Botvinnik, Mikhail URS - Kmoch, Hans
Leningrad
[1934.??.??]
[B13z]
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?!
15.g3
15. ... Rc8
16.Re1
Qf6
17.a3
Ne7
18.Ne5
Qh6
19.f3
Nf2
20.Qe2
Nh3+
21.Kg2
g5?
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.
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
Leningrad
[1934.??.??]
[B13z]
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
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1-0