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

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 163

11. Castles P-R5

12. KKt-K4 KtxKt

13. BxKt

White has to capture with the B, in order to exchange the Black Knight if it should play to B4. After 13. KtxKt, B-Q5ch; 14. K-R1, Kt-B4; White’s Knight would not be able to move from K4 on account of the threat: Kt-Kt6ch. Sooner or later, Black would get a deciding advantage by enforcing the exchange of White’s Knight, e.g. 15. Q-K1, Q-K2; 16. R-QKt1, B-Q2; 17. P-QKt3, Castles QR; 18. B-Kt2, QxKt; 19. BxQ, Kt-Kt6ch; 20. QxKt, PxQ; 21. P-KR3, BxP; 22. PxB, RxPch; 23. K-Kt2, R-R7ch; 24. KxP, RxB; or 21. BxB, RxPch, followed by PxB and QR-R1.

13. … B-Q5ch

14. K-R1 Kt-B4

15. BxKt BxB

White is helpless against the two powerful Bishops.

16. R-K1ch K-B1

Black forfeits his chance of castling, not a great loss under the circumstances. In any case his KR is needed on the Rook’s file, and Black would only have castled on the Queen’s side if at all.

17. Q-B3

Here P-KR3 was essential in order to prevent the further advance of the KRP. The weakness at Kt3 would not have been so serious in the absence of a Black Knight. Now Black forces the advance of White’s KKtP, and the Bishops become immediately effective.

17. … P-R6

18. P-KKt3

not P-KKt4 on account of Q-R5.

18. … Q-Q2

19. B-Q2 B-Kt5

20. Q-B1

If Q-Q3, Black plays Q-B4 and White cannot exchange Queens because of B-B6 mate.

20. … Q-B4

threatening Q-B7.

21. QR-B1 K-Kt2

22. B-K3 B-B3

Black must not exchange his valuable Bishop.

23. P-Kt3 KR-K1

24. B-B2

There is no answer to Black’s threat of doubling the Rooks on the K file. If White plays Q-B2, Black’s Queen effects an entry at Q6, after which he would double his Rooks, and White’s Bishop cannot be defended. After the text move, Black forces the exchange of his two Rooks for the Queen. Generally speaking, this is no disadvantage, but in consequence of the exposed position of the White King, it means a speedy loss for White.

24. … B-B6ch

25. K-Kt1 B-Kt7

26. RxR BxQ

27. RxR Q-Q6!

If now RxB Black plays Q-B6.

28. R-K8

In order to play R-K3 if Black plays BxKt.

28. … Q-B6!

29. KxB Q-R8ch

30. B-Kt1 Q-Kt7ch

31. K-K1 QxBch

32. K-Q2 QxPch

Resigns

for the pawn queens.

GAME NO. 46

White: G. A. Thomas. Black: Ed. Lasker.

Irregular Opening (compare Game No. 45).

1. P-Q4 P-QB4

2. P-Q5 P-Q3

3. P-QB4 P-KKt3

4. Kt-QB3 B-Kt2

5. B-Q2

This is not necessary. Black could hardly exchange his B for the Kt; the weakness at his KB3 and KR3 would become too serious a disadvantage.

5. … P-K3

6. P-K4 PxP

7. KtxP!

In view of the fact that Black’s position after BP or KPxP would be very promising, as all his pieces would be easy to bring into play, White decides upon the sacrifice of a pawn, in order to further his own development.

7. … BxP

8. R-Kt1 B-Kt2

9. Q-R4ch Kt-B3

10. KKt-B3

Kt-Kt6, R-Kt sq; 11. B-R5 leads to nothing, as Black plays 12. QK2.

10. … P-KR3

If Black plays KKt-K2 at once, his position becomes somewhat cramped after 11. B-Kt5, Castles; 12. Kt-B6ch, K-R1; 13. Q-Q1.

11. B-Q3 Kt-K2

12. Castles Castles

13. Q-B2 P-Kt3

This allows the development of the QB.

14. B-B3 KtxKt

15. KPxKt Kt-K4

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 164

Kt-K2 should have been played here in order to play BxB; 17. QxB, B-Kt5 with Kt-B4, in answer to 16. Q-Kt2. Black is still open to attack in consequence of his broken King’s side, but there is no demonstrable advantage for White. The text move is a mistake, and gives White chances of a decisive attack.

16. KtxKt BxKt

17. BxB PxB

18. BxP! Q-Kt4

Of course not PxB, on account of 19. QxPch, K-R1; 20. QxPch, K-Kt1; 21. R-Kt3, etc. 18. … P-B4 fails because of 19. R-Kt3.

19. B-K4 P-B4

20. P-B4!!

This elegant continuation decides the game. If PxP, White simply plays 21. B-Q3, and Black can hardly hope to save the end-game, as his pawns are broken up. If the Queen retreats, however, there follows: 21. PxP, and White obtains two passed pawns for the B and has the superior position.

20. … Q-Kt2

21. PxP PXB

22. RxRch QxR

23. R-KB1 Q-Kt2

24. QxP Q-Kt5

25. R-B4 Q-Q8ch

26. K-B2 Q-Q5ch

27. QxQ PxQ

28. P-K6 B-R3

29. RxP R-B1ch

If K-B1, 30. P-Q6.

30. K-K3 R-B3

31. K-K4 R-B7

32. P-Q6 R-K7ch

He might play K-Q5, after which B-Kt2ch has points.

33. K-Q3 Resigns.

GAME No. 47

White: Tartakower. Black: Asztalos.

Dutch Opening.

1. P-KB4 P-Q4

It has been tried to refute White’s non-developing first move by a pawn sacrifice: 1. … P-K4; which leads to a rapid mobilisation of the Black forces after 2. PxP, P-Q3; 3. PxP, BxP. But this attack—called the From Gambit—does not seem to prevail against the best defence. In a match game, Tartakower-Spielmann (Vienna, 1913), White won as follows:

4. Kt-KB3, P-KKt4; 5. P-Q4, P-Kt5; 6. Kt-K5, Kt-QB3; 7. KtxKt, PxKt; 8. P-KKt3, P-KR4; 9. B-Kt2, P-R5; 10. Q-Q3, B-Q2; 11. Kt-B3, R-Kt1; 12. Castles, PxP; 13. PxP, P-QB4; 14. B-B4, BxB; 15. RxB, Q-Kt4; 16. Kt-K4, Q-R3; 17. KtxP, Kt-B3; 18. KtxB, KtxKt; 19. Q-K4ch, K-Q1; 20. RxBP, R-K1; 21. QxP, Q-K6ch; 22. K-B1, Resigns.

When Black plays P-KB4 in answer to 1. P-Q4 we have the Dutch Defence. After 1. P-Q4, P-KB4, White can also sacrifice a pawn by 2. P-K4, and thereby obtain a far more favourable position than Black does in From’s gambit, as he is a move to the good, having already advanced his QP, e.g. 2. P-K4, PxP; 3. Kt-QB3, Kt-KB3; 4. P-B3 or 4. B-Kt5 and then P-B3. If Black captures the KBP, White obtains a powerful attack. A drastic example is found in the following little game, played by two students in an academic tournament at Petrograd: 4. P-B3, PxP; 5. KtxP, P-K3; 6. B-KKt5, B-K2; 7. B-Q3, Castles; 8. Castles, P-QKt3; 9. Kt-K5, B-Kt2; 10. BxKt, BxB; 11. BxPch, KxB; 12. Q-R5ch, K-Kt1; 13. Kt-Kt6, R-K1; 14. Q-R8ch, K-B2; 15. Kt-K5ch, K-K2; 16. QxPch!!, BxQ; 17. R-B7ch, K-Q3; 18. Kt-Kt5ch, K-Q4; 19. P-B4ch, K-K5; 20. R-K1 mate.

Black’s best answer is to play P-Q4 after White’s 4. P-KB3 (5. B-Kt5, B-B4). If 4. B-Kt5, it is not yet possible to play P-Q4 because of the threat: BxKt, Q-R5ch, and QxQP. In that case Black must first play P-QB3, after which White again obtains a strong attack by P-KB3.

Black can avoid the attacks which follow after 1. P-Q4, P-KB4; 2. P-K4, by playing P-K3 on his first move, and then lead into the Dutch defence with P-KB4 on his second move. He must, however, reckon with having to play the French defence which White can bring about with 2. P-K4.

2. P-K3 P-K3

3. Kt-KB3 P-QB4

4. P-QKt3 Kt-QB3

5. B-Kt5 Kt-B3

Black should have played B-Q2 here, as White can exchange at B6, leaving Black with a doubled pawn. This in itself is not a drawback, but in the present position it is serious, as Black will have difficulty in finding a place for his QB. For there is no prospect of enforcing P-K4, as White commands that square in sufficient force.

6. B-Kt2 B-K2

7. Castles Castles

8. BxQKt PxB

9. Kt-K5 Q-B2

10. P-Q3 P-QR4

Black’s attempt of capturing his K4 by playing Kt-Q2 and P-B3, White would cross at once with Q-Kt4. With the text move Black begins operations on the Q side, which is quite correct, as White has the upper hand on the other wing.

11. Q-K2

White should have prevented the further advance of the Black RP by 11. P-QR4. This would have been sound policy in any case, as the R file could not have been forced open for the Black Rooks.

11. … P-R5

12. Kt-Q2 PxP

Premature. The capture is only of value if the file can be held. To that end it is first necessary to play B-Kt2 and to occupy the R file with Rooks and Queen. After the exchange of Rooks, Black is at a disadvantage for the end-game because of the inefficiency of the QB.

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A B C D E F G H

Diag. 165

If instead of the text move Black had driven off the Bishop to B1 with P-R6 (13. B-B3?, P-Q5!; 14. PxP, Kt-Q4) he could have enforced his P-K4, but in the long run White would have captured the QRP, and remained with a passed pawn on the R file, a powerful weapon for the end-game, e.g. l2. … P-R6; 13. B-B1, Kt-Q2; 14. KtxKt, BxKt; 15. P-K4, P-KB3; 16. P-B4, followed by Kt-Kt1.

13. RPxP RxR

14. RxR B-Kt2

15. P-KKt4

The Black pieces being cut off from the K side, White is free to attack.

15. … R-R1

16. RxRch BxR

17. P-Kt5 Kt-Q2

18. Q Kt-B3 KtxKt

19. BxKt Q-R4

20. P-B4

in order to prevent the release of the B by the pawn sacrifice P-B5 and P-B4.

20. … B-Kt2

21. K-B2 K-B1

22. P-R4 B-R3

23. P-R5 B-Kt2

24. P-R6 P-Kt3

By advancing his RP White has weakened Black’s KB3, with the constant threat of establishing his Kt there and of capturing the RP.

25. K-B1

This move is superfluous and probably dictated by time pressure. The proper plan is: Q-QKt2 with the threat of B-B7 or Kt8 and Q-R8ch.

25. … Q-R6

26. Q-QKt2

The end-game is a clear win for White. He plays his Kt to KKt4, threatening to reach B6 or K5.