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

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Diag. 141

 

11. B-B7 B-Kt5

12. P-B3 QR-B1

13. B-Kt6 B-B4

14. B-Kt3 P-K4

15. B-R4ch K-K2

16. P-QB4

Here White could have won a pawn at once by R-Q5. If then K-K3, 17. P-QB4.

 

16. … P-B3

17. K-B2 K-B2

18. B-Q7! BxB

19. RxBch B-K2

20. KR-Q1!

The pawns can wait. 20. RxP would not have been profitable because of R-QKt1.

 

20. … K-K3

21. RxP B-Q3

Black might have resigned here. It is only a question of time.

 

22. B-R7 R-B3

Otherwise there follows R-Kt6.

 

23. RxP P-QR4

24. R-Kt7 R-R1

25. R-Q5 P-R4

26. P-QR4 P-R5

27. P-QKt3 R(R1)-QB1

28. R-Kt5 Resigns.

 

GAME No. 29

 

White: Teichmann. Black: Spielmann.

 

Sicilian Defence (see p. 215).

 

1. P-K4 P-QB4

2. Kt-QB3 P-K3

3. KKt-K2

This comes to the same as Kt-B3, as after P-Q4, PxP the Knight recaptures. If, however, Black plays P-Q4 there is a certain advantage for White to have the Kt at K2, e.g. 3. … P-Q4; 4. PxP, PxP; 5. P-Q4. If now Black does not exchange pawns, White is able to bring his KB to bear on the centre after P-KKt3 and B-Kt2.

 

3. … Kt-QB3

White can exchange this Knight later on, and thus make P-K5 possible as soon as he should deem it advisable to drive the Black Knight from his KB3, where the same is bound to develop sooner or later. It is perhaps wise to prevent P-K5 by Q-B2 instead of the move in the text. This is an old defence, introduced by Paulsen. Though it retards the development of Black’s minor pieces, it produces a strong defensive position, and the opening of the QB file gives attacking chances on the Queen’s side. The defence might run like this: 3. … P-QR3; 4. P-Q4, PxP; 5. KtxP, Q-B2; 6. B-K3, Kt-KB3; 7. B-K2, B-K2; 8. Castles, P-QKt4 followed by B-Kt2, P-Q3, QKt-Q2, etc.

 

4. P-Q4 PxP

5. KtxP P-QR3

6. KtxKt KtPxKt

7. B-Q3 P-Q4

8. Castles Kt-B3

9. B-KB4 B-Kt5

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. #142

As White can force Black to play P-Kt3, a weakening move, by P-K5 and Q-Kt4, Black should have played P-Kt3 at once, so as to have Kt-R4 in answer to P-K5, thus keeping one piece for the defence of the King’s side. The latter is in jeopardy after the move in the text, and White’s attack succeeds.

 

10. P-K5 Kt-Q2

11. Q-Kt4 P-Kt3

12. KR-K1 P-QB4

Of course Black must not accept the sacrifice of the exchange by playing P-Q5. After 13 Kt-K4, BxR; 14 Kt-Q6ch, K-B1; 15 R x B, Black is in a mating net, from which there is no escape, as he has no time to collect sufficient forces for the defence. The move in the text does not stem the tide either, and White quickly forces the win by a beautiful combination.

 

13. P-QR3 B-R4

14. B-KKt5 Q-Kt3

Q-B2 leads to the same conclusion.

 

15. P-Kt4! PxP

16. KtxP PxKt

17. P-K6

The object of White’s fifteenth move is revealed. Without it the R at K1 would now be attacked.

 

17. … P-B4

Kt-B4 fails on account of 18. PxPch, KxP; 19. R-K7ch, followed by Q-KB4.

 

18. PxKt double ch KxP

19. BxPch Resigns.

 

GAME No. 30

 

White: Tarrasch. Black: Spielmann.

 

Sicilian Defence.

 

1. P-K4 P-QB4

2. Kt-QB3 Kt-QB3

3. P-KKt3

Speedy development by Kt-B3 and P-Q4 is more desirable, as otherwise Black may have time to get a firm footing at his Q5.

 

3. … P-KKt3

4. B-Kt2 B-Kt2

The Black Bishop is the more effective, as the line of the White Bishop is masked by the KP. Small as this advantage would seem, it becomes serious later on. It is another confirmation of the doctrine that the value of each manoeuvre in the opening depends on the measure of mobility it affords for the pieces.

 

5. KKt-K2 Kt-B3

6. P-Q3

Here White could still obtain a freer game with P-Q4. Perhaps he was afraid of losing a pawn after 6. … PxP; 7. KtxP, KtxP. But there is nothing in it, e.g. 8. KKtxKt, KtxKt; 9. KtxQ, KtxQ; 10. KtxBP! (KtxKtP? BxKt; 11. BxB, R-QKt1), KxKt (KtxBP?; 11. KtxR, KtxR; 12. KtxP, KtxP; 13. KtxP), KxKt. There was nothing else to be feared after P-Q4.

