[Event "Leningrad"]
[Site "Leningrad RUS"]
[Date "1934.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Botvinnik, Mikhail URS"]
[Black "Kmoch, Hans"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B13z"]
[EventDate "1934.??.??"]
[PlyCount "53"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. c5 Be7 8.
 Bb5 O-O 9. Nf3 Ne4 10. Bxe7 Nxe7 11. Rc1 Ng6 12. O-O Bd7 13. Bd3 f5 14. 
b4 D {Let's take a look at the above position from a
modem perspective and see if we can uncover
the underlying logic. Euwe was being somewhat 
unfair in choosing this as an example of the
merits of the queenside majority, because White
has a whole raft of positional advantages, most
of which have absolutely nothing to do with the
queenside majority. First of all, the backward
e6-pawn and the resulting hole on e5 spring to
the eye. True, at the moment the e6-pawn is
shielded by the knight on e4, but this knight
will probably not stay there forever since White
will eventually be able to play f3 to force the
knight into a retreat or an exchange. Then the
e6-pawn will be fully exposed to attack along
the half-open e-file. Secondly, Black has a bad
bishop on d7 (see Section 30), which is severely
restricted by the light-squared central
pawn-chain. This bishop has very few prospects
of activity. In the long run, it could emerge via
e8 to h5, but this would involve moving the
knight away from g6, which would allow Ne5
followed by f3. Black's chances of playing ... e5
are virtually zero as this would require control
of e5 and reinforcement of d5, and even if
Black succeeded, he would be left with an isolated d-pawn.

     It is true that the queenside majority is a further asset, because it
gives White another possibility for active play. In addition to the plan 
of organizing f3, White also has the idea of simply advancing his pawn to 
b5, after which Black
has to worry about c6 at some point. But the key
point is that this advantage is peripheral to the
overall assessment of the position. I don't criticize
Euwe for his choice of this example, but I
think it is misleading to focus on one rather minor
aspect of the position and pretend that this
is the sole reason why White has an advantage.
Let's look at what happened in the game:} 14. ... Be8?! ( 14. ... a6 15. 
Qc2 Ng5 16. Qe2 Qf6 17. Nxg5 Qxg5 18. Qf3 Qf6 19. Ne2 Rae8 = ) ( 14. ... 
b6 15. Ne2 Rc8 16. g3 a5 17. a3 axb4 18. axb4 bxc5 19. bxc5 Qc7 += ) 15. 
g3 ( 15. b5 Qf6 16. Ne2 Rc8 17. a4 += ) 15. ... Rc8 16. Re1 Qf6 17. a3 Ne7
18. Ne5 Qh6 19. f3 Nf2 20. Qe2 Nh3+ 21. Kg2 g5? D {It's interesting to 
note that White's queenside
pawns are basically still where they were
in the previous diagram and that the queenside
majority hasn't played any part in the game so
far, except as a kind of lurking threat. On the
other hand, Black's other positional defects have
played a major role in the action. His e4-knight
was displaced by f3, and now stands offside and
immobile on h3, and White's knight occupies the hole in front of the 
backward e6-pawn,
which is under heavy pressure along the halfopen
e-file.} ( 21. ... Rf6 22. Qe3 f4 23. Qd2 Bh5 24. Nb5 Nc6 25. Rf1 Nxe5 26.
 dxe5 Rff8 27. Nd4 ) 22. Nb5 {Black's weakness on the dark squares becomes
a significant factor. The knight cannot
be allowed to reach d6, so Black has to exchange
it, but then the bishop can come to d7 to
exert further pressure on the e6-pawn.} 22. ... Bxb5 23. Bxb5 Rf6 24. Bd7 
Rd8 {Now at last the queenside majority comes
into its own. Black's forces are totally lacking
in coordination and can do nothing to stop a
queenside advance.} 25. b5 Qh5 26. c6 Rh6 27. Kh1 1-0

[Event "Sverdlovsk"]
[Site "Sverdlovsk"]
[Date "1943.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Botvinnik, Mikhail URS"]
[Black "Konstantinopolsky, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2677"]
[BlackElo "2545"]
[ECO "B14k"]
[EventDate "1943.??.??"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Be7 7. Bg5 O-O 
8. Rc1 Nc6 9. c5 Ne4 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Be2 Bd7 12. a3 D {This position is 
similar to that in the previous
example, except that Black's pawn is on f7
rather than f5, a difference that clearly operates
in Black's favour. Konstantinopolsky evidently
didn't appreciate the significance of this point.

As we saw, the diagram on
page 11 is satisfactory for Black because he can
use his lead in development to keep White offbalance.
However, imagine that White has a
couple of extra tempi to play, say, 0-0 and b4.
Then White would be clearly better, but exactly
what is the reason for this? A player who focuses
mainly on pawn-structure would probably
echo Euwe's interpretation, that White's
advantage is based mainly on his queenside
pawn-majority, while a player who places more
value on p'iece activity would point to White's
superior bishop. Both these factors are significant,
but here I shall address mainly the question
of the queenside majority. Is there something in
Euwe's explanation after all, that such a majority
confers an automatic advantage, or is there
something else to it?} 12. ... f5? {Euwe quite rightly criticized this 
move,
which introduces all the negative features of the
previous position. However, his suggestion of} ( 12. ... f6 13. b4 Nxc3 
14. Rxc3 a6 15. O-O Rad8 {"with the idea of eventually pushing ... e5",
which is directly copied from Botvinnik's notes,
is certainly no better, since after} 16. Qd2 Be8 17. Nh4! {Black is in a 
very awkward position. If
he plays} 17. ... e5 {then after} ( {while after} 17. ... g5 18. Rg3 Kh8 
19. Nf3 {followed by h4 White also has active play on
the kingside.} ) 18. Nf5 Qc7 19. dxe5 fxe5 20. Nd6 {White's knight is very
strong and
Black will probably have to surrender the exchange,
while after    17. ... g5 18. Rg3 Kh8 19. Nf3 followed by h4 White also 
has active play on the kingside. } 20. ... Rxd6 21. cxd6 Qxd6 22. Bd3 Bf7 
23. Rfc1 Be8 24. Rc5 Ne7 25. Re1 Bf7 +/- ) ( 12. ... b6 {The fact that 
neither Botvinnik nor Euwe
mentioned 12 ... b6 is an indication of the way
chess thinking has evolved since the 1950s. Today's
players focus much more on activity and
are fully aware that static advantages are difficult
to exploit if your opponent has active pieces
which continually disturb the quiet manoeuvres
required to exploit purely positional advantages.
It's also notable how players of the early to
mid-20th century often defended quite poorly,
playing passively and doing little to interfere
with their opponent's plans. A consequence of
this is that players who did understand the value
of activity, such as Lasker, were very successful,
even though their successes were often attributed
to 'luck' or some other extraneous factor-a
sure indication that other players simply didn't
understand the logic behind their play.} 13. b4 bxc5 14. dxc5 ( 14. bxc5?!
Rab8 15. O-O Rb2 16. Bd3 f5 {(now this is reasonable
because Black's piece activity is more
important than the backwardness of the e-pawn)} 17. Na4 {the players 
agreed to a draw in CabriloZ.
Popovic, Dubrovnik 2008, although White
was much the higher rated player. Black was
actually doing White a favour by accepting, as
he certainly stands better now. His pieces are
very active, the knight on e4 is strong and the
d4-pawn is under pressure. White should instead
play 14 dxc5, although all one can say for
sure is that the resulting position is doubleedged.
The fact} ) 14. ... Rfd8 15. O-O a6 16. Na4 Ra7 17. Qc2 f5 18. Qb2 Be8 19.
 Nb6 g5 20. Rfd1 g4 21. Nd2 Qf6 22. Qxf6 Nxf6 23. Re1 ) 13. Bb5 {The 
continuation of the game demonstrated
Botvinnik's skill in technical positions.} 13. ... Ng5 ( 13. ... Nb8 14. 
Bxd7 Qxd7 15. b4 Qc7 16. b5 Qe7 17. O-O += ) 14. Bxc6 Nxf3+ 15. Qxf3 bxc6 
16. Qf4 Rae8 17. O-O e5 18. Qxe5 Qxe5 19. dxe5 Rxe5 20. f4 Re7 21. Rfe1 
Rfe8 22. Rxe7 Rxe7 23. Kf2 Kf7 24. Rd1 Re8 25. Rd2 h6 D {By now it's clear
that things have not gone
very well for Black. Although the structure of
the position has changed, he retains a serious positional
disadvantage thanks to his bad bishop,
which is locked in by three pawns fixed on light
squares. White won by playing his king to d4
and making use of his queenside majority to
create a passed pawn.} 26. Re2 Rb8 27. Ke3 Rb3 28. Kd4 Kf6 29. Na2 Rb8 30.
 b4 g5 31. g3 gxf4 32. gxf4 a6 33. Nc3 Rg8 34. a4 Rg4 35. Rf2 Be6? ( 
35. ... Kf7 36. b5 axb5 37. axb5 cxb5 38. Nxd5 Rg1 39. Nb4 Rd1+ 40. Ke5 
Be6 41. c6 Ke7 ) 36. b5 axb5 37. axb5 cxb5 38. Nxb5 Rg1 39. Nc3 Kf7 40. 
Rb2 Rf1 41. Ne2 Re1 42. Ke5 d4 43. Kxd4 Kg6 44. Nc3 Kh5 45. Re2 Rxe2 46. 
Nxe2 Kg4 47. Ke5 Bc8 48. Nd4 h5 49. Nxf5 Bd7 50. Ng7 Ba4 51. f5 Kg5 52. 
Ne6+ 1-0

[Event "Rubinstein Memorial 18th"]
[Site "Polanica Zdroj POL"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Vogt, Lothar"]
[Black "Schmidt, Wlodzimierz"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2510"]
[BlackElo "2430"]
[ECO "B05"]
[EventDate "1980.08.??"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 e6 6. O-O Be7 7. c4 Nb6 8. 
exd6 cxd6 9. Nbd2 Nc6 10. b3 O-O 11. Bb2 d5 12. c5 Nd7 13. a3 a6 14. b4 
Qc7 15. Rc1 Bf6 16. Nb3 Rfd8 17. Ne1 Bxe2 18. Qxe2 e5 19. Nc2 e4 D {This 
position represents a much fairer test of
the respective merits of kingside and queenside
majorities, since Black's e-pawn has passed by
the white d-pawn and so is in an analogous situation
to White's c-pawn. Euwe asserted that
even in a case like this, White should have the
advantage, because "Forcing a passed pawn on
the kingside often necessitates the advance of
pawns whose proper function is to guard the
king." I simply don't believe this. If, for example,
it were easy for Black to advance his fpawn
(not the case here as his bishop is in the
way), then ... f5-f4-f3, coupled with ..Nf8-g6,
would give Black a dangerous attack on the
white king without significantly exposing his
own king at all. This is why the merits of
queenside and kingside majorities are different
in the middlegame and the endgame. In a very 
simplified position there are few chances for an
attack on the king, whereas a distant passed
pawn is a formidable weapon. However, in the
middlegame the advance of a kings side pawn majority
often leads to a direct attack on the
enemy king, and since mate decides the game,
the possible creation of a passed pawn on the
queens ide ceases to be relevant.
In Vogt-Schmidt, it's pretty much a straight
fight between the rival majorities; White's is
the easier to advance, but on the other hand
Black's bishop is potentially better, even though
at the moment it is awkwardly placed blocking
the f-pawn.} 20. a4?! ( 20. f3 Bg5 21. fxe4 Bxc1 22. Bxc1 dxe4 23. d5 Nce5
24. d6 Qc6 25. Na5 Qa4 26. Bb2 Rab8 ( 26. ... Nd3? 27. Bxg7 Kxg7 28. Qg4+ 
) 27. Qxe4 += f6 28. Ne3 ) 20. ... Nf8 {Black rightly starts swinging his 
knight towards
the enemy kingside, since he may need
to create threats against the poorly-defended
white king.} 21. b5 Ne7 {This move is satisfactory, but even the simple} (
21. ... axb5 22. axb5 Na5 23. Nxa5 Rxa5 24. Ra1 Rxa1 25. Rxa1 Ne6 =+ {
gives Black an edge
since his knight is coming to f4 and possibly
d3.} ) 22. Bc3 axb5 23. axb5 Ne6? D {Overlooking a combination by which 
White
wins material. Simply 23 ...Qd7 followed by
..Ng6-f4 gives Black a clear advantage: the
threats against the white king are mounting,
while it's not clear where White's queenside
play is going.} ( 23. ... Qd7 24. f3 Ne6 25. fxe4 dxe4 26. Ba5 Rdc8 27. 
Qc4 Nd5 28. Rfe1 Nef4 29. Bd2 Nd3 -/+ 30. Rxe4 Nxc1 31. Bxc1 Nc7 -/+ ) 24.
 Ba5! Rxa5 25. b6 Qd7 26. Nxa5 Bxd4 27. Nxd4 Nxd4 28. Qd2 Nec6 29. Nxc6 
Nxc6 {White bas won the exchange for a pawn, but
on the other hand his queenside majority has
become blockaded while Black has secured a
majority of pawns in the centre. White should
be slightly better, but the position requires accurate
handling.} 30. Qf4?! {White should play 30 f3, which serves both
to break up Black's pawns and to open files for
the white rooks.} ( 30. f3 exf3 31. Rxf3 += ) 30. ... h6?! D ( 30. ... Qe7
{is better, in order to meet 31 f3?
with 3l...e3.} ) 31. h3?! {Missing the last chance to open the f-file by
playing f3.} 31. ... Qe7! {Black hits on the correct idea and now is at
least equal.} 32. Rfe1 Re8 33. Qd6 {The exchange of queens doesn't help 
White
much. The knight on c6 is very well posted,
both holding up White's queenside pawns and
lending support to Black's potentially powerful
central pawns.} 33. ... d4 34. Qxe7 Rxe7 35. Kf1 f5 36. Ke2?! {Moving the 
king out in front of the enemy
pawns provides no relief. Instead White should
play 36 Ra1, followed by Ra8+, trying to activate
his rook.} 36. ... Kf7 37. g4? {This looks like time-trouble since White 
simply
provokes the pawns into advancing.} 37. ... f4 D {Black's pawn-majority 
marches on and he
can now create two connected passed pawns.} 38. Kd2 Kf6 39. f3 e3+ 40. Kd3
Ke5 41. Kc4 Rd7 42. Kd3 Kd5 43. Ke2 Ne5 {Despite my earlier warning about 
general
principles, I am now going to formulate one: a
queenside majority which is unsupported by
any other asset confers no advantage in the
middlegame.} 0-1

[Event "AVRO"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1938.??.??"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Botvinnik, Mikhail URS"]
[Black "Capablanca, Jose"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E49"]
[EventDate "1938.??.??"]
[Annotator "JvR"]
[PlyCount "81"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 exd5
8. Bd3 O-O 9. Ne2 b6 10. O-O Ba6 11. Bxa6 Nxa6 12. Bb2?! {A doubtful 
development is made.} 12. ... Qd7! D {This is one of the most famous games
ever
played, and it's not my intention to repeat the
many previous analyses of it, but to draw attention
to one particular aspect of the game.
White doesn't stand especially well here. He
has a majority of pawns in the centre, which he
might eventually be able to put to use by f3,
Ng3 and e4, for example, but his queenside is
weak and the bishop on b2 is badly placed.} 13. a4!? {This move has 
far-reaching consequences.
One alternative is 13 Qd3, but after 13 ... Qa4
the a3-pawn is blocked, which means that White
no longer has the option of activating his bishop
via a3. By playing a4, White is willing to sacrifice
the a-pawn, but if Black plays to win it,
White both gains time and always has the possibility
of Ba3 at a later stage. It's usually better
to be a pawn down with active play than to have
a passive and lifeless position with equal material.} 13. ... Rfe8 ( {Or} 
13. ... cxd4 14. cxd4 Rfc8 {(Botvinnik).} ) 14. Qd3!? c4!? 15. Qc2 {
Kasparov applauds Botvinnik's strategy, but the real fight has to begin 
yet.} 15. ... Nb8? {Capa is going to spend many tempi on the conquest of 
one pawn.

Black takes the bait and plays to win the a pawn
by manoeuvring his knight to b3. Black's
last three moves have all been criticized in various annotations, yet the 
odd thing is that
Deep Fritz 12 likes all of them. I suppose these
days this would be taken as evidence that Black
was cheating.} ( {A wiser choice is} 15. ... Nc7! 16. Ng3 a5!? 17. Ba3 b5 
{Black has the initiative on the queenside and keeps his pieces available 
for action on both sides.} ) 16. Rae1 Nc6 17. Ng3 Na5?! ( 17. ... Ne4 18. 
Ne2 Nf6 19. Ng3 Ne4 20. Ne2 Nf6 = ) 18. f3 Nb3 19. e4 Qxa4 20. e5 Nd7 21. 
Qf2! ( {Not} 21. Nf5 Nbc5! ) 21. ... g6 22. f4 f5 23. exf6 Nxf6 24. f5 
Rxe1 25. Rxe1 Re8? +/- 26. Re6! Rxe6 ( {A fine thrust gives} 26. ... Kf7 
27. Rxf6+ Kxf6 28. fxg6+ Kxg6 29. Qf5+ Kg7 30. Nh5+ Kh6 31. h4 Rg8 32. g4 
Qc6 33. Ba3! {(Botvinnik).} ) 27. fxe6 Kg7 28. Qf4 Qe8 29. Qe5 Qe7 D {A 
wonderful combination follows.
Here Botvinnik struck with one of the most
famous combinations of all time.} ( 29. ... h6 30. h4 Na5 31. Bc1 += Qe7 
32. Bg5 Nc6 33. Bxf6+ Qxf6 34. Qxd5 += ) 30. Ba3!! Qxa3 31. Nh5+! {As if 
to emphasize the interconnectedness of
the various parts of the board, these two deadly
blows took place on opposite rook's files.} 31. ... gxh5 32. Qg5+ Kf8 33. 
Qxf6+ Kg8 34. e7 Qc1+ 35. Kf2 Qc2+ 36. Kg3 Qd3+ 37. Kh4 Qe4+ 38. Kxh5 Qe2+
39. Kh4 Qe4+ 40. g4 Qe1+ 41. Kh5 {Black has no perpetual check.

The point I wish to emphasize is that the
combination with 30 Ba3!! wasn't just a fortuitous
accident of which Botvinnik was able to
take advantage. While he could not have foreseen
the specific use to which it was put, Botvinnik
was surely aware when he played a4 that
the availability of the a3-square was a potential
asset. Due to the pawns on c3 and d4, his bishop
had little chance of coming to life on the long
diagonal, and he was prepared to sacrifice a
pawn to increase his bishop's long-term potential.
A bishop actively posted on the a3-f8 diagonal
would greatly increase the strength of a
central pawn advance and it is easy to see how
such an advance could lead to a kingside attack,
 as actually occurred in the game. This is a good
example of how all the parts of the board are
wired up in the middlegame. By making a modest
pawn advance on the queenside, Botvinnik
was able to increase the strength of his central
play and this led more or less directly to an attack
on the enemy king.} 1-0

[Event "Manila Interzonal"]
[Site "Manila PHI"]
[Date "1976.06.22"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Kavalek, Lubomir"]
[Black "Uhlmann, Wolfgang"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2540"]
[BlackElo "2555"]
[ECO "C19q"]
[EventDate "1976.06.??"]
[PlyCount "93"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "19"]
[EventCountry "PHI"]
[EventCategory "12"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "IRI"]
[BlackTeamCountry "VEN"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. a4 D {
Although the position is quite different from
that in Botvinnik-Capablanca, the ideas have a
certain similarity. If White omits a4, then Black
can occupy the a4-square himself, either by
... Qa5-a4 or by ... Bd7-a4. This has the effect of
reducing the long-term activity of White's darksquared
bishop and gives Black extra squares
which he can use to exploit White's weak queenside
pawns. This is a question of opening theory,
and those who play the French with either
colour are well aware of the significance of the
a4 advance. In an echo of Botvinnik-Capablanca,
playing a4 indicates a willingness to
sacrifice this pawn at a later stage.} 7. ... Nbc6 8. Nf3 Qa5 9. Bd2 Bd7 
10. Be2 c4 11. Ng5 h6 12. Nh3 O-O-O 13. Nf4 Kb8 14. O-O Nc8 D {Black is 
playing to win the a4-pawn with
... Nb6. Here White's compensation for the apawn
is perhaps less obvious than in Botvinnik-
Capablanca, since his bishop is currently  on d2 and cannot immediately 
exploit the potential
of the a3-fS diagonal. Moreover, there is
no mobile pawn-majority. However, Black's
plan to capture the a-pawn is quite slow and
White is able to use the time to attack Black's
vulnerable kingside.} 15. Nh5 Rhg8 16. Bg4 Nb6 17. Re1 Nxa4 18. Re3 b5 19.
 Rf3 Be8 20. Rg3 Ne7 {For the moment Black has countered White's
kingside threats, but with the c3-pawn defended
by the rook, White is free to play his bishop
round to a3.} 21. Bc1 Ng6 22. Ba3 Ka8 23. Qd2 Qc7 24. Bh3 Bd7 25. Bd6 Qc6 
26. Rf1! D {White is now ready for f4-f5, breaking open
Black's position. Black is handicapped not only
by his weak dark squares, but also by the knight
on a4 (which corresponds to the b3-knight in
Botvinnik-Capablanca), which is out of play
and cannot participate in the defence.} 26. ... Bc8 27. f4 f5 28. exf6 
gxf6 29. f5! exf5 30. Bb4 Qb6 31. Bxf5 a5 32. Bxa5 Qxa5 33. Bxg6 f5? 34. 
Nf4 Rg7 {White has regained the sacrificed pawn and
now has a decisive advantage. Black's position
is riddled with pawn-weaknesses, he has a bad
bishop and his king is exposed.} 35. Re3 Qb6 36. Be8 Rd6 37. Rb1 Bd7 38. 
Qe1 Ka7 39. Rb4 Qd8 40. Bxd7 Qxd7 41. Rb1 Kb6 42. Qe2 Kc6 43. Re1 Qa7 44. 
Re6 Qd7 45. Qf3 Nb6 46. Rxd6+ Kxd6 47. Qh5 {a4 and the later transfer of 
the bishop to the a3-
square proved crucial elements in the success of
White's attack against Black's kingside, demonstrating
the interconnectedness of the play on the
two flanks.} 1-0

[Event "URS-chTJ Coop"]
[Site "Riga LAT"]
[Date "1954.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kholmov, Ratmir D"]
[Black "Sardarov, Edward"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A78"]
[EventDate "1954.??.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nf3 g6 7. e4 Bg7 8. 
Be2 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Nd2 Na6 11. Bxa6? bxa6 D {Nowadays everybody who 
enters the Modem
Benoni with either colour knows that it's
wrong to exchange on a6 in positions..like this,
but it's not so easy to explain why. Indeed, at
first sight the exchange looks like rather a good
idea. White leaves Black with doubled isolated pawns on a rook's file 
(generally speaking, the
worst possible case), but that's not the only apparent
advantage of taking on a6. In this line
White usually plays f3 to support the e4-pawn
and free the d2-knight, and then White's lightsquared
bishop normally looks quite 'bad',
being blocked in by White's central chain of
pawns running from f3 to d5, and exchanging a
bad bishop for a potentially useful knight is
tempting. In the diagram White only needs to
play f3, Nc4 and Bf4 to achieve a winning position,
so Black cannot afford to waste time. In
order to explain why this position is fine for
Black, it is necessary to look at the whole board
and understand how the queenside and kingside
are interconnected.
} 12. Re1 {White decides on an alternative method of
defending e4 to prepare Nc4, but although this
does not weaken the dark squares as f3 does, it
has other defects. Let's take a look at a plausible sequence of
moves:} ( 12. f3 Nd7 13. Nc4 Ne5 {the knight arrives
just in time to preven Bf4} 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 {In this position Black has the 
serious threat of
15 ... Qh4 16 f4 (16 g3 Bxg3 17 hxg3 Qxg3+ 18 Kh1 Re5 19 f4 and now 19 ...
Bg4! wins, but not 19 ... Rh5+?? 20 Qxh5 gxh5 21 Rg1) 16 ... Bd4+ 17 Kh1 
Bxc3 18 bxc3 Rxe4. Snatching the e4-
pawn at the cost of giving up the g7 -bishop is often
very risky, but not here since it takes White
several moves to line up his bishop and queen on
the long diagonal. So how can White meet this
threat? The natural move 15 Be3 doesn't defend,
so White is more or less forced to play his
queen to the second rank, so as to meet the
bishop sacrifice on g3 by Qg2. However, both
15 Qc2 and 15 Qe2 have defects. After 15 Qc2 f5 White can hardly play 16 
exf5 Bxf5, since
Black's bishops would then develop terrifying
power, especially as ... c4 would secure an outpost
on d3 for the light-squared one. Thus 16
Be3 is probably best, but after 16 ... Rb8 White
is under unpleasant pressure as Black has several
active plans, such as ... f4 followed by
... g5-g4, or ... as followed by ... Ba6, or simply
... fxe4. 15 Qe2 leads to roughly similar problems
after 15... Rb8 16 Be3 f5, since 17 exf5
Bg7! (threatening 18 ... Rxe3) 18 Kh1 Bxf5
gives Black strong pressure.
The main point here is that after the exchange
on a6, Black has good possibilities to
develop activity using a combination of play in
all three parts of the board: on the kingside with
...Qh4, on the queenside using ... Rb8 to pressurize
b2, and in the centre with the ... f5 break.
Each of these possibilities is not dangerous in
itself, but becomes so in combination with the
others since it is impossible for White to clamp
down on Black's activity across the whole board.
It is also noticeable that in some lines White
sorely misses his light-squared bishop, for example
if Black plays ... f5.} 15. Qe2 ( 15. a3? Qh4 16. g3 ( 16. f4 Bd4+ 17. Kh1
Bxc3 18. Qa4 Qe7 19. bxc3 Qxe4 20. Qxe4 Rxe4 21. Rb1 a5 -/+ ) 16. ... Bxg3
17. hxg3 Qxg3+ 18. Kh1 Re5 19. f4 Bg4 -+ ( 19. ... Rh5+?? 20. Qxh5 gxh5 
21. Rg1 +- ) ) 15. ... Qh4 16. f4 Bd4+ 17. Kh1 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Bf5 19. e5 
dxe5 20. fxe5 Qe4 21. Qxe4 Bxe4 22. c4 Rxe5 ) 12. ... Ng4 D {Pinpointing 
the weakness of White's last
move, that it left f2 poorly defended. Now
Black threatens to win at once by 13 ... Qh4, so White is obliged to take 
immediate defensive
action.} 13. h3 Ne5 {Both preventing Nc4 and taking aim at the
weak d3-square.} 14. Qe2?! {Playing the queen to a square directly 
opposite
Black's rook is risky. 14 Nf3 is better, to
exchange the dangerous e5-knight, when White
still has good chances for equality.} ( 14. Nf3 Rb8 15. Rb1 Qa5 16. Nxe5 
Bxe5 17. Bh6 = ) 14. ... f5 15. b3 ( 15. exf5 Nf3+ +- {so White
must allow the pawn to advance to f4.} ) 15. ... f4 D {White's central 
majority is firmly blockaded
by the e5-knight, while Black has attacking
chances on the kingside based on ... gS-g4. The
only real plan for White is to exchange off the
dangerous eS-knight.} 16. Bb2 g5 17. Nf3?! {This should have been prefaced
by 17 Nd1 ,
but even then 17 ... g4 18 hxg4 Bxg4 19 f3 Bd7
followed by .. Qg5 gives Black good attacking
possibilities on the kingside.} 17. ... g4 18. Nxe5 Bxe5 {The difficulty 
for White is that the knight on
eS has been replaced by an equally dangerous
bishop. Given sufficient time, White could also
exchange this piece off, but he is in trouble since Black already has 
serious threats on the
kingside.} 19. hxg4 Qh4 20. Na4 ( {After} 20. Nd1?! f3! 21. Qxf3 Bxg4 22. 
g3 Qh5 23. Qh1 Qxh1+ 24. Kxh1 Bxd1 25. Bxe5 Bf3+ {Black wins a piece} ) 
20. ... f3! D {The resignation is perhaps a bit early, but after
21Qxf3 Black has an instructive win by
2l...Qh2+ 22 Kf1 Bd7! (after chasing the king
to f1 by a check on the h-file, the bishop is positioned
to strike from the queenside) 23 'Qh3 (23
Ke2 Bb5+ 24 Kd2 Rf8 25 Bxe5 'Qxe5 26 Qe3
Bxa4 27 bxa4 Qb2+ wins for Black) 23 ... Bb5+
24 Re2 Qf4! and White is defenceless.


The important points here involve thinking
processes at the board. You should not isolate
one part of the board from the rest, and not
view strategic elements in isolation. Strategic
decisions such as giving up a bishop for a
knight to double the opponent's pawns often
have a long-term impact which affects the entire
board and just looking at the short-term
consequences may be insufficient to evaluate the
decision. It's important to have a holistic view
of middlegame play and to keep an eye open for
unexpected connections on the chessboard.} ( 20. ... f3 21. Qxf3 Qh2+ 22. 
Kf1 Bd7 23. Qh3 Bb5+ 24. Re2 Qf4 25. Nc3 Bxc3 26. Qxc3 Bxe2+ 27. Kxe2 
Qxe4+ 28. Kf1 Re5 29. Kg1 Qxg4 30. Qd3 Re2 -+ ) 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess Middlegames"]
[Site "Nunn"]
[Date "2012.07.29"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Material Imbalances"]
[Black "page 21"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.29"]

{Middlegame play encompasses a wide range of advantages and disadvantages,
and assessing a
given position may be quite complicated. However, the first step is always
to look at the material
balance. If material is equal, then it is necessary to look at other 
factors, but in this chapter we shall
concentrate on situations of material imbalance. Such an imbalance can 
arise because one side has
a material advantage, but it can also occur when the two players have 
different types of material,
even if they are equal on the standard 'point counting' score (queen = 9, 
rook = 5, bishop or knight =
3 and pawn = 1). For example, one side may have a knight and the other 
three pawns; this is an imbalance,
even though both add up to three points.
</br>
One material imbalance which arises often in practice is the advantage of 
the exchange, that is
to say rook for bishop or rook for knight. The side with the rook has two 
extra points, but exploiting
this advantage may not be easy. It's usually necessary to give the rook 
opportunities to penetrate
into the enemy position, as in Svidler-Timofeev (page 24). It's even 
trickier when the side with the
minor piece has a pawn for the exchange. That's only a one-point deficit, 
and this can be balanced
by positional factors. Carlsen-Ivanchuk (page 25) shows how a lack of open
files may handicap the
rook(s) and how the battle may hinge on the ability to open files.
</br>
In the middlegame, two minor pieces are almost always worth more than a 
rook and are usually
better than a rook and a pawn, even though both are worth six points on 
the usual material scale. In
Cheparinov-Vallejo Pons (page 26), White has considerable attacking 
chances as compensation,
but when there is a material imbalance, the initiative is especially 
important. By sacrificing a pawn
or two, Black was able to coordinate his forces and then the minor pieces 
proved much stronger
than the rook. The situation is rather different in Bologan-Caruana (page 
27). Here Black has a rook
and a pawn for two knights, which is the most favourable case for the 
rook, especially when the
knights have few stable squares. However, even in this relatively 
advantageous case, the rook and
pawn are only worth fractionally more than the two knights. In the game an
error allowed the rooks
to become devastatingly active.
</br>
A piece sacrifice in the opening or early middlegame often gives rise to 
the imbalance of a piece
for three pawns. Here a great deal depends on the initiative. In the 
middlegame, three pawns that are
not far advanced don't pose a major threat, and then the piece is more 
powerful. However, it's another
story if the pawns are coupled with attacking chances against an exposed 
enemy king, as
Kokarev-Nayer (page 28) demonstrates. Y.Damjanovic-Nevednichy (page 29) 
shows the other side
of the coin. Here there are no queens, so White, who has the three pawns, 
doesn't have many attacking
chances. However, there are still enough pieces on the board to provide 
Black with some active
play to keep White from slowly advancing his passed pawns. The chances 
slightly favour Black, allowing
him to apply persistent pressure which eventually led to White's downfall.
</br>
Another common material advantage is that of queen vs rook and minor 
piece, which represents a
one-point advantage. In most cases, exchanges favour the side with a 
material advantage, but in this
case liquidation to an ending doesn't necessarily guarantee success 
because of the danger of a fortress,
a situation in which the defender's position is totally secure and cannot 
be broken into. Thus
the player with the queen must make sure that if he plays for exchanges, 
the result will not be a fortress.
Ivanchuk-Nisipeanu (page 30) is an example of good technique in which 
Ivanchuk makes
sure that Black cannot set up a fortress by undermining the squares the 
bishop might settle on. If the
side with the rook and minor piece has an extra pawn, the material 
situation is roughly level on
points, and then the initiative is often the key factor. The queen is at 
its best when on the attack, and
if it is forced to adopt a passive role, the enemy forces may have the 
upper hand. Leitlio-Caruana
(page 31) is a good example of this. Black seized the initiative early on,
but at a crucial moment
White decided to grab a pawn instead of playing to generate counterplay, 
leading to a rapid defeat.
</br>
In general, two rooks are worth slightly more than a queen, but the type 
of position is an important
factor. The two rooks prefer a quiet position in which they can manoeuvre 
to attack one vulnerable
pawn after another. Since the rooks can attack a pawn twice, while the 
queen can only
defend it once, such a battle can only end one way. The side with the 
queen needs active play in
order to keep the rooks off-balance. Ivanchuk-Leko (page 32) demonstrates 
what happens when
the play dries up and also shows that the rooks need open files in order 
to become active. The
queen is at its best when there are attacking chances against the enemy 
king, since it can easily
check an exposed king, gaining time and providing many opportunities for 
forks. In Dreev-Zhou
lianchao (page 33), the queen's attacking potential is used to good 
effect, and this example also
illustrates the principle that a queen and knight often work well together
when conducting an attack
against the enemy king.
</br>
An interesting imbalance is that of a queen against three minor pieces. 
Although this represents
theoretical material equality, in most middlegame positions the three 
minor pieces have the
upper hand. The queen faces similar problems as against two rooks; given 
time, the minor pieces
can gang up on targets which the queen cannot defend by itself. 
Nayer-Avrukb (page 34) is a typical
example, in which the side with the queen even has an extra pawn. To begin
with, the minor
pieces are poorly coordinated and the queen can keep harassing them, but 
it only takes one slip
for the pieces to get their act together and target a key pawn. The 
following example, VorobiovBeshukov
(page 35), has the same material balance but here White's queen comes out 
on top. The
key difference is that there are still many pawns on the board, and the 
pawn-structure is fluid, so
White can use his pawns to deny the enemy minor pieces effective squares 
and gradually squeeze
Black to death.
</br>
Giving up a queen for two minor pieces is a considerable sacrifice and in 
most cases the only adequate
type of compensation is a direct attack on the king. In Svetushkin-Landa 
(page 36), White
gives up his queen to trap the enemy king in the centre of the board. 
Although the attack takes time
to reach its full force, there's little Black can do as White's active 
pieces chase the enemy king
around. As a warning to those who sacrifice without careful thought, Al 
Modiahki-Kveinys (page
37) shows how a superficially tempting sacrifice can backfire. White seems
to have good positional
compensation for his sacrifice, but Black identifies the key elements of 
the position and by accurate
defence manages to refute White's ambitious play.
</br>
The next two sections deal with the common situation in which one side has
an extra pawn. It's
essential to be flexible since in some cases, such as Carlsen-Adams (page 
38), the right strategy is
to hang on to the pawn even if this means some temporary inconvenience. In
others, such as CarlsenKramnik
(page 39), the correct plan is to return the extra material in order to 
gain a positional advantage
or seize the initiative. If you are going to hang on to the extra pawn, 
it's essential to make
sure that you can really keep it. It's easy to get the worst of both 
worlds by placing your pieces passively
to keep the pawn, only to be forced to surrender it later under much less 
favourable circumstances,
leaving you worse off than if you had returned the pawn straight away.
</br>
When you are a pawn down, you should try to make the most of any assets in
your position and
search for counterplay. In Kramnik-L.Dominguez (page 40), Black profited 
from his knight outpost
and queenside majority and, aided by some inaccuracies, managed to save 
what looked like a
nearly hopeless position. If you have no chance of active play then it's 
more difficult, since you are
restricted to countering your opponent's plans and putting obstacles in 
his path. In Ivanchuk-Leko
(page 41), Black used exactly this strategy to save the game.
</br>
The next two sections deal with the eternal battle of bishop against 
knight. Although both are
valued at three points, their strengths vary according to the position, 
and are especially affected by
the central pawn-structure. Positions with an open centre favour bishops, 
while positions with a
blocked centre benefit knights. Miles-Timman (page 42) shows the bishop at
its best, positioned on
an empty long diagonal aimed at the enemy king. Anand-Radjabov (page 43) 
is an interesting example
because although the bishop appears to be well posted, its effectiveness 
is limited by the
pawn-structure.
</br>
It's always important to be aware of exceptions, and the general 
principles mentioned above are
only guides. In the next section we look at some apparently paradoxical 
exchanges of minor pieces.
In Nisipeanu-Radjabov (page 44), White gives up a strong bishop for the 
enemy knight in order to
exert immediate pressure on Black's centre. In Finocchiario-Van Oosterom 
(page 45), the opposite
occurs: a well-placed knight is exchanged for an ineffective bishop 
because this enables Black to
eliminate any possibility of counterplay.
</br>
Finally, in Section 12 we look at the two bishops. Two bishops are better 
than any other combination
of minor pieces in quite a wide range of middlegame positions. Their power
in open positions
is well-known, but they are also effective in many semi-open positions, 
mainly because a
bishop that has no opposite number can become very powerful. 
Movsesian-Gashimov (page 46) is
a good example of exploiting the bishops. It's worth noting how White's 
light-squared bishop,
which initially seemed to have limited prospects, eventually became a real
powerhouse. GelfandElianov
(page 47) shows the opposite: here a lead in development and good central 
control allowed
Elianov to throttle the enemy bishops by establishing powerful outposts 
for his knights.} 
*

[Event "62. ch-RUS"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2009.12.26"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Svidler, Peter"]
[Black "Timofeev, Artyom"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2754"]
[BlackElo "2651"]
[ECO "C11q"]
[EventDate "2009.12.20"]

{Advantage of the Exchange} 
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Nxf6+ 
Nxf6 8. Be3 Bd6 9. Bd3 b6 10. Ne5 O-O 11. Qf3 Nd5 12. Bd2 Qh4 13. g4 Bb7 
14. O-O-O Rad8 15. Rhg1 Ba8 16. Qe4 Nf6 17. Qe2 Bxe5 18. dxe5 Rxd3 19. 
cxd3 Nd5 D {White has a whole extra exchange and indeed
stands to win, but in practice such positions
are easily misplayed. Svidler gives a good
demonstration of the correct method. Rooks require
open files to develop their maximum activity.
Currently there are no such files, so one
of White's goals is to create one. Note that
Black is not without some positional compensation
in the form of his active bishop and secure
central knight. A typical mistake for players
with extra material is to waste time and assume
that the position will win itself. If Black had
enough time, he could develop counterplay by
advancing his queenside pawns, for example
by ... c5, ... Rc8 and ... b5, which would make
White's task harder. Therefore White should,
without taking unnecessary risks, seek to develop
active play for his rooks without delay.} 20. f4! {This defends the 
attacked h-pawn while at
the same time preparing to open a file by f5.
Note that 20 g5? h5 is wrong, because if Black
follows up with ... g6 then the kingside pawnstructure
will be completely blocked and White
will be unable to open a file for his rooks.} 20. ... Rd8 21. Rdf1 {
Simpler than } ( 21. f5 exf5 22. gxf5 Nf4 {there's
no need to enter complications.} ) 21. ... c5 22. f5 Nb4 23. Bxb4 cxb4 D 
24. Qf2 {Another typical strategy when material ahead
is to play for exchanges. After 24 .. :Qxf2 25
Rxf2 Rxd3 26 Rd1 the rooks are also exchanged,
after which White's other rook penetrates
along the c-file with deadly effect.} 24. ... Qe7 25. Qe3! {While it's not
bad to exchange on e6, White
finds an even stronger move. Delaying the exchange
gives White the extra option of f6, breaking
open Black's kingside.} 25. ... b3 26. Kb1 {So as to meet 26 ... bxa2+ by 
27 Ka1, tucking
the king away safely in the corner.} 26. ... Qb4 27. a3 Qb5 28. Rd1 {28 
fxe6 fxe6 29 Rg3 keeps the rook on the
open f-file and prepares to break into Black's
kingside by g5-g6. However, Svidler's method
is good enough.} 28. ... Qc5 29. d4 Qd5 30. Rg3 {A change of direction. 
White takes aim at
the b3-pawn and so forces Black to exchange
queens in unfavourable circumstances.} 30. ... Qe4+ 31. Qxe4 Bxe4+ 32. Kc1
{White need not fear ... Rc8+ due to Rc3.} 32. ... exf5 33. gxf5 Bxf5 {
Black takes the pawn, but now White's passed
d-pawn becomes a major force.} 34. d5 Re8 35. d6 Kf8 36. Rxb3 Bd7 37. Re3 
Re6 {37 ... f6 is met by 38 e6!.} 38. Rdd3 Ke8 39. Rc3 a5 40. Kd2 ( 40. 
Kd2 Kd8 41. Rc7 f6 42. Rb7 Bc6 43. Rxb6 Bh1 44. Re1 Bf3 45. Rf1 Be4 46. 
exf6 Rxf6 47. Rxf6 gxf6 48. Ke3 f5 49. Kf4 Kd7 50. Ke5 ) 1-0

[Event "Foros Aerosvit 3rd"]
[Site "Foros"]
[Date "2008.06.08"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2765"]
[BlackElo "2740"]
[ECO "E97s"]
[EventDate "2008.06.08"]
[Annotator "Carlsen,M"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 {Predicting the opening choice of Ivanchuk 
is really difficult. Before the game I had tried to check everything he 
might play against d4, but somehow the KID still came as a surprise to me.
Die Eröffnungswahl von Ivanchuk vorherzusagen, ist wirklich schwierig. Vor
der Partie hatte ich versucht, alles, was er gegen d4 spielen könnte, zu 
checken, aber irgendwie kam KI trotzdem für mich überraschend.} 4. e4 d6 
5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 {I have admittedly played 
a lot of silly sidelines against the KID, but this time I decided that 
enough was enough, and went for the main line. Zugegebenermaßen habe ich 
gegen KI eine Menge alberner Nebenvarianten gespielt, aber diesmal 
entschied ich, irgendwann reicht es, und wählte das Hauptabspiel.} 9. ... 
Nh5 10. Re1 f5 11. Ng5 Nf6 12. f3 {This has become the main line after a 
lot of Van Wely-Radjabov games, in which both have had their successes. 
Dies ist zum Hauptabspiel avanciert nach vielen Wely-Radjabov-Partien, in 
denen beide ihre Erfolge gehabt haben.} 12. ... Kh8 {Ivanchuk follows the 
main line, which came as a surprise to me, as I had expected him to come 
up with something original even earlier. Ivanchuk folgt dem Hauptabspiel, 
was für mich überraschend kam, denn ich hatte erwartet, dass er noch 
früher mit irgendwas Originallem aufwartet.} 13. b5?! {For some reason, I 
decided against playing the main line, with Ne6 and came up with this move
instead, which clamps down on the black queenside. The move looked 
interesting to me during the game, but now I don't like it anymore; it's 
probably just too slow. Aus irgendeinem Grund entschied ich mich gegen das
Hauptabspiel mit Ne6 und kam stattdessen auf diesen Zug, welcher den 
schwarzen Damenflügel einschnürt. Während der Partie sah mir der Zug 
interessant aus, aber jetzt gefällt er mir nicht mehr; wahrscheinlich ist 
er einfach zu langsam.} 13. ... Ne8 {Ivanchuk came up with this 
interesting move after about half an hour. Nh5 was also possible, with the
same plan of rounding up the e6 pawn with Bf6 and Ng7. Nach etwa einer 
halben Stunde verfiel Ivanchuk auf diesen interessanten Zug. Nh5 war 
ebenfalls möglich, mit dem gleichen Plan, den e6-Bauern mit Bf6 und Ng7 
einzukreisen.} 14. Be3!? ( 14. c5!? {was another option I considered quite
seriously, but I didn't really believe that Black could not be doing fine 
after war eine andere Option, die ich recht ernst in Betracht zog, aber 
ich konnte nicht wirklich glauben, dass Schwarz nach} 14. ... dxc5 15. Be3
Bh6! ( 15. ... b6 16. Ne6 Bxe6 17. dxe6 {with excellent compensation mit 
ausgezeichneter Kompensation} 17. ... Qxd1 18. Raxd1 Nd6 19. a4 Rf6 20. 
Nd5 Nxd5 21. exd5 ) 16. Nf7+ Rxf7 17. Bxh6 ~ {nicht ordentlich stehen 
würde.} ) ( 14. Ne6 Bxe6 15. dxe6 Qc8 16. Be3 Qxe6 17. c5 {could also be 
considered, with some compensation. war auch zu überlegen, mit einiger 
Kompensation.} ) 14. ... Bf6 ( 14. ... f4 15. Bf2 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Qxg5 17. 
c5 {gives White the initiative and quite reasonable compensation. gibt 
Weiß die Initiative und ganz vernünftige Kompensation.} ) 15. Ne6 Bxe6 16.
 dxe6 Ng7! {I think that this is the strongest. Ich denke, das ist am 
stärksten.} ( 16. ... f4 17. Bf2 Ng7 18. c5 {was also possible of course, 
but here White has the initiative instead of Black, which is the most 
important factor here. war natürlich ebenfalls möglich, aber dann hat Weiß
die Initiative und nicht Schwarz, was hier der wichtigste Faktor ist.} ) 
17. Bh6 {Clearly the best, as Black's prospect improves a lot when he 
doesn't have to play f4, closing the centre and burying the black bishop. 
Eindeutig am besten, den die schwarzen Aussichten verbessern sich 
deutlich, wenn er nicht f4 spielen muss, was das Zentrum schließt und den 
schwarzfeldrigen Läufer begräbt.} 17. ... Nxe6 {The logical follow-up. Die
logische Folge.} ( 17. ... Ng8 18. Bxg7+ Bxg7 19. c5! dxc5 20. Qb3 {looks 
good for White, but sieht gut aus für Weiß, aber} ) ( 17. ... b6!? {was an
interesting option, even if hardly stronger than the text. war eine 
interessante Möglichkeit, wenngleich kaum stärker als der Text.} ) 18. 
Bxf8 Qxf8 D {Here's a trickier case. Black has a pawn for
the exchange and in addition White's bishop is
blocked in by its own pawns, leaving him with
almost no dark-square control. Moreover, there
is no immediate prospect of White opening a file
for his rooks. Objectively, the position is equal.} 19. c5! {I think this 
is basically the only move, as the highest priority is to activate the 
bishop. Meines Erachtens ist dies im Grunde der einzige Zug, denn die 
höchste Prioriät besteht darin, den Läufer zu aktivieren.

-----------------------

Carlsen decides to offer a second pawn in order
to free his bishop. This is a good decision,
as otherwise Black could play ... Nc5, blocking
the pawn, and then slowly prepare an attack by
advancing his kingside pawns. As before, it's
essential for White to undertake positive action;
waiting would simply allow Black to improve
his position without hindrance.} 19. ... Nxc5 {After this the knight will 
be slightly sidelined. Nach wird der Springer leicht im Abseits stehen.} (
19. ... dxc5 {was probably better. I intended to continue war womöglich 
besser. Ich wollte fortsetzen mit} 20. Qd7 ( 20. Bc4 Nd4 ~ {was also 
possible. was also possible.} ) 20. ... Qc8 ( 20. ... Nd4 21. Qxc7 Nc2 22.
 Qxb7 {is somewhat better for White. ist etwas besser für Weiß.} ) 21. 
Qxc8+ Rxc8 22. Bc4 {with an about equal ending. mit einem etwa 
ausgeglichenen Endspiel.} ) 20. Bc4 {Now the bishop is activated, and the 
knight, even if quite nicely placed on c5, has few active prospects. Nun 
ist der Läufer aktiviert, und der Springer, auch wenn er auf c5 ganz nett 
steht, hat wenig aktive Aussichten.

At the cost of a pawn, White's bishop has become
active and bears down on Black's position.
In partiCUlar, the c5-knight cannot easily switch
to the kingside since e6 is covered by the bishop.} 20. ... Bg5! 21. Qe2! 
Qh6 22. Rad1 {I am just in time the prevent the further activation of the 
black bishop. Now that everything has calmed down we can take stock and 
say that the position is about equal, as neither side can actually do 
much. The knight on c5 stops most of the plans White might have of 
attacking the c7-pawn, while it's hard to believe that Black could really 
think of mating White here, and advancing the centre with c6 and d5 
doesn't seem very realistic either. Ich komme gerade rechtzeitig, um die 
weitere Aktivierung des schwarzen Läufers zu verhindern. Nun, da sich 
alles beruhigt hat, können wir Bilanz ziehen und sagen, dass die Stellung 
ungefähr gleich ist, da eigentlich keine Seite viel unternehmen kann. Der 
Springer auf c5 stoppt die meisten Pläne von Weiß für einen möglichen 
Angriff auf den Bauern c7, während es schwer zu glauben ist, dass Schwarz 
wirklich daran denken könnte, Weiß mattzusetzen; und das Zentrum mit c6 
und d5 in Bewegung zu setzen, scheint auch nicht besonders realistisch.


It's important not to allow Black's bishop to
become active at e3 or d2. The inactivity of
this bishop is the main defect of Black's position,
and if this problem could be solved, Black
would have a clear advantage.} 22. ... Rf8 23. a4?! {I was not quite sure 
if including a4 and b6 was a good idea, as the a4-pawn will require 
constant attention now, but it has to be said that b6 is also quite a 
concession here, as it gives up any dream of ever advancing the pawn 
centre, and therefore leaves Black with few active possibilities. Ich war 
nicht ganz sicher, ob der Einschub von a4 und b6 eine gute Idee war, denn 
der a4-Bauer wird nun ständiger Aufmerksamkeit bedürfen; andererseits ist 
zu sagen, dass auch b6 ein ganz schönes Zugeständnis darstellt, da es 
jeden Traum aufgibt, jemals das Bauernzentrum vorzurücken und daher 
Schwarz nur wenige aktive Möglichkeiten belässt.} ( 23. Nd5!? ) 23. ... b6
{Black seeks to prevent as followed by b6,
which would undermine the d6-pawn.} 24. g3 {Denying the bishop squares, 
and preparing
Kg2 to consolidate White's kingside position.} 24. ... Qh3 {An annoying 
move, I am not allowed to play Kg2, which would improve the harmony in my 
position. Ein lästiger Zug, ich komme nicht zu Kg2, was die Harmonie in 
meiner Stellung verbessern würde.} 25. Qg2 Qh6 26. Qe2 Qh3 {It could be 
that Ivanchuk wanted to just repeat moves to gain some time, but I 
actually think he was happy to repeat moves here since the position is 
equal and a draw would suit him well. Es könnte sein, dass Ivanchuk 
einfach die Züge wiederholen wollte, um etwas Zeit zu gewinnen, aber 
eigentlich glaube ich, dass er hier mit der Zugwiederholung zufrieden war,
da die Stellung ausgeglichen ist und ihm ein Remis gut passen würde.} 27. 
Kh1 {Well, I didn't rate my chances all that highly, but I just didn't 
want to make a draw yet. Nun, ich schätzte meine Chancen keinesfalls so 
hoch ein, aber ich wollte einfach noch kein Remis machen.


Playing for the win.} 27. ... Nd7?! {I don't really like this move. Better
was probably just Dieser Zug gefällt mir eigentlich nicht. Besser war 
vermutlich einfach


The start of a poor plan involving the transfer
of this knight to the kingside. It's unlikely that
Black's attack will be strong enough to force
mate, and removing the knight leaves Black's
queenside vulnerable. 27 ..... Qh6 or 27 ... Qh5 is
better, maintaining equality.} ( 27. ... Qh6 28. Kg2 Kg7 {with equality. 
mit Ausgleich.} ) 28. Ra1! D {I believe that the rook is a little better 
placed on a2 than on d1, as it can now support a5, and also go to c2 in 
some lines. Ich glaube, der Turm steht auf a2 einen Tick besser als auch 
d1, denn jetzt kann er a5 unterstützen und auch in manchen Abspielen nach 
c2 gehen.


Transferring the rook to a2 is an excellent
plan, since it is useful defensively along the
second rank and supports a possible as.} 28. ... Qh6 29. Ra2 ( 29. Nd5 
Nxd5 30. Bxd5 Bd2 {is certainly not something I should allow. ist sicher 
nichts, was ich zulassen sollte.} ) 29. ... Nf6?! {This is simply the 
wrong direction... There was still not much wrong with the black position 
after Nc5. Das ist einfach die falsche Richtung... Nach Nc5 war an der 
schwarzen Stellung noch immer nicht viel auszusetzen.} ( 29. ... Nc5 30. 
Kg2 Kg7 31. a5 ) 30. Kg2? {30. Be6!  is more accurate.} ( 30. Be6 Nh5 31. 
Kg1 Ng7 32. Bb3 Qh3 ) 30. ... Nh5?! ( 30. ... Nd7 ) ( 30. ... f4! {when
after} 31. Be6 fxg3 32. hxg3 Nh5 33. Bg4 Nxg3 34. Kxg3 Bf4+ 35. Kg2 Qh2+ 
36. Kf1 Qh1+ {Black forces a draw.} ) 31. Nd5 Nxd5 32. Bxd5 {Now White is 
definitely better. Nun steht Weiß definitiv besser.

White is clearly better. Black's attack is not
dangerous and White has good queenside play
by a5 or by attacking the c-pawn with Rc2.} 32. ... Bf4 {This was his 
idea, but it's really hard to believe that this could ever work. Das war 
seine Idee, aber es fällt schwer zu glauben, dass dies jemals 
funktionieren könnte.} 33. Qf2 fxe4 34. Bxe4 Qg5 35. Rc2 d5? {Now the 
black position is completely ruined. Damit ist die schwarze Stellung 
komplett ruiniert.


This tactic opens the position and allows
White's rooks to break out. 35 ... Rf7 is better, although
after 36 .Bb7 White can easily improve
his position by, for example, l:te4 or .i.c8-g4.} ( 35. ... Rf7 36. Bb7! {
intending Bc8-g4 gives White a clear edge, but certainly nothing decisive.
mit der Absicht Bc8-g4 gibt Weiß ein klares Plus, aber gewiss nichts 
Entscheidendes.} 36. ... Re7 37. Bc6 ) 36. Bxd5 Bxg3 37. hxg3 Nf4+ 38. Kf1
Nxd5 39. Rce2! {I really don't know what Ivanchuk missed, as all this 
seems forced. Anyway, the conclusion is clear: the black position is 
falling apart. Ich weiß wirklich nicht, was Ivanchuk übersehen hat, da all
dies forciert erscheint. Jedenfalls, das Fazit ist klar. Die schwarze 
Stellung fällt auseinander.

The e-pawn is doomed after 39 ... .Rf5 40 g4
or 39 ... .Re8 40 f4.} 39. ... Qf6 ( 39. ... Rf5 40. g4 {or oder} ) ( 
39. ... Re8 40. f4 {doesn't help either. hilft auch nicht.} ) 40. Rxe5 
Qxf3 {This loses quickly, but Black was lost anyway. Dies verliert 
schnell, doch Schwarz war sowieso verloren.} 41. Qxf3 Rxf3+ 42. Ke2 Rf5 
43. Rxf5 gxf5 44. Kd3 c5 45. Re5 Nb4+ 46. Kd2 {Black resigned as his pawns
are falling and the knight as cut off from the game. An interesting game, 
which unfortunately was marred by Ivanchuk's self-destruction after move 
30. Interestingly, but maybe not too surprisingly, this game turned out to
be the decisive one in the tournament, as I ended up winning one point 
ahead of Ivanchuk, who made a great comeback and ended up on +3. Schwarz 
gab auf, denn seine Bauern fallen, und der Springer ist vom Spiel 
abgeschnitten. Eine interessante Partie, die leider durch Ivanchuks 
Selbstzerstörung nach Zug 30 getrübt wurde. Vielleicht nicht allzu 
überraschend erwies sich diese Begegnung als die entscheidende des 
Turniers, denn ich gewann am Ende einen Punkt vor Ivanchuk, der ein großes
Comeback startete und auf +3 landete.} 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess Middlegames"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.07.29"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rook vs Two Minor Pieces"]
[Black "Page 26"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.29"]

{Two minor pieces are generally worth more
than a rook in all phases of the game. In the
middlegame, two minor pieces are worth more
than a rook and a pawn in the great majority of
cases, whereas in the endgame they are more or
less balanced. In almost any situation, the two
bishops are worth more than other minor-piece
combinations. The key difference between the
middlegame and the endgame is that the attacking
chances provided by the two minor pieces
are only relevant in the middlegame, and are especially
valuable when queens are still on the
board. Moreover, as the game progresses, files
tend to be opened, which enhances the power of
the rooks.} 
*

[Event "Dresden ol (Men) 38th"]
[Site "Dresden GER"]
[Date "2008.11.23"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Cheparinov, Ivan"]
[Black "Vallejo Pons, Francisco"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2696"]
[BlackElo "2664"]
[ECO "C11m"]
[EventDate "2008.11.13"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 8.
 Nxd4 Qb6 9. Qd2 Qxb2 10. Rb1 Qa3 11. Bb5 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 a6 13. Rb3 Qe7 14.
 O-O axb5 15. Nxb5 Qd8 16. Qc3 Qa5 17. Nc7+ Kd8 18. Nxa8 Qxa8 D {Black has
two minor pieces for a rook, but
his development is poor and his king is somewhat
exposed to attack. However, by activating
his pieces, even at the cost of a pawn or two,
Black is able to gain the advantage.} 19. f5 b6 {Both freeing the 
c8-bishop and allowing the
f8 - bishop to be developed to c5.} 20. fxe6 ( 20. Bxb6+ Nxb6 21. Rxb6 Qa3
{is very good
for Black.} ) 20. ... fxe6 21. Qe3 Qc6 22. Rc3 Bc5! 23. Rf7 Ba6 24. Bxc5 
bxc5 25. Qg5+ Kc8 26. Qxg7 Rd8 27. Qxh7 d4 28. Rg3 c4 29. Rf1 Qc5 30. Kh1 
Qxe5 31. Rg8 Bb7 32. Rxd8+ Kxd8 33. Qh4+ Kc7 34. Re1 Qg7 35. Qf2 e5 36. 
Qe2 Bc6 37. a4 c3 38. a5 e4 39. Rd1 Nc5 40. a6 e3 41. Qf1 Ne6 42. Rb1 e2 
43. Qf2 ( 43. Qxe2 Nf4 ) 43. ... Qg4 44. Qf7+ Kd6 45. Qf2 Kc5 ( 45. ... d3
46. cxd3 c2 47. Rc1 Qg5 ) 46. Qg3 Qxg3 47. hxg3 d3 48. cxd3 c2 49. Rc1 Kd4
50. Kg1 Ke3 0-1

[Event "52. It"]
[Site "Reggio Emilia ITA"]
[Date "2009.12.28"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Bologan, Viktor"]
[Black "Caruana, F"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2692"]
[BlackElo "2652"]
[ECO "C78m"]
[EventDate "2009.12.28"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. a4 Rb8 8.
 c3 d6 9. d4 Bb6 10. a5 Ba7 11. h3 O-O 12. Be3 Ra8 13. Re1 Bb7 14. Nbd2 
exd4 15. cxd4 Nb4 16. Bg5 h6 17. Bh4 Nd3 18. Re3 Nf4 19. e5 dxe5 20. dxe5 
Bxe3 21. fxe3 Ng6 22. exf6 Nxh4 23. Nxh4 Qxf6 24. Nhf3 c5 25. Qc2 D {Once 
again two minor pieces face a rook
and a pawn, but this case is very different. First
of all, White has the two knights, which is the
worst pair of minor pieces in a position like
this, which is open and does not provide support-
points for the knights. Secondly, the position
is tailor-made for Black's rooks, with both
the e-file and especially the open d-file offering
attractive posts. Thirdly, White's attacking
chances are non-existent. These factors more
than balance the advantage conferred by the
two minor pieces in the middlegame, and the
position is slightly better for Black. However,
White is far from lost; a crucial factor is whether
his bishop can develop any activity.} 25. ... c4 26. Ba2 Rad8 27. Re1 Rfe8
?! {This slight inaccuracy gives White the chance
to develop more activity than was really necessary.} ( 27. ... Rd3 28. Bb1
Rfd8 29. Qc1 R3d7 {retains
an edge.} ) 28. e4?! {White slips up in return. He intends to activate
his bishop by playing b3, but he can't do
this at once since 28 b3? loses to 28 ... c3 followed
by ...Bxf3. Therefore White first blocks
off the b7-bishop, but this plan fails tactically.
White should give up on the idea of opening the
a2-g8 diagonal and instead switch the bishop to
the parallel bl-h7 diagonal by} ( 28. Bb1! g6 ( 28. ... Rd3 29. b3 Bxf3 
30. Nxf3 Rxb3 31. Qh7+ Kf8 32. Nd4 Rb2 33. Be4! {provides White with 
enough activity to
maintain the balance} ) 29. e4 Re6 30. e5 ) 28. ... Rd3 29. b3? {The 
logical follow-up to White's previous
move, but 29 Bb1 is still the correct idea, although
it is less effective than a move earlier as
the e4-pawn blocks the diagonal to h7.} 29. ... Red8 30. Nf1 ( 30. bxc4 {
is no better because Black has a very
strong attack after} 30. ... Rc3 31. Qb2 Rxf3 32. e5 Qg5 33. Nxf3 Bxf3 {
threatening  Rd2} ) 30. ... Rc3 31. Qb1 D Rdd3 32. bxc4 Rxf3! {This 
refutes White's plan since his poorly
coordinated and offside pieces are unable to
cope with Black's threats.} 33. gxf3 Rxf3 {Threatening 34 ... Qg5+ 
followed by ...Rf2.} 34. Re2 Rxh3? ( 34. ... Qg5+! {is correct. After} 35.
 Rg2 ( 35. Kh2 Bc8 36. Rg2 Qf4+ {wins for Black)} ) 35. ... Qc5+ 36. Kh2 
Bc8 37. Ng3 Bxh3! 38. Rg1 Bg4 {threatening 39 ... Rf2+ 40 Rg2 Bf3} 39. Rg2
h5 {followed by ... h4 Black has a decisive attack.} ) 35. Qe1?! ( 35. Qb2
! {offers better defensive chances.} ) 35. ... bxc4? ( 35. ... b4! 36. Bb1
Rf3 37. Ng3 g6 {intending
... h5-h4, gives Black unpleasant pressure.} ) 36. Bb1? {The obvious 36 
.Bxc4 offers White excellent
drawing chances.} 36. ... c3 {Now Black again has a definite advantage.} 
37. Re3 Qg5+ 38. Ng3?? ( 38. Kf2 {keeps White in the game} ) 38. ... h5 
39. Kg2 Qg4 40. Rxc3 h4 41. Rb3 hxg3 0-1

[Event "RUS Ch Higher League 62nd"]
[Site "Ulan Ude"]
[Date "2009.09.04"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Kokarev, Dmitry"]
[Black "Najer, Evgeniy"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2630"]
[BlackElo "2681"]
[ECO "B96l"]
[EventDate "2009.09.02"]

{3  Piece for Three Pawns} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nbd7 
8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O b5 10. Bd3 Bb7 11. Rhe1 Qb6 12. Nd5 Qxd4 13. Bxf6 gxf6
14. Bxb5 Qc5 15. Nxf6+ Kd8 16. Nxd7 Qxb5 17. Nxf8 Rxf8 18. Qa3 Ke8 19. 
Qxd6 D {This is a theoretical position arising from a
piece sacrifice in the Najdorf Sicilian. White has
three pawns for the piece, but they are not very
far-advanced. In general, three such pawns do
not provide enough compensation for a piece in
the middlegame unless there are other factors
involved. In this case Black's king is exposed
and his f8-rook is out of play, and this tips the
balance slightly in White's favour.} 19. ... Rc8?! {This is an inaccuracy 
because it commits the
rook too soon.} ( 19. ... Qc6 20. Qd2 Qc7! {is a
better defence, threatening ... .Rd8.} ) 20. Re3 {Threatening to win at 
once by 21. Rc3. The
reply is forced.} 20. ... Qc6 21. Qd2 Qc7 22. Rc3 Qe7 23. Rxc8+ Bxc8 {The 
exchange of rooks helps White, because
Black is left with the inactive rook on f8.} 24. Qc3 Qb7 25. Rd4 Bd7 26. 
b3 {When you have three pawns for a piece, it's
important not to create any weaknesses which
give the side with the piece a target to attack.
Unless the pawns are already far-advanced, they
should be advanced cautiously, making sure not
to create unnecessary weaknesses.} 26. ... f6 27. a4 Kf7 28. Qd3 Ke7 29. 
e5 {Black's king is never really safe. Here White
exploits the weak h-pawn.} 29. ... f5? {This allows White to play g4-g5, 
which
greatly improves his chances in an ending because
he can make an outside passed pawn on
the kingside.} ( 29. ... fxe5 30. Qxh7+ Rf7 31. Qh4+ Ke8 32. Qh8+ Ke7 33. 
Qxe5 Qxg2 {is better,
when although White still has an advantage, at
least there are chances for counterplay.} ) 30. g4! D Ke8 ( 30. ... fxg4 
31. Qxh7+ Rf7 32. Qh4+ Kf8 33. Kb2! {with Qxg4 or Rd6 to come, gives White
a decisive advantage, so Black must allow the
pawn to advance further} ) 31. g5 {Black is lost. He still has no 
counterplay since
White's king is safe and his pawns are all secure.
The result is that Black cannot do anything to
stop White improving his position, for example
by playing .1:.d6 and targeting the weak a-pawn} 31. ... Rf7 32. Rd6 Qb4 
33. Qd2 {Defending f4 and offering a queen swap. If
Black declines, White can easily make progress
by, for example, Kb2, as an Rb6} 33. ... Qxd2+ 34. Kxd2 Bc8 35. h4 h5 {
This prevents the further advance of the hpawn,
but gives White a protected passed pawn.} 36. b4 Rb7 37. c3 Ke7 {Now White
has a decisive liquidation, but
the position was lost in any case.} 38. Rxa6 Rd7+ 39. Rd6 Rxd6+ 40. exd6+ 
Kxd6 41. b5 e5 42. fxe5+ Kxe5 43. a5 Kd6 44. a6 Kc7 45. Ke3 Bd7 46. c4 Kb6
47. g6 Be6 48. c5+ Kxb5 49. a7 1-0

[Event "Bucharest"]
[Site "Bucharest ROU"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Damjanovic, Vladimir"]
[Black "Nevednichy, Vladislav"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2440"]
[BlackElo "2505"]
[ECO "B66j"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 
8. O-O-O h6 9. Be3 Qc7 10. f4 Bd7 11. Kb1 b5 12. Bxb5 axb5 13. Ndxb5 Qb8 
14. Nxd6+ Bxd6 15. Qxd6 Qxd6 16. Rxd6 D {Another position resulting from a
Sicilian
piece sacrifice, but this is more favourable for
Black than the previous example. The first point
is that the queens have been exchanged, so Black
has little to fear regarding his king. Secondly,
Black's kingside pawn-structure is intact, while
White must watch out as his e4-pawn is slightly
weak (indeed, White would prefer his f-pawn to
be on f3, which would solidify his centre and
give Black fewer possibilities for counterplay).
Nevertheless, the power of the three connected
queenside pawns should not be underestimated
even if they are all currently on the second rank,
and the position is roughly level.} 16. ... Ne7 {Black intends to target 
the e4-pawn with
... i.c6 and therefore positions his knights so as
to occupy dS if White plays e5.} 17. Rhd1 Bc6 18. Bb6 Nd7 ( 18. ... O-O?? 
{is impossible due to} 19. Bd8 {so
Black must meet the mate threat by retreating
his knight.} ) 19. Bf2 Rc8 {White's pieces are actively placed and
there's no obvious way to improve their position,
so it's time to start pushing the queenside
pawns.} 20. a4 Nf6 21. Bh4?! {The point of this move is that it indirectly
defends
the e4-pawn (} 21. ... Rg8! ( 21. ... Nxe4 22. Rxc6 ) ( 21. ... Bxe4 22. 
Bxf6 {both win for White). However,
it gives Black the perfect opportunity to
solve his main problem, the inactive h8-rook,
by playing ...Rg8 and ... g5. 21 R6d4 is a better way of defending the 
e4-pawn and maintains
the balance.} ) 22. Bxf6 {Rather than see his kingside pawns broken
up by ... g5, White exchanges his bishop, but
this opens a file for the enemy rook.} 22. ... gxf6 23. g3 f5 {By 
undermining the e4-pawn, Black gains
squares in the centre for his pieces.} 24. e5 Nd5 25. Nxd5?! {This makes 
things easier for Black. Now his
bishop reaches e4, which will tie White down
to the defence of the c2-pawn, while he can
bring the g8-rook into play by ... h5-h4. 25 Nb5
offers better chances.} 25. ... Bxd5 26. b3 Be4 D 27. R6d2 h5 28. Kb2 h4 
29. Rg1 ( 29. gxh4 Rg4 30. Rf2 Rxh4 31. a5 Rh3 {with
... Rhc3 to come, is also good for Black} ) 29. ... Ke7 {Now that White's 
rooks are not doubled on
the d-file, Black can clear the back rank and
bring his g8-rook into play.} 30. c4 Rcd8 31. Rxd8 Rxd8 32. Kc3? {This 
loses straight away as Black can secure
a passed h-pawn. Although White is on the defensive,
he still has drawing chances after the
best defence 32 gxh4. One line is} ( 32. gxh4 Rd2+ 33. Kc3 Rd3+ 34. Kb4 
Rf3 35. a5 Rxf4 36. h5 Rh4 37. a6 f4 38. Kc3 f3 39. b4 Rxh5 40. Kd4 Ba8 
41. b5 Rxh2 42. b6 Rb2 43. b7 Bxb7 44. axb7 Rxb7 45. Rf1 {and now it is a 
clear draw.} ) 32. ... Rd3+ 33. Kb4 h3 34. a5 Rd2 35. a6 Rxh2 36. Ra1 Rg2 
37. Kb5 Rxg3 38. a7 h2 39. a8=Q Bxa8 40. Ra7+ Bb7 41. Rxb7+ Kf8 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess Middlegames"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.07.30"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Strategy"]
[Black "Page 48"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.30"]

{Middlegame play is often considered to fall into two categories: tactics 
and strategy. Tactics
deals with short-term, forcing play and most standard combinations, such 
as those based on forks
and pins, fall into this category. I do not deal with the basic 
combination types in this book, since
this would only repeat material covered in my earlier Learn Chess Tactics 
(Gambit, 2004). Strategy
is the part of chess involving long-term aims; for example, most decisions
about changes in
the pawn-structure and the desirability of piece exchanges are strategic 
in nature. Strategy and
tactics are by no means exclusive and in practice they are often 
interwoven, with tactics being
used to gain a strategic advantage or strategy being justified by a 
tactical point.
</br>

The concept of a plan is central to chess strategy. Beginners tend to move
their pieces around
aimlessly and look only for opportunities to win material or threaten 
mate. More advanced players
don't drop pieces or unnecessarily allow mate, so how should you play 
against such opponents
when no tactics are available? The answer is to create a plan, which 
generally involves identifying a
way in which the position may be changed in your favour, and a method of 
bringing about that
change. If, for example, you have a 3 vs 2 pawn-majority on the queenside,
the target might be to
create a passed pawn, and the details of the plan will involve the method 
of advancing the pawns so
as to create that passed pawn. The target may not necessarily be 
positional; it could be an attack on
the enemy king, in which case the details of the plan will involve 
bringing pieces to bear on the enemy
king position. Other typical plans are to exchange an inactive piece for 
an active one, to force a
weakness in the enemy position by a pawn advance, or to gain greater 
control of the centre. All
these plans are positive in nature, but negative plans, in which you try 
to prevent your opponent
from achieving something, are just as important. In practice, many plans 
are a combination of
both types: you try to achieve your own ambitions while attempting to 
frustrate your opponent's.
Malakhatko-Volokitin (page 50) is a good example of this situation, since 
Black has to prevent a
dangerous f4 advance by White while trying to dominate the kingside dark 
squares. A knowledge
of typical plans based on central pawn-structures is very helpful, and in 
Miroshnichenko-Safarli
(page 51), White was able to adapt a characteristic Modem Benoni plan.
</br>

Not being able to think of a plan is a common reason for purposeless play.
A good tip is that if
you can't think of a way to improve your own position, you should instead 
try to anticipate and prevent
your opponent's plans. Players with an attacking frame of mind may find 
such negative tactics
difficult, but you can't have an advantage in every game and if you don't 
have an advantage it may
not be possible to find a positive plan. Yusupov-Nunn (page 52) is an 
example ofthis type of thinking.
At any rate, you shouldn't adopt a plan that actually makes your position 
worse. It's easy to do
this if you mistakenly believe you have the advantage, as in Giri-Kariakin
(page 53).
All other things being equal, control of the centre confers an almost 
automatic advantage. Movsesian-
Panarin (page 54) shows that total central domination may be worth the 
sacrifice of some
material, in this case the exchange. Even a single extra central pawn can 
confer an advantage,
Anand-Svidler (page 55) being a typical example. Black has a queenside 
majority to balance White's
e-pawn, but in the middlegame an extra central pawn is often more valuable
than one on the queenside,
and here Anand's better pawn-structure allowed him to launch a dangerous 
kingside attack.
Earlier I mentioned that many plans are based on improving the position of
a piece. SvetushkinWang
Vue (page 56) is typical. Black identified his most passively placed piece
and worked to
bring it to a more effective square. It's sometimes possible to activate 
your own minor pieces while
restricting those of the opponent. Anand-Leko (page 57) is a perfect 
example, in which the advance
c4-c5 not only buried Black's bishop on b7, but also cleared the c4-square
for White's minor
pieces. Anand exploited this by playing first his knight to c4, and later 
his bishop, setting up a
deadly attack against f7.
</br>
Controlling more space is generally an advantage, especially if there are 
still many pieces on the
board. The extra space allows one's pieces more freedom to manoeuvre and 
switch from one part of
the board to another. Vitiugov-Ganguly (page 58) is an extreme example. 
The centre is blocked and
White has more space across virtually the whole width of the board. When 
White launched a
kingside attack, Black was left with one bishop totally out of play on the
queenside and the attack
crashed through. Even in positions without a blocked centre, a space 
advantage can still prove an
asset, although the advantage is likely to be temporary. Almasi-Macieja 
(page 59) is an example of
exploiting a space advantage in an open position to launch a quick attack 
on the enemy king.
In some positions it may be difficult to realize an advantage because, for
example, the position is
blocked, or all potential targets are defended. Then it may be necessary 
to manoeuvre, that is to improve
one's position bit by bit. Manoeuvring is usually not based on a single 
plan, because flexibility
is important, but it often involves playing in at least two parts of the 
board. Nunn - Milner-Barry
(page 60) is a good example, in which White played on both kingside and 
queenside, gradually
making progress until Black's defence cracked. Gelfand-Wang Yue (page 61) 
is a more sophisticated
case in which White forced an apparently insignificant queenside weakness 
before returning to
the kingside. In the end, the queenside weakness played a crucial role in 
securing victory.

