21.Rc5!Qxc5
On 21…Qd7, the reply 22.Nf5 is crushing. The simple threat is to take twice on g7, then on c7 and b7, for example 22…Rac8 23.Nxh6+ Kh8 24.Nf5 with 25.Re3 and 26.Rh3+ to follow.
22.Nf5 Re7
An important line is 22…Qf8 23.Bxb4! – another deflection. Now, on 23…Qf7 (if 23…C5 24.Bxc5) 24.Nxh6+ forks the king and the queen.
23.d4!
and White wins.
23…Qd6
On 23…Qb6 24.Nxe7+ Kh8 25.Nf5 wins.
24.Nxd6 cxd6 25.Bxb4 Rd8 26.dxe5 Rxe5 27.Bc3 Rxe1+ 28.Bxe1 Bd5 29.Bc3 Bf7 30.Qf5 Re8 31.h3
1-0
Prominent Defender
Gashimov,Vugar
Navara,David
Wijkaan Zee 2012 (9)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 0-0 6.Nbd2 d6 7.h3 a6 8.Ba4 Ba7 9.Nf1 d5 10.Qe2 b5 11.Bb3 d4 12.Ng3 a5 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bd5 hxg5 15.Bxc6 Rb8 16.cxd4 Bxd4 17.Rc1 Rb6 18.Qc2 g4 19.Nxd4 Qxd4 20.hxg4 Nxg4 21.Qd2 Qd6 22.Bd5 a4 23.Nh5 Qe7 24.f3 Nh6
White has a beautiful attacking position. Nearly all his men are aimed at the enemy king. He benefits from various open lines: the h-file and the a2-g8 diagonal, and he enjoys a well-placed knight. If only the white queen could help her army, and finish the job! g5 is a very attractive square, the only obstacle being the black queen controlling it. So
25.Rxc7!
25.g4 was played in the game, after which White was unable to win: 25…Rg6 26.Ng3 Qd8 27.Rh5 Be6 28.g5 Bxd5 29.gxh6 Rxg3 30.Qh2 Rg5 31.hxg7 Kxg7 32.Rh7+ Kf6 33.exd5 Qxd5 34.Rh6+ Ke7 35.Rxc7+ Kd8 36.Rhc6 Qxf3 37.Rc8+ Ke7 38.R8c7+ Kd8 39.Rc8+ Ke7 40.R8c7+ and draw.
25…Qxc7
If 25…Qd6 White finishes with 26.Qc1 Ba6 27.Kf2 followed by 28.g4 and 29.g5, winning the knight.
26.Qg5+−
26…Nf5
If 26…Rg6 27.Qxg6. Against 26…g6 27.Qxh6 gxh5 28.Qg5+ mates in two: 28…Kh8 29.Rxh5+.
27.exf5 g6 28.fxg6+−
And mate by 29.gxf7+ will follow soon.
Elimination and Deflection
Van Kampen,Robin
Vedder,Richard
Amsterdam 2012 (5)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Bc5 10.Qd3 0-0 11.Nbd2 f5 12.exf6 Nxf6 13.a4 Rb8 14.axb5 axb5 15.Ra6 Bb6 16.Ng5 Bf7 17.Nxf7 Rxf7 18.Nf3 Qd6 19.Be3 Bxe3 20.fxe3 Qc5 21.Ng5 Rd7
Many weaknesses can be seen on Black’s part of the board. Two motifs are clear enough:
- the alignment of White’s bishop on b3 with the black king on g8;
- the lack of protection for the co-knight, which is attacked once, and protected once – by the queen on c5.
The idea would be to deflect the queen from the defence of the c6-knight, which can be achieved thanks to the preparatory
22.Rxf6!
Eliminating the defender of the e4- and d 5-squares.
22…gxf6 23.Ne4
Deflecting the queen from the defence of the c6-knight.
23…Qe7
23…Ne5 was played in the game, and Black resigned after 24.Nxc5.
24.Rxc6
Attacking f6. 24.Bxd5+ is also possible, but why enter a pin?
24…Kh8
After 24…Rf8, 25.Qd4! wins easily, for example: 25…Kg7 26.Nxf6! Rxf6 27.Rxf6 Qxf6 28.Qg4+ Kf8 29.Qxd7.
