How To Win at Chess Quickly - Simon Williams

EVERYMAN CHESS
Simon Williams
OWN
EVERYMAN CHESS
www.everyma nchess.com
First published in 2010 by Gloucester Publishers plc (formerly Everyman Publishers
plc), Northburgh House, 10 Northburgh Street, London EClV OAT
Copyright© 2010 Simon Williams
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Contents
Introduction 5
1 The Exposed King 13
2 Exploiting an Advantage in Development 37
3 Punishing the Pawn-Grabbers 61
4 Gambit Play 81
5 Play with Purpose! 105
6 Crossed Wires 130
7 Missing the Danger 145
8 Unnecessary Pawn Moves 163
9 Super h-pawn Power 176
Index of Openings 190
Index of Complete Games 191

Introduction
How and why do some chess players have a big impact on the way that the
win their games in a much shorter time game develops. If you play a slightly
than others? Is it because they're lucky? risky opening then you will have a bet
Is it something to do with their style of ter chance of winning quickly, but on
play? Or maybe their opponents are just the flipside you may also increase your
playing weak moves and making a lot of chance of losing quickly. Indeed, you
mistakes in the opening? have to be wary about how you ap
I suspect that many players would proach a game. It is often a good idea
love to be able to finish off their oppo to take a bit of a g amble, but usually
nents in double quick time, maybe you must choose the right opponent to
through a brilliant attack or a crafty take this gamble against.
trap that wins material. Well, this book Despite all of the above, it is still not
aims to look at how and why players easy to win in under 25 moves unless
manage to win in under 25 moves. your opponent helps you. That is why
It is often a combination of the during the course of this book I have
above factors that lets a player win concentrated on how the winner has
quickly. After all, a player tends to ruthlessly punished his opponent's
make his own luck. He does this by mistakes. We will also try to see why
picking the right opening and causing one side lost in under 25 moves and
his opponent as many problems as what can be learnt from the loser's
possible, especially by throwing them mistakes. Indeed, having carefully se
on to their own resources at an early lected the games and highlighted just
stage. Indeed, your style of play will what the key mistakes were, I hope that
5
H o w to Win a t C h e s s - Q u ickly !
the reader will find each game a simple game. Quite simply, passive defence is
but instructive lesson. After all, we often wrong.
don't want to repeat the same mis
takes! 6. Missing the critical moment
The loser often seemed to have played
The Common Mistakes rather lazily at the key moment(s), pos
sibly due to failing to realize just how
1. A lack of awareness of the critical the position was.
opponent's moves/plans
This appears in the majority of games 7. Forgetting chess basics
in this book. The losing player was of It is often the case that the player on
ten just not fully aware of what his op the receiving end of a vicious attack
ponent was intending. has brought it on himself, especially by
leaving his king in the centre or not
2.Reacting badly to an opening developing.
surprise
A number of players have simply col How to Avoid Making These
lapsed when they have been taken by Mistakes
surprise in the opening.
1. Keep your eyes open!
3. Playing without a plan One way to improve immediately is to
It is all too easy to play meaningless try and get into your opponent's mind.
and irrelevant moves if you do not have When he makes a move, do not con
a plan. sider what you are going to do (this will
come later!), but first you should think
4. Playing into the opponent's hands along the following lines: Why did my
You should always try to make life as opponent move that piece? What is he
hard as possible for your opponent. Far planning ? Should I be scared of his
too often in this book the losing player plan ? How should I stop his plan if I
has gone that one step too far: for ex need to? If you start to think like this,
ample, he might have grabbed a sec you should be able to stop m any of
ond pawn when it was time to defend, your opponent's more dangerous
or he might have thrown himself head plans.
first into an attack when it was time to Let's take a look at an example. This
castle. position is taken from Beliavsky-Larsen
in Chapter Two.
s. Defending too passively White has just played 13 tt:Jes, so
This has cost a number of players the what should Black do?
6
In t ro d u c t i o n
danger. There is hope for all of us!
Well, first of all Black should be

thinking: what is White's plan and 2. Keep your cool
how, if necessary, do I stop that plan ? If If you are faced with a shocking move
Black was thinking along these lines do not panic, but try to keep your cool.
then he would not have played the Think logically, as there is normally a
move he chose in the game: good reason that surprising opening
13 as?
... moves are not played. Aim to work out
This is far too slow. Black should why the move your opponent has
have spotted that White was planning played is not employed by the leading
14 .l:the1 and then a sacrifice with 15 players. For instance, perhaps the move
lbg6 or 15 ttJxf7. Thus the priority here weakens the centre or neglects devel
was to get the black king to (relative) opment. If you think along these lines
safety. For this reason, for better or then you will be able to take advantage
worse, Black had to castle kingside. This of your opponents' shocking moves
looks risky, but the black king simply and you may even be able to punish
cannot stay in the centre. them for giving you a nasty surprise!
14l:.he1 a4? In Chapter Two we will see Karl Mah
Another major error. Despite being smashing Vuckovic in short order by
an extremely strong grandmaster, Lar using a dangerous opening novelty.
sen is playing without a care in the Let's take a look at the critical position
world! Black had to play 14 . 0-0 here.
.. in the opening (see following diagram).
15 ltJg6! (seefollowing diagram) White has just played 6 ..tc4! ?, but
Beliavsky has quickly obtained a how should Black react to this plan ? If I
highly promising position and went on was faced with a novelty like this, I
to finish off the game in some style. would want to stick to chess basics, i.e.
This just demonstrates that sometimes I would want to develop my pieces. I
even top grandmasters lack a sense of would not want to play into my oppo-
7
H o w to Win a t C h e s s - Q u i c k ly !
nent's hands by accepting the sacrifice make in the opening, but understand
as he would most likely be well pre the moves you m ake! This will help you
pared for this. Thus a logical continua to handle the resulting middlegame
tion would be: positions better, as you will have an
idea about what you should be aiming
for there.
Here's a position from Chapter
Seven.
6...4Jf61 1 'iib 3 4Jc6!

Black develops as quickly as possible
and tries to punish White for his un
usual opening choice. Black would have
a very decent game in this case, even In Sowray-R.Pert Black had em
though White can take on f7. However, ployed a Dutch set-up, an opening
in the game Black played 6 ... cxd4?! and which m ay have taken Sowray by sur
lost very quickly. prise. White has to be very careful here
I repeat, when you are faced with a as Black is threatening to obtain a large
surprise in the opening, do not panic, attack after 11 .. .f4!. White needs to
but try to think logically and continue take time out from his queenside play
in a sensible manner. to defend, but the game continued:
11 'iib 3?
3. Avoid learning an opening parrot This is far too slow, but a good ex
fashion ample of one side moving their pieces
A parrot may be able to speak by listen rather aimlessly. White is just playing
ing and repeating some words it hears, on autopilot along standard English
but does the parrot actually under Opening lines. Here White's queen is
stand what the words mean? That is actually badly placed on b3. Instead the
very unlikely! In a similar m anner you queen should remain on dl and White
really have to know the ideas behind should aim for a queen exchange with
the moves you play. e3 and 4Jd2. If the queens are ex
Do not just learn the moves you changed then Black's attack will lose a
8
In trodu c t i o n
lot of its strength. Thus White should able here a s i t was clear that White had
have played 11 e3!. a dangerous attacking position. This
11...f4! 12 ttJds ttJxds 13 cxds axb4 14 was partly due to a bad opening choice
axb4 ttJd7! 15 �d2 ttJf6! 16 lla1 l:!.b8 17 on my part. When entering this line of
l:!.fc1 �h3!? 18 �e1 ttJg4! the French Defence Black has to be will
ing to defend.
Black has obtained an ideal attack

ing situation. All of his pieces are hov 10...cxd4?
ering around the enemy king and This is far too greedy and alarm
White lacks any real counterplay. Black bells should have been ringing. A better
quickly went on to deliver checkmate. approach would have been 10 ... ttJg6 in
order to bring some pieces over to de
4. Play to your strengths and avoid fend the king.
playing to your opponent's strengths 11 f4 ..t>h8 12 o-o dxc3 13 l:!.f3
If it is clear that your opponent wants a
messy, complicated game with pieces
flying all over the place, then it may be
a good idea to try and play as solidly as
possible. This will frustrate your oppo
nent and hopefully tempt him to play
in a frivolous manner. I will use one of
my own games from Chapter Three,
Gullaksen-Williams, as an example of
what not to do (seefollowing diagram).
I feel much more comfortable when
attacking than being on the receiving With his rook swinging across to ei
end of an onslaught. For this reason I ther g3 or h 3, White's attack proved far
was already feeling a bit uncomfort- too strong and I lost a painful game.
9
Ho w to Win a t C h e s s - Q u ickly !
What did I learn from this game? other pawn ? At least this means that
Well, I never played that opening varia Black will win any endgame. Play could
tion again! Instead I now try to always have continued 16 �bS+ 'it>f8 17 l:lad1
play in a much more counterattacking 'iYcs ...
manner and avoid those lines which
require solid defence.
s. Look for active counterplay

When a player comes under pressure
they may well roll up into a ball and try
to absorb the blows. This is a common
mistake. Instead it is often better to
grab the bull by the horns and play as
actively as possible. This m ay mean
entering sharp complications, but in
some positions you must be willing to ...when White has compensation,
do this. Let's take a look at a game from but Black is two pawns up! Indeed, an
Chapter Three, Stellwagen-Rees. unbalanced game lies ahead.
Active defence is often the best way
to continue. Try not to be tempted to
play too passively, but rather fight fire
with fire!
6. Spend more time on critical moments

During a typical game there will likely
be three or four critical positions. The
important thing to remember is that
when these moments arise, you must
slow down and really try to get to grips
15 .. 0-0?!
. with the position. I'm talking about
This may appear a sensible choice, those positions which require a deci
but Black remained under serious pres sion that changes the course of the
sure after game. For example, transforming the
16 �h3! g6 17 �ad1. pawn structure, entering into some
For this reason I would have been tactics, or deciding which pieces to ex
tempted to try 1S .. .'ir'xd4! ?. This is obvi change in an endgame. Such moments
ously risky, but as Black was under are often said to be 'critical'.
pressure anyway, why not grab an- Let's take a look at one of my wins
10
In trodu ction
to demonstrate where an opponent

went wrong at a critical moment. This
position is taken from J.Cobb-Williams
in Chapter Seven.
Black's attack looks dangerous, but

White is better after 22 dS ! hxg2+ 23
'it'xg2 l:h2+ 24 'it'f3. This could have led
to a far different result than in the
We have a very sharp position on game.
the board. White has good control of When you reach a critical moment,
the centre, but I have active play on the slow down and calculate! These deci
kingside. It is White to move and the sions can easily change the result of
critical move must be 20 'Wxcs. This is the game.
obviously what White should analyse
first as it wins a pawn and offers an 1. Don't forget to develop and castle
exchange of queens. Simple rules really. There is no point in
When you have a chance to win ma getting flash until your king is safe and
terial, calculate the consequences of your pieces have taken up good
capturing that material. If you can get squares. An attack will not work with
away with capturing the extra m aterial out good coordination between the
then it is often a good idea to do so. attacking forces. Moreover, it's seldom
Just think what the latest version of bad to give your king some protection.
Fritz would do! The following position was reached
Instead the game saw: in Sondergaard-Nielsen from Chapter
20 ..td3? h3 1 Two (seefollowing diagram).
After this Black's attack proved to be White has already played the open
very dangerous and I won in just five ing stage of the game very badly. He
more moves. So what would have hap has played the weakening move f2-f4
pened if White had played 20 �xes ? and the only piece he has developed is
Black's best response is probably 2 0. . .h3 his queen, which is most certainly not
21 'Wxc7 ..txe7. ideal. But what should White do now?
11
Developing the minor pieces would Black is already on the verge of

seem like a good plan, but White had winning. He has the better develop
other ideas ... m ent and good control of the centre.
On the other hand, White's king is
stuck on e1 and he is lagging behind in
development. Black went on to win in
short order.
Chess is a hard pursuit and one mis

take can cost you the game, so stay
aware, stay awake and keep concen
trating! Tim Rice has said that 'chess is
the only game greater than its players',
which may be true but we still must
7 a3? aspire to improve. Indeed, I hope that
There is no time for this ! you enjoy this book and that it helps to
7 ...�b6 8 l2Jh3?! f6J 9 ..td3 �C7 10 improve your rating! After studying all
exf6?! l2Jxf6 11 �d1 o-o 12lZ'lc3 es! so games you should be able to punish
your opponents' unusual or bad open
ing moves with swift and direct action.
I also hope that you will avoid making
the same mistakes that a number of
the losers in this book made.
Simon Williams,
Farnham,
April 2010
12
Chapter One
The Exposed King
One of the first lessons any beginner around our castled king, as such pawn
learns is: 'Castle the king as quickly as moves can create weaknesses.
possible.' There is a reason that begin On the other hand, what should you
ners are taught to do this, which is bear in mind when attacking your op
pretty obvious really. The king is the ponent's king? To help answer that, we
most precious piece and checkmate is should consider three important
the end of the game, so the king needs points.
to get to safety. This is why most good
chess players castle their king. When 1. An attack is often only
the king is castled, it has the protection successful if it deserves to be
of three pawns and a rook; these pieces It is very hard to conjure up an attack
act as the king's bodyguards. against your opponent's king from thin
So the king is often safer castled air; you really need to have the backing
rather than not castled, but what must of your troops. So before you attack
we look out for when we have castled your opponent's king, concentrate on
our king? What dangers await the cas developing your pieces. Then when you
tled king? are about to start an attack, have a
Well, we often need to keep some long think and try to work out what the
pieces around the king in order to pro chances are that your attack will be
tect it. This is most normally the case successful.
when we can see that our opponent is A number of people will never im
planning an attack. We also have to be prove and will often lose because they
careful about moving the pawns are always starting premature attacks.
13
H o w to Win a t C h e s s - Q u ic k ly !
Basically their attacks only have a mini Play continued:

mal chance of success because they are 19 bxcs .txf3 20 .txf3 1Yxh3 21 1Ye2 hs
unjustified. 22l:!.fd1 1Yh4
As Vasser Seirawan has said, it's of It is clear that Black does not have
ten a good idea to invite as many enough compensation for the piece. I
pieces as possible to the party! Indeed, went on to lose quite quickly after a
you will often need at least three at few accurate defensive moves from
tacking pieces in order to checkmate White.
your opponent. This is a useful rule of
thumb; there will obviously be excep 2. Timing
tions, but it is useful to keep it in mind. This is related to the above point about
I will now show you an example of picking the correct moment to take
my own where I started an unjustified action. It is very important to time your
attack. attack well and this depends on a
number of factors. The most important
being what opening you have played,
and sometimes the type of opponent
that you are facing. For example, it
would probably be inappropriate to
start an attack if you have chosen to
play the black side of a Berlin Defence!
In general, though, if you spot an
opportunity then it is worth taking it.
You must keep your eyes open to such
possibilities, as seen in the following
This position was reached in position:
J.Parker-S.Williams, British League
2000, with White having just advanced
18 b4.
18....tc6?
This is far too aggressive and does
not deserve to work, since I do not have
enough pieces attacking. Black cannot
expect to cause White's king any prob
lems with just his queen and f-pawn !
In a later game I improved with
18 .. .tba4 and obtained a perfectly re
spectable position. Here in I.Johannesson-S.Williams,
14
Th e Exp o s e d King
Reykjavik 2009, my opponent was in a be very careful about playing them at

spot of time trouble and I found an the right time.
interesting possibility that I thought
would break the deadlock. 3. Exchange the correct pieces!
33 ...f41 If your opponent's king is well de
This pawn break opens up White's fended then it is likely that you will
king and, low on time, it is pretty much have to swap off some of those defen
impossible to defend against the ensu sive pieces in order to land a successful
ing attack. knockout, as in the following example.
34 exf4 tLlxf4 3 5 .tea
This loses quickly. The other possi
bility was 35 gxf4 which is obviously
critical, but Black seems to be doing
well after 35 ...'ijVxf4+ 36 'iitg l e 3 ! .
We will explore the preceding play

of C.Dorrington-S.Williams, British
Rapidplay Championship, Halifax 2004,
in much more detail in Chapter Five.
White has just played 20 tLlb3, attack
This opens up the light-squared ing my queen. It would have been
bishop as well as White's king. After 37 natural to move the queen away, but I
fxe3 I:txe3 38 ..txe3 'ir'xe3+ 39 'iith 2 noticed that the only thing guarding
l:!.f2+ Black is doing very well. the white king were the pawns on a2,
35 ...tLle2 36 ..txb7 tLlxd4 b2 and c2. I found a pretty way to re
Black has a completely winning po move these defenders:
sition and my opponent shortly re 20 ..l:txc211
..
signed. Opening up the white king and

We can see that the timing of the unleashing the light-squared bishop on
pawn break 33 ...f4! worked out very fs.
well. You must try to keep your eyes 21 tLlxas
open for such possibilities that change 21 'iitx c2 loses to 21 ... 'ii'xa2 when
the nature of the game, and you must another defender is removed and, with
15
22 . J!c8+ t o follow, White is defence

. ing up and cheering at the end of the
less. game. A sight that you would rarely see
21 .. .t2Jd2+! in a chess competition, let alone one in
This forces checkmate through England.
checks, which is always pleasant. Re The game we are going to look at
member you should always look at here shows some very good and cun
forcing moves. Indeed, checks and cap ning preparation from Short. White
tures must be analysed! chooses an uncommon opening to
22 'if'xd2 throw Black off course from an early
stage. L'Ami responds inaccurately and
is punished for his mistakes. This just
shows how useful the element of sur
prise can be in the opening.
Game1
N.Short-E.L'Ami
Wijk aan Zee 2009
Four Knights Game
It is now mate in two. 1 e4

22 .. J:!.xb2+ 23 'it>c1 .l:tb1 mate {0-1) Short has been an ardent follower
This was an enjoyable finish, but it of 1 e4 all his life. The move suits his
was also quite a logical one. White's aggressive, attacking style.
pawn on c2 was stopping my pieces 1...es 2 l2Jf3 l2Jf6
from entering his position, and as soon Black is hoping to enter the Petroff
as I removed it his position fell apart. Defence after 3 ttJxes d6 4 l2Jf3 l2Jxe4,
an opening which has a solid and
Now we will take a look at some slightly drawish reputation.
complete games to further understand 3 l2Jc3!?
ing of how to attack the exposed king. The first surprise. White wants to
Nigel Short is one of the most fa keep the tension by avoiding ex
mous English chess players, if not the changes. I expect that L'Ami was al
most famous, ever to have graced the ready slightly unsettled by White's
game. I can remember going along to opening choice.
watch Nigel's only win over Kasparov in 3 ...l2Jc6
their 1993 m atch and it was a great This is Black's m ain reply. We have
sight to behold, with the crowd stand- entered the Four Knights Game.
16
Th e Exp o s e d Ki n g
4 i.. b s tt:Jd4 L'Ami has been tricked i n the opening

This move of Rubinstein's is fre and, thrown on to his own resources,
quently played. Black wants to simplify opts for a bad continuation.
the position through a number of ex 6 ll:lxbs c6
changes in the centre. Black needs to kick this active
Instead 4 ... i.b4 keeps the position knight away from b5.
symmetrical and about equal, but not 7 ll:lc3 Wie1
too dull. Indeed, Svidler once beat Kar The only way to win the pawn back.
pov from here by playing 5 o-o o-o 6 d3 The m ain problem for Black is that his
i..x c3 7 bxc3 d6 8 i..g5 and the two queen and king are very uncomfortably
bishops proved very useful. placed on the e-file, which is about to
s tt:Jxesl? be opened.
8 ll:lf3 ll:lxe4 9 0-0
This is a rare move and a good prac

tical choice against a young, well White's plan is very simple: to de
prepared opponent. Short had in fact velop and attack along the e-file as
played it before, against Khalifrnan in quickly as possible. Moreover, Black is
2001. That game continued 5 .. .'ir'e7! 6 already in serious trouble: he has lost
f4 ll:lxb5 7 ll:lxb5 d6 8 ll:lf3 (8 ll:ld3 ?? an important tempo by not playing
i..g4 is worth avoiding!) 8...c6 9 ll:lc3 5 ...Wie7 immediately.
ll:lxe4 10 o-o ll:lxc3 11 dxc3 'iVd8 12 When faced with a new or unex
:e1+ i.. e 7 13 'iVe2 i.. g4 14 h3 i.. xf3 15 pected move in the opening, you
'iVxf3 o-o 16 i..e 3 i.f6 with an equal should always slow down and try to
game, although Short now played the avoid leaving your king too exposed!
brave 17 g4! ? which kept a bit of ten 9 ... ll:lxc3
sion in the position. Alternatively, 9 ... d5 runs into 10 l:te1
s ...ll:lxbs? and Black is in serious trouble.
The start of all Black's problems. 10 dxc31
17
a) 13 ...h 6 weakens the e8-h 5 diago

nal and after 14 l2Jxe6 fxe6 15 'iYh 5+
'it>d7 16 'i¥f7+ �e7 17 �f4 Jlhf8 18
'iYxf8 l:!.xf8 19 �xd6 �xd6 White is the
exchange up with a winning position.
b) 13 ... �e7 is the move that Black
would like to play as it develops a piece
and gets ready to castle. Unfortunately
it runs into 14 lLlf5 ! �xf5 15l:!.xe7+ 'it>f8
16 l:!.xb7, which is pretty grim for Black;
his king is exposed and he is a pawn
Speed of development is the key down.
here. This recapture is correct, as White 14 l2Jxe6 fxe6 15 'iYhS+I
can now develop his dark-squared
bishop in one move.
1o ... ds
Black needs to be able to meet l:!.e1
with ...�e6.
u �gs
Another simple developing move.
11 ...'iYd6
In an earlier g ame, D.Campora
J.Aguilera, Osuna 1991, 11...'t1Yc5 was
preferred, but after 12 l:!.e1+ �e6 13
l2Jd4 'it>d7 14 li'f3 �e7 15 b4 Black re White forces Black to play ... g6
signed in view of 15 ...'i¥c4 16 l2Jxe6 fxe6 which weakens the kingside dark
17 li'f7. squares. It is worth noting that a lot of
12 l:!.e1+ �e6 13 l2Jd41 club players would have played 15 'li'g4
White is getting ready to take Black immediately, but Short wants to get
apart on the light squares, with li'g4 the maximum out of the position .
but one idea. Obviously if Black could 15 ...g6 16 'li'g4
castle then he would have a fine game, Black is busted.
but his king will remain stuck in the 16 ...'iti>f7
centre until the end of the game. Black could have tried 16 ... e 5 when
13 ...cs 17 c4 is one good reply, after which
Black forces White to m ake a deci 17 ... d4 18 'li'f3! threatens both 19 'iYxb7
sion, but it is already hard to suggest and 19 �f6.
another plan. For example: 17 C4!
18
Came2
G.Kasparov-N.Short
Zu rich (ra pid) 2001
French Defence
1 e4 e6
I have played the French Defence for
most of my life. It is a solid opening,
but one that can be subjected to some
vicious attacks, as in this game.
Yet another good attacking move. 2 d4 d s 3 tt:Jd2 cs
White wants to open lines by under This and 3 ...tt:Jf6 are Black's main
mining Black's pawn formation. options.
17 ...d4 4 tt:Jgf3 tt:Jf6
17 ... ..tg7 may have l asted a bit Play transposes back into a line of
longer, but the result would have been the 3 ..tt:Jf6 Tarrasch.
.
the same after 18 cxds �xds (18 ... exds s es tt:Jfd7 6 c3

19 .l:!.e7+) 19 l:!.ad1 'ir'fs 20 'iVxfS+ gxfs This line has become very popular
21 .l:.d7+ 'it>g8 22 l:he6 when White is over the last ten years. White prepares
completely winning. to sacrifice his pawn on d4 in return for
18 'ir'f3+ 'it>gB 19 ..if6 1-0 castling quickly and starting an attack
What can we learn from this game? against the black king.
It graphically demonstrates just 6 . b6?!
..
how costly a m ajor error can be in the

opening. We saw here how quickly the
black king came under attack, all be
cause of s ...tt:Jxbs, which wasted time
and made it hard for Black to castle.
When faced with a new move early
on, spend some time and try to avoid
placing your king in any danger.
H aving seen a quick win by Nigel

Short, let's now have a look at a game
that he lost in short order to his neme This is a sideline and has largely
sis (and most players' nem esis), Garry remained one due to Kasparov's ener
Kasparov. getic handling. Black's play has a good
19
Ho w to Win a t C h e s s - Q u ic k ly !
positional basis, swapping off his po I like this idea. White has worked
tentially bad light-squared bishop for out what Black is planning and so tries
its counterpart which often gets to at to put a stop to it.
tack from d3, but the problem is that 1 �e1
...
such a plan is quite slow. Indeed, Black Black can also try:
never actually manages to exchange a) 7 ... i.a6 8 a4 i.xbs 9 axbs awk
the light-squared bishops in this game, wardly clamps Black's queenside and
so the text seems like a waste of time. reveals White's main idea.
You cannot get away with wasting b) 7 ... a6 8 i.d3 when Black can no
time against Kasparov! Moreover, it is longer play ...i.a6, but I wonder
rarely a good idea to aim for a passive whether the untested 8 ... as ! ? is possi
position where you lack space or any ble. White has a number of responses,
decent ideas for counterplay. Short is a including:
very strong grandmaster, as we have b1) 9 0-0 i.a6 10 .ixa6 .!Llxa6 and
seen, but here he makes a mistake now White should play actively before
more common with fairly weak club Black has time to castle and consoli
players: drifting into a passive position date. However, after 11 c4! .!Llc7! Black
where he lacks a good plan. Please aims to recapture on either cs or ds
avoid such an approach in the openin g ! with a knight and this position seems
6. . .tt:Jc6 is the normal move, after playable for him.
which play could continue 7 i.d3 i.e7 b2} 9 .!Llb1 ! ? tries to take advantage
(7 ...'Wb6 8 0-0 cxd4 9 cxd4 tt:Jxd4 10 of the weakened bs-square by plan
tt:Jxd4 �xd4 11 .!Llf3 is the aforemen ning .!Lla3 and .!Llbs.
tioned dangerous gambit) 8 o-o and b3} 9 i.bs ! ? is a rather cheeky move,
now 8 ... g S ! ? is an interesting and excit but I expect that it is not the best idea,
ing possibility for Black. especially as 9 ... .!Lla6 (9 ... �a6 10 a4 is
1 i.bs! again the point behind White's play) 10
0-0 .!Llc7 11 i.c6! ? can only be described
as a mess.
8 0-0 0-0
Black has also played 8 ... i.a6 when
the game I.Smirin-E.Weinzetti, Pula
2000, continued 9 a4 i.xbs 10 axbs
(White's pawn on bs is very trouble
some for Black as he will find it hard to
develop his queenside pieces, especially
the knight on b8} 10 ....!Llf8 (making
room for the queen's knight) 11 c4! (a
20
Th e Exp o s e d Ki n g
typi cal idea; White wants to open up from doing anything whatsoever on
th e centre before Black can castle) the queenside.
1 1.. .lbg6 12 dxcs bxcs 13 lLlb3 o-o 14 11 .....txbs?
'ife2 dxc4 15 l:td1 tLld7 16 tLlas 'ife7 17 This is the final error in a tough po
t2Jc6 tLlb6 18 .l:!.a6 and Black was under sition. After this move Short can only
pressure, lacking space and good sit back and pray, as he won't be able
squares for his pieces. to develop his queenside. I have to ad
g .l:!.e11 mit that I am not envious of his posi
tion in any case though. I can only sug
gest that Black aims to get some coun
terplay along the c-file, such as with
11...'ifc7, intending to continue with
... .l:!.c8 and ... cxd4. After 12 lbg3 .l:!.c8 13
..tg s ! White's initiative still looks dan
gerous, but at least Black has a plan.
White's worst piece is his knight on

d2. There it blocks the dark-squared
bishop and has no real future. Thus
Kasparov places his rook on a good
square and makes way for lLlf1, lLlg3
and finally lLlh s. This plan works per
fectly in the game. Black really needs to
formulate a counter-plan, but there 12 axbs
isn't an obvious one available. Taking over control of the a6- and
9 ...as c6-squares.
It is hard to suggest an alternative. 12 ...l:te8
The story of this game is, quite frankly, Black is planning on playing ...lbf8
avoid at all costs a passive position when all he can do is wait and try to
where you lack any counterplay. defend his kingside, which is hardly a
10 lbf1 pleasant situation against one of the
White's plan, on the other hand, is best attacking players of all time!
very straightforward. 13 t2Jg3 lLlfs 14 t2Jhs
10... ..ta6 11 a41 The knight finally reaches an ag
Kasparov is aiming to stop Black gressive square.
21
14... lt:Jbd7 17 ...�d7?!

