Chess and Checkers: The Way to Mastership by Edward Lasker (reading fiction .txt) 📖

easily throw his men over to the King’s wing, White can risk to loosen his Pawns on this wing without fearing that Black will be able to obtain a foothold on the weak points which are necessarily created by the advance of the Pawns in White’s camp.

White will start the attack with (1) P-g4 and (2) Kt-g3. Then he threatens to occupy the dominating square f5 with his Knight, and Black has hardly any other move than P-g6; for if he permits Kt-f5 with the view to exchanging the Knight with his Bishop, he opens the g-file for White’s Rooks. P-g6 on the other hand enables White to open the h-file by advancing the h-Pawn after the necessary preparations such as K-g2, R-h1, P-g5, etc.

In the vast majority of games files for the Rooks are not opened on the side but in the center of the board, as was explained in the discussion of the openings. The many advantages arising from the control of a center-file by the Rooks will be more fully analyzed in the illustrative games. Generally speaking it is easier to get the two Rooks into cooperation in the center than on the side of the board. This cooperation—usually effected by doubling in one file—is naturally very important and it is the main reason why it is desirable to castle as early as possible. Between the Rooks of a player who is prevented from castling there are, so to speak, no natural lines of communication and it takes so long to create artificial ones that in most cases the opponent can, in the meantime, force a victory through the combined efforts of his Rooks. Diagram 53 gives an example.

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8 | | #Q | | | #K | #B | | #R |

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7 | | #P | | #B | | #P | #P | #P |

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6 | #P | | #R | | #P | | | |

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5 | | | | | | | | |

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4 | | | | | ^P | | | |

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3 | | ^Q | | | ^B | ^Kt| | |

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2 | ^P | ^P | | | | ^P | ^P | ^P |

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1 | ^R | | | | | ^R | ^K | |

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 53.

It is White’s move, and he will naturally think of a Rook’s move as all the other pieces are already developed. The best move is probably (1) Rf1-d1. Ra1-d1 comes also into consideration but this Rook might be needed later on the c-file while the King’s Rook certainly will have no chance to be developed in any but the d-file as long as the White e-and f-Pawns are still on the board. Black, in the game from which the above position is taken, replied B-c5, and White continued with (2) Q-c3, attacking the Bishop c5 and the Pawn g7 at the same time.

Black has only the choice between returning with the Bishop to f8 or capturing on e3. Naturally, he chooses the latter move as he cannot improve his position by a retrogressive play which still further retards his development. After Bxe3,(3) Qxg7, Bxf2+;(4) Kxf2, R-c2+; (5) K-g1, R-f8; there is not much hope for Black to bring his King’s Rook in contact with the other pieces, while White may be able to double his Rooks in the Queen’s file, which would decide the victory as Black has no possibility to counter the threat R-d8+ in the long run. White played (6) Kt-e5 with the intention to sacrifice the Knight on f7 in case Black should move his Bishop. Rxf7 would then be followed by Q-g8+ and Qxb8 or Qxe6 mate. Therefore, Black had to withdraw his Rook with (6) …, R-c7 and White simply played (7) R-d2 threatening to double. Black prevented this by B-a4, at the same time threatening P-f6, but after(8) Kt-g4, R-c2; (9) R-d4, Q-c8; (10) Kt-f6+, K-e7; (11) Q-g5 he resigned as now the square c1 is sufficiently protected while the threat Kt-g8++ cannot be parried.

The foregoing examples show that generally several moves are necessary in the middle game for Knights and Rooks to reach positions favorable for an active part in the attack. With the Bishops it is different. They can usually be developed on their first move to the square on which they are needed in the middle game for either attack or defense.

In King’s Pawn openings as well as in Queen’s Pawn openings White’s Queen’s Bishop is, in the majority of cases, used for pinning Black’s King’s Knight on g5 and Black’s King’s Bishop is placed on e7 to relieve the pin. The pinning of the King’s Knight, however, is not advisable in positions in which the opponent has the option of castling to the Queen’s side. After (1) P-e4, P-e5; (2) Kt-f3, Kt-c6; (3) B-c4, Kt-f6; (4) Kt-c3, B-c5; (5) P-d3, P-d6; for instance White should wait with B-g5 until Black has castled on the King’s side. If he plays (6) B-g5, Black will answer B-e6; (7) o-o, Q-d7; and now White would only hurt his own game by exchanging on f6 as the open g-file is bound to aid Black, who will castle on the Queen’s side, in an attack on the King’s side.

In Queen’s Pawn openings the move B-g5 is always good as Black cannot very well castle on the Queen’s side on account of the open c-file in which White would soon obtain an overwhelming attack. Another good square for the Queen’s Bishop is in Queen’s Pawn openings b2 from where the Bishop supports the advance of the King’s Knight to e5. In this case the Queen’s Knight should be developed to d2 instead of c3 so as not to obstruct the line of the Bishop. The same holds good for the development of Black’s Queen’s Bishop.

