% BOOKTITLE = Chess Strategy: Move by Move
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "About this Publication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.21"]

{Want to improve at chess? Then you'll need to improve your understanding of
chess strategy. You probably knew that already - but how to begin to study
such a vast and seemingly complex subject? International Master Adam Hunt is a
full-time chess teacher and is thus very familiar with this problem. His
solution is to present an accessible and easy-to-read guide for club players
and juniors. Hunt studies all the key components of chess strategy, including
development, king safety, attack and defence, initiative, pawn play and much
more. He examines not only grandmaster games but also those played by students,
demonstrates model strategic play, identifies typical mistakes and explains
how to avoid them. --- 'Move by Move' provides an ideal platform to study
chess. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions
throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning
and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of
knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you
actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is
an excellent way to improve your chess skills and knowledge.} 1. -- {Adam Hunt
is an International Master from Oxford with two Grandmaster norms. Since 2003
he has taught chess full-time at Woodbridge School in Suffolk, helping the
school along the way to produce three England representatives. He has acquired
a growing reputation for coaching having also worked with the England and
Wales junior teams at many international events, including the World Youth
Championships and World Under-16 Olympiad. He comes from a family of chess
players, with his sister Harriet currently ranked as the top female player in
England. This is his first book.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Foreword"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "John Emms"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.21"]

{The 'Move by Move' format is designed to be interactive, and is based on
questions asked by both teachers and students. It aims - as much as possible -
to replicate chess lessons. All the way through, readers will be challenged to
answer searching questions and to complete exercises, to test their skills in
key aspects of the game. It's our firm belief that practising your skills like
this is an excellent way to study chess.} 1. -- {Many thanks go to all those
who have been kind enough to offer inspiration, advice and assistance in the
creation of Move by Move. We're really excited by this series and hope that
readers will share our enthusiasm.} (1. -- {John Emms, Everyman Chess}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Introduction"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.12.21"]

{Welcome to the wonderful world of Chess Strategy! I really hope that you
enjoy the material presented here - it has been the culmination of over a
year's hard work and has been written whilst I have taken a sabbatical from my
job, teaching chess at Woodbridge School. The writing has sat hand-in-hand
with playing chess full-time, as I chased the dream of becoming a Grandmaster 
(which I failed). There have been many personal highs and lows along the way -
usually as a direct result of how the various tournaments were going! ---
Chess strategy is concerned with the correct evaluation of a position and the
formulation of an effective plan based upon its characteristic features. When
the word 'strategy' is mentioned, people tend to jump to the conclusion that
we are talking about long-term middlegame planning, and that you have to be
some sort of psychic who can see the future, but that is rarely the case. Many
features of a given position which are strategically important will evolve out
of the opening and finish in the endgame, so it would be foolish to completely
ignore these phases of the game. Plans can be short or long term, depending on
how the landscape in front of you is changing as the game progresses. This is
why the subject is so complex and so much material is available on it. I have
decided to split the book into twelve chapters; to be honest each one could be
extended into a whole book in itself (in some cases the subjects have!). In
each, I hope to give a flavour of an area of the game which I think is
important. --- I hope that this book is interesting and unique, not
necessarily because all the ideas are revolutionary and ground breaking - they
most certainly are not. Indeed a lot of the ideas I have written about are
taken from previous literature, but I have tried to present them with the
enthusiasm and energy that would go into my day to day teaching. There are
many 'classic' grandmaster games presented in this book, some of which you may
be familiar with and some you may not (but all of which I think you will find
useful to study). There are also a number of examples taken from my own games
and those of my students in which there are mistakes aplenty that we can learn
from. I am hoping this will appeal to the reader of this book and indeed be in
keeping with the general interactive approach to the 'Move by Move' series. I
am also hopeful that this book can be used by teachers as well as students,
and that a dip into it will provide useful coaching material for the next
generation of up-and-coming chess players.} 1. -- {I would like to thank
everyone who has supported me in the writing of this book. The proof-readers,
Caro, Harriet and John for their helpful comments and patient, polite
corrections of my terrible grammar. A big thanks also to Sabrina, for her
assistance and advice throughout the course of the last year, and to Arthur
for being a great coach and source of ideas. Thank you to John Emms for giving
me the opportunity to write for Everyman Chess and Richard Palliser for the
editing. Particular thanks go to my students, who have provided me with
countless pages of material that I think you will find useful and interesting.
Apologies in advance to those whose losses or mistakes I have included. To the
ones whose brilliant wins I have put in, the least you can do is buy a copy of
the book! --- Appreciation of both strategy and tactics are the 'Ying and
Yang' of a strong chess player. They sit side by side, in harmony with each
other and you cannot hope to' improve your play without working on both
aspects of the game. Usually, in order to improve our tactical ability, we
solve exercises and problems from books or electronic media. I hope that with
this work, the questions and exercises I ask you to solve and think about will
help improve your strategic play in a similar way. Let's get started!} (1. -- {
Adam Hunt, Woodbridge, Suffolk, February 2013}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "1: Central Control"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

{'What matters is not the breadth of the centre, but its solidity.' - Max Euwe
} 1. -- {The first maxim we are normally taught when learning to play chess is
to control the middle of the board and in particular the central squares e4,
d4, d5 and e5. This is relatively easy for the novice to understand and
implement, from as early as move one with 1 d4 or 1 e4. Being in possession of
a stable centre is recognized as advantageous. Pieces find it easier to move
into attacking and defensive positions from the centre, and the advance of
central pawns will more often than not create disruption in the opponent's
position. In this chapter I will start by discussing the differing historical
views on central control, before moving on to looking at some of the different
types of pawn centre and how to handle them.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A Brief History of the Centre"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

{A Brief History of the Centre: In the past 150 years or so opinions have
changed on the best way to fight for control of the centre. These differing
schools of thought and the fashions of different openings are one of the many
fascinating developments of chess theory. The 'Classical' viewpoint is to
occupy the centre with pawns from the word go. The first recognized World
Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz (born 1836, World Champion 1886-1894) was one of
the first masters to champion this school of thought. Prior to Steinitz the
age of chess was one of 'Romanticism', where players gave up pawns for fun.
Steinitz took a more sober approach to the opening.} 1. -- {Later great
players such as Siegbert Tarrasch (1862-1934) and the Cuban World Champion
José Raul Capablanca (1888-1942) supported and developed the Classical view.} (
{Openings such as the Ruy Lopez and Queens Gambit Declined, where the central
pawns are quickly stabilized, grew in popularity, whilst flank gambits, such
as the King's Gambit (} 1. e4 e5 2. f4 {)}) ({and the Danish Gambit (} 1. e4 e5
2. d4 exd4 3. c3 {), fell somewhat by the wayside. I would like to present a
powerful game of the time, played by the Hungarian Grandmaster Richard Réti.})
({Although Réti later became famous for his hypermodern thinking and
development of the opening which bears his name (} 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 {), here he
produces an instructive example of straightforward Classical chess.}) *

[Event "Vienna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1910.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Reti, R."]
[Black "Stark, K."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C65"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "1910.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {The starting point for the Ruy Lopez, or Spanish
Opening, which has been White's main weapon against 1 e4 e5 at grandmaster
level for some time. White develops the light-squared bishop to an active
square whilst putting pressure on the central e5-pawn by attacking its
defender.} Nf6 (3... a6 {is the other main move.}) 4. O-O ({It is worth noting
that} 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. Nxe5 {is met by the typical reaction} Qd4 $1 6. Nf3 Qxe4+
7. Qe2 Qxe2+ 8. Kxe2 {with a good game for Black, due to the two bishops and
safer king.}) 4... d6 {Black secures his e5-pawn, but also locks his
dark-squared bishop in. --- EXERCISE: What should White play after Stark's 4...d6?} ({These days the Berlin Defence starting with} 4... Nxe4 {has become all
the rage. Former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik used this opening to
successfully defend against Garry Kasparov in their World Championship match
of 2000. After} 5. d4 (5. Re1 $5) ({and} 5. Qe2 $5 {have become popular ways
to avoid the ending}) 5... Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {the
'Berlin endgame' is reached, which certainly isn't to everybody's taste due to
the early exchange of queens.}) (4... a6 $2 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nxe5 $1 {would now
just win a pawn, as} Nxe4 7. Re1 Bf5 8. d3 {would lead to disaster down the
e-file for Black} ({but not of course} 8. f3 $4 {, weakening the a7-g1
diagonal; indeed,} Bc5+ 9. Kf1 Qd4 {would be a sad end for White.})) 5. d4 $1 {
(ANSWER) White exploits his slight lead in development and safer king position
to try and open some lines and grab the centre.} Bd7 {Black guards against
threats of d4-d5.} 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Bg5 {White finishes the development of his
last minor piece.} ({Note that} 7. Bxc6 Bxc6 8. dxe5 {would not offer White
much due to} Nxe4 {.}) 7... exd4 {Black decides to release the tension in the
centre.} 8. Nxd4 O-O (8... Nxd4 9. Bxd7+ Qxd7 10. Qxd4 O-O {is slightly better
for White, due to his extra space and more active pieces.}) 9. Bxc6 bxc6 {
QUESTION: Hang on a minute - hasn't White just given up the bishop-pair and
opened the b-file for Black's rook? --- ANSWER: Well, yes, he has, but the
problem was that Black was preparing to exchange off the knights and
light-squared bishops with 9...Nxd4. White has created an imbalance 
(bishop-pair for Black; better pawn structure and good knight on d4 for White),
so not everything is in Black's favour.} 10. Qd3 {I am very fond of this queen
move. Her Majesty eyes up the squares a6 and g3 whilst connecting the rooks
and reinforcing the central e-pawn.} Ng4 {Stark looks to relieve some of the
discomfort caused by White's space advantage through exchanges, which is a
normal defensive strategy.} (10... Nxe4 {is a typical tactical motif, trying
to exploit the undefended bishop on g5, but here it simply loses a piece to}
11. Bxe7 (11. Nxe4 $2 Bxg5 {is the idea}) 11... Qxe7 12. Nxe4 {. Note that if
the queen was on d1, this idea may have worked.}) 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 {EXERCISE:
What should White play here? --- ANSWER:} 12. f4 $1 {Controlling the important
e5-square.} f5 {Black decides to fight back in the centre.} ({I would have
preferred} 12... Rab8 13. b3 Rfe8 {, though I still think White is a bit
better due to his central control.}) 13. Rae1 fxe4 {QUESTION: Which is the
best way to recapture? --- ANSWER:} 14. Nxe4 $1 {Centralization! This is a
very important principle to remember. The knight is en route to a better home.}
(14. Rxe4 $6 {is a bit too 'obvious'. Rooks are often just as effective on the
first rank and this is a good example of that. After something like} Qf7 15.
Rfe1 d5 16. Re7 Qxf4 {Black's counterplay is in full swing.}) ({Meanwhile, we
don't want to swap the queens off with} 14. Qxe4 Qxe4 15. Rxe4 Rae8 {when
Black is very comfortable.}) 14... Qh4 15. h3 Nf6 {QUESTION: White has
centralized all his pieces. What now? --- ANSWER:} 16. Ng5 $1 {The knight
heads for the fabulous outpost on e6.} ({Instead} 16. Nxf6+ Qxf6 {would ease
Black's defensive task.}) 16... d5 17. Nge6 Bxe6 ({Trying to exploit the pin
down the e-file with} 17... Rfe8 {would be met with} 18. Nf5 $1 Qh5 19. Nfxg7 {
, forking the queen and rook.}) 18. Rxe6 {Again the 'obvious' recapture is not
necessarily the best. White attacks the c6-pawn and sets a well-concealed trap,
} ({whereas} 18. Nxe6 {allows} Rf7 {.}) 18... c5 $2 {EXERCISE: Black's last
move loses immediately. Can you see how? --- ANSWER:} 19. Nf5 Qh5 20. Rxf6 $1 {
Hopefully you saw this detail before playing 19 Nf5, but it requires some
calculation. And rather unsportingly here Black resigned.} ({If} 20. Rxf6 Rxf6
({and} 20... gxf6 21. Qg3+ Kf7 (21... Qg6 22. Ne7+) 22. Qg7+ Ke6 23. Qe7+ Kxf5
24. g4+ {also wins}) 21. Qxd5+ {wins the rook on a8}) (20. -- {Summary: A very
smooth game by Réti. White established a small but stable central advantage
which made Black's position slightly the more difficult to play. 12...f5
seemed to help White as it gave him an access point for his knight. I also
didn't like 7...exd4 as it conceded the centre too cheaply.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Hypermodernists"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

{The Hypermodernists Have Their Say: After World War I (1914-18), a new school
of thought regarding the opening emerged, the 'Hypermodern approach'. This was
led by creative players, such as our friend Richard Réti, Aron Nimzowitsch and
Alexander Alekhine. They argued that conceding the centre, waiting for the
opponent to overextend and then counterattacking to obtain important squares
for the pieces was an effective strategy. Openings such as the Nimzo-Indian,
King's Indian and Grünfeld Defence became popular against 1 d4, and the
Alekhine and Sicilian Dragon against} 1. e4 {. --- The Hypermodern approach
appeals because from the word go an imbalance is created, leading to a more
dynamic and often sharper struggle. From a strategic perspective, however, it
can hardly be called correct due to the space conceded. The hypermodern player
will have to have strong nerves and plenty of energy in order to prevail! ---
It is important as a strong chess player to be able to understand both the
Classical and Hypermodern schools of thought equally well. Here future World
Champion Dr. Max Euwe plays against perhaps the most extreme form of central
control in the opening and shows that it is possible to counter such dominance.
} *

[Event "Wiesbaden"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1925.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sämisch, F."]
[Black "Euwe, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A68"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "1925.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 {I have to admit that I have a soft
spot for the King's Indian, having played it for the best part of 15 years,
but from a strategic point of view it is very risky!} ({Black can also choose
to be ultra-provocative and play} 4... O-O 5. e5 Ne8 6. f4 d6 $1 7. Be3 c5 $1
8. dxc5 Nc6 {with excellent counterplay as the white centre collapses, R.Letelier Martner-R.Fischer, Leipzig Olympiad 1960.}) 5. f4 {White chooses
perhaps the most principled and dangerous continuation, the Four Pawns Attack 
(named for obvious reasons!). If Black doesn't react energetically and
accurately, he can be blown away in the centre.} O-O 6. Nf3 (6. e5 {is rare.
After} Nfd7 7. Nf3 {the following position is reached: EXERCISE: Black looks
passive, but actually his position is quite good! What should he play? ---
ANSWER:} c5 $1 {à la Fischer in the notes to move 4. The game might continue
something like} 8. exd6 exd6 9. d5 Re8+ 10. Be2 Nf6 {with a pleasant position
for Black due to his control over the e-file.}) 6... c5 {This has become
established as the main line,} ({although there are plenty of other options
for Black:} 6... Nbd7 7. e5 Ne8 8. h4 $5 {(starting a direct kingside attack
due to Black's cramped position)} c5 9. h5 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Nc7 11. hxg6 fxg6 12.
Be3 {with a very unclear game, although I suspect White's chances are
favourable, H.Poetsch-V.Kunin, German League 2010.}) (6... e5) (6... Na6) ({and
} 6... Bg4 {are all serious alternatives.}) 7. d5 {White obviously doesn't
want to allow open the centre whilst his king is still there.} ({EXERCISE:} 7.
dxc5 {has also been played by a few grandmasters. How should Black respond?
--- ANSWER:} Qa5 $1 {is typical in such a position, avoiding the exchange of
queens.} ({instead} 7... dxc5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. e5 Ne8 10. Be3 b6 11. Nd5 Nc6 12.
O-O-O {was a little passive for Black in M.Kazhgaleyev-A.Kovalev, Istanbul
Olympiad 2000}) 8. -- {. Then:} (8. Bd3 Qxc5 9. Qe2 Nc6 10. Be3 Qa5 {is a
position which has occurred many times in high-level games. Black has a
Sicilian Dragon-type position and will look to develop with ...Bg4 and ...Rac8.
}) (8. cxd6 Nxe4 $1 {is the point, after which black is clearly better} 9. Bd2
(9. dxe7 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Re8 11. Qc2 Rxe7 {is dreadful for White}) 9... Nxc3 10.
Qb3 exd6 11. Bxc3 Re8+ 12. Be2 Bxc3+ 13. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 14. bxc3 Na6 {when the
wrecked white pawn structure ensures Black a clear advantage.})) 7... e6 {
Black must chip away at the centre before he gets overrun.} (7... b5 $5 8. cxb5
a6 {is a Benko-style gambit which has been tried by some creative grandmasters.
Play might continue something like} 9. bxa6 Qa5 10. Bd2 Bxa6 11. Bxa6 (11. Be2
{may be safer}) 11... Qxa6 12. Qe2 Nfd7 {with a great score for Black of 88%
from 20 games in Mega Database 2012!}) 8. Bd3 ({These days} 8. Be2 {is the
main line. After} exd5 9. cxd5 Bg4 ({I used to favour the complications after} 
9... Re8 10. e5 dxe5 11. fxe5 Ng4 12. Bg5 Qb6 13. O-O) 10. O-O Nbd7 {I
slightly prefer White, as the threat of e4-e5 looms large.}) 8... exd5 {
QUESTION: How should White recapture? --- ANSWER:} 9. cxd5 {Keeping the e-file
closed is sensible here. --- EXERCISE: Suggest a way for Black to continue
after 9 cxd5.} ({Instead} 9. exd5 $2 {means White will have to lose a tempo
with} Re8+ 10. Be2 {and after} (10. Ne2 b5 $1 11. O-O bxc4 12. Bxc4 Nbd7 {
gives Black a good game as the d5-pawn becomes a target}) {, and after} 10...
Bf5 11. O-O Na6 {Black is doing well as he is in possession of the only open
file on the board and his minor pieces are active.}) 9... Qb6 {ANSWER: There
are a few ideas here which are interesting.} ({The text is designed to keep
White's king in the centre for a while as} 9... Qb6 10. O-O $4 {loses a bishop
to} c4+ {.}) ({However,} 9... Re8 10. O-O c4 $1 {seems to be the most active
and accurate treatment, when} 11. Bc2 b5 {gives Black good play due to the
threat of ...b5-b4.}) (9... b5 $5 {is also very interesting:} 10. Bxb5 (10.
Nxb5 {also leads to complications after} Re8 11. e5 dxe5 12. fxe5 Nbd7) 10...
Nxe4 11. Nxe4 Qa5+ 12. Kf2 Qxb5 13. Nxd6 Qa6 {gives Black some compensation
for the sacrificed pawn.}) 10. Nd2 $1 {A fine move, aiming to kick the black
queen away with Nc4.} Ng4 {Black plays creatively, trying at all cost to
prevent White's king from reaching safety.} 11. Nc4 Qd8 12. Be2 {White still
can't castle due to 12...Bd4+.} h5 13. Nb5 $2 {EXERCISE: White becomes too
greedy. Leaving his king in the centre is a risky strategy. Is there a way for
Euwe to exploit this?} (13. Bxg4 Bxg4 14. Qd3 Na6 15. O-O {seems safer.}) 13...
a6 $1 {(ANSWER) Temporarily sacrificing a pawn to embarrass the knights.} 14.
Nbxd6 b5 15. Nxc8 bxc4 {QUESTION: Isn't Black just winning a piece here? ---
ANSWER: Yes, he is, but the situation is far from clear. The central white
pawns remain a real thorn in the side as they split the co-ordination of the
black forces.} 16. e5 Qxc8 17. h3 Nh6 ({I would have seriously considered} 
17... Nxe5 $1 {which seems best after} 18. fxe5 Qf5 $1 {, keeping the king in
the centre.}) 18. g4 {The best move. Otherwise the black knight will re-enter
the game from the f5-square. Despite being material up, Black's forces lack
harmony and the game remains very tense.} Nd7 19. gxh5 $6 {EXERCISE: What is
the best approach for Black here?} (19. d6 {looks more logical as the black
knight cannot come to c6 anymore.}) 19... Qd8 {This forces White to castle, as
...Qh4+ is an unpleasant threat.} ({ANSWER:} 19... Nf5 $1 {seems even better.
After} 20. hxg6 fxg6 21. O-O Nb6 {White still has some compensation for the
piece, but the black knights are now sitting on good squares.}) ({Instead} 
19... gxh5 $6 {looks more risky, as we open the g-file and the black knight
when it arrives on f5 will be unstable.}) 20. O-O Qh4 21. Rf3 $2 gxh5 $2 {
Maybe both sides had a moment of 'chess blindness'?} ({I don't understand why
Euwe didn't just play} 21... Qxh5 {when the discovered attack doesn't promise
much and the f5-square will be a beautiful post for the black knight.}) 22. Rc3
Rae8 23. Bd2 {QUESTION: Is 23...Nxe5 a good move? --- ANSWER: Yes! After it,
the centre collapses and the black pieces will join the attack on the white
king.} Nxe5 $1 (23... Nf5 24. Qe1 $1 {is a small problem for Black as the
queens will be exchanged.}) 24. fxe5 Rxe5 (24... Bxe5 $1 {was even stronger, as
} 25. Bxh6 Bxc3 26. bxc3 Qg3+ 27. Kf1 Re5 $1 {threatening 28...Rf5+ will cost
White material.}) 25. Be1 Qe7 26. d6 {Finally the passed d-pawn moves, but by
now it is too late.} Qe6 27. Bf1 Rg5+ 28. Rg3 {EXERCISE: How should Black
conclude the attack? --- ANSWER:} Qe3+ $1 29. Kg2 (29. Kh2 Be5 {is curtains.})
29... Bd4 30. Rxg5+ $2 ({White could have kept the game going with} 30. Qe2
Rxg3+ 31. Bxg3 {, but} Qg1+ 32. Kf3 Nf5 {is still winning for Black.}) 30...
Qxg5+ {. Summary: A real fight! Both sides had chances to improve their play
and White certainly should have pushed his central d-pawn when he had the
chance. This game goes to show one of the main drawbacks of a large centre:
the cost in time taken to build it often results in a lead in development for
the opponent. This resulted here in a weakened white king position which
eventually decided the game.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hypermodernism and Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

{Hypermodernism and Aron Nimzowitsch: It would be impossible to discuss
hypermodern play without at least one example from perhaps its greatest
exponent, Aron Nimzowitsch. Here he faces another famous grandmaster from the
time, Akiba Rubinstein. A tense struggle ensues.} 1. -- *

[Event "Berlin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1928.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nimzowitsch, A."]
[Black "Rubinstein, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A06"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1928.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 Bf5 3. Bb2 e6 {The game has transposed to a classical line of
the so-called Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack.} 4. g3 {Preparing the double
fianchetto. Also possible here is development of the bishop to e2.} ({The game
might continue something like} 4. e3 Nf6 5. Be2 h6 6. O-O Be7 7. c4 O-O {with
an approximately equal position.}) 4... h6 {At a later stage the light-squared
bishop may want to retreat to h7.} 5. Bg2 Nd7 6. O-O Ngf6 {QUESTION: Bearing
in mind that Nimzowitsch doesn't want to obstruct his fianchettoed bishops,
how should he complete his development here? --- ANSWER:} 7. d3 {White
controls the central e4-square and opens d2 for his knight.} (7. c4 {is also
very sensible and after} c6 {,} 8. d3 {.}) 7... Be7 (7... Bd6 {looks more
natural, but the problem is that an e2-e4 push by White will often be followed
by e4-e5, forking the knight and bishop.}) 8. e3 {White is in no rush to
occupy the centre. Instead he simply wants to place his queen on a slightly
better square (e2) and await developments.} O-O 9. Qe2 c6 {Black is playing
very logically too, looking to restrict the power of the bishop on g2. The
position is approximately equal.} 10. Kh1 a5 {Black seeks to expand on the
queenside...} 11. a4 {...and White prevents this idea!} Nc5 $6 {I'm not sure I
like this, as it weakens control of e5.} ({I would have completed the
development of my queen:} 11... Qc7 12. Nbd2 {and now perhaps} e5 13. e4 Bh7 {
, as} 14. exd5 cxd5 15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. Qxe5 {doesn't win a pawn due to} Qxc2 {.}
) 12. Nd4 Bh7 {EXERCISE: How should White improve his position here? ---
ANSWER:} 13. f4 $1 {Of course! White prevents ...e5 and now has a clear plan
of expansion in the middle of the board with e3-e4.} Nfd7 14. Nd2 {White
sensibly finishes his development.} ({QUESTION: What would have been the most
effective way for Black to counter had White gone} 14. e4 {? --- ANSWER:} dxe4
15. dxe4 e5 $1 {fights back in the centre when} 16. Nf3 {is impossible due to
the weak e4-pawn,} (16. fxe5 Nxe5 17. Nf5 Bf6 {gives Black a majestic knight
on e5}) ({and} 16. Nf5 Bxf5 17. exf5 exf4 18. Rxf4 Bf6 {is very pleasant for
Black too as all his minor pieces are well placed.})) 14... Qc7 15. e4 dxe4 16.
Nxe4 Nxe4 17. dxe4 e5 $1 18. Nf3 exf4 ({Surrendering the centre is not the
only course of action here, but I imagine Black was worried about} 18... Bf6
19. f5 {, locking in on the h7 the bishop for good.}) 19. gxf4 Rfe8 20. e5 {
White tries to mobilize his pawn centre.} Nc5 21. Nd4 Ne6 22. Rad1 ({Here
White could have changed the course of the battle by playing} 22. Nxe6 fxe6 23.
Bh3 {(targeting the weak e6-pawn)} Qc8 24. Qc4 {.}) (22. f5 Nxd4 23. Bxd4 {is
also sensible.}) 22... Nxd4 23. Bxd4 Bf5 24. Be4 {Very logical by Nimzowitsch,
looking to free his f-pawn. --- EXERCISE: We have reached a critical moment in
the game. Should Black exchange the bishops?} Bxe4+ $2 {ANSWER: It is only
here that Rubinstein makes a crucial strategic mistake. The f-pawn must remain
blockaded at all costs.} (24... Qc8 $1 {is the right move, allowing the
exchange but at the same time blockading the f-pawn: for example,} 25. Rg1 Qe6
26. Bxf5 ({if} 26. Qd3 Bxe4+ 27. Qxe4 f5 $1) 26... Qxf5 {when the direct} 27.
e6 {simply weakens White's position after} Bf6 28. exf7+ Kxf7 29. Qc4+ Qe6 {
and Black is fine.}) ({However,} 24... Qd7 $6 25. Bb6 Qe6 26. Bxf5 Qxf5 27. Qd3
{gives White an edge, due to his control of the d- file.}) 25. Qxe4 Rad8 $6 {
EXERCISE: The time is now! How does White force through his attack?} ({It was
not too late for Black to seek counterplay with} 25... c5 26. Bb2 c4 $1 {.})
26. e6 $1 {(ANSWER)} ({Instead} 26. f5 {would allow the tricky response} Bf6 $1
{.}) 26... Bf8 27. Be5 (27. f5 {is better here.}) 27... Qc8 $2 {Black misses
his chance.} (27... Rxd1 28. Rxd1 Qe7 $1 {was correct, when} 29. f5 fxe6 30. f6
gxf6 31. Qg6+ Bg7 32. Bxf6 Qf7 {is an ultra-cool computer defence!}) 28. f5
fxe6 29. f6 $1 {Now the attack is decisive.} Rxd1 30. f7+ Kh8 31. Rxd1 Rd8 32.
Qg6 $1 ({After} 32. Qg6 $1 Rxd1+ 33. Kg2 {Black cannot prevent mate on h6.})
1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Soviet Revolution"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

1. -- {The Soviet Revolution: During the 1930s and 40s, the Soviet chess
school started to take over, culminating in Mikhail Botvinnik, the sixth World
Champion, coming to the chess throne in 1948. The Soviets looked to build upon
both the hypermodern and classical ways of thinking. They tended to favour the
classical approach, whilst stressing the importance of taking the initiative
and using active piece play, often at the cost of central pawn weaknesses. A
good example of this is a variation in the Sicilian Defence named after former
world championship candidate Isaac Boleslavsky (1919-1977).} *

[Event "Warsaw"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1947.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grynfeld, I."]
[Black "Boleslavsky, I."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B59"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "42"]
[EventDate "1947.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 e5 {This is the
starting point of the variation which Boleslavsky gave his name to. Black
fights back in the centre, removing the powerful white knight, but at the same
time weakening the d6-pawn and the d5-square. An interesting fight in the
centre now occurs.} 7. Nb3 (7. Nxc6 $6 bxc6 {simply repairs the 'Boleslavsky
hole'.}) 7... Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. f4 {QUESTION: How should Black continue? ---
ANSWER:} a5 $5 {Black looks to go after the misplaced knight on b3.} ({Another
possibility, despite looking rather ugly, is} 9... exf4 10. Bxf4 Be6 11. Kh1 d5
$1 12. e5 Nd7 13. Nxd5 Ndxe5 14. c4 (14. Nxe7+ Qxe7 15. Qe1 {is a better
attempt for an advantage}) 14... Bg5 15. Bg3 Bh4 16. Bf4 Bg5 17. Bg3 Bh4 {,
which was agreed drawn in G.Kamsky-V.Anand, Buenos Aires 1994.}) ({However,} 
9... Be6 $2 10. f5 Bxb3 11. axb3 {is exactly what Black wants to avoid. Here
there is little chance of Black ever being able to play the freeing advance ...d6-d5.}) 10. a4 {EXERCISE: Bearing in mind that Black wants to break in the
centre with ...d6-d5, can you find a good way to prepare this? --- ANSWER:} Nb4
{Taking advantage of White's last move which weakened his control of the
b4-square.} ({Instead} 10... Be6 {would still run into} 11. f5 {.}) 11. Be3 Be6
{Timing is everything!} 12. Nd2 $6 {EXERCISE: Black has a typical Sicilian
break. Can you find it?} ({The point is that now after} 12. f5 Bxb3 13. cxb3 {,
} d5 $1 {is playable:} 14. exd5 Nfxd5 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 16. Bf2 e4 {with a very
comfortable position for Black, B.Perruchoud-K.Miton, Geneva 2001.}) 12... exf4
{(ANSWER)} ({More accurate than} 12... d5 13. fxe5 d4 14. exf6 Bxf6 {, which
occurred in S.Bolado Saez-E.Ubilava,Villalba 2003, when} 15. e5 $1 dxe3 16.
exf6 {would have been okay for White.}) 13. Rxf4 d5 $1 {Of course now the
break comes.} 14. e5 ({White cannot allow} 14. exd5 Nfxd5 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 {.})
14... Nd7 15. Nf3 {EXERCISE: How can Black increase the pressure on the white
centre here? --- ANSWER:} Qb8 (15... Qc7 {is also good, as} 16. Nb5 {runs into}
Qxc2 {.}) 16. Rxb4 $2 {White sacrifices an exchange in order to win the
d5-pawn, but in reality there isn't enough compensation.} ({Thus} 16. Qd2 Nxe5
17. Nd4 {, occupying the square in front of the isolated pawn, would have
offered better chances.}) 16... Bxb4 17. Nxd5 Nxe5 18. Nb6 Nxf3+ 19. Bxf3 {
EXERCISE: One more accurate move should be enough to win. What to do about the
rook on a8? --- ANSWER:} Qe5 $1 {Taking advantage of the loose bishop on e3.}
20. Qd4 (20. Bd4 Bc5 $1 {is crushing.}) 20... Qxd4 21. Bxd4 Rad8 {and Black
converted in a further 18 moves. A fine example of how to undermine White's
centre using active piece play.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Modern Way"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

1. -- {The Modern Way: The way we think about the centre was brought into the
modern era by the great American Bobby Fischer (1943-2008). He played in a
very classical style as White, almost always playing 1 e4 while looking to
develop quickly and directly. As Black his usual choice was to play an
unbalanced, hypermodern Grünfeld or King's Indian Defence against 1 d4, and a
dynamic Sicilian Defence against 1 e4. Being comfortable with all three
different schools, Fischer's chess was the blueprint for many future greats,
including Garry Kasparov. Here we see a 13 year-old (!) Fischer defeating
Grandmaster Robert Byrne in a classic game which was dubbed 'game of century'
by writer and arbiter Hans Kmoch in 'Chess Review'.} *

[Event "New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1956.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Byrne, D."]
[Black "Fischer, RJ."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D97"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "1956.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. d4 ({Being comfortable in both the King's
Indian and Grünfeld is useful here as} 4. e4 d6 5. d4 {would transpose to the
former.}) 4... O-O 5. Bf4 d5 {This move is the trademark of the Grünfeld.
Black exchanges his central pawn for White's c-pawn in order to open the
centre and he will often apply pressure to White's d-pawn using his minor
pieces.} 6. Qb3 {White immediately challenges the Black central pawn.} ({
Alternatively:} 6. e3 {is a more solid choice when} c5 7. dxc5 Qa5 8. Rc1 dxc4
9. Bxc4 Qxc5 10. Bb3 Nc6 11. O-O Qa5 {is the main line.}) ({Winning a pawn with
} 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Nxd5 Qxd5 8. Bxc7 $6 {is considered unwise on account of} Nc6
9. e3 Bf5 10. Be2 Rac8 11. Bg3 Qa5+ {with ...Nb4 to follow and a problem for
White on c2.}) 6... dxc4 7. Qxc4 c6 8. e4 Nbd7 ({Kasparov later became fond of
} 8... b5 $1 9. Qb3 Qa5 10. Bd3 Be6 11. Qd1 {when} c5 $5 {gives Black good
play against the centre.}) 9. Rd1 Nb6 10. Qc5 Bg4 11. Bg5 $2 {This is a
mistake. The old adage of not moving a piece twice in the opening is
particularly relevant here, as White is already behind in development. ---
EXERCISE: With White lagging behind in development Black has an incredible
tactical shot that will destroy the white centre - what is it?} ({I guess
Byrne didn't want to play} 11. Be2 {because of} Nfd7 {, harassing the white
queen, but after} 12. Qa3 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 e5 14. dxe5 Qe8 15. Be2 Nxe5 16. O-O {
White has a small advantage due to the bishops.}) 11... Na4 $3 {(ANSWER)} 12.
Qa3 ({The knight is taboo due to} 12. Nxa4 Nxe4 13. Qc1 (13. Qxe7 {also fails
to} Qa5+ 14. b4 Qxa4 15. Qxe4 Rfe8 16. Be7 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Bf8 {with a winning
position}) 13... Qa5+ 14. Nc3 Bxf3 15. gxf3 Nxg5 {when Black is a pawn up and
the white kingside is a mess.}) 12... Nxc3 13. bxc3 Nxe4 14. Bxe7 Qb6 (14...
Qd5 $1 {, centralizing the queen and preventing White's next move, looks even
stronger.}) ({QUESTION: Can White take the rook after Fischer's move? ---
ANSWER: No! After} 14... Qb6 15. Bxf8 Bxf8 16. Qb3 {,} Nxc3 $1 {is a lovely
tactical shot:} 17. Qxb6 (17. Qxc3 Bb4 {wins the queen}) 17... axb6 18. Rd2 Bb4
{and White is completely busted.}) 15. Bc4 {EXERCISE: Fischer very rarely
missed a tactical trick. Calculate the consequences of blowing up the centre
completely with 15...Nxc3. --- ANSWER:} Nxc3 $1 16. Bc5 ({Alternatively,} 16.
Qxc3 Rfe8 17. Bxf7+ (17. Qe3 Bxf3 18. gxf3 Qc7 19. O-O Rxe7 {is hopeless for
White; the presence of the opposite-coloured bishops in the middlegame will
make the white king feel even more uncomfortable}) 17... Kxf7 18. Ng5+ Kxe7 19.
O-O Bxd1 20. Rxd1 Rad8 {is winning for Black.}) 16... Rfe8+ 17. Kf1 Be6 $1 {
This is the second star move of the game and one Fischer saw before he took on
c3. Black exploits the weakness of the white king to full effect.} 18. Bxb6 ({
Otherwise:} 18. Bxe6 Qb5+ 19. Kg1 Ne2+ 20. Kf1 Ng3+ 21. Kg1 Qf1+ $1 22. Rxf1
Ne2# {is a nice variation on the theme of smothered mate.}) (18. Qxc3 Qxc5 $1 {
(exploiting the pin along the long diagonal)} 19. dxc5 Bxc3 20. Bxe6 Rxe6 {and
Black should win.}) (18. Bd3 Nb5 19. Qb4 a5 20. Qb1 Qc7 {is also winning for
Black.}) 18... Bxc4+ 19. Kg1 Ne2+ 20. Kf1 Nxd4+ 21. Kg1 Ne2+ 22. Kf1 Nc3+ 23.
Kg1 axb6 {The rest is relatively straightforward, since White is playing
without the rook on h1.} 24. Qb4 Ra4 25. Qxb6 Nxd1 26. h3 Rxa2 27. Kh2 Nxf2 28.
Re1 Rxe1 29. Qd8+ Bf8 30. Nxe1 Bd5 31. Nf3 Ne4 32. Qb8 b5 33. h4 h5 34. Ne5 Kg7
35. Kg1 Bc5+ 36. Kf1 Ng3+ 37. Ke1 Bb4+ 38. Kd1 Bb3+ 39. Kc1 Ne2+ 40. Kb1 Nc3+
41. Kc1 Rc2# {. Summary: There is no right or wrong way to approach the battle
for the centre. Personally I would always recommend a classical approach for
the improving club player as there are fewer opening disasters that can happen
if you put your pawns in the middle of the board! Having said that, if you
need to play for a win with Black, an unbalanced, hypermodern opening might
fit the bill perfectly.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Mobile Pawn Centre"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/pp3ppp/1p2p3/8/3PP3/8/PP3PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2012.05.09"]

{The Mobile Pawn Centre: Alexander Kotov, in his classic book 'The Art of the
Middlegame', defines this as a situation where one side has two or more united
pawns in the centre which he endeavours to advance. Such a centre is extremely
dangerous and it requires great precision from the opponent to deal with it.} 
1. -- (1. -- {Let's go back in time and have a look at a game by the American
genius Paul Morphy. Morphy played in a very classical style. He loved open
positions and control of the centre. Here he destroys a weaker player in
double-quick time using his mobile pawn centre as a battering ram to open
lines towards the black king.}) *

[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Morphy, P."]
[Black "Hampton, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C51"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "33"]
[EventDate "1858.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 {White gambits a pawn to occupy the
centre. This, the Evans Gambit, named after the Welsh sea captain W.D.Evans,
was very popular in the mid to late 19th century, and is still seen to this
day at grandmaster level.} Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 (5... Bd6 6. d4 Nf6 {is considered a
decent alternative}) ({but} 5... Bc5 {is not so good, in view of} 6. d4 exd4 7.
O-O ({or just} 7. cxd4) 7... dxc3 8. Bxf7+ Kxf7 9. Qd5+ Ke8 10. Qxc5 {.}) 6. d4
exd4 7. O-O Bb6 ({Alternatively:} 7... dxc3 8. Qb3 Qf6 (8... Qe7 9. Nxc3) 9. e5
Qg6 10. Nxc3 {was played a lot between Anderssen and Zukertort in the
mid-1800's.}) (7... Nge7 {is another reasonable alternative:} 8. cxd4 (8. Ng5
d5 9. exd5 Ne5 {is considered satisfactory for Black, as in A.Morozevich-M.Adams, Wijk aan Zee 2001}) 8... d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Qb3 Be6 $1 (10... Nce7 11.
Ba3 c6 12. Bxe7 Kxe7 {is messy}) 11. Qxb7 Ndb4 {with the threat of ...Rb8,
trapping the white queen.}) 8. cxd4 d6 9. Nc3 Nf6 $2 {EXERCISE: Black's
natural developing move, 9...Nf6, is actually a mistake. Can you see why?} ({
Better would have been} 9... Bg4 {(pressuring the central d4-pawn)} 10. Bb5 Kf8
11. Be3 Bxf3 12. gxf3 {which has been played a few times.}) 10. e5 $1 {(ANSWER)
White must act quickly whilst the black king is still in the centre.} dxe5 11.
Ba3 $1 {This is the clever idea, stopping Black from castling.} Bg4 $2 {
EXERCISE: Black's last move, 11...Bg4, loses. Can you see why?} (11... Bxd4 12.
Qb3 Qd7 $1 {is best, freeing the d8-square for the knight} ({Morphy's later
two games in this position both saw} 12... Be6 $2 13. Bxe6 fxe6 14. Qxe6+ Ne7
15. Nxd4 exd4 16. Rfe1 {when White is winning}) {. However, White still has a
strong attack after} 13. Rae1 {.}) 12. Qb3 $1 {(ANSWER) A typical idea. White
targets the weak point on f7.} Bh5 13. dxe5 Ng4 14. Rad1 {All the white pieces
except the f1-rook are involved in the game.} Qc8 {EXERCISE: Black seems to be
holding for the time being, but Morphy finds a devastating follow-up. What is
it? --- ANSWER:} 15. e6 $1 {The central pawn decides the issue!} f6 (15... fxe6
16. Bxe6 Qb8 17. Bd7+ {is carnage.}) 16. Qb5 Bg6 17. Bd5 {and Black resigned.}
1-0

[Event "Ostend"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1937.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Keres, P."]
[Black "Fine, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D41"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2rr2k1/1bq2ppp/4pn2/pp6/P2PP2Q/1B2RN2/5PPP/4R1K1 b - - 0 20"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[EventDate "1937.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{It is often the case that the mobile pawn centre can be used as a distraction,
drawing the opponent's pieces away to deal with the threat of creating a
passed pawn. The following game fragment highlights the point nicely.} 20... b4
21. d5 $1 (21. e5 Nd5 {is far from ideal for White, so Keres sacrifices a
member of his mobile central 'team' to start a kingside attack.}) 21... exd5
22. e5 Nd7 $6 (22... Ne4 {is a much better move, but White can still react
energetically:} 23. e6 $1 fxe6 24. Rxe4 dxe4 25. Ng5 {with a dangerous attack.}
) 23. Ng5 Nf8 ({EXERCISE:} 23... h6 {would allow White a killer blow - what is
it? --- ANSWER:} 24. e6 $1 ({however,} 24. Nxf7 Kxf7 25. e6+ Kg8 26. exd7 Rxd7
{is not so good for White}) 24... hxg5 (24... fxe6 25. Nxe6 {wins}) 25. exf7+
Kxf7 26. Re7+ Kg6 $1 (26... Kg8 27. Qxg5 Qc3 28. Bxd5+ Bxd5 29. Qxd5+ Kh8 30.
Qh5+ Kg8 31. Qf7+ Kh8 32. R7e3 {leads to devastation on the h-file}) 27. Qd4
Qc3 28. Bc2+ {wins.}) 24. Nxh7 $1 {Keres doesn't take no for an answer and
opens the h-file at the cost of his knight.} Nxh7 25. Rh3 Qc1 {Trying to
create some counterplay based on White's loose back rank.} 26. Qxh7+ Kf8 27.
Rhe3 $1 {Snuffing out the threat. Material is equal, but White's king is much
safer.} d4 28. Qh8+ Ke7 29. Qxg7 $1 ({Ignoring the threat to the rook as} 29.
Qxg7 dxe3 30. Qxf7# {is mate.}) 29... Rf8 30. Qf6+ Ke8 31. e6 $1 {The e-pawn
has the final say again!} (31. e6 $1 dxe3 32. exf7+ Kd7 33. Qe6+ Kc7 34. Rxc1+
{picks up the queen.}) 1-0

[Event "Saltsjobaden Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1952.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kotov, A."]
[Black "Unzicker, W."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E49"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2rqr1k1/p4ppn/1p5p/4P3/2nP4/P5N1/6PP/2BQRRK1 b - - 0 22"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "1952.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{The Mobile Centre can be used to disrupt the harmony of the enemy pieces:} 
22... Re6 {We pick up the game with Kotov in possession of the mobile pawn
centre. You can see how the e5-pawn has undermined the position of the black
knight and pushed it back to h7. --- QUESTION: How would you proceed as White
here? --- ANSWER:} 23. Re4 $1 {The rook joins the attack by heading for g4.} (
23. Nf5 {is just as good. This is a dream square for a knight if it cannot be
kicked away!}) 23... Nf8 24. Nf5 Kh8 {EXERCISE: Find a way to continue the
attack! --- ANSWER:} 25. Qh5 Rc7 26. Rh4 Nh7 27. Nxg7 $1 {Due to all White's
pieces attacking the king, it should come as no surprise that such a
combination works.} Kxg7 28. Bxh6+ Kg8 29. Rg4+ Rg6 30. e6 $1 {. Again!} (30.
-- {Summary: If you have a mobile pawn centre you should: 1) Look to advance
it in order to create a passed pawn. --- 2) Use the threat of advancing it to
tie down the opponent's pieces so that you can attack elsewhere. --- 3) If
your opponent's king is still in the centre, try to use the mobile pawns to
open lines towards it.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Closed Pawn Centres"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

1. -- {Closed Pawn Centres: Closed centres occur when the pawn structure in
the middle of the board is fixed. Often the pawn chains of the two side
interlock. Files for rooks and diagonals for bishops are often blocked and the
maxim that knights are better than bishops in such positions normally rings
true. Positions with closed centres tend to lead to slower, more strategic
play where flank attacks need to be prepared and developed. Here I will
examine a game played by two of the modern greats in which Black gradually
outplays White using instructive strategic play (see the following game).} *

[Event "Horgen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C16"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "62"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 {The Winawer variation of the French Defence
often leads to a closed centre, as the pawn on e4 is now attacked and will
often advance.} 4. e5 b6 $5 ({More unusual than} 4... c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3
Ne7 7. Qg4 Qc7 {which leads to a very sharp fight. Ivanchuk has a simple plan
in mind - to exchange off the bad light-squared bishop on c8.}) 5. a3 Bf8 {
Such an extravagant undeveloping move is possible here, due to the closed
nature of the centre. The point is that Black wants to develop the g8-knight
via e7 and also not have to worry about the sensitive g7-pawn which often gets
attacked in this variation.} (5... Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ba6 7. Bxa6 Nxa6 8. Qg4 $1 {
would be typical, provoking either a weakening of the dark squares after} g6 ({
or keeping the king in the middle with} 8... Kf8 {.})) 6. Nf3 Ne7 7. h4 {
Kasparov, using the fact that the centre is closed, aims to gain space on the
kingside. His pawn chain d4-e5 dictates that he should be playing on the
kingside as the e-pawn is the furthest advanced.} h6 ({Instead} 7... Ba6 8.
Bxa6 Nxa6 9. Qd3 Nb8 10. h5 h6 11. Ne2 {was better for White due to his space
advantage in T.Henrichs-J.Raasch, Muelheim 2006.}) 8. h5 a5 {QUESTION: What is
the point of Black's last move? --- ANSWER: Well, there is a two-fold reason
for it. Firstly, it prepares ...Ba6. Secondly, Black seeks to gain space on
the queenside where he will look to expand. Already the stage is set for an
interesting fight.} ({After the immediate} 8... Ba6 9. Bxa6 Nxa6 10. Qd3 {
Black's knight is driven back and} Nb8 11. Ne2 {transposes to the note to
Black's 7th move.}) 9. Bb5+ {Kasparov plays ambitiously to avoid the exchange
of bishops. However, this plan loses time.} c6 10. Ba4 Nd7 11. Ne2 {EXERCISE:
What is Ivanchuk's best move here? --- ANSWER:} b5 $1 {Good timing! Anything
else would have allowed c2-c3 followed by the retreat of the bishop to c2 in
one move.} 12. Bb3 c5 13. c3 Nc6 {Black retains the tension in the centre of
the board.} 14. O-O Qc7 ({It is, of course, still unwise to castle kingside
due to the weakness of the h7-square: for example,} 14... Be7 15. Bc2 O-O $2
16. Bxh6 $1 gxh6 17. Qd3 f5 ({or} 17... Re8 18. Qh7+ Kf8 19. Qh8#) 18. exf6
Nxf6 19. Qg6+ Kh8 20. Qxh6+ Kg8 21. Qg6+ Kh8 22. Ng5 {with 23 Qh6+ followed by
24 Bh7+ threatened.}) 15. Re1 $6 {Even the greatest players in the world
sometimes get it wrong! Here Kasparov should have prepared the advance of his
f-pawn.} ({Indeed,} 15. Nh2 Be7 16. f4 {with the idea of f5 would have been
better.}) 15... c4 {Now that White is slower in playing f2-f4-f5, Ivanchuk
seizes the moment to close the centre and begin his own operations on the
queenside.} 16. Bc2 Nb6 {The position seems easier to play for Black, even
though my computer thinks White is doing well, but computers often find the
assessment of closed positions difficult. There is a simple plan for Black
here of breaking on the queenside with ...b5-b4, whereas White's pawn break 
(f4-f5) is more difficult to achieve.} 17. Bf4 Be7 18. Bg3 Rb8 19. Nh2 Qd8 {I
also can't see anything wrong with immediately playing} ({I also can't see
anything wrong with immediately playing} 19... b4 20. axb4 axb4 {.}) 20. Ng4 (
20. f4 {doesn't quite have the same impact now as the white rook is not
supporting the advance.}) 20... b4 21. axb4 axb4 22. cxb4 $6 {Kasparov seems
to be out of sorts in this game. His move allows the black knight an active
post.} Nxb4 23. Bb1 {EXERCISE: How can Black improve his position here? ---
ANSWER:} Bd7 $1 {Completing the development of his minor pieces at move 23!
That is one of the features of closed positions. Development can be often be
delayed for the sake of manoeuvring.} 24. b3 $2 {The maxim about not moving
pawns on the side of the board where you are weakest applies here.} ({Covering
the a4-square with} 24. Nc3 Ra8 25. Rxa8 Qxa8 26. Qd2 {is a better way to play.
}) 24... Ra8 25. Rxa8 Qxa8 26. bxc4 {QUESTION: Which way should Black
recapture here? --- ANSWER:} Nxc4 ({Creating a passed pawn is not so effective
here as it can be easily blockaded:} 26... dxc4 27. Nc3 {when White has the
very useful e4-square for a minor piece of his choice.}) 27. Nc1 $2 {This
leads to a hopeless position.} ({Better would have been} 27. Ne3 {.}) 27... Ba4
28. Qe2 {EXERCISE: Ivanchuk's minor pieces on the queenside make a pretty
picture, but how does Black win material? --- ANSWER:} Qa7 $1 {Targeting the
weak spot in the white position, which, surprisingly, is impossible to defend.
The white position now collapses.} 29. Ne3 Qxd4 30. Nxc4 dxc4 31. Qf1 O-O {.
What a move with which to make Garry Kasparov resign! Of course White can play
on, but I imagine the then World Champion was so disgusted with his play he
threw in the towel immediately. --- A nice demonstration by Ivanchuk of how to
handle such a closed central position. He retained the tension until he felt
that the opponent's kingside play would be too slow before advancing with
purpose on the queenside.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Patience"]
[Black "Opening of a 'Second Front'"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

1. -- {Patience and the Opening of a 'Second Front': It is often the case that
in positions with a closed centre an attack on one flank will not be enough to
win the game, as the enemy will have enough time to mass his defensive forces
there. In such situations it is handy to keep the option open on the other
side of the board of creating a second path for your pieces. Watch how German
GM Robert Hübner cleverly executes this.} *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1971.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Najdorf, M."]
[Black "Hübner, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E41"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1kb1nrr1/ppq5/3p1p1p/2pPpPp1/2P5/1QPB1PP1/P4R1P/1RB1K3 w - - 0 23"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "1971.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

23. g4 {From a strategic perspective Black stands very well here. --- QUESTION:
Can you explain why and what Black's plan should be? --- ANSWER: There are two
reasons why Black is better here: 1) He has the only effective pawn break in
the position (...h6-h5). --- 2) He has knight versus bishop in a position with
a closed centre, with no chance of that centre being opened by White. --- It
is instructive to see the way that Black gradually opens files on the flanks.
One thing that grandmasters certainly have is a lot of patience!} Rh8 $1 24.
Be3 h5 25. Bf1 Rf7 26. h3 Qd7 {Preparing a path for the knight to the
queenside.} 27. Kd2 Nc7 28. a4 Re7 29. Re1 Na8 30. a5 Qd8 31. Qa3 Rhh7 32. Rb1
b6 $5 {And here is the pawn break on the queenside. It looks very risky here
as the black king is located there, but Black has plenty of pieces keeping his
king secure. The aim is to open either the a- or b-files, or to provide the
knight with a route into the game via b6.} 33. Bd3 Rb7 34. axb6 Nxb6 35. Ra1
Qh8 36. Kc2 hxg4 37. hxg4 Bd7 $1 {Again Grandmaster Hübner shows great
patience, bringing his last piece into the game before penetrating on the
h-file.} 38. Qa2 Rh2 39. Kd2 Rxf2+ 40. Bxf2 Qh2 41. Ke2 Na4 $1 {The black
pieces spring into the attack from both sides of the board!} 42. Qd2 {EXERCISE:
Here Black missed his chance to win material. --- Can you see how he could
have done this?} Be8 $2 ({ANSWER:} 42... Rb2 43. Bc2 Nb6 $1 {is a very cute
switch-back, taking advantage of the weakness on c4, and would have been a
great end to a fine strategic game:} 44. -- (44. Rb1 Rxb1 45. Bxb1 Nxc4 {nets
a pawn with a winning position.}) (44. Kd3 Nxc4 45. Kxc4 Bb5# {is mate.}) (44.
Qd3 Ba4 45. Rc1 Bb3 $1 {and White is tied up in knots.} (45... --))) 43. Rb1
Rxb1 44. Bxb1 Qf4 45. Bd3 $2 (45. Ba2 {offers more stubborn resistance.}) 45...
Qxd2+ 46. Kxd2 Nb6 47. Kc1 Ba4 {Due to the threat of ...Bb3, the position is
still winning for Black.} 48. Bc2 ({If} 48. Kb2 Bd1 {.}) 48... Bd7 49. Bd3 Kc7
50. Kb2 {QUESTION: How does Black decide the game? --- ANSWER:} Bc8 $1 51. Kb3
Ba6 52. Be3 Nxd5 {Thanks to this trick the position is completely hopeless for
White and here he resigned.} ({As the white kingside pawns are fixed on light
squares they will all fall to the enemy bishop after} 52... Nxd5 53. cxd5 Bxd3
{.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Controlling the pawn breaks"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

1. -- {Controlling the opponent's pawn breaks in a closed position: The
following game, played by the Spanish no.1, is a nice demonstration of keeping
an eye on both sides of the board. His plan of winning a weak queenside pawn
is combined with an excellent sense of simultaneously preventing the
opponent's play on the other side of the board. Sadly his opponent was me!} *

[Event "North American Open, Las Vegas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Vallejo Pons, F."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C19"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. a4 Qc7 8. Nf3
Nd7 9. Bd3 c4 {Black closes the centre. In this case he has a specific idea in
mind...} 10. Be2 {A normal-looking position from a French Winawer has been
reached. --- QUESTION: How should Black proceed here? --- ANSWER:} a5 $1 {I
must admit this came completely out of the blue, but in fact the move makes a
lot of sense. Black is simply going to play to capture the weak white a-pawn,
before rolling his queenside pawns down the board at me!} (10... f6 {has also
been seen before, looking to blow up the centre. However, after} 11. exf6 gxf6
{I like} 12. a5 $1 {.}) 11. O-O $6 {EXERCISE: I think already this is a
strategic mistake. --- What would have been more to the point?} ({ANSWER:} 11.
h4 {à la Kasparov is fairly standard in these sort of positions. Then} Nb6 12.
h5 {would lead to the following position: QUESTION: What should Black play
here? --- ANSWER:} h6 $1 {.} ({Black cannot afford to loosen the dark squares
so much with} 12... Bd7 13. h6 gxh6 (13... g6 14. Ba3 Nxa4 15. Qd2 {also gives
White tremendous compensation}) 14. Bxh6 Nf5 15. Bg5 {which keeps his king in
the centre.})) 11... Nb6 12. Qd2 h6 13. Ba3 Bd7 {Although the a4-pawn will
fall, White has some compensation in the form of his unopposed bishop on a3.}
14. Nh4 Nxa4 15. f4 {After the game my opponent commented that he thought this
might have been a serious error.} ({He was more concerned about} 15. g4 {which
prepares the f4-f5 advance.}) 15... Nf5 {My engine hates this move, but I
don't see why! Black prevents the f4-f5 pawn break and will gradually seek to
expand on the queenside.} 16. Nxf5 {Pretty much forced.} ({QUESTION: Why can't
White play} 16. Nf3 {with the idea of g2-g4? --- ANSWER:} h5 $1 {completely
fixes the kingside and gives Black a free hand to play on the queenside.})
16... exf5 17. Bf3 Qc6 18. Rfb1 Be6 {. This game felt like pure torture from
here on in as White has no counterplay for the extra black pawn. I went on to
lose in 68 moves at about 1am! It didn't help that it was the second of two
six-hour games I played on one day in Las Vegas!} (18... -- {Summary: In
positions with a closed centre: 1) It's all about the flanks! Look to seize
space where possible and keep your pawn breaks available in order to open
files. --- 2) Development can often wait. Sometimes it is more important to
seize valuable squares for your pieces for later in the game. --- 3) Look out
for piece sacrifices in the centre to blow up the position. --- 4) Retaining
the option to open up both sides of the board with pawn breaks is very useful,
especially when you judge that you can't break through on just one side.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Open Centre"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

1. -- {The Open Centre: An open centre is one in which all the central pawns
have either been traded off or they are not present on any of the central four
squares. This usually leaves a position which is very dynamic, with open files
for the major pieces and diagonals for the bishops and queen. Here the
strategy should be to look for active piece play at all costs. --- Both sides
should look to probe for weaknesses on the kingside or queenside flanks using
their knights, bishops, rooks and queen. It is rare in positions with an open
centre for pawn attacks on the flanks to work, as they will normally either
cost too much time or create a weakness that is easy for the opponent to
exploit with their active long-range pieces. --- It is quite unusual to find
openings where such an open centre arises, but in the right hands such
positions can be very dangerous...} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 1"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.24"]

{1) Understand the differences between the Classical and Hypermodern
approaches to the centre. The hypermodern approach tends to be riskier, as
space is given away at an early stage, but at the same time an imbalance is
created in the opening and play is very dynamic.} 1. -- {2) If you favour
hypermodern play, remember you must fight back in the centre at an early stage.
A lack of space cannot be tolerated for long!} (1. -- {3) There are four basic
types of pawn centre: mobile, fixed, closed and open. Each one requires
handling in a different way.}) (1. -- {4) Mobile pawn centres want to be
advanced, setting up potential passed pawns or driving enemy pieces out of the
way. Leave them for too long and they can become the subject of attack.}) (1.
-- {5) Fixed and Closed centres will usually mean that play is directed more
towards the flanks. The game will often take on a slower, more strategic
nature with both sides looking to build up their own play.}) (1. -- {6) Open
centres will usually lead to sharp games where the pieces will engage with
each other at an early stage. Look out for potential sacrifices to blow open
the enemy's king position and stay on your toes!}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2: Looking after the King"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{'When your house is on fire, you can't be bothered with the neighbours. Or,
as we say in chess, if your king is under attack, don't worry about losing a
queenside pawn.' - Garry Kasparov} 1. -- {Number one on the list of strategic
and positional elements that need to be considered in a game of chess is the
safety of the king. After all, a checkmated king ends the game! When
evaluating a fresh position, a strong player will normally look at king safety
second only to the material balance on the board, and sometimes even
beforehand.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kings in the Centre"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Kings in the Centre: Castling is second nature to most of us. Not only
does it put the king behind a wall of pawns, but it also activates a rook that
would otherwise find it difficult to get into the game. In addition to this,
with most operations taking place in the middle of the board in the opening,
it is more than likely that files will be opened there due to an exchange of
pawns. Therefore it is unlikely that the centre will be a safe place for your
king. There are numerous examples of games finishing quickly due to one side
failing to follow this basic advice. And it happens to the best of us! Check
out this extraordinary game played by two future World Champions...} *

[Event "The Hague"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1921.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Euwe, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C33"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1921.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Bb4 4. f4 exf4 {Euwe decides to abandon the centre,
but hopes the time it takes White to regain the f4-pawn will compensate for
this. QUESTION: How should White proceed?} ({To me,} 4... d6 5. Nf3 Nc6 {
looks safer. --- This position is more commonly reached via the King's Gambit:
1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 Nc3 Bb4.}) 5. e5 $1 {(ANSWER) Our discussion in
the previous chapter on how to use central pawns should have given you the
clue that this is best. With this move White tries to disrupt the position of
the black knight.} Qe7 $2 {After this move Black is lost!} (5... d5 $1 {is a
typical reaction to the e4-e5 thrust, and this would have certainly been
better here:} 6. Bb5+ (6. exf6 dxc4 7. Qe2+ Be6 8. fxg7 Rg8 {is better for
Black due to his lead in development}) 6... c6 7. exf6 cxb5 {leads to a
complicated position that is supposed to be okay for Black according to theory.
}) 6. Qe2 Ng8 {This is a very sad move to have to make, but there was no other
square.} (6... Bxc3 7. dxc3 Ng8 8. Bxf4 {also gives White a tremendous
position.}) 7. Nd5 Qh4+ (7... Qc5 {simply loses masses of material to} 8. a3 b5
9. axb4 Qxc4 10. Qxc4 bxc4 11. Nxc7+ {.}) 8. Kd1 Ba5 9. Nf3 {It is logical to
develop a piece whilst gaining time by attacking the queen.} Qh5 {QUESTION:
How should White continue the attack? --- ANSWER:} 10. Nf6+ $5 {When you have
the opponent's king in the centre, opening files towards it is absolutely the
best strategy, even if in this case it costs White a knight.} ({Alekhine could
have also proceeded with} 10. Nxf4 Qg4 11. d3 {, with a winning position.})
10... gxf6 11. exf6+ Kd8 12. Re1 {Here Black resigned prematurely.} ({After} 
12. Re1 c5 13. Qe8+ Kc7 14. Bxf7 {White should be winning, but the game is
still alive.}) (12. -- {Summary: 1) Don't allow minor pieces (usually knights)
to be driven to bad squares by central pawns. --- 2) Against an uncastled king
look to open lines towards it as quickly as possible, even sometimes at the
cost of material.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The King Hunt"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {The King Hunt: Of all the pitfalls that can happen to an uncastled king,
a large proportion of them happen due to tactics on the f2- and f7-squares.
Johannes Zukertort was one of the leading chess masters of his time. He lost
what is seen as the first official World Championship match to Steinitz in
1886. Playing White here he takes apart an amateur player in double-quick time.
} *

[Event "Leipzig blindfold simul"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1877.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zukertort, JH."]
[Black "NN"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C28"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "1877.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 {The King's Gambit remains one of the most aggressive openings
played to this day and was all the rage during the 19th century.} d6 {A solid,
if slightly passive response.} ({I usually recommend something to my students
like} 2... Bc5 3. Nf3 (3. fxe5 $4 Qh4+ 4. g3 Qxe4+ {is a pretty dirty trap})
3... d6 {as an active way of meeting this opening. Black seeks to prevent
White from castling and} 4. c3 (4. Bc4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. d3 Bg4 {is pretty
typical}) 4... Bg4 5. h3 Bxf3 6. Qxf3 Nf6 {gives Black a reasonable game.}) 3.
Nf3 Nc6 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bg4 6. d3 Be7 7. O-O Nh5 $4 {A dreadful move that
gives White an instantly winning position. The general advice not to move
pieces twice in the opening until you are fully developed (which involves
castling) rings true here. --- EXERCISE: How can White exploit Black's last
move?} 8. fxe5 $6 ({ANSWER:} 8. Bxf7+ $1 {was correct. The explosion on f7
causes maximum damage. Always be on the lookout for this trick!} Kxf7 9. Ng5+
Ke8 (9... Bxg5 10. fxg5+ Nf4 11. Qxg4 {is also very strong}) 10. Qxg4 {is
disastrous for Black.}) 8... Nxe5 $2 {EXERCISE: Try to calculate the
consequences of 9 Nxe5.} ({Instead} 8... dxe5 9. Bxf7+ $1 Kxf7 10. Nxe5+ {
would be even more painful}) ({but} 8... O-O {, just accepting a pawn less, is
the best option here.}) 9. Nxe5 $3 {(ANSWER) Absolutely crushing. White gives
up his queen, but embarks on a beautiful king hunt.} Bxd1 10. Bxf7+ Kf8 11.
Bxh5+ Bf6 {Temporarily closing the gates. --- QUESTION: How can White smash
through now?} (11... Kg8 12. Bf7+ Kf8 13. Nd7+ $1 {is a lovely tactic to win
the queen back and after} Qxd7 14. Be6+ Bf6 15. Bxd7 {White has a clear extra
piece.}) 12. Rxf6+ $1 {(ANSWER) The white rook gives its life to open the
black king up even further.} gxf6 {Forced.} ({After} 12... Qxf6 13. Nd7+ Ke7
14. Nxf6 {White is winning easily with all his extra material.}) 13. Bh6+ Ke7 (
13... Kg8 14. Bf7# {is mate.}) 14. Nd5+ Ke6 {EXERCISE: It's forced mate in
three. See if you can find it! --- ANSWER:} 15. Bf7+ Kxe5 16. c3 $1 {. This
classy little quiet move forces mate. Black resigned as 17 Bf4 is an
unstoppable threat. --- Summary: Be careful of the f7-square! If you really
must delay castling make sure that no accidents are going to happen on it.} 1-0

[Event "Donskoj"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pendurin, E."]
[Black "Bakutin, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C57"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "32"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Next we will see another example of the hidden dangers lurking behind the
bishop sacrifice.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 {The Fried Liver
Attack is a favourite weapon amongst juniors. It is a direct attempt to
exploit the weakness of the f7-square, without having to resort to Scholar's
mate!} Bc5 $5 {Black ignores the threat and enters the murky complications of
the Traxler Countergambit.} ({Instead White is hoping to see something like} 
4... d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 $2 (5... Nd4) (5... b5) ({and} 5... Na5 {are all playable
alternatives}) 6. Nxf7 $1 Kxf7 7. Qf3+ Ke6 8. Nc3 Ncb4 9. Qe4 {with a strong
attack.}) 5. Nxf7 {QUESTION: How can Black counter the fork?} (5. Bxf7+ {is
also playable:} Ke7 6. Bd5 Rf8 7. O-O d6 8. h3 Qe8 {leads to a highly
double-edged position. Of the 30 games in Mega Database 2012 only one has been
drawn from this position (although my mum tells me she once did too in a
Chester and District League game!).}) 5... Bxf2+ $1 {ANSWER: The explosion on
f2 again!} (5... Qe7 $2 6. Nxh8 {has been played a few times, but White should
be winning after both} Nxe4 ({and} 6... d6 {with the idea of Bg4} 7. c3 $1) 7.
Qh5+ g6 8. Nxg6 {.}) 6. Kxf2 (6. Kf1 {may well be the most accurate here:} Qe7
7. Nxh8 d5 $5 8. exd5 Nd4 {, but not then} 9. c3 $2 {(played the most often,
but it turns out to be wrong)} ({instead} 9. d6 cxd6 10. Kxf2 {looks like the
critical test when after} d5 11. d3 (11. Be2 $5) 11... dxc4 12. h3 cxd3 13.
cxd3 Bd7 14. Re1 O-O-O 15. Kg1 Rxh8 16. Be3 {White was winning in N.Ninov-C.Marzolo, La Fere 2008}) 9... Bg4 10. Qa4+ Nd7 {.}) 6... Nxe4+ 7. Kg1 {EXERCISE:
Black must play energetically here. How should he continue? --- ANSWER:} Qh4 $1
{Threatening mate in one is always handy!} 8. g3 Nxg3 9. Qe1 $2 {White makes
the crucial mistake in this highly tactical position.} (9. hxg3 Qxg3+ 10. Kf1
Rf8 11. Qh5 d5 12. Bxd5 {is a position that has been reached by a few strong
players and now the novelty} Nb4 $1 {seems to be very strong.} ({Instead} 12...
Nd4 {was the choice of Mikhail Tal:} 13. Qh2 (13. Nc3 {is perhaps best}) 13...
Qg4 14. Qxe5+ Be6 15. Bxe6 Qf3+ 16. Kg1 Ne2+ 17. Kh2 Qf2+ 18. Kh3 Qf3+ 19. Kh4
Qf2+ 20. Kh5 Rxf7 21. Bxf7+ Kxf7 22. Rh2 Qf3+ 23. Kh4 g5+ 24. Qxg5 Rg8 25. Qh5+
Qxh5+ 26. Kxh5 {½-½ Pravda readers-M.Tal, Moscow 1968.})) 9... Qxc4 10.
Nxh8 {QUESTION: How can Black maximise his attack now? --- ANSWER:} Ne2+ $1 {
This is best.} ({The more materialistic} 10... Nxh1 $6 11. Na3 Qd5 12. c4 Qf3
13. Nb5 d5 14. Nxc7+ Kd8 15. Nxa8 Bh3 16. Qh4+ Kc8 {lost in O.Gorbunov-I.Yagupov, Donskoj 2003.}) 11. Kf2 {Now begins the start of another elegant king
hunt,} ({but} 11. Kf1 {is no better:} Nxc1+ 12. d3 Qxc2 {and Black has more
than enough material for the exchange.}) 11... Qf4+ $1 12. Kxe2 Nd4+ 13. Kd3 {
QUESTION: How to continue here?} (13. Kd1 Qf3+ {is, of course, the end.}) 13...
d5 $1 {ANSWER: Bringing the reserves into the attack!} 14. Rf1 {EXERCISE: It's
mate in three again! Can you calculate this one? --- ANSWER:} Bf5+ 15. Kc3 Nb5+
16. Kb3 Qc4# {. Summary: Tactics on f2 and f7 come about because one side has
failed to pay close enough attention to possible sacrifices on those squares.
If your opponent has a bishop targeting that pawn, be very mindful of tactical
threats - and on the flip side, one of the first questions to ask yourself if
you are hitting f2 or f7 is what happens if you sacrifice on that square.} 0-1

[Event "Birmingham (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mackenzie, H."]
[Black "Daniel, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C54"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{The following was a really good battle from the recent National Girls
Rapidplay finals at which I was coaching. White (graded 102) embarks on a
direct attack against the uncastled king. Here we are going to put ourselves
in Hannah's shoes and see if we can attack the black king!} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 {A well-known position
from the Giuoco Piano has arisen.} Nxe4 $1 {The critical challenge to White's
opening strategy.} ({Instead} 7... O-O 8. Bg5 (8. e5 Ne4 9. Qc2 d5 $1) 8... d6
{gives White a very pleasant position after} 9. O-O {.}) 8. O-O Nxc3 $6 (8...
Bxc3 $1 {is correct, with the following variations:} 9. -- (9. d5 $1 {leads to
some absorbing lines:} -- (9... Ne5 10. bxc3 Nxc4 11. Qd4 Ncd6 $6 (11... O-O {
was the choice of both Anand and Karpov and certainly seems like the safest})
12. Qxg7 Qf6 (12... Rf8 13. Re1 Qe7 {also seems playable}) 13. Qxf6 Nxf6 14.
Re1+ $1 Kf8 (14... Kd8 15. Bg5 {is curtains}) 15. Bh6+ Kg8 16. Re5 $1 Nfe4 {,
and now it seems that} (16... Nde4 {is beautifully met by} 17. Nd2 $3 d6 18.
Nxe4 dxe5 19. Nxf6#) 17. Nh4 {with the idea of f2-f3 is crushing: for instance,
} b6 (17... f6 18. Re7) 18. f3 Ba6 19. fxe4 f6 20. Re7 Nf7 21. Nf5 {with a
winning position for White. Just look at the rook on h8 if you don't believe
me!}) (9... Bf6 10. Re1 Ne7 11. Rxe4 d6 12. Bg5 Bxg5 13. Nxg5 h6 (13... O-O 14.
Nxh7 Kxh7 15. Qh5+ Kg8 16. Rh4 {is unclear after} f5) 14. Qe2 hxg5 15. Re1 Be6
16. dxe6 f6 17. Re3 {is about equal.})) (9. bxc3 $2 d5 $1 {is what Black wants,
grabbing back space in the centre when White is just a pawn down.})) 9. bxc3
Bxc3 {EXERCISE: Perhaps you are well versed in the games of Greco from the
17th century where this position was first seen? --- If not, how would you
continue here? --- ANSWER: The good news is that there are lots of options and
most of them are good!} 10. Qb3 (10. Ba3 {, keeping the black king in the
centre, is also very dangerous:} d5 {this seems relatively best;} (10... Bxa1
11. Re1+ Ne7 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Rxe7+ Kxe7 14. Qxa1 {is winning for White}) 11.
Bb5 Bxa1 12. Re1+ Be6 {and now the new idea} 13. Qc2 $1 {. White is a rook and
two pawns down, but all the pieces are playing! It seems as though Black has
to give up the queen to survive:} Qd7 ({if} 13... Rc8 14. Ne5 Qf6 15. Bxc6+
bxc6 16. Qxc6+ Kd8 17. Rxa1) 14. Ne5 Bxd4 15. Nxd7 Kxd7 16. Rc1 {with a very
unclear position, although I would take White due to Black's exposed king.}) (
10. Bxf7+ {should have suggested itself as well, but Black is probably okay
after} Kxf7 11. Qb3+ d5 12. Qxc3 Re8 {.}) 10... Bxa1 11. Bxf7+ Kf8 {QUESTION:
So we are a rook down. How to continue? --- ANSWER:} 12. Bg5 $1 {The most
energetic.} Ne7 ({Sacrificing the queen may again be best:} 12... Nxd4 13. Qa3+
Kxf7 14. Bxd8 Rxd8 {, although after} 15. Ng5+ $1 Kg8 16. Qd3 {we can see the
effectiveness of the queen and knight as an attacking combination.}) 13. Ne5 {
Hannah revealed after the game that she was still in her preparation!} d5 (
13... Bxd4 14. Bg6 d5 15. Qf3+ Bf5 16. Bxf5 Bxe5 17. Be6+ {is winning for
White.}) 14. Qf3 $1 {Again not letting up.} ({The lazy} 14. Rxa1 {would allow
Black some time to reorganize with} Qd6 15. Qf3 Nf5 {.}) 14... Bf5 15. Be6 {
Despite being a rook and pawn down, White is completely winning. All the white
pieces are participating in the attack.} h6 (15... Bxd4 16. Bxf5 Bxe5 {leads
to disaster on the f-file after} 17. Be6+ {.}) 16. Bxf5 hxg5 17. Bg6+ Nf5 $1 {
The only move} (17... Kg8 18. Qf7# {is mate.}) 18. Qxf5+ Ke7 {EXERCISE: Can
you find the most direct win?} (18... Qf6 {loses the queen to} 19. Nd7+ {.})
19. Qf7+ $2 {White gets carried away momentarily and forgets about her rook!
It is worth making the point that players are all too often tempted into
throwing in checks when other moves are stronger.} ({ANSWER:} 19. Re1 $1 {,
introducing the last piece into the attack, forces mate quickly:} Kd6 ({if} 
19... Bxd4 20. Nc4+ Be5 21. Rxe5#) 20. Nf7+ Kc6 21. Qc2+ $1 Kb5 (21... Kd7 22.
Bf5#) 22. Qc5+ Ka6 23. Bd3+ b5 24. Qxb5# {.}) 19... Kd6 20. Bf5 {QUESTION:
Black needs a good defensive move and fast! Any ideas?} Qe8 {The right idea 
(to exchange queens), but probably the wrong square as it doesn't force the
swap.} ({ANSWER:} 20... Qe7 $1 {would have been the best practical try. The
computer doesn't even want to swap after this! --- EXERCISE: Find a way to
keep the queens on! --- ANSWER:} 21. Nc4+ $3 ({after} 21. Qg6+ Qf6 22. Nf7+ Kc6
{Black can breathe more easily}) 21... dxc4 22. Qxc4 {(threatening mate on c5)}
b6 23. Rc1 {.}) 21. Qxg7 c6 22. Nf7+ Kc7 23. Nxh8+ {Now White is material up
with a strong attack. The rest needs no comment.} Kb6 24. Rb1+ Ka6 25. Bd3+ b5
26. Ng6 Bb2 27. Bf1 Ba3 28. Qf6 Rd8 29. Rxb5 Rd6 30. Rb4+ Ka5 31. Qxd6 Bxb4 32.
Qc7+ Ka4 33. Qxa7+ Ba5 34. Ne5 {. Summary: This concludes our discussion of
the king hunt. I hope these examples have given you a few ideas that can be
useful in your own games as you look to attack the uncastled king.} 1-0

[Event "Pinamar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Van Riemsdijk, H."]
[Black "Hobaica, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B87"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{In the next game between two strong players we once again see one of the
problems of pawn-grabbing in the opening. It is very rarely a good idea when
the other side is able to open up files and diagonals in the centre.} 1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bb3 b5 8. O-O Be7 9. f4
{This is a tabiya of the Fischer-Sozin Attack against the Najdorf. With
Black's next move he raises the stakes by pushing the white knight to the edge
of the board.} b4 10. Na4 {Surprisingly the knight is better placed here than
on e2, as it looks to jump into the b6-square once supported by the
dark-squared bishop.} Nxe4 $2 {Black misjudges the situation in the middle of
the board. --- EXERCISE: Despite the solid-looking pawn cluster on e6 and d6
White has the potential to open up the position. How? --- ANSWER:} 11. f5 $1 {
This was a favourite idea of Bobby Fischer. Combining the strong knight on d4
with the bishop on the long diagonal (towards f7!) is remarkably effective.} e5
{Black must keep the centre closed. --- QUESTION: How should White continue?} (
11... exf5 12. Nxf5 Bxf5 13. Rxf5 Nf6 {allows our old friend} 14. Bxf7+ $1 Kxf7
15. Qd5+ {, picking up the rook on a8.}) 12. Bd5 $1 {ANSWER: This fork is
perhaps the simplest.} ({Alternatively:} 12. Ne6 $5 {is a move very much in
keeping with the spirit of the position. After} fxe6 (12... Bxe6 $2 13. fxe6
Nf6 14. exf7+ Kf8 15. Qf3 {and White was winning in T.De Hoop-M.Visschedijk,
Hengelo 1999}) 13. Qh5+ Kd7 14. fxe6+ Kc7 15. Be3 {White retains a strong
attack and is having all the fun. He is a piece down, however!}) ({Credit too
if you found} 12. Bxf7+ Kxf7 13. Ne6 $1 {which seems to work:} Qe8 (13... Bxe6
14. fxe6+ Kxe6 15. Qg4+ Kd5 16. Be3 {and Black cannot hope to survive}) 14. Qg4
Bf6 15. Qxe4 {when White is once again in the driving seat.}) 12... Ra7 13.
Bxe4 d5 {EXERCISE: White is a piece for a pawn up, but Black seems to be
winning it back. What is the most aggressive move here?} (13... exd4 14. Qxd4
Rc7 15. Qxg7 {nets White a pawn with a raging attack due to the open e-file.})
14. Ne6 $1 {(ANSWER) Once again the knight lands on e6 before Black has a
chance to castle!} Bxe6 (14... fxe6 {loses immediately to the typical queen
check} 15. Qh5+ Kd7 16. fxe6+ Kc6 ({or} 16... Kxe6 17. Qf7+ Kd6 18. Qxd5+ Kc7
19. Qa5+) 17. Be3 $1 Rb7 18. Rad1 {. What a pretty picture! All the white
forces are active and involved in the attack, leaving Black doomed.}) 15. fxe6
dxe4 16. Be3 {White calmly develops his last piece.} ({I think I would have
kept the queens on here with} 16. exf7+ Kf8 17. Qe2 {when White is in control
as Black is playing without his rook on h8.}) 16... Qxd1 17. Raxd1 Rc7 18.
exf7+ Kf8 {The material is equal, although all the black pieces are worse than
their white counterparts. --- EXERCISE: Be direct! How can White keep the
pressure up?} 19. c3 $6 ({ANSWER:} 19. Nb6 $1 {is the most energetic and
should finish the game quickly:} Rc6 (19... Rxc2 20. Rd7 $1 {is a nice way to
introduce the rook on to the seventh rank}) 20. Nd5 {and the knight sits
majestically in the centre.}) 19... Nd7 ({If} 19... bxc3 20. Nxc3 Nd7 21. Nxe4
{.}) 20. cxb4 Bxb4 $2 {Black commits his final error. --- EXERCISE: Finish
Black off!} ({Better would have been} 20... Nf6 21. Nc5 Bxc5 22. bxc5 Kxf7 {
when White retains a big advantage with bishop against knight and a queenside
pawn majority, but there is still some work to do.}) 21. Nb6 $1 {(ANSWER).
Black resigned here due to the weakness of the back rank.} (21. -- {Summary:
Yet again Black paid for his greed in the centre. White reacted energetically
and Black was toast!}) 1-0

[Event "Gjovik (blitz)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nakamura, H."]
[Black "Carlsen, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D15"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2qkb1r/5p2/1n2p2p/p2bP2P/2pP1pQ1/2p2N2/4B1P1/R1B2RK1 w kq - 0 21"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{I would like to end this discussion of the relative weakness of the uncastled
king with a remarkable concept from the current world no.1 Magnus Carlsen.
Despite the game only being a blitz affair, it is well worth a look.} 21. Bxf4
{The position has come about from a sharp variation of the Slav Defence. Black
has seemingly nowhere safe to put his king, but has other trumps such as the
passed pawns on c3 and a5, and the mighty bishop on d5. White has just opened
the f-file and is looking to attack the black king along it. --- QUESTION:
What is Black's best plan? --- ANSWER:} Kd7 $1 {Carlsen evacuates his king
over to the queenside where he is strongest, despite all the heavy pieces
still being on the board. Due to the closed nature of the centre and his
ability to close the queenside, he comfortably has the time to do this.} 22.
Ne1 Kc6 23. Nc2 Bb4 {Keeping the queenside closed, whilst at the same time
preparing an attack down the g-file.} 24. Rf2 Qe7 25. Qh3 Rag8 {The black king
sits perfectly safe on the c6-square and it is the white king that starts to
feel the heat.} 26. Bf1 Rg7 27. Ne3 Kb7 28. Ng4 Nd7 29. Bc1 Kc6 30. Ne3 Nb6 $6
(30... Rhg8 {would have left black in a strong position e.g.} 31. Bxc4 Bxc4 32.
Nxc4 Rg3 {.}) 31. Nxd5 $1 Nxd5 (31... exd5 {allows the white rook to penetrate
on the sixth rank with} 32. Rf6+ Kc7 33. Qf3 {.}) 32. Bxc4 Rhg8 {Black has
misplayed the last few moves (easy to do in blitz!).} 33. Bxd5+ exd5 34. Bxh6
$2 (34. Rf6+ Kc7 35. Ra2 $1 {nicely defends the kingside.}) 34... Rg3 35. Qf5
Qe6 36. Qxe6+ fxe6 37. Bf4 R3g4 38. Be3 {EXERCISE: The dust has settled and we
have an endgame with equal material. How should the world no.1 continue? ---
ANSWER:} Kb5 $1 {The king rejoins the party on the queenside.} 39. h6 Kc4 40.
Kf1 Kd3 41. Rf3 Kc4 42. Rh3 Rf8+ 43. Kg1 Rfg8 44. Kh1 Kb3 {Now it's over. The
black king will assist the promotion of the c-pawn.} 45. Rf1 a4 46. Bd2 Rxd4
47. Bxc3 Bxc3 48. Rc1 Rc4 49. h7 Rh8 50. g4 a3 51. g5 Kb2 52. Rg1 Bxe5 53. Rg2+
Rc2 {. Summary: Castling is not so important in positions with a closed centre,
as we saw in Chapter One. There will be no open files in the middle of the
board for the opponent to attack down. Here Carlsen's king was beautifully
positioned for the endgame that eventually occurred.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Castling on Opposite Sides"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Castling on Opposite Sides of the Board: Some of the sharpest and most
exciting struggles on the chessboard occur when the two players decide to
castle on opposite wings to each other. Here a direct attack on the king is
often the best strategy. A pawnstorm, or use of the pawns as the first wave of
attack, is often required to blow open files and diagonals for the major
pieces. Time can be of the utmost importance and unnecessarily delaying your
attack can have grave consequences. Hooks for the foot soldiers to latch on to
make pawn attacks even more effective. Examine the following game to see
exactly what I mean.} *

[Event "World U12 Championship, Duisburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Senff, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B78"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 {The Sicilian Dragon can
be one of the most exciting openings in chess if the players choose to castle
on opposite flanks.} 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 {The Yugoslav Attack which begins with
this move is the most uncompromising and double-edged choice. These days I
tend to prefer to steer the game into quieter waters, but at the time I was a
naive (and hyper-aggressive) 12 year-old!} O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 {White
completes his development and places the bishop on a dangerous diagonal. The
drawback is that White will lose time as the bishop becomes a target for
Black's queenside attack.} (9. O-O-O d5 {is the other main line.}) 9... Bd7 10.
O-O-O {And the stage is set. Both sides have set their stall out for war!} Rc8
11. Bb3 {Necessary;} ({as} 11. h4 $2 Nxd4 12. Qxd4 Ng4 {wins a piece due to
the overloaded white queen.}) 11... Ne5 12. h4 {White makes his intentions
clear. He wants to use the g6-pawn as a hook and the h-pawn as a lever to open
the file for his rook.} h5 {Black chooses to stop the h-pawn in its tracks,
but at the same time weakens his kingside somewhat.} (12... Nc4 13. Bxc4 Rxc4
14. h5 Nxh5 15. g4 Nf6 {has been played many times at all levels. Then} 16. Bh6
Nxe4 17. Qe3 Rxc3 18. bxc3 Nf6 {led to a highly unclear game in G.Kasparov-J.Piket, Tilburg 1989.}) 13. Bh6 {White chooses a direct method, going after the
powerful 'Dragon bishop'. Although being quite highly-graded at the time, I
wasn't fully aware of all the subtleties of this particular position.} (13. Bg5
{is most frequently played, with the idea of exchanging off the other black
defensive piece at the right time. Here} Rc5 14. Kb1 b5 15. g4 hxg4 16. h5 $1 {
has led to some fascinating battles.}) 13... a5 {Black launches a pawn of his
own! Note though that with the white queenside pawns still on their starting
squares, it will be more difficult to get the attack going as there are no
hooks to use to open up lines.} 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 {EXERCISE: How should White
continue here? --- ANSWER:} 15. Rdg1 {White prepares the advance of his g-pawn.
} ({If you had suggested} 15. g4 $5 {immediately I would have been perhaps
even happier. The direct attack is very much in keeping with the position.
Critical is} hxg4 16. h5 Nxh5 17. Rxh5 gxh5 18. Qg5+ Ng6 19. Nf5+ Bxf5 20. exf5
{which led to a draw in J.Rodriguez-S.Arias Torio, Gijon 1999. I would be
surprised if Black wasn't doing well here, but White's attack is in keeping
with the spirit of the Yugoslav!}) 15... Rc5 {Black defends along the fifth
rank, whilst also preparing to advance his b-pawn.} (15... Kh8 $6 {had been
played by the same player earlier in the tournament, a fact I was blissfully
unaware of! White played the not very aggressive} 16. Nde2 (16. g4 $1 {would
have been much stronger}) 16... b5 17. a4 b4 18. Nd5 Nxd5 19. exd5 Qe8 $1 {and
Black duly won in D.Keller-M.Senff Duisburg 1992.}) 16. g4 hxg4 {QUESTION: How
should White proceed here? --- ANSWER:} 17. h5 $1 {Of course! The g- and
h-files must be opened at all costs.} Nxh5 (17... gxh5 {would have been well
met by} 18. Na4 $1 {, removing the rook from its defensive post:} Rc8 ({after} 
18... Bxa4 19. Nf5+ Kg8 20. Qg5+ Ng6 21. Qxg6+ {we can see the power of the
bishop on b3!}) 19. Qg5+ Ng6 20. Nf5+ {is crushing.}) 18. f4 Nc4 19. Bxc4 Rxc4
{Despite being two pawns down, White's attack is in full swing, whereas
Black's is yet to get started. I would take White here any day of the week!}
20. f5 $1 {EXERCISE: Black needs to tread a fine line here. Can you find his
most accurate defensive move?} Rh8 $6 ({ANSWER:} 20... e5 $1 {seems best. This
defends the weak g5-square whilst gaining a tempo on the knight and} 21. fxe6 {
leads nowhere after} fxe6 22. Rxg4 e5 $1 {.}) ({However,} 20... b5 $2 {would
also have been bad as} 21. Rxh5 gxh5 22. Qg5+ Kh7 23. Rh1 {leads to mate.}) 21.
Rxg4 Nf6 22. Rgh4 {White wins control of the all-important h-file with this
move and is now probably winning.} Rxh4 23. Rxh4 Nh5 {EXERCISE: The tempting
24 Rxh5 needs to be calculated. Does it win?} 24. Qg5 {This creates the very
powerful threat of Rxh5.} ({ANSWER: I don't think so.} 24. Rxh5 $2 {seems to
just lead to a perpetual as White has run out of attacking pieces after} gxh5
25. Qg5+ Kh7 26. Qxh5+ Kg7 27. Qg5+ {.}) 24... Qh8 25. fxg6 Rxd4 (25... fxg6
26. Qxe7+ {is curtains.}) 26. Rxh5 f6 27. Qh4 {. The h-file decides matters!} (
27. -- {Summary: With just a couple of inaccurate moves Black got into trouble.
This is one of the reasons why the Sicilian Dragon could be considered risky
from a strategic point of view and why the Yugoslav Attack is considered the
most testing response. The hook on g6 means that Black must be very accurate
in order to avoid the attack on the h-file crashing through. Be very careful
about opposite side castling if you have already created a target on the side
of the board where you will castle.}) 1-0

[Event "Varna Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1962.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Robatsch, K."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rnbqk2r/pp2ppbp/2p2npB/8/3P4/2N5/PPPQ1PPP/2KR1BNR b kq - 0 8"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[EventDate "1962.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Attacking a Kingside Fianchetto:} 8... O-O {One of the hallmarks of Bobby
Fischer's play was his direct, clear attacking style. Here we see another nice
example of attacking a kingside fianchetto. --- EXERCISE: What should White
play here? --- ANSWER:} 9. h4 $1 {Even with the bishop and knight still
sleeping on the kingside White gets on with it! The plan once again is to
lever the h-file open with h4-h5.} Qa5 10. h5 $1 gxh5 (10... Nxh5 11. Bxg7 Kxg7
12. Be2 Nf6 13. Qh6+ Kg8 14. Nf3 {is a lovely example of the white pieces
coming alive on the kingside; Nf3-g5 spells curtains for Black.}) 11. Bd3 Nbd7
12. Nge2 Rd8 {EXERCISE: Now that the minor pieces have been developed, it is
time to continue the attack, but how? --- ANSWER:} 13. g4 $3 {No need to mess
about. This is straight to the point.} Nf8 (13... Nxg4 14. Rdg1 $1 {is
devastating. All the white pieces are in the game and Black's queenside play
hasn't even started!}) 14. gxh5 Ne6 15. Rdg1 {The white attack almost plays
itself!} Kh8 16. Bxg7+ Nxg7 17. Qh6 Rg8 {EXERCISE: Get the rook on h1 into the
attack as fast as you can! --- ANSWER:} 18. Rg5 $1 {Gaining a tempo for
doubling the rooks due to the attack on the black queen.} Qd8 19. Rhg1 Nf5 20.
Bxf5 {. Summary: A kingside fianchetto can be a dangerous strategy in opposite
side castling situations! The attacking plan of Qd2 and Bh6 to swap off the
bishop followed by the h4-h5 push is really effective. Don't say I didn't warn
you if you want to allow it as Black!} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "More on Hooks and Levers"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {More on Hooks and Levers: The Bunratty tournament in Ireland is one of
the strongest weekend tournaments in the British Isles and great fun to play
in. In this event we find another example of the drawback of the hook. Even
though Black hasn't castled yet, White will soon find himself in trouble,
although the fact that Black hasn't castled will make the situation more
complicated as his rook can't participate in the attack.} *

[Event "Bunratty"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cafolla, P."]
[Black "Williams, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B23"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1b1k1nr/1p1pqpbp/p3p3/2p1B3/P1B1P3/2NP4/1PPQN1PP/R3K2R b KQkq - 0 12"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

12... Bxe5 13. O-O-O $2 {I guess White didn't believe that Black could get to
his king with so few pieces developed. However, one of the drawbacks with
queenside castling in general is that the a2- and a1-squares are not defended
by the king and are therefore that bit weaker compared to h2 and h1, which are
defended when White castles kingside. --- EXERCISE: Simon Williams rarely
misses the opportunity to attack when he can. How does he get the ball rolling
here? --- ANSWER:} b5 $1 {Opening a queenside file due to the hook on a4.} 14.
axb5 $6 ({I would have preferred to have kept the a-file closed with} 14. Bb3 {
when Black should probably keep things flexible and get some more pieces out.
After} Nf6 15. Kb1 {I think Black can afford to play} Rg8 {, leaving his king
in the middle, as he has good control of the central squares and there is no
obvious way for White to open things up.}) 14... axb5 15. Bxb5 Ra1+ {Black
drives the white knight back to a passive square.} 16. Nb1 {QUESTION: White
has closed the door for the moment. How can Black keep the attack going?} Bg7
$1 {Williams is very resourceful when it comes to finding ways to attack and a
study of his games will definitely improve your attacking chess! Here he
reroutes the bishop to the diagonal where the king is trapped and threatens ...Bh6 followed by ...e6-e5 when the knight blocks.} 17. e5 $5 {White gives back
the pawn and perhaps believes that he will find some attacking chances of his
own by opening the e-file. However, the Sicilian pawn structures (in this case
a Kan/Taimanov structure with pawns f7-e6-d7) are remarkably resilient and can
stand up to a lot of pressure if necessary.} Bxe5 18. c3 {White gives his king
some air and blocks the long diagonal.} Nf6 (18... Bg7 19. Kc2 Bh6 20. Qe1 {
was also certainly a possibility.}) 19. g3 c4 $6 {A square clearance sacrifice
that seems unnecessary.} ({Following the basic principles of development and
centralization would have been better:} 19... Bb7 20. Rhf1 Nd5 {and Black
stands well.}) 20. Bxc4 Qc5 21. b4 (21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. d4 {is an interesting
tactical shot, but it seems that after} Qb5 23. dxe5 Ne4 $1 24. Qc2 Qxe5 {
Black is still doing well} (24... Nf2 $2 {allows} 25. Nd4 {with a double
attack on the queen and knight.})) 21... Qa7 22. Rhf1 d5 23. Bb3 {The
situation remains tense. As I mentioned above, one of the drawbacks of not
castling is that the rook on h8 can't join in the game and here, because the
g-pawn has gone, castling is unlikely. --- QUESTION: If we forget about the
rook for the moment, can you find another way for Black to get his remaining
pieces going? --- ANSWER:} Ng4 $1 {Threatening ...Ne3 whilst allowing the
dark-squared bishop the opportunity to retreat along the long diagonal.} 24. d4
Bg7 25. h3 $2 ({I never find myself comfortable whilst in a pin and here White
should have taken the opportunity to remove it with} 25. Kb2 {. As it is, the
threat of ...Qa3+ hangs above White's head like the Sword of Damocles.}) 25...
Bh6 26. Nf4 Nf6 27. Qe2 Ne4 {Black's position has certainly improved. 28...
Nxc3 and 28...Nxg3 are threatened and White is now in two pins!} 28. Rf3 $2 {
This loses due to an overloading trick.} ({Relatively best was} 28. Kb2 O-O (
28... Nxg3 29. Qe5 {is unclear.})) 28... Nxg3 29. Qe5 f6 $1 {A very nice move.
Black lures the enemy queen to a vulnerable square.} 30. Qxf6 Qa3+ 31. Kc2 {
EXERCISE: Can you finish White off here?} (31. Kd2 Ne4+ {shows the point of
Black's 29th.}) 31... Ra2+ $1 {(ANSWER)} 32. Bxa2 Qxa2+ 33. Kd3 (33. Kc1 Ne2# {
is mate.}) 33... Ba6+ 34. c4 Bxc4+ ({White resigned as} 34... Bxc4+ 35. Kc3
Ne4# {is mate. A really good fight.}) (34... -- {Summary: White found himself
on the back foot following his mistake on the 12th move, which was castling
into a 'lever' (the ...b7-b5 pawn break) The situation was complicated due to
the position of the black king (and the resulting lack of help from his king's
rook), but White didn't extract himself from the pin along the first rank in
time and ultimately paid the price.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Pawnstorm"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Same Side Castling: The Pawnstorm: One is ill-advised to start a same
side pawnstorm if the opponent has the ability to open the centre quickly.
Watch how Alexander Alekhine dealt with such a faulty strategy.} *

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1923.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Maroczy, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D55"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1b2rk1/pp1nq1pp/2p1p3/3p1p2/2PP4/2QBPN2/PP3PPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 12"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1923.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

12. Rac1 {The position has arisen from a Queen's Gambit Declined and Black has
employed a Stonewall pawn set-up (f5-e6-d5-c6) to control the centre. White is
better here, due to the passive nature of the bishop on c8 and the fact that
the black pawns limit its scope. Moreover, here Black loses patience and
embarks on a faulty plan:} g5 $2 {EXERCISE: Black dreams of pushing the knight
on f3 away, before swinging the rook and the queen to the h-file. How should
White react to this?} (12... Nf6 {followed by connecting the rooks is a much
better plan.}) 13. Nd2 $1 {ANSWER: A great move! White's plan, which is
typical when the opponent carries out a flank attack, is to counter in the
centre of the board. By retreating the knight, White will play f2-f3 and e3-e4,
opening lines towards the black king. He also removes the knight from a square
where it would have been a target for the ...g5-g4 push.} Rf7 (13... g4 {would
have been met by} 14. f3 $1 Nf6 15. Rce1 Bd7 16. fxg4 fxg4 {when} 17. e4 $1 {
would leave White with a clear advantage.}) 14. f3 e5 $5 {EXERCISE: Black
continues to play boldly, but due to the better development of his pieces,
with accurate play White can gain a clear advantage. Can you see how to do
this? --- ANSWER:} 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. e4 $1 {After this move Black's position
falls apart with alarming speed.} fxe4 ({Keeping lines closed with something
like} 16... Nb6 17. dxe5 Be6 {is necessary, although Black remains in big
trouble as he has a pawn less.}) 17. fxe4 Rxf1+ 18. Rxf1 exd4 {EXERCISE: If
White makes the obvious recapture, Black can get the queens off with 19...Qc5.
Can you find a stronger way to play? --- ANSWER:} 19. Qc7 $1 {Absolutely
crushing! This ties down the knight on d7 and the black queen is shackled to
defending the back rank. The rest is easy.} Kg7 20. Rf5 dxe4 21. Nxe4 Qb4 22.
Rxg5+ {. The g5-pawn, which was designed to be used as an attacking weapon,
falls and the black king is doomed.} (22. -- {Summary: The main reason that
Black's strategy didn't work in this game was down to the fact that the centre
wasn't closed and White was able to open it rapidly. As a side issue, Black's
development was also lagging which meant that once files became open he was
unable to defend his king in an adequate manner. Be very careful before
employing a strategy such as the kingside pawnstorm!}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Flank Attacks more effective"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Closed Centres make Flank Attacks more effective: With a closed centre
the kingside pawn-storm becomes a much more reasonable strategy, which is
logical as play is directed towards the flanks in such situations. This is
most markedly shown in the King's Indian Defence, where often White employs a
queenside attack and Black a kingside attack. The following is a modern
classic in this particular opening and one of the games that made me take up
the opening!} *

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Piket, J."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E99"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e4 d6 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 {
White chooses to enter the most principled line, grabbing space and driving
the knight away. He also closes the centre and therefore both sides should
look to play on the flanks.} Ne7 9. Ne1 {EXERCISE: White looks to reroute his
knight to the d3-square, where it will be used to support the c4-c5 advance.
How should Black react here? --- ANSWER:} Nd7 {For a King's Indian player this
idea comes very naturally, though the choice of square is interesting. On d7
the knight obstructs the bishop, but also overprotects the c5-square. The main
point behind the move is to start kingside action though.} 10. Be3 f5 11. f3 f4
12. Bf2 g5 {Black must use his pawns in this instance as the first wave of
attack, as there are many pieces protecting the white king.} 13. b4 Nf6 (13...
h5 {, of course, also suggests itself and is perfectly reasonable.}) (13... b6
$2 {is a move I have seen quite a lot in this sort of position, but it doesn't
help and only weakens the queenside. The point is that after something like}
14. Rc1 Nf6 {the break} 15. c5 {will happen anyway and the light squares will
become a problem for Black. Don't touch pawns on the side of the board where
you are weakest!}) 14. c5 Ng6 {Both sides are playing very naturally,
developing their attacks on the flanks.} 15. cxd6 cxd6 16. Rc1 Rf7 ({QUESTION:
What is wrong with the logical 16...h5 here? --- ANSWER: We must be aware of
what our opponent is up to! White has weakened the queenside and plans to
invade on the c7 square.} 16... h5 $6 17. Nb5 $1 {almost forces a pawn
sacrifice, as} b6 (17... Rf7 18. Nxa7 Bd7 19. a4 g4 {was J.Piket-V.Spasov,
Groningen 1989, when} 20. Nb5 $1 {would have left Black in a perilous state})
18. Nc7 Rb8 19. Nd3 {is really bad for Black. At an opportune moment White
will play Ne6 to exchange off the dangerous light-squared bishop. Instead with
the text move Kasparov covers the sensitive c7-square.}) 17. a4 Bf8 $5 {
QUESTION: This looks rather passive. What is the point? --- ANSWER: Black's
move has two ideas behind it. Firstly, the bishop overprotects another weak
square in the black camp (d6), but more importantly it allows the f7-rook to
swing over on to either the h- or g-files where the white king is situated.} ({
Prior to this game} 17... h5 {had been the main move.}) 18. a5 Bd7 {Again
Black chooses to wait, completing his development before undertaking any
kingside action.} 19. Nb5 {EXERCISE: Multiple choice time! Choose between the
following options: a) 19...a6, taking a time-out to save the a7-pawn and
attack the knight. --- b) 19...Bxb5 to remove the dangerous knight. --- c) 19...b6 to defend the pawn without giving the b6-square away. --- d) 19...g4,
getting on with it.} (19. Kh1 {would have been a useful waiting move, giving
the dark-squared bishop the g1-square.}) 19... g4 $1 {(ANSWER) A difficult one
to judge, but as is often the case in this opening Black must sacrifice on the
queenside or face positional ruin.} (19... a6 $6 {gives away the b6-square:}
20. Nc7 Rc8 21. Bb6 Qe7 22. Rc4 {with all still to play for, though I prefer
White, due to his ability to exchange Black's light-squared bishop at will
with Ne6.}) (19... Bxb5 $2 {would be a positional mistake:} 20. Bxb5 {and
Black can kiss his kingside hopes goodbye as this bishop is really needed to
sacrifice itself on h3 when necessary.}) (19... b6 20. axb6 axb6 21. Rc3 {
followed by doubling on the c-file would be unpleasant.}) 20. Nc7 $6 ({The
tactical point is that} 20. fxg4 {allows} Nxe4 {.}) (20. Nxa7 {was probably
the critical test:} gxf3 (20... g3 {runs into} 21. Bb6) 21. gxf3 (21. Bxf3 Qb8
$1 {'traps' the knight and Black will capture it next move}) 21... Bh3 22. Bb6
Qe7 23. Kh1 $1 Bxf1 24. Bxf1 {with good compensation for the sacrificed
exchange.}) 20... g3 $1 {A pretty pawn chain!} 21. Nxa8 $2 (21. hxg3 fxg3 22.
Bxg3 Nh5 {was the idea, trying to use the dark squares as entry points for the
knights and dark-squared bishop. However, things remain murky after} 23. Bf2
Ngf4 24. Ne6 $1 Nxe6 25. dxe6 Bxe6 26. Bc4 {.}) 21... Nh5 22. Kh1 {ChessBase
gives this as the only move, but I'm not so convinced about this.} ({After} 22.
Bxa7 Qh4 (22... gxh2+ 23. Kxh2 Qh4+ 24. Kg1 Ng3 {looks very dangerous, but
doesn't contain a threat other than to win the exchange; in the meantime White
can get on with things on the queenside and after} 25. Nb6 Nxf1 26. Bxf1 {he
is simply a piece up}) 23. h3 Bxh3 $1 {(showing why we need the light-squared
bishop!)} 24. gxh3 Qxh3 25. Rf2 $1 gxf2+ 26. Kxf2 {it's not clear that Black
has more than a perpetual with} Qg3+ 27. Kf1 Qh3+ 28. Kf2 {.}) 22... gxf2 23.
Rxf2 {EXERCISE: It seems as though the worst is over for Piket, as the white
king sits comfortably behind his pawn shield. --- Kasparov has other ideas
though! What did he play? --- ANSWER:} Ng3+ $1 24. Kg1 $1 ({Acceptance of the
piece sacrifice with} 24. hxg3 {leads to a pretty mate:} fxg3 25. Kg1 Qh4 $1
26. Bc4 Qh2+ 27. Kf1 Nf4 {and ...Qh1 is unstoppable.}) 24... Qxa8 25. Bc4 {
EXERCISE: We have talked about the weakness of the dark squares for White. Can
you see a way to exploit this?} ({Accepting the piece still leads to the same
problem:} 25. hxg3 fxg3 26. Rf1 Nf4 $1 {preventing White from breaking with
f3-f4 again nicely demonstrates how a weak colour complex (the dark squares
here) can be fatal; ...Qd8-h4-h2 can only be avoided at huge material loss.})
25... a6 $1 {(ANSWER) The queen heads for the a7-g1 diagonal.} 26. Qd3 $6 (26.
Nd3 Qa7 27. Nc5 {would have been relatively best.}) 26... Qa7 27. b5 axb5 28.
Bxb5 Nh1 $1 {. An imaginative game by Kasparov, who combined patience in the
early middlegame with a pawnstorm followed by thematic piece sacrifices later
on to try to get at the white king. Piket tried to keep the kingside files
closed, but in the end, although the white king's pawn shield was still intact,
the weakness of his dark squares decided the game.} (28... -- {Summary: 1)
Same side pawnstorms should only be attempted if the centre can be kept closed.
--- 2) Often the pawnstorm on its own will not be enough and piece sacrifices
will be needed to soften the opponent's defences}) 0-1

[Event "Zurich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1934.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine, A."]
[Black "Lasker, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D67"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2q1rk1/pp3ppp/2p2n2/4nb2/3N4/1B2P3/PP3PPP/2RQ1RK1 w - - 0 17"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1934.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Using Your Pieces to Get to the King:} 17. Nxf5 {We pick up this game after
17 moves, played by the eventual winner of the tournament. It is a nice
example of using the pieces to probe for weaknesses on the kingside when a
pawnstorm simply won't work. Notice the open centre.} Qb6 $2 {Lasker fails to
appreciate the danger to his king. The knight on f5 is going to be a real
menace.} ({Safer was} 17... Qxd1 18. Rfxd1 Rfd8 19. Nd6 Rd7 {with a slight
advantage to White.}) 18. Qd6 $1 Ned7 19. Rfd1 Rad8 20. Qg3 {Forcing Black's
next move, creating some kingside weaknesses.} g6 21. Qg5 Kh8 $2 ({More
tenacious was} 21... Ne4 22. Qe7 gxf5 23. Rxd7 Rxd7 24. Qxd7 Qb5 $1 {when
Black's pawn structure looks ugly, but his active knight provides some
compensation.}) 22. Nd6 {The knight jumps from one dream square to another!}
Kg7 {EXERCISE: Having forced some concessions on the kingside, Alekhine now
missed a very strong continuation. Can you find it?} 23. e4 ({ANSWER: The rook
lift} 23. Rc4 $1 {is very dangerous. The rook heads for f4 or h4 and Black has
practically no useful moves. After something passive like} Ng8 24. Rf4 Ndf6 25.
Qe5 {he is virtually in zugzwang!}) 23... Ng8 24. Rd3 ({I think I would have
used the other rook with} 24. Rc3 {, as it is not doing much on the c-file,
but I guess there is not much in it.}) 24... f6 $2 {This loses immediately,
but it's very difficult to suggest a decent alternative for Lasker. ---
EXERCISE: Can you find the pretty finish?} ({Perhaps} 24... Ndf6 {is best.})
25. Nf5+ {(ANSWER)} Kh8 26. Qxg6 $1 {The queen punches a hole in the black
kingside with devastating effect.} ({Mate in inevitable after} 26. Qxg6 $1 hxg6
27. Rh3+ {, so Black resigned.}) (26. -- {Summary: When pawns cannot easily be
used to attack the enemy's castled king, it is up to the player to use pieces
to create weaknesses in the opponent's camp. Here Alekhine successfully did
that using the combination of knight and queen, before a classic rook lift
finished off the game.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{1) Leaving your king in the centre of the board carries a serious health
warning. Get the king castled unless there is no way for the opponent to open
the centre.} 1. -- {2) If you see a potential 'hook' after your opponent has
castled, think seriously about castling on the opposite side of the board and
playing for direct checkmate.} (1. -- {3) Against an enemy fianchetto look to
remove the fianchettoed bishop, which will otherwise do a superb job of
protecting the king.}) (1. -- {4) Pawnstorms on the same side that you have
castled on will normally only work if your opponent cannot open the centre.}) (
1. -- {5) In such situations it is often better to use the pieces to probe and
provoke weaknesses around the opposition king.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3: Decisive Development"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{To develop: "to bring one's pieces into play during the opening phase." - The
Oxford Companion to Chess} 1. -- {Development usually relates to our pieces on
the back rank and after taking some control of the centre of the board (with
pawns), mobilizing these pieces is the next phase of classical opening
strategy.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Develop With Tempo"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C60"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {. The Spanish is considered a testing opening for
Black for many reasons, but one of the simplest to understand is that White
develops a piece whilst attacking an enemy unit (in this case applying some
indirect pressure to the central e5-pawn by threatening the defender). The
concept of developing with tempo forms the basis of effective, speedy
development. Don't delay and don't move your pieces twice (or three, or four
times) until everything is developed! --- Falling behind in development in the
opening is a very risky idea. It often happens due to one player moving a
piece more than once, often to grab a pawn or two. Witness the following
massacre as a warning shot (see the following game).} *

[Event "Newcastle"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1892.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bird, H."]
[Black "Lasker, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C21"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "1892.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 {The Danish gambit was one of the
favourite openings of my youth. White offers two pawns for a pair of
magnificent bishops and a lead in development. The problem was hardly anybody
took the second pawn!} cxb2 5. Bxb2 Qg5 $2 {Oh dear. Black wants all of
White's pawns! A terrible decision by Lasker, who in his prime was regarded as
the strongest player of his generation. What possessed him to play this move I
do not know. --- QUESTION: What should White do about the hanging pawn on g2?}
(5... d5 $1 {is Black's safest option, returning the pawn for development of
his own:} 6. Bxd5 Nf6 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qxd8 Bb4+ $1 9. Qd2 Bxd2+ 10. Nxd2 Re8
11. Ngf3 Nc6 {has been played many times and is approximately equal,} ({but not
} 11... Nxe4 $2 12. Ne5+ Rxe5 13. Bxe5 {, winning an exchange.})) 6. Nf3 $1 {
(ANSWER) Ignore it, of course! White chooses instead to develop another minor
piece with tempo.} Qxg2 7. Rg1 {With tempo on the queen. A simple count says
it all. White has four pieces (two bishops, knight and rook) developed, with
open lines for the queen as well. Black has only developed his queen. Indeed,
it is no a surprise this game doesn't last much longer.} Bb4+ {EXERCISE: Make
a brief comment on the following moves: 8 Ke2, 8 Nbd2, 8 Nc3, and 8 Bc3, and
choose the best. --- ANSWER:} 8. Ke2 $1 {Perhaps it was this move that Black
didn't consider. White keeps maximum lines open, which equals maximum
firepower for his pieces.} (8. Nbd2 Bxd2+ {leaves White in a slightly awkward
situation, as his pawn on f2, knight on f3 and rook on g1 are all slightly
loose.} 9. Ke2 $1 {is still good for him though!}) (8. Nc3 {cannot be
recommended as it blocks the dark-squared bishop in.}) (8. Bc3 $2 {should not
even be seriously considered, swapping off White's mighty bishop far too
cheaply.}) 8... Qh3 9. Bxf7+ {This trick again!} ({Instead} 9. Ng5 {allows}
Qh5+ {.}) 9... Kd8 ({Other moves show the power of open lines:} 9... Kxf7 10.
Ng5+) (9... Ke7 10. Rxg7) ({and} 9... Kf8 10. Bxg7+ {.}) 10. Bxg7 {I bet Black
regretted taking that g2-pawn now. His position is completely hopeless.} Ne7
11. Ng5 $1 Qh4 12. Ne6# {. A pretty picture to finish. White didn't even want
the black rook in the corner!} (12. -- {Summary: I cannot stress enough the
importance (especially to juniors) of the perils of pawn grabbing in the
opening as Lasker found out to his great cost.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Exploiting a Development Lead"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bqkb1r/pp3ppp/2n2p2/3p4/3N4/2N1P3/PPP2PPP/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 0 7"]
[PlyCount "37"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Having a lead in development is all very well and good, but it is just as
important to realize that such an advantage is very much short term, as your
opponent will probably get round to bringing their pieces out eventually! It
is therefore vital that you are able to use this lead in development quickly
when the opportunity arises. Take a look at the following game extract, taken
from John Walker's book 'Attacking the King', where Black uses his development
advantage to maximum effect.} 7... Bb4 8. Nde2 $2 {White tries to stop Black
doubling his queenside pawns, but at the same time obstructs his bishop and
therefore makes castling more difficult.} (8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O {is about equal.})
8... O-O 9. a3 Bxc3+ 10. Nxc3 {EXERCISE: Cast your mind back to the previous
chapter and the section on attacking the uncastled king. What should Black
play here? --- ANSWER:} d4 $1 {Opening up lines for an attack on the white
monarch.} ({Something slow like} 10... Be6 {would allow White to develop his
bishop and castle.}) 11. exd4 ({Sadly for White it is already too late to keep
the e-file closed with} 11. Nb5 dxe3 12. Qxd8 {as Black wins a pawn with} exf2+
13. Kxf2 Rxd8 {.}) 11... Re8+ 12. Ne2 $2 {EXERCISE: Find a good way to
continue your development!} ({Grimly hanging on to his extra pawn, but} 12. Be2
{should again be preferred, as White just has time to put his king into safety
after} Nxd4 13. O-O {, since} Nxe2+ 14. Nxe2 Qxd1 15. Raxd1 Rxe2 {allows back
rank mate with} 16. Rd8+ {.}) 12... Qb6 {ANSWER: Developing with tempo again,
in this case attacking b2.} ({Instead the tempting and obvious} 12... Nxd4 {
allows White to exchange queens with} 13. c3 Nc6 14. Qxd8 Rxd8 {when Black's
advantage is at a minimum.}) 13. c3 {White reinforces the central pawn.} (13.
Rb1 Nxd4 {is now crushing as after} 14. c3 Nxe2 15. Bxe2 Bf5 16. Ra1 Rad8 17.
Qc1 Bd3 {Black wins a piece.}) 13... Qxb2 14. Qc1 Qb5 {Black has the attack
and White is lagging behind in development, so why exchange the most powerful
attacking piece? --- EXERCISE: A critical moment in the game has arisen. ---
White is in huge trouble. What is his best move here?} 15. Qb1 $2 {Leaving
himself pinned down the e-file is fatal.} ({ANSWER:} 15. f3 $1 {was best,
looking to shelter the king on f2 and escape the pin, although, of course,
Black's position is still preferable.}) 15... Qa5 16. Kd1 {EXERCISE: A nice
easy one. Develop with tempo please!} (16. Qb2 Nxd4 $1 {is virtually all over.}
) 16... Bf5 {ANSWER: Activating the bishop whilst hitting the white queen and
not forgetting about the rook in the corner either.} 17. Qb3 (17. Qxb7 Qa4+ 18.
Ke1 Rab8 19. Qc7 Qc2 {makes for a sad picture for White.}) 17... Rad8 $1 {
Simple chess! Black completes his development and maximises his firepower down
the central files.} 18. Kc1 {EXERCISE: We have five pieces developed to
White's two. That should be more than enough to bring about a swift finish.
Can you find a way? --- ANSWER:} Nxd4 $1 {Crushing. The knight gives its life
to open the c-file and White simply cannot defend.} 19. cxd4 (19. Nxd4 Rxd4 $1
20. cxd4 Re1+ 21. Kb2 Qd2+ 22. Qc2 Qxc2# {is mate.}) 19... Qe1+ 20. Qd1 Rc8+
21. Kb2 {QUESTION: How does Black finish a lovely game? --- ANSWER:} Rxe2+ $1 {
Destroying the defender of the c3-square.} 22. Bxe2 Qc3+ 23. Ka2 Bc2 24. Rc1
Qb3+ 25. Ka1 Qxa3# {. Summary: After a couple of inaccuracies by White, Black
showed perfectly how a lead in development can be exploited. By constantly
creating threats, there was no time for the white king to get out of the
centre. Remember to develop with tempo and look to exploit your lead in
development as quickly as possible!} *

[Event "New York (blindfold)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1857.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Schulten, J."]
[Black "Morphy, P."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C32"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "40"]
[EventDate "1857.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{In 1857 Paul Morphy played a 24 game blindfold match against John William
Schulten, which he won 23-1! The following game shows Morphy at his best,
exploiting his lead in development in aggressive and decisive style.} 1. e4 e5
2. f4 d5 {The Falkbeer Countergambit, an aggressive response to the King's
Gambit.} 3. exd5 ({Of course, not} 3. fxe5 $4 Qh4+ {which is already winning
for Black.}) 3... e4 {Immediately disrupting the development of White's king's
knight.} 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. d3 {QUESTION: What is the best way for Black to
continue here? --- ANSWER:} Bb4 $1 {Developing the bishop, pinning the knight
and preparing to castle.} ({Winning the pawn back with} 5... exd3 6. Bxd3 Nxd5
{allows} 7. Bb5+ c6 8. Qxd5 $1 cxb5 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {with a clear advantage to
White.}) 6. Bd2 (6. dxe4 {has scored poorly for White in practice: for example,
} Nxe4 7. Qd4 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 O-O 9. Nf3 Re8 {with good compensation for the
pawn, C.Von Jaenisch-H.Staunton, London 1851.}) 6... e3 $5 {Black sacrifices a
second pawn in order to open the e-file.} 7. Bxe3 O-O 8. Bd2 Bxc3 9. bxc3 (9.
Bxc3 {has also been tried:} Nxd5 10. Qd2 (10. Bd2 $6 Re8+ 11. Be2 Nc6 12. c3 {
, was L.Toth-L.Vass, Hungarian League 1999, and now} ({here} 12. Nf3 Qe7 $1 {
keeps the white king in the cent}) 12... Bf5 {would have given Black a clear
advantage}) 10... Re8+ 11. Be2 {and now the novelty} Bg4 $5 {gives Black good
play, such as after} 12. O-O-O Nxc3 13. bxc3 Be6 14. c4 Qd6 {with pressure on
the queenside.}) 9... Re8+ 10. Be2 {EXERCISE: What's best for Black here? ---
ANSWER:} Bg4 {Again we see how the development of the black pieces come with
tempo. This time there is no direct threat, but the move continues to make the
development of the g1-knight awkward.} 11. c4 $1 {A good response by White,
slowing down Morphy's attack by cementing the centre. --- QUESTION: How can we
continue to play energetically here? --- ANSWER:} c6 $1 {A great move,
preparing the development of the black knight to its most aggressive square
and the introduction of the queen's rook into the game.} 12. dxc6 $2 {Too
co-operative. This mistake was made again almost 150 years later as we will
see in the note to Black's 14th!} (12. h3 {was called for, giving back the
pawn to complete development:} Bxe2 13. Nxe2 cxd5 14. cxd5 Qxd5 15. O-O Nc6 {
with an approximately equal game.}) 12... Nxc6 13. Kf1 {EXERCISE: White unpins
himself and gets ready to exchange the bishops. What should Black do about
this? --- ANSWER:} Rxe2 $1 {Anyone familiar with Morphy's famous game against
the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard in 1856 (which we will see again in
Chapter Six) should know this motif!} 14. Nxe2 Nd4 {Here White resigned in P.Vikar-V.Kovar, Havlickur 2005, but Schulten decided to prolong the agony.} 15.
Qb1 Bxe2+ 16. Kf2 Ng4+ 17. Kg1 {EXERCISE: Can you find Morphy's beautiful
finish? --- ANSWER:} Nf3+ $3 18. gxf3 Qd4+ 19. Kg2 Qf2+ 20. Kh3 Qxf3+ ({White
resigned, as} 20... Qxf3+ 21. Kh4 Ne3 22. Rg1 Nf5+ 23. Kg5 Qh5# {is mate.}) (
20... -- {Summary: Power chess from Morphy! Every developing move came with a
threat and just one mistake on move 12 cost White the game.}) 0-1

