[Event "Corus"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2000.01.15"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Black "Adams, Michael"]
[Result "1-0"]
[FEN "4Q3/5ppk/6qp/P2P4/1p5P/6P1/5PK1/8 w - - 0 45"]

{Contents Page 

Introduction 5 

Chapter One: What Matters Most 7 

Chapter Two: Habits 28 

Chapter Three: Little Tactics 51 

Chapter Four: More 70 

Chapter Five: Sense 84 

Chapter Six: Winnability 106 

Chapter Seven: Easier 132 

Chapter Eight: Comp 148 

Chapter Nine: Knowing 169 

Quiz Answers 191
} 
45. d6 ( 45. Qe7 b3 46. Qb4 ( 46. d6 b2 ) 46. ... Qd3 47. d6 f5 48. Qb7 ) 
( 45. Qc6 Qe4+ 46. Kh2 b3 47. Qb5 Qc2 48. d6 Qxf2+ 49. Kh3 Qf3 50. d7 Qh1+
51. Kg4 Qe4+ ) ( 45. a6 Qxa6 46. Qe4+ g6 47. Qxb4 Qd3 48. Qc5 ) 45. ... b3
( 45. ... Qxd6 46. Qe4+ f5 47. Qb7 b3 48. Qxb3 f4 49. Qc2+ Kh8 50. Qc8+ 
Kh7 51. Qf5+ Kh8 52. gxf4 ) 46. d7 Qc6+ 47. Kh2 Qf3 48. Qe1 Qd3 49. a6 {
When you realize how important that h I -a8 diagonal is, this ending goes
from being incredibly difficult to fairly routine. And note how little 
White had
to calculate.
He only had to visualize the position in the last diagram when he looked 
at
the first one. That's just two and a half moves into the future. Anyone 
who
aspires to be a master should be able to see that far, particularly when 
there are
so few pieces on the board.
By figuring out what matters most, a master strips a position down to its 
most
important elements. Let's consider a case that comes straight out of the 
opening.} 1-0

[Event "World Cup"]
[Site "Brussels BEL"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Timman, Jan H"]
[Black "Winants, Luc"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2675"]
[BlackElo "2465"]
[ECO "E31c"]
[EventDate "1988.04.??"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "17"]
[EventCountry "BEL"]
[EventCategory "15"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1988.12.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "BIH"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bg5 h6 5. Bh4 c5 6. d5 d6 7. e3 g5 8. Bg3
Ne4 9. Qc2 Qf6 10. Ne2 {Black chose a natural move} 10. ... exd5 D {He 
assumed that after White
recaptured, 11 cxd5, he would obtain good play with 11. . .Bf5. The bishop
move protects the e4-knight and threatens to discover an attack on the 
White
queen ( 12 . . .Nxg3, 12 . . .Nxc3, 12 . . . Nxf2).

But consider the diagram a little more. What strikes you about White's
position?
There are a lot of things to focus on. But White realized that what really
matters is that he has a slight lead in development. Four of his pieces 
are out,
compared with three for Black. That didn 't change after 10 . . . exd5 
because the
capture is not a developing move.
Black believed he had made a forcing move. But even in a complex position
like this, development matters more. White lengthened his lead with} 11. 
O-O-O! {Castling like this is the kind of magic-move that some amateurs 
marvel at.
But it isn't magic. It's appreciating how development trumps material once
again. (Paul Morphy would have spotted 1 1 0-0-0! immediately.)} ( 11. 
cxd5 Bf5 12. Qb3 Nd7 13. f3 Nxg3 14. Nxg3 = ) 11. ... Bxc3? ( 11. ... Nxg3
! 12. Nxg3 Bxc3 13. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 14. bxc3 Nc6 = ) 12. Nxc3 Nxc3 13. Qxc3! {
Black didn't have a good alternative ( 1 3 . . . d4 14 exd4 Nc6
15 Qe3+!) so he went reluctantly into the endgame,} 13. ... Qxc3+ ( 
13. ... d4 14. exd4 Nc6 15. Qe3+ Qe7 16. Bxd6 ) ( 13. ... Nd7 14. Rxd5 
Qxc3+ 15. bxc3 Nf6 +/- ) 14. bxc3 dxc4 15. Bxc4 {This truly strips the 
position down to its most important elements. All the
extraneous factors are gone.
Black will lose the d6-pawn and material will become equal. But White's
active pieces, particularly the two bishops, confer a huge edge. He has a 
choice
of strong continuations, e.g.} 15. ... Be6 ( 15. ... Nc6 16. Bxd6 b6 17. 
Rd2 ) 16. Bxe6 fxe6 17. Rxd6 Ke7 18. Rhd1 Kf6 19. f4 Nc6 20. fxg5+ hxg5 
21. Rd7 b6 22. Rf1+ Kg6 23. Rd6 Nd8?? 24. Be5 ( 24. Be5 Rh7 ( 24. ... Re8?
25. Rd7 +-- ) 25. Rf8 Rf7 26. Rg8+ Kf5 27. Bg3 c4 28. e4+ Kg4 29. Rgxd8 ) 
1-0

[Event "PCA-World Championship"]
[Site "New York, NY USA"]
[Date "1995.09.21"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2725"]
[BlackElo "2795"]
[ECO "B85"]
[EventDate "1995.09.??"]
[Annotator "Seirawan"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "18"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "FRA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "FRA"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 {Anand sticks 
to 6. Be2, the most controlled response to the Najdorf. Prior to this 
match he had played that move on a couple of occasions, but had also 
experimented with 6.a4, 6.Bc4 and 6.Be3. Interestingly, it appears he has 
never employed the sharpest rejoinder to the Najdorf - 6.Bg5..} 6. ... e6 
{Anand also plays the Najdorf, but prefers the more double-edged 6...e5. 
It now transposes into the Scheveningen.} 7. O-O Be7 8. a4 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 
10. f4 Qc7 11. Kh1 Re8 12. Bd3 Nb4 13. a5 Bd7 14. Nf3 Rac8 15. Bb6 {A 
refinement on game five, where 15.Qe2 Bc6 16.Bb6 was played.} 15. ... Qb8 
{#} 16. e5 {This double-edged move was played instantly and is very likely
the product of work Anand's team (GMs Yusupov, Speelman, Ubilava and 
Wolff) did over the free day. Kasparov was critical of it in his analysis 
in the VIP room after the game. He said "it doesn't really make sense to 
open the position without any concrete gain."} 16. ... dxe5 17. fxe5 D {
Do's and Don'ts

Figuring out what matters most is hard. What makes it hard is that from 
our
first days of studying chess we are bombarded with do's and don'ts.

At first, these tips seem like a godsend. They give you a way to evaluate
positions. You decide to advance a knight because you were told the value 
of
outposts. You shift a rook because you read about how good it is to 
control an
open file.

But after you've digested another bushel or two of do's and don'ts you
realize that some conflict with others. You can't obey all of them in the 
same
position. As a result, you can find yourself more confused than you were 
before
you had any advice. This is painfully clear in the games of some novices 
who
talk themselves out of winning a knight because it would mean doubling 
their
pawns.

Here's how a master puts pawn structure in perspective.
On general principles Black has to be wary of putting his attacked knight
offside at h5 or g4. The natural reply is 17 . . . Nfd5 and then 18 Nxd5 
Nxd5 .
But that leaves White with a free hand to attack the kingside, which now 
has
only one defensive piece, the bishop at e7. Black might have to worry 
about an
immediate, forcing line, perhaps,  Ng5 Bxg5 4 Qh5, which threatens Qxh7+
and Qxf7+ Qxd7 as well as Qg5.
However, Garry Kasparov solved Black's kingside problems with virtually
no calculation. He replied} 17. ... Nfd5 18. Nxd5 exd5! {A good move which
gains necessary breathing space for Black's pieces. It's also forced since
18...Nxd5 would be strongly answered by 19.Ng5 Bxg5 20.Qh5 Bh6 21. Qxf7+ 
and 22.Qxd7.#} ( 18. ... Nxd5 19. Ng5 Bxg5 20. Qh5 f5! 21. exf6 Bxf6 22. 
Qxh7+ Kf8 23. Bd4 e5! ) 19. Re1 {Vishy intends to force Garry into a 
passive position with ...Be6 but the world champion finds a pawn sacrifice
to liberate his position. One of the ideas behind 19.Re1 is to be able to 
answer ...Nxd3 with Qxd3 and not worry about ...Bb5.Two alternatives, (1) 
19.Qd2 Nxd3 20.cxd3 h6 21. Rae1 (2) 19.Rf2, intending Raf1.} 19. ... h6 {A
good idea. As Kasparov explained in his analysis of the game; "Normally 
White wants to exchange dark-squared Bishops, but this position is an 
exception. Here Black wants to trade down to light-squared Bishop versus 
Knight because of the specifics of the situation - namely the weakness of 
the e and a pawns and the possiblity of B vs. N in the ending." Note that 
the immediate 19...Bd8? would be met by 20. Bxd8 and 21.Ng5.} ( 19. ... 
Bd8 20. Bxd8 Rexd8 21. Bxh7+ Kxh7 22. e6 fxe6 23. Ng5+ Kg6 24. Nxe6 Rc4 
25. Nxd8 ) 20. c3 Nxd3 21. Qxd3 {He was aiming for a positional edge. A 
well-placed White knight can
dominate Black's bad light-squared bishop. That can be an important, even
winning advantage in the hands of a good player.
But Black understood that what mattered most is whether the knight gets to
d4. If it does, it severely restricts the bishop at d7. If it doesn't, the
knight isn't
a big factor.
Once you realize this, it's easier to find
} 21. ... Bc5 {This temporary pawn sacrifice solves all of Black's 
problems.

General principles tell us
that the player with the two bishops should not trade one of them. But 5 .
. . .Bc5 !
stops the knight from enjoying his ideal outpost because 6 Bxc5 Rxc5 7 
Nd4? Rxe5 just drops a pawn.
Instead, White played} 22. Qxd5 Be6 {The natural 22...Bc6 would only leave
Black struggling for a draw after 23.Qxc5 Bxf3 24.Qf2.} ( 22. ... Bc6 23. 
Qxc5 Bxf3 24. Qd6 Bc6 25. Kg1 h5 ) 23. Qd2 {The queen sacrifice 23.Qxc5 
falls short after 23...Rxc5 24.Bxc5 Bd5! 25. Bd6 Qc8 26.Nd4 Qg4 27.Re2 
f6.#} ( 23. Qxc5 Rxc5 24. Bxc5 Bd5 25. Bd6 Qc8 26. Nd4 Qg4 27. Re2 f6 -+ )
23. ... Bxb6 24. axb6 Rc6 25. Ra4 {Kasparov praised this move. White 
activity or his weak e-pawn will leave him worse.} 25. ... Rxb6 {Drawn at 
Kasparov's suggestion. Anand's next move would be 26.Rd4 grabbing the 
d-file. This draw, the seventh in a row, equals the record for consecutive
draws at the start of a World Championship match. The other match to start
with seven draws, Karpov-Kortchnoi, Baguio City 1978, was contested with 
different conditions. The winner was to be the first player to win six 
games, draws not counting. So in a real sense the players did set a record
today, beating the six consecutives draws that marked the start of 
Petrosian-Spassky, Moscow 1966.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "RUS Ch"]
[Site "Elista RUS"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Sorokin, Maxim"]
[Black "Belikov, Vladimir"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2550"]
[BlackElo "2480"]
[ECO "B30t"]
[EventDate "1995.10.??"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1996.02.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. Re1 Nd4 6. Nxd4 cxd4 7. c3 a6
8. Ba4 Nc6 9. d3 Bc5 10. Nd2 b5 11. Bb3 {Bobby Fischer gave the highest 
praise to young players who had a clear idea
of their goals in a position. When he saw 16-year-old Ken Rogoff for the 
first
time, Fischer said what impressed him the most "was his self-assured style
and
his knowing exactly what he wanted over the chessboard."
What White wanted in the next example changed significantly from move to
move. That can happen even in a quiet position.

Black has spent several tempi in the opening to get his pieces to protect 
the
pawn at d4 (that knight on c6 came from g8 !).
White, in turn played c2-c3 to tempt 7 . . . dxc3 . Then 8 bxc3 would 
allow him to control d4 with a pawn. If he can follow up with d3-d4 ! , he
gains
important space and shuts out Black's bishop.
So, Black played the consistent} 11. ... Qb6 {which overprotects d4 and
threatens 2 . . . dxc3 and 3 . . .Bxf2+.
White shot back} 12. c4! {At first this looks inconsistent and ugly: It 
surrenders
the fight for d4 and makes his bishop on b3 into nothing more than a big 
pawn.
But White appreciated that 2 c4 ! renders Black's bishop and queen 
toothless.
It also means there is only one obvious target left on the board and it's 
a big one,
the Black kingside. After} 12. ... d6 13. Qg4! g6 14. cxb5 axb5 15. Nf3 D 
{Black has won the battle for d4. But that square has become virtually
meaningless. White's attack is what matters most.
With Bh6 or Bg5-f6 coming up, Black was in major trouble. The rest was} 
15. ... h6 16. Qh4 Qd8? ( 16. ... Bb4 17. Re2 Ne5 18. Nxe5 dxe5 19. Qf6 
Rh7 20. Qxe5 Bd6 21. Qf6 Bb7 ) 17. Bg5! Qb6 +- 18. Bf6 Rf8 19. Qxh6 Ba6 
20. Ng5 Ne5 21. Qg7 1-0

[Event "Enghien les Bains"]
[Site "Enghien les Bains FRA"]
[Date "2003.06.19"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Adams, Michael"]
[Black "Radjabov, Teimour"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2723"]
[BlackElo "2644"]
[ECO "B45n"]
[EventDate "2003.06.13"]
[Annotator "Golod,V"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "17"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.09.25"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nxc6 {McShane: 
'Black's move order often transposes to a Sveshnikov Sicilian, with an 
extra tempo 'wasted' by both sides after'} ( 6. Ndb5 {McShane} 6. ... d6 
7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 ) 6. ... bxc6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Ne4 Qc7 9. f4 {
McShane: 'In some ways the position is critical already, since if White 
can boot the knight from d5 and home in on the d6 square, he will be 
positionally winning.'} 9. ... Rb8?! {In the last years strong chess 
players do not go on this line, as it is considered as very dangerous for 
them. Besides, Black has three alternatives: McShane: 'I don't quite feel 
this is in the spirit of the position. Several games continued'} ( 9. ... 
Qa5+ {It's main line.See comments to Varga,Z-Filippov, V/Neum,2000/CBM 
80(1-0)(Golod,V)(28)} ) ( 9. ... Qb6!? {You can see comments to 
Felgaer,R-Rosito,J/Pinamar,2002/CBM 88(1-0)(Golod,V)(73)} 10. c4 {McShane}
10. ... Bb4+ 11. Ke2 {which is at the very least uncompromising!} ) ( {and
} 9. ... f5!? ) 10. Bd3 ( {Also were checked up in previous games:} 10. a3
) ( {and} 10. c4?! Bb4+ â†‘ ) 10. ... Qb6 ( {On:} 10. ... Ba6!? {you can 
find three games in Mega Database 2003.} ) 11. Qe2 ( {Recently was checked
up another continuation:} 11. a3!? Be7 ( 11. ... Ba6!? ) 12. Qe2 f5 13. 
Nf2 ( 13. Nd6+!? ) 13. ... Bc5 14. Nd1 d6 15. c4 += {
Naiditsch,A-Radjabov,T/Dortmund,2003 (1-0)(48)} ) 11. ... Be7 N {/\f5} ( {
Were checked in the preceding game:} 11. ... h5? 12. a3!? a5 13. c4 Nc7 
14. Rb1 Ba6 15. Be3 Qb3 16. O-O +/- {Van 
Leeuwen,E-Goossens,E/BEL,1992(1-0)(22)} ) ( 11. ... Nb4!? 12. Bc4 Ba6 ) 
12. c4?! {It's a discrepancy, which allows to improve the position of the 
Black's pieces.} ( {From my point of view,it was much better:} 12. a3 {
-transfers to 11.a3!?} ) 12. ... Bb4+? {Black did not use the discrepancy 
of the contender. It was not necessary to make this intermediate move:} ( 
12. ... f5! 13. Nd6+ ( 13. cxd5?! fxe4 14. Bxe4 Bb4+! ) ( 13. exf6 $143 
Nxf6 =+ ) 13. ... Bxd6 14. exd6 Qb4+ ( 14. ... Nb4?! 15. Bb1 c5 16. a3 Nc6
17. Bxf5 Nd4 18. Qh5+ Kf8 19. Bd3 Qxd6 ( 19. ... Nb3?! 20. f5! +/- ) 20. 
Rb1 += ) 15. Kd1 ( 15. Qd2?! Nxf4 16. Bf1 =/& ) 15. ... Nf6 16. Bxf5 = 
Qxd6+ 17. Bd3 ) 13. Kf1! {McShane: 'Here White is going to very little 
trouble for his positional gains, as compared with the line above.'} 
13. ... f5 {Now this progress is much worse, than on the previous move. 
McShane: 'Mixing things up a bit, as'} ( {Hardly is better:} 13. ... Nc7 
14. Be3 +/- {McShane: 'would be a strategical nightmare.'} ) ( 13. ... Ne7
? 14. a3 Bc5 15. b4 Bd4 16. Nd6+ Kf8 17. c5 +- ) 14. exf6 ( {Less 
essentially next continuation:} 14. Ng5 Nc7 ( 14. ... Ne7 $143 15. a3 Bc5 
16. b4 Bd4 17. Rb1 {+/=/+/-} ) 15. a3 ( 15. Rb1!? ) 15. ... Be7 16. b4 += 
) 14. ... Nxf6 â–¡ 15. Nxf6+! ( {Also good enough:} 15. Be3!? ) 15. ... 
gxf6 +/- {McShane: 'Black's central pawns are potentially useful, but at 
the moment the lack of cover for his king is the more salient feature.'} 
16. Be3 += {Position of White more preferably at the expense of the best 
pawn chain and location of the king.} 16. ... Qa5! ( 16. ... Qc7 ) ( 
16. ... Bc5?? {McShane} 17. Qh5+ {picks up a piece.} ) 17. Kf2 Be7 ( {It 
deserves attention:} 17. ... d6!? {/\Bc5} ) 18. c5! {McShane: 'A key move,
cementing White's positional advantage, and shattering Black's dreams of 
mobilizing his central phalanx.'} ( 18. a3!? ) 18. ... d5? {Again a 
dubious decision.} ( {Can be recommended:} 18. ... f5 ) ( {Impossibly:} 
18. ... Bxc5 {'??' McShane. in view of:} 19. Qh5+ {McShane: 'is the 
tactical justification for 18.c5!'} ) 19. cxd6 Bxd6 20. Rhd1 +/- {McShane:
'Now Black's pawns are very fragile, and once Adams has finished castling 
'by hand' all the advantages of a safer king become obvious.'} 20. ... Ke7
? {Black has weaknesses all over his side of the board. But it's hard to 
get at
them because he also has targets to attack, at b2 and f4, and he can use 
the
f2-b6 diagonal tactically.} ( 20. ... Qc7 21. Qh5+ Kf8 22. Qh6+ Qg7 23. 
Qxg7+ Kxg7 24. Be2 +/- ) 21. Kg1!? ( 21. Rac1! Rd8 ( 21. ... Qxa2 22. Ra1 
Qxb2 23. Rxa7+ Bd7 +- 24. Bc2 Qb5 25. Qd2 Qd5 26. Qc3 ) 22. Qg4 Rf8 ) 
21. ... Bc5 22. Bxc5+ {For White it is certainly favourable to exchange 
these bishops.} 22. ... Qxc5+ 23. Kh1! D {McShane: 'The next few moves are
very systematic, as White, with his king safe, gangs up against e6.'
___________________

White has played three more or less routine moves since the previous
diagram. But the position is no longer double-edged. White has a serious 
edge.
What made the difference? Of course, it's the White king. It is now out of
checking range. Once the king is no longer a factor, there's something 
else that
matters most, the insecure Black king and pawns.
White can hammer e6 with b2-b3 and Bc4. Or he can try to get his queen to
g7 via Qg4. Or he can look for action on the other wing with Rac1 .
Thanks to Kg1 - h1 the previously unclear position was won by White in a
few moves,} 23. ... Qb4?! ( {More stubborn resistance after:} 23. ... Qd4
!? 24. Qg4 f5 25. Qh4+ Qf6 26. Qf2! +/- ) 24. Qe3! {Black can not 
simultaneously protect all weaknesses. } ( 24. Bc4! Re8 25. f5 Kf8 26. 
fxe6 Qe7 27. Re1 Kg8 28. b3 ) 24. ... Qa5 ( 24. ... Qxb2?? 25. Rab1 +-- ) 
( 24. ... Qb6 25. Qg3 Kf7 26. b3 ) 25. b3 Bd7 26. Bc4 Rbd8 27. Re1 +- {
White perfectly uses the weakness of the Black's king and there is no 
protection against the numerous threats.} ( 27. Rxd7+ {(McShane) would be 
premature, as Black has good chances after} 27. ... Kxd7 28. Qxe6+ Kc7 29.
 Qxf6 Rhe8 ) 27. ... Qb6? ( 27. ... Qf5 R 28. Rad1 ) ( 27. ... Rhe8!? ) ( 
27. ... Kd6 28. f5 e5 29. Qh6 Kc7 ) 28. Qg3 Rdg8 ( 28. ... Rhg8 $143 29. 
Qh3 ) 29. Qh3 ( 29. Qh3 {McShane: 'There is no good way to defend e6, for 
example,'} 29. ... c5 {McShane} 30. Bxe6 Bxe6 31. f5 {sees White crashing 
through.} ) 1-0

[Event "Rilton Cup 28th"]
[Site "Stockholm SWE"]
[Date "1998.12.30"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Yakovich, Yuri"]
[Black "McShane, Luke J"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2560"]
[BlackElo "2470"]
[ECO "D11j"]
[EventDate "1998.12.28"]
[Annotator "Yakovich"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "SWE"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.03.01"]

{Priorities

All players set priorities. You do it in some positions, such as when you
choose between a two-move win of a pawn or a three-move sequence that 
forces
checkmate. Yes, the two-mover is shorter. It's easier to calculate. 
There's less
chance of an oversight.


But it's obvious to you that the three-mover is more desirable. Mate 
counts
more.


As you face stronger opponents on your road to masterhood, you don't get
such easy choices. To break 2200, you need a more refined sense of 
priorities.
You need to appreciate how, for example, a single misplaced piece may be
decisive.} 
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qc2 g6 5. Bf4 Bg7 6. e3 O-O 7. Nc3 Be6 8. 
Qb3 dxc4!? N ( 8. ... Qb6! 9. c5 Qxb3 10. axb3 Nbd7 ) 9. Bxc4 ( 9. Qxb7? 
Qb6 10. Qxb6 ( 10. Qxa8? Qxb2 -+ ) 10. ... axb6 11. Ng5 b5! 12. Nxe6 fxe6 
= 13. a4 Nbd7 14. g3 Ra5 15. h4 = ) 9. ... Bxc4 10. Qxc4 Nd5 ( 10. ... 
Nbd7?! 11. e4 ) 11. Be5 Na6?! {This is not the best square for knight.} ( 
11. ... Bxe5! 12. Nxe5 Nd7 13. Nd3 Qa5 ) 12. O-O Nb6 13. Qb3 c5 14. Bxg7 
Kxg7 15. Rfd1! ( 15. d5 c4 ) 15. ... cxd4 ( 15. ... c4 16. Qb5! Nc7 17. 
Qe5+ Kg8 18. e4 +/- ) 16. Nxd4 Qc7 ( 16. ... Qb8 17. Rac1 Rc8 18. Nd5 Nc5
?! 19. Nxb6! ( 19. Qc3?! e5 ) 19. ... Nxb3 20. Rxc8 Qxc8 21. Nxc8 Nxd4 22.
 Nxe7 +- ) 17. Ncb5 ( 17. Rac1 ) 17. ... Qc4 18. Qxc4 Nxc4 19. b3 Nb6 {Now
the pair of white knights is much stronger than their opponents.} ( 
19. ... Ne5 20. Rac1 Nb4 21. Rc7! ( 21. a3?! Nbc6 ) 21. ... a6 â–¡ 22. Nc3
Rfc8 23. Rxb7 Rxc3 24. Rxb4 Nd3 25. Rb7 e5 26. Nf3!? ( 26. Ne2 Rc2 27. Ng3
Rd8 ) ( 26. Ne6+ Kf6 27. Nc7 Rd8 28. Nxa6 Nb4! ) 26. ... Rc2 27. h3 +- ) 
20. Rac1 Kf6?! D {White's pieces are better placed. But that can be 
temporary. In light of the
symmetrical nature of the position, a draw is likely if Black can trade a 
pair, or
all, of the rooks.


However, Black is not ready for . . .Rac8 or . . . Rad8 because either 
move
would hang the a7-pawn. This tells us Black has to move his knight so he 
can
play . . . a6.
White appreciated how much that knight mattered. It's actually the most
important feature of the position. Once you understand that, it's easier 
to realize
how good 1 a3 ! and 2 b4 ! are.


Then the knight can't move ( l . . .Nb8 2 Nc7). That means the a-pawn 
can't
move. And that means the QR can't move.} ( 20. ... Rfc8 21. Rxc8 Nxc8 ) 
21. a3! {(><Na6)} 21. ... Rfd8 22. b4 e5 23. Nb3 Nc4!? 24. Kf1! Rxd1+ 25. 
Rxd1 Ke7 ( 25. ... Ke6? 26. Nc5+ Nxc5 27. Nc7+ +- ) 26. Ke2! +- {(.) Black
doesn't have useful moves.} 26. ... f6 ( 26. ... Ke6 27. Nc5+ ) ( 26. ... 
Nb6 27. Na5 ) ( 26. ... Nb8 27. Nc7 ) ( 26. ... Rd8 27. Rxd8 Kxd8 28. Kd3 
Nb2+ 29. Kc2 Nc4 30. Kc3 Nb6 31. Nxa7 +- ) 27. g4! h6 28. h4 {Black lost 
his patience and the game as well after} 28. ... Ke6?! 29. Nc5+ Nxc5 30. 
Nc7+ {Siegbert Tarrasch would have been pleased by that game. It validates
his
own views about what matters most. To Tarrasch, chess was all about piece
mobility. If one piece stands badly, like Black's knight at a6, his whole 
game
stands badly, he wrote.
But in middlegames there are lots of pieces, and this increases the 
likelihood
that you can afford to make one bad. The sum of all the other pieces and 
pawns
matters more.} 30. ... Ke7 31. Nxa8 Ne6 32. a4 Nd6 33. b5 b6 34. a5 bxa5 
35. b6 axb6 36. Nxb6 f5 37. gxf5 Nxf5 38. Rd5 Nfd4+ âŠ•âŠ• 39. Kf1 âŠ•âŠ• 
( 39. exd4 Nf4+ 40. Ke3 Nxd5+ 41. Nxd5+ Kd6 42. Nb6 exd4+ 43. Kxd4 Ke6 44.
 Ke4 Kf6 45. Na4 Ke6 46. Nc5+ Kd6 47. Kd4 +- ) 39. ... Nf3 40. Rxa5 âŠ•âŠ•
1-0

[Event "EU Team Ch (Men)"]
[Site "Batumi GEO"]
[Date "1999.12.02"]
[Round "4.1"]
[White "Lanka, Zigurds"]
[Black "Sokolov, Ivan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2504"]
[BlackElo "2656"]
[ECO "C65p"]
[EventDate "1999.11.06"]
[Annotator "Wedberg"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "GEO"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.02.01"]
[WhiteTeam "Latvia"]
[BlackTeam "Bosna&Herzegovina"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "LAT"]
[BlackTeamCountry "BIH"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. d4 Bb6 7. Bg5 d6 8.
 a4 a5 9. Re1 h6 10. Bh4 exd4 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Nxd4 Re8 13. Nd2 c5 ( 
13. ... g5 {This moveorder allows White to put the N on the active square 
b5. On the other hand is Nf5 prevented.} 14. Bg3 c5 15. Nb5 ( 15. Nf5?! 
Bxf5 16. exf5 Rxe1+ 17. Qxe1 Qd7 =+ ) 15. ... Bb7 ( 15. ... c6? 16. Nxd6 
+- ) 16. Qc2 ( 16. e5 dxe5 17. Nc4 Qd5 18. Qxd5 Nxd5 = {1/2-1/2 
Polgar,J-Spassky,B/Prague 1995/CBM 48/[Wedberg] (26)} ) 16. ... d5 17. e5 
Nh5 18. e6 ~ {1/2-1/2 Shirov,A-Leko,P/Bordeaux 1999/ CBM 70 ext (25)} ( 
18. c4 += ) ) ( 13. ... Bd7?! 14. f4! +/- ) 14. Nc2 ( 14. Nf5 Bxf5 15. 
exf5 Rxe1+! ( 15. ... d5?! 16. Rxe8+ Qxe8 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. c4 +/- {1-0 
Held,P-Lang,T/Germany 1990/ GER (40)} ) 16. Qxe1 d5 17. Qe5 Ng4 18. Qg3 
Nf6 19. Qe5 Ng4 =, quiet ) ( 14. N4f3 Bb7 15. Qc2 Re6 16. Re3 Qe8! 
=, quiet {1/2-1/2 Thorsteins, K-Spassky,B/Reykjavik 1985/MCD (28)} ) 
14. ... g5 ( 14. ... Bb7 15. f3 c4+ 16. Nd4 g5 17. Bf2 d5 18. exd5 Qxd5 
19. Rxe8+ Rxe8 20. Qf1 g4 21. Nxc4 gxf3 22. Nxb6 fxg2 23. Nxd5 {1/2-1/2 
Ree,H-Knezevic,M/Kiev 1978/EXT 2000 (23)} ) 15. Bg3 Bb7 16. f3?! ( 16. e5!
dxe5 17. Rxe5 Rxe5 18. Bxe5 Qd5 19. Qf3 =, quiet ) 16. ... d5! 17. e5?! {
Giving Black a strong centre. This is especially troublesome since the 
white N: s need some secure squares to work from.} ( {but} 17. exd5 Qxd5!?
( 17. ... c4+! 18. Kh1 ( 18. Bf2 Bxf2+ 19. Kxf2 Qxd5 20. Ne3 Qc5 21. Qe2 
Rad8 22. Rad1 Ba6 23. Nf1 Rd3 -/+ ) ( 18. Nd4 Qxd5 19. Bf2 c5 20. Nb5 
Rxe1+ 21. Bxe1 Qd3 22. Na3 Bd5 -/+ ) 18. ... Qxd5 19. Na3 Rxe1+ 20. Qxe1 
Re8 21. Qd1 Ba6 {still looks better for Black.} ) 18. c4 {Is in Whites 
taste. The black B:s lose their punch.} ) 17. ... Nh5 18. Nf1 D {The 
position is riddled with positional plusses and minuses: Good and bad
pieces, holes and outposts, doubled pawns, pawn islands, and so on.
Black might be tempted to play l . .. c4+, to liberate the b6-bishop, his 
worst
piece. But he chose} 18. ... d4! -/+ {making it much worse.
One reason he did so was to open the diagonal of the other bishop. The one
at b7 has a brighter future than its brother because it has targets to 
hit, at f3 and
(after . . . g4) at g2.
Another point in favor of 1 . . . d4 ! is that White wanted to bring his 
knights
into play, via e3 . After l .. . c4+ a White knight might also be able to 
occupy d4,
either immediately or later.} 19. Na3 ( 19. c4 d3 20. Nce3 Qd4 -/+ ) 
19. ... Qd5 20. c4 Qc6 21. h3 Qg6 22. Nb5? ( 22. Bh2 Nf4 23. Qd2 -/+ ) 
22. ... Re6 23. Bh2 Nf4 -+ 24. Bxf4 gxf4 25. Nh2 h5 26. Qd2 Qf5 {Black is 
already winning. The N:s are out of play for the rest of the game.} 27. 
Re2 Rae8 28. Rae1 Rxe5 29. Rxe5 Rxe5 30. Rxe5 Qxe5 31. Nf1 Bc8 32. Kf2? ( 
32. Na3 Kh7 33. Qd1 ) 32. ... c6! 33. Na3 Bd8 34. Kg1 Bf5 35. b3 Bh4 36. 
Qd1 Qe1 37. Qd2 Bg3 âŠ™ {White must exchange Q:s but then Bxe1-b4 picks up
Na3.} 0-1

[Event "Georgian Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sanikidze"]
[Black "Kacheishvili"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2370"]
[BlackElo "2599"]
[ECO "B56n"]

{Prioritizing Practice

A good way to develop and refine your sense of what matters most is to
examine early middlegame positions from master games. Your aim is to 
figure
out what are White's priorities, what are Black's and why some changes in 
the
position will favor one side significantly. If a position in an annotated 
game
changes from unclear or even at move 1 5 to a plus-over-equals at move 20 
or
25, try to figure out what changed. That will likely tell you what 
mattered most.


One approach is to focus on middlegames that arise from opening variations
that are new to you, ones you've never played or studied before. A Catalan
Gambit or one of the sacrificial lines of the Queen's Indian Defense may 
be
useful for a I e4 player, for example.

For the sake of introduction, let's consider some Sicilian Defense 
middlegames,
beginning with one from the game Sanikidze - Kacheishvilli, Georgian
Championship 2004} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. f3 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 
8. Be3 O-O 9. Qd2 a5 10. Bb5 Be6 11. O-O-O Ne8 12. g4 Nc7 13. Kb1 Qb8 14. 
Bb6 Rc8 15. Ba4 {Black carried out an unusual maneuver of his knight to c7
and put his queen
on the unlikely square of b8. Meanwhile, instead of attacking the king, 
White piled
up his pieces on the queenside and made the rare move Bb6. What's going 
on?
If you consider this for a while you may be able to see that there's a 
below the radar battle. Black is trying hard to play a move and White 
seems almost desperate to stop that move from happening.
Which move could be that important? It shouldn't be difficult to figure it
out.
It's . . . b5.
If Black cannot push his b-pawn, his queenside attack is halted. White 
would
have a free hand to advance his pawns to g5 and h5 and break open Black's 
king
position. This is why spending time on prophylactic moves can win time for
you
later, as we'll see in Chapter Five. Here White would get an edge after
15 . . Nb4 16 h4 N7a6 17 a3 Nc6 18 Nd5 ! for example.
Once you appreciate how much . . . b5 matters, the next few moves of the
game begin to make sense: 1} 15. ... Ra6! ( 15. ... Nb4 16. h4 Ra6 ( 
16. ... Nca6? 17. a3 Nc6 ) 17. Bxc7 Rxc7 18. Bb5 Ra7 ) 16. Qf2 Na8! 17. 
Be3 Nc7 18. Bb6! Na7! 19. Nc1 Na8! 20. Be3 b5! {White's blockade on b6 is 
broken. His kingside attack never got past g2-g4.
Both of these factors freed Black to take charge after} 21. Bb3 a4 22. 
Bxe6 fxe6 23. N3e2 b4 24. f4 Nb5 {There are a lot of clever tactical 
points from here on. But what you should
appreciate is that the game became one-sided once White lost the battle 
over ... b5.
There followed} 25. fxe5 Nc3+! 26. Nxc3 bxc3 27. b3?? ( 27. Nd3 Nb6 28. 
exd6 Bxd6 29. e5 Be7 30. Bd4 -/+ cxb2 31. Rhf1 ) 27. ... axb3 -+ 28. Nxb3 
Qb4! -+ {White can't stop the queen from reaching a4 or a3 , and the game 
ended with} 29. Bc1 Qa4 30. a3 dxe5 31. Rhf1 Bxa3 32. Bh6!? Ra7! 33. Be3 
Bc5! 34. Rd3 Qa2+ 35. Kc1 Qa1+ 0-1

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "22"]
[Date "2005.03.06"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Kasimdzhanov, Rustam"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2678"]
[BlackElo "2786"]
[ECO "B50s"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Annotator "JvR"]
[PlyCount "76"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Be2 Bg4 5. d3 e6 6. Nbd2 Nc6 7. Nf1 d5 8. 
exd5 Nxd5! 9. Qa4 Bh5 10. Ng3 Nb6!? 11. Qd1 Bg6 12. O-O Be7 13. a4!? O-O 
14. a5 Nd5 15. Qa4 Qc7 16. d4?! ( 16. Bd2! Rfd8 17. Rfe1 {continues the 
development of pieces.} ) 16. ... cxd4 17. Nxd4 Nxd4 18. Qxd4 {It's a 
Sicilian position that may be quite unfamiliar to a devoted Dragon or
Najdorf Variation player. Once again your task is to figure out what 
matters
most. Before reading on, take several minutes to consider what should be
important to each player and which factors take precedence.

Done that? Then let's consider the plusses for White. He has a queenside
majority of pawns. We can also see he has a nicely centralized queen.
But the queen can be driven away by ... .Bf6 or ...Bc5 . Or by putting a 
Black
rook on d8 and discovering an attack along the d-file, such as . . . Nb4. 
And as
for the queenside majority, well that might be a factor in an endgame. But
as for
now ...
Black appreciated that what matters most is the kingside majority because 
it
is immediately useful. He played} 18. ... f5!? {which prepares . . . e5 
with a
commanding center.
This makes his bishop at g6 bad. But taking e4 away from White's g3-knight
matters more. This becomes clearer after} ( 18. ... Bc5 19. Qg4 Rad8 20. 
Qc4 Rc8 21. Qb3 Rcd8 22. Ra4 Rd7 ) 19. Qa4 {White chose the superior} ( 
19. Bf3 Rad8 20. Qa4 e5! ) 19. ... Rad8 20. Rd1?! {so that he could meet
20 ... e5 with 21 Bc4 ! , gaining counterplay on the c4-g8 diagonal.

Black can advance his f-pawn again but that gives up control of the
e4-square that he just seized. So take a few minutes before you read on 
and see
if you can figure out what matters most.
Time's up. What matters most is White's constricted position. The way to
emphasize that is} ( {Correct is} 20. Re1! e5 21. Bc4 {(Anand).} ( 21. Qc4
Qd6 22. Bd2 ) ) 20. ... f4! {It severely limits White's bishop at c1 and 
thereby
keeps the rook at a1 in limbo.
If White had retreated 21 Nf1 - or even 21 Nh1 - the overwhelming benefits
of 20 . . . f4! would have been obvious. White played} 21. Ne4 Qe5! 22. 
Bf3?! {There are several appealing responses but the
best was} ( 22. f3 Bc5+ ( 22. ... Nc7 23. Bd2 a6 24. Be1 Nd5 25. Bf2 ) ) 
22. ... b5! 23. Qc2 {and Black forced a favorable position with} ( 23. 
axb6? Nxb6 {shows the pointe.} 24. Qc2 Bxe4 25. Bxe4 Qxe4! --+ ) ( 23. 
Qxb5? Bxe4 24. Re1 ( 24. Bxe4?? Nxc3 25. Rxd8 Nxb5 26. Rxf8+ Bxf8 27. Ra4 
Nd4 --+ ) ) 23. ... Nf6! 24. Nxf6+ Qxf6 25. Qb3 Rxd1+ 26. Qxd1 Rd8 27. Qe2
Bd3 28. Qe1 e5! D {White can do very little. His queenside is 
underdeveloped.

This culminates the strategy begun by 18 . . . f5 ! . The Black center 
pawns are
choking White. He still can't activate his queenside} 29. Be2 ( 29. Bd2 e4
30. Bxe4? Bxe4 31. Qxe4 Rxd2 ) 29. ... Bxe2 30. Qxe2 e4! {The Black center
pawns performed one final service, creating a mating attack that ended the
game soon after} 31. g3! ( 31. Qxe4?? Rd1+ ) 31. ... e3! 32. fxe3 f3! 33. 
Qxb5?! ( {More resistance is offered by} 33. Qc2! Qe6 34. b4! {(controls 
c5), but} 34. ... Qc4 {(threatens .. f2+)} 35. Kf2 Qg4 {continues the 
restraint and endangers the white king.} ) 33. ... f2+ 34. Kg2 Rf8 {The 
reason that examining games like these is valuable is that it increases
your knowledge of different kinds of positions. The main reason that a 
modern
player would be superior to, say, Rudolf Spielmann or Richard Reti, or any
of
the great players of the early 20th century, is that today we know many, 
many
more positions than a Spielmann or a Reti. We know what counts most in 
those
positions.
This also provides one reason - there are others - for why today's masters
are superior to today's amateurs. The masters know and understand more
positions. Occasionally an amateur will do well against a master because 
he gets
into one of the positions he understands well. But the master will win the
majority of games from him because he'll be able to reach middlegames that
the
amateur doesn't know} 35. Qd5+ Kh8 36. Kf1 Qh6 37. Bd2 Qh3+ 38. Qg2 Qf5 
0-1

[Event "Novgorod"]
[Site "Novgorod RUS"]
[Date "1997.06.16"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Short, Nigel D"]
[Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2690"]
[BlackElo "2725"]
[ECO "B90j"]
[EventDate "1997.06.??"]
[Annotator "Atlas,V"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1997.10.13"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "NED"]
[BlackTeamCountry "NED"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 
8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Bg7 10. Be2 h5 11. Bxg4 Bxg4 12. f3 Bd7 13. Bf2 Nc6 14. 
O-O e6!? ( {The main alternatives are:} 14. ... Rc8 15. Nd5 ( 15. Nxc6 
bxc6 16. Bd4 f6 17. Qd3 Rb8 18. Nd1 c5 19. Bf2 O-O 20. Re1 a5 21. Rb1 Be6 
22. Nc3 a4 23. Nd5 Qd7 24. b3 axb3 25. axb3 Rb7 26. f4 gxf4 27. Nxf4 Bf7 
28. Nd5 Ra8 29. Rbd1 Kh8 30. Ne3 Qb5 =, quiet {Tiviakov,S-Georgiev,K/Cacak
1996} ) 15. ... e6 16. Nxc6 Rxc6 17. Bd4 Be5 18. Ne3 f6 19. Rf2 Ke7 20. c3
Qa5 21. Rd2 Rhc8 22. Bxe5 Qxe5 23. Rd4 Qc5 24. Qd2 h4 25. Rd1 b5 26. Kh1 
Be8 27. Ng4 Qb6 28. e5 dxe5 29. Rd7+ Bxd7 30. Qxd7+ Kf8 31. Qh7 Rd6 32. 
Qh8+ Kf7 33. Qxf6+ Kg8 34. Qxg5+ Kf8 35. Qf6+ Kg8 36. Nh6+ {1-0 
Bologan,V-Ribli,Z/Deutschland 1996} ) ( 14. ... Ne5 15. Nde2 Rc8 16. Nd5 
Be6 17. Bd4 Bxd5 18. exd5 Qa5 19. f4 gxf4 20. Nxf4 Qa4 21. c3 Qxd1 22. 
Raxd1 Rh7 23. Bxe5 Bxe5 24. Nd3 Bh8 25. Rf4 Kd7 26. Rdf1 Bf6 27. Rb4 += {
Lanka,Z-Ftacnik,L/ EU-chTM Pula 1997 (69)} ) 15. Nxc6 ( 15. Qd2 {followed 
by 16.Rad1 was worth considering.} ) 15. ... Bxc6 16. Bd4 {White wants to 
eliminate Black's two-bishop advantage and create kingside
chances. The bishops and the kingside are among the most important factors
in
evaluating the position.
But what else matters? Once again, take several minutes to examine the
diagram. See if you can determine what the two players are aiming for. 
Where
are the weaknesses?
And specifically, how should Black answer 16 Bd4 ? Is it worth preserving
his bishop with 16 . . . e5 ? After all, he does it with a gain of time. 
Or is the hole
created on d5 more significant? And what are the worthwhile alternatives? 
Does
Black really want to castle here?
If you've given this position the attention it deserves you may have
considered the best move. It is} 16. ... Be5! {Essential move. Otherwise 
Whtie has a large advantage.

Black knew from similar positions that the doubling of pawns on the e-file
wasn't as important as having pawn control of d5 and d4. He pressed the 
point
by meeting} 17. Qd2 Qf6! {White didn't relish the prospect of going into a
somewhat inferior ending
after} 18. Bxe5?! ( 18. Ne2!? {intending advancement of the queenside 
pawns seems to be stronger.} ) ( 18. Rad1 Bxd4+ ( 18. ... Qf4 19. Qxf4 
gxf4 ) 19. Qxd4 Qxd4+ 20. Rxd4 ) 18. ... dxe5! {Note that White has no way
to open up the position further for his rooks now
that f3-f4 is ruled out. Moreover, he has no obvious target to attack.
When you can't change the pawn structure favorably, you should make the
most of your pieces. Here that means White should try 19 Qd6 Rd8 20 Qc5.
That would prompt Black to find a way to get his king to safety and 
connect
rooks, such as after 20 . . . Qg7 and . . . f6/ . . . Qe7/ . . . Kf7. In 
other words, what
matters in this position is the temporary discomfort of the Black pieces 
after
19 Qd6 ! .
Instead, White slipped into the worst of it after} ( 18. ... Qxe5 19. Rad1
O-O-O 20. b4 Kb8 21. Rfe1 Be8 22. Re3 f6 23. Ne2 Bb5 24. Nd4 Bc4 25. a4 h4
= ) 19. a4? ( 19. Qd6 Rd8 20. Qc5 Qg7 21. Rad1 Rxd1 22. Rxd1 f6 ) 19. ... 
O-O 20. b3? ( {Strange decision. Much stronger seems} 20. Ne2 ) 20. ... 
Rfd8 21. Qe3 Qf4! {Transforming game into a perspective ending, since the 
threat Rd2 is very unpleasant.} 22. Qxf4 gxf4! {Quite a bit has changed so
it's time to re-evaluate. What matters most now?
Well, White has a queenside majority of pawns and a frisky knight that can
carry out a useful regrouping, such as Na2-b4 and then c2-c4.
Black's plusses include control of the d-file but that's temporary. He has
targets at g2 and possibly f3 , which could be exposed by . . . f5 . White
went
steadily downhill
} 23. Rfd1 h4 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Rd1 Rc8! {Certainly, exchange of the 
second rook pair would be in White's favor.

Black preserves
his rook to attack g2 and/or c2.} 26. Rd2 Kf8 27. Nd1 Ke7 28. Nf2 f5 29. 
Kf1 fxe4 30. fxe4 ( 30. Nxe4 {fails to} 30. ... Bxe4 31. fxe4 Rc3! ) 
30. ... a5 31. Ke2 Be8! {Threatening 31...Rc3.} 32. Kd1? ( {After this 
move White faces irreolvable problems.Essential was} 32. c4 Bh5+ 33. Kf1 
Rd8 34. Rxd8 Kxd8 35. Nd3 Bd1! ) ( 32. Ke1 Rd8 33. Rxd8 Kxd8 34. Nd3 Bg6 )
32. ... Bh5+ ( 32. ... Rc3? {is strongly met by} 33. Rd3 ) 33. Kc1 ( 33. 
Ke1 {fails to} 33. ... Rc3 ) 33. ... Rg8! {Starting the effective 
operations on the kingside.} 34. Nd3 h3! {Excellent blow. This pawn 
sacrifice yields Black decisive advantage.} 35. gxh3 Rg1+ 36. Kb2 Bf3 37. 
Nxe5 Bxe4 {Intending to play 39...f3 followed by Rg2.} 38. Rf2 Kf6! 39. 
Nc4 ( 39. Ng4+ Kg5 ) 39. ... Kg5 {/\f4-f3, Kg5-f4.} 40. h4+ {A desperate 
attempt to push own passed pawn. Clearly, this march cannot yield anything
to White.} 40. ... Kg4 41. h5 f3 42. h6 Kf4 43. Nd2 Rg6 44. h7 Rh6 45. 
h8=Q Rxh8 {Aside from examining late opening positions - which are easily 
found in
books, magazines and databases or on the Internet - there is another good
method for enriching your sense of what matters. It's your own games.
Unfortunately for your ego, it's usually your losses.
The reason is that by the time you've been playing tournament chess for
several years, you've developed an appreciation of what matters in some
positions. But you're also hampered by blind spots in other kinds of 
positions.
The best way to find out what you don 't understand is by examining 
positions
you didn't understand when you played them. Here's a personal example.} 
0-1

[Event "Ybbs"]
[Site "Ybbs"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Huebner, Robert"]
[Black "Soltis, Andrew E"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B31m"]
[EventDate "1968.??.??"]
[PlyCount "65"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Re1 O-O 7. h3 d6 8. 
d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 a6 10. Bf1 e5?! ( 10. ... d5! 11. e5 Ne4 12. Nc3 Nxc3 13. 
bxc3 Na5 14. Bd3 Bd7 15. Ng5 ) 11. Nc3 ( 11. d5 Ne7 12. Nc3 Nd7 13. Be3 b5
) 11. ... Re8?! ( 11. ... exd4 12. Nxd4 d5 13. e5 Nd7 14. f4 Nc5 15. Be3 )
12. d5 D {I had sought this pawn structure and thought I had cleverly 
found a way to
swap some minor pieces} 12. ... Nd4 13. Be3 ( 13. Nxd4? exd4 14. Qxd4 Nxe4
) 13. ... Nxf3+ 14. Qxf3 {and now I figured I should get rid of
my bad bishop and did so with} 14. ... Nd7 ( 14. ... Bd7 15. a4 Qe7 16. 
Bg5 Rec8 17. Rec1 ) 15. a4 Bf6?! ( 15. ... Nc5 16. Bxc5 dxc5 17. a5 Bd7 
18. Bc4 Rb8 19. Bb3 ) 16. a5 Bg5 17. Bxg5 Qxg5 {I
was making progress.
It was only after} 18. Na4! {that I began to realize that I had badly 
misevaluated.
If l move my knight - and there's no really good square for it - I allow a
strong
Nb6. And if I don 't move the knight, how do I develop my queenside?
I went ahead with the attack-the-base-of-the-pawn chain plan of} 18. ... 
f5?! {After all, wasn 't that what all the textbooks said you did with 
this kind of pawn
structure? There followed} ( 18. ... Qd8 19. Qa3 b5 20. axb6 Nxb6 21. b3 
Re7 22. Nb2 Rc7 23. Rec1 ) 19. Qa3! Qf6 20. exf5 gxf5 21. Rac1 {It was 
already too late. White will penetrate with Rc7 (since 10 . . . Qd8 allow
11 Qxd6).
I tried to complicate with} 21. ... e4 22. f4 Qd4+ 23. Kh2 e3 24. Rc4! Qd2
25. Qc3 Qf2 26. Be2 Re4!? 27. Rxc8+ {Only in the post-mortem did I realize
that what mattered most wasn't my
having the better bishop or getting in the thematic . . . f5 . The hole on
b6, the open
c-file and other factors were much more important. The positions I had 
sought
while choosing moves were simply ones I should have avoided.} 27. ... Rxc8
28. Qxc8+ Nf8 29. Qxf5 Rxa4 30. Qg4+ Ng6 31. Rf1 Qh4 32. Qe6+ Kg7 33. Qd7+
1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Quizes  1 - 6"]
[Black "----------"]
[Result "*"]

{Now let's see if you can figure out what matters most in the following
positions. There will be similar quizzes at the end of each succeeding 
chapter.
Take your time, at least five minutes, trying to find the right answer. 
When
you're done you'll find the correct answers at the end of this book.
-------

Quiz answers - page 190} 
*

[Event "ESP Team Ch"]
[Site "Cala Galdana ESP"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spraggett, Kevin"]
[Black "Morovic Fernandez, Ivan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2550"]
[BlackElo "2605"]
[ECO "A29"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1996.11.15"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O e4 7. Ne1 Bxc3 
8. dxc3 h6 9. Nc2 Re8 10. Ne3 d6 11. Qc2 Re5 12. f4 exf3 13. exf3 Re8 14. 
Bd2 Be6 15. f4 Ng4 16. Nd5 Ne7 17. h3 Bxd5 18. cxd5 Nf6 19. c4 Qd7 20. 
Rae1 Nf5 21. Qd3 h5 D {What is the most important feature of the position 
and what should White do
about it?} 22. Rxe8+ {The most important feature is the superiority of 
White's minor pieces over
Black's. To maximize that edge White correctly traded rooks} ( 22. Bc3! 
Rxe1 23. Rxe1 h4 24. Bxf6 gxf6 25. gxh4 Nxh4 26. Qg3+ Ng6 27. Be4 +/- ) 
22. ... Rxe8 23. Re1 h4 ( 23. ... Rxe1+ 24. Bxe1 {White would have 
continued
Bc3 , Kh2, .Bf3 and g3-g4 to drive the knights back. His edge in space 
would
be nearly decisive.} ) 24. Rxe8+ Nxe8 25. g4 Ng3 26. f5 Nf6 27. Bg5 Qe8! {
Black is offering a pawn in order to gain counterplay (Bxh4 Ne2+ and Nf4).
But White recognized that trading queens mattered more and played} 28. Qe3
! Qxe3+ 29. Bxe3 {That left him with two bishops that have grown in power 
over
the two knights because the heavy pieces are gone.
One of the reasons bishops are superior to knights is that they have an 
easier
time forcing trades. White won by entering a pawn-ending,} 29. ... a5 30. 
Kf2 g5 31. Ke1 ( 31. Bxg5 Nfe4+ ) 31. ... Nfe4 32. Bxe4 Nxe4 33. Ke2 f6 
34. Kd3 Nc5+ ( 34. ... Ng3 35. Ba7! ) 35. Bxc5! dxc5 36. Kc3 Kf7 37. Kb3 
Ke7 38. Ka4 b6 39. Kb5 Kd6 40. b3 Kd7 41. Ka6 Kd6 42. Kb7 1-0

[Event "Linares 26th"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "2009.02.25"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2776"]
[BlackElo "2791"]
[ECO "D45o"]
[EventDate "2009.02.19"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow"]
[PlyCount "153"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.03.25"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. g4 Nxg4 8.
 Rg1 Qf6 9. Rxg4 Qxf3 10. Rxg7 Nf6 11. h3 {This move (keeping the h2 pawn 
and preventing ...Nf6-g4) was played by Aronian against Morozevich (see 
CBM 117, with GM M.Marin's annotations). Below you will see other 
practical examples.} ( 11. Rg5 {is the main theoretical line - see my 
survey in CBM 127.} ) 11. ... Qf5?! N {Hardly a good novelty. In the 
endgame White keeps a small but clear edge due to his better pawn 
structure.} ( 11. ... e5?! 12. dxe5 Bxe5 13. Rg5! Nd7 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. 
Rf5 ( 15. Bd2 d4 16. Bg2 Qf6 17. exd4 Bxd4 18. O-O-O +/- {1-0 Chytilek,R 
(2320)-Franta,J/Litomysl 1996/EXT 1998 (25)} ) 15. ... Qh1 16. Bd2 d4 17. 
exd4 Bxd4 18. O-O-O O-O 19. Bh6 Re8 20. Rg5+ Kh8 21. Rxd4 Qxf1+ 22. Rd1 
Re1 23. Bg7+ Kg8 24. Be5+ {1-0 Tisdall,J (2492)-Sidselrud,S (2150)/Norway 
2002/EXT 2003} ) ( 11. ... h6!? {, preventing Rg7-g5, looks quite good for
Black:} 12. Bd2 ( 12. Qe2!? Qxe2+ ( 12. ... Qf5!? ) 13. Bxe2 Kf8 14. Rg1 
dxc4 15. e4 Bb4 16. f3 b5 17. Kf2 a6 18. Bf4 Bb7 19. Rac1 Nd7 20. b3 cxb3 
21. axb3 =/& {1-0 Le Quang,L (2542)-Neelotpal,D (2485)/Cebu City 2007/CBM 
120 ext (38)} ) 12. ... e5 ( 12. ... Bd7 13. Qb3 Ke7 14. c5 Bc7 15. Qxb7 
+= {1-0 Le Quang,L (2583)-Garnelis,J (2188)/Vung Tau 2008/EXT 2009 (37)} )
13. Rg3 ( 13. cxd5 exd4 14. exd4 Kf8 15. Rg1 Bf5 16. Qb3 Re8+ 17. Be3 Rg8 
â‡„â‡„ {1/2 Siebrecht,S (2451) -Haba,P (2546)/Kallithea 2008/CBM 127 (37)}
) 13. ... Qh5 14. cxd5 exd4 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. Qxe4+ Qe5 17. Qxe5+ Bxe5 18. 
Rf3 cxd5 19. Bb5+ Ke7 20. exd4 Bd6 21. Kf1 Be6 =, quiet {1/2 Aronian,L 
(2744)-Morozevich,A (2741)/Morelia/Linares 2007/CBM 117/[Marin,M] (29)} ) 
( 11. ... Kf8!? 12. Rg5 ( 12. Rg1 $143 Rg8 13. Rxg8+ Kxg8 14. Bd2 dxc4 15.
 Bxc4 e5 16. dxe5 Bxe5 17. Bf1 Bf5 -/+ {0-1 Splichal,S (2167) -Michenka,J 
(2351)/Karvina 2003/EXT 2005 (41)} ) 12. ... Qh1 {needs testing} ) 12. 
Qxf5 exf5 13. cxd5 cxd5 ( 13. ... Nxd5!? 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15. Bd2 += ) 14. 
Nb5 Bb4+ 15. Bd2 Bxd2+ 16. Kxd2 Ke7 17. Bd3 Be6 D {White played 18 Nc7. 
Why does that make sense?

As bad as Black's bishop is, it defends his weakest pawns, at f5, d5 and 
f7. After} ( 17. ... Bd7!? ) 18. Nc7!? {A good idea - to exchange the 
theoretically "bad" e6 bishop, in fact, the main defender of the black 
pawns, using the opportunity that Black can't recapture with his f7 pawn.}
18. ... Rag8 19. Nxe6! {Black's position was riddled with permanent and
vulnerable targets and he lost eventually following} 19. ... Kxe6 20. Rxg8
Nxg8?! {Too "subtle".} ( {Any beginner would play the simple} 20. ... Rxg8
{, and he would be right:} 21. Rc1 Rg2 22. Ke2 Rh2 23. Kf3! ( 23. Rc7 Rxh3
24. Rxb7 Rh2 ) 23. ... Rxh3+ 24. Kg2 Rh5 25. Rc7 Rg5+ 26. Kf3 Ng4 {- 
Black's counterplay must be strong enough to survive.} ) 21. Ke2 ( 21. Rc1
Ne7 22. Rc7 Rb8 ) 21. ... Ne7 22. Kf3! ( 22. Rc1 Rc8 23. Rxc8 Nxc8 24. Kf3
{was probably insufficient for the victory. GM M.Carlsen decides to keep 
rooks on the board.} ) 22. ... Rc8 23. a4! Rc7 24. a5 h6 25. h4 Kf6 26. h5
Nc8 27. Kf4 Nd6 28. Rg1 Rc8 29. f3 Ke6 {Black is completely passive.} 30. 
Rg7 Rh8 31. Bc2! {The "two weaknesses", attacked by the stronger side, 
should be as far from each other as possible, then it is more difficult 
for the defender to hold both; therefore - h6 and d5, rather than f5.} 
31. ... Rc8 32. Bb3 Rh8 33. Rg1 Rc8 34. Rg7 Rh8 35. Rg2 Rc8 36. Rg1 âŠ™ {
The black knight must prevent e3-e4, the rook can't leave the 8th rank in 
view of Rg8-h8, and if it leaves the c-file, White plays Rc1 threatening 
Rc5 and Rc7; finally, pawn moves create new weaknesses.} 36. ... Ne8! {The
lesser evil.} ( 36. ... Rb8 37. Rc1 Rc8 38. Rc5! Rxc5 39. dxc5 Nc4 40. e4 
fxe4 41. Bxc4 dxc4 42. Kxe4 +- ) ( 36. ... Nc4 37. Bxc4 dxc4 ( 37. ... 
Rxc4 38. Rg7 ) 38. Ra1 ) ( 36. ... b6 37. axb6 axb6 38. Ra1 +/- ) 37. e4 
fxe4 38. fxe4 Nf6 39. e5! Ne4! ( 39. ... Nxh5+ 40. Ke3 ) ( {The endgame 
after} 39. ... Rg8 40. Rxg8 Nxg8 {is very difficult for Black:} 41. Bd1 
Ne7 42. Bg4+ f5 43. Bh3 âŠ™ b6 ( 43. ... Nc6 44. Bxf5+ Ke7 45. Bc8 Nxa5 
46. Kf5 ) 44. a6 b5 45. Bf1 b4 ( 45. ... Nc6 46. Bxb5 Nxd4 47. Bd3 âŠ™ +/-
) 46. Bd3 Nc6 47. Bxf5+ Ke7 48. Ke3 {and White should gradually win.} ) 
40. Ke3 b6?! {Black unnecessarily opens up the a-file for his opponent. 
"Don't move pawns on the side where you are weaker!"} ( 40. ... Ng5 âŒ“ +=
41. Rf1 â–³ Ne4 ) 41. axb6 axb6 42. Kd3 ( 42. Bd1!? Rc4 ( 42. ... Ra8 43. 
Bc2 Ng5 44. Rf1 ) 43. Bg4+! ( 43. Rg8 Rb4 â‡„â‡„ ) 43. ... f5 ( 43. ... 
Ke7 44. Bf3 Rb4 45. Bxe4 dxe4 46. Rg2 +/- ) 44. exf6+ Kxf6 45. Bf3 Kf5 46.
 Bxe4+ dxe4 47. Rf1+ Ke6 48. Kxe4 Rc2 49. d5+ Ke7 50. b4 {with a promising
rook ending.} ) 42. ... Nf2+ 43. Ke2 Ne4 44. Ke3 f6?! ( 44. ... Ng5!? {was
still possible although White could now invade along the a-file:} 45. Ra1 
f6! 46. exf6 Ne4 47. f7! Rf8 48. Ra6 Rxf7 49. Rxb6+ Nd6 {with good drawing
chances (S.Zagrebelny).} ) 45. Rg6 Rc1 46. Rxh6? ( 46. exf6! Re1+ 47. Kd3 
Nxf6 48. Bxd5+ Kf5 ( 48. ... Kxd5 49. Rxf6 b5 50. Rb6 +- ) 49. Bf3 {
(I.Ganiev)} 49. ... Rb1 50. Kc3 ( 50. Kc2 $143 Rf1 51. Be2 Rf2 ) 50. ... 
Re1 51. Kc4 {and White should gradually win} ) 46. ... Rh1 47. Bc2 Rh3+? {
Obvious but wrong!} ( 47. ... Re1+! 48. Kd3 ( 48. Kf4 Rf1+ 49. Kg4 Rg1+ ) 
48. ... Rh1 {and White can't make any progress (S.Zagrebelny).} ) 48. Kf4!
Rh4+ 49. Kf3 {When a rook and a knight are jumping around your king, you 
must sometimes display real acrobacy!} 49. ... Nd2+ 50. Ke2? {This move 
seriously complicates White's task.} ( 50. Kg3! âŒ“ Rxd4 51. Rxf6+ Kxe5 
52. Rf5+ Ke6 53. h6 Rc4 ( 53. ... Ne4+ 54. Bxe4 dxe4 55. h7 Rd8 56. Rh5 
Rh8 57. Kf4 +- ) 54. h7 Rxc2 55. Re5+! ( 55. Rf8 $143 Ne4+ 56. Kg4 Rh2 57.
 h8=Q Rxh8 58. Rxh8 Kd6 ) ( 55. h8=Q $143 Ne4+! 56. Kf4 Rf2+ 57. Ke3 Kxf5 
) 55. ... Kxe5 56. h8=Q+ Kd6 57. Qf8+ Kc7 58. Qf7+ Kb8 59. Qxd5 Nf1+ 60. 
Kh4 {- with his pieces scattered all over the board, Black can't organize 
successful defence.} ) 50. ... Rh2+ 51. Kd1 Nc4 52. Rxf6+ Ke7 53. Bg6 Rd2+
54. Kc1 ( 54. Ke1!? Rxd4 55. h6 Rh4 ( 55. ... Nxe5 $143 56. Rxb6 Rh4 ( 
56. ... Nxg6 57. Rxg6 Rh4 58. Rb6 ) 57. Bf5 ) 56. Bf5 d4 57. Re6+ ( 57. 
Rc6 d3! ) 57. ... Kf7 58. b3 Ne3 59. Rf6+ Ke7 60. Bc8 Rh2 61. Rd6 +/- ) 
54. ... Rxd4 55. b3! ( 55. h6 Rh4 56. Bf5 {is now impossible due to} 
56. ... Rh1+ 57. Kc2 Ne3+ 58. Kd3 Nxf5 59. Rxf5 Rxh6 =, quiet ) 55. ... 
Nxe5 56. Rxb6 Rh4 ( {The rook endgame after} 56. ... Nxg6 57. hxg6 {should
be winning for White.} ) 57. Bf5! Nf3? ( 57. ... Rh1+ 58. Kc2 ( 58. Kd2 
Nc4+!! 59. bxc4 Rxh5 =, quiet {S.Zagrebelny} ) 58. ... Nf3 59. Bg4 ( {or} 
59. Rb7+ Kf6 60. Bg6 Ne5 ) 59. ... Rh2+ 60. Kc3 Ng5 {and White can hardly 
win.} ) 58. h6! {The pawn finally moves forward!} 58. ... Nd4 59. h7! Nxf5
60. Rb8 Nd4 61. Kb2! Kd6 62. h8=Q Rxh8 63. Rxh8 {This is a technically 
winning endgame but some work still has to be done.} 63. ... Kc5 64. Rh5 
Nc6 65. Rh4 Nb4 66. Ka3 {White must disorganise Black's defence. First, he
forces the advance of the black d-pawn, then he must try to push his own 
pawn at an appropriate moment.} 66. ... d4 ( 66. ... Nc2+ 67. Ka4 d4 68. 
Rh5+ ) 67. Rh5+ Nd5 68. Kb2 Kc6 69. Ka3 Kc5 70. Rh4 Nb4 71. Rh8 Nc6? {This
makes White's task much easier.} ( 71. ... Nd5 72. Rd8! +- ) ( 71. ... 
Nc2+ âŒ“ 72. Kb2 Nb4 73. Rc8+ Nc6 ( {or} 73. ... Kd5 74. Ka3 ) 74. Ka3 Kd5
{It is still difficult for White to reach victory; e.g.} 75. b4? {is 
premature and leads to a draw after} ( {first he must play} 75. Rc7 Kd6 
76. Rh7 {etc.} ) 75. ... d3 76. Rh8 d2 77. Rh1 Kc4 ) 72. Rh5+ Kd6 73. b4 {
Now, with the black king cut off, everything is over.} 73. ... d3 ( 
73. ... Ne5 74. Kb3 Kd5 75. b5 +- ) 74. Rh3 Ne5 75. Kb3 d2 76. Kc2 Nc6 77.
 Rh4 1-0

[Event "Zuerich op-A 31th"]
[Site "Zurich SUI"]
[Date "2007.12.29"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Jenni, Florian"]
[Black "Pelletier, Yannick"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2530"]
[BlackElo "2609"]
[ECO "B22w"]
[EventDate "2007.12.26"]
[Annotator "Pelletier"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 {Zu diesem Zeitpunkt des Turniers hatte Florian 
Jenni all seine Partien gewonnen, während ich ein Remis abgegeben hatte. 
Deshalb hatte ich erwartet, dass er seine alte Liebe - die solide 
c3-Variante wählen würde. Ich hatte eine relativ komplizierte Variante 
vorbereitet.} 3. ... Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. Bc4 Nb6 8. Bb3
dxe5 9. Nxe5 {Natürlich könnte Weiss mittels 9.dxe5 in ein Damenloses 
Mittelspiel abwickeln. Aber ganz tot wäre die Stellung dann noch nicht!} 
9. ... Nc6 D {In this standard opening position Black has just played . . 
.Nc6. Many players
would be tempted to separate Black's pawns with 1 Nxc6. But why do some
masters prefer the time-losing retreat 1 Nf3 ?} 10. Nf3 {White has 
attacking chances on the kingside but only if he keeps minor
pieces, like his knight, on the board. Typical play is 10 Nf3} ( 10. Nxc6 
bxc6 {ist die Hauptfortsetzung, wo beide Seiten ihre Chancen haben.
On the other hand, 10 Nxc6 weakens Black's pawns but the one at c6 is no 
weaker than the White one at d4.} ) 10. ... Bb4+ ( {Diese komische 
Fortsetzung hatte ich vor der Partie kurz vorbereitet. Nach dem normaleren
} 10. ... Be7 11. Nc3 O-O 12. O-O Nb4 13. Re1 {gefällt mir der Nb6 aber 
nicht besonders.} ) ( 10. ... Nd5 11. O-O Be7 12. Nc3 {and Re1 with a 
slight edge for White.} ) 11. Nc3 += Na5 12. Bg5 ( {Als Florian hier über 
seinen Zug nachdachte, verstand ich, dass Weiss nach} 12. Bc2 Nd5 ( 
12. ... Bd7!? ) 13. O-O! {den Bauern opfern könnte, und dafür gute 
Kompensation bekommen würde. In einer Partie Sedina-Sax geschah} 13. ... 
Bxc3 14. bxc3 Qc7 {, wonach Weiss mittels} 15. Ba4+!? {oder 15.Ne5!? 
klaren Vorteil erhalten.} ) ( 12. Bc2 Nd5 13. O-O Bxc3 14. bxc3 Qc7?! +/- 
( 14. ... Nxc3 15. Qd3 Nd5 ) 15. Re1 ( 15. Ne5! Nxc3 16. Qf3 Nd5 17. Ba3 
+- Nc6 18. Rfc1 Nxe5 19. dxe5 Qxe5 20. Ba4+ +-- ) 15. ... Nxc3 16. Qd2 Nd5
17. Ba4+ Nc6 18. Ne5? ( 18. Ba3! f6! 19. Rac1 Kf7 20. Qd3 g6 ) 18. ... O-O
19. Ba3 Rd8 = 20. Nxc6 bxc6 21. Rac1 Bd7 22. Rc5 Nb6 23. Bc2 Be8 24. Qd3 
g6 25. Rh5 Nd5 26. Rhe5 Rab8 27. Bb3 Nf6 28. Qc3? ( 28. Qf3! += ) ( 28. h3
!? ) 28. ... Ng4! -/+ 29. Qc5?! Bd7 30. Qc1? Nxe5 {0-1(44) Sedina, Elena 
(2390) - Sax, Gyula (2521) / Bratto Open 23rd (3), Bratto ITA 2003} 31. 
Rxe5 Bc8 ) 12. ... f6 ( {Weiss würde im folgenden Endspiel starken Druck 
üben können:} 12. ... Qc7 13. Rc1 h6 14. Bh4 Nxb3 15. Qxb3 Qc4 16. Qxc4 
Nxc4 17. a3 Bxc3+ 18. Rxc3 Nxb2 19. Ne5 =/& ) 13. Bf4 ( 13. Bd2 O-O ) 
13. ... Nd5 ( 13. ... Nxb3 14. Qxb3 Nd5 15. Bd2 O-O 16. Nxd5 Bxd2+ 17. 
Nxd2 Qxd5 18. Qxd5 exd5 += ) 14. Bd2 ( 14. Bxd5 Qxd5 ( 14. ... exd5 15. 
Qa4+ Nc6 16. O-O O-O 17. Qb5 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Na5 =, quiet ) 15. Qa4+ Nc6 16.
 Qxb4 Nxb4 17. Nxd5 exd5 18. Ke2 Bg4 19. h3 Bxf3+ 20. Kxf3 Kd7 =, quiet ) 
14. ... Bxc3?! 15. bxc3 b5 += 16. O-O?! ( {Weiss hätte genauer} 16. Qe2 {
spielen sollen. Schwarz würde sich dann weniger gut organisieren können:} 
16. ... Rb8 17. O-O O-O ( 17. ... Rb6 18. Qd3 Qc7 19. Rfe1 O-O 20. Bc2 f5 
21. Rac1 Nc4 22. Bb3 += ) 18. Bc2 Nc4 19. Qd3 f5 20. Bb3 Qd6 21. Rfe1 Nxd2
22. Qxd2 += ) 16. ... O-O 17. Qe2 Bd7 {Dieser Zug wäre nach 16.Qe2 wegen 
der Fesselung auf der e-Linie unmöglich gewesen.} 18. Bc2 Qe8! ( 18. ... 
Nc4 19. Qd3 f5 20. Bb3 Rc8 =, quiet ) 19. a4 ( 19. Qd3 Qg6!? 20. Qxg6 hxg6
21. Bxg6 Nc4 â‡„â‡„ ) 19. ... a6 ( {Möglich war auch} 19. ... Nc4 20. axb5
Bxb5 21. Bd3 Rc8 ( 21. ... Nxd2 22. Qxd2 Bxd3 ( 22. ... Qc6 23. c4 Bxc4 
24. Rfc1 Nb6 25. Bxc4 Nxc4 26. Qa2 +- ) 23. Qxd3 += ) 22. Rfc1!? ( 22. 
Rxa7 Nxd2 23. Nxd2 Nxc3 ( 23. ... Nf4? 24. Qg4 ) 24. Qg4 Rf7 =, quiet ) 
22. ... Rf7 ~ ) 20. axb5 ( {Nach} 20. Rfe1 Nc4 21. axb5 Bxb5 22. Bc1 Rc8 
23. Qe4 f5 24. Qxe6+ Qxe6 25. Rxe6 Nxc3 {wären die Chancen verteilt.} ) 
20. ... axb5 ( {Objektiv war} 20. ... Bxb5 21. Bd3 Bxd3 22. Qxd3 Nb3 23. 
Rxa6 Rxa6 24. Qxa6 Qc8! =, quiet {besser...aber auch Remis. Im Gewinnsinne
musste ich nach einer riskanten Alternative suchen.} ) 21. Qe4?! ( {
Florian übersah meine Ressource, sonst hätte er wohl eine der folgenden 
Fortsetzungen gewählt:} 21. Bd3 Nb3 22. Rxa8 Qxa8 23. Bxb5 Bxb5 24. Qxb5 
Nxd2 25. Nxd2 Nxc3 =, quiet {oder} ) ( 21. Rfe1 Nc4 22. Rxa8 Qxa8 23. Qd3 
f5 â‡„â‡„ ) ( {Sei gemerkt, dass} 21. Rxa5? {an dieser Stelle wegen} 
21. ... Rxa5 22. c4 Ra2 23. Bb3 Rb2 {nicht funktionniert.} ) ( 21. Ne1 += 
Nc4 22. Nd3 Bc6 += ) 21. ... Qg6! ( 21. ... Qh5? {verliert jetzt wegen} 
22. Rxa5 Rxa5 23. c4 f5 24. Qe5! Ra2 25. Bb1 ( 25. cxd5 Rxc2 26. dxe6 â†‘ 
) 25. ... Rxd2 26. cxd5 Rb2 27. dxe6 +- ) ( 21. ... f5?! 22. Qd3 Nc4 {ist 
spielbar, kam aber nicht in meinen Plänen.} ) 22. Qxg6 hxg6 23. Bxg6?! ( 
23. Rxa5 Rxa5 24. c4 Ra2 25. Bb1 Rxd2 26. Nxd2 bxc4 27. Nxc4 Bb5 28. Bd3 
Nf4 29. Rb1 Nxd3 30. Rxb5 Rd8 =+ {würde es dem Nachziehenden erlauben, den
Gegner noch ein bisschen zu quälen.} ) ( {Eine solidere Variante war aber}
23. Rfd1 Nc4 24. Be1 Kf7 =, quiet ) 23. ... Nb3 {Weiss hat einen Bauern 
gewonnen, und verfügt über das Läuferpaar. Trotzdem entfaltet Schwarz eine
starke Initiative in diesem Endspiel, die ihm sogar bessere Aussichten 
verschafft!} 24. Rxa8 Rxa8 25. Be4 ( 25. Be3 Rc8 =+ ) 25. ... Ra2 ( {Auch 
möglich war} 25. ... Rc8 26. Bxd5 exd5 27. Rb1 Nxd2 28. Nxd2 Rxc3 29. h4 
Kf7 =+ {Aber der Textzug stellt eine kleine Falle.} ) 26. Rd1?? ( {Nach} 
26. Be1?! Nc1 =+ {ist Weiss ziemlich gebunden} ) ( {Unangenehm aber 
haltbar wäre seine Stellung nach dem besseren} 26. Bxd5 exd5 27. Bf4 Rc2 (
{oder} 27. ... Bg4 {gewesen} ) ) 26. ... Nxd2 27. Bxd5 exd5 28. Nxd2 b4! 
-+ {Die von Weiss vergessene Pointe.} 29. Nf1 ( 29. cxb4 Ba4 ) ( 29. Nb1 
b3 30. f3 Bf5 ) 29. ... b3 30. Nd2 b2 31. g4 Bxg4 32. f3 Ra1 0-1

[Event "Fujitsu Siemens Giants"]
[Site "Frankfurt GER"]
[Date "2000.06.25"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2769"]
[BlackElo "2751"]
[ECO "C05k"]
[EventDate "2000.06.22"]
[Annotator "Anand"]
[EventType "tourn (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "GER"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.10.18"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "NOR"]
[BlackTeamCountry "POR"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nce2 {Shirov and I continue 
where we left off from Leon. This manoeuvre is basically designed to keep 
the center intact - White meets c5 with c3 and f6 with f4. It is something
Shirov himself has used on various occasions.} 5. ... c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. f4 
Qb6 8. Nf3 Be7 9. a3 O-O 10. h4 {10.b4 is also possible, but if you want 
to attack the black king, h4 and Rh3 can't be wrong.} 10. ... f6 11. Rh3 {
Suddenly, Black has finished all the easy developing moves. Bareev once 
came up with 11...a5 with the idea Qa7 and b5, which seems very 
reasonable.} 11. ... Na5 {I think this is a mistake since it takes the 
pressure off d4 completely} 12. b4 cxb4 13. axb4 Nc4 14. Ng3 a5 ( {Perhaps
Black should already consider...} 14. ... fxe5 15. fxe5 Ndxe5 16. dxe5 
Nxe5 {It may not be enough for a piece, but Black will have lots of play 
and probably Shirov would have enjoyed this kind of position more!} ) 15. 
Bd3 f5 ( {Now it's too late for...} 15. ... fxe5 16. Bxh7+ Kxh7 17. Ng5+ 
Bxg5 ( 17. ... Kg8 18. Qh5 Nf6 19. Qg6 {There seems to be no defence 
against Nh5} ) 18. hxg5+ Kg8 19. Qh5 +- ) 16. Ng5 Rd8 ( 16. ... Bxg5 17. 
hxg5 Rd8 ( 17. ... Rf7 18. Rxh7 Kxh7 19. Qh5+ Kg8 20. g6 +- ) ( 17. ... g6
18. Nh5! Rf7 19. Nf6+ +/- ) 18. Nh5 {/\ Nf6} ( 18. Qh5 Nf8 ) ) 17. Qh5 
Bxg5 18. Qxg5! ( 18. hxg5 Nf8 ) 18. ... Rf8 ( 18. ... Nf8 19. Nh5 Rd7 20. 
Nf6+ +- ) 19. Nh5 Rf7? ( 19. ... g6! 20. g4 Qd8 21. gxf5 exf5 ) 20. Rg3 g6
21. Bxc4! dxc4 D {Both players have wing attacks in motion. What should 
White do?

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

Opening the a-file is Black's main source of counterplay. At the cost of a
pawn, White kills it with} 22. b5! {Now the bishop enters the game as 
well.
. Second in significance to closing the queenside
is White's domination of the dark squares after 23 Ba3 ! .
The game ended with} ( 22. Be3 Nf8 23. Nf6+ Rxf6 24. d5 Qc7 25. d6 Qd7 26.
 exf6 +- ) 22. ... Qxb5? ( 22. ... Kh8 23. Ba3 ) ( 22. ... Nf8 23. Ba3 Bd7
24. Nf6+ Kh8 25. h5 +- ) ( 22. ... a4 ) 23. Ba3! b6 24. Qh6 Bb7 25. Rxg6+!
hxg6 26. Qxg6+ Kh8 27. Qxf7 Rg8 {Of course Nf6 wins, but I saw something 
more elegant:} 28. Bf8! {This victory clinched the tournament for me as it
gave me a 2 point lead ahead of the last round.} ( 28. Bf8 Nxf8 29. Nf6 +-
) 1-0

[Event "Cannes NAO Masters"]
[Site "Cannes FRA"]
[Date "2002.03.03"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Fressinet, Laurent"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2591"]
[BlackElo "2703"]
[ECO "C42r"]
[EventDate "2002.02.22"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "18"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.03.21"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 
8. c4 c6 9. Re1 Bf5 10. Qb3 Na6 11. cxd5 ( 11. Nc3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 Nxc3 13. 
bxc3 b5 14. Bf1 Nc7 =, quiet ) 11. ... cxd5 12. Nc3 Be6 13. a3 ( 13. Qxb7 
Nb4 14. Bxe4 Rb8 15. Qxa7 Ra8 =, quiet ) 13. ... Nc7 14. Qc2 f5 15. Ne5 
Rc8 16. Bf4 ( 16. f3!? ) 16. ... g5!? {'!' Wells. In this system black 
simply lives mainly from the activity of his own centralized pieces. For 
this simple reason he is not afraid to play such a committing move as 
16...g5!? Wells: 'Undermining white's knight. At the expense of his 
dark-squared bishop all black's other forces enjoy a new lease of life.'} 
17. Bd2 Na6 {'!' Wells.} 18. Qd1 D {Black's best bishop is clearly the one
at d6. Should he even consider
1 ... Bxe5 ?

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

Yes, because} 18. ... Bxe5! {'!' Wells.} ( 18. ... Qb6 19. Nf3 g4 20. Ng5 
Nxg5 21. Bxg5 Nc7 22. Be2 =, quiet ) 19. dxe5 {allows him to obtain a 
superior pawn
structure following} 19. ... Nac5! {A better pawn structure often matters 
much
more than the fortunes of a single piece.
White's bishop on d3 is attacked and 20 Nxe4 dxe4 would create a hole that
Black can exploit with . . . Nd3 . In addition, the e5-pawn may be lost.
White cannot defend the bishop with 3 Qe2 because that allows 3 . . . Nxd2
4 Qxd2 Nb3 . That leaves} ( 19. ... Qb6? 20. Bxe4 fxe4 21. Be3 Qxb2 22. 
Nxd5 +/- ) 20. Bc2 ( 20. Nxe4 fxe4 ( 20. ... Nxd3? 21. Bxg5 +/- ) ( 
20. ... dxe4 21. Bc2 Rf7 22. Be3 =, quiet ) 21. Bc2 Nd7 22. Bc3 =, quiet )
20. ... Nxd2 21. Qxd2 d4! {The central "d" pawn can not be underestimated,
Fressinet will need to use great deal of phantasy for holding balance.
Black was obviously superior after} 22. Na4 ( 22. Nb5 d3 23. Bd1 Ne4 24. 
Qe3 d2 25. Re2 Qb6 ( 25. ... Bc4 26. Bb3 Qd5 27. Nc3 Nxc3 28. Rxd2 ( 28. 
Qxg5+ Kh8 29. Rxd2 Qxe5 30. Bxc4 Ne4 -+ ) 28. ... f4 29. Bxc4 fxe3 30. 
Bxd5+ Nxd5 31. Rxd5 Rxf2 32. e6 =+ ) 26. Qxb6 axb6 27. Nc3 Nxc3 28. bxc3 
Rfd8 -+ ) 22. ... Nb3! {Wells: 'and while white was able to create some 
confusion with the advance of his passed e-pawn, it was the d4 pawn and 
the light squared bishop, the joint beneficiaries of the excellent 16. 
..g5! which won the day. Really a very graphic example of a position 
simply springing into life.'} 23. Bxb3 Bxb3 24. e6! Re8 ( 24. ... Qe8 25. 
e7 Rf7 26. Qxg5+ ( 26. Nc5 Rxc5 27. Qb4 Rxe7 28. Qxb3+ Qf7 29. Qb4 =/& ) 
26. ... Kh8 ( 26. ... Rg7 27. Qxf5 Bxa4 28. Qd5+ Kh8 29. Qxd4 ) 27. Qf4 
Bxa4 28. Qxd4+ Rg7 29. g3 Bc6 =+ ) 25. e7 Rxe7 26. Qxg5+?! {White his 
complicating his own life, elimination of the central pawn was much 
better.} ( 26. Rxe7 Qxe7 27. Qxd4 Rd8 28. Qc3! ( 28. Qxa7 Qe2 29. h3 ( 29.
 Nc3 Qxb2 -+ ) 29. ... Rd1+ 30. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 31. Kh2 Bxa4 -+ ) 28. ... Bxa4 
29. Qc4+ Kh8 30. Qxa4 Qe2 31. Rf1 =, quiet ) 26. ... Rg7 27. Qxd8+ Rxd8 
28. Nc5 Bd5 29. g3 Rc7 30. Nd3 ( 30. Rac1 Rdc8 31. Nd3 Rxc1 32. Nxc1 ( 32.
 Rxc1? Rxc1+ 33. Nxc1 Bc4 34. b3 d3! -+ ) 32. ... Rc2 -/+ ) 30. ... Be4 
31. Rad1 Rc2 32. b4? {In the defense under pressure all players are prone 
to make mistakes, white has missed the importance of the e2 square.} ( 32.
 Kf1! Bxd3+ 33. Rxd3 Rxb2 34. Red1 =, quiet ) 32. ... Bf3 33. Rc1 ( 33. 
Ra1 Be2 34. Nf4 Bc4 -+ ) 33. ... Rxc1 34. Rxc1 Be2 35. Nb2 d3 36. Re1 Rc8!
0-1

[Event "EU-Cup 17th"]
[Site "Panormo GRE"]
[Date "2001.09.28"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Beliavsky, Alexander G"]
[Black "Mitkov, Nikola"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2659"]
[BlackElo "2547"]
[ECO "E08r"]
[EventDate "2001.09.22"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "GRE"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2001.10.26"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Nf3 c6 7. Qc2 O-O 8.
 O-O b6 9. Rd1 Nbd7 10. Bf4 Bb7 11. Nc3 Nh5 12. Bc1 Nhf6 13. b3 Rc8 14. e4
dxe4 15. Ng5 h6 16. Ngxe4 Nxe4 17. Nxe4 Nf6 D {In this book position, the 
routine continuations were 1 Bf4 and I Be3 . Is
there anything better?
As Bobby Fischer put it, "to get squares you gotta give squares." Best is}
18. c5! {severely limiting Black's queen bishop and heavy pieces. 
Surrendering d5
is a lesser concern because it can be occupied by only one piece, and with
no
other counterplay (no . . . c5 ! ) White can expand on the queenside at 
will.
His method was instructive:} ( 18. a4 Rc7 19. a5 Rd7 20. Bb2 Nxe4 21. Bxe4
+= ) 18. ... Nd5 19. a3 a5 20. Bf1 Qc7 21. Bd2 Rfd8 22. b4 axb4 23. Bxb4! 
Ra8 ( 23. ... Nxb4?! {gives up the best thing about Black's position. He
preferred Ra8} ) ( 23. ... b5!? = ) 24. cxb6 Qxb6 25. Bxe7 Nxe7 26. Nc5 
Bc8 {There's a new priority in the position. What matters most is White's 
passed
a-pawn. He won shortly after} 27. a4! Ra5?! ( 27. ... Nf5! 28. Rab1 Qc7 
29. Rb4 Rb8 30. Rxb8 Qxb8 31. Nb3 Qa8 = ) 28. Nb3 Rad5 29. a5 Qa7 30. a6 
Bd7 31. Bc4 Rd6 32. Nc5 Bc8 33. Qb2 Nd5 34. Rdb1 Nc7 35. Qb8 Qxb8 36. Rxb8
Rxd4 37. a7 Rxc4 38. Na6 Nxa6 39. Rxa6 Rc1+ 40. Kg2 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chapter 2"]
[Black "----- page 28"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.03"]

{Chapter Two:
Habits

Good chess comes from good habits. Making the jump to master requires
taking something that you know is a good trait and turning it into a 
habit.

You already have several good habits. You might not appreciate them but
you do. For example, when you were a beginner you were told that as soon 
as
your opponent makes a move you should look to see whether he made a 
threat.
At first you had to make a conscious effort to do this. But after a while 
you did
it automatically. It had become a habit.

You already know some, if not most, of the traits that masters have made
their habits. But you probably don't take them as seriously as a master 
does perhaps
because they sound too simple. For instance:

A master always looks for TARGETS.

The easiest way to find the best move in a typical position is to take 
note of
the pieces and pawns that you can attack. You might be able to attack them
on
the next move or on the move after that or even at some distant future 
point.} 
*

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gonzales"]
[Black "Foisor"]
[Result "*"]
[FEN "2r2rk1/p2b1ppp/1p2p3/q1P1P3/2pPP3/8/P5PP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 1"]

{Black's pieces are somewhat more active than White's and he has a passed
c-pawn as well as a threat, 1 . . . bxc5.
Yet White's best strategy should be to ignore all that and attack. The 
attack
should be directed at g7. Why?
What makes g7 a target is that Black has no pieces that can easily defend 
it,
just his king. White, on the other hand, can throw virtually all of his 
pieces at
g7.
White began with} 
1. Bg5 {His idea was 2 Qg4 followed by either .Bf6 or
Bh6 and Qxg7 mate.
That's a very primitive threat. With so much material on the board it 
might
seem that Black can parry it easily.
He can't. If he plays . . . Kh8 and . . . Rg8 to secure g7 he makes h7 
another
high-value target.
That's what happened in the game, which went 1} 1. ... bxc5 2. Qg4 ( 2. 
Be7! ) 2. ... Qc3! ( 2. ... Kh8? 3. Rf3 cxd4?? ( 3. ... Be8 4. Bf6 Rg8 5. 
Qg5 ) 4. Rh3 D {White will play Qh5 or Qh4 and threaten Qxh7 mate. He can 
answer ... h6
with the crushing Bxh6.
Black tried} 4. ... f5 5. Qh5! ( 5. exf5 Qxe5 6. Qh4 Qxf5 ) ( 5. exf6 Qe5 
( 5. ... g6 6. Qh4 Rf7 ) 6. Qh4 ) 5. ... Kg8 6. Qxh7+ Kf7 7. Qh5+ Kg8 8. 
Bf6! {Black lost because g7 was weak and because he had no counterplay to
distract White from attacking it. He needed to find his own targets. For 
example,
2 ... Qc3 ! , instead of 2 . . . Kh8, would allow him to meet 3 Bf6 with 3
. . . Qe3+
and 4 ... Qb6. And on 3 Rad1 Black has 3 ... Ba4 ! . His bishop, which can
play
no role in defense, can attack. The game would become very double-edged 
after
4 Nh6 g6 5 Qf4 f5 ! .


The moral is: White had a plan, a strong one, as soon as he recognized 
that
g7 was a target. Black failed to recognize targets and lost.
When you were a beginner you probably got into the habit of looking at all
the captures available to you when it was your tum to move. The habit of
looking for targets is just an extension of this. In addition to "What can
I take?"
you want to ask yourself "What can I attack in a few moves?"

