CHESS The Ultimate Chess Ches s Tactics Tactics and Strategies!
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Table of Content Cont entss Introduction How to Read Chess Notations Chapter Chapter 1 – How to to Become Beco me a Strong Stro ng Chess Player Chapter Chapter 2 – The T he Ultimate Ultimate Chess Strategies Chapter 3 – The Ultimate Chess Tactics Conclusion
Introduction I want to thank you and congratulate you for purchasing this book…
“Chess: The Ultimate Chess Tactics and Strategies” This book contains tips and techniques that can help you improve your playing strength. It will discuss the things that you have to learn in order to become an excellent chess player. Then, it will teach you the ultimate strategies that you can implement in your own games. Finally, it will show you the best tactics that can help you crush your opponents easily. This book uses theoretical explanations to assist the reader learn more about the game. To help the reader in mastering chess concepts and techniques, this game includes many grandmaster games. That means you will learn from the best chess players in the world.
Thanks again for purchasing this book, I hope you enjoy it!
How to Read Chess Notations This book uses the algebraic chess notation to identify moves. Here are the basics of this type of notation:
The Chess Board
The squares on the board are identified using their respective coordinates. Keep in mind that this image is based on the White player’s perspective. If you are playing with the Black pieces, you have to reverse the board. That means the square at the bottom left of the board must be “h8.” Pawn moves are recorded using the coordinates. For example, if a pawn moves to the a4-square, the move is written as “a4.” Chess pieces, on the other hand, are recorded using the following letters: Bishop – B Knight – N Rook – R Queen – Q King – K If a piece moves, the piece-identifier is written down followed by the coordinates of its new square. For example, a knight was transferred to the d4-square. The move will be recorded as Nd4. Captures are recorded using the piece-identifier, the letter “x,” and the square of the captured piece or pawn. For example, a knight captured an enemy o n the d4-square. It will be recor ded as Nxd4. When a pawn captures an enemy, the move will be recorded using the name of the file the pawn was standing on before the capture. Thus, if the pawn on the b-file captured an enemy on c4, it will be written as bxc4. The “castling” move (i.e. the simultaneous move of the king and one of the rooks) is recorded as 0-0
(if castled to the kingside) or 0-0-0 (if castled to the queenside). Here are additional symbols used in this notation: !! – Excellent Move ! – Good Move !? Interesting Move ?! – Weak Move ? – Dubious Move ?? – Blunder/Mistake ch – Check (i.e. the king is being attacked) # - Checkmate Lastly, the actual game moves are written in bold. The comments and theoretical moves, on the other hand, are in italics. This is done to help yo u read chess notations easily.
Chapter 1: How to Become a Strong Chess Player Chess is a board game that has entertained millions of players all over the world. It is still popular, despite the fact that it was invented thousands of years ago. Actually, chess has invaded modern devices such as tablets, computers, and mobile phones. The internet played a huge part in increasing the game’s popularity. Nowadays, you may join online chess communities to play some games with people fro m different countries. Because the game is becoming more popular, more and more people want to become strong chess players. They want to have better planning and tactical skills in order to beat their opponents. In general, it is easy to learn the basics of chess – even kids can become good players if taught properly. However, it is hard to become a strong chess player. You will be required to spend considerable time
and effort in sharpening your skills and memorizing opening variations. There ar e lots of things you have to learn. Some of these are: Openings – You have to learn different types of openings. In addition, you should know the principles and theories behind each opening that you will use. As you go up the ranking ladder, you will be relying on openings to gain advantages over your opponents. Remember: a small advantage in the opening phase may turn into a decisive one during the course of the game. Endgames – The endgame phase poses difficult problems to inexperienced players. Here, brute force approaches won’t work. You have to understand all of the characteristics of any given position in order to find the best moves. In general, endgames are full of subtle traps and hidden resources. That’s why you have to be extremely careful when formulating your endgame plans. Calculations – Even the best chess plans fail if they are not supported by sufficient calculations. Keep in mind that you are playing against another person: someone who wants to counter your schemes, defeat you, and laugh like a maniac while you are groveling on the ground and crying hopelessly. Okay, that last bit rarely happens but you get the idea. Your opponent will try to negate your plans and push his/her own agenda. That’s why you have to calculate the possible move sequences on the board. Through calculations, you can determine the effectiveness of your plans. Positional Play – This refers to the act of playing according to the positional demands of the board. For instance, your pawn structure (a positional element) is better than your opponents. You should use plans and tactics that allow you to maximize the benefits provided by your pawn structure. It is important to identify and maintain the advantages of your position. In addition, you should neutralize the positive elements in your opponent’s camp. Board Evaluation – If you can evaluate board positions correctly, you will have better chances of spotting the best plans available. You should remember that chess positions have distinct features that can influence the result of the game. Identify these features (called positional and tactical elements) and incorporate them into your plans. In general, the ability to assess the board quickly and accurately can help you become a great chess player. Chess Psychology – Chess is played by human beings. Thus, the results may depend on the personality and psychology of the players. You may increase your chances of winning by understanding how your opponent thinks. Modern grandmasters keep a database of the games played by their opponents. Using this database, they can identify the “playing patterns” of their opponents. Each player has his/her favorite tricks, attacks, strategies, and openings. If you know the preferences of your opponents, you will have gr eater chances of beating them. Strategies – This refers to the long-term plans created by a chess player during a game. Chess strategies are dynamic: they can be changed according to the events on the board. You won’t win many games if you will blindly stick to a particular strategy. For example, you initially planned to attack your opponent’s kingside (i.e. the f-, g-, and h-files). However, during your attack, your opponent made a huge mistake in his queenside (i.e. the a-, b-, and
c-files). You should punish that mistake by transferring yo ur for ces to the queenside. Tactics – This refers to the maneuvers used by a player to exploit the tactical elements of a position. For instance, your opponent placed his queen on an open file. The poor placement of the queen (which is a tactical element) can be exploited by placing a r oo k on the same file. Since the rook has a lower value than the queen, your opponent will avoid the exchange as much as he can. In general, tactical plans are composed of short-term moves. They can also be used to implement chess strategies. This book will focus on the last two items given above. Strategy and tactics play an important part in improving a player’s skills. They also influence other aspects of the game. For example, openings and endgames involve certain tactics and strategies. Calculations, on the other hand, help you in implementing your strategies and verifying your tactics. Thus, you will be able to improve other aspects of your play just by wor king on chess tactics and chess strategy. This book can’t turn you into an excellent grandmaster overnight (no chess book can). It will, however, provide you with tips and techniques that you can use in your games. By using the information contained in this book, you will achieve significant improvements in your overall play. To help you understand the concepts discussed here, chess positions from grandmaster games will be used as examples. Learning theories isn’t enough. You have to see how those theories are applied during a game. It would be best if you will use a chess board while reading this book. Read the chess notation and move the pieces accordingly. Important Note: This book assumes that the reader is already familiar with the basic rules of chess (e.g. how the pieces move).
Chapter 2: The Ultimate Chess Strategies This chapter will teach you the fundamental strategies that you can use in your games. Here, you will find pr actical tips and techniques that can help you beat your opponents. Push Your Pawns If you want to be a strong chess player, you need to know how to control your pawns effectively. Important game decisions (e.g. the type of structure to aim for) are based on pawns. In addition, the rules of the game state that pawns cannot move backwards. Thus, you should perform deep analyses before moving a pawn. Keep in mind that even a simple pawn move might inflict serious and irreparable damages to your position. Here is a g ame played by two strong gr andmasters: GM Artur Yusupov – GM Sergey Dolmatov (Fr unze 1979 – USSR Championship)
1. c4 c6 2. d4 d5 (This position is known as the Slav Defence. Black starts to challenge White’s central awns. He also opened a diagonal for his c8-bishop. Dolmatov might continue with this opening or go for the Semi-Slav Defence with a later e6.)
3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 (The position is now called Semi-Slav Defense) 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 Bd6 8. a3?!
Yusupov wanted to play e4 (doing this move now results to: 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Bb4ch – White doesn’t get anything). However, it would’ve been better to prepare e4 using normal moves such as 8. Bd3 followed by 0-0. The game continued:
8… Qe7 9. e4 dxe4 10. Nxe4 Bc7 11. Bd3 0-0 12. 0-0 (It is difficult to assess the chess position. White has more space while Black has the two bishops. These positional elements, i.e. space and the bishops, are negating each other. Prevailing chess theories suggest that Black must use a “restrained” strategy with 12… Nd7 followed by …Rd8 …Nf8 and Bd7-Bd8. However, Dolmatov chose an aggressive plan. He wanted to exploit Yusupov’s weak opening play (i.e. the a3-move). Dolmatov layed:
12… f5!? (This kind of move must be analyzed carefully – they involve serious strategic risks. If the player is reckless, he might end up creating decisive weaknesses in his own camp.) 13. Nc3 At this point, Black has two choices: 13… c5 and 13… Nd7 followed by …e5. This osition must be assessed in detail:
If White didn’t retreat his knight to c3, Black must push his c-pawn (e.g. Ng3!? c5! 14. Re1 Qf6 with good winning chances for both players). However, since the knight was back on the c3-square, Dolmatov should go for 13… Nd7! Intending 14… e5. White cannot prevent this move, because the move sequence: 14. Qc2 e5! 15. Bxf5 exd4 16. Rfe1 (if 16. Nxd4 then 16… Qe5!) 16… Qf6 is bad for him (i.e. the open position strengthens Black’s bishops). However, Black continued with 13… c5?, which led to an instant catastrophe. After this weak move, White was able to remove one of Black’s bishops and establish a huge lead in development. It continued: 14. Re1 cxd4 15. Nd5 Qd8 16. Nxc7 Qxc7 17. Nxd4 e5 18. Nb5 Qe7 19. c5! (The winning move – White grabs the c4- and d4-squares. These squares can greatly improve the strength of his ieces). Black resigned after 10 more moves.
Fight for the Central Squares According to chess theorists, a player should always try to control the center. If you control the central squares, your pieces will have excellent places to go to. You will also have better chances of stopping your opponent’s plans. Here is a fragment from a game between two legendary players: Garr y Kasparov and Nigel Short.
This position arose after Black’s 10th move. GM Garry Kasparov vs. GM Nigel Short 26 April 2015 – Legends Blitz Match: Round 5 In the position given above, Black has some serious problems. White owns a huge space advantage because of his pawns on c4, d5, e4, and f3. Black, on the other hand, cannot start any counterplay: his b7-bishop is useless, his c-pawns are doubled, and his knights are too passive. Notice that White’s central pawns are controlling lots of squares. They are taking away space from their enemies.
The former World Champion found a way to increase his advantage:
11. d6! (Kasparov used the small pawn to further increase his space in the center. The game continued:) 11… 0-0 12. Qd2 Qa5 (Black connects his rooks and places his queen on an active square.) 13. b3 Qa3 14. Na4 (White starts to attack the weak pawn on c5.) 14… Rfb8 15. Qc1 (White wants to eliminate the black queen since it is the only active piece in the enemy camp.) 15… Qb4ch 16. Qc3 (The black queen cannot escape.) 16... Nf8 (Black wants to reposition his useless g6-knight. Once it is laced in the center, e.g. Ne6, it will exert some pressure against White’s forces.) 17. Qxb4 cxb4 (Black’s pawns are no longer doubled. If he can push the c6-pawn to c5, his bishop will become stronger.) However, White answered with:
18. c5!
This simple pawn move gives White significant advantages: (1) the f1-bishop gained a longer diagonal, (2) the d6-pawn is now supported, the (3) c6-pawn is now stuck in its current square, and (4) the c5-pawn grabs more space. Kasparov won this game, thanks to his control over the central squares. Here is another game fro m Garr y Kasparov.
Position taken after Black’s 5th move: 5… d6 GM Jeroen Piket vs GM Garry Kasparov Tilburg, Netherlands – 1989 This position is known as the Orthodox Variation of the King’s Indian Defense. White pushed his central pawns forward in order to grab space. He also developed his knights so that they are suppor ting the advanced pawns. Black, on the other hand, focused o n developing his kingside. His g7bishop is now ready for some action. His king is already safe and his f8-rook can be transferred to the e-file. Kasparov’s opening system often results to kingside attacks. However, you should notice how he will play in the center. When playing chess, you shouldn’t focus on one sector of the board. You should consider all parts of the board when choosing your moves. The game continued:
6. Be2 (White wants to complete his kingside development.) 6… e5 (Kasparov challenges White’s central dominance. This pawn move also grabs some kingside space.) 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 (The center has become stable. In general, you shouldn’t make moves in the flanks, i.e. the queenside and the kingside, while the center is unstable. This is because attacks on the center are often more powerful than those made in the flanks.) 9. Ne1 Nd7 (This move prepares the pawn move f7-f5. Here, the d7 knight can also be transferred to the queenside.) 10. Be3 (This maneuver aims to discourage Nc5) 10… f5 (Black continues his kingside
assault. Piket must counterattack in the center if he wants to survive.) 11. f3 f4 12. Bf2 g5 13. b4 Nf6 (The knight returned to f6. Kasparov will use this knight to strengthen his attack. As a bonus, the c8bishop has gained an open diagonal that leads to the kingside.)