</br>
The next section deals with liquidation to an endgame. There can be 
various motivations for this,
but one of the most common is to defuse an enemy attack on the king. In 
Westerinen-Hort (page
62), Black used a tactical sequence to force a queen exchange, giving 
Black the advantage thanks to
his two bishops. Bologan-Bauer (page 63) is slightly different; here White
stood to gain from a general liquidation
since he could penetrate with his rook into Black's position.
In some middlegames, play becomes focused in a narrow area of the board, 
and then it's easy to
forget that the rest of the board exists. Grishchuk-Ivanchuk (page 64) is 
an interesting example in
which everything apparently revolves around Black's kingside pressure 
along the g-file. However,
White made a mistake allowing Black to sacrifice a pawn to penetrate with 
his queen via the square
a3, and the sudden change of direction proved too much for White. 
Petrosian-Larsen (page 65) is a
classic example of play across the whole board.
</br>
The minority attack is a strategy which occurs most often in queen's pawn 
openings where
White's c-pawn has been exchanged for Black's e-pawn. It involves White 
advancing his a- and bpawns
against Black's pawns on a7, b7 and c6 (two pawns against three, hence the
name). After
White plays a4 and b5, Black usually has a choice between allowing the 
exchange bxc6 bxc6, leaving
him with a backward c-pawn, or meeting b5 by ... c5 or ... cxb5, both of 
which will generally
leave his d-pawn isolated. Van Wely-Short (page 66) provides a model 
example of the minority attack.
Black ended up with a weak c6-pawn and was reduced to a passive defence 
which eventually
cracked under White's mounting pressure. At one time the minority attack 
was greatly feared, but
although it is still regarded with respect, standard methods that can 
limit its impact are now wellknown.
Firstly, Black may simply ignore the attack and launch a counter-attack 
against the white
kingside. Secondly, Black may meet b4 with ... b5. This leaves the c6-pawn
backward, but this may
not matter if Black can follow up by ... Nd7-b6-c4, blocking the half-open
c-file. Finally, Black can
play ... b6, meeting b5 with ... c5 and thus avoiding the isolated pawn 
after an exchange on c5. This
was Black's strategy in Timman-Short (page 67), and it proved very 
effective since Black's hanging
pawns were balanced by his active pieces.


The next section deals with inferior positions, and the examples here 
demonstrate two of the
main defensive themes: liquidation and the search for counterplay. The 
player with the advantage
has a much easier time of it when he has total control, and even a small 
amount of counterplay may
be enough to distract him from the smooth exploitation of his advantage. 
In Nielsen-Caruana (page
68), Black held an inferior position by developing counterplay while 
aiming for judicious piece exchanges.
Carlsen-Gashimov (page 69) features another unpleasant position, but Black
showed how
important it is for the defender to be flexible and adapt his strategy to 
the attacker's play, always
taking advantage of any possibility to move pieces to more active squares 
or drum up counterplay.
After a long period of careful defence, Gashimov was able to secure the 
half-point.} 
*

[Event "UKR Ch 73rd"]
[Site "Kharkov UKR"]
[Date "2004.08.26"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Malakhatko, Vadim"]
[Black "Volokitin, Andrei"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2555"]
[BlackElo "2638"]
[ECO "E32t"]
[EventDate "2004.08.03"]
[Annotator "Golod,V"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 7. Bg5 Bb7
8. e3 d6 9. Ne2 Nbd7 10. Qd3 ( {Nowadays,less popular is:} 10. Qc2 {You 
can see my annotations to game: Kacheishvili,G-Polgar,J/Batumi,1999/CBM 
74(0-1)(33)} ) 10. ... c5!? {Relatively new continuation,that was used 
first time in last year, but without especial success.} ( {The main 
alternative continuation is:} 10. ... Ba6 {You can see my comments to 
Berkes,F-Beliavsky,A/Paks,2004/CBM 102(1/2-1/2) (28)} ) 11. Nc3 {Most 
logical reaction.White continues to develop his pieces and want to proceed
his pawn to "d5".} 11. ... Qe7 12. Rd1 Rfd8 13. d5 {><Bb7} 13. ... Ne5 14.
 Qc2 h6 ( {Too passive is:} 14. ... exd5 15. Nxd5 Bxd5 16. Rxd5 h6 17. 
Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Be2 += {Holemar,D-Vyskocil,N/Brno,2004(1/2-1/2)(54)} ) 15. 
Bh4 Ng6 ( 15. ... exd5 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Rxd5 Qe6 {
/\b5(><Rd5) In comparison with 14...exd5,Black has earned an extra 
tempo,but White still better there.} ) 16. Bg3 exd5!? ( {Usually the 
games,which have reached this position were continued as follows:} 16. ...
 Nh5!? 17. Be2 Nxg3 18. hxg3 a6!? ( 18. ... exd5 $143 19. Nxd5 += {You can
see comments to Gurevich,M-Mchedlishvili,M/Istanbul 2003/CBM 
96(1-0)(Gurevich,M)(68)} ( {After:} 19. cxd5 {with rearrangement of moves 
we receive a position from a game.} ) ) 19. O-O Rdb8 20. a4 e5 21. Bd3 Nf8
22. g4 Qh4 =, quiet {Sokolov,I-Sokolov,A/Clermont-Ferrand,2003(1-0)} ) 17.
 cxd5 â–³ Nh5 18. Be2 Nxg3 19. hxg3 a6 {/\b5} 20. O-O?! N {Strange 
decision.White allows to his contender to develop activity in the queen 
side.} ( {Better was simply:} 20. a4 Bc8?! ( {Deserves the future check:} 
20. ... Re8!? {/\Rad8,Bc8 /^c8-h3 and things are far away from being clear
there.} ) 21. O-O f5 22. Qd2 Bd7 23. Rb1 += {/\b4 Gurevich,M-Gelashvili,T/
Izmir,2003(1-0)(54)} ) 20. ... b5 {After this move,White has no chances to
progress "b2-b4" and Black takes initiative to his hands.} 21. Rfe1 ( {Too
agressive is:} 21. e4?! Re8 {/\b4 (><Pe4)} ) 21. ... Re8 22. Bf1 {/\f4} 
22. ... Ne5 {Black do not give the contender to limit his knight.} 23. e4 
D {Black has a comfortable position thanks to
White's doubled g-pawns. If the g3-pawn were
on h2, then White could play f4, meeting ... Ng4
with h3, after which a central breakthrough by
e5 would be possible. As it is, f4 is well met by
... Ng4, since it would then be hard to dislodge
the knight from g4. Nevertheless, Black must
find a way to improve his position. The first step
is always to see what your opponent is intending.
Here, given a couple of tempi, White will play
.Be2 followed by f4 and .Bf3, greatly improving
his position. Black must take action against this
plan and he does so by taking the initiative himself
on the kingside.} 23. ... h5! =+ 24. Qd2 {/\Qf4} ( {Completely useless is:
} 24. Be2 $143 h4 25. gxh4 ( 25. f4?! Nd7 ( 25. ... hxg3! 26. fxe5 Qh4 27.
 Bf3 Rxe5 {with two pawns and
a dangerous attack for the piece (the immediate
threat is ... g5-g4). It often happens that the execution
of a strategic plan depends on a tactical
point.} ) 26. gxh4 ( 26. g4? {is refuted by:} 26. ... b4! 27. axb4 cxb4 
28. Na4 Qxe4 29. Qc7 Qe3+ 30. Kh1 â–³ Bxd5! 31. Rxd5 ( 31. Qxd7?? Qh3+ ) 
31. ... Qf2! 32. Rg1 â–³ ( 32. Rdd1 Rxe2 ) 32. ... Ra7 ) 26. ... Qxh4 =+ )
25. ... Qxh4 26. b4 Rac8 {/\g5 =/+} ) ( {Hardly it was better:} 24. f4 Ng4
25. Rd2 Rac8 =+ {/\b4 (><Qc2)} ) 24. ... h4 25. Qf4 {White intends to meet
... hxg3 by Qxg3, when
f4 will again be possible. However, the position
of the queen gives Black the chance to hold up
f4 more or less permanently.} 25. ... g5! {Typical move to such a type of 
positions.Black is taking control over key-point "f4".} 26. Qe3 hxg3 27. 
Qxg3 Qf6 {The prospects for playing f4 become more
and more distant, especially as Black can play
... Ng6. The only real downside to Black's plan
is that it weakens f5, but a knight arriving there (which can only happen 
after several preparatory
moves) can be exchanged by ...Bc8 and
... .Bxf5.} 28. Re3 {Given time, White will play Be2, Rf1 and
again f4. Up to now, Black's play has been defensive,
but now he has the chance to take the
initiative himself.} 28. ... Kf8! {/\Ke7-d7 Black finds the best 
place(><d7) for his king.Only then,he will begin the attack on white's 
king side.

The plan is to move the king to e7 or d7 and
bring the rooks to the kingside, again preventing
f4 and starting a kingside attack of his own.} 29. b4 c4?! {Although it is
a good looking move,it is unaccurate one.No doubt, that Black has a clear 
advantage after:} ( 29. ... cxb4 âŒ“ 30. axb4 Ke7 31. Ne2!? ( 31. Rc1 Rac8
=+ ) 31. ... Rh8 32. Nd4 Rh7 33. Nf5+ Kd7 {/\Rah8->} ) 30. Ne2?! {/\Nd4-f5
White misses his best chance. It was necessary to break a pawns structure 
of Black in the queen side:

Heading for f5. 30 a4 is met by 30 ... g4 31 axb5 Qe7 32 bxa6 .Bxa6 33 b5 
Bc8  followed
by ... Rh8 with a decisive attack.} ( 30. a4! bxa4 ( 30. ... Ke7? 31. axb5
axb5 32. Nxb5 Rh8 33. f3 += {and White still hold an extra pawn,while 
Black's attack still existed,but White still has enough defence resources.
} ) 31. Nxa4 Bc8 {/\Rb8(><Pb4)} 32. Nb6 Rb8 33. Nxc4 Nxc4 34. Bxc4 Rxb4 
35. Bd3 ~ ) 30. ... Ke7 31. Nd4 Rh8 {<->h; ><Kh1} 32. Nf5+ ( {Cannot be 
suggested:} 32. a4 Kd7 33. Nf3 ( 33. axb5 $143 axb5 -/+ 34. Nxb5 â–³ Rh4! 
( 34. ... Qh6? 35. Qh3+ ) 35. f3 Rah8 â†’ ) 33. ... Nxf3+ 34. Rxf3 Qh6 35.
 Qh3+ Ke7 {/\g4} 36. Ra3 Qxh3 37. gxh3 f5! {=/+/-/+} ) 32. ... Kd7 D 33. 
Rc3 {/\Qe3} 33. ... Kc7!? {Black prefers first to defend from all possible
countra-ideas such as Qe3-b6.} ( {Another way to develop the advantage is:
} 33. ... Rh7!? 34. Qe3 Rah8 35. f3 ( {Unexpectedly at once loses a game:}
35. Ng3?? {in view of:} 35. ... Qf4! {/\Qh4 and White should resign there,
because doesn't works:} ( {White still alive after unaccurate move:} 
35. ... Qh6?! 36. f3 =+ ) 36. Qb6? ( 36. Qxf4 âŒ“ gxf4 -+ ) ( 36. Be2? 
Rh1+ 37. Nxh1 Qh2+ 38. Kf1 Qxh1# ) 36. ... Rh1+! 37. Nxh1 Qh2# ) 35. ... 
Qd8 36. Qa7 Qc7 =+ ) 34. Qe3?! ( 34. a4 âŒ“ Bc8 35. Nd4 Bd7 {/\Qh6 ->} ) 
34. ... Bc8 -/+ 35. f3? {35 Ng3 is the only chance, although Black
keeps a large advantage after 35 ... g4 36 Rdc1
Qh4 37 Bd3 Bd7 38 Bc2 Ng6.

--------------

With loss of P White actually loses the whole game.} ( {It was necessary:}
35. Ng3 Ng4 ( 35. ... Qh6!? 36. f3 â–¡ ( 36. Be2?? Qh2+ 37. Kf1 Qh1+ 38. 
Nxh1 Rxh1# ) 36. ... Qh4! 37. Kf2 ( 37. Ne2? Bg4!! {/\38...Bxf3 -+} ) 
37. ... f5 ( 37. ... Bd7!? {/\Raf8,f5 -/+} ) 38. exf5 Bxf5 39. Rd4 g4 40. 
f4 Nd7 {/\Rae8|^} ) 36. Qd4 â–³ Qxd4 ( {everything but not:} 36. ... Qh6??
{in view of:} 37. Bxc4! â†’ ) 37. Rxd4 Ne5 {/\Bd7,Rh4,Rf8 and f5 -/+} ) ( 
{or} 35. Nd4 Ng4 36. Qd2 {/\Rh3 or Bxc4} 36. ... Bd7 ( 36. ... Qxf2+? 37. 
Qxf2 Rh1+ 38. Kxh1 Nxf2+ 39. Kg1 Nxd1 40. Rf3! {><Pf7} 40. ... f5 41. exf5
~ ) 37. Re1 Rh2 38. Rh3 Rh8 â†’ ) 35. ... Bxf5 36. exf5 Qxf5 -+ 37. Rd4 
Qb1?! {Attractive,but not necessary move.

Black makes things unnecessarily tricky.
Simply} ( 37. ... Rh6 âŒ“ -+ {/\Rah8} ) ( 37. ... Qh7 38. Qxg5 f5 39. Kf2 
Rag8 40. Qe3 Qg7 {gives him a winning attack.} ) 38. Qxg5 Rag8 39. Qe7+ ( 
39. Qd2 $143 Rh5 {/\Rgh8} 40. Qd1 Qxd1 41. Rxd1 Ng6 {/\Nf4 or Ne7 (><Pd5) 
-/+/-+} ) ( 39. Qc1?? Qxc1 40. Rxc1 Nxf3+ ) 39. ... Kc8 40. Rd2? {It's 
last mistake in a very difficult position.} ( {The last chance to extend 
the game was:} 40. Rh4! Qd1! {/\Nxf3+} ( 40. ... Rxg2+? 41. Kxg2 Qb2+ ( 
41. ... Rg8+ $143 42. Kf2 Qb2+ 43. Be2 Qxc3 44. Qa7! â‡„â‡„ ) 42. Kh1! ( 
42. Kg3? Rg8+ ) 42. ... Rxh4+ 43. Qxh4 Qxc3 44. Bh3+ Nd7 45. Qf4 -/+ ) ( 
40. ... Qe1? 41. Rhxc4+! ( 41. Rcxc4+ R bxc4 42. Rxc4+ ) 41. ... bxc4 42. 
Rxc4+ Kb8 ( 42. ... Nxc4?? 43. Qxe1 ) 43. Qxd6+ Ka8 â–¡ 44. Qxa6+ Kb8 45. 
Qb6+ Ka8 =, quiet ) 41. Qxd6! ( 41. Rxh8?? Qd4+ 42. Kh2 Rxh8+ 43. Kg3 Qxc3
-+ ) 41. ... Rxh4 42. Qxa6+ Kd8! ( 42. ... Kc7? 43. Qa7+ Kd6 ( 43. ... Kd8
R 44. Qb8+ Kd7 45. Qa7+ Ke8 46. Qb8+ =, quiet ) 44. Qc5+ Kd7 45. Qa7+ Ke8 
46. Qb8+ Kd7 47. Qa7+ =, quiet ) 43. Qf6+ â–¡ ( 43. Qd6+? Nd7 ) ( 43. Qb6+
? Ke7 ) 43. ... Kd7 44. Qxh4 Nxf3+ 45. Rxf3 Qxf3 46. Qd4 Qg3 ( 46. ... 
Qxa3? 47. Qb6 â‡„â‡„ ) 47. Qc5 Rb8 {/\Qd6 -/+/-+} ) 40. ... Rh1+! 41. Kxh1
Qxf1+ 42. Kh2 Rh8+ 43. Kg3 Qe1+ 44. Rf2 Rg8+ {The further resistance is 
impossible.} 0-1

[Event "Moscow op-A 04th"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2008.02.08"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Miroshnichenko, Evgenij"]
[Black "Safarli, Eltaj"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2647"]
[BlackElo "2496"]
[ECO "E15d"]
[EventDate "2008.02.02"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qc2 c5 6. d5 exd5 7. cxd5 g6 8. 
Nc3 Bg7 9. Bg2 O-O 10. O-O d6 11. Re1 b5 12. a3 Nbd7 D {This position 
arose from a Queen's Indian,
but the pawn-structure is the same as in the
Modem Benoni. White has a central pawnmajority,
and his main plan is based on playing
e4-eS. This may be reinforced by pieces, for example
by i.f4, or it may be supported with f4.
Black must try to keep control of eS to prevent
White's advance. At this stage the chances are
roughly balanced.} 13. e4 Ng4 ( 13. ... Qb6 14. h3 Rac8 15. Be3 Qb7 16. 
Bf1! {favours White. He has prevented ... b4 while
Black must worry about  Bf4 or a4.} ) 14. h3 {A perfectly natural plan, 
which allows White
to force through f4 as support for an eventual e5.} 14. ... Nge5 15. Nxe5 
Nxe5 16. f4 Nd7?! {Although this retains control of e5, the
knight is not actively placed on d7.} ( 16. ... Nc4! {is
better, as White cannot play} 17. b3?? ( 17. e5 dxe5 18. b3 Nd6 19. fxe5 
Re8 20. Bf4 g5 {the position is totally unclear.} ) 17. ... Bd4+ 18. Kh2 
Qa5 {wins. The knight on c4
makes it hard for White to develop his c 1-
bishop, so he should probably go in for} ) 17. Be3 {With the knight on d7,
White has no trouble
completing his development.} 17. ... Rc8 18. Kh2 D {White keeps his rook 
on al for the moment,
thereby preventing ... b4 due to the unprotected
bishop on a6. The bishop is not usually placed
here in the analogous line of the Modem Benoni,
and White takes advantage of this factor to hold
up Black's queenside play. Analogies are never
perfect and it's important to check the impact of
any differences.} 18. ... h5? {The natural 18 ... Re8 is much better. 
After
the move played, White can again find the correct
plan by analogy with the Modem Benoni.
In lines of the Benoni involving f4, White often
sacrifices a pawn by means of eS, meeting
...dxeS with fS. The same idea is very effective
here; White clears e4 for his pieces, creates a
passed d-pawn and blocks in the g7-bishop.
Note that 18 ... h5? then proves a serious weakening
of Black's kingside, since after White plays
f5 he will already be threatening to take on g6.} 19. e5! dxe5 20. f5 Qb6 
21. Qf2?! ( 21. d6! Qxd6 22. Rad1 Qe7 23. fxg6 {with a winning attack; for
example,} 23. ... Nf6 24. Nd5 Nxd5 25. Bxd5 {and f7 collapses} ) 21. ... 
Qf6 22. Ne4 Qxf5 23. Qe2 Nb6 24. Nxc5 Rxc5 25. Bxc5 Rd8 26. Rad1 Nc4?! {26
...Qd7 offers more resistance.} 27. Be7 Re8 28. d6 Bc8 29. b3 Nb6 30. Qxb5
Bd7 31. Qf1 Qe6 32. a4 a5 33. b4! axb4 34. a5 Na4 35. Bd5 Qf5 36. Qg2 Rc8 
37. Rf1 Qc2 38. Rd2 Qc3 39. Rxf7 Kh8 40. Bg5 Nc5 41. Rc2 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess Middlegames"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.07.30"]
[Round "?"]
[White "14 When you Cant Think of a Plan"]
[Black "Page 52"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.30"]

{This is an important topic because every player
sometimes experiences the problem of staring
at the board and being unable to come up with
an appealing plan. The results are indecision,
time-trouble and choosing moves that are often
worse than simply waiting.
</br>A common cause of difficulty in finding a
plan is misevaluation of the position. You may
feel that you have the advantage, but can't see
any way to increase it or put it to use. The problem
here may be that you are not in fact better,
and should scale down your expectations accordingly.
Instead of looking for a large advantage,
try to find a way to maintain an edge.
Failing all else, at least make sure that you do not
play a move that leads to a disadvantage. This
problem often arises because a few moves ago
you were definitely better, but now you cannot
see a good plan. It's often tough to admit to yourself
that you may have thrown away part or all
of your advantage, but unless you're objective
about the position, further mistakes are likely.
Players who prefer active play often react
badly to passive positions since they tend to
look for a plan that improves their own position.
</br>
However, in unfavourable positions it is
often the case that any attempt at active play
only weakens your position. Then it's important
to see what your opponent might do to improve
his position and find a plan to counteract it.
</br>
Here's an example} 
*

[Event "Novi Sad ol (Men)"]
[Site "Novi Sad SRB"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Jussupow, Artur"]
[Black "Nunn, John D M"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2605"]
[BlackElo "2610"]
[ECO "D79j"]
[EventDate "1990.11.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 c6 6. Nc3 d5 7. cxd5 cxd5 
8. Ne5 e6 9. O-O Nfd7 10. Nf3 Nc6 11. Bg5 Qa5 12. a3 h6 13. Bf4 Nf6 14. 
Ne5 Bd7 15. Qd2 Kh7 16. Rfd1 D Nxe5 17. Bxe5 ( 17. dxe5 Ng4 {White's 
e5-pawn is weak.} ) 17. ... Qb6 18. Rac1 Rac8 19. e3 ( 19. e4 {but after} 
19. ... Nxe4 20. Nxe4 dxe4 21. Bxe4 Ba4 22. Re1 f6 23. Bf4 f5 24. Bf3 Bxd4
25. Bxh6 Rxc1 26. Rxc1 Bxf2+! {Black is safe.} ) 19. ... Rfd8 20. Bf1 Ne8 
{Heading for more exchanges} 21. Bxg7 {White offered a draw which I 
accepted since
after 21...Kxg7 22 Bd3 Nd6 the position is
dead equal. The exchanges have relieved the
pressure on Black's position and a subsequent
...Rc7 and ... Rdc8 will probably lead to further
simplification.

----------------------------

Perhaps the most important advice is that if
you can't think of a good plan, at least don't
play a bad one.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Amber Chess 20. Rapid"]
[Site "Monaco MNC"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Giri"]
[Black "Karjakin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2690"]
[BlackElo "2776"]
[ECO "A29"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. O-O Be7
8. a3 O-O 9. b4 Be6 10. d3 a5 11. b5 Nd4 12. Bb2 f6 ( 12. ... Nb3 13. Rb1 
f6 14. e3 a4 15. Qc2 Qb8 16. Rfe1 Qa7 17. Nd2 Rad8 ) 13. Nxd4 exd4 14. Nb1
Bd5 15. Nd2 c5 16. bxc6 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 bxc6 18. Qb3+ Kh8 19. Rab1 Re8 20. 
Rfc1 a4 21. Qa2 c5 22. Ba1 Bf8 23. Nf3 Nd5 24. Rb7 Qd6 25. Rc2 D {
Assessing this position is not easy, and the
grandmasters watching the game had sharply
diverging opinions about its evaluation. The
most notable feature is the buried bishop on
aI, which is doing little at the moment. Balanced
against this, Black's own bishop isn't
exactly bursting with activity, while White's
other pieces are all well placed. On balance,
the position is roughly level, but some GMs
thought that the position should favour Black,
since there's no obvious solution to the problem
of the aI-bishop.} 25. ... g5? {Except if Black creates one! This is a 
good
example of the disastrous consequences of
playing actively when the position isn't strong
enough to support it. Black hopes to play ... g4,
chasing away the knight, and then ... Qc6, but
the line-up of the aI-bishop and the king on h8
should have rung a warning bell.
Black should continue more modestly by} ( 25. ... Reb8 {aiming to exchange
or displace the
active rook on b7. After} 26. Rxb8 ( 26. Qb1 Rxb7 27. Qxb7 Rb8 28. Qa7 Rb1
29. Bb2 Qe6 30. h3 Nb6 {the position is equal} ) 26. ... Rxb8 27. Bb2 Rb3 
28. Qa1 Qe6 29. Qc1 Qe7 30. Kg1 Kg8 31. Nd2 Rb5 32. Qd1 Qe6 33. Nc4 f5 34.
 Qf1 Nb6 35. Bc1 Rb1 36. Nxb6 Qxb6 = {-0.11} ) 26. e4! {Giri doesn't miss 
the chance to exploit the
weakening of the long diagonal.} 26. ... dxe3 {The best choice, since} ( 
26. ... Ne7? {allows the
attractive finish} 27. Rxc5 Qxc5 28. Bxd4 Qc6 29. Nxg5 Qxb7 30. Bxf6+ Bg7 
31. Bxg7+ Kxg7 32. Qf7+ Kh6 33. Qxh7+ Kxg5 34. Qg7+ Ng6 35. f4+ Kh5 36. 
g4+ Kxg4 37. Qxg6+ Kxf4 38. Qg3# ) ( 26. ... Re7?! 27. Qb1 Rae8 {Black 
sets
the trap} 28. exd5? ( {but} 28. Rb5! {leaves Black in trouble} ) 28. ... 
g4 {when he escapes, .} ) 27. Nxg5 Kg8? ( 27. ... Nf4+! 28. Kg1 ( 28. gxf4
Qc6+ 29. Kg3 Qxb7 30. Bxf6+ Bg7 31. Nf7+ Kg8 32. Nd6+ Qb3 33. Nxe8 Rxe8 
34. Bxg7 Qxa2 35. Rxa2 Kxg7 {is very drawish} ) 28. ... exf2+ 29. Rxf2 
Re1+ 30. Rf1 Rxf1+ 31. Kxf1 Qxd3+ 32. Kf2 Qd5 33. Qxd5 Nxd5 {when he still
has good drawing chances.} ) 28. Ne4? {Missing the instantly decisive} ( 
28. Rb6! Qxb6 29. Qxd5+ Kh8 30. Rb2 Qa6 31. Rb7 ) 28. ... Qe6 D 29. Rd7?! 
{White can reach a very favourable ending by} ( 29. Bxf6 exf2 30. Rxf2 
Ne3+ 31. Kf3 Qxa2 32. Rxa2 Nd5 33. Bg5 h6 34. Be3 Rab8 35. Rxb8 Rxb8 36. 
Bxc5 Kf7 ) 29. ... Rad8? {This loses at once. The only move is} ( 29. ... 
c4! 30. Rxc4 ( 30. Qxc4 Rac8 31. Qxd5 Qxd5 32. Rxd5 Rxc2 33. Nxf6+ Kf7 34.
 Nxe8 Rxf2+ 35. Kh3 Rf1 36. Bd4 e2 37. Bc3 Kxe8 38. Re5+ Kd7 39. Rxe2 Rf3 
40. Rb2 Bxa3 41. Rb7+ Ke6 ) 30. ... Be7 31. Rb7 Rab8 32. Rxb8 Rxb8 33. Qe2
{White retains an advantage due
to the activity of his bishop on the long diagonal,
but Black can still hope to defend.} ) 30. Rxd5 Qxd5 31. Qxd5+ Rxd5 32. 
Nxf6+ Kf7 33. Nxd5 e2 34. Bc3 e1=Q 35. Bxe1 Rxe1 36. Nc3 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess Middlegames"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.07.30"]
[Round "?"]
[White "15  Central Pawns"]
[Black "Page 54"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.30"]

*

[Event "17. TCh-RUS Premier"]
[Site "Dagomys RUS"]
[Date "2010.04.02"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Movsesian, Sergei"]
[Black "Panarin, Mikhail"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2709"]
[BlackElo "2532"]
[ECO "B10d"]
[EventDate "2010.04.01"]

1. e4 c6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 g6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 e5 6. Ngf3 Ne7 7. O-O O-O 8. 
Re1 d4 9. Nc4 Qc7 10. c3 b5 11. Na3 dxc3 12. bxc3 Rd8 13. Qe2 Na6 14. d4 
Bg4 15. Nc2 D {In the middlegame, a central pawn is generally
more effective than a flank pawn. Here
White has an advantage thanks to his extra central
pawn and Black's poorly-placed a6-knight,
which has few active prospects.} 15. ... exd4 {Black gives up his foothold
in the centre in
the hope that his pressure on the long dark diagonal
will enable him to break up White's pawn
duo on d4 and e4.} 16. cxd4 c5 17. Bf4 Qd7 18. d5! {This refutes Black's 
idea. White intends to
keep his central pawns even at the cost of the exchange.
If Black takes on aI, he will not only
have to cope with White's pawns, but in addition
his kingside will be exposed. A typical line is} 18. ... c4 {Black hopes 
to activate his a6-knight by
...Nc5 and Nd3.} ( 18. ... Bxa1 19. Rxa1 c4 20. d6 Nc6 21. a4! bxa4 22. 
Qxc4 Bxf3 23. Bxf3 g5 24. Bxg5 Ne5 25. Qe2 Nc5 26. Be7 {with a clear 
advantage for White.} ) 19. Qe3! {An excellent response, not only 
unpinning
the f3-knight and thereby threatening 20 Ne5,
but also preventing Black's ... Nc5 idea.} ( 19. a4!? Nc5 20. axb5 Nd3 21.
 Rab1 Rac8 ( 21. ... Nxe1 22. Qxe1 Re8 23. Ne3 Bxf3 24. Bxf3 +/- ) 22. Nb4
g5 23. Be3 Nxe1 24. Qxe1 f5 25. Nxg5 fxe4 26. Nxe4 +/- ) 19. ... Bxf3 {
Black is forced to make this exchange to stop
Ne5, but now he faces new problems on the
long light diagonal.} 20. Bxf3 b4?! {Black's queens side pawns are far 
less effective
than White's central pawn-mass. Central
pawns are better because they are more likely
to attack enemy pieces as they advance, and
because the advance of central pawns very often
leads to an attack on the enemy king. After} ( 20. ... Bxa1 21. Rxa1 f6 
22. Qc3 Rf8 23. Qa3 Qb7 24. Rb1 {White's numerous advantages
(two bishops, passed d-pawn, knight penetrating
to d4 and then c6 or e6) are worth far more
than Black's extra exchange.} 24. ... g5 25. Bd6 Rfe8 26. Qc3 +/- ) 21. 
Rab1 D {Avoiding the bishop's attack, and gaining
time by threatening the b4-pawn.} 21. ... Qa4 22. Nd4 Nc5 {The knight 
finally escapes from a6, but it's
too late as White's central pawns are ready to
advance.} 23. d6 Nd3 24. e5 {This multi-purpose move blocks the long
dark-square diagonal and so threatens to take
on e7, and also opens the f3-bishop's diagonal
to attack the rook on a6.} 24. ... Nxe1 25. Rxe1 {Black is temporarily the
exchange up, but the
central pawns give White a winning position.} 25. ... Nf5 26. Nxf5 gxf5 
27. Bxa8 Rxa8 28. e6 {A devastating move; Black cannot take, since
2S ... fxe6 29 Qxe6+ Kh8 30 d7 followed by
Qe8+ leads to a forced mate, so the pawns roll
on unopposed.} 28. ... Qe8 29. d7 Qxe6 30. Qd2 {It's all over after 30 ...
Qf6 31 Re8+.} 1-0

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 4th"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2009.11.07"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Svidler, Peter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2788"]
[BlackElo "2754"]
[ECO "D85c"]
[EventDate "2009.11.05"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bd2 Bg7 6. e4 Nb6 7. Be3 O-O 
8. h3 e5 9. Nf3 exd4 10. Bxd4 Bxd4 11. Qxd4 {For this line - see CBM 109, 
annotations to I.Sokolov - Eljanov.} 11. ... Qe7 ( 11. ... Nc6 12. Qe3 Be6
( 12. ... Qe7 {- game} ) 13. Bb5 ( 13. Be2 Nc4 14. Bxc4 Bxc4 15. Qc5 Ba6 
16. Nd5 Qd6 17. Qc3 f5 18. Nh2 Rae8 19. O-O-O Rxe4 -/+ {1/2 Anastasian,A 
(2565)-Rade,M (2436)/ Kallithea 2008/CBM 127 (71)} ) ( 13. Rd1 Qe7 14. Bd3
Nc4 15. Qc1 Qb4 16. b3 N4e5 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. O-O Rad8 â†‘ {1/2 Sokolov,I 
(2691)-Eljanov,P (2639)/ Gothenburg 2005/CBM 109/[Krasenkow] (30)} ) 
13. ... Nb4 14. O-O c6 ( 14. ... Qe7 15. Rfc1 c6 16. Bf1 Nc4 17. Bxc4 Bxc4
18. b3 Be6 19. a3 Na6 20. e5 Nc7 21. Ne4 Nd5 22. Qc5 Qxc5 23. Nxc5 Bc8 24.
 Ne4 f6 25. exf6 Nxf6 26. Nd6 Rd8 27. Rd1 Nd5 28. Nxc8 Raxc8 29. Re1 Re8 
30. Rxe8+ Rxe8 {1/2 Scibior,A (2179)-Schmidt,W (2399)/ Poznan 2009/CBM 131
Extra} ) 15. Be2 Nc2 16. Qh6 Nxa1 17. Ng5 Re8 18. e5 Qc7 19. Qxh7+ Kf8 20.
 Qh8+ Ke7 21. Qf6+ Kf8 22. Qh8+ Ke7 23. Qf6+ Kf8 24. Bg4 Bxg4 25. hxg4 Kg8
26. Rxa1 Qe7 27. Nce4 Nd7 28. Qf4 Nxe5 29. Nf6+ Kg7 30. Nxe8+ Rxe8 31. Rd1
a6 32. Nf3 Nxf3+ 33. Qxf3 Qe2 {1/2 Braun,A (2540)-Hoolt,S (2187)/Hengelo 
2007/CBM 119 ext} ) ( 11. ... Qxd4 12. Nxd4 {1/2 Bronznik,V 
(2410)-Sulypa,A (2488)/ Elancourt 2004/EXT 2005} ) 12. Qe3 ( 12. Be2 Nc6 
13. Qe3 Be6 14. O-O Rad8 {1/2 Broomfield,M (2362)-Lalic,B (2509)/Coulsdon 
2007/CBM 120 ext} ) ( 12. O-O-O!? ) 12. ... Nc6 ( 12. ... f5!? 13. Be2 
fxe4 14. Nxe4 Bf5 15. Nc5 Qxe3 16. fxe3 N8d7! 17. Nxb7 Rae8 18. O-O ( 18. 
Kf2!? Nd5 19. Bc4 += {I.Sokolov} ) 18. ... Rxe3 19. Rae1 Be4 20. Na5 Bd5 
21. b3 Nc5 =, quiet {1/2 Sokolov,I (2691)-Sutovsky,E (2674)/ Gothenburg 
2005/CBM 109 (56)} ) 13. Bb5 Nb4 ( 13. ... f5?! 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. exf5 ( 
15. O-O âŒ“ += {Gleizerov} ) 15. ... Qxe3+ 16. fxe3 Bxf5 17. O-O Rae8 18. 
Rae1 Bd3! 19. Rf2 Nd5! =, quiet {1-0 Gleizerov,E (2552)-Iordachescu,V 
(2567)/Khanty Mansiysk 2007/CBM 121 Extra (53)} ) 14. Rc1 Be6 ( 14. ... f5
?! 15. a3 a6 16. Be2 f4 ( 16. ... Nc6 17. Nd5 Qxe4 18. Nxc7 Qxe3 19. fxe3 
Ra7 20. Nxa6! +/- ) 17. Qd2 Nc6 18. Nd5 Nxd5 19. exd5 Ne5 20. O-O += ) 15.
 b3 a6 16. Be2 Nc6 17. O-O f6 D {Black has almost equalized but White 
still retains some space advantage.
----------------

Even a single extra central pawn can confer
an advantage, although this may be slight.
Here the position is close to equality, but White
retains an edge thanks to his e-pawn. It's possible
that Black's queenside pawns would play
a significant role in the endgame, but in the
middlegame White's central majority is a more
important factor, not only because it offers
more influence and space in the centre, but
also because it could provide the foundation
for an attack against Black's slightly weakened
kingside.} 18. Rfe1 Rad8 19. Bf1 {White envisages moving his knight from 
f3
and starting an attack by pushing his f-pawn;
this modest move removes the bishop from attack
after a possible ... Nd4.} 19. ... Bf7 20. Nh2!? {If White is given time, 
a combination of Ng4
and f4-f5 would generate real kingside threats.} 20. ... Be6 {Black's 
bishop returns to e6, ready to take
the knight if it jumps to g4. The problem is that
if White manages to force through f4-f5, the
bishop will have to move again, costing time.} 21. f4 Nd4? {A central 
outpost is not always the best for the knight! It was much more important 
for it to control the crucial e5-square.
__________________

A serious error, allowing White to play f5
without a fight. From a purely visual perspective,
the knight looks actively placed on d4, but
in fact it achieves little there and is unable to
join in the defence of the threatened kingside.
21 ... Rfe8 is far more purposeful, preventing f5,
at least for the moment, since 22 f5? simply
loses a pawn after 22 ... Bxf5.} ( 21. ... Rd7 âŒ“ 22. f5 â–³ Bf7 23. Ng4 
Ne5 ) 22. f5 Bf7 ( 22. ... gxf5? {costs Black a piece after 23 exf5,
so the bishop has to retreat} ) 23. Ng4 gxf5 {better move. White 
threatened to step up the
pressure by Qh6, when a breakthrough by e5
would be in the air. Thanks to the bad position
of the knight on d4, Black no longer has the
possibility of ... Ne5 to swap off White's dangerous
g4-knight. 23 ... Nc6 now comes too late,
since after 24 Ne2! Ne5 25 Nh6+ Kg7 26 Nxf7 Kxf7 27 Nf4 Black suffers from
the terrible
weakness of the e6-square.} ( {Perhaps} 23. ... Nc6 {(admitting his 
mistake) was relatively better.} ) 24. Nh6+ Kh8 ( 24. ... Kg7 25. Qxd4 
Kxh6 26. exf5 Rxd4 27. Rxe7 Rd7 28. Rxd7 Nxd7 29. Ne4 {gives White
a very favourable ending.} ) 25. Qf2! D fxe4? {Loses on the spot.  

A blunder losing at once. Black should try
 although White
retains a definite advantage in both lines thanks
to Black's broken kingside.} ( 25. ... Bh5 26. Nd5! +/- Qd6 27. Nxb6 Qxb6 
28. exf5 ) ( 25. ... f4 âŒ“ +/- {Anand} 26. Qxf4 Qe5 27. Qf2 ) 26. Rxe4 
Qd6 ( {After} 26. ... Ne6 27. Qe3 Rfe8 28. Re1 {White
wins a piece thanks to the deadly pin along the
e-file.} ) 27. Rd1 c5 28. Nxf7+ Rxf7 29. b4! {The poor knight will now be 
simply lost!

The poor positioning of the d4-knight now
proves fatal, as there is no reasonable way to
avoid its loss.} 29. ... f5 30. bxc5 fxe4 31. Qxf7 Nf3+ 32. Qxf3 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess Middlegames"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.07.30"]
[Round "?"]
[White "16  Improving Piece Position"]
[Black "Page 56"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.30"]

*

[Event "Moscow Aeroflot op-A"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2007.02.19"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Svetushkin, Dmitry"]
[Black "Wang, Yue"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2588"]
[BlackElo "2644"]
[ECO "B51s"]
[EventDate "2007.02.14"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. O-O Bd7 5. Re1 Nf6 6. c3 a6 7. Ba4 b5 8. 
Bc2 e5 9. h3 Be7 10. d4 O-O 11. d5 Na5 12. b3 Nb7 13. Be3 Qc7 14. Nbd2 
Rfc8 15. Qe2 c4 16. b4 a5 17. a3 Ra6 18. Nf1 Rca8 19. Bc1 Nh5 20. Kh2 Nf4 
21. Qd1 Qc8 22. Ng1 g6 23. Qf3 Nd8 24. Bb2 f6 25. Ne2 Nxe2 26. Qxe2 D {
Many plans involve improving the activity of
a single piece. This position is close to equality,
with Black's main asset being his pressure along
the a-file. White always wants to meet ... axb4
with axb4 because playing cxb4 would leave
White with a backward a-pawn and Black with a
protected passed c-pawn. Thus the a-file pressure
prevents White from activating his b2-
bishop by Bc1-e3, since .i.cl would be met by
... axb4. Although White's movements are a little
restricted, he isn't under any real pressure, so
Black must find a plan to improve his position. A
good start is to look for a piece that isn't doing
much and see if it can be moved to a more active
square. Here both the d8-knight and the e7-
bishop aren't pulling their weight, so Black focuses
on transferring them to better squares.
Playing ... Bf8-h6 is a perfectly reasonable idea,
but Black decides on the equally good plan of
... Nf7 followed by ...Bd8-b6.} 26. ... Nf7 27. Ne3?! {Here and over the 
next few moves, White
adopts the wrong plan. He aims for kingside
play based on f4, but it's hard for this to achieve
anything when Black has a firm grip on e5. 27
bxa5 Rxa5 28 Ne3 is correct, aiming for a4 and
the liquidation of the pawns on the a- and b-files.
In this case, Black's a-file pressure is nullified
and an exchange of all the rooks is very likely.} 27. ... Bd8 28. Rf1 Bb6 
29. Rae1 Kg7 30. Bb1 axb4 {White has conceded the a-file, so Black may
as well swap pawns. Although he cannot penetrate
with a rook at the moment, White's bishops
are tied down to covering al and a2.} 31. axb4 Qe8 {To meet 32 f4 with 32 
... exf4 33 Rxf4 Qe5.} 32. g3?! {Preparing f4, but weakening the h3-pawn.}
32. ... Qc8! {Forcing an awkward decision.} 33. g4?! D {After this White 
is in real trouble. 33 h4 is
better, although after 33 ... h5 followed by ... Nh6
White will be in no position to play f4 due to the
resulting weakness of g4.} 33. ... Bxe3 {Black's plan has succeeded: his 
bad bishop
from e7 is exchanged for an active white knight.} 34. fxe3 ( 34. Qxe3 {is 
met by another plan based on improving
the position of a piece: 34 ... g5 followed
by ... Nh8-g6-f4 and eventually ... h5.} ) 34. ... Qd8 35. Rf3 Qe7 36. 
Ref1 Rf8 37. Qg2 Raa8 ( 37. ... h5! {gives Black a decisive advantage
in all lines:} 38. Rg3 ( 38. gxh5 Ng5 {Black wins material, while} ) ( 38.
 Rxf6 hxg4 39. h4 Qxf6 40. Rxf6 Kxf6 {followed by ...Rh8 is also
winning for Black} ) 38. ... hxg4 39. hxg4 Rh8+ 40. Kg1 Ng5 {followed by 
bringing the major
pieces to the h-file, leads to a decisive attack for
Black. He actually played Raa8  retaining
an edge which he eventually converted into a
win} ) 38. Bc1 g5 39. R3f2 Nh8 40. Ra2 Rxa2 41. Qxa2 Ng6 42. Bc2 Rh8 43. 
Bd1 Bc8 44. Rf2 Bb7 45. Qa1 Ra8 46. Ra2 Rxa2+ 47. Qxa2 Bc8 48. Be2 Qd7 49.
 Qa8 h5 50. Bd2 Nh8 51. Qc6 Qxc6 52. dxc6 hxg4 53. hxg4 Ba6 54. Kg3 Kf7 
55. Bf3 Ke7 56. Bg2 Kd8 57. Bf3 Kc7 58. Bg2 Kxc6 59. Bf3 Kd7 60. Be1 Bb7 
61. Bd2 Bc6 62. Bc1 Kc7 63. Bd2 Be8 64. Be1 Bg6 65. Kg2 Bh7 66. Bg3 Ng6 
67. Kf2 Ne7 68. Ke2 Nc8 69. Kd2 d5 70. exd5 Nd6 71. Be1 Be4 72. Bd1 Bd3 
73. Bf3 Kd7 74. e4 Bxe4 75. Bxe4 Nxe4+ 76. Ke3 f5 77. gxf5 Nf6 78. Bd2 Kd6
79. Ke2 g4 80. Bg5 Ne4 81. Bd8 Ng3+ 0-1

[Event "Amber-blindfold 18th"]
[Site "Nice FRA"]
[Date "2009.03.14"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2791"]
[BlackElo "2751"]
[ECO "C95j"]
[EventDate "2009.03.14"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 
8. c3 d6 9. h3 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. a4 Bf8 14. Bd3
c6 15. b3 g6 16. Ba3 Qc7 17. Qc2 Bg7 18. Rad1 Rac8 19. Bb2 Nh5 20. Bf1 D {
The activity of a single piece can sometimes
prove decisive, so a plan which involves securing
an active square for a key piece can be the
turning point of a game. This is a typical Ruy
Lopez position in which White has managed to
keep his central pawn duo on d4 and e4 intact.
While this gives him a slight edge, Black has no
cause for complaint since his development has
been completed smoothly; indeed, in one respect
he has the advantage over White in that
his g7-bishop is active, whereas neither of
White's bishops is doing a great deal. The main
problem for both sides is to secure good positions
for their minor pieces, with Black facing
particular difficulty regarding the b7-bishop.} 20. ... bxa4? {Black 
attempts to solve his problems by
force, but this does not lead to equality. 20 ... Nf4
followed by ... Ne6 is sounder, centralizing the
knight and awaiting events.} 21. bxa4 d5 {In situations where many 
captures are possible,
it's usually a substantial advantage to move
first. By choosing the correct sequence of captures,
White is able to clarify the position in his
favour. His plan has three elements: activate the
b2-bishop, keep the b7-bishop passive and secure
good squares for the d2-knight.} 22. dxe5 Nxe5 23. Nxe5 Bxe5 24. c4! {This
prevents Black from activating the b7-
bishop by playing ... c5.} 24. ... dxe4 ( {Even worse is} 24. ... dxc4 25.
 Bxe5 Rxe5 26. Nxc4 ) 25. c5! D {The decisive move. White does not need to
recapture the e4-pawn straight away and instead
uses the tempo to secure his strategic aims.
White's knight now has a beautiful outpost on
d6, while the b7-bishop is totally shut out.} 25. ... Bxb2 ( 25. ... f5 
26. Qb3+ Kf8 27. Bxe5 Rxe5 28. Nc4 {followed by Nd6.} ) ( {The crucial
point is that} 25. ... e3 26. Rxe3 Bh2+ 27. Kh1 Rxe3 28. fxe3 {doesn't 
lead to anything for Black
as} 28. ... Ng3+? 29. Kxh2 Nxf1+ 30. Kg1 Nxe3 {fails to} 31. Qc3 ) 26. 
Qxb2 e3 ( 26. ... f5 27. Nxe4! Rxe4 28. Rxe4 fxe4 29. Bc4+ Kf8 30. Qh8+ 
Ke7 31. Qxh7+ {is catastrophic,
so Black cannot prevent White from
regaining the pawn. By playing ... e3, he at least
breaks up White's pawn-structure slightly.} ) 27. fxe3 Rcd8 28. Nc4 Rxd1 
29. Rxd1 Qe7 30. Nd6! {White's plan has worked to perfection and
he now has a decisive advantage. The immediate
target is f7.} 30. ... Rd8 ( {After} 30. ... Qxe3+ 31. Qf2 Qxf2+ 32. Kxf2 
Rd8 33. Rb1 Ba8 34. Bxa6 {the a-pawn gives
White a winning position.} ) 31. Qd4 ( 31. Bc4! Rf8 32. Nxf7 Rxf7 33. Rf1 
{wins at
once, but Anand's method is sufficient.} ) 31. ... Rf8 32. Bc4 Bc8 33. Rb1
Ng3 34. e4 Qg5 D {Allowing a neat finish.} 35. Bxf7+! Rxf7 36. Qh8+ 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess Middlegames"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.07.31"]
[Round "?"]
[White "17 Space Advantage"]
[Black "Page 58"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.31"]

*

[Event "39. Olympiad Men"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2010.09.24"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Vitiugov, Nikita"]
[Black "Ganguly, Surya Shekhar"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2709"]
[BlackElo "2650"]
[ECO "E84a"]
[EventDate "2010.09.21"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Bg7 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 Nc6 7. Nge2 a6 8. 
Qd2 Rb8 9. Rc1 e6 10. Nd1 Re8 11. g3 Ne7 12. Bg2 D {Black's passive 
handling of the opening has
left White with a broad pawn-centre. Such a centre
needs to be attacked as quickly as possible,
since given time White will complete his development
and consolidate his space advantage.} 12. ... b5?! {12 ... b6 followed by 
... c5 is a more effective
way of challenging White's centre.} 13. c5 b4 14. Nf2 a5 15. O-O Ba6 16. 
Rfd1 {White's last piece comes into play. A large
space advantage such as this offers flexibility
and freedom to manoeuvre, and generally confers
an automatic advantage if it can be maintained.
Black can exchange his a6-bishop, but
this would not solve his problems as it would
leave his queenside vulnerable to penetration.} 16. ... Nd7 {Hoping to 
continue with ... dxc5 followed by
... .Ne5, but White can easily prevent this.} 17. f4 d5 18. e5 {The 
blocked centre cements White's space
advantage and leaves Black without any effective
way of challenging White's central pawns.} 18. ... Nf5 19. Kh1 Ra8 20. Ng1
{The knight had few prospects on e2, so White
prepares to switch it to f3 or h3. Moreover, Black
no longer has the option of exchanging his light-squared bishop. Although 
this bishop may
appear active, it is easy for White to manoeuvre
around the squares it controls, with the result
that it is striking into thin air.} 20. ... Nb8 21. g4 Nxe3 ( {After} 
21. ... Nh4 22. Bh3 {Black has to worry
about f5 followed by ..Bg5.} ) 22. Qxe3 f5 {Black takes action himself; 
otherwise White
will play .Nf3, ..Bh3, .Rg1 and eventually f5.} 23. gxf5 gxf5 24. Qh3 Nc6 
{White will always be able to assemble more
firepower on the kingside than Black, firstly because
the a6-bishop is completely cut off from
the kingside and secondly because White's extra
space makes it easier for him to manoeuvre
his pieces into position.} 25. Bf3 Re7 26. Rd2 Qf8 27. Qh4 Nd8 28. Nfh3 D 
c6 29. Bh5 Raa7 30. Nf3 Bh6 31. Rg1+ Rg7 32. Nfg5 {The side with the space
advantage should
avoid unnecessary exchanges, so here White
spurns a rook swap.} 32. ... Kh8 ( 32. ... Bxg5 33. fxg5 {does not help 
Black, as
White can follow up with .Nf4, Bd1 and .Nh5-
f6.} ) 33. Bf3 Rg6 34. Rdg2 {Threatening 35.  ..Nh7.} 34. ... Qe7 35. Qh5 
Bxg5 36. Nxg5 Qg7 37. Nxh7 {After 37 ... Qxh7 38 Qxg6 White wins easily.} 
1-0

[Event "39. Olympiad Men"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2010.10.03"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Almasi, Zoltan"]
[Black "Macieja, Bartlomiej"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2707"]
[BlackElo "2651"]
[ECO "B36o"]
[EventDate "2010.09.21"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Be2 Nxd4 
8. Qxd4 Bg7 9. Be3 O-O 10. Qd2 a5 11. Rd1 Be6 D {White has a space 
advantage, but despite this
Black can complete his development without
difficulty. White's spatial plus is a factor in the
position, but it is not sufficient to confer an automatic
advantage; much depends on whether
White can translate it into something more significant.
In the game White, by dynamic play,
managed to maintain his extra space even
though the position became quite open. Unlike
space advantages in closed positions, which tend
to be permanent and best exploited by manoeuvring,
space advantages in more fluid positions
are often exploited by being converted into another
type of advantage, or even a direct attack.} 12. O-O a4 {The advance of 
the a-pawn means that White
cannot support the c4-pawn by b3 without allowing
Black to open lines on the queenside.} 13. f4 Qa5 14. Bd4 {It's essential 
to occupy the long diagonal
since otherwise a later b3 will leave the c3-
knight too vulnerable to attack.} 14. ... Qb4?! {The idea is to force a3, 
after which White
will not be able to defend the c4-pawn by b3,
but the time spent on this manoeuvre gives
White the chance to increase his advantage.} ( 14. ... Rfc8 15. b3 axb3 
16. axb3 Qa3 {is better, although
White retains an edge.} ) 15. a3 Qa5 ( 15. ... Qb3?! 16. Rde1! {is awkward
for Black,
since} 16. ... Bxc4 {loses his queen after} 17. Bd1 ) 16. Qe3 {Threatening
an instant win by 17.Bb6 Qa6 18.Nd5} 16. ... Rac8 ( 16. ... Nd7? {loses to
} 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. f5 gxf5 19. exf5 Bxf5 20. Rd5 +- ) 17. Bb6 Qa8 18. c5 
{The weak c4-pawn disappears, and in the resulting
more open position White retains his
space advantage and in addition has more active
pieces.} 18. ... dxc5 19. Bxc5 Rfe8 20. Rd2 Nd7?! {There's no really 
satisfactory plan for Black,
but 20 ... b5 at least opens a line for the queen} 21. Bb4 Nb8 {Intending 
... Nc6 followed by ... Na5, but
Black has no time to execute this plan.} 22. f5! D {Black's pieces are 
badly placed, so White
takes the chance to advance his pawns, converting
his space advantage into a kingside attack} 22. ... Bb3 23. Nd5 Nc6 24. 
Nb6 Qa7 25. Bc5 Rcd8 26. Nd7 Qa8 27. Bb6 Rc8?! {Now White's attack crashes
through. After} ( 27. ... Qc8 28. Bxd8 Rxd8 29. f6 Rxd7 30. Bg4 e6 31. 
fxg7 Rxd2 32. Qxd2 {White still has to exploit
his material advantage.} ) 28. e5! Na5 29. e6 gxf5 30. Rxf5 {Attacking a5 
and f7.} 30. ... Rc1+ 31. Kf2 Nc6 32. Rxf7 Kh8 33. Qe4 {With the lethal 
threat of Bd3.} 33. ... Rh1 34. h3 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.07.31"]
[Round "?"]
[White "18 Manoeuvring"]
[Black "Page 60"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.31"]

*

[Event "Understanding"]
[Site "Oxford"]
[Date "1971.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nunn"]
[Black "Milner-Barry"]
[Result "1-0"]
[EventDate "1971.??.??"]
[FEN "1b3nk1/pp1q2pp/2p2p2/2Pp1P2/3P1p1N/3B3P/PP3PP1/4Q1K1 w - - 0 33"]

{This position is rather symmetrical, but White has some small advantages:
he controls the efile, at least for the moment, he has more space on the 
queenside and his bishop has better scope. However, if Black manages to 
oppose queens on the e-file, White's advantage will be much reduced.} 
33. Bc2! {Heading for d 1 and h5 without at any stage blocking the e-file.
} 33. ... Kf7 34. Bd1 Kg8? {A serious mistake. With the bishop on h5, 
White will have a permanent grip on Black's position. He should prevent 
Bh5 by 34 ... g6, restricting White to an edge.} 35. Bh5 {Black is now 
without counterplay and his queen must stay on d7 or d8 to prevent White's
own queen from penetrating to e7 or e8, while a knight move would allow 
Qe6. Despite the advantage afforded by his control of the e-file, White 
must manoeuvre in order to make progress. A common idea is to create play 
in another part of the board, and here the queenside is the obvious place.
By playing for b4-b5, White will open up more lines and leave Black with a
weak pawn at either c6 or d5.} 35. ... Qd8 36. b3 Bc7 37. b4 Qd7 38. Be8 
Qd8 39. a4 a6 ( 39. ... Be5 40. dxe5 Qxe8 41. e6 {gives White a monster 
protected passed pawn.} ) 40. Qe2 {There's no counterplay so White can 
take
time to improve his position before playing b5.
This move prevents Black from activating his
bishop with tempo by ... Ba5.} 40. ... Bb8 41. Nf3 {The immediate 41 b5 is
also good, but White
is patient, first removing his knight from its offside
position.} 41. ... g6 {Black seeks counterplay. If he waits with} ( 
41. ... Bc7 {then} 42. b5 axb5 43. axb5 cxb5 44. Bxb5 Qa8 45. Be8 Qd8 46. 
Ba4 {followed by
i.b3 will soon win the d5-pawn.} ) 42. h4 {Now that Black has played ... 
g6, White can
also generate activity on the kingside.} 42. ... Kg7 43. h5 g5 D 44. h6+! 
Kg8 ( 44. ... Kxh6 {loses to} 45. Nxg5 fxg5 46. Qh5+ Kg7 47. Qf7+ Kh8 48. 
Qxf8# ) 45. Nh2 {Transferring the knight to g4.} 45. ... Qc7 46. f3 Kh8 
47. Ng4 Qd8 48. Bf7 {There are many ways to win.} 48. ... Bc7 {My intended
continuation was 49 a5 Qd7
(49 ... Bb8 50 Qe8 Qxe8 51 Bxe8 Bc7 52 Nxf6
transposes) 50 Be8 Qd8 51 Bh5 (51 Nxc6
bxc6 52 Qxa6 Qie7 53 Kf2 also wins) 51 ... Kg8
(or 51...Nb8 52 Qe8) 52 Qe8 Qxe8 53 Nxf6+
Kh8 54 Bxe8 with an easy win as Black's king
and knight are immobilized.} ( 48. ... Bc7 49. a5 Qd7 ( 49. ... Bb8 50. 
Qe8 Qxe8 51. Bxe8 Bc7 52. Nxf6 ) 50. Be8 Qd8 51. Bh5 Kg8 52. Qe8 Qxe8 53. 
Nxf6+ Kh8 54. Bxe8 ) 1-0

[Event "Bazna Kings 4th"]
[Site "Medias"]
[Date "2010.06.14"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Wang, Yue"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2741"]
[BlackElo "2752"]
[ECO "D15h"]
[EventDate "2010.06.14"]
[Annotator "Gelfand"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 ( {This was my 3rd meeting with Wang
Yue in recent months. In the first 2 games he tried} 4. ... g6 {, but both
times I got an advantage from the opening. So it came as no surprise that 
he decided to play another line.} ) 5. Nf3 b5 6. c5 ( {I met the 
Chebanenko system for the first time back in 1990. I'll include that game 
in these annotations, as it shows similiar ideas to ones in this game.} 6.
 b3 g6 ( 6. ... Bg4 ) 7. Be2 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. f4 Qd6 11. Bf3 
Nbd7 12. Qe2 Rab8 13. g4 Rfd8 14. g5 Ne8 15. Qg2 bxc4 16. bxc4 e6 17. Rb1 
Ba8 18. c5 Qe7 19. Bd2 Rxb1 20. Rxb1 Rb8 21. Rxb8 Nxb8 22. Na4 Bb7 23. Ba5
Bxe5 24. dxe5 Nc7 25. Nb2 Nb5 26. a4 Qxc5 ( 26. ... Na3 27. Bb4 Nc4 28. 
Nxc4 dxc4 +- ) 27. axb5 Qxe3+ 28. Qf2 Qxf4 29. Bd2 Qxe5 30. Nd3 Qf5 31. 
Qa7 Nd7 32. Ne1 Bc8 33. Qc7 {1-0 Gelfand ,B (2680)-Hort,V (2545)/ Novi Sad
olm 1990/[Gelfand]} ) 6. ... g6 7. Ne5 ( 7. Be2 Bg7 8. Ne5 O-O 9. O-O Be6 
10. f4 Qc7 11. g4?! Ne4 12. Bf3 f5 13. Bd2 Nd7 14. Be1 Nxe5 15. fxe5 Nxc3 
16. Bxc3 Bh6 =+ {0-1 Gelfand,B (2717)-Bareev,E (2675)/Khanty Mansyisk RUS 
2005 (34)} ) 7. ... Bg7 8. f4 a5 {This plan was tried twice by my opponent
vs E. Bacrot and both times he had no problems from the opening.} 9. Be2 (
9. Bd3 Bf5 10. Bxf5 gxf5 11. Bd2 e6 12. Qe2 h5 13. O-O-O b4 14. Na4 Ne4 
15. Nb6 Ra7 16. Nd3 Nd7 17. Nxd7 Kxd7 18. Rdg1 Qb8 {1/2-1/2 Bacrot,E 
(2705)-Wang Yue (2736)/ Elista RUS 2008 (47)} ) 9. ... Qc7 10. O-O O-O 11.
 a3! {This is a new and important idea. I was waiting for a chance to use 
it for a couple of years. We had analysed my game vs Bareev with Alexander
Khuzman and had realized that e4 is the key square in such a position.} ( 
11. Bd3 Bf5 12. Bxf5 gxf5 13. Bd2 Nbd7 14. Be1 e6 15. Rf3 Ne4 16. Nxe4 
dxe4 17. Rh3 Rfe8 18. Nxd7 Qxd7 19. Qh5 h6 20. Bh4 Ra7 21. Rg3 Kh7 22. Bg5
Rh8 23. Qh4 Qe8 24. Bf6 Bxf6 25. Qxf6 Rg8 26. Rxg8 Qxg8 27. Kf2 Rd7 28. 
Rg1 Qd8 29. Qxd8 Rxd8 30. g4 fxg4 31. Rxg4 f5 {1/2-1/ 2 Bacrot,E 
(2705)-Wang Yue (2736)/Dresden GER 2008} ) 11. ... Be6 ( {If} 11. ... Ne4 
{then} 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. a4 b4 14. Qc2 {keeping an advantage.} ) 12. Bf3 {
Taking control of the e4-square.} 12. ... Nbd7 13. Nd3! {Of course, White 
is avoiding any exchanges as Black's pieces are very cramped and he does 
not have enough space for them.} 13. ... h6?! {Faced with a new plan my 
opponent thought for a long time and decided to build "a wall".} ( {I 
would rather go for} 13. ... Bf5 {trying to exchange the poor B.} ) 14. g4
! {It was easy to let slip the advantage:} ( {After} 14. Bd2 Bf5 15. Nf2 
g5 {Black has nothing to worry about.} ) 14. ... Nh7 ( 14. ... h5 15. h3 
hxg4 16. hxg4 g5 17. Kg2 {just plays into White's hands.} ) 15. h4 f5 16. 
g5 hxg5 ( {During the game I thought that} 16. ... h5 {would be even worse
as h5 becomes a target and White would sacrifice a N on h5 in good 
circumstances, for example} 17. Ne2 Bf7 18. Ng3 e6 19. Bd2 Rfb8 20. Nxh5 
gxh5 21. Bxh5 {However, now things do not seem so clear to me, as Black 
would sac a piece, let's say, by} 21. ... Bxh5 22. Qxh5 Ndf6 23. gxf6 Nxf6
{with good defending chances.} ) 17. hxg5 {So, White has won some more 
space. The pawns on c5 and g5 are limiting Black's pieces to the last 2 
ranks. The next step in White's plan is to regroup his pieces. Black has 
no counterplay whatsoever and has to wait.} 17. ... Kf7 18. Kg2 Rfb8 19. 
Bd2 Nhf8 20. Be2 {B is going to d3 and the Ns to f3 and g3} 20. ... Ke8 
21. Ne1 Bg8 22. Nf3 Rb7 23. Bd3 Nb8 24. Ne2 Qd8 25. Ng3 {White is 
threatening a sacrifice on f5 and Black is obliged to play e6} 25. ... e6 
26. Rh1 Bh7? {Black wanted to hide his K on g8, but it allows White a 
strong regrouping. I still believe that waiting passively was the best 
option.} ( {Here I was looking for a plan how to break through, if Black 
simply waits. It seems possible, that the piece sac e3-e4 would work, for 
example} 26. ... Nbd7 27. Qe2 Nb8 28. Rae1 Nbd7 ( {probably better is} 
28. ... Re7 {However it is difficult for Black to defend against all the 
ideas - White wants to play Bc3, Qd2, Ne2-c1-b3, forcing a4, then he can 
play e3-e4 in good circumstances: then he can bring the N to e5 through d3
etc.} 29. Bc3 Qc7 30. Qd2 Nbd7 ) 29. e4 fxe4 30. Bxe4 dxe4 31. Nxe4 {
/\Nd6,Ne5. Another plan would be to move the N to d3, Qe1, plan a4 and sac
a N on b4 after b5-b4, followed by the advance of the b-pawn. However, it 
is very hard to say, if White's advantage is enough for victory.} ) 27. 
Qc2 Kf7 D {White has an obvious advantage due to his
extra space, but owing to the blocked position
there is no immediate way to exploit it. White
must manoeuvre in order to make progress, rearranging
his pieces so as to create different
threats which increase the pressure on the enemy
position.} 28. Rh3 {There is no need even to consider an e3-e4 
breakthrough, as White has a better plan at his disposal.
---------------------------------

The first step is to triple the major pieces on
the h-file. This is most effective when the queen
is behind the two rooks.} 28. ... Kg8 29. Rah1 {Now the B cannot return to
g8.} 29. ... Raa7 30. Kf1 Qe8 31. Be1 Bh8 32. Rh6 Bg7 33. R6h4 Bh8 34. 
R1h3 {White is tripling his major pieces on the h-file according to 
Alekhine's advice - first the pair of rooks and the Q behind them.} 
34. ... Re7 35. Qh2 Reb7 36. Rh6 Re7 {Black has managed to meet the 
immediate
threats along the h-file, and it seems likely that
White will have to make a sacrifice of some
kind in order to break through. It's important
not to rush; if you are going to sacrifice then you
should make sure that your pieces are ideally
placed first. Gelfand's next step is to attack the
a5-pawn, forcing it to advance to a4. This will
free the b4-square for a white knight and, in the
long run, give White the opportunity for queenside
play by b3. Manoeuvring is often based on
play in two different areas of the board.} 37. Ne2 Reb7 38. Nc1 Re7 39. 
Nb3 {It is important to force Black to play a4, as it gives White the 
b4-square and the possibility to open the position by b3, if nessesary. 
Even though the main action would most likely take place on the kingside, 
you should never neglect such a detail.} 39. ... a4 {If 39 ... Qd8 then 40
Qd2 forces the a-pawn' s
advance in any case.} ( {Or} 39. ... Qd8 40. Qd2! a4 41. Nc1 +- ) 40. Nc1 
Reb7 41. Be2 Re7 42. Nd3 Reb7 {White's pieces are now as well posted as 
they
can be: the bishop is ready to go to h5, while the
d3-knight can move to e5 or b4 as appropriate.} 43. Nh4! {White has placed
his pieces ideally - it is time to go for an attack!

