Mastering Chess Tactics

Neil McDonald

Batsford Ltd, London

 Contents

Contents

Introduction 5

1 Knight Porks 7

2 Puzzles 16

3 Double Attacks by Ihe Queen 21

4 Puzzles 35

5 Double Attacks by Rook, Bishop and Pawn 38

6 Puzzles 45

7 Pins 47

8 Puzzles 6S

9 Skewer 69

10 Puzzles 73

II Discovered Attack 75

12 Puzzles 85

13 Trapping Pieces 88

14 Puzzles 101

15 Removal of Ihe Defender 104

16 PU7:zles 116

17 Zwischenzug & Desperado 120

18 Puzzles 130

19 Passed Pawns 133

20 Puzzles 145

21 Opening and Closing Lines 147

22 Puzzles 157

23 To Err is Human! 164

Solution s 172
 Introduction

aking a successful -to examme the strategical

combination IS prerequisites for a successful
one of the most combination
enjoyable parts of
Thus you will tlnd here every
a game of chess. I
tactical device you will need in a
still have the
game of chess, except those
scorcsheet of my first ever
specifically aimed at the king. It is
combination which was made when
envisaged that a companion book in
I \vas a relative newcomer to chess.
this series will cover all methods of
It ',vas a 1\"'0 move knight fork
attack against the king.
\vhich won my opponent's queen.
With all the modesty of youth I later Some tactical ideas are simple to
wrote 'a brilliant finish, though I calculate, but difficult to see in the
say it myself!' in big red letters on tirst place. If there is a win present
the scoresheet. My sense of elation m the position but you have never
was understandable. Up until then I seen the necessary tactical idea your
h3d been the victim of many task becomes the chess equivalent
combinations and here at last I had of reinventing the wheel-a labor­
grasped the mechanics of preparing ious and time consuming business,
a combination of my own. It was a and you may not even succeed in
great moment and I felt very proud doing it�
of myself.
The player most famed for his
The good nevvs is that tactical combinations was Paul Morphy,
,kill can be learnt. There may be a who was the world's best player
lot of beauty and depth but there IS way back in the 1850s. I have a
no magic or mystery even in the book of his best games by Philip
most profound sacrifice. Sergeant, written in 19l6. This con­

I had three aims in v\Titing this tains the advice:

book "Morphy was an artist; and the

-to sho\v the reader all the best \vay to enjoy an artist is not to
Jrchetypal tactical patterns dissect him'.

- to
T..:ach the art of combining This is an impressi\·e statement,
two or more of these patterns in high sounding and full of authority;
com plex combinations it is also \vrong. After alL if
6 Introduction

Sergeant had no wish to find out the I have tried to describe every
secret of Morphy's genius, why did single tactical operation that a
he write a book on him? We all player might face or need to use in a
want to know what makes an artist game. Whenever I couldn't find a
tick, whether he is a painter, a song notable example in the published
writer or a sportsman. In this book I games of the great masters or
have made liberal use of the games wanted additional material I have
of Garry Kasparov, the greatest star referred to my own humble games,
of our age, who shows an absolute both won and lost. I hope I will be
mastery of all forms of chess forgiven for this indulgence.
combination.
Whatever our strength if we learn
Remember that some of the the basics of tactical play we can
greatest chess minds in the world sometimes carry out what would
such as Kasparov himselt; Shirov have seemed before to be a chess­
and Morozevich fall victim to the board miracle. I hope this book
combinations given here. So don't gives you a lot of fun and provides
worry if you don't understand you with the ammunition to make
everything the first time you read some Kasparov-like combinations!
this book' It may well be that you
will come back to it at different
points in your chess career and each Neil McDonald
time you will understand a bit more. Gravesend, England
 1 Knight Forks

ith its bizarre In the next diagram, there is no

and seemingly immediate knight fork but one can
irregular move­ be prepared.
ment, the knight
causes the inex-
perienced player 8 8
a lot of grief. It is far easier to keep
7 7
track of threats from a bishop which
moves neatly along diagonals of the 6 6
same colour than the side-swerving, 5 5
colour-hopping horse.
4 4
The most troublesome feature of 3 3
all is the knight fork:
2 2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
8 8
7 7 White would like to play 1
6 6 'i'xc6?? but then l ...'i'n is mate.
5 5
Instead the queen exchange 1
'i'xf7+ �xf7 drags the black king
4 4
onto a square where it is separated
3 3 from his rook by the distance of a
2 2 knight fork. Now 2 liJe5+ >l<e6 3
IiJxc6 wins the rook.
1

J 1) C d e f g Ii
The knight's power to attack
A knight fork occurs when two simultaneously pieces so widely
pieces 3re simultaneously attacked apart makes it an enonnous danger
by a knight. In the diagram White for the unwary. Here is an example
has j ust played 1 liJe5+. The black from one of my own games that
king has to move out of check and remains vividly in my mind twelve
then White takes the queen. years after it was played.
8 Knight Forks

N.McDonald A.Stromer
- Aronian - Beshukov
Cappelle la Grande 1991 Hastings 2000/2001

R 8 R 8
7 7 7 7

6 6 6 6
5 5 5 5

4 4 4 4
3 3 3 j
2 2 2 2
1

a b c d e f g h a h c d e f g h

Black to play Black 10 play

I had lingered on many moves in In the diagram above you

this hopeless position. Black's rook probably think that White plays 25
cuts off the white king from the li'1e7+ forking the king and rook, but
passed pawn, and after the correct it isn't as easy as that! It is Black's
58 ...�c8! followed by �b7 etc. all move and seeing White's idea he
White can do is wait while Black played 25...l1c2 with the impressive
advances his king and wins the threat of mate on g2. However,
knight for the passed pawn. In fact, before he could get too excited
I would probably have resigned White unleashed another fork: 26
immediately if Stromer had played li'1f6+ �g7 27 'il'xf8+! �xf8 and
this. Instead he picked up his king­ Black resigned as 2 8 IZlxh7+
and to my relief he put it on c7! regains the queen a rook and pawn
up. Tricky things these knights!
58.. ,�c7?? 591Zlc3!
A miracle has occurred: the
passed pawn is attacked, and if Here is a more sophisticated
59...a3 60 IZlb5+ wins it Then the example. It is the first of many
rook versus knight endgame is a extracts I shall give from the games
book draw. My opponent preferred of Garry Kasparov, the tactical
to allow another fork: genius par excellence.
59.. J:d4 60
. IZlb5+ and a draw
was agreed.
 Knight Forks 9

B.Gelfand G.Kasparov
• 40 �e2'i'xh2 41 �d3 1tlf5!
Novgorod 1997
The most precise move which
a h c d e f g h refuses to give White the slightest
H H
counterplay.

7 7 Not 4 1.. .'i'xg2? 42 'i'xf4+.

Neither does Kasparov give Gelfand
6 6
any hope of battling on with a
5 5 passed d pawn after 4 1 ...ltlxg2 42
4 4 'i'f8+ �h5 43 'i'xd6. The game
3 3
move securely defends d6 and the
white bishop is lost anyway in a
2 2
couple of moves: 42 .itfl 'i'f2 43
.ite2 (or 43 .ith3 il'xf3+) 43 .. iI'e3+
.

a b c d e f g h 44 �c2 il'xe2+. Therefore White

resigned.
Black to play
Going back to the diagram, I
Despite being a pawn down, regard 37 ... il.f1 as one of those
perhaps Gelfand was feeling quietly moves which is very difficult to see
confident about his chances here. rather than calculate. As soon as
After all, Black can't play 37...lZle3 you realise that Black is gaining
or 37 ...ltlh4 because of 38 .itxf4, time to attack the white king with
when White gets in a killer pin the knight and queen with check, it
before the queen can mate on g2! If becomes clear that it is a strong
Black tries a fork with 37 . ...itxd5 38 starting move. So watch out for
'i'xd5 'i'xg2+ 39 �xg2 ltle3+ 40 these little moves!
�h3 Itlxd5 then it rebounds after 4 1
e4' Itlb6 42 .itxf4+ Wg7 4 3 .itxd6
Itlxc4 44 .itxc5 and White has an L.Ftacnik . S.Conquest
excellent endgame. Nor does Hastings 200112002
37 . �h5 3S'i'xh7+ help Black.
..

Instead Kasparov came up with

K 8
37...il.fl!!. After 38 �xfl he had
forced the white king onto a square 7 7
where he could play 38 ...ltle3 with 6 6
checkl so that Gelfand had no time
5 5
for .itxf4. There followed
4 4
39 Wei
3 3
Or 3 9 �eZ 'i'xg2+
2 2
39..:iI'h4+!

The point: Black's first target is a b c d e f g h

the dangerous dark squared bishop,
not the puny one on g2. Black to play
10 Knight Farks

Black played 30 .. :i'h5 after 121Ixe6!

which Hacnik could exchange
...and now the queen. If 12... "i'xe6
queens. but he was tempted by the
13 IiJ g5+ wins, so Black refused to
idea of attacking the c7 pawn with
take the rook. Trouble is, the queen
31 "i' f4? Only after 31...IiJe4! did
can't remain defending the bishop
he realise that 32 "i' xc7 would lose
on d6, for if 1 2 ..."i' f4 13 IiJfI ! and
his queen to 32 ... nf7. He tried 32
not only is the queen obliged to give
"i'e3 but. without any passed pawn up defending the bishop but she is
on the queenside to give counter­
also in mortal danger herself, for
play, the loss of the exchange
example 13 ... "i'f7 14 1iJg5+ (a fork)
proved fatal: 32 . liJf2 33 "i'd4+
or 13 ... "i'g4 14 liJg5+ (discovered
. .

"i'e5 34 "i'h4 "i' f4+ Stopping mate

attack). 8est would be 13 ... "i'f5
on h7. 35 "i'xf4 lhf4 36 liJd5 1:[n
when 14 J:!xd6 is simple and strong.
37 .tc4 liJxhl 38 Ilxbl ng7 and
Black eventually won the endgame. 1 2....txh2+
A desperado move. As the bishop
G.Kasparov J.Rodgaard
- is doomed Black sells it for a pawn
Simul, Torshavn 200 \ and a check.
13 �xh2 'i'f4+ 14 �gl "i'fS
a b C d e f g h
Getting out of range of a
8 8
discovered attack with l 41iJe4.
7 7
I S IiJf1!
6
Excellently played. There is no
5 ')
need to move the rook on e6--you
4 know the forking pattern by now!
3 .l So Kasparov brings his knight to g3
2 2 to bolster his kings ide.
15 ...liJf6 16 liJg3 "i' g4 17 nel
a b c d e f g h White can't win material with the
discovered attack after 17 J:!xf6
White to play lIxf6 1 8 IiJg5+ �g8 as the black
queen is defended by the bishop on
e8.
'So where 's the knight fork?' you
may be wondering. It appeared after 1 7...cxd4 18 liJxd4
1 1 .txh7+! I guess Kasparov made the
pragmatic decision to simplifY, as it
Even in a "simul' game Kasparov
was a simultaneous. Instead he
is alert to every tactical nuance.
could have played for the attack
1 1...Ii!xh7 with 18 cxd4.
First of all the king is enticed to a 1 8... liJxd4 19 "i'xd4 "i'xd4 20
forking square ... cxd4 .td7 21 .td2
 Knight Forks 11

And White, who is a pawn and Meanwhile, if 2 5... �e7, White

462 rating points up. made short can win in the following elegant
work of the endgame and won after style: 261ilxe6! fxe6 27 lIxe6 + q;,f8
another 16 moves. 281Ifl +! (the simple approach is 28
lIexd6 when White will be left a
piece up for a pawn) 28 ...1ilf7 29
A.Shirov - A.Motylev l:!xc6\ (uncovering an attack on f7
FIDE World Championship, by the bishop) 2 9... lId7 30 lIc7 and
Moscow 2001 Black is defenceless for if 30 ... l:tb7
3 1 lIxf7+! lIxf7 (forced) 32 lhf7+
" b c J c f g h lIxf7 33 il.xf7 q;,xf7 and, after all
H
the action by the pieces, the pawn
slips quietly through with 34 b7.
7 7
26 .ltxe6! .Ihb4
6 6

0 5 Trivial is 26 ... fxe6 27 Iilxe6+

"ii;e7 2 81ilxd8+ "ii;xd8 29 1Ixd6+.
'I -1

j 3
2 7 Iild7+!
2 2 Black resigned. If 27.. q;,g8 (or
.

27 ... "ii; e7 28 lile5!-sening up a big

1
fork, though 28 il.f5+ also wins on
a b c d c f g h the spot-28 ... fxe6 29 Iilxc6+ �f6
30 Iilxd8 and wins) 28 lIxd6 fxe6
Black to play 29 Iilf6+ gxf6 3 0 lIxd8+ with an
extra rook.
Black has three pawns for a
kni ght and a solid position. A.Morozevich - V.Kramnik
However, this was one of the Astana 2001
tie break games in the FIDE World
Championship and the pressure got
to the young Russian. Anxious to H H
liquidate the tension Motylev played 7 7
23...b6 and there followed 24 axb6
6 6
l:!:ab8 when Black was ready to
5 5
regain his pawn with 25 ... lIxb6.
Naturally, the arch tactician Shirov -1 4
wasn't going to waste the chance to j 3
punish his opponent for the
2 2
weakening manoeuvre. He pounced
at once with 25 1ilc5! lIxb6.
Black has linle choice for if a h c d e f g h

25...Wg8 White can exploit ideas of

a back rank mate with 26 l:!d3! Black to play
lhb6 27 lIed I winning a piece.
 I2 Knight Forks

In the play of Vladimir Kramnik mate. Meanwhile if 28 nd I ILld2

we find a wonderful synthesis of brings the knight back into the game
tactical and strategical ideas. His and heads off the passed pawn, e.g.
genius especially comes into its own 29 ne l (hopeless is 29 b4 "il'c7 30
in semi-simplified positions. From f4 f61 ) 29 ... "iI'e7 30 ILlxf7 lLle41
the diagram Kramnik played wmnmg easily but not 30 ... "iI'xf7?
18...lLledS! which IS highly 3 1 c7.
awkward for White. He doesn't
want to give Black control of the c
At the start of this chapter a
file after 19 ILlxd5 cxd5 20 lLle5
couple of simple positions were
"il'xfl + 21 �xfl lLle4. Perhaps best
given to demonstrate knight forks.
is the defensive 19 lLle2 lLle4 20
Remember, however, that in real
l:tdb2 when Black doesn't seem to
life , unless your opponent makes a
have any telling continuation.
complete oversight or is a beginner,
Instead Morozevich played the
most of the time you will have to
natural 19 l:tc2?! but was hit by
work hard improving your position
19...lLlxc3 20 nxc3 c5!.
before a combination becomes
Not 20 ... "iI'xa2? 2 1 nal trapping possible. For example. in his game
the queen, but the hanging a2 pawn above against Gelfand, Kasparov
becomes a factor once the situation had strengthened his position until
in the centre has clarified. -as a culmination of his winning
strategy-a knight fork appeared.
21 dxc5
Something similar happened in the
Losing the exchange but if 2 1 next diagram.
l:td3 cxd4 2 2 exd4 b5! (White
escapes with a draw by repetition
G.Kasparov J.Timman
after 22 ..."iI'xa2 23 n a l "il'c2 24l:tcl
-

VSB, Amsterdam 1994

"il'a2 25 na I etc.) 23 lLle5 "il'xa2 and
Black wins a pawn whilst keeping a b c d e f g h
the initiative, for example 24 nal
"il'b2 25 nxa7 ne l 26 ndl J:.xdl 27 8 H
"il'xdl nxd4. 7 7

21 ... bS! 22 ILleS 6 6

Not 221Lld6 nxd6 23 cxd6 nxc3. 5 5

4 4
22...lLle4 23 nd3 ILld2 24 J:.xd8+
nxd8 25 nd1 3 3
2 2
Rather than give up the exchange
White gives up his queen to try for a 1
swindle with the passed c pawn. a b c d e f h
g
25,..lLlxfl 26 nxd8+ �h7 27 c6
"il'a5! 1-0 White to play

If 28 nd7 ILlxe31 29 fxe3 (or 29

h3 "il'el+ 30 �h2 "il'xf2) 29 ..."iI'el Kasparov played 24 :05! .Jtx05
 Knight Forks 13

Black drops the knight after Then both 24 ....lil.xeS and

24 .. :l!i'a2 2S l:txaS. The best chance 24 ...'iII'xb2 are threatened and if 25
was 24 . . .'iII'xd3 2S 'ill'xd3 .lil.xeS fijxd6 1:txd6 falls into a nasty pin
though after 26 fije7+ �g7 27 'ill'e2 along the d file, while 25 1:te2 il.xf5
.lil.f6 28 fijxg6 hxg6 White has a 26 .lil.xfS il.h2+ drops the queen,
queen for rook and knight with and 2S .lil.b I .lil.xeS also loses
good winning chances. material. So 24 1:teS? would have
been a bad move, as the black
2 5 fije7+ �g7 26 fijxdS il.xb2
pieces wouldn't have been
If 26.. .lhdS 27 fijxeS 1:txeS 28 sufficiently disorganised to justify a
il.xg6 hxg6 29 b4 and Black loses combination. So the moral IS:
the wayward knight. always be alert for a combinative
27 fijf4 il.xd3 28 fijxd3 il.xc1 29 possibility-for yourself or for your
'ill'x cl 1:txd3 30 'ill'g5+ 1-0 opponent!-but don't actively
search for one until you have gained
The knight has finally fallen after a positional advantage.
30 . �h8 3 1 'ill'xaS.
. .

The power of a threatened

combination
It is the badly placed knight on as
which provided the positional justi­ A wise man once said that a threat
fication for the combination, NOT is more powerful than its execution.
the fact that the black queen and For every knight fork and other
king were separated by the distance combination that actually occurs in
of a knight fork. If you remove the a game between good players, there
black knight from as and put it on, are countless others that are fended
say, b6 you will see that after 24 off at the cost of a positional con­
lleS Black could play 24...'iII'a2 cession of some kind. The following
excerpt is a good example.

a b c d t:' g h H.KIip - V.Korchnoi

Dutch Championship 1992
8
a I) c d e f g h
7 7
8 R
7 7

4 4 6 6

-' 3 5 5

2 2 4 4

3 3
2 2
a b c d e f g h

a h c d e f R h
(hypothetical position with knight
on b6) Black to ')Iay
 14 Knight Forks

If Black does nothing active then T.Petrosian D.Bronstein

�

White will centralise both his Candidates tournament,

offside knights and then begin to Amsterdam 1956
exploit his superior pawn structure.
Viktor Korchnoi, with his vast ex­ a b c d e f g h
perience of defensive play, found an H H
excellent way to fight back on the
7 7
dark squares: 18",c5! 19 dxc5lLla4!
when the knight shows its versatil­ (-) 6
ity. Now White dare not support his s S
pawn with 20 b4? because of
4 4
20...lLlc3! when if 2 1 J:td4?? lLle2+
while otherwise Black will pick up 3 3

two pawns with 2 1 ."lLlxa2+ and 2 2

then 22 ... lLlxb4. So he settled for 20
.i:l:d3 with equal chances: 20,,,.i:l:h8
a h c J c f g 11
2 1 J:th3 ILlxc5 22 ILlgS J:txh3 23
ILlxh3 j,b5 24 ILlxb5 Straightening
out Black's pawns looks unaesthet­ Black to play
ic, but 24 .j,fl was difficult to
..

meet and besides White wants to get White appears to have total
rid of his passive knight. 24 ... axb5 control of the dark squares: it seems
and the game finished as a draw in inconceivable that any harm can
another 1 7 moves. The threat of the come to his pieces on any of these
knight fork, though never carried squares. Nevertheless, he lost his
out, saved Black from a difficult queen on a dark square after
position. 35".lLlfS 36 ILlgS?? ILlxd6 0-1

Other tactics with the knight

J.eapablanca N,Riumin -

So much for the knight fork. I Moscow 1936

shall end the chapter with two other
tactical curiosities concerning the
knight. H H
7 7
It should be remembered that if
the knight is in the centre, it is con­ 6 6
trolling as many as eight squares of S 5
the OPPOSITE colour to that on 4 4
which it is sitting. So if you think
3 3
you have a bind On squares of a
certain colour, be careful: maybe 2 2
your opponent's knight is going to
upset your plans! Here are two old
a b c d c g h
games, but they ilh!strate this point
dramatically. White to play
 Knight Forks 15

Here it is Black who has nice dark If you put together the two
square control. After 26 4:lge2 he weaknesses-a player thinking that
tried to increase it with 26... tDcS?? he is invincible on squares of a
with the threat of 27 4:ld3 or ... certain colour and backward knight
27 . 'ilixf2+. You can probably guess
. . moves are difficult to see--then the
how the game ended! following blunder by a player rated
2695 becomes completely plausible:

Another human weakness is to

M.Gurevich R.Kasimdzhanov
miss backward moves by a knight:
-

Wijk aan Zee 2002

we have already seen Petrosian, in
the example above, miss the retreat
a b c d e f g h
from f5 to d6. In one of my own
games my opponent left his queen R 8
en prise to my knight but neither of 7 7
us saw it!
6 6

5 5
N.McDonald - CDunean 4 4
Hampstead 1998 :l 3
2 2

8 R
7 7 a b c d e f g h

6 6
Black to play
5 5

;, 4
Black is a pawn down but he has
3 3 good dark square control. Wanting
2 2 to increase his initiative it is no
surprise that he played 39 'ilia5??
...

and resigned after 40 4:lbll 4:lxb3

a b c d e f g h 414:lxa3 1-0

Black to play

The game continued 37....1xc4 38

4:lxc4 4:lxc3?? 39 4:ld6?? and after
this crazy interlude normal play
resumed.
 2 Knight Fork Puzzles

Puzzles dom with 30 . .I:I.f4, aiming to answer

..

3 i IZlxf4 with 31...exf4, when he

The puzzles that follow all feature forks the white queen and knight.
knight forks. Remember that when it Unfortunately for Piket the subject
comes to a combination, there may of this chapter is knight forks, not
only be one 'right answer' whereas pawn forks! What had he missed?
there may be several equally good
ways to, say, convert the advantage
of a pawn in the endgame. Good
luck in solving them!
2
I V.lvanchuk F. Vallejo Pons
G.Kasparov - J.Piket
-

Linares 2002
Zurich 2001

a b c d e f g h
8
8
8 8 7 7
7 7 6 6
6 6 5 5
5 5 4 4
4 4 3 3
3 3 2 2
2 2 1 1

a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
Black to play
Black to play
Ivanchuk had sacrificed a piece for
Garry Kasparov plays a lot of serious pressure on the kingside.
brilliant combinations in this book, Here Vallejo Pons decided to make
but here is something simple to get some space for his pieces with
us started. Black is rather tied up but 22 ...e5, which ciears the e6 square
he spotted a way to get some free- for the knight. What happened next?
 Knight Forks Puzzles 17

J After JI
g5 Black played
E.Sutovsky - M.Chandler JI. .'IiI'd8 when the white knight on
.

Hastings 1999/2000 d3 is hanging and Black is ready to

a h c J e f h attack with 32 ...'I!I'a5+. What should
g
White do?
" 8
7
5
(, (, P.Johansson - N.McDonald
i 5 Arnold Cup, Gausdal 1990
'I 4

j :\
8 8
2 2
7 7

6 6
a h c J e f g h
5 5
White to play 4 4
j :\
This position was reached in the
last round of the Hastings Premier 2 2
tournament. The Israeli Grandmaster
Emil Sutovsky needed a win to get
a b c d e f g h
first place, £2,000 and a fine Castle­
ham carriage clock. How did he do
White to play
it?

4 Can White win a pawn with 38

IOxb5, uncovering an attack on
I.Sokolov - M.Adams
Eurotel Trophy, Prague 2002 Black's queen? The game actually
continued 38 �g2 'iii'c4 39 ll:.fd 1
a b c J e f g h Now what is Black's best move?
8
7

6
5

4
3
2

a h c d e f g h

White to play
18 Knight Forks Puzzles

6
7
G.Kasparov - A.Karpov
S.Kasparov - A.Frank
World Championship,
Bethune Open 2001
London/Leningrad 1986

a h c d e f H h a b c d e g h

8 H 8 8
7 7 7 7

6 (, 6 (,

5 5 5 5

4 4 4 4

3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2

a h c d e f g 11 a b c J e g h

White to play White to play

Kasparov had Karpov under White played 13 'i'e2 to restrain

heavy pressure in the second game Black's queenside advance, but
of their 1986 World Championship Black nevertheless played 13 ...b5
Match, but Karpov managed to slip and there followed 14 sxb5 axb5 15
out and somehow scrape a draw IiJxb5 IiJxe4 with the idea that if 1 6
after 39 liJe3 IiJf6 40 lhb6 IiJxe4 41 'i'xe4 l:txb5 Black has exchanged
l:txa6 l:tf2+ thanks to his active his wing pawn for a centre pawn
pieces and passed pawn. The story with a good position. Was Black
goes that Kasparov was so angry right in his assessment of the
with himself that he slapped his position? (clue: this is a book on
head with his hands when he was tactics, not strategy. Look for
later shown the surefire win he combinations!)
missed somewhere in this sequence.
What was it?
 Knight Forks Puzzles J 9

8 What happens if 1 I1lc2, recentral­

N .McDonald R.Dive - ising the knight? Finally, is it better
London 1994 for White to play 1 I1lxb5 or 1
.\t xb5 and how do you assess the
" h c J e f g h position?

K H

7 7 10
G.Kasparov V.Kramnik
(,
-

"
Wijk aan Zee 200 I
0 ';
" a b c d e f g h
:j

.l 3 H 8

2 2 7 7

6 6

" h c cl e g h 5 5

" 4
Black 10 play
3 3
2
One of my own games. Black 2

attacked the bishop with 50 ...c5

What is White's best move? h
a b c d e f g

9 White to play

g h
In this position Kasparov wanted
H very much to strengthen his hold on
7 the kings ide with 25 g4, but he saw
that after 25 ... hxg3+ en passant his
6
pawn structure would be broken.
5 Therefore he reluctantly settled for
" 25 I1lg5 and the game eventually
3 finished as a draw. What had
Kasparov missed after 25 g4
2
hxg3+? Don't make the same
mistake that Kasparov did of only
J )) c J c f g 11 thinking strategically-think about
tactics!

White to play

Work out all the important

variations after 1 ll:b I I1ld5+! Can
White survive?
20 Knight Forks Puzzles

11
R.Meessen - M.Gurevieh
Belgian Championship 200 I

a I) c J e f g 11

H H
7
In the diagram White's attack is
7
running out of steam and e5 is
6 6
hanging as well as the bishop, so he
5 5 decided it would be a good idea to
4 .j force a draw. The game proceeded
3 3 17 'lWeI gxhS 1 8 i.gS 'lWffl 19 i.h6
2 2 and now 19 'lWe7 20 i.g5 would be
...

a repetition. Can Black do better?

a I) c d c f g h

White to play
 3 Double Attacks by the Queen

ecause of her power to master once resigned a game in

move like both a rook three moves as White after 1 d41i:lf6
and bishop the queen 2 .ltg5 c6 3 e3?? dropping a bishop
is the undoubted star to 3 .. :iWa5+. In the US Champion­
of the double attack. ship a player once lost a rook on
move five: 1 e4 c5 2 b4 cxb4 3 a3
d5 4 exd5 iWxd5 5 axb4?? lWe5+.
� Incidentally, this blunder has been
made three times in serious tourna­
7
ments. White resigned at once in
6 two of the games, but in the third he
5 played on and almost won'
4 When writing a book on the
:3 King's Gambit I noticed that the
move 3 fxe5 is virtually always a
2
terrible blunder for White because
of 3 ...'l!tb4+, no matter whether after
a I) c d e f g h I e4 e5 2 f4 Black has declined the
pawn offer with 2 ... .ltc5, 2... li:lc6,
In the diagram the queen attacks 2... d5 or anything else sensible,
the rook diagonally and the knight including 2 ... lWf6! Of reasonable
frontally. The two pieces can't moves, only after 2 ... li:lf6 is it ever
defend each other so one will be OK to play 3 fxe5. The most
lost. I shall subsequently call a extreme form is 1 e4 e5 2 f4 .ltc5 3
straight line attack on a piece-as fxe5?? 'l!tb4+ and White has the
here against the knight- ' a lateral miserable choice between 4 �e2
attack' or 'attacking a piece 'iil'xe4 mate and 4 g3 lWxe4+
laterally' in contrast to a 'diagonal winning a rook with the double
attack' or 'attacking a piece attack.
diagonally' .
These 3re extreme examples.
This double method of attack­ More common is the following
diagonally and laterally---<:omes in lateral/diagonal attack that wins a
many guises. A Hungarian Grand- pawn.
22 Double Attacks by the Queen

a b c d c f g h 2 . . . Sl.g7 9 IiJf5 mating) 3 'i'fS and

8 8 Black has to give up a whole rook
with 3 ... Sl.e4 4 Sl.xe4 !!.xe4 5 IiJxe4
7 7
in order to avoid being mated on h7.
6
The queen, like the bishop. can
5 5 also attack along two diverging
4 4 diagonals. The following is a
3 3 common and deadly fonn of this
attack. I've taken an old example
2 2
but it happens frequently in amateur
chess.
a b c d e f g h

White wins a pawn with I Sl.xf6 W.Wainwright - A.Robinson

England-USA cable match 1907
'il'xf6 2 'il'c2 threatening both 3
'il'xc7 and 3 Sl.xh7+. This might
seem nothing special compared to 1 d4 e6 2 e4 dS 3 IiJc3 dxe4 4
winning a piece, but it IS usually IiJxe4 Iild7 5 1ilf3 IiJgf6 6 Sl.d3
enough to win a game. IiJxe4 7 Sl.xe4 IiJf6 8 Sl.d3 Sl.d6 9
a b c d e f g h
0-0 0-0 10 'il'e2 b6 II Sl.gS h6??

8 H

7 7 H H
6 6 7 7
'; 5 6 6
4 .j '; 5
3 3 " 4
2 2 3 3
2 2
a b c J e g h

White to play a b c d e f g h

This is a particularly virulent A natural move aiming to develop

version of another typical double the bishop on b7, but tactics come
attack. After 1 Sl.xf6 'i'xf6 tempting before strategy! Black is almost
is the discovered attack 2 Sl.xh7+ encouraging White to win a rook.
<i'xh7 3 'il'xd5 as if 3 . . .'i'xb2 4
1 2 il.xf6 'il'xf6 13 'il'e4!
'il'xf7, but 3 ...J:rad8 allows Black to
play on a pawn down. Instead 2 There is a double attack on a8 and
'il'h5! is much deadlier as the double h7. Black has to prevent the mate,
atlack on d5 and h7 wins a piece. If but after 13 ... J:rd8 14 'il'xa8 he soon
back a move Black plays 1...gxf6 resigned.
if
•
' -" ,' . ,, "";'" ,
 Double Attacks by the Queen 23

A variation on the same theme is luck-not only had he avoided

Ward but he had been down-floated
I e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 IZlc3 dxe4 4
to a player he had never heard of, a
Iilxe4 Iild7 5 1ilf3 Iilgf6 6 .ltd3
certain J.Hong' Rich sat down and
Iilxe4 ? .ltxe4 Iilf6 8 .ltd3 .lte? 9
the game began. He fully expected
1Ii'e2 0-0 10 .ltg5 b6??
to win and share equal second. I was
on the board next to him so I saw
exactly what happened.
R
7
B.Rich - J.Hong
l, 6 Kent Under 1 6 Championship 1983
5
4 1 e4 e5 2 1iJf3 Iilc6 3 .ltc4 Iild4
3 What's this? Rich hesitated ever
2 2 so slightly before taking the pawn
on e5. You can bet that if Chris
Ward had offered the e pawn he
a h c u e f g h would have thought a long time
before taking it. but he remembered
I I .ltxf6 .ltxf6 12 'ill'e 4 1-0 in he was playing a weak player, and
A.Becker - H.Nonnan Hansen, weak players blunder pawns, don't
Munich Olympiad, 1 936. they?
41ilxe5 'lIi'g5!
Next is an example of a double
attack from my junior days. I have
forgotten all the games I played my­
self in the tournament in question,
but I remember this game between
two of the other competitors very
well. Some background information
on the game might help to explain
its dr amatic outcome. I was playing
in the Kent Under 1 6 Champion­
ship. Chris Ward, the future GM,
was leading the tournament by half
a point and would be down-floated
a b ( d e f g h
to one of two players in the last

round. Both players were desperate Black bashed out this move
to avoid playing the leader-they without thinking. The double attack
were decent club players, but no on e5 and g2 is very strong as White
match for Ward. When the pairings can't afford either to lose the knight
came out, one of these players, or allow his kingside to be smashed
Benedict Rich, couldn't believe his up with L'lIi'xg2.
24 Double Attacks by the Queen

Here the first signs of confusion 9 <.1;>e I '!!I'xc I+ 1 0 '!!I'd I IiJc2+ I I

began to appear on Rich's face, but <.1;>e2 'lII'xd I + 1 2 ll:xd I IiJxa I and
he shrugged his shoulders and White has suffered huge material
applying the maxim ' check first and losses.
philosophise later!' he quickly
[n the game White tried 7 d3 but
played
soon lost after 7".'!!I'xh 1 + etc.
5 il.xf7+
White was by no means a bad
At least he avoided S IiJxf7 '!!I'xg2 player, but he was beaten by the fa­
6 ll:f1 '!!I'xe4+ 7 il.e2 IiJtJ mate. tal combination of an opening
surprise and over-confidence.
5",<.1;>e7
This opening trap is well estab­
Now it seemed to dawn on Rich
lished and is known as the Black­
that he was in big trouble. The best
burne Shilling Trap. [f [ remember
try is 6 0-0 '!!I'xeS 7 1I.c4 with two
correctly, it is so called because Jo­
pawns for the piece and some
seph Henry Blackburne, one of the
attacking chances based on a future
strongest players of his day, used it
f2-f4. But psychologically White
a lot in 'simuls' in the 1 890s-and
was already beaten and blundered
the fee to play him in a 'simul' was
again with
One Shilling in old English money!
6 '!!I'h5? '!!I'xg2
It has claimed many victims,
a i) c d e f g h especially in junior tournaments. A
vast number of games in these
H R
events begin I e4 eS 2 IiJtJ IiJc6 3
7 7 1I.c4, and on 3 ...liJd4 it is no sur­
6 6 prise that 4 IiJxeS is very tempting;
after all, isn't the whole idea of the
S S
opening to put pressure on f7?
4 4
[n fact, as we have seen, 4 IiJxe5
3 3
is a serious error. As remarked
2 2 above, tactics come before strategy
and the double attack after 4 ...'lII'gS
is simply stronger than anything
a I) c d e f g h
White can create on fl.

and now White really is dead lost. White should avoid all this with 4
The new double attack-this time IiJxd4 exd4 S 0-0 followed by c2-c3
on e4 and h I-is even stronger than etc. aiming to get control of the cen­
the one on eS and g2 as White has tre. [n the Bird's Opening after 3
no way to bale out. For example, if 1I.b5 IiJd4 4 IiJxd4 exd4, White of­
7 '!!I'h4+ to defend e4, then 7 ... gS! ten voluntarily plays 1I.c4 to put the
and the double attack on White's bishop on a better square (or is
queen and h I settles things at once. kicked there by ... c7-c6, which
Or if 7 ll:f1 then L'iiI'xe4+ (LliJf6 gains time for . . . d7-dS to gain space
might be even better) 8 <.1;>d I '!!I'xc2+ on the centre). Therefore it could be
 Double Attacks by the Queen 25

arg ued that White is a tempo up on had much of a chance. Almost any
Bird's opening after 3 .1I.c4 li:ld4. sensible move now wins for White,
For this reason the line has never for example 33 b3. The black queen
caught on-but, as far as traps go, it is tied down by the need to prevent
is an excellent one! Still, I do NOT 'iWg8 mate. Instead Kasparov
recommend you play it. uncorked one of the worst blunders
of his whole career.
From the examples in this book it
is clear that most players far more Kasparov played 33 'iWxb7?? and
readily see the combinative and lost his bishop after 33",'iWdl+ 34
tactical opportunities that a position q"h2 'iWd6+. Nevertheless, with
offers them than it offers the oppo­ three pawns for the piece White had
nent. An International Master once ample material compensation and
told me that he always plays better still carried on playing for advan­
against stronger opponents because tage after 35 g3 'iWxe6 36 b3 'iWd6
he looks to see what they are doing 37 '.tIg2 .1I.d4 38 h4 'iWf6 39 f4 with
or might be planning-whereas an eventual draw. Of course only to
against weaker players he becomes draw after being two pawns up
completely focused on his own wouldn't have satisfied Kasparov at
ideas and sometimes misses some­ all!
thing obvious! Not even World
Champions are immune from under­
estimating their opponent's chances, S,Conquest - M,Narciso Dublan
as the following example shows. Pamplona 200 I

a b c d e f g h
G,Kasparov - M,Tal
World Cup, Skelleftea 1989 H H
a 11 C d e f g h 7 7

H H 6 6
7 7 5 5
6 6 4 4
o 5 3 3
4 4 2 2
j 3
2 2 a b c d e f g h

Black to play
a b c d e f g h

Can Black safely take the pawn

White to play
on a2? In the game he certainly
thought so. There followed
Two pawns down in a simplified 37",l:txa2? 38 'iWd8+ '.tIh7. If now
position against the reigning World the obvious 39 l:te8 the black king is
Champion, you wouldn't think YOU safe on g6 after 39 ... lLld6 40 l:th8+
26 Double A ttacks by the Queen

�g6 4 1 Ii'ld4 'ill'c 5 when Black endgame is easily wmnmg for

remains two pawns up. Instead White.
disaster struck from an unexpected
40 ...'I!i'h6 41 'l!i'xh6+ gxh6 42
direction:
l:!:xc4 l:!:c2 43 Ii'ld4 l:!:c!+ 44 Wh2 hS
39 'il'd3!! 45 l:!:c7 \l;>g6 46 Ii'lb5 l:!:c2 47 f3 fS
48 l:txb7 g4 49 l:txb6+ \l;>g5 50 Ii'ld4
A quiet but deadly move. White
1-0
threatens both the knight and a
killing discovered check. Thus if Having come this far, it's a pity
39 ...li'lb2, attacking White's queen, Black didn't allow the neat finish
there follows 40 l:th4+ \l;>gS (As the 50... l:!:xc3 5 1 f4+' with a knight fork
writer Irving Cherney once said, after 5 1 .. .\I;>xf4 52 li'le2+ or mate
even the laziest king runs away after 5 l ...\I;>h4 521i'lxf5.
from a double check!) 4 1 'il'dS+ and
mate next move. If 3 9...li'ld6 40
l:tc4+ wins Black's queen. There­ S.Knott - N.McDonald
fore he has to give up the piece Kent v. Herts match 2002
straight away.
a I) c J e f g h
39...'iI'g6
R R
7 7
a b c d e f g h
6 6
8 R
5 5
7 7
4 4
6 6
3 3
5 5
2 2
4 4

3 3
a b c d e f g h
2 2
1
White to play
a b c d e f g h

A very curious example from fiX

40 'il'h3+!
own play. Here White has every
No chances for the opponent ! chance to win after 33 'il'c2. Instead
Admit it, were you only thinking he played 33 .li.xh5?? An astonish
about 40 'il'xc4? That should win, ing blunder in time pressure. My
but it simplifies things to force the opponent said he hallucinated that
exchange of queens before taking his pawn was on e3, not e2, and SO
the knight, as this kills off all thought he could answer 33 ... gxh5
Black's tactical chances based on with the decisive 34 'l!i'xh5+. But
attacking the white king. If now even if this was the case, Black can
40 ... �gS 4 1 11eS mate, so Black's ignore the bishop and pick up a rook
next move is forced after which the with 33 ...'l!l'b7+. While I was
 Double Attacks by the Queen 27

wondering which piece to win my thorough knowledge of the tactical

opponent said 'this is ridiculous' theme of double attack.
and resigned.

V.Anand - A.Dreev
G.Kasparov - A.Karpov FIDE World Championship,
Linares 200 I Moscow 200 I

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

.Iil ��Iil ?S
v�'11 � d�tirtl,
H H H H

i%11ilSIE Ili%
fll ··· ·Ilflil f� '1'
7 7 7
i% 1l . � 1il
•,!%1.
" (, (, 6

�� �Il1i� Iil �Iil

Il���Il.:fi:
.
W#d<' . . .....

s 5 5 5

Il�Il:bff Il b� Il Iil
�!rr�0
I 4 4 4

5 �r��Il
; �rJ 3 3 Il' ��.�'Il"�r�W/'
�"%�",r.� ', "�P. 3

q . 1l�r� � �Iil �lil

. .

&��dll 'If
2 2 2 2
:/. �
!!I\1?1il�"1l ?§{////4
a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

White to play Black to play

You would expect Kasparov to be

Since 24 ... liJxh5? 25 lhh5 'ili'xh5
trying to land a mating blow here,
26 'likxg7 mates, Dreev played
but instead he used the theme of
24...c5 and there followed 25 dIeS
double attack to win a piece.
IiJxh5 26 .i:txd8+ .i:txd8.
29 .i:thS! .i:tfS
If now 27 lhh5?, hoping for
If 30 'likxh5+ 1iJf7 (or
29.. ..i:txh5
27 ...'likxh5 2S 'ili'xg7 mate, Black
30 .. l!ifE 31 'likhS+ 1!if7 32 'likgS
gets in first with 2S ...ltd I mate. As
mate) 31 ];[gS+ ..tfS 32 'likxc5 and
28 'i'h4 .i:td2 29 'ili'xh5? 'likxh5 30
\Vhite wins a piece with the pin. .i:txh5 .i:td 1 also falls for the back
30 ll:xcs ..txcS 3 1 'likh5+ 1-0 rank, Anand either has to retreat
with 28 'iii'el, or find something
It is double attack on the king and
speciaL He found it by applying the
bishop. Black will be left with a
principle of the double attack with
rook and knight to fight a queen and
27 �xg7+!.
two pawns-hopeless odds against
Kasparov. The point is that after 27 ...liJxg7
Next up is one of Anand's wins 28 'l!kh4 Black can't deal with the
on the way to becoming the 200 I double threat of 29 'ili'xd8+ and 29
FIDE World Champion. The extract 'ill'xh6+ �g8 30 'ili'hs mate.
shows that he would never have
made it to the top without a 27...�h7 28 'ili'h4 ltd2
28 Double Attacks by the Queen

• b c J e f g h active queen and both rooks on

H H
open files: the rook on d7 looks
especially well placed. Black on the
7 7
other hand has a rook boxed in on
6 (, fS. So all seems well with White's
5 5 position.
4 4
.l j Dao Thien Hai - G.Kasparov
2 2 Europe-Asia rapidplay match,
Batumi 2001

a b c d e f g 11 a b c d e f g h

H H
29 �xh6!
7 7
Destroying all Black's hopes at
(, 6
counterplay. Anand uses a pin to
simplif'y into a rook and pawn 5 5
endgame where he starts with two 4
extra pawns. 3 3
29 .'�xh6 30 g4 'it'g5 3 1 'it'xh5+
•• 2 2
'ill'xh5 32 lhh5+ Iti>g7 33 a4 nd3 34
.6!
a h c d e f g h
Giving back a pawn to create a
decisive passed pawn on the Black 10 play
queenside.
34...bx.6 35 na5 nxf3 36 nxa7 However, he was struck out of the
e5 37 as �f6 38 86 e4 39 !:ta8 !:td3 blue by the combinative blow
40 .l:l.e8 nd5 4 1 b4! 22 ...ne5!
Black's last hope was the impetu­ The aim is to drive away the
ous 4 1 a7? .l:l.a5+. white queen so that a fork can be set
up on g4.
4 l...nd7 42 .4 \-0
23 'ill'f3
The pawns steamroller through
after 43 b5 etc. Instead 23 'ill'xe5 'ill'xg4+ 24 lti>el
'ill'xd7 25 !:tc7-in order to get the
In the next position White appears pawn back-25 ...'iII'd3 26 nxb7 l:td8
to stand quite well. True, his king is and Black, who threatens 27 ...'iII'd l
in the centre but it appears fairly mate, has a decisive attack. Or 23
safe: there afe no minor pieces to 'it'f4 l:te4 24 'it'f5 g6 25 'it'f3 1:txe3+!
hound him. Meanwhile he has an as in the game,
 Double Attacks by the Queen 29

C.Crouch - E.Bareev
H
Hastings, 1992/93
7 a b c d e f g h

(, 6 8 8

5 ) 7 7

4 6 6

j 3 5 5

2 2 4 4
3 3

a h c d e f g h 2 2

23 ...lhe3+! 24 'Ilhe3 a b c d e f g h
White loses his queen after 24
q,xe3 .l:l:e8+ when it's mate as well Black to play
after 25 It>f4?! g5+ 26 �f5 'iifxf3
mate. He began with
24 ..:ill'x g4+ 25 �fI 'iifxd7 26 16...b6! 1 7 il.xe5
'ixa7
White is loathe to give up his
The final blunder, but he is dark-squared bishop but otherwise
already two pawns down. 17 ... il.xcs will just win a pawn .
26...'iifb5+ 27 �g2 0-1 17 ...li:lxe5 1 8 'ill'c3
If 27 �e I ll.e8+ is fatal for the Breaking the pin and attacking the
white king, but having played this black knight, but Bareev is ready.
move White resigned when he saw
18.. :i'd5! 19 1i:ld2
that the double attack strikes again
with 27 ... 'iII'g5+! . Alas, for White, if 1 9 cxb6 'ill'e4+
and he loses the knight on b 1 with
check or his queen after 20 �d2
The next is a highly unusual il.b4.
position. After 1 6 moves neither
19...il.xc5 20 f4
player has developed his king's
bishop ' Whoever manages to In order to regain his pawn White
mobilise his reserve forces first will has to allow his queen to be shut out
have a decisive advantage. Bafeev of the game, after which she can no
, d three tactical themes: pin,
apphe longer help defend her king.
double attack and trapping pieces.
20 ...li:lg6 2 1 'ill'xg7 il.d4 22 'ill'h6
il.e3 23 Ii:lc4 'iifd4 24 g3 'ill'c3+ 25
�e2 il.c5 26 Ii:ld2 'ill'e3+ 27 �dl
il.b4 0-1
If 28 Ii:lc4 'lWf3+ wins the rook.
30 Double Attacks by the Queen

P.Kiriakov - A.Baburin attacked, there is little choice) Now

Monarch Assurance, Port Erin 200 I White combines deflection with
double attack to pick up a rook and
bishop: 9 'ill'c6+ �d7 1 0 'ill'xa8+
I d4 dS 2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 �e6?!
'ill'd8 I I 'ill'c6+ (back for more!)
An odd move that aims to hold 1 l ...'iII'd7 1 2 'ill'xc4.
onto the pawn. Natural was 3 .. liJf6
In the game Black handed over a
.

or the spirited 3 ... e5!?

couple of pawns in order to survive
4 1iJe2! a respectable number of moves:
Planning 5 IiJf4, so the bishop 7.,.liJf6 8 �xc4 e6 9 'ill'b7 ! (as the
voluntarily retreats. knight on a6 can't leave c7
undefended White wins a second
4...�d7 S liJec3! bS?! pawn) 9.,.c6 10 �xa6 cxbS I I
If Black doesn't hold onto the �xbS �b4+ 1 2 �d2 �xd2+ 1 3
pawn then his bishop manoeuvre to IiJxd2 J:l:b8 1 4 .ilI.xd7+ 'ill'xd7 IS b3
e6 and d7 will look ridiculous. 0-0 16 0-0 and Black resigned 12
However, disaster now strikes. moves later.

