Chess Strategy by Edward Lasker (ebook reader with highlight function .TXT) 📖

20. KtxB, 21. B-Kt5, 22. B-B6; 18. … Q-Q2 is not sufficient, as 19. P-B5 would follow. Neither can 18. … B-QB4 be played because of 19. B-Kt5, Q-B1; 20. B-B6. Preferable to the text move seems B-KB1 (19. B-Kt5, Q-B1; 20. B-B6, B-Kt2), as then the Black pieces have more freedom of action.

 

19. QR-K1 P-QB4

20. P-K6

A brilliant sacrifice to which no satisfactory reply can be found. For instance, 20. … PxKt; 21. Q-Kt4, Kt-K6, 22. RxKt, PxR; 23. P-B5, BxP; 24. PxB, PxP, 25. BxP, etc.; or 24. … R-KB1; 25. PxPch, RxP; 26. Q-K6, Q-K1; 27. BxP, etc.; or 23. … P-Kt4; 24. PxPch, KxP; 25. Q-R5ch, K-Kt1; 26. P-B6, BxP; 27. BxP, etc.; or 21. … B-B4; 22. PxPch, KxP; 23. BxPch, PxB; 24. P-B5, etc. There are many variations, all leading to a speedy end.

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

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

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6 | #P | | | | ^P | | #P | ^B |

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

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4 | | | #Kt| ^Kt| | ^P | | |

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. 123

 

20. … B-KB3

21. P-Kt4 P-Kt

22. P-B5 P-Q6

23. BxP BxKP

If PxKP then 24. PxKtP, Kt-K4; 25. RxKt, BxR; 26. Q-R5, Q-B3; 27. RxQ, BxR; 28. PxPch, K-R1; 29. Q-B7, etc.; or 26. … BxP; 27. B-B8, etc.

 

24. PxB Q-Kt3ch

25. K-R1 Resigns

 

GAME No. 17

 

White: Berlin. Black: Riga.

 

Ruy Lopez.

 

Move 1-6 as in Game No. 16.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. 124

 

6. … PxP

Compare note to move No. 6 in Game 14.

 

7. R-K1 P-Q4

8. KtxP B-Q3

This is the key to the variation. Black threatens to obtain a draw by perpetual check through BxPch, followed by Q-R5ch and QxPch. This is not good enough against a weaker opponent in a tournament, and a strong player cannot afford to play the Riga defence. But that is not a point against the variation. To prove it unsound, White has to find a win.

 

9. KtxKt BxPch

10. K-R1!

After 10. K-B1 Black has a tremendous attack, and drives it home before White can manage to bring his extra piece into play. A game Maroczy-Berger (Vienna, 1908) is an illustration of this. It continued in this way: 10. K-B1, Q-R5; 11. B-K3, Castles; 12. Kt-Q4, B-Kt5; 13. Kt-KB3, Q-R4. Now White has no satisfactory continuation. 14. Kt-Q2 obstructs the Queen, and it is difficult to bring the Rooks into concerted action. 14. Kt-B3, QR-Q1; 15. Q-Q3, BxKt; 16. PxB, QxP; 17. KtxKt, PxKt; 18. Q-B3, Q-R6ch; 19. K-K2, Q-Kt5ch; 20. K-B1, R-Q4; 21. B-Kt3, R-KR4; 22. P-B3, PxP; Resigns.

 

10. … Q-R5

It now looks as if White were lost. But a fine sacrifice forces the exchange of all Black’s attacking pieces, and saves the situation.

 

11. RxKtch PxR

12. Q-Q8ch QxQ

13. KtxQch KxKt

14. KxB …

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

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

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5 | | | | | | | | |

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

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3 | | | | | | | | |

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

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1 | ^R | ^Kt| ^B | | | | | |

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. 125

After the terrible slaughter, the position is somewhat clearer. Black has a Rook and two pawns for two minor pieces, a slight advantage for the end-game, but as yet there is no thought of an end-game. White, in possession of two Bishops, with an open Queen’s file on which the Black King stands, has good attacking chances, and most masters would think the position favourable for White.

 

14. … B-K3

P-KB4 is a plausible move, but is followed by a pretty mate by 15. B-Kt5. The move in the text threatens to eliminate the KB by P-QB4, P-QKt4.

 

15. B-K3 P-KB4

16. Kt-B3 K-K2

17. P-KKt4

Tarrasch recommends 17. R-Q1, threatening Kt-Q5ch. If P-B3, White could play 18. B-Kt6, thereby permanently preventing Black from contesting the Queen’s file, and then try to exchange Black’s B by Kt-K2-Q4. With two Bishops, White would then have winning chances.

A subtle idea underlies White’s move of P-KKt4. He wishes to take advantage of the fact that Black has exchanged the KB by playing P-Kt5, thus holding all the four pawns on the King’s side. But Black finds a surprising reply, which seems to refute White’s plan.

Capablanca played against Ed. Lasker (New York, 1915), 17. P-KKt4, P-KKt3; 18. K-Kt3, P-KR4; 19. PxBP, P-R5ch; 20. K-R2, PxP; 21. Kt-K2, P-Kt4; 22. B-Kt3, BxB; 23. RPxB, KR-KKt1; 24. R-Q1, QR-Q1; 25. RxR, KxR; 26. Kt-K4, winning a pawn.

