Essential chess sacrifices 9781904600039, 1904600034
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Essential Chess Sacrifices
David LeMoir
First published in the UK by Gambit Publications Ltd 2003 Copyright © David LeMoir 2003 The right of David LeMoir to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accor dance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 198 8 . All rights reserved. This book i s sold subject to the condition that it shall not, b y way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being im posed on the subsequent purchaser. A copy of the British Library Cataloguing in Publication data is available from the British Library. ISBN 1 904600 03 4 DISTRIBUTION: Worldwide (except USA): Central Books Ltd, 99 Wallis Rd, London E9 5LN. Tel +44 (0)20 8986 4854 Fax +44 (0)20 8533 5821. E-mail: [email protected] USA: BHB International, Inc., 302 West North 2nd Street, Seneca, SC 29678, USA. For all other enquiries (including a full list of all Gambit Chess titles) please contact the publishers, Gambit Publications Ltd, P.O. Box 32640, London W14 OJN. E-mail: [email protected] Or visit the GAMBIT web site at http://www.gambitbooks .com Edited by Graham Burgess Typeset by John Nunn Printed in Great Britain by The Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, Wilts.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Gambit Publications Ltd
Managing Director: GM Murray Chandler Chess Director: GM John Nunn Editorial Director: FM Graham Burgess German Editor: WFM Petra Nunn
Contents
Symbols
4
Introduction
5
1
A Knight Clears the Queenside: t2Jxb5 in the Sicilian
7
2
A Bishop Clears the Queenside: �xb5 in the Sicilian
16
3
The Multi-Faceted Knight Leap: Knight Sacrifices on d5
31
4
Keeping the King in the Centre: Bishop Sacrifices on e6
49
5
Hounding the King in the Centre: Knight Sacrifices on e6
72
6
The Other Sicilian Knight Leap: t2Jf5
84
7
Opening the g-File against the Castled King: The Other t2Jf5 Sacrifice
94
8
Dragging the King Out: t2Jxf7
107
9
The Bishop Unseats the King: .li.xf7+ Sacrifices
124
10
Nailing Down the King's Coffin: Knight Sacrifices on f6
135
11
Piercing the Heart of the Castled Position: t2Jxg7
149
12
Prising Open the h-File: t2Jg5 and �g5 Sacrifices
159
13
Destroying the Castled King's Fortress: �xh6
172
14
The Greek Gift: i..x h7+
183
15
The Double Bishop Sacrifice
203
16
How to Play Successful Piece Sacrifices
210
17
Solutions to Exercises
212
Index of Games
221
Index of Openings
224
Sym bols
+ ++
#
''
! !? ?! ? ?? Ch 1-0 If2_If2
0-1
(D)
check double check checkmate brilliant move good move interesting move dubious move bad move blunder championship the game ends in a win for White the game ends in a draw the game ends in a win for Black see next diagram
Dedication To my father, Ken, who never played chess in his life but illustrated my first two chess books so brilliantly, and was a hugely talented musician and artist. He died unexpectedly in the summer of 2003. Also to my brother, Nick, who taught me to play chess so that he could have someone to beat, and who died earlier in the same summer. I will miss them both.
Introd uction
Standard Sacrifices This book is about standard sacrifices, so called because they occur frequently in practice. There are Greek Gifts of bishops on h7 chasing the king to its doom; knight and bishop sacrifices on e6 and b5 and knight sacrifices on d5 in the Sicilian Defence that seem to flow straight out of the opening; knight invasions on the empty f6-square that strangle the defender's king to death. In games in books and magazines, they always seem to succeed, don't they? On the other hand, if we ever get the chance to play one, the story is different. We forget the right follow-up, or some lit tle detail turns out to be wrong. After the Greek Gift, the defender's king marches boldly in front of its pawns and then slips qui etly away behind its f- or e-pawn. After a sacrifice in the Sicilian we find that we're not actually threatening anything and our opponent can blithely carry on with his usual counterplay. After a liJf6 sacrifice against the castled king, we find that we cannot hold our pawn that lands on f6; by capturing it the defender is able to cover the squares on which we intended to mate him. We are more careful next time the opportunity arises. There appear to be too many defenders around and too few of our own men to carry out the attack. We shy away and play something else. Have we missed out on the chance for a brilliancy? We might never know. Until now, that is.
Why Read this Book? The purpose of this book is simple: to make the reader benefit from standard sacrifices, and not suf fer from them. I will explain the types of position in which they are likely to succeed or fail, the dif ferent ways to follow them up, and the resources available to the defender. I shall concentrate on standard sacrifices of a piece. (There is one exception: the Double Bishop sacrifice- i.xh7+ followed by i.xg7- which is really a variation on the Greek Gift.) There are many of them - fifteen are covered here- and they are fundamental to our understanding of attack and defence in chess. We shall travel from left to right, starting with sacrifices on b5, where an endgame win is often the objective, and finishing with sacrifices on the h-file, where the king is definitely the target. Many modem openings have their own related standard piece sacrifices, the Sicilian Defence being the most prolific. If we wish to understand an opening and play it successfully, as White or Black, we must become familiar with its standard sacrifices. Besides helping us to score some easy victories, this familiarity should enable us to mine the path of our opponent's defence with the po tential for lethal sacrifices, and also avoid our well-laid thematic plans being scuppered by an un foreseen standard sacrifice. To help understand how each sacrifice arises, wherever I have the opening moves available I give the play up to the position where it was played. One of my aims is to encourage players who rarely sacrifice to play standard sacrifices, because learning many of them can be similar to learning a positional technique or variations of a favourite opening, and removes much of the risk. My readers should find that they save time on the clock by quickly assessing whether a standard sacrifice is playable, and by using their memory to aid their calculation.
6
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
When a sacrifice occurs, the emotional tension is instantly raised. Both sides, but especially the defender, start to make mistakes, as many of the games in this book will testify (see my book How to Be Lucky in Chess for chapter-and-verse on why and how that happens). Greater familiarity with the most common sacrifices should enable us to keep our head when our opponent is losing his, whichever side of the sacrifice we are on. In short, it is my firm belief that, by learning to understand these essential sacrifices, they can work for us and not against us.
Fifteen Standard Piece Sacrifices? I have selected most of the popular standard piece sacrifices. In each case, I assembled a large database of examples, mainly by automatic searching of Mega Database 2001, the CD-ROM of lnformator numbers 50-75, and a database developed from weekly downloads of The Week in Chess. This electronic database was supplemented by manual searches through my collection of chess books and magazines. For each sacrifice, I took a fairly random selection of around one hundred examples, including many games which were already annotated. I examined each game in order to identify the themes and the lessons which arise most frequently. The games that appear in this book (averaging around seventeen per standard sacrifice) are not necessarily the best or most brilliant available. but are those which should give readers the best feel for the sacrifices and the play that follows them. Each chapter features sacrifices with the same first move. In some cases (such as lt:Jf6 sacrifices) there are only a few key themes involved, and the play can almost be learned by rote. In other cases (such as lt:Jxf7 sacrifices) there is a huge variety of themes involved. In that case I have covered the key themes, but there are more of them, and the explanations are less detailed. In reality, therefore, this book probably covers at least forty standard piece sacrifices. Some are predominantly positional, but most are nakedly aggressive in their intent.
How to Make Sacrifices Work I am hoping that my readers will, on the way, learn a great deal about attacking play, because many lessons recur throughout these pages: • Don't be in a hurry to regain material. • Few sacrifices work if the attacker cannot bring several pieces, particularly the queen, into the at tack with great speed. Exposing the king can be crucial, so a second sacrifice is often justified in order to complete the destruction of its fortress. If we can permanently cramp the defender's king for room, or cut off its escape route, we can take our time about bringing our reserve pieces into the attack. A more complete list can be found in Chapter 16. •
•
During the writing of this book, I have discovered an enormous amount about standard sacri fices. I now have greater confidence in judging any piece sacrifice, and my opponent could not mis take my smile when I recently plonked a knight down on f5 (en prise to a pawn at g6) and rose to let him contemplate his fate. There was genuine confidence in my eyes, soon reflected by the despera tion in his...
1 A Kn ight Clea rs the Queenside:
l2Jxb5 in the Sici l ia n
In the Sicilian Defence, Black often plays ... a6 and ... b5. In this and the next chapter, we see White giving up a piece to clear this mini pawn-chain. In the vast majority of cases, the piece that recaptures on b5 (after ... axb5) wins a tempo in some way. In this chapter, the sacrificed piece is a knight, and White normally has the choice of recapturing with his remaining knight or his light-squared bishop. If White recaptures with the knight, it normally attacks the black queen on c7. If the bishop recaptures, it may be with check, or it may attack a piece on c6 or d7 and pin it against the king on e8. A crucial factor in the success of the sacrifice is what White plans to do with hls extra tempo. Sometimes there is a simple tactic involved, such as a knight fork on d6, as in the first exam ple below.
Cuellar - Garcia Vera
The d6-pawn is not covered by Black's dark squared bishop. It is defended by the c4-knight, but that is on a square which allows a winning knight fork.
17ltldxb5 axb5 18ltlxb5 ft6 Black will emerge at least two pawns down whatever he does because 18 ... 'ii'c5 19 'ii' xc4! "fkxc4 20 ltlxd6+ wins back the piece.
19 'ii'xc4 and White won comfortably.
Recapturing with the Bishop We shall concentrate onltlxb5 sacrifices whose purposes are more long-term than the example above. First, we shall look at some games where the attacker recaptures on b5 with a bishop. In our first example, White plays with the inten tion of forcing the opposing king to move, sur rendering its castling rights.
Mar del Plata 1952
Nunn - Sosonko 1 e4 cS 2ltlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4ltlxd4ltlf6 5ltlcJ a6 6 �e2 e6 7 g4 h6 8 �e3 "fkc7 9 f4 b5 10 a3 �b7 11 �f3ltlc6 12 'ii'e2ltla5 13 .:r.d1ltlc4 14 i.c1 g6 15 0-0 �g7 16 :t'2 eS (D)
w
Olympiad, Thessaloniki 1984 1 e4 cS 2 ltlf3 ltlc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltlxd4 lLlf6 5 ltlc3 d6 6 i.c4 e6 7 i.e3 a6 8 'ii'e2 "fkc7 9 0-0-0 ltlaS 10 i.d3 b5 11 a3 i.b7 12 g4 d5 13 exd5 ltlxd5 (D) Black has opened lines in front of hls own king, so White strikes at once.
14ltldxb5 axb5 15 i.xb5+ ..ti>d8 He finds that he must move his king, as blocking the check is even worse: a) After 15 ...ltlc6 16ltlxd5 exd5 17 �b6+ "ike? 18 l:.he1! 'ii' xe2 19 %be2+ �e7, the sim plest winning line is now 20 �xc6+ �xc6 21 .:f.de1 regaining the piece and maintaining a two-pawn advantage. b) 15 ... �c6 allows 16ltlxd5 exd5 17 i.b6+ 'ii'e7 18 �xa5! "fkxe2 19 i.xc6+ ..ti>e7 20 :he I ,
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
8
After the text-move, 19 axb4?? runs into 19 ...l:.al#, but Nunn is able to give up one rook as the other will soon avenge its life.
w
19 l:.xc4! dxc4 20 l:.d1 + 'it>c8 21 l:td4 �dS
After 2 1 ... ..tc5 22 l:txc4 'it>b8 23 �xeS 'ifxh2 24 'Wie7 White has the deadly threat of i.d6+. 22 l:txdS �d6 23 l:.d4 1-0
The king cannot survive the combined power of the queen, two bishops and rook. The bishop check on b5 may set up a pin which can cause the defender a serious head ache. and again White regains the piece with a two pawn advantage.
Vermolinsky - Shabalov USA Ch, Los Angeles 1993
16 ltJxd5 exdS 17 l:.d3! ltJc4
17 ... �d6 blocks the d-file for the time being, but 1 8 l:tc3 causes all kinds of problems. The queen cannot move thanks to �b6+, but block ing the c-file doesn't help either: a) l 8 ...ltJc6 19 l:.d 1 l:.e8 20 l:txd5 l:te6 2 1 l:txd6+! lhd6 22 ..tf4 �c8 2 3 b4! followed by exchanging on c6 and advancing the b-pawn to win the pinned piece. b) 1 8 ...ltJc4 19 l:td l .l:t.a5 20 ..i.xc4 dxc4 2 1 l:.xc4 ..i.a6 22 l:txc7 �xe2 2 3 l:.c6 ..txdl 24 l:.xd6+ r3l;c7 25 l:.xd1 and, with three pawns for the exchange, White should win the ending. c) 1 8 .....tc6 1 9 �xc6 iLlxc6 20 'iib 5 �d7 2 1 'ii'x d5, and White wins more pawns and retains the attack. 18 l:tc3 (D)
1 e4 cS 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 'ii'xd4 a6 5 �e3 ltJc6 6 1i'd2 ltJf6 7 ltJc3 e6 8 0-0-0 bS (D)
w
Black's last move allows White to exploit his powerful build-up on the d-file. 9 eS! dxeS 10 'ii'xd8+ ltJxdS l l liJxbS
B
1 1 �xb5+ is also good; that type of sacrifice is the subject of the next chapter. l l axbS 12 �xbS+ �d7 .•.
Walking into the pin with 1 2 ... ltJd7 loses the extra piece to 1 3 ltJxe5, as the black rook is de nied a7 by the e3-bishop. 13 l:.xd7!
18 ..i.b4? ..•
Black can probably hold on with the coun ter-sacrifice 1 8 ... ..txa3 ! 1 9 bxa3 l:.xa3.
This is an idea which is worth remembering. Yermolinsky has already given up a pawn to open the d-file, so he emerges with only a small advantage from this transaction. In certain Queen's Gambit formations, the d-file is al ready open, and the combination leads to a big advantage for White. The following position
A
KNIGHT CLEARS THE QUEENS/DE: l'fu:b5 IN THE SICIUAN
9
was reached in Zhidkov-F.Neumann, Trave miinde 1 995. w
w
White set up the pin with 1 2 lDxb5 ! axb5 13 i..xb5, and after 1 3 ...i..d 7 he played 14 .l:.xd7! 'itJxd7 1 5 lDe5+ h7 38 l:lfl 'flxe3 ! 0- 1 . 1 4 a4 lbd4 15 .i.xd7+ 'i1txd7 Black's play is bold and direct. 16 b4 'ii'c8 17 c3 (D) It may be more prudent to rush the white king away from the danger zone by castling. After 1 7 0-0 'flxc2 1 8 'ii'xc2 .!Dxc2 1 9 l:lab I White's remaining queenside pawns give him some counterplay.
10 g4 d6 l l 'ita>b1 .i.e7 12 g5 lbd7 13 h4.!Db6 14 .!Ddxb5 axb5 15 till:b5 'ii'd8 16 lill:d6+ �xd6 17 itxd6 'ilxd6 18 :Xd6 (D)
B
B
Now the white king is caught in the centre. 17...'i!fc4! 18.!Df6+ We7 19.!De4 d5! This thrust is decisive. 20 cxd4 dxe4 21 dxe5 'ita>e8! By opening the bishop's diagonal, the black king signs the death warrant of its opposite number. 22 f4 e3 0-1
Queenside Passed Pawns in the Endgame The most popular purpose behind the.!Dxb5 sac rifice is to gain a third pawn on d6 and to enter an endgame with three queenside passed pawns for the piece. We shall consider several examples.
Arakhamia-Grant - Stepovaya Dianchenko European Women's Ch, Warsaw 2001 1 e4 c5 2lt1f3.!Dc6 3 d4 cxd4 4.!Dxd4 e6 5.!Dc3 'fic7 6 .i.e3 a6 7 'ild2.!Df6 8 f3 b5 9 0-0-0 .i.b7
The sequence from 14 lLidxb5 is typical. White has garnered three connected passed pawns for the piece, and he also has the two bishops. White's normal procedure is to double rooks on the d-file and prepare a gradual ad vance of the passed pawns. Black's ideas include the exchange of light squared bishops by ...J..a6, and then restraining the pawns by occupying or controlling key squares with the knights and a rook. Playing the king to e7 keeps it handy for repelling the white rooks. There is the possibility of playing a knight to d5 to entomb the rook on d6, which may have to retreat to avoid it. Black should aim to open lines on the kingside with .. .f6 or a move of the h-pawn, and a knight can come to e5 to menace the white f-pawn and then go to c4, if available, to make life awkward for the queenside pawns. I have 27 examples of this type of endgame on my database and White scores 70%. Black should score better, but rarely exploits the chances for active counterplay that are available. The position in front of us is worse for Black than usual. As we shall see, her king cannot come to e7, so the white rooks have a free hand. She must see to the threat to the b6-knight, but after 1 8 ....!Dd7 19 J..b5 l:lc8 20 l:lhd l.!Ddb8 2 1 b4! the black pieces can hardly move. 18 .!Dc8 19 l:ld2 0-0 There is little value in keeping the king in the centre as ...'ifi>e7 can always be met by J..c 5, threatening a nasty discovered check. •••
A
KNIGHT CLEARS THE QUEENS/DE: liJxb5
20 l:.d7 .ta6 21 .i.xa6 lha6 22 .l:.hd1 (D)
IN
THE SICILIAN
11
d-file by occupying d7, so White is bound to win a piece. 14 ltJxd6+ .txd6 15 'i!Vxd6 'ifxd6 16 :xd6
(D) 8
8
22 ...ltJb6
After 22 . . .tbe5, White can save the pawn with 23 I:td8 lt:lc6 24 l:t8d3, or play 23 l:tc7 !? lt:lxf3 24 .i.c5 .l:.e8 25 l:tcd7 threatening 26 l:td8. In the game the white rooks, ably supported by the powerful dark-squared bishop, take full control of the seventh rank and tum their atten tion to the black king. White never needs to get her queenside pawns rolling. 23 l:tc7 ltJc4 24 .tcS l:tfa8 25 a3 g6 26 f4 e5 27 l:tdd7 ltJd8 28 f5 gxf5 29 exf5 e4 30 l:te7 lt:ld6 31 .txd6 l:txd6 32 l:te8+ b8 30 'iVd4 'ii'a5 311l..d2 'ii'xa2 32 'ii'b 6+ 1-0 ••.
In the next example, White's occupation of d6 and his f-file threats prompt Black to play .. .f6, exposing his king to withering fire along the open lines.
Korneev - Annakov Moscow 1995 1 e4 cS 2 t'i:Jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 t'i:Jxd4 a6 5 1l..d3 t'i:Jf6 6 0-0 d6 7 f4 t'i:Jbd7 8 �b1 1l..e7 9 'i!ke2 'ikc7 10 t'i:Jd2 b5 1 1 t'i:J2f3 1l..b7 12 e5 dxeS 13 fxe5 t'i:Jd5 141l..g5 t'i:JcS (D) An exchange of dark-squared bishops is in evitable, so a white knight can look forward to a bright future on d6.
15 1l..xb5+ axb5 16 t'i:Jxb5 'ii'b6 17 c4 t'i:Jc7
1 7 . . .f6 allows White to establish a far-ad vanced passed pawn with 1 8 cxd5 fxg5 19 d6. The natural 17 ...1l..a6 also leads to difficulties for Black as 1 81l..xe7 h7 29 c4 �g6 30 ..tcS ..t>hS 31 'iii>c2 �g4 32 ..t>cJ �h3 33 ..tg1 hS 34 b4 ..tf3 35 bS �g2 36 a4 l:!.d1 (D)
24 tt:lxc4! 25 tt:lxc4 .i.xc4 26 l:.xc4 .:lxa2 27 .:lc8+ 'it>h7 28 .:lb8 .:lg6 29 :aJ l:txa3 30 bxa3 .•.
If this pawn advances, the black rook will get behind it.
3o....:.gs 31 :tbs :rs 32 .:as �g6 33 h3 :tr4 34 g3 .:.n 35 ..t>g2 l:!.c3 36 � 1/z-1/z Having stated some rules for White in these endgames, we can also state some rules for Black: • Try to make the advance of the white pawns difficult. A rook on the a-file is often useful. • Avoid exchanges, especially of minor pieces, unless there is no option, as the pawns be come more powerful as the board empties. • Try to create counterplay on the kingside, normally by opening lines for a rook. For in stance, if White captures a knight on f6, con sider recapturing with the g-pawn in order to create play along the g-file. Even if lines cannot be opened for the rooks, g2 can be a
In this complicated position, the players agreed a draw. 1/z.l/z
Remarkably, White can jettison his bishop and win with his queenside pawns against the two black minor pieces. The game could go 37 J:.xd l .i.xdl 38 a5 ! 'iitx gl (the king is about as far away from the queenside as it can be) 39 a6 .if3 40 b6 tt:le7 4 1 b7 i.xb7 42 axb7 tt:lc6 43 c5 ..t>xh2 44 �c4 'iitx g3 45 ..t>b5, and the invasion by the king is instantly decisive.
A
BISHOP CLEARS THE QUEENS/DE: Ji.xb5 IN THE SICIUAN
Sacrifices in the Sveshnikov In the previous chapter, in the game Karasev Andrianov on page 9, we saw a popular lZJxbS sacrifice in the Sveshnikov Sicilian. Well, in that exact position White has also played the �xbS sacrifice, and this one is extremely popu lar. In my database, there are more than 170 ex amples. The theory is very complex, and it is not within the scope of this book to pronounce upon it. However, here is a sample of the chaos that can ensue, with further examples in the notes.
Luther - McShane Lippstadt 2000 1 e4 c5 2 lt:Jf3 lt:Jc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt:Jxd4 lt:Jf6 5 lt:Jc3 eS 6 lt:Jdb5 d6 7 i.gS a6 8 lt:Ja3 bS 9 �xf6 ¢6 10 lZJdS fS (D)
27
b4 �e7 24 b5 l:tc8 25 'ifa3+? (25 b6! l:txc3 26 WaS ! wins) 25 ... 'iti>e8 26 b6 .i.f8 27 'ii'a6 .l:ld8 28 �e2 .i.d6 29 c4 �c6 30 cS? (turning a drawish position into a loss) 30...l:.a8 3 1 'ifc4 l:a5, and White soon lost all of his queenside pawns. 13 b4!? This is one of three main options for White. He blocks the black rook's path along the rank, and plans to follow up with 1 4 c3, discovering an attack on it. 13 c4 is an interesting idea, which gives up a pawn partly to open the c-file, and partly to open a path for the white queen into the game. In reply, l3 ...J:.xc4 is double-edged but play able, while Black has had good results with 1 3 ... 1i'a5+ 14 b4 %:txb4 15 0-0 lhb5 16 cxb5 tDd4. Rajlich-Gara, Budapest 2000 continued 1 7 'ikh5 .i.e6 18 lt:Jf6+ �d8 19 .l:labl i.e? 20 'iWh6 xb7 20 l:!.b1 + 'itc6 21 l:!.b6+ 'i!tc5 22 l:!.b3 ! 'iti>c6 23 l:tc3+ �b7 24 ltJxe7 i..xe7 25 'ii'd 5+ 'iti>a7 26 'ii'a8+ 1 -0 Shirov Lautier, Amber blindfold, Monte Carlo 2000. b) 1 5 ... 'ii'g 5 prevents 1 6 'ii'h 5, but Luther, the player of the white pieces in the current game, has played 1 6 ltJxb4 ltJxb4 1 7 c3 'iti>xc7 (or 1 7 . . . ltJc6 1 8 ltJd5 fxe4 1 9 'ii'a4 and with the white knight on its best square at d5, the white pieces cooperate well) 1 8 cxb4 fxe4 19 'ii'a4, when the black king was seriously exposed and White went on to win in Luther-Reindennan, Venlo 2000.
'iVxb4 26 ltJxd6 %Ud6 27 'ii'xe3 'i¥d4 28 'ii'c 1 'il'd5 0- 1 . 1 5 f4! 1 6 'ii'xa4 (D) There appears to be no better option than to oblige Black to force a draw: a) 16 f3? loses to 16 ... i.h3 1 7 l:!.f2 'ikxf2+ ! 1 8 'iti>xf2 lhg2+ regaining the queen with a winning material advantage. b) 1 6 ltJdc7+? 'iti>d8 17 'ii'xa4? 'ikh3 is mate in a few moves. c) After 16 'iti>h l ? ! , 16 .. J:tg6 17 'ii'xa4? f3 ! lays siege to the white king. d) The game Vorobiov-Filippov, Kazan 2001 went 16 g3 fxg3 17 fxg3 112- 112. The draw was agreed because 17 . . . l:!.xg3+ delivers perpetual check. e) The only way to carry on appears to be 1 6 ltJf6+ ! ? 'ii'xf6 1 7 \i'xa4 'ii'g6 1 8 g 3 fxg3 1 9 fxg3 'ifxe4, but the white king is uncomfortable. ...
w
16 l:!.xg2+ Black cannot play for the win; for example, 1 6... 'il'h3 ?? loses to 1 7 itJf6+. 17 'iti>xg2 'ii'g4+ 1/z- IIz 1 8 �h 1 'ii'f3+ 1 9 'iti>g 1 1¥g4+ is a perpetual, but again playing for the win only succeeds in losing, as 19 . . .i.h3 ?? allows mate: 20 'i!Va8+ ltJd8 (or 20 . . . �d7 21 'ii'b7+) 21 itJbc7+ 'it'd? 22 ltJb6+! 'it>xc7 23 'ii'a7+ ltJb7 (23 .. :iti>c6 24 b5+ is soon mate) 24 ltJd5+ 'it>d8 25 'ikb8+ �d7 26 'ii'c7+ 'iii'e8 (or 26 . . .�e6 27 'ii'c8#) 27 ltJf6#. ...
Luke McShane's move is ingenious. In Mega Database 2001 he states that the main idea is to vacate the d8-square for the king so that af ter ltJbc7+ it isn't forced to d7 where it blocks the c8-bishop's diagonal. It leads to a quick and very dangerous counterattack on the white king. 14 0-0 l:!.g8 15 c3 In Shirov-Kasparov, Linares 2002, White tried to improye with 1 5 f4? ! , hoping to blast open a path to the black king. As the game went, he only succeeded in encouraging Kasparov to work up a devastating counterattack on the long diagonal: 1 5 . . . �d8 ! 1 6 c3 l:1a6 1 7 a4 fxe4 1 8 f5 i.b7 1 9 l:ta2 e3 20 ltJxe3 'ii'e4 ! 2 1 l:te1 ltJxb4! 22 cxb4 i.h6 23 d2 e3+, winning the queen) and now Strobel Schoenau, Bavaria 1 999 continued 1 6...i.f5 1 7 1i'xf7 ! (threatening mate o n e8) l 7...'ii'g5+ 1 8 'ii?b l .te7 1 9 lDxa8 e3+ 20 'ili>a1 e2 2 1 %ldgl 'iff6 22 l:.g8+ .:.Xg8 23 'iVxg8+ .tf8 24 'iVc4 i.e6 25 'ii'xc6 'iVxf2 26 'ii'h6+ 1i'xb6 27 lDxb6 i.h6 1 -0.
29
b) 1 3 ... 'ii'a5 is a more level-headed approach, as played in Alvarez-Jamieson, Olympiad, Malta 1980, the only game that I can find with this move. It seems to me that it gives Black some hope even though it encourages the white queenside pawns to advance. After 1 4 a4 :a7 1 5 lDf6+ 'it>d8 1 6 b4 'ii'b6 1 7 lDxa7 'iVxa7 1 8 'ii'd5 'fkc7 1 9 0-0 i.e7 20 lDxe4 i.e6 2 1 'ii'd3 Black could have played 2 1 ...d5 followed by ...f5 with counterchances thanks to his big cen tre and two bishops. Instead he played 2 1 ...f5, and White re-established his grip on the posi tion with 22 lDc5 .tc8 23 'iVd5, winning even tually. In the game, Black chooses to return an ex change in another way but he must trade his valuable light-squared bishop. White also re trieves a pawn, leaving him with two rooks and two pawns for two minor pieces and a strong initiative.
14 lDbc7+ 'ii?d7 IS lDxa8 i.xdS 16 'iVxdS 1i'xa8 (D)
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17 0-0 Invading Black's kingside by 1 7 'ii'xf7+ is also very good. Instead 1 7 'iVxe4 allows 1 7 ...1Wa6 with counterplay, but Rogers's move is better. It brings the king to safety, and meanwhile the e pawn will not run away. The lack of a light squared bishop mutes Black's counterplay and weakens his central position. White went on to win without any alarms. 17 1i'e8 18 'iVxe4 'fi'e6 19 a4 rs 20 'iVe2 .•.
i.e7 21 aS f4 22 a6 lDa7 23 'ii'e4 dS 24 l:.fdl 'i#o>c6 25 1Wa4+ h1 dS 19 'ii'xa6+ hl 'ifb7 18 'ii'f2 b5 (D)
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17 tiJd5 exd5 Now the e7-bishop cannot be saved. If the sacrifice is declined, then White switches his attack to the d-file: 17 . . .'ii'd 8 1 8 lZ'lxe7 'i.Vxe7 1 9 l:ted l l:ta6 2 0 'i¥d2 and the d-pawn drops. 18 exd5 i.g4 19 ne3 0-0 20 .:.Xe7 With an extra pawn and a positional advan tage, White won easily. 19 lt:'Jd5 exd5 20 cxdS The black bishop has no moves. On the other hand, Black can work up plenty of counterplay, despite White's bishops and his own backward d-pawn. 20 1Lxd5 21 .U.xd5 l::tac8 22 :tddl l:txc1 23 l:txcl d5 24 i.d3 lt:'JeS 25 i.bl lZ'lc4 and the game was soon drawn. •.•
Playing to hem in a bishop on c6 has not scored well for the sacrificer. If the black queen is on b7, there is rarely any compulsion to capture on d5, so the knight may look silly on d5. If White has no pawn on c4, Black often prefers to capture with the bishop instead of the pawn. After . . . i.xd5, exd5 e5, Black has a kingside pawn-majority and may quickly develop an attack on the white king. More effective is the sacrifice that aims to exert pressure on the e-file to win a piece on e7.
Lipman - Zolotonos USSR Spartakiad 1968 1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 ltJr6 5 lt:'Jc3 a6 6 i.c4 e6 7 i.b3 b5 8 0-0 1Lb7 9 :tel b4 (D)
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ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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10 ltJd5 exd5? Black misses White's clever intermezzo, which forces a knight to block the Icing's es cape, which in turn forces the bishop to block the e-file check. IO ...ltJbd7 is safer. 1 1 �a4+! lL!bd7 12 exd5+ �e7 13 lLif5 After tl:ld5 sacrifices, the d4-knight often uses the f5-square to reinforce the e-file pres sure. In this case, the effect is to win the bishop. With an extra pawn and an intrusive knight, White soon wins by direct attack. 13 ... 0-0 14 ltJxe7+ �h8 15 �g5 flic7 16 �xd7 ltJxd7 17 l:[eJ g6 18 'iVd4+ f6 19 lL!xg6+! hxg6 20 .:1e7! �g8 21 'ii'e4! 1-0 If the tt:'ld5 sacrifice is played in a Morra Gambit or Maroczy Bind, the defender may get into trouble on the c-file. Consider the next po sition.
Kerry - Pivovarov
14 exdS tl:ld4 The line 1 4 . . .ltJf6 1 5 dxc6 �xc6? 1 6 ltJd4 is even worse, so Black decides to play on with equal material. However, he is soon sunk by a second sacrifice. 15 ltJxd4 1i'd7 16 ltJc6 %lc8 17 %le1 h6 18 a4 �xc6 19 dxc6 .:1xc6 20 l:txc6 'ii'xc6 21 �xf7+! �xf7 22 'fle6+ � 23 l:tcl 'ii'b6 24 %lc8+ �d8 25 �xd6+ ltJe7 26 �xe7+ �e8 27 �d6# (1-0) The pseudo-sacrifice in the Morra Gambit is not always as crushing as it was here. Often Black can recapture on c6, remaining a pawn ahead. However, White scores well because he benefits from the opening of lines in the centre, and Black is often hampered by a sickly iso lated pawn on d6. Black tends to fare quite badly when the sac rifice is played in a Maroczy Bind formation, and White recaptures with the c-pawn, because material is equal at the outset.
Keres Memorial, Vancouver 2001
Neumeier - Groetz 1 e4 c5 2 d4 cxd4 3 c3 dxcJ 4 ltJxcJ ltJc6 5 tl:lfJ d6 6 �c4 e6 7 0-0 i.e7 8 'ii'e2 a6 9 l%d1 b5 10 1Lb3 �b7 11 1Lf4 flc7 12 %%acl .:1d8 (D)
Poyntner Memorial, St Polten 2002
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1 e4 c5 2 lL!f3 d6 3 �bS+ i.d7 4 �xd7+ 'ii'xd7 5 c4 ltJc6 6 0-0 g6 7 d4 cxd4 8 tl:lxd4 �g7 9 ltJe2 ltJf6 10 ltJbcJ 0-0 11 f3 a6 12 a4 flic7 13 �eJ e6 14 b3 :Ce8 15 'ii'd2 lLlb4 16 l:lacl �f8 17 :Cdl lLlc6 (D)
White has played a Morra Gambit, which means that he is a pawn down but has an open c-file. With the queen on c7, ltJdS followed by recapture with the pawn will regain the piece thanks to the pin on the c6-knight. 13 tl:ld5 exdS? It is better to decline the knight with some thing like 1 3 ..'ii'b8 , although White gets strong pressure on d6 after exchanging his knight for the bishop on e7.
18 ltJd5 exdS 19 cxd5 lLld7 If Black has already moved his b-pawn then he has no option but to recapture on c6 with a piece, leaving his d-pawn isolated. Here Black intends to recapture with his b-pawn leaving his centre less weakened, but White finds a neat
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THE MULTI-FACETED KNIGHT LEAP: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON d5 way to ensure that the d-pawn remains iso lated. 20 b4! lLldeS 21 b5 axb5 22 axb5 'ii'd7 23 dxc6 bxc6 24 bxc6 lLlxc6 25 lLl£4 White's hold on the d5-square, combined with the weak squares around the black king, leads to a quick collapse. 25 1!fb7 26 lLld5 :teb8 27 .i.h6 f5 28 i.xf8 'ittxf8 29 'ifb6+ �e8 30 exf5 lLleS 1-0 .•.
In Maroczy Bind formations, the recapture on d5 by the c-pawn may trap the black queen on the c-file, forcing Black to return the sacri ficed piece by blocking the line of a white rook on c 1 or c2.
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Often, lLlc6 leads to the sacrificed material be ing returned, in the form of either a piece for a pawn or a rook for a bishop.
Ftacnik - Browne San Francisco 1 991 1 lLl£3 c5 2 c4 lLlf6 3 lLlc3 e6 4 g3 b6 5 i.g2 i.b7 6 0-0 a6 7 l:.e1 �e7 8 e4 d6 9 d4 cxd4 10 lLlxd4 "fkc7 1 1 .ie3 0-0 12 :tel lLlbd7 13 f4 Me8 (D)
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Spassky - Langeweg Amsterdam 1973 1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlc6 5 lLlb5 d6 6 c4 lLlf6 7 lLl1c3 a6 8 lLla3 i.e7 9 �e2 0-0 10 0-0 b6 11 .ie3 �b7 12 l:.cl lLleS 13 f4 lLled7 14 .i.£3 l:.b8 15 'i!Ve2 l:te8 16 :Cd1 "fkc7 17 g4 :ted8 18 g5 lLle8 (D)
This is a typical position. The g2-bishop will eventually threaten the aS-rook. First the c-file must be opened. 14 lLldS exd5 15 cxd5 "flib8 Black may play 1 5 ... lLlc5, allowing White to regain the piece at once with 16 b4. 1 5 . . ."flid8 is similar to the game. 16 lLlc6 �xc6 17 dxc6 lLlc5 18 c7 White starts to clear the bishop's diagonal with gains of tempo. 18 "flixc7! In similar positions, Black sometimes plays the queen to c8, avoiding the self-pin of his c5knight, but then the c7-pawn may become ex tremely annoying. See the next example. The move played loses both the exchange and the knight, but Black emerges with two pawns for the exchange and a playable game. 19 eS dxe5 20 .i.xa8 :Xa8 21 b4 exf4 22 .i.xf4 In Mega Database 2001, Stohl now gives 22..."flib7! 23 bxc5 .i.xc5+ 24 .i.e3 i.b4 25 :te2 b5 26 'ii'd4 with equality. In the game Black played 22..."ii'a7 and gradually went downhill to lose in the endgame. ••.
19 lLld5 exd5 20 cxd5 lLlc5 Forced, as the queen is hemmed in by its own pieces. Now Spassky is able to set up a mobile centre which soon becomes overpowering. 21 b4 �c8 22 bxc5 bxcS 23 :tb1 i.d7 24 1Ld2 "f/Ja7 25 .i.a5 l:.dc8 26 lLlc4 .i.d8 27 .i.c3 :Xb1 28 :Xb1 :tb8 29 l:.e1 i.b5 30 eS i.xc4 31 "fkxc4 dxeS 32 fxeS lLlc7 33 e6 lLle8 34 d6 1-0
Finally, when the c-pawn recaptures on d5 in a Maroczy Bind formation, the c6-square can be very inviting for a white knight posted at d4.
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ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
Oratovsky - Khamrakulov Albacete 2001 1 e4 cS 2 lbf3 a6 3 c4 e6 4 lbc3 lbf6 S .ie2 d6 6 d4 cxd4 7 lbxd4 'ilc7 8 .ie3 lbbd7 9 l:c1 1J..e7 10 0-0 0-0 1 1 f4 b6 12 .tn .ib7 13 b4 Me8 (D)
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With the king in the centre, the sacrifice can be powerful whether the king stays put or runs to either side. In the normal course of events, the attacker recaptures on d5 with his e-pawn. The e-file becomes open and the d5-pawn can have a serious cramping effect on the defender's po sition. Our first example is a simple one in which the black king is forced to flee towards the queenside, but cannot survive the attack down the e-file, which is reinforced by a knight on c6.
I. Zaitsev - Savon Barnau/ 1 969 1 e4 cS 2 lL!n d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lbxd4 lbf6 s lL!c3 a6 6 .ic4 e6 7 .ib3 bS 8 0-0 .ib7 9 .:tel ttJbd7 10 .igS ttJcS II .idS b4 12 .ixb7 ttJxb7 (D)
Here the white b-pawn is already on b4, which deters Black from playing ... lbc5. White is also able to exploit the fact that the white rook is on f1 and there is no black rook on f8 protecting its f-pawn. 14 lLJdS exdS IS cxdS 'ikb8 16 lbc6 1J..xc6 Of course, Black must capture as a return to the c-file by the queen loses it to lbxe7+. 17 dxc6 lbf8? 17 ...lbc5 is better, as a disaster now follows. 18 eS dxeS 19 c7 'ilc8 20 fxeS lLJ6d7 21 'ild5! There is no need to take the rook. One threat is now 22 'ii'xa8 'ii'xa8 23 .ixa8 l:xa8 24 c8"i¥. Black avoids that threat, but allows a spectacu lar blow. 21 .:a7 22 'ilxf7+!! 'iti>xf7 23 .idS+ 1-0 •.
The Long-Term Sacrifice agai nst a n U ncastled King Th e lbd5 sacrifice has a fearsome reputation, largely because of its versatility. It may be used as a pseudo-sacrifice, as in the examples above. It may be played as a long-term sacrifice when the defender's king is in the centre or even when it is castled on either side.
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13 ltJdS exdS 14 exdS+ �d7 IS ttJc6 With the black light-squared bishop ex changed, this knight can only be challenged by the b7-knight moving to d8 or a5. That knight quickly proves to be in Black's way - it would be more useful at d7 to shield the king when it reaches c7 and to protect the front f-pawn. The tempo gained by 1 5 tbc6 proves to be crucial as White can quickly bring his queen into the attack. 1S 'ilb6 16 1J..xf6 gxf6 17 11¥0 'i!i'c.S The doubled isolated f-pawns are a serious liability. The attempt to force an exchange with l 7... lbd8 loses the bishop to 1 8 'ii'xf6 :g8 1 9 ltJxd8 'ii'xd8 20 'ii xf7+ 1J..e7 2 1 'ike6+. In des peration, Black is hoping to buy White off by exchanging his rook for White's knight after 1 8 'fixf6 'ilxd5, but White will have none of it. He •••
THE MULTI-FACETED KNIGHT LEAP: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON d5 will regain a whole piece and retain his mating attack.
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1 e4 c5 2 lt'lf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt'lxd4 a6 5 lt'lc3 'fllc7 6 g3 b5 7 i..g2 .i.b7 8 0-0 lt'lf6 9 l:.e1 d6 10 a4 b4 (D)
The king is stuck between the open c- and e files and Cemousek-Rechel, Olomouc 2000 fin ished 1 7 . . .na7 1 8 'ii'g4 ii'xa4 (or 1 8 . . .'ii'a5 1 9 i..h3 ! followed by 20 nc8+ �xc8 2 1 �xc8#) 1 9 lbe6+ 1 -0. b) 1 3 ... �e7 is a waste of time as after 1 4 lt'lf5, 1 4 . . .ne8 1 5 'ii'd4 leaves Black completely tangled up. Black has to return his bishop to f8, and after 1 4... �f8 I 5 lt'lh6 ! , Vasiukov-Yezersky, St Petersburg 1 996 went 1 5 . . . 'it>c8 (or 1 5 . . .'ir'd7 16 'ii'h 5, and White wins the f-pawn anyway) I6 i.. h3+ lt'lbd7 17 lt'lxf7 i..xd5 I 8 tl'lxh8 with a material advantage for White. c) After 1 3 . . .i..c 8, I4 c3 is again good, al though White played 1 4 i..xf6+ in Quinones Higashishiba, Olympiad, Siegen 1 970, and won after 14 . . . gxf6 1 5 1i'h5 na7 I6 l:.e4 i..g7 1 7 Itae I 'ii'c5 I 8 'ii'e2 i..d7 1 9 tl'lb3 'flib6 20 a5 'ikb5 2 1 "ife3 .l:f.c7 22 "iff4 lle8 23 'ii'xd6 :Xe4 24 lhe4 �c8 25 i..fl 'i!Va4 26 nxb4 'ii'a2 27 lbc5 'iVai 28 nxb8+ li?xb8 29 tl'lxa6+ I -0.
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In Smirin-Gelfand, Sverdlovsk I 987, the black queen got into a horrible pickle through 1 4. . .'i!Vb6 1 5 c3 ! lt:le5 1 6 a5 'iHc5 (D).
18 l:Ltd1 l:.g8 19 'ir'xf6 l:.g7 20 ne7+! Decisive. White will have a choice of rooks to capture.
20 �xe7 21 'ii'xe7+ 'it>c8 22 �e8+ 'it>c7 23 'ii'xa8 ifxc2 24 'ifb8+ �b6 25 'ifa7+ 'it>c7 26 net f6 27 lt'lxb4 'ti'xb2 28 lbxa6+ �d7 29 'ifb8 1-0 •.•
When the king runs to the queenside, the move lt'lc6 is a typical element of the sacri ficer's play, especially if it is supported by a bishop on the long diagonal.
Stein - Furman USSR Ch, Moscow 1969
14 'i!Ve2 �c8
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Note carefully White's last move, 1 0 a4. He has decided to play the knight sacrifice but first lures Black into advancing his b-pawn to b4, where it may be captured, reducing White's material deficit, or exploited to open lines for the white rooks on the queenside.
l l lt'ld5 exd5 12 exd5+ Wd8 13 i..g5 lt'lbd7 This position has occurred several times in practice, but it is not one that Black would fall into deliberately. Here are some examples of successful attacking schemes for White: a) 1 3 . . .'ili'c4 14 c3 ! (exploiting the black b pawn to lever open lines) l 4. . . h6? (a waste of a tempo as the exchange on f6 is part of White's plan) 1 5 i.. xf6+ gxf6 16 cxb4 'ii'xb4 17 nc l .
Now came White's combination: 1 7 lt:lc6+! Wc8 ( 17 . . . i..xc6 1 8 dxc6 i..e7 1 9 �e3 ! 'ii'b5 20 c4 ! ! 1'kxc4 2 1 c7+ ! 'it>d7 22 �h3+ 'it>e8 23 "ifxc4 lt:lxc4 24 c8'fli+ wins a rook) 1 8 �e3 'iHb5 1 9 i..h 3+ lt:lfd7 20 i..xd7+ 'it>xd7 2 1 lt:lxe5+ 'it>c8 22 c4 1 -0. After 22 . . .'iHe8 23 'iig4+ White mates or wins the queen. 15 c3! b3 It makes sense for Black to keep the lines closed.
16 lt:lc6! i..xc6 17 dxc6 tl'le5 18 na3!
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ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
White wins a second pawn for the piece and brings his rook into the attack. Black cannot capture on c6 as White plays 1 8 ... lLixc6 1 9 i..xf6 gxf6 20 'ii'e 8+ lLJd8 (or 20...'it>b7 2 1 :Xb3+ xbl 32 :Xc6 White will soon have three pawns for the ex change, but the way Stein plays also turns out to be sufficient.
Black has consumed several tempi in getting his queen to aS. The punishment is severe as the better-developed white forces spring into life. 14 lLid5 exd5 15 exdS Wd8 The king is not safe on the kingside; e.g., 15 ... .i.e7 1 6 lLif5 ..ti>f8 (or 16 ... c!Lle5 17 f4 c!Llg6 1 8 .i.xb6 and the pin on the e-file wins material) 1 7 .i.h6! gxh6 1 8 'ifxe7+ ..t>g8 1 9 l:te6! l:te8 20 c!Llxh6+ ci;g7 21 'ii'xf7+ ! 'iii>xh6 22 l:txf6+ ltlxf6 23 'ii'xf6+ 'iii>h5 24 i..f3#. 16 b4! As Chuchelov points out in Mega Database 2001, he could play 16 c!Llc6+ l:txc6 1 7 dxc6 i..xc6 1 8 .i.d5 !, with good chances. However, he is so far ahead in development that he can afford the time to advance his queen side pawns to force open lines; meanwhile, Black can do very little.
THE MULTI-FACETED KNIGHT LEAP: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON d5 16 'iti>c7 The black king heads for the hills but runs into an avalanche. Instead, 16 . . .i.e7 allows 1 7 lbc6+ .l:txc6 1 8 dxc6 �xc6 1 9 i.xb6+! lbxb6 20 'ii'xe7+ �c8 2 1 i.h3+ lbbd7 22 bS followed by 23 cS with a winning attack, while 1 6 . . .lbeS blocks the e-file but leaves b6 exposed. White replies 1 7 lbc6+ ! 'iti>c7 (or 1 7 . . . lbxc6 1 8 i.xb6+ .l:tc7 19 dxc6 i.xc6 20 i.xc6 'il'xc6 21 cS with a winning attack) 1 8 i.xb6+! �xb6 1 9 cS+ �c7 20 lbxeS, and if 20. . .dxeS then 2 1 �xeS+ �d8 22 c6 and the pawns overrun the black position. 17 lbc6 l:te8 1 7 . . . �xc6 allows the white pawns to come into direct contact with the king, and Chuche lov gives the lovely line 1 8 dxc6 lbeS 1 9 cS bS 20 a4 bxa4 21 bS ! axbS 22 'ii'xbS .l:tb8 23 'ii'b 6+! �c8 (or 23 . . . .l:txb6 24 cxb6+ �d8 2S c7+) 24 i.h3+ lZ:lfg4 25 i.xg4+ lbxg4 26 �gS, when Black must give up most of his army to avoid mate. 18 'ii'd2 h6 19 a4! lZ:lg4 (D) .••
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If Black doesn't act soon, White will break through with the a5 or cS advance. Black de cides that he must exchange the e3-bishop, but he leaves his e8-square vulnerable. 20 cS! dxcS After 20 . . .lbxe3, 2 1 cxb6+ ! opens the c-file with deadly effect. 21 bxcS 2 1 i.f4+ may be quicker. After the move played, the white pawns descend to suffocate the black king. 21...lZ:lxe3 22 d6+ �c8 23 l:xe3 .l:te6 24 .l:txe6 fxe6 25 lbe7+ i.xe7 26 c6! 'ii'b8 27 cxb7++ �d8 28 .l::tc8+ 1-0
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Even without a bishop on the long diagonal, a knight landing at c6 may cause chaos. In the next example the c6-square turns out to be cru cial, even after the knight has retreated.
Golubev - Mantovani Bie/ 1992 1 e4 c5 2 lbf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lbxd4 lt'lf6 S lbc3 a6 6 �c4 e6 7 i.b3 bS 8 0-0 i.b7 9 .l:te1 lbbd7 10 i.gS 'ii'b6 1 1 a4 b4 (D)
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Again, White has softened up the black queenside pawns by a4. This time he intends not only to open lines with the c3 advance, but also to harass the black queen by advancing the a-pawn to aS. 12 lbd5 exdS 13 exdS+ �d8!? After 1 3 . . .lbeS White can win back the piece with 1 4 f4, or keep the attack with 14 aS 'ii'cS 1 S i.e3 ! ?, as i n Adams-Sadler, Zonal tournament, Dublin 1 993, which continued 1 S . . .'ii'c 8 1 6 i.a4+ 'iti>e7 1 7 f4 lZ:lxdS 1 8 fxeS dxeS 1 9 'ii'hS f6 20 i.f2 g6 2 1 l:UeS+ rli;f7 22 'ii'f3 lZ:lc7 23 'ii'b3+ �g7 24 lZ:lfS+! gxfS 2S 'ii'g 3+ �f7 26 i.b3+ lbdS 27 .l:txd5 1 -0. 14 lZ:lc6+ In The Sicilian Sozin, Golubev gives 1 4 aS ! 'ii'cS (or 1 4 . . .'ii'c7 1 S c3) 1 S c4 ! , with the threat of 16 lbc6+ �xc6 1 7 i.e3, winning the queen. 14 .'it'c7 Black's most reliable reply appears to be 14 . . . i.xc6 ! ? 1 S dxc6 'ii'xc6, which Golubev gives as 'unclear' . White could regain some material with 16 i.d5 'ii'c8 17 i.xa8 'ii'xa8, as in Rorvall-Hammar, Boras 1 979, which was later drawn. Regaining an exchange after sacrificing •.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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a piece is rarely sufficient for an advantage, so 17 c3 and 1 7 'ii'h 5, or even 16 c3 one move ear lier, give better chances for a successful attack. 15 a5 'fibs 16 lDd4 'ii'cS 17 .ieJ! �xdS
Black offers his queen, which White can win by 1 8 lDe6+ .i.xe6 19 .i.xc5 lDxc5, but the three pieces would give Black good chances. White ignores all such offers, preferring to open lines against the black king. 18 c4 bxc3 19 l:tcl! 1Wxa5
In the next example, Black tries to keep the knight out of c6, but White is still able to crack open the lines leading to the king with astonish ing rapidity. David
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Lobron
Donner Memorial, Amsterdam 1 996 1 e4 cS 2 lL!f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 a6 5 lDcJ bS 6 .i.d3 .ib7 7 0-0 d6 8 l:le1 lDf6 9 a4 b4 (D)
In Mega Database 2001, Golubev gives the continuation 1 9 ... .i.xb3! 20 'ii'xb3 and now both 20 ....:tb8 and 20 ...lL!d5 lead to lively play. Against 20...lL!d5 he gives the interesting line 21 l:lxc3! lL!xc3 22 'ii'xf7 !, and the knight will join the attack from e6. 20 .:Xc3+ lL!cS In this complex position, it is hardly surpris ing that Black slips. Golubev suggests 20 .. .'it>b7, after which Black may be able to survive the at tack.
21 .i.xdS lL!xdS (D)
10 lDd5 exd5 1 1 exdS+ 'li;d7 12 c4!
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White by-passes the b-pawn in order to set up a quick c5 thrust as 1 2... bxc3 would do White's job for him by opening lines on the queenside. Black wants to keep the remaining white minor pieces quiet. He already has the c6-square well covered, and next he takes away the f5-square. However, it aJI takes valuable time. 12...g6 13 aS!
22 'ii'f3! lL!xcJ 23 'ifc6+!
A rook and a piece down, White must keep attacking rather than grab material. After White's next move, the black king will perish on the open lines, and we are treated to a spectacular finish. 23 'i!tb8 24 bxc3 rJira7 25 l:lb1 .:tb8 •.•
The threat was 26 'ii'x c5+! followed by 27 lDc6#. 25 ... l:d8 is the best defence, although after 26 'ii'd5 .:tc8 27 lL!c6+ .:txc6 28 'ii'xc6 Black must give up his queen to avoid mate. 26 'it'xcS+! ! 'it'b6 Or
26 .. .'fixc5 27 lDc6+ rJira8 28 :Xb8#.
27 lDc6+ �as 28 l:xb6 1-0
This little move takes squares away from many of Black's pieces, artificially isolates the b-pawn and introduces the possibility of a queen check on a4. 13 .i.g7 14 .i.f4 'iti>c8 15 l:lcl lbb5 •..
This is too slow although, as Blatny demon strates in Mega Database 2001, White's attack is probably decisive anyway. One convincing line is 1 5 ...lL!fd7 16 lL!b5 ! ! axb5 17 .i.xd6 lDf6 1 8 cxb5+
THE MULTI-FACEJED KNIGHT LEAP: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON d5 After 1 6... .ixd4 17 cxd6+ .ic6 1 8 dxc6 lt:hl4 1 9 'il'g4+ lt:Je6 20 .l::txe6 fxe6 2 1 'ii'xd4 there is no good defence to the threat of mate starting with 22 d7+. The text-move allows White to bring the game to an abrupt end.
17 cxd6+ 'it>d8 18 �c2 1-0
41
23 �xf7 .ig4 24 b4! (D)
B
Mate is threatened by 19 "flc7#, and nothing can delay it for long. The sacrificer's queen often plays an impor tant role in the attack. It may join with a rook to fire down the e-file, and if it gets to f7 it can cripple the defender's entire kingside.
Ashley - Kempinski Bad Wiessee 1997 1 e4 cS 2 ffi d6 3 .ib5+ ltJd7 4 d4 cxd4 5 "flxd4 ltJgf6 6 .ig5 a6 7 .ixd7+ lbxd7 8 ltJc3 "flb6 9 1id2 e6 10 0-0-0 'ii'a5 1 1 'ii'e 1 ltJb6 12 b3 h6 13 .id2 'ii'c5 14 .ie3 �c7 15 .id4 ltJd7 16 'ike3 'ii'a5 (D)
w
On f7, the queen eyes the b7-square, a fact which this move exploits to regain the piece as 24 . . . 'ii'xb4 25 l::tb3 uses the pin on the knight to win the queen. 24 'ifa4 25 bxcS dxc5 26 ltJeS?! 26 l:txcS! 'ii'a 3+ (not 26 . . ..ixc5 27 .ixcS+ xc6? 3 1 'i!kg6+ winning the bishop, but 30 . . . .ic8 keeps Black in the game. 27 .ie3 'i!ka5 28 .id2 'ii'xa2 29 l::tb3 'i!ka1 + ••.
•••
17 lbd5 exd5 18 exd5+ 'it>d8 19 .l:the1 xh6 1 9 f5+ leads to perpetual check. 17 ... h6 18 .i.h4 g6 19 ltJe3 �aS! 20 'ii'xaS .i.xaS
THE MULTI-FACETED KNIGHT LEAP: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON d5 If the defender's king can hide on the king side without immediate mishap, the attacker's task can be a thankless one, as the next example shows.
43
A mysterious defence whose point soon be comes clear.
18 .i.b4 lt:Jc5 19 lt:Jxg7 rti;xg7 20 g5 .i.f5! 21 gxf6+ 'it>b6 The threat is 22...lt:Jb3+, mating on c2.
22 'ii'c4 lt:Jd7 23 'flxc7 .i.xc7 24 i.f3?
S. Bernstein - Fischer USA Ch, New York 195718 1 e4 c5 2 lt:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt:Jxd4 lt:Jf6 5 lt:Jc3 a6 6 i.g5 e6 7 f4 i.e7 8 'ir'f3 lt:Jbd7 9 0-0-0 'ir'c7 10 g4 b5 11 i.g2 i.b7 12 l:tbel b4 (D)
He should not give up the front f-pawn with out a fight. At least with 24 l:te7 i.d8! (Black is badly tied up after 24...l:thf8 25 l:tde1) 25 l:txf7 l:thg8 26 i.f3 l:tef8 White should be able to keep two pawns for the piece. After the move played, some accurate defence by Black leads to an easily winning endgame.
24 ..td8 25 .i.g5+ 'it>g6 26 .l:.g1 .i.xf6 27 i.h4+ 'it>b6 28 i.xf6 lt:Jxf6 29 .l:.g5 ..te4 30 :n .i.g6 31 .l:.fg1 .l:.e3 32 i.d1 lt:Je4 33 l:t5g2 f5 34 i.e2 aS 35 h4 .l:.h3 36 h5 i.xh5 37 .i.d3 .i.g6 38 .:n .:rs 39 'it>d1 lt:Jf6 40 l:te1 lt:Jxd5 41 ID'2 l:.e3 42 l:[g1 .l:f.e7 43 �d2 rJi;g7 44 l:[f3 0-1 .••
w
The next example is notable because the lt:Jd5 sacrifice achieves a fine position but the attacker rejects the thematic attacking ideas that we have been following, and allows his own king to come under fire. This is one of the games that helped the 14year-old Bobby Fischer to win his first US Championship. The position is very similar to the last example, except that White's queen is on f3 and his g-pawn has already advanced to g4.
lbragimov - Mosionzhik Novosibirsk 1962 1 e4 c5 2 lt:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt:Jxd4 lt:Jf6 5 lt:Jc3 a6 6 i.c4 e6 7 i.b3 b5 8 a3 i.b7 9 i.g5 lt:Jbd7 10 "ii'e2 'ika5 11 0-0 b4 (D)
13 lt:Jd5 exd5 14 exd5 � The king runs to the kingside, which is nor mally the easier side to defend unless White can weaken the kingside pawns or push his own kingside pawns to come to grips with the black king very quickly. Any delay in his attack gives Black time to mount a counterattack, which can be particularly dangerous when the white king has castled on the queenside. Bernstein manages to expose the black king, but it takes time and leads to the exchange of queens.
w
15 lt:Jf5 .l:.te8 Fischer decides to defend in depth. The alter native was to use this rook on the queenside, and it appears that in lines such as 15...i.d8 16 l:te2 h6 17 i.h4 g6 18 lt:Je3 l:tc8 the black king should be safe enough.
16 'ii'e3 i.d8 17 "ii'd4 i.c8
12 lt:Jd5 exd5 13 exd5+ rti;d8 14 axb4 White also has the option of winning the b pawn by 14 'ir'd2 'i/c7 15 axb4 h6 16 i.xf6+ lt:Jxf6 1 7 c4, with a secure space advantage and
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
44
possibilities of a pawn breakthrough on the queenside. As we have already seen, that idea can be very powerful. White prefers an open position from the outset, a decision that he could soon have justified.
14 'ii'xb4 1S lDc6+ .••
The thematic knight check ensures that the black ldng will have no peace.
1S .txc6 16 dxc6 ltJcS 17 llfe1 rl;;c7 18 .td2?!
A desperate throw, but defending the f-pawn is an admission of defeat, and 23 f3 loses to 23 . . . .i.c5+ 24 'iti>fl 'fif4, threatening 25 ... 'ii'h 4 26 "a'e2 4Jg3+ ! 27 hxg3 'fih l #. 23 .'it'xf2+ 24 'iti>h1 .td6 2S bS+ axbS 26 .•
:Xe4 4Jxe4 27 .txbS+ 'it>cS 28 'ii'b 1 'ii'd4 29 c3 4Jf2+ 30 'iti>g1 'fid1+ 31 'ii'xd1 4Jxd1 32 �e2 4Je3 0-1
•••
The simplest approach is 1 8 �xf6 gxf6 1 9 'iih 5 ! (D).
The Long-Term lt.Jd S Sacrifice aga inst the King Castled on the Kingside When the ldng is in the centre, it can generally improve its chances of survival by escaping to the kingside, so it is not surprising that success ful long-term lbds sacrifices are fairly rare when the ldng has already castled on that side. However, success is not unknown, and in our first example the sacrificer prevents the de fender from blocldng the diagonal of White's crucial attacldng bishop.
B
Howell - Wahls World Junior Ch, Gausdal 1 986 The capture of the f-pawn by the queen has a crippling effect on Black's entire position. Black can hardly reply with 1 9 . . . lDxb3 as after 20 'iixf7+ xc6 2 1 cxb3 a gale is blowing around the black ldng. White is also winning after 19 . . . 'iti>b6 20 'iixf7 l:f.a7 21 'iie8 ! �g7 22 �g8 !, as the threat of 23 �8+ is hard to coun ter. White's idea is to harass the black ldng by checldng on a5, but he fails to understand how active Black's knights can become, and he soon strays even further. 18 'iie4 19 �aS+ 'iPxc6 20 1i'd1 'firs 21
1 e4 cS 2 4Jf3 4Jc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 4Jxd4 e6 S 4Jc3 d6 6 �e3 4Jf6 7 .tc4 .te7 8 'fie2 a6 9 0-0-0 0-0 10 �b3 'ii'e8 11 .U.hg1 4Jd7 12 g4 4JcS 13 gS bS 14 4Jxc6 4Jxb3+ 1S axb3 'fixc6 16 .td4 b4 17 'ii'hS .tb7 (D)
w
.••
.tc4? He should have fallen into Black's little trap by playing 2 1 �xf7 ! as 2 1 . ..lDfe4 can be met by 22 f3 ! 'it'xf7 (22 . . .lDf2? ! 23 'iid4 ! has in mind 23 . . . 'iixf7 24 b4 ! liJd7? 25 'ii'c 3+ e6 29 'ii'e7+ 'it>d5 30 l:h5+ winning the queen. b) 22....i.f6 is the best defence, although White should probably win after 23 �xf6 gxf6 24 'ilfxh7 l:tc7 25 g7+ �e7 26 g8'ii'. 23 'il'xh7 'ifi>e8 24 l:txg6 bxc3 25 1i'g8+ 'it>d7 26 'iVe6+ 'ifi>d8 27 bxc3 Black is helpless. 27 i.f8 28 'iff7! �e7 29 'ifxe7+! ! �xe7 30 l:txg7+ 1-0 ..•
If the defender's king is well guarded, the sacrificer may yet gain useful compensation for the piece in the form of a space advantage. When an attacker such as Tal aims at nothing more, we should take note.
