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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Chess Strategy, by Edward Lasker #2 in our series by Edward Lasker

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Title: Chess Strategy

Author: Edward Lasker

translated by J. Du Mont

Release Date: May, 2004 [EBook #5614] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on July 22, 2002]

Edition: 10

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHESS STRATEGY ***

 

Produced by John Mamoun <mamounjo@umdnj.edu>, Charles Franks, and the Online Distributed Proofreaders website.

 

INFORMATION ABOUT THIS E-TEXT EDITION

 

The following is an e-text of “Chess Strategy,” second edition, (1915) by Edward Lasker, translated by J. Du Mont.

This e-text contains the 167 chess and checkers board game diagrams appearing in the original book, all in the form of ASCII line drawings. The following is a key to the diagrams:

For chess pieces,

 

R = Rook

Kt = Knight

B = Bishop

Q = Queen

K = King

P = Pawn

Black pieces have a # symbol to the left of them, while white pieces have a ^ symbol to the left of them. For example, #B is the Black bishop, while ^B is the white bishop. #Kt is the black knight, while ^Kt is the white knight. This will let the reader instantly tell by sight which pieces in the ASCII chess diagrams are black and which are white. Those who find these diagrams hard to read should feel free to set up them up on a game board using the actual pieces.

CONTENTS

TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE AUTHOR’S PREFACE

PART I I. INTRODUCTORY

I. Rules of the Game

II. Notation

II. HINTS FOR BEGINNERS

 

Elementary Combinations

Simple Calculation

Complications

III. GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF CHESS STRATEGY

 

Introductory

Balance of Attack and Defence

Mobility

IV. THE OPENING

 

Development of the Pieces

On Losing Moves

Examples of Practical Play

Pawn Play

Pawn Skeleton

The Centre

A. King’s Pawn Games

B. Queen’s Pawn Games

C. Irregular Openings

V. THE END-GAME

 

End-games with Pieces

Pawn Endings

Mixed Endings

END-GAMES FROM MASTER-PLAY

Teichmann-Blackburne (Berlin, 1897)

Ed. Lasker-Rotlewi (Hamburg, 1910)

Blackburne-Schlechter (Vienna, 1898)

Bird-Janowski (Hastings, 1895)

Steiner-Forgacz (Szekesfehervar, 1907)

Charousek-Heinrichsen (Cologne, 1898)

VI. THE MIDDLE GAME

 

General Remarks

Evolution of the Pawn Skeleton

Objects of Attack

“Backward” Pawns

On Fixing a Weakness

Weaknesses in a Pawn Position

Breaking up the King’s Side

Doubled Pawns

Illustrations—

v. Scheve-Teichmann (Berlin, 1907)

Marshall-Burn (Ostend, 1907)

Manoeuvres of the Pieces Open Files and Diagonals

Example—

Fred. Lazard-Ed. Lasker (Paris, 1914)

PART II ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES FROM MASTER TOURNAMENTS

1. Tartakower-Burn (Carlsbad, 1911)

2. Leonhardt-Marshall (San Sebastian, 1911)

3. Spielmann-Prokes (Prag, 1908)

4. Tarrasch-Capablanca (San Sebastian, 1911)

4a. Howell-Michell (Cable Match, 1907)

4b. X. v. Y

5. Griffith-Gunston (London, 1902)

6. Mason-Gunsberg (New York, 1889)

7. Marshall-Tarrasch (Hamburg, 1910)

8. Blackburne-Em. Lasker (Petrograd, 1914)

9. Salwe-Marshall (Vienna, 1908)

10. Teichmann-Amateurs (Glasgow, 1902)

11. Schlechter-Janowski (Paris, 1900)

12. Teichmann-Rubinstein (Carlsbad, 1911)

13. Teichmann-Schlechter (Carlsbad, 1911)

14. Spielmann-Tarrasch (San Sebastian, 1912)

15. Aljechin-Niemzowitsch (Petrograd, 1914)

16. Yates-Gunsberg (Chester, 1914)

17. Berlin-Riga (1908-1909)

17a. Maroczy-Berger (Vienna, 1908)

18. Em. Lasker-Capablanca (Petrograd, 1914)

19. Ed. Lasker-Janowski (Scheveningen, 1913)

20. Ed. Lasker-Englund (Scheveningen, 1913)

21. Ed. Lasker-Aljechin (Scheveningen, 1913)

22. Forgacz-Tartakower (Petrograd, 1909)

23. Yates-Esser (Anglo-Dutch Match, 1914)

24. Atkins-Barry (Cable Match, 1910)

25. Em. Lasker-Tarrasch (Munich, 1908)

26. Capablanca-Blanco (Havanna, 1913)

27. Niemzowitsch-Tarrasch (San Sebastian, 1912)

28. Alapin-Rubinstein (Wilna, 1912)

29. Teichmann-Spielmann (Leipzig, 1914)

30. Tarrasch-Spielmann (Mannheim, 1914)

31. John-Janowski (Mannheim, 1914)

32. Ed. Laskcr-Mieses (Scheveningen, 1913)

33. Barasz-Mieses (Breslau, 1012)

34. Em. Lasker-Niemzowitsch (Petrograd, 1914)

35. Reti-Tartakower (Vienna, 1910)

36. Forgacz-E. Cohn (Petrograd, 1909)

37. Marshall-Capablanca (New York, 1909)

38. Rotlewi-Teichmann (Carlsbad, 1911)

38a. Rubinstein-Teichmann (Vienna, 1908)

