Chess and Checkers: The Way to Mastership by Edward Lasker (debian ebook reader TXT) 📕

Pawn opening, which is

 

(1) P-d4 P-d5

(2) Kt-f3 Kt-f6

(3) P-c4

White offers a Pawn to induce Black to give up his center-Pawn, hence the name “Queen’s Gambit.” If Black could actually hold the Pawn he would be justified in accepting the Gambit unless it can be demonstrated that White’s advantage in development yields a winning attack. However, White can easily regain the Gambit-Pawn, and so there is absolutely no reason why Black should give up his Pawn-center.

The way in which White regains his Pawn in the accepted Gambit is this: (3) …, Pxc4; (4) P-e3, P-b5; (5) P-a4, P-c6 (if Black takes the Pawn a4, White captures the Pawn c4 and then regains the a-Pawn. (5) …, P-a6, cannot be played on account of Pxb5, opening the a-file for White’s Rook so that Black cannot retake the Pawn). (6) P-b3, Pxb3; (7) Pxb5, Pxb5; (8) Bxb5+ and Qxb3.

Now White is far ahead in the development and in addition he has an open file for his Queen’s Rook in which the black Pawn is bound to be lost in the long run. Moreover, Black has no compensation for White’s strong Pawn-center.

For this reason the Queen’s Gambit is hardly ever accepted and the following defense played instead:

 

(1) P-d4 P-d5

(2) Kt-f3 Kt-f6

(3) P-c4 P-e6

(4) Kt-c3

Black has now the choice between either advancing his c-Pawn right away or first developing the pieces of his Queen’s wing. In the latter case he cannot place the Queen’s Knight on c6 as this would block the way of the c-Pawn. He must develop him to d7. This appears to be a bad move as it blocks the way of the Queen’s Bishop, but this Bishop will have to be developed in a different diagonal anyway as the Pawn e6 cannot advance opening the diagonal c8-h3.

 

I. (4) … Ktb8-d7

(5) B-g5

The fact that White can develop his Queen’s Bishop without difficulty while Black cannot do so has made the Queen’s Gambit one of the most popular openings.

 

(5) … B-e7

(6) P-e3 o-o

(7) B-d3 P-b6

(8) o-o B-b7

(9) Pxd5 Pxd5

(10) R-c1

White is two moves ahead in the development, as Black has still to move his c-Pawn before he can get his Queen’s Rook into play. In the meantime White can mobilize his King’s Rook with Q-e2 and Rf1-d1, with a view to opening the Queen’s file by Pd4xc5.

 

II. (4) … P-c5

If White now Plays P-e3, holding his Pawn-center, a symmetrical development follows on both sides. If, however, White takes his opportunity to develop the Queen’s Bishop, a game of entirely different character ensues. The following variations show typical examples of the way these two variations are liable to develop:

 

A. (5) P-e3 Kt-c6

(6) P-a3

If White played (6) P-b3 before castling he would get into trouble because Black could pin his Queen’s Knight with Pxd4 and B-b4. For this reason the maneuver P-a3, Pxc5, P-b4 and B-b2 is usually adopted to develop the Queen’s Bishop. It is true that this maneuver involves two Pawn moves, which mean a loss of time, instead of only one, as for instance when playing (6) B-d3, (7) o-o, (8) P-b3, (9) B-b2. But Black can hardly avoid a similar loss of time. For if he plays (6) …, B-d6, he loses two moves with his Bishop through recapturing on c5 (after (7) Pxc5) and going back to d6; and if he first exchanges on d4 and then develops the Bishop to d6, White has an open diagonal for his Queen’s Bishop and need not make any more Pawn moves to develop him while Black still must move his Queen’s Knight’s Pawn to get his Queen’s Bishop into play.

 

(6) … P-a6

(7) Pxc5 Bxc5

(8) P-b4 B-d6

(9) B-b2 Pxc4

(10) Bxc4 P-b5

(11) B-d3 B-b7

 

B. (5) Pxd5 Pxd5

The idea of this exchange is to create a weak Pawn on d5 against which later on an attack can be instituted. However, it is very doubtful whether the Pawn on d5 is really weak. Experience has shown that Black wins just as many games as White in this opening; the reason is probably that White, in order to open the Queen’s file for attack on d5, has to give away his center-Pawn so that Black has more freedom for his pieces in the center.

 

(6) P-g3 Kt-c6

(7) B-g2 B-e6

(8) B-g5 B-e7

(9) o-o o-o

(10) Pxc5 Bxc5

(11) R-c1 B-e7

(12) Kt-d4 or Q-a4 followed by

R-f1-d1.

Instead of developing the King’s Bishop to g2 White can just as well play (6) B-g5 or f4, (7) P-e3 and (8) B-d3. In either case the success depends rather on clever maneuvering in the middle-game than on an advantage inherent to the opening.

What has been said of irregular replies which Black may try in King’s Pawn openings holds good in Queen’s Pawn openings too. There is no series of opening moves which needs to be memorized. The principles of speedy development and of the maintenance of a Pawn center lead the right way in all novel openings which a player might try to avoid the well-known paths which have been studied out by the masters of many generations.

