Chess Strategy, Edward Lasker [no david read aloud .TXT] 📗
- Author: Edward Lasker
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We have now seen how the possession of open files reacts on the mobility of the opposing forces, forever increasing their difficulties until the positional advantage is converted into material gain. We shall meet with cases later on in which the greater mobility of minor pieces achieves the same result and find more and more proofs of the truth of the main general principles which I introduced at the outset.
Let us now recapitulate the chief points touched upon in the course of our deliberations:
1. Generally speaking, attacks should only be directed to objects which cannot be moved away.
2. If in particular cases the attack is aimed at driving off an opposing piece from an especially favourable post that attack is unwise, if it involves the weakening the pawn position, or if pieces have to take up inferior positions in order to effect their purpose.
3. Pawn moves always create weaknesses, either by leaving other unsupported pawns behind, or by giving opposing pieces access to squares formerly guarded by them, and this more specially so in front of the castled King.
4. Attacks which depend on pawn moves are only justified if overwhelming forces can be accumulated in support, as the advanced pawns might become the object of a counter attack.
5. As pawn moves have very generally some drawbacks, the middle game is the pieces’ own hunting ground. As in the opening, the first consideration of sound play in the middle game is to make only such moves as do not reduce the mobility of the pieces.
As illustrative of such manoeuvres I shall now give examples from actual master play. In my annotations of these games I have tried to keep before the student’s mind constantly the main ideas underlying the different combinations which spring from general strategical principles. I thus avoid burdening his memory with a mass of detail, and bring into prominence the basic principle of each line of play, thereby developing his capacity for conducting a middle game, even after an unusual opening.
I have fixed mainly upon such games as are illustrative of the openings treated in the first part of this book. In most cases the first moves will, therefore, not need any special remarks. The end-games, being typical examples, will only need reference to the chapters in which they have been respectively dealt with.
GAME No. 1
White: Tartakower. Black: Burn.
King’s Gambit declined (compare p. 30).
1. P-K4 P-K4
2. P-KB4 B-B4
3. Kt-KB3 P-Q3
4. PxP
On principle this exchange cannot be commended, as the opening of the Queen’s file increases the Black Queen’s mobility. White derives no benefit from the KB file so long as the Black Bishop makes castling impossible. White intends to play P-B3 and P-Q4, but the manoeuvre is doubtful, and the whole opening includes an inordinately large number of pawn moves. In the present game Black exposes the failings inherent to this system unequivocally.
4. … PxP
5. P-B3 Kt-QB3
Black cannot put off White’s P-Q4 by B-KKt5, for White can give a check with the Queen and unpin the Knight.
6. P-QKt4
The object of this move is not clear, as P-Kt5 does not win a pawn (Kt-R4; 8. KtxP; 9. Q-R5ch). It does not promote development either, and only compromises the QBP and QKtP.
6. … B-Kt3
7. B-Kt5 Kt-B3
This is aimed at the White King’s pawn, which is deprived of its natural support by the QKt. In this position Black does well to attack White’s KP rather than to defend his own, because an open King’s file can only benefit him. Being able to castle, he can occupy the file with his Rook before White has time to bring his King into safety.
8. KtxP
It would have been better to protect the pawn by Q-K2 or P-Q3.
8. … Castles!
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8 | #R | | #B | #Q | | #R | #K | |
|–––––––––––––|
7 | #P | #P | #P | | | #P | #P | #P |
|–––––––––––––|
6 | | #B |#Kt | | |#Kt | | |
|–––––––––––––|
5 | | ^B | | | ^Kt| | | |
|–––––––––––––|
4 | | ^P | | | ^P | | | |
|–––––––––––––|
3 | | | ^P | | | | | |
|–––––––––––––|
2 | ^P | | | ^P | | | ^P | ^P |
|–––––––––––––|
1 | ^R | ^Kt| ^B | ^Q | ^K | | | ^R |
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A B C D E F G H
Diag. 100
The beginning of a brilliant attack. Whether White exchanges the Bishop or the Knight, he is overwhelmed.
9. KtxKt
After 9. BxKt, PxB; 10. KtxP, Q-K1 wins; 10. P-Q4 would also lose because Black gains two pawns after KtxP; 11. O-O, KtxP. It is interesting to note how speedily the weakness at White’s QB3 is brought to book.
9. … PxKt
10. BxP KtxP!!
Now White can neither take the Kt nor the R. In the first case Q-R5ch forces mate very soon, in the second B-B7ch, followed by B-Kt5ch or B-R3ch, wins the Queen.
11. P-Q4 Q-B3!
12. BxKt Q-R5ch
13. K-Q2 QxB
14. Q-B3 Q-R5!
15. P-Kt3
Not QxR, because of Q-B7ch and the loss of the Queen by a discovered check by the Bishop.
Q-Kt4ch
16. Q-K3 Q-Q4
17. R-K1 B-Kt5
18. K-B2 P-QR4
Such is the price to pay for premature advances.
19. PxP RxP
20. B-R3 P-QB4
Black shatters White’s pawn position, and his Bishops and Rooks have full play along open files and diagonals.
21. PxP RxB!
22. KtxR
or PxB, RxRPch; 23. RxR,QxRch; 24. K-Bl,B-B4.
22. … BxP
The rest speaks for itself.
23. Q-K5 B-B4ch
24. K-Kt2 Q-Kt2ch
25. K-B1 BxKtch
26. K-Q2 R-Q1ch
27. K-K3 R-Q6ch
28. K-B2 Q-B6ch
29. K-Kt1 R-Q7
30. Q-Kt8ch B-KB1
Resigns.
GAME No. 2
White: Leonhardt. Black: Marshall.
Falkbeer Counter Gambit (compare p. 35).
1. P-K4 P-K4
2. P-KB4 P-Q4
3. PxQP P-K5
4. P-Q3 PxP
5. QxP Kt-KB3
6. Kt-QB3
It would be quite bad to play P-B4 and try to hold the extra pawn at the expense of development. Black would very soon occupy the King’s file with his Rook and there would be no time for White to bring his King into safety, e.g. 6. P-B4, B-QB4; 7. Kt-KB3, Castles; 8. B-K2, R-K1, and already now there are threats of Kt-K5 or Kt-Kt5 followed by B-B7ch or Kt-B7.
6. … B-QB4
7. B-Q2
White would of course like to continue with B-K3 in order to make a fight for the possession of the diagonal. He would, however, lose his chance of castling through Black’s Q-K2. This is detrimental in all such cases where the lines in the centre are open or likely to be forced open at any time.
7. … Castles
8. Castles QKt-Q2
9. B-K2 Kt-Kt3
10. B-B3 B-KKt5
11. B-K3?
White has not yet completed his development, and his first care should be to bring out his KKt. This he could have done without difficulty, thus: 11. BxB, KtxB; 12. Kt-R3. After the move in the text, Black not only occupies the King’s file but gains a move in so doing.
11. … BxBch
12. QxB R-K1
13. Q-Q4 Q-Q3
Black’s course is obvious; he must win the QP. The forces will then be equal in material, but there will remain a
–––––––––––––
8 | #R | | | | #R | | #K | |
|–––––––––––––|
7 | #P | #P | #P | | | #P | #P | #P |
|–––––––––––––|
6 | | #Kt| | #Q | | #Kt| | |
|–––––––––––––|
5 | | | | ^P | | | | |
|–––––––––––––|
4 | | | | ^Q | | ^P | #B | |
|–––––––––––––|
3 | | | ^Kt| | | ^B | | |
|–––––––––––––|
2 | ^P | ^P | ^P | | | | ^P | ^P |
|–––––––––––––|
1 | | | ^K | ^R | | | ^Kt| ^R |
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A B C D E F G H
Diag. 101.
flaw in White’s position, namely the exposed KBP, and this tells in the ending.
14. P-KR3
Now the square at KKt3 is unprotected, and this is serious in view of a probable Knight’s ending, where, moreover, it will sooner or later be necessary to play P-KKt3 in order to support the KBP. Both the KKtP and KBP would be weak, with the King on the other wing, and be under constant threat of being captured. The game does proceed as indicated, and the simple and logical manner in which Marshall brings home his advantage in a very short time shows convincingly how fatal a shattered pawn position can be for the end-game. Instead of the move in the text, White should have played BxB followed by Kt-B3, which would have completed his development without making another pawn move.
14. … BxB
15. KtxB QR-Q1
16. KR-KI RxR
17. RxR QKtxP
18. KtxKt KtxKt
19. P-KKt3 P-KR3
making a loophole for the King. In this case the move is correct, as the threat of mate ties the Black Rook to his rank. It is wrong to make a loophole, as weak players are fond of doing, as early as possible “in case,” before it is shown that there will be a need for it, or that there will be a Rook ending.
20. P-R3
White is afraid of playing 20. QxP on account of Kt-Kt5, which threatens KtxBP followed by Q-QB3. 21. QxP would not be a sufficient defence because of Q-B4 threatening mate, and on the other hand 21. Q-R4 would conjure up a dangerous attack, beginning with P-QKt4. When the players castle on different wings, there is always the danger of the opponent sacrificing pawns and opening up files for his Rooks and Q against the castled King. The game then assumes a wild character, and as matters are generally settled one way or another in the middle-game, end-game considerations, both with regard to number and position of pawns, can be disregarded. Experience has shown that the player who develops his attack first is likely to win, and that it is of little use to submit tamely to an assault of this kind without attempting a counter attack.
Such games are very difficult for the beginner to understand. There is about them something violent and difficult to estimate, and years of practice are necessary in order to gain the judgment required for weighing up the possibilities of attack and counter attack, where the Kings have castled on opposite wings.
20. … P-R3
21. R-Q1 Kt-B3
22. QxQ RxQ
23. RxR PxR
24. Kt-Q4 Kt-K5
25. Kt-K2 K-B1
The Black King now pushes forward irresistibly, and attacks the weakened pawns on the King’s wing. The White King cannot get any nearer, as a check by the Black Kt would win a pawn at once. The end is easy.
26. P-B3 K-K2
27. K-B2 K-K3
28. P-Kt3 Kt-B7
29. Kt-Q4ch K-B3
30. P-KR4 P-KR4
Now the P at Kt3 is “backward” and therefore lost.
31. P-B4 Kt-K5
32. Kt-K2 K-B4
33. K-Q3 Kt-B7ch
34. K-B3 K-Kt5
35. P-Kt4 Kt-K5ch
36. K-Q4 KtxP
Resigns.
GAME No. 3
White: Spielmann. Black: Prokes.
Vienna Game (compare p. 35).
1. P-K4 P-K4
2. Kt-QB3 Kt-KB3
3. P-B4
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