[Event "Sopron"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1934.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grünfeld, E."]
[Black "Spielmann, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D95"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "1934.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Rudolf Spielmann (1883-1942) was another great attacking chess player, very
much of the romantic school of chess thinking. Another Move by Move author,
Neil McDonald, even wrote a whole book about him! Here we see another great
example of how to exploit a lead in development, even at the cost of material.
} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 {A Grünfeld Defence, played against Mr Grünfeld
himself! Indeed, Ernst Grünfeld popularized this opening at international
level in Vienna 1922, where he defeated Alexander Alekhine with it and hence
it bears his name. It remains one of the most popular and dynamic ways to
counter 1 d4 to this day.} 4. e3 {A solid choice, reinforcing the centre.} Bg7
5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bd2 {A slightly strange developing move, as the bishop doesn't
appear to be any better on d2 than it is on c1.} c6 {Another solid move.} (6...
c5 {is the typical Grünfeld pawn break:} 7. dxc5 Na6 (7... Qa5 {would be the
normal way to win the pawn back, but now we can see the point of the bishop on
d2:} 8. Nxd5 {just wins a pawn}) 8. cxd5 Nxc5 9. Bc4 a6 10. a4 Bf5 11. O-O Rc8
{with decent compensation for the pawn in B.Ivkov-J.Timman, Skopje 1976.}) 7.
Qb3 b6 8. cxd5 cxd5 9. Rc1 {It is interesting to see how White keeps his
bishop on f1 for the moment, as it is not clear what the best square for it is.
Is it e2, d3, b5 or even a6? Grünfeld awaits developments before making a
decision. This is why it is generally considered that knights should be
developed before bishops. Their best squares are nearly always c3 and f3 (for
White), and c6 and f6 (for Black).} Bb7 10. Ne5 Nfd7 ({QUESTION: That looks a
bit weird! Why has Black decided to put that knight on d7 and not the
undeveloped one on b8? --- ANSWER:} 10... Nbd7 11. f4 $1 {is White's plan. Now
the e5-knight becomes hard to shift. In fact, Spielmann had reached this
position earlier in the same year. Play continued} Rc8 12. Be2 Nxe5 13. fxe5
Ne4 14. Nxe4 Rxc1+ 15. Bxc1 dxe4 16. Bc4 e6 17. O-O {and a draw was agreed a
few moves later in R.Rey Ardid-R.Spielmann, Sitges 1934.}) ({Instead} 10... Nc6
$6 11. Nxc6 Bxc6 12. Ba6 $1 {controls the c-file and gives White a small
advantage. We can see how useful it was to wait with the bishop in this
variation!}) 11. Nxd7 (11. f4 {still has to be considered. After} Nxe5 ({the
immediate} 11... f6 $2 {allows the shot} 12. Nxg6 $1 hxg6 13. Nxd5 Kh7 (13...
Bxd5 14. Qxd5+ {picks up the rook}) 14. Nc7 {with a winning position for White}
) 12. fxe5 f6 $1 {(trying to blow up the centre whilst the enemy king is still
there)} 13. e6 {the situation looks a little tricky for Black. --- EXERCISE:
The e6-pawn acts as a thorn in Black's side and the knight cannot be developed
to c6 without dropping the d5-pawn. What can we do about this? --- ANSWER:} f5
$1 {(looking to catch the king in the centre)} 14. Be2 f4 $1 15. O-O Nc6 {with
good counterplay for Black as the d4-pawn is a target.}) 11... Nxd7 12. f4 {
White looks to clamp down on the ...e7-e5 break. --- QUESTION: Is there an
effective plan for Black here? --- ANSWER:} e5 $1 {From a practical point of
view this is absolutely the right idea, even though my computer thinks White
can defend against this move. Black looks to rip open central lines as White
is still two moves away from castling.} ({Something lethargic like} 12... Rc8
13. Bd3 Nf6 14. O-O {would give White a small edge. Black has no pawn breaks
and so the middlegame will be more difficult for him to play.}) 13. fxe5 Nxe5
14. dxe5 {EXERCISE: Open lines means maximum firepower for the pieces. What is
better than the automatic recapture 14...Bxe5? --- ANSWER:} d4 $1 {Opening the
a8-h1 diagonal for the bishop and the d-file for the queen.} 15. Nd1 $6 (15.
Ne2 {may have been a better way to defend, trying to force the issue of what
to do with the d4-pawn:} Bxe5 16. exd4 Bxd4 17. Nxd4 Qxd4 {with definite
compensation, although without the dark-squared bishop the situation is not so
dangerous for White.}) 15... Bxe5 16. e4 {White gives back a pawn in order to
try and organize his defences.} Bxe4 17. Nf2 Bd5 {It is clear that the
sacrifice has been successful. Black has a beautiful pair of bishops on the
open board and two pawns for the piece.} 18. Qh3 {White wants to develop his
f1-hishop without dropping the pawn. --- EXERCISE: We must be fast! Our lead
in development isn't going to last long as White looks to get castled. Can you
find a way to keep the king in the centre?} ({Personally I would have
preferred to get my bishop out, even at the cost of g2:} 18. Bc4 Bxg2 19. Rg1
Bb7 {, though Black's position is still for choice here.}) 18... Qe7 {(ANSWER)}
19. Be2 d3 $5 {Very imaginative! Black uses typical pressure along the e-file
to keep the king stuck in the centre.} ({Not} 19... Rfe8 $2 20. O-O {and White
is safe!}) 20. Nxd3 (20. Qxd3 Bxg2 21. Rg1 Bb7 {is similar to the note to
White's 18th, above.}) 20... Rfe8 $1 21. Kf1 $2 {White cracks under pressure,
but this is unsurprising thanks to Spielmann's energetic play.} (21. O-O Bd4+ {
is the main point, when the e2-bishop will fall.}) ({Instead} 21. Qe3 $1 {was
the best defence when one sample line runs} Qh4+ 22. g3 Bxg3+ 23. Qxg3 Qxg3+
24. hxg3 Bxh1 25. Kf2 Bd5 {with all still to play for in the endgame.}) 21...
Bxb2 22. Re1 {White's king is boxed in by his own pieces. --- QUESTION: How
can Black exploit this? --- ANSWER:} Qf6+ $1 23. Nf2 (23. Nf4 Be5 24. Qg3 g5 {
would regain the sacrificed piece with interest}) ({while} 23. Kg1 Bd4+ {is
terminal.}) 23... Bd4 24. Qg3 {EXERCISE: White is completely tied up and Black
can conclude the game. Can you see how?} Re4 $2 ({ANSWER:} 24... Rxe2 $1 {was
the way forward:} 25. Rxe2 (25. Kxe2 Bxf2 26. Qxf2 Bc4+ {wins the white queen})
25... Bc4 {and White is trussed up like a turkey with 26...Re8 coming.}) 25. h4
$2 {White misses his chance to unravel a bit.} (25. Rc1 $1 {, defending c4 and
preparing Bf3, offers good chances to resist.}) 25... Rae8 26. Bb5 Rxe1+ 27.
Bxe1 Re3 {Now it's hopeless for White. The black pieces are just too well
co-ordinated.} 28. Qg5 Rxe1+ $1 29. Kxe1 Qxf2+ 30. Kd1 Bxg2 31. Re1 Bf3+ 32.
Be2 Bc3 33. Bxf3 Qxf3+ 34. Kc2 Bxe1 35. Qd8+ Kg7 {. Summary: A very powerful
attacking game from Spielmann, who recognized with 12...e5! that he could
exploit his small lead in development (in this case the opponent's uncastled
king). The idea of doubling to attack a piece on the e-file (the bishop on e2)
was particularly important to prevent Grünfeld's king from finding safety.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Not Him Again!"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Not Him Again!: One of the big problems in the early middlegame is
deciding where to develop your rooks. Pawn exchanges in the opening make the
middlegame easier in the sense that open files will be available for the rooks
and therefore should dictate where they will be placed. But it's not always as
easy as that! Witness Bobby Fischer taking down Robert Byrne once again.} *

[Event "US Championship, New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1963.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Byrne, R."]
[Black "Fischer, RJ."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D71"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "42"]
[EventDate "1963.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 {Delaying the development of the b1-knight is a
little bit annoying for a Grünfeld player.} c6 ({After} 3... Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 (
4... O-O 5. Nc3 {makes ...d5 difficult to play}) 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 {due to
the absence of the knight on c3, Black cannot carry out his typical exchange
followed by ...c7-c5 break. Here} Nb6 7. Ne2 {was a favourite weapon of
Anatoly Karpov.}) 4. Bg2 (4. d5 $5 {is not the most ridiculous move in the
world here, simply to prevent Black's next:} cxd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 {, as in V.Korchnoi-E.Geller, Moscow Candidates 1971.}) 4... d5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nc3 Bg7 7.
e3 O-O 8. Nge2 Nc6 9. O-O {EXERCISE: A good time to ask yourself - how do I
most effectively complete my development and where does the bishop on c8 want
to be? --- ANSWER:} b6 {Fischer chooses to put his bishop on a6-f1 diagonal,
where it can't be disturbed.} ({Instead} 9... Bg4 10. h3 {clearly doesn't help
Black}) ({but} 9... Bf5 {is quite logical, although Black needs to be wary of
the typical idea} 10. Qb3 {, attacking both the b7- and d5-pawns. In this
particular case it can be met with} Na5 {.}) 10. b3 {Byrne follows suit.} Ba6
11. Ba3 Re8 12. Qd2 {It is common for the white queen to come to e2, d2 or c2
in the opening to connect the rooks.} e5 {A brave move, which probably left
Robert Byrne a bit taken aback. In exchange for the severely weakened d5-pawn
Black obtains minor piece activity. Such a dynamic approach was very much in
keeping with Fischer's style! For more on this see Chapter One.} 13. dxe5 Nxe5
14. Rfd1 $2 {Very natural. White seeks to place his rooks on their best
squares (d1 and c1), but in doing so gives Black a target for his pieces. ---
QUESTION: What is the drawback of the move Rf1-d1? --- ANSWER: It weakens f2.
The pawns on f2 and g3 now give rise to some tactical opportunities which
Fischer is quick to exploit.} (14. Rad1 {was given as best by Fischer.}) 14...
Nd3 15. Qc2 {White prepares to play Rxd3.} Nxf2 $1 {Highlighting the drawback
to White's 14th move.} 16. Kxf2 Ng4+ 17. Kg1 Nxe3 18. Qd2 {EXERCISE: Fischer's
next move completely surprised Byrne, who was expecting 18...Nxd1. What was it
that he had underestimated? --- ANSWER:} Nxg2 $1 {Very logical! Black gives
himself two bishops on an open board and commendably doesn't take the material
on offer.} 19. Kxg2 d4 20. Nxd4 Bb7+ 21. Kf1 Qd7 {. White resigned due to the
overwhelming weaknesses on the light squares.} (21... -- {Summary: When
developing your rooks, take a good look at the pawns they will no longer be
defending and check there is no easy way for the opponent to get at these
pawns. This is particularly true of the kingside rook as the f2- and f7-pawns
cover some important squares.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Problems with the Rooks"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Problems with the Rooks in Closed Positions: The following game
highlights how a player with deep understanding overcomes the challenges
facing his rooks in a closed position. As we know, rooks like to be on open
files!} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stripunsky, A."]
[Black "Gavrjushin, O."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C18"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Nc6 7. h4 $5 {I must
admit that I am very fond of this eccentric-looking move in the French. White
looks to advance the h-pawn to h6 (if possible) in order to create some
dark-square weaknesses for his unopposed bishop to exploit. We've already seen
the idea in Kasparov-Ivanchuk in Chapter One.} ({Both} 7. Qg4) ({and} 7. Nf3 {
are more common.}) 7... Qa5 8. Bd2 Qa4 9. h5 {Ignoring the threat to the
d4-pawn.} h6 {Black stops the white pawn in its tracks.} ({Instead} 9... cxd4
10. Nf3 Nge7 ({White gains huge compensation for the pawn after} 10... dxc3 11.
Bxc3 Nce7 12. Rb1 a6 13. Bd3 {with a big lead in development}) 11. cxd4 Nxd4
12. Bd3 {is the so called 'Kasparov Gambit', after the famous man introduced
it in a 1992 game against Vishy Anand:} Nec6 13. Kf1 Nxf3 14. Qxf3 b6 $6 (14...
Qd4 15. Re1 Nxe5 {is the critical test}) 15. h6 Ba6 16. hxg7 Rg8 17. Bxa6 Qxa6+
18. Kg1 {left Black in huge trouble in G.Kasparov-V.Anand, Linares 1992.}) 10.
Nf3 Nge7 {QUESTION: How should White proceed with his development here? ---
ANSWER:} 11. Rh4 $5 {This is actually pretty standard for such a position. The
white rook has no future in the centre of the board and so eyes up the black
kingside pawns, as well as the black queen!} (11. Bd3 {would be a little lazy,
as Black is able to carry out the thematic exchange of his light-squared
bishop:} b6 12. Rb1 Ba6 {with a decent position.}) 11... c4 {Black is forced
to close the queenside for the moment as White was threatening to take on c5.}
12. Rf4 {The rook lift discourages Black from ...0-0-0, due to the weakness of
the f7-pawn.} Bd7 {EXERCISE: A difficult position to handle! Which side of the
board should White be playing on and how can he improve his position? ---
ANSWER: The kingside, due to his pawns on e5 and h5.} 13. Nh4 $1 {With his
last move White opens a path for his queen to target the other weak black pawn
on g7.} ({Instead} 13. Be2 $6 {would be a typical case of indecisive
development! The bishop doesn't achieve anything on this square, other than
blocking the white queen.}) ({However,} 13. Rb1 {could be considered.}) 13...
g5 $6 {Black reacts violently, but simply weakens the kingside pawns further -
don't touch your pawns on the side of the board where you are weakest!} (13...
Nf5 {is a better move, as played by one of the leading French experts of
modern times:} 14. Nxf5 exf5 15. g4 $5 fxg4 16. Be2 Nd8 17. Bxg4 Ne6 {with an
unclear game, A.Khalifman-Y.Shulman, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005.}) 14. hxg6 fxg6 15.
Rf6 {The rook infiltrates the black camp!} O-O-O (15... g5 16. Qh5+ Kd8 17. Nf3
{would also have been bad for Black.}) 16. Nxg6 Nxg6 17. Rxg6 Ne7 {Black seeks
counterplay down the h-file at the cost of another pawn.} 18. Rxh6 Rxh6 19.
Bxh6 Rh8 20. Bg5 {Here we can see the value of White having not moved his
f1-bishop. There is no annoying check on h1!} Ng6 21. Bf6 Rh1 {EXERCISE: How
does White best extract himself from the pin? --- ANSWER:} 22. Kd2 $1 {Calm.
The closed centre provides shelter for the white monarch, whilst he also
defends the sensitive c2-pawn, allowing the queen to move!} Be8 23. Qg4 Bf7 24.
f4 {White is two safe pawns up and the kingside gets ready to roll.} Qd7 25.
Re1 Ne7 26. Bxe7 Qxe7 27. Qg7 a5 28. f5 Kb8 29. Qf6 Qe8 30. Be2 Rxe1 31. Kxe1
Qg8 32. fxe6 Bxe6 33. Kf2 Bf7 34. g4 Be6 35. Kg3 b5 36. g5 Bf7 37. Qb6+ Kc8 38.
Bg4+ {. Summary: In closed positions development of pieces to their 'natural'
squares becomes less important than seeking out targets using less orthodox
manoeuvres. Here White did an excellent job of that with his kingside rook and
later his king and queen to bring home the point. Black's 13th move did little
to help the situation, though, providing Stripunsky with further targets for
his pieces.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Throwing a Spanner"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Throwing a Spanner in the Works: Often an early pawn sacrifice is used
to hinder the effective development of the other side's pieces. Let's look at
a fun (if rather obscure) example I found.} *

[Event "Internet (blitz)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ovidiu, P."]
[Black "Johansson, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B12"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. g4 $5 {A good line for blitz chess!} Bg6 (4...
Be4 5. f3 Bg6 6. h4 h5 7. e6 Qd6 $1 {is a good antidote as in A.Hunt-H.Hunt,
Oxford 1992. The Hunt household saw many blitz games with this, which
eventually made me give up the variation.} (7... fxe6 8. Bd3 Bf7 9. g5 {is
similar to the game.})) 5. h4 h5 (5... h6 6. h5 Bh7 7. e6 fxe6 8. Bd3 {is also
very playable for White.}) 6. e6 $5 {White has only moved pawns in the first
six moves (not to be recommended if you want to get your rating up!), but in
this particular case his last move makes a lot of sense. White 'jams' the
enemy dark-squared bishop in.} fxe6 {QUESTION: What would your follow up be
here? --- ANSWER:} 7. Bd3 {The lead in development is a short-term advantage,
so White goes for the black king immediately by looking to seize the short
diagonal h5-e8!} (7. g5 {is also very natural in order to prevent another
piece from being developed. This position has occurred twice in practice and
both times Black has tried the counter sacrifice} e5 $1 {in order to free his
position: for example,} 8. dxe5 e6 9. Bd3 (9. Bh3 $5) 9... Ne7 10. Ne2 Qc7 {
with a pleasant position for Black in J.Prokop-M.Cervinka, Czech Republic 1999.
}) 7... Bf7 {EXERCISE: How can White restrain development of the Black pieces
here?} (7... Bxd3 8. Qxd3 hxg4 9. Qg6+ Kd7 10. Qxg4 {is a strange position.
White has good practical compensation for the sacrificed pawn due to the
position of the black king and the bad bishop on f8.}) 8. g5 {ANSWER:
Preventing the development of the g8-knight.} (8. Nf3 $5 {is also very
interesting. White gives up the pawn for a great knight.} hxg4 9. Ne5 {and now
the second player failed to defend correctly:} Bh5 $2 (9... Nf6 {is better,
but White still has some compensation}) 10. Qxg4 $1 Qc7 11. Bg6+ Bxg6 12. Qxg6+
Kd8 13. Nf7+ {was unfortunate for Black in J.Havela-M.Forsstroem, Hyvinkaa
1994.}) 8... g6 {Forced due to the threat of g5-g6.} 9. Ne2 {. Here Black
played} Bg7 $2 {and had White found 10 Nf4! Black would have been in huge
trouble.} ({QUESTION: What should Black have played instead? --- ANSWER:} 9...
e5 $1 10. dxe5 e6 {would have seen Black surviving. The bishop on f7 acts like
a big pawn, but at least it can defend g6 and Black can complete his
development. White also has some issues defending his e5-pawn.}) 10. Bf4 {was
the game, which was eventually drawn.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Opponent's development"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Hindering your opponent's development and harmony in the middlegame: It
is always useful to be thinking about where your opponent wants to place his
pieces in an ideal world. Preventing the opponent's development in the opening,
as we saw in the last example, can lead to some sharp fights. In the next
example Black manages to successfully neutralize his opponent's slight
advantage by thinking about limiting the effective development of the white
rooks.} *

[Event "Aquila"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ducarmon, Q."]
[Black "Hunt, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B85"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3r1k1/1pqbb1pp/p1n1p3/4Pp2/2PNpP2/P3B1Q1/1P2B1PP/R4R1K w - f6 0 17"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

17. b4 {This game was played in a recent GM round-robin. White appears to
enjoy a small edge due to his space advantage on the queenside. --- EXERCISE:
Can you figure out what (a) White's best plan is, and (b) how to somehow
prevent it? --- ANSWER:} Nxd4 18. Bxd4 Ba4 $1 {This prevents the development
of the white rooks to the key d-file (key as it is the only open file on the
board), as well as the queen manoeuvre Qg3-b3, followed by expansion on the
queenside. White cannot exchange the bishop with Be2-d1, due to the weakness
of the c4-pawn.} 19. Qe3 $1 {Touché! This prevents a rook coming to d8 due to
the threat of Bb6.} Qc6 20. Rac1 (20. Bb6 {may have been best, stopping the
rook coming to d8.}) 20... Red8 ({This seems a little more logical to me than} 
20... Rad8 {as it gives the queen room to retreat to e8.}) 21. Bb6 Rd7 22. h3
Bd8 23. Bc5 Be7 (23... Bc7 $2 {would have walked into} 24. b5 axb5 25. cxb5
Bxb5 26. Bd6 Qa6 27. Qb3 $1 {winning the house.}) 24. Bb6 Bd8 {. Summary:
Trying to hinder your opponent's plan is often as effective as carrying out
your own, as we will discuss further in the next chapter. Here Black managed
to equalize by preventing the effective development of the white rooks by
taking control of the key d1-square.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{1) When developing, try to do so with tempo wherever possible. This should
lead to speedy mobilization of the forces.} 1. -- {2) Remember that a lead in
development is a short-term advantage and will disappear quickly if not used
well. If the opponent's king is in the centre, try to open files and diagonals
towards it as quickly as possible.} (1. -- {3) Be careful before deciding
where to develop your bishops and rooks. Don't forget that these pieces can
often be just as effective in influencing the game from their starting squares.
}) (1. -- {4) In closed positions, development can often be delayed in
exchange for the sake of manoeuvring to control key squares.}) (1. -- {5)
Often the advance and potential sacrifice of a pawn can hinder the opponent's
development to your advantage.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "4: Classical Pawn Structures"]
[Black "and Play"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{'The pawns are the soul of the game.' - Philidor} 1. -- {My trainer during
the course of my year playing chess full-time, GM Arthur Kogan, nicely
describes pawn structures as "the GPS of chess". A quick-fire way if you like
of recognising what you should be looking to do in a given middlegame position.
A successful understanding of common structures will enable you to play both
familiar and, perhaps most importantly, unfamiliar middlegame positions
arising from the opening with confidence. I am reliably informed that the
so-called 'Russian chess school' spend a great deal of time on this part of
the game, whereas in Western Europe, particularly in the training of young
players, it is often overlooked. --- A good fundamental grounding in the
typical pawn structures and ways that we use pawns is invaluable and will
certainly improve your game. I have learnt an awful lot during the course
2011-12 - perhaps more on this than on any other subject, simply because I
didn't appreciate how important these little guys are!} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Basics"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C01"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{One thing we are all taught at a young age (hopefully!) is that advancing
your pawns gives you more space. This is quite rightly seen as a good thing,
as it gives the pieces more freedom to move behind them. Take the following
simple opening position after} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d6 3. c4 c6 4. f4 f6 {. White
enjoys a clear space advantage and this allows him to develop his knights to
their natural squares (c3 and f3), and gives the bishops the options of d3 and
e3. Black, on the other hand, in order to castle will have to develop his
knights to a6 and h6, or via d7-b6 and e7-g6, and thus lose valuable time.
This comes as second nature to the experienced player, but at novice level
building a wall of pawns like this is incredibly tempting and common. --- A
slightly less obvious benefit lies in the ability to later use a space
advantage in one area of the board to force through an attack. This is
particularly true if the pawns cross the fourth rank and enter the opponent's
half of the board.} *

[Event "Woodbridge"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "The Abbey"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C02"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{The following was a training game I played against members of the Abbey chess
club, the prep school of Woodbridge. We will skim over some of the slightly
dubious opening moves to highlight an important point.} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5
{EXERCISE: In the French Defence when White places his pawn on e5 in which
area of the board does he usually try to play: the queenside, kingside or the
centre? --- ANSWER: The pawn on e5 has crossed the 'halfway line' on the
king's side of the board (files e- to h-). Therefore logic dictates we have
more space in that area and it should be where we look to attack.} c5 4. c3 Nc6
5. Nf3 Bd7 6. Bd3 {QUESTION: What should Black play here? --- ANSWER:} Qb6 $1 {
The Abbey are playing well! The French Defence requires great energy on the
black side or White's space advantage will lead to a promising position for
him.} 7. O-O Nge7 (7... cxd4 8. cxd4 Nxd4 9. Nxd4 Qxd4 {is the Milner-Barry
Gambit. My friend, French specialist GM Simon Williams, doesn't rate this
gambit too highly for White. However, it remains a dangerous weapon at club
level.}) 8. Na3 Nc8 9. Nc2 Be7 10. Rb1 O-O 11. Be3 {QUESTION: What should
Black do here?} Bd8 $2 ({ANSWER:} 11... c4 $1 {is the best move. Timing this
move correctly is very important in the French. After} 12. Be2 {the bishop is
forced back to a passive square and the black king will feel a lot more
comfortable.}) 12. a3 N8e7 $2 {EXERCISE: White can win a pawn with 13 dxc5,
but there are bigger fish to fry! How does White launch a decisive attack? ---
ANSWER:} 13. Bxh7+ $1 {The so called Greek gift sacrifice! For more examples
of this classic theme see Vladimir Vukovic's classic work The Art of Attack in
Chess.} Kxh7 (13... Kh8 {is the only move that doesn't lead to mate, but after}
14. Ng5 Ng8 15. Qh5 Nh6 16. dxc5 Qc7 {White is two pawns up with a strong
attack.}) 14. Ng5+ Kg8 15. Qh5 f6 $2 (15... Re8 {is the only move to prevent
immediate mate, but that's only a temporary state after} 16. Qh7+ Kf8 17. Qh8+
Ng8 18. Nh7+ Ke7 19. Bg5+ Nf6 20. Bxf6+ gxf6 21. Qxf6# {.}) 16. Qh7# {.
Summary: What can we learn from that game? Well, first and foremost it shows
how a space advantage can be turned into a decisive mating attack in a matter
of moments (without the aid of any other pawns), if there are enough pieces
trained at the king and the opponent makes a mistake. It seemed to me at the
time that in closed positions my students, who are clearly quite capable of
playing a decent opening, weren't really playing with any great understanding
of pawn breaks and how important they are in closed positions. This leads us
nicely on to that subject!} *

[Event "European Club Cup, Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Bojkov, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C97"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2b4/1r1b1nkp/p2p1pp1/qppPp3/2P1P1P1/1PQB2NP/P2N1P2/R3R1K1 w - - 0 25"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{No pawn exchanges, no file-opening, no attack." - Aron Nimzowitsch} 25. -- {
A pawn break, to put it simply, is the offer to exchange a pair of pawns,
usually in order to open up a file. In my experience of coaching juniors, most
could make more effective organization and use of pawn breaks. As Nimzowitsch
put it, this is the key to a successful attack, particularly in positions of a
closed nature. When you think about it this idea makes a lot of sense. Rooks
and in a lot of cases queens cannot function properly without open files.
Let's first demonstrate exactly what we mean by a pawn break, using an example
taken from one of my own games.} (25. -- {EXERCISE: Identify the pawn breaks
available to both sides in this position. --- ANSWER: This position has come
about from a main line Spanish opening and we can see that only one pair of
pieces (knights) has been exchanged. Both sides have pawn breaks available to
them. White can play a2-a4, b3-b4, f2-f4 and h3-h4-h5. These are all pawn
breaks, discounting for the moment the effectiveness of each one. Black has
fewer breaks: ...a6-a5-a4 (after the queen moves), ...f6-f5 and ...h7-h5.
However, the breaks that he has are more effective as they are easier to carry
out without compromising his position. Indeed, a2-a4 will open the b-file for
the black rook, while the b4-square is very well covered by Black. Similarly,
f2-f4 will give Black a strong outpost on e5 for his knight and advancing the
h-pawn will leave the white g4-pawn and king weaker. As a result Black's
position is much easier to play.}) 1-0

[Event "West of England U12 Ch, Swindon"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "McLachlan, M."]
[Black "Varney, Z."]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "D02"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{This interesting game, played by one of my students involves some instructive
pawn breaks. White is graded ECF 141 (converted elo 1778) and Black 115 (elo
1570)} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4 d5 4. e3 Bd7 $6 {This is unnecessary. In
general we should try not to develop pieces unless they are going to squares
which improve their activity and thus benefit our position.} ({More common is
something like} 4... c5 {, taking the time to make a pawn break which will
open the position in the future. After} 5. c3 Nc6 6. Nbd2 Bd6 7. Bg3 O-O {we
reach a roughly balanced position.}) 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 {EXERCISE: An interesting
moment has arisen. How do you rate the move 6...c4?} c4 $6 {ANSWER: We saw
this move in the previous game in a different structure (with a white pawn on
e5 already). In that case it was good because the bishop had to go back to e2
which allowed Black to thwart the dangerous threat to h7. It's not an easy one
to get to the bottom of, but I don't like the move in this particular position.
The reason being that Black releases the pressure on White's d-pawn. This
makes White's forthcoming pawn break (which we will see in a minute) more
effective.} ({As there was no threat to capture on c5, it would have been
better to finish development with something like} 6... Nc6 7. O-O {and then:}
-- (7... Be7 8. dxc5 {(a typical exchange, gaining a tempo after the bishop
has moved)} Bxc5 9. Nbd2 O-O {with equal chances.}) (7... Nh5 {is quite a
typical move in such positions, trying to grab the bishop-pair, but it doesn't
seem to achieve the aim after} 8. Bg5 Qb6 (8... f6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Nxg5 {is
curtains for Black due to the hanging knight on h5}) 9. b3 h6 10. Bh4 g5 11.
Ne1 $1 {.})) 7. Bc2 Be7 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. Qb1 $6 {An odd-looking move which
doesn't really improve the position of the white queen.} g6 $6 {This is
unnecessary, weakening the dark squares around the king too much. If Black had
wanted to release the knight then 9...h6 would have made more sense. ---
QUESTION: White has two possible pawn breaks in the position, b2-b3 and e3-e4.
Which one should he prepare? --- ANSWER:} 10. e4 {This is the better of the
two, and the effective pawn break that I was referring to earlier.} (10. b3 b5
11. a4 {would be a typical way of trying to break up the strong queenside pawn
chain} -- ({, as} 11... a6 {is impossible due to} 12. axb5 {and Black cannot
recapture with her a-pawn.}) ({. EXERCISE: However, the last two of White's
moves leave the c-pawn weak which Black is able to exploit. How? --- ANSWER:} 
11... b4 $1 12. cxb4 c3 13. Nf1 Bxb4 {leaves Black very comfortably placed.}) (
11... Qa5 $2 12. axb5 Qxc3 13. bxc4 dxc4 14. Bg5 $1 {is devastating.} (14. --))
) 10... Re8 11. e5 Nh5 12. Bg3 $2 {White makes an instructive mistake. One of
the big drawbacks of Black's 9th move (...g7-g6) was that it created a 'hook'
in the position. As we have seen, a hook is a pawn that can be used by the
opponent to lever open a file using a pawn break.} ({In this case after} 12.
Be3 Nc6 13. g4 $1 Ng7 14. h4 $1 {White's attack is already in full swing, as
h4-h5 will open the h-file for the rook using the g6 hook. Here we can see
another drawback of closing the centre too early with 6...c4?!. White is free
to attack on the kingside, even though he hasn't castled. For example, if
Black tries to get some queenside play going with something like} b5 {then
after} 15. h5 b4 16. hxg6 ({much stronger than the greedy} 16. h6 $2 bxc3 17.
bxc3 Qa5 $1 18. hxg7 Qxc3 {when the active black pieces after ...Rb8 and ...Ba3 give good compensation for the piece}) 16... hxg6 17. Bxg6 $1 fxg6 18. Qxg6
{White's attack crashes through.}) 12... Nc6 13. b3 $2 {Perhaps understandably,
White becomes frustrated with his position. It is now much more difficult to
find a constructive plan as his kingside play is hampered by his dark-squared
bishop and his only pawn break now helps Black! --- EXERCISE: White faces some
strategic difficulties after 13 b3?. What should Black play?} ({Instead:} 13.
O-O b5 14. a3 a5 {also leaves Black with good play on the queenside.}) ({The
plan of releasing the bishop with} 13. h4 b5 14. Bh2 {now turns out to be too
slow:} b4 15. g4 Ng7 16. h5 bxc3 17. bxc3 Qa5 {and the white queenside will
collapse.}) 13... b5 {Very natural,} ({but if Zoe had considered the drawbacks
to White's last move a little more carefully she may have found: ANSWER:} 13...
Qa5 $1 14. b4 ({or} 14. bxc4 Qxc3 15. O-O ({while here after} 15. cxd5 Nxd4 16.
Nxd4 Qxd4 {White will be ruing the fact that he hasn't castled already}) 15...
Nxg3 16. hxg3 Nxd4 17. Nxd4 Qxd4 {with a clear advantage to Black}) 14... Qa3
15. b5 Nd8 {is terrible for White.}) 14. h3 $2 {White looks to play Bg3-h2,
but just weakens his kingside pawn structure.} Nxg3 15. fxg3 Rb8 $6 (15... Qa5
{is now even stronger.}) 16. b4 a5 17. a3 Ra8 18. O-O {EXERCISE: Black's last
few moves have been very logical, but which of the following moves would you
play here: 18...Ra6, 18...axb4, 18...f6 or 18...a4?} axb4 $6 {As with the
earlier ...c5-c4 move I'm not a massive fan of this one. Maintaining the
tension is better. Black has three squares on the a-file to use for her major
pieces (a6, a7 and a8), whilst White only has two (a1 and a2), so Black should
win control of the file.} ({ANSWER:} 18... Ra6 $1 {is the most natural
continuation. Black wants to double, or in some cases triple her major pieces
on the a-file before releasing the tension.} 19. -- ({. You would have needed
to calculate the consequences of} 19. a4 $6 {before playing the move, however:}
axb4 20. axb5 (20. cxb4 Nxb4 {is a free pawn}) 20... Rxa1 21. Qxa1 Nb8 $1 22.
cxb4 Bxb5 {is clearly better for Black, since the b-pawn is in huge trouble,
as shown by} 23. Rb1 Nc6 24. Qc3 Bxb4 $1 25. Rxb4 Qa5 {.}) ({. Instead} 19. Qe1
{with the idea of abandoning the a-file for some kingside play looks best here:
} Qc7 20. Qe3 Rea8 21. Rac1 axb4 22. axb4 Ra3 23. Nh2 {is still unclear.})) ({
Of the other options,} 18... f6 $4 {allows the shot} 19. Bxg6 hxg6 20. Qxg6+
Kh8 21. Ng5 $1 fxg5 22. Rf7 {which is the end}) ({and} 18... a4 $2 {is
strategically very wrong as Black loses all play on the side of the board on
which she is strongest. It also gives White a free hand to play on the
kingside:} 19. Nh2 $3 {with the idea of Ng4 gives White a big advantage.}) 19.
axb4 Rxa1 20. Qxa1 Qa8 21. Nh2 Qxa1 (21... Qb7 22. Ng4 Ra8 23. Qe1 {would be
very risky for Black as the sensitive dark squares come under attack after} Nd8
24. Qe3 {.}) 22. Rxa1 {QUESTION: What should Black play here? --- ANSWER:} f6
$1 {Of course! Despite the absence of the queens and the fact that she has
given up the a-file, Black continues to play actively. This thematic pawn
break in French structures can be useful even in the endgame.} 23. Ng4 $6 (23.
exf6 Bxf6 24. Ng4 Bg7 25. Nf3 {is a better way of controlling the centre.})
23... f5 $2 {Black loses all dreams of an advantage with this move. Now there
are no more breaks possible and with the a-file under control White should be
safe.} ({Instead} 23... fxe5 $1 24. Nxe5 Nxe5 25. dxe5 d4 $1 26. cxd4 Bxb4 {
gives Black excellent winning chances due to the connected passed pawns on the
queenside, as} 27. Ne4 Kg7 28. Ra7 {can be met by} Re7 {.}) 24. Nf2 $6 {
EXERCISE: White's last move was a little careless. Can you see what Black
should play here?} (24. Ne3 {would have defended the bishop and meant the
coming idea would be ineffective.}) 24... Kg7 {ANSWER: Always stay alive to
tactical possibilities!} ({After} 24... Bxb4 $5 25. cxb4 Nxd4 26. Bd1 ({if} 26.
Ra7 Rd8 27. Bd1 Nc6) 26... Nc6 {Black will get three very dangerous connected
passed pawns for the piece:} 27. Nf3 $1 {holding the e-pawn seems best;} (27.
Rb1 Nxe5 {looks tremendous for Black}) 27... Nxb4 28. Ra7 Re7 {is still very
unclear, but I would prefer to be Black here.}) 25. Nf3 {. White went on to
win after 70 moves. A good fight!} *

[Event "Reykjavik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grischuk, A."]
[Black "Short, N."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C02"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Next we shall see another closed position arising from a French Defence and
see how Nigel Short, one of Britain's greatest ever players, handles the black
side.} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bd7 {Just as in my game
against the Abbey students!} 6. a3 {Why are you stopping us on move 6 I hear
you cry! Well, if you search the games of the top-rated players in the world
you will find that this is not considered the most accurate move. The reason
is that the black queen in all likelihood will not go to b6 anymore, but
instead provide increased pressure on the e5-pawn. --- QUESTION: What Black
should play here? --- ANSWER:} f6 {A classic French pawn break!} ({A serious
alternative and in fact the most popular move in the position is} 6... c4 {
which stops the white bishop coming to d3, as well as fixing the weak square
on b3. However, once again Black loses some of the dynamism in his position,
as his only real way of opening lines is then ...f7-f6.} 7. g3 {is now logical
as the white bishop looks for a better diagonal and after} Na5 8. Nbd2 Ne7 9.
Bg2 Nc8 10. O-O Nb6 11. Ne1 Qc7 12. f4 h5 13. Nc2 O-O-O 14. Ne3 f5 {both sides
called it a day due to the lack of effective pawn breaks in Peng Xiaomin-Zhang
Zhong, Beijing 2000.}) 7. Bd3 Qc7 8. O-O O-O-O 9. Qe2 {QUESTION: Black has
made an interesting decision to castle long. What should his plan be now? ---
ANSWER:} h6 {It is interesting to see how Short retains the tension in the
centre. His last move plans ...g7-g5 and a kingside attack.} ({Instead} 9... c4
10. Bc2 h6 {would have allowed an extra option for White in} 11. b3 cxb3 12.
Bxb3 {, with chances for both sides.}) 10. b4 c4 (10... fxe5 {must also have
come into consideration here. Short might have been worried about something
like} 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Bf4 c4 13. Bc2 Bd6 14. dxe5 Bf8 15. Nd2 {with a good
potential outpost on d4 if the knight can reach it.}) 11. Bc2 {QUESTION: Okay,
what now? --- ANSWER: The queenside is closed as there are no pawn breaks
available there, so Black can turn his attention to playing on the kingside.}
f5 {A very interesting decision, which apparently closes the position up. Less
inexperienced players often think that the game is inevitably heading for a
draw in such positions. However, there are still chances to open lines, so
it's actually far too early to say that!} ({The first move that came to my
mind was} 11... g5 {, but there seems to be a problem: White can change the
pawn structure with} 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. Re1 Bd6 14. a4 Rde8 15. Ne5 $1 {with
the age old problem of a knight occupying the outpost! White enjoys a decent
game here thanks to the position of the knight and may follow up with b5 and
Ba3 to exchange off the dark-squared bishop.}) 12. Nh4 $6 {Grischuk wants to
shut down the kingside with f2-f4, but doesn't really achieve his aim, as the ...g7-g5 pawn break is still always possible.} (12. h4 {would be another way of
trying to keep the kingside closed. Then:} Be8 $1 {would be a typical
manoeuvre, bringing the bishop to h5 and allowing the queen to join in the
game.} (12... g5 $5 {is the most energetic move and I also like this
suggestion. Perhaps the only problem is that after} 13. hxg5 Be8 {White can
close the h-file with} 14. g6 {. Having said that, after} Bxg6 15. Bf4 Bh5 {I
still like Black's position.})) 12... Be8 13. f4 Be7 14. Nxf5 $6 {Incredible!
White must have felt so uncomfortable about the threat of ...g7-g5 that he
decides to sacrifice a piece. A famous saying in chess is that "the threat is
stronger than the execution", which is usually attributed to Aron Nimzowitsch 
(though the chess historian Edward Winter thinks that the quote could be
earlier than this, from the late 19th century). One of the points is that the
psychological pressure of the threat can cause the opponent to make an
unexpected and in this case sub-optimal reply.} ({After the more natural} 14.
Nf3 {Black can build up with} Bh5 ({if} 14... g5 15. fxg5 hxg5 16. Nxg5 Bh5 17.
Qf2) 15. Be3 Kb8 16. a4 g5 17. Na3 Qd7 {with good play, although of course the
game is far from over.}) 14... exf5 15. Bxf5+ Kb8 16. Qg4 $6 {EXERCISE: Find
an effective way to open lines against the white king.} (16. Bc2 {is better,
since} g5 {can now be met with} 17. f5 {.}) 16... g5 $1 {(ANSWER) Anyway!
Black gives up a pawn, but opens both the g- and h-files in the process.} 17.
fxg5 hxg5 18. Bxg5 Bh5 19. Qg3 Bxg5 20. Qxg5 Nge7 21. Nd2 Rdg8 {Black is
beautifully co-ordinated and the position should be winning for him.} 22. Qe3
Nxf5 23. Rxf5 Qh7 24. Rf6 {EXERCISE: Find the most effective way to clear the
h-file. --- ANSWER:} Be2 {Cheeky.} 25. h3 ({The bishop heads for the d3-square
and is immune since} 25. Qxe2 Qxh2+ 26. Kf1 Qh1+ 27. Kf2 Rxg2+ {wins the queen.
}) 25... Bd3 26. Kh2 Ne7 27. Nf3 Nf5 28. Qf4 Ka8 29. Rg1 Qh5 30. e6 Be4 31. Rf1
Rg3 32. Rxf5 Qxh3+ {. White resigned as it is checkmate next move.} (32... -- {
Summary: A very well-played game from Nigel Short. By retaining the tension
for as long as possible after his ...c5 and ...f6 breaks, Black was able to
shift his king to the queenside before starting his attack. 12...f5 was well
timed and, as is often the case, when White couldn't see a comfortable way to
meet his opponent's threat (the pawn break ...g7-g5), he decided to sacrifice
material unsoundly.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Isolated Pawn"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {The Isolated Pawn: Okay, let's start with the basics. An isolated pawn
by definition is a pawn that has no friendly pawn on an adjacent file. An
isolated queen's (d-) pawn is often called an isolani. Isolated pawns are
usually a weakness because they cannot be protected by other pawns. Whole
books have been written on the subject of the isolated pawn. In fact, whole
books have been written specifically on the subject of the isolated queen's
pawn, such as Winning Pawn Structures by Alexander Baburin. I cannot begin to
discuss the isolated pawn in as much depth as such a book, but I hope to give
you a flavour of the interesting positions that can arise. --- The reason that
an isolani is so common is that although the isolated pawn is generally
recognized as a weakness, many openings are designed to allow this structure,
for certain other benefits, such as a lead in development, a space advantage
or control of a crucial square. Throughout my chess career I have always
played the Panov-Botvinnik Attack against the Caro-Kann, which often leads to
IQP (Isolated Queen's Pawn) positions and many other openings lead to the same
structure, including variations of the Slav and Queen's Gambit, the French and
the Tarrasch Defence.} *

[Event "World Championship (Game 9), Merano"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1981.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Korchnoi, V."]
[Black "Karpov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D53"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "1981.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Let's start with a classic example of how to play against an isolated pawn
and see if we can play like former World Champion Anatoly Karpov!} 1. c4 e6 2.
Nc3 d5 3. d4 Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7. Rc1 dxc4 8. e3 c5 9. Bxc4
cxd4 {EXERCISE: This is where White faces his first major decision. Which way
should he recapture? --- ANSWER:} 10. exd4 {White decides to give himself an
isolani. When there are so many pieces still on the board, this weakness is
rarely felt. It is only when the endgame approaches that this pawn may fall.
--- QUESTION: In exchange for the isolated pawn what positional advantages
does White obtain? --- ANSWER: Threefold: 1) Most importantly White enjoys a
slight space advantage. The d4-pawn cramps Black's position by hindering the ...e6-e5 advance. Consequently the power of the c8-bishop is reduced and this
piece will be hard to develop. Black will often have to play ...b6 and ...Bb7,
which can use up valuable time, as well as set up some tactical ideas for
White based on the weak h1-a8 diagonal and the loose knight on c6. --- 2) The
d-pawn gives White some control over c5 and more importantly e5, which is a
valuable central square in the black camp that could be used by a knight in
the future. We will see how useful this can be in the game Hunt-Danielian
later on. --- 3) Finally, the d4-pawn can often be advanced to d5, bringing
the white pieces to life and opening up the central file towards the black
queen.} (10. Nxd4 {would have also been perfectly reasonable, but would have
given Black the freeing ...e5 break whenever he wished. In fact these days
this move is seen more often, perhaps as a result of this game?}) 10... Nc6 11.
O-O Nh5 12. Bxe7 Nxe7 $1 {The classical way to play against an isolated pawn
is to control (and often occupy) the square in front of it. This 'fixes' the
weakness for later attack and prevents the freeing d4-d5 move.} ({EXERCISE: If
instead Black had played} 12... Qxe7 {, which is a positional mistake, can you
see how White should respond? --- ANSWER:} 13. d5 $1 {- if you got this move,
then well done as we haven't discussed this typical central thrust yet, but it
is seen time and time again. White 'cashes in' his isolated pawn to give his
pieces access to the central squares and open files. After} exd5 14. Nxd5 Qd6
15. Re1 {(threatening 16 Ne7+)} Kh8 16. Ne7 Qxd1 17. Rcxd1 {White enjoys a
pleasant advantage due to his more harmonious and active pieces.}) 13. Bb3 Nf6
(13... Nd5 {would be rushing things too much. Black understandably wants to
occupy d5, but here White will simply trade on d5 and Black will be left with
an isolani too! After} 14. Nxd5 exd5 15. Ne5 {White would retain a slight
advantage based on his better-placed knight and queen's rook.}) 14. Ne5 Bd7 (
14... b6 {would be another way to attempt to develop the bishop:} 15. Re1 {,
and now not} (15. Qf3 Rb8 16. Rfd1 Bb7 {is okay for Black}) 15... Bb7 $2 {
which allows the typical sacrifice} 16. Nxf7 Rxf7 ({if} 16... Kxf7 17. Bxe6+
Ke8 18. d5 $1 {and d5-d6 cannot be effectively stopped}) 17. Bxe6 Kf8 18. Qe2
Ng6 19. Bxf7 Kxf7 {when White has the better chances due to the exposed nature
of the black king.}) 15. Qe2 Rc8 16. Ne4 Nxe4 17. Qxe4 Bc6 $1 {Karpov plays
very concretely to restrain and fix the weak d4-pawn. To this end, he is
unconcerned about the 'sacrifice' of ceding his bishop for White's knight.} 18.
Nxc6 Rxc6 19. Rc3 ({QUESTION: If instead White had played} 19. Rxc6 {, which
way would you have recaptured? --- ANSWER:} bxc6 {is best, fixing the
d5-square permanently.} ({Instead} 19... Nxc6 20. d5 exd5 21. Bxd5 {should
still be okay for Black, but I prefer White here with his more active bishop.})
) 19... Qd6 {In the next phase of the game Karpov instructively simply
increases the pressure on the d4-pawn, thus tying White's forces down to its
defence.} 20. g3 Rd8 21. Rd1 Rb6 (21... Qd7 $4 {with the idea of ...Rd6 would
be met by} 22. Ba4 {.}) 22. Qe1 Qd7 (22... Rb4 {would have allowed the
ingenious tactical shot} 23. d5 $1 Nxd5 (23... exd5 24. Re3 Rd7 25. Red3 {and
White has plenty of pressure against the d5-pawn}) 24. Bxd5 exd5 25. Rcd3 d4 ({
or} 25... Rb5 26. a4 Rc5 27. b4) 26. a3 Rxb2 27. Rxd4 Qxd4 28. Rxd4 Rxd4 {and
White should hold.}) 23. Rcd3 Rd6 24. Qe4 Qc6 {QUESTION: To swap or not to
swap? --- ANSWER:} 25. Qf4 {Best.} ({Instead I suppose} 25. Qxc6 $6 {would at
least have left Black with a difficult choice. Due to the lack of pieces on
the board and the pressure down the d-file,} Nxc6 {is the most forcing:} 26. d5
Nb4 27. Rc3 Nxd5 28. Bxd5 Rxd5 (28... exd5 $5) 29. Rxd5 Rxd5 30. Rc7 Rb5 {
leaves Black with all the chances, though the old saying of Dr Tarrasch that
all rook endings are drawn (untrue of course, but they do have a high drawish
tendency) may come into play here!}) 25... Nd5 26. Qd2 Qb6 27. Bxd5 Rxd5 28.
Rb3 Qc6 29. Qc3 {EXERCISE: What did Karpov play here? --- ANSWER:} Qd7 $1 ({
Exchanging queens with} 29... Qxc3 $2 {would be a big mistake as White repairs
his pawn structure just in time as the b7-pawn is hanging. After} 30. bxc3 b6
31. Re1 {White removes himself from the pin.}) 30. f4 {White must prevent ...e6-e5, but this move weakens his king position.} b6 31. Rb4 b5 32. a4 bxa4 33.
Qa3 a5 34. Rxa4 Qb5 35. Rd2 e5 36. fxe5 Rxe5 37. Qa1 $2 {The decisive mistake,
although the white position was very difficult anyway.} ({Perhaps he could
have tried something like} 37. Rf2 Re1+ 38. Kg2 Qc6+ 39. d5 Rxd5 40. Qf3 {.})
37... Qe8 $1 38. dxe5 Rxd2 39. Rxa5 Qc6 40. Ra8+ Kh7 41. Qb1+ g6 42. Qf1 Qc5+
43. Kh1 Qd5+ {. Korchnoi resigned, as ...Rd1 will follow.} (43... -- {Summary:
A highly instructive tussle between two greats of the game. It isn't easy to
put your finger on exactly where Korchnoi went wrong, but Karpov managed to
effectively prevent the d4-pawn from becoming too big an obstacle to the
development of his light-squared bishop. I particularly liked 11...Nh5 in the
early middlegame, exchanging pieces to relieve his space deficiency.}) 0-1

[Event "Sverdlovsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1943.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Botvinnik, M."]
[Black "Zagoriansky, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A13"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4rk1/pp3ppp/2n1b3/q2p4/8/1P2PN2/PQ2BPPP/R2R2K1 b - - 0 15"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "1943.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Here is another superb example of how to play against an IQP, which I first
came across in Drazen Marovic's book, 'Understanding Pawn Play in Chess'.} 
15... Rad8 {QUESTION: How should White play here? --- ANSWER:} 16. Rd2 {Simple
and strong. White plans to build up pressure on the d5-pawn, again tying Black
down to the defence of his isolated pawn.} (16. Rac1 {(the computer's first
choice!) is also very natural to try and take control of the semi-open c-file.
Play might continue} Rc8 17. h3 Rfd8 18. Bd3 {with a slight edge to White.})
16... Rd7 $6 {The start of a passive plan.} ({Since the d5-pawn is relatively
safe at the moment due to the e6-bishop, I would take the chance to occupy the
c-file and gain some counterplay with} 16... Qc7 17. Rad1 Rc8 {.}) 17. Rad1
Rfd8 18. h3 h6 {EXERCISE: White has improved his position just about as much
as he can without engaging the enemy. How would you continue now? --- ANSWER:}
19. Ne5 $1 {Whilst the c6-knight doesn't directly defend the d5-pawn, it does
defend the square in front of it. Access to this square will allow Botvinnik
to set up a kingside attack.} (19. Nd4 {would also have been good, but was not
as forcing as it doesn't threaten the rook.}) 19... Nxe5 (19... Rc7 {would
allow} 20. Bf3 {, increasing the pressure on d5.}) 20. Qxe5 Qc5 21. Bf3 b6 22.
Qb2 Rc8 23. Qe5 Rcd8 24. Rd4 a5 {EXERCISE: White has amassed all his forces 
(apart from his king!) against the d5-pawn, but Black stands firm. ---
Calculate the consequences of the thematic breakthrough 25 e4.} 25. g4 {Having
presumably seen that 25 e4 didn't promise enough, Botvinnik uses the hook on
h6 to lever open the g-file. Of course, such a move should not be made lightly
as it weakens both White's pawn structure and also his king. However, without
any active pieces other that the queen on c5 Black's counterplay is limited.
White attempts to open a 'second front' on the kingside to create further
weaknesses, while Black's rooks and bishop are passively placed and therefore
will find it difficult to switch their sphere of operations.} ({ANSWER: We saw
this typical motif in Korchnoi-Karpov, but here it isn't enough:} 25. e4 $6
dxe4 26. Qxc5 bxc5 27. Rxd7 Rxd7 28. Rxd7 Bxd7 29. Bxe4 {and a position is
reached where despite Black's two isolated pawns it will be difficult for
White to exploit his advantage, as the pawns can only be attacked by the king
and not the light-squared bishop.}) 25... Qc6 26. g5 hxg5 27. Qxg5 f6 28. Qg6
Bf7 29. Qg3 f5 30. Qg5 Qe6 $6 {EXERCISE: White has certainly made some
progress, though the black position still holds firm. What candidate moves
would you consider in this position?} (30... Rd6 {would have been much better,
trying to use the g-file towards the white king.}) 31. Kh1 {ANSWER: Taking the
king off the g-file is logical, both for king safety and a potential attack.} (
{The move that immediately springs to my mind, along with the text, is} 31. Rf4
{attacking the second weakness. Indeed after} g6 (31... Bg6 32. h4) 32. h4 $1
Kh7 33. Kg2 {White enjoys good prospects of a kingside attack.}) 31... Qe5 32.
Rg1 Rf8 33. Qh6 {The attention has shifted away from the d5-pawn, but note the
superb position of the white rook on d4 in front of the isolani!} Rb8 34. Rh4
Kf8 35. Qh8+ Bg8 {QUESTION: What now for White?} ({Giving up a pawn with} 35...
Ke7 {is a better option, but after} 36. Qxg7 Qxg7 37. Rxg7 Kf6 38. Rhh7 {the
white rooks still put a lot of pressure on the black position.}) 36. Rf4 $1 {
ANSWER: A very classy move, turning the attention away from the h-file to the
weak f5-pawn with the idea of Rg5 or Qh5.} Rbb7 37. Rg5 Rf7 38. Qh5 (38. Bh5
Rf6 39. Bg6 {is even stronger.}) 38... Qa1+ 39. Kg2 g6 40. Qxg6 Bh7 41. Qd6+
Rfe7 42. Qd8+ {. Summary: An instructive game which was very typical of
Botvinnik's style. White built up slowly against the isolated pawn, tying the
black forces down to its defence, before switching the direction of the attack
to the kingside where Black was unable to cope with the opening of a second
front. Note the way that 19 Ne5 gave White important access to and control of
the square in front of the isolani.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Against an Isolated Pawn"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Playing against an Isolated Pawn: The following snippet is taken from
one of my recent games played at the London Chess Classic in the Open section
against experienced FIDE master, friend and 4NCL team-mate of mine, Laurence
Webb. Sadly I failed to find the correct plan here. Can you do any better?} *

[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Webb, L."]
[Black "Hunt, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B50"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2q1rk1/pp3pbp/2n1p1p1/4P3/5P2/2n1B3/PPB2P1P/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 15"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

15. bxc3 {EXERCISE: Black has managed to damage White's pawn structure in the
opening, but how should he continue? --- ANSWER:} Qa5 {On the surface this
looks like a good move, immediately hitting the weak pawn. I was surprised by
Arthur Kogan's reaction to it though, which I felt was instructive. White's
problem here (apart from his shattered kingside pawn structure) is obviously
the weak pawn on c3. However, the presence of the bishop-pair as well as the
open b-file provides certain compensation for this. The idea of preventing the
c-pawn from advancing and occupying the square in front of it never even
occurred to me during the game. Perhaps I should have studied more of
Botvinnik's games!} (15... Qc7 $1 {is the move I now like the most. It
prepares the immediate jump of the knight to c4 via a5 and keeps the black
rooks' options open: for example,} 16. Be4 Na5 17. Qa4 Rac8 18. Rab1 (18. Bxa7
$4 b6) 18... b6 {and Black will look forward to the better long-term prospects.
}) ({I also wondered about} 15... Qh4 {, switching the queen to the kingside.
It is logical as the white king position is draughty. However,} 16. Qf3 {with
the idea of Qg3 shoring up the kingside looks okay for White} (16. Be4 $2 Nxe5
{was the trick I had in mind.})) 16. Be4 Rac8 (16... Qxc3 17. Qa4 {gives White
loads of play for his pawn.}) 17. Qb3 b6 {. The game was drawn some time later,
but the key instructive moment is over. Black failed to control the square in
front of the isolated c-pawn.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Playing with the Isolated Pawn"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Playing with the Isolated Pawn: Next we are going to see a nice example
of how to use the isolani to your advantage. My sister Harriet and I grew up
on a staple diet of the Panov-Botvinnik Attack against the Caro-Kann and this
game went a long way towards helping her achieve probably her biggest chess
success to date, the World Under-20 Girls' title in Zagan, Poland.} *

[Event "Zagan"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, H."]
[Black "Danielian, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D42"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Be7 {QUESTION: What
should White play here? --- ANSWER:} 7. cxd5 {A point worth making is that
White would like to develop the light-squared bishop,} ({but if} 7. Bd3 {Black
will win a tempo with} dxc4 8. Bxc4 O-O {. There are theoretical arguments
about this position of course, but White's play in the game seems more logical
to me.}) 7... Nxd5 (7... exd5 8. Bd3 O-O 9. h3 Nc6 10. O-O {leaves White with
a very slight edge due to the more active bishop on d3, eyeing the black
kingside.}) 8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O Nc6 10. Re1 Bf6 ({EXERCISE: Instead} 10... b6 $2
{would be a natural move, but also a serious mistake. Can you see why? ---
ANSWER:} 11. Nxd5 $1 {. It is important to be alert to such tactical tricks -
here the undefended black knight on c6 comes under fire. Both responses leave
Black in trouble:} -- (11... exd5 12. Bxh7+ Kxh7 13. Qc2+ Kg8 14. Qxc6 {nets a
pawn.}) (11... Qxd5 12. Be4 Qd6 13. Ne5 Bb7 14. Bf4 {leaves Black in all sorts
of trouble due to the exposed queen on d6.} (14. --))) 11. Be4 {This creates
the mini positional threat of 12 Nxd5. White would be quite happy with the
resulting transformation as she is ahead in development.} Nce7 {Black shores
up the d5-knight. --- QUESTION: What should White play here? --- ANSWER:} 12.
Ne5 $1 {Using the d4-pawn as a springboard in the centre. The knight increases
its influence, whilst opening up the d1-h5 diagonal for the queen.} g6 {This
has been played by some strong players, but I don't like the weakening of the
kingside.} ({The main problem for Black in this position is that the natural
sequence of captures} 12... Bxe5 13. dxe5 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Qxd1 15. Rxd1 {leaves
Black with virtually no sensible way of developing her pieces.}) ({Arguably
the greatest-ever exponent of the Caro-Kann preferred} 12... Ng6 13. Qf3 ({
Harriet was thinking about} 13. Qh5 {here}) 13... Nxc3 14. bxc3 Bxe5 15. dxe5
Qa5 {against the world's strongest-ever female player. After} 16. Rb1 Nxe5 17.
Qe2 a6 18. Rb3 Nc6 19. Bb2 e5 20. c4 {a draw was agreed in a complicated
position in J.Polgar-A.Karpov, Tilburg 1996.}) 13. Bh6 Bg7 ({If} 13... Re8 14.
Qf3 $1 {with some indirect pressure on f7.}) 14. Qd2 Nf6 15. Rad1 {Unlike in
the game Korchnoi-Karpov, we can see that the c8-bishop is trapped whilst all
the white pieces are actively placed.} Nxe4 16. Nxe4 Nf5 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Ng4
b6 $4 {QUESTION: This is a blunder. How can White take advantage? --- ANSWER:}
19. Qc3 $1 {With the threat of d4-d5 and also in some situations Qc6.} f6 20.
Ngxf6 $1 Rxf6 21. Nxf6 Kxf6 {QUESTION: How did Harriet finish the game?} (21...
Qxf6 22. Qc6 {wins the rook, thanks to the fork} Rb8 23. Qc7+ {.}) 22. d5+ {
(ANSWER) Our old friend appears!} e5 ({It is too much to hope for that Black
can survive with} 22... Kg5 {: for example,} 23. dxe6 Qe7 24. Qd2+ Kf6 25. Qd5
{and Black will either lose the rook or allow the white e-pawn through.}) 23.
Qc6+ {. Summary: This game has always stuck in my mind as a nice model of how
to handle the white side of the Panov-Botvinnik and use the IQP. I hope it can
be useful to you too! The jump of the knight into e5 combined with the
kingside play that followed, provoking ...g7-g6 ahead of exploiting the
weakened black king position was particularly instructive.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Backward Pawn"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {The Backward Pawn: We now move on to a discussion of the 'backward'
pawn, which is a pawn behind friendly pawns on adjacent files and one that
cannot move without being lost. Backward pawns are particularly vulnerable if
they are on semi-open files, as the opposing major pieces can build up
pressure and tie the owner of the backward pawn down to defending it, in a
similar way to what we have seen with isolated pawns. The similarities
continue as there is often a hole in front of a backward pawn that can be
occupied by an enemy piece. We shall start by taking a look at a strategic
masterpiece by Polish Grandmaster Akiba Rubinstein against his one-time
training partner Georg Salwe.} *

[Event "Lodz"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1908.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rubinstein, A."]
[Black "Salwe, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D33"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1908.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5 3. c4 e6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. g3 Nc6 7. Bg2 cxd4 8.
Nxd4 Qb6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. O-O Be7 {EXERCISE: What move would you play as
White? --- ANSWER:} 11. Na4 {Rubinstein is quick to notice the weakness in
Black's camp and will now concentrate his efforts against the backward c-pawn.}
({Perhaps just as good were:} 11. Qc2 O-O 12. Be3 Qa5 ({if} 12... d4 13. Na4)
13. a3 Rd8 14. Rfd1 Be6 15. b4 Qa6 16. Na4 {with similar play to the game.}) (
11. e4 $5 {looks like it might be best and has certainly become the most
popular move in the position, immediately forcing matters in the centre:} dxe4
12. Nxe4 O-O (12... Nd5 {looks better}) 13. Be3 Qa5 (13... Qxb2 $6 {is risky:}
14. Bd4 Qb5 15. Nxf6+ Bxf6 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Rc1 {with obvious compensation
for the pawn due to Black's crippled pawn structure, S.Gligoric-P.Keres,
Moscow 1967}) 14. Bg5 {with a slight edge for White.}) 11... Qb5 12. Be3 {
White spends the next few moves focusing his attention on the square in front
of the backward c-pawn.} O-O 13. Rc1 Bg4 14. f3 Be6 15. Bc5 Rfe8 16. Rf2 {A
deep move. White wants to free his queen from the defence of the e2-pawn,
whilst preparing the eventual transfer of his king's rook to c2.} Nd7 17. Bxe7
Rxe7 18. Qd4 $1 {White wants to prevent the c5-pawn from advancing and if
necessary play Na4-c5 in order to exchange off the defender of the square in
front of the pawn, just as in our examples of playing against an isolated pawn.
The move also has the merit of preventing ...Ra8-c8, as the a7-pawn would then
fall.} Ree8 19. Bf1 {White sees that the bishop cannot exert any real pressure
along the long diagonal and instead moves to force the black queen away from
the defence of the c5-square.} Rec8 20. e3 Qb7 21. Nc5 (21. Rfc2 {is also a
good move and the one I think I would have played here. After} Rab8 (21... Bf5
22. Rc3) 22. b3 Bf5 23. Nc5 {will come and after} Nxc5 24. Rxc5 {White is
better.}) 21... Nxc5 22. Rxc5 {This position is highly unpleasant for Black
due his lack of counterplay.} Rc7 {QUESTION: How would you increase the
pressure in this position?} ({It is understandable that Black didn't want to
weaken himself further with} 22... a5 $5 {, but it does at least give him some
ideas of playing ...a5-a4 (and possibly ...a4-a3) followed by obtaining some
pressure on the b-file. It also stops White's strong plan which is executed a
few moves later.}) 23. Rfc2 $1 {(ANSWER)} Qb6 {EXERCISE: We have now tied down
two black pieces to the defence of the c-pawn, but what should we do next? ---
ANSWER:} 24. b4 $1 {As we saw in the Karpov game earlier in the chapter, the
pin, combined with the threat of advancing the pawn to b5, is very difficult
to counter.} (24. Qc3 {would not be correct here as White loses control of the
e4-square which gives Black time to play} Bf5 25. Rc1 a5 {, preventing White's
plan. White is still unquestionably better due to the pressure on the c-file,
but it's not so easy to make progress.}) 24... a6 {EXERCISE: The harmony in
White's position is clear. Good co-ordination of the pieces often leads to
tactical opportunities and here White has a chance for immediate action.
Evaluate the consequences of 25 Rxd5.} (24... a5 {simply loses a pawn to} 25.
Rxa5 {.}) 25. Ra5 {White sensibly prefers to increase the pressure on the
a6-pawn.} ({ANSWER:} 25. Rxd5 $2 {is poor. A small forcing line arises after}
cxd5 (25... Qxd4 $2 26. Rxd4 {just wins a pawn and should be winning for White}
) 26. Qxb6 Rxc2 {. I hope you managed to get this far. It is time to take
stock. White has queen and pawn for the two rooks, along with a
dangerous-looking queenside pawn majority. Having said that, the white king is
slightly exposed and Black has good counterplay due to the activity of the
c2-rook: for instance,} 27. a4 (27. Bxa6 Bh3 $1 {leaves the white king feeling
rather uncomfortable:} 28. a4 Rg2+ 29. Kh1 Rc2 30. Kg1 {is an immediate draw
if Black wants it due to the weakness of the back rank}) 27... h5 $1 {(giving
the black king some air and also preventing the important defensive idea g3-g4)
} 28. a5 Rc1 {. I think it is easier to go wrong as White here and if we
compare this position to the one before 25 Rxd5 it is clear White has allowed
too much counterplay.}) 25... Rb8 $2 {This weakens the a6-pawn beyond repair.
--- QUESTION: What should White play here?} (25... Qxd4 26. exd4 Rb7 27. a3 (
27. Rxc6 $2 {would be an instructive mistake, giving Black too much activity
in exchange for the pawn after} Rxb4 28. Rcxa6 Rxa6 29. Rxa6 Kf8) 27... Rb6 {
would have been a much better defensive try as the rook isn't pinned down the
c-file any more.}) 26. a3 $1 {ANSWER: Securing his b-pawn and preparing to win
the a6-pawn.} Ra7 $2 {Salwe capitulates, although I can't see a good way of
saving the a6-pawn. --- EXERCISE: As mentioned previously, good co-ordination
often leads to tactical shots. How did White break through here?} ({Indeed,} 
26... Rcb7 27. Bxa6 Qxd4 28. exd4 Rb6 29. Bd3 {would also be good for White.})
27. Rxc6 {(ANSWER) Splat! The c-pawn eventually falls and the game is
technically won.} Qxc6 28. Qxa7 Ra8 29. Qc5 Qb7 30. Kf2 h5 31. Be2 g6 32. Qd6
Qc8 33. Rc5 (33. Rxa6 Rxa6 34. Bxa6 Qc1 {gives Black unnecessary counterplay.})
33... Qb7 34. h4 a5 35. Rc7 Qb8 36. b5 a4 37. b6 Ra5 38. b7 {. Summary:
Rubinstein played a good strategic game against the backward c-pawn, firstly
by immobilizing it, then by gradually exchanging off minor pieces, leaving the
black rooks and queen tied down to its defence. He then used the typical motif
of advancing a pawn to exploit the pin down the c-file and exert further
pressure. This provoked Black into creating another weakness (in this case the
a-pawn), before eventually White picked the c-pawn off.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Dynamic Fight"]
[Black "against the Backward Pawn"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {The Dynamic Fight against the Backward Pawn: It would be impossible for
me not to discuss the issue of the backward pawn without talking about my true
opening love, the Sicilian Najdorf. No opening better highlights the struggle
against a backward pawn than this one and it leads to some fantastically
interesting strategic and tactical battles.} *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karjakin, S."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B90"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 $5 {A very risky
strategic move in itself and yet one that crops up in many types of Open
Sicilian! The reader I am sure will have at least seen this position before,
as it was the weapon of arguably the two most famous World Champions of them
all, Garry Kasparov and Bobby Fischer. Black voluntarily gives himself a
backward d-pawn on a semi-open file and permanently weakens the d5-square. In
exchange for this he removes the white knight from its strong square on d4 and
allows his light-squared bishop (in most cases) to take up an active residence
on e6. Is that really enough for the long-term weakness he has given himself?
Current theory thinks it probably is, though White obviously has a wide
variety of ways to play. What is certain is that it is of the utmost
importance that the second player continues dynamically or he will find
himself in serious trouble. Here we examine a game played by two of the
strongest players in the world and highlight some of the key ideas.} 7. Nb3 {
The most aggressive choice.} ({EXERCISE:} 7. Nf5 $6 {has only been played 16
times compared to 8873 with the text and has scored a piffling 22%. How Black
should react?} -- ({. ANSWER:} 7... d5 $1 {at once liberates the backward
pawn! After} 8. Bg5 d4 9. Bxf6 {I like the dynamic} gxf6 $5 (9... Qxf6 10. Nd5
Qd8 {is also fine}) 10. Ne2 Bxf5 11. exf5 Nc6 {which gives Black a good
position. Yes, his kingside is out of shape, but White's development is slow
and the black king will find a safe haven on the queenside.}) ({. Gain credit
too if you would have played} 7... Bxf5 8. exf5 d5 9. Bg5 d4 10. Ne4 Nbd7 {
which is comfortable for Black.})) 7... Be6 {Black seeks to control d5 and can
now think about advancing the d-pawn at some stage.} 8. Qd2 {QUESTION: Well,
isn't 8...d5 possible now?} (8. f3 {is also very popular and often transposes.}
) 8... Nbd7 ({ANSWER: Be very careful of making pawn breaks when you are
lagging behind in development!} 8... d5 $2 9. exd5 {wins at least a pawn, since
} Nxd5 $2 ({the sad} 9... Bf5 {is best}) 10. O-O-O Bb4 11. Bc4 {wins a piece
due to the pin down the d-file.}) ({Instead} 8... Be7 9. f3 O-O 10. g4 $6 d5
11. g5 d4 $1 12. gxf6 Bxf6 {with a good game for Black is a well-known idea
here.}) 9. O-O-O b5 10. f3 Be7 11. g4 O-O 12. g5 b4 {QUESTION: There is a
gaping hole on d5. Why doesn't White occupy it with 13 Nd5?} 13. Ne2 ({ANSWER:
Well, of course,} 13. Nd5 {is a very logical move, but here Black can 'repair'
his pawn structure with} Nxd5 14. exd5 Bf5 {. After} 15. h4 a5 {I am not
saying the position is better for Black by any means (in fact the situation is
still very tense as both sides look to attack), but after something like} 16.
Bd3 Bxd3 17. Qxd3 f5 $1 {(a typical move in this variation to gain some
control of the central squares or open the f-file)} 18. gxf6 Nxf6 19. h5 Qd7 {
Black was at least equal in E.Postny-A.Delchev, Andorra 2004.}) (13. gxf6 bxc3
14. Qxc3 Nxf6 {has also been tried, but results have favoured Black.}) 13...
Ne8 14. h4 {There are many other moves in this position.} ({The current trend
is to go} 14. f4 a5 15. f5 a4 16. Nbd4 $1 {with wild complications.}) 14... a5
15. Kb1 {Giving the knight a square on c1.} Nb6 16. Ng3 a4 17. Nc1 {EXERCISE:
Hopefully by now you know what Black would like to play in this position.
Assess the complications arising from 17...d5.} d5 {ANSWER: It leads to a huge
mess after Karjakin's response!} 18. Bxb6 {Critical.} ({Instead} 18. exd5 Nxd5
19. Bc4 Nec7 {is pleasant for Black as he can extract himself from the pin on
the d-file after} 20. Qf2 {with something simple like} Qb8 {. Black's pieces
are very harmoniously placed and he has the advantage. Note that the advance
of the backward pawn has given the dark-squared bishop new life, whilst the
knight occupies a fantastic square on d5.}) 18... Qxb6 19. exd5 Rd8 $1 {And
you would have needed to have seen this one before you played 17...d5.} 20. Bc4
Nc7 21. dxe6 $1 {The queen sacrifice looks best in this position, since if
Black is allowed to recapture on d5 he will have a very active position. In
exchange for the queen White gets a rook, knight and two pawns, as well as a
very menacing looking pawn on f7. Karjakin also reminds Anand that he can play
energetically!} Rxd2 22. exf7+ Kh8 23. Rxd2 Nb5 {. Summary: We can stop here.
Anand went on to win the game eventually, but analysis shows the position to
be about equal. This game serves to introduce and illustrate just how
important the ...d5 break is for Black in such positions, as well as how the
fight for the square in front of the backward pawn is rarely straightforward.}
0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hanging Pawns"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Hanging Pawns: No chess match has ever attracted more media interest or
spawned more books and films than the 1972 World Championship match between
the American Bobby Fischer and the Russian champion Boris Spassky. In the
sixth game of the match Fischer astounded the world by playing 1 c4, as he was
a habitual 1 e4 player, and won a brilliant game. It is a great demonstration
of how to play against the so called 'hanging pawn' formation: two pawns side
by side without any other friendly pawns to defend them. Such a pair can often
become immobile targets for the enemy pieces, in the same way that isolated or
backward pawns can.} *

[Event "World Championship (Game 6), Reykjavik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1972.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Spassky, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D59"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1972.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 {The game has transposed into a
Queen's Gambit.} O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 b6 8. cxd5 Nxd5 {Spassky decides to
exchange off some pieces as he has a slight space disadvantage.} 9. Bxe7 Qxe7
10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 12. Qa4 c5 13. Qa3 Rc8 14. Bb5 $5 {EXERCISE: This is
a key moment for Spassky who is trying to avoid being lumbered with a set of
immobile hanging pawns. What should he play?} ({These days} 14. Be2 {is seen
more often.}) 14... a6 {This move has only seen the light of day three times
since the 1970's! After Fischer's powerful display, few players have ventured
to repeat Spassky's choice.} ({ANSWER:} 14... Qb7 $1 {with the idea of ...c5-c4 is the most dynamic move, trying to take advantage of the misplaced
white bishop on b5. The detail is that after} 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. Rxc5 Rxc5 17.
Qxc5 Na6 $1 {Black gets good play following} 18. Qc6 ({or} 18. Bxa6 Qxa6 19.
Qa3 Qc4 {when the white king is stuck in the centre, as in J.Timman-E.Geller,
Hilversum 1973}) 18... Qxc6 19. Bxc6 Rb8 $1 {, with the neat point that White
cannot hang on to his pawn with} 20. b3 {as} Rc8 21. Nd4 Nb4 {wins material
thanks to the pin on the bishop to the c1-square. Note that if the pawn was on
b2 then White would have Ba4, defending.}) 15. dxc5 bxc5 {The hanging pawns
have arrived on the scene!} 16. O-O Ra7 (16... Nc6 17. Bxc6 Rxc6 18. Ne5 Rc7
19. Nd3 $1 {was, I imagine, the idea when White looks to probe the hanging
pawns.}) 17. Be2 Nd7 {QUESTION: What should Fischer's plan be?} 18. Nd4 $1 {
ANSWER: White's plan is to apply as much pressure as possible to the hanging
pawn centre. Pawn structure so often dictates how we should play the
middlegame. With his last move White looks to either increase the pressure
with Nb3 or transform the position in his favour (to bishop versus knight)
with Nxe6.} Qf8 {Jan Timman gives this move a question mark in his analysis,} (
{and gives} 18... Nf6 {as better, preventing White's plan in the game. This
encourages} 19. Nb3 Nd7 (19... c4 20. Qxe7 Rxe7 21. Nd4 {gives White a
pleasant pull in the endgame}) {, when I think White can still claim to have a
small edge after} 20. Rc3 {, preparing to double the rooks} (20. Bb5 Nf6 $1 {
is a useful defence.})) 19. Nxe6 fxe6 {QUESTION: So White has traded and
obtained bishop against knight, but what next? --- ANSWER:} 20. e4 $1 {A fine
pawn break, looking to open up diagonals and files, not to mention loosen the
hanging pawns further.} d4 $2 {This move was rightly criticized at the time,
as the pawns become fixed on dark squares. The passed pawn that is created is
irrelevant due to the fact that it is unlikely to be able to advance.} ({Black
must keep the c- and d-pawns together with something like} 20... Nf6 21. exd5
exd5 22. Bf3 {when White is still better due to the pressure on the hanging
pawns.}) 21. f4 Qe7 22. e5 {EXERCISE: White starts to dream of some attacking
chances on the kingside as his pawn crosses the 'halfway line'. --- Can you
find a way to make Black's passed pawns mobile?} Rb8 $6 ({ANSWER:} 22... Nb6 $1
{unpinning the pawn, heading for d5 and preventing White's next move is
Black's best and most active defence. For example, if White carries on with}
23. f5 {then} c4 24. Qa5 d3 {gives Black counterplay.}) 23. Bc4 Kh8 ({Sadly
it's too late now for} 23... Nb6 {, in view of} 24. Qb3 $1 {.}) 24. Qh3 Nf8 25.
b3 a5 {EXERCISE: The position makes for a sad sight for Black whose pieces are
uncoordinated. How should Fischer proceed? --- ANSWER:} 26. f5 $1 {Of course!
This break opens both the a2-g8 diagonal and f-file which far outweighs the
weakening of the e5-pawn.} exf5 27. Rxf5 Nh7 28. Rcf1 {White has a clear
advantage, but is not as yet winning.} ({Over the next few moves Fischer plays
to dominate the h7-knight before advancing his e-pawn, having avoided the
blunder} 28. Rf7 $4 Ng5 {.}) 28... Qd8 29. Qg3 Re7 30. h4 Rbb7 31. e6 Rbc7 32.
Qe5 Qe8 33. a4 Qd8 34. R1f2 Qe8 35. R2f3 Qd8 36. Bd3 Qe8 37. Qe4 {EXERCISE:
Calculate the winning lines for White if Black plays 37...Rxe6 or 37...Nf6.
--- ANSWER:} Nf6 (37... Rxe6 {allows a nice checkmate after} 38. Rf8+ $1 Nxf8
39. Rxf8+ Qxf8 40. Qh7# {.}) 38. Rxf6 $1 gxf6 39. Rxf6 {Actually not too much
calculation was needed. White blows up the kingside and the game is over.} Kg8
40. Bc4 Kh8 41. Qf4 {. Summary: With a set of hanging pawns the key question
is whether or not they can be mobilized. If they can't, as in this game, they
will become a target as the game progresses. The fixing of the pawns on c5 and
d4 allowed Fischer's bishop into the game via c4 and he eventually won due to
a direct kingside assault.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Minority Attack"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {The Minority Attack: Here I present a game played by the leading French
Grandmaster Maxime Vachier Lagrave against your scribe at the super-strong
Gibraltar tournament. It is a nice example of using a minority attack (usually
a 2 vs. 3, or 3 vs. 4 pawn deficit on one side of the board) to create
weaknesses in the opponent's position on that side.} *

[Event "Gibraltar"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Vachier Lagrave, M."]
[Black "Hunt, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "101"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. Nc3 Bc5 5. e3 ({Of course there are other
possibilities such as} 5. d3) ({and} 5. a3 {.}) 5... d5 $5 {An interesting way
to unbalance the position.} 6. cxd5 (6. Nxd5 Nxd5 7. Bxd5 (7. cxd5 Nb4 8. d3
Nxd5 {transposes to the game}) 7... Nb4 8. Be4 O-O {followed by ...f5 and ...Nd3+ gives Black good compensation for the pawn.}) 6... Nb4 7. d3 (7. d4 exd4
8. exd4 Be7 9. Nf3 Nbxd5 10. O-O O-O 11. Re1 c6 12. Bd2 Re8 {was comfortable
for Black in G.Hertneck-L.McShane, German League 2001.}) 7... Nfxd5 8. Nxd5
Nxd5 9. Nf3 Bb4+ $2 {This is a positional mistake. Black exchanges off White's
worst piece.} ({I was worried about losing a tempo to the move d3-d4, but after
} 9... Qe7 $1 10. O-O O-O 11. d4 (11. a3 {with the idea of b2-b4 is perhaps
better here}) 11... exd4 12. exd4 Bb6 13. Re1 Qd6 {Black will play ...c6 and ...Bf5 with a comfortable game. Arthur Kogan made the point that the IQP
position here is not dangerous for Black, as White's light-squared bishop is
not on the b1-h7 diagonal pointing towards the black king, unlike in the
Hunt-Danielian game, above.}) 10. Bd2 Bxd2+ 11. Qxd2 Qd6 (11... f6 {would be
better here, freeing the queen for other duties.}) 12. O-O O-O 13. d4 e4 14.
Ne5 {EXERCISE: There are three candidate moves that spring to mind in this
position for Black: 14...f6, 14...f5 and 14...Nf6. Which one is best?} f5 $6 ({
The tactical point that I hadn't seen up until here is that} 14... f6 $2 {
loses a pawn to} 15. Bxe4 fxe5 16. dxe5 Qxe5 17. Qxd5+ Qxd5 18. Bxd5+ {.}) ({
ANSWER:} 14... Nf6 $1 {is the best move, as Black retains some counterchances
on the kingside, with moves like ...Bf5, ...Qe6, ...Bh3 and ...h7-h5. The
e4-pawn should have given me some indication of the side of the board to play
on, namely the kingside.}) 15. Rfc1 Be6 {QUESTION: What should White's plan
be? --- ANSWER:} 16. Rc5 $1 {Simple chess! White plans to double (or if
necessary treble) on the c-file to provoke a target in the black camp.} Nf6 {
Preparing to exchange off the monster on e5.} 17. Rac1 c6 {QUESTION: How
should White continue now? --- ANSWER:} 18. b4 $1 {White begins a classic
minority attack, aiming to use the hook on c6 to either open the c-file or
create a lasting pawn weakness on the queenside.} Nd7 19. Nxd7 Qxd7 ({Maxime
thought I should have played} 19... Bxd7 {which may have been slightly better
to keep an eye on the b5-square, but still after} 20. a4 a6 21. Bf1 {it will
be difficult to stop b4-b5.}) 20. Bf1 a6 21. Bc4 Bxc4 22. R1xc4 Rad8 23. a4 Rf6
{QUESTION: Now should White proceed? --- ANSWER:} 24. Qe2 {During the game I
was impressed by this move, played after a long think. The queen keeps an eye
on both sides of the board and adds another defender to the b5-square. However
it does allow a counterblow...} (24. b5 {would have been consistent, but} cxb5
({if} 24... axb5 25. axb5 cxb5 26. Rc1) 25. axb5 f4 $1 {gives Black
counterplay: for example,} 26. exf4 axb5 27. Rb4 Qh3 {followed by ...Rh6.})
24... Ra8 (24... f4 $5 {was possible, in keeping with the theme of the last
note. I missed the opportunity as sometimes happens if you feel you are slowly
being squeezed out of a game. However, if I'd thought about the drawback to my
opponent's moves, then 24...f4 comes to mind pretty quickly as White has
weakened the defence of the d4-square:} 25. -- (25. gxf4 Rg6+ 26. Rg5 Rxg5+ 27.
fxg5 Qh3 {and suddenly the white king starts to feel a bit draughty.}) (25.
exf4 b5 $1 {is the main idea. After} 26. axb5 axb5 27. Rc3 Qxd4 {White's only
way of keeping the advantage according to the computer is by playing the far
from obvious} 28. Kg2 (28. Rxc6 Rxc6 29. Rxc6 Qd1+ 30. Qxd1 Rxd1+ 31. Kg2 Rb1 {
is a draw}) 28... Qxb4 29. Rxc6 Rxc6 30. Rxc6 {with the idea of pushing the
f-pawn. Black gets much better drawing chances than in the game if he plays
like this though.})) 25. Kg2 Rh6 $1 26. Kg1 (26. h4 g5 27. hxg5 f4 28. Kg1 f3 {
is not what White wants.}) 26... Rd6 ({Here the active defence} 26... f4 {can
be countered by} 27. exf4 Qh3 28. Qxe4 Qxh2+ 29. Kf1 Qh3+ 30. Ke2 Qg4+ 31. Ke1
{when White remains better.}) 27. h4 Rd5 ({Perhaps best in this position was
to anticipate the opening of the queenside and hide the king away as a
prophylactic measure, to avoid any nasty checks later on:} 27... h6 28. b5 axb5
29. axb5 Kh7 {.}) 28. Kg2 Rd8 {QUESTION: White has ensured the safety of his
king. Can he now break with b4-b5? --- ANSWER: Yes!} 29. b5 axb5 30. axb5 cxb5
31. Rxd5 Qxd5 32. Rc5 Qf7 33. Qxb5 {Here we see the fruits of White's labour
with his minority attack. He has obtained two weaknesses to target, as well as
a passed d-pawn. Indeed, he is now clearly better.} Rf8 {Desperately trying to
keep some counterplay open with ...Qh5,} ({but} 33... g6 {was probably better.}
) 34. Qb6 Qh5 {EXERCISE: Black prepares 35...Qf3+. How should White react? ---
ANSWER:} 35. Rc7 $1 {As is normally the case with strong grandmasters, Maxime
refuses to be bluffed! Black's back rank problems mean there is no genuine
counterplay.} Qf3+ 36. Kg1 Qd1+ 37. Kh2 Qf3 {QUESTION: How does White
completely snuff out Black's counterplay? --- ANSWER:} 38. Qb3+ Kh8 39. Qc2 {
Covering the f2-pawn and preparing the exchange of rooks if necessary. Now the
d-pawn should decide matters.} h6 40. d5 b5 41. d6 Kh7 42. Qb2 Rg8 43. Rf7 Kg6
44. Re7 Qd1 45. d7 Kh7 46. Qxb5 Qf3 47. Qb2 Qd1 48. Qe5 Qf3 49. Qf4 Qxf4 50.
gxf4 Rd8 51. h5 {. Summary: A very nicely controlled game by White, apart from
the one moment when he allowed the tactical chance with 24...f4. White
proceeded with a classic minority attack, combining pressure down a semi-open
file with the b4-b5 pawn break against the c6 hook.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{1) The pawn structure will often determine the side of the board that you
should be playing on. Be thinking about whether you are further advanced on
the kingside or queenside and let your pawns guide you!} 1. -- {2) Pawn breaks
make the middlegame much easier to handle as they allow your major pieces into
the action. An early break in the opening is often useful in this respect. As
a caveat be careful about making pawn breaks on the side of the board where
you are weakest.} (1. -- {3) Weak pawns, such as doubled or isolated pawns,
can have their dynamic advantages in the middlegame. Doubled pawns give you
open files and isolated pawns can act as a springboard for the pieces to reach
important central squares. However, the further in the game we go, the more
difficult it will be to defend such pawns.}) (1. -- {4) Hanging pawns are
normally dead ducks unless they manage to become mobile. Look to restrict
their potential advance and pick them off later in the game.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "5: Holes"]
[Black "Outposts and Weak Squares"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{'It is annoying that the rules of chess do not allow a pawn to take either
horizontally or backwards, but only forwards... This psychological tuning is
ideal for attacking purposes, but what about for defence?' - David Bronstein} 
1. -- {One mistake that seems to crop up a lot at amateur level is the failure
to recognize the weakness of individual squares or a complex of squares (a
number of squares of the same colour that are linked). I find this is
particularly true at junior level, where children are playing to give mate
most of the time! Seizing control of an important square can be as important
as other advantages we have already discussed, such as a lead in development
or a space advantage. --- What is a weak square? We can define a weak square
as one that cannot be defended by a pawn and as a result of this is a great
place for a higher-valued piece belonging to the enemy to occupy. Outpost
squares are particularly weak squares. Nimzowitsch, in 'My System', defines an
outpost as: "by an outpost we mean one of our own pieces (normally a knight),
which is placed, being protected (by a pawn) and on an open file within enemy
territory." --- The bit about being in enemy territory is particularly
important, as a knight's influence grows significantly the further up the
board it is. I would also add that I usually refer to an outpost only if the
piece or square cannot be attacked by an enemy pawn. Personally I don't think
it matters too much as to the exact definition of the term, but what is
important is that an outpost square is quickly recognized as a great one for
our pieces!} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Weak squares"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 5. Qxd4 c5 $6 {. There's no going
back! Black weakens the d5-square for good and it becomes an outpost square
for the white knight on b1 which can reach it via c3.} 6. -- *

[Event "Eforie Nord"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stoica, V."]
[Black "Foisor, O."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C17"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Let's look at a nice example of exploiting an outpost, taken from another one
of my favourite trappy openings I played when young.} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3
Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. Bd2 $5 {This breaks the pin and the knight on c3 dreams about
the d6-square! It is a tricky move, but one that with accurate play by Black
shouldn't promise White any advantage.} Nc6 (5... Ne7 6. Nb5 Bxd2+ 7. Qxd2 O-O
{is considered the safest when the outpost on d6 doesn't make itself felt so
much as the black king has been evacuated. For example,} 8. c3 Nbc6 9. f4 cxd4
10. cxd4 Nf5 11. Nf3 a6 12. Nc3 f6 {was okay for Black in H.Nakamura-P.Harikrishna, Oropesa del Mar 2000.}) ({I could have also included countless
games from my youth where my opponents played} 5... cxd4 $6 6. Nb5 Bxd2+ (6...
Bc5 7. Qg4 $1 {is annoying}) 7. Qxd2 Ne7 8. Nd6+ Kf8 9. f4 {with a great
position, similar to the game.}) 6. Nb5 {The point of White's last move. The
knight immediately heads for the d6-square, which is under his control.} Bxd2+
7. Qxd2 cxd4 $6 (7... Nxd4 {still gives White the option of jumping into d6,
but safest for the advantage is} 8. Nxd4 cxd4 9. f4 Ne7 10. Nf3 {.}) 8. f4 {
There's no hurry to give the check: d6 can't be defended and White takes a
move to reinforce his control of the outpost.} Nge7 9. Nd6+ {Is the knight in
an outpost? I would say so, even though the d-file is closed.} Kf8 {White
enjoys a clear advantage due to the knight on d6. His simple strategy should
now be to complete development.} 10. Nf3 f6 $6 {Black understandably wants to
undermine the e5-pawn, but this move has the drawback of reducing the safety
of his king.} ({A knight on such a square cannot be tolerated for long and so} 
10... Nf5 {should probably have been preferred, although White still enjoyed a
good position after} 11. Nxf5 exf5 12. Nxd4 Be6 13. Be2 g6 14. O-O-O {in B.Spassky-C.Garcia Palumbo, German Rapid Cup 1989.}) 11. O-O-O Qa5 12. Qxa5 Nxa5
13. Nxd4 fxe5 14. fxe5 Nec6 {EXERCISE: Black has managed to get the queens off,
but his king remains a big problem. How should White proceed? --- ANSWER:} 15.
Bb5 $1 {A very energetic move! Stoica completes the development of his minor
pieces and prepares to occupy the f-file. He is able to give away his defender
of the outpost square as doing so will open files for his rooks.} Nxe5 (15...
Nd8 16. Nxc8 Rxc8 17. Bd7 Rb8 18. Nxe6+ {wasn't much better for Black in J.Janda-R.Turner, Czech League 2010.}) 16. Rde1 $1 {Not giving Black the time to
reorganize his pieces. Note that the other rook wants to be on the f1 square.}
Nac6 (16... Ke7 {would lose a piece to} 17. Nxc8+ Raxc8 18. Rxe5 {.}) 17. Bxc6
Nxc6 18. Rhf1+ Ke7 {EXERCISE: White has harmoniously centralized all his
pieces. How should he continue? --- ANSWER:} 19. Nxc8+ $1 {Under normal
circumstances this would be a dreadful idea (exchanging the powerful knight
for an undeveloped bishop), but here the white pieces simply invade via e6.}
Raxc8 20. Rxe6+ Kd8 21. Rd6+ Kc7 22. Rxd5 Nd8 $2 ({Black's best chance
probably lay in the rook ending after} 22... Nxd4 23. Rf7+ Kb8 24. Rxd4 Rc7 {
, but this should also be winning for White.}) 23. Re1 Nc6 24. Nxc6 $6 (24.
Ne6+ Kb8 25. Rd7 {looks cleanest.}) 24... Kxc6 25. Rg5 Rc7 26. Re6+ Kd7 27.
Rxg7+ Kxe6 28. Rxc7 {. Black had seen enough and resigned. The outpost handed
to White in the opening was the key factor in deciding the game. --- Weak
squares are created by the advance of pawns. Too many thoughtless pawn moves
weaken the squares around them and this can often result in disaster! Knights
are particularly useful in outposts as we have just seen. The reason for this
is that they need advanced support points in order to be effective due to
their relatively short range of movement, when compared to, say, a bishop or
rook which can influence operations from further away. It is the dream of a
knight to find a central outpost (on the c-, d- ,e- or f-files) in enemy
territory on the fifth, or even better the sixth rank.} 1-0

[Event "Bazna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Nakamura, H."]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "D31"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3r1k1/p2nbpp1/2p2np1/q7/Np1PPB1P/8/PPQ1N1P1/1K1R3R w - - 0 18"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{"Holes, dug by little moles" - Mercury Rev, 'Deserters Songs'} 18. -- {
Actually dug by little pawns, Mercury Rev. We can think of outposts as extreme
forms of holes. If we are trying to define the terms we can say that a hole
and an outpost differ in that an outpost is controlled by a pawn, whereas a
hole is simply a square that cannot be defended by the enemy's pawns. As a
small exercise examine the position below.} (18. -- {EXERCISE: Name all the
holes and outposts in both the white and black positions? --- ANSWER: White
has holes in his position on d2, d3, e3, e4, f2, g3, g4 and h2. There is also
an outpost for a black piece on d5. --- Black has holes on a6, a4, b7, c7 and
h7 and there are outposts for the white pieces on c5 and d6. The holes on the
third and fourth ranks (rather than the second) are more pronounced and
important.}) *

[Event "European U20 Championship, Aviles"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Poliakov, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B60"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{"Weak points or holes in the opponent's position must be occupied by pieces,
not pawns." - Siegbert Tarrasch --- The Sicilian is one of those openings
which often gives rise to weak squares at quite an early stage. Due to the
early advance of the c-pawn, a later movement of the e-pawn is often required
in order to develop the dark-squared bishop. As a result this will weaken the
d6- and d5-squares. Watch what happens here to Black's position with a couple
of thoughtless moves.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 {
The Classical variation of the Sicilian has always had a good reputation.} 6.
Bg5 e5 $6 {In certain Sicilian positions this thrust is okay, but here it
doesn't make so much sense as the d5-square becomes very weak.} ({Instead:} 
6... e6 {is much more restrained and sensible!}) (6... g6 7. Bxf6 exf6 {would
be a mess for Black. Not only can he not defend d5 sensibly, but once he
fianchettoes d6 will be critically weak.}) 7. Nf5 ({The direct} 7. Bxf6 $1 {is
actually much stronger:} gxf6 (7... Qxf6 8. Nd5 Qd8 {runs into} 9. Nb5) 8. Nf5
{when Black's pawn structure is compromised as well as all the holes around it!
}) 7... g6 $4 {EXERCISE: I got lucky on this particular day, coming across a
pretty highly-rated opponent who didn't seem to appreciate the importance of
weak squares. What is the drawback of Black's last move and how do we exploit
it?} (7... Bxf5 8. exf5 Be7 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. Nd5 {is still a bit better for
White.}) 8. Nd5 $1 {(ANSWER) 7...g6 weakened the knight on f6. It is now
attacked more times than it is defended and it is also pinned. The text move
wins material straight away.} Be7 ({QUESTION: How would you have met} 8... Qa5+
$2 {. --- ANSWER:} 9. b4 $1 {is the only way to take advantage} ({if} 9. Bd2
Qd8) {, and} 9... Nxb4 10. Nxf6+ Kd8 11. c3 {is a lot of fun for White.}) 9.
Ndxe7 Nxe4 {EXERCISE: A little precise calculation is now required. --- Find
the most efficient way to win.} ({Trying to muddy the waters while avoiding} 
9... Nxe7 10. Nxd6+ Kf8 11. Bxf6 {.}) 10. Nxc6 $1 {(ANSWER)} Qc7 (10... Qxg5 {
loses to} 11. Nxd6+ Nxd6 12. Qxd6 bxc6 13. Qxc6+ {.}) 11. Nxd6+ Nxd6 12. Bf6 {
. Summary: A bad day at the office for Mr Poliakov. Many games are decided by
the destruction of the defender of an outpost. In this case the defender was
already pinned by the bishop and so his plan made zero sense. Let's move on to
a more sophisticated example of the strategy of playing against a weak outpost
square.} 1-0

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1945.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Rudakovsky, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B83"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1945.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Vassily Smyslov (1921-2010) was the seventh World champion between 1957 and
1958. He had a very clear strategic style of play and was considered to be a
very fine endgame player. Here we see him use a clear and direct plan to
utilize a central outpost.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6
6. Be2 {A classical approach to the Scheveningen Sicilian employed by Black.}
Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Be3 Nc6 {QUESTION: Both sides have developed sensibly so far.
How would you continue as White here? --- ANSWER:} 9. f4 {By far the most
popular move, gaining space on the kingside.} Qc7 10. Qe1 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 e5 {
The typical Sicilian thrust again! In isolation this isn't a mistake...} 12.
Be3 Be6 $6 {...but with the addition of this move it probably is.} ({After
this game the favoured treatment for Black became} 12... exf4 13. Rxf4 Be6 14.
Qg3 Nd7 $1 {. Here we can see that Black aims to employ his knight to the
outpost e5, whilst keeping an eye on d5 with his bishop. The position is about
equal.}) 13. f5 Bc4 {QUESTION: How can White win the battle for the d5-square?}
({Perhaps} 13... Bd7 {should have been considered, looking to reroute the
bishop to c6 to defend the outpost square.}) 14. Bxc4 {(ANSWER)} (14. Bg5 {
leads to some complications based on the weakness of the b2-pawn:} Qb6+ 15. Kh1
Bxe2 16. Qxe2 Qxb2 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Nd5 Rfc8 {gives White compensation for
the sacrificed pawn, but probably no more.}) 14... Qxc4 15. Bg5 $1 {Smyslov
continues in a very logical manner, looking to destroy the defender of our key
outpost square, d5.} Rfe8 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nd5 {And the knight arrives! It is
worth pointing out that the strength of the outpost increases when the
opponent has no remaining knight or a bishop of the same colour as the outpost
square. On its own the outpost isn't enough to win the game, so the next phase
of the battle sees White gradually improving his position.} Bd8 (17... Qxc2 $2
{runs into} 18. Rf2 $1 (18. Rc1 Qxb2 19. Nc7 Qxa2 {isn't so clear as Black has
plenty of pawns for the exchange}) ({the tempting} 18. Nxf6+ gxf6 {doesn't
seem to lead anywhere either as White doesn't have enough pieces in the attack}
) 18... Qc5 19. Rc1 Qd4 20. Nc7 {, picking up the exchange.}) 18. c3 {
Preventing any counterplay down the c-file for the moment.} b5 19. b3 Qc5+ 20.
Kh1 Rc8 {EXERCISE: How to proceed? Black's position is passive, but he doesn't
have any serious weaknesses, apart from the d5-square!} 21. Rf3 $6 {Another
logical move, looking to swing the rook to the kingside while reinforcing the
c3-pawn.} ({ANSWER: However,} 21. f6 $1 {is stronger though, if you spotted
the pretty idea} gxf6 (21... g6 {simply loses to the typical motif} 22. Qd2 Kh8
23. Qh6 Rg8 24. Rf3 {with the dual threats of Qxh7+ and Rh3}) 22. Rxf6 $1 (22.
Nxf6+ $2 Bxf6 23. Rxf6 Qxc3 {gives Black good counterplay}) 22... Bxf6 23.
Nxf6+ Kg7 (23... Kf8 24. Nd7+ {wins the queen}) 24. Qh4 {when Black is
helpless to defend against the vicious combination of knight and queen: for
instance,} Qxc3 25. Qxh7+ Kf8 (25... Kxf6 26. Rf1+ Ke6 27. Qxf7# {is mate}) 26.
Qg8+ Ke7 27. Nd5+ Kd8 28. Qg5+ Kd7 29. Qf5+ Kc6 30. Nxc3 {.}) 21... Kh8 (21...
f6 {is a really sad move to have to play, but looks best.}) 22. f6 $1 {Smyslov
isn't going to make the same mistake twice! The beast on d5 acts as a superb
aide to the kingside attack.} gxf6 23. Qh4 Rg8 24. Nxf6 {White can finally
afford to exchange off knight for bishop, as the attack is so strong.} Rg7 (
24... Bxf6 25. Qxf6+ Rg7 26. Rg3 Rcg8 27. Rd1 {transposes to the game.}) 25.
Rg3 Bxf6 26. Qxf6 Rcg8 27. Rd1 d5 28. Rxg7 ({Black resigned as he will have to
give up his queen to avoid mate after} 28. Rxg7 Rxg7 29. Rxd5 {.}) (28. -- {
Summary: White managed to win the battle for the weak d5-square thanks to a
careless exchange of light-squared bishops by Rudakovsky. Once the knight was
in place it was used as a support for an attack on the flank. Powerful stuff
from Smyslov.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Managing Your Weaknesses"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Managing Your Weaknesses: Here is a nice game by Garry Kasparov as it
shows two of the best ways to fight against an outpost square. Firstly he
exchanges off the enemy knight and then breaks with the pawn behind the
outpost (see the following game).} *

[Event "World U20 Championship, Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Arnason, J."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B92"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "34"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 {As already mentioned in this
book, Kasparov favoured dynamic openings which promised early imbalances. The
Najdorf was ideal for this during the 80s and 90s, when there wasn't so much
information available on the openings. These days the opening has been pretty
much analysed to death!} a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 (7... Be6 8. O-O Be7 9. f4 Qc7
10. f5 Bc4 11. Bg5 {shows an important difference to the Smyslov game we have
just examined - the black knight can be strengthened by his colleague:} Nbd7
12. a4 O-O 13. Kh1 Rfc8 {, as in L.Oll-G.Kasparov, Moscow Olympiad 1994.}) 8.
Bg5 {White carries out the same plan as before.} Be6 {QUESTION: Should White
take on f6 here? --- ANSWER: Yes! Otherwise Black will again have time to play
...Nbd7 which gives d5 more security.} 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. Qd3 {White continues
to play logically. Here he plans to build up pressure on the weak d6-pawn.} Nc6
11. Nd5 {QUESTION: How should Black react to the arrival of the white knight?}
(11. O-O-O {is definitely a more testing move. In fact during my year out I
reached this position!} Nd4 $6 (11... Qb6 $5 {is a typical way out, giving up
the pawn for play down the d-file:} 12. Qxd6 Be7 13. Nd5 Bxd5 14. Qxd5 O-O 15.
Qd2 Qxf2 {was shortly agreed drawn in V.Anand-V.Topalov, Linares 2000}) 12.
Nxd4 exd4 13. Nd5 Bxd5 14. exd5 O-O 15. Kb1 Re8 16. Qf3 Qa5 17. Bd3 Re5 18. g4
Qxd5 19. Qxd5 Rxd5 20. f4 g6 $4 (20... g5 {is better}) 21. b4 $1 {left my rook
high and dry with nowhere to go in Y.Liou-A.Hunt, Fremont 2012. I feel
slightly better that I am not the only person to make this blunder in the
given position. In fact I can find six other examples of this (with an average
Elo for Black of about 2400!), with White scoring 5½/6!}) 11... Bg5 {ANSWER:
A good move! Black activates his bishop.} ({Others:} 11... Bxd5 12. Qxd5 {is a
bit better for White due to the continued pressure on the d6-pawn.}) (11... Ne7
$2 {would be too early as Black's kingside will be wrecked after} 12. Nxf6+
gxf6 13. O-O-O {with a clear advantage to White.}) 12. O-O Ne7 $1 {And this is
the big plan, getting rid of the knight whilst keeping the bishop-pair.} 13.
Nxe7 (13. c4 Nxd5 14. cxd5 Bd7 {would leave Black feeling happier about his
prospects as the backward pawn on d6 has been 'fixed' by the closure of the
d-file.}) 13... Qxe7 14. Rfd1 Rd8 15. Na5 O-O 16. Nc4 d5 $1 {The second phase
of the plan is complete. Black has removed his backward d-pawn, repaired the
hole on d5 and now stands well due to his pair of bishops.} 17. exd5 (17. Nxe5
{allows the clever move} Bc8 $1 18. Qg3 (18. Qc3 dxe4) 18... Bh4 19. Qf4 g5 20.
Qd2 Qxe5 21. g3 Qxe4 {when Black is a bit better.}) 17... Rxd5 {and Black,
having more than equalized, went on to win in 58 moves.} (17... -- {Summary:
Kasparov demonstrated an effective strategy against the weak d5-square. Note
that he wasn't in a rush to hack the knight off as soon as it landed on d5 -
instead he played around it until the exchange was favourable for him.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Exploiting Holes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Exploiting Holes Around the King: Fianchettoing in the opening gives
that side holes on the squares around it. Watch how Miguel Najdorf exploited
this in the famous Mar del Plata tournament.} *

[Event "Mar del Plata"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1955.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pachman, L."]
[Black "Najdorf, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B24"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "38"]
[EventDate "1955.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 {A Closed Sicilian - not something we have
encountered yet in this book. Note already that the fianchetto here gives
White holes on f3 and h3.} Nf6 5. Bg2 Bg4 $1 {A provocative development of the
bishop and quite a good way to shake White out of his comfort zone.} 6. Nge2 {
Pretty automatic, but this loosens the weak squares (h3 and f3) a little
further. --- EXERCISE: There are two ways to try and immediately exploit the
holes. What are they?} ({Instead} 6. f3 Bd7 7. Be3 g6 8. Qd2 {would have led
to a different sort of game.}) 6... Nd4 $1 {(ANSWER)} (6... Qd7 {preparing ...Bh3 was the other move I had in mind, though White can simply avoid this with}
7. h3 Bh5 8. O-O {, with a pretty decent position.}) ({Okay, I will also give
you that} 6... Ne5 {hits f3, but the text move is more energetic.}) 7. O-O (7.
h3 {is probably better here.}) 7... Nf3+ 8. Kh1 {QUESTION: How should Najdorf
continue here?} (8. Bxf3 Bxf3 {would, of course, weaken the light squares
terribly.}) 8... h5 {ANSWER: Aggressive and good! Black turns his attention to
an immediate kingside attack.} 9. h3 (9. Be3 h4 10. h3 Qd7 $1 {is terrific for
Black.}) 9... e5 $1 {Fixing the centre, thereby securing his king's safety for
the moment and also preventing the jump of the e2-knight to the useful
f4-square.} 10. Nd5 {White tries to make use of the outpost created.} (10. hxg4
hxg4+ 11. Bh3 Rxh3+ 12. Kg2 Rh2# {would be embarrassing.}) 10... Nxd5 11. exd5
Qd7 12. Nc3 {EXERCISE: White voluntarily walks into a discovered attack! With
a multitude of choices, what did the Polish-born Argentinean Grandmaster
choose to do? --- ANSWER:} Qf5 $1 {Keeping the pressure on.} ({In fact White's
last move was quite clever as the tempting} 12... Nh2 13. hxg4 hxg4 (13... Nxf1
14. Qxf1 hxg4+ 15. Kg1 {at first sight looks promising for Black, but in fact
he simply doesn't have any pieces left to mate White; the fianchettoed bishop
has no opponent, so the open h-file is not so important}) 14. Kg1 Qf5 15. Re1
Nf3+ 16. Kf1 $1 {is good for White.}) 13. Be3 h4 $1 {Preparing to soften up
the weak h3-pawn by opening the h-file.} 14. Ne4 Be7 {There is no rush. Black
finishes his minor piece development.} ({After the hasty} 14... hxg3 15. fxg3
Rxh3+ 16. Bxh3 Qh5 17. Ng5 $1 {White defends.}) 15. c4 {EXERCISE: Can you find
a beautiful way to finish White off? --- ANSWER:} hxg3 16. fxg3 Rxh3+ 17. Bxh3
Qh5 $1 18. Qa4+ (18. Nf2 {blocks the pressure on the f3-knight and thus} Bxh3 {
just wins.}) 18... Kf8 19. Rxf3 Qxh3+ ({White resigned as he will lose his
queen after} 19... Qxh3+ 20. Kg1 Bxf3 21. Qc2 Qh1+ 22. Kf2 Qg2+ 23. Ke1 Qxc2 {.
}) (19... -- {Summary: A tremendous game by Najdorf, who systematically
exploited the holes on f3 and later h3 to get at the white king.}) 0-1

[Event "Oxford (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Foster, C."]
[Black "Levene, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C67"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{The white player in the next game is actually one of my sister's students,
but I'm sure she won't mind me analysing this game as her pupil won!} 1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 {The Berlin Defence which we first came across in
Chapter One.} 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. Nxe5 Be7 8. d4 Be6 9. Bf4
O-O 10. Nd2 Nf5 11. Ndf3 {The e5-knight is not on an outpost due to the
potential attack from the black f-pawn. However, it is still well placed, as
any future ...f7-f6 attack will create a hole on e6.} c5 12. dxc5 Bxc5 13. Ng5
$1 {White uses the chance to apply pressure to the e6-bishop.} Bd5 $6 ({I
think Black needed to accept the ending after} 13... Qxd1 14. Raxd1 Rfe8 15.
Nxe6 Rxe6 {. Being slightly higher-graded, it could be that he wanted to win
at all costs.}) 14. c4 Be6 15. Qh5 h6 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Rad1 Qe8 18. Qg4 {
EXERCISE: What do you make of the move 18...h5, gaining a tempo on the queen?}
h5 $2 {ANSWER: Black wants to free the d4-square for his knight by shifting
the queen off the g-file, but from a positional point of view this is
definitely wrong as it weakens the g5-square. So what you may ask? Well, g5 is
important as a white bishop on that square makes fighting for the d-file with ...Rd8 very difficult. Now Black has big holes on e5, g5 and g6.} (18... Rd8 {
would have been better.}) 19. Qh3 Nd4 {So the knight arrives on d4, but it is
not secure as the defender (the bishop on c5) can be removed quite easily. ---
EXERCISE: Can you see a way to eliminate the irritating black knight on d4?} (
19... Bd4 $1 {would have made more sense as the defensive knight on f5 is the
more stable minor piece.}) 20. Be3 {Now the battle rages over the d4-square.} (
{ANSWER:} 20. Nd3 $1 {straightaway would have been even stronger.}) 20... Rd8
21. Nd3 $1 Bb6 {QUESTION: What's best for White here?} (21... b6 22. Nxc5 bxc5
{would leave Black a pawn down in the ending after} 23. Bxd4 Rxd4 24. Rxd4 cxd4
25. Qxe6+ Qxe6 26. Rxe6 {.}) 22. c5 ({ANSWER: Exploiting the weak square
immediately with} 22. Bg5 $1 Rd7 23. c5 {would have been best.}) 22... Nc2 23.
Bg5 Nxe1 24. Bxd8 Nf3+ $2 {This was a rapidplay game and we can only assume
that both players were short of time.} ({Instead} 24... Nxd3 25. Qxd3 Bxc5 {
leaves Black a pawn up.}) 25. gxf3 Qxd8 26. Qxe6+ {Now White is winning easily.
} Kh8 27. cxb6 Qg5+ 28. Kh1 Rxf3 29. Qe8+ Kh7 30. Qe4+ {. Summary: An
interesting fight for the central squares. The innocuous-looking 18...h5?
actually turned out to be a major mistake, as it weakened a crucial square
from which White's bishop could then control the d-file.} 1-0

[Event "Maidstone"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bronstein, D."]
[Black "Hunt, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B90"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{David Bronstein was one of the strongest-ever players never to become World
Champion. I was lucky enough to play him when I was 13 and he taught me a
strategic lesson about holes!} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3
a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nf3 {A more positional approach to the Najdorf.} Qc7 {Designed
to prevent the bishop coming to c4.} (7... Be7 8. Bc4 O-O 9. O-O Be6 {is a
more popular way of fighting for the d5-square.}) 8. a4 b6 9. Bg5 Nbd7 {
EXERCISE: This move was forced in order to retain some control of d5. Can you
now, though, find a way for White to increase his control over this crucial
square? --- ANSWER:} 10. Nd2 $1 {Preparing Bf1-c4 whilst reinforcing the
e4-pawn.} Bb7 11. Bc4 Be7 12. Qe2 {I've landed in one of those passive Najdorf
positions which is miserable for Black to play. The ...b5 and ...d5 breaks
have been prevented and White can slowly improve his position. It is no
surprise that White has scored very well from here in the Mega Database 2012.}
O-O 13. O-O h6 14. Bh4 ({Of course Bronstein doesn't want to release the
tension with} 14. Bxf6 Nxf6 {.}) 14... Qc8 $2 {EXERCISE: Can you figure out
the idea behind the strange-looking text move? Then I want you to find a plan
for White to improve his control of the d5-square.} ({Something extreme like} 
14... g5 15. Bg3 Nc5 $1 {was called for. Black at least fights for some
squares of his own. After} 16. f3 Ne6 17. Bxe6 fxe6 {he was okay in R.Hübner-J.Hjartarson, Tilburg 1988.}) 15. Rfd1 Bc6 {ANSWER: This was my 'brilliant' idea
- to try and increase the pressure on e4 with ...Qb7 whilst protecting the
a6-pawn. Unfortunately it's just too slow.} 16. Nf1 $1 {This is the main idea
behind White's last. The knight heads for e3.} Qb7 17. Ne3 Rfe8 {QUESTION: How
should White continue here?} ({There was no time for} 17... g5 {due to} 18. Nf5
{.}) 18. Nf5 $1 {ANSWER: The other way! One of the dream squares for a knight
is f5, from where it eyes up the g7-h6 pawn complex and also the weakness on
d6. Black's position now collapses like a house of cards.} (18. Ncd5 Bxd5 19.
Nxd5 {would also have been strong, but I like the text more as it gets nearer
the king.}) 18... Bf8 19. Rxd6 {Splat!} Qc7 (19... Bxd6 20. Nxd6 Qc7 21. Bxf7+
Kh7 22. Nxe8 {is also a disaster.}) 20. Bxf7+ (20. Bxf7+ Kxf7 21. Qc4+ Kg6 22.
Rxc6 {is the end.}) (20. -- {Summary: The final white position is a picture of
harmony. The knight on f5 is truly a monster. A model strategic game against
the Najdorf in which Bronstein methodically increased his control over the
d5-square so Black couldn't break there. The game was then decided by an
invasion on another weak square, f5.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Colour Complexes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Colour Complexes: Weak colour complexes are a little more difficult to
understand and can be harder to recognize than weak individual squares. They
are a network of the same colour squares (either light or dark) that have been
weakened due to the relevant pawns all being on squares of the opposite colour.
} *

[Event "Richmond Rapidplay"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Sowray , P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C12"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1b1k2r/pp3p2/4pQ2/3pn2p/q2P4/P1B2P2/4N2P/R3KB1R b KQkq - 0 20"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

20... Ng6 {One of the best examples of a weak colour complex can arise from
the French Winawer. In this position a simple count tells us that five of the
six black pawns are on light squares. Therefore Black is vulnerable on the
dark squares as the pawns are not controlling them. This is made worse by the
fact there is no dark-squared bishop present to control the dark squares and
doubly worse by the presence of White's dark-squared bishop. Being a piece for
two pawns up also helps!} 21. Rg1 Rg8 ({White was threatening} 21... -- 22.
Rxg6 fxg6 23. Qxh8+ {.}) 22. Bb4 $1 {Renewing the threat as mate will be
threatened on e7.} Qd7 23. Nf4 Qd8 {EXERCISE: Black desperately needs the
queens off to survive. How should White continue? --- ANSWER:} 24. Bb5+ Bd7 25.
Bxd7+ Qxd7 (25... Kxd7 26. Qxf7+ Kc8 27. Qxe6+ {is totally over.}) 26. Nxg6 a5
27. Ne5 Rxg1+ 28. Kf2 {. The game is decided as 29 Qh8+ and the black queen
are both threatened. --- Summary: This snippet shows us that it is risky to
put a lot of your pawns on one colour of square due to the resulting creation
of a weak colour complex. This is magnified if an opponent's bishop or queen 
(or both) is still present.} 1-0

[Event "British Championship, North Shields"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jaunooby, A."]
[Black "Walker, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A41"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]
[WhiteClock "0:44:38"]
[BlackClock "0:04:50"]

{Here is another good example of the exploitation of a weak colour complex,
taken from last year's British Championship. This one is a little less obvious,
as both sides lose their dark-squared bishop which would otherwise dominate
the weakened dark squares.} 1. d4 d6 2. e4 g6 3. Be3 Bg7 4. Nc3 c6 5. Qd2 {A
pretty standard and logical set-up. White looks to discourage ...Nf6, as he
will then exchange the dark-squared bishops with Be3-h6.} Nd7 6. O-O-O b5 7. e5
$5 {A very aggressive move! White sinks the g8-knight for the moment. ---
QUESTION: How should Black respond to this bold thrust? --- ANSWER:} d5 {Black
chooses to close the centre.} (7... dxe5 8. d5 (8. dxe5 $5 {is an interesting
novelty:} Bxe5 9. Nf3 Bg7 10. Ne4 Ngf6 11. Nxf6+ Bxf6 12. Bh6 {with decent
compensation for the pawn}) 8... Bb7 9. dxc6 Bxc6 10. Bxb5 Bxb5 11. Nxb5 {was
slightly better for White in L.Mista-P.Vavra, Czech League 1999.}) 8. Bd3 {I
guess this is designed so that after a ...b5-b4 push, the knight can go back
to e2 without blocking the bishop's defence of c4.} Nb6 9. h4 h5 10. b3 e6 {
With all the black pawns on light squares, it is desirable for White to try
and get the dark-squared bishops exchanged.} 11. f3 ({Something like} 11. Bg5
Qc7 12. Nce2 {also suggests itself, removing the target for the black pawns on
the queenside.}) 11... Nh6 $6 {I don't like this move. f5 is normally a good
square for the knight, but here it can easily be attacked (with g2-g4), and
perhaps more importantly it weakens the sensitive f6-square.} ({Getting on
with it on the queenside with} 11... a5 12. Nh3 a4 {would have made more sense.
}) 12. Bg5 Qc7 13. Qf4 ({QUESTION: White could have immediately exchanged the
bishops with} 13. Bf6 Bxf6 14. exf6 {. What do you make of this? --- ANSWER: I
don't like it. Remember weak squares (such as f6 in this case) like to be
occupied by pieces not pawns, as Dr Tarrasch said. In fact here the f6-pawn
simply becomes a target:} Ng8 15. Qg5 Qd8 {with an acceptable position for
Black.}) 13... b4 14. Bf6 $1 {There is no need to hang about! The threat to
the bishop forces the next sequence of moves.} Bxf6 15. Qxf6 Rf8 16. Nce2 c5 $2
{Looking to open the c-file, but giving away important squares in the process.}
17. dxc5 Qxc5 18. Nd4 $1 {A highly desirable square for the white knight.} Nf5
{EXERCISE: Which way would you take on f5: with the knight or bishop?} ({Of
course it can't be taken:} 18... Qxd4 $4 19. Bb5+ Bd7 20. Rxd4 {wins the queen.
}) 19. Bxf5 $1 {ANSWER: The correct decision. The bishop is relatively
ineffective as the black pawns are all on light squares.} gxf5 20. Nge2 {Now
White has a target for his pieces on h5.} Nd7 21. Qg7 Ba6 22. Nf4 Qc3 23. Kb1
Qe3 $2 {QUESTION: What's the strongest continuation here for White?} ({I think
I would have castled here and given the pawn for free, though Black's position
is still desperate as the White h-pawn is very fast:} 23... O-O-O 24. Nxh5 Qe3
25. Rhe1 {with a virtually winning advantage.}) 24. Qg5 $6 ({ANSWER: After} 24.
Nxd5 $1 exd5 25. Rhe1 Qc3 26. e6 $1 {the black position collapses.}) (24. Rhe1
Qxf4 25. g3 $1 {is also quite pretty.}) 24... Qxe5 25. Nxh5 Rh8 26. Rhe1 Qd6
27. Nxf5 {. Summary: Despite the closed nature of the position out of the
opening, White played consistently to exchange off Black's defender of the
dark squares, before Black committed an error in opening up the middle of the
board.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Strong Colour Complexes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {On the flip side of the weak colour complex is the deliberate placement
of your pawns in the middlegame on the same colour squares as your opponent's
bishop in order to restrict it, thereby making a strong pawn complex. Check
out Adam versus Adams for an interesting fight and example of this!} *

