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

The correct move is here 8. Castles. If Black wins the pawn by BxKt; 9. PxB, QPxP; 10. BxP, QxBP, White obtains a strong attack, e.g., 11. R-B1, Q-R4; 12. BxKt, PxB (KtxB; 13. PxP); 13. P-Q5, with this possible continuation l3. … Kt-Kt3, 14. PxP, PxP; 15. Q-Q6, with a strong attack.

6. P-K3 Castles

7. Q-B2 P-B4

White intends to castle on the Queen’s side, and to follow this up with a storm by the King’s side pawns. Although Rubinstein has on many occasions been successful with this form of attack, it is open to criticism. For, where Kings have castled on different wings, the attack on the King which has castled on the Q side should be more successful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 153

This is much stronger than P-Q Kt3 and B-Kt2, as then the Black Queen cannot participate in the attack quickly enough. As pointed out before, speed is the first consideration for the attack, whenever the Kings have castled on different wings. An interesting counterpart to the present game is found in a game won by Rubinstein from Teichmann (Match, Vienna, 1908) 7. … P-QKt3; 8. PxP, PxP; 9. B-Q3, B-Kt2; 10. Castles QR, P-B4; 11. P-KR4, P-B5? (the only hope lay in the opening of the QB file); 12. B-B5, R-K1; 13. BxKKt, KtxB; 14. P-KKt4, B-Q3; 15. P-Kt5, Kt-K5; 16. P-R5, Q-K2; 17. QR-Kt1, P-QR3; 18. BxPch!, KxB; 19. P-Kt6ch, K-Kt1; 20. KtxKt, PxKt; 21. P-R6, P-B31 22. PxP, PxKt; 23 R-R8ch, KxP; 24. R-R7ch, and Black resigned a few moves later.

8. Castles Q-R4

9. PxQP

White loses time in the centre. It was imperative to proceed at once with P-KKt4 followed by BxKt, P-Kt5 and P-KR4.

9. … KPxP

10. PxP KtxP

11. Kt-Q4 B-K3

12. K-Kt1

It would be too risky to leave both King and Queen on the QB file.

12. … QR-B1

13. B-Q3 P-KR3

The threat was: BxKt and BxPch. Had White played P-KKt4 and P-KR4 instead of effecting exchanges in the centre, Black would not have been able to afford this weakening move. But now Black wins the game on the other wing, before White is able to make use of the weakness thus created.

14. BxKt BxB

15. B-B5 KR-Q1

16. BxB PxB

17. Q-Kt6

The Queen must leave the QB file without delay, as Kt-K5 is threatened. Black’s game is already superior; with the exception of the Queen, White has no piece available for the attack on the opposing King.

17. … R-Q3

18. R-QB1 R-R3

Now White must again provide against Black’s Kt-K5, as White’s QKt is needed for the defence of QR2.

19. P-B3 R-Q1

Black intends to move his B and then to advance his KP with an attack on the Queen. The object of the text move is to prevent White from saving himself by an attack on the Rook (Q-B5).

20. R-B2 BxKt

By this exchange Black achieves his object of driving off the Knight by P-Q5, but White has time to give his RP further protection by P-QKt3, This, Black would have prevented by playing B-Kt4 instead of the text move, e.g. 21. P-B4, P-K4; 22. Q-B5, PxKt; 23. PxP, B-B3; 24. PxKt, P-Q5, etc.

21. PxB P-K4

22. Q-Kt4 PxP

23. QxP Kt-K3

24. Q-K5

This delays the fatal advance of the QP for one move.

24. … P-QKt4

25. P-QKt3 P-Q5

26. Kt-K4 P-Q6

27. R-Q2 Kt-Q5

28. R-QB1 Kt-B7

29. Q-Kt2 Kt-R6ch

30. K-R1 Kt-B7ch

31. K-Kt1 Kt-R6ch

32. K-R1 Kt-B7ch

33. K-Kt1

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

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

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

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

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4 | | | | | ^Kt| | | |

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

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2 | ^P | ^Q | #Kt| ^R | | | ^P | ^P |

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 154

Black does not play for a draw, but only wishes to gain time.

33. … R-QB3

The intention is to double Rooks and to force an entry at B7. P-Kt5 would not be good. The White Rook would no longer be attacked, and the Knight could attack the QP.

34. R(B1)-Q1 KR-QB1

Now that the White Rook has left the QB file, one Rook would be sufficient to force an entry at B7, and Kt-R6ch followed by P-Kt5 could have been played at once, e.g. 34. … Kt-R6ch; 35. K-R1, P-Kt5 (preventing P-QKt4); 36. Kt-B2,R-B7; 37. RxR, PxR; 38. R-QB1, Q-Kt3; 39. Kt-K4, R-Q8 followed by RxRch, Q-Q5ch and P-B8 mate.

35. RxP Kt-R6ch

36. K-R1 P-Kt5

37. R-Q7 Q-K4!!

If QxQ, Black mates in three.