This sounds too simpleminded to many amateurs. Why look for enemy
pieces and pawns that you can't immediately attack?} 8. ... Qa3 9. Qh7+ 
Kf7 10. Qxg7+ Ke8 11. Rh7 Rxf6 12. Qxd7+ Kf8 13. Qxc8# ) 3. Rad1! +/- ( 3.
 Bf6 Qe3+ 4. Rf2 Qh6 ) 3. ... Ba4 4. Bh6 g6 5. Qf4 f5! *

[Event "Capablanca mem-B"]
[Site "Cuba"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Rodriguez Cepedes, Amador"]
[Black "Sorin, Ariel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2480"]
[BlackElo "2425"]
[ECO "C82e"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "CUB"]
[EventCategory "7"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SUI"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

{page 29} 
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 Nc5 10. c3 Bg4 11. Bc2 Ne6 12. Re1 Bc5 13. a4 Ne7 14. 
Nb3 Bb6 15. axb5 axb5 16. Rxa8 Qxa8 17. Qd3 c6 18. Nfd4 Qc8 19. Qg3 Nxd4 
20. Nxd4 Bxd4 21. cxd4 Ng6 D {Look for the target in Black's camp before 
you read any further.
See it? The only member of Black's army that is not protected is the pawn 
at
g7. It's easy to overlook because it's shielded on the g-file by two 
pieces.
Of course, not every target is worth going after. But here it shouldn't be
hard
to grasp that if White can play Qxg7, he's doing very well.
Once you identify a target - and determine that it's worth going after - 
the
next step is to figure out how to get at it. There may not be a way: It's 
not always
possible to exploit a target.
But in this case White found} 22. e6! Bxe6 23. h4! Kd7 24. h5 Ne7 25. Qxg7
{Beginners often make a concerted effort to threaten their opponent's 
queen
simply because it's so valuable. But queens are valuable because they're 
so
mobile. They can run away. The best targets are typically pawns because 
they tend to be stationary. Most stationary of all are squares because, 
obviously, they
cannot move.} 25. ... Rg8 26. Qf6 Qe8 27. Bg5 h6 28. Bxh6 Rg4 29. Bf4 Qg8 
30. g3 Qa8 31. Qe5 Qa5 32. h6 1-0

[Event "39. Olympiad Men"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2010.09.24"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Kamsky, Gata"]
[Black "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2705"]
[BlackElo "2760"]
[ECO "A37g"]
[EventDate "2010.09.21"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[Opening "English"]
[Variation "symmetrical variation"]
[Board "5.2"]
[WhiteTeam "USA"]
[BlackTeam "RUS1"]
[WhiteFideId "2000024"]
[BlackFideId "4126025"]
[EventType "team"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. c4 Nc6 5. Nc3 d6 6. O-O e6 7. d3 Nge7 8. 
Bg5 h6 9. Bd2 b6 10. a3 Bb7 11. Rb1 Qd7 12. Qa4 Rd8 13. b4 Ba8 14. Rfd1 
O-O 15. e3 g5 16. h4 g4 17. Ne1 Ng6 18. Nb5 f5 19. Bc3 e5 20. Bd5+ Kh8 21.
 Ng2 Nge7 22. e4 f4 23. Kh2 fxg3+ 24. fxg3 Rf3 25. bxc5 dxc5 26. Rf1? D {
At first Black's only target seems to be the d-pawn. But 1 . . . Rxd3 is
complicated by 2 Ne1 .
An alternative is 1 . . .Rdf8, which threatens 2 . . . Rxf1 . Then if 
White moves his rook from f1, Black can play . . . Rf2 and try to exploit 
the knight at g2,
perhaps with a . . . Ng6xh4 sacrifice.
But Black wondered what he would do after 2 Rxf3 . The recapture 2 . . . 
Rxf3
isn't bad. But when he evaluated 2 . . . gxf3 , he realized that h3 
becomes a target.
With the g-pawn out of the way, Black may be able to get to h3 with his
queen. That's why Black found the stunning} ( 26. Rd2 Rdf8 27. Ne1 Rf1 28.
 Rdb2 ) 26. ... Bb7! ( 26. ... Rdf8!? 27. Rh1 Bb7 ) 27. Ba1 ( 27. Rfd1 
Rdf8 28. Rd2 ) ( {It is tactically justified by} 27. Nxa7? Ra8 ) 27. ... 
Rdf8! 28. Rxf3 gxf3! -+ {Suddenly h3 goes from being one of the least 
significant squares on the board, like a I or b8, to the most important. 
White has no satisfactory way of
meeting . . . .Bc8 followed by the devastating . . .Qh3+.} 29. Ne3 Bc8! 
30. g4 h5! 31. Nxa7 Nxa7 ( 31. ... Nxd5! 32. cxd5 Qf7 33. Kh1 Qf4 34. Qd1 
Nxa7 35. Qf1 hxg4 --+ ) 32. Qxd7 Bxd7 33. Rxb6 Bxg4 34. Rb2 Nac6 35. Kg3 
Nd4 0-1

[Event "EU-Cup 22nd"]
[Site "Fuegen"]
[Date "2006.10.10"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Moiseenko, Alexander"]
[Black "Dvoirys, Semen I"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2632"]
[BlackElo "2553"]
[ECO "D80"]
[EventDate "2006.10.08"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "AUT"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.11.15"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Ne4 5. Bh4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 dxc4 7. e3 Qd5
{About this line - see CBM 112, annotations to Gustafsson-Braun.} 8. Be2 
Qa5 9. Nf3! N {An important novelty. White sacrifices the c3 pawn to 
quickly develop his pieces and create an attack.} ( 9. Qc1 Be6 10. Nf3 Nd7
11. O-O Nb6 12. e4 f6 13. a4 Nxa4 14. Bd1 b5 15. Nd2 Bh6 16. Bxa4 bxa4 17.
 f4!? {0-1 Gostisa,L-Kozul,Z/Portoroz 1994/TD (35)} ) 9. ... Qxc3+ 10. Nd2
c6?! {Black's plan (...Qc3-a5-d8, ...Bf8-g7 and ...0-0) is too slow; 
besides, White easily prevents it. However, it's not so easy to give 
advice.} ( {Perhaps} 10. ... Bf5!? 11. Rc1 ( 11. O-O Qc2!? ) 11. ... Qa5 
12. Bxc4 Nc6 13. Qb3 O-O-O ) 11. O-O Qa5 12. Nxc4 Qd8 13. Qb3 Bg7 D {What 
matters most here? The players disagree: Black would like to think it's
his extra pawn. White prefers to believe it's his lead in development.
But development comes with an expiration date. If White doesn't convert it
to another asset, Black will catch up. Then the extra pawn will count 
more.
White played} 14. Qa3 Bf8 {This picturesque position is not from an 
Anderssen or Morphy game! But neither Anderssen nor Morphy could convert 
his advantage better:

But in the game White had a different idea, exploiting a newly vulnerable
Black piece.
Which piece? Well, just look for one that became unprotected as a result 
of
1 . .. ..Bf8.
That's right, it's the rook at h8. Once you see that, it becomes easier to
spot
ways to attack it, with} ( 14. ... b5 15. Na5 ( 15. Nb6? b4! ) 15. ... Qd6
16. Qxd6 exd6 ) ( 14. ... O-O? 15. Bxe7 ) ( {The tactics become easier to 
spot when you realize that the rook at a8 as well
as the king are vulnerable. For example, after} 14. ... f6 15. Rab1! Nd7 )
15. d5! ( 15. Bf3 ) ( 15. Rab1 ) ( 15. Rfb1 ) ( 15. Rfc1! b5 16. Na5 e6 
17. Qxf8+ Rxf8 18. Bxd8 Kxd8 19. Bf3 +/- ) 15. ... cxd5? ( 15. ... f6 16. 
Rab1 b5 17. Na5 cxd5 18. Bxb5+ Kf7 19. Rfc1 +- ) ( 15. ... Qxd5 16. Nb6 ) 
16. Qc3! f6?! ( 16. ... d4 17. exd4 Na6 18. d5 f6 ) 17. Nd6+! Qxd6 ( 
17. ... exd6 18. Bxf6 ) 18. Qxc8+ Kf7 19. Bb5! Bg7 20. Qxb7 Rd8 21. Qxa8 
Qb4 22. Rab1 Qxh4 23. Be2 f5 24. g3 1-0

[Event "Capablanca Memorial Elite 36th"]
[Site "Havana CUB"]
[Date "2001.05.18"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Abreu Delgado, Aryam"]
[Black "Nataf, Igor-Alexandre"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2480"]
[BlackElo "2552"]
[ECO "B32q"]
[EventDate "2001.05.05"]
[PlyCount "109"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "12"]
[EventCountry "CUB"]
[EventCategory "13"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2001.09.13"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "UKR"]
[BlackTeamCountry "POL"]

1. e4 {page 33
} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 
b5 8. Nd5 Nce7 9. c4 Nxd5 10. exd5 bxc4 11. Nxc4 Nf6 12. Be3 Rb8 13. a4 
Ng4 14. Bd2 Qf6 15. f3 Nh6 16. Bd3 Qh4+ 17. g3 Qd4 18. Be3 Qxd5 19. O-O 
Bf5 20. Be2 Qxd1 21. Rfxd1 Be6 22. Nxd6+ Bxd6 23. Rxd6 Nf5 24. Rb6 O-O 25.
 Bc5 Nd4 26. Bxd4 exd4 27. a5 Rxb6 28. axb6 Rb8 29. Rxa6 g6 30. Bd3 Kg7 
31. Be4 d3 32. b7 Bf5 33. Bxf5 gxf5 34. Rb6 d2 35. Rd6 Rxb7 36. Rxd2 D {
White has a basic winning plan of bringing his king to the queenside, say 
to
c3, and pushing the b-pawn. A king and passed pawn generally can outmuscle
a
lone rook. It's as simple as two against one.
A master would see that Black can stop that plan with 1 . . . Re7. But he 
would
also realize that cutting off the king that way allows White to win with 2
Kf2
and 3 b4! , followed by 4 Rb2, 5 b5 and so on.
Black's only chance of survival is to create a kingside target for his 
king. If
he can pick off a pawn there and create his own passed pawn, Black may 
draw.
A typical way to start is 1 . . . Rb4 and 2 . . . f4. But White can 
anticipate that
with 2 f4! .
For example, after 2 . . . h5 3 Kf2 Kg6 4 Ke3 h4! White could just keep 
going
to the queenside, 5 Kd3 ! hxg3 6 hxg3 .
Black is slow in exploiting the target, and 6 . . . .Rb3+ 7 Kc4 .Rxg3 8 b4
turns
out to be a win for White. No better is 6 . . . Kh5 7 Kc3 Rb8 8 b4 Kg4 9 
Rd3 ! .
So let's go back to the diagram and see i f we can speed up B lack's
counterplay. The right way is} 36. ... f4! ( 36. ... Re7 37. Kf2 Rb7 ) ( 
36. ... Rb4 37. f4 h5 38. Kf2 Kg6 39. Ke3 h4! 40. Kd3! hxg3 41. hxg3 Rb3+ 
42. Kc4 Rxg3 43. b4 +- ) 37. gxf4 Kf6 38. Kf2 Kf5 39. Kg3 Rb6! {Black's
rook is perfectly placed. It can check at g6 or b3, depending on 
circumstances. This was evident after} 40. Rc2 Rg6+ 41. Kf2 Rb6! 42. h3 ( 
{There is no win in} 42. Ke3 Rb3+! ) ( 42. Kg3 Rg6+! ) 42. ... Rb3! {There
were no
other tricks and a draw was reached soon after} ( 42. ... Kxf4? 43. Rc4+ 
Ke5 44. b4! {allows him to bring his king to the queenside and win.} ) 43.
 Kg3 Rb6 44. h4 h5 45. Rc8 Rg6+ 46. Kf2 Rb6 47. Rc2 Rb3 48. Kg3 Rb6 49. 
Rc5+ Kg6 50. Rg5+ Kh6 51. f5 Rxb2 52. Kf4 Rb4+ 53. Kg3 Rb3 54. Kf4 Rb4+ 
55. Kg3 {How do you acquire the habits of a master? Some master traits may
be
unattainable. Many masters simply concentrate better than non-masters. 
Bobby
Fischer was not the only GM who boasted of how "beautiful" he thought.
But most good habits of masters can be learned. For example, you can train
yourself to 'always look for targets' by clicking through games slowly and
making a note, mental or written, every time a newly visible target 
appears.
Positional, rather than tactical, games are more suitable for this. And 
master
games tend to be better study material because too often in amateur games,
play
becomes chaotic and there are simply too many targets. When you click 
through
a game, or play it over on a board, look at it from White's point of view.
When
you're done, replay it from Black's perspective. Regardless of who won, 
you
should be able to make target searching part of your chess routine.} 
1/2-1/2

[Event "Dhaka New White Plus Open"]
[Site "Dhaka BAN"]
[Date "2002.04.05"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Goloshchapov, Alexander"]
[Black "Mishra, Neeraj-Kumar"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2545"]
[BlackElo "2321"]
[ECO "B48g"]
[EventDate "2002.03.30"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "BAN"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.05.03"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ESP"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ESP"]

{Lazy Pieces

Looking for targets is the most important of the good habits of masters. 
The
second most important is:
A master makes his pieces work harder.
Books and teachers are always telling novices: Put your pieces on good
squares and good things will happen to them. Even in a position that seems
quite
equal, getting a bishop, knight or rook to the right square can make a big
difference.} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 Nf6 
8. O-O-O b5 9. Bf4 Ne5 10. Nf3 Nxf3 11. gxf3 Qc6 12. Rg1 Bb7 13. Kb1 Rc8 
14. a3 b4 15. axb4 Bxb4 16. Be5 Bf8 D {There is one White piece that has 
yet to be developed: the bishop at f1 .
Ideally, what's the best square for that bishop? 

Masters think like that. When you open up your mind that way you find
master-moves like} 17. Bc4! {The bishop is going to b3, a perfect square. 
It will not only protect the king
position by blocking the b-file but will also create a powerful threat of 
.Ba4 and
.Bxf6/.Bxd7+. In fact, after 1 . . . d6 the retreat 2 Bb3 ! followed by 
Ba4 would
win the game.
Of course, to play } 17. ... Qxc4 {White had to have an answer to} 18. 
Bxf6 {Masters get more out of their pieces. It's not because they have 
more pieces.
Or smarter pieces. They have the same pieces you have.
But they get theirs to work harder. A master isn't satisfied with a bishop
that
controls a nice diagonal or a rook that dominates an open file or a knight
that
occupies a central outpost. Their pieces have to do something, not just 
look
good.} 18. ... Bc6 19. Bxg7 Bxg7 20. Rxg7 Qc5 21. Qf4 ( 21. Rdg1 ) 21. ...
 Rf8 22. Rdg1 a5 23. Rxh7 a4 24. Rg8 Rxg8 25. Qxf7+ Kd8 26. Qxg8+ Kc7 27. 
Qxe6 a3 28. Qe7 Qc4 29. Qe5+ Kb7 30. bxa3 Ra8 31. Na2 Qf1+ 32. Kb2 Qxf2 
33. Qc3 Rc8 34. Nb4 Bb5 35. Qe5 Ba4 36. Qd5+ Kc7 37. Qa5+ Kb7 38. Qxa4 
Qd4+ 39. Ka2 1-0

[Event "Yerevan"]
[Site "Erevan ARM"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Abramovic, Bosko"]
[Black "Savon, Vladimir A"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2445"]
[BlackElo "2485"]
[ECO "B92f"]
[EventDate "1982.??.??"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[EventCategory "9"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "YUG"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ITA"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 
8. Bg5 Be6 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. Nd5 Nd7 11. O-O O-O 12. Bg4 Bg5 13. Bxe6 fxe6 
14. Nc3 Nb6 15. Na5 Qd7 16. Qe2 Rac8 17. Rad1 D {If you were to ask 
yourself, "Which is Black's best-placed piece" you might
answer "The bishop." It has a nice, clean diagonal. It denies White's 
heavy
pieces the use of squares such as d2 and e3.
But that's not enough. If you look for targets, your eyes should focus on 
the
other side of the board. What matters most to Black is the pawns at b2 and
c2.
They are targets and can come under fire after . . .Na4.} 17. ... Be7?! ( 
17. ... Na4 18. Nxa4 Qxa4 19. Nb3 Qxa2 {allows White to take off a more 
valuable pawn} 20. Qg4 ( 20. Rxd6 ) 20. ... Rxc2 21. Qxe6+ Rf7 22. Qe8+ 
Rf8 ) ( 17. ... Rc5 18. Nb3 Rc7 19. Qg4 h6 20. h4 Bf6 =+ ) 18. Rd3 ( 18. 
a3! Rf4 19. Qd3 d5 20. exd5 =+ exd5 21. g3 =+ Rd4 22. Qe2 ) 18. ... Na4! 
19. Nd1 ( 19. Rb1 Nxc3 20. bxc3 b5 21. Nb3 Rc4 22. Nd2 Ra4 ) 19. ... Qc7! 
D {One of the threats, . . . Qxa5 or . . . Qxc2, must succeed. With his 
queenside in
collapse, White threw himself into an attack,} 20. Qg4 -/+ {threatening 
Qxe6+. But he
eventually lost after} 20. ... Rf6 21. Rg3 Bf8 22. Nb3 Qxc2 23. Ne3 Qc7 
24. Qe2 Rf4 25. f3 Rf7 26. h4 Qb6 27. Kh2 Nc5 28. Ng4 Kh8 29. Qc4 Qb5 30. 
Qxb5 axb5 31. Rc1 Rfc7 32. Nf2 Nxb3 33. Rxc7 Rxc7 34. axb3 g6 35. Nd3 Bh6 
36. h5 Kg7 37. hxg6 hxg6 38. Kh3 Rc2 39. Kg4 Re2 40. b4 Kf6 41. Kh4 Rd2 
0-1

[Event "Munich ol (Men)"]
[Site "Munich GER"]
[Date "1936.08.28"]
[Round "16"]
[White "Stahlberg, Gideon"]
[Black "Keres, Paul"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2546"]
[BlackElo "2549"]
[ECO "A40m"]
[EventDate "1936.08.16"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "21"]
[EventCountry "GER"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.11.22"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "YUG"]
[BlackTeamCountry "POL"]

1. d4 e6 2. e3 f5 3. Bd3 Nf6 4. Nd2 c5 5. Ngf3 Nc6 6. O-O b6 7. c3 Be7 8. 
e4 cxd4 9. cxd4 Nb4 10. Bb1 Ba6 11. Re1 Nd3 12. Bxd3 Bxd3 13. exf5 Bxf5 
14. Nc4 Rc8 15. Nce5 O-O 16. Bg5 Nd5 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. Qb3 D {Moving the 
Furniture

Because there are so few unoccupied and safe squares in a typical
middlegame, it stands to reason that the right square for one piece may be
unavailable because it belongs to another. To make his pieces work harder,
a master rearranges them. He 'moves the furniture around', often with
surprisingly strong effect.

Each of Black's pieces appears well-placed. His knight is splendidly
centralized and his bishop controls several key squares. His queen rook
commands the open file.
But Black realized that his pieces don't have targets. If his rook 
penetrated
on the file 1 . . .Rc2?, it walks into 2 g4 ! . His pieces look nice - but
they're lazy.
3} 18. ... Nf6 {Then White pawns come
under fire on both wings, at a2 and g2 and he can drive the White knight 
off e5
with . . . d6.
Things dido 't appear to change much after } ( 18. ... Rc2? 19. g4! ) ( 
18. ... Bc2! 19. Nc6!? Rxc6 ( 19. ... dxc6 20. Qxc2 ) 20. Qxd5 Bd3 =+ ) 
19. Rac1 Be4! {until White began
to search for a reply to Bd5!} 20. Ng5 Bd5 21. Qh3?! D ( 21. Qd3! Rxc1 22.
 Rxc1 d6 23. Ng4 g6 24. Ne3 = ) 21. ... Rxc1 ( 21. ... Bxa2 22. Ra1 Bd5 
23. Rxa7 -/+ Qb4 24. Nd3 Qd2 25. Qe3 Rc2 26. h3 Qxe3 27. Rxe3 b5 ) ( 
21. ... Qb4? 22. Nxd7 Nxd7 23. Qxh7# ) 22. Rxc1 h6! {kicked one of knights
back so that Black can get
the upper hand after} 23. Ng6 ( 23. Ngf3 Qb4 24. b3 d6 25. Nc4 Ne4 ) 
23. ... Qe8 24. Nxf8 hxg5 25. Rc7? ( 25. Nxd7! Qxd7 26. b3 ) 25. ... Qxf8 
26. Rxa7? D {Material is roughly equal.

But as often happens when the queens remain on the board, a rook is no
match for two minor pieces because the queen works more efficiently with a
knight or bishop than with a rook.} ( 26. Qa3 ) 26. ... Qb8?! ( 26. ... 
Bc6! 27. Qa3 Qb8 28. h3 g4 29. hxg4 Nxg4 30. g3 Qd8 31. f4 Qe8 32. Rc7 Qh5
33. Rc8+ Kh7 34. Qd3+ g6 35. Kf1 Qh2 --+ ) 27. Ra3 Qf4 28. Qe3 Qf5 29. Rc3
Qb1+ 30. Rc1 Qxb2 31. Qxg5 Qxa2 32. h4 Bc6 33. h5 Qxf2+ 34. Kxf2 Ne4+ 35. 
Ke3 Nxg5 36. g4 Kf7 37. Kf4 Kf6 38. Rc2 Nf3 39. Rf2 d6 40. g5+ Nxg5 41. 
Rb2 e5+ 42. dxe5+ dxe5+ 43. Ke3 b5 44. Rc2 Be8 45. Rf2+ Ke6 46. Rh2 Nf7 
47. Kd2 Nh6 0-1

[Event "Warsaw PlusGSM m"]
[Site "Warsaw POL"]
[Date "2003.04.07"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Karpov, Anatoly"]
[Black "Macieja, Bartlomiej"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2686"]
[BlackElo "2634"]
[ECO "E39m"]
[EventDate "2003.04.07"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventType "match (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "8"]
[EventCountry "POL"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.07.25"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SVK"]
[BlackTeamCountry "SVK"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 c5 5. dxc5 O-O 6. a3 Bxc5 7. Nf3 b6 
8. Bg5 Bb7 9. e3 Be7 10. Be2 a6 11. O-O h6 12. Bh4 d6 13. Rfd1 Qc7 14. 
Rac1 Nbd7 15. Bg3 Nh5 16. Bh4 Nhf6 17. Nd2 Ne5 18. Bg3 Rac8 19. h3 Rfd8 
20. Qb1 Qb8 21. b4 Qa8 22. Bf1 Ned7 23. Bh4 Re8 24. Qb2 Qa7 25. Bg3 d5 26.
 cxd5 Nxd5 27. Nce4 b5 28. Nd6 Bxd6 29. Bxd6 N7b6 30. Rxc8 Nxc8 31. Bc5 
Qb8 32. Nb3 Ncb6 D {Work it or Trade it

When you hear someone say that master chess is 'more concrete' , what they
mean is that variations trump appearances. Another illustration of that: 
If a piece
- even a good-looking one - isn't pulling its weight, a master looks for a
way to
get rid of it.

This had been a fairly even game until five moves before, when White 
forced
Black to give up his dark-squared bishop for a knight. White's bishop on 
c5
should give him a serious positional advantage.
But there's a limit to what the bishop can do. White realized that the 
easiest
way to make further progress was} 33. Bxb6! Nxb6 34. Nc5 Qa8 35. Qe5 Bc6 D
{Black seems to have everything covered - until White makes a full-board
search for targets. Then he notices g7 and finds} 36. Rd4! {Black doesn't 
have a good defense against 5 .:Rg4, which threatens Qxg7
mate and that prompts another weakness, such as 4 . . . f6 which can be 
punished
by Qg3 followed by .Rd6 or by .Bd3 / Qg6.
In the end Black desperately sought a trade of queens and lost the endgame
after} 36. ... Qb8 {In the end Black desperately sought a trade of queens 
and lost the endgame
after} 37. Qxb8 Rxb8 38. Nxa6 {Often, two good habits fit together to 
produce a good move or plan. Don't
be frightened by the word 'plan ' . A plan is usually just two or three 
useful moves
that fit together.} 38. ... Ra8 39. Rd6 Rc8 40. Nc5 Nd5 41. e4 Nf4 42. g3 
Ng6 43. f4 Kf8 44. e5 Ne7 45. Bg2 Bxg2 46. Kxg2 Ra8 47. Na6 Nd5 1-0

[Event "Bundesliga 0304"]
[Site "GER"]
[Date "2004.02.15"]
[Round "8.3"]
[White "Glek, Igor"]
[Black "Krivoshey, Sergei"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2555"]
[BlackElo "2495"]
[ECO "B27i"]
[EventDate "2003.11.01"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. c3 Bg7 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 d5 6. exd5 Nf6 7. Bc4 O-O 
8. Nc3 Nbd7 9. O-O Nb6 10. Bb3 Nbxd5 11. Re1 b6 12. Ne5 Bb7 13. Qf3 Rc8 
14. Qh3 a6 15. Bg5 Rc7 16. Rac1 Nxc3 17. bxc3 b5 D {White has the usual 
kingside pressure that he enjoys in this kind of pawn
structure. His bishop and knight cooperate nicely against the target at 
f7.
But there's no way to aim another piece at f7. That suggests that either
White's bishop or knight isn't doing enough. For that reason he switched 
to} 18. Ng4! ( 18. Qd3 Nd5 19. Bd2 Bxe5 20. Rxe5 ) 18. ... Nxg4 ( 18. ... 
Nd5 19. Qg3 a5 20. a3 h5 21. Ne5 a4 22. Ba2 ) 19. Qxg4 Qc8 20. Qg3 e6 21. 
h4! Bd5 ( 21. ... h5 22. Bf4 Rd7 23. a4 Qc6 ) 22. Bxd5 exd5 23. h5 {One of
the best ways to train yourself to get more out of your pieces is - once
again - to reexamine your losses. When you lose a game positionally, or 
even
when you got mated, there was probably a piece (or pieces) that you
mishandled. After you resigned you may have concluded that you lost 
because
of, say, an opening mistake or getting a bad pawn structure. But there was
almost certainly a lazy piece that cost you. Take another look at those 
games.
If you' d prefer study material that is less of a threat to your ego, play
over
games of Bobby Fischer, Anatoly Karpov, Magnus Carlsen, Michael Adams or
one of the other grandmasters who rarely seem to have bad pieces - and
managed to skillfully dispense with them if they did.} 23. ... Rd7 24. h6 
Bh8 25. Be7 Re8 26. Qh4 Qc6 27. Bf6 Rd6 28. Bxh8 Kxh8 29. Re3 Rde6 30. 
Rce1 Re4 31. Rxe4 dxe4 32. Re3 Kg8 33. d5 Qxd5 34. Qf6 0-1

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 2nd"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2007.11.16"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2739"]
[BlackElo "2714"]
[ECO "C83"]
[EventDate "2007.11.10"]
[Annotator "Postny"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2008.01.30"]

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 {Recently, this half-forgotten 
move has come back to top level tournaments.} ( {In the last few years, 
the discussion has been mainly around the following line:} 11. Bc2 f5 12. 
Nb3 Qd7 13. Nbd4 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 c5 15. Nxe6 Qxe6 16. f3 Ng5 {Black has 
achieved reasonable practical results.} ) 11. ... Nc5 12. Nd4 ( 12. Bc2 {
is a normal alternative, but then Black can push} 12. ... d4 {with good 
chances to equalise.} ) 12. ... Nxd4 {In my opinion, this exchange is a 
strategical concession, because it helps White to strenghten his centre 
and get an open c-file at his disposal. Black, for his part, is counting 
on a pair of bishops in the long run. Still, the alternative 12...Qd7 
seems to me a more flexible continuation.} ( 12. ... Qd7 13. Bc2 Bg4 14. 
f3 Bh5 15. Nf5?! {White should keep up the blockade on d4.} ( 15. N2b3 {
looks much more solid.} ) 15. ... Bg6 16. g4?! {Consequently continuing 
the dubious idea.} 16. ... d4! {A typical strike in the centre.} 17. cxd4 
Bxf5 18. Bxf5 Qxd4+ 19. Kg2 Nxe5 20. Nb3 Qxd1 21. Rxd1 Na4 -/+ {1/2-1/2 
Shirov,A (2739)-Ivanchuk,V (2787)/Moscow 2007/EXT 2008 (53)} ) 13. cxd4 
Nd3 ( 13. ... Nxb3 14. Nxb3 {Now, Black is not able to make the c7-c5 
thrust. The Pc7 will be weak forever.} 14. ... a5 15. Qc2 Qd7 16. Bd2 Bf5 
17. Nc5 Bxc2 18. Nxd7 Rfd8 19. Rac1 Bf5 20. Nc5 {with a stable advantage 
for White. 1-0 Svidler,P (2732)-Sutovsky,E (2655)/Crete 2007/CBM 121 (62)}
) 14. Re3 Nxc1 15. Rxc1 c5! {Without this strike Black won't get out of 
the pressure. On the other hand, the whole line seems to be in White's 
favour.} ( 15. ... Rc8?! 16. Rc6 Qd7 17. Rec3 {with strong pressure along 
the c-file.} ) 16. dxc5 Rc8 17. Rec3?! N {In the previous games White 
achieved a pleasant advantage by the prosaic 17.Rd3.} ( 17. Rd3! Qc7 ( 
17. ... Rxc5 18. Rxc5 Bxc5 19. Ne4 Ba7 20. Bxd5 Qh4 21. g3 Qh3 22. Bxe6 
Qxe6 23. Rd5 +/- {1/2-1/2 Luther,T (2575)-De Vreugt,D (2504)/Santo Domingo
2003/CBM 097 ext (61)} ) 18. Bxd5 Bxc5 19. Nb3 Qb6 20. Nxc5 Rxc5 21. Rxc5 
Qxc5 22. h3 +/- {0-1 Geller, E-Suetin,A/Moscow 1950/URS-ch (35)} ) 17. ...
 b4 ( 17. ... d4 18. Rd3 Rxc5 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. Nf3 += ) 18. R3c2! {Shirov
is ready to sacrifice an exchange.} 18. ... Bf5 19. c6 Bxc2 20. Rxc2 {In 
this position White has more than enough compensation for the exchange. 
His passed Pc6 is very strong. Soon, the knight will be transfered to an 
ideal blockading square d4.} 20. ... Qa5?! ( 20. ... Qb6! 21. Ba4 += {and 
White keeps his strong passed pawn.} ( 21. Bxd5?! Qd4 22. Bf3 Qxe5 {helps 
Black to achieve central and open lines for his major pieces.} ) ) ( {But,
Black could still be pretty much in the game after} 20. ... d4! 21. e6 d3 
22. exf7+ Kh8 ) 21. Nf3 Rfd8 22. Nd4 g6 23. e6! {Everything is ready for 
an attack on the light squares.} 23. ... Bf6 24. exf7+ Kxf7 25. h4?! {
Making 'luft' for the king secures White from getting mated along the back
rank, but actually this is a waste of time.} ( 25. Qg4 Re8 26. Qd7+ Kg8 
27. Re2! ( 27. Bxd5+? Kh8 ) 27. ... Red8 28. Qe6+ Kg7 29. Qg4 Kf7 30. Ne6 
Rxc6 31. Nxd8+ Qxd8 32. Qxb4 Rc1+ 33. Re1 Qb6 34. Qd2 Rxe1+ 35. Qxe1 Bxb2 
36. Bxd5+ Kf8 {Black might hold this endgame with accurate defence, 
counting on the opposite coloured bishops.} ) ( 25. Qf3! {houdini} 25. ...
 Re8 26. g3 Kg7 ) 25. ... Qb6 26. Rd2 Rd6? {Carlsen definitely missed 
Shirov's reply. It was necessary to eliminate the knight.} ( 26. ... Bxd4!
27. Rxd4 Rxc6 28. Rxd5 Ke7! {An important defensive resourse. The Steinitz
principle is working! The king is able to defend himself in the centre. 
Black keeps the balance.} 29. Qe1+ Re6 30. Re5 Rxe5 31. Qxe5+ Kd7 32. Qg7+
Kc8 33. Qxh7 Rf8 34. Qe7 Qxf2+ 35. Kh2 Qf4+ 36. Kh3 Qf5+ =, quiet ) 27. 
Nf5! {Such tactical punches are meat and drink to Shirov!} 27. ... Rdxc6 (
27. ... gxf5 28. Rxd5 Rxd5 29. Qxd5+ Kg7 30. Qf7+ Kh6 31. Qxf6+ Kh5 32. 
Bd1# {The point of 27.Nf5.} ) 28. Bxd5+ ( 28. Rxd5? Kf8! ) 28. ... Kf8 29.
 Bxc6 Rxc6 ( 29. ... Qxc6 30. Rd6 +- ) 30. Ne3 Bxh4 31. Qf3+ Rf6? {This 
move leaves the bishop totally misplaced on h4 and loses outright.} ( {It 
was still possible to put up very stubborn resistance after} 31. ... Bf6 
32. Ng4 Re6 33. Rd7 Qc6 34. Rf7+ Kxf7 35. Ne5+ Rxe5 36. Qxc6 Re6 ) 32. 
Qa8+ Kg7 D {Low-Calc Thinking

Masters are more efficient with their pieces - and with their 
calculations.
They trained themselves to be that way. A third good habit to acquire:

A master doesnt calculate more than he has to.

Let's be honest. The best players can calculate very, very long 
variations.
They can see much farther ahead than you. But masters are also more 
practical.
They know that the longer the variation a person tries to calculate, the 
more
likely he will miss something. The likelihood escalates if he's tired from
calculating other long variations earlier in the game.

Black 's pieces appear so much more vulnerable that White would be
justified in trying to find a forced win. Candidate moves such as Rd7+, 
Nd5
and Ng4 might occur to you.} 33. Qe4! {
He had the same goal, winning the bishop. But this is much simpler, and 
the
chance of making a mistake in calculation is much less.
This time the bishop has no good move at all} ( 33. g3 Bxg3 34. Rd7+ Rf7 
35. Rxf7+ Kxf7 +- ) 33. ... b3 {Desperation, but there is nothing else he 
can do.} 34. axb3 ( 34. axb3 Bg5 35. Qe7+ Kh6 36. Ng4+ +- ) 1-0

[Event "Khanty Mansiysk ol (Men) 39th"]
[Site "Khanty Mansiysk"]
[Date "2010.09.24"]
[Round "4.3"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Onischuk, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2747"]
[BlackElo "2688"]
[ECO "C88h"]
[EventDate "2010.09.21"]
[Annotator "Karjakin"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 
8. h3 Bb7 9. d3 d5 {A fresh idea which became popular 3 years ago. It 
looks like after 8.h3 White has decided to play positional chess, but 
Black is forcing White to take a pawn:-).} 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 Nd4 12. 
Bd2 c5 {The main move is considered to be 12...Re8. The text move was 
firstly played in Jakovenko-Aronian 2007.} ( 12. ... Re8 13. Nc3 Nxb3 14. 
axb3 Bd6 15. d4 Nb4 16. Ne4 Bxe5 17. dxe5 Rxe5 18. Bxb4 Rxe4 19. Qxd8+ 
Rxd8 20. Rad1 Rxd1 21. Rxd1 h5 22. Rd8+ ) 13. Nc3 Nxb3 14. axb3 Nb4 15. 
Ne4 f5 16. Ng3 Qd5 17. Nf3 Qd7 {My opponent played very quickly, but I was
not sure about the nuances of the position and decided to repeat moves in 
case of possible time-trouble.} 18. Ne5 Qd5 19. Nf3 Qd7 20. Bxb4! cxb4 21.
 d4 Rac8 22. Qd3! {In my view this is the most precise reaction! Here my 
opponent started to think and caught up with me on time. The computer 
thinks it is about equal, but in my opinion, Black has to prove the 
compensation for the pawn!} 22. ... Bd6? {A mistake, after which the 
position is very bad!} ( {It was better to keep the 2 bishops. After} 
22. ... g6! 23. c4 bxc3 ( 23. ... Bf6 {is worse:} 24. Ne5 Bxe5 25. Rxe5 
bxc4 26. bxc4 Qc6 27. d5 Qxc4 28. Qd2 â†‘ ) 24. bxc3 Bf6 {Black keeps the 
two bishops which assures him playable compensation, but it is far from 
full equality.} ) ( {Black is also worse after} 22. ... Bxf3 23. Qxf3 Rxc2
24. Rxa6 += ) 23. Ne5 +/- Qc7? {After this move Black is losing by force, 
but other moves are not much better.} ( {Probably at the beginning 
Alexander was hoping for} 23. ... Bxe5 24. Rxe5 Qc6 ( 24. ... g6 25. Rae1 
+/- ) 25. d5 Qxc2 {but overlooked the strong reply} 26. Qd4! {with a big 
advantage for White!} ) ( {Also bad is} 23. ... Qe6 24. d5 Qxd5 ( 24. ... 
Qe8 25. Re2 +/- ) 25. Qxd5+ Bxd5 += 26. Rxa6 Bc7 27. Nd3 Bxg3 28. Nxb4 Bh4
29. Nxd5 Rxc2 += 30. g3 ) 24. Nxf5 Bxe5 ( 24. ... Qxc2!? {does not save 
the game but was perhaps a better option:} 25. Qxc2 Rxc2 26. Nxd6 Rfxf2 
27. Nd3! Rxg2+ 28. Kf1 h5 29. Rac1 Rcd2 30. Re8+ Kh7 31. Nf7 {And Black 
does not manage to create counterplay, for example:} 31. ... Rh2 32. Ke1 
Bd5 33. Rh8+ Kg6 34. Nfe5+ Kg5 35. h4+ Kxh4 36. Nf4 g6 37. Nexg6+ Kg4 38. 
Rxh5 +- ) 25. Rxe5 Qxc2 D {Black has just captured on c2, offeripg to 
trade queens. There is a lot for
White to calculate, beginning with Qxc2 .Rxc2 2 Nd6 and I .Rd1  Qxd3
2 .:Rxd3 .

He can also stay in the middlegame with I lL!e7+ followed by a queen move
such as 2 'ii'g3 . Even a GM could easily spend half an hour trying to 
work out
all the lines.

But, White wrote, "Here it isn't necessary to see all the variations. It's
sufficient to evaluate the position." He went on: "White dominates the 
center
and kingside, and Black's bishop doesn't help in the defense."

He concluded that he should go after the king with} 26. Ne7+! {It was 
completely the right decision to play for a mate!} ( 26. Qxc2 {was worse:}
26. ... Rxc2 27. Nd6 h6!! 28. f3 Bxf3 29. gxf3 Rxf3 30. Nf5 Rff2 31. Ne3 
Rxb2 {White retains a big advantage, but Black's resources are not 
finished yet.} ) 26. ... Kh8 27. Qg3 D {and rely on solid moves to provide
him with threats.

One of the low-calculation techniques is visualizing. This means looking 
in
general terms at the near future: What good moves are available to you? 
What
are the best squares for your pieces?
At the previous diagram White might have concluded Ne7+ and Qg3
was best because he could see Rae1 - e3 coming up, as well as Qh4, with
prospects of Ng6+. This went into White's favorable evaluation of this 
position.
Calculating is different from visualizing because you have to take your
opponent's moves into consideration. But you can reduce the amount of
calculation by just getting a taste of a few sample variations.
For example, White might have looked at 2 . . . Qxb2 because it looks the
most dangerous. The natural response is 3 .Rae1 . White can see a 
variation that
runs 3 . . . Rc1 4 Nf5 g6 5 Nd6. Of course, this is only one variation. 
But if he
likes the looks of it, White can feel confident enough to go ahead.
Sample variations are not expected to be conclusive and often they don't
occur in the game. In fact, Black chose} 27. ... Rcd8 ( {Also lost is} 
27. ... Qxb2 28. Rae1 Rc1 29. Kh2 Rxe1 30. Rf5!! Rc8 {If 30...Rg8, than 
31.Ng6+, on all other moves on f8-a8 Qf4 is winning.} 31. Rf7 Qxd4 32. 
Nxc8 +- ) 28. Rae1 Qd2 {The only defence against Nf5.} 29. R1e3! Qxb2 ( 
29. ... Rf6 30. Nf5 ( {Or} 30. d5 +- ) 30. ... Rg8 31. Rc5! {did not leave
Black any hope either.} ) 30. Qh4 {Threating mate in 2.} 30. ... Rd6 ( 
30. ... Qc2 {did not save the game either:} 31. Re2 Qd3 32. Rh5 +- ) 31. 
Rf5 Ra8 32. Qf4 Rdd8 33. Rf7 {In view of the many threats Black resigned! 
Probably my best game in the Olympiad!} 1-0

[Event "EU Ch 2nd"]
[Site "Ohrid MKD"]
[Date "2001.06.01"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Lautier, Joel"]
[Black "Cvitan, Ognjen"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2658"]
[BlackElo "2526"]
[ECO "E42"]
[EventDate "2001.06.01"]
[Annotator "Lautier"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "YUG"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2001.09.13"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Ne2 cxd4 6. exd4 O-O 7. a3 Be7 
8. Nf4 d6 9. Be3 Nbd7 10. Be2 Re8?! {/\ Nf8-g6} ( 10. ... e5 11. Nfd5 Nxd5
12. Nxd5 Nf6 13. Nxe7+ Qxe7 14. O-O Bf5 15. b4 Rfe8 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. h3 
h6 18. Qb3 Qe6 19. Rfd1 b6 20. a4 += {1-0 Lautier,J-Timman,J/Dordrecht 
blitz 2001 (33)} ) 11. O-O Nf8 12. b4 ( 12. Bf3 Rb8 ( 12. ... Ng6 13. Nxg6
hxg6 14. b4 {- game} ) 13. b4 += ) 12. ... Ng6 ( 12. ... b6 13. Qb3 ( 13. 
Bf3 Rb8 14. Nb5 Qd7 ( 14. ... Bd7? 15. Nxa7 Qc7 16. Nb5 Qxc4 17. Be2 Qc8 
18. Rc1 +- ) 15. a4 a6 16. Nc3 Bb7 += ) 13. ... Bb7 14. a4 a5 15. bxa5 
Rxa5 16. d5 N6d7 17. Rab1 += ) 13. Nxg6 hxg6 14. Bf3! ( 14. Qb3 b6 += ) ( 
14. c5 Bd7 ) 14. ... Rb8 15. d5 ( 15. c5 Bd7 16. Bf4 Bc6 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18.
 Qa4 Qd7 19. cxd6 Bxd6 20. Bxd6 Qxd6 21. Qxa7 Ng4 22. g3 e5 â‡„â‡„ ) 
15. ... a6 ( 15. ... b6 16. Nb5 exd5 ( 16. ... a6 17. Nd4 +/- ) ( 16. ... 
Qd7 17. dxe6 fxe6 18. Qd3 +/- ) 17. Nxa7 +/- ) 16. Rc1 Bd7? ( 16. ... b6 
17. dxe6 ( 17. Qd3 e5 ) 17. ... Bxe6 18. Nd5 ( 18. Qd4 Nd7 ) 18. ... Nxd5 
19. Bxd5 Qd7 += ( 19. ... Bf6 20. Bxe6 Rxe6 21. Qd5 += ) ) 17. c5! +/- 
exd5 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 ( 18. ... dxc5 19. Bf4 +/- ) 19. Bxd5 dxc5 20. Qb3 ( 
20. Bf4 Ra8 ( 20. ... Bb5 21. Qb3 Rf8 {->> 20.Qb3} ( 21. ... c4 22. Qf3 +-
) ) 21. Qb3 Rf8 {->> 20.Qb3} ) ( 20. Qf3!? Bf6 21. Bf4 cxb4 ( 21. ... Bb5 
22. Rfe1 Rxe1+ 23. Rxe1 Ra8 24. Bxb7 Ra7 25. bxc5 +- ) 22. Bxb8 Qxb8 23. 
axb4 +/- ) 20. ... Rf8 21. Bf4 Ra8 ( 21. ... cxb4 22. Bxb8 Qxb8 23. axb4 
+/- ) 22. Bxb7 Be6 ( 22. ... Ra7 23. bxc5 +- ) 23. Qf3 cxb4 24. axb4 ( 24.
 Rfd1!? Qe8 ( 24. ... bxa3 25. Rxd8 Raxd8 26. Be5 +- ) 25. Bc6 Qc8 26. Ba4
Bc5 27. h3! ( 27. axb4 Bg4 28. Rxc5 Bxf3 29. Rxc8 Bxd1 30. Rxf8+ Rxf8 31. 
Bxd1 Rd8 32. Be2 Rd4 33. g3 Rxb4 34. Bxa6 +/- ) 27. ... bxa3 ( 27. ... b3 
28. Be3 b2 29. Rxc5 +- ) 28. Bd6 Bxd6 29. Rxc8 Raxc8 30. Rxd6 Rc1+ 31. Rd1
Rxd1+ 32. Qxd1 a2 +/- ) 24. ... Ra7 ( 24. ... Bxb4 25. Rfd1 Qe8 26. Bc6 
Qc8 27. Ba4 Bc5 28. Rd2! +- ( 28. h3 Ra7 29. Bd6 Rc7 +/- ) ) 25. Be3 Qb8 (
25. ... Bg4 26. Qc6 Bd7 27. Qd5 +- ) 26. Bxa7 Qxa7 27. Qc6 +- Bxb4 28. 
Bxa6 Qa8 29. Rfd1 Be7 30. h3 Qxc6 31. Rxc6 g5 32. Bc4 Bxc4 33. Rxc4 g6 34.
 Rd7 Bf6 D {Visualizing plays an important role in determining whether you
have
winning chances in a particular line of play you're considering. We'll 
explore
that further in Chapter Six. But here's a taste:

White had this kind of position in mind when he made decisions several
moves ago. But why did he think he could win this? After all, the pawns 
lie on
only one wing. Black has doubled pawns but they do a good job of 
preventing
White from creating a passed pawn.

Actually this is a simple win if you visualize what it would be like if a 
pair
of rooks has been traded. Suppose the rooks on c4 and f8 disappear.

In positions like that, Jose Capablanca would say, "White wins in one
move." He was joking: the one move is White king to e8.

In other words, once a pair of rooks is gone, what White needs to win is 
to
attack the only available target, at Â£7. Black could either lose the 
f-pawn or
advance it, creating a new target at g6. Then it's just a matter of 
applying
pressure to whatever is weakest.
Play continued} 35. Rdc7! Kg7 36. Rc8 Rxc8 37. Rxc8 D {Thanks to his 
ability to visualize, Capa-like, a winning future position,
White didn't have to calculate what follows. The game went} 37. ... Bd4 
38. Rc4 Be5 39. Rc6 Kf8 40. Kf1 Ke7 41. Ke2 Kf8 42. Rc5 Bf6 43. Rc7 Be5 
44. Rb7 {White could have chosen other squares for the rook without 
damaging his
winning chances. The next stage was to advance the king towards e8. Play 
went} 44. ... Kg7 45. Kd3 Bd6 46. Kd4 Bf4 47. Kd5 Kf6 48. g3 Bd2 49. Kd6 
Be1 50. Rb1 Bc3 {Once the king is closing in on f7, Wliite frees his rook 
from the defense of
his pawns by advancing them to light squares} ( 50. ... Bxf2? 51. Rf1 ) 
51. Rb3 Be5+ 52. Kd7 Kg7 53. Rb7! Kf8 54. g4 Bd4 55. f3 Be5 56. Rb5 Bf4 
57. Rc5 Bd2 58. Rc8+ Kg7 59. Ke8 D {There is no defense to White getting 
his rook to the seventh rank. On
25 . . . f6, the easiest way to win is to get White's king to e6 and 
sacrifice the rook
on f6 for a bishop and a pawn.
In the game Black tried} 59. ... f5 60. Rc7+ Kf6 ( 60. ... Kg8 61. Ke7 ( 
61. gxf5 gxf5 62. Rc5 g4 63. hxg4 fxg4 64. fxg4 +- ) 61. ... fxg4 62. fxg4
Bf4 63. Rd7 Kg7 64. Ke6+ +- ) 61. Kf8 Ke5 62. Kf7 Kf4 63. Kxg6 fxg4 64. 
fxg4 Kg3 65. Rh7 1-0

[Event "URS-ch31"]
[Site "Leningrad RUS"]
[Date "1963.11.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Kholmov, Ratmir D"]
[Black "Suetin, Alexey S"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B47r"]
[EventDate "1963.11.??"]
[Annotator "ChessBase"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "19"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "IND"]
[BlackTeamCountry "HUN"]

{Must-Calc

There are, naturally, bound to be times in a game, particularly a complex
game, when you absolutely must calculate. High on the list are situations 
when
you are defending.

Defense tends to require more exact and thorough calculation than attack.
On the other hand, when you have the initiative or are simply better 
developed,
you can sometimes rely on a calculating minimum.} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 a6 7. a3!? b5 
8. Nxc6 dxc6 ( 8. ... Qxc6 9. O-O Bb7 10. Bf3 Rc8 11. e5 Qc7 12. Bxb7 Qxb7
13. Bf4 Ne7 14. Qe2 Nf5 ( 14. ... Rc4!? 15. Bg3 Qc6 = ) 15. a4! += {
Kholmov,R-Suetin, A/URS-ch/1962/1:0 (35)} ) 9. O-O e5 10. Qd3! Ne7! ( 
10. ... Nf6 11. Qg3 += ) 11. a4 ( 11. Qg3 Ng6 12. h4 Be6 13. h5 Nf4! ~ ) 
11. ... b4 12. Nb1 Ng6 13. Qb3 += Bc5 14. Bc4 O-O 15. Be3 Qe7 ( 15. ... 
Bxe3 16. fxe3! +/- ) 16. Nd2 ( 16. a5!? ) 16. ... a5 17. Rad1 Nf4 18. Bxc5
Qxc5 D {White's advantage in development is minimized by the well-placed 
Black
queen and knight. To White, those pieces are what matters most.

There is a way to deal with them,} 19. Qe3! {That's a lot to see. But it 
was worth it because to avoid all this Black had to
retreat his queen. It was a big concession, as the game went:} 19. ... Qe7
( {But to play this White has to
calculate} 19. ... Qxe3 20. fxe3 Ne6 ( {White realized it was worth 
calculating. He saw} 20. ... Ng6 21. Nb3 {would give
him a sizable edge after} 21. ... Ba6 22. Bxa6 Rxa6 23. Rd7 ) 21. Nf3 Ba6 
22. Bxa6 Rxa6 23. Nxe5 Nc5 24. Nd7 +/- ) 20. Nb3 +/- ( 20. g3 Nh3+ 21. Kh1
Rd8 ) 20. ... Be6 21. Bxe6 Nxe6 {White has a positional advantage because 
of the queenside targets (a5 and
c6). He could restart his calculating machine and consider lines such as

But it's just not worth it. White's advantage has become more obvious 
since
the previous diagram and he deserves an easier time.
He can increase his positional edge - without calculation - by just 
doubling
rooks on the d-file} 22. Rd2! ( 22. Qb6 Qg5 23. Qxc6 Nf4 {(threat of mate 
on g2)} 24. g3 Qg4 25. f3 Qg5 26. Kh1 Ne6 27. Qb5 +/- ) 22. ... c5 ( 
22. ... Rfd8 23. Rfd1 Rxd2 24. Rxd2 Rd8 25. Rxd8+ Qxd8 26. Qd3 +/- ) 23. 
Rd5 c4 ( 23. ... Nd4 24. Rxc5 Nxb3 25. cxb3 ) 24. Nc5 Rfc8 ( 24. ... Nf4 
25. Rd7 Qg5 26. g3 +/- ) 25. Nxe6 Qxe6 26. Rfd1 Qc6 ( 26. ... Qe7 27. Qb6!
) 27. Rb5 c3?! ( 27. ... Rd8 28. Rxd8+ Rxd8 29. h3 Qc7 30. Rc5 Qd6 31. Rd5
Qc7 32. Qa7! ) 28. b3 Rd8 D {A master knows that keeping command of the 
position} 29. Rbd5 ( {Amateurs sometimes reach commanding positions like 
the one White
enjoys. But they become frustrated because they haven't been able to cash 
in
yet. They try to calculate forcing lines like} 29. Rxd8+! {houdini 
preferuje tuto variantu} 29. ... Rxd8 30. Qd3! ( 30. h3? h6 31. Rxa5 Rd2 )
30. ... Qf6 31. Rxe5 g6 32. Rd5 +/- Rxd5 33. exd5 Qf4 34. Kf1 Qc1+ 35. Ke2
) ( 29. Rdd5 Qf6 30. g3 Rxd5 31. exd5 Qf5 32. Qe2 += ) 29. ... Rxd5 ( 
29. ... Qc7? 30. Qa7! +- ) 30. Rxd5 {is what matters most. Then he can 
take his time probing both wings} 30. ... Qf6 31. g3 h6 32. Qd3 Kh7 33. h4
Qe6 34. Kg2 f6 35. Rd6 Qf7 36. Qf3 h5! 37. Qd3 Ra7 38. Rd8 Qg6 39. Qd5 Qf7
D {But the position in the diagram was the last one before the time 
control.
White didn't have time to calculate 40 Qxf7 ! . He kept control of the 
situation
with 40 Qd3 and eventually found a way to win, 16 moves later.

Reducing calculation to a minimum is a more difficult habit to acquire 
than
the others discussed in this chapter. One training method might help:

After each of your tournament games, try to remember the variations that
you calculated. You don't have to recall every single move. Rather, you 
should
try to recollect the candidate moves you spent significant time on and 
whether
you looked three, four, five or more moves into the future. (You might be 
able
to make this part of a post-mortem analysis with your opponent, or even 
record it.)

Some time later, go over the game again and see how many variations that
you looked at were wastes of time and energy. You'll probably find that 
the best
moves you played could have been selected with a fraction of the time you 
spent
on them. This can show you how much more efficiently you can think.} 40. 
Qd3? ( {For the first time in 20 moves White should calculate a long 
variation. Why
now? Because} 40. Qxf7! Rxf7 41. Rd5 Ra7 42. f4! exf4 43. Rxh5+ Kg6 44. g4
! {It takes a further examination - of} 44. ... Rd7 45. Rd5 +- {Kholmov/} 
45. ... Ra7 ( 45. ... Rxd5? 46. exd5 f5 47. g5 +- ) 46. Kf3 Kf7 47. Kxf4 )
40. ... Qe6 41. Qd1 Qf7 42. Qd6 Kg6!? 43. f4!? exf4 44. gxf4 Kh7 45. Kf2! 
Re7 ( 45. ... Qg6 46. Qe6 Rf7 47. Qe8 +- ) 46. Kf3! f5 47. e5 Re6 48. Qb8!
Kg6 49. Qa8 Qe7 50. Qc8 Rb6 51. Rf8 Re6?! ( 51. ... Qb7+ âŒ“ 52. Qxb7 Rxb7
53. Rd8 Kf7 +/- ) 52. Kg2 Kh7 53. Kh3 Kg6 54. Rh8! {/\Qg8/} 54. ... Qf7 
55. Qd8! Re7 56. Qd1! +- 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Quizes 7 - 15"]
[Black "--------------"]
[Result "*"]

{Quiz answers - page 192} 
*

[Event "ESP Ch final"]
[Site "Ayamonte"]
[Date "2002.10.12"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Vallejo Pons, Francisco"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2635"]
[BlackElo "2699"]
[ECO "B32n"]
[EventDate "2002.10.11"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "2"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.02.06"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "BEL"]
[BlackTeamCountry "BEL"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. Bc4 Be6 7. Bxe6 
fxe6 8. Qh5+ g6 9. Qg4 Qd7 10. Bg5 a6 11. N5a3 b5 12. c3 h6 13. Be3 Kf7 
14. O-O Nf6 15. Qf3 d5 16. Rd1 Kg7 17. Nc2 Bd6 18. Nd2 Ne7 19. Qe2 dxe4 
20. c4 bxc4 21. Nxc4 Ned5 22. Nb6 Nxb6 23. Bxb6 Nd5 24. Ba5 Qb5 25. Qxb5 
axb5 26. b4 Rhf8 27. a3 D {Black can't be too confident about his material
edge in light of his mangled
pawns. What is his best policy?

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

There are targets at f2 and a3 . The first is more vulnerable and that 
means
it takes precedence} 27. ... Bb8! 28. Rd2 Ba7! 29. Re1 Rac8 {and the 
threat to exploit the second target
with . . . .Rc3 shortened matters.
After} 30. Ne3 Nxe3 31. Rd7+ ( 31. fxe3 Bxe3+ 32. Rxe3 Rc1+ ) 31. ... Rf7 
32. Rxf7+ Kxf7 33. fxe3 {Black can win a pawn
with  33. . . .Rc3 . But} 33. ... Rc1 34. Kf2 ( 34. Rxc1 Bxe3+ ) 34. ... 
Rxe1 35. Kxe1 Bxe3 36. Kd1 Ke7 37. Kc2 Kd6 38. Kb3 Bf4 39. Bb6 Bxh2 40. a4
bxa4+ 41. Kxa4 Bf4 42. Kb3 Kc6 43. Bc5 e3 44. Kc3 e4 45. Kc2 e2 46. Bf2 
Kb5 47. Be1 Bd6 0-1

[Event "Blackpool ch-BCF"]
[Site "Blackpool ch-BCF"]
[Date "1988.08.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Chandler, Murray G"]
[Black "McNab, Colin A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2590"]
[BlackElo "2420"]
[ECO "B06p"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[PlyCount "69"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 d6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Be3 a6 5. a4 Nf6 6. h3 O-O 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. 
a5 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 dxe5 11. Bc4 Qe7 12. O-O Rd8 13. Qe2 Be6 D {
left the b-pawn unprotected. White should
attack it with} 14. Ra3! {Black would give his opponent control of good 
squares if he played
I . . .Bxc4 2 Qxc4 and create new targets if he played 1 . . . Qb4 2 Bxe6 
fxe6.
Instead, he looked for kingside counterplay with} 14. ... Nh5?! ( 14. ... 
Rab8 15. Rb3 Bf8 16. Bxe6 Qxe6 17. Rd1 ) 15. Bxe6 Qxe6 16. Rb3 D {White 
had carried out his plan effectively. Black must make concessions if he 
defends b7, e.g. as 3 . . . Qc6? 4 Nd5 ! ,
which threatens 5 Ne7+ as well as 5 Rc3 .
Black played the natural} 16. ... Rab8 ( 16. ... Qc6 17. Nd5 Rd7 18. Rd1 
Nf4 19. Nxf4 Rxd1+ 20. Qxd1 exf4 21. Bxf4 +/- ) 17. Rd1! {created a new 
threat} 17. ... Rxd1+ 18. Qxd1 Bf6 19. Qd5! Qc8 ( 19. ... Qxd5 20. Nxd5 
Bd8 21. Ba7 ) 20. Na4! c6 21. Qd6 Qd8 22. Qxd8+ Bxd8 23. Nc5 Bxa5 24. Nxa6
Ra8 25. Nc5 b6 26. Nd7 c5 27. Nxb6 Bxb6 28. Rxb6 Rc8 29. Rb5 Nf6 30. Rxc5 
Rxc5 31. Bxc5 Nxe4 32. Be7 f5 33. f3 Nd2 34. b3 e4 35. Kf2 1-0

[Event "Moscow Aeroflot op-A"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2005.02.18"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Volkov, Sergey"]
[Black "Vaganian, Rafael A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2612"]
[BlackElo "2670"]
[ECO "C02b"]
[EventDate "2005.02.15"]
[Annotator "Psakhis"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2005.06.06"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 b6 4. Nf3 Qd7 5. c4!? ( 5. Be2 Ba6 6. Bxa6 Nxa6 7.
 O-O Ne7 8. Qe2 Nb8 9. Rd1 Nbc6 10. Nbd2 Nf5 11. Nf1 {1/2-1/2 
Kuzmin,G-Vaganian,R/ Yerevan zt 1982} ) ( 5. c3 c5 6. Bd3 Ba6 7. Bxa6 Nxa6
8. O-O Ne7 9. Qe2 Nc7 10. b3 Nc6 11. Be3 Be7 12. Nbd2 O-O 13. Rfd1 cxd4 
14. cxd4 Rfc8 R {0-1 Dlauchy, P-Portisch,F/Harkany Tenkes Kupa 2000/ (43)}
) 5. ... Ne7 ( 5. ... Bb7 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. cxd5 Bxd5 8. Be2 Ne7 9. O-O Bb7 
10. a3 Bxc3 11. bxc3 Nbc6 12. Bb5 a6 13. Bd3 h6 14. Bd2 g5 15. Qe2 Ng6 16.
 Rfd1 Rg8 17. Rab1 Nce7 18. Be4 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 Qc6 20. Qxc6+ Nxc6 21. Be3 
O-O-O {1/2-1/2 Zeller,F-Vaganian,R/BL 1995/ChessBase (45)} ) ( 5. ... Bb4+
!? {N} 6. Nc3 Ne7 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Ba6!? 9. cxd5 Qxd5 10. Bxa6 Nxa6 11.
 O-O ( 11. Qa4+ Qc6 12. Qxa6 Qxc3+ 13. Ke2 Qxa1 14. Qa4+ c6 15. Qb3 Nd5 
-/+ ) 11. ... Nb8 12. Qd3 Nbc6 13. c4 Qd7 14. Rd1 Rd8 15. Qe4 { >>g5, d5}
15. ... Na5 16. Qg4 ( 16. d5 Qa4 17. Bg5 Rxd5! -/+ ) 16. ... Nb3!? ( 
16. ... O-O 17. Bh6 Ng6 18. Bg5 Rc8 19. d5 += ) 17. Rb1 ( 17. Qxg7 Rg8 18.
 Qxh7 Nxa1 19. Ng5 Qc6 -/+ ) 17. ... Nxc1 18. Rbxc1 O-O 19. Ng5 f5!? 20. 
exf6 Rxf6 21. Qe4 ( 21. h4 ) 21. ... Ng6 22. d5 ( 22. h4 += {~~ 
Kupreichik,V} ) 22. ... Nf8 23. h4 Qa4! =, quiet {Kupreichik, 
V-Vaganian,R/Berlin 1991 /ChessBase} ) 6. Nc3 Bb7 7. Be3 ( 7. Bd3 Nbc6 8. 
Be3 Nb4 9. Be2 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Ned5 11. O-O Be7 12. Bb5 c6 13. Ba4 Ba6 14. 
Ne2 O-O 15. a3 Nxe3 16. fxe3 Nd5 17. Qd2 b5 18. Bc2 c5 19. Rad1 Rad8 20. 
Kh1 Bb7 21. dxc5 Bxc5 {Karklins,E-Kyaw,W/Chicago op 1996/EXT 2001/0-1 (42)
} ) ( 7. Be2 Nbc6 8. O-O dxc4 ( 8. ... Na5 9. c5!? Nec6 10. Be3 ) 9. Bxc4 
Na5? ( 9. ... O-O-O! 10. Be3 Nf5 11. d5 Nxe3 12. fxe3 Na5 13. Bb5 Qe7! 14.
 d6 cxd6 15. b4 ~ ) 10. Bb5 Bc6 11. Bd3 Nd5 12. Bd2 Be7 13. Ne4 ( 13. Rc1 
âŒ“ {#C5 #CDd5, #CCa5#A2} ) 13. ... Bb4 ( 13. ... Nb4 14. Bxb4 Bxb4 15. a3
Ba4 16. Bc2! +/- ) 14. Rc1 Bb5 15. Bxb4 Bxd3 16. Qxd3 Nxb4 17. Qd2 Nd5 ( 
17. ... Nxa2 18. Rc2 Nb3 19. Qe3 +/- ) 18. Qg5 Kf8 ( 18. ... O-O? 19. Nf6+
Nxf6 20. exf6 g6 21. Qh6 +- ) 19. Nc3! +/- {1-0 Sax,G-Short,N/ London 
1980/ChessBase/ (33)} ) 7. ... h6 N ( 7. ... Nbc6 8. Rc1 O-O-O 9. cxd5 
Nxd5 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Bc4 Qa5+ 12. Kf1 Rd7 13. Qe2 g5 14. h3 Rg8 15. a3 
h5 16. Bd2 g4 17. Bxa5 gxf3 18. gxf3 Nxd4 19. Qe3 Nxf3 20. Be2 Nd4 21. Rh2
bxa5 22. f4 {Opl,K-Jurek,J/AUT-chT 1991/0-1 (38)} ) 8. Rc1 Nbc6 9. a3 dxc4
( 9. ... O-O-O 10. c5! bxc5 â–³ 11. Na4 ) 10. Bxc4 Nf5 11. Qe2 Nxe3?! ( 
11. ... Be7 12. d5 exd5 13. Nxd5 ) ( 11. ... Nce7!? ) 12. fxe3 Na5 13. Bb5
! {We can consider that the opening result is very favourable for White.} 
13. ... c6 {Black's light-squared bishop is very passive, which determines
White's clear and stable advantage.} ( 13. ... Bc6 14. b4!? Bxb5 15. Qxb5 
Nc6 16. O-O +/- ) 14. Ba4 b5 15. Bc2 ( 15. Nxb5 cxb5 16. Bxb5 Bc6 ~ ) 
15. ... Nc4 16. Bd3 Be7 17. O-O ( 17. Bxc4 bxc4 18. Qxc4 +/- ) 17. ... O-O
18. Ne4 a5 {A very slow approach, and White gets a very strong initiative 
on the kingside, but it is a good question whether Black already could 
find a better plan.} ( 18. ... c5 19. Nxc5 Bxc5 20. dxc5 Bxf3 21. gxf3 Qc7
22. Bxc4 bxc4 23. Rxc4 Qxe5 24. b4 +- ) 19. Rf2 Ba6 D {How many potential 
targets can you identify for White? What should he do?

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

There are four potential targets: h7, g7 and even b5 and c6.
The last two don't look remotely vulnerable. But after a3-a4 White can
exploit the knight's presence on c4 by means of doubling rooks on the 
c-file
followed by b2-b3 .
But White should have something more convincing. The target at h7 is
vulnerable to i.b 1 followed by either Qc2 or Qd3, with the threat of Nf6+
and Qb7 mate.
White chose to go after the fourth target, g7. He began withThere are four
potential targets: h7, g7 and even b5 and c6.
The last two don't look remotely vulnerable. But after a3-a4 White can
exploit the knight's presence on c4 by means of doubling rooks on the 
c-file
followed by b2-b3 .
But White should have something more convincing. The target at h7 is
vulnerable to i.b 1 followed by either 'ii'c2 or 'ifd3, with the threat of
í¯€í²¦f6+ and
'ifb7 mate.
White chose to go after the fourth target, g7. He began with} 20. h3!? {
White finds the most unpleasant moves. The position of the king is still 
the main problem for Black.} ( 20. Ne1! {Houdini} 20. ... Qd8 21. Nf6+ 
Bxf6 22. exf6 g6 23. Qg4 +- ) 20. ... a4 21. Nh2! {intending Ng4-f6+! . 
Black cannot capture on f6 without allowing White's
queen to inflict fatal damage. Black avoided that with} 21. ... f5 ( 
21. ... c5!? âŒ“ 22. Nf6+ Bxf6 23. exf6 g6 24. Qg4! ( 24. Ng4 h5 25. Nh6+ 
Kh8 ) 24. ... Nxe3 25. Qf4 Nd5 26. Qxh6 Nxf6 27. Rxf6 Qxd4+ 28. Rf2 +- 
Qxd3 â–³ 29. Ng4 f6 30. Rd2! ) 22. exf6 Bxf6 23. Nxf6+ Rxf6 24. Rxf6 gxf6 
25. Ng4 {Volkov got a clear initiative on the kingside and Black finds 
himself in deep trouble.

White either wins a pawn (6 . . .Qg7 7 .Qf3 followed by Qxc6 or Nxf6+) or
gets a winning attack (6 . . .Kg7 7 Nxf6! Kxf6 8 Rf1+ Ke7 9 Qh5).} 25. ...
 Kg7 ( 25. ... Qg7 26. Qf3 ) 26. Nxf6! +- Kxf6 27. Rf1+ Ke7 ( 27. ... Kg7 
28. Qg4+ Kh8 29. Rf6 Qg7 30. Qxe6 +- ) 28. Qh5 ( 28. Qg4!? ) ( 28. Qf3! +-
Qd5 29. Qf6+ Kd6 30. Rf5! ) 28. ... Qd5 ( 28. ... Qe8 29. Bg6 Qg8 30. Qc5+
) 29. Rf7+ Kd6 30. Qxh6 Re8 ( 30. ... Ne5 31. Qf4 ) 31. Qf4+ {This is the 
beginning of the end!} 31. ... e5 32. Qh6+ Qe6 ( 32. ... Re6 33. Qf8+ ) 
33. Rf6 exd4 34. exd4 Bc8 35. Bf5 Nxb2 36. Bxe6 Bxe6 37. Rf8 1-0

[Event "Yopal"]
[Site "Yopal"]
[Date "1997.06.22"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Leko, Peter"]
[Black "Rodriguez Cepedes, Amador"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2600"]
[BlackElo "2555"]
[ECO "B68"]
[EventDate "1997.06.20"]
[Annotator "Rodriguez,Am"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "COL"]
[EventCategory "12"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1997.10.13"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 a6 7. Qd2 e6 
8. O-O-O Bd7 9. f4 Qc7 10. Be2 ( 10. Bxf6 {Gofshtein,L} 10. ... gxf6 11. 
Kb1 O-O-O 12. Nb3 h5 13. Be2 Na5 14. Rhf1 Kb8 15. Rf3 Be7 16. Rh3 h4 17. 
Qe1 Nxb3 18. axb3 f5 19. exf5 d5 20. Bd3 Bf6 21. fxe6 fxe6 =/& {
Ivanov-Waitzkin,1993 USA} ) ( 10. Nf3 {Gofshtein,L} 10. ... h6 11. Bh4 
O-O-O 12. Qe1 Re8 13. Kb1 Kb8 14. e5 dxe5 15. fxe5 Nd5 16. Ne4 +/- {
Tischbierek R.-Borik.O,1991} ) 10. ... Be7 11. Nb3 ( 11. Bxf6 {Gofshtein,L
} 11. ... gxf6 12. Bh5 Rc8 13. f5 Nxd4 14. Qxd4 O-O 15. Qd2 b5 16. Kb1 b4 
17. Ne2 exf5 18. exf5 Bxf5 19. Nd4 +/- {Koglin-Espig, Germany 1996} ) 
11. ... b5 {I kept good memories about this move but as this game shows it
is more reliable to castle queen side inmediately.} ( 11. ... O-O-O 12. 
Bxf6 ( 12. Kb1 Kb8 13. Bf3 Bc8 14. Qf2 h6 15. Bh4 Rhg8 16. Qe3 g5 17. Bf2 
gxf4 18. Qxf4 Ne5 â‡„â‡„ {Wegener,D-Tischbierek,R/Wien open 1991} ) 
12. ... gxf6 13. Bh5 Be8 ( 13. ... Rhf8 14. Kb1 Kb8 15. Rhe1 Bc8 16. Qf2 
b5 17. Ne2 Bb7 18. f5 Nb4 19. Nc3 Nc6 20. fxe6 fxe6 21. Bg4 b4 22. Ne2 f5
!? 23. exf5 e5 24. c4 a5 ~ {Kudrin,S-Mchedlishvili,M/Erevan op 1996/EXP 52
} ) 14. f5 Kb8 15. Qh6 Ne5 16. Nd4 Bd7 17. Qe3 Qb6 18. Nce2? Qxb2+! 19. 
Kxb2 Nc4+ 20. Kb3 Nxe3 21. Rd3 Nxg2 22. Rg1 Nh4 23. Rh3 Ng6 24. fxg6 hxg6 
25. Bg4 f5 -/+ {Hellers-Schneider,L/ Uppsala ch-SE 1985} ) 12. Bxf6 ( 12. 
Bf3 $143 Rc8 13. Kb1 b4 14. Ne2 a5 15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. Nbc1 Qb6 17. Nd3 a4 
18. b3 O-O 19. Nb2 Na5 20. Qd4 Qb8 21. Nd3 Nc6 22. Qe3 Rc7 23. Rd2 Rfc8 
24. f5 Na7! â†’ 25. Bh5 Nb5 26. Rc1 Bf8 27. Qg3+ Bg7 28. Ndf4 axb3 29. 
axb3 Ra7 30. Bxf7+ Kxf7 31. fxe6+ Bxe6 32. Nxe6 Kxe6 33. Nd4+ Kf7 34. Nxb5
Qxb5 {0-1 Nogueiras-Amador Rodriguez/XXVII Capablanca Memorial 1992.} ) ( 
12. a3! b4 13. axb4 Nxb4 14. e5 Nfd5 15. Bxe7 Kxe7 16. Nxd5+ Nxd5 17. Bf3 
Bc6 18. Nd4 Bb7 19. Bxd5 Bxd5 20. Nf5+ exf5 21. Qxd5 dxe5 22. Rhe1 Rhd8 
23. Rxe5+ Kf8 24. Qc5+ Qxc5 25. Rxc5 Re8 {1-0(46) Buzeti, Jernej (2088) - 
Tibenszkyne Kiss, Emese (2122) / HUN-chT2 Charousek 0607 (4), HUN 2006} ) 
12. ... gxf6 13. Bh5 b4 {Gofshtein: It is not good plan,better 13...Rf8} (
13. ... Rc8 ) ( 13. ... O-O 14. Rhe1 ) ( 13. ... Rf8 âŒ“ {Gofshtein,L} 14.
 Rhe1 O-O-O 15. Kb1 Kb8 16. Re3 Bc8 17. Qe1 Bb7 18. Rh3 Rc8 19. Bf3 Rh8 
20. Rh5 h6 21. Qe3 Bf8 â‡„â‡„ {Aslanian-Bagaturov,Erevan 1996} ) 14. Ne2 
a5 15. Nbd4! Nxd4 ( 15. ... a4? 16. Nb5 +- ) ( 15. ... Qb7 16. f5 Nxd4 17.
 Nxd4 e5 18. Ne6 +/- ) 16. Nxd4 Rc8 ( 16. ... O-O 17. Rhe1 Rfc8 18. Re3 
Bf8 19. Rg3+ ) ( 16. ... a4 {Gofshtein,L} 17. Kb1 Qc5 18. g4 Bd8 19. f5 e5
20. Ne6! +/- ) 17. Kb1 Rg8 ( 17. ... O-O âŒ“ {Gofshtein,L} 18. Rhf1 Kh8 
19. Rf3 Be8 {Gofshtein: black have possibility conterplay} ) 18. Rhe1 ( 
18. f5 e5 19. Ne6 Qc4 20. Rhe1 Bxe6 21. fxe6 ( 21. b3 Qxc2+ 22. Qxc2 Rxc2 
23. Kxc2 Rxg2+ 24. Rd2 Rxd2+ 25. Kxd2 Bd7 26. Rc1 Bd8 ~ ) ) 18. ... Kf8 
19. g4! a4 20. Re3 {Gofshtein: Profilaktik move} 20. ... a3 21. b3 e5 {
Black try creative any conterplay} ( 21. ... d5 {During the game I felt 
very much attracted by this ugly move and in the end did not play it 
because it is very ugly indeed!} 22. e5 ( 22. exd5 exd5 23. h3 Bd6 24. Rd3
Kg7 += ) 22. ... fxe5 ( 22. ... Kg7 23. exf6+ Bxf6 24. g5 ) 23. fxe5 Rg7 
+= ) 22. Nf5 Bxf5?! ( 22. ... exf4!? âŒ“ 23. Rd3 Be6!? ) 23. exf5 d5? ( 
23. ... Kg7 âŒ“ ) ( 23. ... exf4! âŒ“ {Gofshtein,L} 24. Re2 d5 ) 24. fxe5 
d4 ( 24. ... fxe5 25. f6! Bd6 ( 25. ... Bxf6 26. Rf1 ) 26. Re2 ) 25. Re2 
fxe5 26. f6 Bd6 ( 26. ... Bxf6 {Gofshtein,L} 27. Rf1 Bg5 28. Qxb4+ +- ) 
27. Qh6+ {Baburin: Here the queen enters the h6-square in order to force 
the black king into the centre, simultaneously attacking the weak h7-pawn.
} 27. ... Ke8 D {White is poised to win on the kingside . How does he nail
down victory?

---------

White can't cash in his kingside pressure until he eliminates his targets
(b2, c2) on the queenside. After Qxh7? he has to watch out for . . Qc3 .} 
28. c4!! {Unexpected and beautiful. This is interesting, although White 
did not have to give away this pawn.} ( 28. Qxh7?! Qc3!! ( 28. ... Rf8 {
Baburin,A} 29. Rxd4 +- {Baburin: would have been good enough too.} ) 29. 
Rxe5+ ( 29. Qxg8+ Kd7 30. Qxf7+ Kd8 ) ( 29. Qxf7+ Kd8 30. Qxg8+ Kd7 ) ( 
29. Bxf7+ Kd8 30. Qxg8+ Kc7 -/+ ) 29. ... Kd7 30. Qxf7+ Kc6 31. Qd5+ Kc7 
32. Qa5+ Kd7 33. Qa7+ Kc6 =, quiet ) ( 28. Rxd4!? Qc3 29. Rxe5+ Kd8 ( 
29. ... Bxe5 30. Bxf7+ Kxf7 31. Qxh7+ Kxf6 32. Qf5+ Kg7 33. Rd7+ ) ( 
29. ... Kd7 30. Re7+ Kc6 31. Rc4+ ) 30. Rxd6+ Kc7 31. Re7+ Kxd6 32. Qf4+ 
Kc6 ( 32. ... Kc5 33. Qe5+ ) 33. Qe4+ ( 33. Qc1 ) 33. ... Kd6 ~ ) ( 28. 
Rd3! Qc6 29. Kc1 Kd8 30. Qxh7 +/- ) 28. ... bxc3 ( 28. ... dxc3 {
Gofshtein,L} 29. Qxh7 +- ) 29. Kc2! {Gofshtein: Wonderful blocade Baburin:
This is the point - now Black's pawn chain works as a shelter for the 
white king, making Black's bishop very bad at the same time. The opposite 
coloured bishops make everything even worse for Black here.

however, the targets are no longer a factor.
White won after} 29. ... Kd8 30. Qxh7 +- {Keeping a firm control over the 
white squares.} 30. ... Rf8 31. g5 Rb8 {Gofshtein: Black dont have any 
conterplay} 32. Bg4 Qc6 33. h4 Rb4 34. h5 d3+ ( 34. ... Kc7 35. Qf5 Kb8 
36. Bf3 ) 35. Qxd3 Rd4 ( 35. ... Rxg4 {Gofshtein,L} 36. Qxd6+ Qxd6 37. 
Rxd6+ Kc7 38. Rd5 Rxg5 39. Rdxe5 =, quiet ) 36. Qf5 Rd2+ 37. Rexd2 cxd2+ 
38. Kxd2 Kc7 ( 38. ... Bb4+ {Gofshtein,L} 39. Ke2+ Kc7 40. Qd7+ ) 39. Bf3 
Bb4+ 40. Ke2 e4 41. Bxe4 1-0

[Event "RUS-Cup6"]
[Site "Krasnodar RUS"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Morozevich, Alexander"]
[Black "Petrushin, Alexander I"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2595"]
[BlackElo "2415"]
[ECO "B50h"]
[EventDate "1997.03.11"]
[Annotator "Har Zvi"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.11.16"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 ( 4. Qe2 Nc6 5. h3 ( 5. c3 Bg4 6. Bb3 
e6 7. d3 d5 8. Nbd2 Be7 9. h3 Bh5 10. O-O Qc7 =, quiet {Leko,P-Sadler,M 
Oostende 1992 60/ (196)} ) 5. ... e6 6. Bb3 Be7 7. c3 b6 8. O-O O-O 9. Rd1
( 9. d4 Bb7 10. Nbd2 cxd4 11. cxd4 Rc8 12. a3 Rc7! 13. Re1 Qa8 =+ {
Leko,P-Adorian,A Hungary (ch) 1992 60/(196)} ) 9. ... a5 10. d4 cxd4 11. 
cxd4 a4 12. Bc4 ( 12. Bxa4? Rxa4 13. Qb5 Ra7 14. Qxc6 Bb7 -/+ ) ( 12. Bc2 
Nb4 ) 12. ... d5 ( 12. ... Nxe4?? 13. Bb5 +- ) 13. exd5 Nxd5 14. Nc3 Ncb4 
15. Ne5 Bb7 16. Ne4 ~ {Leko,P-Romero Holmes,A Leon 1994 60/196 [Leko,P]} )
4. ... Nc6 5. c3 ( 5. Bb3 g6 6. c3 Bg7 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. O-O b6 9. Re1 Ba6 
10. Nf1 Ne5 11. Bc2 Nfd7 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bh4 Nxf3+ 14. Qxf3 Ne5 15. Qd1 Nc6
16. Ne3 Qd7 17. f4 â†‘ {Adams,M-Gelfand,B Linares 1997} ) 5. ... e6 ( 
5. ... a6 6. Bb3 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 ( 7. ... Bxf3 8. Qxf3 g6 ) 8. Qe2 e6 9. g4 
Bg6 10. Nh4 d5 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. g5 +/- {/~~ Leko,P-Schneider,A Hungary 
1996 66/161 [Leko,P]} ) 6. Bb3 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 b6 9. Nbd2 Bb7 ( 
9. ... Ba6 10. Nf1 Ne5 11. Bc2 Rc8 12. Bf4 ( 12. h3 ) 12. ... Nxf3+ ( 
12. ... Ng6 ) 13. Qxf3 Nd7 14. Rad1 Ne5 15. Qh5 += {Waitzkin,J-Browne,W 
USA (ch) 1995 65/191} ) 10. Nf1 Rc8 11. Ng3 Ne5 {I am not a big specialist
in this line,but it seems quite strange that black gives white to play d4 
in this way Qc7 is the typical which has been played by quite strong 
players} ( 11. ... Qc7 12. Bf4 Ne5 13. d4 Ng6 14. Bg5 h6 15. Bd2 =+ {
Waitzkin,J-Yermolinsky,A USA (ch) 1995 65/192} 15. ... cxd4 16. cxd4 d5 
17. Rc1 Qd7 18. e5 Ne4 ) 12. d4 {if you compare this position to the game 
mentioned above than after 12...cxd4 13.cxd4 Ng6 white will have one tempi
more since he has not played Bf4 yet} 12. ... Nxf3+ ( 12. ... Ng6 ) 13. 
Qxf3 cxd4 14. cxd4 += d5 15. e5 Ne4 16. Qg4 Nxg3 ( 16. ... Kh8 17. Nh5 g6 
( 17. ... Rg8 18. f3 g6 19. fxe4 gxh5 20. Qxh5 dxe4 21. Be3 ) ) 17. hxg3 
+/- Kh8 18. Qe2!! {a very impressing move,first of all white prevents Ba6 
by black,secondly white prepers a very simple plan,g4-g3-Kg2 and just mate
along the "h" file,and the third idea is simply to play Bc2-Bd3 when the 
bishop is very strong along the b1-h7 diagonal and the f1-a6 diagonal} 
18. ... f5 19. exf6 Bxf6 20. Qd3 Qd7 21. Bf4 Bc6 22. Bc2 g6 23. Rad1 {now 
it is just like a dream to play with the white pieces,white has key 
squares in the centre,clear tergets to attack better pieces...} 23. ... 
Bb5 24. Qd2 Ba6 25. Bb1 Rc6 26. Be5 {a correct idea after exchanging the 
black coloured bishops white will have full control over the black squares
} 26. ... Bxe5 27. Rxe5 Kg7 28. Rde1 Qf7 29. f4 Qf6 30. Qe3 Bc8 D {White 
's positional advantage is clear in view of his better bishop and more
concentrated rooks. How can he make progress?

------

His bishop looks good but needs to do more. The obvious target is e6. He
played} 31. Bd3! {the bishop is directed to g4 where is get put pressure 
on the e6 pawn

and headed it to g4.
Black has four pieces to defend the e-pawn, five if you include the king. 
But
the defense is hard because of tactics} 31. ... Rc7 ( 31. ... Re8? 32. Bb5
) 32. Be2 Rc6 33. b4! {a good example of the principle of two 
weaknesses,it is very difficult to win if one has only one weaknesses 
since he can defend it with all his pieces,but if he has 2 weaknesses 
that's already a different story and as far as the weaknesses are the 
better for the attacinkg side,in his lat move white give black another 
weakness the a7 pawn} 33. ... Qd8?! ( 33. ... Rf7 34. Rc1 Rxc1+ 35. Qxc1 
Qd8 36. Bg4 Re7 ) 34. b5 Rd6 {losing immediately,the only chance was after
Rc2 but anyway white's position is close to winning} ( 34. ... Rc2? 35. 
Bg4 Rf6 36. Bxe6 Bxe6 37. Rxe6 Rxe6 38. Qxe6 Rxa2 39. Re5 Ra3 40. Rxd5 +- 
) 35. Bg4 Rf6 {and
White crashed through with} 36. Qa3! +- Rf7 ( 36. ... Qc7?? 37. Rc1 Qd7 
38. Rxc8 Qxc8 39. Qxd6 ) ( 36. ... Qe7 37. Rxd5! ) ( 36. ... Qd7 â–¡ {the 
only which does lose material} 37. R5e3! {and white seemply doubles his 
rooks along the "c" file and win...} ) ( 36. ... h5 37. Bd1 Qe7 +/- ) 37. 
Bxe6 Bxe6 38. Rxe6 Rxe6 39. Rxe6 Qd7 40. Qe3 {in addition to his extra 
pawn,white has a strong initiative thanks to black open king,this means 
the game is close to it's end} 40. ... Qxb5! 41. Qe5+ Kh6 42. g4 ( 42. g4 
a5 43. Rf6 Rxf6 44. g5+ ( 44. Qxf6 Qd7 45. Qf8+ Qg7 46. g5+ ) 44. ... Kg7 
45. gxf6+ Kg8 46. Qe6+ Kh8 47. Qc8+ ) 1-0

[Event "RUS-The World"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2002.09.08"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Short, Nigel D"]
[Black "Svidler, Peter"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2682"]
[BlackElo "2690"]
[ECO "B20"]
[EventDate "2002.09.08"]
[PlyCount "147"]
[EventType "match (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.11.12"]
[WhiteTeam "The World"]
[BlackTeam "Russia"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. e4 c5 2. b3 b6 3. Bb2 Bb7 4. Nc3 e6 5. f4 a6 6. Nf3 d5 7. d3 Nf6 8. e5 
Nfd7 9. g3 Nc6 10. Bg2 b5 11. O-O Nb6 12. d4 c4 13. Ne2 g6 14. g4 h5 15. 
h3 Qc7 16. c3 a5 17. f5 hxg4 18. hxg4 gxf5 19. gxf5 exf5 20. Qc2 Bc8 21. 
Kf2 b4 22. Rh1 Rxh1 23. Rxh1 bxc3 24. Bxc3 Nb4 25. Bxb4 axb4 26. Rh7 Be6 
27. Bh3 Qa7 28. Nc1 Rc8 29. Qd2 cxb3 30. Nxb3 Nc4 31. Qd3 Qxa2+ 32. Kg3 D 
{That great knight on c4 and passed b-pawn give Black an edge. How does
he win?
His knight isn't doing enough and blocks the rook. Instead of} 32. ... Qb2
?! ( 32. ... Nd6! {threatens 2 . . .Rc3 as well as 2 . . . Ne4+, and} 33. 
Nc5 ( 33. exd6 Bxd6+ 34. Kh4 Qf2+ 35. Kh5 Rc3 -+ 36. Qb5+ Kf8 37. Qf1 
Qxf3+ -+ ) 33. ... Ne4+ 34. Kf4 Nxc5 -+ 35. dxc5 Qc4+ 36. Qxc4 dxc4 -+ ) 
33. Bxf5 Qc3 34. Kf4 Qxd3 35. Bxd3 Ra8 36. Ng5 Ra3 37. Bc2 Be7 38. Nxe6 
fxe6 39. Bd1 Ra2 40. Bg4 Rf2+ 41. Kg3 Rb2 42. Nc5 Bxc5 43. dxc5 Nxe5 44. 
Bxe6 Rc2 45. Rb7 Rc3+ 46. Kg2 Nd3 47. Bd7+ Kd8 48. Bf5 Nxc5 49. Rxb4 Ke7 
50. Kf2 Kf6 51. Bb1 Ke5 52. Ke2 Rh3 53. Bc2 Rh2+ 54. Kd1 d4 55. Rb5 Kd5 
56. Bb3+ Kc6 57. Rb4 d3 58. Bc4 Rf2 59. Rb8 Rf4 60. Bb5+ Kc7 61. Rh8 Rb4 
62. Bxd3 Nxd3 63. Kd2 Nc5 64. Rh6 Kd7 65. Ke3 Ne6 66. Kd3 Kd6 67. Kc3 Rg4 
68. Rh5 Nf4 69. Ra5 Nd5+ 70. Kd3 Ke5 71. Ra8 Rg3+ 72. Ke2 Rb3 73. Re8+ Kd4
74. Kf2 1/2-1/2

[Event "SLO Ch"]
[Site "Dobrna"]
[Date "2002.08.10"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Mikhalchishin, Adrian"]
[Black "Jelen, Igor"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2533"]
[BlackElo "2365"]
[ECO "D80"]
[EventDate "2002.08.03"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "SLO"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.09.10"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "POL"]
[BlackTeamCountry "POL"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Ne4 5. Nxe4 dxe4 6. Qd2 Bg7 7. e3 c5 
8. Ne2 Nc6 9. d5 Ne5 10. Nc3 f5 11. Be2 Nf7 12. Bh4 O-O 13. f3 exf3 14. 
gxf3 g5 15. Bg3 e5 16. h4 g4 17. h5 gxf3 18. Bxf3 Nd6 19. Be2 Bd7 20. 
O-O-O Kh8 D {Is this the time for White to calculate or maneuver? And if 
so, calculate what
and maneuver how?

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

White has a target at e5. Instead of calculating, he should visualize the
best piece placement to attack the e-pawn. That indicates his queen on h2 
and a
shift of his knight to f3 . The game went

} 21. Bd3 ( 21. Rdg1 ) ( 21. e4 f4 22. Bf2 ) 21. ... a6 22. Rdg1 Qe7 23. 
Qh2 Bf6 24. Nb1?! ( 24. e4 f4 25. Bf2 ) 24. ... Rg8 ( 24. ... b5! 25. Nd2 
bxc4 26. Bxc4 Bb5 =+ ) 25. Nd2?! ( 25. Be1 ) 25. ... Nf7? {Now is the time
for White to calculate. He can 't increase the pressure on e5
after 6 Nf3 . But he saw another idea, Nf3-h4-g6+ ! .
That prompted him to work out a winning line, which began} 26. Nf3?! ( 26.
 Kb1! Nh6 27. Bc2 b5 28. e4 f4 29. Be1 Rxg1 30. Rxg1 ) 26. ... e4 27. Nh4 
{Black avoided that with} 27. ... Nh6? ( 27. ... exd3! 28. Ng6+ hxg6 29. 
hxg6+ Kg7 30. Qh7+ Kf8 31. gxf7 = ) 28. Be2 ( 28. Bd6! +- Rxg1+ 29. Rxg1 
Qf7 30. Be2 Rg8 31. Rxg8+ Qxg8 32. Be5 Bxe5 33. Qxe5+ Qg7 34. Qd6 +- ) 
28. ... Rg7 29. Bd6 Rxg1+ 30. Rxg1 Qf7 31. Bxc5 Rc8 32. Qd6 Rxc5 33. Ng6+ 
hxg6 34. Rxg6 Rxc4+ 35. Bxc4 Ng8 36. Qc7 b5 37. Bb3 Be6 38. Qb8 Bxd5 39. 
Rxf6 Qxf6 40. Bxd5 Qg5 41. Kd2 Kh7 42. Qxg8+ Qxg8 43. Bxg8+ Kxg8 44. Kc3 
Kg7 45. Kd4 1-0

[Event "Neuchatel Open"]
[Site "Neuchatel"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tukmakov, Vladimir B"]
[Black "Lazarev, Vladimir"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2575"]
[BlackElo "2445"]
[ECO "A35i"]
[EventDate "2002.05.??"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "SUI"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.11.23"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "AUT"]
[BlackTeamCountry "AUT"]

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 4. e3 Nf6 5. a3 d6 6. Be2 Be7 7. d4 cxd4 8. 
exd4 Bg4 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Rc8 11. h3 Bh5 12. Rc1 Re8 13. d5 Bxf3 14. 
Bxf3 Na5 15. b3 b6 16. Qc2 g6 17. Qa2 Kg7 D {Should White begin 
calculating variations directed at the kingside? He can defend b3 with 1 
Bd1 , for example, and then play 2 Qd2/3  Bh6+ or 3 f4.

..........

Bd1 is a good idea but don't calculate it yet. White can visualize his way
to an excellent game by getting a minor piece to the big hole at c6.
He can consider Qb2 followed by Na2-b4-c6. But more promising is
Be2, which defends c4 and prepares 2 b4. Then, after the Black knight
retreats, White has an impressive maneuver, .Bd1 -a4-c6.
As the game went,} 18. Be2! Nd7 19. b4 Nb7 20. Bd1! f5 21. Ba4 Rf8 22. Bc6
Rb8 {White did not have to calculate anything until he was ready to break 
through. He
anticipated ... f4-f3 with 6 f3 ! and there followed} 23. f3 Nf6 24. Rfd1 
Nh5 25. Qd2 Rf7 {Only now did White need to work out variations, and he 
won after} 26. Bxb7! Rxb7 27. c5! bxc5 28. bxc5 dxc5 29. d6 Bf6 30. Na4 
Kg8 31. Nxc5 Rb8 32. Ne6 Qd7 33. Qd5 Re8 34. Nc5 Qb5 35. Rb1 Qa5 36. Rb7 
Rf8 37. Rxf7 Rxf7 38. d7 Bd8 39. Nb7 1-0

[Event "Leningrad-Moscow m"]
[Site "Leningrad RUS"]
[Date "1959.??.??"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Smyslov, Vasily"]
[Black "Spassky, Boris V"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2683"]
[BlackElo "2652"]
[ECO "B41f"]
[EventDate "1959.05.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nc6 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. Nb3 Bb4 
8. Bd3 Nge7 9. O-O O-O 10. Qc2 Bxc3 11. Qxc3 d5 12. Be3 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Qc7 
14. Rac1 Rd8 15. f4 Bd7 D {Should White be thinking of targets or about 
getting more out of a lazy
piece?
------------

Both. The targets are at f7 and the hole at b6. Although his queen looks 
nice on c3 White will get much more out of it on f2, where it threatens 
Bb6 and
supports f4-f5 .
After} 16. Qe1 ( 16. Be2 Be8 17. Qe1 Rac8 18. Qf2 Qb8 19. Nc5 ) 16. ... b6
?! ( {Black didn't like the looks of} 16. ... Nc8 17. Qf2 Be8 18. a3 b6 ) 
17. Qf2 Rdb8 {but then came} 18. f5! Qc8? ( {based on} 18. ... exf5 19. 
Bf4 Qa7 20. Bxb8 Rxb8 ) 19. Nd4 Nxd4 20. Bxd4 Nc6 21. fxe6! Bxe6 22. Bxe6 
( 22. Bxe6 Qxe6 23. Rxc6 Qxc6 24. Qxf7+ Kh8 25. Qxg7# ) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chapter 3 - little tactics"]
[Black "------page 50"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.03"]

{You know what tactics are. They are the decisive moves you use to decide
the majority of your games. Most of the other moves on your scoresheet may
seem like filler, passes that you made until you can pin a queen, skewer a
rook
or fork two pieces.


But a master uses tactics in a different way. Sure, many of his games end 
the
same ways that yours do, when his opponent cannot meet tactical threats. 
But to
get to that point a master builds up a position, usually slowly, until it 
is
overwhelming.


To do that he uses two types of move that most amateurs rarely employ. One
type is forcing and positional. That is, the move gets its energy from 
tactics.
Typically it's a simple threat to win something. But its primary purpose 
is to
obtain better chances in a positional way, such as by improving the 
placement
of a bishop or knight or weakening enemy pawns or forcing the trade of a 
strong
enemy piece.


These are 'little tactics ' . They make seemingly minor, almost trivial 
changes
in the position, in contrast to 'big tactics' , the ones that win games. 
Here is an
example of little tactics in action.} 
*

[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"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventRounds "1"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[SourceDate "2010.12.08"]

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 D {[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 {But he
had steadily lost ground in the positional battle that began with I Nc6 ! 
. White
piled on more forcing moves,} 24. ... 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 "Bundesliga 9192"]
[Site "GER"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?.4"]
[White "Hertneck, Gerald"]
[Black "Vaganian, Rafael A"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2530"]
[BlackElo "2590"]
[ECO "D54c"]
[EventDate "1991.10.12"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Rc1 h6 7. Bh4 b6 8. 
Bxf6 Bxf6 9. cxd5 exd5 10. Nge2 Bb7 11. g3 c5 12. Bg2 Na6 13. O-O cxd4 14.
 Nxd4 {Separate Boxes

Most players regard moves as being either tactical or positional. They 
like to
divide and distinguish them, putting them in separate boxes. That makes
studying easier. They can look at White-to-play-and-win positions to 
sharpen
their tactical skill. They can look at a master game with positional 
themes to
understand what strategy is all about.

But this blinds them to the benefits of a forcing positional move, like 
White's
play in the next example.} 14. ... Nc5 D {White's basic idea is to attack 
and win the d5-pawn, say with Nde2-f4 and
Qd2/.:Rd1 .
But Black has several defenses including . . . Ne4 and . . . Ne6, 
depending on
circumstances. Quiet White moves, which is another way of saying 
non-forcing
moves, may not overcome those defenses.
White's solution was} 15. b4! {forcing Black to choose a square for the 
knight
immediately. Then I . . .Ne6 rules out . . . Ne4 and allows a strong 2 
Nde2 ! .
So Black replied} 15. ... Ne4 {But White followed up with two more forcing
moves. He played} 16. Nxe4 Bxd4 D {zwischenzug
(in-between move)

Black's point is that without a White knight - and with a Black pawn on 
e4,
rather than d5 - there is no significant edge (3 Qxd4 dxe4 or 3 exd4 
dxe4).
However, the little tactics aren't over. White found a 
counter-zwischenzug.} ( 16. ... dxe4 17. Nc6! ) 17. Nd6! Qxd6 ( 17. ... 
Ba6? 18. Qxd4 Bxf1 19. Bxd5 Bh3 20. Bxa8 Qxa8 21. e4 ) 18. Qxd4 Rad8 19. 
Rfd1 f5 20. Qb2 Rf7 21. Rd4 Qe5 22. Rcd1 Kh8 23. Bf3 g5 24. Qd2 Rfd7 25. 
e4 fxe4 26. Bxe4 Rf8 27. Bg2 Rdf7 28. Rf1 Rf5 29. h4 Qf6 30. a4 Kg7 31. f4
g4 32. Re1 Rf7 33. Bxd5 Bxd5 34. Rxd5 Rxd5 35. Qxd5 Qc3 36. Qe5+ Qxe5 37. 
Rxe5 Rd7 38. a5 Rd3 39. Kf2 Rf3+ 40. Kg2 bxa5 41. Rxa5 Rb3 42. Rxa7+ Kf6 
43. Ra6+ Kf5 44. Ra5+ Ke4 45. Re5+ Kd4 46. b5 Rb2+ 47. Kf1 Rb3 48. h5 Kd3 
49. Kf2 1/2-1/2

[Event "Amber Chess 20. Rapid"]
[Site "Monaco MNC"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Grischuk"]
[Black "Giri"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2747"]
[BlackElo "2690"]
[ECO "D90"]

{Petite Combinaison
Tactics are not the same as combinational play. A tactical move typically
makes a threat. A combination typically offers a sacrifice. Both may 
secure a
positional advantage. Jose Capablanca was famous for making a petite 
combinaison, a little combination. Here's a modern example of a little
combination followed by little tactics.} 
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qa4+ Bd7 6. Qb3 dxc4 7. Qxc4 a6
8. Bf4 Nc6 9. Rd1 O-O 10. e3 Rc8 11. Be2 Na7 12. O-O Nb5 13. Be5 Be6 ( 
13. ... Nxc3 14. Qxc3 Bb5 15. Bxb5 axb5 16. Qc5 c6 17. Ng5 Ra8 18. a3 h6 
19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Ne4 Qb8 21. Rc1 Rd8 22. f4 Qa7 23. Qb4 ) 14. d5 Bd7 15. 
Qb3 Nd6 16. Nd4 Rb8 17. h3 D c5? {There is sound reasoning behind this: 
After 2 dxc6
bxc6 the improved piece play Black receives on the b-file may matter more 
than
the targets he creates at a6 and c6.
But I . . . c5? is an oversight. He was surprised by} ( 17. ... Qc8 18. 
Rc1 Rd8 19. Qb4 c5 20. dxc6 bxc6 21. Qa3 c5 22. Bxa6 Qc7 23. Nf3 ) 18. Ne6
! {which exploits the
presence of Black's king at the end of the b3-g8 diagonal.
It doesn't appear that the king matters in a position like this because 
there are
pawns at d5 and f7, blocking the diagonal. Yet the combination works 
because
after} 18. ... fxe6 19. dxe6 {White has three threats. One is the obvious 
4 exd7+. Black made the best of a bad deal by getting his king off the 
diagonal,} 19. ... Kh8 20. exd7 Qxd7 {the combination is over and we can 
appreciate the fruits
it bore White. He enjoys several positional plusses, including the two 
bishops,
the isolated e7-pawn and the exploitable hole at e6.
There are a number of promising moves to consider, including 6 Bf3 and
6 Na4. But White played} 21. Qb6 Qc6 22. Qxc6 bxc6 23. b3 {he had amassed 
four weak pawns.
Add to that the slimness of Black counterplay, and it amounts to a
positionally lost game.} 23. ... Nfe4 ( 23. ... Nfe8 24. Bxg7+ Kxg7 25. 
Bxa6 Nc7 26. Be2 Ne6 27. Bg4 Kf7 28. Bf3 c4 29. bxc4 Rfc8 30. Be2 ) 24. 
Nxe4 Bxe5 25. Nxc5 Ra8 26. Nd7! {Looking back, we can detect a difference.
The little combination, 2  Ne6 ! ,
gained several advantages. The little tactic, 6 Qb6 ! , was less forcing. 
But its
threat to win a pawn secured a won endgame.

Boris Gulko, the only player to win the championships of the Soviet Union
and the United States, grew up as a fan of Mikhail Tal. What he 
particularly
admired in Tal 's combinations is that when one was over, what was left on
the
board was not an 'and wins' position but one that had gotten somewhat 
better.

"They improve an equal position or tum a worse position into equality or,
often, make an unclear position more unclear," Gulko wrote. In fact, in 
the game
Tal called his favorite, the featured combination was essentially no more 
than a
clever way of trading queens.} 1-0

[Event "URS Spartakiad"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1964.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, Vasily"]
[Black "Tal, Mikhail"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A36j"]
[EventDate "1964.11.??"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.11.16"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "HUN"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ROM"]

1. c4 {ab Zug 39} 1. ... g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. g3 c5 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. b3 e6 6. Bb2
Nge7 7. Na4 Bxb2 8. Nxb2 O-O 9. e3 d5 10. Nf3 Nf5 11. O-O b6 12. Na4 Bb7 
13. cxd5 exd5 14. d3 Qf6 15. Qd2 Rad8 16. Rfd1 Rfe8 17. Rab1 Nd6 18. Ne1 
d4 19. e4 Qe7 20. Nc2 f5 21. exf5 D {Boris Gulko, the only player to win 
the championships of the Soviet Union
and the United States, grew up as a fan of Mikhail Tal. What he 
particularly
admired in Tal 's combinations is that when one was over, what was left on
the
board was not an 'and wins' position but one that had gotten somewhat 
better.
"They improve an equal position or tum a worse position into equality or,
often, make an unclear position more unclear," Gulko wrote. In fact, in 
the game
Tal called his favorite, the featured combination was essentially no more 
than a
clever way of trading queens.} 21. ... Ne5! ( 21. ... Nxf5 22. Re1 ) 22. 
f4 Nf3+ 23. Bxf3 Bxf3 24. Re1 Qe2!! 25. Rxe2 Rxe2 {What most fans enjoyed 
was the might-have-beens: the winning variations
that could have come about after 26 Qc1 Rg2+  27.Kf1 Rxh2. Some lines run 
at
least six moves more and include . . . Re8-e2 and . . . Nf5xg3( + ).
But many fans failed to appreciate that when White played the best move,} 
26. Qxe2 ( 26. Qc1 Rg2+ 27. Kf1 Rxh2 ) 26. ... Bxe2 27. Nb2! gxf5 {Black 
had reached an endgame that
was only slightly better for him. It was enough to work with and Tal won 
45
moves later.
Of course, you don't have to be capable of 1 2-plus-move combinations to
become a master. But a much smaller petite combinaison is a master 's 
stock in
trade.} 28. Re1 Bh5 29. Nc4 Nxc4 30. bxc4 Re8 31. Kf2 Rxe1 32. Kxe1 Kf8 
33. Kd2 Ke7 34. Ne1 a6 35. a4 a5 36. Kc2 Be8 37. Kb3 Bc6 38. Ka3 Kf6 39. 
Kb3 {In diesem Leichtfigurenendspiel ist der langschrittige schwarze 
Läufer nütz- licher als der wei e Springer.} 39. ... Kg6 40. Ka3 Kh5 41. 
h3 Kg6 42. Kb3 Kg7 43. Ka3 Kf6 44. Kb3 Be8! {Der Läufer strebt nach d1.} 
45. Ng2 ( 45. Nf3 Bh5 46. Ne5 Bd1+ {Der Läufer gelangt mit Tempo nach d1.}
47. Ka3 Ke6 48. Nc6 Bc2 49. Ne5 h6 50. g4 Bd1 -+ {Wei ist in Zugzwang 
geraten.} ) 45. ... Bh5 46. Kc2 Be2 47. Ne1 Bf1 48. Nf3 {Nach 48.h4 würde 
der Läufer nach c6 zurückkehren, wonach der schwarze König via h5-g4 ins 
Spiel eingreifen könnte.} 48. ... Bxh3 ( 48. ... h6?! 49. Ne5! Bxh3 50. 
Kd2! Ke6 51. Kd1 Bg4+ {Auch die Überführung des Läufers via g2-b7-c8-d7 
nach e8 reicht nicht zum Ge- winn.} 52. Nxg4 fxg4 53. Ke2 h5 ( 53. ... Kf5
54. Kf1 h5 55. Kg1 h4 56. gxh4! Kxf4 57. Kg2 g3 58. h5 Kg5 59. Kxg3 Kxh5 
60. Kh3 =, quiet ) 54. Kd2 ( 54. Kd1 Kd7 55. Ke1 ( 55. Ke2 b5!! 56. cxb5 
c4! -+ {Ein schwarzer Bauer geht zur Dame.} ) 55. ... b5!! {Ein 
entscheidender Bauerndurchbruch.} 56. cxb5 c4! 57. f5 h4 58. f6 h3 59. f7 
Ke7 60. b6 h2 61. b7 h1=Q+ -+ ) 54. ... b5! 55. cxb5 h4! 56. gxh4 g3! 57. 
Ke2 g2 58. Kf2 c4! -+ ) 49. Ng5 Bg2 50. Nxh7+ Kg7 51. Ng5 Kg6 52. Kd2 Bc6 
53. Kc1 Bg2 54. Kd2 Kh5 55. Ne6 ( 55. Ke2 Kg4 56. Kf2 Bc6 57. Nf7 Bxa4 {
Damit verfügt Schwarz über einen entfernten Freibauern.} 58. Nh6+ Kh5 59. 
Nxf5 Bd7 60. Nd6 a4 61. Ne4 a3 62. Nd2 Ba4 -+ ) ( 55. Nf7 Kg4 56. Nh6+ 
Kxg3 57. Nxf5+ Kxf4 58. Ne7 Ke5 59. Kc2 ( 59. Nc8 Bc6 60. Nxb6 Kd6 -+ {Der
wei e Springer steht sehr exponiert.} ) 59. ... Ke6 60. Ng6 Bc6 61. Kb3 
Kf6 62. Nf4 Kf5 -+ {Der schwarze König gelangt zum Bauern d3.} ) 55. ... 
Kg4 56. Nc7 Bc6 57. Nd5 Kxg3 58. Ne7 Bd7 {58...Bxa4 wäre übereilt.} 59. 
Nd5 Bxa4 60. Nxb6 Be8 ( 60. ... Bc6 âŒ“ 61. Nd5 Kf3 62. Ne7 Bd7 63. Nd5 a4
-+ ) 61. Nd5 Kf3 62. Nc7 Bc6 63. Ne6 a4 64. Nxc5 a3 65. Nb3 ( 65. Ne6 a2 
66. Nxd4+ Kxf4 67. Nb3 Ba4 68. Na1 -+ {Der Springer ist 'pattgesetzt'.} ) 
65. ... a2 66. Kc1 Kxf4 67. Kb2 Ke3 {Jetzt erweisen sich a- und f-Bauer 
als übermächtig.} 68. Na5 Be8 69. c5 f4 70. c6 Bxc6 71. Nxc6 f3 72. Ne5 f2
0-1

[Event "Malmo"]
[Site "Malmo SWE"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Hellers, Ferdinand"]
[Black "Petursson, Margeir"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2565"]
[BlackElo "2560"]
[ECO "B15i"]
[EventDate "1993.06.??"]
[Annotator "Blatny,P"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "SWE"]
[EventCategory "11"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "VIE"]
[BlackTeamCountry "UZB"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. f4 d5 5. e5 h5 ( 5. ... f6!? {Hansen,LB} 
6. Nf3 Nh6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Bg4 9. Ne2 Nf5 10. c3 Qb6 11. Kh1 += {
Tseitlin,MS-Poley,V/Rimavska Sobota/1991/} ) 6. Nf3 ( 6. Be3 {Hansen,LB} 
6. ... Nh6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. Be2 Nf5 9. Bf2 e6 10. g3 h4 11. Rg1 Bf8 12. Qd2 
hxg3 13. hxg3 Be7 14. O-O-O Nd7 15. Rh1 Rg8 16. Nh2 Bxe2 17. Nxe2 Nb6 18. 
g4 Nc4 19. Qc3 Ng7 20. Nf3 += {Blatny,P-Stangl,M/Altensteig/1991/} ) 
6. ... Bg4 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Qb6 ( 8. ... h4 9. Be3 {/\0-0-0,Bf2 ><Ph4} )
( 8. ... e6 {Hansen,LB} 9. g3 Nh6 10. Be3 Nf5 11. Bf2 Nd7 12. O-O-O += {de
Firmian,N-MaCarthy,B/New York op/1991/} ) 9. Qf2 e6 {/\Ne7-f5} 10. Bd3 Ne7
( 10. ... h4!? {Hansen,LB} ) 11. O-O Nd7 ( 11. ... h4!? {Hansen,LB} 12. 
Ne2 ) 12. b3! ( 12. g4 {Ftacnik} ) 12. ... Nf5 13. Ne2 c5? ( 13. ... h4 
14. c4 Bf8 {/\Be7,Kf8-g7} ) 14. c4 dxc4 ( 14. ... Nxd4 15. Nxd4 cxd4 16. 
cxd5 exd5 17. Bb2 {/\Bd4+/-} ) ( 14. ... cxd4 15. cxd5 exd5 16. Bxf5 gxf5 
17. Nxd4 Qg6 â–¡ 18. Qc2 +- ) 15. Bxf5 ( 15. Bxc4?! cxd4 16. Bb2 Nc5 17. 
Bxd4 ( 17. Nxd4?! Ne4! 18. Bb5+ Kd8 19. Qe1 ( 19. Qc2 Ned6 20. exd6 Bxd4+ 
-+ ) 19. ... Ned6! 20. exd6 Bxd4+ 21. Bxd4 Nxd4! 22. Qh4+ Kc8 23. Bd7+ â–¡
Kxd7 24. Qe7+ Kc8 ( 24. ... Kc6 ) 25. d7+ Kb8 {/\Nc6,Rd8-+} ) 17. ... Nxd4
18. Nxd4 O-O = ) 15. ... gxf5 ( 15. ... exf5 16. dxc5 {/\Be3} 16. ... Nxc5
17. Be3 Rc8 18. bxc4 {/\Nc3-d5+/-} ( 18. bxc4 {Ftacnik} 18. ... O-O 19. 
Nc3 +/- ) ) ( 15. ... exf5 âŒ“ +/- {Hansen,LB} ) 16. bxc4 cxd4 17. Nxd4 a6
( 17. ... Nc5 18. Be3 +- ) ( 17. ... Bf8 âŒ“ ) 18. Be3 {One Move Further

There's a second kind of little tactics. This one is also positional in 
purpose
but it's non-forcing. A move of this kind doesn't threaten anything. B ut 
it needs
a tactical justification to make it playable.

It comes about most commonly when a master sees a candidate move he'd
like to play. Often it's a move he'd love to play. It improves his 
position
considerably. But it seems to fail for a simple reason, such as putting a 
pawn or
piece en prise.

The remedy is to look one move further. You try to find a tactical shot 
that
makes the positional candidate playable.} 18. ... Qc7 D {White has more 
space and more targets. Black can't castle kingside because
it would lose his h-pawn and likely his king as well.
But Black can put up a fight by maneuvering his knight to e4. He's not 
ready
to do that immediately because . . . Nc5 would allow Nxf5 ! , followed by 
Bxc5
or Nxg7+. However, Black can prepare with . . . b6 and then . . . Nc5-e4.
With that in mind, White turned a merely advantageous position into a 
nearly
winning one with} 19. c5! {What's protecting the pawn? Tactics: 

Black is on slightly firmer ground if he takes with his knight,

Some amateurs might consider 1 c5 because they see how taking the pawn
brings swift punishment. But White dido 't expect to win that way. He 
expect
to just keep improving his position, as in the game, which went} 19. ... 
Nf8 ( 19. ... Bf8 20. Rac1 Bxc5 21. Nxf5 +- ) ( 19. ... Rd8 20. Rac1 O-O 
21. c6 â†’ ) ( 19. ... Nxc5? 20. Nxf5 ( 20. Rac1 Qb6 ( 20. ... b6 21. Nb3 
) 21. Rxc5 Qxc5 22. Nxe6 ) 20. ... exf5 21. Bxc5 +- {><Ke8} ) ( 19. ... 
O-O {Ftacnik} 20. Rfc1 Rab8 21. Qf3 +/- ) ( 19. ... Qxc5 20. Nxe6 ) 20. 
Rab1! +/- f6? {><e6} ( 20. ... Rd8 21. Rfc1 +- ) 21. Qf3 Rb8 22. Rb6 fxe5 
23. Nxe6 +- Nxe6 24. Rxe6+ Kf8 25. fxe5 Kg8 26. Qd5 ( 26. Qd5 {Ftacnik} 
26. ... Qf7 27. Rxf5 Qxf5 28. Rf6+ +- ) 1-0

[Event "IBM"]
[Site "Amsterdam NED"]
[Date "1966.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Botvinnik, Mikhail URS"]
[Black "Szilagyi, Gyorgy"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2697"]
[BlackElo "2433"]
[ECO "A07"]
[EventDate "1966.??.??"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "NED"]
[BlackTeamCountry "URS"]

{Baby Steps

Little tactics can be difficult to appreciate because the changes they 
bring
about are so slight, such as repositioning a lazy piece or opening a 
diagonal.
Unless you can be sure that the repositioned piece is on a better square 
or the
diagonal will matter, the change may have no benefit, or even backfire.

Let's see how a world champion used little tactics.} 
1. g3 d5 2. Nf3 c6 3. Bg2 Bg4 4. d3 Nd7 5. h3 Bxf3 6. Bxf3 e5 7. Nd2 Ngf6 
8. e4 dxe4 9. dxe4 Bc5 10. O-O Qe7 11. c3 O-O 12. b4 Bb6 13. a4 Rfd8 14. 
Qc2 Rac8 15. Be2 c5 16. b5 Ne8 17. Nc4 Nd6 D {Little tactics can be 
difficult to appreciate because the changes they bring
about are so slight, such as repositioning a lazy piece or opening a 
diagonal.
Unless you can be sure that the repositioned piece is on a better square 
or the
diagonal will matter, the change may have no benefit, or even backfire.
Let's see how a world champion used little tactics.


The first moves that catch the eye of most players are the forcing 18 a5 
and
18 R:d1l .
Many players would prefer 18 Rd1 for two reasons. It develops a piece, and
the natural defense, 1 .. . Nxc4, allows White to post his light-squared 
bishop on
a terrific diagonal, 2 .Bxc4.
But a master would want more out of the position, as we' ll see in the 
next
chapter. White's chances are already so good that he should check out 
another
develop-with-tempo move,} 18. Bg5! ( 18. Rd1 Nxc4 19. Bxc4 Ba5 20. Be3 h6 
+= ) 18. ... f6?! ( {It is tactically justified by} 18. ... Qxg5 19. Nxd6 
{Moreover, White can see that
if Black tries to avoid this by means of 18 . . . Nf6? he gets into a 
nasty pin. White
can exploit it with 20 Ne3 ! and  Nd5 .
So far, so good. But there are still at least two major questions. The 
first is:
How good is Qxg5 Nxd6

Has White improved his chances since the
position in the previous diagram?

He has. His knight is well placed at d6, and if the attacked Black rook 
goes
to c7, the Black bishop is trapped by 3 a5 ! .
Moreover, if the rook goes to b8, White can take aim at another target, fl
, in
coordination with Bc4 ! . Then if Black defends with 3 . . .Rf8, White can
choose between going after the b-pawn with 4 Bd5 or increasing pressure 
with
4 Rfd1 .
That's a lot to calculate, and some players - even masters - would stop 
after
they saw 3 Bc4. Some - including masters - might stop after visualizing
2 Nxd6 and conclude that the position just has to be good for White.} 
19. ... c4 20. Kg2 Rc7 21. Rad1 Bc5 22. Nxc4 Re8 +/- ) 19. Be3 Nxc4 20. 
Bxc4+ Kh8 D {White hasn't won material or created a vulnerable pin. But he
improved his
position considerably. He not only got his bishop to the good diagonal but
that
diagonal was extended to Black's first rank.
White proceeded to squeeze Black's minor pieces with} 21. a5 Bc7 22. Rfd1 
Nf8 23. Qa2! {stopped Black's knight from coming into play via . . . Ne6.
White can visualize a mating attack by lining up his queen in front of the
lightsquared
bishop and threatening  Qg8.
With so little room to operate in, Black swapped rooks,} 23. ... Rxd1+ 24.
 Rxd1 Rd8 25. Rxd8 Bxd8 26. a6 b6 D 27. Kg2 {The point to appreciate here 
is that the key to White's victory was 18 Bg5 !
f6. That one-move tactical line created a concession that proved to be 
huge.
Black did not have a major improvement after 2 Be3, and soon after that 
White
had a positionally won game, thanks to additional forcing moves like 4 a5 
and
9 a6.} ( 27. Qe2! Ne6 28. Qg4! ( 28. Qd1 ) 28. ... Ng5 29. Bxg5 fxg5 30. 
Qc8 h5 ) 27. ... Qd7 {The point to appreciate here is that the key to 
White's victory was 18 Bg5 !
f6. That one-move tactical line created a concession that proved to be 
huge.
Black did not have a major improvement after 2 i.e3, and soon after that 
White
had a positionally won game, thanks to additional forcing moves like 4 aS 
and
9 a6.} 28. Qe2 Ng6 29. Bb3 Ne7 30. Qc4 h6 31. Qf7 Kh7 32. Bc4 Qd6 33. h4 
Qd1 34. Qe8 f5 35. exf5 Nxf5 36. Bg8+ Kh8 1-0

[Event "Groningen PCA"]
[Site "Groningen NED"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Bareev, Evgeny"]
[Black "Yudasin, Leonid"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2660"]
[BlackElo "2605"]
[ECO "E38g"]
[EventDate "1993.12.??"]
[Annotator "Dautov"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

{The Tactical Habit The biggest obstacle to learning how to use little 
tactics is the mindset that tells you that tactics are used to attack. One
way to rid yourself of this notion is to examine master games that have 
nothing to do with attack. 

You might choose games with quiet openings, such as the more positional 
lines of the Queen's Indian, French, and Nimzo-Indian Defenses. After each
move, try to find a tactical point. 

Don't rely on annotations to point them out. Annotators, particularly 
elite GMs, regularly omit mention of key tactical points. They seem to 
think they're too obvious and unworthy of their comment. Don't expect 
every move that's played to have a tactical subtext. But appreciate the 
way a master blends tactics and strategy together. Consider the next 
example.} 
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 c5 5. dxc5 Qc7 6. Nf3 ( 6. a3 {Ernst}
6. ... Bxc5 7. b4 Be7 8. Nb5 ( 8. e4 a6 9. f4 d6 10. Bd3 Nbd7 11. Nf3 Nb6 
12. Qe2 d5! = {Chekhov,V-Petrosian,A/Moscow7op/1991/} ) 8. ... Qc6 9. Nf3 
d6 ( 9. ... a6 10. Nfd4 Qb6 11. c5 Qd8 12. Nd6+ Bxd6 13. cxd6 O-O 14. Bb2 
Ne8 15. Rd1 Nxd6 16. g3 =/& {Peicheva,V-Bellin,J/Novi Sad olw/1990/} ) 10.
 Nfd4 Qb6! ( 10. ... Qd7? 11. Bb2 b6 12. Rd1 Bb7 13. Nf3! +/- {
Dorfman,J-Tal,M/Barcelona/ 1992/} ) 11. Be3 ( 11. Nb3 a6 12. N5d4 ( 12. 
Nc3 Nbd7 13. e3 Qc7 14. Bb2 b6 15. Be2 Bb7 = {
Gretarsson,HA-Gipslis,A/Gausdal int/1993/} ) 12. ... Nc6 13. Bb2 Bd7 14. 
e3 Rc8 = {Sherbakov,R-Petrosian,A/EUCup-qual/1991/} ) 11. ... Qd8 12. Nb3 
a6 13. Nc3 b6 = {Van Riemsdijk,H-Petrosian,A/Groningen op/1990/} ) 6. ... 
Bxc5 7. g3! ( 7. Bg5 {Ernst} ) 7. ... b6?! ( 7. ... a6 8. Bf4! ( 8. Bg2 b5
! ~ ) 8. ... d6 9. Bg2 Nbd7 10. O-O O-O 11. Rad1 h6 12. a3 Nh5 13. Bc1 
Nhf6 14. b4 Ba7 15. Qd3 Bb8 16. Bf4 e5 17. Be3 b6 18. Nh4 +/- {
Bareev-Razuvaev/Tilburg/1993} ) ( 7. ... Qb6!? 8. e3 ( 8. e4 Ng4 9. Nd1 
Nc6 â‡„â‡„ ) 8. ... d5 ( 8. ... O-O 9. Bg2 Be7 10. O-O Nc6 11. e4 += ) 9. 
Bg2 ( 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Bg2 Nc6 12. O-O h6 13. Bd2 Be6 14. 
Rac1 Be7 15. Bc3 += ) 9. ... dxc4 10. O-O Be7 11. Qa4+ Bd7 12. Qxc4 Bc6 
13. e4 Nbd7 = ) 8. Bf4! Qc6 9. Bg2 Bb7 10. O-O O-O D {---------------- 
diagram --------------- The position of Black's queen suggests it can be 
exploited. But by 'exploited' , we don't mean White should be able to win 
the queen or even a pawn. Rather, he can try for some positional plus, 
like a superior pawn structure or more space.} 11. e4! +/- {So Black 
played} ( {For example, he can drive the queen off the diagonal with} 11. 
Ne1 Qc8 12. Bxb7 Qxb7 13. e4 {But Black can use little tactics of his own,
with} 13. ... Bb4! 14. Nb5 a6 15. Nd6 Qc6 ) ( 11. Rad1! Be7 12. b3 Qc8 13.
 Nb5 Be4 14. Qb2 +/- ) 11. ... Be7 {safeguarding the bishop and 
threatening 2 . . . Qxc4. But White used his fine tactical sense to 
enlarge his edge with} ( 11. ... Nxe4?? 12. Ne5 +- {costs a piece. That's 
a fairly primitive tactic. But it pays off in the positional column. After
I e4 ! White has the better center and threatens to gain more space by 
pushing to e5. If Black tries to discourage that with I ... d6, his bishop
has no retreat from c5. It might be trapped if White can engineer b2-b4. }
( 12. Ng5 {Bareev} 12. ... d5 13. Ngxe4 dxe4 14. Bxe4 Qc8 15. Bxh7+ +/- ) 
) ( 11. ... d6!? 12. a3 a5 13. Nh4! {/\e5} 13. ... e5 ( 13. ... Nh5 14. 
Bd2 +/- {/\g4,e5} ) 14. Bg5 Nbd7 15. Nf5 +/- ) 12. e5! Nh5 ( 12. ... Ne8 {
Bareev} 13. Rad1 +/- ) 13. Be3! D f5 {But White wasn't done with little 
tactics. He shot back 14. Ne1} ( 13. ... Qxc4? {Ernst} 14. Nd2 ( 14. Ng5 
Bxg5 15. Bxb7 += ) 14. ... Qc8 15. Bxb7 Qxb7 16. g4 +/- ) 14. Ne1! Qc8 15.
 f4! {which gives him a big edge in space and a pawn structure that 
greatly favors his pieces. Once again tactics stopped Black from grabbing 
a pawn,} 15. ... Bxg2 16. Qxg2 Na6 ( 16. ... Nc6 17. Qe2 g6 18. Nf3 +/- ) 
17. Qe2! {!? Bareev attacking the knight and prompting a new weakness -} 
17. ... g6 18. Rd1 Rd8 19. Nf3 Nc7 20. Rd3 Ne8 21. Rfd1! {Black managed to
liquidate his worst weakness with} 21. ... d6 ( {Rather than spend a tempo
on 21 b3 to protect the pawn, White had figured
out that} 21. ... Qxc4 22. Rxd7 Qxe2 23. Nxe2 Kf8 ( 23. ... Rxd7 {Ernst} 
24. Rxd7 +/- ) 24. Nc3 +/- ) 22. b3 dxe5 23. Rxd8 Bxd8 24. Nxe5 Bf6?! {
><Nh5} ( 24. ... Nhf6 {>=} 25. Qf3 Be7 26. Nc6 Kf8 27. Bd4!? Qb7 28. Re1 
Ng7 29. Kg2 +/- ) 25. Qf3 Rb8 26. Nb5 {Count it up and you '11 find more 
than half a dozen threats and minor tactics.
Looking at games like this should deepen your appreciation of little 
tactics.
Among contemporary players, Vishy Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Hikaru
Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen regularly use little tactics to the full and 
their
games are a rich source of study material. Among the older players whose
games you might consider there is Samuel Reshevsky, Mikhail Botvinnik,
Anatoly Karpov, Akiba Rubinstein, Svetozar Gligoric, Vasily Smyslov and
Tigran Petrosian.
Yes, Petrosian. After one of Boris Spassky's world championship matches
with Petrosian, he told Gligoric, "You know, Gliga, Tigran is first and 
foremost
a stupendous tactician."} ( 26. Qc6! Bxe5 27. Qxc8 Rxc8 28. fxe5 +- ) 
26. ... Bxe5 ( 26. ... Rb7 27. Qc6 Qxc6 28. Nxc6 a6 29. Nbd4 ( 29. Nba7 {
Bareev} 29. ... h6 30. b4 g5 31. b5 axb5 32. cxb5 +- ) 29. ... Nhg7 30. 
Nf3 +/- ) 27. fxe5 Rb7 28. Nd6 Nxd6 29. Rxd6! {<->d} ( 29. exd6 Rd7 ) 
29. ... Ng7 30. Bg5 ( 30. Qd1!? Kf7 31. Qd4 +/- {/\Qh4} ) 30. ... Kf7 31. 
Rd8 Qc7 ( 31. ... Qc5+ {Bareev} 32. Kg2 +/- ) 32. Rh8 {! Bareev} 32. ... 
Rb8 33. Rxb8 ( 33. Rxh7? Kg8 ( 33. ... Qxe5 ~ {Ernst} ) 34. Rh6 Qxe5 += ) 
33. ... Qxb8 34. Qe3 Qc7 35. Qd4 Ke8?! {? Bareev} ( 35. ... Ne8 {>=} 36. 
b4 Kg7 37. h4 +/- ) ( 35. ... Qc5 {Ernst} 36. Qxc5 bxc5 37. Be3 +- ) ( 
35. ... Qc6! {Bareev} ) 36. b4 f4?! 37. g4 +- b5 38. c5 Qd7 39. Qd6 Qxd6 
40. cxd6 Kd7 41. Kf2 1-0

[Event "Portoroz Interzonal"]
[Site "Portoroz SLO"]
[Date "1958.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Averbakh, Yuri L"]
[Black "Neikirkh, Oleg"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2627"]
[BlackElo "2483"]
[ECO "C98c"]
[EventDate "1958.08.05"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "21"]
[EventCountry "YUG"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ISL"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ROM"]

{Let's be honest. No one intentionally alternates tactical moves with 
strategic
moves. No master says to says to himself, "I'm going to play something
positional this tum and then next move it'll be time to find a pin or 
skewer that
I can use." It just turns out that way, a happy accident.
Here's an example of mixing little tactics and positional moves from Yuri
Averbakh, best known for his splendid endgame play and books.} 
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 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Nc6 13. dxc5 dxc5 14. 
Nf1 Bd6 15. Nh4 Ne7 16. Qf3 Rd8 17. Ne3 Qc6 D {A few moves earlier White 
was pursuing a standard strategic goal in this
opening, Ne3-d5 . If he had achieved it, Black would have been virtually 
forced - for tactical reasons - to capture the knight. White would then 
retake with his
e-pawn, giving him a passed d-pawn, a wonderful outpost on e4 for his 
pieces
and the c2-h7 diagonal for his light-squared bishop.

But Black discouraged that plan when he retreated his knight from c6 to e7
and puts his queen on c6. Now 18  Nd5? just loses a pawn.
However, Black's regrouping has a drawback. White underlined it when he
played} 18. c4! {Normally, he would be reluctant to reinforce control of 
d5 this way because
it creates a hole at d4 that Black could occupy with a knight. But after .
. . Ne7 I
... ..,Qc6, it's gotten hard for Black to do that.
So far this is purely positional thinking: outposts, passed pawn, hole. 
Black
replied} 18. ... Ne8 D {Black has a strategic goal of his own, occupying 
d4 by a different route, . . .
Nc7-e6-d4 ! .
White cannot stop that through positional means. That's the job of tactics
and
White found} 19. Bb3! {He threatens 20 cxb5 ! followed by Qxf7+ and mates.
That exploits the knight's absence from f6. If the knight goes back, 2 . .
.Nf6,
White has another shot, 20 Ng4 ! . That would lead to clear positional 
edge after } 19. ... b4 {However, this
enabled White to resume improving his game positionally, with} ( 19. ... 
Nf6 20. Ng4 Bxg4 21. hxg4 ) 20. Nd5! {the
move he's wanted to play for several turns.
When Black replied} 20. ... Qb7 {White improved another of his pieces by
means of} 21. Ba4! {Black tried to the same with} 21. ... Nc7 {The Black 
knight is headed once again for d4 via e6. But White found
another way to deter him and, naturally, it was tactical} 22. Bg5! {Black 
had run out of ideas and he accepted the consequences of} 22. ... Ncxd5 ( 
22. ... f6 23. Nxf6+ gxf6 24. Bxf6 {had to give him a winning attack} ) 
23. cxd5 f6 24. Be3 {Since his light-square bishop has no particularly 
good square he traded it off} 24. ... Bd7 25. Bxd7 Qxd7 26. Rac1 Rdc8 27. 
Rc4 Rab8 28. b3 Rc7 29. Rec1 {White has a positionally won game. He may 
not be able to crack through the
queenside defense because Black has committed all his pieces there is. 
Instead,
White switched to the kingside and eventually won after} 29. ... Rb5 30. 
g4 g5 31. Ng2 Kg7 32. h4 h6 33. h5 a5 34. Ne1 Qc8 35. Nd3 f5 36. exf5 Ng8 
37. Re1 Nf6 38. Bc1 Rf7 39. Bb2 Qc7 40. Rce4 Nxe4 41. Qxe4 Kf6 1-0

[Event "Slanchev Breag"]
[Site "Slanchev Breag"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Taimanov, Mark E"]
[Black "Spassov, Liuben"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2580"]
[BlackElo "2430"]
[ECO "D94"]
[EventDate "1974.??.??"]
[PlyCount "57"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. b4 c6 7. Bb2 Ne4 8. 
Rc1 Nxc3 9. Bxc3 Nd7 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. b5 Re8 12. Be2 Nf6 13. h3 Ne4 14. 
Bb4 f6 15. O-O e5 16. Qc2 Be6 17. Qc7 Rb8 18. a4 Bf7 19. a5 exd4 20. Nxd4 
f5 21. Qxd8 Rexd8 22. Rfd1 Be5 D {Tactical Technique

Most players have an uneasy feeling about composed studies. They don't
like those 'White to play-and-win' positions they see in magazines because
they
seem artificial.

Yes, most studies are very artificial. But what amateurs might like about
them is that the solutions are usually 1 00 percent tactical. You don't 
have to
know esoteric, technical positions. Just work out the tactics.

In fact, one of the best ways to improve your winning technique is to work
on endgame tactics. Technique is mainly a mixture of little tactics 
combined
with progress-making moves, such as creating a passed pawn. Here's a 
dramatic
but not unusual example.

White had employed few tactics to build up his positional edge. But to
convert that edge he needed threats, and he began with
} 23. a6! {Black made another concession with} 23. ... Bxd4 ( {This is 
based on
the elementary} 23. ... bxa6 24. Nc6 ) 24. Rxd4 {and should have
continued 2 . . . bxa6 4 bxa6 Rdc8, now that the fork was eliminated. His 
position
had declined thanks to 1 a6 but is not yet lost.
However, he tried to used his own tactics with the immediate} 24. ... Rdc8
( 24. ... bxa6 25. bxa6 Rdc8 {now that the fork was eliminated. His 
position
had declined thanks to 23 a6 but is not yet lost.
However, he tried to used his own tactics with the immediate} ) 25. Rxc8+ 
Rxc8 {But White had another trick} 26. b6! {to get a protected passed pawn
to the
seventh rank} ( 26. axb7? Rb8 ) 26. ... axb6 ( 26. ... bxa6 27. b7 Rb8 28.
 Bxa6 ) 27. axb7 Rb8 28. Ba6 Be6 29. Rxe4! {By playing over endgames like 
that, or entire games by Magnus Carlsen,
Vladimir Kramnik, Anatoly Karpov or any of the other great players 
mentioned
earlier in this chapter, you should enjoy a greater appreciation of how to
become
what every master is: a positional tactician.
And now for some quiz positions:} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Quizes 16 - 19"]
[Black "-------page 67"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.04"]

{quiz answers  - page 194} 
*

[Event "Amber-blindfold 09th"]
[Site "Monte Carlo MNC"]
[Date "2000.03.22"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2769"]
[BlackElo "2702"]
[ECO "A37p"]
[EventDate "2000.03.16"]
[PlyCount "93"]
[EventType "tourn (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "MNC"]
[EventCategory "18"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.05.31"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "NED"]
[BlackTeamCountry "NED"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. O-O e6 6. Nc3 Nge7 7. d3 O-O 8.
 Bd2 b6 9. a3 d5 10. Rb1 a5 11. b3 d4 12. Nb5 e5 13. b4 a4 D {What is Wh 
ite's biggest problem and what should he do about it?

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

White's biggest problem, surprisingly, is his knight on b5. It's "totally
marooned," White said after the game. As long as it can 't move, White's 
ability
to open the file with bxc5 means little.
} 14. Qc1 ( {The solution is} 14. Ng5 {White threatens Nxd4 ! , since 
after Black captures
on d4 with a pawn, White plays 3 b5 followed by bxc6, exposing b6 as a 
target.  If Black avoids this with, say ...h6} 14. ... f5 ( 14. ... h6?! {
he allows White's second idea} 15. Ne4 f5 16. Ned6 {when the knights are 
doing something} 16. ... Ba6 17. f4 exf4 18. Bxf4 ) 15. bxc5 bxc5 16. Qc1 
) 14. ... f6 15. Bh6 Bxh6 16. Qxh6 Be6 17. Qc1 Qd7 18. Qc2 Kg7 19. Rb2?! (
19. bxc5 bxc5 20. Nd2 f5 21. Rb2 Bf7 22. Re1 h6 23. Nf3 g5 24. Reb1 g4 25.
 Nh4 ) 19. ... g5 20. Rfb1 h6 21. bxc5 bxc5 22. Nd2 f5 23. Nc7 Qxc7 24. 
Rb7 Qd6 25. Bxc6 Kg6 26. Bg2 Ra6 27. g4 Ng8 28. gxf5+ Bxf5 29. Ne4 Bxe4 
30. Bxe4+ Kh5 31. e3 Qe6 32. Kh1 Nf6 33. Qe2+ Kh4 34. Rg1 Nxe4 35. dxe4 d3
36. Qe1 Rf3 37. Rg3 Qf6 38. Qf1 g4 39. Qg2 h5 40. Rh7 Kg5 41. Qh3 Qh6 42. 
Rxh6 Rxh6 43. Qf1 Rd6 44. Rxf3 gxf3 45. h4+ Kh6 46. Qd1 d2 47. Kh2 1-0

[Event "NED Ch"]
[Site "NED"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Piket, Jeroen"]
[Black "Timman, Jan H"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2570"]
[BlackElo "2620"]
[ECO "A05"]
[EventDate "1996.06.??"]
[Annotator "Horn,Pe"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "11"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "USA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "USA"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. O-O e5 5. d3 d5 6. Na3 {Da diese 
Entwicklung in manchen Varianten des Königsinders die gro e Mode ist, 
macht es Sinn, die Sache auch mit einem Tempo mehr zu probieren.} 6. ... 
Be7 7. e4 d4 ( 7. ... O-O {eine gute Alternative.} ) ( 7. ... dxe4 ) 8. 
Nc4 {Jetzt sieht man dem Nc4 seine Herkunft nicht mehr an: In den meisten 
folgenden Beispielen kam er von d2.} ( 8. c3 O-O 9. cxd4 cxd4 10. Nc4 Qc7 
11. a4 Be6 12. b3 Nd7 13. Ne1 a6 14. f4 f6 15. a5 b5 16. axb6 Nxb6 17. 
fxe5 fxe5 18. Rxf8+ Bxf8 ~ {Sepp-Kulaots/Riga zt/1995} ) 8. ... Qc7 ( 
8. ... Nd7 9. a4 O-O 10. Bh3 ( 10. Ne1 Nb6 11. b3 Be6 12. f4 = {R. 
Fischer-Harrow/Milwaukee op/1957} ) 10. ... Qc7 11. Nfd2! {Dworezki} ( 11.
 Ne1? Nb6 12. Bxc8 Qxc8! 13. Nxb6 axb6 {/\ b5} 14. Bd2 f5 15. exf5 Qxf5 
16. f3 c4? ( 16. ... Qh3! {Dworezki} ) 17. Qe2 Bc5 18. Ng2 c3 19. bxc3 b5 
20. a5 {= Dworezki-Alburt/Odessa 1974} ) ( 11. b3 = ) ( 11. Kh1 = ) 
11. ... Bg5 12. f4 exf4 13. Nf3 Bh6 14. Nh4! +/- ) 9. a4 Be6 {Mit diesem 
Zug (statt Nd7) wird der Aufbau mit Bh3 verhindert.} ( 9. ... O-O 10. Ne1 
( 10. b3 Be6 11. Ng5 Bg4 12. f3 Bh5 13. Nh3 Nd7 14. g4 Bg6 15. f4 exf4 ( 
15. ... f6 ) 16. Bxf4 Qd8 ( 16. ... Nde5 ) 17. Bg3 Nb6 18. Nxb6 axb6 19. 
Nf4 â†‘ {Borik-Schön/BL/1989} ) 10. ... Ne8 11. f4 exf4 12. gxf4 f5 13. 
Nf3 Nd6 14. Nxd6 Bxd6 15. e5 Be7 16. c4 dxc3?! 17. Qb3+ Kh8 18. bxc3 Na5 
19. Qa2 Rd8 20. Rd1 c4 21. d4 +/- {Kirillov-Kazachenkov/Lettland/ 1991} ) 
( 9. ... Bg4!? ) 10. Ne1 N {Indem Wei das Tempo mit b3 einspart (gegenüber
Todorcevic-Ivanovic), verhindert er das Gegenspiel mit g7-g5.} ( 10. b3 
Nd7 11. Ne1 g5!? 12. f4 gxf4 13. gxf4 O-O-O 14. f5 Bxc4 15. bxc4 Rdg8 16. 
Kh1 h5 â‡„â‡„ {Todorcevic-Ivanovic/YU/1990} ) 10. ... Nd7 ( 10. ... Bxc4 {
Das ist offenbar nicht zu fürchten, da Wei ein wunderbares Springerfeld 
auf d3 und das Läuferpaar erhält.} 11. dxc4 ) 11. f4 f6 D {White 's 
position looks nice but what specifically can he do?

.............

} 12. Bh3! {secures an advantage positionally based on his control of 
light squares and

Strategisch ein wünschenswerter Abtausch: Der gute (Be6) wird gegen den 
schlechten (Bg2) Läufer getauscht.} ( 12. Qh5+ Bf7 ( 12. ... g6 13. Qh6 
Bf8 14. Qh4 Bg7 ) 13. Qf5 ) 12. ... Bxh3?! ( 12. ... Bxc4! 13. dxc4 h5 14.
 Nd3 = ) ( {no better is} 12. ... Bf7 13. Qg4! ) 13. Qh5+ g6 14. Qxh3 {
There were more tactics after} 14. ... Nb6 15. fxe5 fxe5 ( 15. ... Nxc4 
16. exf6 {with advantage} ) ( 15. ... Nxe5 16. Nxe5 Qxe5? 17. Bf4 ) 16. 
Qe6! +/- Nxc4 17. Qxc4 ( 17. Qf7+ {Das naheliegende Schach gestattet 
Schwarz ein Tempo bei der Aktivierung der Türme.} 17. ... Kd7 18. Qxc4 
Raf8 ) ( 17. dxc4!? ) 17. ... O-O-O {The way to exploit White's better 
pieces was Nf3 } ( 17. ... Rf8 18. Nf3 O-O-O 19. Bh6 +/- {erobert die 
f-Linie} ) 18. Bh6 ( 18. Nf3 h6 19. Qe6+ Kb8 = 20. Qxg6 h5 21. Ng5 Rdg8 ) 
18. ... Rdg8 19. Rf7 Nd8 20. Rg7 Rxg7 21. Bxg7 Re8 22. Nf3 ( 22. b4?! {
verschärft das Spiel zu früh (Ra1 und Ne1 können noch aktiviert werden, 
wogegen dem Schwarzen die aktiven Möglichkeiten fehlen).} 22. ... Bg5 23. 
Qxc5 Qxc5 24. bxc5 ) 22. ... Bd6 23. Bh6 Qf7 ( 23. ... Bf8 ) ( 23. ... Nf7
!? 24. Bd2 Rf8 25. Rf1 {Die Kontrolle der f-Linie wird bei dieser 
Fortsetzung abgeschwächt, aber sämtliche schwarze Figuren erfüllen nur 
passive Funktionen.} ) 24. Nd2 Qxc4 25. Nxc4 Kd7 26. Rf1 Ne6 ( 26. ... Bc7
27. h4 +/- ) 27. h4 ( 27. Rf7+ Re7 28. Rxe7+ Kxe7 29. Na5 b6 30. Nc6+ Kf6 
31. Nxa7 g5 32. h4 gxh4 33. gxh4 Kg6 34. Bd2 Kh5 35. Be1 +/- ) 27. ... Bc7
28. h5 Ke7 ( 28. ... gxh5 29. Rf5 +/- ) 29. Kg2 b6 30. hxg6 hxg6 31. Bd2 
a6 32. b4 Rb8 ( 32. ... Rh8 33. Rb1 +/- ( 33. bxc5!? Nxc5 34. Bg5+ Kd7 35.
 Rf7+ Kc8 36. Re7 ) ) 33. Rh1? ( 33. bxc5 Nxc5 ( 33. ... bxc5 34. Rh1 +/- 
) 34. Bg5+ Kd7 35. Rf7+ Kc8 36. Re7 ( 36. Bf6 ) 36. ... Nxa4 37. Nxe5 Bxe5
38. Rxe5 Kb7 39. Re7+ Ka8 40. Bf6 +/- ) ( 33. Rb1 âŒ“ += ) 33. ... b5 34. 
Rh7+ Kf6 ( 34. ... Kd8 35. axb5 Rxb5 36. bxc5 ) 35. axb5 axb5 36. Nb2 {#} 
36. ... Ra8 ( 36. ... Bd6!? 37. bxc5 Nxc5 38. Nd1 ( 38. Ra7 Rc8 ) 38. ... 
Ra8 ) ( 36. ... Bd6 = ) 37. Nd1 Ra2? ( 37. ... Bd6 38. Nf2 Nf8 39. Rb7 
cxb4 40. Rxb5 Rc8 41. Rb6 Ke7 42. Bxb4 Bxb4 43. Rxb4 Rxc2 = ) ( 37. ... 
cxb4!? ) ( 37. ... c4 38. Nf2 g5 39. Ng4+ Kg6 40. Re7 Ra6 41. dxc4! bxc4 
42. b5 +- ) 38. Nf2 g5 â–¡ 39. Ng4+ Kg6 40. Re7 Rxc2?! ( 40. ... Ra6 41. 
bxc5 +- ( 41. bxc5 Rc6 42. Ba5! +- ) ) 41. Rxe6+ Kg7 ( 41. ... Kh5 42. Kh3
+- ) ( 41. ... Kf7 42. Rf6+ Ke7 43. Rf2 ) 42. Re7+ Kf8 43. Rxc7 Rxd2+ 44. 
Kh3 ( 44. Kh3 Rxd3 ( 44. ... cxb4 45. Nxe5 ) 45. Rxc5 ) 1-0

[Event "World Championship 24th"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1961.03.20"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Botvinnik, Mikhail URS"]
[Black "Tal, Mikhail"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2693"]
[BlackElo "2714"]
[ECO "E48"]
[EventDate "1961.03.15"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "21"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "CSR"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ARG"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. d4 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. a3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 Bd6 
8. Nf3 Nc6 9. b4 e5 10. Bb2 Bg4 11. d5 Ne7 12. h3 Bd7 13. Ng5 Ng6 D {How 
does White improve his position?

----------

Did you forget the Grischuk - Giri position? The solution is} 14. Ne6! 
fxe6 15. dxe6 {regains material with its threat of 3 e7+.
But the main point is that White has gained positional plusses after} 
15. ... Kh8 16. exd7 Qxd7 {He has isolated Black's e-pawn, which restricts
his only bishop.
White built up his edge slowly} 17. O-O Qf5 ( 17. ... a5!? 18. b5 Qf5 19. 
Nd5 ) 18. Nd5 Ng8 19. Qg4 Qc2 20. Qe2 Qf5 21. Qg4 ( 21. e4 Qg5 22. Rad1 ) 
21. ... Qc2 22. Qe2 Qf5 23. e4 Qd7 24. Rad1 Rad8 25. Qg4 Qe8 26. g3 Nh6 
27. Qh5 Ng8 28. Qe2 N6e7 29. Ne3 Nh6 30. Ng4 Nxg4 31. hxg4 Nc6 32. Kg2 Be7
33. Bd5 Nd4 34. Bxd4 exd4 D 35. Bc4 ( 35. Bxb7 d3 36. Rxd3 Qb5 37. Bd5 c6 
38. a4 Qxa4 39. Be6 Qxb4 40. Rc1 Qb5 41. Bc4 Qb7 42. e5 ) 35. ... c5 36. 
b5 Bf6 37. f4 d3 38. Rxd3 Rxd3 39. Bxd3 Bd4 40. e5 g6 41. Rh1 Kg7 42. Qe4 
b6 43. Bc4 ( 43. Bc4 Qe7 44. g5 ( 44. Qc6 Be3 45. g5 Bd4 46. Qf6+ Qxf6 47.
 exf6+ Kh8 48. f5 +-- ) 44. ... Rc8 45. f5! gxf5 46. Rxh7+ Kxh7 47. Qh4+ 
Kg7 48. Qh6# ) 1-0

[Event "Thessaloniki ol (Men)"]
[Site "Thessaloniki GRE"]
[Date "1984.12.04"]
[Round "14"]
[White "Vaganian, Rafael A"]
[Black "Huebner, Robert"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2555"]
[BlackElo "2595"]
[ECO "A30u"]
[EventDate "1984.11.19"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "GRE"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1996.11.15"]
[WhiteTeam "Soviet Union"]
[BlackTeam "Germany"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "URS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O e6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. d4 cxd4 8.
 Qxd4 d6 9. Bg5 a6 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. Qd3 O-O 12. Rfd1 Be7 D {How does 
White establish a positional advantage?} 13. Ng5! Bxg5 14. Bxb7 Ra7 15. 
Be4! {White has new threats, Qxd6 and Bxh7+. Black had
to play} 15. ... f5 16. Bg2 Rd7?! ( 16. ... Be7!? 17. e4 Nd7 18. exf5 Rxf5
19. f4 Rf6 20. Rac1 Rh6 21. Rc2 Qc8 22. b4 +/- ) 17. f4! {and 6 e4 ! 
White's edge had grown considerably,
in view of Black's weaknesses on squares such as e6.
Black made it easy,} 17. ... Bf6 18. e4 Bxc3 19. bxc3 a5? 20. exf5 Rxf5?? 
( 20. ... exf5 21. Rab1 Na6 22. Qd5+ Kh8 +/- 23. Bh3 Re7 24. Qc6 Re2 25. 
Rxd6 +- ) 21. Bh3 Rf6 22. Bxe6+ Rxe6 23. Qd5 Qf6 24. f5 Re7 25. Re1 +- 
Qxf5 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chapter 4 - More"]
[Black "page 69 -----------"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.04"]

{At a memorial service after Bobby Fischer's death in 2008, the 
Philippines
master Renato Naranja recalled how they both competed in the 1 970 
Interzonal
tournament. One day, after Naranja had drawn with a Soviet grandmaster who
was much stronger than him, Fischer told the Filipino he stood better when
the
game ended.
Yes, I know, replied Naranja, but I couldn't see how to win. Fischer said 
that
was no reason to agree to a draw. When you know you have an edge, you just
keep playing, he said. "You had the two bishops," Fischer said. "Just move
around."
This is another major difference between masters and amateurs. Masters
want more out of a position. They try to win - and find ways to win - 
positions
that seem unlikely to be winnable. Here's a vintage example.} 
*

[Event "Palma de Mallorca Interzonal"]
[Site "Palma de Majorca ESP"]
[Date "1970.11.15"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Naranja, Renato"]
[Black "Taimanov, Mark E"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2367"]
[BlackElo "2636"]
[ECO "D76d"]
[EventDate "1970.11.09"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "23"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "BUL"]
[BlackTeamCountry "HUN"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. d4 Nb6 
8. Nc3 Nc6 9. e3 a5 10. b3 e5 11. Ba3 Re8 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Bxe5 14. 
Rc1 c6 15. Qxd8 Rxd8 16. Bc5 Rd3 17. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 18. Rxd1 Bg4 19. f3 Be6 
20. Ne4 Nd5 21. Ng5 b6 22. Nxe6 fxe6 23. f4 Bc7 24. Bd4 Rd8 25. Bb2 b5 26.
 Kf2 a4 27. e4 Nb4 28. Rxd8+ Bxd8 29. Bf1 axb3 30. axb3 Kf7 31. Ke2 Bb6 
32. Bc3 Na6 33. Bg2 Ke7 34. f5 Bc7 35. fxg6 hxg6 36. e5 b4 37. Bd4 c5 38. 
Be3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Wenen"]
[Site "Wenen"]
[Date "1922.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Kmoch, Hans"]
[Black "Gruenfeld, Ernst"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2460"]
[BlackElo "2550"]
[ECO "C46h"]
[EventDate "1922.??.??"]
[PlyCount "66"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nd5 Nf6 5. Bb5 Nxd5 6. exd5 e4 7. dxc6 
dxc6 8. Be2 exf3 9. Bxf3 O-O 10. O-O D f5 {This was "a big surprise" for 
Larry Evans when he
annotated the game. He gave the move a '?! ' to label it as dubious. "This
move
would never occur to me," Evans wrote.
There are several reasons why it wouldn't. It's not a developing move. It
restricts Black's QB . Moreover, Black has good alternatives, such as 1 . 
. .Re8 or
shifting his bishop to e6 and d5 . These alternatives are so firmly based 
on
general principles that - barring a tactical problem - they have to be 
good.
, But Evans was 1 6 when he wrote, "This move would never occur to me."
Already a master, he knew a lot about playing. But he had a lot to learn 
about
winning.

What he didn't appreciate is how drawish the position becomes if Black
plays purely according to principle. After 1 . . .Re8, White can play, 
say, 2 c3
..Bd6 3 d4. There is little to prevent him from playing other principled 
moves,
such as ..Be3, Qd2, Rfe1 and ..Bf4 or ..Bg5 . Then the position is so 
evenly
balanced, there is no friction. It will get closer and closer to a draw 
after each of
the inevitable piece trades.
Black didn't want a draw. He was a stronger player than White and he
followed Siegbert Tarrasch's advice. A master offers "silent odds" 
whenever he
plays a weaker player, Tarrasch said, so he has to find ways to avoid a 
draw.
This doesn't mean taking risks. In this game Ernst Gruenfeld wasn't making
bad moves in the hopes of confusing White.
No, he was simply giving White more chances to go wrong after I . . . f5 .
(There were very few ways to go wrong after I . . . Re8.) And Black had a 
logical
way to do that:
The first step is ... ..Bd6 followed by . . . Qh4, threatening mate on h2.
Then, if White defends with g2-g3 , Black's queen will retreat to f6 and 
he
will try to open the kingside with . . . f4 ! . On the other hand, if 
White defends
with h2-h3 he is vulnerable to . . . g5-g4.
Evans wrote that the strange 1 ... f5 inexplicably worked "like a charm" 
as
the game continued} ( 10. ... Re8 11. c3 Bd6 12. d4 ) 11. d3 Bd6 12. Bd2 
Qh4 13. g3 Qf6 14. Bc3 Qh6 D {If White meets . . . f4 with g3-g4, Black 
can continue . . . Qh4 followed by
... g5 and . . . h5 ! with a fierce, if not winning, attack.
White preferred} 15. Re1 f4 16. Bg4 {But this allowed} ( 16. g4 Bxg4 17. 
Kh1 ( 17. Bxg4 f3 18. Be5 Qg5 19. Re4 Bxe5 ) 17. ... Be6 18. Bd4 Qh3 19. 
Bg2 Bd5 20. f3 Qf5 21. c4 Bf7 22. Bc3 Qh5 23. Qb3 b6 24. Qa4 c5 25. Qd7 
Rad8 26. Qg4 Bg6 27. Bh3 Qxg4 28. Bxg4 Bxd3 29. Be6+ Kh8 30. Bd5 Bg6 -/+ )
16. ... fxg3 17. fxg3 Rf2! {As
stunning as that may appear, it is a known sacrificial device.} 18. Re8+ (
18. Kxf2 Qxh2+ 19. Ke3 Qxg3+ 20. Qf3 ( 20. Bf3 Bg4! {and Re8+} ) 20. ... 
Bxg4 21. Qxg3 Bxg3 {would land White in a bad endgame} ) 18. ... Bf8 19. 
Kxf2? ( 19. Bh5! Bd7 20. Re1 ( 20. Rxa8 Qe3 21. Kh1 c5 22. Re8 Bc6+ 23. 
Re4 Bxe4+ 24. dxe4 Qxe4+ 25. Bf3 Rxf3 26. Kg1 Bd6 27. Qe1 Re3 28. Qf2 Re2 
29. Re1 Rxf2 30. Rxe4 Rxc2 ) 20. ... Rf5 21. Bg4 Rf7 22. Bxd7 Rxd7 23. Qg4
Rf7 ) 19. ... Qxh2+ 20. Kf1 Bxg4 21. Qxg4 Rxe8 22. Re1? ( 22. Qc4+ Kh8 23.
 Re1 Qh3+ 24. Kf2 ) 22. ... Qh1+ 23. Kf2 Bc5+ 24. d4 Qh2+ 25. Kf3 Rf8+ 26.
 Ke3 Bd6 27. Kd3 Qxg3+ 28. Qxg3 Bxg3 29. Re7 Bd6 30. Rd7 h5 31. d5 Rf7 32.
 dxc6 bxc6 33. Rd8+ Kh7 0-1

[Event "Hoogovens"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "1998.01.18"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Salov, Valery"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2680"]
[BlackElo "2770"]
[ECO "D43x"]
[EventDate "1998.01.16"]
[Annotator "Anand"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "17"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1998.04.09"]

1. d4 {Prolong!

Masters want more. And because of that, they often get it. It sounds too
simple but it's true.

There are specific ways to emulate masters in this way. But ultimately it
comes down to Fischer's attitude: If you keep pressure on your opponent 
long
enough, if you keep forcing him to make choices - if you keep trying to 
win -
there's a good chance that you will.

This view was also a tenet of the Soviet School. Mikhail Botvinnik's
watchword was "Prolong! Prolong the struggle." Think twice about trading
pieces when you have the advantage, he said. Continue the pressure, even 
if you
have to temporarily retreat.} 1. ... d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. 
Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 Nd7 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 g6 10. O-O Bg7 11. Rc1 (
{Baburin: More common here is} 11. e4 e5 12. d5 Nb6 {And then:} 13. Nd2 ( 
13. Bb3 O-O 14. h3 ( 14. a4 a5 15. Qe2 Bg4 16. Rfd1 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 Qxf3 18.
 gxf3 Rfd8 19. Rac1 {1/2-1/2 Jussupow, A-Knaak,R/Altensteig 1993} ) 
14. ... Bd7 15. Qe2 Kh7 16. Rfd1 Rae8 17. a4 Qe7 18. a5 Nc8 19. dxc6 bxc6 
20. Rd2 f5 21. Rad1 +/- {Benjamin-Blatny, Chicago 1995} ) 13. ... O-O 14. 
a4 a5 15. Ba2 Rd8 16. Qb3 cxd5 17. exd5 Qd6 18. Nb5 Qxd5 19. Qxd5 Nxd5 20.
 Bxd5 Rxd5 21. Nc7 Rxd2 22. Nxa8 Be6 23. Rfd1 Rxb2 24. Nc7 Bb3 25. Rdb1 
Rxb1+ 26. Rxb1 Bxa4 27. Rxb7 =, quiet {Greenfeld,A-Fridman, Rishon LeZion 
1997} ) 11. ... O-O 12. Bb3 Rd8 13. Qc2 Qe7 14. Rfd1?! ( 14. Ne4 Nf6 15. 
Nc5 b6 16. Ne5 Rd6 17. Ncd3 Bb7 18. Ba4 Rc8 19. b4 Nd7 20. f4! +/- {0-1 
Dautov,R-Dreev,A/ Reggio9596 1996/CBM 51 (60) [Dautov]} ) 14. ... b6 15. 
a3 Bb7 16. Ba2 a6 =, quiet 17. Nd2? ( 17. e4 c5 18. d5 b5 ~ ) 17. ... c5 
=+ 18. Nc4 {Baburin: It's not a good idea for White to allow his opponent 
to isolate the d-pawn, since Black's pieces are well placed both for 
blockade and attack upon the isolani. Safer would be to play 18 dxc5 
instead.} ( 18. d5 Bxc3! -/+ ) 18. ... cxd4 ( 18. ... b5 19. Na5 cxd4 20. 
Nxb7 ) 19. exd4 b5 ( 19. ... Rac8!? {Baburin} ) 20. Na5 Nb6 21. Nxb7 Qxb7 
22. Ne2 Rac8 23. Qd3 Qd7 24. Rxc8 Rxc8 25. Bb3 Nc4 ( 25. ... h5 26. f4 Qd6
) 26. Bxc4 Rxc4 27. f4! =+ {Baburin: I think that White should try to do 
without this move.} ( 27. g3 {Baburin looks better than the text.} ) 
27. ... h5 28. Kf2 Bf6 29. g3 h4 {Baburin: Black is creating tension on 
the kingside. When your opponent's pieces are passive, it's always a good 
idea to look for another front - at some stage the defender won't be able 
to cope with all threats.} 30. Rd2 Qd5 31. Rd1 ( 31. Qf3 Bxd4+! ( 31. ... 
hxg3+? 32. hxg3 ) 32. Nxd4 Rxd4 33. Qxd5 Rxd5 34. Rxd5 exd5 35. Ke3 Kg7 
36. Kd4 Kf6 37. Kxd5 ( 37. g4 Ke6 ) 37. ... Kf5 38. Kc6 Kg4 ( 38. ... hxg3
? 39. hxg3 Kg4 40. Kb6 Kxg3 41. Kxa6 Kxf4 42. Kxb5 g5 43. a4 ) 39. Kb6 h3!
{Salov} 40. Kxa6 Kf3 41. Kxb5 Kg2 42. a4 Kxh2 43. a5 Kxg3 44. a6 h2 -+ ) 
31. ... Kg7 {Baburin: Such moves are most unpleasant for the defender! Now
White is nearly in zugzwang, while Black has created an additional motif -
...Rc4-c8-h8.} 32. b3 ( 32. Qf3? Bxd4+! ) 32. ... hxg3+ 33. hxg3 Rc8 34. 
Qf3 Qd6 35. b4 Rc4 36. Qd3 Qc7 ( 36. ... Qd5 37. Rd2 Qh1 38. Qf3 Qh2+ 39. 
Ke3 ) 37. d5 exd5 38. Qxd5 Bb2 39. Rd3 Rc2 40. Kf3 Qc8 41. Re3? ( 41. f5! 
gxf5 ( 41. ... g5 {>< g4} 42. Nd4 ) ( 41. ... Qh8 42. fxg6 Qh1+ 43. Ke3 
Bc1+ 44. Nxc1 Qxc1+ 45. Ke4 Qh1+ 46. Ke3 Qg1+ 47. Ke4 Qh1+ ( 47. ... Qg2+ 
48. Ke5! ) 48. Ke3 =, quiet ) 42. Nf4 =/& ) ( 41. Rd2 Bxa3! ( 41. ... Rxd2
42. Qxd2 Bxa3 43. Qa2! =, quiet {Salov} ) 42. Rxc2 Qxc2 43. Qe5+ Kh7 -/+ )
41. ... Qh3 42. Qd1 Qh5+ 43. Kf2! D {Black had made considerable progress 
in the previous five moves. He
advanced his bishop from f6 to b2, where it pressures the a3-pawn and 
watches
for the chance for a tactical shot on c I . He moved his rook up from c4 
to c2,
where it pins the knight. And he shifted his queen from c8 to h5, from 
where he
can invade at h2, giving check.} ( 43. Kg2? Rc1 44. Qxc1 Bxc1 45. Nxc1 a5!
46. Rd3! ( 46. bxa5 Qc5 -+ ) 46. ... Qf5 -/+ ) 43. ... Qh2+! ( 43. ... Rc1
? 44. Qxc1! Bxc1 45. Nxc1 Qh1 ( 45. ... Qh2+ 46. Ke1 Qg1+ 47. Kd2 {They in
tum defend the only targets, the pawns at g3 and a3 . This is
what is called a ' fortress.' Black cannot win.} ) 46. Ne2 =, quiet ) 44. 
Kf3 Rc8! {Black doesn't have a specific threat. But he can visualize, 
again without
calculating, that the rook would be effective if it reaches h1 or h2.
He can also see how hard it is for White to find safe moves. For example, 
if
his queen leaves the first rank, such as 3 Qd3, he allows a strong 3 . . .
Qh1 +! so
that 4 Kg4 Qh5 mate or 4 Kf2 Rh8 ! , threatening 5 . . . Rh2 mate.
A computer might find a defense, perhaps with a rook move. But a human in
White's chair would be reluctant to risk putting his rook on an 
unprotected
square such as with 3 .Re7.
In the end, White played} 45. Qb1? ( 45. Rd3! ) ( 45. Re7 ) 45. ... Bc1! 
-+ 46. Nxc1 Qh1+ 47. Kf2 ( 47. Ke2 Rxc1 48. Qb3 Qg2+ 49. Kd3 Rc6! -+ ) 
47. ... Rxc1 48. Qd3 ( 48. Qb2+ {Baburin} 48. ... Kh7 -+ ) 48. ... Rg1! ( 
48. ... Rg1 49. Qe4 ( 49. Qc3+ Kh7 50. Ke2 Qg2+ 51. Kd3 Rd1+ ) 49. ... 
Qh2+ 50. Kf3 Rf1+ 51. Kg4 Qh5# ) 0-1

[Event "FIDE World Cup-C"]
[Site "Hyderabad IND"]
[Date "2002.10.13"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Sasikiran, Krishnan"]
[Black "Kasimdzhanov, Rustam"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2670"]
[BlackElo "2653"]
[ECO "E92g"]
[EventDate "2002.10.05"]
[Annotator "Tsesarsky"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "IND"]
[EventCategory "16"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.02.06"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "CZE"]
[BlackTeamCountry "CZE"]

1. d4 {
Good, Better, Best

Show two experienced players a complex position, and they are both likely
to find a good move. The stronger player is likely to find it faster. But 
he's also
more likely to keep looking once he's found it.
As good as the move may appear, the master looks for a better one. That
often makes the difference of a half-point, if not a full one.
} 1. ... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3 h6 {
'?!' Kasimdzhanov. Kasimdzhanov: 'a dubious line, chosen due to tournament
situation'} 8. O-O Ng4 9. Bc1 Nc6 10. d5 Ne7 11. Ne1 f5 12. Bxg4 fxg4 13. 
Be3 g5 {This variation has bad reputation. Therefore readiness of 
Kasimdzanov to play that is surprise, unless he knows something. Most of 
opening results of the games played this variation was in White's favour, 
see below.} 14. c5 ( 14. f3 gxf3 15. Rxf3 Rxf3 16. Qxf3 b6 ( 16. ... Ng6 
17. g3 Nf8 18. Ng2 += {1-0 Stojanovic,M-Poluljahov,A/Tivat 1995/EXT 2000 
(102)} ) 17. a4 Ng6 18. g3 Bd7 19. Ng2 Qc8 20. Bd2 Bg4 21. Qd3 Bh3 22. Nd1
a5 23. Nge3 Qe8 24. Nf2 Bd7 25. b3 += {1/2-1/2 Stojanovic,M-Szuk,B/Zagan 
1995/EXT 97 (65)} ) 14. ... Ng6 {Plans of sides are clear: White develops 
activity on the queenside, Black prepares an Attack on the kingside.} ( 
14. ... dxc5 {after this move White had to sacrifice an exchange.} 15. 
Bxc5 b6 16. Ba3 Ba6 17. Qxg4 Bxf1 18. Kxf1 Rf7 19. Nc2 c5 20. Rd1 Ng6 21. 
g3 Qf6 22. Rd2 Bf8 23. Ne3 += {1-0 Gross,S-Salai,L/ Brno 1990/EXT 97 (40)}
) 15. Rc1 ( {White has a lot of strong moves herel:} 15. a4 a6 16. b4 Qe7 
17. Nd3 Nf4 18. Nb2 h5 19. Nc4 Bd7 20. Rc1 Rf7 21. cxd6 cxd6 22. Nb6 Raf8 
23. Nb1 += {1-0 Ehlvest,J-Dzindzichashvili,R/New York 1994/CBM 41 ext (55)
} ) ( {Or} 15. b4 Nh4 ( 15. ... Rf7 16. a4 Bf8 17. a5 a6 18. Nc2 Bd7 19. 
Na3 Nf4 20. Nc4 += {1-0 Shchekachev,A-Hernandez,G/Linares 1996/CBM 51 ext 
(40)} ) 16. a4 Rf4 17. Rc1 Qe8 18. cxd6 Qh5 19. dxc7 Nf3+ 20. Nxf3 gxf3 
21. Bxf4 exf4 22. d6 +- {1-0 Ehlvest,J-Link,M/Reykjavik 1994/CBM 39 ext 
(29)} ) ( {Or} 15. g3 Nf4 16. gxf4 gxf4 17. Bd2 f3 18. cxd6 cxd6 19. Rc1 
Bd7 20. a4 a6 21. Nb1 b5 22. Bb4 Rf4 23. Nd2 Bf8 24. Nd3 Rf7 25. b3 Qh4 
26. Kh1 a5 27. Ba3 b4 28. Bb2 Be7 29. Nc4 Rg7 30. Rg1 +- ( 30. Qe1?? Rg5 
-+ {0-1 Eriksson,A-Petersen,S/ Copenhagen 1997/EXT 2000 (33)} ) ) ( 15. 
cxd6 cxd6 16. a4 Rf7 17. Nb5 a6 18. Na3 Rb8 19. Nc4 += ( 19. Ba7 Ra8 20. 
Be3 Rb8 21. Ba7 {1/2-1/ 2 Gustafsson,J-Nunn,J/Hamburg GER 2002/The Week in
Chess 419 (21)} ) ) 15. ... Rf7 ( 15. ... Qe8 16. a4 a6 17. Nc2 Nf4 18. 
cxd6 cxd6 19. Na3 Qg6 20. Nc4 {This N route is standard in this type of 
position.} 20. ... Rb8 ( 20. ... Bd7 21. Nb6 Rad8 22. Nxd7 Rxd7 23. Qxg4 
+- {1-0 Akesson,R-Meessen,R/Leuven 1998/EXT 99 (42)} ) 21. Nb6 h5 22. a5 
+/- ) 16. cxd6 {'N' Kasimdzhanov. Ftacnik: 'Very interesting system, since
white courageously exchanged the knight on g4. His chances on the 
queenside have thus been improved, but on the other flank black's 
counterplay is quite dangerous.'} ( 16. Nb5! Nf4 17. cxd6 cxd6 18. Qc2 Bf8
19. Bxf4 gxf4 20. Nc7 Rb8 21. Ne6 Qe8 22. Nxf8 Qxf8 23. g3 +/- {
Santos,L-Kopilov,I, corr Wch-13, 1994} ) ( 16. b4 Bf8 17. a4 a5 18. cxd6 
cxd6 19. b5 b6 20. Ne2 Rb8 21. Ng3 Nf4 22. Nd3 h5 23. Nb2 h4 24. Nf5 Rxf5 
( 24. ... Bxf5 25. exf5 Rxf5 ( 25. ... Qf6 26. Qxg4 Qxf5 27. Qxf5 Rxf5 28.
 Bxf4 exf4 29. Rfd1 +/- ) 26. Qxg4 Qf6 27. Rfd1 +/- ) 25. exf5 Bxf5 26. 
Rc6 +/- {1-0 Giorgadze,G-Martinez Martin,D/Mondariz Balneario 1999/ EXT 
2000 (38)} ) ( 16. Qb3 Nf4 17. Qc4 b6 18. cxd6 cxd6 19. Rc2 Rc7 20. Qb3 
Ba6 21. Nb5 Rxc2 22. Nxc2 Qd7 23. a4 Rf8 24. Re1 Bf6 25. Bd2 Be7 26. Ne3 
Rc8 27. Nf5 +/- {1-0 Parker,J-Forster,R/Singapore 1990/EXT 97 (44)} ) ( 
16. f3?! {Not the best move...} 16. ... gxf3 17. Nxf3 Bf8 18. cxd6 Bxd6 
19. Nd2 Nf4 20. g3 Bh3 21. Rf2 Qd7 22. Nf3 ( 22. Qb3 b6 23. Nb5 Qg4 24. 
Re1 Raf8 {with dangerous Attack.} ) 22. ... Ng6 23. Nd2 Nf4 24. Nf3 Ng6 
25. Nd2 {1/ 2-1/2 Adamski,J-Buenermann,V/Giessen 1993/GER (25)} ) ( 16. a4
Bf8 17. cxd6 ( 17. b4 += {Kasimdzhanov} ) 17. ... Bxd6 18. g3 a6 19. Nd3 
Qe7 20. a5 Rg7 21. Na4 Nf4 22. Nac5 Nxd3 23. Qxd3 Qe8 24. Rc3 += {1/2-1/2 
Stojanovic,M-Shaplyko,A/Zagan 1995/EXT 97 (51)} ) 16. ... cxd6 17. a4 Bf8 
18. Nb5 Bd7 19. b3!? {'!' Kasimdzhanov. Not in the spirit of the position.
} ( 19. Qb3 âŒ“ Nf4 20. Kh1 Qa5 21. Nc3 Rb8 22. Nc2 += ) ( 19. Nxa7 {
Ftacnik} 19. ... Qa5 20. Nb5 Qxa4 21. Qxa4 Rxa4 22. Nc3 Ra8 =, quiet ( 
22. ... Rc4 =, quiet {Kasimdzhanov} ) ) ( 19. Nc7 {Kasimdzhanov} 19. ... 
Bxa4 20. Qxa4 Rxc7 21. Rxc7 Qxc7 22. Nd3 Nf4 â–¡ 23. Bxf4 gxf4 24. Rc1 Qg7
~ ) 19. ... Nf4 ( 19. ... a6 {Ftacnik} 20. Nc7 Rc8 21. Ne6 Rxc1 22. Qxc1 
Qc8 23. Qxc8 Bxc8 24. Nxf8 Kxf8 25. Nd3 += ) 20. Nd3?! {'?' Kasimdzhanov. 
Kasimdzhanov: 'this makes things rather unclear. White could have obtained
an advantage by'} ( {Strong was} 20. Nxa7! Qa5 21. Nb5 Bxb5 22. axb5 Qxb5 
( 22. ... h5 {Kasimdzhanov} 23. f3! ( 23. b6 {Kasimdzhanov} 23. ... Qb5 
24. Rc4 Ra3 ~ ) 23. ... Qxb5 24. Bxf4 gxf4 25. fxg4 +/- ) 23. Rc4 ( 23. 
Bxf4 {Ftacnik} 23. ... Rxf4 ( 23. ... exf4 {Ftacnik} 24. Qxg4 Qxb3 25. h4 
+/- ) 24. Rc4 Ra3 ( 24. ... Rf7 {Ftacnik} 25. Nd3 Ra3 26. Rc3 +/- ) 25. 
Nd3 Rxb3 26. Nxf4 Qxc4 27. Nh5 +/- ) 23. ... Qd7 24. Ra4 += ) 20. ... Bxb5
{'!' Kasimdzhanov.} 21. axb5 Qd7 22. Nb2? -/+ {Bad P sacrifice.} ( {Why 
not} 22. b6 axb6 23. Rc3 Ra2 ( 23. ... b5 {Kasimdzhanov} 24. Qc2 =/& ) 24.
 Rc2 Ra6 25. Qd2 Qb5 26. Rc3 Nxd3 27. Rxd3 Ra2 28. Qxa2 Qxd3 â‡„â‡„ ) 
22. ... Qxb5 23. Nc4 h5 24. Ra1 a6 {Kasimdzhanov: 'in fact, white has a 
very reasonable compensation for a pawn'} 25. f3 {'?' Ftacnik. '?!' 
Kasimdzhanov. Kasimdzhanov: 'but this gives black objects of counetrplay' 
Ftacnik: 'Strategically faulty solution, Sasikiran is opening up the f 
file for black pieces. White had to concentrate on the occupation of the 
open c file.'} ( 25. Ra5 {Ftacnik} 25. ... Qe8 ( 25. ... Qd7 {Kasimdzhanov
} 26. Nb6 Qc7 27. Ra2 Re8 28. Rc2 Qe7 29. Qd2 Qf6 ~ ) 26. Nb6 Rd8 27. Qc2 
+= ) 25. ... gxf3 26. Rxf3 g4 27. Rf1 ( 27. Rf2 Be7 -/+ ) 27. ... Be7 28. 
Ra5 {'?' Kasimdzhanov. Kasimdzhanov: 'a blunder. Correct was'} ( 28. Ra2!?
{Ftacnik} 28. ... Raf8 29. Raf2 =, quiet ) ( 28. Bxf4 {(Kasimdzhanov) 
though black should be better after} 28. ... Rxf4! ( 28. ... exf4 {
Kasimdzhanov} 29. e5 dxe5 30. Nxe5 Rf5 31. Nxg4 Rxd5 32. Qe1 Bc5+ 33. Kh1 
Rd6 34. Rxf4! â†’ ) ( 28. ... Raf8 {Kasimdzhanov} 29. Ne3 Rxf4 30. Nf5 
Qxf1+ ( 30. ... R8xf5 {Kasimdzhanov} 31. exf5 Rxf1+ 32. Qxf1 Qxd5 33. Kh1 
Kg7 ~ ) 31. Qxf1 Rxf1+ 32. Kxf1 =/& ) 29. Rxf4 exf4 30. Kh1 ( 30. e5 {
Kasimdzhanov} 30. ... dxe5 31. Qb1 Bc5+ 32. Kh1 Qe8 33. Qe4 Rd8 34. Rd1 
Bd4 -/+ ) 30. ... Rf8 31. Qd3 =+ f3 32. e5 Qe8 33. Nxd6 Bxd6 34. exd6 ) 
28. ... Qd7 {'?' Kasimdzhanov.} ( 28. ... Qxb3! -+ {(Kasimdzhanov) was 
faster} ) 29. Nb6 ( 29. Ra2 Raf8 30. Kh1 ( 30. Bxf4 Rxf4 31. Rxf4 exf4 -/+
) 30. ... Bg5 ( 30. ... Bd8 -/+ {Kasimdzhanov} ) 31. Raf2 b5 32. Nb6 Qb7 
-/+ ) 29. ... Qc7 30. Ra1 Raf8 31. Rc1? -+ D {Decissive mistake.

Black is a pawn ahead but there are a lot of tactics that skew attempts to
evaluate the position.
The first point to notice is that White's last move, 1 .Rc1 , appears to 
win
material in view of 1 . . .Qd8 2 Rc8 or 1 . . . Qb8 2 Nd7.
The second point is that Black can avoid that fate with 1 . . .Nh3+ 
followed
by winning the White queen with . . . .Rxf1+.
When some amateurs make a discovery like that, they're strongly tempted to
bang down the knight with check, with hardly any thought. But 1 . . .Nh3+
would turn out badly. After 2 gxh3 Rxf1+ 3 Qxf1 Rxf1 + 4 Kxf1 Black cannot
save his queen (4 . . .Qd8 5 Rc8).
A more experienced played would look further. He might notice that the
. . . Nh3+ idea can be reworked by playing 1 . . . Qb8. Then he can meet 2
Nd7
with a much better version of the check, 2 ...Nh3+ 3 gxh3 Rxf1+ 4 Qxf1 
Rxf1 +.
Of course, that's better than 1 . . .Nh3+??. But a master wants even more.
Because the position is pretty tactical, he would sense there's an even 
better
use of the . . . Nh3+ idea. Black came up with the stunning} ( {More 
stubborn was} 31. Qd2 âŒ“ Bg5 32. Nc4 b5 33. Nb2 Qc3! -/+ ) 31. ... Bg5! {
'!!' Kasimdzhanov.  'a very nice move to make. Now all the black's pieces 
start to cooperate, and it spells the end'} ( {Avoiding interesting trap:}
31. ... Nh3+?? 32. gxh3 Rxf1+ 33. Qxf1 Rxf1+ 34. Kxf1 +- {and black Q 
can't run away.} ) 32. Qd2! ( 32. Rxc7 Ne2+ 33. Qxe2 Bxe3+ -+ ) 32. ... 
Qe7! {'-+' Kasimdzhanov.} ( 32. ... Qxb6 33. Bxb6 Nh3+ 34. gxh3 Bxd2 35. 
Rxf7 Rxf7 36. Rc2 Bb4 -/+ ) 33. Rfe1 Qf6 34. Rc8? {Kasimdzhanov: 'this 
shortens the agony. White's position was beyond salvation.'} ( 34. Nc4 h4 
-+ ) ( 34. Kh1 {Kasimdzhanov} 34. ... Qg6 35. Rc4 h4 -+ ) 34. ... Ne2+ {
The clear superiority of 31 .. Bg5 ! ! over the other candidate moves was
revealed by calculation. More often the difference between alternatives is
much
less. What makes one candidate good, another better and a third best may 
simply
be a matter of how many chances each one gives your opponent to go wrong.}
( 34. ... Ne2+ 35. Qxe2 Bxe3+ 36. Kh1 Bxb6 37. Qc4 Qf2 38. Rb1 h4 ) 0-1

[Event "Reykjavik"]
[Site "Reykjavik ISL"]
[Date "1964.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Bjornsson, Tomas Sr"]
[Black "Tal, Mikhail"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E82b"]
[EventDate "1964.01.13"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "ISL"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "URS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "YUG"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O 5. Be3 d6 6. f3 b6 7. Qd2 c5 8. 
Nge2 Nc6 9. Rd1 Bd7 10. b3 e5 11. dxc5 dxc5 12. Bg5 Nd4 13. Nd5 Ne6 14. 
Nxf6+ Bxf6 15. Bh6 Bh4+ 16. Ng3 D Bc6! 17. Bxf8 Qxf8 18. Bd3? {But the 
main reason he lost is that 16 . . Bc6 ! gave him more ways
to lose.} ( 18. Qd6 Qxd6 19. Rxd6 Nd4 20. Bd3 Be7 ) 18. ... Bg5 19. Qf2 
Qh6 20. Nf1 Rd8 21. g3 Nd4 22. h4 f5 23. Rh2 Bc1 24. Nd2 Bxd2+ 25. Rxd2 
fxe4 26. Bxe4 Bxe4 27. fxe4 Rf8 28. Qg2 Qe3+ 29. Kd1 Qc3 30. Rxd4 exd4 31.
 Qh3 Qa1+ 32. Kd2 Qxa2+ 33. Kc1 Rf1+ 34. Qxf1 Qa1+ 0-1

[Event "Moscow Ch Open"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Vorobiov, Evgeny E"]
[Black "Belov, Vladimir"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2475"]
[BlackElo "2280"]
[ECO "B80l"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.11.16"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 e6 7. Be3 b5 8. 
g4 Bb7 9. Qd2 Nfd7 10. O-O-O Nb6 11. Bd3 N8d7 12. Kb1 Rc8 13. h4 d5 14. 
Bg5 Qc7 15. Rhe1 Bb4 D {Black has just played . . . Bb4. It looks strong 
because . . . Bxc3 as well as
...Na4 are threatened.

But White noticed that the bishop is also unprotected. The first idea that
comes to mind is 16 Nxd5 so that I . . . .Bxd2 2 Nxc7+ or I . . . exd5 2 
Qxb4. But
on closer inspection, this fails to I . . . Nxd5 ! , protecting the 
bishop.
That's enough reason to give up on I Nxd5 - but not to give up on the idea
of exploiting that bishop. White saw that} 16. Ncxb5 {has the same 2 Nxc7+
and
2 Qxb4 ideas as I Nxd5 .
However, once again there's a problem. Black can meet I Ncxb5 with the
countershot} 16. ... Qc5 {He defends his bishop and leaves White's knights
vulnerable.
White would lose material after Nc3, or  c3

White saw all this when he played I lLlcxb5 but he didn't reject the move.
Instead he searched for a counter to the counter-shot. He found} 17. Nb3! 
( 17. Nc3 Qxd4 ) ( 17. c3 axb5 18. cxb4 Qxd4 ) 17. ... Bxd2 18. Nxc5 Nxc5 
( 18. ... Bxe1 19. Nd6+ ) 19. Nd6+ {The American grandmaster Walter Browne
was renowned for his move
loyalty. In a U.S. Championship tournament, he emerged from a standard
opening variation, on the White side of a Petroff Defense. The position 
after
13 moves had been played many times before, but never by Browne.
He spotted a bizarre, tactical move, putting a bishop on h6, where it
threatened .Bxg7 but also allowed . . . gxh6. The more he looked at it, 
the more
he couldn't find a reason why it failed. Common sense told Browne that a
strange move like 14 Bh6 ! ? ! couldn't refute such a solid opening. But 
Browne
refused to abandon it. He calculated and calculated and eventually played 
the
move - and won.
Loyalty to an attractive candidate is another good habit. But to stick 
with a
move, it must pass a cost-benefit test. It's worth spending a significant 
amount
of time trying to justify the move you want to play if it would make a 
significant
change in your winning chances. If it doesn't make a big difference, it's 
not
worth the lost minutes.} 19. ... Kd7 20. Nxc8 Bxe1 21. Nxb6+ Kc6 22. Nxd5 
Nxd3 23. cxd3 exd5 24. Rxe1 h5 25. Rc1+ Kd7 26. Bf4 Rc8 27. Rxc8 Kxc8 28. 
gxh5 Kd7 29. h6 gxh6 30. Bxh6 Ke6 31. Kc2 f5 32. exf5+ Kxf5 33. Kc3 d4+ 
34. Kxd4 Bxf3 35. Kc5 Ke6 36. Kb6 Be2 37. Kxa6 Bxd3+ 38. Kb6 1-0

[Event "World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.12.06"]
[Round "6.1"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2723"]
[BlackElo "2758"]
[ECO "C55i"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[Annotator "Gelfand"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.18"]

{I think that this game was my best achievement in the World Cup. It is 
not so often that you beat such a strong player with Black by a mating 
attack and without him making an obvious mistake. Ich denke, dass diese 
Partie meine beste Leistung im World Cup war. Es kommt nicht oft vor, dass
man einen derart starken Spieler als Schwarzer bezwingt, mit einem 
Mattangriff und ohne dass er einen offensichtlichen Fehler macht.} 
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 {So, no Petroff today. Sergey had already played
the Bishop's Opening once against me in a rapid game in Nice in 2008. 
Also, kein Russisch heute. Die Läufereröffnung hatte Sergey bereits einmal
gegen mich gespielt, in einer Schnellpartie in Nizza 2008.} 3. ... Nc6 {I 
had played 3...c6 that time, as well as 3 times in in 2009 (including 
twice in Khanti Mansiysk). However, it is always nice to change from time 
to time. Damals hatte ich 3...c6 gezogen, ebenso wie dreimal im Jahr 2009 
(darnter zweimal in Khanti Mansiysk). Aber eine Abwechslung von Zeit zu 
Zeit zu tut immer gut.} 4. Nf3 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. Bb3 ( 6. Re1 d6 7. a4 {is
another possibility. Morozevich played it against me in Astana 2001. I had
improved on that game and won against Sutovsky with White in Dagomys 2006.
ist eine weitere Möglichkeit. Morozevich spielte dies gegen mich in Astana
2001. Zu dieser Partie hatte ich eine Verbesserung gefunden und in Dagomys
2006 gegen Sutovsky mit Weiß gewonnen.} ) 6. ... d5 {The most 
straightforward system. Das gradlinigste System.} ( 6. ... d6 7. c3 {leads
to a slower game, similiar to the Ruy Lopez. führt zu langsamerem Spiel, 
ähnlich wie im Spanier.} ) 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. h3 ( {The most challenging move
is Der kritischste Zug ist} 8. Re1 Bg4 9. h3 {when Black has to choose 
beetween the pawn sacrifice , wonach Schwarz sich entscheiden muss 
zwischen dem Bauernopfer} 9. ... Bh5 ( {and und} 9. ... Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nd4 
11. Qxd5 Qxd5 12. Bxd5 Nxc2 13. Rxe5 {with an unclear position mit 
unklarer Stellung.} ) 10. g4 Bg6 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Rxe5 c6 13. Qf3 Bf6 ( 
13. ... Bd6! 14. Re2 f5 ( 14. ... Kh8 {- 36/(395)} ) 15. g5 f4 16. h4 Kh8 
~ {Kramnik,V} ) 14. Re2 Kh8 15. Bxd5 cxd5 16. Nc3 Bxc3 17. bxc3 Rc8 {
1/2-1/2 Kramnik,V (2715)-Kasparov,G (2805)/Novgorod 1995/Inf 
63/[Kramnik,V] (58)} 18. Bd2 +/- {Kramnik,V} ) 8. ... a5! {Black is 
chasing the Bb3, and creating the eventual possibility for the R to enter 
into the game. Schwarz jagt den Bb3 und eröffnet sich die eventuelle 
Möglichkeit, den R ins Spiel zu bringen.} 9. a4 ( 9. a3 a4 10. Ba2 Kh8 11.
 Re1 f6 12. d4 exd4 13. Nxd4 Ndb4 14. axb4 Qxd4 =, quiet {1/2-1/2 
Kramnik,V-Kasparov,G/New York PCA 1995 (41)} ) ( 9. Ba4 {allows erlaubt} 
9. ... Nd4! 10. Nxe5 Nb6 11. c3 Nxa4 12. Qxa4 Ne2+ 13. Kh1 Bf6 {with a 
strong attack in Shirov,A-Mozetic,D,Tilburg, 1993. mit starkem Angriff in 
Shirov,A-Mozetic,D,Tilburg, 1993.} ) 9. ... Nd4 ( {Another solid plan was 
chosen by Alexander Onischuk twice. Ein anderer solider Plan wurde zweimal
von Alexander Onischuk gewählt.} 9. ... Be6 10. Re1 Bf6 11. Nbd2 Nf4 12. 
Bxe6 Nxe6 13. Nc4 Re8 14. Bd2 ( 14. Nfxe5 Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Nd4 16. Bf4 Qd6 
17. c3 Bxe5 18. Rxe5 Rxe5 19. Bxe5 Qxe5 20. cxd4 Qxd4 {1/2-1/2 
Kudrin,S-Onischuk,A/Stillwater USA 2007 (41)} ) 14. ... Nc5 15. Bc3 e4 16.
 Bxf6 {1/2-1/2 Tiviakov,S-Onischuk,A/ Sochi RUS 2007 (16)} ) 10. Nxd4 ( 
10. Nxe5 Nxb3 11. cxb3 Nb4 {gives Black more than enough compensation for 
the pawn. gibt Schwarz mehr als genug Kompensation für den Bauern.} ) 
10. ... exd4 D 11. Re1 {When my opponent made this move I was not glad. I 
intended to meet 11.Nd2 with Ra6 followed by Rg6. At first I thought that 
now Ra6 is not possible, as Black loses a piece, but then I had an idea...
Als mein Gegner diesen Zug machte, war ich nicht erfreut. Ich hatte vor, 
11.Nd2 mit Ra6 nebst Rg6 zu begegnen. Zuerst dachte ich, dass Ra6 jetzt 
nicht möglich sei, da Schwarz eine Figur verliert, doch dann kam mir eine 
Idee...} ( 11. Nd2 Ra6 12. Nf3 ( 12. Qf3 Nb4 ) 12. ... Rg6 13. Ne5 Re6 14.
 Qh5 c6 {leads to an approximately equal game. führt zu ungefähr gleichem 
Spiel.} ) 11. ... Ra6!! {When I saw this move I immediately got excited. 
It would be a shame to see such a move and not to make it! But 
fortunately, I found out that this idea works! Als ich diesen Zug sah, 
wurde ich sofort aufgeregt. Es wäre eine Schande, einen solchen Zug zu 
sehen, und ihn nicht zu machen! Aber zum Glück stellte ich fest, dass 
diese Idee funktioniert!} ( 11. ... Be6 12. Na3 {with a balanced game. mit
ausgeglichenem Spiel.} ) 12. Qh5 ( {If White accepts the piece sacrifice 
Falls Weiß das Figurenopfer} 12. Bxd5 Qxd5 13. Rxe7 Rg6 {then he would 
have a problem defending the g2-pawn: annimmt, dann hätte er ein Problem, 
den g2-Bauern zu verteidigen:} 14. f3 ( 14. g4?! Qh5! {I hoped I would 
find this winning move, as originally I intended to play 14...f5: Ich 
hoffte, ich würde diesen Gewinnzug finden, denn ursprünglich beabsichtigte
ich 14...f5:} ( 14. ... f5 {when after worauf nach} 15. c4! Qd6 16. Qe2 
fxg4 17. h4 g3 ( 17. ... Be6 18. Bg5 h6 19. c5 Qd5 20. h5 Rxg5 21. Qxe6+ 
Qxe6 22. Rxe6 g3 23. f4 ) 18. f3 Be6 ( {Also possible is Ebenfalls möglich
ist} 18. ... g2 19. Qe5 Qxe5 20. Rxe5 Rxf3 21. Bg5 Bd7 ~ {with an unclear 
game mit unklarem Spiel} ) 19. Bg5 h6 20. c5 Qd5 21. h5 Qxg5 22. Rxe6 Rxe6
23. Qxe6+ {it is likely that the game would end up in a draw. es 
wahrscheinlich ist, dass die Partie remis enden würde.} ) 15. Re4 ( 15. f3
f5 ) ( 15. Qf3 Bxg4 16. hxg4 Rxg4+ 17. Kf1 Rg1+ 18. Kxg1 Qxf3 ) 15. ... 
Qxh3 16. g5 f5 17. Re5 f4 18. Qf1 Qh4 19. Qg2 Rf5 -+ ) 14. ... Bxh3 15. 
Re2 Qxf3 16. Qf1 {All white's moves are forced Alle weißen Zügen sind 
erzwungen.} 16. ... Bxg2 ( 16. ... Qh5 17. Bf4 Bxg2 18. Rxg2 Re8 19. Nd2 
Re2 20. Rxg6 Qxg6+ 21. Kh1 Qh5+ 22. Kg1 Qg4+ 23. Kh1 =, quiet ) 17. Rxg2 
Rxg2+ 18. Qxg2 Qd1+ =, quiet {with a perpetual check. As my opponent said 
in the press conference, he saw this line, but decided to fight for more. 
A brave decision, but it backfired in this game. mit ewigem Schach. Wie 
mein Gegner in der Pressekonferenz sagte, sah er dieses Abspiel, beschloss
aber, um mehr zu kämpfen. Eine mutige Entscheidung, doch in dieser Partie 
ging sie nach hinten los.} ) ( {Black would react in similiar fashion to 
the game after all other replies. Nach allen anderen Erwiderungen würde 
Schwarz auf ähnliche Weise reagieren wie in der Partie.} 12. Qf3 Re6 ( 
12. ... Nb4!? ) ) ( 12. Nd2 Rg6 13. Qf3 Nb4 ) ( 12. Na3 Rg6 13. Qf3 Be6 
14. Bd2 Bb4 15. Bxb4 Nxb4 =+ {as shown by Yu. Yakovic wie von Yu. Yakovic 
gezeigt.} ) 12. ... Nb4?! {As soon as I made this move, I regretted it. 
Sobald ich diesen Zug gemacht hatte, bereute ich es.} ( {Stronger was} 
12. ... Bb4! {continuing to ignore the hanging Nd5. When I was a junior 
player, it was brought to my attention that it was Fischer's trademark - 
to attack an opponent's piece instead of defending your own! , was weiter 
den hängenden Nd5 ignoriert. Als ich ein Jugendspieler war, wies man mich 
darauf hin, dass dies Fischers Markenzeichen war - eine gegnerische Figur 
anzugreifen, statt die eigene zu verteidigen!} 13. Re2 ( 13. Bd2 Nf4 14. 
Qf3 Rf6 ) 13. ... Re6 14. Rxe6 ( 14. Bg5 Rxe2 15. Bxd8 Re1+ 16. Kh2 Nf4 ) 
14. ... Bxe6 15. Nd2 Re8 =+ ) 13. Na3 ( {In the event of Im Fall von} 13. 
Nd2 {I would have to find hätte ich} 13. ... Rh6!? {finden müssen:} ( {
Here Hier ist} 13. ... Rg6 14. Nf3 Be6 {is weaker because of schwächer 
wegen} 15. Rxe6! Rxe6 ( 15. ... fxe6 16. Ne5 Rgf6 17. Bg5 ) 16. Bxe6 fxe6 
17. Qg4 += ) ( 13. ... Be6 14. Bxe6 Rxe6 15. Rxe6 fxe6 16. Qd1 Qd5 17. Ne4
Qc6 18. Bd2 =, quiet ) 14. Qxa5 â–³ b6 15. Qa8 ( 15. Qe5 Nxc2 16. Qxe7 
Qxe7 17. Rxe7 Nxa1 -/+ ) 15. ... Nc6 {with full compensation for the pawn.
The Qa8 really looks weird. mit voller Kompensation für den Bauern. Die 
Dame Qa8 wirkt wirklich seltsam.} ) 13. ... Rg6 {White has a few moves at 
his disposal, but none of them gives him chances for an advantage. 
Moreover, he'll have to be careful to equalise. Weiß stehen eine Reihe von
Zügen zur Verfügung, aber keiner davon gibt ihm Chancen auf Vorteil. Mehr 
noch, er wird sich bemühen müssen auszugleichen.} 14. Bf4 ( 14. Nb5 Be6 
15. Rxe6 ( 15. Bxe6 fxe6 16. Qe2 Qd5 ) 15. ... fxe6 16. Qe5 Kh8 17. Qxd4 
Qxd4 18. Nxd4 e5 -/+ ) ( 14. Bd2 b6 15. Re4 ( 15. Nc4 Bb7 ) 15. ... Na6 ) 
( 14. Nc4 Be6 ) 14. ... b6 {Played with the idea of fianchettoing the B 
and bringing it into the attack. Mit der Idee, den B zu fianchettieren und
ihn in den Angriff einzuschalten.} ( 14. ... Be6!? {deserved serious 
attention here as well, but I still didn't realise that it is a strong 
idea. As it turned out, I played it in better circumstances. verdient auch
hier ernste Aufmerksamkeit, aber ich hatte noch immer nicht realisiert, 
dass dies eine starke Idee ist. Wie sich herausstellte, spielte ich es 
unter besseren Umständen.} 15. Bxe6 ( 15. Nc4 Bd5 ) 15. ... fxe6 16. Bg3 (
16. Re4 Nd5 ) 16. ... Bd6 =+ ) 15. Qf3 {White is trying to prevent Bb7, 
but the B has another way to join the game. Weiß versucht, Bb7 zu 
verhindern, aber der B hat noch einen anderen Weg, ins Spiel einzugreifen.
} ( 15. Nc4 Bb7 16. Bg3 Bd5 {and strangely enough it is hard to find a 
good move for White. und seltsamerweise fällt es schwer, einen guten Zug 
für Weiß zu finden.} ) ( {Probably better was Vermutlich besser war} 15. 
Bg3! Bd6 ( 15. ... Bb7 16. Nb5 ) ( {or} 15. ... Be6 16. Bxe6 fxe6 ) 16. 
Bxd6 Qxd6 17. Re4 Qf6 {when it is easier to play for Black, but probably 
he has no more than that. wonach die Stellung mit Schwarz leichter zu 
spielen ist, aber womöglich hat er nicht mehr als das.} ) 15. ... Be6! {An
important idea. As White is forced to exchange Bs, Rf8 had get into 
attack. Eine wichtige Idee. Da Weiß gezwungen ist, die B zu tauschen, wird
der Rf8 in den Angriff eingeschaltet.} ( 15. ... Bd7 16. Bxc7 ) 16. Bxe6 (
16. Re2 {allows erlaubt} 16. ... Nxc2! 17. Bxe6 ( 17. Bxc2 Bd5 18. Qh5 
Rxg2+ 19. Kf1 Rg6 ) 17. ... Nxa1 18. Bc4 c6 19. Be5 Bxa3 20. bxa3 b5 {and 
the N would get out from the corner. , und der N würde aus der Ecke 
entkommen.} ) ( {Too hazardous is Zu gefährlich ist} 16. Rxe6 fxe6 17. Qe4
Na6! {Shipov,S} ) 16. ... fxe6 17. Qe4 Bd6! {Black is winning the fight 
for the key square f4. Then he intends to bring his N to this square. 
Schwarz gewinnt den Kampf um das Schlüsselfeld f4. Danach beabsichtigt er,
seinen N hierhin zu überführen.} ( {I don't see an advantage for Black 
after Keinen Vorteil für Schwarz sehe ich nach} 17. ... Nd5 18. Be5 Bd6 
19. Nc4! Nf4 ( 19. ... Bxe5 20. Nxe5 ) 20. Bxf4 Rxf4 21. Qc6 Qh4 22. Nxd6 
Qxf2+ 23. Kh1 cxd6 24. Rf1 Qxf1+ 25. Rxf1 Rxf1+ 26. Kh2 ) 18. Bxd6 ( 18. 
Bd2 Nd5 19. Nc4 ( 19. g3 Bf4 ) 19. ... Bf4 {and the N gets to f4. und der 
N gelangt nach f4.} ) ( {Sergey had thought about the inventive Sergey 
hatte an dem kreativen} 18. Bc1 {but failed to find a defence after 
überlegt, vermochte aber keine Verteidigung zu finden nach} 18. ... Nd5 
19. Nc4 Qf6 20. Re2 Bf4 21. Ne5 Bxe5 22. Qxe5 Qf3 ) ( {Probably the best 
defence was Die beste Verteidigung war wahrscheinlich} 18. Bg3 Qg5 19. h4 
Qh5 {but Black's advantage is indisputable. , aber der Vorteil von Schwarz
steht außer Zweifel.} ) ( 18. Be5 Bxe5 19. Qxe5 Qh4 ) 18. ... cxd6 19. 
Qxd4 ( {More stubborn was Hartnäckiger war} 19. g3 {but after , aber nach}
19. ... e5 {White's position is in ruins. liegt die weiße Stellung in 
Trümmern.} ) 19. ... Qg5 {White is helpless. All the black pieces are 
attaching the opponent's K (the N will join in soon via the d5-square) and
nobody can help it. Weiß ist hilflos. Alle schwarzen Figuren zielen auf 
den gegnerischen K (der N wird bald über das d5-Feld dazukommen), und 
niemand kann ihm helfen.} 20. g3 ( 20. Qe4 Nd5 ) ( 20. Qg4 Qf6 21. Qe2 Nd5
) 20. ... Qf5 21. g4 ( 21. h4 e5 22. Qe3 Nd5 23. Qe2 Nf4 {with a mating 
attack. mit Mattangriff.} ) ( 21. Kh2 Nxc2! 22. Nxc2 Qxf2+ {transposes 
into a won R ending. leitet in ein gewonnenes R-Endspiel über.} ) 21. ... 
h5 ( {According to engines, there was a stronger move: Laut den Engines 
gab es einen stärkeren Zug:} 21. ... Nd5 22. Kh2 Qg5 {, but I think that 
both moves are equally strong. , aber ich denke, dass beide Züge gleich 
stark sind.} ) 22. Re4 d5 23. Kh2 ( {Or Oder} 23. Re5 Qf6 24. Qe3 hxg4 25.
 h4 Qxh4 26. Rxe6 g3 ) 23. ... Qf3 ( {Black could also finish the game 
with a mating attack, but I went for the simplest solution. Schwarz konnte
die Partie auch mit einem Mattangriff beenden, aber ich wählte die 
einfachste Lösung.} 23. ... Qg5 ) 24. Ree1 hxg4 25. Qe3 gxh3 26. Qxf3 Rxf3
27. Rg1 Rxf2+ 28. Kxh3 Rxg1 29. Rxg1 Nxc2 30. Nb5 Rf3+ 31. Kg4 Rxd3 32. 
Nd6 Ne3+ 33. Kf4 Nc4 0-1

[Event "8. Gibtelecom Masters"]
[Site "Caleta ENG"]
[Date "2010.02.01"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Adams, Michael"]
[Black "Zhukova, Natalia"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2694"]
[BlackElo "2462"]
[ECO "B04m"]
[EventDate "2010.01.26"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7 7. Qe2 O-O 8.
 h3 Nc6 9. O-O Na5 10. Nc3 Nxb3 11. axb3 Bf5 12. Ne4 Qd7 13. Ng3 a6 14. 
Re1 h6 15. Nh4 e6 16. Ne4 Bxe4 17. Qxe4 dxe5 18. dxe5 Qd5 19. Qe2 Qb5 20. 
Qe4 Qd5 21. Qg4 Qc6 22. c3 Nd7 23. Nf3 Nc5 24. Qh4 Nd3 25. Bxh6 Nxe1 26. 
Rxe1 f6 27. exf6 Rxf6 28. Ne5 Qe8 29. Ng4 Rf5 30. Bxg7 Kxg7 31. Qh6+ Kg8 
32. Re5 Qf7 33. Qh4 g5 34. Qh6 Re8 35. Rxf5 Qxf5 36. Qh5 Kf8 37. Qh8+ Ke7 
38. Qd4 Rd8 39. Qb4+ Ke8 40. Qxb7 Rd1+ 41. Kh2 Qf4+ 42. g3 Qd6 43. c4 D {
"My Turn"
Psychologists have found, through experiment after experiment, that people
have stronger feelings about losing than about winning. Economists, who 
also
analyzed this phenomenon, gave it a name, 'loss aversion' . And 
experienced
chess players know it as the curious feeling that the joy of winning a 
game never
quite makes up for the pain of losing one.
This helps explain why many amateurs fight desperately - and skillfully - 
in
a bad position. But then they relax when they realize the danger of losing
is past.
An amateur who survives a strong attack as Black may say, "Good, now I
can look forward to playing White in my next game."
A master in the same situation will say, "Good, now it's my tum to play 
for
a win in this game."