[Event "British Championship, Canterbury"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Adams, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C65"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. O-O O-O 6. d4 Bb6 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4
d6 9. Qd3 g5 $5 {The start of an ambitious plan.} 10. Bg3 ({Of course Black's
last move could not have been undertaken without serious analysis of the
consequences of} 10. Nxg5 hxg5 11. Bxg5 {, but it seems that he is doing well
after} Kg7 12. f4 (12. Qg3 {loses to} Nxe4) 12... exd4 $1 (12... Qd7 $2 13.
fxe5 Nh7 14. Bf6+ {was winning for White in So.Polgar-R.Bayon Fernandez,
Oviedo (rapid) 1993}) 13. Kh1 Rh8 {.}) 10... Nh5 11. Bxc6 {Perhaps if White
sees what is coming, he might keep hold of his light-squared bishop.} (11. Na3
exd4 12. cxd4 f5 $5 {was a bold decision taken in F.Caruana-P.H.Nielsen,
Amsterdam 2008.}) 11... bxc6 12. Nbd2 a5 13. dxe5 $6 {Opening the position for
the pair of bishops can only be justified if White can win the e5-pawn.} dxe5
14. Qe2 (14. Qxd8 Rxd8 15. Bxe5 g4 {is the tactical point, so I'm not really
sure why I took on e5.}) 14... Ba6 15. c4 f6 $1 {Without White's light-squared
bishop this strategy is completely justified. The bishop on g3 is completely
dead and Black stands better.} 16. Rfd1 Qe7 17. Ne1 {EXERCISE: White tries to
plug the gaps in his position. What should Black do about the threat to his
h5-knight? --- ANSWER:} Ng7 {The knight heads for the juicy d4-square.} ({
Instead} 17... Nxg3 $2 {would go completely against the dark-square strategy
on the kingside to restrict the enemy bishop}) ({whilst} 17... Nf4 18. Bxf4
exf4 {leaves an interesting material balance (two bishops against two knights),
with an unclear position.}) 18. Nc2 Ne6 19. Nf1 {White looks to get to the
weak square on f5. --- QUESTION: Is there a good way to prevent this plan? ---
ANSWER:} Qh7 $1 {A very good move. Adams uses the pressure on the e4-pawn to
restrict the f1-knight whilst also supporting a future kingside pawn push.} 20.
b3 {I play to block out the a6-bishop. The problem is that it can come back
into the game via c8 whilst my bishop remains stuck.} Rad8 $6 {Mickey
criticized this move after the game and unsurprisingly he seems to have been
right.} (20... Nc5 $1 21. Nd2 Rad8 {would have kept the pressure firmly on, as
the rooks can't be traded and the knight eyes up another hole on d3.}) 21. Kh1
{Planning the release of my bishop with f2-f3, but perhaps this should have
been played two or three moves earlier.} h5 {EXERCISE: It's multiple choice
time! How should White deal with the threat of ...h5-h4: with 22 h4, 22 h3 or
22 f3? --- ANSWER:} 22. h4 {A good decision!} ({Instead:} 22. h3 Bc8 {makes it
awkward for White to play his main plan of f2-f3, as this would then
compromise his kingside dark squares significantly.}) (22. f3 $2 {would be a
serious mistake as it gives Black a dream square for his knight on f4! Then} h4
23. Rxd8 (23. Bf2 Nf4 24. Qe1 h3 $1 {is horrific}) 23... Rxd8 24. Be1 Nf4 {is
disgusting for White.}) 22... g4 23. f3 gxf3 24. gxf3 Kh8 25. Nfe3 {White has
managed to keep himself afloat and his knight now eyes up the weak f5-square.}
Nd4 26. Nxd4 Bxd4 27. Rac1 Rg8 28. Bf2 {I must admit I was feeling much
happier about my position here.} c5 {EXERCISE: Black cements his bishop on d4,
but also gives away the d5-square. What is the correct strategy for White here?
} (28... Bc8 29. Rg1 Be6 {was probably a touch better.}) 29. Rg1 {ANSWER: Get
the rooks off! Due to the exposed nature of the white king, it is important to
get some major pieces exchanged. Notice also how Black's weaker pawn structure
could play a part in any ending.} Bc8 30. Rxg8+ Rxg8 31. Rg1 Be6 32. Rxg8+ Kxg8
{Here Mickey offered a draw. The tournament situation was such that this
result would almost certainly guarantee him first prize, whilst I was happy as
I had made my second GM norm just by playing him! I remember GM Chris Ward,
who was commentating at the time, saying how surprised he was by the draw
offer. In reality I think White has no problems any more as long as he keeps
an eye on his king, though perhaps it is still slightly easier to play as
Black.} ({After} 32... Kxg8 33. Be1 a4 34. bxa4 Qd7 35. a5 Qa4 {there is still
some chess to be played.}) (32... Kxg8 {. Summary: Thanks to good opening
preparation Black managed to carry out a plan of restriction against the
dark-squared bishop which left White in some strategic difficulties. This was
in part due to my early decision to give up my light-squared bishop. From a
defensive perspective it was important to recognize that this also left some
squares weak in the black camp (f5 and d5), and White needed to react
accordingly in order to gain counterplay. In the end I managed to neutralize
the pressure in the nick of time by exchanging off the heavy pieces.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Washington"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kilnova, M."]
[Black "Hunt, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C11"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "50"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Keeping an Eye on Weak Squares:} 1. e4 e6 {QUESTION: What's this? Something
other than the Sicilian? --- ANSWER: In fact this was only the second time I
had played the French in a rated game. It's sometimes handy to be so one
dimensional for surprise value!} 2. Nf3 d5 3. Nc3 {The Two Knights Variation
is a relatively uncommon but very playable way to meet the French.} Nf6 4. e5
Nfd7 5. d4 c5 6. dxc5 Nc6 7. Bf4 Nxc5 $5 ({This is less common than} 7... Bxc5
{, but I had spotted that my opponent played in a slightly unusual way against
this line.}) 8. Bd3 Be7 {There is no need to rush to take off the d3-bishop as
it doesn't have any better squares.} 9. O-O $6 g5 $1 {A violent reaction, but
also quite a good one. Black will castle queenside.} 10. Bg3 h5 {Targeting the
dark-squared bishop immediately. Due to the closed nature of the centre Black
can get away with such a strategy.} 11. h3 Nxd3 12. Qxd3 Qb6 13. Nb5 {White
prepares to try and exchange off the e7-bishop and then looks to exploit the
resulting weakened dark squares. --- QUESTION: How should Black respond? ---
ANSWER:} g4 $1 {This disrupts White's strategy and prevents the other white
knight jumping to e5,} ({unlike something like} 13... Bd7 14. Nd6+ Bxd6 15.
exd6 O-O-O 16. Ne5 {.}) 14. hxg4 hxg4 15. Nfd4 $6 Bd7 {Black doesn't fear the
check on d6 and completes his development.} 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. Nd6+ Bxd6 18.
exd6 {EXERCISE: Black clearly has the initiative, but a pure opposite-coloured
bishop middlegame has been reached, which might become very double-edged. What
do you make of 18...Bb5?} Rh5 ({ANSWER:} 18... Bb5 {wins material, but at some
cost to Black's king after} 19. c4 $1 {(which I had missed initially)} Bxc4 20.
Qc3 Rh7 21. Rfc1 {, although Black should still be better after} Kd7 $1 {. The
text move is designed to fight for control of the e5-square.}) 19. Rfe1 {
EXERCISE: Try to calculate the complications arising after 19...Qxb2. Also,
are there any good alternatives?} Kd7 $1 {ANSWER: From a practical point of
view I am quite happy I played this. It prevents the white bishop from coming
to life and prepares the transfer of the last black piece into the game.} ({
Just as I was about to play} 19... Qxb2 $2 20. -- ({, I noticed} 20. Rxe6+ fxe6
21. Qg6+ {which looks very scary and highlights some of the dangers of
opposite-coloured bishops in the middlegame. White is a whole rook down, but
Black has to tread carefully:} Kf8 {the only move I calculated,} ({but} 21...
Kd8 22. Re1 Qh8 $1 {is actually winning}) 22. Qxh5 (22. Re1 Qh8 {wins due to
the threat of mate on h1}) 22... Qxa1+ 23. Kh2 Be8 $1 {(an important defensive
resource)} 24. Qh6+ Qg7 25. Qxe6 {. I actually got this far in my calculations,
but chickened out in the end as I didn't trust myself.}) ({. What I had missed
in the midst of all of this was} 20. Be5 $3 Qb5 (20... Rxe5 $2 21. Reb1 {is a
crafty way of trapping the black queen}) 21. Qd4 {when White retains a decent
bishop on e5 as compensation for the pawn.})) 20. Be5 {QUESTION: How should
Black continue his initiative?} Rg8 {ANSWER: This move is very logical,
looking to come up and over to h6, but the direct transfer of the queen
appears to be stronger.} ({Indeed,} 20... Qd8 $1 {would have been better. After
} 21. Kf1 (21. Bg3 Qf6 {would be a better square for the black queen}) 21...
Qh4 {Black has a very strong attack.}) 21. Qb3 $6 {This just encourages Black
to execute his plan.} Qd8 22. Bg3 Rgh8 23. Kf1 {EXERCISE: There are lots of
tempting options for Black in this position. Make a list of them before
deciding what you would you do here. --- ANSWER:} d4 {The bishop is finally
brought to life.} ({Alternatively:} 23... Qa5 $1 {is perhaps the strongest
move, looking to invade via d2 while preparing a check on the a6-f1 diagonal.})
(23... Qf6 {also springs to mind.}) 24. a4 Qa5 25. Qc4 $2 {An unfortunate
blunder after White had put up stubborn resistance for the last few moves.} (
25. Ke2 {is relatively best, although Black is just a pawn up with an attack
after} Bxg2 {.}) 25... Qd2 ({After} 25... Qd2 {,} 26. -- Rh1# {cannot be
sensibly stopped so White resigned.}) (25... -- {Summary: Here Black was
successful in defending his weak dark-square colour complex by blockading the
pawn on d6. This helped keep control of the position without allowing the
opponent unnecessary counterplay. Opposite-coloured bishop middlegames are
particularly sharp and a restrictive strategy against the enemy bishop can
often prove important.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{1) The advance of too many pawns in the opening can create holes and,
sometimes more significantly, outposts which enemy pieces can exploit. If you
see such a square a successful strategy will often be to destroy any potential
defenders before occupying it.} 1. -- {2) Remember pieces, not pawns, in
outposts. Knights love them, especially if they are on the fifth and sixth
ranks.} (1. -- {3) Fianchettos weaken the kingside (or queenside) pawn
structure and create potential holes. Look to exchange off the fianchettoed
bishop for maximum effect.}) (1. -- {4) Squares are linked to each other
diagonally by colour, creating complexes which bishops and queens can look to
exploit. Be very wary about creating pawn chains for this reason, placing all
your pawns on squares of the same colour. However, if your opponent only has
one bishop remaining, you can look to target that piece by restricting its
movement using a chain.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "6: Improving the Worst Piece"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{If you are stuck for a plan, improve your worst-placed piece.} 1. -- {This
famous piece of chess advice is very useful to remember. Its origins are still
unclear, but popular opinion seems to be that they are the words of
Grandmaster Vladimir Makogonov (1904-1993), who was one of Garry Kasparov's
first chess trainers. It is of particular importance in positions where there
are no obvious targets or weaknesses to aim at in your opponent's camp.
Notably this simple idea can be substituted for middle or long-term planning.
It is very rarely a bad idea to improve a piece that is not working at full
power. To see an example, let's take a look at a game of two-time Soviet
champion Vitaly Tseshkovsky.} *

[Event "Aktjubinsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1985.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kozlov, V."]
[Black "Tseshkovsky, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C97"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "100"]
[EventDate "1985.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3
d6 9. h3 Na5 {The Chigorin variation of the Ruy Lopez is one of the most
studied and famous opening variations of them all! Black misplaces his knight
temporarily in order to drive the enemy bishop away and prepares to gain space
on the queenside.} 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 {Retaining the tension.} 12. Nbd2 Bd7
13. d5 {White closes the centre before Black has a chance to gain counterplay
down the c-file. --- EXERCISE: Identify Black's worst-placed piece and find a
way to improve it.} (13. Nf1 cxd4 14. cxd4 Rac8 15. Ne3 Nc6 {is another
popular line.}) 13... c4 $1 {(ANSWER) --- QUESTION: What was the piece? ---
ANSWER: The knight on a5! Black seeks to reroute this guy to c5. It is rare
for one side to be able to tolerate a knight on the edge of the board for too
long. I am sure you know the saying "a knight on the rim is dim", due to its
lack of mobility. --- The current position is closed and therefore there is
more time for the knight manoeuvre to be carried out. As there are no obvious
pawn breaks or open files available to Black it wouldn't have made a lot of
sense to develop the rooks to the centre either. It is in such closed
positions that knights truly find their feet!} ({The immediate} 13... Nb7 {
would give White an extra preventative option of} 14. b3 c4 15. b4 $5 {,
stopping the knight on b7 from rejoining the game.}) 14. Nf1 {White also looks
to improve his knight, heading for that dream square on f5.} Nb7 15. Ng3 Nc5 {
QUESTION:} 16. Nh2 {EXERCISE: White's knight manoeuvres are quite common in
the Ruy Lopez. He looks to increase his control over f5. Suggest a plan for
Black!} ({In order to remove the knight White would have to weaken his
queenside pawns a bit:} 16. b4 cxb3 17. axb3 Rfc8 18. Bd2 a5 {and Black was
comfortable in V.Lepsakov-Y.Balashov, Ishevsk 2010.}) ({Instead} 16. Nf5 $6 {
would be wrong, as the white d-pawn would become very weak after} Bxf5 17. exf5
Qb7 {. We want a piece (knight) on f5, not a pawn. Remember what was said in
the chapter on outposts?}) ({Neither does} 16. Nh4 {really help as after} g6 {
White will lose more time getting the knight back into play.}) 16... a5 $1 {
(ANSWER) With all his pieces harmoniously placed Black starts to advance on
the queenside where he is strongest.} 17. Qf3 b4 18. Nf5 Bxf5 19. Qxf5 Rfb8 {
Tseshkovsky isn't afraid to leave his kingside, as he correctly judges that
there will be no way through for White.} (19... bxc3 20. bxc3 Nd3 {also
suggests itself, but Black shows more restraint in the game.}) 20. Qf3 Nfd7 {
Again rerouting an inactive piece over to the queenside.} 21. Nf1 {QUESTION:
What is Black's worst piece here and how would you improve it?} b3 ({ANSWER:} 
21... Qd8 $1 {prepares the exchange of Black's poor dark-squared bishop with ...Bg5. Exchanging off a bad piece is usually just as effective as improving it.}
) 22. axb3 cxb3 23. Bd1 a4 24. Rb1 $6 (24. Ra3 {would have been better than
the text move. It seems a bit strange to use a rook to block a pawn charge,
but it is a necessity here.}) 24... Qd8 $1 {Black hits upon the right plan.}
25. Be2 Bg5 26. Nd2 {The black position is tremendous. Over the course of the
last ten moves, using the 'worst piece' strategy, White has been outplayed.
Black is now ready to launch his breakthrough on the queenside.} a3 $1 27. Nc4
({The tactical point is that after} 27. bxa3 b2 28. Rxb2 Rxb2 29. Bxb2 Bxd2 {
Black wins a piece for two pawns and with White's queenside in ruins, he
shouldn't last long.}) 27... a2 28. Ra1 Bxc1 29. Rexc1 {QUESTION: White is
hoping to get some counterplay based on the weak pawn at d6. What should Black
do about this? --- ANSWER:} Nb6 $1 {Exchanging off his bad knight for his
opponent's best minor piece.} 30. Nxb6 Qxb6 31. Qe3 Na4 32. Qd2 ({After} 32.
Qxb6 Rxb6 {the b-pawn will fall.}) 32... Qc5 {Setting up a devastating tactic.}
33. Bd1 {EXERCISE: Assess the move 33...Nxb2. --- ANSWER:} Nxb2 $1 {It works.
Kudos if you saw that Black doesn't win any material, but instead obtains a
very big advantage in the arising rook endgame.} 34. Qxb2 Qa3 35. Qxa3 (35. Qd2
b2 {is neat.}) 35... Rxa3 36. Bxb3 Rbxb3 37. Kh2 Rb2 38. c4 {QUESTION: What
would you play now? --- ANSWER:} Kf8 $1 {Not forgetting about the king in the
endgame!} ({Instead the greedy} 38... Rxf2 {would have allowed White a bit of
counterplay with} 39. c5 dxc5 40. Rxc5 {.}) 39. f3 (39. c5 $2 {now loses to}
dxc5 40. Rxc5 Rb1 {and there is no back-rank mate.}) 39... Ke7 40. Kg3 Kd8 $1 {
With the white rook on a1 tied down and out of the game, Black slowly turns
the screw. The rest of the game requires no comment.} 41. Rf1 h5 42. h4 Rc3 43.
Rf2 Rcc2 44. Rxc2 Rxc2 45. f4 f6 46. fxe5 fxe5 47. Kf3 Kc7 48. g4 Rc3+ 49. Ke2
Ra3 50. Kd2 hxg4 {. Summary: This was one of those games that leaves you
wondering what White did wrong! A great display by Tseshkovsky on how to play
the black side of the Spanish opening and a good model for how our 'worst
piece' approach can be adopted.} 0-1

[Event "Portoroz Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1958.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian, T."]
[Black "Fischer, RJ."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A24"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/ppp1n2p/3p4/3Pbp2/2P2P2/2N3P1/PP4B1/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 0 14"]
[PlyCount "106"]
[EventDate "1958.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian (1929-1984) was World Champion from 1963 to 1969.
His style of play was generally pretty cautious, but Petrosian was the master
of prophylaxis and positional play and almost impossible to beat. Here Bobby
Fischer is on the back foot for a change!} 14... Bg7 {Black has been left in
an unpleasant position in a King's Indian Defence, thanks to a mistake on the
13th move. His pawn structure on the kingside is split and both his
light-squared bishop and knight lack good squares. --- QUESTION: How does
White go about improving his position here? --- ANSWER:} 15. Be3 Bd7 16. Bd4 $1
{Petrosian employs the strategy of exchanging off his opponent's best piece,
the bishop on g7.} Ng6 17. Re1 Rf7 $6 (17... Bxd4+ 18. Qxd4 h5 $1 {was Black's
best chance to find some play.}) 18. Bf3 $1 {Now he won't get that chance
again!} Qf8 19. Kf2 Re8 20. Rxe8 Qxe8 21. Bxg7 Rxg7 {EXERCISE: Can you find a
way to improve a piece that is not playing? --- ANSWER:} 22. Qd4 $1 {
Centralizing the queen!} (22. Ne2 {, to bring the knight to d4, is also very
logical, although it then takes a little longer to introduce the white rook on
a1 into the game as the first rank is still blocked.}) 22... b6 23. Rh1 (23.
Re1 {is, of course, also possible, developing with tempo, but at the same time
allowing Black to relieve a bit of the pressure by exchanging the rooks with}
Re7 24. Rxe7 Qxe7 {.}) 23... a5 {EXERCISE: Now find a way to improve the
worst-placed white piece! --- ANSWER:} 24. Nd1 {The knight heads for a better
home on e3, from where it pressures the isolated f5-pawn.} Qf8 25. Ne3 {
QUESTION: Black's position looks very passive. In order to reduce the pressure
which set of pieces would he like to exchange? --- ANSWER:} Rf7 $1 {It seems
to me the best white piece is the queen and so Black challenges it along the
long diagonal by vacating the g7-square.} 26. b3 Qg7 27. Qxg7+ Kxg7 28. a3 Rf8
{The situation is still difficult for Black, but at least he has taken the
queens off. --- EXERCISE: Identify White's worst piece here and find a way to
improve it. --- ANSWER:} 29. Be2 $1 {The white bishop is doing nothing so
heads to d3 to pressure the isolated pawn.} Ne7 30. Bd3 h6 31. Rh5 Be8 {
Setting a little trap.} 32. Rh2 $1 (32. Nxf5+ Nxf5 33. Rxf5 {temporarily
misplaces the rook. After} Rh8 $1 {the threat of ...Bg6 cannot be stopped.}) ({
Likewise} 32. Rxf5 {allows the same trick with} Rh8 $1 {.}) 32... Bd7 33. Rh1 {
True to his style, Petrosian continues to watch and wait. Former World
Champion Max Euwe described him as "a python waiting to strike". Here White
has all the time in the world as any queenside break by Black will weaken his
position.} Rh8 {QUESTION: Can White continue to improve his minor pieces? ---
ANSWER:} 34. Nc2 $1 {Yes! The d4-square is better for the knight than the
e3-square, as from there it gains access to the outpost square on e6.} Kf6 35.
Nd4 Kg7 36. Be2 {The computer also thinks that White is better here, but
cannot find a good way to improve it.} ({One of the problems is that} 36. b4
axb4 37. axb4 Ra8 $1 {gives Black counterplay down the a-file.}) 36... Ng8 $6 (
36... Ra8 {to keep control of the a-file is safer.}) 37. b4 $1 {The python
strikes!} Nf6 38. Bd3 axb4 {Now the play becomes sharper.} (38... Kg6 39. bxa5
bxa5 40. Rb1 {is unpleasant for Black.}) 39. axb4 Kg6 {QUESTION: How should
White continue here? --- ANSWER:} 40. Ra1 $1 {Of course! Petrosian grabs the
a-file and prepares an invasion along the seventh rank.} Ng4+ 41. Ke2 ({White
must tread carefully:} 41. Kf3 $2 Re8 {gives Black serious chances down the
e-file, with a fork on e3 already threatened.}) 41... Re8+ 42. Kd2 Nf6 ({Black
would dearly love to invade with} 42... Re3 {, but the poor placement of his
bishop causes him problems:} 43. Ra7 $1 Rxg3 44. Rxc7 Nf2 $1 45. Bc2 Ne4+ 46.
Bxe4 fxe4 47. Rxd7 Rd3+ 48. Ke2 Rxd4 49. Rxd6+ Kf5 50. c5 {should be winning
for White.}) 43. Ra6 (43. Ra7 Rc8 {would transpose to the game.}) 43... Rb8 44.
Ra7 Rc8 {EXERCISE: Black remains very tied down, with his knight being the
only piece he can sensibly move. Petrosian sees a chance to improve his
d4-knight at the cost of a pawn. Can you see how? --- ANSWER:} 45. c5 $6 bxc5 (
{Not} 45... Nxd5 $2 46. c6 {and the bishop can't move due to the check on f5.})
46. bxc5 dxc5 47. Nf3 {This was the point. The knight heads further into the
black camp.} Kf7 $1 {Dogged defence.} ({Instead} 47... Nxd5 $2 {loses a piece
to} 48. Ne5+ {.}) 48. Ne5+ Ke7 49. Nxd7 Nxd7 50. Bxf5 {White has transformed
his advantage, as he now has bishop against knight and the c-pawns are doubled.
However, the exchange of one pair of minor pieces has made the position easier
for Black to defend, which is why I gave 45 c5 a dubious symbol.} Rf8 $1 51. g4
({Trading down to a rook and pawn ending seems to be just a draw:} 51. Bxd7
Kxd7 52. Ke3 (52. Ra6 Rg8) 52... Kd6 53. Ra6+ Kxd5 54. Rxh6 Re8+ 55. Kf3 c4 {.}
) 51... Kd6 $2 (51... Nf6 $1 {was a cheeky defence:} 52. Be6 Nxd5 $1 53. Bxd5
Rxf4 {and Black should hold as he will win the g- pawn and at the very worst 
(if he loses all his pawns) get a theoretically drawn rook against bishop and
rook endgame.}) 52. Bxd7 $1 Kxd7 53. Ke3 Re8+ $1 {Black cuts off the king from
the passed c-pawn.} 54. Kf3 (54. Kd3 Rg8 {was the point, when the g4-pawn is
not defensible.}) 54... Kd6 55. Ra6+ Kxd5 56. Rxh6 c4 {Compared to the note to
the move 51, the white g-pawn is one square further forward. In his notes
Petrosian assessed this position as winning, but it is still highly
complicated.} 57. Rh1 $2 ({I won't show you all the analysis, but the key line
runs} 57. Rh7 $1 {. The rook belongs behind the passed pawns for the moment.
After} c6 58. Rd7+ Kc5 59. Rd1 c3 60. g5 Kc4 61. g6 c2 62. Rc1 Kc3 63. f5 Rg8
64. Kf4 Kd2 65. Rxc2+ Kxc2 66. Kg5 c5 67. f6 c4 68. f7 Rxg6+ 69. Kxg6 c3 70.
f8=Q {White wins!}) 57... c3 58. g5 c5 59. Rd1+ (59. g6 Rg8 60. f5 Ke5 $1 61.
Kg4 Kf6 62. Rc1 c4 63. Rxc3 Rc8 {is also holding.}) 59... Kc4 60. g6 c2 61. Rc1
Kd3 62. f5 {EXERCISE: One last test, which is not relevant to this chapter,
but good for you anyway! Find the drawing move here! --- ANSWER:} Rg8 $1 {
Halting the pawns in their tracks is crucial.} (62... Kd2 $2 {should lose to}
63. Rxc2+ Kxc2 64. g7 c4 65. f6 Rg8 66. f7 Rxg7 67. f8=Q {as the black king
and rook are too far away from each other.}) 63. Kf4 Kd2 64. Rxc2+ Kxc2 65. Kg5
c4 66. f6 c3 67. f7 ({Here this epic battle was agreed drawn as after} 67. f7
Rxg6+ 68. Kxg6 Kb1 69. f8=Q c2 {there is nothing more to play for, so long as
you remember the trick} 70. Qb4+ Ka1 71. Qc3+ Kb1 72. Qb3+ Ka1 $1 {.}) (67. --
{Summary: Petrosian probed and prodded Fischer's position for some time, not
rushing but instead 'massaging' his slight advantage by using the worst piece
strategy. Against a weaker player this probably would have resulted in Black
losing patience and committing hara-kiri, but here Black stayed patient. In
the end an interesting rook and pawn endgame was reached and with dogged
defence Fischer managed to draw.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Leros"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Sarantos, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4b1r/ppk2ppp/8/nB1pPpB1/8/2P5/PP3PPP/R3K2R w KQ - 0 17"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

17. h4 {A small exercise on improving the worst placed piece taken from a
tournament on the beautiful Greek island of Leros. --- EXERCISE: Identify
Black's worst piece and find its best square. --- ANSWER:} Nc6 $1 {It should
be pretty easy to see that the knight is misplaced on a5, but perhaps not so
easy to find its dream square. I certainly hadn't seen this coming.} 18. Bf4 (
18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. O-O-O {cannot be worse for White due to the pawn structure,
but hardly promises any real advantage.}) 18... Nd8 $1 {The knight heads for a
fabulous square on e6 where it cannot be touched.} 19. O-O-O (19. e6+ Kb6 {is
the tactical point when White loses a pawn.}) 19... Ne6 20. Be3 Rd8 {and Black
is absolutely fine.} 1-0

[Event "Astana (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kurnosov, I."]
[Black "Carlsen, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C67"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/1pb2k2/2pn1pp1/1r1p3p/p2P3P/P1PN2P1/1P1NRPK1/8 w - - 0 39"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{This recent game made a nice impression on me and was made all the more
impressive due to the fact that it was a rapidplay game. Let's put ourselves
in Carlsen's shoes. --- EXERCISE: White has just played} 39. Nb4 {. What is
the worst piece here for Black and how do we go about improving its position?}
Bd8 $1 (39... Ra5 {would also have been very sensible, to reroute the rook via
the eighth rank, but Carlsen prefers to start with the bishop.}) ({ANSWER: As
it's an ending assessing the activity of the pieces should be relatively easy.
We can go through them in turn. Black has four pieces left on the board 
(excluding pawns): 1) The rook on b5 is currently blocked by the white knight
and so we could argue that it is poorly placed. It is, however, potentially
putting some pressure on b2 if the knight can be shifted. --- 2) The bishop on
c7 is not really participating in the game. The white pawn chain on the dark
squares hampers the bishop so a case could have been made for} 39... Ba5 {in
order to trade it off. However, I think White would reply with} 40. Nd3 {when
the bishop doesn't really have a future on a5. --- 3) The knight on d6 is
clearly the best black piece currently. It eyes up two good squares (e4 and c4)
, whilst preventing White from thinking about breaking with c3-c4. --- 4) The
black king should also be considered, especially as it's an endgame. It is not
badly positioned, as it prevents the white rook from entering the black camp
via e7. Indeed, there is no obvious way to improve the king's position as the
white rook controls the e-file.}) 40. Kf1 Be7 41. Ke1 Bf8 {It becomes clear
that Black wants to reposition his bishop on the only open diagonal available
to it on h6.} 42. Kd1 Bh6 43. Kc2 {Before carrying out his manoeuvre Carlsen
would have needed to have foreseen whether his plan could be hindered. ---
QUESTION: So the bishop has been improved, but what next?} (43. f4 $6 {would
block the bishop, but also create a weakness at g3 and increase the
vulnerability of the e4-square (as it can no longer be defended by a pawn). I
suspect that play may have gone something like} Nf5 44. Nf1 Bf8 $1 45. Nd3 b6 {
with a later pawn break of either ...c6-c5 or ...g6-g5. White, on the other
hand, is passive and lacks an active plan of his own.}) 43... Ra5 {(ANSWER)} ({
It must have been tempting to exchange the bishop off to give the black knight
access to the holes on c4 and e4, with} 43... Bxd2 44. Kxd2 {, but it is not
so clear how to proceed after that. More importantly perhaps Carlsen wants to
keep an imbalance of bishop against knight and therefore more tension in the
position, making it easier for White to go wrong. His determination to win
every game is one of the hallmarks of his play.}) 44. Nd3 Ra8 45. Nc5 $6 {
Losing a tempo.} b6 46. Nd3 Rc8 47. Nb4 Bxd2 {At the opportune moment Carlsen
cashes in his advantage.} (47... g5 48. hxg5 fxg5 49. Nf3 {would not have been
so pleasant due to the weak e5-square.}) 48. Kxd2 g5 49. hxg5 fxg5 50. Ke1 {
Kurnosov is also following the worst piece principle. His rook and knight are
both active, but his king must return to prevent Black's pawn majority from
becoming too dangerous.} Nc4 51. Kf1 b5 52. Kg2 g4 53. f3 Re8 54. Rf2 (54. Rxe8
Kxe8 55. Nd3 {should probably draw, but with his flag hanging White keeps the
rooks on.} ({Here, however,} 55. Nxc6 $6 gxf3+ 56. Kxf3 Nxb2 57. Na7 Kd7 {
strands the knight.})) 54... gxf3+ 55. Rxf3+ Kg7 56. Nxc6 $2 ({It was not too
late for} 56. Rf2 {when I can't see a way for Black to make progress.}) 56...
Re2+ 57. Rf2 Rxb2 $2 {Black makes a mistake of his own.} ({Instead} 57... Rxf2+
58. Kxf2 Nxb2 {has the benefit of threatening ...Nd1+ forking the white king
and pawn: for example,} 59. Na7 Nd1+ 60. Ke2 Nxc3+ 61. Kd3 Ne4 62. Nxb5 Nxg3 {.
}) 58. Rxb2 Nxb2 59. Na7 $1 Kf6 60. Nxb5 Ke6 61. Kf3 Nc4 62. Ke2 $4 {White
forgets about his poor knight for one move too long!} (62. Nc7+ Kd6 63. Na6
Nxa3 64. Nc5 {is just a draw.}) 62... Kd7 63. Kd3 Kc6 64. Na7+ Kb7 ({White
resigned, as} 64... Kb7 65. Nb5 Kb6 {traps the knight.}) (64... Kb7 {Summary:
Black slowly improved his position, first by manoeuvring his bishop and then
his rook. He had the time to do this as White didn't have an active plan of
his own. Igor Kurnosov defended well, but the game was decided in time trouble
when the b5-knight was marooned on the queenside.}) 0-1

[Event "El Aguila"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Marco Garza, S."]
[Black "Hunt, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/4k1p1/1p3p2/1Pnpp3/P2b1PP1/7R/1PBB4/1K6 w - - 0 31"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{You must be so careful about the placement of your trickiest pieces.
Tseshkovsky demonstrated a model example of how to handle the knight in the
first game of the chapter, whilst Kurnosov under time pressure allowed his
knight to be trapped. I will now show another example of how not to handle the
knight.} 31. b4 {Up to this point the game has been quite balanced, but here I
made a pretty dumb move. --- EXERCISE: There are four squares for the knight
that don't lose material. Which are the best and worst?} Nb7 $2 {ANSWER: It
definitely isn't this one! The principle of centralization is a powerful one
and I momentarily forgot about it. Watch what happens to this poor beast.} (
31... Ne6 $1) ({and} 31... Ne4 {are about tied for top spot. Both offer Black
a small advantage I think}) ({but} 31... Nd7 $6 {is quite ugly as the knight
again doesn't have a route out.}) 32. Rh7 $1 Kf7 ({Or} 32... Rg8 33. Bb3 Kd6
34. a5 {and again the knight is completely miserable.}) 33. Bb3 {Suddenly
Black is on the back foot, having to parry White's threats.} Rd8 34. Rh1 {
EXERCISE: With one piece (out of four) out of play Black must tread very
carefully. Can you see a way of getting the knight back into the game?} (34. f5
Kg8 35. Rh3 {followed by a queenside pawn push is also good.}) 34... e4 $2 ({
ANSWER:} 34... Nd6 $1 {is a surprising pawn sacrifice, but it brings the
knight back to life:} 35. Bxd5+ Ke7 {(threatening ...Nxb5)} 36. Bc6 exf4 37.
Bxf4 Bc3 {keeps Black very much in the game.}) 35. Rd1 Ke6 36. Be1 Be3 37. Bg3
$6 (37. Bxd5+ $1 {would have been a nice shot to finish things off:} Rxd5 38.
f5+ Rxf5 39. gxf5+ Kxf5 40. Rd7 {and the black knight is trapped.}) 37... f5
38. gxf5+ (38. Bh4 {would have been even better.}) 38... Kxf5 39. Bh4 Rd7 (
39... Ra8 {would have been more stubborn, but after} 40. Rxd5+ Kg4 41. Bg5 Bxf4
42. Bxf4 Kxf4 43. Rd7 Nd8 44. Rxg7 Ke3 45. Kb2 {the white pieces still
dominate the board.}) 40. Bxd5 Kxf4 (40... Rc7 41. Re1 Kxf4 42. Bg3+ {is
annoying.}) 41. Rf1+ Ke5 42. Bc6 {The knight on b7 has not moved since move 31.
It is now lost by force and so is the game.} Rd4 ({If} 42... Rc7 43. Bg3+ {.})
43. Bg3+ Ke6 44. Bxb7 {and White won in 57 moves.} (44. -- {Summary: I hope
these last two examples have highlighted how important it is to keep your
pieces happy, especially your knights as they are more easily trapped and
immobilized than your other forces. Here I forgot about my knight temporarily
and paid a heavy price.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Restrict the Opponent's Pieces"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Playing to Restrict your Opponent's Pieces: As a follow-on from my
moment of madness against Señor Garza, I would like to reverse the roles and
argue that concentrating all your energies against one misplaced enemy piece
can be a very effective strategy. It requires good judgement and forward
thinking, but look at what happens if you get it right...} *

[Event "Horgen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8.
Bg5 {The Sveshnikov Sicilian is another example of a complex, dynamic opening
which has been analysed to near death at the top level with the aid of
computers.} a6 9. Na3 b5 {Already playing against the misplaced knight on a3.
White must act quickly.} 10. Nd5 (10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 {is the sharper main
alternative. Here I used to like the fun line that ran} f5 12. Bxb5 $5 axb5 13.
Nxb5 Ra4 14. Nbc7+ Kd7 15. O-O {mainly because my opponents could fall for
mate in two if they were not careful! After} Rxe4 (15... fxe4 16. Qg4+ f5 17.
Qxf5# {is highly embarrassing}) 16. Qh5 Nd4 17. Qxf7+ Kc6 {Black has scored
well in practice, though he must be careful of his king.}) 10... Be7 11. Bxf6
Bxf6 12. c3 {Not forgetting about the knight on a3.} Bb7 13. Nc2 Nb8 $6 {
Alexei Shirov is one of the specialists in this particular opening, but his
tactics here get him into trouble.} 14. a4 {A standard move to break up the
queenside pawns and expose a6 as a target.} bxa4 15. Rxa4 Nd7 16. Rb4 $1 {This
idea was new at the time of this game.} Nc5 {QUESTION: What did Kasparov have
in mind? His rook looks a little strangely placed. --- ANSWER:} 17. Rxb7 $5
Nxb7 18. b4 $1 {Compare the positions of the white knight on d5 and the black
knight on b7! One is breathing fire in all directions whilst the other sits
meekly on b7. The exchange sacrifice is widely used at the top level.} Bg5 19.
Na3 O-O 20. Nc4 a5 21. Bd3 ({We don't want to let the knight out by advancing
the b-pawn with} 21. b5 $2 Nc5 {.}) 21... axb4 22. cxb4 Qb8 23. h4 $1 {Another
nice move to displace the bishop from its best square. It must now choose
which diagonal it wishes to control.} Bh6 (23... Bd8 {looks more passive, but
controls the important b6- and e7-squares. Even here, though, I don't see much
future for the b7-knight!}) 24. Ncb6 Ra2 25. O-O (25. Nd7 {can be met with} Qa7
{, attacking the f2-square.}) 25... Rd2 26. Qf3 Qa7 27. Nd7 Nd8 $6 {Perhaps
understandably Shirov decides to give back the exchange in order to try and
activate his knight, but his position remains pretty rotten.} (27... Ra8 28.
Ne7+ (28. Bc4 $5 {to activate the bishop is maybe what White had in mind})
28... Kh8 29. Qxf7 Rxd3 30. Nf8 $1 Qa2 {is probably a draw after} 31. Neg6+
hxg6 32. Nxg6+ Kh7 33. Nf8+ Kh8 ({but not} 33... Rxf8 34. Qxa2 {.})) 28. Nxf8
Kxf8 29. b5 $1 Qa3 {EXERCISE: Can you find the flaw in Black's last move?} (
29... Ne6 {, heading for d4, allows White's last piece into the game:} 30. b6
Qb7 31. Ra1 $1 {with a winning position for White.}) 30. Qf5 $1 {ANSWER:
Emphasizing the plight of the black knight.} Ke8 ({Otherwise,} 30... Rxd3 31.
Qd7 {with the dual threats of Qxd8+ and Qe7 followed by Qe8 mate wins}) ({while
} 30... Ne6 31. Qxh7 {threatens mate on h8.}) 31. Bc4 {Opposite-coloured
bishops during the middlegame are very dangerous! There is no opponent to the
piece on c4 and the black bishop number is stuck on h6! Shirov is lost.} Rc2
32. Qxh7 Rxc4 33. Qg8+ Kd7 34. Nb6+ Ke7 35. Nxc4 Qc5 {EXERCISE: What is the
cleanest way to finish Black off? --- ANSWER:} 36. Ra1 $1 {The rook enters the
game with decisive effect.} Qd4 (36... Qxc4 37. Ra7+ Kf6 38. Qxd8+ Kg6 39.
Qxd6+ {is also over, as long as White doesn't fall into a perpetual check on
the c1- and f4-squares.}) 37. Ra3 Bc1 38. Ne3 {. Black is forced to take the
knight and is just an exchange and a pawn down.} (38. -- {Summary: White
focused his attention on playing against the knight on b7 and the bishop on h6.
He even gave up an exchange to do so here! Always be on the lookout for
misplaced enemy pieces and try to keep them that way.}) 1-0

[Event "Hastings Challengers"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Emms, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C78"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Here we see another example of the strategy of playing to limit the scope of
an opponent's piece. This one will make the boss happy - it was against him
and I lost! Pay rise perhaps!?} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O
b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. Bd5 {Definitely not the best. White goes after the e5-pawn,
but in doing so moves a piece twice when his queenside is still asleep.} O-O 8.
d3 {And then gets cold feet!} ({At least I didn't play} 8. Bxc6 $6 dxc6 9. Nxe5
Re8 {which would have given Black a massive lead in development and lots of
open lines for his pieces.}) 8... Re8 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 Bb7 11. c3 {QUESTION:
Which piece can Black play against and how? --- ANSWER:} g5 $1 {A very similar
idea to the Hunt-Adams game in the previous chapter, so I hope you were paying
attention there! Black tries to put the bishop on h4 to sleep.} 12. Bg3 (12.
Nxg5 hxg5 13. Bxg5 {can be met by} Be7 {, breaking the awkward pin.}) ({Instead
} 12. Bxg5 $5 hxg5 13. Nxg5 Nxd5 14. Qh5 {would have kept Black on his toes,
but he has} Nf6 $1 15. Qxf7+ Kh8 16. Qg6 Re7 $1 {(ice-cold defence from the
computer)} 17. Qxf6+ Kg8 {with ...Rg7 to follow.}) 12... d6 {We can see why ...Bb7 was necessary before playing ...g7-g5. The knight on c6 had to be defended.
} 13. h4 $6 {This turns out just to weaken the white kingside.} ({As in the
Hunt-Adams game, preserving the light-squared bishop for the future with} 13.
Bb3 {would have been best.}) 13... Nxd5 14. exd5 Nb8 $1 {Rerouting the knight.}
15. hxg5 hxg5 16. Qd2 {EXERCISE: What's best here for Black: 16...g4, 16...f6
or 16...Bxd5? --- ANSWER:} f6 $1 {How White wishes he still had his
light-squared bishop!} ({However,} 16... g4 $2 {would have been careless as it
lets the bishop back into the game:} 17. Bh4 f6 18. Qh6 {with sudden problems
for Black.}) (16... Bxd5 $6 {is tempting to get the bishops working together,
but somehow allowing the king to be opened up doesn't appeal:} 17. Nxg5 Nd7 18.
c4 $5 bxc4 19. Nc3 {with strong counterplay.}) 17. c4 {Trying to play against
the light-squared bishop.} c6 $6 {EXERCISE: John Emms understandably wants to
open the position for his two bishops, but in doing so gives White a chance.
What is it?} ({Completing development with} 17... Nd7 {was safest.}) 18. Nc3 $2
({ANSWER:} 18. d4 $1 {, shaking things up in the centre, is absolutely the
right decision, especially given the slightly shaky nature of the black
kingside (remembering that a flank thrust is normally best met by a central
one). After} Bb6 ({Black wouldn't feel entirely comfortable either after} 18...
exd4 19. Nxd4 cxd5 20. cxd5 Bxd5 21. Nc3 {with definite compensation for the
pawn}) 19. dxe5 dxe5 20. d6 $1 {the black bishops can't quite work
harmoniously together as ...c6-c5 blocks one of them in.}) 18... b4 19. dxc6
Nxc6 ({Of course, not} 19... bxc3 $4 20. cxb7 cxd2 21. bxa8=Q {.}) 20. Nd5 Kg7
{White's knight has found a home on d5, but the bishop on g3 remains
completely out of the game. As well as that, the h-file is open for Black to
attack down. Indeed, I think White is positionally lost.} 21. Rfe1 Rh8 22. d4
$6 {White gets impatient and tries to mix things up. In fact the
immobilization strategy Emms has employed works particularly well against
impulsive, aggressive players, such as the 14 year-old Adam Hunt, who get
frustrated easily if they aren't able to attack.} Nxd4 23. Nxd4 Bxd4 24. Qxb4
Rb8 25. Qa4 Bxd5 26. cxd5 {EXERCISE: A picture of contrast between the two
bishops! How did John Emms wipe out any counterplay? --- ANSWER:} Qe8 {Nice!
Black exchanges off White's best piece.} 27. Qxe8 (27. Qxa6 Qh5 {leads to
curtains on h1.}) 27... Rhxe8 28. Rac1 Rxb2 29. Rc6 Rd8 30. a4 f5 ({White
could fight on with} 30... f5 31. Rf1 f4 32. Bh2 {, but it is a lost and
painful cause. Just look at that bishop on h2!}) (30... -- {Summary: If you
know your opponent is an aggressive player, a restriction strategy often works
well, as it can provoke a hasty reaction from the opponent if they lose
patience. A good policy against juniors perhaps?!}) 0-1

[Event "Paris Opera"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Morphy, P."]
[Black "Brunswick Duke & Count Isouar"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3kb1r/p2nqppp/5n2/1B2p1B1/4P3/1Q6/PPP2PPP/2KR3R b kq - 0 12"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[EventDate "1858.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{It's not always the case that improving an inactive piece is confined to slow,
strategic positions. Just check out the end to a classic game!} 12... Rd8 {
EXERCISE: Find the most direct way of improving White's worst piece! ---
ANSWER:} 13. Rxd7 $1 ({Quite a lot of the time from my students I get the
answer} 13. Rd2 {with the idea of doubling rooks}) ({or} 13. Qa4 {. The text
move is best though as it is just a faster way of getting the h1-rook to the
d-file.}) 13... Rxd7 14. Rd1 $1 {Black is hopelessly lost. All the white
pieces are participating in the attack, whilst Black has a bishop and rook
still at home. The game is finished.} Qe6 15. Bxd7+ Nxd7 16. Qb8+ $1 Nxb8 17.
Rd8# *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Missing the Target"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

1. -- {Missing the Target: Always beware the hidden dynamic factors in a
position! You must certainly be careful when embarking on a strategy to
improve your worst piece, especially if the plan takes a number of moves. Be
aware of what the opponent might be able to do in the meantime. This game
between two World Champions is a good example of this.} *

[Event "AVRO, Holland"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1938.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Botvinnik, M."]
[Black "Capablanca, JR."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E49"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1938.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 {The Rubinstein variation of the
Nimzo-Indian, one of the most strategically complex openings around and one
where Black often gives away the bishop-pair to double White's pawns.} d5 5. a3
Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Ne2 b6 10. O-O Ba6 {Up until this
point the game has required little comment. Both sides have got on with
development and it seems as though Black is doing well as he succeeds in
exchanging off White's superior light-squared bishop. However, the dynamics of
the pawn break e3-e4 make the issue more complicated.} 11. Bxa6 Nxa6 12. Bb2 {
Despite White's famous win in this game, this move never saw the light of day
again.} ({More popular these days is to prepare the pawn push as quickly as
possible with something like} 12. f3 Re8 13. Ng3 Nc7 14. Qd3 {, as in V.Kramnik-D.Alsina Leal, Barcelona (simul) 2002.}) 12... Qd7 13. a4 Rfe8 14. Qd3
c4 {With a good grip on the e4-square, Capablanca decides to close the centre.
He has a specific plan in mind.} 15. Qc2 {EXERCISE: Can you see what the great
Cuban's deep idea might be? --- ANSWER:} Nb8 {This is the start of the master
plan. Capablanca sees that the b3-square is a potential outpost and that if he
lands his knight there the a4-pawn may fall. However, the knight manoeuvre
takes four moves. --- QUESTION: How did Botvinnik react? --- ANSWER:} 16. Rae1
{White really only has one idea in the position - to prepare a central
breakthrough.} Nc6 17. Ng3 Na5 18. f3 Nb3 {EXERCISE: The knight has arrived
and the a4-pawn is, indeed, doomed. However, momentarily the black pieces will
be 'offside' on the queen's wing. What would you do here as White? --- ANSWER:}
19. e4 $1 {Of course Botvinnik cannot afford to hang about.} Qxa4 20. e5 {
Again White must react quickly, otherwise the black queen will come back to
defend.} Nd7 {QUESTION: How should White continue? --- ANSWER:} 21. Qf2 {White
isn't tempted to jump in immediately with his knight and instead doubles on
the f-file with some ideas of bringing the queen to g3 when the knight moves.}
({Instead} 21. Nf5 Nf8 22. Nd6 Re6 23. f4 Nc5 $1 {allows the black knight back
into the game. The text move prevents this manoeuvre.}) 21... g6 {Creating a
hook for the white f-pawn, but also preventing the knight from coming in.} ({
Perhaps} 21... Qc6 {gives Black a few more options based on possible ...Qg6
defences.}) 22. f4 f5 {Virtually forced. Capablanca can't allow White to open
the f-file.} 23. exf6 {Anything else and Black has time to reposition his
d7-knight on e6 via the f8-square.} Nxf6 24. f5 $1 Rxe1 25. Rxe1 Re8 $2 {
Surprisingly perhaps, but this move is a mistake, even though it looks logical
to exchange off the rooks. --- EXERCISE: What should Botvinnik play here?} (
25... Rf8 $1 {was the most accurate choice, keeping an eye on the f6-knight.
After} 26. fxg6 hxg6 27. Re6 Kg7 {there is no obvious way through the black
position.}) 26. Re6 $1 {ANSWER: Using the springboard of the f5-pawn to occupy
the e6-square is very powerful. Now the exchange of rooks is virtually forced.}
Rxe6 27. fxe6 Kg7 28. Qf4 {White looks to penetrate on the dark squares.} Qe8
29. Qe5 $6 ({It seems that} 29. Qc7+ $1 Kh6 30. Qe5 {might have been even
stronger, but Botvinnik had seen a tactic...}) 29... Qe7 $2 {EXERCISE:
Amazingly this move loses by force. Can you see why?} (29... h6 {was necessary
to stop any tricks on the kingside.}) 30. Ba3 $1 {ANSWER: The bishop wakes up
with decisive effect!} Qxa3 31. Nh5+ $1 {And this is the crucial follow-up.
The squares around the black king are now just too weak.} gxh5 32. Qg5+ Kf8 33.
Qxf6+ Kg8 (33... Ke8 34. Qf7+ Kd8 35. Qd7# {is mate.}) 34. e7 {The knight that
landed on b3 on move 18 has been a bystander ever since. The pawn that Black
won has had no influence either and now White's central strategy triumphs! An
elegant king walk brings home the point.} Qc1+ 35. Kf2 Qc2+ 36. Kg3 Qd3+ 37.
Kh4 Qe4+ 38. Kxh5 Qe2+ 39. Kh4 Qe4+ 40. g4 Qe1+ 41. Kh5 {. With no checks left
Capablanca resigned.} (41. Kh5 {Summary: Games can easily pass knights by,
especially if they are not centrally placed. Here Capablanca didn't fully
appreciate the danger in the centre. When you see the enemy temporarily
misplace his pieces on one side of the board, a swift response on the other
side or through the centre is often called for!}) 1-0

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Short, N."]
[Black "Timman, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B04"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{I will finish this chapter by giving a classic example of improving the worst
piece, which if you haven't already seen, you won't forget in a hurry!} 1. e4
Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7 7. Qe2 Nc6 8. O-O O-O 9.
h3 {Prophylactic chess. Short prevents ...Bg4 which would increase the
pressure on e5. We will revisit this idea in Chapter Eight.} a5 10. a4 dxe5 11.
dxe5 Nd4 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13. Re1 e6 $6 {EXERCISE: It's White to move. Improve
the worst piece! --- ANSWER:} 14. Nd2 $1 {Actually there are three undeveloped
pieces on the queenside, but the bishop and rook were more difficult to get
out!} (14. Nc3 Nd7 $1 {puts sizeable pressure on the e5-pawn.}) 14... Nd5 15.
Nf3 Qc5 16. Qe4 {Nigel Short is a very powerful and creative attacking player
given a chance. Here he looks to transfer his queen to h4 followed by Bc1-h6.}
Qb4 17. Bc4 $1 Nb6 18. b3 $1 {Voluntarily wrecking his pawn structure, but in
compensation the two black bishops are very badly placed. Another example of
dynamics triumphing over static factors.} Nxc4 19. bxc4 {Now 20 Ba3 is
threatened.} Re8 {EXERCISE: Play to restrict your opponent's worst piece. ---
ANSWER:} 20. Rd1 $1 {Preventing the development of the bad bishop on c8.} Qc5
21. Qh4 b6 (21... Bxe5 {simply loses a piece to} 22. Ba3 {.}) 22. Be3 Qc6 ({
Grandmaster Ian Rogers, in his commentary for ChessBase, suggests} 22... Qf8 {
as a necessity, but White's position is still really good after} 23. Ng5 h6 24.
Ne4 {.}) 23. Bh6 Bh8 {Black needs the fianchettoed bishop to cover the holes
around his king. Short now seeks to improve his queen's rook.} 24. Rd8 Bb7 25.
Rad1 {QUESTION: What is White's threat in this position?} Bg7 {ANSWER: 26 Qe7!
would be crushing against most other moves.} 26. R8d7 ({Now} 26. Qe7 {just
loses a piece to} Bxh6 {.}) 26... Rf8 {Timman grimly hangs on.} ({
Alternatively: After} 26... Bxh6 27. Qxh6 {White threatens 28 Rxf7!.}) (26...
Qe4 27. Rxf7 $3 {is a fantastic blow:} Kxf7 28. Rd7+ Kg8 29. Rxg7+ Kh8 30. Qf6
{and the game is up for Black.}) 27. Bxg7 Kxg7 {EXERCISE: All White's pieces
are active. Can you find a way for him to improve his position? --- ANSWER:}
28. R1d4 $1 {The strongest move. This rook swing eyes up the kingside while
preventing Black from playing to exchange the queens with ...Qe4.} Rae8 29.
Qf6+ Kg8 30. h4 {A typical motif try and to soften up Timman's kingside pawn
structure.} h5 ({Black cannot take his eyes off the a8-h1 diagonal as} 30...
Qxa4 31. Ng5 {, preparing to take on f7, is crushing.}) 31. Kh2 Rc8 {QUESTION:
How does Short improve his position here?} (31... Bc8 {again allows} 32. Ng5 $1
Bxd7 33. g4 $1 {which, although it is hard to believe, is completely winning
for White: for instance,} hxg4 34. h5 gxh5 35. Qh6 {.}) 32. Kg3 $1 {(ANSWER)}
Rce8 33. Kf4 $1 {One of the most famous king walks in the history of the game.}
Bc8 34. Kg5 $1 ({After} 34. Kg5 $1 Bxd7 35. Kh6 {Black cannot avoid mate on g7.
}) (34. -- {Summary: This game goes to show that the king can be used as an
active fighting piece in the middlegame! The whole game contained elements of
improving the worst-placed piece and of restricting the opponent's. It was
finished in some style.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{1) When you are stuck for a plan, remember the simple strategy of improving a
badly-placed piece.} 1. -- {2) One poor piece can be the reason for losing a
game - aim for harmony between your forces at all times.} (1. -- {3) Knights
are particularly prone to being misplaced and trapped.}) (1. -- {4) Be aware
that manoeuvring takes time and always be thinking about whether the opponent
can use that time to attack you elsewhere on the board.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "7: The Initiative"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.25"]

{'Attack! Always Attack!' - Adolf Anderssen} 1. -- {The 'initiative' is a
slightly mysterious chess term (well, it is to me anyway), but a hugely
important and very commonly used one. When you make a move which threatens one
of your opponent's pieces, he has to parry the threat or make a counterattack.
If a number of such moves can be made in quickly, then often a serious
advantage can be built up. --- A nice comparison (well I think so anyway) can
be made with a game of tennis. The server (let's call him Pete Sampras), as
long as his serve is fast and accurate, should gain the upper hand in the
rally, as the returner (let's call him Rafael Nadal) is simply trying to put
the ball back into the court. This leads to a situation where Pete has the
initiative, as long as he makes good shots. If, for some reason, he plays a
poor or ponderous shot it will give Rafa the opportunity to seize the
initiative with a good shot of his own. If the game is on a slower surface,
such as clay, then the importance of the initiative is reduced somewhat, in
the same way that a slower paced chess game (which, say, has a closed centre)
will rely less on the initiative and more on other strategic factors. --- The
initiative is very closely linked with time or tempo in chess. It is very much
a short-term advantage and thus must be used as energetically as possible.
Witness the following awesome display by White, where he doesn't let up for a
moment.} *

[Event "Palma de Mallorca"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kupreichik, V."]
[Black "Sunye Neto, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B43"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 a6 {This is becoming quite a popular way of dealing with
White's move order.} 3. Nf3 b5 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bb7 6. Bd3 {White sets up to
overprotect his e4-pawn.} e6 7. O-O Qc7 8. Qe2 {And this is a good move in
that it discourages the development of the g8-knight.} Nc6 (8... Nf6 9. e5 $1 {
would be awkward to meet.}) 9. Nxc6 Qxc6 10. a4 {With a slight lead in
development White tries to provoke some weaknesses in the black camp.} b4 {
QUESTION: Where would you put the white knight? --- ANSWER:} 11. Nd5 $1 {White
is creating problems for his opponent from the word go.} Nf6 ({Alternatives:} 
11... exd5 12. exd5+ {picks up the queen.}) (11... Bd6 12. Bd2 {threatens the
b4-pawn when} a5 $2 13. Bb5 Qc8 14. Nb6 {would be a good example of using the
initiative to rapidly obtain a winning position.}) 12. Bc4 ({I think if it
were me I would have taken that knight on f6 off and left the black king with
a lack of shelter on both sides of the board:} 12. Nxf6+ gxf6 13. Bd2 {with an
advantage for White.}) 12... Bd6 $6 {Black develops his bishop to a slightly
vulnerable square, which results in a loss of time.} (12... Bc5 {would perhaps
have been better, but even then White can generate threats with} 13. Bf4 $1 {.}
) 13. Rd1 $1 Bc5 {EXERCISE: Can you find a move to keep the pressure on,
ideally a developing move with tempo?} (13... O-O {loses material to} 14. Nxf6+
gxf6 15. Bh6 {as Qg4+ is threatened}) ({but} 13... Be5 {should probably have
been preferred.}) 14. Bh6 $1 {(ANSWER) This probably came as a bit of a shock
to the system for Black. I bet you thought the bishop was going to f4!} ({
However,} 14. Bf4 Nxd5 15. exd5 Qc8 {gives Black a little respite.}) 14...
O-O-O {EXERCISE: Black wants to get his king out of the centre, but his last
move runs into a huge problem. What is it? --- ANSWER:} 15. Bb5 $1 {Brilliant.
The black queen is very short of squares and the a-file is opened for the
white rook.} (15. Bxg7 exd5 16. exd5 Qd6 {is not so strong.}) 15... axb5 16.
axb5 Qd6 (16... Qxd5 17. exd5 gxh6 {gives Black three pieces for the queen,
but again he just isn't in time to survive after} 18. Qc4 $1 d6 19. dxe6 {.})
17. Nxf6 Qf8 {QUESTION: Is there a way to keep up the attack? --- ANSWER:} 18.
Bxg7 $1 {Decoying the black queen from the defence of the bishop on c5.} Qxg7
19. Qc4 d6 ({If} 19... Qf8 {then} 20. e5 $1 {would be the first move White has
played in a while that doesn't threaten a piece! However, it does threaten Ne4
and Rd6: for example,} Qe7 21. Rd6 {with a winning attack.}) 20. Rxd6 $1 {
Apologies for all the exclamation marks, but I think Kupreichik deserves them.}
Qg5 {EXERCISE: Keep the energy going!} ({If} 20... Rxd6 21. Qxc5+ Kb8 22. Qxd6+
{.}) 21. Nd5 $1 {ANSWER: Attacking c5 again. This time it can't be defended.}
exd5 22. Qxc5+ Kb8 23. Rc6 ({Black resigned as after} 23. Rc6 Bxc6 24. Qxc6 {
he must give up his queen to stop Ra8 mate.}) (23. -- {Summary: Phenomenal
stuff from White. Black simply didn't have time to put his pieces in order due
to the barrage of threats.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Initiative"]
[Black "Static Positional Factors"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {The Initiative vs. Static Positional Factors: Strong players will often
unbalance the game in order to seize the initiative. Here White makes what
looks like a very dubious positional decision to wreck his own pawn structure,
but at the same time grabs some attacking chances.} *

