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We all must face threats
in chess. A minor piece might find itself in
danger, a hungry Knight gets ready to spring
at an unsuspecting Queen, a tactical trap is
set, or a pawn – only worth a point but
still much too important to throw away without
reason – is attacked and threatened with
consumption.
Sometimes we can ignore such threats. Usually we simply move the attacked unit
to safety or defend it by another piece or pawn. And, on occasion, we panic,
overreact, and fall to our doom on the rocks of our own hysteria.
Look at the following thirteen moves and the diagram that follows: 1.d4
f5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Qc2 0–0 6.e4 fxe4 7.Nxe4 d5 8.Nxf6+ Bxf6
9.c5 Nc6 10.Be3 e5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Bd3.
BLACK TO
MOVE
The h7-pawn is about to be eaten,
but Black can save it in various ways. Please
comment on the moves up to that point and then
tell me how you would react to the not-so-secret
threat of 14.Bxh7+.
ANSWER: I often tell my students that you
must really love chess if you want to plumb it
mysteries. Taking a quick glance at a position
and saying, “Oh, this is probably bad.” Or “Oh,
that threat is annoying, White must be better.” merely
serves to put blinders on your eyes and keep you
in a perpetual state of ignorance. On the other
hand, I love players that find many positions almost
addictive. These worshippers of chess love the
feel of looking for a hidden nuance and the secrets
that every position has to offer, and they never
seem to tire of the search for truth. In the present
example many people wrote in and told me that things
were pretty cut and dried – they felt Black
was much better after 13…Qh4 or 13…d4
and didn’t bother trying to prove their point
with a painstaking analysis. It turns out, though,
that there are wonderful tactical ideas to find,
shocking defenses, and an ultimate assessment that
hints that White might not be as dead as so many
claimed.
I’m hoping that the many lines here shock you, gives you a lot of enjoyment
when the tactics unfold, and surprises you when White is able to draw a line
in the sand and stand up for his rights. Naturally, such an endless stream of
analysis means that there will be lots of mistakes. Bent Larsen once wisely said, “Long
analysis, wrong analysis.” and I’m sure this is the case here, too.
But a 100% correct analysis isn’t the point. Instead, I want you to realize
how much can be discovered in any position if you put the effort into the analytical
process. Creating the “I must find out what’s really going on here!” attitude
will ultimately help you become a far stronger player in both over the board
and postal chess.
1.d4 f5 2.c4 e6
3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3
A tricky move order.
Many people like to play a Stonewall formation with the Bishop on d6.
Thus, 4...d5 would be the move. However, in this case 4...d5 5.Bf4!
followed by e3 is known to favor White. Many players aren’t familiar
with this nuance.
4...Be7
If Black wants a Stonewall
with the Bishop on e7, or if he likes playing the Classical Dutch,
then this is a perfectly reasonable move. However, the real test of
White’s move order is 4...Bb4, fighting to gain complete control
over the e4-square.
5.Qc2
This simple, seemingly
quiet move sets the tone for all the sharp play that will follow. White
intends to get in e2-e4 as quickly as possible, which will highlight
the potential weaknesses on e6 and e5 that ...f7-f5 created. However,
opening up the center when your King still resides there is always
risky business, so the plan is a double-edged sword.
5...0–0
Stopping the e2-e4
advance by 5...d5 still gives White the advantage after 6.Bf4 c6 7.e3.
6.e4 fxe4 7.Nxe4
d5?
A logical reaction
to White’s play. Black (a class “B” player named
Hubbard) is fully aware that this move further weakens both e6 and
e5, but he’s also aware that he has to play sharply if he wants
to gain something from White’s central King. The only way to
do this is to open up the center, hence we get a move that creates
long term positional weaknesses for quick dynamic gains. Unfortunately,
this wasn’t the best way to initiate this “go after him” philosophy.
I would have preferred 7...Nxe4! (Black preferred 7…Nc6 in Pachman-Larsen,
Havana 1966: 8.Nxf6+ Bxf6 9.Be3 e5 with equal chances.) 8.Qxe4 d5!
