Chess Fundamentals Part 18

The winning tactics in all these endings have merely consisted in keeping the opponent's Rooks tied to the defence of one or more p.a.w.ns, leaving my own Rooks free for action. This is a general principle which can be equally applied to any part of the game. It means in general terms--

_Keep freedom of manoeuvre while hampering your opponent._

There is one more thing of great importance, and that is that the winning side has always had a general strategical plan capable of being carried out with the means at his disposal, while often the losing side had no plan at all, but simply moved according to the needs of the moment.

30. ROOK, BISHOP AND p.a.w.nS _v._ ROOK, KNIGHT AND p.a.w.nS

We shall now examine an ending of Rook, Bishop and p.a.w.ns against Rook, Knight and p.a.w.ns, where it will be seen that the Rook at times is used in the same way as in the endings already given.

EXAMPLE 62.--From the first game of the Lasker-Marshall Champions.h.i.+p Match in 1907. {139}

[Ill.u.s.tration]

In this position it is Black's move. To a beginner the position may look like a draw, but the advanced player will realise immediately that there are great possibilities for Black to win, not only because he has the initiative, but because of White's undeveloped Queen's side and the fact that a Bishop in such a position is better than a Knight (see Section 14).

It will take some time for White to bring his Rook and Knight into the fray, and Black can utilise it to obtain an advantage. There are two courses open to him. The most evident, and the one that most players would take, is to advance the p.a.w.n to Q B 4 and Q B 5 immediately in conjunction with the Bishop check at R 3 and any other move that might be necessary with the Black Rook. The other, and more subtle, course was taken by Black.

It consists in utilising his Rook in the same way as shown in the previous endings, forcing White to defend something all the time, restricting the action of White's Knight and {140} White's Rook, while at the same time keeping freedom of action for his own Rook and Bishop.

1. ........ R - Kt 1

This forces P - Q Kt 3, which blocks that square for the White Knight.

2. P - Kt 3 R - Kt 4

bringing the Rook to attack the King's side p.a.w.ns so as to force the King to that side to defend them, and thus indirectly making more secure the position of Black's Queen's side p.a.w.ns.

3. P - B 4 R - K R 4 4. K - Kt 1 P - B 4

Note that the White Knight's sphere of action is very limited, and that after Kt - Q 2 White's own p.a.w.ns are in his way.

5. Kt - Q 2 K - B 2 6. R - B 1 ch

This check accomplishes nothing. It merely drives Black's King where it wants to go. Consequently it is a very bad move. P - Q R 3 at once was the best move.

6. ........ K - K 2 7. P - Q R 3 R - R 3

Getting ready to s.h.i.+ft the attack to the Queen's side, where he has the advantage in material and position.

8. P - K R 4 R - R 3

{141}

Notice how similar are the manoeuvres with this Rook to those seen in the previous endings.

9. R - R 1 B - Kt 5

Paralysing the action of the Knight and _fixing_ the whole King's side.

10. K - B 2 K - K 3

White cannot answer Kt - B 3, because B Kt followed by K - K 4 will win a p.a.w.n, on account of the check at K B 3 which cannot be stopped.

11. P - R 4 K - K 4 12. K - Kt 2 R - K B 3 13. R - K 1 P - Q 6 14. R - K B 1 K - Q 5

Now the King attacks White's p.a.w.ns and all will soon be over.

15. R R P R 16. K - B 2 P - B 3

Merely to exhaust White's move, which will finally force him to move either the King or the Knight.

17. P - Q R 5 P - Q R 3 18. Kt - B 1 K P 19. K - K 1 B - K 7 20. Kt - Q 2 ch K - K 6 21. Kt - Kt 1 P - B 4 22. Kt - Q 2 P - R 4 23. Kt - Kt 1 K - B 6 24. Kt - B 3 K P {142} 25. Kt - R 4 P - B 5 26. Kt P P - B 6 27. Kt - K 4 ch K - B 5

The quickest way to win. White should resign.

28. Kt - Q 6 P - B 4 29. P - Kt 4 P P 30. P - B 5 P - Kt 6 31. Kt - B 4 K - Kt 6 32. Kt - K 3 P - Kt 7 Resigns.

A very good example on Black's part of how to conduct such an ending.

{143}

CHAPTER VI

FURTHER OPENINGS AND MIDDLE-GAMES

31. SOME SALIENT POINTS ABOUT p.a.w.nS

Before going back to the discussion of openings and middle-game positions, it might be well to bear in mind a few facts concerning p.a.w.n positions which will no doubt help to understand certain moves, and sometimes even the object of certain variations in the openings, and of some manoeuvres in the middle-games.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

EXAMPLE 63.--In the position of the diagram we have an exceedingly bad p.a.w.n formation on Black's side. Black's Q B P is altogether backward, and White could by means of the open file concentrate {144} his forces against that weak point. There is also the square at White's Q B 5, which is controlled by White, and from where a White piece once established could not be dislodged. In order to get rid of it, Black would have to exchange it, which is not always an easy matter, and often when possible not at all convenient. The same holds true with regard to Black's K P, K B P and K Kt P, which create what is called a "hole" at Black's K B 3. Such p.a.w.n formations invariably lead to disaster, and consequently must be avoided.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

EXAMPLE 64.--In this position we might say that the White centre p.a.w.ns have the attacking position, while the Black centre p.a.w.ns have the defensive position. Such a formation of p.a.w.n occurs in the French Defence. In such positions White most often attempts, by means of P - K B 4 and K B 5, to obtain a crus.h.i.+ng attack against Black's King, which is generally Castled on the King's side. To prevent that, {145} and also to a.s.sume the initiative or obtain material advantage, Black makes a counter-demonstration by P - Q B 4, followed by P P (when White defends the p.a.w.n by P - Q B 3), and the concentrating of Black's pieces against the White p.a.w.n at Q 4. This in substance might be said to be a determined attack against White's centre in order to paralyse the direct attack of White against Black's King. It must be remembered that at the beginning of the book it was stated that _control of the centre was an essential condition to a successful attack against the King_.

In an abstract way we may say that two or more p.a.w.ns are strongest when they are in the same rank next to one another. Thus the centre p.a.w.ns are strongest in themselves, so to speak, when placed at K 4 and Q 4 respectively, hence the question of advancing either the one or the other to the fifth rank is one that must be most carefully considered. The advance of either p.a.w.n often determines the course the game will follow.

Another thing to be considered is the matter of one or more pa.s.sed p.a.w.ns when they are isolated either singly or in pairs. We might say that a pa.s.sed p.a.w.n is either very weak or very strong, and that its weakness or strength, whichever happens to be in the case to be considered, increases as it advances, and is at the same time in direct relation to the number of pieces on the board. In this last respect it might be generally said that _a pa.s.sed p.a.w.n increases in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishes_. {146}

Having all this clear in mind we will now revert to the openings and middle-game. We will a.n.a.lyse games carefully from beginning to end according to general principles. I shall, whenever possible, use my own games, not because they will better ill.u.s.trate the point, but because, knowing them thoroughly, I shall be able to explain them more authoritatively than the games of others.

32. SOME POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENTS FROM A RUY LOPEZ

That some of the variations in the openings and the manoeuvres in the middle-game are often based on some of the elementary principles just expounded can be easily seen in the following case: