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

5. KtxP

Black can now get White’s KP by playing Q-K2, and moreover exchange White’s valuable Bishop. Instead of the move in the text it is advisable to retire the Bishop to R4 or B4, or else to play 5. KtxKt, PxKt; 6. P-K5, PxKt; 7. PxKt. Black would then play QxP and not PxQPch, as the latter move allows White to develop quickly, and Black has no time to castle—e.g. 8. BxP, QxP; 9. Castles, B-K2; 10. B-B3, followed by R-K1.

5. … Q-K2

6. Kt-B3 KtxP?

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

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

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6 | | | | | | | | |

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5 | | ^B | | | | | | |

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4 | | | | #Kt| #Kt| | | |

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 131.

Here KtxB was essential, followed by QxP, freeing the Bishop. After 7. KtxKt, QxPch; 8. Q-K2, QxQch; 9. KxQ, Kt-Q4 (10. P-B4, P-QR3), Black completes his development a little later (10. R-K1, P-KB3; 11. K-B1ch, K-B2), but after the exchange of Queens there is not much to fear from an immediate attack, and the value of the two Bishops soon asserts itself. In a match game Ed. Lasker-Cole (London, 1913) the continuation was 12. P-Q4, P-QR3; 13. Kt-B3, KtxKt; 14. PxKt, P-Q4. Here the doubled pawn is a disadvantage, in that the pawn at B2 is immobile, and constantly liable to be attacked by B-B4. P-Q3 was the better move.

7. Castles KtxKt

Now KtxB was no longer possible. After KtxQKt there would be threats of KtxBP as well as of R-K1 and P-Q3. The game is almost lost for Black at this stage, as the King cannot escape the impending attack on the K file by castling.

8. QPxKt KtxKtch

9. QxKt Q-B4

10. R-K1ch B-K2

11. B-Q3

prevents castling, as Q-K4 would win a piece.

11. … P-Q4

12. B-K3

White has the development of the B gratis, as Black must lose time with the Queen.

12. … Q-Q3

13. B-KB4 Q-KB3

14. QxP!!

Black being behind with his development is already threatened by sacrificial combinations. If he takes the Bishop he loses by 15. B-Kt5ch, K-B1; 16. Q-Q8ch!, BxQ; 17. R-K8 mate, or l5. … P-B3; 16. BxPch, and so on.

14. … P-B3

15. Q-K4 B-K3

16. R-K3 B-QB4

Here Black might have castled on the Queen’s side, but R-Q1 would have had much the same sequel as in the actual game.

17. B-K5 Q-R3

18. R-Kt3 B-KB1

A sorry retreat. But after Q-Q7, which may have been Black’s original intention, White plays R-KB1, threatening B-KB4.

19. R-Q1

This move completes White’s development, and only seems to give Black a chance of castling. However, Black has no satisfactory continuation.

19. … Castles?

20. QxPch PxQ

21. B-R6 Mate

GAME No. 21

White: Eduard Lasker. Black: Aljechin.

Three Knights’ Defence.

1. P-K4 P-K4

2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

3. Kt-B3 B-Kt5

4. Kt-Q5

Developing another piece by B-Kt5 or B4 would be more in accordance with principle.

4. … B-K2

There was a threat of KtxB and KtxP. If Black plays P-Q3, the B must retire all the same after 5. B-Kt5. It seems best to retire the B to K2 rather than to B4 or R4, because there remains the threat of a pin subsequently by B-KKt5, which might become serious with the Knight at Q5.

5. B-B4 Kt-B3

6. P-Q3 P-Q3

7. KtxB QxKt

8. P-B3 P-KR3

The KKt is to support the advance of P-Q4 subsequently, and that is why Black does not want to allow it to be pinned. This is sound strategy, since White has exchanged his QKt, which from B3 prevents P-Q4 in the ordinary way.

9. B-K3 Castles

10. Q-Q2 B-K3

11. B-Kt3

The first mistake. B-QKt5 should be played to retard P-Q4.

11. … BxB

12. PxB P-Q4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 132

13. PxP

The second mistake. Unimportant as it seems, it leads to the loss of the game. White did not defend the pawn by Q-B2, because it would have proved 10. Q-Q2 to have been a lost move. But giving up the centre is a far greater evil. Black now commands his Q5 and KB5, and this enables him to start an attack to which there is no defence. The game shows conclusively how important it is to maintain the centre.

13. … KtxP

14. Castles KR P-B4

15. P-QKt4 P-QKt3

16. Q-K2

to prevent P-K5, which would now be countered by PxP and Q-B4. However, as P-K5 cannot be prevented permanently, and the Q must move in any case, Q-B2 would have been the better move, as there the Queen cannot be molested by a Rook.

16. … Q-Q3

17. P-Kt5 QKt-K2

18. B-Q2 Kt-Kt3

19. R-R4 QR-K1!

Black’s game is beautifully developed, whilst White cannot make a combined effort. The Black Rooks are particularly well placed, and threaten to take an effective part in the attack in various ways. All this is the outcome of White losing the centre.