6 �f3 liJa6 7 IiJxbS!!

C.O'Shaughnessy N.McDonald
-

a b c d e f g h London, 1 994

a b c d e f g h

H H
7 7

6 6

'; 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
a \) c d e f g h
1

A brilliant move. How does White a h c d e f g h

intend to answer 7 ... �xb5?
Black to play
When I first played through this
game I thought the idea was 8 a4?!
�d7 9 �xc4 with a double attack Black prepared a double attack
On the knight and f7. However, with 31.. ..ilI.h6!
8 ..1iJh4 lets Black confuse matters
In principle Black is happy to get
.

somewhat.
rid of his inactive bishop in eX­
Much stronger is the second piece change for the bishop on c2 which
offer 8 �xc4! I �xc4 (as f7 is is guarding White's light squares
 Double Attacks by the Queen 31

However, he had to calculate B.Kan!sler - N.Vlassov

carefully that White isn't able to Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2002
strike a decisive blow on the dark
squares on the kingside. The critical a b c d e f g h
line runs 32 'liI'xh6 'liI'xc2 33 .lta l 8 8
'liI'b I + 34 >i<g2 when:
7 7
34... 'liI'xb4?1 is risky, for example 6
6
35 !:ta7 (or 35 d5 e5! 36 :!:ta7 'liI'e4+
5 5
37 >i<gl 'liI'xd5 38 :!:txd7 'liI'xd7 39
.ltxe5 when White is attacking b8 4 4
and also threatening mate on g7, but j 3
Black saves himself and wins with
2 2
the double attack 39 ... 'liI'd l + 40 �g2
'liI'd5+) 35 . . . 'liI'c4? (or 35...itlf6 36
d5' itlxd5? 37 'liI'g7 mate) 36 :!:txd7 a b c d e f g h
'liI'c6+ (it looks like the double
attack will win the exchange, but. ..) Black to play
37 d5' 'liI'xd7 38 'liI'g7 mate.
Nonetheless, Black can keep I hope you gain some interesting
control with the simple 34 ... 'liI'e4+ ideas from this book that you can
35 >i<gl 'liI'd5! making sure that the apply in your own games.
bishop on a l stays blocked on. Then Nevertheless it is always worth
!:tc8, itlf6 etc. allows him a decisive remembering that not every com­
positional build up. bination works just because it is
In the game White preferred 32 possible! Here is a drastic example
'liI'dl 'liI'xb4. The first double attack of an unsound idea.
is on a5 and b2. 33 'liI'al 'liI'd2 34 Earlier Black had sacrificed the
.lte4 .lte3! The winning move that exchange for two pawns leading to
sets up a double attack on e4 and the sharp and unclear position in the
g 1 . 35 fxe3 'liI'xe3+ 36 >i<fl 'liI'xe4 37
diagram. Here Vlassov played
>i<g 1 'liI'd5!
20...e5 which created a pin on his
As long as the bishop remains own knight on dS. Now 2 1 itle2 was
shut in Black has an easy win. the safe move but, seeing a possible
fork of king and rook on d5,
38 'liI'fl >i<g7 39 'liI'e2 itlf6 40 'liI'e3
Kanstler got excited and played 2 1
!:tc8 41 'liI'd3 :!:tc4 42 'liI'e2 'ill'c6 43
il.xe7? There followed 21 ...'iII'xe7
d5?!
22 itlxd5 cxd5 23 il.xd5+ itlxd5 24
Finally the bishop sees daylight 'ill'xd5+ �g7 when White saw to his
but after the third double attack horror that after 25 'ill'xa8, apparent­
White resigned . ly reaping the reward for his double
43·..'liI'b6+ 0-1 attack, he is likely to be defeated in
just three moves: 25 ... il.b7 26 'liI'b8
However not every combination 'ill'g5+ 27 II<hl il.xo mate. So he
Work s as the next game illustrates ... played the dismal 25 f4 and
resigned after 25 ...�b1 26 "jb5 The Cuban genJUS got I t wrong:
.:. rs .:!1 ':a3 ::d4 28 :'g3 'ar, 29 for once \.\ ilh
-.-t2 '.dS 35 m<lt� follows on h 1 .

There is. al.... av" the dan �er o f Black 15comfortable after sa\' 23
-
somerhing: g.o mg' v,.-rong 'Uo'h;n �·ou ' d.:
..... � "'
_, xg..'!
r-.. ., 1 h .xg.; -
... ..:."f � .:..
I· �
,\� ... but , h IS IS
·
make a combinalion. h is e\:en poss­ hou- \\·hite shOUld play_
ible that your opponent is cajoling
23 ... dxe4 24 �d2
you int o committin g. yoursdf. as he
has a nasty �Urpri5t waiting for YOll� Still not seemg th!: danger.
In th� above example \·l as:5o\, rna} Critical was 24 �g5 :xdl �5 ':'xd l _
naq: p layrd :=O.. . e5 .'ip�citjca IJy Co If now �5 . .. h6: \,"hire can (Jlay �5
proyoke White' s suicidal reac1ion .:t:;xf: 'ilxf' 2"7 .1c4--pinning and
This. brings Lls on TO a question of Q winmng' But Black can rum th e
psychological nature: I f you are tables v.. ith :5.,.<:4 �. This cuts off the
playing 3 very 'Strun g opponent. and while queen'$ intersection with f7
he gi\ es of playing
you the chance and so threatens �6-- ,it·"e5. \l, ith a

what seems a strong combination, double attack on the bishop and

ho\'" much should YOLJ trust hlm: knighL Then \\.'hite has 10 gi\-e !lP a
pawn \\·jth a miserable pOsltlon after
�6 e6 fXe6 2 7 -i:lhJ. bUI al least he
Capablanca. the \\"orld Chess
Vtouldn'[ be dropping a piece.
Champion from 1 92 I to 1 927. 10S1
fewer g:Jmcs in his ,areer than any
Other tOp plaver, Therefore il must
ha\'e been a � hock 10 his, opponent
in the following gJme when ht.'
reall:icd h(' could win material.

J.Capablanca . G.Thom..
Hasllngs 193� 3 5

2 4... :xd2?!
Here it s.eems rhaT Black was
afraid of ghosts. He was playmg one
of the greatest pIayers of all time
and was apparentl� blu ffed 1010
thinking that after �·t "a5'. which
WinS iJ White had a nasty
piece.
surpnse waiting for him. Indeed.
 Do ublt: Arrr:,u:ks bJ; Ihe Queen 35

Jircr 25 .le.;. ':xd: 26 l.. :xf7-+- -;th8 "

J c , g '1
.
: e6. it looks lIke Whites passed
"

gOm2
:;J3wTl is ... � to be dangerou'L
-
"
How-e\er, Black then has tbe stl:iish
: . . . e3! � .
- �ow i[ rurns out � that
Bllck's e pawn is stronger than )
\\-hi1e's after :8 G :xdl 29 :'xdl
t;"': while if 28 r.... e3 :xg2- 29 �f1
'jb5- and male follows. Lea\.mg: j
Jside the spectacular :: ..- d. which ___ 2
Black can perhaps be excused for
missing, \\"h ire would also have
r,o!hing real for th e piece afte r the
.� imple 2' =xd l �8 :xd l O'e:
___

46 :f5?
Thomas sees that he can win m'o
pieces for a rook withom al lm:ring White meets Ihe threat of e4-eJ
any complications and so prefers but the remedy prO'\"ts far worse
this-an underst;:mdable decision than the aliment. In stead if 46 :a4
against amighty opp onent. On the e3 4" Ne] :xgJ- 48 �h3 :c2
other hand it mighT have cost him would be ver)" bad for \\'hite in
:hc Vdn if Capablanc.a hadn't "Ie;.:\" of his isol ated pa\l.TIs. but he

biun dered agaih later in the game. I f woul d have been able to struggle
T:10mas had bee n a bit braver he on, And. with his wonderful end­
"'ight hO\'e forc ed Capablanca to game teChnique and strong sense of
::-cslgn in a couple of mo\-es. self prese" ation. Cap.blanca mlghl
haye sayed him5e1f. The game move
\�'hite fought on doudy. and re---
allows an inreresting combinaTion
3chcd :In endgame that off�red some
�'hich traps the rook on a6.
5:Jn:i\'ai chances.
46 . ,i.e6� 47 :f4 ':c4!
!S :.d2 "as 26 b4 "',b5 27
.

bxcS 'ir.c5 28 .b2 ia8 29 :dd1 The changing of the guard: the
'iie7 30 'i'd4 06 3 1 ji'd6 "1d6 32 black rook takes over the defence of
::: xd6 �g6 33 e6 f1e6 34 : ..6 �17 c4 and at the same time cuts off the
35 :'a6 :c7 36 :bl 0.e7 37 h4 retreat of the while rook to 34. 'Sow
!',- c8 38 :'bS ib7 39 :'f5+ .tg8 40 \\'hitc can do nothine
.... about the
';e6 �e7 4] :f4 J.d5 4.2 ':d6 ':c8 threat of l.. c8
';3 :36
48 g4 �c8 49 :xct) :lc6 SO
White cannot seize the seventh :le� t 17 5 1 :.4 :06 52 :f4+
:--a nk with h i s rook bv 4 3 :d7? �e7 53 :e4+ �f6 {I-I
"
b�cause after 43 . . �2:6 44 :'g4 ( 44
It seems to me that Sir George
.

':t5 is similar) 4�.�j.e6 th� two

Thomas jeopardised t he win of a
rOOKS- are forked l ifetime b'\- bemg too trustin2. of his
�

oppcnent Cap.blanca had to make

-

43 :cl + 44 ;h2
-

.•. :::' 06 45 h5
:(2 a second serious mistake in [he
34 Double Attacks by the Queen

endgame before his opponent had down? Of course we could be

the courage to seize his opportunity. wrong----{)r the opponent might be
bluffing! GM David Bronstein
My advice would be not to trust
warned me when playing in Russia
the opponent at all, no matter what
about opponents who pretend to be
his reputation. If you are right in
half asleep and make their moves in
your calculation, you might score a
a langnid, bored way. Then when
nice win; if you are wrong, you
you have been lulled into making
might lose, but at least you have
careless, superficial moves they
been courageous and learnt some­
pounce!
thing for the future: and both these
assets will make you a better player. "What should I do about them?" I
Of course, if you have an easily asked Bronstein and got some
winning position then there is no typically inimitable advice from the
need to embark on a combination, old maestro:
unless you are sure it works.
"If they are higher rated than you
We cannot help making a psycho­ it's easy----{)ffer them a draw! If they
logical assessment of our opponent refuse, they can't carry or
before and during a game. Does he pretending to be uninterested in the
look confident or is he tired and run game."
 4 Double Attacks by the Queen
Puzzles
1 2
i'<.McDonald - P.Lukacs N.McDonald - T.Wall
First Saturday. Budapest 1995 Coulsdon 1 997

a I) c d e f g h a h c d e f g h

H 8 8

7 7 7

(, (, 6

5 5 5

4 4 4

:l 3

2 2

a h c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

White to play Black to play

White played 40 "iil'a l threatening Hlack played 37 R.13 attacking

•••

mate by 42 "iil'h I + �g7 43 "iil'h8 . the rook. What is the best reply?
Black tried t o relieve the pressure
by 40 .. .l:l:dl uncovering an attack on
White's rook. Does this save him?
36 Double Attacks by the Queen Puzzles

3 Black in fact played 5",e6. Now

see if you can work out the win that
Henry Atkins was one of the Atkins found in the game.
might-have-beens of the chess­
world. As a young man he showed
4
his promise by finishing way ahead
of the great Russian Chigorin at
Hannover in 1 902 but subsequently In the chapter on trapping we
never played much international shall look at a strange game that
chess. In the game given here he began 1 d4 f5 2 S/.g5 h6 3 .th4
beat Isidor Gunsberg, who played a c5!? For the moment I would just
match for the World Championship, like to know if you think it is OK
in only eight moves! for White to play 4 e3 here

H,Atkins - I.Gunsberg a b c d e f g h
Hanover 1 902 8 8
7 7
1 d4 d5 2 e4 dxe4 3 1i:lf3 e5 4 e3
6 6
.tg4 5 .txe4
5 5
4 4
R 8
3 3
7 7
2 2
(, 6
5 5
a b c d e f g h
4 4
3 3
and after 4,,:iii'b6 5 dxe5, attack­
2 2 ing Black's queen?
1
a b c d e f g h

Firstly, what happens if 5 . . .li:lf6

here?
 Double Attacks by the Queen Puzzles 37

5 6
B.Gelfand G.Kasparov
- F.Jouber K.Shirazi
-

Dos Hermanas 1 996 Bethune Open 200 I

a h c d c f g h

8 8 8
7 7 7

(; 6 6 6
5 5 5 5

4 4 4 4

:l 3 3 3
2 2 2 2
I 1 1

a h c u e f g h a b c d e f g h

Black to play Black to play

You are a piece up against a 2775 Here Black played 18 .. e5 attack­

.

player but try not to get too excited! ing d4. Should White
Y OUT king is in check after
(a) take the pawn with 19 dxe5
39 . :l!i'e5+ -Should you go 40 1li>f1
.

or 40 Wfl or 40 "il'e3 ? (b) take the pawn after 1 9 �xc6

"il'xc6 20 lllxe5
(c) simplify with 19 �xf4 exf6 20
�xc6 "il'xc6 2 1 :tel
Ifs your choice!
 5 Double Attacks by Rook,
Bishop and Pawn
he queen is a fantastic and rook are both attacked and can't
double attacker thanks defend each other.
to her ovetwhelming
force; the knight mean­ a b c d c f g h
while causes mayhem H
8
with its crafty leap.
7 7
None of the other pieces has such
power or unpredictability, but they 6 6
can still deliver a mighty punch to 5 5
the unwary. In this chapter we look
4 4
at the double attacking antics of the
bishop, rook and pawn. By the way, j o
the words 'fork' and 'double attack' 2 2
mean the same thing. We tend to
talk about a 'pawn fork' or a
a h c d c f g h
'bishop fork' because the attack is
forking out from the pawn or bishop Black to move can win White's
in two directions diagonally. rook with the bishop fork 1.. . .11.1'2+
However, the principle of double 2 �g4 il.xel. Meanwhile White to
attack is the same whether it occurs move can play 1 :'xe6! winning a
diagonally or laterally.
pawn for if l...fxe6 2 .I1.xe6+ �g7 3
.I1.xa2 he has regained his rook and
Bishop Fork is two pawns up.
a b c d e g h
Double Attack by the rook
H
7 a b c J e f g h

(, 8 8
5 7 7
4 (, 6
j 5 5
2 4 4
:l
a b c d e g h 2 2

In the diagram the bishop shows

its long-range power. The knight a 11 C d e f g II
 Double Attacks by Rook. Bishop and Pawn 39

The rook attacks the bishop and The white pawn embarrasses its
knight. They can't help each other superiors! Despite their general
so next move one of the pieces will advantage over the pawn neither
be captured. rook nor knight is designed to cope
with this sort of diagonal attack
a b c d c f g h except by running away. As both
pieces cannot be moved at the same
H
time, Black can only cut his losses
7 7 by moving the rook and losing the
h 6 knight.
5 5

j 3 H H
2 2
7 7

6 6
a b c d e f g h 5 5

4 4
White to move could try I i.xf7? 3 3
with the idea of l ...lUxf7? 2 "e8+
2 2
Wg7 3 "xb8 winning back the piece
with the bonus of an extra pawn. 1 1
However, Black can reply J..,"f3! a b c d e f g h
with a double attack on the bishop
and knight. Then Black wins a
piece. Black has ideas of l . ..g4 but
White gets in first with 1 lUxeS
lUxeS 2 f4! gxf4 3 gxf4 lUec4--­
Pawn Fork nothing else helps� eS and the
pawn wins a piece thanks to the fork
a b c d e f g h of the knight and rook.
R H
7 7 The pawn is the humblest unit on
(, the chessboard. For this reason the
5
queen doesn't relish becoming
5
embroiled with advancing enemy
4 4 pawns at close quarters. In such a
j 3 case her very strength may be a
2 2 weakness as she must always run
from the attack: she can never stand
and fight and risk being exchanged
a b c d e f g h for a mere pawn or two.
40 Double Attacks by Rook. Bishop and Pawn

V.Von Herman - M.Stangl move 14, it was to guard the e4

Bundesliga, Germany 200 I square against J:te4; and from move
15 onwards to keep the bishop on e2
a b c J e f g h
defended. Therefore it could never
8 8 retreat, no matter how hard pressed;
7 7
this made it an easy target for an
attack by the b pawn. The fact that
6 6
the white queen (and king!) were
5 5 also vulnerable made the win
4 4 simple.
3
2 2 Next is a gruesome example of a
pawn fork that never actually
happened!
a b c d e f g h

While 10 play N.McDonald - I.Nataf

Paris-London match 1994
White innocently played 1 3 J/.e2?
but was hit by 13 ...b5!
14 'ill'b3 8 8
If 14 IiJxb5 J:te4! with a double 7 7
attack on the queen and bishop. 6 6
14...e4 5 5
The pawns close in on the white 4 4
queen. 3 3
15 'i'a3 2 2

No better is 1 5 'lli'c 2 b4 1 6 IiJbl 1

b3 17 axb3 cxb3 18 'iil'd3 J:tc8+ 1 9 a b e d g h
IiJc3 1iJb4 2 0 'lli'd2 liJe4 and there
will be a frightful massacre after Black 10 play
2 1 ...1iJxc3.
15 ...'i'b6
Black played 1 3...e5?? when 1 4
White resigned as 1 6 ... b4 will be c3! J/.a5 15 dxe5 left him facing a
a fatal fork. It doesn't help to play pawn fork after 15 ... liJxc5 1 6 b4. So
16 'ill'd6 as 1 6 .. b4 wins a piece
. he tried to escape with 15 ..b4 16 c4
.

anyway because the bishop on e2 1iJ5f6. Now he is ready to play

will be hanging if the knight moves 17 .. .liJxc5 with a good game, but 1 7
from c3. a3! scotched that idea. There
followed 17 ...J:tb8 1 8 IiJd4! 'il'xe5
We see that the white knight 1 9 IiJc6 winning the battle for the
always had a vital function on c3: at b4 square. 19...J:tbe8
 Double Attacks by Rook. Bishop and Pawn 41

moving his knight to safety. In that

8 case White's reply must have been a
7 7
shoc k.

6 6

) 5 8 8
7 7
.j
6 6
3 3
2 2 5 5
4 oj
3 3
a b c J e
2 2
Here the pawn fork 20 axb4 wins,
but 2 0 .lte3! was the cleanest way to
decide the game and in fact Black a b c d e f g h
immediately resigned. The queen
only has two moves: 20 ... 'iiI'f5 2 1
10 exf6! iLxb3 1 1 fxg7
lOe7+ loses it, while 20...'iiI'h5 2 1
'iii' xh5 IOxh5 22 IOxa5 or 22 axM The point: White picks up a third
win a lot of material with the pIece for the queen as there is a
exchange of queens having taken double attack on b3 and 1'8. After
away from Black any last swindle 1 LA.xg7 1 2 axb3 Black had a
chances. queen and pawn for the three pieces,
but the three pieces proved more
valuable, especially after some poor
In the following game the double defending by Black. The game
attack is as it were 'split in half: finished: 1 2 ...lOe6 13 .lte3 1Ob4 14
two pawns each attack one piece. .ll:e l lOdS 15 .lte2 'iil'd6 1 6 0-0 e6 17
lile4 'ife6 III lileS 'ifd6 1 9 lOe4
Xu HaRbing - C.Trajber '1e6 20 lileS 'iil'd 6 2 1 IDeS :tfe8 22
Balatontourist Open 2000 .1g4 :te7 23 lOe4 '1M 24 IOcS
Iilxe3 25 fxe3 e6 26 :tn !
1 1Of3 dS 2 d4 IOf6 3 e4 g6 4 lOe3
.ltg7 5 'ib3 dxe4 6 'iil'xe4 0-0 7 e4 8 8
a6 8 .5 bS 9 'ib3 .lte6?
7 7
It is possible that Black deliber­ 6 6
ately went into the line of play in
5
the game, in which case the error 5
belo ngs in the realms of faulty 4 4
positional judgement as much as in j 3
a book on tactics. However, more
2 2
likely he intended the bishop move
as a zwischenzug to gain time by 1
attacking White's queen before a b c d e f h
42 Double Attacks by Rook, Bishop and Pawn

A clever move. It appears that

White is preparing to double rooks
with 27 J::tcfl to attack f7-which
would be quite sufficient to win in
the long run-but in fact he is
plotting an instant win by taking the
d2 square away from the black
queen.
26.. h5?
.

The only move was 26, .. 'l!fa5.

27 J::ta l ! 1-0 a b c d e f g h
The black queen is trapped and
will be lost to 28 1Oed3. Now chances are equal after
8 ...'iWxd7 9 'iWxd7+ �xd7 1 0 .ltxg2,
but instead there came:
Next is a gruesome example of
8...lOxd7!! 0-1
discovered/double attack. It also
shows that not every zwischenzug is A very nasty surprise.
a good idea. The victim was rated
2450.
If White had considered this
method of recapture for five
G.Mohr - M.Zube seconds he wouldn't have fallen for
Nuremberg Open 1 989 the trap. Of course, he didn't even
look at it for one second: the knight
is pinned and besides no one ever
I c4 e5 2 lOe3 lOe6 3 1Of3 f5 4 d4 recaptures in this way!
e4 5 �g5
The unexpected double attack
This appears to be a useful means that White is a piece down
zwischenzug, but it paves the way
after 9 .ltxg2 'l!fxg5 or a rook after 9
for a fatal blunder. .ltxd8 gxhl �'iW.
5 lOf6 6 d5?
...

White also fell for this trap in

Rather than move the knight Razuvaev-Kupreichik, Dubna 1970
White counterattacks. and Doroshkevich-Tukmakov, Riga
1970. Such is the danger of routine
6... exf3 7 dxe6 fxg2 8 exd7+
thinking. When engaging in any
White would be a pawn down for operation that involves 'close
nothing after 8 �xg2 bxc6. Of combat' with the opponent's forces,
course, after Black's reply he might it is essential to calculate variations
well have wished he had played rather than rely on general
this ... principles.
 Double Attacks hy Rook, Bishop and Pawn 43

E,Bareev - P,Leko If 2 1 . .. nd7 22 .ltc5+ wins a piece

NAO Masters, Cannes 2002 while if 2 1 ...lbe2+ 22 <;i<f] n xd l +
23 nxd 1 and the knight is trapped
a h c u � f g h on e2. Leko tried giving up the
H
exchange, but he lost very quickly:
�
2 1...lbxc4 22 .ltxd6 Ibxd6 23 li'fl
7
e5 24 nacl nd8 25 nc5 �b8 26
nd5 Ii'c7 27 Ibc5 ne8?! 28 .c:cl
s 5 .lth6 29 Ibxa6+ 1-0 It's not worth
investigating 29 ... li'd7 30 nc7+
-I 4
li'e6 3 1 Ibc5+ Ii'f5 32 nxd6.
3
2 2
A double attack by a rook features
strongly in the next game, but it's
a I) c d � f g II worth repeating that to make a
successful combination you
White to play nonnally have to combine more
than one tactical idea. In fact the
Atter 20 nedl Leko didn't want game is bristling with tactical
to give away control of the d file themes from both sides: trapping
and so played 20",/ild4. He had pieces. double attack and forking.
calculated that, after 2 1 nxd4 nxd4
22 �e3 pinning his rook, he could
play 22" .lilxc4 when his bishop E,Repkova - B,Kelly
defends the rook and he has won a Wroxham Masters 2002
pawn. Or similarly 2 1 �e3 Ibxc4
a b c d e f g h
WHIS a pawn,
H H
However, disaster struck from an
unexpected direction: 21 iLe7! 7 7

using the square lett undefended by 6 6

2o. . . Ibd4.
5 5
a b c u e f g h 4

3
2

a b c d e f g h

Black to play

After 20".lbe4 Black threatens to

1
trap the white knight with 2 1 ...f6. It
 44 Double Attacks by Rook, Bishop and Pawn

is awkward having to secure a a h c d e f g h

retreat square-for example 2 1 'il'dl
8 c
f6 22 lDd3 lDg6 and White has the
7
unappealing choice between 23 g3
(when 23 .. .'iI'h3 looks dangerous) 6 (
and wholesale grovelling with 23 s
lDfe l . Not liking this much White
4
tried a combinative approach:
3
2 1 l:tae1 ?
2
Even so, it was better to endure
the inconveniences of the note
above than to lose material. a b c d e f g h

2 1...[6 22 Wh 1
An ingenious attempt to st·'
So that if 22 ... fxe5? 23 dxe5 i.e7 alive. White defends the bisho
(Note that if White hadn't played 22 attacks the rook on c2 by cutting a
Wh I then 22 ... i.c5 calling check! the defence from the queen a
would win for Black.) 24 'il'xd5+ hopes to bluff Black out of chech.
regains the knight on e4 leaving on f2 by threatening lDxd6 shou
White two pawns up. the black knight leave e4.
22"" l:tc2! 23. ..lDf2+!
The trouble for White is that Black isn't hoodwinked. He h·
Black doesn't have to take the calculated that he will have the la
knight immediately. The move 22 laugh with a double attack. n
Wh 1 , which was essential to make moves that follow are forced.
White's combination work after
24 l:l:xf2 l:!xe1+ 25 lDxel l:txf2 :.
22 ...fxe5, proves to be fatally
lDxd6 'il'e6!
flawed after the game move. White
cannot defend the bishop on b2 and Now Black can't defend both
at the same time cover f2 . After 23 and e l .
l:te2 l:txe2 24 'il'xe2 Black can 2 7 i.e3 'i'xd6 0-1
happily pocket the knight with
24 ... fxe5. A simplified position t'
exchange down with no activity
23 lDc4!? resignable in international ches
Besides, next move either the a2 .
f4 pawns will drop.
 6 Double Attacks by Rook,
Bishop and Pawn Puzzles
1 2
V.Anand - A.Morozevich a b c d e f g h
Dortmund 2001
R 8
7 7

8 8 6 6
7 7 5 5
6 6 4 4
5 5 3 3
4 4 2 2

3 3 1

2 2 a b c d e r g h
1
Can Black to move safely capture
a b c d e f g h the passed pawn on a7?

How did Morozevich capitalise on

his pressure along the c file? One
move proved enough!
46 Douhle Attacks by Rook, Bishop and Pawn Plczles

3 Black has a bishop en prise, but

things seem far worse for White as
a b c u r.: f g h. he has both a rook and bishop
H H attacked.
7 7 3 b e d r.: f g II

6 6 8 Il
5 5 7 7
4 4 6 6
3 3 5 5
2 2

5 j

a b c d e g Ii 2 2

White to play
a b c d e f g h

How can White exploit his passed

Can he escape with 19 lhc7,
pawns?
getting the pawn back?
5
4
S.Vokarev · G.Prakken
M.Deffontaine S.Bry
Ubeda Open 2000
•

Bethune Open 200 I

a b c d c g h
a I) c d c f g h

H H

7 7

6 6
5 5

4 4

j 1
2 2

a h c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h

Black to play Black to play

Black grabbed a pawn with Black sought to free his game

1 5 li:Jxc4 16 .ltxc4 il.xc4. Then
•.. with 1 7 ... li:Jxd4 18 'i!l'xd4 'i!l'xd4 1 9
after 1 7 .IHel Black's queen was Ii:Jxd4 e5. Now after 20 Ii:Jfe6 .ltxe6
attacked and both his bishops 2 1 l:!xe5 .ltd7 he held the draw in
loosely placed, so he played the game Vallejo Pons' I.Farago, St.
1 7....ltd3 18 lhe7 .ltxc2. Now Vincent 1 998. Can you do better?
 7 Pins

f you have played through after the moves 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3

the terrible deeds of the 1iJc3 IiJf6 4 .\tg5 the bishop is
knight in the first chapter, it harassing the knight in a way which
won't surprise you to learn the knight can never return: namely
� that the great masters of the a pin. This example is very mildly
late 1 9th century, such as Pillsbury irritating for Black: much nastier
and Chigorin, believed that knights things await the pinned player in
were more valuable than bishops. In this chapter! Although queen and
those days positional and defensive rook can also pin, I have mainly
technique were on a much lower concentrated on pins by the bishop
level so it was no wonder that the in this chapter. We'll begin with
maverick knight had a lot mO,e some definitions.
opportunity to do damage than the
Roughly speaking, a pin involves
'steady' bishop.
attacking a piece that can't run away
These days both pieces are rough­ from the attack without allowing the
ly estimated at being worth 3 points capture of a more important piece
or pawns, but no expert ever gives that is sheltering behind it on the
the nod to the knight: the bishop is same line.
regarded as very slightly, but
a b c d e f g h
definitely, the superior piece.
8 8
This decline in the value of the
knight compared to the bishop 7 7
should also take place in a player's 6 6
personal chess development I can
5 5
remember some unforgettable
moments from my early chess 4 4
history in which a knight fork either 3 3
won me a glorious victory or, more 2 2
frequently, destroyed my position.
The bishop was rarely involved in
such dramatic moments. None the a b c d e f g h
less, once a player feels he
understands chess logic and The black rook is attacked but
becomes resistant to forks by the cannot move to safety as then the
strange-moving knight, he starts to black king would be attacked. The
appreciate the long term pressure rook is therefore said to be pinned
that the bishop can give. Already by the bishop against the king.
48 Pins

White to move could win the a b c d e f g h

exchange with I ixe5+, but even 8 H
better would be 1 f4, exploiting the
7 7
pin to win the rook for nothing next
move by 2 ixeS. 6 6
5 5

4 4
The bishop, queen and rook are
all capable of pinning a piece. The 3 3
example above is of a diagonal pin 2 2
by a bishop. Here is a lateral pin by
the rook.
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
If the black knight moves no
R 8 piece behind it will be lost, but 2
7 7 J:rd8 will be mate. In effect, the
knight is pinned against the dB
6 (,
square, though curiously the word
) 5 'pin' is not used in these situations.
4 4 Instead in this specific example
authors would come up with some
3 3
fudge about the knight 'not daring
2 2 to move because of the weak back
rank'.
a b c d e f g 11
The second point is that only a
piece pinned against the king is par­
White sets up a pin with the alysed. Take the following example:
exchange 1 l:l:xeS+ IilxeS and now 2
]:tel pins the knight against the a b c d e f g h
king. Note that the pin prevents
8 8
Black playing 2 lilo+ because
...

7 7
Black would be in check before
White' 6 6
5 5

4 4
Two important additions need to
be made to the definition of a pin 3 3
above. Firstly, a piece can be pinned 2 2
against an important square as well
1 1
as a more valuable piece. For
example: a b c d e f g h
 Pins 49

is Black to play. There is a pin

It P. Carlon - G .Crawley
on the e file, but if 1 . . f5. the pin
. GLC Masters, London 1986
changes hands and becomes a
diagonal pin: 2 .i.dS! Therefore
Black has to tread more carefully 8 8
with 1 ..tc6! and only after 2 f3 [5
..

7 7
Now with d5 defended the pin holds
firm and White has to give away the 6 6
exchange with 3 .txc6 l:txel+. 5 5
Pins occur fairly often in games; 4 4
in fact they play a part in almost any } 3
strategy. I recall GM Julian
2 2
Hodgson telling me about one of his
games with a French amateur which 1
began 1 04 d6 2 d4 ttlf6 3 ttlc3 c6 4 a b c d e f g h
f4 "ii'aS. The idea of Black's queen
foray is to slow down White's Black to play
attacking build up by forcing him to
defend his e pawn. White. however,
Here a crowd of spectators
completely missed the point and
gathered when Black sacrificed his
continued developing with 5 ttlf3?
rook with
and after 5 . /Uxe4 immediately
. .

resigned in disgust at blundering his 22 ...l:txf3!? 23 'il'xf3 l:txe4

pawn. So Black's positional move
I was one of these onlookers, and
became a trap because of White's
as I waited for White to move I tried
reply. After the game Hodgson
to work out what Crawley had
suggested that White could utilise a
planned against 24 .te3 . The pin on
counter pin of his own with 6 .ltd3
b7 is awkward: Black cannot play
ttlxc3 7 "ii'd 2!? followed by 8 bxc3
24 . . .lhe3 as 25 "ii'xb7 just leaves
with some open lines as compen­
White a rook up. So maybe he
sation for the pawn. Hodgson then
intended 24 ...'iI'g4 hoping for 25
stated that he might consider
'ill'xg4 lhg4 mate, but I couldn't see
playing this sacrifice as White in a
a decisive move after 26 "ii'g 2.
future game! Whether this comment
Crawley's quiet move took me com­
was based on an objective appraisal
pletely by surprise.
of the position or designed to annoy
his opponent I'll let the reader judge 24 .te3 �c6!!
for himself. A fantastic move, after which the
If the pinned piece is supported pin On the long diagonal changes
by a pawn the pin is often harmless hands. Black doesn't need to hurry
or only slightly irritating. In this the attack as White's king and
chapter we look at the more deadly queen cannot escape from the
of the species. deadly diagonal.
 50 Pins

25 hS king from the defence of the

queen.). Instead Adams played the
White has no answer to the
simple 28 �h2! and suddenly the
threats.
black queen and rook on d3 were in
25.. lrg4!
.
a nasty pin. After 28...il.c7 29 l:txa7
Spectacular, but the queen offer �c8 30 l:t.8+ il.b8 it was pin
isn't as hard to find as 24 ...il.c6! ! . number two.

26 1!fl
8 8
Of Course 26 'lil'xc6 "ill'xc6 mates.
7 7
26...'1r6! 0-1
6 6

5 5
M.Adams - J.Lautier
Biel 1991 4 4

<l b c d e f g h 3 3

8 2 2
8
7 1
7
6 6 a b c d e f g h

5 5
The question is how can While
4 4 combine the power of these two
3 3 pins? He did so with 31 l:tdl! when
2 2
Black resigned for if 3 1...e4 32
il.f4! when in relieving one pin
1
Black has fallen prey to another.
:l b c d e f g h

White to play N.McDonald - J.Naylor

Maidstone v. Lewisham,
As yet there is no pin in sight, but County Final, 2002
such is White 's pressure that two
mighty pins suddenly appear. Here a b c J e f g h
Adams played 2 7 c5 which looks 8 8
(and is ! ) crushing. If Black retreats
7 7
his bishop then the white rook
comes crashing through on a7. So 6 6
Lautier tried one last throw of the 5 5
dice with 27 ..."ill' xb5 hoping for 28
4 4
cxb6?? l:txg3+ (discovered attack on
the queen!) 29 �fl (here a little 3 3

knowledge is a dangerous thing as if 2 2

White hadn't seen he could defend 1
his queen in this manner he
wouldn't the trap! ) a h c d e f g h
fall for
29. . .l:tgl +! (deflecting the white White to play
 Pins 51

With his next couple of moves This example will remind u s that
White set up a decisive pin. no pin, apart from that on the king,
is absolute.
33 Sl.b3! .lU8
Black's bishop is pinned against
The only other way to defend 17
the queen, but there is a knight fork
was by blocking out the bishop with
on f2 if he takes it straight away.
33 ... /Zld5, but this allows 34 'l!i'x17+
Gyimesi may have reasoned as
and mate next move.
follows:
34 .lb17! .lh17 35 l:l:e7
'The bishop won't run away-I'll
Black has no good way to support play 25 !:!.b I , attacking the other
his rook on 17. If 35 .../Zld5 36 bishop and bring my rook into the
'l!i'x17+ or 35 ...l:l:d5 36 'i!i'xb8+. game--perhaps even 26 J:[b3 to add
to the attack on the pinned bishop.
35" ,'i!i'd8
If 25 .../Zlxf2+ 26 J:txf2 'i!i'xf2 27
If 35...'Ot>h8 36 l:l:x17 h6 37 l:l:xf6' l:l:xb4 'i!i'x17 28 'i!i'xh3 and White has
gxf6 (37 ... l:l:xf6 38 'i!l'xb8+) 38 a piece for three pawns, with
'i!l'xh6 mate. unclear play. '
36 l:l:x17 Unfortunately for White the
Being a pawn down is the least of bishop did run away after 25 J:[bl
Black's worries since his king is Sl.f5!!
facing a winning attack.
36.. ,'Ot>h8 37 'l!i'g5 g6 38 'i!i'h6 1-0 8 8

If 38 ... 'i!I'g8 White has 39 l:l:f8 or 7 7

39 l:l:xf6 uncovering an attack on the 6 6
black queen. 5
5

4 4
Z.Gyimesi - A.Shirov
FIDE World Championship, 3 3
Moscow 2001 2 2

a I) c d e f g h 1

a b c d e f g h

26 'i!i'13
If 26 .!bh4 /Zlxf2+ 27 'Ot>c2 (it is
fatal that the rook on bl can always
be attacked by the bishop on fS, for
example 27 'Ot>cl /Zlxd3+ 28 <j;dl
/Zlf2+) 27 ... .ixd3+ 28 It>b3 .ixbl
29 'Ot>xb4 and White emerges three
pawns down.
a b c d e f g h
White to play 26..:iII'gS
52 Pins

Black has freed himself from the C.Duncan - N.McDonald

pin and now has a decisive attack St Peter's De Beauvoir tournament,
against White's king. The immedi­ London 1 995
ate threat is 27 ... 'Iii'd2 mate.
a b c d e f g h
27 l%b2
a b c d e f g h

8 H

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2
a b c d e f g h
1

a b c d e f g h White to play

27.. ,IiJc3+! 28 �el 14 'i'd2 'tII'a 6!

If 28 IiJxc3 il.g4 would be a great An essential move serving many
revenge for the bishop----in contrast purposes: it stops White from
to White's pin in the diagram this castling, pins the a3 pawn so that 15
pin is absolute as it is on the white axb4 is impossible, and prepares
king. 15 ... liJd3+. If Black had just been
satisfied being a pawn up and
28 ...liJxe2+ 29 1Ixb4 1iJd4! 0-1
played 14 ...liJc6, then 15 0-0 would
As 30 'lii'c3 (or 30 'tII'g3 'tII'c l mate) allow White to put up a hard fight.
30 ... 'tII'g l + wins the rook.
I S il.b2
Also hopeless is 1 5 IiJe2 IiJc2+.
In the following example, White's
15 ... liJd3+ 1 6 �dl IiJxb2+ 17
last move 13 'tII'd 3? was an outright
'lii'xb2 'lii'd3+ 0-1
blunder which allowed 1 3 ... liJxb4!.
If now 1 4 axb4 lIxc3! (not The double attack on the king and
1 4... il.xb4 15 il.d2) when 15 'tII'xc3 c3 wins a piece.
il.xb4 wins White's queen.
 Pins 53

S.Agdestein - A.Shirov
Bergen 2001 H 8

a b c d e f g h 7 7
6 6
H H
7
5 5
7
4 4
6
3 3
5
2 2
4 4
3 "
a b c d e f g h
2 2

A clever move that WInS the

a \) c d e f g h
pinned piece.
White to play 32...lilxcs 33 dxcS l:tg7 34 cxd6+
'iiid 8 35 'iiie3 l:tgS 36 �h4 .ll.eS+ 37
The black knight on d6 is very I!<d4 l:te6 38 'iiicS b6+ 39 �dS and
unpleasantly pinned against the king White, with a dominant king and a
by the bishop. It is necessary to lethal pair of bishops, won easily in
increase the pressure and Agdestein the endgame.
brought the rook into the attack by:
30 .!!.fS ! 'iiic6
We all have an opponent that we
If 30...b5 3 1 l:td5 l:te6 32 �f5! just can't ever seem to get a decent
and every white piece is joining in result against, even if he or she is of
the struggle to exploit the pin on d6. about the same playing strength. At
including the light-squared bishop: the time of writing, the most famous
this piece doesn't even know that example is the lop-sided score
the d6 square exists but it is playing between Kasparoy and Shirov. Even
a vital subsidiary role in attacking those who claim that Kasparov is
the black rook. Black's position the greatest player of all time must
would immediately collapse. surely admit that 1 5 wins to nil in
his favour with 1 2 draws is a
31 �a4+! 'iiic7
bizarrely one sided score.
The king retreats unwillingly back
At a slightly lower level, despite a
into the pin. though at least with the
very similar rating, Viktor Bologan
consolation that if now 32 l:td5 he
has lost to Joel Lautier in all six of
has 32 ... l:te6 without worrymg
their games, including three
about 33 �f5. If instead 3 1 ...b5 then
consecutive Olympiads-in 1992,
32 �xd6 'iiixd6 33 .Iil.xb5 leaves
1 994 and 1 996. Not surprisingly,
Black in a horrible endgame with all
Bologan seems to have become dis­
his pawns isolated and sickly.
heartened by this long string of fail­
32 l:tcS+! ures. Here is their fourth encounter:
54 Pins

J.Lautier - V.Bologan S.Agdestein - S.Knott

Enghien-Ies-Bains 1999 4NCL, Binningham 2002
a b c d c f g h
1 c4 c6 2 e4 dS 3 cxdS cxdS 4
exdS Ibf6 S 1bc3 Ibbd7 6 1bf3 a6 7
d4 1bb6 8 IbeS!?
Black would have a safe game
with B ... g6, but Bologan couldn't
see why he shouldn't recapture the
pawn straight away:
8 ...lbbxdS?? 9 'l!l'a4+! i.d7 2
Hopeless is 9 ... b5 1 0 i.xb5+ axb5
I I 'l!l'xaB.
a b c d e f g h
1 0 Ibxd7 White to play
a b c d e f g h 32 i.a6+! �b8
8 8 Walking into a fatal pin, but if
7 7 32 .. .'iil'x a6 33 'lIi'xe5 ll:f8 34 i.xg5
6
Ibd7 35 'l!l'xc3+ and White is three
6
pawns up. Meanwhile if 32 ...�d8
5 S
33 ll:dl + �e7 34 i.d4 and Black's
4 4 king is facing a lethal attack.
3 " 33 i.d4! Ibfd7 34 l:t.el 1-0
2 2
The knight on e5 is in a double
1 pin, which becomes a double attack
a b c d e f g 11
after 34 ... 'lIi'xa6 35 i.xe5+ Ibxe5 36
'lIi'xe5+.
1-0 F.Castaldo - I.Rogers
Black has no choice but to resign Saint Vincent 200 I
for if 1 0 ... 'I!I'xd7 I I i.b5 axb5 12 a b c d e f g h
'ilxaB+ wins the exchange. 8 8
7 7
In the next game, White is a pawn
up but after his last move 3 1 . ..lbe5
Black appears to have a fighting 5 5

chance: the white bishop on c4 is 4 4

hanging and he is ready to play i.c6 3 3
attacking D. Many players would
2 2
play 32 i.e2 to ward off both
threats. Instead Agdestein found a
way to completely upset Black's a b c d c f g 11
position: White to play
 Pins 55

White now played 1 8 f5 attacking White resigned as if 24 ILlxe3

the bishop. This sets a nice trap for J:txe3 25 'ill'xe3 'ili'xfl +.
if 1 8 ....!hd4? counter-attacking the
queen, then 1 9 fxe6! l:I:xd2 20 exf7+
I!;>h8 2 1 fxe8='iiI' 'ili'xe3+ 22 �h I V.Anand Fritz 6 -

wins as if 22 ... lilxe8?! 23 J:txf8 Siemens Man-Machine re-match,

mate. Black could just move his Frankfurt 1999
bishop, say to d5, but Rogers found
a b c J e f g h
something much better that ex­
ploited the power of a pin: 8 8

18 ... �xa2! 19 Iilxa2 J:txd4 20 7 7

'l!I'f2 6 6

The queen walks into a pin, as 5 5

otherurise a piece will drop due to a 4 4
potential discovered check, e.g. 20
3 3
'l!I'c3 J:txe5 2 1 J:txe5 J:td3+ or 20
'l!I'e2 J:txe5 2 1 J:txe5 J:td2+. 2 2
1
20 ...�c5 !
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h

8 8 Black to play

7 7 Here Fritz to move won the first

6 'battle of the pins' after
5 20...c5! 2 1 1Llxe4
4 4 Or else the bishop is trapped.
3 3
2 1...cxd4 22 J:txd4
2 2
The only chance as 22 ILleS dxe3
1
looks horrible for White.
a b c d e f
22...�f5 23 J:tcdl 'iil'e 7!
Winning a piece, but White can
Now the white king, queen and still put up a tough resistance in the
rook cannot all be evacuated from endgame.
the diagonal in time. The immediate
threat is 2 1 . ..J:txe5! 22 J:txeS J:td51 24 J:txd5 �xe4 25 �xe4 'ill'xe4 26
winning the queen. 'il'xe4 J:txe4 27 J:tld2 a5 28 b3 a4
29 bxa4 J:txa4 30 :c2 .\taJ 31 J:td7
2 1 1!;>hl �b2 32 I!;>g2
I f 2 1 b4 J:txb4!. White has two pawns for the piece
2 1...J:tdd8! and can hope for a draw after, say,
32 ... �f6 33 ltdc2 but Fritz's next
A decisive retreat
move simplified his task
22 ILlc4 .\txe3 23 'ili'I3 'iil'b 5! considerably.
56 Pins

A computer can work out Black is the exchange and a pawn

variations to an astounding depth, down, but at least he thought he
but it can no more understand could count on some dark square
tactical themes than it can control after 35".lild4. Alas, this
understand strategical themes. Thus turned out to be a mirage after 36
when it could calculate everything c5! cutting off the defence of the
at move 20 above it made a precise knight as 36 ...dxc5 fails to 37 l:[xd4
combination to win a piece. But with a pin on the c file. The game
here, with judgement to the fore ended 36".ll:xc5 37 'ill'xd4 1-0
rather than calculation, it played
32".lha2? when 33 l:[dd2 pinned
the bishop for eternity. The bishop
could be freed if somehow the black V.Anand - G.Kasparov
king got to c3, but of course it can Linares 1997
never cross the d file if White keeps
his rook stationed there. At this
point its human controllers pulled 8 8
the plug on Fritz and gave Anand a
7 7
draw
6 6
5 5
The next four games are by
4 4
Kasparov and all feature lateral pins
by a rook. 3 3
.�·�·
•.••
w

2 2
1
G.Kasparov - B.Gelfand
Novgorod 1997 a h c d e f g h

Black to play
8 8
7 7 White's centre is looking fragile
so dynamic play is called for.
6 6
5
38".h5!
5

4 4 Threatening to win the e4 pawn

with 39...h4 40 Iilh5 lilxe4.
3 3
2 2
39 1ilxh5
Losing without much of a fight,
though admittedly the alternative 39
a b c d e g h
l:[e I g4 leaves White tied up.
Black to play 39".lilxe4 40 'ill'f3
 Pins 57

White had relied on this pm to Threatened with mate on g2,

save him, but after White rushed to exchange queens
40... g4 4 1 'lii" g2 ll:h8! with 33 'lii"d5+ 'lii" xd5 34 lhd5.
However, he now falls into a
gruesome pin.
a b c d e f g h
34 il.c3!
...