[Event "Golden Sands"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Yakimenko, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C18"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qa5 7. Bd2 Qa4 {
Black looks to apply pressure to the centre, whilst stopping White from
playing a3-a4 to open the a3-f8 diagonal.} 8. Nf3 Nc6 9. dxc5 $5 {This
certainly raises the stakes. White destroys his pawn structure, but banks on
the time lost by Black regaining the pawn as more than adequate compensation.
It also gives White access to the important d4-square for his knight. It is
one of the very few examples of a situation where giving yourself triple
isolated pawns can be seriously considered!} Qe4+ (9... f6 {is the alternative,
trying to wrest the initiative from White by grabbing the centre. However,
after} 10. Nd4 $1 {the threat is Bb5 and so the following sequence is forced:}
Nxd4 11. cxd4 Qxd4 (11... fxe5 12. Qh5+) 12. Bb5+ Kf7 13. O-O Qxe5 {. In
practice White does very well from this position as long as he keeps the
pressure up! Indeed,} 14. c4 d4 15. Re1 Qc7 16. Qh5+ g6 17. Qh4 {looks good to
me.}) 10. Be3 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Qxe5 12. Bb5+ {This is the point behind White's
play. Black is forced to move his king.} Bd7 13. Bxd7+ Kxd7 14. O-O Nf6 {
EXERCISE: The situation is quite tense. If Black can organize his pieces and
get his king out of the centre he stands well. Can you keep up the initiative
here? --- ANSWER:} 15. Rb1 $1 {A good move which forces Black to misplace a
piece to deal with the threat to the b-pawn. This is about where I had got to
in my pre-match preparation. It is worth pointing out that the fight for the
initiative can start before even a piece has been moved!} (15. Bd4 Qf5 16. Rb1
{would also have been good.}) 15... Rhb8 $2 {Played after a long think, but
not the best move. The plan is to evacuate the king to the kingside. ---
QUESTION: Is there a way to blast the central files open? --- ANSWER:} 16. c4
$1 {Getting ready to remove one of the tripled pawns whilst trying to soften
up the black central pawn structure.} Ke7 17. Bd4 Qf5 18. Re1 {Every move is
designed to create a threat. Here White improves a rook whilst preparing both
19 Be5 and 19 Re5.} b6 {EXERCISE: This came as a surprise to me, but it isn't
a bad move. The point is to try and activate the rook on a8 at the cost of a
pawn. Would you take on b6? --- ANSWER:} 19. Rb3 {No! Black still doesn't have
time to get his king out of the centre and so White keeps the rook shut in.
Now the black queen starts to come under attack.} bxc5 ({After} 19... Kf8 20.
Rf3 Qg5 21. h4 $1 Qxh4 22. Bxf6 gxf6 23. cxd5 {Black is being crushed.}) 20.
Rf3 Qh5 21. Bxc5+ Ke8 {EXERCISE: Now the king is stuck in the centre for good,
White can rest a little more easily. Can you find a way to open up more lines
to the king? --- ANSWER:} 22. c3 $1 Rb7 23. Qa4+ Rd7 (23... Nd7 24. Rxe6+ fxe6
25. Rf8# {was a pretty mate I was hoping for.}) 24. Qc6 Rad8 $2 (24... Rb8 {
keeps the game going, though after} 25. Bxa7 Rbd8 26. Bc5 Rb8 27. Bd6 Rbd8 28.
Bb4 $1 Rb8 29. Qc5 {White wins due to the weak dark squares.}) 25. Rxe6+ {.
Summary: Similarly to Kupreichik's game, using a series of threatening moves
White managed to prevent Black from getting his king to safety and organizing
his defences. Gradually his advantage built as his pieces became more and more
active. Most certainly the initiative and attack outweighed the tripled
isolated pawns White gave himself.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Developing the Initiative"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Seizing and Developing the Initiative: Of all the great champions,
Garry Kasparov is perhaps the most famous for his ability to seize the
initiative out of the opening, often playing with ferocious energy and
crushing his opponents, even with Black. This was thanks largely to his
dynamic opening repertoire which he worked very hard on. Here is an early game
played by the fourteen year-old Kasparov.} *

[Event "Training game, Baku"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1977.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Magerramov, E."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D58"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "1977.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. c4 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 {The game starts
quietly enough.} h6 7. Bh4 b6 8. Qb3 Bb7 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Rd1 {
A prophylactic move, White reinforces his strong point on d4, whilst if the
only black pawn break (...c7-c5) occurs, then he will also have pressure down
the d-file. Having said this, the move played doesn't get White any nearer to
castling and Kasparov is quick to try and use this. --- EXERCISE: Can you see
how? --- ANSWER:} c5 $5 {Anyway! Black tries to open up the game for his
bishop-pair.} 12. dxc5 ({White, of course, doesn't have to accept this pawn,
but otherwise Black will get some queenside space advantage after} 12. Be2 c4
13. Qc2 Nc6 {which would defeat the purpose of the queen sortie to b3 on move
8.}) 12... Nd7 $1 {The knight heads for c5, forcing the queen to retreat.} 13.
c6 $5 {An interesting moment. Magerramov, who himself was a very strong player,
decides to try and limit the activity of the black pieces.} (13. cxb6 Nc5 $1
14. Qc2 axb6 15. Be2 {would have been another way for White to play, though
after something like} Bxc3+ 16. bxc3 Qe7 17. O-O Rfc8 {Black would have had
good pressure against the white queenside pawns.}) 13... Bxc6 14. Nd4 $6 {Very
natural, but almost certainly a mistake. --- EXERCISE: If Black plays quietly
here, with something like 14...Bb7 then White will simply play 15 Be2 followed
by 0-0. Can you see a way to force the issue instead?} (14. Nxd5 Nc5 15. Nxf6+
Qxf6 16. Qc3 $1 Qxc3+ 17. bxc3 {would have been safer.}) 14... Bxd4 $1 {ANSWER:
A difficult move to play! Black gives up his uncontested dark-squared bishop,
but in doing so creates concrete threats.} 15. Rxd4 (15. exd4 Qg5 $1 {makes it
difficult to develop the f1-bishop, whilst also threatening ...Re8+.}) 15...
Nc5 16. Qd1 {If only the piece on d4 was a knight, White would be laughing. As
it is the rook will be forced back.} Ne6 17. Rd2 {QUESTION: But now what? ---
ANSWER:} d4 $1 {Opening the diagonal for his bishop and the e-file for his
rook at the cost of a pawn. This was the idea Kasparov had in mind when he
played his 14th move.} 18. exd4 (18. Ne2 {was probably better, though Black
could keep the pressure up with} Qe7 19. Nxd4 Nxd4 20. Rxd4 Rad8 $1 {.}) 18...
Re8 {The black pieces have sprung to life.} 19. f3 {Trying desperately to get
the bishop to e2.} ({Alternatively: It is not possible to block the e-file
with the bishop as} 19. Be2 Bxg2 20. Rg1 Nf4 {is too strong.}) (19. d5 $1 {
trying to counterattack was probably the best practical try, though I suspect
Kasparov would have found} Nf4+ 20. Be2 Nxg2+ 21. Kf1 Bd7 $1 22. Rg1 (22. Kxg2
Qg5+ 23. Kf1 Bh3+ 24. Ke1 Qg2 {is very painful}) 22... Nh4 {with an ongoing
initiative.}) 19... Bxf3 {Smash! This opens the short h4-e1 diagonal for the
queen.} 20. gxf3 (20. Qxf3 {would lose the queen for two pieces to} Ng5+ 21.
Qe2 Rxe2+ {.}) 20... Qh4+ 21. Rf2 Nxd4+ (21... Nf4+ $1 {seems to be even
better, as after} 22. Be2 Ng2+ 23. Kd2 Qxd4+ 24. Kc1 Qxf2 {White is doomed.})
22. Be2 Nxf3+ 23. Kf1 Qh3+ 24. Rg2 Nh4 ({I also quite like} 24... Rad8 {,
bringing the final piece into the attack.}) 25. Rhg1 Rad8 26. Qe1 {EXERCISE:
White plans 27 Qg3, trying to exchange the queens whilst threatening mate on
g7. Can you stop this plan whilst creating a threat of your own? --- ANSWER:}
Rd3 $1 {A great move. The idea is to play ...Rf3+.} 27. Qf2 Nf3 28. Rh1 Rde3
29. Rhg1 {White has given up.} (29. Qg3 {would have been better, but Kasparov
would still have been winning easily.}) 29... Kh8 {Despite the mass of
defensive pieces around the white king, Magerramov is completely tied up.} ({
However,} 29... Rxc3 $1 {would have been the most powerful finish. Perhaps
Kasparov started to relax as it was just a training game? It's all over after}
30. bxc3 Nxh2+ 31. Ke1 Qxc3+ 32. Kd1 Rd8+ {.}) 30. Rh1 b5 {. White had
understandably had enough.} 0-1

[Event "Amsterdam"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Muzychuk, A."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1b2rk1/2p1nppp/1bpp2q1/p7/4P3/1NB3Q1/PPP1BPPP/R3K2R w KQ - 0 13"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

13. Bd3 {QUESTION: How to seize the initiative here as Black? --- ANSWER:} f5
$1 {Vassily Ivanchuk is superb at spotting such chances. Black looks to open
the centre with the white king still residing there.} 14. f3 $2 {EXERCISE:
White's last move loosened the dark squares too much, a theme we will revisit
later in the chapter. What should Black do here?} (14. Qxg6 Nxg6 15. O-O-O {
was safer, although Black's position would have been very comfortable after}
Nf4 16. Bc4+ Be6 17. Bxe6+ Nxe6 {.}) 14... Qh6 $1 {ANSWER: Very logical. With
no obvious escape for the white king, Black chooses to keep the queens on. He
also threatens the nasty ...f5-f4, trapping the queen.} 15. Nd4 f4 16. Qf2 c5
17. Bc4+ (17. Ne2 c4 $1 18. Bxc4+ d5 {would win a piece.}) 17... d5 $1 {Not
giving White the chance to reorganize her pieces. Ivanchuk's energy over the
next few moves is tireless.} 18. exd5 cxd4 19. d6+ Be6 20. dxe7 {QUESTION: But
what now? --- ANSWER:} Bxc4 $1 (20... Rfe8 21. Qe2 $1 {defends for the moment.}
) 21. exf8=Q+ Rxf8 {Now that the smoke has cleared White is an exchange up,
but her king is still stuck hopelessly in the centre.} 22. Bxd4 {EXERCISE: Can
you find a simple way to finish the game? --- ANSWER:} Re8+ 23. Kd2 Rd8 $1 {
The pin decides things.} 24. c3 c5 {. Not only will Black get two fantastic
bishops for the rook, but the white king cannot hope to survive in the centre,
so Muzychuk resigned.} 0-1

[Event "USSR Championship, Leningrad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1956.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tal, M."]
[Black "Simagin, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventDate "1956.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{It would be criminal of me not to demonstrate at least one game played by
Mikhail Tal, arguably the greatest attacking chess player of all time. In the
next game the space advantage White achieves is the precursor to his seizing
the initiative.} 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f4 Qb6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2 Nbd7
{EXERCISE: Can you find the way to seize the initiative already? --- ANSWER:}
7. e5 $1 {White grabs space whilst threatening the knight.} Nd5 8. O-O {An
interesting decision. Tal lets Black double his c-pawns in order to gain
activity for his rook along the b-file.} Nxc3 ({It is already not so easy to
suggest a good way of developing for Black, as} 8... e6 {would be well met by}
9. Ne4 $1 {, taking advantage of the weak d6-square and preparing the advance
of the c-pawn.}) 9. bxc3 e6 ({Here Black could have won a pawn with} 9... Bxf3
10. Bxf3 dxe5 (10... d5 11. e6 $1 {would have been a typical blow to disrupt
the Black development - see Chapter Three for more on this}) 11. fxe5 Nxe5 {,
but after something like} 12. Be4 Nd7 13. Bf4 {White has a big lead in
development and the bishop-pair as compensation.}) 10. Ng5 Bxe2 11. Qxe2 {The
knight on g5, combined with the queen on e2, means that Black is in quite a
tough spot already.} h6 {EXERCISE: What did White play here? See how far you
can calculate down the forcing line that arises.} (11... Be7 12. exd6 Bxd6 13.
Nxe6 $1 fxe6 14. Qxe6+ Be7 15. Re1 {would win a couple of pawns, as} Qd8 {,
can be met by} ({and} 15... O-O-O 16. Qxe7 Rde8 17. Qxe8+ Rxe8 18. Rxe8+) 16.
Ba3 {.}) 12. Nxf7 $1 {(ANSWER)} ({Of course, the knight is not going to go
back:} 12. Ne4 d5 13. Nd6+ Bxd6 14. exd6 {would give Black time to castle.}) (
12. Qh5 g6 13. Qh3 {would, though, be another way to maintain the initiative,
as then the e6-pawn comes under attack.}) 12... Kxf7 13. f5 $1 {Black cannot
be allowed to play ...g7-g6, securing control of the important f5-square.} dxe5
14. fxe6+ ({It seems that} 14. Qh5+ Ke7 15. fxe6 Kxe6 {is even stronger for
White, as the queen is better placed.}) 14... Kxe6 {QUESTION: Can White stop
Black running his king over to c7? --- ANSWER: Yes!} 15. Rb1 $1 {Cheeky. Tal
uses the open file to maximum effect, as he can force the black king to a dark
square so that his discovered check works.} Qxb1 {Simagin decided to return
some material. Unfortunately for him, though, Tal's initiative persists.} (
15... Qa6 16. Qg4+ Kd6 17. dxe5+ Kc7 18. Bf4 {is very bad for Black.}) 16. Qc4+
Kd6 17. Ba3+ Kc7 18. Rxb1 Bxa3 {EXERCISE: White must keep up the initiative!
Material-wise Black is ahead still, so he cannot be allowed to reorganize. Can
you find a way? --- ANSWER:} 19. Qb3 {Thanks to this move, which hits the
weaknesses on a3 and b7, White can keep the attack going despite his lack of
pieces.} Be7 20. Qxb7+ Kd6 21. dxe5+ Nxe5 {And still there should be no let up.
Tal pushes the king even further into the open and the king-hunt begins.} 22.
Rd1+ Ke6 23. Qb3+ Kf5 24. Rf1+ Ke4 ({Forced, as} 24... Kg6 25. Qe6+ Bf6 26.
Qf5+ Kf7 27. Qxe5 $1 {wins the knight.}) 25. Re1+ Kf5 {Now that queen and rook
cannot give any more checks the reserves arrive!} 26. g4+ $1 Kf6 27. Rf1+ Kg6
28. Qe6+ Kh7 29. Qxe5 {White is winning and the rest is should be a matter of
technique. Tal complicates the issue a little bit though.} Rhe8 30. Rf7 Bf8 31.
Qf5+ Kg8 32. Kf2 $6 {A little bit risky. Black gets a couple of dangerous
checks in now.} (32. Kf1 {would have been safer.}) 32... Bc5+ 33. Kg3 Re3+ 34.
Kh4 Rae8 {EXERCISE: Can you find a way to minimize the danger to your king
here?} (34... Be7+ 35. g5 $1 {forced,} ({as} 35. Kh5 Rd8 $1 {threatens to win
the queen with ...Rd5}) 35... Bxg5+ 36. Kh5 {seems to still be enough for
White.}) 35. Rxg7+ $1 {ANSWER: Tal removes the dangerous g-pawn.} ({Instead} 
35. Qg6 Be7+ 36. g5 {allows} Bf6 $3 {which is a great computer-generated
defence, blocking the rook's path back and preparing some deadly checks for
Black: for instance,} 37. Rxf6 R8e4+ 38. Kh5 Rh3# {.}) 35... Kxg7 36. Qxc5 {
Now the white king is secure and the queen has enough pawns to help her win
the ending.} R8e6 37. Qxa7+ Kg6 38. Qa8 Kf6 39. a4 Ke5 40. a5 Kd5 41. Qd8+ Ke4
42. a6 Kf3 43. a7 Re2 44. Qd3+ R2e3 45. Qxe3+ {. Summary: This game concludes
our examination of how to use the initiative to start a direct attack on the
king. Remember that it is the ability to make threats of your own, rather than
defending against them, that gives you the initiative. A lead in development,
a space advantage or a target for attack for your pieces (such as an uncastled
king) are all good indicators that a dangerous initiative might be there. If
blunders are not made in a game of chess, then the only way to win is by
attacking and only the side with the initiative can attack! Thus I would
recommend trying to seize the initiative at the earliest stage possible.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Missing the Initiative"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Missing the Opportunity to Take the Initiative: We are going to examine
two examples from my student (sorry Zoe!) of situations where White misses the
chance to take the initiative.} *

[Event "Birmingham (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Varney, Z."]
[Black "Ressell, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C51"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1b1k1nr/ppppqppp/1b6/8/3PP3/1Q3N2/P4PPP/RNB2RK1 w kq - 0 11"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

11. e5 $1 {An excellent move, hindering the development of the knight on g8,
as well as making it difficult for Black to play ...d7-d6, due to the
resulting opening of the e-file.} c6 $6 12. Nc3 Qe6 {QUESTION: How should
White take control here?} 13. Qxe6+ $2 {Missing the chance to use the queen as
a target for the white pieces.} ({ANSWER:} 13. d5 $1 {was the key move (which
I guess 11...c6 was designed to stop). After} cxd5 14. Ng5 $1 (14. Nxd5 $6 {
gives Black a chance to develop with} Ne7) 14... Qg6 15. Nb5 $1 {(Black is
being bombed from both sides!)} Nh6 16. Nd6+ Kf8 17. Ba3 $1 Kg8 {... ---
EXERCISE: And to finish, create one more threat! --- ANSWER:} 18. Qb4 $1 {and
Black has had it. This threatens} -- 19. Nf5 {followed by 20 Qf8 mate and 19...
Qxg5 fails to 20 Ne8!, preventing Black from defending the f8-square with her
queen.}) 13... dxe6 {. White eventually won, but the initiative has clearly
evaporated.} 1-0

[Event "Birmingham (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Varney, Z."]
[Black "Purvis, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B18"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Nf6 $6 {A tricky move
designed to throw White out of her comfort zone, but in fact this move is
highly dubious. White gains a sizeable lead in development and the bishop-pair
whilst Black takes time to regain the piece.} 6. Nxf5 Qa5+ 7. Bd2 (7. c3 {is
more logical, keeping the bishop for an active square.}) 7... Qxf5 8. Bd3 Qg4 {
EXERCISE: Again the developed queen should be seen as a target, rather than a
strength for Black. What should White play? --- ANSWER:} 9. Nf3 $1 {was the
way to maximize the initiative. At the cost of a pawn Zoe would have obtained
a huge lead in development and the black queen would have become a target for
the white forces.} ({Instead} 9. Qxg4 $6 {was played in the game. Although
White does retain a decent size lead in development, there are no longer any
targets for her pieces to attack and so Black should be able to complete her
development. After} Nxg4 {the game was drawn after a long fight.}) 9... Qxg2 {
QUESTION: But what now? --- ANSWER:} 10. Rg1 {Of course. Developing the rook
to the open file and gaining time on the queen.} Qh3 11. Qe2 {Taking a
time-out from the threats against the black queen and completing development
seems best here.} g6 {EXERCISE: Black is preparing to evacuate the king after
developing the bishop. Can you find a way keep the threats up?} (11... e6 12.
Rg3 Qh5 13. Rg5 Qh3 14. Bf5 $1 {would be a disaster for Black.}) 12. Bc4 $1 {
ANSWER: Eying up the f7-square and the queen for knight fork.} ({Instead} 12.
Rg3 Qh5 13. Rg5 Qh3 {would be a perpetual on the queen.}) 12... Bh6 13. Bxh6
Qxh6 14. Ng5 $1 {. Black comes under severe pressure.} (14. -- {Summary:
Hopefully these two examples have shown us the importance of seeking out, or
in some instances creating, targets which our pieces can then attack. In these
examples we saw how the queen can used as a target, even at the cost of a pawn.
}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Neutralizing the Initiative"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Neutralizing the Initiative: The difficulty level of successfully
neutralizing an initiative depends, of course, on how serious it is in the
first place. We have seen some examples so far of how an initiative can
snowball into a dangerous and potentially winning position quite quickly. It
is important to sense the danger early and deal with threats precisely, so
that they don't grow into something more serious. One of the best players in
the world at doing this is the current World Champion Vishy Anand.} *

[Event "World Championship (Game 6), Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D45"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2qk2r/1p3ppp/p3bn2/2bp4/3R4/2N1P3/PPQ1BPPP/R1B3K1 w kq - 0 13"]
[PlyCount "34"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

13. Rd1 {EXERCISE: Having wasted a little time earlier in the game (with ...c6
followed by ...c5 in the opening), Black finds himself under a little bit of
pressure. What would you do here? --- ANSWER:} Qe7 $1 {A good move, removing
the queen from the d-file and defending the bishop. Having loose pieces is a
great way to lose quickly in the opening!} 14. Bf3 {Gelfand logically puts
some more pressure on the Isolani. --- QUESTION: What should Black do about
it? --- ANSWER:} O-O $1 (14... Rd8 {would have been the choice of a lot of
people I'm sure, but Anand favours activity over the pawn.}) 15. Nxd5 Bxd5 16.
Bxd5 Nxd5 17. Rxd5 Rac8 {By giving up the pawn Black has taken a slight lead
in development.} 18. Bd2 {Interestingly Gelfand gives it back to secure full
development and retain a very small edge. Being the World Championship it is
very likely that this position was heavily analysed before the start of the
match!} (18. Qe2 Qe4 $1 19. Qd3 Qxd3 20. Rxd3 Rfd8 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 {keeps the
initiative for Black into the ending, which should be enough for a draw after
something like} 22. Kf1 Rd1+ 23. Ke2 Rh1 {.}) 18... Bxe3 19. Bc3 Bb6 20. Qf5 {
Preparing Rd7.} Qe6 21. Qf3 (21. Qxe6 fxe6 22. Rd2 Rfd8 {is nothing for White.}
) 21... f6 22. h4 Qc6 23. h5 {EXERCISE: Gelfand looks to probe on the kingside,
trying to fix the kingside pawns on dark squares. What should Vishy do about
this? --- ANSWER:} Rfd8 {Offering the gradual exchange of more pieces.} (23...
h6 {was also possible and even Kasparov and Svidler, who were commentating at
the time, didn't think this was a very serious problem for Black as the weak
pawns are on one side of the board only.}) 24. Rxd8+ (24. Rad1 Rxd5 25. Rxd5
Rd8 26. Rxd8+ Bxd8 27. Qxc6 bxc6 {should also be equal.}) 24... Rxd8 25. Qxc6
bxc6 26. Re1 {EXERCISE: The last point when you need to be precise. Find
Anand's next move. --- ANSWER:} Kf7 $1 {This secures the draw, as the entry
squares on e6 and e7 are covered.} ({Trying to enter a rook ending immediately
with} 26... Bd4 27. Bxd4 Rxd4 28. Rc1 {would be a touch better for White.}) 27.
g4 Bd4 28. Rc1 Bxc3 29. Rxc3 Rd4 {. Summary: Anatoly Karpov once said: "It is
dangerous to maintain equality at the cost of placing the pieces passively."
Always try to have in the back of your mind the idea that active play (in this
case giving up the weak d-pawn) is nearly always better than passive play.
Anand did a good job of neutralizing any white advantage in this game by using
this idea, whilst Gelfand also favoured active play and completing development
on move 18.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Candidates, Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1959.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian, T."]
[Black "Gligoric, S."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A33"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/p3bppp/2p1p3/3n4/8/2N3P1/PP1BPPBP/R2Q1RK1 b - - 0 11"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[EventDate "1959.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

11... Ba6 {Here, thanks to a fairly slow opening by White, Gligoric has
managed to build up a position where his moves are threatening vulnerable
points in Petrosian's position and White is therefore forced to defend. It is
fair to say that Black has a small initiative. --- QUESTION: Can you defend
this position as White? --- ANSWER: Yes!} 12. Bf3 {Overprotecting e2 against
the gaze of the a6-bishop.} Rb8 {Pressuring the b2-pawn.} (12... Qb6) ({and} 
12... Rc8 {were also possible.}) 13. Qc1 $1 {Keeping the queen out of range of
the black knight.} Qb6 14. Rb1 Rfd8 {EXERCISE: And what to play here? ---
ANSWER:} 15. Rd1 $1 {With a series of precise moves Petrosian manages to
neutralize the initiative, by protecting his all of his vulnerable points.} ({
Instead} 15. Na4 {is a touch too early:} Qd4 16. b3 Bb5 {and Black is well
placed.}) 15... Rbc8 16. Na4 Qb5 17. Nc3 Qb6 18. Na4 Qb5 {. Here the two
grandmasters agreed to a draw. Not the most thrilling finale, but (I hope)
instructive nonetheless, in the way that White didn't allow the black
advantage to grow into anything serious.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Long-Term Initiative"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {The Long-Term Initiative: Despite the fact that most of the time the
initiative is short lived, certain openings give rise to longer-term
advantages, thanks to the presence of static factors, such as superior piece
activity or a better pawn structure. A good example of this is the Benko or
Volga Gambit. The Volga Gambit was its original name (after the longest river
in Europe that runs through Russia), but due to the work of the Hungarian
Grandmaster Pal Benko with the opening, his name stuck in English-speaking
countries. I hope that the next game demonstrates what I mean about the
longer-term initiative.} *

[Event "US Open, Aspen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kaufman, L."]
[Black "Benko, P."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A57"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "1968.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 {A gambit is a good way to try to wrest the
initiative from White at an early stage. The Benko is one of the sounder ways
of doing this.} 4. cxb5 {White takes up the challenge.} ({I am always a bit
reluctant to give up the initiative when I play White (after all, it is easier
to attack than be attacked!), and so would recommend something to my students
like} 4. Nf3 g6 5. Qc2 bxc4 ({or} 5... Bg7 6. e4 d6 7. cxb5 a6 8. Nc3) 6. e4 d6
7. Bxc4 {with a decent game.}) 4... a6 5. e3 (5. b6 $5 {is another way to
return the pawn whilst keeping the a-file closed.}) 5... g6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. bxa6
O-O 8. Nf3 d6 9. e4 Qa5 {Black bases his compensation on the pressure that
will be applied to the white queenside, most notably the a- and b-pawns thanks
to the two open files. This should make it more difficult for White to develop
his queen's bishop, thereby keeping him passive.} 10. Nd2 (10. Bd2 {is perhaps
a better way of playing the position, as in P.Motwani-M.Hebden, London 1982,
which went on} Bxa6 11. Bxa6 Qxa6 12. Qe2 Nfd7 {.}) 10... Bxa6 11. Bxa6 Qxa6
12. Qe2 Nfd7 {The Benko is one of those openings where rather than being
scared stiff about a brutal attack, White is slightly uncomfortable about his
position for a long time.} ({Here Black is not too fussed about the queen swap
as} 12... Nbd7 13. Qxa6 Rxa6 14. Nc4 Ng4 {is also playable, as in I.Borocz-V.Balogh, Budapest (rapid) 1996.}) 13. Nc4 {EXERCISE: How would you continue as
Black here?} (13. Qxa6 Nxa6 14. O-O Nb4 15. Nc4 Rfb8 {would leave Black very
nicely placed.}) 13... f5 $5 {ANSWER: A brave move, but it also has its
drawbacks, of course, such as weakening the square on e6 for good.} ({Here it
shakes White into a mistake, but more in keeping with the opening would have
been} 13... Nb6 14. Nxb6 Qxb6 15. O-O Nd7 {when Black will look to apply
pressure slowly to the white queenside.}) 14. f3 $6 {White reacts too
passively.} (14. exf5 Rxf5 15. Ne3 Rf8 16. a4 $1 {would have been much better,
looking to secure the b5-square for his knight.}) 14... fxe4 15. fxe4 {Now
without the ability to castle, the white king is stuck in the centre for some
time. --- QUESTION: What should Black's plan be now? --- ANSWER:} Nb6 $1 {This
is the best way to complete development, freeing the d7-square for the other
knight whilst exchanging off White's best piece.} (15... Ne5 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17.
Bh6 $1 {would give White a useful tempo.}) 16. Nxb6 Qxb6 17. Rf1 {I imagine
this was the idea that Kaufman had in mind when he played f2-f3. However, it
doesn't secure the safety of the king.} Nd7 18. Rxf8+ Rxf8 19. Be3 {EXERCISE:
At first sight this position doesn't look too bad for White. After all, he is
a passed a-pawn up! However, the bishop on g7 is supreme and crucially Black
can generate threats quite easily. How would you continue here?} Rb8 ({ANSWER:
} 19... Qb4 $1 {looks best to me. The black pieces come to life quickly after
something like} 20. Rc1 Ne5 21. Rc2 c4 $1 {, securing the d3-square.}) 20. Nd1
Ne5 21. Kf1 Qb4 $1 {Benko activates his pieces powerfully.} 22. Bd2 Rf8+ 23.
Kg1 Qd4+ {The difference in activity between the two positions is striking.
White has not had a chance to get his extra pawn moving due to the threats to
his king.} 24. Be3 (24. Kh1 Qxd2 $1 {would win due to the weakness of the back
rank.}) 24... Qxe4 25. Nc3 Qc4 {Again Black doesn't fear the trade. It is
possible to keep the initiative even without the queens on the board!} 26. Rf1
{QUESTION: How would you respond to this handy defensive move?} ({After} 26.
Qxc4 Nxc4 27. Bg5 Bd4+ 28. Kh1 Rf2 {Black is dominating.}) 26... Rb8 $1 {
ANSWER: Targeting the weak queenside pawn.} 27. Bc1 Qxe2 28. Nxe2 Nd3 29. b3 {
EXERCISE: When one queenside pawn moves, the other becomes weaker. How can you
exploit this? --- ANSWER:} Nb4 (29... Ra8 30. a4 Rb8 $1 {would also have been
a nice manoeuvre.}) 30. Bg5 Nxd5 {Finally Black wins material!} 31. Rd1 e6 32.
Nf4 Bd4+ 33. Kh1 Nc3 {Again keeping the pieces on maximises the problems for
White,} ({although} 33... Nxf4 34. Bxf4 e5 {is also very strong.}) 34. Rf1 Rf8
35. Re1 e5 36. Ne6 Rf2 37. Bh4 Rxa2 {EXERCISE: With two extra central pawns
Black is winning easily, as long as you find the defence to 38 Rf1. Have you
seen it? Benko had! --- ANSWER:} 38. Rf1 Ra8 39. Bd8 $1 Bf2 $3 {Classy! The
bishop can't be captured due to the back-rank mate, which gives Black the
chance to cover the threat to his own back rank.} 40. g3 Ra2 41. Kg2 Ne4 42.
Kf3 d5 43. Rd1 Bd4 44. Nxd4 cxd4 45. Re1 Rf2+ 46. Kg4 Rxh2 {. Summary: A
lovely demonstration by Pal Benko of how a long-term initiative (thanks to the
passive position of White's dark-squared bishop) can be exploited. A weaker
player would perhaps have panicked at being a pawn down, but Black trusted in
his position.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 7"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{1) The initiative belongs to the player who can make threats which have to be
dealt with and is therefore on the attack. It is almost always advantageous to
have the initiative.} 1. -- {2) Try to improve the position of your pieces
with threatening moves. If you can do this your initiative should grow, often
into a decisive attack.} (1. -- {3) Be aware of the dynamics of the initiative
and how static features, such as pawn structure, will often be compromised by
stronger players for its possession.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "8: Prophylaxis"]
[Black "Overprotection"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2q1rk1/ppp1bppp/2npbn2/4p3/4P3/P1NP1N2/1PP1BPPP/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{'More haste, less speed.' - The Hare and the Tortoise, Aesop's Fables --- The
concepts of prophylaxis and overprotection are very important in the world of
chess strategy. My Oxford English Dictionary defines prophylaxis as "action
taken to prevent disease". Well, that doesn't help us too much in the in the
chess world, so let's replace 'disease' with 'danger'. So, in essence
prophylaxis is any measure taken to avoid danger to us on the board before it
happens. --- We probably all use prophylactic moves in our games already, but
perhaps are not fully aware of them. My aim in this chapter is to try and make
you more aware of the importance of prophylactic play and some of the most
important ways that it can be applied to the game. Let's look at a really
basic example of prophylaxis, taken from the game of an anonymous Abbey
student.} 1... h6 {. Adam: "Did you play that to stop Bg5?" --- Student: "No,
I played it to stop bank rank mate, which always seems to happen to me!" ---
Bravo! This is prophylaxis, but at a very basic level. The stronger and more
experienced we become as chess players, the more developed our sense of danger
becomes. A better chess player will instantly be able to recognize that in the
current position, the possibility of being back rank mated is a very distant
threat (in fact it is hardly a threat at all), due to, amongst other things,
the closed nature of the position and the presence of three black pieces on
the back rank. Therefore there are more useful moves that can be made in the
position (such as the pawn break ...d6-d5 to take the centre).} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Be Aware"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/pp2bkpp/5p2/4p3/P1P1P3/6P1/1P3P2/1N4K1 b - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Be Aware, Be Very Aware: So we can say that prophylaxis is prevention of your
opponent's idea. In fact if we develop this even further we could say that it
is being aware of your opponent's idea and trying to evaluate whether you need
to take action to stop it. This involves a certain degree of anticipation as
to what the enemy's plan is going to be in a given position. Let's try a
simple exercise! --- EXERCISE: It's Black to move. Hopefully you have read the
previous chapters, particularly the one on holes! What is the best move here?
--- ANSWER:} 1... Bb4 $1 {A good prophylactic move, defending against the
knight manoeuvre to the strong d5-square.} 2. Nc3 $2 {This eases Black's task,
though the white position is bad anyway;} ({for instance,} 2. Kf1 Ke6 3. Ke2
Kd6 4. Kd3 h5 {and Black is winning.}) 2... Bxc3 3. bxc3 Ke7 4. c5 Kd7 {.
Black wins the king and pawn endgame easily.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Prophylactic Thinking"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "D87"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Prophylactic Thinking in the Opening: There are many examples of prophylaxis
in the opening. It is a particularly important idea to remember for the side
that possesses the centre. Prophylactic thinking can often be applied to
prevent it coming under attack. Witness the following passage of play from the
main line of the Grünfeld Defence.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5
5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 {Black has conceded the centre, but plans to attack the
white central pawns as fast as he can.} 7. Bc4 c5 8. Be3 O-O {QUESTION: What
is the best move for White here: 9 Ne2 or 9 Nf3? ANSWER:} 9. Ne2 $1 ({
White 'foresees' that his d4-pawn will come under rapid attack after} 9. Nf3
Nc6 10. O-O Bg4 {.}) {Now after} 9... Nc6 10. O-O Bg4 {White has} 11. f3 {and
the centre is secure, at least for the moment.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The little pawn move"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C50"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Useful Prophylaxis in the Opening - the little pawn move: One of the most
common prophylactic measures in the opening is the advance of the flank pawns
one square. Generally not for the reason the Abbey player gave above, but
rather to stop the development of an enemy bishop or knight to those squares.
Take the following basic opening:} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 {
EXERCISE: White immediately 'threatens' Bc1-g5, pinning the black knight.
Would you prevent it with ...h6, or continue developing with ...Bc5? ---
ANSWER:} Bc5 $1 (4... h6 $6 {is commonly played, but unnecessary. Here you
actually want your opponent to play Bc1-g5!}) 5. Nc3 ({After} 5. Bg5 h6 $1 {
the pin is not dangerous as we can employ a dark-square strategy against the
white bishop with} 6. Bh4 g5 {and then:} 7. -- (7. Bg3 d6 8. c3 Qe7 {followed
by queenside castling was comfortable for Black in a game between two future
stars, J.Piket-S.Agdestein, Gausdal 1986.}) ({. Here the piece sacrifice
shouldn't be dangerous after} 7. Nxg5 hxg5 8. Bxg5 {as there is no open king
on g8, but we should still, however, be considering prophylactic measures
after it. --- EXERCISE: Can you find a decent way of preventing White's
counterplay against the weak knight at f6? --- ANSWER:} Be7 $1 {does the job
nicely,} ({while} 8... Nd4 $1 {is a creative solution to the problem of} 9. Qf3
{.} ({After} 9. Nc3 c6 $1 {prevents Nd5.}) (9. c3 Ne6 {.})))) 5... d6 ({I
generally recommend to my students that the move ...h7-h6 or h2-h3 is only
employed if you have castled and your opponent can then pin you. For example,} 
5... O-O $6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 g5 {is more annoying for Black.}) 6. h3 {White
decides to prevent the bishop coming to g4.} (6. O-O Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. g4 Nxg4
9. hxg4 Bxg4 10. Be3 Qf6 11. Kg2 O-O-O {is unclear.}) 6... h6 $1 {. To prevent
any headaches on the h4-d8 diagonal. An equal if rather dull position is
reached.} (6... -- {Summary: Perhaps the most common example of prophylaxis in
the opening, the flank pawn move can often be used to prevent an awkward pin
or an enemy knight from raiding forwards.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Middlegame Prophylaxis"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Learning from the Masters: Middlegame Prophylaxis: Let us examine a
great demonstration of prophylactic play from one of the true masters of the
subject, Jose Raul Capablanca. I will make it more difficult for you by not
showing the earlier moves and thus the plans previously employed.} *

[Event "Lake Hopatcong"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1926.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kupchik, A."]
[Black "Capablanca, JR."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D05"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5rk1/pbq3pp/1p1bpr2/1B1p1p2/2pP1P2/2P1P3/PP1BQ1PP/4RR1K w - - 0 19"]
[PlyCount "42"]
[EventDate "1926.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

19. Rf3 {EXERCISE: Try putting yourself in the great Cuban's shoes and work
out what White wants to do and how to stop it? --- ANSWER:} h5 $1 {White
really only has one idea in this position, which is to break on the kingside
with g2-g4. Black is stronger on the queenside and the pawn structure dictates
that this is the side of the board he should be playing on, thanks to the
advanced pawn on c4. Before doing so, however, he prevents White's plan, to
advance on the kingside.} 20. Ref1 ({After both} 20. Rh3 g6) ({and} 20. Rg3 Rh6
21. Rg5 g6 $1 {the pawn structure is rock solid.}) 20... Rh6 21. Be1 g6 22. Bh4
{White has sensibly improved the position of his bad bishop, but still lacks a
good plan.} Kf7 23. Qe1 a6 24. Ba4 b5 25. Bd1 Bc6 26. Rh3 a5 27. Bg5 Rhh8 28.
Qh4 {Kupchik still feels as though he has some chances on the kingside, but
without a pawn break it is very tough to see what he can do.} b4 29. Qe1 {It's
always a good sign when your opponent starts going backwards! White tries to
regroup his pieces, but Black is clearly better. Without any kingside play to
worry about, he can simply transfer his pieces to the queenside.} Rb8 $1 30.
Rhf3 ({My computer wants to go} 30. Qh4 {here!}) 30... a4 31. R3f2 a3 32. b3
cxb3 33. Bxb3 Bb5 34. Rg1 Qxc3 35. Qxc3 bxc3 36. Rc2 Rhc8 37. Bh4 Bd3 38. Rcc1
{EXERCISE: Can you find the pretty finish? --- ANSWER:} Rxb3 39. axb3 a2 ({
White resigned as} 39... a2 40. Be1 Bb1 41. Bxc3 Rxc3 42. Rxb1 axb1=Q 43. Rxb1
{just leaves Black a piece up.}) 0-1

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1983.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Karpov, A."]
[Black "Yusupov, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C82"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "1983.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Anatoly Karpov is seen as one of the truly great modern prophylactic players.
Here he squeezes the life out of one his biggest rivals of the 80's and 90's,
Artur Yusupov.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 {The Open
Variation of the Ruy Lopez.} 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Bc5 10. Nbd2
O-O 11. Bc2 Bf5 (11... Nxf2 12. Rxf2 f6) ({and} 11... f5 12. Nb3 Bb6 13. Nfd4 {
are the main alternatives.}) 12. Nb3 Bg6 13. Nfd4 Bxd4 (13... Nxe5 $4 14. Bxe4
Bxd4 ({if} 14... Bxe4 15. Nxc5) 15. Qxd4 {just wins a piece.}) 14. cxd4 a5 15.
Be3 a4 16. Nd2 a3 17. Nxe4 axb2 18. Rb1 Bxe4 19. Rxb2 Qd7 20. Bd3 Bxd3 21. Qxd3
Rfb8 {EXERCISE: What is the best way to restrict the queenside plan of ...Na5-c4? --- ANSWER:} 22. Rfb1 $1 {For the moment Black is forced to deal with
the threat to his b5-pawn.} ({White could have immediately started kingside
operations with} 22. f4 {, but after} Na5 23. f5 Nc4 {Black would get serious
queenside counterplay.}) ({Likewise,} 22. Rxb5 Rxb5 23. Qxb5 Nxe5 $1 {offers
White no advantage.}) 22... b4 23. h3 {Well, Yusupov wasn't threatening
back-rank mate, but in some positions if the a- and b-pawns get exchanged then
he might be. The move is also quite handy in that it stops the black queen
coming to its most active square on g4.} h6 {Black responds in turn.} (23...
Ra3 $4 24. Qxa3 bxa3 25. Rxb8+ Nd8 26. Bg5 {is an example of the back-rank
issues that Yusupov was faced with.}) 24. Rc1 {QUESTION: How does this prevent
...Na5?} Rb6 ({ANSWER:} 24... Na5 25. Qb1 $1 Nc4 $2 26. Rxb4 Rxb4 27. Qxb4 Rxa2
$4 28. Qb8+ Kh7 29. Qb1+ {is the deep tactical point, forking king and rook.})
25. Qb1 {Pressuring the b4-pawn again.} (25. Rc5 $1 Na5 26. Qb1 {is also good
enough.}) 25... Rab8 26. Rc5 $1 Nd8 27. Rcc2 Nc6 28. Qc1 $1 {From a
psychological point of view this prophylactic strategy is very frustrating for
the opponent. Without an active plan Yusupov is forced to simply defend his
weaknesses and wait.} R8b7 {EXERCISE: What was the idea behind Black's last
move and how do we prevent his plan? --- ANSWER:} 29. Rc5 $1 {With ...Rb8-b7
Black defended the c7-pawn. This means that his knight can move. As we know it
would like to be on c4, where it is on an outpost square and hitting the rook.
In fact if it gets there Black is doing well. Therefore Karpov's move is very
strong and very logical. Not only does the rook prevent ...Na5-c4, it also
targets the d5-pawn.} Ne7 (29... Nd8 {, trying to re-route the knight, would I
suspect have been met by} 30. Ra5 Ne6 31. f4 $1 {.}) 30. Kh2 {QUESTION: What
is the idea behind Karpov's last move? --- ANSWER: He wants to play Rb2-c2,
without allowing the ...b4-b3 pawn break which will give Black activity based
on the potential pin from queen to king along the first rank.} Nf5 $2 {Getting
frustrated, Black loses the c7-pawn.} 31. Rbc2 Rg6 (31... Nxe3 32. fxe3 b3 33.
axb3 Rxb3 34. Rxc7 Rxc7 35. Rxc7 Qf5 {would have given Black some activity and
perhaps better chances of survival.}) 32. Rxc7 Rxc7 33. Rxc7 Qb5 34. g4 Nh4 35.
Rc8+ Kh7 {EXERCISE: How do you prevent any penetration here? --- ANSWER:} 36.
Qd1 $1 {This covers the weak light squares on d3, e2 and f3.} Qa6 37. Rc2 f5
38. Kg3 $1 {Now the black knight is trapped.} fxg4 39. Kxh4 gxh3 40. f4 Qe6 {
EXERCISE: One last throw of the dice by Yusupov. The white king looks
vulnerable, but can you see a good way that we can cover him? --- ANSWER:} 41.
Qh5 {Defending the f5- and g4-squares.} Qe7+ (41... Qa6 {, trying to get in
around the back, is met by} 42. Re2 {.}) 42. Kxh3 Qf7 43. Rh2 Qd7+ 44. f5 {.
Summary: The main prophylactic moments of the game came on moves 21-28, when
White frustrated Black's attempted queenside counterplay. Always be thinking
about your opponent's plans just as much as your own!} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Prophylaxis in the Endgame"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Prophylaxis in the Endgame: The following is one of the best examples I
have seen of prophylaxis in the endgame, taken from Irving Chernev's book 'The
Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played'. White is a pawn up in the
position, but it is hard to win against good defensive play, as the black rook
and king are both active.} *

[Event "Manchester"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1890.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tarrasch, S."]
[Black "Thorold, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C07"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1k2R3/6pp/pp6/8/3r4/3P4/PP4PP/6K1 b - - 0 25"]
[PlyCount "62"]
[EventDate "1890.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

25... Kc7 {EXERCISE: Which is better here: 26 Re7+ or the more passive 26 Re3?
--- ANSWER:} 26. Re3 $1 (26. Re7+ Kd6 27. Rxg7 Rxd3 28. Rxh7 Rd1+ 29. Kf2 Rd2+
30. Kf3 Rxb2 {gives Black good drawing chances, with his rook being so active.
It also means there will be a pawn race on, so White losing becomes a possible
result.}) 26... Kd7 {QUESTION: What should the next phase of action be for
White? --- ANSWER:} 27. Kf2 {Activating the king through the centre of the
board.} g6 28. Rf3 h5 29. Ke3 {The defence of the d-pawn frees up the rook for
more active duties.} Rd6 (29... Rb4 30. b3 a5 31. Rf6 $1 {causes Black
problems.}) 30. d4 Re6+ 31. Kd3 Re1 {Looking to obtain some counterplay round
the back of the white pawns.} 32. Rg3 {This forces the rook back to the third
rank.} Re6 33. Re3 Rd6 (33... Rxe3+ {leads to a hopeless king and pawn endgame
after} 34. Kxe3 Kd6 35. Ke4 Ke6 36. d5+ Kd6 37. Kd4 {.}) 34. Re5 Rf6 {QUESTION:
What should the next stage of White's plan be? --- ANSWER: Removal of the
pawns from the second rank where they are targets for the black rook.} 35. a4
$1 Rf2 36. Re2 $1 {Keeping control.} ({Instead} 36. Rg5 Rxb2 37. Rxg6 Rb4 {
gives Black counterplay.}) 36... Rf6 37. b4 Rf8 38. Re5 Rf2 39. Rg5 {Now that
the queenside pawns are more secure, White can put his rook on the more active
g5-square to tie the enemy rook to the third rank.} Rf6 40. h3 {removing
another pawn from the second rank!} Kd6 41. Ke4 Re6+ 42. Re5 Rf6 43. d5 Kd7 {
EXERCISE: White has made definite progress. Can you improve Tarrasch's
position further? --- ANSWER:} 44. Rg5 Kd6 45. Rg3 $1 {This breaks Black's
resistance, as the threat of Rf3 and transforming the game into a winning king
and pawn ending forces his king away from defence of the important e5-square
to make room for his king.} Ke7 46. Rf3 Rd6 47. Ke5 Rd8 {Black is trying
desperately to hold but...} 48. d6+ $1 Kd7 ({...after} 48... Rxd6 49. Rf7+ Kxf7
50. Kxd6 {White will win the pawn race easily.}) 49. Rf7+ Kc8 50. Rc7+ Kb8 51.
Rc2 $1 {Cutting off the Black king. Now Black is dead.} Re8+ 52. Kf6 b5 53. d7
Rh8 54. Ke7 Rh7+ 55. Kd6 Rh8 56. Re2 {. Summary: I thought Tarrasch said
all rook and pawn endings were drawn? This was a demonstration of great
control and prophylactic play by White, limiting the opponent's counterplay
and not giving him the chance to complicate the position. I particularly liked
the way Tarrasch removed his pawns, one by one from the second rank. I wish I
could play like this!} 1-0

[Event "6th matchgame, Leningrad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spassky, B."]
[Black "Karpov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B18"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/pp1n2p1/1b1Pkp2/4p3/4N1P1/PP6/1BR2PK1/8 w - - 0 33"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "1974.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{To finish our small study of prophylaxis in the endgame, let's examine a game
between two of the all-time greats, Spassky and Karpov.} 33. a4 {EXERCISE:
Spassky has just played a3-a4. Can you work out his plan and how to prevent
it? --- ANSWER:} a5 $1 {Preventing the intended further queenside expansion.
White was planning b3-b4 followed by a4-a5, gradually seizing space. Karpov
parries the threat for the moment.} 34. Ba3 {Consistent. This defends the
d6-pawn and increases his control over the c5-square. --- QUESTION: Is there a
way to generate some counterplay as Black and how seriously should we take the
b3-b4 break? --- ANSWER:} Rb8 $1 {An exclamation mark? Well, Tibor Karolyi in
his book Endgame Virtuoso gave it two! The idea is to prepare the ...b7-b5
pawn break after the bishop moves.} 35. Rc4 ({The answer to the second part of
the question was that} 35. b4 $6 {is not good as White gives himself a
weakness on a4:} axb4 36. Bxb4 Ra8 $1 37. Ra2 Bd4 {and Black stands well.})
35... Bd4 36. f4 {EXERCISE: Spassky tries to become active on the kingside.
How should Black react? --- ANSWER:} g6 $1 {Preventing the pawn advance.} ({
After} 36... b5 37. axb5 Rxb5 38. f5+ Kd5 39. Nc3+ Bxc3 40. Rxc3 {a draw would
be the most likely outcome.}) 37. Ng3 {Again preparing the f4-f5 advance.} exf4
38. Rxd4 fxg3 39. Kxg3 Rc8 {. Black is now better. He has the more active king,
the open c-file and a superb square for his knight on e5. Karpov went on to
win after 55 moves.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Overprotection"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Overprotection: Overprotection is basically just an extension of the
theme of prophylaxis. It was first encountered in Aron Nimzowitsch's classic
book 'My System'. He wrote: "Strategically important points should be
overprotected. If the pieces are so engaged, they get their regard in the fact
that they will then find themselves well posted in every respect." ---
Although we don't, of course, have to take everything that Nimzowitsch says to
be completely true, securing important squares can be regarded as an important
part of middlegame play. Successful overprotection will often persuade the
opponent to switch his focus away from such a square or piece (it can be
either), to the detriment of his position. This game by the man himself
highlights the idea.} *

[Event "Riga"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1913.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nimzowitsch, A."]
[Black "Giese, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1913.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 {Overprotection of pawn chains (such as the d4-e5
chain here) in closed positions can be particularly important, as the
opponent's pawn breaks against such chains will be easier to manage.} Bf5 4.
Bd3 {White chooses a quiet line.} (4. Nf3) (4. h4) ({and} 4. Nd2 {are more
popular nowadays.}) 4... Bxd3 5. Qxd3 e6 {EXERCISE: Let us take a moment to
think about how best to develop our minor pieces. If we go with the idea that
our centre is going to come under attack at a later stage with the typical
breaks ...c6-c5 and/or ...f7-f6, what is the best way to continue? --- ANSWER:}
6. Ne2 {White doesn't commit his f-pawn yet and remains flexible. I like this
move as any premature ...f7-f6 break will now leave e6 to be attacked by the
white knight (via f4).} ({Instead} 6. Nf3 {leaves the knight on b1 without a
purpose:} c5 7. c3 Nc6 8. a3 c4 9. Qc2 Nge7 {left Black with a good position
in De Gremont-A.Karpov, San Giorgio (simul) 1995.}) 6... Qb6 7. O-O Qa6 8. Qd1
{White, of course, doesn't wish to exchange queens at such an early stage.
With a solid pawn structure and no weaknesses Black would be fairly
comfortable in the endgame.} Nd7 {EXERCISE: Back to the concept of
overprotection. Where does the knight on b1 now belong? --- ANSWER:} 9. Nd2 $1
{The knight heads for f3. This set-up of white knights is also seen in the
French Tarrasch, another opening which can lead to a closed centre.} Ne7 10.
Nf3 Ng6 $6 {Perhaps a small inaccuracy.} ({I think the optimal square for this
knight is c6, so would have been more inclined to play something like} 10... c5
11. c3 Nc6 {with a solid position for Black.}) 11. Re1 {Nimzowitsch remains
true to his prophylactic style, discouraging ...f7-f6 even further.} ({However,
a case could have been made here for the typical attacking move} 11. h4 $5 c5 (
11... h5 {simply gives White a beautiful square on g5 for one of his minor
pieces}) 12. h5 Ne7 13. c3 {and White can claim a small advantage due to his
extra space.}) 11... Bb4 12. c3 Ba5 $6 {The bishop would be much better
employed on e7, discouraging the advance of the h-pawn and covering the
important g5-square. --- EXERCISE: Let's keep trying to think like
Nimzowitsch! Can you find another move to increase the defence of the centre?}
({Therefore} 12... Be7 $1 {should have been preferred.}) 13. Bf4 {(ANSWER) I
don't think this move is strictly necessary, but it is interesting to see how
these white pieces come alive later in the game.} ({Again, I think that} 13. h4
$1 {is the most testing, but that wouldn't be thinking like Nimzowitsch!})
13... O-O (13... Nxf4 $2 {would be a positional mistake, as then the white
knight comes to life via f4:} 14. Nxf4 O-O 15. Nh5 {leaves the black kingside
uncomfortable.}) 14. Bg3 {Removing the sensitive bishop from any possible
exchange.} Bc7 {Here we can see that White's plan of removing the possibility
of the ...f6 pawn break (and also in this case for the moment ...c6-c5) has
stifled Black's counterplay. --- QUESTION: How would you proceed in this
middlegame? --- ANSWER:} 15. Ng5 {The conditions are met for a kingside attack
- the pawn on e5 cramps the black position. The attack, however, must be built
up slowly.} Rfe8 (15... c5 {should have been played, seeking to pressurize the
white centre a bit.}) 16. Nf4 {Seeking to exchange off a defender of the black
kingside.} Nh8 $6 {I don't like this - Black is playing too passively.} (16...
Nxf4 17. Bxf4 h6 18. Nh3 c5 {still leaves Giese in reasonable shape.}) 17. Qg4
Nf8 {EXERCISE: Over the last few moves White has steadily improved his
position. What should he play now?} 18. Re3 {Without any direct black
counterplay Nimzowitsch seeks to gather more attacking forces on the kingside.}
({ANSWER:} 18. Nh5 $1 {should probably have been preferred. The knight targets
both the g7-pawn and the f6-square. For example,} Nhg6 19. Qf3 Re7 20. Nf6+ $3
{is a brilliant sacrifice which highlights how useful that e5-pawn is! After}
Kh8 (20... gxf6 21. exf6 Rd7 22. Qh5 {followed by Qh6-g7 is devastating}) 21.
h4 $1 h6 22. Nh3 {White has a very dangerous attack with h4-h5 coming: for
instance,} gxf6 23. exf6 Rd7 24. Bxc7 Rxc7 25. h5 {.}) 18... b6 $2 {Again
Black just doesn't respond quickly enough and sense the danger in time.} (18...
h6 {would be better, removing this dangerous knight:} 19. Nf3 Nhg6 {with only
a slight edge to White.}) 19. Nh5 Nhg6 20. Rf3 Re7 21. Nf6+ $1 {Finally the
enemy is engaged and note the use of the overprotected e5-pawn.} Kh8 {EXERCISE:
Finish Black off! Nimzowitsch couldn't find the win here, but can you?} (21...
gxf6 22. exf6 Rd7 23. Bxc7 Rxc7 24. Qh3 {is curtains. The g7-square is too
weak.}) 22. Qh5 $2 ({ANSWER:} 22. Nfxh7 $1 {is completely crushing:} Nxh7 23.
Nxf7+ Rxf7 24. Rxf7 {and Black will lose material or perhaps get mated if the
h-pawn arrives on h5!}) 22... h6 {Suddenly the game is back in the balance and
White has to win it all over again. I will give the remaining moves without
comment for you to play over. Suffice to say that had Nimzowitsch found the
win he would have proclaimed his triumphant overprotection strategy. Instead
we will have to do it for him!} 23. Kh1 Bd8 24. b4 Qe2 25. Rg1 a5 26. Ng4 Kg8
27. Nxf7 Qd2 28. Nxd8 Rxd8 29. bxa5 bxa5 30. Bh4 Nxh4 31. Qxh4 Ng6 32. Qh5 Kh7
33. a4 Rb8 34. h3 Rb3 35. Rg3 Nf4 36. Qxh6+ $1 {A stylish finish!} gxh6 37.
Nf6+ Kh8 38. Rg8# {. Summary: Overprotection is an advanced form of
prophylaxis and is usually applied to central squares. It is useful in denying
the opponent any tactical opportunities and, as we saw in this game,
overprotection of e5 led to a powerful kingside attack for White.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 8"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{1) Prophylaxis is the prevention of the opponent's plans and ideas. It is
linked closely with ideas we will examine in Chapter Ten as it limits the
enemy's counterplay.} 1. -- {2) We can apply prophylactic thinking to all
phases of the game, but it is particularly useful in situations where your
centre will come under attack in the opening.} (1. -- {3) Overprotection is a
term coined by Nimzowitsch to define the strategy of guarding important
central squares and in particular pawns. This can lead to potential kingside
and queenside attacks later on.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "9: Evaluating Positions"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{'Methodical thinking is of more use in chess than inspiration.' - Cecil Purdy
} 1. -- {Being able to accurately evaluate and assess a position, often as it
is changing through the course of the game, is a really important skill to
have. Such 'chess diagnostics' often can be very simple: for example, if one
side is clearly ahead on material for no compensation then the evaluation is
easy. However, in other cases the margins can be much finer. --- I would urge
you, upon every move you play, to think about how that move affects the
position in front of you as the landscape of the game will be constantly
changing. List in your mind the positional advantages and disadvantages and
try to act accordingly. With such a lot going on in a game, the process of
evaluation can be a daunting prospect. I do my evaluations 'ceteris paribus' 
(all other things being equal), in isolation from the other factors if you
like and try to then put it all together before reaching a verdict. Correctly
evaluating a position will not only help tell you what is going on at that
particular moment in the game, but perhaps more importantly should guide you
towards how you should proceed.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Imbalances to Look For"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{The Imbalances to Look For: Imbalance has become an important word in the
vocabulary of chess trainers and one of the most successful chess books of
recent times 'How To Reassess Your Chess' by Jeremy Silman focuses almost
exclusively on this particular area of the game. Put simply an imbalance is
'any difference between the white and black positions at a given moment of a
game'.} 1. -- {Let's make a list of what factors we can look at to determine
the difference between two positions:} (1. -- {1) Material.}) (1. -- {2) King
Safety.}) (1. -- {3) Development and the Initiative.}) (1. -- {4) Space.}) (1.
-- {5) Activity of the pieces.}) (1. -- {6) Control of an important square,
file, rank or diagonal.}) (1. -- {7) Pawn Structure.}) (1. -- {I think these
are the most important ones, though different authors and trainers will have
different names for these factors (some will split them down even further as
Silman does). When it comes to evaluating the position I would urge you to try
and evaluate these factors in this order. The reason is that there is an
important difference between the static and dynamic elements. I would
encourage dynamic, positive thinking at all times, which is why the short-term
factors can and should be examined first. The static features of a pawn
structure can be examined at the end.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Material Balance"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Calculating the Material Balance: Being able to quickly and accurately
calculate the material situation on a board is a massively useful skill to
have. Grandmasters are able to do this in a matter of seconds and will usually
do it before they take into account the positional factors at work. They can
do this so quickly as they have had years of practise and probably can't
explain how they do it so fast - it just comes naturally as their brains have
been wired to work at such a fast speed. The weaker and less experienced you
are, the longer it will take you to reach these conclusions. --- At novice
level a count up of the points is a complicated and difficult task - I have
found that out so many times with my students! Often they attempt to do the
evaluation by adding up the points of each piece they still have left and then
comparing the total to that of the opponent. As expected a lot will get lost
halfway through the calculation, or realize they have made a mistake in their
addition and have to start again.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "There is a simpler way!"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r6r/pbqnppkp/2Np1np1/1P1P4/5P2/2P2NP1/PPQ3KP/R4R2 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{There is a simpler way!: Fortunately for us there is a much easier way of
calculating the material balance and that is by cancelling the equivalent
pieces of our army and our opponent's. Let us take a completely random
position that has popped into my head to see what I mean.} 1. -- {Remember
that at this stage it is not important to do anything else other than
calculate the material balance. So the cancellation method is to compare the
equivalent pieces in the two positions. In this case it is as follows:} (1. --
{1) Both sides have a king, so no difference there (always the case).}) (1. --
{2) Both sides have a queen: we can cancel those out.}) (1. -- {3) Both sides
have two rooks: we can cancel them.}) (1. -- {4) White has two knights, Black
has two knights, so we can cancel them.}) (1. -- {5) Black has an extra bishop:
three points to him.}) (1. -- {6) White has eight pawns, Black has six: two
points to White.}) (1. -- {Conclusion: Black has a lead in simple terms of
material of one point. In more advanced terminology we would say a piece for
two pawns, as stronger players tend to stick to the points system only very
loosely. The relative activity of the pieces affects their worth.}) *

