Blast from the Past, Part 2

All Things Chess
1

I’ve had a lot of fun posting some annotated games from my tournament practice from 20 years ago. Most of these have been posted on other chess-related websites, including my own and IM Jeremy Silman’s over the years. Several were posted on the ‘Blast from the Past’ previous thread, and I thought it good to now start a new thread with a few additional games.

This first appeared in the Massachusetts Chess Association’s Chess Horizons and won a Chess Journalists of America award for best instructional article.

White: Joel Mandeville (2150) Black: Randy Bauer (2300)
Rated Match, 1997 King’s Indian Defense Four Pawn Attack, Gunderam Gambit

1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 Nf6
Black’s roundabout method for getting to the King’s Indian gives him certain advantages in meeting irregular lines. For one thing, the Trompowski bishop (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5) looks kind of funny out there “pinning” the ghost of a knight. It also allows black to accelerate his …e5 break in lines where white plays an early Bf4. The downside, if you care to call it that, is that white may choose to switch to a kingside structure with 2.e4. As I have a better record with the Pirc than with the King’s Indian, I don’t view that as much of a downside.

5. f4
The Four Pawns Attack is, in some respects, white’s most principled response to the King’s Indian. White says, in effect, “if you don’t want to stake a claim to the center, I will.” While the pawns look imposing, standing four abreast and controlling or occupying literally the entire center, it does come at a price. White’s development lags, and black will have his opportunities to take pot shots at that center. The f-pawn may also get in the way of the white pieces – the queen bishop in particular may be left to “stare at the backside” of the f4 pawn. For this reason, white often seeks to liberate that piece with either f4-f5 or e4-e5, intending to meet …dxe5 with fxe5.

5… 0-0 6. Nf3 c5
These days, 6…Na6!? is all the rage, intending to play …e5 (even as a pawn sacrifice if necessary) and bringing the queen knight to the active c5 square. Kasparov has played this way, and Joe Gallagher recommends it in his Beating the Anti-King’s Indians book. The move in the game is the long-time favored approach.

7.d5
A playable option is 7.dxc5 Qa5 8.Bd3 Qxc5 9. Qe2 (white prepares to play Be3 so that he may castle) Nc6 10.Be3 Qa5 with play akin to the Maroczy Bind in the Sicilian Defense.

7…e6
Black strikes back in the center while the white king is still in the vicinity. This tends to limit white’s options, as he can’t get too aggressive.

8.Be2 exd5 9.e5!??!
All the punctuation is probably excessive, but I think it conveys the fact that there is a genuine disagreement among a variety of sources about the viability of this move. As I mentioned in the note to black’s seventh move, it seems dangerous to be picking a fight in the center while the king is still uncastled. White hopes that the time it takes black to win a pawn will be offset by the open lines and chance for him to catch up in development. This line, called the Gunderam Gambit, has been recommended by GM Andy Soltis in his 1.d4 repertoire book (both original and revised version). It was also recently given the stamp of approval by IM Rafael Klovsky and NM Vadim Kaminsky in a 1997 article in Inside Chess titled “Death to the King’s Indian.”

On the other hand, IM Andrew Martin panned the line in his “Winning with the King’s Indian” book. More recently, IM Anatoli Vaisser, arguably the foremost expert on the Four Pawn Attack King’s Indian, said that the variation is currently in crisis.

9…Ne4!
Vaisser and Martin both give this move an exclam, while Klovsky and Kaminsky say that the move looks risky, since black’s knight has no support in the center. Black’s idea is that 9…dxe5 would only open lines for white’s pieces. The knight also gives black some options with …Qa5+, and also might allow black to profitably play …Nxc3.

10.cxd5
10.Nxd5 is the other option, but it doesn’t seem right to cede the black knight the nice c6 square. One of white’s advantages in King’s Indian lines is the spatial edge the central pawns give. If white doesn’t put his pawn on d5, it’s hard for him to claim much advantage in central control.

The key line after 10.Nxd5 is, naturally, 10…Nc6. Then 11.Qc2 f5 12.0-0 dxe5 13.fxe5 Nxe5 14.Bf4. Now Vaisser suggests that both 14…Re8!? 15.Rad1 b6 and 14…Nc6 lead to an advantage for black. Kovsky and Kaminsky quote the same line with 14…Nc6 as Vaisser but overlook a point where black could have improved his play. While the line certainly offers white some play, I don’t really think it’s sufficient.

10…Nxc3 11.bxc3 Nd7
This is a key move for black, as he continues to increase his development advantage and puts more pressure on the white center.

12.e6
The stem game for this variation with 9…Ne4! was Li Zunian-Gheorghiu, Dubai Olympiad 1986, where 12.0-0 dxe5 13.fxe5 Nxe5 14.Be3 Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3 Qd6 left black a clear pawn up, and he won a nicely played endgame.

12…Bxc3+ 13.Bd2 Bxd2+
Black must be careful about his dark squares, and 13…Bxa1? 14.exd7 gives white a clear advantage because of the vulnerability of the black king.

14.Qxd2 fxe6 15.dxe6 Nf6 16.f5 gxf5 17.Qg5+ Kh8 18.Qxf5 Qe7
After a relatively forced series of captures, threats, and counter-threats, we’ve reached another point of disagreement in theory. Soltis analyzes up to 16.f5 and claims that white has play. Martin analyzes up to 18…Qe7 and says it’s “goodbye to the e-pawn.” Soltis may have reached the same conclusion, because he abandons this line in his revised second edition. Vaisser chooses a different method, preferring 15…Nb6 to 15…Nf6. He claims a black advantage after 14.0-0 Bxe6 15.Ng5 Bd5!.

Obviously, white needs to try to maintain the e6 pawn; if it falls, it’s hard to see white’s compensation. Thus, white’s next move is logical.

19.Ng5
Herein lies the tale. In 1991, when preparing for the Iowa State Championship, I relied extensively on IM Martin’s book. As a result, I wasn’t surprised to see the position after 18…Qe7 on the board. After all, that was Martin’s line, and he pronounced that the e-pawn was falling. When my opponent, Bob Reynolds, played 19.Ng5, I naturally assumed that the knight move couldn’t be good. After all, if it was, wouldn’t Martin have included it in his analysis?

Thus, rather than taking a good, hard look at the position, I simply replied 19…h6 after just 5 minute’s thought. After the only consistent move, 20.h4! I then immediately blundered with 20…hxg5? when 21.hxg5+ Kg8 22.gxf6 Rxf6 23.Qh5! put black in a losing position. After 23…Qg7 24.e7! it was all over (although I struggled on to move 30).

After the game, I spent more than my share of time on the position after 19.Ng5 (which is, of course, what I should have done during the game!). While black may be able to get by with a move like 19…Kg8, I found a more radical solution.

Imagine my surprise when the same position appeared six years later… and I got to play a move that I had worked out in lines sometimes 20 moves deep.

19…Bxe6!
This move came as a shock to my opponent, who went into a half hour think. Black is sacrificing a piece, it is true, but all the rest of his pieces become active while white’s king is still sitting in the center of the board. While it may be some comfort to black that, even if things don’t work out, he has two pawns for the piece, in reality, black believes that he will either win his piece back or mate white – the pawns don’t matter all that much at the moment.

In fact, I’d worked all this out to a big advantage for black in every line years ago. My only concern now was to remember my earlier analysis!

It’s interesting to note that the couple of computer software programs I’ve tried this position on don’t recommend 19…Be6 (although they find better moves than the lemon I played against Reynolds). However, once 19…Be6 is played, they quickly conclude that it is a very strong move. I suppose this is understandable, since several lines require quite a few moves for black’s compensation to become clear. Needless to say, I found this move without the aid of the computer, but I have since checked my lines to make sure they work on Fritz.

20.Nxe6?
White obviously has to accept the sacrifice, or he has absolutely nothing to show for his two pawn deficit. There are two ways to capture, with the knight and with the queen, and they each have their unique problems.

According to my analysis, the move in the game gives white fewer chances to complicate the issue. After 20.Qxe6! Qg7, white can go down in flames very quickly (because his king and queen are stuck in the center and his knight attacked and rook subject to attack). However, he has one nice resource that complicates black’s task considerably. Typical lines run 20.Qxe6 Qg7 and now:

A) 21.h4 protects the knight on its advanced square. Unfortunately, it does nothing to help with development. Now the logical 21…Rae8?! gives black tons of play (I’ve worked these lines out to a win) if the queen retreats. However, with 22.0-0! Rxe6 23.Nxe6 white eliminates most of the black forces. Granted, black is still better in the resulting ending, but he can do better.

I think black should play 21…Nd5, which prevents kingside castling while attacking the rook. The knight also aims for the f4 square, with a double attack on the queen and bishop. 21…Nh5 would be similar, but in some lines it helps to keep the bishop on e2.

