Chess Strategy
1. KtxB, KtxKt; 2. RxKt, QxR; 3. Kt-B7ch, K-Kt1; 4. Kt-R6 double
ch, K-R1; 5 Q-Kt8ch, RxQ; 6. Kt-B7 mate.
We will now go a step further and turn from "acute" combinations
to such combinations as are, as it were, impending. Here, too,
I urgently recommend beginners (advanced players do it as a
matter of course) to proceed by way of simple arithmetical
calculations, but, instead of enumerating the attacking and
defending pieces, to count the number of possibilities of attack
and defence.
Let us consider a few typical examples. In Diagram 9, if Black
plays P-Q5, he must first have probed the position in the
following way. The pawn at Q5 is attacked once and supported once
to start with, and can be attacked by three more White units in
three more moves (1. R-Q1, 2. R(B2)-Q2, 3. B-B2) Black can also
mobilise three more units for the defence in the same number of
moves (1. Kt-B4 or K3, 2. B-Kt2, 3. R-Q1). There is,
consequently, no immediate danger, nor is there anything to fear
for some time to come, as White has no other piece which could
attack the pawn for the fifth time.
---------------------------------------
8 | | | | | #R | #B | #K | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | #P | #P | | #R | | |#Kt | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | | | | | | #P | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | #P | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | ^P | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | ^P |^Kt | | | | ^P | ^B | |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | ^R | | | | ^P | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | ^R | | | | ^K | |
---------------------------------------
A B C D E F G H
Diag. 9.
It would be obviously wrong to move the pawn to Q6 after White's
R-Q1, because White could bring another two pieces to bear on the
P, the other Rook and the Knight, whilst Black has only one more
piece available for the defence, namely, his Rook.
The following examples show typical positions, in which simple
calculation is complicated by side issues.
In Diagram 10, the point of attack, namely, the Black Knight at
KB3, can be supported by as many Black units as White can bring
up for the attack, but the defensive efficiency of one of Black's
pieces is illusory, because it can be taken by a White piece. The
plan would be as follows: White threatens Black's Knight for the
third time with Kt-K4, and Black must reply QKt-Q2, because
covering with R-K3 would cost the "exchange," as will appear from
a comparison of the value of the pieces concerned. The "exchange"
is, however, lost for Black on the next move, because
---------------------------------------
8 | #R | #Kt| #B | #Q | #R | | #K | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | #P | #P | | | #P | #B | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | #P | | | #P | | #Kt| #P | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | ^Kt| #P | | ^B | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | ^P | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | ^B | | | ^P | | ^Kt| |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | ^P | ^P | ^P | | | ^P | ^P | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | ^R | | | ^Q | | ^R | ^K | |
---------------------------------------
A B C D E F G H
Diag. 10
White's further attack on the Knight by Q-B3 forces the Rook to
defend on K3, where it gets into the diagonal of the Bishop,
which at present is masked by White's Knight. The sequel would be
3. QKtxKtch, RxKt (not BxKt on account of BxR winning a whole
Rook), 4. BxR, and so on. A similar case is shown in Diagram 11.
---------------------------------------
8 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | #P | #K | #P | #Kt| | | #P | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | #P | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | ^Kt| | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | | ^B | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | ^P | | ^P | | | ^P | ^P | |
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