8
It is essential to prevent White
7 7
freeing himself with 35 il.d2 or 3 5
6 6 il.f2.
'; 5
35 1:.2 ll:.4
4 4
The next step is to double the
3 3 rooks against the paralysed bishop.
2 2
36 �f2 .Il:f.8 37 ll:d3 il.f6

a b c d l' f g h a b c d e f g h

8 8
... he resigned. The knight has only
7 7
one retreat and the problem is that
after 42 /i:lg3 /i:lxg3+ White can 6 6
neither recapture with the h pawn, 5 5
which is pinned frontally by the
4 4
rook, nor with the queen as it is
pinned diagonally by Black's queen. 3 3
2 2

A.shirov - G.Kasparov
a b c J e f g h
Linares 1997

a b c d e f g h White is completely tied up.

8 8 a) 3 8 .Il:el f4! 39 gxf4 il.h4+ and
7 7
the skewer wins a rook.

6 6 b) 38 I:c2 I:xe3 3 9 ll:xe3 il.d4

';
and after 40 I:ce2 Black could sim­
5
ply play his king to g5 then play
I[ 4 f5-f4 and, after g3xf4+ '.t>xf4, win­
3 3 ning the a-rook. If 40 .Il:cc3 there is
2 2 an elegant breakthrough on the
kingside: 40...ll:xe3 4 1 .Il:xe3 f4! 42
1
gxf4 il.xe3+ 43 �xe3 (the endgame
a b c d e ( g h is lost after 43 '.t>g3 il.gl 44 �g4
il.xh2 45 �xh3 il.xf4) 43 ... g3 and a
White to play pawn will queen.
58 Pins

In the game Shirov played 38 king is a long way from the black
J:ted2 but resigned after 38...l:he3. passed pawn. Still, it doesn't seem
There could follow much and a long hard fight is in
prospect. Instead the game only
a b c d e f g h lasted another two moves: such is
8
the power of a pin!
8
7 7 46 .ltd3? It'ie6+ 47 �f6
6 6 Instead the king could have gone
5 5
to g8, but then it would be so far
away from the passed pawn that
4 4
Black would have good winning
3 3 chances.
2 2
47....!:tr4+! and White resigned.

a h c d e f g h
The only square for the king is g6,
39 .lhe3 lhe3 40 Ii<xe3 .tg5+ the but after 48 �g6 the pin 48 ....!:td4 is
skewer again 4 1 li<e2 .txd2 42 fatal.
�xd2 f4! 43 gxf4 (or 43 li<e2 fxg3 White has no time to unpin his
44 hxg3 h2) 43 ...g3 and soon Black rook with 49 .!:td I , intending 50
will have another queen. .ltc2 or 50 .lte2, as Black has
49 ... lt'if4 - with check! - winning
the bishop. It turns out 46 .ltd3 was
G.Kasparov - P.Leko
a big blunder: instead 46 .ltg6, for
Fujitsu Siemens Giants,
example, should draw.
Frankfurt 2000
a b c d e f g h
P.Broutin - A. De Boer
8 8
Bethune Open 2001
7 7
6 6
5 5 8 8

4 4 7 7

3 3 6 (,

2 2 5 5

4 4

a b c d e f g h 3 3
2 2
White to play 1

a b c d e f g h
The world Number One wasn't so
fortunate in the next example. Here
White to play
Leko has the better of it as White's
 Pins 59

Black has some pieces on impres­ A simple move, but it refutes

sive squares on the kingside and the Black's combination. Instead 1 6
h2 pawn is under attack. There llIe2 IiJxe3 1 7 'iil'xe3 "ii'xe3+ 1 8
being no good way to defend it, >!ixe3 1I.xe I looks equal.
White played 14 ll:el. This
1 6...0-0-0
introduces a potential pm on
Black's queen and king. Perhaps Black had forgotten that
on 1 6... 1I.xel 1 7 'iil'x el 'iil'xe3+ (or
Black embarked on an unsound
1 7 ...liJxe3 1 8 .!te2) 1 8 "ii'xe3+ IOxe3
combination.
the rook can swing over to the e file:
14 ...ll:xh2+? 1 9 l1:e2! and Black is in a fatal pin.
He should have been fearless of 1 7 11.12 1I.xh2+ 1 8 q"xh2
the pin and captured the other way:
White now has an extra piece.
14 . . . �xh2 1 5 11,[4 �xf41 1 6 ll:xe7+
IiJfxe7 (Here 16 ... liJgxe7? is 18...'iiI'd6+ 19 >!igl IiJd4 20 1I.xd4
incredibly natural, developing the 'iil'g3+?
piece; the problem is that after 1 7 Losing more material to a knight
ll:xh4 �xd2 1 8 ll:h8+ White loses fork. If Black wanted to try one last
the rook on a8 to a skewer. That's swindle then there was 20 ..."ii'xd4+
why Black has to keep the knight on 2 1 'iil'e3 'iil'd6 22 'iil'xa7?? (the sure
gS.) 17 'iil'e 1 ll:xh I-Now Black has bet winning move is 22 "ii'e6+
a rook and two pieces for the queen exchanging queens) 22 .. . "ii'g3+ and
and much the better chances, though Black picks up the rook.
White has a lot of play after 18 'iil'e4
g5 1 9 'iil'xb7. 2 1 1I.g2 .!txd4 22 liJe2 and Black
decided enough was enough. 1-0
15 ll:xh2 �g3+
If 1 5 ...�xh2 1 6 �f4 wins the
queen, but after the game move
Combining tactical ideas
White had prepared

a b c d e f g h Although each chapter in this

K 8 book concentrates on just one
7
specific tactical device, virtually
7
every combination involves the use
(, 6 of two or more of these ideas. The
, 5 following game is a good example.
'\ 4 It features one of the most
successful of all opening traps that
.j 3
has claimed at least three GM
2 2 victims. The secret of its
effectiveness is that the moves
leading up to it are entirely natural
a !) c d e f g 11
and this dulls the player's tactical
16 1l1g l ! vigilance. It only lasts 1 4 moves,
60 Pins

but see how many tactical themes his bishop on f8 is gomg to see
you can spot. daylight and replies
9 .... dxe5?
A.Bigg Van Laatum
- Tactics come before strategy!
Hastings Challengers 1999 Black had to try the positionally
inferior, but tactically sound,
9... lllxeS though 1 0 IllxeS 'iil'xeS I I
1 d4 Illf6 2 .ig5 e6 3 04 h6 4
f4 is pleasant for White.
.bf6 'iil'xf6 5 1llf3 d6 6 Illc3 Illd7 7
'ilfd2 c6?! a b c d e f g h

Black wants to play ...e6-e5 to 8

gain an equal share of the centre, 7
but he doesn't want to be bothered 6
by Ii:ldS. So first of all he defends
5
the dS square a second time. At the
same time he rules out �b5-or so 4
he thinks! A safe alternative was 3
7 ...a6!1.
2
8 0-0-0 05?
Continuing his plan, but moving a b c d e f g h
ever closer to the abyss . . .

9 dxe5 10 Illb 5!
a b c d e f g h If 1 O... cxb5, to stop the fork on
8 8 c7, I I .ixbS is murderous: 1 1 ... 'iiI'e6
1 2 Ill xeS! (a deflecting move: it
7 7
attacks d7 again and so forces the
6 6 queen away from the defence)
5 5 12 ... 'iiI'xeS 1 3 .ixd7+ �e7 1 4 .ixc8
4 4 and Black is two pawns down with
an exposed king. A spectacular
3 3
finish would then be 14 .. ..!hc8 I S
2 2 'iil'd7+ �f6 1 6 'iil'xc8 Sl.a3 !?
(uncovering an attack on the white
queen and hoping to gain time to
attack after 17 'ilfxh8 with
17...'iiI'xb2+) 1 7 'iil'fS+!. The simpl­
If this wasn't tactically strong it est reply, which forces the exchange
would be a positionally bad move as of queens. Black is the exchange
White is releasing Black's dark­ and two pawns down after
squared bishop. This is one of the 1 7 ...'iiI'xfS 1 8 exfS. Remember that
factors that makes the trap venom­ when you are material up it is often
ous-Black no doubt is relieved that a good idea to exchange queens!
 Pins 6 1

10 ...l!id8 1 3 tZld6! �c7??

The king isn't happy to move Black is desperate to avoid the
onto the open d file, but the fork on double attack after 1 3 ...�xd6 14
c7 must be stopped and if 1O ...l:tb8 'lll'xc6 and 1 3 ...b5 14 'ill"aS+ doesn't
I I tZlxa7 wins a pawn: the knight help. However, in !tying to escape
doesn't get trapped on a7 because he falls for a far bigger tactic.
ttJxc8 can be played at a convenient
14 tZle8+ 1-0
moment.
In fact Black managed to resign
I I "ili'a5+
just before the knight reached e8.
More powerful was the straight­
forward development I I �c4! as
I I . ..cxb5 still loses to the pin after White's initial combination
1 2 �xb5 "ili'e7 1 3 �xd7 �xd7 14 utilised the themes of fork, pin and
tZlxe5 "ili'xe5? 15 "ili'xd7 mate. deflection, while at move I I double
attack was important. It is vital that
I I...b6 12 "ili'a4
a player is alert to all the tactical
a b c d e f g h devices available in a position, not
just one or two. Otherwise he or she
might make wonderful combin­
ations that fail at the critical
moment due to a 'bug' in the
system: a vital piece of tactical
knowledge that is missing.

A.Grischuk - G.Kasparov
Linares 200 I

a b c d e f g h
a h c d e f g h
R 8
12 a6
...

7 7
The outcome wasn't clear after
12 ... cxb5 1 3 �xb5 as Black now 6 6
has some extra defensive options 5 5
against the pin. Firstly, he can block 4 4
the d file with 13 .�d6 and follow­
..

3 3
ing 1 4 l:txd6 "ili'xd6 I S l:tdl , clearing
the way for the massacre after 2 2
1 5 ..."ili'c7 16 �xd7 �xd7 1 7 tZlxe5
"ili'xe5 18 "ili'xd7 mate, he can give
a b c d e f g h
up his queen: 1 5 ..."ili'xdl+1 16 l!ixdl
tZlc5 and Black can fight on with Black to play
two rooks for a queen, though his
exposed king will still cause him An extremely complicated posi­
some problems. tion arose after 23...l:tb8 attacking
62 Pins

the white bishop. If now 24 .Iha5 Therefore he has to keep his

i..d 8! wins material as the rook bishop to defend c5, but this time it
cannot retreat without leaving the is retreating without capturing
bishop en prise. So Grischuk played anything. A better defence would
24 �xeS have been 26 �d4, at once
supporting the knight, when if
26 ...e5-the immediate 26... li'If4+
8 8 27 It>h l l:td8 is also uncomfortable
for White-27 il.e3 li'If4+ 28 It>hl
7 7
holds on.
6 (,
26...li'IgS 27 �f2
5 5
3 b e d e f g h
4 4
8 8
3 3
7 7
2 2
(, 6

5 5
a b c d e f g h
4 4
Black has to recapture his piece, .l
but which one?
2 2
If 24 ....!hb5 then 25 .txf4 l:txc5!
(not 25 ...�xc5+ 26 li'Ixc5 l:txc5 27
�d6 with a fork) 26 li'Ixc5 �xc5+ a b c d e f g h

27 �e3 �xa3 28 bxa3 looks fairly

equal. Or 24 ... fxe5 25 c4' defending No doubt Grischuk imagined the
the bishop and planning 26 l:txa5. bishop was safer here than on d4 or
Instead Kasparov played the strong e3, but now a new target appears in
zwischenzug White's cam�the pawn on 13 .

24...li'Ih3+! 25 It>g2 l:txbS 27...�b7!

If you compare this position with With this attack on 13 Black gains
the one in the note above after time to strengthen the pin on the
24 ... l:txb5, you will see that there unfortunate knight on c5.
White answered 25 �xf4. Here, 28 �gl l:tc8 29 h4
however, there is no way that White
can get his bishop from e5, where it If 29 1::t xa5 .Il:xa5 30 li'Ixa5 .txf3+
is attacked and capture the knight at 3 1 l:txf3 li'IxI3 32 Wxf3 .txc5 33
the same time. Thus if 26 It>xh3 il.xc5 1:txc5 winning.
fxe5 and there is no way to defend 29...�xf3+
the knight on c5 against the pin-if
White escapes the worst after
27 lha5 l:txa5 28 li'Ixa5 �xc5 wins
29 ... li'If7 30 l:txa5. Meanwhile
a piece.
Kasparov steers clear of further
26 �g3 complexities after 29... li'Ixf3 30
 Pins 63

ttJxb7 as he sees an easily won the black queen. Alas, most players
endgame. as Black would see nothing better
than defending the a5 pawn from
30 nxf3 IiJxf3 31 Wxf3 l.xcs 32
capture. Instead Enders played the
IiJxcs nbxcS 33 .iil.xcs nxcs 34 c3
brilliant but logical
hS!
30... l.g6!!
Creating by force connected
passed pawns. This was quite a shock for White
35 gxh5 nxhS 36 b4 and he lost quickly after 3 1 <;1;>e2?!
ll:xf4 32 hxg6 ll:e4 33 >l<d2 'ili'xg6
Entirely hopeless against a World 34 'ill'xas ll:xe3! 0-1
Champion is 36 Wg4 nb5 37 1:[a2
White resigned for if 35 <;1;>xe3
Wfl.
'il"e4+ 36 <;1;>d2 'il"xd4+ picks up the
36...axb4 37 cxb4 nxh4 0-1 rook on g J .
If 38 nb3 ll:h3+ with a skewer.
It is much more interesting to
A.David - P.Enders consider the position after 3 1 hxg6
IiJxg6 32 'il"d2. Now Black has to
Bundesliga, Germany 2000
decide how to go about conquering
a b c d c f g h the f4 square.

H R
a b c d e f g h
7 7
8 8
6 6
7 7
5 5
6 6
4 4
5 5
3 3
4 4
2 2
3 3
2 2
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
Black to play

The pin on f4 is awkward for The obvious capture

White, but how can it be
strengthened? If he is given time The first move to consider was
White will play nf2 and >l<e2, when 32...liJxf4. Then after 33 l.xf4
the initiative will pass to him-the Black can', actually conquer the f4
knight, which is at the moment square-the best he can do is
paralysed, will threaten IiJxe6 or 33.. Jhf4+ 34 'il"xf4 ll:f8 3S 'il"xf8+
another vicious discovered attack on <;1;>xf8 with just an unclear endgame.
64 Pins

The subtle capture Did you consider it? The basic

idea is to drive the white queen to a
You will notice that Black doesn't worse square before exchanging on
have all his pieces aiming at the f4 f4. Now after 33 'iil'xc3 IZlxf4 34
square-the rook on b8 only joins 'iil'd2 J:[b7! Black has time to
in the attack later on and White's strengthen the pin on the f file as
queen is able to make a good swap White's queen was decoyed from d2
under the circumstances. In contrast for a move. If White captures 35
after 32."J:txf4+ 33 .li.xf4 .c:f8! .li.xf4 (or 35 >IIg3 h5! 36 .li.xf4
Black has all three pieces simul­ 'il'xg4+ 37 �f2 J:[xf4+ and wins)
taneously attacking f4 and White's then 35",.c:bf7 followed by .c:xf4
queen doesn't get to give herself up gives Black a massive attack.
for a rook. After f4 drops Black has Instead 33 'iil'c l IZlxf4 34 .li.xf4 (or
a dangerous initiative, for example 34 �g3 h5!) and now, thanks to the
34 >IIe2 IZlxf4+ 35 �dl J:[b8! 36 white queen being on b l , Black has
'iil'c l 'il'g6! 37 'il'xf4 (or else Black the deflection 34".J:[b l ! ! 35 'iil' x bl
plays 37.,,'iiI'e4) 37" ..c:bl+ 38 'iil'c l (unhelpful is 35 >IIg2 'il'xg4+ while
J:[xcl+ 3 9 �xcl 'iil'e4 and, as 40 35 'il'e3 J:[xgl leaves the white
.c:d2 loses to 40".'iiI'e3 threatening queen overloaded-she can't take
4 1 ...'iI'xgl + and 4 l ...c3, and 40 J:[dl on g I and keep f4 defended) 35",
'iil'f4+ 41 J:[hd2 c3 also wins, White 'iil'xf4+ and it is mate after 36 >IIg 2
cannot prevent 'il'xd4 dismantling 'il'o or 36 >IIe 2 'iil'd2-this time the
his central pawn structure. Still it pawn on c3 supports a mate.
was hard work finding all these
moves and White had other options
as well. It isn't easy to see all these subtle
tactical points. I wonder how much
The deflection Enders saw before he made the
sacrifice? It is possible he reasoned
The third move to think about was 'after 30." .li.g6 my experience,
32".c3 ! ! supported by a quick analysis, tells
a h c d e f g h me that in all lines I am at least
equal as White's king will be very
H H exposed and my position is solid;
7 7 whereas if I don't play 30, .. .li.g6 I
6 6 will be definitely worse. So let's
play it and see if I can find a win
5 5
later on! Even if Black misses
4 4 32".c3 he still has a continuous
3 3 initiative after 32" . .c:xf4+; only if he
2 2 plays 32",lZlxf4 does he lose most
of his advantage,

a b c d e f g h
 8 Pins Puzzles

I 2
A.Hersvik M.Buckley - R.Jossien - R.Bessat
World Junior Champ .. Athens 200 I Bethune Open 200 I

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

H H H
7 7 7

6 6 6
5 5 5

4 4 4

j j 3
2 2 2
I

a b c J e f g h a h c d e f g h

White to play White to play

After 1 5 f4 IZlg4 White played 16 After 20 J:tbS the knight on d5 is

'iil'd4 to prevent both the fork attacked twice, but Black thought he
1 6 lZle3 and 1 6 .li.c5+. What is
... ... could save his piece with 20 ...lZlc3
Black's best response? (Remember 2 1 IZlxc3 'iil'xd4 Was he right?
this is a chapter on pinsl)
6 6 Pins Puzzles

3 4
M.Adams - M.Kobalija P.Kiriakov B.Gonzalez
-

FIDE World Championship, Internet Final,

Moscow 2001 Dos Hermanas 2002

a b c d e f g h a b c d e h

8 8 H 8
7 7 7 7

6 6 6 6
5 5 5 5

4 4 4 4

3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2
1

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

While 10 play While 10 play

Here 31 'iil'xa5 1:I:xd5 was played. After 13 IiJh4 the solid reply
From a positional point of view would be 1 3 .. 1:I:f6 but Black saw the
.

Black was probably pleased to swap chance to fork White's knights with
a rook's pawn for a centre pawn, 13 ...gS. Has White blundered?
but what horrible surprise awaited
him?
 Pins Puzzles 67

5 7
M.Adams - B.Larsen R.Kempinski - E.Sutovsky
Aarhus 1997 European Team Championship,
Leon 2001
a b , U " f g h
a b c d e f
8 Il
7 7 H H
7 7
6 6
5 (, (,
5
5 5
4 4

3 3
2 .J 3
2
2 2

a h , d e f g h
a I) c d e f g 11
White to play White to play
Here White played 42 :!l:b8.
Should Black respond with Can White safely play 23 :!l:xg5 in
42".:!l:xb8, 42.. .'l!I'e8. 42...Wg8, the diagram?
42 .. .'l!I'c6 or 42 . . . f67
6 8
G.Kasparov - N.Short E.Grivas - C.Crouch
Sarajevo 1 999 Hampstead 1998
a h c d e f g h

H H
H H
7 7 7
7
6 (,
6 6
5 5
5 5
It 4
4 4
:\ 3
3 :l
2 2
2 2

a h c U e f g h
a h c U e g h

White to play White to play

After 37 .lil.xg6+ Black has three White played 3 1 .lil.b4 and Bleck
ways to recapture the bishop, but recentra lised his queen with
they all lose. Can you see how'! 31 ...'l!I'e7, having calculated that 32
68 Pins Puzzles

�xf5 lhf5 (not 32 .ltxb4 33 ... 10

�xe6) 33 �xd6 1:I:xd6 is nothing A.Morozevich - N.McDonald
for White, for example 34 1:I:xc6 4NCL, Birmingham 2002
'l!l'xd6 or 34 'l!l'a3? 1:I:xc6! 35 'l!l'xe7
1:I:xcl+ and Black looks at least a h c d e f g h
equal as f2 will be hanging. How­ 8 H
ever, by changing his move order
7 7
somewhere in the above sequence
White was able to win a piece! How 6 6
does he do it? 5 5
4 4
9
J.Howell - N.McDonald 3 3
Wrexham, 1995 2 2

a h c d c f g 11

8 H a h c d e f g h

7 7
After 23 �xc6 should Black
6
recapture with the bishop or pawn?
5 5

4 4
3 3
2 2

a h c d e f g 11

Black to play

Here Black innocently played

15 ...ltld7. Why was this a bad idea?
 9 Skewer

skewer involves attack� a b c d e f g h

ing a piece that has to H R
move out of the way,
7 7
allowing the capture of
a less important piece 6 6
sheltering behind it on 5 5
the same line. Thus it is like a pin in 4
4
reverse.
3 .3

2 2
a h c d e f g h

H H h
a \) c d e f g
7 7

6 (,
White to move wins the rook with
5 5 I J:!h8+ .;;. 7 2 J:!xaS. If it is Black's
4 4 move he can win White's rook with
I." ll,al+ 2 W.2 ll,xhl
.3 .l
2 2 In practical play a skewer is much
rarer than a pin. A pin arises after
just four natural moves in the
a b c g
d e f h Queen's Gambit: I d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3
ILlc3 ILlf6 4 .i.g5 and already the
The black king has to move out of black knight is pinned against the
check, whereupon .i.xh8 wins the queen. On the other hand, although
rook. it is inconvenient, the pin doesn't do
much harm here: the knight stays
put on f6 and Black can continue his
Perhaps the most common type of
development. In contrast, in a
skewer is one based on a weak back
skewer the big piece is compelled to
rank.
move out of the way-the threat
70 Skewer

can't just be ignored. Therefore a nothing better) 2. . 'lifhl+1 (exploit­

.

skewer, though less frequent, tends ing the bad position of the white
to be a weightier tactical device than king to set up the skewer) 3 �g3
a pm. 'lif g l + 4 �h3 'lifxg8.

One reason for the rarity of the

skewer is that, like pins, the most Skewers in the opening are quite
effective skewers mainly work unusual, but the following is a fine
against the king; but whereas a example of a trapper trapped I
piece can be pinned against a king
sitting on his first rank, it isn't often
L.Hazai - I.Bilek
that a king ventures far enough out
Hungarian Championship 1 973
in front of its own aouy to fall
victim to a skewer. In fact, if it is in
1 e4 c6 2 d3 e5 3 f4 d6 4 /LlIJ g6
the centre of the board the king will
5 fxe5 dxe5 6 /Llxe5
probably be much more worried
about being mated than being
skewered! a b c u e f g h

It is in the endgame, when both H H

sides advance their kings fearlessly, 7 7
that the opportunities for a skewer
reach their peak. Not infrequently
the skewer is used to decide the
outcome of a race to queen.
j .l
a b c u e f g h 2 2

a b c J e f g 11

According to Tartakower a com­

bination just shows that someone
has blundered. Certainly someone
has blundered here as the e pawn
can't be given up for nothing, but is
it White or Black? Bilek exploited
the double attack to win the knight
a b e d e g h
with 6...'lifa5+ 7 .fI.d2 'lifxe5, but
White had the last laugh with the
Whoever moves first wins. White skewer 8 .fI.c3! 'life7 9 .fI.xh8 when
to move wins with a diagonal he was the exchange and pawn up.
skewer: I g8�'lif a l �'lif 2 'lifg7+ (or Black, a Hungarian Grandmaster,
2 'lifh8+) 2.. .�e4 3 'lifxal while had forgotten that with 4 ... g6?? he
Black to move wins with a lateral was ruining his indirect defence of
skewer: l . ..a 1 �'lif 2 g8�'lif (there is the e5 pawn.
 Skewer 71

Kasparov used the threat of a M.IIIescas Cordoba -

skewer to build up an initiative in A.Morozevich
the following example. Pamplona 1 998

a b c d e f g h
G.Kasparov - R.Ponomariov
R 8
Linares 2002
7 7
a b c d e h (, (,

H R 5 5
7 7 4 4

6 (, 3 3
5 5 2 2

4 4
3 3 a b c d e f g h
2 2
White to play

a b c d e f g h Here IIIescas played 22 !!'ad1

counting on having pressure on d5
Black to play in a quiet position. However, to a
tactical firebrand like Morozevich,
there is no such thing as a quiet
Black is a pawn up but seriously
position. Here he applied a skewer
behind in development. Therefore
with decisive effect:
he played 19 ... a6 attacking the
bishop, with the idea of gaining 22... il.c8! !
time to put his bishop on the
excellent d5 square after 20 il.a4 b5 a I) c d e f g h
2 1 il.c2 il.b7 22 IHd l il.d5.
Kasparov however found an 8 H
excellent way to trustrate this plan: 7 7
20 !!.h3! when if 20... axb5 the 6 6
skewer 2 1 'l!i'xh7+! !!.xh7 22 !!.xh7+
5 5
III g8 23 !!.xc7 leaves White the
exchange up. Ponomariov saw this 4 4
and played 20 ...'l!i'e7 but after 2 1 3 3
il.d3!-the bishop is delighted to 2 2
have the square vacated by the rook
and threatens 22 il.xg6+1-2l...f5
22 g4! White kept up the attack and a b c d e f g h
eventually won on move 38.
72 Skewer

An unexpected retreat with the white pawns with 6 ... 'I!l'b6. There
big threat of 23 ... il.a6 spearing the followed 7 1i:ie4!
white queen against the rook on fl .
23 li:ixd5 a b c d e f g h

Giving up the exchange straight

away. If instead
(a) 23 ll:gI �a6 24 'I!l'c6 (if 24
'lWb4 Ii:id3 25 'lWb3 1i:if2 mate)
24 ... li:id3 25 .t e l Ii:ib4 26 'iil'a4 �c4
winning White's queen.
(b) 23 ll:fe l �a6 24 'I!l'c6 (or 24
'lWb4 1i:id3 winning the exchange)
24 ... 1i:id3 25 ll:fl? (better to give up
the exchange with 25 'ilt'xd5) a b c d c f g lJ
25 ...1i:ib4 26 'ilt'a4 �xfl winning.
A wonderful demonstration of the Black completely missed the point
power of the skewer. of this and replied 7...'I!l'b4+?
expecting to gain time by attacking
23 ... .ta6 24 'ilt'xb6 .txn 25 l:txn
the knight and forcing it to retreat
ll:xa2 26 'i!t'xd8 J:Ixd8
back to d2. However, after 8 .td2!
The exchange up for a pawn and 'il'xe4 (or 8 ...'I!l'b5 9 e4 and the
with two weak pawns to attack, threat of 1 0 Ii:id6+ gives White the
Black made short work of the initiative) 9 ll:el the black queen
endgame. couldn't escape as 1 0 l:!:xc8 mate
would follow. Strictly speaking, the
27 .tc3 li:ie4 28 .td4 �c5 29
fact that it is mate on c8 rather than
1i:ic3 Ii:ixc3 30 bxd �xd4 3 1 Ii:ixd4
a win of material makes this a pin
J:Ic8 32 Ii:ib5 ll:c5 33 Ii:id6 ll:xc3 34
rather than a skewer, since the king
h3 ll:cc2 0-1
is more important than the queen;
but the mechanism of attacking a
piece with an 'x-ray' through the
J.Hodgson - D.Norwood
enemy queen is more typical of a
British Championship,
skewer than a pin. After 9...'i!t'xel
Eastboume 1991
10 .txel Ii:ic6 1 1 Ii:ifJ White had a
distinct material advantage but a
After the rather eccentric opening draw was immediately agreed due
moves I d4 g6 2 h4!? Ii:if6 3 .tg5 to the tournament situation-Julian
�g7 4 Ii:id2 c5 5 c3 exd4 6 cxd4 Hodgson only needed half a point to
Black was tempted to attack two become the 1991 British Champion.
 10 Skewer Puzzles

1 2
J.Sugden - N.McDonald V.Anand - T.Radjabov
Hastings Challengers 200112002 FIDE Grand Prix, Dubai 2002

a b c d e f g h

H H 8 8
7 7 7 7
6 (> 6 6
5 5 5 5
4 4 4 4
3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

White to play. White to play.

Seeing that after 38 c7 Black can Black's king has been driven out
stop the passed pawn with 38 .. :18. . into the open and is surely doomed,
White played 38 l::!e4 pinning the but what is the simplest way to
rook. How should the game now finish the game?
finish?
 74 Skewer Puzzles

3 4
N.McDonald - B.Jacobs N.McDonald - G.Izsak
OLe Masters, London 1986 Elekes tournament, Budapest 1995

a b c d e f g h
H H H R
7 7 7 7
(, (, (,

5 5 5 5
4 4 4 4
j 3 3 3
2 2 2 2

a b c d e f g h a h c d e f g h

Black to play White to play

With two extra passed pawns White gave up the f pawn with 52
Black is easily winning. Here he �e4! l:!:xf2 Why?
played 42 ... d2. calculating that (aJ
43 i.xc2 Ii:lxc2 44 Ii:lxc2 dl='l!i'
wins. or (b) 43 Ii:lxc2 Ii:lxc2 and if
White captures the knight then
1:1c8+ regains the piece with a
skewer after which the rook and
pawn endgame is easily won for
Black. What was the flaw in this
calculation?
 11 Discovered Attack

've always wondered why

I
this isn't called uncovered H
attack? Whatever its name it
7
can be a fearsome tactical
weapon as the following 6
examples show. ')

4
a b c d e f g h
3
2
7

6
a b c d e f g h
')
White plays 1 110>05+ uncovering
an attack on the black king by the
j j
bishop and also attacking the black
2 2 rook with his king. Black can't deal
with both threats and so is forced to
give up the rook with either 1 ...J::td3
a h c J c g il
2 .ltxd3+ or l ...lIo>g5 (or anywhere
else) 2 IIo>xd6. Because this example
involves a discovered attack on the
White plays 1 Iilf4 or 1 lileS. The black king it is also referred to as a
knight attacks the bishop and at the discovered check. The most famous
same time an attack by the rook is example of discovered check was
uncovered- �or discovered---{)n the recorded as far back as 1620 by
knight on dS. The black pieces can't Greco. It goes I e4 e5 2 IilD Iilf6 3
defend each other so next move Iilxe5 Iilxe4?! 4 'i'e2 Iilf6?? 5
White will capture one of them. Iilc6+: the black king is in check
76 Discovered Attack

from tht: queen and therefore he 47 c8�'iII' Itlxf4 48 'ill'c7+ and White
loses his OW n queen to the knight. picks up the knight to end all
resistance.

You \ViII have noticed in these 43...1tlf3+!

examples that the strength of a This clears the way with gain of
discover�d attack comes from the time for the discovered attack.
fact that there are two threats: one
44 gxf3
from the piece that is lying hidden
in ambu sh and a secondary one If 44 'ilIfl .t:.d1 + is a mighty
from the piece that moves out of the check(!!) all the same.
way to roveal the ambush. Therefore 44 ... ll:dl+
it is clOS ely related to the theme of
double attack. If the defender Uncovering an attack on White's
cannot deal with both threats he is queen.
likely to lose material. 45 'ill'fl ll:xfl+ 46 'ilIxfl 'ill'c4+
Not only has White lost the
A ·""orozevich - J.Polgar queen, but to cap it all he now drops
Frankfurt-West Masters 1999 the bishop to a double attack.
47 'ilIg2 'ill'xf4 48 a4 'ilIh6 0-1
a b c d e

H 8
7 7 S.Pedersen - N.McDonald
6 6
London 1997
5 5 a h c d e f g h
4 oj
H
.1 3
2 2

a h c d e f g h

White to play
2

In this position White has every

chance \0 win, but he fell for a a b c d e f g h
horrible swindle.
43 'ill'c4?? Black to play

Not 43 J:!.xc7 'ill'xc7, but 43 'ill'b61

wins nic ely, for example 43 ... ltle2+ Here White has a very pleasant
44 'ilI h� cxb6 (or 44 ... ltlxf4 45 position with the two bishops and
J:!.xc7) 4 5 J:!.xf7+ 'ilIg8 46 c7 'ilIxf7 potential pressure along the e file
 Discovered Attack 77

Therefore I tried to entice him into a Black has an extra pawn, but his
blunder with pieces are under great pressure. In
particular his rook is very precari­
28...l:!:c6!? 29 "ilfbS?
ously placed on c7. The obvious
A natural move that attacks d5, way to uncover an attack on it is
but it falls straight into the trap. with 27 liJe7+. Then 27 .. .ll:xe7 2 8
29... i.xd4+! l:!:xc7 g5 2 9 i.g3 liJe5 and 2 8 i.xe7
l:!:xc\+ 29 l:!:xc\ 1Ii'xe7 30 l:!:xc8+
Black unexpectedly wins a key �h7 are both somewhat better for
pawn for if 30 cxd4 the discovered White, but not crushing.
attack 30 ...l:tc\ +! 3 1 l:!:xc I 1Ii'xb5
Kasparov found a much stronger
wins White's queen. There followed
move:
30 >!;>hl e6 31 l:!:ael
27 i.e7!!
Still 3 1 cxd4 l:!:c\ + wins.
With this move order White gets
31 ...i.g7 32 h3 liJf6 33 "lii'd3 to capture both black rooks after
gxh3 34 .ItO �g8 3S 1Ii'g6 eS! 27 .. .:t:I.xe7 28 liJxe7+ "lii'xe7 29
Another discovered attack l:!:xc7, leaving him two exchanges
up. In contrast, in the 27 liJe7+
36 l:!:xeS liJe4 37 11i'xhS l:!:xf4! Ihe7 line above, White can capture
... and finally a fork. If 38 gxf4 either rook, but neither is with
liJg3+ wins White's queen. check, giving Black time to save the
remaining rook, either with 2 8...g5
38 i.xe4 Ihe4 39 l:!:ixe4 dxe4 40 or 28 ...l:txc l+.
l:!:xe4 l:!:c8 and Black won.
27...l:xc6

G.Kasparov - K.Georgiev Giving up the queen is the only

Sarajevo 2000 way to play on.

a h c d e f g h 28 i.xfS l:xcl+ 29 l:!:xcl liJxfS 30

1Ii'f4
H H
7 7
Kasparov homes in on the weak
f7 square.
6 6
30...i.e6 3 1 l:tc7 i.xdS
5 5
4 4
Or 3 1 ...f5 3 2 exf5 ! i.xd5
(32...gxf5 33 'ill'g3) 33 f6 and the
3 3 threats of 34 l:!:xg7+ and 34 f7+
2 2 can't both be stopped.
32 exdS fS 33 d6 l:d8 34 "lii'h4!
a b c d e f g h 1-0

White to play
 78 Discovered Attack

In the diagram above White

H played 32 IiJf6 which on the face of
H
7 it looks very strong. Besides threat­
7
ening 33 IiJxg8 it attacks h7 a third
(, time. If 32 ..."l!fxf6 33 "l!fxh7 or 33
5
I1xh7 is mate-an extreme example
4 of a successful deflection. On the
4
j other hand there is nothing
3 compelling Black to take the knight.
2
2 Black could defend with 32 ... l:tg7,
but Morozevich found something
much stronger.
g h
32...e4!
The Blocking the white queen's attack
�ouble attacks carry the day!
A on h7 and uncovering an attack by
3 5 � t 34.. .lhd6 White has either the black bishop on the knight. The
'liV '7 l:td7 36 l:txd7 IiJxd7 37 game ended abruptly with:
x 7
�
Iii>
g
�r 35 l:txg7+ Iii>xg7 36 "l!fe7+
35
i) "l!fxd6. Meanwhile if 34... g5 33 "l!fxe4?! .Iil.xf6 34 l:txd8?
hS and the threat of 36 lif7 If 34 "l!fxh4? l:txdi + is our
c�n Only be met by 36... l:td7 losing
familiar zwischenzug\ winning a
;9 � e
7
3) l:txd7 IiJxd7 38 "l!fe8+ 1iJf8 rook after 35 Iii>h2 .Iil.xh4, but White
l:t xd7 �r 36 ... liJd7 when 37 l:txd7' wouldn't last long even after the
18 "l!fe8+ attacks both king sensible 3 4 "l!fc2.
and ro
�k.
34..."l!fxe4 0-I
Going back to the diagram, after
f).De la Riva Aguado -
32 IiJf6 e4!, much tougher was 33
A.Morozevich IiJxe4!? .Iil.e5 - the point, attacking
Pamplona 1999 the rook on c7 and uncovering an
attack on White's queen 34
-

nxh7+ with two variations:

H
H a b c d e f h
7
7
H 8
6
(, 7 7
5
5
(, (,
4
4 ) 5
j
3 .j 4
2
2 3 3
2 2
h c d e g h

a h c d e f g h
White to play
 Discovered Attack 79

(a) 34...'iiixh7 35 'iiixd8' now 31...Itc8 32 'iiixd5?

Black even loses after 35 ... Itxd8?
Instead 32 h6! leads to a beautiful
36 Itxd8+ <j;;g7 37 Itd7+ when the
win-remember that passed pawns
skewer wins back the queen and
should be pushed! Now 3 2 ...ltld2+
leaves White two pawns up. Un­
33 <j;;c 1 is nothing for Black, so he
fortunately for him after simply
should try 32 ... ltle4 33 h7! Itlxg3 34
35 ... 'iiixe4 36 'iiid2-he has to guard
'iiix c8+! <j;;x c8 35 h8�'iii+ �d7 36
against 36 ...'iiif4--he is a piece
'i!Vg7+ �xe6 (if 36.. .�e8 37 'iiif8+
down for two pawns with little
leads to mate: 37 ... <j;;d7 38 'iiif7+
hope.
<j;;c 8 39 'iiie8+ 'iiid8 40 'iiixd8 mate)
(b) 34... <j;;xh7 35 Itlg5+ (after 35 37 Itld4+! ! , luring the black queen
Itlf6+ <j;;h8' the black king is com­ to d4, 37 ... 'iiixd4 38 'iiif6+ �d7 39
pletely safe) 3 5 ...<j;;g7 36 ltle6+ e6+ and Black loses his queen to the
<j;;h8 37 1tlxd8 'i!Vf4! and as White is discovered attack.
soon mated after 38 g3? Itxg3 he
32 ...ltle4!
has to give up the knight with 3 8
1tlf7+ 'i!Vxf7 39 'i!Vd2, with a similar An excellent counterattacking
situation to the end of variation (a) move. It attacks the rook and if 33
above. 'i!Vxe4?? Itld2+.
33 J:.g7??
A.Fedorov - U.Adianto
Olympiad, Istanbul 2000 Instead 33 J:.d3 ltled2+! 34 J:.xd2
(if 34 <j;;c l 'iiia 5! threatens mate on
a I, c d e f g h
a l ) 34 ... ltlxd2+ 35 'iiixd2 'iiixe6 and
R R the endgame should be a draw.
7 7
a b c d e f g h
6
8 8
5
7 7
4 4
5 3 6
5 5
2 2
4 4

3 3
a h c d e f g h
2 2
White 10 play
a b c d e f g h
Here Fedorov played 3 1 Itlxe6!
which is very powerful for if
3 1 ...Itxd7 32 Itg8+ Itd8 33 Itxd8+ 33 ...ltled2+!
'iiixd8 34 Itlxd8 leaves Black in big The right knight. After
trouble in the endgame--the h pawn 33 ... ltlcd2+ 34 <j;;c l White can
is on its way to h8. So Black tried answer 34... ltlb3+ with 35 'iiixb3.
80 Discovered Attack

34 �cl lilb3+! 22 .\txb5 'il'xb5 23 J:[c7 J:[c8

White resigned here since if 35 Normally this would be described
cxb3 lile3+ wins the queen, as does as a blunder, but Black had no way
35 �dl lile3+. Meanwhile he is to defend against the threat of 24
mated after 35 �bl Iilcd2+ 36 �a2 .l:!:xg7+, wreaking havoc on his
'il'a5. second rank as 23 .....17 24 J:[x17
�x17 25 Iilxf4 also drops the
bishop. If 23 ...g5 simply 24 g3 traps
A.Ledger - N.Frost
the bishop, or 23 ...g6 24 'il'c2,
Jersey Open, St Helier 2002
aiming at g6, 24 ... .I:!:f5 25 Iilxf4
a h c d e f g h
when 25 ....I:!:xf4 26 'il'xg6+ is
slaughter.
H 8
24 .l:!:xcs
7 7
A simple example of deflection or
6
overworking a piece.
5 5
24 ... .l:!:xcS 25 1ilxf4 1-0
4 4

3 3
2 2 As a postscript to this game,
imagine if White hadn't been
tactically alert, or had never seen
the idea of the discovered attack in
this fonn. Then from the diagram he
Black to play might well have answered 20... .tb5
with 2 1 .ltxb5? 'il'xb5. Now 22
Black played 20... .\tb5, a well 'il'g4 looks strong as there is a
justified positional move as it aims double attack against the bishop and
to exchange off the light-squared g7. Losing are 22 ... g5 23 g3,
bishops. Unfortunately it loses by trapping the bishop, or 22... .tg5 23
force! h4, but Black has a clever defence
with 22 ....I:!:17!. Now 23 Iilf6+ Iilxf6
2 1 .\td4! 24 exf6 .txh2+!---<leflecting the
Gaining time to open the c file by white king from the defence of the
attacking Black's queen. rook On fl-25 �xh2 'il'xfl 26 fxg7
.l:!:xfl is unclear at best for White,
2 1 . ..'iI'a6
while after 23 Iilxf4 'il'a4! Black
If 2 l ...'iI'xd4 we have the familiar uses the double attack on c2 and f4
trick 22 .txh7+ �xh7 23 'il'xd4 to regain his piece with equal
winning the queen. chances.
 Discovered Attack 81

A.Ivanov - C.Crouch a b c d e f g h
Dutch Open 1992 H 8

a h c d e f g h
7 7
6 6
H H
5 5
7 7
4 4
6 6
3 3
5 5
2 2
4 4
3 3
a h c d e f g h
2 2

19 l:i:h8!?
a b c J e f g h
It turns out that White doesn't
have to retreat his knight as Black
White to play
has no time to evacuate his king and
queen from the coming pin. The
White began a combination to simple 19 IiJfe2!? also looks
exploit two ideas: a pin on the black sufficient to win, for if I 9..."i!l'b7 20
queen and a discovered attack on IiJg3 followed by 2 1 l:th I is decisive
the rook on h8 after the forceful or 1 9 ...il.e8 20 l:thl "iil'g7 2 1 lObS!
opening of the h file. Wfll 22 IiJxc7! "iil'x c7 23 nh8+ <;i;>g7
24 l:taxe8 and wins.
14 il.h5! g6
1 9 ... gxf4 20 l:tdhl IiJxd4 2 1
If 14 ...liJg6 1 5 il.xg6 WillS at
l:tl h7 f3 22 gxf3 IiJxf3 2 3 nxf7+
once.
<;i;>xf7 24 l:tb8 il.c6 25 l:tc8 IiJxe5 26
IS .bg6 liJxg6 16 "iil'xg6! nxc7+ <;i;>f6 27 f4 IiJg6 28 liJe2 and
The only way as the pin changes the exchange up for a pawn White
hands after 1 6 IiJxg6?? l:i:g8. won the ending.

16 ... hxg6?
A bad mistake. Black emerges a Quiet moves
pawn down after 1 6...'ill'xg6 1 7
IiJxg6 l:i:g8 1 8 l:i:xh7 0·0·0 1 9 IiJf4, In his book Think like a Grand­
but the best way to resist was master Kotov talks about 'creeping
1 6 ...liJe7 and if 1 7 'ill'f6 nfll . moves' - moves which are
1 7 l:i:xh8+ We7 18 l:i:xa8 g5 unobtrusive and quiet and at first
glance seem to make no difference
If 19 ...'i!l'h7 20 nh8!. to the position, but in fact they have
 82 Discovered Attack

a devastating power. Here is such an

example. R
7 7

K.Mueller I.Farago
-
6 6
Hamburg 2000 5 5
4 4
a b c d e f g h
3 3
H H 2 2
7 7
6 6
a b c d e f g h
5 5
4 4
Attacking the bishop and at the
3 3 same time clearing the way for 1 8
2 2 nel .
17 ...h6
a b c d e f g h The bishop has no safe retreat as
1 7 ... .lte6 1 8 ne l liJfS 1 9 .ltfS wins
White to play a pawn while the enotmous power
of I S 'iil'g3 reveals itself after
White played the little move 15 1 7 ... .lthS: 18 nel 'i!i'fS (if 1 8 ...'iiI'd6
'iil'g3! after which Black's position 1 9 liJxhS wins a piece) 1 9 liJfe6!
suddenly became hopeless. The fxe6 20 liJxe6 and Black can't both
threat is 1 6 liJg61! uncovering an save his queen and prevent 'iil'c7
attack on Black's queen and also mate.
attacking the rook on e7. Then 18 nel 'iil'f8 1 9 liJxf7!
1 6 ...'i!i'xg3 1 7 liJxe7+ >f<d8 18
liJxc6+! bxc6 1 9 hxg3 leaves White Desperado: the knight gives itself
the exchange and a pawn up. up for an important pawn before
White captures the bishop.
1 5....ltg4
19...'i!i'xf7 20 .ltg6!
If I S .. ..!:tae8 16 liJg6 still wins the
exchange, while on I S ...>f<b8 1 6 Another useful zwischenzug
liJfxe6 'iil'xg3 1 7 hxg3 White i s a which forces the black queen to a
pawn up after either 1 7 ... fxe6 1 8 square where she blocks in her rook.
nxe6 or 1 7 ....II.he8 1 8 liJxf7 nxf7. If immediately 20 fxg4 ne8 battles
on.
16 nxe7
20 ...'i!i'f8 21 fxg4 'iil'd6
Of course if now 1 6 liJg6? .!!.x el+.
There was no other way to pre­
16 ... 'iiI'xe7 17 f3! vent 22 liJe6.
 Discovered Attack 83

22 .Il:e6 'il'f8 he was hit by a 'bolt of lightning:'

1 7 ...i21dS!!. This threatens both
Losing quickly but if 22 ... 'iI'c7 23
[ 8 ...i21xc3 and [ 8 ...i21f4 followed by
.Il:e7 and Black is in a decisive bind. [ 9 ...i21xh3+. If 1 8 exd5 exd5 [ 9
23 .lil.fS "iff7 24 .Il:xf6! 1-0 i21e4 'illb 4!? followed by 2 0...�xe4
is overwhelming. GM David
[I' 24 ... "ifxf6 25 i21e6 or 24 ... gxf6 Norwood sank into deep thought
25 i21e6 i21b6 26 i21g5+ and wins the and then submitted to huge material
black queen. losses in order to keep the initiative
with 18 i21c4!? i21xc3 19 'ili'e3 i21xdl
The next example is a warning 20 .Il:xdi. B[ack is of course win­
that even in the most hannless­ ning, but White managed to build
looking positions you have to be up a big attack after 20 ...'iI'h4 2 1
I!/g2 .Il:ed8 22 i21d6 �b6 23 'il'e2 eS
alert for tactics.
24 .lil.b2 'il'e7 25 �a3 �d4 26 i21c4
.lil.cs 27 �xcS 'il'xcs 28 h4 f6 29 hS
D.Norwood - S.Collins .lil.f7 30 i21e3 .Il:xdl 3 1 'il'xdl 'il'd4
4NCL, Birmingham 2002 32 "ifcl as? (here 32 ... h6! to rule
out White's kingside pawn advances
a b e u e f g h would surely be a straightforward
win) 33 gS! fxgS 34 i21rs 'il'd8 35
H H
h6! g6 36 i21e3 .lil.e6 37 �g4 'ili'd7
7 7 38 I!/g3 a4 39 'iI'cS Bxb3 40 axb3
6 6
.Il:e8 41 f3 'ili'f7 42 �xe6 .I:txe6 43
i21g4 with an unclear position: Black
5 5
is the exchange and two pawns up
4 4 but there are huge dark square holes
3 3
in his kingside which White's
knight, queen and monster pawn on
2 2 h6 are all well placed to exploit.
Meanwhile White has achieved a
blockade on the light squares. The
a b c d c g 11
game eventually finished as a draw.
Going back to the diagram position,
White to play [ 7 i21c4 keeps a slight edge for
White as the trick 1 7 ... i21d5? fails to
There doesn't seem to be much 18 exd5 exd5 19 i21e3.
going on in this quiet positIOn.
Therefore White played the strategi­ As we saw at the start of the
cally good 1 7 .Il:adl counting on chapter a particularly powerful form
having a good position because of of discovered attack is discovered
his control of the d file. However, check.
84 Discovered Attack

L.Aronian - J.Plaskett Here White played 33 .txd5! Wc7

Hastings 2000/200 I
If 33 ... cxd5 34 1iJb3+ picks up the
a b c d e f g h rook. while 33 ... i<.d7 34 IiJxd7
Wxd7 (or 34 .. .l:txd5 35 1iJb6+ with a
8 8
fork) 35 .txc6+ �d8 36 1:[c4 and 37
7 7
:xa4 with an easy win.
6 6
34 .txc6!
5 5
White gets maximum benefit from
4 4
the potential discovered attack. If
3 3 now 34 ...�xc6 35 IiJb3+ �b6 36
2 2 IiJxa5 �xa5 37 I:[c5+ with a double
attack on the king and bishop.

a b c d e f g h
34 ... liJd6 35 .lha4 �d8 36 I:[c3
and. with two extra pawns, White
White to play soon won.
 12 Discovered Attack Puzzles

1 2
L.Williams - N.McDonald
Lloyds Bank Open 1994
You decide to play the French as
Black, but after 1 04 06 2 d4 d5 3 05
c5 4 c3 IiJc6 5 1iJf3 .ltd7 your oppo­
nent plays in the style of the Ruy H 8
Lopez with 6 .ltb5 What should you 7 7
do?
6 6
S 5
4 4
3 3
2 2

a h c d e f g h

White to play

Work out how Black should

a b c d � f g h
respond to 25 f4.
86 Discovered Attack Puzzles

3 Black threatens 33 ... .Iil.f5 and

J.Shaw - N.McDonald 34 ... .Iil.xb I destroying the defender
Cafe Baroque tournament, of b2, or the combinational
London. 1995 33 ... .Iil.xb2+! 34 J:txb2 'liI'c1+ 35 J:tbl
'liI'c3+ 36 J:tb2 bxa3 winning, so
a b c d e f g h White met both threats by 33 "l!I'a5.
H
If Black now plays the 33 ... .Iil.xb2+?
8
combination he won't be able to
7 7
play 36 ... bxa3 at the end of it
6 (, because of37 'liI'xc3+.
5 5 However, after Black's reply
4 4 White resigned straight away. What
3 3
was it?

2 2

5
a b c d c f g h J.Aagaard - N.McDonald
Drury Lane tournament 1997
White to play

8 H
White grabbed a pawn with 41
'lll'd7+ .Iil.c6 42 'liI'xe6 Was this a 7 7
good idea? 6 6

5 5
4 4
S.Karjakin - V.Topalov
FIDE Grand Prix, Dubai 2002 3 3
2 2
a I) c d c g h

H R a b c d e f g h
7 7

6 6 White to play
5 5

4 4 Rather than retreat his knight,

3 3 White played 24 h3 and there
followed 24... gxf5 25 exf5. A
2 2
zwischenzug: White's idea is that
after the black queen moves to
a b c d e f g h safety he can regain his knight with
26 hxg4 and stay a pawn up. What
White to move was wrong with this idea?
 Discovered Attack Puzzles 87

6 7
G.Kasparov R.Kasimdzhanov
- N.McDonald - A.Bang
Wijk aan Zee 1999 European Cup, Reykjavik 1999

R R H R
7 7 7 7

6 6 6 6
5 5 5 5
4 4 4 4

.l 3 3 3
2 2 2 2

a b c d e r g h a b c d e f g h

White to play White to play

Most club players would be White is a pawn down. How

thinking which of Black's pawns to should he play and what is your
capture-the one on a7, b7 or h6. assessment of the position?
Probably they would settle for 34
tiJxh6+. However, Kasparov came
up with a clever way to use a
discovered attack. Can you find it?
(a clue: the black rook is awkwardly
placed as it has to defend the bishop
on e2!).
 13 Trapping Pieces

his IS a very demo­ a b c d e f g h

cratic tactical weapon 8 8
as any piece can trap
7 7
any other piece. The
punishment for falling 6 6
into a trap may vary 5 5
from a long term in prison to a swift
4 4
death sentence.
.J 3
2 2
a h c d e f g h

H H
a b c d e f g h
7 7

6 6
Here the bishop traps the knight
5 5 on d8. On the other hand, it can't
4 4 win it without the help of another
piece.
:l 3
a b c d e f g h
2 2
H 8
7 7
a b c d e g h
6 6
5 5
With I 'il;>c6! White traps the
knight and will capture It In two 4 4
moves with 'il;>b7 and 'il;>xa8. Then 3 3
he will queen his pawn. Black's
2 2
king is too far away to save the
knight or stop the pawn queening.
a h c d e f g h
 Trapping Pieces 89

One of the most well known of all 'l!I'xfi+ �b6 37 ll:e7 1-0 Black is
traps. Black grabs a pawn with unable to guard against mate on
1 ... .s..xb2? but after 2 g3! the bishop both g7 and h7 unless he plays
is shut in. Now a race begins to free 37 . . .'ilhe7, but then 38 'l!I'xe7 leaves
or capture the bishop: 2 ... b5 3 �13 him with only a bishop for the
b4 4 �g2! bxg3 5 fxg3 and the queen. Buckley had worked
bishop perishes. The best Black can everything out to a finish, but you
do is 5 ... .s..xg3 but 6 �xg3 gives have to be very sure that you have
White a winning endgame. calculated correctly if you turn
down the chance to be a queen for a
rook up: think how embarrassing it
G.Buckley - J.sbaw would be if you had got it wrong!
Hastings Challengers 2002

V.Kotronias - M.Godena
European Team Championship,
8 8 Leon 2001
7 7
a b c d c f g h
6
R 8
5 5
7 7
4 4
6 6
3 3
5 5
2 2
4 4

3 j
a I) c d e f g h
2 2
1
White to play
a b c d e f g h

White has fantastic compensation White to play

for the pawn: the black bishop is
entombed on b4 and he has a strong
White has built up a powerful
passed pawn and control of the open
anacking position and with 32 ll:e3!,
e file. threatening to skewer the king and
White now played 33 ll:de3 !? A rook with 33 'ilt'a8+, he could have
crafty move as Black. in time set Black huge problems. Instead he
pressure and fearing 34 ll:e8+, played 32 lUeS? which on the face
automatically played 33.A"g7 when of it looks equally strong. In faci it
after 34 ll:13 the black queen falls for a devilish trap: 32 ... .s..b8!
suddenly found itself trapped. The 33 'l!I'a8 'ilt'xe5! Kotronias had
game ended 34 ...ll:xd6 35 IUxd6!. thought this impossible due to the
This leads to a quicker win than the pin that follows, bUI after 34 ll:e3
simple 35 ll:xf6 ll:xf6. 35 ...'l!I'xd6 36 'ilt'xe3! 35 bxc3 it is true that White
90 Trapping Pieces

has won material, but how can he 33 ...d5? 34 Iilc5 �f5. Now given
ever extricate his queen? Black has one free move and Black will play
only to exercise a little care and the Iilh4 with good chances. However,
queen's entombment will remain he was allowed no respite as Anand
permanent, as the rest of the game trapped the rook:
demonstrates:
35 b3! lIc3
35...lIxg3 36 Ii<b2 lIg4 37 c4
The rook drops at once after
Ii<c7! 38 Ii<c3 lIg8!
35 ... lIc2 33 g4.
Black defends the bishop so that if
36 �d2!
White ever tries to rescue the queen
with c5-c6 he can play Ii<xc6 Nevertheless the rook is forced to
keeping the prison intact. the fatal c2 square.
39 Ii<b4 lId8 36 ... lIc2 37 g4! 1ilh4
Cutting off the white king from Also hopeless is 37 . . . lIxd2 38
interfering with the passed pawns he gxf5 and Black has two pieces
is about to create. hanging.
40 c5 f6 4 1 a4 Ii<c6 42 c4 e5 and 38 gxf5 Iilxl3+
White resigned as the passed
pawns are unstoppable. Once the
8 H
white queen was shut in, this was a
very easy win for Black. 7 7

6 6
V.Anand - P.Svidler 5 5
Linares 1998
4 4
a b c d e f g h
3 ;\
R 8 2 2
7 7

(, (,
a b c d c f g h
5 5

4 4
39 li<h I !
3 3
The only square for the king! If
2 2 instead 39 Ii<g2 Iilxd2 40 lIe2 Black
has the fork trick 40 ...lilc4' to save
the piece - 41 lIxc2? Iilxe3+ 42
a b c d c g h
Ii<I3 Iilxc2.
Black to play Or 39 1i<f2 Iilxd2 40 lIe2 and here
40...lile4+? 4 1 Iilxe4 lIxe2+ 42
Here Black to move could Ii<xe2 dxe4 43 fxe6 looks like an
extricate his rook with 33 ...lIc6, but awful endgame for Black, but
Svidler became ambitious and tried instead he can fight strongly with
 Trapping Pieces 91

the exchange sacrifice 40 ... J:rxcS 4 1 After 22 b4! there is no immedi­

dxcS liJe4+ 42 Ii<g2 exfS with a ate threat to the knight because if 23
very impressive array of passed bxaS?? White is mated on b2 after
pawns in the centre. In fact, I think 23 ...'i'xa3+. On the other hand, the
White might even be hard pressed to knight cannot retreat as 22 ...liJc6
draw this! allows White to make a combination
to destroy the defence of the other
39 ...liJxd2 40 1:I:e2 liJc4
knight: 23 IiJcxdS! exdS 24 IiJxdS
The knight is still pinned after 'lit'f7 25 �xc4. Now White has two
40 ... 1:I:c 1 + 4 1 Ii<g2. Black could extra pawns and the attempt by
have tried 40... 1:I:xcS1? 41 1:I:xcs liJe4 Black to win a piece with a pin
42 1:I:xc7 exfS with similar counter' rebounds: 2S ... �e6 26 'lli'h6 !
play to that in the note above on 39 attacking Black's rook so that it
1i<f2, though much inferior as drops off if Black takes twice on dS.
White's rook has already broken White also threatens 27 IiJb6+! axb6
through to c7. In any case Black 28 .I1I.xe6+. If 26...li<b8 to avoid this
might as well have given this a go then 27 IiJb6!-anyway-27 ... �xc4
as he resigns in two moves! 28 IiJxc4 l:th7-what e1se?-29 e6!
1:I:xh6 30 exf7 J:rf6 3 1 1:I:g l ! and 32
41 1:I:xc2 liJxe3 42 1:I:e2 1-0
1:I:g8 will mate or queen the pawn.
If 42 ... liJxfS 43 IiJxe6 and not
22, ..c6
only is White the exchange up but
Black centre pawns are hannless. Black strengthens his centre to
avoid the variation above but in
doing so he cuts off the retreat of his
knight.
A,Bezgodov - S.Hmadi
Tunis Open 1 997 23 1iJbl!
Defending a3 and so winning a
a h c d e f g h piece. Black now makes a forlorn
H 8 sacrifice in an attempt to open up
the white king.
7 7

(,
23, .. liJxa3 24 IiJxa3 'lit'xb4 2 5
(,
IiJb1 <5
) 5
Black's pieces are too uncoord­
4 4
inated to pose any real threat to the
3 3 white king. Still, White's queen and
2 2 the knight on f6 are rather shut out
of the game. How can he bring them
into action? Bezgodov shows us
a h ( d c f g h
how.

White to play 26 'lit'h6 1:1:f7

92 Trapping Pieces

The only move for if 26 ... .:tg2 27 M.Ulibin - C.Hanley

'i!t'f1l+ Wc7 28 'i!t'd6+ wins at once. Isle of Man 2001

a b c d c f g h After the opening moves 1 e4 e6 2

H H d4 dS 3 eS cS 4 c3 lile6 5 Iilo i.d7
6 .lie2 Iilge7 7 0-0 exd4 8 exd4
7 7
IilfS 9 lile3 .lie7 10 g4 1ilh4 I I
6 6 Iilxh4 i.xh4
S S
White played 1 2 f4. Now Black
4 4 could retreat his bishop back to e7,
3 3 but instead he attacked the white
centre with 12 ... f6.
2 2
There followed 13 gS 'iil'b6 (the
bishop can't escape the trap for if
a b c u e f g h 13 ... fxg5 14 fxg5 i.xg5 1 5 i.h5+
g6 1 6 'iil'g 4! .lixc1 - or 1 6... gxh5
27 1ilxdS! 17 'iil'xh5+ - 1 7 .lixg6+ hxg6 1 8
The key to exploiting the extra 'i!t'xg6+ cJ;; e7 19 'iil'f7 mate.) 1 4 i.e3
piece is to break up Black's pawn fxeS IS lila4!
structure and regain the initiative. Not 1 5 fxe5 Iilxe5! when Black
White could trap the rook with 27 uses the pin on d4 to win an
i.h5? when if 27 ... .:te7 28 'iil' f1l+, important pawn and if necessary
but Black can tum the tables and defend the bishop on h4 with Iilg6.
win with 27 ...lilc4! and there is no IS ...'ilfa5 1 6 fxeS
good way to prevent mate on b2.
27...exdS 28 e6 .lixe6 29 'ilfxe6+
.:td7 30 'iil'xfS
Threatening 3 1 .lig4. Black could
safely resign now. The remaining
moves were:
30... cJ;;e 7 31 'iil'eS+ cJ;;c6 32 dxeS
'i!t'xeS 33 lile3 'iil'a3+ 34 cJ;;b l 'ilfb4+
35 cJ;;a l Iilc4 36 .lixe4 'ilfxe4 37
'i!t'e6+ cJ;;eS 38 Iile4+!
Not even giving Black the pleas­
ure of some checks.
a b c d c f g h
38...cJ;;b4 39 'iil'xd7 1-0
 Trapping Pieces 93

1 6...li:lxd4? bishop) IS ... l:!be8! when 1 6 i.c8

A better attempt to exploit the Ii:lb8! (not 1 6 ...J:txc8?? 1 7 Ii:lxe7+)
discovered attack on a4 is 1 6 ...li:lxeS 1 7 Ii:lxb8 lhc8 and wins the knight.
when 1 7 Ii:lcs' keeps up White"s 15 dxe5 1i:le4 16 a4 "iil'a 5!
dangerous initiative: the bishop is
The pin on the a file prevents
still shut in on h4 and he has ideas
White from freeing his bishop.
of both 18 dxeS or Ii:lxb7. Instead a
way for White to go completely
wrong is 1 7 dxeS?! "iil'xa4 (not a b c d e f g h
1 7 ... i.xa4 1 8 "iil'd4 winning the H 8
bishop on h4) 18 "iil'xa4 i.xa4 19
7 7
1:tf4??-winning a bishop?-1 9 ...
i.xgS! No-the pin proves mightier 6
than the double attack'-20 l:!xa4 5
i.xe3+ and Black is two pawns up. 4
1 7 "iil'xd4 "iil'xa4 3
Black still has the trick 1 8 "iil'xa4 2 2
i.xa4 19 lH4 i.xgS' but after
18 b4! a b c d e f g h
he had to resign as the defence of
the bishop has been cut off. 17 f3!

The best try which prepares a

pawn fork to break the pin on the a
file.
A.Summerscale N.MeDonald -

St Peter's De Beauvoir tournament, 1 7 ...li:le5

London 1995
Forced, for if 1 7 ...li:lg5 1 8 h4
wins the knight.
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 1i:lf3 Ii:lf6 4 e3
e6 5 Ii:lc3 Ii:lbd7 6 "iil'e2 i.d6 7 i.e2 1 8 b4! "iil'xa6 1 9 bxeS b4
0-0 8 0-0 b6 9 exd5 exd5 So Black hasn't won a piece, but
White was tempted to gain the the passed pawn proves strong
bishop pair by 10 Ii:lb5?! i.e7 1 1 enough to win.
li:le7 J:tb8 1 2 li:la6? (the last chance 20 i.b2
to change his mind with 12 Ii:lbS)
If White is given time for 2 1 i.d4
12 ...i.xa6 13 i.xa6. However.
and 22 J:tfc 1 , solidifying the cS
1 3 ... bS cuts off the bishop's retreat.
pawn, then he would be almost
Then 14 li:le5 Ii:lxe5?!. Here
equal. Therefore Black has to act
1 4... "iil'b6 was much simpler: I S
fast.
Ii:lc6 (or I S "iil'c 6 Ii:lxeS 1 6 "iil'xb6
J:txb6 17 dxeS Ii:ld7 winning the 20 ...b3!
94 Trapping Pieces

a b c d e f g h A.Morozevich - R.Ponomariov
R H
FIDE World Championship,
Moscow 2001
7 7

6 6 a b c d e f g h

5 5 H H

4 4 7 7

3 j 6 6

2 2 5 5
4 4

a I) c J e f g h :5 :5
2 2

2 1 'ill'c3
a b c d e f g II
The only other way to keep c5
defended was 2 1 'ill'c l but then
White to play
2 l ....I;[fc8 22 .lid4 .lixc5! 23 .lixc5
b2 and the pawn fork wins at least
the exchange. But with the white 23 a3! 'ill'b6
queen on c3 White can no longer If 23 ...hxa3 24 h4 It:lc4 25 .l;[c l
defend the c pawn with .lid4. and the pin wins material after
21.. .I;[fc8 22 .lia3 'ill'xa4
•
25 ... lt:lxd2 (or 25...liJb2 26 .l;[xc7
IiJxdl 2 7 .l;[xb7 with a piece more)
Now White's queenside begins to 26 .l;[xc7 IiJxD+ 27 'ill'xD .l;[xc7 28
crumble. 'ill'x a3.
23 'ill'b2 'ill'b s 24 .l;[fcl .lixcs 25 24 axb4 'ill'xb4 25 .l;[a4 'ill'c3
�xcS .l;[xc5 26 .l;[xa7 .l;[xcl+ 27
'ill'x cl b2 28 'ill'b 1 'ill'cS 0-1 Also hopeless is 25 ...'ill'b6 26 'ill'a l
(not 26 h4 IiJc4 and the knight
Black is winning due to the springs free) 26 ... ltlxb3 (26 ....I;[c5 27
double threat to the rook and h4 - forking 27....I;[e2 28 bxa5)
-

29 ...'iII'c l + queening the pawn. 27 IiJxb3 'ill'xb3 28 .l;[b I-a skewer!

- 2 8 . 'iII'e2 29 J:[xb7.
..

In the following game, Black's 26 .l;[e3 'ill'b2 27 1iJfl !

knight is perilously placed on as in
the diagram. If White could just find Not 27 .l;[xa5?? .l;[e l .
a way to nudge it with b3-h4... 27 ....I;[c5
 Trapping Pieces 95

Or 27 ... l:tcl 28 "II1'd3 f4 29 l:te7 M.Kobalija - V.Zakharstov

l:tcS 30 b4. Chigorin Memorial 200 1
a b c J e f g h
a b c d e f g h
8 8
� 8 7 7
7 7 6 6
6 6 S S
S S 4 4
4 4 3 3
3 3 2 2
2 2 1

a b c d e f g h
a h c d e f R h
White to play

28 'iWel White is a rook down but 26 f4!

Again the b3-b4 fork has to be looked very strong as i f 26... /llg6 27
considered carefully. Here it fuils 'iWhS leads to a quick win, e.g.
after 28 b4? l:tc l 29 'iWd3 /llc4. 27...Wh7 28 1I.fS+ Wg8 29 'iWxg6+
WxfS 30 'il'f7 mate). However,
28... l:!c1
Black had prepared an apparently
Finally the piece drops off. The very strong counter�sacrifice.
counterattack that follows is rather
26...l:tc1!? 2 7 'il'xcl 'iWxcl 28
pointless against a player of
l:txcl /llg 4!
Morozevich's class.
This is the idea: the white bishop
29 'iWxa5 'iWh1 30 11..2 f4 31 1m!
is trapped! However, White had
Not even allowing the slightest calculated further.
glimmer of an attack after 3 1 l:te7 f3
29 h3 /llxh6
32 gxf3.
a b c d e f g h
31...g5 32 1I.d3 'iWh2 33 l:tc4 1-0
8 8

7 7
Twice in the notes above b3-b4
6 6
was a mistake which leI Ihe knighl
go free (nole 10 moves 25 and 28); S S

twice it was the key move in 4 4

winning a piece (note to mOves 23 3 3
and 27). That's why you have to
2 2
calculate carefully!

a b c d e f g h
 96 Trapping Pieces

30 g4!! A,Volokitin - N.Firman

Lvov 200 1
The knight has slain the bishop,
but now finds it can't escape from a h c d e f g h
the prison cell. Three squares--g4, H H
f5 and f7 are barred by White pawns
7 7
(if Black ever plays f6-[5 then
g4-g5 will keep the knight shut in). 6 6
The remaining square is g8, but 5 5
after �f8 and liJg8, how can the
4 4
knight continue its journey? The
squares e7 and f6 are blocked by 3 3
Black's own pawns (again if [6-[5 2 2
White plays g4-g5). 1 1
30...ll:d8 3 1 ll:c7 a b c d e f g h
White only has two pawns for the
Black to play
piece but has all the winning
chances.
Black began a combination with
31...�f8 32 ll:d7 1iJf7!
1 7...liJb4! uncovering an attack on
A nice try to get the knight White's queen. If White captures
involved in the game. If 32 .. .l:!xd7 either knight with his queen then the
33 exd7 IiJf7 34 �g2 and with his remaining one will fork his king and
knight pinned down to stopping the queen on c2.
passed d pawn and the king needing
I S liJxd4! lhc3 19 .txc3
to stay within range of the passed h
pawn, Black can only wait as White Now White has a rook and bishop
advances his king towards the and pawn for the queen. If 1 9 ...liJc6
queenside and finds a way to then 20 IiJbS followed by 2 1 IiJd6+
breakthrough. gives White the initiative. Note that
in this line the counter combination
33 �g2 b5 34 �f2 �e8 35 l:ha7
20 ...liJxe5? 2 1 fxeS .txb5 22 J:tbl
IiJd6
a6 23 a4 would lose for Black.
The knight has reached the centre, However, Black has no intention of
but Black's other pieces are severely going backwards with the knight.
restricted: the king is tied down to
19 .. ,liJa2 ! !
guarding the e7 pawn and the rook
can't wander far from the back rank. This disrupts White's position.
The advance of White's passed The knight is immune because of
pawns now overstretches the the double attack after 20 l:l:xa2
defences. 'i!kb 1 +; meanwhile the threat is
20 ... liJxc3 destroying the defender
36 h4 �f8 37 h5 f5 38 g5 liJe4+
of the knight on d4 and so winning
39 \1;>.3 ll:xdS 40 ll:a8+ \l;>g7 4 1 h6+
a piece.
\l;>h7 42 ll:e8 IiJxgS 43 fxgS ll:eS+
44 �f4 ll:xe6 4S ll:f8 1-0 20 .td2
 Trapping Pieces 97

There is nothing better, but Black Completing the entombment of

is delighted to exchange off White's the black queen. Now begins an
excellently centralised knight for his exciting race: Black has to use his
errant one on a2. rook via the queenside to free his
queen before White succeeds in
20...'iiI'xd4 21 I1xa2 a6!
breaking through with a passed
Now Black is aiming to exchange pawn on the kingside.
off White's good bishop with
29...\t>d7 30 f5 J:ta8 3 1 (6 J:txa3
22 Jl.bS.
32 g5 I1xc3 33 \t>f2 J:txg3 34 \t>xg3
...

22 Jl.e3 'iii'c3+ 23 Jl.d2 'iil'd4

The queen is still shut in, but it
Keeping up the attack on the f4 requires the attention of all White's
pawn as if 23 ... 'iiI'c 7 24 Jl.b4 pieces. This means that away from
followed by I1c3, Jl.d6 gives back this packed comer of the board a
the initiative to White. king and pawn endgame is taking
place in which Black's king is free
24 Jl.e3 'iil'e 4!
to challenge the white pawns.
Black makes a courageous
34...b4! 35 \t>h3 b3 36 g6
decision to play for a win even
though it leads to his queen being White has to do or die or else the
buried. b pawn just marches through.
25 Jl.d3 'iil' hl + 26 Jl.gl J:th8 27 36...fxg6 37 f7 \t>e7
c3!
Stopping the passed pawn. The
This doesn't save the game but it blockade of the black queen now
is nevertheless a neat way to bring begins to unravel as White tries for
the queen's rook into the game and one last swindle.
prevent 27 ... :txh2.
38 I1f2 \t>f8 39 I10 d4!
27... .ltb5 28 .ltxb5+ axb5 29
Killing off the threat of 40 .ltc5+.
:tag2
40 \t>g3 b2 4 1 J:tbl "ill'c6 42 .ltxd4
'iil'e 2! 43 :txb2 "lll"d3+ 0-1

8
A double attack to end with. An
8
enthralling game which demon­
7 7
strates many of the tactical ideas
6 6 discussed in this book.
5 5

4 4 The Noah'. Ark Trap

3 3
Here is a little game I've made up
2 2
to illustrate a common way in which
a bishop can be cornered by a
a h c d e f g h
triangle of pawns:
98 Trapping Pieces

I e4 e5 2 IiJI3 f5 There is an opening variation of

the Dutch that begins I d4 f5 2 i.g5
The Latvian Gambit.
h6 3 i.h4. White isn't afraid of the
3 i.c4 IiJc6 4 d3 IiJf6 5 0-0 i.c5 6 Noah's Ark trap as after 3 ...g5 4
1iJc3 d6 7 i.g5 h6 8 i.h4 g5 9 i.g3 f4 he can play 5 e3!. Black has
i.g3? no time to take the bishop as
Instead of passively accepting his 5 ... fxg3?? 6 'i!l'h5 is mate. If Black
bishop's fate, White should have defends against the mate, say with
played 9 IiJxg5 ! hxg5 10 i.xg5 with 6 . . . liJf6, then 7 exf4 just leaves
two pawns for the knight and an White a pawn up. However, Black
awkward pin on f6 which can be has a move which both prevents the
strengthened with I I IiJd5. This mate and strengthens f4. This is
sacrifice has occurred many times in 5 ...e5! clearing the e7 square for the
similar positions: according to the black king. Has White blundered
specific situation it can be decisive material?
or feeble, depending on how much
trouble the pin causes Black. In this
particular case it appears to give H 8
White good chances as there is no 7 7
obvious way for Black to free
6
himself.
5 5
4 4
a h c J e g h
3 3
H 8
2 2
7 7

6 (,
a h c d e f g h
5 5
4 4 No, White can play 6 exf4 exf4 7
3 3 il.xf4! gxf4 8 'i!l'h5+ �e7 9 'i!l'e5+
with a double attack on the black
2 2
king and rook. But this isn't the end
of the story. After 9.. .'�f7 he has to
a b c d e f g h be careful for if 10 'i!l'xh8?! 'i!l'e7+!?
I I i.e2 IiJf6 and the white queen is
shut in on h8. Black needs just two
9... f4 and White resigns as the moves to win it: 1 2 ...liJc6 and then
bishop perishes. This encirclement 13 ...i.g7. Therefore a much better
of the bishop by the black pawns is move for White is the zwischenzug
called the Noah's Ark Trap. 10 i.c4+! when after 1 0...d5 1 1
i.xd5+ It>g6 12 i.e4+! (not 1 2
'i!l'xh8? 'i!l'xd5) 1 2...It>f7
 Trapping Pieces 99

a h c J c g h after, say, 1 6 J/.e6 but the game is

>l >l far from over) 16 I1lhS+ <;i.;g6 1 7
'iil'g3+! J/.g4 (if l L<;i.;xh5 1 8 �f7 is
7 7
mate, while mate also follows after
6 (, 1 L <;i.;h7 1 8 'iil'd3+) 1 8 I1lxf6 <;i.;xf6
S 5 19 'ili'h4+ <;i.;fS
4 4
a b c d e f g h
3 3

2 2 K 8

7 7

6 6
a h c d c g h
5 5

13 'ili'xh8!? I1lr6 the white queen 4

is again surrounded on h8 but with 3 3

the difference that White has gained 2 2
the time to win another pawn and
develop his king's bishop. Black
now threatens 14 ... J/.b4+ with a a h c J e f g 11
discovered attack on White's queen.
Therefore 14 I1lc3 seems the best
If now 20 'iil'xd8? the discovered
move, when if 14",liJxe4 White
check wins back the queen, So
mustn't play 1 5 I1lxe4? J/.b4+­
White played 20 J/.e4+! and Black
falling for the trap at the second
resigned. I f now 20 <;i.;xe4 White
•••

opportun ity!-but 1 5 'ili'h7+! and 16

has the zwischenzug 2 1 I1lc3+! to
'ili'xe4 Otherwise Black cannot keep rule out a future J/.b4 with check by
the white queen boxed in, for Black when 2 1..,<;i.;fS 22 'iil'xd8 wins
example 14" ,l1lc6 I S 0-0-0 'iil'e7 the queen safely, This was the game
(threat 16" ,J/.g7) 1 6 I1ldS' and the Contini-Cazzaniga, Milan 1993,
white queen is freed.
Despite the disasters above Black
As a postscript to this, after has the last laugh in our discussion
12",';iO'l7-see the diagram above­ of this version of the Noah's Ark
White can ignore the rook on h8 and Trap, A recent game began 1 d4 fS
play to attack the black king. He has
2 �g5 h6 3 J/.h4 c5!?-a risky
won a pretty gamelet as follows:
move but here it works perfectly,
13 J/.dS+ <;i.;g6 14 liJe2!? I1lr6 White was aware that Black
(forced for Black is mated after couldn't successfully trap his bishop
14" .J/.g7 1 5 I1lxf4+ <;i.;h7 1 6 'iil'e4+) with 3 .. ,g5 because of the tactics
15 I1lxf4+ <;i.;g7? (correct is discussed above and thinking that
1 5 ",<;i.;h7' when White has three 3",c5 changed nothing to this
pawns for the piece and an attack scenario he played 4 dxeS?
1 nn Trapping Pieces

White thought for 40 minutes

before making the combination.
10 ... lt-xf7

a b c d e f g h

8 8
7 7

6 6
5 5

4 4
a b c d e f g h
3 3

However, 4.. :ifa5+! came as a 2 2

rude shock. The black queen
vacated the d8 square with gain of
time by checking and after 5 liJc3
g5 White was facing the loss of his
bishop for insufficient compen­ l l liJe6!!
sation as if 6 ig3 f4 the trap
The point: the black queen,
springs shut and 7 e3 fxg3 8 'ill'h5+
apparently safe within her own
is now only a check, not checkmate,
lines, is smothered unless the knight
because of 8 .. .'oi<d8!. White tried 6
is captured, but this leads to a quick
e4 but after 6...gxh4 7 'ili'h5+ It-d8 8
mate.
'ili'xf5 ig7 9 0-0-0 ixc3 10 bxc3
'il'xc3 1 1 liJf3 'il'a1+ 12 It-d2 'il'f6 1 l .. .'oi<xe6 1 2 'il'c4+ dS 13 liJxdS
1 3 'ill'd5 liJc6 it was entirely 1t-f7 1 4 liJf4+ 1t-f8 IS liJg6 mate!
hopeless for him in Handke-Berg,
The combinational motif has a
Bennuda 2002 antecedent:
famous Fischer­
The knight has a unique x-ray Reshevsky, New York 1958, went 1
ability to see through matter-the e4 c5 2 liJf3 liJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4
power of every other piece stops at g6 S liJc3 ig7 6 ie3 lilf6 7 ic4
a barrier, whether on a diagonal or 0-0 8 ib3 liJaS? 9 eS! liJe8 10
file, but the horse just gallops ixf7+! <oi<xf7 1 1 liJe6! dxe6 (Black
straight through. is mated after 1 l ...liIxe6 1 2 'ill'd5+
It-f5 1 3 g4+ IIIxg4 14 l:tg 1 + <oi<h5 15
At the 200 I World Junior Cham­
'il'dl + 1IIh4 16 'il'g4) 12 'il'xd8 liJc6
pionship, Sebastian Pozzo, the Eng­
13 'il'd2 ixeS 14 0-11 and with
lish representative in the Under 1 0
queen for two pieces White won
tournament, exploited this with the
easily. Fischer had the advantage
following spectacular combination.
that he had seen the idea in a
1 e4 d6 2 d4 liJf6 3 liJc3 liJbd7 4 magazine article by 1M Bob Wade
liJf3 e5 5 ic4 h6?! (5 ...ie7) 6 0-0 whereas Pozzo had to discover it for
ie7 7 'il'e2 0-0 8 l:i:dl exd4 9 liJxd4 himself. In all, it wasn't a bad
l:te8? 10 ixf7+! achievement for a nine year old!
 14 Trapping Pieces Puzzles

1 2
I.Ibragimov V.Zholnin
- P.Harikrishna I.Krush -

Russia Cup. Moscow 1998 Hastings 200112002

a b c d e f g h
A Russian rated 2490 developed
his pieces with Black as follows: 1 8 8
d4 d6 2 1iJf3 IiJd7 3 04 g6 4 .i.c4 7 7
.i.g7
6 6
5 5

4 4
8 8
3 3
7 7
2 2
6 6

5 5
a b c d � f g h
4

3 3 White to play
2 2
White played the calm retreat 20
1 1
.i.e!! with an awkward pin on the
a b c d e f g h knight on cS. The main threat is 2 1
.i.xcs .i.xcs 22 b4 winning a piece.
Was there anything wrong with Black didn't fancy an inferior
this set up? endgame after 20...'iI'dS 21 'il'xdS
exdS (not 2 l ....i.xdS 22 .i.xa6!
exploiting the pin) 22 Il.fd l , and so
tried for an exchange of queens
without weakening her pawn
structure with 20 'iI'a4. Was this a
...

good idea?
102 Trapping Pieces Puzzles

3 White sacrificed a piece for three

E.Vladimirov - G.Kasparov pawns with 1 7 i.xb5? cxb5 18
Europe-Asia rapidplay match, 'ili'xb5 itlc4! 19 itlxd5 i.xd5 20
Batumi 2001 'ili'xd5. Why did this lead him to
disaster?
a b L U co f g h

H H

7 7
5
<> (,
F,Kwiatkowski - I.Rendle
5 5 Hastings Challengers 2000
,1 'I

j 3 After the opening moves

2 2 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 itld2 i.e7 4
itlgfJ itlf6 5 e5 itlfd7 6 i.d3 c5 7
c3 itlc6 8 0-0 as 9 ll:e I cxd4 10
a b L U e f g b
cxd4 'ili'b6 1 1 'ili'a4 g5 12 itlb3 g4
13 itlfd2
Black to play
Black played the quiet move
13".'i!I'c7
How can Black trap the white
queen?
4 a h c d c f g 11
A.Grobelny - B.Socko H H
Polish learn Championship 2000
7 7

a b C U e f g h <> (,

H H 5

7 7

6 6 .l 3

5 5 2 2

3 3 a I) c d c f g h

2 2

What is the threat? Put three

possible replies 14 itlfl, 14 i.b l
a h c d (; f g h
and 14 i.f1 in descending order of
White to play badness.
 Trapping Pieces Puzzles 103

6 7
R.Redzepagie - I.Gazik K.Mah - N.MeDonald
Naleczow 1986 Hastings Masters 1995

a b c d c f g h

H H H 8
7 7 7 7
6 6 6 6
5 5 5
4 4 4
3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2
1

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

Black to play White to play

White has just attacked Black's Positionally speaking, White

rook with 22 IO!;>d2. What is the stands worse in view of the weak d4
strongest reply? pawn. My opponent came up with a
clever idea to try to force a draw: 35
f5 ! undermining the rook on d5.
Then 35...exf5 36 ILlb7 J:[8d7 37
ILleS :!l:7d6 38 ILlb7. Now, rather
than carry on repeating, I tried
38...lLle5 attacking White's rook.
Was this a good idea?
 15 Removal of the Defender

t's easy to pick off the pieces a b c d e f g h

of a beginner, but when you H R
play a good opponent you
7 7
will find that their pieces
have an annoying habit of 6 6
defending each other from 5 5
capture. Here we look at various
4 4
ways in which you can break up this
cosy arrangement and win material. 3 3

The most obvious is the physical 2 2

destruction of the defender, usually 1
called destroying the defender:
a b c d e f g h

a b c J e f g h
Black plays I ... b4 attacking the
H 8 knight. It has to move to safety but
7 7 then the black knight will capture
the undefended bishop, for example
6 6
if 2 11ldS I1lxe4.
5 5

4 4 Finally the defending piece can be

3 3 ovenvorked or overloaded. This
2 2 means that it has two (or more)
defensive tasks, and if called on to
do both at once it fails under the
a b c d e f g h

Here Black plays 1 .,.1:I,xc3! 2 H 8

bxc3 I1lxe4 The rook sacrificed
7 7
itself for the knight to remove the
defender of the bishop, but overall 6 6
Black has emerged with two pieces 5 5
for the rook as he then got to
4 4
capture the bishop for nothing,
3 3
2 2
Another method is to force the de­
fending piece away. This is known
as deflection. a b c d e f g h
 Removal of the Defender 105

The white knight defends both the I.Lentz - Z.Stanojos

rook and bishop. Black plays Hastings Challengers 2002
l...l:hdl and suddenly the knight
can't perform both duties, for if 2 a b c d e f g h
ItJxdl ItJxe4 wins the bishop. You 8 R
can't be in two places at once!
7 7
6 6
Here is a startling example of
deflection in a game between 5 5
international class players. 4 4
3 3
K.Kulaots - J.Geller 2 2
Aerollot Open, Moscow 2002
1

a b c d e f g h
1 e4 e5 2 1tJf3 ItJc6 3 d4 exd4 4
ItJxd4 'iil'h4 5 ItJc3 .tc5 6 .te3
ItJge7?? Here, the black bishop is in a pin
and if White could play �e3 he
Dealing with the threat of 7 ItJf5
would win it. Therefore he moved
but missing another more insidious
his knight out of the way: 28 ItJg4?
trap. He had to exchange twice on
which as well as 28 �e3 also threat­
d4.
ens 29 1tJf2. Unfortunately it leaves
7 1tJf3! 'lli'h5 the rook on d I undefended and
Black exploited this with
The only way to defend the
bishop, but after 28 ... .te4+!

8 g4!
a I) c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
8 8
8 8
7 7
7 7
6 6
6 6
5 5
5 5
4 4
4 4
3 3
3 3
2 2
2 2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
The bishop gives check and
Black resigned. There are no safe uncovers an attack on White's rook!
squares left on the fifth rank and If 29 q;>xe4 J:[xdl leaves Black the
8 ... 'iiI'xg4 9 .txc5 leaves him a piece exchange up. It appears that White
down.
106 Removal of the Defender

can save himself with 29 liie2 but endgame) 36 ...liigS 3 7 l::t ag7+ IiifS
then Black has two ways to win: etc. with a draw by repetition.
Instead Shirov played 31...lZlcs.
His idea was gain time by attacking
the deflection 29.. .111. 13+!? when
the rook on a7 to play lZld6. guard­
.