14. c5 (Finally. White has started his central assault. This is perhaps the best plan available to him at this point. According to chess theorists, the best defense against a kingside attack is a counterblow in the center.) 14… Ng6 (Kasparov ignores White’s demonstration. Instead of worrying about Piket’s slow attack, he simply improves the position of his attacking pieces.) 15. cxd6 cxd6 16. Rc1 (White successfully opened the c-file. He hopes that he can use it to dist ract Black from his violent kingside attack.) 16… Rf7 17. a4 (As you can see, White keeps on moving the ieces in the queenside. This is because he shouldn’t make any move in the kingside. In general, a layer must not make moves in the part of the board where he is weaker. With the current position, Black controls the entire kingside. If White will move his pawns or pieces there, he will expose himself to unnecessary risks.) 17… Bf8 18. a5 Bd7 19. Nb5 g4!?
Black continues his kingside assault. In t his position, Black has a significant advantage. He has active ieces, more space in the kingside, excellent attacking chances, and a noticeable l ead in development. Except the knight on b5, all of White’s pieces are stuck in the first and second rows of the board. This means his pieces are passively waiting for Black’s attack to push through. Chess theorists claim that a layer must never wait passively, especially if you are playing against Kasparov. The rest of the game is a massacre. Kasparov pushed his kingside pawns and harassed the enemy king. fterward, he placed his queen on the a7-g1 diagonal and forced White to give up some material. White didn’t want to waste his time any further: he resigned on the 28 th move. Establish Strong Pawn Chains You can fo rm a pawn chain by moving your pawns in a way that they for m a diagonal line. Here is a hypothetical position:
In the example given above, both players have a pawn chain. White’s chain is formed by the b2-, c3-, d4-, and e5-pawns. Black’s chain, on the other hand, are formed by the f7-, e6-, d5-, and c4-pawns. In general, pawn chains play an important role in formulating chess plans. These chains grab space and stop enemy pieces from reaching certain squares. That means you can secure a positional advantage by building and maintaining a pawn chain. Conversely, you should always attack your opponent’s pawn chain whenever you can. The best way to destroy a pawn chain is by destro ying its “base” (i.e. the pawns at the lower par t of the chain). The pawns at the top of the chain rely on their comrades located below them. If you can remove the supporting pawns, the advanced ones will be extremely weak. Players who own these weak pawns are often forced to defend passively. Here is an instructive game that shows the importance of pawn chains:
Position arose after White’s 11th move. GM Garry Kasparov versus GM Nigel Shor t Legends Blitz Match (Round 7) – April 26, 2015 You will enco unter this kind of pawn chain many times. This pawn configuration serves as a foundation for different chess openings. In this game, White’s e-pawn has reached the e5-square. It means he has excellent contro l over the kingside and the center. However, Black is alr eady attacking White’s pawn chain. The c5-pawn is attacking the one on d4. Obviously, White shouldn’t capture via dxc5 since that will severely weaken his e5-pawn. In this type of position, you can identify the best plans quite easily. You just have to look at the direction where the pawn chain is leaning to. White’s pawns are leaning towards the kingside. That means he should play in that side of the boar d. Black, on the other hand, should focus o n the queenside since his pawn chain is pointing ther e. Note, however, that both players have to fight for the center while they are executing their flank attacks.
The game continued:
11… Ba6 12. Bxa6 Rxa6 (Black succeeded in removing the light-squared bishops. Now, he can start ushing his queenside pawns.) 13. Qd3 (White attacks the undefended rook.) 13… c4 14. Qc2 b5 (Nigel Short calmly pushes his queenside pawns forward. As you can see, he is grabbing lots o queenside space.) 15. Ne3 b4 (White cannot capture the b4-pawn. Doing so will give Black a significant advantage. First, Black will respond with axb4, opening the a-file for his queen and rooks. dditionally, the pawn on d4 will be weakened since its supporting pawn – the c3-pawn – has disappeared.) 16. Ng4 (Kasparov displays consistency even in the face of a queenside attack. He transfers his knight to the g4-square and opens a diagonal for his c1-bishop.) 16… a4 17. a3 bxc3 18. bxc3 Rb6 (Black wants to control the b-file. He is willing to sacrifice the a-pawn just to place both of his rooks on that file.) 19. Qxa4 Qa8 20. Qc2 h5 (Short forced the knight to retreat. Before continuing his queenside attack, he wants to give Kasparov some problems in the kingside. This is an excellent scheme – implement your plans and complicate the tasks of your opponent. This way, you will have great winning chances.)
After Black’s 20th move: h5
21. Ne3 Rfb8 (Black succeeded in doubling his rooks on the b-file.) 22. g4!? (Kasparov wants to open a file in the kingside. He plans to transfer his king to the h1-square and place his heavy pieces, i.e. the queen and rooks, in the g-file.) 22… hxg4 (22… g6 23. gxh6 gxh6 is worse.) 23. Nxg4 R8b7 24. Kh1 Na5 (The knight is eyeing the b3-square.) 25. Rg1 Qe8
Position after Black’s 25th move: Qe8 Both players followed the plans suggested by their respective pawn chains. White prepared a kingside attack since his pawn chain (i.e. c3-d4-e5) points toward that side of the board. Meanwhile, Black opened a file in the queenside and transferred some of his pieces there. This is because his pawn chain (i.e. f7-e6-d5-c4) points toward that area. Kasparov has an extra pawn in the queenside but he cannot exploit it right now. Short will simply harass that pawn if Kasparov tries to push it forward.
The game became a tactical battle after this position. It will not be discussed since the succeeding ositions are no longer relevant to the current topic. Attack Your Opponent’s Pawn Weaknesses If a player pushes his pawns and these pawns can support each other, he has strong and useful pawns. Without the help of its comrades, a pawn can become extremely weak because the opponent may attack it with his chess pieces. That means a solid “pawn network” is a long-term positional element that must be consider ed at all times. In many situations, the pawn network becomes damaged (i.e. the pawns become backward, doubled, or isolated). Keep in mind that the connection between pawns often changes throughout the game. You should assess the status of your pawns regularly. You can easily determine the player who has the better pawn network. You just have to compare the number o f “pawn islands” in each camp. Here is an instructive game between two chess legends: Yuri Averbakh and Mark Taimano v.
White to mo ve GM Yuri Averbakh versus GM Mark Taimanov Mosco w 1948 – USSR Championship White has two pawn islands: the lone a-pawn and the group of pawns on f2, g2, and h2. Black, however, has fo ur: all of his pawns are isolated. Obviously, Averbakh has the better pawn network. He may attack the enemy pawns in turn. In general, pawn weaknesses can be exploited easily during the endgame. This is because the opponent has fewer chances of executing a counterattack. White gained a decisive material advantage in just a few moves:
1. Rb3 Nc8 2. Rb5 Rc3 (Black didn’t want to defend passively. He wants to attack the weak and undefended pawn on a3.) 3. Re5ch (An excellent move. Averbakh disrupts the defense of his opponent.) 3… Ne6 (This is forced. 3… Ne7 invites the crushing 4. Nd5 while 3… Kd8 loses to 4. Nd5 followed by 5. Bg5 mate. Running away with 3… Kf7 doesn’t help either – he gets demolished by 4. Rf5ch.) 4. Nxe6 dxe6 5. Rxe6 (Averbakh gains extra material.) 5… Kf7 6. Rh6 (White finds another target.)
