quality...reti - modern ideas in chess roizman - chess miniatures - 400 combination games suetin -...

QUALITY CHESS ::;

The Alterlllan Gantbit Guide

\Wj.bh9

By

Boris Alterman

Quality Chess www.qualitychess.co.uk

First English edition 2010 by Quality Chess UK LLP

Copyright © 2010 Boris Alterman and Quality Chess

The Alterman Gambit Guide -White Gambits All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored

in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior

permission of the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-906552-53-4

All sales or enquiries should be directed to Quality Chess UK LLP, 20 Balvie Road, Milngavie, Glasgow G62 7TA, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1412276771 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.qualitychess.co.uk

Distributed in US and Canada by SCB Distributors, Gardena, California, US www.scbdistributors.com

Distributed in Rest of the World by Quality Chess UK LLP through Sunrise Handicrafts, Smyczkowa 4/98, 20-844 Lublin, Poland

Typeset: Jacob Aagaard Proofreading: Colin McNab

Editing: John Shaw and Jacob Aagaard Cover design: Adamson Design

Printed in Estonia by TaBinna Raamatutriikikoja LLC

Contents Acknowledgments, Bibliography & Key to symbols used Foreword by the Author

1 The Danish Gambit 2 The Urusov Gambit 3 The Philidor 4 The Cochrane Gambit 5 The Morphy Attack 6 The Max Lange Attack 7 The Evans Gambit 8 The Panov Attack 9 The Morra Gambit 10 The Milner-Barry Gambit

Games Index Variations Index

4 5

7 45 79

117 159 203 231 303 367 409

443 445

Acknowledgments I would like to offer my respect and thanks to the people without whom this book would never have existed.

The book is in memory of my first chess coach, Soviet Master Vitaly Appolonovich Marchenko, who nurtured my chess talent.

Thank you to: Honored coach of Ukraine, Alexander Naumovich Vaisman, for being not only my chess coach for

many years but also my friend, adviser and patron. My close friends: Zohar Olpiner, Shmuel Fridman, Moty Bank, Aviv Friedman, Shay Bushinsky,

Watson Tay, Antonio Palma and Harvey Mandell for providing extremely useful comments and help with the project.

My student Kelvin Wee for his invaluable help. My classmate Oleg Aliferov for supporting the project. My mother Dora, sister Inna, my wife Luba and my children Ariela, Lior-Israel and Ben-Osher for

their love, devotion, encouragement and amazing support throughout my chess career. Special thanks to Jacob and John of Quality Chess for their startling help with my first chess book.

Bibliography Capablanca - Chess Fundamentals Estrin - Gambits Kasparov - My Chess Predecessors Volumes 1-5 Koblentz - Chess Strategy Lessons (Russian edition) Neishtadt - Catastrophe in the Opening, Win in the Opening, Wilhelm Steinitz Nimzowitsch - My System Razuvaev & Murakhveri - Akiba Rubinstein Reti - Modern Ideas in Chess Roizman - Chess Miniatures - 400 combination games Suetin - How to play the Opening (Russian edition)

Key to symbols used + White is slightly better a weak move = ; Black is slightly better ?? a blunder ± White is better a good move + Black is better !! an excellent move +- White has a decisive advantage !? a move worth considering -+ Black has a decisive advantage ?! a move of doubtful value

equality # mate CD with compensation

+± with counterplay CD unclear

Introduction My relationship with the 64 squares began at an early stage in life. I first learned to play checkers at the age of 3, and when I became quite good at it, my father decided to teach me a more complicated game. Chess was the most natural choice. The first lessons were very tough for me, but I eventually picked up the most important principles of the game.

At the age of 10 I was going to join a football team until surgery on my appendix put an end to that idea. With no better option, I joined the ''Avangard'' chess club in my home town of Voroshilovgrad (which is called Lugansk nowadays) one of the largest towns in the east of the Ukraine.

Students in my group had to memorize the most brilliant tactical examples from the games of Morphy, Anderssen and other great players, and then show them in class to our coach, Master of Sport Vitaly Appolonovich Marchenko. This was a useful start to my life in chess, as to become successful we must develop our tactical skills. As the old saying has it: Chess is 99% tactics. You may come up with a deep strategic idea, but your opponent will punish you if you make just one tactical slip.

Our coach taught us to play aggressively and energetically, and not to fear sacrificing material for an attack. His lessons were so instructive and interesting that I did not want to miss a single session, even when I was sick with fever. It will be no surprise that as a young player I loved to play gambit systems.

A few years later, when I was quite a strong player, I started to play solid but rather passive lines as White. I was extremely lucky to be able to join the famous Botvinnik-Kasparov chess school when it started in 1986. After the very first session Kasparov wrote in my homework: "Improve your White opening repertoire; play aggressively." This valuable judgment from a great player helped me a lot to improve my chess.

Later, while reading the great books of Grandmaster Richard Reti, I found the following expression which every chess player and instructor should note: ''A knowledge of tactics is the foundation of positional play. This is a rule which has stood its test in chess history and one which we cannot impress forcibly enough upon the young chess player. A beginner should avoid the Queen's Gambit and French Defense and play open games instead! While he may not win as many games at first, he will in the long run be amply compensated by acquiring a thorough knowledge of the game."

Why do I recommend that the reader studies aggressive and attacking openings? After reading Reti's views, the reasoning should be clear. When you play gambit openings you quickly learn the most important principles of opening strategy: the importance of development, the timing of combinations, the meaning of the initiative, utilizing a lead in development, and other important issues.

Instead, some club players try to memorize, for example, the best games played in the Sicilian by Kasparov, Anand or Topalov, but this is just a waste of time and energy. When you try to make use of what you have memorized, then after the first move that was not in your home preparation you will lose your way and probably the game.

Let me share an example from my own tournament experience. Once, when I was already a

6 The Alterman Gambit Guide

strong grandmaster, I wanted to study a new opening to play in the 1998 Olympiad in Elista. I was short of time, and my plan was to memorize the main line and some side variations in the opening I had chosen. A few weeks later I had the chance to show the world my fine preparation. Playing a new (for me!) line in the King's Indian Defense, I mixed up the move order and found myself in a tough position after just 15 moves and lost almost without a fight! This was a very unpleasant lesson for me. The conclusion from this interesting story - when you learn a chess opening, you should study ideas not just moves!

When I started to give lessons I realized that there were few books which could help players to progress from Beginner to Intermediate and Advanced level. You could try studying the great books of Mark Dvoretsky, however these books target mostly Master-level players (2200 and up). Most of the books I looked at started with "How to" then continued "Win in chess", "Trap your opponent", "Beat the Sicilian" (or Ruy Lopez, French or whatever). However, these books never explained the basics of opening principles, which are critical for moving from Beginner-Intermediate level to Advanced.

As I gained more coaching experience I saw that, at the Beginner and Intermediate level, playing the opening correctly brings many dividends. Many of the games at that level are decided because one of the players (or both!) does not follow the basic opening principles. The players: Do not fight for the center, keep playing with the same piece, move the queen too early in the opening, leave the king in the center, try to win material instead of developing, and so on.

This gave me the idea of developing a course of lectures on the Internet Chess Club called "Gambit Guide". For this reason I also practiced the gambits in my ICC blitz and Simultaneous events. By playing gambits I had the chance to demonstrate the most important ideas behind the opening moves and explain the purpose of playing this or that move. Many of the games in this book were played between me and ICC members (some of them not so highly rated!) and these games have the important purpose of showing the most typical opening mistakes and how to punish them.

Finally, after editing and combining a lot of material, the course has been transformed into this book, which I hope will help the readers become more familiar with the most important opening and positional principles, teach about tactics and typical combinations in the opening, as well as explaining how to evaluate a position and how to study the principles of attack.

I suggest that the readers can also use this book as a starting point in building their opening repertoires - just a starting point, though, since you will have to refer to. other sources to create a complete repertoire. Having said that, in places I have pointed out the latest trends in theory.

In general, the lines and games have been chosen for their instructional value. They are not necessarily the most popular according to theory, since giving a complete theoretical overview is not the purpose of this book. However, in my analysis I have tried to be objective and of course all the lines were checked with the latest software.

I hope you enjoy my book and learn from its exciting gambits.

Boris Alterman Rishon Le Zion, March 2010

Chapter 1

The Danish Gantbit

abc d e f g h

1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.~c4

Introduction I recall that when I was a child everyone was talking about the strength of the Danish Gambit. Some even claimed that it was winning! It was very popular, and highly aggressive. Black was getting blown away by the ferocious attacks on an open board, sometimes not even escaping the opening alive! And so, I would like to introduce you to the popular and famous Danish Gambit!

1.e4 Remember that the fight is directed at controlling the center (d4, e4, d5 and e5) in the opening.

You also have to bring out all your pieces as quickly as possible, naturally to where they control the greatest number of central squares. A good way to achieve these aims is to march the e-pawn two squares forward to occupy the center, when it also opens the diagonals for his queen and fl-bishop.

White's next move, ifhe is allowed, will be 2.d4, when he not only controls the center, but also prevents Black from moving his pieces there. Preventing your opponent from using the center, while your own pieces have full access to these central squares, is an ideal to aim for, since the quickest route from one sector of the board to another is through the center.

1...e5 Black does likewise, and tries to make d2-d4 more difficult for White, since after 2.d4 exd4

3.'lWxd4 ttJc6 Black would benefit from the early development of White's queen as it will have to move again.

After 1.e4 e5, we often get very sharp and open positions, and the Danish Gambit is no exception.

2.d4 White launches another pawn into the center, challenging Black's e5-pawn. Has White not

read our comment after 1...e5? Let's see:

2 ... exd43.c3 Surprise! White has something else in mind.

3 ... dxc3 If Black does not take the pawn on offer then White would capture on d4 with his pawn, and

get a two-abreast pawn center.

4 . .tc4 White sacrifices another pawn (!), and develops his bishop to its most aggressive outpost, where

it exerts pressure on the center. The bishop also targets Black's weakest spot before castling - f7 - as it is protected only by the king, and sacrifices at precisely this spot would draw the king out and expose it to attack.

This energetic opening system is called the Danish Gambit.