 

17. … P-KKt3

18. P-Kt5 QR-KKt1!!

Black offers the exchange in order to get rid of White’s QB. If White accepts the sacrifice, he loses his KKtP, and Black retains three passed pawns for the piece, at least an equivalent for the end-game. White should decline the doubtful gift and meet the threat of P-R3 and P-KKt4 with 19. R-KKt1.

 

19. B-Q4 P-R3

20. B-B6ch K-B2

21. BxR RxB

22. R-Q1

in order to play 23. B-Q7 in answer to P-B4. This explains White’s check at move 20.

 

22. … PxPch

23. K-Kt2 K-B3!

If now 24. Kt-Q5ch, Black would assail the White King with K-K4; 25. KtxP, B-B5-K7-B6. The Black phalanx of pawns becomes menacing.

 

24. B-Kt3 BxB

25. RPxB K-K3

26. P-Kt4 R-R2

Black need no longer fear to exchange Rooks, for he would then threaten the Queen’s side pawns with his King whilst the passed pawns kept the White forces occupied.

 

27. Kt-K2 R-Q2

28. Kt-Q4ch K-B3

29. P-QB3 P-B3

The aim of this move is not clear. Black should adopt a forward policy with P-Kt5, P-B5, R-R2, etc.

 

30. R-KR1 P-Kt5

31. R-R8

Now none of the pawns can advance: P-B5 would be answered by 32. R-K8, R-K2; 33. RxR, KxR; 34. Kt-Kt3 and one of the pawns is lost.

 

31. … R-K2

32. Kt-K2 R-Q2

33. Kt-Q4 R-K2

34. R-B8ch K-Kt2

35. R-Q8 P-B5

36. R-Q6 K-B2

37. Kt-B2 R-K3

38. R-Q7ch R-K2

39. R-Q6 R-K3

40. R-Q1

White tries to win at all costs—and loses. By a forcible advance on the Queen’s side, he creates new chances, but also new weaknesses.

 

40. … K-B3

41. P-B4 R-K2

42. R-Q4 K-Kt4

43. R-Q6 P-K6!

44. P-B3

PxP fails on account of P-B6ch and R-R2.

 

44. … P-K7

45. Kt-K1 P-Kt6

46. P-Kt5

Too late.

 

46. … R-R2

47. PxBP PxP

48. R-K6 R-R7ch

49. K-Kt1 R-B7

50. Kt-B2 RxP

51. RxKP R-Q6

52. Kt-K1 R-Kt6

53. R-Q2 P-B6

54. Kt-Q3 P-R4

Resigns

The RP cannot be prevented from pushing on to R6, after which a mate is threatened by the BlacKRon the eighth rank. R-Q1 would then be compulsory. But that lets the Black Rook in on the seventh (KR-R7, followed by P-B7ch).

 

GAME No. 18.

 

Emanuel Lasker. Capablanca.

 

Ruy Lopez (see p. 37)

 

1. P-K4 P-K4

2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

3. B-Kt5 P-QR3

4. BxKtQ PxB

5. P-Q4 PxP

Worthy of consideration is: 5. … B-KKt5; 6PxP, QxQch; 7. KxQ, Castles ch; 8. K-K2, R-K1; 9. P-KR3, BxKtch; 10. KxB, P-B3; with a good game. In this opening Black is justified in assuming the initiative, as the exchange, which has opened a diagonal for his QB, has furthered his development. If he does not do so, and confines himself to defending tamely, the chances are that he will lose on account of White’s majority of pawns on the King’s side.

 

6. QxP QxQ

Compulsory. If B-K3 instead, 7. B-B4 attacks QB7. B-Q3 in reply to that would be inferior. By exchanging Bishops White would render the Black QP “backward,” and on the open file its capture would be inevitable.

 

7. KtxQ B-Q3

8. Kt-QB3 Kt-K2

Black prepares to castle on the King’s side. It is more usual, and probably stronger, to castle on the Queen’s side, as the King then protects the QBP, which in the present case would be weak if Black’s KB were to be exchanged.

 

9. Castles Castles.

10. P-B4 R-K1

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

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

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5 | | | | | | | | |

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

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

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

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

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A B C D E F G H

 

Diag. 126

Black allows his opponent too much latitude on the King’s wing. He should prevent White’s P-B5, which obstructs his QB, by P-KB4. After P-K5 the game would be equalised by B-B4, BxKt, and B-K3.

A draw would then be practically certain, with the Bishops of opposite colours. Black probably thought White would not risk weakening his KP by P-B5. But with unfailing judgment Lasker foresees that, in consequence of the greater mobility of his pieces, his attack will be successful before a counter attack on the weak KP can be instituted.

 

11. Kt-Kt3 P-B3

Even now P-KB4 was imperative, though it would keep the Bishop from that square. The continuation could have been 12. P-K5, B-Kt5; 13. Kt-K2 (or R4), Kt-Q4, and the Bishop is safe.

 

12. P-B5!!

This move has a twofold aim. It shuts in the Bishop, and allows B-B4, exchanging the Black QB.

 

12. … P-QKt3

The diagonal QR1-KR8 is the only one in which the Bishop has any prospects of action. However, as soon as he relinquishes his present diagonal, a White Knight settles at K6 and the Black Rooks are very much hampered.

 

13. B-B4 B-Kt2

Black should have exchanged the Bishops. Now he gets a weak pawn at Q3. Before playing B-Kt2, P-B4 should be played to prevent the Knight getting from Kt3-Q4-K6.

 

14. BxB PxB

15. Kt-Q4 QR-Q1

16. Kt-K6 R-Q2

17. QR-Q1 Kt-B1

18. R-B2