----------

Threatening 44 Nxg6 Nxg6 45 B5 Rg7 46
Ne5 - this is why White left the knight on d3
rather than playing it to b4 first.} 43. ... Bg7 {The only way to meet the
threat, but now
White has a different sacrifice.} ( 43. ... Re7 44. Nxg6 Nxg6 45. Bh5 Bg7 
( 45. ... Rg7 46. Ne5 ) 46. Bxg6 Bxg6 47. Rh8+ +- ) ( 43. ... Nbd7 44. 
Nxg6 +- ) 44. Rxh7! Nxh7 ( 44. ... Kxh7? 45. Nxg6+ Kg8 46. Rh8+ Kf7 47. 
Nde5+ Bxe5 48. fxe5 {leads to a quick mate} ( 48. Nxe5+ ) ) 45. Nxg6 Nd7! 
{the only defence} ( 45. ... Qxg6? 46. Bh5 +- ) ( 45. ... Bxd4 46. exd4 
Qxg6 47. Ne5 +- ) 46. Bh5 Qd8 ( 46. ... Ndf8 47. Nxf8 Qxf8 48. Bf3 {
winning the N.} ) 47. Nb4 {Making use of the queenside possibilities to
attack the weak c6-pawn.} 47. ... Rc7 D ( 47. ... Nb8 48. Ne5 Bxe5 49. 
dxe5 Rg7 50. g6 Nf8 51. Bh4 Qe8 52. Bf6 {with an easy win.} ) 48. Nh8!! {A
beautiful way to launch the final attack. I got really excited when I saw 
this possibility. Strangely enough no engine on my computer indicates it 
even set to a depth around 20ply.} ( {I was also thinking about} 48. Ne5 {
, but I was not sure how to progress after} 48. ... Nxe5 49. dxe5 Nf8 50. 
Nc2 Nd7 51. Bb4 Qe7 52. Nd4 ) 48. ... Ndf8 ( {I believe that the most 
stubborn was} 48. ... Kxh8 49. Bf7 ( 49. Bg6 Nf8 ) 49. ... Nf8 50. Rxh7+! 
Nxh7 51. g6 Bh6! {The only defence} 52. Qxh6 Rxf7 53. gxf7 Rxf7 54. Nxc6 {
and despite being an exchange down, White is going to win - for example} 
54. ... Qe8 55. Ne5 Ra7 ( 55. ... Rf6 56. Qh4 +- ) 56. Bb4 Rc7 57. Ke2 Rc8
58. Kd2 Rc7 59. c6 Rxc6 60. Nxc6 Qxc6 61. Qg6 +- ) ( 48. ... Bxh8 {allows 
the nice} 49. Bf7+!! Kxf7 50. Rxh7+ Bg7 51. g6+! Kf8 ( 51. ... Kg8 52. 
Rh8+ ) ( 51. ... Ke8 52. Rxg7 Nf8 53. Rg8 Rg7 54. Rxf8+ Kxf8 55. Nxc6 ) 
52. Rxg7 +- ) 49. Nf7 Rxf7 50. Bxf7+ ( {White had another way to victory} 
50. Nxc6 Qa8 51. g6 Nxg6 52. Bxg6 Qxc6 53. Bxf7+ Rxf7 54. Rxh7 +- ) 
50. ... Rxf7 ( 50. ... Kxf7 51. Nxc6 +- ) 51. Rxh7 Qe8 ( {Or} 51. ... Nxh7
52. g6! Rc7 53. Qxh7+ Kf8 54. Bh4! Qe8 55. Bg5 +- {winning easily, for 
example} 55. ... Qd7 56. Bh6 Bxh6 57. Qh8+ Ke7 58. Qxh6 Qe8 59. Qh7+ Kd8 
60. g7 +- ) 52. Rh3 {Already here I saw it till the end. White exchanges 
Qs, plays b3, then a4, exchange Rs on a line and penetrate by B and N into
the enemy's camp.

---------

In addition to his other advantages, White
has a clear extra pawn. The win is slow but sure.} 52. ... Ng6 53. Qe2 Rc7
54. Qh5 Kf7 55. Qh7 {Black cannot avoid the exchange of queens.} 55. ... 
Qg8 ( 55. ... Nf8 56. g6+ Nxg6 57. Rg3 ) ( 55. ... Qd8 56. Rh6 Nf8 57. 
Nxc6 Rxc6 58. g6+ ) 56. Qxg8+ Kxg8 57. Nd3 Ra7 58. Ke2 Kf7 59. Nb4 Ne7 60.
 Kd1 Ra8 61. Kc2 Rg8 62. Nd3 Ra8 63. Rh7 Ng6 64. b3 Nf8 65. Rh2 axb3+ 66. 
Kxb3 Ke8 67. Ra2 Kd7 68. a4 bxa4+ 69. Rxa4 Rxa4 70. Kxa4 Kc8 71. Ba5 Ng6 
72. Nb4 Kd7 ( {Or} 72. ... Kb7 73. Bd8! {with the idea of Ka5, Na6.} ) 73.
 Na6 Kc8 74. Bc7 Bf8 75. Ka5 Kb7 76. Bd6 Be7 77. Bxe7 ( {It is never too 
late to blunder} 77. Nc7? Bd8 ) 77. ... Nxe7 78. Nb4 Ng8 79. Nd3 Ne7 80. 
Ne5 Ng8 81. g6 Nf6 82. g7 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.07.31"]
[Round "?"]
[White "19  Liquidating to an Endgame"]
[Black "Page 62"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.31"]

*

[Event "Dortmund m"]
[Site "Dortmund GER"]
[Date "2007.06.30"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Westerinen, Heikki M J"]
[Black "Hort, Vlastimil"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2384"]
[BlackElo "2494"]
[ECO "B95k"]
[EventDate "2007.06.27"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qf3 Nbd7 
8. O-O-O Qa5 9. Bxf6 Nxf6 10. Bd3 Be7 11. Rhe1 O-O 12. Kb1 Bd7 13. g4 Rac8
D {In this double-edged Sicilian position, White
starts a dangerous attack:} 14. e5!? dxe5 15. Nb3 {After the queen moves, 
White has ideas based
on g5 and .Bxh7+. Black can try to defend passively
by 15 ... Qc7 16 g5 Ne8, since there is
nothing clear-cut for White, but Hort finds a
better solution based on liquidation to an endgame.
There are several factors indicating that
this is the best option: Black has a long-term
positional advantage based on his two bishops
and better pawn-structure (White has dislocated
his kingside pawns by pushing the g-pawn),
and a liquidation will nullify White's attacking
chances. Later, in Section 60, we shall look at
the related topic of defence by exchanging individual
attacking pieces, but here we are considering
more extensive exchanges leading directly
to an endgame.} 15. ... Qb4! 16. g5 ( 16. a3 Qxg4 17. Qxg4 Nxg4 18. Bxh7+ 
Kxh7 19. Rxd7 Bh4 20. Rxb7 Bxf2 {Black wins
a pawn.} ) 16. ... Bc6 {All part of a forcing tactical sequence.} 17. Qh3 
Qg4 18. Bxh7+ Kh8 {White must swap queens or he loses a piece} 19. Bf5+ 
Qxh3 20. Bxh3 Nh7 21. g6 ( 21. Rxe5 Nxg5 22. Re3 Rcd8 {is clearly better
for Black, so White uses his g-pawn to break up
Black's pawns.} ) 21. ... Ng5 22. Rxe5 Nxh3 23. Rh5+ Kg8 24. Rxh3 fxg6 D {
The liquidation has turned out very well for
Black, since in this open position his two bishops
are far stronger than White's knights. It's
hard to say whether his advantage guarantees
victory, but at any rate White has an arduous
defence ahead of him, while Black can play for
a win with no risk at all. At move 15 Black had
to do some work calculating the tactics, but it
was effort well spent.} 25. Nd4 Rxf2 26. Nxe6? ( 26. Nxc6 Rxc6 27. a3 {
offers better drawing
chances. Admittedly, White is a pawn down,
but Black's pawns are broken and at least White
has removed one of the menacing bishops.} ) 26. ... Bf3 27. Rg1 Bf6? ( 
27. ... g5! {is crushing, since after the coming
... g4 White's rook will have nowhere to go.
Playing Rhg3 leads to the rook being trapped,
while after Rh5 Black can reply ... g3} ) 28. Nf4 Bxc3 29. Nxg6! {Now 
Black must cope with the threats of
Ne7+ and Rh8+.} 29. ... Bg4 30. Rhg3?? {This blunder loses at once. After}
( 30. Rxc3 Rxc3 31. bxc3 {the result should be a draw.} ) 30. ... Bf6! {
The refutation, since it allows Black to double
rooks on the seventh rank.} 31. Rxg4 Rcxc2 32. Rb4 Rxb2+ 33. Rxb2 Rxb2+ 
34. Kc1 Rxa2 35. Rg4 Rxh2 36. Kd1 b5 37. Nf4 Rh4 0-1

[Event "Enghien les Bains 3rd"]
[Site "Enghien les Bains FRA"]
[Date "1999.03.03"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Bologan, Viktor"]
[Black "Bauer, Christian"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2608"]
[BlackElo "2528"]
[ECO "C16n"]
[EventDate "1999.03.03"]
[Annotator "Finkel,A"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 b6 7. h4 Ba6 8.
 Bxa6 ( 8. Bd3?! c5 9. h5 h6 10. a4 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 Nbc6 12. Ba3 O-O 13. Nf3
Qc7 14. O-O Na5 15. Rfe1 Nc4 =+ {Levchenkov,V-Moskalenko,V/EUCup Gr3 1994 
(33)} ) 8. ... Nxa6 9. h5 h6 10. Qg4 ( 10. Qd3 Nb8 11. Nf3 Nbc6 ( 11. ... 
Qd7 12. Nh4 Qc6 13. Rh3 Qc4 14. Qg3 Rg8 15. Qf4 Nbc6 16. a4 Na5 17. Rf3 
Kd7 ~ {Wildi,M-Sher,M/Geneve op 1993 (36)} ) 12. Nh4 Qd7 13. g4 O-O-O 14. 
f4 Rhg8 15. f5 f6!? â‡„â‡„ {Arnason, J-Rohde,M/Beersheba 1987 (33)} ) ( 
10. Rh4!? c5 11. Nh3 Qc7 12. Bd2 cxd4 13. cxd4 Qc4 14. Rf4 Rc8 15. Rc1 Nf5
16. c3 Nb8 17. Qf3 Rf8 ~ {Micic, C-Timoshenko,G/Cheliabinsk 1989 (31)} ) 
10. ... Rg8 ( 10. ... Nf5 11. a4 ( 11. Nf3 Qd7 12. Nh4 Rg8 13. a4 O-O-O 
14. Qe2 Kb7 15. Nxf5 exf5 ~ {Zavoronkov,V-Remmel,A/ EST-tt, Tallinn EST 
1998 (37)} ) 11. ... Qd7 12. Qe2?! Qc6 13. Qd2 Qc4 14. Ne2 c5 =+ {
Kostro,J-Podolsky,H/Warsaw 1961 (35)} ) 11. a4!? {White decides to get rid
of a weak a-pawn and to open another file for the rooks.This game is very 
good example of an agressive style of Viorel Bologan.} ( 11. Qe2 Nb8 12. 
Nf3 Nbc6 13. g4 Qd7 14. Nh4 ~ {1/2-1/2 Spassky,B-Petrosian,T/Tilburg 1981}
) 11. ... Qd7?! ( {Deserved attention} 11. ... c5!? 12. Qe2 Nb8 13. a5 
Nbc6 â‡„â‡„ {keeping the diagonal a3-f8 closed.} ) 12. Qe2 Nb8 13. a5 Nbc6
( 13. ... Qc6!? ) 14. axb6 cxb6 15. Nf3 Na5 16. Nd2 Qc6 ( 16. ... O-O-O!? 
17. Ba3 Nec6 18. Rh4! Nb7 19. c4 dxc4 20. Qxc4 Kb8 21. Nb3 += ) 17. Rh3 
Kd7 ( 17. ... Nc4 18. Ba3 ) 18. Rf3 Rgf8 19. Ba3 Nc4 20. Qd3! a5 D {
Nullifying an enemy attack isn't the only
motivation for liquidating to an endgame. In
this rather unclear position, White has an active
bishop on a3 and chances of attacking the kingside
pawns by Qh7, but his queenside pawns
are broken and Black has a passed a-pawn. This
last factor might lead one to believe that Black
would be better in any ending, but that isn't
necessarily the case. The a3-bishop can blockade
the a-pawn and if White is able to penetrate
with a rook then Black could be in trouble.
Thus the assessment of a liquidation depends
heavily on the precise position afterwards, and
therefore careful calculation is necessary to ensure
that the result will be favourable.} ( {Too dangerous for black is} 
20. ... Nxa3?! 21. Rxa3 b5 ( 21. ... Kc7? 22. c4 Kb7 ( 22. ... dxc4 23. 
Nxc4 Nf5 24. Nd6! Nxd6 25. Rc3 +- ) 23. cxd5 exd5 24. Qh7! +/- ) 22. Nb3 
Kc7 23. Nc5 a6 24. g4 g6 25. hxg6 +/- {and white's initiative is extremly 
dangerous.} ) 21. Nxc4 dxc4 ( {Forced, since } 21. ... Qxc4? 22. Qh7 Rg8 
23. Rxf7! ( 23. g4?! Rac8 24. Kd2!? ( 24. Rb1!? Qa2!? ( 24. ... Qc6 ) 25. 
Rb3 a4 26. Rxf7 axb3 27. Rxe7+ Kc6 28. Rxe6+ Kb7 29. Qg6! Qxa3 30. Rxb6+ 
Ka7 31. Rxb3 Qa6 32. Qf7+ Ka8 33. Qxd5+ Ka7 34. f4!? â†’ ) 24. ... Ke8 25.
 Bd6! a4 26. Rb1 Qc6 27. Qd3 â†‘ {and white definitly has very unpleasent 
pressure,but black's position is defendable.} ) ( 23. Rb1 ) 23. ... Qxc3+ 
24. Ke2 Rge8 ( 24. ... Qxa1 25. Rxe7+ Kc6 26. Rxe6+ {gives White a mating 
attack.} ) 25. Rxg7 Qc4+ 26. Qd3 Qc6 27. Rb1 Kd8 28. Kf1 Ra7 29. Rh7 Rc7 
+- ) 22. Qh7 +/- Nf5? {This exchange sacrifice looks natural, as it
seals in White's queen, but it allows White to
force a favourable liquidation.} ( 22. ... Rh8! 23. Qxg7 Qe4+ 24. Re3 Qf5 
{is better. After} 25. Bxe7 Kxe7 26. Rf3 Rag8 27. Qxh8 Qe4+ 28. Re3 Qxe3+ 
29. fxe3 Rxh8 {an ending arises in
which White is a pawn up, but in a pure rook
ending the outside passed a-pawn is quite dangerous
and should enable Black to draw.} ) 23. d5! {Forcing the endgame with much
better chanse for white. --------  The start of a tactical sequence 
forcing a favourable
ending. Neither} ( 23. Bxf8?! Qe4+! 24. Kd2 ( 24. Kf1? Ne3+ -/+ ) 24. ... 
Rxf8 25. Ra4 ( 25. Re1 Qg4 â‡„â‡„ ) 25. ... Rc8 ) ( 23. Rxf5? Qe4+ 24. Kd2
( 24. Kf1 Qxf5 25. Qxf5 exf5 26. Bxf8 Rxf8 -/+ ) 24. ... Qxf5 25. Qxf5 
exf5 26. Bxf8 Rxf8 27. Ke3 {gives White any advantage} ) 23. ... Qxd5 â–¡ 
( 23. ... Qa4? 24. Rxf5 ( 24. dxe6+ fxe6 25. Rd1+ Kc6 26. Bxf8 Rxf8 27. 
Qg6 +- ) 24. ... exf5 25. Qxf5+ Ke8 26. e6 Qb5 ) 24. Rd1 {Winning the 
queen, but White's own queen
is trapped so this is simply an indirect way to
exchange queens.} 24. ... Qxd1+ 25. Kxd1 Rh8 26. Qxh8 Rxh8 D {White has 
given up a pawn to exchange
queens, but now comes the payback since White
can force the penetration of his rook.} 27. g4 Nh4 28. Rxf7+ Kc6 29. Rxg7 
{The extra pawn and active pieces should be
enough for White to win.} 29. ... Kd5?! ( {More chanses of survival would 
leave} 29. ... Nf3!? {offers more resistance, but even here the precise
continuation} 30. Ke2 Nxe5 31. f4 Nd7 32. Re7 Nc5 33. Bxc5 ( 33. Kf3!? ) 
33. ... Kxc5 34. Rxe6 a4 35. Kf3 a3 36. Re1 b5 37. Ra1 +/- ) 30. Rf7 {
Keeping the knight out of f3, and leaving it
in danger of being trapped.} 30. ... Rg8 ( 30. ... Kxe5 31. Be7! +- ) 31. 
f3 +- Nxf3!? {Disperation!  Desperation, but there was nothing better.
Now White wins easily with the extra piece.} ( 31. ... Kxe5 32. Bc1 a4 33.
 Ke2 Rh8 34. Bf4+ +- ) 32. Rxf3 Rxg4 33. Rf6 Rg1+ 34. Kd2 Rg2+ 35. Kc1 
Kxe5 36. Rxh6 Rh2 37. Be7! b5 38. Kb2 Kd5 39. Rh8 e5 40. h6 Ke6 41. h7 Kf7
42. Bd6 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.07.31"]
[Round "?"]
[White "20  Using the Whole Board"]
[Black "Page 64"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.31"]

*

[Event "Amber Chess 20. Rapid"]
[Site "Monaco MNC"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Grischuk"]
[Black "Ivanchuk"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2747"]
[BlackElo "2779"]
[ECO "E11s"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Qe7 5. g3 Nc6 6. Nc3 Bxc3 7. Bxc3 
Ne4 8. Rc1 O-O 9. Bg2 d6 10. d5 Nd8 11. Nd2 Nxc3 12. Rxc3 e5 13. c5 dxc5 
14. Qc2 c6 15. Rxc5 Bf5 16. e4 Bg6 17. Qc3 b6 18. Rc4 c5 19. b4 a5 20. b5 
Nb7 21. O-O Nd6 22. a4 Rae8 23. Qb3 f5 24. Rc3 f4 25. Nc4 Nxc4 26. Qxc4 
Qd7 27. Qe2 Rf6 28. g4 {Black stands slightly better for two reasons.
Firstly, the only area where there is any play is
on the kingside, and there Black's advanced fpawn
gives him a space advantage, and secondly
Black's bishop is more active. However, it's a
long way from the current situation to a win.} 28. ... Bf7 29. f3 {White 
has good chances to defend, since
Black can only attack on a narrow front.} 29. ... g5 30. h4!? {White could
run with his king to the queenside
and just sit tight on the kingside, but he decides
to defend dynamically by activating his
bishop.} ( 30. Rd1 Rd6 31. Qb2 Kg7 32. Rc2 Qe7 33. Bf1 h5 34. Bh3 Rh8 35. 
Qc3 hxg4 36. Bxg4 Rdh6 37. Bf5 ) 30. ... gxh4 31. Bh3 Rg6 32. Kf2 h5 33. 
Rh1 Qe7 {White must avoid gxh5, which would be met
by ... Rg3, but equally Black would prefer not to
play ... hxg4, since after .Bxg4 White's bishop
becomes active and the h4-pawn will be weak.} 34. Rcc1 Kh7 35. Rcg1 Reg8 {
At the moment White has everything under
control, since he is able to counter the plan of
... .Be8-d7 by doubling rooks on the h-file.} 36. Kf1 {This wastes time. 
White can continue} ( 36. Rg2 Be8 ( 36. ... c4 37. Rc1 ) 37. Qc4 {
(preventing any tricks based on ... c4} 37. ... Bd7 38. Rgh2 {when it is 
hard to see how Black can
make progress since} 38. ... hxg4 39. Bxg4 Rxg4 {only leads to equality 
after} 40. d6! Qf6 41. Qd5! R8g7 42. fxg4 Rxg4 43. Rh3 Kg7 44. R1h2 ) 
36. ... Kh6?! {Missing the chance to play} ( 36. ... Be8! {, when
White no longer has time to double rooks on
the h-file since both} 37. Rg2 ( 37. Rh2 {are
strongly met by} 37. ... c4! ) ) 37. Rg2? D {The right idea, but the wrong
execution.} ( 37. Rh2 {is correct, since after} 37. ... c4 38. Qxc4 Qa3 
39. Bg2! {(this is why g2 has to be kept clear)} 39. ... hxg4 40. Rxh4+ 
Kg7 41. Rgh1! {White has
enough counterplay to ensure a draw.} ) 37. ... c4! {With all the action 
on the kingside, it would
have been easy for Grishchuk to forget about
this possibility. By sacrificing a pawn, Black is
able to penetrate with his queen to a3 and harass
the white king from the queenside. Because
his bishop is immobile, White is unable
to reorganize his forces to meet this new attack.} 38. Qxc4 Qa3 39. Rf2?! 
{Allowing a forced win. The best chance is} ( 39. Qe2 Qa1+ 40. Qe1 Qxa4 
41. Kg1 Qxb5 42. Qxh4 Rg5 {Black is a pawn up and has
a clear advantage .} ) 39. ... hxg4 40. Bxg4 Rxg4! 41. fxg4 Rxg4 {There's 
no defence to the many threats.} 42. Qe2 Bh5 43. Rf3 Qc1+ 44. Qe1 Qc4+ 45.
 Kf2 Qc2+ {It's mate in a few moves.} 0-1

[Event "Piatigorsky-Cup 2nd"]
[Site "Santa Monica, CA USA"]
[Date "1966.08.11"]
[Round "16"]
[White "Petrosian, Tigran A"]
[Black "Larsen, Bent"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E61h"]
[EventDate "1966.07.17"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. d4 d6 6. e3 c6 7. Nge2 a5 8. 
b3 Na6 9. O-O e5 10. Bb2 Re8 11. a3 ( 11. Qd2 h5 12. Rad1 e4 â‡„â‡„ ) 
11. ... Rb8 12. h3 ( 12. Qc2!? ) 12. ... h5 {/\ 13...e4} 13. Qc2 Be6 14. 
Kh2 Qc7 15. Rac1 {/\ 16.Rfd1} 15. ... b5 16. cxb5 ( 16. c5 dxc5 17. dxe5 
Nd7 18. f4 b4 =+ ) 16. ... cxb5 17. Qd1 ( 17. Ne4 ) 17. ... Qe7 18. Nb1 
Bd7 19. Nd2 +/- {Petrosian} 19. ... e4! 20. Nf4 ( 20. d5!? Nc5 21. Rxc5 
dxc5 22. Bxf6 -/+ ) 20. ... d5 21. Qe2 Qd6 22. Rc2 ( 22. Kh1 Bh6 ) 22. ...
 Rec8 23. Rfc1 Rxc2 24. Rxc2 h4 25. Nf1 ( 25. gxh4? Nh5 ) 25. ... hxg3+ 
26. fxg3 ( 26. Nxg3 b4 27. a4 Rc8 -/+ {xh3, h4} ) 26. ... b4 27. a4 Rc8 =+
28. Rxc8+ Bxc8 D {Black stands better for three main reasons.
First of all, White has more pawn-islands than
Black (see Section 73), and a consequence of
this is that the g3-pawn is weak; secondly, Black
controls more space and, finally, White's darksquared
bishop is bad and is likely to remain so
in view of the largely fixed pawn-structure.
However, it's not easy for Black to improve his
position against careful defence and in order to
do so he must use the whole board.} 29. h4 {To stop ... g5, but it weakens
the g4-square.} ( 29. Qb5? g5 30. Ne2 Qc7 ) 29. ... Nc7 30. Bh3 Bxh3 31. 
Nxh3 Bf8 {Heading to d6 to target the g3-pawn.} 32. Kg2 Qc6 33. Qd1 ( 33. 
Qd2?! {xg4} ) 33. ... Bd6 34. Nf2 Ne6 35. Bc1 {Starting a trip to el to 
reinforce the g3-square.} 35. ... Ng7 {The main area of attack is the 
kingside, and
the main target g3. However, by keeping his
queen on the c-file, Black not only prevents
counterplay, but also forces White to cover c 1
and c2 to prevent a penetration.} ( 35. ... Qc3? 36. Bd2 Qb2 ) 36. Bd2 Nf5
37. Kh3 Qc8 38. Kg2? {Overlooking a tactical point. 38 Qc1 is better.} ( 
38. g4 Nh6 {/\ Nh7, f5/g5, f5 Larsen} ) 38. ... Kg7? {Although Larsen had 
several minutes to spare
before the time-control, he overlooked a forced
win by} ( 38. ... Nh5 39. Nh1 Nhxg3 40. Nhxg3 Nxh4+ 41. Kh2 Nf3+ 42. Kg2 
Ng5! {followed
by ...Qh3+, with a decisive attack.} ) 39. Nh1? {39 Qcl was still the 
move.} 39. ... Nh6 ( 39. ... Bxg3 40. Nhxg3 Nxh4+ 41. Kh2 Nf3+ 42. Kg2 Ng5
{is another win based on the same
idea} ) 40. Be1 {Sacrifices don't work now that g3 is securely
defended, and 'normal service' is resumed.} 40. ... Qa6 {The queen angles 
in from the a-file, while retaining
control of the squares c6 and c8 on the
c-file to prevent the white queen from becoming
active.} 41. Nf2 Nf5 {The threat is 42 ...Qxf1+. /\ 42...Qf1} 42. Qd2 ( 
42. Bd2 Nh5 43. g4 ( 43. Nh1 Bb8 44. Qe1 Nhxg3 45. Nhxg3 Nxh4+ 46. Kh1 
Bxg3 47. Nxg3 Nf3 48. Qf2 ( 48. Qd1 Qd3 49. Nf1 Nxd2 50. Nxd2 Qxe3 51. Nf1
Qf2 -+ ) 48. ... Qd3 -+ ) 43. ... Nxh4+ 44. Kh3 Nf3 45. gxh5 Qc8+ 46. Kg2 
Qf5 â†’ {-+ Larsen} ) 42. ... Bb8 {So that White has to worry about .. 
:Qd6. Although
the main focus is the kingside, Black
uses the whole board for his manoeuvres.} 43. Nd1 Ng4 44. Kg1 D f6 45. Kg2
g5 46. Nf2 Ngh6 47. hxg5 {After 47 h5 g4 followed by ... Kf7 and ... Ng7
Black will win the h5-pawn.} ( 47. h5 g4 -+ {/\ Ne7, f5} ) 47. ... fxg5 
48. Nd1 Kg6 49. Nh2 g4 50. Qc2 Bd6 51. Nf1 Ng8 {Nf6, Qh6} 52. Nh2 Nf6 53. 
Nf1 Kh5 {53 ... Nh7! followed by ...Ng5-f3 wins more
quickly, but Larsen's method is good enough.} ( 53. ... Qa8 54. Qe2 Qh8 
â†’ ) 54. Nh2 Kg5 55. Nf1 Nh5 56. Bf2 Nf6 57. Be1 Nh5 58. Bf2 Qa8! {The 
final link in Black's plan, intending
... Qh8 followed by a sacrifice on g3. This manoeuvre
emphasizes how effectively Black used
the whole width of the board.} 59. Be1 Qh8 60. Qc6 Bxg3! 61. Bxg3 Nhxg3 ( 
61. ... Nhxg3 62. Nxg3 Qh3+ 63. Kf2 Qxg3+ 64. Ke2 Qxe3+ -+ {Black will 
finish two pawns up 

Larsen} ) 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.07.31"]
[Round "?"]
[White "21   The Minority Attack"]
[Black "Page 66"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.07.31"]

*

[Event "Corus"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2010.01.16"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Van Wely, Loek"]
[Black "Short, Nigel D"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2641"]
[BlackElo "2696"]
[ECO "D36q"]
[EventDate "2010.01.16"]
[Annotator "Van Wely"]

{5 years ago, Nigel played his last game in the Corus A group against me, 
welcome back Nigel! :)} 
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 ( {in 2005 I had chosen to play} 3. Nc3 d5 ( {in
our last encounter, London 2009, Nigel preferred} 3. ... Bb4 {and although
he was almost in zugzwang later , I managed succesfully to blow myself 
up....} ) 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Bf5 7. Qf3 Bg6 8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. Qxf6
gxf6 10. Nf3 {but he didn't really enjoy this endgame :)} ) 3. ... d5 4. 
Nc3 Nbd7 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 c6 7. e3 Be7 8. Qc2 O-O 9. Bd3 Re8 10. h3 Nf8
{Fortunately Nigel doesn't have Kasparov as his trainer, I am pretty sure,
he likes how Magnus played against me:} ( 10. ... Ne4!? {in fact this move
could be a serious attempt to change the nature of the "traditional" 
Queen's Gambit positions, and also not a bad one.} 11. Bxe4 ( 11. Bf4 {was
the safe choice but after} 11. ... Ndf6 12. O-O Bf5 {followed by g6 and 
Black has no problems.} ) 11. ... dxe4 12. Nxe4 Qa5+ 13. Kf1 Bf8 {Already 
after he had played ...Ne4, I realised this must be his idea, but anyway, 
what should I do? And besides a pawn is a pawn, so let's not be afraid for
once in our lives :)} ( 13. ... Qf5 {was how Piket played against me in 
the World Cup in Groningen 1997, but in that game I managed to stabilise 
the postion and just to be a pawn up.} 14. Bxe7 Rxe7 15. Nfd2 Nb6 16. Rc1 
Nd5 17. Kg1 ) 14. Bf4 ( 14. Nc3 b5 15. Kg1 b4 16. Ne2 Bb7 17. Kh2 c5 {with
very nice compensation} ) ( 14. g4!? {is the suggestion of my silicon 
friend, so it has to be analysed seriously :)} ) 14. ... Qf5 15. Nfd2 Nb6 
( 15. ... c5!? ) 16. Rc1 Nd5 17. g4 Qg6 18. Nd6 Rd8! 19. Qxg6?! hxg6 20. 
Nxc8 Nxf4 21. exf4 Rxd4 22. Nb3 Rb4! 23. Kg2 Rxc8 24. Rhd1 Rxf4 25. Rd7 
Rb4 =+ {Van Wely-Carlsen,M/Wijk aan Zee 2010} ) 11. Bf4 a5 {This is an 
interesting waiting move to discourage White from castling queenside, the 
only drawback is, Black won't have any counterplay in the centre by 
playing c5, because the b5-square would remain permanently free.} ( 
11. ... Ng6 12. Bh2 Bd6 ( 12. ... Be6 ) 13. Bxd6 Qxd6 14. O-O-O ) ( 
11. ... Bd6 12. Bxd6 Qxd6 13. O-O-O ) ( 11. ... Be6 {was the choice of 
another expert, Arthur Jussupow, later he sold me some sacrifices on h3 
and e3...} ) 12. O-O Ng6 13. Bh2 Bd6 14. Bxd6 Qxd6 15. Rfe1!? {A strange 
move, but trying to prevent Black's plan of putting a knight on e4.} 
15. ... Be6?! D {This looks natural, but if Nigel had a deeper look at the
position, he would have understood that} ( 15. ... Bd7! {was the right 
move; later in the game you will see why.} ) ( 15. ... Qe7?! 16. e4 {- the
idea of Re1!} ) 16. a3 {Now White will start his classical minority 
attack.

In positions with this type of Queen's Gambit
pawn-structure, White nonnally has only
two possible plans: he can either play for the
central break e4, or he can play a3, Rab1 and
b4-b5. Here playing e4 achieves nothing apart
from giving White an isolated d-pawn, so the
balance lies finnly in favour of a queenside advance.
Such an advance is called a minority attack
because it involves advancing White's two
queenside pawns against Black's three. Black
sometimes meets this plan by generating kingside
counterplay, but here this is difficult as the
dark-squared bishops have been exchanged.} 16. ... Re7 17. Rab1 Rae8 18. 
b4 axb4 19. axb4 Bd7 {Now Black has to lose a tempo in order to play 
...Ne4.} 20. b5 {The point of White's pawn advance is to
leave Black with a weak queenside pawn; if
Black takes on bS then he has isolated b- and dpawns,
while allowing the exchange bxc6 bxc6
will give Black a backward c-pawn.} 20. ... Ne4 {It's sometimes possible 
for Black to meet b5
with ... c5, but here} ( 20. ... c5 21. dxc5 Qxc5 22. Rec1 Rc8 23. Qb2 Qd6
24. Na4 {followed by
Qd4 leaves White with a clear advantage.} ) 21. bxc6 bxc6 22. Rb6 {Black 
is not only left with a weak pawn, but
in addition White's pieces are very active. By
contrast, Black's bishop is passively placed.} 22. ... Nxc3 23. Qxc3 Qf6 D
{Black has no counterplay and is reduced to
the grim defence of a position with few active
prospects. The threat of ... Bxh3 is a pinprick
which causes White no real inconvenience.} 24. Bxg6! {This bishop is not 
needed anymore, and Black's knight was about to get active via h4. Apart 
from that we want to play good knight vs bad bishop...

The exchange of this knight eliminates
Black's last prospect of serious kingside play.} 24. ... Qxg6 ( 24. ... 
hxg6 25. Ne5 Rc8 26. Qc5 {is terrible for
Black.} ) 25. Kf1 {Sidestepping the trap} ( 25. Ne5?? Rxe5 26. dxe5 Bxh3 {
when Black wins.} ) 25. ... f6 {Black has managed to keep the knight out 
of
eS, but cS is another tempting outpost.} 26. Ra1 Qh5 27. Ne1 Qf5 {Now 
Black is obliged to fall back into passive
defence.} 28. Kg1 Qg5? {Probaby the last and fatal mistake. Maybe Nigel 
was thinking according to the Russian chess school, that when you have 
only one weakness (c6) you should be able to defend. I don't know, but you
need to have really good defensive skills for that and be ready to suffer 
for hours and hours. Not my cup of tea, and definitely also not Nigel's , 
so I am a bit surprised, he didn't go for counterchances with} ( 28. ... 
g5! {of course there is no way back after this move, but at least Black 
will have some fun (Rg7, g4, h5, h4 , etc.).} ) 29. Kh2 Qf5 30. Nd3 Qe6 
31. Kg1 Rc8 32. Rb7 Rf7 33. Raa7 Be8 34. Qb4 Rd8 35. Nc5 {This is 
definitely not going to be funny for Black :)} 35. ... Qc8 36. Qb6 h5 37. 
Rc7 Rxc7 38. Rxc7 Qa8 39. Ra7 {Some dancing to get to the 7th rank.} 
39. ... Qc8 40. Rb7 Bf7 41. Qa7 Rf8 42. Nd7 {At last material loss is 
unavoidable.} 42. ... Re8 43. Nxf6+ gxf6 44. Rxf7 Qf5 45. Rg7+ Kh8 46. Qf7
{Nigel, I missed you!} 1-0

[Event "Candidates final"]
[Site "El Escorial"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Timman, Jan H"]
[Black "Short, Nigel D"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2635"]
[BlackElo "2655"]
[ECO "D58o"]
[EventDate "1993.01.??"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik"]

1. d4 {Knaak} 1. ... d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Nf3 h6
7. Bh4 b6 8. Be2 ( 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 12.
 Qa4 a5 13. a3 c5 {Timman-Short/Tilburg/1988/} ) 8. ... Bb7 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 
10. cxd5 exd5 11. O-O c6 12. b4 D {The minority attack isn't a guarantee 
of success
and Black has various methods of countering
it. One is to meet b4 with ... b5 followed by
playing a knight to b6 and c4; another, which is
used in this game, is to arrange to meet b5 with
... c5.} 12. ... Re8 13. Qb3 a5 {Black even encourages White to push his 
bpawn.} 14. b5?! ( 14. a3 {Knaak} 14. ... Nd7 15. b5 c5 16. Nxd5 Bxd4 17. 
Rad1 Ne5 18. Nxe5 Bxd5 19. Nc4 Qg5 20. g3 Qf5 21. Rfe1 Qe4 22. f3 Qxe3+! =
{Karpov-Short/Amsterdam/1991} ) ( 14. Rab1!? {Knaak} ) ( 14. bxa5 Rxa5 15.
 a4 {is better, when White
has some pressure along the b- and c-files.} ) 14. ... c5 15. dxc5 ( 15. 
Rad1!? {Knaak} ) 15. ... bxc5 16. Rac1 Bxc3 {16 ... a4! is the simplest 
method of demonstrating
that White has achieved nothing from
the opening. After} ( 16. ... Nd7 {Knaak} 17. Na4! Rc8 18. Ne1 d4 19. Bg4!
{(Bönsch)} ) ( 16. ... a4! 17. Nxa4 c4 18. Qc2 Nd7 19. Nc3 Ra3 20. Qd2 Nc5
21. Nd4 Qa5 {with
...Ne6 to come, Black has full compensation
for the pawn.} ) 17. Qxc3 Nd7 18. Rfd1 {Timman played} ( 18. Rc2 Qb6 19. 
Rd1 Re7 20. h3 Rae8 {Black had equalized} 21. Qb2 {Timman,J-Short,N 
(1)/Escoreal cf/1993/} ) 18. ... Qb6 {The minority attack has produced no 
concrete
benefit for White. Black, it is true, has
hanging pawns in the centre (see Section 69),} ( 18. ... d4 19. exd4!? ( 
19. Qd2 Qe7 20. Bf1 Rad8 21. exd4 Bxf3 22. gxf3 Ne5 23. Bg2 Rxd4 24. Qxa5 
Qg5 =/& ) 19. ... Rxe2 20. dxc5 Bxf3 ( 20. ... Rxa2 21. c6 Qb6 22. Qd4 
Qxd4 23. Nxd4 +/- ) ( 20. ... Rc8 21. c6 Qb6 22. Qd4 Qxb5 23. cxd7 Rd8 24.
 Rb1 +- ) 21. Qxf3 Qe8 22. c6 Nb6 ( 22. ... Nf6 23. c7 Rc8 24. Rd8! +- ) 
23. c7 Kh7 ( 23. ... Rxa2 24. Qxa8!! Qxa8 25. Rd8+ +- ) 24. g3 Rc8 ( 
24. ... Rxa2 25. Rd6! Qxb5 26. Qxa8 Nxa8 27. c8=Q +- ) 25. Rd6 Re1+ 26. 
Rxe1 Qxe1+ 27. Kg2 Rxc7 ( 27. ... Na8 28. Qf5+ g6 29. Qxf7+ Kh8 30. Rd8+ 
+- ) 28. Rxb6 +/- ) 19. Bf1 ( 19. Ne1!? {Knaak} ) 19. ... Rac8 20. h3 ( 
20. a4! Nf6 21. Nd2 d4?! 22. Nc4! ) 20. ... Nf6 21. Nd2 c4!? {Dynamic play
by Black. He weakens d4, but
restricts White's bishop and opens a diagonal
for his queen. Objectively it is no stronger than
other moves, but it presents White with tricky
problems to solve.} ( 21. ... d4 22. Nc4 Qxb5 23. Qxa5 ( 23. exd4 cxd4 24.
 Qxd4 += ) 23. ... Qxa5 24. Nxa5 Bd5 25. Bb5! Red8 26. exd4 cxd4 27. Rxc8 
Rxc8 28. a4 +/- ) ( 21. ... a4!? 22. Qa3 c4 â†‘ ) 22. a4 Re6 23. Rc2 ( 23.
 Qb2!? {Knaak (Bönsch)} 23. ... Rce8 24. Nb1! Ne4? ( 24. ... Re5 ~ ) 25. 
Nc3 Nc5?! 26. Nxd5 Bxd5 27. Rxd5 Nxa4 28. Qa2 Qb7 29. Rdd1 +/- ) 23. ... 
Rce8 24. Nf3?! {Taking aim at d4 appears logical, but it allows
Black to develop dangerous piece activity. 24
Nb1 is better, intending Qd4 followed by Nc3.} 24. ... Ne4 25. Qa1 ( 25. 
Qd4 Nc5 ) 25. ... Rf6 D 26. Rd4? {This second error allows Black to break 
open
White's kingside and exploit the undefended
rook on c2. 26 Nd4 is more logical, although
even here 26 ... ..Bc8 followed by ... Rg6 gives
Black good play on the kingside.} ( 26. Nd4 Qc7! ( 26. ... Re5 27. g3 ( 
27. Nc6 {Knaak} 27. ... Rxf2 ( 27. ... Rg5! ) 28. Rxf2 Nxf2 29. Qxe5 Nxd1 
30. Qe8+ Kh7 31. Ne7 Qxe3+ 32. Kh1 Nf2+ 33. Kh2 Qe5+ 34. g3 h5 35. Qxf7 +-
) 27. ... Nxg3 28. fxg3 Rxe3 29. Rc3! Re4 30. Ra3! ) 27. g3 â–³ Nxf2 28. 
Rxf2 Qxg3+ 29. Rg2 Qxe3+ â†’ ) ( 26. Be2 {/\ Rf1,Nd4} ) ( 26. Be2 =+ {
Knaak} ) 26. ... Rxf3! 27. gxf3 Qg6+ 28. Bg2 {Forced, as 28} ( 28. Kh1 
Ng3+ 29. fxg3 Qxc2 -/+ ) ( 28. Kh2 Ng5 29. Qd1 Nxf3+ 30. Qxf3 Qxc2 {are 
hopeless for White.} ) 28. ... Ng5 29. Rc1 ( 29. Qd1 Nxf3+ 30. Qxf3 Qxc2 
-/+ ) 29. ... Nxf3+ 30. Kf1 ( 30. Kh1 {Knaak} 30. ... Nxd4 31. Qxd4 Qg5 ( 
31. ... Qf5! 32. Qb6 Qc8! ( 32. ... Ba8 33. Kg1 â‡„â‡„ ) 33. Qxa5? d4 -+ )
32. Qa7 Qe7 {also favours Black, although White has a few
drawing chances.} ) 30. ... Nh2+ 31. Kg1 Nf3+ 32. Kf1 Nxd4 33. Qxd4 Qf5 {
Black has an extra pawn, but his bad bishop
means he still has some work to do to exploit it.} 34. Kg1 ( 34. Qa7 Qd3+ 
35. Kg1 ( 35. Ke1 d4 36. Bxb7 dxe3 37. fxe3 Rxe3+ 38. Kf2 Qd2+ -+ ) 
35. ... Qd2 36. Rf1 Re7 37. Qc5 Qb4 -/+ ) 34. ... Re5! 35. Qa7 Qc8 36. Kf1
( 36. Qxa5 Rg5 37. Kf1 ( 37. Kh1 d4 38. e4 Bxe4 39. Bxe4 Qxh3# ) ( 37. f4 
Qxh3! ( 37. ... Rg6! 38. Kf2 d4 39. Bxb7 Qxb7 -+ ) 38. fxg5 ( 38. Qd8+! 
Kh7 39. fxg5 Qxe3+ 40. Kh2 Qf4+ 41. Kh3 Qxc1 42. Qc7 Ba8 43. b6 ~ ) 
38. ... Qxe3+ 39. Kh2 Qf4+! 40. Kg1 Qxc1+ -+ ) 37. ... d4! ( 37. ... Qf5!?
-/+ ) 38. Bxb7 Qxb7 ( 38. ... Qxh3+ 39. Ke2 Qg4+ 40. Kd2 dxe3+ 41. Kc3 
exf2 ~ ) 39. Rxc4 Qg2+ 40. Ke2 ( 40. Ke1 Qg1+ 41. Ke2 d3+ -+ ) 40. ... d3+
! {gives Black a winning
attack} 41. Kxd3 ( 41. Kd1 Qf3+ ) 41. ... Qf1+ 42. Kc3 ( 42. Kd4 {Knaak} 
42. ... Qd1+ 43. Kc3 Qe1+ -+ ) 42. ... Qe1+ -+ ) 36. ... Rg5 37. Qd4 Qf5 
38. f4?! Rg6 39. Kf2 Kh7 40. Rd1? ( 40. Qd2 Qh5 41. Qxa5? Rxg2+ 42. Kxg2 
Qe2+ -+ ) 40. ... Qc2+ 41. Rd2 Qxa4 42. b6 ( 42. Bxd5 Qxb5 ( 42. ... Bxd5 
{Knaak} 43. Qxd5 c3 44. Ra2 Qb4 -+ ) 43. Qxc4 Rg2+!! 44. Kxg2 Qxc4 45. 
Bxb7 Qb4 -/+ ) 42. ... Qb4 43. Rb2 Qe7 44. Ra2 Qh4+ ( 44. ... Qh4+ 45. Kf1
Qg3 ) 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "22 I nferior Positions"]
[Black "Page 68"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.01"]

*

[Event "Amsterdam NH Hotels 5th"]
[Site "Amsterdam NED"]
[Date "2010.08.13"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Nielsen, Peter Heine"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]
[BlackElo "2697"]
[ECO "A29"]
[EventDate "2010.08.12"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Nd4 5. Bg2 Nxf3+ 6. Bxf3 Bb4 7. Qb3 
Bc5 8. O-O O-O 9. Na4 Be7 10. d4!? N {Creative players are discovering 
fresh ideas in the positions, where standard thinking would produce only 
"normal" moves.} ( 10. Rd1 d6 ( 10. ... c6 11. Nc3 ( 11. d4 e4 12. Bg2 d5 
13. cxd5 cxd5 14. Bf4 b6 15. Nc3 Be6 16. Rac1 Qd7 17. Nb5 Rac8 18. Nc7 h6 
19. f3 Bd6 20. Bxd6 Qxd6 21. fxe4 Nxe4 22. Bxe4 Rxc7 23. Rxc7 Qxc7 24. 
Bxd5 Bxd5 25. Qxd5 Qc2 26. Rf1 Qxe2 =, quiet {1/2-1/2 Serper,G 
(2575)-Aseev,K (2540)/St Petersburg 1994 (32)} ) 11. ... d6 ( 11. ... Qb6 
12. d3 d6 13. Qxb6 axb6 14. Be3 Bd8 15. b4 Ng4 16. Bd2 f5 17. b5 Bd7 18. 
a4 h6 19. Rdb1 g5 20. Bg2 Ra7 21. h3 Nf6 22. Be3 c5 23. Ra3 Be6 24. Bd2 
Rf7 25. Rba1 {1/2-1/2 Fridman,D (2578)-Van Wely,L (2681)/Germany 2004} ) 
12. d4 Qc7 13. Qc2 Bh3 ( 13. ... a5 14. dxe5 dxe5 15. Na4 Be6 16. e4 b6 
17. c5 b5 18. Nb6 Rad8 19. Bd2 a4 20. Be3 Ng4 21. Rxd8 Qxd8 22. Bxg4 Bxg4 
23. Kg2 Bg5 =, quiet {0-1 Miles,A (2520)-Gelfand,B (2600)/Moscow 1989 
(105)} ) 14. b3 h6 15. Bb2 Nh7 16. c5 Ng5 17. cxd6 Nxf3+ 18. exf3 += {
1/2-1/2 Gulko,B (2615)-Nikolic,P (2670) /Polanica Zdroj 1996} ) 11. Nc3 
Nd7 12. d4 Bf6 13. dxe5 Bxe5 14. Be3 Nf6 15. c5 Be6 16. Qxb7 Rb8 17. Qxa7 
Rxb2 18. Bd4 Bxd4 19. Rxd4 Rc2 20. Nb5 Qb8 21. Qxb8 Rxb8 22. Nxc7 dxc5 23.
 Ra4 += {1-0 Gelfand,B (2675)-Timman,J (2635)/Wijk aan Zee 1998 (47)} ) 
10. ... d6 {Surprised, Caruana is not sure that he can evaluate the risk 
correctly at the board. It seems that Black can bite the bullet and hold 
equality in a complicated fight.} ( 10. ... exd4! 11. Rd1 c5 12. e3 dxe3 
13. Bxe3 Qc7 ( 13. ... Qa5?! 14. Re1 Re8 15. Bg5 d6 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Nc3 
+/- ) 14. Nc3 ( 14. Rd2 d6 15. Re1 h6 16. Nc3 a6 17. Rde2 Re8 18. Bd2 Be6 
19. Na4 ( 19. Qxb7 Qxb7 20. Bxb7 Rab8 21. Bc6 Rec8 22. Bd5 Bxd5 23. cxd5 
Bd8 =, quiet ) 19. ... Nd7 20. Qxb7 Qxb7 21. Bxb7 Rab8 22. Bc6 Ne5 23. 
Rxe5 dxe5 24. Bxe8 Rxe8 25. Rxe5 Bxc4 =, quiet ) 14. ... a6 15. Na4 d6 16.
 Nb6 Rb8 17. Nxc8 Rfxc8 18. Bf4 b5 19. Rd2 ~ ) 11. Rd1 Qe8 12. Nc3 c6 13. 
Be3 ( 13. dxe5! dxe5 14. Bg5 Ng4 ( 14. ... h6 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. Ne4 Be7 
17. c5 +/- ) 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. Ne4 +/- ) 13. ... Nd7 14. Ne4 Nf6 {This 
move of the knight makes a rather strange impression. From a certain point
of view Black has just sacrificed two tempi.} ( 14. ... f5? 15. Nxd6 Bxd6 
16. c5+ +/- ) 15. Nxf6+ {Making progress is difficult despite all the 
efforts. I presume, that there were somewhat better chances for more with 
the move 15. dxe5!?} ( 15. dxe5!? Nxe4 ( 15. ... dxe5 16. Nd6 Bxd6 17. 
Rxd6 +/- ) 16. Bxe4 dxe5 17. c5 Rb8 18. Bc2 Be6 19. Qa4 += ) 15. ... Bxf6 
16. dxe5 Bxe5 17. Bd4 Qe7 18. Qa3 Rd8! {Black is holding tight and his 
problems seem quite manageable.} ( 18. ... Qc7 19. Bxe5 dxe5 20. Rd6 Be6 
21. c5 +/- ) 19. Rd2 Bxd4 20. Rxd4 D {Black stands worse thanks to his 
weak d6- W
pawn, which White can easily attack via the
half-open d-file. White also controls more space,
although this is not very significant as several
minor pieces have already been exchanged. It's
easy to lose a position such as this, since Black
has no obvious counterplay. Caruana, however,
saved the game using two basic ideas that apply
to many inferior positions: finding counterplay,
and reducing the pressure by liquidation.} 20. ... Be6 {Developing a piece
and attacking the c4-
pawn, so that even if White plays Rad1 he will
not immediately be threatening to win a pawn.} 21. b3 {Unavoidable sooner 
or later, since otherwise
White will never be threatening to take on d6.} ( 21. Rad1 c5 22. Re4 Qd7 
23. Rh4 Rab8 24. b4 cxb4 25. Qxa7 += ) 21. ... a5! {The start of an 
excellent defensive plan. Black
will meet Rad1 with ... c5, allowing him to defend
the d-pawn by ...Ra6, while the advance of
the pawn to a4 will not only reduce the material
on the board, but also open the a-file for possible
later counterplay. Moves such as this may
not get the same plaudits as brilliant sacrifices,
but they are just as instructive.} 22. Rad1 c5 {Making the d-pawn 
permanently backward
may look dreadful, but it's the only way to
avoid losing a pawn. A single weakness is usually
not fatal in itself, but Black must ensure that White is not given the 
time to improve his
position and provoke another weakness somewhere
else on the board.} 23. R4d3 a4 {Counterplay is always desirable when the 
player is under pressure. Caruana manages to create an object of attack in
the b3 pawn.} 24. Qc1 {For the moment White cannot make progress
since the d-pawn can be attacked three times
and defended three times. The only chance for
White to increase his advantage is on the kingside,
but preparing any kind of pawn advance
there is clearly going to take some time.} ( 24. Re3 axb3 25. Qxb3 Ra5 += 
) 24. ... h6 25. Qd2 axb3 26. axb3 Ra3 D {Black makes use of the open 
a-file to counter-
attack the b3-pawn.} 27. Qb2 {Expelling the rook from a3, but relieving
some of the pressure from d6. It's evident that
White is unable to force Black into the type of
totally passive position necessary to give him
time to make progress on the kingside.} ( 27. Rxd6 Rxd6 28. Qxd6 Qxd6 29. 
Rxd6 Rxb3 30. Bd5 Rb4 =, quiet ) 27. ... Ra6 28. h4 Rb8! {Another fine 
defensive move. The pressure is
momentarily off d6, so Black takes the chance to
force through ... b5.} 29. Qd2 b5! {Relief is not far away as Black 
manages to eliminate many pawns.

---------------

Black has fully equalized since exchanging
on b5 leaves the b3-pawn just as weak as the
one on d6.} ( 29. ... Rd8 30. Qf4 += ) 30. Rxd6 Rxd6 31. Qxd6 Qxd6 32. 
Rxd6 bxc4 33. bxc4 Bxc4 34. Rc6 Re8! {The final finesse.} ( 34. ... Rb5?! 
{leaves Black's
rook in a passive position and allows White to
play on by} 35. Rc8+ Kh7 36. Be4+ g6 37. h5 ) 35. Rxc5 {Nielsen could have
tried to torture the opponent from the slightly better position, but 
chances for overall success would remain slim.} ( 35. Kf1!? Re5 36. Bg4 
Ba2 37. Ke1 c4 38. Kd2 += ) 35. ... Bxe2 36. Bxe2 Rxe2 37. Kf1 1/2-1/2

[Event "Baku FIDE GP"]
[Site "Baku AZE"]
[Date "2008.04.27"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Gashimov, Vugar"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2765"]
[BlackElo "2679"]
[ECO "A30d"]
[EventDate "2008.04.21"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. g3 d6 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. Nc3 g6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Bd7 
8. Nxc6 Bxc6 9. e4 Bg7 10. O-O O-O 11. Bg5 h6 12. Be3 Qa5 13. a3 Rfc8 14. 
b4 Qd8 15. Rc1 b6 16. Qe2 e6 17. Rfd1 Qe7 18. Nb5 Bxb5 19. cxb5 Rxc1 20. 
Rxc1 Rd8 21. Rc6 Kh7 22. h3 D {This position is very unattractive for 
Black.
White has the two bishops in an open position,
a splendid outpost for his rook on c6 and a
ready-made plan of a4-a5 to break open Black's
queenside. As always, the defender should look
for any elements of the position that favour
him. Here there's only one: using his central
pawn-majority he may be able to create a passed
pawn by ... d5.} 22. ... Ne8! {The immediate 22 ... d5? is bad due to 23 
e5
Ne8 24 Bd4, blockading the d-pawn and sealing
Black's minor pieces out of the game. By
removing the knight, Black prevents the reply
e5 and so threatens ... d5. If White is given a
couple of spare tempi, he will increase his advantage
by pushing the a-pawn, so it's essential
to keep him off-balance.} 23. Bd2?! {The right idea, opening the e-file in
order to
prevent ... d5 due to the pin after exd5, but an inaccurate
execution. 23 Bc1! is better, so as to
meet 23 ... Bd4 with 24 Qd2 Bg7 25 a4, gaining
time.} 23. ... Bd4! {Black displays another important defensive
attribute: flexibility. Having persuaded the white
bishop to abandon the g1-a7 diagonal, Black
occupies it with his own bishop, securing it by
... e5 if necessary. This greatly reduces the impact
of White's a4-a5, since b6 is now firmly
defended. White can of course exchange darksquared
bishops, but this leaves him with an inactive
g2-bishop blocked in by the e4-pawn.
} 24. a4 e5 25. h4 {White achieves nothing after} ( 25. a5 Nc7 {followed
by ... Ne6, so he toys with the idea of
weakening Black's kingside by h5.} ) 25. ... Nf6 D ( 25. ... Nc7 26. h5 {
followed by Bh3 gives White
some kingside pressure, so Black takes immediate
steps to rule out the further advance of
White's h-pawn.} ) 26. Bf3 Qe6?! {Black plays to prevent h5, but pins his 
own
d-pawn and thus rules out counterplay by ... d5.
The simplest solution is} ( 26. ... d5! 27. exd5 e4 {followed
by ..Rxd5, when Black's active pieces
ensure equality.} ) 27. Kg2 ( 27. h5 gxh5 28. Bxh5? {fails to} 28. ... Qh3
! {but } 29. Be3! Bxe3 30. Qxe3 {gives White some advantage,
as a5 cannot now be prevented.} ) 27. ... Rd7 28. Qc4 ( 28. Be3 Bxe3 29. 
Qxe3 {is now OK for
Black, since a7 is defended after 30 a5 bxa5.} ) 28. ... Qxc4 29. Rxc4 {
The ending promises White little as the d4-
bishop is such a useful defensive piece.} 29. ... Kg7 30. Bc1 h5 31. Bg5 
Nh7 32. Bd2 Nf6 33. Rc6 Ng4 34. Be1 Nf6 35. a5 {White finally makes this 
advance, but Black
counters it easily.} 35. ... d5 36. exd5 Nxd5 37. Bd2 Ne7 38. Bg5!? {A 
neat try, but it doesn't disturb the balance.} 38. ... Nxc6 39. bxc6 Rc7 
40. Bd8 Rc8 41. c7 e4! 42. Bxe4 Be5 43. Bb7 Rxc7 44. Bxc7 Bxc7 45. a6 b5 
46. Bc6 Bd6 47. Bxb5 1/2-1/2

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "ACTIVITY"]
[Black "Page 70"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.01"]

{The terms active and passive can apply either to a single piece, or to 
the whole position. An active
position refers to one that offers many possibilities for improvement and 
which is capable of generating
threats, either strategic or tactical, which will cause problems for the 
opponent. A passive position
is one that offers little in the way of constructive plans, and in which 
the player is restricted to
a defensive stance. Positions may become passive for a wide range of 
reasons, from inferior pawnstructure
to poor piece coordination, but whatever the cause, a passive position can
be a serious
problem. Tomashevsky-Khairullin (page 72) is a typical example in which a 
slip involving a knight
retreat allowed White to force Black into a passive position. White 
steadily increased the pressure
and achieved a winning position.
It's easy to fall into a passive frame of mind if your opponent makes a 
sacrifice and you believe
that all you have to do is hang on to the extra material. This is often 
wrong since passive play may
allow him time to secure further compensation for the sacrifice, and in 
many cases the best response
to a sacrifice is to fight even more vigorously for activity, even if this
involves a countersacrifice.
Berndt-Nielsen (page 73) is an excellent example of this strategy.
The initiative is another rather abstract concept, and means being able to
create direct threats
which keep the opponent off-balance. A player with the initiative is able 
to improve his position
with gain of time, since he can make one threat after another, often 
activating his pieces in the process,
while his opponent is reduced to purely defensive measures. Adams-Howell 
(page 74) is a
good example, in which a well-judged pawn sacrifice by Adams led to a 
growing attack which
quickly developed its own momentum. McShane-Carlsen (page 75) shows that 
the initiative doesn't
have to lead be based on an attack on the enemy king. Here Black was kept 
off-balance by a barrage
of threats from White, culminating in the gain of an important pawn.
One of the key factors in the middlegame is the activity of individual 
pieces. Many of the traditional
middlegame themes, such as outposts and bad bishops, are simply special 
cases of the general
principle that active pieces are better than passive ones. Each piece has 
its own characteristics;
the activity of rooks, for example, often depends on the possibility of 
controlling an open file.
Topalov-Anand (page 76) shows how doubled rooks on an open file can prove 
decisive all by themselves.
In this case the rook activity led quickly to decisive threats, but even 
if there is no immediate
win, control of an open file can provide an unbreakable grip on the enemy 
position which sooner or
later leads to material gain. Mista-Gdanski (page 77) is an example.
Occupation of an open file often leads to a rook arriving on the seventh 
rank. The rook on the
seventh is often regarded as an endgame theme, but it often proves equally
effective in the middlegame.
Just as in an endgame, such a rook attacks unmoved pawns on the opponent's
second rank
and if the pawns move forward they can become weak, as in Shirov-Sumets 
(page 78). Unlike the
corresponding endgame situation, a rook on the seventh in the middlegame 
can often contribute towards
a direct attack on the king. In Svetushkin-Baklan (page 79), the black 
rook on e2 cooperated
with other pieces to exert intolerable pressure on White's kingside.
Outposts are squares in advanced positions from which a piece cannot be 
expelled by enemy
pawns. Knights are especially effective at exploiting outposts, as we can 
see in Leko-Navara
(page 80). If an outpost doesn't currently exist, it may be possible to 
create one. KasimdzhanovMegaranto
(page 81) shows how this can happen, with White executing a plan that 
involved the
formation and occupation of an outpost on d6.
The power of a knight occupying an advanced outpost is such a common theme
that it's worth
looking at some further examples. A knight on a sixth-rank outpost very 
often confers a decisive
advantage and indeed it may be worth offering material in order to 
establish one. In Azarov-Socko
(page 82), White sacrificed a piece for two pawns and a knight on the 
sixth, which provided more

-------------------
page 71

than enough c.ompensation. Svidler-Berg (page 83) features a familiar 
scenario - a white knight established
on d5 in the Sicilian. The fact that this is such a familiar motif doesn't
make it any less effective,
although this case is slightly unusual in that White was prepared to 
sacrifice a pawn in
order to get his knight to the key square.
A single badly-placed piece can poison a whole position. A typical example
is a black knight on a5
held offside by a white pawn on d5, a situation that can arise in a 
variety of openings, such as the
Closed Ruy Lopez and the King's Indian. In these openings it's advisable 
to retrieve the knight as
quickly as possible, but if in the meantime some action takes place on the
kingside, Black may be effectively
a piece down, as in Malakhatko-Ovechkin (page 84). It's not only knights 
which may find
themselves misplaced, and in Grishchuk-Gelfand (page 85) an offside bishop
leads to Black's defeat.
A bad bishop is one that is obstructed by its own pawns, while a good 
bishop is one which is not
so obstructed. Take a look at the starting position of Elianov-Malakhov 
(page 86). White has a large
pawn-chain stretching from c5 to g5 in which all the pawns are fixed on 
dark squares. This seriously
obstructs the bishop on d2, which is destined to playa very minor role for
the rest of the
game. Nijboer-Yakovenko (page 87) is a less extreme example which 
demonstrates that even a couple
of pawns stuck on the same-coloured squares as the bishop can prove a 
major handicap.
It's useful to remember that there are exceptions to every chess principle
and it sometimes happens
that a theoretically bad bishop can prove effective. If the side with the 
bad bishop has a large space advantage,
as in Radjabov-Elianov (page 88), then the bishop may not be limited as it
still has plenty of
room to move around. Another exception arises when a bad bishop is outside
its pawn-chain and especially
if it can exploit some weak squares. Kuzubov-Ulybin (page 89) is an 
example.
In order to exploit an advantage, it's often necessary to open lines to 
allow one's own pieces to
develop maximum activity and target the weak points in the enemy position.
The standard method
of opening lines is to use a pawn advance, and Brynell-Wedberg (page 90) 
shows that it may be
worth sacrificing a pawn to blast open the enemy's defences. In 
Ivanchuk-Bareev (page 91), White
opened lines by combining a pawn advance with a sacrifice.
Giving up a pawn involves a rather modest material sacrifice, and it's not
unusual to offer a pawn in
retum for piece activity. In the opening, such a sacrifice is often termed
a gambit, and KrivoruchkoSmirin
(page 92) is a good example of how a well-judged gambit can allow a player
to increase his
lead in development and develop great piece activity. In So-Navara (page 
93), White's pawn sacrifice
serves not only to activate his pieces but also to damage the enemy 
pawn-structure. In this example,
the compensation is unusually long-term and only reaps its reward 20 moves
later.
Sometimes a single pawn blocks in one's pieces and prevents them from 
developing activity. If
this pawn can be advanced, then the latent power of the confined pieces 
may be released. We call
such pawn pushes liberating moves. In Grishchuk-Gelfand (page 94), the 
whole game revolves
around whether Black can play the liberating move ... e5. Once Black 
achieves this, his problems
are over. It may even be worth sacrificing a pawn to force through a 
liberating move. IkonnikovMaiwald
(page 95) provides a good example, since the surprising pawn sacrifice ...
d5 freed Black's
imprisoned bishop and turned the tables.
We have already discussed a couple of situations in which a sacrifice can 
be used to develop
piece activity, but such sacrifices are not restricted to these special 
cases. Positional exchange sacrifices
are especially common, and are typically used to eliminate an important 
enemy minor piece.
They tend to be more effective if there are no open files, although 
sometimes a single open file is
acceptable if the enemy rooks cannot penetrate along it. That's the case 
in Van Wely-Topalov (page
96), in which further compensation was afforded by White's awkward king 
position. Almasi-Erdos
(page 97) is an interesting case because the compensation did not include 
any threats against the
enemy king, but was solely a matter of positional factors, such as piece 
activity and a passed pawn.
The range of possible positional sacrifices is great, and I can't do more 
than give a sample of the
possibilities. In Lopez Martinez-del Rio (page 98), Black made a 
succession of positional sacrifices,
ending up with just two minor pieces for a queen, while in Anand-Wang Hao 
(page 99) White
gave up a piece for two pawns, but secured a dangerous mobile pawn-mass.

} 
*

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "23   The Curse of Passivity"]
[Black "Page 72"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.01"]

*

[Event "EU Ch 11th"]
[Site "Rijeka"]
[Date "2010.03.17"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Tomashevsky, Evgeny"]
[Black "Khairullin, Ildar"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2701"]
[BlackElo "2617"]
[ECO "E81p"]
[EventDate "2010.03.06"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 c5 7. Nge2 Nc6 8. 
d5 Ne5 9. Ng3 e6 10. Be2 exd5 11. cxd5 h5 12. O-O Nh7 13. Qd2 h4 14. Nh1 
f5 15. Nf2 Bd7 16. a4 D {In this position from the King's Indian, Black's
strategy is based on piece activity while White
puts his faith in his extra central pawn and solid
position. The main risk for Black is that if his
activity leads to nothing, he will fall into a passive
and strategically inferior position.

--------------------

Many moves have been tested in this well-known position:} ( 16. f4 Nf7 17.
 e5?! dxe5 18. Bxc5 Re8 19. fxe5 Bxe5 20. Nd3 Qc7 21. h3 Nhg5 â†‘ {1/2 
Moiseenko,A (2573)-Ponomariov,R (2627)/Alushta 2000/EXT 2001 (38)} ) ( 16.
 Rad1 Re8 17. b4 b6 18. Nb5 Nf7 19. bxc5 bxc5 20. exf5 gxf5 21. Bf4 Rb8 
22. Rb1 Qe7 23. Bd3 Ne5 {1/2 Khenkin,I (2598)-Efimenko,Z (2557)/Fuerth 
2002/CBM 090 ext} ) ( 16. exf5 gxf5 17. Nh3 ( 17. Bh6 Qf6 18. Bxg7 Qxg7 
19. f4 Ng4 20. Bf3 Rae8 21. Rfe1 b5 22. a3 Nhf6 â‡„â‡„ {1-0 Zubarev,A 
(2548)-Pavlidis,A (2360)/Kavala 2009/CBM 131 Extra (39)} ) 17. ... Qe7 18.
 Rae1 Rae8 19. Nf4 Ng4 20. fxg4 ( 20. Bxc5! dxc5 21. fxg4 Qd6 ~ ) 20. ... 
Qxe3+ 21. Qxe3 Rxe3 22. Ne6 Bxe6 23. dxe6 Bd4 -/+ {0-1 Lie,K 
(2558)-Stellwagen,D (2621)/Malmo 2008/CBM 124 (43)} ) ( 16. Kh1!? Kh8 17. 
Rae1 Qa5 18. exf5 gxf5 19. f4 Ng4 20. Nxg4 fxg4 21. Qd1 h3 22. gxh3 gxh3 
23. Bd2 Rae8 24. Bg4 Qd8 25. Be6 += {0-1 Henrichs,T (2459)-Van Laatum,G 
(2327)/Belgium 2001/EXT 2003 (28)} ) ( 16. Rab1!? Qf6 ( 16. ... Rc8!? ) 
17. f4 Nf7 18. Kh1 Rfe8 19. Nb5 Qd8 20. b4 b6 21. bxc5 bxc5 22. Bd3? ( 22.
 Nxd6! Nxd6 23. e5 +/- ) 22. ... Nf6 23. Nc3 Qa5 24. Qc2 Ng4 -/+ {0-1 
Kasimdzhanov,R (2677)-Topalov,V (2772)/Leon 2007/CBM 119 (61)} ) ( 16. 
Rae1!? b6 17. exf5 gxf5 18. Nh3 Ng6 19. f4 Re8 20. Kh1 Qf6 21. Bh5 += {1-0
Khismatullin, D (2584)-Nedev,T (2518)/Plovdiv 2008/CBM 124 (77)} ) 16. ...
 Qf6 ( 16. ... a6?! 17. Kh1 ( 17. a5!? Qf6 18. Qc2? ( 18. f4 Nf7 19. Bd3 
+= ) 18. ... f4 19. Bd2 h3 -/+ {0-1 Bischoff,K (2560)-Radjabov,T 
(2682)/Mainz 2005/CBM 107 ext (34)} ) ( 17. exf5 gxf5 18. Nh3 Qa5 19. Nf4 
Rfe8 20. Nh5 Bh8 21. Bf2 += {1/2 Sasikiran,K (2525)-Singh,G (2310)/Kolkata
1999/CBM 069 ext (78)} ) 17. ... Re8 {The rook could still be employed on 
the f-file. Der Turm könnte auf der f-Linie noch gebraucht werden.} 18. 
Rg1 Nf7 ( 18. ... g5?! {In the long run I do not like this; the pawn would
be better on g6 ib view of the move g2-g3 which is to be expected at some 
point. Dies gefällt nun endgültig nicht, bei dem irgendwann zu erwartenden
g2-g3 würde der Bauer besser auf g6 stehen.} 19. exf5 Bxf5 20. Rae1 Rc8 
21. Nce4 Nf7 22. Bd3 {The threat is 23.Nxg5. Es droht 23.Nxg5.} 22. ... 
Re5 {The prsssure against d5 is not strong enough to justify the dangerous
position the rook occupies. Der Druck auf d5 ist nicht stark genug, um die
gefährdete Aufstellung des Turmes zu rechtfertigen.} 23. Bc2 Qd7 24. g3! 
+/- {1-0 Tomashevsky,E (2664)-Shomoev,A (2567)/Budva 2009/CBM 130/[CB] 
(31)} ) ( {One of several possibilities is Eine von mehreren Möglichkeiten
ist} 18. ... Nf6!? ) 19. Rge1 g5 20. f4 gxf4 21. Bxf4 Nf6 22. Bd3 fxe4 23.
 Nfxe4 Nh5 24. Bxd6 +/- {1-0 Khairullin,I (2604)-Shomoev,A (2566)/Ulan Ude
2009/CBM 132 (40)} ) 17. exf5 ( 17. Nh3 Rae8 18. Nb5?! fxe4 19. fxe4 Qe7 ~
{1-0 Gupta,A (2551)-Caspi,I (2412)/ Gaziantep 2008/CBM 125 Extra (44)} ) (
17. f4 Nf7 18. Bd3 Rfe8 19. Rab1 += ) 17. ... gxf5 18. Nh3 {You have seen 
this manoeuvre in some games cited in the previous annotations.} 18. ... 
Ng6?! ( 18. ... Rae8 âŒ“ ) 19. f4! {Cutting off the black knight.} 19. ...
 a6 ( 19. ... Qe7 20. Bh5 Qxe3+ 21. Qxe3 Bd4 22. Qxd4 cxd4 23. Bxg6 dxc3 
24. Bxh7+ Kxh7 25. bxc3 +/- ) 20. Bf2 Rae8 21. Kh1! {Black has no 
counterplay now, and White quietly prepares his attack along the g-file.} 
21. ... Rf7 22. a5 Rfe7 23. Bh5 Nhf8 24. Rg1! Bh6 25. g3 Kh8 ( 25. ... 
hxg3 26. Rxg3 Rg7 27. Rag1 Ree7 28. Ng5 ) 26. gxh4 +- Nxh4 27. Bxe8 Bxe8 
28. Ng5 Nhg6 29. Rae1 Rxe1 30. Rxe1 Bf7 31. Nxf7+ Qxf7 32. Bg3 Bg7 33. Qe3
Bd4 34. Qf3 Kg8 35. Re2 Qh7 36. Na4 Qd7 37. Nb6 Qb5 38. h4 Qxa5 39. Nc4 
Qd8 40. h5 Nh8 41. Rg2 Kf7 42. Qd3 {The whole system looks quite gloomy 
for Black.} 1-0

[Event "Bundesliga 0506"]
[Site "GER"]
[Date "2006.03.11"]
[Round "12.3"]
[White "Berndt, Stephan"]
[Black "Nielsen, Peter Heine"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2447"]
[BlackElo "2668"]
[ECO "B86"]
[EventDate "2005.10.21"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik"]

{Players of~en think passively when their opponent
has sacrificed something. The logic is
that with extra material in hand, it's only necessary
to defend grimly and the material will win
out in the end. But many positions are not like
this. Responding passively to a sacrifice often
only allows the opponent to improve his position
and increase his compensation. This applies especially
to positional sacrifices. In many cases
the way to disrupt the enemy build-up is to play
aggressively yourself, even if this involves a
counter-sacrifice. Thinking actively is just as
important when material up as in any other situation.} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bb3 Nbd7 
8. Qe2 b5 9. Bg5 Bb7 10. O-O-O Rc8 11. Rhe1 Rxc3!? {There is no limit for 
the ways to sacrifice the rook for knight c3 in Sicilian defense.} ( 
11. ... h6 12. Bh4 g5 13. Bg3 Rxc3 14. bxc3 Qa5 15. f3 d5 16. Qd2 b4 17. 
Re3 dxe4 18. cxb4 Bxb4 19. c3 Bc5 20. Ree1 ~ {1-0 Stojanovic,D 
(2440)-Benderac,S (2306)/Sozina 2004/ (29)} ) 12. bxc3 Qa5 13. f3 ( 13. 
Bxf6 Nxf6 14. Qf3 Be7 15. Qh3 O-O 16. Bxe6 Nxe4 17. Rxe4 Bxe4 18. Bb3 Bf6 
19. f4 b4 20. Re1 d5 21. Qd7 bxc3 22. Nc6 Qa3+ 23. Kd1 Qc5 {0-1 Hendriks,W
(2360)-Mirumian,V (2490)/Groningen 1997/} ) 13. ... b4 {Nielsen could have
good chances for equality after the paradoxal opening of the center in the
moment, when all white pieces are already pointing right there.} ( 13. ...
 d5!? 14. exd5 ( 14. Qd2!? dxe4 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Bxe6 Nc5 17. Bxf6 gxf6 
18. Bd5 Qc7 =, quiet ) 14. ... Ba3+ ( 14. ... Qxc3 15. Kb1 Ba3 16. Bc1 
Bxc1 17. Rxc1 Qxd4 18. dxe6 fxe6 19. Qxe6+ Kd8 20. Rcd1 Qb4 21. c3 Qa3 22.
 Rd6 ~ {1-0 Buckley,S (2268)-Oswald,G (2195)/Scarborough 2001/ (48)} ) 15.
 Kb1 Nxd5 16. Nxb5! axb5 ( 16. ... O-O?! 17. Rxd5! ( 17. c4 axb5 18. cxd5 
Bxd5 19. Bd2 +/- ) 17. ... Bxd5 18. Nxa3 Bxb3 ( 18. ... Qxa3 19. Bxd5 exd5
20. Be7 Rb8+ 21. Bb4 Rxb4+ 22. cxb4 Qxb4+ 23. Kc1 Qa3+ 24. Kd1 +/- ) 19. 
axb3 Qxg5 20. Nc4 +/- ) 17. Bxd5 Qxc3 18. Bc1 Bxc1 19. Kxc1 Qa1+ 20. Kd2 
Qd4+ 21. Kc1 =, quiet ) ( 13. ... Qxc3 14. Kb1 Be7 ~ ) 14. Qe3 bxc3 15. 
Kb1 Be7 ( 15. ... Nc5 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Ne2 += ) 16. Nf5!! {Berndt 
deserves high praise for spotting the chance to grab the initiative with 
the help of a piece sacrifice.} 16. ... exf5 17. exf5 Ne5 ( 17. ... O-O 
18. Qxe7 Qa3 19. Bc1 +- ) 18. f4 Nc6 ( 18. ... O-O 19. fxe5 Ng4 20. Qc1 
Bxg5 21. Qxg5 h6 22. Qf4 dxe5 23. Qg3 +/- ) ( 18. ... Ne4 19. Bxe7 Qa3 20.
 Qc1 Nd2+ 21. Ka1 Qxc1+ 22. Rxc1 Kxe7 23. fxe5 +/- ) 19. Bxf6 gxf6 20. Rd5
( 20. Rd3 d5 21. Rxd5 Qc7 22. Rc5 O-O 23. Rxc6 Bxc6 24. Qxe7 Qxf4 25. Qxf6
Qd2 26. Qe5 Re8 27. Qg3+ Kf8 28. Rxe8+ Bxe8 29. a3 +/- ) 20. ... Qb4?! {It
seems to be much more logical to return back with a queen enhancing 
defensive chances.} ( 20. ... Qc7!? 21. Rd3 d5 ( 21. ... O-O 22. Qe2! d5 
23. Qg4+ Kh8 24. Rg3 +- ) 22. Bxd5 ( 22. Rxc3 Qd6 23. Ba4 d4 24. Bxc6+ Kf8
25. Qxe7+ Qxe7 26. Rxe7 Kxe7 27. Rc4 Rc8 28. Bd5 Rxc4 29. Bxc4 Bxg2 30. 
Bxa6 +/- ) 22. ... O-O 23. Ka1 ( 23. Qg3+ Kh8 24. Qh4 Qa5 25. Rh3 ( 25. 
Qxh7+!? Kxh7 26. Rh3+ Kg7 27. Rg3+ =, quiet ) 25. ... Qb5+ 26. Bb3 Qxf5 
-/+ ) 23. ... Rd8 24. Bxf7+ Kh8 ( 24. ... Kxf7 25. Qe6+ Kg7 26. Rg3+ Kh8 
27. Qf7 +- ) 25. Rxd8+ Qxd8 26. Bb3 += ) 21. a3! Qxa3 22. Qxc3 Kf8 ( 
22. ... Qb4 23. Qxb4 Nxb4 24. Rxd6 Nc6 ( 24. ... Bxg2 25. Rd2 Bf3 26. c3 
Nc6 27. Ba4 Kf8 28. Re3 Bh1 29. Rd7 Bc5 30. Re1 Bf3 31. Bxc6 Bxc6 32. Rc7 
Bf2 33. Re2 +- ) 25. Rxf6 O-O 26. Rxc6 Bxc6 27. Rxe7 Bxg2 28. f6 +- ) 23. 
Re4! Ne5 ( 23. ... Kg7 24. Ra4 +- ) 24. fxe5 dxe5 ( 24. ... Bxd5 25. Qc8+ 
Kg7 26. Rg4+ Kh6 27. Qc3 +- ) 25. Qc7! {White finishes the game in a great
style, black king will be haunted to the mate.} ( 25. Ra4 Qxa4 26. Bxa4 
Bxd5 27. Qd3 Bxg2 28. Qd7 +- ) 25. ... Bxd5 ( 25. ... h5 26. Qxb7 +- ) 26.
 Qc8+ Kg7 27. Rg4+ Kh6 28. Qc3! ( 28. Qc3! Bxg2 29. Rxg2 +- ) ( 28. Qxh8 
Qc5 29. Qg7+ Kh5 30. Rg3 Qg1+ 31. Ka2 Bxb3+ 32. Rxb3 +- ) 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "24   The Initiative"]
[Black "Page 74"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.01"]

{In chess, 'having the initiative' means possessing
the ability to create threats that keep the
opponent off-balance. The ability to generate
threats at will is very uncomfortable for the
opponent, since every move he has to calculate
the consequences of executing those threats.
By piling one threat on top of another, the
player with the initiative can improve the position
of his pieces with gain of time. In the following
game, Adams used this technique to
launch a deadly attack on the king.} 
*

[Event "London Chess Classic 2nd"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "2010.12.08"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Adams, Michael"]
[Black "Howell, David W L"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2723"]
[BlackElo "2611"]
[ECO "C67j"]
[EventDate "2010.12.08"]
[Annotator "Saunders,J"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 ( 5. ... Nd6 {is 'the
real Kramnik', as used to wrest the world title from Garry Kasparov in 
2000.} ) 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 ( 7. ... dxc6? {is rarely played as it 
leads to big trouble after} 8. dxe5 Nf5 9. Rd1 Bd7 {(only move)} 10. e6! 
fxe6 11. Ne5 Bd6 12. Qh5+ {, etc.} ) 8. dxe5 Nb7 9. c4 ( 9. Nc3 {is more 
frequently seen.} ) 9. ... O-O 10. Nc3 f6 ( {Nigel Short chose} 10. ... 
Re8 {against Hou Yifan at Corus 2008 but lost quite quickly.} ) 11. Re1 
fxe5 12. Qxe5 Bf6 13. Qg3 {A new move, where 13 Qh5 had previously been 
preferred.} 13. ... Nc5 D 14. Bg5 {[diagram] 
Developing a piece and preparing to exchange
off the active bishop on f6.} 14. ... Nd3? ( {Black regretted this move, 
which gets him into trouble.} 14. ... d6 {is sounder.------  is perhaps a 
better alternative, keeping a wary eye on White's kingside build-up and 
continuing with development.} ) 15. Re3! {David Howell had originally 
expected 15 Re2 but when Black started to spend a long time on his reply, 
he suddenly became aware of this more forceful response.

The key moment. By sacrificing the b-pawn,
White is able to seize the initiative and keep it
for the rest of the game. By contrast,} ( 15. Re2?! Bxg5 16. Nxg5 Nf4 17. 
Re3 d5 {gives Black a
satisfactory position.} ) 15. ... Nxb2 {There is little else for it but to
follow through with this capture.} ( 15. ... Bxg5 16. Nxg5 Nf4 {is no 
longer effective
because after} 17. Rf3 Qf6 18. Re1 {Black has
to respond to the threat of Re4} ) 16. Rae1 {The only defect of Black's 
position is the
undeveloped c8-bishop. By continually making
threats, White denies Black the chance to
develop this bishop effectively. Black faces the immediate problem of 
countering White's
threats of 17 Re7! Bxe7 18 .Rxe7, with a deadly
attack against g7, or simply 17 Ne4.} 16. ... Bxg5?! ( {Mickey Adams said 
he had expected} 16. ... Ba6 {when he might have replied} 17. Re7 ( 17. 
Ne4 {with some play for the pawn, though there is chess left in the 
position.} ) 17. ... Bxc3 18. R1e3 Nd1 19. Ne5 Qxe7 20. Bxe7 Nxe3 21. Bxf8
Bxe5 22. Qxe5 Rxf8 23. Qxe3 Bxc4 24. Qxa7 {the passed a-pawn will be 
decisive.} ) 17. Nxg5 {Again threatening Re7.} 17. ... Qf6 {Anything and 
18 Re7 would be unanswerable.} 18. Rf3 Qd8 {The queen has to backtrack 
since 18 ... Qd6
loses to 19 Qh4 h6 20 Nf7! Rxf7 21 Re8+.} 19. Nce4 {Black now has to meet 
the possibility of 20
Nf6+ Rxf6 21 Rxf6, amongst other threats.} ( {White has a choice of good 
moves. Another is} 19. Qe5 {, which craftily closes on the black knight, 
e.g.} 19. ... Nxc4 20. Rxf8+ Qxf8 21. Qe4 {with twin threats of Qxh7 mate 
and Qxc4.} ) 19. ... Ba6 D {Now the a8-rook can defend e8, but the
bishop still displays no real activity.} 20. Nxh7! {White has gained so 
much time that he can
launch a sacrificial assault on Black's king.} ( 20. Rxf8+ {is also very 
good, e.g.} 20. ... Qxf8 21. Nxh7! Kxh7 22. Ng5+ Kg8 23. Qh3! {and it's 
all over.} ) 20. ... Rxf3 ( 20. ... Kxh7 21. Ng5+ Kg8 22. Rxf8+ Qxf8 23. 
Qh3 {White mates quickly.} ) 21. gxf3 Kxh7 22. Ng5+ Kg8 23. Qh4 Bxc4 {At 
last the bishop enters the game, but it's
too late since White's attack is already decisive.} 24. Qh7+ Kf8 25. Re5 {
Threatening 26 Rf5+} 25. ... Be6 26. Qh8+ Ke7 27. Qxg7+ Kd6 {Or 27 ... Ke8
28 Qf7#.} 28. Ne4# 1-0

[Event "London Chess Classic 2nd"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "2010.12.08"]
[Round "1"]
[White "McShane, Luke J"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2645"]
[BlackElo "2802"]
[ECO "A37h"]
[EventDate "2010.12.08"]
[Annotator "Saunders,J"]

1. c4 {Luke McShane is predominantly a 1 e4 player but he occasionally 
tries other opening moves.} 1. ... c5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. 
Nf3 d6 6. O-O Nh6 {Carlsen, as much the highest rated player, is trying to
make the running with Black.} 7. d4 {The most enterprising continuation, 
showing that both players are up for a fight.} 7. ... cxd4 8. Bxh6 Bxh6 9.
 Nxd4 Ne5!? {A new move. Previous games in this line had continued 9...Bd7
or 9...Nxd4, with only a slight edge for White. Carlsen prefers to keep 
material on the board and aim for complexity.} 10. Qb3 O-O 11. Rfd1 {
[diagram] A tricky position for Black. There is no immediate danger of the
g2 bishop capturing on b7 but at the same time Black can't make positional
progress until he has resolved the clamp on his queenside. So he resolves 
to move his knight yet again in order to redeploy it to c5.} 11. ... Nd7 
12. Qa3 a5 13. b4 Ra6 ( {After the game, the players and commentators (GM 
Dan King and IM Lawrence Trent) had a look at some complex lines beginning
} 13. ... Nb6 14. c5 Nc4 15. Qb3 Nd2 {without coming to any specific 
conclusions. But these lines might have been combative for Black than the 
text.} ) 14. b5 Ra8 15. e3 a4 {Black gets ready for a possible development
of his queen on a5.} 16. Rab1 Bg7 D {It's important to note that the 
initiative can
be exploited in ways other than an attack on the
king. For example, the continual pressure may
eventually lead to a gain of material. In this position,
White has a lead in development and actively-
placed pieces, while Black has the two
bishops and a possible strong square for his
knight on c5. In order to keep Black from consolidating
and completing his development,
White must operate with immediate threats.} 17. Ne4 {Preventing ... .Nc5 
and threatening to open
the position up by 18 c5.} 17. ... Qb6 {[I7 ... Na5 is safer. While the 
text-move is not
bad if followed up correctly, it's risky to place
the queen opposite the bI-rook.} 18. Nc6! {A tactical trick which yields a
positional edge.} 18. ... Re8?! {Too passive;} ( 18. ... bxc6!? 19. bxc6 
Qa5 ( 19. ... Qxc6?? 20. Nf6+ {wins the queen} ) 20. cxd7 Bxd7 21. c5!? 
Bg4 22. Rdc1 {may be playable but Magnus Carlsen didn't feel comfortable 
with it.} 22. ... dxc5 23. Rxc5 Qa6 {is
better. White has an edge due to his active rooks
but Black's bishops give him counterchances.} ) 19. Nb4 {White prepares to
establish his knight on d5 and if Black tries to oust it with e6, the d6 
pawn will be left very vulnerable.

Threatening .Nd5 followed by c5, so Black
takes action to expel the knight from e4 even
though he weakens his position in the process.} 19. ... f5 20. Nc3 Qc5?! {
This allows White to expand his initiative and
results in serious problems for Black. 20 ... e6 21
Nd3 Nc5 is a better chance, although White retains
considerable pressure.} ( 20. ... Bxc3 21. Qxc3 e6 {is not an option as 
White can bring further firepower onto the d6 pawn and win it.} ) 21. Nxa4
! {Another tactical trick with positional intentions.

A well-judged move, triggering some tactics
which keep Black occupied for several moves.} 21. ... Qa7 22. Na6 D {This 
is forced to avoid losing a piece, but
also puts pressure on Black due to the threat of
23.Nc7.} 22. ... bxa6 23. b6 Nxb6 ( 23. ... Qb8 {is answered by} 24. Qb3! 
{with threats of c5+ and b7 forking rook and bishop. If} 24. ... Kh8 ( 
24. ... Bb7 25. c5+ Kh8 26. c6 {and wins.} ) 25. Bxa8 Qxa8 26. b7 {White 
wins material, so Black must return
the piece at once.} ) 24. Rxb6 Rb8 25. c5! {Typical initiative play: White
introduces a
new threat of 26 Qb3+ and so forces Black's
reply.} 25. ... Be6 ( 25. ... Rxb6? 26. cxb6 Qd7 27. b7 Bxb7 28. Nc5 {wins
a piece} ) ( 25. ... dxc5 26. Qb3+! c4 27. Qxc4+ Kh8 28. Qf7! {is 
remarkably effective, e.g.} 28. ... Rf8 29. Rxb8 Rxf7 30. Rxc8+ Bf8 31. 
Nc5 {and White has a firm grip on the position.} ) 26. Rdb1 {Now the 
threats are 27 Rb7 and 27 cxd6.} 26. ... dxc5 27. Rb7 Rxb7 28. Rxb7 Qa8 
29. Nxc5! ( {Good choice.} 29. Rxe7 Qd8 30. Rxe8+ Qxe8 31. Nxc5 Bf8 {is 
much less decisive. Luke McShane is playing with great accuracy.} ) 
29. ... Qc8 {
29 ... Bf7 loses two pawns after 30 Rxe7, so
this is forced.} 30. Qxa6 {White has won a pawn but, importantly, his
initiative persists and this greatly simplifies what
would otherwise have been a tough technical
task.} 30. ... Bf7 ( 30. ... Qxc5 31. Qxe6+ Kh8 32. Bc6 {leads to an 
overwhelming position for White.} ) 31. Bc6 Rd8 {[diagram]} 32. Nd7! {
White's pieces are a picture of activity. The
main threat is 33 Qb6 followed by Rc7, trapping
the queen. Black's bishops are shut away
on the kingside and cannot influence the play in
the top-left comer.} ( 32. Rxe7? {would be a bad error after} 32. ... Bf8 
{. White is getting ready to strangle Black with Qb6 and Rb8 so Black 
plays something desperate.} ) 32. ... Rxd7 {Acquiescing to further 
material loss, but the
position was hopeless in any case.} 33. Bxd7 Qc1+ 34. Qf1 Qxf1+ 35. Kxf1 
Bc4+ 36. Kg1 Bxa2 37. Ba4 e5 38. f3 Bh6 39. Bb3+ 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.02"]
[Round "?"]
[White "25   Open Files"]
[Black "Page 76"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.02"]

*

[Event "Grand Slam Final 1st"]
[Site "Bilbao"]
[Date "2008.09.05"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2777"]
[BlackElo "2798"]
[ECO "E15d"]
[EventDate "2008.09.02"]
[Annotator "Postny"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qc2 Bb7 6. Bg2 c5 7. d5!? {This 
pawn sacrifice appears regularly in top level tournaments. At first sight 
it does not look very promising. However, practice shows time after time 
that Black can experience difficulties as he is behind in development.

This pawn sacrifice has caused Black quite a
few problems.} 7. ... exd5 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. O-O Be7 10. Rd1 Qc8 {Defending 
the Bb7. Anand had already played this position just a few weeks 
beforehand.} 11. a3 {Covering the b4-square against a possible knight 
move. This quiet move is White's last word in this fashionable variation.}
( 11. e4 Nc7 12. Nc3 O-O 13. e5 Ne6 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. Rxd5 Nc6 =, quiet {
1/2-1/2 Carlsen,M (2775)-Anand,V (2798)/Mainz GER 2008/The Week in Chess 
717 (33)} ) ( {Also seen in practice is:} 11. Bg5 ) ( 11. Nh4 Bxh4 12. 
Rxd5 {but, didn't yield White any advantage.} ) 11. ... Nf6?! {Theory has 
developed since this game was
played and 11..Nc7 is now regarded as sounder.} 12. Bg5! N {Another fine 
novelty from the "Topalov team kitchen". White is intending to exchange on
f6 before Black's queenside kinight is developed to d7.} ( 12. Nc3 d5 13. 
Bg5 Nbd7 14. e4 d4 15. e5 Nxe5! ( {After} 15. ... dxc3? 16. exf6 Nxf6 17. 
Re1 {Black's king will be stuck in the centre.} ) 16. Nxe5 Bxg2 17. Qa4+ 
Nd7 18. Bxe7 Kxe7 19. Re1 Nxe5 20. Rxe5+ Kf8 21. Kxg2 dxc3 22. bxc3 g6 23.
 Rae1 Kg7 {1/2-1/2 Kramnik,V (2788)-Leko,P (2741)/Moscow RUS 2008/The Week
in Chess 720 (28). ... and White's compensation was sufficient only for 
equality.} ) 12. ... d5?! {Taking into account what happened in the game 
later, it is easy say that this move is the source for Black's troubles.

After this White definitely secures some advantage.} ( 12. ... O-O 13. Nc3
Rd8 {is the most popular
line, although even here 14 Nh4 gives White
good compensation for the pawn.} ( 13. ... h6 14. Bf4 ( 14. Bxf6?! Bxf6 
15. Nb5 Nc6 16. Nd6 Qc7 {is not dangerous for Black.} ) 14. ... Nc6 {might
be an improvement for Black. Without any doubt, the theoretical discussion
in this line will continue.} ) ) 13. Bxf6! {White plays to regain his pawn
on d5, at the
same time securing control of the open d-file.} 13. ... Bxf6 14. Nc3 Bxc3 
( 14. ... d4? 15. Ne4 Be7 16. Nxd4! cxd4 17. Qxc8+ Bxc8 18. Nd2 +- ) ( 
14. ... Qe6? 15. Nxd5! Bxd5 16. Ng5 Bb3 17. Nxe6 Bxc2 18. Rd2 {and White 
wins material.} ) 15. bxc3 Na6! ( 15. ... O-O 16. Ng5 g6 17. Bxd5 Bxd5 18.
 Rxd5 {with a long-lasting initiative.} ) 16. Nh4 g6 {Black cannot hold on
to the pawn by 16 ...Qe6
17 Nf5 0-0 since I8 c4 regains the pawn under
even more favourable circumstances.} ( 16. ... Qe6?! 17. Nf5 O-O-O ( 
17. ... O-O 18. c4 +/- ) 18. Nxg7 Qf6 19. Nf5 Nc7 20. a4 +/- ) 17. Bxd5 
Bxd5 18. Rxd5 {White has got back the pawn and has a long-lasting 
initiative thanks to the activity of this pieces. Another factor is that 
Black's king is less protected compared to his counterpart. Still, Black's
position is defendable.} 18. ... O-O 19. Rad1 D {Material equality is 
restored, but White's control
of the d-file gives him a clear advantage.} 19. ... Nc7 {Transferring the 
knight to e6 gives Black
some hope of an eventual ... Rd8.} 20. Rd7 Ne6 21. Qe4 ( 21. Qa4 c4 22. 
Rxa7 Nc5 23. Rxa8 Nxa4 24. Rxc8 Rxc8 25. Rc1 Ra8 =/& ) 21. ... Qe8? {This 
move is already a critical mistake. Instead of this, Black had two 
playable options.

21...Rd8? is impossible due to 22 Nxd8+
Qxd8 23 Qe8+ Kg7 24 Rd7. Moving the queen to eS threatens to neutralize 
White's advantage
by playing the other rook to dS. However, it is
too slow. Black had two better ideas:} ( 21. ... c4 22. Qf3 Qc5 23. Ng2 
Rae8 ( 23. ... Qxa3 24. Rxf7 Rxf7 25. Qxa8+ Nf8 26. Ne3 Qxc3 27. Qd5 {
Black's queenside pawns would definitely decide the game in the event of 
an exchange of queens. Meanwhile, White is in possession of an initiative.
} ) 24. Ne3 ( 24. Rxa7?? Ng5 25. Qg4 ( 25. Qf6 Re6 -+ ) 25. ... h5 -+ ) 
24. ... Ng5 25. Qd5 Qxd5 26. R1xd5 Ne4 27. Rd4 Nxc3 28. Rxc4 Rc8 {and 
Black should hold the endgame.} ( 28. ... Nxe2+?? 29. Kf1 +- ) ) ( 21. ...
 Nd4 22. Qe7 Nc6 23. Qf6 Nd4 24. Re7 Qc6 ( 24. ... Nc6 25. Nxg6! hxg6 26. 
Re4 Qf5 â–¡ 27. Qxc6 +/- ) 25. Qg5 Ne6 26. Qe5 Rad8 {and Black is only 
slightly worse.} ) 22. Nf3 c4 {Admitting that Black's previous move was a
waste of time, but after} ( 22. ... Nd4 23. Ne5 Nc6 24. f4 Nxe5 25. fxe5 
Qe6 26. R1d6 Qh3 27. Rc7 Rae8 28. Rxa7 {Black is pawn down in a worse 
position. Nevertheless, this was the least of the evils for him.} ) 23. 
Qh4! D {This move is even stronger than the capture of Pc4. White's attack
is very strong.

There's no defence to White's threats of 24
Qh6 followed by 2S R1d4! or 24 R1d6 followed
by 25 Rxe6!.} ( 23. Qxc4 Nc5 +/- ) 23. ... Nc5 ( 23. ... Rd8 24. Ne5 {is 
also crushing.} 24. ... h5 25. Qf6 Rxd7 26. Rxd7 {with total domination. 
One of the threats is 27.Re7 followed by 28.Nxg6+-.} ) 24. Re7 Rd8 ( 
24. ... Qa4 25. Rd6! Qc2 ( 25. ... Qxa3 26. Ng5 h5 27. Rxg6+! fxg6 28. 
Qxc4+ Kh8 29. Rh7# ) 26. Ng5 h5 27. Rf6 +- ) 25. Rf1! {A crushing defeat 
for Vishy Anand.} ( {Black resigned in view of the following variation:} 
25. Rf1 Qc6 26. Ng5 h5 27. Nxf7! Rxf7 28. Rxf7 Kxf7 29. Qxd8 +- ) 1-0

[Event "POL Ch"]
[Site "Warsaw POL"]
[Date "2010.01.13"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Mista, Aleksander"]
[Black "Gdanski, Jacek"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2563"]
[BlackElo "2509"]
[ECO "C07q"]
[EventDate "2010.01.09"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 cxd4 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. O-O 
Nf6 8. Nb3 Nc6 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Be7 11. c3 O-O 12. Qf3 Qc7 13. Bb3 
Bd7 14. Bg5 Nd5 15. Bxe7 Nxe7 16. Rfe1 Rad8 D {Currently White has a 
slight advantage. His
pieces are more actively placed, and it isn't easy
for Black to improve the activity of his bishop.
The simplest move is 17 Rad1, with the idea of
Qg3, since in an ending White's queenside majority
is more likely to be an asset.} 17. Re3!? {Instead, White plays for an 
attack, based on
some combination of Qh5, Rh3 and .Bc2. However,
there are no weaknesses in Black's position
and it is easy for him to nullify the threats, after
which White's pieces are misplaced.} 17. ... Ng6 18. Bc2 {White tries a 
different tack, moving the
bishop first so that after Qh5 the knight will be
pinned against the mate on h7.} ( 18. Qh5 {can be met by} 18. ... Nf4 ) 
18. ... e5! {Black takes his chance to play actively} 19. Nf5 Bc6 20. Be4?
{Fatal inconsistency. Once White has decided
to play for an attack, he must continue along
that path. The reason is that in preparing his attack,
White has compromised the position of
his pieces, since the rook on e3 is doing nothing
if there is no attack. In particular, White has
abandoned the d-file, which is one of the most
important features of the position.} ( 20. Qh5! {is correct; after} 
20. ... Bxg2 ( 20. ... Rfe8 21. Rh3 h6 22. Nxg7! Kxg7 23. Qxh6+ Kf6 24. 
Rh5 {will lead to perpetual check} ) 21. Rg3 Rd2 22. Bb3 Bd5 23. Qg5! Bxb3
24. Qxd2 Be6 25. Qd6 {an unclear position arises in which Black has 
adequate play for his small material sacrifice,
but probably no more than that.} ) 20. ... Rd2 21. b4 Rfd8 {In the space 
of two moves, everything has
gone wrong for White. He has no attack, and
Black is in total control of the open d-file.} 22. g3 Bxe4 23. Qxe4 f6 D {
There's no way White can challenge Black's
command of the d-file, so Black can afford to
play slowly. This move reinforces the e5-pawn,
thus permitting ... Ne7 to exchange off White's
only well-placed piece.} 24. c4 Ne7 25. c5 {White's queenside majority is 
completely
irrelevant in this position since it isn't going
anywhere while Black is in control of the position.} 25. ... Nxf5 26. Qxf5
Qc6 27. a3 R8d4 28. Rc1 g6 29. Qf3 a6 30. Kg2 Kf7 {Queens will be 
exchanged sooner or later so
Black improves his king position. When the opponent
has no active play, one can afford the
luxury of such moves.} 31. h4 h5 32. Rb3 Ra2 ( 32. ... e4 33. Qe3 R4d3 34.
 Rxd3 Rxd3 35. Qf4 Rxa3 {permits White some counterplay after 36
'ii'h6. Black's systematic approach allows no
counterplay and is more practical.} ) 33. Kg1 Rdd2 34. Rf1 Qxf3 35. Rxf3 
Ke6 {Control of the open file has been converted
into control of the seventh rank.} 36. Rc1 e4 37. Rf4 f5 {White's rook is 
in a tragicomic position.} 38. c6 bxc6 39. Rxc6+ Rd6 40. Rxd6+ Kxd6 41. f3
Rxa3 42. fxe4 Rxg3+ 43. Kf2 Rg4 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.02"]
[Round "?"]
[White "26   The Seventh Ran"]
[Black "Page 78"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.02"]

{When a 'rook on the seventh' is mentioned,
one normally thinks in terms of an endgame,
but such a rook can also be a major advantage
in the middlegame. Just as in an endgame, the
rook is able to target enemy pawns along the
seventh rank and, if the pawns advance, to
switch behind them.} 
*

[Event "Warsaw AIG Life rapid 8th"]
[Site "Warsaw POL"]
[Date "2008.12.21"]
[Round "13"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Sumets, Andrey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2726"]
[BlackElo "2545"]
[ECO "C10l"]
[EventDate "2008.12.20"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Nxf6+ Nxf6 7. g3 
b6 8. Bb5+ Bd7 9. Qe2 Bxb5 10. Qxb5+ Qd7 11. Qe2 Be7 12. O-O O-O 13. c4 c5
14. Rd1 Qb7 15. Be3 cxd4 16. Bxd4 Rfd8 17. Rd3 Rac8 18. Rad1 Ne4 19. b3 h6
20. Re3 Ng5 21. Nxg5 Bxg5 22. Red3 Qe7 23. Qb2 Qf8 24. h4 Be7 25. Qe2 D {
are already doubled on the d-file, and if there
are multiple exchanges his queenside majority
might be of value in an endgame. Although at
the moment his advantage is no more than an
edge, Black must take care in case White uses
his greater d-file control to penetrate with a
rook into Black's position.} 25. ... Bc5? {In his haste to clarify the 
situation, Black
overlooks an important point and allows White
to occupy the seventh rank with his rook. Black
should give priority to doubling rooks himself
by} ( 25. ... Rd6! {Then the sacrifice } 26. Bxg7?! ( { However, even 
after the
sounder reply} 26. a4 Rcd8 27. a5 Qe8 {Black is
very close to equality.} ) 26. ... Kxg7 27. Qg4+ ( 27. Qe5+? f6 {and Black
wins} ) 27. ... Kh7 28. Rxd6 Bxd6 29. Qe4+ {Ieads to at most a draw.} ) 
26. Bxc5 bxc5 27. Rd7! {It's easy to overlook a move such as this, in
which a piece moves along a line towards a similar
enemy piece but then stops half-way. Here it
allows White's rook to take up a dominant position and Black already has 
to deal with the
threat to his a-pawn.} 27. ... a5 28. Qf3 D {Black is now also restricted 
by the lateral attack
on f7.} 28. ... Rxd7?! ( 28. ... Qe8 {is the last defensive chance. Then} 
29. Qb7 Ra8 30. Kg2 {leaves Black under severe
pressure but there is no immediate win for
White.} ) 29. Rxd7 a4 ( 29. ... Ra8 {loses to} 30. Rxf7 {so there's no way
to prevent Ra7, which will win the a-pawn.
Black therefore decides to give up the pawn
voluntarily, but this makes little difference.} ) 30. bxa4 {Now White has 
a dangerous outside passed
pawn to add to his other positional advantages.} 30. ... Qe8 31. Qd3 ( 31.
 Rb7! {is even stronger, since} 31. ... Ra8 {can
be met by the neat tactical point} 32. Re7! Qf8 33. Rxf7! ) 31. ... e5 32.
 a5 {The passed pawn is too strong and White
easily fends off Black's attempts to expose the
white king.} 32. ... e4 33. Qd2 e3 34. fxe3 Qe5 35. Kh2 Rc6 36. Qd5 Qb2+ {
It's only one check since White's king is safe
on h3.} 37. Kh3 Rf6 38. Rd8+ Kh7 39. Qe4+ ( 39. Qe4+ g6 ( 39. ... Rg6 40. 
h5 {White wins the rook.} ) 40. Qe8 {leads to mate, while after} ) 1-0

[Event "ROM Team Ch"]
[Site "Eforie Nord"]
[Date "2009.09.21"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Svetushkin, Dmitry"]
[Black "Baklan, Vladimir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2570"]
[BlackElo "2646"]
[ECO "A57c"]
[EventDate "2009.09.19"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. Nd2 bxc4 5. e4 c3 6. bxc3 g6 7. c4 d6 8. 
Ngf3 Bg7 9. Rb1 O-O 10. Bd3 Nbd7 11. O-O Nb6 12. Nb3 e6 13. h3 exd5 14. 
exd5 Ba6 15. Na5 Nbxd5 16. Nc6 Nc3 17. Qe1 Qd7 18. Ne7+ Kh8 19. Nxg6+ fxg6
20. Qxc3 Bb7 21. Ne1 Rae8 22. Qb3 Bc6 23. Be3 Nh5 24. Be2 D {Black has a 
definite advantage since his
pieces, especially his rooks, are far more actively
placed than their white counterparts. Nevertheless,
he must find a way to make progress
before White can repair the defects of his position.
The plan he adopts involves forcing open
the e-file, so as to give his e8-rook the chance to
penetrate into White's position.} 24. ... Nf4 25. Bg4 ( 25. Bxf4 Rxe2 {
already allows the rook to
reach the seventh rank.} ) 25. ... Qf7 26. Bxf4 {The knight is a pennanent
threat to White's
kingside, so he decides to exchange it sooner
rather than later.} 26. ... Qxf4 {Threatening 27 ... Be5 28 g3 Qe4.} 27. 
Bf3 {The most natural move, seeking to neutralize
the dangerous c6-bishop} 27. ... Bd7 ( 27. ... Bxf3 28. Nxf3 Re2 {is 
ineffective as
White can simply play 29 Rfel. Keeping the
bishop is more dangerous and indeed creates an
immediate threat of 28 ... .Be6 29 .Bd5 Bxd5  30 cxd5 c4, when the c-pawn 
is very strong.} ) 28. Bd5 {White meets the threat, but now e2 is 
undefended,
giving Black's e8-rook the chance to
enter White's position.} 28. ... Bf5 ( {After the immediate} 28. ... Re2 {
White can defend
by} 29. Nf3 ) 29. Rd1?! ( 29. Nd3 {is the best chance, based on the 
tactical point that } 29. ... Qg5 ( 29. ... Qh4 {is better, but then 30
lRbe1 prevents the rook penetration and limits
Black to a modest advantage.} ) 30. Rbe1 Bxh3? {loses
material after} 31. Rxe8 Rxe8 32. f4 Qg3? ( 32. ... Qg4 33. Nf2 ) 33. Ne5!
Qxb3 34. Nf7+ Kg8 35. Nxd6+ ) 29. ... Re2 D {utting pressure on the 
a-pawn, but also helping
to create direct threats against White's king } 30. a4 {Simply giving up 
the a-pawn by} ( 30. Qf3 Qxf3 31. Nxf3 Rxa2 {is cheerless, but after the
move played, Black has a free tempo to step up
his kingside pressure.} ) 30. ... Be5 31. g3 Qh6 32. Nd3? {This cuts the 
white queen off from the kingside
and so guarantees the success of Black's
assault. However, even the superior} ( 32. Qf3 {is
very awkward for White after} 32. ... Rb2 ) 32. ... Bd4 33. Nf4 ( 33. h4 
g5 34. hxg5 Qxg5 35. Nf4 Bc2 36. Qf3 Rxf2! {a typical breakthrough in 
which the
rook on the seventh rank plays a leading role} 37. Rxf2 Rxf4 38. Qxf4 Qxf4
39. gxf4 Bxd1 40. a5 Kg7 {with an easily winning ending for Black} ) 
33. ... Bc2 34. Qf3 Bxd1 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "27   Outposts"]
[Black "Page 80"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.03"]

{An outpost is a square in the opponent's part of
the board from which a piece cannot be driven
by an enemy pawn. If an outpost can be pennanently
occupied, it can confer a large or even
decisive advantage.} 
*

[Event "38. Olympiad"]
[Site "Dresden GER"]
[Date "2008.11.15"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Leko, Peter"]
[Black "Navara, David"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2747"]
[BlackElo "2633"]
[ECO "C92o"]
[EventDate "2008.11.13"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 
8. c3 d6 9. h3 Bb7 10. d4 Re8 11. Ng5 Rf8 12. Nf3 Re8 13. Nbd2 Bf8 14. Bc2
g6 15. d5 Ne7 16. c4 c6 17. b3 Bh6 18. Ba3 cxd5 19. cxd5 Nh5 20. Nf1 Rf8 
21. Ne3 Bc8 22. Bc1 Nf4 23. a4 bxa4 24. bxa4 D {but it looks like an 
unfavourable King's Indian.
White has already opened lines on the queenside,
while Black's kingside counterplay has not
yet started. The potential outpost on c6 is important
as it could be occupied by Nc4-a5-c6.} 24. ... f5 {Although this is 
essential if Black is to create
active play, it has the side-effect of potentially
weakening the e6-square. At the moment White
is not in a position to exploit this, but it is something
that both players will have to bear in mind.} 25. Nc4?! ( 25. Rb1 {is more
accurate, as it's important to
be the first to occupy the open file.} ) 25. ... fxe4 26. Bxe4 Ra7?! {Now 
Black's difficulties increase. He should
try 26 ... Bf5 or 26 .. Rb8.} 27. Rb1 Rc7 ( 27. ... Nf5 28. Bxf4 Bxf4 29. 
Qd3 {(threatening 30 Rb6 - an example of a rook outpost)
29 ... Rc7 30 Na5 and the knight reaches
the outpost on c6.} ) 28. Qb3 {Simple and strong, defending the knight in
preparation for Ba3.} 28. ... Bf5? {Black should try} ( 28. ... Nf5 {
although White
retains a considerable advantage after} 29. Bxf4 Bxf4 30. Na5 {heading for
c6.} ) 29. Bxf4 {Leko chooses a simple plan which involves
exploiting the e6-square. The complicated tactical
shot 29 Nfxe5! is probably even stronger,
but sometimes it's better to play simply and
safely.} 29. ... exf4 ( 29. ... Bxf4 {is impossible as} 30. Ncxe5! {is now
completely clear-cut.} ) 30. Bxf5 Nxf5 31. Na5 {Now White can occupy both 
c6 and e6.} 31. ... Qd7 32. Nc6 Qf7 33. Re6 D {Thanks to the lateral 
pressure against d6, it's
not easy for Black to expel the rook by ...Ng7.} 33. ... Rfc8 34. Rbe1 {
White's pieces on c6 and e6 control so many
squares that Black can hardly move.} 34. ... Bf8 ( 34. ... Rb7 35. Qd3 Ra8
36. Nd2 {followed by
as and Nc4-b6 would add yet another outpost!} ) 35. Ng5 Qd7 36. Qf3 Ng7 
37. Rf6 {A typical advantage of a rook outpost is the
ability of the rook to exert pressure or move
horizontally from the outpost.} 37. ... Re8 38. Rxe8 Qxe8 39. Rxf4 Rb7 40.
 Re4 Qc8 41. g4 {Black decided not to suffer any more punishment.
After Rf4, followed by Ne4-f6+, it
would soon be over in any case.} 41. ... Qd8 1-0

[Event "Dresden ol (Men) 38th"]
[Site "Dresden GER"]
[Date "2008.11.13"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Kasimdzhanov, Rustam"]
[Black "Megaranto, Susanto"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2672"]
[BlackElo "2536"]
[ECO "D19k"]
[EventDate "2008.11.13"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8.
 O-O O-O 9. Qe2 Nbd7 10. e4 Bg6 11. Bd3 a6 12. e5 Nd5 13. Bxg6 fxg6 14. 
Bd2 Be7 15. a5 Qe8 16. Rac1 Rc8 17. h3 Nc7 D {otential outpost can be 
exploited. Here White
has a clear positional advantage thanks to his
space advantage, but he must still make progress.
There's a potential outpost on d6, but for
the moment it is controlled by Black's bishop.} 18. Ne4 {Threatening to 
exchange the bishop by Bg5,
a threat which Black counters.} 18. ... h6 19. Be3 g5 20. Nfd2 {The knight
is on its way to c4 to step up the
pressure on d6} 20. ... Qg6 21. f3 Rcd8 22. Nc4 Nb5 {Once again Black 
musters enough firepower
to prevent a knight from jumping into d6. White
decides to prepare b4 followed by Nc5 (c5 is
also an outpost as the knight cannot be expelled
from c5 by a pawn). The pressure on e6 and b7
will force Black to exchange on c5. By retaking
with the b-pawn, White will increase his control
of d6.} 23. Rcd1 {White improves the position of his rooks
first, since Black has no counterplay and cannot
improve his position.} 23. ... Kh8 24. Rd3 Kg8 25. Rfd1 Kh8 26. Qe1 {Now 
White is ready to play b4} 26. ... Kg8 27. b4 Kh8 28. Rb3 ( {White cannot 
play} 28. Nc5?? Nxc5 29. bxc5 Bxc5 {so the vulnerable
rook must first move to a safer square} ) 28. ... Kg8 29. Qe2 {Now the 
problem is 29 Nc5?? Nxc5 30 bxc5
Qc2 winning material, so White covers c2 with his queen (note that his 
previous move defended
b4 in preparation for this manoeuvre).} 29. ... Kh8 30. Bf2 Kg8 31. Kh1 {
White continues to take his time; these moves
are directed against counterplay by ... h5 and ... g4.} 31. ... Kh8 32. 
Nc5 {At last White is ready to jump in. There's no
way to defend b7, so Black has to take.} 32. ... Nxc5 33. bxc5 {White has 
turned the potential outpost at d6
into a real one and is ready to occupy it.} 33. ... Rd5 34. Nd6 D Bd8? {Up
to here Black has defended well by recognizing
that he had nothing better than waiting,
but he now panics and allows White to take
the vital b7-pawn, which leaves his remaining
queenside pawns weak. He should continue defending
passively by 34 ... Rb8, leaving White
with the burden of finding a way to improve his
position. One idea would be to transfer a rook to
e4 and ultimately undertake some action on the
kingside, but it would still require a lot of work.} 35. Nxb7 Bc7 36. Nd6 
Bxa5 {Otherwise Black is a pawn down, but removing
the a5-pawn gives White a route to penetrate
into Black's position.} 37. Qe4 Qh5 ( 37. ... Qxe4 38. fxe4 Rxd6 39. exd6 
Rxf2 40. Ra1 Bd8 41. Rxa6 {is also hopeless for Black} ) 38. Ra1 Bc3 39. 
Nxb5 Bxa1 40. Nc7 g4 ( 40. ... Rd7 41. Qxc6 {followed by Ne6, with
three connected passed pawns in the centre.} ) 41. Nxe6 Re8 42. Nxg7! Kxg7
43. Rb7+ Kf8 44. Qh7 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "28  The Dominant Knight"]
[Black "Page 82"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.03"]

*

[Event "Ostrava"]
[Site "Ostrava CZE"]
[Date "2009.05.04"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Azarov, Sergei"]
[Black "Socko, Bartosz"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2618"]
[BlackElo "2637"]
[ECO "C92f"]
[EventDate "2009.05.03"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8.
 c3 O-O 9. h3 Nd7 10. d4 Bf6 11. d5 Ne7 12. a4 Bb7 13. axb5 axb5 14. Rxa8 
Qxa8 15. Na3 Ba6 16. Nc2 Nc5 17. Ne3 Nxb3 18. Qxb3 g6 19. Bd2 Qb7 20. Ra1 
Ra8 21. Ra3 Qc8 22. Ng4 Bg7 23. Bg5 Kf8 D {A knight firmly entrenched on 
the sixth rank
is usually a dominant force and is quite capable
of deciding the game by itself. Indeed, it can be
worth sacrificing material just to establish such
a knight. In the diagram there's not much sign
of a knight on the sixth, but White found a creative
piece sacrifice aimed at occupying e6.} 24. Qb4 {Threatening 25 Bxe7+ Kxe7
26 Ngxe5, so
Black moves the vulnerable knight away.} 24. ... Ng8 ( 24. ... Qd8 25. Ra5
! {is also very unpleasant,
since White renews the threat of Bxe7+ (as
now ... Qxe7 loses a piece to Qa3).} ) 25. Ngxe5! {This is the piece 
sacrifice. Black is forced to
play for material gain, since otherwise he has
just lost a pawn for nothing.} 25. ... Bxe5 ( 25. ... f6 26. Nc6 fxg5 27. 
Nxg5 {is even worse,
because here White has established two knights
on the sixth!} ) 26. Nxe5 f6 27. Nf3 fxg5 28. Nxg5 {White has two pawns 
for the piece but, more
importantly, he has a wonderful outpost on e6
for his knight.} 28. ... h6? {rives the knight where it wants to go in any
case. The best defence is 28 ... c5, which either
gains time or eliminates the d5-pawn which provides support for the 
e6-outpost. Then} ( 28. ... c5 29. dxc6 Qxc6 30. Qb3 Nh6 ( 30. ... Ra7 31.
 Ne6+ Ke8 32. Nd4 Qc4 33. Qxc4 bxc4 34. Nb5 Bxb5 35. Rxa7 {gives White a 
large endgame advantage} ) 31. Qe6 Re8 32. Rxa6 Qxa6 33. Qd7 d5 34. Qxh7 
dxe4 35. Qxh6+ Ke7 36. Nxe4 {is much
better for White, but he must still work to win.} ) 29. Ne6+ Ke7 D {
Although White has no immediate threats,
Black's position is hopeless. The e6-knight exerts
a suffocating influence over Black's whole
position and there is no black piece which has a
realistic chance of eliminating the knight. It only
takes a few moves for White to bring his queen
and rook into position for a decisive attack.} 30. c4 {Allowing the rook 
access to f3 and preparing
to swing the queen into the attack via c3.} 30. ... c5 31. Qc3 Nf6 32. Qg3
{32 e5! wins at once, but the move played is
good enough.} 32. ... Bb7 {32 ... Qg8 33 e5 is devastating.} 33. Rf3 {With
threats such as 34 Rxf6 Kxf6 35 Qc3+,
34 Qxg6 and 34 e5, Black has no hope of survival.} 33. ... Qh8 34. Nf4 {
The knight quits its post to land a devastating
blow at g6.} 34. ... Kd7 35. Nxg6 Qd8 36. Qh4 Ne8 37. Rf7+ Kc8 38. Ne7+ {
Next move lbc6+ will win Black's queen.} 1-0

[Event "26. European Club Cup"]
[Site "Plovdiv BUL"]
[Date "2010.10.20"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Svidler, Peter"]
[Black "Berg, Emanuel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2731"]
[BlackElo "2616"]
[ECO "B90m"]
[EventDate "2010.10.17"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 
8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. O-O-O Rc8 10. f4 Be7 11. f5 Bc4 12. Bxc4 Rxc4 13. Qd3 b5 
14. Nd2 Rc8 15. a3 O-O 16. Kb1 Qa5 17. Nb3 {A stable knight outpost on the
fifth rank may
not be as devastating as one on the sixth, but it's
still a major asset. The archetypal case of a
knight on the fifth arises when White can play
Nd5 in the Sicilian; indeed, many lines of the
Sicilian revolve around control of this square. If
Black can arrange an immediate exchange of
the knight, then playing Nd5 may not give
White much, but if the knight can stay on d5 for
several moves, it may exert a powerful influence
on the game (one of the few exceptions to
this arises in the Sveshnikov variation, in which
Black has the two bishops and a strong centre to
compensate for t.he-- d5-knight} 17. ... Qc7 D {Black's f6-knight stands 
ready to hack off
any knight arriving on d5, and there's another
knight to back it up if White should play .Bg5
and .Bxf6.} 18. g4! {White finds the key to securing an advantage.
Black is forced to accept the pawn (otherwise
White plays g5 followed by Nd5), but
then White's knight can safely occupy d5. The
pawn sacrifice doesn't give rise to any rapid
threats; instead, White's compensation is based
on the longer-term advantages of the d5-knight
and the threats along the g-file, which offer him
good play for the pawn.} 18. ... Nxg4 19. Nd5 Qd8 20. Rhg1 Nxe3 ( 20. ... 
Ngf6? 21. Bh6 ) ( 20. ... Ndf6? 21. Bb6 Qd7 22. Qe2 {both cost Black 
material, so he has
little choice, but now Black has one knight less
to challenge the monster on d5.} ) 21. Qxe3 Kh8 ( 21. ... Nf6 22. Qh6 g6 
23. Rg3 {is winning for
White, so Black has to tuck his king away.} ) 22. Qa7 ( 22. Na5!? {is also
promising, since} 22. ... Nf6? {loses to} 23. Rxg7 Kxg7 24. Nb7 Qd7 25. 
Qg5+ Kh8 26. Nxf6 {The move played, which pins
the d7-knight and so prevents ... Nf6, also gives
White some advantage.} ) 22. ... Ra8 23. Qb7 Bf6 {Unpinning the knight, 
but leaving the d6-
pawn vulnerable.} 24. Qc6 Be7 25. Rd3 D Nf6? ( 25. ... Rg8 {is a more 
resilient defence, but even
here} 26. Qb7 Bf8 27. Rc3 {leaves White with
plenty of pressure for the pawn.} ) 26. Nxf6 gxf6 ( 26. ... Bxf6 27. Rxd6 
Qe7 28. Rd7 Rac8 29. Qb7 Qe8 30. Rgd1 {is also very bad for Black.} ) 27. 
Rdg3 {Black has swapped off the d5-knight, but at
the cost of damaging his pawn-structure and
exposing his king.} 27. ... Qc8? ( 27. ... Rc8 28. Qxa6 Qc7 {was the last 
chance} ) 28. Qd5 Qc4 29. Qb7 Rae8 30. Na5 Qc8 31. Qd5 Qc5 32. Qb3 {
Missing an instant win by} ( 32. Qd2! Rc8 ( 32. ... Rg8 33. Qg2 ) 33. Qh6 
Qxc2+ 34. Ka2 Rg8 35. Qxh7+ {but the move played also leads to
victory, albeit more slowly.} ) 32. ... Rg8 33. Qxf7 Qxg1+ 34. Rxg1 Rxg1+ 
35. Ka2 Rgg8 36. Nc6 Bd8 37. Qd7 Bb6 38. Ne7 Rd8 39. Qc6 Bg1 40. Nxg8 Kxg8
41. h3 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "28  Misplaced Piece"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.03"]

{One badly-placed piece can sink an entire position.
The usual method of exploiting such a
piece is to start some action on another part of
the board.} 
*

[Event "Voronezh op-A"]
[Site "Voronezh RUS"]
[Date "2008.06.21"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Malakhatko, Vadim"]
[Black "Ovetchkin, Roman"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2621"]
[BlackElo "2556"]
[ECO "A21"]
[EventDate "2008.06.12"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. e3 Bxc3 4. bxc3 d6 5. d4 c5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Ne2 f5 8.
 e4 Nge7?! {Rather inconsistent. Having played to keep
the position closed, 8 ... f4 is more logical. Then
9 g3? is bad due to 9 ... f3 10 .Ng1 cxd4 11 Nxf3 Bg4, when White is in 
trouble.} 9. d5 fxe4? {And this is definitely wrong, as now White's
light-squared bishop becomes very dangerous.
9 ... .Nb? is also bad, due to 10 f4 opening the
position when White is well ahead in development.
The best chance is} ( 9. ... Na5 10. exf5 Bxf5 11. Ng3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 O-O {
when White has
some advantage due to the poorly-placed knight
on a5, but Black is still in the game.} ) 10. Bxe4 Na5 11. Qd3 D {Black is
in serious trouble here, and his problems
all come down to the knight on as. It currently
has no moves at all, and bringing it back
into the game via b7 and d8 takes several moves,
and even then the knight isn't exactly in the thick
of the battle.} 11. ... h6 {The only way to justify the position of the
knight on as would be to target the c4-pawn, but Black's position is not 
strong enough to sustain
such a plan; for example} ( 11. ... Qd7 12. O-O Qa4 13. Ng3 Nxc4 ( 13. ...
 Qxc4 14. Qf3 {with Nh5 or Bg5 to come is also horrible for Black} ) 14. 
Bg5 h6 15. Bg6+ Kd7 16. Bxe7 Kxe7 17. Bh5 {and Black faces not only 
threats to his king based on Qg6, but also the possibility of losing 
material
after Bd1 (meeting ... Qa6 with Be2).} ) 12. f4 {Provided White acts 
quickly, he will be effectively
a piece up on the kingside.} 12. ... O-O 13. O-O Bf5 14. Ng3 Bxe4 15. Nxe4
b6 {Trying to get the knight back into the game,
but it's far too late.} 16. Bd2 {Threatening 17 fxe5 dxe5 18 Rxf8+ Qxf8
19 Rf1.} 16. ... Qd7 17. fxe5 dxe5 D 18. Bxh6! {A blow exposing Black's 
king to a lethal attack.} 18. ... Rxf1+ ( 18. ... gxh6 19. Nf6+ Rxf6 20. 
Rxf6 {and White wins after} 20. ... Rf8 ( 20. ... Nf5 21. Rf1 ) 21. Qg3+ )
19. Rxf1 Rf8 20. Nf6+! {Black is not allowed to escape with the loss
of just a pawn.} 20. ... Rxf6 ( 20. ... gxf6 {loses at once to} 21. Qg3+ )
21. Rxf6 gxf6 22. Qg3+ Ng6 ( 22. ... Kf7 23. Qg7+ Ke8 24. Qf8# ) 23. Qxg6+
Kh8 24. d6 Nb7 25. Bf8 1-0

[Event "Nalchik FIDE GP"]
[Site "Nalchik"]
[Date "2009.04.15"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2748"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[ECO "D58n"]
[EventDate "2009.04.15"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7. e3 b6 8. 
Be2 Bb7 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. cxd5 exd5 11. b4 c5 12. bxc5 bxc5 13. Rb1 Bc6 14.
 O-O Nd7 15. Bb5 Qc7 {This system is famous for its popularity in 
Karpov-Kasparov World Championship matches. Of course, it has been 
examined in many CBM issues.} 16. Qd3 Rfc8 ( 16. ... Rfd8 {is another 
option.} ) 17. Rfd1 {Or else:} ( 17. Rfc1 Rab8 18. h3!? ( 18. a4 Qd6 19. 
h3 cxd4 20. Nxd4 Nc5 21. Qd1 Ba8 22. Be2 Bxd4 23. exd4 Ne4 24. Rxb8 Rxb8 
25. Bf3 {1/2-1/2 Kiselev,S-Kruppa,Y/Frunze 1988/TD} ) 18. ... c4!? ( 
18. ... g6? 19. Bxc6 Rxb1 20. Qxb1! Qxc6 21. dxc5 Qxc5 22. Ne2 Qf8 23. h4?
( 23. Nf4! Nb6 24. h4! â†‘ {Kasparov} ) 23. ... Ne5! 24. Nxe5 Bxe5 25. Rd1
Qc5 26. h5 Qc2! =, quiet {1/2-1/2 Kasparov,G-Karpov,A/Seville 1987/ 
MainBase/[Bulletin]} ) ( 18. ... Qd6?! 19. Bxc6 Rxb1 20. Qxb1 Qxc6 21. 
dxc5 Qxc5 22. Ne2 Qf8 23. Rxc8 Qxc8 24. Qb5 Nb6 25. Nfd4 Qc4 26. Qe8+ Kh7 
27. Qxf7 Qxa2 28. Nf4 Qa1+ 29. Kh2 Bxd4 30. exd4 {1-0 
Petersen,H-Signes,S/LSS 2006/Telechess 117} ) 19. Qc2 Bxb5 ( 19. ... Ba8 
20. Qf5 Nb6 21. e4! â†‘ {Khalifman} ) 20. Nxb5 Qa5 21. Nc3 Rxb1 ( 21. ... 
g6!? 22. Rxb8 Rxb8 23. e4 dxe4 24. Nxe4 Rc8 =, quiet {Khalifman} ) 22. 
Rxb1 Rb8 23. Rxb8+ Nxb8 24. e4! dxe4 25. Nxe4 Qd5 26. Nxf6+ gxf6 27. Nd2! 
Qxd4 28. Nxc4 += {1-0 Khalifman,A-Chandler,M/Germany 1995/CBM 
045/[Khalifman] (64)} ) ( 17. h3 cxd4 18. Nxd4 Bb7 19. Rfc1 Nc5 20. Qd1 
Qe7 21. Qg4 g6 22. Bf1 Bg7 23. Qd1 Rab8 24. Rc2 Ba8 25. Rbc1 Rd8 26. g3 
Bxd4 27. exd4 Ne6 28. h4 Qf6 29. Ne2 Rb4 =, quiet {0-1 
Topalov,V-Kasparov,G/Sofia 1998/CBM 065/ [Donev] (47)} ) ( 17. Qf5 g6 18. 
Qh3 Bg7 19. Rfc1 Rab8 20. a4 Bxb5 21. Nxb5 Qb7 22. Nc3 Qc6 23. Nb5 Qb7 24.
 Rd1 cxd4 25. Nfxd4 Nf6 26. Nc3 Qc7 27. Ncb5 Qb7 28. Qg3 Ne4 29. Qg4 h5 
30. Qf4 Qd7 =, quiet {1/2-1/2 Alvebring,M-Kovacs,A/IECG 2001/ Complete 
2001 (37)} ) 17. ... Rab8 ( 17. ... Bxb5!? 18. Rxb5 Qc6 19. Qf5 cxd4 20. 
Nxd5 dxe3 21. fxe3 Qe6 22. Qf4 Be5 23. Qh4 Re8 24. Nxe5 Qxe5 25. Qf4 {
1/2-1/2 Eingorn,V-Lputian,S/Sochi 1985/MCD} ) 18. a4 D {This position is 
very close to equality. White
has the possibility of a slight advantage since
the exchange of the c5- and d4-pawns would
leave Black with an isolated d-pawn, but all
Black's pieces are in play and he has the two
bishops (at least for the moment), so this should
not be a serious problem.} 18. ... cxd4 19. exd4 N ( 19. Nxd4 Nc5 20. Qf5 
Bxd4 21. exd4 ( 21. Rxd4 Ne6 ) 21. ... g6! 22. Qf3! Ne4 23. Nxe4 dxe4 24. 
Qe3 Qd7 =, quiet 25. d5 Bxb5 26. axb5 Rxb5 27. Rxb5 Qxb5 =, quiet {1/2-1/2
Timman, J-Kasparov,G/Prague 1998/CBM 067/[Donev] (40)} ) 19. ... Ba8?! {
There as no reason to avoid the bishop exchange.} ( {Black avoids the 
exchange of bishops, but
only by burying his bishop on an entirely inappropriate
square. The simplest solution is to
play} 19. ... Bxb5 âŒ“ =, quiet {Gelfand} 20. Nxb5 â–³ Qa5! 21. Qf5 Qxa4 
22. Qxd7 a6 23. Ne5 Bxe5 24. dxe5 Rd8 25. Qc6 Rxb5 26. e6! =, quiet fxe6 
27. Qxe6+ Kh8 28. Ra1 {If Black wanted to keep
his bishop, then} ) ( 19. ... Bb7 {was better since after} 20. Qf5 g6! 21.
 Qxd7 Qxd7 22. Bxd7 Rxc3 {White cannot prevent Black from unpinning
himself by ... Rc7.} ) 20. Qf5 Qxc3 ( 20. ... Rd8!? 21. Rbc1 += Qd6 22. 
Bd3 g6 23. Qh3 {also gives White an edge} ) 21. Qxd7 Qc7 22. Qf5 Rb6 23. 
Ne5 {Suddenly it turns out that White's minor pieces are stronger than 
Black's bishop pair.