____________ diagram

White had missed two winning lines in the time scramble as well as a third
that would have brought Black to the verge of defeat. Now that the time 
control
was reached, Black could catch a breath.
She saw that the worst was over because 43 . . . Rb1 (or 1 . . . Ra1 and 1
. . . Rc1 )
followed by 2 . . . Qd1 should draw. Then her threat of mate on g l (or h 
1 if
White's queen leaves the diagonal) would force White to draw by perpetual
check.
Considering what had gone before - and how much stronger a player White
was - Black might have been expected to play a rook move quickly. Instead,
she
spent half an hour in thought.
But she wasn 't rechecking her analysis or looking for a simpler way to 
draw.
No, she wanted to know if Black had any winning attempts.
Only after failing to find any did she go into the drawing sequence of} 
43. ... Rb1! 44. Qe4 Qd1 45. Qxe6+ Kd8 46. Qf6+ Kc8 47. Qxa6+ Kb8 48. Qb5+
Ka7 49. Qa4+ Kb8 50. Qb5+ Ka7 51. Qc5+ Kb8 52. Qb5+ {And let's go back to 
Fischer one more time. After 44 moves during an
Olympiad team tournament in 1 970, his opponent, a friend, said "I don't 
know
who is better, Bobby, but I offer a draw."
Fischer was candid when he refused: "I don't know who is better either but
I have an extra pawn." Only when both sides were reduced to pass moves, 1 
6
moves later, did he accept the draw. That's the spirit o f a master.} 
1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.05"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Quizes 20 .- 25"]
[Black "------ page 80"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.05"]

{Quiz Answers - page 195} 
*

[Event "Tata Steel 2011 A"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2011.01.26"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2814"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[ECO "B92q"]
[EventDate "2011.01.26"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 
8. O-O O-O 9. Kh1 Nc6 10. f4 b5 {now I am not sure if ...b4 is a real 
threat already, since after 11...b4 12.Nd5 Nxe4 13.Bf3 f5 Black must be 
careful about the long diagonal a8-h1 } 11. Be3 Bb7 12. a4 exf4 { now that
White has spent a tempo moving his Bc1-Bc3 Black releases the tension, by 
doing so he gain a nice outpost at e5 } 13. Rxf4 Ne5 {The main fight is 
going around d5 and e5 squares + Black has to care about d6 pawn while 
White has to defend e4 one, but also gives the d4 one. The same structure 
appeared in the game of match Karpov-Polugaevsky in 70s of the last 
century. What happens now in case White grabs the b5 pawn? Then Black 
would play ...Ng6 and e4 falls too. f2-f4 it's a typical idea in Sicilian 
and weakness of e4 as well.Instead of this White has a pressure on d and f
files. Another way of treating this kind of pawn-structure would have been
f2-f3, next Rf2, Bf1 and Rd2, but White must be sure that ...d6-d5 is 
impossible in this case. Looking at the time spent by the players we can 
make a conclusion that this position is better known for Nepomniachtchi, 
but we also have to note he is one of the most quick players in the world.
} 14. Qd4 Nc6 15. Qd2 Ne5 {not easy to deal with ...b4 now as after the 
jump Nd5 Nxd5 exd5 Bg5 would be quite good for Black. Nepomniachtchi can 
be satisfied with his opening, not to mention his half an hour time 
advantage. } 16. Qd4 Nc6 17. Qd2 Ne5 {It must be hard psychologically for 
Carlsen because he needs to win to be in contention for 1st. He is behind 
on the clock with no good alternative. } 18. axb5 {A brave decision by 
Carlsen! any options for Black now } 18. ... axb5 19. Re1 {Many options 
for Black now I like ...Ng6 and then ...Nxe4 then Black may hope to set 
the battery Qb7-Be4 and he could aslo dispose of ...Nh4 in some cases... *
} 19. ... Ng6 20. Rff1 b4 21. Nd5 Nxe4 {The choice of Nepomniachtchi is 
enough for a comfortable game apparently } ( 21. ... Nxd5 22. exd5 Bf6 =+ 
) 22. Nxe7+ Qxe7 23. Qxb4 Nh4 {...Ng3 may be a threat if 25.hxg3 Bxg2+ 
26.Kh2 Qxe3 or Bxf1. But since Carlsen will obvioulsy defend this g2 spot,
still Carlsen has taken some risks a perhaps for no good reason and he 
might have problems on the h1-a8 diagonal. Objectively White's prospects 
don't seem too great here even if he survives the assault. } 24. Bf3 Nxf3 
{ Now White doen't have a defender on light squares because Ian took the 
Bishop on f3. It's very unpleasant to play this position with White,no 
targets to attack + the h1-a8 diagonal is very weak } 25. gxf3 Qd7 26. Bf4
{GM Bauer: if Nepo has to find 26...Ra4 27.Qb6 g5 in order to retain his 
edge he may well fail } 26. ... Ra4 27. Qb6 Nf6 28. Qxd6 Qg4 29. Nd4 {Very
well calculated by Carlsen, impressive defense 29. ... Bxf3+ 30. Rxf3 Rxd4
31. Qxd4 Qxf3+ 32. Kg1 Qg4+ 33. Kh1 Qc8 34. c4 Rd8 35. Qc3 Qc6+ At the 
same time news is coming, Nakamura won his game against Vachier Lagrave, 
while Anand enjoys comfortable advantage against Shirov. Another 
continuation can be 29. ... Rxd4 30. Qxd4 Bxf3+ 31. Rxf3 Qxf3+ 32. Kg1 
Qg4+ 33. Kh1 Qc8 34. Qf2 Qb7+. The difference in the eval comes from 
Carlsen having 2 pawn islands and an open king. It is not easy task to 
coordinate the pieces in such situation, so far Carlsen is doing the best 
he can.} 29. ... Rxd4 ( 29. ... Bxf3+ 30. Rxf3 Rxd4 31. Qxd4 Qxf3+ 32. Kg1
Qg4+ 33. Kh1 Qc8 34. c4 Rd8 35. Qc3 Qc6+ ) 30. Qxd4 Bxf3+ 31. Rxf3 Qxf3+ 
32. Kg1 Qg4+ 33. Kh1 Qc8 D {Black has perpetual checks at f3 and g4. 
Should he try for more?

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

Yes, he deserves more i n view o f White's vulnerable king. It becomes 
much harder for White than for Black to find good moves after 1 â€¢ â€¢ 
â€¢ Qc8!, with ideas such as . . . Qb7+, . . . Rd8 and later . . .Ne4.


Nepomniachtchi plays for the victory! With the white king wide open he has
a perpetual in hand and is trying to find a winnning continuation. The 
issues are quite clear : without Queens White would just win, but given 
his naked King Magnus has to be cautious in the middlegame } 34. Qf2 Qb7+ 
35. Kg1 ( 35. Qg2 Qxb2 36. Be5 Re8?? 37. Rg1 +-- ) 35. ... Ne4 ( 35. ... 
Qxb2 36. Be5 Qb4 37. Bxf6 gxf6 38. Re3 Qd6 39. Qg3+ Qxg3+ 40. Rxg3+ Kh8 
41. Kf2 ) 36. Qd4 Re8 37. Re2 h6 {GM Bauer: Black plans ...Re6-g6, but 
obviously White can play Rg2 first, then an idea for Black is just to 
advance his kindside pawns } 38. h3 Re6 39. Kh2 {Following the same idea, 
Kh7, f5, or g5 are options. } 39. ... f5 { 40....Kh7 is my guess, in order
to avoid a Queens' swap after } 40. b4 {With just a few seconds on the 
clock Carlsen looks for drastic mesures. 40....Kh7 is my guess, in order 
to avoid a Queens' swap after40...g5 41.Qd8+ next 42.Qc7+. White's 
situation is delicate. True, he has a long-term (well, after 40 moves a 
middle-term) advantage, but the attack on his King is the dominant factor 
} 40. ... Kh7 {after a later ....g7-g5 White could only dream on Bc1-b2. 
since he would experience problems after Bc1 Qc7. All in all, I'd say 
Carlsen might hold with perfect play. *
} 41. Re3 {GMChristianBauer: although material is level Stockfish 
evaluates the position as clearly in Black's favour. JoonaKiiski: 
Stockfish sees that white's king is very exposed. I think that is the main
reason why it prefers black so strongly. } 41. ... Rg6 { Nepo doesn't want
to burn all the bridges yet and rather than ...g5 he goes for the less 
radical ...Rg6. The advantage of such an approach is that his own King 
remains safer. The drawback that Black may need his pawns for the assault 
in order to shake the Bf4 first, the enemy King then. } 42. Re2 Qb5 43. 
Re1 Rc6 { Chance for Carlsen to reduce the pressure and even to sacrifice 
R for N and pawn for activity. } 44. Rxe4 fxe4 45. Qxe4+ Rg6 46. Bg3 {the 
Rook is temporary pinned, probably h4 for White and h5 for Black will be 
inserted. White King is still in danger, but Black isn't entirely 
comfortable either. On various attempts to unpin the Rook, backrank checks
might follow. White can also think about carefully pushing the pawns, but 
the downside is that his Queen is confined to the b1=h7 diagonal for the 
time being. } 46. ... Qd7 47. h4 h5 {this seems winning for Black if he 
proceeds carefully. After the exchange of Queens the white passed pawns 
should be hard to push, so that Black would have time to advance with his 
King. FMGuntramHainke: The following could happen: Black exchanges queens,
wins both the b- and c-pawn and exchanges his g-pawn for the white h-pawn,
then we have the ending of Shirov-Grischchuk - RobertHoudart (Houdini 
programmer): if White can push the b-pawn to b6 and protect it with Bf2, 
it's difficult for Black to make progress. } 48. c4 {Carlsen with a little
over 1 min on the clock, Nepomniachtchi with more than 1 hour. } 48. ... 
Qd2+ 49. Kh3 Qc3 50. Qf4 Qxb4 51. Qf5 Qxc4 52. Qxh5+ Rh6 53. Qf3 Qe6+ 54. 
Kh2 Rf6 55. Qd3+ Rf5 56. Qc2 {In a blitz manner Carlsen keeps the status 
quo and avoids exchanges. } 56. ... Qd5 57. Bf2 Kh6 { Best option for 
Nepo, put the king into action. } 58. Be3+ Kg6 59. Bf2 Kf6 60. Bg3 {Rf1 
would be very useful for Black, but White can give many check on the 
c-file } 60. ... Rf1 61. Bf2 { Now the problem for White is that after Ra1
(idea Ra2), Qc3+ black has countercheck Qe5+, forcing the exchange of the 
Queens } 61. ... Rd1 {The threat is Rd2, so White has to move the Bishop 
(e3, e1), but Rd3! comes in, with idea Qe5+ and Qe4+ } 62. Qc3+ Qe5+ 63. 
Qxe5+ Kxe5 64. h5 {If White puts the Bishop on g5, Black will muscle his 
way to bring the King to g4 and Rook to h3 and then take on h4 - the pawn 
ending is winning in all lines thanks to the extra tempo from the g7-pawn.
} 64. ... Kf6 65. Bh4+ Kf5 66. Be7 Rd7 0-1

[Event "Staunton Memorial"]
[Site "Groningen NED"]
[Date "1946.??.??"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Smyslov, Vasily"]
[Black "O'Kelly de Galway, Alberic"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E03"]
[EventDate "1946.08.13"]
[Annotator "ChessBase"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "19"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SUI"]
[BlackTeamCountry "FRA"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 dxc4 5. Qa4+ Nbd7 6. Qxc4 c5 7. Nf3 a6 
8. Qc2! {[Alekhine]} 8. ... cxd4 ( 8. ... b5 9. Ne5 Nd5 ) 9. Nxd4 Qb6 10. 
Nb3 Bb4+ 11. Bd2 Nc5 12. O-O Nxb3 13. Qxb3 Bc5 14. Qxb6 Bxb6 15. Na3 Nd5 
16. e4 Ne7 17. Bc3 O-O 18. Nc4 Bc7 19. Rfd1 Nc6 ( 19. ... b5 20. e5! ( 20.
 Nd6 ) ) 20. e5! f6 21. f4 Rb8 22. Rac1 fxe5 23. Nxe5 Nxe5 24. Bxe5 Bxe5 
25. fxe5 b5 26. Rc7 b4 27. Bh3 h6 D {Each of White's pieces seems better 
than its opposite number. What can he make of that?

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

You may have seen that l .:Rxc8 and 2 Bxe6+ wins a pawn. But you
shouldn't have stopped there. The extra pawn doesn't make for an easy win 
in
the rook ending.
Better is} 28. Rf1! {to maximize White's positional edge, as we'll discuss
in
Chapter Six. Since I . . .Rd8 or I . . . Re8 allow 2 Rff7, Black had to 
trade his only active piece,} 28. ... Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 Kf8 30. Kf2 {White 
threatens to keep marching his king, Ke3-d4-c5 . Black acknowledged the 
loss of a pawn - under much worse circumstances than l Rxc8 - with} 
30. ... a5 31. Ra7 Rb6 32. Bg2 Ba6 33. b3 {and Black had run out of useful
moves. The game
ended with} 33. ... a4 34. bxa4 Bc4 35. a5 Rb5 36. Rc7 Bxa2 37. a6 Ra5 38.
 a7 +- b3 39. a8=Q+ Rxa8 40. Bxa8 b2 41. Be4 1-0

[Event "EU Ch women"]
[Site "Batumi GEO"]
[Date "2000.06.04"]
[Round "3.4"]
[White "Madl, Ildiko"]
[Black "Chiburdanidze, Maia"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2408"]
[BlackElo "2545"]
[ECO "B89"]
[EventDate "2000.05.27"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "GEO"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.07.11"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 a6 
8. Bb3 Qc7 9. f4 Be7 10. Qf3 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 b5 12. e5 dxe5 13. fxe5 Bb7 14.
 Qg3 Ne4 15. Qxg7 O-O-O 16. Rf1 Rhg8 17. Qxf7 Rxg2 18. Qxe6+ Kb8 19. O-O-O
Bg5+ 20. Kb1 Nd2+ 21. Rxd2 Rxd2 22. Bb6 D {White has two pawns in return 
for the Exchange and his last move, 22. Bb6,
wins material.
As Black you see that 1 . .. Qxc3 leads to mate after 2 bxc3 Rd1 + 3 Rxd1
Rxd1+ 4 Kb2 Bc1 + and 5 . .. Ba3 .
But White can ignore the queen sacrifice and reply to 1 . . . Qxc3 with
2 Bxd8. What do you make of that?

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

Don 't give up on the idea. After} 22. ... Qxc3 23. Bxd8 {White's first 
rank is
still vulnerable and if you look hard you might find} 23. ... Qf3 24. Bc7+
Kxc7 25. Qf7+ Qxf7 26. Rxf7+ Rd7 0-1

[Event "Montecatini Terme"]
[Site "Montecatini Terme ITA"]
[Date "2000.07.29"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Lputian, Smbat G"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2598"]
[BlackElo "2719"]
[ECO "A07"]
[EventDate "2000.07.28"]
[Annotator "Horn,Pe"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "ITA"]
[EventCategory "17"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.11.21"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. c4 c6 4. Qa4 d4 5. b4 ( 5. d3 Bg7 6. Bg2 e5 7. O-O 
Ne7 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. Qc2 a5 10. c5 Na6 11. Ne4 Be6 12. Nfd2 h6 13. Nc4 f5 
14. Ned2 Nd5 15. a3 Qe7 -/+ {Yermolinsky,A-Huzman,A/Pavlodar 1982} ) ( 5. 
Bg2 Bg7 6. O-O Nf6 ( 6. ... e5 7. e3 dxe3 8. dxe3 Nd7 9. Rd1 Nh6 10. e4 f6
11. c5 O-O 12. b4 += {Gutman,L-Boehm,J/Dortmund 1985} ) 7. d3 O-O 8. c5 
Ne8 9. Bf4 Nd7 10. Rc1 e5 11. Bg5 f6 12. Bd2 Qe7 {1/2-1/2 
Loginov,V-Sakaev,K/Elista 1996} ) 5. ... Nd7 N ( 5. ... Bg7 6. d3 e5 7. 
Nbd2 Ne7 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O Qc7 10. Bb2 Rd8 11. a3 h6 12. Qc2 a5 13. Nb3 a4
14. Nbd2 c5 15. Ne4 b6 {1/2-1/2 Nikolaidis,I-Kapnisis,S/ Korinthos 1999} )
6. Bb2 e5 7. e3 Bg7 {Ohne die Zugpaare Qa4/g3 gegen Nd7/c6 gibt es diese 
Stellung (ausgezeichnete Ergebnisse für Schwarz). Die Verstellung des 
Springerfeldes c6 freut Wei , aber seine dafür gewonnenen Züge können 
nicht beeindrucken.} 8. Bg2 ( {Kritisch ist} 8. exd4 e4 {Das ist die 
Standardreaktion bei dieser Zentrumskonstellation.} ( {Es kam aber auch} 
8. ... exd4 {in Frage, denn} 9. Nxd4? {ist nicht gut möglich:} ( 9. Bg2 
âŒ“ ) 9. ... Qe7+! 10. Be2 Bxd4 11. Bxd4 Qe4 12. Bxh8 Qxh1+ 13. Bf1 Ne5!? 
â†’ ) 9. Ng1 Ngf6 ( 9. ... Nb6 10. Qc2 ) 10. Qb3 {und im Unterschied zur 
oben angedeuteten Variante hat Schwarz ein echtes Bauernopfer gebracht.} )
8. ... Nh6 9. O-O ( 9. exd4 e4 ( 9. ... exd4 10. O-O ) 10. Ne5 Nb6 11. Qc2
f6 12. c5 fxe5 13. cxb6 Qxb6 14. O-O =, quiet ) 9. ... O-O 10. Na3 ( 10. 
exd4 e4 11. Ne1 Nb6 12. Qb3 Bxd4 =+ ) 10. ... a5! {Damit legt Ivanchuk die
Schwächen der wei en Stellung am Damenflügel blo .} 11. exd4 e4 ( 11. ... 
exd4 12. c5 ~ ) 12. Ne1 Nb6 13. Qb3 axb4 14. Qxb4 Na4 ( 14. ... Bxd4 15. 
Bxd4 Qxd4 16. Nec2 Qd8 17. Bxe4 ) 15. Bc3 D {Black has given up a pawn to 
force White's pieces to bad squares. The
natural move is 1 . . .Bxd4.
How good is that? What other moves should you consider? And which is
best?} 15. ... e3!! {Ich nehme an, solche Züge spielt Ivanchuk gerne.} ( 
15. ... Nf5 16. Nec2 Nxd4 17. Bxd4 Bxd4 18. Nxd4 Qxd4 =+ ) ( 15. ... c5! 
16. dxc5 Nxc3 17. dxc3 e3 18. fxe3 Qd2 =+ ) 16. fxe3 ( 16. dxe3? c5 17. 
Qb3 Nxc3 18. Qxc3 cxd4 -+ ) 16. ... c5 17. dxc5?! ( 17. Qb3! Nxc3 18. dxc3
cxd4 19. exd4 Bxd4+ 20. Kh1 Bg7 21. Nac2 =+ ) 17. ... Nxc3 18. dxc3 Qd2 
19. Nb5 Ng4 ( {Nach} 19. ... Qxe3+?! 20. Kh1 Ng4 {rettet Wei die Qualität 
mit} 21. Qb2 ~ ) 20. Nf3 ( {Lputian verspricht sich nichts vom Erhalt des 
Pe3 mit} 20. e4 {.Nach} 20. ... Qe3+ 21. Kh1 Nf2+ 22. Rxf2 Qxf2 23. a3 ~ {
z.B.:} 23. ... Rd8 ( 23. ... f5 {scheint nicht durchzuschlagen:} 24. e5 ) 
24. Nd6 Qd2 25. Rb1 =+ ) 20. ... Qxe3+ 21. Kh1 Nf2+ 22. Rxf2 Qxf2 23. a4? 
( {Mehr Widerstand versprach} 23. a3 -/+ ) 23. ... Bd7 24. Nc7?! {
Freundlicherweise erlaubt Lputian einen hübschen Schlu .} ( {Auch} 24. 
Nbd4 {rettet nicht mehr:} 24. ... Bc6 25. Nxc6 bxc6 -+ ) 24. ... Rxa4! ( 
24. ... Rxa4 25. Rxa4 Bh3 26. Bxh3 Qxf3+ 27. Kg1 Bxc3 -+ ) 0-1

[Event "Sharjah"]
[Site "Sharjah UAE"]
[Date "1985.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Black "Blatny, Pavel"]
[Result "0-1"]
[BlackElo "2395"]
[ECO "C84m"]
[EventDate "1985.??.??"]
[PlyCount "84"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 exd4 7. Re1 b5 
8. Bb3 d6 9. Bd5 Bb7 10. Nxd4 Nxd5 11. Nxc6 Bxc6 12. exd5 Bb7 13. a4 O-O 
14. axb5 axb5 15. Rxa8 Bxa8 16. Qe2 Bf6 17. Qxb5 c6 18. dxc6 Qc7 19. c3 
Bxc6 20. Qb4 Be5 21. Na3 Qd7 22. Nc2 Re8 23. h3 h5 24. Bf4 Qf5 25. Bxe5 
Qxc2 26. Qxd6 Re6 27. Qb8+ Kh7 28. Re3 Rg6 29. Rg3 D {White has two extra 
pawns. What should Black be thinking?

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

Black should be thinking that he has his own winning chances because
g2 is vulnerable. For example} 29. ... h4! {White kept the game alive with
} 30. Rg4! ( 30. Rxg6 Qxg6 31. Bg3 hxg3 32. Qxg3 Qxg3 33. fxg3 Kg6 ) 
30. ... Rxg4 31. hxg4 Qd1+ 32. Kh2 Qf1 33. f3 {Black grabbed all the 
kingside pawns and won with} 33. ... h3! 34. Kxh3 Bxf3 35. Kg3 Qxg2+ 36. 
Kf4 Qxg4+ 37. Ke3 Qe4+ 38. Kf2 Qe2+ 39. Kg3 f6 40. Bd6 Be4 41. Qc7 Qf3+ 
42. Kh4 Bf5 0-1

[Event "Karseladze Memorial"]
[Site "Gori"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Gurgenidze, Bukhuti"]
[Black "Tal, Mikhail"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2528"]
[BlackElo "2688"]
[ECO "B52n"]
[EventDate "1968.11.??"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ISL"]
[BlackTeamCountry "CUB"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. O-O Nf6 6. e5 dxe5 7. Nxe5
Qc8 8. c4 e6 9. Qa4+ Nbd7 10. d3 Bd6 11. Nxd7 Nxd7 12. Be3 O-O 13. Nd2 Qc7
14. h3 D {Black can try to rid himself of his slightly bad bishop with 1 .
. . ..Be5 and then
2 Rab1 Bd4. Is there anything better?

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

Black shouldn't try to equalize when he can be superior after} 14. ... f5 
{That stops Ne4, threatens . . . f4 and begins an initiative.
The game went} 15. Nf3 Ne5 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 {White tried for counterplay by 
going after the only target with} 17. Qb5 {But
he was lost after} 17. ... f4 18. Bxc5? Rf5! {threatening 6 . . . f3 as 
well as the win of
the White bishop thanks to a pin on the fourth rank.
For example} 19. f3 ( 19. Ba3 f3 20. g3 Bd4 ) 19. ... Bf6 20. d4 b6 21. 
Rae1 bxc5 22. Rxe6 Bxd4+ 23. Kh1 Rb8 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.12"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chapter 5 - Sense"]
[Black "------ page 83"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.12"]

{Sense

Many amateurs believe that becoming a master is all about what you know.
Masters know more technical chess information, like extensive opening
analysis, exact endgames, and the like.

That's an excuse. You can say, "If only I had the time to study and digest
that
mass of information, I ' d make master, too. I'd know what a master 
knows." But
a master also has an edge over you because of what he senses. That's much
harder to acquire.

For example, a master has a better sense of danger. Giving a simultaneous
exhibition he will quickly make luft in one game as he moves on to the 
next
board. It's not because of what he knows or what he calculated. It's 
simply his
sense that this was the right time to play h2-h3.} 
*

[Event "Linares 27th"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "2010.02.14"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Black "Gashimov, Vugar"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2805"]
[BlackElo "2759"]
[ECO "D11s"]
[EventDate "2010.02.13"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik"]
[PlyCount "95"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.03.17"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 5. Qc2 g6 6. Bd3 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. 
Nbd2 Nbd7 9. cxd5 {Topalov is very well prepared and this might be true 
even for the lesser opening lines. White is swapping the pawns on d5 in 
the conviction, that the black knight on d7 is seriously misplaced.} ( 9. 
b3 e5 ( 9. ... c5 10. Bb2 b6 11. Rfd1 Bb7 12. Rac1 ( 12. e4 dxe4 13. Nxe4 
Nxe4 14. Bxe4 Bxe4 15. Qxe4 e6 16. Rd2 Qc7 =, quiet ) 12. ... e6 13. Be2 
Qe7 14. dxc5 bxc5 15. Ne5 Rac8 ( 15. ... Nxe5 16. Bxe5 Rac8 ) 16. Bf3 ( 
16. Nxd7 Nxd7 ( 16. ... Qxd7 17. cxd5 exd5 18. Ba3 +/- ) 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18.
 Nf3 =, quiet ) 16. ... Rfd8 17. Nxd7 Qxd7 18. Be5 Qe7 19. Bc3?! d4 20. 
exd4 cxd4 21. Ba5 Re8 22. Bxb7 Qxb7 23. c5 {1-0 Goldin,A (2621)-Mulyar,M 
(2446)/Seattle 2003 (61)} ) 10. Nxe5 ( 10. dxe5 Ng4 11. Ba3 Re8 12. cxd5 
cxd5 13. Bb2 Ndxe5 14. Bd4 Nxd3 15. Qxd3 Bf5 16. Qc3 Rc8 17. Qb4 Qe7 18. 
Qxe7 Rxe7 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. h3 Nf6 21. Rfc1 Rec7 22. Rxc7 Rxc7 {1/2-1/2 
Barlov,D (2500) -Simic,R (2495)/Kladovo 1994 (61)} ) 10. ... Nxe5 11. dxe5
Ng4 12. Nf3 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Bb2 Bxb2 15. Qxb2 {1/2-1/2 Kosic,D 
(2537)-Kobalia,M (2602)/Neum 2002} ) 9. ... cxd5 10. b3 Nb8 ( 10. ... Re8 
11. Bb2 Nb8 12. Ne5 Nfd7 13. Ndf3 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 f6 15. Nf3 Nc6 16. a3 Bg4 
17. Be2 Rc8 18. Qd1 e5 19. h3 Be6 20. Rc1 e4 21. Nd2 f5 22. b4 {1-0 
Vavra,P (2192)-Fuksik,J (2211)/Czechia 2004 (73)} ) ( 10. ... b6 11. Ba3 
Bb7 12. Rac1 Rc8 13. Qb1 Re8 14. h3 Rxc1 15. Rxc1 Qb8 16. Rc2 e6 17. Qf1 
Rc8 18. Ne1 Rxc2 19. Nxc2 Qc8 20. f3 h5 21. Bb2 Ne8 {1/2-1/2 Czakon, J 
(2416)-Stopa,J (2308)/Legnica 2004 (29)} ) 11. Ba3 ( 11. Ne5 Nfd7 ) 
11. ... Nc6 12. Rac1 Be6 {Gashimov is doing a great job with improving his
pieces. The bishop on e6 has found a temporary respite in order to bring 
out the rook to the c8-square.} ( 12. ... Bg4 13. h3 += ) 13. Qb2 Re8 14. 
h3 Rc8 15. Rc2 Bf5!? {The strategy of exchanging the mighty bishop on d3 
comes at a cost. The black pawn structure will never be perfect again.} 
16. Bxf5 gxf5 17. Ne1?! {The Bulgarian star played very interesting chess 
in Linares, but it was not always a smooth performance. The transfer of 
the knight seems to be highly artificial.} ( 17. Rfc1!? Nd7 ( 17. ... Ne4 
18. Ne5 += ) 18. Qc3 e6 19. Qd3 += ) 17. ... Ne4 {Gashimov is preparing 
the counterplay in the centre, but the immediate snub of White's pawn 
structure was even stronger.} ( 17. ... f4! 18. Nd3 ( 18. exf4 Nh5 ) 
18. ... Nh5 19. Nf3 fxe3 20. fxe3 Ng3 =, quiet ) 18. Nd3 e5 19. Nxe4 dxe4 
( 19. ... fxe4 20. Nxe5 Nxe5 21. dxe5 Bxe5 22. Rxc8 Qxc8 23. Qd2 Qe6 24. 
Bb2 += ) 20. Nxe5 Nxe5 21. dxe5 Rxc2 ( 21. ... Bxe5 22. Rxc8 Qxc8 23. Qe2 
f4 24. exf4 Bxf4 25. Bb2 Qe6 =, quiet ) 22. Qxc2 Qa5 {The position is 
practically equal, but it does not mean the players can not try to play 
on.} ( 22. ... Bxe5 23. Rd1 Qc8 24. Qd2 Bf6 =, quiet ) 23. Bd6 Bxe5 24. b4
Qd8 ( 24. ... Qb5 25. Rd1 Rd8 26. Bxe5 Rxd1+ 27. Qxd1 Qxe5 28. Qd8+ Kg7 
29. Qg5+ Kf8 30. g3 += ) 25. Bxe5 Rxe5 26. Rc1 Rd5 27. a4 b5 {Black was 
not a favourite in this game and even a super grandmaster can become 
nervous about proving clear equality.} ( 27. ... Kg7 28. Qc7 Qxc7 29. Rxc7
b5 30. Ra7 Rd1+ 31. Kh2 Rb1 32. Rxa6 Rxb4 =, quiet ) 28. axb5 Rxb5 ( 
28. ... axb5 29. Qc6 Kg7 += ) 29. Qa4 Qd6 30. Qa1! {Topalov might not be 
the perfect player, but he is definitely a fighter. In a simple position 
Black suddenly has to worry about preventing mate.} 30. ... Qe5 ( 30. ... 
Qe6 31. Rd1 Qb6 32. Qc3 Rxb4 33. Qc8+ Kg7 34. Rd8 ( 34. Qxf5 Rb1 ) 34. ...
 Rb1+ 35. Kh2 Qe6 36. Rg8+ Kf6 37. Qf8 +/- ) 31. Qxa6 Rxb4 32. Qh6 Rb8 33.
 g3 Qe6 34. Qf4 Rc8 35. Rd1 Rc6? {Time trouble combined with an opponent's
pressure have managed to send numerous games down the drain. Black was 
wrong to leave the 8th rank unprotected.} ( 35. ... f6 36. Rd6 Qe5 37. 
Qxe5 fxe5 38. Rf6 Rf8 39. Re6 Kg7 40. Rxe5 Kf6 41. Rd5 += ) 36. Rd8+ {
Chapter Five:

Sense  -  page 83


Many amateurs believe that becoming a master is all about what you know.
Masters know more technical chess information, like extensive opening
analysis, exact endgames, and the like.
That's an excuse. You can say, "If only I had the time to study and digest
that
mass of information, I ' d make master, too. I'd know what a master 
knows." But
a master also has an edge over you because of what he senses. That's much
harder to acquire.
For example, a master has a better sense of danger. Giving a simultaneous
exhibition he will quickly make luft in one game as he moves on to the 
next
board. It's not because of what he knows or what he calculated. It's 
simply his
sense that this was the right time to play h2-h3.} 36. ... Kg7 D {If an 
amateur is presented with this position, he might search for a forced
mate and start by looking at 37 Qb8.
A master would certainly consider it. But once he saw that there's no 
quick
win he'd be attracted to} 37. Kg2! {When White annotated this game he 
explained
that it was the kind of useful move that a master plays automatically.
How is it useful? It protects the h-pawn, the only potential target for 
Black.
It also eliminates the only tactical dangers, such as a first-rank problem
after
. . . Rc1 + followed by . . . Qc4-f1 ( + ).
A master also has a better sense of when his opponent is running out of 
good
moves. Here Black's pieces are as well placed defensively as they are 
going to
be. Therefore 37. Kg2 ! may force him to weaken his defenses.} ( 37. Qg5+
!? Qg6 38. Qf4 Qe6 ) 37. ... h6? ( 37. ... Rb6 38. Qc7 +/- ) ( 37. ... f6
!? 38. Qb8 Rc1 39. Qb7+ Kg6 += ) 38. Qb8 Qf6 39. Rd5? {A serious blot on 
an interesting game, White misses a simple and convincing winning pattern.
} ( 39. Rh8! {We call this a sense of danger but we could also call it a 
feeling or an
awareness. You can't always be certain that playing a particular move is 
risky.
But a master develops a feeling for which positions are too risky to be 
worth
playing.
"You think 'Such and such a move can't be played, it is too scary for a
human' ", is the way Garry Kasparov put it. "A human can't defend such a
position in a real game !''
There are other senses that give a master an edge, even against computers.
In an endgame, a machine has no way but calculation to determine whether 
it is
close to imposing zugzwang. A master can sense when he's getting close to 
it.
But the most important master sense is of timing. A master not only has a
better feel for what to do in a position but how urgently it must be done.
This
tells him what kinds of candidate moves he should be looking at: Sharp and
tactical? Or slow and strategic?
It also tells him how much calculation he should be doing. Without that
sense, a player may end up wasting time and energy, looking too long at 
too
many moves that are wrong for the position.
Most of all this sense tells him who time favors. If you're an experienced
player, you already have some sense of that. You know, for example, that
urgency is demanded when you've made a sacrifice.} 39. ... Kg6 40. Qf8! 
Kg5 41. Rg8+ Kh5 42. Qa8 Ra6 43. Qb8 Rd6 44. Qc7 Qe6 45. Qc2 +- ) 39. ... 
Re6 40. h4 h5? {Time is the enemy of both heroes in our game, Gashimov is 
missing the last chance to limit the damage.} ( 40. ... f4!? 41. Qxf4 ( 
41. exf4 e3 42. fxe3 Rxe3 43. Qb4 Qa1 += ) 41. ... Qxf4 42. gxf4 +/- ) 41.
 Rd8! {White is not ready to let the golden chance slip away for the 
second time.} 41. ... Kh7 42. Rg8 f4 ( 42. ... Rd6 43. Qf8 Rd7 44. Rg5 +- 
) 43. gxf4 ( 43. Rg5 f3+ 44. Kh3 +- ) 43. ... Qxh4 ( 43. ... Rc6 44. Rg5 
+- ) 44. Rh8+ Kg6 45. Qg8+ Kf6 46. Qd8+ Re7 47. Rh6+ Kf5 ( 47. ... Kg7 48.
 Qh8# ) 48. Qd5+ {The sad finish to the game for Black as the win is now 
trivial.} ( 48. Qd5+ Kg4 49. f3+ exf3+ 50. Qxf3+ Kf5 51. Rxh5+ +- ) 1-0

[Event "FIDE-Wch k.o."]
[Site "Groningen NED"]
[Date "1997.12.12"]
[Round "2.2"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Nikolic, Predrag"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2765"]
[BlackElo "2630"]
[ECO "C18b"]
[EventDate "1997.12.09"]
[Annotator "Anand"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1998.04.09"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qa5 7. Bd2 Qa4 
8. Qg4! g6 ( 8. ... Kf8 9. Qd1 Nc6 10. Nf3 += ) 9. Qd1! ( 9. Ra2 {RR} 
9. ... Nc6 10. Nf3 Nge7 11. Bd3 ( 11. Qf4 cxd4 12. Ng5 Nf5 13. g4 h6 14. 
Nxf7 g5 15. Qf3 Rf8 16. gxf5 Rxf7 {0-1 Porrasmaa,T-Kekki,J/FIN-chT 
1986/EXT 86ch2 (31)} ) 11. ... Nf5 12. Qf4 h6 13. h4 Bd7 14. g4 Nfe7 15. 
dxc5 Qxf4 16. Bxf4 h5 17. Nh2 hxg4 18. Nxg4 Nf5 19. Nf6+ Kd8 20. Bxf5 gxf5
21. h5 {1-0 Hazai,L-Kekki,J/Espoo 1987/EXT 87b (24)} ) 9. ... cxd4 ( 
9. ... Nc6 {RR} 10. Nf3 b6 {0-1 Renttinen,J-Kekki,J/Kuopio op 1992/ EXT 
92op (34)} ) 10. Rb1! d3 ( 10. ... Qxa3 11. cxd4 =/& {/\ Bb4~/= ><h6,f6 ^^
} ) 11. Bxd3! ( 11. cxd3 Qxd1+ 12. Kxd1 += ) 11. ... Qxa3 12. Nf3 =/& Qc5 
13. h4! h6 14. O-O Nd7 15. Re1 a6 D {White has the better development but 
Black has an extra pawn. That alone
suggests that time is on Black's side. If he's allowed to coordinate his 
forces, say
with . . . Qc7, . . . Ne7-c6, . . . Nc5 , . . . .Bd7 and . . . 0-0-0, he 
will have a big, perhaps
decisive edge.
With that in mind} ( 15. ... Ne7 16. Qc1! â†’ ) 16. c4!? ( 16. Nd4 b5 17. 
h5 =/& ) 16. ... dxc4 17. Be4 {was right. White gave up
a second pawn to create threats ( Bxb7), energize his pieces (Bb4-d6) and 
make
it difficult for Black to castle into safety.
Black was able to stop .b4 with} 17. ... c3 {But that was a stopgap 
measure
because after } ( 17. ... Ne7? 18. Bb4 +/- ) 18. Be3 {White was bound to 
regain one of the pawns and also open
up the c-file for his rook, with Bd4 and Re3xc3 .} 18. ... Qc4 19. Bd4 ( 
19. Bxb7 Bxb7 20. Rxb7 Rd8 ) 19. ... Nc5 20. Re3?! {Thanks to 16 c4 ! , 
White has made almost all of the progress since the previous
diagram. Understandably, Black decided to get rid of one of White's 
bishops,} ( 20. Bxc5! Qxc5 21. Rb3 Bd7 22. Re3 Bb5 23. Rexc3 Qb6 24. Rd3 
Qc7 25. c4 Bc6 26. Bxc6+ Qxc6 27. Nd2 Ne7 28. Rd6 Qc7 29. Ne4 +- ) 20. ...
 Nxe4 21. Rxe4 Bd7 {It doesn't take a master's sense to realize that
White needs to keep making threats to prevent Black from consolidating. 
That
led him to} ( 21. ... Ne7? 22. Bb6 +- ) 22. Re3! Ne7 23. Rxc3 Qd5 24. Rc5!
Qe4 25. Rc7 =/& b5 ( {White is preparing Bc5, uncovering an attack on the 
d7-bishop, and a
possible Exchange sacrifice. He would win outright after} 25. ... Bc6? 26.
 Rxe7+! Kxe7 27. Bc5+ Ke8 28. Qd6 +- ) 26. Bc5?! D Nd5? ( {Black can still
defend, with} 26. ... Qd5 â–¡ 27. Qe1 Rc8! 28. Rxc8+ ( {and the outcome 
would
be unclear after} 28. Qa5 ) 28. ... Nxc8 29. Bb4 {/\ Rd1~/=} ) 27. Rxd7! (
27. Rb4? {RR} 27. ... Qxb4 28. Bxb4 Nxc7 29. Qd6 Nd5 ~ ) 27. ... Kxd7 28. 
Rb4 +- {This is the simplest kind of timing to appreciate. Time was 
Black's ally, and if White hadn't offered a second pawn ( I c4! ) he would
have lost in routine
fashion. He likely would have lost if he had played quiet moves at any
subsequent turn.
This is Morphy chess. But you need to know more than Morphy to make
master.} 28. ... Qxb4 ( 28. ... Qf5 29. g4 ) 29. Bxb4 Rhc8 30. Bd6 Rc4 31.
 Nd2 Rd4 32. c3 Rd3 33. c4 Rxd2 34. Qxd2 bxc4 35. Qxh6 1-0

[Event "Minsk op"]
[Site "Minsk"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Malaniuk, Vladimir P"]
[Black "Aleksandrov, Aleksej"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 b6 4. Bd3 Bb7 5. O-O Be7 6. c4 O-O 7. Nc3 h6 8. 
e4 d5 9. cxd5 exd5 10. e5 Ne4 11. Qe2 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Qc8 {White has a 
choice of promising plans but kingside attack stands out. He
controls more space there and there are potential targets at g7, h7 and 
h6.

But how should he attack? There are several ways:

(a) He could maneuver his knight with Ne1 - c2-e3-f5 and play for Qg4xg7
mate.

(b) Or he could play 1 3 h3 and follow up with Nh2 and then Qh5/Ng4
followed by a piece sacrifice on h6.

(c) Or he could go line up his light-squared bishop and queen to threaten
Qh7 mate.

There are other options, as well. But instead of trying to calculate them,
White needs to get a sense of the time frame. How long White can take for 
the
attack will depend on how quickly Black generates counterplay.

Black doesn't have immediate threats and he is several moves away from
making c3 a target. But he is ready to play 13 . . . .Ba6 ! . A trade of 
bishops would
neutralize White's best attacking piece.

True, White would still stand well. He can play on the queenside with 13 
a4.
If 13 . . . Ba6, then 14 a5, or 14 .Bxa6 Qxa6 15 Qxa6 Nxa6 16 a5, with a 
slight
edge.

But a master wants more. White concluded he had a legitimate chance for
more but he didn't have the luxury of a slow buildup, with 13 h3 or 13 Ne 
I . He
chose} 13. Bb1! {Black set a trap with} 13. ... Ba6 14. Qc2 g6 {This is 
based on meeting} 15. Re1! {Black is reduced to responding to specific 
threats, and play went} ( 15. Bxh6 Bxf1 16. Bxf8 Bxg2! {when suddenly he 
has
counterchances.
But rather than try to figure out what happens then after} 17. Kxg2 Qg4+ 
=+ ) 15. ... Kg7 16. Qd2 ( 16. e6 f5 17. Qd2 Rh8 18. g4 c5 19. gxf5 Nc6 
20. dxc5 Bc4 21. Qe3 Bxc5 22. Nd4 Qf8 ) 16. ... Rh8 {Thanks to his 
inducing another kingside weakness ( 1 4 . . . g6) White can just
apply forcing or semi-forcing moves until Black's position disintegrates. 
There
followed} 17. e6 f5 18. g4! Nc6 ( 18. ... fxg4 19. Qc2! Qe8 20. Ne5! ) 19.
 gxf5 gxf5 20. Qf4 Qf8 21. Qg3+ Kh7 22. Kh1! Qf6 23. Nh4 Bd6 24. Qh3 Ne7 
25. Nxf5 Kg8 26. Nxd6 1-0

[Event "Harrachov"]
[Site "Harrachov"]
[Date "1967.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Hennings, Artur"]
[Black "McCurdy"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B86"]
[EventDate "1967.??.??"]
[PlyCount "77"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bb3 Be7 
8. f4 O-O 9. f5 e5 10. Nde2 Nbd7 11. Ng3 b5 12. Bg5 Bb7 13. Bxf6 Nxf6 14. 
Nh5 Nxh5 15. Qxh5 Rc8 16. Qe2 Qb6 17. O-O-O Rc5 18. Nd5 Bxd5 19. Bxd5 Rfc8
D {Unlike the last example, Black is developed and has a target, at c2 ( 
20 Rd2?? Bg5). White's only advantage is space and the better bishop.
He played} 20. c3 R5c7 {so that he could keep the queenside relatively 
closed ( 21 . . . b4 22 c4). Play went} 21. h4 a5 22. Kb1 a4? 23. a3! {It 
may not be immediately obvious but
White suddenly has a big advantage. Why? Because Black has no way to open
the queenside short of (unsound) sacrifices on c3 .
That means White has virtually unlimited time to carry out his own attack.
He doesn't really have to calculate. When choosing a candidate he won't, 
in
most cases, have to look more than a move or two into the future. He can 
follow
a simple, general plan of safely advancing the g- and h-pawns.
Black tried to batten down the hatches with} 23. ... Bf8 24. g4 Kh8 25. g5
f6 {Black's pawn move changes the kingside options. It prevents f5-f6 and
makes gxf6 possible.
But it does not change the timing. White can try one plan and, if it doesn
't
work, switch to another. He can 'just move around' without damaging his
winning chances.
First he looked at doubling or tripling on the g-file. Play went} 26. Rhg1
Be7 27. Rg3 Rf8 28. Rdg1 Qb8 {But it became apparent that Qg2 followed by 
gxf6/ . . Bxf6 ! will achieve
nothing. Black will have ample protection of g7.
No problem. White simply shifted to another plan, eyeing the targets at d6
and b5 . The game continued} 29. Qd2 Bd8 30. Ka1 Qa7 31. Be6 Qb6 32. Rd1! 
{Black seemed to have everything covered until} 32. ... Be7 33. Rd3 Qc6 
34. Qe2 Qb6? D 35. Qh5! {so he can end the game with Bf7 and then Bg6. 
That
idea had been in the air for some time but only works now that Black 
cannot
defend in time with . . . Qe8.
The finish was cute. Black played} 35. ... Qb8 36. Bf7 fxg5 {with the idea
of 18 hxg5 Bxg5 . But White replied} 37. Bg6! ( 37. hxg5 Bxg5 ) 37. ... h6
38. hxg5 Bxg5 39. Qxg5! {The difference between these two games is 
striking. In the first, Black's few
developed pieces were not active. But there were things he could do ( . . 
. .Ba6).
White had to commit to attack (  .Bb1 !) or look for a more modest plan.
In the second example, Black's forces were well coordinated. But he had no
targets after  a3 ! . White could take his time.
A good sense of time is intuitive. But it's a more difficult kind of 
intuition to
acquire than, for example, realizing when a standard combination is 
available
because you recognize a pattern. Critical moments don't fit a pattern.
Nevertheless, there are timing training methods. One that works 
particularly
well with computers is to examine early middlegame positions from a 
database.
You could go to one of the on-line databases, such as Chessgames.com, and 
look
up at the games from a recent international tournament. Then, one game by 
one,
click on each position after say, the 15th or 20th move.
Your aim is to see if you can evaluate urgency. Does time matter to one
player more than the other? That is, will one side's position naturally 
improve
over the next several moves if nothing dramatic happens? Does one side 
have to
use its initiative, lead in development, whatever?
Once you've made an evaluation, see what did happen and whether one side
or the other acted out of urgency. This will help deepen your sense of 
when you
have to act.} 1-0

[Event "EU Team Ch (Men) 01st"]
[Site "Vienna AUT"]
[Date "1957.08.22"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Smyslov, Vasily"]
[Black "Filip, Miroslav"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2686"]
[BlackElo "2567"]
[ECO "A73"]
[EventDate "1957.08.22"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "AUT"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeam "Soviet Union"]
[BlackTeam "Czechoslovakia"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "URS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "CSR"]

{Prophylaxis = Time Saved


Masters make all sorts of mysterious, aggressive moves in sharp positions.
But some of the most mysterious don't seem to do anything. In a Sicilian
Defense, when time seems to be a high priority, a master may spend a tempo
to
shift the White king from g I to h I . Or, if castled queenside, from c I 
to b l .} 
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. e4 g6 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. 
Be2 O-O 9. O-O Bg4 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 a6 12. Bf4 {He does it to 
anticipate counterplay. Anticipating future threats is usually
better than responding to immediate threats.} 12. ... Ne8 D {This is one 
of the games that made Vasily Smyslov famous. Great attention
was paid to the stunning pawn sacrifices that ripped apart Black's 
kingside and
the deft strokes that led to mate.
But that was much later. To enjoy the liberty of attack, White first had 
to
secure the queenside, the home of most of Black's play. He began with} 13.
 a4! Nd7 14. Be2! {to discourage . . . b5 as well as . . . c4/ . . .Nc5

Black persisted with the . . . c 4 idea and chose} 14. ... Qc7 15. Rc1 Rb8
16. b3! D {So far White has pushed two pawns, retreated a bishop and 
placed his rook
on a file that is unlikely to be opened. Yet he's made progress by denying
Black
his best chances for counterplay

Black wasn't done. He took aim at the e-pawn with his unused pieces,} 
16. ... Nef6 17. Qc2 Rfe8 18. Bh2 h6 {it was evident he had run out of 
counterplay ideas. But
White still wasn't ready to go on the offensive with 19 f4.
He wanted to eliminate . . . .Bd4+ and also to delay . . . Qa5 . So he 
invested a
tempo on} 19. Kh1 {yet another prophylactic move.} 19. ... Nh7 {For the 
first time in the game, White had to calculate. He concluded that} 20. f4!
{was sound

Black accepted the pawn in a different way} 20. ... f5 ( 20. ... Bxc3 21. 
Qxc3 Rxe4 22. Bd3 Re3 23. Qd2 {gives him plenty of
compensation. Understanding 'comp' is another master trait and we'll 
explore it
in Chapter Eight.
} ) 21. Bf3! Bxc3 22. Qxc3 fxe4 23. Bg4 Nhf6 24. Be6+ Kh7 {A pawn storm is
usually the slowest form of attack. But in the absence of
counterplay, White felt it would succeed. It worked perfectly} 25. h4! Rg8
26. g4! {Prophylactic moves, like 1 a4, 2 Be2, 3 Rc1 , 4 b3 and 7 Kh1 , 
sometime
seem like a waste of time. But by killing counterplay they ultimately gain
time
for later. They gave White a free hand to finish the attack.
Note that 8 f4 was the turning point in the game. Recognizing those
moments is another ability that marks a master.} 26. ... h5 27. g5 Ng4 28.
 f5 Rgf8 29. fxg6+ Kxg6 30. Bxg4 hxg4 31. h5+ Kxh5 32. Qg7 g3 33. Bxg3 Kg4
34. Rg1 Rh8+ 35. Bh2+ Kh4 36. Rcf1 Rbg8 37. Rf4+ Kh5 38. Qf7+ Rg6 39. Qf5 
{Prophylactic moves, like 13 a4, 14 Be2, Rc1 ,  b3 and  19 Kh1 , sometime 
seem like a waste of time. But by killing counterplay they ultimately gain
time
for later. They gave White a free hand to finish the attack.
Note that 20 f4 was the turning point in the game. Recognizing those
moments is another ability that marks a master.} 1-0

[Event "EU Team Ch (Men) 05th"]
[Site "Bath ENG"]
[Date "1973.07.10"]
[Round "5.1"]
[White "Hug, Werner"]
[Black "Spassky, Boris V"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2440"]
[BlackElo "2655"]
[ECO "A07"]
[EventDate "1973.07.06"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeam "Switzerland"]
[BlackTeam "Soviet Union"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SUI"]
[BlackTeamCountry "URS"]

{Critical Positions

Reflecting on his long career, Boris Spassky said the greatest superiority
he
enjoyed over his rivals was a particular sense of timing: He had an 
uncanny
feeling for when to mix it up, when to increase tension, when to force 
matters.
"I was the king of critical positions," he said.} 
1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c6 3. Bg2 Bf5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 e6 6. Nbd2 Be7 7. Qe1 h6 8.
 e4 Bh7 9. Qe2 O-O 10. b3 a5 11. a3 c5 12. a4 Nc6 13. Bb2 Re8 14. Ne5 Nd4 
15. Qd1 Qc7 16. Nef3 dxe4 17. dxe4 Red8 18. Re1 D {
Black seems to have an edge thanks to the knight at d4. White is reluctant
to
capture it because after . . . cxd4, the c2-pawn becomes a target. But 
until White
solves the knight problem, he can't move his queen to a good square and
connect rooks.
Therefore, time should favor Black. He can make more useful moves -
'plus-moves' like . . . Rd7 or . . .Rac8 - than White.
Nevertheless, Spassky felt this was the right time for} 18. ... Nxf3+! 19.
 Bxf3 {The reason is that this gives him a chance to force a more 
favorable pawn
structure with} 19. ... c4! {The threat i s 20. . . c3 . A bit of 
calculation reveals that the defense 21 Re3 is as faulty as it looks.} 20.
 bxc4 ( 20. Re3 Bc5 21. Re2 c3! 22. Bxc3 Bxf2+ 23. Kxf2 Qxc3 ) 20. ... Bb4
! 21. c3 Be7 22. Qe2 ( {The point of Black's play was to create a glaring 
hole at d3 and a target at
a4. He can exploit the hole with . . . Nd7-e5-d3 and the target with . . .
Nd7-c5.
He can also exert pressure on the open file, e.g.} 22. Ba3 Bxa3 23. Rxa3 
Rd3 {And if nothing else, he can regain a pawn favorably with
... Nd7-e5xc4.} ) 22. ... Nd7 23. Nb3 Ne5 {White saw that the c4-pawn was 
lost and tried to make the best of it with} 24. c5 Bxc5 25. Nxc5? Rd2! {
Sensing when a position is critical frees a master to look for more 
candidate
moves than he typically would. Normally, a master examines fewer 
candidates
than non-masters. His intuition limits his search by pointing out the one 
or two
moves that are likely to be best.
But his intuition is trumped by his sense that the position demands
something more, a game-changing move, a big move} 26. Nd3 Rxe2 27. Bxe2 
Nc4 28. Bf1 Qc6 29. Bc1 Bxe4 30. Nc5 Bd5 0-1

[Event "Eurotel Trophy"]
[Site "Prague CZE"]
[Date "2002.04.30"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Polgar, Judit"]
[Black "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2677"]
[BlackElo "2838"]
[ECO "B33v"]
[EventDate "2002.04.28"]
[Annotator "Rogozenko"]
[EventType "k.o. (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "CZE"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.08.12"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "AUT"]
[BlackTeamCountry "AUT"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 {Garry Kasparov 
played Sveshnikov Sicilian from Black side earlier as well, but mostly in 
simuls or advanced chess. This year he won in Linares (classical game, of 
course) against Alexey Shirov, which means that he more or less included 
Sveshnikov Sicilian in his repertoire on a stable basis. The present game 
is another reason for Sveshnikov Sicilian adherents to be happy. Undoubtly
the fact that the World Number One started to play Sveshnikov Sicilian 
will have consequences and the theory of this opening will develop 
quicker.} 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 Bg7 {In 
above-mentioned game against Alexey, Kasparov played "the classical" 10. 
... f5. Although these two options (10. ... f5 and 10. ... Bg7) can lead 
later to same positions, I would rather separate them and consider as two 
independent lines, because in each case White can choose a different type 
of position.} 11. c3 f5 12. Bd3 ( 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Nc2 {Is another main 
line.} ) 12. ... Ne7 13. Nxe7 Qxe7 14. O-O O-O 15. Nc2 {Like in other main
lines of the Sveshnikov Sicilian, this is a strategically complicated 
position. White has a better pawn structure, possibilities to play in the 
center and on the queenside, a better control over d-file. Quite a lot, 
which defines that objectively White must have the advantage. However, in 
Sveshnikov Sicilian Black's position often contains a lot of hidden 
potential. The bishop pair, pawn majority in the center and the open 
g-file are strong arguments in his favour. In the long run with a precise 
play White might well be slightly better, but in any case there is a tough
battle ahead and White cannot afford to make mistakes and allow Black to 
take the initiative. The present game is a superb demonstration of Black's
potential.} 15. ... f4!? {15. ... Rb8 or 15. ... Bb7 are more popular than
the text move. 15. ... f4 is in a way less flexible, but more determined -
Black shows his clear intentions to start a kingside attack.} 16. a4 {The 
logical continuation - White starts immediately activity on the queenside.
} ( 16. Qh5 {Preventing Black from playing Qg5 deserves attention as well.
} ) 16. ... bxa4 {Black is practically forced to abandon the queenside and
for that purpose 16. . .. bxa4 is better than 16. ... Bb7, because it 
keeps the a-file closed for a while.} ( 16. ... Bb7 17. axb5 axb5 18. Rxa8
Bxa8 19. Nb4 f5 20. f3 Kh8 21. Kh1 Bf6 22. Qe2 Rc8 23. Ra1 +/- {1-0 
Luther,T-Richter,M/Nova Gorica 2000 (49)} ) 17. Rxa4 Qg5 18. f3 ( 18. Qe2 
Bf6 19. Nb4 Kh8 20. Nd5 Bd8 21. f3 Rg8 22. Rf2 Qh5 23. Qf1 Be6 {Looked 
good for Black in Sameeh,H-Halkias,S/Tanta City 2002.} ) 18. ... Bf6 {The 
start of impressive trip.} 19. Bc4 {In connection with the next move an 
innacuracy. White attacks pawn d6, but for some reasons didn't take it.} (
19. Nb4 âŒ“ ) 19. ... Kh8 20. Rf2?! ( 20. Qxd6 {This was the logical 
follow-up, although it looks quite risky, since Black activates the rook. 
The direct assault fails, though:} 20. ... Rd8 21. Qb6 Rd2 22. Rf2 ( {or} 
22. Ne1 Bh3 23. Rf2 Rd1 24. Kf1 Rg8 25. Ke2 Rgd8 26. Bd5 ) 22. ... Bd8 23.
 Qc6 Rd1+ 24. Bf1 Rb8 25. Rb4! {protecting against Bb6.} ) 20. ... Be7 ( 
20. ... Bd8? 21. Qxd6 ) 21. Nb4 D {Now it seems that White is in time to 
place the knight on d5. However, Kasparov demonstrates that once kingside 
bishop swithches to the diagonal a7-g1, White can hardly resist the 
attack.} ( 21. Bd5 {doesn't help White from preventing Bd8-b6:} 21. ... 
Rb8 22. Nb4 Bd8 23. Nc6 Bb6 {Of course.} 24. Nxb8 Bh3 25. Qf1 Rg8 {is 
similar to the game - White can't protect g2.} ) 21. ... d5! {was both 
impossible and very good.
Impossible because White controls d5 four times. Good because at the cost
of a pawn Black obtains powerful tactical chances from . . . ..Bc5 !

As mentioned in the annotations after move 15.Nc2, once Black finds a way 
to coordinate his pieces, White will have a tough life.

This position arose in a rapid match. The players dido 't have time to
calculate to their normal extent. But after White 's last move  Nc2-b4, 
Black
could appreciate how precarious his situation was.
It wasn't the triple attack on the a-pawn that worried him. There's 
something
that matters more, the d5 square. If White can plant the knight on that 
ideal
outpost, Black's pieces, particularly his dark-squared bishop, will be 
stifled.
Black realized he needed a big move. That often means an 'impossible'
move, one that you would normally dismiss without a glance. Here} 22. Bxd5
( {White cannot prevent Bc5, for instance:} 22. Qxd5 Be6 ) 22. ... Bc5 23.
 Bxa8 Rg8! {White is a rook up, but apparently the position is absolutely 
lost.} 24. Kf1 ( 24. Qf1 Bh3 25. Kh1 Bxf2 26. Qxf2 Bxg2+ 27. Kg1 Bxf3+ 28.
 Kf1 Bg2+ 29. Ke1 Rxa8 -+ ) 24. ... Bxf2 25. Ke2 Qxg2 26. Kd3 Be3 {The 
rest is clear.} 27. Bd5 Qxh2 28. Kc4 Rg1 29. Qd3 Bh3 {A nice demonstration
of Black's superiority. Judith managed to escape with the king, but the 
endgame is lost due to the power of Black's bishops.} 30. Kb3 Bf1 31. Qc2 
Qxc2+ 32. Kxc2 Kg7 {Black wins in many ways. The simple advance of h-pawn 
or 32. ... Be2 followed by Bxf3 decides quickly. Kasparov leaves the 
option which pawn to queen (h or f) for later.} 33. c4 Be2 34. Rxa6 Bd1+ 
35. Kd3 Bxf3 {So kasparov decided that f-pawn has a shorter way to f1...} 
36. Nc6 Rd1+ 37. Kc3 Bg4 38. Nxe5 Bd4+ 39. Kc2 Bxe5 40. Ra7 Re1 41. Rxf7+ 
Kg6 42. c5 Re2+ 43. Kc1 f3 44. Bc4 Rxe4 45. Bd5 Rf4 0-1

[Event "World Amateur Ch"]
[Site "The Hague NED"]
[Date "1928.??.??"]
[Round "14"]
[White "Euwe, Max"]
[Black "Carls, Carl"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2547"]
[BlackElo "2418"]
[ECO "A30d"]
[EventDate "1928.07.21"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2001.11.25"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "USA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]

{Not every game has a critical moment. Far from it. But there are enough
examples in master chess to provide teaching moments. One way to benefit
from them is to go through unannotated master games, either with a board 
or
clicking through them on-line. Try to determine in each game whether there
was
a turning point.
What makes it particularly hard to sense turning points is that there are 
rarely
road signs to identify them. A position may seem ripe for an irrevocable
decision. But on closer inspection it might be better to delay it for a 
move or
two.} 
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6 5. b3 Bg7 6. Bb2 d6 7. d4 cxd4 8. 
Nxd4 Bd7 9. O-O O-O 10. Nc3 Nxd4 11. Qxd4 Bc6 12. Nd5 Nh5 13. Qd2 Bxb2 14.
 Qxb2 Bxd5 15. Bxd5 Qb6 16. Rfd1 Nf6 17. Bf3 Rfc8 18. Rd4 a5 19. Rad1 Rc7 
D {White noticed a sacrifice, 20 Rxd6 exd6 21 Qxf6. He realized that he 
would
immediately get one pawn for the Exchange and might add a second one via
22 Rxd6 or 23 Rd5/4 Rb5

The timing seems right. White's pieces are as aggressively placed as they 
are
likely to be. If White plays something else, Black will be able to improve
his
position, say with . . . Nd7, and the chance for .:Rxd6 is lost. That 
makes this a
critical moment, right?

Well, not exactly. It's not clear that White would stand better after I 
Rxd6 -
that is, better than Black is in the 2 Qxf6 position or better than White 
was
before I .Rxd6. That indicates there is no real urgency.
White can improve his position in other ways, such as with I h4 and 2 h5.
Then he might win by pushing the pawn to h6 or exchanging on g6. If he 
follows
with an advance of the g-pawn, Black's king may be in serious trouble.
White added it all up and chose} 20. h4! {Black thwarted his plan with} 
20. ... h5 {But that made} 21. Rxd6! {much stronger than a move earlier.} 
21. ... exd6 22. Qxf6 Rf8 ( 22. ... Rd7 23. Bd5 ) ( 22. ... Ra6 23. Bd5 
Kf8 24. Rd3 {Followed Rf3 or Re3 - Qh8} ) 23. Rxd6 Qc5 D 24. Bd5! {is a 
paralyzing shot that threatens 25 Qxg6+ (thanks to 20 . . . h5).
Black was forced into } 24. ... Kh7 {But that makes his king vulnerable to
} 25. g4! {Black tried for counterplay with} 25. ... Qa3 {Going back, we 
can see that 20 h4 ! gave Black an opportunity to lose quickly
with 20 . . . h5?. Better was 20 . . . .Rc5, when White has to find 
another winning idea,
such as 21 g4 followed by 3 g5 or 2 Qd2 and 3 Qh6 - or even 2 .Rd6 after 
all.
Nevertheless White had improved his chances over the immediate I .:Rxd6.} 
( 25. ... hxg4 26. h5 gxh5 27. Qh6+ ) 26. gxh5 Qc1+ 27. Kh2 Qh6 28. Bxf7 
Qg7 29. hxg6+ Kh8 30. Qg5 1-0

[Event "Hastings 7980"]
[Site "Hastings ENG"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Christiansen, Larry M"]
[Black "Short, Nigel D"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2475"]
[BlackElo "2260"]
[ECO "A90"]
[EventDate "1979.12.??"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[EventCategory "10"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SUI"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ITA"]

{page 96} 
1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Qe7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O Bxd2 
8. Nbxd2 d6 9. Re1 e5 {Plus-moves

When a game ends in victory without a turning point it often has a 
decisive
trend instead. A master sees trends that others don't. That is, a master 
is better
at recognizing when one side's winning chances are gradually and steadily
improving.

This is not a matter of calculation but rather visualization. The master 
sees
the plus-moves that will improve a position.} 10. e4 D {White wants to 
open the center because of his superior development and
because his rook is lined up against the Black queen, e.g. 10 . . . exd4? 
11 exf5
and 12 Nxd4 with advantage.
Black is tempted to minimize the opening of lines with 10 . . . f4 and 11 
gxf4
exf4. But that still leaves White with opportunities to blow open the 
center with
e4-e5 or c4-c5 .
Black knew from his understanding of pawn structures that it would be much
better if he could occupy f4 with a piece, ideally a knight, rather than a
pawn.
But that would take one and possibly two extra moves to execute and cost 
one
and possibly two pawns.
So Black took a short look into the future, at} 10. ... f4 11. gxf4 Nh5! {
He saw} 12. fxe5 Nf4! {and then} 13. exd6 cxd6 D {How do you evaluate such
a position? There's too much to calculate to draw
a definitive conclusion.
But Black can visualize. He can see that his position will improve once he
carries out a series of obvious moves - . . . Nc6, . . . ..Bg4, . . . Rf6 
and . . . Raf8.

This makes Black's position easier to play, and that's important, as we'll
see
in Chapter Seven. White could only stop these moves by changing the 
position
sharply, say with 14 e5 - so that 14 . . . Nc6? 15 e6! and 16 d5 . But 
Black should
have strong attacking chances if he shifts his queen, say with 14 . . . 
Qf7 and
15 . . . Qg6.

White preferred} 14. Qb3 Nc6 15. d5?! ( 15. c5+ Kh8 16. d5 Ne5 17. cxd6 
Qxd6 18. Nxe5 Qxe5 19. Bf1 Qg5+ 20. Kh1 Bg4 21. Qg3 ) 15. ... Ne5 16. Nxe5
dxe5 17. Nf1 Qh4 18. Ng3 Rf6 19. Re3 Bh3 {He should
have won in the complications that followed} 20. Nf5 Rxf5 21. exf5 Bxg2 {
Black appreciated that he could create a good trend. But what do you do
about a bad trend?

The first step is to visualize the near future. The second is to make sure
it
doesn't happen.} 22. Rg3 Bh3 23. Re1 Rf8 24. Qxb7 Qh6 25. Kh1 Bxf5 26. d6 
Nh5 27. Rge3 Nf6 28. f3 e4 29. fxe4 Bc8 30. Qxa7 Ng4 31. R3e2 Qxd6 32. Qg1
Qd3 33. b3 Qf3+ 34. Qg2 Nf2+ 35. Kg1 Nh3+ 36. Kh1 Qh5 37. Re3 Rf2 38. Rxh3
Qf7 39. Rd3 h5 40. Qg3 Bg4 41. Kg1 Rxa2 42. Rf1 1-0

[Event "Corus"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2000.01.22"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Short, Nigel D"]
[Black "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2683"]
[BlackElo "2851"]
[ECO "B26a"]
[EventDate "2000.01.15"]
[Annotator "Donev"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "18"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.04.05"]

{page 97} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6 5. d3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nd4 7. Qd2 Qa5 8. 
f4 e6 9. Nf3 Ne7 10. O-O Nec6 ( {Gegen mich hat in dieser Stellung der IM 
Landenbergue} 10. ... Bd7 {und nach} 11. a3 ( {Ich denke, dass hier Wei 
mit folgender Fortsetzung um die Initiative kämpfen kann:} 11. Qf2 Nxf3+ (
11. ... Nec6 12. e5! ) 12. Bxf3 ( 12. Bxf3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Qxc3 14. e5 ( 14.
 d4 c4 ( 14. ... d5 15. dxc5 += ) ( 14. ... b6! 15. Rad1 =+ ) 15. d5 += ) 
) 12. ... Nc6 13. e5 â†‘ ) 11. ... Rc8 12. Rae1 =, quiet {wurde die Partie
im Endspiel mit remis beendet. Donev, I-Landenbergue,C SWZ-chT 1995} ) 11.
 e5!? {Ein typischer Zug für den geschlossenen Sizilianer und trotzdem 
eine Neuerung. Hier zwei Beispiele aus der Mega 2000:} ( 11. Ne1 O-O 12. 
Nd1 Qa6 13. Nf2 b5 14. c3 Nb3 15. axb3 Qxa1 16. e5 Bb7 17. Ne4 Na5 18. 
Nxd6 Nxb3 19. Qf2 Bxg2 20. Nxg2 Qa6 21. Bxc5 Nxc5 22. Qxc5 Rad8 23. Qe3 
Qc6 24. d4 a5 25. Nh4 a4 26. Ra1 b4 27. Nf3 a3 28. bxa3 Qxc3 {0-1 
Martin,A-Serper,G/Hastings 1990/CBM 21 ext (28)} ) ( 11. Nh4 f5 12. Qd1 
O-O 13. Nb1 Qb6 14. Bc1 c4 15. Kh1 cxd3 16. cxd3 Nb4 17. Rf2 Bd7 18. Be3 
Qa6 19. Nc3 Rac8 20. Rd2 Rfe8 21. Rc1 Nb5 22. d4 Nxa2 23. Nxa2 Qxa2 24. 
Ra1 Qc4 25. Bf1 Qc6 26. Qb3 fxe4 27. f5 Qd5 28. Qxd5 exd5 29. fxg6 a6 30. 
gxh7+ Kxh7 31. Ng2 Rc7 32. Nf4 Rec8 33. Nxd5 Rc1 34. Rxc1 Rxc1 35. Kg2 Bg4
36. Nf4 Bf3+ 37. Kf2 Rb1 38. Ne6 Bh6 39. Bd3 Rh1 40. h4 Rh2+ 41. Kf1 Rh1+ 
42. Kf2 Rh2+ 43. Ke1 Rxd2 44. Bxd2 exd3 {0-1 
Fritsche,L-Tischbierek,R/Germany 1993/GER-chT (44)} ) 11. ... dxe5 ( {Die 
Annahme des Bauernopfers ist zu riskant:} 11. ... Nxf3+ 12. Bxf3 dxe5 13. 
Bxc6+ bxc6 14. fxe5 Bxe5 15. Qf2 {Wei bekommt seine Bauern zurück und dazu
die bessere Stellung.} ) 12. Nxe5 O-O! ( 12. ... Nxe5 13. fxe5 Bxe5 14. 
Qf2! f5 ( 14. ... O-O 15. Ne4 f5 16. c3! +/- ( 16. b4!? ) ) 15. Ne4! Qc7 {
deckt das Feld f7.} 16. Nxc5 Qxc5 17. c3 += ) 13. Rae1 f5? {Offensichtlich
besteht das Ziel dieses Zuges darin Kontrolle über den Punkt e4 zu 
gewinnen. Aber auf der anderen Seite werden der Bauer e6 und das Feld e5 
geschwächt.} ( {Der Prüfstein für die wei en Strategie war:} 13. ... Nxe5 
14. fxe5 Bxe5 15. Bh6 Bg7 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. Qf2 f6 ( 17. ... f5 18. Re5 
Qc7 19. Rfe1 =/& ) 18. Ne4 e5! {und 19. Nf6 ist nicht gut wegen 19...Qd8} 
) 14. Bxc6 Nxc6 15. Nxc6 ( 15. Nc4?! Qa6 16. Bxc5 Rd8 17. Qg2 b5! 18. Nd6 
( 18. Ne5 Nxe5 19. Qxa8 Nc6 {/\Bb7 die wei e Dame ist eingeschlossen.} ) 
18. ... Rxd6! 19. Bxd6 Bb7 20. Qf2 Rd8 21. Bc5 Nd4! -/+ ) 15. ... bxc6 16.
 Nd1 Qxa2 ( 16. ... Qxd2 17. Bxd2 Rb8 18. b3 +/- {Das kommende Endspiel 
wäre (wegen der schlechten Bauernstruktur) für Schwarz, kaum zu halten 
gewesen.} ) 17. Bxc5 Rd8 18. b3 Rb8 D {Black's pieces seem active enough 
to equalize. He has tactics such as 19 Nc3
Qa5 ! (20 b4 Qa3) to annoy White.
But this is deceptive. The pawn structure favors White considerably. Black
faces long-term problems defending the target at a7 and trying to find 
good
squares for his bad c8-bishop.
In short, time is on White's side. He can play slowly, with} 19. Rf2 {
That's a trend Black knew he had to stop. He did it with} 19. ... Qa6 ( {
For example} 19. ... Bd7 20. Nc3 Qa5 21. Na4 Qxd2 22. Rxd2 {is very good 
for
White. After} 22. ... Rb7 23. Be7 Ra8 24. Bd6 {he is preparing to trade 
into
a good-knight-vs. -bad-bishop ending in which he will double rooks on the
a-file.
That's a trend Black knew he had to stop. He did it with} ) 20. Nc3 {/\Na4
} 20. ... Rxb3! 21. cxb3 Rxd3 {gave Black two pawns for
the sacrificed Exchange.
In unbalanced material situations like that, it's the positional plusses 
that
matter. So even though he seems to be ahead in material, Black will be 
worse in
view of his bad bishop.
But he should be able to draw. That's what happened eventually after} 22. 
Qa2 Rxc3 ( 22. ... Bxc3 23. Qxa6 Bxa6 24. Rxe6 Rd1+ 25. Kg2 Bd3 =/& ) 23. 
b4 Ra3 24. Qc2! Rd3! ( 24. ... Rc3? 25. Qd1 Rd3 26. Rd2 Rd5 27. Rxd5 cxd5 
28. Bd4 Bf8 29. Qd2 += {/\Qe3-Qe5} ) 25. Rd2?! ( 25. Rd1! Rd5 26. Rfd2 +/-
) 25. ... Rd5 26. Rxd5 cxd5 27. Bf2 Bb7! {Black saved
the game because he realized in time that he was on the wrong side of a 
trend,
and he took steps to change it.
The simplest way to detect a trend is to identify how many progress-making
plus-moves each side can make in the near future} 28. Qc7 ( 28. Qc5 d4! 
29. Bxd4? Qc6 -+ ) ( 28. Qe2! Kf7 29. Qxa6 Bxa6 30. Bxa7 Bc3 31. Rb1 Bb5 
=/& {/\d4} ) 28. ... d4! {Öffnet den starken Läufer b7 und wie wir später 
sehen werden stellt der Nachziehende mit der Hilfe dieses Läufers starke 
Drohungen gegen der wei e Monarch auf.} 29. Qd8+ ( 29. Qd7 Bd5 30. Qe8+ 
Bf8 31. Bxd4 Qa2 32. Bf2 Qc2 =, quiet ) 29. ... Bf8 30. Qf6 d3 31. Bc5! ( 
31. Qxe6+? Qxe6 32. Rxe6 d2 -+ ) ( 31. Bd4 d2 32. Qh8+ Kf7 33. Qf6+ Kg8 
34. Qh8+ =, quiet ) 31. ... Bxc5+ 32. bxc5 d2 33. Qd8+ Kg7 34. Qe7+ ( 34. 
Qxd2 Qc6 =/& ) 1/2-1/2

[Event "RUS Ch"]
[Site "Krasnodar RUS"]
[Date "2002.08.31"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Hasangatin, Ramil"]
[Black "Yakovich, Yuri"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2517"]
[BlackElo "2586"]
[ECO "B53x"]
[EventDate "2002.08.27"]
[Annotator "Yakovich"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.11.12"]
[WhiteTeam "II"]
[BlackTeam "II"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

{page 98} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 Bd7 6. Bxc6 Bxc6 7. Nc3 
Nf6 8. Bg5 e6 9. O-O-O Be7 10. Rhe1 {White protects the pawn e4 and 
prepares 11.Qd2.} ( {In case of immediate} 10. Qd3!? {/\Nd4,f4-f5,Qh3 
Black can prevent white's plans by} 10. ... Qa5!? 11. h4 h6 12. Bd2 Qa6 
13. Qxa6 bxa6 14. Rhe1 Ng4 15. Re2 O-O 16. Nd4 Bd7 17. f3 Ne5 18. h5 Rfc8 
19. b3 Rc5 =+ {Kaminski,M-Gelfand,B/Polanica Zdroj/1997/ (27)} ) 10. ... 
O-O 11. Qd2 {White would like to bring the knight to d4 as quickly as 
possible.} ( {The alternative} 11. Kb1 {became less popular after the game
Svidler,P-Kasparov,G/ Linares 1999 where was} 11. ... h6! 12. Bh4 Re8! N 
13. Bg3 d5 14. e5 ( 14. Ne5 Qa5 =+ ) 14. ... Ne4 15. Nxe4 dxe4 16. Qxd8 
Rexd8 17. Nd4 Be8! ( 17. ... Bd5 18. Nb5 += ) 18. c3 Rac8 19. Kc2 b5! 20. 
Rxe4 b4 21. Re3 a5 =/& {with an excellent compensation for the pawn} ) 
11. ... h6! {Important move.} 12. Bf4 ( {Now} 12. Bh4? {is not good in 
view of} 12. ... Nxe4! 13. Nxe4 ( 13. Rxe4? Bxh4 14. Rxh4 ( 14. Rg4 h5! 
-/+ ) 14. ... Bxf3 -+ ) 13. ... Bxh4 =+ ) 12. ... e5 13. Bg3 Rc8! {
Mueller,Karsten: 'The following games indicate that it is White, who has 
to play carefully in order to equalize.' Mueller,Karsten: 'Die mit dieser 
Stellung gespielten Partien deuten darauf hin, dass es eher Weiß ist, der 
um Ausgleich bemüht sein muss.'} ( 13. ... b5?! {is less precise in view 
of} 14. Bh4! += {Sutovskij-Hodgson, Harplinge 1998. Now} 14. ... b4 {
doesn't work in view of} 15. Bxf6 bxc3 16. Qxc3! +/- ) 14. Qd3 N D {White 
protects the pawn and prepares 15.Bh4.} ( {But immediate} 14. Bh4 {
probably is better:} 14. ... Nxe4! 15. Nxe4 Bxh4 16. Qxd6 Bxe4 17. Rxe4 
Qxd6 ( 17. ... Bg5+!? {Mueller,Karsten} ) 18. Rxd6 Bxf2 19. Rxe5 Rc7 
=, quiet {Sutovsky,E} ) ( 14. Kb1? b5! 15. Qe2 {'?!' Mueller,Karsten.} 
15. ... b4 16. Nd5 Nxd5 17. exd5 Bd7 -/+ {0-1 Karjakin Sergey (UKR) 
-Topalov Veselin (BUL)/Dubai (United Arab Emirates) 2002 (33)} ) 14. ... 
Nd7! {><Bg3} ( 14. ... Qa5 15. Bh4 b5 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. a3 ( 17. Qxd6 Rfd8
-/+ ) 17. ... Rfd8 ) 15. Nd5 {'?!' Mueller,Karsten.} ( 15. Kb1 {
Mueller,Karsten} 15. ... a6 16. Qe2 b5 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. Rxd5 Rc5 ( 18. ...
 Rc6!? {Mueller,Karsten} ) 19. Red1 Rxd5 20. Rxd5 =, quiet {1/2-1/2 
David,A-Tiviakov,S/Saint Vincent ITA 2000/The Week in Chess 296 (35). (35)
} ) 15. ... Bxd5 16. Qxd5! D {That would leave
him with a bad bishop on e7, while White enjoys a nice outpost on d5.
Nevertheless, Black chose this and followed up with} 16. ... Rc6! {Black's
14 . . .Nd7 decision makes sense because he can improve his position
with . . .Qc7 and . . . Rc8, followed by . . . Nb6 and . . .Nc4 or . . . 
Na4, depending
on what's available.
That makes four plus-moves that White can't easily stop. To figure out
whether they amount to a significant trend, Black has to answer another
question. Does White have plus-moves, and if so, how many?
The answer is: Not many. His king would be better off on b1 . But his 
heavy
pieces can 't improve much. The only significant way to improve is by a 
knight
maneuver, such as Nd2-fl -e3 .
This gives Black enough of a picture of the future to convince him that
14 . . . Nd7 ! was good. His judgment was confirmed when the game 
continued by

'=/+' Mueller,Karsten. What for I have conceded control over the point d5?
I hoped that my attack on the Q-side will become very strong while Nf3 and
Bg3 will be in offside.} 17. Kb1 Qc7 18. c3 Rc8 â†‘ {It should be easy to 
see that Black has made progress since the previous
diagram. He would improve further if White began his knight maneuver, 19 
Nd2,
because of 19... Bg5 ! .

<< Mueller,Karsten: 'Black's attacking forces are getting stronger and 
stronger. ' Mueller,Karsten: 'Da braut sich etwas gegen den weißen 
Monarchen zusammen.'} 19. Bh4 {'?!' Mueller,Karsten.} ( {It should be easy
to see that Black has made progress since the previous
diagram. He would improve further if White began his knight maneuver,} 19.
 Nd2 Bg5! ( 19. ... Nb6 20. Qb3 a5 21. f3 ) 20. Nb3 ( 20. f3 Nb6 21. Qb3 
Bxd2 22. Rxd2 Nc4 -+ ) 20. ... Nb6 21. Qd3 Nc4 -/+ ) ( 19. Qd3 =+ {
Mueller,Karsten} ) 19. ... Nb6 20. Qd3 {But Black's attack
has gained so much momentum that he could afford to weaken his kingside 
with} ( 20. Qb3? Bxh4 21. Nxh4 Nc4 -+ ) 20. ... g5! {><Nf3, Bg3 
Mueller,Karsten: 'Such moves should not be played lightly. But Yacovich 
has good reasons for g5: White's bishop has no real influence now, which 
helps Black's attack. ' Mueller,Karsten: 'Solche Züge sollte man nie 
leichtfertig machen. Doch Yakovich hat gute Gründe für ...g5: der weiße 
Läufer ist für den Moment außer Spiel, in dem der schwarze Angriff Fahrt 
aufnimmt.'} ( 20. ... Na4?! 21. Bxe7 Qb6 22. Rd2! ( 22. b3 Nxc3+ 23. Ka1 
Qa5 24. Rd2 Ra6 25. Qc2 Rcc6! ) 22. ... Nxc3+ 23. Ka1 Nxe4 24. Qxe4 Rc1+ 
25. Qb1 ~ ) ( 20. ... Bxh4?! 21. Nxh4 Na4 22. Re2 Qb6 23. Ka1 ~ ) 21. Bg3 
Na4! {/\Qb6-+} 22. Re2 â–¡ ( 22. Nd2? Nxb2! 23. Kxb2 Rxc3 24. Qb5 a6! 25. 
Qd5 Rc2+ 26. Kb1 Qc3 27. Qb3 Rxd2 -+ ) ( 22. Ka1 Nxb2! 23. Kxb2 Rxc3 24. 
Qb5 a6 25. Qd5 Rxf3! 26. gxf3 Qc3+ 27. Kb1 Rc4 -+ 28. a3 Qb3+ ) ( {Black 
has ideas to work with such as a knight sacrifice on b2 or c3, as well
as ... 'ifÂ¨ Qb6, which threatens mate on b2 or a capture on c3. A typical
winning line
is} 22. Qc2 Nxb2! 23. Kxb2 Rxc3 24. Qa4 Qc5! {/\25...Rc2 26.Kb1 Rc6 -+} ( 
24. ... Rxf3 25. gxf3 Qc3+ 26. Kb1 Rc4 -+ ) 25. Nd2 b5 26. Qa5 Rc2+ 27. 
Kb1 Qd4 -+ ) 22. ... b5! {Mueller, Karsten: 'Black's pawn advances are 
very impressive! ' Mueller,Karsten: 'Die schwarzen Bauernvorstöße 
hinterlassen einen starken Eindruck.'} ( 22. ... Nxb2? 23. Rxb2 Rxc3 24. 
Qf1 ~ ) 23. Rc2 {'?' Mueller,Karsten. Mueller,Karsten: 'White loses the 
path completely.' Mueller,Karsten: 'Weiß kommt nun ganz vom Kurs ab.'} ( 
23. Qxb5?? {Mueller,Karsten} 23. ... Nxc3+ 24. bxc3 Rb6 -+ ) ( 23. Qc2 =+ 
{(Mueller,Karsten) /-/+ or oder} ) ( 23. Ka1 =+ {(Mueller, Karsten) /-/+} 
) 23. ... b4! 24. Qb5?! {#} ( 24. c4 â–¡ Rxc4 25. Rxc4 Qxc4 26. Qxc4 Rxc4 
-/+ ) 24. ... Nxb2! ( 24. ... Nxb2 25. Rxb2 ( 25. Kxb2 Rxc3! 26. Rcd2 Rc2+
-+ ) 25. ... bxc3 26. Rc2 Rb6 -+ ) 0-1

[Event "Bled ol (Men)"]
[Site "Bled SLO"]
[Date "2002.11.02"]
[Round "8.4"]
[White "Nijboer, Friso"]
[Black "Rublevsky, Sergei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2556"]
[BlackElo "2664"]
[ECO "B46e"]
[EventDate "2002.10.26"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "SLO"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.11.25"]
[WhiteTeam "Netherlands"]
[BlackTeam "Russia"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "NED"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

{Visualize the Rooks

One of the tricks to spotting a potential trend is visualizing how the 
rooks
will come into action. If one side can make much better use of his rooks 
and has a free hand to do it, that's usually a good trend.

In the Christiansen-Short game, Black's ability to play ...Rf6 and ... 
.Raf8
indicated one. In Short-Kasparov, the possibility of White doubling rooks 
on the a-file, while Black's   rooks had little to do, showed another. In 
HasangatinYakovich, the tripling of Black's heavy pieces on the c-file - 
while White couldn't make his lazy rooks do significantly more - was also 
revealing. Here's one final example:} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5
8. O-O Nf6 9. Re1 Bb7 10. Bf4 Be7 11. e5 Nd7 12. Na4 c5 13. c4 d4 14. b3 
Bg5 15. Qg4 Bxf4 16. Qxf4 h6 D {Each player has some good things to say 
about his position. If you can
eliminate your opponent's assets, it leaves you with the only good pieces 
on the
board.

White appreciated that Black's best piece was his bishop. Black, on the 
other
hand, appreciated the need to eliminate one of White's best pieces, with
I . . . Qg5 . That threatens mate on g2 and would force a trade of queens.
White beat him to the punch with} 17. Be4! Bxe4 18. Qxe4 {Black was 
worried
about b3-b4, so he spent a tempo on} 18. ... a5 D {leaving us with another
position to
evaluate.

But this one is easier to judge. White has no open files for his rooks and
no
easy way of opening a file. However, he can greatly enhance his rooks with
Rad1 -d3-g3 . That takes aim at White's best target, g7.
Black's rooks don't seem to have a future. He'd like to trade knights so 
he
can play . . . a4 but there is no easy way to force a swap.
We can carry the visualization a bit further. Black is bound to castle 
kingside.
But that will make him vulnerable to a heavy piece attack of Rg3/Qg4 along
with Nb2-d3-f4-h5.
White's pieces, particularly his rooks, have a future. This is another way
of
saying the future belongs to White. He made progress in the game:} 19. 
Rad1 g6 20. Rd3 Kf8 21. Rg3 Kg7 22. h4 h5 23. Rg5! Ra7 24. Rd1! {The other
rook is headed for either f3 or g3 . Black was able to temporarily
delay him with} 24. ... Qa8 25. Qf4 Qc6 26. Rd3 Raa8 27. Nb2 Rh6 28. Rf3 D
{It's far from the finish but the difference in rooks ensures that White 
will be
the one making threats for the foreseeable future. The beginning of the 
end was} 28. ... Rf8 29. Qd2 Qe4 30. Nd3 Ra8 ( 30. ... Qxh4? 31. Rf4 Qxg5 
32. Rxf7+ Rxf7 33. Qxg5 h4 34. Qg4 Rf5 35. Nxc5 Nxc5 36. Qxd4 Nb7 37. c5 
+/- Nxc5 38. Qxc5 Rhh5 39. Qxa5 Rxe5 40. Qc3 Kf7 41. b4 Rhf5 42. Kf1 g5 
43. a4 Re4 44. a5 Ref4 45. Qc7+ Kf6 46. Qd8+ Ke5 47. a6 Rxf2+ 48. Kg1 h3 
49. Qh8+ Kd6 50. Qb8+ Kd5 51. Qb7+ Kc4 52. a7 Rxg2+ 53. Qxg2 hxg2 54. a8=Q
) 31. Rgg3 Rf8 ( 31. ... Nxe5? 32. Rf4 +- ) 32. Qg5 Rh7 33. Qe7 Qc6 34. 
Rxg6+! Kh8 ( 34. ... Kxg6 35. Qg5# ) 35. Rgf6! Rg7 36. Rh6+ Kg8 37. Rg3! {
Of course, other pieces can improve their positions in the middlegame or
early ending. But it is often easier to visualize the bettering of the 
rooks on each
side. And since rooks are the second-most powerful pieces, and the ones 
that
improve the most after move I 0, it pays to pay extra attention to them.} 
1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Quizes  26 - 31"]
[Black "---------page 102"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.06"]

{Quiz Answers -  page 198} 
*

[Event "RUS Team Ch"]
[Site "Tomsk RUS"]
[Date "2001.05.14"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Nevostrujev, Vladimir"]
[Black "Volzhin, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2438"]
[BlackElo "2528"]
[ECO "B19j"]
[EventDate "2001.05.13"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "8"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2001.07.03"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 
8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Ngf6 11. Bd2 e6 12. O-O-O Be7 13. Ne4 O-O 
14. Kb1 c5 15. dxc5 Nxc5 16. Nxc5 Bxc5 17. Ne5 Bxf2 18. Bb4 Re8 19. Qf3 
Qb6 20. Bc3 Bc5 D {Who does time favor and what should White do?

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

Time favors Black and his extra pawn. He has no immediate counterplay
but can offer trades ( . . . Bb4, . . . .Rad8). Therefore White should 
attack and best
is } 21. g4! ( 21. Rd7 Re7! 22. Rhd1 Nxd7 23. Nxd7 Qc7 24. Nf6+ gxf6 25. 
Qxf6 e5! =+ ) 21. ... Bf8?? ( 21. ... Re7 22. g5 Nd5 23. gxh6 Be3 24. Be1 
Rc7 25. hxg7 Bd4 26. Rxd4 ) ( 21. ... Bb4? 22. Bxb4 Qxb4 23. g5 Qe4 24. 
gxf6 Qxe5 25. Rhg1 Kh8 26. Rxg7 ) 22. g5 hxg5 23. h6 Re7 24. hxg7 Bxg7 25.
 Nc4 Qc7 26. Bxf6 Qc6 1-0

[Event "73. Tata Steel GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2011.01.23"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2814"]
[BlackElo "2751"]
[ECO "B92g"]
[EventDate "2011.01.14"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[Opening "Sicilian"]
[Variation "Najdorf, Opovcensky variation"]
[WhiteFideId "1503014"]
[BlackFideId "2016192"]
[Annotator "Sergej Shipov"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 
8. Be3 O-O 9. g4 Be6 ( 9. ... h6 10. h4! {tato profylaxe Pripomina haseni 
pozaru benzinem. } ) 10. g5 Nfd7 {Ustup na e8 se take objevil, ale ja bych
to nazahral ani pro hrozbou zastreleni. } 11. h4 ( 11. Qd2 a5 12. a4 Na6 
13. Nd5 Bxd5 14. exd5 Nac5 15. Nxc5 Nxc5 16. h4 Qc8 17. Bb5 Bd8 18. Qe2 
Bb6 19. O-O-O Nb3+ 20. Kb1 Nd4 21. Bxd4 Bxd4 22. c3 Bc5 23. Bd3 f5 24. 
gxf6 Rxf6 25. Qe4 Rh6 26. f4 {Dolmatov - Ljubojevic,Madrid 1988 } ) 
11. ... Nb6 ( 11. ... b5 12. Bg4 Nc5 13. Bxe6 fxe6 14. g6 h6 15. Qg4 Qc8 
16. O-O-O Na4 17. Ne2 Nc6 18. Kb1 Rf6 19. Rh3 d5 20. Qh5 Bf8 21. Rf3 Rxf3 
22. Qxf3 d4 23. Bxh6! +-- ) 12. Qd2 ( 12. Nd5 N8d7 13. Qd3!? Bxd5 14. exd5
Rc8 15. Nd2! f5 16. gxf6 Nxf6 17. c4 += ) ( 12. f4!? exf4 13. Bxf4 Nc6 14.
 Nd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 Ne5 16. Qd4 Rc8 17. O-O-O Nbc4 18. Nd2 b5 19. Nxc4 Nxc4
20. Bd3 {Dolmatov - Ye Jiangchuan, Shenjan 1999 } ) 12. ... N8d7 ( 12. ...
 a5 13. a4 Nc6 14. O-O-O Nb4 15. f4! ) 13. f4 ( 13. O-O-O Rc8 14. Kb1 Nc4 
15. Bxc4 Rxc4 16. f3 Qc7 17. h5 Rc8 18. g6 fxg6 19. hxg6 hxg6 20. Nd5 Qd8 
21. c3 {Utok cerneho uvizl ve slepe ulicce a utok bileho pokracuje. } 
21. ... R4c6 22. Rdg1 Nf8 23. f4 exf4 24. Nxf4 {a brzy byl cerny rozdrcen,
 Rodgers - Huebner, Welington 1988 } ) 13. ... exf4 {Pustit duleziteho 
pesce na f5 je smrtici. } 14. Bxf4 Ne5 15. O-O-O {Vyvin ukoncen. Zbyva Kb1
a do boje. } 15. ... Rc8 16. Kb1 {Patri k dobremu tonu v sicilske. Pozdeji
se ukaze, ze bily se vyhne problemu. Napriklad vzeti c2 damou je pouze 
sach a ne mat. Neni neprijemnostina diagonale c1-h6.} 16. ... Qc7 ( 
16. ... Nbc4 17. Qd4! ) 17. h5 ( 17. Qd4 ) ( 17. Rh2 ) ( 17. Nd4 Nbc4! 18.
 Bxc4 Nxc4 19. Qd3 Qb6 20. Nb3 ) 17. ... Rfe8 D {White wants to push his 
g-pawn but preparation is in order. He might
consider 18 ..Qe3 , followed by  ..,Qg3 . Or perhaps or  Nd4 or Rdg l . 
What else?