30 Iiixf3 lhd l again leaves Black

ing the f7 pawn. However, after
the exchange up with an easy win.
32 l::tab7!
Black is losing a piece. The black
the fork after 29 .lhdl ! 30 liixdl
rook is crowded out from defending
••

.111. 13+ and Black loses a whole

the knight after 32 ... l::taS 33 l::tb 4.
piece.
This is stronger and simpler than 33
l::txf7 lZld6--forking all three white
pieces!�though even here not
In the game neither of these
surprisingly White·s domination of
happened. White realised his
the second rank allows him to reach
mistake as soon as Black played
a winning endgame with 34 l::tg7+
2S ... .I1I.e4+ and resigned.
IiifS 35 lhh7! lZlxb7 36 l::thS+ liie7
37 l::txaS lZld6 3S .I1I.xg6 l::txd4.
G.Kasparov - A.Shirov 32 l::t xb7
..•

Linares 2000
The black rook is deflected from
the defence of cS. Also inadequate
for Black is 32...l::t db2 33 l::t xb2 (or
33 l::txcS+ immediately) 33 ... l::txb2
7 3 4 l::txcS+.
6 6 33 l::txcS+ Iiig7 34 .I1I.xb7 l::txd4 35
5 5 g4

4 4 and Kasparov converted his piece

3
advantage in another 1 7 moves.
.J

2 2
In the 2000 European Under 1 4
Championship one of the compet­
a b c d e f g h
itors always aimed for a kingside
fianchetto as White. Thus against
White·s rooks look threatening on the French he began with this
the seventh rank. but after 3 1 ...l::txd4 sequence of moves:
attacking the bishop White has
I e4 e6 2 d3 d5 3 lZld2 lZlf6 4
nothing better than to force a draw
lZlgl3
with 32 l::txf7 l::txe4 33 l::tg7+ IiihS
(33 ... liifS 3 4 l::txh7 Iiig S is the same) Then White is ready to play 5 g3
34 l::txh7+ IiigS 35 l::tag7+ IiifS 36 and 6 .I1I.g2. These moves can be
l::ta 7 (or 36 l::txg6lZld5 37 l::thS+ 1iif7 played against virtually anything
3S l::txbS Iiixg6 with a drawn Black does�White doesn·t need to
 Removal of the Defender 107

think. However, one of his I hope by now you are convinced

opponents decided to get him out of that no position can be played
his prearranged plan with without having at least a quick look
around for tactical ideas. If the
4 ....ltc5!?
position is quiet, there is unlikely to
This provocative move aims to be any tactical response, but it
force White into an unfamiliar set doesn't do any harm to ask yourself
up after say 5 e5 IiJfd7 6 d4 .ltb6 7 just before you make a move:
c3-White has a space advantage
'If I play this move, what is his
but his cosy kings ide fianchetto is
best response? Will I have fallen
no longer appropriate. Instead,
into a tactical trap'?'
White carried on thoughtlessly
5 g3?? dxe4 6 liJxe4
G.Kasparov - M.Adams
If 6 dxe4 IiJg4 and White can't
Sarajevo 1 999
defend 12.
6...liJxe4 7 dxe4 a b c d e f g h

a b c d l' f g h

H 7 7

6 6

) S

.:j 4

3 3
2 2

2
1 a b c d e f g h

a b c J e f g 11
White to play
7....ltx12+
Black's knight is dangerously
Using deflection to win a pawn.
short of squares. The black queen
8 Wxf2 has only to be nudged-{}r deflected
-a little way aside ...
If it wasn't for this reply based on
discovered attack things would be 27 J:!.ed\!
even worse for White. Only thus' If 27 J:!.adl Black has
8...'I'i'xdl 9 .ltb5+ 'l'i'd7 10 .ltxd7+ the defence 27 ... J:!.xel + deflecting
.ltxd7 the attack away from the queen after
28 J:!.xe l .
and Black had an extra pawn
which he finally managed to convert 27 ... a5
into a win.
108 Removal ofthe Defender

If 27 .. :iIt'e2 28 a4 wins the knight, N,McDonald - D,Anagnostopoulos

because the black queen has been Stockholm Open 1994
driven from d3 and so she no longer
defends the knight after i2lc3. a b c d e f g h
Therefore Black has to force the 8
�� bil% , )il '- ' �
?
8

��I'�I
white queen to a4 where she blocks '

7 7
the a2-a4 advance.

�' �t � � �"�
6 6
28 'llt'a 4!
Nevertheless the white queen is
5

��:·4�
� � ��
. ��
/".//,
5

� ft� � •
. .

delighted to be driven to a4 as now

I(
w@. · x . . �
4
3
she controls the d I square. This sets 3
up the win with .!:tdl which follows

�i·�'�'
2 2
at move 3 1 below. 1
28",'lit'e2 a b c d e f g h
Black could have tried 28 ... i2lc3,
hoping to fight on after 29 .!:txd3? White to play
i2lxa4, but instead 29 'llt'xe8+! .!:txe8
30 .!:txd3 wins a rook. The e6 pawn is well defended in
the diagram, but using the power of
29 l:I:el 'llt'd3
deflection White set up a knight
The position is now the same as in fork there: 27 'llt'e5+! 'llt'g7 If
the diagram, but with the moves 27 ... 'it>g8 White can develop a
... a7-a5 by Black and 'llt'a4 by White decisive attack with 28 .!:tf3! .!:txf3
inserted. As the white queen now (28 ...'IIt'g7? 29 .!:tg3) 29 gxf3'
controls d l , there is a simple win. opening the g file when Black has
no defence against 30 l:I:gI +. It is
30 l:I:xe8+ .!:txe8 31 .!:td 1 1-0
the unobvious recapture 29 gxf3
After 3 l . ..'IIt'e2 32 .!:tel 'llt'x el +­ which is perhaps the hardest part of
forced-33 i.xel .!:txe l + 34 �f2 the combination to calculate.
Black could try one last trap with
28 'llt'xg7+ �xg7 29 i2la4!
34 .. .J::[c2+ when if 35 'it>xc2??
(instead 35 'it>fl c6 36 'llt'xa5 wins Deflecting the black knight away
easily) 35 ...i2lc3+ forks the king and from the defence of e6. This is
queen. Of course any serious chance much better than being mated after
of Kasparov falling for this trap 29 .!:txfS .!:txfS 30 .!:txa5?? .!:tfl. Now
probably disappeared sometime whatever Black plays there will be a
around his fifth birthday! fork on e6 winning the exchange.
 Removal of the Defender J09

29.. .l:!.xfl + 30 !hfl l1lxa4 Going passive is unpleasant after

28 ...'iII'c8 29 'ill'd4. Now, however,
There is a fork all the same after
Black appears to have good
30 ... ll:c8 31 I1lxc5 ll:xc5 32 I1lxe6+.
chances: if, say, 29 'ill'g4?? then
31 I1lxe6+ �g6 32 I1lxd8 and 29 ...ll:el+ forces mate.
Black resigned after 32 ...l1lc5 33
29 a4!
11lf7 I1lf6 34 l1le5+ �g7 35 g4 11lfe4
36 ll:f7+ �g8 37 :c7 b5 38 h4 a4 Farcing Black to exchange queens
39 bxa4 1-0 after which all his counterplay
vanishes.
29 ...!!.xe4 30 axb5
A.Shirov - S. Tiviakov
Wijk aan Zee 2001 The pawn on b5 cripples all three
Black queenside pawns. These
a b c d e f g h become an easy target for White's
rook.
8 8

7 7 30 ...!!.a4+ 3 1 �b2 f6 32 �b3 !!.f4

33 !!.d8+ �f7 34 :d7+ �g6 35
6 6
!!.xc7 ll:xl3 36 !!.xa7 !!.f5 37 �c4
5 5 ll:c5+ 38 �b4 !!.d5 39 !!.b7 !!.d6 40
4 4 �c4 h5 41 �d4 1-0
3 3 The passed pawn White is about
2 2 to create on b5 will inevitably cost
Black his rook. Meanwhile his
1
kingside pawns are too slow to
a b c d e f g h cause White any problems.

Black to move has three pawns

for the piece. He played 27 ...ll:e8, L.Fressinet - A.Morozevich
activating his rook by attacking the NAO Masters, Cannes 2002
white queen.
a b c d e f g h
28 �c3!
8 8
The white queen stands her
7 7
ground. This discovered attack on
the black queen wrests the initiative 6 6
back into White's hands. If now 5 5
28 ...'iII'xd2 29 'ill'xe8 mate or
4 4
28 ... ll:xe4 29 :xd7 :e8 30 ll:xc7
and Black has lost a vital pawn. 3 3
2 2
Here's a nasty trap White could
have fallen for: 28 'ill'c2 :e l + 29
:dl?? 'ill'xd4+! winning a bishop a b c d e f g h
and rook.
28...'iII'b5 Black to play
1 1 0 Removal of the Defender

Here Black could play 28 ... liJb3, ahead before playing 28 ... l:tcd8
going after the as pawn when if 29 Morozevich had got this far. It's a
l:txd7 .txd7 30 l:td I IiJxaS 3 1 IiJd6 fair number of moves, but in view
l:td8 32 'iil'xeS .tc6' and the pin on of all the forced captures this isn't a
the d file is rather awkward for particularly difficult calculation,
White. Instead Morozevich pre­ especially for a 2700 player! Here
ferred to double rooks on the d me the Russian may have assumed he
with would be at least OK after 35 'iil'xe5
'iil'xb2 attacking White's bishop: in
28..,l:!cd8?!
fact the passed rook pawn even
Now Black's position goes from gives him the edge. However, there
slightly better to slightly worse. is a sneaky tactic concealed in the
position: going a bit further 36
29 liJxc5 'iil'xcs
'lII'b8 +' Ii.'h7 37 .te4+ wins Black's
If 29 ... l:txd l + 30 l:txdl l:txd l + 3 1 queen through a discovered check!
'iil'x dl 'iil'xc5, attacking as, White It is curious that many comment­
wins a pawn with 32 'iil'd 8+ (there is ators thought that Morozevich had
also 3 2 .txb7 'iil'xa5 33 'iil'e2' trans­ chosen the inferior continuation at
posing to the next note) 32 ... li.'h7 33 move 28 because he had simply
.txb7 when, if 33 ... 'lII'b5 , then 34 missed 30 .txb7, when in all
'iiI'b6 defends everything. probability the real reason was this
30 .txb7! subtle tactic many moves deep!
31 'iil'e 1 'iil'bS?
a b c d e f g h This seems to be a misguided
H 8 winning attempt. Instead 3 1 ...l:txdl
32 l:txdl l:txd I 33 'iil'x d l 'iil'xa5
7 7
White's passed c pawn gives him
6 6 the advantage, but it is nothing
5 5 decisive.
4 4 32 ll:xd7 ll:,d7 33 .t.4 .tb3
3 :, Not 33 ... 'iiI'xb2 34 ll:bl when
2 2 34 ...'iiI'a3 35 ll:b8+ or 34 ...'iiI'd2 35
1
ll:b8+ l:td8 36 'liI'xd2 both cost Black
his queen.
a b c d c f g h
34 .to ll:d6
Perhaps 34 . . . f5 was the best
30... .tc4
chance to confuse matters as now
Instead 30 ... l:txd I + 3 1 l:txd I White frees himself.
l:txd l + 32 'iil'xd l "!Wxa5 33 'iil'e 2!
35 'liI'e2 .tc4 36 'iil'e4 .tdS
'iil'a l + (if 33 ... 'lII'b5 34 .txa6 while
33 ... .th3 34 'iil'xa6' stops 34 ... The final error, losing more
'iil'al+) 34 Ii.'g2 as. It is reasonable material, but it was already hope­
to assume that when calculating less, for if36 ... 'iiI'xb2 37 ll:b l wins.
 Removal of the Defender 111

37 'ill'xeS '1hb2 38 l:!:n ..txl3 39 A stronger form of persuasion.

'ill'xd6 'iil'xc3 40 'ill'f4 ..te2 4 1 l:!:cl! White resigned here as he will lose
Beginning a clever little ma­ a rook after 26 'iil'xe2 IDxf4+ 27
noeuvre 10 kil! off any Black �gl IDxe2+ while if 26 'ill'x c3
IDxf4+ 27 �g3 l:!:h3+ 28 Wxf4 g5 is
swindles by exchanging queens.
mate.
41 ...'iiI'd3 42 'iil'b8 + �h7 43 'iil'bl
These mating combinations didn't
1-0
suddenly appear as if by magic­
they were the result of gammg
J.shaw N.McDonald
-
command of a key square.
Hastings Challengers 1 994
J.Timman - M.Gurevich
Bundesliga, Germany 1999
H H

7 7
B H
6 6
7 7
5 5
6 6
4 1
5 5
3 3
4 4
2 2
3 3
1
2 2
a b c d e f g h

Black /0 play a h c d e f g h

White to play
Here Black realised that the key to
a winning breakthrough was to Black is under pressure along the
conquer the f4 square at any cost. a file, huI it appears the defence is
Therefore he played 24 ...gc3! holding firm. After all, Ihe a5 pawn
threatening 25 ... l:!:d3 chasing the is attacked three times but guarded
queen away from the defence of the three times. However, with the
f4 pawn. simple 28 'ill'e 1 ! Timman introduced
another target-the h4 pawn. The
2S IDel bishop on d8 is overstretched or
If 25 'iil' x c3 IDxf4+ 26 �f3 (if 26 overloaded in having to defend both
�g3 or 26 Wgl then 26 ... lDe2+ rook pawns. The game went
forks the king and queen) 26 ... l:!:h3+ 28 ... il.b7 29 bxa5 l:!:bxa5 30 l:!:xa5
27 il.g3 l:!:xg3+! 28 Wxg3 lDe2+ l:!:xa5 3 1 lhaS i,aS 32 'iil'x h4!
wins the queen. This doesn't actually win a pawn
25... 'iiI'e2! but it makes possible a decisive
1 1 2 Removal of the Defender

breakthrough along Black's weak­ is obviously a very loosening move

ened dark squares. and there were two more sensible
moves for White to consider:
32 ... bc3 33 'llfd8+ �h7 34 e6!
.

Discovering the threat of mate on

a b c d e f g h
h8 and so ensuring that the pawn
runs through. 8 8
7 7
34... �xd4 35 exf7 �xe3
6 6
Or 35...�g7 36 'llfg8+ <o!;>h6 37
ft!='IIf �xft! 38 'llfh8 mate. 5 5

4 4
36 'llfg8+ 1-0
3 3
It's mate next move.
2 2

a b c d e f g h
B.Larsen - M.Adams
Najdorf tournament,
Firstly 39 d5?!-hoping to drive
Buenos Aires 1991
the black queen away from the
a b c d e f g h
defence of g6. If 39 ... gxf5? 40 dxc6
and White wins. Knights are just
8 8 awful at stopping passed pawns, as
7 7 you see after 40... lllxe5 41 c7, when
6 6
the black pieces are in a tangle. So
Black should play 39...'llfb61 as
5 5
suggested by Adams. The queen
4 4 prefers to be captured on b6 where
3 3 it denies White a passed pawn on
2
the c file. In essence, this is a
2
refined desperado move. 40 l:Ixb6
gxfS 41 l:rg6+ <o!;>f7 42 l:rg7+ <o!;>ft! 43
a b c d e f g h :'xd7 l:Ixe5 and with his king near
the white passed pawn Black has
White to play winning chances in the endgame.

Black threatens to pick up a pawn Secondly, 39 'llff3 1 Illxe5 40 dxe5

with 38...lllxe5 39 dxe5 'llfd5, but 'llfd5 4 1 ll:b8+ �h7 42 :'e81 ll:xe5
rather than retreat the bishop Larsen and now, based on the fact that the
tried 38 'llff5. Black responded rook on e5 has to stay guarding the
38 ... g6! aiming to drive away the queen, White can force a neat draw
queen and win the pawn. The game by perpetual check with 43 ll:e7+1
ended abruptly after 39 l:Ig2? .l:[e2! �g8 44 l:Ie8+ �h7 45 ll:e7+ etc.
0-1 when Adams proved himself The game would also end in perpet­
king of the pins! However, 38 ...g6 ual check after 42 ... 'llfd2+ 43 �g3
 Removal ofthe Defender 1 13

.11.e3 44 1:1e7+ etc. A pinned piece by Black regains his material, with a
no means loses all its powers! Here rook on the seventh rank, a dark­
the white queen is controlling the squared bishop which now has no
squares t7 and f8�the inability of a rival in the white camp and two
king to walk through check applies white pawns are under attack---on
even if the piece barring it is pinned. f2 and h3. There followed 25 1:1.2
i.d7! 26 'i!i'b3 'iii'xb3 2 7 IiJxb3 1:1d3
28 1:1d2
There were three examples of
If 28 Wg2 simplest looks
deflection in this analysis. One was
28 ... i.xh3+ 29 It>xh3 1:1xf3 30 Wg2
in the game with 39... 1:1e2! when the
1:1xc3.
rook couldn't afford to be forced
away from the g file; then there was 28.. .l:txO 29 1:1xd7 1:1xg3+!
39... 'i!Vb6! in the analysis to 39 d5 Remember the pins! 30 It>n 1:1xh3
which entices the rook to a square 31 IiJd2 1:1xc3 32 1:1xb7 1:1c2! 33
where it is attacked; and finally after 1:1d7
39 'iii'f3 the perpetual was made If 33 It>el i.a5 with a diagonal
possible by the fact that the black
pin or 33 It>e2 .lta5 with a lateral
rook couldn't allow itself to be
pm.
deflected from the defence of the
queen. 33...i.d4 34 liJb3 i.xf2
And despite being three pawns
N.Miezis - U.Adianto down White battled on for a rather
Olympiad, Istanbul 2000 pointless number of moves before
resigning.
a b c d e f g h

H 8 N.McDonald - O.Romanishin
7 7 Tbilisi, 1986
6 6 a b c d e f g h

5 5 H H
4 4 7 7
3 3 (i 6
2 2 5 S
4 4
a b c d e f g 11 3 3
2 2
Black to play

Black made a combination to a h c d e f g h

destroy the defender of the rook on Black to play
d2:
22 ... 1:1xc3! 23 bxc3 IiJO+ 24 At the moment White has three
i.xO 1:1xd2 pieces for the queen, but this
 114 Removal of the Defender

changed after 26 .. Jbd2! when if 27 A.Moen - N.McDonald

i.xd2 'l!I'xc4. Nor does 27 i.b3 Hastings Challengers 1999
'1il'xb5 help. So I tried 27 b3 'l!I'a2
defending the rook. 28 I1xaS a b c d c

H H
7 7
H 8 6
7 7 5 5
6 6 4 .j
5 5 3 3
4 4 2 2
3 3 1
2 2
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h White to play

There have been very few occa­ In this position White went
sions in my adult chess career when seriously astray with I S liJcS? IiJxc5
I have heen hit hy a completely 1 6 dxcS 'Ili'aS! when after 17
unexpected tactical blow. Here 'S'xc�r else he remains a pawn
Romanishin started thinking and I down after say 1 7 i.xf6 i.xf6 1 8
couldn't understand why. As far as I IiJg5 .liI.xg5 19 .liI.xb7 I1xc5, though
could see he only had one move and that was undoubtedly the best fight­
that was 28 ...'l!I'c2, saving his queen. ing chance---I 7 ..IhcS the double
..

Then I intended to resist with 29 attack on the queen and the bishop
i.xd2 'l!I'xd2 30 I1e2 'Ili'xc3 3 1 I1a7 on g5 proved fatal:
though with only a rook and bisho p
for a queen lind pawn White is los­ a b c d c

ing in the long run.

8 H
However, Romanishin carried on 7 7
thinking and I sat there puzzled,
6 6
until finally he played:
5 5
28...e3!!
4 4
Black offers his queen as a tem­
3 3
porary loan so that following
29 ... exf2+ he will gain a new one 2 2
with a rook as interest. In avoiding 1
this I went meekly to my doom.
a b c d c f g h
29 lii' h l exf2 30 I1fl 'llkc2 3 1
i.xd2 'Ili'e4 mate 18 'Ili'h4
 Removal oj the DeJender 1 1 5

If IS 'il'f4 Ilih5' wins a piece-the lS" .txf3

. Destroying the
queen is attacked and so is the defender. White resigned as, after
bishop on g5 for a third time. 19 .txf6 .\txf6 attacking his queen,
On I S "it'd3 White escapes after he bas no time for 20 .\txf3 and sO
I S .txf3? 19 .txf6 .txf6 (or
...
remains a whole piece down. The
19... .txg2 20 .txe7) 20 .txf3, but lateral action of the black rook as in
J S . .lhg5! 19 11ixg5 .txg2 20 Itixg2
. this example is easy to under­
'ii'xg5 leaves Black with two pieces estimate.
for a rook.
 16 Removal of the Defender
Puzzles

I 2

You decide to have a go at the

H H
Morra Gambit:
7 7 I 04 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 dxc3 4
Iilxc3 Iilc6 5 1ilf3 e6 6 .ltc4 Iilf6 7
6
0-0 'i!lc7 8 'i!le2 1ilg4
5
a b c d e f g h
4
H H
3 3
7 7
2 2
6 (,
1 1
5 5
a b c d e f g h
4 4

3 )
White played I .ltxb5 and after 2 2
1...l:td5 he saw that moving his
bishop would allow 2 l:txa5 while
defending it with 2 c4 would give a b c d e f g h
Black a lot of counterplay after
2... l:td2. Therefore he decided to Now is it safe to play 9 h3 to
play 2 ll:dl. Was this a good idea? drive away the knight?
 Removal ofthe Defender Puzzles 1 1 7

3 5
N.Zeliakov - A.Morozevich P.Thipsay - G.Prakash
FIDE World Championship, Indian Championship, Nagpur 1999
Moscow 2001
a b c J e f g h
a b C d c f
H 8
8 8 7 7
7 7 6 6
6 (, 5 5
5 5 4 4
4 4 3 3
3 3 2 2
2 2

a h c J e f g h
a h c J c f g h
White to play
Black to play and destroy the
defender ' Thipsay used the principle that a
piece doesn't defend the square it
stands on to great effect. Can you
see how?
4
M.Adams - M.Gurevich 6
Wijk aan Zee 2002 G.Kasparov - J.Timman
Wijk aan Zee 2000
a b c d c f g b
a b c d e f g h
H S
8 H
7 7
7 7
6 6
6 6
5 5
5 5
4 :,
4 4
3 3
3 3
2 2
2 2

a h c d c f g h
a h c d c g h
White to play. How did he smash
Black 's defences? White to play
1 18 Removal of the Defender Puzzles

Here after 33 J;[c6 the Dutch 8

Grandmaster played 33 ...c4+. He J.Emms - J.Hodgson
reasoned that if 34 Wxc4 he has the British Championship,
trick 34 ... d3! 35 Wxd5 d2 when his Plymouth, 1989
pawn queens, so White has to settle
for 34 J;[xc4 J;[xb5 when after 35 After the opening moves
J;[xd4 J;[b2 Black regains his pawn
with a draw. Was Timman right and I e4 d6 2 d4 ILlf6 3 ILlc3 c6 4 f4
how should the game end? 'iil'a5 5 'iil'f3 d5 6 e5 lLle4 7 .Il.d3
lLla6 8 ILlge2
GM Julian Hodgson, then rated
7 2535, offers you the e pawn with
L.Asztalos A.Alekhine
-
8...1Llb4
Bled 1931
a b c d c f g b
a b c d e f g h
8 8
8 H
7 7
7 7
(,
6 (,
5 5
5 5
4
4 4
:\ "
3 3
2 2
2 2

a b c d e f g II
a b c d e f g h

Should you take it with 9 .Il.xe4

White to move dxe4 1 0 'iil'xe4, or are you afraid
something nasty will happen?
A little bit of history. The Hun­ a b c d e f g h
garian Master Asztalos had World
Champion Alekhine under great H H

pressure in the diagram position. 7 7

Here he played 24 axb3 and a 6 6
gleeful Alekhine couldn't resist
5 5
telling him that he could have
played 24 "ili'xh8+. "1 feared the 4 4
reply 24 ... We7" replied his oppo­ :l 3
nent. Who was right? (incidentally 2 2
such a conversation between two of
the World elite during a game IS
virtually unthinkable these days.) a b c d e f 8 h
 Removal ojthe Defender Puzzles 1 1 9

9 10
G.V un Buelow - D.Poldauf M.Ulibin - E.Svesbnikov
Bundesliga. Genn.ny 2002 USSR Team Championship 1988

a b c J e f g h a b c d e f

8 H H 8
7 7 7 7
6 (,
5 5 5
4 4 4
3 3 3 }
2 2 2 2

a b c d c f g 11 a b c d e f g h

White to move Black to play

It is White's move and he looks in Black played 18...1t'c2

big trouble as Black is threatening
White didn't want to give Black a
to win with n . . . l:!d 1 + 29 iLxd I
rook on the seventh rank after 1 9
.!hd l +. However, he came up with
1t'xc2 J:(xc2 and so played
the clever idea of using the bishop
on b2 to defend his back rank: 28 19 'liVg4
iLc3!? when there followed
28 ... l:!dl+ 29 iLxdl l:!xdl+ 30 iLeI
8 B
a b c d e f g h
7 7
8 8
6 (,
7 7
5 5
6 6
4 4
i 5
3 3
2 2
j 3
2 2
a h c d e f g h

a b c d e f � h What is White's threat" What is

the best way to meet it?
and White was the exchange and
two pawns up. Had he escaped"
 17 Zwiscbenzug and Desperado
wischenzug means in a b c d e f g h
Gennan 'in between H 8
move'. It involves
7 7
delaying, hopefully ad­
-.......
. vantageously, what had 6 6
seemed a necessary move, such as 5 5
the recapture of a piece. The
4 4
zwischenzug doesn't have to be
check, but it has to be of a 3 3
sufficiently forcing nature to distract 2 2
the opponent from taking advantage
of the delay.
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h

8 H White to move is a pawn down

7 but he could bury Black's bishop
7
with 1 d6!. It would never see day­
6 (, light and White would have all the
5 ) time in the world to round up the b6
4 4 pawn with his knight and rooks and
then aim an attack at d7. However,
3 3
White didn't see any reason why he
2 2 shouldn't exchange off a pair of
rooks first with 1 J:!:xa8, when
l . ..J:!:xa8? 2 d6 entombs the bishop
a b c d e f g h
all the same. But Black was aware
of the power of a zwischenzug and
Black to move plays 1.. ..ltxf2
activated his bishop with 1 . ...ltc5+!.
which, besides capturing the bishop,
The obvious recapture on a8 can
discovers an attack on the pawn on
wait a move. After 2 'iilh2 J:!:xa8 the
c2. If now 2 Wxf2? lhc2+ 3 Wg3
bishop could no longer be trapped
J:!:xa2 and Black has won a knight
and Black had all the winning
and pawn. Instead White plays the
chances.
zwischenzug 2 .ltd3+! This defends
the c2 square and gives check, so Related to zwischenzug, because
Black has no time to save his it often involves the delay of an
bishop. After 2 ... Wb6 only now apparently forced capture or
does White take the bishop: 3 Wxf2 recapture, is the concept of a
and c2 is safely defended. desperado. A desperado move
 Zwischenzug and Desperado 121

basically involves a devil may care G.Buckley - P.Harikrishna

lunge by a doomed piece to inflict Ron Banwell Masters, London 200 I
as much damage, material or
positional, on the opponent's forces. a b c d e f g h

After all, if a queen is going to be 8 8

lost anyway, it's better to get a 7 7
bishop or even a pawn for it than
6 6
nothing at all!
5 5
4 4
a b c d e f g h
3 3
8 R
2 2
7 7
6 (,
a b c d e f g h
5 5
4 4 Black to play
3 3
25 ... 'iiI'a6 26 ll:el Harikrishna, a
2 2 strong GM, now calculated
26... ll:ab8 27 ll:xb8 'iil'xe2 28 lhe2
a b c d e f h
ll:xb8, when he regains the pawn
g
with 29....I!.xb4, but after 26 ...ll:ab8
-incidentally accompanied by a
It is White's move. Black is a draw offer!-27 ll:xb8 he resigned.
piece up and both queens are
attacked. If I lhc4 tZlxd6 and Black
keeps his extra piece. Rather than
allow this straight swap, White H 8
should sell his queen as dearly as
7 7
possible since it is going to be lost
anyway. After 1 'iil'xf8+! Black has 6 6
no time to save his queen as he must 5 5
play 1 ...lhl8. Then 2 1l:xc4 and 4 4
White has emerged the exchange
3 3
up. The move I 'iil'xl8+ is referred to
as a desperado move; in this case it 2 2
is the queen that goes desperado as
she has nothing to lose.
a b c d e f g h

In the following game, Black He noticed to his horror that if

could play 25 ...tZlxb4, but he 27 ... 'iiI'xe2 White has the
worked out a more efficient way of zwischenzug/desperado 28 .l!.xl8+!
regaining the pawn--or so he when after 28 ... "hl8 29 lI.xe2 Black
thoughtl has lost a rook.
122 Zwischenzug and Desperado

G.Kasparov . J.Polgar G.Kasparov - I.Sokolov

Linares 1 997 Sarajevo 1999

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

H 8 H 8
7 7 7 7
6 6 6 6
5 5 5 5
4 4 4 4
3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2
1

a b c d e g h a b c d e f g h

Black to play White to ploy

The pin on e8 looks fatal. but Ju' 27 .txb4!

dith Polgar gambled with 39 il.xbS
Snatching the pawn looks
•••

Perhaps she was hoping for a

extremely risky as White falls into
massive swindle along the lines of
an awkward pin on the c file after
40 J:!:xf8 J:!:b I 41 J:!:xf7+ Wg6 42
dxe6 il.xfl 43 J:!:g8+ Wf5 44 e7?? 27 ... J:!:c8 28 il.xe7 J:!:xc6
il.h3+ 45 il.el il.d4+ 46 Whl J:!:x el
mate. a b c d e f g h

Kasparov found a simple way to 8 8

avoid all traps: 7 7

40 il.xbS J:!:xd8 4 1 il.d3+! 1-0 6 6

A killer zwischenzug-White 5 5
moves his bishop to safety with 4 4
check, and is ready next move to 3 3
play 42 J:!:xd8 regaining his rook 2 2
and remaining a piece up. Therefore
Polgar resigned.
a b c d e f g h

In the next position. with the

courage of calculation, Kasparov 29 il.f6+!
played....
 Zwischenzug and Desperado 123

...but as usual the World No.1 has 34 'i'a5!

everything worked out! This is an
essential zwischenzug before a b
capturing on c6. If 29 lhc6 'i'xc6
8 8
30 .1I.f6+ can be answered by
7 7
30 ...liJxf6 3 1 exf6+ Ilixf6 with a
level game. 6 6
29...lIi'g8 S 5
4 4
If 29 ...liJxf6 30 exf6+ (not 3 0
'i'xd7? !!.xcl + and White will be 3 3
mated) with three possibilities for 2 2
Black:
1
(a) 30 . . .lIi'xf6 appears good for
a h c d e f g h
Black at first glance as if White
captures either black rook or queen
he is mated in one move. Then you 34 ...liJxf6
see 30 'i'f3+! ! followed by 3 1 'i'xc6 If 34 ...'i'b1+ 35 Ii;>h2 'i'xb2 36
and you realise Kasparoy's com­ 'i'a8+ lli'h7 37 'i'b8+ Itog6 38 'i'g7+
plete mastery of tactics. lli'h5 (or 38...1Ii'f5 3 9 'i'b7+ Itof4 40
(b) Another horrible way for 'i'e4 mate) 39 .1I.xg5! bxg5 40 'i'b7
Black to lose is 30 ...1Ii'f8 3 1 !!.xc6! mate.
'i'xd3 32 !!.c8+ with a back rank 35 'i'd8+! liJe8
mate to follow.
Utterly hopeless are 35 ...lIi'h7 3 6
(c) The only defence for Black 'i'xf6 'i'bl+ 3 7 lli'h2 'i'xb2 3 8
would be 30. . . lli'g8 3 1 'i'b I !!.xcl + 'i'xf7+ Ii;>h8 3 9 'i'xe6 or
32 'i'xcl 'i'd4 winning the f6 pawn,
3S ... lIi'g7 3 6 'i'xf6+ 'i'xf6 37
though, after 33 h4!? 'l!Vxf6 34 hxg5
exf6+ Ii;>xf6 38 'it>f2 when the
hxg5 35 b4, the passed pawn gives
outside passed pawn is decisive.
White serious winning chances in
the endgame. A similar endgame 36 'i'xe8+ 'it>g7 37 'illb5
eventually arises in the game.
Now the passed pawn eventually
30 !!.xc6 'i'xc6 31 'iil'd 2! 'i'a4 32 wins the game for White.
h3 'i'e4 33 f3 'i'f5
37...'i'c2 38 'i'b4 'i'e2 39 'i'd4 h5
Now Black is ready to play liJxf6 40 b4 'i'el+ 41 'it>h2 h4 42 b5
or 'i'xe5 if the bishop retreats. 'i'g3+ 43 'it>hl 'i'el+ 44 'liI'gl 'i'xeS
Perhaps Sokolov thought he had a 45 'i'bl 'i'd5 46 b6 'illb7 47 'liI'b4
safe game, but Kasparov had e5 48 'i'cs 'it>g6 49 'i'c7 1-0
another surprise waiting.
124 Zwischenzug and Desperado

R.Wojtaszek J. Sikora Lerch

- 26".'iIi'xc8
Prerove 200 I a b c d e f g h
a h c d e f g h H H
7 7
H H
7 7 6 6

6 6 5 5

5 5 4 4

4 4 3 3
2 2
3 3
2 2
a \) c d e f g h
a b c d c f g h
If you compare the position to
that after 25 IiJxc8 'ili'xc8 26 .ta4,
White to play
you will see that White has gained a
tempo by playing 25 il.a4 first. This
White could play 25 IiJxc8 'ili'xc8 is because Black was forced to
when he is the exchange up. His waste a move on 25 ...'iIi'c7 and only
next move after that would probably then 26 ... 'ili'xc8.
be 26 .ta4 to bring his bishop into Perhaps you are thinking this
the attack. Instead he found some­ doesn't make much difference­
thing even stronger: whichever way White plays he is
25 .ta4! the exchange up with pressure. In
fact, the difference is significant as
Immediately! White can save himself the trouble
25".'iIi'c7 of trying to exploit his extra ma­
terial by using the extra move to
If 25 .. :ill'xa4 26 IiJxc8 ll:e8 (we
break through with
are back in the realm of knight forks
after 26 ... ll:e6 27 'ili'xc4 ll:c6? 28 27 e5!
liJe7+) 27 'ili'xc4 leaves White the whereupon Black immediately
exchange and a pawn up. resigned. If 27 ...liJxe5 28 ll:d8+
26 liJxc8 wins the queen so Black would be a
rook down after 27 ...1iJe8 28 .txd7
Only now does White take the
or 27 ... ll:xe5 28 .txd7 IiJxd7 29
rook.
J:txd7.
 Zl1-'ischenzug and Desperado 125

A.shirov - J.Polgar 46...'it'a4

Linares 200 I
If 46 ...'it'a2 White could pick up
a b c J e f g h the kn ight with 47 1m but even
8 H stronger would be 47 J:lb2 regaining
the knight whilst keeping the other
7 7
rook well placed on the e file. If
6 6 after the latter move Black
5 5 sacrifIced the queen with 47 ...'it'xb2
4 48 'it'xb2 IZld I 49 'it'xb6 IZlxe3 50
-1
'it'xe3 White should win the end­
3 3
game fairly easily.
2 2
Judith Polgar is a fine tactician
herself. Her crafty game move
a b c d e g h prepares to answer 47 Itixf2?? with
Black to play 47 ... 'it'c2+I---{jouble check picking
up a rook.
White has a dangerous looking
47 J:l02!
initiative on the kingside. Black
played 42 ...lZlxd3 hoping to ease the Shirov is having nothing to do
pressure after 43 J::txd3 "lii'c5 offering with swindles. Black has run out of
the exchange of queens. Instead tricks and now the knight is lost.
Shirov took his chance with
47.. Jl:c7 48 Itixf2
43 1Zle8!
The most efficient way to capture
Threatening mate on g7 so Black as it maintains the queen and rook
has no choice. on e2 on active squares, In what
follows the white king ends up on
43, ..J::txe8 44 J::txe8 IYg8 45 J::te 3!
some rather odd squares but he
Now the rook returns to go after proves very safe. Meanwhile the
the knight. Not however 45 "lii'f6 white pieces start to reed on Black's
1:1f7 and Black defends successfully. weak pawns.
45... 1Zlf2+ 46 IYgl 48 ... J:lxc4 49 'it'xb6 J:lc5 50 'it'xd6
'it'd4+ 51 Itig3 J:txd5 52 'it'f4! 'it'c5
53 1:1cl J:tg5+ 54 1tih4 J:th5+ 55
8 R IYg4 'it'd5 56 J:ld2 'it'e6+ 57 Itig3 a4
7 7 58 'it'c4 gaS 59 ge2 ! 1-0
6 6 A neat concluding move which
5 5 doesn't allow Black to bring up the
knight to support the passed pawn
4 4
after 59 "lii'xe6+ IZlxe6. Now
3 3 59... 'it'xc4 60 gxc4 wins easily, e.g.
2 2 60... lZld7 61 J:le7 IZlb6 (or 6 l ...lZlc5
62 J:re5) 62 gb4 .c:a6 63 :re6 and
wins the knight.
a b c d � r g h
 126 Zwischenzug and Desperado

J.Lautier - N.McDonald a b c d e f g h
European Cup, Breda 1998 8 8

a h c d e f g h 7 7

8 6 (,
8
7 5 5
7
4 4
6 6
3 j
5 5
2 2
4 4
3 3
2 2 a b c d e f g h

1 9...lIfl
a b c d e f g h
White has a neat win with a sham
Black to play queen sacrifice after 19 ... 'i'fl 20
lId?! 'i'xc4 - no choice - 21
Here Black, to move. trustingly lIxg?+ Wh8 22 lIxc7+ 'i'c3 23
attacked the white knight with axb4! - much more precise than 23
17...cxb4? intending after the il.xc3 Ii:lxc3 - 23 ...'i'xal 24 lIxa l
• obvious' recapture 18 axb4 to and White is a piece up. If instead
protect the bishop with 1 8 ...b5 when 1 9 ... Wh8 20 il.xg?+ Wxg? 2 1 il.xe4
Black has a fairly safe position. then 22 'i'xc? wins.
However, you can't afford such 20 il.xe4
careless thinking, especially against
a player rated 2645! There came 18 a h
ttJe4! uncovering an attack on the 8 8
bishop and straight away I realised I 7 7
was in big trouble. Black has no
time for 18 ...b5 as White has three 6 6
pieces hitting f6. 5 5
18 ...li:lxe4? 4 4
3 3
Most players react badly to a sur­
prise. Here Black had to grin and 2 2
bear it with 1 8 ...fxe4 1 9 'i'xc4+ 'i'fl
(not 1 9 ...l:tfl 20 Ii:lg5) 20 'i'xfl+
a b c d e f g h
:'xfl 21 Ii:lg5 lIff8 22 axb4. The
weakness on e4 and the two bishops 20 ...li:lb5
give White a clear edge. but Black
can fight on. Useless is 20 ... fxe4 21 Ii:lg5 or
20 ...'i'xe4 21 'i'xfl+!. a familiar
19 'i'xc4+ forking combination, 2 1 ...Wxfl 22
 Zwischenzug and Desperado 127

IiJg5+ I!<g8 23 IiJxe4 .txa 1 24 J:!:xa 1 As before with 17 ... cxb4 above I
fxe4. White has the exIra exchange was hoping for some respite by
and 25 axb4 is a trivial win. How­ trading pieces.
ever, when annotating this game in
2S liJgS!
b�lormator 73 Lautier gives 25
lIad 1 : the most precise as if now And once again Lautier deigns to
25 ...bxa3? 26 J:!:d8+ Ihd8 27 be slowed down by recapturing!
J:!:xd8+ I!<fl 28 J:!:d7+ l!<e6 29 J:!:xc7 White immediately exploits the
a2 30 J:!:c1 wins. Otherwise after say looming pin on the fl square.
25 ...liJb5+ 26 J:!:d8+ J:!:xd8 27 25" . .tc3 26 IiJxf7 'ill'xf7 27 J:!:d7
J:!:xd8+ I!<fl 28 axb4 the win is even 1-0
easier for White than after 25 axb4
as White has succeeded in exchang­ If the queen moves from fl the
ing off Black's remaining rook. I discovered check by the rook on e6
guess this precision is what makes will be butchery, so I resigned.
Lautier one of the best players in Ihe Lautier played with iron precision
world (with two wins over throughout this game.
Kasparovl) as few players would
look beyond 25 axb4.
In the next example White es­
With Ihe game move I hoped to sayed the double-edged Rosentreter
set a few swindles: the knight Gambit in the King's Gambit:
attacks the rook and also threatens
to fork on a3. However, with
accurate counterattacking moves A.Fedorov - M.Adams
White removes his pieces one by European Team Championship,
one from hanging squares. Pula 1 997
2 1 J:!:e6! 'ill'd7 22 Sl.c6 IiJxa3 23
'iil'b3! 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 1iJ f3 g5 4 d4
It is the potential pin on the rook g4 5 .txf4!? gxf3 6 'il'xf3 d6 7 liJc3
on fl which will destroy Black. IiJc6 8 .tc4 'iil'h4+ 9 .tg3 'ilI'f6 10
'iil'xf6 liJxf6 11 0-0
23.,,'iiI'c 7 24 J:!:dl Sl.xal
a b c d c f g h a b c d e f g h

H 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3
2 2

a h c d c g h a b c d e f g h
128 Zwischenzug and Desperado

Queens have been exchanged and ous bishop, The position then looks
Black is still a piece up. However, better for Black, for example if 16
White is menacing an attack down IiJd5 planning a fork on c7, Black
the f file, Michael Adams decided to could even consider 16... 0-O--yes.
give back the piece to complete his it is still legal!
development and ease the pressure,
but he had the worse endgame after
I L IiJxd4 1 2 .!hf6 .lte6 1 3 .ltd3 (b) Therefore White's best reply
.ltg7 14 ll:m IiJc6 1 5 liJd5 0-0-0 1 6 might be 14 .ltxf7+!?, The bishop
c 3 due t o the weakness on f7 and becomes a desperado and gives
eventually lost. itself up for a pawn, as it is going to
be captured anyway, Then after
The interesting question is what
14 ... .t>xl7 White has a useful
happens if Black holds onto his
zwischenzug before capturing on f6:
extra piece with 1 1....lte7, then after
IS liJe4 ! ? which prevents .ltc5+
12 e5 dxe5 13 dxe5 if Black plays -as would occur after 15 exf6
the obvious 1 3 ...liJd7? he faces
.ltc5+. Then the position is unclear.
annihilation with 14 .ltxf7+ .t>d8 15
ll:ad I : his king is stuck in the centre
and there is no answer to 1 6 e6. V.Topalov - A.Shirov
Linares 1998
However, rather than move the
knight from f6, Black can apply the
a b c d e f g h
theme of zwischenzug to good
effect: 13 ...liJa5! counterattacks 8 8
against the white bishop which is 7 7
besieging f7, 6
6
5 5
a b c d e f g h
4 4
8 8
3 3
7 7
2 2
6 6
1
5 5
a b c d e f g h
4 4
3 3 Black to play
2 2

The following example is

a b c d e f g h probably the most famous
desperado move of all time, Black
(al If 14 exf6?! then the wants to bring his king up the board
zwischenzug 1 4 ... .ltc5+! saves the to shepherd home one of his extra
bishop and buys time for IS .t>hl pawns, The quickest route is via f5
IiJxc4, eliminating White's danger- and e4, However, the black bishop
 Zwischenzug and Desperado 129

is blocking the f5 square, and if If White is given one free move,

Black moves it out of the way then then We3 would mean that all
White has time to bring up his own danger had past. It is for this reason
king. For example, 47 ... i.bl 48 >!i>fl that Tartakower talked about 'the
>!i>fS 49 >!i>e3 and with the d pawn tragedy of one tempo' .
unable to go past the d4 square the
49 ...>!i>e4! 50 i.xf6
win, if it is possible, is extremely
difficult: such is the drawing power If 50 lIo>e2 fS, and how can White
of opposite-coloured bishops. stop all three passed pawns?

Instead, Shirov came up with the 50.. d4 51 £l.e7 >!i>d3 52 i.c5

.

splendid Or 52 >!i>e1 >!i>c2 and the d pawn

47 ... i.h3!! advances.

Black wants the bishop out of the 52 ... lIo>c4! 53 i.e7 >!i>b3 0-1
way and this is the most forceful
a b c d e f g h
way of doing it! By attacking the g2
pawn it slows down the arrival of R H
the white king in the centre. 7 7
48 gxh3 6 6
This wins a piece, but it loses the 5 5
race to keep the black king out of 4 4
e4. If instead 48 Wfl WfS 49 >!i>f3
3 :l
(giving up a third pawn with 49
We3 i.xg2 is hopeless, despite the 2 2
opposite-coloured bishops) 49 ...
i.xg2+1 50 Wxg2 We4 and the a b c d e f g h
black king and passed pawns will
defeat the white bishop in similar
A possible finish is 54 >!i>e2 II;>c2
style to the game.
55 £l.b4 d3+ 56 lI;>e1 a3 57 i.xa3
48...>!i>f5 49 Wfl d2+ and the pawn queens.
 1 8 Zwiscbenzug and Desperado
Puzzles
I 2
G.Kasparov - M.Adams N.McDonaId - J.Szabolcsi
Sarajevo 1999 First Saturday, Budapest 1996

a b c J e f g h

8 8
7 7

6 6
5 5

4 4
3 3
2 2
1

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

White to play White to play

In the game Kasparov-Adams. White played 22 'ii'a3, threatening

given in Ihe chapler on deflection, a fork on d6, and the game finished
White played 28 'il'a4. Can he play a 22 .'i"d7 23 c4 a5 24 'i'b3! and
..

desperado with 28 'i"xaS as Black's Black resigned as he loses a piece.

queen is hanging? Was 22 .'ii'e7 a belter try?
..
 bvischenzug and Desperado Puzzles 1 3 I

3 4
V.Anand - J.Lautier D.Hennig - N.McDonald
Investbanka, Belgrade 1 997 Wichern Open, Hamburg 1997

" b c J c f g h

8 8 H
7 7 7 7
6 (\ (, (,
5 5 5 5

4 ,j 4 4
3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2

a b c d e g h a h c d e f g II

Black fo play Black to play.