38. R-Q8ch RxR

39. RxRch K-R2

40. R-Q1 QxQch

Curiously enough there is nothing better. Q-B2 only leads to the exchange of Queens and the same end-game, which, however, is an easy win for Black, as the permanent mating threat keeps the White Rook tied to the first rank, whilst the Black King threatens to capture all the White pawns.

If Q-B2 White forces the exchange of Queens with the following combination: 41. Q-Q2, R-B7; 42. Q-Q3, R-B8ch; 43. K-Kt2, with a threat of Kt-B6ch and Q-R7 mate. Black therefore would have to play Q-B7ch, etc., as in the game.

41. KxQ R-B7ch

42. K-R1 RxP

43. R-R1 P-Kt4

44. Kt-B6ch K-Kt2

45. Kt-K4 K-Kt3

46. Kt-Q6 P-QR4

We have now a position with a forced move. If the White Knight moves, there follows K-B4-B5, etc. Therefore White gives up his R P voluntarily.

47. R-QB1 RxP

48. Kt-B4 Kt-Kt4

Now Kt-B6 and RxP mate are threatened.

49. Kt-K5ch K-Kt2

50. Kt-Kt4 R-K7

51. R-B5 R-K8ch

52. K-Kt2 Kt-R6

53. R-B7ch K-B1

54. R-B1 R-K7ch

55. K-R1 Kt-B7ch

56. K-Kt1 Kt-R6ch

Black again appears to be short of time.

57. K-R1 Kt-Kt4

58. R-B5 R-K8ch

59. K-Kt2 Kt-R6

60. R-B1 R-K7ch

Now, after the sixtieth move Black has again plenty of time, and can prepare the final combination at leisure.

61. K-R1 R-K3

62. R-R1 K-Kt2

63. R-QB1 K-Kt3

64. R-B6 RxR

65. Kt-K5ch K-B4

66. KtxR P-R4

67. Kt-Q4ch K-K4

68. Kt-K2 Kt-B7ch

69. K-Kt2 Kt-Q5

Resigns.

GAME NO. 39.

White: Rotlewi. Black: Rubinstein

Queen’s Gambit Declined.

1. P-Q4 P-Q4

2. Kt-KB3 P-K3

3. P-K3 P-QB4

4. P-B4 Kt-QB3

5. Kt-B3 Kt-B3

6. QPxP BxP

7. P-QR3 P-QR3

8. P-QKt4 B-Q3

9. B-Kt2 Castles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 155

10. Q-Q2

White cannot win the QP by 10. PxP, PxP; 11. KtxP, KtxKt; 12. QxKt, because BxPch wins the Queen. The text move is played with the intention of bringing up the QR for the attack on the QP. However, it would have been more correct to fix the object of attack first by PxP, as Black could now cross White’s intentions by playing PxP, after which he would sooner or later gain a move by occupying the Q file with a Rook, and forcing the White Queen to retreat.

10. … Q-K2!

Black offers to give up his Queen’s Pawn. If White accepts the sacrifice, Black’s attack on the Queen’s file will become deadly, as White must lose a move in bringing his Queen out of the line of action of the hostile Rook. The White King has then no time to get into safety, e.g. 11. PxP, PxP; 12. KtxP, KtxKt; 13. QxKt, R-Q1; 14. Q-Kt3, B-K3 followed by KtxP, etc.

11. B-Q3?

Here again PxP (followed by B-K2, R-Q1, Castles) would have avoided the loss of a move, as indicated in my note to move 10. Now White loses yet another move, as Black exchanges pawns and the Bishop has taken two moves to reach B4, as against one only in the case of the Black KB. The loss of two moves in the opening stages should be fatal, and of this Rubinstein gives a striking example in the present game.

11. … PxP

12. BxP P-QKt4

13. B-Q3 R-Q1

14. Q-K2 B-Kt2

15. Castles KR Kt-K4

The advantage which Black obtains by his last move is generally gained by White in this opening (compare Diag. 36). But in the game White has lost two moves and Black has assumed the offensive, having moreover a Rook acting on the Q file.

16. KtxKt BxKt

17. P-B4

Black’s threat was: BxPch followed by Q-Q3ch and QxB. If White replies: 17. KR-Q1 the answer is Q-B2 attacking both the RP and the Kt. The text move is unsatisfactory, as it will be necessary to advance the KP to K4 or K5, where it will block the diagonal of one of the Bishops.

17. … B-B2

18. P-K4 QR-B1

19. P-K5 B-Kt3ch

20. K-R1 Kt-Kt5!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 156

The beginning of magnificent sacrifices. 21. QxKt cannot be played because of RxB and R-Q7, etc.

21. B-K4 Q-R5

22. P-Kt3

After P-R3 Black wins also in fine style: RxKt!!; 23. QxKt, QxQ; 24. PxQ, BxB; 25. BxR, R-Q6 threatening R-R 6 mate; or, 23. BxR, BxB; 24. QxB, Q-Kt6; 25. PxKt, Q-R5 mate.

22. … RxKt!!

23. PxQ R-Q7!!

24. QxR BxBch

25. Q-Kt2 R-R6

and mate at R7.

GAME NO.