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

>(5) B-g5 B-b4

Ordinarily the Bishop is developed to e7 as on b4 he is out of place as soon as White has castled.

 

(6) P-e3 P-c5

With this move Black threatens Q-a5, attacking the Knight c3 for the second time and unpinning the Knight f6 who is then free to cooperate with the Bishop b4 and the Queen by advancing to e4. In trying to counter Black’s threat White will seek to do as much as he can for the development of his pieces so as to combine the attack with defense. The King’s Bishop is not yet developed, and his most natural developing move happens to cover the square at which Black is aiming with his Knight.

 

(7) B-d3 Q-a5

(8) Q-b3

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

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7 | #P | #P | | #Kt| | #P | #P | #P |

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

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5 | #Q | | #P | #P | | | ^B | |

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4 | | #B | ^P | ^P | | | | |

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

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

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

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 70.

White has to be very careful on account of the various exchanges possible in the center. Black threatens for instance to exchange first on d4 and then to play Kt-e4 so that the Bishop g5 is attacked by the Queen in case White takes the Knight with his Bishop, allowing the Pawn d5 to clear the fifth rank. Or he might play Kt-e4 first and then exchange on d4. Considering that all these threats are based on the fact that the Knight c3 is pinned as long as White has not yet castled it lies near for White to try (8) o-o. It is true that Black can then win a Pawn by taking twice on c3; however, in doing so he would retard his development and White is bound to obtain a strong attack by getting all of his pieces quickly into action, while Black’s Queen is separated from the rest of her troops.

White’s eighth move, Q-b3, has several drawbacks. First of all Black could play P-b5! winning a piece for three Pawns as White cannot do better than play (9) Pxb5 or Pxd5 allowing P-C4. Secondly, Black can make the combination indicated above which tends to open the fifth rank so that the Queen attacks g5. The same combination would be possible if White played (8) Q-C2.

 

(8) … Kt-e4

(9) o-o

Offering the Pawn sacrifice Ktxc3; (10) Pxc3, Bxc3 with the view to attacking by (11) R-c1, etc., as previously indicated. Black prefers to direct his attack against g5.

 

(9) … Ktxg5

(10) Ktxg5 Pxd4

(11) Kt-b5

(11) Pxd4 would lose a piece on account of Pxc4, attacking the Bishop on d3 and the Knight on g5. Black could now win a Pawn by taking on d3, but this would be very dangerous as it would open the f-file for White’s Rook.

 

(11) … Kt-c5

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

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

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

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5 | #Q | ^Kt| #Kt| #P | | | ^Kt| |

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4 | | #B | ^P | #P | | | | |

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3 | | ^Q | | ^B | ^P | | | |

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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 71.

The position is getting very complicated indeed. The first possibility which White will consider is (12) Kt-d6+; but after K-e7 there seems to be no satisfactory continuation. For instance: (13) Q-C2, Ktxd3; (14) Ktd6xf7, R-f8 winning two Knights for the Rook. Or: (14) Ktxc8+ ?, Ra8xc8; (15) Qxd3, Pxc4 winning a piece. Therefore, White has no alternative but to retire the Queen.

 

(12) Q-c2 Ktxd3

(13) Qxd3 P-a6

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

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

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

|–––––––––––––|

5 | #Q | ^Kt| | #P | | | ^Kt| |

|–––––––––––––|

4 | | #B | ^P | #P | | | | |

|–––––––––––––|

3 | | | | ^Q | ^P | | | |

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 72.

It is not easy for Black to retain tide Pawn which he has won. If he plays (13) …, B-e7; (14) Kt-f3, Pxe3; White can continue (15) Pxd5 with good attacking chances on account of the open files in the center of the board, of which Black cannot yet make any use as he has not yet castled.

By P-a6 Black opens again the fifth rank in order to operate against the Knight g5.

 

(14) Ktxd4 Pxc4

(15) Qxc4 B-d7

(16) Kt-b3

A very bad move, as it violates the general principles of strategy. In withdrawing the Knight from the dominating center square White decreases his mobility instead of increasing it. The logical continuation would have been Rf1-d1 or Ra1-c1, developing one of the Rooks.

 

(16) … Qxg5

(17) Qxb4 B-c6

Black would not have been able to occupy this favorable square with his Bishop, had not White withdrawn his Knight from d4.

 

(18) P-e4 P-a5

This forces the Queen out of the diagonal a3-f8 as the Pawn e4 has to be kept protected.

 

(19) Q-d2 Qxd2

Black demonstrates in a very simple manner that the exchange of Queens is disadvantageous for White, a fact that White should have foreseen as the unprotected Knight on d2 enables Black to gain control of the d-file by castling on the Queen’s side.

 

(20) Ktxd2 o-o-o

(21) Kt-c4

White cannot play R-d1 on account of R-d4, threatening Rh8-d8.

 

(21) … Bxe4

(22) Rf1-c1

This merely drives the Black King to a safe place. Ktxa5 was indicated. R-d2 could then have been answered by (23) R-c1+ and (24) R-C4.

 

(22) … K-b8

(23) P-f3

Again a move which helps the opponent as it drives the Bishop where he wants to go.

 

(23)… B-d5

(24) Ktxa5 R-c8

(25) P-b3

This situation furnishes an instructive example of the importance of the rules governing Pawn formations as previously discussed. By attacking the Knight with the King Black can force the exchange of the Bishop for the Knight on c4.

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

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

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

|–––––––––––––|

5 | ^Kt| | | #B | | | | |

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4 | | | | | | | | |

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

+–––––––––––––+

a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 73.

This leaves White with a Pawn on c4 who is weak on account of his advanced position. Black can attack him with the King and White’s King is consequently compelled to stay on the Queen’s wing guarding the Pawn, while Black is at leisure to secure a passed Pawn on the King’s wing. These maneuvers are, of course, possible only with the Rooks off the board. That is why Black tries to force their exchange and why White should endeavor to prevent it.

 

(25) … Rxc1+

(26) Rxc1 R-c8

(27) Rxc8+

In view of the hopeless Pawn ending it would have been best to give up a Pawn by (27) R-d1, P-b6; (28) Kt-c4, Bxc4; (29) Pxc4, Rxc4; (30) R-d2 in order to keep a Rook on the board, thus obtaining a drawing chance.

 

(27) … Kxc8

(28) K-f2 K-c7

(29) K-e3 K-b6

(30) Kt-c4+ Bxc4

(31) Pxc4 K-c5

(32) K-d3 P-e5

Black’s strategy in this ending is clearly indicated. He will play P-f5 and advance the e-Pawn as soon as White plays K-c3. Instead of the latter move White could play P-a3 which would also keep Black’s King from b4; but he would soon run out of spare moves with his Pawns necessitating a King’s move. For instance, (32) P-a3, P-f5; (33) P-g4, P-g6; (34) P-h3, P-h6; (35) P-h4, P-h5; (36) P-g5, P-b6!; (37) K-c3, P-e4; (38) P-f4, P-e3; (39) K-d3, P-e2; (40) Kxe2, Kxc4; (41) K-e3, P-b5.

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8 | | | | | | | | |

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

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6 | | | | | | | | |

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

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

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3 | | | | ^K | | ^P | | |

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

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1 | | | | | | | | |

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 74.

Black needs now only six moves to queen the Pawn b5 while White in the meantime cannot do more than capture the g-and h-Pawns, and Black’s Queen can naturally stop the White passed Pawns without difficulty. The game proceeded as follows:

 

(33) P-g4 P-f6

(34) P-h4 P-g6

(35) K-e4 K-d6

Black could just as well have captured the Pawn c4 and permitted (36) P-g5, Pxg5; (37) Pxg5.

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8 | | | | | | | | |

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

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6 | | | | #K | | #P | #P | |

|–––––––––––––|

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

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

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

|–––––––––––––|

1 | | | | | | | | |

+–––––––––––––+

a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 75.

He would then have had a Queen in another eight moves while White could not get farther with his Pawn than to g7, so that Black easily wins.

To march against the Pawn b7 instead of the Pawns on the King’s side would not help White either, as he does not get back to the King’s wing in time to protect his f-and g-Pawn.

 

(36) P-f4 Pxf4

(37) Kxf4 K-c5

(38) P-h5 Kxc4

(39) K-e4 P-b5

(40) P-a3 K-c5

(41) Resigns.

 

V

PROBLEMS

 

To offer an exhaustive treatise on the manifold varieties of Chess problems is not within the scope of this book. The intention of the author is merely to make it quite clear to the reader that the Chess problem,