(I find this move very attractive, but in practice most players seem
to go for 8…Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ [In Pachman-Smederevac, Beverwijk
1965 Black tried 9…d5 and got an excellent game after 10.Qc2
Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Nc6 12.0-0-0 Qf6 13.Be2 Bd7 14.Rhe1 Be8 15.g3 a5 16.cxd5
exd5 17.Ne5 and a draw was agreed here, though I feel Black could have
played on.] 10.Nxd2
FINE FOR BLACK, BUT A BIT BORING
10…d5 11.Qe3 Nc6 [11…Qf6 12.Bd3 Nc6
13.Nf3 Qf4 was agreed drawn in Ryan-Bellin, Bunratty 2001] 12.Nf3 Qf6
13.Bd3 Nb4 14.cxd5 exd5 15.0-0 Bf5 16.Bxf5 Qxf5 17.Qb3 Nd3 18.Ne5 [18.Qxb7
is too risky: 18…Nf4 19.Ne1 Qg6 20.Kh1 Rae8 21.Rg1 Qe4] 18…Nf4
19.Rae1 Rad8 when both sides had chances in Vicanek-Naumkin, Prague
1989) 9.Qc2 (9.Qe3 c5! 10.dxc5 [10.cxd5 cxd4] 10...Na6 is very much
to Black’s liking since it instantly sets the board on fire)
9...Nc6 10.Bd3 Rxf3 (A winning attempt is 10…Bb4+ 11.Kf1 [11.Bd2
is bad due to 11…Rxf3! 12.gxf3 Nxd4 13.Qd1 Bxd2+ 14.Kxd2 dxc4]
11...e5!? 12.Nxe5 [12.cxd5 Nxd4 13.Nxd4 exd4 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.a3 Bd6
gives Black excellent play due to the entombed White Rook on h1.] 12...Nxe5
13.dxe5 Bc5 14.f4 Qh4 15.g3 Qh5 with a strong initiative for Black.)
11.gxf3 Bb4+ 12.Kf1 Nxd4
FAR MORE ENTERTAINING!
13.Bxh7+ Kh8 14.Qg6!
(Bad is 14.Qd1 e5 with a winning game for Black.) 14…Qh4 15.Rg1
Qh3+ 16.Rg2 Nf5 17.Bg5 Bd6 (17...Bd7 18.Qf7) 18.Bf6 Qxh7 19.Qe8+ Qg8
20.Qh5+ Qh7 21.Qe8+ with a draw. Having missed the all these lines,
Black finds himself with a few problems to solve.
8.Nxf6+ Bxf6 9.c5
An ugly sucker of a
move that appears to waste time. However, one can understand White’s
motivation: it tries to keep things closed and thus make the White
King safer and it gains queenside space (Which has nothing whatsoever
to do with the needs of this position!).
Far more natural is
9.Bd3 h6 10.0–0 though it’s not clear if White has cause
for celebration after 10…Nc6 11.Be3 Nb4 12.Bh7+ Kh8 13.Qb3 Kxh7
14.Qxb4 dxc4 15.Qxc4. One would think that this position would be fine
for Black, and it will be IF he can get his light-squared Bishop onto
the a8-h1 diagonal. Thus: 15...b6 16.Qc6 (16.Bf4 Bb7 17.Bxc7
Qe7 is very dangerous for White.) 16…Rb8 17.Ne5 (17.Qe4+ Kh8
18.Ne5 Bxe5 19.Qxe5 Rf5 20.Qg3 Bb7 21.Rac1 Rc8 22.f3 Bd5 23.a3 c6 24.Bf4
will give White some pressure against g7, but Black shouldn’t
have any problem in eventually getting his draw.) 17...Bxe5 18.dxe5
Qd3 19.Rad1 Qg6 20.f3 Ba6 =.
9...Nc6
Black can’t allow
White to play Bd3, 0–0, Rfe1, and Bf4 when e5 would be annexed
forever. 9...Nc6 intends to blast open the center with ...e6-e5. This
advance also frees the c8-Bishop and ends all discussions about a hole
on e5.
10.Be3 e5 11.dxe5
Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Bd3
HOW SHOULD BLACK PROCEED?