6. Kg8 7. Rf6 Rxa3 8. Bh6 (White is winning. He threatens to mate the black king via 9.Rf8 and capture the weak pawn on f5.) Here is a game played by former World Champion Boris Spassky against Yuri Averbakh. This game further demonstrates the importance of attacking the weak pawns of your opponent.
White to mo ve GM Boris Spassky ver sus GM Yuri Averbakh Kharkov 1963 White will obtain a significant advantage once he captures the pawn on d4. Although the material is equal, he will have the upper hand since he has fewer pawn islands than his opponent. Note that the d6pawn is extremely weak. It is isolated in an open file. That means White can attack it with his chess pieces. By doing so, he will either win material or force Black to defend passively. The game continued:
1. Bxf6 Qxf6 2. Nd4 (The material is now equal. However, White has the better position because of his connected pawns.) 2… Ne5 3. Bb3 (White improves his control over the d5 square and opens the c-file for his rooks.) 3… Bd7 (Black needs to exert some pressure on the f5-square. If he places his bishop on the b7-square, White will have the option to play Nf5 later on.) 4. Rc1 Rac8 5. Qd2 (Spassky connects his rooks and develops his queen. On d2, the queen may jump to the kingside and harass the black monarch or go to the queenside to threaten the pawns there.) 5… Ng6 (Black could have exchanged on c1 at this point. By eliminating the rooks, White will have a hard time attacking the weak pawn on d6.) 6. Rcd1! (Spassky avoids the exchange and increases the ressure against the d6-pawn.)
Position after White’s 6th move
6… Ne5 7. f4 (White cannot allow his opponent to keep the knight on e5. On that square, the knight exerts pressure on the center and the kingside.) 7… Nc4 8. Bxc4 bxc4 9. Ne2! (This is an excellent move. White opens the d-file for his queen and rook. In addition, he plans to transfer the knight to c3. fter Nc3, White will have better control over d5 and e4. That means the d6-pawn cannot move forward without dying.) 9… Ba4 10. Rc1 Rfd8 11. Nc3 (White forces the bishop to retreat.) 11… Bc6 12. Rcd1 h6 13. Qe3 (Spassky threatens 14. Qb6, attacking the pawns and pieces in the queenside) 13… Rb8 14. Re2 Rbc8 15. Rd4 (White attacks the weak pawn on c4.) 15… Bb7 16. Red2 Qe7
Position after Black’s 16th move White has a huge positional advantage. He has more space in the center and the kingside. He has better piece coordination and a powerful attack against the pawn on d6. Black, on the other hand, has three weak pawns to care for (i.e. a6, c4, and d6). Because of these weaknesses, he is forced to defend assively. Spassky won some material after several moves. He converted his material and positional advantage into an easy win. The succeeding moves will not be discussed since they are no longer related to the current topic.
Attack the Seventh Rank The seventh rank (i.e. the 7 th row if you are playing as White; the 2 nd row if you ar e playing as Black) plays an important part when it comes to attacking and defending. In general, this rank is occupied by your opponent’s pawns. If you can occupy and dominate this rank, you will have excellent chances of winning some extra material. Also, since this rank is deep within the enemy territory, you will gain gr eat attacking chances against the opponent’s king.
This section of the book will show you two games played by strong grandmasters. Study this material carefully since it will teach you the standard playing techniques used in contro lling the 7th rank.
White to mo ve GM Artur Yusupov ver sus GM John Nilssen Copenhagen – 2003 In this position, the players have the same material and number of pawn islands. However, White has the advantage since his king is in a much safer place than his opponent’s. The pawns on g2 and h3 provide the white monarch a safe place to hide. The pawns on f6 and g6, on the other hand, cannot help their king in its plight. The white rook on a7 restricts the black king – the monarch cannot move forward without getting murdered. The game continued:
1. Rc1 (White has two powerful threats: [1] checkmate with 2. Rc8 and [2] Rc7, doubling on the 7 th rank.) 1… Rde5 (Black wants to block 2. Rc8ch with 2… Re8.) 2. Rcc7 (White’s rooks have occupied the 7 th rank. Now, he can weave a mating net around the enemy king. The position of the white rooks also creates attacking chances against the black pawns.) 2… g5 3. Rg7ch Kf8 (If Kh8, Yusupov will answer with Rf6, threatening to mate using Rf8 or capture the f-pawn via 4. Rxf6) 4. Raf7ch Ke8 5. Rxf6 (White has attained material advantage. In addition, he still has some attacking chances left. He can get a checkmate if his opponent isn’t careful.) 5… Re1ch 6. Kh2 b5 7. Rb6 (The white rooks are so busy. They keep on attacking Black’s weaknesses. With this move, he attacks the b6-pawn and threatens to mate via Rb8.) 7… Kf8 8. Rgb7 (Increasing the pressure against the weak pawn.) 8… g4 (Black tries to complicate matters. He will get some drawing chances if he can ruin the white king’s shelter. However, Yusupov answered with a crushing move.) 9. Rf6ch! (This move exploits the poor status of the black king. If Black goes Kg8, White will reply with Rg6ch and capture the g4-pawn next move. If Black chooses Ke8, on the other hand, White will still answer with Rg6 – a move that threatens mate on Rg8. When Black goes back to f8, Yusupov will capture the pawn on g4.) Black resigned.
After White’s 9th move The next game is played by Artur Yusupov and Alexei Shiro v:
GM Artur Yusupov versus GM Alexei Shirov Linares – 1993 In this position, the material is equal. White has the better pawn network. That means he doesn’t have to worry about pawn weaknesses. However, Black’s pawns on the queenside are far advanced. These pawns pose great problems for White. You should also notice that Black’s pieces are excellently placed: they are suppor ting the pawns on a5 and b4. The player s have equal winning chances. Yusupov continued the game with:
1. Rd4! (He threatens Rxb4 followed by Rxa6.) 1… Re2 (Black decides to execute a counterattack by occupying the 7 th rank. On e2, the black rook attacks both the c2-bishop and the h2-pawn.) 2. Rxb4 Rc6! (Shirov allows his opponent to kill the queenside pawns. However, he attacks the white king and the c2-bishop. With this move, he aims to cement his control over the 7 th rank.) 3. Rxa5! Nd1ch (Black opens the file for his c6-rook.) 4. Rc1 Rcxc2ch 5. Kxd1
Position after White’s 5th move: Kxd1 This position often leads to a draw. Black’s rooks can create unlimited checks and mating threats. That means White cannot exploit his material advantage. The game co ntinued:
5… Red2ch 6. Ke1 Rxh2 (Shirov captures a pawn and threatens to mate with Rh1.) 7. Kd1 (Preparing to answer 7… Rh1 with 8. Kxc2.) 7… Rcg2 (Black renews the mating threat.) 8. Re4 (Yusupov will answer 8… Rg1ch or 8… Rh1ch with 9. Re1. At this point, Shirov may capture the g-pawn and create some complications. However, the position is a well-known draw. He cannot collect enough advantages to secure a win. The players agreed to draw the game.)
