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15th January 2003
It seems that the old ways are passing!
Gone are the playing through of Master games just for the pleasure of it. In today's world we need to be learning substantial things from them. "Themed" seems to be the term used.
Embracing this brave new order then I submit three games (not that I'm a Master of course!) about the advantage of playing vigorously in the opening.
As far as I learned chess, it was the endgame you should study first since if you win the middlegame a bishop or knight up but can't mate you won't get many points. It is only after the endgame that endings should be learned (and the middlegame last) since this structures about 99% of the rest of the play.
So many games I've seen where black simply waits for white to attack, following the old maxim "white attacks, black defends", instead of doing something about it.
Middlegames as we all know can be very difficult. Most of the time against a strong opponent a simple kingside charge isn't going to work. You need a little bit of subtlety. Finding this subtlety of course is not easy and I have to say the offerings of middlegame book are poor fayre, the exception is probably IM Jeremy Silman's books. The strategies involved take time and effort to explore and as they say in opening books "beyond the scope of this letter"!
I concentrate then on vigorous opening play. It is often worth investing a little time examining some provocative or unexpected move. Finding your way to unclear positions is no bad thing since then the skill of playing takes over from remembered bits of theory.
In the games then, Heppell - McMaster is a fairly simple example of how not to play the Dutch as white. As I say in the annotations I could have got even more but the aggressive 6...c5! certainly did the job.
In McMaster - Breeze it is me on the receiving end of aggressive play. I have recently changed my mainline defence to the Nimzo-Indian after re-seeing a game from some 10 years ago where white falls to a fatal tactic. While I am sure the Saemisch is sound I found myself strategically lost inside 10 moves. I include the rest of the game to show you still need to play middlegames even if you have a large opening advantage.
In Feargow - McMaster the defining break came a little later, on move 11. It is of course an acute skill to know when to try a thrust and when to defer. A simple-ish rule of thumb is when you're playing someone of round about your own strength it is worth having a go. When playing someone stronger it may be better to defend accurately at least for a while rather than be picked off in double quick time. When you're playing someone considerably weaker the chances are you will outplay and out-complicate them with most continuations. As again I say in the annotations black's weak king position will tell if he does nothing.
Play through the games in Palview
1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4
In the following line White would rather keep the option of playing c3 as you will see. His problem is Black transposing to a Stonewall where White's play in this game would be less appropriate.
3...g6 4.Bg5 Ne4 5.h4 Bg7 6.Nc3
6.Nbd2 is no good either (nor is 6.h5?! because of 6...Nxg5 7.Nxg5 e5 with a good game.
6...c5!
Presumably what White missed in his preparation.
7.e3
7.Nxe4 fxe4 gives Black tremendous play and therefore White has to try to hold the centre; 7.dxc5 Qa5 is awful (amazingly winning the exchange on a1 with 7...Nxc3 8.bxc3 Bxc3+ would prove dangerous to Black here with kingside chances.) ; Bearing this in mind maybe 7.d5 is White's only try but even here 7...Qa5 8.Bd2 Nxd2 leaves Black better. 9.Qxd2 d6 10.h5 Nd7 11.hxg6 hxg6 12.Rxh8+ Bxh8 13.Nh4 Nf8 is one line.
7...Nc6 8.Rc1
Trying to avoid losing a pawn. Unfortunately for White 8.d5 is now worse than in the previous line since Black has at least 8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3+ 10.Nd2 Nb4 with strong pressure. It is a recurring theme in d4 openings that once White's dark-squared Bishop is blocked out from the white queenside that that is somewhere Black should pressure. This game is no exception.; 8.Rb1 is no better for White because of 8...Qa5 at least pickimg up the a-pawn.
8...Qb6!
Better than 8...Qa5 when white might struggle on with 9.a3. The point of 8...Qb6 is attacking d4 and b2.
9.d5
The only sensible move.
9...Nxc3?!
A slight error. Black's aggressive play has yielded him an excellent position. I spent 15 minutes examining 9...Qxb2! and then rejected it for a safer continuation with a small but lasting edge. At home after the game I found that 9...Qxb2! is the right move. 10.Nxe4 is the only move (10.dxc6? loses on the spot to 10...Qxf2#) when after 10...fxe4 White must then try 11.Nd2 (again here 11.dxc6? loses to 11...exf3 followed by 12...Bxc3 winning material) 11...Nb4 12.Nxe4 Nxa2 winning a safe pawn and exchanging a number of pieces. There are a few things Black can play depending on what pieces he wants to keep. I would say that 13.Rb1 Bc3+ 14.Nxc3 Qxc3+ 15.Qd2 Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 d6 should be enough as long as Black takes care with white pushing his kingside pawns.
10.bxc3 Ne5 11.Nxe5 Bxe5 12.Bd3 h6!
White's play has been his only real option. Black still has to play accurately to keep his advantage, 12...h6 is necessary for Black to complete his development. It also allows Black to meet h5 with ...g5.
13.Bf4 Qf6 14.Bxe5 Qxe5 15.Qf3
Black's Queen remains dominant for some time. white's problem is that he can't attack anymore because he won't have a safe place for his King, therefore 15.g4 d6 will worsen White's position. James Heppell is a young English guy who might have a bright future and he chooses the right option of just trying to hang on. The position is quite poor though and eventually the pressure tells. Still as I said though, Black has to be careful.
15...d6 16.Kd2
Again 16.g4 Rf8 only helps Black.
16...Bd7 17.Rb1 b6 18.Rb2 Kd8
Black's King is safer on the queenside than on the kingside.
19.Bc2 Kc7 20.g3 a6 21.a4
It would seem that playing for e4 might yield some counterplay. It does look though that Black's King is quite safe and again it would be White with all the problems, e.g. 21.e4 Rhf8 22.Qe3 f4
21...Rab8 22.Rhb1?!
It is possibly a bit harsh to give this as dubious but there is no joy on the queenside for the Rooks. 22.Re1 again playing for e4 might yield something.
22...g5
Sorting out the kingside before starting on White's queenside weaknesses.
23.h5?!
This only helps Black although it might come in useful for White in the ending, a chance that he possibly missed. 23.Rh1 is better.
23...Rhf8 24.Re1
Unfortunately Re1 now is mainly defensive.
24...b5
Expanding on the queenside and White now crumbles.
25.axb5 axb5 26.Reb1?
Losing at least a pawn. The best try is probably 26.cxb5 Rxb5 27.Reb1 Rxb2 28.Rxb2 Rb8 retaining a slight edge.
26...bxc4 27.Qe2?
Losing another pawn and giving Black more breathing space to win the game.
27...Rxb2 28.Rxb2 Qxd5+ 29.Kc1 Rb8 30.Ra2 Qh1+
This was the time control that I just made. The rest of the game is mainly technique, but it is an aspect of chess that opportunities crop up all the time.
31.Bd1 Qd5?!
A slight inaccuracy. 31...Qe4 forces 32.Bc2 and then 32...Qd5 is right.; With 31...Qd5 White can try 32.Ra3 Qd3 33.Qa2 when Black has to manoeuvre his King to f7 and probably play a Queen and Bishop ending.
32.Qc2 Qd3 33.Ra7+ Kd8 34.Be2 Qxc2+ 35.Kxc2 d5 36.f3 e6 37.g4 fxg4 38.fxg4 Ke7 39.e4 Rb6?!
The position is quite awkward for black. It was around here I realised that a White Rook on h8 or h7 is more than likely going to win the h6-pawn and the pawn on h5 could be rather difficult to stop. 39...Rf8 is probably better.
40.Ra8! Kf6 41.Ra7 Rd6 42.Rc7 Ke5 43.exd5 exd5 44.Rxc5 Kf4
The complications have been resolved. The rest of the game was simple, if not strictly correct.
45.Rc7 Bxg4 46.Rf7+ Kg3 47.Kd2 Bxe2 48.Kxe2 Kg4 49.Ke3 Kxh5 50.Kd4 g4 51.Ke5 Rd8 52.Kf4 d4 53.cxd4 Rxd4+ 54.Ke3 Rd3+ 55.Kf2 Kh4 56.Rc7 c3 57.Ke2 Rf3 58.Rc6 h5 59.Rc8 Kg3 60.Rc5 h4 61.Ra5 h3 62.Ra1 Rf2+ 63.Ke3 c2 64.Rg1+ Rg2 65.Rf1 h2 66.Kd3 Rg1 67.Ke2 Rxf1 68.Kxf1 Kf3 0-1
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3
The Saemisch. White plays solidly hoping to expand later.
4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 0-0 6.e3?
Probably just too slow. 6.Bg5 looks more to the point and therefore 5...d5 or 5...c5 might be more accurate.
6...c5!
Putting the question to White's centre. the chances are White should play 7.dxc5 here. I recall a Timman-Karpov game from some years ago going a similar way. It looks absolutely awful though and would take bravery to play. The point is the time it will take for Black to develop his queenside and to use this time to play in the centre and on Black's kingside. Apparently they say the idea is positionally sound!
7.d5
7.dxc5 Trying to keep things fairly closed but failing to ...
7...b5!
An excellent move. What can White do. 8.Nf3 Bb7 is slow and there is nothing else other than the continuation chosen.
8.cxb5 exd5
The right way to take the pawn. 8...Nxd5 gives White chances of hanging in there after 9.c4
9.Nf3
Getting some pieces out and hoping for complications later.
9...a6
Simplifying the position and almost strangling White of moves.
10.bxa6 Bxa6 11.Bxa6 Rxa6 12.0-0 Nc6 13.Qd3
Trying to play 14.c4
13...c4
Giving White d4 but knowing probably there is little he can do with it.
14.Qf5
Looking for kingside threats.
14...Ne7
Taking a piece away from the queenside but Black's position is so good he can attack anywhere he likes.
15.Qc2 Ne4 16.Nd4 Ng6 17.Rb1
About the only sensible move White has.
17...Nh4?!
Not really going anywhere. 17...Ne5 looks difficult to meet; 17...Qh4 also looks good.
18.f3
Trying to get some space.
18...Nc5 19.Rb5
19...Qe7?
A bad mistake and maybe a shame after his earlier excellent attacking play. 19...d6 prevents Black switching the a6-Rook to the kingside but still leaves Black well on top. The game swings round very quickly.
20.g3 Ng6 21.Nf5 Qe6 22.Rxc5 Ne5 23.Rxd5 g6
23...Qxd5 24.Ne7+
24.Nh6+ Kg7 25.e4 f5
Black can make it awkward for White so I decided to get active quickly and make the extra piece tell.
26.Be3 Nd3
26...fxe4 27.Qxe4
27.Qd2!
Putting the queen on a better square and threatening 28.Bd4
27...Rb8 28.Bd4+ Kf8 29.Qg5
Keeping Black tied down to defensive duty.
29...Ke8
29...Rb2 30.Qd8+ mating.
30.Rd1
Threatening Rxd3 and Re5
30...Rd6
and Black now relinquishes any hope of a swindle.
31.Rxd6 Qxd6 32.Qf6 Qxf6 33.Bxf6 fxe4 34.fxe4 Rb6 35.Bd4 Ra6 36.Ng4 Rxa3 37.Nf6+ 1-0
37...Ke7 38.Nxh7 Kf7 39.Rf1+ Kg8 40.Rf8+ Kxh7 41.Rh8# would be a nice finish.
1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.c3
A very tricky and trappy line. White tries to catch Black out on b7 and f7 after Ng5. Theory gives 6...d6 with 7...d5 after 7.Qb3. For some reason I had a blind spot and didn't see 7...d5. I thought I'd try another way to frustrate White and so played...
6...e6!?
The advantage is that Black avoids the d5 Leningrad lines when the pawn on e7 is sometimes weakly backward. Also the position is a little odd making for proper chess! The disadvantage is the gradual weakening of black's king position.
7.Bf4
I couldn't see the point of this at the time and probably fell into a far from great position because of it.
7...Nc6
Even though it looks more weakening, I think 7...h6 is correct.
8.Qd2
Suddenly 7.Bf4 looks like a very good move. Black now has a dilemma. Does he try to preserve his dark-squared bishop with 8...Re8 and 9...Bh8 after 9.Bh6 or does he let the bishop go. Airy as the king now becomes I felt 8...Re8 disrupts black's piece development too much.
8...d6 9.Bh6 Bd7 10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.Qc2 e5
Black has a decision to make. Given time White will take over the centre and Black's weak kingside will tell. Given also that 11...h6 12.Nbd2 g5 13.e4 f4 14.gxf4 gxf4 15.e5! is terrible for Black and bearing in mind that white's queenside isn't the most threatening - something White gets in more usual lines - I decided to have a go with 11...e5. I was aware that objectively I was worse but something had to be done and as in most Dutches Black gets some practical chances.
12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Nbd2 Nh5
Intending to meet 14.e4 with 14...f4 and keeping tension in the position generally.
14.Nc4
White starts to go wrong here. Nc4 isn't all that bad a move providing he follows it up with something like Ne3-d5. 14.Qb3 to force 14...b6 is a try as well.
14...Qe7 15.Rad1 Rad8 16.Rd2 Bc8 17.Rfd1 Rxd2 18.Rxd2
All of this is fairly obvious from move 14. In reaching this position the reappraisal of the game is quite interesting. the bishop on c8 covers both b7 and d7, the rook on f8 can pressure down the f-file, the knight at h5 adds to the kingside threats and the queen is handily placed as well. The piece to watch though is the knight at c6. It does the work of a whole army. It is from here that the momentum of the game changes.
18...f4 19.b4?!
A little harsh maybe but this does nothing to help a position already looking decidedly iffy.
19...e4 20.Nd4 e3
Cats and pigeons come to mind.
21.fxe3 fxg3!
The beginning of the end for White. The rook on d2 is redundant, the knight on c4 is vulnerable and his king is fatally exposed.
22.Qe4
The only real try. 22.hxg3 Qf7! is too strong, for example 23.Nxc6 Qf2+ 24.Kh2 Qxg3+ 25.Kg1 Bh3 26.Qe4 Bxg2 27.Qxg2 Qe1+ and 28...Rf2
22...gxh2+ 23.Kxh2 Qg5
The ending after 23...Qxe4 is quite good for Black - the h- and g-pawns will be a menace for the rest of the game - but I was looking for a kill.
24.Nf3
It looks like 24.Ne6+ is a better try when 24...Bxe6 25.Qxe6 Rf2 (Black probably has to try 25...Nf6 although this actually looks rather decisive too) 26.Qd5 leaves White hanging on. (but not 26.Qe4 Nf6! winning)
24...Qg3+ 25.Kh1
25.Kg1 is better when black has to find 25...Bh3 26.Nh4 (it is amazing to think that white can defend with only 3 pieces, one of which is his king. Had white's b-pawn been on b3 this position would be hard to break down - mating wise anyway) 26...Nf6! 27.Qf3 Qxh4 28.Qxh3 Qxc4
25...Bh3 26.Bxh3 Qxh3+ 27.Kg1 Ng3
Amazingly all the Black weak points are covered. Anything sloppy for White will lose immediately, for example 28.Qd5 Qh1+ 29.Kf2 Qh2+ 30.Ke1 Rxf3! and mate on g1. White finds the best defence.
28.Qh4
Leaving Black to win a measly pawn - although a fairly straightforward endgame sweetened it a little.
28...Nxe2+ 29.Rxe2 Qxf3 30.Re1
30.Rf2 might give white more chances even though they say to keep pieces on.
30...h6 31.Nd2 Qf6 32.Qh2 Qxc3 33.Qxc7+ Rf7 34.Qd6 Qf6 35.Qxf6+ Rxf6 36.a3 Ne5
This was the time control and the position for white is just about undefendable. it is possible that 34...Qe5 is more exact and 31.Nd2 is hardly complicating things but white is biting on granite anyway. The game ended quite quickly with quite a nice finish.
37.Kg2 g5 38.Ne4 Rc6 39.Rd1 Rc2+ 40.Kf1 Kg6 41.Ng3 Nc4 42.Rd3 h5 43.e4 h4 44.Nf5 Nd2+ 45.Kg1 Nxe4 46.Ne7+ Kh5 47.Rd7 Ng3 48.Rxb7 h3 0-1
Black can choose between Rg2 or h2 mate.
Changing tack, and going back to learning chess, I thought it might lighten up the winter nights if we had something a little difficult to chew on. I include therefore a position from a game McMaster - Sah, Norwich 2002.
As I played the endgame at the time I felt I was slightly worse but later home analysis made me think it is black who is struggling to hold the game. In the psychology of chess it is funny how your attitude relates to your play.
From this position I played 1.Ba5 to prevent ...Bb4 mate after d7 and lost to 1...Nc5! running White out of moves - 2.Kb2 Ke4 3.Kc3 Kf3 4.Kxc4 Kxe2 5.Bc3 Ne4
So what should White play and what should the result of the game be. E-mail your analysis. If there is an interest in this exercise I will give my own analysis in my next letter.
To finish off on a humerous note I think we should start a "chessmanballs" column. Further to Mark Orr's extraordinary offer of a draw in a won queen v pawn ending in the Bled Olympiad (from his report on one of the Irish websites) I include a bizarre occurrence of my own in a recent correspondence game, where I played down believing at the end of the combination I could castle out of check! Ridiculous! I'm sure we all have some of these.
It only remains to wish the chess players of Ulster a Happy New Year.
Happy New Year!