Thus, after 21…Nd5 white pretty much has to allow the capture of the rook. After 22.Qxd5 Qxa1+ white has two choices:

A1) 23.Qd1 Qxa2 24.Qd3 (this starts white’s thematic counterplay, which will be seen in the following variation as well) 24…Qa1+ 25.Kd2 Qb2+ (It makes sense to confine the king to the first rank to keep the white rook passive before dealing with the mate threat) 26.Kd1 Qg7 27.Kc2 Rae8 28.Bf3 Rf4. Here I think that black, with the white king still stuck in the center and the rook out of play, has a big advantage with his queenside pawns ready to roll and his rooks engaged.

A2) 23.Kd2 Qb2+ (black can’t afford to take the second rook, because 23…Qxh1 24.Qe4 is an improved version of the A1 counterplay) 24.Kd1 Rae8 25.Qd3 Qa1+ 26.Kd2 Qxa2+ (the same method as in A1 for gathering up another pawn) 27.Kc1 Qa1+ 28.Kd2 Qb2+ (the king is again sent back to the first rank) 29.Kd1 Re7. Once again, black’s pieces are more active and the queenside pawns the biggest long-term factor.

Granted, white doesn’t have to play 21.h4, which doesn’t help his development at all. Unfortunately, the logical knight retreat has problems, and attempts to get the king immediately out of the center allow black to immediately regain his piece with an extra couple of pawns and decent development to boot.

B) 21.Nf3 Rae8 22.Qc4 (22.Qh3 Nd5 23.0-0-0 Rxe2 24.Rxd5 Qa1#) Re4 (22…Qxg2 also looks good) 23.Qc2 Rfe8 24.Rf1 Nd5 25.Rc1 Ne3 26.Qd3 (26.Qd2 is met the same way, while 26.Qc3?? Nxg2+) Nxf1 27.Kxf1 Rxe2 with a winning material advantage.

C) 21.0-0 (this immediately gives back the piece, hoping to win back at least one pawn, but there is a tactical problem) 21…Qxg5 22.Qxd6 Qe3+! 23. Kh1 (the problem is 23.Rf2 Qxf2+ 24.Kxf2 Ne4+ winning) Rad8! (now white’s back rank is a real problem) 24.Qc7 Qxe2 25.Rxf6 Rd1+ with mate to follow.

D) 21.0-0-0 (this also gives back the piece, and white’s king is still exposed) 21…Qxg5+ 22.Kb1 (22.Rd2? Rae8 finishes things) Rae8 23.Qc4 d5 24.Qc2 Qxg2 25.Rde1 Qe4 with a winning advantage.

20…Rae8 21.Bc4
This seems like the best try. After 21.Nf4 Nd5! 22.Qxd5 Rxf4 there is no way to protect the bishop, and 23.0-0-0 Qxe2 24.Rhe1 Rc4+ 25.Kb1 Rb4+ mates.

21.0-0-0 doesn’t solve white’s problems either. After 21…Qxe6 22.Qxe6 Rxe6 23.Bc4 Re4 black will emerge two sound pawns up.

21…Nd7!
The impatient 21…d5? 22.0-0! Qxe6 23.Qxe6 Rxe6 24.Bxd5! at least gives white some chances because of the superiority of the bishop versus the knight (although black should still have a clear edge).

22.Qh3
Of course, 22.Qg4 Ne5 breaks down the defense of the advanced knight.

22…Rf4
The black pieces enjoy a “target rich environment”. Now the bishop, which is the key to holding the knight, is attacked and the rook can also play …Re4+ if necessary. On 23.Rc1 Nf8 piles more pressure on the white knight. Note also that 23.Bb3 c4! rounds up the piece for black as well. White decides that with his king stuck in the center and no real way to save the knight, he might as well attempt to get the queens off to improve his long-term prospects.

23.Qc3+ Qf6 24.Qxf6+
On 24.Rc1 Nf8 again does the trick.

24…Nxf6
Black can be remarkably patient, as the knight isn’t going anywhere.

25.Rc1 b5!
This is better than 25…d5, which loosens the c5 pawn. Now the piece finally falls, and white tries to find the way that will give him the best chances of survival.

26.Kd1
While white eliminates one of the black pawns with 26.Bxb5, black’s rooks get hyperactive after 26…Rxe6+ 27.Kd1 Rf2

26… Rxc4 27.Rxc4 bxc4 28.Re1 Ng4
Black doesn’t play this just to give a check; rather he is going to put his knight on the strong d3 square.

29.h3 Nf2+ 30.Kc2 Nd3 31.Re2 d5
Now, with the d3 knight controlling c5, the pawns can start rolling.

32.g4 Kg8 33.h4 h6!
A final little finesse. Now black threatens …Kf7, which forces a rook trade. The knight ending, given the black mass of passed pawns, is easily won.

34.Kd2 Kf7 35.Nc7 Rxe2+ 36.Kxe2 d4 37.Nb5 Nc1+ 38.Kd1 Nxa2 39.Nxa7 c3 40.Nb5 d3 0-1
The pawns cannot be stopped.

When I asked my opponent about the line after the game, he told me he was simply following Soltis’ analysis! Of course, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tell him, “trust, but verify.”

2

Another annotated game, this time against Jim Dean before he shot up to over 2300 and earned his FIDE Master title - I always hated playing these rising juniors (of course, I was once one myself . . . poetic justice, I guess). In this case, another of my innocuous pet opening sidelines and a mis-step at a key point required me to shed a pawn for counterplay - which, in this case, proved effective.

White: Randy Bauer (2240) Black: Jim Dean (2140)
1996 Midwest Amateur Team Championship
Leningrad Dutch

1.c4 f5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d4 0-0 6.Nf3 d6 7.0-0 Qe8
By a round-about method we have reached one of the more important positions in the Dutch Defense. Black’s queen move helps prepare the pawn thrust e7-e5, and she can also emerge on the kingside via f7, g6, or h5.

8.e4!?
My opponent is a strong young player who likely knew the ins and outs of this topical line better than I did. The text is rarely mentioned in Leningrad books, but there is some logic to it. Often if white can achieve e4, the black queen will not feel real comfortable on the e-file. The downside is that white must lose a bit of time recapturing the pawn, and black gets pretty active play on the light squares.

8…fxe4 9.Ng5 Nc6 10.Be3 Bf5!?
The game that was usually cited in this line is Afifi-Yusupov, Tunis, 1985, which continued with 10…Bg4 11.Qd2 Qd7 12.Ngxe4 Nxe4, when 13.Nxe4 would have given white a slight advantage.

The advantage of 10…Bg4 is that it gives black the time to set up his queen/bishop battery on the light squares. Now white can attempt to contest the kingside light squares.

11.h3 h5
While this move maintains the bishop’s position and is no doubt the critical continuation, white is happy that the g5 square is now “his” for good. Both sides have kingside weaknesses that may be exploitable.

12.Ncxe4 Qd7 13.Kh2 Rae8
A case can be made that black should strike immediately in the center, before white has time to discourage the …e7-e5 thrust. After 13…e5, if white seeks to exchange the central pawns, the black knight can effectively recapture on e5.

14.f4!?
This wasn’t a move that white played lightly, but a 10-minute think led to the conclusion that if black achieved an easy …e7-e5, white would likely find himself on the defensive. There are imbalances galore after white’s move: the kingside is further loosened, and the dark square bishop is a bit of a problem, since it’s no longer protected by the f-pawn and now blocked by two white center pawns. On the other hand, if white can consolidate, for example with Qd2 and Nf2, he would have a nice grip on the center.

14…Nxe4
The move that I first considered was 14…h4!?, since 15.g4? Bxg4! exploits the undefended white bishop after either 16.Nxf6+ exf6 or 16.hxg4 Nxg4+. Still, things are far from easy for black after 15.d5! since 15…Na5 16.Bd4! now threatens an effective 17.g4, and 16…hxg3+ 17.Nxg3 doesn’t solve black’s problems.

15.Nxe4 e5
Perhaps black would do better to avoid the queen trade with 15…Qc8. As played, white can feel much safer about his king.

16.dxe5 dxe5 17.Qxd7 Bxd7 18.Bc5?
White would do better to simply seize the open file with 18.Rad1, when I would rate his chances as slightly better, since his bishops are threatening havoc on the queenside. Black cannot effectively utilize d4 either, since 18…Nd4 19 Nc5 favors white.

18…Rf5!
For some reason, I overlooked the fact that the rook could settle on this useful square. Now the position of white’s dark squared bishop is a bit ticklish, since black threatens to play …exf4, followed by …Rxe4 and …Rxc5, winning two pieces for the rook. White could try to hang tight with something passive like 19.Ba3?!, but after 19…exf4 white will be left with a weak pawn on f4 and, after the black knight lands on d4, a real poor piece placement.

Complicating the matter somewhat was the fact that this was a team tournament, and our fourth board was already losing. As a result, I wasn’t particularly interested in playing 40 moves of perfect defense to achieve a draw.