[Event "World Championship (Game 12), Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anand, V."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B30"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3kb1r/p5pp/b3pp2/3p4/7P/1P1P1N2/P1P2PP1/R1B1K2R b KQkq - 0 15"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Let's take a game from the recent World Championship match between Anand and
Gelfand, which saw the Indian Grandmaster retain his title by the narrowest of
margins. --- EXERCISE: Calculate the material situation. --- ANSWER: Again
let's use the cancellation method (ignoring the kings this time): 1) White has
two rooks, as does Black - we can cancel/ignore them. --- 2) White has a
bishop and a knight, Black has two bishops. IMPORTANT: we have a material
imbalance! --- 3) White has seven pawns, Black has six. We have another
material imbalance: White is a pawn up! --- Conclusion: White is a pawn up,
but Black has two bishops versus bishop and knight. This imbalance crops up
perhaps more than any other. The points system tells us there is no great
difference between the two pieces, but the more experienced player will have
other ideas, depending on the specific position in front of him. These two
pieces move in very different ways, so the specific features of the position
will affect their values. In this particular case Black has a pair of bishops,
which is more powerful than just a single one (coupled with a knight), as they
can control both the white and black squares in unison. They both also have
good diagonals to occupy and the board is relatively open. --- We will come
back to this position later when our evaluation skills have improved further.
If you still feel as though the cancellation system is difficult, keep
practising until it becomes second nature. The material situation in any game
of chess, in any position can be evaluated in this way. Next time you are at a
tournament or watching a game at home make a conscious effort to evaluate the
material using this system before you do anything else!} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "King Safety"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1b2rk1/pp3p1p/2nqpPpQ/2pp4/8/3P2P1/PP2PP1P/5RK1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{King Safety: After the initial material evaluation is done, we must turn our
eyes towards the positional features which are prominent and it will often be
the case that something will strike you immediately. King Safety often
overrides the material situation. In fact if the king is in immediate peril
then that is normally going to be the factor that decides the game. The
following is a basic example of this.} 1. -- {White is a rook and two minor
pieces down but that doesn't matter - the material is irrelevant as he is
about to win by checkmate! --- Some may even start by trying to evaluate the
king safety before the material balance and I don't think there is a right or
wrong way round to do this. Personally I evaluate the material first because
it's more clear cut - one side will be up or down, whereas king safety can be
a little more difficult to assess.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Factors affecting the Safety"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{Factors affecting the Safety of a King: The safety of a king can be
determined by a number of factors all of which we should be aware of when we
assess his situation:} 1. -- (1. -- {1) Whether or not it is castled.}) (1. --
{2) The number of open files and diagonals open towards the king.}) (1. -- {3)
The number of attacking and defensive pieces that can get to the king.}) (1. --
{4) The pawn structure; whether or not there are any weak squares in the
king's vicinity.}) (1. -- {5) How quickly the situation on the board is likely
to change. Can one side expose the king quickly?}) (1. -- {This fifth element
is one that a lot of people get wrong. They look at the situation as a fixed
moment in time, rather than as an ongoing part of the game. It might not
always be possible to see far enough into the future to calculate a win, but
you may get a sense that the king will remain a target for some time. This is
particularly true in games with lots of pieces still on the board. We need to
put all this together before we can reach a definite conclusion on how safe
the king is. The following is a basic example, again from my students.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Being Realistic"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rn1qkbnr/pppb1ppp/4p3/3pP3/3P1P2/8/PPP3PP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 4"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{Question: Is the white king safe?} 4... -- {Answer: When I ask for an
assessment of the position here after four moves I often get the answer 
(before any of my training I hasten to add!), that 'the white king is more
open and weak'. I disagree with the weakness bit. We must be realistic about
our opponent's chances of attack here. In his favour are the two open
diagonals towards the king, but the closed centre, the lack of pieces
attacking the king and the number of white pieces that can protect it mean
that the white player should be perfectly fine as long as he is a little
careful along the diagonals.} *

[Event "Woodbridge"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lastochkin, N."]
[Black "Emelyanov, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bqkbnr/ppp3p1/2np3p/1B2pp2/4P3/2N2N2/PPPP1PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq - 0 6"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Development and the Initiative: It is relatively easy to evaluate the
development situation. A count of the number of pieces that are off their
starting squares and in the game will give you a good starting point for your
assessment. --- EXERCISE: After a dodgy opening Black has just gone ...f7-f5
to attack the centre. How big is White's lead in development and how should he
proceed? --- ANSWER: If we ignore the pawns for the moment a count will show
us that White has four pieces developed: two knights, one bishop and the king/
rook (I would call castling one move of development). Black has developed one
piece (the knight on c6). It is White to move so we can call this another
half-move lead in development. Thus in total White's lead in development is
three and a half. --- The Search for Chess Perfection --- International Master
and Australian chess author Cecil Purdy tragically died of a heart attack
whilst playing chess (not a good advertisement for the game I know), but his
writings are of great interest. His view was that a lead in development of two
and a half or greater is extremely dangerous. Well, here we have a three and a
half move lead and not everything else is equal - we have another factor in
our favour! The opponent's king is exposed along the weak h5-e8 diagonal! ---
My evaluation: White is probably already winning with good play.} 6. d4 $1 {
Energetic and absolutely correct. White seeks to open more lines to the king
whilst applying central pressure.} fxe4 7. Nxe5 $1 {A tough move for a junior
to play, sacrificing a piece. Nikolay clears the diagonal to h5 for his queen.}
dxe5 8. Qh5+ Ke7 {QUESTION: What should White play here? --- ANSWER:} 9. dxe5
$1 {As Grandmaster Reuben Fine once said: "the first principle of attack is
not to let the enemy develop!" This quiet recapture prevents the development
of the g8-knight, but carries no immediate threat. It is perhaps difficult to
believe that White is completely winning here, but if we hang on to the idea
that we are still three moves up in development, with all the pieces still on
the board and the king in the centre, it should soon become easy to see why.} (
{The tempting continuation} 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. Qxe5+ {is not so good as after} {
but after} Be6 {Black is surviving.}) 9... Be6 $1 {A good move, covering the
weak d5-square. --- EXERCISE: White can win material back immediately here
with 10 Bg5+. What do you make of this?} 10. Be3 $1 {A very calm move under
the circumstances, but also a strong one. White stays a long way ahead in
development and now creates the terrible threat of Bc5+. Black is helpless.} ({
ANSWER:} 10. Bg5+ $2 {would be a serious mistake that would throw away much of
White's advantage. After} hxg5 11. Qxh8 Nxe5 {the black knight will come to f6
and shield the king. We must make development more difficult for our opponent!}
) 10... Qe8 $6 (10... Bf7 {would have kept the fight alive, but after} 11. Qf5
Qd7 12. Qxe4 {White has a raging attack and Black still can't get his kingside
pieces out!}) 11. Bc5+ Kd8 12. Rfd1+ Bd7 {EXERCISE: Can you see a powerful way
to continue the attack? --- ANSWER:} 13. Rxd7+ $1 Qxd7 14. Rd1 (14. Bxf8 {
would have been even stronger.}) 14... Bxc5 15. Rxd7+ Kxd7 16. Qg4+ $1 {. An
accurate final move. Nikolay doesn't allow Artem time to develop his knight.
Black resigned as he will lose the h8-rook.} (16. -- {Summary: Any count which
shows a lead in development of two or more should ring the warning bells in
your mind. If you have the lead look to use it to attack, whilst if you are
behind you really should be getting those pieces out ASAP! Remember that a
development lead is very much a short-term advantage and if not used quickly
is likely to evaporate.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Space – The Final Frontier"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Space - The Final Frontier: Or should that be the first frontier?
Evaluating a space advantage is primarily done by looking at the pawn
structure. As discussed in Chapter Four, pawns that are further advanced give
the owner more space. The more space you own, the more options your pieces
have. Often it will be obvious as to who has the more space. A quick look
should suffice. --- If you are after a more sophisticated explanation,
Grandmaster Larry Evans, in his book 'New Ideas in Chess' picks up on the
point to look at how many squares in the opponent's half of the board you
control or occupy with your pawns and pieces. The more squares you attack, the
more space you have. A space advantage on its own isn't usually enough to win
a game. Instead it can be used as a precursor to an attack on the enemy king
(as we saw in the game Tal-Simagin in Chapter Seven), or to tie down and in
some cases immobilize the enemy pieces. Amongst grandmasters space is a
particularly valuable asset. If you study the games of one of the truly great
positional players, such as Tigran Petrosian or Anatoly Karpov, you will see a
number of examples of them slowly squeezing the life out of their opponent by
restricting their space.} *

[Event "Stockholm Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1962.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian, T."]
[Black "Schweber, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E73"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/3n1pb1/3p1n1p/p2Pp1pP/Pp2P1P1/4BP2/1P1NB3/R2QK1NR b KQ - 0 16"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[EventDate "1962.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

16... Nc5 {EXERCISE: Who has more space in this position? Try to use the
Evans' method to calculate this, before deciding upon Petrosian's next move.
--- ANSWER:} 17. Bxc5 $1 {By my calculations White was controlling 12 squares
in the opponents half of the board: a6, b5 (twice), c5, c6, d5, e6, f5 (twice),
g6 and h5 (twice). Black was controlling 14 squares: a4, a3, b3, b4, c3, d3,
d4, e4 (twice), f4 (twice), g4 (twice) and h4. With Petrosian's move he
removes the active c5-knight and therefore reduces Black's control over the
White half of the board. He also creates a strong protected passed pawn on d5.}
dxc5 18. Bb5 Bb7 19. Ne2 Ne8 20. Bxe8 $1 {An instructive decision. The
Armenian World Champion has given up both his bishops as the position is
closed and the knights should carry more influence on proceedings.} Rxe8 21.
Nc4 {QUESTION: How many squares in the opponent's territory are both sides
controlling now? --- ANSWER: White now attacks fourteen squares: a5, b5, b6,
c6, d6, d5, e6, e5 (twice), f5 (twice), g6 and h5 (twice). Black attacks 10:
a3, b4 (twice), c3, d4 (twice), f4 (twice) and h4. Thus White has a clear
space advantage. It is also evident that even if the light-squared bishop is
exchanged for the active knight on c4, the other knight will dominate the
dark-squared bishop on g7, which leads a miserable existence.} Ba6 22. Qb3 (22.
b3 $2 {would be a positional mistake as} Bxc4 23. bxc4 {would improve Black's
chances greatly as the c4-square was the main entry point for the white pieces.
}) 22... Qf6 23. Rc1 {. White is clearly better and went on to win
convincingly.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Formulating a Plan"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Formulating a Plan Based on the Relative Activity of the Pieces:
Another quick and easy way of assessing a position is to look at the
equivalent pieces on both sides and come to a decision as to whose are better
placed. This can very rapidly paint a picture of who is better and can also
provide a simple plan for improving your position.} *

[Event "Nord Odal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Moe, P."]
[Black "Berg, E."]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C16"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Qd7 5. Nf3 {QUESTION: What should Black
play here? --- ANSWER: A quick comparison of the pieces in this French
position will tell us that the major problem Black faces is his light-squared
bishop, which is clearly worse than its white counterpart. Therefore a simple
and effective strategy is to exchange it off:} b6 $1 {As we saw in the
Kasparov-Ivanchuk game.} 6. Bd3 $6 {Not really grasping the point of Black's
last move.} (6. Bd2 Ba6 7. Ne2 Bf8 {is a curious sequence of moves, designed
to avoid exchanges and keep the position complex.}) 6... Ba6 7. O-O Bxd3 8.
Qxd3 c5 {. Without any structural weaknesses Black has a decent position.} (
8... -- {Summary: If you can see an easy way of exchanging off an inferior
piece it is usually a good idea. In this particular case Black also had less
space so the decision made perfect sense.}) *

[Event "Coulsdon"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Allicock, R."]
[Black "Madan, A."]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B44"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 {EXERCISE: By
comparing the relative activity of the pieces it is fairly obvious that
Black's light-squared bishop in inferior to its counterpart. Can you find a
way of getting rid of it? --- ANSWER:} Ba6 $1 7. O-O (7. Bxa6 Qa5+ 8. Nc3 Qxa6
{has the added benefit of preventing White from castling.}) 7... Bxd3 8. Qxd3
d5 9. exd5 cxd5 {. Black was comfortably placed and went on to win.} *

[Event "French League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Almasi, Z."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Witness the following fascinating game, full of imbalances aplenty} 1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9.
Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Bg5 12. Nc2 O-O 13. Be2 {EXERCISE: By evaluating
the relative merits of the minor pieces here try to come up with a good
strategy for Black. --- ANSWER:} Ne7 $1 {Very sensibly Black seeks to try and
undermine the superior white knight on d5. One of Black's main advantages in
this position is the bishop-pair, so he tries to maintain that advantage by
using his knight for the exchange.} 14. Ncb4 {White of course is in no mood to
'repair' the hole on d5 by capturing back with his pawn or queen.} a5 15. Nxe7+
Qxe7 16. Nd5 Qb7 17. Qd3 {The white queen eyes up the b5-pawn.} b4 18. cxb4 (
18. c4 {would appear to make sense, keeping an iron grip on the d5-square, but
there are no real targets in the black position:} Be6 19. Rd1 a4 20. O-O Ra5 $1
{is a typical Sicilian motif and would be a creative way of trying to fix a
pawn at d5. Black is better here as his bishop exerts more influence over the
game than its counterpart by controlling the c1-square. With all the heavy
pieces on the board Black has every chance of converting his advantage.}) 18...
axb4 19. Qg3 h6 20. O-O {QUESTION: What should Black's strategy be here? ---
ANSWER:} Kh8 {To undermine the d5-knight. In order to do that Black must play
for ...f7-f5, so he sensibly moves his king off the weak a2-g8 diagonal.} ({
The premature} 20... f5 {allows White into the black camp after} 21. h4 $1 Bd8
22. Qg6 {with unpleasant pressure.}) 21. Qb3 {Hitting the weak pawn on b4.} Rb8
({The immediate} 21... f5 {is also quite possible:} 22. exf5 Bxf5 23. Nxb4 Be4
24. f3 Bh7 {gives Black good compensation for the sacrificed pawn due to his
central pawn mass and White's weak dark squares.}) 22. Rad1 f5 {The pawn break
finally arrives.} 23. Bf3 Qa7 {Removing the queen from the long diagonal.} 24.
Nxb4 $6 (24. exf5 Bxf5 25. Nxb4 {was safer, but the dynamism of the black
position would still be evident after} e4 26. Be2 e3 $1 27. f3 Qb6 {, with a
real thorn in the side on e3.}) 24... fxe4 25. Bxe4 Bg4 $1 {The bishops'
collective power is evident.} 26. a3 {White is forced to sacrifice the
exchange,} ({as} 26. Rxd6 Qc5 {forks the rook and knight.}) (26. Rb1 Qc5 27. a3
Be2 {also collects the exchange due to the weakness on f2.}) 26... Bxd1 27.
Qxd1 {QUESTION: How should Black defend the d6-pawn? --- ANSWER:} Rbc8 $1 {He
shouldn't! Hopefully by now we are thinking first and foremost about active,
aggressive moves. Tying down a piece to defence of the backward pawn makes
little sense.} 28. g3 (28. Qxd6 Qxf2+ 29. Rxf2 Rc1+ 30. Rf1 Rcxf1# {is the
tactical justification.}) 28... Rc1 29. Qe2 Rxf1+ {there was a tactical shot
here that black must have rejected. What was it?} (29... Rxf2 $5 30. Qxf2 Be3 {
looks very tempting, but after} 31. Kg2 Bxf2 32. Rxc1 {White has very good
control of the light squares and it is the black king that must be a little
careful.}) 30. Kxf1 Qd4 (30... Be3 {again looks good and to be honest I'm not
so sure why Shirov didn't go for this - it seems to force a weakening of the
dark squares, such as after} 31. f3 Qd4 {.}) 31. Kg2 Bc1 32. Nd3 {EXERCISE:
Try to put yourself in the black bishop's shoes. Which diagonal would you
ideally like to be on and how do you get there? --- ANSWER:} Bd2 {Heading for
the b6-f2 diagonal!} 33. Bf3 Ba5 34. b4 Bb6 35. a4 Qc4 36. Qe4 Qc2 37. a5 Bd4
38. Qg6 $2 {White fatally allows the central pawns to advance, possibly as a
result of time pressure.} ({I don't see anything wrong with} 38. a6 Qa2 39. b5
{as White can elegantly give up a piece:} Qb1 40. Qd5 $1 Qxd3 41. a7 Qa3 42.
a8=Q Rxa8 43. Qxa8+ Qxa8 44. Bxa8 {with a likely draw.}) 38... d5 39. Bxd5
Rxf2+ 40. Kh3 Rxh2+ 41. Kg4 h5+ {. Summary: It was interesting to note the way
that Shirov played around the strong knight on d5, undermining it in order to
preserve his bishop-pair. Try to force yourself to constantly reassess the
situation on the board and ask yourself questions about the activity of your
pieces. Make them happier and your games will improve!} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Control"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Control of an Important File, Rank or Diagonal: This can be a major
factor to consider, particularly if the position is closed and there aren't
many good lines available for your major pieces.} *

[Event "Al Ain"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Prem, K."]
[Black "Gundavaa, B."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B99"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{In the next game we will see how Black, some 500 rating points higher than
his opponent, wrests control of important squares and thus improves his minor
pieces significantly.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6.
Bg5 e6 7. f4 h6 $5 {Quite a useful way of avoiding some of the main lines of
the Bg5 Najdorf.} 8. Bh4 Be7 9. Qf3 Nbd7 10. O-O-O Qc7 11. g4 $6 {EXERCISE:
Stop and evaluate the position. Pay particular attention to the minor pieces.
It appears as though all the white pieces are superior to the black ones. Can
you find a way to challenge this assessment? --- ANSWER: Evaluating: 1)
Material is equal. --- 2) White's king is more secure than Black's at the
moment and it is hard to see Black castling into that mass of white kingside
pawns. --- 3) White has five pieces developed to Black's four (though it is
Black to move). --- 4) White has more space. --- 5) All of the white pieces
that are developed are more actively placed than their counterparts. ---
QUESTION: How can the assessment of this position be anything other than White
is better? --- ANSWER: Gundavaa latches on to the concept of control of a very
important central square and his pieces come to life.} (11. Bd3 g5 12. fxg5 Ne5
13. Qe2 Nfg4 {is a better way to allow the black pawn break.}) 11... g5 $1 {A
very nice idea! Black uses the slightly exposed position of the h4-bishop to
gain control of the e5-square for his knight.} 12. fxg5 (12. e5 $5 {leads to a
complete mess, but it is a fascinating way to block the e- square and is a
very principled way to play, trying to open up lines to the black king. After}
dxe5 13. fxg5 hxg5 14. Bg3 Rb8 15. h4 gxh4 16. g5 Nd5 (16... Nh5 $2 17. g6 $1 {
was clearly better for White in I.Smolkov-A.Areshchenko, Alushta 2002}) 17.
Nxd5 Bxg5+ 18. Kb1 exd5 19. Qxd5 Bf6 {Black is hanging on by a thread.}) 12...
Ne5 13. Qg3 Nfxg4 14. gxh6 Bxh4 15. Qxh4 {QUESTION: Black's knights have come
to life, but his king is still in some danger. How can Black deal with this?
--- ANSWER:} Qe7 $1 {A fine move, offering to exchange the queens or seize
control of the g5-square.} 16. Qxe7+ (16. Qg3 {should probably have been
preferred, but after} Qg5+ 17. Kb1 Qe3 $1 {Black's queen will not take 'no'
for an answer!}) 16... Kxe7 17. Rd2 Rxh6 {EXERCISE: Re-evaluate the position.
Who is better here, by how much and why? --- ANSWER: An evaluation: 1)
Material is equal. --- 2) Neither king looks in any real trouble as the queens
have been exchanged. --- 3) The telling factors here are the pawn structure
and the activity of the pieces. --- 4) I would say that both black knights are
superior to their white counterparts. There are no access points for either
white knight due to the black pawn structure covering the important squares d5,
f5 and b5. The c3-knight could make a play for the b6-square, however. The
black knights have a brighter future due to weaknesses on the squares c4, e3,
f3 and f2. --- 5) The rook on h6 is excellently placed, targeting the weak
white h-pawn and the other black rook can back it up or occupy the open c- or
g-files. --- 6) In the endgame, as we know, the pawn structure becomes a more
telling factor. Here Black has two pawn islands to White's three. The h-pawn
is passed (and therefore must be kept an eye on), but also a target for attack.
Of bigger concern is the isolated e4-pawn, which if it falls will give Black a
huge central pawn majority. --- Conclusion: for these reasons we can assess
this position as clearly better for Black.} 18. h3 Bd7 {Preventing the white
knight from accessing a4, whilst preparing for the development of the a8-rook.}
19. Nd1 Nf6 {Black targets the weaknesses in the white position.} 20. Bg2 Rg8
21. Ne3 $2 {This natural looking move is a mistake, as White forgets about the
defence of his e4-pawn momentarily.} (21. Re1 {would have been better. Black
could continue to build up slowly here with something like} Rh4 22. Nc3 b5 23.
a3 Bc8 $1 {, looking to transfer the bishop to the long diagonal.}) 21... Rh4
$1 {Now the e4-pawn falls.} 22. Ne2 Nxe4 23. Rd4 d5 24. Bxe4 dxe4 {Gundavaa
doesn't want to ease the pressure on his lower-rated opponent's position by
exchanging a pair of rooks. The h4-rook also keeps the white h-pawn in check.}
25. Nc3 Rg3 26. Nc4 Nxc4 27. Rxc4 f5 $6 (27... Bc6 {would have been much
simpler, depriving White of any counterplay on the seventh rank.}) 28. Rc7 $1
Kd6 29. Rxb7 Bc6 30. Rb6 (30. Rd1+ Ke5 31. Rb6 Be8 {should be winning for
Black, although the king on e5 isn't all that comfortably placed.}) 30... Rgxh3
31. Rd1+ Kc7 32. Rxa6 Rxc3 $2 {Rather an unnecessary exchange sacrifice.} ({
Much simpler would have been} 32... e3 33. Ra7+ Bb7 34. Ne2 f4 {when the black
pawns are going to touch down.}) 33. bxc3 e3 34. Ra7+ Bb7 35. Re1 (35. Rd4 $1 {
seems to be the most tenacious defence here:} Rh1+ 36. Rd1 Rh7 37. Ra5 $1 {
looking to get to the e5-square when the game is very much still alive.}) 35...
f4 36. Rg1 Kb6 37. Ra4 {EXERCISE: Can you find a cute way to finish the game
here? --- ANSWER:} f3 $1 38. Rxh4 f2 39. Rb4+ Kc5 (39... Ka7 $4 {would throw
away all the hard work after} 40. Rg7 f1=Q+ 41. Kb2 Qa6 42. Rbxb7+ Qxb7+ 43.
Rxb7+ Kxb7 44. Kc1 {with a winning king and pawn ending for White.}) 40. Rf1 e2
{A triumph for the central pawns!} 41. Rxf2 e1=Q+ 42. Kb2 Qxf2 43. Rxb7 e5 44.
Rb4 Qf3 45. a4 e4 46. a5 e3 47. a6 e2 {. Summary: Dynamic pawn play by Black
gave his minor pieces excellent central squares which proved very important.
When making evaluations of piece activity be aware of the dynamic ways to
fight for control of the important squares for the pieces, as with 11...g5
here.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pawn Islands"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/2p4p/p3p1p1/1pPp1p2/5P2/1PP1P3/P3P2P/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{Quickly Evaluating Pawn Structure in the Endgame: Pawn Islands: There are a
number of different pawn structures that you should now be able to recognize
pretty quickly when making an evaluation. Doubled pawns, isolated pawns,
passed pawns, backward pawns and hanging pawns have all been discussed in the
chapter on pawn play. The pawn structure can give dynamic characteristics to
the position. Doubled pawns allow the owner open files, isolated pawns can
control strategic strongholds, and passed pawns need no introduction as they
strive to become new queens. --- Having said that, in general the pawn
structure itself is a static feature - it will not change quickly and we can
often assess the outcome of an endgame based on this. A quick way of assessing
the general qualities of a pawn structure can be done by looking at the number
of pawn islands a player possesses. A pawn island is a group of friendly pawns
that are connected. In general, the more pawn islands you have, the weaker
your structure is.} 1. -- {In this position Black has one pawn island, whereas
White has three (h2, the e2-e3-f4 pawn mass and the queenside island).
Material is equal and the kings are equally active. Evaluation: Black has good
winning chances.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 9"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{1) Being able to evaluate a position well will give you an idea of what the
plans for both sides should be in the future.} 1. -- {2) An initial material
assessment can be done quickly and easily using the cancellation method, and
should give you a good starting 'handle' on what is going on in the game.} (1.
-- {3) Positional factors such as king safety, development, space, etc, should
then be taken into account. King safety will often override material in terms
of importance.}) (1. -- {4) Be aware of how the situation is changing over the
course of the game. After a number of moves, stop and reassess. What's
changed? What should the plan now be?}) (1. -- {5) When evaluating an endgame
you can get a quick idea as to who is better by counting the number of pawn
islands both players possess.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "10: Winning Won Positions"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{'The hardest part of chess is winning a won game.' - Frank Marshall} 1. -- {
Who agrees with the American Grandmaster? "I do, I do", I hear you cry. It
would be against Marshall anyway, as he was known as the master of the
swindle! It certainly sometimes feels like it's the hardest part of the game
for me anyway. I suspect if there was a book out there called 'Winning Won
Positions' (a quick internet search fails to throw it up), then it would make
the author an awful lot of money. Sadly I am not qualified to write such a
book. The number of points I have squandered in my life as a result of failing
to convert winning advantages is huge. So remember when it happens that you're
not the only one, even if at times it can feel like you are. --- Before you
skip this chapter, distraught at the fact that I cannot provide the magic
formula you seek, please read on! I hope that in my search for improvement in
this area I have picked up some useful advice I can pass on to you.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Exchanging to Win"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/ppp1q1pp/2np1p2/3b4/8/4Q1P1/PPPP1PBP/7K b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "4"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Basic Winning Techniques 1: Exchanging to Win: When we are material up, one
of the most valuable techniques we have at our disposal to convert the
position is to start looking to exchange pieces into an endgame. This is good
because it normally reduces the amount of counterplay and chances your
opponent can create as he has fewer pieces left. In the diagram below Black is
a piece up. --- EXERCISE: The simplest way to convert this winning position is
to play what? --- ANSWER:} 1... Bxg2+ (1... Qxe3 $4 {would allow the
intermediate} 2. Bxd5+ Kf8 3. fxe3 {.}) 2. Kxg2 Qxe3 3. fxe3 {. Black will win
the endgame with the extra knight. This fundamental technique should become
your bread and butter, your staple diet for converting winning positions when
you are substantially up on material.} *

[Event "NorCal House of Chess Camp"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Viswananthan, A."]
[Black "Seela, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4r1k/p4pp1/4qn1p/1pb4N/3p1P2/1P1P1P2/P1PQ1K1R/7R b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Here is a nice simple example of exchanging off to win, taken from a recent
chess camp I worked at. Incidentally, Arul playing White, has the same
initials as the current World Champion! --- EXERCISE: Black is a piece up, but
under some mild pressure down the h-file. What is the simplest way to convert
the position? --- ANSWER:} 1... Qe3+ $1 {Trading the queens removes any hint
of counterplay.} 2. Qxe3 dxe3+ 3. Ke2 Nd5 {Black keeps the knights on, as he
seeks to remove the blockader of his passed e-pawn. Unsurprisingly he won a
few moves later.} ({I would have been just as happy to be honest had you played
} 3... Nxh5 4. Rxh5 f5 {which is also easily winning.}) *

[Event "British League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chevannes, S."]
[Black "Regan, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D12"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "Q3nrk1/p4pp1/4p2p/2q1P3/8/7P/5KP1/1R2RB2 w - - 0 26"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Exchanging to Win - A More Complex Example --- We pick the game up between
two of England's strongest female players with White up a rook for two pawns,
although her king is the more exposed. Watch the way that Sabrina carefully
extinguishes any Black counterplay: QUESTION: What is the safest way to
respond to the check? --- ANSWER:} 26. Kg3 $1 {The aim is to run the king to
safety on h2.} ({Otherwise:} 26. Re3 $4 Qc2+ {would be embarrassing.}) (26. Kf3
$6 {would allow more counterplay than is necessary after} f6 {.}) (26. Ke2 $2 {
is the wrong way to go. The king will be exposed in the middle of the board
after} Nf6 27. Qb7 Nd5 {.}) 26... f6 27. Qe4 $1 {As we have seen on many
occasions throughout this book, the principle of centralization is extremely
strong.} (27. Kh2 fxe5 28. Qe4 {would be just as good.}) 27... fxe5 28. Qxe5
Qf2+ {Black must of course keep the queens on to have any chance.} 29. Kh2 Nf6
30. Qxe6+ Kh8 {EXERCISE: Find a good way to remove any lingering black
counterplay by trying to exchange pieces. --- ANSWER:} 31. Qe3 Qh4 32. Qg3 $1 {
The white queen completely covers the king and the game is over.} Qd4 33. Rbd1
Qb4 34. Qd6 $1 {. Threatening to exchange pieces can often gain you time if
your king is exposed.} 1-0

[Event "Guernsey"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, L."]
[Black "Ruigrok, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C42"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r5k/p1p1n1pp/5qr1/1B1p4/Q2Pp1b1/2P3B1/PP3PPP/R3R1K1 w - - 0 20"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{My brother Laurence also plays a handy game of chess himself. Here we will
see him apply the exchanging principle to a position where he is a pawn up in
order to neutralize any initiative Black might have. --- EXERCISE: White has
grabbed a pawn in the opening, but Black has some activity to show for it.
With best play Laurence can stay in control here. What's best for him? ---
ANSWER:} 20. Be8 $1 {A good move, disrupting the harmony between Black's rook
and bishop.} Rh6 (20... Rg5 $2 21. h4 Rf5 22. Bd7 {would be a crafty way of
winning material!}) 21. Bd7 $1 {This is the main idea. White removes the
potentially dangerous g4-bishop (it had dreams of sacrificing itself on f3).}
Nf5 ({After} 21... Bxd7 22. Qxd7 {Black doesn't have any compensation for the
extra pawn}) ({and} 21... Rg6 {would be a waste of time, of course, and after}
22. Bxg4 Rxg4 23. Qxa7 Rxb2 24. Qxc7 {White nets another pawn.}) 22. Qxa7 Rf8 {
EXERCISE: Unfortunately for Black the rook has to stay on the weak back rank.
What's the cleanest winning plan here for White? --- ANSWER:} 23. Bxf5 $1 {
Best. Simplifying the kingside situation.} ({Instead} 23. Qxc7 $2 Nxg3 24. fxg3
(24. Qxg3 Bxd7) 24... Qf2+ 25. Kh1 Qf7 $1 {is a nasty switch-back.} 26. Rf1 {
is now not possible for White so he loses the d7-bishop. Always try to limit
your opponent's counterplay when you are winning!}) 23... Qxf5 24. Qxc7 {White
is two pawns up. The extra foot soldiers are also big trumps here as they are
connected passed pawns.} Bf3 {Black tries to use the light squares around the
king.} 25. Qe5 {Again following the exchanging approach, Laurence centralizes
his queen.} ({Actually} 25. gxf3 {also wins:} exf3 26. Kh1 Qh3 27. Rg1 {and
Black is out of ideas.}) 25... Qd7 (25... Qxe5 26. dxe5 Bg4 27. a4 {is an
opposite-coloured bishop ending that White will win due to the a- and b-pawns.}
) 26. a4 {. There is of course some play left in the position, but White is
too well placed for Black to seriously trouble him.} (26. -- {Summary: Having
a clear idea of which basic endings are winning will help you know the right
time to exchange pieces. In this game White efficiently converted his extra
pawn by exchanging on the kingside to neutralize any initiative, leaving his
extra material on the queenside to win the day.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Keeping the Pieces On"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Basic Winning Technique 2: Keeping the Pieces On If You Have the Attack:
If you have an attack and you are already material up, keep the pieces on and
go for the king rather than exchanging. Remember that checkmate ends the game
and can save you hours of long hard graft. It is often the case that the
opponent will shed more material trying to defend against the attack. Here we
will see me spectacularly fail to apply that principle back on the island of
Leros.} *

[Event "Leros"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Andersen, L."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B13"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2b4r/1pN1kp1p/1Q3pp1/3Pb3/q7/8/PP1pRPPP/R5K1 w - - 0 25"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{EXERCISE: Black has just captured on a4, leaving White an exchange up. How
would you proceed?} 25. Qb3 $2 {ANSWER: Not like this! White assumes that the
endgame will be easily winning for him and therefore exchanges queens, but
this is definitely wrong.} ({I have no idea why I didn't just play the correct
move} 25. Rxd2 {. Perhaps I was giving my opponent's attack too much credit
after} Qf4 {, but it is the white attack that is the stronger after} 26. d6+
Kd7 ({or} 26... Kf8 27. d7 $1 Bxd7 28. Rxd7 Qxh2+ 29. Kf1 Qh1+ 30. Ke2 Qxa1 31.
Ne6+ $1 {followed by Qd8 mate}) 27. Qb5+ Kd8 28. Qa5 $1 {.}) 25... Qxb3 26.
axb3 Kd7 27. Nb5 Bxb2 28. Rd1 Bc1 29. Nc3 b6 30. Ne4 Ba6 31. Re3 Rc8 {EXERCISE:
Black has cleverly organized his rook and bishops to limit the white pieces.
Does 32 Nxf6+ help White?} 32. f4 $2 {ANSWER: Yes! Here I was still annoyed
with myself for exchanging the queens and missed this relatively
straightforward idea.} ({White could just win the pawn with} 32. Nxf6+ Kd6 33.
Ne4+ {as} Kd7 (33... Kxd5 $2 {loses to} 34. Nxd2 Bxd2 35. Rxd2+) 34. g4 {still
gives him good winning chances.}) 32... f5 {. Black is definitely not worse
here and I was quite pleased Lars offered me a draw!} (32... -- {Summary: It's
easy after you make a mistake (and you often realize you have straight after
making the move) to compound your error by beating yourself up about it. It is
very important to remember to stay calm. Everyone makes mistakes! It is often
how we react to them that is the most important thing. Here I threw away the
win twice: once by exchanging queens unnecessarily and then at the end through
sheer frustration. Keep calm and carry on!}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Opponent's Counterplay"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Limiting the Opponent's Counterplay: One of the more common ways of not
winning a game of chess you really should do is by giving your opponent more
counterplay than is necessary. This can lead to muddy waters where although
the win may still be there, the enemy has the chance to complicate the issue.
Witness the following example by up and coming junior Adam Taylor.} *

[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Taylor, A."]
[Black "Pink, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C42"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "102"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4 $2 {A basic error.} ({The main line Petroff
defence runs} 3... d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 {.} ({. Here} 5. Qe2 $6 {is a
surprisingly common continuation I see:} Qe7 6. d3 $6 Nf6 {with a completely
equal game.}) ({. However,} 5. Nc3 $5 {is a pretty handy alternative to try
and unbalance the game:} Nxc3 (5... d5 $6 6. Qe2 $1 {is strong}) 6. dxc3 Be7 7.
Be3 {followed by Qd2 and 0-0-0.})) 4. Qe2 Qe7 ({At least Black didn't compound
his error with} 4... Nf6 $4 5. Nc6+ {.}) 5. Qxe4 d6 6. Bc4 $2 {Adam didn't
want an extra pawn!} (6. d4 dxe5 7. dxe5 {is just that - an extra pawn for no
compensation.}) 6... Qxe5 7. Qxe5+ dxe5 8. O-O Bf5 9. d3 Nd7 10. Nc3 a6 {
EXERCISE: Can you make use of your slight lead in development here? --- ANSWER:
} 11. f4 $1 {Commendably with the black king still in the centre, White tries
to open up the e- and f-files.} (11. Nd5 $6 {looks tempting, but allows Black
an easy game with} O-O-O {.}) 11... Bc5+ 12. Kh1 Bg6 13. fxe5 (13. f5 Bh5 14.
Ne4 $1 {strikes me as being more natural, trying to play against the misplaced
bishop on h5 as 15 Ng3 is threatened.}) 13... Nxe5 14. Re1 f6 15. Bf4 O-O-O 16.
Bxe5 fxe5 17. Rxe5 Bd4 {White has won a pawn, but Black has the bishop pair as
some compensation.} 18. Ree1 Rhf8 {EXERCISE: A spot of prophylaxis for you!
What is Black threatening and what can White do to prevent this threat? ---
ANSWER:} 19. Rf1 {A good move, stopping the invasion of the rook to f2.} h5 $6
{The start of a mistaken plan. This gives White time to organize his queenside
pieces. There are no targets on the kingside so this plan is flawed.} (19...
Rde8 {seems much more natural to me.}) 20. Rab1 h4 21. Nd5 Bh5 22. c3 Bc5 23.
Nf4 Bg4 24. Be6+ Bxe6 25. Nxe6 Rxf1+ 26. Rxf1 Rd5 {QUESTION: We now find White
a pawn up with the move in an endgame, with a decision to make: to exchange
the knight for the bishop or not?} 27. Nxc5 $2 {ANSWER: The desire to remove
the supposedly superior bishop is not the best. Notice how play now also
enters a single rook endgame. Remember Dr Tarrasch's words? Watch what happens
here!} (27. d4 Be7 28. Nxg7 {is much cleaner. It gives White two extra pawns
and the black bishop is hampered by the white pawn chain.}) 27... Rxc5 28. d4
Rc6 29. Rf8+ Kd7 30. Rf7+ Kd8 31. Rxg7 $2 {From a practical point of view this
is a serious error. White fails to consider Black's counterplay.} ({The
strongest move was} 31. Kg1 $1 {which prevents the opponent's rook from
invading on the second rank:} g6 (31... Re6 32. Kf2 {is the point}) 32. Kf2 Re6
33. Rh7 {.}) 31... Re6 $1 {Now there will be a race on, as the rook will start
eating the white queenside pawns.} 32. h3 {It is important to recognize there
a race is about to start and thus push the pawns as every tempo is crucial,} ({
although} 32. g4 $1 hxg3 33. Rxg3 Re1+ 34. Rg1 Re2 35. Rb1 Kd7 {is still going
to be difficult to win.}) 32... Re2 33. Rg4 Rxb2 34. Rxh4 Rxa2 {The problem
for Adam now is that there are three possible results in the game. Black, from
nowhere, has obtained some winning chances thanks to his outside passed pawn.}
35. Rf4 $1 {A good multipurpose move, preparing if necessary to defend the
c-pawn whilst freeing the kingside pawns to advance.} Ra5 36. g4 Rd5 37. c4 $6
{In a race such as this time is everything!} (37. h4 a5 38. g5 Rd6 39. h5 Rd5
40. h6 Rxg5 41. Rf2 Rg8 42. h7 Rh8 43. Rf7 $1 {wins for White, as Rg7 followed
by Rg8+ is threatened.}) 37... Rd6 38. d5 a5 39. h4 a4 {EXERCISE: The a-pawn
is fast as the black rook can support it from a6. Which is the right way for
the white rook to go? In front of the pawn or behind it? --- ANSWER:} 40. Rf8+
Ke7 41. Ra8 $4 {Following the basic endgame principle of putting the rook
behind the passed pawn, but failing to appreciate the specifics of the
position.} Ra6 {Suddenly it's over. Black is winning.} 42. Rc8 a3 43. Rxc7+ Kd6
44. Rf7 a2 45. Rf1 a1=Q 46. Rxa1 Rxa1+ 47. Kg2 Rc1 48. h5 Rxc4 49. Kf3 Kxd5 50.
g5 Ke6 51. h6 Rh4 ({White resigned, as after} 51... Rh4 52. Kg3 Rh1 53. Kg4 b5
{he cannot make any progress on the kingside.}) (51... -- {Summary: This game
highlights two main points. --- 1) When ahead always keep focused on your
opponent's potential counterplay. With 31 Rxg7? Adam took his eye off the ball
momentarily and gave Black chances. --- 2) Try to be as concrete as you can on
the specifics of the position, remembering that every game is different, and
look out for small details that can make all the difference. Here White forgot
about 41...Ra6.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Return of the Counterplay"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Limiting the Opponent's Counterplay 2: 'The Return of the Counterplay':
Sounds like a movie title doesn't it? Peter Svidler has played a brilliant
game up to this point and is certainly winning the following position with
best play against the current World Champion.} *

[Event "Dos Hermanas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Svidler, P."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C80"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6kr/4Rnp1/p2p4/1p1P3p/8/5P2/PP1B1P1P/6K1 w - - 0 32"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{EXERCISE: Can you prevent any possible black counterplay and thus give
yourself the 'cleanest' win there is?} 32. Ra7 $6 {So natural to go after the
a-pawn, but this gives Anand the chance to generate play.} ({ANSWER:} 32. h4 $1
{was the killer: for example, after} Ne5 33. Kg2 Kh7 34. Bc3 {White is well
and truly in control.}) 32... h4 $1 33. Ra8+ Kh7 {QUESTION: Which piece to
take, the pawn or the rook? --- ANSWER:} 34. Rxa6 {Svidler decides that the
minor piece ending is not so easy to win, due to the weak white pawn structure.
} ({Indeed,} 34. Rxh8+ Nxh8 35. Kg2 Kg6 36. Kh3 Kf5 $1 {gives Black good
chances to hold.}) 34... Kg6 35. Rb6 Rc8 $1 {Black seeks the maximum
counterplay possible down the open c-file.} 36. Rxb5 $6 {Svidler goes three
pawns up, but now the black rook enters on the second rank.} (36. Bc3 {would
be the natural way to stop the penetration of the rook and was probably safer
than the game. Then} Rc5 $1 37. f4 Rxd5 38. Rb7 $1 {ties Black down quite
effectively.}) 36... Rc2 37. Bc3 ({The passive-looking} 37. Be1 {may well have
been better here, as it covers the back rank:} Ne5 38. Rb3 Rc1 39. Kf1 {seems
to keep everything under control.}) 37... h3 {Now there is a mate in one to
deal with.} 38. Kf1 Ng5 {The situation is extremely unclear and strong nerves
will now play an important role.} 39. Rb7 Nxf3 40. Rxg7+ Kf5 {EXERCISE: Can
you find a good defensive move for White? --- ANSWER:} 41. Rg3 $1 {In the nick
of time the rook comes back to help the king.} Ke4 42. Rxh3 Rc1+ 43. Ke2 ({Not
} 43. Kg2 $4 Rg1# {!}) 43... Rxc3 $1 44. bxc3 Ng1+ 45. Kf1 Nxh3 {I'm sure
Svidler didn't envisage being a piece down (okay for three pawns!) 15 moves
ago. Due to some tenacious and active play by Black the result is still
unclear.} 46. a4 {Passed pawns must be pushed!} Kxd5 47. Kg2 Ng5 48. h4 Ne4 {
QUESTION: What should White play here? --- ANSWER:} 49. h5 $1 {Due to the
passed pawns on both flanks Black doesn't get any respite.} Ke6 50. c4 Nd2 (
50... Kf5 51. f4 $1 {is a nice demonstration of how to use split pawns against
an enemy king.}) 51. a5 Nxc4 52. a6 Nb6 53. a7 Kf5 54. f4 $1 {Svidler has
managed to navigate his way back to a winning position and will now improve
his king. Black can only sit and wait.} Na8 (54... Kxf4 $4 {, of course,
allows the pawn to queen after} 55. h6 {.}) 55. Kf3 d5 56. Ke3 Nc7 57. Kd2 $1 {
Seeking to bring the king around the queenside to hassle the black knight.} (
57. Kd4 $4 {would be very careless:} Nb5+ 58. Kxd5 Nxa7 {is a draw.}) 57... Kf6
58. Kc2 Kf5 59. Kb3 d4 60. Kc4 Kf6 61. Kd3 Kf5 {EXERCISE: If it were Black to
move here, Anand would be in zugzwang (as ...Kf6 would allow Ke4). Can Svidler
somehow make this happen? --- ANSWER:} 62. Ke2 $1 {Triangulation wastes the
move.} Kf6 63. Kf2 (63. Kd2 {would have been just as good:} Na8 ({or} 63... Kf5
64. Kd3 Kf6 65. Ke4) 64. Kd3 Nc7 65. Ke4 {.}) 63... Kf5 64. Kf3 Na8 65. Ke2 Nc7
66. Kd3 {Now it is Black to move, but Anand keeps going.} Kf6 67. Ke4 Kf7 68.
f5 Kf6 69. h6 Kf7 {. Here a draw was, indeed, agreed! A tremendous fight.
Anand showed steely determination, even in what seemed like a hopeless
position, while White should probably have kept a closer hold on the black
counterplay when he had a chance. The final position is an exercise in
calculation.} ({EXERCISE: Actually White is winning here after} 69... Kf7 70.
Kxd4 {. How much can you calculate? --- ANSWER: The analysis here comes from
Hecht in Mega Database 2012. White wins by force after} Nb5+ 71. Kc5 Nxa7 72.
Kb6 $1 {(a lovely idea, dominating the black knight)} Nc8+ ({now} 72... Kg8 {
is met by the motif} 73. f6 $1 Nc8+ 74. Kc7 Na7 75. Kd7 {followed by Ke7 when
the pawn will queen}) 73. Kc7 {and now:} -- (73... Ne7 74. h7 $1 Kg7 ({or} 
74... Nd5+ 75. Kd6) 75. f6+ $1 {wins.}) (73... Na7 74. Kd7 Nb5 ({if} 74... Kf6
75. h7 $1 Kg7 76. f6+ Kxh7 77. f7 Kg7 78. Ke8 $1) 75. h7 Kg7 76. f6+ Kxh7 77.
f7 Kg7 78. Ke7 {and wins.})) 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Overrating Material Advantage"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Overrating a Material Advantage: It can sometimes be the case that we
overrate the 'progress' we are making when we convert a large positional
advantage into a material gain. It can often be the case that the opponent,
who previously had a horribly passive position, gains some counterplay that
wasn't warranted. Here Harriet is level on material against the strong Irish
player Mark Quinn, but has two huge connected passed pawns on the queenside
and the knights on e8 and b7 are badly tied down.} *

[Event "Witley"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, H."]
[Black "Quinn, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B32"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1r2n1k1/1n2r3/BP1p2pp/2pPpp2/P1N5/8/5PPP/2RR2K1 w - - 0 28"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{EXERCISE: What should White play here?} 28. a5 $2 ({ANSWER:} 28. Bb5 {,
re-routing the bishop to the stronger c6-square, seems best. There it covers
the d5-pawn, freeing the rooks to move to the a- and b-files to support the
passed pawns. After} Nd8 29. a5 Kf7 30. Bc6 {Black will probably have to give
a rook for one of the pawns.}) 28... Nxa5 $1 {Mark must have jumped at this
opportunity. At the cost of a piece both of the dangerous pawns are removed
and his rooks have life again down the a-, b- and c-files.} 29. Nxa5 Rxb6 30.
Bc4 Ra7 31. Nc6 Rd7 32. Rb1 {. White still has the position under control, but
the win is that much further away. In the end after a huge battle amazingly
Black won.} (32. -- {Summary: Sometimes patience is the best policy when you
have a strong position. This can be particularly true if your advantage is
positional and your opponent's position is passive. Seek to maximize the
strength of all your forces before making the decisive breakthrough.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "It's all in the Mind"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{It's all in the Mind: A lot of the difficulty associated with winning won
positions is mental. Perhaps the most common reason we don't win as many games
as we should is due to relaxing too early in winning positions. This subject
will be touched upon again in Chapter Eleven on Defensive Resourcefulness, but
for now let me illustrate what I mean by looking at one of my most painful
defeats ever in the beautiful Italian town of Bratto.} 1. -- *

[Event "Bratto"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "David, A."]
[Black "Hunt, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B52"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/5p2/3q1Pp1/4p3/3p2Q1/6P1/5P2/3R2K1 w - - 0 35"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Black has survived a 'pseudo-attack' on the kingside and is a safe pawn up.
The tournament situation was such that this last round win by either player
would earn a decent prize.} 35. Qh4 {My thoughts at the time were something
like this: "I'm actually going to win this game. Why is this guy playing on?
Okay, he can't go Qh6 as his f6-pawn is hanging, so I'll improve the position
of my queen."} Qc6 {"I wonder what I'm going to do with all the money? Perhaps
buy some nice shiny Italian leather shoes for work and I'll probably also win
a nice cheese!" (They give them out as prizes in Bratto.)} 36. g4 {"Okay he
wants to go g4-g5 followed by Qh6, but I've got that covered." --- EXERCISE:
What is the cleanest way for Black to win?} Qf3 $4 {"I've stopped the threat
of Rd3, am covering the f6-pawn and the g4-pawn. He's going to go Rc1 and I'm
going to queen my d-pawn."} ({ANSWER:} 36... d3 $1 {wins relatively easily, as}
37. g5 Rd4 38. Qh6 Rg4+ 39. Kf1 Qg2+ 40. Ke1 Qe4+ 41. Kd2 Qe2+ 42. Kc1 Qc2# {
is mate.}) 37. Rd3 $3 {Time stopped for a second, before the sheer horror of
what had just happened became clear. Usually in such situations I turn a
bright shade of red before storming unsportingly out of the tournament hall! 
(Remember this if you play me, and apologies in advance.) This move, of course,
is completely crushing, as it gains a tempo for the rook to swing to the
h-file.} Qf4 (37... Qxd3 38. Qh6 Qd1+ 39. Kh2 {is the end of the checks.}) 38.
Rh3 Qc1+ 39. Kg2 Qc6+ 40. Kh2 {. And after resigning I stormed out, hating
chess, my opponent and in particular myself for relaxing too early. Such
crushing psychological blows have been dealt time and time again at all levels.
For me they usually result in wanting to give up chess for good (but try as I
might, I can't). What we can and should do instead is to be strong and learn
from the mistake, endeavouring not to let it happen again.} (40. Kh2 {Summary:
Relaxing too early in a won position is one sure-fire way of shedding points
and I can point to this as the reason I missed 37 Rd3 in this particular game.
Keep focused until your opponent resigns! The silver lining was that I won a
nice Italian cheese anyway.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Beware the 41st Move!"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{"The number of 'unnecessary' errors that have been committed on move 41 are
legion." - Edmar Mednis} 1. -- {A big tragedy that can befall a player with
the winning position comes just after the time control, whether that be move
31, 41, 61 or whenever. We've probably all been there, surviving a furious
time-scramble and feeling contented when that last move has been made and
extra time has been added. Adrenaline has been pumping through your system and
now the brain starts to relax. This is when we often make mistakes. Look, it
can happen even to the greatest! Here we pick the game up with four moves to
the time-control. Black has just played 36...f5 and is now winning.} *

[Event "West Orange Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1957.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Santasiere, A."]
[Black "Fischer, RJ."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E67"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/qp4k1/4b1p1/2P1pp2/1P1pP3/P4RPP/6K1/3R1B2 w - - 0 37"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1957.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

37. Bd3 {Unfortunately for White due to his weakness along the a8-h1 diagonal
he cannot hold all his pawns.} Qxa3 38. Kg1 Qxb4 39. Rb1 Qxc5 40. Rxb7+ Kf6 $2
{On the last move before the time control Fischer puts his king in the line of
fire.} (40... Kh6 {was safer and better.}) 41. exf5 $2 (41. Kg2 $1 {was a more
stubborn defence.}) 41... Qd5 $4 {Fischer relaxes and blunders away the game
horribly!} ({Both the recaptures} 41... gxf5) ({and} 41... Bxf5 {win easily.})
42. fxe6+ ({Presumably Black had missed that} 42. fxe6+ $1 Qxf3 43. Rf7+ {
would pick up the queen.}) (42. -- {Summary: Don't relax just because you have
made the time control! Take a few moments - go for a walk and clear your head
of what has gone before. Often the battle will only just have got started and
you need to redouble your efforts after the time control. Don't forget that
once the enemy has nothing to lose he can become an even more dangerous
opponent!}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stay Positive"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Stay Positive and Don't Expect the Position to Win Itself: Let's take a
look at a game of one of my former students, Callum Kilpatrick, played in
another beautiful town in Italy. This was his first round game against the
experienced GM Rotstein after almost a year away from the board. Little did he
know at the time he would go on to make his first IM and first GM norm in the
same tournament!} *

[Event "Livigno Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kilpatrick, C."]
[Black "Rotstein, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B21"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/p5pp/r7/1R6/1pNb4/1P1P1KP1/3P3P/8 b - - 0 41"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Let's take stock. White is a pawn up and it is passed (the d-pawn), but also
doubled and isolated. Black has a bishop against a knight, or should I say
that White has a knight against a bishop?} 41... Rf6+ {QUESTION: What should
we do with the king? --- ANSWER:} 42. Ke4 $1 {Positivity is the name of the
game here. White abandons his kingside pawns for the moment as his trump card
lies through the centre.} Bg1 43. Rb8+ Rf8 {Black cannot dare expose his king
even though he would like to keep the rooks on the board.} ({The attacking
combination of king, knight and rook is too dangerous after} 43... Kf7 44. Ne5+
Ke6 45. d4 $1 {.}) 44. Rxf8+ {A good decision. Endgames can often be won by
thinking in 'phases'. The first phase was to get the rooks off. Next will be
to secure the kingside pawns before advancing the d-pawn.} ({Instead} 44. Rxb4
$2 Bxh2 45. Rb7 Bxg3 46. Rxa7 h5 {gives Black too much counterplay and any
result is suddenly possible. The black bishop is now the superior piece as it
can be used to both support the kingside pawns and cover against the white
queenside advance.}) 44... Kxf8 45. h3 {The pawns should be placed on the
opposite-coloured squares to the enemy bishop.} Ke7 46. d4 (46. Kd5 {is also
positive and good, heading for the queenside. If} Kd7 47. Ne5+ Kc7 48. Nc6 {
wins the b-pawn.}) 46... Ke6 47. d5+ Kf6 48. Ne3 {EXERCISE: Callum wants to
free a path for his king to the queenside. What is Black's best response?} (48.
d4 {would also have been very logical, cutting off the bishop from the defence
of the queenside for the moment: for example,} Bf2 49. g4 Ke7 50. Ne5 {with
the knight heading to c6.}) ({However, White's task would be made much harder
after the hasty} 48. d6 $2 Ke6 49. d4 Bf2 50. g4 Bg3 51. d5+ Kd7 {when the
weakness of the doubled isolated pawns is apparent.}) 48... h5 {ANSWER: A good
move, trying to put some doubt into White's mind as to whether he can abandon
his kingside pawns. In a pawn race Black is now one step closer to making a
queen!} 49. Kd4 Bf2 50. g4 hxg4 (50... h4 51. Kc5 Ke5 52. d6 {is way too slow
for Black.}) 51. hxg4 Be1 52. Nc4 Bf2+ {Rotstein finds a clever way of keeping
the door shut on the white king for the moment.} 53. Ke4 Bg3 {QUESTION: How to
make progress here? --- ANSWER: Think about improving your pieces in stages.}
54. Na5 $1 {The knight simply looks for a better square on c6, where it
targets both black queenside pawns.} Bc7 {Going after the g4-pawn looks
tempting,} ({but} 54... Kg5 55. Nb7 $1 Kxg4 56. d6 {is hopeless for Black.})
55. Nc6 a5 56. Nd4 {Centralization! Here the knight sets up fork tricks which
are annoying and prevents Black winning the g4-pawn.} g6 57. g5+ $6 {Not
strictly necessary and it places the pawn on a dark square.} ({I would have
preferred} 57. Ne6 Bd6 58. Kd4 {with the plan of sending the king to c6.})
57... Ke7 58. Nc6+ Kd7 {EXERCISE: What do you make of the king and pawn ending
that could arise after 59 Ne5+?} 59. d4 ({ANSWER: The hasty} 59. Ne5+ $4 {
would be a catastrophe for White as after} Bxe5 60. Kxe5 a4 $1 {it is Black
who is suddenly winning as one of his queenside pawns touches down.}) 59... Ke8
60. Ne5 $1 Bd8 ({Now after} 60... Bxe5 61. dxe5 {the connected passed pawns
will keep the black king at bay whilst White can mop up the a5- and b4-pawns.})
61. Nxg6 Bxg5 {With the g-pawns eliminated there is very little chance of any
black counterplay. The more active white king will have a field day on the
queenside.} 62. Ne5 (62. d6 Kd7 63. Ne5+ $1 {would also be good enough due to
the fork trick} Kxd6 64. Nf7+ {.}) 62... Bd8 {QUESTION: With the g-pawns
successfully eliminated what the next phase of action be?} 63. Kd3 $6 {ANSWER:
The right idea (to bring the king to the queenside pawns),} ({but not as
positive or strong as} 63. d6 $1 {completely cutting the enemy king out of the
game.}) 63... Bb6 (63... Bc7 64. Kc4 Ke7 {is more stubborn when White should
again reroute his knight with} 65. Nd3 Bb8 66. Nc5 Ba7 67. Ne4 $1 {to control
the d6-square.}) 64. Kc4 {Now the king cannot get to d6 in time and the game
is clearly won.} Bc7 ({After} 64... Ke7 65. Kb5 $1 {again the pawn is immune
due to the knight fork:} Bxd4 66. Nc6+ {.}) 65. Kb5 Ke7 {EXERCISE: One more
accurate move, to prevent any Black activity, should be enough. What is it?
--- ANSWER:} 66. Nc4 {Controlling the d6-square and not allowing the black
king into the game.} Kd7 67. d6 $1 {Here White still needed to be careful and
not relax!} (67. Nxa5 $4 Kd6 {was the one last trick that the wily GM was
playing for. He would then win both d-pawns when the game should be a draw.})
67... Bd8 68. Nxa5 {Now the a-pawn is free to be captured and the knight fork
on b7 means d6 is also safe.} Bh4 69. Nc4 Bg3 70. Kc5 (70. Kxb4 {also wins.})
70... Ke6 71. Kc6 Bh4 72. Ne3 Bd8 73. Nd5 Ba5 74. Nc7+ Kf7 75. Kb5 {.
Domination of the bishop by the knight! Not something you see every day.} (75.
-- {Summary: A nicely played endgame! Callum remained positive throughout,
striving for maximum activity and trusting his trump cards. It also highlights
the idea of thinking 'in phases' in the ending and how a bishop is not always
superior to a knight on an open board!}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 10"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{1) Basic winning techniques when up on material include exchanging off into
the endgame and being direct and attacking the enemy king.} 1. -- {2) Stay
positive at all times. Don't expect the position to win itself just because
you are material up!} (1. -- {3) Don't relax when you are winning as the
opponent has nothing to lose and will be looking for tricky defensive
resources. This is particularly true just after a time scramble as the body
starts to relax.}) (1. -- {4) Look to restrict your opponent's counterplay as
much as possible. This will limit the possible outcomes of the game to just
two - a win for you and a draw.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "11: Defensive Resourcefulness"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{'It is hard to beat a person who never gives up.' - Babe Ruth} 1. -- {Of all
the subjects in this book, the one that I am probably best qualified to write
about is defensive resourcefulness. The reason is simple - the number of
passive or worse positions I have reached in my time as a result of a lack of
opening knowledge is so numerous! I don't think anybody particularly likes
defending. As alluded to in Chapter Seven when we were talking about the
initiative, being on the attack is the way to make things happen and to be in
control of the game. Having said this, I am yet to meet a grandmaster who
cannot, if asked, defend a worse position tenaciously. It's a skill that
simply must be acquired if you are going to make progress. --- I have also met
grandmasters who use the defensive strategy to win games. Normally this arises
through taking material (normally pawns), then stubbornly defending the
position, basing their play on the 'money in the bank' that they already have.
As Bobby Fischer put it: "Concentrate on material gains. Whatever your
opponent gives you take, unless you see a good reason not to." --- One of the
big theoretical contributions that Fischer made was to the Poisoned Pawn
variation of the Sicilian Najdorf, an incredibly complex opening where Black
has to defend against a dangerous lead in development. I think the next game
is a nice introduction to the subject of successful defence.} *