Tal
-
Zaichik
Tbilisi 1 988 19 Afc8 20 c3 dxe4 20...'it'f8 loses to 2 1 l:tf3 �e8 22 :Xf7 ! �d7 (or 22 ...'it'd8 23 l:.xg7 1i'e8 24 'ii'xh7 �d7 25 �f6) 23 'ii'h3+ �d8 24 l:xg7, when there is no defence to White's threat of 25 1i'e6 1i'e8 26 �b6+. 21 l:th3 'it1'8 (D) The king must run as White threatened 22 g6! fxg6 23 'ii'xh7+ �f7 24 1i'xg7+ mating in a few moves. ••
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5 lLlc3 e6 6 f4 a6 7 'iff3 1i'b6 8 a3 lt':lc6 9 lt':lb3 'fic7 10 i.d3 �e7 1 1 i.d2 0-0 12 0-0 b5 13 l:tael b4 14 lLldS exd5 15 exd5 (D)
B
In the game, Zaichik returned the piece at once and eventually lost in fine style. From the standpoint of learning the intricacies of the lLld5 sacrifice, the game is no longer interesting, but
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
46
it features a pretty Tal combination, so here are the crucial moves:
15 ..tg4 16 'ii'g3 lLlxd5 17 'ii'xg4 lLlf6 18 'i:Vh3! d5 19 a4! W'e8 20 'ifi>h1 aS?! 21 'iff3 ..td6 22 c4! bxc3 23 ..txc3 l:be1 24 l:txe1 .i.b4 25 ..txf6! .i.xel 26 'iVbS! gxf6 27 'ii'xh7+ rs 28 'ii'h8+ rl/;e7 29 'ii'xa8 ••.
and White won. Tal was apparently aiming for the position after l5 . . .lLlb8 16 axb4 .i.b7 17 c4 (D).
As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, the lbd.5 sacrifice is silent and so can be - and often is - declined. The knight move captures noth ing, and in positions where it threatens no seri ous damage the defender can consider leaving the knight to its own devices. The game below features a sacrifice which the defender declines for no fewer than thirteen consecutive moves. On two occasions, acceptance would have been a sensible course. By the time Black finally gets around to taking the knight, his game is in ru ins.
Nunn
B
-
Howell
Lloyds Bank Masters, London 1990 1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5 lLlc3 d6 6 g4 tt'lc6 7 g5 lLld7 8 h4 a6 9 .i.e3 'ii'c7 10 'ii'e2 b5 U lLlxc6 'ii'xc6 12 .i.d4 .i.b7 13 0-0-0 .l:1c8 14 l:tb3 b4 (D)
w White has two pawns for the piece and Black is very short of room to manoeuvre. We cannot be sure what Tal had in mind here. Maybe pil ing up his major pieces along the e-file, or a kingside pawn advance. Here is an example of both ideas in combina tion, which demonstrates how the queenside pawns deny space to the black pieces: 1 7 . . . .l:1e8 1 8 g4 ! ? 'ii'b6+ 19 g2 tt'lc6 ! ? (the knight is im mune as after 20 dxc6?? .i.xc6 the white queen is pinned against the king) 20 'ii'f2 'ii'xf2+ 2 1 .1:1xf2 tt'ld8 22 .U.fe2 f8 2 3 tt'ld4, when Black is suffocating and 23 . . . g6 24 f5 ! tt'lxg4 loses to 25 f6 ! tt'lxf6 26 .i.h6+ 'it>g8 27 .U.xe7 . In any case, Tal was presumably happy with the diagrammed position, indicating that the tt'ld5 sacrifice may offer good chances even when the opposing king is well defended.
The Sacrifice Declined Again a nd Again Finally, I would like to show you a remarkable game.
15 lLld5 Here it is: the declinable lLld5 sacrifice. It at tacks precisely nothing and it threatens noth ing. Nonetheless, it is extremely strong, and as the game continues we shall see why. Naturally Black cannot accept it yet as 1 5 ... exd.5 1 6 exd.5+ attacks the queen.
15...a5 16 c4! Black threatened 16 ... .i.a6, forcing the queen from the e-file, and otherwise White's main worry is the pressure that his king faces along the c-file. The remarkable text-move eliminates both problems as after 1 6 . . . bxc3 1 7 .l:1xc3 Black has let loose a rampaging monster in the form of the white rook.
16 ... 'it>d8 17 Wb1 lbc5
THE MULTI-FACFfED KNIGHT LEAP: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON d5 Having taken his king from the e-file, Black could go ahead and take the knight. In John Nunn 's Best Games, Nunn, whose analysis I am largely following, gives 1 7 . . . exd5 1 8 exd5, and now: a) 1 8 ...'ii'c7 1 9 l:te3 'ii'b 8 20 'ii'h 5 and White wins the f7-pawn, with the normal paralysing effect on Black's position. b) 1 8 . . .'ii'a6 1 9 l:tf3 tZ:le5 (or 1 9 ... 'iti>c7 20 l:txf7 followed by 'ii'e6, and the pressure on d7 is decisive) and now White should avoid 20 i.xe5 dxe5 2 l l:txf7?? 'ii'g6+, winning the rook; instead 20 l:te3 ! , intending f4, is crushing. In fact, Nunn gives nearly three pages of analysis at this point, but these lines represent his view of best play. After the move played, the knight will be taboo for some time to come. 18 :t'J! l:tc7 Black decides to sacrifice the exchange in order to defend his f-pawn and be rid of the knight without opening lines for White. Instead, 1 8 ... exd5 1 9 exd5 (D) leads to a di saster on e8:
47
20 �h3 h6 The consequences of acceptance remain fa tal; e.g., 20 ... exd5 2 1 exd5 'ii'b6 22 l:te8+ rt;c7 23 �xd7 �xd7 24 :tel �c7 25 'ii'e7+ ! �xe7 26 J:Uxe7+ tZ:ld7 27 �xb6+ �xb6 28 ltxh8 with two extra exchanges. With the text-move, Black is trying to gener ate some counterplay, but allows White another way into his position. 21 g6! fxg6 22 l:tg1 ? A slip, allowing Black the counterplay that he desperately needs. White should isolate the e-pawn and then exploit the square in front of it: 22 �xc5 dxc5 23 lLlf4 ! lhd 1 + 24 'ii'xd 1 + �e8 25 'ii'g4 �c8 26 tZ:lxg6 l:.g8 27 tZ:le5 with 'ii'g6+ to follow. 22 g5! He avoids 22 . . . exd5 23 exd5 'iVb6 24 .l:te8+ �c7 25 �xd7 �xd7 26 �xg7 ! and releases his imprisoned rook. 23 hxg5 hxg5 24 l:txg5 (D) •.•
B B
24 tZ:lxe4? Black is trying to fight fire with fire, but he has underestimated White's 26th move. This was his chance to take the knight. True, after 24. . . exd5 ! 25 exd5 'ii'a6 26 l:te8+ (not 26 �xc5 l:txh 3 ! 27 l:txh3 dxc5 with only a small advantage to White) 26 . . . �c7 27 �xd7 tZ:lxd7 28 i.xg7 i.xg7 29 .l:txg7 l:txe8 30 'ii'xe8 �c8 White has extra material and active pieces, but his advantage is not easy to exploit. 25 �b6+ 'iti>c8 26 l:th5 l:txh5 27 'ii'xh5 (D) The threat is mate, and something must give. 27 'it>b8 27 ... i.a6 loses to 28 l:txe4 exd5 29 �xd7+ 'ii'xd7 30 'ii'e8+ 'ii'xe8 3 1 l:txe8+ 'it>b7 32 �xa5 ! ...
For instance: a) 1 9 ... 'ii'e 8 20 l:te3. b) 19 ...'ii'd7 20 i.h3. c) 1 9 ... 'ii'c7 20 l:tel . d) 1 9 . . .'iib 6 20 l:txf7 l:tc7 2 1 l:tel ! . 19 l:te3 White prefers to leave his knight en prise as he has bigger fish to fry. 19 l:td7 Now 19 . . . exd5 20 exd5 'ii'd7 (not 20 . . . 'ii'a4 21 b3) loses to 2 1 i.h3 f5 22 gxf6 "fkf7 23 l:tel l:td7 24 fxg7 i.xg7 25 �xc5 dxc5 26 �xd7, and White will invade on e8 or e7. ..•
.•.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
48
Exercise 5 B
w
and White wins the unmoved bishop trapped on f8. 28 :Xe4 exd5 29 .:f.e8+ ..tc8 30 ..txd7 'i¥xd7
31 :xes 'ike7 32 'ike8 1-0
White played 16 l2Jd5 exd5 17 exd5+ and, as in the previous example, Black returned the piece with 17 ltJe5 and lost in the end. Black can retain the extra piece with 1 7 . .Wd8. What attacking ideas should White be considering in reply? •••
.
Exercises Exercise 4
Exercise 6
w
w
White played 16 l2Jd5 and after 16 exd5 17 exd5 Black replied 17 tbce5 and eventually lost. Why did Black return the piece at once? What was wrong with 17 l2Jcb8 ? •••
•••
...
The game continued 11 l2Jd5 exd5 12 exd5 l2Jc5. White decided not to employ a plan with lbc6, although that would be reasonable. What other thematic attacking idea is good in this po sition, and how can White go about it?
4 Keepi ng the King i n the Centre :
B ishop Sacrifices on e6
The bishop explosion o n e 6 occurs in three main types of fonnation: Sicilian positions with black pawns on f7, e6 and d6. Open Queen's Gambits with a white e-pawn and with black pawns on f7 and e6, but no black pawn on d7, d6 or dS. The d- and c files are often open for both players. This fonnation can also arise in Sicilians where White has played the eS advance. Then White often enjoys a half-open f-file. I shall call this category the Queen's Gambit forma tion. Positions with black pawns on f7 and e6, no black d-pawn and no white e-pawn, mainly resulting from Caro-Kann and Scandinavian Defences; I shall call this the Caro-Kann for mation. The purpose of the sacrifice is nonnally to keep the defender's uncastled king in the centre of the board so that it becomes the target for an attack. When the defender (usually Black) cap tures the bishop, the attacker most often recap tures with a knight, but recapturing with the queen is also very important. •
However, the defender sometimes has poten tial resources which are rarely exploited, and we shall consider them later.
Batzorig - Bilguun
•
•
The Three- Pawn Knight-Tour We shall consider first positions i n which Black has moved his dark-squared bishop to e7. This means that, if the white knight recaptures on e6 attacking the queen, it can then capture on g7 with check, forcing the king to move. We shall discuss Sicilian fonnations first of all. In that case, with three pawns for the piece and an at tack, White scores 75% in the relevant games on my database. To many players, allowing this sequence is a blunder, and you will not find any grandmasters playing black pieces in the exam ples below.
Mongolian Ch, Ulan Bator 2002 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5 lLlc3 a6 6 i.c4 'fi/c7 7 i.b3 e6 8 f4 i..e7 9 g4 lLlc6 10 g5 lLld7 (D)
w
It is hard to imagine a more favourable posi tion for the i.xe6 sacrifice. Black has already moved his queen once, to c7, so when a white knight lands on e6 it must move again. Black's knight has been kicked away from f6, which means that White can bring his queen into the attack via hS. Furthennore, once it has been pushed over to the kingside, the black king may fall victim to the further advance of White's kingside pawns.
11 .i.xe6 fxe6 12 lLlxe6 'fi/a5 13 lbxg7+ 'l;f7 14 lLlf5 The fS-square is the nonnal post for the knight. From here it attacks the d6-pawn and eyes the e7-bishop. Its influence is also felt around the black king since it takes away the
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
50
g7-square. With no black knight on f6, there is now a threat of 'ii'h5 +, so Black takes steps to intercept. 14 ... ltJf8 15 'iWhS+ (D) White could also grab the d-pawn with a big advantage if the game ever reaches an ending, but attacking the king should lead to a speedy win.
Alongside the knight on f5, a bishop on g5 can be a powerful factor in preparing an at tack.
Brajovic - Rodic Yugoslav Ch, Kladovo 1992 1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 lbr6 5 ltJc3 a6 6 ..tg5 ltJbd7 7 .ic4 e6 8 0-0 .ie7? (D)
w
15 ltJg6 16 ltJh6+ White is right to avoid the exchange of his knight for the light-squared bishop, but he would do better to exchange it for its dark-squared col league. After 16 tl:Jxe7 ltJcxe7, White should hold back from the natural advance 1 7 f5 for the time being, as Black can avoid the worst by sacrificing his knight for it. White does better to play first 1 7 .ie3 ! , threatening 1 8 .id4 to knock the rook away from h8, where it defends the h-pawn. Then after 17 ... h6 1 8 .id4 l:th7 1 9 f5 ltJxf5 20 l:tfl White threatens 21 exfS ..txf5 22 b4 ! forcing the queen from the defence of the bishop. 16 c;t>rs 17 .id2 ti:Jd8? Black traps his own bishop, allowing White to regain the piece for only one pawn. White would still hold the advantage after better moves such as 1 7 ... ..td7 or 1 7 ... b5, but Black would still be in the game. 18 f5 ltJe5 19 f6 and White won on the 37th move. •.•
•.•
It is rare for the black knight to be missing from f6 as it was here, so the white queen nor mally has to wait before joining in the attack on the black king, and White's assault must be de veloped more gradually.
Rodic's Elo rating was 2350, so it is aston ishing that he allowed the sacrifice. In the Naj dorf, if White plays an early .ic4 he normally has to play ..tb3 to keep the bishop safe from . . . ltJxe4 tricks. Even then, most players of the black pieces avoid any possibility of the ..txe6 sacrifice. Here, White has a whole extra tempo, and it is probably decisive. 9 .ixe6 fxe6 10 ltJxe6 'ii'a5 l l ltJxg7+ ri;f7 12 ltJrs ltJb6 It can be a good idea for Black to preserve his dark-squared bishop by . . . ..tf8, but here it leaves White too far ahead in development and after 1 2 ... .if8 he can play for an immediate at tack with 1 3 f4 ! . Then the white e-pawn is im mune as 1 3 ... ltJxe4 allows 1 4 'i¥h5+, when the black king will be battered to death, but if Black ignores the e-pawn, the e5 advance will soon lay the black position to waste. If the f-file is opened, the f6-knight - and the king behind it will be submitted to fatal exposure. The move played allows the white queen to enter the game with a vengeance, thanks to a well-timed exchange of the white bishop. 13 .ixf6! .ixf6 Or 1 3 . . . �xf6 1 4 'i¥d4+ 'ii'eS 1 5 'ii'xb6 with a material advantage.
KEEPING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: BISHOP SACRIFICES ON e6 14 'ii'h5+ 'iii>rs 15 'ii'h6+ cM7 16 tbxd6+ 'iii>e7 17 e5! The bishop will die in the middle of the board. 17 i.xe5 18 llf'el 'iii>d7 19 l:tadl e8 1eave White struggling as he must beware of mates on g2.
26 lt:lh6+! i.xh6 27 'ii'xf6+ 'iii>e8 28 'ifh8+ cJi;e7 29 'ii'f6+ 'iite8 30 'iVh8+ Ilz_l!z
In lnformator, Minic and Sindik recommend 16 l:tf2, based on a huge mass of analysis which simply proves how complicated the position is.
16...'iic6 17 ffi dxe5 18 fxeS i..cS 19 hcS 'iii'xeS+ 20 'iii>h 1 lhg2!! (D) A typically complex correspondence chess sacrifice, forcing a breakthrough on the long di agonal and the g-file.
KEEPING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: BISHOP SACRIFICES ON e6
21 exf6 lLle5! 22 'iitxg2 The black king finds safety after 22 lLlxeS+ i¥xe5 23 'ii'd7+ �g8 24 f7+ 'iitf8. 22 Jlg8+ 23 'iitbl 11Vc6 24 h4 'ii'e6 25 Wh2 lLlxf3+ 26 .:xt'3 'ii'g4 0-1 Although a rook and two pawns ahead, White is helpless. ••
55
can enter the attack at once, the fully open c and d-files allow his rooks to come into play quickly, and his kingside pawns are potentially mobile. Capablanca proceeds in typically intu itive fashion. With a succession of quiet moves he gradually works his way towards the belea guered black king. 13 lt:le5 14 'ifb3+ �g6 14 ...i.e6 loses a fourth pawn for the piece, but it's even worse than that as 15 lLlh6+ �e7 16 'ii'xb7+ lt:led7 1 7 e5 lLlh5 1 8 ..tg5+ wins a rook for White. 15 :Sci! (D) .•.
The three-pawn knight-tour happens very rarely in the open Queen's Gambit formation, because either the black king castles early or the queen does not stay around long enough on d8 or c7 to be hit by the white knight when it lands on e6. However, I will give one example as it is of historical significance, being the first game that I can find that features this particular brand of the i.xe6 sacrifice.
B
Capablanca - Havasi Budapest 1928 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lLlf3 dxc4 4 e4 c5 5 ..txc4 cxd4 6 lt:lxd4 lLlf6 7 lt:lc3 a6 8 0-0 ..tcS 9 ..te3 li:lbd7 (D) The earliest i.xe6 sacrifices (in any opening formation) that I can find are Capablanca-Bo goljubow, Moscow 1 925 and this game, played three years later. It may surprise some readers to know that Capablanca seems to have been the originator or popularizer of such an adven turous mode of play. His genius for intuitive piece sacrifices can also be seen in his Greek Gift game against Molina on page 1 9 1 . 10 ..txe6 fxe6 1 1 lLlxe6 'ii'a5 12 lLlxg7+ �f7 13 lLlr5 White's position is tremendous. His minor pieces can get at the black king easily, his queen
Threatening 16 ..txc5 'ili'xc5 1 7 lLle2! bring ing the knight over to the kingside to join in the mating attack. 15 ..tf8 After 1 5 ...i.xe3, White has the choice of re capturing with the knight, when his kingside pawns are ready to be used in the attack on the king, or with the f-pawn, when the f-file could be very useful in the attack. Meanwhile, 1 5 ....i.xf5 •..
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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1 6 exf5+ 'iti>xf5 increases the black king' s expo sure and can be met by 1 7 �d5 i.d6 1 8 �xf6 'iti>xf6 1 9 i.d4, with the threat of regaining the piece by 20 f4.
in Mariotti-Grinza, Castelvecchio Pascoli 1 974, although Mariotti won in the end.
5 tt'lf3 liJgf6 6 �g3 e6 7 i.c4 cS 8 0-0 cxd4 9 tt'lxd4 i.e7 (D)
16 �e2! hS 1 6...�xe4 allows 17 l:.xc8 :xeS 1 8 'iie6+ �f6 1 9 tt'lf4+ mating, while after 1 6 ...i.xf5 1 7 �f4+ ri;g7 1 8 exf5 ! the e6-square beckons temptingly for White's queen and knight.
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17 lUd1 There is a quick and prosaic win for White with 17 i.b6 't!fb5 1 8 �f4+ ri;h7 1 9 .:c7+ i.d7 20 ,.xb5 axb5 2 1 i.d4 .:es 22 �d3 tt'lxd3 23 i.xf6 tt'lc5 24 b4, regaining the piece with three extra pawns. Capab1anca maintains the complications and both sides miss chances before a neat mating idea wins material for White.
17 .:g8 18 tt'lf4+ �h7 19 i.b6? .•.
1 9 tt'ld5 tt'lxe4 20 .:c7+ i.d7 21 i.d4 wins material.
19 .'i!fb5 20 llc7+ xe2, when l7. . .'iti>e6 1 8 lLlxd6 led to a better ending for White in Keres-Olafs son, Bled 1 96 1 , but 1 7 ...i.f8 1 8 h5 :e8+ ! 1 9 "'fl tt'le4 20 i.f4 l:te6! 2 1 l:tel �d6 22 lLlxd6+ i.xd6 23 i.xd6 l:txd6 was approximately level
The black queen is still on d8 and the bishop is on e7, so White can kick both king and queen around for a few moves.
10 i.xe6 fxe6 l l lLlxe6 'i!fb6 12 lLlxg7+ d8 1 7 'iVe6 ! ! hxg5 1 8 'iie8+ ! ltJxe8 1 9 ltJe6#. The text-move loses in short order, but it was played in each of the three games in my database that reached the diagrammed posi tion. 12 'ii'xd5 White gains a tempo by attacking the rook, and Black's natural attempt to save it runs into mate.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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12 .'iib7 13 lbxg7+ 1-0 White's idea is 1 3 ... .txg7 14 'ife6+ 'iii>f8 1 5 J...e7+ 'it'e8 1 6 .txd6+ 'it'd8 1 7 'fie?#, but 1 3 ll'lc7+! 'flixc7 1 4 'ii'e6+ i.e? 1 5 'fllxe7# is two moves quicker. •.
Few opponents are as obliging as Black was in that example. In the normal course of events recapturing on dS with the white queen, even if it were possible, would expose it to tempo winning attacks by the black pieces. White of ten follows the sacrifice with ll'ldS, but gener ally recaptures with the e-pawn. That may be good for White if the dS-pawn can easily be maintained. The pawn supports the e6-knight and gives White a space advantage that helps him to build his attack at leisure.
lstratescu - Badea Romanian Ch, Bucharest 1 994 1 e4 c5 2 ll'lf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lbxd4 ll'lf6 5 ll'lc3 a6 6 .tc4 e6 7 0-0 ll'lbd7 (D)
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Now 8 i.gS bS?! 9 .txe6 would lead us to the previous example. In this game, White again sacrifices as soon as he has castled. 8 .txe6 fxe6 9 ll'lxe6 'ikb6 This time, he can play 9 . . . 'ii'a5 without disas trous consequences, although White may ex ploit the fact that the queen does not protect the d-pawn to come out with three pawns for the piece: 1 0 ll'lxf8 .l:!.xf8 1 1 'ii'xd6. See the games Veli.rnirovic-Parameswaran (in the notes to Bar den-Kottnauer) and Fischer-Cardoso below. In Bonanzinga-Vujovic, Montecatini Terme 1 997, White played instead 10 ll'ldS ll'lxdS I I exdS,
and the game continued l l .. .�f7 12 J...gS h6? ! ( 1 2 . . . ll'le5 i s more constructive). Now instead of 1 3 'ii'f3+ �g8 1 4 .id8 ! , when White can build up a dangerous attack at leisure, he let his d-pawn go with 1 3 'ii' hS+ 'iti>g8 1 4 J...d 8 ll'lf6 I S 'ii'g6 'ii'xdS and his attack fell apart: 1 6 ll'lf4 'ii'gS 1 7 .txf6 'ii'xf4 1 8 J...c 3 J...fS 1 9 'ii'hs J...xc2 20 l:tae 1 'iffS 0- 1 . 10 ll'ld5 ll'lxd5 In Baciu-Litinskaya, Tusnad 2000, Black bravely played 10 . . .'ii'a7 ! ? 1 1 J...e3 b6 1 2 ll'lec7+ �f7 1 3 ll'lxa8 'ii'xa8 and gradually wriggled out of the hole after 1 4 f3 ll'lxdS 1 5 exdS (Black targets this pawn) 1 5 ... J...e7 1 6 c4 bS 17 cxbS axbS 1 8 'ii'd 3 ll'lf6 1 9 l:tfd 1 .td7 20 b3 .l:!.c8 2 1 a4 bxa4 2 2 bxa4 'ii'aS 2 3 .t f2 .td8 2 4 'ii'a3 .ib6 25 .l:!.ab1 ? J...xf2+ 26 'iii>xf2 'ii'a7+ 27 'iti>g3 .l:tc2 (27 ... ll'lh5+ 28 "'h4 'ii'f2+ ! mates more quickly) 28 l:tfl ll'lh5+ 29 �h4 'ii'd4+ ! 30 f4 'ii'f6+ 0- 1 . After the move played, White's space advan tage gives him a long-term initiative for his piece. 1 1 exd5 ll'lc5 12 ll'lxf8 'ifi>xf8 13 'ii'f3+ 'iii>g8 14 l:te1 J...d7 15 .l:te7 nrs The attempt to reserve this rook for attacking duties on the queenside, by playing 1 5 ... .te8 instead, loses at once to 1 6 J...h 6! gxh6 17 'iVf6 with mate on g7. 16 'ii'g3 nt'7 17 l:txf7 'iii>xf7 18 'iflf4+ �g8 19 .te3 a5 The greedy 1 9 ... 'ii'xb2 allows White to close in on the black king with 20 J...d4 'iVb4 21 c3 'ii'bs 22 'ii'g3. 20 J...d4 'ii'd8 (D) Clearing the second rank by 20 ... .tb5 allows 21 a4, when the bishop must retreat.
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KEEPING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: BISHOP SACRIFICES ON e6 After the move played, White could play 2 1 'ii'xd6 with three pawns and a strong initiative for the piece. He decides instead to bring his rook into the attack, giving Black time to tidy up his defence. 21 .net?! 'ii'f8 2 I . ....te8 fails to 22 'it'g3 ..tg6 23 f4 ! ii'f8 24 f5 ! ..tf7 (or 24 ... 'ii'xf5 25 :e8+! winning the rook in the comer) 25 :e7 ! , when White wins the queenside pawns. 22 'it'h4 h6 23 ..txcS dxcS 24 .ne7 ..tr5 It is safer to play 24 ...ii'f5 intending 25 'ii'g3 'ii'g4 and a queen exchange. 25 d6 'it>b7 26 d7 (D)
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Laketic - Peptan Yugoslav Team Ch 1 994 1 e4 c5 2 tbr3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5 ltJc3 a6 6 .tc4 e6 7 .tb3 b5 8 0-0 ..ib7 9 ..ixe6 fxe6 10 ltJxe6 'ii'd7 1 1 ltJd5 ..txd5 12 exd5 �f7 13 l:lel ..te7 14 ltJg5+ 'it>g8 15 'fie2 lla7 16 .te3 l:lb7 17 ..td4 'it'g4 18 'i!Vd2 h6 (D)
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26 'it'd8? Apparently, the threat of 27 l:le8 wins mate rial, but Black should play the subtle 26 . . . :g8 ! with the idea 27 It.e8 'it'd6 ! 2 8 d8'it' :xeS ! , when capturing queen or rook allows back-rank mate. White can avoid the mate by first going 27 g4 ! , and only after 27 ... ..txg4 playing 28 :es, but the reply 28 ... 'iff3 ! threatens perpetual check. By then continuing with 29 d8'ii' .l:lxe8 30 'it'd3+ ! 'ii'xd3 3 1 cxd3, White can force a queen versus rook and bishop endgame in which he has winning chances. The move played allows an abrupt conclu sion. 27 'ii'f6! 1-0 Black loses his rook after 27 ... 'ii'f8 28 'ii'xf8 l:lxf8 29 :es. ..•
Here is another example of a slow attack based on White's space advantage. It shows how the attack can be aided by the break-up of Black's kingside pawns.
We come to the game just as White is begin ning to organize his attack. 19 ..ixf6 Now Black cannot recapture with the bishop in view of mate on e8. Black is forced to recap ture with the g-pawn, making the black bishop a miserable piece. White is able to return his knight to the e6-square and has the time and space to bring up his rooks and queen to attack the exposed black king. t9 gxf6 20 ltJe6 rtJr7 21 :e3 :gs 22 f3 'ii'f5 23 l:lael (D) •••
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23 l:lc8 .•.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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Black's play is a little too passive, but we can see how easy it is for White to bring his pieces into the attack. 24 c3 'ikh7 25 'ike2 'iti>g8 26 f4 �rs 27 l:tg3+ 'it>b8 28 1Wbs .11e7 29 llg6 l:ce8 30 :n 30 l:e3 followed by .l:.eg3 would allow Black no air at all. 30 l:txe6 31 dxe6 l:xe6 32 rs 'ii'a7+ 33 'iii>h 1 l:e4 34 l:xf6 �g7 Black allows the pawn to switch to the e file, where it can hardly be prevented from promoting. 34 . . .'ii'g7 allows Black a longer re sistance. 35 l:te6 l:.xe6 36 fxe6 'ii'e7 37 'ii'g6 'ii'g5 37 ... tt:lc6 is met by 38 l:.f7 'ii'g5 39 'ili'xg5 hxg5 40 l:c7 winning a piece. Now the pawn promotes. 38 'ii'xg5 1-0 .•.
When the bishop is played to c4 in the Naj dorf (the Fischer Attack or Sozin), White nor mally retreats it straight away to b3 to avoid being hit by ...d5. This means that, in the great majority of �xe6 sacrifices, White is a whole tempo behind many of the above examples. When Black develops his bishop on b7, he is in viting the sacrifice, but the bishop protects the aS-rook, and White's customary lbd5 follow up may be fraught with difficulties as he often struggles to retain control of the d5-square.
Barden - Kottnauer Olympiad, Helsinki 1952 1 e4 c5 2 tt:lf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lbxd4 lbf6 5 lbc3 e6 6 i..c4 a6 7 i.. b3 b5 8 0-0 �b7 9 l:.e1 lbbd7 10 i..xe6 fxe6 1 1 tt:lxe6 (D)
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l l 'it'c8 The queen has several squares at its disposaL 1 L.'ili'b8 is the main alternative. In either case, my database contains a succession of games in which White played a knight to d5 and went on to lose a pawn there for nothing. After 12 lbd5 'iti>f7 1 3 lbg5+ 'it>g8, two examples are: a) 14 'i!i'f3 i..xd5 1 5 exd5 'ii'h7 1 6 'fkh3 'ili'xd5 and Black won in 43 moves in Malos-Garcia, Mancha Real l 999. b) 14 �f4 h6 1 5 tt:le6 lbxd5 16 exd5 lbf6 17 �g3 �xd5 and Black won in 25 moves in McTavish-Angelov, Canada 1 992. 12 �f4 12 tt:ld5 i.. xd5 1 3 exd5 'it>f7 has turned out well for Black: a) 14 'iii'e2 h6 1 5 i..f4 'ili'c4 16 'ili'e3 l:.e8 17 .:tad 1 lbc5 1 8 b3 'ikxc2 19 'ikh3 and now, instead of 1 9 ...g5? ! which led to a loss in Srebmic Vorobiov, Bled 2001 , Black can play 1 9...lbxd5 ! in complete safety (e.g. 20 'ikh5+ 'ili'g6). b) 1 4 �f4 'i!Vc4 1 5 'i!i'f3 'ii'xd5 1 6 'ikh3 lbc5 17 lbc7 'ii'c4 1 8 ..ig5 ( 1 8 lbxa8 'ili'xf4 I 9 lbc7 is more pragmatic) 1 8 ... l:a7 I9 i..xf6 lbc7 20 i..d8 l1d7 and Black won in Espig-Postler, Freiberg I 970. With the queen on c8, White can win the d pawn by 1 2 lbxf8 l:xf8 13 'i!fxd6, which seems to be the sensible choice. 12 M7 The king kicks the knight away, and soon White cannot lay claim to any useful squares within the black camp. 13 tt:lg5+ Even the normally aggressive Velimirovic was reduced to 1 3 tt:lxf8 l:txf8 14 i..xd6 in his game against Parameswaran (Olympiad, Lu cerne 1982), but he failed to gain any advan tage. The game continued 14 ... l:e8 1 5 'iVd4 'ikc6 1 6 f3 l:ed8 1 7 i..g3 tt:lb6 1 8 'ii'b4 'ii'c4 I 9 'iia5 'ii'c6 20 .11ad l lbc4 2 1 'ikb4 .11xd l 22 l:xd1 l1d8 23 .11d 3 .l:.d7 24 a4 bxa4 25 lbxa4 aS 26 'ii'b3 'it>g6 27 h4? (27 e5 probably holds on) 27 ...tt:ld2 28 'ii'c 3 lbdxe4! and Black won. 13...'it>g6 This looks risky, but there appears to be no way for White to exploit the exposed king. In the game, a knight is tempted to d5, and a pawn is soon lost there. 14 lbd5 ..txdS 15 exdS 'ii'c4 16 'ii'fJ 'i!fxdS 17 tt:le4 tt:lxe4 18 l:ad1 'ii'c6 19 l:xe4 lbf6 20 ...
••.
KEEPING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: BISHOP SACRIFICES ON e6
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1ig3+ g6 25 l:e5 h6 0-1 If White decides to win the d-pawn (as in the Velirnirovic game above), he gets nothing spe cial, and endgames are unlikely to offer good winning chances. In contrast to endings result ing from the three-pawn knight-tour, there is no weak black pawn on d6 to aim at, and no space advantage to exploit. True, the white e-pawn becomes passed, but one passed pawn is not normally enough to win.
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Fischer - Cardoso Match (game 6), New York 1957 1 e4 c5 2 tt:'lf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tt:'lxd4 tt:'lf6 5 tt:'lc3 a6 6 �c4 e6 7 0-0 b5 8 �b3 �b7 9 �g5 tt:'lbd7 (D)
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Black could create complications with 17 ... b4 1 8 tt:'la4 �xe4 (but not 1 8 . . . tt:'lxe4? 1 9 .l:.xd7 !), when White plays 19 f3 (but not 19 lha6?? tt:'lc5 ! , winning the rook thanks to the back-rank mate) and then captures the a6-pawn. White's three-to-one queenside pawn-majority could prove to be dangerous, so Black decides not to disturb the equilibrium. 18 lhd8+ l:txd8 19 .l:.xd8+ 'it>xd8 20 f3 Fischer plays sensibly and solidly, and soon he is the only one with the remotest possibility of winning the game. 20 'it>d7 21 'it>f2 �c6 22 b3 �e6 23 h3 �b7 24 tt:'le2 tt:'lc6 25 h4 �c8 26 tt:'ld4+ tt:'lxd4 27 �xd4 g5 28 hxg5 hxg5 29 �xf6 'it>xf6 30 c3 �e6 31 'it>e3 'it>e5 32 g3 aS 33 f4+ gxf4+ 34 gxf4+ 'it>d6 35 rs �g8 36 'it>d4 �h7 37 c4 White appears to be making progress, but Black can hold with accurate play. 37•••bxc4 38 bxc4 �c6 39 a3 a4 40 �e5 �g8 41 d6 'it>e4 45 f6 eMS 46 coteS 1/z- 1/z ..•
In The Sicilian Sozin, Golubev mentions only 10 :tel here, and gives that move an exclama tion mark. The �xe6 sacrifice is not good in this position. 10 �xe6 fxe6 11 tt:'lxe6 'ii'c 8!? There seems to be no good reason not to de fend the d-pawn by 1 1 ...�8 or 1 1 ...'ii'b 6. 12 tt:'lxf8 nxrs 13 �xd6 'ii'c6 14 .l:.ad1 Black is well developed, so the young Bobby Fischer is happy to encourage a queen exchange. 14 .'�xd6 15 lhd6 0-0-0 16 .l:.fd1 h6 17 �e3!? (D) White retains his bishop as 1 7 �xf6 tt:'lxf6 1 8 .l:.xd8+ l:.xd8 1 9 l:.xd8+ f7 1 8 tt:'lgS+ 'iitg 8 1 9 'ii'e6#. The miser able retreat 1 2 . . . tt:'lg8 is also hopeless after 1 3 ti:'JdS 'ii'b7 1 4 tt:'ldc7+. The move played opens the e-file with pre dictable consequences.
13 l:.xe5 �xe6 14 ti:'Jd5! ii'b7 After 1 4 . . . tt:'lxdS, I S 'ii'xdS attacks bishop and rook. With the text-move, Black hopes to regain the piece after I S l:txe6+ 'it>f7 1 6 .l:teS l:.d8, but he is in for a nasty shock.
15 l:be6+ 'i;f7 16 .l:txf6+! White is playing for mate. The king's shelter is blown away. 16 gxf6 17 'ii'h5+ 'i;g8 18 ti:'Jxf6+ 'it>g7 19 ti:'JdS 'i;g8 20 ti:'Jf6+ 'i;g7 21 tt:'lg4 h6 22 b3 'it>g8 23 ti:'Jf6+ 'it>g7 24 i.b2 1-0 •••
When the sacrifice is played after the open ing phase in Queen's Gambit formations, it rarely gains a tempo against the black queen, so if it is not played as a combination it is likely to be somewhat speculative. Here is a salutary example. The unsuccessful sacrificer is none other than Vladimir Kramnik.
Kramnik - Anand Rapidplay Match (game 5), Mainz 2001 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 ti:'Jf3 e6 4 e3 tt:'lf6 5 i.xc4 cS 6 0-0 a6 7 �b3 tt:'lbd7 8 'ii'e2 b5 9 a4 �b7 10
This position has occurred on several occa sions, and White has played the i.xe6 sacrifice without much success. 16 �xe6 fxe6 17 tt:'lxe6 h6!? Anand comes up with a surprising solution. He decides to let his g-pawn go, but prevents the knight's retreat to gS. Other moves: a) In the earliest game on my database, Uhlmann-Balcerowski, Bad Liebenstein 1 963, Black played 17 ... tt:'leS? and White gratefully gained space with 1 8 tt:'lxeS �xeS 19 f4. Then if 1 9 . . . i.c7 20 e5 tt:'ldS, White can win a third pawn for his piece by capturing on g7. In stead Black played 19 ... 'ii'a7+ 20 �e3 i.a6 and White won material with 2 1 l:.al �xe2 22 .l:txa7, intending 22 . . . �b8 23 l:.b7 tt:'ld7 24 tt:'lc5 ! . b) Black has also played 1 7. . .g6. Then: b l ) In Campos-Adianto, Olympiad, Moscow 1 994, White played 1 8 �h6 and lost to 18 ... e7 19 tt:'leg5 .U.c8 20 i.g7 .l:tc5 2 1 'ii'd3 i.xh2+ 22 lbxh2 .l:!.xgS. b2) 1 8 'ii'c4 was Campos's attempt to im prove but 1 8 . . . 'ii'c8 1 9 lbg7+ 'i;f8 20 'ii'e6 'it>xg7 2 1 'ii'xd6 'ii'c5 led to another loss for him in Campos-Magem, Barbera del Valles 1 995. b3) 18 eS i.xe5 (I'm not sure what happens after 1 8 . . .i.xf3 1 9 'ii'xf3 �xeS) 1 9 lbfg5 led eventually to a draw in Nechaev-Zakharchenko, Yalta 1 996. 18 lbxg7+ 'iitf7 19 lbf5 �xe4 20 lbxh6+ g7 (D) The result is that Kramnik has three con nected passed pawns for the piece, but Anand
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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has all of his pieces developed and pointing at the white king. In addition, the white knight is trapped and Black will soon emerge with a small nominal material advantage. As the game goes, even three connected passed pawns prove to be insufficient compen sation. 21 b3 lhh6 22 i.xh6+ �xb6 23 l:.d1 .txf3 24 'iixf3 i.eS 25 'iie3+ �g7 26 'iig5+ �f7 27 'iif5 lbrs 28 b3 i.c3 29 g3 'iie5 30 'iixe5 .txeS 31 f4 .tcJ 32 �g2 lbe4 33 g4 � 34 f5 lbxb3 35 g5 lbc5 36 � b3 37 b4 b2 38 b5 i.d2 39 llbl .tel 40 �e2 �b3 41 'iii>dJ �d2 42 .l:.xb2 .txb2 43 �d2 �g7 44 �d3 .tel 45 g6 �d7 46 �e4 �f6+ 47 �e5 �xh5 0-1
The threat was 20 lbxg7+! :Xg7 (or 20 .. .'�d8 21 �e6+ 'iio>e8 22 .:thg1 hxg4 23 fxg4 �b4 24 �c5) 21 ti'xf6 .U.g8 22 i.d6 and e7 will fall. 20 tt:lxg7+ 'iio>f8 21 �r5 :xrs (D) Now the threat was mate on h8, but this move still allows a mating finish. With 2 I ...i.f6, Black can escape to an ending where he has two minor pieces for a rook and three pawns, e.g. 22 'ii'd6+ 'ikxd6 23 i.xd6+ 'iio>g8 24 lbh6+, al though White should still win comfortably.
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From the point of view of the i.xe6 sacri fice, the Caro-Kann formation is distinguished by a lack of an e-pawn for White and a lack of a d-pawn for Black. The open e-file lends an extra aspect to the i.xe6 sacrifice, since it now blasts the e-file completely open, and that may allow White to build up an overpowering at tack.
Cicak - Kuhn Zurich 2000 1 e4 dS 2 exd5 'ii'xdS 3 �c3 'ii'aS 4 i.c4 c6 5 'ike2 lbr6 6 �f3 .tr5 7 d3 e6 8 i.d2 'iVb6 9 0-0-0 i.e7 10 .te3 'flc7 11 �d4 i.g6 12 i.xe6 fxe6 13 �xe6 ti'd7 14 i.f4 �a6 15 l:.de1 .:t'8 16 g4 .U.f7 17 h4 h5 18 f3 l:lc8 (D) Black has given White a free hand to build up his attack. Now it is too late to do anything, as White's e-file pressure becomes crushing. 19 'ikeS! liJd5
22 .th6+ �e8 23 ti'h8+ 1-0 The end would be 23 ... 'iit>f7 24 ti'g7+ �e8 25 'it'g8+ l:lf8 26 'ikxf8#.
The Caro-Kann formation generally arises from the Caro-Kann itself, the French Defence in which Black plays ...dxe4, and the Scandi navian Defence ( 1 e4 d5). For i.xe6 to be a sacrifice, the formation must feature a black pawn on e6 protected by a pawn on f7. Clearly, the standard isolated d-pawn structure fits the 'Caro-Kann' formation, but in practice it rarely
KEEPING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: BISHOP SACRIFICES ON e6 leads to ..txe6 sacrifices before Black has cas tled. Sicilians in which White gambits his e pawn can also lead to the Caro-Kann forma tion, and here sacrifices on e6 are not only quite common but also frequently lethal.
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finds itself on c7, the knight recapturing on e6 attacks it, and finding a safe refuge can be a problem, as the next example shows.
Bastian - Doncevic West German Ch, Bad Neuenahr 1 984
Velicka - Johann Passau 2000 1 e4 c5 2 qjf3 d6 3 i.b5+ liJd7 4 d4 qjgf6 5 0-0 ltJxe4 6 'iie2 ltJef6 7 dxc5 dxcS 8 l:tdl a6 9 i.c4 e6 10 liJg5 'iib6 (D)
1 e4 dS 2 exdS 1!i'xd5 3 ltJc3 ii'aS 4 i.c4 liJr6 5 b3 i.fS 6 liJf3 e6 7 d3 c6 8 ..td2 'ii'c7 9 0-0 liJbd7 10 liJd4 i.g6 (D)
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11 i.xe6 fxe6 12 qjxe6 'ii'd6 The open lines and White's lead in development clearly favour the sacrifice.
11 ..txe6 fxe6 12 qjxe6 i.e7 This bishop becomes a sitting target.
13 :tel ltJg8 14 ..if4 :ta7 15 ltJc7+ 'it>f8 16 liJd5 'ii'd8 17 ltJxe7! liJdf6 Black cannot play 1 7 . . . 'ihe7 in view of 1 8 ..td6 ! 1!i'xd6 1 9 'ii'e8#, so h e must return some material. The game Barle-Van der Vorm, Vi enna 1 996 went 1 7 . . . ltJxe7 1 8 ..id6 ltJe5 1 9 ii'xe5 b6 20 ltJc3 l:td7 2 1 .l:1ad1 1 -0. The move played also fails to hold back the tide.
18 ltJxc8 'i!Vxc8 19 i.d6+ 'it>f7 20 'i!Vc4+ 1-0 After 20...�g6 2 1 i.xc5 .l:1a8 22 %:te3, mate or ruinous material loss is not far off. In both the Scandinavian and Caro-Kann Defences, Black's light-squared bishop is often developed on f5, or occasionally g4. White of ten tries to deflect the bishop from the h3-c8 di agonal with his knights or his kingside pawns, and one of his purposes is to prepare the way for a possible sacrifice on e6. If the black queen
1 2 . . . 1i'b8 is passive, but probably playable. After 1 3 ii'e2, Black must avoid l 3 . . .'it>f7?? 1 4 qjg5+ �g8 1 5 ir'e6+ ..tf7 1 6 ii'xf7#, but the alternative l 3 . . . i.d6 is sound enough as 1 4 ltJc7+ will give Black two minor pieces for a rook and two pawns and eliminate White's ini tiative, while 14 qjxg7+ gives Black the option of playing l 4 . . . 'iii>d 8 ! ?, when White may later find the open files on the kingside being used against him.
13 %:tel 13 ..tf4 allows l 3 ... 'it'xe6 ! 14 :te l ltJc S I S lUe6+ ltJxe6 when Black can still castle and, with a rook and two minor pieces for queen and two pawns, he can look forward to the future with confidence.
13 �f7 14 i.f4 'iVb4 •••
It is still possible to give up the queen with l 4 . . . 'ii'xe6 1 5 %:txe6 'it>xe6, although his wan dering king may cause Black some worry. Now the queen must wander abroad - at least until it can find a safe way home.
15 a3!? 'i!VaS Black's queen has a death-wish. 1 5 . . . ii'xb2 is obviously risky, but there appears to be no
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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direct retribution. After the feasible 1 6 'ii'd2 'ii'b6 1 7 :ab 1 'ii'a5 18 :Xb7 �xa3 19 .ig5 'it>g8 20 lt:Jxf8 �xf8 21 .ixf6 lt:Jxf6 22 .U.ee7 :e8 23 %:.ec7 White has only one pawn for the piece, but his rooks on the seventh rank give him a lasting initiative. 1 5 . . . 'ii'b6 also looks better than the move played. 16 b4 'ii'h5? (D) After 1 6 . . .'ih>6 White has 1 7 .ic7 �a6 1 8 lt:Jd8+ ( 1 8 lt:Jg5+ 'it>g8 1 9 'ii'b l i s also good) 1 8 . . .'it>g8 1 9 .l:1e6 ! , when Black must return some material to head off the threat of 20 b5 winning his queen.
of the opponents' forces. In this brief survey, we will consider some of the most typical ideas that can arise. At its simplest, the queen recapture may lead to a very quick win as the queen radiates influ ence from e6 and the king is battered to death along the e-file.
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The kingside proves to be even less hospitable to the black queen. 17 g4! 'ii'h4 18 'it>g2 1 8 .ig3 ! 'ilfh6 1 9 'it>g2 also wins material. 18 h5?! The cheapest way out is 1 8 . . .lt:Jxg4, although White's extra pawn should win in the end. 19 .ig3 Black now gained far too little material for the queen and the game was soon over.
It is clear that Black does not think that a sacrifice on e6 will work. He is wrong. The white queen and rook doubled on the e-file will be a lethal combination, and Black has un derestimated the power of the remaining white bishop. 12 ..txe6 fxe6 13 'ii'xe6+ 'ft1'8 The secret behind the success of this sacri fice is that the black king lacks shelter. Nothing can interpose on e7 as the defender's dark squared bishop is on g7 and his knight is on f6, and the king cannot run to the queenside be cause its queen is in the way. The king is forced to f8, and that makes White's dark-squared bishop very dangerous. 14 ..tr4 lt:Je8 15 .ig5! The first trick. So backward is Black's devel opment that he is weak on the back rank, so 1 5 . . .'ii'x g5 allows 1 6 'ii'xe8#. 15 .....tf6 16 lt:Je4! lt:Jd7 16 ... .ixg5 loses to 1 7 lt:Jxg5 lt:Jd6 ( 1 7 .. .'�xg5 loses the queen to 1 8 'ii'xe8+ 'i;g7 1 9 .l:te7+
•••
The Queen Captu res on e6 In Sicilian formations, ..txe6 sacrifices are al most invariably followed by a knight recapturing on e6. In other structures, we often find that the queen can recapture on e6. This generally hap pens when the sacrifice is played in the open ing, but it can also happen later on in the game. A wide variety of ideas and follow-ups are in volved, depending on the state of development
Petkevich - Andonov Naleczow 1988 1 d4 d6 2 lt:Jf3 .ig4 3 c4 c6 4 lDc3 lt:Jf6 5 g3 ..txf3 6 exf3 d5 7 ..td3 e6 8 0-0 dxc4 9 .ixc4 g6 10 .l:te1 .ig7 1 1 'ilfb3 b5 (D)
KEEPING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: BISHOP SACRIFICES ON e6 h6 20 'ilf7 tlJa6 21 'i/g7+ �h5 22 :e5) 1 8 l:te4! with decisive threats. 17 lLld6 tlJxd6 Or 1 7 ...'fie7 1 8 .i.h6+ lLlg7 1 9 'iVxe7+ i..xe7 20 .i.xg7+ h7 23 'i¥e6 ! . White's threats include 24 'ii'f7#, 24 :Xd5 cxd5 25 'ii'xe7+ with two pawns for the exchange and a strong attack, and 24 .l:!.d3 followed by l::t h3 or .l:!.g3, depending on Black's reply. After the move played, White can leave it to his pawns. 19 'i¥e4 .l:!.d8 20 f4 (D)
B
Here they come. Black is already reduced to desperate measures.
Romanishin - Baburin Linares Open 1996 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 lbf3 a6 4 e3 c5 5 .txc4 e6 6 0-0 lbf6 7 .i..b3 lbbd7 8 e4 tbxe4 9 l::te 1 lbdf6 10 .i..c2 'ii'd5 1 1 1i'e2 4Jd6 12 lt:Jc3 'ifc6 13 .tf4 cxd4 14 lbxd4 'ii'c5 15 .l:.ad1 .td7 16 .tb3 'i¥h5 17 4Jf3 4Jf5 (D)
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To make the sacrifice possible, the d7-bishop must be removed . 18 .l:.xd7! ltlxd7 1 8...'>ii>xd7 allows 1 9 .txe6+ '>ii>d8 (or 19 ...fxe6 20 'illxe6+ �d8 2 1 'ii'b6+ �c8 22 'ilic7#) 20 'ii'd 3+ lbd6 2 1 .txd6, winning material. 19 .txe6 fxe6 20 'ii'xe6+ .te7 20 . . . lbe7 loses back the rook instantly to 2 1 lbd5 'i¥g6 22 lbc7+. Now, however, there appears to be nothing that White can do to prevent 2 l . ..'ii'f7, nullify ing the attack. . . 21 lbd4! (D)
KEEPING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: BISHOP SACRIFICES ON e6
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Exercise 8 B B
. . . except this. Now 2 1 . . .lDxd4 allows 22 'i¥xe7#, while 2 I . . .'i¥f7 loses to 22 iDxf5 . 21. lDcS 22 'ifxfS 'ifxfS 23 lDxf5 ri;f7 After 23 . . . 0-0 24 lDxe7+ White wins easily. Black undertakes an adventure that will end in mate. 24 nxe7+ ..ti>f6 25 g4 nad8 1-0 White can mate in two moves: 26 i.e5+ ®g5 21 nxg7#. ••
Black is to play. What should he do?
Exercises Exercise 7
Exercise 9
Why is this position favourable for the i.xe6 sacrifice? After 10 i.xe6 fxe6 1 l iDxe6 'ir'c8 12 lDxg7+ ..ti>f7 13 iDf5 b4, what happens next?
The white queen needs to find a good retreat-square. Where does it go, and why?
5 Hou n d i ng the King i n the Centre: Kn ight Sacrifices on e6
Knight sacrifices on e6 have much i n common with bishop sacrifices on the same square. They arise from the same pawn-formations, they aim to keep the defender's king in the centre, and they may lead to the other type of minor piece taking up residence on the e6-square. However, in practice things work out some what differently. Firstly, the favourite follow up to the defender's capture of the knight is not �xe6 but a queen move. The queen recapture on e6 is both the most popular and the most suc cessful, scoring over 60% in the games on my database. The sacrifice may be played to ex ploit a weakness on the h5-e8 diagonal, so queen checks on h5 and g6 are also popular fol low-ups. The popularity and strength of the queen fol low-up reinforces the observation that we made in a previous chapter that when the queen be comes involved in the attack, the sacrificer's chances of success tend to increase.
The Queen Recaptures on e6 There are similarities between the methods used here and when the queen recaptures on e6 fol lowing the i.xe6 sacrifice. The attack is gen erally easier to play, particularly when the sac rificer has retained his light-squared bishop (which, by contrast, is sacrificed in the i.xe6 idea) and uses it to strengthen his attack. Of the three main pawn-formations that al low the sacrifice, the Caro-Kann is the most fa vourable for the attacker. The secret lies in the open e-file, on which the attacker often pum mels the defender's king to an early grave, or surrounds and captures any piece unfortunate enough to get in the way.
Piket - Pelletier Zurich 2001 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 lllc3 lllf6 4 e3 e6 5 lllf3 lllbd7 6 �d3 dxc4 7 �xc4 b5 8 i.d3 �b7 9 e4 b4 10 ll\a4 c5 1 1 e5 llld5 12 0-0 cxd4 13 lllxd4 lllxe5 14 �b5+ llld7 15 'fibs g6 16 'ike2 a6 (D)
By sacrificing his e-pawn, White has changed the formation from Queen 's Gambit to Caro Kann (according to the definition in the previ ous chapter). 17 lllxe6 fxe6 18 11fxe6+ llle7 This knight comes under severe pressure. However, if the bishop intervenes it fares even worse, since after 1 8 ... i.e7 1 9 lllc5 axb5 20 lll xb7 'i!i'b6 (20 . . .11fb8 is similar) its support ing knight is removed by 2 1 'i!i'xd5, and once Black rounds up the trapped white knight on b7, the e7-bishop comes under deadly fire; e.g., 2 l . .J:tb8 22 l:lel , and now: a) 22 ... 11fxb7 loses the queen's rook to 23 'i!Vd6 ll\b6 24 l:lxe7+ 'ir'xe7 25 'ir'xb8+, leaving White two pawns ahead. b) 22 ...lb.b7 loses the king's rook to 23 i.g5 lllc5 24 j.xe7 l:xe7 25 l:xe7+ rJirxe7 26 1i'e5+. 19 ll\c5 axb5 20 lllxb7
HOUNDING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON e6 White's attack develops with one forcing move after another. However, as we shall see, it ends with several quiet moves which demon strate the defender's complete helplessness. 20 'ifb6 21 llXI6+ �d8 22 �e3 'it'a6 (D) •.•
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There is no defence against the twin threats of winning a rook by 27 'ii'xf8+ and winning the queen by 27 :Xd7+ �xd7 28 liJc5+. In the next example the defender appears to have repulsed the attack when he forces the queen to retreat all the way back to the first rank and even threatens mate himself. How ever, White has a light-squared bishop which prevents the black king from moving to safety. Black ignores the opportunity to eliminate it and soon pays the price as White regroups to develop a menacing attack.
Stisis
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Van der Wal
Groningen 1994
Now White takes aim at both black knights in succession. 23 llad1 l:.g8 24 :t'e1 g5 He cannot defend the knight by 24 .. J1g7 since 25 i.d4 knocks it back again. Black de cides to try the rook's luck on g6. 25 'iff7 l:g6 (D) If the king tries to run away by 25 .. .'iii>c7 then White can pursue it and win material at the same time with 26 llk8+ l:xe8 (26 .. .';i;lc8 allows 27 1:r.xd7!) 27 'ifxe8 liJf6 28 'ii'd 8+. 25 ...'ii'c6 is not much better in view of 26 �b6+! , when 26. . .'Wxb6 unguards the aS-rook (allowing 27 'ike8+ to win it) while 26. . . liJxb6 opens the d file (allowing 27 liJf5+ and a disaster on e7).
1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 liJf6 5 liJc3 a6 6 1Lc4 e6 7 0-0 bS 8 i.b3 b4 9 liJa4 �b7 10 f3 liJbd7 1 1 'ii'e1 a5 12 �e3 d5 13 exd5 liJxd5 14 1Lf2 'i!VgS (D)
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15 liJxe6 fxe6 16 'ifxe6+ i.e7 17 l:.ad1 The natural follow-up is 17 l:.fe l , but the de veloping move 17 . . .:ta6 forces the white queen to retreat. After the move played, Black can still force the retreat, but a backward step is required, as 17 ...lla6 loses to 1 8 lhd5 l:he6 1 9 :Xg5 1Lxg5 20 �xe6, and 17 ... liJf4 to 1 8 'i!Vxd7+. 17 liJfs 18 'ii'e1 liJf4 The defensive 1 8 ...:d8 allows White to make progress with 1 9 liJc5. Then there is a pretty finish if Black tries to disturb White's natural build-up by playing 19 ... 1La8 20 'S'e4 liJc7. White has 21 liJa6! !, which wins after 21 ...�xe4 22 liJxc7#, 2 l . . .liJxa6 22 l:txd8+ ®xd8 23 .•.
26 liJe4! 1-0
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ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
�xa8+ or 2 I . . .tbfe6 22 l1xd8+ 'it>xd8 23 l:td l + �e8 24 tbxc7+ tbxc7 25 'il'c4, with a lethal double threat. Black prefers to limit White's possibilities by aggressive play. 19 i.g3 lD8g6 (D) 1 9 . . . i.a6?! 20 l:lf2 temporarily denies the white queen the use of the f2-square, but the bishop is doing nothing constructive on a6 and the rook can move to d2 to add to the pressure.
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In the Queen 's Gambit formation, the sacri ficer must be careful that his queen will not be chased away, as there is no open e-file to retreat along. On the other hand, he may be able to make more subtle use of the e-file if his e-pawn is well advanced, as in the next example.
Darga
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lskov
Esbjerg 1980 1 d4 dS 2 c4 e6 3 tbc3 c6 4 ltJr3 tbf6 5 e3 lDbd7 6 i.d3 dxc4 7 i.xc4 bS 8 i.d3 i.b7 9 e4 b4 10 tba4 c5 11 e5 tbdS 12 0-0 cxd4 13 l:lel g6 14 tiJxd4 a6 15 �g4 'ii'aS 16 b3 i.g7 (D)
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20 'iff2 'ir'b5? Black faces the possibility of the white queen rejoining the attack via b6, so he feels obliged to move his own queen from its strong post. However, he misses the chance to rid himself of White's dominant light-squared bishop with 20 ... i.d5. White cannot reply 21 lDb6? because 2 l . . .i.xb3 22 tbxa8 i.c5 wins material. Black soon regrets allowing the bishop to live. 21 :Ce1 .l:td8? It is already too late to play 2 l . . .i.d5, since White can reply with the smart 22 c4 ! , exploit ing the queen's new position as 22 ... bxc3 loses to 23 tbxc3, forking queen and bishop. Mean while 22 ... i.xc4 23 i.xc4 'ii'xc4 loses to 24 lbb6 'ir'c6 25 i..xf4, when 25 . . . tbxf4 26 tbxa8 'ii'xa8 27 .l::txe 7+! �xe7 28 'ii'h4+ gives White a material advantage and a strong attack. Black tries to reduce White's grip on the open central files, but he falls for a pleasant little combination which exploits the exposed black pieces. 22 .:Xd8+ Wxd8 23 i.xf4 lDxf4 24 �d4+ tbd5 25 l:txe7! ri;xe7 26 'ikxg7+ �d6 27 'ikxh8 �e2 28 'ikd8+ �e6 29 'ir'e8+ 1-0
With the bishop on g7, the king will be terri bly exposed by the coming sacrifice. 17 liJxe6 fxe6 18 'ii'xe6+ tiJe7 Black interposes with his knight, but this opens the diagonal from c4 to f7 for the white bishop. Instead, 1 8 ... �d8 loses to 1 9 i.g5+ 'ii>c 8 20 i.e4, when Black must lose material: a) After 20 . . . tiJb6, White's simplest win is 21 tiJxb6+ 'i!Vxb6 22 :acl +, forcing 22 ... Wb8 23 'ii'xd7. b) On 20 ...i.xe5 White plays 21 l:lac 1 + i.c3 22 .l:ted 1 and Black is pinned all over the place. 19 i.g5 i..f8 1 9. . . 'ii'd 8 squeezes the black king for room, and after 20 i.c4 l:t.£8 21 .l:tad 1 i.c8 22 tbc5 ! there is no good defence to the threat of tbe4 followed by lDd6#. 20 .tc4 i.dS He must eliminate the bishop, but now White can use the e1 -rook to good effect. 21 i.xd5 �xd5 22 'ii'd 6! 'iifbs
HOUNDING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON e6 White threatened to win back the piece with 23 JJ..xe7, eliminating the black queen's protec tor, but 22...'ii'xd6 23 exd6 1oses it back anyway through the pin on the e-file. 23 e6 l:td8 He must return the piece as 23 ...ltJb8 allows White to pile up on the d-file with 24 l:tad l 'iia5, and now simplest is 25 ltJb6, when Black must give up his queen to avoid mate on d8. 24 exd7+ l:txd7 25 'ii'f6 l:tg8 26 :tact 'iib7 27 ltJc5 1-0 The next example comes from a Sicilian in which White has played f4 and e5, and the re sulting open f-file gives him an extra avenue into the black position.
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l:lf7+ 'ili>e8 29 l:.h8 with mate to come) 26 :fl + ltJf5 27 g4. 17 'ii'f7+ �d8 18 ltJd5 i.c5 19 e6 i.xe3+ 20 ltJxe3 'flieS (D) After 20...l:.e8 2 1 exd7 l:txe3 White can give up the quest for material, because by 22 'ii'f8+ �xd7 23 l:tf7+ he drives the king to its death.