Given that set of circumstances, white’s next is understandable: white’s play is based on his bishop’s activity and chances against black’s king. In particular, the square g5 is key.

19.Ng5(!) exf4 20.Bd5+ Kh8
Black doesn’t profit from 20…Rxd5 21.cxd5 Re2+ 22.Rf2 when white has the better chances.

21.gxf4 Re2+
21…Bxb2 22.Rb1 Re2+ 23.Rf2 Rxf2+ 24.Bxf2 Be5 looks good except for 25.Nf7+ – a common theme over the next few moves.

22.Rf2!
One thing that I’ve learned over time is that sometimes you have to put safety first, even when you’re trying to justify a pawn sacrifice. My first inclination here was 22.Kg3, but white’s king is then walking into a mating net. After, for example, 22…Bd4 the white king would find itself in a difficult position.

By contrast, the text accepts the trade of a set of rooks and the win of a pawn by black, but white’s remaining pieces become very active.

22…Rxf2+ 23.Bxf2 Rxf4 24.Bg3
Not 24.Be3? Be5!.

24…Rf5
Black needs to use this square or white can consider the drawing method with Nf7+ and Ng5+. With the rook on f5, of course, Ng5+ is just a hanging piece. Another advantage of the unbalancing pawn sacrifice is that I was pretty sure my opponent would not acquiese to the threefold repetition.

25.h4!?
This move has advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, it maintains the knight’s offensive position. The downside is that black can now play his knight to its own strong post at g4. White sees, however, that this will take time that allows him to aggressively post his rook.

25…Ne5!?
The move that I expected - black has been nothing if not aggressive in this game. The alternative 25…Bxb2 26.Rb1 Bd4 27.Rxb7 Bb6 runs into 28.Bxc7 when black’s light squared bishop is a problem. This will become a recurring theme during the rest of the game.

Black’s move envisions the knight settling in on g4 and also prepares to eject the bishop from d5 with either …c6 or …Bc6.

26.Re1
White gets his rook onto an open file and envisions penetrating to the seventh or eighth ranks. This also sets up ideas of capturing twice on e5 followed by Nf7+, winning material. This is a common tactic in these types of positions that every player should be on the look-out for.

26…Ng4+
Black can’t afford a move like 26…Nd3, which allows the white rook into his position with 27.Re7.

27.Kg2 Bf6
This subtle move accomplishes a number of things: it threatens to remove the annoying knight, keeps the rook out of e7, and, as a consequence, prepares to play …c6. The immediate 27…c6 is playable, since 28.Re7 cxd5 29.Rxd7 dxc4 (or even 29…d4) gets the pawn moving very quickly. In this line, a better try for white is 28.Be4 Rf6 29.Bf3, when white again envisions Re7.

28.Bxb7!?
This looks like a materialistic approach, but it is more than that. First, we must recognize that black is getting ready to force the bishop back.

The first line I considered was 28.Be4, but black could play 28… Bc6, and after 29.Bxc6 bxc6 30.Re8+ Kg7 31.Rc8 Bxg5 32.Rxc7+ Kh6 33.hxg5+ Kxg5 with an advantage in a still very unbalanced endgame.

Black could also play 31…Ne3+ since 32.Kh3 Rf1 threatens mate and white probably has to bail out with perpetual checks on the seventh and eighth ranks. Likewise, 32.Kh2 Nf1+ 33.Kg2 Ne3+ is just a repetition, and 33.Kh3!? Bxg5 34.hxg5 Rf3 34.Rxc7+ Kg8! 35.Kg2! Rxg3+ 36.Kxf1 Rxg5 favors black since the h-pawn is very dangerous.

One of the key points about these lines is that black’s poorest minor piece, the white squared bishop, is off the board. Right now that piece is a liability that is subject to attack, and white doesn’t want to eliminate those opportunities.

28…c6!?
Black seeks to keep the bishop out of play. White’s last had set a trap, since 28…Bxg5 29.hxg5 Rxg5?? 30.Re7! wins material, because 30…Bf5 31.Bf4 embarrasses the rook.

29.Ne4
The knight move seeks to get the bishop to give up defense of the e7 square, which white needs to get his rook to the seventh rank. The alternative route, via the d-file, isn’t possible because Rd1 runs into Ne3+. White is hoping for 29…Bxb2 30.Nd6 Rf6 31.Re7 when white is again a pawn down but has powerful threats.

29…Bd4
Both sides are angling to get at the opponent’s weaknesses. In this case, black wants to play …Ne3+, which blocks the e-file and also threatens to weave a mating net around the white king. In white’s favor at this point is the fact that black has just 14 minutes to get to the time control at move 50, while white has 36 minutes.

30.Nd6 Rf6?!
In this slugfest it’s not surprising that the player that made the retreating move ends up losing. Black should block the e-file immediately. After 30…Ne3+, the powerful knight holds white at bay. Probably 31.Rxe3 would be necessary, and after 31…Bxe3 32.Nxf5 gxf5 (otherwise the c6 pawn falls) 33.Be5+ Kg8 34.Kf3 white may have some advantage in the ending based on his more advanced king and better pawn structure, but black should be able to draw.

31.Re7!
Now the white pieces are very active, and black should recognize that it’s time to bail out.

31…Ne3+??
Black misses a tactic. It’s fitting that black can survive if he keeps the proper focus on the white king. With 31…Be6!, black restores the threat of …Ne3+. Now, on ideas like 32.Ne4 black can play 32…Ne3+. 33.Kh1 Rf1+ 34.Kh2 Ng4+ 35.Kg2 Ne3+ is perpetual check. On 33.Kh2 Ng4+ 34.Kh1 Rf1+ 35.Kg2 Ne3+ leads to the same thing. It’s notable, however, that black probably shouldn’t try for more with 35…Rg1+ since 36.Kf3 lets the king out of the box.

32.Rxe3!
Now it’s over. White wins a piece due to the unfortunate placement of Black’s king and rook.

32…Rxd6(!)
Black attempts to muddy the path to victory. 32…Bxe3 33.Be5 Kg7 34.Ne4 also wins a piece. Now black hopes for 33.Bxd6?? Bxe3, which throws away the win.

33.Rd3!
Both the rook and bishop are under attack and they both cannot be saved.

33…Bf5(!)
Again hoping for 34.Bxd6?? Bxd3.

34.Rxd4! 1-0
34…Rxd4 35.Be5+ finally garners the doomed piece. That was a lot of work - it is not surprising that my opponent was soon a master himself.

3

Everybody likes to attack in chess – it’s fun and exciting. From my experience, that can often be used against an opponent. Many players will continue to attack even when they would be better off thinking about more peaceful methods.

In particular, a rook lift to the kingside is a dangerous attacking plan that also burns some bridges. After all, if the kingside attack does not succeed, the rook is simply out of play. There are many examples of the defending side launching a strong counterattack or transposing into a good ending based on the poor placement of an “attacking” rook out of play for other operations.

The following game made a great impression on me when I first encountered it.

White: E. Geller Black: M. Euwe
1953 Zurich Candidates Tournament
Nimzo-Indian Defense, Delayed Saemisch Variation

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.f3 Nc6 9.Ne2 0-0 10.0-0 Na5 11.e4 Ne8
This is a key move in black’s defensive scheme. If white is allowed to play Bg5, the pin would be extremely uncomfortable. The knight retreat also allows black to play …f6 if necessary to block the advance of the f-pawn and give the black king an escape square.

12.Ng3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Rc8 14.f4 Nxc4
It is common in this line for white to sacrifice his weak c4 pawn for kingside attacking chances. It is clear that white will now aim at the kingside, and black will bank upon his extra pawn and play on the queenside.

15.f5 f6 16.Rf4 b5!
Black starts a counterattack involving his queenside forces. Other than the presence of white’s d-pawn, the position could conceivably arise from a Sicilian Defense.

17.Rh4 Qb6 18.e5 Nxe5 19.fxe6 Nxd3 20.Qxd3 Qxe6 21.Qxh7+ Kf7 22.Bh6 Rh8!!
This is the culmination of black’s play, sacrificing a rook to decoy the queen from control of the c2 square.

23.Qxh8 Rc2 24.Rc1 Rxg2+ 25.Kf1 Qb3 26.Ke1 Qf3 0-1
This game deservedly won a brilliancy prize in a tournament filled with worthy games.

The following game, while not nearly as spectacular, is based on a similar idea: at the key moment, black lures white forward so that he may counterattack.

White: David Kerkove (2130)
Black: Randy Bauer (2275)
1996 South Dakota Governor’s Cup
Sicilian Defense

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 e6
Black’s set-up has taken a lot of the fun out of this variation for white. The problem is that 5.Bb5 Nd4! cuts across the white plan to play against doubled c-pawns, while now black is readying …d5.