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

White played} ( 17. ... Nbc4 18. Bxc4 Nxc4 19. Qd3 a5! ) 18. Ka1! {
Although the king seems safe on b1 , he had two
reasons to spend a tempo on another security move.
First, if White's queen leaves the second rank, which seems likely if his
kingside attack gains speed, he wants to move his knight from c3 - such as
to
d5 - without allowing . . . Qxc2 with check.} ( 18. Qe3 Nec4 19. Qg3? ( 
19. Bxc4 Nxc4 20. Qg3 Na3+ 21. Kc1 Nb5 ) 19. ... Nxb2 20. Kxb2 Qxc3+ 21. 
Qxc3 Na4+ -/+ ) ( 18. Na5! {vypada dobre, aby privital hosty na c4. } 
18. ... Nbd7 19. Nb3 Nb6 20. h6 Nbc4 21. Bxc4 Nxc4 22. Qd4 Bf8 23. Rd3 g6 
24. Rf1 b5 25. Qf2 b4 26. Nd5 Bxd5 27. exd5 Re4 28. Rd4 Rxd4 29. Qxd4 Nb6 
) ( 18. Qe1 Nbc4 19. Bxc4 Bxc4 20. Qf2 b5 21. h6 g6 22. Nd5 Bxd5 23. exd5 
Bf8 24. Rhf1 Nc4 25. Nd4 Qc5 26. Qf3 Rc7 += ) ( 18. Nd4 Nbc4 19. Bxc4 Nxc4
20. Qd3 Qb6 21. Nb3 Qd8 22. Qg3 ) 18. ... Bf8 ( 18. ... Nbc4 19. Bxc4 Nxc4
20. Qd3 b5 21. Nd5 Bxd5 22. exd5 Nb6 23. c3 +/- ) 19. Nd4! {was strong. } 
19. ... Qc5 ( {The difference is that} 19. ... Nec4 20. Bxc4 Nxc4 21. Qd3 
Qb6 22. Bc1! {and the attack rolls on. (In the game, Black preferred Qc5} 
) 20. g6! Nec4 ( 20. ... fxg6 21. hxg6 Nxg6? 22. Nxe6 Rxe6 23. Bg4 {bily 
ziska kvalitu. } ) 21. Bxc4 ( 21. Qd3? Nxb2 22. Kxb2 Qxc3+ 23. Qxc3 Na4+ {
atd. } ) 21. ... Nxc4 22. Qd3 fxg6?! ( 22. ... b5 23. gxh7+ Kh8 24. h6! g6
25. Nxe6 fxe6 ( 25. ... Rxe6 26. Nd5 Ne5 27. Qf1 {s tlakem na f7 } ) 26. 
e5! Nxe5 27. Bxe5+ Qxe5 28. Qxg6 Be7 29. Ne4 d5 30. Rdg1 dxe4 31. Qg7+ 
Qxg7 32. hxg7# ) ( 22. ... h6! {ospravedlnuje postaveni strelce na f8, 
ktery je zakladem obrany pescu. } ) 23. hxg6 ( 23. Nxe6 Rxe6 24. Qh3! Rce8
25. hxg6 h6 26. Nd5 {bila dama miri pres f5 na f7 } 26. ... Rxg6 27. Qf5 
Ree6 28. Rdf1! {a cerny musi obetovat kvalitu na f6 } ) 23. ... h6 24. Qg3
( 24. Nxe6 Rxe6 25. Qh3 Rxg6 26. Nd5 +- ) 24. ... Qb6 25. Bc1 Qa5?! ( 
25. ... Ne5 ) 26. Rdf1 Ne5 ( 26. ... Qe5 27. Qf2! Rc7 28. Bxh6! gxh6 29. 
Nxe6 Qxe6 30. Nd5 Bg7 31. Nxc7 Bxb2+ 32. Kb1 Qe5 33. Qf7+ Kh8 34. Qh7# ) 
27. Nd5 Bxd5 28. exd5 Qxd5 29. Bxh6 gxh6 30. g7 Be7 ( 30. ... Bxg7 31. Nf5
Rc7 32. Nxh6+ Kh7 33. Ng4+ Kg8 34. Nf6+ +-- ) 31. Rxh6 Nf7 32. Qg6! {
Magnus je nemilosrdny. Utok vede bleskove a vyjimecne presne. } 32. ... 
Nxh6 33. Qxh6 Bf6 34. Qh8+ Kf7 35. g8=Q+ Rxg8 36. Qxf6+ Ke8 37. Re1+ 1-0

[Event "39. Olympiad women"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"]
[Date "2010.09.25"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Foisor, Cristina-Adela"]
[Black "Hoang, Thanh Trang"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2395"]
[BlackElo "2482"]
[ECO "A96"]
[EventDate "2010.09.21"]
[WhiteTitle "IM"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[Opening "English"]
[Variation "Anglo-Dutch defense"]
[Board "3.1"]
[WhiteTeam "ROU"]
[BlackTeam "HUN"]
[WhiteFideId "1200496"]
[BlackFideId "12400149"]
[EventType "team"]

1. c4 f5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 e6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. d4 Ne4 8. 
Qc2 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Nc6 10. Rd1 Qe8 11. e3 e5 12. d5 Nd8 13. c5 b6 14. c6 Qh5
15. a4 a5 16. Ba3 Nf7 17. Re1 g5 18. Qd1 g4 19. Nd2 e4 20. c4 Bf6 21. Ra2 
Ng5 22. Qb3 Nf3+ 23. Bxf3 gxf3 24. Kh1 Be5 25. Rg1 Rf6 26. Nf1 Ba6 27. Bb2
Re8 28. Bxe5 Rxe5 29. Rd2 Qh3 30. Rd4 D {Is time on Black's side and what 
can she do?

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

Black can win with . . . Rh6 followed by . . . f4 and . . . Reh5, to set 
up a
mating combination with . . . Qxh2+!
That takes some preparation since a premature .. . f4 allowed gxf4 with
check.
White's pieces are so restrained that Black could take her time, even if 
she
wasted time:} 30. ... Kf7! ( 30. ... f4 31. exf4 ( 31. gxf4+ Rg6 ) 31. ...
 Rh5 32. g4 Rh4 ) ( 30. ... Re7! 31. Qb1 Rg6 32. Qc2 Rh6 33. Qb1 Rg7 34. 
Qc2 Rg5 ) 31. Qc2 Rg6 32. Qb1 Ke7 33. Qc2 Kd8 34. Qc1 Kc8 35. Qc2 Kb8 36. 
Qc1 Ka7 37. Qb1 Kb8?! 38. Qc2 Rh6! 39. Qc1 Ka8 40. Qd2 f4! D 41. g4 ( 41. 
gxf4 Reh5 ) 41. ... Rg5 0-1

[Event "Hoogovens"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "1983.01.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Seirawan, Yasser"]
[Black "Van der Wiel, John T H"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2600"]
[BlackElo "2530"]
[ECO "A34"]
[EventDate "1983.01.??"]
[PlyCount "100"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "12"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SYR"]
[BlackTeamCountry "THA"]

1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 c5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 b6 5. e4 Bb7 6. Qe2 Nc6 7. Bg2 d6 8. 
O-O Be7 9. Rd1 Nd4 10. Nxd4 cxd4 11. Nb5 e5 D {White seems to have a lead 
in development but l d3 or l f4 doesn't exploit
it. Any other ideas?

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

The only way to try to exploit White's lead in development is tactically.
That means} 12. Nxd4! exd4 13. e5! Bxg2 ( 13. ... dxe5 14. Bxb7 Rb8 15. 
Bc6+ ) 14. exf6 Bb7 15. Qxe7+ ( 15. fxe7 Qxe7 16. Qxe7+ Kxe7 17. b3 += ) 
15. ... Qxe7 16. fxe7 Kxe7 17. b3 Rhe8 18. Bb2 d3 19. Bxg7 Kd7 20. Rdc1 
Bf3 21. Rc3 Be2 22. Bd4 Re4 23. Be3 Rg8 24. f3 Rh4 25. Kg2 f5 26. f4 Rhg4 
27. Kf2 ( 27. b4! Re8 28. Kf2 Rc8 29. a4 h5 30. a5 h4 31. axb6 hxg3+ 32. 
hxg3 axb6 33. Bxb6 Rcg8 34. Rg1 Rb8 35. c5 dxc5 36. Bxc5 ) 27. ... h5 28. 
Rg1 h4 29. Bd4 R4g6 30. Rcc1 Rh6 31. gxh4 Rxg1 32. Rxg1 Rxh4 33. Rg7+ Ke6 
34. Be3 Rh3 35. Ke1 Rf3 36. Rg1 d5 37. h4 d4 38. Bxd4 Rxf4 39. Bf2 Re4 40.
 Rg7? ( 40. Rg8 Kf7 41. Rd8 Bf3+ 42. Kf1 = ) 40. ... f4 41. Rxa7?? ( 41. 
Rg6+ Ke7 42. Rg5 ) 41. ... Bg4+ 42. Kf1 Re2 43. Ra6 Rxd2 44. c5 Kf5 45. 
cxb6 Ke4 46. Ra4+ Kf3 47. Rxf4+ Kxf4 48. b7 Rd1+ 49. Be1 Rxe1+ 50. Kxe1 
Ke3 0-1

[Event "ROM Team Ch"]
[Site "Sovata"]
[Date "2003.05.05"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Atalik, Suat"]
[Black "Negulescu, Adrian"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2568"]
[BlackElo "2452"]
[ECO "A41g"]
[EventDate "2003.04.30"]
[Annotator "Atalik"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "ROM"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.09.25"]

1. d4 d6 {IM Negulescu's new favorite defence.} 2. Nf3 Bg4 3. c4 c6 {A 
weird move.} 4. Nc3 Bxf3 {Even weirder.} ( {Sturua's} 4. ... Nd7 5. e4 e5 
6. Be2 Be7 7. d5 Ngf6 8. Be3 += {is looking to me like more logical.} ) 5.
 exf3 e6 6. d5 {The natural reaction.I felt like I should not allow him to
close the game with d5.} 6. ... exd5 7. cxd5 c5?! {IM Negulescu's risky 
play continues.} ( 7. ... Nf6 8. Qb3 Qb6 ( 8. ... Qc7 9. Bc4 ) 9. Be3 Qxb3
10. axb3 a6 11. b4 Nxd5 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. b5 =/& ) 8. Bb5+ Nd7 9. O-O a6? 
{Neglecting the development big time!} ( 9. ... Be7 10. Re1 Nf6 11. Qe2 a6
( 11. ... O-O? 12. Qxe7 Re8 13. Qxd8 {is possible due to pin on the last 
rank black can not deliver a chekmate.} ) 12. Bxd7+ Qxd7 13. Bg5 ( 13. b4 
O-O ) 13. ... Kf8 +/- ) 10. Bxd7+ Qxd7 D {What should White do?

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

If he can castle and find a good square for his bishop, Black will have
the better game. White needs to act now and his most promising is 1 b4! , 
to
create a queenside target.
After} 11. b4!! {Black was already in dire straits but this is a real blow
for him.} ( 11. Re1+! Be7 12. Bf4 Rd8 ) 11. ... cxb4 {Black takes the 
gauntlet, he feels like at least he binges on some material.} ( 11. ... 
O-O-O 12. bxc5 dxc5 13. Bf4 Bd6 ( 13. ... Qf5 14. Qa4 Ne7 15. Rfd1 Ng6 16.
 Bg3 Bd6 17. Ne4 Bxg3 18. hxg3 +- ) 14. Na4 +- ) ( 11. ... Be7?! 12. bxc5 
dxc5 13. Bf4 g5 14. Be5 f6 15. Bg3 h5 16. h3 Rd8 17. Qc2 h4 18. Bh2 Kf7 
19. Rad1 +- ) 12. Na4 Qb5?! ( {He has strong chances, e.g.} 12. ... Qc7 {
is trickier.} 13. Re1+ ( 13. Be3 b5 14. Nb6 Rb8 15. Rc1 Qd8 16. Re1 Be7 
17. Qd4 Bf6 18. Bg5+! ( 18. Qxb4 Ne7 19. a4 O-O 20. axb5 axb5 21. Qxb5 Nc8
+= ) 18. ... Kf8 19. Bxf6 Nxf6 20. Rc6 +/- ) 13. ... Be7 ( 13. ... Ne7 14.
 Bf4 ) 14. Bb2 Kf8 15. Rc1 Qa5 16. Qd4 Bf6 17. Nb6! +- ) ( 12. ... Qd8!? 
13. Re1+ Ne7 14. Be3 b5 15. Nb6 Rb8 16. Qd4 f6 17. a4 Kf7 18. axb5 axb5 
19. Ra7 +- ) 13. Be3! {Wins easily but not the only way to finish the 
game.} ( 13. Bb2 Ne7 14. Re1 Kd7 15. Qb3 Re8 16. Re4 a5 17. Rae1 +- ) 
13. ... Nf6 14. Nb6 Rb8 ( 14. ... Rd8 15. a4 Qa5 16. Re1 Be7 17. Bd4 Nxd5 
18. Bxg7 Nxb6 19. Bxh8 +- ) 15. a4! {Black's queen is in trouble.Bad 
opening play by my opponent decided the result too early.} 15. ... Qa5 ( 
15. ... bxa3 16. Rb1 Qa5 17. Bd2 Qc5 18. Qa4+ Kd8 19. Rfc1 +- {The trap is
closed and there ain't no way out for black.} ) 16. Re1 Be7 17. Bd4 +- O-O
{He gives up too early,but what to do?He has to be critical on his early 
mistakes.} ( 17. ... Kd8 18. Nc4 Qxd5 19. Bxf6 +- ) ( 17. ... Kf8 18. Qe2 
Re8 19. Rac1! h5 20. Rc8 +- ) ( 17. ... Nxd5 18. Bxg7 Nxb6 19. Qxd6 +- ) 
18. Rxe7 Nxd5 19. Nxd5 Qxd5 20. Ba7 Qxd1+ ( 20. ... Qg5 21. Bxb8 Qxe7 22. 
Bxd6 +- ) 21. Rxd1 Rfe8 22. Rxe8+?! {Too relaxed!} ( 22. Bxb8 Rxe7 23. 
Bxd6 Rd7 24. Rc1! h5 25. Bxb4 +- {wins quicker.} ) 22. ... Rxe8 23. Kf1 
Re5 24. Rxd6 h5 25. Rb6 a5 26. Rxb7 Kf8 27. f4 ( {Blacks a and b pawns 
tandem is going nowhere after} 27. Rb5 Rxb5 28. axb5 b3 29. Bd4 Ke7 30. 
Ke2 a4 31. Kd3 +- ) 27. ... Rd5 28. Ke2 {Adrian stopped the clock.} 1-0

[Event "Candidates sf1"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Karpov, Anatoly"]
[Black "Jussupow, Artur"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2755"]
[BlackElo "2610"]
[ECO "D57"]
[EventDate "1989.10.??"]
[Annotator "Jussupow"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "8"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 Ne4 8. 
Bxe7 Qxe7 9. cxd5 Nxc3 10. bxc3 exd5 11. Qb3 Rd8 12. c4 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Nc6 
14. Qc3 {14.Be2} 14. ... Bg4 15. O-O Bxf3 16. gxf3 Qf6 17. Be2 Rac8! = {
N;/\Ne7,c5} 18. Rab1 ( 18. Rfb1 b6 19. Ba6?! Qxf3 20. Bb7 ( 20. Bxc8!? 
Rxc8 -/+ ) 20. ... Rd6 21. Bxc8 Rg6+ 22. Kf1 Rg2 23. Qc2 ( 23. Qb2 Rxh2 
24. Ke1 Rh1+ 25. Kd2 Qxf2+ 26. Kd3 Qxb2 27. Rxb2 Rxa1 -+ ) 23. ... Rxh2 
24. Ke1 Qh1+ 25. Ke2 Rxf2+ 26. Kxf2 {26.Kd3 Ne5 27.de Qd5-+} 26. ... Qh2+ 
27. Kf3 Qxc2 28. Rc1 Qg6 -+ ) ( 18. Kh1!? Ne7 19. Rac1 = {/\Rg1,Qc5} ) 
18. ... b6 19. Rfc1 ( 19. Ba6 Qxf3 20. Bxc8 Rxc8 21. Rfc1 Ne7 =/& {B|^} ) 
19. ... Ne7 20. Kh1 {20.Ba6 Nd5!?|^} 20. ... Rd5!? ( 20. ... c5 21. dxc5 
Qxc3 22. Rxc3 Rd2 23. Ba6 ( 23. cxb6? Rxc3 24. bxa7 Rxa2 -+ {24...Ra3} ) 
23. ... Rxc5 24. Rxc5 bxc5 25. Rb8+ Kh7 26. Rb7 Nf5 {26...Ng6!?} 27. Rxf7 
Nh4 28. h3 Rxf2 29. Kg1 Rxa2 30. Bd3+ Kg8 31. Bc4 N ) 21. Qc2?! ( 21. f4? 
c5 22. Bf3 {22.dc Rc5 23.Qe1 Qc6-+} 22. ... cxd4 23. Qxc8+ Nxc8 -+ ) ( 21.
 Qe1 c5 =+ ) 21. ... Qh4! =+ D {><f2

Black's last two moves were . . . Rd5 and . . . Qh4. What does that mean 
to White?

-----------

The trend is running against White because Black has threats of . . . Qxf2
and . . . Rh5 . If White defends with routine moves, such as Bf1 Rh5 2 h3,
Black will increase the pressure, e.g. 2 . . . c5.
White chose} 22. f4!! ( 22. Bf1 Rh5 23. h3 c5 24. Qe4 Qxf2 25. Rc2 {25. 
Qe7 Rg5-+} 25. ... Qh4 -/+ ) ( 22. Qe4 Qxf2 23. Rc2 {23.Qe7? Rh5-+} 
23. ... Rh5 24. Qh7+ {24.Qf4 Nd5!-+} 24. ... Kf8! 25. Qh8+ Ng8 -+ ) 
22. ... Qxf2 23. Bg4! {To maintain his extra pawn Black had to play} 
23. ... Qxc2 {23...Qe3? 24.Re1 Qf4 25.Bc8 Qf3 26.Qg2 Qg2 27.Kg2 Nc8 
28.Re8+-} 24. Rxc2 f5 {but then came} 25. Bf3 Rd7 {25...Rd6? 26.Bb7 ><c7} 
26. Rbc1 {with enough pressure to reach a drawable endgame} 26. ... Nd5 
27. Bxd5+ Rxd5 28. Rxc7 Rxc7 29. Rxc7 Ra5 30. d5! {30.Rc2 Ra3 31.Re2 
Kf7-/+_|_} 30. ... Kf8!? ( 30. ... Rxd5 31. Rxa7 Rd3 32. Rb7 Rxe3 33. Kg2!
=+ {33.Rb6? Re4-/+} ) 31. d6 Ke8 32. Rxg7 Rxa2 33. Kg1?! ( 33. Rb7! = Kd8 
34. Kg1 Kc8 35. Rc7+ Kb8? 36. e4 fxe4 37. f5 Rd2 38. f6 Rxd6 39. f7 Rg6+ 
40. Kh1 Rf6 41. Re7 a5 42. Re8+ Kb7 43. f8=Q Rxf8 44. Rxf8 a4 45. Kg2 b5 {
45...a3 46.Rf1 b5 47.Rb1} 46. Kf2 +- ) 33. ... a5 34. Re7+? -+ ( 34. Rb7 
Rb2 35. e4 fxe4 36. f5 Rd2 37. Rxb6 e3 38. Rb3 Rxd6 39. Rxe3+ Kf7 =+ ) 
34. ... Kd8 35. e4 fxe4 36. Rb7 {36.f5 Rd2-+} 36. ... e3 37. Kf1 a4 ( 
37. ... Rxh2 38. Rxb6 Rf2+ {38.. .a4!?} 39. Ke1 Rxf4 -/+ ) 38. Rxb6 a3? = 
( 38. ... Rxh2 39. Ra6 {39.f5 Rf2 40. Ke1 Rf5 /\Ra5-+} 39. ... Rf2+ 40. 
Ke1 Rxf4 -+ ) 39. Ra6 Rf2+ 40. Ke1 a2 41. f5 Kd7 {41. ..Rh2 42.f6 Rh1? 
43.Ke2 a1Q 44.Ra1 Ra1 45.f7+-} 42. f6 Ke6 43. Ra8 Kxd6 44. f7 Rxf7 45. 
Rxa2 Ke5 46. Ra6 {Artur Yusupov} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chapter 6 - Winnability"]
[Black "... page 105"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.06"]

{Winnability

Any experienced player can figure out when he has an advantage, 
particularly a big advantage. A master knows when his advantage is big 
enough.

Enough to win. When a position is that good, a master knows that he 
doesn't
have to look for elaborate plans or to calculate risk-taking variations. 
He should
be able to win with relatively simple moves, especially one-move and 
two-move
threats, and simple precautions to eliminate counterplay.} 
*

[Event "73. Tata Steel GMB"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2011.01.29"]
[Round "12"]
[White "McShane, Luke J"]
[Black "So, Wesley"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2664"]
[BlackElo "2673"]
[ECO "B12m"]
[EventDate "2011.01.14"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[Opening "Caro-Kann"]
[Variation "advance variation"]
[WhiteFideId "404853"]
[BlackFideId "5202213"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h5 5. c4 e6 6. Nc3 Nd7 7. Nge2 dxc4 8. 
Ng3 Nb6 9. Be2 Bg6 10. Bg5 Be7 11. Nge4 f6 12. Bf4 Nd5 13. Bg3 Qb6 14. O-O
Nxc3 15. Nxc3 Qxb2 16. Bxc4 Qxc3 17. Rc1 Qb2 18. Bxe6 Rd8 19. d5 fxe5 20. 
Re1 Bf6 21. Re2 Qa3 22. Bxe5 Bxe5 23. Rxe5 Kf8 24. Qe1 Qd6 25. Bxg8 Kxg8 
26. Re6 Qxd5 27. Rxg6 Rh6 28. Rxh6 gxh6 29. Qe3 D {
After the game, White was surprised to find that his computer claimed he
was only slightly better here. He knew the evaluation must be wrong. 
Black's
weak king is what matters most, by far.
Aside from the immediate threat of Qxh6, White can make solid progress
with straightforward ideas such as Rc5-e5 followed by Re7 or Re6. Once his
rook penetrates, Black's situation should be hopeless.
Black understood this, too, so he seized the initiative with} 29. ... Rd7 
( 29. ... b6 30. Qxh6 Rd6 31. Qf4 Qd2 = ) 30. Qxh6 Rg7 31. g3 Qd4 {with 
another threat,
32 . . . Rxg3+.
However, it should be easy to see that White doesn't have enough
weaknesses to enable Black to keep making threats. Black, on the other 
hand,
has plenty of weaknesses and that's why White has a won game.} ( 31. ... 
Re7 32. Qg6+ Kf8 33. Qc2 Kg7 ) 32. Qe6+ Rf7 33. Qe2 Kg7 34. Rf1 Kg6? ( 
34. ... c5! 35. Qxh5 c4 36. Qg5+ Kh7 37. h5 ) 35. Rd1! Qf6 ( 35. ... Rxf2 
36. Qe8+ +- ) 36. Qe3 b6 37. Rd4 Re7? ( 37. ... Kh7 38. Qd2 Qf3 ) ( 
37. ... Kg7 38. Qd2 Qf5 39. Rd6 Rf6 40. Rd7+ Rf7 41. Qc3+ Qf6 42. Qxf6+ 
Kxf6 43. Rd6+ Ke5 44. Rxc6 Kd4 += ) 38. Qd3+ Kg7 39. Rf4 {This was more 
than a case of 'just moving around' in a superior position.
White had a general plan of getting his rook closer to the Black king, 
ideally to
g5 .} 39. ... Qe6 40. Rf5 Rf7?? ( 40. ... Rf7?? 41. Rg5+ Kh6 42. Qd1! +-- 
) ( 40. ... Qd7 41. Rg5+ Kf8 42. Qf3+ Rf7 43. Qxh5 ) 1-0

[Event "Alushta Summer 4th"]
[Site "Alushta UKR"]
[Date "2004.06.18"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Kovalev, Andrei"]
[Black "Kuznetsov, Viktor2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2557"]
[BlackElo "2375"]
[ECO "B31h"]
[EventDate "2004.06.17"]

1. e4 {A master is able to win more often because he has a better 
understanding of
what it takes to win. He sees winning potential in positions that other 
players -
even computers - think are only mildly favorable. A master also rejects 
moves
that lead to positions that are favorable - but not favorable enough.
Most of all, a master has a better sense of when to trade pieces when he 
has
an advantage. This is critical when a player faces a choice of whether to
liquidate a very good position or press for a better one.} 1. ... c5 2. 
Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Qa4 O-O 7. d4 cxd4 8. cxd4 Nxe4 
9. d5 Nc5 10. Qa3 Qb6 11. Nc3 Nd4 12. Nxd4 Bxd4 13. Bh6 Bg7 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 
15. b4 Ne4 16. Nxe4 Qxb5 17. Qc3+ f6 18. d6 e6 19. a4 Qd5 20. f3 b5 21. 
Rfd1 Qb7 22. Nc5 Qb8 23. a5 a6 D {White has what annotators like to call a
queenside bind. It's not a winning
position and there are no indefensible Black weaknesses. White 's pieces 
are
simply much better placed than Black's.
But there's some urgency. Black can unravel by means of ... Rf7 and . . . 
.Rb7.
Then he threatens to consolidate with . . . .Bd5 and even grab a second 
pawn,
... Qxd6. Given time, Black is winning.
} 24. g4! ( {
White can foil that by taking the bishop on b7 and penetrating at c7 with 
his heavy pieces. For example
} 24. Rac1 Rf7 25. Qe3 Bb7 {A bit of inspection shows that White can't 
improve his position further with
quiet moves. This means} 26. Nxb7! Qxb7 27. Rc7 Qb8 {Each of these lines 
looks very good for him and he would likely end up a
pawn or so ahead in an endgame. But is it good enough?
Maybe not. As promising as these lines are, a master would be at least a 
little
apprehensive about heading into a mere pawn-up endgame.
Why? Because White's earlier position was simply too good to sell cheaply.
It was the kind of position you can win in the middlegame.
White wanted more than an endgame and found it on the kingside. Back at
the first diagram he detected a target at f6 and played} ) 24. ... g5? ( 
24. ... Rf7! 25. g5 Kg8 26. Ne4 fxg5 27. Nf6+ Rxf6 28. Qxf6 Qa7+ 29. Kg2 
Bb7 30. Qxg5 Rf8 31. Rd3 Qa8 32. Raa3 Bd5 33. Rac3 Bc4 34. Rd2 Rf5 35. Qe7
Rf7 36. Qg5 Rf5 = ) 25. h4! gxh4? 26. g5 Rf7 27. gxf6+ Kf8 28. Kf2 +-- Bb7
29. Qe3 Bc6 30. Qg5 h6 31. Qxh6+ Ke8 32. Qg6 1-0

[Event "Moscow ol (Men)"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Leko, Peter"]
[Black "San Segundo Carrillo, Pablo"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2555"]
[BlackElo "2485"]
[ECO "B33l"]
[EventDate "1994.11.01"]
[Annotator "Gagarin"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

{page 108} 
1. e4 {Horvath,T} 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6.
 Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qd8 12. c4!? (
12. Nxf6+ Qxf6 13. Bd3 ( 13. c4 ) ) 12. ... Nxe4 13. cxb5 Be6 14. Bc4 Ne7 
15. O-O!? ( 15. Be3 Rc8! ( 15. ... Qa5+?! 16. Ke2 Rc8 17. Qd3! ( 17. Bb6? 
Qxa3! 18. bxa3 Rxc4 =/& ( 18. ... Bxd5!? â†‘ ) ) ( 17. Rc1? Nxd5 18. Bxd5 
Rxc1 19. Bxc1 Qxa3! 20. Bc6+ Bd7 {Zapata,A-Ochoa de 
Echaguen,F/Habana/1983/0:1/28/} 21. bxa3 Nc3+ 22. Kf3 Nxd1 23. Bxd7+ Kxd7 
24. Rxd1 axb5 -+ ) 17. ... Bxd5 18. Bxd5 Nc5 19. Bxc5 Rxc5 20. Bb3 d5 21. 
Rhc1 +/- {Kruppa,Y-Vyzmanavin,A/Irkutsk/1986/1:0/38/} ) 16. Nb6 ( 16. Nxe7
!? ) ( 16. Bb6!? {Sveshnikov/} ) 16. ... d5! 17. Qa4!? ( 17. Nxc8 Nxc8 18.
 Bb3 ( 18. O-O? Bxa3 19. bxa3 dxc4 20. Qxd8+ Kxd8 21. bxa6 Kc7 -+ {Gobet, 
F-Kasparov,G/Luzern(simult)/1987/0:1/34/} ) 18. ... Qa5+ 19. Kf1 Bxa3 20. 
bxa3 O-O =/& ) 17. ... dxc4 18. Rd1 Nd5 â–¡ 19. bxa6+ Bd7! 20. Nxd7 Bb4+ 
21. Kf1 Qxd7 â–¡ 22. Qxd7+ Kxd7 23. Rxd5+ Ke6 24. Rb5! Bxa3 â–¡ 25. bxa3 
Nc3! 26. Rb6+ Kd7! 27. a7 Nd5 28. Rb7+ Ke6 = {
Yudasin,L-Vyzmanavin,A/URS(ch I) Lvov/1987/0,5/28/} ) 15. ... Bxd5! ( 
15. ... Nxd5? 16. Bxd5 Bxd5 17. Ba5! Qxa5 18. Qxd5 Rc8 19. Qxe4 +/- {
Kupreichik,V-Nikcevic,N/Cattolica/1992/1:0/28/} ) 16. Bxd5 ( 16. Ba5! {
Horvath,T} 16. ... Qxa5 17. Bxd5 Rd8 18. Bxe4 d5 19. Bd3 Ng6 20. Nc2 Be7 
21. Qe1! +/- {Fernandez,Garcia-Antunes/Expo/1992} ) 16. ... Nxd5 17. Ba5 
Ndc3! ( 17. ... Qxa5? 18. Qxd5 +/- ) 18. Bxc3 Nxc3 19. bxc3 Be7? ( 19. ...
 d5! 20. Nc2 ( 20. Qa4 {Horvath,T} 20. ... Bxa3 21. b6+! +/- ) 20. ... 
axb5 21. Ne3 ( 21. Qe2 Be7 22. Qxe5 O-O = ) 21. ... Ba3 22. Nxd5 O-O = ) 
20. Qb3 +/- Rb8 21. c4 d5 ( 21. ... O-O 22. Rfd1 +/- {>< d5/} ( 22. Rfd1 {
Horvath,T} 22. ... Qa5 23. Rd5! +/- ) ) 22. cxd5 O-O 23. Rfd1 Bxa3 24. 
Qxa3 Rxb5 ( 24. ... axb5 25. d6 +/- ( 25. d6 {Horvath,T} 25. ... Qd7 +- ) 
) 25. d6 Qa5 ( 25. ... Ra5 26. Qe3 Qd7 27. Qc3 Qd8 28. Rac1 e4 29. Qc4 +/-
) 26. Qf3! ( 26. Qxa5?! Rxa5 27. d7 Rd8 28. Rac1 Kf8 {/\ Ke7/} ) 26. ... 
Rd8 27. d7 Rc5 28. Rab1 h6 ( 28. ... Qxa2? 29. Qa8 Qa5 30. Rb8 +- ) 29. h3
Rc4 ( 29. ... Qxa2? 30. Rb8! Rxb8 ( 30. ... Qa5 31. Qa8 +- ) 31. d8=Q+ 
Rxd8 32. Rxd8+ Kh7 33. Qf5+ g6 34. Qf6 +- ) ( 29. ... Rc7 {Horvath,T} 30. 
Rb8 Rxb8 ( 30. ... Ra7 31. Rxd8+ Qxd8 32. Qc6 +- ) 31. d8=Q+ Rxd8 32. 
Rxd8+ Kh7 33. Qf5+ g6 34. Qf6 +- ) 30. Rd5 Qc7 31. Rbd1 Rc1 32. g3 Qc6 33.
 Rxc1 Qxc1+ 34. Kg2 Qc2 35. a3 Qc6 36. Qd3 Qb6 37. Kg1 Qe6 38. h4 e4 39. 
Qd4 Kh7 40. a4 Kg8 41. a5! Kh7 42. Kh2 g6 ( 42. ... Kg8 {Horvath,T} 43. 
Rd6 Qe7 ) 43. Rd6 Qf5 44. Rf6 Qxd7 45. Qxe4 {/\ Ra6, /\ h5/} 45. ... h5 
46. Rxa6 {Winnability

How does a master assess winnability? There are several factors including

(a) the material situation, 

(b) the positional plusses and 

(c) how close the

position is to an endgame.
If it's pretty close - so that a trade of one pair of pieces will reach a 
bookish
endgame position - then experience or textbook learning should give you a
fairly accurate evaluation. This is where knowing basic endgame principles
will
count.} 46. ... Qd5 D {Black has just offered a trade of queens with . . .
Qd5 . Should White accept
the invitation?
To be absolutely certain about the wisdom of 1 Qxd5 you'd have to know
some subtle endgame theory.
You would know that White has excellent chances in a rook ending if his
extra pawn were a b-pawn. But with an a-pawn, theory says Black would have
to make some serious errors to lose.
However, you don't have to memorize pages of book. A master would
recognize that any endgame like this - with a single, extra pawn that is 
passed
and on the queenside - is difficult to win when White's rook is in front 
of, rather
than behind, the pawn. That would tell White to avoid 1 Qxd5?.
He played} 47. Qf4! {This (a) avoids the drawish rook endgame, (b) 
protects
the only potential target for Black and (c), watches his own target at f7}
47. ... Kg8 {White connected his heavy pieces} ( 47. ... Qb5 48. Qxf7+ ) 
48. Rf6 Kg7 ( 48. ... Qxa5 49. Rxf7 +- {/\ Qf6, /\ Rc7/} ) 49. a6 Rd7 {It 
might seem that White was thinking: "I'll attack f7 and push the a-pawn
to distract him enough to win the f-pawn."
But that wasn't his idea. His goal was to improve the position of his rook
and
he succeeded so well that he has virtually a forced win beginning with} 
50. Qf3! Qc5 ( {The point is that now a queen trade is very good because 
White can get his
rook behind the a-pawn. For example} 50. ... Qxf3 51. Rxf3 +- {/\ Ra3/} ) 
51. Rc6! {The game, which seemed drawish a few moves ago, was over 
immediately:} 51. ... Qd4 52. Qc3 +- Qxc3 53. Rxc3 Rd2 54. Ra3 {What 
clinched victory was realizing how winnable the rook ending is once
White's rook gets behind the passed pawn. It didn't take lengthy 
calculation or
memorization of book positions. It was knowing the behind-the-pawn 
principle.
The vast amount of endgame theory concerns specific positions in which one
side has an extra pawn. The variations are often staggeringly difficult. 
But
what's more important is to know the general cases: When is an extra pawn
enough to win? When is a second extra pawn needed? What are the winning
piece-vs.-piece matchups?} 1-0

[Event "Linares 16th"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "1999.03.03"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Black "Svidler, Peter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2751"]
[BlackElo "2713"]
[ECO "D85s"]
[EventDate "1999.02.21"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.06.08"]

1. d4 {page 109} 1. ... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. 
bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qxa2 12. 
O-O Bg4 13. Be3 Nc6 14. d5 Na5 15. Bg5 {An attempt to make use of the pawn
position on h7} 15. ... Bxf3?! {This novelty had been probably refuted by 
Kramnik at home!} ( 15. ... Qa3 16. Bd2 Bc3 17. Bc1 Qd6 18. e5 Qd7 19. Bd2
Rfc8 ( 19. ... Bxf3 20. Bxf3 Bxd2 21. Qxd2 Nc4 22. Qe2 b5 23. e6 Qd6 24. 
exf7+ Kg7 25. Rxb5 Ne5 26. Be4 Rxf7 27. Ra5 Rf6 28. g3 a6 29. Bg2 Raf8 30.
 Kh1 h5 31. Ra4 Ng4 32. f4 e5 33. dxe6 {1/2-1/2 Kramnik,V-Ivanchuk,V/Amber
Rapid, Monte Carlo MON 1998} ) 20. Bxc3 Rxc3 21. Qd4 Bxf3 22. Bxf3 Rac8 ( 
22. ... Rc4 23. Qe3 b6 24. e6 Qd6 25. exf7+ Kg7 26. Rfe1 Rf8 27. Qxe7 Qxe7
28. Rxe7 Rxf7 {1/2-1/2 Kramnik,V-Shirov,A/8th Amber Blindfold 1999 (42)} )
23. Qxa7 Rxf3 24. gxf3 Qxd5 25. f4 Nc6 26. Qxb7 Rb8 27. Qc7 Rxb1 28. Rxb1 
Nd4 =/& {1/2-1/2 Van Wely,L-Shirov,A/Hoogovens 1999 (42)} ) 16. Bxf3 Rfe8 
17. e5!! {A typical pawn sacrifice in this type of positions. The black e5
bishop is vulnerable to tactical threats and the e7 pawn - to frontal 
attack. '!' Ftacnik.} 17. ... Nc4 {The rejection of the sacrifice looks 
like a positional capitulation but can it be taken? '?' Ftacnik. Ftacnik: 
'Black is letting the great defensive tactical chance to slip away and 
thus lands in difficult position. '} ( 17. ... Bxe5 18. Re1 ( 18. d6 {
Ftacnik} 18. ... Bxd6 ( 18. ... exd6 19. Bd5 Qa3 20. Bd2 Nc6 ( 20. ... Bc3
? 21. Qf3 +- ) 21. Rxb7 +/- ) 19. Ra1 ( 19. Bd5 Qa3 -/+ ) 19. ... Qc4 20. 
Rxa5 Bxh2+ 21. Kh1 ~ ( 21. Kxh2 Qc7+ -+ ) ) 18. ... Nc4 ( 18. ... Bd6? 19.
 Ra1 ) ( 18. ... f6? 19. d6 ( 19. Rxe5 fxe5 20. Ra1 Qb3 21. Rxa5 Qxd1+ 22.
 Bxd1 ~ ) 19. ... Kh8 20. d7 Red8 21. Rxe5 fxe5 22. Bxe7 Rxd7 23. Bf6+ Rg7
24. Bxg7+ Kxg7 25. Ra1 +- ) ( 18. ... Bc3 19. Rxe7 +/- ( 19. Rxe7 Bd4 20. 
d6 ~ ) ) 19. Rxb7 f6 20. d6! e6 21. Rxe5! Nxe5 22. Bxf6 +/- ) 18. d6 Nxe5 
19. Bd5! ( 19. Bxb7 Rab8 20. Bxe7 Bf8 {was not so strong. It is essential 
for White to lure the Black queen to a3.} ) 19. ... Qa3 ( 19. ... Qa5 20. 
Bxe7 Bf8 21. Rxb7 ) 20. Bxe7 Bf8 21. Bxb7 Bxe7 ( 21. ... Rab8 22. d7 {- 
that's the point!} ) 22. Bxa8 Bxd6 23. Bd5 {Ftacnik: 'White has won an 
exchange and the opposite colour bishops can help him to realize the 
advantage. '} 23. ... Re7 24. Kh1 {In this open position the White rook is
much stronger than the black knight but this advantage is not easy to 
convert. White prepares f2-f4-f5. '!' Ftacnik.} 24. ... h5 25. h3 Kg7 26. 
Qd2 Bc7 27. Rbd1 {Ftacnik: 'Kramnik has met all the preparations for the 
decisive push of the f pawn.'} 27. ... Nd7? D {This allows a deadly blow 
leading to a favourable endgame for White.

Black has only a pawn for the Exchange. But White lacks a pawn that could
he could try to queen. Take everything off the board but the pawns, the 
kings
and a White rook and Black bishop, and it's a possible draw.
Yet Black resigned in six moves. White accomplished that due to two
factors. The first was his tactical vision. He saw that the ' impossible' 
28 Bxf7
was possible.
After Black captures the bishop, Qxd7 ! will work. Then  . .  Rxd7 leads
to an endgame in which White has two rooks to battle the Black queen, with
an
equal number of pawns.
But calculation is only as good as the evaluation that accompanies it. The
second factor that won the game was White's realization that the endgame 
is a
win, in a fact a relatively easy one. Play went} ( 27. ... Ba5 ) ( 27. ...
 Ba5 {Ftacnik} 28. Qg5 +/- ) ( 27. ... Qd6 {Ftacnik} 28. f4 Nd7 29. Qc3+ 
Nf6 30. Bxf7 +- ) 28. Bxf7! Rxf7 29. Qxd7 Rxd7 30. Rxd7+ Kh6 31. Rxc7 D {
Two rooks are stronger than a queen especially as the black king is 
unsafe. White aimed for this because he knew the general case: Barring a
complicating factor, two rooks beat a queen if pawns are equal.
The winning plan is elementary: The rooks will double up on the a-pawn and
win it. After that, they can pick off the kingside pawns in the same way.
Black made it easy by playing
} 31. ... Qd3 {This leads to a quick loss of the a-pawn.} ( 31. ... a5 âŒ“
) 32. Kg1! {it was safe for White's rooks to win the a-pawn. It was too
late for Black to push} ( 32. Ra1 Qd4 33. Raxa7 Qxf2 ) 32. ... Qd4 33. Rc2
{34.Ra2 or 34.Ra1 is inevitable. Ftacnik: 'Black has resigned, since he 
will lose the a pawn and then he stands no chance against two rooks 
turning their attention to the pawns on the kingside.'} ( 33. Rc2 Qa4 34. 
Rcc1 Qe4 35. Ra1 Qe7 36. Rfe1 Qb4 37. Re5 h4 38. Rea5 Qd2 39. Rxa7 Qc3 40.
 R7a6 Kh5 41. R6a5+ g5 42. Ra6 Qd4 43. Re1 ) 1-0

[Event "Leningrad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1985.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Polovodin"]
[Black "Tseitlin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[EventDate "1985.??.??"]
[FEN "3q1rk1/1pp2p2/p2p1bp1/3P1b2/5P1p/2P2N1P/PP1Q1BP1/4R2K w - - 0 1"]

{The Necessary 'How'

Another important factor in assessing whether a position is favorable 
enough
is simply whether you can imagine how it would be won. But ' imagine' 
isn't the
right word. Imagination has little to do with it. It's a matter of 
visualizing a plan.

White's last moves were Be3-f2 and the maneuver of his knight from c2 to 
f3 . If his moves were words, they would say, "I'm going to win the 
h4-pawn."
But Black has a defense, 1 . . . Kg7 and 2 ... Rh8. Does White have 
another
plan?
Yes, he can go after the pawn immediately, with 1 Ng5 and 2 Bxh4. Then
Black doesn't have time to play . . . .Rh8.
But I Ng5 is a big step because I . . . Bxg5 2 fxg5 creates bishops of 
opposite
color. That might draw in an endgame, and Black can get closer to an 
ending
with 2 . . . Re8 and . . . Rxe1 +.
That makes the position in the diagram a critical moment. By playing I Ng5
White might either be throwing away a very favorable position or nailing 
down
a win.
White figured out I Ng5 Bxg5 would be a win. And it had nothing to do
with an extra pawn. He can visualize - without calculating - that once 
Black has
no dark-squared bishop, he is highly vulnerable to mating threats on the 
long
diagonal. White can't be sure - without calculating a lot - that it will 
be a forced
win. But the visualization tells him it should be close to a win.
With that in mind, play went} 
1. Ng5! Bxg5 2. fxg5 Re8 3. Bd4! D {What White had visualized, when he 
looked at 1 Ng5, were knockout plans.
One goes Bf6 followed by Qf2 and Qxh4-h8 mate. A similar one is c3-c4/Bc3 
and Qd4.

Now that the position has clarified he can calculate specific variations. 
A simple one runs 3 . . Rxe1 +? 4 Qxe Qxg5?? 5 Qe8+ and 6 Qh8 mate.
A better defense is 3 . . .Qd7 or 3 . . . Kf8, hoping to flee with the 
king. But calculation shows that 3 . . . Qd7 4 Qf2 Kf8 loses to 5 Qxh4, 
e.g. 5 . . . Rxe1 + 6 Qxe1 Qa4 7 Kh2 ( 7 . . . Qxa2? 8 Bf6 and 9 Qe7+ or 7
. . . Qc2 8 Qh4).
In the game Black set a trap with} 3. ... Be4 {After White played} 4. c4 (
4. Qf4? Bxg2+! 5. Kxg2 Rxe1 6. Qxh4 Re5! {But once you have a positionally
won game - and this i s what one looks like
- you don't need ingenuity. Precaution is usually enough. } 7. c4 ) ( 4. 
Kh2! Qd7 5. Qf4 f5 6. gxf6 Bf5 7. Qxh4 +- ) 4. ... c5? ( 4. ... Bxg2+ 5. 
Kxg2 Rxe1 6. Qxe1 Qxg5+ 7. Kh1 Kf8 ) 5. Bc3 ( 5. Bf6! Qd7 6. Kg1 Bc2 7. 
Qf2 Rxe1+ 8. Qxe1 +- ) 5. ... Qd7 6. Kg1 b5 7. Qf4 b4 8. Bf6 Bxg2 9. Qxh4 
Rxe1+ 10. Kxg2 Re2+ 11. Kg1 {'Positionally won game' is a useful cliche 
for annotators. But it means more
to a master. When he can say with confidence that he has one, he knows it 
can
be finished off with fairly simple, direct moves. He doesn't have to do a 
lot to
win. The game is already won.
A position that is merely very favorable isn't in this category. It will 
require
precision, not just precaution, as in the next example.} 1-0

[Event "URS Ch FL45"]
[Site "Baku AZE"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Bagirov, Vladimir"]
[Black "Kuzmin, Gennadi P"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2480"]
[BlackElo "2550"]
[ECO "E31m"]
[EventDate "1977.??.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bg5 c5 5. d5 h6 6. Bh4 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6 
8. e3 e5 9. Bd3 e4 10. Bc2 Nbd7 11. Ne2 Qe7 12. Ba4 O-O 13. Bxd7 Bxd7 14. 
a4 b6 15. Qc2 Bc8 16. O-O D {Black sees that he has the advantage because 
the weakest target on the board
lies at c4. If he gets to play . . . .Bxc4, White will not only be a pawn 
down, but
his d-pawn is probably doomed and his light squares may be fatally 
exposed. If
that's not a 'positionally lost game' , it's something very close to it.

A quick glance shows that if Black plays 1 . . . .Ba6, White can defend c4
with
his queen. If White's bishop were, say on d2 or a3, Black could carry out 
asimple maneuver, . . . Nd7-e5, take on c4 and win fairly easily.

But the bishop is on h4. The difference is that 1 . . . Ba6? is actually 
an error.
White can insert 2 Bxf6! and, following 2 . . . Qxf6, he can play 3 Qb3 
and bring
his knight to life at g3 . Black will still be better. But it's clearly 
not a positionally
won game.
That prompted Black to make a no-turning-back decision, similar to I Ng5 !
in the previous game. He played} 16. ... g5! 17. Bg3 Ba6 {Yes, Black's 
king position is loosened. But White is tied to the defense of c4
and can 't exploit the kingside. In fact after} 18. Qa2 Nh5! D {it is 
Black who has the
 more ominous threat on that wing of . . . f7-f5-f4. This is getting very 
close to positionally won territory. Play went} 19. Nc1? ( 19. a5! bxa5 
20. Nc1 Qf6 21. Ne2 Rab8 22. h3 ) 19. ... f5 20. Qe2 Qf7 {The threat of . 
. . f4-f3 is immediate. The tactical justification for Black's play
is that 6 Bxd6? .Rfd8 7 Be5 Rxd5 wins quickly.
White played} ( 20. ... Ng7! 21. f4 exf3 22. gxf3 f4 23. exf4 Qxe2 24. 
Nxe2 Bxc4 +- ) 21. f4 {and allowed the position to be opened} ( 21. Bxd6 
Rfd8 22. Bg3 Rxd5 23. a5 Nxg3 24. hxg3 ) 21. ... exf3 22. Rxf3 Qg6 23. a5 
f4! 24. exf4 gxf4 {now we've reached the positionally won stage.
That means Black can rely on fairly routine moves. The rest was} 25. Bf2 
Rae8 26. Qf1 Re4 27. axb6 Bxc4 28. Qd1 axb6 29. Ra4 b5 30. Ra6 Re5! 31. 
Bxc5 Rfe8! 32. Kf2 Re1 33. Rxd6 Qc2+ {To win a won game you typically need
a 'how ' . It could be a general plan
like Black's kingside advance in the last example or more specific like 
the
mate-on-the-long-diagonal theme of the previous one.
Without a 'how', even a position that seems hugely advantageous may not
be winnable. Here's a striking example.} 0-1

[Event "RUS Ch Superfinal"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2005.12.22"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Black "Zvjaginsev, Vadim"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2739"]
[BlackElo "2659"]
[ECO "E97e"]
[EventDate "2005.12.19"]
[Annotator "Mikhalevski,V"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "17"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.04.04"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "FRA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "FRA"]

{page 114} 
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. 
d5 Ne7 9. Bd2 {A very rare move. Kramnik puts aside his favourite Bayonet 
attack (9.b4) and surprises Zviaginsev with a quiet positional plan of 
attack on the queenside by means of Rc1; b4 and c5.} 9. ... Kh8 {Vadim 
decides to avoid the main theoretical lines, which usually arise after 
9...Ne8 and 9...Nh5. The idea of 9...Kh8 freeing the g8-square in the 
Bayonet attack was popularized by English GM Hebden. Probably Zviagintsev 
prepares a similar manoeuvre of the queen knight.} ( {I believe in case of
} 9. ... Nh5 {White can play not only} 10. g3 ( {but also} 10. Re1 {with 
the idea} 10. ... f5 11. exf5 gxf5? ( 11. ... Nxf5 {is better.} ) 12. Nxe5
{and unlike the Bayonet attack the knight on c3 is protected and White 
wins a pawn. This is one of the ideas behind 9.Bd2.} ) ) ( {A more popular
} 9. ... Ne8 {which was initiated by Fisher in his match vs Taimanov in 
1971 was tested by Bologan in the following game.} 10. Ne1 f5 11. Nd3 fxe4
12. Nxe4 c6 13. Qb3 Kh8 14. Rae1 b5 15. Nb4 bxc4 16. Bxc4 Rb8 17. Qa3 Qb6 
{with mutual chances in Hansen,C-Bologan,V/Skanderborg DEN 2003.} ) 10. 
Rc1 b6 {Usually it's not recommended to play on the side where you're 
worth, but sometimes strong players break rules usually having an idea in 
mind. This time Zviaginsev makes the break c4-c5 more difficult. Is this a
good reason to weaken queenside? The game will show.} ( {The only 
preceding game saw} 10. ... c5 11. dxc6 bxc6 12. b4 Bb7 13. Bg5 ( 13. c5!?
) 13. ... Nfg8 14. Qb3 f6 15. Be3 f5 16. Rfd1 +/- {and White obtained a 
clear positional advantage in Peek,M-Coleman,D/Amsterdam 1996.} ) 11. b4 
Nd7 {Preventing c5 and preparing f5.} 12. Ne1 {The knight goes to d3 to 
support an advance of the c-pawn.} 12. ... f5 13. f3 ( 13. Nd3 {looks more
flexible as it leaves an option of f4 open, but after} 13. ... Nf6 {it 
would most likely transpose to the game.} 14. f3 Neg8 15. c5 ) 13. ... Ng8
14. Nd3 Ndf6 15. c5 += {Usually White can only dream of such a position - 
his pieces are on nice squares, the program break c5 was executed. What 
else one needs to claim an advantage?} 15. ... Bh6!? {When you have less 
space try to get a relief exchanging pieces - this is the idea behind 
Black's move.} 16. cxd6 {I believe White shouldn't be in a hurry with this
exchange. Anyway Black can't avoid it.} ( {Why not to prepare doubling of 
pieces along the c-file?} 16. Rc2!? ) 16. ... cxd6 17. Bxh6 Nxh6 18. Qd2 
f4 {Black unties White's hands for attack on the queenside.} ( 18. ... Kg7
{retaining pressure on the e4-pawn deserved attention.} ) 19. Nb5 {White 
prepares penetration to c7.} ( {Once again} 19. Rc2 {with the idea Rfc1 
looked strong.} ) 19. ... Ne8 20. Qc3 {Renewing an idea of Nc7 and having 
in mind a positional piece sacrifice in the centre.} 20. ... Qe7 {Black 
protects the centre and provokes Nc7.} ( {He could also cover the 
c7-square by means of} 20. ... Rf7 ) 21. Nc7 Nxc7 22. Qxc7 Bd7 {Now it 
turns out that the queen won't be able to stay on the seventh rank, but 
White had a way to retain his advantage with 23.b5.} 23. Nf2 {Simple 
chess. White prevents possible attack on the kingside in advance and opens
the a6-f1-diagonal for the White's light-squared bishop.} ( 23. b5!? {
Preparing a manoeuvre of the knight via b4 to c6 deserved serious 
attention.} 23. ... Rfc8 24. Qb7 Rcb8 25. Qa6 Bc8 26. Qa3 a6 27. Qb2! {
with a threat of Nf4 and then Nb4-c6. Probably Kramnik rejected this idea 
as he was afraid that it would be difficult to break through on the 
queeside while Black has counterchances on the other side of the board.} )
23. ... Rfc8 24. Qb7 Rcb8 25. Qa6 Bc8 26. Qa3 a6!? {Black prevents Ba6, 
which would help White to take control over the only open file. Now his 
plan includes Bd7 and Ng8-f6 in order to take control over the c7-square 
by means of Ne8 when necessary. Eventually it turns out that one open file
is not enough for win.} 27. Rc6 {The idea of doubling rooks along the 
c-file is definitely right, but I believe White could save at least a 
tempo doubling the rooks the other way.} ( {F.e.} 27. Rc3 Bd7 28. Rfc1 Ng8
{and now White can try} 29. Bxa6!? {Pinning your own bishop doesn't look 
like a great idea, but I don't see how Black can exploit the pin.} 29. ...
 Qd8 ( 29. ... Bb5?! {looks risky as White obtains full control over the 
c-file.} 30. Bxb5 Rxa3 31. Rxa3 += ) ( 29. ... b5 30. Qa5! ) 30. Rc6 Bxc6 
31. dxc6 Qc7 32. b5! =/& {Preparing Qb3(b2) and Nd3-b4-d5.} ) 27. ... Bd7 
28. Rc7 Ng8 {The knight goes to e8 to attack the white rook.} 29. Rfc1 Nf6
30. Qb2 ( {It wasn't late to try} 30. Bxa6!? {although here White is a 
tempo down comparing to 27. Rc6. Here is a possible continuation of play.}
30. ... Qd8 31. R7c6 Bxc6 32. dxc6 Ne8 33. b5 Nc7 34. Qb3 Nxa6 35. bxa6 
Ra7 36. Nd3 b5 37. Nb4 {with a clear advantage for White. However not all 
moves are forced.} ) 30. ... Kg8 D {White enjoys iron control of the 
c-file and a considerable advantage in
operating room. There is no Black counterplay. All the ingredients seem in
place
for a slow, plodding win by a world champion.

Except ... White lacks a plan. He can't improve his position through 
simple
means. He couldn't find a way to make a6 or b6 into a target. Just moving 
the
furniture around aimlessly won't do the job.
The game ended in a draw after a series of quiet moves, beginning with} 
31. Bf1 Ne8 32. R7c3 Qd8 {Black is planning to wait and it's not easy to 
do much about it.} 33. Qd2 Nf6 34. Rc7 Ne8 35. R7c3 Nf6 36. Rc7 Ne8 37. 
R7c2 Nf6 38. Rc3 Ra7 39. Qc2 {And having no idea how to break through 
Black's fortress Kramnik offered a draw.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Solin 7th"]
[Site "Solingen GER"]
[Date "1999.12.17"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Cebalo, Miso"]
[Black "Smirin, Ilia"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2453"]
[BlackElo "2671"]
[ECO "A68n"]
[EventDate "1999.12.10"]
[Annotator "Stohl"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "CRO"]
[EventCategory "13"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.04.05"]

{Golden Rule

There's a golden rule about converting an advantage that most non-masters
don't appreciate. They don't appreciate it because they simply don't 
believe it:

It is usually easier to win with a substantial positional advantage than 
with
an equally substantial material advantage.

Amateurs don't believe it because they exaggerate the significance of
material. After all, they can see an extra pawn. A positional advantage is
harder
to detect. As a result they have a difficult time believing the rule in 
positions like
the following.

34,} 
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 O-O 6. Nf3 c5 7. d5 e6 8. Be2
exd5 9. cxd5 {Although this position is classified as a Benoni, it even 
more often arises via a 4-pawn King's Indian move order, as in this game.}
9. ... Bg4 {Smirin chooses the most fighting move.} ( 9. ... Re8 {is 
deeply analyzed till the very drawish end.} ) 10. O-O Nbd7 ( 10. ... Nfd7
!? {is a less played, but interesting alternative. Black steps out of the 
possible g4-g5 attacks, frees the long diagonal and plans to develop his 
other N to a6.} 11. Kh1 ( 11. e5 dxe5 12. Nxe5 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Qe7 ( 13. ...
 Re8!? 14. Qf2 b6 15. Be3 Qe7 =+ ) 14. Re1 Re8 15. Qb5 Nxe5 16. fxe5 a6 
17. Qa4 b5 18. Nxb5 Bxe5 19. Nc7! Bd4+ 20. Be3! Bxe3+ 21. Kh1 Nd7 22. d6 
Qxd6 23. Nxe8 Rxe8 24. Rad1 Qf6 25. Qxd7 +/- {Solak,D-Kovacevic, 
A/Belgrade Nikolic mem/2000/} ) ( 11. a4 Na6 12. Nd2 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Nb4 14.
 Nc4 Nb6 15. Na3 Re8 16. Qf3 f5 17. exf5 gxf5 18. a5 Nd7 19. Qh3 {Banikas,
H-Pavlovic,M/Aegina/1996/} 19. ... Bd4+ 20. Kh1 Qf6 21. Nab5 Re7 ~ {|^<->e
} ) 11. ... Na6 12. Nb5!? ( 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 Rb8 14. a4 Nc7 15. Nb5 
Nb6 16. Nxc7 Qxc7 17. Qc2 Nd7 18. Bd2 b5 19. axb5 Rxb5 20. Bc3 Rfb8 â‡„â‡„
{Michaelsen,N-Nedev,T/Maribor/1995/} ) 12. ... Nb6 13. a4 Qe7 ( 13. ... 
Nc7 âŒ“ ) 14. a5 Nd7 15. Ra3 Nb4 16. e5! dxe5 17. d6 Qd8 18. Nxe5 Nxe5 19.
 fxe5 Bd7 20. Nc7 Rc8 21. Bf4 Nc6 22. a6 bxa6 23. Bxa6 Rb8 24. Qe2 +/- {
[+],Lanchava,T-Djeno,M/ DBL2-W9900/1999/} ) 11. Re1 Re8 ( 11. ... Rb8!? ) 
12. h3 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 Qa5 {Black has three possible moves, but the lines 
can transpose into one another. Basically practice shows the insertion of 
a6 and a4 rather favours White.} ( 13. ... a6 14. a4 c4 15. Be3 Qa5 16. 
Qe2 ( 16. Kh1 Nc5 17. Bxc5 Qxc5 18. e5 dxe5 19. fxe5 Nd7 20. Ne4 Qb6 ( 
20. ... Qb4 21. e6 Ne5 22. exf7+ Nxf7 23. Bg4 Rad8 24. Be6 Rxe6 25. dxe6 
Rxd1 26. exf7+ Kxf7 27. Raxd1 Bxb2 28. Rd7+ â†’ {Flear, 
G-Drabke,L/Aosta/2000/} ) 21. e6 Ne5 22. a5 Qb4 23. exf7+ Nxf7 24. Ra4 Qb5
25. Qc2 Nd6 =, quiet {Feldman,V-Cowley,R/Sydney/1992/} ) 16. ... Rac8 17. 
Qf2 Nc5 18. Bxc5 Qxc5 19. Qxc5 Rxc5 20. e5 dxe5 21. fxe5 Nd7 22. Ne4 Rxd5 
23. Nf6+ Bxf6 24. Bxd5 Rxe5 25. Rxe5 Bxe5 26. Bxc4 Bxb2 27. Rb1 += {
Lautier,J-Sutovskij,E/Tilburg/ 1996/} ) ( 13. ... c4 14. Be3 Qa5 15. Kh1 
Nc5 16. Bxc5 Qxc5 17. e5 dxe5 18. fxe5 Nd7 19. e6 fxe6 20. Rxe6 Ne5 21. 
Qe2 Rad8 22. Bg4 Rxe6 23. Bxe6+ Kh8 24. Ne4 Qe7 25. Rf1 h6 26. Qe3 b6 27. 
Rf4 Rf8 28. Rxf8+ Bxf8 29. b3 b5 =, quiet 30. bxc4 {
1/2,Lautier,J-Temirbaev,S/Elista olm/1998/} ) 14. Be3 b5 ( 14. ... c4!? {
-13...c4} ) 15. a3 Rac8?! {Probably both alternative moves are better-here
the R can later come under a Bg4 attack.} ( 15. ... b4 16. axb4 Qxb4 17. 
Qc2 Nb6 18. Bf2 Nfd7 19. Re2 ( 19. Bg4 Nf8 20. Re2 h5 21. Bf3 Nfd7 22. g4 
hxg4 23. hxg4 g5! â†‘ {Skirpan,S-Wojtkiewicz,A/Fredericksburg/1999/} ) 
19. ... Bd4 20. Kh1 Bxf2 21. Rxf2 c4 22. Re2 a5 23. Bg4 Nf6 24. Qd2 Nxg4 
25. hxg4 Nd7 26. Qd4 Qc5 27. Rd1 Rab8 28. Qxc5 Nxc5 29. Rd4 Nd3 30. Rxc4 
Nxf4 =+ {Lautier,J-Smirin,I/Cap d`Agde EU-ch act/1996/} ) ( 15. ... Nb6 
16. e5 ( 16. Bf2 Nc4 17. Qc2 Nd7 18. Be2 Rab8 19. a4 b4! 20. Bxc4 bxc3 21.
 b3 a6 22. Rec1 Nb6 23. Bf1 c4 24. Bxc4 Nxc4 25. bxc4 Rb2 26. Qd3 Rd2 27. 
Qf3 f5 -/+ {Kozul,Z-Nunn,J/Wijk aan Zee/1991/} ) 16. ... Nc4 âŒ“ ( 16. ...
 dxe5 17. fxe5 Rxe5 18. Bxc5 Rxe1+ 19. Qxe1 Re8 ( 19. ... Nbd7 20. b4 â†‘ 
) 20. Qf2 Nfd7 21. Bb4 Qa6 22. d6 Re5 23. Kh1 Nc4 24. a4 Bf8 25. Rd1 +/- {
o^d,Lalic,B-Zapata,A/Elista olm/1998/} ) 17. exf6 ( 17. Bf2 Nd7 18. e6 
Nxb2 19. exd7 {Vragoteris,A-Tsarouhas,K/Poros/1998/} 19. ... Red8 -/+ ) 
17. ... Nxe3 18. Rxe3 Rxe3 19. fxg7 f5!? ( 19. ... Rae8 20. f5!? â†‘ ) 20.
 Qf1 ~ {1/2, Banikas,H-Leitao,R/WCh U18 Menorca/1996/} ) 16. Kh1! N {This 
useful waiting move forces Black to show his intentions.} ( 16. Bf2 a6 17.
 Kh1 c4 18. Bd4 Re7 19. Re2 Nc5 20. Bxc5 Rxc5 21. e5 Ne8 22. Bg4 Qd8 23. 
Qg1 â†‘ {Kniest, O-Groszpeter,A/Berlin op/1997/} ) ( 16. g4 Nb6!? 17. e5 
Nc4 18. exf6 Nxe3 19. Rxe3 Rxe3 20. fxg7 Rce8 21. Kf2?! b4 22. axb4 Qxb4 
23. Ne2 Qxb2 24. Rxa7 c4 25. Ra6 Rd3 26. Qe1 Ree3 {
0-1,Elbilia,J-Loeffler,S/Cannes/1993/} ) 16. ... Nb6 ( 16. ... c4 17. a4!?
( 17. Bd4 Nc5 18. Bxc5 Rxc5 19. e5 dxe5 20. fxe5 Nd7 21. e6 fxe6 22. Rxe6 
Rcc8 23. Qe2 Ne5 ~ ) 17. ... b4 18. Nb5 += ) 17. Bf2 Nfd7 ( {The 
consistent} 17. ... Nc4 {was dangerous:} 18. Qc2 Nd7 19. Bg4 Rcd8 20. Bh4 
( 20. Bxd7 Rxd7 21. e5! dxe5 22. Bxc5 += ) 20. ... Nxb2!? 21. e5 Nc4 22. 
Bxd8 Rxd8 23. a4 â†‘ ) 18. Qc2 a6 19. Bg4 h5 {><>> This move only helps 
White with a tactical/strategical operation, typical for this line.} ( 
19. ... Rb8!? âŒ“ += ) 20. Bxd7 Nxd7 21. e5! dxe5 22. f5 â†’ Qb6 ( 22. ...
 Nf8!? 23. fxg6 ( 23. Ne4 Qd8 24. Rad1 =/& ) ( 23. Rad1!? ) 23. ... Nxg6 (
23. ... fxg6 24. Ne4 +/- ) 24. Qf5 += ) 23. Rad1 e4? {After this nervous 
attempt to liberate the Bg7 Black's position is probably beyond saving.} (
{Necessary was} 23. ... Qf6! âŒ“ 24. Ne4 ( 24. fxg6 Qxg6 â‡„â‡„ ) 24. ... 
Qxf5 25. Rd3 Qf4 26. Rf3 Qh6 27. Nd6 f5 += {o^d,><Qh6 White should be 
somewhat better, but the outcome of the game remains unlear.} ) 24. Rxe4 
Qd6 ( 24. ... Nf6 25. Rxe8+ Nxe8 26. Ne4! ( 26. b4? Qf6 27. Ne4 Qxf5 28. 
bxc5 Nd6! -/+ ) 26. ... gxf5 27. Ng3 +/- {->} ) 25. Rxe8+ Rxe8 26. Ne4 {
o^d} 26. ... Qf4 27. Nxc5 Be5 ( 27. ... Nxc5 28. Bxc5 ( 28. Qxc5 Re2 
â‡„â‡„ ) 28. ... Be5 29. Bg1 {/\} 29. ... Qxf5 30. Qxf5 gxf5 31. d6 Rd8 
32. d7 Bc7 33. Bc5 +- ) 28. Bg1 Nxc5 ( 28. ... Rc8 29. b4 gxf5 30. Qf2 +- 
) 29. Qxc5 Qxf5 ( 29. ... Bxb2 30. fxg6 fxg6 31. Qc6 +- ) 30. d6 Qd7 31. 
b4 Re6 32. Bh2 Bxh2 ( 32. ... Bf6 33. Qc7 +- ) 33. Kxh2 {/\Qc7+-} 33. ... 
Kh7 34. Rd5! +- {Renews the threat with devastating effect. Black must opt
for desperate flings.} 34. ... Re2 D {Most players would try to solve this
as a 'White to play and win' with
calculation. Some will see that 35 Qc7 looks good. Others will notice that
Blaí¯�í¶£k
can save himself with 35 . . . Qe6 because 36 d7? Qxd5 threatens mate on 
g2.
And many will conclude that the solution is easy because 35 Rxh5+ wins a
pawn. There is only one variation to look at and it runs 35 . . . gxh5 36 
Qxh5+ Kg7
37 Qxe2. The forcing moves end with 37 . . . Qxd6+ 38 Kh1 .
But the experienced player is suspicious of this. It's not the variation 
he
doubts but the evaluation. At the end, after 38 Kh1 , White has no passed 
pawn.
His does have an extra pawn but it's located on the kingside. If White 
does win,
the 'how' - promoting the h-pawn - will take a lot of moves and thinking.
Instead, he played the superior} ( 34. ... Kg7 35. Qc7 Qxc7 ( 35. ... Re7 
36. Qc3+ +- ) 36. dxc7 Rc6 37. Rc5 +- ) 35. Re5 ( 35. Rxh5+? gxh5 36. 
Qxh5+ Kg7 37. Qxe2 Qxd6+ +/- {is naturally already not enough.} ) 35. ... 
Rd2 ( {The main point is that 35 . . . Rxe5
36 Qxe5 enables White to break the blockade at d7 with Qe7 ! .} 35. ... 
Rxe5 36. Qxe5 âŠ™ h4 37. Qe7 Qf5 38. Qxh4+ ( 38. d7? Qf4+ 39. Kg1 Qc1+ 40.
 Kf2 Qd2+ 41. Kf3 Qd3+ =, quiet ) 38. ... Kg8 39. Qd4 +- ) ( 35. ... Ra2 
36. Re7 +- ) 36. Rxh5+! ( 36. Re7? Qxd6+ 37. Qxd6 Rxd6 38. Rxf7+ Kh6 {with
a dead draw.} ) 36. ... Kg8 ( 36. ... gxh5 37. Qxh5+ Kg7 ( 37. ... Kg8 38.
 Qg5+ Kf8 39. Qxd2 {Why is this an easier win? It's not because White has 
two extra pawns, rather
than the one he'd have after Rxh5+?.
No, what matters most is that he kept his d-pawn. That means he can break
the blockade or force a trade of queens after Qd4-c5-c7. The 'how' is much
easier this time. {In fact, the fastest way to win in the first diagram is
Qd4 ! .
That makes Re5 a powerful winning idea now that  . . .Rd2 is not 
possible.)
Note that what mattered was a passed pawn, not necessarily an extra pawn.
Good defenders understand that, too. Let's see how both White and Black 
used
the golden rule in the following example.} ) 38. Qg5+ Kf8 39. Qh6+ Kg8 40.
 Qxd2 +- ) 37. Rd5 Re2 38. Qd4 {/\Rc5-c7,Re5-e7} ( 38. Qc7? Qe6 {/\} 39. 
d7 Rxg2+! 40. Kxg2 Qxd5+ =, quiet ) 38. ... Re6 ( 38. ... Rc2 39. Rc5 +- )
( 38. ... Re1 39. Re5!? +- ( 39. Rc5 Re6 40. Rc7? Qxd6+ =, quiet ) ) 39. 
Qb6 Re2 40. Qxa6 Qe6 41. Qxb5 Rf2 ( 41. ... Qe4 42. Qxe2 Qxe2 43. d7 +- ) 
42. d7 Qe4 ( 42. ... Qe4 43. d8=Q+ Kg7 44. Qg5 +- ) 1-0

[Event "Turin ol (Men) 37th"]
[Site "Turin ITA"]
[Date "2006.05.25"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Black "Aronian, Levon"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2729"]
[BlackElo "2756"]
[ECO "A30f"]
[EventDate "2006.05.21"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "ITA"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.07.31"]
[WhiteTeam "Russia"]
[BlackTeam "Armenia"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ARM"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. g3 c5 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O g6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Qxd4 Bg7 
8. Nc3 d6 9. Rd1 Nbd7 10. Be3 Rc8 11. Rac1 a6 12. b3 O-O 13. Qh4 Rc7 14. 
Bh3 Qb8 15. Bg5 Bxf3 16. exf3 b5 17. Bxd7 Rxd7 18. Nd5 Nxd5 19. cxd5 D Rc7
! {page 116} 20. Rc6! Rxc6 21. dxc6 Rc8 22. Rc1! {The protected passed 
pawn is much
stronger than an extra doubled pawn. Play went} ( 22. Bxe7 Rxc6 23. Qe4! 
Qc8 24. Rxd6 Rxd6 25. Bxd6 {leaves White with another
pawn-up endgame. But it will be very hard to win, perhaps impossible 
against
the best defense.} ) 22. ... e6 23. Bd2 Qc7 {If there were no queenside 
pawns, White would be able to break the
blockade at c7 by means of Qa4 and Ba5 or Qb4-b7.
But as it stands, he was able to make progress with} 24. a4! d5 25. axb5 
axb5 26. Qb4 Rb8 27. Qa3! Bd4 28. Qa6 Be5 29. f4 Bd6 30. Ba5 Qc8 31. Qa7! 
Ra8 32. Qb6 Rb8 33. Qd4 D b4 ( 33. ... Bc7 34. Bxc7 Qxc7 35. Rc5 ) 34. c7 
Ra8 ( 34. ... Rb7 35. Qf6! Bxc7 36. Qe5! ) 35. Qb6 Bf8 36. Bxb4 Bxb4 37. 
Qxb4 Qe8 1-0

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Carlsbad CZE"]
[Date "1923.05.09"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Rubinstein, Akiba"]
[Black "Tarrasch, Siegbert"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2620"]
[BlackElo "2553"]
[ECO "D34k"]
[EventDate "1923.04.??"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "17"]
[EventCountry "CSR"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 
8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 Be6 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. Ne1 d4 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Ne4 Qe7 
14. Nxc5 Qxc5 15. Nd3 Qb6 16. Nf4 Qxb2 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Rb1 Qxa2 19. Rxb7
Qa6 20. Qb3 Nd8 21. Rd7 Rc8 22. Qb2 e5 23. Ra1 Qf6 24. e3 dxe3 25. fxe3 
Nc6 26. Qd2 Nb8 27. Rdxa7 Rcd8 28. Qe2 h6 29. Be4 Rd7 30. Ra8 Rdd8 31. Rf1
Qd6 32. Rxf8+ Rxf8 33. Kg2 Qb4 34. Qd3 Kh8 35. Ra7 Qb2+ 36. Kh3 Qb6 37. 
Ra8 Rd8 38. Qc4 Nd7 39. Qc6 Rxa8 40. Qxa8+ Nb8 D {Positional, Not Material

There are many, many examples of that: A passed pawn - a positional
advantage - turns out to be superior to an extra pawn - a material 
advantage. Yet
the golden rule is difficult for many amateurs to accept. Part of the 
reason is that
they 're confused by the somewhat vague, somewhat imposing word
'positional ' . If we replaced it with 'non-material ' they'd have an 
easier time
grasping positions like the following.

White has a big positional - sorry, a big 'non-material' - edge because
of his superiority on light squares. A master sitting in White's chair 
will try
shifting his pieces around and around because it's so hard for Black to 
defend
h7 and g8.
He doesn't have to calculate long variations to determine whether there is
a
forced win. He feels there is a likely win. As long as he can keep making
credible threats, that's enough for him to continue with confidence.
White began with} 41. Qd5 Qc7 ( 41. ... Qf6 {This natural move meets both
threats but leaves the knight unprotected. White would reply} 42. Qb5! 
Qe6+ 43. g4 ) 42. Bf5! Nc6 {But with such a huge positional edge - those 
light squares! - White !lhould
be able to make progress with simple threats. The one he chose was} 43. 
Qc4 Qd6 44. Qf7! Qd8 45. Qg6 1-0

[Event "Riga"]
[Site "Riga LAT"]
[Date "1959.12.13"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Mikenas, Vladas"]
[Black "Sliwa, Bogdan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2511"]
[BlackElo "2452"]
[ECO "A18"]
[EventDate "1959.12.05"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "DDR"]
[BlackTeamCountry "POL"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d5 4. e5 d4 5. exf6 dxc3 6. bxc3 Qxf6 7. d4 c5 
8. Nf3 h6 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Bb4+ 11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2 O-O 13. O-O Rd8
14. Qe3 Nc6 15. Rfd1 b6 16. Ne5 Bb7 17. Bf3 Nxe5 18. dxe5 Qe7 19. Bxb7 
Rxd1+ 20. Rxd1 Qxb7 D {But usually the player with a positional - as 
opposed to material -
advantage, will avoid trades. A master would know, for instance, that a 
trade of
either the rooks or queens would vaporize White's winning chances in the
following position.

White controls more space. What 'controls more space' really means is that
White can put his pieces safely on a lot more squares than Black. Most of 
those
squares are on the kingside, where . . . h6 is a slight weakening.
It's true that White has weaker pawns than Black, at a2 and c4. But, one
more time, a king counts more. From experience White knew that the most 
important factor in a heavy-piece ending is king vulnerability.
Therefore, White's non-material advantage means his best winning chance
lies in a kingside attack, beginning with} 21. Rd4! Rc8 22. h4! {White 
uses his rook to defend his c-pawn, maintain control o f the d-file and
prepare for an assault on g7. He followed this with a luft-move that is 
also
invaluable to his attack. Then came} 22. ... Qc7 23. Qg3 D {Only two and a
half moves have been played since the previous diagram but
White's winning chances are much more visible. He will play Rg4 and meet
... g6 with h4-h5. One way or another, the kingside will be opened up.
Black's problems aren't solved by 3 . . . f5 , for example, because White 
can
build up with Kh2. f2-f4, h4-h5, Qg6 and Rd6.
He made a different concession} 23. ... h5 {The pawn can't last long on 
h5.
After 24 Qg5 g6 White could blast open the kingside with 25 g4 hxg4 26 
Rxg4 and  27 h5 .
Instead, Black sought counterplay on the other wing, and the game went} 
24. Qg5 Qc5 25. Rf4 Qa3 26. Kh2 Qxa2 27. Qxh5 Rf8 28. Qd1 Qa5 29. Qe2 Rd8 
D {The most natural way of continuing is to advance his pawn to h5 and 
double
the heavy pieces against g7. This takes a while to execute but Black found
no
defense. The game went} 30. h5! Qd2 31. Qg4 Qe1 32. Qg5 Rd1 33. Rg4 Qg1+ 
34. Kg3 g6 35. hxg6 f5 36. exf6 Rd3+ 37. f3 Qe1+ 38. Kh2 Rd1 39. f7+ Kg7 
40. Qh6+ 1-0

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "Stockholm SWE"]
[Date "1962.01.21"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Botvinnik, Mikhail URS"]
[Black "Lundin, Erik"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2699"]
[BlackElo "2482"]
[ECO "A29"]
[EventDate "1962.01.14"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "SWE"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2000.11.22"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "NED"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nb6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7
8. a3 Be6 9. d3 f5 10. b4 Bf6 11. Bd2 O-O 12. Rc1 Kh8 13. b5 Na5 14. Rb1 
e4 15. Ne1 Nac4 16. dxc4 Nxc4 17. Nxe4 fxe4 18. Bb4 Re8 D {Material 
Imbalance
When material is not equal but only slightly out of balance, positional
advantages usually decide the outcome. This is most evident when a player
gives up the Exchange for one or two pawns.
If it's a difference of one pawn, the player with the rook is marginally 
ahead.
If it's two pawns, the other player holds an equally small edge. In either
case,
the edge may not be enough to win without positional plusses. Few people
understood that better than the sixth world champion, Mikhail Botvinnik.

White's previous moves were designed to grab on e4. But he can't keep an
extra pawn because after 18 Bxe4 Black will reply 18 . . . Bh3, 
threatening both
18 . .. .Rxf1 and 18 . . . .Rxe4.
White does have a defense to both threats, 19 Bg2. But then 19 . . Qxd1 20
Rxd1 Bxg2
21 Rxd Bxg2 and 22 . . .Rxe2 reestablishes material equality.
So this amounts to a critical moment. White has to decide whether he has
good winning chances after 22 Nxg2 .Rxe2 23 Rd7. Sure, he has the better 
position
but is it enough?
Botvinnik saw a way to get a much more significant positional advantage by
creating slight material imbalance. He played
} 19. Bxe4 Bh3 20. Qc2! Bxf1 21. Kxf1 D {White is certain to win a second 
pawn, at h7 or b7. But what is much more
important is that by eliminating Black's bishop, he dominates the light 
squares.
Black will be unable to use his rooks because he has to worry about 
kingside
mating threats directed at the h7 target.
Black found the best defense,} 21. ... Nd6 22. Bxd6 Qxd6 {That gave White 
a
choice of which pawn to capture. A good argument can be made in favor Bxb7
Rab8 6 Bc6 followed by 7 a4, to keep his two extra pawns.
But that still leaves the 'how' question. Creating a passed pawn on the
queenside doesn't seem possible.
That's why White chose} 23. Bxh7! Rad8 24. Nf3 {This is easier to win 
because of the inability of Black's rooks and bishop to
defend his light-square weaknesses, such as at g6 and h7. For example,
24 . . . Qxa3? allows 25 Bg6 and Qf5 or 25 Qf5 followed by 26 Bb6 with a 
threat of
i.g6+.
Aside from tactics like that, White has a totally riskless winning plan of
pushing the e-pawn. This unfolded with} 24. ... Rf8 25. Bg6 Qe6 {Once 
again we see how the absence of counterplay allows a player to take
his time. White played} 26. Kg2 Rd5 27. e4! Rd6 28. Rb4! Be7 ( 28. ... Bd8
29. Bf5 Qe8 30. e5 ) 29. Bf5 Qh6 30. Rc4 Bd8 31. e5 Rd5 32. Nh4 Rd2 33. 
Qc3 Kg8 34. Rf4 Rd5 35. Qf3 {Many players think that the best way to learn
what it takes to win a game is
to lock themselves in a room with endgame books. Bad idea.


Better idea: Find games in which one side wins after creating a slight
material imbalance, like Exchange-for-pawn. These games, if they're not 
ju!"t
sacrificial mating attacks, will underline the importance of positional
advantages. Some databases will allow you find lots of games like that. 
They
should be excellent study material.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.17"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Winning Hierarchy"]
[Black "page 123"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.17"]

{The Winning Hierarchy

The corollary of what we said earlier - that a master is reluctant to 
trade
pieces when he has a positional edge - is that a master is usually eager 
to trade
pieces when he has a material edge. But which pieces?

If you are only one pawn ahead, which pieces do you want to keep? If you
trade all the pieces and get down to just kings and pawns, you have 
excellent
winning chances. But for other matchups it's not that easy.

For masters it is. They know the winning hierarchy. Here's the list for
pawn-up endgames. The most winnable endings are at the top, and they go in
descending order to the hardest at the bottom:

King-vs. -king endings

Knight-vs.-knight endings

Queen-vs.-queen endings

Bishop-vs.-bishop (same color) endings

Bishop-vs.-knight endings

Knight-vs. -bishop endings

Rook-vs. -rook endings

Opposite colored bishop-vs.-bishop endings

This works best with positions in which one side has an extra pawn on the
other wing, typically the queenside. If all the pawns are on the kingside,
the
hierarchy changes slightly. Knight-vs.-bishop moves higher up the list and
bishop-vs. -knight moves well down.

Relatively inexperienced players are unaware of the hierarchy. This is 
true
even of young, highly rated players.

During a session of the U.S. Chess School a few years ago, eight promising
youngsters were asked to evaluate the winning chances of some of these
matchups. They were given a slightly different example, with all the pawns
on
one wing:

Suppose all the pawns were on the kingside, with one player having pawns
on the e-, f- g-, and h-files, and the other player having pawns just on 
the f-, gand
h- files. What are the winning chances, from zero to 1 00 percent, for 
each
matchup?

The youngsters, almost all of whom soon became strong masters, gave
varied answers. For example, with just rooks on the board, one student 
thought
the right answer was zero, that is, no chance of winning. Another said the
chances were only I 0 percent. The right answer is more like a 30 percent.

All but one of the students thought that with same-colored bishops, the
pawn-up player had reasonable winning chances, 40 or 50 percent. Their
instructor, GM Joel Benjamin, told them it was really only about 20 
percent.

And what about queen endings? Three of the eight students thought they
offered a 20 or 30 percent chance of winning. It's more like 50 percent.

Even many experienced players have an irrational fear of queen endings, 
for
example. Given a choice of what to swap in a pawn-up Q + B.- vs. Q + N 
ending,
they'll trade queens instead of minor pieces. That's often a blunder.} 
*

[Event "Linares 9th"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "13"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Gurevich, Mikhail"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]
[BlackElo "2650"]
[ECO "A87"]
[EventDate "1991.02.??"]

1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. c4 Bg7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O Qe8 8. 
d5 Na6 9. Rb1 Bd7 10. b4 c5 11. dxc6 Bxc6 12. b5 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 Nc5 14. Be3
Rc8 15. Bxc5 Rxc5 16. Bxb7 Rxc4 17. Bc6 Qf7 18. Rb3 Rc8 19. a4 Rd8 20. a5 
d5 21. a6 e6 22. Bb7 Ne8 23. Na2 Nd6 24. Nb4 Qc7 25. Nc6 Re8 26. Nxa7 Nxb7
27. axb7 Qxb7 28. Nc6 Qb6 29. e3 Ra8 30. Qd3 Bf6 31. Rfb1 Kg7 32. Qe2 Raa4
33. Qd2 Rc5 34. Qd1 Ra2 35. Nd4 Kh6 36. Rb4 Rc3 37. R4b3 Rc5 38. Rb4 Ra5 
39. Nc6 Raxb5 40. Rxb5 Rxb5 41. Rxb5 Qxb5 42. Nd4 D {Queen endings are 
among the easiest to win. Yuri Averbakh, the great
endgame authority, claimed they are even easier to win than knight 
endings.
Here, for instance, 1} 42. ... Bxd4 {reaches either a won pawn ending or a
won queen
ending.
The pawn ending comes about from} 43. exd4 {The queen ending is won 
because Black can create an outside passed d-pawn
after} ( 43. Qxd4 Qb1+ 44. Kg2 Qe4+ 45. Qxe4 ( 45. f3 Qxd4 46. exd4 Kg5 
47. f4+ Kf6 ) 45. ... fxe4 46. f3 ) 43. ... Qb2 44. Kg2 e5 45. dxe5 Qxe5 {
The winning technique is essentially the same with other same-piece
endings. The superior side first forces the enemy to take steps to stop 
the passed
pawn's advance. Then he advances his king and looks for an opportunity to 
raid
pawns on the other wing. In this case the first step was accomplished by} 
46. Qd2+ Kg7 47. f3 d4 48. Kf2 Qc5 49. Qb2 Kf6 50. Ke2 Qc4+ 51. Kd2 Kg5 
52. Qa3 Qe6 53. Qb4?! ( 53. h3 Kh5 54. f4 Qe4 55. Qd3 Kh6 56. Kc2 Kh5 ) 
53. ... Qe3+ 54. Kc2 Qf2+ 55. Kc1 Qg1+ 56. Kc2 Qxh2+ 57. Kd3 Qxg3 58. Qe7+
Kh6 {When material is equal, positional plusses naturally take center 
stage. But
the hierarchy continues to play a role. In the next example, Black has a
positional edge in view of his passed h-pawn and White's doubled pawns. 
The
hierarchy indicates he should have good winning chances. Let's see how two
of
the world's greatest endgame players handled it.} 0-1

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "Tilburg NED"]
[Date "1986.10.20"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Portisch, Lajos"]
[Black "Karpov, Anatoly"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2605"]
[BlackElo "2705"]
[ECO "E18x"]
[EventDate "1986.10.??"]
[PlyCount "122"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "15"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1988.04.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 Ne4 8.
 Nxe4 Bxe4 9. Nh4 Bxg2 10. Nxg2 d5 11. Qa4 dxc4 12. Qxc4 c5 13. Be3 cxd4 
14. Bxd4 Qc8 15. Rac1 Qxc4 16. Rxc4 Rd8 17. Be3 Nd7 18. Rfc1 Kf8 19. Ne1 
Bd6 20. Nf3 Ne5 21. Ra4 Nxf3+ 22. exf3 Rdb8 23. Rc6 Ke7 24. b4 Kd7 25. b5 
e5 26. Rc2 Rb7 27. Rd2 Ke6 28. f4 exf4 29. gxf4 f5 30. Rad4 Rd8 31. Kf1 
Rc7 32. Re2 Rdd7 33. a4 Bc5 34. Rxd7 Kxd7 35. Rd2+ Ke6 36. Rc2 Kd5 37. Kg2
Re7 38. Kf3 g6 39. h4 Rc7 40. Rc1 Bd6 41. Rd1+ Ke6 42. h5 gxh5 43. Rh1 Bc5
44. Rxh5 Bf8 45. Rh1 h6 46. Ra1 Bg7 47. Rg1 Kf7 48. Rd1 Bf6 49. Rb1 Rc4 
50. a5 D {When material is equal, positional plusses naturally take center
stage. But
the hierarchy continues to play a role. In the next example, Black has a
positional edge in view of his passed h-pawn and White's doubled pawns. 
The
hierarchy indicates he should have good winning chances. Let's see how two
of
the world's greatest endgame players handled it. 
White naturally wants to liquidate the queenside pawns. Black can meet his
threat of axb6 by offering either of two trades} 50. ... bxa5 ( 50. ... 
Bd4 ) 51. Bxa7 Rb4! 52. Rxb4 axb4 {This
should be winnable because of three factors: First, Black has two passed 
pawns.
Second, he can slow the advance of White's pawn (b6 ..Bd4 ! ). And third, 
the
White f-pawns interfere with his bishop's ability to stop the h-pawn.} 53.
 Ke3 ( 53. b6 Bd4 54. Ke2 b3 55. Kd2 b2 56. Kc2 h5 +-- ) 53. ... Be7 54. 
Kd4 h5 55. b6 b3 56. b7 Bd6 {There are a lot of other finesses to 
appreciate in this game, such as White's
attempts to divert Black's bishop from control of b8, and Black's skillful
use of
his passed pawns. But that's not rare in bishop endgames. That's why they 
are
winnable more often than rook endings.} 57. Kc3 h4 58. Bd4 Bb8 59. Be5 Ba7
60. Bd4 b2 61. Kc2 Bb8 0-1

[Event "Kharkov Rector Cup 4th"]
[Site "Kharkov UKR"]
[Date "2002.03.28"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Kobalia, Mikhail"]
[Black "Gershon, Alik"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2620"]
[BlackElo "2558"]
[ECO "B64d"]
[EventDate "2002.03.22"]
[Annotator "Tyomkin,D"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "UKR"]
[EventCategory "13"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.08.12"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 
8. O-O-O O-O 9. f4 h6 10. Bh4 Nxd4 11. Qxd4 Qa5 12. Bc4 e5 13. fxe5 dxe5 
14. Qd3 Bg4 15. Rdf1 ( 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. Rdf1 {-is another sharp line, 
which probably leads to some advantage of white as well;} ) 15. ... Qc5 N 
{15...Rac8 following with Rxc3 blows deserves attention, while 15...Qc5 
doesn't decide black' problems;} ( 15. ... Be6 16. Bxf6 ( {Black gets his 
pawn chain destroyed here, while it's not that dangerous:} 16. Bxe6 fxe6 
17. Qc4 Qb6 18. Bf2 Qd6 19. Rd1 Rac8 20. Qxc8 Rxc8 21. Rxd6 Bxd6 22. Bxa7 
Bb4 {1/2-1/2 Unzicker,W-Pomar Salamanca,A/Bern 1962/EXT 2000 (44)} ) 
16. ... Bxf6 17. Kb1 Qc5 18. Bb3 Kh8 19. h4 Be7 20. Qe2 Qc8 21. Bxe6 fxe6 
22. Rxf8+ Qxf8 23. Qb5 +/- {1-0 Ponomariov, R-Avrukh,B/Panormo 2001/CBM 84
ext (41). (40)} ) ( 15. ... Rad8? 16. Qg3 Be6 17. Rxf6 Bxc4 18. Rxh6 +/- {
1-0 Zurakhov,V-Boleslavsky,I/Riga 1955/EXT 99 (116). (115)} ) ( 15. ... 
Rac8!? 16. Bb3 Rxc3! 17. Qxc3 Qxc3 18. bxc3 Ba3+ 19. Kb1 Nxe4 =+ {1/2-1/2 
Szabo,J-Pietzsch,W/Dresden 1959/MCD (43)} ) 16. Bb3 Kh8 ( 16. ... Be6!? ) 
17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Kb1 Rad8 19. Qg3 Be6 20. Nd5 ( 20. Bxe6 fxe6 {-black is 
okay here, mostly based on weakness of Nc3;} ) 20. ... Bxd5 21. Bxd5 {
Wells: 'A few reasonable outings for black seemed to have briefly 
persuaded people that this system might be a satisfactory handling of the 
Rauzer for black. However, just comparing the two bishops it is hard to 
imagine that black can ever claim full equality, and games like this, 
where white's initiative persists deep into the ending will do its 
reputation no good at all. '} 21. ... Rd6 22. Rf3 Rb6 23. Rc3 Qb4 ( 
23. ... Qd4 24. Qf3 {-same story;} ) 24. Rb3 Qd4 25. Rxb6 {Wells: 'White 
has no fear of exchanges. In addition to the superior bishop, white can 
claim a weakness of f7 and the queenside majority as potential trumps.'} 
25. ... Qxb6 += {White still keeps some edge mostly because of the better 
bishop d5, while black should be able to hold here;} 26. Qf3 a5?! {
Queenside advanced pawns of black became the main target eventually- so 
this was better to keep them on 7th for a while;} ( 26. ... Qc7 âŒ“ ) 27. 
a3 Qc7 28. Qb3 {f7 is always the target for attack;} 28. ... b6 29. Rf1 
Kg8 30. Qg3 Qe7 D {The winnable hierarchy comes with a few caveats. The 
biggest is: A winning
'how' matters more. Case in point: 

White saw that the only targets were at b6 and f7, and the only immediate
threat he could come up with was} 31. Qe3! Qc5? {The trade of queens leads
to the very bad ending for black; Wells: 'A serious, but rather 
understandable misjudgment. Black's problem is that after the exchange, he
has the acute weakness of f7 in the presence of rooks, and of a5 and c5 in
the pure opposite bishop ending. There is too much use of generalisation 
around concerning such endings. It is well known that some such endings 
can be drawn even with a substantial material disparity, but at the same 
time in the absence of blockades and with multiple weaknesses to hit the 
defence can be quite helpless. '} ( 31. ... b5 32. Qb6 {wins material} 
32. ... b4 33. a4 Qd8 34. Qa7 += ) ( {or} 31. ... Qd6 += ) ( 31. ... Qc7 
32. Rf3 {But what if Black meets a forcing move with a forcing move? After
} ) 32. Qxc5 {White knew that trading queens was dubious, particularly if 
he also
traded rooks. Bishops of opposite color endgames are at the bottom of the
hierarchy and are hard to win even when two or three pawns ahead.
But White can ask himself the obvious question: If l did play} 32. ... 
bxc5 {how could I win? The answer is: "My king and rook can go after the 
targets at a5 and c5."
That's why White sought this ending and why it turned out to be so easily 
won.
He played} 33. Rf3! {Pawns c5 and a5 in addition to passive Bf6 make black
defendless;} 33. ... Rb8 34. Ka2 Kf8 ( 34. ... a4 35. b3! ( 35. Bc6 $143 
Rd8 36. Rf2 Bg5 â‡„â‡„ ) 35. ... axb3+ 36. Rxb3 +- {with semilar ending as
in the game;} ) 35. Rb3! {Smart swap- now white king gets in grabbing one 
of black qside pawns;} 35. ... Rxb3 ( 35. ... Rc8 36. Rb7 Be7 37. Kb3 +- )
36. Kxb3 Bg5 37. Ka4 Bd2 ( 37. ... Bc1 {Wells} 38. Kxa5 Bxb2 39. a4 +- ) 
38. Kb5 {Two weaknesses;} 38. ... Ke7 D {one more time: How can I win?
The answer is: "With a passed a-pawn." Black would have to give up his
bishop to stop it.
So instead of Kxc5? Bc1 !, White played} 39. a4! {with the idea of c3 and 
Kxa5} ( 39. Kxc5 Bc1 40. a4 Bxb2 41. c4 {and there is no clear way to 
block c-passer and to guard a5 at the same time ;} ) 39. ... Bc1 40. Kxa5!
Bxb2 41. c4! {And if you're wondering why White spent a tempo on 41 c4! , 
the answer is
that it stops Black from getting his bishop onto the a7-g1 diagonal. White
may be able to find another winning plan after} ( 41. Kb5 c4 42. Bxc4 Bd4!
43. a5 Kd6 {But it's not worth investigating when you already have one.} )
41. ... f5 42. Kb6 {Same two weaknesses here too;} 42. ... Bc3 43. a5 
Bxa5+ 44. Kxa5 f4 45. Bc6 g5 46. Ba4! g4 47. Bd1 h5 48. Kb6 {By playing 
over master games you can often find the enough moment. It
may be the point when the player with advantage traded queens and gave up 
the
initiative. It may be when he took an irrevocable step that led to a 
winning
heavy-piece endgame. It may be when he created a material imbalance that 
was
accompanied by a big positional plus. These are the moments worth studying
when it comes to winnability.