Black has completed his develop This is a slight mistake, but it is
ment, but his pieces rather lack good hard to suggest another move. More
squares. They are all badly cramped over, it is not entirely clear at first
without any good prospects. glance why this move is a mistake.
15 g31 18 �h6!1
White slowly improves his position. An amazing move. White could play
The plan is to gain some space on the slowly, but Kasparov prefers to rip the
kingside with h2-h4 and, if needed, black king's defences apart. Note too
Wg2 and even l:th1, after which White how White's queen's knight has gone
can hope to open up the kingside, es from being quite a passive piece to a
pecially the h-file. great one, exerting crucial pressure
1S ... lt:Jg6 against g 7.
Short is flapping, but one has to feel 18 ...gxh6
sorry for him. Black can only really wait Black's only chance is to accept the
until his king is checkmated. sacrifice.
16 h4 19 �d2!
Increasing the pressure. The white queen enters the king side
16 ...4Jdf8 with deadly effect.
Every black piece is playing a purely 19 .. .fs
defensive role. The only way for Black to defend is
17'>t>g2 to move the f-pawn, as then his queen
White avoids rushing; an instructive has chances to defend along his second
approach. If you have the advantage rank.
and your opponent lacks counterplay, 20 exf6 �dB
give him some chances to strangle It m akes little difference if the
himself, as indeed Black now does. bishop moves to d6: 20 ...�d6 21 �xh6
22
:a7 22 CL!g s with a similar position to idea and kept up the pressure on
th e game and one in which Black is White's position.
defenceless.
21 'Wxh6 l:Ia7 22 CL!gs
Game3
J.Hawkins-R.Palliser
British Cha m pion ship,
T orq uay 2009
Modern Benoni
1 d4 ctJf6 2 C4 C5
This is an aggressive way of playing
against 1 d4. With it Black normally
intends to play the Benko or, as in this
game, the Modern Benoni.
The two knights make an impres 3 dS e6 4 t:bc3 exds 5 cxds d6 6 e4 g6
sive sight. Now 23 f7+ is a m ajor threat The starting point of the Modern
and White is completely winning. Benoni. I suspect that White should
22 'Wxbs 23 f7+ �xf7 24 CL!xf7 1-0
... have an advantage with best play, as
There is no good way of stopping he does enjoy a useful space advan
mate on g7. tage, but Black has a lot of tactical
Ever since his 6th-move error Short chances, often based on tricks down
never really h ad much of a chance in the e-file and/or an early ... bs break.
this game. It is always important to 7 �d3
have a plan; without one you will play
aimless moves that do not have any
real purpose.
Avoid playing into a passive position
where you Tack a good plan. I would
always recommend choosing a risky
option over playing too passively.
If I remember correctly, our next

g ame was awarded the Game of the
Day prize at l ast year's British Champi
onship. A fair reward, but maybe it also This system of development com
should have won Game of the Tourna bined with t:bge2 is often called the
ment. Palliser played a very interesting Penrose System, having been popular-
23
ized by the former British Champion. up with ...� 4 or ...fs. White should put
White wants to move his knight from a stop to this plan.
g1 to g 3 via e2. He will then often con 10 lZ'lg3?!
tinue with f2-f4, aiming for a danger This is already an error. I would not
ous kingside attack. have been happy allowing the black
Two other dangerous systems knight to stay on g4. My first reaction
against the Benoni are: would be to kick it away as quickly as
a) The Taimanov Attack with 7 f4 is possible. Indeed, 10 h 3 ! must be the
critical. White just wants to blow Black right way to continue and after, for
away in the centre with e4-e5. example, 10 ...lZ'les (the black knight
b) 7 lZ'lf3 .i.g7 8 h 3 o-o 9 .i.d3 is the looks a lot less scary here compared to
other main line. In this position White g4) 11 .i.c2 lZ'la6 12 f4 lZ'ld7 13 lZ'lg3 l:i.b8
is aiming to play 0-0, �f4, ne1 and at 14 'it>h 1 bS 15 a4 the position remains
the right moment e4-e5, which will unbalanced, but at least White has
give him a dangerous passed d-pawn. g ained time by pushing the black
7 ...�g7 8 lZJge2 o-o 9 o-o knight around.
In view of Black's answer to this 10.. .'iYh4!
move, it was also worth considering Black grasps the opportunity to play
playing 9 h3 first. this active move. There is only one way
g ...lZ'lg4!? to stop mate on h2.
11 h3 lZ'lxf2!?
I like this concept as it makes White

think from an early stage. White is Another move that unbalances the
faced with a rather strange-looking nature of the position ! Black is aiming
idea so he should not move on autopi to take advantage of the weakened
lot, as he actually does in the g ame. dark squares in White's position.
Black is basically trying to start an at 12 l:i.xf2
tack on the king side and he may follow The problem that White faces is ad-
24
j usting to the new situation. A couple very well after 18 �xes) 16 Jlaf1 (not
of moves ago he was expecting to get 16 �xf8? tt:Jes ! when Black is winning
in his plan of tt:'lg3, f2-f4, etc. Now that as White's bishop on d3 is en prise)
is impossible, so he needs to settle 16 ... tt:les. The position remains unclear,
down and prepare himself for a new but I would prefer to have the black
battle. In the game Hawkins reacts rea pieces - just look at Black's control over
sonably well, but he is already on the the d4- and es-squares!
back foot and this is not what he would
have wanted with the white pieces.
Note that after 12 <;i;>xf2 �d4+ 13
'itn3 White's position looks quite suspi
cious and, indeed, Black should be do
ing well after 13 ... h s ! , threatening a
rather nasty check on g4.
12 JWxg3
..
Black would now dearly love to play

either ... �d4 or ...�es, so White makes
that difficult.
14 a6 15 tt:lc7
...
This looks very logical, but it was also

worth considering 15 tt:lxd6! ? which of
fers the exchange after 1S ... ..td4 16 'i¥f3.
However, Black would be unwise to ac
cept the exchange here as this would
leave his dark squares extremely weak. I
suppose that 16 ... 'ifxf2+ 17 'ifxf2 ..txf2+
18 <;i;>xf2 f6 is playable and roughly
equal, but Black's position has lost a lot
of its dynamism. Instead 16 ... tt:ld7!, aim
13 ..tf4 'ifh4 14 tt:lbs! ing for es, looks correct: for example, 17
So far, so good for H awkins. He too �e3 tt:les 18 'ife2 �xh 3 ! (the position
is playing in a critical and sharp man remains extremely complicated) 19
n er. ..txd4 cxd4 20 gxh3 'ir'g3+ 21 l:tg2 'ifxd3
Another idea was 14 ..txd6, but 22 'ifxd3 tt:lxd3 23 .Ud2 tt:Jes and Black
Black gets very good control of the dark may be better at the end of the compli
squares after 14.....td4 15 'iVf3 tt:'ld7 ! cations, as the white knight on d6 could
(1S .....txf2+? 16 'il'xf2 'il'xf2+ 17 'lt>xf2 be in trouble and Black's d-pawn could
l:te8 is too greedy and White is doing become a real pain.
25
1S ..Jb 7 dark-squared bishop again dominates

Black has to hold on to this rook. At the board and White is strategically
the moment the rook looks daft on a7, lost.
but it has chances to come back into 17 .. .tbd7 18 ..txfS
play after ...bs. White captures some material. This
16 i.xd6 makes sense as the other options were
This is the only sensible move avail far less appetizing. Indeed, while 18
able to White and he will now have a 'iVf4 attempts to relieve the pressure by
passed d-pawn for the rest of the exchanging queens, it does not make
game. White's life any easier: 18 ...'iVxf4 19
16...i.d4 i.xf4 ttJes (Black's minor pieces are far
superior to White's: the bishop on d4
rules the board and the knight on e s
places White's bishop under attack) 20
.U.d1 bS! (gaining space on the queen
side while attacking the knight) 21 d6
:d8 22 i.c2 f6! (reinforcing the es
square - Black does not need to rush
here; instead 22 ... ctJc4?! is tempting
when it looks like White's pawns are
about to drop, but he can remove
Black's strong dark-squared bishop: 23
This bishop on d4 is extremely l:txd4! cxd4 24 eS and White is right
strong and it causes White no end of back in the game) 23 i.b3+ c4 24 .l::f.xd4
trouble. (24 i.c2 :xd6) 24 ... cxb3 25 ttJds bxa2
17 'i'd2 and Black is better.
A rather strange move as 17 'iVf3 1S ttJes!?
...
looks a lot m ore logical, thereby obtain Black refrains from capturing the
ing some pressure against Black's bishop on f8 as the knight leaps for
pawn on f7. I suspect, though, that ward. However, 18 ...ttJxf8 was also sen
White was worried that Black would sible. The knight can still return to d7
manoeuvre his knight to eS with and then es. White can activate his
tempo. Play might have continued light-squared bishop with 19 d6 i.xh3
17 ... ctJd7! 18 l:!.afl ttJes 19 ..txes ..ixes, 20 i.c4 (not 20 gxh 3 ? 'iVg 3+ 21 Wf1
which looks very difficult for White. i.xf2! and Black is winning), but it still
Black m ay even be winning, as what seems that Black is better after
does White do about his knight on c7? 20 ... i.e6 21 i.xe6 ttJxe6 22 ttJxe6 fxe6
After 20 ltJe6 i.xe6 21 dxe6 bs! Black's and the pin of f2 remains. Indeed, it is
26
Th e Exp o s e d Ki ng
n ot clear how White will get out of it. dark-squared bishop has been ex
19 l:taf1? changed, its counterpart on d4 is all
too powerful.
20 ttJe6+
I cannot blame White for playing
this move as it is natural to hit out, es
pecially as the other option, 20 ..te2, is
very passive and basically says: 'I ha
ven't got a plan. My position is bad.
Finish me off!'
20 ..txe6 21 dxe6 b6
...
I am not sure why Black did not

push this pawn one more square:
This m ay be White's only m ajor mis 21...b S ! seems a lot more sensible. After
take in the whole g ame. The m ain all, this is the main idea in the Benoni !
problem that H awkins has long faced is 22 ..tc2 �g7
Black's dark-squared bishop. I would White's dark squares are horribly
have tried hard to swap this piece off weak and with ... �g7 Black slowly im
by playing 19 ..1h6 ! which seems to proves the placement of his remaining
keep the balance. White wants to bring pieces, the king and rook on a7.
the bishop back to e3 to break the pin 23 ..1b3 fxe6
against his rook on f2 and after 23 .. .f6 allows 24 ..tds when it is not
19 ... ttJxd3 20 ..1e3 'i*'xe4 {not 20 ...ttJxf2? ! clear how Black removes the white
21 ..txf2 ..txh3 22 ..txd4 cxd4 23 'i*'xd4 pawn on e6.
when White has a large advantage) 21 24 ..txe6 �e7 25 ..tds
l:.e2 one major factor in White's favour
is the position of Black's rook on a7;
had it been on f8 then White would be
in serious trouble. An assessment of
roughly equal seems about fair here:
for example, 2 1...bS 22 ttJe8 ! {a good
move; White has tactics available
bas ed on ttJf6+) 22 ... .l:te7 23 ..txd4
'i*'xd4+ 24 �h1 �xe2 25 'ii'x e2 ..tb7 26
l:.f1 ..txds 27 ttJf6+ �g7 28 'i*'e7 and
perpetual check looms large.
19 �xf8
... And now Black finishes off a great
Sim ple and good. Now that White's game with a brilliant combination.
27
2 S lL'lf3+!! 0-1
... Mihail Tal was famous for his amaz
White resigned. This might be ing attacking play so I thought it only
slightly premature, but the position is appropriate to include a game of his.
hopeless after 26 gxf3 'iVg3+ 27 Wh1 Tal's style of play was not always 'cor
'iVxh 3+ 28 'it>g1 .l:!.es 29 'iVf4 .l:!.h s as rect', though, as the next game shows.
White quickly runs out of checks: 30 A number of his attacks have subse
'iVf7+ 'it>h6 31 'iVf8+ ..t>g s 32 f4+ 'it>h4 33 quently been refuted, partly through
'iVe7+ ..t>g3 . the use of computers, but in a practical
sense they were always dangerous to
face. After all, when you're up against a
barrage of tactics it is easy to go wrong.
Game4
B.Spassky-M.Tal
Montrea l 1979
Queen's Indian Defence
1 d4
A n extremely pretty finish. Had it Spassky, another former World
been played, it would surely have in Champion, sometimes played in quite
creased Palliser's chances of winning an original way, but here the game
the tournament's best game prize. starts in a very classical manner.
This was a powerful demonstration 1 ltJf6 2 c4 e6 3 lL'lf3 b6
•..
of dark-square domination ! Black's A standard continuation. The

dark-squared bishop was the real hero Queen's Indian is very popular among
of this game by keeping White under the top players nowadays. Black wants
constant pressure. Note how Black to control the centre from the flank,
never actually captured the rook on f2; with the fight for the e4-square being
the pin against it was much more particularly important.
powerful. 4 e3
White's real mistake in my opinion Currently the line 4 g 3 i.a6 5 '*ic2
was his refusal to immediately attack .tb7 6 .tg 2 cs 7 dS, as we will see in
Black's knight on g4. He should have Game 20, is all the rage.
played 10 h3. Indeed, we might even go 4... .tb7 s i.d3 ds
so far as to say that White did not give I would have considered s ...lL'le4 ! ?
the move ... lL'lg4 the respect it deserved, which looks like a sensible way of
for which he paid the ultimate price! reaching a favourable Dutch structure.
28
1 say favourable as White's best way of Tal anticipates the centre opening
meeting the Dutch is with a kingside up, after which his rook will be well
fianchetto, which is obviously not pos placed. Another natural move was
sible here. 10 ..lt:le4, but White can aim to quickly
.
dislodge this knight with 11 �c2.