Position after White’s 8th move: Re4 Create and Utilize Semi-Open Files Files act as ro ads for your “heavy pieces” (i.e. queen and rooks). If you want to maximize the strength of your heavy pieces, you should o pen at least one file in your position. You can achieve that by initiating pawn exchanges. Aside from serving as roads, files may provide you with targets. This is often the case when your opponent has a weak pawn or an undefended piece in a file. Whenever you see this situation on the board, hurry and place your queen and/or rooks in that same file. By doing so, you will either win some material or gain a lead in development. Semi-open files refer to those files where only a single pawn – an enemy pawn – can be found. Here is a hypothetical chess position:
In this simplified position, each player has a semi-open file (i.e. the d-file for White; the e-file for Black). Pawns that are located in a semi-open file are usually subjected to violent attacks. This is because they are exposed to the enemy pieces. In addition, the player who owns such a pawn is sometimes forced to defend passively. Here are some fragments of two grandmaster games. Each of these games involves the use of semi-
open files. Study these game fragments carefully because they will teach you important tricks and techniques in playing chess.
Position arose after Black’s 12th move: 0-0 GM Artur Yusupov versus GM Anthony Miles Horgen, Switzerland – 1994 In the position given above, both camps have semi-open files. White may attack the enemy pawn on e7. Black, on the other hand, may assault the d4-pawn using his pieces. White has a lead in development: all of his pieces have been developed. However, Black has fewer pawn islands. The players have equal winning chances. They continued:
13. d5!? (Yusupov wants to fix the e7-pawn in its current spot. Now, he can attack that pawn using his heavy pieces.) 13… Na6 14. Kh1 (Before starting his attack, Yusupov wants to secure the position o his king. This is an important principle: don’t be careless when executing your attacks. You should always improve your position before initiating any aggressive maneuver.) 14… Nc7 15. Re1 (After improving the king’s position, White starts to attack the e7-pawn.) 15… Nb5? (Miles want to exchange some pieces and prevent White from doubling on the e-file. However, this is a weak move. It would’ve been better if he transferred his f6-knight to the d6-square via 15… Ne8 followed by 16… Nd6) 16. Nxb5 Bxb5 17. Nc3 (White attacks the undefended bishop on b5 and opens the e-file for the rook on e1. The move also strengthens White’s control over the d5-square.) 17… Ba6 (Miles placed his bishop on a6 in order to prevent White from placing a piece on e2. However, the a6-square is not the optimal place for the bishop.) 18. Qd2 (White has gained a clear advantage. His pieces are active and he has more space in the center and queenside. Both of his rooks are placed on great files. The queen on d2 is excellently placed: it defends its comrades, i.e. the bishop on g5, the knight on c3, the two rooks, and the pawns on b2 and d5.) Black, on the other hand, has no active plans available. The bishop on g7 has excellent potential si nce the a1-h8 diagonal has been cleared. However, it cannot win the game alone. The rest of Black’s army must help that bishop in attacking the enemy camp. For the rest of the game, White maintained his positional advantage. He was able to win the e7-pawn and limit Black’s counterplay. The succeeding moves will not be discussed since they are no longer relevant to the current topic.
Position after White’s last move: 18. Qd2 The next game was played by a former World Champion Vassily Smyslov and a Filipino grandmaster Rosendo Balinas Jr.
GM Vassily Smyslov versus GM Rosendo Balinas Jr. Chess Olympiad: Tel Aviv, Israel – 1964 White has more space in the center. He also has a lead in development. He may attack the pawn on d7 and eliminate the powerful bishop o n g7. Meanwhile, Black has an active queen and two bishops. If he can open the position and maintain the bishops, he will obtain excellent attacking chances. The game continued:
1. Bd4 (White wants to remove the strong enemy piece as soon as possible. This is an important concept. You should always observe the status of the enemy pieces. If an enemy piece becomes strong, remove it from the board immediately.) 1… d6 (Balinas wants to develop his light-squared bishop. By moving the pawn forward, he also grabs some central and queenside space.) 2. Nd5 (Smyslov attacks the weak pawn on e7.) 2… Qd8 3. Bxg7 Kxg7 (White succeeded in removing the g7-bishop. As a bonus, he was able to pull the black monarch onto an uncomfortable square.) 4. f4 Be6 5. f5 (The position of the black king invites a kingside attack from White. By pushing his f-pawn forward, he grabs kingside space and opens some lines of attack.) 5… Bxd5 (Black has removed the esky knight on d5. Now, White must make a decision regarding the recapture. He has three options: cxd5, exd5, and Qxd5.) 6. exd5 (This is the best move. Capturing with the c-pawn will open the c-file for the rook. However, it is unclear how White can benefit from it. Capturing with the queen, meanwhile, turns the e4-pawn into a backward pawn.) 6… Qb6ch 7. Rf2 f6 8. Rc3!? (White activates this rook using the third rank. Here, he may swing the rook to the queenside or the kingside.)
Position after White’s 8th move: Rc3
8… Rac8 9. Qe4 Rc7 10. Qg4 (White swings the queen to the kingside. He plans to execute an attack there using his queen and rook.) 10… Qc5 (Black tries to put some pressure on the queenside) 11. b3 (The c4-pawn is defended completely. Now, Smyslov may transfer the c3-rook to the kingside.)
Notice that the e7-pawn is still a glaring weakness in Black’s camp. White will gain great winning chances by attacking that pawn. However, the current position allows him to attack the king directly. Since a king is more valuable than a pawn, White’s decision to initiate some kingside action is logical. This strategy is also supported by the fact that the e7-pawn cannot go anywhere. If the kingside attack fails, White can simply regroup his forces and concentrate on the weak pawn on e7. The rest of the game will not be discussed since it is not related to the current topic.