6.0-0
The most thematic try, 6.f5, runs into 6…Nge7! 7.fxe6 when black has good chances after 7…dxc6 (solid) or 7…fxe6 (enterprising). I’ve preferred 7…dxc6 8.d3 0-0 9.0-0 Na5 10.Qe1 Nec6! 11.Bg5 f6 12.Be3 b6 with good play for black (Mandeville-Bauer, Iowa 1991 and Kosanovic-Damljanovic, Belgrade 1993).

6…Nge7 7.d3 d5 8.Bb3 0-0 9.f5!?
This is a typical method for white in this line (see above). From my database, however, the only move in master play from this position is 9.Qe1. Then black has a variety of playable moves, with 9…Nd4 the most popular. I would probably prefer 9…Na5.

9…dxe4 10.f6
The only consistent response. 10.Nxe4 Nxf5 11.Nxc5?? Bd4+ wins a piece, and 10.dxe4 Qxd1 11.Rxd1 exf5 12.exf5 Bxf5 is clearly good for black.

10…Bxf6 11.Ne4 Bg7 12.Kh1
Again, 12.Nxc5?? loses to 12…Bd4+.

12…Na5
This is a practical choice from black, but 12…b6 is more principled. I decided that I didn’t want to let white keep his light squared bishop (as with 13.a3).

Removing the white light-squared bishop is a key part of black’s planned method of defense. A good way to deal with white’s threats in this type of position is with the pawn formation …f6 and …e5. This keeps white’s knights out of the dangerous g5 and f6 squares and allows black’s light squared bishop freedom on either the h1-a8 or h3-c8 diagonals. Of course, this would be too dangerous if white’s light squared bishop was bearing down on the a2-g8 diagonal.

13.Qe1
Kerkove and I had played a similar position before, and I was pretty sure that he’d continue his pawn sacrifice. Still, 13.Nxc5 is probably best. After 13…Nxb3 14.axb3 b6 15.Ne4 Bb7 black has the two bishops but white has some attacking chances. I’d still rate it slightly better for black, but it’s probably a matter of taste, and both sides have chances.

13…Nxb3 14.axb3 b6 15.Bd2 Nf5
I didn’t seriously consider 15…Bxb2, since 16.Qh4 Nf5 17.Qh3 allows white’s queen to get to the kingside. Even here black probably has a defensible position, but I saw no need, being a pawn up, to let things get potentially out of hand.

16.Bc3 Bxc3
16…Nd4 17.Nxd4 cxd4 18.Bb4 Re8 19.Nd6 is not what black has in mind. Black doesn’t really mind the exchange of bishops. From above we’ve seen that the black defensive formation with pawns on f6 and e5 is effective in defending against a kingside attack. This is the primary reason that black goes to great lengths to eliminate the light squared bishop – the f6/e5 pawn structure would be dangerous if white had his light squared bishop.

17.bxc3 Bb7 18.Qf2 Nd6 19.Nxd6
19.Neg5 Bxf3 20.Nxf3 f6 followed by …e5 gives a similar position without black keeping the strong bishop. The downside is that 19.Neg5 h6 20.Nh3 e5! leaves the knight misplaced on h3.

19…Qxd6 20.Ng5 f6 21.Nf3 e5 22.Qe3 a5!
If we assess the position in terms of imbalances, white can attempt to attack on the kingside. Black has an extra pawn and the chance to create a passed pawn with …a5…b5…a4. Black starts that plan, and he goads white into moving his pieces to the kingside. Why? Because it will make it harder for white to stop the passed a-pawn.

23.Ra4
This is white’s last chance to easily get this piece to the kingside, since otherwise black could play …b5. Whether white should actually do this is another question, but I was confident that white would make this move.

23…b5! 24.Rh4 a4! 25.bxa4 bxa4
Of course not 25…Rxa4? 26.Rh3 when there is no passed a-pawn.

26.Qh6 Qe7 27.Ra1 Bc6 28.Nd2 Rfb8 29.Ne4 Rb7
Black makes a patient move. He first protects his kingside, then he can push his a-pawn.

30.c4
If white is going to hold, he needs to get his heavy pieces on the h-file back into play. Unfortunately for him, it may already be too late. After 30.Qe3 f5! 31.Ng5?? f4 wins. The best try would be 31.Qxc5, but 31…Bxe4! 32.Qxe7 Rxe7 33.dxe4 f4! 34.Rh3 Rc7! 35.Rd3 Rc4 is a won ending.

30…f5 31.Nc3 f4!
Black has hit upon a winning plan: white’s heavy pieces on the h-file are basically out of play for the rest of the game. Compare Euwe-Geller’s method for isolating white’s pieces.

32.Rg4 Qe6 33.h3 Rb2 34.Nd5 Ra7
Defends from afar, although 34…Bxd5 is also good enough.

35.Re1
Threatening 36.Rxf4! or 36.Nxf4!

35…Bxd5 36.cxd5 Qf6
36…Qxd5 is also good enough, but it requires more calculating because of white’s ideas of sacrificing a rook on g6.

37.h4 a3 38.h5 Rg7 39.Ra1 a2 40.Kh2 Rxc2 41.hxg6 Rxg6 42.Rxg6+ hxg6 43.Qh3 f3! 44.Qc8+ Kg7 0-1.
45.Qc7+ Kh6 and there are no more checks; 45.Qd7+ Qf7 46.Qxf7+ Kxf7, and after an eventual …fxg2, one of the black pawns on the seventh will queen.

4

I’ve played kingside fianchetto defenses for pretty much my entire career. These have primarily included the Pirc, Modern and Accelerated Dragon Sicilians against 1.e4 and the King’s Indian, Modern Benoni, Benko Gambit and Leningrad Dutch against 1.d4. One of the advantages of this is the opportunity to understand themes that cut across the various openings.

The following game demonstrates the theme of dark square dominance achieved through a pawn sacrifice. This concept can be found in various forms in several of these openings. In this case, I was able to follow a trail that had been blazed by the likes of former world champion Smyslov over 25 years prior to the game. That is good company to keep!

White: NM Dan Vasto (2200) Black: NM Randy Bauer (2210)
Ames Chess Festival, November 1990
Pirc Defense
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 5.h4 h5
The lines with 5…c5 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.h5 are dangerous - my general attitude is ‘why give an attacking player that kind of position?’ My opponent, who is an attacking player, admitted that he was pretty much on his own after black’s fifth move.

6.Be3 Nc6 7.f3 e5 8.d5 Nd4 9.Qd2(?)
The black pawn sacrifice is thematic - compare with Wade-Smyslov, Havana 1965 (where white had played Nf3 and Ng5 in place of f3 and black had castled). After 9.Bxd4 cxd4 10.Qxd4 c6 Nunn says that black has ‘more than enough for the pawn; this pawn offer is typical and almost always gives Black enough compensation.’

The point is that the two bishops would both be active, and the dark squares would be vulnerable. However, if white is going to take the pawn, he should do it now. Vasto loses a critical tempo by changing his mind and taking the pawn two moves later.

9…c6 10.dxc6 bxc6 11.Bxd4
Now 11.Nh3 0-0 12.Ng5 Rb8 would transpose to Mestrovic-Werner, Szaalouis 1986, when Nunn says that the position is fine for Black.

11…cxd4 12.Qxd4 0-0 13.Nh3
If 13.0-0-0 Nd5 shatters the queenside and endangers the White king.

13…Nd5 14.Qd2?
14.Qd3 is necessary, although Black’s compensation is obvious.

14…Nxc3 15.bxc3 Qa5 16.0-0 Bxh3 17.gxh3 Qc5+ 18.Kh1 Bxc3 19.Qd3 Bxa1 20.Rxa1 Qf2?!
At the time, I liked this penetration, but it gives White time to develop an attack. A move like 20…Rab8, getting the rooks involved, is better.

21.Rf1 Qh4 22.f4 Rae8 23.Qf3 d5 24.e5 c5 25.c4?
White needs to keep his bishop alive with 25.c3!, but Black should be able to defend/consolidate with a formation of …Kg7…Re6…Rd8 or …Rb8.

25…dxc4! 26.Bxc4 Rxe5! 27.fxe5 Qxc4
Black has brokered the exchange advantage into what should be a relatively straightforward two pawns up endgame. With the ability to create a passed pawn on both sides of the board, the win shouldn’t be too difficult. It is also notable that White’s is the more exposed of the kings, which will make it difficult for the White queen to go on attacking forays.

28.Qf6 Qe6! 29.Qxe6 fxe6 30.Rc1 Rc8 31.Kg2 c4 32.Rc3 Kg7 33.Kf3 g5 34.Ke3 Kg6 35.Kd2 Rc5 36.Ra3 a5 37.Kc3 Rxe5 38.Kxc4 g4 39.Kd4 Rf5
The king is cut off - White could resign at any time, but time pressure carried us through move 45.

40.hxg4 hxg4 41.Re3 Rf4+ 42.Kc5 Rf3 43.Rxe6 Kg5 44.Kc6 g3 45.Re1 Kg4 46.Kb5 g2 47.Rg1 Kg3 0-1

5

Playing For Fun
Over the years, I have played chess in numerous parks, squares and clubs where there were no USCF rating points, prize funds or even trophies at stake. In many ways, these have been some of my favorite experiences.

I have played chess in Lafayette Park across from the White House with a Russian Embassy staffer, on Harvard Square in Cambridge with a USCF Life Master, and with players of varying strength on the street/malls of Denver and Boulder, Colorado; San Francisco, New York City, Des Moines and other assorted places.

For several years, I attended the Renaissance Festival outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul. There the ‘Royal Chess Master’ takes on all comers - $2 if the Master wins returns $5 if you win. The man who was behind this concept, Dave Kuhns, is a long-time USCF and Minnesota organizer and Delegate. I had the pleasure to play against the ‘Royal Chess Master’ three times. The first time I played Dave, an A-player, and ground him down in a rook and pawn endgame (he not knowing my identity). The second year, I beat a former high school rival and fellow master, Brian Campbell - again, not knowing my identity. Early in the third rendition, I let my young and strong national master opponent in on the secret that he was, in fact, playing something of a ringer. The resulting game was not all that serious but a lot of fun. I would note that I didn’t actually collect my ‘winning’ in any of the three games - fun is fun.

White: NM Mike Zelkind Black: NM Randy Bauer
Minnnesota Renaissance Festival, 1990
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7
This is where Mike inquired as to my rating, and I confessed and introduced myself. Properly introduced, we proceeded.

5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Nc6 9.Be3 Nd7
A playable alternative is 9…e5, but the positions are less lively - what’s the point when we’re playing for fun?

10.Ne2 e5 11.c3 f5?!
This is premature, and white should be able to simply win a pawn and consolidate - but we’re having fun, right? Black needs to better prepare this advance, and 11…Kh8 comes to mind.

12.exf5
12.Qb3+ is anohter good reply. After 12…Kh8 13.Qb7 Na5 an interesting position arises. Then 14.Qb4?! c5! 15.dxc5 f4! 16.Bd2 Nxc5 just about forces 17.c4 to save the queen, and then 17…Nc6 18.Qc3 Ne6 gives black excellent play for the pawn. Also 14.Qb5 c6 15.Qd3 f4 16.Bd2 c5! takes advantage of White’s central piece configuration. The toughest test may be 16.Qa6 f4 17.Qa4 fxe3 18.fxe3 Bh6. Black gets back one pawn but his compensation for the other is not quite sufficient. It is notable, however, that the attempt to win the knight in this line by 17.Bd2 fails to 17…Nb6! when 18.Qa5 Nc4 regains the piece under favorable circumstances.

12…gxf5 13.dxe5?
Now is the time for 13.Qb3+, since 13…Kh8 14.Qxb7 e4 15.Qxc6 exf3 16,Qxf3 is winning for White. 14…Rb8 15.Qxc6 Rxb2 may stir up some play, but 15.Bc1 Rxc2 16.Qa4 wins, and 15…Rb6 16.Qa4 e4 17.Bh5 d5 18.Nf4 should consolidate. Now black gets counterplay.

13…Ndxe5 14.Bd5+ Kh8 15.Nf4 Qh4 16.Ne6?!
This is premature. White should expel the queen with 16.g3, when 16…Qe7 17.Ne6 Rg8 should leave White with an edge.

16…f4! 17.Nxf8 Rxf8 18.Bd4 f3!
Now the black attack and active pieces easily justify the exchange sacrifice.

19.Qd2
19.Qc2, to keep the rook out of f5, is interesting but insufficient, i.e., 19…fxg2! 20.Bxg2 Nf3+ 21.Bxf3 Nxd4! 22.cxd4 Rxf3 23.Qxc7 Qxh3 24.Qd8+ Rf8 25.Qg5 Bh6! or 24.Rfe1 Rg3+! 25.fxg3 Bxd4+. Finally, 24.Rfd1 Rf4! 25.Qd8+ Bf8!

19…Rf5! 20.Rfe1 Rg5 21.Rxe5 Rxg2+ 22.Kf1 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Qxh3!
The move that White missed. If black had to stop for 23…Bxe5, then 24.Bf3 might hold.

24.Bxf3 Rg5+ 25.Ke2 Re5+ 26.Kd1 Qxf3+ 0-1
A fun attack to play, and I kept my perfect record against the Royal Masters.

6

If you have any of the Leningrad Dutch games to share, that would be appreciated. :slight_smile:

What is nice about these posts is that they fill a niche in what is said to be an important part of training - going over games of Masters, analyzing the moves on your own, then following their analysis to see what you missed or didn’t consider important. While there are plenty of game collections from 2700+ super-GMs, that’s usually well beyond the ken of mortals (of course you shouldn’t move there, as 12 moves later your knight will be forced to the edge of the board and then in 15 more moves it will lead to position resembling a known lost ending as shown by Kovaravich in 1956). But 2200-2300s…you can usually follow what’s going on and thus get an idea of what it takes to move up a level in understanding.

7

This is an excellent point. I received excellent advice from a chess mentor when I was a junior player - analyze all of your games soon after a tournament, and write down the analysis and thought process involved. If possible, then go over the annotated game with a stronger player. I practiced this on a regular basis, and my annotations are still largely done from this ‘thought process’ perspective.

Nowadays, chess playing computers are something of a blessing and a curse for this sort of analysis. First, you can at least ‘fact check’ your analysis with the computer if you don’t have a strong player handy. The problem is that many players use the computer as something of a crutch and don’t do their own annotations first. The computer also is very good at the tactical side of things but often not as useful for the strategic thought process.

I must confess that I really have not done a computer ‘fact check’ on these annotations - they were all mostly from 10 or 15 years ago, when the idea of computer aided analysis was not nearly as mainstream. There are probably some tactical errors here and there.

I agree that the average player can get as much/more out of study of players in that 2200-2400 range as the 2700s. I absolutely loved Garry Kasparov as a player - amazing tactical conceptualizations. Shirov is another who comes to mind. That said, I often couldn’t follow their analysis (or at least figure out how to apply the concepts to my own games). With your garden variety master, I think that is less the case.

I’m going to continue to post some more of my games. I spent several years writing a regular column and/or tournament reports for the Iowa Chess News En Passant, so I still have a ready stash of games.

As for the Leningrad Dutch, I more dabbled with it over the years than played it regularly (and I would describe my experience with it as something of a love-hate relationship). Quite frankly, over the years my black results against 1.e4 were quite a bit better than against 1.d4 - to the point where I often played 1.d4 d6 as black and ‘invited’ white to switch to a Pirc after 2.e4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6.

8

Randy,
I appreciate you going to the trouble (taking your time) to post these games. I have enjoyed playing over them, mostly late at night because that is when some physical pain keeps me awake, or wakes me up. But I enjoyed them immensely.
As I am certain other forum readers have and will.
It is a lot more fun going over the games of someone you know, or have met on some level socially.
I wish some others would do the same, I am sure Ruth, and Mike, and Chuck’s games would also be of interest. Perhaps Others might have an interesting game to share.
Just a dumb ole cowboy’s take on it… :slight_smile:

9

Harry,

I’m glad you’ve enjoyed them and that they might be a brief respite from your challenges. I agree - I’d love to see some games from others who frequent our forums.

10

Ha-ha, did you introduce yourself as Chuck Norris, who fianchettoes his Bishops on top of the pawns?

11

Good point, I shall correct. I clearly got ahead of myself there.

12

It is sad but true that you can ruin a chess game with just one move. In the following game, that applies to both players. The most vigilance must be practiced after you have a won game. Conversely, never give up the fight – every tournament contains examples of won games that were not won.

Every chess player hopes for the opportunity to make a brilliant sacrifice and then crush a superior player. In my mind, there’s no better feeling than to win a tournament in the last round in exactly that fashion. For a brief, fleeting moment, I had just such an achievement within my grasp. Alas, I let it slip away. Interestingly, at the final moment, my opponent did as well.

Kevin Burnett (2412) vs. Randy Bauer (2235)
Shoquoquon Open, Burlington, Iowa, 3-10-91
English Opening

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 Bb4
My reaction back then was that a Sicilian defender like myself wouldn’t consider an open Sicilian minus a tempo with 4…d5 (although the line is definitely very playable). Over the years, I revised that opinion.

5.Qc2 0-0 6.Ne2?!
I’d never seen this move before. Objectively it’s not very good, but Kevin wanted to get out of book early. While the knight might have a role on g3, the maneuver is time-consuming. 6.a3 or 6.Nd5 are more common alternatives.

6…Re8 7.a3 Bf8 8.Ng3
8.b4 appears more aggressive, but white’s development is slow. 8…d5 opens the game at a time when black is better developed.

