Chess Strategy by Edward Lasker (inspirational novels .TXT) π
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.
Diag. 55
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20. R-K1ch K-B1
21. BxPch K-Kt1
22. R-K8ch B-B1
23. RxBch K-Kt2
24. Q-B3ch Resigns.
GAME No. 32
White: Ed. Lasker. Black: Mieses.
Centre Counter Defence.
1. P-K4 P-Q4
2. PxP Kt-KB3
This is to tempt White to play P-QB4, a weak move (see p. 35). By playing P-QB3 Black would obtain by far the better game in exchange for the pawn.
3. P-Q4 QxP
KtxP can also be played. In either case White wins a move by driving off the Black piece by Kt-QB3 or P-QB4. Furthermore, White has a pawn in the centre. Blackβs plan in retaking with the Queen might be to castle early on the Queenβs side and attack Whiteβs centre pawn by P-K4, and White must be on the alert against this plan, though it will not be easy for Black to put the same into execution, because of the exposed position of his Queen. After 4. Kt-QB3, Q-QR4 is the only move which brings the Queen into momentary security, and even then Black must provide for a retreat, as after Whiteβs B-Q2 there would be a threat of an advantageous βdiscoveryβ by the Kt. P-QB3 provides such a retreat, but it bars the QKt from its natural development at B3, where the Kt could exert further pressure on Whiteβs Q4. The QB, too, is difficult to get into play and easily becomes an object of attack, as in the present game.
4. Kt-QB3 Q-QR4
5. Kt-B3 B-B4
B-Kt5 would only help Whiteβs intentions to attack on the Kingβs side in the absence of Blackβs Queen, e.g. 6. P-KR3, B-R4; 7. P-KKt4, B-Kt3; 8. Kt-K5 (threatening Kt-B4), P-B3; 9. P-KR4, Q Kt-Q2; 10. Kt-B4, Q-B2; 11. P-R5, B-K5; 12. KtxB, KtxKt; 13. Q-B3 and B-B4 with the superior game.
βββββββββββββ
8 | #R | #Kt| | | #K | #B | | #R |
|βββββββββββββ|
7 | #P | #P | #P | | #P | #P | #P | #P |
|βββββββββββββ|
6 | | | | | | #Kt| | |
|βββββββββββββ|
5 | #Q | | | | | #B | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
4 | | | | ^P | | | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
3 | | | ^Kt| | | ^Kt| | |
|βββββββββββββ|
2 | ^P | ^P | ^P | | | ^P | ^P | ^P |
|βββββββββββββ|
1 | ^R | | ^B | ^Q | ^K | ^B | | ^R |
βββββββββββββ
A B C D E F G H
Diag. 145
6. Kt-K5! Kt-K5
P-B3 was urgent here, to provide against Kt-B4 and Q-B3. Now the game is as good as lost. White obtains a violent attack with superior forces, and brings it home before Black has time to complete his development.
7. Q-B3 Kt-Q3
If KtxKt, B-Q2.
8. B-Q2 P-K3
9. P-KKt4 B-Kt3
Black had to guard his KB2 because of Kt-Kt5, KtxKt, QxPch.
10. P-KR4 Q-Kt3
11. Castles P-KB3
Compulsory. Kt-B3 is refuted by 12. KtxKt, QxKt; 13. QxQ, PxQ; 14. B-Kt2 and P-R5. On the other hand, the answer to 11. β¦ QxP would be 12. B-KB4, Q-B4; 13. P-R5, P-B3; 14. PxB, PxKt; 15. B-KKt5 followed by RxKt and R-Q8 or Q-B7 mate.
12. KtxB PxKt
13. B-Q3 QxP
K-B2 or P-KB4 were also unavailing in consequence of Blackβs poor development.
14. BxPch K-Q2
15. B-K3 Q-Kt5
16. P-R3 Q-B5
17. QxKtP Q-B3
18. B-K4 Resigns.
GAME No. 33
White: Barasz. Black: Mieses.
Centre Counter Defence.
1. P-K4 P-Q 4
2. PxP QxP
3. Kt-QB3 Q-QR4
4. Kt-B3
It is better to advance the QP at once and so threaten B-Q2, after which Black is almost under compulsion to provide a retreat for his Q by P-QB3, thus blocking his QKt.
4. β¦ Kt-QB3
5. B-K2 B-B4
6. P-Q3
Already now the mistake of having allowed Black to develop his Queenβs side unmolested is apparent. P-Q4 is now impossible, for Black would castle on the Queenβs side and keep the initiative by exerting a permanent pressure on Whiteβs QP by P-K4. White must yield up the centre to Black.
6. β¦ P-K4
7. B-Q2 Castles
8. P-QR3 Q-B4
The Queen must escape from Whiteβs threat of P-QKt4.
9. Castles Kt-B3
10. P-QKt4 Q-K2
11. P-Kt5
This advance is somewhat purposeless, as the White pieces are not ready for an attack on Blackβs King. It is difficult, though, to find a sensible plan, as the White pieces have so little mobility. It would perhaps be best to play R-K1, B-B1, and Kt-K4.
11. β¦ Kt-Q5
12. R-K1 Q-B4
13. B-KB1 B-Q3
14. Q-Kt1?
βββββββββββββ
8 | | | #K | #R | | | | #R |
|βββββββββββββ|
7 | #P | #P | #P | | | #P | #P | #P |
|βββββββββββββ|
6 | | | | #B | | #Kt| | |
|βββββββββββββ|
5 | | ^P | #Q | | #P | #B | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
4 | | | | #Kt| | | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
3 | ^P | | ^Kt| ^P | | ^Kt| | |
|βββββββββββββ|
2 | | | ^P | ^B | | ^P | ^P | ^P |
|βββββββββββββ|
1 | ^R | ^Q | | | ^R | ^B | ^K | |
βββββββββββββ
A B C D E F G H
Diag. 146
The purpose of this move is not clear. The advance of the KtP could only be condoned by a desire to obtain an open file, and it seems illogical to protect it now. If White wanted to escape the pinning of his KKt he need not have moved the Queen. KtxKt would have effected this and prevented the Kingβs side from being laid bare.
Whiteβs game would still have been bad, particularly as the exchange at Q4 opens the diagonal for the Black KB, but the move in the text has even a worse effect. Mieses concludes the game with an elegant sacrifice.
14. β¦ KtxKtch
15. PxKt P-K5!
16. QPxP BxPch
17. KxB QxPch
18. B-Kt2 RxB
19. R-K2 RxR
20. KtxR QxKt
21. PxB Q-K4ch
22. K-R1 R-K1
Black has wrought fearful havoc in the White ranks, and the defenceless King cannot withstand the onslaught of the three White pieces for long.
23. P-QB4 Kt-R4
24. K-Kt1 Q-Q5ch
25. K-R2 R-K7
threatening Q-R5ch, Q-B7ch, and mate at Kt7 or R7.
26. Q-R1 Q-K4ch
27. P-B4 QxPch
28. K-Kt1 Q-Q5ch
Resigns.
GAME NO. 34
White: Em. Lasker. Black: Niemzowitsch.
Caro-Kann Defence (compare p. 50).
1. P-K4 P-QB3
2. P-Q4 P-Q4
3. Kt-QB3 PxP
4. KtxP Kt-B3
5. KtxKt KtPxKt
6. B-K2 B-B4
7. B-B3 Q-R4ch
8. P-B3 P-KR4!
A deep conception. If White accepts the proffered sacrifice of a pawn, he loses time, as he must retire his B before bringing out his Kt, and, moreover, the KR file being open, he can only castle on the Q side. But there the Black Queen is ready for the attack. If he refuses the sacrifice, the text move is still of value, as even then it is hardly advisable for White to castle on the K side, whilst Black can play B-R3 as soon as it might be desirable to exchange Whiteβs QB.
9. BxP Kt-Q2
10. B-Kt4 BxB
11. QxB Castles
12. Kt-K2 P-K3
13. B-B4 Q-QKt4!
Black is the first to complete his development, and he assumes the offensive.
14. Castles QR!
This is much stronger than the alternative P-QKt3, which would fatally disturb the pawn skeleton, particularly as castling is only possible on the Q side. Although Black can now gain two pawns, White obtains an attack and Black only just manages to escape with a draw.
14. β¦ Kt-Kt3
15. Kt-Kt3
intending Q-K2 in answer to Kt-B5. Again P-QKt3 is not to be thought of, and R-Q2 also fails because of Kt-B5; 16. R-B2, KtxP.
15. β¦ Q-Q4
16. K-Kt1 QxKtP
17. QR-Kt1 QxBP
18. Kt-K4 Q-R5
19. Q-B3 Kt-B5!
βββββββββββββ
8 | | | #K | #R | | #B | | #R |
|βββββββββββββ|
7 | #P | #P | | | | #P | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
6 | | | #P | | #P | #P | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
5 | | | | | | | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
4 | | | #Kt| ^P | ^Kt| ^B | | #Q |
|βββββββββββββ|
3 | | | ^P | | | ^Q | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
2 | ^P | ^P | | | | | | ^P |
|βββββββββββββ|
1 | | ^K | | | | | ^R | ^R |
βββββββββββββ
A B C D E F G H
Diag. 147
Whilst Black was busy capturing two pawns by moving the Queen four times, White was concentrating the whole of his forces, and now threatens to win back the pawn with R-Kt4. The move in the text anticipates the threat, for now the answer to 20. R-Kt4 would be Q-R4; 21. KtxP?, Q-B4ch; 22. Kt-K4?? Kt-Q7ch, winning the Q.
20. K-R1 P-KB4
21. Kt-Kt5 B-Q3
22. B-B1 R-Q2
23. R-Kt2 B-B2
intending to get rid of the awkward White Knight by Kt-Q3-K5.
24. KR-Kt Kt-Q3
25. Q-K2 Kt-K5
26. Kt-B3 Q-R6
27. P-R3
White appears to be in βtimeβ difficulties, or else he remains passive, in order to give Black an opportunity for making the risky attempt to hold the extra pawn by P-B3 and P-K4.
27. β¦ P-R3
28. B-K3 KR-Q1
29. K-R2 R-R1
If Black wants to play for a win, he must play P-B3. In view of the favourable position of the White pieces, he prefers to risk nothing and to avoid the weakening of position which follows upon practically every pawn move.
30. K-R1 KR-Q1
31. K-R2 R-K1
32. R-Kt8 RxR
33. RxRch R-Q1
34. R-Kt7 R-Q2
35. R-Kt8ch
As long as Black plays steadily, White cannot hope for more than a draw.
35. β¦ R-Q1
36. R-Kt7 R-B1
37. P-B4 Kt-B3
In order to drive off the Rook; White now enforces the draw by a fine combination.
38. B-Kt5! Kt-R4
39. RxP! RxR
40. QxPch R-Q2
Not K-Kt1 on account of 41. Q-K8ch, K-R2; 42. QxR, QxKt; 43. QxB, threatening B-K7.
41. Kt-K5! Draw.
For after BxKt there follows 42. Q-K8ch, K-B2; 43. QxBch, with perpetual check.
Both players have shown a deep positional insight, and the game shows in an interesting manner how a preponderance of material can be counterbalanced by the greater mobility of the pieces.
GAME NO. 35
White: Reti. Black: Tartakower.
Caro-Kann Defence.
1. P-K4 P-QB3
2. P-Q4 P-Q4
3. Kt-QB3 PxP
4. KtxP Kt-KB3
5. Q-Q3
White wishes to castle as soon as possible on the Queenβs side, in order to operate on the Queenβs file with the help of the Rook.
5. β¦ P-K4
Here Black loses two moves in bringing Whiteβs centre pawn away. The manoeuvre therefore is not sound. QKt-Q2, KtxKt, and Kt-B3, or any other developing moves would be preferable.
6. PxP Q-R4ch
7. B-Q2 QxP
8. Castles!
βββββββββββββ
8 | #R | #Kt| #B | | #K | #B | | #R |
|βββββββββββββ|
7 | #P | #P | | | | #P | #P | #P |
|βββββββββββββ|
6 | | | #P | | | #Kt| | |
|βββββββββββββ|
5 | | | | | #Q | | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
4 | | | | | ^Kt| | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
3 | | | | ^Q | | | | |
|βββββββββββββ|
2 | ^P | ^P | ^P | ^B | | ^P | ^P | ^P |
|βββββββββββββ|
1 | | | ^K | ^R | | ^B | ^Kt| ^R |
βββββββββββββ
A B C
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