13...d4!?
This seems to be the most testing move,
but it might not turn out to be best. Yes, a quick glance leads one
to believe that it’s crushing, but a deeper look shows that White
has far more defensive possibilities than one would guess.
Other moves:
I find it hard to trust 13...g6 (recommended
by reader Chris Burns) since after 14.0-0-0 Black will fear an h2-h4-h5
advance for a long time to come.
Though it looks wimpy, the position after
13...h6!? 14.0-0-0 leads to some very interesting positions and is
well worth a serious look, though I’m not a fan of that move
either.
13...Qh4!? is a far more dynamic way of
guarding h7.
THIS MIGHT BE BEST
Douglas Staples said: “After
13…Qh4 White is in serious trouble. He is behind in development,
can’t castle kingside and his queenside is weakened. There
are probably a lot of lines to explore after Black’s 13th move,
but making a play for the initiative in an open position while
your opponent’s King is sitting in the middle can’t
be bad.”
Though 13…Qh4!? might turn out to
be best, it’s still nothing special for Black. White plays 14.0–0–0
d4? (14...Be6! is better, with equality.) 15.g3 Qh5 16.Be2 when
the d4-pawn has turned into a food source for the e3-Bishop.
This leaves us with 13…Qf6, a move
that was very popular with the readers of my site! Let’s see
what a few of them said:
Jorge Palau: “I think it best
for Black to play 13…Qf6 first, and follow that with a well-timed …d4.
Since black threatens the b2-pawn and eyes f2, white is will advised
to take on h7 since the threat of losing the Bishop after …Bf5
still exists (too many loose ends).”
The position after 13…Qf6 is interesting.
White can try 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.0-0, but then 15…Bxh2+ (15…Qh4
16.f4 Bxf4 17.Bxf4 Rxf4 18.c6! isn’t that easy for Black.) 16.Kxh2
Qh4+ 17.Kg1 Qxh7 18.Qxh7+ Kxh7, though a bit better for White, should
be drawn.
Harvey Caron (1736): “13…Qf6
gives up the h7-pawn for counterplay. Then 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.Rb1
d4! and White is looking at …Qxf2+, so 16.Bc1 has to be played,
which looks good for Black. If White tries 14.0-0-0 maybe 14…Bf5
15.Bxf5 Qxf5 16.Qxf5 Rxf5. Then material is even (since 17.Rxd5??
is killed by 17…Bxb2+), White’s Bishop pair has been
tamed and that passed d-pawn may come in handy.”
Here we see a few common mistakes. The
first error is to play too softly for White with the very passive 15.Rb1
(after 13…Qf6 14.Bxh7+ Kh8). Instead, 15.0-0 is adequate, while
15.0-0-0! strives for more. The second error is tactical in nature.
After 13…Qf6 14.0-0-0 Bf5 15.Bxf5 Qxf5 16.Qxf5 Rxf5 Mr. Caron
felt that Black was okay, overlooking 17.g4! Rf3 18.Rxd5 which picks
up the d-pawn.
Ultimately, I’m not happy with 13…Qf6
since the position after 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.0-0-0! isn’t really
comfortable for Black: 15…d4 16.Bd2 Qxf2 17.Qe4 (17.Rhe1!?) 17…Bf5
18.Bxf5 Qxf5 19.Rhe1 and Black will suffer if he wants to get the draw
(White eventually marches his King to d3 and puts pressure on d4).
Back to Black’s sharpest continuation:
13…d4!?.
14.Bxh7+
Bob Quinn: “It is very
tempting to play in the center and push the passed pawn by 13…d4,
but it is not kingside play and 14.Bc4+ seems to refute the move
immediately. White could make bad moves 14.Bd2 or 14.Bc1, but good
play does not depend upon tricks and the hope that one’s
opponent will make a bad move in response.”
Actually, 14.Bc4+? is a poor move that
takes the pressure off h7, forces Black’s King to a safer square,
and allows the Black’s light-squared Bishop to take up residence
along the h7-b1 diagonal: 14…Kh8 15.0-0-0 Bf5 when 16.Bd3 fails
to 16…dxe3 17.Bxf5 Qg5.
Now we’ll take a quick look at 14.0-0-0!?,
which takes us into new and completely unexplored worlds.
Jorge Palau: “13…d4 was
tempting but I think White can complicate things with 14.0-0-0
Qf6 15.f4, while 14.0-0-0 dxe3 does not work because of 15.Bxh7+
Kh8 16.Rxd8.”
Jorge’s lines often don’t
offer best play from both sides (He tends to favor one side or the
other – it’s a flaw he has to work on.). His first line
(13…d4 14.0-0-0 Qf6 15.f4) actually favors Black after 15…dxe3
16.fxe5 Qxe5 17.Bxh7+ Kh8 due to the powerful passed pawn on e3. However,
14…Qf6 should be answered by 15.Bxh7+ Kh8 16.Bd2, transposing
into a favorable line that’s already been analyzed in the notes
to 13…Qf6.
Critical (after 14.0-0-0) is 14…Kh8!
15.Bd2 (15.Bxh7?? Qh4) 15…Rxf2, which leads to unclear play.
There’s a lot to analyze here!
14…Kh8 15.Bc1
Forced since 15.Bd2? allows 15…Qh4
with a double attack against h7 and f2.
15...Qh4 16.Be4
This is White’s best defense since
it acts as a block on the e-file and also eyes the b7-pawn in some
lines. After 16.Bd3 Black has the very strong 16...Bd7! 17.g3 when
a surprise is lurking.
BLACK TO MOVE AND WIN
Black ends White’s illusions with
17…Bxg3!. This is completely winning: 18.fxg3 Rae8+ 19.Be2 Qh5
20.Kd1 Rxe2 21.Qxe2 Bg4.
After 16.Be4 Black has to make
a difficult choice: A) 16…Re8; B) 16…Rxf2; C)
16…Bg4; D) 16…Bd7.
A) 16...Re8 It seems a shame to
move this Rook off the f-file, but the threats along the e-file are
real and White has to prove that he has some sort of defense.
IT DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT
17.Kf1
Not a happy move, but it’s not clear
what else White could have done. Now there’s no doubt at all
that Black will have plenty of compensation for the sacrificed pawn,
but proving more than that is easier said than done.
17…Bf6 18.Bd3
Also interesting is 18.Bg6 Re5 19.Bd2
Be6 20.Re1 Rf8, unclear. Far worse are 18.f4?? Bf5! which wins on the
spot, and 18.Bf3 d3! 19.Qd1 (And not 19.Qxd3?? Bf5 20.Qxf5 [20.Qb3
Be6] 20…Qc4+ and mates) 19…Bd4.
18...Be6 7.Bd2 Bd5 8.f3 Re7 with
a nice initiative.
B) 16...Rxf2!? This is more dangerous
than one might think. It would certainly cause your opponent to stare
at the board in disbelief! Unfortunately, White can force a draw.
HAS BLACK GONE BERSERK?
17.Qxf2
17.g3 Rxc2 18.gxh4 Rxc5 is just bad for
White. It’s amazing how often a rabid series of sacrifices leads
to a boring technical exercise. The ability to drop the attack for
a lock win is something you should cultivate.
17…Qxe4+ 18.Qe2
18.Kf1 (and not 18.Kd1 Bg4+) 18…Be6
19.Kg1 (19.Bg5 Bc4+ 20.Kg1 Be2 and Black’s Bishops are stronger
than White’s Rooks!) 19...Kg8 20.Bg5 Rf8 21.Re1 Qd5 22.Qe2 Rf5
23.h4 (23.Bf4 d3 wins) 23…d3 24.Qd2 Bg3 25.Rf1 Rxg5 26.hxg5 Qxc5+.
18...Qh4+ 19.Kd2
19.Kd1?? Bg4 is game over, but 19.Qf2!
Qe4+ 20.Qe2 forces a draw by 20…Qh4+.
19...Bf6 20.Kc2
20.Rf1 Bd7 leaves White’s position
in a mess.
20...d3+!
BLACK WINS BY FORCE
A nice move that turns the Black Bishops
into rabid locusts.
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