8…a5 9.b3 d6 10.Bb2 h6
In these types of positions, black wants to play …e5-e4, so he takes away g5 from the knight. If white prevents this (with, for example, 11.d3), then the bishop can be developed to e6.

11.Rc1?
White moves the rook because he thinks that he’s preventing 11…e4, because 12.Bxf6 Qxf6
13.Nxe4 wins a pawn. White could not play this combination before because after …Qxf6 the rook would be hanging on a1. Now, however, white’s slow development allows black a strong sacrifice. Better for white was 11.Bd3!?, with an interesting game.

11…e4! 12.Bxf6?
Now white should try 12.Nd4 (12.Ng1 is miserable), but black is likely better after 12…Ne5.

12…Qxf6 13.Nxe4 Rxe4! 14.Qxe4 Bf5 15.Qd5
Black has sacrificed the exchange and a pawn, but all of his pieces can come to active posts, while white’s pieces are defensive or undeveloped. Now 15.Qf4 g5 gains a valuable tempo for bringing the bishop into play via g7.

15…Qb2 16.Rc3
No better is to return the exchange with 16.Qxf5 Qxc1+ 17.Ke2 a4! when white loses his queenside, gets mated, or watches black’s a-pawn motor to a1 (18.b4? Nxb4! 19.axb4 a3).

Likewise, 16.Rd1 Bc2 or 16.Kd1 Qxb3+ 17.Ke1 Qxa3 18.Kd1 Qb3+ and the passed a-pawn will cost white a piece.

16…Qb1+ 17.Ke2 Be4!
The move that Kevin said he missed. The materialistic 17…Bc2? 18.Rxc2 Qxc2 19.Qd3 leaves
white with all the winning chances.

18.Qb5
After a long think, but 18.Qh5 g6 is obviously bad, and 18.Rc1 Bxf3+ 19.Qxf3 Qxc1 wins.

18…Re8
Obvious, but there were other choices. 18…g6 is possible, intending …Bg7. An even more radical idea was 18…Nb4!? since 19.axb4 axb4 20.Qxb4 Ra1 wins, but I didn’t see a clear follow-up against 19.Ne1.

19.Rg1
Obviously not 19.Qxb7?? Bxf3+ 20.gxf3 (20.Kxf3 Qe4+) Nd4+ or 19.d3?? Qc2+. White is
completely tied up, and black should now win, and I didn’t know what white should play. Interestingly, in reviewing this game with my silicon friends, it appears that 19.h4! is the saving defense, allowing the white king to escape via h2 in many lines. The calculating machines rate the position as dead even after 19.h4. I hate those guys.

19…Bxf3+ 20.Kxf3
20.gxf3? Nd4+ wins the queen.

20…Qe4+(?)
Originally, I thought this was the losing move, but my tactically adept friend, IM Jeremy Silman (I just love/hate those guys as well) pointed out that (after 20…Qe4+ 21.Kg3) 21…Qg6+ (instead of my mistaken 21…Re5?) 22.Kf3 Re5, freeing the black queen, still wins.
To add insult to injury, he also pointed out that the move I’ve been wanting to play for some time, 20…Nd4+!!, does the trick here. After 21.exd4 Qe4+ 22.Kg3 g5! Black wins.

This, by the way, points out the necessity of 19.h4.

21.Kg3
Obviously not 21.Ke2? Nd4+

21…Re5? 22.Bd3!
The in-between move that I missed in my haste to finish white off. Suddenly the black queen is under fire, and the exchange of queens would leave white with a won endgame. My face got very red, and I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.

I was able to pull myself together, however. I was not willing to throw in the towel just yet. Black does, after all, have a lot of pieces pointed at the white king, which is constrained by his own pawns.

22…Nd4(!)
It ultimately doesn’t work, but at least it sets problems. Often it is difficult for a player who has been under fire the entire game to change their mindset and close out a win.

23.Bxe4(?)
This seems logical. At first I thought that if white tries for more with 23.exd4 Qxd4! 24.Qxe5 dxe5! white’s king is still insecure and his pieces misplaced, giving black the better chances. However, that spoilsport Silman rightly points out that 24.Qd7! gives white a winning advantage. Now, however, black has a problem-like drawing method.

23…Ne2+! 24.Kf3 Nxg1+
Not 24…Nxc3? 25.bxc3! Rxb5 26.cxb5 with a clear edge for white in the endgame.

25.Kg3 Ne2+ 26.Kf3 Ng1+, 1/2-1/2
Curiously, white cannot escape the perpetual knight checks, as a king move to h4 allows …Be7+, and a move to g4 allows …h5+. The ending combination has the appearance of a study.

I think this game is a typical example of chess as a fight. Both sides had winning advantages, both players didn’t throw in the towel. There were some fantastic concepts – and some horrible blunders as well. The fact this was contested by a couple of masters should give players of all level hope. Everybody makes mistakes, and everybody can overcome them if they keep playing till the bitter end.

13

Space - the Final Frontier

When I was a junior player, the first chess book my parents bought me was Fred Reinfeld’s ‘Nimzovich: The Hypermodern.’ I read it cover to cover many times. The first chess book I bought was Nimzovich’s ‘Chess Praxis’ and I’ve read ‘My System’ probably five times. Over the years, my repertoire has been greatly influenced by Nimzo and others of the hypermodern school - Reti and English Opening as white, and lots of space granting defenses as black.

The Pirc Defense has been a long and trusted chess friend since nearly the beginning - it brought me both my first victory over an expert and a master. As a result, I’ve had mixed emotions when facing it as white. On the one hand, I’m pretty sure I understand what black is wanting to do, but I also respect the resiliance of the black set-up. My results haven’t been all that great as white, either - partly because I’ve never settled on a white approach.

The following game is one where I actually ‘got it right’ when playing the white side of the Pirc. Black crosses the line in ceding white too much space, and white takes advantage. The corresponding black counterplay never develops, and he is overrun. For one game at least, the hypermodern approach is rebuffed.

White: NM Randy Bauer (2212) Black: Cai Schmidt (2155)
Dubuque Open, July 1990

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7
When playing against this flexible line, I’ve generally preferred to leave the bishop on f8 for awhile, which cuts across white ideas of playing Qd2 and Bh6. That said, black’s approach with 4…Bg7 is fully playable and one of the main lines to this day.

5.Qd2 c6 6.Bh6 Bxh6
As long as black takes care of his king, 6…0-0 is a fully playable alternative.

7.Qxh6 Qa5 8.Bd3 Be6
This deviates from standard theory. The standard reference at the time, Nunn’s The Complete Pirc does not mention it. It is possible that black meant to dissuade queenside castling and/or protect f7, but the bishop later moves to the more natural g4 square, and it could become a target to a knight on f4 or g5.

9.Nf3
9.Nge2, with ideas of playing Nf4 or Ng3, is possible. I thought that playing for Ng5 and redeploying the other knight to f4 was a better plan.

9…Qh5 10.Qe3
White might do better with the more ‘normal’ Qd2, as the queen can be a target for …Ng4 ideas.

10…0-0
After a 20 minute think. I thought black should pursue a queen trade with 10…Ng4 11.Qd2 Qh6, when 12.Qxh6 Nxh6 13.Ng5 gives white probably no more than a slight edge.

11.0-0 Bg4?
After another 20 minute think, black chooses a poor plan. I thought 10…Ng4 11.Qg5 was still a bit better for white but far superior to the choice in the game.

12.Nd2! Kg7
Black decides to pursue a queen trade with …Qh6, but his development lags, and white is now ready to grab space on the kingside

13.h3 Bc8
Three moves with this problem piece lands it back where it started - a clear sign that black’s play has gone wrong - contrast if he had used those three moves for queenside counterplay or a center advance.

14.g4! Qa5
Although it looks dangerous, 14…Qh4!? may be black’s best chance to muddy the waters. As played, white has a free hand to advance on the kingside. After 14…Qh4 15.Kg2 Ng8 16.Nf3 Qh6! saves the queen, since 17.g5? Qxh3+. White can try to improve his move order with 16.Rh1 threatening 17.Nf3, Qh6 18.g5 Qh5 19.Ne2, but after 16.Rh1 Kh8 17.Nf3 Qh6 18.g5 Qg7 saves the queen. Still, after 19.h4 white has a very strong attack.

15.f4 Nbd7 16.Nc4
The queen is somewhat active on a5, and the text envisions the knight moving to e3, where it eyes d5 and f5.

16…Qc7 17.g5
In a position with lots of space but no immediate forced win, it is often difficult to choose a plan from several plausible choices. White could, for instance, play f5 or transfer the Nc3 to the kingside, or bring the Ra1 into play. I decided to force black’s best defensive piece to retreat at a time when …Nh5 is not possible because of the response Be2. I still was uncertain where the rooks belonged and also liked my Nc3 at the moment.

17…Ne8 18.Qf2 b5
I was more concerned about 18…Nb6, taking advantage of the unprotected h3 pawn. I intended 19.f5, bt at least black gets a pair of pieces off the board after 19…Nxc4 20.Bxc4 Qb6 21.Bb3.

19.Ne3 Nb6 20.f5 b4 21.Ne2
Black’s queenside pawn advance has actually driven both knights where they wanted to go.

21…c5 22.c3 Bb7 23.Nf4
Threatening fxg6 and Ne6+

23…Qc8
Black’s position is ugly and devoid of play.

24.Qh4
White intends the simple Qh6+ followed by fxg6 and Nxg6.

24…Ba6? 25.Bxa6 Qxa6
Five moves by the black bishop to be exchanged for his counterpart - which made just one move. That’s a lot of lost tempos.

26.fxg6 hxg6 27.Qh6+ 1-0
After 27…Kg8 28.Nxg6 does the trick.

14

Visualization: Winning a Won Game
Probably the most galling annotator’s phrase, for the average player, is “and the rest is just technique.” Often the position in question finds the winner holding just a minimal advantage. How does the game win itself so easily? Our games never seem to finish that way!

I’ll use the following game to illustrate the manner in which a player seeks to convert a winning advantage. Here white wins a pawn very early and has a better pawn structure to boot. While the win was a long way off, I always felt that I had a winning advantage from about move 10 on. That said, my opponent presented many obstacles along the way.

Here then were my thoughts as I worked to prove that the win was “just a matter of technique.”

White: Randy Bauer (2240) Black: Ilya Karasik (2208)
Waterloo Spring Open 5-19-96 English Opening, Four Knights Variation

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3
My opponent was a high school player formerly of the Soviet Union with a strong tactical bent. This line keeps strategy rather than tactics at the forefront. As a Sicilian player, I’ve always felt at home in these ‘reversed Sicilians’ as white.

4…d6
4…Bb4 and 4…Be7 have better theoretical reputations. Now white can effortlessly expand in the center.

5.d4 Bg4 6.Be2?!
Theory rightly prefers the immediate 6.d5 Nb8 7.e4, since white gains space before black has a chance to play for the advance e5-e4 himself. This is a typical black idea in these types of positions, and white should have countered it.

6…Qd7?!
This is a bit odd, as the d7 square is usually reserved for a knight, from where it can go to c5 when white pushes forward with d4-d5. Black may be envisioning queenside castling, but that would be risky given white’s space advantage on that side of the board.

7.h3
7.d5 and 8.e4 is still the way to go

7…Bh5?
Black should play 7…Bf5(!) intending to play e5-e4 with an interesting game. I was intending 8.d5 since 8…Nb4 9.0-0 is playable as 9…Nc2? 10.e4! Nxa1 11.exf5 Qxf5 12.Bd3 Qd7 13.Bg5 is clearly better for white. But black would do better with 9…e4! when 10.Ne1 a5 11.a3 Na6 is far from clear. Maybe white does better with 10.Nd4.

8.d5 Nb8?
The only move to maintain material equality is 8…Bxf3. But after 9.Bxf3 Nb8, white can expand on either side and the spatial edge (and two bishops) give him a nice initiative.

9.Nxe5! Bxe2
This acquiesces to a queen trade, but 9…dxe5 10.Bxh5 Nxh5 11.Qxh5 Bd6 12.Ne4 doesn’t solve black’s problems either.

10.Nxd7 Bxd1 11.Nxf6+ gxf6
11…Ke7 12.Nxh7! leaves black two pawns down.

12.Kxd1Nd7
So white has won a pawn and has a much better pawn structure to boot. How does white go about converting that advantage?

First, it’s important at a point like this to take stock of both sides’ possible plans. When up material, look for the ways that the opponent will seek to develop threats and counterplay. Too often the player with the pawn advantage gets so wrapped up in their own plans that they miss a tactic that restores material equality.

So, keeping that in mind, look first at the opponent’s sources of counterplay. Black can pressure the g-pawn with a rook on the half-open file, and he can further step up this pressure by playing h7-h5-h4.

He can also attack the c-pawn with …Ne5. Given the absence of the white squared bishop, white will have to have either b2-b3 available to protect the pawn, or c4-c5 to advance the pawn.

Black will probably either choose to play 0-0-0, which brings his queen rook into play and gets the king out of the center, or seek queenside counterplay with …a6…Rb8…b5, since the advance c4-c5 is double-edged (or just plain bad if white isn’t able to maintain the pawn on that square).

From white’s perspective, there is a supremely weak square at f5. Given that white’s pawn advantage is on the kingside, that square would be perfect for his knight. From there, the knight absolutely dominates the black bishop. It would also control a number of key squares on the kingside. The knight can be supported on that square with a pawn on either e4 or g4.

White’s bishop looks like it would be best placed on the long diagonal. From there it attacks the weak pawn on f6 and also influences the h8 square. That sets up various tactical tricks if a black rook is on h8.

The white king should probably go to the kingside, since that’s where the action will, in the long run, take place. The king can be useful in protecting the pawns from attack and assisting in their advance.

White’s pawns should probably remain flexible. It seems pretty certain that white will play b2-b3, both to fianchetto the bishop and to maintain the c4 pawn.

Long-range, white’s plan begins to take shape. He’ll play b3 and Bb2, move the king to the kingside, and white’s knight will head to f5.

Now, how best to initiate this plan? In this case, white can start his plan with a forcing move that makes black divert his attention from his own ideas – usually a good idea.

13.Nb5!
The weakness of c7 forces black into a move he doesn’t want to make. That by itself might be sufficient reason to play it, but here it also fits into the larger plan outlined above. It’s sometimes hard to determine which is better: carry out your own plan or frustrate your opponent’s. It’s great when you can do both at the same time, and always seek to find these moves – they’re gold…
13…Kd8 14.b3 h5

Black begins his own counterplay. He will advance the pawn to h4 and then play …Rg8. White could stymie the pawn’s advance with h4, but that would make his own pawns less flexible. Besides, advancing the black pawn to h4 allows white the plan of g2-g3, aiming to create an outside passed h-pawn.

15.Bb2 h4 16.Ke2 Rg8 17.Rhg1
So far, everything for white has gone according to plan. Here, however, I spent about 10 minutes deciding which rook to defend the pawn with. White thinks that he’ll probably end up with rooks on g1 and h1. While it would seem logical to play 17.Rag1, white is concerned that black could develop counterplay with …a6 and …b5, when a pawn exchange could create pressure on the a-file. Since white is a pawn up, I decided that the possible loss of a tempo was less important than minimizing black’s counterplay.

17…Ne5 18.Nd4
The knight accomplished its goal on b5 and now heads to its f5 destination. Note that since we outlined this plan, that square has become even more important. Now, the h4 pawn will be attacked by that Nf5.

18…Be7 19.Nf5 Rh8 20.Rh1
Now white is ready to play g2-g3.

20…Rh5
The attempt to break out with 20…Rg8 21.Nxh4 f5 22.Nxf5 Rxg2 23.Rag1 turns out badly for black.

21.e4 Kd7 22.g3 Ng6
Black attempts to hold the h4 pawn since 22…hxg3 23.fxg3 gives white a strong protected passed pawn. Now black hopes that he can bring his other rook to the h-file and play hxg3 at a time when the h3 pawn is hanging.
23.g4!

This may seem strange, since white has played to create a passed h-pawn and now removes that immediate possibility. The point is that white trades one type of advantage for another. Now the h4 pawn is weak and white has ended black’s play on the g-file. White alters his plan now and will seek to use his edge in space to gang up on either the f6 or h4 pawn.

Brokering one advantage into another is a key method of winning a won game. The opponent is often going to be able to parry one set of threats, but if you can create others, you’re on your way to victory.

23…Rh7
Obviously 23…Nf4+?? drops a piece after 24.Ke3 Ng2+ 25.Kf3. I thought black might try the interesting 23…R5h8, which baits white into 24.g5. I’m not sure that’s a good idea, however, since 24…Ne5 25.f4 Ng6 26.Kf3 fxg4 27.Nxe7 Kxe7 28.Bxh3 Rxh8 26.fxg5 Ne5 gives compensation due to the strong black knight.

Let me stop and put in a plug for the defender. This is exactly the type of line the “just technique” side tries to avoid. The winning side wants everything logical, calculable, and tidy. As a defender, seek out ways to make things more murky. This can either lead to confusion, where the winning side starts losing sight of their ultimate goals, or hesitancy, where the winning side starts playing not to lose rather than to win. In either case, the defender may make the win more difficult.

24.Ke3 Re8 25.f4 Bd8
Black probably envisions …c6 and …Bb6.

26.Rhd1
It was hard to decide on a move here. White has various ideas. 26.Rad1 may seem better, but I was now thinking about a queenside pawn advance and wanted to keep Rac1 in the works. The primary point of the text is to prevent the …c6 counterplay because of the pressure on d6.