20. P-KKt3

Though this prevents Kt(Q 4)-B5, it weakens KB3, which is all the more serious as Black threatens to open the file by P-B5.

20. … Q-Q2

If now White refrains from taking the pawn, Black plays P-QR4!

21. RxP P-K5

22. Kt-Q4 PxP

23. QxP Kt-K4

24. Q-K2 P-B5

All the avenues of attack are now open, and White’s game collapses quickly.

25. Q-R5 Kt-KB 3

26. Q-B5 Kt-B6ch

27. K-R1 QxQ

28. KtxQ KtxB

29. R-Q1 Kt(B3)-K5

30. KtxP KtxBPch

31. K-Kt2 P-B6ch

Resigns.

GAME No. 22

White: Forgacz. Black: Tartakower.

French Defence (see p. 48).

1. P-K4 P-K3

2. P-Q4 P-Q4

3. Kt-QB3 Kt-KB3

4. B-Kt5 B-K2

5. P-K5 Kt-K5

KKt-Q2 is better, because it would support the advance of P-QB4 and also be of use eventually in an attack on White’s centre by P-KB3. The text move allows the exchange of two minor pieces, which can only be to White’s advantage, as Black cannot get his QB into play, and is for a long time practically a piece down.

6. KtxKt BxB

After PxKt the pawn would be very weak, and could hardly be held for long.

7. KtxB QxKt

8. P-KKt3

To be able to play P-KB4 before developing the Kt (see p. 49).

8. … P-QB4

9. P-QB3 Kt-B3

10. P-KB4 Q-K2

11. Q-Q2 B-Q2

12. Kt-B3 Castles KR

13. B-Q3 P-B5

14. B-B2 P-QKt4

15. Castles KR P-Kt2

16. Q R-K1 P-QR4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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2 | ^P | ^P | ^B | ^Q | | | | ^P |

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 133

So far the game is easy to understand in the light of the remarks made on page 44, when treating of the openings. The continuation shows in an instructive fashion that White’s attack is the more effective, being directed against the King’s side.

17. P-B5! KPxP

This sacrifice of a pawn in conjunction with a second sacrifice on the next move, produces a combination of rare beauty.

18. P-Kt4!! PxP

If Black did not capture White would. In either case the storming of the position by pawns achieves its object and the lines of attack are free for the pieces.

19. Kt-Kt5 P-Kt3

Now that White has made an opening for himself at KB6, the rest is easy. 19. … P-R3 is of no avail. The sequel might have been: 20 Kt-R 7, KR-Q1; 21 Kt-B6ch, after which White wins after either PxKt; 22 QxP, or K-R1 KtxP.

20. R-B6 K-Kt2

Black gets no breathing space. If P-R3, then 21 BxP.

21. QR-KB1 B-K1

22. Q-B4 Kt-Q1

23. P-K6 R-R3

24. Q-K5 K-R3

25. QR-B5

Help!

25. … BPxP

26. Kt-B7ch QxKt

27. R-R5ch K-Kt2

28. RxKtP mate

GAME No. 23

White: Yates. Black: Esser.

French Defence.

1. P-K4 P-K3

2. P-Q4 P-Q4

3. Kt-QB3 Kt-KB3

4. B-Kt5 PxP

5. BxKt PxB

If the Queen recaptures, White obtains too great an advantage in development, and therefore Black submits to the doubling of his pawns. It is doubtful if this means a handicap, although the King’s side gets broken up. For Black keeps his two Bishops, a powerful weapon, unless White succeeds in developing swiftly an attack on the King’s side. The present game is instructive and shows the chances afforded to both sides by the position brought about by the exchange at KB6.

6. KtxP P-KB4

As the KB obtains a long diagonal at Kt2, this advance is justified. Otherwise there would be strong objections to it, as the pawn is likely to be subjected to attack, and apart from that, it gives up command of Black’s K4.

7. Kt-QB3

Kt-Kt3 would seem more natural, firstly, because Black has weaknesses on the K side, and White will need his pieces for attack in that quarter, and secondly, because the QP ought to be supported by P-B3, as Black will attack it by B-Kt2.

7. … B-Kt2

8. Kt-B3 Castles

9. B-B4

If now the Knight were at Kt3, White could play P-B3 and BQ3. This is the proper place for the B, which might obtain an open diagonal after P-KKt4.

9. … Kt-B3

10. Kt-K2 Kt-R4

11. B-Q3 P-B4

12. P-B3 P-QB5

P-Kt3 seems preferable, as the text move releases the hold on White’s Q4. The isolated pawn resulting after 13. PxP is not to be feared, as the B at Kt2 would have greater efficiency (QR-Kt1), and White would not be so firmly established in the centre.

13. B-B2 P-Kt4

14. Q-Q2

There now ensues an interesting struggle. White builds up an attack with Q and both Knights and eventually the B (P-KKt4). If Black can manage to play his King into safety at R1 in time, and then occupies the Kt file with his Rooks, he would have the better of it, his pieces having by far the greater range of action.

14. … B-Kt2

15. Q-B4