[Event "Havana"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1965.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tringov, G."]
[Black "Fischer, RJ."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B97"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "1965.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 {Unquestionably the
most aggressive move against the Najdorf. White looks to double the black
pawns on f6.} e6 7. f4 Qb6 {And this is the most principled reply, challenging
the weakened white queenside at an early stage. Warning: playing this
variation requires a lot of knowledge!} 8. Qd2 {White takes up the gauntlet,
sacrificing the b2-pawn for a lead in development.} (8. Nb3 {takes the knight
off its most dangerous square and leads to quieter play: for instance,} Nbd7 9.
Qf3 Qc7 10. O-O-O b5 11. a3 Bb7 {, as in V.Akopian-L.Van Wely, Cap d'Agde 
(rapid) 1996.}) 8... Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. e5 {The most direct move, which has
undergone a resurgence of interest in recent years.} ({The sharpest
alternative is} 10. f5 {and here after} Nc6 11. fxe6 fxe6 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. e5
$5 {is a very interesting move. Many variations of the Poisoned Pawn have now
been worked out to a forced draw. Here are the moves of one such example:} dxe5
14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Ne4 Qxa2 16. Rd1 Be7 17. Be2 O-O 18. O-O Ra7 19. Rf3 Kh8 20.
Rg3 Rd7 21. Qh6 Rf7 22. Qh5 Rxd1+ 23. Bxd1 Qa5 24. Kf1 Qd8 25. Qxf7 Qxd1+ 26.
Kf2 Qxc2+ 27. Kf3 Qd1+ 28. Kf2 Qc2+ 29. Ke3 Bc5+ 30. Nxc5 Qxc5+ 31. Kd2 Qf2+
32. Kc3 Qd4+ 33. Kc2 Qf2+ 34. Kc3 {½-½ F.Vallejo Pons-G.Kasparov, Moscow
2004.}) 10... dxe5 11. fxe5 Nfd7 12. Bc4 $6 {EXERCISE: White has a big lead in
development, so Black must act with caution. What do you make of 12...Nxe5?} (
12. Ne4 {is the most testing move here, first introduced into practise by Paul
Keres in the late 1950's. After} h6 $1 13. Bh4 Qxa2 14. Rd1 Qd5 {a heavily
discussed theoretical position is reached, which we will leave for another day!
}) 12... Bb4 $1 {Gaining a tempo with development.} ({ANSWER:} 12... Nxe5 $6 {
is highly risky! Amazingly the only game according to Mega Database 2012 with
this move was played by Tringov himself a year prior to this game. That game
went} {that game went} 13. Nxe6 Qa5 14. Bd8 {when Black has to be on his toes
to survive, but} (14. Bb5+ $5 {might be the way forward:} Bd7 15. Bxd7+ Nbxd7
16. Nxf8 Rxf8 17. O-O {with lasting compensation based upon the weakness of
the black king}) 14... Nf3+ $1 15. gxf3 Qe5+ 16. Ne4 fxe6 {was eventually
drawn in J.Bednarski-G.Tringov, Kecsemet Zonal 1964.}) 13. Rb3 Qa5 14. O-O O-O
{Again Fischer refuses the second pawn. There is a line that even he dare not
cross!} (14... Nxe5 {allows the disruptive sacrifice} 15. Rxb4 $1 Qxb4 16. Nxe6
{which looks crushing for White, but the ice cold defence} Qb6+ 17. Be3 Nxc4 $1
{seems to just about hold: for example,} 18. Nxg7+ Kf8 19. Rxf7+ Kxf7 20. Qd5+
Kxg7 21. Bxb6 Nxb6 22. Qd4+ Kg8 23. Qxb6 Nc6 {with a bizarre material
imbalance.}) 15. Nxe6 {Very scary, but the art of good defence is to stay cool
and not panic, even if something happens on the board that you have not seen.
I'm guessing, though, that Fischer had, of course, seen this particular
sacrifice and knew it to be unsound.} fxe6 16. Bxe6+ Kh8 17. Rxf8+ Bxf8 18. Qf4
Nc6 (18... Qxe5 {would give the piece back and reach an approximately level
ending after} 19. Qxe5 Nxe5 20. Bxc8 b5 {.}) 19. Qf7 {EXERCISE: Find a way to
defend against the threat of Qg8 mate. Bear in mind that Black is currently a
knight for a pawn up... --- ANSWER:} Qc5+ 20. Kh1 Nf6 $1 {Beautifully done.
Black generates counterplay based on the weakness of the white back rank and
the loose bishop on g5.} 21. Bxc8 (21. exf6 Bxe6 22. Qxe6 Qxg5 {would also be
winning for Black.}) 21... Nxe5 (21... Rxc8 22. Bxf6 Qe3 $1 {would do the job
too.}) 22. Qe6 Neg4 {. The white attack has been stopped in its tracks and
Black has the decisive attack.} (22... -- {Summary: The first principle of
successful defence is to remain calm under pressure. Here Fischer calculated
accurately and saw through the white aggression. At the right moment he could
return some of his extra material in order to defuse the attack. We will
revisit this 'money in the bank' strategy later in the chapter.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Endgame Defensive Themes"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Recurring Defensive Themes in the Endgame: Having a basic understanding
of a few recurring defensive ideas in the ending should put you in reasonable
shape, in terms of what positions to head for when in difficulties. Although
every game of chess will be different, there are a few ideas which are
important to remember and understand. These are particularly relevant in the
last phase of the game when material has been reduced. This is often a time
when the player with the advantage relaxes (as they think the win is close at
hand), and allows some devious defensive resource. Stay alert at all times!} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stalemate Tricks"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1k6/r7/2Q5/1K6/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Stalemate Tricks: There are a few classic stalemating ideas worth remembering.
In king and queen against king and rook (which is technically a win), one of
the big traps that can be set is this:} 1. Kb6 $4 ({The win is achieved
through breaking the coordination between the king and the rook:} 1. Qe8+ Kc7
2. Qe5+ Kb7 ({or} 2... Kc8 3. Kb6 Rb7+ 4. Kc6 {with mate to follow}) 3. Qd4 $1
Kb8 {(the king must stay in contact with the rook)} 4. Kb6 Rb7+ 5. Ka6 {and
Black is in zugzwang: for example,} Kc8 6. Qh8+ Kc7 7. Qg7+ {, picking up the
rook.}) 1... Ra6+ $1 2. Kxa6 {. It's stalemate!} *

[Event "Washington"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Defibaugh, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6k1/8/R7/5K2/3b4/8/8 b - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Black draws this position easily by heading with his king towards the
opposite-coloured corner to his bishop, then using stalemate ideas.} 1... Bg6
2. Kg5 Bd3 3. Ra7+ Kh8 4. Kf6 Bc4 5. Ra4 ({Otherwise,} 5. Ra8+ Bg8 {doesn't
get anywhere}) ({and} 5. Kg6 Bd3+ 6. Kh6 Bc4 7. Ra8+ Bg8 {is the basic
stalemate position.}) 5... Bg8 6. Rh4+ Bh7 7. Rh3 Kg8 8. Rc3 Kh8 9. Kf7 Bg8+
10. Kf6 {and a draw was agreed a few moves later.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rook and Bishop vs Rook"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4K3/R7/3bk3/8/8/8/7r/8 w - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{And on a similar note... --- The rook and bishop versus rook endgame is a
draw, though it is notoriously hard to achieve, especially if you don't know
the defensive technique! Here White can employ a stalemate trick as part of
the 'second rank defence' to push the opponent's king away.} 1. Re7+ $1 Kd5 (
1... Bxe7 {is, of course, stalemate.}) 2. Re1 {. With a theoretical draw.} *

[Event "Turkey"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nouman, A."]
[Black "Whitfield, C."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B48"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/3r4/5pk1/R7/6K1 w - - 0 107"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Next we find the last game to finish in the last round of the World Under-16
Olympiad in Turkey, 2011 where I was coaching the England team. It was an
important game for the team as the result meant the difference between
finishing ahead of Scotland or behind them! The WFM playing White didn't know
the defensive resource here, so I thought it would be useful to include. ---
EXERCISE: It's White to play and mate on d1 is threatened. Can you find the
defensive resource?} 107. Ra1 $2 {Now White is losing.} ({Correct was} 107.
Rg2+ $1 Kf4 (107... fxg2 {is the stalemate trick}) 108. Ra2 Rd3 109. Kf2 {with
an easy draw as the white rook will check the black king and force it back
from the fourth rank.}) 107... Rd2 $1 108. Rb1 {Now comes the important
winning motif:} Rg2+ 109. Kf1 Rh2 ({White resigned as after} 109... Rh2 110.
Kg1 f2+ 111. Kf1 Rh1+ {the rook on b1 is lost.}) 0-1

[Event "Ostend"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1905.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chigorin, M."]
[Black "Tarrasch, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6pp/5p2/5P2/3k1KP1/8/7P/8 b - - 0 47"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1905.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Keep searching for stalemate tricks in the endgame, even in the simplest
looking positions. Here two of the most famous players of their time had a
huge battle in Ostend resulting in this king and pawn endgame: QUESTION: Black
is better here due to his more active king. How should he continue? --- ANSWER:
} 47... Kd5 {Tarrasch aims to make Chigorin run out of useful moves.} 48. h4
Kd4 49. g5 $1 Kd5 {EXERCISE: It's White to move and draw. Find the stalemate
resource!} 50. gxf6 $4 {White doesn't see the stalemate trick in time.} ({
ANSWER:} 50. Kg4 $1 Ke4 51. g6 {is the correct defensive idea, as after} hxg6 (
{instead} 51... h6 52. Kh5 $3 {...reveals the brilliant 'self stalemate' when
Black cannot make progress}) 52. fxg6 {the pawn race will be equal:} f5+ 53.
Kg5 f4 54. h5 f3 55. h6 gxh6+ 56. Kxh6 f2 57. g7 f1=Q 58. g8=Q {with a draw.})
({However,} 50. g6 $2 h5 $1 {would also be winning for Black.}) 50... gxf6 51.
Kg4 Ke4 52. Kh3 Kf4 {. White resigned, as both the pawns will fall.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Opposite-Coloured Bishops"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/7p/6pP/2B2kP1/3KbP2/4P3/8/8 w - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Opposite-Coloured Bishops: Endgames with opposite-coloured bishops tend to be
quite drawish in nature, due to two reasons. One is the inability of the
bishops to be exchanged and the other is the way that a bishop can stop passed
pawns in their tracks along a diagonal, sometimes even if they are in vast
numbers. This can lead to some interesting fortress positions where it is
impossible for the side with the extra pawns to break through. --- Here White,
despite being two pawns up, cannot make any progress due to the fixed nature
of the pawn chain.} 1. Bd6 Bf3 2. Kc5 Ke6 3. Bc7 Be4 {, etc. One of the key
features of a fortress position is the lack of pawn breaks available.} *

[Event "Poikovsky"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lautier, J."]
[Black "Rublevsky, S."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D27"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2N2ppp/PB1k4/5b2/8/5P2/1b4PP/6K1 b - - 0 32"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{EXERCISE: Black to move is a pawn down with a difficult looking position,
although he does possess the two bishops. What is the best plan here for
Black? --- ANSWER:} 32... Bd4+ $1 {A fine move, ignoring the fact that he will
lose the g- pawn and instead heading into that all important opposite-coloured
bishop ending.} 33. Bxd4 Kxc7 34. Bxg7 Kb6 {White unfortunately can't save the
a-pawn, so he seeks to activate his king as quickly as possible.} 35. Kf2 Kxa6
36. Ke3 Kb7 37. Kf4 Bd3 38. Kg5 Kc6 39. Kf6 {QUESTION: Should the bishop keep
an eye on both pawns on g6, or stay active on c4? --- ANSWER:} Bc4 $1 {
Activity cannot be underestimated!} (39... Bg6 $6 {would be risky as the
bishop is more passive on the g6-square and the white pawns can hassle him:
for example,} 40. f4 h5 41. f5 Bh7 42. Kg5 {with a difficult position for
Black.}) 40. h4 (40. Bh6 {would have been logical to put the king on the
'ideal' square g7. Even then, however, Black can draw with} Kd7 41. Kg7 Ke6 42.
Kxh7 {and now the thematic} Bf1 $1 43. g3 (43. g4 Be2 {wins a pawn back with
an easy draw}) 43... Bg2 44. f4 Bh3 {with a fix on the light squares.}) 40...
Kd7 41. Bh6 Bf1 42. g3 Be2 {A typical motif. Black fixes all the pawns on dark
squares so he can control them with his bishop.} 43. f4 Ke8 {Black can afford
to keep his king passive.} 44. Kg7 Bg4 (44... Bd3 {should also hold: for
instance,} 45. g4 Be2 46. Kxh7 Bxg4 {.}) 45. Kxh7 Ke7 46. Kg7 Ke6 47. Bg5 {
EXERCISE: Can you find a way to complete the successful blockade? --- ANSWER:}
Kf5 $1 {Very nice! Black sacrifices his last pawn to secure the light squares.}
(47... f5 $4 48. Kg6 {followed by the promotion of the h-pawn would be a
complete disaster}) ({though I don't see anything wrong with just} 47... Bh5
48. Kh6 Bg4 49. h5 Kf5 {which is going to be a draw.}) 48. Kxf7 Bh5+ 49. Kg7
Bd1 50. Be7 ({After} 50. Kh6 Bg4 51. h5 Bf3 52. Bd8 Be2 {Black just sits on
the light squares.}) (50. -- {Summary: Rublevsky instructively showed that
material wasn't the most important factor in the ending and that instead it
was all about blockading the light squares. Many seemingly secure fortresses
are broken by positional sacrifices to gain control of key squares, but
Rublevsky didn't allow this here.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Santa Monica"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1966.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fischer, RJ."]
[Black "Donner, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C89"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r3k1/5ppp/p7/6q1/2BP4/b5P1/P1R2P1P/5QK1 b - - 0 29"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "1966.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{EXERCISE: Bobby Fischer, playing White, has successfully neutralized Dutch
Grandmaster Donner's initiative in a Marshall Gambit and has good winning
chances. However, here Black came up with a crafty plan. Can you see it? ---
ANSWER:} 29... Qf5 {Spotting a small tactic.} 30. Bd3 $2 {It seems as though
Black's back rank is too weak...} ({Instead, after} 30. Qb1 $1 {with the queen
en route to b3 White would retain a clear advantage.}) 30... Rxc2 $1 {Fischer
didn't account for this!} ({He probably only saw} 30... Qd7 31. Bxh7+ $1 Kxh7
32. Rxc8 Qxc8 33. Qd3+ Kg8 34. Qxa3 {when White would have been winning.}) 31.
Bxf5 Rc1 {Forcing the opposite-coloured bishop ending.} 32. Qxc1 Bxc1 33. Kf1
h6 34. Ke2 Kf8 {. White, presumably disgusted with himself, agreed to a draw.
Black will put the a-pawn on a5 and simply hold the dark squares with his king
and bishop. The passed d-pawn will not queen.} (34... -- {Summary: Heading for
endgames with opposite-coloured bishops is usually a good idea, even if the
cost is a pawn or two. You will, though, have to judge whether the opponent
will be able to break the fortress using a sacrifice.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Fortress"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/8/6KP/8/2B5/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{The Fortress: 'The Wrong Bishop': With heavily reduced material, it is
possible on occasion to secure a draw by hiding the king in the corner. This
normally applies to endings where the opponent has a rook's pawn and some
draws can be derived from the basic knowledge that a rook and wrong-coloured
bishop (to the queening square) will be a draw.} 1. -- {White cannot make
progress and the game is clearly a draw. --- The following is quite a famous
example of the application of basic knowledge to a grandmaster game. Murray
Chandler, playing White, is winning here, but Susan Polgar, the oldest of the
three famous chess-playing sisters, recognizes that there is still some hope
if she can sacrifice her knight for the g-pawn (see the following game).} *

[Event "Biel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chandler, M."]
[Black "Polgar, Su"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/3n2k1/8/5K2/4B3/8/6PP/8 w - - 0 51"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

51. g4 Nf6 52. g5 (52. Bd3 $4 Nxg4) 52... Ng8 {Polgar sees one last
opportunity and deliberately traps her knight.} 53. Ke6 Nh6 $1 54. gxh6+ $4 ({
The correct} 54. h4 {would be winning. You may wonder how it is possible for
an experienced GM to make such a blunder. Here, as with so many swindles, it
is down to the player with the advantage missing the less natural continuation.
}) 54... Kh8 $1 {We have reached our basic ending, with the addition of an
extra white pawn. It makes no difference - the game is drawn.} ({Chandler
probably calculated deeply in the line} 54... Kxh6 55. Kf6 Kh5 {and now White
would win as he can eventually force the enemy king off the h-file: for
example,} 56. h3 Kh4 57. Bf5 Kh5 58. Kg7 Kg5 59. Bg4 Kh4 60. Kf6 Kg3 61. Kg5 {
and the h-pawn will queen.}) 55. Bd5 Kh7 56. Kf7 Kh8 {One final accurate move
secures the draw.} ({Black had to avoid} 56... Kxh6 $4 57. Be4 $1 {, when
White will win again by forcing the king out.}) (56... -- {Summary: Always
giving yourself and your opponent more than one candidate move, and examining
the more unusual responses your opponent can make first, should help to reduce
accidents in such situations.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "US Championship, San Diego"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Serper, G."]
[Black "Nakamura, H."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D15"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/8/3k2p1/4p3/2b1P1pP/4KNP1/8 w - - 0 82"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{White has been defending a slightly worse position for some time against the
eventual winner of the event (the first of his three US titles so far) and
superstar in the making, Hikaru Nakamura. --- EXERCISE: Apply your knowledge
of the wrong-coloured bishop ideas to this position and assess the sacrifice
Nxe4. Does it draw? --- ANSWER: Yes!} 82. Nxe4 $1 Kxe4 83. Kf1 {The white king
cannot be prevented from hiding on the h1-square and Black's only pawn break ...g5-g4 will not help him. Nakamura manoeuvres for a while without achieving
much.} Be5 84. Kg1 Kd3 85. e4 Ke3 86. Kf1 Kd4 87. Kg1 Kc4 88. Kh1 Kd3 89. Kg1
Ke2 90. Kh1 Bd4 91. e5 Bxe5 92. Kg1 Ke1 93. Kh1 Kf2 94. h4 {White's only legal
move, but enough to hold.} gxh4 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fine Art of Swindling"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {The Fine Art of Swindling: When all hope is lost, your position is
broken and you are completely beaten, there is still one chance, the most
underhand, nastiest and dirtiest chess tactic that is bound to make your
opponent hate you forever - the swindle. Swindling requires the creation of a
trap, which can vary in its level of craftiness.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Getting Your Swindle in Early"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Getting Your Swindle in Early: It is very important that the good
swindler realizes in time that his position is hopeless and therefore uses all
the resources at his disposal to create tricks before his chances evaporate.
Try to look for hidden swindles, perhaps when the opponent has a choice of
moves where the obvious one draws or loses. In the next game Black blunders a
pawn, but carries on regardless. Up against an experienced grandmaster,
Shirazi (himself an IM) realizes that with normal play he is just going to
lose and so aims to create confusion by throwing the kitchen sink at White.} *

[Event "US Championship, Estes Park"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "De Firmian, N."]
[Black "Shirazi, K."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C42"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2q1rk1/p2n1ppp/2pb4/1p5b/3PB3/2P2N1P/P4PP1/1RBQ1RK1 b - - 0 15"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

15... Qc7 $2 ({Both} 15... Bg6) ({and} 15... Rc8 {are fine for Black.}) 16.
Bxh7+ $1 {Whoops! Now there is no cover on the g5-square.} Kh8 (16... Kxh7 17.
Ng5+ Kg6 (17... Kg8 18. Qxh5 Nf6 19. Qf3 {is just a clear extra pawn for White}
) 18. g4 {is no good for Black.}) 17. Bd3 {EXERCISE: Black is a healthy pawn
down and so needs to start creating chaos as soon as possible. What is the
best way to do this here? --- ANSWER:} f5 $1 {A good practical move. Although
not carrying a direct threat, 'ghosts' (threats that look like they might be
scary but are actually not real), such as the rook swing via f6 are created.} (
17... Rae8 {would allow the simplifying} 18. g4 Bg6 19. Bxg6 fxg6 20. Qd3 {.})
18. Be2 Rae8 19. Re1 Nf6 {Black aims all his pieces at the white king.} 20. Ng5
Bh2+ 21. Kh1 Rxe2 $1 {Again designed to complicate the issue as much as
possible.} 22. Rxe2 Ne4 {Playing practically, this is absolutely correct!
Black seeks to avoid simplification at all costs and instead banks on White
going astray somewhere along the line.} ({From an objective point of view} 
22... Bxe2 23. Qxe2 Re8 {is stronger, though Black doesn't have any real play
after} 24. Qd1 Bd6 25. Bd2 {.}) 23. Nxe4 fxe4 24. Qe1 $1 {White steers clear
of any complications by removing himself from the pin.} Bxe2 {Sadly for Black
he can't wait any longer here. 25 Rxe4 was threatened.} 25. Qxe2 Bd6 26. Qxe4 {
EXERCISE: It feels as though the game is slipping away, thanks to some
accurate play by Nick De Firmian, but Shirazi must keep fighting to the end!
After all, when you are completely lost there is nothing more to lose. The
psychological pressure is on your opponent to win the won game. Can you find
an active move to stay in this one? --- ANSWER:} Qf7 {Hitting the targets on
f2 and a2.} (26... Rxf2 $4 {would allow the crushing fork} 27. Qh4+ {, picking
up the black rook.}) 27. Qxc6 $1 {De Firmian refuses to be bluffed and plays
the strongest move. A typical grandmaster trait.} (27. Be3 {would have perhaps
been a safer option:} Qxa2 {and now the pretty pawn sacrifice} 28. d5 $1 cxd5
29. Qg6 {would have also kept White in control.}) 27... Qg6 ({The problem with
} 27... Qxf2 $2 {is that} 28. Be3 $1 {simplifies matters to a relatively
easily winning ending by covering the back rank:} Qxe3 29. Qxd6 {and White
will surely win the queen and rook ending two pawns up.}) 28. Rxb5 $2 {
Grandmaster De Firmian loses his focus and allows too much counterplay. I'm
guessing he miscalculated the line in the game.} ({Instead} 28. Rb2 $1 {
nullifies the threats on the second rank. After} Re8 29. Bd2 Re2 30. Qf3 {
White should win.}) 28... Rxf2 29. Qa8+ $2 {This compounds his error.} ({
EXERCISE: Can you find the only move that would have saved White here? ---
ANSWER:} 29. g4 $1 {is desperate, but seems to hold as the black king is
exposed to checks on the light squares: for instance,} Qc2 30. Rh5+ Kg8 31.
Qd5+ Rf7 32. Qa8+ Rf8 33. Qd5+ Rf7 {with a perpetual.}) 29... Rf8 30. Rg5 {
EXERCISE: If you haven't done it already, find the winning move for Black
here! --- ANSWER:} Qe4 $1 {. A nice tactic, exploiting the weakness on the
back rank. There are other ways to win here as well, but this is the prettiest,
inflicting maximum pain on White.} (30... -- {Summary: This game actually won
a prize for the best swindle in the tournament! Black recognized at an early
stage that he was in big trouble and kept things as complicated as he possibly
could. White almost found the path to victory, but slipped up right at the end,
partly as a result of the psychological pressure he was under.}) 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Counterattacking"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Counterattacking: Without counterplay a difficult position often
becomes untenable. You must learn that attack is often the best form of
defence! Be resourceful, let your imagination run wild and try to visualize
any chances you may have in the future.} *

[Event "World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhou Weiqi"]
[Black "Kamsky, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D15"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/4bp2/P2Np2p/4n1p1/r7/6P1/5P1P/3R1BK1 b - - 0 29"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{EXERCISE: This position looks difficult for Black due to the advanced passed
a-pawn. Can you find a way to generate some counterplay? --- ANSWER:} 29... g4
$1 {This fixes the f3-square for the black knight. Could Kamsky already be
thinking of a mating net around the white king?} 30. Be2 h5 31. Kf1 h4 $1 {
Black continues to play actively. The idea is to lock the pawn down on h2,
creating the 'threat' of ...Nf3.} 32. gxh4 Bxh4 33. Nc8 {QUESTION: White
prepares to advance the a-pawn. How should Black respond? --- ANSWER:} Rf4 $1 {
Targeting the weakness in White's position.} 34. a7 Rxf2+ 35. Ke1 {QUESTION:
What's the most effective way to use the discovered check?} (35. Kg1 Rxe2 36.
a8=Q Nf3+ 37. Kf1 Rf2# {is a nice example of the attacking power of the knight
and rook combination.}) 35... Nf3+ {(ANSWER)} ({The immediate} 35... Rxh2+ $4 {
would lose after} 36. Kd2 Nf3+ 37. Kc3 Bf6+ 38. Kb3 {when the pawn will queen.}
) 36. Bxf3 Rxh2+ 37. Kf1 gxf3 {Threatening mate on h1.} 38. Kg1 Ra2 39. Rf1 {
EXERCISE: The game is almost wrapped up. What's the best way to finish it off?
--- ANSWER:} Be7 {Kamsky eliminates White's last hope, which is the a-pawn.}
40. Rxf3 Bc5+ 41. Kh1 Bxa7 42. Nd6 (42. Nxa7 Rxa7 {is also easily winning.})
42... Rf2 {. Zhou resigned, sending Gata Kamsky through to the next round
where he lost to the young Philippine Grandmaster Wesley So.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Money in the Bank Strategy"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {The Money in the Bank Strategy: As we saw in our introductory game to
the chapter, successful defence often requires strong nerves and the mental
fortitude not to break under pressure. This is particularly true in situations
where the 'money in the bank' strategy is used, where material is grabbed in
exchange for a certain amount of suffering. In this game the irresistible
force meets the immovable object as a young Garry Kasparov takes on 'Iron'
Tigran Petrosian.} *

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1981.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "Petrosian, T."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D22"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "1k1r3r/1pqnb1p1/p1p1p1p1/3n1pP1/NP1P1P2/4P1QP/P5B1/1RB2RK1 b - - 0 20"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "1981.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

20... Nxb4 $1 {An exclamation mark for bravery! I wonder how many of us would
have the nerve to take such a pawn? Of course the cold-blooded computer has no
doubts, but Black must now withstand heavy pressure on the queenside as a
consequence.} 21. Bd2 Nd5 22. Rfc1 Ka7 {A prophylactic measure, removing the
black king from the b-file.} 23. Qe1 {EXERCISE: Can you find a way to disrupt
the harmony in the white camp and as a result buy yourself some time? ---
ANSWER:} Ba3 ({Black must tread carefully as} 23... N7b6 $4 {would walk into}
24. Ba5 {.}) 24. Rc2 (24. Ba5 {would also be met by} Qd6 {.}) 24... Qd6 {
Organizing a strong defensive battery along the a3-f8 diagonal.} 25. Rb3 Qe7 {
Over the next few moves Black curls up tightly in a ball like a hedgehog, with
the belief that someday his extra pawn can win him the game.} 26. Qe2 Rb8 27.
Qd3 Bd6 28. Nb2 Rhc8 29. Nc4 Bc7 30. a4 b5 $6 {A radical reaction and by no
means the only one.} (30... b6 {also came into consideration. If then} 31. a5
b5 32. Ne5 Nxe5 33. fxe5 Qd7 {and Black is still very solid.}) 31. axb5 cxb5
32. Ra2 $1 {EXERCISE: A fine move and dare I say perhaps one that Petrosian
overlooked. Multiple threats fly about. Find a way for Black to defend! ---
ANSWER:} Kb7 {Certainly the great Armenian was feeling bold in this game, here
walking into the eye of the storm and two different pins.} ({However, there
was little choice:} 32... bxc4 33. Rxa6+ $1 Kxa6 34. Qxc4+ Ka7 35. Qa4+ {is
mate next move.}) (32... Bd6 {would allow a pretty tactical shot in} 33. Rxb5
Rxb5 34. Nxd6 Qxd6 35. Qxb5 {with a clear edge to White.}) ({Something random
like} 32... Qf8 {would allow} 33. Rba3 {which is crushing.}) 33. Bb4 $2 ({Here
ChessBase gives only} 33. Na3 {in its analysis}) ({but} 33. Qb1 $1 {seems to
be strong as well.}) 33... Qe8 $1 (33... Qd8 $2 {allows a potentially gorgeous
mate:} 34. e4 $1 fxe4 35. Qxe4 {, hitting the pawn on e6. --- EXERCISE: If the
e6-pawn is defended by} Qe8 {there is a massive tactical shot. Can you find
it? --- ANSWER:} 36. Qxd5+ $3 exd5 37. Bxd5+ Ka7 38. Rxa6+ $1 Kxa6 39. Ra3+ Ba5
40. Rxa5# {is the beautiful checkmate.}) 34. Bd6 {White seeks to exchange off
the key defender of the dark squares.} Ra8 35. Qb1 {QUESTION: Can you find a
way to defend here against the threats down the b-file? --- ANSWER:} Kc6 $1 {
The king makes a move forwards with all the heavy pieces still on the board!}
36. Rba3 $2 {Faced with such steely defence, even Kasparov cracks.} (36. Bxc7 {
would lead to an approximately equal game after} bxc4 37. Rb7 Rxc7 38. Rxa6+ $1
Rxa6 39. Qb5+ Kd6 40. Qxa6+ Ke7 (40... Rc6 $2 41. Qa3+ {would be unfortunate})
41. Bxd5 Rxb7 42. Bxb7 {.}) 36... bxc4 37. Rxa6+ Rxa6 38. Rxa6+ Bb6 (38... N7b6
39. Bc5 Kd7 {would probably have been even stronger.}) 39. Bc5 (39. Qb4 $1 {
would have been White's best chance, though after} Kb7 40. Ra1 c3 {it is hard
to see any result other than a black win.}) 39... Qd8 $1 {Overprotecting the
bishop on b6, which holds firm against the white forces.} ({Instead} 39... Kb7
$4 40. Rxb6+ N7xb6 41. Qxb6+ {would be a sad way to end}) ({while} 39... Rb8 {
would also have held cover, though the c-pawn would drop after} 40. Qb4 $1 {.})
40. Qa1 (40. Qb4 {would allow} Kb7 {(preparing to chop off the bishop on c5)}
41. Ra5 Rc6 $1 {...with a pretty concentration of defensive force around the
black king.}) 40... Nxc5 41. dxc5 Kxc5 $1 42. Ra4 {. Kasparov resigned without
waiting to see 42...Kb5. --- A mighty demonstration of force and determination
by the black king!} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Don't Panic!"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Don't Panic!: As Fischer demonstrated, when faced with an attack the
most important thing is to stay calm and weigh up all the defensive options
available to you. Chess is such a rich game, full of hidden defensive
resources that can often be unlocked. The following game was played in a
crucial round of the 2010 British Championship. Having completely failed to
understand the subtleties of the opening, I was trying desperately just to
keep in the game.} *

[Event "British Championship, Canterbury"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Williams, S."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B67"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "100"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8.
O-O-O Bd7 9. f3 Be7 10. Kb1 Rc8 11. h4 {All well known to theory. White
predicts kingside castling and therefore starts operations on that side of the
board immediately.} h6 12. Be3 (12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Be3 h5 14. Ne2 {has also
been played, looking to reroute the knight to d4.}) 12... h5 $1 {A good
prophylactic move, designed to prevent the advance of the white g-pawn. At the
time of the game I was unaware of the idea, as I had not been expecting
Simon's choice of opening.} 13. Qf2 {Eyeing up the b6-square.} (13. Bg5 {may
well be best in this position, trying to focus White's efforts on the weakness
on d6. After} Ne5 14. Bd3 b5 15. Rhe1 Nxd3 16. cxd3 {the game was pretty
balanced in S.Azarov-Z.Izoria, Moscow 2006.}) 13... Qc7 14. Rg1 $6 {The start
of a faulty plan. The g-pawn will not get to advance due to Black's next move
and the rook on g1 will look silly.} Ne5 $1 15. Nb3 b5 16. Bb6 Qb8 17. Ba7 Qa8
({True to his attacking style Simon is in no mood for a quick draw with} 17...
Qc7 18. Bb6 Qb8 {.}) 18. Bd4 b4 19. Ne2 a5 {Already the white pieces are
looking unhappy and uncoordinated. Black simply looks to push his queenside
pawns, leaving White scrambling to find some defensive play.} 20. Nf4 {
Covering the potentially weak c4-square.} a4 21. Nc1 Nc6 22. Be3 b3 $1 {
Energetic and good. --- EXERCISE: Simon is more than happy to give up a pawn
for some open files. How best to defend the queenside? --- ANSWER:} 23. cxb3
axb3 24. a3 {A standard reaction to keep the a- and b-files closed.} (24. Nxb3
{was possible too. However, I was worried about the position of my b3-knight
after something like} Nb4 25. a3 Ba4 $1 {.}) 24... Qa4 {EXERCISE: Again, find
the best defensive reaction here! --- ANSWER:} 25. Nfe2 $1 {A good move,
bringing the knight over to the aid of the white queenside.} Na5 26. Rd4 Qc6
27. Nc3 {White has parried the black attack for the moment, closing the c-file
temporarily. I was feeling more confident here, but Simon comes up with
another energetic and thematic Sicilian break.} d5 $5 {Designed to shake White
out of his comfort zone, this opens up potential sacrifices on a3.} 28. Bb5 $6
{I was wanting to get the pieces developed, but exchanging off the defender of
the c4-square doesn't seem right in hindsight.} ({Keeping more lines closed
with} 28. e5 {seems to make the most sense. After} Ng8 29. Ra4 $1 {White has a
reasonable position based on the poor position of the black kingside pieces:
for example,} Nc4 30. Bxc4 dxc4 31. Rd1 {.}) 28... Qb7 29. Bxd7+ Qxd7 30. exd5
({Again,} 30. e5 {should be preferred.}) 30... exd5 (30... Nxd5 $1 {was
probably stronger here, removing the knight from the c3-square and freeing the
f6-square for the bishop:} 31. Nxd5 exd5 32. Rgd1 {and after} O-O $1 {Black
has a dangerous attack.}) 31. Qe2 Rxc3 $1 {Never one to shy away from giving
up material, Simon unbalances the position with a good (and typical) Sicilian
exchange sacrifice.} 32. bxc3 O-O {EXERCISE: Black has excellent compensation
for the exchange, based upon the weaknesses around the white king. I must seek
some counterplay to get Black thinking. How? --- ANSWER:} 33. Bg5 $1 {Quite a
good move. White seeks to limit the influence of the bishop on e7, by
threatening to wreck the black pawn structure on the kingside if it moves.} ({
Instead} 33. Rgd1 Bc5 34. Bg5 {White must maintain the rook on d4 to take the
knight if it ever comes to c4;} (34. R4d2 $2 Bxe3 35. Qxe3 Nc4 {would be
curtains}) 34... Bxd4 35. Rxd4 Re8 $1 {would not be so effective.}) 33... Re8 (
33... Bc5 {may still have been best. After} 34. Bxf6 gxf6 35. Rgd1 Bxd4 36.
Rxd4 {(White must cover the a4-square)} Rc8 {Black still enjoys all the
pressure.}) 34. Qd3 Qa7 35. Re1 Nc4 {QUESTION: What must White play here? ---
ANSWER:} 36. Rxc4 {The knight on c4 cannot be tolerated for one moment!} dxc4
37. Qxc4 Qxa3 {QUESTION: Why isn't 38 Bxf6 just good for White here? ---
ANSWER:} 38. Bxf6 Ra8 $1 {Grandmasters excel in the unexpected. This
zwischenzug increases the pressure on the white king.} 39. Qxb3 $1 ({Instead} 
39. Nxb3 Qa2+ 40. Kc1 gxf6 $1 {is very strong, threatening ...Ba3+ followed by
...Rd8+. The tactical point is that} 41. Rxe7 Qa3+ {picks up the exchange.})
39... Qa1+ 40. Kc2 Bxf6 {The smoke has cleared and the time control has been
made. A good point to take stock of the position. White is a pawn up, but
Black still has all the pressure on the white king, even though the c1-knight
holds the attack at bay for the moment. --- EXERCISE: Here I had a long think
and came up with what I think is pretty much the only move. What is it? ---
ANSWER:} 41. Qc4 $1 {The target in the white position is the pawn on c3. Black
was threatening ...Rc8, ...Bxh4 and ...Ra3. The text move keeps counterplay
alive based on the weakness of Black's light squares.} Qa7 {Taking aim at the
dark squares.} ({Alternatively:} 41... Ra3 42. Qc8+ Kh7 43. Qf5+ Kh6 44. Qf4+ {
is perpetual.}) ({Trying to exploit the drawback of White's last move with} 
41... Rb8 {would have allowed} 42. Nd3 Qa7 43. Nb4 {when White is closing the
door on the black attack.}) ({Perhaps best would have been the patient and
prophylactic} 41... g6 $1 {. When it is difficult to come up with a way for
White to improve his position.}) 42. Qb5 {White desperately wants to get the
rooks exchanged. Bear in mind that any ending with the heavy pieces off may be
winning for White, due to the passed c-pawn.} Kf8 43. Qb4+ Be7 {Simon keeps
fighting for the win!} (43... Kg8 44. Qb5 g6 {would be the other way to play
on and would lead to a complex ending after} 45. Re8+ Rxe8 46. Qxe8+ Kg7 {. My
feeling is that Black is still better here as he is winning the h4-pawn, but
now three results are possible rather than two (see the last chapter). Black
would rather keep the pressure on in a different fashion and hope that White
cracks, whilst having the draw in hand.}) 44. Qe4 {Centralizing and again
looking to tie down the black pieces to defensive duties.} Rd8 45. Rd1 Rb8 46.
Rd5 {Again trying to centralize, whilst preparing counterplay of my own.} Bf6 (
{EXERCISE: What would have been wrong with the menacing-looking} 46... Qa1 $2 {
. --- ANSWER: The ice-cold} 47. Rxh5 $1 Qb1+ 48. Kd2 Qb2+ 49. Kd1 Rd8+ 50. Nd3
{when again the knight holds the white position together.}) 47. Qc4 (47. Rxh5
$2 g6 $1 48. Rd5 Qa1 {would suddenly see Black getting the play he has been
looking for over the last few moves. Actually I don't see a good defence for
White here: for instance,} 49. Kd1 Bxc3 {with ...Re8 to come next.}) 47... Kg8
{EXERCISE: Find the best defensive move for White! Again be thinking about
counterplay and any way to create a threat.} 48. Rc5 $1 {ANSWER: The final
accurate defensive move. White seeks again to exchange rooks whilst blocking
the long diagonal for the black queen.} Qb7 (48... Bxh4 49. Nd3 Bg3 50. Rc8+
Rxc8 51. Qxc8+ Kh7 {would have been a winning attempt, but I think that White
has as much chance of winning this position as Black. Simon instead takes a
sensible practical decision.}) 49. Qb3 Qa7 50. Qc4 Qb7 {. Summary: A big fight
and a huge relief to me as I thought I was going to be crushed out of the
opening! It shows what can be done with a bit of tenacity. White survived by
managing to generate some counterplay, based on focusing on the one weakness
in the black position (the light squares around the king). Don't give up when
faced with a tough position, look to fight back and don't forget that it is
hard to beat someone who never gives up.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 11"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{1) Having a knowledge of some key defensive fortresses is invaluable and will
often save you a lot of hard work and decision making. Study the classic
defensive positions!} 1. -- {2) When you blunder, don't give up on the
position. Endeavour to fight harder! Make the swindle your friend and not your
enemy. Your opponent will be under the psychological pressure to win the game,
not you, so start enjoying yourself!} (1. -- {3) Don't panic when being
attacked. Instead, try to be cold and calculate as accurately as possible. If
you feel this is a weakness in your game look to improve it by studying
calculation exercises.}) (1. -- {4) If your opponent gives up material for an
attack, don't forget that often some or all of it can be given back to defuse
the situation.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "12: Chess Psychology"]
[Black "and Practical Tips"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{'Place the board so that the sun is in your opponent's eyes.' - Ruy Lopez de
Segura} 1. -- {Chess is known to be a mental game, a battle of the minds, but
what exactly do we mean by that? There is a lot more to the game than just
openings, tactics and endgames, as well as the strategic material that we have
discussed thus far. Sometimes chess is a war of the minds off the chess board
too. Have you ever played a game of chess where you look over your moves after
the game and don't understand why you played them? This is probably because
you are analysing your game when you are relaxed in the comfort of your own
home, rather than under the pressure that can be felt over the board. In this
chapter we will look at some of the psychological aspects of chess in
tournament play and different ways in which you can try and tackle them. I'm
sure you won't mind that this final chapter is 'wordier' than the others - it
will give you a nice break from studying chess analysis! --- People often ask
"What makes a good chess player?" The usual answers you will hear are:
intelligence, a great memory, the ability to calculate, etc. However, many
people underestimate the role of psychology in the game, which starts before a
move has even been made. Now I know I'm no sports psychologist, but I hope
some of the advice provided here that I have picked up from my experiences at
the board will be of use to you.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Be Confident"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{"I'm so mean, I make medicine sick." - Muhammad Ali} 1. -- {Cast your mind
back to your first chess tournament. You are new on the chess scene, not sure
how the day is structured or of any of the tournament rules. You sit down
opposite your first round opponent, who is a lot more experienced than you are.
They are relaxed, confident and talking with their friends about previous
games, some new openings they have learnt and some trick they remember from
one of Carlsen's last games in the Bilbao Grand Slam. How do you feel? Are you
confident that you will beat your experienced opponent? Or are you now
terrified, nervous and filled with dread that they will smash you off the
board with all their tricks they supposedly know? --- If you answered 'yes' to
the second question, then you already possess a quality that is essential for
chess improvement. You are able to zone out from all of the nonsense of your
surroundings and really focus on what is important - the game of chess that
you are about to play. However, if you answered 'yes' to the third question,
then you are amongst the majority that get affected by what people say or do
to intimidate us. --- This is a common factor in many sports, whether it is
intentional or not. 'Trash talking' is recognized as the precursor to many a
big sporting battle. Muhammad Ali was one of the most prominent of trash
talkers and not only did he do this to unnerve his opponent, but also to work
himself up into a state where he really believed that he could knock his
opponent out without even breaking sweat.} (1. -- {Confidence is a huge issue
in many walks of life and chess is no different. In fact it should be even
more important in such a mental duel. Many talented chess players find that
they have reached an impasse in their chess journey to improvement, but their
tactical and positional understanding is far greater than reflected in their
rating and of their colleagues who are of a similar strength. They get
frustrated and wonder why this is. It could, of course, be for many reasons,
but quite often a big factor is confidence. This can come into effect in many
aspects of the game. There is usually at least one area of the game where
people are not confident, but it is how we deal with these perceived
weaknesses that is important. If our opponents catch a sniff of our lack of
confidence, they are sure to prey on that weakness and our results will suffer.
They will take us into some boring Berlin endgame (if they are playing me), or
set the board on fire with tactics. Quite often, it is all about appearing
confident that is the main thing. --- Who would you fancy your chances against:
someone who is looking very calm and confident, or someone who is shaking and
looking very scared and worried? Regardless of the position in front of you, I
would choose the latter. Letting your nerves get the better of you will easily
be seen in your moves. There have been many instances where talented players
get worried and lack confidence during a game, despite the fact they have been
completely outplaying their opponent. This could be due to the fact they have
a lower rating, so they assume the opponent will find some amazing,
spectacular combination to blow them off the board, even though one doesn't
exist. The first thing to remember is that we are not playing computers and
that humans make errors in judgement all the time, for all sorts of reasons,
including lack of confidence! The opposite sort of thing is seen when you play
a game against someone of the same strength, but are not aware of their rating
and play an excellent game, because that psychological barrier is not present.}
) (1. -- {Take a look at the world's top chess players - Magnus Carlsen, Levon
Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik, Vishy Anand. What do they all have in common? They
all come across as extremely confident on and off the board. Do they always
know what they are doing in their games? No, probably not, but they do not let
this be known to their opponent. It's all part of the game. --- If you are the
type of person who is negative or lacks confidence for whatever reason, then
there are some methods to try and help. Firstly, any time you do accomplish
anything, it should feel good and should help build your confidence. You
should relish these moments and imagine stepping into a spotlight of
excellence and enjoy your successes. Secondly, don't associate with those who
are negative towards you and your chess or bring you down at tournaments.
Spend time with those who are also achieving the goals that you possess or are
positive influences and use them to motivate you. Make friends off the board
with people who are of a similar standard to you and they can become possible
training partners. If you believe they are about a similar standard to you,
then you can gee each other up. Thirdly, verbal positive persuasions to
yourself will psyche you up for your big moment, just like Muhammad Ali. I try
and spend some time at the board, 10 minutes or so before the game, motivating
myself and telling myself I can win the upcoming battle. One of my friends,
Grandmaster Stephen Gordon, puts some favourite music on his iPod to get
himself 'in the zone'.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Don't Become Overconfident"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Don't Become Overconfident: However, too much confidence can also have
a negative effect, leading to mistakes due to the lack of respect for the
opponent's moves and carelessness due to not checking them thoroughly enough.
The balance is important. --- If you are able to tackle this huge
psychological barrier and work on your self-confidence through whatever
technique works for you, then you should see a big improvement in your chess.
Next time you start to doubt yourself, remember another one of Ali's famous
quotes: "I don't think it is bragging to say I am something special."} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Be Emotionless"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{"As a chess player one has to be able to control one's feelings, one has to
be as cold as a machine." - Levon Aronian} 1. -- {Too much emotion can be bad
for anything, but especially in chess. I know that from past experience! If we
think about how the top players of the royal game are in action, we rarely see
them overreacting to any moves or situations as they are playing. They must
remain stoic, so their opponents cannot read their body language or
expressions in order to gain more insight into how they feel about their
position. This is one of the biggest difficulties in chess - you do not know
what your opponent is thinking. If you do, then you have a big advantage.
Therefore, it is important not to show too much emotion over the board, so you
do not give too much away. --- The hardest time to remain calm and emotionless
is when you have made a mistake and your opponent can immediately take
advantage of this. If you know you are someone who visibly reacts in these
situations (like me!), then get up from the board and take a walk. Do not do
it in such a way as to alarm your opponent, but take a casual stroll around
the room. The ability to maintain equanimity is a difficult one. Even after
the mistake has been made, the game may not be over, so the hard part is then
not dwelling on this mistake. Your judgement for future moves will be
seriously clouded if you keep thinking about earlier mistakes and so this is
where some verbal persuasion may come in handy again to keep you focussed and
on the right track.} (1. -- {Let's say the game was lost due to an error in
judgement and you have thrown away your chance at a big prize or a place in a
national team. What do you do? The correct answer is you should analyse your
games in the cold light of day and try to work out where you made the mistakes
and try to ensure it doesn't happen again. One of the worst things you can do
is fixate on all the negative feelings in that game, distance yourself from
everyone and let it get to you so much that it affects the rest of your
tournament. Remember that the game of chess is fun! So many times there have
been situations where one move can cause a player to lose a string of
consecutive games. However, as I have previously said, extremes are never good
and if someone does not care about their loss at all then this cannot be a
good thing as they will have no intention of improving. --- Some games are
lost before they have even started. As mentioned at the beginning of this
chapter, your game can be influenced by feelings off the chessboard. If you
were not in a good place before the game, whether you were nervous or upset,
even if you tried very hard to consciously think positively during the game,
your emotions may have caused a significant emotional imbalance to throw you
off. At the other end of the spectrum, euphoria can have a negative effect. If
you are too excited about the result of a game, then celebrating could reduce
your energy for the following games. As was discussed in Chapter Ten on
Winning Won Positions, perhaps this could even come into effect during the
middle of a crucial game (as in David-Hunt), when things are going well and
you are about to land a great result and achieve the best performance of your
life. Fixating on this prospect can cause you to lose focus and undo all the
good work done up to then. Remember a game of chess is never over until
checkmate has been obtained or the opponent has resigned or lost on time, so
we must keep playing to nullify our opponent's counterplay.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Time Management"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{Time Management: You hear a lot of people say: "I was winning, but I lost on
time", as if this doesn't really count as a loss! The clock is an important
part of the game and if someone handled their time better than you did, then
that is fair play to them. It is generally sound advice not to get into time
trouble, but it is easier said than done. Many grandmasters regularly get
themselves into time trouble, so if they do it, what hope is there for the
rest of us? --- One of the reasons people get into time trouble comes back to
the confidence issue. If we lack confidence, then we are not going to believe
that our moves are the best and we will double, triple and quadruple check
them to make sure nothing is wrong. So going back to solving the confidence
problem should help in this department too. Another reason could be that you
are a bit of a perfectionist and that you have to find the perfect move in
every position. You may have a fear that if you don't spend a sufficient
amount of time, you will play an inferior move.} 1. -- {What most people don't
realize is that they are making a much bigger mistake by using up all of their
time and then leaving themselves with very little time at the end of the game
in a critical position. There is no point being significantly better or even
winning after 30 moves, if you cannot make the time control by move 40. Many
strong club players do not improve past this level due to these time issues.
It may surprise you but grandmasters don't sit and look for the perfect move,
they select a 'good enough' move in an average amount of time. This leaves the
pressure on their opponents to find moves to outplay them and they can waste
their own time worrying about doing this! --- There are several ways of trying
to 'cure' time-trouble. Before your game, you can estimate how much time you
expect to have used at each milestone, rationing out the time appropriately.
Former World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik believed that you should not use more
than 20% of your time on the first fifteen moves of the game. This is some
very good advice, but can be difficult to implement unless you are booked up
on your openings.} (1. -- {If you are the type of person who doesn't have
enough time to learn all the latest theory of trendy openings and you play
chess based on principles, this is fine. Just stick to developing moves in the
opening, rather than complicated combinations that may or may not work. Try to
play positions that you are comfortable in. If you like attacking, then make
sure you play an open game and vice-versa if you are more defensively inclined.
You are bound to slow down and take more time than necessary if you do not
feel comfortable in the position and you are unaware of the plans. --- Let's
say you have tried everything, but you still manage to find yourself in time
trouble, then what do you do? The first step is not to panic! Make sure you
don't analyse too deeply and try to play the moves that feel right in the
position, so you can conserve some more time for the really critical moves
later. Try to predict what your opponent is going to do and have a reply ready
for each move. This way you are also using your opponent's time to think.
Spend your time at the board, not wandering about looking at other games. If
you ever get a chance to look at the play of Britain's top player Michael
Adams, look at how much time he spends away from the board. The answer:
virtually none!}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Opponent is in Time-Trouble"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Practical Advice if Your Opponent is in Time-Trouble: What if it isn't
you in time-trouble? How do you handle that situation? What you should not do
is start to speed up your play in the hope that the opponent will lose on time
if you don't give them much time to think. Many times, the advantage has been
given away because both sides move too fast when one side is in time trouble.
If you have time on your clock, you should use it wisely to play accurately
and not just speed up to make your opponent panic.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Psychology of Draws"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {The Psychology of Draws: There have been many discussions about
scrapping the draw offer and these days, at the professional level, there are
'Sofia rules' in place (done for the commercial benefit - for the
entertainment of the sponsors and spectators) to prevent early 'halving out'.
This takes away somewhat from the psychological battle on the board. Tactical
draw offers are often sprung upon unsuspecting opponents. This could be just
as they have got out of a tricky position, or when they are in a slightly
better position but may not have that much time on the clock. More often than
not, when someone is offered a draw, they will spend longer than they would
normally have done over that move, pondering whether they should accept the
draw or play for the win. This is a great way to get your opponent to run down
his time in the critical stages of the game! However, if you are being offered
a draw, do not fall into this trap.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Play for the Win!"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

1. -- {Be Strong and Play for the Win!: Sometimes players use the 'illusion'
of being happy with a draw, normally through the repetition of moves. This is
often seen when the time control involves Fischer incremental timing, so they
gain some added time for each repetition. The player is often willing to
repeat the position in the hope that the opponent deviates into an inferior
line. However, there may be cases where a player has absolutely no intention
of accepting a draw, but will repeat the position twice in order to mislead
their opponent into thinking a draw is on the table, so that they let their
guard down and neglect their analysis. Then much to their disappointment, on
the third time around, some different move is made. This leads to the
opponent's emotions running wild, which then throws them off their game and
they are more likely to make a mistake. These tricks are perfectly legal in a
game of chess and it just comes with experience learning how to deal with them.
Don't be a puppet on a string! --- One of the ways to avoid disappointment in
the area of draw psychology is to tell yourself you always going to play for a
win. If you can do this, tactical draw offers will not faze you. Even if you
only require a draw for a prize or a norm, it is a great way to improve if you
always play for a win and make your opponent grovel! One of the biggest
dangers seen by many players is that they know they are quite happy with a
draw before they go in for the game and their mindset is all wrong. This
happened to me when I had the chance to make my first GM norm, when I needed a
draw with GM Jonathan Parker (see the following game).} *

[Event "British League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, A."]
[Black "Parker, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C67"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bk1b1r/ppp1nppp/2p5/4P3/8/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 10"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{Here, only ten moves into the game, having just played} 10. h3 {, I offered a
draw. I was a bundle of nerves. Jonathan turned it down and calmly played} Ke8
{. Psychologically, of course, he now had me! He now knew he could make a draw
whenever he liked and was in a position of power for the rest of the game,
which fortunately I eventually managed to draw. The attitude I had of playing
for the draw is one of the easiest ways to lose. If you train yourself to
always look for the best moves and go for the win, then it is more likely that
there will be pressure on your opponent and they will be more likely to make a
mistake, or you may reach a winning position and they will then be happy to
accept a draw. If your opponent knows that you only need a draw and yet you
are playing all out for a win, then this will instil even more fear into them!}
1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Psyche-out"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{The Psyche-out: Intimidation is a tactic used in every sport where the idea
is to mentally unbalance the opponent and put fear into them, hoping that this
will affect their performance. Since chess is a mental game, this tactic can
be used to great extent. --- Forget the usual staring into the eyes of your
opponent, strutting around the room like you own it: everyone knows those
moves. I am talking about on the board. Think back to the section where we
were working on our confidence. We know that it is a good idea to play an
opening that you are familiar with and therefore get into positions where you
are comfortable. However, if your opponent has had the chance to look up your
games and knows exactly what you are comfortable with, the chances are that
they will not allow that to happen. So the first few moves of the game can be
a psychological game of cat and mouse. This is especially the case at team
events, such as the Olympiad, or a closed tournament, where there is a lot of
time for preparation.} 1. -- {If the opponent plays something you don't expect,
then was this special preparation? Does this mean that you should change what
you play, so that you don't walk down their preparation? But that means you
might not know it as well. What should you do? With all these thoughts racing
through your head and your emotions building up, there is little room left to
concentrate on what move to actually play. --- Take a look at the beginning of
this game between two women competing in the European Team Championship (see
the following game).} *

[Event "European Women's Team Ch, Crete"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chevannes, S."]
[Black "Atnilov, B."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A57"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.30"]

{In order to fully understand the psychological battle between the two players,
you need to know what their usual repertoire is. White is a d4 system player -
this means she does not play any main line Queen's Gambits and sets up in the
form of a Torre Attack/London System/Colle System against everything. Black is
a King's Indian player and has always played ...g6, ...Bg7, ...d6 against
every d-pawn set-up.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 {Here White was now expecting 2...g6 as
this is what Black had played every single time before. However, the move} c5
$1 {was played. --- First of all, how do you deal with the shock? The opponent
is going to know that you didn't expect it because she had never played it
before, but you mustn't look worried. You then need to think about why your
opponent has chosen to play this move instead of something she is comfortable
with and has played all the time. If she has never played this move, then she
cannot know it that well and must have prepared something. Now, White could
play either 3 c3 or 3 e3, opting for her usual systems set-up, despite the
fact that the main line and better move is considered to be 3 d5. However, 3
d5 leads to completely different positions and some theory on Benoni-type
positions needs to be known. When calculating how to respond, think about what
they know about your game. In this game, White knew that Black expected either
3 e3 or 3 c3 and had a line prepared against this in which she would get at
least equality. Based on this, Sabrina played} 3. d5 {for the first time in
her life. --- QUESTION: Was this a stupid decision? --- ANSWER: Not at all. It
wasn't that she had no clue how to handle Benoni positions, because that would
not have been wise. It would be no good going down a line where you don't know
any plans, just to avoid prep. However, Sabrina knew that her opponent didn't
know these lines that well either so it was a good gamble. The other factor to
think about is how much time you should spend on all these moves. If you take
a long time, then it will become apparent that you were not expecting the
opening and are unsure of yourself. If you move too quickly, though, then you
may play inaccurately. --- It is the same thing if you have especially
prepared a line and your opponent is walking straight into your prep! You
should not get too excited and move straight away each time as this may
trigger an alert in their head and they may change their plans. Remain stoic
and just act as if you are still thinking about each move, but at the same
time, do not think too long. Remember Botvinnik's strategy: less than 20% of
your time for your first fifteen moves. --- After 3 d5 was played, the Israeli
player went into deep thought. This was not a good idea on her part. It left
Sabrina feeling a lot more confident that she had taken her opponent out of
prep. Even though she didn't know much about the line, clearly her opponent
didn't either! Black then played} b5 {after much deliberation. White then
chose to play} 4. c4 {, but played it rather quickly. Now, suddenly, we are in
a Benko-type position, which was not expected by either side. It is now simply
a chess match between the two players and no prep is involved. However, how
much the psyche-out affected the players is of utmost importance. --- The game
eventually ended in a draw due to both players spending too much time over the
opening moves and then having a crazy time scramble near the end which
resulted in a drawn position. However, if White had continued to play
confidently and reasonably quickly, Black would have felt a lot less
comfortable. The fact that Sabrina took so long over her opening moves gave
her opponent confidence. --- This battle for the psychological upper hand can
be seen right to the top level, where grandmasters have been out-prepped, but
they do not want to show it. You may see some of them looking up into the
distance as if they are trying to recall their preparation or a game they have
seen, but this is often a bluff! Look out for it next time you watch them play;
it's quite funny to watch.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Key Points 12"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Adam Hunt"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceDate "2013.03.26"]

{1) Overall, chess is a hugely psychological game and this can often be a big
barrier for improvement. If you are actively aware of these potential hurdles,
then you can do something about them. Being able to overcome your natural
shortcomings on a temporary basis will do a lot of good for your game. This
may mean you have to invoke the verbal persuasion mentioned previously. This
is particularly important if you are interested in playing chess
professionally. If you are the type who has a nervous disposition, then it may
not be the game for you. If you depend on the money that is available for
winning chess tournaments, then the stakes are much higher and there is a lot
more pressure. Being nervous can negatively affect your play.} 1. -- {2)
General self-improvement is necessary to aid your progress. Not only do you
need to do exercises that help improve your memory or visualization at the
board, but there are physical aspects to work on also. Our top players are
normally quite healthy and in good shape and this helps to maintain their
mental concentration. Stamina is important because long chess tournaments are
extremely tiring. Little things such as getting enough rest in between games
is very important and fatigue can take a toll. In hindsight, during my year
off, I played too many tournaments, not getting the proper rest and analysis
time in between the events and as a result this hindered my progress.} (1. -- {
3) Character development and generating a positive self-image should help. You
must also be able to take criticism and learn from your mistakes. One of the
most effective ways to improve is to analyse your games. This doesn't just
mean flick through them with a computer, but to really break them down. Get a
stronger player to analyse them with you, highlighting both your strengths and
weaknesses. Cross-reference them and note any trends. If you can do this, this
will help you on the path of self-improvement. It may be painful but will
definitely help you in the future.}) (1. -- {4) However, it is not a good idea
to just focus on the weaknesses as this could bring you down. It is also
important to look at your strengths. If you are good in a certain area, then
why not practise trying to lead your games this way? This will help with the
positive thinking too as you know you are good in this area so should also
lead to increased confidence.}) (1. -- {5) Last but not least, it is a good
idea to set yourself some goals. These should not be totally unrealistic,
otherwise you will lose the drive to achieve them, but still ambitious enough
so they will motivate you. They need to be positive goals and ones which are
measurable so you can track your progress. It may be a rating gain, or a
certain amount of games played Christmas, or whatever. These goals then be
broken down into categories and checked off as they are achieved.}) (1. -- {
With all this information and hopefully a deeper insight into chess psychology,
you should obtain some new weapons to use on and off the chessboard to help
you on your path to improvement. I wish you the best of luck!}) *