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Nisipeanu - Maksimenko Ukraine 1 997 1 d4 e6 2 ltJf3 c5 3 e4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 a6 5 ltJc3 d6 6 JJ..e2 ltJf6 7 f4 'fic7 8 0-0 �e7 9 �e3 b5 10 Jl..f3 JJ..b7 11 e5 dxeS 12 JJ..xb7 'fixb7 13 fxe5 liJfd7 14 'ii'g4 g6 (D)
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15 ltJxe6 fxe6 16 'i!Vxe6 1i'c6 It is very hard for Black to complete his de velopment as 1 6...ltJc6 1 7 ltJd5 �d8 1 8 l:tad 1 l:te8 1 9 liJb6 sees White crashing through. In the game Kontic-Andruet, Val Maubuee 1 990, Black played instead 1 6...�d8 and the game continued I 7 ltJd5 l:te8 1 8 ltJxe7 l:.xe7 1 9 Jl..g5 'il'b6+ 20 'fixb6+ ltJxb6 2 1 :n ltJc6 22 JJ..xe7+ ltJxe7 23 l:td I + �e8 24 l:.xh7 :c8 25 e6 1 -0. Black resigned because he must lose at least a piece to stave off mate: 25 ... �f8 (or 25 ... ltJg8 26 l:tdd7 ! l:txc2 27 l:tdg7 �f8 28
21 exd7! After 2 1 l:.ad 1 ? ! 'ifxe3+ 22 �h i �c7 ! 23 l:txd7+ ltJxd7 24 'ifxd7+ 'iti'b8 ! White has noth ing better than perpetual check. The game Rohl-Leyva, Cienfuegos I 997 went instead 21 l:.ae l :e8 22 exd7 ltJxd7 and White struggled to make his extra pawn tell. Nisipeanu's nov elty solves the problem by forcing Black to cap ture the passed pawn before he commits his idle rook to a specific square. 21...'ikxe3+ 22 �h1 ltJxd7 This is forced because 22 ... 'iti'c7 loses to 23 d8'fi+ ! �xd8, when White has the happy choice between 24 'iff6+ and 24 'ifb7. Meanwhile, 22 ...'file7 allows White to choose between two neat queen manoeuvres: 23 'ii'f3 l:ta7 24 'ifc3, threatening the h8-rook and 'ii'c8#, and 23 'iid5 l:la7 24 'ii'd4, forking the rooks. 23 llad1 'ii'e8 In lnformator, Nisipeanu dismisses the other three defences: a) 23 ... 'ife7 allows 24 'ii'd5 l:ta7 25 'ii'd4, forking the rooks. b) 23 ...l:ta7 loses to 24 'filf6+. c) 23 ...'fia7 24 'ii'f6+ 1;c7 25 'ii'd6+ �c8 26 'i!i'c6+ �d8 27 :n leads to mate. 24 'ii'f6+ �c7 25 1i'd6+ 'ili>b7 26 l:.fel! \i'c8 27 l:te7 l:td8 28 'ii'e6 f8 1 7 l:ld2 i.b4! 18 c3 i.xc3 ! 19 bxc3 'ir'xc3+ 20 'i!i>d 1 'ifa 1 + 21 'it>e2 'ii'xh 1 22 i.xf6 'ii'xg2+ 23 'it>e1 'i!Vgl + 24 'i!i>e2 'li'xh2+ 25 'it>e 1 �g1 + 26 'it>e2 i.f3+ 27 'it>d3 �g6+ 0- 1 . The alternative piece sacrifice is 1 4 i.xb5 and there have been several games which con tinued 14 ... axb5 1 5 lt:'lxb5 'it'c6 1 6 lt:'ld6+ 'iii>d8 1 7 fxe5 d2 'i¥d5+ with perpet ual check; 1 8 �bl lt:Jd5 19 i.xe7 l:lxa2 ! with the idea 20 'it>xa2? lt:Jb4+ 2 1 �a3 (or 21 'iii>b3 lt:'lc5+) 2 1 . . .l:la8+! 22 '.txb4 l:la4+ 23 'i!?b3 lt:'lc5+, winning the queen. 14 gxf6 15 i.e2 Many games have continued 1 5 i.xb5 axb5 1 6 lL'lxb5 'it'c6 1 7 lL'ld6+ and now Black gener ally gives up his queen by 1 7 .. .'ii'xd6 1 8 l:!.xd6, when the black pieces have fared better than the white queen. 15 h5 16 lt:Jd5 Black is about to play . . .lL'lf8 to evict the queen, and this move is aimed against it. 16 i.xd5 17 J:!.xd5 (D) .••
1 e4 c5 2 lL'lf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lL'lxd4 lL'lf6 5 lt:Jc3 a6 6 i.g5 e6 7 f4 'ikc7 8 'i!Vf3 lt:Jbd7 9 0-0-0 b5 10 e5 i.b7 1 1 'ii'h3 dxe5 (D)
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B
In the 1 05 games from this position in my database, White has scored 48%, yet the sacri fice that follows still attracts the bolder (or more foolhardy) player. In the game before us, I suspect that Van der Wiel was using it as a drawing line against the great Kasparov. 12 lL'lxe6 fxe6 13 'ii'xe6+ i.e7 14 i.xf6 White can sacrifice a further piece on b5 to connect his rooks and bring another minor piece into the attack. However, the open queenside files may put the white king in as much danger as its black counterpart.
17 lt:'lc5 1 7 . . . lL'lf8 is inferior because after 1 8 'ii'f5 the knight takes the f8-square away from the king, which means that 1 9 i.xh5+ is a powerful threat. 18 �f5 .••
HOUNDING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON e6 Now the queen will have the use of the g6square. In most games from this position, that has only been enough to draw. That was proba bly enough for Van der Wiel. 18 .'ii'c6 19 'ii'g6+ e6 25 l:f.Sd2 is acceptable for White thanks to his dominance of the d-file. 21 'i!krs (D)
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quite often, in which the bishop uses the g5square.
Yakovich - G. Georgadze Erevan Open 1996
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1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 tiJc3 lbf6 4 e3 e6 5 lZ'lf3 tiJbd7 6 i.d3 dxc4 7 i.xc4 bS 8 i.d3 i.b7 9 e4 b4 10 ttJa4 cS 11 e5 lt:Jd5 12 0-0 a6 13 lt:Jg5 cxd4 (D)
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21...'ii'c8 Black must prevent White from playing fxeS, but if he plays 2 l . ..exf4? himself White can win back his sacrificed material with 22 l:txcS �xeS 23 't!Vxf6+ 'iii>g8 24 'ikgS+ ! rj;f8 2S 'ii'xcS+ and retain the initiative. 22 'ii'g6 'i6e6 23 �xhS 'ii'g8 Kasparov is trying hard to avoid a repetition, but now Van der Wiel forces it in attractive fashion. 24 l:td8+! l:txd8 lfz-lfz After 2S l:txd8+ �xd8 26 'ii'e 8+ d8 22 l:txe8+ 'it>xe8 runs into 23 lt:Jb6! and when the black knight gives up the defence of the f-pawn, i.xf6 will trap the rook on h8.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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open d-file) blocking the king ' s immediate es cape. 16 i.g6 The bishop takes over from the queen which now threatens to check on h4, forcing a knight to give up its life by interposing. Black replies by creating an escape-square on d7. 16 tt:Jc5 17 tt:'ld6 'ikc7 18 i.e3! (D)
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B
The king flees to the queenside and is finally run to ground on a8. 21 �xd4+ ri;c7 22 .:tel+ �b8 23 i.f4+ tt:'leS 24 tt:'lb6 .l:ta7 25 tt:'ld7+ a8 26 tt:'lb6+ 'it>b8 27 tt:'ld7+ ri;aS 28 i.e3 1-0
A black pawn on h6 cuts out the possibility of a combination based on i.gS+, but a king stranded on e7 can feel uncomfortably claustro phobic. Witness the next example.
Selin - Slavina Suetin Memorial, Tula 2002 1 d4 dS 2 c4 dxc4 3 tt:'lf3 a6 4 e3 tt:'lf6 S i.xc4 bS 6 i.d3 i.b7 7 0-0 e6 8 a4 b4 9 tt:'lbd2 cS 10 e4 cxd4 11 eS tt:'ldS 12 tt:'lc4 h6 13 tt:'lxd4 tt:'ld7 (D)
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18 tt:'lb3 White threatened both 1 9 .i.xcS and 1 9 .U.ac 1 . Black cannot exchange on e3, as that opens the f-file with disastrous effect. Black meets both threats, but the knight is unguarded here, a fact which White exploits with alacrity. 19 i.c2! Now 1 9 . . . tt:'lxa l allows 20 'ii'f7+ ri;d8 2 1 �e8#, while 1 9. . .'ifxc2 i s met by 20 �f7+ 'iii>d8 21 tt:'lxb7+ 'it>c8 22 �xe6+ ri;xb7 23 'ikxdS+ �b8 24 e6 ! with an overwhelming attack; e.g., 24 ... tt:'lxa1 25 i.f4+ 'it>a7 26 �d7+ 'iii>b6 27 .U.xal ! aS (otherwise 28 a5+ mates or wins ma terial) 28 'ii'bS+ d7 20 .i.xb3 .i.xd6 21 exd6 'ii'xd6 Black soon suffered further material losses thanks to his exposed king. •••
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14 tt:'lxe6 fxe6 15 ftS+ ri;e7 The sacrifice works best if, as here, there are black pieces on d7 and d8 (or white pieces covering those squares, such as a rook on the
Two patterns occasionally arise with the 'ifhS+ follow-up. and the first is illustrated in the next example. When Black can reply to 'ii'h S+ with . . . g6, White may be able to play 'ikeS attacking the h8-rook. The tempo gained can prove to be very useful.
HOUNDING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON e6 Kuijf
-
Shaked
Wijk aan Zee 1998 1 e4 c5 2 lbe2 e6 3 lDbcJ a6 4 g3 b5 5 .i.g2 i.b7 6 0-0 b4 7 lba4 lDf6 8 d3 d6 9 a3 aS 10 cJ! lbc6 11 d4 cxd4 12 cxd4 d5 13 exd5 lbxd5 14 lDf4 lDce7 15 lbcS .i.c6 (D)
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There is no black knight on f6, and no black piece covering e5. 16 Wxe6 fxe6 17 'ii'h5+ g6 17 ... lbg6 loses to the typical knight-fork combination 1 8 lbxe6 'ifd7 19 i.xd5 �xd5 20 'iixd5 'iixd5 2 l lDc7+. 18 'fie5 (D)
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Now Black panics and tries to drive the bishop away, having possibly missed White's quiet 23rd move. 19...h6 20 i..xe7 lbxe7 All recaptures Jose: a) 20...�xe7 21 "ikxe6#. b) 20...i.xe7 allows 2 1 'ii'xe6, forking rook and bishop. c) 20...'flxe7 2 l lDxe6 'iid6 22 i.xd5 i.xd5 23 lbc7+ and White regains the piece. 21 i.xc6+ lbxc6 22 'iixe6+ lbe7 23 lbe4 1-0 The threats of 24 lDf6# and 24 lDd6+ are cat astrophic. The second standard pattern occurs when the defender has played . . . g5, which means that he cannot interpose on g6 with a pawn. It arises in some lines of the French Defence and Sicilian. The Gothenburg Variation of the Sicilian Najdorf features a famous lbxe6 I 'ifh5+ sacri fice. The story is well known. The line starts 1 e4 cS 2 lDf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lbxd4 W6 5 lbcJ a6 6 �g5 e6 7 f4 i..e7 8 'ii'fJ h6 9 i.b4 g5 10 fxg5 lDfd7 (D).
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This works because nothing can interpose on f6 (the e7-knight is in Black's way), and the black bishop on f8 forces the rook to occupy the exposed g8-square. 18 l:l.g8 19 �g5 White steps up the pressure, although the more direct l 9 lDxe6 is also good. .••
Three Soviet grandmasters faced this line on the same day of the 1 955 Gothenburg Inter zonal, and each played 11 lDxe6 fxe6 12 'ii'h5+ � 13 i..b5 winning in striking fashion. Bobby Fischer couldn't believe that his beloved Naj dorf Variation could be treated so harshly and, against Gligoric at the next Interzonal tourna ment, came up with 13 l:tb7. Then 14 0-0+ �g8 15 g6 l:tg7 16 :C7 i..xh4 17 'iVxb6 l:txf7 18 gxf7+ � 19 'ii h7+, with a draw by per petual check, has occurred several times. Dis cussion of the line continues to this day, but •••
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ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
White has not managed to prove any definite advantage. Here is an example from what we have been calling a Caro-Kann formation.
The players appear to be in the grip of a huge time-scramble. Here White misses the decisive 33 'ilh8, but even after the move played the ex tra pawn and open black king assured White of a comfortable win.
Kalegin - Pridorozhni Russia Cup, Omsk/Penn 1998 1 e4 cS 2 tt:lf3 e6 3 tt:lc3 a6 4 g3 bS 5 .tg2 .tb7 6 d4 ltJf6 7 e5 cxd4 8 ltJe2 ltJe4 9 0-0 dS 10 exd6 lill:d : 6 1 1 tt:lexd4 .te7 12 ltJeS .txg2 13 'iii>xg2 .tf6 14 .tf4 gS (D)
The Queen Checks on g6 The queen check on g6 arises when there is no defensive pawn on h7. The knight sacrifice on e6 opens up the g6-square and the queen occu pies it with check. The ideas involved are very similar to those for the 'ii'hs+ follow-up, so we shall limit ourselves to a single example.
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Barczay - Ribli Hungarian Ch, Budapest 1 976 1 e4 cS 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lill:d : 4 ltJf6 5 ltJc3 a6 6 .tg5 e6 7 f4 b6 8 .th4 i.e7 9 'ii'f3 tt:lbd7 10 0-0-0 'ii'c7 1 1 .te2 l:tb8 12 'ifg3 %:tg8 13 l:hfl bS 14 e5 dxeS (D)
White provoked the ...g5 thrust, presumably because he saw that the coming sacrifice would give him good practical chances. 15 lill:e : 6 fxe6 16 'ii'h5+ eMs 17 l:tadl 'ilke8 The d6-knight prevents mate on f7, hence White's last move threatened to eliminate it. Black can play 17 . . .gxf4 1 8 .:.Xd6, but after 1 8 .. .'�e8 1 9 'ii'h6+ 'iii>e7 20 l:tfd 1 the e6-pawn is very delicate, and White will gang up on it with l:b6 followed by :dd6. 18 1i'h6+ i.g7 19 'ii'xg5 ltJe4 After 1 9 . . .ltJb7 20 :fe 1 , it is difficult for Black to bring either knight into play. 20 'ii'g4 ltJf6 21 'i!i'f3 l:ta7 22 .tgS l:tf7!? Black takes the realistic decision to trade his rook for the dominant white knight. 23 ltJxl7 Wxl7 24 :ret Wke7 25 .l:td4 l:c8 26 .txl6 .txl6 27 l:b4 �g8 28 .:t'4 'iii>f7? This allows 29 :1xf6+, which White only spots on the next move. Black can prevent it with 28 . . .ltJd7, but White has promising pressure against the black e-pawn and the exposed king. 29 .l:te3? l:c5? 30 lhf6+ 'ikxl6 31 'ikb7+ 'ii'e7 32 Wlxb8 l:txc2 33 l:f3+
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15 ltJxe6 fxe6 16 Wkg6+ ..ti>d8 Black's king fares even worse on f8. After 1 6. . . �f8. White can focus on the f7-square with 17 f5 ! exf5 (now the d5-square is available to the white knight) 1 8 i.h5 ! Wkc4 (not 1 8 . . . ltJxh5? 1 9 .txe7+ 1 -0 Schulz-Cattelains, Aachen 1 982) 19 ltJd5 'ii'xd5 20 l:txd5 ltJxh5 21 .txe7+ c8 23 'ii'd7+ 1 -0. 14 ..te6 15 eS J.Horvath-Martinez, World Junior Ch, Co penhagen 1 982 continued 15 ..txe6 i.xc3 (or 1 5 ...llJxe6 1 6 e5 dxe5 17 fxe5 with similar play to Groszpeter-LOffler above) when White chose to retain his bishop by 1 6 i..b3 !?. After 1 6... i..d4 17 'ii'g4 llJd7 1 8 'ii'g6+ 'ittd 8, he was ready to break through with his central pawns and with 1 9 e5 dxe5 20 'ii'xg7 'ittc7 21 fxe5 he created a passed pawn that he eventually promoted. 15 dxe5 16 fxe5 i.g5+ 17 'ittb1 (D)
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23 .i.b3! A neat switch-back. The threat is 24 :Xf7 i..xf7 25 llJc7+ "fixc7 26 "fixf7#. Black must return the piece by 23 ...llJxe5 24 'ifxe5 :Xfl 25 l:.xfl i.xd5 26 'ii'h5+!, when White will have an extra pawn and the attack. Black tries a little trick, but falls for a bigger one himself. 23 g6 24 'il'xg6 tt:Jrs 25 llJc7+! 'flixc7 26 'iVxf7+! 1-0 26... .i.xf7 27 .i.xf7# is a neat mate by a well-travelled bishop. •..
After a piece sacrifice, the defender may of fer the inducement of an extra pawn in order to bring his king to safety. In the next example, Bogdan Lalic picks up a third pawn for the piece while allowing his opponent to castle on the queenside. With three pawns against the piece, he resists the temptation to throw his army into a hopeless attack and simply plays chess, improving the position of his pieces and trying to restrict the activity of his opponent's.
HOUNDING THE KING IN THE CENTRE: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON e6 Lacking targets for his extra piece, his oppo nent eventually loses his head.
B. La lie - Schlemmermeyer Berlin 1998 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 tiJd2 dxe4 4 tDxe4 iH5 5 tDgJ �g6 6 h4 h6 7 tDhJ tDf6 8 tiJf4 �h7 9 i..c4 e6 10 0-0 i..d6 (D)
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24 h5 Lalic gives himself the opportunity to cre ate passed pawns early in any endgame, and at the same time prepares to use his kingside pawns to limit the squares available to the knights. 24 'iVd7 25 �g2 tDe6 26 'ii'f3 tiJxh5? Frustrated that he can do nothing positive with his knights, Black miscalculates. 27 _j_xh5 l:txh5 28 l:txe6 Presumably Black's idea was 28 'ii'xh5 tDf4+, but he overlooked this simple intennezzo. 28 'ifxe6 29 'ii'xh5 'ii'xa2 30 .l:te1! Black is only a pawn behind, but he cannot avoid a disastrous exchange. 30 . . .'it'xb2 loses to 3 1 'il'e5+ '>t>a8 (3 1 . . . c;i>c8 32 'il¥e6+ wins the rook) 32 'ii'e8+ mating, so Black must lose a move. 30 a6 31 'ii'e5+ 'it>a8 32 'ife6 'ii'xe6 33 l:txe6 l:tg5? 1-0 He loses the h-pawn, but the rook ending would be hopeless anyway. ...
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1 1 tDxe6 fxe6 12 �xe6 tiJbd7 13 .l:te1 'i/c7 This position was reached, by a slight trans position, in the famous 9th game of the 1 960 World Championship match. Tal played 1 4 i..g8+ '>t>f8 1 5 �xh7 llxh7 1 6 lDf5 and Bot vinnik came up with 16 . . . g6! 1 7 �xh6+ �g8 1 8 tDxd6 'i!i'xd6 19 i..g5 .l:te7 with a complex but probably level ending in which he out played the great Latvian. Lalic prefers to retain his light-squared bishop. He allows the black king to castle in re turn for a third pawn. 14 ttJf5 0-0-0 15 ttJxg7 'it>b8 16 _j_h3 tDc5 17 ttJr5 _j_h2+ 18 'it>h1 i.xf5 19 _j_xf5 _j_£4 20 g3 _j_xc1 21 !bel l:td5 22 _j_g6 'ii'd8 23 c3 l:tg8 The bishop is potentially so powerful that Black is willing to let a rook go in exchange for it. After 24 i.f7 tDce4 25 'iVf3 l:tf8 26 i.xd5 cxd5, Black's kingside pressure would com pensate for the slight material deficit. However, Lalic refuses to give the black pieces anything to bite on.
Exercise Exercise 10
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White has sacrificed a pawn to reach this position, and now the 19 tDxe6 sacrifice is pos sible. Should White go ahead, or can Black re sist?
6 The Other Sici l ia n Kn ight Lea p: 'tJfS
The e6-pawn in Sicilian Scheveningen struc tures can be lured away by a second silent knight sacrifice, this time on f5 . It is a subtle sacrifice because unlike exd5 in lt:ld.5 sacrifices, the recapture on f5 by a pawn rarely wins a tempo. It is generally played to secure the d5square for White's c3-knight, and opens either the e-file (by recapturing with the e-pawn) or the g-file (by recapturing with a pawn from g4). The idea of playing lt:lf5 in Scheveningen structures has long been used as a combinative device, but its widespread use as a long-term sacrifice dates from the 1 960s. It came to the at tention of chess-players worldwide when Vel irnirovic played it against Sofrevski in 1 965 . Velimirovic had developed his own attack ing system in the Sozin Sicilian in which he played �c4, 'il'e2, 0-0-0 and g4-g5 . When the black knight had been knocked off its defen sive perch at f6, the d5-square became an invit ing home for the c3-knight. The lt:lf5 sacrifice opened up the d5-square and the recapture on f5 by the e-pawn opened the e-file and allowed an early f5-f6. Subsequently, hundreds of games were played with lt:lf5 sacrifices in the Velim irovic Attack, and players sought out opportu nities to play it in other attacking systems.
ltJfS as a Pseudo-Sacrifice I mentioned that lt:lf5 can be used as a combin ative device. We will briefly consider a small selection of the most common ideas which aim at quickly recovering the piece. The first and most obvious idea is to open the e-file and win a bishop on e7.
W. Watson - Blaskowski 2nd Bundesliga 198819 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 liJf6 5 lt:lc3 d6 6 i.e3 �e7 7 �e2 a6 8 f4 'illc7 9 g4 lt:lc6 10 g5 lt:ld7 1 1 �f3 lbas 12 �e2 lt:lc4 (D)
13 lt:lrs lt:lxe3 Black exchanges his advanced knight be cause after 1 3 . . . exf5 1 4 lt:ld5, defending it by 14 . . . �c6 allows 1 5 exf5, and now: a) 15 . . . 'iPf& loses to 1 6 lt:lxe7 with a discov ered attack on the queen. b) 1 5 . . .'ika4 is met with 16 i.f2 when the e7-bishop cannot be defended. 14 �xe3 exf5 15 liJd5 'i1Vd8 16 exf5 Unlike with liJd5 sacrifices, it is rare for this recapture to gain a tempo by attacking a piece on g6. 16 /iJeS! Black returns the piece by blocking the e file. There is no other possibility to avert disas ter: a) Any move of the d7-knight allows the f6 advance, winning the pinned bishop. b) If Black tries to save the bishop by unpinning it with 1 6 . . .'iiif8, White can play 1 7 0-0-0, and then if 1 7 . . . lt:lc5, 1 8 l:the1 follows and the e7-bishop is trapped, while if 17 . . . lt:lb8 (intend ing 1 8 . . . lt:lc6), 1 8 lt:lb6! wins the rook in the comer in view of 1 8 . . ..l:ta7 1 9 lt:lxc8 �xc8 20 'i!Vxa7. 17 0-0-0 The immediate recapture, 1 7 fxe5, allows 17 ... i.xg5 when Black has an easy game. White also fails to gain any real advantage with the text-move and the game ended in a draw. ...
THE OTHER SICIUAN KNIGHT LEAP: ltJf5 That little combination rarely does much damage, as Black can often return the piece in relative safety. The next trick is more dangerous. When the black king has castled and White's queen is on g3, White can sometimes win back the piece at once by exploiting the pin on the g pawn.
Szily - Szilagyi Hungarian Ch, Budapest 1950 1 e4 c5 2 tt:'lf3 tt:'lc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tt:'lxd4 tt:'lf6 5 tbc3 d6 6 ..tg5 e6 7 ..ie2 ..te7 8 0-0 0-0 9 'ii'd3 a6 10 l:.ad1 ..id7 1 1 'ii'g3 'iic7 12 �h1 .t'tfd8 (D)
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superior pawn-structure would give him a better endgame, or he could play for an attack with 20 'ifc3 'ifa5 2 1 'i¥11 3 ! l:tdd8 22 ..id3 g6 23 f4. The move played also gave him an attack but a later miscalculation cost him the game. White can adopt a similar idea even if his queen is away from the g-file. If he has a rook available on the third rank, he may be able to play for a quick mate.
Eisinger - Rejfir European Team Ch, Oberhausen 1961 1 e4 c5 2 tt:'lf3 tt:'lc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tt:'lxd4 tt:'lf6 5 tt:'lc3 d6 6 ..ic4 e6 7 0-0 ..ie7 8 ..ig5 a6 9 ..th3 ..id7 10 l:te1 0-0 11 'ifd2 'ifc7 12 l:tad1 l:tad8 13 l:te3 tt:'la5 (D)
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The rook on d8 prevents the black queen from defending the f6-square. 13 tt:'lf5 exf5 14 ..ixf6 ..ixf6 15 tt:'ld5 'ifa5 16 tt:'lxf6+ 'iii>h8 Now the white knight must move. White can gain an advantage by 1 7 tt:'lh5, when Black has three main options: a) 1 7 . . .l:tg8 loses a pawn to 1 8 l:txd6, attack ing the bishop that the rook has just deserted. b) 1 7 ... 'il/e5 loses the queen after 1 8 f4 'ifxb2 1 9 l:tbl , as the black queen cannot escape with check, and it cannot remain on the diagonal to g7 where mate is threatened. c) 17 . . . g6 allows 1 8 tiJf6 with attacking chances against the weakened kingside. White opts for the exchange of knight for bishop, which also gives him the initiative. 17 tt:'lxd7 l:txd7 18 exf5 'ifxa2 19 f6 l:tg8 20 ..id3 White can achieve a small advantage by 20 fxg7+ l:txg7 2 1 'il/c3, as the bishop and his
Note the rook on d8 again. The d7-bishop will also get in Black's way. 14 tt:'lf5 exf5 15 ..txf6 tt:'lxb3 16 axh3 i..xf6 After 1 6 . . . gxf6, the presence of the bishop on d7 means that 1 7 tt:'ld.5 regains the piece with a winning attack. 17 tt:Jd5 'iic5 Giving up the queen by 1 7 .. .f4 1 8 tt:'lxc7 fxe3 is a better try. 18 b4? White should play 1 8 tt:'lxf6+ at once, with the mating attack that occurs in the game. Instead, he gives his opponent the opportunity to return the piece by 1 8 . . .'il/d4 ! , when the isolated black d-pawn gives White a tiny endgame advantage. 18 'iVb5? 19 tt:'lxf6+ 'it>h8 It is also mate after 19 ...gxf6 20 l:tg3+ 'iii>h 8 21 'ii' h6 l:tg8 22 'ii'xf6+. •••
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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20 nhJ! 1-o 20 ... h6 21 nxh6+ and 20 ... gxf6 21 'ifh6 both lead to mate. In some circumstances, liJf5 is a line-clear ance sacrifice. For a bishop on e3, its line to b6 is opened by the liJf5 move, and a subsequent liJd5 trains two white pieces on b6, a fact which may prove to be decisive.
Balcerak - Schoeneberg Bundesliga 1999/00 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 d6 S llJc3 iJ.e7 6 iJ.e3 liJf6 7 1i'f3 a6 8 0-0-0 liJbd7 9 .te2 0-0 10 g4 liJe5 11 S'g3 1!i'c7 12 gS liJfd7 13 f4 liJc4 (D)
Hardicsay - Nickel Budapest 1990 1 e4 cS 2 liJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 liJf6 S liJc3 d6 6 f4 a6 7 'iff3 'ii'b6 8 a3 Ji.e7 9 Ji.d3 liJfd7 10 Ji.e3 lUeS 1 1 0-0-0 liJxd3+ 12 nxd3 W/c7 (D)
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13 liJf5 exfS 14 liJd5 1Wd7 1 4 ... 'iM8 loses to 1 5 Ji.b6 (forcing the queen to occupy d7) 15 . . . 'ii'd7 1 6 liJc7+ �f8 1 7 liJxa8 and the knight will escape from aS. Note that 1 5 liJb6, with the idea 1 5 . . .l:.a7 1 6 liJxc8 'ii'xc8 1 7 Ji.xa7, i s less good due to 1 5 . . .te6 1 6 liJxa8 and now Black can play 1 6 ... liJd7 regaining some material. 15 liJb6 1!i'e6 16 liJxa8 White is the exchange ahead and won with out difficulty.
14 liJf5 exfS 15 liJd5 'ii'd8 After White regains the piece he emerges a pawn down, but he is playing a deliberate pawn sacrifice for a positional advantage (control of d5) and a quick kingside attack. 16 Ji.xc4 fxe4 17 l:.bg1 �b8 18 11i'b4 White's build-up is menacing. Here there was a good alternative in the immediate 1 8 f5, intending to rupture the black king's pawn cover with 1 9 liJxe7 'fixe? 20 f6. 18...b5 The attempt to prevent the f5 advance, by 1 8 ... liJc5 followed by ... Ji.f5, fails to 1 9 Ji.d4 .tf5 20 liJe3 'it'c8 21 'it'h6 ! . 19 liJxe7 'it'xe7 20 .idS l:.b8 21 fS (D)
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If Black has castled and there is an unpro tected bishop on e7, the liJd5 follow-up by White may force the queen to choose between defence of the bishop and some other important task. Here that task is the defence of a knight on c4. When this knight is captured, White's whole position is invigorated.
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THE OTHER SJC/UAN KNIGHT LEAP: l:'i:Jf5 2 1 .tb7 It is too late to do anything to discourage or prevent the f6 advance: a) 2 l ...f6 loses to 22 g6 h6 23 .txh6. b) 21 ...1i'd8 still allows 22 f6 g6 23 'ifh6 l1g8 24 l:lg4! M 25 .txf7 and Black loses the exchange. c) 2 1 ...'ii'e 8 protects the f-pawn, but allows 22 g6! lt:\f6 23 .td4 with decisive threats. 22 f6 gxf6 23 gxf6 'ii'eS 1-0 White is winning, and the nicest finish is 24 .txb7 .:.Xb7 25 lidS 1i'xd5 26 1i'g3 with un avoidable mate. •.•
The Kingside Pawn-Storm The use of lilf5 as a long-term sacrifice in the Scheveningen formation started with Velimir ovic's game against Sofrevsk:i, and it is worth looking at that game to see some of the key ideas in action.
Velimirovic - Sofrevski Yugoslav Ch, Titograd 1 965 1 e4 cS 2 lt:\f3 lt:\c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lllxd4 e6 S lt:\c3 d6 6 .te3 lilf6 7 .tc4 .te7 8 'ii'e2 a6 9 0-0-0 'fic7 10 .tb3 llla5 11 g4 bS 12 g5 lllxb3+ 13 axb3 llld7 (D)
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once and allows Velimirovic to occupy the d5square. 15 lt:\dS 'fid8 Golubev mentions the untried 15 ...1i'a5 !?. 16 exfS 0-0? (D) This natural move is an error as White can immediately blast open lines on the kingside. Black should rid himself of the dominant knight. In later games Black played 16 ... .tb7 !, unafraid of the reply 1 7 f6. Now Black does best to avoid 1 7 ....txd5 in view of 1 8 fxg7 ! l:lg8 19 l:lxd5 l:.xg7 20 f4 with a threatening po sition. Instead he should play 17 . . .gxf6 and now: a) 1 8 gxf6 allows 18 ... .txd5 !, when 19 fxe7? loses to 19 . . .'ili'a5 ! . The black king is safe be hind the white e-pawn and Black retains the ex tra piece thanks to 20 :Xd5 1i'a1 + 2 1 �d2 'fixh l . White should play 1 9 :Xd5 lt:\xf6 20 l:.f5, but he probably has insufficient for the piece because the defence is well organized. b) White should be in no hurry to recapture on f6. Now that his pawn-cover is broken Black cannot safely castle, so White should play in the centre with 1 8 l:.hel .txd5 19 :Xd5 l:lg8. Much analytical water has flowed under the bridge and it appears that the game is likely to fizzle out into a draw with best play. One nota ble line is 20 gxf6 lt:\xf6 21 l:tf5 lllg4 22 .tg5 lt:\e5 23 .txe7 'ilxe7 24 f4 lt:\d3+ 25 cxd3 'ii'xe2 26 l:.xe2+ with a dead drawn ending.
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14 lt:\f5 exfS In The Sicilian Sozin, Golubev points out that 1 4...b4 has not been refuted. 1 5 lllxe7 is a fairly safe response, while most players go for the complications of 1 5 lt:\xg7+. Faced with 14 lilf5 for the first time, Sofrevski takes the knight at
Back to the game. By castling, Black has created an ideal position for an effective f6 ad vance. Velimirovic doesn't disappoint us. 17 f6! gxf6 In similar positions, Black often tries to re turn the piece with . . . lt:\xf6 or ... .txf6, in order
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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to keep his kingside pawns unbroken. Here, however, as soon as the knight leaves d7 White hits him with .i.b6: 17 ...lt:)xf6 ( 1 7 ... .i.xf6 1 8 gxf6 lt:)xf6 1 9 .ib6 is similar) 1 8 .tb6! and the queen must abandon the defence of f6, allow ing his kingside pawns to be broken after all. 18 .td4 The natural 1 8 gxf6 is also very good; e.g., 18 ... i..xf6 1 9 tbxf6+ 'ii'xf6 20 f4! �h8 21 .i.d4 lt:)eS 22 fxe5 'ii'f4+ 23 �b1 .tg4 24 'fin 'flxfl 25 exd6+ �g8 26 lldxfl and White will win the g4-bishop. VelimiroviC's idea is a more artistic interpre tation. The game finishes with a little flourish. 18...lt:)eS 19 gxf6 .txf6 20 llhg1+ .tg7 21 .txeS dxeS 22 'it'xeS f6 23 li:Je7+ h8 25 .l:.eg1 .i.xf5 26 'ii'xf5 l:.b5 27 'ii'xh7+! 1-0
Recapturing with the g-Pawn In the Velimirovic Attack, Black often retreats his knight from f6 before White plays his pawn to g5. That allows an interesting alternative for White, which is to play the ll::lf5 sacrifice and recapture on f5 with the g-pawn, opening the g-file against the black king.
Yakovich - Yudasin Leipzig 1 986 1 e4 c5 2 ll::lf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ll::lxd4 ll::lf6 5 lt:Jc3 a6 6 .i.c4 e6 7 .i.b3 ll::lc6 8 i.e3 i.e7 9 'ii'e2 0-0 10 0-0-0 'fkc7 1 1 g4 lt:Jd7 12 ll::lf5 exf5 13 ll::ld5 'ii'd8 14 gxf5 (D) This is another of Velimirovic's startling ideas. The proposed assault on g7 appears to be too crude and predictable to stand a chance of success, yet it has proved to be remarkably fruitful in practice. 14 ll::lf6 •..
Black needs to do something before he is overwhelmed. Three games with 14 ... ll::la5 will demonstrate why: a) 1 5 ll::lxe7+ 'fixe7 16 .i.d5 'it>h8 17 .l:!.hg1 ll::lf6 1 8 'ii'f3 ll::lxd5 19 .:r.xd5 ll::lc4 20 f6 ! 'ii'xf6 2 1 'ikxf6 gxf6 22 i.d4 ll::le5 23 f4 ll::ld7 24 .l:!.xd6 l:.g8 25 l:.d 1 l:.e8 26 f5 l:.xe4 27 .l:.g1 h5 28 .l:!.g5 l:.g4? 29 l:.xf6 ! l:.g1 + 30 'iti>d2 .:r.g2+ 3 1 'iti>e3 1 -0 Velimirovic-Buka1, Yugoslavia 1 97 1 . b) 1 5 l:.hg1 ll::lxb3+ 1 6 axb3 and here: b l ) 16 . . . ..t>h8 1 7 l:.g3 .l:!.e8 1 8 'ii'h5 i.f8? 1 9 .l:.h3 h 6 20 .i.xh6 gxh6 2 1 l:.g l (threatening 22 'fkxh6+ ! ) 2 1 . . .ll::lf6 22 'ii'xf7 'fi'd7 23 'ii'xf6+ .i.g7 24 :Xg7 1 -0 Lind-Unander, Swedish Ch, Karlskrona 1 983. b2) 1 6 . . . .1:!.e8 1 7 .i.d4 f6 18 l:.d3 i.f8 19 l:.h3 'ii'a5 20 'ii'g4 b5 2 1 .l:!.xh7 'ii'a l + (or 2 1 . . ...t>xh7 22 'fih5+ 'iti>g8 23 'ii'xe8 'fiat + 24 c;fr>d2 'ii'x g1 25 ll::le7+ Wh8 26 'ii' h5#) 22 c;fr>d2 'ii'xg 1 23 'ii'xg1 l:he4 (after 23 . . .'ittxh7 24 'ii'g6+ c;fr>g8 25 'it'xeS Wh7 26 'ii'f7 Black is helpless against the threat of 27 i.xf6 followed by 28 'ii'h 5+ 'ittg8 29 'ii'g6 and then 30 ll::le7+ .i.xe7 3 1 'ii'xg7#) 24 'iYg6 ! l:.xd4+ 25 'iii>c 1 1 -0 Colas Longares-Sanz Arilla, Zaragoza 1 999. b3) In The Sicilian Sozin, Golubev suggests 16 . . . g6 ! ?, although White is still doing well after 17 .i.d4 i.f6 1 8 ll::l xf6+ ll::lx f6 19 'ii'd2 fol lowed by 20 'ii'h6 and the advance of the h pawn. 15 .l:.bg1 It is possible that 15 .i.b6 is better, although it appears to give White no more than equality. Then Nunn-Chandler, London 1 984 continued 1 5 . . . 'ii'd7 1 6 l:.hg 1 ( 1 6 ll::lc7 l::tb8 1 7 ll::le6 ! ? is an interesting idea, although Black is doing fine if he gives up his queen by 17 .. .fxe6) 16 . . .ll::lxd5
THE OTHER SICIUAN KNIGHT LEAP: li:Jj5 1 7 exd5 .tf6 1 8 dxc6 'ii'xc6 1 9 i.d4 i.xd4 20 .:Xd4 .txf5 2 1 l:td5 (21 'ii'd2 l:tae8 22 .:Xd6 'ii'c7 23 h4 l:te2 24 .:Xg7+ 'l;xg7 25 'inl6+ �g8 26 'i!i'g5+ 1h- 1h was Nunn-Liberzon, Hastings 1 979/80) 2 1 ...l:tae8 22 'i!fd2 l:te5 23 .l:.xd6 'ii'e8 24 .11xg7+ �xg7 25 'inl6+ �g8 26 'ii'g5+ .tg6 27 .:Xg6+ hxg6 28 'ii'xg6+ 'iPh8 29 'iih6+ If2.If2. 15 lLlxd5 16 .txd5 .tr6 17 'iVh5 lLle7 White intends to play a rook to the h-file via the third rank. For instance, 1 7 ...'i!fe7 1 8 l:tg3 lLlb4 1 9 l:th3 h6 20 i.xh6 gives him a strong at tack and 17 . . . lLlb4 1 8 i.b3 'ife7 19 i.d4 lLlc6 20 .txf6 'ifxf6 21 l:td3 maintains strong pressure. 18 .tb3 'ifa5 19 l:lxd6 'ii'e5?? This fails to a simple but attractive tactic. Black should seek to eliminate the annoying bishop with 19 . . . .te6!, exploiting the pin on White's f-pawn. The game remains complex af ter 20 'ii'g4, breaking the pin, but Black should be able to defend effectively. 20 'ti'xf7+! 1-0 It is mate by 20 ... l:txf7 21 l:td8#. •••
The Kingside Queen I nvasion The lLlf5 sacrifice may catch the defender's king in the centre, helped by a kingside inva sion by the queen. In the next example, the queen invades on g7.
Gdanski - Mozny Zonal tournament, Odorheiu Secuiesc 1995 1 e4 c5 2 lLlc3 e6 3 lLlf3 d6 4 d4 cxd4 5 lLlxd4 lLlf6 6 i.c4 a6 7 .tb3 b5 8 0-0 .te7 9 1i'f3 'ii'b6 10 i.e3 'ilfb7 11 'ii'g3 i.d7 (D)
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White has played 'iWg3 in order to coax Black into castling, when .th6 gives White the initia tive. Black is happy to let the g-pawn hang, as 1 2 'i!/xg7 llg8 1 3 'ii'h6 b4 14 lLlce2 'ii'xe4 is good for him. However, he chooses the wrong waiting move ( 1 1 ...lLlbd7 avoids what happens now) and White springs a nasty surprise. 12 lLlf5 This move opens the e-file and, very impor tantly, the diagonal of the b3-bishop. I believe that the move first saw the light of day in Ivanchuk-Sakhvorostov, USSR Junior Ch, Jur mala 1 985, and was mentioned by John Nunn in his book The Najdoif for the Tournament Player in 1 988. It seems to have been a well kept secret, because several strong players have fallen for it since. 12...exf5 13 'i!/xg7 :CS 13 ... l:tg8 fails thanks to the open diagonal of the b3-bishop which allows 14 .txf7+. After the text-move, the queen stays on g7, and the f8-rook will gradually be stripped of its protection. 14 .tg5 lLlg8 After 14 ... lLlxe4 1 5 i.xe7 'l;xe7 1 6 lLld5+ �e8 17 f3, Black cannot retreat the knight, as 17 ...lLlc5 loses to 1 8 lLlf6+ �e7 19 .l:t.fe 1 + ltJe6 20 i.xe6 i.xe6 2 1 :Xe6+ ! 'l;xe6 22 l:r.el +. 15 i.xe7 The Ivanchuk game mentioned above con tinued instead 1 5 i.xfl+ l:txn 1 6 'ii'xg8+ :fs 17 'i!lxh7, when White had plenty of material and play for the piece. Gdanski follows a more recent improvement. 15 ...ttJxe7 (D)
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16 lLld5! lLlg8
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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After 1 6 ...tt:'lxd5 1 7 exd5 Black has no de fence against 1 8 .l:!.el +. forcing the king from the defence of the rook, and meanwhile White was threatening 17 tt:'lf6+ with the same effect. The alternative knight move, 16 ... tt:'lg6, was met with 1 7 tt:'lf6+ �d8 1 8 tt:'lxh7 l:.h8 19 tt:'lg5 �e8 20 exf5 l:.h5 2 1 tt:'lxf7+ �xf7 22 fxg6 ! 1 -0 in Kuczynski-Cvitan, Warsaw 1 990. 17 exf5 tt:'lc6 18 l:tfel+ An earlier game, Silva-Hawelko, Olympiad, Thessaloniki 1 988, continued 1 8 tt:'lf6+ tt:'lxf6 1 9 'fi'xf6 tt:'le7 20 .l:!.fe l �c6 2 1 'fi'xd6 .l:!.d8 22 .l:!.xe7+ 'fi'xe7 23 'ifxc6+ .l:!.d7 24 �e6 ! and White soon won. 18 tt:'le5 (D)
Rowson - Arakhamia-Grant Scottish Ch, Edinburgh 1 999 1 e4 c5 2 tt:'lfJ tt:'lc6 3 tt:'lc3 e6 4 d4 cxd4 5 tt:'lxd4 d6 6 g3 ttJf6 7 �g2 �d7 8 0-0 �e7 9 tt:'ldb5 'fibS 10 ..tr4 tt:'le5 1 1 ..tgS a6 12 ..txf6 gxf6 13 tt:'ld4 'ilic7 14 1i'h5 tt:'lc4 15 .l:!.fel 'i!fcS (D)
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19 tt:'lf6+! tt:'lxf6 20 'fi'xf6 White gives up the idea of undermining the f8-rook, for the alternative of undermining the e5-knight. The vulnerable d6-pawn is his next target. 20 �c6 21 .l:!.adl l:.g8 22 :XeS+ White chooses the flashy finish. The simple 22 'ifxd6 l1xg2+ 23 �fl leaves Black even more helpless. 22 dxe5 23 i&.xf7+ 1-0 After 23 . . .'ifxf7 24 "ir'xc6+ White emerges several pawns ahead. •.•
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tt:'lfS sacrifices share some characteristics with tt:'ld5 sacrifices. Here is an example where Black gives up castling rights in order to escape the e-file pressure, and White gains a space ad vantage by occupying the light squares such as dS and fS. Black's kingside pawns are then split, and the white queen invades there and ties down the black forces.
This was the tournament at which Jonathan Rowson gained the final norm for his grand master title. He needed one point from his last two rounds, and a fairly easy last-round pairing was likely as he had played all of his main chal lengers already. A draw in this penultimate round game would probably suffice. Imagine his feelings, therefore, when he reached this position and realized that his best chance for a draw was to give up a piece. 16 tt:'lfS! As Rowson described in CHESS, exchang ing queens would bring the black pieces to life: 16 'ifxc5 dxcS 17 tt:'lde2 �c6 1 8 b3 lt:'la3 1 9 .l:!.acl 0-0-0 followed by . . .c4, . . . ..tc5, . . .l1d2 and . . . .l:!.hd8. 16 exf5 After 1 6... lt:'lxb2, Rowson intended the self fork 1 7 lt:'ld5 ! ? with play more akin to tt:'lds sac rifices. 17 exf5 There is no need for White to occupy d5 yet as this recapture conveniently opens the long diagonal for his bishop. 17 tt:'le5 17 . . . "ir'xf5 ! ? would lead to a better endgame for White after 18 'ii'xfS �xfS 1 9 tt:'ldS �e6 (or 1 9 . . . tt:'le5 20 tt:'lc7+ 'it>d7 2 1 tt:'lxa8 .l:!.xa8 22 �xb7, when Rowson says that he likes the .•.
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THE OTHER S!CIUAN KNIGHT LEAP: CiJJ5 scope and targets for White's rooks) 20 t:l:Jc7+ 'it>d7 21 t:l:Jxa8 lha8 22 �xb7 :tb8 23 �xa6 l:i:Jxb2 24 a4, when the a-pawn is dangerous. 18 l2Jd5 .l:tc8 19 c3! This underlines the positional nature of Rowson's sacrifice. He is in no hurry to start an assault, and safeguards his queenside pawns. He now has the better pawns, more space, safer king, and active pieces. 19 �c6 Black's position is difficult, so she plays to exchange the dominant knight. 20 :Sd1 �xd5 21 �xd5 :tc7 (D) •••
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it is quite possible that he would have gained his grandmaster title with a round to spare. 22 'iii>d8 23 l:te4 He cannot yet play 23 1i'h6 due to 23 .. .'ii'xf2+ 24 'iii'xf2 t:l:Jg4+. 23 'it;c8 24 f4 t:i:Jc6 25 1i'h6 1h.-l/1 Rowson made this aggressive thrust and decided to offer a draw from a position of strength. Black accepted because after 25 ... 'it>b8 26 'ii'g7 :tcc8! (it is better to lose the f-pawn than the h-pawn) 27 �xf7 l:tcf8 28 �d5 �d8 29 'ii'd7 (Rowson's analysis), Black may be over the worst, but she certainly has no advan tage. •••
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Exercise Exercise 1 1
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22 'it;g2? Rowson hasn't noticed Black's plan to run her king to the queenside. He notes in CHESS that he can make her life more difficult with 22 :te2 ! �d8 23 'ii'h6 .::tc8 (not 23 . . . r;t;c8 24 'ii'g7 l:td8 25 'ii'xh7 followed by pushing the h-pawn) 24 �xb7 l:b8 25 �d5 r;t;c7 26 'itg2, when White has two pawns for the piece while his po sitional trumps remain. Had he played this way,
White is to play. What is his most promising course of action, and how can Black best de fend? There are a few surprises in store.
7 Open i ng the g- File aga i nst the Castled Ki ng: The Other tiJfS Sacrifice
Th e knight sacrifice o n f5, against a g6-pawn, has a long history. Like many sacrifices in this book, it is mainly associated with some specific opening structures, although it is rarely played before move 20 and often requires meticulous preparation.
The Open g-File At its simplest, the sacrifice aims to open the g-file for an easy mating combination.
Jimenez - Yepez Pan American, Havana 1970 1 d4 lt':lf6 2 c4 g6 J ltJcJ .i.g7 4 e4 d6 5 f3 0-0 6 .i.eJ c6 7 'ifd2 e5 8 d5 cxd5 9 cxd5 a6 10 .i.d3 lt':lbd7 1l lt':lge2 lt':le8 12 g4 lt':lc5 13 i.c2 b5 14 ltJgJ a5 15 h4 b4 16 li:la4 li:lxa4 17 i.xa4 .i.d7 18 .i.xd7 'ifxd7 19 h5 li:lc7 20 .i.h6 li:lb5 21 .i.xg7 'i!txg7 (D)
Black could decline, but 22 ...�h8 1oses to 23 'ii'h6 l:.g8 (or 23 ... gxf5 24 'iff6+ as in the game) 24 'ii'g5 gxf5 (or 24 ... 'ifd8 25 li:le7) 25 'iff6+ l:.g7 26 h6 l:.ag8 27 exf5 and White emerges with a decisive material advantage. 23 'ii'g5+ 1-0 After 23 .. .'it>h8 24 'ili'f6+ �g8 25 h6, mate cannot be prevented. Had there been a black knight on f6 in the ex ample above, then the queen check on f6 would have captured it, regaining the piece. In fact, when the defender has a knight on f6, this com bination is often played simply to regain the piece and retain the attack. In our first example, the pawn on h5 played a decisive role. That pawn may not be so readily available, so the basic idea of many straightfor ward li:lf5 sacrifices is to open the g-file and hammer the king (and any piece that may get in the way) to death.
Noel - Blocker USA Open 1972
All is ready for the breakthrough sacrifice. 22 ltJf5+ gx:f5
1 e4 c5 2 li:lf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 li:lxd4 li:lf6 5 li:lc3 a6 6 f4 'ii'c7 7 i.dJ e5 8 li:lf3 g6 9 0-0 .i.g7 10 'ilfel 0-0 11 �b1 li:lbd7 12 'ilfb4 b5 13 fxe5 dxe5 14 i.h6 .i.b7 15 lt':lg5 1Wc5 16 .l:.fJ l:.fe8 17 :an i.b8 18 li:le2 'fie7 19 ltJgJ ltJc5 (D) The black queen is a tempting target for the knight, and the white rooks are ready to exploit any open files. 20 li:lfS gxfS Like all silent sacrifices, Black may con sider declining this one. However, 20...11i'd7 (or 20 ...'ilfc7) fails to 2 1 .i.g7 !, when White breaks through on the f-file. 21 l:.gJ i.g7
THE OTHER l:jjj5 SACRIFICE
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Disaster is threatened on the g-file. For in stance, after 2 l . ..lZ'lxd3 the quickest finish is 22 lZ'le6+ il.g7 23 il.xg7 lZ'lf4 24 l1xf4 exf4 25 il.xf6+ fxg3 26 figS#. 22 il.xg7 'i;xg7 23 .l:txf5 1-0 A nice quiet finish. By removing the f5pawn, White cuts out ...lt:'Jg4 and threatens 24 lZ'lxh7+ 'it>h8 25 lZ'lxf6#. Meanwhile 23 ... 'i;h8 loses neatly to 24 lZ'lxh7 ! lZ'lxh7 25 fixh7+ g8 27 i.h6 (threatening 28 i.xg7 l::txg7 29 l:.xg7+ �xg7 30 l:.gl + �h8 3 l lZ'lf8#) 27 . . . i.e8 28 fixf7+! i.xf7 29 lZ'lxf6+ 'ii?f8 30 i.xg7#.
The sacrifice is most associated with Closed Ruy Lopez and King's Indian Defence struc tures in which the centre is blocked by white pawns on e4 and d5 against black pawns at e5 and d6. White prevents or deters Black's free ing ... f5 advance by playing g4, then moves his pieces over to the kingside before playing lZ'lf5.
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Alexander - Pachman Zonal tournament, Hilversum 1947 1 e4 e5 2 lZ'lf3 lZ'lc6 3 il.b5 a6 4 Jl.a4 lZ'lf6 5 0-0 Jl.e7 6 .:tel b5 7 il.b3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 lZ'la5 10 il.c2 c5 1 1 d4 fic7 12 lZ'lbd2 il.b7 13 d5 i.c8 14 lZ'lfl .l:te8 15 h8 19 lt:'Jg5 .:tf8 20 h4 lt:'Jg8 21 fie2 i.d7 22 i.d2 lt:'Je7 (D) The position is easily recognizable as a Closed Ruy Lopez. In similar positions, White may make more extensive preparations, for in stance by bringing both rooks to the h- and g files, but Alexander has seen his chance to play the sacrifice at once. 23 lZ'lf5! gxf5 He should decline the sacrifice. Opening the g-file gives White an irresistible attack.
26 l:.xg7! rl;xg7 27 lt:'Jxf8 'it>xf8 28 i.h6+ h8 42 l:tg1 f6 43 ll'lh4 1-0 The threat is 44 ll'lg6+, and 43 ... ..te8 allows 44 tt:'Jf5 followed by 45 .l:tg7 winning the queen. .
Black's last move weakened his hold on the f6-square. It is likely that Dworzynski was aware of the possibility of a tt:'Jf5 sacrifice, but that he underestimated the importance of that f6-square. 35 ll'lf5 gxf5 Again, it was better to decline. 36 gxf5+ c;j(b8 Now Black presumably anticipated 37 'fih6 'fif8 38 ll'lg5 (with the point 38 ... 'fixh6?? 39 ll'lxf7#) 38 . . ...txg5 39 'ii'xg5 f6 and the white attack is over. However, White can win a cru cial tempo by exploiting the under-protected f6-square. 37 f6! 'fid8 The critical test of White's idea is 37 .....txf6!? 38 'ii'h6 ii'd8 (D).
In the following game, White's task is com plicated by Black's counterchances against the white king and the mobility of the black central
THE OTHER liJj5 SACRIFICE pawns. White prevails by patiently minimizing his opponent' s counterplay while piling up his own pieces on the g-file.
Khalifman - Smirin Vilnius 1 988 1 e4 c5 2 00 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 lDf6 5 lbc3 g6 6 i.e3 i.gT 7 f3 0-0 8 'ii'd2 lbc6 9 i.c4 i.d7 10 h4 b5 1 1 0-0-0 l:tc8 12 i.b3 lbe5 13 i.h6 lbc4 14 i..xc4 lh.c4 15 i..xgT �g7 16 g4 e5 (D)
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19 l1dg1+! It is important to use this rook, since after 1 9 l::thgl +? �h7 20 l:!.g5 l1d4 1 the exchange of rooks means that he will no longer be able to double rooks on the g-file. 19 �h7 20 l:!.g5 l:tg8 21 l:tbg1 b5 Black cannot exchange rooks on the g-file as 2 l .. .lbg5 22 hxgS l opens the h-file, which is even more dangerous for him. Black's idea is to push the white knight away by ... b4 and then to open the centre with ... d5. 22 b3! White is happy to have his knight pushed over to the kings ide, as it will attack the h-pawn from g3. However, if he tries 22 lbe2 at once, Black can play 22 ... l:!.a4 when 23 'it>bl allows 23 ... 'ii'a 5, exchanging queens. Black can also respond with 22. . .d5 23 lbg3 dxe4 24 lbxh5 'ili'xd2+ 25 �xd2 l:td8+ 26 'it>c l lbd5 27 b3 l:txc2+ ! (not 27 ...l1c5 28 fxe4 lbb4 29 lDf6+ 'it>h8 30 l:.g8+ l:!.xg8 3 1 l:!.xg8#) 28 rJi;xc2 exf3 and the black passed pawns are dangerous. We will come back to this idea later. 22 l:tc5 (D) 22 ... l::td4 23 ikg2 ikf8 24 lbe2 only helps White to gain time for his kingside build-up. Black must retain counter-chances on the c-file. ...
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This is a Dragon Sicilian in which White's standard kingside build-up in the Yugoslav At tack gives him the possibility of playing the lDf5 sacrifice against the . . .e5 advance. Note that Black has a pawn on h5. This gener ally helps the sacrificer, as the pawn itself is vul nerable, the squares g5, g6 and h6 can become accessible to his pieces, and the defender's king is more open than usual. 17 lbf5+ gxf5 18 gxf5 i.c6! White was attacking the d-pawn, so Black defends it at the same time as preparing a cen tral thrust in reply to the wing attack. He can try to push the white queen into the attack 'before it is ready' by 1 8 ...11d4, but White can prove that he really is ready: 1 9 'iig 5+ 'it>h7 (or 19 ... 'it>h8 20 l:tdg l .l:1g8 2 1 'ii'h6+ lbh7 22 'ii'xh5 with two pawns and an attack for the piece) 20 l1xd41 l:!.g8 (not 20...exd4 21 lbd5 lbxd5 22 'ii'x h5+ rJi;g7 23 .l:1gl + 'it>f6 24 'it'g5+ �e5 25 f6+ and mate next move), and now White can sacrifice his queen with 21 l:!.xd6 1 l:txg5 22 hxg5 lbg8 23 l:txh5+ 'it>g7 24 f6+, when he enjoys a crushing bind.
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23 �b1! The significance of this subtle move may have been lost on Smirin. In the long line in the note to 22 b3, Black can exchange queens be cause 24... '1!kxd2 is check. White now intends to follow the same line, safe in the knowledge that it is no longer check and that he can force checkmate. 23 b4? ...
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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Black suspects nothing. 23 .. .'ii'a5 fails against 24 lhg8 .!Llxg8 25 'i!Vg5, mating, so it is neces sary to take time off to defend with 23 .. .'iff8 ! . Then White needs to move his knight over to the k.ingside, so the game might continue 24 .!Lld l (24 .!Lle2 is similar), and now: a) 24. . .d5 allows 25 .lhg8 .!Llxg8 26 'i!Vg5, intending 26... .!Llh6 27 f6 'i!Vg8 (or 27 . . .dxe4 28 'ifxh5 exf3 29 l:tg7+ and Black must give up his queen) 28 'ii'xh6+ 'it>xh6 29 l:txg8 dxe4 30 .!Lle3 ! and White's attack continues with only a rook and knight left. b) 24 ...l:txg5 25 hxg5 ! (not 25 l:txg5 d5, when the white attack is over and the black counterattack is just starting) 25 . . . .!Llxe4 26 'ifg2! .!Lld2+ (or 26 . . . .!Llxg5 27 'ifxg5 with a deadly g-file attack) 27 'i!Vxd2 �xf3 28 .!Lle3, when White has good attacking chances on the kingside. 24 .!Lle2 d5 24... 'ii'f8 is too late because after 25 .!Llg3, 25 .. .'�h6 is met by 26 'i!Vxd6, causing the col lapse of the black position. Black must defend the h-pawn with his queen because White re plies to 25 . . . 'it>h8 26 .!Llxh5 l:txg5 not with 27 l:lxg5, when 27 ... .!Llg8 defends for Black, but with 27 hxg5 ! , and now 27 ... .!Llxh5 loses to 28 .l:th 1 and a mating attack on the h-file. 25 .!Llg3 (D)
a) 27 ... .!Llg8 allows 28 'ifd8 �b5 29 'iif8 l:lc6 30 l:lg7+ mating. b) 27 ... .!Lle8 28 'i!Ve7 leaves the f-pawn de fenceless. c) 27 ... .!Lld7 28 'i!Ve7 'ii'f8 29 .!Llf6+ wins the queen and soon mates. 27 'ifxf6 dxe4 28 .!Lle2 1-0 One of the attractions of the .!Llf5 sacrifice is that even when it doesn't win by force, it may have such a suffocating effect that Black cannot exploit his material advantage anyway. I have seen several examples of defenders being unable to cope with the lack of activity forced upon them by a .!Llf5 sacrifice. Here is just one exam ple.
Reshevsky - Sofrevski Skopje 1970 1 d4 .!Llf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e5 4 .!Llc3 d6 5 e4 �e7 6 �d3 0-0 7 h3 .!LieS 8 .!Llf3 .!Lla6 9 a3 �d7 10 .l:tb1 g6 11 �h6 .!Llg7 12 g4 f6 13 b4 J:.f7 14 .l:tg1 b6 15 'it>e2 q.,h8 16 'ifd2 "ilic7 17 b5 .!Llb8 18 .l:tg2 a6 19 a4 a5 20 l:lbg1 �c8 21 'it>d1 �f8 22 .!Lle2 .!LieS 23 .!Llb4 'ii'e7 (D)
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25 l:lxg5 Now after 25 . . . dxe4 26 .!Llxh5, 26 .. .'tixd2 is not check, so White can play 27 .!Llxf6+ and mate next move. 26 'ii'xg5 'i!Vg8 26 ...'iVh8 doesn't help matters either, as 27 .!Llxh5 wins at once: .•.
In this blocked position, White has moved most of his pieces to the kingside, but Black has kept his second rank open for lateral defence. We appear to be about to witness the clash of the irresistible force against the immovable ob ject. 24 .!Llf5 gxf5 It is not strictly necessary to accept, but no harm should be done. 25 gxf5 �g7 26 .!Llg3 .!Lld7?
THE OTHER Black goes astray by blocking the crucial second rank. Still, after 26 ....i.xh6 27 'ii'xh6, he can go wrong in other ways, most of which involve oc cupying the g7-square. For instance: a) 27 ...T:..g7 and now: a l ) White should avoid 28 ltJhS l:lxg2 29 lhg2, because the exchange of a pair of rooks greatly weakens his attack and then 29... ltJd7 covers everything. a2) White would do better with 28 �e2 ! , when the threat o f 29 .i.h5 (followed by i.xe8, or �g6 and ltJhS) gives Black a whole heap of trouble. One particularly spectacular fi nish is 28 . . . ltJc7 29 i.h5 :g8 30 i.g6 ltJd7 31 ltJh5 i.b7 32 i.xh7 ! 'ii'xh7 33 ltJxf6 ! ! 'ii'xh6 34 l:txg8+ and mate next move. However, there is a straightforward defence which avoids all of this trouble: b) Black should play 27 ... 'ii'f8 28 ltJh5 l:taa7 (D).
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allows 28 l:lg8#, while otherwise Black loses his queen for too little material. 27 .'ii'f8 28 lllli5 �xh6 29 'ii'xh6 ltJgT?? Under pressure, Black has lost the ability to count. White can simply capture the knight, with mate to follow. He should play something like 29... l:la7, holding the black position to gether, after which the outcome should be a draw. 30 :Xg7 lhgT 31 :Xg7 1-0 •.
It is not only White who can play the ltJf5 sacrifice. There are formations in which Black can play it, especially King's Indian formations with white pawns on e4 and d5, and Black's on e5 and d6. 1f White moves a pawn to g3, a black knight can land on f4, sometimes with great ef fect. The sacrifice can be particularly effective if Black has played .. .f5 and . . .f4 and White has replied with g3 or g4. Black captures on g3 (en passant if White has played g4) and White re captures on g3 with a pawn. As the following game shows, the ... ltJf4 sacrifice then exposes the white king to potential danger along both g and h-files.
