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

Q-B3

K-R1 and KR-Kt1 might be considered.

 

16. Kt-Kt3 B-KR3

17. Q-B7 Q-Q1

18. Q-K5

White gains a move by attacking the Knight’s Pawn. It may seem far fetched if I now point out that this could not have happened if from the first Black had given preference to the pawn formation at QKt3 and B4 instead of Kt4 and B5, though the whole game would almost certainly have taken a different course. Still, when advancing a pawn into an unprotected position there always is the risk of its becoming the object of an attack at an opportune moment, and whenever the plan of development does not necessitate such moves they are best avoided.

 

18. … B-Q4

19. Kt-R5 Kt-B3?

20. Q-Kt3ch??

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. 134

The last moves have decided the game. Both players have overlooked that 20. Q-B6 would have won a pawn at least (QxQ, 21. KtxQch with KtxB and BxP). 20. … BxKt leads to an immediate loss by 21. QxB, BxKt; 22. QxB followed by P-KKt4! with an overwhelming attack.

Instead of 19. … Kt-B3, Black should have played P-B3, followed by K-R1 and the occupation of the Kt file by the Rooks. White’s last move allows him to de this with even greater effect.

 

20. … K-R1

21. Q-R3 R-KKt1

Black has now a preponderance of material on the field of battle, and it can be concluded off-hand that White, not being able to bring his Rooks into play, must lose.

 

22. Kt-Kt3 Q-B3

23. K-B1

K-K2 is a shade better. But there is no longer any adequate defence.

 

23. … R-Kt5

24. R-K1 QR-KKt1

25. Kt-K5

Black was threatening BxKt, followed by R-R5 and P-B5

 

25. … KtxKt

26. PxKt Q-Kt4

27. Q-R5 BxPch

28. K-Kt1 RxKt?

QxQ and B-K5ch was simple and effective.

 

29. RPxR BxR

30. QxQ BxQ

31. KxB R-Q1

32. P-B4

R-Q1 is much more promising, although it means the loss of a pawn (RxR and B-B8, etc.). With Bishops of different colour the game is not easy to win even now.

 

32. … R-Q7

33. PxB RxB

34. R-Q1 RxKtP

35. R-Q7 K-Kt2

36. RxRP R-QB7

He could have played P-Kt5 at once.

 

37. R-R5 R-QKt7

38. P-R4

R-R3 would only have drawn out the agony a little longer.

 

38. … P-Kt5

Resigns.

 

GAME No. 24

 

White: Atkins. Black: Barry.

 

French Defence.

 

1. P-K4 P-K3

2. P-Q4 P-Q4

3. Kt-QB3 Kt-KB3

4. B-Kt5 B-K2

5. P-K5 KKt-Q2

6. BxB QxB

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8 | #R | #Kt| #B | | #K | | | #R |

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7 | #P | #P | #P | #Kt| #Q | #P | #P | #P |

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. 135.

 

7. Kt-Kt5

The intention is to strengthen the centre by P-QB3. Though it takes a number of moves to bring the Knight into play again, yet most of the tournament games in this variation have been won by White, mostly through a King’s side attack on the lines set out in the notes to Game No. 22. Investigations by Alapin tend to show that this is due to the fact that Black in all cases devoted his attention to Queen’s side operations (just as in Game No. 22) when he could have utilised White’s backward development, by himself starting a counter attack on the King’s side. He can then either aim at the White centre at once with P-KB3, or else play P-KB4 and prepare the advance of the KKtP by Kt-B3-Q1-B2. These various lines of play are still under discussion. Simple development is probably preferable to the move in the text, e.g. 7. B-Q3, Castles; 8. P-B4, P-QB4; 9. Kt-B3.

 

7. … K-Q1

There can be no advantage in forfeiting the option of castling unless there be no other way of getting the King into safety and of bringing the Rooks into concerted action. It is obvious that otherwise the free development of pieces is hindered, and the King is in appreciable danger, for it is easier to open files in the centre than on the wings where the pawns have not advanced yet. Therefore Kt-Kt3 is the only move worth considering.

 

8. P-QB3 P-KB3

9. PxP

With the Black King remaining in the centre, White has no further interest in the maintenance of his pawn at K5. On the contrary he will try to clear the centre.

 

9. … PxP

10. Q-Q2 P-B3

11. Kt-QR3 Kt-B1

At this early stage it is clear that Black will have to contend with difficulties in trying to complete his development. The usual way (P-QB4) is barred on account of the dangers to Black’s King with which a clearance in the centre is fraught.

 

12. Kt-B3 B-Q2

13. P-KKt3!

As Black can force this advance at any time by playing R-KKt1, White decides to develop his KB at Kt2, thereby covering his KB3 and KR3. The weakness of the latter squares would not be of any great moment if White were to castle on the Queen’s wing. But as P-QB4 is necessary in order to break up the centre, castling KR is the right course.