11 �c2
Controlling the e4-square and
thereby stopping ... lt:le4. In contrast 11
�e2 does not control e4 so Black can
respond with 11 . .lt:le4.
.
11 ... cs 12 cxds
This releases some of the tension in
the centre, but White keeps a solid
structure.
12 ... exds 13 dxcs bxcs
6 b3
As White has played e2-e3 he has to
think about the future of his dark
squared bishop. The b2-square seems
like an ideal one for this piece as from
b2 it gives extra protection to d4 and
es.
6....td6
The bishop is more aggressively
placed here compared to e7. Just look
at what happens later with this piece!
7 0-0 0-0 8 i.b2 lt:lbd7 White has given up his centre in the
Both sides are playing very logically. hope that Black's pawns on dS and cs
The black knight is better positioned will become weak. These pawns are
here than on c6 as it does not block the often described as 'hanging pawns'
light-squared bishop. and this type of structure has been
9 lt:lbd2 reached in many games. On the down
White is thinking in a similar vein, side, Black now has slightly more space
avoiding blocking his dark-squared in which to manoeuvre and chances to
bi shop. gain some activity. I expect that Tal
9 ...'ife7 was happy with this!
Black connects the rooks. 14 'iVc3
10llctllad8 I am not sure about this move as it
29
really does ask to b e attacked by ... d4 at bishop} 18 ..ltxc4 ..ltxf3 19 tt:lxf3 (19
some stage. Spassky is certainly playing gxf3 ? allows Black a nice tactical shot:
in a very provocative m anner. 19 ... �xd2 20 'iVxd2 ttJes 21 'ife2 .l:.d2 !,
14....l::!.fe8 15 .l::!.f d1?! which echoes a combination we'll see
in Game 43, Williams-Cherniaev)
19 ... -ltxe1 when Black wins the ex
change, but White's dark-squared
bishop has become a very strong piece.
At least this way White takes the initia
tive, whereas in the game Black gets all
the attacking chances.
1S ... d4!?
This move frees Black's pieces. From
the computer's point of view it m ay be
an error as Black's attack is not entirely
White continues in the same man sound, but from a practical standpoint
ner as his previous move, basically say it is an excellent idea.
ing: 'come and have a go if you think 16 exd4 cxd4
you're hard enough ! ' I would have
thought twice about playing like this
had I been faced with the Master of
Attack, Mikhail Tal. I remember that
the late Simon Webb emphasized the
importance of sometimes playing the
player, and not the board, in his excel
lent book Chess for Tigers. If you know
that your opponent is a tactical mas
termind, then avoid giving him
chances to attack.
A more sensible and restrained ap 17 'ifas?
proach was 15 l:Ue1, which stops Black Spassky immediately goes wrong.
from playing ... d4. Play could continue The only way to remain true to White's
1S ... c4! ? (I am sure that this is just the plan was by playing 17 lbxd4, which
type of m ove that would have sprung wins a pawn, although White had to
to Tal's mind; Black wants to play calculate the consequences of what
.....ltb4 with pressure against White's would have happened if Black had sac
dark squares) 16 bxc4 ..ltb4 17 'ii'c 2 rificed with the tempting 17 ...-ltxh2+
dxc4 (opening up Black's light-squared 18 'it>xh2 lbg4+:
30
a) 19 'it>g 1! 'i!Vh4 20 tLl2f3 'iVxf2+ 21 attempt at defence would have been

�h l and it is not clear how Black 19 lt:Jfl, but Black still has the initiative
sh ould continue. The position remains after 19 ... lt:Jds ! , heading for f4 and al
very complicated, but the onus is on lowing his queen access to the king
Black to prove that his investment has side. After 20 lt:Jg3 lt:Jf4 21 .i.f1 h s
been a good one. White is i n trouble.
b) However, moving the king the 19....:tds!
other way could well lead to trouble: 19 The rook enters the attack with gain
�g3 'WeS+ 20 f4 (or 20 �xg4 lt:Jf6+ of tempo.
when White's king looks stupid and is 20 'tlt'd2
not going to survive for long) 20...'iVe3+ Can you find the move that Tal
21 lt:J4f3 'Wf2+ 22 �h 3 (22 �xg4 runs chose next?
into 22 ... .txf3+ 23 lt:Jxf3 'tlt'xg 2+ 24 �h4
'tlt'f2+) 22 ... lt:Jdf6 when Black's attack is
very dangerous and well worth the in
vested piece.
11 ...tt:Jes
Now Black gets an attack without
any loss of m aterial.
18 lt:Jxes
White could have pinned the knight
with 18 .:tel, but this move runs into
trouble after 18 ....i.xf3 ! .
1B ....txes 20....i.xh2+1
The classic Greek Gift, but here
Black is planning to use his rook and
not his knight in the attack.
21 �xh2 .:ths+!
Instead 21 ...4.::lg 4+ would have given
some chances to defend with 22 �g 3.
22 �g1
White's other option was 22 �g3.
Then all that Black has to do is move his
queen to h4, but how can he achieve
this? 22 ... lt:Je4+! (that's right!) 23 .txe4
19 tt.::lc4? 'iYh4+ 24 �f3 'tlt'xe4+ 25 �g3 'i!Vh4 and
White moves his knight the wrong it's m ate.
way and his king is left bare. A better 22 ...lt:Jg4 0-1
31
H o w to Win a t Ch es s - Q u ic k ly !
White resigned a s mate follows,

such as with 23 .l:!.e1 .l:!.h 1+! 24 'it>xh l
iVh4+ 25 '&t>g1 iVh2+ 26 'it>f1 iVh1 mate.
To my mind Spassky m ade two in
structive, if surprising, mistakes from
which we can learn.
Firstly, it is always important to bear
in mind who you are playing.
Thus if you know that your oppo
nent is a great attacker, it may be wise
to avoid any type of position where he
can attack. White's 12th move was a slightly
Secondly, if you are going to be at strange idea. After the exchange on c6
tacked anyway, at least grab some ma Black will always have a strong central
terial to help you through theforthcom pawn majority and it is not entirely
ing hard times. clear where White's king will reside.
Going long exposes White to an attack
down the b-file, but going short is
Game s rather at odds with his earlier play.
V.Anand-G.Kasparov 13 �h6 C5 14 �C4
World Championship A more promising idea m ay have
(Ga me 13), New York 1995 been 14 �xg7 'it>xg7 15 'i¥e2 file? (after
Sicilian Defence 15 ... c4? ! 16 �xc4 'iVa5 17 �b3 Black is
not in a position to capture on c3 as
1 e4 c5 2 t'Llf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 t'Llxd4 t'Llf6 White can always play 'it>f2) 16 �c4
5 t'Llc3 g6 lib8 17 o-o-o, as was played in I.Madl
This was the second time that Kas S.Farago, Budapest 1989, and here
parov had played the Dragon in this Black should have continued 17 ... 'it'b6!
match against Anand, but it m ay still 18 b3 'iVb4 when the position is equal.
have come as a shock. Kasparov's fa 14...fl/b6
vourite opening was the Najdorf, but Black leaves his rook on c8 just in
here he uses the Dragon to confuse case White m oves the light-squared
Anand from an early stage. This is a bishop from c4, as then he can push
good psychological ploy and Anand the c-pawn.
responds rather strangely. 15 �xg7 'it>xg7 16 b3 �e61
6 �e3 �g7 7 'iVd2 t'Llc6 8 f3 o-o 9 �c4 White's bishop on c4 is holding his
.lTl.d7 10 h4 h5 11 �b3 .l:.c8 12 t'Llxc6?! position together so Black aim s to ex
bxc6 change it.
32
Th e Exp o s e d Kin g
chances to survive. A n exchange of

queens would help White, as his king is
the main target and some of the pres
sure would have been taken off by such
an exchange.
21...::!.ce8 22 bxc4
After 22 exf7 .l:.xf7 23 .l:.f1 (or 23
'it>d1 nfe7 24 .l:.e1 d4 25 cxd4 tLld5 !
when Black's knight gets an invite to
the party) 23 ....l:!.fe7 24 .l:.f2 Black con
cludes neatly with 24...l:Ixe2+ 25 .l:.xe2
11 ttJds ..txds 18 exds es! 'ii'g 1 mate.
Instead 18 ... e6 19 o-o-o e5 would 22 ....l:.xe6 23 'it>f1
simply lose a tempo. The position of White's king re
19 dxe6? mains a problem too after 23 cxd5
A very odd decision. White chooses .l:.e5 ! : for example, 24 f4 (or 24 c4 .l:.fe8)
to open up the position even though 24....l:.xd5 25 'ir'c2 'ir'e3 when Black has a
his king remains in the centre. This big advantage.
probably shows that he was not en 23 ....l:.fe8 24 ..td3 dxc4 25 ..txc4 ltJe4
tirely happy with the way the game 0-1
had gone so far. Like Hawkins against
Palliser, Anand has not adapted well to
an unexpected situation. In the early
middlegame White was aiming to
pressure Black's pawn on e7, but now
that Black has advanced with ... e5
White cannot come to terms with the
fact that he has to change plan and
therefore he captures on e6. The prob
lem is that this capture opens up the
proverbial can of worms.
19... ds 20 ..te2 c4 A neat move, after which Anand de
This move makes it very hard for cided to resign in a hopeless position.
White to ever castle on either side of Anand appeared to suffer from an
th e board. uncharacteristic lack of judgement in
2 1 C3? this game. Most certainly after ... e5 he
Instead 2 1 .l:.d1 c3 22 'ii'd4 fxe6 23 should never have been tempted to
f4! ? would have given White some capture en passant, especially with his
33
H o w to Win a t Ch ess - Q u i c k ly !
king screaming out for assistance. Per- 4...�e7?!

haps Anand was guilty of playing in a
slightly too optimistic manner. Rather
than accepting the fact that his posi
tion was equal at best, he pushed for
an advantage he wrongly thought was
there and was duly punished.
I expect that a number of the read

ers will have seen the next game be
fore, but it is still well worth taking a
look at. In the opening Black finds him
self in a rather cramped position which I am not too keen on this move as it
makes life a bit tricky. You have to play does nothing to stop White's plan. It is
very accurately when you have a nearly always a good idea to try and
cramped position, since one mistake stop your opponent's plan, as we have
can lead to your position imploding, as seen already in this book.
graphically demonstrated here. H ere 4 ... �b4! is much more logical.
Black takes back control of the e4-
square due to the pin on White's
Game 6 knight on c3. Moreover, if Black can
Ed.Lasker-G.Thomas capture on c3 he will inflict some struc
London 1912 tural damage.
Dutch Defence 5 i.xf6 i.xf6 6 e4
White has succeeded with his open
1 d4 e6 2 l2Jf3 fs ing plan of playing d2-d4 and e2-e4.
The Dutch. One of my favourite Black now has to think of the best way
openings, but also quite a difficult to proceed.
opening to get to grips with. 6 fxe4?1
.••
3 l2Jc3 This is a mistake as it gives White

This approach, aiming for e2-e4, is control of the b1-h7 diagonal; a factor
not worrying for Black if he proceeds which will prove to be Black's downfall.
with care. A much better move is 6 ... ds!, clos
3 ...l2Jf6 ing the position and so m aking it
Stopping White's plan for the time harder for White to attack. I reached
being. this position quite recently with the
4 �g5 white pieces and after 7 exfs ( I thought
Renewing the threat of e2-e4. that I might be able to get some sort of
34
Th e Exp o s e d Ki ng
advantage by aiming to control the es Avoiding 9 'iVh S+, but Black is play
square, but this did not turn out to be ing very provocatively and his king re
true; the alternative is 7 e s 1i.e7 8 1i.d3 m ains in danger on g8.
cS, but at the time I was worried that g 1i.d3 1i.b7 10 'I!Vhs
this way Black would manage to obtain The final white piece moves over to
a good version of the French) 7 ... exfs 8 the kingside. This is without doubt a
.Jtd3 'I!Vd6! Black continued with ...l2Jc6 critical moment and Black should have
at some point when he had no serious been afraid here. That said, had Black
problems. continued correctly it is not clear that
7 l2Jxe4 b6 he would have been worse.
Alternatively: 10 'iie 7??
...
a) ? ... dS?! is a positional mistake as The losing mistake, as it is now

after 8 l2Jxf6+ 'iVxf6 White will always checkmate by force! Sir George Thomas
have control of the es-square so he completely lost his sense of danger
must be better. here. Black should have played
b) 7 ... d6 is a better idea, but I expect 10 ... 1i.xes!, as he needs to exchange
that Black was worried about his e6- some pieces to ease his defence.
pawn which has been weakened.
s ttJesl?
A brutal idea! White creates a route
for his queen which can now fly out to
hS. There was another decent and
probably even stronger plan available
in 8 1i.d3, though, bringing the bishop
to its best square and making it hard
for Black to castle.
Indeed, when you are under attack

it is often a good idea to look for ex
changes that will make your position
easier to play. After this correct re
sponse White might have tried:
a) 11 l2Jf6+? does not work in view
of 11 ... 1:1xf6 12 1i.xh7+ c;i;>f8 or 12 'iixh7+
c;i;>f8 13 'iVh8+ c;i;>e? 14 'iVxg7+ l:1f7 15
'iix es 'iVg8.
8 0-0
... b) 11 dxe s ? ! loses the pawn on es:
35
H o w to Win a t Chess - Q u ic k ly !
11. . J:Us 12 'it'h 3 llxes with a good posi

tion for Black.
c) Thus surprisingly 11 tbd2 ! is the
only way that White can keep the bal
ance! The position is roughly equal af
ter 11 ... g6 (11 ... ..ixd4?? runs into a
standard mate after 12 �xh7+ �h8 13
�g6+ 'lt>g8 14 � 7 m ate) 12 'ii'x es tbc6
13 'ii'e 3 tbb4! . Again Black wants to ex
change some more pieces so that his
king feels more secure.
Returning to the game, after There was another way of finishing
10 ... 'W!Ve7?? can you spot the continua the game: 14 f4+ 'it>xf4 15 g3+ 'it>f3 (or
tion that Lasker played? 1S ... �g5 16 h4 m ate) 16 0-0 mate. In
the game White also castles with mate,
but in the other direction !
14 ... 'it>f4 15 g3+ �f3 16 �e2+ 'it>g2 17
l:.h2+ 'it>g1 18 o-o-o mate (1-0)
11 'ii'x h7+!!
A stunning sacrifice that chases the
black king to its death ! This is not so
surprising, though, considering the
number of pieces lurking around the A beautiful, amusing and instruc
black king. tive final position. It is not often that
11...'it>xh7 12 tbxf6+ 'it>h6 you can end a g ame by castling.
It's mate immediately in the event Black made one major error in this
of 12 ... 'it>h8 13 tbg6. game, seemingly being unaware of the
13 ttJeg4+ danger facing him.
Every move comes with check which When your opponent places most of
makes calculating the end easier. his pieces near your king, you must take
13 .....t>gs 14 h4+ care. Do not rush in theface of danger!
36
Chapter Two
Exploiting a n Adva ntage in Development
Development is obviously a very impor- easily lead him into trouble early on.
tant factor in chess. I am sure that the
reader is well aware that chess is based
on war and that in war a general needs M.Yeo-M.Surtees
to use all his troops. You cannot imag B ritish Cham pions h i p,
ine a lone unit taking on an entire Torq uay 2009
army: it would be suicide. Coordination Irregular Opening
between the troops is the key factor.
The same is true in chess; a player 1 d4 c6
needs to use all of his pieces. Every be On its own this move is not bad, but
ginner is taught that in the opening the follow-up is suspect.
you should develop your knights and 2 tt:lf3 f6?!
bishops, which is often combined with
the aim of controlling the centre with
your pawns. This is true, but in a game
of chess you need to use all your pieces.
First of all, let's take a look at a seg
ment of one Mike SuTtees' games. Sur
te es is a talented individual, but has his
own opening systems, which he has
collectively l abelled ' Revolutionary
Opening Theory' or ROT. These systems
often neglect development and so can
37
What o n earth is this very dodgy If you have an advantage i n devel

looking move? The pawn on f6 may opment then you will often need to
support ... es at a later point, but Black play actively and with energy to capi
is not thinking about where his pieces talize on it. Try not to give your oppo
want to go. For a start where does the nent a chance to stabilize the position,
knight on g8 now move to? It would but keep the pressure up. Indeed, the
normally jump out to f6, but that is no initiative is a powerful tool, but it can
longer possible for the time being. change hands very quickly. I think that
3 c4 es 4 ttJc3 .ib4 the most important thing to do is to
At least Black manages to get one play with energy. Do not relax as this
piece to a fairly sensible square. will often give your opponent time to
5 dxes fxes 6 �b3 wriggle out of any trouble that he
White can grab a pawn with 6 ttJxes might be in .
.ixc3+ 7 bxc3 �as 8 �d4, but Yeo's Let's take a look at some games. Our
approach is simple and strong. first in this chapter was played in the
6... .ixc3+ 7 �XC3 d6 8 C5! last round of Hastings when I had to
win to finish in the prizes. My oppo
nent played very provocatively in the
opening and then m ade a clear mis
take which allowed me to build up a
dangerous attack.
Game l
S.Williams-T.Woodward
Hastings 2003/04
Slav Defence
Black's position is already pretty
bad. Lines are opening and White has 1 d4 dS 2 c4 c6 3 tDc3
the advantage of the two bishops. I always employ this move order as I
B . dxcs 9 �xeS+ �e7 10 �xe7+ Wxe7
.. am happy to enter a Marshall Gambit
White has a pleasant advantage after 3 ... e6 4 e4.
and went on to win convincingly. There 3 ... dxc4!?
is no need to start the game with such An interesting and fairly rare move.
a disadvantage. This is why it is impor Black will try to hold on to his extra
tant to study the openings so that you pawn, but this comes at the price of
can enter the middlegame with as giving up control of the centre. My plan
good a position as possible. from here was thus to play as actively
38
Explo iting a n A d va n ta g e in D e v e l op m e n t
as possible, develop quickly and try to there, so kingside castling is the logical
stop my opponent from obtaining a choice, but then this knight may move
safe and secure set-up. Luckily it to hs via g3.
worked out perfectly in the g ame! 6 ...tz:Jf6?
4 e4 This natural m ove is already an er

I was happy to allow Black's next ror as it allows me to play e4-es and
move as I can quickly undermine his then es-e6!. Black should play 6 ... e6
queenside pawns. first as this puts a stop to such danger
4... bs s a4 ous ideas. The position then remains
This is a standard way of meeting pretty unbalanced after 7 lZ:Jf3 tz:Jf6 8
... bs. White aims to weaken Black's lZ:Jg3 Ji.a6 9 ..tgs 'tWas 10 ..te2 tz:Jbd7 11
pawns as quickly as possible, thereby 0-0, as in B.Gelfand-A.Huzman, Israeli
preventing him from stabilizing the Team Championship 2000.
queenside situation. 7 lZ:Jg3 ..ta6
s ... b4 Black hangs on to his m ain asset,
This weakens c4 which m ay later the extra pawn on c4.
fall, but s ... a6 allows 6 axbs cxbs 7 8 es
lZ:lxbs which should be better for The start of an effective plan. This
White. pawn bravely sacrifices itself to wreak
6 lZ:Jce2! havoc in Black's camp.
Various other moves have been s ...tz:Jds 9 e61
played, but this appealed to me the This sacrifice is good for a number
most. I wanted to bring the knight of reasons:
round to the kingside to put some ex 1. It creates some weaknesses on
tra pressure on Black's king. Note that the light squares. For example, if Black
it is very unlikely that Black will castle now plays .. .fxe6, as he does in the
queenside as he has little pawn cover game, then the resulting e6-pawn is a
39
real target for me t o attack. barrassing. Indeed, I would have to

2. Black would like to have played write another book on winning in un
... e6 himself because then his dark der 15 moves!
squared bishop can develop easily, but 10 tLlf3
now this is difficult as he will have two Developing a piece and preparing
pawns in the way after ...fxe6. tt::l g s or tt::l e s. Another positive point
3. White's knights have some very about this move is that it dissuades
attractive squares available to them, Black from playing ... tt::ld 7, as now this
mainly cs, e4 and g s . would run into tt::lg s .
All i n all, 9 e 6 really disrupts Black's 10 g6
...
standard development and forces him Black is aiming to move his dark
to start thinking for himself. squared bishop to g7 and then to cas
tle. I need to act against this plan. Luck
ily for me, my moves are fairly simple!
In actual fact it is quite possible that
Black should have played 10 ... tt::l d 7
anyway to develop his knights, al
though after 11 tt::l g s tLl7f6 12 tt::l x e6
Wkas (or 12 ...Wkd6 13 tt::l c s and Black's
pawn on c4 drops) I still prefer White
who has a number of attractive moves
available, such as 13 tt::lc s and 13 i.e2.
11 tt::le4
9 fxe6
...
Black captures another pawn so he

is currently two pawns up. I suspect
this is the correct policy as his other
option looked far less appealing: 9 .. .f6
10 tt::le 4 (the knight heads for cs)
10...i.c8 11 ..Wg4, when I am a big fan of
White's position and he must be much
better. Here 10 f4! ? also m akes a lot of
sense, as if this pawn reaches fs then
the pawn on e6 will be an absolute
monster that Black will really struggle The knight had become badly
to deal with. One thing that Black must placed on g3, so it moves towards cs or
then avoid is 10 ... g6 11 fs gxfs ? ? 12 m aybe g s .
'i!Vhs mate, which would be rather em- 1 1...i.g7
40
Explo iting a n A d va n ta g e in D e ve l op m e n t
Black's king hopes to reach a rela Play could continue 14 lbxe6 .i£.f6 15
ti vely safe haven on the kingside. The .i£.h 3 when the light-squared bishop is
problem is that it is still going to be a going to be a constant annoyance for
target there. The main reason for this is Black, so White must be better, but at
th at the pawn formation h 7 and g6 is least Black's queenside pieces are feel
fairly shaky; Black would dearly like his ing a bit happier.
pawn back on f7. 14 ttJgs!
12 ltJC5
A lovely square for the white knight.
12 'i!Yc8
•••
I was feeling very happy after this

move, as I did not see how Black would
ever develop his queenside pieces. It
will be difficult to play ... t'bd7, as then
White will reply with ttJxe6. The knight
does not have any other good squares
to move to, so it is basically stuck on b8.
And if the knight is stuck, then so is the
rook on a8. Far from ideal ! Knight power! Black's light squares
12 ...'ifd6 was the move that I feared now fall apart, whereas 14 ttJxe5 would
the most. Black wants to play ... e5 and have allowed Black to exchange some
break out. I was planning to respond pieces with 14.....txe5 15 dxe5 c3 when
with 13 ttJg 5, threatening both 14 I have failed to castle and Black is un
ttJxe6 and 14 ttJge4. der no immediate danger.
13 g3 14 0-0?!
...
I basically asked myself where my It is always difficult defending such

light-squared bishop should be devel positions. This is a very tempting idea,
oped to and h3 was the natural an but it was actually better for Black to
swer. This also allows me to castle and try 14.....tf6 with the idea of eliminat
then play l:te1 at a later moment. An ing one of White's knights. Play might
other option was 13 ttJxa6, but I did not have continued 15 ttJge6 ! ? (this stops
want to allow Black to develop his the black queen from becoming active,
queenside pieces and this knight is a as it has no squares available; 15 ..th3
monster on c5. 'Wic7 16 ttJge6 'il'a5 also looks unpleas
13 es
... ant for Black, but it appears he is hang
Again Black could have bitten the ing on here) 15 ...tiJd7 16 dxe5 ttJxc5 17
bullet by playing 13 ... tiJd7, returning ttJxc5 ..txe5 18 h4!, which is a dual pur
the pawn to further his development. pose move, preparing both h4-h 5 and
41
H o w to Win a t Chess - Q u ic k ly!
�h 3. I would certainly prefer playing such disruptive possibilities at every

the white pieces here! point of the game. Then once Black had
15 �h3 'i//c 7 allowed es-e6, he should have jetti
It is hard to suggest a better alter soned his own resulting pawn on e6 to
native. develop the knight on b8.
16 lt:'lce6 Development is often more impor
White is now winning with a bit of tant than material.
care.
16 ..Ji'as 17 lLlxf8 �xf8 18 o-o Peter Heine Nielsen has been a sec
Now that my king is safe, I can con ond for both Anand and Carlsen, which
centrate on attacking Black's king must have helped his opening prepara
which is l acking any cover. tion immensely. In the following game
18 ...c3 19 1:Ie1 White tries to avoid the main lines, but
There is no need to be flash. plays far too dubiously in the opening.
19 ...�h6 20 �e6+ Wg7 21 'illf 3! He loses time on too many weakening
pawn moves, rather than developing
his pieces, and retribution is swift.
Game 8
T Sondergaard P H Nielsen
.
-
. .
Heisi nger 2009

French Defence
1 e4 e6 2 d4 ds 3 es
The Advance Variation. White seizes
This queen move signals the end. space and would like to launch a king
Black can't defend down the f-file. side attack, so Black must undermine
21 ...l2Jf6 22 dxes cxb2 23 ..ixb2 White's centre and obtain counterplay
Note how all of my pieces have a from a very early stage.
role to play, whereas Black has still not 3 ... cs
developed his queen side bits. Black can rarely do without this un
23 ...�xgs 24 h4 1-o dermining move in the French.
Black resigned as a disaster is about 4 dxcs?!
to occur on f6. The first mistake. White lets his cen
Woodward's major mistake was al tre crumble without putting up a fight,
lowing me to play eS-e6 in the opening. while allowing Black to develop his
You always have to remain aware of dark-squared bishop to a good square
42
Exp l o i t i n g a n A d v a n t a g e in D e ve l op m e n t
on cs. Of course, the normal response White tries to make sense of his
is 4 c3, which keeps White's pawn opening by attacking g?. However, it is
structure intact. rarely a good idea to develop your
4...lLlc6 queen so early and, as we will see, the
It would be ideal if Black could cap queen actually becomes a target on g4.
ture White's pawn on es, as then 6 ...g6 7 a3?
White's centre would have vanished in
just a couple of moves.
5 f4?
Yet another pawn move, which

White hasn't time for. He has broken a
number of basic rules, but how should
White decides to defend the pawn Black continue?
on es, but this move creates too many When you are ahead in develop
weaknesses on the dark squares and in ment it is often a good idea to open up
particular the g1-a7 diagonal. White the position, thereby allowing your
has also only played pawn moves so far pieces to reach better squares and
whereas he should have been concen making it easier to launch an attack
trating more on developing his pieces. against your opponent's king. The best
Indeed, the standard 5 lLlf3 m akes a lot way to open up the position here is by
more sense. playing ...f6 at the appropriate moment
s .....txcs and this is precisely what happens.
Sensible and good. Black develops 7 .. .'ii'b6
another piece and takes control of a First Black activates the queen and
very important diagonal. Now White places more pressure on the a?-gl di
will find it very hard to castle kingside, agonal. The immediate threat is
but queenside castling is not ideal ei 8 .....txg 1.
ther. Never forget to always keep in 8 lLlh3?1
mind the safety of your kin g ! White has to move the knight and
6 'itg4 from h3 it covers the f2-square, but
43
knights o n the rim are dim, a s w e are position, but Black should b e doing
all taught at a young age. A better well after 10 ... hxg6 11 'ti'xg6+ 'it>f8!,
square for this piece would have been walking into the lion's den. I can fully
f3. After 8 tLlf3 Black can displace understand why Black decided against
White's king by playing 8 ... �f2+, which this variation, but calculation is key
is a bit annoying for White, but I would and Black seems to be doing well: for
still prefer to have my knight on f3 example, 12 ttJg s (12 fxe s tLlxes 13
rather than h3. .l:tf1+ �f2+!! wins material} 12 ...'i!Vc7 13
8 f6!
... fxes fixes+ 14 'it>d1 'i!Vfs and as soon as
Black opens up the position. the queens are exchanged, Black will be
9 �d3 winning.
The other option was 9 exf6?! which 10 exf6?!
would have led to an ideal set-up for White is being very obliging. When
Black after 9 ... tLlxf6 (9 ... e s ! ?} 10 'i!Yh4 it is obvious that your opponent wants
0-0. He will continue with ... es when all you to do something, it is often a good
of his pieces are taking part in the idea to avoid making their life so easy.
game, whereas, on the other hand, In other words, chess is a game about
White's king is stuck on e1 and he has creating problems and solving prob
only two pieces developed. lems. You should make your oppo
nent's life as difficult as possible and
create as m any problems as you can for
them.
In this game White does not test
Black. A better plan would have been
10 'ilfh4, which at least creates some
threats against Black's pawn on g6.
Indeed, 10 .. .fxes?! 11 �xg6+ 'it>f8 12
.l:tf1 looks very dangerous for Black.
10 ... 'i!Vg7 ! is a much safer option. White
has still gained though, as if he cap
9 'i!Vc7
... tures on f6 and Black recaptures with
Black tries to force White to capture his knight, the white queen will no
on f6. This looks okay and works out longer be under attack.
perfectly in the game, but I cannot see 10 tLlxf6
...
anything wrong with 9 .. .fxes. I expect Gaining another tempo.

that Nielsen did not want to take any 11 'ifdl?l
risks and was slightly concerned about Again this move is far too compli
10 �xg6+!? which does complicate the ant. The queen should have stayed ac-
44
Exp l o i t i n g a n A d v a n t a g e i n D e ve lop m e n t
tive with 1 1 '1\Vg s, although Black i s still An obvious move, but I am sure that
doing well after 11 ..0-o.
. Nielsen must have enjoyed playing this
pawn push. Now the light-squared
bishop can enter the game and then
Black's army will be fully mobilized.
13 fxes
White's position was hopeless, but
this hastens the end. It would have
been better to have tried to block the e
file, although 13 �e2 �xh 3 14 gxh 3
tbd4 should still be crushing.
13 ...'1\Vxes+
White's king has nowhere to go.
11 ..0-0
. Just compare the positions of both
Black elects to make his king safe sides' pieces.
before undertaking any action in the 14 tbe2
centre. This is a very sensible approach, If White plays 14 'ii'e 2, Black should
but a good alternative was 11 ... es, obviously avoid exchanging queens
starting active play immediately. I re with 14 ...'ik'd4, after which 1S ... l:f.ae8
peat, when you are ahead in develop will be a nasty follow-up.
ment, it is often a good idea to open up 14 ... �xh3 15 gxh3
the position ! Maybe White should have thrown in
12 tbc3 the move 15 �f4, which blocks the f
Only now does White decide to de file, but Black is still winning after
velop his queenside, which is a classic 1S .. .'Yi'e6 16 gxh 3 tbd4.
case of too little, too late. 15 ...tbe4!
12 ...esl White's position is truly hopeless.
16 �f4 �f2+ 17 'it>f1 �e3 o-1
Black wins a piece and the game.
It is clear that White went badly
wrong in the opening. For a start he
neglected his development and wasted
too much time playing pawn moves,
with the hideous 5 f4 the main culprit.
After that, Nielsen's energetic and the
matic play gave him little chance.
Remember you cannot move a pawn
backwards, so if a pawn advance ere-
45
ates a weakness it will b e hard to cover This is the normal position, but now
that weakness in the future. for something completely different to
the standard s lLlf3 lLlc6 6 g 3 .
A long time ago I decided that in or 5 e4!?
der to improve I needed to change my
openings. I had pottered about with
the English Opening for a number of
years, but it did not really suit my style
- I needed to play something more ag
gressive. Then, while looking at the Tar
rasch variation of the Queen's Gambit,
I came across a rare but highly
aggressive idea. A variation which at
tempts to kill Black before he has a
chance to put his clothes on !
I showed this idea to a friend of This tries to tempt Black's pawn
mine, Karl Mah, who had a chance to away from ds, allowing White to take
use it in the forthcoming European over the a2-g8 diagonal with his queen
Junior Championships. He went on to and bishop. Mamedyarov is the best
destroy his opponent in a mere 17 known person who has played in this
moves! ambitious way.
s ... dxe4
The only sensible reply, but now
Game 9 White follows up with ...
K.Mah-8.Vuckovic 6 �c4!?
E u ropea n U 16 Cha m pionsh i p, ... as he is determined to attack f7,
Zaga n 1995 Black's weakest point.
Tarrasch Defence 6 cxd4?!
...
In my opinion this move is slightly

1 d4 ds 2 c4 e6 3 lZJc3 cs greedy, but it is an understandable re
The young Kasparov made good use action considering the shock that
of this approach, which often (but not White's previous two moves must have
in this case!) leads to both sides ma caused. It would have been more ad
noeuvring in an unbalanced middle visable for Black to develop his pieces
game where Black's isolated d-pawn is rather than grab pawns. Indeed, a bet
weak, but in return he enjoys active ter line was 6 ... lZJf6 ! 7 'iVh3 lZJc6! 8
piece play. �xf7+ rbe7 and now Black is threaten
4 cxds exds ing both 9 . . .lZJxd4 and 9 ... lZJas when
46
Exp l o i t i n g a n A d v a n ta g e in D e v e l op m e n t
White's light-squared bishop will be and strong idea. However, after the
com e a target. Here 7 ...cxd4 8 ..txf7+ alternative 9 ...'Lla6 10 ..txa6 ! (10 ..tbs ? !
<tle7 is also interesting when I once is actually a slight mistake as
played the crazy idea 9 'Llf3 ?!, opening 10 ... .i.b4+! 11 llkxb4 'Llxb4 12 .i.xd7+
lines at any cost! .i.xd7 13 'Llxb4 isn 't quite so good for
7 1i'b 3 1i'e7? White) 10 ...bxa6 11 'Llc7+ White wins a
whole rook and the game.
10 'iVg3!
Yet another mistake, which allows

White to improve his position with
tempo. Quite simply, Black is not think From g3 the queen attacks both g7
ing enough about his opponent's pos and d6. Note that White's knight on dS
sibilities. Even in the most complicated is an especially strong piece!
of positions you have to consider what 10 .txf4 11 �xf4
...
your opponent is trying to do. White decides to keep matters sim

7 ... 'ii'd 7 is an improvement, since at ple, but another good choice would
least this move does not run into 'Llds. have been 11 'i'xg7 ! which should also
White should then continue 8 ..tf4 ! ? be winning: for example, 11...llkg4 12
dxc3 9 .:d1 with an interesting and lixh8 �f8 13 'Llxf4 lixf4 14 li:Je2 lif6
double-edged position. 15 'ii'xf6 lt:Jxf6 16 lt:Jxd4 and White is a
B 'Llds clear exchange up, while Black has no
Gaining a tempo by attacking counterplay. As they say in all good
Black's queen. chess books, the rest is a matter of
8 'ii'd 7 9 .i.f4
.. . technique!
After a number of simple develop 11 'it>d8?!
...
in g moves White is already winning ! The king is rather exposed here. The
9 .td6
. .. only other way to stop lt:Jc7+ was by
Black attempts to stop 10 'Llc7+. but playing 11 ...lt:Ja6 which must be an im
n ow White comes up with a unique provement. White keeps a pleasant
47
Ho w to Win a t Ch es s - Q u ic k ly !
advantage after 12 't!Yxe4+ ( 1 2 �xa6? Black's position still looks pretty horri
't!Yxds is good for Black) . 12 .. .<�f8 ble, but this was his only way to try and
(12 ...tLle7?? would run into 13 �bs survive. Maybe White could play 16 f3
i¥xbs 14 'ikxe7 mate) 13 'iixd4, but this here, which aims to open up the e-file
way Black has some chances of sur towards Black's king.
vival. 13 'ikxg7
Vuckovic still doesn't appear to
have recovered from the shock caused
by 5 e4 and 6 �c4. Instead of taking a
deep breath and trying to work out
what was wrong with White's ambi
tious play, it appears that he panicked
and then kept on panicking.
Black cannot defend his rook on h8.

On top of this, White may also be
threatening to play 't!Yf8+ in some posi
tions. Unsurprisingly Black is com
pletely lost.
13 ...'t!Yg4 14 'i!Vf8+
14 't!Yxh8 was also good enough, but
12 'ikes White goes for checkmate!
The white queen targets g7 and d4, 14 ... �d7 15 'i!Vxf7+ �dB?!
and if White can remove Black's pawn 1S ...tt:Jce7 was better, but Black still
on d4, the d-file will be open. White has a miserable position after 16 tt:Je2.
might be able to use this file for his 16 'ikc7+ 'iti>e8 17 'ikd6 1-0
rook - just take a look at the position of With 18 tt:Jc7+ to follow, Black de
Black's queen and king. cided to resign and Karl Mah went on
12 ...tt:Jc6? to win the European Under 16 Cham
This is a m ajor error. Black had to pionship, which was a brilliant result.
play 12 .. .f5, which at least defends g7. The lesson to be learnt from this
Play might have continued 13 't!Yxd4 game is how to react when faced with
tt:Jf6! 14 .U.d1 tt:Jxds (14 ... tt:Jc6? allows a surprise. Here Black accepted the sec
White to capture on ds with his rook ond pawn on offer. If you do not know
after 15 liVes) 15 �xds 'iti>e8 when the theory, this is often a bad idea. One
48
Explo iting a n A d va n ta g e in D e velo p m e n t
pawn i s often enough to win, so why European Team Championship, Novi

risk capturing another one? It is better Sad 2009, led to some highly
n ot to neglect your development - interesting fireworks: 5 tt:Jg5 tt:Jgf6 6
m ove those pieces off the starting line! �d3 e6 7 lt:J1f3 �d6 8 'iVe2 h6 9 lt:Je4
In a rather punch-drunk fashion, Black lt:Jxe4 10 'it'xe4 'iVC7 11 o-o b6 12 'it'g4
also continued to miss or underesti 'it>f8 13 b3 �b7 14 �b2 lt:Jf6 15 'iVh3
mate his opponent's threats, beginning lt:Jd5 16 g3 c5 17 dxc5 i.xc5 18 lt:Je5
by allowing 8 lt:Jd5 with tempo. lt:Jf6 19 l::ta e1 .l:!.d8! (Black has a very
You must always keep your eyes crafty idea in mind} 20 �g6 �a8 !
peeled to spot your opponent's ideas. If
you are able to stop them, it is usually
wise to do so!
In our next game Black forgets to

castle somewhere along the line and
pays the ultimate price for this error.
Game 10
A.Beliavsky-B.Larsen
Til b u rg 1981 21 �h 5 lt:Jxh 5 22 'iVxh 5 'iVb7 2 3 l:te4
Caro-Kann Defence 'it>g8 24 .:tfe1 �d2 25 lt:Jd3 f5 26 lt:Jf4
fxe4 27 'it'e8+ �f8 28 lt:Jg6 e3 29 'iVxf8+
1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds Wh7 30 'iVxh8+ Wxg6 31 f3 l:tg2+! 3 2
The Caro-Kann has a solid reputa Wh 1 lae2! 33 I:tf1 'iVxf3+! 0-1.
tion, but it can sometimes l eave Black s lLlg3
with a passive position and that is pre The first gain of tempo.
cisely what happens in this g ame. s ...�g6 6 h4
3 lLlc3 dxe4 4 lt:Jxe4 �fs White gains another tempo as this
This move is positionally well threatens to trap the bishop with 7 h5,
founded. Black wants to continue with while usefully claiming some space on
... e6 only once the light-squared bishop the kingside. I can't disguise the fact
is outside the pawn chain. The problem that I'm quite a fan of an early h-pawn
with this is that the bishop often be advance, as our final chapter will make
comes a target and can be chased especially clear.
around by White's pieces. 6 ... h6 7 lLlf3
The other main line is 4...lt:Jd7. The White wants to play 8 tt:Je5 when
rec ent game E.Sutovsky-P.Svidler, Euro- tt:Jxg6 is a threat.
49
tinuation. White i s ahead in develop

ment, but Black's position will take a
lot to break down.
12 ... .ie7
Very sensible, since at least Black
can now consider castling kingside. I
say consider as it does look very risky
for Black to castle where White has a
number of potential targets. For a start
there is always a sacrifice to consider
on h6.
7 . ..CiJd7 13 lLles
Black plays this move in order to White improves the knight. Note
stop 8 ltJes, which is just the type of that es is a very important square in
good prophylactic thinking we've seen this variation, especially because White
lacking in a number of g ames so far in can use it as a platform to both im
this book. prove his pieces and apply some pres
s hs ..th7 9 ..td3 sure.
White decides to exchange the 13 ... as?!
light-squared bishops. This creates
some weaknesses in Black's position as,
after the exchange, all of e6, f7 and g6
will become targets because Black can
no longer defend these squares with
his bishop.
9 .. ..txd3
.
Black also has to spend another

tempo moving this bishop. On the posi
tive side, at least he has managed to
exchange off his worse bishop; worse
because it is on the same colour as the This must be dubious. Black is try
handy defensive pawns on c6 and e6. ing to g ain some space on the queen
10 �xd3 liJgf6 11 .if4 side and possibly create some weak
White develops his last piece by nesses after ... a4 and ... a3, but such a
bringing this bishop to its most aggres plan is far too slow. The black king is
sive square. left in the centre and White can just
11 ... e6 12 o-o-o build up pressure against it. I think
Again the most aggressive con- that White has an advantage in any
50
Exp lo i t i n g a n A d v a n ta g e in D e ve lop m e n t
case, but Black should have aimed to 1S lbg6!

g et his king safe at all costs. 13 ... 0-0 Black is not given another chance to
looks risky, but Black must castle at castle and this aggressive move most
some point, for better or worse! Then certainly fits the bill.
th e 14 lLJe4 lbxe4 15 'iYxe4 lbxe5 16 1s ...ttJds?!
j.xe5 'ir'd5 ! of N . De Firmian-V.Korchnoi, Black should at least have accepted
Lugano 1989, is a good example of the the piece sacrifice. One thing that I will
type of sequence that Black is aiming keep emphasizing throughout this
for. The exchange of queens relieves a book is the following: if your position is
lot of the pressure on Black's position. bad but you have a chance to win some
14 l!he1 material, take that chance! You may
The last white piece enters the get checkmated, but if not at least you
game. White can now consider attack will have a material advantage. That
ing moves such as lLJf5, lLJxf7, lLJg6, etc. said, even after 1S .. .fxg6 16 'ir'xg6+ �f8
14...a4? 17 �xe6 't\Ve8 18 lLJfS ! White would
This is the real error. Black has not have been doing well.
got time for this move. He must move 16 lDfsl
his king away from the centre! Indeed, This move creates a strong impres
once again 14...0-0 has been played, sion. White places both his knights un
whisking the king away to safety. The der attack with the threat of m ate on
game H.Suradiradja-M.Chandler, Sura g 7. Instead 16 li'lxh8 tt:Jxf4 17 'iYf3 ..tgs
karta/Denpasar 1982, continued 15 should also be good for White, but
�b1 a4 16 c4 a3 17 b3 i.b4 18 l:th 1 Black is given a glimmer of hope as
..,e7 19 lLJe4 l:r.ad8 20 lLJxf6+ 'iYxf6 21 White's knight is stuck on h8.
'i'e4 li'lxe5 22 dxe5 with a roughly
equal position, although I suspect that
White could have done better.
16...i.f8
A horrible move to play. Other op
tions included:
51
a ) 1 6. . .ttJxf4? 17 ttJxg7 mate is very oped state of Black's pieces! This i s al
pretty. ways the danger when playing a
b) 16 .. .fxg6? also runs into check slightly cramped opening and here
mate after 17 ttJxg7+ �f7 (or 17 .. .'�f8 Black has wasted far too much time
18 ttJxe6+ �g8 19 'iVxg6 mate) 18 pushing the a-pawn.
'iVxg6+ '\t>f8 19 ttJxe6 mate.
c) 16 ... exf5 ! was Black's best chance
when White has a choice between two
moves:
c1) 17 ttJxh8 ttJxf4 18 'iVxfs {this is
one of the points behind lLlfS; now fs
and f4 are both attacked) 18 . ..Ct'lf6 19
'iVxf4 '\t>f8 2o .l:f.e 3 '\t>g 8 21 lLlxf7 '\t>xf7 2 2
'i*'fs is good for White, but Black has
some chances to hold.
c2) 17 ttJxe7! looks like the safest
and simplest way for White to proceed: 18 C4
17 ... ttJxe7 18 ..id6 lLles ! {Black's only try, The knight on dS is the only slightly
as he must attempt to break the pin on active piece that Black has, so White
the e-file or aim to castle without los kicks it away from its central post.
ing material; 18 ...0-0 19 ..ixe7 is, in 18 ...lLlb4 19 'iVh3
deed, a rather hopeless position for Beliavsky prepares to unleash an at
Black) 19 dxes is still very good for tack on e6. There is nothing that Black
White, but at least Black has managed can do. I really like the positioning of
to simplify the position, although he White's pieces, which are all ideally
must then avoid 19 ... 0-0? 20 e6!. placed!
17 ..id6! 19 fxg6
...
White could have captured the rook This move is understandable, as I