White has definitely taken over the initiative
and Black is suffering from his out-ofplay
bishop} 23. ... g6 24. Qf4 Bg5?! {It is very difficult to give good advice
to Black. Perhaps,

Chasing the queen, but Black will lose time
after a later h4 by White. 24 ... Bb7 is better, trying
to reactivate the bishop.} ( 24. ... Bb7!? ) 25. Qg4 a6?! {This pawn will 
be Black's second and decisive weakness.

This could have led to Black's rapid defeat.
25 ...Bf6 is unpalatable, but the best chance.} ( 25. ... Bf6 âŒ“ ) 26. h4
! ( 26. Bd3 {gives White a winning position,
since Black cannot meet the many threats; for
example,} 26. ... Rcb8 ( 26. ... Rxb1 27. Rxb1 {up the pawn on a6.} ) 27. 
h4 Bf6 28. Rbc1 {followed by Nd7 } ) 26. ... Bf6 ( 26. ... axb5?! 27. hxg5
{is winning for White after} 27. ... hxg5 ( 27. ... h5 28. Qf4! ) 28. Rxb5
+/- {due to his
passed pawn and threats against the enemy king.} ) 27. Bd3 Rxb1 28. Rxb1 
h5 29. Qf4 Bxe5 30. dxe5 {Black has survived the immediate crisis but
his badly-placed bishop remains a serious handicap.} 30. ... Re8?! ( 
30. ... a5 âŒ“ 31. Qg5 Re8 {is better, but Black remains
under pressure after} 32. Rc1 Qb6 33. Bb5 Rf8 34. Be2 +/- ) 31. Rc1 Qd7 ( 
31. ... Qb7 32. e6! Rxe6 33. Rc7 Rf6 34. Rxb7 Rxf4 35. Rb8+ +- ) ( 31. ...
 Qb6 32. a5! Qe6 ( 32. ... Qxa5 33. e6! +- ) 33. Rc7 Re7 34. Rxe7 Qxe7 35.
 e6! fxe6 36. Bxg6 +- ) 32. Bxa6 +- d4 33. Bc4 Qf5 34. Qxf5 gxf5 35. Rd1 
Rxe5 36. Rxd4 {White is a clear passed pawn up and has the
better kingside pawn-structure. Black fights on
for some time but the position is hopeless.} 36. ... Bc6 37. Bb3 Re1+ 38. 
Kh2 Rb1 39. Bd5 Bxd5 40. Rxd5 Rb4 41. g3 f4 42. a5 fxg3+ 43. fxg3 Ra4 44. 
Rxh5 Kg7 45. Rf5 Kg6 46. g4 f6 47. h5+ Kg7 48. g5 fxg5 49. Rxg5+ Kf6 50. 
Rb5 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Good and Bad Bishops"]
[Black "Page 86"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.03"]

*

[Event "World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.11.29"]
[Round "3.3"]
[White "Eljanov, Pavel"]
[Black "Malakhov, Vladimir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2729"]
[BlackElo "2706"]
[ECO "D15h"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]

{This was the first game of the tie-break rapid match from the third round
of the World Cup 2009. Black's convincing win had a big psychological 
impact for the rest of the match (Malakhov won also the other two games).}

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. e3 b5 6. c5 g6 7. Ne5 {At a 
later stage of the World Cup Svidler against Malakhov played 7.Bd3 and 
achieved a promising position, although Black won nicely in the end.} 
7. ... Bg7 8. f4 O-O 9. Bd3 Be6 {Black's plan is Qc7, Nbd7, exchange on 
e5, then retreat the knight from f6 to d7 and play f7-f6.} ( {The third 
game of the match continued:} 9. ... Qc7 10. O-O Be6 11. g4 ( 11. Bd2 Nbd7
12. b4 a5 13. bxa5 Rxa5 14. a4 bxa4 15. Rxa4 Rfa8 16. Rxa5 Rxa5 17. Qb3 
Ra8 18. Rb1 Nxe5 19. fxe5 Nd7 20. Qb4 f6 21. exf6 Nxf6 22. Qb7 Qxb7 23. 
Rxb7 Kf7 =, quiet {1/2-1/2 Malakhov,V (2706)-So,W (2640)/Khanty Mansiysk 
2009 (38)} ) 11. ... Nbd7 12. f5 Nxe5! 13. dxe5 Nd7 14. fxe6 fxe6 15. Bd2 
Nxc5 16. Bc2 Bxe5 17. Qe2 a5 {0-1 Eljanov,P (2729)-Malakhov,V (2706)/ 
Khanty Mansiysk 2009 (47). Black has good compensation for the piece.} ) 
10. g4 Qc7 11. Bd2 a5 ( 11. ... Nbd7 {is still possible, because} 12. f5 
Nxe5 13. dxe5 Nd7 14. fxe6 fxe6 {as in the aforementioned third game is 
not problematic for Black.} ) 12. g5 {A questionable decision. Now Black 
takes control over the light squares in the centre.} ( {Better was} 12. f5
Bc8 13. O-O ~ ) ( {or the immediate} 12. O-O ) 12. ... b4! 13. Na4 ( {Also
in the event of} 13. gxf6 exf6 14. Ne2 fxe5 15. fxe5 f6 16. Nf4 Qe7 {Black
has sufficient play.} ) 13. ... Ne4 14. Nb6 Ra7 {Black's play is very 
simple: he wants to open the centre with f7-f6. It is White who must find 
a way to hold the balance.
----------

White's plan in the opening was based on
gaining space and he has pushed pawns on both
sides of the board to achieve this. The danger
with this plan is that the chain of pawns from
c5 to g5 limits the scope of his dark-squared
bishop. A bishop which is restricted by its own
pawns is called a bad bishop. White's d3-
bishop is not restricted by its own pawns and is
an example of a good bishop. Note that although
Black has two pawns fixed on light
squares, the e6-bishop is not especially bad
since it can easily become active on f5. At the
moment the advantages and disadvantages of
White's plan are in balance, but he must take
care that the bad bishop doesn't become the
dominant factor in the position.} 15. Qe2 ( {Perhaps the best was to 
accept that Black had solved all the opening problems and try to keep the 
position closed with} 15. Bxe4 dxe4 16. Nec4 {then Qe2, 0-0-0 and 
h2-h4-h5. If} 16. ... f6 {then} 17. h4 ) 15. ... f6 16. Nf3? {This passive
move is already a serious mistake.} ( {Necessary was} 16. Bxe4 fxe5 ( 
16. ... dxe4 17. gxf6 exf6 18. Nec4 ) 17. Bc2 ~ exd4 â–³ 18. exd4 Bf5 19. 
Bxf5 Rxf5 20. Qe6+ Kh8 21. h4 â†’ ) 16. ... Nd7 {Exchanging White's only 
active minor piece.} 17. Nxd7 Qxd7 18. gxf6 {There is no choice.  A sad 
necessity because} ( 18. O-O-O? fxg5 19. fxg5 Bg4 -+ 20. Rdf1 Nxg5 -+ ) ( 
18. h4? Ng3 ) 18. ... exf6 19. O-O-O Bf5 -/+ {White has completely lost 
the strategic battle, but his position is even worse than just "bad 
strategically". Black has a nice tactical idea, which is easy to overlook.

-------

White has no compensation for his inactive
dark-squared bishop. A bad bishop is often coupled with weaknesses on 
squares of the
other colour; here, for example, e4 is firmly in
Black's control.} 20. Rdg1? ( {A move like} 20. Bb1 -/+ ) ( {Or even} 20. 
Nh4 Bg4 21. Nf3 -/+ {was called for} ) ( 20. Be1 {is better, although 
Black has a clear
advantage in any case. The move played is a
mistake because it allows Black to exchange
White's light-squared bishop for a knight. While
a bad bishop is a handicap, its negative effects
are often masked if the other bishop is still on the
board. Once the good bishop disappears, there
may be no way to fight for control of the resulting
weak squares.} ) 20. ... b3! 21. a3 ( 21. axb3 a4 {gives Black a crushing 
attack} 22. b4 a3 {gives Black a strong attack.} ) 21. ... Nf2! {It's 
already over. After the exchange of the light-squared bishop White remains
with lots of weak squares and on top of all his king is also very weak.

---------------

Since 22 Bxf5 Qxf5 costs White material
thanks to the mate threat on c2, he cannot avoid
the exchange of his light-squared bishop.} 22. Qxf2 ( 22. Bxf5 Qxf5 -+ ) 
22. ... Bxd3 -+ D {A nightmare bad-bishop situation. The d2-
bishop has almost zero activity, while Black
runs riot over the weakened light squares.} 23. h4 h5 24. Rg3 Bf5 25. Bc3 
a4 26. Nd2 ( {The only chance to avoid a quick loss was} 26. Kd2 ) 26. ...
 Kh7 27. Rhg1 Bh6 28. Nb1 {White can only wait.} 28. ... Re8 29. Bd2 Bg4 
30. Nc3 Qf5 31. Be1 {Now that everything is ready, Black breaks
through on the same-coloured squares as the
bad bishop.} 31. ... Bxf4! ( 31. ... Bxf4 32. exf4 ( 32. Qxf4 Qc2# ) 
32. ... Re2 33. Nxe2 Qc2# ) 0-1

[Event "ESP Team Ch Hon Gp2"]
[Site "Sabadell"]
[Date "2008.09.04"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Nijboer, Friso"]
[Black "Jakovenko, Dmitry"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2564"]
[BlackElo "2709"]
[ECO "C89a"]
[EventDate "2008.09.03"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 
8. c3 d5 9. d4 exd4 10. e5 Ne4 11. cxd4 Bf5 12. Nc3 Nxc3 13. bxc3 Qd7 14. 
Bc2 h6 15. Be3 Na5 16. Nd2 Rab8 17. Bxf5 Qxf5 18. Nf1 Nc4 19. Bc1 c5 20. 
Ne3 Nxe3 21. Bxe3 D {The opening hasn't gone well for White and
he has been left with a bad bishop, while all the
other minor pieces have disappeared. His main
hope of counterplay is to start an attack based
on the advance of his kingside pawn-majority.
Black has to be alert to nullify this plan.} 21. ... c4 {A brave move. 
Black declares that he is not
scared by White's kingside pawns and cements
his advantage on the queenside, where he will
eventually be able to create a passed pawn.} 22. g4 Qd7 23. f4 f5! {A 
typical method of taking the sting out of
advancing pawns, and a good counterexample
to the doubtful principle that you should not
touch your pawns on the side where you are being
attacked. If White plays gxf5 or leaves the
pawn on f5 then White's pawns are blocked and
another pawn, the one on f4, will be fixed on a
dark square. The only hope of activating the
bishop lies in playing exf6 followed by f5, but
opening the e-file gives Black another avenue
of attack and offers him access to the weak
square at e4} 24. exf6 {White decides this is the lesser evil.} 24. ... 
Bxf6 25. a3 {Trying to hold back the pawns, at least for
the moment. 25 f5 b4 gives Black a protected
passed pawn and leaves the d4-pawn isolated.} 25. ... Bh4! {One of the 
little finesses that make the difference
between a small advantage and a large
one. Because the g4-pawn is attacked, the rook has to move to fl, but then
Black is able to seize
control of the e-file.} 26. Rf1 Rbe8 27. Qf3 Re4 {We see again how having 
a bad bishop has
implications beyond the bishop's lack of mobility.
Because the bishop and pawns control
squares of the same colour, the squares of the
opposite colour are weak and provide outposts
for the enemy pieces.} 28. f5 Rfe8 29. Bf4 {Hoping to activate the bishop 
at e5, but
Black's next move prevents this.} 29. ... Bf6 30. Ra2 {30 Qg3 intends h4 
and g5, but this plan is
thwarted by 30 ..Qe7.} 30. ... Qe7 D {Black totally dominates the position
and
need only organize ... a5 and ... b4 to break
down White's defence.} 31. Kg2 Kh7 32. h3 a5 33. Rb2 {Attempting to 
prevent ... b4, but the cure is no
better than the disease.} 33. ... Qxa3 34. Rxb5 Re2+ 35. Kh1? {This loses 
at once. The best chance is} ( 35. Kg1 {but Black should still win after} 
35. ... Re1 36. Rxd5 Qa1! 37. Be5 ( 37. Bd2 Rxf1+ 38. Qxf1 Qb2 39. Qd1 Qb8
! 40. Qf3 Qb1+ 41. Qf1 Qc2 {gives
Black a winning attack} ) 37. ... Rxf1+ 38. Qxf1 Qxc3 {since his a-pawn 
will be too strong.} ) 35. ... Rc2 36. g5 Rxc3 37. Qg4 ( 37. g6+ Kh8 38. 
Qxd5 {loses to} 38. ... Rc2 {and Black is threatening mate by 39 ... 
Qxh3+.} ) 37. ... Bxg5 38. f6 Bxf6 39. Rxd5 Rxh3+ 40. Kg2 Rh4 41. Qf5+ Kh8
42. Be5 Bxe5 43. Rxe5 Rb8 44. Rfe1 Rf8 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "31   When a Bad Bishop is Good"]
[Black "Page 88"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.03"]

{It's important to be flexible when assessing the
power of bishops. It's not enough simply to
count the number of pawns fixed on the same
colour squares as the bishop, since the concrete
possibilities available to the bishop are often
more important than arithmetic. There are some
general situations in which theoretically bad
bishops can prove surprisingly effective. The
first of these arises when the player with the
bad bishop has a large space advantage. Thanks
to the extra space, his bad bishop may have
plenty of room to manoeuvre and the limiting
effect of the pawns is much reduced.} 
*

[Event "Astrakhan FIDE GP"]
[Site "Astrakhan"]
[Date "2010.05.19"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Radjabov, Teimour"]
[Black "Eljanov, Pavel"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2740"]
[BlackElo "2751"]
[ECO "D38g"]
[EventDate "2010.05.10"]
[Annotator "Eljanov"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 c5 
8. e3 c4!? {A rather rare opening variation. I learned it when Alexander 
Morozevich tried it successfully against... me in the Tal Memorial 
(blitz).} 9. Nd2 ( {One week later Sasha Moiseenko played} 9. Be2 g5 10. 
Bg3 Ne4 11. Rc1 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Qa5 13. O-O {and here I had prepared a 
novelty:} 13. ... O-O!? N 14. Qc2 Bf5 15. Qb2 Qb6 {0-1 Moiseenko,A 
(2669)-Eljanov,P (2751)/Odessa UKR 2010 (56). Black is ok.} ) 9. ... g5 
10. Bg3 Bf5 11. Be5 ( {Against Moro I played} 11. Be2 O-O 12. O-O Re8 13. 
a3 Bxc3 14. bxc3 Nc6 15. Re1 b5 {but Black obviously is ok here:} 16. Bf1 
Bg6 17. f3 a5 18. e4 dxe4 19. fxe4 Nxe4 20. Nxe4 Rxe4 21. Rxe4 Bxe4 22. 
Qh5 Nxd4 23. Re1 Bg6 24. Qg4 Nf5 25. Bf2 a4 26. Rd1 Qe7 27. Qf3 Rd8 28. 
Rxd8+ Qxd8 29. Qc6 Nd6 30. Bg3 Ne4 31. Qxb5 Qe7 {0-1 Eljanov,P 
(2716)-Morozevich,A (2788)/ Moscow 2008/CBM 126 Extra} ) ( {Possible is 
also the principled} 11. h4 {however it is very hard to judge, what is the
strongest as the position is rather complicated; both sides have their 
trumps.} ) 11. ... Bxc3 ( 11. ... Nbd7? 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Nxd5 ) 12. bxc3 
Nbd7 13. Bd6 Qb6 14. Bg3 {A novelty but it does not look very logical.} ( 
14. Ba3 {I think here Black has also good counterplay, but with queens on 
the board White has more chances to attack the black king.} 14. ... Qa6 
15. Bb4 Qe6 16. a4 Ne4 ( 16. ... a5!? ) 17. a5 g4 18. Be2 Ndf6 19. Nf1 
O-O-O 20. f3 Ng5 21. h4 gxh3 22. g4 Bd3 23. a6 b6 24. Bxd3 cxd3 25. Kf2 h5
26. gxh5 Qf5 27. Nh2 Nge4+ 28. Ke1 Qg5 29. fxe4 Qxe3+ 30. Kf1 Nxe4 {0-1 
Gauglitz,G (2465)-Dizdar,G (2500)/Halle 1987/ CBM } ) 14. ... Qb2! {Not 
the only move, but it's obvious, that Black is very much ok after the 
queen swap.} 15. Qc1 Qxc1+ 16. Rxc1 b5 {Anyway it's necessary as after} ( 
16. ... O-O 17. f3 Rfe8 18. Kf2 Re6 {White has} 19. e4! ) 17. f3 O-O 18. 
Kf2 Rfe8 19. a4 a6! ( 19. ... bxa4 20. e4 dxe4 21. Nxc4 {at least is not 
worse.} ) 20. Be2 Re6 21. Rhe1 Nb6 ( 21. ... Rae8! {looks like a bit more 
precise:} 22. Nf1 ( {Possibly I was afraid of} 22. Bd1 Bd3 23. Ra1 {but 
here I have the very strong knight transfer} 23. ... Nb8! 24. axb5 axb5 
25. Ra8 Nc6 {where the b4-threat is rather annoying for White.} ) 22. ... 
Nb6 23. axb5 axb5 24. Ra1 Na4 =+ ) 22. axb5 axb5 23. Ra1 Na4 24. Ra3 Bg6 
25. Bf1 D {Black's bishop is bad in the sense that his cand
d-pawns are fixed on light squares, but it is
placed on a useful diagonal. White's theoretically
good bishop on f1 is currently the worst
minor piece on the board since it has few active
possibilities.} 25. ... Nd7!? ( {I didn't see anything special after} 
25. ... Rae8 26. h4 Nb2 27. hxg5 hxg5 28. Rea1 Bd3 ( 28. ... Rxe3 29. Be5 
) ( 28. ... Nd3+ 29. Bxd3 Bxd3 30. Re1 Rb6 31. Rh1 â‡„â‡„ ) 29. Be5 Nd7 
30. Bc7 â‡„â‡„ ) 26. h4?! {White should take the chance to play 26 e4,
fighting for space.} ( 26. e4! {was better:} 26. ... f5 {and here White 
has some choice} 27. exd5 {looks dangerous, but I did not find anything 
real here for White:} ( 27. exf5 Rxe1 28. Kxe1 Bxf5 {Black is just better}
) ( {Also interesting is} 27. Rb1!? Rb6 ( 27. ... dxe4 28. fxe4 f4 29. 
Rxb5 fxg3+ 30. Kxg3 â†‘ ) ( 27. ... fxe4 28. fxe4 dxe4 29. Ke3! Nf6 30. 
Rxb5 Ng4+ 31. Ke2 e3 32. Nxc4 Nxh2 33. Bxh2 Nxc3+ 34. Rxc3 Bh5+ 35. Kd3 
Bg6+ =, quiet ) 28. exf5 Bxf5 29. Rb4 ~ ) 27. ... Rxe1 28. Kxe1 f4 29. Bf2
Re8+ 30. Be2 Nf6 31. d6 Bd3 32. Ne4 Nxe4 33. fxe4 Bxe4 34. g3 f3 35. d7 
Rd8 36. Bxc4+ bxc4 37. Rxa4 Rxd7 38. Rxc4 Ra7 39. Rc5 Ra1+ 40. Kd2 Ra2+ 
41. Ke1 ) 26. ... f5! {This restricts the g6-bishop, but it's more 
important
to prevent the liberating e4.} 27. hxg5 hxg5 28. f4 g4! {This is the case 
where a human move is stronger than the first line of engines (from a 
practical point of view - obviously).

-------------

Yet another pawn on a light square, but now
White's good bishop on f1 is totally sealed in.
It's clear that Black is the only one with active
possibilities, since he might eventually break
through by ... b4 or penetrate down the a-file.} ( 28. ... Nf6 {this is it
} 29. fxg5 ( 29. Be2 {also possible} ) 29. ... Ng4+ 30. Kg1 Rxe3 31. Rxe3 
Nxe3 32. Nf3 {I saw this line during the game, but refused to play it. 
Human logic is simple: White has a good square on e5, the position is 
opened (two bishops!) and the pawn on g5 could be powerful in the future. 
The only way to choose this line is to calculate all lines till the big 
advantage. But I didn't see anything special even with the help of my 
silicon friend.} 32. ... Re8 ( 32. ... f4 ) ( 32. ... Bh5 ) ( 32. ... Be8 
) ) 29. Rb1 Ra5 30. Be2 Rea6 31. Bh4 {White's bad bishop can move outside 
the
pawn-chain and is a better piece than his good
bishop.} ( 31. Rba1 Nb8! ( 31. ... Kf7 32. e4! fxe4 33. Nf1 â‡„â‡„ ) ( 
31. ... Nf6 32. Bh4 Kg7 33. Bd1 Nxc3!? 34. Bxf6+ Kxf6 35. Rxa5 Nxd1+ 36. 
Ke2 Nc3+ 37. Ke1 Rxa5 38. Rxa5 Be8 {White should hold it} 39. Ra6+ Ke7 40.
 Rb6 Bd7 41. Nf1 Ne4 42. Nd2 ) 32. e4 ( 32. Bh4 Nc6 -/+ ) 32. ... Nc6 33. 
exd5 Nb6 34. dxc6 ( 34. Rxa5 Rxa5 35. Rxa5 Nxa5 36. d6 Nb7 {despite the 
rook swap Black is better as White has just no space} 37. d7 Nxd7 38. Kg1 
Nb6 ) 34. ... Rxa3 35. Rb1 Be8 36. Rxb5 Rxc3 37. Rxf5 Rc2 -/+ ) 31. ... 
Nab6 32. Rxa5 Rxa5 33. Bd8 {Probably it's just losing tempi.} ( {However} 
33. Nf1 Na4 34. Ra1 Nb8 35. Ng3 Nc6 36. Ra3 Kf7 {White is struggling.} ) 
33. ... Be8! {This indirectly defends b5, so that Black can
chase White's bishop away by ... l:ta8. Black's
bad bishop provides a vital supporting role for
his queenside play.} 34. Ke1 Ra8 D 35. Be7? {The decisive mistake.  White 
intends to play his bishop to b4 to prevent
a queenside breakthrough, but this allows
Black's rook to occupy a dominant position on
the seventh rank. However, even after} ( 35. Bg5 Nb8 36. Bd1 Ra3 37. Rc1 
Nc6 -/+ ) ( {It was necessary to prevent the penetration of Black's rook:}
35. Bc7 Na4 ( 35. ... Ra7 36. Bd8 ( 36. Bd6 Nc8 37. Bb4 Ra2 {again awkward
for White)} ) 36. ... Na4 37. Ra1 Nb8 {Black retains considerable 
pressure, although
White might be able to hold the game.} ) 36. Ra1 Nf6 37. Ra3 Ra7 38. Be5 
Kf7 39. Bd1 Ke6 {and White is worse but still in the game.} ) 35. ... Kf7 
36. Bb4 Ra2 {Now it's too late.} 37. Bd1 Ke6 38. Rc1 Nb8! 39. Rc2 Ra1 40. 
Rb2 Na6 41. Rb1 Ra2 42. g3 {Losing by force, but it's anyway a question of
time.

Weakening the g-pawn, but} ( 42. Be2 Nxb4 43. cxb4 ( 43. Rxb4 Na4 44. Nb1 
g3! 45. Kd1 Nb2+ 46. Ke1 Nd3+ 47. Bxd3 cxd3 48. Nd2 Rc2 {is hopeless
for White.} ) 43. ... Na4 -+ ) 42. ... Nd7 43. Be2 Nxb4 44. Rxb4 Nf6 45. 
Kd1 Ra1+ 46. Rb1 Rxb1+ 47. Nxb1 Ne4 48. Bf1 Nxg3 49. Bg2 Ne4 50. Ke2 Kd6 
51. Bxe4 {White finally gets rid of his dreadful 'good'
bishop, but it's too late.} 51. ... dxe4 52. Na3 Kc6 53. Nc2 Kb6 54. Kf2 
Ka5 55. Kg3 Ka4 56. d5 Bd7 0-1

[Event "12. Open"]
[Site "Trieste ITA"]
[Date "2010.09.06"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Kuzubov, Yuriy"]
[Black "Ulibin, Mikhail"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2628"]
[BlackElo "2544"]
[ECO "C11h"]
[EventDate "2010.08.30"]

1. d4 e6 2. e4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Qb6 7. Be3 a6 8. 
a3 Qa7 9. Ne2 Nc6 10. c3 b5 11. dxc5 Bxc5 12. Ned4 Qc7 13. Ng5 Qb6 14. b4 
Bxd4 15. cxd4 h6 16. Nf3 Qc7 17. Nd2 Nb6 18. Nb3 Nc4 19. Bd2 Ne7 20. Bd3 
h5 21. Qe2 Bd7 22. Nc5 Nf5 D {When the. opponent has a weak colour 
complex,
a bishop operating on the same-coloured
squares may be theoretically bad, but is often
the best piece to exploit the weaknesses. This
applies especially when the opponent lacks a
bishop with which to defend the weakened
squares.} 23. Bc3 {White's dark-squared bishop may appear to
have few active prospects; indeed, at the moment
its only real duty is to defend the d4-pawn.
However, Black's weakened dark squares potentially
offer this bishop a glorious future. Note
that Black's bishop really is bad, in both senses
of the word, since it is blocked in by its own
pawns and there is no real way for Black to
change the situation. His only real hope is that
the blocked nature of the position will prevent
White making progress.} 23. ... Ra7 24. O-O g6 25. Rf3 {By playing his 
rook to h3, White introduces
the possibility of g4.} 25. ... Bc6 26. Rh3 Rh6 {White's basic plan is to 
take on f5 and play
his dark-squared bishop to el, h4 and f6, but he
need not rush as Black has no counterplay.} 27. Qf2 Qe7 28. Be1 Kf8 29. 
Bc2 {Clearing the d-file for the rook to defend the
d-pawn from dl, which will release the queen
to clear the path from el to h4.} 29. ... Kg8 30. Rd1 Ra8 {Black is unable
to play actively since} ( 30. ... a5 {would only rebound after} 31. Bxf5 
exf5 32. bxa5 Nxa5 33. Bxa5 Rxa5 34. Re1 {followed by
e6, with a winning position for White.} ) 31. Qe2 Rh7 32. Bxf5 exf5 33. 
Bh4 Qe8 34. Re1 {A useful move nipping any counterplay by
... a5 in the bud, since} 34. ... Bd7 ( 34. ... a5 35. bxa5 Rxa5 36. e6 
fxe6 37. Qxe6+ Qxe6 38. Rxe6 {is crushing.} ) 35. Bf6 Be6 {Blocking the 
e-pawn and so enabling possible
counterplay by ... a5.} 36. Rd1 a5 {If Black continues to defend passively
by} ( 36. ... Ra7 {White wins with} 37. Rdd3 Ra8 38. Rdg3 Kf8 39. Rg5 {
followed by a sacrifice on h5.} ) 37. bxa5 Rxa5 38. Rb3 D {Black's 
difficulties are not confined to one
side of the board. Thanks to White's bishop on
f6, Black's rook on h7 is permanently cut off
from the queenside. Thus if White can open
lines on that side he will be effectively a rook
up. The contrast between the two bishops, both
of which are theoretically bad, is remarkable.} 38. ... Bd7?! 39. Qd3?! {
Missing an instant win by} ( 39. Nxd7 Qxd7 40. Rdb1 {followed by a4, and 
the rooks penetrate.} ) 39. ... Rh6 40. h3 Rh7 41. Rdb1?! {White could 
also have won by Nxd7 on either
of the last two moves, but now Black moves his
bishop away and the chance disappears.} 41. ... Bc8 42. Qc3 {The plan is 
Qb4 followed by Rc3 and then
a4, again opening a file.} 42. ... Qc6 43. Qb4 Qa8 44. Rc3 Nd2 45. Nb3 
Nxb3 46. Rbxb3 Bd7 47. Rc7 Be6 48. Qe7 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "32  Opening Lines"]
[Black "Page 90"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.03"]

*

[Event "SWE Team Ch 0607"]
[Site "Sweden"]
[Date "2007.03.16"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Brynell, Stellan"]
[Black "Wedberg, Tom"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2619"]
[BlackElo "2539"]
[ECO "A70c"]
[EventDate "2006.10.20"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. c4 c5 4. d5 d6 5. Nc3 exd5 6. cxd5 g6 7. e4 a6 8. 
a4 Bg4 9. Be2 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Bg7 11. O-O O-O 12. Re1 Nbd7 13. Be2 Re8 14. 
Bf1 Rc8 15. a5 h5 16. h3 Nh7 17. Ra4 Ra8 18. Be3 Be5 19. Qd2 Qc7 20. Qc2 
Bg7 21. Nb1 Qd8 22. Nd2 Nhf6 23. Raa1 Rc8 24. Bg5 Qc7 25. Nc4 Nh7 26. Bd2 
Re7 27. f4 Ree8 28. Be2 Bd4+ 29. Kh1 Rb8 30. Bf3 Bg7 31. Rad1 Rbc8 32. Re2
Qb8 33. Qb3 Bf6 D {White clearly has a large advantage since he controls 
far more space and his pieces are much more actively placed than Black's. 
In addition, he has the two bishops and an annoying attack on d6. 
Nevertheless, he still has to win the game. In common with many positions 
in which one side has a considerable advantage, the key to pressing the 
advantage home is to open lines. By opening the position and removing the 
obstructive pawns, White will give his pieces the chance to target weak 
points in the enemy position. Opening lines is usually done in one of two 
ways: by a pawn advance, or by a sacrifice. Here the obvious way to open 
lines is by the central pawn push e5, but White need not be in any rush to
play this move. First he needs to identify the main weak point in Black's 
position once the position has opened up. This is the f7- square, which is
only defended by Black's king. If White can play e5 and d6, the queen will
be well placed to attack f7, while the bishop can help by moving to d5. To
reinforce the attack, he should have at least one rook on the f-file. 
White's position is so strong that there is more than one path to success;
the one he chooses should be amply sufficient to win.} 34. Rde1 Bh4 35. 
Rf1 Bd8 36. e5! {White clearly has a large advantage since he controls far
more space and his pieces are much more actively placed than Black's. In 
addition, he has the two bishops and an annoying attack on d6. 
Nevertheless, he still has to win the game. In common with many positions 
in which one side has a considerable advantage, the key to pressing the 
advantage home is to open lines. By opening the position and removing the 
obstructive pawns, White will give his pieces the chance to target weak 
points in the enemy position. Opening lines is usually done in one of two 
ways: by a pawn advance, or by a sacrifice. Here the obvious way to open 
lines is by the central pawn push e5, but White need not be in any rush to
play this move. First he needs to identify the main weak point in Black's 
position once the position has opened up. This is the f7- square, which is
only defended by Black's king. If White can play e5 and d6, the queen will
be well placed to attack f7, while the bishop can help by moving to d5. To
reinforce the attack, he should have at least one rook on the f-file. 
White's position is so strong that there is more than one path to success;
the one he chooses should be amply sufficient to win.} 36. ... dxe5 37. 
fxe5 Nxe5 D 38. Rfe1? {White is distracted from targeting the main weak 
spot on f7 by the tempting pin along the e-file, and so gives Black a 
fleeting tactical opportunity. The simplest way to win is to play 
consistently against f7 by} ( 38. d6! Bf6 39. Nxe5 Rxe5 40. Rxe5 Bxe5 41. 
Bd5 Qxd6 ( 41. ... Rf8 42. Bh6 {is also hopeless for Black} ) 42. Rxf7 Kh8
43. Qxb7 {Black's position collapses. Opening more lines with the 
sacrifice} ) ( 38. Bxh5! gxh5 39. Qg3+ Kh8 40. Nxe5 {with a winning 
attack.} ) 38. ... Bc7? {Now White is again winning.} ( 38. ... Bg5! {
unpinning the knight, restricts White to a modest advantage:} 39. Bxg5 ( 
39. Rxe5 Bxd2 40. Rxe8+ Rxe8 41. Rxe8+ Qxe8 42. Nxd2 Qe1+ {is at least 
equal for Black} ) 39. ... Nxf3 40. Qxf3 Nxg5 41. Qf6 Nh7 42. Qf2 Rxe2 43.
 Qxe2 Qf4 {and, although White has good compensation for the pawn, Black 
has fair drawing chances.} ) 39. d6! {This line-opening move is crushing, 
since it pins the f-pawn and so prevents Black from defending the knight 
with ... f6.} 39. ... Bxd6 40. Nxd6 Qxd6 41. Bc3 c4 {Blocking the a2-g8 
diagonal to allow .. .f6, but driving the queen to another dangerous 
square.} 42. Qxb7 f6 43. Bd5+ Kh8 44. Rxe5! fxe5 45. Rxe5 Rxe5 46. Qxc8+ 
Kg7 47. Qe6 ( 47. Qe6 {After} 47. ... Qxe6 48. Bxe6 Kf6 49. Bxc4 Kf5 50. 
Bxe5 Kxe5 51. Bxa6 {White wins easily.} ) 1-0

[Event "FIDE GP"]
[Site "Dubai UAE"]
[Date "2002.04.03"]
[Round "1.3"]
[White "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Black "Bareev, Evgeny"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2717"]
[BlackElo "2707"]
[ECO "C11i"]
[EventDate "2002.04.03"]
[Annotator "Finkel,A"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 Qb6 8. 
Na4 Qa5+ 9. c3 c4 10. b4 Qc7 11. Nb2 {White's idea is to close queenside 
and try to break on the kingside. in this game Ivanchuk carries out this 
plan just about perfectly!} ( 11. g3 Be7 12. Bh3 b5 13. Nc5 a5 14. a3 Nxc5
15. dxc5 O-O 16. Nd4 Qb7 17. O-O Bd7 18. Nxc6 Qxc6 19. Bd4 axb4 20. axb4 
Rxa1 =, quiet {1/2-1/2 Luther,T-Atalik,S/Budapest 1991/CBM 23 ext (20)} ) 
11. ... Be7 ( 11. ... b5 12. a4 ( 12. Be2 a5 13. a3 Qa7 ( 13. ... Be7 14. 
O-O f6 15. g3 O-O 16. Bf2 Nb6 17. Nh4 axb4 18. axb4 Rxa1 19. Qxa1 Bd7 ~ {
Nowak,I-Cichocki,A/Warsaw 1990} ) 14. O-O axb4 15. axb4 Qxa1 16. Qxa1 Rxa1
17. Rxa1 Nb6 18. Bd1 Be7 19. Bd2 Bb7 20. Bc2 += {Moingt,J-Schemm,H/Lugano 
1989} ) 12. ... Rb8 ( 12. ... Ba6 13. g3 Be7 14. Bg2 O-O 15. O-O Rfb8 16. 
f5 +/- {Gebigke,M-Wilke,M/Kassel 1996} ) 13. axb5 Rxb5 14. Qa4 Qb6 15. 
Nxc4 dxc4 16. Bxc4 a6 17. O-O +/- {Kolar,S-Kozamernik,J/Bled 1992} ) ( 
11. ... a5 12. b5 Ne7 13. a4 Nb6 14. Be2 Bd7 15. Kf2 ( 15. Bf2 O-O-O 16. 
Bh4 Be8 17. O-O h6 18. Qd2 Bd7 19. Nd1 Re8 20. Ne3 += {
Malbran,G-Belmonte,D/San Luis 1995} ) 15. ... O-O-O 16. Ng5 Be8 17. g4 h6 
18. Nf3 Qd7 19. Qc2 += {Karner,C-Marzluf,D/ Werfen 1993} ) 12. a4!? ( 12. 
Be2 O-O 13. O-O a5 14. b5 Nd8 15. a4 f5 16. Qd2 Nb6 17. Nd1 Bd7 ~ {
Podkriznik,G-Soln,P/Bled 1998} ) 12. ... O-O 13. Be2 Rb8 14. O-O f5!? 15. 
Qe1 a6 ( 15. ... a5!? 16. b5 Nd8 17. Bd1 b6 18. Bc2 Kh8 19. Nd1 Rg8 20. 
Bc1 += ) 16. Kh1 b5 17. a5 Qd8 18. Rg1 Rb7 19. Nd1 Kh8 20. Nf2 Qe8 21. Bd1
! {Bishop has to be on c2 to support g4.} 21. ... Bd8 22. Bc2 Ne7 D {The 
position is blocked across almost the entire
board, with just the kingside available for
active play. White's space advantage gives him
the better game, but he is forced to attack on a
narrow front, which means that Black has fair
defensive chances. This example demonstrates
both of the main methods of opening lines:
firstly White prepares g4 to open the g-file, and
later he makes the final breakthrough by means
of a sacrifice.} 23. Qe2 Rg8?! {The d7-knight blocks the action of Black's
queenside pieces, so he clears the way to transfer
the knight to the threatened kingside.} ( 23. ... Nb8 24. h3 Nbc6 25. g4 
fxg4 26. hxg4 Ng6 27. Nh3 += ) 24. h3 Nf8 25. g4 Nfg6 {For the moment 
White cannot make progress
since the f5-square is adequately defended and
playing g5 would leave White with too narrow
a front to attack on. White therefore improves
his position by doubling rooks.} 26. Rg2 Rf8 27. Rag1 {A key decision, 
offering a pawn to open lines
on the kingside} 27. ... fxg4?! {Waiting with 27 ... Rc7 is better, since 
accepting
the pawn gives White a dangerous attack
along the h-file.} ( 27. ... Rc7!? ) 28. hxg4 Nxf4 ( 28. ... Rxf4?! 29. 
Rh2 Rf8 30. Rg3 {followed by
l:gh3 gives White a very strong attack.} 30. ... Rc7 31. Rgh3 h6 32. Qd2 
+/- ) 29. Bxf4 Rxf4 30. Rh2 Ng6 {Nothing changed} ( 30. ... g6 31. Nh3 Rf8
32. Nhg5 Nc6 33. Rg3 Rg8 34. Rgh3 Rgg7 35. Rh6 Qg8 36. Qe3 Rbc7 37. Nxh7! 
Rxh7 38. Bxg6! +- {and black is helpless.} ) 31. Rg3 Nf8 ( 31. ... Rf8 32.
 g5 Kg8 33. Nd2 +/- ) ( 31. ... Kg8 32. Qf1 Nf8 33. Qh3 g6 34. Qh6 Rff7 
35. Kg2 {followed by g5 and ltJg4 is also
very unpleasant for Black} ) 32. g5 ( 32. Qe3? Rff7 33. Rgh3 {is even 
stronger,
since 33 ... g6 34 g5 followed by Ng4-f6 puts
Black under intolerable pressure.} ) 32. ... Kg8 33. Nh3 Rf5 {Black is 
forced to surrender the exchange,
since} ( 33. ... Rff7 34. g6! Nxg6 35. Bxg6 hxg6 36. Nhg5 +- {followed by 
Rgh3} ) 34. Bxf5 exf5 35. Nf4 Qc6 {Black has avoided immediate disaster 
but he
remains totally passive. White now improves
his position by stepping up the pressure against
d5 and transferring his king to the queenside.} 36. Rgh3 g6 37. Rh6 Be6 
38. Qg2 Rg7 39. Ne1 Rd7 40. Nc2 Qb7 41. Ne3 Qc6 42. R2h4 Be7 {Bishop has 
to remain on the diagonal d8-h4 in order to put a pressure on g5.} 43. Kg1
Bd8 44. Kf1 Be7 45. Ke2 Bd8 46. Kd2 Be7 47. Kc2 Bd8 48. Kb2 Be7 D ( 
48. ... Bc7 49. Qh1! Bd8 50. Nxg6! hxg6 51. Rh8+ Kf7 52. R4h7+ Ke8 53. 
Rxf8+ Kxf8 54. Qh6+ Ke8 55. Rh8+ Ke7 56. Qf8# ) 49. Rxh7! {Breaking up 
black king's shelter.

Opening lines by means of a sacrifice.} 49. ... Nxh7 50. Nxg6 Bd8 51. Nf4
?! ( 51. Rh6 {and only then Nf4 is immediately
crushing.} ) 51. ... Nxg5? ( 51. ... Rg7 52. Nxe6 Qxe6 53. Rh6 Qd7 54. Rd6
+- ) ( 51. ... Nf8 {is the only way to play on, although
White can win by} 52. Rh6 Rh7 53. Nxf5 Qd7 54. Nxe6 Nxe6 55. g6 Rxh6 56. 
Nxh6+ Kf8 57. Qf3+ Kg7 58. Qh5 {followed byl Nf5+ or Nf7} ) 52. Rh6 {Now 
it's allover since the open lines in front
of Black's king prove fatal.} 52. ... Rg7 53. Nxf5! Rf7 54. Rxe6 Qd7 55. 
Rg6+ Kf8 56. e6 Qc7 57. Nxd5 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "33  Positional Pawn Sacrifices"]
[Black "Page 92"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.03"]

{The sacrifice of a pawn involves a rather modest
investment in material, so a pawn may be offered
for less tangible benefits than a larger
sacrifice, such as a lead in development or the
weakening of the enemy pawn-structure.} 
*

[Event "EU Ch 9th"]
[Site "Plovdiv BUL"]
[Date "2008.05.01"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Kryvoruchko, Yuriy"]
[Black "Smirin, Ilia"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2612"]
[BlackElo "2630"]
[ECO "B43m"]
[EventDate "2008.04.21"]
[Annotator "Stohl"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 ( 4. ... Nc6 {is the other main 
Paulsen move.} ) 5. Nc3 ( {Anand's favourite} 5. Bd3 {However, currently 
more topical is} 5. ... Bc5 ( {Carlsen's recent preference was} 5. ... Ne7
6. O-O Nbc6 7. Nb3!? ( 7. Nxc6 Nxc6 8. Be3 Be7 9. Nd2 d5! 10. exd5 exd5 
11. Nb3 O-O 12. Re1 Re8 13. c3 Bd6 14. Qc2 g6 15. Bc5 Bc7 16. Rxe8+ Qxe8 
17. Qd2 Qe5 18. Qh6 Bf5 19. Bxf5 Qxf5 =, quiet 20. Nd4 Qe4 {Shirov,A 
(2755)-Carlsen,M (2733)/ Morelia/Linares/2008/} ) 7. ... Ng6 8. Nc3 b5 9. 
Be3 Be7 10. f4 O-O 11. Qh5 d6 12. Rf3 â†‘ e5!? 13. f5 Nf4 14. Bxf4 exf4 
15. Rxf4 Ne5 16. Nd5 Bg5 17. Rff1 g6 18. Qh3 Bb7 19. Kh1 Rc8 += {Leko,P 
(2753)-Carlsen,M (2733)/Nice rpd/2008/} ) ) 5. ... Qc7 ( {From the other 
side of the board, Smirin has pleasant memories of} 5. ... b5 6. Bd3 d6 ( 
6. ... Qb6 ) ( 6. ... Bb7 {or} ) ( 6. ... Bc5 {are typical Paulsen moves, 
which fit in better with the chosen system.} ) 7. O-O Nf6 8. Qe2! Bb7 ( {A
somewhat earlier game went} 8. ... Be7 9. a4 b4 10. Na2 e5 11. Nf5 Bxf5 
12. exf5 a5 13. Bb5+ Nbd7 14. Bg5 O-O 15. c3 bxc3 16. Nxc3 h6 17. Bh4 += {
Smirin,I (2656)-Markowski,T (2610)/ECC Rethymnon/2003/} ) 9. a4 b4 10. Na2
d5 11. e5 Ne4 12. c3!? Nd7 13. f3 Nec5 14. Nxb4 a5 15. Nbc6 Bxc6 16. Nxc6 
Qb6 17. Bb5 Nb3+ 18. Be3 Bc5 19. Rae1 Rc8 20. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 21. Kh1 Rxc6 22. 
Qd1! Rc7 23. Qxb3 +/- {Smirin,I (2670)-Markowski,T (2610)/EU-chT 
Plovdiv/2003/} ) ( {If Black insists on playing a Scheveningen set-up, 
less committal is the immediate} 5. ... d6 âŒ“ ) 6. Bd3 Bc5 {Other moves 
are played more often:} ( 6. ... Nc6 7. Nxc6 dxc6 {is more solid, but even
here} ( 7. ... bxc6 8. O-O Nf6 9. Qe2 d5 ( 9. ... Bd6?! {is very 
provocative, after} 10. f4 e5 11. Kh1 h6 ( 11. ... exf4 12. e5 Bxe5 13. 
Bxf4 d6 14. Bxe5 dxe5 15. Rae1 +/- {/\} 15. ... Nd7? 16. Qh5 g6 17. Qh6 
â†’ ) 12. Bd2 O-O 13. f5! Re8?! ( 13. ... Bb4 âŒ“ ) 14. Bc4 a5 15. Rf3 Bb4
16. Rg3 Kf8 17. Qe3 Ng8 18. f6! gxf6 19. Rf1! {Kasparov,G 
(2838)-Movsesian,S (2631)/Prague simul/2001/ all White's pieces joined in 
a deadly attack.} ) 10. Bg5 += ( 10. b3!? ) ) 8. O-O e5 9. f4 Nf6 10. Kh1 
+= {is more pleasant for White.} ) ( 6. ... Nf6 {More restrained, but more
promising is the simple} 7. O-O {, po} ( 7. f4 {allows} 7. ... b5!? 8. e5 
b4 9. Ne4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 Bb7 11. Qf3 Nc6 ( 11. ... Bxe4 12. Qxe4 Nc6 
=, quiet {is similar and can lead to the same position.} ) 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 
13. Bxc6 dxc6 14. O-O Bc5+ 15. Be3 Qb6 16. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 17. Qf2 Qxf2+ 18. 
Kxf2 Ke7 19. Ke3 Rhd8 20. a3 c5 21. Rfd1 bxa3 22. bxa3 f6! =, quiet {
Sutovsky,E (2629)-Rublevsky,S (2677)/Poikovsky/2007/} ) 7. ... d6 ( {Po} 
7. ... Nc6 {More unpleasant for Black is} 8. Nxc6 âŒ“ {-6...Nc6} ( {After}
8. Be3 {according to current theory,} 8. ... b5 ( 8. ... Bd6 {or} ) ( 
8. ... Ne5 {are all playable alternatives for Black.} ) ) ) 8. f4 Be7 {is 
similar to our game, only White's N is still on d4. He can use it on the 
>>, interesting is} 9. Nf3!? Nbd7 10. Qe1 {/\e5} 10. ... O-O ( 10. ... Nc5
11. e5 Nfd7 12. Qg3 g6 13. Be3 b5 14. Bd4 Nxd3? 15. cxd3 d5 16. Rac1 Qb7 
17. f5! gxf5 18. Qg7 Rf8 19. Ng5 Bxg5 20. Qxg5 +- {->><Ke8, Karpov,A 
(2630) -Uddenfeldt,D (2270)/Skopje olm/1972/} ) 11. e5 Ne8 12. Qg3 Nc5 13.
 Be3 Bd7 14. Bxh7+! Kxh7 15. Ng5+ Kg8 16. Qh4 Bxg5 17. fxg5 Bc6 {Wedberg,T
(2510)-Ionescu,C (2465)/Berlin West/1988/} 18. exd6! â†‘ {/\} 18. ... Qxd6
19. Rad1 Qe7 20. Qb4 +/- ) ( 6. ... b5 {is a possible try for the brave 
ones, Black hopes his <=> will balance White's lead in development and -> 
chances.} ) 7. Nb3 Be7 8. O-O Nf6 9. f4 ( 9. Be3 d6 10. a4 b6 11. a5 b5 
12. Bb6 Qc6 13. f4 Nbd7 14. Nd4 Qb7 15. e5 dxe5 16. fxe5 Nxe5 17. Rxf6!? 
Nxd3! ( 17. ... gxf6?! 18. Be4 Qb8 19. Nc6 Nxc6 20. Bxc6+ Kf8 21. Qf3 Ra7 
22. Qe3 Rc7 23. Qf4 â†’ {Anand,V (2782) -Rublevsky,S (2686)/Dortmund/2004/
} ) 18. Rxf7 Kxf7 19. Qxd3 ~ {would have given White reasonable 
compensation, but the outcome of the game is still far from clear.} ) 
9. ... d6 10. e5!? D {The immediate central break is rare, but very 
dangerous.

White can continue with a quieter line such
as 10 a4 or 10 Qf3, but this positional pawn
sacrifice is dangerous for Black. In return for
the pawn, White obtains a lead in development
and drives Black's queen offside, providing the
foundation for a direct attack on the king.} ( {The positional try} 10. a4
Nc6 11. a5 b5 12. axb6 Qxb6+ 13. Kh1 O-O 14. Qf3 {allows} 14. ... Nb4! 
â‡„â‡„ 15. Be3 ( 15. e5?! Bb7 {/\} 16. Qh3 Nxd3 17. exf6 Nf2+ 18. Rxf2 
Qxf2 19. Be3 Qxc2 20. fxe7 Rfc8 -/+ ) 15. ... Qc7 16. Bd4 Bb7 17. Na5 Rab8
18. Nxb7 Qxb7 19. Qh3 h6 20. Qg3 {1/2, Ponomariov,R (2738) -Ivanchuk,V 
(2731)/RUS-chT Sochi/2006/} 20. ... Nc6 =, quiet ) ( {Most often White 
played} 10. Qf3 Nbd7 11. Bd2 b6 12. Qg3 g6 13. Rae1 Bb7 14. Qh3 ( {or} 14.
 Kh1 ~ {His forces target Black's >>, but Black still retains the option 
to castle << and the position remains unclear.} ) ) ( 10. Qe2 {prepares 
the [+] break, here Black shouldn't just copy the pan from the previous 
line, as} 10. ... Nbd7 ( 10. ... Nc6!? ) 11. Bd2 b6 ( 11. ... b5! âŒ“ 
â‡„â‡„ ) 12. Rae1 Bb7 13. e5! Nd5 14. exd6 Bxd6 15. Ne4 O-O ( 15. ... Be7 
16. f5 â†‘ ) 16. Nxd6 Qxd6 17. c4 N5f6 18. Bc3 Rfd8 19. Rd1 += {
Predojevic,B (2490)-Rublevsky,S (2686)/SCG-chT Budva/2004/ gave White a 
nagging edge due to the unopposed Bc3.} ) 10. ... dxe5 ( 10. ... Nfd7 11. 
Kh1 ( 11. Qg4 += O-O 12. Qh3 g6 13. exd6 Bxd6 14. Ne4 {gives White 
attacking chances
without any sacrifice.} ) 11. ... Nc6 ( 11. ... dxe5!? ~ ) 12. Qg4 O-O 13.
 Qh3 g6 14. f5!? Ncxe5?! ( 14. ... exf5! âŒ“ 15. Nd5 Qd8 ~ ) 15. fxe6 Nf6 
16. Bg5 fxe6 17. Qh4 Qd8 18. Ne4 Neg4 19. Rf3 e5 20. h3 d5 21. Nxf6+ Bxf6 
22. Rxf6 Nxf6 23. Rf1 Bf5 24. Bxf5 gxf5 25. Rxf5 +- {Riemersma,L 
(2380)-Bistric,F (2330)/ Caorle/1989/ was the first game, which featured 
10.e5!?. Although the play on both sides can be improved, accepting the 
sacrifice is more principled and occurred in subsequent practice.} ) 11. 
fxe5 Qxe5?! {Exposing the Q with the K still in the [+] is very risky 
indeed, more circumspect was} ( {Accepting the offer is risky;} 11. ... 
Nfd7 {is
better, although after} 12. Qg4!? ( 12. Qh5 Nxe5 13. Kh1 Nbc6 14. Bf4 g6 
15. Qh6 Bd7 16. Qg7 O-O-O =+ ) ( 12. Rxf7? Kxf7 13. Qh5+ Kg8 ( 13. ... Kf8
? 14. Be3 Qxe5 15. Rf1+ Bf6 16. Bc5+! +- ) 14. Qe8+ Nf8 -/+ ) ( 12. Bf4 
Nxe5!? ~ ) 12. ... g6 â–¡ ( 12. ... O-O $143 13. Bh6 {/\} 13. ... Qxe5? 
14. Rae1 f5 15. Bxf5! exf5 16. Qc4+ +- ) 13. Bh6 Nxe5 14. Qg3 {White gets 
enough play for the pawn.} ( 14. Qh3 f5 ~ {/\} 15. Bg7 Bc5+ ) 14. ... Nbd7
!? ( 14. ... Nbc6 15. Be4 =/& ) 15. Rad1 Bf8 16. Bxf8 Kxf8 17. Ne4 Kg7 18.
 c3 b5 19. Ng5 Qb6+ 20. Nd4 Rf8 21. Be4 Bb7 22. Bxb7 Qxb7 23. Qh4 h6 24. 
Ndxe6+ fxe6 25. Nxe6+ Kg8 26. Nxf8 Rxf8 27. Qxh6 Qb6+ =, quiet {Grau 
Ribas,J (2375)-Rawlings,A (2190)/corr/1997/} ) 12. Bf4 Qh5 13. Be2 Qh4? {
This is the last straw. A fatal error, but even after} ( 13. ... Qg6 14. 
Rf3! Nc6 15. Rg3 Qf5 16. Qd2 â†’ {is also dangerous for Black, but now 
White wins almost by force.} ) 14. g3 Qh3 15. Ne4! {Threatening 16 Nxf6+ 
followed by 17 Bg4.
By keeping Black off-balance, White is able to
trap Black's king in the centre.


/\Nf6,Bg4,Nd6 The key move, now the K won't away from the [+] alive (or 
the Q).} 15. ... e5 ( 15. ... Nxe4 16. Bg4 {costs Black his queen} 16. ...
 Qxf1+ 17. Qxf1 â†»â†» {+/-/+- is materially not so bad for Black, but his
forces lack coordination.} ) ( 15. ... Nbd7 16. Nd4!? {threatening to trap
the queen by Ng5 or Nf2, leaves Black without
any good defence.} ( 16. Nd6+ Bxd6 17. Qxd6 e5 {-15...e5} ) 16. ... Nxe4 
17. Bg4 Qxf1+ 18. Qxf1 O-O 19. Re1 +/- {/+-} ) 16. Nd6+! N {Only this is a
novelty, the powerful sacrifice required thorough calculation (or 
preparation!).

A massive improvement over the previouslyplayed
16 Ng5. By offering a piece, White prevents
Black from castling.} ( 16. Ng5?! $143 Qf5!? {and if White doesn't find 
anything concrete, he has to satisfy himself with} ( 16. ... Qd7 17. Bxe5 
Nc6 18. Bc3 h6 19. Nf3 O-O 20. Qxd7 Bxd7 21. Ne5 Nxe5 22. Bxe5 Bc6 23. Bf3
Rac8 =, quiet {Vouldis,A (2230)-Dizdarevic,E (2505)/Manila olm/1992/} ) 
17. Bd3 Qg4 18. Be2 =, quiet ) 16. ... Bxd6 ( 16. ... Kf8 17. Bxe5 +/- ( {
or} 17. Nxc8 +/- {levels the material balance with an ongoing ->.} ) ) 17.
 Qxd6 D Nbd7 {Smirin declines the gift.} ( 17. ... exf4 18. Rad1! ( 18. 
Rfe1? {nestaci kvoli} 18. ... Be6 19. Bc4 f3 -+ ) 18. ... Nc6 ( 18. ... 
Qd7 19. Bb5! +- ) ( 18. ... Nbd7 19. Rfe1 Ne4 20. Bg4 +- ) 19. Bf3 Bd7 ( 
19. ... Be6 20. Bxc6+ bxc6 21. Qxc6+ Ke7 22. Qd6+ Ke8 23. Rxf4 {gives 
White a winning attack} 23. ... Rc8 24. Nd4! +- {/\Nc6,Rh4} 24. ... Ng4 
25. Rf2! Rd8 26. Qe7+! Kxe7 27. Nc6+ Kf8 28. Rxd8# ) 20. Rfe1+ Kd8 21. Nc5
{gives White a decisive ->:

and Black's position
crumbles.} 21. ... fxg3 22. hxg3 Kc8 23. Na4! Kd8 24. Nb6 Rc8 25. Bg2 Qf5 
26. Bxc6 bxc6 27. Re7 Rc7 28. Re5 +- {/\Qe7#,Rf5} ) 18. Rfe1 ( 18. Bxe5?! 
Nxe5 19. Qxe5+ ( 19. Nd4!? Be6 += ) 19. ... Qe6 += {is already not enough,
White wants much more and piles up the pressure.} ) 18. ... Ne4 ( {Even 
the Q-swap doesn't help much:} 18. ... Qe6 19. Bxe5 Qxd6 ( 19. ... Nxe5 
20. Bb5+ +- ) 20. Bxd6 â†’ {is winning
for White despite the exchange of queens.} ) 19. Qb4 f5 20. Bf3! +- {
Renewing the piece offer in order to force
open the e-file.

