After 7. … B-Kt5; 8. Kt-Q5, Kt-Q5; 9. B-B4, B-B4, on the other hand, we get the position discussed on p. 115, in which White obtains the advantage by Q-Q2. Instead of 9. … B-B4, Black should play Q-Q2 with a similar threat. But he has not the cooperation of his King’s Bishop for the attack, and White just manages to escape with a draw, e.g. 9. … Q-Q2; 10. KtxKtch, PxKt; 11. BxP, P-KR3(BxKt; 12. PxB, Q-R6 fails on account of K-R1 and R-KKt1); 12. P-B3, KtxKtch; 13. PxKt, B-KR4; 14. K-R1, K-R2 (Diagram 129); 15. R-KKt1.

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 120.

This is the saving clause. If now Black had his B at B4, as White has in the corresponding attack, White would first have to protect his BP with 15 Q-K2, and would be lost after R-KKt1; 16. R-KKt1, R-Kt3; as 17. B-R4 fails because of Q-R6; 18. B-KKt3, R-B3; and on the other hand, after 17. RxR, PxR Black plays R-KB1, attacking the BP a second time.

With the Black Bishop at Kt5, however, Black does not succeed. The continuation could be l5. … R-KKt1; 16. R-Kt3, R-Kt3; 17. B-R4, with a probable draw.

This line of play is most difficult for both sides, and it has been avoided so far in tournaments.

In Diagram 128 the favourite continuation for many years was: 7. … BxKt; 8. PxB, Kt-K2. The opening of the KKt file by 9. BxKKt is not to be feared, because of the reasons given when discussing Diagram 90. But White obtains the advantage with 9. Kt-R4, preparing the opening of the KB file by P-B4 and PxP. 9. … Kt-Kt3, in order to retake with the BP after 10. KtxKt and to open the file for Black’s Rooks, is not a sufficient reply, because after 11. P-B4 and PxP White has a clear advantage, having an extra pawn in effect for the end-game. For the three Black pawns on the King’s side are held by the two adverse pawns, which they cannot pass.

The attempt to expel the troublesome Bishop after 9. … Kt-K1 by P-KB3, and then play for a centre by P-B3, Kt-B2 and P-Q4 fails on account of the withering attack which White obtains on the KB file, e.g. 9. … Kt-K1; 10. B-QB4, K-R1; 11. P-B4, P-KB3; 12. Q-R5, PxB; 13. PxP, etc.

In consequence the defence by 7. … BxKt and Kt-K2 has been abandoned.

In the present game Black reverts to a very old defence, comprising the moves: BxKt, Q-K2, Kt-Q1-K3. It had been abandoned because White, by playing R-K1, P-Q4, and eventually B-B1 and B-R3, forces the exchange of Black’s centre pawn, and obtains an advantage, on well-known grounds. Here Black strengthens the defence by interpolating P-KR3!, after which White must come to a decision as to maintaining the pin. If he decides to do so the White Bishop will no longer be able to threaten the Black Queen from QR3.

7. … BxKt

8. PxB P-KR3

9. B-KR4

If the B retreats to B1 or K3, Black can adopt the defence Kt-K2- Kt3. Then Kt-R4 would be inferior, because Black can simply play P-KKt4. In this case the advance of the pawns is justified, because Black can bring his QKt to KKt3 and have practically one piece more on the King’s side, and good prospects for the attack which he can open with K-R2, R-KKt1, Kt-Kt3-B5.

9. … Q-K2

P-KKt4 would be premature. White would win at once by 10. KtxKtP, PxKt; 11. BxP, as he can attack the Knight a second time by P-KB4 and PxP before Black can either protect it sufficiently or relieve the “pin.”

10. Q-Q2 Kt-Q1

11. P-Q4 B-Kt5

12. Q-K3 BxKt

13. QxB Kt-K3

It would be wrong to play for the gain of a pawn with P-KKt4 and PxP, e.g. 13. … P-KKt4; 14. B-Kt3, PxP; 15. R-K1!, PxP; 16. P-K5, etc.

14. BxKt

Black’s threat was to develop an attack, similar to that described at move 9, with P-KKt4 and Kt-B5.

14. … QxB

15. QxQ PxQ

16. B-B4

in order to exchange the Knight, which is generally superior to a Bishop in an end-game, as mentioned before.

16. … PxP

17. BxKt PxB

18. PxP

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

5 | | | | | | | | |

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

3 | | | | | | | | |

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 130

In the end-game thus brought about the White Rooks have more freedom, as they can be mobilised easily on the third rank to act on either wing. Black’s pawns, however, are stronger, being easily protected by the King, whilst White’s weak pawns at QR2 and QB2 are at too great a distance from the King; therefore White must see to it that Black does not open files for his Rooks on the Queen’s side.

18. … QR-B1

19. QR-Kt1 P-Kt3

20. KR-Q1 KR-Q1

21. R-Kt3

White must now allow Black to occupy the QB or Q file. After 21. P-Q5 Black would simply play PxP; 22. PxP, P-B3, with a certain draw.

21. … P-Q4

22. R-Kt3ch

P-KB3 was the correct move here, in view of subsequent threats of mate.

22. … K-B2

23. PxP RxP

24. R-QR3 P-QR4

25. P-KB4?

A mistake under time pressure, costing a pawn. QR-Q3 was the move.

25. … P-QB4

26. R-QB3 QR-Q1

27. R-Kt1 RxP

28. RxKtP RxP

29. P-KR3 R-Q7

30. R-Kt5

Not RxP, on account of R-B7, and the KKtP cannot be saved.

30. … R-(B5)B7

31. R-KKt3 P-B4

32. P-B4 P-B5

33. R-KKt4 P-R4

34. R-Kt5 RxP

35. P-R4

Mate was threatened in a few moves through R-QB7-B8 and R(R7)-R8.

35. … R-(B7)Kt7

If now R-B7, White would win the KBP or obtain a perpetual check (36. R-QKt7ch, followed by R-QKt8-KB8). After the move in the text, White can still draw, as he wins back his pawn.

36. RxR RxR

37. RxRP?

This careless move now loses the game. Of course White should have taken the BP. If then P-R5, R-R5 held the pawn from behind, also after 37. … K-B3; 38. RxQRP, P-K4, a draw would have been the result, as the White BP would soon have become threatening, e.g. 39. R-R8, K-B4; 40. P-B5, P-K5; 41. P-B6, R-QB7; 42. R-QB8, K-Kt5; 43. P-B7, KxP; 44. K-R2, P-K6; 45. R-B8, RxP; 46. RxPch, K-Kt4; 47. R-K4, R-B6; 48. K-Kt3, etc.; or 44. R-K8, RxP; 45. RxP, K-Kt6; 46. R-K1, R-B7; 47. K-R1, RxP; 48. R-K3ch, and so on.

37. … P-R5

38. RxP P-R6

Resigns.

After R-R5 there follows P-R7 and R-Kt8ch, or (if 40. K-R 2) P-B6.

GAME No. 20

White: Eduard Lasker. Black: Englund.

Four Knights’ Game.

1. P-K4 P-K4

2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

3. Kt-B3 Kt-B3

4. B-Kt5