25.Nxf6 Rd6 26.Nxd5 Qg7 27.Rxd6+−
Attraction and Deflection
Savchenko,Stanislav
Riazantsev,Alexander
Chisinau 2012 (1.2)
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.a3 c5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.dxc5 Nxc5 11.Be2 Qb6 12.Be5 Nb3 13.Rb1 Bf5 14.Bd3 Be4 15.0-0 Qg6 16.Bxe4 dxe4 17.Qxb3 exf3 18.Bg3 Qe4 19.Rfd1 Rad8 20.gxf3 Qxf3 21.Rxd8 Rxd8 22.Qc4 h5 23.Rc1
Here Black has an undisputed advantage, thanks to the better pawn structure (two islands instead of three) and the very strong position of his queen. From f3 the queen keeps control over d1, thus insuring Black’s domination on the d-file. More importantly, the queen could give checkmate on g2 with the help of a pawn on h3. Of course, White controls h4 twice (queen and bishop), against Black one (bishop). But here we encounter our theme:
23…h4!
A classical opportunity for a deflection. On 24.Qf4 Rd1+ 25.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 26.Kg2 hxg3 wins the bishop; 24.Bf4 Qg4+ 25.Kf1 g5! is a fork against the queen on c4, because if 26.Bc7…
… here we can see another case of an overloaded defence: the white rook has to protect the queen while guarding the back rank against checkmate: 26…Rd1+ 27.Rxd1 Qxc4+.
After 24.Bxh4 the bishop has been lured to a square where it is attacked once, and defended once by the queen. 24…b5 (the queen is dominated along the fourth rank, and is not able to defend the bishop any more) 25.Bxe7 bxc4 26.Bxd8.
The queen is much stronger than the bishop and rook here, because White cannot achieve any good coordination, and some pawns (b2) are exposed, for example: 26…Qg4+−+ 27.Kh1 Qe4+ 28.Kg1 Qg6+ 29.Kh1 Qd3 30.Bc7 Qd2 and after taking on b2 Black will have a dangerous passed c-pawn, with an easy win.
Overworked Piece
Renet,Olivier
Relange,Eloi
Toulouse ch-FRA 1995 (S)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Bb3 0-0 9.0-0 Na5 10.f4 b6 11.e5 Ne8 12.f5 dxe5 13.fxe6 exd4 14.exf7+ Kh8 15.fxe8Q Qxe8 16.Bxd4 Nxb3 17.axb3 Rxf1+ 18.Qxf1 Bb7 19.Re1 Qd7 20.Rd1 Qc6 21.Qe2 Qg6 22.Rd3 Bd6 23.Re3 Rd8 24.Re6 Qf7 25.Bf2 Bc6 26.Bg3 Bc5+ 27.Kh1
Here the queen is the necessary guard of the e6-rook, and against the back-rank mate. A classic case of an overloaded piece. The deflection is decisive:
27…Rd2! 28.Rxc6
28.Re8+Bxe8.
28.Qc4 allows 28…Bxg2#.
28…Rxe2
0-1
After 29.Rc8+ Black has the simple backward move 29…Re8 and wins.
Exercises
Exercise 1 Signal 6
*
Le Roux Jean Pierre
Mocquard,Yves
Guingamp 2012 (1)
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 g6 6.0-0 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 0-0 9.Qh4 Qc7 10.Rd1 Na6 11.Bh6 Rfe8 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.cxd5 Bxb2 14.d6 Qc3 15.Rab1 Rac8 16.Nd4 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Ba3 18.Rd3 Qc5 19.dxe7 Qxe7
(Solution on page 154)
Exercise 2 Signal 6
*
Hounie Fleurquin, Carlos
Castillo Larenas,Mariano
Buenos Aires 1935 (15)
1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.exd5 Nxd5 4.Bc4 Nxc3 5.bxc3 Nd7 6.Nf3 e6 7.d4 Be7 8.Qe2 c5 9.0-0 0-0 10.Re1 Bf6 11.Rb1 g6 12.Bh6 Re8 13.Qe3 Nb6 14.Bb5 Bd7 15.Bxd7 Nd5 16.Qe4 Qxd7 17.c4 Nc3 18.Rxb7 Qd8 19.Qf4 cxd4