In King’s Pawn openings it is dangerous for the Queen’s Bishop to leave the long diagonal in which he is originally posted as the opponent might threaten to gain a foothold in the f-line with a Knight, provoking a weakening move with the g-Pawn. The position of Diagram 54, which occurred in a game between Teichmann and Rubinstein in the Karlsbad Tournament, 1911, furnishes an instructive example. White played (1) P-a4, trying to make use of the advanced position of Black’s b-Pawn for opening the a-file for his Rook, and Black replied B-b7. This crosses White’s plan, as after (2) Pxb5, Pxb5; it would not be White but Black who would gain control of the a-line.

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8 | #R | | #B | #Q | | #R | #K | |

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7 | | | | | #B | #P | #P | #P |

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6 | #P | | #Kt| #P | | #Kt| | |

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5 | | #P | #P | | #P | | | |

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4 | | | | | ^P | | | |

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3 | | | ^P | ^P | | ^Kt| | |

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2 | ^P | ^P | ^B | ^Kt| | ^P | ^P | ^P |

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1 | ^R | | ^B | ^Q | ^R | | ^K | |

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 54.

However, Black should not have withdrawn the Bishop from the King’s wing, for White can now play his Queen’s Knight via f1 and g3 or e3 to f5 unless Black weakens his Pawn position by P-g6. The proper way to answer White’s first move would have been either B-e6 or P-b4. The latter is a Pawn move, but in the present case it cannot be considered a loss of time as White, too, has made a Pawn move which does not further his development.

The game went on as follows: (2) Kt-f1, Q-c7; (3) Kt-g3, P-g6; White’s aim is accomplished. He has provoked a weakness which furnishes a mark for his attack. The way to conduct the attack— after completing the development by B-g5, will be to open the f-file for the Rook by advancing the f-Pawn. This advance can be prepared by P-h3 and Kt-h2. Of course, White would prefer to do without the move of the h-Pawn; but h2 is the only favorable square for the Knight f3, as neither from d2 nor from h4 he has an opportunity to help the attack while from h2 he may go to g4, bearing on both of the weak squares f6 and h6.

Black has little chance for counterattack. The only thing he can do is occupy the Queen’s file with his Rooks and opening it by P-d5 and Pxe4. His Queen’s Bishop, however, is badly placed in any case as he has no open diagonal to work in, and he will have to get back into play via his original square c8.

White’s King’s Bishop is not well placed either and is practically condemned to play the role of a Pawn by protecting the square d3 without, at the same time, attacking anything. There is, of course, a chance for him to be useful in the diagonal a2-g8. It may be said that in King’s Pawn openings White’s King’s Bishop comparatively seldom has an opportunity to take an active part in the battle. He is mostly exchanged at an early stage of the game for Black’s Queen’s Knight or Queen’s Bishop. In Queen’s Pawn openings, however, he finds a great field of action in the unobstructed diagonal b1-h7. In this diagonal he can also be used in all openings starting with P-e4 in which Black does not advance his King’s pawn to e5, as White can open the diagonal at any time by playing P-e5.

Generally speaking, Bishops should not be placed in diagonals which are obstructed by Pawns of their own army, and Pawns moves should be avoided which close a diagonal formerly open to a kindred Bishop. A striking illustration of the importance of this rule will be found in the play which developed in the position of Diagram 55 in a game between Teichmann and Dus Chotimirski in the Prague Tournament 1908. Black, on the move, played (1)…, Kt-e5, disturbing the symmetry of the position to his advantage by opening the diagonal of his Queen’s Bishop without allowing White to make a similar maneuver. After (2) Ktxe5, Bxe5; (3) Q-e2, o-o; (4) Ra1-d1, Q-e7; White yielded the temptation to drive away the disagreeable Bishop e5 by (5) P-f4, a move which had to be followed up with the advance of the e-Pawn who otherwise would have remained very weak, not being protected by another Pawn.

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8 | #R | | | #Q | #K | | | #R |

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7 | | #B | | | | #P | #P | #P |

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6 | #P | | #Kt| #B | #P | #Kt| | |

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5 | | #P | | | | | | |

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4 | | ^P | | | | | | |

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3 | ^P | | ^Kt| ^B | ^P | ^Kt| | |

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2 | | ^B | | | | ^P | ^P | ^P |

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1 | ^R | | | ^Q | | ^R | ^K | |

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 55.

The game went on as follows: (5) …, B-c7; (6) P-e4, B-b6+; (7) K-h1, Rf8-d8; (8) B-b1, Ra8-c8; (9) Rxd8+, Qxd8; (10) R-d1, Q-e7; (11) P-e5. This opens again the diagonal of the King’s Bishop, but it closes that of the Queen’s Bishop, and it is the advantage of the work done by his Queen’s Bishop in the unobstructed diagonal which secures Black the victory, (11) …, Kt-d5; (12) Ktxd5, Bxd5; (13)