One aspect of good technique is knowing when to practice patience. Here is a good example. Black isn’t really doing anything, and white can thus probe for the best method of placing his pieces. White is in no big rush to finish black off, because this may only give black unnecessary counterplay.

26…Ne7
Black decides that he can tolerate the white knight no longer. The move is possible because 27.Bxf6?? loses to 27…Nxf5+.

From white’s perspective, he’ll allow the exchange of knights, but only on his terms. Thus he wants black to make the exchange, when the recapture with the pawn will secure more space and also create an important open file for his rooks.

27.Kf3 Nxf5 28.exf5!?
This was a key decision, and I’m still not sure whether this or 28.gxf5 was better. My thought process was that I would welcome the trading of all the rooks, as then the h-pawn would fall and white would win easily. I also believed it would be easier to create a passed pawn after the text, as g4-g5-g6 is hard to stop.
On the other hand, gxf5 gives the white king quicker access to the h4 pawn via g4. In the game, white had to allow black to liquidate his doubled f-pawns to get to that square (by playing g4-g5).

After the game, I almost had a heart attack when I asked my opponent what he would play after 28.gxf5. He trotted out the logical 28…Rg7 29.Rg1 R8g8? when 30.Rg4! is very strong for white. The point is that white threatens simply R1g1, and 30…Rxg4 31.hxg4 followed by Rh1 and Kg3 rounds up the h-pawn.

28…R7h8 29.Re1
White has to be careful about making the g5 advance before he’s prepared. In this case, 29.g5? Rhg8! creates strong counterplay. Once again, patience is key for white.

29…Be7 30.Re2 Rg8 31.Rae1 Rh8 32.Bd4
Here black is again baiting white to play g5, and I almost did. I wasn’t certain that white could win after 32.g5 Rhg8 33.Bxf6 Bxf6 34.Rxe8 Rxe8 35.Rxe8 Kxe8 36.gxf6. Even though white will get a passed h-pawn, his king doesn’t have easy access to black’s queenside. At the time, I couldn’t see a clear win, so I avoided the line.

Grandmaster John Nunn has written a useful book titled “Secrets of Practical Chess.” One of his tips is to remember the acronym DAUT – don’t analyze unnecessary tactics. That’s useful advice coming from a tactician of Nunn’s ability. The above line is an example. I couldn’t see clear to the end and didn’t see any reason to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to work it out.

White’s perspective is that he doesn’t need to burn his bridges. He can slowly improve his position and then seek a winning line.

32…Rhg8 33.Bf2 Rh8 34.Re4
It is now clear that black is going to try to sit tight. White has been improving the scope of his pieces and black is relegated to shuffling his rook along the eighth rank.

White’s last is a useful “creeping” move. White may play Rg1 and/or Be3 and aim for g5, when the rook, after a pawn exchange, would attack h4. White can also choose to bring his king to the queenside if circumstances warrant since the Re4 prevents a discovered check.

34…Kd8 35.Be3 Kd7 36.Re2
One of my favorite books is Endgame Strategy by Shereshevsky. In there, one of his key admonitions is “Do Not Hurry!” Before white undertakes a committal advance (i.e., the intended g4-g5) he further improves his position. The point of this move is to protect the second rank and remove the rook from a dark square. This rook will likely end up on the g-file, and white doesn’t want to give black any counterplay based on getting his bishop into play via an attack on the rook. Karpov is a master at this sort of patient build-up.

36…Bd8
Black tires of dealing with white’s firepower on the e-file and seeks an exchange of rooks to lessen the pressure.

37.Rxe8 Rxe8 38.Bd2 Rg8
Black cannot afford a trade of rooks, because then the h4 pawn will be defenseless.

39.Rg2 c6
This is black’s first real attempt at counterplay in a long time. From white’s perspective, he does not want to give up his pawn on d5, because it severely cramps black’s king. White will allow the pawn exchange, because he can use his bishop to prevent the black king from advancing and attacking the isolated pawn on d5. In the endgame, king activity is very important. If your king is further advanced or more mobile than your opponent’s, you have an important imbalance in your favor.

Meanwhile, it’s time for white to get back to his primary objective, which is to get his kingside pawns rolling. His next move is obvious – it’s the only way for white to convert his kingside pawn advantage, and it frees the g4 square to attack the h4 pawn as well.

40.g5! cxd5 41.cxd5 Kc7 42.Be3
The bishop move keeps the black king passive. Otherwise black will play …Kb6 and …Kc5 when suddenly black has some threats that must be considered. It is much better to take a move to prevent this. Again, patience and preventing unnecessary counterplay are very important in developing winning technique.

42…Kd7 43.g6(!?)
When I played this, I envisioned the zugzwang position that arises on move 50 (it really wasn’t that hard since most of the moves are forced, as we’ll see). While it is a win, it’s a bit subtle. An easier, more practical approach would have been 48.Bf2 fxg5 49.fxg5 Bxg5 50.Bxh4! f6 51.Bxg5 fxg5 52.Kg4 with an easy win. To tell you the truth, I developed tunnel vision. I saw the winning ideas behind this move and I didn’t stop to look for anything else. That’s not a good idea!

43…fxg6 44.fxg6
Even here, 44.Rxg6 was an easier approach.

44…f5!
Black must prevent white from playing f4-f5, and as an added bonus it protects the h-pawn.

45.Bd4!
Likewise, white must seize this diagonal. If black can play …Bf6 he has excellent chances to hold the position.

45…a6
Unfortunately, 45…Ke8 (attempting to forestall white’s plan of g7 and Rg6) doesn’t work because white can play 46.Re2+! and the black king doesn’t have access to f7. Then 46…Kf8 47.g7+ Kf7 48.Re6 leads to the same ultimate position as the game. Is there anything better to do with the queenside pawns? Not really. Black can’t afford to play …b6, since the white king is given an easy route into the queenside via the white squares. He can’t really leave them where they are either, because later white will play Bd4 and bring the king over to the queenside and threaten to simply take the a7 pawn and win on that side of the board.

This brings up another very important point that is discussed at length in Shereshevsky’s fine book – the principle of two weaknesses. Shereshevsky (and others) point out that, for one side to win, they must usually create two weaknesses in the opposing camp. Generally, one alone is not enough because the defender can bring all his forces to bear on that one particular problem. If, however, a second weakness can be created, the defense is usually unable to deal with both problems. This is such a case. The first weakness, of course, is the pawn on g7 that is poised to queen. As we’re seeing, however, that alone is not enough to win. If the queenside were somehow totally blocked off from the white king and bishop, the win would be problematic. It is not, however, and it constitutes the second weakness that white can exploit.

46.g7 Ke8 47.Rg6!
This is the key move that stymies black. White will play Rh6-h8 and black’s king and rook will be frozen in place. Then the white king and bishop will be free to raid the queenside. Black can’t afford to play an immediate 47…Kf7 because 48.Rxd6 and all of black’s pawns start falling off.

47…Be7 48.Rh6 Kf7 49.Rh8!
Unfortunately for black, he finds it very hard to shake the white bind. He can never exchange rooks, both his king and rook are needed to control the g8 square, and his bishop has few moves as well. Basically, all he can do here is make a bishop move or play …Rd8. That gives white the time to leisurely pursue a winning king advance, most likely via the queenside.

49…Bd8 50.Ke2
The winning plan begins to take shape. White will bring his king to the queenside. At the key moment ( i.e., when the bishop is on e7, the white pawn is on a4 and the white king on b4), he’ll exchange the rooks and play his king to a5. Then Kb6 is threatened and Bd8+ is answered by Bb6. Black can’t trade bishops, but after …Be7 Bc7 for white followed by Kb6 decides the game.

Can black do anything to counter this plan? Not really. He can play …b6, but white just waits until black has to play …Be7, and then he trades rooks and plays Bxb6 followed by Ka5 and takes the a-pawn.

He could try to play his pawns to b5 and a5, but white will bring his king to d3, trade rooks, and play Bb6, winning the a-pawn. This idea of trading rooks and winning the bishop ending is the key that my opponent said he missed. Note how little activity the black bishop has compared to the white bishop.

In short, black has no way to prevent white from winning on the queenside. Instead of getting to see this process, black now played …

50…Ba4?
Hoping to activate the bishop. Unfortunately, after

51.Rxh4 1-0
Black resigns, as he now realizes that white can just play Rh8 and advance the h-pawn all the way to h7.

15

Very interesting game!! Thanks for sharing, my highest win ever was over Mike Tubbs, 5 time Lawton/ Ft Sill, (Oklahoma) City Champion (rating then over 1900) He now plays over (1800) mostly, in tournaments, that was what he was playing when I last beat him 3 years ago, in a game that I thought I was losing the whole time, but just kept hanging on… :laughing: I think Mike finally lost focus on the win at some point. :blush: