4101 Winning Chess Strategies EWU EUR Om ROTM OTe Tu) dle ee -101 Winning Chess Strategies Angus DunningtonFirst published in the UK by Gambit Publications Ltd 1999 Copyright © Angus Dunnington 1999 The right of Angus Dunnington to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which itis published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent pur- chaser. A copy of the British Library Cataloguing in Publication data is available from the British Library. ISBN 1 901983 226 DISTRIBUTION: Worldwide (except USA): Biblios Distribution Services, Star Rd, Partridge Green, West Sussex, RH13 8LD, England. 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Dedication: To Alison — we’re waiting for your next barbecue... 10987654321 Gambit Publications Ltd Managing Director: GM Murray Chandler Chess Director: GM John Nunn Editorial Director: FM Graham Burgess Assistant Editor: GM John Emms German Editor: WFM Petra NunnContents Introduction Symbols Part 1: Opening 1 Attacking the Uncastled King 2 Tiptoe down the h-file 3 Flush Out the Enemy King 4 Punish Careless Play 5 Strike while the Iron is Hot 6 Rooks Thrive on Open Files 7 Early Queenside Pawn Offensive 8 Classic Pins Game 9 Meet a Flank Attack with Counterplay in the Centre 10 The Centre: Dismantle and Occupy 11 Don’t be Afraid of Ghosts 12 Closing the Centre Invites a Deadly Flank Attack 13 Hinder Your Opponent’s Development 14 One Weakness Leads to Another 15 Hanging Pawns 16 White’s d6-knight 17 Respect Her Majesty 18 Tempt the Queen with your b-pawn 19 The Practical Piece Sacrifice 20 Opposite-Side Castling: Strike a Balance Part 2: Middlegame 21 Fuel the Fire 22 Eliminate the Leader 23 Inducing Weaknesses in the Castled Structure 24 Calm Defence Wins Games 25 Lure the Pawns Forward 26 What is a Queen Worth? 27 Attack and Defence 28 Centralization 29 Taking over a Colour Complex 30 Domination of the Only Open File 31 Nurture Your Space Advantage 32 Domination of a Square in Enemy Territory ta 10 1 12 13 14 15 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 29 30 33 34, 35 36 37 39 434 101 WiwninG CHESS STRATEGIES 33 Prisoner 34 IQP: Punish Stereotyped Blockading 35 Exploiting the Backward c6-pawn 36 A ‘Dim’ Knight Can Cost You Dear 37 Make Your Opponent’s Passive Piece Disappear 38 Opposite-Coloured Bishops with Major Pieces: The Initiative can be Decisive 39 Don’t be Greedy; Invest Your Booty! 40 Swinging Rooks 41 The ‘V’ Pawn Bind 42 Transformation of a Knight 43 A Knight in the Centre can be Worth a Rook 44 The Dormant b2-bishop 45 Mobilize Your Majority 46 Karpov’s Anti-IQP Treatment 47 Creeping Pawns 48 Prise Open a Fixed Pawn Cluster 49 The Paralysing Pin 50 Major Pieces in the Middlegame: The Third-Rank Two-Step 51 Backward ‘French’ e6-pawn 52 Bishop-Pair: The Roving Bishop 53 Change the Scene with an Exchange Sacrifice 54 Rook and Two Knights Tame Two Rooks 55 Minority Attack 56 The Queenless Pawn-Storm 57 The h4-d8 Pin 58 Attack in the Direction of Your Pawn-Chain 59 Attack the Base of a Pawn-Chain 60 If You Resign, You Lose! Part 3: Endgame 61 +A vs &: Horse and Cart 62 Typical 2+A Ending: Bite the Bullet! 63 Rooks Belong Behind Passed Pawns 64 Cut Off the Enemy King in B+A Endings 65 Multiple Passed Pawns in H+ Ending 66 &+2 vs H+2: Win the Race then Win the Game 67 Double Rook Endings: Be Active! 68 H+A vs 2+A: The King 69 Two Rooks vs Rook + Bishop: Create a Passed Pawn 70 vs 4): A Defensive Fortress Built with Straw 71 %+2 vs H: Know the Winning Technique 72 Hvs &: Nifty Rook 44 45 46 48 49 51 52 53 54 55 59 60 61 63 65 67 68 69 70 71 3 74 75 77 8 79 80 81 82 83 86 87 88 89 92101 WINNING CHESS STRATEGIES 73 B+2 vs B+: Outside Passed Pawn Decides 74. Good Bishop vs Bad Bishop 75 2+ Ending: Dislodge the Defending Bishop 76 +A Ending: Pawns on the Same Colour as the Bishop are a Liability 77 Winning Strategy in Opposite-Coloured Bishop Ending 78 Bishop's Superiority over Knight in Ending with Pawns on Both Wings 79 +4 vs D+3 on Same Side: Careful Handling 80 Bishop-Pair vs Knight-Pair: Bishops Dominate with Pawns on Both Flanks 81 Bishop and Pawns vs Pawns: Close Out and Blockade 82 What a Difference a Rank Makes in Knight Endings 83 