Following are again a few examples which show the application of the principles:

 

I. (1) P-d4 P-c5

(2) P-e3

With Pxc5 White would give away his center-Pawn, and Black would regain the Gambit-Pawn easily after (2) …, P-e6. White could play (2) P-d5, thereby depriving Black’s Queen’s Knight of his best developing square. But in doing so he would lose time with a Pawn move which does not improve the mobility of his own pieces, and consequently (2) P-e3 is preferable.

 

II. (1) P-d4 Kt-f6

(2) Kt-f3

The advance P-c4, which, as explained, is customary in Queen’s Pawn openings, serves its original purpose only if Black has a Pawn on d5 so that White can open the c-file. Therefore, it is better for White to wait until Black shows what intentions he has with his Queen’s Pawn.

 

(2) … P-d6

(3) Kt-c3

Black’s last move clearly indicates that he intends playing P-e5 and not P-d5, and so White has no reason to expect that he will be able to open the c-file for his Rooks. Consequently there is no objection to his developing the Queen’s Knight to c3, blocking the c-Pawn.

 

(3) … Ktb8-d7

(4) B-f4

This prevents P-e5 for the time being, and Black has to make rather complicated preparations, such as P-c6 and Q-c7 before he can advance the King’s Pawn two squares. In other words, White completes his development more quickly than Black and he has consequently the better winning chances, provided, of course, he knows how to maintain his advantage in the middle game and in the end game.

 

THE MIDDLE GAME

 

It is not possible to draw a distinct dividing line between the two stages of the game which are called the OPENING and the MIDDLE GAME. Strictly speaking the opening comprises only such moves as are NECESSARY for the development of the pieces, and any move which a player—without being compelled—makes with a piece that is already developed, ought to be regarded as a Middle-game move. To give an example: If after (1) P-e4, P-e5; (2) Kt-f3, Kt-c6; (3) Kt-c3, Kt-f6; (4) B-b5 Black plays Kt-d4, he deviates from the Opening and embarks on a Middle-game maneuver; for the Queen’s Knight was already developed.

This does not mean that it is bad under all circumstances to make a Middle-game move during the opening stage of a game. But only such moves should be considered in cases of this kind as a player is fairly sure to make at any rate within the further course of the game with a view to increasing the mobility of the piece in question.

This is the main point. A second move made with a piece must improve its position, otherwise, common sense tells us, it is surely bad. For instance: After (1) P-e4, P-e5; (2) Kt-f3, Kt-c6; (3) B-b5, Kt-f6; (4) o-o, B-e7 there is no objection to White’s playing (5) R-e1 as the Rook will very likely want to get into action in the e-file in any case, as soon as the development has progressed with P-d4, Kt-c3, B-g5, etc.

But if in an opening like (1) P-e4, P-e5; (2) Kt-f3, Kt-c6; (3) B-c4, Kt-f6 White plays (4) Kt-g5 for instance, or (4) B-d5, it is evident that he merely wastes time, for in the first case he places the Knight on a square from which he is sure to be driven away again as soon as the direct attack involved in his move has been warded off, and in the second case he moves the Bishop to a square which does not afford him any more mobility than the one on which he stood before.

As a rule only Rooks or Knights are in a position, during the opening, to add to their mobility by a second move; the Rooks by occupying a file which is liable to be opened by an exchange of Pawns, and the Knights by occupying a square in the center of the board.

The Knights are really more often under the necessity of making several moves in succession than any other piece, because they can never pass over more than one line at a time, and they may be required to hasten from one wing of the board to the other just as often as the other pieces. This is the reason why the most favorable spot for a Knight is a square in the center of the board; there he is always ready for an excursion to either wing.

The establishment of a Knight in the center can more readily be effected in Queen’s Pawn openings than in King’s Pawn openings. This will be evident from the following consideration:

In Queen’s Pawn openings the squares e5 and e4 are the ones which are aimed at by the respective Knights. If the opponent exchanges the Knight with either his Queen’s Knight or his King’s Bishop, the Pawn which takes the place of the Knight in recapturing, gains control of two squares in the heart of the hostile camp. To illustrate this by a case which often occurs: If after (1) P-d4, P-d5; (2) Kt-f3, Kt-f6; (3) P-e3, P-c5; (4) B-d3, Kt-c6; (5) o-o, P-e6; (6) P-b3, B-d6; (7) B-b2, o-o; (8) Ktb1-d2, P-b6; (9) Kt-e5 Black plays Bxe5, White in retaking drives Black’s King’s Knight away depriving the King’s wing of an important protection and also creating a weakness on d6, where White might be able at some later stage of the game to establish his Knight.

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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 | #P | ^Kt| | | |

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

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

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

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

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 45.

Another advantage of the position for White is that he can get his King’s Rook into play by P-f4 and R-f3-h3, while Black’s Rook cannot get to f6 as long as White has his Pawn on e5.

In King’s Pawn openings the situation is different. Here the squares d5 and d4 respectively are the aim of the Knights which normally are posted on