Chess Strategy: Or Why Positions Do (Not) Collapse by Alexander Koblenz

Author:Alexander Koblenz [Koblenz, Alexander]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, pdf
Published: 2020-03-17T16:00:00+00:00

Positions form Taimanov - Najdorf game:

Devious Tactics

In the game below, a favorable opening line on the queenside still did not bring decisive success. It was necessary to improve the position of the pieces and to increase the positional advantage.

King’s Indian Defense

Gligoric – Donner

Berlin West FRG, 1971

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 0-0 5. Be2 d6 6. Nf3 e5 7. 0-0 Nc6

In such positions with a tension in pawn center, White faces a choice: to maintain tension, to eliminate it by exchanging the pawns, or by promoting the pawn to close the center.

In this game, S. Gligorich chooses the last one. Practice has shown that maintaining tension in the center allows Black to achieve beneficial simplification: 8. Be3 Re8! (Threatening 9. … ed) 9. d5 Nd4! 10. N:d4 ed 11. B:d4 N:e4 etc.

Black achieves equal game event after: 9. de de 10. Q:d8 N:d8.

8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 …

This move was recommended by M. Taimanov. White’s strategic plan is to attack the Black’s pawn chain with c4-c5.

9. … a5!?

It breaks White’s pawn chain and forms an isolated pawn on a2. However, the drawback of this move is that White gets strong pressure along the b-file.

Since Black’s plan includes an attack on the kingside, many believe that you can ignore White’s actions on the queenside by playing 9. … Nh5 and then f7-f5.

10. b:a5 R:a5 11. Nd2 Nd7 12. Nb3 Ra8 13. a4! …

A “modest” move, but with far-reaching consequences (see note on Black's 15th move)!

13. … f5 14. f3 f4 15. Ba3 …

The first part of White’s plan is to open the opponent’s pawn chain with c4 – c5 and, after c5: d6, c7: d6, create an object for an attack “d6” in the future. Was it worth delaying the advance of the pawn “c” by means of 15. ... b6 and maybe eliminate the strategic threat of the whites? Hardly. Here the a-pawn would have shown itself well after 16. Cb4! and 17. a5 White would still be able to undermine Black's position: they are forced to either beat on a5 or to be ok (after 18. ab cb) with the creation of pawn weaknesses in their own camp.

15. … g5

With the intention of playing g5-g4 and opening the g-file. Since the center is tightly closed and White’s forces are engaged in operations on the queenside, weakening the kingside is not significant.

16. c5 Nf6 17. c:d6 c:d6 18. Nd2! …

Each next move by White is aimed to improve the position of the pieces. White seeks to transfer the knight to c4 and taking under attack the d6 pawn.

18. … Ng6 19. Nc4 Ne8 20. Qb3 Rf7 21. Qb6! …

Since Black intends to attack on the kingside, White seeks to exchange the queens, to remove the most powerful attacking piece.

21. … Bf6!

In order to transfer his “bad” bishop to a more active position after exchanging queens.

22. Q:d8 B:d8 23. Rb1! …

Now White refuses to win the pawn by N:d6 and B:d6 in order to reduce activate of opponents bishop and to eliminate any active play on the kingside.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.