(Solution on page 155)
Exercise 3 Signal 6
*
Milov,Vadim
Erismann,Peter
Neuchatel 2012 (2)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nc3 Nbd7 9.Re1 Nb6 10.Bb3 c6 11.h3 Nbd5 12.Bg5 Be6 13.Ne5 h6 14.Bh4 Nf4 15.Bc2 Bd5 16.Bg3 Ne6 17.Qd3 Qb6
(Solution on page 155)
Exercise 4 Signal 6
**
Bricard,Emmanuel
Vanheirzeele,Daniel
Francete 2011 (4)
1.g3 c5 2.Bg2 Nc6 3.c4 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Qd2 e5 7.b3 Nge7 8.Bb2 0-0 9.e3 Be6 10.Nd5 Qd7 11.Ne2 h6 12.h4 Rab8 13.h5 g5 14.f4 g4 15.0-0 f5 16.e4 Nd4 17.Nxd4 exd4 18.Nxe7+ Qxe7 19.Rae1 Qd7 20.Rf2 Rfe8 21.Rfe2 b6 22.b4 a6 23.Bc1 b5 24.exf5 Bxf5 25.Bd5+ Kf8 26.Ba3 Re3 27.bxc5 Rxg3+ 28.Rg2 Rxd3 29.c6 Qc7
(Solution on page 155)
Exercise 5 Signal 6
***
Radjabov,Teimour
Karjakin,Sergey
Wijkaan Zee 2012 (6)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Nbd2 d5 6.Bg2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.b3 c5 9.dxc5 bxc5 10.Ne5 Bb7 11.Bb2 Nbd7 12.e3 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 Nd7 14.Bb2 Bf6 15.Qc2 Qb616.cxd5 exd5 17.Rac1 Rac8 18.Rfd1 Rfd8 19.Bxf6 Nxf6 20.Qf5 g6 21.Qf4 Kg7 22.h4 a5 23.e4 dxe4 24.Nc4 Qe6 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Qc7 Qd5 27.Ne3 Qd2 28.Rc2 Rd7 29.Qxc5 Qe1+ 30.Kh2 h5 31.Qe5 Qb4 32.Rc5 Qd2 33.Rc2 Qb4 34.Qg5 Nh7 35.Qf4 Qd4 36.Bh3 Re7 37.Rc7 Qf6 38.Rc5 Qb6 39.Rc2 Qa6 40.Rd2 Qf6 41.Qb8 Nf8 42.0d8 Ne6 43.Bxe6 Rxe6 4
4.Qxa5 Ba6 45.Nd5 Qe5 46.Qc7 Bd3 47.Qxe5+ Rxe5 48.Nf4 Ba6 49.Nd5 Bd3 50.Nb4 Bf1 51.Nc2 Rb5 52.Ne3 Bd3 53.Rb2 Kf6 54.a4 Ra5 55.Ra2 Ke5 56.b4 Ra7 57.Ra3 Kd4 58.b5 Kc5 59.Rc3+ Kd4
(Solution on page 155)
Exercise 6 Signal6
***
Marcelin,Cyril
Abergel,Thal
Evry 2002 (7)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nc6 6.Nc3 g6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7 9.Nde2 Rc8 10.0-0 Na5 11.b3 Nf6 12.Bg5 0-0 13.Qd2 b6 14.Bh6 Nb7 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.f4 Nc5 17.Ng3 a6 18.Rad1 Qc6 19.Nd5 Nxd5 20.exd5 Qc7 21.Rf3 Nd7 22.Re1 Rfe8 23.f5 Ne5
(Solution on page 156)
Chapter 14
Impotent Defence/Defence Too Far Away
A strong motif is the absence of defensive forces. For example, if the players have opposite-coloured bishops, the dark-squared bishop is unable to defend against attacks on light squares, and vice versa.
Grischuk,Alexander
Gelfand,Boris
Linares 2010 (2)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nbd7 9.Qe2 a6 10.a4 cxd4 11.exd4 Nb6 12.Bd3 Nbd5
13.Nxd5!?
Eliminating a potential defender of the king’s castle.
13…Nxd514.Qe4 g6
After this move, White focuses on attacking the dark squares. In order to do so, he will eliminate the main defenders of these squares.
15.Bh6 Re8 16.Ne5 Bd7 17.Qf3 Qe7 18.Be4 Bc6
19.Bxd5! Bxd5 20.Qf4 f5 21.h4 Rac8 22.Rac1 Bd6 23.Rfe1 Qf6 24.Rc3 Rxc3 25.bxc3 Rc8 26.Qg3 Be4 27.h5
27…Bxe5
The e5-knight is so strong that it must be exchanged. In doing so, Black has given his dark-squared bishop, so the attack on the dark squares will now be very difficult to stop.
28.dxe5 Qf7 29.Re3 Kh8
29…Rc7 was a better defence. After 30.a5, White has a clear advantage, and good chances of building up a successful attack, for example Qg5 (or maybe first hxg6), Rg3 etc.
