Krush Method - Time, Space and Harmony

GM Irina Krush

Question 1.

Black is threatening the b2 pawn.

How should White respond?

Question 2.

Black is threatening the Bf4.

What must White play?

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Question 3.

What’s Black main problem here

and how should White play?

Question 4.

Petrosian, with the Black pieces,

made a mistake here.

What should the former World

Champion have played?

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Question 5.

White has already sacrificed a

piece for a strong attack, but it’s
time to look for the killing move.

White to play and win.

Question 6.

Discover Black’s plan and indicate

White’s best move.

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Question 7.

Now it’s Black’s turn.

Discover what White is trying to

do and prevent it.

Question 8.

This should be easy now.

White to play and obtain a clear

advantage.

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Question 9.

What must Black play in this

position?

Question 10.

A typical position with hanging

pawns.

What should White play?

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Question 11.

White sacrificed a piece to reach

this active position with a
dangerous f6 pawn.

How should Black defend?

Question 12.

How can White punish Black’s

negligence?

Search for beauty (it’s not easy!)

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Question 13.

What is White’s main asset?

How should Black continue?

Question 14.

What must play White before it’s

too late?

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Question 15.

Black has a good position, but he

should be careful.

What’s the right move?

Question 16.

White has created good attacking

chances on the kingside.

How to proceed?

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Question 17.

Black’s turn.

What to play?

Question 18.

Black wants to take the a2 pawn.

What’s White’s best move?

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Question 19.

How can White create harmony in

his position?

Question 20.

Play with all your pieces and

prevent Black’s ideas.

White to play.

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 Solutions

1 Black is losing time taking the pawn, so White should take advantage of this and
gain a lead in development with 6.Qd2 Qxb2 7.Rb1 Qa3 8.Bc4, with full
compensation.

2 Black has a big problem with his King in the center, so Tal didn’t hesitate and went
for mate with 13.Qd6!! After 13…Qxc3 14.Red1 Nd7 15.Bxf7+ Kxf7 16.Ng5+ Ke8
17.Qe6+ Black resigns, as he is mated on the next move.

3 As in the last diagram, King safety is the main problem in Black’s position. White
must attack it and open the center with 18.e6! Black avoided the opening of the
position with 18…f6, but this allowed 19.Rd7! with a crushing position.

4 Black is behind on development so it’s vital to play 11…Nc6. Petrosian, with the
Black pieces, played 11…Bd7?!, and was crushed a few moves later (see the next
position).

5 22.Rxd7!! Qxd7 23.Qh4 gives mate. So Petrosian played 22…Bxd7, but after
23.Bxf7+ he has to resign, as after 23…Rxf7 24.Qxf7+ Kh8 25.Qxg6 White’s attack is
winning.

6 Black has less space, so he is looking for piece exchanges. With that in mind,
…Ne5, followed by …Nxd3 is Black’s plan. So it’s easy to understand that 12.Qd1! is
the right move.

7 White is trying to expel the important Ne5 with f2-f4 so Black played 17…Qh4!, not
only preventing it but also preparing to play 18…f4, gaining more space on the
kingside.

8 15.f4! Nf7 16.g4! is the right way to win more space on the kingside and push back
Black’s pieces.

9 Black’s King is still in the center, so it’s necessary to play 15…Bd7, followed by
16…0-0-0, and only then start actions on the kingside.

10 White was in a hurry to start playing actively with 13.Ne5. But it was better to
activate all her pieces first and maintain flexibility with 13.Rac1 and wait for Black
to define her plan.

11 Black should try to eliminate the f6 pawn with 19…e5, followed by 20…Qd6, giving
back the piece but defending the King successfully. In the game, Black played the
erroneous 19…Kh8, which lead to the next problem.

12 White has the powerful 20.Nfxd4!!, as the knight can’t be taken on account of Ne5!

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 and the Qd7 is trapped. After 20…Rg8, White keeps sacrificing 21.Rxc6! Bxc6
22.Nxc6 Qxc6 23.Qh5!, when the Ng5 move (threatening Qxh7# and the queen) is
winning.

13 White’s Bf6 is Black’s problem. Therefore, she tried to eliminate it by undermining

the e5-pawn with 16…Rfd8 17.Qe3 Rd5!, with the idea of sacrificing the exchange
on d5!

14 White must undermine the strong Rc4 with 19.e4!, with counter-chances.

15 White is threatening b2-b4!, undermining the Nd4, so Black should play 18…a5!
Instead, in the game Black played 18…e5, with the same idea, but allowed White to
create an attack with 19.Rf1, followed by 20.f4!

16 It’s important to be alert and not allow your opponent to counterattack. The right
move is 24.b3!, as 24.Rxf6? allows 24…Rxb2, threatening 25…Rd2! After 24.b3, the
f-pawn is doomed, as 24…f5 permits 25.exf5 Bxg2 26.Kxg2 gxf5 27.Rxf5! Nxf5
28.Rxf5 Qh6 29.Qe4, with a winning attack, as Black’s rooks can’t defend
appropriately.

17 Black has to finish development with 15…b6!, followed by 16…Bb7, with a good
game.

18 White can play the active 19.Rb5!, threatening the c5-pawn and trying to follow
with 20.Ra5, threatening both isolated pawns. Black can’t take on a2 as, after 21.c4,
the bishop is trapped and will be taken after 22.Rb2.

19 White is putting pressure on the a7- and c5-pawns with his rook, but Black is
threatening to activate his own rook with …Rb2! Therefore, White played the
strong 22.Ne1!, to continue with Nd3, defending the b2-square and threatening
the c5 pawn. After 22…Rb4, we arrive at the next puzzle.

20 White played 23.Bd1!, to prevent the exchange of the rook with …Ra4, as the Ra5 is
the most active piece in White’s army.

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