The winning move, White forcefully breaks down the defences in the [+] .} 
20. ... exf4 ( 20. ... a5 21. Qc4! exf4 22. Qe6+ Kf8 23. Rxe4! fxe4 24. 
Qxh3 Ne5 25. Qh5 Nxf3+ 26. Kf2 +- ) 21. Bxe4 fxe4 22. Rxe4+ Kd8 {Loses 
immediately, but} ( 22. ... Kf7 23. Re7+ Kg6 24. Qe4+ Kh5 {doesn't help 
due to the decisive} ( 24. ... Kh6 25. Qxf4+ g5 26. Qf7 +- ) 25. Nd4! fxg3
( 25. ... Nf6 26. Re5+ g5 27. Qxf4 +- ) 26. Qd5+ Ne5 ( 26. ... g5 27. Qf7+
Kh6 28. Re6+ +- ) ( 26. ... Kh6 27. Nf5+ +- ) 27. Rxe5+ Kh6 28. Nf3! gxh2+
29. Kh1 {/\Qd2+-} ) 23. Rd1 {Threatening 24 Qb6#.} 23. ... Qh6 ( 23. ... 
Kc7 24. Qd6+ Kd8 25. Qb6# ) 24. Rd6 1-0

[Event "73. Tata Steel GMB"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2011.01.22"]
[Round "7"]
[White "So, Wesley"]
[Black "Navara, David"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2673"]
[BlackElo "2708"]
[ECO "D76g"]
[EventDate "2011.01.14"]

{Positional pawn sacrifices can be very longtenn.
In the following example a pawn is offered
for compensation which is only exploited
20 moves later.} 
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. Nc3 Nc6 
8. e3 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Re1 a5 11. Qe2 a4 ( 11. ... Be6 {is probably more
accurate, as in
Leitao-Caruana on page 31.} ) 12. Rd1 Be6?! {Now this is risky, as it 
allows White to make
a dangerous pawn sacrifice. 12 ... Bg4 is safer.} 13. d5! {By offering a 
pawn, White seizes the initiative.} 13. ... Nxd5 14. Nb5 {Threatening 15 
e4, so the queen has to move.} 14. ... Qc8 15. Ng5 Rd8 16. Nxe6 fxe6 D {In
return for the pawn, White has secured the
two bishops and inflicted pennanent damage
on Black's pawn-structure. There is no immediate
attack for White, but his positional compensation
definitely outweighs the extra material.} 17. Rb1 Kh8 18. Bh3 {The 
straightforward} ( 18. e4 Nf6 19. Be3 {is
also promising.} ) 18. ... Nf6 19. Bd2 Ra6?! {It doesn't take much to make
a position like
this go downhill, and here Black should prefer
19 ...Ne4, heading for d6 to displace the powerful
knight from bS.} 20. Bc3 {An exchange of dark-squared bishops would
remove Black's best minor piece.} 20. ... Rd5 21. Rxd5 Nxd5 22. Bxg7+ Kxg7
23. Qc4 {Threatening to win a piece with 24 Qxd5,
and taking indirect aim at the e6- and c7-
pawns.} 23. ... Nf6 24. Rd1 ( {After} 24. Bxe6?! Ne5 25. Bxc8 Nxc4 26. Rc1
Nd6 27. Nxd6 cxd6 {Black has more defensive
chances.} ) 24. ... Kf7 25. Qf4! {Playing more slowly by 25 a3! is also 
good,
so that after 25 ... Rb6 26 Nc3 White can take on a4 with the knight (26 
... Rxb2? 27 Nxa4 costs Black material).} 25. ... Rb6 26. Qxa4 Ne5 27. Nd4
c5 28. Qc2 Rd6 29. f4!? D Neg4 {Forced, since} ( 29. ... Ned7? {loses to} 
30. Nxe6! Rxe6 31. Bxe6+ Kxe6 32. Qc4+ Kf5 33. e4+ Nxe4 34. Qd5+ ) 30. Re1
b6? {30 ... Rd5 was the last chance, although after
31 b4 b6 32 Nf3 Black remains under heavy
pressure.} 31. Nf3 Qd7 {Black cannot avoid material loss since there
is no good way to meet the threats of 32 e4 and 32 Ne5+. For example, 
31...Rd8 32 Qc4 Kg7 33 e4 is decisive.} 32. Bxg4 Nxg4 33. h3 {Winning a 
piece.} 33. ... Nxe3 34. Rxe3 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "34   Liberating Moves"]
[Black "Page 94"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.03"]

*

[Event "Candidates Matches 2011"]
[Site "Kazan RUS"]
[Date "2011.05.24"]
[Round "3-5"]
[White "Grischuk"]
[Black "Gelfand"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D37j"]
[EventDate "2011.05.24"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 {Today we start on time, 13.00 and Sasha opens with 1.d4.}
2. ... e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O {This opening we already saw in 
many games during the Candidate Matches, in the match Kramnik-Radjabov as 
well as when Grischuk made few shorts draws against Kramnik. Lets hope he 
prepared something for today...and let it be not a draw offer on move 15.}
6. e3 Nbd7 7. c5 Nh5 8. Be2 {Early novelty by Grischuk! Normally white 
place the bishop on d3. What can be the difference...difficult to say. The
regular continuation after 8.Bd3 could be 8...Nf4 ef 9.ef b6 10.b4 a5 
11.a3 c6, with about equal play. In the game against Kramnik he offered a 
draw in about this position, so probably the seconds have done some work 
over the last week. I guess soon we will either see the great idea why the
bishop on e2 is standing better or we will see another short draw. Boris 
is trying to figure out the difference between the bishop position on d3 
and e2.} 8. ... c6 {Boris decides not to take on f4, but plays 8...c6 
first.} 9. O-O {Maybe he found the difference between the Bishop on d3 and
e2? Or just avoiding Grischuk's preparation?} 9. ... Nxf4 10. exf4 {Maybe 
10...Qc7 forcing white to play g3 or Qd2 and then b6 and a5? Also possible
is to play 10...b6 11.b4 a5 and 12.b5?! is a bad move because of simple 
12...Bb7. In Chess Evolution July edition we will analyse several of the 
most interesting games of the Candidate Matches. Also the format of the 
book will we changed. We will provide more verbal commentary and 
explanations, giving the reader the main ideas of the positions. We hope 
to make every game in the Chess Evolution July edition like a small 
lecture :) ) It looks like the last two players in Kazan are super tired! 
Games are getting shorter, thoughts are getting longer. } 10. ... f6 {
Completely unexpected! Boris is trying something new 10...f6!? A very 
interesting idea, black just wants to play next e5! If white tries to 
prevent it by playing 11.b4, then black can play first 11...a5 12.a3 Qc7, 
and e5 coming next. With white Bishop on d3, 10...f6 would be of course 
complete nonsense, because of the easy 11.Re1. } ( 10. ... b6 11. b4 a5 
12. a3 ( 12. b5 bxc5 13. bxc6 Nb8 14. Qa4 Qc7 15. dxc5 Na6 16. Bxa6 Bxa6 
17. Rfc1 Rfb8 18. a3 -/+ ) 12. ... axb4 13. axb4 Rxa1 14. Qxa1 Qc7 15. Qc1
Bb7 16. Ne5 Ra8 17. Qc2 b5 18. Bh5 Nxe5 19. fxe5 g6 ) 11. b4 {Very bad 
news for Boris, Sasha played almost instantly 11.b4. This means that he is
familiar with the move 10...f6. I am certain that Boris hoped to surprise 
Grischuk with 10...f6. So now 11...Qc7 or 11...a5 are the most logical 
continuations. } 11. ... Qc7 12. Qd2 {Boris has to play 12...e5. The 
position is very complicated and difficult to evaluate. Computer's 
evaluation can be misleading here. Gelfand's plan with 10...f6 is looking 
a bit risky to me. How can he continue after 12...e5 and lets say 13.Rfe1?
Then 13...e4 is not possible because of 14.Ne4! de 15.Bc4 Kh8 16.Re4 and 
white is almost winning.  And also another important fact is that Grischuk
seems to know this position...and Boris doesn't.} 12. ... Rf7 {What can we
say about 12...Rf7, Boris admits he is worse, and maybe much worse. I 
think now 13.Rfe1 or Rae1 are giving white big advantage. } ( 12. ... e5 
13. dxe5 ( 13. Rfe1 e4 14. Nxe4 dxe4 15. Bc4+ Kh8 16. Rxe4 ) 13. ... fxe5 
14. Nxd5 cxd5 15. Qxd5+ Kh8 16. fxe5 Nb8 17. Rac1 a6 18. Qe4 Bf5 19. Qe3 
Nc6 20. a3 Rad8 21. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Rd8 23. Rxd8+ Qxd8 ) 13. Rae1 D { 
I think Boris has to play 13...a5, to at least have eventually some play 
in the future. Putting the knight on f8 now and "holding tight" should be 
a wrong decision I think.

--------------

Black has a backward e-pawn on a half-open
file, and in addition his light-squared bishop is
bad. This should add up to an advantage for
White, but everything depends on whether Black
can achieve the liberating move ... e5. If he can
play this, then at a stroke the two problems
mentioned above will disappear. For the next
phase of the game the battle lines are drawn,
with both sides focusing their pieces on e5.} 13. ... Nf8 {Boris is 
choosing the passive defence. White's next moves could be Bd3, g3, Kg2, 
h4, h5, to double the rooks on the e-file. Black position is looking quite
bad and no counterplay at all. A big chance for Sasha to win his first 
"standard" game in the Candidate Matches. } ( {the immediate} 13. ... e5? 
{is bad due to} 14. dxe5 fxe5 15. Nxd5! cxd5 16. Qxd5 Nf8 17. Nxe5 Be6 18.
 Qe4 Rf6 19. Bc4 {when White has three
pawns and a dangerous initiative for the piece.} ) 14. Bd3 {By the way, 
the players are much quicker today, by spending only 1h 50 for the first 
13 moves instead of yesterday's 2h 10min. Candidates Matches are brought 
to you thanks to Chess Evolution, Chess Friends and Lord Of Chess.} 
14. ... Bd7 { I can see only one good thing about the game going so slow 
till now - later it will get much faster! } 15. g3 { It is still not 
possible to give the verdict about 8.Be2, because Boris played 10...f6, we
didn't see the critical 10...b6} 15. ... Re8 {15...e5 been a bad move, 
just 16.de Bh3 17.Nd4 and whites position is looking overwhelming.} 16. 
Re3 Bd8 17. Rfe1 {At the moment White has five pieces controlling
e5, while Black has only three. However,
Black can also increase his total to five by
playing ... Qb8, ... .Bc7 and ... .Rfe7. Thus in the
long run White might have to aim another piece
at e5 to prevent the liberating advance.} 17. ... Qb8 { How to break 
through the "black wall"? I think Kg2 is always a good move, then h4-h5. 
Maybe also to insert a3, should be never bad. And white has endless 
time...black's next moves might be just something like Rfe7 and Qc8-b8, 
simply waiting for Sasha to do something. } 18. Na4! { A bit strange. I 
can see only one logical idea behind this move, to bring the knight to d3.


A good move, clearing c3 for the queen and
opening up the possibility of Nb2-d3 to bring
yet more force to bear on e5. White also has to
think in the longer term. If he manages to prevent
... e5, there remains the question as to how
he is going to improve his position. The most
logical plan is to aim for a4 and b5 to create a
second area of active play on the queenside.
Black, in his cramped position, would have trouble fending off threats in 
two different parts
of the board.} 18. ... Bc7 {Sasha is thinking again...perhaps he even 
managed to surprise himself with the 18.Na4 :)} 19. Nb2 Rfe7 20. Qc3 {
Grischuk is carefully preventing any counterplay for black, and here it 
can only be e5!} 20. ... Rd8 {Now probably back to the knight maneuver, so
21.Bf1 with the idea 22.Nd3. Gelfand's moves look like they make no sense,
but he is just waiting for white to start doing something and hopes to get
some counter-chances then. 

Realizing that he cannot force through ... e5
directly, Gelfand tries another idea. He intends
... .Be8-h5xf3 to exchange his bad bishop and
weaken White's grip on e5.} 21. Bf5 {This doesn't achieve anything, but it
isn't a
mistake in itself. It's surprisingly hard for White
to make progress while maintaining his grip on
e5. For example, if he plays} ( 21. a4 Be8 22. b5 Bh5 23. Nh4 {then Black 
can again liberate himself
by 23 ... e5, since the complicated line} 23. ... e5 24. Nf5 Rf7 25. fxe5 
fxe5 26. dxe5 Ne6 27. Qc2 Rdf8 {gives him active play for the pawn.} ) 
21. ... Rf7 {Grischuk is bringing his bishop to h3 and "finally" next the 
knight goes to d3. But would it not be better for white first to put the 
pawn to h4 and then Bishop on h3? Of course, Grischuk has enough time to 
do this in the future.} 22. Bg4?! D { What a sudden chance for black now, 
maybe 22...e5 23.Bd7 exf4 is possible! I think Boris won't miss such an 
opportunity, the position is almost equal now after e5! 


This allows Black to free his position. White
should have returned to d3 and tried another
plan.} 22. ... e5! 23. Bxd7 exf4 { It is a clear sign that Grischuk is 
very tired, in good shape he would never give black a chance to free the 
position. } 24. Be8 {And perhaps a draw offer from white...after such a 
blunder it is very difficult to play.} 24. ... fxe3 { After 25.Bf7 Kf7 
followed by Re8 the game looks like a dead draw. 25.Qe3 is probably the 
best way to continue, as a final attempt to play for a win. } 25. Qxe3 Ng6
{Still remains equal position. Pity for Grischuk, today he had a huge 
chance to take the lead in the match. } ( 25. ... Rxe8 26. Qxe8 Qxe8 27. 
Rxe8 Rd7 ) 26. Bxf7+ Kxf7 27. Qe6+ Kf8 28. Qh3 { Grischuk last try...I 
think now 28...Qc8 is very very strong! 

The only try, as otherwise Black plays ... .Re8.} 28. ... Qc8! {When it 
comes to defence Boris is getting super strong! Not leaving any chances to
white!  Now his seconds can start the preparation for the last classical 
game of tomorrow

Gelfand is alert and takes the opportunity to
snuff out any chances for White.} 29. Qxc8 ( 29. Qxh7? {loses material 
after} 29. ... Kf7 30. Qh5 Rh8 {since White must give up an exchange
to save his queen.} 31. Re7+ Kxe7 32. Qxg6 Kf8 33. b5 Qe8 34. Qg4 ) 
29. ... Rxc8 30. Kf1 Re8 31. Rb1 Ke7 32. Nd3 { Black king is standing very
good on d7, protecting everything. Afterwords black will bring the knight 
to e6, and maybe play b6 or a5.} 32. ... a6 33. a4 Kd7 34. b5 axb5 35. 
axb5 cxb5 { Strange, why to play 35...cb? 35...Ra8 been a better move. } 
36. Rxb5 Rb8 { Now of course it is still a draw, but why not to try your 
luck, Grischuk is clearly in very bad shape today. } 37. Nb4 Ne7 38. Ne1 
Nc6 { This is looking very solid. Also 38...b6 should bring an easy draw.}
39. Nxc6 1/2-1/2

[Event "Capablanca Memorial Elite 39th"]
[Site "Havana CUB"]
[Date "2004.05.06"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Ikonnikov, Vyacheslav"]
[Black "Maiwald, Jens-Uwe"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2556"]
[BlackElo "2543"]
[ECO "E62p"]
[EventDate "2004.05.06"]
[Annotator "Stohl"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. O-O Bf5 8.
 Ne1 Qd7 {Maiwald has decided to change his choice in this line, he ran 
into trouble after} ( 8. ... Na5 9. e4 Bd7 10. b3 c5 11. dxc5!? dxc5 ( 
11. ... Nxe4!? 12. Nxe4 Bxa1 13. Bg5 =/& ) 12. Bb2 Nc6 13. Nc2 e5 14. f4 
Bg4 15. Qe1 exf4 16. gxf4 Re8 17. e5 Bh5 18. Qg3 Ng4 19. Ne4 Nh6 20. Qf2! 
+/- {Rogozenko, D-Maiwald,J/BL 0304/2003/} ) 9. e4 Bh3 10. Nc2 Bxg2 ( 
10. ... Rae8 11. f3 h5 12. Be3 h4 13. Bxh3 Qxh3 14. g4 e5 15. dxe5 ( 15. 
d5 âŒ“ â†‘ ) 15. ... Nxe5 16. Qe2 c6 17. Rad1 Re6 18. g5 Nh5 19. f4 Nxc4! 
20. Qxc4 Qg4+ 21. Kh1 Ng3+! 22. hxg3 Qh3+ 23. Kg1 Qxg3+ 24. Kh1 =, quiet {
1/2,Koniushkov,I-Kondenko,A/Krasnodar/1996/} ) 11. Kxg2 Na5 N {Black is 
still tempted by this "Yugoslav" sortie, but it lands him in an inferior 
position.} ( 11. ... Rae8 12. d5!? ( 12. f3 {/\Be3()+/=} ) 12. ... Nd8 13.
 h3 e6 14. Qf3 exd5 15. exd5 ( 15. cxd5! âŒ“ â†‘ {/\} 15. ... Nxe4? 16. 
Nxe4 Qa4 17. Nf6+ Bxf6 18. Qxf6 Qxc2 19. Bh6 +/- ) 15. ... Qc8 16. b3 Nd7 
17. Bb2 f5 18. Qf4 Nc5 19. Ne1 Nf7 20. Qd2 f4!? 21. Qxf4 Ne5 22. Qd2 Qf5 
23. f4 Ned3 =/& {|^,Bagaturov,G-Malisauskas,V/Biel izt/1993/} ) ( {
Strategically sounder is the typical King's Indian set-up with} 11. ... e5
12. d5 Ne7 ( 12. ... Nd4 13. f3 Nxc2 14. Qxc2 Nh5 15. Be3 f5 16. Qd2 f4 
17. Bg1 fxg3 18. hxg3 Rf7 19. Be3 Raf8 20. c5 dxc5 21. Bxc5 Rd8 22. Be3 
Bf8 23. Rac1 a6 24. Rc2 Bd6 25. Ne2 += {Saacke,B-Gerer,J/Kitzingen/1980/} 
) 13. f4 ( 13. f3!? += {is probably better, without the Bc8 Black's 
>>P-storm is not so dangerous, as in the Classical Variation.} ) 13. ... 
exf4 14. Bxf4 ( 14. gxf4 Rae8 15. Qf3 Kh8 16. Be3 Nh5 17. Bd4 Ng8 18. Rae1
Re7 19. Bxg7+ Nxg7 20. Qf2 c5 21. Kh1 Rfe8 22. e5 b6 23. b4 Nf5 24. bxc5 
bxc5 â‡„â‡„ {Nikolaidis,I-Grivas,E/Athens/1996/} ) 14. ... Ng4 15. Qd2 Kh8
16. Nd4 Ne5 17. b3 Ng8 18. Nf3 Nxf3 ( 18. ... Rae8!? =, quiet ) 19. Rxf3 
Rae8 20. Re1 {Huebner,R-Grivas,E/EU-chT Pula/1997/} 20. ... Nf6 21. h3 Qc8
{/\Nd7-e5= Huebner} ) 12. Qd3 ( 12. b3 c5 13. d5 a6 {can transpose into 
the game after} 14. Qd3 += ) 12. ... c5 13. d5 a6 {/\b5} ( 13. ... Ng4 14.
 f4 â†‘ {[+]>>} ) 14. f3 {White can't stop Black's << expansion anyway, so
he concentrates on safeguarding his [+] outposts.} 14. ... Rfb8 15. b3 ( 
15. a4? Nb3 =+ ) 15. ... b5 16. Bd2 e6 ( 16. ... bxc4 17. bxc4 Rb7 18. Ne3
+= {and Black can't achieve anything concrete on the <->b alone, moreover 
due to the misplaced Na5 it may end in White's hands.} ) 17. Rab1 b4 {
Black decides to avoid any problems with the Na5, indicated in the above 
note. On the other hand this committal move lands him in a passive 
position.} ( 17. ... bxc4 18. bxc4 exd5 19. cxd5! c4 20. Qe2 â†‘ {><c4.Na5
} ) 18. Ne2 Nb7 19. g4 {(),|^>>} ( 19. a3!? bxa3 ( 19. ... a5 20. a4 â†‘ )
20. Ra1 += ) 19. ... Qe7 20. Ng3 a5 {This is Black's only <=>.} 21. g5 ( 
21. a4?! bxa3 22. Nxa3 a4 â‡„â‡„ ) 21. ... Nd7 22. f4 a4 23. Rf2 {
Ikonnikov doesn't want to commit himself to} ( 23. f5 Ne5 24. Qe2 ( 24. 
Qe3 axb3 25. axb3 Ra2 ~ ) 24. ... axb3 25. axb3 exf5 ( 25. ... Ra2 26. f6 
Qd7 27. Bf4 += ) 26. exf5 Qd7 27. f6 Bf8 += {Although Black's forces are 
passive, his position is not easy to break up and White has to watch out 
for <=> against both his exposed K and the ><b3, e.g.} 28. Ra1 Na5! ) 
23. ... axb3 24. axb3 Ra2 25. h4 Na5 26. Re2 {White continues manoeuvring,
more concrete was} ( 26. h5!? += {/\Rh1|^} ) 26. ... Re8 27. Ne3 Qd8 28. 
dxe6 {White decides to act and changes the character of the position.} ( 
28. Ng4 exd5 29. cxd5 Ra3 30. Qc2 ~ {/+/=} ) ( {Interesting still was} 28.
 h5!? {/\} 28. ... e5 29. Ng4! exf4 30. Bxf4 Ne5 31. Nxe5 Rxe2+ 32. Qxe2 
Bxe5 33. Qf3 Qe7 34. Bxe5 Qxe5 35. Qf6! â†‘ ) 28. ... Rxe6 ( 28. ... fxe6 
29. Qxd6 Nb7 30. Qd3 Qc7 31. Bc1! +/- ) 29. f5 Ne5 30. Qd5 Re8 31. f6 += {
/<=> Instead of limiting the Na5 White has now locked in Black's B, while 
retaining his (). However, on the other hand his K is potentially exposed 
and the position is still quite volatile-once Black frees his forces he 
might take over the initiative.} 31. ... Bf8 32. Bc1 Rxe2+ 33. Nxe2 Qd7 
34. Ng3 Nac6 D {Liberating moves aren't always as obvious
as in the previous example. In this position,
White's kingside pawn advance has left Black's
bishop buried on f8, but White's king is also
looking a little draughty so he has to take care.
Moreover, Black has a firmly entrenched knight
on e5. On balance, White should be slightly
better, since for the moment Black is playing almost
a piece down, but the position requires
careful handling.} 35. Qd1?! {Ikonnikov underestimates the potential of 
Black's pieces, mentioned in the last note.


If White had foreseen the reply, he would
never have moved his queen away from d5. 35
Bb2 is better, threatening Ra1, although Black
can seek counterplay with the neat continuation} ( 35. Bb2 âŒ“ += Nd4! 36.
 Bxd4 Nd3 {the point being that} 37. Rf1 cxd4 38. Qxd4 Nc5 {awkwardly 
attacks
b3 and e4.} ) 35. ... d5! {Maiwald doesn't hesitate, this liberating 
sacrifice gives his pieces a breath of fresh air, the Bf8 joins in and 
Black's forces suddenly start cooperating very well.


------------------

With four white pieces controlling d5, White
probably never even considered this move, but
it proves surprisingly effective. By giving up a
pawn, Black gets his bishop to d6, where it
points at White's rather bare kingside.} ( 35. ... Nd4 36. Bb2 Nef3 37. 
Bxd4 Nxd4 ( 37. ... Nxh4+ 38. Kf2 cxd4 39. Qxd4 â†‘ ) 38. Nd5 h6 39. gxh6
!? Bxh6 40. h5 += ) 36. Nxd5 {White has 4 ways to capture the cheeky P, 
but in any case Black develops a dangerous <=> or |^. One has to take 
psychology into account as well. Black had his back against the wall, but 
now he suddenly dangerously lashes out, it's no wonder Ikonnikov isn't 
prepared for such a change of the scene.} ( 36. cxd5! âŒ“ Nd4 37. Bb2 Ndf3
( 37. ... Nef3 38. Bxd4 Nxd4 39. Qg4 Qb5 â‡„â‡„ ) 38. Bxe5 Nxe5 =/& {/\Bd6
} ) ( 36. Qxd5 Qa7 â†‘ ( 36. ... Qc8 37. Qd1 Nd4 38. Ne2 Nef3 {gives Black
a decisive attack} ) ) ( 36. exd5 Nd4 =+ {<->e,/^b8-h2} ) 36. ... Nd4 {
Threatening 37 ... Nef3, attacking h4 and preparing Qg4.} 37. Be3 D Nec6?!
{This unnecessarily passive move lets White
back into the game.} ( 37. ... Nef3!? 38. Bxd4 ( 38. h5 Bd6 â†’ ) 38. ... 
Nxh4+ 39. Kh2 cxd4 {followed by ... .Bd6 is very unpleasant
for White. Note how in every line the
effects of the liberating ... d5 are felt, and how
strong the bishop is once it arrives on d6.} ) 38. Bxd4?! {Now Black's B 
will rule on the dark squares.

It looks risky to surrender the dark-squared
bishop, but this move isn't bad if followed up
correctly.} ( 38. h5 âŒ“ Bd6 39. hxg6 ( 39. Bf4 ~ ) 39. ... hxg6 40. Bf4 {
also
maintains the balance.} ) 38. ... Nxd4 39. Ra1 ( 39. h5 Bd6 40. hxg6 hxg6 
( 40. ... fxg6 41. f7+! Qxf7 42. Nf6+ Kg7 43. Nxe8+ Qxe8 44. Qg4 += ) 41. 
Ra1 =+ {was better, as it gave White some <=> against Black's K.} ) 
39. ... h5! 40. Ne3? {Now it's White who plays too passively.} ( 40. gxh6 
Bd6 â†’ {was dangerous, but now White is devoid of <=>.} 41. h5 {gives him
enough counterplay.} ) 40. ... Bd6 {Now Black gets a grip on the dark 
squares and
starts to exert increasing pressure on White's position.} 41. Nef1 Qe6 42.
 Ra2 ( 42. Ra6 âŒ“ Qe5 43. Qd2 =+ ) 42. ... Qe5 -/+ {><b3,h4,e4, Kg2 The 
picture has changed completely. Now White can only passively defend his 
numerous weaknesses, his exposed K is a permanent source of trouble.} 43. 
Kh3 ( 43. Rf2 {prevents the queen from penetrating
to f4, but after} 43. ... Ra8 {followed by ...Ra3
White's position collapses in any case.} 44. Qd3 Ra3 45. Nd2 Qe6 â†’ ) 
43. ... Qf4 {Black is now winning and Maiwald finishes
efficiently.} 44. Ra6 {The sole R can't achieve anything, but} ( 44. Rd2 
Be5 45. Rd3 Ra8 -+ {is hardly any better.} ) 44. ... Be5 45. Ra7 Rf8!? ( 
45. ... Nf3 46. Qd7 ( 46. Rxf7 Qg4+ 47. Kg2 Nxh4+ -+ ) 46. ... Rf8 -+ {was
also enough, but Maiwald doesn't want to allow any tricks.} ) 46. Re7 Nf3 
{/\Qg4-+} ( {The text-move is more direct, than} 46. ... Ra8 -+ ) 47. Qd7 
( 47. Kg2 Nxh4+ 48. Kh3 Nf3 49. Kg2 Nxg5 -+ ) 47. ... Bd4! 48. Nh1 ( 48. 
Kg2 Ne1+ 49. Kh3 Qf3 {/\Qg2#} ) 48. ... Qxh4+ ( 48. ... Qxh4+ 49. Kg2 Ne1#
) 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "35  Positional Exchange Sacrifices"]
[Black "page 96"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.04"]

*

[Event "Corus"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2006.01.17"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Van Wely, Loek"]
[Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2647"]
[BlackElo "2801"]
[ECO "D15n"]
[EventDate "2006.01.14"]
[Annotator "Stohl"]

1. d4 {Huebner,R} 1. ... d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. a4 {The Slav 
with a6 remains very popular at all levels, White is still unable to get a
workable advantage in the critical lines.} ( 5. e3 b5 ( 5. ... e6 {is also
playable, but not too consistent - if Black wants to play like this, the 
normal Meran is more promising. White can now avoid it with} 6. b3 Bb4 7. 
Bd2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O Bd6 10. Qc2 h6 11. Ne2!? Re8 12. Ng3 e5 13. 
cxd5 Nxd5 14. Rad1 exd4 15. Nxd4 Nb4 16. Bh7+ Kh8 17. Qb1 Nd5 18. Bf5 Qc7 
19. Rfe1 N7f6 20. e4 Ne7 21. Bxc8 Raxc8 22. Qc1 c5 23. Nf3 Ng4 24. Ba5! 
Qxa5 25. Rxd6 â†’ {Gelfand,B-Sokolov,I/ Wijk aan Zee/2006/} ) 6. c5!? Nbd7
( 6. ... g6 {also has a good reputation.} ) 7. b4 ( 7. Bd3 e5!? 8. Nxe5 
Nxe5 9. dxe5 Ng4 10. f4 Bxc5 11. Qf3 Qb6 12. Ke2 Nh6 13. h3 {
Gelfand,B-Sokolov,I/Merida/2005/} 13. ... O-O â‡„â‡„ {Hübner} ( 13. ... 
Be7!? ~ {Gelfand} ) ) 7. ... a5 8. bxa5 Qxa5 9. Bd2 b4 10. Nb1 Ne4 11. a3 
( {After} 11. Be2 e5 12. O-O {Black doesn't have to hurry with the 
exchange on d2 and can play} 12. ... Be7!? {first, keeping the option Nc3:
} 13. Ne1 Nc3 14. Bxc3 bxc3 15. a4 Nf6 16. f3 Bf5 17. Bd3 Be6 18. Ra3 Nd7 
19. Kh1 Bf6 20. Nc2 O-O 21. f4 exf4 22. exf4 Nxc5!? 23. dxc5 Qxc5 =/& {
Krasenkow,M-Kritz,L/Mainz rpd op/2005/} ) 11. ... Rb8! 12. Ra2 Nxd2 13. 
Qxd2 Ra8 14. Be2 e5 15. O-O Be7 16. Rb2 bxa3 17. Qxa5 Rxa5 18. Ra2 Ba6 19.
 Bxa6 Rxa6 20. Rxa3 =, quiet {1/2,Aronian,L-Sokolov,I/EU-chT 
Gothenburg/2005/} ) 5. ... e6 {The main alternative. It's only seemingly 
passive, as moving the Bc8 enhances the strength of the Qb3 sortie. Now we
have a Semi-Slav position with the extra a4 and a6, both sides are trying 
to prove that their move is the more useful one. This is a difficult task,
especially for White.} 6. Bg5 {This active move is the most popular choice
- White plays it more often than all the other options together.} ( 6. a5 
{tries to use the merits of 5.a4. However, this is too slow and Black has}
6. ... c5! {/\Nc6,><a5 } 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Ne5 Nc6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. e3 cxd4 
11. Qxd4 c5 12. Qd1 Be7 =, quiet 13. e4?! Nb4 14. Bd2 O-O 15. Be2 Ra7 16. 
Be3 Rd7 17. Qb1 Nc6 18. Qa2 Nd4 19. Bd1 Rb7 20. O-O Bd7 21. f3 Rb4 â†‘ {
Azmaiparashvili, Z-Epishin,V/Elenite/1994/} ) ( {The "meran"} 6. e3 {is 
passive and rather harmless, Black now even has a choice:} 6. ... c5!? ( 
6. ... a5 {/\Na6-b4<=>} ) 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. O-O Be7 =, quiet ( 8. ... Bd6!? {
In any case he can easily develop his forces and the weakness on b4 gives 
him sufficient <=>.} ) ) ( 6. g3 {is more justified, as due to 5.a4 Black 
usually can't hold the pawn after playing dxc4. However, in a solid 
Catalan White's minimal edge can quickly evaporate:} 6. ... dxc4 ( 6. ... 
a5 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Nd2! {already isn't quite ideal, after} 9. ...
 Na6 10. e4 Nb4 11. e5 Nd7 12. cxd5 cxd5 13. Ndb1 Nb8 14. Na3 N8c6 15. Be3
b6 16. Re1 Ba6 17. Nab5 Na7 18. Qd2 Nxb5 19. axb5 Bc8 20. h4 += {() 
->>>,Najer,E-Malakhov,V/Moscow/2003/ White has good attacking chances.} ) 
7. Bg2 ( 7. Ne5 c5 =, quiet ) ( 7. Bg5 Nbd7 8. Bg2 h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. a5 
Bb4 11. O-O O-O 12. Qa4 Qe7 13. Rfd1 Rb8 14. Qa2 c5 15. d5!? exd5 16. Nxd5
Qxe2 17. Nxb4 cxb4 18. Rd2 Qe7 19. Qxc4 Nf6 ( 19. ... b6!? =, quiet ) 20. 
Rd4 b5 21. Qxb4 Qxb4 22. Rxb4 Bb7 =, quiet {
Ponomariov,R-Bacrot,E/Biel/2004/} ) 7. ... c5 8. dxc5 ( 8. O-O Nc6 9. Ne5 
Na5!? =, quiet ) 8. ... Qxd1+ 9. Nxd1 Nc6 ( 9. ... Bxc5 {is similar and 
also playable.} ) 10. Be3 ( 10. Ne3 âŒ“ {is played more often and seems 
more promising after} 10. ... Bxc5 11. Nxc4 Ke7 12. O-O Bd7 13. b3!? 
=, quiet {/+/=} ) 10. ... Nd5 11. O-O Nxe3 ( {Black can postpone this 
capture, more flexible is} 11. ... Bd7! 12. Nd2 Rd8 {/\} 13. Nxc4 Nxe3 14.
 Ndxe3 Bxc5 =, quiet ) 12. Nxe3 Bxc5 13. Nxc4 Ke7 14. Rac1 Bd7 ( {Still 
quite solid is} 14. ... Rd8!? 15. Nce5 Nxe5 16. Nxe5 Bd6 17. Nc4 Bc7 {
/\Rb8= } ) 15. Nfe5 Nxe5 16. Nxe5 Bd6 17. Nxd7 Kxd7 18. Bxb7 Ra7 19. Bc6+ 
Ke7 20. b3 Rb8 21. Rb1 += {/=^-,Aronian,L-Bacrot,E/Khanty Mansyisk/2005/ 
This _|_ is drawish, but the exhausted Bacrot did lose it in the end.} ) 
6. ... h6 {The prologue to an enterprising idea, obviously prepared by 
Topalov at home (as he has never played the a6 Slav previously).} ( {Black
plays} 6. ... Nbd7 {more often, but this doesn't fit the active style of 
the current World Champion, moreover Van Wely has had previous experience 
with} 7. cxd5 ( 7. a5 {can be a.o. met by the interesting} 7. ... Bb4!? 8.
 Qa4 Be7 9. e3 O-O {/\c5, b5<=> In an Orthodox QG White has some extra 
tempi, but he spent them to play a4-a5 and Qa4, so Black should be able to
equalize with a timely central break. } ) ( 7. e3 Qa5 {leads to a modified
Cambridge Springs, in which Black solved his opening problems after} 8. 
Nd2 Bb4 9. Qc2 c5 10. Nb3 Qc7 11. dxc5 O-O! 12. Bd3 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Bxc5 14.
 Bd3 Bd6 15. Rc1 b6 =, quiet {Mamedyarov,S-Dautov,R/EU-chT Plovdiv/2003/} 
) 7. ... exd5 ( {Black can probably equalize even with the simple} 7. ... 
cxd5!? 8. e3 h6 9. Bh4 Bd6 10. Bd3 b6 11. O-O Bb7 12. Rc1 ( 12. Qe2 O-O 
13. Rac1 Qb8 14. Bg3 Bxg3 15. hxg3 Qd6 16. Rc2 Rfc8 17. Rfc1 Qb4 18. Nd2 
g6 19. b3 Kg7 20. Qd1 e5 21. Na2 Qd6 22. dxe5 Nxe5 23. Rxc8 Rxc8 24. Rxc8 
Bxc8 =+ {Van Wely,L-Shirov,A/BL 0405/2005/} ) 12. ... O-O 13. Re1 Qb8 14. 
Bg3 Bxg3 15. hxg3 Qd6 16. Qb3 Rfc8 17. Rc2 Rc7 18. Rec1 Rac8 19. Ne2 Rxc2 
20. Rxc2 Rxc2 21. Qxc2 =, quiet {1/2,Pelletier,Y-Karjakin,S/Merida/ 2005/}
) 8. e3 a5 {Otherwise Black must already seriously reckon with a5.} 9. Bd3
Be7 10. O-O O-O 11. Qc2 Re8 {In this Carlsbad structure position due to a4
White can't play for the << minority attack with b4 anymore, but he has an
extra tempo and can turn his attention to the other flank:} 12. Rae1 Nf8 
13. Ne5 Ng4 14. Bxe7 Rxe7 15. f4 f6 16. Nxg4 Bxg4 17. f5 Bh5 18. Kh1 Qb6 (
18. ... Qd6!? âŒ“ ) 19. Rg1 Bf7 20. g4 c5?! {This weakens d5 and seems too
committal. } 21. Qf2 cxd4 22. exd4 Rae8 23. Rd1 Re3 24. Bb5 R8e7 25. Rg3 
Rxg3 26. Qxg3 Qd8 27. h4 Be8 28. g5 â†‘ {Van Wely,L-Sedlak,N/BL 0405/2004/
} ) ( {Another solid alternative is} 6. ... a5 7. e3 Be7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O
Na6 10. Qb3 Nb4 11. Rac1 b6 ( {Malakhov twice held the balnace even with 
the somewhat provocative} 11. ... Nh5 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Na2 Nxa2 14. Qxa2 
Nf6 =, quiet {/+/=} ) 12. Na2 ( 12. cxd5 Nfxd5 13. Bf4!? ( 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 
14. Ne5 Bb7 15. Nxd5 exd5 16. Nd3 Rfc8 17. Nxb4 axb4 =, quiet {
1/2,Stohl,I-Kindermann,S/BL 0304/2004/} ) 13. ... Nxf4 14. exf4 Bd6 15. g3
Ba6 =, quiet {<=>} ( 15. ... Bb7 16. Bc4 c5?! 17. d5 Bxf4 18. Rcd1 b5 19. 
axb5 Bd6 20. Rd2 a4 21. Qd1 e5 22. Re1 += {Nielsen,P-Bacrot,E/Dortmund/ 
2005/} ) ) 12. ... Nxa2 13. Qxa2 Ne4 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. Ne5 Bb7 16. cxd5 
cxd5 17. Qa3 Qxa3 18. bxa3 Rfc8 19. Nd7 Nc3 20. Bb5 Rc7 21. Nxb6 Ra7 22. 
h3 Ba6 =, quiet {Sokolov,I-Stefanova,A/Hoogeveen/2005/} ) 7. Bh4 ( {After}
7. Bxf6 Qxf6 {probably the best chance to fight for a slight edge is} 8. 
Qb3!? {, when White can in some lines profit from the vulnerability of the
b6-square. However, Van Wely wants more and avoids the exchange...} ( 8. 
g3 {can lead to Ponomariov-Bacrot from the above notes, while in the line}
) ( 8. e3 Nd7 9. Bd3 g6 {the moves a4 and a6 are more to Black's favour.} 
) ) 7. ... dxc4!? {The most principled continuation, despite a4 Black 
unambiguously indicates he wants to hold on to the Pc4. Huebner,R: Dies 
ist ein völlig neues, höchst originelles, großartiges Konzept. Über den 
Wert der Fortsetzung kann verständlicherweise hier kein endgültiges Urteil
gefällt werden.} ( 7. ... Nbd7 {is already less accurate, as after the 
insertion of h6 and Bh4 White's B is less exposed.} ) 8. e3?! {This is 
doubtful as the ensuing exchange
sacrifice is promising for Black. Instead White
should try 8 e4 or 8 a5.

This is somewhat inconsistent and causes White problems. The most radical 
continuation is definitely} ( 8. e4!? g5 ( {After} 8. ... Bb4 {White has 
the simple} 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Bxc4 += {, but interesting is} ) ( 8. ... b5
!? {This vesrion of the Botvinnik may be fully playable for Black, in some
of the main lines White's N misses the important a4-square.} 9. axb5 ( 9. 
Bxf6 gxf6 10. axb5 cxb5 11. Nxb5?! axb5! 12. Rxa8 Bb7 â†‘ ) ( 9. e5 ~ ) 
9. ... cxb5 10. e5 g5 11. exf6 gxh4 12. Ne5 Qxf6 13. Nxb5 Bb4+ ( 13. ... 
axb5!? 14. Rxa8 Bb4+ 15. Ke2 Bd6 =/& ) 14. Nc3 O-O 15. Bxc4 Bb7 16. O-O 
Rd8 17. Re1 Qg7 18. g3 Nc6 19. Nxf7! â†’ {Vallejo Pons,F-Magem 
Badals,J/ESP-chT Cala Galdana/1999/} ) 9. Bg3 Bb4 10. Bxc4 ( 10. Qc2!? =/&
) 10. ... Nxe4 11. O-O Nxg3 12. fxg3! ~ {White's compensation can't be 
underestimated.} ) 8. ... b5! {Black already can't stop halfway and must 
sacrifice the exchange. This is the right move-order, as} ( 8. ... g5?! 9.
 Bg3 b5 10. axb5 cxb5 11. Nxb5 axb5 12. Rxa8 Bb4+ 13. Nd2!? +/- {is 
dubious, the Nb8 is attacked.} ) 9. axb5 cxb5 10. Bxf6 ( 10. Nxb5 axb5 11.
 Rxa8 Bb7 12. Ra1 ( 12. Bxf6 {-10.Bf6} ) 12. ... Bb4+ 13. Ke2 â–¡ ( 13. 
Nd2? g5 14. Bg3 Ne4 -+ ) 13. ... O-O =/& ( 13. ... g5 14. Bg3 Nc6 ~ ) ) 
10. ... gxf6 11. Nxb5 {This is also forced, otherwise Black has a healthy 
extra P after Bb7.} 11. ... axb5 12. Rxa8 Bb4+ 13. Ke2!? N {White comes up
with a novelty, but presumably it wasn't prepared beforehand.} ( {The 
seemingly more solid alternative} 13. Nd2 Bb7 {is in fact no less 
dangerous:} 14. Ra7!? âŒ“ ( 14. Ra1 e5! â†»â†» {Van der Wiel} ( 14. ... 
Rg8 $143 {allows} 15. Be2! Rxg2 16. Kf1 Bxd2 17. Qxd2 {
Marovic,D-Pomar,A/Olot/1969/} 17. ... Qd6!? 18. Ra7 Rxh2 19. Rg1! Bg2+ 20.
 Ke1 ~ {/+/=} ) ( 14. ... f5 {Huebner,R} 15. f4 ( 15. f3 {wird mit} 
15. ... f4 {beantwortet.} ) 15. ... Nd7 {hat Schwarz vorzügliche 
Kompensation für die geopferte Qualität.} ) ) 14. ... Qb6 15. Ra1 {is 
better, as it deflects the Q from the <->d. However, even here Black has} 
15. ... e5! 16. Be2 ( 16. dxe5 Ke7! 17. Qh5 {is too computer-like:} 
17. ... Rd8 18. Rd1 Nd7 â†»â†» {->} ) 16. ... exd4 17. O-O Rg8! 18. e4 ( 
18. Bf3? Bxd2 19. exd4 Bb4 20. Bxb7 Qxb7 -/+ {/-+,Van den Doel,E-Van der 
Wiel,J/NED-ch Rotterdam/ 1999/} ) 18. ... Nd7 =+ {and his [+]P give him an
advantage.} ( 18. ... f5!? â†‘ ) ) 13. ... Bb7 14. Ra1 f5!? D {Black has 
sacrificed a whole exchange, but
has sufficient compensation based on his active
bishops and White's poor king position. However,
White is not without chances. He has no
real weaknesses and ifhe can untangle his pieces
then his material advantage will prove decisive.


Black has visible compensation and many tempting ways to increse the 
pressure, but not all of them are effective:} ( 14. ... Nc6?! {allows} 15.
 g3 {/\Bg2} ) ( 14. ... Qd5 15. Ne1!? {/\f3, Kf2+/=} ) ( {Black could have
avoided the following active sortie with} 14. ... Rg8 =/& {or} ) ( 14. ...
 Nd7 =/& {/\} 15. b3?! Bd5 â†’ ) 15. Ne5?! {Already a slip. 15 Rg1 is more
flexible,
threatening g3 followed by .Bg2.} ( 15. b3 {(Huebner,R) kommt in Betracht,
um dem Springer zunächst das Feld d3 freizukämpfen. Nach} 15. ... Bd5 16. 
Ne5 cxb3 17. f3 {ist die Lage nicht deutlich.} ) 15. ... Rg8 16. f4!? {
White wants to free f2 for his king, but 16
f3? is bad due to 16 ... f6. However, the move
played seriously weakens e4.} ( 16. f3? {fails to} 16. ... f6 -+ ) 16. ...
 Nc6 ( 16. ... Nd7!? {/\} 17. Nf3 ( 17. Ra7 Nxe5 18. Rxb7 Qa8! â†‘ {
regains the exchange and retains the pressure.} ) ( 17. Nxd7 Qh4! 18. Nf6+
( 18. g3 Rxg3! 19. hxg3 Qxh1 20. Nf6+ Ke7 21. d5 Kxf6 22. Qd4+ Kg6 -+ ) 
18. ... Qxf6 19. Kf2 Qh4+ 20. Kg1 e5 {leads to a position, similar to the 
following note. Now White ha a better chance to avoid it.} ) 17. ... Nf6 
â†‘ ) 17. Nf3! {White wants to consolidate his set-up, too passive is} ( 
17. Nxc6 Bxc6 18. Kf2 Qh4+ ( 18. ... e5! {gives Black a
dangerous attack since} 19. dxe5? ( 19. fxe5? Qh4+ 20. Kg1 Qe4 {both win
for Black.} ) 19. ... Qh4+ 20. Kg1 Bc5 ) 19. Kg1 e5! {We'll see this break
in an even more impressive version in the game.} ( 19. ... Qh3 20. Qe2 h5 
21. Qf2 h4 {allows White to play} 22. g3! hxg3 23. Bxh3 gxf2+ 24. Kxf2 
Bxh1 25. Rxh1 =, quiet ) 20. fxe5? â–³ ( 20. Qe2 {Huebner,R} 20. ... exf4 
21. exf4+ Kf8 22. Qf2 ( 22. Ra6 Bb7 23. Ra7 Qxf4 {ist ungesund für Weiß.} 
) 22. ... Qxf2+ 23. Kxf2 Rg4 {ist ebenfalls unbequem für Weiß, obwohl er 
nicht ohne Rettungsaussichten verbleibt.} ) 20. ... Qe4 21. Qe2 f4 -+ {->}
) ( 17. Kf2? Nxe5 18. fxe5 Qg5 -+ ) 17. ... Na5?! ( 17. ... Ne7!? 18. Kf2 
Nd5 â†‘ {/\} 19. Be2? Rxg2+ -+ ) 18. Kf2 Nb3 19. Ra7 Be4?! ( 19. ... Qb6 
20. Ra2 Ke7 {is sounder} ) 20. Ra2? {Topalov beautifully refutes this.

Too passive. 20 g3! gives Black far more
problems justifying his sacrifice.} ( 20. g3! âŒ“ ~ {/\Bg2,Ne5!<=> leaves 
the result quite open.} ) ( 20. h4 {(Huebner,R) kommt in Betracht, obwohl 
es der Bauernstruktur des Weißen nicht gut tut. Die Möglichkeit zu Dd8-h4+
wird dem Weißen genommen und Th1-h3 vorbereitet.} ) 20. ... e5!! {This 
powerful break blows up White's central defensive bastions.

A brilliant breakthrough which gives Black a
clear advantage in every line.} 21. fxe5 {The only way to take the P.} ( 
21. Nxe5? {loses by force:} 21. ... Qh4+ 22. g3 ( 22. Kg1 Be1 23. Qe2 Nc1!
-+ ) 22. ... Rxg3 23. hxg3 Qxh1 24. Nf3 Bxf3 25. Qxf3 Be1+ 26. Ke2 Nc1+ -+
) ( 21. Be2 exd4 22. exd4 Nd2!? -/+ {->} ( 22. ... Nxd4 {Huebner,R} 23. 
Qxd4 ( 23. g3 Bc5 24. Kg2 Rg6 {hält Weiß nicht lange aus.} ) 23. ... Rxg2+
24. Kf1 Qxd4 25. Nxd4 Bc5 26. Bf3 Bxf3 27. Nxf3 Rf2+ 28. Ke1 Rxf3 {führt 
zu einer freudlosen Stellung für Weiß.} ) ) 21. ... f4 22. Be2 ( 22. exf4?
{loses to} 22. ... Bxf3 23. gxf3 ( 23. Qxf3 Qxd4+ 24. Qe3 Qd5 {/\Bc5-+} ) 
23. ... Bd2 -+ {->} 24. Bh3 {Huebner,R} 24. ... Bxf4 {dürfte Weiß kaum 
überleben können.} ) 22. ... fxe3+ 23. Kxe3 D Qd5?! {'!' Huebner,R.} ( {
Nach} 23. ... Bd2+ {Huebner,R} 24. Kf2 Bxf3 25. Bxf3 Qxd4+ 26. Kf1 {ist 
die Lage nicht klar. Wenn Schwarz darauf verzichtet, mit} 26. ... Qd3+ 27.
 Be2 Qf5+ 28. Bf3 Qd3+ {Dauerschach zu geben, kommt Weiß zu g2-g3 nebst 
Kf1-g2.} ) ( 23. ... Bb7 24. Kf2 Qb6 {is very strong} ) 24. g3 {'?' 
Huebner,R. The motif from the game works even after other moves, e.g., 
Huebner,R: 'Jetzt hängt in vielen der taktischen Abwicklungen der Turm auf
h1, und Schwarz erzielt den Gewinn. Versucht werden mußte'} ( 24. Rg1? 
Nxd4! ( 24. ... Bd2+ {Huebner,R} 25. Kf2 Bxf3 26. Bxf3 Qxd4+ 27. Kf1 {gibt
dem Schwarzen auch hier keine Gewinnaussichten.} ) 25. Nxd4 {Huebner,R: 
'Andere Züge sind hoffnungslos:'} ( 25. Ra8+ {Huebner,R} 25. ... Qxa8 26. 
Qxd4 Bxf3 27. Bxf3 Qc8 {, und Schwarz gewinnt.} ) ( 25. Qxd4 {Huebner,R} 
25. ... Bc5 26. Ra8+ Ke7 27. Ra7+ ( 27. Rxg8 Bxf3 28. Qxc5+ Qxc5+ 29. Kxf3
Qxg1 {überläßt dem Schwarzen eine Gewinnstellung.} ) 27. ... Ke8 28. Ra8+ 
Ke7 ( 28. ... Kd7 29. Rxg8 Bxd4+ ( 29. ... Bxf3 30. Rd1 {ist hier ungesund
für Schwarz.} ) 30. Nxd4 Qxe5 31. Nf3 Bxf3+ 32. Kxf3 Qf5+ 33. Kg3 Qe5+ {
mit Remisschluß.} ) 29. Ra7+ {Nun hat Schwarz drei Königszüge zur Auswahl,
wenn er auf Gewinn spielen will:} 29. ... Kd8 {ist richtig:} ( 29. ... Ke6
30. Rc7 ( 30. Ra6+ {ist gut genug fürs Remis.} ) 30. ... Bxd4+ 31. Nxd4+ 
Kxe5 32. Re7+ Kd6 33. Rxe4 f5 34. Rf4 Qe5+ 35. Kf3 {verschafft dem 
Schwarzen ebenfalls keine Freude.} ) ( 29. ... Kf8 30. Ra8+ Kg7 31. Rxg8+ 
Kxg8 32. Qxc5 Qxc5+ 33. Kxe4 Qb4 34. Rb1 Qb3 35. Nd4 Qa2 36. Rc1 Qxb2 37. 
Rc2 Qb1 38. Kd5 {birgt für Schwarz nur Gefahren.} ) 30. Rd1 Bd3 31. Bxd3 
Bxd4+ 32. Nxd4 cxd3 33. Rxd3 Qxe5+ 34. Kf3 ( 34. Kf2 Qe4 35. Nc6+ Kc8 36. 
g3 Re8 ( 36. ... Qxd3 37. Ne7+ Kd8 38. Nc6+ Ke8 39. Re7+ Kf8 40. Rxf7+ 
Kxf7 41. Ne5+ Ke6 42. Nxd3 Kd5 {sollte auch zum Gewinn führen.} ) 37. Rxf7
b4 38. Na7+ Kb8 39. Kg1 Qc4 {, und Weiß wird schließlich mattgesetzt 
werden.} ) 34. ... Qd5+ 35. Ke3 Qg5+ 36. Ke4 Qxg2+ {, und Schwarz wird 
schließlich gewinnen.} ) 25. ... Bc5! {Ftacnik} ( 25. ... Qxe5 26. Nf3 
Bc5+ ( 26. ... Bxf3+ {Huebner,R} 27. Kxf3 Qf5+ 28. Ke3 Bc5+ 29. Kd2 Ke7 ( 
29. ... Rg6 {gives Black a winning attack.} ) 30. Re1 Rxg2 31. Ra3 Bxa3 
32. bxa3 Qd3+ 33. Kc1 Qxa3+ 34. Kb1 Qb4+ 35. Kc1 Qc3+ 36. Kb1 Kf8 37. Rg1 
{überläßt dem Weißen Rettungsaussichten.} ) 27. Kd2 c3+! ( 27. ... Qf4+ {
Huebner,R} 28. Ke1 Bxg1 29. Nxg1 Qe3 ( 29. ... Qh4+ 30. g3 Qxh2 31. Qd4 
Qxg3+ 32. Kd2 {dürfte nicht zum Gewinn genügen.} ) 30. Qd6 Qxg1+ 31. Kd2 
Qxg2 32. Qb8+ Ke7 33. Ra7+ Ke6 34. Ra6+ Kf5 35. Qxb5+ Bd5 36. Rxh6 {, und 
Weiß sollte überleben.} ) 28. bxc3 Qd5+ {/\Qa2 with equal material and a 
continuing ->.} ) 26. Bf3 Rg5! 27. Bxe4 ( 27. Re1 Bxf3 28. gxf3 Rg2 29. f4
Rxh2 -+ ) 27. ... Rxe5 28. Qc2 f5 -+ ) 24. ... Nxd4?! {24 ... Rg4! 
followed by ... .Bf5 retains some
advantage for Black.} 25. Nxd4? ( 25. Qxd4?! Bc5 26. Ra8+ Kd7 -+ {
Huebner,R: 'ist hier ganz hoffnungslos für Weiß.'} ) ( 25. Ra8+! Qxa8 26. 
Qxd4 Bf5 27. Rd1 {returns
the material to bring White's pieces into
play. After this both kings are equally exposed,
so Black can no longer claim any advantage.} ) 25. ... Bxh1 26. Bf3 Qxe5+ 
27. Kf2 Bc5 {Huebner,R: 'In der vorliegenden Stellung begünstigt der 
Umstand, daß ungleiche Läufer entstehen, den Angreifer. Weiß geht an der 
Schwäche seines Bauern auf b2 zugrunde.'} 28. Bxh1 Bxd4+ 29. Kf1 Rg5 -+ {
The storm has calmed down for a while, but Black is already a P up and his
attack continues to the very end.

White is in grave difficulties as Black is a
pawn up and retains a strong initiative.} 30. Bf3 Kf8 31. Kg2 Qe3 32. Kh3 
Kg7?! ( 32. ... Qf2 33. Qe2 Qxe2 34. Bxe2 Rf5 {followed
by ... Rf2 gives Black a winning ending.} ) 33. b3 cxb3 34. Ra3 b4 35. 
Rxb3 Bc3 {Cuts off the Rb3.} 36. Qe2 Qc5 37. Qd3?! Qc8+ 38. Kg2 Ra5 39. 
Qc2 Qe6 40. Qb1?! {40 h4 puts up more resistance} ( 40. h4!? âŒ“ {is more 
resilient, although after} 40. ... Ra1 {White's position is untenable in 
the long run.} ) 40. ... Ra1 ( 40. ... Ra3 {Huebner,R} 41. Rxa3 bxa3 {
sorgt sofort für eine neue Dame; aber der Textzug genügt.} ) 41. Qc2 Bd4 
42. Bd1 ( {It's too late for} 42. h4 Rh1! 43. Kxh1 Qh3+ 44. Qh2 Qf1+ ) 
42. ... Qe1 43. Bf3 ( {Auf} 43. Rd3 {(Huebner,R) folgt} 43. ... b3 ( 
43. ... Qg1+ 44. Kf3 Ra6 {genügt natürlich auch zum Gewinn.} ) 44. Qxb3 
Qf2+ 45. Kh3 Qf1+ 46. Kg4 h5+ 47. Kxh5 ( 47. Kg5 Bf6+ 48. Kxh5 Qh3# ) 
47. ... Qf5+ 48. Kh4 Bf6# ) 43. ... Qf1# {A fitting end to a great 
attacking display. Huebner,R: 'Eine weitere Glanzpartie von Topalov!'} 0-1

[Event "CRO-chT1A 17th"]
[Site "Sibenik"]
[Date "2008.09.27"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Almasi, Zoltan"]
[Black "Erdos, Viktor"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2668"]
[BlackElo "2576"]
[ECO "C83"]
[EventDate "2008.09.27"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8.
 dxe5 Be6 9. Nbd2 Be7 10. c3 O-O 11. Re1 Nc5 12. Nd4 Nxd4 13. cxd4 Nd3 14.
 Re3 Nf4 15. Bc2 c5 D {This Open Ruy Lopez position looks satisfactory
for Black. He has already challenged
White's centre by playing ... c5, while White's
queenside pieces are still stuck at home. However,
White found his one opportunity to play
for an advantage.} 16. Rg3!? {Threatening 17 Nb3, attacking f4 and c5.} 
16. ... Bh4?! {Black probably expected White to move his
rook, but that wasn't Almasi's idea. 16} ( 16. ... cxd4 17. Nf3 d3 18. 
Bxd3 Nxd3 19. Qxd3 Re8 20. Bh6 g6 {is sounder, with a roughly equal 
position} ) 17. Nf3! {This is the surprise. While the exchange sacrifice
isn't entirely clear-cut, it gives White the
initiative and the pressure is then on Black to
defend accurately.} 17. ... Bxg3 18. hxg3 Ng6 19. dxc5 {In return for the 
exchange, White has a passed
pawn and control of the dark squares. However,
the main point is that Black's pieces aren't very
active because there are no open files for the
rooks, while the knight is sidelined on g6. Objectively,
the position is only very slightly better
for White, but even a small inaccuracy could
land Black in serious trouble.} 19. ... Bg4 20. Qd4 Qd7 {A good defence, 
moving Black's bishop and
queen to more active squares and preparing to
bring the rooks into play.} 21. Bxg6 {A surprising but good move. Black 
was
threatening to exert awkward pressure on e5 after ... Rfe8, so by 
eliminating the knight White
not only gains time but also reduces Black's
possibilities for counterplay. 21 c6? is wrong as
Black can reply 2l...Qxc6 22 .Bxg6 Qxg6.} 21. ... hxg6 22. c6 Qf5 {More or
less forced as} ( 22. ... Qc8?! 23. Ng5 {leaves Black without a good way 
to defend the
d5-pawn; for example,} 23. ... Be6 {loses to} 24. Qh4 ) 23. Ng5 D {The key
move, threatening to trap the bishop
by 24 f3.} 23. ... Rfe8?! {Black should try} ( 23. ... Rac8 24. f3 Rxc6 
25. Bf4! Bh5 ( 25. ... Rc4 26. fxg4 Rxd4 27. gxf5 gxf5 28. Nf3 Re4 29. Rd1
{gives White an endgame
advantage thanks to the weak d-pawn} ) 26. g4 Bxg4 27. fxg4 Qxg4 28. Rf1 
Rc4 {although
after 29 Qd2 White retains an advantage, again
due to the weak d-pawn.} ) 24. Bf4 {Now the rook can come to cl and the 
c-pawn
starts to look like a major menace, while Black's
bishop remains sidelined.} 24. ... Be2 25. c7 Rac8 26. Rc1 b4? {It's 
allover after Black gives up the d5-pawn.
The best try is} ( 26. ... Qd3 27. Qb6 Bg4 28. Qxa6 Qe2 29. b3 {retains a 
large advantage for
White.} ) 27. Qxd5 Bb5 28. Ne4 g5 29. Nxg5 Re7 30. Qd8+ Re8 31. Qd6 Qd3 
32. Qxb4 {Harvesting yet another pawn.} 32. ... f6 33. Nf3 fxe5 34. Bxe5 
Qd5 35. Qg4 Qf7 36. Rd1 Bc6 37. Ng5 Qg6 38. Qc4+ Kh8 39. Rd4 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "36  Other Positional Sacrifices"]
[Black "Page 98"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.04"]

*

[Event "La Roda Open 36th"]
[Site "La Roda"]
[Date "2009.04.11"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Lopez Martinez, Josep Manuel"]
[Black "Del Rio de Angelis, Salvador G"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2557"]
[BlackElo "2531"]
[ECO "A42o"]
[EventDate "2009.04.08"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 d6 4. Nc3 e5 5. Nge2 c6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. h3 exd4 8. 
Nxd4 O-O 9. g3 d5 10. exd5 cxd5 11. Bg2 {White offers a pawn to further 
his development,
but while this is sufficient to maintain the
balance he is unlikely to gain any advantage.} 11. ... dxc4 12. Ndb5 Nc6 
13. O-O Bf5! {The first positional sacrifice. The d3-square
is an obvious weak point, but by playing to occupy
it straight away, Black must be prepared to
give up the exchange.} 14. Bc5 Bd3 15. Bxf8 Bxf8 D {A typical positional 
sacrifice. Black has no
immediate attack, but he has activated his pieces
and gained time, while White's b5-knight will
now have to retreat to the offside square a3.} 16. Re1 a6 17. Na3 Nd4 {
Keeping the a3-knight inactive.} 18. Rc1 Bh6 {In order for Black's piece 
activity to be converted
into a direct attack, he must provoke
weaknesses in White's position. After this move
White must either return his rook to al or play
f4, creating targets on the kingside.} 19. f4 ( 19. Ra1 {is very strongly 
met by} 19. ... b5! {offering
a second exchange. If White takes on a8
then he faces a deadly check on f3, while in any
case the advancing b-pawn will wreak havoc.} ) 19. ... Nh5 {A 
well-calculated decision. Black immediately
exploits the weakness on g3, even though
this allows White a measure of counterplay.} 20. Nd5 Nxg3! {Black simply 
ignores the threat of Re8+.} 21. Re8+ Qxe8 22. Nf6+ Kf8 23. Nxe8 Rxe8 D {
Now Black has two minor pieces and two
pawns for the queen, which would normally not
be enough, but look at the activity of his minor
pieces! The immediate threat is 24 ... b5.} 24. Rxc4 Bxc4 25. Nxc4 {This 
is the only chance, since at least it
brings the offside knight back into play. However,
Black's active pieces and dark-square
pressure give him a large advantage.} 25. ... b5! 26. Kf2 {There's no good
square for the knight; for
example,} ( 26. Nd2 Bxf4 27. Nb3 Nde2+ 28. Kf2 Be3+ ) ( 26. Ne5 Nge2+ 27. 
Kh1 Bxf4 28. Nd3 Ng3+ 29. Kg1 Nde2+ {with a decisive attack for
Black in both cases.} ) 26. ... Ngf5 27. Nd6 Re2+! {Since 28 Kg1 loses to 
28 ... .Rxg2+, White
has to surrender his queen, but there's a bit
more to Black's play than that.} 28. Qxe2 Nxe2 29. Nxf5 Nxf4 30. Nxh6 Nxg2
31. Ng4 {The key point is that} ( 31. Kxg2 f5 32. Kf3 Kg7 {leads to a 
winning king and pawn ending} ) 31. ... Nf4 32. Ke3 Nxh3 33. Ne5 f5 34. b4
g5 35. Nd3 g4 36. Nc5 f4+ 37. Ke4 f3 38. Ke3 f2 39. Ke2 g3 40. Kf1 Ng5 41.
 Ke2 Nf3 42. Ne4 Nh2 0-1

[Event "73. Tata Steel GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2011.01.18"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Wang, Hao"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2810"]
[BlackElo "2731"]
[ECO "E25"]
[EventDate "2011.01.14"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5
8. dxc5 Qa5 9. e4 Ne7 10. Be3 O-O 11. Qb3 Qc7 12. Bb5 Nec6 13. Ne2 Na5 14.
 Qb4 {Kramnik had played} ( 14. Qa4 {against Wang
Hao the previous day, but} 14. ... a6 15. Bd3 Nd7 16. Bc2 Nxc5 {was 
comfortable for Black} ) 14. ... e5 15. O-O Be6? ( 15. ... Na6 16. Bxa6 
bxa6 17. Rfd1 Be6 {was
satisfactory for Black in Moskalenko-Delchev,
Benidorm 2007. Doubtless Anand had an improvement
ready, but at the time of writing he
has not revealed it.
The move played looks natural enough, and
indeed} ) ( 15. ... Na6 16. Bxa6 bxa6 17. Rfd1 Be6 18. c6 Nc4 19. Bc5 Rfc8
20. Qb7 Na5 21. Bd6 Nc4 22. Bxe5 f5 23. Bd4 Qf4 24. Nxf4 Rxc6 25. Qf7+ 
Bxf7 26. Nd5 fxe4 27. fxe4 Re8 28. Bxa7 Rxe4 29. Nb4 Rg6 30. Rd8+ Re8 31. 
Rxe8+ Bxe8 32. Re1 Bf7 33. a4 a5 34. Nd3 Re6 35. Rxe6 Bxe6 36. Kf2 Bd7 37.
 Nc5 Bc6 38. Bb8 Nb2 39. Be5 Nxa4 40. Nxa4 Bxa4 {1/2-1/2(41) Moskalenko, 
Viktor (2575) - Delchev, Aleksander (2613) / Benidorm Open 4th (9), 
Benidorm 2007} ) 16. Nd4! D {This positional sacrifice of a piece for two
pawns, which was part of Anand's preparation
for his 2008 world championship match against
Kramnik, gives White good practical chances.} ( 16. Rfd1 Bb3 17. Rd6 Nbc6 
18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. c4 Rab8 {caused Black no problems
in Cebalo-Marinkovic, Budva 2009. However,
Anand has other ideas.} ) 16. ... exd4 {Acceptance is forced, as} ( 
16. ... Bd7 17. Nf5 {gives White a clear advantage.} ) 17. cxd4 {Two pawns
are normally not enough for a
piece, but here White has several positional advantages.
The two pawns are part of a powerful
central pawn-mass, he controls far more space,
his bishops are very active and finally Black's a5-knight is stuck 
offside. Notice how these are
all positional factors, and similar advantages
often form the basis for positional sacrifices.} 17. ... Nbc6 ( 17. ... a6
18. Be2 Re8 {prevents dS for the moment,
but after} 19. Qc3 Nd7 20. Rab1 {White
maintains the pressure.} ) 18. Qc3 Ne7 {Preparing a counter-sacrifice 
after 19 d5?
Bxd5, but White simply reinforces his pawns.} 19. Rfd1 Rad8?! {The wrong 
rook. 19 ... Rfd8 is better, when 20 Bf2 Nac6 21 Rab1 gives White some 
advantage,
but nothing clear.} 20. Bf2 D a6? {Now Black is lost.} ( 20. ... Nac6? {is
also bad in
view of} 21. Bg3 Qa5 22. Qxa5 Nxa5 23. Bd6 {and White wins material (this 
is where White
exploits the position of the rook on f8).} ) ( 20. ... b6! {is best, since
after} 21. c6 a6 22. Bxa6 Naxc6 23. d5 Bxd5 24. exd5 Rxd5 {Black can at 
least fight,
although White has a substantial advantage due
to his two bishops.} ) 21. Bg3 Qc8 22. Bf1 b6 {The a5-knight will cost 
Black material since
22 ...Nac6 loses to 23 Bd6 followed by d5.} 23. Rab1 Nb3 24. Rxb3 Bxb3 25.
 Qxb3 bxc5 26. d5 {White is winning as his pieces are far more
active than Black's, the c5- and a6-pawns are
weak and White has a dangerous passed d-pawn.} 26. ... Ng6 27. Qb6 f5 28. 
Bxa6 Qd7 29. Bb5 Qf7 30. exf5 Qxf5 31. Qxc5 Rc8 32. Qd4 Rfd8 33. a4 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Attacking Play"]
[Black "Page 100"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.04"]

{       Many players will find this the most entertaining part of the 
book, and indeed it contains many examples
of brilliant attacking play. However, attacking ability is only one of 
many important middlegame
skills, and being able to handle all types of position well gives you much
more flexibility in choosing
a plan. With that caveat, let's move on to the fun part.
Beginners are well advised to castle as quickly as possible, and it's 
surprising how many grandmasters
run into trouble through getting their king trapped in the centre. 
Bacrot-Mamedyarov
(page 102) is a good example. Although in most cases early castling is 
desirable, there are exceptions.
Hillarp Persson-Tiviakov (page 103) is typical. Even before Black castled,
White started
gearing up for a kingside attack. Tiviakov realized that castling into the
teeth of White's offensive
would be suicidal, but by keeping his king in the centre he was able to 
exploit the weaknesses created
by White's early pawn advances.

             The next few sections deal with typical attacking ideas 
against kingside castled positions. The
Bxh7+ sacrifice ( ... Bxh2+ for Black) is one of the most common ways of 
breaking open the
kingside and it occurs regularly at all levels of play. After the typical 
follow-up in which Black
plays ... Kxh7 and White continues lLlgs+, Black has to choose between ...
Kg8 or ... Kg6 ( ... Kh6 is
only possible in rare cases). Egiazarian-Asrian (page 104) is an example 
of the retreat to the first
rank. The soundness of a Bxh7+ sacrifice often depends on the number of 
supporting units. The
queen and knight are usually essential, but in addition (assuming it is 
White making the sacrifice)
there may be a rook on e 1, pawn on eS and bishop on c 1 or f4 to back up 
the sacrifice. The more of
these supporting units are in place, the more likely the sacrifice is to 
be correct. In this example the
sacrifice was sound because Black's b7-bishop was a good supporting unit, 
while White's pieces
were clumsily placed. In Moiseenko-I.Novikov (page 105), the king came out
to g6, but this was refuted
by an unexpected blow on the queenside (see also Section 20, 'Using the 
Whole Board'). The
next two examples feature some unusual.i.xh7+ sacrifices. In Nguyen 
Ngoc-Kanep (page 106), the
sacrifice was correct even though White lacked any of the usual supporting
units, while in SmirinVoloshin
(page 107) taking on h7 proved deadly even without the standard Ng5+ 
follow-up.

           Another potential weak spot is g7, and this is a common target 
of kingside attacks. In many positions'
pieces can flow naturally to attack g7, for example by Qe1-g3 or by moving
a knight to f5. In
Shengelia-Beletsky (page 108), the queen on g3 was coupled with a bishop 
on b2 and a rook on the
seventh to create lethal threats. Mamedov-Shomoev (page 109) featured a 
different combination of
attacking units, with a knight on fS and bishop on the long diagonal.

