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

White: Rubinstein. Black: Capablanca.

Queen’s Gambit Declined.

1. P-Q4 P-Q4

2. Kt-KB3 P-QB4

3. P-B4 P-K3

4. PxQP KPxP

5. Kt-B3 Kt-QB3

6. P-KKt3 B-K3

7. B-Kt2 B-K2

8. Castles R-B1

This move is not satisfactory at this juncture. It rather helps a combination which is frequently resorted to in similar positions, namely, the exchange of the Black QB and subsequent pressure on the KP by the White KB on the diagonal KR3-QB8. 8. … Kt-B3 should have been played, after

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 157

which White could hardly be said to possess any advantage, e.g. 9. B-Kt5, Kt-K5, or 9. B-K3, Kt-KKt5, or 9. P-QR3, or 9. PxP, BxP; 10. B-Kt5, B-K2. After 9. PxP, however, it would be weak to recapture with the Queen. In a game E. Cohn-Ed. Lasker (match 1909) there followed: 9. … Q-R4; 10. Kt-KKt5, QxP; 11. B-K3, Q-R4; 12. Q-Kt3, after which Black had to give up a pawn already: Castles QR; 13. KtxB, PxKt; 14. B-R3, etc.

9. PxP BxP

10. Kt-KKt5 Kt-B3

11. KtxB PxKt

12. B-R3 Q-K2

13. B-Kt5

P-K4 is stronger here, in order to play B-Kt5 after PxP. l3. … P-Q5 would then be refuted by Kt-Q5.

13. … Castles

14. BxKt QxB

After this White gains a pawn by a complicated and well-timed combination. Capablanca did not consider the subtle reply on Rubinstein’s seventeenth move. Otherwise he would have recaptured with the pawn. However, in that case too, White’s chances are good in the end-game which ensues after: 15. KtxP, PxKt; 16. QxPch, K-R1; 17. BxR. The Rooks would soon become effective in view of the open K side.

15. KtxP Q-R3

BxPch fails because of 16. K-Kt2, Q-B2; 17. Kt-B4!

16. K-Kt2 QR-Q1

17. Q-B1

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 158

17. … PxKt

If RxKt, White exchanges Queens and plays BxPch.

18. QxB Q-Q7

19. Q-Kt5 Kt-Q5

20. Q-Q3

With an extra pawn White forces the exchange of Queens. Black cannot prevent it, as 20. … QxKtP loses the Knight on account of 21. KR-Kt1, and 20. … Q-Kt5 loses the QP by 21. KR-Q1 and B-K6ch.

20. … QxQ

21. PxQ KR-K1

22. B-Kt4

KR-K1 would not prevent the entry of the Black Rook: Kt-B7; 23. RxRch, RxR; 24. R-QB1, R-K7; 25. B-Kt4, R-Q7. Black would win the pawn back and might even succeed in the end-game with a Knight against a Bishop.

22. … R-Q3

23. KR-K1 RxR

24. RxR R-QKt3

Black should first play his King to KB3, and keep the Rook away from his K5. Not that the QP is of paramount importance; the QKtP fully makes up for its loss. But as played the Knight is driven from his dominating position, and the badly placed Bishop gets into play. No doubt even after the text move the ending is most difficult, and it requires Rubinstein’s full powers to bring it to a successful issue.

25. R-K5 RxP

26. RxP Kt-B3

27. B-K6ch K-B1

28. R-B5ch K-K1

29. B-B7ch K-Q2

30. B-B4 P-QR3

Black’s only chance is his extra pawn on the Q side. To exchange the Kt for the B by 30. … K-Q3; 31. R-B 7, Kt-K4; 32. RxKKtP, KtxB would take too much time where time is all-important. White would clear the K side in the meantime, push on his KRP, and ultimately give up his R for Black’s remaining P, as soon as the latter runs into Queen, after which the three passed pawns win easily against the Rook. Generally speaking it is wise, in R endings like the present one, to advance pawns on the side where there is an extra pawn, in order to get a passed pawn as soon as possible. Then the hostile Rook has to look after that pawn lest it should queen, and the greater mobility of one’s own Rook often saves the game even when opposed by a preponderance of pawns.

31. R-B7ch K-Q3

32. RxKKtP P-Kt4

33. B-Kt8 P-QR4

34. RxP P-R5

35. P-R4 P-Kt5

36. R-R6ch K-B4

37. R-R5ch K-Kt3

38. B-Q5 P-Kt6

RxP is tempting but unavailing, as White plays B-B4 followed by R-Kt5ch and P-R5-6, etc. After the text move White has a problem-like continuation, which he has worked out with great accuracy.

39. PxP P-R6

40. BxKt

If now P-R7, White simply plays 41. R-Kt5ch, K-R3; 42. R-Kt8-R8.

40. … RxKtP

41. B-Q5 P-R7

42. R-R6ch Resigns.

As the R holds the RP, e.g. K-R4; 43. B-B4 followed by R-R6ch or 42. … K-R2; 43. R-R8, etc.

GAME NO. 41

White: Niemzowitsch. Black: Tarrasch.

Queen’s Gambit Declined.