4 ... cxb2 5.hb2

The Danish Gambit 9

White, however, has serious positional dividends such as:

.:. A huge advantage in development and greater mobility of his pieces . • :. Significant control over the most important central squares (d4, d5, e4, e5) . • :. His bishops are nicely placed to put pressure on the center and the kingside . • :. Open lines and diagonals which are avenues along which White could develop very

unpleasant threats.

Illustrative Games

Black has a wide selection of options, which we will now examine. But let's start with an exercise that arrives after Black's fifth move:

White to play! - How should he exploit the early development of Black's queen?


In the following games, we will learn how we should think during the game. More importantly, we will see in full force the power of having a lead in development.

The first two games are instructive in the clash between the police and the thief-the side who follows the rules of development, against the materialist who violates the principles of opening play.

Gamel

l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.d dxd 4 . .ic4 cx:b2 5 . .hb2 Yfg5? An obvious and greedy attempt, aiming to exploit the weakness on g2 created by the development

of the bishop to c4. But this move has major drawbacks.

Remember the important opening principle: don't develop your queen too early. This "rule" may be broken only when you can achieve a good target for the queen. Now, is the g2-pawn such a great target? No!

8 .! .... ~.~4Il~~ T 7 i6i"_r_'iY-_'i 6 %",,%~ "',,%~ ~~ '''''%.'~

5~~~~~~. 4 ~.,.!.!~ ~ ~~ ~~~~

3 ~m.'0 ~~ ~W'0 ~~r~ 2 8~ • ¥~8¥~ 1 ~~~;~""%B:

abc d e f g h

White develops his knight with tempo by attacking Black's exposed queen, and also controls the central squares d4 and e5. Remember the main opening principle: develop all your pieces rapidly.

If White instead defended with 6.g3?, he would allow Black to follow a well-known principle for the side with a material advantage: exchange pieces (not pawns) and enter an endgame where you can make your material advantage count. An advantage of "7 pieces against 6" is significant, but the advantage of "2 pieces against 1" is much proportionally greater.

So, after 6 ... iLb4t 7.lLld2 'lWxd2t! (forcing the exchange of queens) 8.'lWxd2 iLxd2t 9.~xd2 lLlf6 White's attacking chances have disappeared together with the queens, while Black remains 2 pawns up.

The Danish Gambit 11

Remember: opening with an attacking gambit system and then playing cowardly moves is a sure recipe for disaster.

6 ••• VNxg2 Capturing on g2 leads to a very instructive position. Currently, Black is 3(!) pawns up.

Nevertheless, after:

7J~gl There are not many squares available to the black queen. Incidentally, may I also point out that

White is developing his rook with tempo - to an open file.

7".VNh3

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

White to play! - How should White utilize his lead in development?

In my experience, many inexperienced chess players get too concerned about such positions with White. Yes, Black is 3 pawns up, but take a look at his minor pieces - they are all sleeping! Out of 7 moves, Black has played 4 with his pawn, and 3 with the queen. White, on the other hand, has concentrated on developing his pieces, and undoubtedly has a clear lead in development. This should be converted into something more, but therein lies the difficulty.

Many of you might simply play 8 . .ixg7 .ixg7 9J~xg7 tLlh6! (covering 0), later asking, "Where did I go wrong? Where did I spoil my huge initiative, and why did it bring me only a pawn?"

The solution is simple. Before calculating, ask yourself: what/where is my target? Usually, correctly identifYing your aim leads you halfway on the road to success.

In this position, we see that:

.:. the g7 -pawn is threatened

.:. the queen is badly placed on h3

.:. the f7 -pawn is weak


These clues lead us to 8.tLlg5, with a double attack on the f7-pawn and the black queen. Alas, after 8 ... Wfxh2 Black counterattacks by attacking the gl-rook. But White has an improvement on this idea.

8.hf7t!

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

White captures the f7-pawn with check, forcing Black to move his king.

After 8 ... @xf7 9.tLlg5t - fork! - White wins the queen.

8 ... c;!;>d8

White's attack now converges on Black's other weakness - g7. Exploiting the fact that Black's rook is stuck on h8, White performs a nice tactical blow:


9Jhg7! Also pretty good is the simple 9 . .txg7 .txg7 lOJhg7 when White is only 1 pawn down and

Black has not solved all his problems yet. However, after 1O ... ttJf6 Black is still in the game.

Now, Black has 2 replies but both lead to a hopeless position. 9 ... .txg7 1O . .txg7 wins the rook on h8 while:

9 ••• c!LJe7 This doesn't help either.

10J~g3! White creates dual threats against the exposed queen on h3 (which is a result of bringing out

her majesty too early into the game), and the hanging h8-rook.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

1-0

What we have learned:

.:. Don't develop your queen too early; it should be an option only when you can achieve a good target .

• :. Develop all your pieces rapidly . • :. With a material advantage, exchange pieces and enter an endgame where you can make

your material advantage count . • :. Opening with an attacking gambit system and playing cowardly moves is a sure recipe for

disaster . • :. Regarding your thought processes:

1) Evaluate the position. Discover your opponent's and your strengths and weaknesses. 2) Find a plan. Usually, correctly identifying your aim leads you halfway on the road to

success. 3) Calculate your candidate moves. 4) Choose a move, and execute the plan.


Game 2

l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.d dxd 4 . .ic4 cx:b2 5.hb2 .ib4t

With this tempting move - the bishop develops with check! - Black intends to complete the development of his kingside as soon as possible.

White has two obvious answers: 6.ltJc3, which we will see later, and:

6.c!Lld2 White elects to keep the long diagonal open, when the g7-pawn remains under attack.

Dubious is 6 . .ic3?!, which only reduces White's attacking chances on the kingside after 6 ... .ixc3t 7.ltJxc3 d6. The rule governing play in such positions is as follows: while you possess the initiative, it is better to avoid simplifications. Only exchange when it would bring about some positional or tactical dividends.

6 ... ~g5? Again, Black openly flouts the principle of not bringing the queen out too early. Here, however, Black has very aggressive intentions. The queen attacks both g2 and d2, and it

seems that nothing can prevent the exchange of queens after 7.g3 Wxd2t!, going into an ending 2 pawns up.

7.c!Llgf3! Of course not the cowardly 7.g3? - see the comments on White's 6th move in Game 1.

White is prepared to sacrifice another pawn for speedy development and a strong initiative. This utilizes one of the most important attacking principles of the first World Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz: "If you have the advantage, you not only have a right to attack, but also a dury to attack, otherwise there is a risk of losing the advantage."

7 ... ~xg2?

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

The Danish Gambit

abc d e f g h

15

Even after the best 7 ... .ixd2t 8.~xd2 ~xd2t 9.mxd2, according to the computer, White has full compensation for the sacrificed material. For example, 9 .. .f6 lO.e5 bee5 11..ixe5 lLlf6 12.E:hel md8 13.lLlg5, or 9 ... lLlf6 10.lLlg5 0-0 11.e5lLle8 12 . .ia3 d6 13.E:hel - intending lLlxf7. One possible line is 13 ... h6? 14.lLlxf7 E:xf7 15.exd6 .id7 16.E:e7.

8.E:gl! Once again, Black is 3 pawns up, but the g7 -pawn is defenseless against the threat of .ixg7, for

example 8 ... ~h3 9 . .ixg7 and White wins the rook, gaining a decisive material advantage.

8 ... .bdlt This is Black's last chance to try to mix things up.

abc d e

White to play! - What should White do?

If 9.mxd2? then Black escapes with 9 ... ~xf2 check!, while 9.~xd2? leaves the f3-knight unprotected: 9 ... ~xf3. 9.lLlxd2? is also bad, because of9 ... ~xgl t.

White, however, has prepared an effective refutation.


9.@e2!! A strong intermediate move! Black has a huge material advantage, but his only developed pieces

are under fire.

9 ... 'iNh3 lO.'iNxd2

6

5

4

3

2

1

White's advantage consists of:

.:. Superior development. Take a look at Black's ugly pieces still sleeping on the back rank.

.:. A clear superiority in the center . • :. Nice targets on f7 and g7 for his powerful bishops.

lO ... ttlf6 Black hastens to develop his pieces.

abc d e f g h


11.hf7t! A very natural combination.


Frankly speaking, we have seen such tactical shots before, but we must always be careful - the immediate 11.~g5? fails after 11...Wh5t!, and Black may survive.

11...


13.~g5t!!

8 ... 7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

A beautiful queen sacrifice! White distracts the knight from the defense of f6, when after:

13 .. )l~xg5 14 . .if6# It's mate!

1-0


.:. When you possess the initiative, it is better to avoid simplifications. Only exchange when it would bring about some positional or tactical dividends .

• :. If you have the advantage, you not only have a right to attack, but also a duty to attack, otherwise there is a risk of losing the advantage .

• :. Do not be afraid of being down on material! You can easily recover your material deficit due to the lead in development.

In many tactical puzzles the motif of the bishop pair controlling adjacent diagonals is well known. In the Danish Gambit too, we are able to feel the latent power of the bishops, which after just 5 moves in the opening occupy adjacent diagonals with aggressive intentions.

Game 3

l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4 . .ic4 cxb2 5.,ixb2 .ib4t 6.~c3 White completes his queenside development. The knight is well placed on c3 where it controls

the central squares e4 and d5, and very soon the centralizing move lLlc3-d5 could become a reality.

6 ... ~f6 Black courageously fights for the center, where White has a clear superiority in forces. He

threatens the e4-pawn, and invites it to cross the equator, since after 7.e5 Wie7 8.ttJf3 d6, thanks to the pin on the e-file, White would gain nothing.


abc d e f g h

7.ti)ge2 White opts for the sharpest line, offering another pawn.

7 ... ti)xe4? Better is 7 ... d6 or 7 ... 0-0, with a playable position.

Black thinks he is following a rule which states that a center pawn should always be taken if this can be done without too much danger. Each position must be evaluated based on its individual merits, and we must not blindly follow any rule - there are always exceptions! In this case the rule is fine, but Black misjudged the danger, which is too great. Black will find himself in a losing position, in spite of being 3 pawns up.