Black has a wonderful passed The diagram position was reached

pawn, After 40,,,d2 it would be in one of my games in a tournament
hopeless in the long run blocking it in Hamburg. It was played in the
with 41 ll:.d I , so Anand staked last round and last round games tend
everything on 41 'liI'xf5 to start very early i n the morning­
which perhaps explains the tactical
a b c J c f g l1
blindness both players showed.
8
7
It is Black to move and White
(, threatens 14 �xe5 'lii'xe5 1 5 'liI'f7+
5 �d8 1 6 ll:.d l +, so I played 13.,,'lii'b6
4
offering the excha nge of queens.
The game then continued 14 �xe5
.l
'lii'xb3 15 axb3 �xe5 and the end­
2 ing was eventually drawn. What did
both players miss in this sequence
and how big lS the resulting
a b c d e g h
advantage?
Now what should Black play?
132 Zwischenzug and Desperado Puzzles

S 22 'liI'xd5 Black cannot regain his

R.Bates E.Grivas
- pawn: 2 2...ibxb4? 23 'liI'xb7 lhb7
Hampstead 1 998 24 .3 wins the knight-this is
because the white rook is still on b l .
a h c d e f g h Nor can Black play 2i ...ibdxb4
H 8 because of 22 'liI'c3 IiJx.2 23 'liI'.l !
winning material or 2 1 ibcxb4 22
...

7 7
'il'd4 again defending the bishop and
(, 6 threatening 23 83.
5 5 So Bates played 2 1 .\ixg7 and -

4 4 was soon staring at a lost position!

j 3
2 2
H H
7 7
a b c d e f g h
6 6

While 10 play 5 S

4 4
After 20 ibxdS ibxd5 White 3 .I
could recapture on dS when 2 1 2 2
iWxd5 .\ixa I 22 lha I ibxb4 23
1
iWxb7 .lhb7 is equal. However, in
the game White had the idea of a b c d e f g h
playing the zwischenzug 21 .\ixg7
to avoid getting his rook deflected What had he missed in his
to the al square. Then if 21 ...�xg7 calculations?
 19 Passed Pawns

o specific tactical After 29 Iha5 M! 30 l:i:xaS Black

device is considered ignored the decimation of his anny
in this chapter. in order to queen the pawn:
Instead we will have 30 . bxc3!? 3 1 Ihe8 e2! 32 l:txf8+
. .

a look at typical �h7 33 liJf2 cl='iIi+ 34 liJfl. Now

combinative themes generated by White's pieces are tied up and Black
the presence of passed pawns. As won material after 34... liJel!
will be seen in some of the later (threatening mate on G!) 35 l:th2
examples, the problem for the 'ilixc4 36 I:tb8 i-bS 37 lhb5 (or if
defender may be the severe pressure 37 liJd2 '*' c l 38 Ihb5 liJG+ 39
that a passed pawn places on the �g2 'iligl + 40 �h3 ,*,xh2 mate)
co-ordination of his pieces rather 3 7.. :iii'xbS and Alekhine won the
than any imminent danger of the endgame.
pawn reaching the eighth rank.
Alekhine rated this game as one
of the two best he had ever played.
What makes it special is the
Perhaps the most famous exploit
triumph, against all the odds, of the
by a passed pawn is seen in the fol­
passed pawn-it just keeps on going
lowing diagram.
while all the time common sense is
screaming loudly at Black to
recapture something. The positional
E.Bogoljubow A.Alekhine
-

Hastings Six-Masters 1922 laws of chess seem to have been

overthrown by the sheer brilliance
of Alekhine's genius. Quite
understandably the former World
8 8 Champion himself had no wish to
7 7 dispel that notion when he later
6 (, annotated the game!

5 5 However for all the aesthetic ap­

peal of the combination it depends
-1 4
on deep calculation and enonnous
3 3 tactical flair rather than some
2 2 mystery of genius. Remember that
the laws of strategy aren't set in
stone as are the rules of the game.
a h c d e g h
Thus the rules require that a bishop
must always move diagonally and a
While to play pawn can never capture forwards,
134 Passed Pawns

no matter what the situation is on there is a much simpler win with the
the board. In contrast positional straightforward 30 ...'iiI'xa8. Then 3 1
laws are imprecise approximations 'i!i'c2 IDe 1 wins the exchange and
based on what has turned out well in keeps the passed pawn, so Wh i te
the past. From an early age we learn has to try 31 'i!i'b3. Now 31...'i!i'al!
that it is nonnally a very good idea leaves White defenceless against the
to take the opponent's pieces rather threat of 32 ... .Il.a4 picking up the
than push a pawn. But this doesn't knight on d 1 . For example 32 'ii'b l
mean there aren '( instances in which l:!.a8 threatening 33 . 'i!i'xb1+ 34
. .

a pawn may be worth more than a IiJxbl l:!.al winning a piece. It is un­
queen. likely that White would have lasted
another 1 0 moves after 30 ... 'i!i'xa8,
Alekhine knew that knights are
whereas he fought on for another 23
notoriously bad at stopping passed
moves after 3 0... bxc3, all the way to
pawns and he would also have seen
a king and pawn endgame.
that the rook on g2 is curiously
helpless at defending the first rank. Alekhine chose Ihe beautiful,
Therefore the passed pawn cannot creative path and the game would
be stopped if the other rook is en­ never have been remembered if he
ticed away. These considerations had opted for the workmanlike
gave him the idea for his splendid 3 0...'i!i'xa8. Nevertheless, I think the
combination. First Black takes a combination loses some of its lustre
queen and then can't be stopped because it wasn't the most efficient
from creating a new queen; White way to win.
meanwhile takes a pawn, two rooks
and a queen. Black's material G.Milos N Short
- .

sacrifice is much less than it seems Buenos Aires 2000

at first glance.

Fortunately for me I have no

claims to being a great player, but, 8 H
given the position, I would certainly 7 7
have considered the idea of
h
3 0... bxc3. I might have rejected it
because in assessing the position 5 5

afterwards I wouldn't have believed 4

it was worth cashing in the passed 3 3
pawn just to keep White tied up.
2 2
(and objectively speaking I would
have been right!-see below) The
greatness of Alekhine was his fine a h c d e f g h
feet for the initiative which allowed
him to properly evaluate such Black to play
positions well in advance.
As a matter of fact, from the White has a rook on a rather odd
diagram after 29 l:!.xaS b4 30 l:!.xa8 square on g4 where it is temporarily
 Passed Pawns 135

'stalemated' . The bishop on h2 also Terrible is 2 l ...fxe5 22 �xc5

has little scope at the moment ll.xc5 23 ll.xb7. Perhaps the lesser
Nevertheless, if White succeeds in evil was 2 1 .. .exd6 22 �xc5 ll.xc5
breaking through on the kings ide 23 Ihb7 'lIi'e6 when White has the
with f2-f4 etc. then his strange piece pleasant choice between 24 Ihd6
deployment will be justified. 'lIi'xe5 25 'lIi'xe5 fxeS 26 ll.dd7 when
Therefore Black has to act fast on his rooks dominate the seventh rank
the queens ide before White can or 24 exd6 'lIi'xe2 2 5 �xe2 keeping
activate his pieces. a strong passed pawn.
2S,,,�a4! 26 f4 ll.b2 27 ll.el e3 22 Sl.xcS ll.xeS 23 e6 'lIi'e8
28 'lIi'd3
Black is stifled by the passed
Now White is ready for 29 fxg5, pawn after 23 ...'lIi'e8 24 dxe7 'lIi'xe7
but he was struck down by 25 ll.d7 'lIi'e8 26 ll.bd I and there is
no defence to 27 e7 followed by
28..Jhc2! and Milos resigned.
ll.d8.
After 29 ll.xc2 �xc2 30 'lIi'xc2 tile3
3 1 'lIi'cl tilxg4 32 �xg4 c2 there is 24 dxe7 ll.e8
no way to prevent ll.b8 and ll.b I
forcing through the passed pawn. a h c J e f g h

H 8
7 7
L.Johannessen H.Nakamura
�

Bermuda 2002 6 (,

5 5
a b c u e f g h
-1 4
8 8
5 3
7 7
2 2
(, 6
5 5
a b � d e f g h
.j 4

3 3 At first it appears that Black has

2 2 succeeded in avoiding the danger,
but White has prepared a combina­
tion that clears all obstacles in the
a b c d e l g 11 way of the e6 pawn.
25 ll.d8! ll.xd8 26 exd8�'lIi'+
While 10 play
'lIi'xd8 27 e7 'lIi'e8 28 'lIi'e6+ <&>h8 29
ll.dl
2 1 d6!
Threatening 30 ll.d8.
Passed pawns must be pushed �
29".ll.e8 30 'lIi'xc8! 'lIi'xe8 3 1
21 ."b6 ll.d8+ 1-0
136 Passed Pawns

E.Berg - S.Mannion N.McDonald D.Bronstein

-

Hastings Challengers 200112002 Wrexham 1995

a b c d c f g h
8 8 8
7 7 7
6 6 6
5 5 5
4 4 4
3 3 :l
2 2 2

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

Black to play Black to play

Black played 26 ... ll.a3 trusting In the diagram Black has queen
that the attack on the knight would for rook and knight but it is never­
be highly awkward for White, theless a sharp and unclear position.
However, White simply ignored the
36 .. :iIi'e5
threat and started a brilliant
combination: 2 7 e5!! ll.xc3 Black's first task is to neutralise
White's passed pawn,
If 27",dxe5 28 tZle4, threatening a
fork on f6, gives White a big attack. 37 07 tZlf6 38 ll.d3 f2!
28 e6 il.f3 White was hoping to escape after
38,,:iIi'el+ 39 Wa2 'ili'xfl 40 %:td61
A desperate attempt to block the f
Wg7 4 1 ll.xf6,
file as Black is mated after 28 ... fxe6
29 tZle7+ <;\>g7 30 ll.g6+ Wh7 3 1 39 tZldl 'ili'x07 40 ll.03
ll.hl+ il.h3 3 2 ll.xh3, Not 40 tZlxf2 'ili'e 1 + winning a
29 e7 ll.e3 30 ll.xf3! piece.

There goes the bishop as the rook 40...'iii'c5 41 il.d3

on e3 is overloaded, Here I imagined that regaining the
30 ... ll.e2 3 1 %:te6! pawn with ll.0 etc, would be
straightforward, but Bronstein has
An elegant finishing touch based
other ideas.
on the theme of interference.
41. ..tZlg4! 42 J:l:g3
31...ll.xe6 32 dxe6 1-0
If 42 Ito 'ili'e5 43 tZlxf2 tZlxf2
Nothing can stop the pawn
wins a piece as if 44 Itxf2? 'ili'el+.
queenmg.
 Passed Pawns 13 7

Now it appears White is safe as a b c d e f g h

42 . . . �g5? or 42...�h5? allow the 8 B
pio 43 .te2.
7 7
6 6
a h c d e f g h
5 5
B 8
4 4
7 7
3 3
6 (,
2 2
5
4 4
a b c d e f g h
3 3
Z 2
46...'iI'e6! 0-1
The final double attack is on the
a b c d e f g h
rook and e I . White resigned as if
47 ll:hl 'il'e l + and mate next move.
42 :iI'dS!!
.•

A magical move as White loses to

a double attack after 43 Ihg4 G.Kasparov - M.Adams
fl ="liI'! 44 .txfl "liI'xd I + 45 <;!;>a2 Linares 2002
"ill'xg4.
a b c d e f g h
43 lbe3 Ibxe3 44 Ihe3 <;!;>gS!
8 8
Much better than 44.. :iI'xd3 45
J:txd3 fl ="iII'+ 46 <;!;>a2 when Black 7 7
has queen for rook. However, if (, 6
White leaves his rook on the third 5 5
rank. defended by a pawn, with the
pawn defended by the king, how 4 4

can Black breakthrough with his l 3

king to win the game? Bronstein 2 2
rules out this blockade by bringing
up his king immediately.
a b c d e f g h
4S <;!;>c1 <;!;>f4 46 l:th3
Losing at once but if 46 l:te8 Black played 31...lbc4 expecting
"liI'xd3 47 cxd3 (47 ll:f8+ 'il'f5) the rook to retreat. Instead there
47 . . . f! ='iI'+ 48 <;!;>c2 and the fact that came the amazing breakthrough 32
White's pawns have been split up dS! White is prepared to give up the
prevents him from setting up the exchange to create a passed pawn.
solid blockade discussed in the last There followed 32 ...lbxeS 33 .txeS
note. cxd5 34 c6 and the passed pawn,
138 Passed Pawns

aided by the two bishops won a Whatever White plays, Black will
piece: 34 ... f5 35 gxf6 gxf6 36 .11.06+ emerge a pawn up!
Wg7 37 .1I.g3 .1I.x.3 38 .ltxd5 ll:c8 Of course it was extremely diffi­
39 c7 .1I.c5 40 .ltb7 ll:xc7 41 .ltxc7 cult to see this defence. I give three
Kasparov quickly wrapped things
reasons why this was so-leaving
up in the endgame: 41. •5 42 .1I.c6
out other possible factors such as
..

g5 43 Wf! Wg6 44 f3 Wh5 45 .lte8+ time pressure and the oppressive

Wh6 46 We2 f5 47 .1I.d8 1-0 Black's nature of playing Kasparov!
pawns and king are paralysed and
he can only wait as White brings his ( 1 ) We all biased towards captur­
king to eS and forces Black to play ing pieces, therefore 32 ... /iJxeS is
fS-f4 whereupon WfS followed by very hard to resist.
.1I.xgS wins both kingside pawns. (2) we miss backward knight
Now return to the diagram and moves.
look again at the position after (3) Adams has just played his
3 1 . ../iJc4 32 d5 knight from as to c4 and was prob­
ably relieved to centralise it. The
a h c d � f g h
idea that playing it back again to as
H K would have seemed bizarre.
7 7 I think only one man in the world
6 6 might have seen the defence, and he
5
was sitting on the other side of the
board!
4
The examples so far have been
3 3
blood and thunder because the time
2 2
element has been vital: if the
attacker hadn't acted fast the
a h c d e f g h opportunity to utilise the pawn
would have disappeared.
Ask yourself which is the more
In contrast, if the opponent is
dangerous enemy of the Black
bottled up by the passed pawn and
position: the white rook or the
has no way to free his game, the
passed pawn he creates after
emphasis is on patience: you
32 .../iJxeS 33 .1I.xeS cxdS 34 c6. If
mustn't hurry! Kasparov has played
you decide it is the passed pawn,
many games with brain-busting
you might find the following
complications-but only when the
wonderful defence:
situation on the board demanded it.
32 ... cxd5! 33 c6 /iJa5!! Black If he can win without giving his
completely ignores the white rook. opponent the slightest counterplay
34 .1I.d7 /iJxc6! 35 .1I.xc6 ll:c8. he will always choose that option,
White is temporarily a piece up, but even if it takes longer.
the pin wins one of the bishops.
 Passed Pawns J3 9

G.Kasparov - T.Oral J.Timman, - G.Kasparov

Eurotel Trophy Simul, Prague 2001 EuroTel Trophy, Prague 1998

a b c d e f g h

8 8 8 8
7 7 7 7
6 i, (,
S 5 5

-1 4 -1

3 .l .l j

2 2 2 2

J b e d e f g h

White to play
23 .ll.c3 d2! 24 l:l.fl
If 24 .ll.xb2 dxe 1�'l!I'+ 25 �xe I
Here White could regain the piece
.ll.b4! and the white queen has no
at once with 32 c8�'l!I' but there is
safe squares. After 26 �xb4 'l!I'dl+
no need to hurry: the black pieces
or 26 .lic3 .lixc3 27 �xc3 �dl
are, temporarily at least, paralysed
White gets mated on the back rank.
by the passed pawn. So Kasparov
played 32 c4! utilising the second 24 ....ll.xfl !
passed pawn. If now 32 ... h6 33 c5 Kasparov wants to win as simply
'i!<h7 34 l:l.xe8 liJxe8 35 c8�'l!I' .ll.xc8 and cleanly as possible. Don't forget
36 IiJxc8 a5 37 IiJd6! IiJc7 (if that Black is still two moves from
37 ... liJxd6 38 cxd6 and the pawn castling: if White is allowed some
queens) 38 IiJxf7 e4 39 IiJd6 and freedom, even at the cost of a piece,
White wins the pawn on e4 as well he might be able to set up some
with an easy win. Black tried 32...g6 threats against the black king. Of
which made things simpler for course the threat is very low, but
White as the knight on f6 lost its Kasparov is merciless. He plans to
support: 33 IiJd5! l:l.cS keep White entirely bottled up.
Of course if 33 ... liJxd5 34 l:l.xe8+. Here, for example, 24... dxc 1 ��
34 IiJxf6 'i!<g7 35 l:l.xcS .ll.xcS 36 allows White some play after 25
liJeS+ 1-0 �xd5 �xc3 26 l:l.ac l .

If36 . . . 'i!<f8 37 1iJd6. 25 .ll.xb2 .lic4!

140 Passed Pawns

Again Kasparov is in no hurry to If you want to win quickly, don't

win material ifit means that White's be afraid of playing a long game.
queen escapes into activity. He isn't Often a patient, restrained positional
interested in variations such as move leads to a quicker win than a
25 ... dxcl �'iiI' 26 'iil'xd5 (or 26 'iil'xc l ) desperate attacking move.
26... 'iiI'xb2 27 lhfl . There is hardly any position, no
26 liJe2 �b3 matter how good, that can't be
ruined by careless play. Here is a
After the exchange of queens the
particularly chilling example.
passed pawn will be decisive.
27 IiJc3 �xdl 28 IiJxd5 �b3 29
J.Waitzkin - R.Bates
IiJc3 �b4 30 IiJdl O-O! 0-1
Agency Masters, London 1998

a h c d e f g h

8 H 8 8
7 7 7 7
6 (, (, (,
5 5 5 5
4 4 4
3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2

a \) c d e f g h a h c d c f g h

A very fitting time for White to White to play

resign, just when Black completes
his development! White still hasn't How can White possibly lose this
suffered any big material loss, but position? He has a strong extra
he is utterly tied up. passed pawn and besides Black only
has three pawns and none is of any
A possible finish is 31 �xe5 l:i:c8
danger to White. The question only
32 �b2 �xdl 33 l:i:xd1 l:i:c2 and
seems to be whether Bates can hold
wins after either 34 �a I l:i:c l or 34
on for a draw.
l:i:b J l:i:xb2.
41 b5?
Nor can White's king do any­
thing, for if 31 1!<f1 Jl.c4+ 32 I!<gl The first sign of over-confidence.
Jl.e2 33 h3 (all he can do is wait) Instead 4 1 \i>gJ would rule out any
33 ... l:i:c8 34 I!<h2 Jl.xd1 35 l:i:xd1 back rank tricks.
11c2 36 �xe5 l:i:c1 and wins.
 Passed Pawns 141

41...liJd4! after 46 ll:xa I .Ii-xa I 47 b8�'iiI'

dl �'iiI'.
An excellent move. Suddenly a
black passed pawn appears on the 46...ll:xgl+ 47 'i!i>xgl dl='iiI'+ 48
scene. 'i!i>f2 'iil'c2+ 49 'i!i>n 'iil'c I+ 50 'i!i>f2
'iil'xc6
42 il.xd4
Winning a piece. Black eventually
If 42 IiJxd4 exd4 43 b6 ll: a5 ' IS
ground out a win on move 64.
awkward for White: the rook goes
to b5, if necessary, and meanwhile
the advance of the passed pawn with If a single passed pawn can cause
... d4-d3 and ... d3-d2 is difficult to so much trouble then it is evident
meet. that two or more, if mobile and
connected, can frequently over­
42 ...exd4 43 b6??
whelm the defence. The 'price' to
White is confused by the stop two connected passed pawns,
resistance he has met but refuses to unless there is a blockade, is often a
believe that the win has slipped piece. Therefore it is well worth
from his grasp. He had to play 43 making a material investment to
ll:dl. create passed pawns.
43 d3 44 b7 d2 45 ll:gl
..•

H.Jonkman - G.Hertneck
a b c d e f g h European Championship,
Saint Vincent 2000
8 8
7 7 a \, c d e f g h
6 6 8 8
5 5 7 7
4 4 6 6
3 3 5 5
2 2 4
4
3 3
a b c d e f g h 2 2

45 ...ll:al!
a b c d e f g h
White must have underestimated
this move. Black to play
46 b8='iiI'
It turns out that queening with Black broke through on the
check is more important than queenside with H. ll:xa3! 24 IiJxa3
..

queening first as White is mated 'iil'xa3 25 il.d2

 142 Passed Pmvns

After 25 'lII'xa3 .Il:xa3 26 ll:fb l-if 3 I ...ll:a3!

the b4 pawn drops the black
A finesse: if 32 ll:xb4 ll:xa I 33
connected passed pawns will be
ll:xa I .ltxd4+ 34 1!i>t1 .ltxa I then
unstoppable-26 ... c31 27 ll:b3 c2 28
.ltc3 and b5-b4 and the pawns roll
ll: l b2 ll:xb3 (simplest) 29 ll:xb3
forward.
ILlxd41 and according to what White
plays Black wins next move with 32 I!i>h2 lLla6 33 gc2 lLle7 34
either ILlxb3, ILlxe2+ or c I �'lII'+ . .ltb2 ll:b3 35 .ltal b4 36 g4 ll:a3 37
.ltxc4
25....ltd8!
A desperate attempt to stem the
The b4 pawn is now adequately
tide of pawns.
defended, but Black spots another
weakness in White's structure-the 37 ... dxc4 38 gxc4 .ltb5 39 ll:ccl
d4 pawn. ILlc7 40 d5 ILlcxd5 41 .ltd4 .ltxd4
42 ll:xd4 .ltd3 0-1
26 ll:dl .ltb6 27 .ltel
In this chapter so far the passed
For the moment White is holding
pawns have been ferocious. Now
onto both b4 and d4, but after the
we'll look at some games in which
queen exchange the situation
they have been successfully
becomes untenable.
neutralised.
27 ..:iil'x c3 28 .ltxc3 ll:a3
The blockade now crumbles as
the bishop can't retreat from c3
without losing the d pawn, while the J.Hellsten A.Delchev
-

rooks can't defend it without giving Albacete Open 200 I

up one of the threatened pawns.
White chooses the lesser evil, but he a t) c d c f g 11
cannot hope to restrain the passed 8 8
pawns.
7 7
29 ll:c2 ll:b3 30 .ltal ILlxb4 3 1
6
ll:b2
5 5
a b c d e f g h

8 8
3 3
7 7
2 2
6
5 5
a b c d c f g h
4 4
3 Black to play
2 2
A passed pawn isn't always an ad­
a b c d c f
vantage: sometimes it can be sickly
g h
 Passed Pawns 143

and sap the energy of the pieces that Y.Naudin - O.Gladysz_v

are tied to defending it. The former Bethune Open 200 I
World Champion Capablanca once
a b c d e f g h
remarked that a passed pawn is
either very strong or very weak, and H 8
that the weakness or strength 7 7
increased the further it advances up
(, 6
the board.
5 5
In the diagram Black increased
4
the pressure on the passed pawn
with 2 1 ... liJc4t This required careful 3 3
calculation as after 22 'lWd5 White 2 2
was threatening 23 IiJxc5 and
22 ... 'lWc6?? allows 23 'lWxc6 Ihc6
a b c d e f g h
24 IiJf6+! i.xf6 25 Ihe8+.
However, 22...i.b7t did the trick: White to play
23 IiJxcs i.xd5 24 IiJxd7 1:[xe1+ 25
1:[xel 29 d6t?
If 29 1:[c5 1:[al + looks highly
unpleasant) while othelWise the c3
pawn is lost. White therefore tries to
8 H confuse matters.
7 7
29...'lWe1+!
6 6
This is the most straightforward
5 5 way to win but it had to be calcu­
<1 4 lated carefully as White's passed
pawn looks dangerous.
3 3
2 2 30 IiIh2 1:[xc3 3 1 1:[b8+
If 3 1 dxe7 J:%xd3 32 J:%b8+ IiIg7 33
e8�'lW 'lWg3+ 34 IiIgI 1:[dl + and
a h c d e f g h
mate next move.

2S ...i.e6! The point. The knight 31 ...liIg7 32 'lWd4+

has only one way out of d7 and that Here 32 dxe7 1:[xd3 33 e8�'lW
involves giving up the passed pawn. 'iiJlg3+ wins as in the last note.
26 liJe5 IiJxd6 The weaknesses on
32 . f6
a2 and c3 make White's position
..

hopeless. For example if 27 IiJxg6 Here 32 ... e5 33 'iiJlx c3! 'ill'xc3 34

hxg6 28 i.xd6 i.xa2 and then d7 wins for White!
i.xc3, when Black will have
33 dx_7 'ill'g3+ 0-1
connected passed pawns. The game
ended 27 1:[dl IiJc4 28 IiJxc4 i.xc4 White loses all his pieces after 34
29 i.e4 i.xa2 30 i.b7 i.b3 31 1:[d6 Io!;hl 1:[c l+ 35 'ill'g l 1:[xgl + 36 1i1xgl
1:[_8 32 i.d2 a3 0-1 'iiJlx b8.
144 Passed Pawns

Underpromotion This is a well known trap and if

you have the habit of playing the
I have only once been told off by opening quickly and thoughtlessly it
my opponent for playing carelessly. is easy to fall into it. Under­
This was in a club match in my promotion may be used for the
early days, when he scolded for purpose of avoiding a stalemate in
playing too fast as White: 1 d4 d5 2 the endgame, but in the middlegame
c4 e5 3 dxe5 d4 4 e3?! i.b4+ 5 it is very rare: the only real scenario
i.d2 dxe3! 6 i.xb4?? falling for the is to promote to a knight and give
trap: 6 fxe3 is necessary 6 exf2+ 7 ... check. This will either be to gain
It'e2 time-as in the example above--{)f
to fork the defending king and
a b c d e f g h another piece, as in the following
simple example.
8 8
7 7
a b c d e f g h
6 6
8 8
5 5
7 7
4 4
6 6
3 3
2 5 5
2
4 4
3 3
a b c d e f g h
2 2

7 fxg ldb+! A killing under­

...

promotion. Instead 7 :l!fxd l + 8 .. a b c d e f g h

It'xdl fxgl ='iIf 9 lhgl is only
slightly better for Black. Only here
If I e8='iIi'? then l .. ..!:rc l + mates,
did I see that after S lbgl i.g4+
but instead I eSdb+! followed by 2
White loses his queen. I battled on
liJxc7 wins at once.
with 9 It'el but it was hopeless:
9 'ilfh4+ 1 0 "'d2 (10 g3 'ilfe4+ is
...

even worse) 10 :l!ff2+ etc.

..
 20 Passed Pawns Puzzles

1 Here Adams played 30. .J:tc4 How

C.Csiszar - N.McDonald would you now break through on
Zug 1991 the queenside?

8 8
7 7 3
(, 6 N.McDonald - N.Carton
; 5 London 1994

4 4
3 3
8 8
2 2
7 7
6 (,
a b c d e f g h
5 5
Black to play. 4 4
What is the best way to utilise the 3 3
asset of the passed pawn ?
2 2
2
G.Kasparov - M.Adams a b c d e f g h
Linares 1997
Black to play
8 8

7 7 Black tried 35 ... f6 36 exf6 eS

Now 37 J:l.f1 J:l.xg4 breaks up the
6 (,
phalanx of kingside passed pawns,
; 5 when White will be struggling to
4 4 draw in view of his scattered pieces
and Black's own strong passed
3 3
pawns.
2 2
Any ideas how White could do
better and how do you assess the
a b c d e f g h position?
Black to play
 146 Passed Pawns Puzzles

4 5
D.Sadvakasov A.Morozevich
- P.Lukacs N.McDonald
-

Astana 2001 First Saturday, Budapest 1995

a h c d e f g h a h c d e f g h

8 R 8 8
7 7 7 7
6 6 6 6
5 5 5 5
4 4 4 4
3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2

a b c cI e f g h a b c cI e f g h

Black to play White to play

Black has two passed pawns, but In the game White played 28 c6
it isn't easy to touch down on the and Black replied 28.. .'liI'c1
eighth rank. If for example 42 ... l:l:f1 threatening mate. How should
43 l:l:g5+ <lin 44 l:l:xg4 .ltxf4+ White respond? And can you find a
White loses after 45 l:[xf4+? l:[xf4 better move for Black than
46 <lixf4 h2 and the pawn slips 28 'liI'cl ? Clue: it's very complic­
...

through, but instead 45 Wxh3! ated but basically Black has to try to
eliminates the last pawn and allows force perpetual check or he will lose
White to escape into a theoretically as White's passed pawn is marching
drawn endgame. Starting from the through.
diagram, can you find something
better for Black?
 21 Opening Lines

hether a key line expecting 9 ...exf5 or 9 .. .l:txfS, when

is open or closed the position in the centre is static.
can have a decis­ Instead Black blasted open lines
ive bearing on with
the outcome of a
game. This was a b c d e f g h
recognised in the late 19th century
R H
when, after two centuries of
disasters on t7 after I e4 e5 2 Ibn 7 7
Ibc6 3 Sl.c4, players started playing 6 6
1...e6' to block out the bishop on c4. 5 5
A lot of tactical manoeuvres and
4 4
sacrifices are ruled out by a blocked
centre. 3 3
2 2
Nevertheless, all through the ages
players have come to grief precisely 1
because they have trusted in the a b c d e f g h
closed nature of a position to allow
them to take liberties such as delay­
9 eS!! 10 dxeS Sl.xfS
ing development or pawn hunting.
...

Then unexpectedly the centre has The light-squared bishop comes to

burst open and they have been life. Suddenly White has no defence
swept away by a wave of tactics. against a discovered attack on his
queen by the knight, as if she
retreats to d 1 then 1 1 .. ./Llxc3 is
decisive. The line White chose in
P.Wikstrom - T.Johansson the game is even worse than that
Gausdal 2002 scenario.
1 l /Lld4 Sl.xc3+ 1 2 bxc3 /Llxf2
After the opening moves 1 d4 fS 2
Double attack'
/Lln /Llf6 3 h3 dS 4 g4 /Llc6 S lbe3
/Lle4 6 Sl.f4 .6 7 e3 Sl.b4 8 'l!I'd3 0-0 13 /LlxfS Ibxd3+ 14 Sl.xd3 'l!I'd7
White played 9 gxfS no doubt 0-1
148 Opening Lines

J.Degraeve - S.Kasparov V.Topalov - B.Gulko

Bethune Open 200 I Dos Hennanas 1994

a b c d e f g h a h c d c f g h

8 H H 8
7 7 7 7
6 6 6 (,

5 5 5 5
4 4 4 4
3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2

a \) c d c f g h a b c d � f g h

Black to play White to play

Here 20 ...itJc5 looks solid enough Black is the exchange up but the
but Sergei Kasparov played white bishop pair look menacing.
20...itJb6? which not only opens the The pin on d7 may not seem that
d file but also takes away the b6 significant as the knight is defended
square from his king. If you are twice and the d file is closed. If it
wondering why this should matter, were Black's move he would play
look at what happens now: 24 ...l:!xb4 25 axb4 0-0 with a safe
position. So White has to do
2 I itJf5 ! ! l:!d7
something fast.
Black gives up a pawn as after
24 l:!dl !
2 1 . ...ltxf5 22 e6+ the open d file
and open diagonal combine to pro­ In some ways this is an extraordi­
duce a mate: 2 1 ...'�c8 23 l:!d8 mate. nary move as White offers the ex­
If Black had played 20... itJc5 he change of rooks when he seems to
would have been able to play be running short of pieces to attack
2 1 ...liIb6 escaping the mate. with. However, the black rook was
performing an excellent service
22 itJxg7 1:lxd4 23 l:!xd4 l:!d8 24
guarding the d file and preventing
l:!f4
'iil'g4, besides being ready to
and here Black gave up in exas­ sacrifice itself with l:!xb4 to allow
peration. 1-0 the king to escape. The game now
 Opening Lines 149

finished 24 .. "!!:Xb4 giving back the G.Kasparov - P.Leko

exchange straight away. but White Linares 200 I
maintains strong pressure. The
a b c d e f g h
alternative 24 ... nxd I + is considered
below as puzzle number four. 8 8

2S axb4 'i!Ve3 7 7

6
If 25 ... 0-0 26 c4! and the potential
attack on d7 is very awkward: 5 5
White will certainly win a pawn. 4 4
26 'i!Vg4! j 3
2 2

R H a b c d e f g h
7 7
Black to play
(,

5 Peter Leko is a pawn down

4 against Kasparov and quite under­
3 3 standably hurried to regain it with
20 ...'i!Vxa4? But then came 21 c5!!.
2 2
Who would have thought that the
f7 square would suddenly become a
a b c d e f g 11 target? If 2 1 . ..dxc5 there follows a
decisive line clearance: 22 d6!
An excellent temporary pawn il.xd6? better to give up the bishop
sacrifice to end the black queen's 23 �xfl+ a killer discovered attack
blockade of the c pawn. Black has 23 ... Wxfl 24 nxa4 and Black loses
little choice but to accept as g7 is his queen.
attacked and castling drops the
knight. Besides the breakthrough 27 2 1...'i!Vb4?
nxd5' exd5? 28 'i!Vxd7+ W f8 29 A groggy move. White has a
'i!Vd8 mate is threatened. 26...'i!VxeS strong protected passed pawn after
27 e4! Now Black's collapse is 2 1 . ..'i!Vd4 22 c6 �c8, but at least the
swift. 27 ... f5 28 'i!Vg6+ We7 29 exdS bishop on a2 remains inactive.
exd5 30 �xd7 Wxd7 31 'i!Vf7+ We8
22 12ie4!
32 'i!Va7! ne8 33 ncl+ Wd8 34
'i!Vb7! 1-0 Mate will follow on c8 or White could play 22 c6 with a big
c7 after all sensible replies. positional advantage, but Kasparov
150 Opening Lines

sees that he can decide the game in bishop on b7, attack on the queen
direct tactical style. This is what is and attack on the weak f7 square.
meant by the word 'tlair'-not
27....ltc6 28 lLld3! 'ilixc3 29 lLlxe5
accepting a safe advantage when a
dynamic approach will give even Now the threats include 30 ll:c I
more. winning the bishop with a skewer.
22 ...'ilixb2 29 ....lte4 30 lLlf7+ �h7 3 I lLlg5+!
It is the same old story after
22 ... dxc5 23 c3 '-over the next two a b c J e f g h
moves White drives the black queen H H
to an exposed squar<>--23 ...'ilixb2
7 7
24 ll:e2! 'iiia3 25 d6 and there is no
good answer to 26 .ltxf7+, to say h
nothing of26 dxe7. 5 5.

23 cxd6 .ltrs 24 c3! 4

The trap closes on the black j .;

queen. The main threat is 25 ll:e2 2 2
'ilia3 26 .ltb3 winning queen for
rook.
a b c d e f g h
24 ...f5 25 d7 ll:ed8
If 25 ...fxe4 26 dxe8�'iIi ll:xe8 27 1-0
d6+ leaves White the exchange up If 3 l ...hxg5 32 'ilih5 mate. If
with a very strong passed pawn. 3J...�h8 32 lLlxe4 fxe4 33 'ilid5
26 d6+ �h8 when 33 ... .ltxd6 34 'ilixd6 just
leaves White a piece up while a
decisive king hunt begins after
33 ...�h7 34 'ilig8+ �g6 35 .ltd5!
8 8 ll:a7 36 i.xe4+ �f6 37 i.d5
7
(clearing the e6 square for the rook
7
or queen) 37 ... �g6 (Black is also
6 (,
mated after 37 ...naxd7 38 'ilie6+
5 5 �g5 39 ll:e5+ �h4 40 g3+) 38
4 ne6+ �g5 39 f4+ �g4 40 .ltf3+
�h4 4 1 nxh6+ gxh6 42 'ilig4 mate.
3 3
Meanwhile 3 l ...�g6 32 lLlxe4 fxe4
2 2 33 .ltd5 nab8 34 .ltxe4+ forces the
black king forward to its doom.
a b c d e f g 11 I doubt if Leko looked at these
variations before deciding to resign
-he knew that once his king started
27 lLlc5!!
wandering to squares like f6 there
An elegant knight manoeuvre. would be various easy wins for
There are three facets: attack on the White.
 Opening Lines 151

G.Kasparov - V.Kramnik �e7, when he is only the exchange

Siemens Giants. Fraokfurt 1 999 down.
If you have a 1 00% clear win of a
a h c d e f g h
piece should you tty for a quicker
8 8 and more pretty win that contains an
7 7 element of risk? If it is a serious
tournament or club game, then you
6 6
should go for the simple win every
5 5 time. On the other hand, if it is a
4 -1 friendly game or a game in a tourna­
3 3 ment with nothing at stake, play the
risky move. You will learn a lot
2 2
more about chess that way and be
forced to exercise your imagination.
a h c d e f g h However, if your current level of
experience is such that you don't
White to play always win when a piece up, then
take the piece even in friendly
Black cannot castle. but on the games and practice how to exploit a
other hand he has the strong threat material advantage.
of 27 ... c3. breaking open White's
28 .ltxfS l::txfS 29 l::th e.
queenside. If White plays in natural
style with 27 c3, then 27...iLxd4 28 White brings up his last
"iil'xd4-if 28 cxd4 c3 29 "iil'c2 Wd7' undeveloped piece into the attack.
and Black has an attack-28 ..."iiI'xd4 In contrast, there is no good way for
29 l::txd4 Wd7 and having ex­ Black to activate his king's rook.
changed queens Black has little to Therefore when the game opens up
fear. he will for all intents and purposes
be a rook down.
Instead Kasparov showed his flair
for the initiative with 29." l::tb8 30 b3
27 "iii'g5! iL III
a h c d e f g h
If27 ... "iiI'c7 28 l::th el continues the
build-up, when after 28 ... iLf8 White 8 8
can play 29 "iil'xd5 simply winning a 7 7
piece or tty 29 "iil' f6!? leading to a
6 6
spectacular mating finish if Black
saves his rook: 29 ... l::tg8 30 lilxe6! 5 5
iLxe6 3 1 l::txe6+ fxe6 32 "iil'xe6+ 4 4
iLe7 33 "iil'xg8+ iLf8 34 "iil'xf8 mate'
3 3
or: 29... l::th 7 30 lilxe6' iLxe6 3 1
2 2
l::t xe6+ fxe6 32 "iil'xf8 mate.
This is pretty, but instead Black
can resist with 29 ... i.xa3 30 "iil'xh8+ a b c d e r g h
 152 Opening Lines

Note that b3 is attacked four times 3 5 Wb I J:tb8+ 36 �c2 J:tb2+ 37

and only defended three times, but �cl 'il'al mate. However 33 J:txd8+
Black's queen and rook on b8 are exchanges twice on d8 and then
the 'wrong way round' to stage a captures the bishop with an easy
breakthrough I Thus if you swap WIn.
them around, with the queen on b8
32...J:td7
and the rook on b6, Black would be
able to carry out the attack: Now taking on b3 is a real threat,
30 ... cxb3 3 1 cxb3 �xb3 32 axb3 for example if 33 liJf4? �xb3 34
l:l:xb3+ 33 liJxb3 'il'xb3+ and the J:txd7 Wxd7 35 cxb3? 'il'xb3+ 36
queen gives perpetual check after 34 Wal 'iil'a3+ 37 Wbl l:[b8+ and the
Wal 'il'a3+ 35 Wbl 'il'b3+ 36 Wei other black rook unexpectedly
'il'c3+ etc. Thus Black would have enters the game with mate after 38
been able to escape from the tricky �c2 J:tb2+ 39 Wei 'il'al .
situation with a draw.
33 Wb2!
The order of pieces is vital when
A simple but effective precaution.
attacking any point.
Black's only hope of counterplay
30 .. .J:td8 31 liJe2! disappears after which it is all one
way traffic.
The knight heads for c3 or f4 to
put pressure on the bishop, which is 33 ...'iiI'd 8
Black's defensive fortress in the
If 33 ... l:tb7 34 l:txd5! exd5 35
centre.
liJd4+ Wd7 36 'iil'e7+ Wc8 3 7
31...cxb3 32 axb3 'iil'x f8+ i s crushing.
34 'il'f4 'il'c7
a b c d c f g h
Still trying to exchange queens,
8 8 but it meets with a startling
7 7 refutation. In any case, with the
rook on f8 shut out of the game and
6 fi
a Kasparov attack about to begin
5 5 with 35 liJc3, Black had little hope.
4 4
a h c J e f g h
3 3
8 8
2 2
7 7
1
6 6
a b c d c f g h
5 5

Before retreating his knight 4 4

Kasparov had to make sure that 3 3
Black can't sacrifice on b3:
2 2
32 ...�xb3 and White loses after 33
cxb3? 'il'xb3+ 3 4 Wa I (34 Wei
J:tc8+ 35 �c2 J:tc2 mate) 34 ...'iI'a3+ a h c d e f g h
 Opening Lines 153

35 "xd5!! ... attacking the entombed rook on

a8. But the Dutchman tried
A fantastic combination of three
themes: pin, discovered check and 1 5 .. :ill'xc3+ 16 bxc3 ll:d5!
removing the defender.
Removing the defender: if a b c d e f g h
35 .....xd5 36 'iil'xc7 wins the queen. 8 8
Pin. if 35 ...'iiI'xf4 36 IZlxf4 "xd5 7 7
37 IZlxd5 and Black remains a piece
6 6
down as the e pawn is pinned.
5 5
Discovered check-see the game
4 4
continuation:
:\ 3
35 ...exd5 36 1Zld4+!
2 2
Black resigned. If 36 ... ll:e7 37
'iil'xc7 and Black can't recapture the
queen as his rook is pinned. Or, the a b c d e f g 11
nicest point of all, if 36 .. .'�d8 37
lZle6+! fxe6 38 'iil'xfS mate. Now after 1 7 J/.xd5 exd5 Black
has a solid position and can develop
with J/.e6 and IZld7, when the weak­
G.Kasparov - J.Timman ness of c3 will make it very difficult
EuroTel Trophy, Prague 1998
for White to prove any advantage.
Even less advisable for White is 17
a b c d e f g h
c4 "e5 1 8 0-0 ll:xe4 1 9 IZlxe4 IZld7
8 8 when Black is solidly placed with­
7 7 out even a weakness on dS.
6 6 Rather than win material immedi­
5 5
ately Kasparov elects to keep up his
initiative by exploiting his lead in
4 4
development. I wonder how many
3 3 club players would have been as
2 2 patient?
17 ll:dl ! ! J/.b7
a h c d c f K h If 17 ..... xdl+ 18 �xdl and White
wins a piece. Nor could Black play
White to play 17 ...ll:e5 because of 1 8 "d8+ �g7
19 "xc8 f5 20 f4 ' "xe4+ 2 1 IZlxe4
Timman had played a very risky fxe4 22 �e2 and, with the black
opening and though he has an extra queenside completely paralysed,
pawn things look very bad for him White wins the knight with 23 "dl
in the diagram after... and 24 "dd8.
15 J/. e4! 18 J/.xd5 J/.xd5
154 Opening Lines

Here I S ... exd5 is so ugly that it is An elegant finish is 24 ...�f7 25

no surprise Black avoided it. A ll:dl �e7 26 c5' ll:dS---{)r the knight
sharp retort by White is 1 9 c4 dxc4 escapes-27 cxb6' ll:xd7 2S ll:xd7+
20 ll:dS+ �g7 2 1 IiJf5+ \t>g6 22 �xd7 29 bxa7 and queens.
IiJd6 when if 22 ... il.d5 23 ll:gS+
25 ll:et ll:c7
�h5 24 IiJf5 ! threatens 25 g4 which
can only be prevented by 24 ...il.xg2 If25 ...'J;f7 26 c5 'J;e7 27 c6.
giving up the bishop. Instead 26 liJb8 1-0
22 ... liJc6' when 23 ll:xaS il.xaS 24
IiJxc4 gives White a winning end­
game, but there would still be a lot N.Miezis - D.Houdart
of work to be done. Bethune Open 200 I
19 1iJh5!
a b c d e f g II

a \) c d e f g h 8 H
7 7
8 8
6 6
7 7
5 5
Ii 6
4 -1
5 5
3 3
4 4
2 2
3 3
2 2
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g 11
White to play

19".liJd7 White is in an awkward pin.