 

6. … P-Q3

7. Castles B-Q2

in order to play Q-B1 and B-R6 and to exchange Bishops, after which there would be weak points at White’s KR3 and KB3.

 

8. P-KR3 Castles

9. B-K3 P-KR3

Black also prevents an exchange of Bishops.

 

10. Q-Q2 K-R2

11. P-B4 Kt-K1

The position has now become exceedingly difficult. In order to make the most of the favourable development of his KB, Black must advance on the Queen’s side. But in moving his King’s side pieces over to the Queen’s side, Black must proceed warily, as White might get chances of an attack with overwhelming forces on the King’s side.

 

12. P-KKt4 Kt-B2

13. Kt-Kt3

Here it was necessary to play R-B2 in order to play the QR to KB1 before Black could manage to drive the Kt to Q1 by P-QKt4-5.

 

13. … P-QKt4

14. Kt-Q1?

It would still have been better to play QR-K1 and to leave the Queen’s side to itself as long as possible after P-Kt5, 15. Kt-Q1, in order to start an assault on the King’s side with P-B5, P-KR4 and P-Kt5. After the text move the Queen’s Rook remains shut in.

 

14. … QR-Kt1

15. Kt-K2

in order to play P-B3 and P-Q4. The whole plan, however, is inconsequent, as he has started an attack on the King’s side. Now he suddenly opens up files on the Queen’s side where Black has assembled superior forces. The result is that White gets into trouble on both wings, for as soon as he gives up his King’s side attack, the advanced pawns there, as one knows, are only a source of weakness.

 

15. … P-Kt5

16. P-B3 PxP

17. PxP Q-B1

18. P-Q4 PxP

19. PxP Q-R3

20. R-B1 Kt-Kt4

21. P-Q5

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. 143

This shuts in the White KB altogether, and at the same time opens the diagonal of Black’s KB. Therefore, on principle alone the move is questionable. In effect it gives Black an opportunity for a beautiful winning combination. Only P-K5 was worth considering, as then the opposing Bishop would have been shut in and White’s own diagonal opened.

 

21. … Kt-Kt5!!

22. QxKt Kt-Q5

23. QxKt BxQ

24. KtxB

Although three minor pieces are generally an equivalent for the Queen, in this case the White game collapses quickly. The advanced pawns have produced too many weak points which afford an entry for the Black forces.

 

24. … KR-B1

25. RxR RxR

26. R-B2 Q-R6

27. R-K2

B-R5 was threatened. But the text move is of no avail either. Black winds up the game with another fine combination.

 

27. … R-B8!

28. BxR QxB

If R-K1, Q-B4.

 

29. Kt-B3 QxKtch

30. K-B2 B-Kt4

Resigns.

 

GAME No. 31

 

White: John. Black: Janowski

 

Sicilian Defence.

 

1. P-K4 P-QB4

2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

3. P-Q4 PxP

4. KtxP Kt-B3

The aim of this move is to provoke Kt-B3, and incidentally to prevent P-QB4. The latter move would give White command of his Q5 and not only prevent Black’s P-Q4 but also immobilise Black’s KP unless his QP is to remain “backward.”

 

5. QKt-B3 P-KKt3

As shown on p. 216, P-Q3 must be played first. In any case Black must be wary of playing P-KKt3. If, for instance, after P-Q3 White plays 6. B-QB4, and Black replies with P-KKt3, there follows 7. KtxKt, PxKt; 8. P-K5!, Kt-Kt5 (PxP?, 9. BxPch); 9. P-K6, P-KB4, with advantage to White (see game in the match Schlechter-Lasker).

 

6. KtxKt KtPxKt

7. P-K5 Kt-Kt1

8. B-QB4 P-Q4

9. PxP, e.p. PxP

10. Q-B3

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. 144

White has now three pieces in action and Black none. Black’s game is hopeless already; his B2 cannot be covered by Q-Q2 because of: 11. BxPch, QxB; 12. QxPch, and after Q-K2ch there follows: 11. B-K3, B-Kt2; 12. Castles QR, and 13. KR-K1, with an overwhelming attack.

 

10. … Q-Q2

11. Kt-Q5

In view of the fact that his game is so much more developed, and that the opposing King will hardly be able to escape from the centre of the board, White decides to sacrifice a Knight in order to open the files in the centre for his Rooks, instead of following the simple line indicated in the previous note.

 

11. … PxKt

12. BxP Q-K2ch

13. B-K3 R-Kt1

14. Castles KR

Castles QR is stronger still, as the QR gets into action at once.

 

14. … B-KKt2

15. B-KB4 R-Kt3

16. B-B6ch RxB

If B-Q2, the continuation might have been: 17. BxB, QxB; 18. QR-Q1, Q-Kt2; 19. KR-K1ch, Kt-K2; 20. RxKtch, KxR; 21. BxPch, etc.; or 18. … Q-B1; 19. BxP, etc.

After 17. R-K1 Black could have held out a little longer with B-B3. After the text move, however, Black’s game collapses quickly before the concentrated onslaught of the White forces.

 

17. QxRch Q-Q2

18. Q R-K1ch Kt-K2

19.