The reason is well known - lack of development.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1 6 a b c d e f g h

White to play! - How does White refute Black's misguided concept?


8.0-O! By simply completing development, and bringing the rook into play. The same could not be

said of Black; he failed to develop all his pieces and to castle quickly, and he moved his knight twice just to gobble a pawn. As a result, his other pieces have no chance of joining the battle.

8 ... tLlxc3 9.tLlxc3 Black has a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea. Ifhe leaves his majesty in the center,

it will come under fire from White's heavy artillery (the rooks and queen); while castling walks into the volley of White's bishops.

9 ... ,bc3 This cannot be recommended as it removes Black's only developed piece, an ideal situation for

the side with the better development.

But also, after 9 ... 0-0 1O.ttJdS! White centralizes the knight and creates more threats than Black can handle. White already has 3 minor pieces looking at Black's kingside, while the b4-bishop is in trouble. It is impossible to simultaneously plug all the holes in Black's position, for instance 1O ... ~d6 11.Wg4 g6 l2.ttJf6t ~h8 13.Wh4 and nothing can save the king. If l3 ... hS then l4.ttJxhSt!.

10 . .bc3 The bishop pair in an open position confers a serious advantage. Here, they are lethal. White already threatens to capture on g7, or to start a mating attack with :gel t, preventing the

opponent's king from castling.

10 ••• 0-0 "The worst is over," Black's monarch thinks, but in reality the bishops are breathing fire down

the diagonals towards his residence, while White's queen is only one step away from joining in the fun.

If we look at the position carefully we discover certain combinational motifs, based on the weakness of Black's kingside.


At first sight Il.Wd4 looks very powerful, targeting the frail g7-pawn. However Black has the defense 11 .... Wg5 or even 11 ... Wf6, shielding the dangerous attack along the long diagonal.

This gives us a clue about how we can prepare the killer blow. White has to provoke a weakness along the al-hB diagonal, and only then set up a battery on the long diagonal, after which nothing can come to the defense of the king.

1l.'?Ng4! g6 The only way to prevent mate. Now that the long diagonal is horribly exposed, White reveals

his main threat.

12.'?Nd4

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

Black wants to play 12 ... f6, but unfortunately the f7 -pawn is pinned by the c4-bishop. A triumph of the bishops! There is no defense against the inevitable 13.Wg7 or 13.WhB mate. 1-0


.:. A center pawn should always be taken if this can be done without too much danger . • :. The bishop pair in an open position confers a serious advantage . • :. An ideal situation for the side with a lead in development is when the opponent has no

developed pieces at all.

Game 4

l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4 . .tc4 cxb2 5 . .bb2 J.b4t 6.ttlc3 ttlf6 7.ttlge2 ttlxe4? 8.0-0 ttlxc3 9.ttlxc3.bc3 10 . .bc3

We have just seen how 10 ... 0-0 leads to grave problems, and now let's check another defensive resource.

10 ... VNg5


8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

This early queen sortie cannot be compared to those seen in Games 1 and 2. Here, Black desperately tries to castle, but first defends the g7 -pawn.

Usually, however, fixing one problem (the weakness of g7) leaves another unresolved; Black's king is stuck in the center for one more move, and White easily takes advantage of this factor.

lU~elt Remember that open lines and diagonals benefit the side that is better developed. White's

rook joins the attack, and Black's king has to give up his right to castle, after which White easily extends his influence over the whole board.

Imagine Black now tried 11...'J1f8:

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

abc d e f g h

White to play! - How should White continue the attack?

12.j,b4t! (once again we feel the power of the bishops) 12 ... d6 13.j,xd6t! cxd6 14.\1;Vxd6t Wg8 15J~e8 It's mate!

Thus, Black instead played:


11...


14.Y:Vg4!! Decoying the black queen! To achieve the priceless goal of checkmate, White does not begrudge

his own queen: 14 .. .'IMl'xg4 15 . .if6#

14 ... Y:Vh6 Black tries to retain his control over f6.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1 6. a b c d e f g h

White to play! - Is it stiD possible for White to checkmate the enemy king?

15 • .if6t! With a discovered attack on the hanging rook on g8.

15 ... Y:Vxf6 16.Y:Vxg8# 1-0


.:. When your opponent fixes one problem and leaves another unresolved, you should attack his other weakness .

• :. To checkmate, do not be afraid to give up material - even your queen!

Now that you have been armed with the basics of chess thinking and combinative play, we will learn the technique of converting a lead in development into a lasting advantage.

GameS B-Altennan - ryry

Internet Chess Club 2005

l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.d dxc3 4 . .ic4 cxb2 5 . .ixb2 tLlc6 Black develops his knight towards the center.


6.t[}f3 The typical G.'IM!b3 - we will see more of such attacks later in the Evans Gambit - putting

pressure on fl, is too early. After 6 .. .'~e7 Black fortifies fl, while threatening the unpleasant 7 .. .'~b4t exchanging queens, and also 7 ... ltJa5 to exchange one of White's attacking bishops.

6 ••• 'IM!e7? Once again, Black makes the mistake of bringing his queen out too early in the game. He

threatens both 7 ... '1M! xe4 t, and 7 ... 'lM!b4 t to win a piece, but these are easily parried.

Another downside of this move is that it blocks the f8-bishop from developing, which means that his king would not be able to castle kingside should the need arise, as the back rank has not been cleared. In fact, in the game this bishop never gets a chance to develop.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

White to play! - How should White respond to the early development of Black's queen?

7.0-0! But of course! White hurries to complete his development, and Black's tricks will backfire. The

pawn is poisoned, since after 7 ... 'IM!xe4? White can choose between 8.l'!el and 8 . .ixflt.

7 ... d6 Black realizes his mistake and tries to bring out his queens ide pieces, giving his king the option

of castling queenside.

8.t[}c3 The knight moves to its natural developing square, where it exerts control over the central

squares e4 and d5. Moreover, as was explained by Aaron Nimzowitsch (one of the greatest writers in chess history)

a knight posted on c3 not only holds up the enemy's pawn advance to d5, but it also has the obligation, the moment the enemy gives him a chance, to invade the center by going to d5. Let's keep this idea in mind.

If 8 ... ltJf6 - knights before bishops - White's minor pieces are fully mobilized. He just needs


to bring the rooks into the game via the open files, when the game would virtually be decided. White must act quickly, though, before Black manages to catch up on development and castle his king to safety.

9.ltJd5! The knight invades the center, occupying a square where it exerts the maximum influence - it puts pressure on Black's queens ide (c7, b6) and kings ide (e7, f6), and also keeps a watchful eye over White's territory (b4, c3, e3, f4).

9 ... ltJxd5 Against such a strongly posted knight, Black has no time for negotiations; he has to execute it.

lO.exd5 Now the e-file has been opened for White's rooks, where Black's royal pieces are awkwardly placed.

1O ... ltJe5

;:. ~ ;:.

5 ~ "i ~.

4 ~ ~ 3

~

~

2

1

abc d e f g h

White to play! - How should White continuer


11.lUxe5! You have been warned in Game 2 against exchanging pieces unless it brings some dividends, and so you may ask, "Why take the knight?" First, let's examine the principles of play governing the side with a lead in development: 1) Complete the development of his pieces (White did that in his first 8 moves). 2) Castle into safety, which also brings the rook into the game. 3) Open up the position (White's strong d5-knight forced Black to allow the opening of the e-file). 4) Exchange your opponent's developed pieces, ideally leaving him with no developed pieces. 5) Keep creating threats. Here, White applies Rule 4, and what he gains in return is a crushing superiority in forces -Black is left with no developed pieces!

1l...dxe5 Black hastens to shut the e-file.

12 . .txe5! Not 12.E:el f6 and the file remains closed. The awkward placement of Black's king and queen, as mentioned earlier, imbues the bishop with courage. It knows it cannot be taken on account of:

12 .. ."\¥/xe513.E:el With a terrible pin, and the bishop has been bloodily avenged.

And so, Black instead played:

8 ... i.g4 Despite developing all his minor pieces and castling into safety (Rules 1 and 2), it is not easy

for White to make progress, since Black's position has almost no weaknesses. The position is fairly open (Rule 3), but White must now look for a chink in the armor, to create threats and attack Black's weak spots.

abc d e f g h

White to play! - How should White continue?


9.Wib3! With the development of Black's bishop, b7 has now been weakened. We see the parallels in the

queen maneuvers in the 1st, 2nd and now this game. Here, though, White's queen sortie is more justified, because, as mentioned by Steinitz, he is obliged to attack under the threat of losing his advantage.

9 ... 0-0-0 An almost forced move, since 9 ... .ixf3? allows 1 O.1Mfxb7 with a deadly double attack on the a8-

rook and c6-knight, while the f3-bishop is not out of the woods either.

10.tLld5! No, the knight has not forgotten its obligation, as postulated by Nimzowitsch.

10 ... Wid7 The first phase of the attack has begun and now White must decide how to continue. He has

the b- and c-files for his rooks in the attack against Black's king, but, at the moment, Black has some defensive pieces there, especially the c6-knight.


11.ltld4! White tries tQ exchange Black's best defender, and simultaneously leaves the g4-bishop stranded

without any ideas. Now 11...lDxd4 12.il.xd4 leaves Black's queenside free for White's pieces -E:ab 1, E:fc1, il.xa7, lDxc7, etc. when White's threats are probably already decisive.

11...ltlge7 This knight will avenge the loss of its brother if White exchanges on c6.

12.ltlb5!

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

abc d e f g h

White finds another weakness in Black's camp - c7.

12 ... a613.ltlbxc7 Threatening 14.lDb6t with a royal fork on Black's king and queen.

13 ... ltlxd5 14.ltlxd5 ltla5 15.ltlb6t Fork!


16.Wfb4! Black's idea was 16.ttJxd7? ttJxb3 and he is still okay. The queens are off - Black's king heaves a

great sigh of relief - and he still keeps a material advantage.

White removes his queen from danger, simultaneously attacking Black's hanging knight, while the threats against Black's queen have not disappeared.

16 ... Wfc6 Black does likewise, attacking the b6-knight - 17.Wxa5 Wxb6.