            The next two sections cover sacrifices on other kingside 
squares. If Black has played ... h6, then a
~xh6 sacrifice may be feasible, obtaining two pawns and an attack for the 
piece. Again, the number
of supporting pieces is often the key factor. In Almasi-Mikhalevski (page 
110), White could
switch a rook decisively to the kingside, but Radjabov-Svidler (page 111) 
is a marginal case, in
which White has just enough resources to make the sacrifice correct. The 
weakness of f7 is wellknown,
and this can be a target either before or after castling. Kempinski-Postny
(page 112) is an
example of a sacrifice on f7 exposing an uncastled king, while 
Maiorov-Borovikov (page 113)
shows the analogous case with the king castled.

              Some sacrifices are associated with particular openings, and
the Nd5 sacrifice in the Sicilian is
one such. E.Berg-Li Chao (page 114) is a clear-cut example in which the 
soundness of the sacrifice
is not in doubt, while Maslak-Grandelius (page 115) is a marginal case in 
which the chances remain
balanced after the sacrifice. Stellwagen-Naiditsch (page 116) is an 
example of a correct .Bxe6
sacrifice, but victory is not automatic with such sacrifices, and 
Radjabov-Gelfand (page 117) shows a
successful defence. Another Sicilian-based sacrifice is that involving 
Nf5, and Azarov-Jobava
(page 118) is a typical example in which the sacrifice is used to trap the
enemy king in the centre.

The Nf5 sacrjfice sometimes turns up unexpectedly and can work even if 
Black has already castled;
Volokitin-Nevednichy (page 119) is a case in point.
White is not the only player who can sacrifice in the Sicilian, although 
Black's options are more
limited. The most important possibility is the .. Rxc3 exchange sacrifice 
and Abergel-Negi (page
120) is a clear-cut example in which Black's attacking chances offered 
excellent compensation.
Shirov-Anand (page 121) is a marginal case in which White has some 
counterplay.
The following sections deal with more general attacking concepts. 
Positions with opposite-side
castling often feature a race between competing attacks on the flanks. 
Ivanchuk-Gelfand (page 122)
shows how an attack needs to be well-supported by pieces, and in this 
example Black's attack led
only to a check, while White's resulted in mate. Every tempo counts in 
these situations, and SaxGallagher
(page 123) shows that it may be necessary to sacrifice to get in ahead of 
the opponent.
Playing a rook along the third rank is an essential part of some attacks, 
one example being
Shariyazdanov-Petukhov (page 124), but if the attack fails then the rook 
may be misplaced, as in
Radulski-Almasi (page 125).

          One method of creating a weakness in the enemy king position is 
to advance a pawn. Sometimes,
as in Van Oosterom-Bang (page 126), just one pawn is enough to do the job,
while in other
cases, such as B.Savchenko-Nikolenko (page 127), a whole phalanx of pawns 
is used to tear open
the enemy king position.


          Attacks are more likely to succeed if the attacker has more 
pieces than the opponent in the vicinity
of the enemy king. Therefore it's important to make sure that all the 
available firepower is participating
in the attack. In Vescovi-Radjabov (page 128), Black took time out to make
sure that his
rooks were able to join in the attack, while in the especially instructive
example Zemerov-Krivko
(page 129) White missed an opportunity to bring an offside rook to the 
kingside, and thusjeopardized
the success of his attack. The other method of ensuring a numerical 
superiority in the main
area of battle is to prevent defensive pieces from arriving at the scene. 
In Nunn-S.Williams (page
130), a surprising bishop move kept Black's rook offside, while in Zhao 
Jun-Xiu Deshun (page
131) a spectacular sequence of sacrifices allowed White to cut Black's 
position in half.
            
           An attack often depends on an open file aimed at the enemy king
position. Sometimes files are
opened by pawn advances, but more drastic methods may prove necessary. In 
Aleksandrov-Sandipan
(page 132), White offered a pawn, while Gonzalez Zamora-Zapata (page l33) 
is an even more dramatic
example, since here White offered a whole piece to open the g-file.


          A kingside fianchetto has both strengths and weaknesses. The 
main strength is that the bishop is
often a good defender, but the attacker may be able to weaken the king 
position by using his hpawn,
or by exchanging the fianchettoed bishop. White's attack in 
Riazantsev-Kokarev (page l34)
is based on opening the h-file and then tripling major pieces, while in 
Zablotsky-Khismatullin
(page 135) White used a variety of techniques to expose Black's king.


         The long diagonal leading to the enemy king position often 
provides a useful attacking avenue and
a queen and bishop line-up may be decisive, as in Chatalbashev-Saric (page
136). The game NikolicBaramidze
(page 137) is a curious example in which both players were weak on the 
long diagonal.
Not all sacrifices are clearly right or wrong - there is a considerable 
grey area in between. Mistakes
are easily made in cases of marginal sacrifices, and in 
Nisipeanu-Reindennan (page 138) White
missed a difficult winning line, but won anyway when Black overlooked his 
only saving chance. In
Sutovsky-Kramnik (page l39), White's sacrifice was at most enough for 
equality, but even very
strong players find a prolonged defence difficult and Kramnik allowed the 
attack to break through.


The remaining sections deal with heroic methods of prosecuting an attack. 
In Rapport-Rogic
(page 140) and Svidler-Vallejo Pons (page 141), a whole series of 
sacrifices was necessary to punch
through the enemy defences. The attacks in Beliavsky-Nakamura (page 142) 
and Motyliov-Radjabov
(page 143) are notable because of their duration. Finally, the attacker 
sometimes needs considerable
imagination to succeed. In Akopian - Vachier-Lagrave (page 144), a 
bizarre-looking bishop
move was the key to the attack, while in Korobov-Vocaturo (page 145) a 
shocking rook sacrifice initiated
a virulent attack.} 
*

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "37   King in the Centre"]
[Black "Page 102"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.04"]

{Attacking Play 100

37 King in the Centre 102

38 The Bxh7+ Sacrifice (1) 104

39 The Bxh7+ Sacrifice (2) 106

40 Disaster on g7 108

41 The Bxh6 Sacrifice 110

42 The Weak f7 -Square 112

43 The Nd5 Sacrifice in the Sicilian 114

44 The Bxe6 Sacrifice in the Sicilian 116

45 The Nf5 Sacrifice in the Sicilian 118

46 ... Rxc3 in the Sicilian 120

47 Castling on Opposite Sides 122

48 The Rook-Lift 124

49 Advancing Pawns against the Enemy King 126

50 Bringing up the Reserves 128

51 Excluding Defensive Pieces 130

52 Opening Files against the King 132

53 Attack against the Fianchetto 134

54 The Deadly Long Diagonal 136

55 Marginal Sacrifices 138

56 Breakthrough to the King 140

57 The All-Out Attack 142

58 Surprise Moves 144

} 
*

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Defensive Play"]
[Black "Page 146"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

{Published games are often brilliancies in which the attacker smashes 
through with a spectacular sacrifice
and forces mate, thus creating the impression that the odds heavily favour
the attacker. There is
a grain of truth in this since it is normally easier to attack than to 
defend. The attacker only needs to
find one way through, whereas the defender generally has to take into 
account various attacking ideas
by his opponent. But that is not to say the attacker can play without 
risk; indeed, most attacks involve
an element of risk. This can take the form of a material investment, or 
the risk can be positional in nature.
If the attack depends on playing one's queen to h4 and rook to h3, then 
these pieces may be seriously
misplaced if the attack fails. Many attacks involve pawn advances, which 
leave weaknesses
behind them. If the attack succeeds then these weaknesses will be 
irrelevant, but if the defender can
fend off the attack, the weaknesses may become the dominant factors.
Danielsen-Nielsen (page 148) is a good illustration of these ideas. White 
is committed to an attack
due to his trapped bishop and has to be prepared to offer more material 
should the need arise.
However, the range of alternative attacking ideas evidently confused White
because, although objectively
his attack was good enough for at least equality, he chose a tempting but 
unsound continuation
which allowed Black to grab the material on offer and run with his king. 
It's quite common for
the attacker to lose his bearings in cases where there is no obvious way 
for the attack to break
through. Lecuyer-Manouck (page 149) is an example of positional risk. 
White played Rf3-h3 and
Qh5 to threaten a catastrophe on h7, but when Black met this by playing a 
knight to fS, White was
thrown into confusion. His attack was no longer viable, so he had to 
switch to positional play, but
chose the wrong way to do this, with the result that Black was able to 
complete his development and
acquire a strong kingside initiative himself. These examples should give 
the defender confidence
that if the attack can be repulsed, the defender often gains an automatic 
advantage.
One of the standard methods of fending off an attack is to exchange the 
attacker's most dangerous
pieces. Many attacks collapse without their key players, and in 
Kiilaots-G.Hernandez (page
150) Black first of all removes the powerful d5-knight and then forces an 
exchange of queens. This
defuses what could have been a very dangerous situation and steers the 
game safely towards a
drawish ending. Such liquidations often depend on tactical points, and 
it's important for the defender
to remain alert for tactical opportunities which can be exploited to take 
the sting out of an attack.
One naturally thinks of the attacker as being the main source of tactics, 
but it's surprising how
often the defender can exploit a factor such as a weak back rank to 
counter the threats. Vitiugov-Ni
Hua (page 151) is a good example of such a turnaround. White's attack 
looked very dangerous, but
a surprising tactic involving a temporary queen sacrifice allowed Black to
liquidate into an ending
in which his material advantage eventually proved decisive.
One of the traditional rules for defending against an attack on the king 
is that you should not create
weaknesses on the side where you are being attacked. This rule is 
justified most of the time.
Moving a pawn forward in front of the king creates weak squares and may 
make it easier for the attacker
to open a file, so in general pawns in front of the king should only be 
touched when there is
no choice. Smirnov-Romanov (page 152) is a good example of careful 
defence. Black's only pawn
move on the kingside was the simple ... f6, which prevented f6 by White 
and allowed Black's rooks
to defend along the second rank. The remaining squares on the kingside 
were covered by Black's
knights from e8 and fS. This solid set-up made it impossible for White to 
break through using only
his pieces, so to make inroads he had to advance his pawns, but this took 
time and created weaknesses.
Black's counterplay on the queenside broke through before White had 
made-any serious
threats on the kingside and the game quickly turned in Black's favour. One
of the few exceptions to
this rule may occur during the early stages of an attack, when a 
pre-emptive strike by the defender
can sometimes nullify the attack before it has even got started. Hou 
Yifan-Kosteniuk (page 153) 
demonstrates this idea to perfection, since Black's ... h5 caused a 
complete reversal of fortunes on
the kingside, and soon it was Black rather than White who was attacking 
there.
Just as tactics are not the sole preserve of the attacker, the same goes 
for sacrifices. The attacker
often has to make serious positional concessions in order to conduct his 
attack, and if the defender
can nullify the attack at the cost of a modest amount of material, then he
may be able to exploit the
weaknesses in the attacker's position. Illescas-Andersson (page 154) is a 
good example. Black
bought off the attack at the cost of a pawn by the simple expedient of 
running away with his king. It
turned out that White's misplaced pieces, coupled with Black's two 
bishops, provided plenty of compensation
for the pawn and Black quickly seized the initiative. If the attacker has 
already sacrificed
material, then the defender has even more opportunities for 
counter-sacrificing. In MiladinovicLajthajm
(page 155), White had already given up two pawns when we join the game. 
The attack
looks dangerous and at least enough for a draw, but by giving up his queen
for a rook and a minor
piece, Black managed to steer the game into an ending where only he had 
winning chances.
Defence generally requires a clear head and an ability not to become 
flustered under pressure. In
Shirov - Vachier-Lagrave (page 156), Black was faced with a dangerous 
kingside attack handled
by one of the world's best tacticians. However, he defended coolly and 
found the best moves, eventually
inducing a mistake by Shirov which cost him the game. It's interesting to 
note that even with
best play, White's attack was only good enough for a draw. Lupulescu-Nanu 
(page 157) is even
more dramatic. Black lost the right to castle and was in obvious danger, 
but after a slip by White he
played calmly, freeing his king and using tactics to escape from his 
difficulties. It wasn't long before
the game swung in Black's favour.
When one's king is under fire on one side of the board, one possible plan 
is simply to move the
king out of the danger area. This is only possible in certain situations 
(see Illescas-Andersson mentioned
above for another example) but can prove very effective. Korchnoi-Sakaev 
(page 158) shows
the veteran grandmaster misjudging his attacking chances. Penetrating with
his queen to h7 didn't
produce the results White was hoping for, and when Black ran away with his
king to e7 it turned out
that White had only compromised his position by giving up his dark-squared
bishop. Fressinet-Lopez
Martinez (page 159) shows an even longer king-march.
Another possibility for the defender is to launch a counter-attack, even 
while the opponent's attack
is still in progress. The plan is to generate enough threats to distract 
the attacker from his own
plans. Such situations of attack and counter-attack are often very 
double-edged, with a fine line between
a win and a loss. In Ivanchuk-Topalov (page 160), White launched a 
dangerous attack while
still in the opening. To begin with, Black was on the defensive and was 
restricted to fending off
White's threats, but when White made a natural but incorrect move, Black 
was able to exploit the
weaknesses created by White's early pawn advances to launch a 
counter-attack. It's not easy to defend
when a few moves ago you were attacking, and Ivanchuk soon made a further 
error which
sealed his fate. Marin-Ljubojevic (page 161) is slightly different in that
for a long time Black had to
focus on countering White's threats, but when White's attack started to 
lose momentum, Black
seized his chance to launch an unexpectedly powerful counter-attack.
As a final defensive tip, I can't do better than the famous catchphrase 
from Douglas Adams's The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: DON'T PANIC. Whilst this is good advice 
for chess in general, it applies
especially to two defensive situations. Firstly, when your opponent makes 
an absolutely unexpected
sacrifice, it's essential to keep calm. Try to forget what the situation 
had been the move before
and focus only on the current situation on the board. Can you decline the 
sacrifice? Is it clearly lost if
you accept? In Adianto-Sharavdorj (page 162), a serious mistake by White 
allowed a shocking sacrifice,
but against accurate defence it was only enough for a draw. The upshot was
rather chaotic, but in
the end White even won the game. The second situation arises when your 
opponent has what looks
like a very strong attack and you have no obvious counterplay. This was 
the situation in TopalovAdams
(page 163), with White under severe pressure and having no extra material 
as solace. However,
Topalov defended resourcefully and didn't allow Adams an easy win. When 
Adams slipped up,
Topalov jumped at the chance to create queenside counterplay and tum the 
game around} 
*

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "59  The Risks of Attacking"]
[Black "Page 148"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

{Many attacks involve a degree of risk. The attacker
has to commit himself, either materially
or positionally, in order to launch his attack. If
the attack breaks through, all well and good, but
the defender can take heart in the knowledge
that if he can fend off the threats, the tide will
often tum in his favour.} 
*

[Event "DEN Ch playoff"]
[Site "Copenhagen DEN"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Danielsen, Henrik"]
[Black "Nielsen, Peter Heine"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2495"]
[BlackElo "2530"]
[ECO "D74"]
[EventDate "1996.10.18"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d5 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nc6 7. cxd5 Nxd5 
8. e4 Nb6 9. d5 Na5 10. Qe1 {The absence of Nc3 enables immediate attack 
on the vulnerable Na5. Die Abwesenheit vom Nc3 ermöglicht den Angriff auf 
den exponierten Na5.} 10. ... Nac4 11. Nc3 e6 12. b3 Ne5 ( 12. ... Qf6 13.
 bxc4 Qxc3 14. Qxc3 Bxc3 15. Rb1 {The development advantage promises 
better chances for white. Der Entwicklungsvorsprung verspricht Weiss die 
besseren Aussichten.} 15. ... c6 ( 15. ... exd5 16. cxd5 Re8 17. Bd2 Bg7 
18. Rfe1 f5 19. Nh4 ( 19. Ng5 fxe4 20. Bxe4 Bh6 21. Rbc1 Bf5 22. Bf3 Rxe1+
23. Rxe1 Bd7 24. h4 Rf8 25. Bf4 Bxg5 26. hxg5 c6 {1/2-1/ 2 
Ilic,Z-Ivanov,IV/Saint John op-1/1988 (47)} ) 19. ... fxe4 20. Bxe4 Nc4 
21. Bf4 Bh3 22. Rbc1 Nd6 23. Bg2 Rxe1+ 24. Rxe1 Bxg2 25. Nxg2 Re8 26. Rc1 
Re7 {0-1 Tibensky,R-Konopka,M/Pila (05)/1992 (49)} ) ( 15. ... Nxc4 16. 
Bh6 Bg7 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. dxe6 ( 18. Rfc1 exd5 19. exd5 Nd6 20. Nd4 Bd7 
21. Rxc7 Rfd8 22. Ne6+ Bxe6 23. dxe6 {1-0 Kuehn,M-Schmider,B/Baden 
Wuerttemberg-ch (10) 1988 (27)} ) 18. ... fxe6 ( 18. ... Bxe6 19. Rxb7 Nb6
( 19. ... Nd6 20. Rxc7 Nxe4 21. Nd4 Bf5 22. Bxe4 Bxe4 23. Ne6+ +/- ) 20. 
Rxc7 Rfc8 21. Rxc8 Rxc8 22. Ra1 Rc4! ( 22. ... Rc3 23. Nd4 Bc4 24. a4 a5 (
24. ... Nxa4?! 25. h3 +/- ) 25. h4 Bd3 26. e5 Rc4 27. Nb3 ( 27. Nc6 Rc5! {
/\ Bc2 =} ) 27. ... Rxa4 28. Rxa4 Nxa4 29. Nxa5 {1-0 Kortschnoj, 
V-Kouatly,B/Cannes (01)/1986 (51)} ) 23. a3 ( 23. Nd2 Rd4 24. Nf1 Ra4 25. 
a3 Nc4 ) 23. ... Rxe4 24. Ng5 Re5 25. Nxe6+ Rxe6 26. Rc1 {Pytel,K-San 
Marco/Evreux/1986/ (30)} ) 19. Rfc1 Na5 20. Rxc7+ Rf7 21. Rxf7+ Kxf7 22. 
Ng5+ Ke7 23. e5 h6 24. Ne4 Bd7 25. Nc5 Rb8 {1/2-1/2 
Fraschini,M-Saldano,H/Buenos Aires Najdorf op (04)/ 1993 (32)} ) ( 15. ...
 Bg7 16. Bf4 c6 17. dxc6 bxc6 18. Bd6 Re8 19. c5 Nc4 20. e5 Ba6 21. Rfc1 
Rec8 ( 21. ... Nxd6 22. cxd6 Reb8 23. Rb3 ) 22. Bf1 {1-0 Polgar,Z-Xie Jun 
(13)/WchW Jaen/1996 (24)} ) 16. Bh6 Rd8 17. Rfc1 Na4 18. Rb3 Bb2 19. Rb1 
Bh8 20. dxc6 bxc6 21. Bg5 Re8 22. e5 Nc5 23. Ra3 Nd7 24. Nd4 Nxe5 25. Nxc6
Nxc4 26. Ra4 Nb2 27. Ne7+ Kf8 28. Rb4 a5 29. R4xb2 Bxb2 30. Bxa8 {1-0 
Tibensky,R-Rawski, S/Bratislava op (06)/1992 (41)} ) ( 12. ... Nd6 13. 
dxe6 Bxe6 14. e5 Nf5 15. Bg5 Qe8 16. Rd1 h6 17. Bf6 Bxf6 18. exf6 Rd8 19. 
Qe5 Nd7 20. Qf4 Nxf6 21. g4 Rxd1 22. Rxd1 Nxg4 23. Qxg4 Ne3 24. Qf4 Nxd1 
25. Nxd1 Qd8 26. Ne3 {1/2-1/2 Gutman, L-Wolff,P/New York op/1987 (46)} ) (
12. ... exd5 13. bxc4 dxe4 14. Ng5 Qd3 15. Bb2! Nxc4 16. Rd1! +/- ) 13. 
Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Bh6 ( 14. f4 Bg7 15. Ba3 Re8 16. d6 cxd6 17. Rd1 d5 18. Nb5 
Bf8 19. Bb2 Bd7 20. Qc3 f6 21. Nd4 Qe7 22. exd5 exd5 23. a4 Rac8 24. Qd3 
Qb4 25. f5 g5 26. Ne6 {1-0 Tibensky,R-Knoll,H/Linz Siemens (02) 1996 (39)}
) ( 14. Bb2 Qe7! 15. Rc1 Bd7 16. Qd2 Rad8 17. Rfd1 Rfe8 18. h4 h5 19. dxe6
Bxe6 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. exd5 Qd6 ( 21. ... Bxb2 22. Qxb2 Rd7 23. Qc3 Red8 
24. Qa5! += ) 22. Bc3 Bxc3 23. Qxc3 Rd7 {Pigusov,E-Epishin,V/Biel izt (07)
;CBM 37 1993/0-1 (63)} ) 14. ... Re8 15. Qd2 exd5 ( 15. ... Bg7 16. Bf4 
Bd7 17. a4 e5 18. Bg5 f6 19. Be3 Nc8 20. a5 Nd6 21. Na4 b6 22. Nc3 Bf8 23.
 Rfc1 Kh8 24. Bf1 c5 25. dxc6 Bxc6 26. axb6 axb6 27. Rxa8 Qxa8 28. Bxb6 
Nxe4 29. Nxe4 Bxe4 {Steckner,J-Naumann,F/Hamburg Wichern op 
(08)/1993/1/2-1/2 (60)} ) 16. exd5 Bf5 17. Rac1 Nc8 ( 17. ... Qd7!? 18. 
Rfe1 Rad8 ~ ) 18. h3 Nd6 19. g4 Bd7 20. f4 Bh8 ( 20. ... Bg7 21. Bxg7 Kxg7
22. Rfe1 += ) 21. Bg5 Bf6 22. Bh6 ( 22. Bxf6 Qxf6 23. Rfe1 Rxe1+ 24. Rxe1 
Re8 =, quiet ) 22. ... Bh8 23. Rf2?! {White underestimates the exposed 
character of Bh6. Weiss unterschätzt die exponierte Stellung vom Bh6.} 
23. ... f6! D {White's bishop is trapped on h6, so he is committed
to an attack. Thanks to Black's slightly
loose king position, White's attack is correct in
the sense that it is at least good enough for equality,
but it requires accurate play.} ( 23. ... Qh4?? 24. Bg5 Qg3 25. Rf3 +- ) (
23. ... Qf6!? 24. Ne2 Rac8 25. Bg5 Qg7 ~ ) 24. f5 g5 ( 24. ... gxf5 25. 
gxf5 Bxf5 26. Nb5 Nxb5 27. Rxf5 Nd6 28. Rf3 â†’ ) 25. h4 Nf7 26. hxg5 fxg5
27. f6! {This pawn sacrifice is necessary to open the
f-file for White's attack.} ( 27. d6 c6 ) 27. ... Bxf6 ( 27. ... Nxh6? 28.
 Qxg5+ +- ) 28. Rcf1? {It's easy for White to make a mistake and
this tempting move is the wrong way to go
about offering the piece.} ( 28. Ne4 Rxe4 29. Bxe4 Nxh6 30. d6 c6 -/+ ) ( 
28. d6 c6 29. Bd5! {is
correct and after} 29. ... cxd5 30. Nxd5 Re6 31. Rcf1 Bb5 {White has the 
choice between} 32. Rxf6 ( 32. Nxf6+ Rxf6 33. Rxf6 Bxf1 34. Rf5 Bb5 35. 
Qd5 Qb6+ 36. Rf2 Be8 37. d7 Qc6 38. dxe8=Q+ Qxe8 39. Bxg5 {both of
which give him a slight advantage. It's curious that in the second of 
these lines the apparently
doomed white bishop on h6 lives to fight another
day.} ) 32. ... Qxd6 33. Qc3 Nxh6 34. Rxe6 Qxe6 35. Nf6+ Kf8 36. Qc5+ Kg7 
37. Nh5+ Kg8 38. Qxg5+ Qg6 39. Qd5+ Nf7 40. Nf6+ Kh8 41. Qxb5 ) 28. ... 
Bxc3 29. Qxc3 Nxh6 D {Now White has made an irrevocable material
commitment, so his attack has to succeed.} 30. Rf6 ( 30. d6 c6 -+ ) 
30. ... Nxg4! {This looks risky, but the knight is heading for
e5 to block the long diagonal.} ( 30. ... Bb5? {is
wrong due to} 31. d6 c6 32. Rxh6 Bxf1?! 33. Bxf1 â†’ {winning for White.} 
) 31. Rf7 Ne5 ( 31. ... Re5? {is the wrong way to block the diagonal:} 32.
 Qd3 ( 32. Qc2! Bf5 33. R1xf5 Re1+ 34. Bf1 Nh6 35. Rf8+ Qxf8 36. Rxg5+ Kf7
37. Qf2+ Ke7 38. Qxe1+ Kd8 39. Qe6 {and White wins} ) 32. ... Bf5 33. 
R1xf5 ( 33. R7xf5 Qd6 -+ ) 33. ... Re1+ 34. Bf1 Nh6 35. Rxh7 Nxf5 36. Qxf5
Rxf1+ 37. Kxf1 Qf8 -+ ) 32. Be4 {When an attack starts to falter, the 
attacker
often has to throw further wood on the fire in increasingly
desperate attempts to keep it going.} 32. ... Nxf7 {Black grabs everything
on offer, having calculated
that his king can escape.} 33. Bxh7+ Kxh7 ( 33. ... Kf8 34. Qh8+ Ke7 35. 
Qf6+ Kf8 36. Qxf7# ) 34. Rxf7+ Kg6 35. Qg7+ Kh5 {It looks dangerous, but 
White's lack ofkingside
pawns enables the black king to run away.} 36. Kf2 ( 36. Rxd7 Re1+ 37. Kf2
Qe8 38. Qh7+ Kg4 -+ {is
also winning for Black.} ) 36. ... Bf5! ( 36. ... Rf8? 37. Qh7+ Kg4 38. 
Qe4+ Kh5 39. Qh1+ Kg4 40. Qf3+ Kh4 41. Rh7# ) ( 36. ... Rh8 37. Rxd7 Qf8+ 
-+ ) 37. Qa1 ( 37. Rxf5 {loses to} 37. ... Qe7 -+ ) 37. ... Qxd5 0-1

[Event "FRA Ch 57th"]
[Site "Schiltigheim"]
[Date "1982.08.19"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Lecuyer, Christian"]
[Black "Manouck, Thierry"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2230"]
[BlackElo "2385"]
[ECO "B42g"]
[EventDate "1982.08.16"]
[Annotator "Primel,D"]

1. e4 {Christian Lecuyer joue beaucoup plus souvent d4 , Nf3 ou l'anglaise
} 1. ... c5 {Thierry Manouck a trés peu joué la sicilienne et son 
répertoire habituel est la défense Philidor} 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 
a6 5. Bd3 Bc5 {Une variante tr s moderne} 6. Nb3 Ba7 ( 6. ... Be7 {Plus 
populaire actuellement} 7. Qg4! g6 8. Qe2 d6 9. O-O Nd7 10. c4 Qc7 11. Nc3
b6 ) 7. O-O ( 7. Qe2 Nc6 8. Be3 d6 9. Nc3 Nge7! ( 9. ... Nf6 10. O-O-O b5 
11. g4 {Nf6 donne de la prise l'attaque g2g4 et c'est la raison pour 
laquelle Nge7 est probablement plus précis car dans la course de vitesse 
avec marée de P sur les ailes opposées, le gain d'un tempo peut être 
crucial.} ) 10. O-O ( 10. O-O-O {Moins populaire lorsque les noirs jouent 
Nge7 au lieu de Nf6} ) 10. ... e5! {Un th me courant dans la Kan lorsque 
le B de cases noires est développé} 11. Bxa7 Rxa7 12. a4 Be6 13. Bc4 O-O 
14. Rfd1 Qc7 15. Bxe6 fxe6 16. Qc4 Rf6 17. Qd3 Nc8 18. Rd2 b6 ) 7. ... Ne7
( 7. ... Nc6 {plus populaire} ) 8. Nc3 ( {RR} 8. c4 d6 9. Nc3 Nbc6 10. Kh1
e5 11. Qe2 O-O 12. Be3 Bxe3 13. fxe3 Be6 14. Nd5 Ng6 15. Rac1 b6 16. Qh5 
Rc8 17. Nd2 Nb8 18. Nf3 h6 19. g4 Nd7 20. g5 Kh7 21. Rg1 Qe8 22. gxh6 gxh6
{Nicolau,A-Hulgana,G/Skopje 1972/EXT 2000/1-0 (31)} ) 8. ... d6 N ( 8. ...
 Nbc6 ) 9. Kh1 O-O 10. f4 f6! D {Une position qui convient au style de 
Manouck. "f6" est un coup multifonction qui freine la percée "e4e5" tout 
en donnant une case de fuite éventuelle pour le K} 11. Rf3 {Black's rather
passive opening encourages
White to launch a kingside attack. Although this
attack doesn't involve any material investment,
it nevertheless entails a degree of risk. White
spends three tempi Rf3, Rh3 and Qh5) to attack
h7, which not only costs time but also risks
leaving the rook and queen misplaced if the attack
fails. A solid plan of development such as
11 Qf3 followed by Be3 involves less risk, but
White's idea, iffollowed up correctly, is not bad.

Le plan est naturel mais les noirs ont suffisamment de ressources pour 
repousser l'attaque l'aile-roi et il était probablement préférable de 
continuer le plan habituel face la variante Ba7 en recherchant l'échange 
des B de cases noires.} ( 11. Qf3 âŒ“ Nbc6 12. Be3 =, quiet ) 11. ... Re8!
{Le début d'une belle manoeuvre de défense} 12. Rh3 Ng6! 13. Qh5 Nf8 {
Black has managed to meet the threat to h7
without weakening his kingside. Since Black
has also spent three tempi on this defensive manoeuvre,
the balance between attack and defence
has so far been maintained.} 14. e5 {This is the only way to make use of 
White's
build-up on the h-file.} 14. ... f5! {L'attaque blanche s'essoufle et les 
noirs vont obtenir du contre-jeu} ( 14. ... g6 15. Qh6 dxe5 16. fxe5 f5 
17. Bg5 Qc7 ) 15. exd6 Nbd7! {Black plans ... Nf6 followed by ... Qxd6, 
regaining
the pawn with a promising position
thanks to White's misplaced pieces.} 16. Be3? {This allows Black to 
execute his plan without
a fight. The only good line is} ( 16. Qd1! Nf6 17. Be2 {retaining the 
d6-pawn, at least for the
moment, and allowing the rook to return to d3.
Then} 17. ... Ng6 18. Bh5 e5 19. fxe5 Rxe5 20. Bxg6 hxg6 21. Bf4 Re6 {
leads to an unclear position
in which Black's two bishops and ...Ng4
ideas compensate for White's extra pawn.} ) 16. ... Nf6 â‡„â‡„ 17. Qe2 
Qxd6 18. Bxa7 Rxa7 {Black already stands better. After he plays
... b6 (or ... b5), followed by ... Rae7 and ... Ng6,
his pieces will all be actively placed. On the
other hand, White will suffer from the weak f4-
pawn and the misplaced rook on h3, which will
take at least one tempo to bring back into play.} 19. Qf2 b6! {Les pi ces 
noires vont être mieux coordonnées et la contre-attaque au centre par 
"e6e5" se prépare. } 20. Be2 {It's necessary to cover g4 since otherwise 
Re3
can be met by ... Ng4, but this costs more time.} 20. ... Rae7 21. Rd1 Qc7
-/+ 22. Re3 Ng6! D {Both targeting the f4-pawn and preparing
. .. e5. There's now no trace left of White's attack.} 23. g3?! {
Suicidally weakening the long diagonal, although
even after} ( 23. Rd4 âŒ“ Bb7 ( 23. ... e5 24. fxe5 Nxe5 ) 24. Kg1 e5 25. 
fxe5 f4 26. Red3 Rxe5 {Black has a large advantage.} ) 23. ... Bb7+! {Apr 
s le Ng6, c'est maintenant le Bb7 qui est développé avec également un gain
de temps} 24. Kg1 e5! â†’ {The tables are turned and it is now Black
who has an attack on the kingside.} 25. fxe5 Nxe5 26. Nd4 ( 26. Qxf5?? Qc6
) 26. ... g6?! ( 26. ... Nfg4 27. Bxg4 fxg4 {is much simpler,
controlling the long diagonal and the f3-square.} ) 27. Qf4 {Le clouage de
la Qc7 est illusoire car elle va se réactiver en "b7"} 27. ... b5 28. a3 
Ba8! 29. Rf1 Qb7 -+ 30. Nf3 Nfg4? {Le 1er signe d'un relachement des noirs
qui vont gaffer 4 coups plus tard.} ( 30. ... Nxf3+ 31. Rexf3 ( 31. Bxf3 
Qa7 ) ) 31. Rxe5 Nxe5 32. h3 Qb6+ 33. Kh2 Nxf3+?! ( 33. ... Ng4+ 34. hxg4 
Rxe2+ 35. Nxe2 Rxe2+ {followed by .. Re4 is a neater finish.} ) 34. Bxf3 
Qe3?? {An exchange up for nothing, almost any
move would have won, except this .} 35. Bd5+?? ( 35. Bxa8! Rxa8 ( 35. ... 
Qxf4? 36. Bd5+ {favours
White)} ) 36. Nd5 {regains the exchange and draws.} ) 35. ... Kg7 36. Qd6 
Qd2+ 37. Kg1 Re1 {Une superbe partie de défense de Manouck qui a exploité 
les petites fautes de Lecuyer. C'était également une excellente journée 
pour Manouck puisque le leader ayant perdu cette 4 me ronde, il prenait la
tête du tournoi} 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "60  Exchanging Attacking Pieces"]
[Black "Page 150"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

{A standard defensive technique is to exchange
the attacker's most dangerous pieces. In particular,
swapping queens greatly reduces the force
of most attacks. The defender should be on the
alert for any possibility to liquidate material,
even if this involves some tactics.} 
*

[Event "Calvia ol (Men)"]
[Site "Mallorca"]
[Date "2004.10.29"]
[Round "14"]
[White "Kulaots, Kaido"]
[Black "Hernandez Guerrero, Gilberto"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2597"]
[BlackElo "2509"]
[ECO "B60d"]
[EventDate "2004.10.15"]
[Annotator "Gofshtein,L"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 Qb6 7. Nb3 e6 
8. Bf4 {This way white wins a tempi compared to 8.Be3 Qc7.} 8. ... Ne5 9. 
Be3 Qc7 10. f4 Nc6 11. g4 a6 {Deserves attention an immideate strike at 
the centre with 11... d5, as the game given below shows black has enough 
counterplay.} ( 11. ... d5!? 12. e5 Nd7 13. Nb5 Qb8 14. g5 a6 15. N5d4 Qc7
16. Qf3 Nxd4 17. Nxd4 Bb4+ 18. Kf2 Be7 19. h4 Nc5 20. Kg1 Bd7 â‡„â‡„ {0-1 
Topalov,V-Smirin,I/Elenite 1994/CBM 44 (45)} ) 12. g5 Nd7 13. Bd3 {An 
immideate offense on the kingside also deserves attention as was in the 
game Malachi-Shmuter given below.} ( 13. h4!? b5 14. h5 Nb6 15. Qf3 Bb7 
16. g6 hxg6 17. hxg6 Rxh1 18. gxf7+ Qxf7 19. Qxh1 Nb4 20. O-O-O Na4 21. 
Nxa4 bxa4 22. Na5 â†‘ {0-1 Malachi,A-Shmuter,L/Israel 1996/ CBM 52 ext 
(44)} ) ( 13. Qd2 b5 14. O-O-O Be7 15. h4 Nc5 16. Bg2 b4 17. Ne2 Nxb3+ 
â‡„â‡„ {1/2-1/2 Kudrin,S-Gufeld,E/Palma de Mallorca 1989/TD (67)} ) ( 13. 
Bg2 Be7 14. h4 b5 15. Qe2 Nb6 16. Rd1 Nc4 17. Bc1 Qb6 â‡„â‡„ {0-1 
Yurtaev,L-Gufeld,E/ Helsinki 1992/CBM 32 (66)} ) 13. ... b5 14. Qd2 Bb7 
15. O-O-O Be7 16. Kb1 Rc8 {Black tries to get counterplay on the queenside
to compensate for the white activity on the kingside.} 17. h4 {White 
carries out a typical plan of attack - h4-h5 and g5-g6.} 17. ... Nc5 {
Bringing the knight in order to trade white's dangerous light squared 
bishop.} 18. h5 Nxd3 19. cxd3 O-O {Black calmly castles not fearing 
white's attack.} ( 19. ... f5!? 20. exf5 ( 20. gxf6 Bxf6 =+ ) 20. ... b4 
21. Ne2 exf5 22. Rc1 ) 20. f5 exf5 ( 20. ... b4 21. Na4 exf5 22. Nb6 â†‘ )
21. Nd5 Qd8 22. exf5 D {This position looks terrifying for Black.
Without making any sacrifice, White has advanced
all his kingside pawns to the fifth rank,
while Black's queenside play has barely got off
the ground. There's no doubt that White has a
dangerous attack, but with the correct defensive
plan Black is able to save the game.} ( 22. g6!? {Deserved serious 
attention to sacrifice the second pawn by 22.g6 opening lines on the black
king.} 22. ... fxg6 ( 22. ... h6? 23. Bxh6 â†’ ) 23. hxg6 hxg6 24. Qh2 Ne5
25. Nd4 =/& ) 22. ... Ne5!? {A typical defensive move for this position. 
Black is immideatly attacking white's strong knight.

The only decent move. The monster d5-
knight is the linchpin of White's attack and
Black has to force its exchange straight away.} ( 22. ... Re8? {for 
example, is too slow and after} 23. f6 Bf8 24. fxg7 Bxg7 25. Bb6 Qd7 26. 
Nf6+ Bxf6 27. gxf6 {the open g-file will be fatal for
Black.} ) 23. Nxe7+ {The alternative is} ( 23. Qg2 {so that an exchange
on d5 would leave the white queen in
an active position. After} 23. ... Bxd5 24. Qxd5 Bxg5 25. Bxg5 Qxg5 26. h6
g6 27. fxg6 hxg6 28. Nd2 {followed by Ne4, White has sufficient
play for the pawn but no more than that.} ) 23. ... Qxe7 {The exchange on 
e7 has not only removed a
dangerous attacking piece, but it has also left Black's bishop undisputed 
master of the long
diagonal.} 24. f6!? {White tries to get to the opponent's king. In case of
24. Rhf1 Nf3 black seizes the initiative.} ( 24. Rhf1? Bf3 ( 24. ... Nf3 
25. Qf2 Rfe8 â‡„â‡„ ) 25. f6 Qb7 26. fxg7 Rfe8 {favours Black.} ) 24. ... 
Qe6 {This defence is based on a neat tactical point.} ( 24. ... Qd7!? {is 
more ambitious but also riskier,
since after} 25. fxg7 Rfe8 26. Rhf1 Bf3 27. Nd4 Bxh5 28. Nf5 Bg6 29. Nh6+ 
Kxg7 30. Bd4 {White has enough play for the pawn} ) 25. Nd4 D ( 25. fxg7?!
Rfe8 26. Rhe1 ( 26. Nd4 Nf3 â‡„â‡„ 27. Nxe6 Nxd2+ 28. Bxd2 Bxh1 {slightly 
favours Black.} ) 26. ... Nxd3 â†‘ ) 25. ... Nf3! {Black uses tactics to 
force the exchange of
queens. Instead} ( 25. ... Qd7?! 26. Rh4 {would favour White.} ) 26. Nxe6 
{White has no choice, as} ( 26. Qf2 Nxd4 27. Bxd4 Bxh1 28. fxg7 Rfe8 29. 
Rxh1 Qe2 â‡„â‡„ {is
good for Black.} ) 26. ... Nxd2+ 27. Bxd2 fxe6 28. Rhf1 {After a serie of 
exchanges the game came to a calm, equal endgame.  The series of exchanges
has left an equal opposite-
coloured bishop endgame.} 28. ... Bg2 {Black activizes his bishop.} 29. 
Rf2 Bh3 =, quiet {Black plans to transfer his bishop to the f5 square. 
Black plans to transfer his bishop to the f5-
square.} 30. Bc3 Bg4!? {Black defends accurately. In case of 30...gxf6 
31.gxf6 white has the initiative as the next lines show.} ( 30. ... gxf6?!
31. gxf6 Kf7 32. Rg1 Rg8 33. Rg7+ Rxg7 34. fxg7+ Bf5 35. h6 â†‘ ) 31. Re1 
( 31. Rh1 Rc5!? 32. h6 gxf6 33. gxf6 Kf7 34. Rg1 Rg8 35. Bb4 Rcg5 36. Bxd6
Bf5 â‡„â‡„ ) 31. ... e5!? ( 31. ... Bf5!? {is also safe for Black.  
31...Bf5 was also possible and as the lines show black is out of danger.} 
32. Rf3 gxf6 33. gxf6 Kf7 34. Rg1 Rg8 35. Rg7+ Rxg7 36. fxg7 b4 37. Bd4 h6
=, quiet ) 32. Bb4 Rc6 33. Rc1 ( 33. h6 gxh6 34. gxh6 Bh5 35. Rc1 Rfc8 
=, quiet ) 33. ... Rxc1+ 34. Kxc1 gxf6 35. gxf6 Bxh5 36. Bxd6 Rd8 37. Bxe5
Rxd3 38. Rd2 {After the exchange of rooks the draw is inevitable.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "CHN-RUS Summit Men 6. Rapid"]
[Site "Sochi RUS"]
[Date "2009.08.21"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Vitiugov, Nikita"]
[Black "Ni, Hua"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2681"]
[BlackElo "2701"]
[ECO "D10g"]
[EventDate "2009.08.21"]

1. c4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 a6 7. Rc1 Bf5 
8. Nf3 Rc8 9. Ne5 Nxe5 10. dxe5 Ne4 11. Nxe4 Rxc1 12. Qxc1 Bxe4 13. e6 {If
White wants to make anything of this
rather dull position, he's practically forced to
go in for this pawn sacrifice.} 13. ... fxe6 ( 13. ... Qa5+ 14. Ke2 fxe6 
15. f3 Bf5 {is another
playable option} ) 14. f3 Bf5 15. Qc3 D {White has sufficient 
compensation, since
Black's pawns have been weakened and his
kingside development has been obstructed.} 15. ... h5! {Black plans ...Rg8
followed by ... g6 (or ... g5),
releasing the f8-bishop, but I5 ...Rg8? immediately
is met by 16 g4, and if the bishop moves to
g6 Black still cannot develop his kingside.} 16. Be2 Rg8 17. O-O g5 18. 
Be5 {Preventing ..Bg7, so Black seeks counterplay
by pushing the g-pawn, which also enhances
the strength of ... .Bh6.} 18. ... g4 19. e4!? {An interesting attempt to 
open lines and
sharpen the game. 19 f4 Kf7 followed by ... ..Bg7
is fine for Black, but} ( 19. f4 Kf7 ) ( 19. Rc1 Kf7 20. Qd4 {is safest,
with enough play for ,the pawn.} ) 19. ... dxe4 20. fxe4? {This looks 
correct since it opens the f-file, but
Black has some surprising defensive resources.} ( 20. Rd1! {is best, and 
after} 20. ... Qb6+ 21. Bd4 Qc6 22. Qxc6+ bxc6 23. f4 {an unclear ending 
results
in which Black has two extra pawns but a
severely damaged pawn-structure.} ) 20. ... Bxe4 21. Qe3 {White's attack 
looks very strong but Black
can defend by playing to exchange White's aggressively-
placed pieces.} 21. ... Qd5 22. Qf4 D Bh6!! {The key move. White has a 
choice between
taking the h6-bishop, capturing the rook by
Qf7+ and Qxg8 or winning the queen with
Qf7+ and Rd1, but they all fail. The net effect
of Black's move is to force exchanges by tactical
means. In addition to more conventional
methods of offering piece exchanges, the defender
should be alert to such tacticalliquidations.} 23. Qf7+ ( 23. Qxh6 Qxe5 
24. Qe3 Rg5 {is very good for
Black, as the exchange of dark-squared bishops
has removed one of White's most dangerous attacking
pieces.} ) 23. ... Kd7 24. Rd1 ( 24. Qxg8? Be3+ 25. Rf2 Qd2 {ii'd2leads to
mate
in a few moves, so White goes for the queen.} ) 24. ... Qxd1+ 25. Bxd1 Rf8
{This is the point. White must return the queen
or he is mated by ... ..Be3+ and ... Rf1 #.} 26. Qxf8 Bxf8 {The effect of 
Black's play has been to exchange
all the major pieces, leaving him two
pawns ahead in the ending. There's still some
work to do due to the doubled isolated e-pawns,
but Black won in the end} 27. h3 gxh3 28. gxh3 h4 29. Kf2 Bh6 30. Bf3 Bd5 
31. b3 Bg5 32. Ke2 Kc6 33. Bg4 Bf6 34. Bf4 e5 35. Bd2 Be4 36. Bb4 Bb1 37. 
Kd2 e4 38. a4 Bg5+ 39. Kc3 e5 40. Bf5 Bd3 41. Bf8 Bf6 42. Bb4 Kc7 43. Bc5 
Bg5 44. a5 Bf1 45. Bb6+ Kb8 46. Bc5 e3 47. Bd6+ Ka8 48. Kc2 e2 49. Bb4 Bf4
50. Be1 Bg3 51. Kd2 Kb8 52. b4 Kc7 53. Bd3 Bxh3 54. Bxg3 hxg3 55. Kxe2 Bg2
56. b5 axb5 57. Bxb5 Kd6 58. Ke3 Kc5 59. Be2 Kb4 60. a6 bxa6 61. Bxa6 Kc3 
62. Be2 Bd5 63. Bh5 Kb4 64. Bg4 Kc5 65. Be2 Kd6 66. Bg4 Ke7 67. Bf5 Kf6 
68. Bc8 Kg5 69. Bd7 g2 70. Kf2 Kf4 71. Bb5 Bf3 72. Ba6 e4 73. Bb5 e3+ 74. 
Kg1 Ke5 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "61  Avoiding Weaknesses"]
[Black "Page 152"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

*

[Event "Moscow Aeroflot op-A1"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2008.02.15"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Smirnov, Pavel"]
[Black "Romanov, Evgeny"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2599"]
[BlackElo "2543"]
[ECO "C97b"]
[EventDate "2008.02.14"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8.
 c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. d5 Bd7 13. Nbd2 c4 14. Nf1 Nb7
15. Ng3 Nc5 16. Be3 a5 17. a3 Rfb8 18. Nd2 D {White's plan is to start a 
kingside attack by f4
and Rf1. This might be followed up by playing
ttJf5, or White might prefer to play f5 followed
by g4-g5. At the moment Black's queenside
counterplay has stalled, since ... b4 is met by
axb4 followed by Rxa8 and cxb4. Black's first
task is to set up a kingside defence, but he should
also have in view eventual queenside play. Objectively
speaking, White has a slight advantage,
but he must not overestimate his attack.} 18. ... Ne8 {Note how Black 
avoids touching his kingside
pawns except when it's really essential.
Playing a move such as ... h6 not only weakens
g6 (especially if Black has to play ... f6 Iater) but
also introduces the possibility of a sacrifice on
h6.} 19. f4 Bd8! {Retreating to f8 is too passive. From here the
bishop can become active at b6.} 20. Kh2 Qc8 21. Qe2 Bb6 22. Rf1 f6 {This 
modest pawn move helps Black's defence
by reinforcing e5 and opening the second
rank for a lateral defence using his rooks.} 23. Nh5 {With ideas of Rf3-g3
and Nf3-h4, it looks
dangerous for Black, who clearly needs more
defensive pieces on the kingside.} 23. ... Qd8 24. Rf3 Bc8! {Preparing 
..Nd7-f8 to reinforce the kingside,
while clearing the second rank.} 25. Rg3?! {A pawn advance with f5 
followed by g4-g5
is a better way to continue the attack.} 25. ... Kh8 26. f5 Ra7 27. Nf3 
Nd7 28. Bd2 Nf8 {The knight arrives to cover h7 but also to
counter a possible sacrifice on g6 after Nh4.} 29. Nh4 Qe7 D {The 
culmination of Black's defensive plan.
The knights cover several important squares on
the kingside, while the rook and queen operate
along the second rank. White now realizes that
attacking solely with pieces isn't going to work,
so he plays his rook back to f3 to clear the way
for g4-g5. However, Black's queenside play,
which at one time appeared irrelevant, now assumes
a more important role.} 30. Rf3 Bc5 31. g4?! ( 31. Raf1 b4 32. Bc1 {is a 
better defence, keeping
the queenside intact for the moment.} ) 31. ... b4 32. axb4 axb4 33. Rxa7 
Qxa7 {Black is now threatening to penetrate on the
queenside with rook and queen, so White makes
a last desperate attempt to break through.} 34. g5 bxc3 35. Bxc3? ( 35. 
bxc3 Qf7 36. Rf1 Rb2 {also favours Black,
but White still has some defensive chances.} ) 35. ... fxg5 36. f6 g6 37. 
f7 Ng7 38. Nxg7 Kxg7 39. Ng2 g4 40. Rf1 gxh3 41. Nf4 Rb7 42. Qxc4 Rxf7 43.
 b4 Be3 44. Nxh3 ( 44. Nxh3 Bxh3 45. Rxf7+ Qxf7 46. Kxh3 Qf3+ 47. Kh2 Qf2+
48. Kh3 Bf4 {leads to a quick
mate.} ) 0-1

[Event "Wch women"]
[Site "Nalchik"]
[Date "2008.09.14"]
[Round "6.1"]
[White "Hou, Yifan"]
[Black "Kosteniuk, Alexandra"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2557"]
[BlackElo "2510"]
[ECO "C90c"]
[EventDate "2008.08.29"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 
8. a3 d6 9. c3 Bg4 10. d3 Na5 11. Bc2 c5 12. h3 Bd7 13. d4 Qc7 14. d5 c4 
15. Nbd2 Nb7 16. Nf1 Nc5 17. g4 D {Here we have the same general Closed 
Ruy
Lopez structure as in the previous example.
Once again White has attacking chances on the
kingside, based on Ng3, Kh2, .Rg1 and eventually
Nf5, but this time Black's method of dealing
with the danger is radically different.} 17. ... h5! {How can this be 
justified? Isn't this against
the basic rule of not playing weakening pawn
moves on the side where you are being attacked?
Indeed, if White were given a few more moves
to build up on the kingside then an advance such
as this would be suicidal. However, in this position
White's pieces are not yet in attacking positions,
while the g4-pawn is poorly defended.
This gives Black the chance to make a preemptive
strike on the kingside to fight for space
and activity. It's important to emphasize that the
decision to play like this has to be made early,
before the attacker establishes a preponderance
of pieces in the relevant sector of the board.} 18. N3h2 ( 18. gxh5 Bxh3 
19. Ng3 Bg4 {is even worse,
as White is caught in a nasty pin and the h5-
pawn is very weak.} ) 18. ... hxg4 19. hxg4 Qc8 20. f3 {This move is 
rather passive, but} ( 20. g5 Nh7 21. Qh5 g6 22. Qh4 f6 23. gxf6 Nxf6 24. 
Nf3 Rf7 {also favours Black, as the threats of 25 ... Nfxe4
and 25 ...Rh7 are very awkward. This line is another
example of how Black can seize the initiative
on the kingside before White manages to get
her own pieces into effective positions.} ) 20. ... Nh7 {Preparing ... Bg5
to exchange off the bad
bishop without the lengthy manoeuvre via d8
we saw in the previous example. Note how ineffective
the knight on h2 is.} 21. Ng3 Bg5 22. Nf5!? Qd8 23. Kg2 ( 23. Nxd6? {loses
to} 23. ... Qb6 ) 23. ... g6 24. Ng3? {This passive retreat seals White's 
fate. Having
played the aggressive tDf5, White should be
consistent and continue with the piece sacrifice} ( 24. Nxd6! Bxc1 25. 
Qxc1 Qf6 26. Nf5 gxf5 27. gxf5 {when, although White has only two pawns
for the piece, the d7-bishop is completely sealed
out of the game and it will be very difficult for
Black to exploit her material advantage.} ) 24. ... Kg7 D {Now everything 
is in order for Black. The
white knights are poorly posted and Black is
heading for domination of the kingside dark
squares.} 25. Rh1 Rh8 26. Nhf1 Qf6 27. Be3 Bxe3 28. Nxe3 Ng5 29. Qe2 Rag8 
30. Raf1 Qf4 31. Rxh8?! ( 31. Qf2 {offers more resistance, although
Black is much better in any case.} ) 31. ... Rxh8 32. Rh1 Rxh1 33. Nxh1 
Nd3 {There's no real answer to Black's threat of 34 ... Nxf3 35 Qxf3 Ne1+}
34. Bxd3 cxd3 35. Qf2 d2 36. Ng3 Nxf3 37. Qxf3 Bxg4 38. Qf2 d1=Q 39. Nxd1 
Bxd1 {Black is a pawn up with a large positional advantage.} 40. Qe1 Bf3+ 
41. Kg1 f5 42. exf5 gxf5 43. Qf2 Kg6 44. b3 e4 45. c4 bxc4 46. bxc4 Qg5 
47. c5 f4 48. cxd6 fxg3 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "62  The Defensive Sacrifice"]
[Black "Page 154"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

*

[Event "Ubeda"]
[Site "Ubeda ESP"]
[Date "1997.02.12"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Illescas Cordoba, Miguel"]
[Black "Andersson, Ulf"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2635"]
[BlackElo "2655"]
[ECO "B86"]
[EventDate "1997.02.07"]
[Annotator "Stohl"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Bc4 a6 7. O-O {This
move order limits not only Black's, but also White's possibilities.} ( {
The main alternative is} 7. Bb3 {Kasparov has been successful in the 
nineties with} 7. ... Nbd7!? {In fact even Short, against whom he used 
this move in their 1993 match, incorporated it into his repertoire.} ( {
Usual moves are} 7. ... Nc6 ) ( 7. ... b5 ) 8. f4 Nc5 9. f5 b5 10. O-O Bd7
11. Qf3 Be7 12. fxe6 fxe6 13. e5 dxe5 14. Nc6 Bxc6 15. Qxc6+ Kf7 16. Be3 
Qc8 17. Qf3 Nxb3 18. axb3 Rf8 19. Kh1 Kg8 =+ {Istratescu,A-Short,N/ 
Yerevan olm 1996} ) 7. ... Be7 ( {Now} 7. ... Nbd7?! 8. Bxe6! fxe6 9. Nxe6
=/& {/\Nd5-> is very dangerous.} ) 8. Bb3 Nc6 ( {After} 8. ... b5 {the 
main move is} 9. Qf3!? ( 9. f4 {is considered rather innocuous due to} 
9. ... O-O 10. e5 dxe5 11. fxe5 Nfd7 12. Be3 Nxe5 13. Qh5 Nc4 14. Bxc4 
bxc4 15. Rad1 Qc7 16. Rf3 g6 17. Qh6 f6 18. Rdf1 e5 19. Rg3 Bd8 20. Nf3 
Nc6 21. Bc5 Be7 22. Rxg6+ = {De Firmian,N-Ivanchuk,V/ Amsterdam 1996} ) ) 
( {This shows the cleverest move order is probably} 8. ... O-O! {after 
which White must go for the above mentioned line.} 9. f4 b5 {-8...b5 9.f4}
( 9. ... Nbd7 10. Kh1 Nc5 11. e5 dxe5 12. fxe5 Nd5 13. Nxd5 exd5 14. c3 
Nxb3 15. axb3 Qb6 16. b4 Qg6 17. Bf4 += {Illescas Cordoba,M-Malisauskas,V/
Yerevan olm 1996} ) ) 9. f4 Nxd4!? {Unusual.} ( {More topical is} 9. ... 
O-O 10. Be3 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 b5 12. e5 dxe5 13. fxe5 Ne8?! ( 13. ... Nd7 14. 
Ne4 Bb7 15. Nd6 Bxd6 16. exd6 Qg5 17. Qe2 a5! ( 17. ... Kh8!? 18. Rad1 Qg6
19. c4 bxc4 20. Bxc4 f5 21. Bc3 f4 22. Bd3 f3 23. Qf2 Qh5 24. Qg3 e5 25. 
gxf3 Bxf3 26. Rde1 Rae8 27. Re3 Bc6 28. Rfe1 Qf7 ~ {Illescas Cordoba, 
M-Polgar,J/ Dos Hermanas 1997} ) 18. a4 b4 19. c4 ( 19. Bc4 Rac8 20. Rf2 
Rc6! 21. Bxe6 Rxd6 =+ ) 19. ... bxc3 20. bxc3 Ra6 21. Rf2 Rxd6 22. Qb5 
Qxb5 23. axb5 e5 24. Ba7 Rd3 25. Rd1 Rxd1+ 26. Bxd1 Ra8 27. Bb3 Nf6 28. 
Bb6 a4 29. Ba2 Nd5 30. Bc5 Nxc3 31. Rxf7 Bd5 32. Bxd5 Nxd5 33. Rd7 Nf6 34.
 Rc7 a3 35. Bxa3 Rxa3 36. b6 Ne4 37. Kf1 Nd6 38. Rd7! = {Riemersma,L-Van 
der Wiel,J/ NED-ch 1995} ) 14. Ne4 Bb7 15. Qd3 Qc7 16. c3 Rd8 17. Bc2 Bxe4
18. Qxe4 g6 19. b4! Ng7 20. g4! â†’ {() Short,N-Kasparov,G/ Amsterdam VSB 
1996} ) 10. Qxd4 O-O 11. f5!? ( {More usual is} 11. Kh1 {/\f5} ) 11. ... 
Kh8? {><Kh8 Black relies on the solidity of his K-side and wants to 
achieve piece counterplay without th normal Sicilian b5. But the text 
wastes a tempo, moreover the K will be misplaced on h8.} ( 11. ... Qc7 âŒ“
{/\d5} 12. Kh1 b5 13. Bg5 Rb8 14. a3 Ng4!? 15. Qd1?! Bxg5 16. Qxg4 Qe7 17.
 fxe6 Bxe6 18. Bxe6 fxe6 19. Ne2 Bf6 20. c3 Be5 =+ {Feigin,S-Serdt/ 
Pardubice op 1996} ) ( 11. ... b5 {Ftacnik} 12. Kh1 Rb8 ( 12. ... Qc7 13. 
Bg5 Ng4 ( 13. ... Rb8 14. a3 ( 14. Rad1 Rb6 15. Ne2 Kh8 16. fxe6 fxe6 17. 
Nf4 d5 18. e5 Bc5 19. Qc3 Ne4 20. Qh3 Nxg5 21. Qh5 Nf7 22. Ng6+ Kg8 23. 
Nxf8 Bxf8 {Grane,E-Gonzalez Garcia,J/Mar del Plata KIM/ 1961/0-1 (58)} ) 
14. ... h6 15. Bh4 Qb6 16. Qd3 a5 17. fxe6 Bxe6 18. Bxe6 fxe6 19. Qh3 Kf7 
20. Rad1 Qc6 21. Rd3 Rbe8 22. Qg4 Bd8 23. e5 dxe5 24. Ne4 {1-0 Mariano, 
N-Wang Yaoyao/Beijing Lee Cup (08)/1995 (28)} ) 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. Rad1 Rd8
16. Rd3 Qa7 17. h3 Qxd4 18. Rxd4 Ne5 19. fxe6 fxe6 20. Nd5 Ra7 21. Nb6 Rf7
22. Rfd1 Nc4 23. Nxc4 bxc4 24. Bxc4 {1-0 Martin,T2-Kordts,W/BL2-S 
8990/1990 (28)} ) ( 12. ... Ng4 13. Bf4 ( 13. Qd1 Ne5 14. a4 Rb8 15. axb5 
axb5 16. Ne2 exf5 17. exf5 Nc4 18. Ng3 Bf6 19. Nh5 Re8 20. Qg4 Bb7 21. 
Bxc4 bxc4 22. Nxf6+ Qxf6 23. Bg5 Qxb2 24. f6 Re4 25. Bf4 Qxf6 {0-1 
Strauss,A-Loginov,V/Oberwart op (02)/1994 (32)} ) 13. ... b4 ( 13. ... Rb8
14. h3 e5 15. Qd1 Nf6 16. Bg5 Nxe4 17. Nxe4 Bxg5 18. Qh5 Bf6 19. Rad1 Rb6 
20. Bd5 Kh8 21. Bxf7 Qc7 22. Bd5 b4 23. Rd3 {Georgescu, V-Gheorghiu,F/ 
ROM-ch 1977/ 0-1 (46)} ) 14. Na4 e5 15. Qd1 Nf6 16. Bg5 Nxe4 17. Qd5 Bxg5 
18. Qxa8 Nd2 19. Rf2 Be3 20. Re2 Bf4 21. Qd5 Nxb3 22. Qxb3 Qh4 23. h3 Bxf5
{1/2-1/2 Dekic,J-Sax,G/Budapest Spring op (03)/1996 (42)} ) ( 12. ... b4 
13. Qxb4 d5 14. Qd4 dxe4 15. Qxd8 Rxd8 16. fxe6 Bxe6 17. Bf4 Rac8 18. Rae1
Bc4 19. Bxc4 Rxc4 20. h3 h6 21. Re2 {Stisis,Y-Bates,R/Witley (03) 
1996/1/2-1/2 (50)} ) 13. a3 ( 13. fxe6 fxe6 14. Bg5 b4 15. Ne2 Rb5 16. Bd2
a5 17. Nf4 Re5 18. Rae1 g5 19. Nh3 h6 20. c3 Bb7 {1/2-1/2 
Sarapu,O-Suradiradja,H/ Buenos Aires olm 1978} ) 13. ... a5 14. Qd3 ( 14. 
fxe6 fxe6 15. e5? dxe5 16. Qxe5 Ng4! â–³ -/+ 17. Bxe6+? Kh8! ) 14. ... Bd7
15. fxe6 fxe6 16. Bf4 b4 17. axb4 axb4 18. Ne2 Kh8 19. e5 dxe5 20. Bxe5 
Bb5 21. Bc4 {1/2-1/2 Minasian,A2-Serper,G/Kstovo op (03)/ 1994 (29)} ) 12.
 Kh1 Bd7 13. Bg5 ( {The central tension is in White's favour, relieving it
only helps Black.} 13. fxe6 fxe6 14. e5?! dxe5 15. Qxe5 Ng4 â†‘ ) 13. ... 
Qa5 ( 13. ... e5 {Ftacnik} 14. Qd3 Bc6 15. Rad1 +/- ) 14. Rad1 ( {The pawn
is rather unappetizing.} 14. Bxf6?! Bxf6 15. Qxd6 Rad8 â†‘ ) 14. ... Rad8 
( 14. ... exf5 15. exf5 Bxf5? 16. Nd5 Nxd5 ( 16. ... Bg6 {Ftacnik} 17. 
Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Rxf6 +- ) ( 16. ... Be6 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Nxf6 Bxb3 19. axb3
+- ) 17. Rxf5 +- ) 15. Qd3 â†‘ exf5!? {Thus Black solves the problem with 
protecting e6 and activates his Bd7, but on the other hand also Bb3 
becomes more potent.} ( 15. ... b5 {Ftacnik} 16. a3 Qb6 17. Bf4 +/- ) 16. 
exf5 Bc6 17. Qd4?! {A critical moment. White loses an important tempo.} ( 
17. Rfe1? Ng4! = ) ( 17. Qh3! âŒ“ {/\ R d4 (f4)-h4->} 17. ... d5 ( 17. ...
 Rde8 18. Rd4 Ne4!? ( 18. ... Ng8? 19. Rh4 h6 20. Rxh6+! Nxh6 21. Bxh6 Kg8
( 21. ... gxh6 22. Qxh6+ Kg8 23. Rf4 +- ) 22. Qg4 Bf6 23. Bxg7! +- ) 19. 
Nxe4 ( 19. Rxe4!? ) 19. ... Bxe4 20. f6! âŒ“ ( 20. Bxe7?! Rxe7 21. f6 ( 
21. Qh4 Qe5 22. Re1? Bxg2+ ) 21. ... gxf6 22. Qh4 ( 22. Qh6? Rg8! 23. 
Qxf6+ Rg7 24. Qxe7 Bxg2+ 25. Kg1 Bh3+ -+ ) 22. ... Qe5 23. Rxe4 Qxe4 24. 
Qxf6+ Kg8 = ) ( 20. Rxe4 Bxg5 21. Rxe8 Rxe8 22. Bxf7 Re1 += ) ( 20. Bd2?! 
Qe5 21. Bc3 Bf6 22. Re1? Qf4 ) 20. ... Qxg5 ( 20. ... Bxf6 21. Bxf6 gxf6 
22. Qh4 f5 ( 22. ... Qe5? 23. Rxe4! +- ) 23. Qf6+ Kg8 24. Rxd6 â†’ ) ( 
20. ... gxf6 21. Rxe4 Qxg5 ( 21. ... fxg5 22. Qe3 ) 22. Rh4 {/\} 22. ... 
Qg6? 23. Rg4 +- ) 21. fxg7+ Qxg7 22. Rxe4 +/- {->^-><>> Black's chances to
survive in this position are rather small.} ) ( 17. ... Ng8 18. Bxe7 Nxe7 
19. f6 ( 19. Rd4? Bd7! = ) 19. ... gxf6 20. Rxf6 Rg8 21. Rf2 +/- {><P} ) (
17. ... Qc7? 18. Rd4 Ne4 ( 18. ... Ng8 19. Rh4 h6 20. f6 â†’ ) 19. Nxe4 
Bxe4 20. f6 gxf6 21. Bh6 f5 22. Bxf8 Rxf8 23. c3 Rg8 24. Bd5 +- ) 18. Rf4!
( {White needs his R on the d-file at the end.} 18. Rd4 Rfe8 19. Rh4 Kg8 
20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Rxh7 Kf8 â‡„â‡„ ) 18. ... Kg8 19. Rh4 Rfe8 ( 19. ... h6 
20. Bxh6 gxh6 21. Rxh6 Kg7 22. Rd3 Rg8 23. Rg3+ Kf8 24. Rh8! +- ) ( 
19. ... Ne4? 20. Nxe4 dxe4 21. Rf1! Bxg5 22. Rxh7 Bh6 23. Rxh6 gxh6 24. 
Qxh6 {/\f6+-} 24. ... Qd2 â–¡ 25. Qg6+ Kh8 26. Qh5+ Kg8 27. f6 +- ) 20. 
Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Rxh7 Kf8 22. Rh8+ Ke7 23. Rxe8+ Kxe8 24. Qd3 â†‘ {White has 
extra tempi compared to the position, which later arose in the game. This 
gives him an advantage.} ) 17. ... d5 {><Bb3} 18. Qh4 ( 18. Rfe1 Qc7 â–¡ (
18. ... Qb4? 19. Bxf6 ) ( 18. ... Rfe8? 19. Rxe7! ( 19. Rxe7 {Ftacnik} 
19. ... Rxe7 20. Bxf6 +- ) ) ( 18. ... Qc5 {Ftacnik} 19. Bxf6 gxf6 20. 
Bxd5 +- ( 20. Qxc5 Bxc5 21. Bxd5 Bb4 22. Bxc6 Bxc3 23. bxc3 bxc6 24. Kg1 
+/- ) ) 19. Qh4 Rfe8 â‡„â‡„ ) 18. ... Rfe8! 19. Rd3 D {White clearly has a
dangerous attack on the
kingside, with 20 Rh3 being an immediate danger.
It would be easy to panic at the prospect of
mate on h7, but Andersson reacts with extraordinary
coolness.} ( 19. Rfe1 {Ftacnik} 19. ... Qc5 20. Re5 Ne4!! 21. Bxe7 ( 21. 
Rxe4 dxe4 22. Rxd8 Qxf5 ( 22. ... Rxd8 23. Bxe7 Qxf5 24. Bc4 ) 23. Rxe8+ 
Bxe8 24. Qf4 Qxg5 25. Qxg5 Bxg5 26. Nxe4 Be7 ) 21. ... Nf2+ 22. Kg1 Nh3+ 
23. Kf1 Qg1+ 24. Ke2 Qxg2+ 25. Ke3 d4+ 26. Rxd4 Qxh2 27. Rxd8 Qxe5+ 28. 
Kd2 Rxd8+ 29. Bxd8 Ng1! ~ ) 19. ... Qc5! {Black is prepared to offer his 
h-pawn to nullify
White's attack, and he uses the spare tempo
to bring his queen to a more central position.} 20. Rh3 Kg8!! â–¡ {This is
forced, since 20 ... h6?? loses at once
to 21 Bxh6, but it's still a remarkable idea.