And once again, some quiz positions:} ( 48. Kb6 Kd6 49. Kb5 {or any other 
waiting move and black is in zugzwang;} ) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.17"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Quizes  32 - 37"]
[Black "------page 128"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.17"]

{Quiz Answers -  page 199} 
*

[Event "USSR"]
[Site "USSR"]
[Date "1981.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Bagirov, Vladimir"]
[Black "Mikhalchishin, Adrian"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2505"]
[BlackElo "2535"]
[ECO "D94"]
[EventDate "1981.??.??"]
[PlyCount "177"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. b4 b6 7. b5 c5 8. 
bxc6 Nxc6 9. Ba3 Bb7 10. Rc1 a6 11. c5 b5 12. Bb2 e5 13. Be2 exd4 14. Nxd4
Rc8 15. O-O Ne5 16. Nb3 Nc4 17. Ba1 Qd7 18. Bf3 a5 19. a4 bxa4 20. Nd4 
Rxc5 21. Nxa4 Rc7 22. Rb1 Ba6 23. Be2 Ne4 24. Nb6 Qd6 25. Re1 Rd8 26. Nxc4
dxc4 27. Qc2 Nc5 28. Bc3 Nb3 29. Red1 Qe7 30. h3 a4 31. Qa2 Bb7 32. Bf1 
Be4 33. Rb2 a3 34. Re2 Bd3 35. Ree1 Bxf1 36. Kxf1 Nxd4 37. exd4 Qd6 38. 
Ba5 Ra8 39. Bxc7 Qxc7 40. d5 Qh2 41. Re3 Bh6 42. Re7 Qd6 43. Re2 c3 44. g3
Bd2 45. Rexd2 cxd2 46. Rxd2 Qb4 47. Re2 Qb5 48. Ke1 Qb4+ 49. Kd1 Qb5 50. 
Ke1 Rb8 51. d6 Qd3 52. d7 Qxd7 53. Kf1 Ra8 54. Kg1 h5 55. Kh2 Qb7 56. h4 
Qb5 57. Re3 Qc5 58. Rf3 Ra7 59. Re3 Kg7 60. Rf3 Qd6 61. Re3 Qf8 62. Re2 f6
63. Qa1 Qb4 64. Ra2 D {Does B lack have realistic winning chances?

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

No. As dominating as Black's pieces are, he can't win. He lacks a ' how'.
He might win if he could trade rooks or queens. But he can't force a swap.
Nor can he effectively target f2, advance his king or push his kingside 
pawns.
The game was drawn after 25 more moves but the outcome was clear after} 
64. ... Qb3 65. Kg2 Qd5+ 66. Kh2 Qe5 67. Qd1 Qe4 68. Qa1 Qe5 69. Qd1 Qe4 
70. Qa1 Qe5 71. Qd1 Qe4 72. Qa1 Qb4 73. Qc1 Qe7 74. Qc3 Kh7 75. Qd3 Qc5 
76. Qb3 f5 77. Qb8 Re7 78. Qb3 Ra7 79. Qb8 Qe7 80. Kg2 Qe4+ 81. Kh2 Qe7 
82. Qf4 Ra6 83. Qc4 Qa7 84. Qb4 Ra4 85. Qf8 Qg7 86. Qd6 Qa7 87. Qf8 Qg7 
88. Qd6 Qa7 89. Qf8 1/2-1/2

[Event "Las Palmas Interzonal"]
[Site "Las Palmas ESP"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Pinter, Jozsef"]
[Black "Timman, Jan H"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2550"]
[BlackElo "2600"]
[ECO "E41"]
[EventDate "1982.07.??"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "12"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 c5 5. e3 Nc6 6. Bd3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6 
8. O-O e5 9. Nd2 O-O 10. d5 Ne7 11. f3 Bf5 12. e4 Bd7 13. Qc2 Nh5 14. g3 
f5 15. exf5 Bxf5 16. Ne4 h6 17. Bd2 Qd7 18. Rae1 Bh3 19. Rf2 Rf7 20. Qd1 
Nf6 21. Be3 Nxe4 22. Bxe4 Bf5 23. Qc2 Raf8 24. Ref1 Bxe4 25. Qxe4 Qf5 26. 
a4? D {Same question: Does Black have realistic winning chances?

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

Yes. White last move, 26. a4??, made a win possible with} ( 26. Qxf5 Nxf5 
27. Bc1 g5 28. Kg2 ) 26. ... Qxe4 27. fxe4 Rxf2 28. Rxf2? ( 28. Bxf2 Nc8 )
28. ... Rxf2 29. Kxf2 a5! {The win became obvious after} 30. Ke2 Nc8 31. 
Kd3 Nb6 32. h4 Nxa4 33. Bc1 Nb6 34. g4 Kf7 35. Bd2 a4 36. Bc1 Kf6 37. Ba3 
g5! 38. h5 Ke7 39. Bc1 Nd7 40. Ke2 Nf6 41. Kf3 Kd7 {and the king will 
support . . . b5 to gain entry to the
queenside.} 0-1

[Event "RUS Team Ch"]
[Site "Sochi RUS"]
[Date "2004.04.23"]
[Round "4.1"]
[White "Bareev, Evgeny"]
[Black "Fominyh, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2711"]
[BlackElo "2579"]
[ECO "D25k"]
[EventDate "2004.04.20"]
[Annotator "Huzman"]

{28 tah} 
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 dxc4 4. e3 Bg4 5. Bxc4 e6 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. O-O c6 
8. Be2 Be7 9. e4 O-O 10. Be3 Bb4 11. Qc2 ( 11. e5 Nd5 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. 
Ng5 ( 13. Rc1 Nb8 14. Ng5 Bf5 15. Bd3 Be7 16. Bxf5 exf5 17. Qh5 Bxg5 18. 
Bxg5 Qb6 19. Be7 Re8 20. Qxf5 Nc6 21. Bc5 Qxb2 ( 21. ... Qa6!? ) 22. Rb1 
Qxa2 23. Rxb7 +/- {1-0 Vladimirov,E-Fominyh,A/Mumbai IND 2003/(27)} ) ( 
13. Bg5 Qb6? ( 13. ... Be7 =, quiet ) 14. a3 +/- {0-1 
Kaakinen,M-Sorri,K/Helsinki 1989/EXT 2002 (68)} ) 13. ... Bf5 14. Bd3 Be7 
15. Bxf5 exf5 16. Nh3 Nb6 17. Nf4 Qd7 18. Qf3 += {1/2-1/2 
Gelfand,B-Fominyh,A/Dagomys RUS 2004/(37)} ) ( 11. Nd2 Bxe2 12. Qxe2 e5 
13. a3 exd4 {1/2-1/2 Sakaev,K-Fominyh,A/Moscow 1999/CBM 75 (13)} ) 11. ...
 c5 12. Rfd1 ( 12. Rad1 cxd4 13. Bxd4 Qc7 14. Qb1 a6 15. Rc1 Qf4 16. Be3 
Qb8 17. Rfd1 Bd6 18. h3 Bxf3 19. Bxf3 Bh2+ 20. Kh1 Bf4 =, quiet {0-1 
Bykov,A-Fominyh,A/Omsk/Perm 1998/ EXT 2000 (74)} ) 12. ... cxd4 13. Bxd4 
Bxf3 {Ftacnik: 'The novelty in order to prevent the unpleasant threat of 
advance of the e pawn.'} ( 13. ... Qb8 14. e5 Bxc3 15. Bxc3 Bxf3 ( 15. ...
 Nd5 16. Rxd5 exd5 17. Ng5 +- ) ( 15. ... Bf5 16. Bd3 Bxd3 17. Qxd3 Nd5 
18. Ng5 +- ) 16. exf6 Bxe2 17. Qxe2 ( 17. Rxd7! +- ) 17. ... Nxf6 18. Be5 
Qe8 19. Bd6 Nd5 20. Bxf8 Qxf8 +/- {1/2-1/2 Harikrishna,P-Fominyh, 
A/Hyderabad 2000/CBM 79 (49)} ) 14. Bxf3 Qb8 ( 14. ... Qc7 {Ftacnik} 15. 
Rac1 Bd6 16. g3 += ) 15. g3 Ne5 {'?!' Ftacnik. Ftacnik: 'The second rate 
move can not solve defenders' problems. After the correct move 15...e5! 
white's advantage would have been minimal.'} ( 15. ... e5! {Ftacnik} 16. 
Be3 Rc8 =, quiet ) 16. Bg2 Rd8 17. Qe2 += ( 17. Qb3 {Ftacnik} 17. ... Be7 
18. Rac1 Nc6 19. Be3 Ng4 20. Rxd8+ Qxd8 21. Qxb7 += ) 17. ... Nc6? {Black 
must have missed his opponent's 19th move posing a significant threat to 
the weakened black K.} ( 17. ... Nfd7! 18. Rac1 ( 18. f4!? Nc6 19. Bf2 
Bxc3 20. bxc3 Qc7 21. e5 += ) 18. ... Bc5! 19. Nb5 ( 19. f4 Bxd4+ 20. Rxd4
Nc6 21. Rdd1 Qc7 22. e5 += ) 19. ... Bxd4 20. Rxd4 Nc6 21. Rd2 Nde5 += ) (
17. ... Be7 {Ftacnik} 18. Rac1 Nc6 19. Be3 += ) 18. Bxf6 gxf6 ( 18. ... 
Rxd1+ 19. Rxd1 gxf6 20. Nd5 exd5 21. Qg4+ Kh8 22. exd5 f5 23. Qc4 +/- ( 
23. dxc6!? fxg4 24. cxb7 Qxb7 25. Bxb7 +/- ) ) 19. Nd5! {Ftacnik: 'Bareev 
very cleverly benefits from the unprotected location of the bishop on b4 
to start a violent attack.'} 19. ... Be7 ( 19. ... Kh8 20. Nxf6 +/- Be7 {
Ftacnik} 21. Ng4 Nd4 22. Qe3 e5 23. Nh6 +/- ) ( 19. ... exd5 {Ftacnik} 20.
 Qg4+ Kh8 21. exd5 Rd6 22. a3 +- ) 20. Nxe7+ Nxe7 21. Rxd8+ Qxd8 22. e5! {
The B checks in for the game just in time.} 22. ... fxe5 ( 22. ... Qd4 {
Ftacnik} 23. exf6 Qxf6 24. Rd1 Rb8 25. Rd7 +/- ) 23. Qxe5 Nc6 24. Qb5 ( 
24. Qh5 {Ftacnik} 24. ... Qd4! 25. Qb5 Rd8 26. Qxb7 Nb4 += ) 24. ... Qd7? 
{'?!' Ftacnik. Ftacnik: 'Fominyh could not have hoped to avoid all 
dangers, but after this move opponent's pieces will become decisively 
active.'} ( 24. ... Rb8! {'!?' Ftacnik.} 25. Rc1 Nd4 ( 25. ... a6 {Ftacnik
} 26. Qb3 += ) 26. Qh5 +/- ) 25. Qg5+ Kf8? ( 25. ... Kh8 26. Qh5 Rd8 27. 
Bxc6 bxc6 28. Rc1 +/- ) 26. Qh5 Kg7 27. Rd1! +- {White is being an example
of a perfect team - playing together, his pieces threaten both the half 
defenceless K and weak pawns.} 27. ... Qe7 D {Where do White's winning 
chances lie? What specific steps can he take?

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

They are on the kingside. Black doesn't have enough king protection and
this is revealed by} 28. Bxc6! bxc6 29. Rd4! {Black gained some defensive 
space with} 29. ... f5? {but that exposed his second
rank to} ( 29. ... Rd8 30. Rh4 Kf8 31. Qxh7 +- Qc5 32. Rf4 +- ) ( 29. ... 
Kg8 30. Qg4+ Kf8 31. Qf4 Kg7 32. Qg4+ ) 30. Qd1! {Although Black could 
still resist with} 30. ... Kg6 31. Rd7 Qc5 D {this is the kind
of position that shouldn't be holdable in the long run.} 32. h4!? ( 32. 
Qe1! Re8 33. b4 Qc2! 34. Qe5 Qb1+ 35. Kg2 Qe4+ 36. Qxe4 fxe4 37. Rxa7 +/- 
) 32. ... Rg8 33. Qe1 ( 33. Qd2!? h6 34. b4 Qe5 35. Rxa7 +- ) 33. ... Kf6 
34. Kg2 Rg4 ( 34. ... h6 35. Qd2 Kg6 36. h5+ Kxh5 37. Qe2+ Rg4 38. Qxe6 +-
) 35. Qd2! +- Qb4 ( 35. ... f4 36. Rxh7 Qd5+ 37. Qxd5 cxd5 38. Rxa7 +- ) 
36. Qh6+ Ke5 ( 36. ... Rg6 37. Qxh7 Qe4+ 38. Kh2 +- ) 37. f4+ 1-0

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 1st"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2006.11.14"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Svidler, Peter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2733"]
[BlackElo "2750"]
[ECO "A16"]
[EventDate "2006.11.06"]
[Annotator "Gelfand"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.02.01"]

{30 tah
} 
1. Nf3 {During recent years in my White games against Peter Svidler we 
have had a theoretical discussion in the main Gruenfeld 8.Rb1 system. 
However, during the recent European club cup, my friend and teammate 
Alexander Khalifman had told me about some interesting ideas in the 
Anti-Gruenfeld, which he published in his recent book "Opening for White 
according to Kramnik-1a", which went out of print in August 2006. 
Unfortunately, I managed to buy this book only just at the very end of the
Tal Memorial... So, the day before this game my second Alexander Khuzman 
and I had to work hard to develop the ideas mentioned by Khalifman. In 
meinen Weißpartien gegen Peter Svidler in den letzten Jahren hatten wir 
eine theoretische Diskussion im 8.Tb1-System der Grünfeld-Hauptvariante. 
Doch während der letzten europäischen Clubmeisterschaft hatte mir mein 
Freund und Mannschaftskollege Alexander Khalifman von ein paar 
interessanten Ideen im Anti-Grünfeld erzählt, die er in seinem aktuellen 
Buch "Opening for White according to Kramnik-1a" veröffentlicht hatte, das
im August 2006 in Druck ging. Leider konnte ich das Buch erst kurz vor dem
Ende des Tal-Memorials kaufen. Am Tag vor dieser Partie mussten daher mein
Sekundant Alexander Khuzman und ich hart arbeiten, um die von Khalifman 
erwähnten Ideen zu entwickeln.} 1. ... Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Qa4+ Bd7 
5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 {The bishop on d7 is placed worse than on c8 and this 
is a point of White's setup. Auf d7 steht der Läufer schlechter als auf 
c8, und das ist eine Pointe des weißen Aufbaus.} 6. ... a6 7. d4 {The most
natural continuation in the main line of the Anti-Gruenfeld Die 
natürlichste Fortsetzung im Hauptabspiel des Anti-Grünfeld.} ( {I had 
tried an experimental idea Vor 6 Jahren hatte ich gegen Peter die 
experimentelle Idee} 7. e4 b5 8. Qe2!? {against Peter 6 years ago. You can
still see this position from time to time in tournament practice nowadays.
erprobt. Diese Stellung ist heutzutage noch immer von Zeit zu Zeit in der 
Turnierpraxis zu sehen.} 8. ... c5 9. e5 Nh5 10. Ne4 Nc6 11. Nxc5 Bf5 12. 
d3 e6 13. Ne4 Bb4+ 14. Bd2 Nf4 15. Qe3 Nd5 16. Qh6 Bf8 17. Nd6+ Qxd6 18. 
exd6 Bxh6 19. Bxh6 f6 ~ {Gelfand,B-Svidler,P/Haifa rapid 2000} ) 7. ... b5
8. Qb3 c5 ( {Peter had shown the potential of Black's position in the 
following game: In der folgenden Partie hatte Peter das Potential der 
schwarzen Stellung gezeigt:} 8. ... Be6 9. Qc2 c5 10. dxc5 Bg7 11. g3?! ( 
11. e4 {transposes to the annotated game geht zur kommentierten Partie 
über} ) 11. ... Nc6 12. Bg2 Nb4 13. Qd1 Qxd1+ 14. Kxd1 O-O 15. Bd2 Rac8 
16. Nd4 Ng4 17. Nxe6 Nxf2+ 18. Kc1 fxe6 {Van Wely,L-Svidler,P/Warsaw rapid
1999} ) 9. dxc5 Bg7 10. e4 O-O 11. Be2 Bc6!? {A new try. Ein neuer 
Versuch.} ( 11. ... Be6 12. Qc2 Nc6 13. O-O Qc7 14. h3 {leads to a 
favourable position for White which was proven, for example, in 
Volkov,S-Khalifman in Dagomys 2005. führt zu einer günstigen Stellung für 
Weiß, was beispielsweise in Volkov,S-Khalifman in Dagomys 2005 bewiesen 
wurde.} ) 12. e5! {I had to find this strong move over the board, even 
though it is analysed in Khalifman's book. I had to understand the 
difference in the bishop's position. The black bishop is on c6, while in 
the theoretical line of the 5.Qb3 (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 
5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6 8.Be2 b5 9.Qb3 c5 10.dxc5 Bb7) variation it 
is on b7. And it is an important difference. The B is taking the important
c6 square from his N and blocking its way to d4. Thus, Black has to 
develop his pieces more passively and White has time to create weaknesses 
in his opponent's camp by a2-a4. Diesen starken Zug musste ich am Brett 
finden, obwohl er in Khalifmans Buch analysiert wird. Ich musste den 
Unterschied in der Postierung des Läufers versteht. Der schware Läufer 
steht auf c6, während er im theoretischen Abspiel der Variante 5.Qb3 (1.d4
Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6 8.Be2 b5 
9.Qb3 c5 10.dxc5 Bb7) sich auf b7 befindet. Und dies ist ein wichtiger 
Unterschied. Der B nimmt seinem N das wichtige Feld c6 und blockiert 
dessen Weg nach d4. Somit muss Schwarz seine Figuren passiver entwickeln, 
und Weiß hat Zeit, durch a2-a4 im Lager seines Gegners Schwächen zu 
schaffen.} ( 12. O-O Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Bxe4 {transposes into one of the main 
positions of the 5.Qb3 system, where I have only a general knowledge. I 
think that it was Peter's idea to get me out of the lines which I normally
play. geht über zu einer der Hauptstellung des 5.Qb3-Systems, wo ich nur 
allgemeine Kenntnisse besitze. Ich glaube, es war Peters Idee, mich aus 
den Abspielen, die ich normalerweise anwende, herauszulotsen.} ) 12. ... 
Nfd7 ( {Insufficient is Ungenügend ist} 12. ... Nd5? 13. O-O Nd7 14. Nxd5 
Nxc5 15. Qc2 Qxd5 16. Be3 +- ( 16. Rd1 Qe4 ) ) 13. Be3 {White is playing 
for his long term trumps - the advanced c-pawn and the harmoniously placed
pieces. Weiß spielt auf seine langfristigen Trümpfe - den vorgerückten 
c-Bauern und die harmonisch platzierten Figuren.} ( {I even didn't 
consider Ich verschwendete keinen Gedanken an} 13. e6? Nxc5 14. exf7+ Rxf7
( 14. ... Kh8!? ) 15. Qc2 Bxf3! ( 15. ... Nbd7 {is also fine ist ebenfalls
gut.} ) 16. Bxf3 Nc6! 17. Bxc6 â–³ Nd3+ ) 13. ... Nxe5 ( 13. ... e6 14. 
O-O ) 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. O-O e6 ( 15. ... Ra7!? ) ( 15. ... Nd7 16. a4 ) ( 
15. ... Qc7 16. f4 Bg7 17. a4 ( 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. Qxd5 Nc6 =, quiet {
Yemelin,V} ) 17. ... bxa4 18. Nxa4 Nd7 19. Nb6 Qb7 20. Rf2 {leads to a 
position, similiar to the one, which occured in the game. führt zu einer 
ähnlichen Stellung wie in der Partie.} ( 20. Bf3!? {Yemelin,V} ) ) 16. a4!
( {In his book Khalifman gave this illustrative line: In seinem Buch gab 
Khalifman dieses Musterabspiel an:} 16. Rad1 Qc7 17. f4 Bg7 18. a4 bxa4 
19. Nxa4 Nd7 20. Nb6 Nxb6 ( 20. ... Qb7 21. Rd6 Nxb6 22. Qxb6 Bxg2 23. 
Qxb7 Bxb7 24. c6 Bc8 25. c7 +/- ) 21. Qxb6 Qxb6 22. cxb6 a5 23. b3 += {I 
used the same ideas (they are the most natural and obvious ones), but 
probably a bit more precise. Still, I am amazed that such a deep analysis 
of an interesting novelty could be found in an opening book. Well done, 
Alexander, and thanks! Ich nutzte dieselben Ideen (die die natürlichsten 
und offensichtlichsten sind), aber womöglich ein wenig genauer. Dennoch 
finde ich es verblüffend, dass eine derart tiefe Analyse einer 
interessanten Neuerung in einem Eröffnungsbuch zu finden war. Gut gemacht,
Alexander, und danke!} ) 16. ... bxa4 17. Nxa4 Qc7 ( 17. ... Nd7 18. Nb6 
Nxb6 19. cxb6 +/- {and White has a clear advantage due to the advanced 
b-pawn. However, it is hard to say if White's winning chances are bigger 
than Black's defensive ones. und Weiß hat klaren Vorteil dank des 
vorgerückten b-Bauern. Es ist allerdings schwer zu sagen, ob die weißen 
Gewinn- größer als die schwarzen Verteidigungschancen sind.} ) 18. f4 Bg7 
19. Nb6 Ra7 20. Rfd1 {Here I had to think over a plan. I decided not to 
hurry and to improve the position of my pieces. I thought that I shouldn't
hurry, as I didn't see a clear way how Black can develop his N. Hier 
musste ich mir einen Plan überlegen. Ich beschloss, nichts zu überstürzen 
und meine Figurenstellung zu verbessern. Ich dachte, dass ich mich nicht 
beeilen sollte, da ich keinen klaren Weg sah, wie Schwarz seinen N 
entwickeln kann.} ( {Premature is Voreilig ist} 20. Rad1 a5 21. Bd4 Bxd4+ 
22. Rxd4 Nd7 += ) 20. ... Re8 ( {Black has no time to develop his pieces 
comfortably: Schwarz hat keine Zeit, seine Figuren bequem zu entwickeln.} 
20. ... Qb7 21. Bf1 a5 22. Qa3 Nd7 23. b4! Bxa1 24. Rxa1 {/\b5} 24. ... 
Nxb6 25. cxb6 Raa8 26. bxa5 {and White is winning. und Weiß gewinnt.} ) 
21. Bc4 {White is making a prophylactic move against the potential 
breakthrough e6-e5. Weiß macht einen prophylaktischen Zug gegen den 
potentiellen Durchbruch e6-e5.} ( 21. Rd6 Bf8 22. Rd2 e5 ) 21. ... Bh6 ( {
Weak is Schwach ist} 21. ... e5 22. Rf1 exf4 23. Rxf4 {hitting the weak f7
square. mit Angriff auf den Schwachpunkt f7.} ) 22. Rf1?! ( {More natural 
and precise was Natürlicher und genauer war} 22. Rd6 Bf8 23. Rd2 e5 â–³ 
24. Rf1 exf4 25. Rxf4 ) 22. ... Qb7 23. Rf2 Nd7? {My opponent didn't want 
to defend patiently and gives up a pawn in the hope of creating a 
counterattack. Mein Gegner wollte sich nicht geduldig verteidigen und gibt
einen Bauern in der Hoffnung, einen Gegenangriff aufzuziehen.} ( {White 
had to find how to break through after the natural Nach dem natürlichen} 
23. ... Bg7 24. Rd2 a5 += {hätte Weiß einen Weg finden müssen, um 
durchzubrechen.} ) ( {Bad is Schlecht ist} 23. ... Rd8? {because of} 24. 
f5! Bxe3 25. Qxe3 exf5 26. Rxf5 gxf5 27. Qg5+ +- ) 24. Nxd7 ( {Here Hier 
ist} 24. f5? {is not so convincing: nicht so überzeugend:} 24. ... Bxe3 
25. Qxe3 Nxb6 26. cxb6 exf5 ) ( 24. Bd4!? ) 24. ... Qxd7 25. Rxa6 Rxa6 26.
 Bxa6 Bg7 ( {I was more worried about Größere Sorgen bereitete mir} 
26. ... Ra8 27. Bf1 ( 27. Qb6 e5 ) 27. ... Bg7 ( {or} 27. ... Ra1 28. Qb8+
Bf8 29. Rd2 Bd5 ( 29. ... Bb5 30. h3! Rxf1+ 31. Kh2 Qc6 32. Rd8 +- ) 30. 
Kf2 +/- ) 28. Rd2 +/- {when White still has to work to convert his extra 
pawn into a victory. All the black pieces are ideally placed and I didn't 
expect it to be an easy task. , wonach Weiß noch arbeiten muss, um seinen 
Mehrbauern zum Sieg zu verwerten. Alle schwarzen Figuren stehen ideal, und
ich erwartete keine leichte Aufgabe.} ) 27. Rd2 ( 27. Qb6 Qd5 28. Bb5 Bxb5
29. Qxb5 Ra8 30. Rd2 Qe4 +/- ) 27. ... Qa7 ( {Hopeless is Hoffnungslos ist
} 27. ... Bd5 28. Qb5 Qxb5 29. Bxb5 Rb8 30. c6 Rc8 ( 30. ... Rxb5 31. Rxd5
Rxd5 32. c7 ) 31. Rc2 ) 28. Qb6 Qa8 29. Bb5! {White is exchanging an 
important barrier in the way of his c-pawn. Weiß tauscht eine wichtige 
Barriere im Weg seines c-Bauern.} 29. ... Bxb5 30. Qxb5 Rb8? D {White has 
an extra pawn but Black's last move, . . . Rb8, creates problems.
How should he proceed?

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

Trying to keep White's extra pawn with Qe2 allows Black a lot of
pieces activity with 1 . . . Qe4 followed by . . . Rb3 or . . . e5.
If White puts the queen on a more aggressive square, such as Qd7, he
prepares to push the c-pawn ( l . . .Rxb2? 2 c6).
But Qd7 is dubious because of 1 . . . Qe4 2 Kf2  Bf6, when Black prepares
3 . . . Rd8 as well as 3 . . . Bh4+.
The right way is 1 Qc4! . That stops both . . .Rb3 and . . . Qe4 and 
threatens to
make the win trivially easy with 2 b4 or 2 c6.
The game went
} ( {During the game I noticed the possibility of Während der Partie 
bemerkte ich die Möglichkeit} 30. ... e5! {but Peter made his move quickly
and I didn't have time to think it over, so I had to do it when 
annotationg the game at home. Black is getting his R into the game. It was
clearly Black's best chance and it's far from clear if I would had managed
to find a path to victory over the board: , doch Peter machte seinen Zug 
schnell und ich hatte keine Zeit, darüber nachzudenken, daher musste ich 
es tun, als ich die Partie zu Hause kommentierte. Schwarz bringt seinen R 
ins Spiel. Es war eindeutig seine beste Chance, und es bei weitem nicht 
klar, ob ich am Brett einen Weg zum Sieg gefunden hätte:} 31. h3!? ( 31. 
Rd1 Rd8! ( 31. ... Bh6 32. c6 Bxf4 33. Bxf4 exf4 34. c7 ) 32. Rxd8+ Qxd8 
33. Kh1 exf4 34. Bg1 Qd1 {/\f3 with counterplay /\f3 mit Gegenspiel} ( 
34. ... Qd5 35. Qe2 ) ) ( 31. fxe5 Bxe5 ) ( {A tempting try looks to be 
Ein verlockender Versuch scheint} 31. c6 exf4 32. c7! Bf6 ( 32. ... fxe3 
33. Qxe8+ Qxe8 34. Rd8 ) ( {with the help of a computer you can find mit 
der Hilfe eines Computers findet man} 32. ... Bf8 33. Bxf4 Qa1+ 34. Kf2 
Qe1+ 35. Kf3 Qe4+ 36. Kg3 Qe1+ 37. Kh3 Qe6+ 38. g4 h5 39. Qd7 ) 33. Rc2 ( 
33. Bb6 Kg7 34. Rd1 f3 35. Qd5 Qa6 ( 35. ... Re1+ 36. Rxe1 Qxd5 37. c8=Q 
Qd2 38. Bf2 Bd4 39. Bxd4+ Qxd4+ 40. Kh1 fxg2+ 41. Kxg2 Qd2+ 42. Kf1 Qf4+ 
43. Ke2 Qxh2+ 44. Kf3 Qxb2 45. Qc5 +- ) 36. Bd4 Rc8 37. Rc1 fxg2 38. Qd8 
Bxd4+ 39. Qxd4+ Kg8 40. b4 Qe2 â‡„â‡„ ) 33. ... Rc8 ( 33. ... fxe3 34. 
Qxe8+ Qxe8 35. c8=Q Bd8 36. Re2 ) 34. Bb6 Qa1+ 35. Qf1 Qa4 {and things are
far from clear und die Lage ist bei weitem nicht klar} ) 31. ... exf4 32. 
Bxf4 Qe4 33. Bg3 +- {and White should convert the extra pawn into the 
victory und Weiß sollte den Mehrbauern zum Sieg verwerten} 33. ... Qe3+?! 
â–³ 34. Kh2 Qxd2? 35. Qxe8+ ) 31. Qc4! {Now White has complete control and
nobody can stop the c-pawn. Nun hat Weiß absolute Kontrolle und niemand 
kann den c-Bauern aufhalten.} ( 31. Qd7 Qe4 32. Kf2 Bf6 +/- {would get 
Black back into the game. würde Schwarz wieder in die Partie lassen.} ) 
31. ... Qa1+ ( 31. ... Qc6 32. b4 ) ( 31. ... Bxb2 32. c6 Qa3 33. Kf2 Bf6 
34. c7 Rc8 35. Qc6 h6 36. Rd7 Qb2+ 37. Kf1 Qb3 38. Bd2 ) 32. Kf2 Rxb2 ( 
32. ... Bxb2 33. c6 Bf6 34. c7 Rc8 35. Qc6! {is equally bad ist ebenfalls 
schlecht.} ( {not so clear is nicht so klar ist} 35. Qb5 Bh4+ 36. g3 Qh1 
37. gxh4 Qxh2+ 38. Kf3 Qh1+ 39. Ke2 Qg2+ ) ) 33. c6! Rxd2+ 34. Bxd2 Qa7+ 
35. Ke2 Qc7 36. Ba5! {The last finesse. The white pawn gets to c7. Die 
letzte Feinheit. Der weiße Bauern erreicht c7.} 36. ... Qc8 ( 36. ... Qxa5
37. c7 Qh5+ 38. Kf2 Qh4+ 39. Kf1 +- ) 37. c7 Bf8 38. Qc6 f5 39. Bc3 Kf7 
40. Be5 Be7 41. Kd3 g5 42. g3 gxf4 43. gxf4 1-0

[Event "Akureyri"]
[Site "Akureyri"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gurevich, Mikhail"]
[Black "Adorjan, Andras"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2625"]
[BlackElo "2540"]
[ECO "E12t"]
[EventDate "1988.03.??"]
[PlyCount "109"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "ISL"]
[EventCategory "10"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1989.02.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "BIH"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qc2 Nxc3 
8. Qxc3 h6 9. Bf4 Bd6 10. Ne5 Nd7 11. f3 Rc8 12. e4 O-O 13. Rd1 Nf6 14. 
Be3 c6 15. g3 Qe7 16. Nd3 Nd7 17. Ne5 Nf6 18. Qb3 Nd7 19. Nxd7 Qxd7 20. 
Bc4 Qc7 21. Kf2 c5 22. d5 exd5 23. Bxd5 Rfd8 24. Bxb7 Qxb7 25. Rd5 Qe7 26.
 Rhd1 Be5 27. f4 Bd4 28. Bxd4 Rxd5 29. Qxd5 Rd8 30. Qe5 Qxe5 31. fxe5 cxd4
32. Ke2 Re8 33. Rxd4 Rxe5 34. Rd8+ Kh7 35. Rd7 Rb5 36. b4 a5? D {What move
should White consider first? And does it work?

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

He should first look at 1 Rd5, not Rxf7 or even  bxa5 . The reason is that
1 Rxd5 2 exd5 is forced and the endgame may be a simple win. White's
king can create a second passed pawn and it's only a matter of counting to
see
if it wins the race against Black's kingside pawns.
The game went} 37. Rd5! Rxd5 38. exd5 {is forced and the endgame may be a 
simple win. White's
king can create a second passed pawn and it's only a matter of counting to
see
if it wins the race against Black's kingside pawns.} 38. ... Kg6 39. bxa5 
bxa5 40. Kd3 Kf6 41. Kc4 Ke7 42. Kb5 Kd6 43. Kxa5 f5 44. Kb5 Kxd5 45. a4 
g5 46. a5 Kd6 {White can 't force the a-pawn through in time ( 47 Kb6 f4).
But the a-pawn will deflect the Black king, allowing White to win on the
kingside:} 47. Kc4 Kc6 48. Kd4 Kb5 49. Ke5 f4 50. gxf4 gxf4 51. Kxf4 Kxa5 
52. Kg4 Kb5 53. Kh5 Kc5 54. Kxh6 Kd6 55. Kg7 1-0

[Event "Linares Anibal Open 8th"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "2001.01.16"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Turov, Maxim"]
[Black "Felgaer, Ruben"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2546"]
[BlackElo "2420"]
[ECO "B51p"]
[EventDate "2001.01.08"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2001.03.20"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. O-O Bd7 5. Re1 a6 6. Bf1 g6 7. c3 Bg7 8. 
d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 Bg4 10. d5 Nd4 11. Nc3 Bxf3 12. gxf3 e5 13. dxe6 Nxe6 14. 
Be3 Be5 15. Nd5 Qh4 16. f4 Nxf4 17. Bxf4 Bxf4 18. Nxf4 Qxf4 19. e5 Rd8 20.
 Qd5 Qg5+ 21. Bg2 Kf8 22. Rad1 Nh6 23. e6 Qxd5 24. e7+ Kg7 25. Rxd5 Rb8 
26. Rxd6 Nf5 27. Rb6 Rhe8 D {How should White proceed?

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


Not with Rxb7? Rxb7 2 Bxb7 because after 2 . . . a5 and . . . Rxe7 he 
would have to work very hard to promote a queenside pawn. Much easier is 
advancing his queenside pawns before taking on b7. The game went} 28. b4! 
( 28. Rxb7? Rxb7 29. Bxb7 a5 30. a4 Rxe7 ) 28. ... Rxe7 ( 28. ... Nxe7 29.
 Rxb7 Nf5 30. Rxe8 Rxe8 31. Bd5 Rd8 32. Rxf7+ Kh6 33. Be6 += ) 29. Rxe7 
Nxe7 30. a4! D {The pawns at a6 and b7 aren't going to escape. White wil l
play a4-a5 and
then take on b7, after which it should be easy to create a winning passer.
In the game Black saw how hopeless passive defense is and tried} 30. ... 
Rc8 31. Bxb7 Rc1+ 32. Kg2 Nf5? {But he could have resigned after} ( 
32. ... a5! 33. bxa5 Rc4 34. a6 Rxa4 ) 33. Kf3 Rc3+ 34. Ke4 a5 35. bxa5 
Rc4+ 36. Kd5 Rxa4 37. a6 Ra2 38. Rb4 Ra5+ 39. Kc6 Ra2 40. Kb6 Nd6 41. a7 
1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chapter 7 - Easier"]
[Black "... page 131"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.06"]

{Easier

You read game notes all the time that say Black 'has a difficult 
position'.
This sounds like the annotator is saying ' Black is worse' . Or perhaps he
means
' Black is much worse' . Or even ' Black may be completely lost but my 
computer
can't find a forced win for White ' .

He could mean any o f those. But experienced players know that 'difficult'
can be taken literally.

Some positions are simply harder to play than others: It is more difficult
to
find the best move, or even a good move, in them.

Other positions are relatively easy to play. That makes them more 
attractive
to a master, even though a computer may evaluate them as slightly inferior
to
the difficult alternatives.

The machine must be objective. But you're not a machine and you're
allowed to be subjective when it means being pragmatic. Masters steer 
their way
into 'easier' positions all the time.

Even the strongest masters do. After 1 5 moves of a Scotch Game at Nanjing
2009, Magnus Carlsen had given up a pawn but had two bishops and more 
space
than his opponent, Peter Leko. Carlsen conceded afterwards that he had no
advantage. But "it is much easier to play," he said, and that was enough 
for him.
He won.

Here's an illustration of how 'easier' works.} 
*

[Event "POL Ch 67th"]
[Site "Warsaw POL"]
[Date "2010.01.14"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Bartel, Mateusz"]
[Black "Krasenkow, Michal"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2614"]
[BlackElo "2655"]
[ECO "B30w"]
[EventDate "2010.01.09"]
[Annotator "Bartel,M"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "POL"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.03.03"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ISR"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. c3 a6 6. Ba4 c4 7. d4 cxd3 8.
 Bf4 {An interesting idea of Bartlomiej Macieja. White takes control over 
the h2-b8 diagonal, which creates some problems with the black squares for
Black.} 8. ... Ng6 9. Bg3 b5 10. Bb3 Na5 11. Qxd3 Nxb3 12. axb3 Bb7 13. c4
{A logical novelty compared to the game B. Macieja - M. Krasenkow, Najdorf
Memorial 2009. Macieja then chose 13. b4, but he didn't obtain any serious
advantage. It's very interesting that 13. c4 is a suggestion of ... Michal
Krasenkow. He published it in his comments in Chess Informant. I was told 
about it only after the game, which was a big surprise to me. From my 
point of view, pushing the c-pawn is much more logical - White wants to 
stop ...d7-d5 and put pressure on the d-file.} 13. ... Be7 ( 13. ... b4!? 
14. Nbd2 Be7 15. Bd6 {White should be better, although Black's position 
with the pair of bishops still is not that bad - maybe it's possible to 
get some counterplay connected with ...f7-f5?} ) 14. Nc3 b4 ( 14. ... Qb6 
{This is certainly logical in conjunction with the pair of bishops, but I 
don't believe it's solving Black's problems.} ) 15. Na4! {This is what my 
opponent underestimated. At first sight the knight is cut off on a4, but 
in fact it's extremely dangerous. Black has nothing better than exchanging
this knight as soon as possible, otherwise c4-c5 and than Na4-b6 will 
come.} 15. ... O-O 16. Rfd1 ( 16. c5? {due to} 16. ... f5! ) 16. ... Bc6 (
16. ... f5 {is a mistake due to} 17. exf5 exf5 18. Ne5! f4 19. Nxg6 hxg6 
20. Qxd7! ) 17. Nd4 Bxa4 18. Rxa4! {My opponent expected me to recapture 
with the pawn, but the text move is much stronger. Now Black is surely 
worse - the pawns a6 and d7 are weak and the black knight on g6 is badly 
placed.} 18. ... Qb6 19. Nf3 {Multi-functional move. Sometimes it helps to
play Bd6, sometimes the pawn on d7 is hanging, but the most important role
of this move is to prepare h2-h4.} 19. ... Qb7? {A very serious mistake, 
which gives White the important a5-square for his rook, but it's not easy 
to say what is the correct option. If Black plays ...a5, then White can at
some point return with his knight:: Nf3-d4-b5.} 20. h4! {It's visible that
Black is in a serious troubles now. If you don't stop the h4-pawn it's 
extremely dangerous for the black king, and if you stop this guy...} 
20. ... h5? {... you can almost resign due to...} 21. Ra5! {... and the 
pawn on h5 is lost. That's why ...Qb7 was a big mistake. Now the game is 
in fact finished, however some technique is still needed.} 21. ... f6 22. 
Rxh5 ( 22. Qxd7 {was also good enough.} ) 22. ... e5 23. Rf5 D {Black is a
pawn down and faced with the prospect of losing another, on d7.
If he defends it with 23 . . . .Rad8 or Rfd8, White plays 24 h5. After the
Black
knight retreats to f8 or h8, White makes inroads with  Nh4 and Ng6. That 
would sentence Black to difficult defense with virtually no counterplay.
He made a practical decision. He chose} 23. ... Bc5 {to get the most piece
activity he could. Then} 24. h5! {A so-called human decision. Computers 
would never do this, but they would be happy with a pawn up. But from the 
human point of view it's much easier to play this position without the 
black knight, with completely blocked Black's position.

"Of course, computers condemn the Exchange sacrifice," he wrote. "But
after it, White's play is very simple." On the other hand, he added, 
"Black's
defense, in view of his weakness and his useless bishop on c5, is very 
hard."
What White meant is that after} ( 24. Qxd7 Qxd7 ( 24. ... Qxe4 25. Qe6+ 
Rf7 26. Qxf7+ Kxf7 27. Ng5+ Kg8 28. Nxe4 ) 25. Rxd7 Ne7 26. Rh5 Rad8 ( 
26. ... g6 27. Nxe5 gxh5 {make
White's life difficult.} ) ) ( {He can avoid the
complications with} 24. Ne1 Ne7 25. Rf3 d6 26. Qe2 ) 24. ... Ne7 25. Nh4 
Nxf5 26. Nxf5 D {he can just throw
everything he has against the target at g7. What's more, his moves are 
easy to find. He can't be stopped from getting
his queen and rook to the g-file. He can also use his bishop to attack f6 
from h4
and look for a chance to break through at g7.

This kind of pragmatism separates many of today's masters from the
maximalists of the past. Great players like Alexander Alekhine or Mikhail
Botvinnik claimed they always sought the objectively best move. It didn't
matter how difficult it was to wade through the complications. They wanted
the
best.
Today's masters are willing to admit when they take the easy way out - and
they say there's nothing wrong with it. They still want more out of a 
position
than non-masters. But they recognize the limits of what you can do while 
your
clock is burning minutes.
In this game, White created a situation in which he can play his next five
or
so moves almost with his eyes closed. Play proceeded with} 26. ... d6 27. 
Qf3 ( 27. Bh4 Qf7 28. Qe2 {and then with Rd3-Rg3 the rook comesinto the 
attack first..} ) 27. ... Qf7 ( 27. ... a5 {to create some counterplay, 
but probably it's not really serious.} ) 28. Qg4 Kh7 ( 28. ... Kh8 {to 
avoid Rg7+ in some lines, but of course it seems to be suspicious when the
knight can so quickly move to g6.} ) 29. Rd3 Rh8 ( 29. ... a5 {but the 
white attack is pretty fast.} ) 30. Bh4 Kg8 31. Rg3 Rh7 D {White was ready
to open his
eyes and look for big tactics.} 32. Qf3! a5 {This loses immediately, but 
in such positions it's better to die immediately.} ( 32. ... Kf8 33. Rg6 {
and after Qg4, h5-h6 will be decisive.} 33. ... Ra7 34. Nxg7 Rxg7 35. Rxf6
) ( 32. ... Qxh5 {there are several solutions} 33. Rxg7+ Kf8 34. Rxh7 ( 
34. Qxh5 Rxh5 35. Bxf6 Ra7 36. Rxa7 Bxa7 37. Be7+ ) 34. ... Qxh7 35. Bxf6 
{and with such a king the game is over.} ) 33. Rxg7+! {A simple trick.} 
33. ... Rxg7 34. Nh6+ Kf8 35. Nxf7 Rxf7 36. Bxf6 {Now White is winning in 
all ways.} 36. ... d5 {Don't think that White saw all that when he 
sacrificed the Exchange. But he
didn't need to. He saw the positional compensation. We'll expand on that 
in the
next chapter.
But for the moment, let's appreciate how much White benefited from
pragmatism. The bonus he got from 2 h5 and 4 ltlxf5 was being able to play
several 'easier' moves that were obviously good. Black, with a much 
broader
choice of moves of uncertain value, had a tougher task.} 37. h6 dxc4 38. 
Qf5 c3 39. bxc3 bxc3 40. h7 1-0

[Event "RUS Team Ch"]
[Site "Dagomys"]
[Date "2008.04.06"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Alekseev, Evgeny"]
[Black "Radjabov, Teimour"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2711"]
[BlackElo "2751"]
[ECO "B30q"]
[EventDate "2008.04.02"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2008.05.28"]
[WhiteTeam "Saratov Economist"]
[BlackTeam "Ekaterinburg Ural"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

{Work Load

Let's put that into perspective: Most would-be-masters can make the first 
ten
or so moves of a game without thinking. They rely on opening theory they
memorized.

A typical game lasts another 20 to 30 moves beyond that. Now, suppose we
subtract the automatic moves, such as recaptures and responses to simple 
threats
and checks from those 20 to 30 moves. What's left?

The bottom line is you may face no more than l 0 to 1 5 somewhat hard
choices in a game. Those choices typically cost you two thirds to three 
quarters
of the clock time you spend on the entire game.
Being able to play five 'easier' moves, means reducing your work load
considerably. This helps explain why you see masters winning tournaments
while taking less clock time than their opponents.
Consider how Black reduced his work load to a minimum in this example.} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. d3 Ne7 6. Qe2 d5 7. c4 Ng6 
8. g3 Bd6 9. h4 D {As in many modem opening positions, the tension in the 
center is deliberate.
White is reluctant to exchange on d5 (say I . . . 0-0 2 exd5) because that
would
undouble Black's pawns (2 . . . cxd5) and liberate the c8-bishop.
Black, on the other hand, has to think twice about exchanging on c4 or e4
because it would leave him with ugly, apparently undissolvable c-pawns. 
And
l . . . d4? is a positional error that closes the position to the benefit 
of White's
knights. Therefore you might expect the center to remain the way it is for
several
more moves.
Nevertheless, once Black saw} 9. ... dxc4! ( 9. ... f6 10. h5 Ne5 11. Nxe5
Bxe5 12. Nd2 O-O 13. Nf3 Bc7 =+ ) 10. dxc4 e5! {he realized how strong
it was. How strong - and how practical.
Black can continue with a maneuver of his knight through f8 and e6 to the
splendid d4 square. Unlike some good (but impractical) plans, this one 
cannot
be stopped.
Because of White's weakness at f3, once the knight lands on d4 he will be
more or less forced into Nxd4. Then . . . cxd4 will tum Black's pawns from
a
liability into a major asset. He will have a protected passer on d4 and no
weak
pawns.
White had a lot to think about in the next three turns. Black didn't.
Play continued} 11. Nbd2 Nf8 12. Nf1 Ne6 13. Ne3 Nd4 14. Nxd4 cxd4 15. Nf5
D {Black has his first real choice since 2 . . . e5 ! . He considered 
preserving his
bishop with 7 . . . .Bf8 and then driving the knight back with 8 . . . g6.
That's not a bad plan. The knight won't find any great squares and Black's
bishops look good after, perhaps, 8 h5 g6 9 hxg6 fxg6 I0 Nh6 Be6.
Yet Black opted for a simpler policy - largely because it was simpler and
easier. He can trade bishops and castle, followed by piling up on the 
b-file.
It was, once again, a plan that couldn't be forestalled and required 
hardly any
calculation. Play went} 15. ... Bb4+ 16. Bd2 Bxd2+ 17. Qxd2 O-O 18. g4 {
Black looked at 1 0 . . . c5 but had doubts about what would
happen after g5 because a trade of queens helps White.
Instead, he played} 18. ... f6 19. f3 Be6 20. c5 {Black finds himself with
an opportunity to carry out another eyes-closed
plan. He can double his heavy pieces against the target at b2 by means of 
. . . a5,
. . . Qb8 followed by . . . Ra7-b7 or . . . Qb4/ . . . l:.tb8.
The effectiveness of this plan was shown by the next few moves} 20. ... a5
21. b3 Qb8 22. Kf2 {Black had more 'easier' moves coming up and his 
advantage grew with} ( 22. Ne7+? Kf7 23. Nxc6? Qc7 ) 22. ... Ra7 23. Rhc1 
Qb4 24. Qd3 a4! {Of course, he made some difficult choices in the course 
of the game, such as
l . . . dxc4 and 1 0 . . . f6 and the rejection of 7 . . . Bf8. But he 
also played many
more ' easier' moves. That's the mark of a pragmatic master.
} 25. bxa4 Qxa4 26. Kg3 g6 27. Nd6 Qa3 28. Qd2 f5 29. gxf5 gxf5 30. exf5 
Rg7+ 31. Kh2 Qxf3 32. Rg1 Bxf5 33. Nxf5 Rxf5 34. Rxg7+ Kxg7 35. Qg2+ Qxg2+
36. Kxg2 e4 37. a4 e3 38. a5 e2 39. a6 d3 40. a7 Rf8 0-1

[Event "World Championship 34th-KK4"]
[Site "Seville ESP"]
[Date "1987.10.19"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Black "Karpov, Anatoly"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2740"]
[BlackElo "2700"]
[ECO "A29"]
[EventDate "1987.10.??"]
[Annotator "Bulletin"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "24"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O e4 7. Ng5 Bxc3 
8. bxc3 Re8 9. f3 exf3 ( 9. ... e3 10. d3! d5 11. Qb3! += ) 10. Nxf3 Qe7?!
( 10. ... d5 11. cxd5 Qxd5 12. Nd4 Qh5 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. e3 ~ ) 11. e3 Ne5
{N; 11. ..d6+/= - 16/47} 12. Nd4! ( 12. Nxe5 Qxe5 13. Rb1 ( 13. Qf3 d6 14.
 Qf4 Qh5 ) 13. ... Rb8 14. e4 {/\} ( 14. Rb5 {/\ d3} ) ( 14. d3 d5 15. 
cxd5 Nxd5 16. d4 ( 16. Qb3 Be6 17. c4 ~ ( 17. d4!? {/\ c4} ) ) 16. ... Qe6
17. Qd3 Nf6 18. c4 += ) 14. ... Nxe4? 15. Re1 Qf5 16. Qe2 +- ) 12. ... Nd3
D {The 1987 world championship match was a case study of how to shift the
work load to your opponent. Of the eight decisive games, six were lost due
to
time pressure mistakes by the player who had been repeatedly forced to 
make
hard choices earlier.
Anatoly Karpov said it was because of difficult middlegame decisions he
had to make in the critical, final game that he dido 't have 20 seconds at
the point
when the game - and match - were decided. "Imagine," he said years later. 
"For
20 seconds I lost the world championship title, and if you're talking 
about
money, 600,000 dollars."} ( 12. ... Nxc4 13. e4 ( 13. Nf5 Qe5 14. d3 Nd6 ~
( 14. ... Qxc3? 15. Rb1 +/- ) ) 13. ... d6 ( 13. ... Nxe4 14. Bxe4 Qxe4 
15. d3 +/- ) 14. d3 c5 15. Nc2! {/\ Bg5, Ne3~/=} ) 13. Qe2 ( {White spent 
34 minutes on this move. But thanks to his decision he dido 't
spend more than 14 minutes on any of the game's remaining moves.
The press room GMs expected a Kasparovian 13 Nf5 because it complicates} 
13. Nf5!? Qc5 ( 13. ... Qd8 {Black has a difficult defense but White
has a difficult attack.
Instead, White forced matters with} ) 14. Nh6+ Kf8 15. Rxf6 gxf6 16. Bd5 {
with a brutal attack.
Objectively, 13 Nf5 may be the best move. But it leaves White with a lot 
to think about after Qd8} ) 13. ... Nxc1 14. Raxc1 d6 {Black was nearly 
half an hour ahead on the clock. But his time edge soon
vanished because White could play several progress-making plus-moves, such
as Rf4, Rcf1 , Qd3 and Nf5 .
Black, on the other hand, has to decide what to do with his center pawns
( . . . c6 or . . . c5), to complete development and to watch out for an 
Exchange
sacrifice on f6.
Play went} 15. Rf4 c6 16. Rcf1 {He spent time to find} 16. ... Qe5 ( 
16. ... Be6? 17. Rxf6! gxf6 18. Be4 Qf8 ( 18. ... f5 19. Bxf5 Bxf5 20. 
Nxf5 Qf6 21. Qh5 â†‘ ) ( 18. ... Bxc4 19. Bxh7+ Kxh7 20. Qh5+ Kg8 21. Nf5 
Qf8 22. Rf4 +- ) 19. Qh5 Qg7 20. Rf4 +/- ) 17. Qd3! Bd7 {B y now White was
ready to force a trade of minor pieces} ( 17. ... Rf8!? 18. Nf5 Bxf5 19. 
Rxf5 Qe7 {/\ Nd7} ) ( 17. ... Qh5? 18. Rxf6! ) 18. Nf5 Bxf5 19. Rxf5 {
Afterwards, analysis determined that Black should have retreated his queen
to e7, now or on the next move. But in trying to navigate his way through 
the
complications, he chose } 19. ... Qe6 20. Qd4 Re7? 21. Qh4! ( 21. Rxf6 
gxf6 22. Rxf6 Qe5 23. Rxd6 ( 23. Qg4+ Kh8 24. Rf5 Qe6 25. Qf4 Rg8 ) 
23. ... Qxd4 24. cxd4 =/& ) 21. ... Nd7 22. Bh3! Nf8 {White's advantage 
had grown and he was ahead on the clock. Once again the
GM analysts argued in favor of a sharp candidate, such as Rxf7 or Rg5 or
even Rb5 .
But White spent just four minutes on the safe - and 'easier '} 23. R5f3! {
It
forces a highly favorable endgame} ( 23. Rb5!? Ng6 24. Bxe6 Nxh4 25. Rxf7!
Rxe6 26. Rbxb7 Ng6 27. Rxg7+ Kf8 28. Rbf7+ Ke8 29. Rxh7 +/- ) 23. ... Qe5 
24. d4 Qe4 25. Qxe4 Rxe4 26. Rxf7 Rxe3 27. d5! ( 27. Rxb7! {would have won
quickly. It was a rare case of
Karpov being outplayed in a relatively simple position - and it happened
because the work load had been shifted to him} ) 27. ... Rae8 ( 27. ... 
Rxc3?? 28. Rxf8+ +- ) 28. Rxb7? ( 28. c5! dxc5 29. d6 Rd3 30. d7 Rd8 31. 
Re7 Nxd7 32. Be6+ Kh8 33. Bxd7 +- ) 28. ... cxd5 29. cxd5 R3e7 30. Rfb1 h5
( 30. ... Kf7 {>=; /\ Kf6-e5} ) 31. a4! g5 32. Bf5 ( 32. a5 {>=} 32. ... 
g4 33. Bf1 +- ) 32. ... Kg7 33. a5 Kf6 34. Bd3 Rxb7 35. Rxb7 Re3 36. Bb5 
Rxc3 37. Rxa7 Ng6 38. Rd7 Ne5 39. Rxd6+ Kf5 40. a6 Ra3 41. Rd8 1-0

[Event "HUN Ch 53rd"]
[Site "Heviz"]
[Date "2003.05.16"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Cao, Sang"]
[Black "Almasi, Zoltan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2531"]
[BlackElo "2676"]
[ECO "C65a"]
[EventDate "2003.05.12"]
[Annotator "Wedberg"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "HUN"]
[EventCategory "13"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.09.25"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "FRA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "FRA"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 {White battles the 
Berlin defence in a slightly unusual fashion. The idea to exchange on c6 
and then play d3 is a well known theme in the Ruy Lopez, but in this case 
Black seems to have a rather easy game.} 5. ... Bd6 6. Nbd2 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 
8. g4 {This weakens the K-side.} ( 8. Nf1 {to play Ng3 was safer.} ) 
8. ... Bg6 9. Nc4 ( 9. Nh4!? ) 9. ... Nd7 10. Bd2 Qe7 11. Qe2 O-O-O 12. 
O-O-O c5 13. Ne3 Qe6 14. Kb1 f6 {Black prepares to play for an attack on 
the white K.} 15. h4 Bf7 16. b3 Nb8 17. h5 h6 18. Nf5 Rhg8 19. N3h4 Nc6 
20. Qf1 a5! 21. a4 Nd4 22. Nxd4 ( 22. Bxa5 Nxb3! 23. cxb3 Qxb3+ 24. Kc1 b6
25. Nxd6+ Rxd6 26. Nf5 Rd7 27. Be1 Qa3+ 28. Kd2 Bb3 -+ ) 22. ... cxd4 23. 
Bxa5 Kd7! {The stage is set for a ferocious attack on the white K. It's 
difficult to find a good defensive plan. } 24. Kb2? ( 24. f4! Ra8 25. Qe1 
Qxg4 26. Rg1 Qxh5 27. Nf5 exf4 28. Rh1 Qg5 29. Bb4 += ) 24. ... Ra8 25. 
Qe1 Rgb8?! ( 25. ... b5! ) 26. Nf5 ( 26. Bd2! b5 27. a5 c5 ) 26. ... Bf8! 
{The N on f5 is `good` but it's doing absolutely nothing to help the K.} 
27. Bd2 b5 28. a5 c5 29. Ra1 c4 30. Bb4 D c3+ 31. Bxc3 Rc8!! {Nice move. 
Taking on c3 wasn't bad, but this is a killer.} ( 31. ... dxc3+ 32. Qxc3 
b4 33. Qd2 Rb5 ) 32. Bxd4! {This is best because if Black wins the queen  
32. ... Rxc2+! 33. Kxc2 Qxb3+ 34. Kd2 Bb4+ 35. Ke3 Bxe1 

White can hold out for quite a while by playing  36. Rhxe1 cxd5+ 37.Nxd4 }
( 32. Bb4 Rxc2+! -+ ) 32. ... exd4?! {Once again we would have a situation
in which Black should win because of
superior material, a queen versus a rook and some pawns. But he would have
to
navigate slowly, perhaps with} ( 32. ... Rxc2+! 33. Kxc2 Qxb3+ 34. Kd2 
Bb4+ 35. Ke3 Bxe1 36. Rhxe1 Bc4 37. Red1 Rxa5 38. Rxa5 Qxd1 39. Ra7+ Ke8 
40. dxc4 exd4+ -+ ) 33. Qd2 Qe5 34. b4 Rc3 35. f4 Qc7 36. Qf2 Ke8 37. Rhc1
Rc8 38. e5 Bxb4 39. exf6 gxf6 40. Nxd4 Qc5 41. Kb1 Rb3+! 0-1

[Event "RUS Ch"]
[Site "Elista RUS"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Belikov, Vladimir"]
[Black "Saulin, Dmitri"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2480"]
[BlackElo "2345"]
[ECO "B53h"]
[EventDate "1995.10.??"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1996.02.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 a6 5. c4 Nc6 6. Qd1 Nf6 7. Nc3 g6 8.
 h3 Bg7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O Be6 11. Be3 Qa5 12. Nd2 Rfc8 13. Nd5 Nd7 D 14. 
Bb6! Nxb6 15. Nb3! {White wins material.
Black's queen isn't trapped. But if it escapes to a4, he allows nxb6,
forking three heavy pieces and winning the Exchange.
Black made a savvy judgment. Rather than ... Qa4 he playe} 15. ... Nxd5! (
15. ... Qa4! 16. Nxb6 Qb4 17. Nxa8 Rxa8 18. Qc2 Rc8 19. a3 Qa4 20. Rac1 b5
21. Bg4 Bxg4 22. hxg4 b4 23. g5 bxa3 24. bxa3 Qxa3 25. c5 Nd4 26. Nxd4 
Rxc5 27. Qd2 Bxd4 28. Rb1 ) 16. Nxa5 Nc3 D {Instead o f being the Exchange
down h e preferred t o give up a lot more
material, a queen for two minor pieces. What was he thinking?
He was thinking that both material deficits - down the Exchange or giving
up the queen for two pieces - are enough to lose. But there's a practical
difference.} 17. Nxc6! {instead of 4 bxc3. This leads to a forcing 
variation} ( 17. bxc3 Nxa5 ) 17. ... Nxd1 18. Nxe7+ Kf8 19. Nxc8 {Black 
cut his material deficit by playing} 19. ... Nxb2 ( {Now White is the 
Exchange and a pawn ahead and would have another easy
time clinching the point after, say,} 19. ... Rxc8 20. Rfxd1 Bxc4 21. Rac1
Be6 ) 20. Nb6 Ra7 21. Rab1 {his task is fairly simple and Black decided to
end
matters with} 21. ... a5 22. Rfc1 Bd4 23. Rc2 1-0

[Event "Dortmund SuperGM"]
[Site "Dortmund GER"]
[Date "2001.07.18"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Morozevich, Alexander"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2794"]
[BlackElo "2749"]
[ECO "D11s"]
[EventDate "2001.07.12"]
[Annotator "Huebner,R"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 5. Bd3 Bg4 6. Qb3 Bxf3 7. gxf3 ( 7. 
Qxb7 {verdient Untersuchung:} 7. ... Bxg2 8. Rg1 dxc4 ( {Nach} 8. ... Nbd7
9. Rxg2 Qc8 ( 9. ... dxc4 {führt zur Hauptvariante.} ) 10. Qxc8+ Rxc8 11. 
Bd2 {ist der a-Bauer des Schwarzen sehr anfällig.} ) 9. Rxg2 ( 9. Qxa8 {
ist ungenau, denn nun hat Schwarz die Möglichkeit} 9. ... Bd5 10. Bc2 Qc7 
11. Nc3 Qxh2 12. Rf1 Bg2 13. Qb7 Kd8 14. f4 Bxf1 15. Qxb8+ Kd7 {mit etwa 
gleichem Spiel.} ) 9. ... Nbd7 ( 9. ... cxd3 10. Qxa8 Qc7 11. Nd2 e5 12. 
dxe5 Nd7 13. Nc4 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. Qb7 {mit Vorteil für Wei .} ) 10. 
Bxc4 c5 11. Nc3 cxd4 12. exd4 g6 13. Bxa6 Rb8 ( 13. ... Bg7 {ist 
schwächer; nach} 14. Bf4 {kontrolliert Wei das ganze Brett.} ) 14. Qc6 Bg7
{mit unklarer Lage.} ) 7. ... Ra7 {Laut A. Morozevich ("New in Chess 
6/2001, S.24) bietet dieser Zug bessere Kampfesaussichten als 7...Dc7.} ( 
7. ... Qc7 {sieht aber solider aus:} 8. Nc3 e6 9. e4?! ( 9. f4!? ) 9. ... 
dxc4 10. Bxc4 b5 11. Be2 c5 12. d5 c4 13. Qd1 exd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Qxd5 
Bb4+ 16. Kf1 Nc6 17. Rg1 g6?! ( 17. ... Rd8!? ) 18. Bf4 Qxf4 19. Qxc6+ Ke7
20. Qb7+ Kf6 21. Bxc4 Kg7 22. Bd5 =, quiet {1/2-1/2 Hebden,M-Prie,E/France
2000/EXT 2001 (32). (32)} ) 8. Nc3 e6 9. Qc2 {Zweck des Zuges ist es, nach
9..dc4: 10.Lc4: b5 die Fortsetzung 11.Ld3 zur Verfügung zu haben.

Reducing Three Results to Two
Another cliche that annotators love is: 'Three results are possible' . 
This is
their way of saying the position in question is so double-edged that 
either player
could win, or the game could end up as a draw.
Alternatively, a player will say he avoided a particular line of play 
because
only two results were possible - and that's not good.} ( 9. Bd2 dxc4 10. 
Bxc4 b5 11. Be2 c5 12. dxc5 Bxc5 {braucht Schwarz nicht zu fürchten} ) ( {
Die Fortsetzung} 9. f4 dxc4 {Sonst spielt Wei 10.c5.} 10. Bxc4 b5 11. Be2 
c5 12. dxc5 Bxc5 {bringt dem Wei en noch weniger ein.} ) 9. ... Be7 {But 
he rejected it because it would probably lead to a middlegame "where
only two results were possible."
In other words, he was afraid that if he liquidated tension, only White 
would
have winning chances thanks to greater space and the two bishops. The best
Black could hope for then is a draw, he felt. (He left the center tension 
intact
with Be7 and the third result occurred: He won.)

Increasing the number of possible results is a stock in trade of masters 
when
they are Black and playing a weaker player. To appreciate what's involved,
play
through grandmaster games, such as by Morozevich when he has Black. Or 
just
look at how masters handle Black in the second or third round of a large 
Swiss
tournament, when they are paired against a lower-rated but not easily 
heatable
opponent. They manage to maximize winning chances while minimizing the
chances of the third result, a loss.
There's another skill to be learned: Reducing the number of results from
three to two, a draw and a win. This can often be done in a way that also 
makes
your future decisions easier.} ( {Die Folge} 9. ... dxc4 10. Bxc4 b5 11. 
Bd3 c5 {war nicht nach dem Geschmack von Morozevich ("New in Chess" 
6/2001, S.24).} 12. dxc5 Rd7 13. Be2 b4 14. Na4 Qa5 15. b3 Rc7 16. Bb2 {
führt in der Tat zu einer Stellung, die recht freundlich für Wei aussieht.
} ) 10. Bd2 O-O 11. O-O-O?! {Mir scheint es geraten, von dem Umstand zu 
profitieren, da Schwarz im Augenblick nicht gut e6-e5 ziehen kann, weil 
der Bauer auf h7 hängt, um} ( 11. c5 {zu spielen. Wei fährt im nächsten 
Zug mit f3-f4 fort und hat Aussichten auf einen langfristigen 
strategischen Vorteil. Der Textzug gefällt mir überhaupt nicht: der König 
rochiert in verhältnismä ig unsicheres Gebiet; er stünde am Königsflügel 
sicherer. Auf jeden Fall begibt sich Wei der Möglichkeit, am Damenflügel 
die Initiative zu ergreifen.} ) 11. ... Nbd7 {Zu bequemem Ausgleich führte
} ( 11. ... dxc4 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Be2 ( {falls} 13. Bd3 {,so} 13. ... c5 
14. dxc5 Rd7 {Morozevich} ) 13. ... c5 14. dxc5 Bxc5 15. Ne4 Nxe4 ( 
15. ... Be7 16. Kb1 Nbd7 =, quiet {wird von Morozevich in "New in Chess" 
6/2001, S.24, angegeben.} ) 16. Qxe4 Qe7 {, aber natürlich ist auch der 
Textzug gut spielbar.} ) 12. cxd5 {Wei vermeidet die Öffnung der Stellung 
am Damenflügel, und dies ist sicherlich die richtige Entscheidung. 
Morozevich ("New in Chess" 6/2001, S. 24) gibt folgende anderen 
Möglichkeiten:} ( 12. Kb1 dxc4 13. Bxc4 b5 14. Be2 c5 {Schwarz steht 
besser.} ) ( 12. e4 dxc4 ( 12. ... b5 {ist weniger gut:} 13. c5 ( 13. cxd5
cxd5 14. e5 Nh5 15. Bxh7+ Kh8 16. Kb1 {führt zur Partiefolge.} ) 13. ... 
e5 14. exd5 exd4 15. d6 dxc3 16. Bxc3 ( 16. Qxc3 {ist schwächer; Schwarz 
antwortet} 16. ... Nd5 17. dxe7 Qxe7 ) 16. ... Nxc5 17. dxe7 Qxe7 18. Bd4 
Nxd3+ 19. Rxd3 {(soweit Morozevich)} 19. ... Raa8 20. Bc5 Qe6 21. Bxf8 
Rxf8 22. Kb1 Nd5 23. Rd4 {Hier hat meines Erachtens nur Wei 
Gewinnaussichten.} ) 13. Bxc4 b5 14. Bd3 c5 15. Be3 ( 15. e5 cxd4 16. exf6
Bxf6 {ist für Wei unzuträglich.} ) ( 15. dxc5 Nxc5 16. Be3 Nxd3+ 17. Rxd3 
Rd7 18. Rhd1 Rxd3 19. Rxd3 Qc7 {mit Angiff auf h2 ist ebenfalls unangenehm
für Wei .} ) 15. ... cxd4 16. Bxd4 Rc7 17. a3 e5 {mit deutlichem Vorteil 
für Schwarz.} ) 12. ... cxd5 13. e4 D {"Weiss muss aktiv spielen, um nicht
in eine minderwertigen Stellung zu geraten." (Morozevich, loc. cit.) In 
der Tat ist die Stellung des Wei en nach} ( 13. Kb1 b5 14. f4 Nb6 15. f5 
Rc7 16. Qb3 Nc4 {freudlos.} ) 13. ... Kh8 ( 13. ... g6 {ist eine plausible
andere Möglichkeit. Während der Partie schien es Morozevich, da dieser Zug
dem Wei en einen gefährlichen Angriff einräumt, und auch andere Spieler 
verwarfen ihn gefühlsmä ig (Shipov, siehe "New in Chess" 6/2001, S.24; D. 
Poldauf, "Schach" 9/2001, S.26), aber er ist nicht ohne weiteres zu 
widerlegen:} 14. Bh6 {Ich schlage deshalb den ruhigeren Textzug vor.} ( 
14. e5 Nh5 15. Rhg1 b5 16. Bxg6 fxg6 17. Rxg6+ hxg6 18. Qxg6+ Ng7 19. Bh6 
Bf6 20. Rg1 Rf7 ) ( 14. Rhg1 b5 15. exd5 b4 16. dxe6 bxc3 17. Bxc3 Nb6 18.
 exf7+ ( 18. f4 {ist nicht stärker:} 18. ... fxe6 19. Bxg6 Kh8 {usw.} ) ( 
{von Morozevich wird nur} 18. d5 Rc7 {angegeben.} ) 18. ... Rxf7 19. f4 
Kh8 20. f5 gxf5 21. d5 ( 21. Bxf5 Nbd5 {ist freudlos für Wei .} ) 21. ... 
Qxd5 22. Kb1 Rc7 23. Bxa6 {mit einigen Überlebensaussichten für Wei .} ) (
14. h4 b5 15. h5 b4 16. hxg6 fxg6 17. e5 bxc3 18. Bxc3 Rf7 19. Rdg1 Nf8 
20. exf6 Bxf6 {mit besserer Steelung für Schwarz.} ) 14. ... Re8 15. e5 
Nh5 16. f4 b5 17. Kb1 ( 17. f5 {ist unzureichend:} 17. ... exf5 18. Nxd5 (
18. Bxf5 {scheitert an} 18. ... Bg5+ ) 18. ... Nxe5 19. dxe5 Qxd5 {mit gro
em Vorteil für Schwarz.} ) 17. ... Rc7 18. Qe2 {Ich glaube nicht, da 
Schwarz erheblichen Vorteil hat; die Möglichkeit f4-f5 mu stets beachtet 
werden.} ) ( 13. ... b5 {ist laut Morozevich ("New in Chess" 6/2001, S.24)
nicht besser als der Textzug, weil nach} 14. e5 {die Fortsetzung} 14. ... 
b4 {nichts verspricht:} ( 14. ... Nh5 15. Bxh7+ Kh8 {führt zur 
Partiefortsetzung.} ) 15. exf6 Bxf6 ( 15. ... Nxf6 16. Na4 Rc7 17. Nc5 e5 
18. Bxb4 exd4 19. Kb1 Qa8 20. Rhe1 Bd6 21. Rc1 a5 22. Ba3 Bxc5 23. Bxc5 
Rfc8 24. Bf5 d3 25. Qxd3 Rxc5 26. Bxc8 +- ) 16. Nxd5 exd5 17. Kb1 a5? ( {
Viel besser ist der von Morozevich nicht angegebene Zug} 17. ... Qb6 
=, quiet {, denn nun wird nach} 18. Bxh7+ Kh8 {der Zug} 19. Qf5 {mit} 
19. ... Qxd4 20. Bc3 Qh4 {widerlegt. Das ändert nichts an dem Urteil ,da 
13...b5 gegenüber 13...Kh8 keine wesentliche Verbesserung bedeutet.} ) 18.
 Bxh7+ Kh8 19. Qf5 Bh4 ( 19. ... g6 20. Qh3 Bh4 21. Rhg1 Kxh7 22. Bg5 +- )
20. Rhg1 Nf6 21. Rxg7 Kxg7 22. Rg1+ Kh8 23. Bh6 +- {. Welcher Zug ist nun 
stärker, 13...Kh8 (bzw. 13...b5) oder 13... g6? Nach 13...g6 entsteht 
(meines Erachtens) eine ungefähr ausgeglichene Stellung. Die Frage mu nun 
lauten, wie die Lage nach 13...Kh8 zu bewerten ist; darüber wird in der 
Folge zu entscheiden sein.} ) 14. e5 ( {Die Fortsetzung} 14. Kb1 b5 15. e5
Nh5 16. Ne2 {wird von Morozevich ("New in Chess" 6/2001, S.25) 
vorgeschlagen und untersucht. Sie führt zu einem etwa ausgeglichenen 
Kampf:} 16. ... Rc7 17. Qb3 ( 17. Ba5 Rxc2 18. Bxd8 Rxb2+ 19. Kxb2 Bxd8 
20. f4 g6 21. Rc1 ~ ) 17. ... Qe8 18. f4 f5 19. Ng3 ( 19. Rc1 Rxc1+ ( 
19. ... Rc4!? ) 20. Rxc1 Nb6 21. Rc7 Nc4 22. Bc1 ~ ) ( 19. Ba5 Rc8 20. Rc1
~ ) 19. ... Nb6 20. Be2 Nxg3 21. hxg3 Nc4 ~ {Hätte Schwarz 13...b5 an 
Stelle von 13...Kh8 gespielt, dann hätte Wei diese Möglichkeit nicht zur 
Verfügung gehabt.} ) 14. ... Nh5 15. Bxh7 ( 15. f4 {kam laut Morozevich 
("New in Chess" 6/2001, S.25) sehr in Betracht. Nach} 15. ... b5 ( {Es ist
natürlich nicht konsequent nach 13...Kh8 jetzt auch noch} 15. ... g6 {zu 
spielen. Nach} 16. f5 gxf5 17. Rhg1 b5 18. Bxf5 b4 ( 18. ... exf5 19. Bh6 
Qb6 ( 19. ... Rg8 20. Qxf5 {ist hoffnungslos für Schwarz.} ) 20. Bxf8 Bxf8
21. Qxf5 {sieht trübe für Schwarz aus, zum Beispiel} 21. ... Qh6+ 22. Kb1 
Nb6 23. Rg4 Ng7 24. Rdg1 {mit der entscheidenden Drohung 25.Df6.} ) 19. 
Nxd5 exd5 20. Kb1 +/- {hat Wei eine wohl entscheidende Initiative.} ) 16. 
Be2 b4 {Morozevich gibt nur diesen Zug an, aber} ( 16. ... g6 17. Bxh5 
gxh5 18. Kb1 f5 {führt meines Erachtens zu einer befriedigenden Stellung 
für Schwarz.} ) 17. Bxh5 bxc3 18. Bxc3 Rc7 {(soweit Morozevich)} 19. Kb1 {
entsteht eine recht unklare Lage.} ) ( 15. Kb1 b5 16. Ne2 {führt zu der 
beim 14. Zuge von Wei angegebenen Möglichkeit; auch hier steht Wei nicht 
schlechter. Indessen ist auch der Textzug spielbar.} ) 15. ... b5 16. Kb1 
( 16. Nxd5 exd5 17. Qf5 Nhf6 18. exf6 Nxf6 -+ {Morozevich.} ) 16. ... Rc7 
17. Qd3 ( {Der Versuch} 17. Bg6 {ist nicht ohne weiteres von der Hand zu 
weisen:} 17. ... fxg6 18. Qxg6 Nf4 19. Qg4 ( {Die von Morozevich 
angegebene Folge} 19. Bxf4 Rxf4 20. Qxe6 Nf8 21. Qxa6 b4 {sieht für Wei 
nicht gut aus; seine Bauernstruktur ist ruiniert, und seinen Figuren 
mangelt es an Koordination.} ) 19. ... b4 20. Na4 Ne2 21. Rhe1 Nxd4 22. 
Qxd4 Rxf3 23. Qg4 Rf5 24. f4 Qg8 25. Re3 {, und Schwarz dürfte über keinen
nennenswerten Vorteil verfügen:} 25. ... Qh7 26. Ka1 {usw.} ) 17. ... Bg5 
18. f4 ( 18. Nxd5 exd5 19. Ba5 Nf4 {führt zum Vorteil für Schwarz 
(Morozevich).} ) ( {Ebenfalls unzureichend ist} 18. Ne2 Bxd2 19. Rxd2 Qh4 
{(soweit Morozevich)} 20. Rc2 Rfc8 21. Rhc1 Rxc2 22. Rxc2 Rd8 {, und Wei 
hat keine Verteidigung gegen die Drohung 23...Sf8.} ) ( 18. h4 Bxd2 19. 
Rxd2 f5 {verliert auch.} ( {Verfehlt wäre dagegen} 19. ... g6 {Wei setzt 
mit} 20. Bxg6 Nf4 21. Qe3 fxg6 22. Ne2 {fort, Morozevich, loc. cit.} ) ) (
18. Be3 {wird von Morozevich als Bestes angegeben; er nennt den Zug "den 
realistischsten Versuch, Vorteil zu erzielen" ("New in Chess" 6/2001, 
S.25). Nach} 18. ... Bxe3 ( 18. ... Re8 {sieht nicht konsequent aus:} 19. 
f4 Nxf4 ( {Die Fortsetzung} 19. ... Bxf4 20. Bg6 fxg6 21. Qxg6 Bxe3 22. 
fxe3 Nhf6 23. exf6 Nxf6 24. h4 {ist äu erst angenehm für Wei .} ) 20. Bxf4
( {oder auch} 20. Qd2 Kxh7 21. Bxf4 Bxf4 22. Qxf4 {Morozevich} ) 20. ... 
Bxf4 21. Qh3 Bh6 22. Bd3 {In beiden Fällen hat eher Wei 
Angriffsaussichten.} ) 19. fxe3 Qg5 20. Rhg1 Qh6 21. Bf5 ( 21. Bg6 b4 ( {
Nach} 21. ... fxg6 22. Rxg6 Qh7 23. Rxe6 {erhält Wei Vorteil, zum Beispiel
} 23. ... Qxd3+ 24. Rxd3 Rxf3 25. Rd1 ( 25. a3 Nf4 ) 25. ... Rf2 26. Rxa6 
b4 27. Nxd5 Rcc2 28. b3 {Zunächst mu der Springer von c3 vertrieben 
werden, so da der Bauer auf d5 nicht mehr hängt.} ) 22. Ne2 fxg6 23. Rxg6 
Qh7 24. f4 {Soweit gibt Morozevich die Variante an, und es scheint, da er 
die Stellung als günstig für Wei beurteilt, wenn auch eine ausdrückliche 
Bewertung unterbleibt; ich glaube aber, da Schwarz nach} 24. ... Rc6 25. 
Rc1 ( 25. Rg5 {verspricht nichts:} 25. ... Qxd3+ 26. Rxd3 Rf5 -/+ {oder 
Gewinn für Schwarz.} ) 25. ... Nb8 {besser steht: Wei kann den Turm auf g6
nicht ohne weiteres aus der Fesselung befreien.} ) 21. ... Rxc3 ( {
Morozevich gibt nur} 21. ... b4 22. Nxd5 exd5 23. f4 Nb6 24. Rg5 Nc4 25. 
Bg4 {an; danach sieht die Stellung des Schwarzen in der Tat ziemlich 
verdächtig aus.} ) 22. bxc3 exf5 23. Qxf5 Nb6 {ist die Stellung ist für 
mich zu schwer zu beurteilen, doch glaube ich, da ich lieber Schwarz 
hätte. Der Textzug genügt zum Ausgleich.} ) 18. ... Bxf4 19. Bxf4 ( {Nach}
19. Qf3 Qh4 20. Bc2 Bxd2 21. Rxd2 Rfc8 {hat Schwarz Vorteil, desgleichen 
nach} ) ( 19. Qh3 Qg5 20. Bc2 Bxd2 21. Qd3 Qh6 22. Qxd2 Qxd2 23. Rxd2 f6 )
19. ... Nxf4 20. Qe3? ( {Nach} 20. Qf3 Qh4 21. Bd3 f6 22. Qg3 Qh6 {hat 
Schwarz Vorteil (Morozevich, loc. cit.) . Richtig war} ) ( 20. Qg3 Nh5 ( 
20. ... b4 21. Rdg1 ( 21. Ne2 Nxe2 22. Bd3 Nc3+ 23. bxc3 g6 {führt zu 
einer unklaren Lage.} ) 21. ... g6 22. Qxf4 Kxh7 23. Nd1 {mit besserer 
Stellung für Wei .} ) ( 20. ... Kxh7 21. Qxf4 f6 22. Qg3 Qe7 23. f4 {, und
auch hier scheint mir eher Wei die besseren Aussichten zu haben.} ) 21. 
Bd3 Nxg3 ( {Die Folge} 21. ... g6 22. Qg4 Qe7 23. Ne2 {birgt gro e 
Gefahren für Schwarz.} ) 22. hxg3+ Kg8 23. Bh7+ {mit remis.} ) 20. ... Qh4
21. Bc2? {wei verschenkt noch ein wertvolles Tempo. Richtig war natürlich}
( 21. Bd3 ) 21. ... Rfc8 22. Bd3 Nb6 ( {Verfehlt ist} 22. ... Rxc3 23. 
bxc3 Rxc3 24. Qg3 Qh6 25. Bxb5 {, und Wei gewinnt (Morozevich, "New in 
Chess" 6/2001, S.25).} ) 23. Ne2?! ( {Bessere Aussichten auf Widerstand 
bot} 23. Qg3 Qh6 24. Ne2 Nxd3 25. Qxd3 Nc4 26. Rhg1 ) 23. ... Nxd3 24. 
Rxd3 ( {Jetzt scheitert} 24. Qxd3 {an} 24. ... Qxf2 ) ( 24. Qg3 Qh7 25. 
Qxd3 Rc2 {ist ebenfalls fatal für Wei .} ) 24. ... Nc4 25. Qf3 Qe4 26. 
Qxe4 dxe4 27. Rh3+ ( {Nach} 27. Rc3 b4 28. Rcc1 Nd2+ 29. Ka1 Rc2 30. Rxc2 
Rxc2 31. Ng3 Kh7 {ist Wei gelähmt und wird schlie lich an seinen 
Bauernschwächen zugrunde gehen.} ) 27. ... Kg8 28. Rd1? ( {Viel zäher war}
28. Nc3 Rd8 ( 28. ... Nd2+ 29. Kc2 Nf3 30. Kb1 Rd8 31. Nxe4 Rxd4 32. Rxf3 
Rxe4 33. Ra3 {scheint mir weniger klar zu sein.} ) 29. Rd1 Rcd7 30. Nxe4 
Rxd4 31. Rxd4 Rxd4 32. Nc5 {, obwohl Schwarz nach} 32. ... Rd1+ 33. Kc2 
Rd2+ 34. Kc3 Rxf2 35. Nxa6 Nxe5 {verhältnismä ig leicht gewinnen sollte.} 
) 28. ... Nxb2 0-1

[Event "Gothenburg"]
[Site "Goteborg SWE"]
[Date "1971.07.20"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Spassky, Boris V"]
[Black "Czerniak, Moshe"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2690"]
[BlackElo "2380"]
[ECO "C11t"]
[EventDate "1971.07.??"]
[Annotator "Nilsson"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "SWE"]
[EventCategory "8"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "SWE"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Be7 6. Bxf6 Bxf6 7. Nf3 
Nd7 8. Bc4 ( 8. Qd2 ) 8. ... O-O 9. Qe2 Nb6 ( 9. ... c6 ) 10. Bb3 Bd7 11. 
O-O Bc6 12. Nxf6+ gxf6 ( 12. ... Qxf6 13. Ne5 ) 13. Rad1 Kh8! 14. c4 Qe8 (
14. ... Rg8 ) 15. Rfe1 Rg8 16. d5! Bd7 ( 16. ... exd5 17. cxd5 Bxd5 18. 
Qe7! ) 17. Qe4 Qf8 18. Qh4 Rg6 19. Bc2 Rh6 20. Qe4 e5 21. Nd2 Nc8 22. Qe3 
Nd6 23. c5 Nf5 24. Bxf5 Bxf5 25. Nf1! Rh4 26. Ng3 Bd7 27. d6! c6 28. Qb3 
Rb8 29. Re4 Rxe4 30. Nxe4 Qh6? 31. Qxf7 Bg4 32. f3 Rf8 D {White doesn't 
have to see far at all to play this with confidence. He might
notice that  d7 looks strong. He might also see that if 4 d7 doesn't win 
quickly,
he has a good alternative in 4 Rf1 followed by a capture on f6. That 
should win
in the long run.
In any case, there is virtually no chance of Black winning. Only two 
results
are possible.} 33. Qxf8+! {Of course, Boris Spassky could calculate well 
enough to check out all the
variations after 3 fxg4 until they reached a 'and White wins' end. But 
often there
are simply too many lines that last too many moves into the future to 
count out
and evaluate.} ( 33. Qe7 Bf5 34. d7 Bxd7 35. Rxd7 Qe3+ 36. Kf1 Qh6 37. 
Nxf6 Qc1+ 38. Kf2 Qc2+ 39. Ke3 Qc1+ 40. Ke4 Qc4+ 41. Kf5 Qf4+ 42. Ke6 Qc4+
43. Nd5 ) 33. ... Qxf8 34. fxg4 {White doesn't have to see far at all to 
play this with confidence. He might
notice that 4 d7 looks strong. He might also see that if 4 d7 doesn't win 
quickly,
he has a good alternative in Rf1 should win
in the long run.
In any case, there is virtually no chance of Black winning. Only two 
results
are possible.} 34. ... Qd8 35. d7 Kg8 ( 35. ... Kg7 36. Nd6! ) 36. Nxf6+ 
Kf7 37. Ne4 Ke7 38. Nd6! 1-0

[Event "Corus"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2010.01.22"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Dominguez Perez, Leinier"]
[Black "Tiviakov, Sergei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2712"]
[BlackElo "2662"]
[ECO "E11g"]
[EventDate "2010.01.16"]
[Annotator "Stohl"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.03.17"]

