Chess -- Chess Strategy

Chess Strategy

Q and QB, and in addition to an easy development, retains two
Bishops. This is a set-off against a certain weakness in Black's
game, which may be found in the fact that after P-Q4, PxP, White
has four pawns to three on the King's side, while his three pawns
on the Queen's side are able to hold the four opposing pawns, one
of which is doubled. But this weakness can only tell in the end-
game, which is too far ahead for practical purposes, and to which
it may not come at all. An example of the usual line of play will
be found in Game No. 18.

          4. ...             Kt-B3
          5. Castles         B-K2
          6. R-K1            P-QKt4
          7. B-Kt3           P-Q3
          8. P-B3

        ---------------------------------------
     8 | #R |    | #B | #Q | #K |    |    | #R |
       |---------------------------------------|
     7 |    |    | #P |    | #B | #P | #P | #P |
       |---------------------------------------|
     6 | #P |    | #Kt| #P |    | #Kt|    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     5 |    | #P |    |    | #P |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     4 |    |    |    |    | ^P |    |    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     3 |    | ^B | ^P |    |    | ^Kt|    |    |
       |---------------------------------------|
     2 | ^P | ^P |    | ^P |    | ^P | ^P | ^P |
       |---------------------------------------|
     1 | ^R | ^Kt| ^B | ^Q | ^R |    | ^K |    |
        ---------------------------------------
         A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H

                Diag. 116

         8. ...              Castles

In Capablanca's opinion Black should not castle before White's
intentions in the centre have been made clear. It makes a great
difference whether White plays his QP to Q4 or to Q3 only.

If after 8. ... QKt-R4; 9. B-B2, P-B4 White plays:  10. P-Q4, his
intention is to move his pawn further to Q5 as soon as Black has
castled, and then to attack on the King's wing with QKt-Q2-B1-K3,
P-KKt4 and Kt-B5.  For this reason Black should force White to
disclose whether he intends to exchange his QP or to advance it
to Q5. In the latter case Black can refrain from castling
altogether and counter-attack on the King's wing, e.g., 10. P-Q4,
Q-B2; 11. P-KR3, B-Q2; 12. QKt-Q2, R-QB1; if now: 13.  P-Q5 then
P-R3 followed by P-Kt4-Kt5 gives Black many chances. If on the
contrary 13. PxP, then Black need no longer fear an attack on the
King's side after he has castled, as his Rooks will have a
favourable opportunity for operating on the open Queen's file.
However, there is still the disadvantage for Black of having
advanced Queen's side pawns, which are liable to attack (P-QR4).

The game takes a different course when Black exchanges the pawns
in the centre. The continuation would then be:  11. ... Kt-B3;
12. Q Kt-Q2, B-Q2; 13. Kt-B1, PxP; 14. PxP, PxP; 15. B-Kt5, Q-
Kt3. It is difficult to decide which side has the advantage.
Black has an extra pawn, but White has the initiative.

If in Diag. 116, after 8. ... Castles White plays 9. P-Q4 at
once, Black has an opportunity for the following interesting
attack: 9. P-Q4, B-Kt5; 10. B-K3, KtxKP; 11. B-Q5, Q-Q2; 12.
BxKKt, P-Q4; 13. B-B2, P-K5 14. P-KR3, B-R4; 15. Kt-K5, BxQ; 16.
KtxQ, BxB; 17. KtxR, RxKt. White cannot take advantage of his
Rooks, as there is no open file, whilst Black threatens to
initiate a strong attack with P-B4.

Aljechin has analysed a variation of this line of play, which he
thinks leads finally to White's advantage: 12. PxP, Kt-Kt4; 13.
BxKt, BxB; 14. P-KR3, BxKt; 15. QxB, KtxP; 16. RxKt, PxR; 17.
BxR, B-B8; 18. Kt-R3, Q-Q7. I doubt that White can win this game.

          9. P-Q3

In this less aggressive continuation, in which nothing is
immediately attempted against Black's centre, White prepares
gradually for a King's side attack, as in this game with Kt-Q2-
B1-Kt3. But Black should obtain time for operations in the
centre.

          9. ...                Kt-QR4
          10. B-B2              P-B4
          11. QKt-Q2            Kt-B3
          12. P-QR4

In many variations of the Ruy Lopez, this advance is always good,
if Black cannot avoid exchanging the pawn, because the White
Queen's Rook, which only gets into play with difficulty, can
either be exchanged or hold the Rook's file. In any case the
Black Knight's pawn is weak for the end-game. If, as in the
present game. Black can play P-Kt5, P-R4 is useless and even
doubtful, as the Rook's pawn itself may become weak in the end-
game.

          12. ...               B-Kt2