17.ttld5t!

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

abc d e f g h


A strong intermediate move. The knight moves to a defended square with check, and White picks up the knight on a5.

17 ... ~b8 18.Wfxa5

The Danish Gambit

White's bishop is taboo because of the hanging rook on d8, and so Black resigned. 1-0

31

Against a move like 6oo.We7?, White simply continued his development, castled, and brought all his pieces out into play, while keeping in mind that he must open up the position to use the power of his pieces. At the end of the game, tactics once again came to the fore - and this is why I believe that studying gambits will build up the reader's tactical skills. This method of play is typical for gambits, including the Danish Gambit.

What we have learned: .:. A knight posted on c3 not only holds up the enemy's pawn advance to dS, but also has the

obligation, the moment the enemy gives him a chance, to invade the center by going to dS. This also applies to a knight on f3 (c6 or f6 for Black).

With an advantage in development: .:. Complete development . • :. Castle, which also brings the rook into the game . • :. Open up the position . • :. Exchange your opponent's developed pieces, ideally leaving him with no developed pieces . • :. Keep creating threats.

When attacking: .:. Exchange off your opponent's strong defending pieces . • :. Tactics, tactics, tactics!

Theoretical Overview l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3

The best response for Black is the immediate 3oo.dS! returning the pawn, but in turn destroying White's center. To analyze the resulting positions in depth is beyond the scope of this book, as they have a very different character from gambit-style play.

If instead 3oo.d3 4.i.xd3, White is slightly better.

Against 3oo.ltJf6!? - a Nimzowitsch recommendation - White could try to win more space and play 4.eS!. Black has to respond very accurately with 4oo.ltJe4! (Centralization. See the parallel between this and ltJc3-dS in Game S.) S.cxd4 dS, maintaining the knight on e4 and giving Black's bishops room to develop.

Accepting the gambit is also possible:

3 ••. dxc3 4.i.c4 Now, not 4oo.i.b4?, trying to complete his development by forcing White to deal with the

concrete threat of Soo.cxb2t followed by 6oo.bxal=W. On the flip side, the bishop is hanging on b4.


8

7

6 ;::, ~ ;::, 5 ~ ..., 1::' 4 ~ ;::,'

3 ~ ~

2

1

a c e f g h

White to play! - Can White exploit the hangingposition of Black's bishop?

Certainly not 5.liJxc3? i.xc3t 6.bxc3 d6 and Black remains a pawn up. He plans ... liJf6 and ... 0-0, when it is not clear if White has sufficient compensation for his material deficit.

One way of taking advantage of the hanging bishop is 5.i.xf7t 'tt>xf7 6.\1%3t with a double attack.

8

7

6 ;::, ~ ;::, 5 ~ ..., 1::' 4 ~ ;::,'

3 ~ ~

2

1

a c d e f g h

After 6 ... 'tt>e8 7.Wxb4 cxb2 8.i.xb2 White has good compensation for the pawn since Black's king can no longer castle. Moreover, White has a nice post for his dark-squared bishop which attacks g7. He plans to complete his development with liJf3, 0-0 and liJc3, keeping a long-term advantage.

White has another interesting plan with: 5.bxc3 i.e7

The bishop's maneuver to b4 and back looks dubious; firstly, because the bishop moved twice in the opening, which is not recommended, and secondly, White has full control over the center (e4, e5, d4, d5).


If White does not act quickly, Black will complete his development with ... d6, ... ltJf6 and ... 0-0, so hQW does White make use of his advantage?

8

7

6 ;:, ;::t ;:,

5 ~ .... /::.

4 ~ 3

~ ;:!

2

1 6. a c e f g h

White to play! - How does White make use of his advantage?

6.~d5! It looks as if White is playing like a beginner, moving his queen out to threaten mate-in-one. But, as in all open games, f7 is the weakest spot in Black's position, and this weakness proves to be decisive.

6 ... ltJh6 Defending f7.

7.ixh6 0-0 8.if4 White is a piece up.

After: 4 ... cxb2 5 . .ixb2

We reach a position which was encountered in all the games above. Now, Black has a wide selection of options: A) 5 .•. tllc6, B) 5 •.• .ib4t and C) 5 ..• d5.

For 5 .. JWg5?, see Game 1.

A) 5 .•• tllc6 6.tllf3 tllf6 Black brings out his knights before his bishops. For 6 ... ~e7?, see Game 5.

7.e5 The obvious and strongest continuation for White. White forces the enemy knight to move again.

7 ..• tlle4 Black centralizes his knight, because he remembers that after 7 ... ltJh5, knights on the rim are

dim, while 7 ... ltJg8 is as bad as it looks. However, White has very strong control of the center and Black's centralized knight lacks

support.

34

8 . .bf7t!

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

The Alterman Gambit Guide

abc d e f g h


It looks as if 8.'11;;li'd5 wins by force, with a double attack on the hanging knight on e4 and the f7-pawn, but tactics come to Black's rescue: 8 ... .tb4t 9.c;t>f1lLlg5! 1O.lLlxg5'Mfxg5 11.'Mfxf7t c;t>d8 and White must be very careful even after winning the f7-pawn and displacing Black's king. For example, 12.f4 'Mfh4 with the terrible threats of ... 'Mfel# and ... :gf8xf4. As always, be careful!

8 ... ~xf7 9.'Mfd5t A typical tactic; White regains his piece with this double attack, and wins a pawn in the

process.

9 ... ~e8 lO.Y;Yxe4

5

4

3

2

1

abc d e f g h

White has full compensation for his pawn deficit - Black's king is unable to castle and will come under fire from White's pieces.

B) 5 ... i.b4t 6.tLld2 6.lLlc3 is also good - see Games 3 and 4.

6 ... tLlf6 For 6 ... Wg5?, see Game 2.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

The Danish Gambit

abc d e f g h


35

You probably spotted Black's bishop was hanging on b4, and wanted to play 7 . .ixf7t. Well done! But, when we calculate more concretely, after 7 ... 'if:lxf7 8.Wb3t d5! Black counterattacks in the center and opens up the diagonal for his light-squared bishop to enter the game. Moreover, after 9.Wxb4 E:e8 the uncastled position of White's king begins to tell, whereas Black can hide with the simple ... ~g8-h8.

And so, as in the previous line, White first dislodges the knight:

7.e5! tLle4 8.Li'7t! Now this works, with White having the option of9.Wb3t or 9.Wf3t in case of8 ... 'if:lxf7.

8 ... i>f8! Black declines the offer, and puts the onus on White to extricate himself from the threats faced

by his f7 -bishop and d2-knight. White must not panic; after all he has not yet made any mistakes,


so why should he be in trouble? First, he has to calmly evaluate the position. He need not worry about losing the f7 -bishop as long as he can regain a piece with a check, as shown above. So, how is he to deal with the threat to his knight?

The normal 9.lLlgf3? would lose as after 9 ... lLlxd2! (threatening a discovered check, and so forcing White's next move) 1O.lLlxd2 .ixd2t! 11.'lWxd2 Black has gotten rid of all his hanging pieces, and can calmly capture White's bishop with 11...~xf7.

9 . .ta3! "What is this madness? The bishop moves to a square where it is unguarded!" Perhaps, but White is just using tactics: 9 ... lLlxd2 10 . .ixb4t ~xf7 11.'lWxd2 and White has

compensation. And 9 ... ~xf7leads to the same thing after 10 . .ixb4lLlxd2 11.'lWxd2.

9 ••• .ba3 lO.~xe4 The position remains complicated: Black's king has lost his right to castle, and White's bishop

is still immune:

lO .•• i>xf'711.'lWb3t And White regains his piece, keeping full compensation for his pawn, again due to the poor

placement of the enemy's monarch.

C) 5 ... d5! This is one of the strongest continuations, and was found almost 100 years ago by one of the

strongest players at that time, Carl Schlechter. In the event of 6.exdS? lLlf6: Black simply continues developing, while White's bishop on c4 is

blocked by his own pawn on dS. In spite of White's better development, practice has shown that Black can maintain an advantage due to his extra pawn.

6.,bd5 An example of the dangers Black faces is seen after the careless move 6 ... c6??, trying to force the

bishop away from dS in the hope of exchanging queens.

8

7

6 ~ ;:s ~

5 ~ .., :::.

4 ~ ~.

3 ~ ~

2

1

a c e



7 . .txf7t! The only piece that defends the queen is the king, so White seeks to divert the latter. 7 .. .'Jde7 (if7 ... s!lxf7 8.Wxd8 and Black loses his queen) 8 . .ta3t! Black loses his queen anyway.

6 ... ~f6 The knight develops with tempo, attacking both the bishop and the e4-pawn.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

abc d e f g h


7.tLlf3? simply allows Black to capture his bishop with 7 ... tLlxd5.

White has no time for 7 . .txf6? Wxf6 when he has lost his initiative. He needs to guard his al-rook, while Black will simply develop his fB-bishop and then play ... 0-0, remaining a pawn up.

White can try to use a tactic that we learned about earlier: 7 . .txf7t ~xf7 (7 ... ~e7 8 . .ta3t forces Black to capture the bishop) 8.Wxd8

8 T 7

6 !:>. ;::s !:>.

5 ~ ...., /::.

4 ~ 3

~ ;:!

2

1

a b c

Black to play! - Can Black save himself after losing his queen?


Yes he can: 8 ... i.b4t! A brilliant discovered attack on the queen that forces White to return mate-rial. 9.W!d2 (not 9.ltJd2? ~xd8 and Black is a piece up) 9 ... i.xd2t 1O.ltJxd2 ~e8

8

7

6 ;::,. ;:s ;::,.

5 ~ ..., 1::' 4 ~ ;::,.'

3 ~ ~

2

1 6. a b c d e f g h

After a series of tactical blows, material is equal, but Black's queens ide majority is more important than White's extra pawns on the kingside. According to theory, only Black can play for a win. That is why Schlechter's line is one of Black's best defenses.

Thus, White should simply continue developing and support his center.