Chapter 3: The Ultimate Chess Tactics This chapter will discuss advanced chess tactics. Each of these tactics is explained in detail. To help you understand the tactics, practical examples will be given throughout the chapter. These examples are divided into two groups: (1) hypothetical examples and (2) fragments of grandmaster games. The Windmill According to chess experts, this is one of the most beautiful tactics in the game. This tactic involves a series of forcing attacks and discovered checks. The following historic game features the windmill tactic:
Carlos Tor re versus Emmanuel Lasker Moscow, Russia – 1925 Lasker, the second Chess World Champion, was playing as Black against Carlos Torre. In this position, the former World Champion was defending against White’s deadly kingside attack. The white queen, bishop and rook are placed on active squares. However, the g5-bishop is being attacked. It “cannot move” since Black will simply capture the undefended queen on h5. Torre utilized the windmill tactic to turn the tables and crush his formidable opponent. He made a surprising maneuver:
1. Bf6!! (White sacrifices the queen to set up the tactic.) 1… Qxh5 2. Rxg7ch (At this point, White’s rook and bishop are displaying fantastic coordination.) 2… Kh8 3. Rxf7ch (Torre captures another awn. Meanwhile, Lasker was forced to return the king to its previous square.) 3… Kg8 4. Rg7ch Kh8 5. Rxb7ch (White has almost cleared the 7 th rank.) 5… Kg8 6. Rg7ch Kh8 7. Rg5ch (Torre kills the undefended queen on h5. He could’ve taken the a7awn first, but he decided not to since it will activate the a8-rook. This is an important principle: you shouldn’t capture enemy pawns and pieces blindly. You should always evaluate the consequences o our moves. Don’t go for extra material if it will give your opponent some positional compensation such as active pieces.)
Position after White’s 7th move: Rg5ch
7… Kh7 8. Rxh5 Kg6 (This attack allows Black to capture the bishop. However, White still secures a three-pawn advantage.) 9. Rh3 Kxf6 10. Rxh6ch (Lasker resigned.) This tactic is so powerful even the legendary Emmanuel Lasker couldn’t do anything against it. As you can see, this tactic relies on the coordination between two pieces. You have to know how to combine the strengths of your pieces if you want to use this tactic in your games. Aside from the bishop and rook combination, you may perform the windmill tactic using a queen and a rook, a queen and a bishop, or two queens (i.e. if you were able to promote one of your pawns). The following game was played by two former World Champions. It involves a powerful version of the windmill tactic:
GM Vassily Smyslov versus GM Max Euwe Candidates Tournament: Zurich, Switzerland – 1953 In this position, White has a clear advantage. The d7-rook terrorizes the king and the bishops. The bishop on g2 is aiming at the black king. Meanwhile, the bishop on c3 is giving the kingside pieces some nasty pressure. The queen on e3 is better than its counterpart in f6 in terms of activity and usefulness. Finally, White’s king is way much safer than Black’s. Because of White’s advantage, the position is full of tactics that favor him. Smyslov saw that he can perform a deadly trick to beat his opponent:
1. Bxe5! (White sacrificed a bishop. This is just the beginning of a beautiful combination.) 1… Rxe5 2. Qxe5!! (Now, White is giving up his queen. He did this to lure away the f6-queen from its current square.) 2… Qxe5 3. Bxc6ch (Smyslov immediately captured the undefended pawn.) 3… Kb8 (This is forced.) 4. Rb7ch (The fundamental move of this tactic. Here, this cool move leads to a checkmate.) 4… Ka8 5. Rb5 (Checkmate. The c6-bishop attacks the a8-king. The poor king cannot dodge that attack since the b5-rook controls the entire b-file.) Back Rank Tactics
The term “back rank” refers to the 1st and 8th ranks on the board. These ranks are often occupied by the king. Because of this, the bank rank serves an important ro le in mating attacks. You will be able to win the game easily if yo u can attack and dominate the back rank of your opponent. Conversely, make sure that your back rank is completely secure. Important Note: You should give your king an escape room by moving a pawn in front of it. This way, your king can simply dodge the back rank attacks of your opponent. Once an enemy rook or queen goes to your back rank, you may transfer your king to the second rank. The following examples will illustrate the power of bank rank tactics:
GM Vladimir Tukmakov versus GM Alexander Kochiev Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – 1978 In this example, Black contro ls the 2nd r ank of his opponent. This piece exerts tremendous pressure on White’s position. In fact, the d2-rook threatens the isolated pawn on a2. Black will have an excellent position if he can eliminate the queens from the board and transfer his a6-knight to the kingside. However, Black made a huge mistake:
1… Rxa2? (Black thought that he can steal this pawn from White. It shows that he underestimated White’s control over the c-file.) 2. Bd5!! (Grandmaster Tukmakov attacks the black queen using his bishop. As you can see, this move became powerful because Black’s back rank is extremely weak. Black will lose the game immediately if he will capture this bishop.) For example: 2… Qxd5 3. Qxd5 Rxd5 (After thi s move, Black’s bank rank will be exposed to deadly tactics.) 4. Rc8ch (This is the start of a mating attack.) 4… Rd8 (This is forced.) 5. Rxd8 checkmate.
Position after White’s 5th move: Rxd8 However, the game didn’t reach this kind of conclusion. Black resigned after White’s 2. Bd5. This is because the rook on a2 will surely die next move (i.e. after 3. Qxa2). Here is a game fragment that involves a back rank attack and a promotion:
White to mo ve GM Bog dan Sliwa versus GM Gosta Stoltz Bucharest, Romania – 1953 In this position, Black’s pieces are in aggressive squares. The queen on g5 and the bishop on c6 create mating possibilities. In addition, the rook on d5 controls the 5 th rank and the d-file. It seems that Black has excellent winning chances. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The assessment of this position changes entirely once you see the potential of the pawn on b6. In chess, a pawn can be promoted to any piece once it reaches the 8 th square of its file. Grandmaster Sliwa exploited the weakness of Black’s bank rank. He used that tactical element to boost the strength of his b6-pawn. He continued with an awesome queen sacr ifice:
1. Qxc6! bxc6 2. b7 (White will promote this pawn next move.) 2… Qd8 (Black prepares to capture the awn once it gets promoted.) 3. b8=Q (White chose to promote his pawn into a queen. This is the most common choice since queens are the strongest chess pieces. However, there are times when you should romote your pawn to a different piece (e.g. a knight). That means you shouldn’t promote your pawns blindly. Base your decision on the characteristics of your position.) 3… Rd1ch (Black uses an interesting tactic. With this sacrifice, he intends to distract the rook on b1. Once the b1-rook moves away, Black will capture the b8-queen.) 4. Rxd1 Qxb8 (Black succeeded in capturing the enemy queen. It looks like he is going to win this game…) 5. Nb7!!
Position after White’s 5th move: Nb7 White exploits the weakness of Black’s back rank. Black cannot capture the knight since the rook on d1 will jump to the d8-square, killing the black king. In addition, White’s last move intends to defend the rook once it reaches d8. White was able to eliminate the black queen after two moves. Black resigned. Here is another example of a bank rank tactic:
Black to move In this hypothetical position, Black is conducting a violent attack against White’s king. The f6-queen and the b2-rook are attacking the f2-pawn. Curr ently, that pawn is defended by White’s king and r ook. It looks like White has a solid game. However, Black used a queen sacrifice to weaken the enemy’s back rank:
1… Qxf2!! 2. Rxf2 Rb1ch 3. Rf1 (White has blocked the back rank attack.) 3… Bc5! (This move forces the white monarch to go to the h1-square. After this, the f1-rook will be undefended.) 4. Kh1 (This is forced.) 4… Rxf1 (Checkmate.)