Stanec - Timoshenko Vienna 1998 1 c4 ltJf6 2 ltJc3 g6 3 e4 d6 4 d4 J.gT 5 �e2 0-0 6 ltJf3 e5 7 0-0 ltJc6 8 dS ltJe7 9 ltJe1 ltJd7 10 J.e3 f5 11 f3 f4 12 i.f2 gS 13 g4 fxg3 14 hxg3 ltJg6 15 ltJg2 aS 16 ltJe3 ltJc5 17 b3 (D)
There is little that either side can do here. Black can never take the white queen on pain of mate, but White is unable to make any progress because he cannot organize his pieces in the same way as above. For instance, he must re treat his queen before moving his knight in or der to bring the bishop to h5. Without the queen at h6, the bishop threatens nothing serious even if it reaches g6. On the other hand, if White is careful, Black can do nothing either and the game should be drawn. 27 �fl.? White misses 27 ltJhS !, taking immediate advantage of Black's lapse. Then 27 ... �xh6
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17 ltJr4 This is another sacrifice which may be best declined. •••
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ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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The immediate 1 8 gxf4 allows Black to re gain the piece at once by recapturing with the e pawn, as 1 8 ...exf4 attacks one e3-knight directly and discovers an attack on the other knight by the :fianchettoed bishop. Having safeguarded a knight with his next move, White succumbs to the temptation on the following move. 18 i..e 1 l:tf6 19 gxf4?! gxf4 20 lbg2 l:.g6 21 m hs! 22 .tn 1Wh4 Black could prevent a knight invasion by 22 . . . i..d7, intending to swap off the knight if it moves to bS, but ideally the bishop needs to be retained for use on the kingside. 23 tt:Ja4?! The knight could be put to greater use with 23 lbb5 i.. d7 24 lbxc7, but 24... l:tg8 would give Black a strong attack for the piece. 23 lbxa4 24 bxa4 'iVh3 (D)
Here is a fine combination that exploits the ex tra weakening of the king' s fortress.
Velikov
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D. Cramling
Reggio Emilia 1979 1 d4 lbf6 2 lbf3 e6 3 i..g5 h6 4 i..xf6 1i'xf6 5 e4 d6 6 lbc3 g6 7 i..d3 i..g7 8 1i'e2 lbd7 9 0-0-0 a6 10 l:tbe1 e5 l l lbd5 'ili'd8 12 dxe5 dxe5 13 h4 c6 14 lbe3 h5 15 i..c4 b5 16 il.b3 'ili'e7 17 lbg5 0-0 (D)
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25 l:tc2 A completely passive stance also fails; e.g., 25 l:.b2 b6 26 a3 i..d7 27 l:taa2 l:.g8 28 'ii'd3 i..f6 29 l:td2 l:.h6 and Black eventually rounds up the knight on g2. White hopes for some play on the c-file, but it is too slow to make a difference. Black cannot be prevented from breaking through on g2. 25 i..d7 26 c5 i..xa4 27 cxd6 cxd6 28 'ili'cl i..xc2 29 1i'xc2 �xf3 30 l:lbl 'ili'g4 31 lbb7 f3 0-1 .••
The final example in this section features another different pawn-formation, with pawns blocked on e4 and eS, and an open d-file. As we saw in the game Khalifman-Srnirin on page 97, the attack on the g- and h-files is often easier when the defender has a pawn on hS.
This structure can give rise to lbfS sacrifices by either player. Here, the fact that the b3-bishop has a clear diagonal to f7 has a decisive influ ence. When the white queen eventually cap tures on hS, it will not only threaten mate on h7, but also exert further pressure on the f7-pawn. 18 li:Jf5 gxf5 For now, 1 9 'ili'xhS fails to 1 9 . . . li:Jf6, which defends h7 and attacks the white queen. White removes the offending knight. 19 l:txd7! 'i!i'xd7 1b.is is forced, since the queen was blocking the king's flight so that 19 . . . i..xd7 allows 20 'ikxhS l:tfb8 (say) 2 1 i..xf7+ �f8 22 li:Jh7#. Now it appears that Black can look forward to the future with some confidence, as 20 'ii'xhS can be met by 20 . . �d8 and, after 2 1 i..xf7+ �f8 22 li:Je6+ (22 li:Jh7+ 1;;e7 23 i.. b 3?? 'ili'd2+ is a nasty accident), Black can return material by 22 ... ri;e7 23 li:Jxd8 'ikxd8 or even 22 . . .'ii'xe6 23 i..xe6 i.. xe6, in both cases with chances of a successful defence. However, White plays an intermezzo that avoids the accidental mate above and forces the queen to an awkward square.
THE OTHER ti:Jj5 SACRIFICE 20 l:td1 ! i.h6 20... 'ifie7 blocks the Icing's flight again, while 20...'iVc7 2 1 'iVxhS .U.e8 22 i.xf7+ c;i;>f8 23 tt:'lh7+ 'i;e7 24 i.b3 ! leaves Black unable to cope with the mating threats. Black gives up his queen, but the attack continues. 21 'ii'xb5 c;i;>g7 22 lhd7 i.xd7 23 �b1 fxe4 24 i.xf7 'i;b8?? 24 . . .i.f5 25 tt:'le6+ ! 'i;f6 (not 25 . . .i.xe6 26 1i'g6+ 'i;h8 27 'ii'xh6#) 26 tt:'lxf8 leaves White well ahead. 25 'iVxh6# (1-0)
The Pawn-Storm When the sacrificer recaptures on fS with the e-pawn, he generally follows up with a pawn storm against the icing's defences. This form of the sacrifice can be very double-edged, as there is no clear route map for the sacrificer to follow. In our first example, the sacrificer is helped by two factors. Firstly, the defender has weakened his own king's position by a pawn advance, and secondly the attacker's pawns are already well advanced and ready to strike.
Spassky - Kavalek Montrea/ 1979 1 d4 tt:'lf6 2 c4 d6 3 tt:'lc3 tt:'lbd7 4 e4 e5 5 d5 i.e7 6 tt:'lf3 0-0 7 ..te2 tt:'lc5 8 'ikc2 a5 9 i.e3 b6 1 0 h3 h6 1 1 0-0-0 tt:'lh7 12 g4 tt:'lg5 13 4Jd2 tt:'lb7 14 tt:'lf3 tt:'lg5 15 tt:'le1 ! tt:'lh7 16 tt:'lg2 ..tg5 17 h4 ..txe3+ 18 tt:'lxe3 g6 19 ltdfl i.d7 20 'i;b1 'iVe7 21 f3 c;i;>g7 22 ID2 tt:'lr6 23 'ii'd2 .U.ae8 24 i.d1 tt:'lb7 25 ..tc2 .:f.b8 26 tt:'lb5 .:f.bc8 27 :tb2 %:tb8 28 .:f.g1 .:f.hf8 29 g5 h5 (D) The position of the black pawn on hS helps White's scheme as it allows him to win a sec ond pawn for the piece and eventually to set free his h-pawn. 30 tt:'lf5+ gxf5 31 exf5 �h8 The threat was 32 f6+ tt:'lxf6 33 gxf6++ c;i;>xf6 34 'ii'gS#. Retreating the queen is a fea sible alternative defence, but White can build his attack steadily, preparing for the time when his pawns can run amok. For instance, play might continue 3 l .. .'i!id8 32 lthg2 .:f.g8 33 f4 i.xbS 34 cxbS 'it'd? 35 'ii'd 1 .U.h8 36 f6+ 'i;g8 37 fxeS dxeS 38 'iVf3 (guarding the f-pawn and
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supporting its later advance to f7) 38 . . .e4 (or 38 . . . tt:'lf8 39 g6 fxg6 40 ..txg6 tt:'lxg6 4 1 .!:txg6+ 'i;f8 42 f7 ! with decisive threats), and now comes the decisive breakthrough 39 g6 ! , with the idea 39 . . .exf3 40 gxh7++ �f8 41 .:f.g8+ and mate next move. 32 %:thg2 32 g6 is premature, since after 32. . . fxg6 33 fxg6 'iVg7 followed by 34 . . . tt:'lf6, the attack is getting nowhere. Facing a decisive breakthrough starting 33 g6, Black now finds a way to plug the kingside at the cost of a small material deficit. 32 e4! The black queen will cover some key squares from eS, and the black bishop will gain the square g4 to block the g-file. 33 fxe4 fileS 34 g6 fxg6 35 fxg6 .:f.f4 36 gxh7 i.g4! Black has minimized the damage, but White remained a pawn ahead and won by advancing his queenside pawns. •••
In the next example, the sacrificer could re gain material equality on two occasions but preferred to plough his sacrificial furrow. In the end, he managed the feat, probably unique, of sacrificing both of his knights on fS.
Lutikov - Yuferov Sokolsky Memorial, Minsk 1978 1 e4 c5 2 tt:'lf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt:Jxd4 tt:'lf6 5 tt:'lc3 a6 6 h3 e5 7 tt:'lde2 i.e6 8 g4 4Jbd7 9 i.g2 i.e7 10 tt:'lg3 g6 1 1 ..th6 tt:'lb6 12 0-0 filc7 13 'ii'f3 tt:'lfd7 14 .U.fd1 l:.c8 15 a4 tt:'lc4 16 i.cl 0-0 (D)
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ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES Another black pawn arrives on g6. 27 'iff3 .i.g7 White has won the exchange for a pawn, and his grip on d5 gives him the advantage, but Black has better defensive chances if he retains this bishop. 28 .i.xg7+ �g7 29 lLle4 d5 30 'iff6+ c;i(g8 31 lLld6 %1d8 (D)
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17 lLlf5 gxf5 18 ext'S Whichever pawn recaptures, the e6-bishop is trapped. 18 lDa5 19 .th6! White shuns the opportunity to regain the piece, as 19 fxe6 fxe6 is equal at best. Maybe White intends to take the rook instead... 19 .tc4 20 g5! (D) •••
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32 lLlf5!? The second knight sacrifices itself on f5, against a pawn on g6! Instead, White can play 32 lLlxf7 ! 'ikxf7 33 'ifxd8+ 'Ot>g7 34 'ikh4 (not 34 'ikxa5 'ikxf2+ with perpetual check) with two extra exchanges. Either White felt that there was still some fight left in Black's position, or he liked the idea of playing two identical sacrifices. lltis one has different motifs, mainly based on opening the g-file for the white rooks. 32 e4+ 33 ®h1 gxf5 34 fih6 .te2!? 34 ... %1d6 doesn't hold up the white attack, as 35 l:tgl + %1g6 36 l:txg6+ fxg6 37 %1g l ! leaves Black defenceless. Again Black returns the piece, but White retains an attack. 35 l:tg1+ .i.g4 36 hxg4 f4 37 g5! :td6 38 g6 fxg6 39 lhg6+ %1xg6 40 'ffxg6+ V/!ig7 41 Yib5 'ifh7 42 l:tg1+ �h8 43 'ifxh7+ 'Ot>xh7 44 %1g5 At last, White has a winning endgame as his rook and king will run Black out of pawns. 44 lLlc4 45 l:txd5 lLlxb2 46 %1d4 e3 47 fxe3 fxeJ 48 'iti>g2 b5 49 axb5 axb5 50 'iti>f3 1-0 ..•
...but no, he shuns even that. Time and again, we have seen that winning the exchange after sacrificing a piece is no guarantee of an advan tage. Here, Black would have whatever advan tage there is thanks to his lively minor pieces. 20 :Ce8 21 'iihs hs 22 r6 lLlxr6 White's pawn-storm forces Black to return the piece as 22. ...i.f8 allows 23 .te4 with the dire threat of 24 .i.g7+ and mate on h7. Black avoids immediate loss, but that is not the end of White's threats. To stop mate on h7, Black must also give up the exchange. 23 gxf6 .i.xf6 24 .te4 llg8+ 25 'Ot>h2 llg6 26 .txg6 hxg6 •••
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In addition to creating a phalanx of pawns on the kingside, recapturing with the e-pawn may open lines in the centre. In the game below, the sacrifice nudges the white king towards the
THE OTHER lDf5 SACRIFICE
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centre where the black army is waiting in am bush.
Rivas - Khalifman
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Dos Hermanas 1 993 1 d4 li:)f() 2 li:)f3 g6 3 g3 i.g7 4 i.g2 0-0 5 0-0 d6 6 llet li:)bd7 7 e4 e5 8 a4 lle8 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 lf:)aJ b6 11 i.e3 i.b7 12 li:)d2 bS 13 f3 'fle7 14 'ii'e2 li:)c5 15 a5 li:)e6 16 a6 i.c8 17 c3 h4 18 li:)c2 li:)h5 19 li:)fi c5 20 :led1 (D)
answer to the threat of 39 . . . g2+ 40 ..txg2 hxg2+ 41 'iii'xg2 :Xe l . This typical line is not forced, but it is a fine example of combining play on the kingside and in the centre.
B
27 Ad5 28 l:a4 ..
White is trying to reach e4 with his rook, even at the cost of returning some material. He fails thanks to a piece of opportunism by Khal ifman which leaves the white pieces in an even greater mess.
28 ..lhd2 ..
20 li:)ef4 21 gxf4 ex£4 22 i.ct .•.
22 i.f2 blocks the king's escape, which means that 22 ... h3 23 i.h I 'figS+ is curtains, so the bishop must turn towards home. 22 h3 23 i.b1 i.e6! Black's idea is to keep the threat of creating k.ingside passed pawns (by a . . .lDg3 sacrifice) hanging over White's head. Meanwhile, he will play in the centre, where the cornered white bishop has no influence, and White will have difficulty unravelling his other pieces. ...
24 lDd2 l:ad8 25 xf7 If 1 2. . . i.xf7, the exposed c6-knight allows White to regain the piece with 13 .ixf7+ ct>xf7 1 4 'fif3+. 13 'fif3+ e6 14 "it'g4+! 1ire7 15 e6! .ixe6 16 net 'ffd7 17 .ixe6 lZJxe6 18 lZJf3 l:.e8 19 l£Jg5 l£Jcd8 20 �d2 As in the Fried Liver Attack, the main theme is a black piece pinned against its king and White's attempt to win it, or to mate Black in his attempt to save it. The move played envisages a future check at b4, a typical diagonal attack on a king stranded in a wide open centre. 20...h6 21 l£Jf3! Black hoped for 2 1 lZJxe6 lZJxe6 22 nxe6+ 'ifxe6 23 net 'ifxe l + 24 .ixe l , when he has chances for survival. Svidler is patient, as there is no defence to his slow build-up. 21 ...i¥d5 22 l:.e5 "i.Vd6 23 cxd4 h5
DRAGGING THE KING OUT: tDxj7 If 23 ... c6, the bishop has its say through 24 d5 ! cxd5 25 i.b4. 24 'ii'e4 h7 (not 23 ...'ii'xd2 24 llf8+ 'ifi>h7 25 l:.h8#) 24 'ii'xd3 is decisive be cause 24 ...'ii'xh5 allows 25 ltJe7+ 'i!i>h8 26 llf8+ l:r.g8 27 l:r.xg8#. 22 l:tg3 d3+ 23 1;ht 'iffS 23 .. .'ii'xe5 is better, now and on the next move, although White has many ways to keep the attack going. In the game, the knight that has just joined the defence is soon exchanged and Black is left with queen and rook trying to hold off White's queen, two rooks and bishop. 24 i.g6 'ii'f8 25 'ii'xd3 ltJxeS 26 i.h7+! h8 27 ltJg6+ l!Jxg6 28 i.xg6! 'ii'g8 He should try to appease the white army by offering his queen with 28 ...i.d7. Soon, the black position is beyond any help. 29 llf6 (D)
29...i.d8 30 'ii'e3! i.xf6 31 'ii'xh6+ l:.h7 32 .i.xh7 .i.g7 33 'ii'bS! 'ii'f8 33 ...'ii'xh7 allows mate after 34 1t'e8+ 'it'g8 35 l:th3+. 34 .i.d3+ 1-0 White makes decisive material gains after both 34... .i.h6 35 :g6 and 34...'itg8 35 'ifh7+ 'i!i>f7 36 l:f3+.
Another opening featuring liJxf7 is the Coch rane Gambit in Petroff's Defence (1 e4 eS 2 ltJf3 liJf6 3 ltJxeS d6 4 ltJxf7). On the surface, it seems to have very flimsy justification. White gets two pawns for his knight, and Black is prevented from castling. On the other hand, White does not enjoy a lead in development, the black king is not over-exposed, Black is neither cramped nor tied up, the pawns are not ready to mow down the black position, and there are no nasty tactical follow-ups to watch out for. Yet in Mega Database 2001 there are around 1 80 Cochrane Gambits with a 63% score for White. Those pawns can be hard to stop unless Black is careful. Here is a stark example.
Majdanics - Duzs Aggtelek 1993 1 e4 eS 2 ltJf3 l!Jf6 3 ltJxeS d6 (D)
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Domination is complete. Now the combina tions start.
4 ltJxf7 �xf7 S i.c4+ There are two alternatives worth mentioning: a) 5 d4 is the normal follow-up: a l ) 5 ...l!Jxe4?? loses the extra piece to 6 'ii'h5+ g6 7 'ii'd5+, when White's extra pawn won the game in Reinderman-Van der Sterren, Amsterdam 1 999.
DRAGGING THE KING OUT: a2) 5 ... g6 6 ltJc3 i.g7 7 i.c4+ i.e6 8 i.xe6+ 'it>xe6 9 f4 ri;f7 I 0 e5 .l:!.e8 1 1 0-0, and now in Vitolins-Anikaev, Frunze 1 979, Black avoided I l . ..tt'lfd7 1 2 'ii'f3 liJc6 1 3 'ii'd5+ 'it>f8 14 f5 when White breaks through decisively on the f-file, instead baling out to approximate equal ity with 1 l . . .tt'lc6 1 2 d5 dxe5 1 3 dxc6 'ilfxd l 1 4 tt'lxd 1 bxc6 1 5 fxe5 l:txe5 . Note that both play ers here are rated 2400+ . b) The Cochrane Gambit has even appeared at super-grandmaster level, in the game Topa lov-Krarnnik, Linares 1 999, which ended in a draw. The game went 5 tt'lc3 c5 6 i.c4+ i.e6 7 i.xe6+ 'ito>xe6 8 d4 �f7 9 dxc5 tt'lc6 1 0 'ii'e2 'i!i'd7 (D).
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b l ) Topalov played I I i.e3, and the game continued l l . . .dxc5 12 f4 .l:!.e8 1 3 e5 tt'lg4. Black had suppressed the white central pawns, but the game was drawn after a complex middle game: 14 l':td 1 ftf5 1 5 0-0 h5 1 6 i.c l tt'ld4 1 7 'iVc4+ �g6 1 8 h3 tt'lh6 1 9 tt'lb5 a6 20 tt'lxd4 cxd4 2 1 'ii'xd4 .l:!.c8?! (2 1 . ..'ii'xc2 is playable) 22 'ii'h6+ 'it>h7 23 'ilixb7 .l:!.xc2 24 i.e3 'i!i'g6 (24 ....l:!.e2 ! ? gives better chances) 25 .l:!.c 1 ! .l:txcl 26 lhc l tt'lf5 27 i.f2 h4 28 .l:tc7 tt'lg3 29 'it>h2 tt'lfl + 30 'it>g1 'ii'b l 3 1 i.xh4 i.c5+! 1h-If2. b2) I I i.g5 !? is an interesting alternative. It takes a leaf out of the chapter on i.xe6 sacri fices, seeking to eliminate the f6-knight, es tablish the white knight on d5 and give the queen opportunities to attack the king from h5 and f3 . 5 ... i.e6 Black could break up the white pawns, at the cost of a pawn of his own, with 5 ...d5 ! 6 exd5 i.d6. Black omits to challenge the white pawns
0rrj7
113
until it is too late, and eventually finds himself buried under an avalanche. 6 i.xe6+ 'it>xe6 7 d4 'it>f7 8 'ii'f3 tt'lc6 9 c3 i.e7 10 i.f4 .l:te8 11 tt'ld2 'it>g8 12 0-0-0 tt'ld7 13 h4 tt::Jrs 14 'ii'g3 tt'lg6 15 i.g5 'ii'd7 16 f4 The pawns start to roll. 16 d5 17 f5 i.xg5 18 'iVxg5 tt'lr8 19 eS h6 20 'ii'f4 tt'ld8 21 g4 'iVa4 22 'ito>b1 cS 23 g5 hxg5 24 hxg5 With an open h-file and rampant pawns, White has a winning kingside attack. 25 'i!i'c6 25 dxc5 tt'lf7 26 tt'lf3 'ii'xcS 27 g6 tt'lb6 28 lhh6! gxh6 29 f6 tt'lxg6 30 'ii'xh6 l:te7 31 'iVxg6+ 'it>f8 32 .l:th1 1-0 •••
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The Follow-up Knight Check on g5 After tt'lxf7 'iii>xf7, the sacrificer generally fol lows up with a check to force the king into an awkward situation. Sometimes the king retreats into a restricted position within its own lines, sometimes it is pulled out in front of its king side pawns, and sometimes it has to tip-toe across the centre of the board. There are several types of check that can fol low the sacrifice - checks (from the point of view of White sacrificing) on the a2-g8 diago nal, on the h5-e8 diagonal, or from a knight, normally on g5. Each check may drive the king into any of those situations. The follow-up knight check can be very pow erful. In the two examples below, the knight re mains on g5, controlling some crucial squares.
Honfi - Gipslis Pees 1964 1 d4 tt'lf6 2 c4 e6 3 tt'lc3 i.b4 4 'ir'c2 cS 5 dxcS 0-0 6 tt'lf3 tt'la6 7 a3 i.xc3+ 8 'ii'xc3 tt'lxcS 9 b4 tt'lce4 10 ftc2 aS 1 1 tt'ld2 (D) l l tt'lxf2 12 �xf2 tt'lg4+ 13 'it>g3 When the defender has an unmoved e-pawn and a knight on d2 (d7 if the defender is Black), an attacking knight's feet will itch to land on e3. Here, the open diagonal from f6 to al allows it to fulfil its ambition in the line 1 3 'iii>e 1 'iVf6 1 4 'ii'b2 ( 1 4 tt'lb3 loses the knight to 1 4 . . . a4) 1 4 .. .'ii'f2+ 1 5 'it>d 1 tt'le3#. ...
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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17 e4 dxe4 18 ..ie2 f4+ 19 Wb4 lt:'le3! 20 'i!t'xe4 lt:'lf5+ 0-1 The white queen will be lost to a discovered check.
B
13 f5! In Agzamov-Al.Ivanov, Vilnius 1 978, Black gave the knight its head with 1 3 . . . tt:le3 ! ?, and won a long tough battle. For the time being, the knight is more useful on g4, where it restricts the white king's move ments. The text-move protects it, and simulta neously opens a path for the black rook to enter the attack at f6. It also prepares a wholesale ad vance of the black centre pawns to attack the white king directly. 14 tt:lb3 14 lt:'lf3 gets in the king's way in the line 14 . . . e5 1 5 ..ig5 f4+ ! ! 1 6 'iti>xg4 ( 1 6 'it>h4 avoids immediate loss, but the king is out on a limb af ter 1 6 . . .'i!t'e8) 1 6 . . . d6+ 1 7 'iti>h4 l:!.f6 ! with a mat ing attack. 14 .'i!t'c7+ 15 �f4 eS 16 ..ig5 (D) •.•
The majority of lt:'lxf7 sacrifices are played against the castled king. We shall investigate only those in which the king recaptures. When a rook recaptures from f8 there is rarely a true sacrifice as it normally leads directly to the ex change of two minor pieces for a rook and a pawn or two. In the next example, Black plays the sacri fice against White's castled king. The result i s one o f the most famous games played i n the 1 990s, a brilliant illustration of the power that a knight can wield over a king on the third rank.
Cifuentes - Zviagintsev Wijk aan Zee 1 995 1 d4 e6 2 lt:'lf3 d5 3 c4 lt:'lf6 4 lt:'lc3 c6 5 e3 lt:'lbd7 6 'i!t'c2 b6 7 ..ie2 ..ib7 8 0-0 �e7 9 l:td1 0-0 10 e4 dxe4 1 1 lt:'lxe4 'ikc7 12 lt:'lc3 cS 13 dS exd5 14 cxdS a6 15 lt:'lb4 g6 16 �b6 l:!.fe8 17 'i!t'd2 ..id6 18 g3 b5 19 �f3 b4 20 lt:'le2 lt:'le4 21 'i!t'c2 lt:'ldf6 22 lt:'lg2 'i!t'd7 23 tt:le3 :Sd8 24 ..ig2 (D)
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B
24
16 d5! The threat of 1 7 . . .f4+ 1 8 'iti>f3 e4+ forces White to make room for his king on e2, but Black will not allow the king to return to its lines. .••
tt:lxf2 25 'iti>xf2 l:!.xe3! In order to play the . . . lt:'lg4+ follow-up, Black must sacrifice a further exchange. 26 �xe3 After 26 'it>xe3 lt:'lg4+ 27 Wd2 lt:'lxh6 28 'iii>c 1 'fie7 Black has a pawn and an attack for the ex change. Cifuentes probably expected the game to end with perpetual check. 26 lt:'lg4+ 27 'iti>£3 .•.
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DRAGGING THE KING OUT: He cannot leave the bishop without protec tion, so the king must settle for a life out in the open. 27 ttJxh2+ By capturing the h-pawn, the knight cements its position at g4. 28 f2 ttJg4+ 29 � (D)
tiJxj7
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example, the king cannot stay on the f-file, so it is forced into the centre.
LeMoir
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R. O'Kelly
British Universities Team Ch, London 1972 1 e4 e5 2 ttJf3 ttJc6 3 d4 exd4 4 c3 d5 5 exdS ii'xd5 6 cxd4 ttJf6 7 ttJc3 .ib4 8 .ie2 ttJe4 9 .id2 .ixc3 10 bxc3 ttJxd2 11 ii'xd2 0-0 12 l:tb1 b6 13 0-0 .ib7 14 l:tb5 ii'd6 15 l:th5 ttJe7 16 .id3 ttJg6 17 ttJeS ID'e8 18 f4 c5 (D)
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29 ii'e6! There is no need for Black to settle for per petual check. The knight holds the white king on f3 for the time being. White has a sickly d pawn and his minor pieces are lined up on the e-file. Black's neat exploitation of the pin on the d-pawn brings both weaknesses into his sights. 30 .if4 The best defence is 30 .ic 1 when 30. . .c4 ! 3 1 'iie4 (not 3 1 ttJf4 ttJh2+ 32 'iii>f2 .ic5+ and mates) 3 1 . . .'ii'xe4+ 32 'iii>xe4 ttJf2+ 33 �d4 ttJxd1 gives Black a material and positional ad vantage. Instead, White allows a great finish. 30 l:te8 31 ii'c4 ii'e3+!! 32 .ixe3 l:txe3+ 33 \t>xg4 .ic8+ 34 'li>g5 h6+! 35 'li>xh6 l:te5 0-1 White is a queen and a rook ahead, but he has no answer to the double threat of mates on h5 and f8. •••
19 ttJxf7 xf7 20 .ic4+ 'iii>e7 (D) Thanks to the rook on h5, nothing can block the check. In addition, its presence forces the black king onto the awkward e7-square be cause 20 . . . 'iii>f8 allows 2 1 l:tf5+ xe6 21 lDd6+ lDeS 22 iJ...fS+ 'iPdS 23 :txeS# (1-0) •••
23 l:txg7+! Driving the king across the centre with 23 l:tel + 'it>d6 24 dxc5+ 'it>xc5 25 'ili'f2+ 'it>c6 ! 26 'iff3+ 'it>c5 ! fails to hit the spot. The move played gives up a lot of material to win the queen, but there is an important little sting in the tail. 23 'ifxg7 24 f6+ 'ii'xf6 25 %:txf6 'it>xf6 26 'ir'f4+ This is it. Black must submit to a check on f7 which wins his bishop by fork or skewer. With a material advantage and the black king still in the wide-open spaces, White won easily.
If the king is able to retreat to the back rank, pursuing it can be difficult. On the other hand, if it is hemmed in by its own pieces there, the sacrificer may only need to find a route along which it can be checked for his attack to suc ceed. That may be easier said than done, but there were two ways available to Tal in the ex ample below.
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The king can be pulled out beyond f7 by a sacrifice on e6. Here is a simple but spectacular example.
Burgess - Bank Friis Bellinge 1991 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 lDf3 lDf6 4 lDc3 JJ...e7 S iJ...gS h6 6 iJ...xf6 iJ...xf6 7 fk'b3 c6 8 0-0-0 'iic7 9 Wb1
Tal - Anon Clock Simultaneous, USSR
DRAGGING THE KING OUT: The scenario is typical; the sacrifice will be followed by capturing a pawn on e6 with check, leaving White with two pawns and an attack for the piece. According to Tal in CHESS, he stopped here to analyse for half an hour to find a good follow-up to the obvious tiJxf7 sacrifice. 18 tiJxl7 �xl7 19 'ifxe6+ �rs Now the obvious 20 l:lf3+ fails to 20...�f6, so Tal looked for a way to delay the rook check so that ....tf6 either becomes bad or impossi ble. He came up with the striking quiet move... 20 .tel! .. .intending to check on f3 (with the rook) and then on a3 (with the bishop), when the black defences would collapse. He could also continue 20 �xe7+ l:lxe7 2 1 llf3+ �e8 22 'il'f7+ 'iPd7 2 3 l:he7+ tlJxe7 (or 23 . . ."ii'xe7 24 �xd.5 regaining the piece) 24 'ii'e6+ q;c7 (or 24 . . . �e8 25 l:.f8+ ! �xf8 26 "ilif7#) 25 :n and the pin regains the piece. It is a shame that there is a second winning method, as Tal's idea is so aesthetic. To orga nize a defence, Black must now return material, but he remains badly tied up. 20 �f6 (D) 20...:Z.c7 fails in attractive fashion to 2 1 l:le5 ! (threatening to capture the knight) 2 I ...l:d7 22 :Z.f5+! �f6 23 �a3+ l:lee7 24 l:lxf6+! gxf6 25 :Z.g3 and mate on g8. .•.
CDxj7
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After a few slight lapses, excusable in a si muJtaneous exhibition, Tal now finds a pretty finish. 23 �xe7 tlJxe7 24 d5 �b5 25 d6 �xd3 26 d7+ 'ifxd7 27 'ii'g8# (1-0)
The Follow-u p Check on the Shorter Diagonal Here we deal with follow-up checks on the other diagonal, generally queen checks on h5 . If the defender's king can settle back on g8, the attack is likely to fail unless the attacker un earths a second sacrifice to open up the king's position further.
Motwani - J. Bellin Walsall 1 992 1 e4 c5 2 c3 d5 3 exdS 'il'xd5 4 d4 tiJf6 5 �e3 cxd4 6 cxd4 e6 7 tlJc3 'ii'd6 8 tiJf3 lbc6 9 a3 �e7 10 �d3 0-0 11 0-0 b6 12 'ife2 �b7 13 :ad1 .U.ad8 14 �b1 l:lfe8 15 :ret 'ii'b8 16 tlJg5 .td6 17 tlJce4 tlJxe4 18 .txe4 h6 (D)
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21 �a3+ :e7 22 l:le4?! 22 �xe7+ �xe7 23 l:f3+ �f6 24 :Z.f5 wins the knight. 22 'iPe8?! Black misses the best defence 22...l:lcc7 (met by 23 :Z.e5 ! �xe5 24 dxe5, when the d5-knight falls). •.•
19 ttJxl7 �xf7 The natural reply is now 20 'iWf3+, regaining the piece, but Black will equalize both pawns and position by a later ... .txh2+. White plays for mate instead. 20 ii'h5+ q;g8 If the king runs for the hills with 20...'iPe7, White opens the centre with 21 d5. The king can survive on g8 if Black is care fuJ. Now 2 1 'ii'g6 tlJe7 Ieaves White struggling
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
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to find an effective continuation of the attack, so he looks for a way to lay the black king bare. 21 .ixh6! tt::lxd4? After 2 l .. ...txh2+ 22 h1 gxh6 (22 . . ..if4 is also fairly safe), White probably has nothing better than perpetual check. The white bishop, having been spumed once, is inspired to even greater boldness . . . 22 ..txg7! xg7? . . . and this time the temptation is too much for Black. It is true that 22. . . ..txe4 23 .ixd4 leaves White threatening mate and the e4-bishop, but instead Black can create complications with 22 . . .tt::le2+, intending 23 'i'xe2 ..txe4, when White probably wins with some difficulty after 24 ..tf6. However, White can leave his queen on h5 and decline the knight with 23 'it>fl !, and after 23 ... ..txe4 24 .if6 Black faces catastro phe. The prettiest line is 24 . . . e5 25 'ilr'g4+ f7 26 .ixd8 l:.xd8 27 'i'xe4, and now 27 . . . tt::ld4 loses nicely to 28 ltxd4 exd4 29 i'lf5+ g8 3 0 l:.e6 when the king will die o f exposure, while 27 . . .tt::lf4 allows 28 'i'f5+ 'i;g7 29 .l:te3 with a decisive attack. After the move played White forces an easy mate. 23 'ii'h7+ ..tf8 24 'ilr'h6+ '>t>g8 25 .ih7+ 1-0 In the next example Black is the sacrificer. The g 1 -square is out of bounds to the white king, so it gets stuck on fl and Black - aided by a further sacrifice of the exchange - is able to build his attack at leisure.
Zagorskis - Sadler Olympiad, Elista 1998 1 c4 b6 2 d4 .ib7 3 .ig5 tt::lf6 4 .ixf6 exf6 5 e3 f5 6 tt::lf3 g6 7 tt::lc3 ..tg7 8 ..te2 d6 9 0-0 tt::ld7 10 'i'c2 0-0 1 1 l1fd1 l1e8 12 l:.acl a6 13 b4 tt::lf6 14 tt::ld2 tt::lg4 15 h3 (D) 15 tDxf2 16 'it>xf2 'ilr'h4+ 17 \tm. The alternatives are: a) 1 7 'i;g1 ? allows 1 7 . . . .1:1xe3 1 8 tt::lf3 (not 1 8 tt::lf l 11xh3 ! ! 1 9 gxh3 .ixd4+ 20 l:txd4 'ilr'xd4+ 21 '>t>h2 'i'f2#) 1 8 . . . ..txf3 ! 1 9 ..txf3 ..txd4 20 .l:txd4 'i'xd4, when Black is ahead on material. b) 17 g3 ? is met by 17 ... 'i'xh3, and the black queen gets to the g2-square as 1 8 tt::lf3 .ih6 1 9 l::td 3 ..te4 ! wins material for Black. •..
The text-move appears the least troublesome, but on fl the king will suffer from a severe shortage of air. 17 l::txe3 Black is threatening 1 8 . . .l:hc3 followed by 1 9 . . . ..txd4. 18 tt::lf3 1 8 tt::ld 5 ? loses nicely after 1 8 . . . .ixd5 1 9 cxd5 lhh3 ! 20 gxh3 'ilr'xh3+ 2 1 '>t>e1 'ir'g3+ 22 'it>fl .ixd4 forcing mate, while 1 8 .if3? allows 1 8 . . . .ixd4 ! , when 1 9 .ixb7 also loses attrac tively, this time to 19 . . . 11e 1 + ! 20 l:.xel 'ilr'f2#. It is very hard for White to bring his pieces to effective defensive positions, whereas Black is able to bring up his reserves undisturbed. 18 'i'f4 19 tt::ld5 .ixd5 20 cxd5 l:.ae8! Now Black threatens 2 l . . .g5 followed by 22 . . . g4. 21 ..txa6 Now White intends 22 'ikf2, but Sadler sacri fices a further exchange to open up the position of the beleaguered white king. 21 ...lhf3+! 22 gxf3 l::te3! (D) .•.
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DRAGGING THE KING OUT: Now 'Ci'f2 is no longer possible and again Black can build up undisturbed, despite being a rook in arrears. 23 i.e2 'iih2! If White does nothing, Black will play ...i.f6, ... i.h4 and mate on f2. White makes another at tempt to bring his queen to his king's aid. 24 'ir'd2 i.h6 25 'ifel? Countering the threat of25. . J:hf3+, but it al lows a brilliant finish. 25 nc3 ! is best, when 25 .. .l:hf3+ loses too much for the queen, and Black must probably take perpetual check. 25 ... 'ifh1+ 26 'it>f2 1Wh2+ 21 'iii>n fl'xh3+ 28 'iii>g 1 .:te4! There are two simple points. One is 29 fxe4 i.e3+ 30 'iff2 'ii'g3+ ! , and the other is that the rook can join the attack at h4. 29 .:tc3 .:th4 30 f4 'iVb1+ 31 �f2 nh2+ 32 �e3 1i'e4+ 0-1 On 33 �d2, 33 . . . .txf4+ starts the process of winning masses of material.
The �h7 Follow-up In the previous game, Sadler eventually wormed his queen in to the h2-square so that the king could not run towards the h-file. Many lbxf7 sacrifices are played with the intention of ac quiring the h7 (h2) square for the queen sooner rather than later, and following up by over whelming the king marooned on the f-file. A recurring theme in standard sacrifices is the rook-lift onto the file where the initial sacrifice took place. The defender's king normally re sides nearby or, if it has fled, the hole punched in the defender's lines can be used by the in vading heavy pieces as an invasion route. In the example below, a rook threatens to deal the de cisive blow to the king, and the monarch has nowhere to run.
tDxj7
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22 ti:Jxf7 �xf7 Declining the sacrifice by 22 . . . .:tf8 leaves White with an extra pawn and a strong attack after 23 lbg5 'ifxf2+ 24 �h 1 na7 25 nxe6. 23 'it'xb7+ �6 On 23 . . .�f8. the rook-lift 24 nd3 l:.e7 25 'iih8+ �7 26 nf3+ wins at once. The rook also deals the decisive blow after the move played, and Black is obliged to return the piece to prolong his resistance. 24 nd3 lbf4 2s :tr3 'ii'rs (D) After 25 ... 'ir'g5 26 g3, Black cannot use his g-pawn to support the knight, while 26 ... e5 al lows 27 'ikf7#.
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Christiansen - Vaganian New York Open 1990 1 e4 lbf6 2 e5 lbd5 3 d4 d6 4 lbf3 g6 5 i.c4 c6 6 0-0 .tg7 7 exd6 'ii'xd6 8 ti:Jbd2 i.g4 9 h3 .txf3 10 lbxf3 lbd7 u .tb3 o-o 12 net e6 13 i.gS b5 14 a4 b4 15 'ii'd2 aS 16 nad1 nre8 17 i.h6 lb7b6 18 lbeS c5 19 i.xg7 g8 21 dxc5 'ifxc5 (D)
Now White can play 26 g4 'ir'g5 27 .l:.e4 win ning the f4-knight with a decisive attack on the stranded king. Instead, he exploits the loose po sition of the other knight, way over the other side of the board on b6, with a double attack. 26 'ifc7 g5 27 'ii'xb6 e2 The king slides away from its vulnerable post at fl . and opens the back rank so that he can oust the black queen with a later l:.h 1 . 2 1 h3 would allow a simple but neat breakthrough on f3 by 2 1 ...fxe4 22 lDxe4 lDxf3 23 gxf3 l:.xf3 ! 24 'ifxf3 .i.h3+, while 21 'ifgl may be best met by 2 l ...liJxf3 22 gxf3 'ii'hs , continuing the at tack, although 22 . . . 'ifh3+ 23 'ifg2 fxe4 gives Black three pawns for the piece, two of which will be connected and passed. 21 ...fxe4 22 lbxe4 �g4 23 �e3 (D) •••
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15 . ttJxr2 16 'ittxf2 �xd4+ 17 'ifxd4 'ifh4+ Here comes the queen. 18 ct>f1 1 8 �gl leaves the e l -rook en prise, while 1 8 g3 ii'xh2+ 1 9 Cifi>e3 1i'xg3+ already gives Black three pawns for the piece, so the king chooses to tuck in at f1 where the rook and bishop get in its way. 18 f5 The queen doesn't come to h2 immediately as the first priority is to ensure that Black can open the f-file. 19 �f3 White uses the bishop to block the f-file. White can avoid the opening of the f-file, but he must watch out for the advance of the black . .
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23...ii'h5?! The threat of 24 l:.h l makes the queen take fright, but Black should stick to his guns with 23 . . ..l:tae8 ! , as 24 l:th l lbxf3 25 :txh2 lDxh2+ 26 ®d2 .l:txf2+ leaves Black two pawns ahead. Now White jettisons the g-pawn to allow his king to get away further, but Black retains some attacking chances. 24 liJd2 l:.ae8 25 l:.a3 d5 26 'it>d1 .txf3+ 27 gxf3 liJxf3 28 'ife2 1IVb3 29 :n lDxd2 30 :XC8+ lhf8 31 'ittxd2 'ifh4! 32 l:.b3? 32 c3 holds back the d-pawn, while 32 Cite l draws the sting from Black's next move. Hav ing missed the threat, the white king finds itself taking a battering in its new home. 32 d4! 33 ii'c4+ Cifi>h8 34 .txd4 Not 34 ii'xd4 l:.d8, when the white queen is lost. 34 l:.fl+ 35 'ii?c3 'ifg3+ 36 'it>b4 ii'd6+ 37 c3 :tf3+ 38 'ittd2 l1xb3 0-1 •••
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DRAGGING THE KING OUT: /:Dxf7 After 39 cxb3, Black regains the piece by 39...c5 with a winning endgame.
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Tal has seen something more aesthetically pleasing and at least as powerful. 17 'ifxh3! 1 8 gxh3 Ji.xh3# is a lovely mate, out of the blue. White's reply is forced, and the queen will settle in on the h2-square. 18 .i.f3 'ii'h2 19 lDe3 On 1 9 lDf2, Black can bring his knight into the attack with 19 ...lDxd5! since 20 exd5 allows the simple 20....i.a6+ 2 1 il.e2 !l.xe2 22 !l.xe2 .i.xe2+ 23 �xe2 'ii'xg2 24 lDe4 f5 with too many pawns for the piece, and 20...!1.xe 1 + 2 1 �xel 'ii'g l + 22 lDfl .i.a6 i s a complex alterna tive which may be even better for Black. White tries to hold on to his d5-pawn in or der to keep the knight out, but Tal proceeds to undermine the white e-pawn that is protecting it, and at the same time opens the f-file against the white king. 19...(5 19 ....i.a6+ may be better, so as to meet 20 lDdc4 by 20...f5. White could now make a run for it with 20 �e2 !?, but he misses his chance. 20 lDdc4 fxe4 21 .i.xe4 .i.a6 (D) •••
In the final example, Tal takes a few moves to reach h2 with his queen, which is offered as a sacrifice en route. The white king becomes stuck on fl , and Tal prepares to assault it along the a6-fl diagonal and the f- and e-files.
Gurgenidze - Tal USSR Ch, Moscow 1957 1 d4 lDf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 e6 4 lDc3 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 ll'lf3 g6 7 e4 Jl.g7 8 Jl.e2 0-0 9 0-0 :te8 10 lDd2 lba6 11 !tel tDc7 12 a4 b6 13 'ikc2 lDg4 14 h3 (D)
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14 lDxf2 The Benoni and King's Indian set-ups are fertile ground for ... lDxf2 sacrifices. Here, the fact that the white knight is away from f3, blocking the c 1 -bishop, allows the black queen and bishop to jump into the game at once with gain of time. 15 �xfl 'ikh4+ 16 �n This is forced, since 1 6 �g1 leaves the rook en prise on e1 , while 1 6 g3 allows 1 6...JI.d4+ 1 7 'iii>g2 'ikxh3+ 1 8 �f3 :te5 when there is no way to prevent mate by 1 9 ....i.g4+ 20 'iii>f4 g5#. 16 .i.d4 17 tDd1 Now violent measures are called for, since 17 .. .1i'g3 can be met with 1 8 l:.a3 'i¥h2 19 lDf2 threatening lDf3. We might expect 1 7...Ji.xh3 !?, a natural sacrifice in this position. After 18 Ji.f3 .i.c8 ! 19 lDc4 lDxd5 ! Black has three pawns for the piece, and a useful attack. ..•
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White finds himself surrounded by threaten ing possibilities, a typical feeling for one of Tal's opponents. The natural 22 lla3 bolsters the e3-knight, but Black can play 22 ...l:.xe4! 23 1i'xe4 lieS 24 'ii'c2 lDxd5, bringing the knight into the thick of the battle. Once the knight moves to b4 or f4, ...d5 will foUow and Black will win material. 22 .i.f3 l:leS Simpler is 22 ... 'iff4!, intending 23 ... JI.xe3 followed by capturing the c4-knight. In any case, Black's threats prove overwhelming.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
122 23 l::ta3 l::tae8 24 .id2
24 l::td 3 is more resilient. Black would change tack with 24 .. .l:tf8 ! , when there are two pleas ant lines: a) 25 �e2 lhf3 ! 26 �xf3 ..Wh5+ 27 'iti>t2 .i.xc4 28 1ixc4 (28 l::txd4 cxd4 29 'i¥xc4 dxe3+ gives Black a material advantage) 28 . . ..l:.f5+ 29 �gl 1ih4! and Black has the double threat of 30 ...1Wxel + and 30 ... .ixe3+ winning the queen on c4. b) 25 ll'lxe5 dxe5 26 ltte2 .l:.xf3 ! 27 �xf3 'ir'f4+ 28 'i!i>e2 e4, when Black emerges with at least two pawns for the exchange and is still on the attack. 24 ll'lxd5 25 .ixd5+ lhd5 26 'it>e2 .ixe3 27 l::txe3 .i.xc4+ 0-1 After 28 'ir'xc4 1Wxg2+ 29 'iii>d l the black queen rises from h2 and strikes the final blow, 29. . . 'ii'xd2#. .•.
Squeezing the Rook in the Corner We might expect there to be significant differ ences between ll'lxf7 sacrifices when the king is uncastled compared with when it is castled. In fact there is no discernible difference between the play in either case - with one exception. Oc casionally, less often than we might expect, the uncastled king is pushed into the comer where it and the rook get in each other's way. The oc currence is too rare for a valuable lesson to be learned, but it gives me the excuse to show you this lovely combination.
Pedzich - Murdzia Swidnica 1999 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 ll'lc3 dxe4 4 ll'lxe4 ll'ld7 5 .ic4 ll'lgf6 6 ll'lg5 e6 7 'iie2 ll'lb6 8 .id3 h6 9 ll'l5f3 cS 10 dxcS .i.xcS 11 ll'le5 ll'lbd7 12 lt:'Jgf3 .i.b4+ 13 c3 .i.d6 14 .if4 1Wc7 15 .ig3 ll'lb5 16 ll'lc4 ll'lxg3 17 hxg3 .ie7 18 0-0-0 lt:'JcS 19 .i.c2 b5 20 ll'lceS a6 (D) 21 ll'lxf7 'i!i>xf7 22 ll'leS+ 'iii>g8 The king goes to join the rook as 22 . . .'ifi>e8 23 ..Wh5+ leads to mate and 22 . . . 'iti>f8 23 1Wf3+ loses the rook in the other comer. 23 1ih5 .tr8
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The bishop takes away another square from the king, but 23 . . . .i.d6 allows 24 1We8+ .if8 25 .l:.d8 mating. 24 .ig6! After this White threatens 25 .i.f7+ 'iii>h7 26 'ii'g6#. The sacrifice has created a weakness on g6 which attracts the white pieces like moths to a flame. 24 .i.d6 24 . . . l::th7 allows 25 .if7+ 'i!i>h8 26 ll'lg6#, so the bishop makes room on f8 for the king. 25 J:!.xd6! 'ii'xd6 26 .i.h7+! The last two moves ensure that the white queen gains the f7 -square. 26 �7 Black captures with the king because after 26 .. Jhh7 27 'ii'f7+ 'iii>h8 28 1We8+ it is mate next move. 27 'ii'g6+ 'ifi>g8 28 1Wf7+ 'i!i>b7 29 l::txh6+! 1-0 White only has queen and knight left, but 29 . . . �xh6 30 'ii'g6# shows that they are suffi cient for mate. .•.
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Deadly Diagonals The ll'lxf7 sacrifice is all about open lines, more so than any of the other standard sacrifices. Open files and diagonals tend to converge around the f7- and f8-squares. The defender may block off a line or two in one direction, but then danger suddenly comes from another. The game below is a timeless classic, well known to most chess-players, but it is worth reminding ourselves briefly of the role that open diagonals played in one of the most stunning 'brilliant resignations' of all.
DRAGGING THE KING OUT: R. Byrne - Fischer USA Ch, New York 1963/4
tDxj7
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28 . . . 'ii'xf3+ forces White to concede even more material. 21. 'ii'd7! 0-1 The switch of diagonals is decisive. Byrne noticed the brilliant finish 22 'iff2 'ii'h 3+ 23 'iii'g l l:te l + ! ! 24 l:txel �xd4 25 'ilkxd4 'i'ig2#, and resigned just as the watching masters were predicting a win for him! ••
1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 c6 4 �g2 d5 5 cxd5 cxd5 6 lbc3 il..g7 7 e3 0-0 8 lbge2 lbc6 9 0-0 b6 10 b3 il.. a6 11 il..a3 l:te8 12 'i!Vd2 e5 13 dxe5 lbxe5 14 l:tfd1 lbd3 15 'ii'c2 (D)
Exercises Exercise 13
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15 lbxf2 16 'it>xfl lbg4+ 17 'it>g1 1 7 'it>f3 allows a quick mate: 1 7 . . . l:txe3+ 1 8 'it>xg4 h5+ 1 9 'iii>h3 (or 1 9 'it>f4 �h6#, the first diagonal mate) 1 9 . . . �c8+ and mate next move (the second diagonal mate). 17 lbxe3 18 'i'id2 1 8 'i'ih2 loses to 1 8 . . . lbxdl 1 9 l:txd 1 l:txe2, when the a l -h8 diagonal plays its part. 18 lbxg2! 19 'it>xg2 d4! 20 lbxd4 il..b7+ The h 1 -a8 diagonal will be crucial to Black s attack. 21 'it>n 2 1 'it>g1 allows 2 I . . .il..xd4+ 22 'it'xd4 .l:el + ! 2 3 'it> f2 'it'xd4+ 24 l:txd4 l:txa1 with an extra ex change for Black. Instead, 2 1 'it>f2 is met by 2 I . ..'it'd7 ! , and now: a) 22 lbf3 loses at least the c3-knight after 22 . . . 'it'xd2+. b) 22 lbce2 leaves the d5-square free, so Black can play 22 ...'ifd5, threatening 23 ... 'ii'g2+ followed by 24 . . .'ifg1#. Black wins after 23 l:tg1 (23 'ir'c2 'ii'g2+ 24 'it>e1 il..h6 and 23 .l:tfl �xd4+ 24 lbxd4 'ii'g2# are no better for White) 23 . . .l:txe2+ 24 'it>xe2 .l:te8+ 25 'it>d 1 �xd4, and the nice symmetrical diagonal fork is the least of White's worries. c) On 22 l:tac l , Black plays 22 . . .'i'ih3 and after 23 lbf3 il..h6 24 'ii'd3 �e3+ 25 'ifxe3 l:txe3 26 'iii'xe3 l:te8+ 27 'iii'f2 'iff5 the threat of •••
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White plays 18 lbxf7 'iii>xf7 19 1i'h5+. What are Black's plausible replies, and how does White tackle each one?
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Exercise 14
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White played 14 lbxf7, and after 14 'ittxf7 he found a spectacular follow-up. What was it, and how strong was it? •••
9 The B ishop U nseats the Ki ng:
.,txf7 + Sacrifices
The �xf7+ sacrifice is the most played of all sacrifices. In Mega Database 2001, more than 7,000 games feature the sequence ..txf7+ �xf7 (or . . ...txf2+, �xf2 when the sacrifice is played by Black). The sacrifice comes from a bishop being developed on one of its most natural di agonals. Under normal circumstances, it has made just one move: ..tc4. As a result, there is a huge variety of types of structure in which the sacrifice can be made. The great majority are not sacrifices at all, but simple little combinations which regain the sacrificed piece, often with interest. Many oth ers are desperate attempts to delay loss, the chance for a few spite checks that might just turn into perpetual check. 'Real' sacrifices, those which aim for an attack in return for the sacri ficed bishop, are in the minority, but still large in number. Although the ..txf7+ sacrifice comes in many guises, there are some common factors which distinguish many of them. The main weakness of the i..xf7+ sacrifice is that it eliminates one of the attacker's most use ful pieces. In the previous chapter, the bishop of ten played an essential role in denying squares to the defender's king and in launching snap at tacks. The king often died on diagonals in the wide open spaces. With the bishop gone, that role is generally played by a knight, which is unable to leap from one end of the board to the other in one go. It is well-known that a queen and knight make a for midable attacking force, as long as they can work at close quarters, and a lethal queen/knight alliance is a feature of nearly all of the exam ples in this chapter. We shall also see that the sacrifice tends to work best when the king's escape is blocked by its own pieces, helping the queen and knight to track down their prey more easily.
il..xf7 + i n the Opening There are many opening variations in which a bishop gives up its life on f7 or f2 for an early attack. With few other pieces developed, the at tacks that result have little in common with each other, or with those that occur when the sacrifice is played in the middlegame. Here is a brief selection: Two Knights: 1 e4 eS 2 llJO lLlc6 3 i..c4 lbf6 4 lbgS ..tcS S lbxf7 �xf2+ 6 �xf2 (the sacri fice is normally declined) 6 lbxe4+ 7 �g1 'Wh4 8 g3 lbxg3 9 hxg3 1i'xg3+ and Black has at least a draw. Ruy Lopez: 1 e4 eS 2 lLlfJ lLlc6 3 �bS a6 4 �a4 bS S i..b3 lLlaS 6 i..xf7+ �7 7 lbxe5+. This is quite similar to the Cochrane Gambit which we saw in the previous chapter. Sicilian Defence: 1 e4 cS 2 lLlf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lbf6 S lLlc3 a6 6 i..e3 e6 7 g4 eS 8 ttJrs g6 9 gS gxfS 10 exf.S dS 11 gxf6 d4 12 i..c4 'ilic7 13 1!i'd3 dxe3 14 0-0-0 exf2 15 i..xf7+ 'ii;xf7 16 'i!i'dS+ with a strong attack for the two sacrificed pieces, an idea which Shirov has used several times. •••
We shall consider the sacrifice in more detail in two other openings, the King's Gambit and the Philidor Defence.
King's Gambit: 1 e4 eS 2 f4 exf4 3 ltJfJ gS 4 �c4 g4 S 0-0 gxf3 6 1i'xf3 'iff6 7 eS 'ifxeS 8 i..:xf7+ This is the main line of the Muzio Gambit. The game Yoos - Kirton, Saskatoon 1994 il lustrated the problems which it can pose for the defender. The game continued: 8 �xf7 9 d4 'ifxd4+ In his book The King 's Gambit, McDonald suggests that 9 .. .'ai"f5 is the only possibility for Black to avoid a disadvantage. In Nunn 's Chess •••
THE BISHOP UNSEATS THE KING: iLxj7+ SACRIFICES
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Openings (NCO), Gallagher gives only the line played in this game, so it would be interesting to know what he thinks of 9 . . .1li'f5. Certainly, the natural reply 1 0 g4 appears to open up White's own king, and the game Asauskas-Croad, World junior Ch, Erevan 2000 offers confmna tion: 10 . . . 'iVg6 1 1 �xf4 lZ'lf6 1 2 �e5 �e7 (Mc Donald gives 1 2 . . .d6 1 3 �xf6 �xg4 14 'ii'g2 l:.g8, leading to Black's advantage) 1 3 lZ'lc3 d6 14 �xf6 �xf6 1 5 lt:Jd5 lt:Jd7 1 6 lZ'lxc7 lZ'lb6 0- 1 . 10 �e3 'ii'f6 11 .txf4 In NCO, Gallagher leaves off here with an unclear assessment. 1 1 lt:Je7 12 lZ'lc3 lZ'lf5 (D)
1 e4 eS 2 lt:Jf3 d6 3 d4 lZ'lf6 4 lt:Jc3 lZ'lbd7 5 �c4 �e7 6 .txf7+ This 'sacrifice' normally aims at winning the rook on a8. It is reckoned to be more reliable in the form 6 dxe5 dxe5 7 .txf7+ �xf7 8 lt:Jg5+ 'i!i>g8 (8 .. .'�g6! ? is risky, but now White cannot win the rook as 9 lZ'le6 can be met by 9 . . .'i!l'g8) 9 lt:Je6 'i!l'e8 10 lt:Jxc7 'iVg6 l l lZ'lxa8, and the game is likely to fizzle out to a draw with 1 1 ... 'iVxg2 1 2 l:f.fl lt:Jc5 13 'iVe2 .th3 14 .te3 'il'xf l + 1 5 'iVxfl .txfl 1 6 'it>xfl ct;n 1 7 lZ'lc7 lZ'lfxe4. 6... 'iti>xf7 7 lt:Jg5+ c5 1 8 b4+ 'it>d4 1 9 lZ'lb5+! 'iVxb5 20 l:tf4+ �c3 2 1 'iib 3+ '>ii>d2 22 'iVxe3+ 'it>xc2 23 :f2+ 'il'e2 24 :fxe2#. 1 4. . . 'it>e7 may be better as the king finds cover after 1 5 'ii'g5+ 'i!i>e8 16 l:.xf5 'ii'e7 1 7 l:te5 'it>d8, although he loses nearly all of his mate rial advantage on the way. After the move played, Black's queenside pieces are sitting at home unable to assist their monarch in its hour of need. They cannot even put in an appearance when the king looks for shelter on the back rank. 1s :xrs 'ife6 16 'ii'gS+ 'i!l'g6 11 l:f.xf8+! xf8 18 11fl+ 'it>g8 19 'ii'e7 1-0 It will be mate on f8 or f7.
Now White may grab the rook in the comer, which allows Black a strong attack. One feasi ble line is 10 lt:Jxa8 'ii'xg2 1 1 nn exd4 1 2 'i!l'xd4 lt:Je5 1 3 f4 lZ'lfg4 ! 14 'ifd5+ (not 1 4 fxe5 �h4+) 14 . . . lt:Jf7 1 5 'ii'c4 .th4+ 16 'it>d l .te6 ! 1 7 'i!l'b5 �d7 ! 1 8 'iVe2 lZ'lf2+ 1 9 'it>d2 .tg4 20 'iibs g5 and the black attack is irresistible. This book is full of warnings about sacrific ing a piece only to grab back material too early. White can play this as a long-term sacrifice, even though his compensation appears a little threadbare. We shall follow the game Mirkovic - Sutorikhin, Kecskemet 1996, in which White managed to claim some compensation by care ful play. 10 0-0!? l:tb8 11 dxe5 lt:Jxe5 In Jnformator, Mirkovic suggests that after l l . . .dxe5 White can play 1 2 f4. 12 'iti>h1 'ii'h5 13 f3! White should avoid 13 'i!l'd4, because after 1 3 . . . lZ'lf3 ! 1 4 gxf3 'i!i'xf3+ 1 5 '>ii>g l .tb3 mate is unavoidable.
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Philidor Defence:
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
126
13 h6 14 \Wd4 llJc6 15 'ii'd3! \WaS After 1 5 .. .'iPh7 White intended to work up some attack with 1 6 g4 \Wg6 1 7 l:.gl followed by 1 8 g5. The queen flees from the kingside, but allows the white pieces to occupy aggres sive posts. 16 llJ7d5 llJxd5 17 ltlxd5 .i.f8 18 .id2 'ii'd8 19 .i.c3 b5 20 a3 llJe5 21 li'e3 l:.b7 22 f4 llJg4 23 \Wg3 .i.e6 24 r5 White has plenty of play for his piece. •••
The Queen and Knight in Ha rness The most common way to follow up a .ixf7+ sacrifice is for the queen to take the a2-g8 diag onal and the knight to occupy the g5-square. One of the moves is a check, although the order in which they are played varies. From g5 and the a2-g8 diagonal the knight and queen con verge upon the e6- and f7-squares. Tal provides us with a simple illustration.
Tal - Unzicker
Nothing can safely block the check, and meanwhile the king is barred by its own pieces from reaching e8, e7 and g7, which might oth erwise be reasonably safe. It could choose the g6-square, but as we shall see, that is rarely a hospitable square if the attacker's queen and knight are in the vicinity. Here 25 ...'iti>g6 allows 26 liJh4+ �h5 27 'iff3+ �xh4 28 \Wg3+ �h5 29 \Wg5#. Unzicker therefore chose f8 but resigned be fore Tal could reply. After 26 llJg5, 26 ...llJd5 avoids mate but 27 exd5 threatens 28 llJe6+ and 27 ... .ixg5 loses the queen to 28 .i.xb4+.
In the next example there is no immediate forced win, but in many variations the queen and knight paralyse the defender's forces, wait ing only for one of the other pieces to arrive on the scene and land the decisive blow.
Velimirovic - Kavalek Belgrade 1 965 1 e4 d6 2 d4 llJf6 3 M e5 4 llJf3 llJbd7 5 .ic4 .ie7 6 0-0 c6 7 a4 'ifc7 8 'ii'e2 llJb6 9 dxeS dxe5 (D)
Stockholm 1961 1 e4 eS 2 llJf3 llJc6 3 .i.b5 a6 4 .ia4 llJf6 5 0-0 .ie7 6 l:.el b5 7 .i.b3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 h3 liJb8 10 d4 liJbd7 11 c4 c6 12 c5 \Wc7 13 cxd6 .ixd6 14 .ig5 c5 15 dxcS .ixcS 16 llJc3 .ib7 17 l:.cl 'i!tb6 18 l:.e2 :t'e8 19 llJdS .ixd5 20 .ixdS l:.ad8 21 l:.ec2 .ie7 22 l:.c6 \WaS 23 .id2 b4 (D)
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24 .hf7+ f8 l-0
10 .i.xf7+ �xf7 11 aS llJbd7 12 'ii'c4+ �e8 Again nothing can block the check, and the e7-bishop and the g7-pawn get in their king's way. The only feasible alternative is 1 2 ...�g6, but then I 3 liJh4+ d8 1 8 l:r.d l 'it'xd 1 + 1 9 �xdl hxg5 20 'iixg7 and 1 6 ... hxg5 1 7 l:lad l leaves White with an over powering position. The best defence is 14 . . . ..i.d8 ! , not bothering to block the d-file. It looks wrong, because 1 5 l:r.xd8+ 'it>xd8 1 6 �f7+ 'iite8 1 7 liJ:xh8 regains the piece, but after 17 ... lLle6, the knight will have difficulty escaping from h8. Again, White can play 1 5 i.e3, but Black's position holds together after 1 5 . . . ..i.g4 1 6 ..ib6! axb6 1 7 axb6 1ke7 ( 1 7 . . .'iWd7 ! ? 1 8 llxd7 lha 1 + 1 9 l:ld 1 :Xd l + 20 liJxd l ..ih5 is also playable) 1 8 l:.xa8 ..i.xd l 1 9 liJxd 1 and White has enough compensation for the piece, but no more than that. 15 ..te3 'ii'c8 15 ... h6 challenges White to land a blow or to retreat. The blow duly arrives after 1 6 liJb5 'ii'b 8 1 7 1i'f7+ 'iii>d 8 1 8 'ii'xg7 llg8 with 1 9 llxd7+ ! . Now: a) 1 9 ...liJ8xd7 allows 20 lLle6+ 'it>c8 21 'ii'xe7 cxb5 22 l:ld I with total paralysis, as 22 ...l:le8 loses to 23 llxd7 ! with a quick mate. •..
17 ltJa4! White prepares to strike on both sides of the board. The threat is 1 8 lLlb6! axb6 1 9 ..ixb6+, whlch forces the reply. 17 c5 18 lLlxc5! ..i.xcS 19 'ii'xg7 The double threat to the rook and knight al lows White to regain the second piece. At worst, he will emerge with three pawns for the first piece, and a withering attack. 19 liJg6 (D) •••
•..
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20 ..i.xc5 So far, White has played brilliantly, but with the winning post in sight he misses the frrst of several quicker wins: 20 'ii'xf6+! �e7 2 1 lLle6+ 'iii>e8 22 li:Jg7+ 'it>d8 23 ..i.b6+! axb6 24 'ii'xb6+ 'ii'c7 25 l:lxd7+ ! (even better than 25 li:Je6+, whlch wins the queen) 25 ... Wxd7 26 'ii'e6+
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ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
�d8 27 l:td 1 + mating. He manages to stagger home in the end. 20 lt:lh5 21 il..e7+ r3tc7 22 il..d6+ �c6 23 'ikf7 'iti>b5 24 a6 bxa6 25 'ikd5+ 'iti>b6 26 c4 'ii'c6 27 'ika5+ 'iti>b7 28 il..cS l:!.ac8 29 b4 .U.hd8 30 lt:lf7 .l:tg8 31 .l:td6 lt:lgf4 32 .l:txc6 l1xg2+ 33 'iti>fl .l:txc6 34 lt:ld8+ 'it>c8 35 lt:lxc6 il..xc6 36 il..d6 1-0 •••
In the next game, the queen and knight quickly reach their key squares. From there, they gradually push the king up the board so that their fellow pieces can assist in the final ex ecution.
Castagna - Ernst
White can save himself with the remarkable resource 1 8 lt:lc3 ! ! . Now the attack proceeds without interruption. 18 ...'ii'd4+ 19 'iii>g2 'iVe4+ 20 'it>g1 'ii'e3+ 21 rt>g2 'ii'xe2+ 22 'iii>b3 lt:lf2+ 23 'it>g2 lt:ld1+ 24 'iti>h3 'ii'fl + 25 rt>h4 g5+ 26 'iii>xg5 .l:.g8+ 27 'iti>h4 .U.g4+! 0-1 On 28 �xg4, 28 . . . lt:le3+ completes the mat ing-net by covering the escape-square at g2, and the king-hunt will end with 29 'iii>h4 'ii'f6+ 30 'iti>h5 (or 30 'iti>h3 'ii'h6#) 30 ... 'ii'g6+ 3 1 'iii>h4 'ii'g4#. When the attacker's queen is accompanied by two knights, the effect can be overwhelming. The following two examples are justly famous.
Biel 1982
Teichmann - Schlechter 1 d4 d5 2 lt:lf3 e6 3 g3 c5 4 il.. g2 lt:lc6 5 0-0 lt:lf6 6 c4 dxc4 7 'ika4 cxd4 8 lt:lxd4 'ii'xd4 9 il..xc6+ il..d7 10 il.. xd7+ 'ikxd7 1 1 'ii'xc4 .U.c8 12 'ikb3 'ifd5 13 'ifa4+ b5 14 'ii'xa7 il..c5 15 'ika6 (D)
Karlsbad 1 9ll 1 e4 e5 2 lt:lf3 lt:lc6 3 il..b5 a6 4 il..a4 lt:lf6 5 0-0 il..e7 6 .U.e1 b5 7 i.b3 d6 8 c3 0-0 9 d3 lt:la5 10 iL.c2 c5 1 1 lt:lbd2 'fic7 12 lt:lfl lt:lc6 13 lt:le3 il..b7 14 lt:lf5 .U.fe8 15 il..g5 lt:ld7 16 il..b3 liJfS 17 il..d5 lt:lg6 18 il..xe7 lt:lgxe7 (D)
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15...il..xf2+ 16 'iti>xf2 The king must capture as 1 6 .U.xf2 allows 1 6 . . .Ihc l + 1 7 .l:tfl .l:txf l + 1 8 'iii>xfl 'ii'h l + 1 9 'it>f2 lt:lg4#. 16 ...lt:lg4+ 17 'it>g1 The e-pawn blocks the king's escape route. In similar positions, with the defender's e-pawn unmoved, the square in front of it often be comes an important jumping-off point for the attacking pieces, but here the white bishop is covering e3. Black soon does something about that. 17 ....l:txcl! 18 :Xcl?
19 il..xf7+ �7 20 lt:lg5+ As usual the king would prefer to escape via e7, but this time a knight is in the way. 20...'it>g8 There are two other squares for the king: a) After 20 .. .'ii? g6 21 'ii'g4 the immediate threat is 22 lt:le6+, winning the queen, and the black king cannot cope with the queen and knights at such close quarters. b) 20 . . .'it>f6 is the best try. White can reply 2 l lt:lxh7+ (not 2 l lt:lxg7? lt:lg6 22 lt:lxe8+ .l:txe8
THE BISHOP UNSEATS THE KING: bf7+ SACRIFICES 23 'it'h5 h6! with the point that 24 'ifxh6 l::th 8 costs White material) 2 1 . . .�n (2l . ..�g6 allows 22 1i'g4+ with a decisive attack) 22 tt'lg5+ 'it16 23 1i'g4! with a winning attack. For example, 23 ... g6 24 tt'lg7! .!:th8 25 tt'l5e6 'it'c8 26 l::te3 ! g7: 17 tt'le6+ b7 25 l'l.c l , when the queen and rook are closing in on the black king.
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Now a white knight finds another target. 20 �d4! 'ittf8 20...Jlxc7 loses the queen to 21 �c6+, while 20 ... 'ii'xc7 21 :Xc7 Jl.xc7 loses material to 22 'f!ie6+ 'iii>f8 23 1i'c6 l:.a7 24 �6+. 21 �xa8 1-0 2 l ...'ifxa8 22 'fie6 'i!Vb8 23 �c6 "fic7 24 �e7 is slaughter.
The Attacker's Pieces Squeeze the King As we have seen, a successful Jlxf7+ sacrifice often relies on the king's escape-squares being blocked by its own pieces. However, some times the attacker's pieces play a role by con trolling key escape-squares. Here is an example where the e-file plays a dramatic role, both in the game and in some crucial variations.
Alekhine - lsakov Moscow Ch 1919 1 e4 eS 2 d4 exd4 3 c3 dxc3 4 �xc3 Jlb4 5 Jlc4 d6 6 �f3 Jlxc3+ 7 bxc3 �c6 8 0-0 �f6 9 .i.a3 0-0 10 eS �g4 1 1 exd6 cxd6 12 Jlxd6 l:.e8 13 lle1 Jtrs (D) The e-file is open and White has two beauti fully placed bishops. This helps White to play a decisive sacrifice, despite the presence of the
black bishop on f5 which defends some impor tant kingside squares. 14 .i.xf7+ 'ifi>xf7 15 'ii'dS+ Wf6 Nothing can safely block the queen check as 1 5 ... h6 loses to 1 6 �g5+, so the king is forced to an awkward and exposed square. 16 b3 Jl.e6 After 1 6...�h6 White can regain the piece by 1 7 g4 followed by g5+, or play 1 7 l:.xe8 'ii'xe8 1 8 llel first with greater chances of an advantage. Isakov's move gives White the opportunity to play 1 7 :Xe6+! l:txe6 1 8 'ii'g 5+ �f7 1 9 'ii'f5+, when White mates o r wins material. One sample line is 1 9 ... llf6 20 'ii'd5+ 'it>g6 2 1 'ii'e4+ �h6 (not 2 l . . .�f7 22 �g5+ �g8 23 ..xh7#) 22 il.f4+ g5 23 Jl.xg5+ �g7 24 'ifxg4 llg6 25 Jlxd8 l:txg4 26 hxg4 with two extra pawns. Alekhine's choice gives Black some breath ing space. 17 'i!kd2 �h6 18 g4 g6 1 8 . . . �f7 loses to 1 9 'ii'f4+ �g6 20 l:txe6+! l:txe6 21 'ii'f5+ h6 22 'ii' h5#. The best move is 1 8 . . .�g6. It appears risky, but it allows Black to avoid the worst. White can keep his attack go ing by doubling rooks on the e-file. 19 g5+ 1 9 'ffxh6 1ixd6 20 g5+ �f7 2 1 'fixh7+ �f8 (D) leaves the black king gasping for air. The situation - a queen on h7 and a king stuck on f8 - is familiar from the previous chapter. Searching for a way to land a blow on the black king, we find 22 �h4!. The l.hreat is 23 �xg6#, which can be met in two main ways: a) 22...JI.f7 opens the e-file, allowing 23 'ii'h 8+ Jl.g8 24 'fih6+ gs 22 r4 l:.ad8 23 ltad1 i.c4 (D) .••
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24 i.e7! The main objective is the h-pawn. 24 Jbd2 25 �:xf6 lhe1+ 26 l:txel �f7 27 lDe4! l:.xa2 28 �g7 i.b3 29 lDf6+ Wf7 30 lDxh7 1-0 Objective achieved. The passed h-pawn is decisive. ••
B
With his lOth and 1 3th moves, Black opened the position with a pair of pawn sacrifices. As a result, he has a lead in development and the f file is half-open. The position is ripe for the sac rifice. 16...�xf2+ 17 rj;xf2 'ii'xh2 Here the queen is immune from harassment thanks to 1 8 l:.h 1 ? lDe4+ 1 9 'iifr>f l lDg3+ 20 �f2 lDxhl + 2 1 'ii'xh 1 1i'xf4+, when material is ap proximately level and the black pieces are ex tremely active. One nice line is 22 lDf3 l:.ae8 23 �d I 1i'e3+ 24 Wfl l:.d8 25 1i'b3 .l:d3 ! with a decisive attack. 18 lDd2 After 1 8 lDc3 i.h3 19 l:tgl l:tae8! (threaten ing 20... :Xe5) 20 lDd3 lDh5 Black will break through on f4, so White reluctantly interrupts his queen's defence of the f-pawn in order to move the knight towards f3 where it will block the f-file and defend his other knight on eS. 18 �h3 This forces White to block his king's route to safety, freeing the black queen for more aggres sive duties. 19 l:tg1 1i'xf4+ 20 lDdf3 lDe4+ 21 �e1 .•.
132
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
White cannot retain his extra piece as 21 �I is met by 2 l ...'ii'g3, threatening mate and the e5-knight. 21...'i!kg3+ 22 �dl i.xg2 A pawn ahead and still attacking, Black has a decisive advantage.
The King is Forced to g6 We have already seen how quickly a king can perish if it is forced to the g6-square. In the notes to both Tal-Unzicker and Velimirovic Kavalek (page 126), we saw that the follow-up would be lt::lh4+, the king walks up to the knight, grabs it, and the roof falls in. However, it is easy for the sacrificer to get over-excited and lose his way. There have been many games in which the attacker missed beau tiful quick wins after forcing the king to walk the plank in this way.
Here White's control of the e-file limits the king's options, but the f4-bishop also plays an important role since 28 ... �f8 loses to 29 .i.d6+, as well as to 29 li:Jg5. 28 e5 1 8 .i.f4+ xf4 19 lbe6+ 'it>eS (19 .. .'.ti>g4 20 'ii'h3#) 20 l:.el + lbe4 21 'ii'xe4+ 'it>f6 22 l:tfl#. Again, Black can avoid the worst by 1 4. . .liJfg4 !?, which clears the f6-square for the black king and gives Black some chances to survive. 13 ...h6 14 liJe6+ 'it>f7 15 .l:.xg7+ 'it>e8 White's pretty idea was 15 .. .'.ti>xe6 16 d5+ ! cxd5 1 7 'iff3 d.xe4 1 8 'ii'h3+ and mate next move. With the move played, the black king has es caped from the wide-open spaces at the cost of a second pawn for the piece. Now White may do best with the patient 1 6 dS cS (not 16 ... cxd5 17 liJxdS ltJxd5 1 8 'ili'h5#) 17 f4, followed by gradually feeding the white pieces into the at tack. Christiansen prefers to continue his pur suit of the king in a more direct way. 16 'i!Vc4 White intends 1 7 liJc7+ 'ii'xc7 1 8 'ili'f7+ 'it>d8 1 9 'ili'xe7#. However, there is no need for Black to capture the knight. 17 .. .'1ttd 8 1 8 ltJxa8 is not
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
134
bad for Black, so Black now has a spare tempo to spend on disentangling his pieces. 16 ltJh5 Christiansen suggests 1 6 ...b5 !, when 17 axb5? axb5 leaves both his queen and rook attacked. White may have nothing better than to take the draw by 1 7 ltJc7+ �d8 1 8 ltJe6+. 17 :lg6 ltJdf6? Black avoids 1 7 . . . exd4 18 lbxd4 ltJe5 1 9 'ii'e2 ! . Then White gains a strong attack after 1 9 . . . ltJxg6 (inserting 1 9 . . . ltJf4 20 .i.xf4 brings the bishop to a strong post) 20 'ii'xh5 'iJf7 2 1 ltJf5 'il¥d7 2 2 ltJe2, when the rook can swing into the attack via a3 . A better alternative may be 1 7 . . . b5, because Black can reply to 1 8 it'e2 with 1 8 . . . ltJdf6, when the white queen has been chased away from its dominant post and the h5-knight de fended, the white knight on e6 is under attack, and 19 ltJg7+? allows 19 . . . ..ti>f7, attacking the knight and rook. White would have little option but to play instead 1 8 'ii'a2 or 1 8 'iib 3, but that would lose the option to switch the queen to the kingside. After the move played, the white pieces are able to maintain their attacking positions for the final assault. 18 dxe5 dxe5 19 ltJg7+ ltJxg7 20 :lxg7 l:tf8 21 .i.xh6 �d7 22 l:td1 ltJg4 23 .i.gS ltJf6 (D) 23 . . . .i.c5 allows White to reach a winning endgame by temporarily sacrificing his queen with 24 'fixeS ! bxc5 25 l:te7+, when White will emerge with three good pawns for the ex change. •••
After the move played, Black is completely tied down and White prepares his combination. 24 aS! b5 25 lhe7+! d7 25 till.c5+ 'it>c7 26 lbxb7, when the knight is im mune because 26 ...�xb7 loses to 27 l:.e7+ and 26 ... l:!.xb7 to 27 axb5. The text-move is the simplest continuation of the attack, threatening 20 'ii'h5 and mate on h7. Black tries to get his knight to f6... 19 lbd7 20 lbe4 1-0 . . .but the white knight uses the open e4square to defend the f6-pawn and attack the queen (which means that this winning method would not work if there were a black pawn on d5). The f8-rook prevents the queen from reach ing f8, so there is no good defence to �g4+ with mate on g7. .
.••
The sacrifice (with the e-pawn recapturing on f6) rarely works when the defender has a d-pawn on d5 (d4 if Black is the sacrificer). The next example is an exception. Black plays the sacrifice (...lbf3+), and there is a white pawn on d4. However, the piece/pawn layout allows Black to force a quick mate on h2.
Salmela - Seeman
In part, the set-up is familiar, with the g5knight ready to jump into f3, the black bishop on f5 on the same diagonal as the white queen, and the white rook on fl preventing its own k.ing's flight. On the other hand, the black queen 's po sition - and the position of the d-pawns - puts it on an open diagonal to h2. Black's exchange sacrifice has avoided the necessity for the black queen to lose a move or to shift away from the h2-b8 diagonal. It has dragged the bishop to a square where it will no longer come under attack after the black e pawn recaptures on f3, but that is of no impor tance because h2, not g2, is Black's main tar get. When it recaptures on f3, the black spear head pawn will discover an attack by the f5bishop on the white queen, and that will give Black the time he needs to play . . . lllg4 with an unstoppable mate. 22 lbf3+ 23 gxf3 exfJ 24 e4 24 i.d3 meets the same reply. 24 lbg4 0-1 After 25 l:td l it is mate by 25 ... 1i'xh2+ 26 'iii>f l 'iVh I #. The pawn on f3 not only fonns part of the mating-net, but it also prevents White from playing his own pawn to f4 to block the queen's diagonal to h2. ...
•••
Tampere 1999 1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 g6 3 lbcJ i.g7 4 lbfJ 0-0 5 e3 d6 6 b4 lbbd7 7 l:.b1 e5 8 �e2 l:te8 9 0-0 e4 10
Next comes a short combination in which White's mate threats slide along the front of the black k.ing's fortress. On one move White
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
138
threatens mate on h7, on the next he threatens mate on g7, and on the following move he mates on f7.
Heilpern - Pick
The threat of 21 'ikg7# can only be met by 20 . . . J::!.g 8, but then comes 21 ltJxf7#.
Helpful Factors
Vienna 1910 1 e4 e5 2 ltJfJ ltJc6 3 d4 exd4 4 c3 dxc3 5 �c4 cxb2 6 �xb2 �b4+ 7 ltJc3 ltJf6 8 e5 ltJg4 9 0-0 o-o 10 lbd5 �c5 1 1 h3 ltJh6 12 'ii'd2 ttJr5 13 'ii'f4 d6 14 l:[ad1 �d7 15 'iig4 lbe3 16 'iih5 ltJxc4 (D)
There are several factors which can help the lbf6+ sacrifice to be successful.
The recapture on f6 wins a tempo We have already seen how helpful it can be if the recapture by the e-pawn wins a tempo by at tacking a piece or discovering an attack on the queen, or both.
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The sacrificer has direct su pport for his q ueen An attack against the king is more likely to suc ceed if there are several pieces available to take part in it. With ltJf6 sacrifices, the defender's king may be so short of air that it is only neces sary to have one or two pieces available to sup port the queen. Here is an example where the participation of a rook is decisive. This is one of those ancient games where Black tries to munch his way through White's entire army, blissfully unaware of the fate that is about to befall him. Both 1 5 . . . ltJfd4 and 1 6 . . . ltJxd5 would both have removed key at tacking pieces. The first would have left White well behind on material with little to show for it, while the second would have avoided the worst of what is to follow. The position is ripe for the ltJf6 sacrifice. The white queen is already on h5, and a knight is ready to jump from f3 to g5 . The black dark squared bishop is outside its pawn-chain, and cannot reach the f8-square to defend against mates on g7. As we shall see in later examples, the position of the white bishop on b2 can be important because it deters Black from captur ing the pawn that recaptures on f6. 17 ltJf6+ gxf6 18 exf6 Wh8 The only way to meet White's threats of 'ikg5+ and 'ikh6. 19 ltJg5 Threatening 20 'ikxh7#. 19 �f5 20 'ii'h6 1-0 •.•
Plaskett - Bellon Hastings 1985!6 1 e4 c5 2 ttJf3 e6 3 ltJc3 a6 4 d4 cxd4 5 ltJxd4 d6 6 f4 'ikc7 7 �e2 ltJf6 8 0-0 �e7 9 'it>b1 0-0 10 a4 ltJc6 1 1 �e3 l:[e8 12 �f3 ltJa5 13 "ii'd3 ltJc4 14 �cl �f8 15 b3 ltJaS 16 �b2 J:l.b8 17 J:l.ae1 ltJd7 18 l:[d1 ltJc6 19 'ii'c4 ltJb6 20 "ii'd3 ltJd7 21 'ii'c4 lbb6 22 'ii'e2 ltJxd4 23 l:[xd4 �d7 24 e5 ltJc8 25 �e4 h6 26 l:.d3 �c6 27 �xc6 "ii'xc6 28 ltJe4 d5 (D) If the white rook can come to g3 and the queen to g4, then Black will be mated on the g file. The idea of doubling major pieces on the g-file works best when a defensive knight can not reach g6, and is easiest to execute when the white g-pawn is either missing or unmoved. It is rarely possible to execute effectively in a King's Indian Attack formation, as the white g-pawn gets in the way on g3, and getting a rook to the fourth rank can be problematic. 29 ltJf6+ gxf6 In this position, declining the sacrifice loses more than the exchange as 29 . . . 'it>h8 30 l:k3 !
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forces the black queen to abandon the defence of the rook. 30 l:tg3+ \th8 31 exf6 3 1 'ili'g4? would be premature as 3 1 .. .lL'le7 32 exf6 lL'lg6 seals the g-file for the time being. Af ter the text-move, 3 1 . ..lt:Je7 simply allows 32 fxe7+ and the discovered check is fatal . A bishop posted on the long dark-squared diago nal often ensures the success of lL'lf6+ sacri fices. After the patient text-move, White threatens 'ili'g4 with mate on g7 or g8. There is no good defence. 31 ....tg7 32 .l:.xg7 1-0
means that the recapture on f6 will win a tempo by attacking the e7-bishop. Meanwhile the black queen is out of play and there is a white rook poised on the third rank to help the queen in the mating attack. 17 lL'lf6+ gxf6 18 exf6 �d6 Black can return the piece with 1 8 . . . e5, but White wins a further piece with 1 9 fxe7 lL'lg6 20 .l:.g3 'ili'fS 2 1 h4, as 2 l . . .�h8 22 h5 lt:Jxe7 loses to 23 'ili'xe5+ with a quick mate. With the move played, Black plans to reply to 1 9 'ii'h S with 1 9 . . . .tf4, covering the h6square. White could then eliminate the bishop by 20 g3, but he prefers to do it the more spec tacular way right now. 19 l:txd6! 'Oth8 After 1 9 . . .cxd6 20 'ili'hS eS White should avoid 21 'ili'h6? because both 2 1 . . .'i!Vg4 and 2 l . . .lL'le6 defend effectively. Instead, he should lure the knight to g6 with 21 'ili'gS+ because af ter 2 l .. .lL'lg6 22 'ili'h6 neither queen nor knight can prevent mate. This is a typical trick. 20 'ili'h5 lt:Jg6 21 .l:.d3 .l:.g8 22 l:th3 lt:Jf8 23 'ili'xf7 23 .ta3 is also decisive as it eliminates the knight that defends h7. White intends to move his queen and then discover check by advanc ing his f-pawn. There is no good defence. 23 .l:tg5 24 f4 1-0
Key defensive pieces can be eliminated Although various pieces can directly support the queen, the remaining pieces may play a key part by eliminating or deflecting key defenders. For instance, in the King's Indian Attack for mation, we have seen the black dark-squared bishop being exchanged for its white counter part. In the example below, a rook sacrifices it self to eliminate it.
Rossetto
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Sumar
Mar del Plata 1958 1 e4 lL'lf6 2 e5 lt:Jd5 3 d4 d6 4 lt:Jf3 .tg4 5 .te2 e6 6 0-0 .te7 7 c4 lt:Jb6 8 b3 lt:Jc6 9 .tb2 dxe5 10 lt:Jxe5 .txe2 11 'ii'xe2 lt:Jxe5 12 dxe5 0-0 13 lt:Jc3 .l:.e8 14 .l:.ad1 'ili'c8 15 lt:Je4 lt:Jd7 16 .l:.d3 lt:Jf8 (D) This is another ideal position for the lL'lf6+ sacrifice. The support lent by the b2-bishop
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A square in the king's defensive
field is especia lly vul nerable We have already seen examples where the cru cial g7- and h7-squares (or g2 and h2 if Black is attacking) are vulnerable thanks to the awk ward positions of the defender's pieces. Here is
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an example where the vulnerability of the f2square is crucial to the success of Black's sacri fice.
Felmeri - Dely Budapest Ch 1963 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 �f3 �f6 4 e3 �g4 5 �xc4 e6 6 �bd2 �bd7 7 0-0 c5 8 l:!.e1 'ikc7 9 h3 �h5 10 'i!Va4 �e7 1 1 dxc5 0-0 12 c6 �b6 13 'ika5 l%ad8 14 �e2 l%d5 15 'ii'c3 .U.c5 16 'ifb3 bxc6 17 �d4 �g6 18 �d3 l:td8 19 �xg6 hxg6 20 'ii'd 1 .:tcd.S 21 'ii'e2 e5 22 �4b3 e4 23 rn ltJbd7 24 �d2 ltJe5 25 'ii'a6 (D)
White could manoeuvre his queen to h2 by 28 'it'c4 'it'd7 29 'it'f4 'it'xh3+ 30 'ifh2, but again the vulnerability of the f2-square is highlighted by the reply 30 . . .1i'xh2+ 3 I ltJxh2 (or 3 1 'it>xh2 l:.g2+ 32 'iii>h 3 ltJg4 mating) 3 I . ..ltJe4, regain ing the piece thanks to the mate threat. The drawback of White's move is that it keeps the g-file open, giving the black rook ac cess to g2, although an immediate 28 . . . l:!.g2? would lose to 29 ltJxf3. White may have hoped that the threat to the f3-pawn would give him time to organize a defence. If so, the next move was a rude awakening.
28...ltJe4! The threat is mate on that vulnerable f2square, so the queen must retreat and the rook gains access to g2 after all - with decisive ef fect.
B
29 'i!Vn .r:.g2 30 ttJxn The only other reasonable try is 30 ltJg4, but it fails spectacularly to 30 . . . 'it'g3 ! ! .
3 0. . .l:!.xf2 31 �aS 'it'g3 3 2 ltJbd4 l:!.xd4! 0-1
Good News for Defenders
The position is quite favourable for the sacri fice, particularly as the d5-rook can join the at tack very quickly, although it would be even better if the black queen were on d7, ready to play to h3. White's advanced h-pawn gives the defender a little more room for manoeuvre than usual, but it weakens the g3-square so that a de fensive knight posted there will be less well protected than usual . Most significant of all is the position of the bishop on d2. It blocks White's second rank, leaving the white f-pawn vulnerable, a factor which Black finds a simple but powerful way to exploit.
25 ltJf3+ 26 gxf3 l:tg5+ 27 'it>h1 exf3 28 ltJh2 •••
Black threatened 28 ...'ii'd7 with a lethal attack on the h3-pawn so the knight makes room for the queen to retreat to f l . The d2-square is not available to it, and 28 ltJg3 is met by 28 . . .l:!.xg3 ! 29 fxg3 'ikxg3 30 'ii'fl �e4, when there is no good defence to the threat of 3l . . .ltJf2+.
The �f6 sacrifice can fail. That generally hap pens when the queen cannot get into the attack sufficiently quickly, or it has little or no sup port, or when the defender's pieces are well placed to defend the potential mating squares. Let us start with an example where the at tacker's queen starts on the wrong square.
Ermolinsky - Shneider Jurmala 1983 1 ltJf3 �f6 2 g3 e6 3 �g2 d5 4 0-0 �e7 5 d3 c5 6 ltJbd2 �c6 7 e4 b6 8 l:.el �b7 9 a3 b5 10 'it'e2 'ifb6 1 1 c3 0-0 12 e5 ltJd7 13 h4 b4 14 c4 ltJa5 15 h5 h6 16 b3 dxc4 17 bxc4 ltJc6 18 axb4 ltJxb4 19 l:.b1 a5 20 ltJe4 'i!Vc7 21 �f4 .!:adS (D) 22 ltJf6+ gxf6 23 exf6 �d6 If the white queen were already on d2, White would be winning. Then 24 i.xd6 'ifxd6 25 'ifxh6 ltJxf6 26 'it'g5+ 'it>h7 27 'ifxf6 would win back the sacrificed piece with decisive threats, and 24 �xh6! would be even better as Black would have no good defence to the mate threats.
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a4 39 ltJe3 'ii'f3 40 'ii'd2 'ii'b7 41 'i*'d1 i.xe3 42 fxe3 ltJd5 43 1i'xa4 ltJxe3 44 1i'a2 q;g7 45 l:lc3 ltJg4+ 46 'it>g1 0-1
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As the next example demonstrates, it is often sufficient for the defender's queen to have easy access to f8, where it covers g7 and f7, to ren der the sacrifice unsound.
AI. Rodriguez - E. Lima Argentine U-18 Ch, Isla del Cerrito 1999
However, with the queen on e2, Black can simply return material in order to capture the white f-pawn. 24 i.xh6 Black defends comfortably after 24 i.xd6 'ii'xd6 25 tDd2 (not 25 'ii'e3 'ii'xd3 26 'i!Vxh6 1Wh7 and Black retains his extra piece) 25 . ..lt'lxf6 (not 25 ... i.xg2?? 26 'ii'g4+ and mate next move) 26 i.xb7 ltJxd3 27 l:ted 1 'ii'e5 28 ltJe4 ltJb4, when he emerges with a sound extra pawn. 24 ltJxf6 25 'ii'd2 ltJh7 26 'i!Vc3 f6 27 i.xf8 i.xf8 White has opted to regain an exchange, but the attack has been snuffed out at birth and the two black minor pieces tum out to be more use ful than White's rook and pawn. 28 d4 1i'b6 29 l:tbd1 cxd4 30 ltJxd4 i.xg2 31 xg2 eS (D)
1 e4 e6 2 d3 c5 3 g3 ltJc6 4 ltJf3 ltJf6 5 i.g2 d5 6 ltJbd2 i.e7 7 0-0 0-0 8 e5 ltJd7 9 l:te1 'ii'c7 10 'ii'e2 bS 11 c3 l:tb8 12 ltJfl aS 13 i.f4 i.a6 14 h4 b4 15 ltJ1h2 c4 16 d4 a4 17 hS lUeS 18 ltJg4 a3 (D)
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Black soon gained the upper hand and ran out the winner. 32 ltJfS ltJgS 33 l:txd8 �xd8 34 ltJh4 'ir'd7 35 cS 'ir'dS+ 36 'it>h2 i.xcS 37 l:tcl ltJe6 38 ltJf5
With Black's rook already moved from f8, that square is readily available to the black queen. 19 ltJf6+ gxf6 20 exf6 i.d6 21 i.xd6 'ii'xd6 22 'i*'e3 'il'f8 Besides having f8 available to his queen, Black also has a knight on d7 threatening the f-pawn. He cannot capture it yet in view of 22 ...ltJxf6 23 'ii'g5+ f8 24 'ii'xf6 axb2 25 ltJg5 with a dangerous attack. However, after the move played White must act quickly as 23 . . .ltJxf6 is a real threat. It is worth mentioning that 22 . . . 'it>h8 also wins, as the queen can retreat to f8 whenever White plays 'ii'b 6 , and Black can even play 22 . . . axb2 (which White could have avoided by playing 22 bxa3) because the king can escape via f8 after 23 'ii'g5+ (see the section entitled 'The King Chase' below).
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After the black queen's prudent retreat, White can do nothing to strengthen his attack and his sacrifice is made to look silly. 23 'i!i'g5+ �h8 24 lt'lh4 axb2 25 h6 bxa1 'iii' 26 'i!i'g7+ 'ikxg7 0-1 In the next example, Black appears to have an impressive array of attacking pieces, but White's defenders cover all of the important squares and his attack on the queenside is able to continue unabated.
Spiridonov - Lane Czechoslovak Ch, Brno 1975 1 d4 lt'lf6 2 lDf3 g6 3 ..tf4 ..tg7 4 e3 0-0 5 ..te2 d6 6 h3 lDbd7 7 0-0 �e8 8 c4 e5 9 ..th2 c6 10 lbc3 'ilie7 1 1 b4 1:td8 12 �b3 e4 13 li'ld2 h5 14 c5 d5 15 b5 lDe8 16 bxc6 bxc6 17 �a4 'it'e6 18 'ilia5 ..tf6 19 .l:lab1 lDg7 20 .l:lfcl lDf5 21 lDd1 a6 22 lDb3 lDf8 23 �d2 lDh7 24 lt'la5 lDh4 25 'ilie1 lbg5 26 �fl (D)
B
29 'it>h1 'i!i'g4 30 lbxc6 .U.e8 31 lDc3 'i!i'h4 32 l:tb2 lDf4!? 33 exf4 ..th3 34 'ii'd 1 'ili'g4 35 ..tg3 h4 36 lbxd5 White continues as if untroubled by the bul lets flying around his king. A few well-timed defensive moves, and the attack comes to an end. 36 ..tg2+ 37 'it>g1 ..tg7 38 ..tfl ..txfl 38 . . . �h3 fails against 39 ..th2. 39 �xfl hxg3 40 fxg3 'i!kxg3+ 41 "'h1 .U.e6 42 �g1 1-0 The knight is immune thanks to the knight fork at e7, so Black forces the exchange of queens and remains a whole piece ahead. .•.
The sacrificer's advanced f-pawn is crucial to the attack, which may break down without it. That is one reason why the sacrifice is often played with a bishop on the long diagonal (al h8 if White is the sacrificer) since thereby the pawn is protected. If the defender manages to capture the f-pawn, the diagonal becomes open and the defender's king remains in danger. In the next example, White's sacrifice gives him a dangerous attack in which the f6-pawn is piv otal. Black wins because he succeeds in remov ing it.
Quinteros - Bastian Hanover 1983 1 c4 e5 2 lDc3 lDc6 3 lt'lr3 lDf6 4 g3 lDd4 5 ..tg2 liJxf3+ 6 .till ..tb4 7 �b3 ..tc5 8 d3 h6 9 0-0 c6 10 e3 0-0 1 1 .l:ld1 �e7 12 d4 ..tb6 13 dxeS 'ifxe5 14 e4 d5 15 ..tf4 dxc4 16 'it'xc4 �aS 17 'ike2 ..te6 18 eS lDd7 19 a3 ..td8 20 l:f.e1 l:f.e8 21 b4 'i!i'c7 22 ..tg2 lt'lb6 23 lt'le4 ..te7 (D) White's pieces cover h2, g2 and f2 quite effi ciently, while his queenside threats prevent nu merous black pieces from taking up their ideal attacking posts. 26...lDhf3+ 27 gxf3 exf3 28 ..td3 lDxh3+ Ideally, Black should be moving the bishop to this square, and the knight to e4. However, White can reply to 28 . . . 'ife8 ! ? 29 h4 (securing the g3-square for his bishop) 29 . . . ..th3 30 'iliel lt'le4 with 3 1 lbxc6 ! �xc6 32 ..txe4 dxe4 33 l:tb6, emerging with a whole extra piece and two connected passed pawns. As played, Black finds that he has to sacrifice another piece to get his bishop into the attack.
NAIUNG DOWN THE KING'S COFFIN: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON f6 In this open position, both defence and at tack have room in which to regroup. 24 tt'lf6+ gxf6 25 exf6 �d6 26 i.xh6 As we have seen before, the black queen can defend very effectively from f8. Therefore noth ing can be gained from 26 �xd6 'ili'xd6. The text-move clears away a defensive pawn, and in reply 26 ... i.f8 is clearly bad because af ter 27 'ili'h5 there is no good way to prevent mate. 26 'ili'd8 (D) Black could play 26 . . . �f5 ! ?, intending to block White's attempts to mate on h8 by plac ing the bishop on h7 and then covering the g file by moving his knight to g6. Mter 27 'ii'h 5 i.g6 28 'fih4 tt'ld7 29 �g7 �h7 30 i.e4 lhe4 3 1 l:txe4 lt'Je5 32 'il'h5 tt'lg6 3 3 :ael there is a log-jam on the kingside, and White's attack looks very dangerous. On the other hand, White also has the opportunity to play 27 'ii'xe8+ ! ? l:txe8 28 lhe8+ Wh7 2 9 �g7, and again his at tack is strong. The attack revolves around the f6-pawn, but it is currently unprotected and vulnerable so Black targets it at once. ••.
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b) Black would like to move the rook away from e8 to give his king an escape route, but af ter 27 . . . i.d7 28 .i.g7 ! i.f8 29 �xf8 )j;>xf8 30 'it'f4 :Xel + 3 1 lhel i.e6 32 1i'h6+ 'iii>e 8, White can cut off the king's escape by 3 3 :xe6+! fxe6 34 'fig7. Then 34 . . . 'ili'd l + (or 34 . . . 'fid6 35 f7+, when White's pawn queens with check, while 34 ... 'ii'd7 allows 35 'i!Vg8#) 35 i.fl 'it>d8, allows White to win the rook in the distant comer by 36 f7 tt'ld7 37 f8'ii'+ tt'lxf8 38 'ii'xf8+. c) Black's only other potential defence is to meet the immediate mating threats by playing to manoeuvre his bishop around to g6 and h7. Since 27 'ili'f3 covers the f5-square, 27 . . .'ili'd7 is the only way to achieve . . . i.f5. However, by moving away from d8, the queen lifts the threat to the f6-pawn and leaves White with a free hand to mount a mating attack with 28 'iib5 i.f5 29 i.g7 �h7 30 �h3 ! followed by 3 1 .i.f5. 27 i.f8 (D) •••
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28 �dl After 28 i.xf8 'it>xf8 29 'il'f3 tt'ld5, the f6pawn will drop. 28 tt'ld7 29 i.h8 White attempts to force matters. He could change tack completely and pick up some ma terial with 29 i.xf8 Wxf8 30 'W!Vh5 Vi'xf6 3 1 l:he6 ! 'ii'xe6 32 �h3, when he will emerge with a pawn for the exchange. 29 i.fS 30 'ii'hS (D) 30 i.h7 Not the most accurate. He should capture the f-pawn by 30 . . . :xel + 3 1 l:txe 1 tt'lxf6, which in stantly stops the attack. 31 l:te7 .•.
27 i.g7? White is right to try to hold the f-pawn, but he cannot do it effectively this way. He is keeping his queen free for action, but the patient 27 'ii'f3 ! is better. The main point is that a move by the bishop to f8 allows the white queen to join the attack from f4: a) 27 . . . i.f8 28 i.xf8 �xf8 (or 28 . . . l:txf8 29 'ili'f4 and the black queen cannot reach f8) 29 'ii'f4, and mate cannot be prevented because the rook blocks the king's escape.
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8
Ironically, White's only chance is to ex change rooks himself. After 3 1 l:txe8 'ii'xe8 32 'ii'g4+ �xh8 33 l:txd7 the rook can pick up the b-pawn, although Black's bishops give him a long-term advantage. After the desperate text-move, the attack is at an end. 31 .Axe7 32 fxe7 'ii'xe7 33 i.c3 tt::lf6 34 'ii'gS+ i.g7 35 h4 'ike6 36 hS 'ii'fS 37 �xf6 'ii'xf6 38 'ii'xf6 i.xf6 39 :td7 l:tb8 and Black won the endgame. .•
The King Chase
White is a piece ahead (for two pawns) but the sacrifice simplifies what could have been an awkward task. 22 tt::lf6+ gxf6 23 exf6 'it>f8 The king must run as 23 . . .�h8 24 'ii'h5 l:tg8 (or 24 . . . e5 25 i.e4 tt::lxf6 26 i.xe5, winning the queen thanks to the mate threat) 25 i.e4 :f.g6 26 i.xg6 fxg6 27 f7+ mates. 24 'ii'g4 'ii'd 6 The queen is ready to drop back to f8, which is just as well, as the d7-bishop cuts off its own king's escape. Now any move by the queen that leaves the a3-f8 diagonal allows mate, a fact that White uses to hound the queen to its doom. 25 i.eS! 'ii'xb4 26 l:.d4 'ii'cS 27 l:.c4 1-0
If the defender cannot avoid the attacker's queen landing at g7 (or g2) there may be only one thing for it: the king must run. We saw this idea in the note to move 27 in the game above. White normally chases the king to e8 and then either tries to cut off the king's escape (as in that vari ation) or gobbles up as many pawns as he can while the king is escaping. The defender can normally avoid the worst if he can safely retreat a piece to f8 once his king is on e8. The attacker's job is to prevent that from happening, as in the next example.
Tobin
-
Peters
US Open 1972 1 e4 cS 2 tt::lf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tt::lxd4 tt::lc6 5 tt::lc3 Wic7 6 g3 a6 7 �g2 tt::lf6 8 0-0 i.e7 9 .l:tel 0-0 10 tt::lxc6 dxc6 1 1 eS .l:td8 12 'il'f3 tLldS 13 b3 'ii'aS 14 i.b2 i.b4 15 :edt i.d7 16 tt::le4 'ii'c7 17 c4 tt::le7 18 cS b6 19 a3 �xeS 20 b4 i.xb4 21 axb4 tLldS (D)
Recapturing with the g- Pawn There are two main scenarios in which the at tacker recaptures with the g-pawn: I ) There is also an e-pawn that could have recaptured, so the pawn that lands on f6 (or f3) is securely defended. 2) Only the g-pawn could recapture, so the pawn that lands on f6 (or f3) is less secure.
Secure pawn on f6 Here the play may be similar to the King's In dian Attack positions that we have already seen, especially those where the pawn that lands on f6/f3 is securely defended. Normally, the at tacker can afford to build up slowly, as the de fender rarely has room to get his pieces to their best positions, and the attacker often has an ex tra asset in the ability to use the g-file.
NAIUNG DOWN THE KING 'S COFFIN: KNIGHT SACRIFICES ON f6 Richter - Rogmann Berlin 1937 I d4 ti:Jf6 2 ti:Jc3 dS 3 �gS c6 4 f3 'ifb6 5 e4 iixb2 6 ti:Jge2 e6 7 e5 ti:Jfd7 8 .l:lb1 'ii'a3 9 nb3 ii'aS 10 �d2 'ilic7 1 1 ti:Jf4 a6 12 �d3 �e7 13 0-0 0-0 14 'ii'e 1 :e8 15 'ilig3 ti:Jf8 16 ti:JhS ti:Jg6 17 f4 �d8 18 'ii'h3 b5 19 g4 'ilie7 20 gS ..tb6 21 ti:Je2 c5 (D)
After the sacrifice, the g-file will be open. The white queen, the rooks and the d3-bishop will all gang up on the g6-knight, willing to sacrifice if necessary. The black dark-squared bishop is away on the queenside, so the black queen will be forced to occupy the f8-square thanks to the possibility of mate on g7. Once it is there, it will have no room for manoeuvre since white pawns are covering its escape squares. 22 ti:Jf6+ gxf6 23 gxf6 'ilif8 24 'iii>h 1! I f the sacrificer already has a rook o n the g file in such positions, he is often able to mate quickly. Here, he must build up his attack slowly, but will meet with little resistance. For Black, the immediate pawn fork, 24 . . . c4, fails tactically to 25 �b4, trapping his queen. On the other hand, he could prepare it by 24. . . ti:Jc6, but White can bring his pieces into the attack in good time. A typical line is 25 .l:lgl .l:ld8 26 �xg6 fxg6 27 nbg3 "fif7 28 'ii'h6 .:ta7 and now White sacrifices a rook with 29 .:txg6+ hxg6 30 .:txg6+ 'ilixg6 3 1 'ii'xg6+ 'iii>f8 32 f5 ! , when the threat o f ..th6+ is crushing. White is also threatening to trap the queen by f5 followed by ..th6, so Black creates an escape route.
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24 cxd4 25 l:!.g1 ti:Jd7 Black has an ingenious defensive possibility here in 25 . . . na7 ! ?, intending 26 ..txg6 fxg6 27 .l:tbg3 l:tg7 ! , offering the rook's life in return for the mighty f6-pawn. However, White has a spectacular response ready in 26 .ib4 �c5 27 .ixc5 'i!kxc5 28 'ifxh7+ ! ! 'itxh7 29 �xg6+ fxg6 30 l:!.h3+ 'iii>g8 3 1 :Xg6+ and mate in a few moves. Black has foreseen that White will sacrifice on g6, and hopes to defuse it by a counter sacrifice on f6. 26 'ikhS ti:Jxf6 As a pawn will remain on f6, Black gains lit tle relief. 27 exf6 l:.a7 28 .ib4 .ic5 29 .ixc5 'ifxeS 30 .ixg6 fxg6 31 llxg6+ 'ith8 After 3 l . . .hxg6 32 'ii'xg6+ 'itf8 3 3 .l:tg3, mate is unavoidable. 32 f7 1-0 •••
I pointed out in the introduction to this section that the gxf6 variant of the ti:Jf6+ sacrifice of fers the attacker an extra asset of play on the g file if it is opened by the sacrifice. In King's In dian Attack positions the g-file may not be fully opened, so the attack takes a different course.
Tompa - Anikaev Hungary vs RSFSR, Budapest 1967 1 e4 ti:Jf6 2 d3 d5 3 ti:Jd2 e6 4 ti:Jgf3 .ie7 5 g3 0-0 6 �g2 c5 7 0-0 ti:Jc6 8 .l:te1 bS 9 e5 ti:Jd7 10 tt:Jn aS 11 h4 a4 12 a3 c4 13 d4 b4 14 ti:JgS bxa3 15 bxa3 'ii'a5 16 .id2 c3 17 �e3 ti:Jb6 18 'ii'hS ..txgS 19 hxgS tbc4 20 ti:Jh2 tbe7 21 ti:Jg4 ti:Jf5 22 .if4 'ilib6 23 ..th3 'ith8 (D)
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There has been an exchange of black bishop for white knight on g5, which means that a re capture on f6 with the g-pawn will not open the g-fi1e. On the other hand, the h-file is already available to the white major pieces, and Black will be unable to defend both g7 and h7. 24 lt:'lf6 gxf6 25 ..txr5 exf5 26 gxf6 'it'xd4 Black desperately hopes that he can get in a blow before he is mated. 26 . . . .l:tg8 defends g7, but 27 'iii>g2 l:tg6 28 l:th l makes h7 indefensible. Then 28 . . . 'iii>g 8 loses a rook to 29 'ii'xh7+ 'it>f8 30 11i'h8+ l:tg8 3 1 ..th6+, while 28 . . . h6 allows mate after 29 'fkxh6+ l:txh6 30 .l:txh6+ 'iii>g8 3 1 .l:tahl . 27 �g2 lt:'ld2 28 'ifh6 1-0 Black could allow a nice mate by continuing 28 . . .l:tg8 29 'il'xh7+ ! 'Wfilxh7 30 l:f.h l + 'ii;lg6 3 1 l:th6#. Such is the strength of the formation with pawns on e5 and f6 (or e4 and f3 for Black), that the defender can generally succeed only if he can eliminate both pawns through a counter sacrifice, or if he has the opportunity for a quickly decisive counterattack. In the next ex ample, he misses the chance to eliminate the pawns and pays the penalty.
Gaponenko - 't Jong Dieren 2002 1 e4 e6 2 d3 d5 3 lt:'ld2 lt:'lf6 4 lt:'lgf3 ..te7 5 g3 0-0 6 i.g2 b6 7 0-0 ..tb7 8 e5 ltJfd7 9 I:.e1 c5 10 lt:'ln b5 11 h4 1Wb6 12 lt:'l1h2 lt:Ja6 13 lt:Jg5 i.xg5 14 hxg5 lt:'lb4 15 c3 lt:'lc6 16 i.f4 lt:Je7 17 'ii'h5 :Cc8 18 lt:Jg4 'ikd8 19 �h2 'ti'e8 20 'ii'b3 'ith8 (D)
21 ltJf6 gxf6 22 gxf6 lt:'lg8 The knights can gang up on the e-pawn by 22 . . . lt:'lg6 (or by 22 . . . lt:'lc6), but White is content to allow that pawn to drop as after 23 i.h6 lt:Jgxe5 White plays 24 i.g7+ 'iti>g8 25 .l:txe5 ! lt:Jxe5 26 l:thl ! and there is no good defence against 27 �gl and mate on h7. Meanwhile, White threatens to bring her rook to the h-file and conquer h7 anyway, so Black gives himself the option of a counter-sacrifice against the f6-pawn. 23 l:tb1 'fkf8 24 i.f3 tbdxf6? He cannot defend on the h-file by 24 . . . h6, because after 25 'itg2 'Wfilh7 26 .l:th2 there is no defence to 27 .l:tah l , conquering h6. Black has the right idea, but sacrifices the wrong knight. With 24 . . . lt:'lgxf6 ! 25 exf6 'ikg8 ! , h e can defend against the mate threats. Then af ter 26 'it'h6 'ii'g6 27 'ii'xg6 Black should avoid 27 . . . hxg6, because White replies 28 'ii;lg2+ �g8 29 i.g5 followed by doubling rooks on the h file, but 27 . . . fxg6 is safe enough. White cannot then hold on to the f-pawn, but she retains a small advantage thanks to the two bishops. 25 exf6 e5 Black cannot capture the f-pawn because he loses the knight after 25 . . .lt:'lxf6 26 i.e5 'ii'g7 27 �g2 �g8 28 'ii'h4, so he has no good defence to White's mating threats. 26 �g2 h6 27 i.xh6 1-0
The insecure pawn on f6 When the sacrificer plays gxf6 without the sup port of a pawn on e5, then the defender may have a broader range of options.
Hecht - Espig Zonal tournament, Raach 1969
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1 e4 c5 2 lt:'lf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt:'lxd4 lt:'lc6 5 lt:'lc3 'ii'c7 6 g3 a6 7 ..tg2 lt:'lf6 8 0-0 ..te7 9 i.eJ 0-0 10 'ii'e2 d6 1 1 h3 ..td7 12 l:f.ad1 I:.ac8 13 f4 b5 14 lt:'lxc6 i.xc6 15 a3 'ii'b7 16 i.d4 .l:tfd8 17 g4 a5 18 b4 axb4 19 axb4 lt:Jd7 20 lt:'ld5 ..trs 21 11i'f3 1138 22 g5 lt:'lb8 (D) Black has rightly declined a lt:'ld5 sacrifice, so the knight plunges further into the mire. 23 lt:'lf6+ gxf6 24 gxf6 'it>h8 25 .l:td3 The white queen and rooks aim to pile up the pressure on g7, so the white f-pawn is central to
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quickly to 3 1 .U.xg8+ �xg8 32 "fig5+ 'it>h8 33 l:g3, so Black must return the piece.
30 i.g5 31 llxg5 llxg5 32 fxg5 'ifd7 •.•
32 . . J::tg8 was necessary. Now White crashes through.
33 g6! fxg6 34 .l:txe4! 'it>g8
34... i.xe4 loses to 35 'i!i'xe4, threatening mate after both 36 f7+ and 37 'ii'xa8+.
35 f7+ 'ifxf7 36 .l:f.f4 1-0 After 36 . . ."fie8 37 'ii'f6, a quick mate is un avoidable.
the attack. It is supported by the d4-bishop, but the line of support can be interrupted. Black has more than one option. 25 . . . lt:'!d7 puts White's f6-pawn under surveillance. Then White can go ahead with 26 'ii'h5 �xe4 27 "fixf7, but 27 . . . e5 28 l:tg3 �h6 brings the attack to a halt. Alternatively, Black can prepare to bring a rook to the g-file with 25 . . . i.h6, intend ing 26 'ii'h5 .U.g8 ! 27 "fixh6 i.xe4, breaking through on the long diagonal. In both cases, White struggles to get his attack going and Black's counterattack is very dangerous. Black chooses a move that leads to the clos ing of his own attacking long diagonal and keeps open White's, exactly the opposite of what he should be seeking to do.
When the lt:'!f6 sacrifice is only supported by a pawn on g5, it rarely makes a good long-term sacrifice. Many sacrificers have tried it and failed. However, it is often used as the opening move in a short-term combination, such as the pretty g-file combination in our final example below.
lsaev - Mas Asian Team Ch, Shenyang 1999 1 e4 c5 2 lt:'!f3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt:'Jxd4 lt:'!f6 5 lt:'!c3 a6 6 �e2 e5 7 lt:'!b3 �e7 8 �e3 0-0 9 g4 �e6 10 g5 lt:'!e8 1 1 'ifd2 lt:'!c6 12 0-0-0 a5 13 'it>b1 a4 14 lt:'!cl lt:'!d4 15 h4 lt:'Jxe2 16 lt:'!lxe2 'ika5 17 f4 exf4 18 lt:'!xf4 lt:'!c7 19 i.d4 .l:f.fe8 20 lt:'!h5 �f8 21 l:thg1 l:tec8 (D)
25 d5? 26 'i!i'g4 lt:'Ja6 .••
Black prepares to challenge on the g-file.
27 l:tg3 i.h6 28 'i!i'h4 l:tg8 29 .l:ttT3! dxe4 30 .l:te3 (D)
B
White already has a major piece on the g file.
22 lt:'!f6+ gxf6 23 gxf6+ �h8
With a bit of juggling, White has both rooks available for the attack. Now 30 . . . i.f8 loses
Now 24 'ti'g2 allows Black to defend with 24. . . i.h6. 24 'i!i'g5 avoids that defence, but al lows Black to exchange queens. The solution is to force the queen from the fifth rank.
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24 .:gS! 'ii'b4 25 .:gS+! �xg8 26 'ii'g5+ �b8 1-0 After 27 l:tgl i. h6 28 'ii'xh6 l:lg8 29 :g7 there is no defence to mate.
Exercises Exercise 17
Exercise 18
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With his g4-knight under attack, White natu rally played 20 ltJf6+ gxf6 21 exf6. The game continued 21 �d6 22 i.g5 ltJf8. I have four questions for you. I ) How does White now build up a powerful attack? Having analysed the position: 2) Can Black do better on his 22nd move? 3) Was 22 i. xd6 'i.i'xd6 23 'i.i'd2 better for White than 22 i. g5 ? 4) Was 21 . . . e5 a better defence for Black? •••
After 22 ltJf6+ gxf6 23 exf6 why is Black forced to play 23 i.d6 and how should White then continue his attack? •••
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Piercing the Hea rt of the Castled Position : I:£Jxg7
There are two main reasons for sacrificing a knight on g7: to win material by capturing a knight on f6, or to mate by bringing pieces to exploit the weakened king's position. This is probably the most straightforward chapter in the book. Many !bxg7 sacrifices are relatively short combinations, and it is rare for one to lead to a long, slow-bum attack. The ma terial is recaptured, or the king dies; otherwise the sacrificer loses.
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The Vul nerable Knight at f6 A very large number of short !bxg7 combina tions are based on the vulnerability of a defen sive knight on f6, the one that was formerly defended by the g-pawn.
Quadrat - Abdul Satar Saint Quentin 2000 1 ltJcJ d5 2 e4 d4 3 !bce2 e5 4 !bg3 tbt'6 5 .i.c4 .i.d6 6 !bf3 .i.d7 7 d3 aS 8 a3 0-0 9 c3 dxc3 10 bxc3 b5 1 1 .i.b3 'iie7 12 0-0 !bc6 13 .:!.e1 .l:.fd8 14 .i.b2 .i.c5 15 d4 .i.g4 16 d5 tba7 17 h3 .i.c8 18 c4 bxc4 19 .i.xc4 �d6 20 'it'd2 �d7 21 ltJh4 .i.c5 22 !bhf5 .i.xf5 23 liJxfS 'ili'e8 (D) The f6-knight is defended only by the g pawn, and the white queen can safely get to g5 in one jump. 24 !bxg7 1n.g7 25 'S'g5+ The king has replaced the g-pawn as the knight's defender, and now it is forced away. White wins a pawn. 25 'i!tf8 26 'ii'xf6 �d6 27 l:.e3 The win of a pawn is rarely the end of the story with !bxg7 sacrifices. The gaping hole in the black king's position invites retribution. White could play 27 .i.c l , intending 28 .i.h6+ with mate, but after 27 ...'ili'a4 the king might run
away at the cost of large material loss. Instead, White sadistically manoeuvres bis rook around to f3 to threaten the f-pawn, so that the queen cannot make enough room for the k.ing's es cape. 27 'it'a4 28 :0 'it'e8 29 .tel 'ii'd7 30 'S'h8+ g 1 .nac8 threatens . . ..:tc4 swinging over to g4 to attack it. b) 21 'ii?f l is safer, and 2 1 . . .'ii'g4 22 1i'e2 .nfd8 23 b4 'ti'h3+ 24 c;f;>el 'ii'g2 25 l:tc2 (not 25 lt'lh4 1i'xh2 with a dangerous attack) 25 . . . 't!Vh 1 + 26 'ii'f l �xf3 27 'ii'xh 1 �xh 1 leads to a posi tion which may be defensible for White. However, Black can exploit the exposed posi tions of the b5-bishop and the a2-rook to bring his queen to its best squares with gain of time.
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1 d4 lL'lf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 �g2 dxc4 5 'ii'a4+ i.d7 6 'ii'xc4 �c6 7 lt'lf3 �d5 8 jfdJ c5 9 lL'lc3 �c6 10 0-0 lL'lbd7 1 1 nd1 cxd4 12 lt:'Jxd4 �xg2 13 g6 26 ..txf6 �xf6 27 l:[d6+! 1-0 This rook will move to a6 to win a second pawn. If the sacrificer eventually succeeds in cap turing on f6 with his queen or bishop, the de fender's king is likely to be in trouble. It may be worth an extra sacrifice to make sure that this can happen.
Svidler - Nedobora Linares Open 1994 1 e4 c5 2 lt'lf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt'Jxd4 lt'lf6 5 lt'lc3 a6 6 f4 eS 7 ffi lt'lbd7 8 a4 1J..e7 9 1J..d3 0-0 10 0-0 exf4 1 1 'it'hl ltJcs 12 1J..xf4 1l..g4 13 1J..e3 l:[c8 14 'ilkd2 ..thS IS lt'Jd4 lt'Jg4 16 lt'JdS lt'lf6 17 lt'lxe7+ 'ilkxe7 18 lt'lf5 'ilke6 (D)
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l:!.fd8 26 'ii'xb7 l:!.b8 27 'ii'a7 !, as 27 .. .l:bb2? loses to 28 'it'd4+. The endgame after 27 'ilka7 is a comfortable win for White. Black agrees that he must give up his queen, but he sets a little trap. 23 lhf6 'ilkxf6 24 ..txf6+ �xf6 25 ..txa6! �e7 Black naturally avoids 25 . . . bxa6 26 'ilkx.d6+ winning the rook. Now he hopes for 26 1l..xb7 l:[b8 27 b4?? l:[xb7 !, when 28 bxc5?? l:[bl + is mate next move. As is often the case, playing the moves in reverse order is the answer to White's prob lem. 26 b4! l:!.e5 Allowing White to establish passed pawns on the queenside is quickly fatal, but 26 . . .l:!.c7 27 ..td3 is comfortably winning for White. 27 ..txb7 ..tg6 28 aS f5 29 exfS :t'xf5 30 h3 1-0 The a-pawn runs through. Many lt'lxg7 sacrifices use a pin on the long diagonal as the cornerstone of a kingside at tack. In the next example, the h7-pawn be comes a target, as the pin means that it can hardly be defended.
Akopian - lllescas Ubeda 1997
The open f-file means that White can play the sacrifice on g7, place the bishop on the long diagonal and pile up the pressure on the f6knight. The black knight on c5 has made one move too many. If it were still on d7, not only would it protect the f6-knight, but it would also be ready to block the long diagonal by moving to e5 . 19 lt'Jxg7 rbxg7 20 1J..d4 lt'ld7 21 lhf6! The knight is given no time to intervene on e5. The exchange is invested to ensure that the bishop will be able to capture on f6. 21...lbxt'6 22 l:!.fl l:!.c5!? Black decides that White must not be al lowed to plant his bishop on f6. He can give up his queen by 22. . .1l.. g6 23 lhf6 'ii'xf6 24 1l..xf6+ �xf6, but White wins a pawn with 25 'ilkb4
1 e4 cS 2 liJf3 e6 3 b3 d6 4 ..tb2 lt'lf6 5 .iJ.. bS+ ..td7 6 ..txd7+ lt'lbxd7 7 'ilke2 ..te7 8 0-0 0-0 9 c4 'ilkc7 10 d4 cxd4 l l lt'lxd4 a6 12 ltJc3 l:[fe8 13 l:[adl 'ilkcS 14 l:.d3 lt'JeS 15 lt'Ja4 ..WaS 16 l:[b3 lt'Jg6 17 f4 eS 18 lt'JfS lt'Jxf4 19 l:[xf4 exf4 20 1J..c3 'ii'd8 (D)
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White has prepared thoroughly for the sacri fice. He has shifted his rook over to the h-file, ripped open the long diagonal by an exchange sacrifice, and his last move nudged the queen off the fifth rank so that the white queen can oc cupy it. 21 t'i:Jxg7 f8 loses to the pretty 23 l:.xh7 ! with mate in a few moves. 23 'ifr5 Thanks to the pin on the long diagonal, White can concentrate his attack on the h7 -square, which cannot be defended. Here the h3-rook assists the queen in the assault. In similar at tacks, its part may be taken by a bishop on the b l -h7 diagonal or a knight jumping to g5 . 23 f8 30 'ii'h6+ 'it>e7 31 'ifh4+ 'it>rs 32 'ii'xh7 .l:le6 33 t'i:Jxe6+ .•.