If I 9... il.b7 20 ll:dS is mate. The Nevertheless, with one black rook
only chance was 1 9 ... \t>f8 but 20 shut out of the game on hS and the
IiJxf6 il.xg2 2 1 ll:gl il.c6 22 ll:gS+ black king precariously placed on f8
'J;e7 23 liJxh7 is hopeless. it feels like Black's game is hanging
by a thread. The question is how can
20 c4!
White use his superior fire-power to
Setting up a knight fork. land a decisive blow? If he takes too
long then Black's passed pawn will
20".il.c6 2 1 ll:xd7 il.xd7 22
become dangerous or he will play
IiJxf6+ 'J;g7 23 liJxd7 f6 24 'J;e2!
g7-g6 and �g7 and bring his rook
The knight is surrounded but the into the game. So no time is to be
white rook will wake up in time to lost.
rescue it.
Black's back rank is looking
24".ll:c8 extremely vulnerable. If White were
 Opening Lines 155

able to move the bishop from c7 i.xb 7 and White remains a pIece
with check, then Black wouldn't up.
have time to take White's queen.
Also insufficient is 2 1 ...cJi;g8 22
This would give White time to
ll:xe5 d3 23 ll:d5 'lli'g4 24 �a5 and
strike against Black's back rank.
the passed pawn is stopped.
This idea would work perfectly
2 1 i.xeS i.xeS 22 i.xd4 1-0
after 20 IDd6! ? i.xd6? 2 1 i.xd6+
'lli'xd6 22 ll:xc8+ with mate to The passed pawn has vanished.
follow. White's threats include 23 b4,
winning the bishop, and if 22 ... �g4
However, not very clear is
to meet this then there is another
20 ...ll:xc7 2 1 'lli'x c7 'lli'x c7 22 ll:xc7
pin: 23 i.xc5+ ll:xc5 24 'ill'b4 and
i.xd6 23 ll:c8+ cJi;e7 24 ll:xh8 d3.
the rook is lost.
White is two exchanges up, but the
passed pawn still has to be
neutralised. Also after 20 ... i.a61 ?
So far we have seen some
2 1 'lli'xa6 ll:xc7 22 IDb5 ll:xcl + 23 magnificent examples of line
ll:xcl g6 Black has a fighting opening. The following game shows
chance.
that sometimes a combinative
White in fact played 20 IDeS ! ! sequence can be used to plug lines.

a h c d e f g h R.Ponomariov !\i.Adams
-

Linares 2002
H H
a b c d e f g h
7 7

(; 6 8 8

5 5 7 7

4 4 6 6

.3 3 5 5

2 2 4

3 3
2 2
a b c J e f g h
1
20. 'IIi'fS
..
a b c J e f g h
If 20 ... 'IIi'xc7 2 1 lDe6+ fxe6 22 Black to play
ll:xc7 ll:xc7 23 'lli'xc7 or 20 ...ll:xc7
2 1 IDxd7+ ll:xd7 22 ll:c8+ win very It is Black's move in this sharp
easily. position between two of the top
Or 20 ... i.xc5 21 ll:xc5 and Black GMs in the world. He is a pawn
cannot meet the threat of 22 i.d6+, down but he could win the
for example, 2 1 .. .f6 22 i.d6+ cJi;f7 exchange by capturing on e4.
23 ll:xc8 ll:xc8 and one way for However, after 23 ... �xe4 24 IDxe4
White to win is 24 i.xe5 'lli'xb 7 25 White has ample compensation for
156 Opening Lines

the material in the fonn of his Planning a big attack with IiJg4
strong centre and the fragility of and 'lIVd4. Naturally White would be
Black's kingside. So Adams came delighted to have connected passed
up with 23 ... �b4!? attacking the c3 pawns after 29 ... liJxc5 30 bxc5.
pawn. If now 24 cxb4? Ihc2 and
29...h5 30 f4!
the black rook is in an excellent
position where it attacks the bishop Preparing to shut in the black
on b2 and pins the knight on d2. bishop when White will tighten his
White's game would collapse after control of the centre.
25 !:tbl �xe4 26 fxe4 IiJxe4. Nor 30...h4 31 f5 hxg3 32 hxg3 �h5
does 24 'lIVe3? IiJd5 help. So the 33 d6 !:te4 34 ll:ael
question for Ponomariov is: how
can I meet the pressure along the c
a h c d e f g h
file without allowing the black rook
to invade on c2? He solved this H H
perfectly with 24 !:te5!! Remember 7 7
that no pin is absolute unless it is on
(,
the king! 24 ...�xc2 25 cxb4 �g6
5 5
Clearing the c2 square for the
4 4
rook, but 26 !:tc5!
.J 3

h c d e f g h 2 2
a

H H
7 7 a b c d e f g h

6 (,
34...liJxc5
5
White was planning 35 !:tc8 with
4 4
a decisive attack, so Black finally
j 3 takes the rook and stakes everything
2 2 on a last desperate lunge against the
white king.
35 bxc5 I!;>h7 36 �f6 !:tg8 37 d7
a I) c d e g 11
!:th4!? 38 'lIVg2!
plugged the c file just in time. Not 38 gxh4 gxh4+ 39 IiJg2 �f3.
Now Black has no counterplay and The exchange of queens kills off all
his kingside will be very draughty Black's hopes.
after White unleashes his dark
38 ... �f3 39 'lIVxh3 !:txh3 40 1!;>f2
squared bishop with d4-d5.
g4 41 IiJfJ !:th5 42 d8='li' !:txd8 43
Ponomariov won after a hard fight:
�xd8 !:txf5 44 liJe3 !:th5 45 �h4
26...:e8 27 IiJfJ ll:ad8 28 d5 1-0
IiJd7 29 1iJe3!
 22 Opening Lines Puzzles
1 2
N.McDonald - P.Briggs N.McDonald - J.Gonzalez Garcia
Hastings Masters 1 995 First Saturday, Budapest. 1 995
a b c J e f g h a b c d e f g h

H H 8 8
7 7 7 7

6 (, (, (,
5 5 5 5

4 4 II 4

.l .l 3 3
2 2 2 2

a b c d c f g h a b c d e f g h

Black fa play Black fa play

Should Black Black played 1 8....lib7 reckoning

that after 19 .lixf6 gxf6-not how­
(a) keep the tension by playing
ever 1 9... .lixf3 when 20 'lil'h7+ 1!<f8
40. .II;>a8;
2 1 'lil'h8 is mate-20 'lil'h7+ 'it>f8
(b) play 40. . :liI'xd l + 41 'lil'xd 1
a b c d e f g h
Itg 1 to force through the f pawn;
H 8
(c) play 40. . . fJ�'IiI' giving up the
7 7
passed pawn but clearing the way
for 4 1 ...'lil'b6+ with a double attack 6 (,
on b2. 5 5
It's your choice� 4 4

3 3
2 2

a b c d e f g h

his king would be safe and then

the threat of 2 1 ....lixf3 followed by
22 .. :liI'xh2 mate would be decisive.
158 Opening Lines Puzzles

3 4
G.Kasparoy P.Leko- V.Topaloy - B.Gulko
Tilburg 1 997 Dos Hermanas 1 994

a b c d c f g h

8 8 8
7 7 7

6 (, (,
'; '; ';
4 It It

3 ;l 3 3

2 2 2 2

a b c d e f g h a b c d c f g 11

White to play White to play

After 12 g5, the Hungarian GM This puzzle has nO right and

played 1 2 ... ltlxe4 and there wrong answer: instead it is designed
followed 13 �xe4 (if 1 3 'iil'xe4 to help you practice your analysis of
'iil'xe4+ 1 4 �xe4 1:e8 1 5 f3 d5 and a complicated position. There is no
Black regains the piece with an better way to improve than to select
excellent game) 13... 1:e8 14 �f3 the key point in a hard fought game
'iil'xe2+ 15 �xe2 �a6 and analyse it 'to the death'.
In the Topalov-Gulko game,
given earlier in the chapter, after 24
8 8
1:d I Black gave up the exchange
immediately with 24 .. .lhh4. Instead
7 7
the critical continuation is 24...
6 6 1:xd1+ 25 'ili'xdl . In his analysis in
'; '; lnformator 60, Topalov now gives
the laconic comment ' intending
4 4
c2-c4 and wins'. However, things
3 3 are by no means that simple after
2 2 25 ...'OtId8! breaking the pin on the
knight. Have a go at analysing this
position and try to decide what you
a b c d e f g h think is the strongest line. As a
guide, I spent about one and a half
Who has blundered? hours analysing it while preparing
the book. You might like to write
down some of your analysis.
 Opening Lines Puzzles 159

Puzzles 5-9 13 l1lge2!

The first important tactical point
Congratulations on getting to the
remains behind the scenes but is of
final puzzle in the book' I have cho­
importance. If White had lunged
sen an exciting miniature game that
forwards with 1 3 h4 then Black has
illustrates many of the tactical
the chance to meet the attack with
themes discussed in the book. I have
1 3 ...'l!I'e7 intending 14 ...'l!I'e3+ 1 5
put key references to these themes
'l!I'xe3 :txe3 exchanging off queens.
in bold. I suggest you play through
Adams' idea is that if 13 ...'l!I'e7 now
the game and stop off to answer
he can continue 14 I1lg3 'l!I'e3+? 1 5
each question as you come to it.
'l!I'xe3 :txe3 1 6 I1lge4, trapping the
There are five in total.
rook on e3, which will be lost to a
subsequent 'iild2 to say nothing of
M.Adams - K.Georgiev
the attack on d6. Note how Adams
Elenite 1 993
employs the trap to prevent Black
1 d4 I1lf6 2 .tg5 l1le4 3 .tf4 c5 4 from freeing his game with a queen
f3 I1lf6 5 dS d6 6 e4 g6 7 I1lc3 .tg7 exchange - he isn't setting a
8 'l!I'd2 0-0 'cheapo' just for the sake of it.

A risky decision as White is an­ 13 ...a6 14 11lg3 b5 15 11lce4 11lxe4

gling for a kings ide attack. It was 1 6 11lxe4
better to leave White guessing
where the black king will end up a b c d e f g h
with 8 .. a6. After 9 a4-to restrain
.

H H
Black from gaining space with
b7-b5-it would become a much 7 7
less attractive option for White to 6 6
castle queenside as he has loosened 5 5
his pawn cover there.
4 4
9 .th6 .txh6 1 0 'l!I'xh6 e6 1 1 3 3
0-0-0 exd5 12 exd5 :te8
2 2
a h c d c f g h

H H
a b c d e f g h
7 7

6 6
16...f5
5 5
This weakens the kingside and
4 4 invites the knight to a most
3 3 threatening square on g5. Of course
2 2 a player like Georgiev-who had an
Elo rating of 2660 when this game
was played-is well aware o f the
a I) c d e f K h drawbacks to this move.
J 60 Opening Lines Puzzles

Puzzles 5-7 zwischenzug before the recapture of

the pawn. By checking first White
Three questions to see if you are prevents the bishop being shut in
awake: after 25 fxg4 c4. 25 ... \lig7 26 fxg4
when with Black's queenside pieces
5) Firstly, how would White
answer 1 6. ..j(fS, challenging the paralysed White can build up a deci­
sive attack with l:th l , etc. Now
knight in a different way?
26 ... c4 would be pointless after 27
6) Secondly, how would White j(fS etc.
meet 16 ... li:ld7 to bring the knight
It wasn't necessary for White to
over to the defence of the kings ide?
see this whole variation over the
7) Thirdly, how would he meet board. If Black had played 1 7 ... l:te7
16...'iII'e7? I suspect Adams would have got as
1 7 li:lg5 far as 23 l:txcs in his calculation and
then relied on his positional judge­
a b c d c f g h ment to tell him (correctly) that he
had a big advantage because of the
H 8
pin on bS.
7 7
In any case, Black played
(, (,
1 7 ...'iIt'e7. After this move the
5 5 conditions for a combination are set.
4 4 I'm sure that Adams saw his next
move very quickly, perhaps instant­
3 3
aneously-he has a very sharp eye
2 2 for tactics! But if he had had to
reason things out perhaps his
internal dialogue would have been
a b c d e f g h
something like what follows:
'Black is a long way from
1 7...'iII'e7?
completing his development, I have
Before reading on you might like two pieces aggressively posted near
to see if you can find Adams' next his king, occupying dark square
move. There are some subtle points. holes in his loose pawn structure.
Have a look at the piece disposition Therefore, if I can exploit the open
on both sides and let your fantasy e file there should be an overwhelm­
soar! ing combination available.
Instead 17 ... l:te7 IS h4 'ill'f8 1 9 Let's think about things more
'ill'x f8+ \lixf8 20 h5! and White will specifically. The black queen has to
open the h file for his rook and keep stay on the second rank guarding
the knight on the dominant g5 h7. Otherwise I will play 'ilt'xh7+
square for if 20 ... h6 White has 2 1 with a quick mate or at least a very
hxg61 hxg5 22 l:lhS+ \lig7 2 3 l:lxcS strong breakthrough. If somehow I
�xg6 24 g4! opening a line for the can play 1:[e I , the black queen won't
bishop. 24 ... fxg4 25 j(d3+! A be able to defend both h7 and the
 Opening Lines Puzzles 161

rook on e8. She will be overloaded, �xg7 20 ll:he I, but it would be

with two functions when she can nothing compared to what happens
only do one. If she moves out of the in the game.
way my reply ll:xe8+ would drag
1 8 ,'iII'03+
her away from the defence of h7.
..

There aren't any Black pieces that If 1 8 ... axbS 1 9 :t he l ! and Black
can interpose on the e file after has a grim choice of losing his king
ll:e I-the only move .lte6 is a joke after 1 9 ...'iII'x el 20 'ill'xh7+ �f8 2 1
after lhe6. So how can I get my 'ill'f7 mate or his queen after
bishop on f1 out of the way?' 1 9 ...'iII'd7 20 ll:xe8+ 'ill'xe8 21
'ill'xh7+ 1i'f8 22 'ill'h8+ �e7 23
The move he played was
ll:el+.
18 .1txb5!
19 1i'bl ll:e7
a b c d e f g h

H H H 8

7 7 7 7

6 6 6 6

5 5 5 5

4 4 4 4

3 3 3 j

2 2 2 2

a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h

This isn't strictly a desperado Here again I suggest you should

move but it is played in that spirit. try to guess White's next move.
One of the good things about this Perhaps Black was feeling quite
pawn grabbing, rook attacking
happy hereabouts, thinking that the
'loud' move is that it is impossible
plus features for him were:
to ignore. In other words it is a
forcing move-Black can take the (a) control of the e file--i f 20
bishop or lose time moving the ll:he I 'ill'xe I 2 1 ll:xe l :txe I mate.
rook. he can't just ignore the
(b) the white knight is in an
bishop. If White had played the
awkward pin
surreal 1 8 .ltc4 Black would lose
after 1 8 ...bxc4 in the same way that (c) the white bishop is hanging­
1 8 ... axb5 loses after 1 8 .ltxb5, but Whlte will have to waste time
of course he could just ignore the moving it and this will give Black
bishop and play 1 8 ...'iII'g 7. More the chance to develop his queens ide.
realistically White could have Then the pawn missing from the b
played 1 8 .ltd3 to keep some file may allow him to start an attack
advantage after 1 8 ... 'iII'g7 1 9 'ill'xg7+ on White's king with ll:b8 etc.
 162 Opening Lines Puzzles

20 .lteS!! a b c d e f g b

A brilliant move. If it came as a 8 H

complete surprise to you don't be 7 7
discouraged as it was probably just
(, (,
as big a shock to Georgievl Take
some time to see if you can grasp 5 5
the idea. As David Bronstein once 4 4
said to me, "after playing through a 3 3
game, sit back and have a cup of tea
2 2
or coffee or something stronger if
you prefer and ask yourself: 'what
have I seen?' '' a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h The point of 20 .lte8 is revealed

after 2 1 ...'IIi' xe l . White replies not
8 8
22 !l:xe P? when 22 ... !l:xe I is
7 7 checkmate, but 22 .ltt7+!, over­
6 6 loading the rook on e7, which now
5 5
cannot both remain defending h7
and the queen on e l . Now 22 ...Wh8
4 4
allows 23 'lli'xh7 mate (or equally 23
3 3 'lli'fS mate), so Black has to try
2 2 22 ...!l:xt7 23 !l:xe I when he has lost
his queen for insufficient material
and besides he is still facing the
a \) c d e f g h catastrophic threats of 24 !l:e8+ or
24 IiJxt7.
Therefore Black, a strong Grand­
Puzzle S master, resigned here. After
21...'IIi'g7 22 'lli'x g7+! (22 .ltt7+ is
As the next puzzle, imagine how discussed as the next puzzle below)
you would play if Black replied 22 ... !l:xg7 (if 22 ...Wxg7 simply 23
with the developing move 20...liJd7. !l:xe7+ Wf6 24 !l:c7 will keep the
The answer is given at the end of extra rook) 23 .ltc6!! IiJxc6 (if
the game, but the themes at work 23 ... .ltd7 24 .ltxa8 leaves White
are explained in detail in the next easily winning on material) 24 !l:eS
note. checkmate! This last variation
illustrates clearance with gain of
20..:*e5 21 !l:hel! 1-0 time and a back rank mate.
 Opening Lines Puzzles 163

Puzzle 9

After seeing this game it is hard to

Now say Black had tried 2 1..:i!I'g7
argue with the advice of Bent
and rather than 22 'i!l'xg7+ White
Larsen that you can't begin to play
had played 22 il.f7+.
positional chess unless you have an
eye for tactics. In the hands of a
a b c d e f g h lesser player, White's attack might
H H well have broken down on move 1 8
or 20. This was a brilliant game by
7 7
Adams, but it wasn't the equivalent
6 6 of casting a magical spell to steal a
S 5 Dragon's egg like in a Harry Potter
book-instead he applied the laws
4 4
of strategy and tactics in an almost
3 3 perfect way.
2 2
Such a convincing win is often
described as 'effortless', This is
a b c d e f g h nonsense-it took a great deal of
tactical skill and hard concentration.
Is he still winning after this
move?
 23 To Err is Human!
s a game goes on plan-it's sure to be wrong!" wrote
move after move the the great Gennan GM Tarrasch.
nonnal state of affairs
Once a player chooses a plan he
isn't combinations. It
often carries it through without
is building up our
checking to see if it really works, or
position, developing
if it is tactically sound. Because his
pieces, making plans, avoiding
plan is wrong, the logic of the posi­
traps, etc. etc. So what are the
tion turns against him and move by
features that set the alann bells
move his position gets steadily
ringing that a combination might be
worse. Unless he pulls himself back
possible?
from the brink, a combination will
The key thing to remember is that appear to cut him down.
before you can make a strong com­
Allthese things or just plain
bination there has to be a mistake or
weakness can lead the opponent to
series of mistakes by the opponent.
put his pieces onto bad squares. It is
If you think about how a player then that you pounce!
decides on his move or plan, you
The following dramatic example
will soon realise there is wide scope
shows that any square or pawn, if
for error. He uses knowledge from
the player has misplaced his pieces,
another game that isn't appropriate
can become vulnerable to a
in the given situation; he half
combination.
remembers a bad experience that
makes him shy away from a
R.Ponomariov - V.Ivanchuk
perfectly decent line of play; or
FIDE World Championship 2002
perhaps he is too scared to launch
an attack or too impatient to defend.
In particular, it is hard to escape R
from the tyranny of the initial 7
judgement-to change your mind
6
about a position when the facts
don't fit the preconceived idea. 5
Players rush to their doom because 4
they can'1 or are unwilling to
3
fe-evaluate the position. They may
play very slowly but usually they 2
are spending their time convincing
themselves that their plan is the
a b c d e f g h
right one. "If you can't see what to
do, wait until your opponent finds a White to play
 To Err is Humanl 165

This game was played in the final Black has no good move after 23
match of the FIDE World Cham­ c5. If 23 ... f6 24 IiJxe6 will be a
pionship in Moscow 2002 massacre.
After 23 c5! Black resigned, If he moves his king away to hS,
despite having equal material and a to avoid the pin, then fI drops
solid looking pawn structure. straightaway; similarly fI falls after
23 ...liJe7. In fact the only way to
The problem is the vulnerability
avoid disaster on fI is 23 ...ll:d5,
of the pawns on e6 and fl. It may
giving up the exchange after 24
seem surprising to hear the f7 pawn
.iixd5 cxd5. In a World Champion­
described as weak: after all, Black
ship match it would be senseless to
has his king, queen and even the
play on the exchange down for
bishop on eS all defending the fI
nothing. Therefore Ivanchuk pre­
square, whilst it is only attacked
ferred to resign immediately after
three times! However, the 'sickness'
23 c5.
of the e6 square has spread to infect
the fI square as well. The e6 pawn These combinations didn't come
is under intense pressure from the out of thin air. They arose because
white bishop and knight on g5 and the black pieces are on squares
even indirectly from the rook on e 1 . where they offer no protection to
Thus, if it were White's move, he the e6 square. Thus if, in the
would have two combinations avail­ diagram, you transfer the black
able against the e6 square: knight to d5, where it shields the e6
pawn against the white bishop, all
(a) a knight fork after 24 .iix e6!?
the combinations vanish. White
fxe6 25 'iil'xf8+ IIIx f8 26 IiJxe6+
would still have a space advantage,
IIIgS 27 IiJxc7 and White has two
which comes down to the fact that
extra pawns;
Black has failed to organise
(b) a breakthrough after 24 liJxe6' counterplay with ... c6-c5 earlier in
fxe6? 25 .iixe6+ IIIh S 26 'i!Vxf8 the game. In other words, as
mate. Tartakower once remarked wryly 'a
If Black tries to defend against combination shows that someone
these threats with 23 ... h6 then 24 has blundered'. In this case, it is
Black who has blundered by making
IiJgxf/l .iixfl 25 IiJxfl 'i!Vxfl 26
.iixe6 winning Black's queen for strategical mistakes .
two pieces-with two pawns thrown
Having reached almost the end of
in as small change.
this book I hope that the reader has
Incidentally, still good enough to developed a good nose for a
win after 23 ... h6, though by no combination. A weak point, a king
means as convincing, is 24 tDxe6 and queen separated by the distance
fxe6 25 .iixe6+ IIIh7 26 'i!Vf5+ (not of a knight fork, a piece cut off from
falling for 26 'i!Vxf8 .iig6+' with a its fellows-they all indicate some
discovered attack on White's queen) lack of harmony in the opponent's
26... g6 27 'i!Vxf8 forces.
166 To Err is Human.'

Here are two simple but striking

examples of blunders induced by a H H
reliance on a preconceived idea
7 7
without checking the tactics.
6

J.Sebrek V.Schneider
-

4
Budapest 2002
3 3
a b � d c f g h 2 2
8 8
7 7 a b c d e f g 1\
6

5 5 Here I think White is much less

4 " likely to blunder a rook with 34
IDd4?? as he wouldn't feel as secure
3 .l
on the dark squares-the rook on d I
2 2
is on a light square, and Black has
good light square control. The idea
a I) c d e f g II that blunders can be caused by
believing that you are invincible on
squares of a certain colour has also
White to play
been discussed in the chapter on
knight forks.
Black has the ascendancy on the
queenside and threatens 'ill'x a3;
meanwhile White feels he has G.Ffear - S.Smelakin
control on the kingside. 'The dark Hastings Challengers 2002
squares are my friends' he says to
himself 'just look at the hole on f6, a b c d e f g 11
it is positively inviting me to put my H H
knight there!' So he rushes to get
7 7
counterplay before a3 drops and
hangs a whole rook with 34 lDe4?? h 6
The dark squares aren't his friends 5 5
after 34.. 'iII'x el+ 35 �h2 'ill'a l 36
.

4 4
IDg5 'ill'g7 37 'ill'c 7 'ill'f8 0-1
Incidentally, White could have de­ .l .l
veloped a dark square attack with 34 2 2
ll:e5 'ill'xa3 3 5 ll:c5 .
Here's a position I've created, a b c d e f g h
based on this game, with basically
some of the pieces shurned a file to Black to play
the left.
 To Err is Humanf 167

In this position the black bishop Incidentally. in this example we

on e6 is attacked three times and see the importance of the order in
defended three times; therefore It is which pieces are attacking a point.
safe from capture. Black, however, If you want a particularly strong
sought to ease the tension as has pin, involving an attack by several
been done in many games by pieces, it's optimum to have the
offering an exchange of rooks on stronger pieces at the back of the
the e file with 22 11.17??
.•• queue. Whether or not a move like
Unfortunately for him. in this 22 .. . 11.17 loses material can only be
specific case, the rook on e8 is worked out by calculation, not by
attacked three times and only remembering similar examples in
defended twice: this means that past games.
White wins a piece after 23 J:lxe8
It is risky for a player to make a
J:lxe8 24 J:lxe8 1I.xe8 25 'i'xe8 In
sacrifice, even an objectively
the game Black resigned after 23
correct one, when he has no clear
J:lxeS.
follow up in mind. Copying a half
remembered sacrifice from a book
Now imagine a virtually identical of Kasparov's best games can be a
position as follows: death trap.

M.Tolonen - E.Raaste
H H
Finnish Team Championship 2001

7 7

<> (,
H H
5 5
7 7
fJ 4
6 6
j :l
5 5
2 2
"

3 :l
a b c d c f X h 2 2

The only difference is that the

a I) C d e f g h
white queen and rook on e I have
swapped places. Now 22...11.17 is
Black to play
perfectly reasonable as if 23 J:lxe8
J:lxe8 24 'iil'xe8?-he should play
another move such as 24 4.Je5- In this equal-looking po sition
24 ... 1I.xe8 25 J:lxe8 and White has Black suddenly gave up a pawn
only a rook and bishop for his with 14...e5!? IS IiJxe5 IiJxe5 1 6
queen. fxe5 J:lf2
168 To Err is Human.'

Here's the idea: after 1 7 'i'xf2 Black has destroyed himself, al­
ILlxd3+ wins the white queen: it's though to be fair White now plays
our old friend the discovered attack. very precisely to clinch the game.
I 7 'i'c3 IS lLld6!
Now that White has control of the
a b c d e f g h c8 and f5 squares-stopping J:[c8
8 8 and if5 respectively-the main
danger is passed and he is a pawn
7 7
up.
6 6
18 ..lLla4 19 'i'b3 'i'e3+ 20 I!;>b1
.

s s 'iil'xeS 21 il.e4!
4 4
An elegant pin.
3 3
2I...lLlb6
2 2
Black is ripped apart after
2l ...'i'xd6 22 il.xdS+ 'it>h8 23
a b c d e f g h il.xb7.
22 il.xdS+ ILlxdS 23 .IhdS 'i'e6
1 7...id7?
Black loses his nerve. He had to
a b c d e f g h
continue to harass the white queen
with 1 7... lLlxd3+ 18 'i'xd3 if51 1 9 8 8
'iil'xd5+ <'ph8. Now the threat to c2 is 7 7
very difficult to meet, for example if 6 6
20 1Lld4?!-probably the move that
Black thought was the refutation but 5 5
in fact 20 lLla3 is safer-then not 4 4
20 ....!:td8 21 'iil'f7! when the pin on 3 3
the bishop is awkward and
2 2
2 l ....!:txd5 is answered by 22 'i'ffl
mate, but 20 ... .!:tc8! keeping up the
pressure on c2, when White would a b c d e f g h
lose if he played 2 1 .!:td2 J:[xd2 22
<;t;>xd2 J:[d8 and the queen is skew­
ered against the knight. 24 1Lle4!

Because he stumbled here, Black Another fine move, attacking the

was left a pawn down with a rook, threatening 25 J:[xd7 winning
shattered position against a player the bishop as the black queen is
rated 100 Elo points below him. If pinned, and preparing ILlg5 to chase
he had avoided the pawn sacrifice at the black queen away from the
move 14 he might have slowly a2-g8 diagonal.
outplayed his opponent in the If now 24... il.c6, hoping for 25
middlegame or endgame. Instead ILlxfl ixd5 forking White's queen
 To Err is Human.' 169

and rook, White wins the queen waste our time lOOking at stupid
with 25 .Il:d8+! .Il:xd8 26 'iil'xe6+. moves. However, it can lead to
24 .Il:f7
...
'chess blindness' if we exclude too
many moves from Our thinking.
He has to retreat and defend the
bishop as if 24 ...l:!:.e2 25 IiJc51 l:!:.el + For the final time let me remind
26 l:!:.xel 'iil'xel + 27 l:!:.d l + discov­ you that the difficulty of a combina­
ered check wins Black's queen be­ tion is either in seeing the key move
fore he has time to mate White with or in calculating the consequences
'iil'xd I . of the move. There can be no doubt
about that when you look at the next
2S liJg5 'iil'c6 26 l:!:.hdl 1-0 diagram.
Black resigned. The threats of 27
Or 27 IiJxf7 speak for
l:i:.xd7 a b c d e f g h
themselves.
H 8
7 7
I remember a game from my first
6 6
ever tournament at school in which I
exploited my opponent's refusal to 5 5
adjust his plan. As White I began I 4 4
e4 e5 2 h4 At that time I was ad­
3 3
dicted to the development 3 l:!:.h3
2 2
based on the principle that the rooks
were the strongest pieces apart from
the queen and sa should be devel­ a b c d t! f g h
oped immediately. However, after
my opponent's reply 2 ... h5 I sensed
I t is White to move. When I was
that he liked symmetrical positions
coaching at the World Junior I
and showed enough flexibility to
asked some of the younger players
venture 3 g4!? Sure enough, there
what is White's best move? Have a
followed 3 ... g5 4 hxg5 hxg4 5
look yourself before you read on.
l:!:.xh8, winning a rook!
Well, one of the players got very
excited when he saw 1 'iil'xf6 gxf6 2
When we leave the beginner stage
.Il:g3+ I!;>h8 3 �xf6 mate! If you saw
in chess we no longer habitually
that, well done---you- are learning
leave our pieces en prise or move
the mating patterns! I hope it
them into positions where they can
doesn't upset you too much if ! lell
be captured. It still sometimes
you that it is wrong?
happens, of course, but it is no
longer the normal state of affairs! In When I told them that Black was
fact� we don't even see moves that winning after 1 'iil'xf6 one of the
would leave our queen en prise to a players looked briefly at 1..."iII'e l + to
pawn-they just aren't a part of our deflect the bishop when if 2 �xe I ?
thinking any longer. In most gxf6 3 .Il:g3+ �h8 4 �c3 h 5 ! 5
situations this 1S good-we don't �"f6+ �h7 and White's attack is
1 70 To Err is Human.'

defeated, but he quickly saw that 2 The way in which a player judges
Wh2 leaves Black defenceless. and assesses a position is a reflec­
Someone else tried 1 ...'iIi'd l + to de­ tion of his or her own personality as
flect the rook from the third rank, well as previous chess experiences.
but again 2 Wh2 and Black has no We don't easily give up our beliefs
time to take the rook because of even if our increasing experience
mate on g7. A third try was suggests they are wrong.
l ...'iIi'e l + 2 Wh2 'ili'xc3, but then 3
I remember two players from my
'ili'xc3 just leaves White a queen for
youth who held strong but incorrect
a rook up.
opinions on the nature of chess play.
After looking at the position for a
One of them always declined a
long time and trying ever more
sacrificial offer 'on principle'. This
ridiculous moves, one of the players
was inspired by his belief that it was
was convinced I was bluffing and
a waste of time thinking before you
that White was winning after I
moved, as this would only give your
'ili'xf6. However, there is a way to
opponent time to think as well. In
defend g7 which is astonishingly
his opinion it was much better to do
difficu1t for humans to see:
your thinking before your opponent
1 ...'iIi'g4 1 1 . This threatens mate on
moved, and then play your own
g2. After 2 hxg4 fxg6, the g file is
move instantly. With this philoso­
blocked so White can't mate with 3
phy, there would never be any time
J::tg3+. Black stays a rook up and
to calculate whether or not it was
wms.
safe to accept a surprise sacrifice, so
From the time we sit down at the he had decided always to decline
board we take care to avoid leaving any offer.
our queen en prise. But in addition
Of course, once you knew his
we learn to give up our queen in
weakness it became easy to beat
mating patterns like I 'ili'xf6 gxf6 2
him as a sacrifice like iLxh3! in
J::tg3+. On the other hand, we don't
front of his castled king always won
learn moves like I . ..'iIi'g4. Therefore a pawn as he would never take the
it is a blind spot. Until now of
bishop!
course-remember this pattern in
your games! The other player was well
prepared in the opening and had a
So White is actually losing in the strong positional style, but he
diagram position, for example 1
imagined that the game would win
.lrI.xf6 'ili'xd3 2 'ili'g5 'ili'g6 defends
itself as soon as he had all his pieces
and wins, as does I J::tg 3 ibh5 2
on good squares. He had no
'ili'd4 f6, while if 2 'ili'h6 Black can
enthusiasm for a tactical brawl and
win with the simple 2 ... f6, but much
frequently made bad blunders even
more elegant is 2... 'iIi'dl + 3 Wh2
in winning positions.
'ili'h I +! 4 Wxh I ibxg3+ followed by
5... gxh6. The white king is dragged In fact no two players are going to
to a square where the rook can be think about a position in exactly the
taken with check. same way, unless there is a huge
 To Err is Human.' 171

material or positional imbalance or games and analyse them 'to the

an entirely forced line of play. death ' . When I was a junior I started
analysing puzzles from magazines
On the other hand, a combination
and writing down the variations. I
is often right or wrong. If there is
found Bent Larsen 's Good Move
only one way to win then Kasparov
Guide (Oxford University Press,
or Kramnik will both play the 1982) an extremely valuable source
identical moves. For this reason a of positions. There are of course
game can be mined just because one literally hundreds of books and
tactical theme isn't known. It will be magazines to choose from. Even a
a 'bug' in your chess system, newspaper column can provide
occasionally crashing your games. useful material.
I hope this book has got all the Therefore the key ingredients to
bugs out of your system, but you chess improvement are hard work
still need to practice and practice and open mindedness to new ideas.
and practice. One of the tried and With these two qualities you could
tested ways to improve your chess is exceed even your greatest aims!
to take complicated positions from
 24 Solutions

Knight Forks 5) If 38 IDxb5? Black wins mate­

rial with 38 ... IDD+! 39 �xD lIxd3.
I) You don't have to be a World White played 38 WgZ to stop this
Champion to spot 31 lDe7+ winning and after 38".�e4 39 ll:fd l ??, a
the queen. natural move, but... 39".lDeZ! 40
'ikd2 (if 40 'ike2 ll:xd3 and again
2) 22 ..,e5 23 �xd7! 1-0 For if
there will be a fork on e 1 ) 40".lIxd3
23 ... �xd7 24 IDf6+ regains the
and White resigned as if 4 1 'ikxd3
queen leaving White two pawns up
ltJe l +! wins the queen-even better
with the b6 and f7 pawns hanging.
than winning a rook with 4 1 . .. 'ikxd3
3) 38 �xd7! 'ikxc3 If 38 .. .lhd7 42 1Ixd3 IDel+.
3 9 lD e6 + 39 lDe6+ Wh6 40 'ikxf7
6) Kasparov missed 39 1Ie7!
'ikxal+ 41 Wh2 'ike5+ 42 f4 1-0
4) White should get in first with a b c d e f g h
the knight fork 3Z ll:h8+! H H
7 7
a b c d e f g h
(,
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2

a b c d e f g h

pinning the knight with two

threats: 40 IDxb6 winning a piece
and 40 lIxd7+ Wxd7 4 1 IDxe5+ and
42 IDxD, leading to a king and
32.,,�xh8 33 ll:xh8+ Wxh8 34 pawn endgame two pawns up. Black
IDxf7+ Wg8 3S IDxd8 Now after is defenceless, e.g. 39".lIe3, trying
3S ...ll:xd8 36 IDeS Black has two a counter pin, 40 Wd2! lIb3 41 We2
rooks for the queen, but his dark crowding out the rook and forcing it
squares are terminally weak and he back to the fatal 0 square or
resigned after 36".�e8 37 'ike7 39".lIb3 40 IDxb6! (White should
l:[db8 38 IDg4 1-0 Black will be avoid 40 IDxe5? when 40 ... Wd6!
mated followinQ 39 1ilf6. forks both White's nieces and holds
 Solutions 1 73

on after 4 1 J:!:xd7+ ","xe5) 40 ","d6

•••
couple of pawns up or if 53 'iil'h5
41 J:!:xd7+ ","c6 It looks at first 'iil'xfS when White's best bet is to
glance that Black has escaped give perpetual check with 54 'iil'f7+!
because the knight is attacked and it <;Pxh6 55 'iil'f8+ ","g6 56 'i'g8+ <;Ph6
can neither move to safety or be 57 'iil'f8+! <;Ph5 58 'iil'h8+ etc.
defended by the rook. However, 42
Nevertheless 52 i.xf6! was good
J:!:d3! offering the exchange of rooks
enough to win after 52 ...lLlxf2 53
destroys Black's hopes: after
'iil'h5 'iil'xf5 (there is nothing else) 54
42 ...J:!:b2+ 43 J:!:d2 J:!:xd2+ (or else
'iil'f7+ 1-0 It's mate next move.
he can't regain the piece) 44 ","xd2
","xb6 he has been forced into a 9) After the plausible I J:!:bl,
hopeless king and pawn endgame. attacking the b5 pawn, 1 ...lLld5+!
Finally if 39 ...J:!:f6 (defending b6) 40 wins in every variation:
ILlxe5 ","d6 41 ILlxd7!, attacking the
black rook, 41...J:!:f7 42 J:!:.7 and
again Black will be compelled into H 8
the losing king and pawn endgame.
7 7
7) White is Sergei Kasparov, not
6 6
Garry, but he showed he could still
pack a combinational punch as there 5 5
followed: 1 6 1Ll.7! threatening 17 4 4
ILlc6. As the knight on e4 is hanging 3 3
Black tried 16 ... lLlg5 17 i.xg5
2 2
Curiously, White could leave the
bishop on h3 en prise with 1 7
ILlc6?! ILlxh3+ 1 8 ","g2 and still win a b c d e f g h
the exchange after 1 8 ... 'iiI'e 8 1 9
ILlxb8 'iil'xb8 20 ","xh3. 17... .ltxg5
18 ILlc6 'iil'c7 19 ILlxb8 J:!:xb8? The Black wins a piece after
final blunder. The only move was
1 9 lLlxb8 20 'iil'g4 1-0 The double
...
( I ) 2 <;Pd4 ILlf4+
attack on d7 and g5 picks up more (2) 2 <;Pe2 ILlf4+ (or 2 . .lLlxc3+)
.

material.
(3) 2 �e4 i.h7+ (or 2... lLlxc3+) 3
8) Black forced the bishop to ","d4 ILlf4+
move, but the reply wasn't exactly
(4) 2 ","d2 1Llf4
what he would have wished: 51
i.g7! Now 5 l ...i.xg7 52 'iil'h5+ and the exchange after
","g8 (or it's mate next move after
(5) 2 <;Pf2 tilxc3 or
52 ... i.h6 53 'iil'xh6+) 53 lLle7+ wins
the queen. (6) 2 �f3 tilxc3 3 i.e4+! ILlxe4 4
","xe4 i.h7+ wins th e exchange,
Instead Black came up with the
while if 4 J:!:xb5+ �c6 S �xe4 J:!:a8!
clever defensive move 51. .. f6! If
and Black wins a piece.
now 52 i.xh6? (52 ILlxh6 ","xg7)
52...lLlxf2 when 53 'iil'f3? 'iil'xf3 54 If I ILlc2 the sk ewer 1...J:!:xd3+ 2
gxf3 �g6! regains the piece a ","xd3 .ltc4+ and 3 ... i.'fl wins.
1 74 Solutions

The game is likely to end in a 22,..liJb3! 23 il.xh8 IiJxal 24

draw after 1 IiJxb5 .lhd3+ 2 Wxd3 IiJd2 IiJc2 25 l:tcl
IiJxb5 when White has a rook and a
White has defended as well as
pawn for two pieces. Perhaps
possible and now the pin regains th�
White's best chance is 1 il.xb5 l:ta8
pIece.
(or l ...liJd5+ 2 Wd4) 2 il.c4 l:txa3 3
il.xg8 l:txc3+ 4 Wd4!? and White 25,..liJe3+!
has a very slight advantage as his The knight goes desperado to win
king is nearer to the pawns, though an important pawn.
it is surely going to be a draw.
26 fxe3 il.xe3 2 7 l:tc2 l:tc8! 28
10) After 25 g4 hxg3+? 26 IiJxg3 l:txc8+ il.xc8 29 liJfl il.cl 0-1
l:txh3--<lr any other move to safety
by the rook-White wins a piece A second pawn drops.
with the knight fork 27 l:txd4! l:txd4
(unhelpful is 27 ... l:txg3 28 l:txd8) 28 Double Attack by Queen
IiJf5+. Therefore Black would have
to answer 25 g4 by retreating the
1) N0-41 'lii'x dl 'lii'xc8 42 'lii'h5+
rook from h5 but, having achieved and Black loses his knight so he
g2-g4, White has a nice positional resigned.
advantage. When, after the game,
Kasparov found out what he had 2) 38 'lii'd3! is a double attack on
missed he was furious with himselfl h7 and f3 Black resigned.

11) Gurevich began a long 3) If 5... liJf6 6 il.xf7+1 Wxf7 7

combination based on knight forks: liJe5+ We8 8 IiJxg4 wins a pawn.
Black's best defensive try was
5 ... liJh6, guarding the bishop.
The game ended
5,..e6
a b c d e f g II

a b c d e f g h

19,..liJd4! 20 il.xfS liJe2+ 2 1 Wg2

IiJxcl 22 il.g7!
The only chance is to counter­ a b c d e f g h
attack as 22 il.xc5 IiJb3 forks rook
'nd bishop. 6 'lii'a4+!
 Solutions 1 75

White's wmning plan entails �n?? which was also a horrible

diagonal pressure against the black blunder after 40...lhb l ! 41 lhbl­
king which can be increased with note that 4 1 lIxeS is impossible as
gain of time by attacking Black's the rook is pinned--4 I . ..'i!I'f5+ 42
bishop with liJeS. �e2 "iil'xb 1 when the double attack
had regained Black his piece
6 ...liJd7
leaving him a pawn up. Kasparov
If 6 ... "iiI'd7 7 il.bS IiJc6 8 liJeS eventually won the ending.
"iil'c7 9 IiJxg4-the simplest move­
Gelfand must have been kicking
leaves White a piece up. The best
himself as 40 �12! wins easily-if
way to resist was 6 ... liJc6, though
40 ...lIxb 1 the rook on e 1 isn't
White keeps a decided advantage
pinned so he can play 4 I lIxeS And
after 7 liJeS, e.g. 7 . . . il.fS (he loses a
if 40 ..."iiI'xh2, getting a second pawn
piece to a double attack after
for the piece, White has a double
7 ... il.hS 8 liJxc6 bxc6 9 "iil'xc6+ �e7
attack of his own: 41 lIe8+ �g7 42
1 0 "iil'xcS+) 8 IiJxc6 bxc6 9 "iil'xc6+
"iil'd4+ �h6 43 "iil' x al.
�e7 1 0 "iil'xcS+ with two extra
pawns and the initiative after 6) In the game White played (a),
I 0... �f6 I I "iil'eS+ or an endgame but after 1 9 dxeS "iil'b4 ! , with a
on 1 O ..."iiI'd6 I I "iil'xd6+ �xd6. double attack on White's queen and
bishop, he had nothing better than
7 liJe5 il.f5 8 liJxd7 1·0
20 il.xc6 lIxd I 2 1 lIaxd I 'i!l'c4 when
If 8 ... "iiI'd7 9 il.bS wins the queen. Black's queen outweighed the rook
and bishop. Suggestion (b) is a
4) After 4 e3 'iilb6 White could
terrible mistake as if 1 9 �xc6 'ili'xc6
get a strong initiative with 5
20 IiJxeS?? "iil'xg2 mate. So best is
1iJc3 i-the analysis is out of the
(c), simplifying with I 9 �xf4 exf4
scope of this book-but not S
(not 1 9 ... gxf4 20 �xc6 'ili'xc6 2 1
dxcS?? when S . . . 'iilb4 + wins the
IiJxeS) 20 �xc6 "iil'xc6 2 1 nc I ,
bishop!
though after 2 1 ..."iiI'dS Black's better
5) pawn structure and strong bishops
a b c J e g 11 give him a clear advantage.