Active Pieces can Decide — Even in a Symmetrical Knight Ending 84 Good Knight vs Bad Bishop 85 Knight and Pawns vs Pawns: Blockade and Conquer 86 Queen Ending: Head for the Hills 87 Queen + Opposite-Coloured Bishops: A Lesson in Geometry 88 Queen + Pawns vs Rook + Pawns: Unhinge the Rook 89 W vs H, & and 4: Connected Pawns Team up with the Queen 90 +4 vs : Adding Queens Favours the Minor Pieces 91 Active Rook vs Passive Bishop and Knight 92 The Powerful Queenside Majority in Major-Piece Endings 93 The Smallest Advantage can be Decisive 94 Regrouping Pieces in Fixed Pawn Endings 95 Opening a New Front of Attack 96 Rook and Knight(s) Torment the Cornered King 97 Communication 98 Significance of the Bishop-Pair 99 The Ultimate Breakthrough 100 Use Your King! 101 Don’t Try to See Too Much; Play it Out on the Board! Index of Players 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 102 103 105 106 108 110 111 113 114 115 117 118 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127Introduction We are all guilty of letting an opponent off with a draw after engineering a com- pletely winning position. From beginner to GM, chess-players’ generosity seems to know no bounds as time and time again we give away points that really should have been ours. Of course we can always blame blunders or Father Time, but ulti- mately we are solely responsible for our actions on the board, and there is really no excuse for messing up. Perhaps the most frustrating of all is sensing that victory is there for the taking but being unable to latch on to the winning strategy when it matters. How many times do we hear “I was totally winning in a bishop ending but he got a lucky blockade” or “I played a great attack but couldn’t break through”, etc.? Are these examples of gritty defence or lack of technique? After years of coaching players of all standards, from Olympiad teams and England’s representatives in the world junior championships, down to hundreds of eager school children (and from my own failings as a player, too, of course), I know that it is poor technique and insufficient appreciation of important themes which are to blame. Hence this book, When I started this project I had a number of strategies and principles which I thought should be included. However, as I played through hundreds of games, I realized that chess is so incredibly rich in terms of different players’ approaches and styles and the ostensibly infinite number of choices we are given, that break- ing all this down into 101 examples would be much more difficult than I had originally assumed. Consequently I have tried to cover a wide range of subjects, and, while some might seem more or less appropriate to one player, another will take a much different view. ‘The strategies in this book cannot really be categorized in a regimented man- ner, so I have settled for the loose groupings of Opening, Middlegame and End- game. When these stages begin and end is never very clear, but at least this acts as arough guide to the state of play, so don’t be surprised to see certain themes crop up unexpectedly. A good understanding of important ideas and ‘rules’ enables the player to apply them in different forms at different stages. You will recognize characteristics of a particular strategy in various guises, and it is the ability to ap- preciate these connections which nets the points. Pattern recognition is an ex- tremely useful tool. Anyway, the ultimate aim of this book is to point you in the right direction and better prepare you for the many battles ahead. I hope that, armed with the varied examples which feature in the following pages, you can sit down to play matches and tournaments with more confidence in your ability to spot key features during a game, and consequently have a better idea of what you should be aiming for.101 Winninc CHESS STRATEGIES 7 Then you can finish the job off in clinical, textbook fashion, with masterful tech- nique, in style... Perhaps not, but you should score more points! Good luck, and I hope you find this book interesting as well as instructive. Angus Dunnington England, June 1999 Symbols + check Zz zonal event ++ double check OL olympiad # checkmate ECC European Clubs Cup x capture jt junior event " brilliant move wom women’s event ! good move mem memorial event 12 interesting move tpd _rapidplay game " dubious move corr. correspondence game ? bad move qual qualifying event n blunder 1-0 _ the game ends in a win for Ch championship White Cht team championship Y-\ the game ends in a draw Echt Europeanteamchampionship 0-1 the game ends in a win for Wceh world championship Black Ct candidates event (n) nth match game IZ __interzonal event (3a) — see diagram 3a, etc.