1. P-Q4 P-Q4

2. Kt-KB3 P-QB4

3. P-B4 P-K3

4. P-K3 Kt-KB3

5. B-Q3 Kt-B3

6. Castles B-Q3

7. P-QKt3 Castles

8. B-Kt2 P-QKt3

9. QKt-Q2 B-Kt2

10. R-B1 Q-K2

11. PxQP

The most natural move to which the development of the QKt at Q2 instead of B3 would seem to lead is Kt-K5 followed by P-B4. After 11. Kt-K5 Black could not yet attempt 11. … PxQP; 12. KPxP, B-R6, weakening the QP, because of 13. BxB, QxB; 14. PxP, KtxKt; 15. PxKt, KtxP; 16. Kt-B4 and Kt-Q6.

11. … KPxP

12. Kt-R4

In order to provoke Black’s weakening move: P-Kt3, which might give White chances of attack on the long diagonal QR1-KR8, White gives up two clear moves. Black is able to get considerably ahead in his development, much to White’s disadvantage.

12. … P-Kt3

13. KKt-B3 QR-Q sq

Not Kt-K5 yet, on account of 14. PxP, PxP?; 15. BxKt, PxB; 16. KtxP.

14. PxP

White’s position is uncomfortable, and a satisfactory continuation is hard to find. Possibly passive resistance might have been the best plan, thus: Q-K2, KR-Q1, Kt-B1-Kt3. The text move is a preliminary to operations on the Queen’s side, but allows Black too much scope in the centre.

14. … PxP

15. B-Kt5

White wishes to get rid of the Black Knight which supports the advance of P-Q5.

15. … Kt-K5

16. BxKt BxB

17. Q-B2

White has no idea of the threatened disaster, or he would have played P-KKt3. Even then, however, Black has the better game with two Bishops, and the Q and Kt better placed.

17. … KtxKt

The beginning of a brilliant mating combination.

18. KtxKt P-Q5!

Black would have played the same move if White had retaken with the Queen.

19. PxP

P-K4 was comparatively the best move, although Black’s attack would have become overwhelming after P-B4, e.g. 20. P-B3, B-B5, etc.

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 159

19. … BxPch!!

20. KxB Q-R5ch

21. K-Kt1 BxP!

Emanuel Lasker won a celebrated game from Bauer (Amsterdam, 1889) with a similar sacrifice of two Bishops, and very likely this is the reason why Tarrasch’s beautiful game only earned him the second brilliancy prize at Petrograd (1914).

22. P-B3

If KxB, then Q-Kt5ch; 23. K-R1, R-Q4; 24. QxP, R-R4ch; 25. QxR, QxQch; 26. K-Kt2, Q-Kt4ch and QxKt.

22. … KR-K1

Not Q-Kt6, because of Kt-K4.

23. Kt-K4 Q-R8ch

24. K-B2 BxR

25. P-Q5 P-B4

26. Q-B3 Q-Kt7ch

27. K-K3 RxKtch!

28. PxR P-B5ch

With Q-Kt6ch Black mates two moves earlier.

29. KxP R-B1ch

30. K-K5 Q-R7ch

31. K-K6 R-K1ch

Resigns.

If K-Q7, B-Kt4 mate, if K-B6, Q-R5 mate.

[FOOTNOTE: Emanuel Lasker-Bauer: 1. P-KB4, P-Q4; 2. P-K3, Kt-KB3; 3. P-QKt3, P-K3; 4. B-Kt2, B-K2; 5. B-Q3, P-QKt3; 6. Kt-QB3, B-Kt2; 7. Kt-B3, QKt-Q2; 8. Castles, Castles; 9. Kt-K2, P-B4; 10. Kt-Kt3, Q-B2; 11. Kt-K5, KtxKt; 12. BxKt, Q-B3; 13. Q-K2, P-QR3; 14. Kt-R5, KtxKt; 15. BxPch!!, KxB; 16. QxKtch, K-Kt1; 17. BxP!, KxB; 18. Q-Kt4ch, K-R2; 19. R-B3, P-K4; 20. R-R3ch, Q-R3; 21. RxQ, KxR; 22. Q-Q7, and White won.]

GAME No. 42

White: Capablanca. Black: Aljechin.

Queen’s Gambit Declined (see pp. 57 and 58).

1. P-Q4 P-Q4

2. P-QB4 P-QB3

3. P-K3 Kt-B3

4. Kt-KB3 P-K3

5. QKt-Q2 QKt-Q2

6. B-Q3 B-K2

7. Castles Castles

8. Q-B2

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 160

Black’s difficulty is the development of his QB, particularly after White’s last move, which prevents P-K4. If now Q-B2 White plays 9. P-K4 and either the Queen or the Knight bear on K5, e.g. 9. … PxKP; 10. KtxP, P-K4; 11. QKt-Kt5, B-Q3; 12. P-B5, etc.

Black therefore must develop his QB at Kt2 with P-QKt3, B-Kt2 and P-B4. Having moved the QBP twice, Black is a move behind the development usual in this opening. However, it would have been the lesser evil. In the present game the Bishop does not get into play in time.

8. … PxP

9. KtxP P-B4

10. QKt-K5 PxP

11. PxP Kt-Kt3

12. Kt-Kt5

If Black captures the pawn, White gains time by threatening the Queen, and brings all his forces into play, whilst the Black Queen’s side remains undeveloped, e.g.: 12. … QxP; 13. R-Q1, Q-B4; 14. Kt-Kt4, P-Kt3; 15. B-K3, Q-R4; 16. R-B1, with a strong attack. Black of course need not take the pawn, but the