7.tlk3 Again, Black must be careful; not 7 ... c6??:

8 K_jJiif./~ ~~ ~ ; ~ ~ .. ~ ~ ~ 7 ~i"~ h"'%~ 'iY-_'i


s.tihd5 The knight r€joices at occupying a central outpost on d5, while releasing the power of the

b2-bishop along the long diagonal. Black cannot afford even the slightest inaccuracy, as White has 2 developed pieces while he has

none. The careless 8 ... c6?, trying to exchange queens after the knight moves away from d5, once again leads to catastrophe:

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

abc d e


9.lLlf6t! A surprise for Black, but not to us, as we have already seen and understood the power of having a lead in development.

9 ... gxf6 If9 ... We7 then 10.i.a3t ~e6 11.~xd8 i.b4t (the only try to regain the queen) 12.i.xb4 !!xd8 13.lLlh5 and White keeps an extra piece.

10.~xd8t Wxd8 11.i.xf6t

abc d e f g h


With a double attack on the king and the rook. After 11...~e8 12 . .ixh8 White is simply an exchange up, as Black cannot trap the bishop.

More natural would be the developing move:

8 ... tlk6 When after the precise:

9.Wfb3! Note that White should not interpose 9.tDf3?, since after 9 ... .ie6 1O.'!Mfb3? tDb4! or lO ... .ib4t!,

Black is close to winning.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

White keeps an unpleasant initiative. He can castle queenside when Black's queen would feel uncomfortable with White's rook standing on the same file as her. Black, on the other hand, would find it difficult to complete his development. Mter all, his dark-squared bishop is tied to the defense of g7.

Tests The following 8 test positions are designed to build your tactical skills. They are typical positions that could arise from the Danish Gambit, and some of them are from my own games.

Exercise 1

abc d e f g h

Choose the best move for White? 1.~d5, 1.i.xf7t, 1.~h5 or 1.~b3.

7

6

4

3

2

1

Exercise 2

abc d e f g h

Exercise 3

abc d e f g h

Which of the principles of exploiting a lead in development should White utilize? 1.e5, 1.0-0, 1.i.g5 or 1.ltJg5

Exercise 4

What should White do? - 1.e5, 1.i.b3 or Black has just pinned the f3-knight. How can 1.i.xf7t. White refute this?


4

3

2

1

Exercise 5 Exercise 7

abc d e f g h abc d e f g h

Black just developed his knight with lO ... ttJf6. Black has left his b4-bishop hanging, believing What should White do? it is safe because the black queen eyes the rook

on al. Is the b4-bishop safe?

7

6

5

4

3

2

Exercise 6 Exercise 8

1 6. abc d e f g h

Black has just castled and it looks like he Black was gluttonous from the start of the has solved all his problems. Is that a correct game. How should White -punish him for assessment? breaking the principles of opening play?

Solutions Exercise 1 In all the options, White is utilizing the weakness of f7.

Both l.WdS and l.WhS are double attacks on f7 and the hanging bishop on cS, but the threats are parried by 1. .. We7, defending both weak spots.

l.Wb3 attacks f7, but again Black is safe after L.We7.

l.ixf7t is correct, when after 1...i>xf7 2.~d5t White has won back the sacrificed pawn, since Black cannot prevent 3.~xc5, capturing the bishop.

Exercise 2 l.eS, answering the attack on the bishop with an attack on the knight, is bad as after l. .. tL\xdS Black wins a piece.

1.ib3 is wrong as it allows Black to exchange queens.

l.ixf7t is the correct move. Remember this tactic?

Exercise 3 The position arose after l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.,ic4 d6 5.tihc3 ~f6 6.~b3 ~d7 7.~f3 a6.

8.eS is good as it opens up the position.

8.0-0 castles and brings the rook into play - not bad but not the best.

8.igS continues with development and is okay, but again not the best.

8.tLlg5 threatening f7 is the best way. In B-Alterman - BraafPaard, Internet Chess Club 200S, after 8 ... d5 9.~xd5 ~xd5 lO.,ixd5 Black resigned.

Exercise 4 The position arose after l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.,ic4 d6 5.~xc3 ~f6 6.~f3 ,ig4.

With 7.~b3!, White unpins, simultaneously putting pressure on b7 and f7. After 7 ... ie6 8.,ixe6 fxe6 9.%Vxe6t White was winning in B-Alterman - bazofia2001, Internet Chess Club 200S.

Instead 7.ixf7t \t>xf7 8.tL\eSt is almost as strong, but not the best!


Exercise 5

The position arose after 1.e4 eS 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.i.c4 cxb2 S.J.xb2 dS 6.J.xdS YNe7 7.tLlc3 c6 S.i.b3 i.e6 9.tLla h6 10.0-0 tLlf6.

White has fully mobilized all his minor pieces and castled. The position is also open. With l1.eS, White pushes Black's knight back and secures d6 as a terrific outpost for his knight. After 1l ••• tLlfd7 12.tLle4! YNdS 13.J.xe6 fxe6 14.tLld4 tLlcs IS. YNhSt

Chapter2

The Urusov Gatnbit

Introduction 1.e4 e5

When you would like to avoid the Petroff (2.lLlf3lLlf6) or Philidor (2.lLlf3 d6), you may begin the game with:

2 . .ic4 Taking control of the key d5-square and also bearing down on Black's weak spot on f7. The

main point is that after the Petroff-style:

2 ... tLlf6 White has a very sharp option at his disposal, reaching positions similar in style to the Scotch,

Evans and Danish Gambits.

Instead after the Philidor move 2 ... d6 White should not play 3.lLlf3 because of 3 ... .ie6 (see the chapter on the Philidor Defense), but 3.lLlc3, keeping the option of attacking Black's center later with f2-f4.

3.d4 Challenging the center.

abc d e f g h

3 ... exd4 Just like in the Two Knights Defense (see the later chapters), this is the best response to White's

central break.

Take note that trying to get into the Philidor now would be a serious mistake: 3 ... d6? 4.dxe5 dxe5 5 . .ixf7t! (not 5.Wxd8t rj,lxd8 6 . .ixf7lLlxe4 and Black does not lose any material) 5 ... Wxf7 6.Wxd8 .ib4t! 7.Wd2! .ixd2t 8.lLlxd2± White has an extra pawn, and positional advantages due to the weakness of e5. We have encountered (or will encounter) a similar combination in the Danish and Evans Gambits already.

The Urusov Gambit 47

4.~f3 White offers a pawn sacrifice - this line was analyzed in the middle of the 19th century by

the Russian aristocrat Urusov. One of the early games in the Urusov Gambit was Keidanski -Em. Lasker, Berlin (simul) 1891, which we will examine later.

4 ... ~xe4 Now White captures the pawn with his queen:

5.%Vxd4

8 ~~.t~ ~ •• ~ T 7 lfi"_'i%~ 'i~_'i N"~"~~~N"~ 6 ~~~~~~ : ~~~\S~~~~ 3 ~"ll~~ ~~r~ ~~ ~~r~ ~~,~ 2 ~Jl!J~~~~,J~~Jlj l~ttJ~ ~ .~

abc d e f g h

We have learned that the queen should not usually enter the game in the early stages since it will be vulnerable to attack. But in this position, moving the queen out actually helps White increase his lead in development: Black's attacked knight has to retreat, giving White an extra tempo to bring out his remaining forces. The queen also vacates d1 for the rook, even allowing queens ide castling. And, as we will soon discover, the queen's "vulnerability" can often be to White's advantage, as she is often nudged from d4 to an aggressive post on the kingside. White's remaining pieces can also join action easily: liJc3, .ig5, castling and placing the rooks on d1 and e1 - White's forces will all be posted to control the center.

Rapid mobilization of pieces; open lines to utilize White's lead in development; typical mating sacrifices on the kingside - these factors explain why the Urusov Gambit was one of the most popular openings at the start of the 20th century. But let's start with a game from towards the end of that century:

Game 6 Polzin - Fritzsche

Berlin 1996

When White has already castled and Black's king is still stuck in the center, White's development advantage can already be decisive, as we will see in this game and the two that follow.


1.e4 e5 2 . .ic4 ~f6 3.d4 exd4 4.~f3 ~xe4 5.Y!Yxd4 ~d6? This disastrous move prevents Black from developing his forces; White's advantage is already

almost decisive.

6.0-0 Since White has such great development, of course he is not going to play 6.i.b3?, as instead

he should immediately castle and then get the rooks to the open central files where the black king is loitering.

6 ... ~xc4 There are a couple of other moves to consider:

6 ... tLlf5 This knight has already moved four times ... 7. Wfd5 (also good is 7.l"i:elt i.e7 8.i.xf7t c;!;xf7 9.Wfd5t catching the f5-knight) 7 ... Wff6 8.i.g5 White's strong development completely ruins Black's position. 8 ... Wfg6 9.l"i:el t i.e7 1O.i.d3 Black loses at least a piece.

Even after the developing 6 ... tLlc6, Black's backward development is still bad enough to decide the game in White's favor: 7.l"i:el t tLle7 White has almost all his pieces in the game, while Black is only playing with his knights. (Instead 7 ... i.e7 loses control of g7, which also proves catastrophic in the game: 8.Wfxg7 l"i:f8 9.i.h6 is winning) 8.i.b3! "A quiet move, after which there is virtually nothing that Black can move." (Neishtadt) It is hard to disagree! 8 .. .f6 9.Wfd5! Black is in zugzwang: his e7-knight is pinned, the d6-knight cannot move because of Wff7#, and the b- and c-pawns both cannot move. 9 ... g5 Black's idea is to prevent i.f4xd6 and then Wff7#.

7J~e1t A vital intermediate move! Instead of taking the c4-knight White wants a bigger fish.


7 ... ie7 8JWxg7! gffi 9.ih6! Black's position is hopeless, so he resigned. With his bishop pinned, he has to give up his rook

in order to avoid mate. For example, 9 ... d5 1O.~xf8t cj;Jd7 11.~xf7. 1-0


.:. These lines are a reminder that moving the same piece many times in the opening is a bad strategy .

• :. When your enemy's king is uncastled, bring your rook to the open e-file as fast as possible . • :. Mating attacks or tactical opportunities to exploit the weakness of f7 (or f2 for White) are

commonplace . • :. The queen's location on d4 hinders Black from developing his dark-squared bishop, due to

the pressure on g7.

Game 7 Estrin - Taimanov

Leningrad 1949

l.e4 e5 2.


6 • .tg5! White reacts energetically and ruins Black's coordination.

6 ... £6 Once again 6 ... ~e7 is not possible because of7.Wfxg7.

7 . .ie3 Black faces problems castling kingside.

7 ... c6 Aiming for ... d7-d5; Black tries to block the a2-g8 diagonal to cover his weaknesses.

S.tLlc3 Simply developing and preparing to castle long, after which White's rook would automatically

be in action.

S ... d5 9.0-0-0 .ie7 Of course not 9 ... dxc4?? lO.Wfxd8t.

10.Wfh4! A typical move; clearing the d-file for a white rook and posting the queen aggressively on the

kingside.

lO ... O-O? would be met by 11.liJxd5! cxd5 12.:gxd5 and Black is lost due to the forthcoming discovered check. For example, 12 ... Wfb6 13.:gd6t.

10 ••• tLlbd7

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1 ~

a b c d e f g h

Virtually all of White's pieces are concentrated in the center, where Black's king is still situated. Apart from exposing the a2-g8 diagonal, the move 6 .. .f6 has also weakened the h5-e8 diagonal that leads to his king. By combining these factors, White finds a way to open up the position with a sacrifice:


l1.tilxdS! adS 12.WfhSt g6 It is almost impossible to defend Black's position. White's superb development is practically

decisive.

13.WfxdS tileS By giving back a piece Black avoids the mating attack, but the resulting endgame cannot be

saved. No better was: 13 ... ~f8 14.~hel! Centralizing the last inactive piece. 14 ... Wc7 15.iLb5! Pin!

15 ... cj;>d8 16.ttJg5! White uses every piece to batter the black king. 16 ... fXg5 17.iLxg5

8

7

6 ;::. :::! ;::. 5 ~ "" ~. 4 ~ ~ 3

;:; ~

2

1

a b c d e f g h

Black cannot survive the pressure down the diagonals and central files.

14.Wfxdst .lxdS lS.tilxeS fxeS 16 . .lxcS J.gst 17.c;t>bl J.d7 lSJ:~hel 0-0-0 19 . .lxa7 White is two pawns up and easily converted his material advantage.


.:. When Black is unable to meet iLc1-g5 with ... iLe7 or ... ttJf6, he may be forced to weaken his position severely with ... 0-f6 .

• :. Training all your firepower towards the center helps build an advantage . • :. If your opponent's king is still uncastled, find a way to break through, even if it requires

sacrificing some material (l1.ttJxd5!).

GameS Tereschenko - Rodewi

St Petersburg 1909

l.e4 eS 2 . .lc4 tilf6 3.d4 exd4 4.tila tilxe4 s.Wfxd4 tilf6 The most natural square for the knight. According to theory, this is Black's best move.

6.tilc3 tilc6 Apparently gaining a tempo, but now the queen moves to an aggressive post on the kingside.

52

7.Y!Yh4 !i.e7 8.!i.g5 d5 9.0-0-0

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1


abc d e f g h

The typical set-up in the Urusov Gambit: knights to c3 and f3, bishop to c4, the queen goes to h4, the other bishop to g5, and then 0-0-0. This is the source of White's compensation for the pawn - he has managed to direct almost all his pieces to the center, while his king has been brought to safety.

9 ... !i.e610J;hel The rooks apply strong pressure down the open center files.

10 ... h6? Black tries to play without castling, but this strategy is unsuccessful.

Better was 1O ... 0-0! because then 11..ixd5 is well met by 11.. . .ixd5! (rather than 11...ttJxd5 12.ttJxd5 .ixg5t [not 12 ... .ixd5?? 13 . .ixe7 ttJxe7 14.~xe71 13.~xg5 when White is slightly better).

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1 6 a b c d e f g h


11.ixf6 The most natural continuation, but not the best.

Also not so clear are both 11.lLle5 O-O! and 11.lLlxd5 lLlxd5 12.:B:xd5 ~xd5 13.~xe7 lLlxe7 14.~xd5 o-o!.

The correct line was: 11.~xd5! lLlxd5 12.:B:xd5 ~xg5t 13.:B:xg5 This wins back a pawn, and the black king still cannot castle, so White keeps unpleasant threats. This variation is a reminder not to be afraid of sacrificing material. As long as your pieces are actively posted, you should have good compensation, and restoring material equality will not be difficult to achieve.

11. .. Lf6 12.Y!fh5 Threatening 13.:B:xe6t due to the pin on f7 and also putting pressure on d5.

12 ... .hc3? Blunder! Also not good was 12 ... 0-0 13.lLlxd5± when White regains his material, while

retaining the dominating position of his pieces.

Black had to play 12 ... \t>f8! and if 13.lLlxd5 g6! and suddenly White's queen is trapped.

13.:B:xe6t ~f8 14.:B:xd5 Y!fc8 White's play has all been in accordance with our principles: first, control the d- and e-files, and

now invade down the center files. This brings the game to a swift conclusion:

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1 ~

a b c d e f g h

15.:B:xc6! g6 One point is that the black knight will no longer be alive to cover d8, so 15 ... bxc6 16.:B:d8t

leads to mate: 16 ... ~xd8 17.~xf7# With the text move Black is looking for a chance to mix things up.

16J:hg6 White continues the demolition.


16 ... fxg6 17.%Yxg6 The most important factor is the ugly position of the black king.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

abc d e f g h

17 ... %Ye8 18J~~f5t ~e7 19.%Ye6t ~d8 20JM5t Mate is inevitable.

1-0


.:. In the Urusov Gambit White's active pieces, concentrated in the center, provide strong compensation for the sacrificed pawn. As a consequence, recovering the pawn is also quite easy .

• :. When the rooks get to flex their muscles down the center files, retribution is swift, especially when the enemy king is uncastled.

Game 9 Neishtadt - NN

Soviet Union, Simultaneous 1950

On the other hand, evacuating the black king from the center may turn out to be simply castling into an attack. In this game White creates mating threats on h7, and forces the defender to weaken his king's shield, after which a sacrificial assault begins!

l.e4 e5 2.i.c4 ttlf6 3.d4 exd4 4.ttla ttlxe4 5.%Yxd4 ttlf6 6.i.g5 This pin is the start of the traditional build-up of pressure.

6 ... i.e7 7.ttlc3 0-0 8.0-0-0 ttlc6 9.%Yh4 White adopts his usual set-up; by shifting to the kingside, the queen puts pressure on f6 and

e7 and also eyes h7.

9 ... d6 Black is ready to play ... i.f5 to defend h7, but White gets there first with:


10.id3 Now Black has a difficult choice: which pawn should he move? The typical defensive move to

blunt the power of the light-squared bishop along the bl-h7 diagonal is: 10 ... g6

This would be met by: 11.:B:hel!

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a b c

;::,. ;:s ;::,. ~ .... ~.

~ ;::,..

~ ;:§

6 d e f g h

Threatening 12.:B:xe7! followed by 13.ixf6, exploiting the weakened dark squares around Black's king.

1l...ie6 12.ic4! ~d7 Not 12 ... ixc4? 13.:B:xe7 fjjxe7 14.ixf6, when 14 ... fjjf5 is the only move. However, after 15.ixd8 fjjxh4 16.ixh4 White gets two pieces for a rook and pawn.

13.ib3! And Black cannot easily protect his f6-knight: while instead after:

13 ... fjjh5 14.ixe7 ~xe7 15.~xe7 fjjxe7 16.fjjb5! White has a clear advantage.

10 ... h6

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1 6 a b c d e f g h


1l . .lxh6! Destroying the protective wall around the black king.

11...gxh6 Another attempt for Black is: 11...lLlg4 Black tries to counterattack, but his tricks are easily

repelled with a simple retreat. 12 . .ig5 Covering the attack on his queen and renewing the threat ofWfh7 mate. 12 ... g6 Now White will exploit the weakened dark squares around Black's king: 13.lLld5 l'!e8 14.h3 (even better was 14.lLlxe7t lLlxe7 15.h3 with similar ideas) 14 ... lLlxf2 (after 14 ... lLlge5 15.lLlxe7t lLlxe7 16 . .if6 the threat is Wfh8#) 15.lLlxe7t lLlxe7 16 . .if6 White managed to exploit the weakened dark squares on the kingside in Vasta - V. Franco, Dos Hermanas 2003.

12.Yfxh6

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

Black has an extra piece, but he is in deep trouble. This is because the enemy queen creates a mating net around his king, paralyzing his kingside pieces. When White's reinforcements arrive, the removal of key defensive pieces will lead to mate.

12 . ..lt~b4 Black's best chance was probably:

12 ... lLle5 13.lLlxe5 dxe5 But White has a solution:

14.l'!hel! Centralization. By bringing the last piece in the game, White prepares to lift his rook via the 3rd rank to g3 or h3 with dreadful threats against the black king. White has to avoid being too greedy: 14 . .ih7t? lLlxh7 15.l'!xd8 .ig5t! This intermediate check is quite easy to miss! 16.Wfxg5t lLlxg5 17.l'!xf8t ~xf8 And Black is winning

14 ... Wfd6 15.l'!e3 .ig4 16.Wfg5t ~h8 17.l'!h3t! Opening the g-file by force.

17 ... .ixh3 18.Wfh6t ~g8 19.9xh3 And there is no way to stop l'!gl and mate.


13.c!LJg5 The knight enters the fray, threatening 14.i.h7t followed by 15.ttJce4, when Black will soon

be mated.

13 ... c!LJxd3t "Black exchanges off the dangerous bishop, but now the white rook comes into play."

(Neishtadt)

14.gxd3.if5 15.gg3.ig6

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1 L-a b c d e f g h

16.c!LJe6! The last shot! Due to the threat ofWlg7 mate Black has to accept the sacrifice, but after 16 ... fXe6

I7.Wlxg6t 'it>h8 I8.Wlg7# he meets the same fate. 1-0


.:. When your opponent weakens his kingside with ... g7-g6 (or g2-g3 for White), exploiting the weakened dark (or light!) squares around his king is one of the best ways to continue the attack

.:. When you force your opponent to weaken his king's defenses with ... h7-h6 (or h2-h3), a typical way of continuing the attack is with a bishop sacrifice i.xh6 (or ... i.xh3). That is why it is so important to avoid needlessly moving the pawns where your king is castled.

·:·The attacking technique after sacrificing your bishop on h6 (or h3): 1) Move your queen to h6 (or h3), creating a mating net around your opponent's king. 2) Bring more pieces into the attack. 3) Exchange your opponent's key defenders. 4) Use tactics to conclude the game.


Game 10 Hausner - Szymczak

Prague 1989

In response to ... h7-h6, attacking a bishop, White may not always capture Black's pawn. White may even leave his bishop en prise, when obviously Black has two options: decline the sacrifice or accept it. In the first case, having been given a tempo to improve his position, White will probably then continue with i.xh6 anyway. For example:

l.e4 e5 2.i.c4 tLlf6 3.d4 exd4 4.tLla tLlxe4 5.Wfxd4 tLlf6 6.i.g5 i.e7 7.tLlc3 0-0 8.0-0-0 h6 The attack on the bishop can be met by an offer of a sacrifice:

9.Wfh4

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

9 ••. d6? Preparing to shore up the kingside defenses with ... i.f5, but Black is simply asking for a sac.

It was better to take a risk and capture the bishop: 9 ... hxg5

Although White will get plenty of play in return: lO.lt:lxg5 d6 11.i.d3!

Preventing ... i.f5. The mounting pressure on h7 gives White a strong attack. According to my computer, Black could still survive, but it is very difficult. Black must take advantage of the hanging position of White's g5-knight:

11 ... lt:lh5! The most challenging response. 11 ... g6? allows White to move his queen into Black's camp. 12JWh6! :!"1e8 13.i.c4 with a decisive attack. 11 ... lt:lc6? This misplaces the knight, which is needed to protect its brother after 12.i.h7t @h8 13.i.g6t! \t>g8 14.lt:lce4! and with the removal of Black's f6-knight, checkmate on h7 is on the way.


A more serious alternative is 11...:!::Ie8. White has a draw ifhe likes with 12.~h7t 'it>f8 13.~d3 'it>g8. Naturally White could also choose to play on, for example with 12.f4!? supporting the g5-knight. This looks promising, but there is no obvious forced win.

12.~h7t 'it>h8 13.ttJxf7t :!::Ixf7 14.Wxh5 ~g5t 15.'it>bl :!::Ixf2 16.~e4t ~h6 17.Wg6 Threatening mate.

17 ... Wg8 18.:!::IhfI Exchanging off Black's only active piece.

18 ... :!::IxfI 19.:!::IxfI ttJd7 And now White forces perpetual check:

20.ttJd5 ttJe5 21.ttJe7 ttJxg6 22.ttJxg6t 'it>h7 23.ttJf8t=

10.hit6! gxh611.Wxh6 ~h7 Intending to trade pieces with ... ~g5.

12.h4! Preventing Black's idea while securing g5 as an outpost, when an exchange of pieces there

would lead to the opening of the h-file for White's rook. Now Black's kingside cracks under White's powerful attack.

12 ... ~c6 13 . .id3

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

13 ... f5 After 13 ... ttJf6 14.ttJd5! :!::Ie8 (even easier is 14 ... ttJxd5 15.Wh7#) we will see the well-known

mating mechanism: 15.ttJxf6t ~xf6 16.~h7t! Sending the king to h8 to create a discovered check (not 16.Wh7t 'it>f8). 16 ... 'it>h8 17.~g6t! The discovered check is given on this square to support the attack on f7. 17 ... 'it>g8 18.Wh7t 'it>f8 19.Wxf7#

14 . .ic4t c,t>h8 15.~g5! And Black cannot capture twice on g5 because his h7-knight is pinned: 15 ... ~xg5t 16.hxg5

and now 16 ... Wxg5t 17.Wxg5 or 16 ... We7 17.g6, both winning for White. 1-0



.:. h2-h4 is an attacking move, supporting g5 for White's minor pieces (15.tLlg5) and also allowing White's h I-rook to join in the attack.

.:. tLld5, even as a sacrifice, is a typical way of diverting Black's f6-knight from its vital defense ofh7 .

• :. The discovered attack mating mechanism.

Game 11 Jurjevich - Cater

USA 1994

If Black captures White's bishop, his defensive task is also not easy.

1.e4 e5 2 . .ic4 tLlf6 3.d4 exd4 4.tLlf3 tLlxe4 5.~xd4 tLlf6 6.i.g5 i.e7 7.tLlc3 0-0 8.0-0-0 c6 A strong defense involving ... d7 -d5; Black will set up a wall of pawns to block the c4-bishop's

threats to f7 and reduce the rook's influence on the d-file.

9.~h4 d5 10 . .id3 Also possible is the move order lO.!!hel ~e6 11.~d3.

10 ... h61U!hel! Playing according to the principles: White simply completes his development!

White could already consider: 11.~xh6tLle4! I2.~h5! g6! {or I2 ... tLlxfl 13.~f4tLlxd3t I4.Ei:xd3 and the attack continues} I3.WI'e5 ~f6 I4.WI'f4 With great complications.

11...hxg5 Black should consider 11 ... ~e6 when White could, ifhe wants, force a draw with: 12.:!':i:xe6 fxe6

13.~xh6 gxh6 14.WI'g3t 'it>h8 15.WI'g6 ~d6 I6.WI'xh6t

12.tLlxg5

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h


Please pay close attention to White's set-up. All his pieces are in the game and looking towards the kingside - that is why his attack is so powerful.

These are the main aims of all gambit lines: to gain better development; to keep your initiative alive by continuously pressuring your opponent; and not be afraid to sacrifice again to open lines for your pieces to reach the main target - the enemy king.

In the dangerous Urusov Gambit all these ideas crystallize, all according to the principles that we are studying.

12 ••. ie6? The best defense is:

I2 ... g6 Shutting White's bishop out, but allowing:

13.'lWh6 White sets up a mating net around Black's king and paralyzes his kingside defenders due to the threat of mate on h7 and a sacrifice on g6.

13 ... id6 I4.g3 Preventing ... if4. White's threats on the kingside are quite unpleasant.

I4 ... 'lWc7 And here the computer shows a brilliant idea:

abc d e f g h I5.ic4!! ie5

Also losing is 15 ... dxc4 I6Jl:xd6 'lWxd6 I7.ttJce4, removing the defender ofh7 by force. I6J!:xd5! ixc3 I7.l'k5!

Black's situation is hopeless. I7 ... ifS

I7 ... ixeI I8.'lWxg6t r;t>h8 I9.'lWxf6t ~g8 20.'lWg6t r;t>h8 2l.\Wh7# I8Jl:xfS gxfS 19.bxc3 'lWd8 20J~e8!!

This grandiose move forces mate in four moves!

13.i.h7t ~h8 14.i.f5t White could also have chosen: 14.l'!xe6! fxe6 I5.if5t r;t>g8 16.ixe6t l'!f7 I7.ixf7t r;t>f8

I8.'lWh8t ttJg8 I9.'lWxg8#


14 ... g8 15J:~xe6 g6 Another exit route was 15 ... fxe6 16 . .ixe6tE!:f7 17 . .ixf7t c;t>f8 18.1Mih8t lOg8 19.1Mixg8#.

16Jhf6 J.xf6 17.Yfh7# 1-0


.:. The bishop sacrifice on g5 . • :. The strong attacking maneuver 13.1Mih6 (in the event of 12 ... g6) .:. Watch out for tactical shots to remove key defender(s) in the position, even if it entails

sacrificing material.

Game 12 Keidanski - Em. Lasker Berlin Simultaneous 1891

In the Urusov Gambit, White may not always play for a mating attack. He could aim for positional suffocation, and when the time is ripe, begin a combination.

1.e4 e5 2 . .ic4 ~f6 3.d4 exd4 4.~f3 ~xe4 5.Yfxd4 ~f6 6 . .ig5 .ie7 7.~c3 0-0 8.0-0-0 d6 9J:~hel ~c6 10.Yfh4

This was one of the earlier games played in the Urusov Gambit and since Lasker was seeing the opening for the first time, I guess he was unsure about his position.

He has no good squares to develop his light-squared bishop and, as is typical for the Urusov Gambit, White's pieces are firing towards the center.

8 • 7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h 10 •.• .1£5

Intending to go to g6, fortifying the kingside. The other squares are obviously wrong:

10 ... .ie6? loses Black's extra pawn after 11 . .ixe6 fxe6 12.E!:xe6. Pinning the knight with 1O ... .ig4?? is a blunder: 11..ixf6 Getting rid of the- g4-bishop's only

defender. 11.. . .ixf6 12.1Mixg4

The Urusov Gambit

11.'?Nf4 The positional way, but it was also possible to begin tactical operations immediately:

11.l'!xe7!?

8 T 7

6 ~ ;:s ~

5 ~ '" t:. 4 ~ ~ 3

~ ;:§

2

1

a b c d e f g h

63

When White has such powerful domination of the center, it is possible to start shifting the attack to the Ranks.

11 ... tDxe7 Black must avoid 11...WExe7? as after 12.l'!el WEd7 13.i.xf6 gxf6 14.tDd5! he could hardly hope to survive.

12.i.xf6 gxf6 13.WExf6 i.g6 14.WEf4 Aiming to start pushing the kingside pawns with h2-h4 and g2-g4, when Black's defensive

opportunities are limited.

1l ... ig6 12.g4 White has strong control of the center and so he can start a kingside attack. As White has all

his pieces in the game already, he now includes his pawns in the action. The threat is h4-h5 and, despite being a pawn up, Black has no useful moves.

12 ... ~a5 Trying to get rid of the powerful c4-bishop.

13.id3 Keidanski is not afraid of exchanges, since it would help increase his central control.

13 ... '?Nd7 If 13 ... i.xd3 then 14.l'!xd3 followed by l'!de3 and next White will occupy the central outpost

with i.xf6 and tDd5. If Black plays 14 ... h6 White would most certainly capture with 15.i.xh6! using similar ideas to what we were studying in the previous games.

14.ixf6 By getting rid of Black's f6-knight, White gains the outpost on d5.

64

14 ... .ixf6 15.tOd5

15 ... .tdS Almost forced.

16 . .tf5 Another great move.

16 ... J.xf5 17.gxf5!

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1


..-

a b c d e f g h

The point of 16 . .tf5 is now clear - the g-file is opened for White to utilize in his attack: ~gl, f5-f6 and 'lWh6. Note where Lasker's pieces are situated - far from the center - while White's pieces are still controlling the most important central squares.

Of course White should not trade queens with 17.'lWxf5? 'lWxf5 18.gxfS as after 18 ... tOc4 Black is fine.

17 ... f61S.h4 Black's idea was 18.~gl ~f7 covering the 7th rank, and only then to eject White's knight from

d5 with ... c7-c6. But 17 .. .f6 created a hole on e6, which White could have exploited with 18.tOd4! tOc6 19.tOe6 ~f7 20.~e3 tOe7 21.tOxe7t .txe7 22.~h3 with decisive threats on the kingside.

IS ... b5 19.tOd4 tOc4 Eyeing the outpost on e5.

20.~e4 Setting up a discovered attack on the a8-rook and also planning to kick Black's knight away

with f2-f4 should it try to settle on e5.

20 .. J~cS 21.tOc6 Now we can understand that Lasker was facing a very strong player; if 21.tOeG ~e8 and Black

could still survive.


21. .. tLle5 21...'lWxc6? fails to the discovered attack 22.ltJe7t.

22.ltJxa7 ga8? It is easy to explain this blunder as the game was played in a simul, and Black's task was already

very difficult. After the best defense 22 .. .!l:b8 23.f4! c6 (or 23 ... ltJc4 24.'lWe6t gO 25.'lWxd7 E:xd7 26.ltJc6

E:a8 27.ge8t O 28.E:del and White is dominating) 24.fxe5'IWxa7 25.ltJb4 White keeps a huge advantage.

23.tLlb6!

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

abc d e f g h

A simple combination, freeing the diagonal for the queen.

23 ... cxb6 24.~xa8 ~xf5 25.~d5t ~h8 26.~xd6 ~f4t 27.~bl Black decided to call it a day, since after 27 ... E:g8 White has a simple mating line: 28.'~xd8

E:xd8 29.E:xd8# Without a doubt, after this game the Urusov Gambit became more and more popular. 1-0


.:. Post your pieces to aim towards the center, and only when you have firm control of the center can you shift the attack to the flanks .

• :. When all your pieces are mobilized, bring your pawns into the attack. .:. As in many open games, the knight wants an outpost on d5 (14 . .txf6, 15.ltJd5) . • :. Remember to constantly re-evaluate the position. Your opponent may have foiled one plan

(17 .. .f6 helped Black deal with E:gl and the open g-file) but in doing so he could have created another weakness (17 ... f6 weakened the e6-square) .

• :. You should make it more difficult for your opponent to implement his plan (20.~e4 with the idea of fL.-f4) .

• :. Tactics, tactics and more tactics!


Would the Urusov Gambit be effective in high-level modern chess? Well, it is not common at grandmaster level, but when one 2600+ GM played the Urusov it worked beautifully:

Game 13 Avrukh - Skripchenko

Linares 2001

1.e4 e5 2.i.c4 ttlf6 3.d4 exd4 4.ttlf3 ttlxe4 5.~xd4 ttlf6 6.ttlc3 c6 7 . .ig5 d5 8.0-0-0 i.e7 9.~h4

We will mainly look at games with 9.Elhel, but a little variety is always interesting.

9 ... ttlbd7 Blocking the e-file with 9 ... .ie6 looks safer, when after 1O.Elhel the game transposes to the

usual lines we shall look at below. The text move unpins the d5-pawn and so renews the threat to the c4-bishop, but the downside is that Black's queens ide pieces are tougher to develop with the c8-bishop locked out of the game.

10J:~hel!

Absolutely in the spirit of the Urusov!

10 ... dxc4

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

abc d e f g h

Black accepts the challenge and the piece!

10 ... 0-0 would not necessarily be castling into safety after 11..id3. For example, 11...h6 12 . .ixh6 gxh6 13.~xh6 when White obviously has a draw whenever he wants it, and numerous winning tries to consider first.

If Black's king instead tries to step out the way with 10 ... i>f8 then Avrukh suggested 11 . .ixd5! cxd5 12.Elxe7 W1xe7 13.lLlxd5 W1e4 14 . .if4, which is certainly interesting, but instead of 12.Elxe7 stronger looks 12.lLlxd5 lLlxd5 13.Elxd5 f6 14 . .id2, when Black is in desperate trouble.

1l . .ixf6 gxf6 12.ttle4 White's threats are firing straight down the open e-file.


8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

12 ... 0-0 The black king will be insecure no matter where it tries to hide. For example, if 12 ... i>f8 then

13.ttJd4 builds up the pressure. The fS-square is a wonderful outpost and hopping-off point.

13.tLlg3 c,!,>h8 A natural defensive try is 13 ... :ge8, making a square on f8 for the bishop. White can cut across

this plan with the pinning 14.We4 when 14 ... f5 is a tricky reply. White would like to bring his knight into fS, but in this case that would drop the queen to a sneaky check on g5. So 15.Wxf5 is the right response. Black's exposed king means that White has at least a draw, but I see no clear lines that prove there is more than that.

14.tl~f5 J.c5 Avrukh suggested 14 ... ~b4 with the idea 15.c3 ~xc3 16.bxc3 Wa5 when Black tries to

counterattack in search of a perpetual check, but White has a clever solution: 17.ttJ3d4! Wxc3t 18.bl Wb4t 19.ttJb3!

abc d e f g h

And the pin along the 4th rank wins the day for White.


15.~h5 Afterwards, in his annotations, Avrukh preferred 15 .:B:e4, and gave the following lines: 15 ... :B:g8

16.tt:lh6, and now either 16 ... W'f8 17.tt:lxg8 W'xg8 18.:B:g4+- or 16 ... :B:g7 17.tt:le5!!+-.

8

7

6 ~ ~ ~

5 ~ .., :;:.

4 ~ ~ 3

I::i ;l!

2

1

a b c d e f g h This is indeed a beauty.

15 ... c3 16.:B:e4! ~b6 17.b3

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

17 .. J~g8 The rook tries to come to the king's aid, as it is too late to develop the queens ide pieces with

17 ... tt:le5 18.tt:lxe5 fxe5 as after 19.:B:h4! .txfS 20.W'xfS Black will be mated.

18.~xf7! Avrukh pointed out a pretty idea he rejected because Black can draw: 18.W'xh7t? It>xh7

19.:B:h4t mg6 20.g4.tfB 21.:B:h5 W'xf2 22.tt:l3h4t W'xh4 23.tt:lxh4t It>g7 24.tt:lfSt It>g6 That is a good enough reason not to play 18.W'xh7t but instead of20 ... .tf8 Black could also consider the bizarre defense 20 ... .te3t 21.fxe3 W'xe3t 22.tt:lxe3 tt:le5, when Black may even be a little better. After a queen sac, all sorts of weird and wonderful moves must be considered, since the material imbalance is so huge.


18 ... ti'a5 The threat of mate-in-two forces White to be careful.

abc d e f g h

19J~xd7! Now if the black queen checks on a3 the d I-square is available.

19 ... .ia3t 20.g;,bl The bishop check on a3 demands a different answer, as it's never too late to blunder away a

winning position: 20.~dl?? Wlxf5 21.1'%e8 Wlxd7t Unlike the game continuation, that is a check!

20 ... ti'xfS 2U~e8

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a b c d e f g h

Black resigned as checkmate is on the way. For example: 21...Wlg6 22.1'%xg8t Wlxg8 23.Wlxf6t and mate next move. 1-0


.:. The Urusov Gambit can fell even grandmasters!

Theoretical Overview

Dictating the play in the center is the leitmotif of the Urusov Gambit, since White's centrally posted pieces provide sufficient compensation for the sacrificed pawn. This can also translate into a powerful kings ide attack, as we have observed from the previous games.

As Black had lots of trouble trying to find a suitable defense, players nowadays often steer the game into safer channels (2 ... tik6 or 4 ... lLlc6), using the possible transpositions offered by White's move order.

l.e4 e5 2.i.c4 lLlf6 The main move. Also possible is 2 ... lL'lc6, heading for the Italian Game or Two Knights Defense

after 3.lL'lf3. If 2 ... d6 then 3.lL'lc3 is the aggressive reply.

3.d4exd4 The alternatives are clearly weaker:

Remember that Black cannot play 3 ... d6? because of 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.ixf7t as explained in the Introduction.

After 3 ... lL'lc6 White can take more space with 4.d5 (or perhaps even 4.dxe5).

After 3 ... c6 4.dxe5 lL'lxe4 5.1Mfe2 White has strong central control.

Black probably cannot get away with capturing 3 ... lL'lxe4?! due to 4.dxe5. Most likely the best reaction then is 4 ... lL'lc5, when 5.1Mfd5 can be met by 5 ... lL'le6 (instead after 4 ... lL'lc6 5.ixf7t! cj;>xf7 6.1Mfd5t cj;>e8 7.1Mfxe4 White has an extra pawn and Black's king has lost the right to castle.) Instead White answers 4 ... lL'lc5 with 5.if4lL'lc6 6.lL'lf3 ie7 7.lL'lc3 when he has strong control in the center. If Black tries to relieve the pressure with 7 ... d6 then after 8.exd6 he will get an isolated pawn, and White keeps a serious positional advantage.

abc d e f g h


4. ttl f3 White cannot play 4.e5 immediately because of the standard counterattacking response

4 ... d5! when after 5.exf6 dxc4 6.'We2t .ie6 7.fxg7 (otherwise White loses another pawn) 7 ... .ixg7 Black has a strong pawn center protected by his bishop pair, which also keeps an eye on White's queens ide. Black also keeps an ex

quality...reti - modern ideas in chess roizman - chess miniatures - 400 combination games suetin -...

Documents