& 101 Winning CHESS STRATEGIES Ja: After 11 &a3 “ be bet wi we TMA Wa VO Oo Qe TO eS BUAR BAB is Ss Ib: After 15...2b8 le: After 20 &c7+! Strategy 1 - Attacking the Uncastled King In the game Boto-M.Peri¢, Bosnia 1998, af- ter the opening moves 1 e4 e5 2 Af3 eb 3 RDS £5 4 Dc3 fxed 5 Axed Al6 6 Axf6+ Wxf6 7 0-0 Dd4 8 Dxd4 exd4 9 b3 c6 10 Hel+ Re7, White concentrated his energy on exploiting his opponent’s stranded king with 11 a3 (Ja). There followed: 11...d6 12 WhS+ g6 White also had to analyse 12...WE7 13 Hxe7+! xe7 14 Rxd6+ i6 15 Wes+ og6 16 &d3+ Gh6 (16...K£5 loses to 17 g4! Rxd3 18 Wh5+ SF6 19 5+ de6 20 Hel+, etc.) 17 &e7!, when White closes in for the Kill, e.g. 17... Wd5 18 Wf4+ g5 19 Wf6+ @h5 20 Re2+ 94 (20...Rg421 Rxgd+ xed 22 h3+ @h5 23 g4+ dh4 24 Wh6#) 21 Rd3! threatening mate on h4. 13 Wd5! i jueen exerts pressure on c6 and d6. d8 14 &xc6! bxc6 15 Wxe6 Eb8 Ait 16 Bxe7!! A 0 ical sacrifice — with hindsight. xe7 1. "bxe7 17 We7+ d7 18 Hel+ &f7 19 Wxd7+ @g8 20 Wxa7 is hopeless for Black. 17 &xd6 Wb7 18 We5 Za8 Although Black survives longer after 18...Be8 19 &xbB Wxb8 20 Wxd4+ &d7 21 Wh4+, his defensive task is enormous. 19 Hel! White is a rook down, but quality over quantity. 19...Wb6 20 207+! (1c) 20...Wxe7 20...ded7 21 He7#. 21 Wg5+ 1-0 After 21...€d7 22 He7+ d#c6 23 Exc7+ Sxc7 24 We5+ the queen picks up a lazy rook at the expense of the hapless king.101 WinninG Cuess STRATEGIES 9 Strategy 2 - Tiptoe down the b-file (2a) Euwe-Maroczy, Amsterdam 1921. This is a typical position from the aggressive Alekhine-Chatard Attack in the French. Quite simply, White hopes to come crashing through on the h-file. We are not concerned with the theoretical niceties here, rather with the practical implications for both sides of a brutal h-file offensive. 10 Rxe7 Wxe7 11 h5 Df8 Coming to the defence of h7, a target which White has firmly in his sights. 12 @f3 exd4 13 Dg5! (2b) White now has a queen, knight, bishop and rook either attacking or aimed at the h7-pawn. This in turn puts the g6-pawn un- der pressure, e.g. 13...dxc3 14 @xh7! cxb2 15 Hb1 (15 @f6+? backfires: 15...Wxf6 16 exf6 bxalW+ 17 d2 Wxf6) 15...2)xh7 16 hxg6 fxg6 17 Wxg6+, etc. 13...abd7 14 Oxh7 Dxe5S Or 14...0xh7 15 hxg6. 15 hxg6 Dfxg6? Even top players find such an onslaught hard to handle. Black could avoid disaster with 15...fxg6 (15...Dexg6? 16 xf8 wins) 16 Dxf8 @xd3+ 17 cxd3 We7 18 Axg6 Wxh6 19 Bxh6 dxc3 20 e5 cxb2 21 Ebi. 16 Rxg6 Axg6 16...fxg6 is met by 17 £4! Wg7 18 fxeS Wxh6 19 Df6+!. 17 g4! Preparing to hammer in the final nail with g5 and Df6+. 17...dxc3 18 0-0-0! (2c) 18 g5? is too eager because 18...cxb2 19 Bb1 Wh4+ throws a spanner in the works. 1-0 After 18...cxb2+ 19 Gb the white king shelters in front of the enemy pawn, leaving Black no defence to g5 and f6+. 2c: After 18 0-0-0!10 101 Winninc CHESS STRATEGIES 3a: After Black’s 13th move x 2% =*. 7 ae ae i im a ars W & aiatee s Z AAA er este 3b: After 22 Zhel Strategy 3 - Flush Out the Enemy King (3a) Zakié-Cvetkovié, Aosta 1989, White be- gan with a kingside pawn-storm, but now he comes up with an unexpected queen sacri- fice which brings Black’s king out into the open. 14 Wxf7+!! &xf7 15 Sc4+ Heb 15...d5 (15...@e7 16 DxfS# and 15...g6 16 h5#) 16 Rxd5+ He6 17 Axe6 Was 18 DeT+ Se7 19 Dxa8 is hopeless for Black. 16 Dxe6 Was 16...We7 17 2c7+ Sg6 allows 18 h5#, 17 Dc7+ Se7 17...d5 is met by 18 Bxd5. 18 D3d5+ SdB 19 De6+ we8 20 Rd2! White focuses on the queen and ultimately the king rather than pick up the other rook. 20...Wa4 21 &b3 Wxed 22 Bhel (3b) The black king is surrounded by enemy pieces and the queen must keep the e-file closed, although White's attack continues thanks to the open d- and f-files. 22...b8 22...Wxh4 23 Dec7+ $f7 (23...e48 24 Be8#) 24 Df4+ mates. 23 Exed fxed 24 Efi! Attacking too many crucial squares and virtually forcing Black’s next. 24...DeeS 25 Rb4 Df3 26 Ddc7+ Se7 27 Hal! (3c) Highlighting the sorry plight of Black's hapless king, which was resting safely on 8 when we joined the game. 27...Dc5 28 Dxc5 aS 28...dxc5 29 RxcS#, 29 D5a6! axb4 30 Axb8 Dxh4 31 DbS gd 32 Hxd6 e3 33 Eb6! 2 34 Exb7+ 1-0 After 34...2e8 35 Rf7+ Sd8 36 Dc6+ ‘Sc8 37 2c7# the mission that began on move 14 is finally completed.101 Winninc CHEess STRATEGIES Ul Strategy 4 - Punish Careless Play (4a) Ivanchuk-Chiburdanidze, Lucerne Wcht 1997. Black’s a7-rook and g4-knight are awkwardly placed and White already has the d6-square in his sights. These factors point to the need to strike. 9 d4! bxc4 9...cxd4? 10 Wxd4 forks rook and knight. 10 a31? White wants the d6-square. 10...2d5 10...2c6 11 h3 Dh6 12 Axcé is a lesser evil, while Ivanchuk suggests 10...h5. 11 Dg5 &: 11...h5 12 Rxd5 exdS 13 WE3 hits d5/f7. 12 xg2 h5 13 £3 Dh6 14 dS White’s strategy is aimed at punishing his opponent's play with aggressive expansion in the centre and rapid development. 14...D65 14. Re7 15 De4 DFS 16 Dxc4 and even the ugly 16...0-0 loses to 17 d6. 15 Axc4 Dd4 16 Ded exdS 17 Dcd6+ Rxd6 17...e7 18 Rg5+ £6 19 exf6+. 18 Axd6+ £8 19 bd! (4b) Thus far White has dominated the centre and now he undermines Black’s fragile grip on the dark squares. 19...Dbe6 Or 19...@e6 20 bxcS when 20...AxcS loses to 21 a3, but 20...d4 is more resilient. 20 Re3 Deb 21 Axc5 21 bxc5?! d4. 21...Axe5 22 bxe5 d4 22...e7 is too passive, while 22... Axe5 loses to 23 Wxd5. 23 Wb3 We7 24 DcB Wxc5 25 Hacl! (4c) 1-0 25...Wxe5. 26 Exc6 dxc6 27 Dxa7 We7 28 El. Energetic play from Ivanchuk. Soowmse 4a: After Black’s 8th move oan 4b: After 19 b4! moe Bike * ava Y ‘s Pat & 4c: After 25 Hacl!12 101 Winninc CHESS STRATEGIES a8 5a: White to play Se: After 7 Ef! Strategy 5 - Strike while the Iron is Hot (Sa) B.Thipsay ~ Bosboom-Lanchava, Gron- ingen 1997. This position is typical of what might happen when a fianchettoed kingside is compromised. If you are happy to post your pieces aggressively in front of the en- emy king, then you should subsequently be prepared to make the final commitment. Here, White is up to the task. 1@xh7! With the g-file open White must be con- sistent and clear the h-file. L..cxd3 1...0xh7 fails to 2 Hh3 D6 3 Kho. 2 Dxf6+ exf6 2...Rxf6 3 Hg3+ &g7 4 Exg7+! oxg7 5 £h6+ is a standard theme. 3 Hg3 (5b) Another phase of the attack is over, and White threatens to finish the job on either the g- or h-file. The mission is clear: mate. 3.64 Forced - 3..,0e8 4 Zh3!. 4 Qxf4 5 After 4...2e8 5 2h6 Wb6+, White has the unlikely 6 @f1!!, when 6...Wd4 7 2x7 Dxg7 8 Wh6 {5 fails to 9 e5! WxeS 10 Hel Wa4? 11 2h3! f6 12 He7. 5 Eixg7+ xg7 6 Wh6+ $287 Bil! (5c) No matter how logical this move and its Purpose may seem now, the trick is to make clear assessments and reassessments during the game. It is imperative that the attacker focuses solely on snaring the enemy king, and on the defensive resources available to the opponent. Tonf6 Or: 7...dxe2 8 Hf3 clW+ 9 &xcl £4 10 Rxf4 Bed 11 g3;7...fxed4 loses to8 Rg5!. 8 Wg6+ PhS 9 Ef3 fxed 10 WhS+! 1-0101 WinninG CHESS STRATEGIES 13 Strategy 6 - Rooks Thrive on Open Files (6a) Fischer-Kovatevié, Rovinj/Zagreb 1970. An earlier capture of the g7-pawn weakened Black’s dark squares but unleashed his rook. This could prove significant, though an open h-file for another rook would be dou- bly dangerous. 12...h6! Removing the pin. Now 13 Wxh6 loses a piece to 13...Ag4 14 &xe7 Axh6 15 &h4 Hg4, while 13 &xh6 Hed 14 Wh3 0-0-0 15 Re2 Heg8 16 Wh4 Hh8 is good for Black. 13 &d2 0-0-0 14 Re2 ALB 15 0-0 Dge! 16 Wxh6 16 Wh3 @d5 threatens 17...Dgf4, hence Black gains two open lines for his rooks. 16...2h8 17 Wg5 Bdg8 Black’s set-up is becoming menacing. 18 £3 (6b) Intending to meet the natural 18...h4? with 19 fxe4!! Hxg5 20 &xg5. 18...e3!! Black’s strategy is based on generating threats on the open files, not clearing lines for his opponent. 19 Rxe3 Or 19 Wxe3 Ad5 20 Wi (20 We £6 21 We4 Eh4) 20...Wh4. 19...Df8 20 Wb5 dS Compare the two sides’ rooks. Now 21 Rd2 loses to 21...a6! 22 Wd3 Wh4. 21 $f2 a6 22 Wd3 Exh2 Black’s rooks will not be denied. 23 Bhi Wh4 24 Bxh2 Wxh2 Not 24...Wxg3+ 25 &gl. 25 Dfl Hxg2+ 26 del Wh4+ 27 baz Dg6 28 Hel Agl4 29 Qxt4 Dxts 30 We3 HY! (6c) 0-1 The rook has the last word. The threats of 31...Dg2, 31...Rx£3 and 31... xe2 32 Hxe2 Exfl are too much. 6c: After 30...1£2!14 10] Winninc Cuess STRATEGIES | et im 7 wee 7k Te: After 26 Db5 Strategy 7 - Early Queenside Pawn Offensive (7a) Gulko-Lautier, Dos Hermanas 1994. White has just played 7 c5, and must now look out for the undermining ...e5. 7.005 Black prepares his own expansion on the Kingside. 7...b6 8 b4 a5 9 a3 axb4 10 axb4 Exal 11 Wxal bxc5 12 bxc5 gives White more space and a target on c6. 8 2d3 0-0 8...xf4 9 exf4 tightens White’s grip on eS. 90-0 £5 10 b4! Gulko omits the usual h3 in order to con- centrate on his strategy. 10...a6 11 a4 h6 12 b5 axbS 12...g5? runs into 13 bxc6! bxc6 14 De5, when both c6 and hS are hanging. 13 axbS Hxal 14 Wxal g5 (7b) White’s simple but effective attack is by far the stronger, thanks partly to the location of his dark-squared bishop. 15 bxc6! Dxc5 15...bxc6 16 S&d6! Rxd6 17 cxd6 Ddf6 18 Wa3 De8 19 DeS Wxd6 20 WeS! Wxc5 21 dxc5 2b7 22 Nbl clearly favours White. 16 c7! The culmination of White’s advance. 16...We8 17 &b5! 2d7 Or 17...€\d7 18 Re5. 18 Re5! Ded 18...2.xb5 19 Dxb5 Wxb5 20 dxc5 xc5 21 Bcl b6 22 Kd6! Hc8 23 Wes, etc. 19 &xd7 Wxd7 20 Wad! Exchanges remove defenders. 20... Dhf6 21 Rxf6! Dxf6 22 Wixd7 Dxd7 23 Hb1! Za8 23...b6 24 @b5. 24 Uxb7 S725 g3 Le8 26 DbS (7c) 1-0 Ttis fitting that a queenside pawn emerges as the game-winner.101 Winninc CHEss STRATEGIES 5 Strategy 8 - Classic Pins Game Morphy-Duke of Brunswick + Count Isou- ard, Paris 1858. Watch White’s bishops... 1e4e5 2 Df3 d6 3.d4 294? 4dxeS Rxf3 5 Wxf3 dxe5 6 2.04 D6? 6...WE6 7 Wb3 &c5 8 0-0 (8 Wxb7 is possible) 8...&b6 9 a4 a5 10 Wc3 De7 11 Re3 Dd7 12 Had! is unpleasant for Black. 6...Wd7 has been suggested. 7 Wb3! The first indication that something has gone wrong for Black. Only one of f7 and b7 can be protected. 7..We7 8 De3! 06 9 Rg5 (8a) The first pin. 9..b5? Black’s first (and last) attempt at aggres- sion sets the scene for a remarkable display of pins. 9...We7 is better. 10 Dxb5! Here we go. 10...cxb5 11 &xb5+ Dbd7 Introducing a second pin, more annoy- ing than the first. Black’s position now starts to get a bit crowded. 11...¢d8 12 0-0-0+ doesn’t look too appealing. 12 0-0-0! %d8 13 Kxd7! (8b) After a piece White invests an exchange, since the pins mean that it is Black who is running out of pieces. 13...xd7 14 Zd1 We6 Finally taking the queen off the h4-d8 di- agonal, though the bishop helps create an even deadlier pin. 15 2xd7+! Dxd7 16 Wb8+!! (8c) Thanks to the g5-bishop the knight finds itself pinned yet again, and there is no es- cape this time, 16...Dxb8 17 Zd8# (1-0) 7S Oo 7s 8b: After 13 Bxd7! , aa Y GND DF Zw & an “mam D DU on 8c: After 16 Wb8+!!16 101 Winninc Cuess STRATEGIES Strategy 9 - Meet a Flank Attack with Counterplay in the Centre (9a) Neergaard-Simagin, corr. 1965. White’s ‘Maroczy Bind’ pawns on c4 and e4 seem to give him a grip on the centre, so he has just advanced his h-pawn toward the black king. A violent, uncompromising reply is needed: 16...b5! Shaking White's grip is the only chance. He threatens to saddle White with a weak c- pawn by ...bxc4, 17 cxbS d5!! 18 exd5 e4! Black's three pawn sacrifices have brought about a complete transformation. 19 Wxed The lesser evil, as 19 fxed eS leaves White worrying about £3, 4, e4 and a nasty check on the a5-e1 diagonal. 19...2xg4! 20 Wid 20 Wxg4 Hxe3 21 df2 &c5 and ...De5 puts White under too much pressure. 20...2h5 21 Hf2 DeS 22 292 Rd6! 23 Wad Bc8! Eyeing c2. 24 Ed2 Wis (9b) Compared to diagram 9a, where he faced the prospect of total passivity, Black’s ener- getic reaction has resulted in all of his pieces taking part in an attack of their own. 25 2e5 WES 26 Df4 Qxf3! 27 2h3 27 Bxf3 Bc5+ 28 dg? Dxf3 29 dxf He3+ 30 bg2 We4+ is decisive. 27...R.g4 28 2 28 Rxg4 Axgd+ 29 dg? He2 30 Was De3+ 31 F331 SF2 Rxf4) 31... Wed+ 32 Sf Qxf4. 28,..Eic2! (9c) 0-1 A possible end to White’s torture is 29 Wd4 Exd2+ 30 Wxd2 Wed+, etc. A lively display of the central counter-punch.101 Winnine CHEss STRATEGIES 17 Strategy 10 - The Centre: Dismantle and Occupy (10a) Gokhale-P.Thipsay, Indian Ch 1993. White has a firm grip on the centre — time for an eviction attempt. 10...b5!? 11 cxb5?! 11 dxc6 is less greedy and much safer; from here on White is steam-rollered. 11...gxd5 12 exd5 £b7! 13 ££3 Hc8! The d5-pawn is not going anywhere. 14 Db3 14 Wb3 cS. 14,..Exc3! All part of the strategy to take complete control of the centre. 15 bxc3 e4! Driving back the bishop, opening the al- h8 diagonal and vacating the eS-square. e2 Dfxd5 17 Rd2 DAxc3 18 2xc3 &xc3 19 Bol Re5 20 Wd2 Dd5! The knight is in its element on the board’s most central outpost. 213 21 a5 Dea! 22 Dxb7 We5 23 g3 Dh3+. 21...W£6! (0b) Black has total command of the centre. 22 Be2 22 Hod Df4! 23 We3 (23 gxf4? Axf4 24 We3 Wg5+ 25 #h1! Wh4 26 h3 3+ closes the third rank) 23...d5 also favours Black. 22...8.¢3! 23 Wel Db4! 24 Haz 24 Bxc3 Axa2. 24... Rxd2 25 Wxd2 Dd5 26 Eel He8 Now all four of Black’s working force are focused on the centre. 27 Da5 RaB 28 Dcé 3! 29 fxe3 Dxe3 30 Hc3 We6 31 Add We5 (10c) White is under too much pressure. 32 Dc6 Wed! 33 2d3 Wd5 34 We2 2xc6! Black’s faithful knight is enough. 35 bxc6? Wd4 36 Hel Ag4+ 0-1 eae 2 GUAT one Li 10c: After 31... Wes18 101 Winninc CHESS STRATEGIES Ile: After 24...ixc7 Strategy 11 - Don’t be Afraid of Ghosts (11a) Miles-Adorjan, Reggio Emilia 1984/5. Can White answer 9...0-0 with an attack and maintain a hold on the centre? Should Black be afraid? 9...0-01 No! 10 hxg6 hxg6 11 Ded? 11 &d3 focuses back on the centre. 11...Dd7! 12 Degs 12 Dfgs DSi6 13 WE3 Dxe4 14 Axed Sixe4 15 Wxe4 c5! is better for Black. 12...Q566 13 Sed We7 14 We2 c5 15 @h4 (11b) With two knights, queen, bishop and rook all in menacing positions Black needs to make his presence felt in the centre. 15...2d5! 16 e4 16 2d3 cxd4 17 exd4 e5! 18 dxeS Wxe5+, etc. 16...2xe4 17 Wxe4 Hac8! 18 Dhf3 Admitting that White will get no attack. 18...cxd4 19 Wxd4 gd! 20 Wb4 20 e5 DdxeS 21 Axe5 DxeS 22 Whd fi- nally manages to double on the h-file, but 22...0d3+ and 23...8fd8 is great for Black. 20...0c5 21 0-0 The final acknowledgement that the h- file promises White nothing. Time for Black to reap the reward for his coolness. 21...We7 22 Wic4 Bfd8 23 bl Qd3 24 Wrxe7 Exe7 (11c) White’s knights are misplaced, his rooks are passive and his bishop is glued down. Each of Black’s pieces, in contrast, makes a worthy contribution. 25 b3 Dgxi2! 26 Re3 Ag 27 Rd2 Bdd7 28 Hbdl Now 28...&b2 29 a4 £a3 would have left White struggling. Black's play was based on fluid development and central influence.101 Winninc CHESS STRATEGIES 19 Strategy 12 - Closing the Centre Invites a Deadly Flank Attack (12a) Here we have a typical King’s Indian position which arose in the game Averbakh- Panno, Buenos Aires 1954. 9.05? A strategic blunder, which is not a good idea when sitting opposite Mr Averbakh in the Averbakh Variation! Now, with the cen- tre files well and truly closed, White can embark on a kingside attack, knowing that he will not have to deal with any annoying counterplay created by his opponent open- ing lines in the centre. 10 g4! Black reacts by preparing his only avail- able pawn advance: 10...De8 11 h4 £5 12 hS £4 Any pawn capture benefits only White by clearing lines to the black king. 13 g5! Standard. White prepares to exchange light-squared bishops. 13...Ef7 14 294 WdB 15 Rxc8 Wxc8 16 3 2£8 17 Se2! (12b) If White is to exploit the advance of his two kingside pawns he needs to gain full ac- cess to the h-file, and Black’s generous offer to close the centre has produced a wonderful resting place on e2, in turn making way for the queen to join in the action along the back rank. 17...g7 18 Hh4 Dd7 19 hxg6 hxg6 20 Wh1 2e7 21 Eh8+ (/2c) White, who has engineered a decisive at- tack with a perfect illustration of the strat- egy, has total command of the kingside and his king is sheltered by a fixed wall of pawns. Black is on the ropes — all thanks to his care- less ninth move. W Bon 2 ewe we 12b: After 17 @e2! B 12c: After 21 Xh8+20 101 Winninc CHESS STRATEGIES 13c: After 24 2h6 Strategy 13 - Hinder Your Opponent’s Development (13a) Timman-Hiibner, Sarajevo Ct (5) 1991. White has just played 13 d6!!, an advance which causes Black maximum disorder. In order to liberate his queenside Black must invest too much time. Meanwhile, watch White’s development lead snowball. 13... WE6 The ea i 13...d3 fails to 14 WE3. 14 d3 Wxd6 15 &f4 White gains time on the troubled queen. 15... Was Defending the b7-pawn. After 15... W£6 16 h4! White’s superbly posted pieces far outweigh the (doubled) pawn. 16 b4 Rd8 17 Hel Hf8 18 WhS dé 19 &d5 (13) Threatening 20 Wxf7+! Hxf7 21 He8#. 19... 2.7 20 ad! Continuing the theme, Timman denies his opponent even a glimpse of a decent out- post. Note the contrast in activity of the re- spective bishops and queens! 20...c8 20... Wixd3? 21 Rxd6. 21 Red! Adding a structural weakness to Black’s misery. 21...g6 22 WE3 He7 22.,.%06 23 Rh6! He8 24 Rxc6. 23 bS Wb6 24 Zh6 (13c) The culmination of White’s winning strat- egy. Black’s forces watch as White takes a vital square. All for a pawn. Moreover, Black's extra pawn is in fact a liability. Now 24...Me8 25 RdS Reb 26 Rxe6 fxe6 27 Exe6! spells the end. 24...a6 25 Rd5 LES 26 gd RcB 27 He2! Introducing the simple but deadly threat of 28 Hae] and 29 Hef, etc. 27...axb5 and 1-0101 Winninc CHESS STRATEGIES 21 Strategy 14- One Weakness Leads to Another (14a) Tarrasch-Mieses, Berlin 1916. Here White hopes to exploit a weak square (c6) on one side of the board in order to induce a more serious structural weakness on the op- posite flank. 11 De6 Wad 12 WE3! This is much better than the automatic 12 Dxe7+ Wxe7 13 Wf3 Hb8!. Now the threat of a discovered attack on the a8-rook (after ®xe7) is awkward to meet. 12...847 12...Dd5 13 Dxe7+ Wxe7 14 c4. 13 Dxe7+ Wxe7 14 Rg5! Pinning a knight on f6/f3 in front of acas- tled king is usually a good policy. With the bishop bearing down on the b1-h7 diagonal Black should play ...h6 now or on the next move. 14.,.Bac8 15 Rfel Bfe8? 16 Wh3! (146) Now the troubled knight is useless, as it is after 16...h6 17 &xh6! gxh6 18 Wxh6, e.g. He3-g3, etc. Nor does 16...g6 help due to 17 ‘Wh4 £g7 18 Hed and 19 Xf4. Consequently Black offers his h-pawn. 16...Wd6 17 2xf6 gxf6 18 Wh6! This instructive teamwork with queen and bishop is the correct way to punish the h7- £7-£6-e6 castled pawn complex. Grabbing the h-pawn runs the risk of giving Black compensation on the g- and h-files, whereas the text threatens 19 &xh7+ #h8 20 Rg6+! sbg8 21 Wh7+ and mate. 18...£5 Futile. The undesirable ...gxf6 has also ‘opened the g-file. 19 Ee3 Swing! 19... Wxd4 20 ¢3! (14c) 1-0 Black must part with the queen to avoid mate. a nw coe AWAN WARY avers 14a: After Black's 10th move 7 Bsa 2h Bas Se 14c: After 20 3!22 101 Winninc CHESS STRATEGIES fac 8 ® i" mag @ “ faa Sa aonan (Was 15a: After Black’s 12th move Eaee swag eras Wax 9 7 7 ee nny se 15b; After 20 Rf1 eae Sn es BAZ Be 4 TOR E772 15c: After 27...g8 Strategy 15 - Hanging Pawns (1Sa) Bronstein-Furman, USSR Ch (Mos- cow) 1948. Many players simply avoid hang- ing pawns. What follows is typical play for both sides. 13 dxc5 bxc5 14 We2 Wh6 15 Dg3! This challenge to the e4-knight is stan- dard. 15...f5 16 Dh5 Hf7 17 abl! White protects a potential weakness and toys with the advance b3-b4. 17...8d8 18 Bfdi Md6 19 Df4 Sh8? 19...a5 20 £1 Dd8 21 b4! axb4 22 axb4 exb4 23 DeS Mf8 24 Rd4 Was 25 Hal (Bronstein). 20 S£1 (15b) 20...Wd8 20...@d8 21 b4 is very good for White. 21 Dxd5 21 Hxd5! Hxd5 22 Axd5 Wxd5 23 &c4. 21...2h4 22 Dxh4 Wxh4 23 Afd Bed7 24 Dh3?! 24 Hxd6 Hxd6 25 Dh3 stays well on top. 24...2d2! 25 Wxf5 De7 26 WE7! 26 WE8+ ADg8 27 Xc3 is less clear. 26...Wh6 27 £41 Dg8 (15c) 27...Dxb1? 28 Hxd6 Exd6 29 Wxe7 and Dg5, etc. In this critical position (after 27...2g8) Bronstein, in time-trouble, played 28 Wf8? allowing 28...2)xf1 29 Hxd6 Exd6 30 Hxfl ‘Bd2 31 He2 Bd1+ with a draw —a line which Furman missed. However, White can finish the strategy with 28 g5!, e.g. 28...Dxfl (28...Rd5 29 Rxg7+; 28...Wg6 29 Wixg6 hxg6 30 Re2; 28...Dxb1 29 Hxd6 Hxd6 30 Wxg7+ Wxg7 31 DfT#) 29 Wxg7+! Wxg7 30 Exd6 Af6 (30... Wxb2 31 Bxb2 Exd6 32 2f7+ dg7 33 Axd6 Rab 34 De8+ SF7 35 Dc7 Kd3 36 2 Axe3 37 HF3) 31 Qxf6 Hxd6 32 Rxg7+ soxg7 33 wxil.101 Winninc CHESS STRATEGIES Strategy 16 - White's d6-knight (16a) Barlov-To8ié, Yugoslav Ch 1998. This is a good example of the influence a white knight can have when firmly rooted on d6. 