39. Rotlewi-Rubinstein (Lodz, 1907)

40. Rubinstein-Capablanca (San Sebastian, 1911)

41. Niemzowitsch-Tarrasch (Petrograd, 1914)

41a. Em. Lasker-Bauer (Amsterdam, 1889)

42. Capablanca-Aljechin (Petrograd, 1913)

43. Capablanca-Bernstein (Petrograd, 1914)

44. Dus Chotimirski-Vidmar (Carlsbad, 1911)

45. Rubinstein-Spielmann (Pistyan, 1912)

46. Thomas-Ed. Lasker (London, 1912)

47. Tartakower-Asztalos (Budapest, 1913)

47a. Tartakower-Spielmann (Vienna, 1913)

47b. X v. Y

48. Blackburne-Niemzowitsch (Petrograd, 1914)

TABLE OF OPENINGS

A. King’s Pawn Games

B. Queen’s Pawn Games

C. Irregular Openings

 

TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE

 

As the first edition of Edward Laskcr’s CHESS STRATEGY was exhausted within a comparatively short time of its appearance, the author set himself the task of altering and improving the work to such an extent that it became to all intents and purposes a new book. I had the privilege of cooperating with him to a slight degree on that second edition, and was in consequence able to appreciate the tremendous amount of work he voluntarily took upon himself to do; I say voluntarily, because his publishers, anxious to supply the strong demand for the book, wished to reprint it as it stood.

A little later I undertook to translate this second edition into English for Messrs. Bell & Sons. Only a few months had elapsed, the tournaments at Petrograd, Chester, and Mannheim had taken place, several new discoveries had been made, and it is the greatest testimony to Edward Lasker’s indefatigable devotion to the Art of Chess that I am able to say that this is not a translation of the second edition, but of what is practically a new book. It contains a new preface, a chapter for beginners, a new introduction, new variations. Furthermore, a large number of new games have taken the place of old ones.

I have no doubt that any chess player who will take the trouble to study CHESS STRATEGY will spend many a pleasurable hour. Incidentally new vistas will be opened to him, and his playing strength increased to a surprising degree.

The author says in his preface that he appeals to the intelligence and not the memory of his readers. In my opinion, too, the student should above all try to improve his judgment of position.

Than the playing over of games contested by experts I can hardly imagine a greater or purer form of enjoyment. Yet I must at the outset sound a note of warning against its being done superficially, and with a feverish expectation of something happening. Every move or combination of moves should be carefully weighed, and the student should draw his own conclusions and compare them with what actually happens in the game under examination.

This applies particularly to some of the critical positions set out in diagrams in the course of the exposition of the several games.

The reader would derive the greatest possible benefit from a prolonged study of such positions before seeking to know how the games proceed. After having formed his own opinion about the merits of a particular position, he should compare the result with the sequel in the game in question, and thus find out where his judgment has been at fault.

The deeper study of the theory of the openings is of course a necessity to the student who wishes to become an expert, but the development of his judgment must precede it. To him Griffith & White’s admirable book, Modem Chess Openings, will be a perfect mine of information. There are thousands of variations, and in most of them the actual game in which they were first tried by masters is named, thus adding to the interest and value of the work.

I must not omit to mention the invaluable help afforded me by my friend Mr. John Hart, to whom my warmest thanks are due.

 

JULIUS DU MONT.

 

AUTHOR’S PREFACE

 

THE large majority of chess players who would like to improve their game, have not the necessary opportunity of pitting themselves against players of master-strength, or at least of obtaining the desired instruction from personal intercourse with them. It is for such players that the present work is intended. The books on which the learner has to rely hardly ever serve his purpose, being mostly little more than a disjointed tabulation of numberless opening variations, which cannot be understood without preliminary studies, and consequently only make for confusion. In the end the connection between the various lines of play may become clear, after the student has made an exhaustive study of the subject, but very few would have either the time or the inclination for such prolonged labour.

Therefore another shorter and less empirical way must be found in which to acquire the understanding of sound play. My system of teaching differs from the usual ones, in that it sets down at the outset definite elementary principles of chess strategy by which any move can be gauged at its true value, thus enabling the learner to form his own judgment as to the manoeuvres under consideration. In my opinion it is absolutely ESSENTIAL to follow such strategical principles, and I go so far as to assert that such principles are in themselves SUFFICIENT for the development and conduct of a correct game of chess.

Even though instruction in chess is possible on very general lines alone, yet I think it advisable and indeed necessary to explain the application of such principles to the various phases of each game of chess. Otherwise the learner might unduly delay his progress, and lose valuable time in finding out for himself certain essentials that could more profitably be pointed out to him.

With regard to the way in which I have arranged my subject and the form of its exposition in detail, I have thought out the following plan.

After discussing at length the leading principles underlying sound play, I have first treated of the OPENINGS, in which such principles are of even more deciding influence than in any other stage of the game, as far as could be done on broad lines without having to pay attention to middle and end-game considerations.

I proceeded as follows, by taking as my starting-point the “pawn skeleton” which is formed in the opening, and round which the pieces should group themselves in logical fashion. As a consequence of the pawns having so little mobility, this “pawn skeleton” often preserves its shape right into the end-game. Applying the general strategical principles to the formation of the pawn skeleton, the learner acquires the understanding of the leading idea underlying each opening without having to burden his memory. Not only that, he will also be able to find a correct plan of development when confronted with unusual forms of opening.

The most important result of this system of teaching is that the learner does not lose his way in a maze of detail, but has in view at the very outset, the goal which the many possible variations of the openings are intended to reach.

Before I could

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