1. d4 {Already this must have been a big surprise for Tiviakov - until now
Dominguez has been exclusively a 1.e4 player.} 1. ... Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 
d5 4. Nf3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 {On the other hand, Black sticks to his 
repertoire, this is his usual weapon against the Catalan.} 6. Bg2 c6 ( 
6. ... O-O {is more usual, but it often just transposes into the same 
positions, especially after} 7. O-O c6 8. Qc2 {However, in our game it 
will soon acquire independent significance, as White is not intent on 
protecting the c4-pawn.} ) 7. Bf4 {A rare alternative.} ( {The main line 
goes} 7. Qc2 O-O 8. O-O b6 9. Rd1 Bb7 10. Bf4 {Perhaps a better version of
this idea is} 10. ... Nh5!? ( 10. ... Nbd7 {in favour of deploying his N 
to a6:} ) ( 10. ... Na6 11. Ne5 Rc8 12. Nc3 Nd7 13. Qa4!? ( 13. Qb3 Nxe5 
14. Bxe5 Bd6 15. Bxd6 Qxd6 16. Rac1 ( 16. a3!? {()} ) 16. ... Qb4 17. Qxb4
Nxb4 18. a3 Na6 {1/2,Wojtaszek,R (2625)-Tiviakov,S (2635)/Havana/2008/} 
19. Rc2 Nc7 {/\Ne8-d6=} ) 13. ... Nxe5 14. Bxe5 f6 15. Bf4 g5 16. Be3 f5 
17. f4 g4 18. h3 gxh3 19. Bf3 Rf6 20. Kf2 dxc4 21. Qxc4 Nb4 22. Rh1 a5 23.
 Rxh3 += {Komljenovic,D (2465) -Pogorelov,R (2415)/Cordoba/1994/} ) 11. 
Bc1 Nf6 12. Nc3 Na6 13. b3 ( 13. a3 dxc4! 14. Ne5 Qc8 15. Nxc4 c5 16. Bxb7
Qxb7 17. dxc5 Nxc5 18. Bg5 h6 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Rac1 Qa6 21. Ne4 Nxe4 22. 
Qxe4 Rac8 =, quiet {Gupta,A (2570)-Tiviakov,S (2697)/ Bhubaneswar/2009/} )
13. ... c5 ( 13. ... Rc8!? 14. Bb2 c5 â‡„â‡„ {/\} 15. dxc5 Nxc5 16. cxd5 
Nxd5 17. e4? Nxe4! 18. Qxe4 Nxc3 19. Qe5 Bd5 -/+ ) 14. dxc5 bxc5 ( 14. ...
 Nxc5 15. cxd5 Nxd5 16. e4 â†‘ ) 15. cxd5 ( 15. a3!? += ) 15. ... exd5 16.
 Bb2 Qc8 17. Ng5?! ( 17. e3 =, quiet ) ( 17. Na4!? {/\} 17. ... d4? 18. 
Nxd4 Bxg2 19. Nf5 +/- ) 17. ... Nb4 18. Qb1 h6 19. a3 d4 20. Nce4 Nbd5 21.
 Nxf6+ Nxf6 22. Ne4 Re8 23. b4 Rb8 â†‘ {Bereolos,P (2303)-Scekic,M 
(2391)/Schaumburg/2006/} ) ( {Dominguez doesn't want to commit his Q yet, 
another plausible continuation with similar ideas is} 7. O-O {, when 
accepting the offfered P is not without risk:} 7. ... dxc4 8. Qc2 b5 9. b3
!? cxb3 10. axb3 O-O 11. Ba5! {White makes good use of his seemingly extra
Bd2 move.} 11. ... Qe8 12. Ne5 Bb7 13. Nc3 Nd5 14. Ne4 ( 14. Nxd5!? exd5 
15. e4 â†‘ ) 14. ... Na6 15. Nd3 Ndb4 16. Bxb4 Nxb4 17. Nxb4 Bxb4 18. Nc5 
Bxc5 19. Qxc5 a6 20. Rfc1 Rc8 21. e3 Qd7 22. b4 =/& {Saric,I (2473) 
-Arbanas,J (2289)/Bizovac/2005/} ) 7. ... Nbd7 {This time Black's N goes 
to its most usual square.} ( {However, the greedy} 7. ... dxc4 {also 
deserves some attention:} 8. Ne5 {More sedate is} 8. ... Nd5 ( 8. ... Bb4+
9. Bd2!? {transposes to a dangerous line of the Catalan accepted with 
5...c6, both sides have 2 extra moves:} ( 9. Nc3 Nd5 10. Bd2 ( 10. O-O 
Bxc3 11. bxc3 Nxc3 12. Qc2 Nd5 13. Qxc4 Nxf4 14. gxf4 O-O ~ {/=/+} ) 
10. ... b5 ~ ) 9. ... Qxd4 10. Bxb4 Qxe5 11. Na3 b5 12. Bd6!? Qxb2 13. O-O
Nd5 14. e4 Nc3 15. Qh5 Nd7 ( {Critical is probably} 15. ... h6!? ~ ) 16. 
e5 Bb7 17. Qg5 f6 18. exf6 O-O-O 19. fxg7 Rhg8 {Tkachiev, V 
(2654)-Goloshchapov,A (2574)/Rethymnon/2003/} 20. Rae1 Rxg7 21. Qe3 c5 22.
 Bxb7+ Kxb7 23. Qf3+ Kb6 24. Rxe6 Rg6 25. Rfe1 Ne5 26. Bxc5+ Kxc5 27. 
R6xe5+ Nd5 28. Qf7! +- {Avrukh} ) 9. Nxc4 Nxf4 10. gxf4 c5 11. dxc5 ( 11. 
d5 exd5 12. Qxd5 Nc6 â‡„â‡„ ) 11. ... Qxd1+ 12. Kxd1 Bxc5 13. Nc3 Ke7 14. 
Ne4 ( 14. e3!? {/\Ke2+/=} ) 14. ... Na6 15. Nxc5 Nxc5 16. b4 Na6 17. a3 
Rd8+ 18. Kc2 Rd4 19. Na5 Rxf4 20. Rhf1 Rb8 21. Rac1 Bd7 22. Bxb7 Nc7 23. 
Kb2 Ne8 =, quiet {Glavina Rossi,P (2420)-Kurajica,B (2535)/Burela/1993/} )
( {More tested positions arise after} 7. ... O-O 8. O-O Nbd7 ( 8. ... b6 
9. Nc3 Ba6 {Although this more or less forces a swap on d5, later on the B
is either forced to retreat to b7, or Black must sacrifice material:} ( 
9. ... Nbd7 10. Rc1 Bb7 {-8...Nbd7} ) ( 9. ... Bb7 10. Rc1 Na6!? {is 
another playable idea by Tiviakov.} ) 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Rc1 Nc6 ( 11. ... 
Bb7 12. Ne5 Nbd7 13. Nd3!? ( 13. Nb5 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Nd7 15. h4 Rc8 16. Qd2 
Rc5 17. Nd4 Qb8 18. Qe3 Rfc8 19. Bh3 Nf8 20. h5 h6 21. Rfd1 Ba6 =, quiet {
Avrukh,B (2653)-Ponomariov,R (2704)/WchT Beersheba/2005/} ) 13. ... Ne8 ( 
13. ... Rc8 14. Qb3 a6 15. Na4 Bc6 16. a3 Ne4 17. Nb4 Bb5 18. Rxc8 Qxc8 
19. Rc1 Qa8 20. Bxe4 dxe4 21. Nc3 Bxb4 22. Nxb5 axb5 23. Qxb4 Qd5 24. Qe7 
Nf6 25. Be5 Ng4 26. Bd6 Ra8 27. h3 Nf6 28. Be5 Nd7 29. Bxg7! Kxg7 30. Rc7 
+/- {Svidler,P (2750)-Efimenko,Z (2612)/Bundesliga 0607/2007/} ) 14. Qb3 
Nd6 15. Rfd1 a6 16. Bxd6! Bxd6 17. e4 dxe4 18. Bxe4 Qb8 19. Bxb7 Qxb7 20. 
d5 exd5 21. Qxd5 Qxd5 22. Nxd5 Rfc8 23. Rxc8+ Rxc8 24. N3b4 Bf8 25. Nxa6 
Nf6 26. Nxf6+ gxf6 {Khalifman,A (2624) -Arutinian,D (2544)/EU-ch 
Dresden/2007/} 27. b4!? +/- ) 12. Nxd5 Qxd5 13. Ne5 Nxd4 14. Bxd5 Nxe2+ 
15. Qxe2 Bxe2 16. Bxa8 Rxa8 17. Rfe1 Bb5 18. Rc2 Nd5 19. Rec1 Bc5 20. Bd2 
{Ponomariov,R (2695)-Topalov,V (2778)/Sofia/2005/} 20. ... a5!? 21. b3 += 
) ( 8. ... dxc4 {is not ideal, after} 9. Ne5 += {White wins the P back 
with typical Catalan pressure.} ) 9. Nc3 {Another playable option is the 
principled} 9. ... dxc4!? ( 9. ... b6 10. Rc1 Bb7 11. cxd5 cxd5 ( 11. ... 
exd5 12. Qc2 += ) ( 11. ... Nxd5 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Qa4 Bf6 14. Rxc6! Bxc6 
15. Qxc6 Re8 16. Qxd5 Nf8 17. Qb5 Ne6 18. Be3 Rc8 19. Rd1 +/- {Aronian,L 
(2781)-Vescovi,G (2660)/ WChT Bursa/2010/} ) 12. Nb5 Ne8 13. Qd3!? {The 
point of delaying the development of the Q.} ( 13. Qb3 a6 14. Nc7 Rc8 15. 
Nxe8 Rxe8 16. a4 Rc6 17. Rxc6 Bxc6 18. Rc1 Qa8 19. e3 Rc8 20. Bf1 h6 
=, quiet {Radjabov,T (2670)-Izoria,Z (2573)/EU-ch Antalya/2004/} ) 13. ...
 a6 14. Nc7 Rc8! ( {Black can nevertheless play this active move.} 14. ...
 Ra7?! $143 15. Nxe8 Rxe8 16. Rc2 {<->c} 16. ... Qa8 17. Rfc1 Bd8 18. Bd6 
a5 19. Ne5 Ba6 20. Qe3 Nxe5 21. dxe5 Rd7 22. Qd4 f5 23. e3 Qb7 24. Rc6 +/-
{Eingorn,V (2590)-Orlov,V (2425)/St Petersburg/ 1997/} ) 15. Nxa6 Ra8 16. 
Nc7 Rxa2 17. Qb3 Ra5 18. Bd2 ( 18. Ne5 Nxe5 19. Qxb6 Nc4 20. Qxb7 Bd6! 21.
 b3 ( 21. Nxe8 Bxf4 22. gxf4 Qxe8 â†‘ ) 21. ... Bxf4 22. gxf4 Nxc7 23. 
bxc4 dxc4 24. Rxc4 Nb5 =, quiet {/\Nd4,Nd6} ) 18. ... Ra7 19. Nb5 Ra8 20. 
Bb4 ( 20. Rc2 Nd6 21. Nxd6 Bxd6 22. Bb4 Qe7 23. Bxd6 Qxd6 24. Rfc1 Rfc8 
=, quiet {1/2,Meier,G (2556)-Tiviakov,S (2645)/EUnion-ch Liverpool/ 2008/}
) 20. ... Ba6 21. Ne5 Nxe5 22. dxe5 Bc5 23. Na3 Bxb4 24. Qxb4 Bxe2 25. 
Rfe1 Ba6 26. Rc6 Rb8 27. Nc2 Bc8 28. Nd4 Bd7 29. Ra1 Rb7 30. Rc3 g6 31. g4
Ng7 32. h3 f6 ~ {/<=>,Giri,A (2552)-Tiviakov,S (2670)/Hoogeveen/2009/ 
White's activity is not sufficient for more than equality.} ) ( 9. ... Nh5
10. Bc1 Nhf6 11. b3 b6 12. Nd2!? Ba6 ( 12. ... Bb7 13. e4 Bb4 14. Bb2 c5 
15. exd5 cxd4 16. Nb5 e5 17. f4! a6 18. fxe5 Nxd5 19. cxd5 axb5 20. Bxd4 
Bc5 21. Ne4 Re8 22. Bxc5 Nxc5 23. Nd6 {1-0,Gelfand,B (2761)-Vescovi,G 
(2660)/WchT Bursa/2010/} ) 13. Bb2 ( 13. e4 Rc8 14. Bb2 dxe4 15. Ncxe4 Qc7
16. Re1 c5 17. d5 exd5 18. Nc3 Rfe8 19. Nxd5 Nxd5 20. Bxd5 {1/2,Roiz,M 
(2560)-Lputian,S (2634)/Calvia olm/2004/} 20. ... Bf6 21. Qh5 Rf8 =, quiet
) 13. ... b5 14. cxb5 cxb5 15. a3 Nb6 16. Re1 Qd7 17. e4 Rfc8 18. e5 Ne8 
19. Ne2 b4 20. Nf4 bxa3 21. Bxa3 Bb5 22. Bf1 Bxf1 23. Nxf1 Bxa3 24. Rxa3 
+= {Leko,P (2751)-Alekseev,E (2716)/Nalchik/2009/} ) 10. e4 ( 10. a4 Nd5 {
transposes to the game.} ( 10. ... a5!? ~ ) ) 10. ... b5!? ( 10. ... Re8 
11. a4 a5 12. Qe2 b6 13. Rfd1 Ba6 14. Nd2 Bf8 15. Nxc4 Nd5 16. Bd2 ( 16. 
Bc1 Nxc3 17. bxc3 Ne5 18. dxe5 Bxc4 19. Rxd8 Bxe2 20. Rxe8 Rxe8 21. Be3 
Bc5 22. Bxc5 bxc5 23. Bf1 Bf3 24. Bg2 Be2 25. Bf1 =, quiet {Ponomariov,R 
(2741)-Harikrishna,P (2673)/ESP-chT/2009/} ) 16. ... Rc8 17. Be1 Qc7 18. 
b3 Bb4 19. Qb2 Bxc4 20. bxc4 Nxc3 21. Bxc3 Bxc3 22. Qxc3 e5 23. Bh3 exd4 
24. Rxd4 Rcd8 25. Bxd7 Rxd7 26. Rxd7 Qxd7 27. c5 Qa7 28. Qc4 bxc5 29. Rc1 
h6 30. Qxc5 =, quiet {1/2,Gelfand,B (2761)-Grischuk,A (2736)/WChT 
Bursa/2010/} ) 11. d5 Qb6 12. Nd4 ( 12. dxc6 Nc5 13. a4?! ( 13. Ne5 ~ ) 
13. ... b4 14. Nb5 Ba6 15. Qc2 Nd3 16. Nd2 Nxf4 17. gxf4 Rac8 18. Nxc4 
Qxc6 â†‘ {Sakaev,K (2626)-Maletin,P (2581)/St Petersburg/2009/} ) 12. ... 
cxd5 ( 12. ... e5 13. Nxc6 Bd6 14. Be3 Nc5 {Gleizerov,E (2562)-Isajevsky,A
(2441)/Kazan/2006/} 15. a4! +/- ) 13. exd5 Bb7 14. Ndxb5 exd5 15. Nc7 Rac8
( 15. ... Qxb2!? ) 16. N7xd5 {1/2,Porat, I (2363)-Lerner,K 
(2542)/ISR-chT/2009/} 16. ... Nxd5 17. Nxd5 Bxd5 18. Qxd5 Nc5 19. Be3 ( 
19. Qxc4 Ne6 =, quiet ) 19. ... Qb4 â‡„â‡„ ) 8. O-O {Ambitious, but not 
without risk.} ( {Dominguez insists on the P-sacrifice and again refrains 
from} 8. Qc2 O-O 9. O-O b6 10. Rd1 Bb7 {This leads to a position biefly 
mentioned in the note to White's 7th move; here Black has lately been 
doing well with the Stonewall setup after} 11. Nc3 Nh5 12. Bc1 f5!? 13. b3
Rc8 14. Bb2 Bd6 15. e3 Qe7 16. Ne2 Nhf6 17. Nf4 {Black now faces the 
positional threat Ng5:} 17. ... Rfd8 ( 17. ... Ne4 18. Ne5 ( {Similar is} 
18. Qe2 Ndf6 19. Ne5 Rfd8 20. Rac1 c5 â‡„â‡„ {1/2,Gelfand,B 
(2758)-Ponomariov,R (2739)/Khanty Mansiysk/2009/} ) 18. ... c5!? ( 18. ...
 Nxe5 19. dxe5 Bb8 20. a4 g5 21. Nd3 g4 22. Nf4 Qf7 23. a5 Rcd8 24. Qe2 
Ng5 25. a6 Bc8 26. cxd5 cxd5 27. Rac1 Rfe8 28. Bd4 Bd7 29. h3 â†‘ {Marin,M
(2520)-Pogorelov,R (2415)/Andorra/1994/} ) 19. f3 ( 19. Nxd7 Qxd7 20. dxc5
Rxc5 21. Bxe4 fxe4 22. Ba3 Rc6 23. Bxd6 Rxd6 24. cxd5 e5 â‡„â‡„ ) 19. ... 
Nef6 20. Qe2 Ba6!? ~ {gives Black reasonable <=>} ( {Avrukh mentions} 
20. ... Rfd8 21. Nfd3 += {, which seems somewhat weaker.} ) ) 18. Rac1 ( 
18. Ng5 Nf8 19. c5 bxc5 20. dxc5 Bc7 ~ ) 18. ... Ne4 19. Nd3 ( 19. Ne5 âŒ“
) 19. ... Bb8 20. Nfe5 Nxe5 21. Nxe5 c5 22. Qe2?! cxd4 23. exd4 Bxe5 24. 
dxe5 dxc4 25. bxc4 Qb4 =+ {Harika,D (2471)-Adams,M (2694)/Caleta/2010/} ) 
8. ... dxc4!? {Tiviakov accepts the challenge and finally defines the 
character of the game.} 9. a4 ( 9. Nc3 b5 10. Ne5 ( 10. e4 Bb7 =+ {allows 
Black to prevent the d5-break from the line in the note to his 7th move - 
here White's compensation is quite vague.} ) 10. ... Nxe5 11. Bxe5 Qb6 ~ )
9. ... Nd5 ( 9. ... O-O 10. Na3 =/& {and retaining the P would require 
parting with the strong Be7.} ( 10. Nbd2 b5!? 11. axb5 cxb5 12. Ne5 Nd5 
13. Nc6 Qe8 14. Nxa7 N7b6 =+ ) ) 10. Nc3 ( {Gleizerov gives the line} 10. 
Nfd2 Nxf4 11. gxf4 Qc7 12. e3 h6! 13. Nxc4 g5 =+ {, which shows how Black 
can profit from postponing castling.} ) ( {He further recommends} 10. Qc2
!? b5 11. b3 Nxf4 12. gxf4 cxb3 13. Qxc6 Rb8 14. axb5 Bb7 15. Qc3 Bd5 16. 
Rxa7 Rxb5 17. Nbd2 O-O =, quiet {as roughly equal, mentioning also} ) ( 
10. Bd2!? b5 11. axb5 cxb5 12. Ba5 N7b6 13. b3 =/& ) 10. ... O-O ( {White 
would be struggling to prove his compensation after the cleverer} 10. ... 
a5! âŒ“ {/\} 11. Nd2 N7b6 =+ ) 11. Nd2 Bb4 {This gives Dominguez a good 
version of the intended sacrifice. Black had other alternatives:} ( 
11. ... N7b6 12. a5 Nxf4 13. gxf4 Nd5 14. e3 Bb4 15. Nxc4 Bxc3 16. bxc3 
Nxc3 17. Qd2 Nd5 18. Rab1 =/& ( 18. e4 {><f4} 18. ... Nc7 19. Ra3 b5 20. 
Ne3? {Montagard,G (2227)-Lallement,V (2095)/FRA-chT2/2009/} 20. ... c5 -/+
) ) ( 11. ... Nxf4!? 12. gxf4 c5 13. Nxc4 ( 13. dxc5 Qc7 14. e3 Nxc5 15. 
Nxc4 Rd8 16. Qc2 Bd7 =, quiet ) ( 13. d5 Nb6 =+ ) 13. ... Nb6 14. Nxb6 ( 
14. Ne5?! cxd4 15. Nb5 f6 16. Nf3 Nd5 ( 16. ... d3! 17. e3 Kh8 =+ {/\} 18.
 Nbd4 g5! ) 17. Qxd4 Qb6 ( 17. ... a6 18. Nc3 Nb4 ~ ) 18. f5! Bc5 19. Qe4 
Nb4 20. Rac1 Na6 ( 20. ... a6 âŒ“ 21. Nbd4 exf5 22. Nxf5 Kh8 â‡„â‡„ ) 21. 
fxe6 Qxe6 22. Qxe6+ Bxe6 23. Nfd4 â†»â†» {|^+/-,Markos,J (2557)-Michalik,P
(2405)/SVK-chT 0809/2009/} ) 14. ... Qxb6 15. dxc5 ( 15. a5 Qb4!? â‡„â‡„ )
15. ... Qxb2 16. Ne4 Rd8 17. Rb1 Qa2! 18. Nd6 Rb8! =, quiet {/\b6,Qa3} ( 
18. ... Qa3 19. Qc1 Qxc1 20. Rfxc1 Bxd6 21. cxd6 Rb8 22. Rc6!? += ) ) 12. 
Nxc4! ( 12. Rc1 $143 N7b6 =+ ) 12. ... Nxc3 ( 12. ... Nxf4 13. gxf4 Nb6 ~ 
{seems playable for Black, but it's inconsistent with his previous move.} 
) 13. bxc3 Bxc3 14. Rc1 ( 14. Rb1 Nb6 15. Nd6 a5!? =+ {/\Bb4} ( 15. ... g5
16. Ne4 â†‘ ) ) 14. ... Bb4 15. Qb3 ( 15. e4! =/& {/\} 15. ... b5?! 16. 
Bd6! +/- ) 15. ... a5!? ( 15. ... Qe7 $143 16. a5 {()<<} ) 16. e4 =/& {
White's compensation consists of his strong [+] and lead in development. 
He will strive to open the position advantageously, but in the game he 
manages this only after further passive play from his opponent.} 16. ... 
Nb6 ( 16. ... b5! âŒ“ 17. axb5 ( 17. Nd6? g5 -/+ ) ( 17. Nd2?! e5! 18. 
dxe5 g5 19. Be3 Nxe5 â†‘ ) ( 17. Nb2 bxa4 {/\Ba6-e2-/+} ) 17. ... cxb5 18.
 Nd6 Ba6 19. e5 Nb6!? ( 19. ... Bxd6 20. exd6 b4 21. Rfe1 Rc8 22. Rc7 ~ ) 
( 19. ... Rb8 20. Rc6 Rb6 ( 20. ... Nb6? 21. d5! exd5 22. Be3 +/- ) 21. 
Rfc1 Rxc6 22. Rxc6 ( 22. Bxc6 Nb6!? â‡„â‡„ ) 22. ... Nb8 23. Rc2 ~ ) 20. 
Bxa8 Qxa8 =/& {Here it's already Black, who has excellent compansation.} )
17. Ne5 Nd7 ( 17. ... Qxd4?? 18. Rfd1 +- ) ( 17. ... f5!? {is an 
interesting recommendation by Gleizerov - Black weakens his >>, but gets 
the d5-square and <=> after} 18. Rfd1 fxe4 19. Bxe4 Nd5 ) 18. Nd3 Qb6 ( 
18. ... Be7 19. Rfd1 ( 19. d5!? ) 19. ... Qb6 20. Qc2 =/& {is similar to 
the game.} ) ( 18. ... Qe7 19. Rfd1 Bd6 20. Be3!? {/\} ( 20. Bxd6 Qxd6 21.
 Qb2 =/& ) 20. ... e5 21. dxe5 Bxe5 ( 21. ... Nxe5 22. Nxe5 Bxe5 23. Bc5 
+/- ) 22. Nxe5 Qxe5 23. f4 â†‘ ) 19. Be3 {/\d5,Rb1} 19. ... Be7 20. Qc2 
Qd8 ( 20. ... Qa6 21. Rfd1 â†‘ {/\d5,Bf1,><Qa6} ) 21. Rfd1 Nf6 22. h3 â†‘ 
{White can't break through immediately, so he prevents Ng4, consolidating 
his set-up. Black's pieces lack space and he is forced to defend passively
and with extra care.} 22. ... Ne8?! {This attempt to reorganise the 
defence is misguided.} ( 22. ... Bd7 23. Nc5 â†‘ ) ( 22. ... h6!? += ) 23.
 Qb3?! ( {The time was already ripe for} 23. d5!? exd5 24. exd5 cxd5 25. 
Nf4 Nf6 26. Nxd5 Nxd5 27. Rxd5 Qe8 28. Re5! {/\Qc7} 28. ... Be6 29. Bxb7 
Rb8 30. Be4 h6 31. Rxa5 Bxh3 32. Bh7+ Kh8 33. Bf5 Bxf5 34. Qxf5 +/- {o^a 
and Black has no meaningful <=>.} ) 23. ... Nc7 ( 23. ... Nf6!? ) 24. Ne5 
( 24. Nc5 Na6! ) ( {and} 24. Bf4 Bg5 {initiates exchanges, which only help
Black.} ) ( {However, the patient} 24. h4!? += {/\Bf4 stops the last idea 
and retains the pressure - the N can go to e5 or c5, according to the 
circumstances.} ) 24. ... Bb4 ( 24. ... Na6? 25. d5 +/- ) 25. Nd3 {As 
Black can't improve his position, Dominguez calmly retracts his last move.
} 25. ... Qe7?! {This is one exchange Black should have almost certainly 
avoided - the Bb4 is a valuable piece.} ( 25. ... Be7 âŒ“ 26. h4 {-24.h4} 
) 26. Nxb4 Qxb4 â–¡ ( 26. ... axb4? 27. d5 +/- {/\Bc5} ) 27. Qc2 Re8? {
Tiviakov doesn't address the main threat and after this oversight his 
position collapses.} ( {Necessary was} 27. ... Na6 â–¡ 28. Rb1! ( 28. d5 
cxd5 29. exd5 exd5 30. Rxd5 Be6 31. Rb5 ( 31. Bd2 Qa3! 32. Rxa5 Nb4 += ) 
31. ... Rac8 32. Rxb4 Rxc2 33. Rb5 Rxc1+ 34. Bxc1 Bd7 35. Rxa5 Rc8 36. Be3
Bc6 37. Bf1 += {is slightly better for White, but Black retains reasonable
drawing chances.} ) 28. ... Qa3 ( 28. ... Qe7 29. Qc3 +/- {/\} 29. ... Nb4
30. d5 ) 29. Qc4 â†‘ {/\d5,Bd2} ) 28. d5! +- {/\Bc5 The decisive tactical 
break!} 28. ... exd5 ( 28. ... Na6 29. d6 ( 29. dxc6 bxc6 30. Qxc6 Bb7 31.
 Qb5 +- ) 29. ... Bd7 30. Rb1 +- ) 29. exd5 Na6 â–¡ ( 29. ... Nxd5 30. Bc5
+- ) 30. dxc6 bxc6 D {Reducing the number of results becomes more 
important as the inability to
calculate with certainty increases. Consider the next diagram. White has
temporarily sacrificed a pawn and clearly intends to take on c6. But how 
should
he capture?} 31. Qxc6! {Then White can force a position that has only two
possible outcomes, and the winning chances are vastly greater than the 
drawing chances. 

Sure, 31 Bxc6 looks like it must be best because it forks the rooks. The 
likely
continuations are 31 . . . Bxh3 and 31 . . .Bb7 and White will win the 
Exchange.
There is no quick forced win then. That is, there is no sequence of White
shots that will bring Black to his knees in a reasonably short number of 
moves.
Moreover, there is no way to force a trade of queens
White would have to be careful not to allow Black's queen to threaten mate
on the c6-h l diagonal. Yes, White should win. But he could lose.
The alternative is} ( 31. Bxc6 Bb7 32. Bxe8 Rxe8 33. Rd7 +- {is probably 
good enough, but the text-move is more technical, White avoids any 
accidents on the <->h1-a8} ) 31. ... Bf5 {Reducing the number of outcomes 
from three to two only works if there is a
very good chance of a win. In the last example, 31 Qxc6! would have been
31 Qxc6? if Black had strong drawing chances. Then l Bxc6 would have been
superior, despite the complications.
Masters are also good at reducing three results to two when on the 
defensive.} ( 31. ... Be6 32. Qb5! {and Black is quite lost} ) 32. Qb5! 
Be4 33. Rc4! Qxb5 34. axb5 Bxg2 35. Kxg2 Nb4 ( 35. ... Nb8 36. b6 +- ) 36.
 b6 {After a series of forced moves the o^b6, supported by the strong B 
quickly decides the issue.} 36. ... Rab8 37. Rd7 h6 38. b7 {/\Ba7, Bf4} 
1-0

[Event "World Cup"]
[Site "Rotterdam NED"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sax, Gyula"]
[Black "Ehlvest, Jaan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2610"]
[BlackElo "2600"]
[ECO "C11t"]
[EventDate "1989.06.??"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "15"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1989.12.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "HUN"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ISL"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Be7 6. Bxf6 Bxf6 7. Nf3 
O-O 8. Qd2 b6 9. O-O-O Bb7 10. Qf4 Nd7 11. Bd3 Be7 12. h4 Nf6 13. Neg5 Qd6
14. Ne5 Rad8 15. Rh3 c5 16. Rg3 D {Black took the practical way out. He 
chose} 16. ... Qxd4! ( 16. ... cxd4? 17. Bxh7+ Nxh7 18. Ngxf7 Qxe5 ) ( 
16. ... g6 17. Nxh7 Nh5 18. Qh6 Nxg3 19. Nxg6 fxg6 20. Qxg6+ Kh8 21. Nxf8 
Qf4+ 22. Kb1 Be4 23. Bxe4 Qxe4 24. Qh6+ Kg8 25. Nxe6 Nh5 26. Nxd8 Bxd8 27.
 Qxh5 cxd4 28. f3 Qe6 29. f4 +- ) 17. Bxh7+ Nxh7 18. Rxd4 Rxd4 {kills the 
attack at a small material cost. Play went} 19. Qe3 Nxg5 20. hxg5 D {It 
may not be obvious but White's attacking chances are extinguished. An
added benefit is that Black's moves are easier to find. After} 20. ... Re4
21. Qc3 Bd6 22. f4 Rxf4 23. Rd3 Bd5 24. Nf3 Rg4 25. Qe1 c4 26. Rd4 Rxg2 {
Taking the easy way out' used to be considered laziness. Masters know that
moves like 16 . . .Qxd4 ! save energy but also half points. And with that 
it's time
again for you to work on some quiz positions.} 27. Qd1 Rd8 28. b4 Rg3 29. 
Ne1 Rxg5 30. a3 Rg1 31. Qe2 c3 32. Qf2 Rh1 33. Rd1 Rh2 34. Qd4 Rc8 35. Nd3
Rc4 36. Qe3 Rg4 37. Rf1 f5 38. Ne1 Rh1 39. Qe2 Re4 40. Qd3 Rxe1+ 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.17"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Quizes  38 - 41"]
[Black "---------page 146"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.17"]

{Quiz Answers -  page 198} 
*

[Event "Buenos Aires Sicilian"]
[Site "Buenos Aires ARG"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "14"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2740"]
[BlackElo "2695"]
[ECO "B84"]
[EventDate "1994.10.??"]
[Annotator "Boensch,U"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "ARG"]
[EventCategory "18"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[BlackTeam "II"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. Be2 Qc7 
8. g4 d5!! =+ ( 8. ... h6 9. Qd2 ( 9. a4 d5 10. exd5 exd5 11. h4 Bb4 12. 
Kf1 Nc6 13. Kg2 Bxc3 14. bxc3 Ne4 = {Makarichev,S-Beliavsky,A USSR(ch) 
1978} ) ( 9. f4 Nc6 ( 9. ... e5?! 10. Nf5 g6 11. Ng3 exf4 12. Bxf4 Be6 13.
 Qd2?! ( 13. Qd4! += ) 13. ... Nbd7 14. O-O-O O-O-O = {Shirov,A-Ftacnik,L 
Pardubice (05) 1994 1/2 42} ) 10. g5 hxg5 11. fxg5 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Nd7 13. 
Qd2 b5 14. a3 Bb7 15. O-O-O O-O-O {Koka,O-Arakhamia,K Bern op (9) 1991 0-1
39} ) 9. ... b5 10. a3 Bb7 11. f3 Nbd7 12. O-O-O d5 13. exd5 Nxd5 14. Nxd5
Bxd5 15. Rhe1 Bc5 16. Bxb5 axb5 17. Nxb5 Qc6 18. Bxc5 +- {
Nevedmichy,V-Timoshenko,G Bucharest 1993 1-0 34} ) ( 8. ... b5 9. g5 Nfd7 
10. a3 Bb7 ( 10. ... Nb6 11. f4 ( 11. Qd2 N8d7 12. O-O-O Nc4 13. Bxc4 Qxc4
14. f4 Rb8 15. Kb1 b4 16. axb4 Qxb4 17. Nb3 Be7 18. Qd4 Qxd4 19. Bxd4 O-O 
20. Na5 +/- {Nevedmichy,V-Itkis,B Bucharest Ciocaltea (06) 1994 1-0 45} ) 
11. ... N8d7 12. f5 Ne5 13. fxe6 fxe6 14. O-O Nbc4 15. Bc1 Be7 = {
Gipslis,A-Peshina,G USSR 1985} ) 11. h4 ( 11. f4!? ) 11. ... Nb6 12. h5 
N8d7 13. Rg1 Nc4 14. Bxc4 Qxc4 15. Qd2 b4 16. axb4 Qxb4 17. f4 Nc5 -/+ {
Lanka,Z-Schlosser,P Nettetal (11) 1992 0-1 32} ) 9. exd5 ( 9. g5? Nxe4 10.
 Nxe4 dxe4 -/+ ) 9. ... Bb4! 10. dxe6 Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Qxc3+ 12. Kf1 fxe6 
13. Nb3 ( 13. Kg2 O-O =+ ) 13. ... Nd5 14. Qd4 ( 14. Bd4 Qh3+ 15. Kg1 O-O 
16. Qd3 Nf4 17. Qxh3 Nxh3+ 18. Kf1 b6 19. Bxb6 Bb7 20. f3 Rxf3+ 21. Bxf3 
Bxf3 -/+ ) 14. ... Qc7 15. Bd3 Nc6 ( 15. ... O-O!? ) 16. Qe4 Ne5?! ( 
16. ... Nf6 17. Qa4 Bd7 18. Nc5 O-O =+ ) 17. Bc5! Bd7 18. Re1 Nxd3 19. 
cxd3 Nf4! {/\ Bb5} 20. Nd4 Qxc5 ( 20. ... O-O-O?? 21. Rc1 +- ) 21. Qxf4 
Rf8 22. Qe4? ( 22. Nxe6 Bxe6 23. Rxe6+ Kd7 24. Qe3 Rac8 = ) 22. ... O-O-O 
=+ 23. Re2 ( 23. Kg2?? Bc6 24. Nxc6 Qxf2+ 25. Kh3 Rf3+ -+ ) 23. ... Kb8 
24. Rg1? ( 24. Kg2 Bc8 ( 24. ... e5? 25. Rb1 +/- ) ( 24. ... Qxd4 25. Qxd4
Bc6+ 26. Qe4 Bxe4+ 27. dxe4 = ) 25. Nxe6 Bxe6 26. Qxe6 Rxd3 27. Rb1 = ) 
24. ... Qc7 25. Nxe6 ( 25. Qxh7!? ) 25. ... Bxe6 26. Qxe6 Qxh2 27. Qe3 D {
Black has all the winning chances. But White has real drawing chances.
What should Black play?

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

White wants to escape into an end game with Qg3+. But} 27. ... Ka8! -/+ {
leaves him with both a difficult position and hard choices.
The post-mortem showed that} 28. Rg3? Rc8! 29. Rg2 ( 29. Rh3 Rc1+ 30. Qxc1
Qxh3+ ) 29. ... Qh1+ 30. Rg1 Qh4 31. Rg2? ( 31. Qg3 -/+ ) 31. ... Rf3! -+ 
32. Qd2 Qh1+ ( 32. ... Rxd3 33. Qxd3 Qh1+ 34. Rg1 Rc1+ 35. Re1 Rxe1+ 36. 
Kxe1 Qxg1+ -+ ) 33. Rg1 Qh3+ ( 33. ... Qh3+ 34. Rg2 Rxd3 35. Qe1 Rdc3 -+ )
0-1

[Event "Candidates qf3"]
[Site "Quebec CAN"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Spraggett, Kevin"]
[Black "Jussupow, Artur"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2575"]
[BlackElo "2610"]
[ECO "A07"]
[EventDate "1989.02.??"]
[Annotator "Horn,Pe"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "HUN"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Bf5 4. c4 e6 5. O-O Be7 6. b3 O-O 7. Bb2 h6 8. 
d3 Bh7 9. Nbd2 Nc6!? 10. a3 a5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Qc2 Nd7?! {12...Qd6! /\ 
Nd7} 13. Bh3! Re8 ( 13. ... Bf6?! 14. Bxd7 Bxb2 15. Bxc6 Bxa1 16. Bxb7 Rb8
17. Bxd5 += ) 14. Rfe1 Nf8 15. Rac1 Ne6? 16. Qb1? ( 16. Bxe6! fxe6 17. Ne5
Nxe5?! {17...Ra6!?} 18. Bxe5 Bxa3 19. Qxc7! +/- ) 16. ... Bf6 17. Qa1 Bxb2
18. Qxb2 Qd6 19. Rb1 Nc5 20. Bf1 Bf5 {20...Re7 !?} 21. Rec1 Na6 22. Rc2 
Re7 23. Rbc1 Rae8 24. e3 Bh7 25. Nb1 Rd8 26. Be2 d4 27. e4 f5 28. exf5 
Bxf5 29. Bf1 Qd7 30. Nbd2 Rf8?! D {>= 30...Nab8! deckt c6

How can White make his life easier?

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

} 31. Rxc6! bxc6 32. Nxd4 {he ensures that his next several
moves will be easier to find than Black's.
This comes at a small material cost and with the compensation of Black's
wrecked queenside pawns and his weakness on light squares. That is clear 
after,
say, 2 . . . c5 3 Nxf5 Qxf5 4 Ne4.
The game went} 32. ... Nb8 ( 32. ... c5!? 33. Nxf5 Qxf5 34. Ne4 Qd5 ) 33. 
Nxf5?! {>= 33.Nc4 /\ Ne3} 33. ... Qxf5 34. Ne4 D {and Black was forced to 
make
tough choices.} 34. ... Nd7? {34... Qe5} 35. Rxc6 Ne5 {>= 35...Nf6} 36. 
Rc5 Nf3+!? ( 36. ... Qh5!? 37. h3! +/- ( 37. f4? Nxd3! 38. Bxd3 Qd1+ 39. 
Bf1 Rxe4 40. Rxc7 Qd4+ += ) ) 37. Kh1 Qg6 38. Rxa5 Qb6 {38...Ne1 !? 
39.Qd4!} ( 38. ... Rxe4? 39. dxe4 Qxe4 40. Bc4+ Kh8 41. Qe2! +- ) 39. b4 
Nxh2? 40. Qb3+! ( 40. Kxh2? Rxe4! 41. Qb3+ Re6 42. Re5 Rxf2+ 43. Bg2 Rf6 
44. Rxe6 Rxe6 45. Bd5 Qf2+ = ) 40. ... Kh7 41. Kxh2 Rxf2+ 42. Bg2! ( 42. 
Nxf2? Qxf2+ 43. Bg2 Re3! -+ ) 42. ... Rf8 43. Rc5 Kh8 44. a4 Qg6 45. a5 
Qg4 46. Qc2 c6 47. a6 Rb8 48. Rxc6 Qh5+ 49. Kg1 Rxb4 50. Rc8+ Kh7 51. d4 
Qf5 52. g4 Qg6 53. Nf6+! gxf6 54. Rh8+ 1-0

[Event "Alekhine Open"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Novik, Maxim"]
[Black "Dvoirys, Semen I"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2430"]
[BlackElo "2570"]
[ECO "A33q"]
[EventDate "1992.10.??"]
[Annotator "Ribli"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeam "II"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e6 6. g3 Qb6 7. Nb3 Ne5 
8. e4 Bb4 9. Qe2 d6 10. f4 Nc6 11. Be3 Qc7 12. Bg2 e5 ( 12. ... Bxc3+ 13. 
bxc3 e5 14. c5 dxc5 15. Bxc5 += {Smejkal,J-Gdanski,J Polanica Zdroj 1991 
CBM/26} ) 13. Rc1! ( 13. f5 Bxc3+ 14. bxc3 b6 ~ ) 13. ... exf4 14. gxf4 
Qe7 ( 14. ... O-O 15. O-O Bxc3 16. Rxc3 += ) 15. Bd2 Na5 ( 15. ... O-O 16.
 Nd5 Bxd2+ 17. Nxd2 Nxd5 18. cxd5 += ) 16. Nxa5 Bxa5 17. c5! D {White has 
just played c5 ! so that l ... dxc5 2 e5 fo llowed by Nd5 after the
knight retreats. Should Black avoid that? And, if so, how?

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

Black has a choice between giving White a strong initiative (with
I . . . dxc5 or I . . . Bxc3) or seizing his own. White felt that I . . . 
Bxc3 would have
been second-best because he has a powerful position after either 2 .Bxc3 
dxc5
3 e5 Nd7 4 0-0 and 5 f5 or 2  Rxc3 dxc5 3 e5 Nd7 4 0-0 0-0 5 Rg3 .
He praised his opponent's} 17. ... O-O! {even though} ( 17. ... Bxc3!? 18.
 Bxc3 dxc5 19. Bxf6 ( 19. e5!? =/& ) 19. ... Qxf6 20. Qb5+ Bd7 21. Qxb7 
Qxf4 22. Qxa8+ Ke7 23. Qxh8 Qe3+ 24. Kd1 Qd3+ 25. Ke1 Qe3+ = ) 18. cxd6 
Qxd6 19. e5 {costs a
piece. It turns out that Black has his own initiative - and much easier 
moves to
find - after play went} 19. ... Qd8 20. exf6 Re8 21. Ne4 ( 21. Be3 Bf5 ( 
21. ... Bg4! =/& ) 22. b4 Bd3 23. Rd1 Bxe2 24. Rxd8 Bxd8 25. Kxe2 Bxf6 26.
 Ne4 ) 21. ... Bf5 22. Bxa5 Qxa5+ 23. Kf2 Qb6+ 24. Kg3 ( 24. Qe3!? Qxb2+ (
24. ... Qxe3+? 25. Kxe3 gxf6 26. Rc5 +- ) 25. Kg3 +/- ) 24. ... gxf6 {/\ 
Lxe4, f5} 25. Rc4 Kh8 26. h3 Be6! 27. Rc5? ( 27. Rcc1 Bd5 28. b3 +/- ) 
27. ... Rg8+ 28. Kh2 f5 29. Rb5 ( 29. Qc2 fxe4 30. Qc3+ Rg7 31. Rg5 Rg8 ~ 
) 29. ... Qc7! 30. Ng3 Rxg3! 31. Kxg3 Rg8+ 32. Kh2 Qxf4+ 33. Kg1 Qd4+ 34. 
Kh2 Qf4+ 35. Kg1 Qd4+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Dortmund"]
[Site "Dortmund GER"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Polgar, Judit"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2665"]
[BlackElo "2630"]
[ECO "B48l"]
[EventDate "1996.07.??"]
[Annotator "Ribli"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "GER"]
[EventCategory "18"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "POL"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ESP"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Bd3 b5 (
7. ... Nf6 ) 8. O-O Bb7 9. Nxc6 Qxc6 10. Re1 ( 10. Kh1 Nf6 11. f3 Bc5 12. 
Qe1 Bxe3 13. Qxe3 Qc7! 14. a4 b4 15. Na2 a5 16. c3 bxc3 17. Nxc3 O-O = {
Almasi,Z-Leko,P/ Groningen/1995/CBM48/INF65,188/} ) 10. ... Nf6 11. Bd4 
Be7 12. Qf3 b4!? N ( 12. ... d6 ) ( 12. ... Qc7 13. a3 Rc8?! 14. Qh3 h5 
15. e5 Ng4 16. Be4 g6 17. Qf3 Bc6 18. h3 Nh6 19. g4 hxg4 20. hxg4 Ng8 21. 
Kg2 +/- {und Weiss hat grossen Raumvorteil./Popovic - 
Leko/Beograd/1996/CBM52/INF66,(155)/} ) 13. Nd1 d6 14. b3 ( 14. Qg3 O-O 
15. Ne3 g6 ~ ( 15. ... e5?? 16. Nf5 +- ) ) 14. ... O-O 15. Bb2 Nd7 = {
Schwarz droht mit 16...Bf6 den gefaehrlichen Laeufer zu tauschen.} 16. Qh3
Ne5 17. Ne3 ( 17. Bxe5? {-ein grober positioneller Fehler-} 17. ... dxe5 
-/+ {und Wei ist auf den schwarzen Feldern sehr schwach.} ) 17. ... Ng6 {
Jetzt beginnt die Manöverphase.Es gibt keine konkreten Ziele, beide 
Spieler probieren ihre Figurenstellung zu verbessern.} 18. Rad1 Rfe8 19. 
Nc4 a5 20. Qg4 Qc5 21. Bf1 d5 22. exd5 Bxd5 23. a4 bxa3 24. Bxa3 Qc7 25. 
Bxe7 Nxe7 {Weiss hat eine Bauernmehrheit am Damenflügel, aber das hat 
keine Bedeutung. Schwarz steht sehr aktiv.} 26. Ne5 Ng6 ( 26. ... Qxc2 27.
 Bd3 Qxb3 28. Bxh7+ ) 27. Nxg6 hxg6 28. Bd3 Rab8 {Weiss steht nur 
theoretisch besser.Mit einem Läufer auf d5 kann man die Partie nicht 
verlieren.} 29. Qg5 Bc6 30. h4 a4 31. bxa4 Bxa4 32. Re4 D {Black should be
OK if he retreats his attacked bishop to c6. What else is
there to consider?

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

} 32. ... Bxc2! {and a bit of calculation, Black reduced the results to
two. It should be easy to see that} ( 32. ... Bc6 = ) 33. Rc1! ( 33. Rc4 
Qxc4 34. Bxc4 Bxd1 {can end only in a
Black win or a draw. (A win is more likely.)} ) 33. ... Rb1! 34. Ree1! D {
But once again Black has a simple way to secure two results:} ( 34. Rc4 
â–¡ Qd8! 35. Qxd8 Rxd8 36. Rxb1 Bxb1 37. Bxb1 Rd1+ ) ( 34. Rxb1 Bxd3 ) 
34. ... Bxd3! 35. Rxc7 Rxe1+ {with a rook, bishop and pawn for the queen, 
and all the pawns
on the kingside. It was drawn in 15 more moves.} 36. Kh2 Rb1 = {Weiss hat 
eine Dame für Turm, Läufer und Bauer. Der Kampf findet nur am Königsflügel
statt, so kann sich die Kraft der weissen Dame nicht zeigen.} 37. f3 Rb5 
38. Qc1 Rd5 39. Qc6 Rf8 40. Re7 Bb5 41. Qb6 Bf1 42. Kg1 Bc4 43. Qb4 {Diese
Partie wurde in der entscheidenden letzten Runde gespielt. Weiss probiert 
noch etwas, doch kann er der Punkteteilung nicht ausweichen.} 43. ... Rd1+
44. Kh2 Bd5 45. Qg4 Rc1 46. h5 gxh5 47. Qxh5 Rcc8 48. Qg5 Bc6 49. Kg3 Rfe8
50. Ra7 Ra8 51. Rc7 {Eine kämpferische Partie von zwei jungen Ungarn. 
Ribli} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chapter 8 - Comp"]
[Black "------- page 147"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.06"]

{Chapter Eight:

Comp

A master's superiority in evaluating a position is most pronounced when it
comes to that vague term compensation. He knows 'comp' when he sees it.

When considering a sacrifice a master might look just two moves into the
future. That's when he can conclude that he would receive worthwhile 
goodies
in return for the material he's giving up. "This must be sound," he may 
say to
himself. He can stop calculating there.

The non-master can 't. He typically has doubts about whether the sacrifice
is
worthwhile, less than worthwhile - or a blunder that will cost him the 
game. He
feels he has to look further, maybe four, five moves or more into the 
future,
hoping to find confirmation of the sack's soundness. Consider this 
example:} 
*

[Event "Elista FIDE GP"]
[Site "Elista RUS"]
[Date "2008.12.17"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Kasimdzhanov, Rustam"]
[Black "Alekseev, Evgeny"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2672"]
[BlackElo "2715"]
[ECO "E59"]
[EventDate "2008.12.14"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.01.28"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8. 
a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qc7 10. Bb2 dxc4 11. Bxc4 e5 12. h3 Bf5 {This is one of 
the most popular continuations in the Classical system of the Nimzoindian 
Defence.} ( 12. ... e4 {is played much more rarely nowadays.} ) 13. Ba2 
Rad8 14. Qe2 Rfe8 ( 14. ... Bg6 {is an important alternative.} ) 15. d5 {
Otherwise White can't hope for an advantage, e.g.

White has just played a book move, 15 d5 . It's another example of little
tactics. Black cannot play I . . . Rxd5? because Bxd5 Nxd5 3 e4 costs a 
piece.
In previous games, Black retreated, l . . . tt:'!e7. Then White gained 
more space
with 2 c4 ! followed by 3 Nd2 and 4 e4, and was slightly better. Once 
again little
tactics was the means towards a positional end and edge.
But not in this game. This time Black replied} ( 15. Rad1 e4 16. Nh2 cxd4 
17. cxd4 Nd5 18. Rc1 Qe7 19. Rc5 Be6 20. Ba1 f5 21. Rfc1 Kh8 22. Nf1 Rf8 
23. Bxd5 Bxd5 24. Qb2 Rf6 25. Qb5 Qd7 26. Ng3 Ne7 27. Qxd7 Rxd7 28. Rc7 
Rfd6 =, quiet {1/2-1/2 Milic,B-Kevitz,A/USA 1950/EXT 2001 (50)} ) 15. ... 
Rxd5!? N {This sacrifice was recommended by GM Sergey Tiviakov but never 
tested in practice before this game.} ( {In fact, Black's results after 
the simple} 15. ... Ne7 16. c4 Ng6 {are quite satisfactory:} 17. Nd2 Qb6 (
17. ... Re7 18. e4 ( 18. g4 Bc8 19. Bb1 {looks more to the point} ) 
18. ... Bc8 19. Rfe1 Ne8 20. Nf1 Nf4 21. Qf3 Rd6 22. Ng3 Rf6 23. Qe3 Nd6 
24. Ne2 g5 â‡„â‡„ {0-1 Mareco,S-Mahia,G/Buenos Aires ARG 2008/The Week in 
Chess 702 (41)} ) 18. Bc3 Ne4 ( 18. ... e4 19. g4 Bc8 20. Bb1 h5 21. g5 
Nxd5 22. cxd5 Rxd5 23. Nxe4 Bf5 24. f3 Qc7 25. Qh2 +/- {1/2-1/2 
Kovacs,G-Papp,G/Szombathely HUN 2008/ The Week in Chess 721 (115)} ) 19. 
Nxe4 Bxe4 20. f3 Bf5 21. Qd2 Qd6 22. Rf2 f6 23. a4 Ne7 24. Qb2 Qd7 25. e4 
Bg6 26. Rb1 Rb8 27. Qa3 Qc7 28. Rb5 b6 29. Bb1 Nc8 30. Bd3 Nd6 =, quiet {
1-0 Flores,D-Valerga,D/Buenos Aires 2006/CBM 114 ext (51)} ) 16. Bxd5 Nxd5
{The players who examined the game afterward fell roughly into two groups:
The first group consisted of amateurs. They wondered what Black was
doing. He only gets a pawn for the Exchange. Where is the compensation?
In the second group were masters. They wondered "Why in the world hadn't 
anyone played I . . . Rxd5 ! before?" Masters saw that Black gains several
positional plusses. He ends up with the better center, potential 
domination of
light squares and a good-Knight-vs. -bad-Bishop. matchup. All this comes 
at a slim material cost.} 17. Rfd1 Nb6 {White has an awful b2 bishop and 
weak light squares on the queenside.

Black hinted that he wanted to dominate the White bishop and rooks with . 
. .Nla4 followed by . . . c4 and . . . Bd3 .
White avoided that with} 18. a4 a6 ( 18. ... e4 19. Nd2 Ne5 20. a5 Nc8 21.
 f3 Nd6 = ) 19. c4?! {Freeing the bishop but White's a4 and c4 pawns are 
now extremely weak.
freeing his bishop. Black responded
by securing a nice outpost at b4 with} ( 19. a5! âŒ“ Nd7 20. c4 {as Black 
can't win the a5-pawn without concessions:} 20. ... e4 ( 20. ... Nxa5?! 
21. e4 Be6 22. Nxe5 Nxe5 23. Bxe5 Qxe5 24. Rxa5 +/- ) 21. Nh4! ( 21. Nd2 
Nxa5 ~ ) 21. ... Be6 22. f4 exf3 ( 22. ... Nxa5? 23. f5 Bxc4 24. Qg4 Ne5 
25. Bxe5 Rxe5 26. f6 g6 27. Qf4 +- ) 23. Nxf3 Nxa5 24. Ng5! Nf8 ( 24. ... 
Nc6 25. Qh5 Nf8 26. Ne4 ~ ) 25. Nxe6 Nxe6 26. Rd5 ~ ) 19. ... a5! D {Only 
now does Black's compensation appear on the board. He is preparing
. . . Nb4 followed by . . . .Nc2xa4 or . . . .Nd7xa4.
Assessing compensation is often as much as 90 percent evaluation and only
10 percent calculation. A master wouldn't have to calculate this far when
looking at I . . . Rxd5 . In fact, all he might have to calculate is 
seeing that 2 Bxd5
Nxd5 3 e4 can be met by 3 . . .Nf4.
In the game White prepared to trade off a Black's knight with} 20. Bc3 f6 
21. Nd2 Nb4 ( 21. ... Bc2 22. Rdc1 Bxa4 =+ {was already possible.} ) 22. 
Bxb4 ( 22. e4 Bd7 ( 22. ... Be6!? ) ) 22. ... cxb4 {This gave Black 
additional positional
plusses: a protected passed pawn and a new target, the c-pawn. White was 
losing
soon after} 23. Rdc1 ( 23. c5!? Nd5 ( 23. ... Qxc5?! 24. e4 Be6 ( 24. ... 
Bd7 25. Nb3 ) 25. Rac1 â†‘ ) 24. Qc4 Be6 25. Qb5 {and White obtains 
counterplay although Black keeps his structural advantage due to his 
strong b4-pawn:} 25. ... Kf8 26. Ne4 f5 27. Ng5 ( 27. Nd6 Re7 28. Rxd5 
Bxd5 29. Nxf5 Rd7 =+ ) 27. ... Nc3 28. Nxe6+ Rxe6 29. Qd7 Qxd7 30. Rxd7 
Re7 =+ ) 23. ... Rd8 24. c5 {Too late!} ( 24. Nb3 âŒ“ Bd3 25. Qg4 f5 26. 
Qh4 Ra8 =+ ) ( 24. e4 Be6 ( 24. ... Bd7 $143 25. c5 Nxa4?! 26. c6 Nc3 27. 
Qc4+ ) 25. c5 Nd7 26. Qe3 =+ ) 24. ... Bd3! 25. Qe1?! {This queen will now
be passive.} ( 25. Qd1! âŒ“ Nd5 26. Qb3 e4 =+ ) 25. ... Nd5 26. Nb3 h6 27.
 Ra2 e4 28. Raa1 Ra8 ( 28. ... Nc3 29. Rxc3 bxc3 30. Qxc3 ~ {is what White
naturally expected} ) ( {but the knight could have been transfered to the 
perfect c6 square:} 28. ... Ne7! -/+ ) 29. Nd4 Rc8 30. Qd2 {Missing (here 
and on the next move) an equalizing opportunity:} ( 30. c6! Nc3 31. Rxc3 
bxc3 32. Qxc3 bxc6 33. Rc1 {and White recaptures the c-pawn with a decent 
position.} ) 30. ... Kh7 {Black prepares ...Nc3, which was not yet 
effective:} ( 30. ... Nc3 31. Rxc3 bxc3 32. Qxc3 Qxc5 33. Qb3+ Kh7 34. 
Qxb7 =, quiet ) ( 30. ... Qe5!? ) 31. f4? ( 31. c6! ) 31. ... Nc3 32. Nb3 
( 32. Rxc3 bxc3 33. Qxc3 Qxc5 {now loses a pawn with little chances to 
survive but the text is even worse.} ) 32. ... Ne2+ 33. Kf2 Nxc1 34. Rxc1 
Qd7! {White's resignation looks a bit premature but after} ( 34. ... Qd7 
35. Qa2 ( 35. Ra1 b6 -+ ) ( 35. Nxa5 Qxa4 36. Nxb7 b3 -+ ) 35. ... Qd5 36.
 Qb2 {he is completely tied up and Black can gradually prepare a 
breakthrough on the kingside.} ) 0-1

[Event "Zagreb m"]
[Site "Zagreb CRO"]
[Date "1981.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Hulak, Krunoslav"]
[Black "Cebalo, Miso"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2475"]
[BlackElo "2500"]
[ECO "B80q"]
[EventDate "1981.??.??"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "4"]
[EventCountry "YUG"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SUI"]
[BlackTeamCountry "WLS"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g3 Nc6 7. Bg2 Bd7 
8. O-O Be7 9. Re1 O-O 10. Ndb5 Qb8 11. a4 a6 12. Nd4 Qc7 13. Nb3 Rac8 14. 
h3 b6 15. Qe2 Nb4 16. Be3 e5 17. Red1 Be6 18. Rac1 Qb7 19. Na1 D {
Compensation is hard to appreciate because, by definition, it is 
imprecise. If
it were precise - if you could look at a knight sacrifice X moves into 
theÂ· future
and say "White wins" - it's not a sacrifice with compensation.
That's a combination, without risk. The sacrifice isn't 'real ' , in 
Rudolf
Spielmann's simple but useful term. Here's a ' sham' sacrifice. Black 
obtained a positional edge with} 19. ... Rxc3! {The capture has been
carried out in thousands of similar Sicilian Defenses. Sometimes it's a 
sound
sacrifice. Sometimes it's unsound.
But this isn't a real sacrifice. After} 20. bxc3 Na2 {Black must regain 
the
Exchange (Rb1 ?  Nxc3 ).
After the game continuation,} 21. Qd3 Nxc1 22. Rxc1 {material is equal. 
Black
has simply carried out an indirect trade of a pair of rooks and knights
He did it for a positional purpose, to obtain the superior pawn structure.
In
other words, this is a petite combinaison . Black won eventually by a
preponderance of positional edges.
In contrast, here is perhaps the first example of a real . . . Rxc3 
sacrifice in the
Sicilian Defense. It was played in a simultaneous exhibition.} 22. ... Rc8
23. Rb1 Bc4 24. Qd1 Nd7 25. Nb3 Qc6 26. Nd2 Be6 27. Bf1 a5 28. c4 Qxa4 29.
 Bxb6 Nxb6 30. Rxb6 h5 31. h4 g6 32. Qb1 Bf8 33. Ra6 Qa3 34. Qb5 Qc3 35. 
Qxa5 Qxc2 36. Qa2 Qc1 37. Kg2 Rb8 38. Nf3 Rb2 39. Qa3 Bh3+ 0-1

[Event "Stockholm simultaan"]
[Site "Stockholm simultaan"]
[Date "1914.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Schultz, E."]
[Black "Alekhine, Alexander"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B75"]
[EventDate "1914.??.??"]
[PlyCount "66"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 d6 7. Bc4 Nf6 
8. f3 O-O 9. O-O Bd7 10. Qd2 Ne5 11. Be2 Rc8 12. f4 Neg4 13. Nb3 D {This 
could have been labeled a combination if the only reply to} 13. ... Rxc3! 
{were 2 Qxc3?. Then 2 ... Nd5 ! would win material, because of the threats
to the
queen and the bishop at e3 . Instead, the availability of} 14. bxc3 {made 
it a sacrifice. After} 14. ... Nxe4 15. Qd3 Nxe3 16. Qxe3 Nxc3 {material 
was not equal.
Black had ample comp for the Exchange: two pawns, the two-bishop
advantage, and targets to hit at a2 and c2. But this is far from a forced 
win or a
positionally won game.
In fact, when a master spots a promising sacrifice he may not even try to 
see
if there's a forced win. All he needs to know is that the move is worth 
playing,
that there is enough comp.} 17. Rae1 a5 18. Bf3 Bb5 19. Rf2 d5 20. Qc5 b6 
21. Qe3 d4 22. Qxe7 a4 23. Nc1 Qb8 24. Nd3 Re8 25. Qb7 Rxe1+ 26. Nxe1 Qxb7
27. Bxb7 d3 28. Rd2 Bd4+ 29. Kh1 Be3 30. Rxd3 Bxd3 31. Nxd3 Nxa2 32. Bd5 
Nc3 33. Bc6 a3 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? D {In fact, when a master
spots a promising sacrifice he may not even try to see
if there's a forced win. All he needs to know is that the move is worth 
playing,
that there is enough comp

Vishy Anand had analyzed this late opening position three years before 
when
preparing for a world championship match. But he hadn't gotten a chance to
use
his analysis until this game because no one had played Black's last move,
... Be6, against him.
He finally got his chance to play} ( 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.

in this game. What he remembered
from his 2008 analysis was that after} ( 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.

White will have two
strong pawns for the knight and the pawns will severely restrict Black's 
pieces,
including the off-side knight at aS . That's more than enough 
compensation, he
concluded.
His evaluation turned out to be exactly right when play continued} 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 D {White hadn 't calculated 
this far previously and didn't know, for example,
how good 22 . . . .Nac6 23. Bd6 ! would be. It wasn't necessary to do that
as long as
Nd4 passed the ' sufficient comp' test.
The game went} 22. ... 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.

and
the bishops and pawns led to an easy win, in view of'iib6 followed by 
..xa6 or ..d6.
Alexander Alekhine underlined this ability - to conclude ' it must be 
sound! '
- when he explained why he gave up the Exchange in an endgame at
Nottingham 1 936. "One of the combinations that an experienced player does
not
need to calculate to the finish. He knows that under given circumstances 
the
king's side pawns must become overwhelming," Alekhine wrote.
Of course, many players are suspicious of appearances. They'll want to
calculate further. How much further is a personal matter.} 26. ... Ng6 27.
 Qb6 f5 28. Bxa6 Qd7 29. Bb5 Qf7 30. exf5 ( 30. Qxc5 fxe4 31. d6 Kh8 32. 
fxe4 Qb3 33. Re1 +- ) 30. ... Qxf5 31. Qxc5 Rc8 32. Qd4 Rfd8 33. a4 1-0

[Event "Luzern ol (Men)"]
[Site "Lucerne SUI"]
[Date "1982.11.11"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Ljubojevic, Ljubomir"]
[Black "Portisch, Lajos"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2605"]
[BlackElo "2630"]
[ECO "B99w"]
[EventDate "1982.10.29"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "SUI"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1996.11.15"]
[WhiteTeam "Yugoslavia"]
[BlackTeam "Hungary"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "YUG"]
[BlackTeamCountry "HUN"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8.
 Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. g4 b5 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 12. g5 Nd7 13. f5 Nc5 14. 
h4 b4 15. Nce2 e5 16. Nb3 Bb7 17. Ng3 O-O-O D {One of the first things you
should notice is that f7 is unprotected. That makes
it a potential target.
The second thing to notice is that f7 can be attacked by 18 Bc4, which is 
also
a good positional move. White doesn't expect to win the f-pawn. But he 
expects
that if he gets to play Bd5 he will have established d5 as a strong 
outpost.
The third thing a master would notice is that the bishop is unprotected on
c4
and that Bc4 would allow I . .. Nxe4. Then 2 . . . Qxc4 as well as 
discovered
attacks on White's queen, such as 2 . . .Nxg3, are threatened.
Nevertheless, White played} 18. Bc4 Nxe4 19. Bd5! D {He might
have stopped here and concluded he would have good compensation in view of
his control of dS and the weakness of Black's king position after the 
inevitable
trade of bishops.

But White, perhaps the best calculator of his generation, looked further 
and
saw that 2 . . . Nc5 would not provide Black with adequate king protection
because White can play 3Ne4 ! .
His move makes no threat but i s just another good 'plus-move' , like Kb1 
,
Rd2 and Rhd1 , which may be coming up.
White likely looked even further and saw that after 2 . . . Nxg3 3 Qxg3 he
will have good compensation as well as threats once he gets his KR into 
play
via e I and e4. Here again the future of the rooks is a tipoff to who is 
improving
their position more.
The game went 2} 19. ... Nxg3 20. Qxg3 Kb8 21. Rhe1 Rc8 22. Qg2 D {out. 
All he would know is that he has good pressure. That's what comp for one
pawn often amounts to. It's not an assurance of an advantage. It is merely
an
indication of promising prospects.
The indication turned out to be accurate. After a few routine moves,} 
22. ... Bxd5 23. Rxd5 Qb6 24. Re4! {Black made one mistake} 24. ... Rc7? {
That allowed White to regain his pawn with} 25. Qg4 {It's not the pawn 
that matters as much as Black's lack of king protection, and
the game ended soon after} 25. ... Ka7 ( 25. ... Rb7 26. Na5 ) 26. Rxb4 
Qe3+ 27. Kb1 h5 28. Qd1 Rhc8 29. Qf1 Ka8 30. Ra5 Ra7 31. Qh1+ 1-0

[Event "URS Ch FL"]
[Site "Tbilisi GEO"]
[Date "1973.??.??"]
[Round "17"]
[White "Palatnik, Semon"]
[Black "Bronstein, David I"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2405"]
[BlackElo "2570"]
[ECO "A13o"]
[EventDate "1973.??.??"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "17"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[EventCategory "9"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "SWE"]
[BlackTeamCountry "YUG"]

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 d4 4. d3 Nc6 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. O-O Be7 7. e3 O-O 8. 
exd4 Nxd4 9. Nxd4 Qxd4 10. Nc3 e5 11. Be3 Qd8 12. h3 c6 13. d4 exd4 14. 
Qxd4 Be6 15. b3 Qa5 16. Na4 Rfd8 17. Qc3 Bb4 18. Qb2 D {Pretty Pictures, 
Muddier Pictures

Of course, it's possible that White calculated 1 .i.c4 as far as 7 l:te4 
or even
further. But, as we said earlier, masters distrust a lot of calculation. 
They know
you can't calculate everything. And if you try, the picture gets muddier, 
the
conclusions you draw are more dubious and the likelihood for error soars
dramatically.

The amateur who feels he has to look six or seven moves ahead to justify a
sacrifice is deluding himself. A revealing look at how a master thinks was
given
by David Bronstein in his memoirs.

Bronstein took half an hour before choosing} 18. ... Qh5 {which threatens
2 . . . Bxh3 . Play continued} 19. g4? ( 19. h4 Rd3 20. Bg5 Re8 21. a3 Be7
22. Rae1 Qg4 23. Re3 Red8 24. Rxd3 Rxd3 25. Bf4 ) 19. ... Bxg4! D {The 
spectators concluded that he had invested his time on 1 ... Qh5 because
he expected 2 g4 and needed to calculate deeply to be sure that the bishop
sacrifice was sound.
Wrong. Bronstein revealed that what he was really thinking about in the
diagram was what he would do if White replied to I . . . Qh5 with 2 h4 ! .
He
eventually decided that Black has no advantage and he would have offered a
draw.

The reason why he didn't agonize over the consequences of 2 g4 .Bxg4
3 hxg4 Nxg4 was that the sacrifice is almost a no-brainer, another case of
' it must be good ' .
It's true that Black only gets two pawns for his bishop. But he obtains 
strong
threats, beginning with 4 . . . Qh2 mate and the longer-term . . . Rd6-g6.
Thanks
to visualization, Black saw that White's queen and knight will be in no 
position
to defend the kingside.} 20. hxg4 Nxg4 {Bronstein's judgment was confirmed
when play went} 21. Bf4 Bd6! 22. Bxd6 Rxd6 23. Rfe1 Rg6 {White's defense 
fell apart after} 24. Nc3 ( 24. f3 Qh2+ 25. Kf1 Qf4 26. Kg1 Ne3 27. Rxe3 
Qxe3+ 28. Qf2 -/+ ) 24. ... Qh2+ 25. Kf1 Nf6 26. Be4 Qh3+ 27. Ke2 Nxe4 28.
 Nxe4 Re6 {What allows a master to be confident when he stops calculating?
There are
several factors, including the number of positional plusses and threats 
that a
sacrifice offers. But often he likes the looks of a future position - 
literally} 29. Kd2 Rd8+ 0-1

[Event "Pardubice"]
[Site "Pardubice CZE"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Polgar, Zsuzsa"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2740"]
[BlackElo "2550"]
[ECO "C19j"]
[EventDate "1994.07.??"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "CZE"]
[EventCategory "15"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1994.10.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Nf3 Bd7 
8. dxc5 Qc7 9. Bd3 Ba4 10. Rb1 Nec6 11. O-O Nd7 12. Be3 h6 13. Re1 O-O-O D
{White is a pawn ahead but may lose one of his center pawns after say, Bd4
g5 and . . . g4.
He chose} 14. Rb4 {You can argue about whether this should have been
prepared by I 'ii'e2 first. But there is little doubt that White has ample
compensation - and a much easier position to play - after the sacrifice. 
Play
went} 14. ... Nxb4 15. axb4 D {What has White gotten for the Exchange? 
Well, for starters, his vulnerable pawn at c5 is solidly protected and 
part of an aggressive phalanx that threatens
to rip open Black's king protection. In return for the half-open b-file 
White has
the use of a more valuable a-file. 

White threatens to win with Qa1 Bc6  b5. But it isn't that threat as much
as the purely visual appearance of this position that tells a master that 
Rb4 ! is
sound.
This became clearer after Black defended with} 15. ... a6 {White would 
have
had good chances after Qa1 . But he wanted to get his knight, not the 
bishop,
to d4.
He saw that} 16. Nd4 Nb8 ( 16. ... Qxe5 17. Qa1! ) ( 16. ... Nxe5 17. Bf4!
) ( 16. ... Bc6 {eliminating the dangers of Qa1 , White can consolidate 
with} 17. f4 ) ( 16. ... g5 17. Qa1 Bc6 18. Nxc6 Qxc6 19. Rb1 Nxe5 20. b5 
+- axb5 21. Bxb5 Qc7 22. Bd4 +- ) 17. Qa1 ( 17. b5! Bxb5 18. Bxb5 Qxc5 19.
 Nxe6 Qxb5 20. Nxd8 Rxd8 21. Qg4+ Nd7 22. Qxg7 {The flip side to liking 
the looks of your side of the board is liking the
appearance of damage that a sacrifice inflicts on the enemy position.} ) 
17. ... Bc6 18. f4 g6 19. Bf2 Rhg8 20. Rb1 Kd7 21. Bh4 Rc8 22. Bf6 Ke8 23.
 b5 axb5 24. Nxb5 Bxb5 25. Bxb5+ Nc6 26. Qa7 Kd7 27. Bxc6+ Qxc6 28. Rb6 
Qxc5+ 29. Kh1 Ke8 30. Qxb7 Rc7 31. Qa6 Rc8 32. Qa4+ Kf8 33. Rb7 Rg7 34. 
Qd7 1-0

[Event "World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty Mansiysk"]
[Date "2007.12.03"]
[Round "4.1"]
[White "Akopian, Vladimir"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2713"]
[BlackElo "2739"]
[ECO "B30s"]
[EventDate "2007.11.24"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2008.01.30"]

{The present game proves once again that Shirov is a highly inconvenient 
opponent for Akopian - their personal score is very much in Alexey's 
favour.} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {Akopian often plays the Open Sicilian (3.d4), 
but when he knows that the opponent can play the Sveshnikov Variation, he 
usually avoids it with 3.Bb5. Shirov himself uses this move from time to 
time.} 3. ... e6 {Alexey plays both 3...e6 and 3...g6 equally often.} 4. 
O-O Nge7 5. b3 a6 6. Bxc6 Nxc6 7. Bb2 {The idea behind the line 5.b3 is 
obvious: due to the pressure on g7 Black has difficulties to complete the 
kingside development. On the other hand it is not clear how should White 
use his development advantage. Normally he should open up the position, 
but this is double-edged: the opponent has no weaknesses and Black's 
bishop pair can later play its role. Akopian goes for another plan: he 
keeps the position closed and tries to take advantage of knights over 
bishops. The drawback of this plan is that Black can easily complete 
development.} 7. ... b5 8. c4 {The other possibility is to open the 
position with d2-d4, either immediately or after 8.a4.} 8. ... bxc4 9. 
bxc4 Rb8 10. Bc3 d6 11. Na3 e5 12. Nc2 {The main problem for Black is to 
find a job for the dark-squared bishop. Usually the bishop goes to e7 and 
then according to circumstances, to d8 or g5. After finishing development 
Black's plan in such structures is to prepare the advance ...f5. With the 
next move Shirov combines his tasks.} 12. ... g6 N {Black brings the 
bishop to the diagonal c1-h6 in the quickest possible way and at the same 
time prepares for the advance ...f5.} ( {Akopian has pleasant memories 
with this position:} 12. ... Be7 13. Ne3 O-O 14. d3 Qe8 15. Rb1 Rxb1 16. 
Qxb1 Bd8 17. Nd2 g6 18. Nd5 {Apparently Kasparov did everything correctly:
his bishops control the important squares on the queenside and he is ready
for the advance ...f5. But the problem is that opening the kingside will 
favour White, whos pieces will turn out to be more active.} 18. ... f5 19.
 exf5 gxf5 {This activity backfires.} 20. f4! Rf7 21. Qe1 Rg7 22. Nf3 Qg6 
23. g3 {White's minor pieces are very strong and Black is unable to hold 
the position.} 23. ... Rf7 24. fxe5 f4 25. exd6 fxg3 {1-0 Akopian,V (2678)
-Kasparov,G (2838)/Moscow (rapid) 2002} ) 13. Ne3 Bh6 14. Qa4 ( 14. Nd5 
âŒ“ O-O 15. Qa4 Nd4?! â–³ 16. Nxd4 cxd4 17. Ba5 Qg5 18. Qa3! â†‘ ) 14. ...
 Bd7 15. Rfb1 D {Beautiful example how a tactical sequence leads to a 
positional advantage.

White seems to hold the upper hand, thanks to a slight lead in 
development,
the target pawn at a6 and his outpost at d5 . Black proved that judgment 
was
wrong with} ( 15. Qxa6 {allows the repetition of moves:} 15. ... Ra8 16. 
Qb7 Rb8 17. Qa6 {It is understandable that in the first game of the match 
Akopian wasn't happy with a quick draw with White, but objectively this 
would have been the best decision.} ) 15. ... Bxe3! ( 15. ... f5? 16. exf5
gxf5 17. Nxf5! Nd4 18. Nxd6+ Ke7 19. Qxa6 Nxf3+ 20. Kh1!! ( 20. gxf3? Rg8+
21. Kf1 Bh3+ 22. Ke2 Qxd6 -+ ) ) 16. fxe3 ( 16. dxe3 Nd4! 17. Qd1 ( 17. 
Qxa6 Ne2+ ) 17. ... Nxf3+ 18. Qxf3 O-O =+ ( 18. ... Bc6 ) ) 16. ... Nd4 
17. Qxa6? ( {White had to forget about his ambitions and play for a draw 
after} 17. Qd1 Nxf3+ 18. Qxf3 O-O 19. d3 =+ {/=} ) ( 17. Rxb8 Qxb8 18. Qd1
Nc6 19. d4 cxd4 20. exd4 exd4 21. Nxd4 ) 17. ... Ne2+ 18. Kf2 Nxc3 19. 
dxc3 Ke7! {Shirov's positional pawn sacrifice led to a position with a 
great compensation for Black. White doesn't have good squares for the 
knight (which would happily come to d5, but squares c3 and e3 are not 
available). Besides, almost all White's pawns are weak.

The forcing moves are over and that means it would have been extremely
hard for Black to calculate much beyond this position when he decided on
1 . . . .Bxe3 ! . Nevertheless, he could be pretty certain that the 
sacrifice is sound
because of those two sets of doubled White pawns and the other target at 
a2.
Now that we've reached this position we can look at concrete lines. After
6 Rd1 Black meets the Qxd6+ threat with 6 . . . Qc7, creating his own 
threat, to
trap the queen with 7 . . . Ra8.} 20. Nd2 ( {Deserved attention} 20. a4 {
with the intention to bring the pawn on a5 as quick as possible.} ) 
20. ... Ra8 21. Qb7 Qa5 22. Qb2 Rhb8 23. Qc2 Rxb1 24. Nxb1 Rb8 25. Nd2 Qa4
! {White's queen is the best defensive piece, which also might become 
active some day. After the exchange of queens it becomes clear that White 
has a long and difficult defense ahead.} 26. Rc1 ( 26. Qc1 Be6 =+ {/-/+} )
26. ... Qxc2 27. Rxc2 Ba4 28. Nb3 Bc6 29. Nd2 Ba4 30. Nb3 h5! -/+ 31. Ke1 
h4 32. Kd2 Bc6 33. Kd3 f5! {The best way to increase the advantage. Black 
opens more files and diagonals for his pieces. In spite of still having an
extra pawn, White's position is strategically completely lost.} 34. exf5 
gxf5 35. Rf2 Ke6 36. Ke2 ( 36. g3 hxg3 37. hxg3 Be4+ ( 37. ... Rg8 38. Rh2
Rxg3 39. Ke2 -/+ ) 38. Ke2 Ra8 -+ ) 36. ... Ra8 37. Ke1 Ra4 -+ 38. g3 hxg3
39. hxg3 Be4 40. Rh2 Rxc4 41. Kd2 ( 41. Nd2 Rxc3 42. Nxe4 fxe4 -+ ) 
41. ... Ra4 42. Kc1 c4 43. Na1 Ra8 {The triumph of the bishop versus 
knight.} 44. Rd2 Rg8 45. a4 Rxg3 46. Nc2 Bxc2 47. Rxc2 Rxe3 48. a5 Kd7 49.
 a6 Kc7 0-1

[Event "Cappelle Open 10th"]
[Site "Cappelle la Grande FRA"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Baburin, Alexander"]
[Black "Zeitlein, Michael"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2520"]
[BlackElo "2440"]
[ECO "A89"]
[EventDate "1994.02.??"]
[PlyCount "124"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.11.30"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "FIN"]
[BlackTeamCountry "SWE"]

1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. O-O O-O 6. c4 d6 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. 
d5 Na5 9. Qc2 a6 10. b3 c5 11. Bb2 Rb8 12. e4 b5 13. e5 Ng4 14. exd6 exd6 
15. Nd1 bxc4 16. bxc4 f4 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Qc3+ Kg8 19. h3 Nh6 20. g4 Nf7 
{Compensation 101


Being able to evaluate comp may seem like a gift, like being born with
perfect eyesight or perfect pitch. It isn't. It's a matter of training.

The best way to acquire it is by looking at master games and recognizing 
the
sacrifices that worked and the ones that didn't. We're talking about 
'real'
sacrifices, in Spielmann's term, not combinations. Your goal is to develop
a
feeling for the individual factors that make a sacrifice sound.

You can compose a list. In Rethinking the Chess Pieces, I identified five
criteria that are useful in evaluating an Exchange sacrifice. For example,
such a
sacrifice can be sound 'when the rooks can't behave like rooks' .

In other words, i t makes sense to give up a rook for a minor piece when 
your
opponent's rooks are restricted by the pawn structure. Then his material
advantage is negated, and what matters is the positional plusses you got 
in
return. "None of my rooks did anything," Sam Shankland complained after
fellow GM Alexander Shabalov sacrificed an Exchange against him in the 20 
1 1
U.S. Championship and won easily.

Another criterion in a sound Exchange sacrifice is the presence of several
minor pieces on the board. Black's sacrifice in the following game 
wouldn't be
sound if he dido 't have two knights.} 21. Nb2 D {
Black has a target at c4 and possibly g4. A natural way to proceed is l . 
. .Rb4
followed by . . .Qb6 to try to loosen White's defense of the c-pawn. Black
seems
to be making progress after 2 Rac1 Qb6. Or he could try to find a way to 
make
. . . hS work.
But he preferred} 21. ... Rxb2! {("Naturally! " he said afterwards)} 22. 
Qxb2 Nxc4 {What made the sacrifice natural to him was that because he had 
two knights compared with White's one knight, he could be assured of 
occcupying the
powerful outpost at e5 . That's by far the biggest positional asset in the
position.
Play continued} 23. Qc3 Nfe5 {This could be an example of a sacrifice 
decision that was 90 percent
evaluation. All that Black had to see when he chose I . . . Rxb2 was he 
would get
an unopposed knight on e5 after 4 Nxe5 Nxe5. Further, he could visualize 
that
. . . h5 is more dangerous than in the previous diagram.
If White doesn't initiate a trade on e5, Black will play, . . .Nxf3+ 
followed by
. . . Ne5 . It doesn't take Kasparovian calculation to see that if White 
allows . . . f3,
his king position is on the point of collapse.
White tried to defend against . . . h5 with} 24. Nh2 h5 25. Rfe1 hxg4 26. 
hxg4 Qg5! D {he was clearly worse. Defending the g4-pawn with 7 Bf3 Nxf3+ 
or 7 Bh3 f3 ! and . . . Qh4 will tum out disastrously. White realized that
his best chance was also an Exchange sacrifice} 27. f3 Ne3 28. Rxe3 fxe3 
29. Re1 Bd7 30. Rxe3 Rb8 31. Nf1 Rb4 32. Re1 Qf4 33. Qe3 Bb5 {Any would-be
master knows the long list of items that comprise a positional
advantage. Besides outposts and superior pawn structures, they include
unchallenged control of strong diagonals, the two bishops, a weakened 
enemy
king position, strong passed pawns and so on.} 34. Qxf4 Rxf4 35. Nd2 Bd3 
36. Kf2 Ra4 37. Ra1 c4 38. Rc1 Rxa2 39. Ke3 g5 40. Rc3 Ra1 41. Kf2 Kg7 42.
 Bf1 Rd1 43. Bxd3 Rxd2+ 44. Be2 Rxd5 45. Ke3 Rb5 46. f4 gxf4+ 47. Kxf4 Rb2
48. Re3 c3 49. Bxa6 c2 50. Rc3 Rb6 51. Rc7+ Kf8 52. Rxc2 Rxa6 53. Kf5 Nc6 
54. Kf6 Ne7 55. g5 d5+ 56. Ke5 Rg6 57. Rg2 Kf7 58. Rf2+ Ke8 59. Rg2 Kd7 
60. Kf4 Re6 61. Ra2 Re4+ 62. Kf3 Nc6 0-1

[Event "Reggio Emilia-A 9192 34th"]
[Site "Reggio Emilia ITA"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Polugaevsky, Lev"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2630"]
[BlackElo "2665"]
[ECO "D02u"]
[EventDate "1991.12.??"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "ITA"]
[EventCategory "18"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "UAE"]
[BlackTeamCountry "QAT"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d5 6. Nbd2 a5 7. c4 c6 8. 
Ne5 ( 8. b3 ) 8. ... Ng4 9. Nef3 Bf5 10. b3 Nf6 11. Bb2 a4!? ( 11. ... Ne4
12. Nh4 ( 12. Rc1 a4 13. b4 Na6 14. a3 Nc7 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. Ne5 Nf6 17. 
Re1 += {Todorcevic, M-Averbakh,Y/Palma GMA-op/1989/} ) 12. ... Nxd2 13. 
Qxd2 Be6 14. f4 f5 15. Rfc1 Nd7 = {Ljubojevic,L-Uhlmann,W/Manila izt/1976/
} ) 12. Nh4 ( 12. b4 a3 13. Bc3 Na6 â‡„â‡„ ) 12. ... Be6 13. Qc2 a3! 14. 
Bc3 c5 15. Rad1 ( 15. dxc5 d4 16. Bb4 g5! ( 16. ... Nc6 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. 
Qc1 ~ ) 17. Nhf3 ( 17. Nf5 d3 18. Qxd3 Qxd3 19. exd3 Bxf5 20. Bxb7 Ra7 21.
 c6 Bc8 -/+ ) 17. ... Nc6 -+ ) ( 15. cxd5 Nxd5 -/+ ) 15. ... cxd4 16. Bxd4
Nc6 17. Bxf6?! ( 17. Ba1 Qa5 =+ ) 17. ... Bxf6 {If the amount of material 
being sacrificed is relatively small, any of those
plusses may alone qualify as sufficient comp. Here's a striking case.} 18.
 Ne4? D {White has just exchanged pieces on f6, giving up his dark-squared
bishop so
that he could play Ne4. His idea is to exploit the targets, the pawns at 
d5 and
b7. He prepares Nc5 or Nxf6+ followed by cxd5.
White has not given up material. But he is relying on his sense of
compensation: His kings ide pawns would be wrecked after 1 ... Bxh4 2 
gxh4.
But he feels it would be worthwhile because he would threaten 3 Ng5 as 
well
as 3 cxd5 Nxd5 4 Rxd5 ! Qd5 5 Nf6+ and Bxd5 .
However, let's tum the board around and think about the position from
Black's point of view. What are the positional plusses for him?
Believe it or not, one of the biggest is that pawn at a3 . Beginners tend 
to
overrate the value of an advanced pawn simply because it's advanced. 
BetterÂ­
than-average players know better than that. But they tend to undervalue an
advanced blocked pawn simply because it's blocked.
Thanks to a bit of visualization, Black appreciated its true value and 
played} 18. ... dxe4! ( 18. ... Bg7? 19. cxd5 Nb4 20. Qc4 Nxd5 21. Nc5 â†‘
) 19. Rxd8 Rfxd8 D {What matters most is that Black will almost certainly 
win the pawn at a2,
clearing the way for his own a-pawn to queen. For example,} 20. Qxe4 ( 20.
 Bxe4 Nb4! ( 20. ... Nd4 21. Qb1 Nxe2+ 22. Kg2 Rd2 -/+ ) 21. Qb1 Rd2 ) 
20. ... Rd2 {So he went for broke on the kingside with} 21. f4 ( {He 
recognized how lost} 21. Qb1? Rb2 -/+ ) 21. ... Rxa2 22. f5 gxf5 23. Nxf5 
{But
after Black forced a trade of rooks with} 23. ... Ra1! {there was nothing 
to stop his
pawn and White lost after a tactical gamble} 24. Nxe7+ ( 24. Rxa1 Bxa1 25.
 Qb1 Bf6 26. g4 a2 -+ ) 24. ... Nxe7 25. Rxa1 Bxa1 26. Qxb7 Bd4+ 27. e3 ( 
27. Kf1 Ra7 -+ ) 27. ... Bxe3+ 28. Kf1 Ra7 29. Qb8+ Nc8! {Ftacnik,L} ( 
29. ... Kg7 30. Qe5+ Kg8 31. Qxe3 ) 0-1

[Event "URS Spartakiad"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1979.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mikhalchishin, Adrian"]
[Black "Lukin, Andrei M"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2480"]
[BlackElo "2460"]
[ECO "A32"]
[EventDate "1979.07.11"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[BlackTeamCountry "CUB"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. g3 Qc7 6. Nd2 Nc6 7. Nb5 Qb6 
8. Bg2 a6 9. Nc3 Be7 10. O-O {Threats and Comp

Sophisticated, sound sacrifices require more than just positional plusses.
They usually demand threats as well. In the last example Black's a3-pawn 
meant
nothing without Black's threats to win White's a2-pawn. Once Black took on
a2,
the Black pawn accounted for virtually all of his compensation and it was
enough to win.

It's hard to generalize about when the comp you need is primarily 
positional,
when it is mostly material and when it is chiefly a matter of threats. But
pawn
sacrifices can teach us something. There is no material comp when you give
up
one pawn, so threats and positional plusses are all that matter.

To deepen your appreciation of compensation, you should look at master
games with one-pawn sacks. Avoid mating attack games and focus instead on
positional battles, like the following.} 10. ... O-O D {White can obtain a
small edge with the quiet 11 Nxe4. After  11... Nxe4  12 Nxe4 he is ready 
to play 13 b3 and 14 .Be3 or 14 Bb2 with advantage.
But 12 . . . Rd8 13 b3 d5 !? could be messy. White can settle instead for 
a more
secure superiority by means of 3 Qc2 and 4 Be3 .
However, White has reason to expect more out of this position than a 
plusover-
equals edge. He needs the help of little tactics. That directs his 
attention to
a threatening move,  Na4. But what's the follow-up?
The answer would have to be the positionally desirable 2 c5 . That makes
both b6 and d6 into very vulnerable - and occupyable - holes.
But there is a risk if Black answers} 11. Na4 ( 11. Nde4 Nxe4 12. Nxe4 Rd8
13. Be3 Qxb2 14. c5 Qa3 15. Qd2 d5 16. cxd6 Bxd6 17. Nxd6 Rxd6 18. Qc2 Nd4
19. Bxd4 Rxd4 20. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 Qe7 22. Qd2 h6 23. Qa5 g6 24. Rd8+ 
Kh7 25. h4 += ) 11. ... Qa5 12. c5 {When considering this position, White 
can more or less rule out all Black
replies other than 2 . . .Bxc5. White would simply have a too big an edge 
at no
cost after 2 . . Rd8? 3 Nc4.
Therefore, White had to weigh} 12. ... Bxc5 13. Nc4 Qb5 {Does he have
compensation then?
White felt there was enough in} 14. b3! {He threatens Nxc5 Qxc5 Ba3 
winning Exchange. 

That leaves a retreat along the other diagonal} 14. ... Ba7 ( 14. ... Be7 
15. Nab6 Rb8 16. Bf4 ) ( 14. ... d5 15. Nc3! Qb4 16. a3 Qxc3 17. Bb2 +- ) 
15. Ba3 Rd8 16. Rc1 {White could have played differently in the last few 
moves, such as with
6 Nd6, and still have plenty of compensation. But the more accurate 6 Rc1 
!
creates more threats, such as 7 Bxc6 and then 7 . . . Qxc6 8 Ncb6 or 7 . .
bxc6
8 Be7 Re8? 9 Nd6. White won without much difficulty.
A two-pawn sacrifice, not surprisingly, is harder to appraise than a 
one-pawn
offer. But there are some clues. The more pawns that you give up, the 
greater
the role that specific threats play in confirming compensation.} 16. ... 
a5 17. e4 d5 18. Nd6 Qa6 19. Re1 b5 20. Bf1 Nd4 21. e5 Ne4 22. Nc5 Bxc5 
23. Bxc5 Nxd6 24. Qxd4 Nf5 25. Qf4 Bd7 26. g4 Nh4 27. Qg3 Ng6 28. h4 f6 
29. exf6 e5 30. h5 Nf4 31. f7+ Kxf7 32. Rxe5 Ne6 33. Rxd5 Nxc5 34. Rcxc5 
Qe6 35. Bxb5 Bxb5 36. Rxb5 Qe1+ 37. Kh2 Rf8 38. Re5 Qd2 39. Rf5+ Kg8 40. 
Rb7 Rxf5 41. gxf5 1-0

[Event "Geller Memorial"]
[Site "Odessa UKR"]
[Date "2006.07.04"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Lautier, Joel"]
[Black "Zhukova, Natalia"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2682"]
[BlackElo "2425"]
[ECO "D31w"]
[EventDate "2006.07.02"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventType "tourn (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "UKR"]
[EventCategory "12"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.09.14"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "TUR"]
[BlackTeamCountry "SWE"]

1. d4 e6 2. c4 d5 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. e5 Ne7 7. Nf3 O-O 8.
 Be2 Ng6 9. O-O Na6 10. a3 Be7 11. Be3 Nc7 12. Ne1 Nh4 13. f4 Nf5 14. Bf2 
b6 15. Nf3 c5 16. Kh1 h5 17. Qd2 g6 18. Bd3 Nh6 19. dxc5 bxc5 D {What a 
master notices first when he looks at this position is Black's porous
kingside. But he also sees that Black is about to trim down White's attack
force
with . . . Bf5xd3 . That suggests White should consider an f4-f5 
sacrifice.
But 20 f5 Nxf5 has no follow-up move of significance. A master can stop
there and dismiss 20 f5?.
White was loyal to the idea of f4-f5. It works so often in similar 
positions
that a master wouldn't walk away from it here.
What if White has greater control of f5? So, a master tries to figure out 
how
to get his knight to d4. He sees} 20. b4 cxb4 21. axb4 Bxb4 22. Nd4 D {You
can see that in addition to the now-stronger 4 f5 White has the
possibility of Nc6. The knight fork wouldn't win material by force because
Black can reply Bxc3 . However, White has more obvious compensation
after Qxc3 - control of dark squares, two bishops. Moreover, he can also
regain his pawn immediately by taking on a7 as soon as Black moves his
attacked queen.
A master would conclude that Black has to spend a tempo to anticipate
Nc6, say with} 22. ... Bd7 {This means White has a better chance to push 
the f-pawn} 23. f5 Ng4? ( 23. ... Nxf5 24. Bxf5 Bxf5 25. Nxf5 gxf5 {
Black's kingside is broken up but is it worth two pawns? White concluded 
it
was when he saw  Bd4 ! . That opens up the f-file and protects the knight 
at c3 .} 26. Bd4 ) 24. Bg3 Kg7 25. h3! Ne3 ( 25. ... Nh6 26. e6! fxe6 27. 
Be5+ Kh7 28. fxg6+ Kg8 29. Qxh6 +- ) 26. Qxe3 Bxc3 27. Rac1 Bxd4 28. Qxd4 
D {Amateurs are often amazed when a position like this comes about. "Did
White see this position when he played 4 f5? When he played l b4?"
No, of course not. What was crucial is that he saw the compensation in the
first pawn sacrifice and the possibility of f4-f5 after 3 tt)d4.
This position in the diagram is won, thanks to threats such as 20 e6+,
followed by 21 exd7 or 21 Bxc7 as well as 20 Bh4 followed by 21 Bxd8 or 
Bf6+.} 28. ... Kh7 29. e6! Nxe6 ( 29. ... fxe6 30. Bxc7 ) 30. fxe6 Bxe6 
31. Rf6 Rc8 32. Rcf1 Qe7 33. Qe5 {This is the kind of game worth your 
time. There are a lot more. Thanks to
computers it's much easier today to get quick access to hundreds of 
sacrifices
for your training. Pawn sacks, double-pawn sacks, and so on.
You can examine piece sacrifices in general or look specifically at, for
example, games with a knight sack on e6 or d5 in a Sicilian Defense. Or 
when
White gives up a bishop or knight on b5, again in a Sicilian. And, of 
course,
there is Black's . . . Rxc3 sacrifice in the Sicilian, perhaps the most 
common and
copied offer of the Exchange in modem chess. There's a mountain of study
material out there for the would-be master.} 1-0

[Event "Dos Hermanas"]
[Site "Dos Hermanas ESP"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Black "Gulko, Boris F"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2640"]
[BlackElo "2615"]
[ECO "C19i"]
[EventDate "1994.04.??"]
[Annotator "Hansen,Cu"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "16"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "FIN"]
[BlackTeamCountry "SWE"]

{Counter-Sacrifice

It's not just the sacrificer who must understand compensation. It's his
opponent as well. Often an opponent can seize the opportunity to 
countersacrifice
provided he gets enough of his own compensation.

Let's examine a game with sacrificial offers back and forth. But we'll 
start
with the bare game score. Play these moves over before going on.} 
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Nf3 b6 8.
 Bb5+ Bd7 9. Bd3 Ba4 10. h4 ( 10. O-O Nbc6 ( 10. ... c4 11. Be2 h6 ( 
11. ... Nbc6 12. Ng5 h6 13. Nh3 Kd7 14. Nf4 g6 15. Re1 Kc7 16. Bg4 += {
Johansson,M-Kroll,O/ SWE-DEN/1990/} ) 12. Re1 Nbc6 13. Nd2 Qd7 14. Nf1 
O-O-O 15. Ng3 g6 = {Zadrima, A-Antonsen,M/Forli open/1991/} ) ( 10. ... 
Qc7 11. Ng5 h6 12. Nh3 Nd7 13. Nf4 ( 13. Be3 Qc6 14. Rb1 a6 15. Rb2 Bb5 
16. dxc5 bxc5 17. Qb1 O-O 18. Bxb5 axb5 19. Rxb5 Rxa3 -/+ {
Nijboer,F-Brenninkmeijer,J/NLD-ch/1992/} ) 13. ... O-O-O ~ {Stepanov, 
P-Shtirenkov,V/Budapest/1991/} ) 11. Re1 Qd7 12. dxc5 bxc5 13. Be3 c4 14. 
Bf1 Rb8 = {Wedberg,T-Short,N/Dortmund/1983/} ) ( 10. dxc5 bxc5 11. O-O c4 
12. Be2 Ng6 13. Ng5 Nxe5 14. f4 â†’ {Nunn,J-Nikolic,P/Beograd/1991/} ) 
10. ... h6 11. h5 Qc7 ( 11. ... Nbc6 12. Rh4 ( 12. g3 Rc8 13. Be3 Na5 14. 
O-O Qd7 15. Nh4 Bb5 16. Qg4 += {Dolmatov,S-Dokhoian,Y/Irkutsk/1986/} ) 
12. ... c4 13. Bf1 ( 13. Be2 Kd7 14. Be3 Qg8 15. Qd2 Qh7 16. Rc1 Kc7 17. 
Rf4 Raf8 18. Nh4 Nd8 19. Bg4 Kb7 = {Sokolov,A-Yusupov,A/Riga (m)/1986} ) 
13. ... Kd7 14. Rf4 Qg8 15. g3 Qh7 16. Ra2 g5 17. hxg6 fxg6 18. Nh2 += {
Mortensen,E-Sorensen,J/Aarhus/1993/} ) ( 11. ... c4 12. Be2 ( 12. Bf1 Nbc6
13. g3 Kd7 14. Bh3 Qg8 15. O-O Qh7 16. Ra2 += {Anand, 
V-Quillan,G/Prestwich/1990/} ) 12. ... Kd7 13. Nh4 ( 13. O-O Qg8 14. g3 
Qh7 15. Ra2 Na6 16. Nh4 Raf8 = {Dolmatov,S-Hansen,LB/Polanica Zdroj/1993/}
) 13. ... Qg8 14. Bg4 Qh7 15. Ra2 Na6 16. Rh3 Nc7 17. Kf1 Raf8 =+ {
Georgiev,Ki-Yusupov,A/Las Palmas/1993/} ) 12. O-O ( 12. Bf4 Nd7 13. Qd2 
O-O-O 14. O-O Kb7 ~ {Bologan, V-Hertneck,G/BL/1994/} ) ( 12. g3 cxd4 13. 
cxd4 Qc3+ 14. Bd2 Qxd3 15. cxd3 Bxd1 16. Kxd1 Nbc6 =+ {
Lau,R-Hansen,LB/Copenhagen Chess Cup/1992/} ) ( 12. Rb1!? {Knaak} 12. ... 
Nd7 13. Rh4 cxd4 14. cxd4 Rc8 15. Rb2 Qc3+ 16. Kf1 f5 17. exf6 Nxf6 18. 
Qe2 Ne4 ~ {Yudasin,L-Casper,T/Leipzig/1986/} ) 12. ... Nd7 ( 12. ... c4 
13. Be2 Nbc6 ( 13. ... Nd7 14. g3 O-O-O 15. Nh4 Kb7 16. Bg4 Qc6 17. Re1 
Rdg8 ~ {Tischbierek,R-Kindermann,S/BW/1992/} ) 14. g3 ( 14. Re1 O-O-O 15. 
Bf1 Rdg8 16. Nh2 Kb7 = {Kuczynski,R-Hansen,LB/Groningen open/1988/} ) 
14. ... O-O-O 15. Nh4 Rdg8 16. Bg4 += {Ehlvest,J-Yusupov,A/USSR/1988/} ) (
12. ... Nbc6 13. Rb1 ( 13. Re1 c4 14. Bf1 O-O-O 15. Nh2 += {
Spassky,B-Short,N/London/1982/} ) 13. ... c4 14. Be2 O-O-O 15. Nh4 f6 16. 
exf6 gxf6 17. Bg4 += {Gavilanes,A-Pecorelli Garcia,H/ Cuba ch/1989/} ) 13.
 Re1 ( 13. Bd2 O-O-O ( 13. ... a6!? {Knaak} ) 14. Qb1 Nc6 15. Bb5 Bxb5 16.
 Qxb5 Na5 =+ {Pliester,L-Kindermann,S/Aruba/1992/} ) 13. ... Qc6 {/\Bb5} (
13. ... O-O-O 14. Nh4 Kb7 15. Ra2 Qc6 ~ {Dolmatov,S-Nikolic,P/Moscow 
GMA/1990/} ( 15. ... Qc6 {Knaak} 16. Qg4 Rdg8 17. Rb2 g5 18. Nf3 c4 19. 
Bf1 Rf8 ~ {Dolmatov,S-Nikolic,P/Moscow/1990/} ) ) 14. Rb1 a6 {/\Bb5} 15. 
Nd2 cxd4?! ( 15. ... Bb5?! 16. c4 ( 16. Bxb5 axb5 17. Qe2 ( 17. Qg4 Nf5 = 
) 17. ... Ra5 18. Nb3 Ra4 = ) 16. ... dxc4 17. Be4 ( 17. Nxc4 {Knaak} 
17. ... Bxc4 18. Bxc4 cxd4 19. Qxd4 Nf5 ~ ) ( 17. Bxc4 Bxc4!? ( 17. ... 
cxd4 18. Bxb5 axb5 19. Nf3 += ) 18. Nxc4 Nf5 19. dxc5 Qxc5 ~ ) 17. ... Nd5
18. a4 Bxa4 19. Nxc4 â†’ ) ( 15. ... O-O 16. Qg4 Kh8 17. c4 cxd4 18. cxd5 
Nxd5 19. Bb2 = ) 16. cxd4 Bb5 D {Confusing right? Without explanations of 
the moves, this game remains a
mysterious, fascinating mess. This is where good annotations reward the
student.

We' ll start here. Black has just retreated his well-placed bishop from a4
to
b5 . Why?
Once again it's a matter of targets. He doesn't want his kingside to come
under fire from White's queen and bishops - as it would after

However, those variations dido ' t discourage White from sacrificing. 
White
appreciated that his light-squared bishop has a lot more to do than his 
QR. That
explains} ( 16. ... O-O 17. Nb3 Rfc8 18. Qg4 ) 17. Rxb5! ( 17. Bxb5 axb5 
18. Qe2 Qxc2 19. Rxb5 O-O = ) ( 17. a4 Bxa4 ( 17. ... Bxd3 18. cxd3 {
because his
c2 target disappears.} ) 18. Ba3 Qc3! {threatens both 19 . . . Qxa3 and 
the queen-trading 19 . . . Qxd3 ! .} ) 17. ... axb5 18. Qe2 D {How risky 
is this? When you look at the coming .Bxb5, the answer is not
much. If White gets to capture on b5 he will nearly have material 
equality.
In addition, he has good squares for his pieces after, say, 18 . . . 0-0 
19 Bxb5
Qc7 20 .Nb3 followed by 21 a4 and 22 Ba3 . Black's rooks wouldn't have an
open file ( ' The rooks can't behave like rooks').
This helps explain why Black replied} 18. ... Ra4! {It's an ideal 
counterÂ­
sacrifice. The material equality of 19 .Bxb5 Qxc2 20 Bxa4 Qxa4 is fine for
him.
And when White refused to accept the counter-sack, with} ( 18. ... Qc3 19.
 Nb3 Rc8 ( 19. ... Nc6 20. Bd2 Qb2 21. Qg4 â†’ Qxa3 22. Bxb5 Ncb8 23. Ra1 
Qxa1+ 24. Nxa1 Rxa1+ 25. Kh2 Kf8 26. Bb4+ Kg8 27. Qh4 +- ) 20. Bd2 Qb2 {
Bulletin} 21. Bb4! {CH} 21. ... Nc6 22. Bd6 ( 22. Qg4!? Nxb4 23. axb4 ( 
23. Qxg7? Nxd3 -+ ) 23. ... O-O 24. Re3 â†’ ) 22. ... Nxd4?! ( 22. ... Na5
23. Qg4 Rg8 24. Nxa5 bxa5 25. Bh7 +- ) 23. Qg4 {Knaak} 23. ... Nxc2 24. 
Qxg7 Rf8 25. Bxb5 Kd8 26. Bxf8 +- ) ( 18. ... b4?! {Knaak} 19. axb4 Qc3 
20. Nb3! Qxb4 21. Bd2 =/& ) ( 18. ... Nc8?! {Knaak} 19. Qg4 O-O 20. Re3 f5
( 20. ... Kh8 21. Rg3 Rg8 22. Ne4 â†’ ) 21. exf6 Rxf6 22. Rg3 Rf7 23. Qg6 
â†’ ) ( 18. ... O-O! {Knaak} 19. Bxb5 Qc7 = ) 19. Nb3! {Black
insisted with} ( 19. Bxb5 Qxc2 {Knaak} 20. Bxa4 Qxa4 -/+ ) 19. ... Rc4! {
It's easy to see how well Black stands after 20 Bxc4? bxc4.
But White wasn't done. He ignored the rook once more and played} 20. Bd2 D
{His idea is to continue 21 Bb4 and 22 c3. Then his least useful piece 
will be
his knight and he can get rid of it profitably with Nd2 and Nxc4 For 
example,
20 . . . 0-0? 21 Bb4 Re8 22 c3 and 23 Nd2. Black can't counter-sacrifice 
with
22 . . Rxc3 because of 23 Bxb5 ! .
From the diagram, play continued} 20. ... Nf5! ( 20. ... O-O 21. Bb4 Re8 
22. c3 += {/\Nd2} ) 21. Bb4! {>< Ke8, >< Rh8, /\ c2-c3, Nd2xc4

and not 21 c3? 0-0
when Black's king is safe and he would stand well} 21. ... Nxd4 22. Nxd4 
Rxd4 23. Bxb5 Qc8 {/\Re4
White's bishops are impressive but his chances seem doubtful in view of
24 Bd6 Re4 followed by 25 Qd2 Rxe1 + and . . . Qxc2. Then Black can begin 
to
squeeze out of the pressure with . . Kd8 or . . .Qe4.} 24. Rd1! {Instead, 
Black made one more Exchange sacrifice,
made White's compensation clearer. After} 24. ... Rxb4?! ( 24. ... Rxd1+ 
25. Qxd1 Qc7 ( 25. ... f5 {Knaak} 26. exf6 gxf6 27. Qg4 +- ) 26. Bd6! ( 
26. c3 {/\Qa4} 26. ... Kd8 ~ ) ( 26. f4 Kd8 ~ ) 26. ... Qc8 27. c4! +- ) 
25. axb4 Qc3 {to stop c2-c4. But there was another target, at g7.} ( 
25. ... O-O 26. c4 +/- ) 26. Qg4! Qxe5 27. c4! {Black's position was too 
loose,} 27. ... f5 ( 27. ... Ke7 28. cxd5 Nf6 29. Qxg7 Rg8 30. d6+! Qxd6 
31. Qxf6+ Kxf6 32. Rxd6 +- ) 28. Qg6+ Ke7 29. cxd5 exd5 30. Bxd7 Kxd7 31. 
Qf7+ Kc8 ( 31. ... Kc6 32. b5+ Kc5 33. Qd7 +/- ) 32. Qa7 +- Re8 33. Rc1+ 
Kd8 34. Qb7 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.17"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Quizes  42 - 48"]
[Black "---------page 165"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.17"]

{Quiz Answers -  page 198} 
*

[Event "Riga"]
[Site "Riga LAT"]
[Date "1951.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Estrin, Yakov"]
[Black "Spassky, Boris V"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C44j"]
[EventDate "1951.??.??"]
[PlyCount "38"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 f5 4. d4 fxe4 5. Nxe5 Qf6 6. Nc4 d5 7. Ne3 Be6 
8. Bb5 Bd6 9. O-O Nh6 10. f3 D {Should Black play 10...Qh4 11. g3 Bxg3?

