Chess Strategy
their purpose.
3. Pawn moves always create weaknesses, either by leaving
other unsupported pawns behind, or by giving opposing pieces
access to squares formerly guarded by them, and this more
specially so in front of the castled King.
4. Attacks which depend on pawn moves are only justified if
overwhelming forces can be accumulated in support, as the
advanced pawns might become the object of a counter attack.
5. As pawn moves have very generally some drawbacks, the
middle game is the pieces' own hunting ground. As in the
opening, the first consideration of sound play in the middle game
is to make only such moves as do not reduce the mobility of the
pieces.
As illustrative of such manoeuvres I shall now give examples from
actual master play. In my annotations of these games I have tried
to keep before the student's mind constantly the main ideas
underlying the different combinations which spring from general
strategical principles. I thus avoid burdening his memory with a
mass of detail, and bring into prominence the basic principle of
each line of play, thereby developing his capacity for conducting
a middle game, even after an unusual opening.
I have fixed mainly upon such games as are illustrative of the
openings treated in the first part of this book. In most cases
the first moves will, therefore, not need any special remarks.
The end-games, being typical examples, will only need reference
to the chapters in which they have been respectively dealt with.
PART II
ILLUSTRATIVE GAMES FROM MASTER TOURNAMENTS
GAME No. 1
White: Tartakower. Black: Burn.
King's Gambit declined (compare p. 30).
1. P-K4 P-K4
2. P-KB4 B-B4
3. Kt-KB3 P-Q3
4. PxP
On principle this exchange cannot be commended, as the opening of
the Queen's file increases the Black Queen's mobility. White
derives no benefit from the KB file so long as the Black Bishop
makes castling impossible. White intends to play P-B3 and P-Q4,
but the manoeuvre is doubtful, and the whole opening includes an
inordinately large number of pawn moves. In the present game
Black exposes the failings inherent to this system unequivocally.
4. ... PxP
5. P-B3 Kt-QB3
Black cannot put off White's P-Q4 by B-KKt5, for White can give a
check with the Queen and unpin the Knight.
6. P-QKt4
The object of this move is not clear, as P-Kt5 does not win a
pawn (Kt-R4; 8. KtxP; 9. Q-R5ch). It does not promote development
either, and only compromises the QBP and QKtP.
6. ... B-Kt3
7. B-Kt5 Kt-B3
This is aimed at the White King's pawn, which is deprived of its
natural support by the QKt. In this position Black does well to
attack White's KP rather than to defend his own, because an open
King's file can only benefit him. Being able to castle, he can
occupy the file with his Rook before White has time to bring his
King into safety.
8. KtxP
It would have been better to protect the pawn by Q-K2 or P-Q3.
8. ... Castles!
---------------------------------------
8 | #R | | #B | #Q | | #R | #K | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | #P | #P | #P | | | #P | #P | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | #B |#Kt | | |#Kt | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | ^B | | | ^Kt| | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | ^P | | | ^P | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | | ^P | | | | | |
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