on h8, but I prefer this approach. White cannot see a decent alternative:
keeps up the pressure with the idea of a) 19 ... 'iVg S+ 20 f4 ..Wxfs 21 'iVxfs and
17 .. .fxg6? 18 l2Jxg 7+ ..ixg7 19 'iVxg6 White wins the queen due to the pin
mate. Instead 17 l2Jxh8 lLlxf4 18 'iVg3 along the e-file.
'it'g s 19 'it'xg s hxgs 20 g 3 is probably b) 19 ...l2Jxa2+ 20 '\t>b1 traps the
good for White, but Black has a lot less knight.
to worry about in this position com c) 19 ...'it'as 20 lLlxf8 lLlxf8 21 a3 l2Ja6
pared to the g ame. 22 ..ih2 and White is winning as he is
17 .l:tg8
... ready to l and a big check on d6.
Just look at the horribly undevel- 20 .l:f.xe6+!
52
Explo i t i n g a n A d v a n t a g e i n De velop m e n t
look at the games of Kasparov, you can

see that he modelled his openings on
what Fischer played. In the following
game Fischer plays the most critical
variation against the Pirc, the Austrian
Attack. White constructs a big centre,
giving him plenty of chances to attack
the black king.
Game 11
There were a number of ways that R.Fischer-I.Jovanovac
White could have won, but I like this Vi n kovci 1968
approach. White finishes with a flour Pirc Defence
ish of checks !
20 ... 'iW7 21 hxg6+! 'it>xe6 22 .l:te1+ lLles 1 e4 d6
If 22 ...'it>f6 White can play the calm This is a very provocative way of
23 lLlh4! when Black cannot stop playin g the opening. Black concedes a
checkmate on fs or e6. large amount of space in the centre,
23 i.xe5 1-0 hoping that later on he can target
Larsen rather lacked a sense of dan White's central pawn mass.
ger in this instructive game, which 2 d4 lLlf6 3 lLlc3 g6 4 f4
demonstrates why you should usually The most critical; now Black must
castle your king. Black forgot about his always take the e4-e5 push into careful
king here and it never escaped the cen consideration on every turn.
tre. Losing time with his light-squared 4...i.g7
bishop in the opening was far from Black does not fear 5 es and aims to
fatal (indeed, it is an important main castle as quickly as possible.
line!), but Black must then be aware s lLlf3
that he is behind in development and White's plan of development is very
so not squander further time on irrele straightforward and much easier than
vant actions like pushing the a-pawn. Black's. This is one reason why I would
never recomm end the Pirc to a begin
The late Bobby Fischer was an ex ner. Fischer himself generally consid
pert right across the board. He knew ered the opening to be dubious, al
Wh en to sacrifice and when to ex though he did try it once in no lesser
ch an ge off into an ending. His prepara setting than his 1972 World Champi
ti on was also outstanding. If you take a onship match against Boris Spassky.
53
s o-o 6 �d3
... Fischer refuses to be tempted by an
Before starting an attack, White fin h-pawn advance, preferring to make
ishes his development. Remember that his own king safe before launching an
an attack can only be successful if you attack.
have the backing of enough troops. 7 es
...
6 .tL:lfd7?!
•• This was Black main idea with
6 ... tt:'lfd7, but it has come at some cost
in terms of space and development.
Fischer now plays a typical reaction to
the ... es-break.
B dxes dxes 9 fs!
I am not a fan of this move, which

goes against some basic principles, the
main one being 'do not move the same
piece twice in the opening'. I can un
derstand that Black was afraid of e4-e5,
but if you are willing to play such a This advance gives White the mak
cramped opening you cannot afford to ings of an attack on the kingside. His
play so negatively; instead you must ideas include the direct plan of 'i!Vel,
aim to counterattack as quickly as pos .tgs. 'ii'h 4, .th6 and tt:Jg s. On the other
sible. Some preferable ideas include: hand, it is not clear where Black's coun
a) 6 ...tt:'la6 has become the main line, terplay is.
aiming to play ... cs to obtain some 9 c6
...
counterplay in the centre. It may even be the case that Black is

b) 6 ... tt:Jh s ! ? is one very intriguing already on the verge of losing. The
idea that I came across. This is a more main reason I say this is because I can
active square than d7 and at least not find a decent plan for Black,
Black's light-squared bishop can still whereas White's play is straightfor
move. Another typical plan that Black ward. Remember that you should al
has is to play ... es at some moment ways try to avoid positions where you
which breaks up White's strong centre. have no obvious plan as it is then easy
7 0-0 to drift into a lost position.
54
Exp l o i t i n g a n A d v a n tage in D e v e l op m e n t
10 ttJgs !? concentrating so much on the kingside

White wants to finish the game as that they would have overlooked this
qui ckly as possible, but there were a idea of misplacing Black's knight. It is
n umber of other good continuations, important to pay attention to both
in cluding: sides of the board, even when you are
a) 1 like the simple move 10 �e3 as only attacking in one area!
it pre-em pts Black's plans of ... tt::l c s and
...'iib 6+ while developing a piece. White
must have a large advantage here.
b) 10 fxg6 also looks tempting, aim
ing to clarify m atters and so make it
easier for White to plan what to do
next. For example, play could continue
10 ... hxg6 (10 .. .fxg6? opens up the light
squares and after 11 �c4+ 'it>h8 12 tt::lg s
Black is lost) 11 tt::lg s when 'it'e1-'ii'h 4
and then mate on h7 is one plan.
10 ct::l b 6
... 11 as?l
...
Black guards the c4-square. He had Too passive again . Indeed, the inclu
to continue with extreme caution as sion of a4 and ... as helps White as now
there were a number of ways he could Black's knight is a little insecure on b6.
have lost in short order: for example, Fischer takes immediate advantage.
10 ... h6?! (trying to push the knight Black should really have aimed to
away, but this weakens Black's light attack White's active knight by playing
squares too much) 11 fxg 6 ! hxgs 11 ... h6. My thinking around here would
(11 ...'ilr'b6+ does not help Black either: have been along the lines of ' ... h6
12 �h1 fxg6 13 �c4+ 'it>h8 and now might run into some nasty sacrifice on
White's most clinical way to finish the f7 or g6, but I do not have a good alter
game is by playing 14 ct::le 6! .l::!. xf1+ 1S native so I am forced to play this move!'
'iVxf1 when he is not even material I am sure that Fischer was planning 12
down) 12 'ii'h s tt::lf6 (12 .. .fxg6 13 �c4+ fxg6!, which does look very dangerous
is an easy win for White) 13 l::txf6 and for Black: for example, 12 ... fxg6 13
Bl ack won't be able to survive much l::txf8+ 'it'xf8 14 aS ! (White is aiming to
longer. secure the c4-square for his light
1 1 a4! squared bishop) 14 ... hxg s 1S axb6
This is a top move and one that 'it'cs+ 16 �h 1 'it'xb6 17 �c4+ �h7 18
rnany would not have considered. A �xg s and White clearly has a winning
number of players would have been advantage here, but at least this way
55
Black went down with a fight! especially as 14 ... lt:J6d7? 15 i.. c4+ 'it>h8
12 i..e 3 16 tt:Je6 would have been like a walk in
Targetin g the black knight on b6. I the park for White.
am not sure what was wrong with 12 15 i..xb6 �d7
fxg6, though, with the idea of playing Black could even have resigned
'ii'e 1 and then 'ii'h 4. White must be a here. His pieces are an ugly sight, espe
lot better here: for example, 12 ... hxg6 cially compared to White's which rule
13 'i*'e1 f6! (this m ay have been the the board.
move that Fischer was not happy with; 16 �cs �e8 17 h4
it is certainly a pity to move the knight Pushing the dark-squared bishop to
away from its strong square on gS, but an even worse square, while also mak
White still has some advantage) 14 lLlf3 ing f6 a target.
i..e 6 15 'ii'g 3 , leaving Black's pawn on 1 1 ...�f4 18 g3 gxfs
g6 extremely weak. Desperation, but understandable
12 ...�h6 desperation. Black was also losing after
Black must aim to push the knight 18 ... �h6 19 �c4+ 'it>h8 20 fxg6 hxg6 21
away from its strong outpost. 'ii'xf6+ 'ot>h7 22 'ii'f7+ 'ilxf7 23 l.'!.xf7+
13 'ii'd 2 �g7 24 J::td 1 when he would have been
Simple and good. Fischer continues material down and in a state of paraly
to combine positional play with some sis.
subtle tactics. This is one reason why I
like this game so much.
13 ...f6 14 'ii'f 2!
19 gxf4 fxe4 20 tt:Jxe4

No more commentary is needed!
20...-.t>hB 21 fS tt:Ja6 22 �xa6 bxa6 23
We can now see just how the inser �h2 1-0
tion of a4 and ... as has favoured White .. Clearly 6 ...tt:Jfd7? was a bad idea
14...�xg5 that led to a very passive position for
It is hard to suggest a better option, Black. When choosing such a plan you
56
Exp l o iting a n A d v a n t a g e in D e v e l op m e n t
have to imagine what the position will which will give him more space and a
be like in a couple of moves. In this case base to launch an attack from. White
Black's position was horrible after does lag behind in development,
White played 9 fs. This plan of f4-f5 is a though, and Black can often take ad
very standard idea and one that Black vantage of this.
sh ould have known before the game. s...cs
I'm sure, though, that Jovanovac did Black can achieve little without
not play in such a way again ! playing this move. He needs to attack
We must learn from our mistakes White's pawn formation.
a nd we must also constantly think of 6 C3
the best way to obtain active counter White, on the other hand, must try
play wherever and whenever possible. to guard his formation.
6 ...4Jc6 7 tt:Jdf3
In the next game we will take a look This makes more sense compared to
at one of White's most ambitious set 7 tt:Jgf3 as then it's not clear where the
ups against the French Defence, one knight on d2 goes. The text does lose
where he tries to suffocate Black with time, though, as White is moving the
his central pawn formation. However, same piece twice in the opening, which
it takes time for White to set up the is often a bad idea.
pawn formation d4-eS-f4, and this al 7 .. .'t\Vb6
lows Black time to counter actively.
Here Black most certainly strikes while
the iron is hot and takes advantage of
White's slow play with a number of
energetic moves.
Game 12
L.Ljubojevic-M.Gurevich
Li n a res 1991
French Defence
Black increases the pressure on d4.
1 e4 e6 2 d4 ds 3 tt:Jd2 His basic plan is to keep up the pres
We saw this move earlier in Game 2, sure and then play .. .f6 at a later point.
but this time it is Black who will win Then, after a number of exchanges on
quickly! d4 and es, he hopes that White's centre
3 ...4Jf6 4 es tt:Jfd7 s f4 will fall apart or that he will be able to
White aims to keep a pawn on es attack the white king.
57
H o w to Win a t Chess - Q u ickly !
8 h4 launch an attack against Black's king.

White has a number of alternatives Black, on the other hand, must try
to this ambitious, space-gaining plan, and stop White from finishing his de
including : velopment. To help he will undermine
a ) 8 a 3 is the trendy move, stopping the centre with ...f6 and must be will
... ..lii.b4+ and preparing to expand on the ing to sacrifice a piece on e s in the all
queen side with b2-b4. important battle for the initiative and
b) 8 g3 used to be very popular, but to prevent White from consolidating.
Black has found a number of good 9 ..1ii. b4+
•..
ways to play against this, including This move is very natural. Black de
8 ... cxd4 9 cxd4 ..lii.b4+ (gaining a tempo velops a piece with check and forces
which seems like a good plan) 10 'it>f2 White to move his king.
(White is often forced to move his king 10 �f2
in this variation which is why Black The safest square for White's king is
should aim to open the centre as actually g3, but it will take a while to
quickly as possible) 10 .. .f6 (chipping g et there. However, he most certainly
away at White's centre) 11 'it>g2 (pru had to avoid 10 ..lii.d 2? tt::lxd4.
dently m oving off the g 1-a7 diagonal) 10 f61
.. .
11...g S ! ?, which is a radical and yet very

thematic approach, continuing to
break up White's pawn formation.
8 cxd4 9 cxd4
...
Once again it is hard for Black to

make any progress without this move,
opening up the position in a bid to ex
ploit his superior development.
Let's have a look at what both sides 11 �g3
are trying to achieve here: Black was threatening to win a
White wants to get his king safe pawn by playing 11...fxes 12 fxes
and then develop his minor pieces. tt::ldxes, as White's d-pawn is pinned to
Once he has consolidated he will the king. For that reason White moves
58
Exp l o iting a n A d va n ta g e in D e velo p m e n t
his king again, but h e i s losing a lot of He would then be well coordinated and
ti me, having only developed his knight might well look to attack on the king
an d kin g ! side himself. Thus Black needs to take
11 0-0
...
action and now must be the moment!
12 lLlxd41
...
12 .id3?!
A little too slow. It was probably A typical sacrifice that is well worth
better for White to develop the knight remembering, removing White's d- and
from g 1. At least this would give some e-pawns in the process, as well as ex
extra protection to the central squares. posing his king.
Indeed, it was again better to play in a 13 lLlxd4 fxes
risky and sharp m anner than just sit It was worth avoiding 13 ...'it'xd4??
there and fall into a passive position. 14 i.xh7+ 'it>xh7 15 'it'xd4, which would
12 lLlh 3 was played in G.Sax have been rather embarrassing.
T.Luther, Bad Zwesten 2002, which con 14 fxes lL:lxes
tinued 12 .. .fxes 13 dxes lL:lcs 14 Wh2
lLle4 1S lLlfg S h6 16 lLlxe4 dxe4 17 'i*'e2
.1d7! (rather than hang on to the
pawn, Black aims to develop at top
speed) 18 i.e3 (18 'it'xe4 lLle7 was
Black's plan when his knight and light
squared bishop will take up a good
posts on fs and c6) 18 ...'it'as 19 a3 i.e7
With a messy, roughly equal position.
After the text we've reached a key
m oment and must appreciate why that
is: White is only one move (13 lL:le2) Thus Black has destroyed White's
away from consolidating his position. centre, reaching a position that I would
59
H o w to Win a t Ch ess - Q u ic k ly !
love t o play. Black has a mobile centre 18 ... ..1td6+.

and White's king is very exposed, all for
the price of just a piece! Moreover, Fritz
already thinks that Black is winning
and it might well be right!
15 ..ltc2 tLlg6
Black's knight moves away to m ake
room for his d- and e-pawns, while
helping to open up the b8-h2 diagonal.
1S ...tL\c4 was another promising op
tion.
16 ..ltxg6 hxg6
1 8 Wh3 i.d6
White hasn't m any moves available
and Black is preparing 19 ... e5+.
19 'W!Vb3
This tries to defend along the third
rank, but it is a case of too little, too
late. Black can now force checkmate,
but the result would have been the
same after 19 tLlf3 l:txf3+ 20 gxf3
'ir'xf3+ 21 tLlg3 'W\Vxg3 mate.
19 es+?
...
17 ttJde2? Did you spot what Black missed?