H H

7 7 Double Attacks by Rook,

Bishop and Pawn
(, 6
5 5 1) Black won a pawn with
4 28...liJ xb2! 0·1 If 29 �xb2 nc2+
) 3 regains the knight a pawn up with a
dominating position.
2 2
2) No: after 1...ll:bxa7 2 nxa7
nxa7 3 lIxd4! exd4 (it doesn't help
a I) c d c t g II to play 3 ... na3: 4 nd8 + >l<h7 S �gS
If 40 "iil'e 3?? 'iilb2 + regains the and the passed h pawn will rush
piece. In the game Gelfand chose 40 forwards e.g. S ... nxf3+ 6 >l<h4 b4 7
176 Solutions

.l:td7+ �g8 8 h6 b3 9 h7+ IPh8 1 0 .lteS! 23 g3 "c8 with positional

.ltf6 mate) 4 .ltxd4+ "g7 5 h6 and pressure.
White wins the rook.
5) The pawn fork goes wrong
3) White can win a piece wilh 1 after 20 .ltg6! when Black resigned
e6! (This move order is the most immediately in Vokarev·Vokarev �

forcing as after the similar I g6 Ubeda 2000. He will lose at least

.ltxg6 2 e6 Black could try battling
the exchange, reaching a dead end­
on with 2.....d3 3 exf7 .ltxf7)
game, for example: 20 ... hxg6 21
1 . .. �xe6 2 g6 .txg6 3 J:H6+ lPe7 4
lZlxg6+ IPg8 22 lZlxf8 exd4 23
"xg6 and While should Will
comfortably. lZlxd7 "xel + 24 "xel lZlxd7 25
"dI or 20 ..."e7 21 lZlf5 .txf5 22
4) White is a pawn down after
.ltxf5 lZlg8 23 lZlxd5 "xfS 24 lZlxe7
18 ... .ltxe2, so 1 9 "e2 .td3 would
lZlxe7 2S l:tacl etc.
have been hopeless in the long run.
Instead he played 19 "xc7 in the
game bul resigned after 19....ltb6
Pins
seeing that both his rook and bishop
are attacked.
I) Black played 1 6...lZlxh2! win­
a b c d e f g h ning a pawn for if 17 IPxh2 'lII'xg5.
She won after 17 lIe! c6 18 .ltd3
8 B .tfS 1 9 .txf5 "xf5 20 'lII'e3 lZlg4
7 7 etc.
6 (, 2) No---2 2 lZle2 'lII'd 6 23 'lII'a I ! put
5 5 him in a falal pin. Here he resigned
as if23 .....e8 24 f4.
4 4

3 3 3)
2 2 a b c d e f g h
1 H H
a b c d e f g h 7 7

He was wrong to resign! It is true 6 (,

that it is hopeless after 20 "xb7 5 5

"xd2 when Black's rook defends 4 4
the bishop on c2. However, if White
3 3
could give up his bishop in such a
way that in capturing it Black 2 2
doesn't also defend his bishop on
c2 , then he would survive. This can
a b c d e f g h
be done with 20 .ltg5! attacking the
black rook. Then 20... f6? 2 1 l:hb7
32 .ltc4!
fxgS?! 22 "xe2 is good for White.
So Black should be satisfied with Adams uses the pin on the b5
20 ... .ltxc7 21 .ltxd8 "xd8 22 .lhe2 pawn to spike a rook.
 Solutions 177

32 i.d8 33 'i!i'a8!
•••
'i!i'xf4+ Iio>h5 44 :!:Ixh4+ 'i!i'xh4 45
It's important that White has this 'i!i'xh4+ Wxh4 46 as and the passed
move which keeps up the attack on pawn queens.
dS, 4) Nol
33 ...bxc4 34 'ill'xdS c3 3S l:thg1 a h c d e f g 11

a I) c d e f g h �
• •.4. ���� H

H H
7
"� J: .� "ff1ii � . ff1ii ?- , '
7

7 7
(0
1Iw#8. " iW, •
!ffi; J: � • " ', "
(,

6 6
5
ill .J:.J:�� 5

� 1��� �
/hill
.
4 4
5 5 Ib/ fL , • . . "

3
.if1• • • ' .
3
1 4
2 .ft .
� 1 , ..ft.Jlill
2
� 0 .�
@ � � j'g
, J
� 70 - � I
2 2 � - "

a 11 C d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
14 ItlxfS! lhfS 15 i.xe4 exploits
the pin on dS to win a key pawn,
3S...i.f6
There followed 1 5 ...l:tf7-dosing
If 3Lcxb2 36 'ill'xg8+! Iio>xg8 37 the diagonal so that Black threatens
l:txg6+ Iio>h8 (even simpler for to capture the knight or bishop,
White is 3LIio>f8 38 l:tg8+ 1io>f7 3 9
1 6 ItlxdS! the simplest riposte,
%!' l g7+) 38 l:tg8+ Iio>h7 3 9 l:t8g7+
Black loses another pawn for if
'ill'xg7 40 hxg7 Iio>g8 4 1 h5! i.f6 42
h6 and 43 h7+ queens, 16 . ,cxdS 1 7 i.xdS the pin is
.

restored and White wins after

36 b3 I L'iII' f6 1 8 i.xf7+ 'i!i'xf7 1 9
Now White's king is perfectly :!:Ixh8+! deflecting the king from the
safe and he has a passed pawn on defence of the queen-lLWxh8 20
the queenside, 'i!i'xf7, So in the game Black settled
36...'i!i'e7 37 a4 gS for 16 li:lfB 1 7 li:le3 but, two pawns
...

down, it was hopeless,

A hopeless bid for freedom.
S) All the moves apart from
38 bxgS lhgS 39 l:txgS i.xg5 40
42 .. ,'iII'c6 lose to 43 'ill'xc3! winning
f4! 1-0
a piece, After 42 .. 'i!i'c6! a draw was .

A nice line clearing move with an agreed, Note that if 43 l:txc8+ 'ill'xc8
echo of the pin 32 i.c4, If 44 i.e5+, hoping to exploit the pin
40 .. ,i.xf4 4 1 'ill'g8+ Iio>xh6 42 'ill'g6 on the black queen to win a piece,
mate, while 40",ex[4 4 1 'ill'xf5+ then 44...i.xe5 is check! !
Iio>xh6 42 :!:Ih 1 + .th4 (or 42... Wg7 6) I f 3 7. . ,l:txg6 3 8 :!:Ixe7+ wins
43 l:th7+ winning the queen) 43 Black's queen,
 1 78 Solutions

Or 37...�xg6 38 'ilkg4+ .t>h7 than having to recapture with 34

(even worse is 38 ... .t>f7 39 lhe7+! i.xd6. Most of the time it doesn't
�xe7 40 'ilkxg7+) 39 'ilkxg7+ �xg7 matter in what order you exchange
40 1:txe7+ �g6 4 1 1:txa7 and Black pieces, but sometimes it can be
has two extra pawns in the end­ decisive. So when you calculate a
game. combination make Slire you try out
Finally the game finished the moves in different orders!
37...'ilkxg6 38 'ilkb4! 'ilkf5 39 'ilkxe7+ 9) After 1 5... lDd7?
�g6 40 'ilkb7+ 1-0 a b c d e f g h
7) Yes, as after 23 1:txg5! .ltd3? 8 8
24 �d2! .ltxe2 25 1:tcgl White
7 7
regains his piece with advantage.
Instead Black could keep the 6 6
tension with 23 ... .ltg6 when 24 1:tg3 5
(avoiding 24 ... .lth6) 24 ... 1:te7 25 4
�f1 1:tae8 26 .ltd3 leaves Black
with plenty of activity, but White is
a pawn up and his chances are far 2 2
better than in the game. Instead in
the game White played 23 .t>d2? but
a h c d e f g 11
was in trouble after 23 ....ltg6 24
i.d3? i.e5! when there was no 16 IDxl7! 1:txl7 17 i.xl7+ �xl7
good answer to the double threat of 18 'ilkf3 there was no good way to
25 ... i.xh2 and 25 ...i.f4+ skewering defend the bishop for if 18...g6 19
the king and rook. White resigned g4 (or 1 8 ....t>g6 1 9 g4 .ltc2 and
after 25 .ltxg6 i.f4+ 26 .t>d3 .ltxcl simplest is 20 'ilke2! trapping the
27 IDxcl fxg6 28 Ihg5 .t>f7 29 lDe2 bishop.) Black tried 18... .lth2+!? 19
1:tb8 30 1:tg3 1:txh2 3 1 1:tf3+ �g8 32 .t>hl 'ilkf4 which looks as if it
IiJf4 1:tfS 33 .t>e3 1:th4 34 d6 1:te8+ defends successfully for 20 'ilkxf4
0-1 i.xf4 leaves Black with two bishops
for a rook and pawn. But James
8) 3 1 .ltb4 'ill'e7 32 .ltxfS 1:txf5 33
Howell had calculated further than
1:txd6! 1:txd6 34 'ill'a3 and the pin
me: 20 lIe3!! kept the black bishop
won the rook, leaving White a piece
stranded on h2 with no time to es­
up. Crouch resigned after 34..:i'h4
cape for if 20 ... 'ilkxfJ 2 1 lIxfJ and
35 i.xd6 'ilkxf2+ 36 �hl 1:tg5 37
both bishops are hanging. Black did
J:c8+ .t>g7 38 i.fS+ 1-0 It's mate in
the best he could with 2o...lDf6 but
two moves.
after 21 g3 (he could also have
It seems to me that Black lost this played 2 1 'ilkxf4 i.xf4 22 1:tfJ g5 23
game because he only looked at the g3) 2 I...i.xg3 22 fxg3 'ilkxt3+ 23
exchange of pieces on d6 in the 1:txf3 i.xh3 24 d5 i.d7 25 lDe4
'natural order'-that is, the harm­ cxdS 26 IDxf6 gxf6 27 ::taO fS 28
less 33 i.xd6 1:txd6 34 1:txd6 'ilkxd6 g4 .t>f6 29 gxf5 couldn't quite save
rather than 33 1:txd6' J:xd6, when the endgame the exchange for a
White has the killer 34 'ilka3 rather pawn down.
 Solutions 1 79

Rather than I S .../Dd7, Black had Skewer

to eliminate the strong knight with
15" ,.lbe5, though he is still worse I)
after 16 dxe5.
10)
H 8
a /, c d e f g 11
7 7
H (, (,
7 7 5 5
" (, <I 4
5 j 3
4 2 2
J 1
2 2
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h Black would only draw after

38 . . . 1he4? 39 1iixe4 g2 40 c7 gl='ii'
Here 23" .bxc6! WaS very strong 41 c8='lit' 1'. 1 + 42 Iiid4 il'd2+ 43
as it sets up a pin along the d file liie4 , but 38 ...g2! does the trick.
after 24 �xd4 .!:td7 25 !:tedl h5! After 39 c7 gl ='ii' White resigned
chasing away the defender of the e5 as 40 J:txf4+ (be loses a rook with
pawn. 26 l2le3 (here 26 /Df6+ 1I.xf6 c heck after 40 c8='ii' il'd 1+ 4 1 �e3
27 exf6 e5 doesn 't help White) il'e l+) 40...W;<f4 41 c8='ii' 'ii'd l +
26 ... /Dxd4 27 /Dxd4 .ltxe5 28 /Dxe6 42 IiIc3 (in contrast t o 38 ...!:txe4?
(or 28 //Jee2 (5) 28 ...!:txd2 29 because White rather tha n Black bas
Iilxd8 l:!:fxfl whe n Black is a pawn exchanged rooks and the white king
up with a crushing position, e.g. if no longer has access to the e file)
30 ll:xd2 U.xd2 3 1 i2lxc6? .ltxe6 32 42 ... 1'cl+ and the queen is lost to
ll:xc6 �d4 33 ge6 .!l:e2 wins the the skewer.
pinned knight. Similar but even
worse for White wou ld be 24 i2lxd4 Z) Anand found the suretlre win:
gd7 25 ttJxe6 (25 gedl h5!) 32 1'xf8+! and Radjabov resigned
25...!:txd2 26 i2lxd8 !:txdS and imm ediately as 32 ...'iII'xf8 33 J:!.xf2+
Black has an extra piece. skewers his ki(lg and queen. If then

Instead, in t he game, r chose the 33 ...'ihgS 34 J:!.xf8 Wxg6 you c an

natural 23 ....lhc6? without too be materialistic with 35 J:!.dd8, but
much thought as it puts the bishop 3 5 :'gl+ Wh7 .36 :U4 and 37 J:lh4 is
on a lovely diagonal. However, a straightforward mate.
the re was no excuse not to
calculate! Black still stood 3) the game went 43 ii'lxc2 Iilxc2
so mewhat better after 24 i2lxd4 44 iLxh7+! 1!?f8 45 iLxc2 J:!:c8+ 46
.ltdS but was later outplayed in a Il;d6!
time scramble and lost
180 Solutions

a b c d e f g h Discovered Attack
B H
1) after 6 Sl.b5 the trick 6... li'lxe5!
7 7
uncovering an attack on White's
6 h bishop wins a pawn after either 7
5 5 Ii'lxe5 Sl.xb5 or 7 Sl.xd7+ Ii'lxd7. I
have won a pawn a couple of times
4 ,1
in this way when giving a 'simul'.
J 0
2) 25 f4? Sl.xb3! White resigned
2 2
as there is a double attack on the d4
square and his queen. I f 26 'lIixb3
a b c d e f g h 'lIixd4+ will win the rook on a I with
check, so that White has no time to
take the bishop on g5. If the black
and only here did Black realise bishop hadn't been on d5 'hiding'
that he can't play 46 ...l:txc2 because the attack on d4 White would never
of 47 l:th8 mate' have fallen for the trap.
There followed 46...l:td8+ 47 \!;>c5 3) No, as he dropped his queen to
(here 47 \!;>c7 l:td4! is risky for 42 ... Sl.g2+ 0-1 There is a pin after
White with his king cut off from the 43 WeI J:!ae8 or a discovered check
action) and now Black should agree after 43 Wgl Sl.h3+ or 43 ...Sl.d5+.
to a draw after 47 ...l:tc8+ 48 liteS.
Instead he attempted to win with 4) 33 ...Sl.a2! 0-1 If 34 Wxb2 b3+
48...J:!d5+ 48 Wb4 l:txe5 49 .ba4 If wins the queen by discovered
49... J:!el White has the winning de- attack.
fence 50 l:th8+ �e7 5 1 l:te8+ \!;>d6 5) White had reckoned without
52 l:td8+ We5 53 l:txd2. After 25 ...'lIid6 26 hxg4
49...li;>e7 50 l:td1 l:te2 51 f4 l:tg2 52
a I, c d e f g h
�c5 f6 53 gxf6+ Wxf6 54 Sl.c6
l:txg3 55 l:txd2 g5 56 fxg5+ l:txg5+ 8 R
57 Wd6 Black was finally ground 7 7
down in a rook and bishop versus
6 6
rook endgame on move 1 1 2! An
incredible punishment for his 5 5

carelessness at move 42.

4) White achieves nothing after 3 3
53 a7 J:!a2 54 l:tb7+ Wd6, but 53 2 2
J:!h6! wins. Black resigned as
53...<;\>d7 (or 53 ... g4 or 53 ... Wf7) 54
J:!h8! (preparing the skewer) 54 ... a h c J e f g h
J:!a2 55 07 J:l:x07 55 J:!h7+ wins the
rook. 26 ... e4!
 Solutions 181

Attacking the bishop and un­ 35...ll:al 36 I2le7+! 1-0

covering an attack on g3---<iid you
Black loses the exchange after
notice that the f2 pawn is pinned?
36 ... \!.ofS (even worse is 3 6... lPg7 3 7
Now if 27 .\txe4 'i!i'xg3+ 28 .\tg2
.\tb2+) 37 .\txh6+1 (the point o f the
l2le51-threatening 29 ... 12lf3+ win­
combination!) 37...\!.oxe7 38 .!ha l ­
ning the queen-29 \!.oh I (after 29
against a World Champion this
'i!i'e4 .\txf2+! Black wins as in the
would be hopeless odds.
note to 28 .\tg2 below) 29 ...'i!i'h4+
30 \!.ogl 'i!i'xg4 3 1 \!.ohl 12lf3 32 Note that if 36 i2lxh6+? Black can
.\txf3 'i!i'h3+ 33 \!.ogl 'i!i'f1 + 34 \!.oh2 escape with 36 ... \!.ofS as White's
.\td6 is mate, so White tried 27 knight is blocking .\th6+.
'i!i'xe4 but resigned after 27 ...'i!i'xg3+ White had to get his pieces on
0-1 Hopeless are 28 .\tg2 .\txf2+1 exactly the right squares to force the
29 .\txf2 I1d l + 30 .\te l I1xe l + or 28 black king into the fatal bishop
\!.oh I 'ili'h3+ 29 \!.og I 'ili'fl + 30 \!.oh2 check. If he had played 35 .\ta2? or
.\td6+ 3 1 'ili'f4 .\txf4 mate. 36 i1Jxh6+? the black king would
have had a square to avoid the
bishop ambush.
6) 34 .\tel!
7) 24 'iil'g3! is very strong.
a \) c d e f g 11

H H a b c d e f g h
7 7 H H
(, (, 7 7

j 5 6 (,
4 4 5 5
:\ :\ 4 4
2 2 :\ .l
2 2

a b c J e f g h

a b c d e f g h
34.. Jl:bl
The discovered attack on Black's
Black had relied on this move to
rook on d6 is difficult to meet, for
save his bishop for if 34 ... l:!.c2 35
example:
.\txe6 fxe6 3 6 I2ld4 forks the rook
and bishop when 36.. .lhc I (best) (a) 24...\!.ob8 25 I2lxf7! wins the
37 ll:xc 1 .\tg4 38 ll:c7 wins easily exchange and a pawn;
for White. (b) 24 ... f6 25 12lf7! ll:d7 26 i1Jd6+
35 .\te4! winning the exchange;

If 35 .\ta2? l:!.a I 36 l2le7+ \!.oh7! (c) 24 ...ll:dd8 25 I2lxc6! followed

saves Black-but not 36 ... \!.ofS 37 by ll:c1 with a big attack for if
.\txh6+ \!.oxe7 38 l:!.xa I . 25 ... 'iiI'xc6? 26 l:tcl wins the queen;
182 Solutions

(d) 24 .. .l:tgd8 2S 'lIi'xg7 and Black Gaining more time to shut in the
cannot avoid the loss of a second knight for if 23 ... iLxb4? 24 .!l:xc8+
pawn for if 25 ... f6 26 'lIi'xb7+ Wxb7 skewers the king and rook.
27 IOn
23 ... i.d7 24 i.xe7
In the game Black tried 24 ...'lIi'e7
Only now, when precautions have
but after 2S IOxf7 .!l:d7 26 1Oxh6! he
been made to prevent the black
was left a pawn down. He resigned
knight escaping along the c file does
after 26 ... .!l:gd8 27 IOg4 .!l:d6 28
White make this exchange.
lOes IOc7 29 .!l:cl Wb7 30 .!l:e2 'lIi'e8
31 .!l:ec2 as c6 is dropping as well. 24 ...Wxe7 2S b3 IOb2
A sad necessity as now the knight
is lost.
Trapping Pieces 26 .!l:c2 .!l:c8 27 .!l:xb2 .!l:cl + 28
I) S i.xf7+! 1-0 for if S ... Wxf7 6 i.f1 iLb5 29 IOd2 1·0
IOg5+ We8 (LWf6 7 'ili'D mate) 7 3) 20... lOa5! 2 1 'lIi'x37 'lIi'c6
lOe6 wins the queen.
Threatening 2 1 ... .!l:a8.
2) It was a bad mistake, as
Black's knight became trapped on
2 2 'ili'36 IOc4!
.4: Cutting off the escape along the
a h c d e f g 11 a6·0 diagonal.

H H 23 .!l:bl lOc7!
7 7 Not 2L.!l:a8? 24 'il'b5. White
resigned as if24 'lIi'a7 .!l:a8. The only
6
way to play on is 24 .!l:xb6 IOxb6 25
5 5 'lIi'd3, but with just two weak pawns
4 4 for a knight there was no hope
3 3 against any strong player, let alone
Kasparov!
2 2
4) Very strong was 20...i.b4!
with a discovered attack on the
a b c u e f g h queen 2 1 'ili'e6+ (no better is 2 1
'lIi'a8+ Wd7 22 'lIi'd5+ We7) 2 1 ...Wb8
2 1 'lIi'xa4+ IOxa4 22 .!l:xc8+! and if now 22 c3 White loses his
queen to 22 ... .!l:d6. White must have
An essential move. Instead 22 missed this in his calculations be­
iLxe7? Wxe7 23 .!l:xc8 .!l:xc8 and fore 1 7 i.xb5. He tried 22 'lIi'xf6
Black's knight on a4 will escape via iLxel 2 3 .!l:xel but four pawns are
c 5 or b2. Harikrishna's move order no match for a rook in the middle'
prevents Black activating her rook game, unless they are far advanced
until it is too late. passed pawns. White resigned after
22 ..iL xc8 23 .!l: cl !
.
23 ... .!l:c8 24 .!l:e2 'lIi'd6 25 'lIi'g5 34 26
 Solutions J 83

a3 l:!c7 27 'i'f4 'i'c6 28 d5 'i'xdS 29 6) With some precise play. Black

Iilc3 'i'c6 30 e4 'iirb7 31 1ilxa4 'i'b5 can trap the white queen:
32 exrs Iilxa3+.
a b ( J c f g h
5) The game continuation re­
vealed the threat and also why 1 4 g H
Iilfl ? is a bad move as it does noth­ 7 7
ing to stop it:
6 (,
a h c d c f g h
S 5
4 4

j 3
2 2

a b c d e f g Jl

22 ... Jl.x13! (not 22 ... lIe8 23 Jl.xg4

Iilxg4---<J r 23".Jl.g7 24 Jl.h5+ Iilxh5
25 'i'h7-24 'iWb7+) 23 �xel (if 23
a \) c d c f g 11 gxG ne8 then 24... Jl.g7 wins the
queen) 23...Jl.c6 24 f3 .te8! 25 1ile4
14 Iiln? Iilb6 1 5 'i'b5 a4 and Jl.g7 26 Iilgs+ �g6! (not 26. . .bxg5
White resigned in Kwiatkowski­ 27 'i'h3 Jl.d7 28 g4 fxg3 29 'ill'xg3
Rendle, Hastings 2000, since he and the queen has escaped) 27
loses a piece as if 16 IZlcs J:ta5 traps 'i'xg7+ �xg7 28 lile6+ �g6 29
his queen. A move Ihal makes the IiJxf4+ �fS 30 Iild3 b6 and Black
perpetrator resign within two moves won the endgame.
is admittedly pretty bad, but this
doesn't quite earn the accolade as 7) I should have carried on repeat­
the worst move of the three. This is ing as 38 ... lile5? was a bad blunder.
bt:cause after 14 i.bl ??-with the If 39 dxe5 l:[xd3 wins for Black, but
idea of clearing a retreat for the 39 Iilxd6 Iilxd3 40 IilxfS! won
queen back to eilher d3 or e2 or fI material: in view of the threatened
after 1 4. ..liJb6 15 'iWb5-14 b5! 1 5
.•. fork on e7 Black cannot save his
'i'xb5 Jl.a6 1 6 'i'.4 Iilb6 and White knight. I tried 40...lilf4!? hoping for
loses Ihe queen for a piece. That 4 1 'ii'G?? nxf5 but there followed
leaves 14 Jl.n ! as Ihe besl try by far. 41 lile7+ �h7 42 'ill'13! 'ill'c2 43
After I4 ... liJb6 15 'jIb5 84 1 6 IiJc5 Iilxd5 lile2+ 44 �n! (not 44 �f2??
lIa5 17 'i'd3 Jl.xc5 1 8 dxc5 Iild7 Iilxd4+) 44 ...'i'xdl+ 45 \!in and
Black will caplure on eilher c5 or e5 Black's knight was trapped. After
bul While is only a pawn down with 45...'i'xd4+ 46 �xe2 'ii'b2+ 47 �n
fighting chances. The move 'ii'a l+ 48 �g2 'ii'x a2+ 49 �h3
J3. . :ii'c7! is quiet but extremely White eventually won the endgame.
strong-an example of a <creeping'
move
/84 Solutions

Removal of the Defender White emerges no less than the

exchange and two pawns down after
I) No, as 2....ltxb2+! 3 �xb2 18 �xf2 'iil'xc3 19 bxe3 IiJxd3+ 20
.Ihdl won the exchange and a �e2 IiJxel 21 �xel lDxe4. Such is
pawn. This deflection is a common the effect of destroying the
trick in the Sicilian Dragon. defender'

2) Four players rated over 2200 4) 43 ItlxeS! deflecting the bishop

and countless amateurs have fallen from the defence of the rook on dS.
for this trap. After 9 h3?? Itld4! Gurevich tried the desperate
43 ... �dl+ but resigned after 44
a h c d � f g h IDxdl .ixeS. Also hopeless was
43 ...'iiI'e8 44 'i!l'b3+ �h8 45 1tl[7+
�g7 46 IDxd8 when, to add to
Black's woes, the bishop on b7 is
hanging with check.
S) The bishop on g5 is guarding
the e7 square and so preventing any
fork with 3 1 'iil'xcS+ 'iil'xc8 32
lDe7+. However, Thipsay played 3 1
l:!e7!!
a }) c d c f R h
a }) c d e f g II
8 H
wins White's queen for if 1 0 7 7
IiJxd4 'iil'h2 is mate as the white
(, (,
knight has been deflected from the
defence of h2. White has no time to 5 5
move his queen as 10 'iil'd l IiJxf3+ 4 4
will also lead to mate on h2. 3 3
3) 17 ....ltxf2+! 0-1 2 2

a b c d e f g 11
a h c d e f g h
8 H
7 7
when if 31.. ..ltxe7 32 'iil'xc8+
6 6 .!:txe8 33 IDxe7+ �Il! 34 IDxeS and
; ; White has won a piece. As White
4 4 threatens the queen and also 32
'iil'xf7+, Black had nothing better
3 j
than 32 .. :ilfxd5 32 'iil'xd5 .ltxe7 but
2 2
White soon won after 33 a3! (not 33
'i'd7?? ll:d8 34 'i'xe7 ll:dl mate, but
a 11 c d e f g h if now 33 ...bxa3 34 'iil' d7 wins a
 Solutions 185

piece) 33...ll:d8 34 'iii'e4 b3 (a note­ White is mated if he takes the

worthy try-if 35 'iii'xe7 ll:dl mates, other rook: 25 'iii'xb8? 'iii'xc2+ 26
so Black succeeds in giving up the li<al 'iii'xa2, but he can deflect the
pawn in a less unpleasant way than white queen with 25 ll:d7+! Now if
34... .lil.f6 35 axb4) 35 cxb3 .lil.f6 36 25 ...'iii' xd7 26 'iii' xb8 and Black is
lost as there is no attack left after
'iii'e3 stopping 36...ll:d2, after which
26... bxc2+ 27 1i<c1 or 2 7 Ii<xc2.
White soon won by creating queen­
Alternatively if 25...li<xd7 26 lile5+
side passed pawns.
and Black loses because whatever
6) The game finished 34 Ii<xc4 d3 square his king goes to Black replies
35 Ii<xd5 d2 with a check: 26...li<e7 27 lilxc6+ or
26...li<c7 27 'iii' xb8+! Ii<xb8 28
a b c d c f g h Iilxc6+. After the inferior 24 axb3?
in the game White still had a big
H
advantage but Alekhine managed to
7
hold on for a draw.
6
8) The pawn is poisoned as after
5

4 a b c d t: f g h

.:I
2 7 7

6 6

a b c d e f g h 5 5
4 4
36 g4+!! and Black resigned. 3 .:I
After 36...li<xg4 or 36...li<f4 White
2 2
wins time to stop the d pawn queen­
ing with 37 ll:c4+ Ii<IJ 38 ll:d4.
7) Alekhine was right. After 24 a b c d e f g h
'iii'xh8+ li<e7
10... f5! ! I I exf6 .lil.f5 the queen is
a b c d e f g h driven away from the defence of c2.
o 8
1 2 'iii'IJ Iilxc2+ 13 1i<f2 O-O-O!
7 7
Not giving White the chance to
6 6 complicate after 1 3 ...lilxal 1 4 fxg7
5 5 il..xg7 1 5 'iWh5+ Ii<d8 1 6 b4! 'li'xb4
4 4 1 7 'iii'x f5 .

3 j 1 4 g4
2 2 Horrible is 14 ll:b I exf6 etc.
14...lilxal 15 gxfS 'li'xf5 16 ll:dl
a b c d e f g h exf6 and Black won.
186 Solutions

The young John Emms lost this White's threat is 20 Jth6 Jtf6 2 1
game, but he was right to take the .!tad 'ill'xa2 22 .!txc8 and he has
pawn if he couldo't see a reason won a rook by a skewer-note how
why not. This fearlessness is one well the white queen is placed on g4
reason why he is a Grandmaster in this combination. However, she
nowadays. becomes a target on this square
when Sveshnikov gets in first with
9) No, because of30, Ii:lI3 ! !
his own combination.
..

a b c d c f g h 19 f5 ! !
...

R H The idea is to clear the way for a

7 7 decisive atlack on the f2 square by
6
hitting the white queen which
(,
cannot allow herself to be deflected
5 5
from the defence of the rook on d I .
4 4
20 exf5 h5! 2 1 'i!ff3
3 :l
If 2 1 'ill'xhS !hfS is similar to the
2 2
game.
2 1 . ..e4! 22 'i!fxh5 .!txf5 0-1
a b c d e f g h
A double attack against the queen
when the biggest threat of all was and the f2 square. White resigned
3 l ...iDd2 mate. After 3 1 'lIi'xf3 the as it's a back rank mate after 23
white queen had been deflected
'i!fg4 'i!fxf2+ etc.
away from its defence of the bishop
on e1, which allowed 3 l..Jbel+ 32
Wxel 'lIi'xgl+ double attack! 33
We2 'lIi'xc5 when the black queen Zwischenzug and Desperado
had gorged on two rooks. White
resigned after 34 'lIi'd3 Ii:lc4 35 a4
I) No, as Black has a desperado
Ii:lb6 36 'ill'h7 Ii:ld5. of his own with 28 ...'lIi'xd l + ! when
10) after 29 .!txdl .!txaS he emerges
with an extra rook.

H 8
2) If 22 ...'lIi'e7 23 .!txd5! 'i!fxa3 24
!bd8+ (a killer zwischenzug)
7 7
24 ... .!txd8 25 Ii:lxa3 and White is a
6 (, piece up.
5 5 3) An inexperienced player would
4 4 get excited here at the prospect of
3 3
beating a FIDE World Champion
and rush into 41...dl='lIi'? when the
win suddenly becomes difficult after
2 2

42 Jtxe4! threatening mate on h7

a b c d e f g h 42 ...'i!fxn + 43 wxn IiIg8--there is
 Solutions 187

no othe r good move--44 'iil'xh7+ 'il'xb6 axb6 1 6 Ii.lc7+ winning a

�t8 Black has an extra rook, but rook) 15 Ii.lxg7+ �zwischenzug'-
White has five pawns and the black 15 ...�t8 16 axb3 Now 16...<;t;xg7
king is a target for a lot of checks. 1 7 .axe5+ is resignable, but White's
combination doesn't win a piece
because B lack can battle on with
" H 16...1i.lf7! as White's knight is
7 7
trapped on g7. After the desperado
17 Ii.lxf5! gxfS or 17 Ii.lh5! gxh5 1 8
h b
.il.xh5 White is a sound pawn up
i 5 with good winning chances.
4 5) Bates had missed that Black
j had a zwischenzug of his own: after
2 2 21 .axg7 ll:fd8!!

a b c d e f g h
a h ( d e r g 11
H 8

However, Lautier showed just 7 7

enough patience: 4L.,ll:t8! and (, 6

White resigned. 5 5
The zwischenzug wipes out all 1 4
resistance after 42 "liI'xe4 dl='iI' 43 3
3
ll:xd] 'il'xdl+ 44 �g2 'il'd2 etc. or
2
42 'il'hS ll:xn 43 lhn dl='iI'+ or 2

finally 42 'il'd5 'il'xd5 43 .axdS ll:d8

44 .axe4 dl="liI'.
a h c d e f g h
4) White could have played 14
defended the knight and threaten­
li.le6!
ed to win White's queen with
a b c J c
g h 2 1 . .. li.lf4+. There is no good reply
H � as the white queen and bishop can't
7 7 safely defend each other. For
example if 22 .ad4 e5! (simpler
(, (,
than 22 ...li.ldxb4 23 'i'e4 IZlxd4 24
i 5
'il'xb7 lhb7 25 IZlxd4 l%xd4 26 a3)
"
-1 23 .il.c5 (even worse is 23 .il.xe5
3 3 IZlxe5 24 1Zlxe5? IZlf4+ 25 �gl IZlh3
2 2 mate) 23 ... lZlf4+ 24 g1f4 l:t.xd3 25
exd3 exf4 and Black is easily
winning. In the game White tried 2 2
a b c J c
g h
b5 but reached a lost endgame after
1 4...'iI'xb3 (if 1 4 . . . .axe6 1 5 22... li.lf4+ 23 gxf4 Ihd3 24 bxc6
l':1fr
xe6+ wins a \..: iecc or 1 4 ... �f6 J 5 'lIi'xbl 25 ll:xbl ll:1bl 26 exd3
 J 88 Solutions

�xg7 The remainmg moves were 40 \!;>g5) 39 .txe4 J:tc4 40 g6 J:!xe4+

27 lDe5 J:tb8 28 d4 e6 29 IDc4 J:!c8 41 \!;>g5 1-0 The pawns roll through.
30 lDa5 \!;>f6 31 \!;>f3 \!;>e7 0-1 4) Morozevich played 42...J:!gI+!
43 \!;>h2 (43 \!;>f2? h2) 43...J:!fl 44
J:!g5+ \!;>f7 45 J:!xg4
Passed Pawns
a I) c cJ e f g h
I) 52 ...J:!cI+ 53 \!;>h2 .lie5! 0-1 H H
Deflecting the white bishop from 7 7
the defence of e l sa that rather than
6 (,
winning a piece with 53 ... e l �'iIi'
5 5
Black wins a rook after 54 J:!e3
e l �'iIi' (the simplest, not even letting 4 4
White get his king out after � o
54 ....txg3+ 55 \!;>xg3 e l �'iIi') 55
2 2
J:!xe 1 J:!xe 1 etc.
2) 31 J:!cl! J:!xb4
a b c d e f g h
a b c d c f g h
It seems that White will draw as
H H
10 the variation above after
7 7 45 ....txf4+ 46 \!;>xh3, but the young
(, (, Russian had prepared 45...J:!f3!!
5 5
This completely paralyses White.
The game ended 46 a4 .txf4+ 47
4 ·1
\!;>gl h2+ 48 \!;>g2 J:!fl! A simple
� � deflection wins the day as if 49 J:!h4
2 2 J:!gl+. O-1
5) The game ended abruptly after
a b c cJ e f g h
28 ...'iIi'cl? 29 'ili'b8+! .lirs 30 'ili'f4
'ili'xf4 31 gxf4 and Black resigned
as the c pawn is unstoppable.
32 c6! J:!d4
Instead 28 ... .trs!! leads to highly
If 32 ...J:!xb7 33 cxb7 and queens
interesting variations.
or 32 ...J:!xc6 33 .txb4.
The first point is that 29 'ili'b8 is
33 c7 1-0
no longer checte, so Black can draw
For if 33 ...J:!xd6 34 J:!bS. with 29 ...'iIi'f3+ 30 \!;>gl (The draw­
3) White kept his passed pawns ing mechanism exploits the fact that
intact with 37 g5!! giving up the the white queen is no longer on b3,
rook. After 37 ...exf4+ 38 \!;>xf4 guarding the d 1 square: so if 30
there was little Black could do .tg2?? then 30 ...'iiI'd l + forces mate.)
against the kings ide juggernaut: 30...'iIi'e3+ 31 \!;>g2 'ili'f3+ etc.
38 ... lDe4 (or 3S ... J:!h7 39 g6 J:!xh4+ giving perpetual check.
 Solutions 189

a b c Li e f g h 'iii' g4?? 'iWh5+ 33 'iii'f4 il.h6 mate)

31".'i!i'e3+ 32 'iii'hi 'il'cl and it's
back to square one.

Opening Lines
I)
a b c d e f g h

8 8
7 7
a \) c d e f g h
6 6
The second try for White is 29 c7 5 5
Now tempting is 29 .. :iWf2? On the
4 4
face of it this looks strong as White
has no way to defend the bishop and j 3
if it moves then Black gives perpet­ 2 2
ual check, for example 30 il.a6
'iWf3+ 31 'iii'gi 'iWe3+ 32 'iii'n 'iWf3+
a b c d e f g h
33 'iii' el 'iWe3+ etc. and there is no
escape for the white king. However,
White has the incredible 30 J:!.g7+!! Firstly, option (b) 40.,,'i!i'xdl+? 4 1
The basic idea is to take Black's 'i!i'xd1 J:!.gl fails completely t o 42
knight with check. If 30 ... il.xg7 3 1 'i!i'xd6+ and according to where the
c8='iW+ so Black has the miserable black king goes White checks on
choice between 30 ... 'iii'xg7 3 1 either c5 or f8 to win the passed f
'iWxc3+ d4 32 'iWcl! 'iWf3+ 3 3 il.g2 pawn.
or 30".'iii'h S 3 1 J:!.fl! (another nice In the game Black chose (c)
offer) 31",'iWxfl 32 'iWxc3+ d4 33 40".n ='iW? thinking that after 4 1
'iWcl (or 33 'lIi'xd4+) and in either lhn 'iWb6+ 42 '.i<c4-the only way
case he can resign as White will to avoid mate�2 ... J:!.xb2 he would
have a new queen and there is no have at least a draw due to White's
perpetual check. uncomfortable king. However, 41
'il'x n ! ruined things: 41,,:iWb6+ 42
You will have noticed that Black 'i!i'b5 blocking the attack. Black was
lost because White was able to take left two pawns down with no
the knight on c3 with check. There­ counterplay and soon resigned.
fore instead of 29 ...'lIi'f2? Black
That leaves option (c), moving the
should keep the knight defended
king. The quiet 40".�a8!? threatens
with 29,,:iWcl! which all the same 4 l ...'i!i'xdl + 42 'il'xdl J:!.gl when
threatens mate on fl . Then White White cannot force a draw with 43
cannot evade the draw e.g. 30 'iii'g2 'il'xd6 as 43 ... fl='iI' 44 'il'd8+ 'it>a7
'lIi'd2+ 31 'iii'gi (he could try 45 'il'a5+ (or 45 'il'd4+ 'it>a6 46
hara-kiri with 3 1 'iii' h3 'il'h6+ 32 'iWd6+ b6) 45 ... 'iI'a6 46 'il'c5+ 'il'b6+
1 90 Solutions

and wins. A plausible end to the 4) I looked at all sorts of moves,

game is 41 'ilff8+ Wa7 42 'ilfn cJ;>a8 but concentrated mainly on three
(if 42 .. 'ilfxd l+ 43 'lil'xd l l:tgl 44
. possibilities.
'ilfd4+) 43 'ilff8+ with a draw by rep­
a b c J e f g h
etition.
R H
2) No--White gets in first with 21
l:txe6!�threatening 22 'ilfh8 mate--- 7 7

21 ...fxe6 22 .li.g6 with the double 6

threat to the queen and mate on f7. 5
Black could find nothing better than
4 4
22... ll:d7 23 'lil'xd7 'lil'xg6 24 'ilfxb7
ll:d8 25 'ilfx a7 leaving White two 3 .l
pawns up. 2 2

3) It may appear that White is in 1

some trouble due to the pin on the a b c cl e f g lJ
bishop: for example 1 6 .te3 .txe3
17 .li.xa6?! .li.cl+ 18 Wdl .txb2 19 Firstly 26 'ilfg4 ll:g8 27 'ilfh4+
cJ;>c2 .li.xal 20 IiJd2 .txe3 21 W xd which looks good after 27 . Wc7 28 . .

and Black has the better chances 'iie 7 'iid8 29 .li.d6+ Wb7 30 'iixf7!
with a rook and three pawns for two grabbing another pawn before
pieces. Nevertheless, if you notice taking on d7 unless B lack is oblig-
that after 17 fxc3! l:txe3 J8 ll:h2 ing with 30... Wc8 3 1 .li.a6 mate.
l:!ae8 White can save the bishop However, 27 ...f6! is an annoying
with 19 c4! .li.xc4 20 IiJc3, with a reply though if he wants it after 28
piece for three pawns and the better exf6 IiJxf6 White can force a pretty
game, you are close to finding the draw with 29 'ilff4--threatening to
solution... invade on d6--29 .'ilfc7 30 .li.e7+!
..

We8 (30 ...'ilfxe7 allows mate in one)

Leko had missed J6 e4! This not
31 .li.a6+ Wd7 32 .li.b5+ etc.
only clears the c3 square for the
knight but also buys a vital tempo Conclusion: 26 �g4 doesn't
for putting it there by blocking the quite hit the mark.
attack of the black bishop on e2.
Secondly 26 c4 dxc4 27 'ilfd4 (if
After 16 ....txc4 17 liJe3 Black's
27 'ilfd6 ll:e8, and I don't see a good
pressure along the e file fizzled out
line for White, though 28 .li.xd7
as if 17 ... .li.d4 18 .li.e3! .li.xe3 19
'ilfxd7 29 'ilfb8+ 'iic8 3 0 'ilfd6+ 'ilfd7
he3 lhe3? 20 Wd2! wins material.
3 1 'ilfb8+ forces a draw by repeti­
The game ended:
tion) 27....l:e8 28 .li.d6 (the attempt
J 7..Jbb8 1 8 Wfl .te6 19 b3 f6 to play it slowly with 28 .4 allows
20 gxf6 .li.d4 21 .li.b2 .li.xf6 22 liJa4 Black to fight back with 28 'ilfb71 ...

.li.h4 23 tLlc5 .l:f8 24 l:thZ .txh3+ 29 a5 'ilfdS 30 'iixd5 exd5 3 1 a6

25 <oii>g l :tbe8 26 IiJxd7 .txf2+ 27 <oii>c8 32 .li.d6 c3! and White is in
l:!xf2 .li.xd7 28 .li.e4+ .li.e6 29 deep trouble) 28 ... o3! 29 .li.xd7 c2!
l:txf8+ <oii>xf8 30 .l:fl+ We7 31 .li.xe6 (it's mate after either 29. . 'ilfxd7 30
.

1-0 'ilfxb6+ Wc8 3 1 'ilfb8 or 29 . . . Wxd7

 Solutions 191

30 il.c5+ �c6 3 1 'i!l'd6+ �b5 3 2 However, the black king is then

'i!l'xb6+ �a4 33 'i!I'b4) 3 0 .i.xc8 (if walking back into the knight pin.
30 il.e7+!? �c7 ! ! 3 1 'i!l'd6+ �b7 32 Now 27 'i'g3 gives Black an un­
il.xc8+ Ihc8 and the pawn queens) pleasant choice:
30 ... cl='i'+ 31 �h2 �xc8 32 'i!l'xb6
If 27 ...'i!I'xc2? 28 'i'xg7 'i!l'hl+ 29
Despite the simplification this
�h2 'i!l'h7 30 'i!l'f6 and mate follows
position is actually very dangerous
on e7.
for Black: his queen is tied down to
preventing a mate on c7 and his Or 27 ...ll:g8 28 'i!l'd3! aiming to
rook is tied down to preventing a infiltrate on the h7 square, for ex­
mate on e7. e.g. 32. .,ll:d8? 33 'i!l'b8+ ample 28...�d8 29 'i!l'h7 ll:e8 30
�d7 34 'i!l'b7+ and mate follows. A 'i!l'xg7 'i!l'xc2 31 'i!l'xf7 If 28...g6 29
possible continuation is 32 ...f5 33 c4 dxc4?! 30 'i!l'd6 'i!l'd8 3 1 hxg6!
a4! With the black pieces paralysed ll:xg6 (3 1 . . .fxe6 32 'i!l'xe6+) 32 'i!I'/8
White decides to try to queen the a is mate, so Black is reduced to
pawn. 33...'i!I'f4+ 34 g3 'i!l'c4 35 as 28 ...ll:h8 when 29 c4 dxc4 30 'i!l'd6
f4 36 g4 fJ 37 .6 'i!l'f4+ 38 �h3 'i!l'd8 31 .i.xc4 keeps up relentless
'i!l'cl 39 'i!l'h7+ �d8 40 'i!l'xfJ and pressure.
White wins by shepherding home
Conclusion: 26 'i!l'D allows White
the passed pawn.
to keep Black bottled up without
Conclusion: 26 c4 looks promis­ any counterplay. The variations are
ing, but the variations are complex fairly straightforward, so it should
and Black isn't without CQunter­ be preferred to 26 c4.
chances if White miscalculates
something.
Puzzles 5-9
Finally in my analysis I settled on
26 'i!l'fJ!?
At move 1 6
a b c d c f g h
a b c d e f g h
A 8
H B
7 7
7 7
" 6
6 6
5 5
5 5
4 4
4 4
3 3
J 3
2 2
2 2

a h ( d c f g !1
a b c d e f g h

Both 26 ...'i!I'xc2 27 'i!l'xf7 and

26...lbxe5 27 'i!l'g3 'i!l'c7 28 'i!l'xg7 5) If 1 6....i.f5 17 Ibg5 and Black
allow White to break through, so can't defend h7.
26 .. �e8 looks best to guard f7.
.
 1 92 Solutions

6) Or 16...lZld7 1 7 IZlxd6 wins a either 22 ... �fS or 22 ... �h8 then 23

pawn (but not 1 7 IZlg5 IZlf6 defend' 'ifxg7+ 'i;xg7 24 J:!:xe7 'i;f6 25 J:!:c7
ing h7). just leaves White a rook up. So
7) Finally if 16...'IIi'e7 (to meet 1 7 Black must try 22 ...J:!:xf7. Now 23
IZlg5 with 1 7 ...f6) 1 8 'lli'f4! threat· J:l:e8+ J:!:fS 24 J:!:xfS+ works for
ens both the d6 pawn and 19 IZlf6+. White after 24 ...'IIi'xfS?? 25 'lli'x h7
mate, but 24 ... 'i;xfS spoils things. In
At move 20 fact White has to be more subtle and
a b c d e f g h utilise Black's dark square weak­
nesses on both the first and second
8 H
rank. This can be done by 23 IZlxf7
7 7 'lli'xf7 24 'lli'h4! This threatens 25
6 6 J:!:e7 'lli'fS 26 'lli'xh7 mate.
s S
a I) c J e f g h
4 4
8 8
3 3
7 7
2 2
6 6
S 5
a b c d c f g h
4 4
8) If 2o lZld7 21 J:!:hel! 'lli'x el 22
.••
3 3
�f7+! gives Black the sad choice
2 2
between 22 ...'it>h8 23 'lli'xh7 mate
and 22 J:!:xf7 23 J:!:xel losing his
•••

queen. a b c d e f g h

9) At move 22 (after the

hypothetical 2 1 . ..'IIi'g7 22 �f7+) Now 24 ...lZld7 25 J:!:e7 'lli'f6 26
'lli'xh7+ �fS 27 J:!:e6! (here 27 J:!:del
a h c d e f g h looks strong but Black has
8 8 27 ...lZle5!) 27 ...'IIi'f7 (or 27 ...'ifg5
.

28 J:!:xg6 when if Black saves his

7 7
queen 29 J:!:g8 will be mate) 28
6 6 'lli'h8+ 'lli'g8 29 J:!:e8+! winning
5 S Black's queen. Instead 24 ...J:!:a7
reinforces the second rank, but then
4 4
White has the straightforward 25
3 3 'ifd8+ 'i;g7 (if 25 ...'IIi'fS 26 J:l:e8) 26
2 2 'ifxc8 when he is the exchange and
a pawn up, to say nothing of his
lingering attack.
a b c d e f g 11
Note the quiet move 24 'lli'h4
Yes, White is still winning after Remember in the middle of an
22 �f7+, though it requires a lot attack to look out for such
more skill. The easy part is that if unpretentious but deadly moves!