Position after Black’s 4th move: Rxf1 Tactics that Involve Files In the previous chapter, you have learned about the importance of files. Files act as roads for your queen and rooks. In addition, they allow you to attack your opponent’s camp. This section o f the book will teach you some tactics that utilize open and/or semi-open files. Important Note: An open file allows you to attack your opponent’s 7 th rank and/or back rank. That means you may gain a decisive advantage just by opening and controlling a file. An open or semi-open file that leads toward the enemy king can boost your winning chances. When using this kind of file, you should invo lve your pawns and pieces in the attack. Keep in mind that your attack will only succeed if the members of your army are working harmoniously. No piece, not even a queen, can mate the enemy king alone. You have to attack with enough pieces in order to break the enemy king’s defenses. Additionally, you should conduct your attack actively and energetically. You must not waste any move in executing your attacks. The following examples will teach you how to o pen files in the kingside (i.e. the f-, g-, and h-files). Additionally, they will show you how to co nduct kingside attacks that involve o pen or semi-open files. How to Use the F-file
White to mo ve GM Anatoly Karpov versus GM Valery Salov Linares Annual Tournament: Andalusia, Spain – 1993 Karpov, a former World Champion, wants to open a file in the kingside. He’s even willing to sacrifice a pawn to do so. He played:
1. g6! fxg6 (Taking with 1… hxg6 is bad since the black king will be exposed to more dangers.) 2. f5 gxf5 3. Rxf5 (White successfully opened the f-file. Now, he needs to involve the rest of his pieces in his kingside assault.) 3… Nd7 (Black transfers this knight to the kingside. He plans to use this piece in defending his king.) 4. Rdf1 (Karpov exerts more pressure along the f-file.) 4… Ne5 5. R5f4 (White achieves two things with this move: [1] he harasses the black queen and [2] he improves the position of one of his rooks.) 5… Qb6 6. Ng5 (White systematically increases the number of pieces involved in his kingside assault. This is an important strategy when attacking the enemy king. You should involve as many pieces as you can if you want to overcome your opponent’s defense.) 6… Ng6 7. Nf7ch! (This move forces the king to go to the g8-square. Additionally, the knight attacks the h8-square: this allows White to execute a devastating blow.) 7… Kg8 (This is forced.) 8. Qxg6!!
Position after White’s 8th move: Qxg6 Beautiful. Karpov sacrifices his queen to open the h-file. After 8… hxg6, he will play 9. Rh4 followed by 10. Rh8#. Note that 10. Rh8 became possible because of the knight on f7. The next example shows a complicated kingside battle:
Black to move GM S. Malyshev versus GM Gregory Kaidanov Bled, Slovenia – 1997 Black has a significant advantage. The pawn on g4 grabs extra space in the kingside and allows the queen to enter White’s camp easily. The queen on h5 creates great mating possibilities. The two black roo ks, on the other hand, are placed in excellent squares. They can easily help their queen in attacking the enemy king. White needs to utilize his a1-rook if he wants to defend against Black’s kingside assault. As a general rule, you shouldn’t allow your pieces to stay in passive squares. Make sure that all of your pieces are helping you in executing yo ur plans and tactics. Black continued the game with a startling sacrifice:
1… Rxf2!! (Black sacrificed a rook just to open the f-file.) 2. Kxf2 Qh2ch (Grandmaster Kaidanov laces his queen on the 7 th rank. Here, the h2-queen prevents the king from escaping.) 3. Kf1 (This is forced.) 3… Re7! (Black utilizes the f-file accurately. With his last move, he threatens to mate the king with 4… Rf7.) 4. Qf5 (White stops Black’s threat. He is willing to sacrifice his queen just to stop the mating attack.) 4… Rf7 5. Qf4 (If Black takes the f4-queen, White will recapture using his e-pawn. GM Malyshev hopes to control the resulting open e-file using his rooks.) 5… h5! (Black pushes his pawn forward. Here, he threatens to promote at least one of his kingside awns. White saw that he cannot stop the promotion of Black’s pawns. He resigned.)
Position after Black’s 5th move: h5
How to Use the G-file
White to mo ve GM Alexander Beliavsky versus GM Evgeny Bareev USSR Chess Championship: Minsk, Belarus – 1987 In this position, the g-file is already open. Both kings are in the h-file. The rooks, on the other hand, are fighting for the open file. White used a beautiful trick to involve his bishop and queen in his kingside attack. He played:
1. Bh5! Qf8 2. Rxg8ch Nxg8 3. Qg3 (White threatens 4. Ng6ch. Now, he has absolute control over the g-file. It is interesting to see how Beliavsky used his pieces in attacking the opponent’s king.) 3… Bb5 4. Qh4 (Grandmaster Beliavsky prepares a deadly check on g6.) 4… Nf6 5. Bf7! (White prepares 6. Ng6ch. Since the white queen is on h4, Black cannot capture the knight with hxg6. White’s attack will result to a huge material advantage.)
Position after White’s 5th move: Bf7
In the next example, White used his bishops to initiate his kingside attack.
White to mo ve GM Artur Yusupov ver sus GM Jorge Rubinetti Interzonal Tournament: Toluca, Mexico – 1982
White controls the semi-open g-file. Since that file leads to the enemy king, it gives him excellent winning chances. In addition, he can easily transfer his pieces to the kingside. That means he can conduct his assault immediately. The game continued:
1. Bh5! (This move attacks the knight on e8 and allows the queen to jump to the kingside.) 1… Rd8 2. Bh6! (This is a daring move. Yusupov exploits the pin against the g-pawn: Rubinetti cannot capture the bishop since the black king stands behind the g7-pawn.) 2… Rd7 3. Bxe8 (White eliminates one o Black’s kingside defenders. This is an important principle: try to remove your opponent’s defenders. This strategy will help you to attack the enemy king successfully.) 3… Rxe8 4. Qh5 (The queen enters the battlefield. This spells danger for the black monarch. By attacking the undefended rook on e8, Grandmaster Yusupov made sure that Black cannot stop his next move.) 4… Qb8 (Black needed to protect the rook. Returning the rook to f8 won’t make much difference.) 5. Bxg7!! (White opens the f-file for his rook and queen. Once the bishop is captured, the rook on b1 will join the fight. Black resigned since he cannot stop White’s attack.)
Position after White’s 5th move: Bxg7
How to Use the H-file The h-file usually gets opened whenever a player puts his/her bishop on the g7-square. For this reason, it is a great idea to castle towards the queenside as soon as your opponent moves his g-pawn. This strategy will allow you to execute an attack using a kingside “pawn storm” (i.e. an attacking scheme where pawns are pushed for ward in or der to open files). The following example shows how Grandmaster Taimanov defeated Anatoly Karpov using the h-file.