With his 1 2th move, Kasparov surprisingly saddled himself with a potentially weak iso lated e-pawn, but opened the f-file. In this way he has set up a position which is favourable for the t'i:Jxg7 sacrifice. The half-open f-file allows him to pile up the pressure on the f6-knight, and his queen and the other knight can create havoc on the squares that the knight sacrifice will weaken. The f6knight is apparently well defended, but the d7knight can be eliminated by a timely .l:lxd7, while the e7-bishop blocks one of the king's es cape-squares. 17 t'i:Jxg7 f8 loses to 1 9 ltJg5 h6 20 :Xd7 ! 'ifxd7 2 1 t'i:Jh7 + ! , so Black sensibly sidesteps the .l:lxd7 threat while bringing the knight to g6 to block the g-file. The main alternative seems to be 18 . . .l:.ad8, when both 19 l:tdfl (Kasparov in Informator) and 1 9 'ii'g5+ (Chandler in Mega Database
PIERCING THE HEART OF THE CASTLED POSITION: tfu:g7 2001) lead to an advantage for White. After 1 9 .U.dfl : a) Kasparov only gives 1 9 . . . tLlf8 20 'i!kg5+ tbg6 21 tLlh4, when White is winning. Two alternative moves for Black illustrate well both sides' possibilities: b) 19 . . . h6 1oses to 20 tLlg5 ! 'itg8 (20 . . . hxg5 2 1 'ifxg5+ 'ifilf8 22 'ii'h6+ 'itg8 23 .l:tf5, with the lethal threat of 24 .l:tg5#, wins for White) 2 1 .U.f3 with the threat of 2 2 tbe6! fxe6 2 3 'ii'g6+ and the king is fataiJy exposed. c) 1 9 . . .'ii'b6 seems to force White into 20 'ii'g5+ 'ifilh8 (not 20 ... � 21 tbd4 .ic5 22 'ii'h6+ �g8 23 .l:tf3 .if8 24 'ii'g 5+ 'it>h8 25 tLlf5 c5 26 tLld6! 'ifxd6 27 lhf6 winning the queen) 2 1 tbe5 tbxe5 2 2 .ixe5 .l:tg8 2 3 .ixf6+ .ixf6 24 'ii'xf6+ .l:tg7 25 .l:tf3 'ii'a5 , when Black has some counterplay for his pawn. This barely scratches the surface of the pos sibilities, and Chandler's suggestion may be even better for White.
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23 . . . fxg6 24 'ii'xg6+ ! hxg6 25 .l:th8+ 'i;f7 26 tbg5#) 24 tbxg5 f6 (or 24 .. .fxg6 25 l:r.xh7 threat ening mate on h8) 25 gxh7+ 'i;h8 26 .U.xf6 ! .ixf6 27 .ixf6+ 'ifg7 28 tLlf7#. Black prevents the queen check on g5 . . .
20 g4
. . . but as Kasparov himself points out, check ing on the g-file is still the quickest road to vic tory. He gives 20 'ii'g4+ ! and now: a) 20 ... '0th8 21 tLlg5 ! , when 2 I ....id8 loses to 22 lhd8 (Kasparov) and the ingenious 2 1 ...'ii'a5 loses nicely to 22 tbxf7+ 'i;h7 23 '1if4 'ii'h 5 24 tbg5+! 'iii>g 8 25 .ixf6 (my analysis). b) 20 . . . tbg6 21 h5 'ii'b6 22 hxg6 'ii'xe3+ 23 'i;bl and now 23 . . .'ii'x c3 allows 24 '1if4 ! , when the threat of mate wins Black's queen, while 23 . . . fxg6 24 'ii'h4 gives White a winning attack. With the move played, the g-pawn joins the fray. Its advance to g5 will win the f6-knight.
20 ilc8! 21 'ii'xc8 •••
Kasparov could avoid the exchange of queens with 2 1 ifc2 ! ? , which analysis has shown should give a winning attack. However, for once Kasparov prefers a safe, small but clear advantage, which he l ater exploits brilliantly.
21 .U.axc8 22 gS tiJ8h7 23 e4 J:!.cd8 24 .l:tdfl b3 l:ta6 36 e6! .:Z.xe6 37 .U.xg7 1-0 .•.
This game won the prize for the most bril liant of the entire Olympiad.
Exposing the King 19 h4! White can regain his piece by 1 9 l:!.hf l , but the weak e-pawn may give White some techni cal difficulties. Kasparov prefers to maintain the tension by bringing his h-pawn into the attack. The threat is 20 'ii'g5+ tbg6 21 h5, winning one knight on the file while the other remains pinned on the diagonal. The pawn also threatens to advance as far as h6 to create a mating-net.
19 h6
The tbxg7 sacrifice is also played as a way of ex posing the defender's king, without any tricks based on pins. There is no fixed theme to such games, but the defender's pieces are often far away, and the attacker latches onto the f6- and h6-squares that the sacrifice has weakened, as in the next two examples.
Tsesarsky - Weissbuch Kfar Saba 1997
•.•
Typically for a Kasparov game, there are some lovely deep lines such as this one given by Kasparov himself: 1 9 ....U.ad8 20 .l:tdfl 'it>g8 21 'ii'g5+ tbg6 22 h5 ! ! tbe4 23 hxg6 ! tbxg5 (or
1 tiJf3 tiJf6 2 c4 g6 3 tLlc3 .ig7 4 e4 d6 5 d4 0-0 6 .ie2 e5 7 0-0 tLlc6 8 dS tbe7 9 b4 a5 10 bxaS l:txaS 1 1 a4 tLld7 12 tiJd2 b6 13 tLlb3 l:r.a8 14 .ia3 .ih6 15 aS tiJcS 16 axb6 cxb6 17 .ixcS
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l:.xa1 18 'i1Vxa1 bxc5 19 'i/a7 fS 20 ..id.J fxe4 21 liJxe4 liJfS 22 liJaS liJe3 23 .l:f.el (D)
Timman - Hubner Tilburg 1 988 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 liJc3 .ib4 4 eS c5 5 a3 ..txc3+ 6 bxc3 ltJe7 7 liJf3 l!Ya5 8 .id2 liJbc6 9 ..te2 cxd4 10 cxd4 'ii'a4 1 1 l:.b1 ltJxd4 12 ..td.J ltJec6 13 .ib4 liJf5 14 'ii'c l b6 15 c4 ltJxb4 16 .l:!.xb4 'ii'c6 17 0-0 0-0 18 'ii'f4 .ib7 19 .i.xfS exf5 20 liJd4 'i!i'c5 21 liJxfS .ic8 (D)
B
The white queen and knight are working away from home, and Black must strike quickly before they do any damage. 23 .. .'ii' h4 is strong, but Black prefers to strike at the heart of the white king's position.
23 ltJxg2 24 'it>xg2 'ii'b4 •••
The queen simply airlifts into the danger zone. White suddenly has a multitude of tender points, including the h- and f-pawns, and the squares in front of them.
25 ltJc6 White has several alternatives here: a) 25 'iii>g 1 loses to 25 . . . l!Yg4+ 26 liJg3 'ii'f3, attacking f2 and the d3-bishop. b) After 25 liJg3 Black has a wide choice of winning methods including 25 . . . ..th3+ 26 'it>gl 'li'f4 27 ltJe4 'ii'g4+, with a quick mate as in the game. c) 25 ..t>h l can also be met in all kinds of ways, one of which is 25 . . ..ifS which threatens 26 . . . .ixe4+ 27 l:.xe4 'ii'xf2 with a decisive at tack. d) After 25 ..ifl , the most deadly finish is 25 . . . .id2 26 l:.e2 .if4 27 ltJg3 .ig4 28 f3 (or 28 l:.a2 .ixg3 29 hxg3 .if3+ 30 'iii'g l 'il'h l #) 28 . . . .ixf3+! 29 'it>xf3 ..txg3+ 30 ..t>g2 'ii'xh2#.
2S .ih3+ 26 ..t>g1 •.•
26 'i!i>h l loses to 26 ...'i1Vg4 27 .ifl .ixfl , again diverting the knight's defenders. 26...'i1Vg4+ 27 ltJg3 'i1Vf3 0-1 The black pieces have settled onto f3 and h3, and a nice mate is forced after 28 iL.fl 'ii'xf2+ 29 'i!i>h1 'i1Vf3+ 30 'it>gl .ie3+! 3 1 .l:f.xe3 'ii'xfl + 32 liJxfl l:.xfl#.
The sacrifice will allow the white queen to occupy f6 with a gain of time. White must be sure that he can get a rook around to join in the attack before Black can either organize a de fence or run for the hills with his king.
22 ltJxg7 'i!i>xg7 23 'ii'gS+ 'it>h8 24 'ili'f6+ 'it>g8 25 'ii'gS+ 'i!i>h8 26 'ili'f6+ 'i!i>g8 27 l:.b3 l:.e8 28 l:.g3+ 'i!i>f8 29 l:.g7 As in the previous example, White targets both the f7- and h7-pawns. Now Black cannot play 29 . . .'ike7 to protect the f-pawn since the reply 30 'i1Vh6 threatens mate by a rook move, and Black must give up his queen to avoid it. 29 . . . '1i'c7 is also no good as White plays 30 l:.xh7 and there is no defence to mate on h8.
29....l:.e7 30 e6 This is the kind of move that tends to force a quick resignation, and it succeeds here. How ever, the purist might prefer to see 30 l:.xh7 'it>e8 3 1 l:.d I ! , which threatens to cut off the king's escape (or win the black queen) by 32 l:.xd5. The reply 3 l . . .d4 loses prettily to 32 l:txd4! 'i!Yxd4 33 ii'c6+ �8 34 l:th8+ xh4 1 9 'ii'h6+ lt:'!h5 20 �e2 and mate next move.
18 l:!.g3+ lt:'!g4 19 h4+ 1-0 The �h6+ of that example was no sacrifice, since White won the f6-knight in return. In the next example, J..h6+ does offer a second piece, and the sacrificer is able to follow up with a se ries of checks that drives the king up the board into the arms of the waiting troops.
The king must abandon the queen to its fate. It can be hard to prove the soundness of a lt:'!xg7 sacrifice if the defender has already moved his h-pawn to h6, since this provides an extra escape-square (h7) for the king, and cuts
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out the idea of 'i!i'g5+. In the next example, the sacrificer solves that problem by sacrificing her bishop for the h6-pawn in order to complete the exposure of the king.
Gaprindashvili - Nikolac Wijk aan Zee 1979 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 lt::ld2 dxe4 4 lt::lxe4 .i.rs 5 lt::lg3 .i.g6 6 b4 b6 7 h5 .i.b7 8 lt::lr3 lt::ld7 9 .i.d3 .i.xd3 10 'ii'xd3 e6 1 1 .i.f4 'ili'a5+ 12 c3 lt::lgf6 13 a4 c5 14 0-0 l:.c8 15 ltfel c4 16 1i'c2 .i.e7 17 lt::le5 0-0 18 4Jf5 l:tfe8 (D)
castles queenside. This means that Black has a half-open c-file which helps him to carry out his attack, and in the Dragon Sicilian there is also a bishop already on the long diagonal. The . .. lt::lxb2 sacrifice is normally a short combina tion aimed at instantly capturing a white knight on c3. The Sicilian Defence is a key source of ...lt::lxb2 sacrifices, but there is no opening which leads naturally to the lt::lxg7 sacrifice. However, there is one opening variation which features a lt::lxg7 sacrifice that has been the focus of much theoretical debate and dozens of high level games.
Brodsky - Glek Wijk aan Zee 1999
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1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 lt::ld2 c5 4 exd5 11i'xd5 5 lt::lgf3 cxd4 6 ..i.c4 'i!i'd6 7 0-0 lt::lf6 8 lt::lb3 lt::lc6 9 lt::lbxd4 lt::lxd4 10 lt::lxd4 a6 11 l:te1 'fkc7 12 .i.b3 .i.d6 13 lt::lf5 .i.xb2+ 14 �b1 0-0 (D)
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The h5-pawn and the e5-knight give White extra possibilities in this position. 19 lt::lxg7 'it>xg7 20 ..i.xh6+! It now becomes a king-hunt, as the king is chased up the board to its death. 20 �6 Declining the second sacrifice by 20 .. .c;t;>g8 avoids the king-hunt, but after 21 .l:r.e3 lt::lxe5 22 dxe5 lt::lxh5 23 'ife2 lt::lg7 24 ..i.xg7 �xg7 25 'fih5 Black must return the piece with 25 ... .i.h4 to avoid mate. 21 lt::lxf7+ 'it>xb5 22 g4+! r,t>b4 22 ...'it>xg4 allows 23 'ii'g6+ r,t>h4 24 'it>g2 mating. After the move played White misses 23 'it>g2 with a quick mate, but the game doesn't last much longer. 23 f3 lt::lxg4 24 .l:r.e4! 1-0 •••
It should be mentioned in passing that the lt::lxg7 sacrifice has a mirror-image on the queen side. In fact, most queenside knight sacrifices on 'knight two' are on b2, not b7, since they are played by Black in open Sicilians where White
The position does not appear to be ripe for the sacrifice, as the white pieces seem to be in the wrong places. There is no bishop on the long a l -h8 diagonal, and the light-squared bishop should ideally be on d3 or c2. On the other hand, the f6-knight is vulnerable after the sacri fice, and Black will have to lose time retreating his bishop from h2. The sacrifice is unclear, and this has at tracted many adventurous players to playing ei ther side of it. 15 lt::lxg7 l:Z.d8 Initially, 1 5 .. .g l 'iic5+ 29 �h2 g 1'ii+ 30 l:txg I 'ii'd6+ 3 1 l:tg3 1 -0. 16 1i'f3 The stem-game for this line, Adams-Dreev, European Team Ch, Debrecen 1 992, featured 16 'i¥e2, and White gained an endgame advan tage after 16 ...•iii'xg7 1 7 g3 �xg3 1 8 fxg3 b5 19 �f4 �b7+ 20 �h2 1i'c5 21 i.e5 'ittg6 22 i.xf6 'it>xf6 23 l:tfl + �g6 24 i. xe6 'ii'h5+ 25 'iixh5+ 'ittxh5 26 i.xf7+. The game was later drawn. Four years later, in their second game with this line, Adams played the text-move because he had discovered an improvement over exist ing play. 16 'iti>xg7 17 �h6+ This was the intention behind White's last move. Now 17 ...'iti>xh6 loses to 1 8 'ifxf6+ fol lowed by 19 l:te3, but there seems little wrong with nudging the king forward while maintain ing the guard on the knight. 1 7...�g6 (D) •••
157
'it>f4 3 1 'iff5+ �g3 32 'iff3+ 'iti>h4 33 'ii'f6+ �g3 34 'iif3+ �h4 35 'iif6+ �g3 1h-1h Gufeld Ravi, Calcutta 1 994. 18 lt:Jb5! 18 ...lt:Jd5 leads to major problems for Black: 1 9 l:tad I f5 20 .i.e 1 ! .i.d6 21 �xd5 exd5 22 l:txd5 .i.d7 23 'ifh3 .i.f8 24 l:te3 �g7 25 l:tg3+ �h8 26 'ifh4 .i.e6 27 �f4 �e7 28 .i.xc7 1 -0 Adams-Dreev, Wijk aan Zee 1 996. Several other moves have been tried for Black, but the text-move is the safest. Black plays to weaken the white kingside. 19 �cl A sensible retreat. It was found that White had problems with his attack if he allowed Black to capture the bishop. Now White threat ens 20 'i¥g4+ ..t>f6 21 'iig5#, and 19 ...f5 is well met by 20 g4 ! , ripping open the g-file. 19....tf4! By blocking the bishop's diagonal, Black creates an escape-square at h6 for his king. That cuts out the threat of 20 'ii'g4+, but the h5knight offers the bishop only flimsy protection, so White's g4 thrust now looks stronger than ever. 20 g4 (D) •••
B
20 lt:Jg3+! This is the secret. The g-file is blocked and White's dangerous dark-squared bishop is ex changed. Black also forces White to keep a watchful eye on the h 1-a8 diagonal. 21 fxg3 �xcl 22 l:taxcl b6 23 .1c2+ �g7 24 �e4 The long light-squared diagonal is neutral ized, but Black is soon able to prove that White cannot expect an endgame advantage. ..•
18 c3!? Two main alternatives have been tried here: a) 1 8 .l:tad l ? was laid to rest by 1 8 ...l:txd1 1 9 l:txd 1 e5 ! 20 'iii>xh2 lt:Jg4+ 21 �g1 �xh6 0-1 in Zaw Win Lay-Khalifman, Bali 2000. b) 1 8 c4 lt:Jh5 ! 1 9 �e3 £5 20 g4 lt:Jf6 21 gxf5+ exf5 22 'ii'g2+ lt:Jg4 23 f3 .i.d7! 24 �c2 i.g3 25 fxg4 i.c6 26 .1xf5+ 'iii>g7 27 �e4 .1xe1 28 �h6+ ..t>xh6 29 'fi'h3+ �g5 30 'iih5+
158
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
24 Jb7 25 :c2 .ib7 26 .l:th2 .ixe4 27 'ii'xe4 'ii'b 7! 28 lhh7+ 'iti>g8 29 'ii'xb7 .l:txb7 30 .l:th2 .l:td3 •.
The extra white pawn proved worthless in the endgame, and the game was soon agreed drawn.
Exercises Exercise 19
Exercise 20
w
w
White plays 1 liJxg7. How does he continue after 1. 'iti>xg7? ..
White plays 18 tiJxg7, but what is the best follow-up after 18...�g7?
1 2 Prising Open the h - Fi le:
'LJgS a nd �gS Sacrifices
When the opposing king has castled kingside, and ours has not, one way to open a file against it is to place a knight or bishop on gS, wait for the natural reply ... h6, and then play h4. It is a passive sacrifice - the piece waits passively for its own execution. If the piece offer is accepted, we recapture with our own h-pawn and the h file is completely open and available to our un moved rook on hI . The idea is to mate the king where it stands, or to force it to flee into the ann s of our troops waiting in the centre. Generally, the piece sacrificed on g5 is a knight. It makes little difference if a bishop is the piece sacrificed, as the main attacking role is nonnally played by the major pieces. The problem with using a bishop is that it can be dif ficult to tempt the opponent to accept the sacri fice, and a bishop can look pretty silly on g5 with a pawn on h4 blocking one of its natural retreat-squares. The analogous sacrifice can also be played against the king castled queenside, by liJbS or .tbS. The main differences relate to the typical pawn-structures that apply when a king is cas tled on that side, and it is almost invariably a knight, not a bishop, that is offered.
Tra pping the King where it Stands Since the piece being sacrificed makes no cap ture, the defending side often has the option of declining it. In our first example mate is threat ened, so the defender has no such option, and the white major pieces are able to trap the king on g8 until it is time to make decisive gains. The fi nal attack is introduced with two modest bishop moves which leave the defender helpless.
Campara
-
An. Rodriguez
'A rgentina vs The World', Buenos Aires 1994 1 e4 e6 2 d4 dS 3 liJd.2 liJf6 4 e5 liJfd7 5 f4 c5 6 c3 l2Jc6 7 liJdf3 'ii'b6 8 g3 cxd4 9 cxd4 .tb4+
10 'iti1'2 f6 1 1 !iti>g2 0-0 12 h4 aS 13 .:th2 a4 14 'ifi>h1 'ii'a7 15 ..td3 fS 16 lLlg5 lLldb8 17 1i'h5 h6 (D)
w
18 �g6 White's d-pawn is threatened by queen and knight, but he doesn't stop to defend it as he has seen that the open h-file will be decisive. 18...hxg5 19 hxgS l2Je7 The central pawn-structure denies squares to Black's king and his other pieces. After 1 9 ... 'it'xd4 White regroups by 20 .:th7 l:f7 2 1 'iVhS ! s o that his rook i s i n front o f his queen, and now 2 l ...�f8 is met by 22 g6! l:c7 23 l:h8+ �e7 24 'ii'h 7 'iitd7 25 'it'xg7+ .te7 26 'ii'f7, when there is no good defence to the threat of mate on e8. Black intends to sacrifice his knight for the g-pawn if it advances to g6. 20 fts lLlbc6 21 .te2! White intends 22 'ii'h7+ rM7 23 i.h5+, when the knight blocks the king's escape.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
160 21..J!i'xd4 (D)
w
13 �xg6 fxg6 14 'i:i'xg6 bxg5 15 hxg5 White threatens 1 6 'i:i'h5, 1 7 g6 and 1 8 fibS#.
15 ltJxe5
22 .iLd2!
.••
White can win anyway with 22 ifh7+ rlJf7 23 .iLh5+ ltJg6 24 ii'xg6+ 1;e7 (not 24 .. .'.ti>g8 25 ii'h7+! 1;xh7 26 �f7#) 25 ii'xg7+, but this finesse is even stronger. The main idea is to eliminate the bishop, since it prevents a few of White's mating ideas. 22 �c5 The bishop tries to escape, but White soon runs it to ground. Neither capture is possible: a) 22 . . . .iLxd2 23 'i!i'h7+ q;n 24 �h5+ ltJg6 25 .iLxg6+ �e7 26 'ii'xg7+ �d8 27 l:th7 ! threat ens 28 ifxf8# and 28 'i!i'c7#. With the bishop still on b4, the first threat would be directly pre vented while the second can be prevented by . . . .iLe7. b) 22 . . . 'i!i'xd2 loses the queen to 23 'i!i'h7+ cj;f7 24 .iLh5+ ltJg6 25 'ii'xg6+ rJJe7 26 .l:!.xd2. 23 l:.cl b6 24 'ii'h7+ �f7 25 .iLh5+ ltJg6 26 'ii'xg6+ 1;e7 27 ltJf3 ifd3 28 .l:!.xc5! 1 0
Black opts to counter-sacrifice in order to ex pose the white king. If Black tries to prevent the advance of the g-pawn by 1 5 . . .ltJe7 16 'i!i'h5 .l:!.f5, then White can change tack with 17 ifh8+ r.t>f7 1 8 .l:!.h7 and there is no good defence to the threat of mate on g7.
16 'ii'h5!
.•.
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In that example, there was no black pawn on f7. In such positions, the advance of the g-pawn to g6 can be decisive on its own. Here is a brief illustration from Morozevich.
Morozevich - Dolmatov PCA Qualifier; Moscow 1996 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ltJc3 �b4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 .iLxc3+ 6 bxc3 ltJe7 7 ii'g4 0-0 8 �d3 ltJbc6 9 ii'h5 ltJg6 10 ltJf3 'ii'c7 1 1 h4 c4 12 ltJg5 h6 (D) This time, White sacrifices his knight for two pawns. Again, Black must capture.
Black's idea was 16 dxe5 'ikxe5+ 17 .iLe3 'ikxc3+, with excellent counterplay. However, White's kingside attack is so strong that he can continue as if nothing has happened.
16 �d7 (D) •••
If Black plays 1 6 . . . .:tf5, then Morozevich (in Mega Database 2001) gives the line 17 .iLe3 ! ltJf7 (or 1 7 . . . ltJd7 1 8 'ii'h 8+ "'f7 1 9 .:th7 h2 �xa1 27 'iVh4 'it>f8 28 f5 i.g8 29 l:h8 'ii'xcl 30 f6 'ii' h6 White threatened to jettison his last-but-one piece with 3 1 .l:!.xg8+, forcing mate by the lone queen. Black is forced to give up his queen, and White wins comfortably.
31 lhh6 .l:!.e4 32 'ii'h 5 gxf6 33 g7+ 'it>e7 34 1i'f5 .l:.e6 35 'ii'xdS .::Ld8 36 'ii'xc4 .l:!.c6 37 �b4+ .l:!.cd6 38 'ii'xb7+ .::L6d7 39 'ii'e4+ i.e6 40 .l:!.h8 .l:!.xd4 41 'i!Vh7 1-0 When the king cannot escape to the centre, a second sacrifice may be required in order to ex pose it to the full force of the attacker's pieces.
Vaisser - Dautov Baden-Baden 1995 1 d4 lbr6 2 c4 e6 3 lbc3 �b4 4 e3 b6 5 lDe2 �a6 6 lbg3 0-0 7 e4 lbc6 8 �g5 h6 (D)
161
gxf6 �xf6, when 1 4 'i!Vg4 gives White an initia tive. The move played encourages White to seek something better than regaining the piece.
10 hxg5 g6 1 1 e5!? There is nothing wrong with 1 1 gxf6, intend ing after l l . . .'i:Vxf6 1 2 e5 to exploit Black's kingside weaknesses. The move played takes advantage of the fact that the black d-pawn is back on d7 rather than d6. The threat to capture on f6 forces the knight to move, and that allows the white queen an easy path to the h-file.
ll ...lbh7 12 1i'g4 'it>g7 (D) There are three main alternatives: a) 1 2 . . .�xg5 loses to 1 3 'ii'h 3, when White wins the h7-knight. b) 1 2 . . .�e7 1 3 'ii' h4 forces Black to expose his king by 1 3 ... f5, when 14 gxf6 'ii'f7 1 5 lbge4! leaves him defenceless against 1 6 lbg5 . c) 1 2 . . .lbxg5 ! is best, calmly returning the piece. After 1 3 lbge4 ! i.e7 ! (not 1 3 . . . lbxe4 14 'ifh3, mating on the h-file) 1 4 lbxg5 �xg5 1 5 lt:Je4 'ii'e7 ! 1 6 'ii'h 3 (or 1 6 lt.Jxg5 'irM + and the counterattack leads to a draw) 16 ... i.h4 17 0-0-0 r3Jg7 1 8 �xh4 �xh4 1 9 lhh4 .l:!.h8 White's ad vantage is minimal. By clearing the back rank with his king, Black intends to defend the h7-knight by . . . .l:.h8. White's reply ensures that he can bring another piece - his bishop - into the attack on the knight, which leads to a breakthrough on the h-file.
w w
This time it is a bishop that is offered .
9 h4 hxg5? In Mega Database 2001, Dautov gives 9 . . . d6 as better. After 1 0 a3 i.xc3+ 1 1 bxc3 hxg5 1 2 hxg5, Black returns the piece b y 1 2 . . .g 6 1 3
13 lt:Jh5+! gxh5 14 �xh5 .::Lh8 15 'ii'h6+ 'it>g8 16 i.d3 Now the main threat is 1 7 i.xh7+ .::Lxh7 1 8 'ii'xh7+ c;f;>f8 1 9 'ifh8+ �e7 2 0 'ii'f6+ and mate
162
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
next move. Black clears the d7-square for his king, but finds that White has another shot in his locker.
16 d6 11 �xh7+ .l:txh7 18 'ii'xh7+ 'ii?r8 19 g6! 'ii'e8 19 ... fxg6 allows mate by 20 'ii'h 8+ 'ii?f7 2 1 .••
.l:!.h7#.
20 'ii'h4 1-0 White threatens both 21 g7+ �xg7 22 'ii'h6+ 'it>g8 23 'ii'h8# and 21 'ii'f6 with the threat of mate on h8. The bind that follows the sacrifice may be so strong that the sacrificer can afford to play it af ter he has castled kingside, even though it could take several moves to get his rook to the h-file.
Vaganian
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Bosch
Bundesliga 1 999100 1 ttJf3 d5 2 g3 tiJf6 3 �g2 c5 4 0-0 e6 5 d3 �e7 6 tiJbd2 b6 7 e4 �b7 8 'ii'e2 0-0 9 e5 ttJe8 10 .l:!.e1 ttJc7 1 1 h4 tiJd7 12 ttJfl aS 13 tiJ1h2 a4 14 a3 b5 15 ttJg5 b4 16 'ifh5 h6 (D)
1 9 c3 ! , and after 1 9 . . . bxc3 20 bxc3 tlJxc3 21 i..f3 White can continue his regrouping. Black prepares a counter-sacrifice to avoid the worst.
19 'ii'h4 ttJe8 20 i..f3 rs 20 . . . tlJg7 loses to 2 1 tlJh6+ followed by a deadly discovered check. Black could try the crafty 20 . . . g8 22 �g2 tlJg7, but it only takes a further small sacrifice for White to break through on the h-file: 23 .l:!.h1 tlJh5 24 lhh5 gxh5 25 g6 fxg6 26 'ii'xg6+ �h8 27 'ii'xh5+ 'ii?g8 28 'ti'g6+ 'it>h8 29 �g5 ! i..xg5 30 tiJf6 ! and mate is inevitable. Black returns the piece in order to give his king some air.
21 exf6 ttJexf6 22 gxf6 �xf6 23 tiJxf6+ 'ifxf6 24 'ii'xf6 .l:txf6 25 �g4 Black has prevented mate, but he remains with a weak e-pawn and White's two bishops are extremely powerful. The game finished: 25 ttJrs 26 axb4 cxb4 27 �d2 b3 28 cxb3 •.•
axb3 29 .l:!.xa8 i..xa8 30 .l:ta1 i..c6 31 .l:ta6 �bS 32 .l:!.a8 i..xd3 33 �gS 1-0 After the sacrifice, the recapturing pawn re stricts the defender's pieces. In the next exam ple, Spassky is Black and plays the sacrifice on the queenside, establishing an annoying pawn on b4. He brings its neighbouring pawn to c4, and the pawn pair dominate the white position.
w
Korchnoi
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Spassky
Candidates match (game 6), Kiev 1968 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 tlJc3 �e7 4 cxd5 exd5 5 i..f4 c6 6 'ifc2 g6 7 0-0-0 tiJf6 8 f3 tlJa6 9 e4 tiJb4 10 'ii'b3 i..e6 11 e5 tiJd7 12 a3 (D)
17 tlJg4 hxg5 It is not necessary to capture the knight, but possibly Black feared that White would sacrifice the other knight on h6.
18 hxg5 g6 If Black does not take immediate steps. White will play i..f3, �g2 and .l:th l , possibly preceded by tiJf6+, and mate on the h-file. A re markable illustration of this plan is 1 8 . . .bxa3 1 9 i..f3 ! axb2! 20 'iii>g 2! bxa1 'ii' 2 1 .l:.h 1 and mates. If Black can get a knight to d4, he can put a spoke in White's wheel, but 1 8 . . . ttJb5 is met by
B
PRIS/NG OPEN THE H-FILE: t'i:Jg5 AND i..g5 SACRIFICES 12 a5 In view of the threat of 1 3 . . .c5 followed by 1 4 . . . c4, White is virtually compelled to accept this offer. •.•
13 axb4 axb4 14 ltJb1 1 4 ltJa4 loses the extra piece to 1 4 . . .'it'a5 1 5 lbc5 lbxc5 1 6 dxc5 'it'xc5+ 1 7 'ii'c2 l:ta 1 + 1 8 'itd2 'it'd4+. White drops his knight back to block the back rank so that . . . l:tal does not compel his king to go for a walk.
14 c5 15 g4 ...
White must allow the pawn-storm to con tinue as after 15 dxc5 ltJxc5 the knight creates mayhem. For instance, the queen is lost after 1 6 'it'xb4 ltJd3+, and White must also avoid lines such as 16 �b5+ 'it>f8 1 7 'ii'e3 d4 ! 1 8 l:txd4 (or 1 8 'it'f2 ltJb3+ 19 'iti>c2 l:r.c8+ 20 �d3 'ifd5 2 1 �a4 'it'c4+ 22 'iti>e4 �f5#) 1 8 . . .'ii'x d4! 1 9 'ii'xd4 ltJb3+, whereupon Black emerges the exchange ahead.
15 c4 16 'ii'e3 l:Lt2 •••
Black attacks the b-pawn, holding the white king on c 1 until his queen has joined the attack. 17 h4 'ii'a5 18 l:r.h2 l:Lt1 Now Black will regain the piece with a strong attack. The threat is 1 9 ...'it'a2, even against 1 9 'iti>d2 which blocks the only flight-square of the b1 -knight. The pawn advances have established a pawn on c4 which denies the bishop the d3-square, from which it could defend the knight. Korch noi's only chance is to play �d3 anyway, which ensures that he can defend the knight with his queen and, if the counter-sacrifice is accepted, breaks up the black pawns.
163
20 �b4 •••
Around here Black could capture the bishop without risk. For instance, 20. . . cxd3 2 1 'ii'xd3 h5 seems very strong. It blocks the further ad vance of the white h-pawn, and threatens to gain the f5-square for the light-squared bishop. There is no harm in allowing White to con tinue his kingside advance, but Spassky soon makes a fatal error that gives White a winning endgame.
21 h5 0-0 22 hxg6 fxg6 23 l:tdh1 cxdJ 24 'ii'xd3 'it'c7+ 25 ltJec3 ltJb6? After 25 ... �xc3 26 bxc3 :Xf4 27 l:txh7 'it>f8 ! (intending 28 'ii'xg6? 'ii'xc3+ with mate in a few moves) Black has an extra piece and can defend his king. He has overlooked White's simple but attractive queen sacrifice.
26 'ii'xg6+! hxg6 27 l:th8+ 'iti>f7 28 l:t1h7+ 'it>e8 29 l:r.xf8+ 'it>xf8 30 l:txc7 ltJc4 31 :.Xb7 �xc3 32 bxc3 b2+ 33 'it>c2 'it>e8 34 �g5 l:ta6 35 ltJd2 �c8 36 l:te7+ 'it>f8 37 ltJxc4 dxc4 38 'iti>xb2 l:tb6+ 39 'it>c2 �b7 40 l:.xb7 :.Xb7 41 f4 l:tb7 42 'iii'b2 0-1
Bishop on the a2-g8 Diagonal The presence o f a bishop o n the a2-g8 diagonal brings new opportunities for the attacker. With the defender's king on g8, the pin on the f-pawn allows the sacrificer to advance his pawn, al ready on g5, to g6 attacking the f7-pawn. If the queen reaches the h-file, mate is very hard to stop. Here is a drastic example.
19 �d3 b3 20 ltJe2 (D)
Kovaliov - Panikarovsky Cherepovets 1997 B
1 e4 c5 2 ltJf3 ltJc6 3 ltJc3 e5 4 �c4 Ji..e7 5 d3 d6 6 h4 ltJf6 7 ltJg5 0-0 8 a3 h6 9 Ji..e3 (D) The pressure on f7 is annoying, but there is no need for Black to accept the knight.
9 hxg5 10 hxg5 ltJg4 ..•
The knight blocks the queen's path to h5.
1 1 g6
The apparent idea behind this move is to re gain the exchange on f7 . In fact, there is a far more vicious intention than that.
11 ltJxe3?? •••
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
164
B
w
At the time, Panikarovsky had an Elo rating of 2335, so this is an astonishing error, espe cially so early in the game. He allows the queen to get to h5. Black must tread carefully, but after a move such as 1 1 .. .l2Jd4 White should not be able to achieve more than regaining an exchange. 12 %th8+! 1-0 It is mate after 12 .. /�xh8 1 3 'ifh5+ �g8 I 4 'ii'h7#. That i s the neat way. I 2 'ii'h5 also achieves a quick mate.
14 ... g6 I5 1i'f3 Black cannot prevent the queen from reaching the h-file and forcing mate. For instance, Black could try 15 ... �g7, unpinning the f-pawn and preparing to oppose rooks on the h-file, but White wins nicely with 16 "ifg3 llg8 ( 1 6...l:th8 allows 1 7 "fixe5+ with a quick mate) I 7 l:th7+! 'it>f8 ( l 7 .. .'�xh7 allows mate in two) I 8 l:txf7+ 'it>e8 1 9 l:txe7+ ! �xe7 20 1i'xe5+, when mate cannot be delayed for long. 14 ..txf7+! �g7 The game is up. I4.. Jlxf7 loses to I 5 l:th7 ! �xh7 1 6 1i'xf7+ �h8 I 7 0-0-0 i.g4 I 8 l:th i + ..ih5 I 9 '6'xg6, with inevitable mate. 15 l:th6! ..ixg5 16 lhg6+ �h7 17 f3?! A strange finish. I7 'it'd I mates quickly, but maybe White was fixated on winning with a sacrifice. 17...'1Vb6 Black is obliging. 17 ... ..th4+ slows down White's assault without affecting the final result. 18 0-0-0 1-0 Black resigns before White can play another sacrifice. After 1 8 . . . ..ixd2+ 19 �bl ! "fie3 20 :!.hi+ 'i#'h6 2 1 'i#'d l ! :Xf7 22 l:tgxh6+ ..ixh6 23 'i#'d6 White has a mating attack.
The next example graphically illustrates the effect of the pressure on f7. The defender has to waste a move preventing the g6 advance and immediately falls to a sacrificial breakthrough on fl.
Knezevic - Ristic Yugoslav Team Ch, lgalo 1994 1 d4 l!Jf6 2 ..ig5 l!Je4 3 h4 c6 4 ltJd2 'it'a5 5 tt::lgf3 d6 6 c3 l!Jxd2 7 ..ixd2 h6 8 e4 e5 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 ..tc4 ..te7 11 'iib3 0-0 (D) This time the sacrifice is not a passive one. The knight jumps to the g5-square where it is en prise to the black h-pawn and defended by its own h-pawn. Like l!Jf5 sacrifices, it is a si lent sacrifice, but the effect is the same as for the passive sacrifices earlier in the chapter. 12 l!Jg5 hxg5 13 hxg5 g6 Black prevents the advance of the white g pawn to g6, but a storm awaits him. It appears that Black can repel the attack with 1 3 ...1i'b6, threatening an exchange of queens, but White re-routes his queen to the kingside with 14 'i!i'd I , threatening 1 5 1i'h5, and after
The next example is more complex. The black bishop's presence on c5 forces the accep tance of the sacrifice, and it plays a part in sev eral important variations.
Gauglitz - Sulava Szeged 1989 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 l!Jf3 a6 4 e3 l!Jf6 5 ..txc4 e6 6 0-0 c5 7 1t'e2 l!Jc6 8 l:tdl b5 9 i.b3 i.b7 10 dxc5 '6'c7 1 1 e4 i.xc5 12 h3 h5 13 �fl (D)
PRISING OPEN THE H-FILE: li:Jg5 AND if..g5 SACRIFICES
165
B
White has exposed his f2-square by the ad vance of his e-pawn. Presumably, he moved his king because he could see the silent sacrifice . . . 4Jg4 coming and wanted to drop the knight back to g1 after accepting it. 13 4Jg4 14 hxg4 hxg4 IS tiJgl nhl 16 eS The threat was 1 6 ... 'iib2, regaining the piece. White's defensive options are depressing: a) He cannot interrupt the queen's diagonal by 1 6 g3, as 16 .. .'ikxg3 ! 1 7 fxg3 .t:txg1# is mate because the queen on e2 blocks the king's es cape-square. In this line, the c5-bishop pins the f-pawn against the g l -knight. b) He can try to clear the e2-square with a gain of tempo by 1 6 'i!Vc2, attacking the c5bishop, but Black has a wide choice of ways to continue the attack, including ignoring the threat with 1 6 . . . 'i!Vh2 17 "ii'xc5 'ikxg l + 1 8 'it>e2 'ikxg2, when the white king will receive a buf feting in the centre. White chooses to block the queen's diagonal with his e-pawn, but it gives only flimsy cover, and the move opens the diagonal of the b7bishop which makes the g2-pawn vulnerable. 16... g3 Black plays the thematic move, exploiting the pin on the f-pawn. 17 �e3 (D) 17 'ikxe5?! The altemati ve capture 17 . . .tt:Jxe5 wins for Black. There are some pretty lines: a) 18 'i¥c2 gxf2 19 �xf2 4Jc4 ! 20 i.xc4 (or 20 i.xc5 'it'xc5 21 'iff2 �xg2+ ! 22 'it>xg2 nhl+ winning the queen) 20 ... �xg2+! 21 ..t>xg2 llh2+ 22 ..t>fl .t:txf2+ and the white queen goes. b) 1 8 4Jc3 4Jf3 ! ! 19 gxf3 g2+ 20 ..t>el (not 20 'it>xg2 'iih2+ and mate next move) 20 . . . :d8 ! .••
2 1 'ifc2 l:.xg l + 22 'it>e2 :gxdl 23 .t:txd l �xe3 ! 24 fxe3 'fi'h2 ! and the pawn promotes. c) Even exchanging queens by 1 8 �xc5 'i¥xc5 19 'ike3 'ikxe3+ 20 fxe3 fails to stem the attack, as after 20 ... 4Jg4 2 1 'it>e2 :h2 Black has decisive threats. After the move played, White is able to put up staunch resistance, but he eventually cracks under the pressure. 18 4Jc3 4Je7 19 i.xcS 'ikxcS 20 1i'e3 'ikxe3 21 fxe3 b4 22 �a4+ eMs 23 l:.d7 bxc3 24 .t:txb7 l:.d8! 25 e4? He should not allow the rook to reach the seventh rank. 25 i.d7 ! blocks it in for the time being, but leaves Black with an advantage in the endgame. 2S ...:d2! A nasty shock. Black allows a second piece to be captured with check. but White finds him self with no defence to the threat of . . ..t:tf2+ fol lowed by . . ..t:txgl #. 26 .t:tb8+ lt:lc8 27 llxc8+ 'it>e7 28 .t:tc7+ ..t>f6 29 eS+ 'it>g6 0-1
Driving the King to the Centre
•.•
In the last example, there was a line (note 'b' to Black's 17th move) where the white king es caped to the centre, only to find that the open d-file made it a distinctly inhospitable destina tion. Many 0J�g5 sacrifices are played with the intention of driving the king towards the centre, where a reception committee awaits it. Here is an example.
166
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES Fossan - Dannevig
Van de Mortel - Onishchuk
Norwegian Ch 1992
Wijk aan Zee 1996
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 � c5 4 exd5 'ii'xd5 5 lLlgf3 cxd4 6 �c4 'it'd6 7 0-0 lLlf6 8 lLlb3 lLlc6 9 lLlbxd4 lLlxd4 10 lLlxd4 �d7 1 1 c3 'ii'c7 12 'ife2 0-0-0 13 a4 h5 14 h3 a6 15 �e3 e5 (D)
1 e4 e5 2 d4 exd4 3 'i!kxd4 tt'lc6 4 'ii'e3 g6 5 tt'lc3 �g7 6 �d2 lLlge7 7 0-0-0 0-0 8 b4 d5 9 exd5 lbxd5 10 'ii'g3 lLldb4 1 1 a3 (D)
B w
ll a5 12 �g5 'i!ke8 13 axb4 axb4 14 lLld5 �f5 15 �d3 White would like to eliminate the g7-bishop, but he hasn't the time. 1 5 tt'lf6+ �xf6 16 �xf6 'ii'e6 gives Black an extra tempo which he can utilize to develop a strong attack on the white king. 15 'ii'e6! A very neat idea: the queen aims at the a2square. Now 1 6 lLlxc7 ! ? allows 1 6... �xb2+ ! 1 7 1;xb2 'iia2+ 1 8 'iitc l 'i!t'a3+ 1 9 �d2 'ii'c 3+ 20 1;e2 lLld4+ 2 1 'iiffl l:tal (D). ...
Again we see a silent sacrifice, this time on the queenside. The open d-file awaits the flee ing black king. 16 tt'lb5 axb5 17 axb5 �e6 The black king cannot hide in the comer. After 1 7 ...�b8 1 8 b6 'ii'c 6 (or 1 8 . . .'6'd6 1 9 l:tfd 1 , and the queen only has the choice of bad squares) 1 9 l:ta5 �e6 20 l:tfa1 �c8 2 1 �b5 the queen is lost. 18 l:ta4! tt'ld5?! The threat was 19 .i.xe6+ followed by :C4, winning the queen. Black does best to try the king's luck in the centre with 18 ... 'iitd7, al though White is able to tie the black pieces in knots in the attempt to keep their monarch safe; e.g., 19 b6 'ii'c8 20 �b5+ 1;e7 21 �g5 'ifc5 22 l:te4 'i!t'xb6 23 l:txe5 lld6 24 l:ta 1 'iid 8 25 b4 and Black can barely move a muscle. After the text-move, Black loses the extra piece on the d-file. 19 l:ta8+ 'it>d7 20 l:txd8+ 'ii'xd8 21 l:td1 1;e7 22 �xd5 �xd5 23 c4 f6 24 :Xd5 'i!t'c8 25 'ii'd3 � 1-0 The next example is more complex. Two open central files await the white king, so in one key variation Black can afford to sacrifice a second piece in order to drive the king towards them.
.•.
w
This is all forced, but the white king has ap parently reached safety at fl . White has two ways to meet the mate threat, and on the surface
PRISING OPEN THE H-FILE: ltJg5 AND if..g5 SACRIFICES they both seem sufficient. However, appear ances can be deceptive: a) 22 i.c l is met by 22 ... b3 !, unhinging White's game. The prettiest finish is 23 tt:le2 JLxd3 24 cxd3 'ili'c2 25 %1e l 'i!i'xe2+ ! ! 26 l:txe2 b2 ! 27 l:txb2 l:txc l#. b) 22 JLe2 returns one of the two pieces, but avoids letting the black b-pawn loose. We shall again look at the prettiest line, which is 22... l:txd l + 23 i.xd l fial 24 f3 'i!i'xd l + 25 fie I fixc2 26 'iVxb4 i.d3+ 27 'it>el %1d8 ! ! . Black defends his crucial knight and threatens both 28 . . . 'i!i'xc7 and 28 . . .'i!i'xg2. Now 28 i.xd8 al lows 28 ...'i!i'c 1 + 29 'it>f2 tt:lf5 ! threatening queen mates on fl and e3. White cannot prevent them both. It is evident that the f5-bishop is a very dan gerous customer, so White hurries to exchange it.
16 .txr5 (DJ
167
17 'iii>d2 fixd5+ 18 i.d3 l:xd1 + 19 xd1 b3 20 tt:le2 %1e8 21 tt:lc3? He could hold his game together by 21 c4. After the move played, the black b-pawn is on the loose again. In the end, Black just suc ceeds in breaking down White's resistance, al though his opponent misses chances to make life more difficult (e.g. 30 'ii'c 6). 2l...i..xc3 22 bxc3 b2 23 'it>d2 'iVa2 24 'iixc7
b1 lLl+ 25 :Xb1 'it'xb1 26 i..e3 tt:le5 27 i.e2 b5 28 'i!i'd6 tt:lc4+ 29 i.xc4 bxc4 30 'i1Yf6 'iih 1 31 g4 'ife4 32 b5 'ii'e5 33 'ii'f3 ii'e6 34 h6 f6 35 'iVb7 ii'e7 36 ii'd5+ 'i!i'f7 37 'iibs g5 38 'i!i'c6 ii'e6 39 'ifb7 l:!.e7 40 ii'b8+ rM7 41 'ti'g3 ii'd5+ 42 We2 l:!.b7 43 ii'g1 l:.b2 44 ii'c1 'ii'd3+ 0-1 In the next example, there are already plenty of open lines in the centre, and as the white king makes its escape Black rips open even more lines. Despite a desperate search, the king can find no hiding place.
M. Gurevich - Piket Antwerp 1993
B
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 tt:lc3 e5 4 dxe5 d4 5 tt:le4 1!ka5+ 6 i.d2 'iixe5 7 tt:lg3 tt:lf6 8 tt:lf3 'fid6 9 'ii'c2 JLe7 10 0-0-0 0-0 11 e3 dxe3 12 i.c3 'i!i'c7 13 fxe3 tt:la6 14 'it>b1 tt:lb4 15 'ifc1 tt:lg4 16 a3 (D)
B 16... l:!.a1+ It is better to play 1 6 . . . 'ii'xf5, when White would still face a possible . . . i.xb2 sacrifice. For instance, 1 7 1iff3 (not 17 'i!i'b3 'iixf2 1 8 bl .l:ta5 followed by 19 . . .l:!.fa8) 1 7 . . .JLxb2+! 1 8 'it>d2 (not 1 8 'iii>xb2 l:!.a2+! 19 'iii>xa2 'ii'xc2+ 20 'it>al .l:ta8+ and mate next move) 1 8 . . .'ili'e6 1 9 tt:le2 .l:ta3, and now: a) 20 JLe3 loses the d5-knight to 20 . . .tt:le5 2 1 'iVe4 c6, intending 22 tt:ldf4 tt:lc4+ winning the queen. b) 20 tt:le3 h6! 21 JLxh6 l:!.d8+ 22 'it>el :Xdl + wins at least a rook for Black, as the e3-knight is pinned against the queen. After the move played, White misses an op portunity to consolidate.
There is a fully open d-file, and a half-open e-file with an extremely sickly white pawn on it. This alone should be enough to justify sacri ficing the knight on b4 to chase the king into the centre. As we shall see, Black is not content with that. He will also try to open the c-file, and
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
168
the diagonal from e6 to b3, with a timely ... b5 thrust. 16 a5 17 axb4 axb4 18 .i.e1
and 'ii'xh7#, but Black shows that it is an empty threat. 24 .:r.d8! 25 'ikb6 b3+ 26 d2 26 �c I allows a slick back-rank mating com bination: 26...\i'al + 27 .i.bl 1i'xbl+! 28 'iti>xbl .:tat+! 29 �xal l:ld I+ and mate next move. 26 ifxb2+ 27 �e3 .i.cS+ 28 �4 :Xd3 29 .•.
••.
There was an incidental threat of ..ltJf2, and the bishop also needs to clear the d2-square for the king. .
18 ifa5 19 l:.d3 .••
Making a run for it with 1 9 �c2 is prema ture, as after 1 9...'ifa4+ 20 �d2 .i.c5 21 ltJd4 l1e8 the e-pawn goes, and with it any possibility of the king finding shelter in the centre. The rook tries to provide both shelter for the king on the d-file and protection for the e-pawn. 19 'il'a2+ 20 �c2 (D) .•.
•••
ifxh7+ ..tf8 30 e5 l:.a4+ 31 ltJe4 l:.xe4+ 32 d8 23 l:lh8. b) 19 . . . l:lf8 20 'ii'h7+ c2 .l:r.g2 winning the queen) 35 . . . ltxd l + 36 �xdl 'ikg l + 37 �c2 f2 3 8 e7+ e8 36 lte4 l:rc8 37 d6 .l:r.d8? 38 'ii'e7# (1-0) ••
..
•
•.•
w
The 0/i..g S Sacrifice i n the Opening There are two opening variations where the 0Ji.g5 sacrifice plays an important part. Both are Ruy Lopez lines in which White castles early. Black plays ... i.g4, and when White challenges the bishop with h3, Black replies with . . . h5 . One is the Exchange Ruy Lopez: 1 e4 e5 2 lDfJ .!Dc6 3 i.b5 a6 4 i.xc6 dxc6 5 0-0 ..i.g4 6 hJ h5 (D)
w
27 f5!? Shirov's position is s o good that he could take his time to prepare his breakthrough. Typically, he prefers to act at once, creating connected passed pawns on the e- and d-files. 27 exf5 28 e5 f4!? 29 e6 i.a4 30 .l:td2 ltf5 31 'i'f2! fJ 32 .l::&.e4? This move is uncharacteristically greedy. In Fire on Board, Shirov gives 32 'ii'c5 ! �e8 (or 32 . . . f2 33 e7+ 'it'd7 34 exfBlD+ ! .l:.axf8 3 5 .l:.e7+ xgl l:tg6+ 32 tt::lg4 ••
Or 32 hl .i.xh2 33 1i'xh2 'ii'f l+ mating.
32 lhg4+! 33 fxg4 ..te3+ 0-1 •••
There is no immediate mate, and White in tends to consolidate by playing t'Llh2 and f3 . Black must bring a rook into the attack, and he has a simple and effective way of doing so. 18 f5 19 t'Llb2 fxe4 20 dxe4 l:.f6 21 f3 :ars Two rooks will be better than one, which is neatly illustrated if White now grabs a pawn by 22 bxc5. Black plays 22 ...l:.g6+ and a likely con tinuation is 23 �h l .i.h4 (threatening 24. . . t'Llh5 25 .l:tg 1 t'Llg3+ 26 lhg3 ..txg3 with heavy pres sure on the g- and h-files) 24 l:tg1 l:.xg1 + 25 �x.gl .i.xe1 26 l:txe1 'ii'g 3+ 27 �fl l:.f6. The rook replaces its colleague on the third rank, and an invasion along the g- or h-file wins for Black.
Here is the same idea of using a knight on f5 to secure the h6-square for the queen, expressed in the form of a brilliant combination. However, before White is able to play his combination, he must survive some vicious complications.
22 �cl l:.g6+ 23 ..ti>hl t'Llh5 24 l:.gl t'Llg3+ 25 l:txg3 'ii'xg3 26 .i.e3 �g5 27 �f2
White's queenside has fallen apart. Black is happy to sacrifice his e7-knight in the line 20 f6 .lhc3 ! 2 1 fxe7 l:te8 ! because the attack is over and he emerges with several pawns for the piece. However, White hopes that his pre-emptive sacrifice will give the attack new momentum.
•••
Better is 27 ..txg5 l:.xg5 28 'ii'g2, although then Black has approximate material parity and a strong attack. Now the white pieces get in each other's way.
Hellers
-
Cu. Hansen
Malmo 1997 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 t'Llc3 .i.b4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 .ixc3+ 6 bxc3 'ii'c7 7 t'Llf3 t'Lle7 8 a4 h6 9 ..td3 b6 10 0-0 �a6 1 1 �xa6 lt:lxa6 12 'ii'd3 t'Llb8 13 lt:lh4 t'Llbc6 14 f4 0-0 15 .ia3 tt::la5 16 l:.ael 'ii'c6 17 g4 'ii'xa4 18 .tel cxd4 19 f5 l:.ac8 (D)
DESTROYING THE CASTLED KING 'S FORTRESS: iJ.xh6
w
179
Black expects 23 'ii'd 3+ 'iii>g8 24 �d2 �h7, with a draw. There appears to be no way for the queen to reach the h6-square. 23 l:tf5!! Black is cruelly disabused. After 2 3 . . . exf5 24 tt:'lxf5 (the knight reaches f5, so h6 is con quered) 24 .. .'ii?g8 25 'ii'xh6, mate cannot be pre vented. Black allows an even nicer finish. 23...dxc3 Just in case White hasn't seen it. . . 24 �xh6+! Anything else loses. 24 .cbxh6 25 .l:.hS# (1-0) ••
20 i.xh6 gxh6 Black has two main alternatives: a) 20 ... exf5 21 tt:'lxf5 tt:'lxf5 22 'ikxf5 brings the white queen into the attack with great effect. b) After 20 .. J:hc3 ! ? 21 'ii'd2, Black must give up the exchange with 2 I ..Jle3 ! , when the outcome remains uncertain. 21 f6 tt:'lec6 Black does better to jettison the knight by 2 I . . .l:txc3 22 �d2. Then: a) 22...�xc2 23 �xh6 'ii'h7 24 �xh7+ �7 25 fxe7 l:!.e8 26 lhf7+ �g8 and here White's passed pawn and active rooks give him at least a draw. b) 22 . . . l:te3 ! ? is also playable, but White's attack persists after 23 fxe7 l:c8 24 �f2 'ii'e8 25 l:txe3 dxe3 26 �xe3 �xe7 27 'ii'xh6 �f8 28 'ii'h 5 ! followed by 29 l:tf6. Black feels safe enough saving the knight, as White's attack appears to give him no more than a draw. However, here comes that combi nation . . . 22 'ii'd2! �h7 (D)
w
Here is a standard manoeuvre in which the delayed recapture comes through a short series of checks.
Smagin - Monin Pinsk 1 986 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 tt:'lc3 c6 4 tt:'lf3 tt:'lf6 5 e3 tt:'lbd7 6 'ii'c2 i.d6 7 ..te2!? 0-0 8 0-0 dxc4 9 ..txc4 e5 10 h3 exd4 1 1 exd4 tt:'lb6 12 i.b3 h6 (D)
w
With the bishop on the a2-g8 diagonal, the queen can check on g6, exploiting the pin on the f-pawn. 13 i.xh6 gxh6 14 'ii'g6+ 'iit>h8 15 'ii'xh6+ tt:'lh7 White has apparently gained a tempo. As we shall see in the next game, winning a tempo with 'ii'xh6 can be enough to win the game out right. If Black plays 1 5 . . . �g8? then 1 6 i.c2! sets up the kind of winning position that we saw in the first two games in this chapter. A likely finish would be 16 . . ..l:.e8 1 7 tt'lg5 i.e6 1 8 i.h7+
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
180
h8 1 9 i.g6+ ..t>g8 20 lDce4! lbbd5 2 I lbxf7 ! i.xf7 22 i.xf7+ ..t>xf7 23 lbg5+ with a quick mate. However, the checking sequence has allowed Black to set up a far tougher defence than he nonnaHy manages, as the h7-knight shields the king and covers the g5-square, and Black has the option of blocking the bl -h7 diagonal with ...f5. 16 lbe4
It is not all bad news for White. His knights rapidly take up threatening positions. 16 i.e7 •••
After 16 .. .f6 17 lbxd6 'ifxd6 the f-pawn is pinned, a fact that White can exploit with 1 8 i.c2 :n (or 1 8. . .'ifd7 19 i.xh7 with two extra pawns) 19 lbe5 ! . Then 19 .. .'ii'c7 20 .ixh7 fxe5 21 :ael ! 'iie7 22 i.g6+ .l:!.h7 23 .ixh7 'i!Vxh7 24 'iif8+ 'iig8 25 'fle7 leaves Black powerless to resist invasion by the white rook. 17 lbr6!
Very pretty. The point is that on 1 7 ...i.xf6, 1 8 .i.c2 forces mate.
After the move played, White paralyses his opponent with a single quiet blow. 22 l:l.fel!
There is no good defence against 23 l:lxd4 16'xd4 24 l:le7, since 22....l:!.e8 23 :Xe8+ 16'xe8 leaves the bishop en prise on d4, 22 ...lbd5 cuts off the defence of the d4-bishop, and 22...lDc8 cuts off the defence of the f8-rook (so White can play 23 l:.xd4 16'xd4 24 'ii'xf8+) . Black could resign now, but gives up his queen first. 22 'itf6 23 lbxf6 .ixf6 24 l:le6 .i.g7 25 ..•
'fibs aS 26 .l:!.dd6 l:.ac8 27 l:le7 a4 28 :h6 1-0
The Recapture on h6 Wins a Tem po As promised, here is a game in which the recap ture on h6 wins a tempo. The queen attacks an undefended knight on f6, and the result of the extra tempo is carnage.
17....i.fS 18 lbhS .i.f6 19 lbgS! i.xd4 20 lbxh7 .i.xh7 21 l:.adl! (D)
Vasquez - Borges Garcia Memorial, Santa Clara 1998 1 d4 dS 2 c4 c6 3 lbf3 lbf6 4 lbc3 e6 5 e3 lbbd7 6 'iVc2 i.d6 7 b3 0-0 8 .i.e2 dxc4 9 bxc4 eS 10 0-0 :e8 1 1 :d1 'fle7 12 l:lb1 h6 13 h3 exd4 14 exd4 lbf8 15 .i.d3 16'c7 16 .i.e3 lbe6 17 1Wd2 b6 18 l1e1 i.d7 (D)
B
w
21 f5 •.•
White threatened 22 l:lxd4! 1i'xd4 23 :di 'iVe5 24 f4 'fixb2 25 lbf6 when Black must give up his queen to avert mate. The only good defence is 2 1 ...:g8!, threat ening 22....l:!.g6, which works tactically because 22 i.xf7 allows 22...l:lf8 23 .i.g6 i.xf2+! 24 h l 'i!Ve7, and Black's delicate points are all defended. White would have to content himself with regaining an exchange by 22 i.c2 :g6 23 i.xg6 with chances for both sides.
19 .i.xh6 gxh6 20 'iVxh6
Besides the tempo win, almost everything else in this position is in White's favour. Black's one plus is that his e6-knight covers the white
DESTROYING THE CASTLED KING'S FORTRESS: bh6 knight's normal invasion square at g5, but it can use e5 in this case. 20 lDf4 Black returns the piece and the game is in stantly over. There are two ways to defend the knight: a) 20 ... i.e7 allows 21 l:te5 lDg7 22 l:tg5 i.f8 23 l:tg3 ! 1i'd8 24 lDg5, and there is no good de fence to the threat of 25 i.h7+ 'it>h8 26 lDxf7#. b) 20 . . .1i'd8 is met by 2 1 lDe4 ! lbxe4 22 l:txe4 i.f8 23 l:tg4+ i.g7 24 lDe5 ! with a win ning attack; e.g., 24 .. .'it>f8 (not 24. . .1i'e7 25 %:.xg7+! mating) 25 %:.xg7 ! lDxg7 26 'iVh8+ fl 1i'h8 20 'ii'g5+ 'it>h7 2 l l:hd 1 White is prepared to play the rook-lift via d3 or f3 to g3 or h3, and there is little that Black can do about it. Black does better to decline the exchange sacrifice and play 1 6 . . . %:.fe8. White can then play 1 7 .l:[d3 in tending f4 and %:.g3 with great complications.
IS eS?!
White has no light-squared bishop, and his queen is not lined up on the h6-pawn. Despite
White targets f6, but this has the drawback of allowing the f5-square to be used by the black queen. If White had a light-squared bishop then this move would be strong, opening a line for it to bombard the black king. The natural 1 5 1i'xh6 is better, with the likely continuation 15 . . ..l:td8 1 6 "i6g5+ 'itf8 and now
White must put his knights and rook to work. 1 7 ltJd4 ! i s again a good start. The knight threatens to capture on c6, and clears the path for a rook to swing over to the kingside via d3. 15 ltJc4 Black refuses to be forced onto the defen sive, but this pawn grab is a little too greedy. The natural defence 1 5 ... ..te7 is better. After 1 6 'ii'xh6 ..ig4! Black is threatening to bring the attack to a halt with 1 7 ...'ii'f5. Now 1 7 ltJd4 fails thanks to 1 7 .....txdl 1 8 llxd 1 'ii'g4, so White has little choice but to aim at the f6square with 1 7 ltJe4, when a typical line is 1 7 . . .'iff5 18 ltJf6+ .ixf6 19 exf6 'ii'g6 20 'ii'f4. White's attack is over, but he may be able to pick up the c-pawns in exchange for his f6pawn and enter an ending with three pawns for the piece. 16 'ii'xh6 ltJxe5 (D)
Exercises Exercise 23
•••
w
White played 1 1 i.xh6 gxh6 12 'ii'xh6 to which Black replied 12 ltJb4? and lost quickly: 13 ltJgS ltJxd3+ (White threatened 14 i.h7+ 'it>h8 1 5 .ig6+ 'it>g8 1 6 ltJce4 mating) 14 lhd3 .trs 1s l:tg3 .tg6 16 ltJe6! 1-o. After the better defence, 12 ... ltJe5, what is White's quickest winning method? •.•
w
Exercise 24
B
17 ltJe4! ltJxf3+? The only good defence to the threat of 1 8 ltJf6# i s 1 7 ... f6. After 1 8 ltJxe5 i.xe5 ( 1 8. . .fxe5? blocks the d6-bishop so that 19 :d3 threatens a deadly check on g3), White can draw by perpet ual check with 1 9 'ii'g6+, or he can take his chances with 1 9 f4 followed by l:td3, with at tacking possibilities. Black avoids perpetual check but opens the g-file, which is just what White needs in order to complement his attack. 18 gxf3 i.e7 19 'itth1 .ifS 20 l:tg1+ i.g6 21 lhg6+ fxg6 22 'ii'xg6+ 'itth8 23 llg1 1-0
Black played 16 i.xh3 17 gxh3 'ii'xh3 and now White defended with 18 'ii'd 1. Black had won a tempo. What is Black's most effective way to continue the attack? •••
1 4 The G reek G ift: 1Lxh 7 +
When our Icing's bishop stares at our oppo nent's unmoved h-pawn in front of the castled king, and his knight cannot get to defend the h7-square, our fingers start to itch. Can we play ..txh7+ or can't we? The sacrifice is so popular that, in his book The Art of Attack in Chess, Vukovic devoted a whole chapter to ex plaining when and how the sacrifice can be played. To illustrate some of the fundamentals of the Greek Gift, here is one of the simplest recent examples that I can find.
