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Game 31.
Leicestershire
County
Championship, 1877/78.
C F W Johnson v
Author.
Opening: King's Gambit
Accepted.
|
1
|
e4
|
e5
|
|
|
2
|
f4
|
exf4
|
|
|
3
|
Nf3
|
Be7
|
|
|
4
|
h4!?
|
|
Typical of my opponent's style ….. White shatters
his own king-side position for tactical reasons – the text move prevents
Black from a) supporting his advanced pawn by ..g5 and b) by preventing
the check from the bishop to stop White castling (it doesn't look as
though he's too worried about that!).
White has chosen his battle plan even before the opening is halfway
completed: Black must now choose whether to 'mix it' or calmly develop
|
|
|
…..
|
d6
|
|
|
5
|
d4
|
Bg4
|
|
|
6
|
Bxf4?
|
|
Perhaps this usual, but here delayed, re-take was
played automatically. Now
Black hits at the weakened K-side
|
|
|
…..
|
Bxh4+
|
|
|
7
|
g3
|
Bf6
|
|
|
8
|
Bc4
|
|
A two-edged early position!
White has good development and a strong centre but quite a few
weaknesses
|
|
|
…..
|
h5
|
|
|
9
|
c3
|
|
It is a pity from White's point of view that he has
had to use a valuable tempo to make this defensive move but the annoying
pin on his knight stops the desired e5 move
|
|
|
…..
|
Nd7
|
|
|
10
|
Nbd2
|
Nb6
|
|
|
11
|
Qb3
|
Nxc4
|
|
|
12
|
Qxc4
|
g5?
|
Missing White's riposte
|
|
13
|
Nxg5!
|
Bxg5
|
|
|
14
|
Qb5+
|
c6
|
|
|
15
|
Qxg5
|
Qxg5
|
|
|
16
|
Bxg5
|
Kd7
|
|
|
17
|
Rf1
|
Rh7
|
|
|
18
|
Nc4
|
Re8
|
|
|
19
|
e5!?
|
|
Another risky-looking move by White (who revels in
living dangerously)
|
|
|
…..
|
dxe5
|
|
|
20
|
Nxe5+
|
Kc7
|
|
|
21
|
Kd2
|
f5
|
|
|
22
|
Nxg4
|
fxg4
|
This campaign has not followed either of the two
'main-stream' ideas ….. the probe or the co-ordinated advance:
it has been a tactical melee. A
weaker player might now assess the game as pretty equal.
Certainly it is from a material point of view.
However, Black has one big advantage -
it is easier to push on with a two to one pawn majority than it is
a four to three
|
|
23
|
Rae1
|
Rxe1
|
|
|
24
|
Rxe1
|
Kd7
|
|
|
25
|
Kd3
|
Rf7
|
|
|
26
|
Re3
|
Rf5
|
This is to force White to commit his bishop wherever
so that Black can plan his next course of action
|
|
27
|
Bh4
|
|
The game is now delicately poised
|
|
|
…..
|
Nf6
|
White's response now is critical.
I would have favoured c4 but the text move hands the initiative to
Black as well as leaving a 'good knight v bad bishop' ….
|
|
28
|
Re5
|
Rxe5
|
|
|
29
|
dxe5
|
Nh7
|
|
|
30
|
Ke4
|
Ke6
|
|
|
31
|
c4
|
Nf8
|
|
|
32
|
Bg5
|
Nd7
|
|
|
33
|
Bf4
|
b5
|
|
|
34
|
cxb5
|
cxb5
|
|
|
35
|
a3
|
a6
|
|
|
36
|
b4
|
|
Having provoked a weakness in White's Q-side pawns
set-up and with White himself having given Black the target pawn on e5, it
will now be very difficult for White to defend this position
|
|
|
…..
|
Nb6
|
|
|
37
|
Bc1
|
|
White can see the way the wind is blowing and opens a
route for his king to attack the h-pawn
|
|
|
…..
|
Nc4
|
|
|
38
|
Kf4
|
Nxe5
|
|
|
39
|
Kg5
|
Nd3
|
|
|
40
|
Be3
|
Ke5
|
|
|
41
|
Kxh5
|
Ke4!
|
Black would sooner bring his king to f3 than place it
defensively on f5
|
|
42
|
Bb6
|
Kf3
|
Here the game
was adjourned and White resigned before resumption due to ill health.
Black should win however. Play
might have continued …….. 43.
Kh4, Ne5 (or b2) 44. Bd4, Nc4 winning the a-pawn.
Then, for example 45. Bc5, Nxa3 46. Be7, Nc4
47. Bc5, a5 48.
bxa5, Nxa5 49. Bd6, Nc6
shepherding the pawn through. If
White brings his king across, the black knight switches to attack the
g-pawn
|
So much for Campaign
Plans. The following headings
give some indication of how one
should go about implementing your chosen strategies and some of the outcomes
to be met during middle-game play.
Gain space.
Although this example could just as easily have been in
the section on openings, it has to be theoretically correct at any time in the game that the more space you have to manoeuvre
your pieces, the better you should stand.
Here again, GMs may start a game by holding back their pawns to encourage
their opponents to advance …. then, modern theory has it, they have targets
to aim at. They will undermine
that strong centre and destroy it!
At our lower level in the chess hierarchy this policy
can be fatal. It more often leads
to a struggle to get pieces onto effective squares, whether for defence or
attack.
The first game to illustrate this point is a case where
White has not gained the space he
should have after an otherwise good opening.
Here, Black's campaign plan is to quickly seize upon that weakness
….. Do not leave your opponent 'leisure time' to sort out his mistakes.
(A further point here could well be Seize
the initiative).
Game 32.
Melton Mowbray Club Championship, 1978.
D Millard v
Author.
Opening: Dutch Defence.
|
1
|
b3
|
f5
|
|
|
2
|
Bb2
|
Nf6
|
|
|
3
|
e3
|
e6
|
|
|
4
|
c4
|
c6
|
|
|
5
|
Nc3
|
d5
|
|
|
6
|
Nf3
|
Bd6
|
|
|
7
|
Rc1
|
0-0
|
|
|
8
|
Be2
|
Nbd7
|
|
|
9
|
0-0
|
|
There isn't an awful lot wrong with this opening play
and we have reached the moment where sides must decide on their campaign
plans. One mistake made by
White, I believe, was to signal if not commence his
plan when he moved his rook at move seven onto the c-file.
He may have done this prematurely and
at the expense of gaining central territory with d4 or even d3.
Black, considering the situation, seizes upon his chance to gain
more space and hold the vital centre …..
|
|
|
…..
|
e5
|
|
|
10
|
Ng5
|
|
This forward advance of the knight, no doubt because
of Black's belligerency, is ill-judged …. It threatens nothing (other
than the obvious fork at e6) and sits very precariously on the edge of
Black's territory
|
|
|
…..
|
Qe7
|
|
|
11
|
f4
|
|
The temptation here is for Black to push on up the
board with the e-pawn. Although
this gains space, it may lead to diagonals being blocked for both Black's
bishops, which he does not want to happen.
Also, there is a better way to gain territory …..
|
|
|
…..
|
exf4
|
|
|
12
|
exf4
|
d4
|
|
|
13
|
Nb1
|
c5
|
|
If one assesses the position now, it is very obvious
that in the first few moves of the middle-game White's layout has been
dramatically transformed. His
c-file rook is on a blocked file and his b2 bishop is also blocked.
One knight has returned to base and the other still looks uneasy on
g5. If ever a game cried out for
determined action from an army in a superior position, this is it.
How will Black capitalise on this - or White deal with the pressure?
|
14
|
d3
|
h6
|
Black could perhaps have played the sacrificial
..Bxf4 here (which he missed at the time) winning back the material with a
queen check but, his attack winds up nicely anyway
|
|
15
|
Nh3
|
Ng4!
|
Offering the
sacrifice of a pawn to open up the position.
White later declines
|
|
16
|
Bxg4
|
fxg4
|
|
|
17
|
Re1
|
Qh4
|
|
|
18
|
Nf2
|
Bxf4
|
Deliberately inviting the move g3 forking the queen
and bishop!
|
|
19
|
Nxg4
|
h5
|
If one considers the jumble of pieces on White's
queen's flank, virtually out of play, the conclusion is that Black must
have a forced win now
|
|
20
|
g3
|
Bxg3
|
|
|
21
|
hxg3
|
Qxg3+
|
|
|
22
|
Kh1
|
hxg4
|
|
|
23
|
Rc2
|
b6
|
This quiet little move opens up a deadly threat
|
|
24
|
Nd2??
|
|
But other moves also lose
|
|
|
…..
|
Rf2
|
And White
resigns
|
If one looks at the final position, it is a fine
illustration of what can happen when one player becomes badly cramped.
White has an abundance of pieces but has allowed nearly all of them to
become totally blocked off from the action.
Black is able to end the game with just two active pieces.
top
Game 33.
Leicestershire
County
Championship, 1961.
Author
v B T H Smith.
Opening: French Defence/Unorthodox
Continuation.
|
1
|
e4
|
e6
|
|
|
2
|
d4
|
b6
|
|
|
3
|
c4
|
Bb7
|
|
|
4
|
Bd3
|
d6
|
|
|
5
|
a3
|
Nd7
|
|
|
6
|
b4
|
|
What a resolute line-up of foot soldiers!
|
|
|
…..
|
Be7
|
|
|
7
|
Nf3
|
Bf6
|
|
|
8
|
Ra2
|
Ne7
|
|
|
9
|
0-0
|
Ng6
|
|
|
10
|
Be3
|
0-0
|
|
|
11
|
Nbd2
|
|
Above I commented that this game could just as
easily have been used in the section on openings: it could also have been
used after the first general principle (about knowing what your opponent
is up to). Here, it is obvious
that Black's general plan has been to build up while letting his opponent
have a free hand, then to unleash an attack on the advanced forces
opposing him. The question is,
how will he do it? I hadn't
got a clue what he might do next. Would
he carry on with his preparation with, say ..Re8 or by moving the a or h
pawns? How would the reader
proceed?
|
|
|
…..
|
e5
|
At last! Black
has strong-pointed this square so now he sends a foot soldier forward to
occupy it
|
|
12
|
d5
|
|
White thinks, thank you very much; I'll have a bit
more of your territory
|
|
|
…..
|
h6
|
|
|
13
|
Kh1
|
Bc8
|
In view of Black's opening play, his placing of the
bishop on b7 was a failure leading to a loss of two tempi
|
|
14
|
Qb1
|
Nf4
|
|
|
15
|
Bxf4
|
exf4
|
Black has, at last, opened up a useful diagonal …
but, at the cost of offering White a possible target pawn on f4
|
|
16
|
Nb3
|
Ne5
|
|
|
17
|
Nxe5
|
|
White is prepared to give up the pawn target
(guessing Black will play the following text move rather than re-take with
the bishop). A white pawn
majority on the Q-side looks a better bet, plus black's bishop pair being
hampered by the pawn structure
|
|
|
…..
|
dxe5
|
|
|
18
|
c5!
|
Bg5
|
|
|
19
|
f3
|
Bh4
|
Threatening a possible move to g3 at some stage with
a strong attack on the white king
|
|
20
|
Rc2
|
Bd7
|
|
|
21
|
Rd1?
|
|
White has become too focused on his own plans and
become careless
|
|
|
…..
|
Ba4!
|
Maybe mainly nuisance value but this move loses White
valuable time
|
|
22
|
Rc3
|
|
(Do not
leave a pin on!)
|
|
|
…..
|
Bf2
|
An opportunist attack by the two bishops!
|
|
23
|
Rf1
|
Qh4
|
|
|
24
|
Qb2
|
Be3
|
White has played badly … All that space and yet he
has allowed two intruders to infiltrate into his camp
|
|
25
|
c6
|
|
Shutting off the bishop
|
|
|
…..
|
Rad8
|
|
|
26
|
Qe2
|
Bxb3
|
|
|
27
|
Rxb3
|
Rd6
|
|
|
28
|
Ba6
|
Rg6
|
|
|
29
|
Bb7
|
Rg5?
|
Black is certainly a patient piece-shuffler!
This move, however, is premature.
He should first have played ..Rd8 to deter the advance of White's
d-pawn
|
|
30
|
Rxe3!!
|
|
A well-timed sacrifice which nips Black's attack in
the bud (note that he was threatening mate with the rook after..Qxh2+).
Also, with Black's queen and one rook out of the game, White looks
set to force a pawn home
|
|
|
…..
|
fxe3
|
|
|
31
|
d6!
|
Rd8
|
|
|
32
|
dxc7
|
Rd2
|
Desperate yet effective!
|
|
33
|
c8=Q+
|
Kh7
|
|
|
34
|
Qxd2?
|
|
Would 34. Ba6 have won the game for White?
Perhaps this is where our old friend (?) greed stepped in, after
all White had 2 queens. White
had not foreseen Black's clever play after the text move, however
|
|
|
…..
|
exd2
|
|
|
35
|
Qd8
|
|
All looked safe!
|
|
|
…..
|
Qe1!!
|
But, again, White misses Ba6 – or Qd3.
Where does Black go from there?
|
|
36
|
Rg1
|
Qe7
|
|
|
37
|
c7??
|
|
Completely missing the significance of Black's last
move
|
|
|
…..
|
Rxg2!!!
|
|
|
38
|
Rxg2
|
d1=Q+
|
|
|
39
|
Qxd1
|
Qxd1+
|
|
|
40
|
Rg1
|
Qxf3+
|
|
|
41
|
Rg2
|
|
And Black
draws by perpetual check
|
The lessons to be learnt from this titanic struggle are
many …. 1. Of the theme itself: although Black was able to eventually get
counter-play after being so cramped, this was due to White's poor play.
Even so, the advanced Q-side pawns should have won the game for White.
2. Have a clear plan of
campaign …. White's plan to get a queen from his Q-side pawn majority
worked (he nearly had two!) and should have won the game.
Black never had a clear plan.
All he could do was to infiltrate and hope.
3. The last part of the
game should be cut off and used in the end-game section where it nicely
illustrates how one can (with a bit of luck) use a queen, a rook and an
advanced pawn – as Black did – to save a lost game.
Although White missed his own saving moves, Black certainly didn't.
Vigorous play.
Another 'device' for securing a winning position is that
of playing vigorously. One is not
always allowed to do this, of course, but, where an opponent has given you
some scope to be 'a little bit pushy' then take advantage of this and press as hard as you can.
With any luck something will give; cracks will appear …..
top
Game 34.
Leicestershire Individual Championship league, 1967; div 3 (?)
Author v
A C Smith.
Opening: Alekhine's
Defence.
|
1
|
e4
|
Nf6
|
As stated elsewhere, a defence I really like to play
against
|
|
2
|
e5
|
Nd5
|
|
|
3
|
c4
|
Nb6
|
|
|
4
|
Nf3
|
d6
|
|
|
5
|
exd6
|
cxd6
|
|
|
6
|
d4
|
g6
|
|
|
7
|
b3
|
Bg7
|
|
|
8
|
Bb2
|
Nc6
|
|
|
9
|
Qd2
|
0-0
|
|
|
10
|
Be2
|
Qc7
|
|
|
11
|
0-0
|
e5
|
|
|
12
|
d5
|
Ne7
|
White has the extra territory now and many players
with the white pieces would simply develop.
In this game White's whole strategy revolves around making forceful
moves: in not letting his opponent catch breath and choose what he will do
|
|
13
|
Nxe5!
|
dxe5
|
|
|
14
|
d6
|
Qd7
|
|
|
15
|
dxe7
|
Re8
|
|
|
16
|
Qxd7
|
bxd7
|
|
|
17
|
Nc3
|
Bc6
|
|
|
18
|
Rad1
|
Rxe7
|
|
|
19
|
c5
|
Nd7
|
|
|
20
|
b4
|
a6
|
|
|
21
|
a4
|
Nf8
|
|
|
22
|
b5
|
axb5
|
|
|
23
|
axb5
|
Be8
|
|
|
24
|
Nd5
|
Rd7
|
|
|
25
|
c6
|
|
There is no let up in the harassment of Black's army!
|
|
|
…..
|
bxc6
|
|
|
26
|
bxc6
|
|
There will be none either after the rook moves onto a
'safe' square – White threatens to push the pawn on to c7 and possibly
to threaten the a8-rook with Nb6 - so, Black bites the bullet and gives up
material for some relief ….
|
|
|
…..
|
Rxd5
|
|
|
27
|
Rxd5
|
Bxc6
|
|
|
28
|
Rc5
|
|
Although now material up, White has no thoughts of
retreating the rook
|
|
|
…..
|
Ra2
|
|
|
29
|
Rxc6
|
|
This is not the time for White to be too clever …
he is material up so piece-for-piece swap-offs will suit him fine!
|
|
|
…..
|
Rxb2
|
|
|
30
|
Bc4
|
|
Ignoring the safer option of Bf3, White continues to
find more attacking
positions
|
|
|
…..
|
Rd2
|
Black has to look to his defence (of f7) again
|
|
31
|
Rc7
|
Rd7
|
|
|
32
|
Rxd7
|
Nxd7
|
|
|
33
|
Rd1
|
Nb6
|
|
|
34
|
Rd8+
|
Bf8
|
|
|
35
|
Bb3
|
|
It may be temporary but Black's pieces are nicely
tied up!
|
|
|
…..
|
Kg7
|
|
|
36
|
Rb8
|
Nd7
|
|
|
37
|
Rb7
|
Nc5
|
|
|
38
|
Rxf7+
|
Kh6
|
Avoiding a discovered check possibility after 39.Bc4
|
|
39
|
Bc2
|
|
White could have further simplified here with 39.
Rxf8 and picked up the e-pawn following his next move but he has faith
that his piece majority and position will lead to a quicker win
|
|
|
…..
|
Bg7
|
|
|
40
|
h4
|
Ne6
|
|
|
41
|
g4
|
g5
|
|
|
42
|
Re7
|
|
Black Resigns
(Black could have struggled on with ..Nd4 but White had
for example, 43. hxg5+ winning the bishop, and Black had had
enough)
|
'Grandmaster draws' and longer, harder struggles.
It was often a feature of tournaments featuring many
grandmaster-strength players that draws were sought or agreed far too
readily. Of course, if a game
being played by top experts is too simple then each player sees the other's
intentions clearly and, because of the skills they possess, there is really
no scope for one player to overcome the other.
Similarly, where too many pieces have been swapped off.
This latter factor can result in draws being agreed, sometimes after
surprisingly few moves, at our lower skill-level.
And, occasionally, both players can strive their utmost to achieve a
win in a long drawn-out contest only to run out of ideas or pieces and where
the only result is an honourable draw! Following
are a few games in one or other of these two categories, the first with early
swap-offs.
top
Game 35.
Nottinghamshire League game, 2003.
A
Carlton
v
Author.
Opening: Q's P/ delayed
Dutch Defence.
|
1
|
Nf3
|
d5
|
|
|
2
|
d4
|
e6
|
|
|
3
|
Bf4
|
|
This is a powerful attacking diagonal for the bishop.
For Black not to contest it would be unwise but this leads to the
first exchange. White had a
fair alternative reply to Black's text move in Bg3
|
|
|
…..
|
Bd6
|
|
|
4
|
Bxd6
|
Qxd6
|
|
|
5
|
c3
|
Nd7
|
|
|
6
|
Nbd2
|
f5
|
Black plays his usual Dutch now, forced by White's
move
|
|
7
|
e3
|
Ngf6
|
|
|
8
|
Be2
|
0-0
|
|
|
9
|
0-0
|
c6
|
|
|
10
|
Rc1
|
e5
|
|
|
11
|
dxe5
|
Nxe5
|
|
|
12
|
c4
|
Be6
|
|
|
13
|
Ng5
|
Rad8
|
|
|
14
|
Nxe6
|
Qxe6
|
|
|
15
|
Qb3
|
Rf7
|
|
|
16
|
cxd5
|
cxd5
|
|
|
17
|
Nf3
|
Nxf3
|
To prevent the manoeuvre Nd4
|
|
18
|
Bxf3
|
g5
|
Black believes the a2/g8 diagonal with both his queen
and king sitting on it looks vulnerable to White's bishop and decides,
while he is making room for his king to move to g7, he may as well go the
whole hog and attack thus gaining a tempo
|
|
19
|
g3
|
Kg7
|
|
|
20
|
Rfd1
|
Rfd7
|
|
|
21
|
Rd4
|
Qf7
|
|
|
22
|
Qb5
|
g4
|
|
|
23
|
Bg2
|
h5
|
|
|
24
|
h4
|
Ne4
|
At this point
a draw was agreed. Black
is on the defensive but has everything well covered.
If White tries a break-out, it could easily explode in his face
|
|