Black to move GM Anatoly Karpov ver sus GM Mark Taimanov Leningrad, Russia – 1977 In this simple position, Karpov has better king position and material advantage. The white king is safe
behind the pawns on g2 and h2. Its counterpart on g7, on the other hand, invites violent attacks fr om the white pieces. In addition, White has a strong passed pawn in the queenside. However, Black found a way to har ass the white king. He utilized the semi-o pen h-file to conduct a winning attack. He played:
1… Qd4! (Taimanov chose the d4-square since it allows his queen to go to the kingside. Also, it attacks the d5-pawn and the a1-square. He knew that White won’t get anything by pushing the b-pawn forward.) 2. b6? (Since the queen moved, Karpov advanced his pawn immediately. However, this is a mistake. He should’ve placed the rook on his back rank to block White’s next move.) 2… Ra1 (Black attacks the opponent’s back rank.) 3. Rb1 (Karpov defended his queen. It looks like he has a solid position now…) 3… Ng3ch!!
Position after Black’s 3rd move: Ng3ch Here, Black wants to lure away the queen on e1. Once the queen moves, Black will capture the rook on b1. It is important to note that White cannot capture the knight via 4. hxg3 since that move will open the h-file for Black. After 4. hxg3, Black will play 4… Ra8 followed by a mating attack with 5… Rh8#. Karpov resigned because Black will gain a huge material advantage. The next example involves a beautiful queen and rook sacrifice:
White to mo ve Valentina Bor isenko ver sus Zara Nakhimovskaya USSR – 1969 In this game, White has successfully launched a pawn storm in the kingside. Because of her advanced pawns, she has a larg e space advantage in the entire boar d. Lastly, her heavy pieces are placed in the kingside. That means she will win the game easily if she can open at least one file there. Borisenko knew that she had to open the h-file. That knowledge allowed her to concoct a dazzling tactic:
1. Qxh7!! (This queen sacrifice destroys the cover in front of the king.) 1… Kxh7 2. g6ch (White wants to vacate the g5-square.) 2… Kh8 (Black’s moves are forced. She didn’t have any choice here.) 3. Rg5!! (White threatens to murder the black monarch via 4. Rh5. If Black captures the rook using 3… fxg5, White will respond with 4. hxg5. This recapture leads to a checkmate since the black king will be exposed to the attack of the h1-rook.)
Position after White’s 3rd move: Rg5
How to Use Multiple Files Sometimes, you have to open and use several files during a kingside attack. This is because your opponent can easily defend if you are only using a single file. The following examples will show you how to utilize multiples files in attacking the enemy king.
White to mo ve GM Viswanathan Anand versus GM Alexander Khalifman Rapid Chess Tournament: Moscow, Russia – 1995 This is a game between two former World Champions. White has a huge advantage despite Black’s extra material. As you can see, the pawn on h7 is just one square away from becoming another queen. Also, the rooks on g1 and h1 are controlling their respective files. White will win the game if he can successfully attack the black monar ch. In this position, Black is suffering because of two reasons: (1) the king is stuck in a dangerous area and (2) the rest of Black’s army cannot defend their king. The rook on f8 is certainly weak. It’s not doing anything active for his camp. The queen, on the other hand, is standing in front the f7-pawn. That means the pawn cannot advance unless the queen moves. Black has a bad game, despite his material advantage. Anand played the interesting:
1. Qg3! (This move threatens 2. Qg8ch Rxg8 3. Rxg8# [or 3. hxg8#] White knew that he should use all
of his pieces to finish the game. Yes, the two rooks are doing great… but that is not enough to secure a win. Remember: chess is a team game. Use all of your pieces if you want to defeat your opponents .)
1… Qg6 (Black tries to prevent the death of his king. However, this response isn’t enough. White’s attack cannot be stopped.) 2. Qh4! (Black resigned after seeing this move. This is because after the black queen moves, White will continue with 3. Rg8ch Rxg8 4. hxg8=Qch Kxg8 5. Qh8#. )
After White’s planned 5th move: Qh8 Here’s an instructive game fr om the legendary champion Gar ry Kasparov:
White to mo ve GM Garry Kasparov versus GM Evgeny Pigusov Riga, Latvia 1977 Even at a young age, Kasparov displayed amazing chess talents. This particular position shows how he attacked his opponent using multiple files.
1. Rf6! (Kasparov knew that his opponent cannot take the rook with 1… gxf6 because of 2. Qh6#. On f6, the rook threatens to capture the h6-pawn and mate the king with 2. Qh6.) 1… Ng5 (Black tries to cover the g-file. Can this move stop Kasparov?) 2. Rxg5!! (White sacrifices his rook to open a file in the kingside. Once Black recaptures, the white queen will achieve an excellent position.) 2… hxg5 3. Qxg5 Kg8 (Capturing the rook with 3… gxf6 leads to a catastrophe: 4. Qh6ch Kg8 5. Qh7ch Kf8 6. Qh8#.) 4. Qh4 (The white queen goes back to the open h-file.) 4… Qa3 (Pigusov tries to stir some queenside action. He threatens to capture the undefended bishop on d3.) 5. Rf3! (White protects the bishop and threatens to kill the a3-queen with 6. Bh7ch and 7. Rxa3.) 5… g6 (Black tries to strengthen the wall in front of his king.) 6. Bxg6! (Kasparov destroys Black’s defenses. Now, the fortress in the kingside is reduced to an isolated pawn. The queen on a3 is also being attacked by the rook on d3.)
6… Qxf3 (Black decided to capture the d3-rook. This is perhaps his best option, considering that his king is being hunted down by White’s forces.) 7. Qh7ch (The queen gets close to the enemy king. This spells the end for Black.) 7… Kf8 8. gxf3 (This capture secures a material advantage for White. Now, the black army will be annihilated. The f8-king is going to be murdered while both of the black rooks are watching idly. Black resigned.)
Position after White’s 8th move: gxf3 The last example features a game between two opening specialists:
White to mo ve GM Vladimir Hort versus GM Gennady Sosonko Tilburg, Netherlands – 1979
This position is full of mating possibilities. The white king is being harassed in the queenside. However, that king is safe because there are no open files in that area of the board. If you will look at the kingside, you will notice that three files have been opened (i.e. the f-, g-, and h-files). This means White has excellent chances of mating the enemy king. The game continued:
1. Be8! (This move creates two powerful threats: [1] the bishop attacks the a4-rook and [2] the queen and rook are attacking the h7-pawn.) 1… Nxe8 (Black decided to capture the bishop. This move aims to give the black king some breathing room. However, it allows White to capture the queen in two moves.) 2. Rg2 (White immediately attacked the open g-file. This move will guarantee a huge material advantage for the white camp.) 2… Nf6 (Now, the h7-pawn is protected.) 3. Rhg1! (Grandmaster Hort knew that the black queen cannot escape. Instead of capturing the queen during this move, he chose to strengthen the pressure on the g-file.) Black decided to resign after seeing White’s 3 rd move.
Position after White’s 3rd move: Rhg1