12 b4 Dc7 13 c5 De6 14 Ded Add 15 Dd6 Dxe2+ Presumably Black was afraid that the knight might not do much on dé after £c4. 16 Wxe2 We7 17 Wd2 Hd8 18 Zad1 O18?! Black wants to send a second knight to d4. However, White's strategy clearly revolves around the beast on d6, so undermining it with 18...b6 makes sense. 19 £4! (16b) With a view to attacking the f7-square. Now 19...4e6? runs into 20 £5 d4 21 fxg6. 19...exf4 20 Rxf4 De6 20...Rg4 21 Hdel De6 22 &g3 is very good for White. 21. 2g3 Supported by a pawn, bishop, queen and took, the d6-knight still has a lot to offer. 21...b6 21...Dg5 22 5! 22.5 Dgs 23 We2 Leaving the d-file and planning h4. 23...g4 24 Hdel Hd7 25 h4 Dh7 26 White is winning already thanks to the devastating effect of his all-seeing knight. 26...Wd8 26...W£8 27 Di6+ Dxf6 28 exf6 Kh8 29 Wf4 and Black is tied up. 27 WE4 Re6 28 Df6+ Dxf6 29 exf6 218 30 Hxe6! fxe6 31 Wg4 (16c) 31...2xd6 Black removes the knight, but it is too late. 31...@h7 32 hS g5 (32...gxh5 33 Wxe6 a5 34 DE7!) 33 We4+ h8 34 £7!. 32 Wxg6+ dh8 33 £7! 1-0 8 ae a mee a awe ; W [2 Zayas a 16b: After 19 f4! UN Y 6c: After 31 Wed24 101 Winnina CHESS STRATEGIES iA Wek x ehhh adhe aes @ Te ed a arise gat man & wens 17a: After 6 WbS+? WAN BAe @ waar A, ee VW a wane & ANAM WA Bo SB 17c: After 12...Wh4+ Strategy 17 - Respect Her Majesty The game Zubova-Konstantinova, USSR jr 1968, opened 1 e4 e5 2 f4 d5 3 exd5 e4 4 Dc3 D6 § We2 2.g4 6 Wb5+? (17a). Even in a case such as this — where 5 We2 is OK for White — there is a considerable risk in bringing the queen out very early because one wrong move could lead to disaster. In- stead of the text White could consider ad- dressing the potential kingside development problem with 6 We3 or 6 Af3. 6...bd7 7 h3 7 Wxb7 seems the lesser evil, but after completing development Black can further harass the queen (and where does White’s king go?). 7..06 8 Wad ‘Typical of what tends to happen when the queen leaves her escorts is 8 Wxb7 “c5 9 We6+ (or 9 Wb4 d3+) 9...2.d7. 8...b5 (17b) White is already in terrible trouble as both 9 Wd4 &c5 and 9 Wb3 Ac5 10 Wb4/a3 )d3+ pick up the queen, while bailing out with a piece sacrifice on b5 is only a short- term solution. 9 Was Dxd5! Both Zubova and her trainer had studied the position after 9 Wa5 before the game, but had missed Black’s apt reply. And therein lies the problem with bringing the queen out too early — there are too many annoying pos- sibilities to check. Here the capture on d5 clears the way for Black’s patient queen to come to h4. 10 hxg4 deservedly loses the queen to 10...b4. 10 &xb5 axb5 11 WxbS Dxc3 12 dxc3 Wh4+ (17c) 0-1 This final position should act as a warn- ing.101 Winninc CHESS STRATEGIES 25 Strategy 18 - Tempt the Queen with your b-pawn (18a) Spasov-Imocha, Tunja jr Weh 1989. A typical French in which the e5-square is rather inviting for White. But what about the b2-pawn? 15 De5! Rxe5?! A faulty plan ina slightly worse position. 16 dxe5 Wxb2 Will this pawn taste nice? 17 2d2! White correctly focuses on the queen rather than 17 exf6 Wxc3 18 fxg7 Wxg7. 17...De4 18 Dxed dxed 19 Exed Dxe5 Black feels greedy. 19...Wb6 20 &e3 Was is necessary. 20 Ebi Wa3 21 Eb3 WS 22 2e3 Because the queen must defend the knight White improves his pieces for free. Black now makes a rash attempt to be active. 22...Wa5?! 23 Exb7! &c6 24 Hxa7 Wd5 25 Sd4 EPS (18b) Black is hanging grimly on, and his queen exerts pressure on g2. However, White's pieces have already found perfect outposts, enabling him to strike first. 26 Egd! 26 26...Dxg4 27 Hxg7+ $18 28 Wed. 27 Red Wa6 28 Eh4 Zg5 29 £3 29 f4! is crushing. 29...8d8 29...h5 is better, but Black still has plans for his queen. 30 Zaxh7 Hh5 31 B4xh5 gxh5 32 Bxh5 Rxed (18c) Intending to meet 33 fxe4 with 33...Dg6. 33 Eh8+!! &xh8 Or 33...@f7 34 Bxd8 Wxd8 35 fxe4. 34 Rxe5+ Wxe5 35 Wxd8+ $7 36 fxe4 Wxe4 37 Wd2 and White soon won. Things went from bad to worse for Black after .AWxb2, Ww Ww 18b: After 25...2f5 227 We 0. AZ “e ve Ma 180: After 32...S.xe4