Mosnegutu - Sarbu Ploiesti 2002 1 d4 e6 2 c4 li'lf6 3 tt'lc3 ..tb4 4 e3 b6 5 ..td3 i.. b7 6 li'lf3 0-0 7 0-0 dS 8 cxdS i..xc3 9 bxc3 tt'lxdS 10 e4 li'lf6 1 1 e5 tt'lfd7 (D)
w
There are generally three feasible replies to the knight check, namely ... Wg8, ... Wh6 and ... 'iti>g6. In this case, all three tries fail, ...'it>g6 as in the game, and the other two as follows: a) Retreating the king by 1 3 . . .�g8 allows the typical mating attack: 1 4 'i!t'hS l:f.e8 1 5 'i!i'xf7+ 'it>h8 1 6 'i!t'hS+ 'it>g8 1 7 'ii'h7+ �f8 1 8 'ii' h8+ rbe7 1 9 'ikxg7#. This sequence relies on the defender's rook being on f8 in the initial po sition and his queen being on d8. The rook must go to e8 where it blocks one escape-square for the king while the queen blocks the other (d8). The white eS-pawn prevents the black knight from defending h7 from f6 (and its own rook stops it from getting to f8 in time) and also pre vents the Icing's escape via d6. Note that White has a good alternative in 1 4 'i!Vd3. In each indi vidual case, White must work out which is better. b) The other king move, 1 3 . . . h6 is rarely an option, and can be considered only if the attacker has no bishop on the c 1 -h6 diagonal, or if the discovered check is harmless thanks to the position of the defender's pieces. 14 'ii'g4 (D)
B
12 i..xh7+ From White's point of view, the normal form of the sacrifice requires a knight ready to play to gS in one move, and a queen able to attack h7 (normally from hS) in one move. It often helps to have a bishop on the c 1 -h6 diagonal and, as we shall see, a rook able to lift to the third rank to join in the attack if immediate mate is not possible. 12 �xb7 13 tt'lg5+ 'it>g6 •.•
This is the normal follow-up when the king moves to g6. In some positions, 'ir'd3+ is neces sary.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
184
After the move played, White threatens 1 5 ltJxe6+, with mate on g7. There is only one rea sonable defence. 14 f5 15 'ifg3 White often plays 1 5 exf6 in such positions, exposing the king but also giving it more room. Here it is good, but the queen retreat is better. Black must move his queen to take the sting out of the threat of llJxe6+. 15 'ife8 After 1 5 . . .'ii'c 8 1 6 llJxe6+ q;f7 1 7 llJxg7, the threat of e6+ cannot be avoided. l 5 ...'ii'e7 is best, but after 1 6 llJxe6+ q;h7 1 7 llJxc7, White already has three pawns for the piece, two of which are passed and dangerous, and he can also pick up the exchange while retaining his initiative. 16 llJxe6+ d8 20 �f4 is even better. Black resigned anyway, as he faces ruinous loss of material.
On l 3 . .. q;g8, 1 4 'ii'h5 is instantly decisive as White threatens mate on the move, and l 4... :d8 1 5 'ifh7+ �f8 1 6 1i'h8# is mate because the queen blocks the king's escape. Despite the presence of the white bishop on c 1 , Black has the option of playing 1 3 .. .'ith6 without immediate mishap. However, White can bring about the winning position that oc curs after l 3 ...'it>g8 1 4 1i'h5 in the previous paragraph by the sequence 14 llJe4+ �g6 1 5 'i!kg4+ g8 l 7 llJg5, when mate follows. 14 hxg5+ �g6 Now 1 4. . .�g8 loses to 1 5 'ifh5 since l 5 .. .f6 and 15 .. .f5 can both be met by 16 g6 with inevi table mate on h8. The effect is similar to the lb/il..g5 sacrifices in Chapter 1 2. The king must try its luck in the open, but cannot last long. 15 1i'h5+ xh7 13 llJg5+ i.xg5
The Greek Gift comes in a variety of guises. We all think of the normal llJg5+, 'ifh5 (or
THE GREEK GIFT: iL.xh7+ 'i!kd3) follow-up, but in many cases 'ii'h 5+ is the immediate follow-up. The queen can combine with a knight on e5 to assault f7, or with a rook (normally on the third rank) to threaten mate on the h-file, and often 'ifh5+ is followed by a sec ond bishop sacrifice, this time on g7. This, the so-called Double-Bishop sacrifice, is the sub ject of the next chapter. In this chapter, we shall deal with the other follow-ups, starting with ltJg5+ and each of the three possible king moves in reply.
ltJgS + and the Reply
. . .
�g8
The Greek Gift is so well known that defenders rarely allow it unless they fail to recognize that the right ingredients exist. Here a grandmaster allows it, but his opponent must make a sacrifice on another part of the board to allow the attack ing pieces to take up their customary positions. Even then, the chance positioning of one of the defender's pieces plays a role in the success of the attack.
185
h4 and force the king to retreat to g 1 . Only after that will the knight come to g4, and it cuts out the need to analyse rj;h3 and rj;g3. On the other hand, the line-up of white queen and bishop means that the f-pawn will be en prise when the knight moves from h6. An exchange sacrifice will cope with that problem.
22...�xh2+ 23 'iii>xh2 lhb3! After 23 . . .'i!kh4+ 24 'iii' g 1 ltJg4?? White can defend both f2 and h2 with a gain of time by 25 'ii'xf7+ 'ito>h6 26 'it'f4+.
24 'iti>gl White chooses to play on two pawns down as both recaptures bring disaster: a) 24 l:hb3 'ikh4+ 25 rj;g1 ltJg4 26 l:.bl 'ifxf2+ 27 'iii> h l 'ifh4+ 28 'ito>g1 'ifh2+ 29 �1 ltJe3+, and the knight fork wins the queen con veniently situated at d5. b) 24 'i!kxb3 'ikh4+ 25 'iii>g l ltJg4 26 l:tfa1 'ikxf2+ 27 'iith 1 lt:Je3 28 'i!i'b7 d5 and now defend ing the g-pawn by 29 .l:.g1 allows 29 ... 'i!kh4#. 24 J:txb2 25 ltJe4 l:.e8 26 l:th3 'i!ke7 27 ltJg5 .l:.e2! 28 l:.c3 :tel 29 l:.cl :txfl+ 30 rj;xfl? .•
ltJg4 0-1
011
-
Psakhis
Tallinn 1987 1 e4 e5 2 ltJf3 ltJc6 3 �b5 a6 4 �a4 d6 5 d4 b5 6 �b3 ltJxd4 7 ltJxd4 exd4 8 c3 �b7 9 cxd4 ..txe4 10 0-0 �e7 1 1 ltJc3 �b7 12 'ikh5 g6 13 'ife2 � 14 a4 rj;g7 15 axb5 axb5 16 �f4 ..tg5 17 'i!kxb5 ..txf4 18 'i!kxb7 :tb8 19 'i!kd5 'ii'd7 20 ..ta4 'ifd8 21 �b3 ltJh6 22 :ta3 (D)
The threat of 3 1 . . .1i'e2+, followed by mate on f2 or e 1 , is decisive. In the next game, which is one of my own, White declined the sacrifice and lost simply. That was a shame, because acceptance would have forced me to pull out some nice ideas. The king could attempt to run away, but the timely involvement of my remaining bishop would make it an expensive exercise.
Grange-Bennett - LeMoir Hillingdon League 1 973
B
1 b4 d5 2 ..tb2 lZ'lf6 3 e3 e6 4 b5 cS 5 lZ'lf3 ltJbd7 6 c4 ltJb6 7 'ikb3 �d6 8 �e2 0-0 9 0-0 .l:.e8 10 d4 cxd4 11 lZ'lxd4 eS 12 ltJf3 e4 13 ltJd4 ltJxc4 14 ..txc4 dxc4 15 'iixc4 (D) While I was forcing the exchange of White's light-squared bishop, I could see the possibility of the Greek Gift opening up. The sacrifice can be played on the previous move, instead of cap turing the bishop, but it is effective enough now.
15 ..txh2+ 16 'iii>h l •••
Thanks to the position of the knight on h6, after the sacrifice on h2 the queen can check on
The alternative continuation is 1 6 'it>xh2 ltJg4+. Then:
186
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
B
b2) 20 'il'd5 �g4! 21 lt:le2 'il'h l + 22 lLlgi lt:lf3 ! 23 gxf3 exf3 and again the king is fatally exposed. In both variations, 20 .. .'ii'h I+ 2 I 'it>e2 'ii'xg2 (threatening 22 . . . �g4+) is also good, but the immediate 20 . . . �g4 is prettier and more effec tive. White prefers to decline the sacrifice, but the attack proceeds unabated.
16 �e5 17 J:!.d1 lt:lg4 18 'i!ig1 'iflt4 19 lld2 'ii'h2+ 20 rt>n 'ii'h 1+ 21 �e2 (D) •.•
a) White should avoid 17 �g3, as he falls into mate after 1 7 . . . 'ii'd6+ 1 8 f4 exf3+ 19 'i!ih4 (or 1 9 'iii>xf3 l:!.xe3#) 1 9 . . .'ifh2+ 20 �g5 h6#. b) The correct move is 1 7 �g1 when Black should avoid the normal 17 . . . 1i'h4 ? ! . The h2square can be covered by 1 8 fllc7, and 1 8 ... J:!.e5 is not an effective block in view of 1 9 lLlf3 ! exf3 20 ..i.xe5. That is no problem for Black because again he can use the d6-square: 17 .. .'ii'd6 ! 1 8 l:k 1 ( 1 8 f4 and 1 8 g3 both allow 1 8 . . .'ii'h6, with a decisive invasion on h2, while 1 8 l:!.d I is simi lar to 1 8 lk i ) 1 8 .. .'i1Vh2+ l 9 'iiif l (D).
B
21...1!i'g1! Nasty. White's position now collapses com pletely.
B
22 lt:lc3 'ii'xf2+ 23 'it>d1 lt:lxe3+ 24 �cl 'ii'xd2+ 25 �xd2 lt:lxc4+ 26 'i!ic2 �xd4 0-1 The formation with black pawns on e6 and
d.5 and white pawns on e5 and f4 adds some possibilities for the sacrificer. He can bring his fl -rook into the attack by l:.f3-h3 (or g3) or he can play for the f5 push, opening lines against the black king. In the next example, Shirov ex ploits both opportunities with his own blend of subtlety and panache. Now Black could play l 9 .. .'ili'h4 20 g3 'ifh2 with a dangerous attack, but even better is 1 9 . . . lt:le5 ! , gaining a tempo by attacking the queen and intending . . . �g4 to cut off the white king's escape. White has two main defensive tries: bi ) 20 'ii'b 3 �g4! 2I lt:le2 �f3 ! , and the white king is in trouble as 22 gxf3 loses to 22 . . . 'ii'h3+ 23 ..t>e I lLlxf3+ 24 'iii>d I 'fi'fl + with a winning attack.
Shirov
-
Reinderman
Wijk aan Zee 1999 1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 lLlc6 3 lt:lc3 e6 4 d4 cxd4 5 lt:lxd4 a6 6 �e2 lt:lge7 7 f4 lt:lxd4 8 'fi'xd4 b5 9 0-0 'ii'c7 10 'ii'f2 lt:lc6 1 1 �e3 Ji.e7 12 a4 b4 13 lt:lb1 l:!.b8 14 lt:ld2 0-0 15 �d3 d6 16 l:!.ad1 b3 17 cxb3 �f6 18 l:.c1 ..i.xb2 19 l:!.c2 �a3 20 eS dS 21 lt:lf3 'ifd7 (D) 22 �xh7+
THE GREEK GIFT: i.xh7+
187
together and the coming opening of lines will be decisive. 25 lt::le7 The king cannot run away by 25 .. .'it•f8, as 26 lt::lh7+ forces its return and then 26... �g8 27 lt::lf6+! gxf6 28 l:tg3+ f8 29 exf6 leads to mate. 26 'ii'h7+ xh7 35 .Z::.xh6+ �g8 36 .Z::.h8#, and 32 ...i.f8 loses to 33 lLlxf8 lLlxh6 34 .Z::.xg6 !, when White mates or wins the queen. 32 'i;e7 33 i.g5+ c7 23 'fixf7 %:tf8 24 'ii'xe6 .txe1 25 nxe 1 aS 26 nd 1 :ta6 27 �f4+ 'it>b6 28 lt:'ld6 and the vultures are gathering.
14 h4! :th8? (D)
12 .txh7+ The sacrifice should not win outright, but it is worth playing because there is only one rea sonable line for Black, and several bad ones.
12 .'�xh7 13 lt:JgS+ 'it>g6 I have placed this game in the section cover ing . . .'�g8, because 1 3. .. 'it>g8 (D) is the critical response. After 14 'ifh5, Black has three reasonable options: a) 14 ...lt:'lf6 loses to 15 'ifxf7+ 'it>h8 1 6 ne4 ! . Euwe and Kramer, in The Middlegame, give 1 6 . . . �xh2+ 1 7 �xh2 lt:'lxe4 1 8 'ifh5+ 'it>g8 1 9 'ifh7+ 'it>f8 20 "ii'h8+ h8 1 8 h6 li:lxh6 19 llxh6+ gxh6 20 'ffh7#. b) 1 1 ...1i'e8 leaves the black pieces squeezed for room, so that White can play 12 'ii'g4 lLlf5 1 3 h5+ �h6 1 4 lLlxe6+ �h7 1 5 'ir'xf5+ regain ing the piece with mate to follow. 12 'fig4 lLlf5 13 lLlxe6+ 1-0 After the forced l 3 .. .'it?h7, 14 lLlxf8+ takes a rook and forks king and queen. ...
Our next example is a fine game from the mists of antiquity. Louis Paulsen supplements his attacking force of queen and knight with a rook on the third rank, while his remaining bishop waits in the wings for the cue to pounce.
L. Paulsen - A. Schwarz Match (game 3), Leipzig 1879 w
9 .txh7+ �xh7 10 lLlg5+ �g6 In this case, 1 0...�g8 leads to a quick disas ter after l l 'ifh5 lieS 1 2 'ii'xf7+ �h8 1 3 lLlxe6, when White threatens both the queen and mate. l l h4 White threatens 12 h5+ �h6 13 lLlxe6+ (or I 3 lLlxf7++) winning the queen. However, it is even better to play 1 1 _.g4, with the threat of 1 2 lLlxe6+ winning the queen or forcing mate. The normal repl y would be
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 c5 4 cJ lLlc6 5 lLlfJ 'ir'b6 6 a3 .td7 7 b4 cxd4 8 cxd4 lLlge7 9 lLlc3 lLlf5 10 lLla4 "f!/c7 11 .tb2 .te7 12 llcl a6 13 lLlcS .txc5 14 lhc5 0-0 15 .td3 lLlfe7 (D)
16 .ixh7+ �7 17 lLlg5+ �g6 17 . . .�g8 can be summarily dismissed with the continuation 1 8 "fllh5 l:tfe8 1 9 "f!/xf7+ 'iti>h8
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
190
20 l:tc3 li:'lf5 2 1 l:th3+ lt:'lh6 22 l:txh6+ gxh6 23 'ii'h7#. After 1 7 .. .'it>h6, 1 8 l:tc3 and 1 8 .i.c1 both win, but most effective is 1 8 'ii'g4 l:th8 19 l:tc3 g6 20 'ii'f4 threatening both 2 1 l:th3+ �g7 22 'flxf7# and a discovered knight check winning the queen. 18 'illg4 f5 19 'iVg3 Yet again, recouping an exchange by 1 9 exf6 �xf6 20 lt:'lh7+ fl 2 1 li:'lxf8 l:txf8 only serves to give Black the advantage. When White has a secure pawn on e5, the black king is going nowhere and Black's pieces must tread carefully to avoid being lost to dis covered checks. White can afford to build up his attack slowly and surely. 19 'ir'c8 (D)
2 1 . ..l:tf5 is better, but White plays 22 lL'le4+ h7 23 lbf6+ ! lhf6 (not 23 . . . gxf6 24 l:th3+ mating) 24 exf6 tt:lf5 25 l:th3+ g8 26 'ii'g6 .i.e8 27 'ir'h7+ 'iii>f7, and now best is 28 g4 ! ! se curing the g-file for the rooks; e.g., 28 .. .fxg3 29 fxg7 ! gxf2+ 30 �xf2 tt:lxg7 3 1 l:tgl and White breaks through on g7. The text-move simply loses material. 22 l:th3 l:tb8 23 tt:lxe6+ 'iii>f7 24 'ir'xf5+ e7 25 'ii'g5+ �xe6 26 'ii'g6+ 'iii>e7 27 'ii'xg7+ 1-0 It was rare for Tal, the Crown Prince of the sacrifice, to have his own methods used against him. In the famous game below, Polugaevsky catches him with some high-class opening prep aration involving a Greek Gift sacrifice.
•••
Polugaevsky - Tal USSR Ch, Moscow 1969 1 c4 tt:lf6 2 tt:lc3 e6 3 li:'lf3 d5 4 d4 c5 5 cxd5 tt:lxd5 6 e4 tt:lxc3 7 bxc3 cxd4 8 cxd4 i.b4+ 9 i.d2 i.xd2+ 10 'ii'xd2 0-0 l l .i.c4 tt:lc6 12 0-0 b6 13 l:tad1 i.b7 14 :Ce1 tt:la5 15 i.d3 l:tc8 16 d5 exd5 17 e5! lt:'lc4 18 'ii'f4 li:'lb2 (D)
w
20 .l:.c3! White intends simply 2 1 iff4 followed by 22 l:tg3, when the pressure will be intolerable. 20 f4 Black decides to prevent 2 1 'ii'f4 and give his pieces some room. The f8-rook cannot move without loss: a) If it moves to h8, e8 or d8 then White wins by 21 lt:'lxe6+ �fl 22 'ii'xg7+ ! �xe6 23 'ii'f6#. b) 20... .l:.g8 invites the c3-rook into the game. White plays 2 1 lL'le4+ ! 'iii>h7 (or 2 l .. .f7 22 lL'ld6+ winning the queen) 22 li:'lf6+ ! gxf6 23 'ir'h4+ �g6 24 'ii'xf6+ �h5 25 l:th3+ and mate next move. c) 20 . . . l:tf7 takes a square from the king, so White can play 2 l lt:'lxe6+ �h7 22 'iVh4+ �g8 23 l:th3 with a quick mate. 21 'ii'g4 tiJf5? ...
19 .i.xh7+ xh7 20 lt:'lg5+ �g6 21 h4! l:tc4 White threatened 22 h5+ �xh5 (22 . . .'it>h6 loses the queen to 23 tt:le6+) 23 g4+ 'ittg6 24 'ii'f5+ �h6 26 tt:lxf7+ l:txfl 27 'ii'h5#. Tal's move avoids the worst. The same cannot be said for most alternatives: a) Against 2 1 . ..tLlxd l Burgess, in The Mam
moth Book ofthe World's Greatest Chess Games, gives the line 22 h5+ h6 23 tt:le6+ g5 (or 23 . . . h7 24 li:'lxd8) 24 hxg6+ �xg6 25 'ii'g4+ �h6 26 'ii'g7+ 'iii>h 5 27 li:'lf4+ '1ti>h4 28 g3#.
THE GREEK GIFT: bh7+ b) After 2 l ...f5 White can build up gradually with 22 .l:d4 (threatening h5+ again) 22...'ii'e7 23 l:.e3 ! . One lovely finish is 23 ...l::tc6 24 h5+ 'iith6 25 l:g3 .ic8 26 l::txd5 lbc4 27 l:td6+! lbxd6 28 lbf7++ h7 24 e6 1i'f6 25 1ixf6 gxf6 is very similar to the game but without ...l:.c4. Cranbourne-Ninov, correspondence 1996 continued instead 22 .l:.d4 'itth6 23 lbe4+ h7 24 'ii'f5+ �g8 (D)
191
3 1 ltJd6 l::txe7 32 lhe7 lbe3+ 33 �h2 lbg4+ 34 f7 26 lbd6+ 'ii'xd6 (or 26 ...�6 27 'fixd3 •.•
THE GREEK GIFT: bh7+
193
28 tiJh7+ rM7 29 '6'e8#) 28 '6'e6+! ..txe6 29 l1xe6#. d) In view of the idea of h4, Black's best defence is 23 ...l1h8. White can still play 24 h4! intending 24 . . . l1xh4 25 tiJb5! ltJe2+ 26 l:r.xe2 'ii'x g3 27 fxg3, when material is equal and the white knights and rooks dominate the board.
B
24 l:r.xe2 'it'xg3 25 tiJh7+ q;r7 26 hxg3 l1h8 27 ltJg5+ �6 28 f4 1-0
lbg5 + a nd the Reply . . . �h6 with a strong attack) 27 'it'xd6 ltJxel 28 l1xel leaves the black king too exposed. c) 23 . . . g6 forces White to go for material by 24 tiJf3 i.e6 25 ltJe5, when 25 ...ltJxel 26 l1xd8 l1axd8 27 'it'xf4 leaves material approximately level but White has the initiative thanks to the exposed black king.
The defender is rarely in a position to play his king to h6 (or h3), but we shall consider an ex ample in which the defence succeeds in fending off the attack because the attacker just lacks sufficient fire-power.
Miles
22 'it'g3 'it'c7 23 l1fel (D)
-
Ljubojevic
Bugojno 1978 1 c4 cS 2 tiJO tiJf6 3 tiJcJ e6 4 e3 d5 5 d4 ltJc6 6 cxd5 exd5 7 ..te2 i.d6 8 0-0 0-0 9 b3 cxd4 10 liJxd4 liJxd4 11 'it'xd4 l1e8 12 ..tb2 ..teS 13 'it'd2 i.g4 14 i.xg4 (D)
B
B
23 ltJe2+? •••
The game ends in an anti-climax, as Molina panics, returning the extra piece and leaving Capablanca with a comfortable win. White has several pretty ideas: a) 23 . . . i.e6? loses nicely to 24 l:r.xe6+ ltJxe6 25 ttJd5#. b) 23 . . . ..td7? allows 24 ttJd5+! liJxd5 25 '6'xc7 ltJxc7 26 tiJh7+ e2 '6'xg2 20 'ittd 1 (or 20 l1fl ltJxe3, exploiting the pin on the f-pawn) 20 . . .d4 2 1 exd4 liJxf2+ 22
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
194
'it>c2 'ii'g6+ 23 �c 1 l:lxe 1+ 24 �xe1 ltJd3+ winning the white queen. 16 'it>g3 is worth considering, when Black can probably get full value for his piece by 1 6...'ii'g5 1 7 f4 "ii'g6. Miles chooses a surprising square for his king, but it turns out to be fully justified. 16 1i'g5 17 'fi'd4!? The remarkable feature of this game is the way in which Tony Miles throws both his queen and his king into the danger zone. He has de cided to invest his queen in stopping the attack. 17 'ifh5+ 18 �g3 ltJb6 (D) After 1 8 . . . l:le5 White stops the attack stone dead with 19 'ii'x g4! .l:.g5 20 'ifxg5 �xg5+ 2 1 'it>h2, with a material advantage and a safe king. The 1 8 ...'ifh2+ idea of the previous game can be met by both 1 9 f4, when the attack is not worth two pieces, and 1 9 Wf3, when i t is not worth one. .•.
•••
The transaction 20 ...1Wxh 1 21 llxh 1 ltJxd4 22 exd4 is in White's favour, so Ljubojevic makes the only other sensible move available and waits for White to decide what to do with hls own attacked queen. 21 'ii'xd5! Miles is ready to put his royal family even further out on a limb. Instead, 2 1 1i'd3 allows both 2 1 ...'ii'xg2. in tending 22 'fi'xf5 'ii'xf2+ with perpetual check, and 2 1 . ..1i'd6+ 22 �f3 l:txe3+ ! (a move that the defender must constantly be on the lookout for when he has moved his king out in front of his pawns) 23 fxe3 'ifg3+ 24 e2 'ii'xg2+, when Black regains the rook. leaving him with three pawns for the piece. 21..J:.e6 22 'ii'xf5?! (D) In British Chess Magazine Miles wrote that he rejected 22 g4 because Hfe gets complicated after 22 ...ltJe7, although it appears that White should be able to emerge with his material ad vantage intact. Miles also gave 22 liPf3 llae8 23 lDd 1 as winning for White.
w B
With the move played, Black unearths the apparently decisive threat of 19 . . .ltJf5+, win ning the queen. 19 :lhl! Miles's simple reply shows that he has all bases covered. White loses after: a) 1 9 'ifxd5? .l:.e5 and the rook joins the at tack with gain of time. b) 1 9 'ii'd 1 ? ltJf5+ 20 'it>f4 �6+! 21 cM.3 (21 Wxf5 'ii'h 4! threatening 22 ... g6#) 2 l ...lbe3+! 22 fxe3 'ii'xe3+ 23 g4 h5+! 24 'it?xf5 g6+ 25 �f6 l:le8 !, and Black threatens both 26....l:.e6# and 26...flie7#. 19 ltJf5+ 20 �f4 'fi'g6 .••
Now the win is compromised as the black queen can work up annoying activity against the exposed white king. 22 JU6 23 g4 After 23 'ii'xf6 'ii'xf6+ 24 'it?g3 'ii'e5+ the king is unable to escape the checks without conceding material. 23 Jhf5+ 24 gxf5 'ii'g2 25 :an g5+! 26 fxg6 fxg6 27 e4 l:lf8+ 28 !iPeJ 'fi'fJ+ 29 'it>d2 l:ld8+ 30 c;i;lc2 flid3+ 31 liPcl lieS 32 J:d1 'ii'xe4? Miles commented that maybe Ljubojevic didn't like the endgame after 32...11xc3+ 33 •.
..
THE GREEK GIFT: .ixc3 11Vxc3+, although a win for White is far from clear. Certainly, something seems to have gone wrong with Black' s calculations as the win is soon as clear as day. 33 l:td8+! �g7 34 l:td7+! White has only a slight advantage after 34 l:txc8? 'iVxh l+ 35 �d2. 34 �6 35 l:lhxh7 1i'el+ 36 �c2 1i'xf2+ 37 �bl 'iVfl+ 38 l:tdl 'ii'g2 39 lbdS+ �gS 40 �(6+ 1-0 •.•
'ifh5 + followed by 'i¥xf7 + When the knight is on eS and the defender has nothing but his king defending f7, 'llth5+ wins the f-pawn. The encounter tends to be short and sharp, often leading to immediate perpetual check or a quick mate. The easiest mate hap pens when the attacker has a rook which is ready to jump to the third rank. Colle again pro vides a good example.
bh7+
195
In this position, the bishop is undefended on e7, so 1 6...lbxh7 17 i.xe7 Ieaves White with an extra pawn. This means that White need not make the exchange on f6 first. 16 �xh7 17 .ixf6 i.xf6 18 'ifhS+ �g8 19 'lltxf7+ �h7 19 ... �h8 allows a different mate: 20 l:.d3 i.g5 2 1 %:th3+ �h6 22 l:.xh6+ gxh6 23 lbg6#. 20 %1d3 1-0 20 ... i.g5 delays mate, but not for long: 21 l:th3+ i.h6 22 l:.xh6+ c;li>xh6 23 'lltg6#. This mating pattern fails if the defender can prevent the rook from reaching the third rank or if, when it is there, he can cover h3. In the ex ample above, there would have been no mate if the black e-pawn were missing, since the d7bishop would cover h3. .•.
Here is the most infamous example of this form of the Greek Gift sacrifice.
Janowski - Chajes New York 1916
Colle - Berger Hastings 1928/9 1 d4 lbf6 2 ll:!f3 dS 3 e3 e6 4 .id3 .ie7 S lbbd2 0-0 6 0-0 lbbd7 7 e4 dxe4 8 lbxe4 lbxe4 9 .ixe4 lbf6 10 .id3 cS 1 1 dxcS .ixcS 12 .igS .ie7 13 'llte2 'f!ic7 14 l:lad1 l:r.d8 IS lbeS i.d7 (D)
1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 e6 3 lbc3 dS 4 �gS lbbd7 5 e3 �e7 6 ffi dxc4 7 .ixc4 a6 8 0-0 bS 9 �d3 cS 10 'ife2 i.b7 11 :t'dl �6 12 l:.acl 0-0 13 lbeS :t'e8 14 dxc5 lbxc5 15 �xf6 �xf6 (D)
w
16 .ixh7+ Normally, White would first exchange on f6 with 1 6 .ixf6, and only after 1 6... �xf6 play 17 i.xh7+. However, if Black declines the sacri fice that leaves him with the two bishops as some compensation for losing the h-pawn.
16 i.xh7+ �xh7 17 1i'h5+ �g8 18 11Vxf7+ 'iii>h7?! 18 ...h7 22 'i!Vxf6 l:.g8 23 tt'le5 with inevitable mate. c) 1 9 ... J..xe5 eliminates White's knight, but White leaves the black knight en prise and plays instead 20 'il'h5+ 'it>g8 2 1 'i!Vxe5. Then Black must return the piece, remaining a pawn down, as 2l ... tt'la4 allows 22 l:l.d7 mating, and 2 l ...'iic6 22 'it'g5 ttJe4 (22 ... tt'ld7 23 tt'le2 forces the queen to abandon the knight) 23 tt'lxe4 'fkxe4 24 l:l.d7 g6 is met with 25 f3 ! 'iif5 26 'it'h4! �5 27 �f6 'i!Vh6 28 l:.cc7, when mate cannot be prevented. After the text-move, the players agreed a draw in Mikenas-Kashdan, Olympiad, Prague 1 93 1 . Presumably, Mikenas had played the lit tle combination to force a draw by perpetual check, and so didn't look any further. Fifteen years earlier, Janowski had looked deeper into the position and found a way to exploit the king's position on its second rank. 19 tt'ld7! tt'lxd7 20 l:.xd7 .tc6 (D)
Best, retaining his dark-squared bishop by running away, but it leaves g5 unguarded so that White can land his knight there with check. After that, there is a pleasant forced mating combination which won this game the First Brilliancy Prize. 22 tt'lg5+ 'iii>h6 23 g4! g6 On 23 .. .'i!i'xg5, White plays 24 'it'h5+ ci!;>f6 25 .l:If7#. 24 h4 l:.b8 25 'it'h7+ %h.h7 26 lhh7# (1-0)
The h-Fi le Attack The sacrificer may utilize the combined strength of the queen and a rook to force an entry on h7 or h8. It is useful to have the rook already on the third rank when the sacrifice is played, so that it can move to the h-file in one leap.
A. David - Taimanov Prague 1993 1 e4 c5 2 tt'lf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tt'lxd4 tt'lc6 5 tt'lc3 a6 6 tt'lxc6 bxc6 7 J..d3 d5 8 0-0 lbt'6 9 'ike2 J..e7 10 b3 0-0 l l .tb2 tt'ld7 12 lba4 i.f6 13 e5 J..e7 14 c4 aS 15 cxd5 cxd5 16 .l:Iacl tt'lb6 17 tt'lc5 a4 18 J..d4 axb3 19 axb3 .l:Ib8 20 l:l.c3 (D)
B
21 tt'le4! White can still take perpetual check, but this move threatens 22 tt'lxf6+ with mate next move, even if the d7-rook is captured. A key idea is to deflect the c6-bishop from the c-file with 2 1 ...i.xe4, when White can exploit the pin on the g-pawn with 22 'iixf6 and when Black de fends against mate on g7 with 22 ... l:l.g8 White can play 23 .l:Icc7, forcing Black to give up his queen to avoid mate. 21 .txb2 •••
20...tt'ld7 Black should prevent the Greek Gift by 20 ... g6 or 20 ... h6, although the kingside weak nesses may eventually prove fatal. By blocking the line of the c8-bishop, the text-move gives Black a problem because a later . . .f5 or .. .f6 will leave the e-pawn en prise to the white knight. 20 ...l:.e8 avoids that problem, but
THE GREEK GIFT: Lh7+ the Greek Gift still works. After 21 .ixh7+ �xh7 22 'ifh5+ 'it>g8 23 %:.h3 f5, there are two clear ways to win: a) Blatny, in Mega Database 2001, gives 24 'ii'g6 .if8 25 .l:th7 ! (a typical manoeuvre, in tending 26 1i'h5 followed by 27 l:th8#) 25 ... .:1.e7 26 'iib5 g6 27 .l:th8+ xb7 22 'fibS+ �g8 (D)
23 l:th3 f6 This is forced, but now the knight can cap ture on e6, and the simultaneous attack on the queen and the g7-square proves immediately fatal for Black. 24 lt'lxe6 'iie8 The queen is in danger here, but 24 ... 'ii'a5 al lows 25 'iig 6 l:tf7 26 'ii'h7#. 25 'ii'h7+ �f7 26 lt'lxg7 1-0 The threat of 27 e6# means that Black must allow his queen to be captured. When the defender's h7-pawn is attacked by a bishop and the attacker has a rook on the third rank, alarm bells should be ringing in the de fender's mind. In master chess, it is more com mon to see defenders allowing this form of the Greek Gift only when the rooks are still on the first rank. The extra tempo required to bring a rook into the attack means that the sacrifice car ries greater risk.
197 Avrukh - Varga
European Clubs Cup, Budapest 1 996 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 lt'lf6 4 �xc4 e6 5 00 a6 6 0-0 c5 7 �d3 lt'lbd7 8 :tel ii..e7 9 e4 cxd4 10 e5 lt'ld5 1 1 lt'lxd4 ii.. b4 12 .id2 'ii'b6 13 lt'lb3 0-0 14 lt'lc3 lt'lxc3 15 bxc3 .ie7 16 �g4 l:td8 17 �h6 �f8 18 .igS l:te8 (D)
The white queen is already close to the black king, and has the choice of playing to h5 or h4 according to circumstances. The e5-pawn is also important, as it prevents the black pieces from defending their king and helps to squeeze the black king to the rear two ranks. In addition, the g5-bishop prevents the black king from es caping via e7 and denies squares to the black rook and queen. Between them, the pawn and bishop make it difficult for Black to break out by ... f6. 19 .ixh7+ g8 2 1 l:te3 g6 allows the black bishop to get to g7, while after 20 'ii'h4+ 'it>g8 2 1 .:e3 f6 ! Black escapes the worst. 20 'iii>g8 21 .:h3 fS (D) 2 1 ...g6? allows White to choose h4 for his queen, and 22 'ii'h4 .ig7 23 �f6 ! lt'lxf6 24 exf6 leads to a quick mate. Meanwhile 2 1 ...f6 gives White the opportunity to exploit his queen's current position by 22 �xf6, when Black can not defend across his second rank by 22... lt'lxf6 23 exf6 'ii'c7 in view of 24 'ii'g6 l:td8 25 f7+! 'ii'xf7 26 'ii'h7#. Meanwhile, White has left his e-pawn en prise, and 2 1 . ..lt'lxe5 attacks the white queen. However, the knight is exposed on e5, and White .•.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
198
has the neat line 22 1i'h5 f6 23 �xf6 ! lbd7 24 �g5 ! l::te7 (the rook cannot be defended where it stands) 25 1i'h7+ rJi/f7 26 l::tf3+ rJi/e8 27 1i'g6+ rJild8 28 l::txf8+! lbxf8 29 1i'xg7, regaining the rook with two extra pawns and a strong attack.
22 1i'h5 This is another example of a sacrifice whose success depends on accidental factors. White gains a tempo thanks to the undefended rook on e8. In contrast, 22 exf6 fails to 22...lbxf6 23 1i'h4 (or 23 �xf6 e5 exposing an attack on the queen, and so winning the rook behind it) 23 ... e5, when the rook must move from h3 and Black is out of danger. 22 l::te7 After 22 ...l::td 8 23 l::td I ! Black is horribly tied up. A sample line is 23 . . .1i'c7 24 1i'h7+ ®f7 25 l::th6 ! (another typical manoeuvre) and Black must lose material to stave off the threat of 26 1i'g6+ �g8 27 1i'xe6#. 23 1i'h8+ �f7 24 'ii'h5+ (D) .••
B
24 'it>g8 After 24... g6 25 1i'h7+ 'it>e8 26 J&.xe7 �xe7 27 'ii'g8+ i&.f8 (or 27 . . .lbf8 28 l:.h7 'it>d8 29 lld1 + i&.d7 30 l:.f7 l:.c8 3 1 'ii'g7 and White wins at least a piece) 28 l::t h7 lbxe5 29 l:.d 1 the white major pieces surround the black king. 25 �xe7 Ji..xe7 26 'ii'e8+ �f8 27 l:.dl lbxeS White threatened 28 l::txd7 �xd7 29 'iVxa8. The move played allows the d 1 -rook to infil trate to the eighth rank to win material, while 27 ...'ilc6 allows 28 l:.d6 1i'c4 29 lld4! followed by 30 l::tdh4, with a decisive h-file attack. 28 l::td8 lbg6 (D) ...
Now White can cap his attack with 29 l:.hd3 !, supporting the d8-rook and so threatening 30 'ii'xg6. The reply 29... rJi/h7 saves the piece but 30 'ikf7 forces Black to give up his queen by 30 . . .'ikxd8 to prevent mate. The alternative re ply 29 . . . e5 loses the knight to 30 l:Bd6 and Black remains tied down on the queenside. Presumably, White was in time-trouble, be cause he first grabbed a piece in a less effective way and then, still in a winning position, blun dered to allow mate. The game finished: 29 l:.xe8?! l:.xe8 30 'ii'xe8 1!Vd6 31 lbd4 lbf4 32 .:0 'ili'a3 33 g3?? 'ii'c t# (0-1) The best-known game with this form of the Greek Gift is Anand's masterpiece against Kar pov from Las Palmas 1 996.
Anand Karpov Las Palmas I 996 -
l lbf3 dS 2 d4 e6 3 e4 dxe4 4 e4 b5 5 a4 e6 6 axbS exbS 7 b3 �b7 8 bxe4 J&.xe4 9 exb5 lbf6
THE GREEK GIFT: bh7+ 10 �e2 1L.e7 11 0-0 0-0 12 ltJc3 �b7 13 ltJeS a6 14 1L.f3 ttJd5 15 ltJxdS exd5 16 l:Ib1 'i!Vb6 17 �e2 axb5 18 .l:!.xb5 'fllc7 19 �f4 �d6 20 1L.d3 �a6 (D)
199
24 . . .f5 is no good in view of 25 1L.xe5 'ii'd7 26 'flih7+ g8 23 l:Ib3 1L.xe5? The greedy 23 . . . 1L.xf l ? naturally loses to 24 .l:!.h3. In Vishy Anand: My Best Games of Chess, Anand gives a detailed analysis here which boils down to the fact that 23 .. .f6! is the stron gest defence and that 24 l:th3 fxe5 25 dxe5 'fllc4 ! 26 l:Iel 'fllxf4 (he doesn't mention the in teresting 26 ... 'fllb4 ! ?) 27 'flih7+ � 28 ex.d6 ltJc6 29 l:If3 'fllxf3 30 gxf3 �c4 3 1 lii>h l probably represents best play. White has the advantage thanks to his passed d-pawn and his attacking chances against the black king. It is all too complex for Karpov, who decides he'd rather have a white pawn on e5 rather than a knight. White's attack now flows logically and smoothly. 24 .l:!.h3 f6
27 'it>e8 ..•
Black cannot defend his g-pawn as 27 . . . .l:!.g8 28 �g6+ �f8 29 exf6 'fllxf6 30 1L.d6+ costs him his queen. He cannot prevent White's ma jor pieces from breaking through, and his king is not long for this world. 28 .l:!.xg7 �e6 29 exf6 ltJc6 30 .l:!.a1 'it>d8 31
h4 As Anand joyfully points out in his book, he has several winning alternatives on each move.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
200
Here he avoids back-rank mates, but 3 1 JJ..c7+ c8 32 Ji.b6 is also deadly. 31...JJ..b7 32 .l:.c1 �a6 33 .U.a1 JJ..b7 34 l:td1 JJ..a6 35 1i'h1! l:.xf6 36 JJ..g5 1-0 Karpov lost on time playing 36 .. .'.t7c8, but 37 'ir'b6 wins at once.
Patience is a Vi rtue Finally, a warning not to be too impatient. In the game below, between two of Britain's fin est, White played the Greek Gift but followed it automatically with 'ir'h5+. Had he played a more appropriate follow-up, he could have en joyed the fruits of his boldness. This was something of a tragedy as the game was played in the last round of the British Championship, and if either player had won the game he would have tied for first place and en tered a three-way playoff for the title of British Champion. As the game went, it was a draw, so neither player could be Champion.
As often happens, the solution to a tactical problem is to reverse the order of the moves. The right move is 1 3 liJe4 ! , threatening 1 4 tt'lxf6+ followed by mate on the g - and h-files. Black has four feasible defences: a) 1 3 ... g8 allows 1 4 liJxf6+ gxf6 1 5 'i!kg4+ h8 1 6 :tf3 with unstoppable mate. b) On 1 3 . . .JJ..e7, White can return to normal methods with 1 4 1i'h5+ 'i!ig8 1 5 .l:.f3 , which wins because the bishop cannot reach g7 to de fend its king. c) After 1 3 . . . JJ..xe5 14 'ii'h 5+ h8 1 8 l:tf3 leads to mate. d) The best defence is to cover the f6-bishop by 13 . . . tt'ld5, when 14 c4 wins back the piece and retains a decisive attack. After 1 4 . . . g8 (or 14 . . . JJ..xe5 1 5 'i!kh5+ 'iitg 8 1 6 tt'lg5, and again Black must give up his queen) 1 5 cxd5 JJ..e7 1 6 'ii'h5 (D) there i s a further parting of the ways:
Ward - Hodgson British Ch, Dundee 1993 1 d4 d6 2 e4 lL'lf6 3 f3 dS 4 tt'lc3 dxe4 5 �gS exf3 6 tt'lxf3 e6 7 Ji.d3 JJ..e7 8 0-0 tt'lc6 9 'it>h1 tt'lb4 10 tt'le5 0-0 11 Ji.xf6 Ji.xf6 (D)
B
w
The open f-file is a significant factor in this position. Not only does it give the fl -rook the opportunity to lift to h3 via f3, but it may also help White to strip away the black king's pawn cover. 12 �xh7+ xh7 13 'ir'h5+?
d 1 ) 1 6 .. .f5 1 7 liJg6! wins material for White as 17 .. .fxe4 allows 1 8 'i!kh8# and 1 7 . . . .l:.e8 al lows 1 8 1i'h8+ 'it>f7 1 9 tt'le5#. d2) 16 . . . g6 1 7 tt'lxg6! fxg6 1 8 1i'xg6+ h8 19 l:tf3 ! (forcing open the g-file for his other rook) 19 . . . l:txf3 20 gxf3 'ii'g 8 2 1 1i'h5+ 'ii'h7 22 "ii'e 8+ "ii'g 8 23 "ii'xe7 leaves Black helpless. d3) 16 . . . 1i'e8 allows 17 lL'lf6+ !, when the most drastic line is 1 7 ... JJ..xf6 1 8 l:txf6 ! gxf6 1 9 .l:.fl ! fxe5 2 0 'ikg5+ h7 2 1 l:tf6 mating. Ward's move commits him to a second sacri fice in order to keep the fire burning. 13 'i!ig8 14 liJe4 (D) .••
THE GREEK GIFT: iLxh7+ Anything else allows Black to play ... g6 and ... .tg7 in safety.
201
the idea 20 'ii'h5 li:Jf4, blocking the f-file) enabies Black to emerge with a whole skin. 15 fxg6 16 'ii"xg6+ .tg7 17 lt:Jg5 llf6 (D) Black cannot avoid the draw. 1 7 . . .'ii"xg5 gives him too little for the queen, while 1 7 ...llf5 loses to 1 8 lhf5 exf5 1 9 l:te 1 ! i.d7 20 'ii"f7+ 'iti>h8 21 .l:te7 'ii"f8 22 'it'g6 'it'g8 23 'ii'h 5+ mating. .••
B
w
14 g6 •••
He should play this now, as after 1 4 ...lt:Jd5 1 5 c4 he must still play 1 5 . . . g6, but i t loses to 1 6 lt:Jxg6 fxg6 1 7 'ii"xg6+ i.g7 1 8 cxd5 exd5 1 9 lt:Jg5 .l:tf6 20 'ii" h7+ �f8 2 1 rbg1 ! with the threat of 22 .l:txf6+ 'ii"xf6 23 :n . 15 lt:Jxg6
This leads to a draw. According to Mega Da tabase 2001, Plaskett suggests 1 5 'i!Vg4 (D):
18 'ii"h7+ rs 23 'ii"g6 'iii>gs 24 'ii"h7+ rs 25 'ii"g6 1/z-1/z •..
Exercises B
a) His main idea is 15 ... .tg7 1 6 .l:txf7 ! l:txf7 1 7 li:Jxf7 xd7 28 'i:Vg7+ �e8 (or 28 . . .'iii'c6 29 "ii'e7 ! e5 30 ttJd4+ ! exd4 3 1 b5#) 29 ltJc7+ 'it'd8 30 ltJxe6+. So Black must play 25 ... 4Ja6, but his scattered pieces cannot resist White's breakthrough which starts 26 e4 ! , when the black king will become fatally exposed. After the move played, the white bishop can retreat, hitting the black queen and also threat ening mate on the kingside. Black could resign at once. 20 .i.e5 .i.f6 21 .i.xb8 .l:.h7 22 'ii'e2 l:txb8 23 4Jd6 .i.a6 24 b4 lba4 25 b5 4Jc3 26 'ikc2 4Jxd1 27 lh:d1 .l:.d8 28 4Jxf5 .i.b7 29 4Jd4 dxc4 30 'ii'g6+ i.g7 31 "ii'xe6+ 'it>h8 32 'ii'e7 1-0
Finally, we come to a game in which declin ing the second bishop succeeds in avoiding the worst of the attack.
Noakh
-
Moiseev
Leningrad 1952 1 d4 ttJ£6 2 4Jf3 e6 3 e3 d5 4 i.d3 .i.e7 5 0-0 0-0 6 4Jbd2 c5 7 b3 b6 8 'ii'e2 .i.b7 9 .i.b2
4Jbd7 10 l:.ad1 'ii'c7 11 4Je5 .l:.ad8 12 f4 .i.d6 13 ltJxd7 4Jxd7 14 dxc5 ltJxc5 (D)
w
Another familiar-looking position. Again we find that apparently minor differences in piece layout make crucial differences to the outcome. Compared with the previous example, in White's favour is the fact that the white knight is on d2, so defences involving use of the e4square no longer apply. On the other hand the knight's position at b5 in the previous game prevented the black queen and bishop from tak ing up posts at c7 and d6. As a result, the black queen, not the rook, is on the second rank, and it can cover more squares in the king's field. Also in Black's favour is the fact that his bishop is not on e7 where it would block the second rank. Now the ...f6 defence will indirectly at tack the g7-bishop. 15 i.xh7+ �xh7 16 'ii'h5+ 'iii'g8 17 .i.xg7 f6
1 7 . . .rtlxg7 fails to 1 8 'ii'g5+ 'it>h8 and now not 19 .l:.f3 f6 20 .l:.h3+ 'iHh7, but 1 9 'ii'f6+ 'it>g8 20 l:.f3, because 20...4Je4 which would have prevented mate in Junge-Kottnauer above - fails to 2 1 ltJxe4. -
18 i.xf8
White has no good alternative. 1 8 l:tf3 'ii'xg7 19 .l:.g3 'il'xg3 20 hxg3 is in Black's favour while 1 8 .i.h6 allows 1 8 . . .l:.f7 ( 1 8 ... 'ii'h 7 is also playable) and the rook is protected by the queen so that 1 9 'ii'g6+ is now ineffective. Finally, 1 8 'ii'h 8+ 'iii'f7 1 9 'iih7 is ineffective as 1 9 ...'it>e8 pins the bishop to the queen. 18 i.xf8 (D) 19 l:.f3 .•.
As in the previous game, 1 9 b4 ! ? is worth considering, because 1 9... ltJe4 20 'ii'g4+ 'it>f7
THE DOUBLE BISHOP SACRIFICE
209
White misses his last chance to create diffi culties with the new sacrifice 28 lt'le5+!. Then 28 .. .fxe5 can be met by 29 'ii'h 5+! �f8 30 :Xg7! 'iii>xg7 3 1 Vi'g5+ regaining the rook, when the exposed black king should ensure White at least a draw. Declining the sacrifice by 28 .. .'itg8 is also met by 29 .:Xg7+ ! , when White has a dangerous attack, although Black should sur vive with best play. Now Black is able to consolidate, and an ex change of queens brings about an endgame in which his active pieces are able to harass the ragged white pawns. 28... l:!.h8 29 'ti'g4 'ii'h7 30 !th3 �g6 31
w
2 1 tlJxe4 dxe4 22 f5 gives Black problems with his exposed king, and 19 ...tlJa4 20 Vi'g4+ i.g7 2 1 Vi'xe6+ �f7 gives White a rook and three pawns for the two bishops. Black is prob ably fine as White's pawn-structure is ragged and the black bishops could become trouble some. With the move played, White obtains fair at tacking chances. 19 Ji'h7 20 :g3+ !JJ.g .. 7 21 'ifg4 !JJ...c8 22 b4 tiJb7 23 :n tiJd6 24 'ii'd l �f7 25 l:!.h3 'iVg6 26 :g3 'ii'f5 27 tiJf3 Vi'e4 (D) ••
'it'xg6+ 'it>xg6 32 :xb8 i.xh8 33 g4 e5 34 fxe5 fxeS 35 tlJc6 i.f6 36 h3 a6 37 l:tdl tlJc4 38 :Xd5 !JJ...b7 39 tlJe7+ !JJ...xe7 40 l:!.d7 i.xb4 41 :Xb7 .i.c5 42 �g2 lt'lxe3+ 43 'it>f3 4Jc4 44 l:!.a7 tiJd6 45 h4 �f6 46 h5 e4+ 47 'it>f4 e3 48 g5+ 'ifi>e6 49 g6 ttJr5 50 'iti>n t2Jd4+ 51 'iti>g4 !JJ.rs .. 52 'it>g3 e2 0-1
Exercise Exercise 28
w
28 tiJd4?
What should White play?
1 6 How to Play Successfu l Piece Sacrifices
We can learn a lot about how to play successful
fail. The defender should look for ways to avoid
sacrifices in general, and piece sacrifices in par
the queen' s early participation or, when it ar
ticular, from the fifteen popular standard sacri
rives, to gain time by attacking it.
fices that we have considered . Here are the
H we can restrict our opponent's position in some way, then we can afford to allow our mobilization to proceed more slowly. Sacri
main lessons as I see them.
A sacrifice is more likely to succeed if pieces can be brought into the attack in great numbers and with little delay. For instance,
the opponent's position, while some sacrifices
sacrifices against the castled king often require
on f7 lead to the king being trapped on
the participation of a rook. The attack can pro
able to escape. When this happens, the normal
fices on f5 and f6 often lead to severe cramp in
f8, un
ceed rapidly if one is on an open file, ready to
rule - being able to bring pieces into the attack
jump to the third or fourth rank and across to
with maximum speed - may not apply. The de
the battle zone, and especially if one is already
fender may need to counter-sacrifice in order to
on a rank with an uninterrupted run to the battle
break the cramp.
zone.
Exploit the weaknesses created by the sac rifice. All of our sacrifices lead to the recapture
The general point is so crucial that it also feeds the next two lessons.
of at least one pawn. The disappearance of that
A lead in development helps standard sac rifices to succeed. Standard sacrifices are often
pawn normally exposes the opponent's king, and generally it also creates new weaknesses in
played early in the game. A lead in develop
the defender's position. If there is no immediate
ment means that we already have more pieces
mating attack, we should attack isolated pawns
available for the attack than our opponent has
created by the sacrifice and/or aim to occupy
for the defence, and this may quickly prove de
the weak squares in front of (and alongside)
cisive.
them.
A lead in development can be accentuated
For instance, in the Scheveningen Sicilian
by a sacrifice made with a piece that has made
set-up a sacrifice on e6 isolates the black d
a minimum number of moves already. This
pawn. The pawn can be attacked directly. The
particularly applies to bishop sacrifices made
d5-square can be occupied, and if a white pawn
from their original square, such as .i.(fl )xb5,
arrives there, it may cement a white piece on
or .i. (c l )xh6. In this case, no tempo is wasted
the e6-square.
on developing the bishop, and an extra rook
Another example: a knight sacrifice on g7
can be brought into the attack without delay.
isolates the h-pawn, which can then be targeted
It is a good sign if the sacrifice gains tempi. If the immediate follow-up to the sacri
directly or the square in front of it occupied. At
fice brings our own pieces to attacking posi
pawn may become vulnerable.
tions while forcing the defender's pieces to lose moves in avoiding capture, it gives us time to
We should aim our long-range pieces into the gaps created by the sacrifice. After a
bring other pieces into the attack.
knight sacrifice on g7, the rooks and queen are
the same time, a hole appears on f6, and the f7-
Bring the queen into the attack as soon as feasible. Without the active participation of
especially dangerous on the g-file, particularly
the queen, many standard piece sacrifices would
a Greek Gift, the h-file is often a key route for
is
when supported by a bishop aiming at g7. After
HOW TO PLA Y SUCCESSFUL PIECE SACRIFICES invading the defender's position. In the case of sacrifices on f7, the diagonals opened by the sacrifice are key routes for bombardment by bishops and queen, and the f7-square itself of ten remains very sensitive.
We should be ready to sacrifice again. Sometimes, a single sacrifice isn't enough to expose the king fully. Particularly in attacks on the castled king, a second sacrifice may be nec essary for our pieces to get to grips with the king. The attack often proceeds more smoothly if the king has just one pawn (or none) to hide behind. The Double Bishop sacrifice is the most obvious case, but we have also seen knight sac rifices on g7 and f7 followed up by a bishop sacrifice on h6. If we are considering sacrificing a bishop in an attack on the king, we must be sure that our knight(s) can cooperate effectively with our queen. Queen and knight(s) form a
uniquely powerful unit when it comes to attack ing the king. The examples in the chapters on the �xf7+ and Greek Gift sacrifices demon strate how important this cooperation can be.
If we are considering sacrificing a knight in an attack on the king, we should look for opportunities to attack along diagonals. The
211
time in capturing it. The knight consumes at least four tempi, and often five or more, in mov ing from its original position to the far end of the board. Often, the knight has to move from a powerful central position, and its influence is lost once it runs after the rook. The initiative tends to disappear with it. We should not forget that there are situations that favour the rook. Middlegames may favour the rook if the minor pieces are passively or awkwardly placed. Endgames may favour the rook if it has plenty of open files and ranks, and some targets to aim at, or if can support the ad vance of a distant passed pawn.
The job is not complete until the defender resigns. The attack may be crowned with suc cess, with the attacker pocketing a material ad vantage, but time after time we have seen words such as "but White later blundered and only drew" or worse. With the attack over, the adren aline stops pumping and we are prone to errors. So ... attackers: keep concentrating hard when the game appears to be won . . . and defenders: it is better to give your opponent a material ad vantage than to be mated. Where there's life there's hope. Chapter and verse on saving bad positions can be found in my book How to Be
chances of success may be greater if the sacri ficer has the two bishops.
Lucky in Chess.
We should resist the temptation to regain material too quickly. In many cases, espe
Finally, we should remember that every po sition is different, so even these lessons have their exceptions. An unguarded piece some where in the opposing ranks can make even an unpromising-looking sacrifice sound. There is no substitute for a bit of analysis to check for quick wins or to ensure that our sacrifice will not be repulsed at once. After that, the decision to sacrifice is often a matter of judgement, based on the specifics of each sacrifice and the general lessons above. It is also a matter of confidence and courage, and I trust that the material in this book has given my readers plenty of both.
cially where knights are involved in the attack, we find ourselves with the option of regaining an exchange. However, we have seen positions where the material balance of even a rook and three pawns versus two minor pieces does not favour the rook, and anything less may tum to the defender's advantage. The reason for this is easy to understand. Af ter a sacrifice, our well-placed knight takes aim at a rook. Generally, that rook is still on its origi nal square, so no time has been consumed in de veloping it. We may lose valuable development
1 7 Sol utions to Exercises
Exercise 1 Harceg - Cimra Slovakian Team Ch 1996/1 ( I e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 lL!f6 5 ltJc3 a6 6 J..e2 e6 7 J..e3 b5 8 a3 J..b7 9 f3 itJbd7 10 it'd2 it'c7 I I 0-0-0 i..e7 1 2 lLidxb5 axb5 1 3 lL!xb5 it'b8 1 4 ltJxd6+ i..xd6 1 5 'ii'xd6 'ii'xd6 16 l:l.xd6 We7 1 7 l:thdl l:ta5) White has not moved his g-pawn, so his f pawn is safe from harassment and Black has no quick way to open lines for his rook on the kingside. Black cannot exchange bishops by . . . ..ta6, and the queenside passed pawns are ready to push. White should activate his dark squared bishop and simply push his pawns without more ado. He did this is an acceptable fashion with 18 ..td2 Wxd6 19 i..xa5+ �c6 20 a4 J..c8 21 b4 �b7 22 'iii>b2 lLib6 23 l:td6 itJfd7 24 'iii>b3 �c7 25 I1d1 lbes 26 c4 �b7 27 b5 ltJbd7 28 �b4 g5 29 c5 ltJbS. Now instead of retreating first his king (to a3 or b3) and then his bishop (to c3) followed by advancing his queenside pawns to glory, he played 30 J..d8?? allowing 30 ltJbc6+ 31 bxc6+ ltJxc6+ 32 Wb5 :Xd8 33 :Xd8 ltJxd8, when he had lost a pawn and allowed his proud passed pawns to be split. He went on to lose. •••
Exercise 2 Saverymuttu - Brilliant Islington Open 1972 (I e4 c5 2 ltJf3 ltJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5 ltJc3 d6 6 ..tc4 e6 7 ..te3 'llic7 8 'flie2 a6 9 0-0-0 ltJa5 I 0 i..d3 b5 I I a3 J..e7 1 2 g4 J..b7 l 3 g5 ltJd7 1 4 f4 lL!b6 1 5 f5 e5 1 6 ..txb5+ axb5 1 7 ltJdxb5 1!i'c6) White played 18 f6! gxf6 19 gxf6 J..rs (not 1 9 ...J..xf6 20 :Xd6, regaining the piece), by which he ensured that he can move his bishop from the c l -h6 diagonal without losing a pawn. Then he played 20 J..xb6! 'ii'xb6 21 b4!, win ning the knight as 2 I ...lLic6 loses to 22 ltJd5 J..h6+ (not 22. . .it'd8 23 ltJbc7+ �d7 24 1i"g4#) 23 �b2 'ii'd8 24 'ii'h5 J..f4 25 ltJxf4 exf4 26
ltJxd6+. Black chose first to return the piece by 21. ..l:l.c8 and then, after 22 bxaS 'ii'xaS 23 'ifd3, to give up the exchange with 23..Jhc3?!. White has the better position after the more sedate 23 . . .l:l.c6 (e.g. 24 'llid5 'ii'b6 25 'llib3 J..a6 26 a4) but, by avoiding 23 ... l:l.c5, Black robbed us of the attractive finish 24 ltJxd6+ ! ..txd6 25 ltJb5 ! ! l:txb5 26 'ifxd6, followed by mate. In the game Black' s sacrifice did the trick because White later threw away his advantage and only drew.
Exercise 3 Urbanec - Pithart Prague 1 954 (I e4 c5 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5 lL!c3 a6 6 J..g5 e6 7 1i'f3 ltJbd7 8 0-0-0 'fkc7 9 1Wg3 J..e7 1 0 f4 b5 1 1 J..xf6 J..xf6 12 J..xb5 axb5 l 3 itJdxb5 'ii'b 8 14 ltJxd6+ �f8 15 e5 J..e7 1 6 1i'f3 lLic5) The main differences are that Black retains his dark-squared bishop, and keeps queens on the board in relative safety. The bishop helps to defend its king and retain some influence over the d6-square. In an endgame, it can be used to attack the white pawns if they line up on dark squares. Black's last move was very weak, as it al lowed White to play 17 'ii'c6! threatening 1 8 'ii'e8# and so forcing the exchange of the dark squared bishop. Later, as the white pieces start to dominate the board, there even comes a queen exchange, and White won a typical endgame: 17...J..xd6 18 l:l.xd6 ltJb7 19 l:td3 g6 20 .l:tbd1 �g7 21 b3 ltJa5 22 1i'd6 J..a6 23 :Jd2 'fla7 24 'ii'd4 'ii'xd4 25 .:Xd4 llhc8 26 ltJe4 ltJc6 27 I1a4 J..b7 28 l:txa8 J..xa8 29 lLid6 l:tb8 30 'itb2 g5 31 g3 gxf4 32 gxf4 lDe7 33 c4 ltJg6 34 .:n r5 35 ..tcJ h5 36 b4 h4 37 b5 ..tg2 38 :n h3 39 c5 lL!e7 40 c6 and Black had no answer to the passed pawns.
Exercise 4 Camara - De Souza Zonal tournament, Rio Hondo 1 966
213
SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISES ( 1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 lLlc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 'fkb6 5 lLlb3 lLlf6 6 lLlc3 e6 7 �e3 'fic7 8 a3 �e7 9 f4 d6 1 0 �d3 b6 I I 'ii'e2 .i.b7 1 2 0-0-0 a6 1 3 g4 b5 1 4 g5 lLld7 1 5 l:.hel b4 1 6 lDd5 exd5 1 7 exd5) After 17 ...lDcb8 (not 17 ...tt:Ja5 1 8 lLlxa5 ifxaS 1 9 �b6 !) White wins the e7-bishop, starting with 1 8 �d4 and now: a) 1 8 ... lLlf8 allows 19 �b6! ( 1 9 Ji.xg7 also wins) 1 9 ...'iid7 20 �f5 ! winning the queen. b) 1 8 ...lLlc5 loses to 1 9 lLlxc5 dxc5 20 �e5 (or 20 �xg7 at once) 20...'fi'd7 2 1 �xg7 llg8 22 �f6, and e7 falls.
Exercise 5 Hounie - Letelier Montevideo 1961 ( 1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 a6 5 g3 b5 6 i.g2 �b7 7 0-0 'file? 8 lie 1 d6 9 a4 bxa4 I 0 lLlc3 lLlf6 1 1 �g5 lLlbd7 12 llxa4 h6 1 3 Ji.xf6 lLlxf6 14 'ii'd3 l:.c8 15 l:.b4 tt:Jd7 1 6 lLld5 exd5 17 exd5) After 1 7.. .'�d8 the position is ripe for 1 8 lLlc6+ �xc6 1 9 dxc6, after which White should be seeking to invade on the weakened light squares. Here is an example of what can hap pen: 1 9 ... lLlc5 ( 1 9 ...l:.b8 1oses to 20 cxd7 ! l:txb4 21 �h3 ! �e7 22 '6'e2, and 1 9...lLlb8 loses to 20 'ike3 �e7 21 l:tb7) 20 'fi'f3 Ji.e7 (or 20...f6 2 1 'ii'd5 Ji.e7 22 l:td4 'ii'a7 2 3 Ji.h3 l:tc7 24 b4 lLla4 25 l:.xe7 ! l:.xe7 26 c7+! l:.xc7 27 '6'xd6+ mat ing) 2 1 '6'xf7. White has two pawns for the piece and can exploit the exposed position of the knight on c5, as it has few safe squares thanks to White's grip on the light squares; e.g., 2 l .. .�f6 22 'ii'h5 l:.b8 23 l:.xb8+ 'i!kxb8 24 '6'f7 ifc7 25 �a2 ! a5 26 b4! lLla6 (not 26 . . . axb4 27 �h3 ! �xc6 28 �aS+ mating) 27 'ttc4! '6'b6 (or 27 . . . lLlxb4 28 c3, winning the knight) 28 '6'e6 'flc7 29 l:.dl i.e7 30 '6'c4 �b6 3 1 bxa5 '6'xa5 32 l:.b1 , and the invasion by the rook is deci sive.
Exercise 6 Stby
-
Hamann
Copenhagen I 962 ( 1 e4 c5 2 tt:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlf6 5 lLlc3 a6 6 i.g5 lLlbd7 7 �c4 'flla5 8 'li'd2 e6 9 0-0-0 b5 10 i.b3 b4 l t tt:Jd5 exd5 1 2 exd5 lLlc5) White weakens the black kingside while he has the chance with 13 Ji.xf6 and, after 13 gxf6, ..•
forces the king to move with 14 l:the1+ 'it7d7. Now he plays his trump card: he targets the f7-pawn with 15 'li'e2 xe7 16 exd5+ 'ifi>f7 17 l:.e6 l:.e8 18 .i.g5 :Xe6? 19 dxe6+ 'ii'xe6 20 .i.xf6, when both recaptures lose the aS-rook to a queen check. Instead of 1 8 ... l:.xe6?, Black should play 1 8 ...lLlbd7 with fair chances of a successful de fence. On White's 1 5th move, 1 5 exd5?? would leave the f5-knight en prise, but 1 5 lLlh6+ is a better solution than the move he chose. After 1 5 .. .'�f8 (or 1 5 . . . 'iti>e8 1 6 exd5 followed by 'flf3 and lLlf5, with intolerable pressure) 1 6 exd5 �d8 1 7 �f4 ( 1 7 'ii'd 3, intending lLlf5, is also good), the black king is feeling terribly lonely.
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
214 Exercise 8 Videki - Lehner
Aschach 1 995 ( 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 liJf6 5 lDc3 a6 6 ..tg5 e6 7 f4 liJbd7 8 i.c4 b5 9 i.xe6 fxe6 1 0 lDxe6 ifaS 1 1 0-0 b4 1 2 liJd5) Black could play 1 2 .. .'itJf7, preserving his material advantage, or 12 ... ..tb7, which offers to return an exchange but brings strong pressure to bear on the long diagonal against the weak ened white e-pawn. He should certainly not play what Lehner did, which was 12 liJxd5 13 exd5 and now 13 liJf6 . Some alternatives: a) At first sight 13 ... i.b7 looks playable, but White has 1 4 'ii'e2 !, when 1 4. . . ..txd5 loses to 1 5 liJxf8+ 'it>xf8 1 6 'ii'e7+ and 1 4. . .f7 allows mate by 1 5 liJd8+! nxd8 1 6 'ii'e6#. b) 1 3 ...ltJc5 is met by 1 4 f5, and if 1 4.....txe6, White has 1 5 'ii'h5 +! g6 1 6 fxg6 ..tg7 1 7 gxh7+ 'it>d7 1 8 nf7 +! winning material. c) 1 3 ...'it>f7 may be best, but White has an imposing attack after 14 f5. Lehner's 1 3 . . .liJf6 allows the white queen into the attack while the knight is still posi tioned at e6, and White won quickly after 14 •.•
•••
..txf6 gxf6 15 'ii'h5+ 'iti>d7 16 llael ..te7 17 "ikf7 ..tb7 18 liJgT naeS 19 liJr5, regaining the
piece with a strong attack.
liJxf7 'ii'xf7 22 'ifxc5+ ltJe7 1-0. White will play 23 l:1d3 or 23 l:1e4 winning the queen or the knight.
Exercise 10 Ermenkov - Ostojic Toth Memorial, Kecskemet 1977 ( 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 lDf6 5 lbc3 a6 6 ..tc4 e6 7 i.b3 b5 8 0-0 ..te7 9 'ii'f3 ifb6 10 ..te3 ifb7 1 1 'ilVg3 g6 1 2 ..th6 b4 1 3 ltJa4 lDxe4 1 4 'ii'e3 d5 1 5 c4 bxc3 1 6 lDxc3 lt::lc5 1 7 l:.fe1 lt::lxb3 1 8 axb3 liJd7) White went ahead with the sacrifice because after 19 liJxe6 fxe6 20 'ifxe6 liJb6 21 1Wf6 .ngs 22 i.g5 l:.a7 he has the happy choice between 23 l:ha6! and the even more decisive 23 liJb5! 1-0. In both cases, White breaks through on e7 with decisive effect.
Exercise 1 1 Vodi�ka - Loktionova Del:in 1997 ( 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 liJf6 5 ltJc3 lDc6 6 ..tg5 e6 7 'ii'd2 i.e7 8 0-0-0 0-0 9 f3 a6 1 0 'iti>b1 'flc7 1 1 g4 ltJe5 1 2 i.xf6 i.xf6 1 3 g5 i.e7 1 4 f4 liJc4 1 5 11i'd3 b5 1 6 ng1 ..td7 1 7 liJf5 exf5 1 8 liJd5 11i'd8 1 9 exf5 neB) White naturally advanced his f-pawn: 20 f6 i.f8 21 fxgT ..te7
Exercise 9 Pinkas - Brzezicki Wroclaw 1 980 ( 1 e4 c5 2 liJf3 liJf6 3 e5 liJd5 4 liJc3 lDxc3 5 dxc3 lDc6 6 ..tc4 'f/c7 7 "ike2 e6 8 i.f4 d5 9 exd6 ..txd6 10 ..tg3 a6 1 1 0-0-0 i.f4+ 12 'iti>b1 b5 13 ..td5 ..txg3 14 hxg3 i.b7 1 5 i.xe6 fxe6 1 6 'i:Wxe6+ 'i:We7) White plays 17 'ii'h3! so that 17 . . .'iti>f8 loses to 1 8 nd7, and 1 7 ...'i:Wc7 can be met with 1 8 'ii'h 5+ ( 1 8 nhe l + lDe7 1 9 ltJe5 i s also good) and now White wins material: a) 1 8 ...g6 19 1i'xg6+ ! hxg6 20 nxh8+ 'ifi>f7 2 1 nh7+. b) 1 8 .. .f8 19 liJg5 'it>g8 20 lDxh7, and the threat of 2 1 lDf6+ wins. c) 1 8...'ii'f7 19 nhe1+ ltJe7 20 :xe7+! 'it>xe7, and now simplest is 2 1 l:t.d7+, winning the queen, although 2 1 'ii'xc5+ may be even better. The game continued 17 ..tc8 18 'ii'h5+ 'it>f8 (or 1 8 . . . g6 1 9 'ii'd 5) 19 l:.be1 ..te6 ( 1 9 ...'ii'f7 al lows 20 'i:Wxc5+ ltJe7 2 1 .nd8+) 20 liJgS ..tf7 21 •••
This is not best. After 2 l . . .i.xg7 22 liJf6+ ..txf6 23 gxf6+ 'iti>h8 24 l:.g7 Black has the sur prising resource 24 ... liJd2+! 25 'ii'x d2 iixf6. Material is equal but White has the edge thanks to his safer king and slightly better pawns. 22 g6?!
White throws in the kitchen sink. He could instead gain a big advantage with the steady 22 'i!Vd4 ! (to protect the g-pawn and prepare a later liJf6+) followed by 23 ..td3 (to prepare an attack on h7). There is no good defence for Black: a) 22 ... i.f5 23 i.d3 ! ..txd3 24 cxd3 lDa5 25 l:.del ltJc6 26 'ifc3 l:.c8 27 l:he7 ! nxe7 28 lDf6+ 'it>xg7 29 lDh5+ with a quick mate. b) 22 ... ..te6 23 i.d3 i.xd5 24 'ii'xd5 'i!Vc8 (or 24 . . .'i:Wd7 25 ..tf5) 25 ..txh7+! 'it>xh7 26 g6+ ! fxg6 (26 . . . 'it>h6 27 gxf7 is hopeless for Black) 27 11i'f7 and mate is inevitable. c) 22 . . . 'ii'c8 23 i.d3 i.d8 (or 23 .. .'ii'c5 24 lDxe7+ l:1xe7 25 i.xh7+! Wxh7 26 iff6 and White wins) 24 liJf6+ ..txf6 25 ifxf6 l:.e6 26
SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISES �xh7+ ! �xh7 27 'S'xf7 'ii'g8 28 g6+ 'it>h6 29 .l:td3 ! 'ii'xf7 30 gxf7, and White wins material.
22 fxg6 23 lb:g6! 'S'c8? •••
Black wrongly declines this second sacri fice. After 23...hxg6 24 'ii'xg6 White is a rook and a piece down, but the queen and passed pawn are very strong. Black can eliminate the passed pawn by 24... lLld2 + ! 25 :Xd2 �f6! (threatening mate by 26...l:f.e l +) 26 c3 �xg7, and after 27.l:tg2 .l:te728 f5 i.c6! , White has lit tle option but to take the draw by 29 liJf6+ 'iii'f8 30 lLlh7+. 24 i.g2? White misses a win with 24liJxe7+ l:.xe725 'i!Vd5 + .l:te6 26 .l:tf6! �xg7 27 'S'g5 + 'iii'h8 28 l:.xe6 i.xe6 29 'S'f6+ and a mating attack. After the text-move, Black took the second in vitation to capture on g6and ran out the winner:
24. hxg6! 25 �xg6 i.f5 A crucial square for the bishop, threatening ...liJa3 + ! and controlling h7. 26 liJf6+ 26lLlxe7+ lhe7 27i.d5 + i.e628 'S'h6! is a better chance. 26 �xf6 27 i.d5+ �e6 28 �e4 tt:'ld2+ 29 .l:txd2 �xa2+ 30 �cl .l:txe4 31 'ii'xe4 i.f7 32 .l:txd6 �xg7 33 f5 VieS 34 'S'g2 l:d8 35 f6 0-1 ..
.•.
Exercise 1 2 LeMoir - D. MacFarlane West of England Ch 1979 (1 e4e62 d4d5 3 e5 b64tt:'lf3 'ii'd75 a3 liJe7 6tt:'lc3 liJbc67 i.b5 i.b7 8 0-0 0-0-0 9 'S'e2 h6 10 b4 g5 1 1 li:Ja4tt:'lf5 12 c3 'it>b8 1 3 l:td1 g4 1 4 tt:'l e 1 .l:tg8 1 5 �f4h 5 1 6 .l:tab1 h 4 1 7 .l:td2 i.e? 18 liJc5 bxc5 19 bxc5 'it>a8) The sacrifice is a good one, as Black has very little room around his king. His knight is stuck on c6, so he cannot defend his king along the second rank. White should be building up pres sure on c6 and along the b- and a-files by dou bling rooks on the b-file, bringing his queen to a4 and then manoeuvring his knight to b4 and a6. A sample line to show what can happen: 20 'S'd 1 l:r.b8 2 1 'ii'a4i.g5 22 �xg5 lhg5 23 .l:tdb2 .l:tgg8 24 ltJd3 tt:'lfe7 25 liJb4 g3 26 fxg3 hxg3 27h3 l:.h8 28 .l:tb3 ! (not 28 liJa6i.xa629 �xa6 l:txb2 30 l:.xb2 l:tb8, and Black wins) 28....l:thg8, and now decisive operations start with 29 tt:'la6! l:r.bf8 (or 29...�xa6 30 i.xa6 .l:txb3 31 'ikxb3
215
and Black is helpless, and 29....l:tbc8 traps his own bishop so that 30 �fl wins it) 30 �xc6 �xc63 1 'iVb4 'ii'c8 32 'i!Vb8 + ! 'ii'x b8 33 .l:txb8 + .l:txb8 34 tt:'lxc7#. I think that 20 'ikd l is best. White should cer tainly avoid the move that I played, which was the clumsy 20 l:.db2?, allowing the counter sacrifice 20 tt:'lcxd4! 21 cxd4 tt:'lxd4, when White's dangerous light-squared bishop will be exchanged. I retained some play for the lost pawn, but the knot had been cut and I gradually subsided to defeat. •.•
Exercise 1 3 S . Berry - Klinger Cappelle Ia Grande 1 994 (1 b3 tt:'lf62 i.b2 e63 e3 �e74tt:'lf3 0-0 5 d4 b6 6i.d3 i.b 770-0 d68 c4c5 9 liJbd2 tt:'lc6 I 0 l:r.c l l:lc8 11 'ii'e2 l:r.c7 12 .l:tfd 1 'ii'a8 1 3 i.bl .l:td8 14d5 exd5 15 cxd5 tt:'lxd5 16 tt:'le4li:Jb8 1 7 tt:'lfg5 h6 18 tt:'lx.f7 'it>xf7 1 9 'ii'h5 +) The replies are 19...g6, 19...'it>g8, 19...�e6 and 19 ...Wf8. To take each in tum: a) 19 ...g6loses to 20 'ii'f3 + �g8 (or 20...�e8 21 tt:'lg5 !) 2 1 'i!kg4; e.g., 2 1...'it>f722 tt:'lxc5 �g5 23 lLlxb7 'ii'xb7 24 l:.xc7+ tt:'lxc7 25 h4 with a winning attack. b) After 19 .. .'itg8 20 'ii'g6 i.h4 21 tt:'lxd6 White has too many threats. c) 19 ...'it>e6 allows the sparkling 20 tt:'lxc5 +! dxc5 21 i.f5 + 'it>d6 22 'S'g6+ and Black must give up masses of material to delay mate. d) 19 'it>f8 was the move played. After 20 'i!kg6 (20 'ii'f5 + is also good) Black threw in the towel with 20 li:Jf6, returning the extra piece: 21 tt:'lxf6 i.xf6 (or 2 l ...gxf622 'i!kxh6+ mating) •••
•..
22 i.xf6 l:f.dd7 23 i.b2 d5 24 'ii'b.7 .l:tf7 25 i.e5! l:tc6 26 'ii'h8+ ri;e7 27 'ii'xb8 1-0. There were two better defences at move 20: 20...i.h4 2 1 g3, regaining the piece with a strong attack; 20...i.g5 21 liJxg5 hxg5 22 i.f5, and White has a winning attack in view of the threat of 23 �e6 tt:'lb4 24'ii'h7, with a decisive invasion.
Exercise 14
P. Schmidt - Nowarra Krakow 1 941
(1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 liJc3 li:Jf6 4 i.g5 dxe4 5 tt:'lx.e4 i.e? 6 i.xf6 i.xf6 7 liJf3 tt:'ld7 8 'ii'd2 i.e7 9 0-0-0 c6 10 i.d3 'ii'c7 11 .l:the1 b6 12 '>t>b1 i.b7 13 liJeg5 h6 14liJxf7 �x.f7)
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
216
White can play 1 5 'ii'e2 lbf8 1 6 lbe5+, when Black is tied up but should be able to defend. Instead he chose to blow the position wide open:
15 lhe6!! This is not a check, but it virtually forces Black to recapture, as declining gives White a strong attack. For instance: a) 15 ... �f6 16 ..llc4 'iW8 1 7 liJe5 ! lbxe5 1 8 dxe5 ..llxe5 1 9 'ii'd7 ! and the threat of 20 l:txe5 ! 'ii'xe5 21 "iff7# regains the piece. b) 15 . . . b5 (preventing 1 6 �c4) 1 6 �g6+! 'iii>xe6 17 l:te 1 + 'iti>f6 18 'ii'd3 'it'f4 19 l:te4 and White wins the queen with a continuing attack. The game continued: 15 'it>xe6 16 �c4+ 'i!i>f6 17 l:r.el! liJf8 18 "ifc3 'iti>g6?! Now White gains a tempo. Black can try the counter-sacrifice 1 8 ... �b4. although after 1 9 "ifxb4 b 5 20 d5 ! ! bxc4 2 1 d 6 'ii'd8 (2 l . ..'ifc8 is similar) 22 l:r.e7 lbe6 23 fi'c3+ 'it>g6 24 'i¥xc4 ! , White's threats are overwhelming. 1 8 . . . ..1lc8 1 9 llJe5 also gives White a strong attack 19 'it'd3+ �f6 20 liJeS 20 liJh4 ii'f4 2 1 l:r.e6+ xh4 29 'ii'g3#) 29 'ii'f4+ g5 30 "ikxg5#. •••
•••
••
Exercise 1 5 Gomez - Spangenberg Argentine Ch 1995 ( 1 e4 c5 2 c3 d5 3 exd5 'iVxd5 4 d4 liJf6 5 liJf3 cxd4 6 cxd4 g6 7 lbc3 'i¥d8 8 ..llc4 ..llg7 9 fi'a4+ liJbd7 1 0 ..llxf7+ 'ft>xf7) White plays l l liJg5+ (after 1 1 'i¥c4+ e6 1 2 lbg5+ '>t>e8 1 3 llJxe6 liJb6 ! 1 4 liJxg7+ 'iti>f8 1 5 lbe6+ 'it>e7 Black will emerge a piece ahead with chances of a successful defence) l l .'it>e8 12 liJe6 "ikb6. Now 1 3 liJxg7+ fails to 1 3 . . . 'iii>f7 14 �h6 liJg4, so the queen takes up its natural diagonal with 13 "ifc4!, when White really does threaten to capture the bishop. After 13 liJh5, White brings his other knight into the fray with 14 lbb5, and concentrates his fire on the enemy king, with one eye on the rook in the comer: .•
•..
14 tt:Jf8 (not 14 ...l:tb8 1 5 liJbc7+ rot>f7 1 6 liJg5+ f6 1 7 fi'f7#) 15 liJbc7+ 'iti>d7 16 d5 lbxe6 17 •••
dxe6+ 'it>d8 18 ..llf4! liJxf4 19 .l:.d1+ ii'd6 20 l:txd6+ exd6 21 e7+! �e7 22 'ii'xf4 �f5 23 llJxa8 Jha8 24 0-0 h5 25 l:r.e1+ �e5 26 'iVb4 1-0
Exercise 1 6 Ardeleanu - Vasilescu Romania 1986 White forces open the f-file with 3 lbg5!! hxg5 4 f4! . Now after 4 . . . gxh4 the f-pawn con tinues its headlong rush with 5 f5 g5 6 f6 with a mating attack. 4 �f6 failed to stem the tide: 5 fxg5 �g7 6 gxf6+ 'iii>h8 7 "ikf7 .:tg8 8 fxe7 ••.
1-0.
Exercise 1 7 De Deus - Reis Siio Paulo 2001 (1 e4 e6 2 d3 d5 3 liJd2 liJf6 4 liJgf3 ..lle7 5 g3 0-0 6 e5 liJfd7 7 ..llg2 c5 8 0-0 lbc6 9 l:te1 "ifc7 10 'ii'e2 b6 1 1 liJfl h6 1 2 h4 ..llb7 1 3 ..llf4 l:tac8 1 4 c3 d4 1 5 c4 l:tfd8 1 6 liJ l h2 �a6 1 7 a4 lbb4 1 8 liJg4 �f8 1 9 'Ot>h2 h5 20 liJf6+ gxf6 2 1 exf6 i..d6 2 2 ..llg 5 liJf8) 1 ) White built up his attack with 23 liJd2 liJg6 24 'ii'xh5, and now 24 . . .liJxd3 loses to 25 �e4 ! llJxe1 26 �xg6 fxg6 27 "ikxg6+ �h8 28 f7. 24. . ..l:.d7 is a better defence, holding up White's eventual f7 advance, but White is still doing well with 25 �e4; e.g., 25 . . . lbc2 26 ..llxg6 fxg6 27 'ii'xg6+ 'iii>h 8 28 l:r.xe6 l:r.g8 29 l:r.e8 .tf8 30 1if5 ltf7 (not 30 . . .lbxa l 3 1 .tf4 ! 'ii' b7 32 ..lle5 l:r.f7 33 'i¥h5+ mating) 3 1 l:r. c 1 , when White has four pawns and an attack for the piece. Black decided to eliminate the dangerous bishop by 24 ..1lb7 25 ..llxb7 'i¥xb7, but White crashed through with 26 lhe6! 'ii'd7? (26... i..f8 27 liJe4 ! l:r.e8 28 liJd6 'it'd? 29 liJf5 !) 27 lhd6! •••
'i!t'xd6 28 lbe4 'ii'f8 29 ..llh6 'ii'e8 30 llJg5 1-0. 2) In the variations above, White's light squared bishop is crucial in assaulting the black king's fortress. Black should prepare to ex change it with 22 ... .tb7 ! . White's build-up is still dangerous, but Black has chances to resist. 3) 22 �xd6 "ikxd6 23 'ild2 can be met in two ways: a) 23 . . . 'it>f8 is dubious because after 24 'i¥h6+ 'iti>e8 25 'ifh8+ liJf8 (not 25 . . . 'i¥f8 26
SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISES 'iVxhS, threatening 27 l::txe6+) 26 tbgS !, White already threatens 27 Axe6+, and 26 ...l:.d7 27 �h3 l:tc6 28 'ii'xhS forces Black to give up more material by 28 .. .'iii>d 8 to avoid the break through on e6. b) 23 ...tbxd3 ! is a counter-sacrifice to elim inate the f6-pawn. Then 24 'ii'h6 (or 24 'ii'xd3 !? lDxf6 2S tbeS, with compensation for the pawn) 24...tbxf6 2S 'ii'g S+! �f8 26 'ifxf6 eS 27 'ffh8+ is about equal. White preferred to preserve his f-pawn, de spite the loss of a move. 4) 2 1 . ..eS ! ? is interesting, but probably no better than 2 l . . .�d6. White can maintain the pressure with 22 �xeS (not 22 tbxeS ttlxf6!) 22...tLlxeS 23 tLlxeS Ad6 (not 23 ...'iVd6 24 'iif3 followed by 'ikfS ) 24 'ii'xhS .l:hf6 2S ttlg4 Ad6 (not 2S . . ..l:.g6 26 ..ie4) 26 �e4 and so on.
Exercise 18 Pelikian - De Oliveira Registo 1999 (1 e4 cS 2 ttlf3 e6 3 b3 tbf6 4 eS tbdS S ..ib2 ii..e7 6 c4 tbc7 7 ..id3 ttlc6 8 0-0 b6 9 .i.e4 ..ib7
1 0 d4 cxd4 1 1 ttlxd4 .l:.b8 12 ttlxc6 �xc6 1 3 ..ixc6 dxc6 14 'ii'f3 0-0 1 S 'fi'xc6 ttla6 1 6 'fff3 ttlb4 17 Ad 1 'fie? 1 8 'ii'e2 .l:r.fd8 19 tbc3 a6 20 ttle4 Axd 1 + 21 .l:.xd 1 ttlxa2 22 ttlf6+ gxf6 23 exf6) 23 .....if8 allows 24 ..ieS, which both skewers the queen to the rook and discovers an attack on the knight by the white queen, so White emerges the exchange ahead. After 23 ..id6 a king chase is on the cards, so White attempts to open the d-file and divert the black bishop from the diagonal to f8 with 24 .i.e5! . Now: a) 24. . . ..ixeS loses to 2S 'fig4+ 'ifi>f8 26 'fig7+ �e8 27 "ii'g8#. b) 24....l:r.d8 loses nicely to 2S 'fig4+ 'ifi>f8 26 '5'g7+ 'itte8 27 .l:r.xd6! Axd6 28 'figS+ f8 4 ..ixf6 followed by S .l:r.fd1 and 6 'ii'g7+ leads to mate or the caplUre of the black queen. b) 3 ...rJi;h6 4 ..ixf6 Ag8 S 'fif4+ 'ittg6 6 e4 'ffhS, when White has numerous ways of win ning, including 7 'ft'd6 (the bishop is trapped), 7 .l:.fd 1 (intending 8 AdS) and 7 'itth 1 (intending 8 g4). 3 'ifhs h6 4 .:rd1 4 bxa6 is also good; e.g., 4...Axa6 S .i.xf6+ ..ixf6 6 ttlc7 'il'eS 7 ttlxe8+ 'fi'xe8 8 'i!Vg4+ rJi;h7 9 .l:.c8 and the black queen is in trouble. 4 'itth7 4 ... axbS loses to 5 ttlf4 'fie7 6 .l:r.xd8 ! .l:r.exd8 7 'fif5 .l:.a6 8 iLxf6+ Axf6 9 ttlh5+ 'it>f8 10 ttlxf6 with a material advantage. 5 ..ixf6 5 ttlxf6+ is quicker and prettier: S ....i.xf6 6 .l:td6! 'i!Vxd6 7 'fixf7+ 'it>h8 8 .i.xf6+ followed by mate. S �xf6 6 ttlc7 'ii'e7 7 bxa6 b6 8 'iWfS+ c:J;;g7 9 .U.d7 'iWeS 10 'iVxeS ..ixe5 1 1 ttlxe8+ AxeS 12 a7 :as lJ f4 ..ib2 14 :Cc7 1-0 .•.
•.•
Exercise 20 Yakovich - Todorovic Bela Crkva 1 990 ( l d4 dS 2 c4 e6 3 ttlc3 c5 4 cxd5 exd5 5 ttlf3 ttlc6 6 g3 ttlf6 7 .i.g2 .i.e7 8 0-0 0-0 9 .i.g5 cxd4 10 ttlxd4 h6 1 1 .i.e3 .l:.e8 12 'ifa4 ttla5 1 3 .:.ad1 ..id7 1 4 'ii'c2 Ac8 1 5 ttlf5 ..ib4 1 6 i. xd5 ttlxd5 1 7 .l:.xd5 'ifc7 1 8 ttlxg7 'ittxg7) White played 19 'ii'dJ, missing the spectacu lar king-hunt 1 9 .ixh6+ ! xh6 (or 19 ...'iti>h8 20 Ah5) 20 .l:.h5+! (20 'ffd2+ is less spectacular, but effective) 20...'iti>xh5 21 'ii'h7+ 'iii>g5 22 ttld5! (closing the mating-net) 22...'i!Vc5 (or 22...'ifd6 23 f4+ �g4 24 h3+ 'iii>xg3 25 Af3#) 23 h4+ �g4 24 rJi;g2! (intending 24 lDf6# and 24 f3#) 24...'ffxd5+ 25 f3+ 'fi'xf3+ 26 exf3#. Despite his aesthetic omission, White was still winning comfortably, and the game fin ished 19 .lhe3 20 fxeJ .i.hJ 21 1Vd4+ rJi;g8 22 'ifxb4 ..ixfl 23 'ii'xaS .i.hJ 24 'ifxc7 lhc7 25 .l:.hS ..ie6 26 Axh6 .C.d7 27 l:th4 l:td2 28 :b4 b6 29 'ittf2 'iti>g7 30 h4 rs 31 e4 1-o. ••
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
218 Exercise 2 1
Becerra - Vakhidov Ubeda 1997 ( 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 lt:Jc3 lt:Jf6 4 �g5 dxe4 5 lt:Jxe4 Ji.e7 6 .txf6 gxf6 7 lt:Jf3 b6 8 �c4 .i.b7 9 1i'e2 lDd7 I 0 0-0-0 c6 I 1 lt:Jfd2 0-0 I 2 h4 f5 1 3 lDg5 lDf6 1 4 lDdf3 b5 I 5 �b3 h6) 16 lDe5 This opens a path for the white queen to h5. and threatens I 7 lt:Jexf7 l%xf7 18 .i.xe6. Black decided to capture at once: 16...hxg5 17 hxg5 lt:Jg4 Black delays the queen's journey to h5. There are two main alternatives: a) l7 . . . tLld5 is decisively answered by 1 8 'ifh5 �xg5+ I 9 'itbi rJitg7 20 .txd5 cxd5 (after 20. . . exd5, the most effective finish is 2 I 'ii'h7+ 'it>f6 22 l:.del ! and there is no good defence against 23 lDrl7+! 'ii'xd7 24 l:.h6+ and mate next move) 2I l:1d3 f4 (or 2I ...'it>f6 22 l:1g3 and the bishop is lost) 22 g3, cracking open the g-fiJe. b) l7 ...tLle4 allows White to break through with I 8 'ii'h5 .i.xg5+ 19 'it>bl f6 2 I lLlxf7 ! ! :Xf7 22 l:1h6+! 'ite7 (22... .i.xh6 23 1i'xh6+ 'it>e7 24 'ifxe6+ 'it>f8 25 'ikxf7#) 23 l:1xe6+ f8 25 'ii'g6 mating. 19 'it>g7 20 f4 l:lb8 21 l:lh6 'ii'd6 22 c3 White misses the spectacular finish 22 f5 ! exf5 23 l:tfl ! ! fxg4 24 l:txf7+. 22 c5 23 dS c4 24 �c2 .txd5 25 'S'h4 l:thg8 26 f5 'itf8 27 f6 'it>e8 28 g6 'it>d7 29 gxf7 l:.gf8 30 fxe7 'ilxe7 31 l:.xd5+ 1-0 .•.
•••
Exercise 22 Hellers - Djurhuus Oslo 1 991 ( 1 d4 e6 2 e4 d5 3 lt:Jd2 c5 4 exd5 'i!Vxd5 5 tLlgf3 cxd4 6 .tc4 l'id6 7 0-0 lLlf6 8 lDb3 tLlc6 9 tLlbxd4 tLlxd4 10 tLlxd4 .td7 I I c3 "i/c7 I2 'ife2
0-0-0 1 3 a4 h5 I 4 tLlb5 .txb5 1 5 axb5 .tc5 I 6 b4 Ji.b6 I 7 g3 tLlg4 I 8 fl 'ii'h 1 + 24 �e2 .i.xd4 25 .i.h7+ l2Jxh7 26 �xd4 dxc4 27 bxc4 :e8+ 28 'iii>d2 l2Jg5, Black has three pawns for the piece and the white king is still awkwardly placed. 19 ..tn .i.h2+ 20 �h1 1Wh5 21 'ii'd2? 2 1 �g2! is better: a) 2 1 ...:e6 22 .i.d3 f5 23 .i.g5 ! lhe1 24 1Wxe1 l2Jxd4! (not 24... hxg5 25 �e6+ ..ti>f8 and now simplest is 26 .i.xf5 winning a piece) 25 l2Jxd4 1Wxg5 26 'ti'e6+ �h8 27 .i.xf5 l2Je3+, when Black might just hold the draw. b) 2 1 .. .'ii'g6 22 .i.g5 ! l:he1 23 1Wxe1 , and again Black just holds the balance; for example, 23 . . .l2Jxd4 24 l2Jxd4 'ir'xg5 25 l2Jf3 l2Je3+ 26 �xh2 �f4+ with perpetual check. The game finished with a complete collapse by White: 21 .:e6 22 l2Jxd5 .l:.g6 23 l2Jg1 .i.xg1+ 24 .i.h3 �xh3+ 25 'iti>xg1 l2Jxe3# (0-1) •••
..
Exercise 25 Chandler - Agnos Lloyds Bank Masters, London 1989 (1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 l2Jc3 l2Jf6 4 .i.g5 .i.e7 5 e5 l2Jfd7 6 .i.xe7 �xe7 7 f4 0-0 8 l2Jf3 c5 9 'it'd2 l2Jc6 10 0-0-0 a6 1 1 dxc5 'ir'xc5 1 2 .i.d3 b5) 13 .i.xh7+ 'iii>xh7 14 l2Jg5+ �g8 15 �d3 l:te8 White's point is that 15 ...g6? is met by 1 6 'ifb 3 , mating.
16 1i'h7+ 'iii>f8 17 1i'h5 l2Jd8 The d7-knight gets in the way in two alterna tive lines: a) I7 ... g6 1 8 'fi'h8+ 'iii>e7 19 'ii' h4! and now 19 .. .'�d7 is prevented by the knight on d7. The game might continue 1 9...'iti>f8 20 l2Jce4! dxe4 21 lhd7 ! .i.xd7 22 1i'h8+ q;e7 23 1Wf6+ and mate next move. b) 1 7 ...�e7 1 8 �xf7+ 'it>d8 19 l2Jxe6+ this pawn would be defended by the bishop if the knight were not in the way. c) White also wins after 1 7 ...'ir'e3+ 1 8 �b1 l2Jd8 19 l:r.d3 1Wxf4 20 .l:.f3, breaking through on the f-file. After the text-move, the king cannot escape to the queenside, so the game ends on the king side: 18 l2Jh7+ 'it>g8 After 1 8 ...'iite7 1 9 1i'g5+, the knight makes 1 9. . .'it>d7 impossible. 19 :d3! White intends 20 .l:.h3 followed by 21 l2Jf6+ 'iii>f8 22 'ir'h8+ �e7 23 'ir'xe8+, so Black now protects his rook. 19 �e7 20 .l:.h3 f6 21 l2Jxf6+! l2Jxf6 22 exf6 1-0 .•.
Exercise 26 Jehle - Kobler Goetzis 1997 (1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 l2Jd2 l2Jf6 4 e5 l2Jfd7 5 f4 c5 6 c3 l2Jc6 7 l2Jdf3 .i.e7 8 .i.d3 a6 9 l2Jh3 b5 1 0 0-0 l2Jb6 1 1 'iii> h 1 cxd4 12 cxd4 .i.d7 1 3 b3 0-0 14 .i.xh7+ ..ti>xh7 1 5 l2Jfg5+) Black played 15 'iti>g6? but then came 16 f5+ 1-0. Black is mated after both 16 . . . 'iti>h6 17 \1Vg4 g6 1 8 l2Jxf7+ Wg7 19 'ikxg6# and 1 6 ...exf5 1 7 l2Jf4+ Wxg5 1 8 'ir'h5#. He chose the best square for his king, but could have resisted longer by exchanging off one of the knights first. After 1 5 ....i.xg5 I 6 l2Jxg5+, the three king moves lose as follows: a) I6 ...'iti>h6 fails to 17 'ir'd3 :hs 1 8 l2Jxf7+ winning the queen. b) 1 6 ... �g8 allows 1 7 11i'h5 :e8 1 8 'ifxf7+ �h8 1 9 .l:.f3 mating on the h-file. c) 16 .. .g6 is best, but White breaks through with 17 'ii'c 2+! f5 1 8 exf6+ 'iti>xf6 19 f5 ! exf5 (or 1 9 ...e5 20 Wc5 Wb8 21 dxe5+ l2Jxe5 22 l2Jh7+, when White wins a whole rook) 20 lhf5+! .i.xf5 21 11i'xc6+ �e7 22 .i.a3+ mating. ..•
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
220 Exercise 27 Spassky - Tal Montreal / 979
( 1 d4 lLlf6 2 c4 e6 3 t:Llf3 b6 4 e3 �b7 S �d3 d5 6 b3 �d6 7 0-0 0-0 8 �b2 lLlbd7 9 lLlbd2 'fke7 1 0 .l:.c1 :ad8 1 1 'fkc2 cS 12 cxd5 exd5 l 3 dxcS bxcS 1 4 'fkc3 l:fe8 1 S :fd 1 d4 1 6 exd4 cxd4 1 7 'fka5 lLle5 1 8 lLlxe5 �xe5 1 9 lLlc4 %ld5 20 'ifd2 �xh2+ 2 1 'ifilxh2) Tal played 21 l:.bS+!, which forces a quick win in all variations. Now 22 �g3 meets with the reply 22. . .lLle4+! 23 i.xe4 'fih4+ 24 �f3 'fkxe4+ 2S 'iti>g3 1Wh4#, so Spassky played 22 'it>gl lLlg4 0-1. There is another neat finish after 23 l1e1 l:.h 1 + 24 'ifi>xh1 'fih4+ 2S 'iti>g1 'fih2+ 26 �fl 'fixg2#. Instead of 2 1 . . .l1hS+, Black could continue 2 1 . . .lLlg4+ 22 'ittg3 lLlxf2 ! with the idea 23 �xf2 'fih4+ 24 'ittg 1 l:hS winning at once, but it is a less tidy win after 23 'fixf2 'f6c7+ 24 lLles 'fixeS+ 25 1Wf4 'ii'hs 26 �e4 l:gS+ 27 'ifi>f2 l:lg4 28 'ii'xg4 'fixg4 29 �xb7 'fie2+ 30 'iti>g1 'fixb2. •••
Exercise 28 Kuzmin - Sveshnikov USSR Ch, Moscow 1973
( 1 e4 cS 2 lLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlc6 S lLlc3 'fkc7 6 �e2 a6 7 0-0 lLlf6 8 �e3 �b4 9 lLlxc6 bxc6 1 0 lLla4 0-0 1 1 c4 �d6 12 f4 lLlxe4 l 3 �d3 lLlf6 1 4 c5 �e7 1 S �d4 lLldS) It might be tempting to play the Double Bishop sacrifice at once, but after 16 i.xh7+ �xh7 17 'iVhS+ 'iti>g8 18 �xg7 �xg7 19 'f6g4+ �h7 20 l1f3 Black can play 20...lLlxf4 ! 21 l:txf4 fS 22 'ii'h 3+ �g6 23 'li'g3+ �gS ! (not 23 ...�£7 24 ltxfS+! discovering an attack on the black queen), and Black should successfully unravel. That knight must be eliminated, so Kuzmin played 16 lLlb6!. Now: a) 16 . . .l:tb8 loses the rook after 17 lLlxdS cxd5 1 8 i.xh7+ �xh7 1 9 1i'h5+ ..tg8 20 �xg7 'iVxcS+ 2 1 h1 �xg7 22 'ii'g4+ �h8 23 l:.£3 'ii'c2 (the only way to prevent mate) 24 fS ! 'ii'xfs 2S :Us exfS 26 'iih3+ ..tg7 27 'ii'g3+. b) 16 ... l1a7 follows exactly the same se quence but now 26 'li'd4+ (instead of 26 'fih3+) wins the rook. c) Black played 16 lm:b6, which left White a simple win with 17 i.xh7+ �xb7 18 'ii'bS+ 'it'g8 19 �xg7 �xg7 ( 1 9 ... f6 loses to 20 'ii'g6 :£7 21 �h6+ 'ifilh8 22 'li'xf7) 20 'ii'g4+ �h7 21 :0 l-0. The black pieces that could prevent mate are on the wrong side of the board. •••
I ndex of Ga mes
When a player's name appears in bold, that player had White. Otherwise the FIRST-NAMED PLAYER had White. Numbers refer to pages.
D E SOUZA - Camara 2 1 2
ABDUL SATAR - Quadrat 149
BIOLEK - Oral 1 77
ADAMS, W. - Barden 1 07
BLASKOWSKI - Watson, W. 84
DELY - Felmeri 140
AGNOS - Chandler 2 1 9
BLATNY - Gamboa 204
DIEKS - Poutiainen 2 1 3
AKOPIAN - lllescas I 5 I
BLOCKER - Noel 94
DIRINGER - Pieper 1 2
ALB ERT, E. - Rubio 33
BORGES - Vasquez 1 80
DJURHUUS - Hellers 2 1 8
ALCAZA R - Meszaros I SS
BOSCH - Vaganian 1 62
DoLMATOV - Morozevich 1 60
ALEKHINE - Isakov 1 30; Rabar
BRAJOVIC - Rodic SO
DoNCEVIC - Bastian 65
BRILLIANT - Saverymuttu 2 1 2
DONNER - Reshevsky 1 32
ALEXANDER - Pachman 95
BRODSKY - Gl ek 1 56
DUEBALL - Minic 1 6
ANAND - K.arpov 1 98;
BROWNE - Ftacnik 35; Giles,
DUZ-KHOTIMIRSKY - Levenfish
Kramnik 63; Svidler 1 08 ANDONOV - Christiansen 1 33 ; Petkevich 66 ANDRIANO¥ - Karasev 9 ANIKAEV - Tompa 1 45 ANNAKOV - Korneev 1 8 A RAKHAMIA-GRANT - Rowson 92; Stepovaya Dianchenko 1 0 ARDELEANU - Vasilescu 2 1 6 ASHLEY - Kempinski 4 1 A VRUKH - Varga 1 97 BABIC - Rogers 29
BAKLAN - Hall, J . 26
M. 8 1 BRZEZICKI - Pinkas 2 1 4 BUDO - Riumin 1 72 BURGESS - Bank Friis 1 1 6 BUSCHMANN - Schlander 173 BYRNE, R. - Fischer 1 23 CAMARA - De Souza 2 1 2 CAMPORA - Rodriguez, An. I 59 CAPABLANCA - Havasi 55; Molina 1 9 1 CAPUANO FILHO - Toigo 5 1 CARDOSO - Fischer 6 1 CASTAGNA - Ernst 1 28 CHAJES - Janowski 1 95 CHANDLER - Agnos 2 1 9
BALCERAK - Schoeneberg 86
CHEBOTAREV - Zhuravliov,
I SO
BABURIN - Romanishin 70 BADEA - lstratescu 5 8
BANK FRIIS - Burgess 1 1 6 BARCZA - Kotov 1 05 ; Nagy 25 BARCZAY - Ribli 80
A.
1 36 CHRISTIANSEN - Andonov 1 33 ; Vaganian 1 19
207 Duzs - Majdanics 1 1 2 DWORZYNSKI - Tarnowski 96 EGELI - Chuchelov 38 EISINGER - Rejfir 85 ERMENKOV - Ostojic 2 1 4 ERNST - Castagna 1 28; Gruvaeus 57; Komarov 1 09 EsPIG - Hecht 1 46; Kostro 33 EUWE - Landau 68 FEDOROV - Rash.kovsky 21 7 FELMERI - Dely 1 40 FII...ATOV - Mayer 203 FISCHER - Bernstein, S. 43;
Byrne, R. 1 23 ; Cardoso 61 FISHBEIN - Baltes 2 1 9 FOSSAN - Dannevig 1 66 FTACNIK - Browne 35 FURMAN - Stein 37
BARDEL - Stoppa 1 84
CHUCHELOV - Egeli 3 8
GAMBOA - Blatny 204
BARDEN - Adams, W. 1 07;
CICAK - Kuhn 64
GAPONENKO - ' t Jong 1 46
CIFUENTES - Zviagintsev 1 1 4
GAPRINDASHVILI - Nikolac 1 56
C!MRA - Harceg 2 1 2
GARCIA VERA - Cuellar 7
COLLE - Berger 1 95 ; O'Hanlon
GAUGLm - Sulava 1 64
1 88 COLON - Jimenez 1 9 COMAS - Koful 1 3 1
GDANSK! - Mozny 9 1
BECERRA - Vakhidov 2 1 8
CRAMLING, D. - Veli.kov I 00
GILES, M. - Browne 8 1
BELLIN, J. - Motwani 1 1 7
CUARTAS - Van der Sterren 88
G!PSLIS - Honfi 1 1 3
BELLON - Plaskett 1 38
CUELLAR - Garcia Vera 7
GLEK - Brodsky 1 5 6
BENZAQUEN - Rossetto 25
DANNEVIG - Fossan 1 66
GoLUBEV - Mantovani 39
BERGER - Colle 1 95
DARGA - Bertok 2 1 ; lskov 74
GoMEZ - Spangenberg 2 1 6
BERNSTEIN, S . - Fischer 43
DAUTOV - Vaisser 1 6 1
GOSTISA - Wang Zili 32
BERRY - Klinger 2 1 5
DAVID - Lobron 40; Trumanov
GOVEDARICA - Thorsteins 32
Konnauer 60 BASTIAN - Donrevic 65;
Quinteros 142 BATTES - Fishbein 2 1 9 BATZORIG - Bilguun 49 BAUER - Lasker, Em. 203
BERTOK - Darga 2 1
1 96
BEUTEL - Ruprich 1 89
DE DEUS - Reis 2 1 6
BII...GUUN - Batzorig 49
DE OLIVEIRA - Pelikian 2 1 6
GEORGADZE, G. - Yakovich 77 GERGENREDER - Stepanov 62
GRANDA - Hodgson 1 1 1 GRANGE-BENNETT - LeMoir
1 85
ESSENTIAL CHESS SACRIFICES
222 GROETZ - Neumeier 34
KOBLER - Jehle 2 1 9
GRUVAEUS - Ernst 57
KOMAROV - Ernst 109
GUREVICH, D. - Winslow 53
KORCHNOI - Petrosian 1 29;
GUREVICH, M . - Piket 1 67 GURGENIDZE - Tal l 2 1
Spassky 1 62
MAXWELL, A. - Stevenson, F. 52 MAYER - Filatov 203 MEUERS - Rau 1 5
KORNEEV - Annakov 1 8
MESZAROS - Alcazar 1 55
HALL, C. - Leyton 1 8 1
KOSTEN - Luciani 1 20
MIKAVICA - Milov, L. 24
HALL, J. - Baklan 26
KOSTRO - Espig 33
MILES - Lj ubojevi{; 1 93
HAMANN - Soby 2 1 3
KOTOV - Barcza 1 05
MILOV, L. - Lendwai 2 1 ;
HANSEN, C U . - Hellers 1 7 8
KOTTNAUER - Barden 60;
HARCEG - Cimra 2 1 2
Junge 207
Mikavica 24 MINIC - Dueball 1 6 MIRKOVIC - Sutorikhin 1 25
HARDICSAY - Nickel 86
KOVALIOV - Panikarovsky 1 63
HARTMAN - Svensson 20
Koi.uL - Comas 1 3 1
MOHR, G. - Voskanian 1 4
HAVAS! - Capablanca 5 5
KRAMNIK - Anand 63
MOISEEV
HECHT - Espig 146
KRAYZ - Rotshtein 149
MOLINA - Capablanca 1 9 1
HEDKE - Raupp 135
KUHN
HEILPERN - Pick 138
KUIJF - Shaked 79
HELLERS - Djurhuus 2 1 8 ; Hansen, Cu. 1 7 8
-
Cicak 64
KUNTE - Sashikiran 1 3 KUZMIN - Sveshnikov 220
-
Noakh 208
MONIN - Smagin 1 79 MOROZEVICH - Dolmatov 1 60; Shipov 1 1 MOSIONZHIK - Ibragimov 43
LAKETIC - Peptan 59
MOSNEGUTU - Sarbu 1 83
LALIC, B . - Schlemrnenneyer 83
MOTWANI - Bellin, J. 1 1 7
HONFI - Gipslis 1 1 3
LANC - Spiridonov 142
MOZNY - Gdanski 9 1
HOSTICKA - Simandl l 5 5
LANDAU
MURDZIA - Pedzich 122
HOUNIE - Letelier 2 1 3
LANGEWEG - Spassky 35
NAES - Vadasz 56
HOWELL - Nunn 46; Wahls 44
LASKER, EM. - B auer 203;
NAGY - Barcza 25
HODGSON - Granda 1 1 1 ; Lodhi 69; Ward 200
HOBNER - Timman 154
-
Euwe 68
Janowski 1 04
NEDOBORA - Svidler 1 5 1 NEISHTADT - NN 2 1 8
lBRAGIMOV - Mosionzhik 43
LASSEN
lLLESCAS - Akopian 1 5 1
LATKA - Mantovani 52
NEUMANN, F. - Zhidkov 9
-
Witomski 54
ISAEV - M as 1 47
LAUTIER - Kamsky 1 74
NEUM EIER - Groetz 34
!SAKOV - Alekhine 1 30
LEHNER - Videki 2 1 4
NICKEL - Hardicsay 86
ISKOV - Darga 74
LEKO - Raychman 20
NIKOLAC - Gaprindashvili 156
ISTRATESCU - B adea 58
LEMOIR - Grange-Bennett
NIKOLIC - Kasparov 1 52
!VANOVIC - Sokolov, A. 205
1 8 5 ; MacFarlane, D. 2 1 5 ;
NISIPEANU - Maksimenko 75
JAKOBSEN, 0. - Weinstein, J.
O ' Kelly, R. 1 1 5
NOAKH - Moiseev 208
31 JANOWSKI - Chajes 1 95 ; Lasker, Em. 1 04 JEHLE - Kobler 2 1 9 JIMENEZ - Colon 1 9; Yepez 94
LENDWAI - Milov, L. 2 1
NOEL - Blocker 94
LETELIER - Hounie 2 1 3
NOWARRA - Schmidt, P. 2 1 5
LEVENFISH - Duz-Khotimirsky
NUNN - Howell 46; Pritchett 89; Sosonko 7
207 LEYTON - Hall, C. 1 8 1
O' HANLON - Colle 1 88
JOHANN - Velicka 65
LIMA, E. - Rodriguez, AI. 1 4 1
O' KELLY, A. - Palacios 206
JUNGE - Kottnauer 207
LIPMAN - Zolotonos 3 3
O' KELLY, R. - LeMoir 1 1 5
KALEGIN - Pridorozhni 80
LJUBOJEVIC - Miles 1 93
OLL - Psakhis 1 85 ; Sokolov, I.
KAMSKY - Lautier 1 74
LOB RON - David 40; Schulz, K.
KARASEV - Andrianov 9
1 76 ONISHCHUK - Van de Mortel
32
KARASON - Rozentalis 1 04
LODHI
KARPOV - Anand 1 98
LOKTIONOVA - Vodicka 2 1 4
KASPAROV - Nikolic 1 52; Van
LUCIANI - Kosten 1 20
0RATOVSKY - Kharnrakulov 36
LUPULESCU - Svetushkin 67
OSTOJIC - Ermenkov 2 1 4
der Wiel 76 KAVALEK - Spass ky 1 0 1 ; Velimirovic 1 26 KEMPINSKI - Ashley 4 1 KERRY - Pivovarov 34 KHALIFMAN - Rivas 1 03 ; Smirin 97 KHAMRAKULOV - Oratovsky 36 KIROV
-
Wedberg 175
-
Hodgson 69
1 66 ORAL - Biolek 1 77
LUTIIER - McShane 27
PACHMAN - AJexander 9 5
LUTIKOV - Yuferov 1 0 1
PALACIOS - O'Kelly, A . 206
MACFARLANE, D. - LeMoir
PANIKAROVSKY - Kovaliov 1 63
215
PAULSEN, L. - Schwarz, A. 1 89
MCSHANE - Luther 27
PEDZICH - Murdzia 1 22
MAJDANICS - Duzs 1 1 2
PELIKIAN - De Oliveira 2 1 6
MAKSIMENKO - Nisipeanu 75
PELLETIER - Piket 72
MANTOVANI - Golubev 39;
PEPTAN - Laketic 59
Latka 52
PETERS - Tobin 144
KIRTON - Yoos 1 24
MARCIANO - Shulman 1 1 0
KLINGER - Berry 2 1 5
MARJANOVIC - Sennek 1 70
PETROSIAN - Korchnoi 129
KNEZEVIC - Risti{; 1 64
MAS - lsaev 147
PICANOL - Sulleva 16
PETKEVICH - Andonov 66
INDEX OF GAMES
223
PICK - Heilpern 1 38
SEEMAN - Salmela 1 37
PIEPER - Diringer 1 2
SELIN - Slavina 78
TODOROVIc - Yakovich 2 1 7
PIKET - Gurevich, M . 1 67 ;
SERMEK - Marjanovic 170
TOJGO - Capuano Filho 5 1
TOBIN - Peters 144
SHABALOV - Yermolinsky 8
TOMPA - Anikaev 1 45
PINKAS - Brzezicki 2 14
SHAKED - Kuijf 79
TSESARSKY - Weissbuch 1 5 3
PITHART - Urbanec 2 1 2
SHIPOV - Morozevich 1 1
UHLMANN
PIVOVAROV - Kerry 34
SHIROV - Reinderman 1 86;
UNZICKER - Tal 1 2 6
Pel letier 72
PLASKETT - Bellon 1 3 8
Thorhallsson 1 68
-
Vogt 1 7 6
URBANEC - Pithart 2 1 2
POLUGAEVSKY - Tal 1 90
S HNEIDER - Ermolinsky 140
V ADASZ - Naes 56 VAGANIAN - Bosch 1 62;
POUTIAINEN - Dieks 2 1 3
SHULMAN - Marciano 1 10
PRIDOROZHNI - Kalegin 80
SIMANDL - Hosticka 1 5 5
PRITCHETT - Nunn 89
SINGH, G. - Zagrebelny 6 1
V AISSER - Dautov 1 6 1
Christiansen 1 1 9
PSAKHIS - 011 1 85
SLAVINA - Selin 7 8
V AKHIDOV - Becerra 2 1 8
QUADRAT - Abdul Saw 149
SMAGIN - Monin 1 79
VAN D E MORTEL - Onishchuk
QUINTEROS - Bastian 1 42
S MIRIN - Khalifman 97
RABAR - Alekhine 1 50
S0BY - Hamann 2 1 3
RASHKOVSKY - Fedorov 2 1 7
SOFREVSKI - Reshevsky 98;
RAU - Meijers 1 5
Velimirovic 87
1 66 VAN DER STERREN - Cuartas 88 VAN DER WAL - Stisis 73 VAN DER WIEL - Kasparov 76
RAUPP - Hedke 1 35
SOKOLOV, A. - lvanovic 205
RAYCHMAN - Leko 20
SOKOLOV, I. - 011 1 76
VARGA - Avrukh 1 97
REINDERMAN - Shirov 1 86
SOSONKO - Nunn 7
VASILESCU - Ardeleanu 2 1 6
REIS - De Deus 2 1 6
SPANGENBERG - Gomez 2 1 6
VASQUEZ - Borges 1 80
REJFIR - Eisinger 8 5
SPASSKY - Kavalek 1 0 1 ;
RESHEVSKY - Donner 1 32; Sofrevski 98
VELICKA - Johann 65
Korchnoi 1 62; Langeweg 3 5 ;
VELIKOV - Cramling, D. 1 00
Tal 220
VELIMIROVIC - Kavalek 1 26;
RIBLI - Barczay 80
SPIRIDONOV - Lane 1 42
RICHTER - Rogmann 145
STANEC - Timoshenko 99
Sofrevski 87 VIDEKI - Lehner 214
RISTIC - Knezevic 1 64
STEIN - Furman 37
VODICKA - Loktionova 214
RIUMIN - Budo 1 72
STEPANOV - Gergenreder 62
VOGT - Uhlmann 1 76
RIVAS - Khalifman 1 03
STEPOVAYA DIANCHENKO -
VOKAC - Voloshin 42
Arakhamia-Grant 1 0
VOLOSHIN - Vokal: 42
RODIC
-
Brajovic 50
RODRIGUEZ, AL. - Lima, E. 1 4 1 RODRIGUEZ, AN. - Campora 1 59
STEVENSON, F. - Maxwell, A. 52
VOSKANIAN - Mohr, G. 1 4 W AHLS
-
Howell 44
STISIS - Van der Wal 73
WANG ZILI - Gosti�a 32
ROGERS - B abic 29
STOPPA - Bardel 1 84
WARD - Hodgson 200
ROGMANN - Richter 1 45
SULAVA - Gauglitz 1 64
WATSON, W. - Blaskowski 84
ROMANISHIN - B aburin 70
S ULLEVA - Picanol l 6
WEDBERG - Kirov 1 75
ROSSETTO - Benzaquen 25;
SUMAR - Rossetto 1 39
WEINSTEIN, J. - Jakobsen, 0. 3 1
Swnar 1 39 ROTSHTEIN - Krayz 149
SUTORIKHIN - Mirkovic 1 25
WEISSBUCH - Tsesarsky 1 53
SVENSSON - Hartman 20
WINSLOW - Gurevich, D. 53
ROWSON - Arakhamia-Grant 92
SVESHNIKOV - Kuzmin 220
WITOMSKI - Lassen 54
ROZENTALIS - Karason 1 04
S VETUSHKIN - Lupulescu 67
YAKOVICH - Georgadze, G. 77;
RUBIO - Albert, E . 33
SVIDLER - Anand 1 08;
RUPRICH - Beutel l 89
Nedobora 1 5 1
Todorovic 2 1 7 ; Yudasin 90 YEPEZ - Jimenez 94
SADLER - Zagorskis 1 1 8
SZILAGYI - Szily 85
SALMELA - Seeman 1 3 7
SZ!LY - Szilagyi 85
SARBU - Mosnegutu 1 8 3
'T JONG - Gaponenko 146
Yoos - Kinon 1 24
SASHIKIRAN - Kunte 1 3
TAIMANOV - David, A. 196
YUDASIN - Yakovich 90
SAVERYMUTTU - Brilliant 2 1 2
TAL - Anon 1 1 6; Gurgenidze
YUFEROV - Lutikov 1 0 1
1 2 1 ; Polugaevsky 1 90;
ZAGORSKIS - Sadler 1 1 8
SAVON - Zaitsev, I . 3 6
YERMOLINSKY - Shabalov 8 ; Shneider 1 40
SCHLANDER - Buschmann 1 7 3
Spassky 220; Unzicker 1 26;
ZAGREBELNY - Singh, G. 6 1
SCHLECHTER - Teichmann 1 2 8
Zaichik 45
ZAICHIK - Tal 45
TARNOWSKI - Dworzynski 96
ZAITSEV, I. - Savon 36
TEICHMANN - Schlechter 1 28
ZHIDKOY - Neumann, F. 9
SCHMIDT, P. - Nowarra 2 1 5
THORHALLSSON - Shirov 1 68
ZHURAVLIOV, A. - Chebotarev
SCHOENEBERG - Balcerak 86
THORSTEINS - Govedarica 32
SCHULZ, K. - Lobron 32
nMMAN - Hi.ibner 1 54
ZOLOTONOS - Lipman 33
SCHWARZ, A. - Paulsen, L. 1 89
nMOSHENKO - Stanec 99
ZVIAGINTSEV - Cifuentes 1 1 4
SCHLEMMERMEYER - Lalic, B . 83
1 36
I ndex of Openi ngs
Numbers refer to pages. Codes are ECO codes. Flank Openings AOO 149, 1 85; AOI 215; A03 203; A08 140, 141, 145, 162, 216 English Opening A 1 4 135; A20 181; A29 142; A30 35, 38; A3 1 129 Queen's Pawn A40 118; A4S 1 1 1, 164; A46 69, 100; A49 103; AS2 204; AS3 66; ASS 101; AS6 98 Dutch Defence A78 J2J; A96 131 Scandinavian Defence BOI 64, 65, 67 Alekhine Defence B04 109, 119; BOS 139 Caro-Kann Defence B I 4 173; B 1 7 56, 122; B 1 8 83; B 1 9 156 Sicilian Defence B 2 1 34; B22 1 1 7, 149, 216, 219; B23 79; B28 136; B29 214; B30 163, 1 77; B33 9, 27, 29, 212; B40 33, 80, 216; B41 36, 213; B42 18; B43 37, 40, 155; B44 35; B46 186, 196; B47 31, 144, 1 75; B48 10; B49 220; BS I 41, 65; BS2 34, 151 ; BS3 8, 104, 1 74; B60 32; B62 85; B63 32, 33, 214; B66 26; B78 97; B 80 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 25, 42, 86, 92, 146; B 8 1 21, 46, 88, 124; B 82 16, 20, 45, 86; B 83 32; B84 7, 75, 84, 212; B 8S 25, 138, 205; B86 49, 52, 58; B 87 33, 36, 39, 43, 51, 52, 53, 54, 59, 60, 61, 73, 91, 213, 214; B88 85; B 89 7, 44, 87, 89, 90, 212; B90 101 ; B92 147; B93 94, 151; B94 50, 57, 61 , 213; B9S 21, 24; B96 20, 76, 214; B98 16, 79, 81 ; B99 19, 43, 80, 212
French Defence COO 146; C02 189, 215; COS 159, 219; C07 156, 166, 218; C I O 184, 1 95; C l l 215, 218; C I 4 219; C 1 6 189; C I S 160, 1 76; C 1 9 154, 1 78 1 e4 e5 Miscellaneous C2 1 130; C22 166; C24 218; C2S 1 1 0; C37 124; C39 J JO; C4 I 120, 125, 126, 133; C42 1 12 ; C44 115, 138; CSS 155; CS7 107, 107, 124 Ruy Lopez (Spanisb) C66 104; C68 169; C70 124; C7 1 185; C72 1 70; C80 108; C90 128; C9S 126; C98 95; C99 96 1 d4 dS Miscellaneous DOO 200; DO l 145; D04 207; DOS 1 72, 188, 203, 208 Queen's Gambit D I O 152, 167; D 1 8 68; D2 1 198; D24 55, 62; D2S 140; D26 78; D27 70, 197; D28 1 64; D29 63; D3 1 162; D32 193; D34 217; D41 1 90; D42 206; D4S 1 14, 168, 180; D46 1 79, 207; D47 72, 74, 77; DS2 191 ; DS3 116, 1 95; 07 1 123 Catalan Opening
E02 150 Queen's Indian Defence
E 1 4 220; E J S 1 76 Nimzo-Indian Defence E39 J J3; E4S 161 ; ES2 183; ESS 132 King's Indian Defence E61 137, 142; E72 105; E88 94; E97 153; E99 99