This move is of course forced, the exclamation marks are for the amazing 
defensive concept. Andersson had to foresee at least when he played 
18...Rfe8! that he can evacuate his K from the danger zone and the Ph7 
will not be so significant.} ( 20. ... h6? 21. Bxh6 +- {/\Bg7} ( 21. Bxh6 
{Ftacnik} 21. ... Ng8 22. Bg5+ Nh6 23. f6 +- ) ) 21. Bxf6?! {Ambitious and
very logical.} ( {But it seems it was already time to bail out with} 21. 
Rg3! âŒ“ {/\Bf6} 21. ... Kh8! â–¡ ( 21. ... Ne4? 22. Nxe4 dxe4 23. Bxe7 {
/\f6+-} ) ( 21. ... Rd6 22. Bh6 g6 ( 22. ... Bf8 23. Bxg7 Bxg7 24. Qg5 â†’
) 23. Bg5 â†’ ) ( 21. ... Kf8? 22. Bh6! +- ) 22. Rh3 = ) ( 21. Re1 h6! {/\
} 22. Bxh6? Ne4! 23. Bg5 Nf2+ -+ ) 21. ... Bxf6 22. Qxh7+ Kf8 =/& {Black 
has a strong ^^, his pieces are suddenly well coordinated. White has 
permanent problems with his back rank, this will cause his loss in the 
end.

It turns out that White's attack has collapsed
since Black's king can easily run away to e7
and d7, while White's queen and rook are left
isolated on the h-file. Black, on the other hand,
has two good bishops and a well-centralized
position. White must also take care because he
has only one rook defending his back rank.} 23. Qh8+ {This preliminary 
check is designed to block
the e-file, since after} ( 23. Qh5!? Re5! =/& {/\Rde8,<->e} ( 23. ... Qf2?
24. Qh8+ Ke7 25. Qxe8+ +- ) ) ( 23. Rd3 Re5! â†‘ ( 23. ... d4?! 24. Qh5 
Rd7 ( 24. ... g6 25. Qh7 ) 25. Qh8+ Ke7 26. Re1+ Be5 27. Qh4+ {/\Ne4} ) ) 
23. ... Ke7 24. Qh5 ( 24. Re1+? {loses at once to 24  - Ftacnik} 24. ... 
Kd7 -+ ) 24. ... Rd7! ( 24. ... d4?! 25. Qxf7+ Kd6 26. Rd3! {/\} 26. ... 
Qxf5? 27. Rxd4+! +- ) ( 24. ... Kd7?! {rather unnecessarily allows} 25. 
Bxd5 {although even this isn't so clear after} 25. ... Kc8 {However, the 
move played makes
more sense since it allows the king to cross to
the queenside behind the rook.} ) 25. Re1+? {><Kh1 Decisively weakens the 
back rank.} ( 25. Rd3 âŒ“ d4 ( 25. ... Kd8 26. Rdd1!? ( 26. Nxd5? Bxd5 27.
 Bxd5 Rxd5 28. Rxd5+ Qxd5 29. Rd1 Kc8! -+ ) 26. ... d4 â†‘ ( 26. ... Re5!?
) 27. Ne2 ( 27. Bxf7? Ree7 28. Qh8+ ( 28. Be6 Rxe6 -+ ) 28. ... Kc7 29. 
Be6 Rd8 -+ ) 27. ... g6 â†‘ ) 26. Re1+ Kd8 27. Rxe8+ Kxe8 28. Be6 Rc7 ~ ) 
( 25. Na4!? ) ( 25. Ne2 Bb5! ( 25. ... Kd8 26. Nf4 += ) ) ( 25. Na4 {
Ftacnik} 25. ... Qa5 ) 25. ... Kd8 26. Rxe8+ ( 26. Qd1 Rxe1+ 27. Qxe1 d4 
â†’ {/\} 28. Ne4? Qe5 -+ ) 26. ... Kxe8 D 27. Qh8+?! {Going the wrong way,
as the queen will be
needed to defend the back rank.} ( 27. Nd1 Re7 -+ ) ( 27. Qd1 âŒ“ â–¡ {is 
relatively
best, although after} 27. ... Kd8! -/+ {/\d4} ( 27. ... d4?! 28. Ne2 ( 28.
 Rh8+ Ke7 29. Qe2+ â‡„â‡„ Qe5 30. Qxe5+ Bxe5 31. Nd1 d3 32. c3 Kf6 {is 
very good for Black} ) 28. ... Qxf5 {Black regains the pawn with a 
definite
advantage thanks to his active bishops.} ) ( 27. ... Kd8 {Ftacnik} 28. Qd2
+/- ) ) 27. ... Ke7 -+ 28. Nd1? {Now it's allover.} ( 28. Rf3 d4 29. Rf1 
dxc3 30. Re1+ Be5 31. Qxg7 Kd8! -+ {The back rank motive repeats itself 
all the time.} ) ( 28. Qh5 {was the last chance
to resist, but even here} 28. ... Kd8 29. Qd1 d4 30. Ne2 Qxf5 {leaves 
Black a tempo up over the
previous note.} ) 28. ... d4 {Threatening ... Qe5 followed by a back-rank
mate.} ( 28. ... Rd8 {Ftacnik} 29. Re3+ ( 29. Qh5 Re8 ( 29. ... Kf8 30. 
Re3 Kg8 ) 30. Re3+ Kd8 31. Rxe8+ Bxe8 += ) 29. ... Qxe3 30. Qxd8+ Kxd8 31.
 Nxe3 Bxb2 32. Bxd5 Bxd5 33. Nxd5 Kd7 += ) 29. Qg8 ( 29. Qh5 Qe5! -+ ) 
29. ... Qe5! ( 29. ... Qxf5! {Ftacnik} 30. Kg1 ( 30. Qxf7+ Kd6 ( 30. ... 
Kd8 31. Qf8+ Kc7 ) 31. Qc4 Qg4 -+ ) 30. ... Qg4 -+ ) 30. Qxf7+ Kd8 ( 
30. ... Kd6? 31. Qe6+ ) 31. Rh8+ ( 31. Qe6 Re7! 32. Rh8+ Kc7 33. Qxe5+ 
Rxe5 -+ {wins a piece.} ) 31. ... Kc7 32. Qe8 ( 32. Re8 Qxf5 33. Qc4 d3! 
34. Re1 Qg5 35. Re4 ( 35. Ne3 d2 -+ ) ( 35. Rg1 {Ftacnik} 35. ... Bd4 -+ )
35. ... b5 36. Qb4 Bxe4 37. Qxe4 Re7 38. Be6 Qd2 -+ ) ( 32. Qe6 {Ftacnik} 
32. ... Re7! 33. Rc8+ Kb6 34. Qxe5 Rxe5 -+ ) 32. ... Qxf5 33. Qe1 {Black 
also wins after} ( 33. Kg1 Qg4 -+ {/\Qg2#,Qd1} ) 33. ... Re7 34. Qg3+ ( 
34. Qg1 Re2 -+ ( 34. ... Bxg2+!? ) ( 34. ... Bxg2+ {Ftacnik} 35. Kxg2 Qg4+
36. Kf2 Qe2+ 37. Kg3 Be5+ 38. Kh4 Qf3 39. Kg5 Bf6+ 40. Kg6 Qe4+ 41. Kh5 
Re5+ -+ ) ) 34. ... Kb6 35. Bc4 âŠ•âŠ• ( 35. Kg1 Re2 -+ ( 35. ... d3 {
Ftacnik} 36. c3 ( 36. Qf2+ Qxf2+ 37. Kxf2 Re2+ 38. Kg3 dxc2 -+ ) 36. ... 
Qc5+ 37. Kf1 d2 -+ ) ) 35. ... Qxc2 36. Bb3 ( 36. Bb3 Qxg2+ ( 36. ... Re1+
37. Qxe1 Qxg2# ) 37. Qxg2 Re1# ) 0-1

[Event "MNT Team Ch"]
[Site "Herceg Novi MNE"]
[Date "2008.08.28"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Miladinovic, Igor"]
[Black "Lajthajm, Borko"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2571"]
[BlackElo "2513"]
[ECO "D00b"]
[EventDate "2008.08.25"]

1. d4 d5 2. c3 c6 3. Nf3 Bf5 4. Bf4 Nd7 5. e3 Qb6 6. b3 e6 7. Bd3 Bxd3 8. 
Qxd3 Ngf6 9. Nbd2 c5 10. Ne5 Nxe5 11. dxe5 Nh5 12. h4 Nxf4 13. exf4 h5 14.
 O-O Be7 15. Nf3 g6 16. Rad1 O-O-O 17. b4 Rd7 18. Rb1 cxb4 19. a3 b3 20. 
Nd4 b2 21. a4 a6 22. a5 Qxa5 23. Rxb2 Rc7 24. Rb3 Bxh4 25. Rfb1 Re8 26. 
R1b2 Bd8 D {In the prC?vious example, the defensive sacrifice
consisted of a mere pawn, but sometimes a
more substantial investment can be made in the
interests of fending off an attack. Larger defensive
sacrifices become more likely if the attacker
has already given up some material.

Black has two extra pawns, but White has a
dangerous attack along the b-file.} 27. Qb1 Ree7! {An excellent choice. 
Not, however,} ( {A crucial moment. Black can force a draw by} 27. ... Kd7
28. Rxb7 Qxc3 29. Qd1 Rxb7 30. Rxb7+ Bc7 31. Qa4+ Kc8 32. Ra7 Qc1+ 33. Kh2
Qxf4+ 34. Kg1 {but can he play for a win?
By giving up his queen, Black eliminates the
danger to his king and steers the game into an
ending in which he has winning chances without
any risk.} ) ( 27. ... b5? 28. Ra2 Qb6 29. Qa1 {and Black loses.} ) 28. 
Nb5 {There is nothing better than to play to win
the queen, since otherwise Black consolidates
his extra material by playing ... Qc5.} 28. ... axb5 29. Ra2 Rxc3 {Forced,
since} ( 29. ... Qb6? {loses to} 30. Rxb5 Qc6 31. Rb6 Qc5? 32. Ra8+ Kd7 
33. Rd6+ ) 30. Rxa5 Bxa5 31. Rxc3+ Bxc3 32. Qxb5 {The upshot of Black's 
sacrifice is that material
equality is more or less restored, but with
only his queen left, White's attack has vanished,
and the most he can hope for is perpetual check.
However, it is not so easy to achieve this.} 32. ... d4 33. Qc5+ Kd8 D 34.
 Kf1 {If White continues checking, he still runs
into trouble:} ( 34. Qd6+ Rd7 35. Qf8+ Kc7 36. Qc5+ Kb8 37. Qf8+ ( 37. Kf1
Rd5 38. Qf8+ Ka7 39. Qxf7?! d3 40. Qxe6 Ra5 {also wins for
Black} ) 37. ... Ka7 38. Qc5+ Ka6 {after} 39. Qc8 ( 39. Qc4+ Kb6 40. Qb3+ 
Kc5 41. Qa3+ Bb4 {the
checks run out} ) 39. ... Rd5 40. Qc7 d3! 41. Qxc3 d2 42. Qa1+ Kb5 43. 
Qb1+ Kc6 44. Qc2+ Kd7 45. Qa4+ Kd8 46. Qd1 b5 47. Kf1 b4 48. Ke2 Ke7 {now 
White can only move his pawns
since a king move is met by ... b3)} 49. g3 Rd7 50. f3 Rd5 {White is in a 
fatal zugzwang} 51. g4 h4 {and Black wins} ) 34. ... Rd7 35. Qf8+ Kc7 36. 
Qc5+ Kb8 37. Qf8+ Ka7 38. Ke2 ( 38. Qc5+ Ka6 39. Qc8 Rd5 40. Qc7 d3 41. 
Qc4+ Kb6 42. Qxc3 d2 43. Qb3+ Kc7 44. Qd1 b5 45. Ke2 Kd7! {and Black wins 
as in the previous note.} ) 38. ... d3+ 39. Kd1 Rd5 {Black's king is now 
safe and there is no way
White can prevent Black from playing ... d2 followed
by the transfer of his rook to the first rank.} 40. Qc8 Ba5 41. Qc4 d2 42.
 g3 Kb6 43. Qb3+ ( 43. Qa4 g5! 44. fxg5 Rc5 45. Qd4 Kb5 46. Qd7+ Ka6 47. 
Qd3+ Ka7 48. Qd4 b6 49. Qd7+ Ka6 {Black wins because now} 50. Ke2 {can be 
met by} 50. ... Rxe5+ ) 43. ... Rb5 44. Qd3 Rd5 45. Qb3+ Kc6 46. Qa4+ ( 
46. Qa4+ Kc7 47. Qe8 Kb6 48. Qe7 ( 48. Qa4 g5! {transposes to the previous
note} ) 48. ... Rd4 49. Qe8 Bb4 {followed by ... Rc4.} ) 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "63  Coolness under Fire"]
[Black "page 156"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

*

[Event "73. Tata Steel GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2011.01.18"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2722"]
[BlackElo "2715"]
[ECO "D87i"]
[EventDate "2011.01.14"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5
8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Na5 11. Bd3 b6 12. Qd2 e5 13. Bh6 cxd4 14. 
cxd4 exd4 15. Rac1 Bb7 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. f4 Rc8 18. f5 D {This position 
appears very dangerous for
Black. White threatens to play f6+ followed by
Qh6, creating typical mating ideas at g7 or h7.
Nor can Black prevent the pawn's advance,
since 18 ... f6? loses material after 19 Nf4. Nevertheless,
by keeping a cool head Black can not
only defend but even put White under pressure.} 18. ... Rxc1 {When 
defending, it's usually a good idea to
swap off pieces even if you can't see a concrete
line in which the exchange proves useful. In this
case, the rook exchange helps Black because
later he can obtain counterplay by checking with
his queen on c5 or on White's first rank.} 19. Qxc1 Nc6 {Black will need 
his knight to help defend} 20. f6+ Kh8 21. Qg5 {White cannot play for mate
at once; for example,} ( 21. Rf3 Ne5 22. Rh3 Qxf6 ) ( 21. Qh6 Rg8 22. Rf3 
Qf8 23. Qg5 Qc5 24. Qh6 Qh5 {and
the attack is repulsed in both cases. Playing the
queen to g5 defends the f6-pawn, and so threatens
Rf3-h3 (or Rf4-h4). Moreover, in many
lines White is able to play e5 to include the d3-
bishop in the attack.} ) 21. ... Qd6! D {The only move not to lose by 
force. Passive
defence is hopeless; for example,} ( 21. ... Rg8? 22. Rf4 Qf8 23. Rh4 {(23
... Bc8 loses to 24 g4
followed by Rh3 and Qh4} 23. ... Nb4 24. Nf4 Nxd3 25. Nxd3 Bc8 26. Ne5 {
threatening 27 Qh6} 26. ... Be6 27. Nf3 {and there is no defence against
28 Rxh7+ Kxh7 29 Qh4+ Qh6 30 Ng5+.

When defending, it's important not to playa
passive move such as ...Rg8 voluntarily; you
should wait until it is forced. The move played
prevents e5 by White and puts the queen where
it can either retreat to f8, if necessary, or develop
counterplay by moving to b4 or a3.} ) 22. Ng3? {White threatens 23 Nf5, 
but this is easily
countered and then the knight proves to be
poorly placed. The best line is} ( 22. Rf4! Re8! {making sure that e5 is 
controlled} 23. Rh4 Qf8! ( 23. ... Kg8? 24. Ng3 Bc8 25. Nh5 Qb4 26. h3 {
gives White a winning attack} ) 24. Nf4 Ne5 25. Nh3 ( 25. Bb5?! d3 26. 
Nxd3 Nxd3 27. Bxd3 Kg8 28. h3 Re6! 29. Kh1 Qd8 30. Qh6 Qxf6 31. Qxh7+ Kf8 
32. Qh6+ Ke7 33. Rf4 Qe5 {favours
Black due to White's weak e-pawn - this line is
an example of returning material to defuse the
attack} ) 25. ... Nd7 26. Qf4 Qg8 27. Ng5 h5 28. Rxh5+! ( 28. g4? Ne5 29. 
Bb5 Rc8! 30. Qxe5 Rc5 {is good for Black} ) 28. ... gxh5 29. Nh7 Kxh7 30. 
Qf5+ Kh6 31. Qf4+ {with perpetual check.} ) 22. ... Rg8! {Suddenly the 
attack collapses. The only aggressive
move is 23 Rf4 but then 23 ... Qc5! 24
Qh6 Qc1 + 25 Bf1 d3 followed by ... Qe3+ and
... d2 wins for Black. The pin along the c1-h6 diagonal
totally paralyses White's attack.} 23. Bc4 Ne5 24. Bb3 d3 25. h3 Ba6 26. 
Rf4 d2 27. Kh2 Qc5 28. h4 Nd3 29. e5 Nxf4 30. Ne4 Ne6 31. Bxe6 Qc6 32. 
Bxf7 d1=Q 0-1

[Event "Galatzi GP Open"]
[Site "Galatzi"]
[Date "2007.05.13"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Lupulescu, Constantin"]
[Black "Nanu, Costica-Ciprian"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2565"]
[BlackElo "2509"]
[ECO "B14s"]
[EventDate "2007.05.08"]

1. e4 c6 2. c4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. cxd5 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nxd5 6. Nf3 e6 7. d4 Bb4
8. Qc2 Nd7 9. Bd3 Qc7 10. O-O Nxc3 11. bxc3 Qxc3 12. Qb1 Bd6 13. Bd2 Qc7 
14. Rc1 Qd8 15. Bg5 Qa5 D {White has made a correct pawn sacrifice; his
large lead in development more than compensates
for the pawn. Nevertheless, he should act
quickly or Black will play ... h6 and ... 0-0, reducing
White's immediate attacking chances.} 16. d5! {Opening the position while 
Black's king is
still in the centre. Now it would be easy for
Black to lose quickly, but by keeping calm he
denies White a forced win.} 16. ... Ne5 ( 16. ... Qxd5? {losing to} 17. 
Be4 Qa5 18. Bxb7 Bxb7 19. Qxb7 Rb8 20. Rc8+ {However,} ) ( 16. ... exd5 
17. Bf5 Nb6 18. Bd2 Qa4 {is possible,
when White has the choice between} 19. Bxc8 ( 19. Bc2 Qa6 20. Ng5 Be6 21. 
Bxh7 Nc4 22. Bc3 O-O-O 23. Bxg7 {with a slight advantage for White in a 
complicated
position.} ) 19. ... Rxc8 20. Rxc8+ Nxc8 21. Qxb7 O-O 22. Qxd5 {with a 
positional edge, or} ) 17. Bb5+ Kf8 {Forced, since} ( 17. ... Bd7? {loses 
to} 18. Bxd7+ Nxd7 19. Qxb7 ) 18. Nd4 exd5 ( 18. ... a6? {is bad due to} 
19. dxe6 axb5 20. Qf5 {now White is threatening 21 e7+)} 20. ... Bxe6 21. 
Nxe6+ Kg8 22. Nxg7 {and the attack breaks
through.} ) 19. a4? {The plan of developing the rook via a2 is too
slow. The correct continuation is} ( 19. Qb3! Be6 20. Re1 Qb6 21. Be3 Qd8 
22. Nxe6+ fxe6 23. Bd4 {when White's threats against Black's vulnerable
king are more important than the two extra pawns. After the move played, 
Black has
time to organize his defences.} ) 19. ... h6 20. Bh4 Qb4 21. Qc2 D {This 
was White's idea:} 21. ... g5 {Giving the black king some air with gain of
tempo. 21...Bg4! is also very strong.} ( 21. ... Qxd4?? {loses to} 22. 
Qxc8+ Rxc8 23. Rxc8# {However, not all
sacrifices have to be accepted.} ) 22. Bg3 Qxd4 23. Rd1 Nf3+! {The danger 
is not yet over. If Black defends
passively by, for example,} ( 23. ... Qb6? 24. Rxd5 f6 25. a5 Qc7 26. Qd2 
Ke7 27. Rc1 Qb8 28. Rd1 {gives White at least enough compensation
for the piece.} ) 24. gxf3 Qf6 25. Rab1 ( 25. Bxd6+ Qxd6 26. Bc4 Be6 27. 
Qb2 Kg8 28. Qxb7 Rb8 29. Qxa7 {regains the pawns, but
after} 29. ... Rb4 30. Qa6 Qc5 31. Be2 Qc7 32. Rac1 Qe5 {Black has a large
advantage due to
White's weakened kingside; the immediate
threat is 33 ...Rh4.} ) 25. ... Bxg3 26. fxg3 Be6 27. Be2 Rc8 28. Qd3 b6 
29. Qa6 Rc7 30. a5 Kg7 31. axb6 axb6 32. Rxb6 Rd8 {Black has consolidated 
his position and is a
pawn up with more active pieces. He won easily:} 33. Rb4 d4 34. Qd3 Rc3 
35. Qb1 d3 36. Rxd3 Bf5 37. Rb6 Bxd3 38. Bxd3 Rcxd3 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "64  Running with the King"]
[Black "Page 158"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

*

[Event "RUS Team Ch"]
[Site "Dagomys"]
[Date "2008.04.02"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Korchnoi, Viktor"]
[Black "Sakaev, Konstantin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2598"]
[BlackElo "2649"]
[ECO "D47h"]
[EventDate "2008.04.02"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 
8. Bd3 Bd6 9. a4 b4 10. Ne4 Nxe4 11. Bxe4 Bb7 12. Nd2 O-O 13. Nc4 Be7 14. 
b3 Rc8 15. Bb2 Ba6 16. Qc2 Nf6 17. Bd3 c5 18. Rd1 Qc7 19. dxc5 Qxc5 20. 
O-O h6 21. Bd4 Qc7 22. Qe2 Rfd8 23. Rc1 Qb8 24. h3 Bb7 25. Qb2 Qa8 26. f3 
Rd5 {White has a slight advantage. His pieces are
well placed on central squares and the secure
outpost on c4 provides a useful jumping-off
point for his forces. By contrast, Black's lineup
on the long diagonal is not very effective due
to the pawns on g2 and f3. A simple move such
as 27 Rfdl would maintain White's edge, but
instead he embarks on a plan to penetrate with
his queen to h7.} 27. Bb1 Rcd8 28. Qc2 Kf8 {Black responds to White's plan
by edging
his king away from the threatening check on
h7. Up to this point White has not made a mistake;
lining up his queen and bishop has cost a
little time, but he hasn't made any irrevocable
commitment.} 29. Bxf6? {But this is totally wrong. White, it is true, gets
his queen to h7, but it turns out that this doesn't
create any serious threat. On the other hand, the
concessions White makes with this move are serious:
the d-file is opened for Black's rooks,
White forfeits the two bishops, and the c3-
square, which hadn't hitherto been relevant, now
becomes a splendid outpost for Black's darksquared
bishop. 29 Ne5 is much better, when
White can still claim an advantage.} 29. ... Bxf6 30. Qh7 {This sets up 
various threats, such as 31 Be4
R5d7 32 Nd6 Rd6 33 Rc7 R6d7 34 Bxb7
Qb8 35 Rxd7 Rxd7 36 Qh8+. Unfortunately for Korchnoi, the threats can all 
be countered
by one simple response.} 30. ... Ke7! {Black's king moves out of the 
danger zone
and at the same time he prevents 31 Be4 due to
3l ... Rh8, trapping the queen. Suddenly it is obvious
that the queen is doing nothing on h7, so
Korchnoi brings it back to c2.} 31. Qc2 D {White's plan hasn't really 
inconvenienced
Black, while he has gravely weakened his own
position.} 31. ... Rc5?! ( 31. ... Ba6! {is even stronger, threatening ...
Bc3
followed by ... Bxc4 and ... Rd2.} ) 32. Rfd1 Bd5 33. Qe2 Bxc4 34. Rxc4 
Rxd1+ 35. Qxd1 Rxc4 36. bxc4 Qc6 {The liquidation has left White in 
serious
trouble. His queenside pawns are weak and his
bishop passively placed, while Black has a dangerous
passed pawn.} 37. Qb3 Qd6 38. Bd3 a5 39. f4 g5 {Black pursues the strategy
of creating a second
target by playing to expose White's king.} 40. g3 h5 41. Qc2 Qc5 42. Kf2 
h4 {Undermining the pawn-chain.} 43. Qd2 b3 44. fxg5 hxg3+ 45. Kxg3 Qxg5+ 
46. Kf3 b2 47. Qh2 Qh5+ 48. Kg2 Qc5 49. Qg1 Qd6 50. Be4 Qd2+ 51. Qf2 Qc1 
52. Qc2 Qxe3 53. c5 Bd4 54. c6 f5 ( 54. ... f5 55. c7 ( 55. Bd3 Qg1+ 56. 
Kf3 b1=Q 57. Qxb1 Qf2# ) 55. ... Qg1+ 56. Kf3 b1=Q 57. Qxb1 Qf2# ) 0-1

[Event "4. AD San Juan GM"]
[Site "Pamplona ESP"]
[Date "2010.07.24"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Fressinet, Laurent"]
[Black "Lopez Martinez, Josep Manuel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2697"]
[BlackElo "2543"]
[ECO "E92h"]
[EventDate "2010.07.24"]

{Sometimes even large-scale king-marches are
possible. These tend to be of a prophylactic nature;
in other words, a player is neutralizing the
opponent's attacking chances in advance.} 
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e4 d6 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3 c6 8. 
d5 Ng4 9. Bg5 f6 10. Bh4 Na6 11. O-O Qe7 12. a3 c5 13. Ne1 Nh6 14. Nd3 Bd7
15. b4 b6 16. f3 Nf7 17. Bf2 Rfc8 18. Qb3 Nc7 19. Rab1 f5 20. Qa2 f4 21. 
bxc5 bxc5 22. Bd1 Ne8 23. Ba4 Nf6 24. Rb7 Nd8 25. Bxd7 Nxb7 26. Bxc8 Rxc8 
27. Bh4 Nd8 28. Qb3 h6 29. Bxf6 Bxf6 30. Rb1 h5 31. Qa4 g5 32. Qa6 Ra8 33.
 Nf2 Qd7 34. h3 Kg7 D {White has a clear advantage since his pieces
are actively placed and he controls the b-file,
while Black's bishop is bad and his only possible
counterplay by ... g4 has been prevented. But for
the moment Black is holding on and White cannot
make direct progress since he cannot break
down Black's defences unless he uses the f2-
knight by, for example, ttJb5 followed by Nd3-
b2-a4-b6 or Nd3-c1-b3-a5-c6. The problem is
that as soon as the knight leaves f2, Black will
play ... g4, generating active play against White's
poorly-defended kingside and freeing his bishop
to move to h4. The solution is simple: White
must first evacuate his king from the vulnerable
kingside and only then put the f2-knight to use.} 35. Kf1 {The march 
starts.} 35. ... Be7 36. Ke2 Kf7 37. Kd2 Rc8 38. Kc2 Ra8 {While the knight
is on f2, Black cannot undertake
any positive action so he just waits.} 39. Rb5 ( 39. Kb2? {is wrong 
because Black can free his
position by exchanging rooks, so first the rook
must move up the b-file to allow the king to
cross behind it.} ) 39. ... Rc8 40. Qa4 {This doesn't achieve anything, 
but it also
doesn't harm White's position. Black can only wait, so it doesn't matter 
if White loses some
time.} 40. ... Ra8 41. Qa6 Kf8 42. Rb3 Kf7 43. Kb2 {On a2 the king will be
totally secure.} 43. ... Kf8 44. Ka2 Kf7 45. Nb5 Kf8 {Everything is ready 
for the f2-knight to join
the rest of White's forces on the queenside.} 46. Nd3 Kf7 47. Rb1 Kf8 {
With White's king safe on the queenside,
opening lines by ... g4 only helps White; here} ( 47. ... g4? {loses to} 
48. hxg4 hxg4 49. Rh1 ) 48. Rb2 D Nf7 49. Nc3 Nd8 50. Rb1 Rc8 51. Nb5 Ra8 
52. Nb2? {This is wrong and gives Black a defensive
chance.} ( 52. Nc1 {is correct, heading for c6; after} 52. ... Nf7 ( 
52. ... g4 53. hxg4 hxg4 54. Nb3 gxf3 55. gxf3 Qb7 56. Nxc5 Qc8 57. Qxc8 
Rxc8 58. Na6 Rxc4 59. Kb3 Rc8 60. Rh1 Kg8 61. Kb2 {followed by Rc1 is 
extremely unpleasant for
Black)} ) 53. Nb3 Bd8 54. Na5 Bxa5 55. Qxa5 Nd8 56. Qa6 {Black is under 
strong pressure, although
there is as yet no forced win for White.} ) 52. ... Nf7? {Too passive.} ( 
52. ... Qb7! {exploits the temporary
obstruction of the b-file to relieve much of
the pressure on Black's position.} ) 53. Na4 Bd8?! 54. Nbc3?! {Missing an 
instant win by} ( 54. Nxd6! Nxd6 ( 54. ... Qxd6 55. Qb7 ) 55. Nxc5 Qe7 56.
 Ne6+ {followed by c5, but the move played is also sufficient
since Black cannot prevent Rb7.} ) 54. ... g4 55. hxg4 hxg4 56. Rb7 Qc8 
57. Nb5 Bb6 58. Nxb6 axb6 59. Qxb6 gxf3 60. gxf3 Kg8 61. Nc7 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "65  Counter - Attack"]
[Black "Page 160"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

*

[Event "Las Palmas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2730"]
[BlackElo "2750"]
[ECO "B81g"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Annotator "JvR"]
[PlyCount "46"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. g4 h6 8. 
f4 b5 9. Bg2 Bb7 10. g5!? {White has adopted a sharp line which depends
on a quick g5-g6 to break open the
defences to Black's king. This is a very dangerous
plan, and objectively it is the right choice,
but it is not without risk since the pawn advance
not only takes time, but also removes some of
the pawns that would normally defend White's
king. So long as White can maintain his initiative,
Black will not be able to exploit this factor,
but if the initiative falters, the empty space left
by the pawns' advance will allow Black to
launch a vicious counter-attack.} ( {Known is} 10. a3 Nbd7 11. g5 {from 
Shirov-Van Wely, Tilburg 1996.} ) 10. ... hxg5 11. fxg5 b4! 12. Na4 Nh5? (
{Risk takes} 12. ... Nxe4?! 13. Qg4 d5 14. Bxe4 ( 14. O-O-O {(Shamkovich).
} ) 14. ... dxe4 15. O-O-O {with a very dangerous attack.} ) ( {Properly 
defends} 12. ... Nfd7! 13. g6 Qh4+ 14. Kd2 Qe7 ) 13. O-O Nd7 D 14. g6! 
Nhf6 {This is forced as Black cannot allow White's
knight to land on e6.} 15. c3 Ne5 ( 15. ... bxc3? {loses to } 16. gxf7+ 
Kxf7 17. Qb3 {as both b7 and e6 are attacked. (Ftacnik).} ) 16. gxf7+ Kxf7
17. cxb4 {White has won a pawn, and Black's king remains
in an exposed position, so up to this point
the game has run in White's favour. With an accurate
follow-up, he could have consolidated his advantage, but Ivanchuk 
underestimated
the danger of a counter-attack.} 17. ... Rh4! {Black counters.} 18. Qb3 ( 
18. Bf4! {is a simpler way of meeting the attack
on e4, after which Black is struggling.} ) 18. ... Qe8 19. Rac1? {The 
threat of Rc7+ is less dangerous than it
appears.} ( 19. Bf4 Rg4 20. Rae1 {consolidates the advantage.} ) ( 19. Rf4
{maintains a healthy
advantage.} ) 19. ... Bxe4 20. Rc7+? {Consistent, but the best line is} ( 
{Useful exchanges are made in} 20. Rf4 Rxf4 21. Bxf4 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 Nd5 23.
 Bg3 {restricting
Black to a slight advantage.} ) 20. ... Kg8 21. Nxe6 {It all looks good 
for White since he has finally
conquered the e6-square and threatens a
discovered check with his knight.} ( 21. Qxe6+ Qxe6 22. Nxe6 Rg4 23. Rf2 
Nd5 {(Ivanchuk).} ) 21. ... Rg4! D {A horrible shock for White. His 
discovered
checks tum out to be harmless, and it is Black's
counter-attack which proves deadly. This is a
perfect example of a common situation: aggressive
double-edged play is fine so long as you can
maintain the initiative, but if your opponent has a
respite from the threats, the counter-attack is
likely to strike with deadly force.} 22. Rxf6 {Ivanchuk expects to deliver
mate.  There is no defence; for example} ( 22. Nf4+! d5! 23. Nc3 Bxg2 ( 
23. ... Nf3+ 24. Kf2 Rxg2+ 25. Nxg2 Ng4+ 26. Kg3 Nxe3 27. Nxe3 Qe5+ ) 24. 
Nxg2 Nc4! -+ ) 22. ... Rxg2+ 23. Kf1 ( {But he is mated in} 23. Kh1 Rg3+ 
24. Rf3 Bxf3# ) 23. ... Qb5+ {After 24 Rc4 almost any move wins; for 
example,
24 ... gxf6 or 24 ... Qxc4+.} 0-1

[Event "Szirak Interzonal"]
[Site "Szirak"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "17"]
[White "Marin, Mihail"]
[Black "Ljubojevic, Ljubomir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2475"]
[BlackElo "2625"]
[ECO "D36j"]
[EventDate "1987.07.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. Qc2 Be7 7. e3 Nbd7 
8. Bd3 Nf8 9. Nge2 Ne6 10. Bh4 g6 11. O-O-O O-O 12. Kb1 Bd7 13. f3 Rc8 14.
 g4 b5 15. Nf4 a6 16. Nce2 Ne8 17. Bf2 D {This position is roughly 
balanced. White has
attacking chances on the kingside, while Black
can create queenside counterplay by preparing
... c5. White's immediate threat is to play h4-hS,
and Black takes steps to delay this advance.} 17. ... Bh4 18. Bg3 N8g7 {
For the moment White has no real threats, so
Black uses the time to improve the position of
his pieces. From g7 the knight can come to e6
in the event that the other knight is exchanged.
It also clears the way for the rook to move to e8.
It's not easy for Black to start his counterplay
because ... cS leaves the d-pawn hanging, but
improving his piece placing will enhance his
counterplay when it does finally start.} 19. Qd2 Re8 20. Qe1 {White kicks 
the bishop away from h4 to
clear the way for the h-pawn's advance.} 20. ... Bf6 {The bishop will be 
well-placed on the long
diagonal when ... c5 finally comes.} 21. Qf2 Qe7 22. h4 {White's attack 
gets under way. When faced
with an attack on the king, it's important to assess
the danger posed by the enemy attack objectively;
above all, don't panic! Here White
intends hS followed by hxg6 and Qh2, and in
addition there is the immediate threat of g5 trapping
the bishop. The first step is to get the knight
away from g7 so as to give the bishop some air.} 22. ... Nxf4 23. Bxf4?! {
This appears natural, but it is probably better to
change tack and continue} ( 23. exf4 c5 ( 23. ... Ne6?! 24. f5 {is awkward
} ) 24. dxc5 Qxc5 25. Qxc5 Rxc5 26. Bf2 {when White's control of d4 gives 
him
some endgame advantage} ) 23. ... Ne6 24. g5 {Now White faces a tricky 
choice, as} ( 24. Bg3 c5 {gives Black decent counterplay, so White
prefers to allow the exchange of the f4-bishop.} ) 24. ... Nxf4 25. Nxf4 
Bg7 26. Rde1 D {Since the last diagram, the situation has
changed in Black's favour even though his
counter-attack hasn't actually started. The g7-
bishop is a good defender of the kingside, so
even if White penetrates with his queen to h7 it
will not be mate.} 26. ... Qd6 {Defending d5 and so preparing ... cS, 
while
also covering g6 to prevent a sacrifice there.} 27. h5 c5 {Thanks to 
Black's careful preparation, his
counter-attack carries considerable force.} 28. hxg6 hxg6 29. Qh4 cxd4 30.
 exd4? {It is essential to block the long diagonal by
30 e4 to prevent the dark-squared bishop from
participating in an attack on b2. In this case the
position would be roughly level.} 30. ... Rxe1+ {Now everything goes wrong
for White. One
of his attacking pieces is deflected from the hfile,
while Black is able to target b2.} 31. Rxe1 Bxd4 32. Nxg6 ( 32. Rh1 Bg7 
33. Qh7+ Kf8 {also wins for
Black.} ) 32. ... Qb4! {Defending d4 and at the same time threatening
mate. White's position collapses.} 33. Re2 fxg6 34. Qh6 Bxb2 0-1

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "66 Don t Panic!"]
[Black "Page 162"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

*

[Event "Yangon zt"]
[Site "Yangon MYA"]
[Date "1998.12.14"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Adianto, Utut"]
[Black "Sharavdorj, Dashzegve"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2610"]
[BlackElo "2385"]
[ECO "A26"]
[EventDate "1998.12.??"]
[Annotator "Ribli"]

{From time to time you will face totally unexpected
moves; for example, your opponent may
make a sacrifice which you had overlooked.
Many players panic when surprised and make
mistakes which lose positions that could still be
saved or even won. If you were winning before,
don't dwell on the missed opportunities but focus
on the current position and reassess it. Do
you still have an advantage? If not, perhaps now
would be a good time to look for a route to a
draw. Above all, keep your head and stay calm.} 
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O O-O 5. c4 d6 6. Nc3 e5 7. d3 ( 7. d4
{Dieser Zug führt zu Königsindischen Hauptvarianten nach 7...Nbd7 oder 
7...Nc6 (Uhlmann-Variante). Ribli.} ) 7. ... Nc6 8. Rb1 a5 {Es ist 
notwendig für Schwarz so zu spielen, sonst bekommt Wei mit 9.b4 freie Hand
am Damenflügel.} 9. a3 Re8 ( 9. ... h6 ) ( 9. ... Nd4 ) 10. Bg5 {Wei 
möchte den Läufer auf f6 tauschen und mit folgendem Nd5 nebst b2-b4-b5 die
Initiative am Damenflügel erringen.} ( 10. Nd2 Bg4 11. b4 axb4 12. axb4 
Qd7 13. b5 Nd8 14. Re1 Bh3 15. Bh1 c6 = {Ortega-Boudy Cuba ch 1985} ) 
10. ... h6 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. b4 axb4 13. axb4 Bg7 ( 13. ... Nd4?! 14. Nd2 
+= {Gelfand,B-Anand,V/Linares/1991/CBM22/INF51,32/ Der schwarze Springer 
steht unglücklich auf d4 und im folgenden kann Wei ihn mit e3 vertreiben.}
) 14. b5 ( 14. Nd2 Nd4 ( 14. ... Ne7!? ) 15. b5 Ra3 16. Nb3 h5 17. Nd5 c6 
18. bxc6 bxc6 19. Nxd4 exd4 20. Nb4 c5 21. Nd5 Bg4 22. Bf3 Bh3 23. Re1 Qa5
24. Ra1 Rb8 25. Rxa3 Qxa3 26. Qa1 {1-0 Gavrjushin,O-Krapivin,V/Perm 1997/ 
CBM 58 (72)} ) 14. ... Nd4 {Meines Erachtens wäre der andere Springerzug 
besser für Schwarz, denn jetzt mu er mit Doppelbauern spielen.} ( 14. ... 
Ne7 15. Qc2 ( 15. Qb3 Be6 16. Nd2 c6 17. Rfc1 d5 = {
Georgiev,Ki-Akopian,V/Tilburg/1993/ CBM39/} ) ( 15. Ne1 {Ribli} 15. ... c6
16. Nc2 Be6 17. Nb4 Qd7 18. Qb3 Red8 = {Anastasian,A-Akopian,V Erevan 1988
CBM 8} ) ( 15. Nd2?! e4! 16. Qc2 e3! 17. fxe3 Nf5 18. Nd1 h5! {0-1 
Vaganian,R-Lautier,J/Manila 1990/CBM 19/ (57)} ) 15. ... c6 16. Nd2 Be6 ( 
16. ... d5 17. bxc6 bxc6 18. Rfc1 Be6 19. Na4 Qd6 20. Nb6 Ra7 ( 20. ... 
Rab8!? ) 21. e4 Rd8? ( 21. ... dxe4 22. Nxe4 Qc7 23. Nc5 Nf5 = ) 22. cxd5 
cxd5 23. exd5 Nxd5 24. Bxd5! Bxd5 25. Nc8 {1-0 Vaganian,R-Gallagher,J/ 
Biel 1994/CBM 43/[Ribli] (66)} ) 17. bxc6 bxc6 18. Rb7 ( 18. Rfc1 ) 
18. ... d5 19. Rfb1 e4 20. cxd5 cxd5 21. Nb5 Rc8 22. Qa4 ( 22. Rc7 exd3 
23. exd3 Qd7 24. Nf3 Rxc7 25. Qxc7 Rc8 26. Qxd7 Bxd7 27. Nbd4 Nf5 28. Nxf5
Bxf5 29. Rd1 Rc3 {0-1 Andersson,U-Shirov,A/Monte Carlo 1997/CBM 57 ext 
(46)} ) 22. ... exd3 23. exd3 Nc6 24. Nf3 Bf5 25. Bf1 Re7 26. Rxe7 Qxe7 
27. Rc1 {1/2-1/2 Andersson,U-Akopian,V/ Ubeda 1997/CBM 58 (33)} ) 15. Nxd4
( 15. e3 Nxf3+ 16. Bxf3 Ra3 17. Rb3 Rxb3 18. Qxb3 Bh3 19. Rd1 Qc8 20. Rd2 
Kh7 21. Ra2 Qf5 22. Qd1 Rb8 23. Ra7 Qc8 24. Nd5 Qd8 25. Nb4 {1-0 
Holmqvist,G-Ljungberg,R/SVE-chT 9596 1996/EXT 98 (41)} ) 15. ... exd4 16. 
Nd5 += {Wei entfaltet spürbaren positionellen Druck auf der langen 
Diagonalen, während der g7-Läufer nicht besonders gut steht. } 16. ... Ra2
( 16. ... Ra3 17. Bf3 Bd7 18. Qc1 Ra2 19. Nb4 Ra5 20. Qd2 Qc8 21. Rfe1 Kh7
22. h4 Ra4 23. Qf4 f5 24. Bg2 Qa8 25. Qf3 Qa5 26. Nd5 Ra2 27. Kf1 Bc8 28. 
Nf4 Re5 29. Rbd1 Qa3 30. Nd5 Qc5 31. Ra1 Rxa1 32. Rxa1 c6 33. bxc6 bxc6 
34. Nf4 Bd7 35. h5 â†‘ {1/2-1/2 Gratka,K-Renet, O/Koszalin 1997/CBM 59 ext
(49)} ) 17. Re1 ( 17. Bf3 ) 17. ... Bg4 ( 17. ... Bd7!? 18. Nb4 Ra7 19. b6
cxb6 20. Nd5 Ra6 21. Nb4 Ra7 =, quiet ) ( 17. ... c6? 18. bxc6 bxc6 19. 
Nb4 +/- ) 18. Bf3 h5 ( 18. ... Bxf3 19. exf3 Rxe1+ 20. Qxe1 += {Der wei e 
Springer steht viel aktiver als der schwarze Läufer. } ) 19. Nb4 Ra7 20. 
Bxg4 hxg4 21. b6! {Unter zeitweiligem Bauernopfer erringt Wei die 
Initiative am Damenflügel.} 21. ... cxb6 ( 21. ... Ra3 22. bxc7 Qxc7 23. 
Nd5 +/- ) 22. Nd5 Ra5 ( 22. ... Ra6 23. Qb3 ) 23. Nxb6 ( 23. Rxb6?? Rxd5 
-+ ) 23. ... Rh5 {Die einzige Rettungschance für Schwarz liegt im Angriff 
am Königsflügel.} 24. Nd5 Be5 25. e3! Rg5 ( 25. ... dxe3 26. Nxe3 +/- ) 
26. Rxb7 +/- {Wei hat einen Bauern mehr und der kleine schwarze Druck 
stellt keine vollwertige Kompensation dar.} ( 26. exd4 Bxd4 27. Rxe8+ Qxe8
28. Rxb7 +/- ) 26. ... Kg7!? D {White has a winning position since he has
an extra pawn, a superb dS-knight and an active
rook on the seventh. His only concern is possible
black counterplay down the h-file.} 27. e4 {The simplest win if followed 
up correctly.} ( 27. exd4 Bxd4 28. Rxe8 Qxe8 29. Re7 +/- ) 27. ... Rh8 {
White has to take care, since. Black even
threatens to gain the advantage by 28 .. Rxh2!
29 Kxh2 Qh8+ 30 Kg1 Qh3.} 28. f4?? {A serious error allowing Black a 
surprising
sacrifice. White could have won by} ( 28. h4! gxh3 29. Qf3 {which totally 
neutralizes Black's counterplay.
After} 29. ... Qf8 30. Ra1 {followed by Raa7 Black's position collapses.} 
) 28. ... Rxh2!? {This must have been quite a shock for White.
It's easy to follow one mistake with a second
one, so the first thing White should do is see if he can at any rate draw.
Indeed, after} ( 28. ... gxf3 29. Qxf3 Rf8 30. Rf1 Qe8 31. Re7 +- ) 29. 
Re2!? {In diesem Fall ist die Ablehnung des Opfers die beste Möglichkeit 
für Weiss.  

Objectively speaking, White has no advantage,
but this forces Black to find the right reply.} ( 29. Kxh2 Qh8+ 30. Kg1 ( 
30. Kg2 {also draws:} 30. ... Qh3+ 31. Kf2 Qh2+ 32. Kf1 Qxg3 ) 30. ... Rh5
â‡„â‡„ ( 30. ... Qh3 31. Rb2 Rh5 32. Rg2 +- ) 31. Rf1 Rh1+ 32. Kf2 Qh2+ 
33. Ke1 Qxg3+ 34. Kd2 Qg2+ 35. Qe2 Qxf1 36. Qxf1 Rxf1 37. Ke2 ( 37. fxe5??
g3 ) 37. ... Rxf4 38. Nxf4 Bxf4 {drawn ending results. The next step is to
see if
there is a route to an advantage. Failing that, at
least White should look for a way to force
Black to play accurately.} ) 29. ... Rh3 ( 29. ... Rxe2 30. Qxe2 +- ) 30. 
Rg2 Rgh5! D 31. Kf2? {Der wei e König ist in Sicherheit.

Black continues accurately and now White
should acquiesce to a draw by} ( 31. Qxg4 Qa5 32. Qe2 Qa1+ 33. Kf2 Rh2 34.
 Kf3 Rxg2 35. Qxg2 Qd1+ 36. Qe2 Qh1+ 37. Qg2 ) 31. ... Rh1? {Missing a win
by} ( 31. ... Qa8! 32. Rb2 Rh2 33. fxe5 dxe5 {when White has no defence 
against
... 'iIi'h8 with a lethal attack down the h-file.} 34. Qxg4 ) 32. Qxg4 +- 
{Having overlooked a win, it is now Black
who must avoid panicking, but he fails.} 32. ... Qa8? {This would have won
last move, but is now
too late. A draw was still available by} ( 32. ... Bf6 33. Qe6 +- ) ( 
32. ... Qa5! 33. Qe2 Bf6 34. Nc7 Qa4 35. Ne6+ Kg8 36. Rb8+ Kh7 37. Rb7 Kg8
{with repetition.} ) 33. Qd7 {Black is helpless; for example, 33 ... Qa2+ 
34
Kf3 Rf1+ 35 Kg4 Qxg2 36 Qxf7+ mating} ( 33. Qd7 Qa2+ 34. Kf3 Rf1+ 35. Kg4 
Qxg2 36. Qxf7+ Kh8 ( 36. ... Kh6 37. Qh7# ) 37. Qf8# ) 1-0

[Event "Linares 22nd"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "2005.02.23"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Black "Adams, Michael"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2757"]
[BlackElo "2741"]
[ECO "E37"]
[EventDate "2005.02.23"]
[Annotator "Tyomkin,D"]

1. d4 {This game was Veselin's first step to his triumph in Linares 2005- 
the best tournament in his life.} 1. ... Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5
5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 Ne4 7. Qc2 e5 8. e3 ( 8. cxd5 {1-0 
Kasparov,G-Adams,M/Linares 2005/CBM 106_01 (54)} ) 8. ... exd4 9. cxd5 
Qxd5 10. Nf3 Nd6 11. Nxd4 Bd7 12. f3 Nc6 13. Nxc6 Bxc6 14. a4 N {A new 
move but not a new idea. Atalik introduced the idea to bring the queenside
rook to the game in 1992, first playing Be2 and only then a4. The way of 
Atalik seems stronger since on 14.a4 black has a strong reply.} ( 14. Be2 
f5?! ( 14. ... O-O += ) 15. a4 O-O-O 16. b4 Qe6 17. Ra3 Kb8 18. Rc3 Bd5 
19. b5 ( 19. Rxc7 Bb3 20. Qc3 Rc8 =/& ) 19. ... g5 20. O-O g4 21. e4 ( 21.
 fxg4 Be4 22. gxf5 Nxf5 23. Bd3 Rxd3 24. Rxd3 Rg8 25. Rf2 +/- ) 21. ... 
gxf3 ( 21. ... fxe4 22. fxg4 +/- ) 22. exd5 Qxe2 23. Rfxf3 Qxc2 24. Rxc2 
+= Rhe8 25. Bf4 Re4 26. Bxd6 cxd6 27. Rxf5 Rxa4 28. Kf2 Rd7 29. Rf8+ {1-0 
Atalik,S-Kotronias,V/Mangalia 1992/EXT 97} ) 14. ... Qh5! {This move 
refutes Topalov's idea- white can't complete the development without 
weakening his kingside pawn chain.} 15. Be2 {15.Bd3 is objectively 
stronger, but black can reach a draw there.} ( 15. Bd3 Qh4+ 16. Qf2 Qb4+ 
17. Qd2 Qh4+ {would lead to a move repetition.} ) 15. ... Qh4+ {White is 
forced to weaken his kingside pawn structure with g3 move.} 16. g3 Qh3 17.
 Kf2 O-O-O {White lags in development, but has some strategical 
advantages, like a pair of bishops advantage as well as a pawn mass in the
centre. Black must play aggresively to exploit his advantage in 
development.} 18. Ra3 ( 18. b4 Rhe8 19. b5 Ne4+ ( 19. ... Bd5 20. a5 Ne4+ 
21. Kg1 Nxg3 {-see 19...Ne4 line;} ) 20. Kg1 ( 20. fxe4 Bxe4 ) 20. ... Bd5
21. a5 Nxg3 22. hxg3 Qxg3+ 23. Kf1 Be6 {and black has at least a draw.} ) 
18. ... Rhe8 19. Bf1 Qe6 20. Be2 D {Here Veselin was ready for a draw 
(20...Qh3 would lead to a second repetition), while Mickey has different 
plans for this game- black is obviously better and has an attack on black 
king.

White's position looks very bad. Material is
equal, but Black's pieces are perfectly centralized,
while White's forces are disorganized and
his king is exposed. It would be easy to panic in
the face of Black's obvious initiative, but Topalov
realizes that at the moment Black cannot
penetrate White's defences. It is curious that
even with best play Black can only secure a
modest advantage.} 20. ... g5! -/+ {strong move, since after ... g4 Black 
will
open the long diagonal for his bishop and secure
e4 for his knight.

White doesn't have a good way to prevent g5-g4. Veselin's position didn't 
look very promising at this point. Hard to believe that white will be 
winning in seven moves from now without any big blunders from black.} 21. 
Rf1 {White cannot prevent ... g4 so he at least
brings his rook into play and opens the possibility
of retreating his king to the relative safety of
g1.} 21. ... g4 22. fxg4 Qh6?! {First inaccuracy by Mickey.} ( 22. ... Qd5
âŒ“ {looks natural, but then } 23. Ke1 {offers
good defensive chances, while} ( 23. Bd3 Kb8 ( 23. ... Re6 24. Ke1! ) ( 
23. ... Qf3+ 24. Ke1 Qxg4 25. Rc3 {with some counterplay.} ) 24. Ke1 ( 24.
 Rc3 Ne4+ 25. Bxe4 Rxe4 -/+ ) 24. ... Ne4 25. b4 Qe6 26. b5 Bd5 {with very
strong idea c5 to open the c-file for black's attack in case of en 
passant.} ) ) ( 22. ... Ne4+ 23. Kg1 Ng5 ( 23. ... h5 24. Rf4 Ng5 25. Kf1!
) 24. h4 Ne4 25. Kh2 {and white's position is defendable.} ) ( {The 
correct approach is } 22. ... h5! 23. gxh5 Qh3 24. Ke1 f5 {although even 
here the success
of Black's attack is far from assured.} ) 23. Kg1 Qh3 24. Bd3 Ne4 ( 
24. ... Qxg4 25. Rc3 {is also satisfactory for
White. The move played, threatening an immediate
sacrifice on g3, looks very strong and
it is hard to imagine that White will be able to
survive with his queenside pieces out of play. However, White keeps a cool
head and finds
an excellent defensive plan.} ( 25. Rf4 Qh5 26. Rc3 {intending RxBc6 with 
sufficient counterplay.} ) ) 25. Rf4! Nxg3! 26. Rc3! D {With a big threat 
RxBc6 then Ba6 and mating attack. Despite of the upset in the opening, 
Topalov continues to fight, and does it the toughest way. Not, of course,

The move played is remarkable since, despite
the accumulation of enemy pieces on the
kingside, Black doesn't have a major threat, the
knight in particular having nowhere useful to
go. White, on the other hand, now threatens to
eliminate the dangerous c6-bishop by Rxc6 and
then launch a winning attack by  Ba6+.} ( 26. hxg3?? Rxd3 27. Rxd3 Qh1+ 
28. Kf2 Qg2+ {when Black wins at
once.} ) 26. ... Re6? {This move, which looks so logical (prevents Rxc6 
threat of white as well as white may transfer it to a kingside via 6th 
rank) actually loses a game! 26... Rxd3 was the only move to keep an 
initiative, but white manages to escape there anyhow.

Taken aback by White's resourceful defence,
Black panics and makes a losing mistake. The
correct line is } ( 26. ... Rxd3! 27. Rxd3 Rg8 {I suppose Mickey 
overlooked this winning move in his calculations, but unfortunately for 
black it doesn't give him more than a draw if white defends perfectly.} ( 
27. ... f5 28. Rc3 Be4 29. Qf2 Rd8 30. Bd2 Nh1 31. Qe2 {and black's attack
goes to nowhere.} ) 28. e4! {the toughest defense.} 28. ... Bxe4 29. Rxg3 
( 29. Rxf7 Ne2+! 30. Kf2 Qxh2+ 31. Ke1 {only move} 31. ... Qh1+ ( 31. ... 
Bxd3 32. Qxd3 Qh4+ 33. Kxe2 Qxg4+ 34. Rf3 {black has no more than 
perpetual check.} ) 32. Kxe2 ( 32. Kd2? Qh6+! 33. Kxe2 Bxd3+ 34. Qxd3 Qe6+
-+ ) 32. ... Qg2+ 33. Kd1 ( 33. Rf2 Qxg4+ 34. Ke1 Qg1+ 35. Rf1 Qg6 36. Bf4
c6 37. Ke2 Rf8! ) 33. ... Qxg4+ 34. Kd2 Qg5+ 35. Ke1 Qh4+ 36. Qf2 Rg1+ 37.
 Kd2 Qxf2+ 38. Rxf2 Bxd3 39. Kxd3 Rxc1 40. Rf8+ Kd7 41. Rf7+ Kc6 42. Rxh7 
Kb6 {but I am not sure that black wins here.} ) 29. ... Qxg3+ 30. hxg3 
Bxc2 31. Rxf7 {and this ending is just a draw;} ) 27. e4! +- {with a big 
threat Bf1 and RxN then. Now Rc3 and Bc1 join the party, as well as e3-e4 
move restrics Bc6 and Re6 of black. Black is in serious trouble now.

This was White's other idea. The long diagonal
is blocked, and White's queenside pieces
can enter the game. The immediate threat is 28 Bf1 followed by Rxg3.
27 Nh5
There's no good reply.} 27. ... Nh5 {There is simply no good way....} ( 
27. ... Rxe4 28. Bf1! {still
wins for White.} 28. ... Re1 29. Rxg3 +- ) 28. Bc4 {One more precise more 
by Topalov. 

Now Black faces a decisive loss of material.
He struggles on for some time, but White makes
no mistake.} 28. ... Qh4 29. Bxe6+ fxe6 30. gxh5 Qxh5 31. Rd3 {White is up
a rook and black doesn't have forces to attack white king. The game is 
actually over.} 31. ... Rg8+ 32. Rg3 Rd8 33. Be3 e5 34. Rf1 h6 35. b4 {
Veselin was in some time trouble here, but it didn't prevent him from 
making good moves.} 35. ... a6 36. b5 axb5 37. axb5 Bxb5 38. Rg7 c6 39. 
Qa2 Ba6 40. Qe6+ Kb8 41. Qd6+! {Final accord. Mate in three is 
unpreventable.} 1-0

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pawn Structure"]
[Black "Page 164"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

{Queens, rooks, bishops and knights have considerable mobility and their 
positions on the board can
change from move to move, but pawns are different. They can only move 
slowly and easily become
blocked, so that the pawn-structure often stays the same for a significant
portion of the game. Because
the pawn-formation is a long-term feature, it is often the main factor 
when it comes to forming a plan.
For example, if White has pawns on c4, d5 and e4, and Black has pawns on 
c7, d6 and e5, then
White's natural plan will be to aim to play c5, opening lines on the 
queenside, while Black usually
aims for ... f5. As always in chess, such principles are not absolute and 
there are always exceptions,
but when thinking about possible plans, the pawn-structure usually 
provides a clue to the correct idea.
The first few sections deal with various types of pawn-weaknesses, 
starting with isolated pawns.
It's true that any sort of pawn-weakness is a handicap if all other things
are equal, but in practice all
other things are generally not equal. Players normally accept 
pawn-weaknesses only if they acquire
some sort of compensating advantage, and then it's not so much a question 
of how weak the pawns
are, as how substantial the compensation is. For the sake of simplicity, 
textbooks often take clearcut
examples in which the pawn-weakness is the only significant feature of the
position, but in real
life things tend not to be so simple. Bu Xiangzhi-Guseinov (page 166) is 
similar to the standard
textbook examples. Black acquires an isolated f-pawn, which is not only 
weak in itself but also offers
White an excellent square for his knight in front of the pawn. This is 
typical of isolated pawns,
since the square in front of such a pawn cannot be attacked by 
neighbouring pawns, and so can provide
the opponent with a useful outpost. On the other hand, A.Kovaliov-Nakamura
(page 167) is a
case in which Black's piece activity was allowed to develop to the point 
where it was far more important
than his isolated pawn.
The isolated queen's pawn (usually called just IQP) is an important 
special case since it can arise
from many different openings. In this case the isolated pawn is a 
potential weakness, but is often
balanced by piece activity and attacking chances. Rodshtein-Zifroni (page 
168) shows the bright
side of the IQP, with White's attack crashing through, but 
Rodshtein-Yakovenko (page 169) illustrates
how an IQP can prove a serious handicap if the compensating piece activity
dries up.
If White has pawns on c4 and d4, but no pawns on the b- or e-files, and 
Black has no c- or d-pawns,
then White's pawns are called hanging pawns. They share some similarities 
with isolated pawns, because
they cannot be supported by friendly pawns from adjacent files, but unlike
an isolated pawn,
there is no safe square for the enemy pieces in front of them. This gives 
the pawns more dynamic potential
than an isolated pawn, but they may still become weak. In particular, if a
pawn exchange leads
to the disappearance of one of the hanging pawns, then the other one will 
be isolated. MamedovAndreikin
(page 170) shows the dark side of hanging pawns, while in Kramnik -Gelfand
(page 171)
Black's hanging pawns provide the springboard for a rapidly-developing 
initiative.
Doubled pawns are very often genuine weaknesses, but even here the 
situation may not be clear.
In Ivanchuk-Topalov (page 172), Black's doubled pawns had both positive 
and negative aspects and
he could have equalized, but an error led to his central pawns coming 
under pressure which was eventually
fatal. In Perunovic-Brkic (page 173), White acquired doubled and isolated 
pawns, supposedly
the worst case, but the active play he obtained meant that the weak pawns 
were never an issue.
In many openings, one side surrenders the two bishops in order to inflict 
doubled pawns on the
opponent. Once again, there is no general rule to determine whether this 
is a good idea. In Miyasaki-
Torre (page 174), it was clearly a bad idea for White to exchange on a6, 
as Black obtained easy
and quick development, and plenty of open lines for his pieces. 
Rozentalis-M.Pi'ibyl (page 175) is
an example of the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. In this opening, 
White's chances have traditionally
been thought to lie mainly in the endgame, but Rozentalis shows that 
White's extra central
pawn may enable him to play for an attack in the middlegame.



-------------------


Backward pawns are ones that have lagged behind friendly pawns on 
neighbouring files. For example,
in the French Defence Black often ends up with pawns on d5 and e6, with no
f-pawn, while
White has a d4-pawn and no e-pawn. The e6-pawn is then backward, since it 
cannot advance and it
cannot be defended by a friendly pawn. Backward pawns are only really a 
problem when they lie on a
half-open file, so that the opponent can exert pressure on them along the 
file. In Adams-Conquest
(page 176), Black's backward e-pawn left him in a purely defensive 
position and Adams gradually
stepped up the pressure until Black cracked. Vallejo Pons-GJones (page 
177) is a marginal case. In
return for a backward pawn, Black obtained pressure against White's 
e4-pawn and good squares for
his knight. Only a mistake allowed White to seize the initiative and 
exploit the pawn-weakness.
If Black has pawns on the a-, c-, d-, f-, g- and h- files then he has 
three pawn-islands, which are
groups of pawns on adjacent files surrounded by files without pawns (or by
the edge of the board).
In this example, one island consists solely of the a-pawn, while the c- 
and d-pawns form a second
island. The three kingside pawns constitute the third island. In general, 
it's better to have one's
pawns grouped into as few islands as possible since with many islands it's
likely that isolated or
hanging pawns will arise. Potkin-Kolotilin (page 178) shows how too many 
pawn-islands can lead
to problems. However, minor pawn-structure defects are often not too 
serious and Van der SterrenGlek
(page 179) shows how piece activity can easily compensate for this type of
weakness.
If you have several pawns on squares of the same colour, then the squares 
of the opposite colour
are often weak. This is called a weak colour complex. Such a complex can 
be a very serious weakness,
especially if it provides the opponent with attacking chances. 
Shirov-Tiviakov (page 180) is
an excellent example of the total grip the attacker can gain by using a 
bishop to control a weak colour
complex. In Fedorchuk-Shirov (page 181), the weak squares are exploited by
knights rather
than a bishop, but the end result is much the same.
A passed pawn in the centre of the board can be very effective in the 
middlegame, since it not only
threatens to advance but also keeps enemy pieces out of important squares.
This seems to be one of
Magnus Carlsen's favourite themes, since the examples Carlsen-Grishchuk 
(page 182) and CarlsenWang
Yue (page 183) show the young Norwegian star exploiting a passed d-pawn 
with great energy.
In many games, one player has a pawn-majority on the queenside and the 
other a majority on
the kingside or in the centre. In an endgame, if we suppose that the kings
are on the kingside, then
the queenside majority is often an asset, but in the middlegame this is 
usually not the case unless the
queenside majority is coupled with some other advantage. Movsesian-Shirov 
(page 184) shows the
power of a kingside majority when there is an attack in prospect, while in
lakubowski-Stocek (page
185) Black's central majority should have given him the advantage, but he 
allowed White to seize
the initiative and then the queenside majority proved dominant.
A pawn breakthrough involves the advance and sacrifice of one or more 
pawns. This often occurs
in the endgame, but it is also possible in the middlegame. The motivation 
can be to smash
through to the enemy king, as in Solak-Lupulescu (page 186), or it can be 
to create one or more
dangerous passed pawns, as in Sakaev-A.Fedorov (page 187).
The remaining sections in this part of the book deal with pawn-chains, 
diagonal lines of pawns
in which each pawn defends the next one in the chain (for example, pawns 
on b2, c3, d4 and e5).
Playing with pawn-chains generally involves securing your own pawn-chain 
while trying to undermine
the opponent's. In Wang Hao-Komev (page 188), both sides conduct 
undermining operations,
but only White's is effective. In Gelfand-Nakamura (page 189), Black 
adopted a novel
strategy when faced with an undermining attack on his pawn-chain. An 
advanced pawn-chain often
results in a space advantage, which can prove decisive if there are still 
many pieces on the board, as
in Alekseev-Riazantsev (page 190). Problems can arise if the enemy pieces 
penetrate behind the
advanced pawns, as in Adams-Caruana (page 191), in which White's plan 
backfired after a mistake.
Finally, pawn-chains can sometimes be demolished not by a gradual 
undermining process,
but by an explosive sacrifice. In Predojevic-Morozevich (page 192), a 
piece sacrifice breaks apart
White's central pawn-chain and gives Black a very strong initiative, while
in Elianov-Cheparinov
(page 193) White is willing to invest even more material to rip open the 
position.} 
*

[Event "Understanding Chess"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.08.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "67  Isolated Pawns"]
[Black "Page 166"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2012.08.06"]

{A pawn is isolated if there are no friendly
pawns on adjacent files. An isolated pawn is
generally a weakness for two reasons: firstly,
the pawn cannot be defended by other pawns
and so has to be defended by pieces, and secondly
the square in front of the isolated pawn
can be occupied by an enemy piece which can
never be driven away by a pawn.} 
*