 

13. … B-K1

14. B-Kt2 QKt-Q2

15. P-B4 PxP

16. KtxP Kt-QKt3

17. KtxKt PxKt

18. Castles KR Kt-Kt3

19. KR-K1 B-Q2

20. Q-B3 R-K1

21. Kt-Q2 Q-B1

22. P-QR4!

White wishes to get rid of the pawn at Black’s Kt3, in order to break in with his Knight at B5. Black has no means of preventing this, and soon succumbs to the overwhelming array of White forces.

 

22. … Kt-K2

23. P-R5 P-QKt4

24. Kt-Kt3 Kt-Q4

25. BxKt KPxB

26. RxRch BxR

27. Kt-B5 Q-B2

28. R-K1 K-B2

29. Q-K3 B-Q2

30. Q-B4ch Resigns.

If K-Q1, 31. KtxPch followed by Kt-Q6ch. If K-B1 White wins by 31. Q-Q6 and R-K7.

 

GAME NO. 25

 

White: Emanuel Lasker. Black: Tarrasch.

 

French Defence.

 

1. P-K4 P-K3

2. P-Q4 P-Q4

3. Kt-QB3 Kt-KB3

4. B-Kt5 B-Kt5

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

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

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

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

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4 | | #B | | ^P | ^P | | | |

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. 136

This line of defence, called the McCutcheon variation, was recommended for many years by Tarrasch as being the strongest. The most obvious continuation 5. P-K5 leads to complications, and the final verdict has not yet been reached. After 5. … P-KR3, the best continuation is thought to be: 6. PxKt, PxB; 7. PxP, R-Kt1; 8. P-KR4, PxP; 9. Q-R5, Q-B3; 10. QxRP, QxP.

White has an easy development, whilst Black, as in most variations in the French defence, finds it difficult to bring his QB into play. After P-KR3, it is not advisable to retire the Bishop; 6. B-R4, P-KKt4; 7. B-Kt3, for here the Bishop is out of play, and Black’s King’s Knight being free can play to K5 for concerted action with Black’s KB. Lasker’s continuation in the present instance is at once simple and effective. It leads to an entirely different system of development.

 

5. PxP QxP

If Black recaptures with the pawn, he must lose a move with the Bishop in order to avoid getting an isolated doubled pawn after 6. Q-B3. The doubled pawn which Black may get after the move in the text would not be isolated, and therefore not necessarily weak. It could become a weakness if Black were to castle on the King’s side. But otherwise it might even become a source of strength, supporting, as it would, an advance of Black’s KP against the White centre.

 

6. Kt-B3 P-B4?

Black should retain the option of castling QR, in case White exchanges at his KB6; P-QKt3 and B-Kt2 would have been better.

 

7. BxKt PxB

8. Q-Q2 BxKt

9. QxB Kt-Q2

10. R-Q1 R-KKt1

11. PxP QxP

12. Q-Q2 Q-Kt3

guarding against the mate at Q1 before moving the Kt. But this would have been better effected by Q-K2. After Q-Kt3 the Knight cannot move yet because of B-Kt5ch.

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

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

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6 | | #Q | | | #P | #P | | |

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5 | | | | | | | | |

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4 | | | | | | | | |

|–––––––––––––|

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

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. 137

 

13. P-B3 P-QR3

14. Q-B2 P-B4

15. P-KKt3 Kt-B4

16. B-Kt2 Q-B2

Black wishes to push on the KP. White, however, prevents this at once.

 

17. Q-K2 P-Kt4

18. Castles B-Kt2

The Black position has any number of weaknesses. The King cannot castle into safety; the pawn position is full of holes, and open to attack. White takes full advantage of this and wins in masterly fashion with a few strokes.

 

19. P-B4 P-Kt5

20. Q-Q2 R-Kt1

Now White cannot capture the KtP because of BxKt. But he does not want the pawn, he wants the King.

 

21. Q-R6 BxKt

22. BxB Q-K4

23. KR-K1 QxP

24. Q-B4 QR-B1

25. Q-Q6 P-B3

Mate in two was threatened (B-B6ch, etc.).

 

26. B-R5ch R-Kt3

27. BxRch PxB

28. RxPch Resigns.

 

GAME No. 26

 

White: Capablanca. Black: Blanco

 

French Defence.

 

1. P-K4 P-K3

2. P-Q4 P-Q4

3. Kt-QB3 PxP

4. KtxP Kt-Q2

5. Kt-KB3 KKt-B3

6. KtxKtch KtxKt

7. Kt-K5

This crosses Black’s plan of developing the QB at Kt2.

 

7. … B-Q3

8. Q-B3 P-B3

9. B-Kt5ch, P-B3; 10. KtxP was threatened.

 

9. P-B3 Castles

10. B-KKt5 B-K2

11. B-Q3

Whatever Black plays now, he must create some weakness in order to provide against White’s Q-R3, BxKt, QxRP, and White’s