30.Qh4+− gxh5 31.Rg3
White is winning: too many attackers of the dark squares against too few defenders.
31…Bd5 32.a5 f4 33.Rg7 Qf5 34.Qe7 Qe4 35.Qf6
1-0
35.Rg8+ was even quicker: 35…Rxg8 36.Qf6+Rg7 37.Qxg7#.
Another form of impotent defence is a lack of coordination between ones forces, particularly at the opening stage. The following game is typical:
Junior
Pandix
Pamplona 2009 (2)
In order to be able to defend, the defender needs mobility. On principle, one obtains good mobility when all the pieces are connected, and able to move quickly from one point to another. The problem of a good connection between one’s forces is one of the main objectives in the opening.
Classical play assumes that the opening is over when the rooks are connected. Yet, if a player loses time, for example with pawn grabbing, he risks to be left with a position where connection between the rooks is made impossible for ever. Computer programs are particularly apt at evaluating such factors – Time against Material, especially the evaluation of ‘how much a tempo is worth’. That is why as a model game, I give this one, from the world computer chess championship:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qc7 5.Nb5!Qc6
5…Qe5 has also been tried: 6.Be3 a6 7.f4 Qxe4 8.Nc7+ Kd8 9.Qe2 Bc5 10.Nxe6+ dxe6 11.Bxc5 Qxe2+ 12.Bxe2 Nd7 13.Bd4 Ngf6 14.Nc3 (14.Nd2+ was probably more accurate.
Now if Black plays 14…b6 like in the game, 15.Nc4 is very unpleasant: 15…Rb8 16.0-0-0 Ke7 17.g4!? with a clear advantage) 14…b6 15.Bf3 Rb8 16.0-0 Bb7 17.Be5 Nxe5 18.fxe5 Ne8 19.Rad1+ Ke7 20.Rd4 Bxf3 21.Rxf3 Nc7 22.Rg4. In this position, a draw was agreed, though White retains a small edge, Perez Candelario-Khamrakulov, Navalmoral 2011.
6.Bf4! Qxe4+ 7.Be3 Qb4+
Another possibility is 7…Na6 8.Nlc3 Qg6 9.Nd6+ Bxd6 10.Qxd6 Ne7 11.0-0-0+−. Blacks king is stuck in the centre, and both his kingside and queenside are undeveloped.
If 11…Nf5 12.Qa3.
8.Nd2
White looks for the c4-square. Also good was 8.N1c3.
8…Qa5
9.b4!
The computer plays a gambit ‘coffee-house style’.
9…Qd8
After 9…Bxb4 10.c3 Bxc3 (on 10…Be7 11.Nc4 is crushing) 11.Nxc3 Qxc3 12.Rc1 is the trick.
10.Bf4 Na6 11.Nd6+ Bxd6 12.Bxd6
This bishop, fixed on the outpost d6, completely ties Black up, preventing him from castling, and on the other side, dominating the a6-knight while making it difficult for the c8-bishop to find a way out.
12…Ne7
The alternative 12…b6 13.Bd3 Bb7 14.Qe2 gives White a large advantage.
13.Qf3 Qb6 14.Nc4 Qc6
15.b5!
Here Black could have exchanged queens, which looks more logical with the king in the centre.
15…Qxf3
The game continued 15…Qxb5 16.Ba3 Kf8 17.Rd1!+− Nc7 18.Qf4! Na6 19.Qd6 Qg5 20.h4 Qf6
21.Rh3! (the same ‘beginner’s move’ with the rook is the most efficient here) 21…e5 22.Rf3 Qxd6 23.Nxd6 f6
24.Nxc8! (the simplest way is to take the apparently useless bishop. ‘Bad bishops defend good pawns’ – Suba) 24…Rxc8 25.Rxd7 Nc5 26.Bxc5 Rxc5 27.Rd8+ Kf7 28.Rxh8 and Black resigned.
16.gxf3 Nb8
Black is a pawn up in the ending. Nevertheless, he is hopelessly lost, because he will not be able to coordinate his forces.
17.Rg1 Rg8 18.f4
The opening of the long diagonal discourages …b7-b6.
18…f6
Vacating the f7-square for the king.
19.0-0-0
The black queenside is completely frozen. Neither the b8-knight, nor the c8-bishop can move.
19…g6
What is the most efficient way to win for White?
20.Rg3!!
This beautiful geometrical resource is winning by force. The threat is 21.Ra3 followed by 22.Nb6.