-----------

} 10. ... Qh4 11. g3 Bxg3 {"Where did I err?" White asked after Black gave
up the bishop and won.
"After all, the sacrifice could hardly be correct," he insisted.
This was a conventional attitude more than 60 years ago. There was no
forced win after} 12. hxg3 Qxg3+ {But 1 4-year-o1d Boris Spassky was 
polite enough not to tell his elder
opponent that Black's initiative almost certainly justified the sacrifice,
even
after} 13. Ng2! ( 13. Kh1 O-O 14. fxe4? Ng4 ) 13. ... Bh3 14. Qe2 ( 14. 
Rf2 O-O 15. Bxh6 Rxf3 ) 14. ... O-O 15. Qf2 Qg6! {led to a quick win just 
by adding more pieces to the
kingside -} ( {It's the initiative that matters, and that's why Black 
rejected} 15. ... Qxf3 16. Bxh6 = ) ( 15. ... Rxf3 16. Qxg3 Rxg3 17. Kh2 =
) 16. Be2 Rf6 17. f4 Nf5 18. Kh2 Qh6 19. Rh1 Bxg2+ 0-1

[Event "Kislovodsk"]
[Site "Kislovodsk"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "13"]
[White "Ignatiev, Felix N"]
[Black "Bronstein, David I"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2530"]
[BlackElo "2635"]
[ECO "A10"]
[EventDate "1968.09.??"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "BRA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]

1. c4 f5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 d6 4. d4 c6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Bg2 e5 7. dxe5 dxe5 8.
 O-O Bb4 9. Bd2 e4 10. Nd4 Na6 11. Rc1 O-O 12. a3 Bc5 13. Bf4 Qf7 14. b4 
Bb6 15. c5 Bc7 16. e3 Bxf4 17. gxf4 Be6 18. Nxe6 Qxe6 19. Ne2 Rad8 20. Nd4
Qf7 D {What do you think of Qe2?. It prevents . . . Qh5/ . . . Ng4/ . . . 
Rh6 and prepares for b4-b5

----------

Qe2? is a mistake because it allowed a ' must-be-sound' sacrifice,
Rd4! 22 exd4 Nd5. Black may have looked no further than to see that he
threatens . . . Nxf4 and that after Qd2 he can continue  Nac7.} 21. Qe2 
Rxd4 22. exd4 Nd5 23. Qd2 Nac7 D {Black was certain of his compensation 
because the f4-pawn will fall, after
. . . Ne6 or . . . Qh5-h4. He could also see that neither of White's rooks
was as
good as Black's d5-knight. (In fact, White tried to give material back 
immediately with} 24. Rfe1 Re8 ( 24. ... Rd8!? 25. Kh1 Ne6 26. f3 e3 27. 
Rxe3 Nxe3 28. Qxe3 ) 25. Re3!? {which Black ignored with} 25. ... Nxf4 26.
 Bf1 Qf6 27. Bc4+ Kf8 28. Kh1 Ncd5 29. Bxd5 Nxd5 30. Rh3 h6 31. Rg1 f4 32.
 Qd1 f3 33. Rhg3 g5 34. Qd2 Nf4 35. Re1 a6 36. Re3 Qf5 37. Qc2 g4 38. Rg1 
Nd5 39. Ree1 h5 40. Rgf1 h4 41. Kg1 Re6 0-1

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vaganian, Rafael A"]
[Black "Spassky, Boris V"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2530"]
[BlackElo "2625"]
[ECO "D58l"]
[EventDate "1975.10.14"]
[Annotator "ChessBase"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[EventCategory "12"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 b6 8. 
Be2 Bb7 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Qb3 c6 12. O-O Re8 13. Rad1 Nd7 14.
 Ne1?! ( 14. Bd3 âŒ“ ) 14. ... Nf8 15. Nd3 Ne6 16. Rfe1 Qd6 17. Bf1 D {Is 
a sacrifice on d4 sound?

-------


Black improved his piece coordination with} 17. ... Re7 ( 17. ... Nxd4?! 
18. exd4 Bxd4 19. Rxe8+ Rxe8 20. Qa4 +/- ) ( 17. ... Bxd4?! 18. exd4 Nxd4 
+/- ) 18. g3? ( 18. Be2 âŒ“ ) 18. ... Bxd4! 19. exd4 Nxd4 20. Qa4 Nf3+ 21.
 Kh1 Nxe1 {into a very favorable sacrifice. Black's central pawns tip the
positional balance in his favor after} 22. Nxe1 d4 -/+ 23. Ng2 c5 24. Kg1 
Rae8 25. Nb1 ( 25. Bb5!? ) 25. ... a6 26. Nd2 b5 27. Qa3 Qd5 28. b3 Re1 
29. Rxe1 Rxe1 30. f3 Rd1 31. Qb2 Qg5 32. Nf4 ( 32. Ne4 Bxe4 33. fxe4 Rd2 
34. Qb1 Qh5 -/+ ) 32. ... Qe5 33. Ne4 f5 34. Nf2 Qe3 35. Ng2 Rd2 36. Nxe3 
Rxb2 37. Nxf5 Rxa2 -+ 38. Nd3 Rc2 39. b4 cxb4 40. Nxb4 Rd2 41. Nd3 Bxf3 
42. Nxd4 Bd5 43. Nf5 Be4 44. Ne7+ Kf7 45. Nc5 Kxe7 46. Nxe4 Rb2 47. Nc3 
0-1

[Event "Zuerich Open 25th"]
[Site "Zurich SUI"]
[Date "2001.12.28"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Glek, Igor"]
[Black "Mikhalchishin, Adrian"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2590"]
[BlackElo "2533"]
[ECO "C43f"]
[EventDate "2001.12.26"]
[Annotator "Glek"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "SUI"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.11.25"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. dxe5 d5 5. Nbd2 Bf5 6. Nxe4 Bxe4 7. Bd3 
Nc6 8. O-O Be7 ( 8. ... Bxd3 9. Qxd3 Qd7 10. Bf4 Be7 11. Rad1 O-O-O 12. a3
h6 13. Rfe1 g5 14. Bc1 Qe6 15. b4 g4 16. Nd4 Nxd4 17. Qxd4 Kb8 18. Be3 b6 
19. a4 c5 20. bxc5 bxc5 21. Qd3 Ka8 22. c4 +- {Volokitin,A-Sakaev,K/Moscow
RUS 2001FIDE-WM} ) 9. Re1 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Qd7 11. Bf4 O-O-O 12. a3 Qg4 13. 
Bd2 f6 14. Bc3 d4?! D {Evaluate and compare 15 Bb4 and Re4. Which is 
better?

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

} ( 14. ... fxe5 15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. Bxe5 += ) 15. Bb4! {which gave him a 
strong attack after} ( 15. Re4?! {allows Black to make a promising 
sacrifice} 15. ... dxc3 16. Rxg4 Rxd3 17. cxd3 cxb2 18. Rb1 =+ Bxa3 19. 
exf6 gxf6 20. Ra4 Bb4 21. Rxb2 ( 21. Nd4? Re8 22. Nxc6?? ( 22. Nc2 -/+ Bc3
23. Ra3 Bd2 24. Ne3 -/+ ) 22. ... Re1+ 23. Rxe1 Bxe1 -+ ) 21. ... a5 ~ ) 
15. ... Bxb4 ( 15. ... Rhe8 âŒ“ 16. Bxe7 Rxe7 17. exf6 gxf6 18. Rxe7 Nxe7 
19. Re1 Ng6 20. h3 Qd7 21. b4 += ( 21. Re4 += ) ) 16. axb4 Nxb4 17. Qc4 {
Black was in trouble after} 17. ... Nc6 18. b4! D {White threatens 5 b5 
N-moves 6 Rxa7, with a quick win. Black didn't like
4 . . . a6 in view of the line-opening 5 b5 axb5 6 Qxb5 or simply 5 Rxa6 !
, which is complicated but works. The game ended with} 18. ... Kb8 ( 
18. ... fxe5 19. b5 ( 19. h3 Qg6 ) 19. ... e4 20. h3 Qg6 21. Nh4 Ne5 22. 
Nxg6 Nxc4 23. Nxh8 Rxh8 24. Rxa7 +- ( 24. Rxe4 +- ) ) ( 18. ... a6 19. 
Rxa6! ( 19. b5 axb5 20. Ra8+ Nb8 21. Qxb5 Rhe8 22. Ra7 b6 23. Qc4 Qd7 24. 
e6 Qc6 25. Qd3 ) 19. ... bxa6 20. Qxc6 ( 20. Qxa6+ Kd7 21. e6+ Ke7 ( 
21. ... Kd6 22. b5 ) 22. Qxc6 Qf4 23. g3 Qd6 24. Nxd4 g6 25. Qb7 Rde8 26. 
Nb5 Qb6 27. Qxc7+ Qxc7 28. Nxc7 Rc8 29. Nd5+ Kd6 30. Nxf6 Ke7 31. Nd5+ Kd6
32. Nf4 Rxc2 33. Rd1+ Kc6 34. e7 Re8 35. Nd5 Re2 36. b5+ Kc5 37. f4 ) 
20. ... Rhe8 21. e6 Kb8 22. b5 a5 23. b6 ) 19. b5! Nxe5 20. Nxe5 fxe5 21. 
Rxa7! ( 21. Rxa7 Qg6 ( 21. ... Kxa7 22. Qxc7! ) 22. Rea1 Kc8 23. b6 Qxb6 (
23. ... Kd7 24. Rxb7 Rc8 25. Rxc7+ Rxc7 26. Qxc7+ Ke6 27. b7 Qe8 28. Ra8 
+- ) 24. Qf7 ) 1-0

[Event "Amsterdam m2"]
[Site "Amsterdam NED"]
[Date "1926.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Alekhine, Alexander"]
[Black "Euwe, Max"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2675"]
[BlackElo "2518"]
[ECO "D30t"]
[EventDate "1926.??.??"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.11.16"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "HUN"]
[BlackTeamCountry "AUT"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bd3 Ne4 6. Nbd2 f5 7. Ne5 Qh4 8. 
O-O Bd6 9. f4 O-O 10. Ndf3 Qh6 11. Bd2 Nd7 12. Be1 Ndf6 13. Qe2 Bd7 14. 
Nxd7 Nxd7 15. c5 Bc7 16. b4 Ndf6 17. Ne5 Bxe5 18. dxe5 Nd7 19. g4 Qg6 20. 
Bxe4 fxe4 21. Rc1 a6 22. Bg3 Qe8 23. Rf2 Qe7 24. Qb2 g6 25. a4 Rf7 26. Qd4
Nf8 27. Rcf1 Re8 28. Rc2 Ra8 29. Qd2 Nd7 30. Qd4 Raf8 31. a5 h5 32. h3 Rg7
33. Rcf2 Rff7 34. Rg2 Nf8 35. Qd1 hxg4 36. hxg4 Kh8 D {What happens if 
White plays 37 Bh4 ? Who is better if both sides find the
best moves?} 37. Bh4 {Since Bh4 'if-moves 2 Bf6 wins the Exchange, the 
only question is whether Black has compensation in that line or after the 
alternative, the queen sacrifice Qxh4 2 Rh2.
It doesn't take long to determine that Black gets no positional plusses if
he
surrenders the Exchange. But his rooks are able to seize the initiative 
after} 37. ... Qxh4! 38. Rh2 Rh7 39. Rxh4 Rxh4 {The rooks can make 
progress with . . . Rfh7, . . . Rh3 and . . . R7h4. But even if
they couldn't do anything offensive and were limited to maintaining 
control of the h-file, Black would have more than enough comp.
In the game White correctly tried to complicate after} 40. Qe2 Rfh7 41. 
Qg2 Rh3! = 42. f5! gxf5 43. gxf5 Rg7 44. fxe6 Nxe6 45. Rf6 Rhg3 46. Qxg3 
Rxg3+ 47. Kh2 Rxe3 48. Rxe6 d4 49. Rg6 1/2-1/2

[Event "RUS-Cup01 Chigorin Memorial"]
[Site "St Petersburg RUS"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Zakharevich, Igor"]
[Black "Guliev, Logman"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2515"]
[BlackElo "2420"]
[ECO "E73m"]
[EventDate "1997.11.01"]
[Annotator "Hazai"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1998.01.31"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Bg5 Nbd7 ( 6. ... Na6
{/\ e5 is the main weapon for Black against the Averbakh system these 
days.} ) 7. Qc2 {The idea is to overprotect the key-square e4 after e7-e5 
d4-d5. In some positions the R is stronger on d1, than in case of Qd2. 
Thirdly White can put his N on d2 as well.} 7. ... c6 8. Rd1 e5 9. Nf3 Qc7
? {The Q is very badly placed on c7 in most of these King's Indian 
positions.} ( 9. ... h6 10. Bc1 ( 10. Bh4 Qe7 ( 10. ... Re8!? ) 11. O-O g5
12. Bg3 Nh5 13. d5 c5 14. Rd2 Nf4 15. Nd1 f5 16. exf5 e4 17. Ne1 Nf6 18. 
Ne3 += {Zakharevich-Iskusnikh, Russia 1997} ) 10. ... Re8 11. O-O a5 12. 
Rfe1 exd4 ( 12. ... Qe7!? ) 13. Nxd4 Nc5 14. Bf1 a4 15. Bf4 Nh5 16. Be3 
Qa5 ~ {Steinbacher-Held, BL 1983} ) 10. O-O h6 11. Be3 ( 11. Bc1!? {/\} 
11. ... d5? 12. exd5 cxd5 13. dxe5 +- ) 11. ... Ng4 12. Bc1 d5? {Black 
wants to solve his structural problems with one stroke.} ( 12. ... f5? {
opens up the position against the better developed white pieces, therefore
it cannot be good.} 13. exf5 ( 13. Nh4!? exd4 14. exf5 dxc3 15. Bxg4 Ne5 
16. Bh3 g5 17. f4 cxb2 18. Bxb2 â†‘ ) 13. ... gxf5 14. Nh4 exd4 15. Nxf5 
Rxf5 16. Bxg4 Rf8 17. Ne2 +/- ) ( 12. ... a5 {was the persistant defence.}
13. h3 ( 13. d5 Nc5 ) ( 13. b3!? ) 13. ... exd4 14. Nxd4 Ngf6 15. Bf4 +/- 
{and the Q on c7 is a pest.} ) 13. h3 ( 13. exd5 $143 exd4! ) 13. ... exd4
14. hxg4 dxc3 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. exd5 Qd6 17. bxc3 Nc5 D {Kdyby bily 
ztratil pesce nebo dovolil cernemu strelci do hry, mohl by stat hure. 

Does Black have compensation for his pawn? And what should White do about 
it?

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

Yes, he has comp. If White defends against . . . .Bxg4, Black gets good 
play ( 1 Nh2 Bd7 and . . . Ba4 or 1 g5  Bf5). 
White's antidote was 18 Rd4} ( 17. ... Nb6 18. c4 +- ) 18. Rd4!! +- {This 
is a very nice positional exchange sacrifice in order to eliminate the 
defensive B and conquer the centre completely!} ( 18. Nd4! Qxd5 19. Be3 
Re8 20. Nb5 Qe5 21. Rfe1 +/- ) ( 18. g5?! Bf5 ) 18. ... Bxd4 {Otherwise he
is a P down for nothing.} ( 18. ... Re8 19. Bf4 ( 19. Bb5 Bxd4 20. cxd4 
Nd7 21. Bxh6 = ) 19. ... Qd8 20. Bh2 a6 21. d6 b5 22. c4 += ) 19. cxd4 {
gives him excellent
compensation of his own} 19. ... Na6?! ( 19. ... Nd7 20. Bxh6 Re8 21. Bd3 
{ 22. Bxg6 }) 20. Ne5! Rd8? ( 20. ... Qxd5? 21. Bc4 Nb4 +- ) ( 20. ... Nb4
!? 21. Qb3 Rd8 22. g5 h5 23. Bf4 +/- ) 21. Qd2! {/\ Qh6} 21. ... Qf8?! +- 
( 21. ... Qf6!? ) 22. Bc4 {/\ d6} 22. ... Nc7 23. d6 Ne6 24. Ba3 Qg7 25. 
Re1 g5 26. Qd3 Qf6 27. Re3 {/\ Rf3} 27. ... Qg7 28. Rf3 f6 29. d7 1-0

[Event "Rumania"]
[Site "Rumania"]
[Date "1982.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Ciolac, Gheorghe"]
[Black "Gheorghiu, Florin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2280"]
[BlackElo "2550"]
[ECO "B42j"]
[EventDate "1982.??.??"]
[PlyCount "86"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. O-O d6 7. c4 b6 8. 
Nc3 Bb7 9. Re1 Be7 10. f4 O-O 11. Nf3 Nc6 12. a3 Rc8 13. Bd2 Na5 14. b3 b5
15. cxb5 d5 16. e5 Qb6+ 17. Kh1 Ng4 18. Re2 axb5 19. Nxb5 Nc4 20. Nbd4 Nb2
21. Bxh7+ Kxh7 22. Qb1+ g6 23. Qxb2 Ba6 24. Be1 Bxe2 25. Qxe2 Nh6 26. Bf2 
Qa5 27. Be1 Qb6 28. Bf2 Qb7 29. h3 Nf5 30. Nb5 D {White has given up the 
Exchange for two pawns. Does he have other
compensation - and what should Black do?

-----------

White would have solid positional compensation if he's allowed to play
g2-g4 and establish an unassailable knight on d4.
Black's best is} 30. ... d4?! {Even though it increases White's material 
compensation, it reduces his positional plusses. Now 2 g4 Ne3 or 2 . . 
.Rfd8 !
3 gxf5 d3 and . . .Qxb5 is good for Black.
White played} ( 30. ... Bc5 31. a4 Be3 32. Nd6 Nxd6 33. Qxe3 Ne4 = ) 31. 
Nbxd4 Nxd4 32. Nxd4 {and Black had the edge after} 32. ... Rc3 33. Kh2 
Rfc8 += {All of his pieces are working ( . . .Qd5, . . .Rlc1 ) and the 
game ended abruptly after one mistake} 34. Qb2? {which allowed Black to 
win with} ( 34. Ra2 Kg7 35. b4 Qd5 36. Rd2 += ) 34. ... Qe4! 35. g3?? ( 
35. Re1 Qxf4+ 36. g3 Bxa3! 37. Qa2 Rxg3 38. Bxg3 Qxd4 39. Qf2 Qxf2+ 40. 
Bxf2 =+ ) ( 35. Kg1 Qd3 ( 35. ... Rc2? 36. Nxc2 Rxc2 37. Qd4 Qc6 ) 36. b4 
R8c4 37. Nf3 Rxf4 -/+ ) 35. ... Rc2 -+ 36. Nxc2 Rxc2 37. Qxc2 Qxc2 -+ 38. 
Kg2 Bc5 39. Rf1 Bxa3 40. Re1 Bc5 41. Rf1 g5 42. Kg1 gxf4 43. gxf4 Bb4 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chapter 9 - Knowing"]
[Black "----- page 168"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.06"]

{Chapter Nine:

Knowing

There is an infonnation gap that separates masters from the rest of 
players.
But the infonnation isn't arcane, technical material, like the best 1 7th 
move of a
Najdorf Sicilian and how to draw R - vs.- R + B

The most valuable know-how that a master possesses and an amateur lacks
concerns middlegame planning and pawn structures. A master knows what a
good structure looks like, how to exploit it and when and how to change a
structure that can be improved.} 
*

[Event "Las Palmas3"]
[Site "Las Palmas ESP"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Smirin, Ilia"]
[Black "Garcia Ilundain, David"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2640"]
[BlackElo "2480"]
[ECO "B58q"]
[EventDate "1993.12.??"]
[Annotator "Ernst"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "13"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nf3 h6 
8. O-O Be7 9. Re1 O-O 10. h3 Be6 11. Bf1 Qa5 12. Bd2 Qd8 13. Bc1 ( 13. Na4
Nh7 14. c4 += {Krupkova,P-Grabics,M/Duisburg Wchj/1992/} ) 13. ... Qa5 14.
 a3 Rac8 ( 14. ... Rfc8 15. Rb1 Nb8 ( 15. ... Qc7 16. Nb5 Qd8 17. b3 a6 
18. Nc3 Nb8 = {Smirin, I-Benjamin,J/Groningen PCA/1993/} ) 16. Nh4?! Nc6 
17. Nf3 Nb8 += {Remis in Kramnik-Makarov/USSR/1990/} ) 15. Rb1 Nb8 D {No 
threats and no easy targets. Not much seems to be happening, says the
amateur.
The reality is quite different to a master. White can improve his position
hugely with a few moves, starting with} ( 15. ... a6 16. b4 Qc7 17. Nd5 
+/- {Smirin,I-Tukmakov,V/USSR-ch/1989/} ) 16. Nb5! {also the a-pawn if he 
can drive Black's queen away.
Before playing Nb5 White had to make sure it wouldn't be refuted by
16 . . . a6 17 Nxd6 Rfd8, pinning the knight. Once he saw that 18 Nxb7 or 
Nxc8
Rxd1  Nxe7+ are good, he can be confident that Nb5 works tactically.
But this isn 't about tactics. White didn't expect to win the d-pawn. He
assumed Black would defend it, which he did, with} 16. ... Rfd8 {White's 
reasoning
became clearer after the game continued} 17. Bd2 Qa6 D {Most amateurs - 
and masters as well - would be looking at the discovered
attacks on the queen, such as 18 Nc7 or Nd4.

But it turns out that there's no way to win material, and 18 Nc7 Qc6 19 
Nxe6
fxe6 20 Bd3 Nbd7, for example, isn't a clear edge for White.
When White decided on Nb5 ! he also had a positional goal : He wanted to
push his c-pawn to the fourth rank. That would create a very favorable 
pawn
structure, a very good version of the Maroczy Bind. It is called a bind 
because
it virtually rules out Black's main sources ofcounterplay, the advances 
... b5 and .. . d5.
Black couldn't stop this plan, so the game continued} 18. b3! Nbd7 19. c4!
+/- D {No Black counterplay means no White urgency, as we saw in Chapter 
Five.
White has time to favorably reorganize his pieces. For example, he might
continue Bc1 and Nd2, so that the a-pawn and e-pawn are protected. Then he
can expand with b3-b4 and Nc3-d5 ! .
In the game, Black tried to thwart that with} 19. ... Nc5 {threatening the
e-pawn.
But after White replied} 20. Nc3 {Black saw that 20 . . . Qxa3 would lose 
to 21 b4, e.g.
20 . . .Ncd7 21 Ra1 Qxb4 22 Nd5 .
To avoid a positional rout, he tried} 20. ... b5 {But this made matters 
worse and
he was lost soon after} ( 20. ... Qxa3? 21. b4 Ncd7 22. Ra1 Qxb4 23. Nd5 
Nxd5 24. cxd5 +- ) 21. b4! Ncd7 22. cxb5 Qxa3 23. Re3! +- {His queen is 
trapped
and vulnerable to Nd5 or Ne1 -c2.
Black lost after} 23. ... Bf8 24. Ne1! Nb6 25. Nc2 {But the turning point 
occurred
back at the first diagram when White realized he could achieve the Maroczy
Bind structure and knew it would favor him greatly.} 25. ... Bb3 26. Nxa3 
Bxd1 27. Rxd1 d5 28. Nxd5 Nfxd5 29. exd5 Nxd5 30. Rd3 Nxb4 31. Bxb4 Rxd3 
32. Bxd3 Bxb4 33. Nc4 e4 34. Be2 f5 35. Rd7 Bc5 36. Bh5 Kh7 37. Ne5 Bb6 
38. Bg6+ Kg8 39. Nc6 a6 40. Ne7+ 1-0

[Event "Manila ol (Men)"]
[Site "Manila PHI"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Hulak, Krunoslav"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2655"]
[BlackElo "2515"]
[ECO "B09s"]
[EventDate "1992.06.08"]
[Annotator "Shirov"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "PHI"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "SWE"]

1. d4 d6 2. e4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 c5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Bxd7+!? ( 
7. e5 Ng4 8. e6 fxe6 9. Ng5 Bxb5 = {
Shirov,A-Khalifman,A/Groningen/1990/1/2-1/2/20/ -> CBM21 [King] 
Prie,E-Chabanon,JL/FRA-ch/1991/1-0/74/ -> CBM27 [Stohl]} ) 7. ... Nfxd7 ( 
7. ... Nbxd7! 8. e5 ( 8. d5 O-O 9. O-O b5 ~ ) 8. ... Nh5 9. exd6 ( 9. g4? 
Nxf4! 10. Bxf4 cxd4 -/+ ) 9. ... O-O 10. O-O exd6 11. dxc5 dxc5 12. f5 Ne5
= {Sax,G-Ehlvest,J/Haninge/1990/1/2-1/2/15/ -> CBM18 [King]} ) 8. d5 Na6 
9. Qe2 O-O 10. O-O e6?! ( 10. ... Nc7 âŒ“ 11. Rd1 a6 12. a4 b5! 13. axb5 
axb5 14. Rxa8 Qxa8 15. Nxb5 Qa6 16. Nc3 Bxc3 17. Qxa6 Nxa6 18. bxc3 Rb8 
=/& ) 11. dxe6 fxe6 12. Rd1 Nb6 ( 12. ... Qe7? 13. Qd3 ) ( 12. ... Qb6 13.
 Qd2 +/- ) 13. a4 Nc7 14. e5 ( 14. a5 âŒ“ Nc8 15. e5 d5 16. Ne4 Qe7 17. 
Neg5 +/- {/\ 18.c4} ) 14. ... d5 15. Ne4 Qe7 16. Nd6 Ne8 17. a5 Nd7?! ( 
17. ... Nc8 18. Nxe8 Qxe8 19. Qf2! ( 19. c4 Ne7 ) 19. ... c4!? ( 19. ... 
Qc6 20. Qh4! +/- ) 20. Qh4! Qe7 ( 20. ... Ne7 21. Ng5 h6 22. Nxe6 Nf5 23. 
Nxg7 +- ) 21. Qh3! Re8 22. Be3 += ) 18. Nxe8 Rfxe8 D {This structure is 
harder to evaluate. It doesn't fit into any of the familiar
patterns. Black has more pawns in the center. But White's pawns do a 
better job
of limiting enemy pieces.
This is a case where a pawn structure suggests a maneuver. White's 
darksquared
bishop can control the best diagonal on the board after Be3-f2-h4 or
Bd2-e1 - h4. But there's a drawback to the bishop maneuver. On h4, the 
bishop
no longer protects f4. The f-pawn would become Black's best target, a 
source of
counterplay.
So White looks for another plan. What do you do when you can't exploit the
pawn structure? Change it to a better one. White played} 19. c4! {A target
at e6 is exposed and vulnerable to Rd6 and Ng5. Black can't maintain a 
pawn on d5
because  Qf7? allows Ng5 ! .
That leaves 1 . . . d4, which White realized was a distinctly favorable
structure. True, Black will have a protected passed d-pawn. But once again
this
is a case of what matters most. White can exploit the hole at d6 with 
Ng5-e4-
d6. Or, after Ng5, he can attack the kingside with Ra3-h3 and Qe4.
So play went} 19. ... d4 ( {His advantage would b e evident after} 19. ...
 dxc4 20. Qxc4 ) 20. Ng5! Nb8 21. Ra3! Nc6 ( 21. ... Bh6 22. Ne4 Bg7 23. 
Nd6 Rd8 24. Qe4 +- ) 22. Rh3 h6 23. Ne4 +- Rad8 {White added
more firepower with} 24. Rdd3 {Thanks to his highly favorable structure, 
White has a choice of winning
methods. He can double rooks on g-file. Or he can grab material with Nd6. 
He
opted for the latter and Black resigned soon after} 24. ... Qf7 25. Bd2 b6
( 25. ... Ne7 26. Nxc5 +- ) 26. axb6 axb6 27. Nd6 Rxd6 28. exd6 Nb8 ( 
28. ... Rd8 29. Rb3 +- ) 29. Ra3 Kh7 30. Qe4 Bf8 31. Rhb3 1-0

[Event "Candidates sf2"]
[Site "Dortmund GER"]
[Date "2002.07.14"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Black "Bareev, Evgeny"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2745"]
[BlackElo "2726"]
[ECO "B19l"]
[EventDate "2002.07.13"]
[Annotator "Lukacs"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "4"]
[EventCountry "GER"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.09.20"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "POL"]
[BlackTeamCountry "POL"]

1. e4 {Good and Bad

Students don't pay much attention to pawn structures when they are 
starting
out. They don't have to. They usually play standard openings, such as the 
Ruy
Lopez, Queen's Gambit Declined, Giuoco Piano, and the Sicilian, 
NimzoIndian,
King's Indian and Queen's Indian Defenses, and so on.

Each of these leaves you off, after I 0 or so moves, with a more or less
familiar pawn structure that is also more or less even. But when the 
middlegame
begins, the structure begins to matter because either side can change it. 
A master
not only knows what a good one looks like, but what to do about a bad one.
} 1. ... c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 
Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bf4 Ngf6 12. O-O-O Be7 13. Kb1 
O-O 14. Ne5 Qa5 ( 14. ... c5?! {is premeture in view of} 15. Qb5! Qc8 16. 
Nxd7 Nxd7 17. d5 exd5 18. Nf5 Bf6 19. Rxd5 +/- {Trupan-Pashkov, Krasnodar 
op 1997} ) ( 14. ... Rc8 {/\ c5, or sometimes b5 when >< c6 is defended.} 
15. Qe2 ( 15. Qf3 Qa5 16. c4 Rfd8 17. Rd3 Qa6! {- Glek-Bareev, RUS-ch51 
St.Petersburg 1998 CBM 67} ) ( 15. c4 c5 ) ( 15. Ne4 {The passive g3 N 
causes a lot of trouble for White, it's natural place is on e4. On the 
other hand White has to avoid the mass exchanges in the [+].} 15. ... Nxe4
16. Qxe4 Nf6 17. Qe2 Qb6 18. Rh3 {The R is excellent on the third rank.} 
18. ... c5 19. Rg3 Kh7 20. Rb3 Qa6 21. c4 Rcd8 22. dxc5 Rxd1+ 23. Qxd1 
Bxc5 24. Qf3 +/- {Moreno Carnero-Rasnussen, Anibal Open Linares 2002} ) 
15. ... b5 {Black wants to blockade the light squares, especially d5.} 16.
 Nxd7 Qxd7 17. Be5 Rfd8 18. Bxf6 Bxf6 19. Ne4 Qe7 ~ {Macieja-Rasmussen, 
EU-ch 1st Saint Vincent 2000} ) ( 14. ... Nxe5 15. Bxe5 Ng4 16. Qe2 Nxe5 
17. dxe5 Qc7 18. f4 Rfd8 19. Ne4 Rxd1+ 20. Rxd1 {White still retains the 
somewhat better chances in the _|_ due to his superior N and better P 
structure. However Black can make a draw with precise technical play.} 
20. ... Rd8 {+/=/= Arnold-Groszpeter, Paks Cup GM 2000} ) 15. Ne4 ( 15. 
Ne2 {White avoids the exchanges in the [+] and prepares the push g4-g5.} 
15. ... Rad8 16. Qb3 Qa6 17. Qf3 Nd5 18. Bc1 Nxe5 19. dxe5 Nb6 20. Qg4 Kh8
21. Qe4 {White's Q manoeuvres fail to impress.} 21. ... Rd5 22. Nc3 Ra5 
23. Rh3 Nd5 =, quiet {Jonkman-Gyimesi, Andorra op 2001} ) ( 15. Nxd7 Nxd7 
16. Ne4 Qf5 17. Qf3 Nf6 18. Nxf6+ Bxf6 19. g4 Qd5 20. Rh3 {This type of 
_|_ cannot be bad for Black.} 20. ... Rad8 21. Bxh6 Qxf3 22. Rxf3 Rxd4 23.
 Rxd4 Bxd4 24. Bc1 f5 =, quiet {Emms-Lars Bo Hansen, Politiken Cup 1996} )
15. ... Nxe4 ( 15. ... Rad8 16. Nxf6+ Nxf6 17. Qg3 Kh8 18. Rd3 c5 19. Qf3 
Rxd4 20. Rxd4 cxd4 21. Qxb7 Nd5 {Black has an active counterplay, winning 
b7 is rarely good.} 22. Bg3 Qa4 23. Qb3 Qa6 24. Qd3 Qa4 ~ {Adams-Bareev, 
Sparkassen Gp 2 Dortmund 2002} ) 16. Qxe4 Rad8 17. c4 Nxe5 18. Bxe5?! {
White wants to complicate matters, butin his P structure >< d4 remains a 
target.} ( 18. dxe5 Rxd1+ 19. Rxd1 Rd8 {leads to an only slightly better 
_|_ for White.} ) 18. ... Bd6! 19. f3 ( 19. Bxd6 Rxd6 20. Qe5 Qd8 =+ {and 
Black will triple his heavy artillery on the d <->.} ) ( 19. g4!? Be7 ( 
19. ... Rd7 20. g5! ) 20. Rd3 Rd7 21. Rhd1 Rfd8 =+ {and White has no real 
chances on the >>, therefore he has to defend >< d4.} ) 19. ... Rd7 20. 
Bxd6 Rxd6 D {This structure is typical, at least in terms of the center 
pawns, of a Caro-Kann
Defense and of some queenside openings. White enjoys more space but both 
his
d-pawn and h-pawn can become targets. This explains} 21. Qe5 Qd8! 22. Rd3 
{'?!' Ftacnik.} 22. ... b5! {This is the typical method worsening White's 
P structure.} 23. b3?! ( 23. c5 {creates a weak backward P on d4} 23. ... 
Rd5 =+ ) ( 23. cxb5 Rd5! 24. Qe4 cxb5 -/+ {is even worse, the isolated P 
is a real target in R endgames.} ) 23. ... bxc4 24. bxc4 Qe7 {White has to
keep an eye on his K because of the opened b <->.} ( 24. ... f6 25. Qc5 
Qb6+ =+ ) 25. Kc2 ( 25. Rb3 Qd7 =+ ) 25. ... Rfd8 {It's isn't easy to 
exploit White's king. But as we saw in Chapter Seven, in
positions like this, it should be much easier to play Black's position 
than
White's. Black eventually won after} 26. Qc5 R8d7 27. Rhd1 Qh4 28. g4 f6 
29. Qb4 ( 29. R1d2 Qg3 =+ ) 29. ... f5!? {Black wants to ruin White's P 
chain on the >> widening the battlefront.} 30. Qb8+ ( 30. gxf5 exf5 31. 
Qb8+ Kh7 32. Qe8 Qf6 -/+ ) 30. ... Kh7 31. Qe8 Qf6 32. c5 Rd5 33. Re1 Re7!
{Black gives the weak c6 P, but penetrates into White's position and the K
in the middle becomes more vulnerable.} ( 33. ... Rxd4 34. Rxd4 Rxd4 35. 
Qg6+ Qxg6 36. hxg6+ Kxg6 37. Rxe6+ Kg5 -/+ ) 34. Qxc6 ( 34. Qg6+ Qxg6 35. 
hxg6+ Kxg6 36. Rde3 Kf6 -+ {and the R _|_ is lost because of the many 
additional weaknesses besides the loss of the P.} ) 34. ... fxg4 35. fxg4 
Qf2+ 36. Kd1 Rxd4 -+ 37. Rxd4 Qxd4+ 38. Kc2 Qc4+ 39. Kd2 Qxa2+ {With a K 
like that it is very difficult to save the _|_.} 40. Ke3 Qb3+ 41. Ke2 Qc2+
42. Ke3 Qc3+ 43. Ke2 Qe5+ 44. Kd2 Qd4+ 45. Kc2 Qc4+ 46. Kd2 Qb4+ 47. Ke2 
Qb2+ 48. Ke3 Qc3+ 49. Ke2 Qe5+ 50. Kd2 Qd4+ 51. Kc2 Qc4+ 52. Kd2 Qb4+ 53. 
Ke2 Rf7! {and finally the R joins the ->.} 54. Qxe6 Rf6 55. Qd5 Qxg4+ 56. 
Kd3 Rf5 57. Re5 Qg3+ 58. Kd4 Qf2+ 0-1

[Event "Leningrad Interzonal"]
[Site "Leningrad RUS"]
[Date "1973.06.19"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Larsen, Bent"]
[Black "Tal, Mikhail"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2620"]
[BlackElo "2655"]
[ECO "A37p"]
[EventDate "1973.06.02"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "17"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[EventCategory "12"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "URS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "USA"]

1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. Nf3 c5 4. g3 Nc6 5. Bg2 e6 6. O-O Nge7 7. d3 O-O 8.
 Bd2 d5 9. Qc1 b6 10. Bh6 Bb7 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. h4 Nd4 14. 
Re1 h6 15. Ne5 Nxc3 16. Qxc3 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Qd5+ 18. Nf3 D {The first thing
you'll notice is that there were two knights on the board. That
seems to benefit White, even though both are pinned.
One reason they help White is that he has an additional piece to defend 
his
kingside. In addition, he can trade knights on d4 under much better
circumstances than what happened in the game.
For example, if Black plays the hasty I . . . e5 White can reply 2 e4! , 
forcing
the queen back before Nxd4. For example, 2 . . . Qd6 3 Nxd4 ! exd4 isn't 
nearly
as good for Black as it was when the White pawn was on e2. Black would 
have
no target on the e-file and White can defend f2 more easily.
This explains why Black played} 18. ... Rad8 {Now if 2 e4 and a queen 
retreat,
Black can recapture on d4 with pieces and leave White to defend a backward
pawn at d3 forever. For example, 2 . . . Qc6 3 Nxd4 Rxd4 and . . . Rfd8 is
a clear
edge for Black, thanks to the pawn structure.
Instead of 2 e4?, White played} ( 18. ... e5 19. e4! Qd6 20. Nxd4! exd4 ) 
19. Kg1 {This unpins the knight so he can play
3 Nxd4, not fearing 3 . . . cxd4 4 Qc4 or 4 Qa3, or 3 . . . Qxd4 4 Qxd4. 
Black
would have only a minimal edge, if any.
Black also unpinned, with} ( 19. e4 Qd7 20. Re3 Qe7 21. Qd2 e5 =+ ) 
19. ... e5 {and threatened 3 . . .Nxf3+. White didn't
like retreating his knight because his kingside has no defender, e.g. 3 
Nd2 g5 ! and 4 hxg5 hxg5 and . . . Rh8.  So there followed} 20. Nxd4 exd4!
21. Qc4 Qh5 {We are nearly back to where we were in the first diagram we 
examined. But
White still had a chance to make a fight of it through astute use of the 
pawn
structure. Instead of 5 Qa4?, which he played, he should liquidate one of 
his
weaknesses with 5 e4 ! .
True, after 5 . . . dxe3 6 Rxe3 he still has to worry about the pawn at d3
. But
his rooks will become active, unlike in the game, and he has plenty of 
operating
space. That matters more.
After he played} 22. Qa4? D {Note how often the structure provides a hint 
about priorities, about what
matters most. A favorable structure can serve as a virtual roadmap in the
middlegame. Here's a memorable example.

Black knew he enjoyed the superior pawn structure, particularly in view of
the weakening h2-h4. This told him that White's threat - Qxa7 - may not be
worth preventing. The a-pawn shouldn't be as significant as one of White's
kingside pawns, should it? It shouldn't. Black considered} ( 22. e4 dxe3 
23. Qc3+ Kh7 24. Rxe3 ) 22. ... Rfe8! 23. Qxa7 Rd6 {and liked what he saw.
The rook on d6 defends the b6-pawn and will go to f6 for an attack on f2.
In addition, he threatens . Rxe2. White can't defend that pawn without
major concessions ( e4? fxe3 or Kf1 Rf6 and  . . . Qf5).
Instead, he tried to open lines for his rooks with} 24. b4 {But Black 
ignored that,
too, with} 24. ... Rf6! 25. bxc5? Qf5 26. f3 ( 26. Rf1? Rxe2 ) 26. ... Qh3
27. Qc7 Rf5! {Black wants to plant a rook on e5. That would block the 
c7-g3 diagonal and
threaten a winning . . . Qxg3+. White's king has no escape because Kf2 
will allow . . .Qh2+.
The finish was instructive. After} 28. cxb6 Rfe5 29. e4 {Black coordinated
his
heavy pieces,} 29. ... Qxg3+ 30. Kh1 Qxh4+ 31. Kg2 Rg5+ 32. Kf1 Qh3+ 33. 
Ke2 Rg2+ 34. Kd1 Qxf3+ 35. Kc1 Qf2 0-1

[Event "73. Tata Steel GMA"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]
[Date "2011.01.29"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"]
[Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2715"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[ECO "D94"]
[EventDate "2011.01.14"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[Opening "Gruenfeld"]
[Variation "5.e3"]
[WhiteFideId "623539"]
[BlackFideId "4168119"]

{Structured Study

How do you master pawn structures? The simplest way is to go over
annotated games with different structures and figure out which structures 
are
good, which are bad and which fall in between.

It's important to work with annotated games because good notes - that is,
notes with words, not just moves - reveal a lot of subtleties you might 
otherwise
miss.} 
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bc4 Nb6 
8. Bb3 c5 9. O-O cxd4 10. exd4 Nc6 11. d5 Na5 12. Re1 Bg4 13. h3 Bxf3 14. 
Qxf3 Re8 15. Be3 D {You might be able to figure out on your own that White
is slightly better and
his advantage lies in the d5-pawn. It gives him more operating space than 
Black.
Black can try to change that evaluation with} 15. ... Bxc3! ( 15. ... Nxb3
16. axb3 Bxc3 {White would have been
forced to save his d-pawn with} 17. Bxb6! Qxb6 18. bxc3! {If White is 
allowed to play 5 c4 he will have increased his edge appreciably
because the structure is now plainly superior: He would have a target to 
pound
at e7, the prospect of kingside attack with h2-h4-h5 and even the 
possibility of
creating a passed queenside pawn.  Can Black change the structure? Yes, 
but he would be worse after} 18. ... Qxb3 ( 18. ... e6 19. dxe6 Rxe6 20. 
Rxe6 Qxe6? ( 20. ... fxe6 21. c4! ) 21. Qxb7 ) 19. Rab1 Qa3 20. Rxb7 += ) 
16. bxc3?! ( 16. Bxb6! Qxb6 17. bxc3 ) 16. ... Nxb3 17. Bxb6 D {But in 
this version Black was able to insert the forcing} 17. ... Nd2 {So Black's
trick allows him to equalize
after} 18. Qd3 ( 18. Bxd8? Nxf3+ 19. gxf3 =+ ) 18. ... Qxb6 19. Qxd2 Qc5 
20. Re4 = Rad8 21. c4 f5 22. Re5 Qxc4 23. Rc1 Qa6 24. Rce1 Qd6 25. h4 Rd7 
26. h5 gxh5 27. Rxf5 e5 28. Qg5+ Rg7 29. Qxh5 Rge7 30. Qf3 Rg7 31. Rf6 Qd8
32. d6 e4 33. Qf5 Rd7 34. Re3 Rxd6 35. Rg3+ Kh8 36. Rg7 1-0

[Event "Moscow2"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Razuvaev, Yuri S"]
[Black "Sveshnikov, Evgeny"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2580"]
[BlackElo "2560"]
[ECO "D30l"]
[EventDate "1995.04.??"]
[Annotator "Belov"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "11"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ISR"]
[BlackTeamCountry "NED"]

{Here's a more elaborate example. The two players take turns trying to get
a
structure they want to play. Without good notes the would-be master could 
get
quite confused. He would realize how often the structure changes but not 
why.} 
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c6 4. Nbd2 Nf6 5. g3 ( 5. Qc2 Nbd7 6. e4 dxe4 7. 
Nxe4 Nxe4 8. Qxe4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Nxd2 c5 11. Nb3 O-O 12. O-O-O cxd4
13. Rxd4 e5 14. Rd2 Qc7 ~ {Tosic,M-Tregubov,P/Alushta 3/1993/0:1/42/} ) ( 
5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. b3 Bd6 9. Bb2 O-O 10. O-O cxd4 11. 
exd4 Re8 = {Van der Sterren,P-Van der Werf,M/NLD(ch)/1994/0,5/20/} ) 
5. ... Nbd7 ( 5. ... c5 6. Bg2 Nc6 7. O-O cxd4 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nb3 Be7 10.
 Nbxd4 Nxd4 ( 10. ... O-O 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Qa4 Qb6 13. e4 += {
Christiansen,L-Wolff,P/Wijk op/1993/0,5/40/} ) 11. Nxd4 O-O 12. e4 Nb4 13.
 a3 e5 14. Nf5 Nc6 15. Be3 Bf6 16. Bc5 Qxd1 17. Rfxd1 Rd8 = {
Wojtkiewicz,A-Yermolinsky,A/New York Hudson/1993/0,5/26/} ) 6. Qc2 b5?! N 
{Black's last move tries to force a favorable trade, 7 cxb5 cxb5. That 
would
likely allow him to seize the open file with . . . .Rc8. Also . . . .Bb7 
after the pawn
trade would make it hard for White to carry out his best bet (e2-e4) for 
opening
the position in his favor.
White appreciated all this and played} ( 6. ... Be7 7. Bg2 O-O 8. O-O b6 )
7. c5! {The new structure favors him.
Why? Because he has more space and can open lines favorably for his pieces
with either e2-e4 or a2-a4, or both.
Black saw this much too. He replie} 7. ... e5 {("Otherwise I'm just 
positionally
bad," he said afterwards).
The little tactic that makes 7 . . . e5 possible is 8 dxe5 Ng4, after 
which he
must regain either the pawn at e5 or the one at c5.
So far, we've seen three tries at obtaining a better structure, 6 ... b5, 
7 c5 and
7 . . . e5 . After} ( 7. ... Be7 8. a4 b4 9. a5 +/- ) ( 7. ... a6 8. a4 
Bb7 9. Bg2 Be7 10. O-O O-O += ) 8. dxe5 Ng4 {White considered one more 
change, 9 e6 and
9 . . . fxe6.
Black's position would be loosened and there would be potential targets at
e6 and h7. But White couldn't see a way to exploit them in the near 
future.
Instead, he solidified his superior queenside with} 9. b4! {Left 
unchallenged, this move would allow White to create a bind with
10 Bb2 and Nb3-aS .
Black's pieces would be in such a mess that he might try to break out with
9 ... a5 before White has time for Nb3 .
But White could then sacrifice a pawn favorably, 10 Bb2 ! axb4, in order 
to play 11 h3 . After 11 . . .Nh6 his compensation lies in the positional 
pull of
12 Nb3 and a later e2-e4. Or, after 12 . . . .Be7, in the tactics of 13 e6
Nf6 14 g4.
Black appreciated as well as White did that the e5-pawn is the most
important feature of these lines. He hurried to get it off the board with}
9. ... Ndxe5?! {rather than 9 . . . a5 .
But, strangely enough, this was a mistake. (Correct was with 9 . . .Ngxe5 
! .)
The difference between the two captures was shown by} ( 9. ... a5 10. Bb2 
Qc7 ( 10. ... axb4 11. h3 Nh6 12. Nb3 Qc7 ~ ) 11. a3 Ngxe5 12. Bg2 += ) ( 
9. ... Ngxe5 10. Bb2 Nxf3+ 11. Nxf3 ( 11. exf3 Nf6 12. Bg2 Qe7+ ~ ) 
11. ... Nf6 12. Bg2 Be7 13. O-O O-O 14. a4 += ) 10. Bb2 Nxf3+ 11. exf3! D 
{Black had counted on 11 Nxf3 so that he could anticipate 12 a4 with
11 ... a5 ! . Then his queens ide inferiority is reduced.
But after 11 exf3 ! his knight is under attack and White has time to deter
. . . aS . Play went} 11. ... Nf6 12. Nb3! {The doubling of White's pawns 
isn't nearly a s important as his ability to
solidify on the queenside. He can complete his development and then make
inroads with a2-a4 and/or Na5 . Or he can try to attack on the kingside 
with
Bd3 .
Black knew from his own experience how bad positions like 12 . . . Be7
13 a4 bxa4 14 Rxa4 are. He became desperate and tried} 12. ... a5?! D {But
White has one more favorable way to alter the pawns} 13. a4!? {rather than
13 Nxa5 . Then 13 . . . bxa4 14 Rxa4 would doom the aS-pawn without any
compensation. Instead, Black chose} ( 13. Nxa5 Rxa5 14. bxa5 Qxa5+ 15. Bc3
( 15. Qd2 Qxd2+ 16. Kxd2 Bxc5 ) 15. ... b4 ( 15. ... Qa3 ) 16. Bxf6 gxf6 
17. Qd2 +/- ) 13. ... axb4 14. axb5 Rxa1+ 15. Bxa1 {If Black allows 16 b6,
the protected passed pawn leaves him positionally
lost. But Black would lose even faster after 15 . . . cxb5 16 Bxb5+ Bd7 17
c6.
The game drew to a finish after} 15. ... Be7 ( 15. ... cxb5 16. Bxb5+ Bd7 
17. c6 +- ) 16. b6! +/- O-O 17. h4 {White is taking
minor precautions, to avoid complications such as 17 Bd3 Bh3 or 17 Bg2 
Ba6.
After Black tried} ( 17. Bd3 Bh3 18. Nd4 Qd7 ) 17. ... d4?! ( 17. ... Re8 
18. Be2 d4 ( 18. ... Be6 19. Nd4 Qd7 20. O-O +- ) 19. Bxd4 ( 19. Nxd4 Qd5 
20. Nb3 Be6 ~ ) 19. ... Be6 20. Be3 Qd5 21. Na5 Ng4 â‡„â‡„ ) 18. Bc4! ( 
18. Nxd4?! Qd5 19. Nb3 Qxf3 ~ ) 18. ... Nd5 19. Bxd4 Re8 {White took 
another
safety step,} 20. Kf1! {But the game had been decided earlier by clever 
pawn play. The bankruptcy
of Black's position was clear after} ( {to avoid the complications of} 20.
 O-O Bxh4!? ) 20. ... Bf6 ( 20. ... Be6 21. Kg2 Bf6 22. Rd1 +- ) 21. Bxf6 
Qxf6 22. Bxd5 cxd5 23. Kg2 +- d4 24. Rd1 Bf5 25. Qb2 Bh3+ 26. Kxh3 Qxf3 
27. Qc2 d3 28. Qxd3 Qxf2 1-0

[Event "Linares 12th"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Kasparov, Garry"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2805"]
[BlackElo "2715"]
[ECO "B57l"]
[EventDate "1994.02.??"]
[Annotator "Boensch,U"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "18"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2004.01.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "FIN"]
[BlackTeamCountry "SWE"]

1. e4 {Ftacnik} 1. ... c5 2. Nc3 ( 2. Nf3 {Ftacnik} 2. ... e6 3. d4 cxd4 
4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Be3 Nc6 9. Nb3 Qc7 10. f4 
a6 11. a4 b6 12. Bf3 Rb8 13. Qe2 Na5 14. Rad1 ( 14. Nd2 Bb7 15. g4 Rfc8 
16. Qg2 Nd7 17. g5 Nc4 18. Nxc4 Qxc4 19. h4 b5 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rac1 b4 
22. Nd1 b3 23. cxb3 Qxb3 24. Rxc8+ {Fichtl, J-Jansa,V/CSSR ch/1974/} ) ( 
14. g4 Nc4 15. g5 Nd7 16. Bc1 Re8 17. Bg2 b5 = {Spassky,B-Garcia 
Martinez,S/Moskva/1975/} ) ( 14. Rae1 Nc4 15. Bc1 b5 16. axb5 axb5 17. Kh1
b4 18. Nd1 Ba6 19. Nf2 Rfe8 20. Nd3 e5 21. g3 d5 22. exd5 e4 23. Bxe4 Bd6 
24. Qg2 {Grottke,HJ-Vogt,L/DDR ch/1977/0-1 (30)} ) 14. ... Nc4 15. Bc1 b5 
16. axb5 axb5 17. Qf2 b4 18. Ne2 d5 19. f5 e5 20. Ng3 d4 21. Nh5 Qb6 22. 
Nxf6+ Bxf6 23. Rfe1 Ba6 24. g4 {Cabello,FJ-Arroyo,E/Candas op 
(04)/1992/0-1 (42)} ) 2. ... d6 3. Nge2 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Bc4 
Qb6 7. Nb3 ( 7. Nde2 e6 8. O-O Be7 9. a4 O-O 10. Be3 Qc7 11. Ng3 a6 12. 
Qe2 Bd7 13. f4 Rac8 14. Bd3 Rfe8 = {Saltaev,M-Tseitlin,MS Tiraspol (5) 
1994 0-1 63} ) 7. ... e6 8. Bf4 Ne5 9. Be2 Be7 ( 9. ... a6 10. Bg3 N ( 10.
 Be3 Qc7 11. f4 Nc4 12. Bxc4 Qxc4 13. Qf3 d5 14. e5 Ne4 15. Nxe4 Qxe4 16. 
Qxe4 dxe4 17. O-O-O +/- {Zaitzev,I-Serper,G Moskow7 op 1991 1-0 41} ) 
10. ... h5! 11. h3 Qc7 12. f4 Nc4 13. Bxc4 Qxc4 14. Qf3 h4 15. Bh2 Bd7 16.
 O-O-O Rc8 17. Rhe1 b5 18. Qf2? ( 18. a3 ~ ) 18. ... Qc7 19. e5 b4 20. Rd3
dxe5 21. fxe5 bxc3 22. Rxc3 Qxc3!? ( 22. ... Qb8 ) 23. bxc3 Ba3+ 24. Kd2? 
( 24. Kb1 ~ ) 24. ... Nd5 -/+ {Ivanchuk,V-Kramnik,V Linares (06) 1993 0-1 
33} ) ( 9. ... Bd7 10. O-O Be7 11. Be3 Qc7 12. f4 Nc4 13. Bxc4 Qxc4 14. 
Bd4 O-O 15. e5 dxe5 16. fxe5 Nd5 = {Zaitzev,I-Kiselev,S Podolsk 1991 1-0 
48} ) 10. Be3 Qc7 11. f4 Nc6 ( 11. ... Ng6 12. O-O O-O 13. g3 Bd7 14. h4 
Rfc8 15. h5 Nf8 16. Bf3 h6 17. Rf2 e5 = {Zaitsev,I-Makarov,M Podolsk 1992 
1/4 22} ) ( 11. ... Nc4 12. Bxc4 ( 12. Nb5 Qc6 13. Bxc4 Qxc4 14. Qd3 ~ ) 
12. ... Qxc4 13. Qf3 â†‘ ) 12. Bf3 a6 13. O-O O-O ( 13. ... b5?! 14. e5 
dxe5 15. fxe5 Nd7 16. Bxc6 Qxc6 17. Nd4 ( 17. Na5 Qc7 18. Qf3 Qxa5 19. 
Qxa8 O-O =/& ) 17. ... Qb7 18. Qg4 â†’ ) 14. a4 b6 D {Pawns and Priyomes

Obtaining the pawn structure you want to play is typically the first step 
of a
two-step process. The equally important second step is knowing how to 
exploit
it. The Russians gave us a word - priyome - to describe the technique that
is
appropriate for a particular pawn structure.

You already know some of these even if you've never heard of the word
priyome. Suppose you're playing a rook endgame with seven pawns apiece.
There is one open file. The priyome is simply to seize control of the file
with
your rook. It's virtually an automatic, no-think move for most players and
it
typically obtains an advantage.

Most priyomes are much more sophisticated than that. They are both 
tactical
and strategic. They can provide you with just a hint of what the next move
should be. Or they can hand you a full-blown middlegame script, leading 
almost
to mate. Here's an elaborate priyome that became familiar in the last 20 
years
and defeated some of the strongest players.

Knowing the priyome allows White to play his next half dozen moves with
confidence. He begins with} 15. g4! {If allowed, he will continue 16 g5 
followed by 17 Bg2, to free the rook at f1 .
Then comes 18 Rf3 and 19 Rh3, targeting h7. He follows up by getting his 
queen
to the h-file and threatening 'ifxh7 mate.
This plan is so strong that if Black doesn't take emergency action - say 
with
15 . . . d5 !? 16 exd5 Rd8 - he can be overrun. In fact, the priyome begun
by 15 g4
has won hundreds of games, in similar positions. Often Black has to do all
the
hard thinking - because White is being guided by the priyome.
This game illustrated this when it continued} 15. ... Rb8? 16. g5 Nd7 17. 
Bg2! Re8 ( 17. ... Nc5 18. f5! +/- ) ( 17. ... g6 {Ftacnik} 18. f5 â†’ ( 
18. Rf3 Nc5 ) ) 18. Rf3 Nc5?! ( 18. ... Na5!? ) 19. Rh3 {To stop Qh5,  
Black played} 19. ... g6 20. Qg4 D {The script goes much further: Black 
cannot stop Qh4. But he has a trick defense to it in . . . h5, since gxh6 
would lose the queen to . . . .Bxh4.
Nevertheless White will win if he is allowed to play Bf3xh5 ! . That's 
what
happened here:} 20. ... Nb4? ( 20. ... e5 {Ftacnik} 21. f5 Nb4 22. Qh4 h5 
23. Bf3 Nxc2 24. Nd5 Qd8 25. Bxh5 Bxf5 26. Bg4 +- ) 21. Qh4 h5 22. Bf3! 
Bf8 ( 22. ... Nxc2 23. Bxh5 +- ) 23. Bxh5 gxh5 ( 23. ... Bg7!? 24. Bd4 ( 
24. Bd1 += ) 24. ... e5 25. f5!! exd4 26. Bxg6 fxg6 ( 26. ... dxc3 27. 
Qh7+ Kf8 28. f6 +- ) 27. Qh7+ Kf8 28. Rf1!! gxf5 29. exf5 Re1! ( 29. ... 
dxc3 30. f6 +- ) 30. Rxe1 dxc3 31. Rhe3 Ne6 32. fxe6 Bxe6 33. Rf1+ +- ) 
24. Qxh5 Bg7 25. Bd4! e5 ( 25. ... Bxd4+ {Ftacnik} 26. Nxd4 Kf8 27. g6! ( 
27. Qh6+ Ke7 28. Qf6+ Kd7 29. Rh7 Re7 30. g6 ) 27. ... Bb7 28. Qg5 +- ) 
26. f5! Nxe4 ( 26. ... exd4? 27. Qh7+ Kf8 28. f6 +- ) ( 26. ... Kf8!? ) 
27. Qh7+ Kf8 28. Nxe4 Bxf5 ( 28. ... exd4 {Ftacnik} 29. f6 ) 29. Qxf5 exd4
30. Nf6!! +- Qxc2 31. Nxd4! Qxb2 ( 31. ... Qxf5 32. Nxf5 Red8 33. Nh7+ ( 
33. Rh7 {Ftacnik} 33. ... Bxf6 34. gxf6 Ke8 35. Re1+ +- ) 33. ... Kg8 34. 
Ne7+ Kh8 35. Nf6+ +- ) 32. Rd1 Re5 ( 32. ... Re1+ {Ftacnik} 33. Rxe1 Qxd4+
34. Rhe3 Bxf6 35. gxf6 Nd5 36. Qh5 +- ) 33. Nd7+ Ke7 34. Nxe5 Bxe5 35. Qe4
! 1-0

[Event "RUS-Cup"]
[Site "Krasnodar RUS"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Fedorov, Alexei"]
[Black "Khurtsidze, Nino"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2595"]
[BlackElo "2390"]
[ECO "B43h"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.11.16"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Qc7 6. g3 Bb4 7. Bd2 Nf6 
8. Bg2 Nc6 9. Nb3 Be7 10. f4 d6 11. O-O O-O 12. g4 b5 13. g5 Nd7 14. a3 
Re8 15. Rf3 Bb7 16. Rh3 g6 17. Qe1 b4 18. Qh4 h5 {The first move to occur 
to Sicilian-beating masters is obvious} 19. Bf3! {The
game was decided by} 19. ... bxc3 20. Bxh5! Bxg5 ( 20. ... gxh5 21. Qxh5 )
21. Qxg5 Qd8 22. Qh6! cxb2 23. Rf1 Qf6 24. Bc3 e5 25. fxe5 Qxf1+ 26. Kxf1 
b1=Q+ 27. Kf2 Ndxe5 28. Be2 f6 29. Qh8+ {Priyomes and pawn structures are 
intimately related. Changing the pawn
structure, as White did with g2-g4-g5, will make little sense unless you 
know
the priyome that is appropriate. A change in structure also lacks point if
you
don't have the pieces to make the priyome work. Sometimes a pawn advance 
or capture can be a brilliant move or a positional blunder depending on 
whether
you can carry out the priyome} 1-0

[Event "Amber-blindfold 07th"]
[Site "Monte Carlo MNC"]
[Date "1998.03.15"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Nikolic, Predrag"]
[Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2635"]
[BlackElo "2790"]
[ECO "D35q"]
[EventDate "1998.03.13"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventType "tourn (rapid)"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "MNC"]
[EventCategory "18"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1998.04.29"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ISR"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. e3 Bf5 
8. Bd3 Bxd3 9. Qxd3 Nbd7 10. O-O O-O 11. Rab1 a5 12. a3 Ne4 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 
14. b4 D {White is preparing the familiar minority attack, with b4-b5 
followed by bxc6
to weaken Black's pawns.
Black stopped that plan in the most direct way, with I ... b5. He 
explained
this is a "very typical move" in this kind of position.
But he added that it's only good if Black can maneuver a knight to c4. 
That's
the priyome. In this case it's a very short range plan that lasts only 
until Black
plays ... .Nc4.
If he can't plug the c-file that way, Black will be clearly worse. He will
find
the backward c6-pawn coming under heavy fire from rooks on the c-file, and
the
conclusion to draw is that I . . . b5? was a positional blunder.
But in this case, Black can get his knight to c4 and} 14. ... b5! {was the
most
important move in the game. Play went} 15. Qc2 axb4 16. axb4 Nd6 17. Rb3 
Nb6 18. Ne5 Rfc8 19. Nd3 Nbc4 {and he was better. He went on to win a fine
game} 20. Nc5 Re8 21. h3 g6 22. Rc1 Ra7 23. Qd1 h5 24. Kh1 Qg5 25. Rbb1 
Rae7 26. Ra1 Nf5 27. Ra2 Ncxe3 28. fxe3 Rxe3 29. Rf2 Qh4 30. Qd2 Nxd4 31. 
Rcf1 Nf5 32. Rxf5 gxf5 33. Nd1 Re1 34. Kg1 R8e2 35. Qc3 Rxd1 0-1

[Event "Canadian Open 9th"]
[Site "Vancouver"]
[Date "1971.09.02"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Spassky, Boris V"]
[Black "Zuk, Robert D"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2690"]
[ECO "E82g"]
[EventDate "1971.08.??"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2001.11.25"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "SWE"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. 
Nge2 c5 9. d5 e6 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 exd5 12. cxd5 Nbd7 13. O-O a6 14. a4 
Ne5 15. f4 Nxd3 16. Qxd3 Qc7 17. Rad1 Rae8 D {We see a typical King's 
Indian/Benoni pawn structure. There are no obvious
targets for either player. But White detected a slight Black weakness on 
the
kingside in the vicinity of g6 and to. That was enough to start 
calculating variations.
First, he could see that he lacks the firepower to make 1 e5 dxe5 2 fxe5 
Qxe5
work. Even if prepared with 1 Rde1 , the e4-e5 break is going to cost a 
pawn,
with little to show for it.
White also looked at 1. f5 . That threatens to target g6 and create a hole
at e6
with 2 fxg6 fxg6.
But 1 f5 is also a major concession, granting Black a wonderful outpost at
e5 . For example, 1 . . . g5 2 Bg3 Nd7 ! and . . . Ne5 .
Nevertheless White knew there should be something to do here because he
knew his priyomes: He needs to clear e4 for his knights. After some 
calculation
he found that the proper way to do that is} 18. Bxf6! Bxf6 19. e5! dxe5 
20. Ne4 Bg7 {But the priyome goes beyond what's happened so far. After an 
exchange of
White's f-pawn or Black 's e-pawn, Black will have lots of piece activity,
e.g.
5 fxe5? Qxe5 6 N2c3 Qd4+ favors Black.
The key move is} 21. f5! {which guarantees White an advantage. By stopping
. . . f5 he secured e4 for his knight. White also prepares to probe the 
kings ide with
N2c3 followed by Qg3/f5-f6. Or, after 5 . . . g5, with 6 f6 and N2g3-f5 .
Play went} 21. ... Rd8 22. N2c3 gxf5 23. Rxf5 {White is preparing Nf6+, 
with or
without a rook lift, Rdf1-f3-g3 or -h3} 23. ... f6 D {Black felt he had to
play 7 . . . f6. This makes it hard for either player to
change the structure further. But it's a very favorable structure for 
White - and
time is on his side because Black has little counterplay.
The way White finished off was instructive} 24. Rdf1 Qe7 25. Qg3 Kh8 26. 
Qh4 Bxd5 27. Nxf6 Bb7 28. Rh5! Rxf6 29. Rxh6+! Kg8 ( 29. ... Bxh6 30. Rxf6
+- ) 30. Rfxf6! Bxf6 ( 30. ... Bxh6 31. Rg6+ +- ) 31. Rxf6 Qg7 32. Qc4+ 
Kh8 {The priyome here consists mainly of 2 e5 ! , 3 Ne4 and 5 f5 ! . It 
became
famous when a world champion was wiped out in the game Penrose - Tal,
Leipzig 1 960. That game and the one above have little in common except 
for a
few pawns in the center and the priyome.
The would-be master will want to master this priyome because it arises so
often. He can find dozens of games in Benoni and King's Indian Defense
databases. What he wants to learn is: When does the e4-e5 followed by 
f4-f5
succeed and how can it fail? He also wants to see if there are any good 
defenses
to it.} 33. Rf3 Rd6 34. Qh4+ Kg8 35. Qc4+ Kh8 36. Ne4 Rg6 37. Rh3+ Rh6 38.
 Rd3 Rf6 39. Rg3 Rg6 40. Ng5 Bc8 41. Nf7+ Kh7 42. Qh4+ Kg8 43. Nh6+ 1-0

[Event "Alekhine Memorial"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1971.11.28"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Spassky, Boris V"]
[Black "Balashov, Yuri S"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2690"]
[BlackElo "2570"]
[ECO "A73"]
[EventDate "1971.11.24"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "17"]
[EventCountry "URS"]
[EventCategory "14"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.07.01"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ROM"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 d6 4. Nc3 g6 5. e4 Bg7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Be2 e6 8. 
O-O exd5 9. cxd5 Bg4 10. Bg5 a6 11. Nd2 Bxe2 12. Qxe2 Re8 13. a4 Nbd7 14. 
f4 Qc7 15. Rae1 h6 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 D {In fact, there is a counter-priyome, 
and it was illustrated by another Spassky
game, played about the same time as the one above. White has just 
exchanged a bishop for a knight on f6, as he did in the
previous example. Yes, there are differences between the two games. But 
the
similarities are more important. They included White's ability to control 
e4 with
his knights, Black's weakness at g6 and the potential outpost at f5 .
That explains} 17. e5 dxe5 18. f5 D {White is ready to carry out the same 
pressure
plan as before, by means of Nde4 with its a threat of fxg6/ Nxf6+.
As in the previous example, he is trying to force Black to trade pawns on 
f5
so that he can retake .Rxf5 and dominate the f-file.
Once again, 2 . . . g5, invites Nde4, this time with d5-d6 and Nd5 to 
come,
an idea that was possible but impractical in the previous example.

The strength of the priyome is illustrated by a sample variation that 
begins
2 . . . Bg7 3 Nde4 Kh7 (not 3 . . . Nf6 4 Nxf6+ Bxf6 5 fxg6, threatening 
Rxf6).
White would be getting close to a win after 4 Qg4 in view of 4 . . . Rf8 5
f6
Bh8 6 Qh4 and Ng5+. Or 4 . . . Qd8 5 fxg6+ fxg6 6 Rf7.
But there was a counter-priyome that Black knew about and he replied} 
18. ... e4! {This enabled him to occupy e5, which Black never managed to 
do in
the previous example. Once again it's a case of what matters most. Black
appreciates that the loss of his extra pawn doesn 't mean as much as 
having room
for his pieces to work.
There followed} 19. fxg6 fxg6 20. Ndxe4 Kg7! D {and Black has protected 
key
squares at g6 and f6.

White still has good play but Black had plenty of resources when the game
continued} 21. Kh1 Re5! 22. Qd2 Rae8 {A draw was the fair result
following } 23. g3 Rf5 24. Rxf5 gxf5 25. Nxf6 Rxe1+ 26. Qxe1 Nxf6 27. Qe6 
f4 28. Ne4 Nxe4 29. Qxe4 fxg3 30. Qg4+ Kf6 31. Qe6+ Kg7 32. d6 Qf7 33. 
Qg4+ Kf8 34. Qc8+ Kg7 35. Qg4+ Kf8 36. Qc8+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "EU Ch 4th"]
[Site "Istanbul TUR"]
[Date "2003.06.10"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Rublevsky, Sergei"]
[Black "Goloshchapov, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2670"]
[BlackElo "2558"]
[ECO "B22c"]
[EventDate "2003.05.30"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "TUR"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.09.25"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "FRA"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

{Mastering Priyomes

It's harder to acquire a good appreciation of priyomes than it is to 
master
pawn structures. For one thing, there are many more priyomes than 
structures.
Often a single structure can have two or three priyomes, as in the last 
example.
This applies to attack as much as it does to positional play.} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bc4 d6 6. d4 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nb6 8.
 Bb3 ( 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. O-O {is another possibility for White.} ( {or} 9. 
exd6!? ) ) 8. ... dxe5 ( 8. ... Nc6 9. exd6 ( 9. O-O {allows Black an 
endgame after} 9. ... dxe5 ( 9. ... Be7!? ) 10. dxe5 Qxd1 {in which 
White's plus is insignificant.} ) ( 9. Qe2 dxe5 10. dxe5 Nb4 11. O-O Qd3 
=, quiet ) 9. ... Bxd6 ( 9. ... Qxd6!? ) 10. O-O ~ {is similar to the 
game.} ) 9. Nxe5 Nc6 10. Nf3 {In such IQP positions, it is well-known that
each trade of pieces makes Black's task easier. On the other hand taking 
on c6 has two advantages: it breaks Black's pawn structure and it wins a 
tempo to continue development.} ( 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. O-O Be7 12. Nc3 O-O ~ 
) 10. ... Nd5 {This looks like a loss of time, but in fact the knight on 
b6 was far from kingside and bringing it back to d5 is only logical.} ( 
10. ... Bd6 {transposes to the variation 8...Nc6, see above.} ) 11. O-O 
Be7 12. Nc3 Nxc3 {I'd prefer to keep the knight on d5 rather than 
improving White's structure. Of course, in the game Black goes for the 
typical plan with b6, Bb7 and Na5, but meanwhile White can create very 
quick a strong attack.} ( {Better for Black is:} 12. ... O-O 13. Re1 b6 
14. Bc2 Bb7 15. Qd3 g6 16. a3 Rc8 17. Bh6 Re8 18. Rad1 Bf8 ( 18. ... Nf6 {
Very amazing - after this move we get a D42 position (arising usually from
Panov attack, Caro-Kann Defence), which is double-edged, maybe with slight
initiative for White. But of course 18...Nf6 is not necessary, which means
Black is more flexible here.} ) 19. Bxf8 Rxf8 20. Nxd5 exd5 21. b4 Qf6 22.
 Bb3 Ne7 23. Ne5 Rc7 24. Ba4 Bc8 25. Rc1 Bf5 26. Qg3 Rxc1 27. Rxc1 Rc8 28.
 Rxc8+ Bxc8 29. Qc3 Qd6 30. Nc6 {1/2-1/2 
Nepomniashchy,Y-Andreikin,D/Halkidiki 2001} ) 13. bxc3 O-O 14. Re1 b6 D {
The hanging c- and d-pawns and the related d4-isolani are two of the most 
common pawn structures. Both offer White reason to be aggressive. One of 
his priyomes is the explosive d4-d5. When White is better developed,
this can give him a quick advantage. But here the tactics don't justifY I 
d5? exd5 2 Bxd5 Bb7. Black is at least equal .
Another priyome is the unlikely} 15. h4! {The most direct approach - White
secures square g5 for the knight or bishop.

White's idea is to support Ng5, which
will be followed by 'it'h5, to threat mate on h7. As strange as it may 
seem, it is quite common in positions with the same or similar pawn 
structures. 

To play 1 h4 White has to realize it is a gambit, I . . . Bxh4 2 Nxh4 Qxh4
-
and that it's a promising gambit after 3 Re3, with the idea of Rh3/Bc2 or 
Rg3/Bg5 .
Should Black accept the pawn? That depends on his alternatives. If he 
stops
2 Ng5 with 1 . . . h6, White will play 2 Qd3 and 3 Bc2, forcing another 
weakening to avert mate on h7.
In the game Black chose} 15. ... Bb7 ( 15. ... Bxh4 16. Nxh4 Qxh4 17. Re3 
=/& ) 16. Ng5 {and saw that 16 ... h6 allows a strong 17 Nxe6 fxe6 18 
Rxe6. So he played} 16. ... Na5 D {instead and then came} 17. Bc2 D {The 
power of 15 h4 ! is now evident. If Black meets the Bxh7+ threat with 17 .
. . g6, White can prepare h4-h5xh6 or go straight into a standard 
sacrifice -
another priyome - 18 Nxh7 Kxh7 19 Qh5+ Kg8 20 Bxg6.
Black chose} 17. ... Bxg5 {instead. But his kingside dark squares were a 
chronic
weakness after hxg5

Other continuations wouldn't have solved problems either, but still 
17...Bxg5 is a big concession, after which White is much better. In this 
case even 15...Bxh4 was to be preferred.} ( 17. ... g6 18. Qg4!? â†‘ ( 18.
 Nxh7 {leads only to a draw:} 18. ... Kxh7 19. Qh5+ Kg8 20. Bxg6 fxg6 21. 
Qxg6+ Kh8 22. Re5 Rf5 23. Qh6+ Kg8 24. Qxe6+ Rf7 25. Qg6+ Rg7 26. Qe6+ Rf7
) 18. ... Qc7 19. Bd2 Nc4 20. Bf4 â†‘ Bd6 21. Bxd6 Nxd6 22. h5 Qxc3 23. 
Bxg6 hxg6 24. hxg6 â†’ ) ( 17. ... h6? 18. Qd3 +- ) 18. hxg5 +/- Bd5 {
Already difficult to give Black a good advice.} ( 18. ... Nc4? 19. Qd3 +- 
) 19. Qd3 ( 19. Qh5 g6 20. Qh6 Nc4 ) ( {Attractive is} 19. Bxh7+ Kxh7 20. 
Qh5+ Kg8 21. Re3 {but Black saves himself with} 21. ... Bxg2! 22. Rg3! ( 
22. Kxg2 Qd5+ 23. Kg1 f6 24. Rh3 Qf5 ~ ) 22. ... Qd5! ( 22. ... Be4 23. 
Rh3 f6 24. g6 Bxg6 25. Qxg6 Qd5 ( 25. ... Nc4 26. Rh7 +- Rf7 27. Qh5 ) 26.
 Ba3 +/- ( 26. Qh7+!? Kf7 27. Rg3 Rg8 28. Bh6 ) ) 23. Rxg2 Qf5 {and 
although White might be better, the position is far from clear, since 
there is no direct and convincing attack, while white kingside is weak as 
well.} ) 19. ... g6 20. Qg3 {Amateurs can play some positions well because
they learned, often
unconsciously, the appropriate priyomes. Masters can play many positions 
well
because they know more of them.
"I think my advantage as a practical player," said Hikaru Nakamura in a
2011 interview, lies in that "I play a great many positions. Even the best
(opening) preparation at some moment comes to an end and then you need to
fight."} 20. ... Nc4 21. Bf4 Rc8 22. Rad1 b5 ( 22. ... Na3 23. Bb3 +/- ) 
23. Qh4 f5 ( 23. ... Na3 24. Bd3 Rxc3 25. Be5 h5 26. g4 Bf3 27. gxh5 gxh5 
( 27. ... Bxh5 28. Be2 +- ( 28. d5 +- ) ) 28. Be4 Bxd1 29. Rxd1 +- ) 24. 
gxf6 Qxf6 25. Bg5 Qf7 26. Rd3 Rc7 27. Rh3 Nd6 28. Bh6 +- Rfc8 ( 28. ... 
Re8 29. Bxg6 hxg6 30. Bf4 +- ) 29. Bf4 ( {Also possible was} 29. Bxg6 hxg6
( 29. ... Qxg6 30. Rg3 +- ) 30. Bf4 Qh7 31. Qg4! +- ) 29. ... Nf5 ( 
29. ... Rd7 30. Bxg6 Qxg6 31. Rg3 +- ) 30. Bxf5 1-0

[Event "Kiev ch-URS"]
[Site "Kiev ch-URS"]
[Date "1954.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Livshin, Iosif"]
[Black "Geller, Efim P"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C97g"]
[EventDate "1954.??.??"]
[PlyCount "80"]

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 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Rd8 13. d5 Bd7 14. Nf1 
Rdb8 D {Here's how to look at a game and add to your knowledge of 
structures and priyomes:

games with these pawns on these squares, although the pieces may be placed
differently. 
If you search for similar games in databases, you'll appreciate the basic 
themes. Black is trying to open up the queenside, where he has more space.
Often he tries . . . c4, . . . a5 and then . . . b4xc3 .
Meanwhile, White eyes the kingside. One priyome that you'll find is to 
play a White knight to e3, his king to h2, his rook to g1 and then advance
the g-pawn
two squares. The priyome is completed when White gets his knight to f5 . 
That's
a powerful attacking setup and has been examined in, for example, Pawn 
Power
in Chess by Hans Kmoch.
But there's also a matter of move order. White can start with Kh2 and Ne3 
,
followed by Rg1 / g2-g4 or g2-g4/Rg1 . However, he chose the sloppy} 15. 
g4? {That gave Black an opportunity to carry out his own priyome with} 
15. ... h5 {even though he seems to be attacking on the wing in which he 
is weaker. If you examine databases you'll find similar examples that lead
to double-edged play.
In some rare cases White stands better after gxh5 and . . . Bxh3 . Knowing
the priyome only gives you a likely candidate. It doesn't guarantee you 
the best
move. 
This time 1 . . . h5 ! is good. Black would stand well after 2 g5 Nh7 !  3
Kh2 Qd8 because the g-pawn is overextended. White preferred} 16. N3h2 {and
Black
traded pawns} 16. ... hxg4 17. hxg4 D {The kingside pawn structure is 
somewhat rare but once again there's a priyome} 17. ... Nh7! {and . . .Ng5
or . . . ..Bg5 . It puts Black in excellent shape to exploit the 
dark-square holes on the kingside. Play continued} 18. Ne3 g6! {ual. It 
isn't. And because White didn't appreciate that, he didn't feel he needed 
to defend.
There is a good defensive try and it can be considered - guess what? - 
another
priyome. White should fortify his kingside with 5 f3 ! followed by Kg2 and
Rh1 .
Instead he felt he could still attack if he got f2-f4 in. The game 
continued} 19. Ng2? Ng5 20. b3 Kg7! 21. f4 exf4 22. Nxf4 Rh8 23. Bd3 Rh4 
24. Ng2 Rh7 D {Black has the better pieces and the only targets to aim at.
White tried to stem
the tide with} 25. Bxg5 Bxg5 26. Be2 Bf6 27. Rc1 {But it was too late and
13 ... c4! opened up the diagonal leading to his king. There followed} 
27. ... c4 28. Ne3 cxb3 29. axb3 Rah8 {A pretty finish would have been 16 
Nef1 Qc5+ 17 Kg2 and now
17 . . . .Rxh2+! 18 Nxh2 Rxh2+! 19 Kxh2 Qf2+ and . . . ..Be5 with a mate. 
Instead, White played} 30. Nf3 Qb6 31. Nd4 Rh1+ 32. Kg2 R8h2+ 33. Kf3 Bh4 
( 33. ... Rh3+ 34. Kg2 Rxe1 35. Qxe1 Rxe3 ) 34. Nef5+ gxf5 35. Rxh1 fxg4+ 
36. Ke3 Bg5+ 37. Kd3 Rxh1 38. Qxh1 Nxb3 39. Rg1 Nxd4 40. cxd4 Qc7 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.09.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Quizes  49 - 52"]
[Black "---------page 188"]
[Result "*"]
[EventDate "2013.09.21"]

{Quiz Answers -  page 198} 
*

[Event "Wch U20"]
[Site "Athens GRE"]
[Date "2001.08.29"]
[Round "13"]
[White "Bu, Xiangzhi"]
[Black "Acs, Peter"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2553"]
[BlackElo "2514"]
[ECO "E46"]
[EventDate "2001.08.16"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "GRE"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2001.11.25"]
[BlackTeam "III"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Ne2 d5 6. a3 Be7 7. cxd5 Nxd5 
8. Nxd5 exd5 9. Nc3 c6 10. Be2 Bf5 11. O-O Bg6 12. b4 Nd7 13. b5 Nb6 14. 
Qb3 Qd6 15. Bb2 Qe6 16. Na4 Nxa4 17. Qxa4 D {Where does Black's 
counterplay lie and how should he get it moving?

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

The pawn structure indicates it's on the kingside. That suggests} 17. ... 
f5! {is right. It makes his light square bishop bad but what matters more 
is . . . f4.
Since 2 g3 f4 ! 3 gxf4 Be4 walks into trouble, play went} 18. bxc6 bxc6 
19. Rac1 Be8 20. Qa6 Bd7 {and when White failed to play 5 g3 he quickly 
went downhill:} 21. Bc3? f4! 22. exf4 Rxf4 23. Rce1 Bd6 24. Bb5 Qf7 25. 
Ba4 ( 25. Bxc6 Rf6 26. Bxa8 Bxh2+ -+ ) 25. ... Rf8 26. Re2 Rh4! 27. f3 
Bxh2+ 28. Kf2 Qf4 29. Re3 Bg3+ 30. Ke2 Rh2 31. Rg1 Bg4 32. fxg4 Qf2+ 33. 
Kd3 Qxg1 34. Qxc6 Qb1+ 35. Bc2 Qf1+ 36. Re2 Rf3+ 0-1

[Event "Sigeman & Co 09th"]
[Site "Malmo SWE"]
[Date "2001.06.19"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Timman, Jan H"]
[Black "Berg, Emanuel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2620"]
[BlackElo "2474"]
[ECO "C02p"]
[EventDate "2001.06.12"]
[Annotator "Psakhis"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "SWE"]
[EventCategory "13"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2001.09.13"]
[BlackTeam "II"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bd7 6. Be2 f6 {Quite risky 
move.I would prefer} ( 6. ... Qb6!? {or} ) ( 6. ... Nge7!? ) 7. O-O cxd4 {
Rare move} ( {More common continuation is} 7. ... fxe5 {but after, for 
example} 8. Nxe5! Nxe5 9. dxe5 Bc6 10. c4! Ne7 11. Bg5 Qd7 12. Bh5+ g6 13.
 Bf6 Rg8 14. Bf3 dxc4 15. Bxc6 Nxc6 16. Na3 â†‘ {1/2-1/2 
Keitlinghaus,L-Reefschlaeger,H/Bad Woerishofen op 1997 (43) White's 
chances are better.} ) 8. cxd4 fxe5 9. dxe5 ( {Worth considering and} 9. 
Nxe5!? Nxe5 10. dxe5 Bc5 11. Nd2 Ne7 12. Bd3 Qb6 13. Qh5+ g6 14. Qh3 â†‘ {
1-0 Dvoirys,S-Nygren,D/Skelleftea Solett op 2001/ (26) with initiative.} )
9. ... Bc5 10. Nc3 a6 D {Is the pawn structure good for White and what 
should he do about it?

---------

It's a very good structure but it can be exploited only by a priyome that 
targets the light square weaknesses in Black's camp, h7, f7 and e6. 
In previous games, White relied on normal development, such as 1 Bg5 Nge7 
2 Rc1 , and got no advantage.
Instead, he has to rearrange his minor pieces, Bd3 and Ne2-f4, so they 
prepare Qc2 and/or Ng5, with an attack on h7 and e6.
This time White had a clear advantage following} 11. Bd3! N {Beggining of 
interesting and dangerous for Black plan} ( {Also possible} 11. Bg5 Nge7 
12. Rc1 Ba7 13. Bd3 O-O 14. Na4 Qe8 15. Nc5 Bxc5 16. Rxc5 Rc8 17. Rc3 Qh5 
18. Bxe7 Nxe7 19. Rxc8 Bxc8 20. Qe2 += {Peng Xiaomin-Mariano,N/Singapore 
Pools 1997/1-0 (66)} ) 11. ... Nge7 12. Ne2! Rc8 ( {Deserves attention} 
12. ... Qc7!? {attacking e pawn.} ) 13. Nf4 Qb6 14. a3 a5 15. Rb1 g6 {Sad 
necessity! Too dangerous for Black} ( 15. ... O-O 16. b4! ( {In the case 
of} 16. Bxh7+ Kxh7 17. Ng5+ Kg8 18. Qh5 {Black still can organize 
successful resistance after} 18. ... Rxf4! ( 18. ... Rf5 19. Qh7+ Kf8 20. 
Qh8+ Ng8 21. Ng6+ +- ) 19. Bxf4 Nd8 20. b4 axb4 21. axb4 Bd4 22. Qh7+ Kf8 
23. Qh8+ Ng8 24. Be3 Ba4! ) 16. ... axb4 17. axb4 Nxb4 ( 17. ... Bxb4 18. 
Ng5 ) 18. Bxh7+! Kxh7 19. Ng5+ Kg8 20. Qh5 Rxf4 â–¡ 21. Bxf4 Be8 22. Qh7+ 
Kf8 23. Qh8+ Ng8 24. Nh7+ Kf7 25. Rb3 â†’ {and rook join hunt for black 
monarch} ) 16. b4! axb4 17. axb4 Nxb4 ( 17. ... Bxb4 18. Ng5 ) 18. Bd2 O-O
19. Ng5 {Black's pieces are far away from the kingside, so it's logical 
for White to attack exactly there!} 19. ... Qc6 {What else?} ( 19. ... h6 
20. Nxg6 Nxg6 21. Bxg6 Rxf2 ( 21. ... Bb5 22. Qh5 +- ) 22. Rxf2 Bxf2+ 23. 
Kh1 +- {lose immediately} ) 20. Rxb4! Bxb4 21. Bxb4 Rxf4 22. Bxe7 {White's
material and positional advantage promise quick and easy victory} 22. ... 
Qc3 23. g3 Ba4 24. Qe2 Bc2 25. Bxc2 Rd4 1-0

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "1925.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yates, Frederic D"]
[Black "Capablanca, Jose"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2498"]
[BlackElo "2744"]
[ECO "B02q"]
[EventDate "1925.11.10"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Nc3 Nxc3 4. dxc3 d5 5. Nf3 c5 6. Bf4 Nc6 7. Qd2 Bg4
8. O-O-O ( 8. Be2 ) 8. ... e6 9. h3?! Bxf3 10. gxf3 Qc7 ( 10. ... c4 ) 11.
 Bg3 D {Podstatna vada pozice bileho jsou pesci f2, f3. Tahem g6 cerny 
pesce zablokuje. Utoku pescu na kral. kridle se cerny nemusi bat. 

Who wants to change the pawn structure? What should Black do?

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

White wants to change it with c3-c4, since . . . dxc4/ Bxc4 would give him
play for his bishops and . . . d4 offers him chances after f3-f4 and  Bg2.
Black played} 11. ... c4! {blokuje strelce f1. 

which not only makes his bishop a bit better but
sharply limits White's pieces. After} 12. f4 g6! {he had stopped the 
liberating idea
of 3 f5 exf5 4 e6 and assured himself the superior game.} 13. Kb1 h5 14. 
Bh4 Be7! {Pri takovem rozestaveni pescu je vymena nevyhodna, ale Capa ji 
vyvolava: Po zmizeni figur se projevi bezmocnost strelce f1. } 15. Bg5? 
Bxg5 16. fxg5 Nxe5 17. Qe3 O-O 18. Be2 Nc6 19. f4 Ne7 {Jezdce je evidentne
silnejsi jak strelec} 20. Rhg1 Nf5 21. Qf2 Rfe8 22. Rge1 b5 23. Bf1 a5 24.
 Re5 b4 25. Qe1 Reb8 26. Ka1 Rb6 27. Qd2 Rab8 28. Rb1 Nd6 29. Bg2 Nb5 30. 
cxb4 c3 31. bxc3 Nxc3 32. Rb3 axb4 33. a3 Ra6 34. Re3 Rba8 ( 34. ... Qa7 
35. Qc1 Rxa3+ 36. Rxa3 bxa3 37. Rd3 Qc5 38. Bf3 a2 ) 35. Rexc3 bxc3 36. 
Qc1 Qc5 37. Ka2 Qc4 38. Ka1 Qxb3 0-1

[Event "ISR Ch Open"]
[Site "Ramat Aviv ISR"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Tseitlin, Mark D"]
[Black "Avrukh, Boris"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2490"]
[BlackElo "2609"]
[ECO "B96f"]
[EventDate "1999.03.28"]
[Annotator "Avrukh,B"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "ISR"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1999.06.08"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qc7 8.
 Bxf6 gxf6 9. Qd2 Nc6 10. O-O-O Bd7 11. Kb1 h5 ( 11. ... O-O-O 12. f5 ( 
12. Nce2 Kb8 13. g3 h5 14. Bg2 Be7 15. h4 Nxd4 16. Nxd4 Rdg8 17. Qe3 Qc5 
18. Qb3 Bd8 19. Rhf1 ( 19. e5 d5 ) 19. ... Qb6 20. Qd3 Rg7 {and black is 
ok.0-1 Rowson, J-Rodriguez,A/Erevan 1996/EXT 96ch2 (40)} ) ( 12. Nb3 h5 
13. Be2 Na5 14. Rhf1 Kb8 15. Rf3 Be7 16. Rh3 += {0-1 
Ivanov,A-Waitzkin,J/New York 1993/TD 93\03 (39)} ) 12. ... Kb8 ( 12. ... 
h5?! 13. Nxc6 Qxc6 14. fxe6 fxe6 15. Qf2! Be7 ( 15. ... Kb8 âŒ“ 16. Qxf6 
Bh6 += ) 16. Rd4 b5 17. a4 Qc5 18. axb5 axb5 19. h4!! Rhf8 20. Qd2 Bc6 21.
 Rh3 f5 22. Na4! {with decisive attack for white 1-0 
Brodsky,M-Avrukh,B/Groningen 1993/ EXP 38 (28)} ) 13. Bc4 Nxd4 14. Qxd4 
Be7 15. Bb3 Qc5 16. Qd3 h5 17. Qf3 h4 =, quiet {1/2-1/2 
Shmuter,L-Vaulin,A/St.Petersburg 1993/TD 93\09 (26)} ) 12. Bc4 {.} 12. ...
 Rg8 ( 12. ... O-O-O 13. Nxc6! ( 13. Bb3 Na5 ) 13. ... Qxc6 14. Bb3 Kb8 
15. Rhf1 Qc5 16. Qd3 h4? ( 16. ... Be7 17. f5 Rdg8 18. Qh3 Rg4! {><e4 
Leko,P} ) 17. Qh3 Be7 18. f5 Qe5 19. Rde1! Rde8 20. Ne2 Bf8 21. Nf4 +/- {
1-0 Topalov,V-Anand,V/Dortmund 1997/Inf 70/[Anand,V] (42)} ) ( 12. ... Rc8
13. Bb3?! ( 13. Nxc6! Qxc6 14. Bb3 ) 13. ... Na5 14. Qd3 Nxb3 15. Nxb3 b5 
{1/2-1/2 Parma,B-Quinteros,M/Ljubljana/Portoroz 1973/EXT 97 (15)} ) 13. 
Nxc6! ( 13. Rhg1 â–³ Nxd4 14. Qxd4 Qc5 15. Qd3 b5 16. Bb3 a5! ( 16. ... b4
17. Ne2 Bb5 ( 17. ... a5 18. Bc4 Rc8 19. b3 += ) 18. Qf3 a5 19. Nd4 ) 17. 
e5 ( 17. a4 bxa4 18. Bxa4 Bxa4 19. Nxa4 Qb4 20. b3 Rb8 â‡„â‡„ ) 17. ... f5
18. exd6 a4 19. Bd5 exd5 20. Nxd5 O-O-O! -/+ ) 13. ... bxc6? {Looks like a
nice achievement for black to take with b-pawn on c6,but in fact it's not 
good at all.Now there is no safe place for black's king all over the board
and white using this fact during the game in a wonderful style.} ( 13. ...
 Bxc6 14. f5 +/- ) ( 13. ... Qxc6 âŒ“ 14. Bb3 O-O-O 15. f5 Qc5 16. Rhf1 ( 
16. g3 Qe5 17. Qd3 h4 â‡„â‡„ ( 17. ... Bc6 18. Qc4 Re8 19. Ba4 +/- ) ) 
16. ... Qe5 17. g3 += ) 14. f5 Qa7 ( 14. ... Qa5? 15. Nd5! Qd8 16. Nf4 +- 
) 15. Bb3 Qc5? D {Black has allowed a tactical priyome. Which one?

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

The sacrificial priyome is fxe6 fxe6  e5!} ( 15. ... O-O-O âŒ“ 16. Rhf1 
Be7 17. Na4 d5 18. Qe2! +/- ( 18. Qa5 Rxg2 19. Nb6+ Kb8 ~ ) ) 16. fxe6 
fxe6 17. e5!! {
another device designed to clear e4 for the knight (2 . . . fxe5 3 Ne4 and
wins). Here it's based on lines such as 2 . . . d5 3 Ne4 dxe4? 4 Qxd7 
mate.
Black avoided immediate disaster with} 17. ... Qxe5 {but White obtained a
powerful initiative with} ( 17. ... d5 18. Ne4 +- ) ( 17. ... fxe5 18. Ne4
+- ) 18. Rhe1 ( 18. Bxe6 $143 Bxe6 19. Rde1 Qg5 20. Rxe6+ Kd7 ( 20. ... 
Kf7 21. Qe1 Qxg2 22. Rf1 Rg6 23. Ne2 â†’ ) 21. Qe1 Qxg2 â‡„â‡„ ) 18. ... 
Qg5 19. Qd4! {renewing the threat of Ne4. He eventually won after} ( 19. 
Bxe6 Qxd2 20. Bxg8+ Qxe1 21. Rxe1+ Be7 += ) 19. ... O-O-O ( 19. ... d5 20.
 Ne4 +- ) ( 19. ... c5 20. Qe4 +- ) 20. Qa7 Qc5 â–¡ ( 20. ... Qa5 21. Bc4 
+- ) 21. Qxa6+ Kb8 ( 21. ... Kc7 22. Na4 Qb5 23. Qa7+ Qb7 24. Qa5+ Kc8 25.
 Nb6+ Kb8 26. Nxd7+ Rxd7 27. Bxe6 {and white wins} ) 22. Bxe6 Bxe6 23. 
Rxe6 Rxg2 24. Rxf6 Rg7 ( 24. ... Be7 25. Rf7 ( 25. Rf5 d5 26. Rxh5 +- ) 
25. ... d5 26. h3 ( 26. Rxe7 Qxe7 27. Qb6+ Kc8 28. Qxc6+ Qc7 ) ) 25. Qf1 (
25. Ne4 Qb5 26. Qxb5+ cxb5 27. Rf5 +- ) 25. ... Be7 26. Rf5 Qb6 ( 26. ... 
d5 âŒ“ 27. Rxh5 Rdg8 ) 27. Rf3! ( 27. Rxh5 Rdg8 {gives to black 
consolidate their position .} ) 27. ... Rg4 28. a3 ( 28. Nd5? cxd5 29. Rb3
Rb4 ) 28. ... Ka8 29. Rf7 Rb8 30. b3 Bg5 31. h3! Rg3 ( 31. ... Rh4 32. 
Rxd6 ) 32. Qc4 ( 32. Rd4! Rb7 33. Ra4+ Kb8 34. Rxb7+ Qxb7 35. Rb4 ) 
32. ... Rb7 33. Rf8+ Rb8 34. Qa4+ {34...Kb735Rf7-Kc836Ne4+-} 1-0