20…Nf5 21.Ra3 Nxd6 22.Nxd6+ Kd8
is no defence because of 23.Rc3!.
Sometimes we have to provoke such a coordination problem by blocking a few defensive lines, thus leaving the defence without prospects of bringing his forces toward the crucial zone.
Blockade
Carvallo,Henri
Picard,Clement
Nationale 1 2010
1.d4 c5 2.c3 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Bf4 cxd4 5.cxd4 Qb6 6.Qc2 Nc6 7.e3 Be7 8.Nc3 a6 9.Be2 0-0 10.0-0 d5 11.a3 Bd7 12.Bd3 Rac8 13.Qe2 Na7 14.Ne5 Be8 15.Rac1 Nd7 16.Rc2 Nxe5 17.Bxe5 Bd6
In this game, White’s queen and two bishops are looking dangerously at the black king. Black’s position is solid, though. His castle might be defended by a classical pawn move like …f7-f5 or …g7-g6, and everything would be in order. That is why White must prevent Black’s forces from coordinating immediately.
The blockading move
18.Bf6!
leaves Black in dire straits, because now he is no longer able to assist his king, while White will be attacking.
18.Bxd6 Qxd6 19.Qh5 (19.Rfc1) 19…g6 was played in the game, where Black was able to equalize.
18…gxf6
18…g6 19.e4± dxe4 (19…Nc6 20.exd5±) 20.Qe3+− (20.Qd2+−); 18…h6?! 19.Qg4 g6 20.Qh3 (20.Qh4+−) 20…Kh7 (20…h5 21.g4) 21.f4!+− Bd7 22.Rf3 followed by 23.Qxh6+ Kxh6 24.Rh3#.
The idea is that against a move like 18…Bd7, White plays 19.Bxh7+ (19.Qh5+−) 19…Kxh7 20.Qh5+ Kg8 21.Qg5g6 22.Qh6.
19.Nxd5
Or 19.Qg4+ Kh8 20.Qh4 f5 21.Nxd5! exd5 22.Bxf5 Kg7 23.Qg5+ Kh8 24.Qh6 Bxh2+ 25.Qxh2+−.
19…Qd8
If 19…exd5 20.Qg4+ Kh8 21.Qf5 mates.
20.Rxc8 Nxc8
If 20…Qxc8 21.Qh5 f5 22.Nf6+ Kg7 23.Qg5+ Kh8 24.Qh6 and mates.
21.Qg4+Kh8 22.Qh4
And White wins: 22….f5 23.Qxd8+−.
A third possibility that leads to impotent defence is when the defensive pieces are too far away from the main action; in this case the attacker has enough time to build up his attack, and to round it off before the defensive men are able to come back.
Defenc
e too far away
Naer,Evgeny
Yuferov,Sergey
St Petersburg 2000 (3)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Rb1 0-0 9.Be2 b6 10.0-0 Bb7 11.Qd3 Ba6 12.Qe3 Qd7 13.Bxa6 Nxa6 14.Qe2 Qa4 15.d5 Bxc3
Very courageous. Now White will be able to develop a quick attack thanks to a tempo-winning move, which allows him to quickly obtain perfect coordination between his forces:
16.Rb3
The threat is to take the bishop, and in case it retreats, say to g7, to play 17.Ra3, thus winning the a6-knight.
16…Bb4
This move was forced, in order not to lose the knight on a6. We should be very wary of entering such messy piece positions with black. Queen, knight and bishop are stuck on the queenside, and unable to assist their king ‘in case of emergency’.
17.Ne5!
Simple, yet brilliant: the knight vacates the third rank in order to let its own rook have its say on the kingside. Also, the knight may reach the interesting co-square, while controlling f7 and g6 around the black king’s defences.
17…Rac8
After 17…f6 several moves give White an advantage, the funniest being 18.Nxg6! (18.Nc6±) 18…hxg6 19.Rg3 Kf7 (19…Qe8 20.Qh5!+−; not 20.Qxa6+, which would allow Black some hope to save the game)
20.Rxg6!! Kxg6 (20…Rg8! 21.Rh6 Ke8 (only move) 22.e5± Bc3 23.exf6 Bxf6 24.g3! (24.Rxf6 Qg4! 25.Qxg4 Rxg4) 24…Qd4 25.d6!± or 25.Qxa6±) 21.Qg4+ Kf7 22.Qh5+ Kg8 23.Bh6+−
18.Rh3+−
1-0
Tune Your Chess Tactics Antenna Page 11