Far too passive, but White was in Namely, 19 ...'WIVfS+ 20 g4 'W!Vf1 mate.
trouble anyway. 17 ttJgf3 is more natu 20 Wh2 'ir'xh4+ 21 tLlh3 i.xh3 0-1
ral, but then Black will win back his White resigned as 22 'W!Vxh3 loses to
piece and retain an attack after 22 ... e4+. Note how Black's central
17 ... i.d6+ 18 Wf2 es, with a near pawns proved to be much more useful
winning position. Black's dark-squared than White's extra piece.
bishop really comes into its own in
these type of positions. Always be very careful when you
17 .'iVf2+
•. construct a large centre at some cost in
The end is nigh, as 18 'it>h2 fails to terms of development and king safety.
60
Chapter Three
Punishing the Pawn- G ra b bers
Take heed, Never grab a pawn without serious

Never take advantage of the things thought! Why has your opponent left
you need, that pawn en prise? Is he setting a
Never let yourself be overcome by trap? Do you have time to capture that
greed, pawn?
Walk the straight and narrow and On the other hand, if you have just
you shall succeed. Shaggy
- sacrificed a pawn, how should you con
tinue? I hope that you will have gained
In today's climate of capitalism and an initiative or an attack of some kind
suppo sed democracy, greed is often in return for the material that has been
seen as a good thing, but as the Catho invested. My main advice is to continue
lic Church has long warned us, greed to play actively. Try not to give your
can lead to the downfall of an individ opponent a chance to consolidate his
ual. Chess is not dissimilar. In the open position.
in g a player can often be punished for I am now going to revisit a painful
g rabbing a pawn too early. It takes loss that I suffered in the last round of
ti me to capture material and in some a tournament in Norway. The tourna
cases this time can be put to better use, ment was going well, but I had just lost
such as by castling or developing a my previous game, which made it im
piece. possible to get a GM norm, something
Deciding whether or not to grab that I had been well on course for. It is
m aterial requires serious thought, but always hard to bounce back from a loss
i n g en eral you have to be very careful. (as you can see here!}, but it is impor-
61
tant t o try and forget about it, and to therefore threatening to capture
get on with the job in hand. White's central pawn on e4. The other
The opening I picked clearly does main possibility for Black is 3 ... tt::lf6, an
not suit my style: Black has to defend approach which has been favoured by
for a number of moves and hope that Morozevich and I really should get
his positional and/or material plusses around to looking at it myself! For a
will win the g ame for him. All that prime example of how Black should
White has to do, though, is attack - handle this variation, see Game 36,
something which is much more fun ! It Kovalenko-Zhou Weiqi.
is always important to choose an open 4 e5
ing that you are comfortable with; the Closing the centre. White has a
more you enjoy it, the better your re number of alternatives against the
sults will be. Winawer, but this tried and tested
move is thought to be best.
4 ... cs
Game 13 The standard way of creating coun
E.Gullaksen-5.Williams terplay in the French. Black again aims
Oslo 2004 to attack the white pawn formation.
French Defence 5 a3
White has also tried both 5 �d2 and
1 e4 e6 2 d4 dS 3 tt::lc 3 5 'i!Vg4, but my opponent prefers the
The sharpest way of meeting the main line. Indeed, there is normally a
French Defence and a favourite of a reason why the main line is the main
number of World Champions, espe- line. It is often the case that the main
cially Fischer. line is the most popular continuation
3 ...�b4 because it follows the best and/or most
dangerous course of action !
5 ...i.XC3+ 6 bXC3 t"i.Je7 7 'i!Vg4
Again White picks the critical move.
other possibilities include:
a) 7 h4!? is another very dangerous
move and I would not be surprised if it
gains in popularity at some point soon.
b) 7 a4 has the idea of developing
the dark-squared bishop to a3 at some
point.
c) 7 tt::lf3 is in my opinion the least
Pinning the knight to the king and worrying continuation, but I am sure
62
P u n is h ing t h e Pa wn - G ra b b e rs
th at some players would disagree with This is quite a rare move and came
m e. It would not be for the first time! as a shock to me. White does not mind
7 o-o?!
... sacrificing a couple of pawns in order
to launch an attack against Black's cas
tled king. I was expecting the main line
which continues with the very double
edged 9 'ID!s tZ'lg6 10 tt:lf3 'ii/c 7.
g 'illas
...
Breaking the pin against my knight

on e7 and starting a counterattack on
the queenside.
10 tZ'le2 cxd4?
Castling is actually the main line,

and with correct play it may be the best
move. The reason I have denoted it as
dubious is because it does not suit my
style. A move that suits me somewhat
better is 7 .. .'illc 7, leading to some inter
esting complications after 8 'i/ixg7 �g8
9 'illxh7 cxd4 10 lZ'le2 tt:lbc6 11 f4 dxc3
where Black has good compensation
for the sacrificed pawn. This move is the real stinker, and it
8 i.d3 tt:lbc6 shows that I was lacking a sense of
This is one of a number of possibili danger in this game. When a position
ties. Let's take time out to try and work is as sharp as the one shown in the
out what both sides are aiming to diagram, it is important to slow down
achieve in this position. and really try to get to grips with it.
White is going for a kingside attack, It should have been clear to me that
which is possible because his pieces are capturing on d4 was far too greedy. I
well placed. Just take a look at the should have first given my king some
pawn on es, the bishop on d3 and the extra protection by playing 10 ...lt:Jg6,
queen on g4. Black, on the other hand, which has become popular recently.
Wants to attack on the queenside as For example, the game L.Dominguez
this is where White is vulnerable, with E.Bareev, Havana 2006, continued 11
th e c-pawns ripe for the picking. 0-0 c4 12 i.xg6 fxg6 {by playing in this
9 .tgs!? manner Black has managed to elimi-
63
nate White's most dangerous piece, the .:ctxc3 is also better for White) 15 . . .fxg s
light-squared bishop; on top of this, 1 6 fxg s .:ctxf3 17 'fih s+ t'Llh6 1 8 gxh6 i s
Black has opened up the f-file, al rather crazy, but I do not like the look of
though this has come at some cost in a Black's king. In fact, I suspect that
closure of queenside lines) 13 a4 'fie? White is just winning.
14 �c1 'i¥f7 15 t'Llg 3 t'Lle7 16 as t'Llfs 17 14 l:lh3
t'Lle2 �d7 18 h4 b6 and a draw was Black is already defenceless against
agreed, which seems fair enough. the white attack.
11 f4 14 ... 'fics+ 15 �h1 t2Jce7
White needs to keep hold of the Desperately trying to bring some
bridgehead on es, as he wants to at pieces around to the kingside, but it is
tack. too late. The time I have spent captur
11...�h8 ing the d- and c-pawns comes back to
This is often quite a useful move, haunt me.
but I should have played 11...t'Llf5, 16 t'Llg3?
which at least aims to block some lines White could have won immediately
on the kingside, most importantly the by 16 �f6! gxf6 17 exf6 .l:f.g8 18 �xh7+
b1-h7 diagonal. The gam e T.Luther �xh7 19 'irh s mate.
G.Hertneck, German League 1993, con 16 ...t'Llg8 11 t'Llhs f6 18 �xfs exfs?
tinued 12 o-o �h8 13 'iVhs f6 14 �xfs
(14 exf6 g6 is a mess) 14 ... exf5 15 exf6
gxf6 16 'iVh6 'iVd8 with much better
defensive chances for Black than I ever
obtained.
12 0-0
White just gets on with the plan in
hand: .l:f.f3-h3 and then checkmate!
12 ...dxc3
I expect that I had to try something
else.
13 .l:If3 t'Llfs Oh dear. I should have tried
Another defensive idea was 18 .. .fxgs, although White is still win
13 ... t'Llg8. This tries to make ...h6 possi ning after 19 �xh 7 ! .
ble, but the position still looks very 19 �xf6 1-0
dangerous: for example, 14 �xh7 ! A nice finish. Checkmate is unstop
(forcing the h-file open) 1 4.. .f6 (this pable.
m ay be the only way to defend) 15 I was far too greedy in this game,
�g6! (15 �xg8 fs 16 'fig3 \t>xg8 17 and I should have slowed down when
64
P u n is h i n g t h e Pa w n - G r a b b e rs
my opponent surprised me with his 9th easier to attack than defend, and here
m ove . A good response in such situa it is only White who gets to attack.
tions is to try to work out why the sur Moreover, Black really must know his
prising move hasn't been seen before stuff - as we will see, just one small
an d to find a drawback to it. slip and it can suddenly be game over!
If you are surprised in the opening, Thus I would have preferred 7 ... il..e7,
try to keep your cool. 7 ... "WIC7 or even the sharp 7 ... t:Llc6 ! ?, all
of which give Black chances to coun
And now for a very rare occasion: terattack.
Anand losing in under 20 moves! Ad 8 'iYd2
mittedly in a blitz event and Anand did There is no point wasting time de
play a very provocative line, but the fending the pawn on b2. If White is
speed of his demise is still shocking. willing to play 6 ..tgs and 7 f4 then he
must continue to proceed in the most
aggressive manner.
Game 14 8 ...'i!Vxb2 9 .l:f.b1 'i!Va3 10 eS!?
T.Radjabov-V.Anand
World B l itz Cha m pionship,
Rishon le Zion 2006
Sicilian Defence
1 e4 cs 2 t:Llf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 t:Llxd4 t:Llf6

s t:Llc3 a6 6 ..tgs
This is the sharpest way to meet the
Najdorf. White threatens to take on f6,
which would cause the black structure
some discomfort. He is also one step
clos er to castling queenside. Very logical, attacking the knight
6...e6 7 f4 'i!Vb6?! and opening lines against the black
Black enters the so-called Poisoned king. At the time of this game 10 fS was
Pawn Variation. This is a popular much more popular, but unsurpris
choice and a principled response to ingly 10 es then became all the rage.
White's play. The black queen escapes 10 ... dxes
the pin and attacks b2. So why the du Anand has also tried this line as
bious symbol? I've awarded it because I White and he actually lost (again!) af
do not think that the Poisoned Pawn is ter 10 ...h6 11 il..h 4 dxes 12 fxes g S ! ? in
a good practical choice in such a fast V.Anand-I.Nepomniachtchi, Mainz
g ame. At such time limits it is much (rapid) 2009. Note that here the more
65
common 12. . .tt:\fd7 13 �h4 would a very tricky move, but Anand obtained
transpose to our main game. a reasonable position after 13 ... axbs 14
11 fxes tt:\fd7 tt:\xbs hxg s ! ? (a typical ploy; Black re
Black's pieces are somewhat turns some material in a bid to wrest
cramped and undeveloped on the the initiative away from White) 15
queenside, but his pawn formation is tt:\xa3 l:r.xa3 16 o-o tt:\c6 17 .!:!.bs .!:!.a4
solid and the white pawn on e5 can with a most unclear position.
become a target. 13 .. .'i/Va4?
12 tt:\e4
The white knight takes up a dan
gerous post. Some of the earliest
clashes in this fascinating and critical
line were between Tal and Tolush in
the 1950s, so both sides should really
have known what they were doing.
12 ... h6
There is nothing wrong with this
move. It does somewhat weaken the
g6-square, but now White's bishop is
slightly less actively placed and he will This move looks very dubious and it
no longer be able to bring a knight or leads to Black's downfall. He was forced
queen to g s . to play an active or developing move,
13 �h4 as there is no time to l ose. Indeed, the
There is another crazy idea in the main line has become 13 ...'ii'x a2 14
highly-visual 13 �bS ! ?, l:!.d1! (the modern preference, improv
ing over Tal's 14 l:r.b3) 14 .. .'iVdS !, lead
ing to some extremely complicated and
pretty theoretical positions.
14 �e2!
Simple and good. We have noted
that 12 ... h6 weakened the kingside
light squares and so Radjabov plays for
tactics on the h S-e8 diagonal.
14...tt:\c6?
Black is oblivious to White's plan. I
am sure that at a normal time control
as played in D.Stellwagen-V.Anand Anand would have seen what was com
(yet again !), German League 2009. It is ing, although Black's position may al-
66
P u n is h i n g t h e Pa wn - G ra bb e rs
ready be beyond saving. A further blow. Black resigned in

A better defensive idea was 14... gs, view of 16 ...Ci'Jxf6 17 Ci'Jc7+ 'Ot>e7 18 it'd6
b this still looks very risky. Black's king
ut mate.
is rather exposed and after 15 o-o! Here Anand appeared to choose far
(when your opponent's king is stuck in too risky a line without adequately
the middle of the board and you are knowing the theory, which proved fatal
attacking, speed is often of the essence; at such a fast time limit. Then he
thus White brings his rook into the at clearly lost far too much time with the
tack and targets f7) 1S ...gxh4?! (1S ....�)c6 slow and rather misguided 13 ... it'a4?.
may be the relatively best defence) 16 If you are willing to grab a pawn and
l!xf7! (16 �h s may also be good, but the defend such an opening as the Poisoned
more violent the move, the better!} Pawn, do make sure that you have done
16...l2Jxes (or 16...'0t>xf7 17 it'f4+ 'Ot>g8 18 your homework thoroughly. Otherwise
it'g4+ �g7 19 Vi'xe6+ 'Ot>f8 20 �hs ! and horrible things might well happen, just
mate follows) 17 .llc 7, White is winning. as they did to no lesser player than An
Black cannot stop 18 �hS+ which will and.
lead to an overwhelming attack.
15 l2Jxe6! In our next game Black again grabs
a hot pawn. It is not immediately clear
where White's compensation is, but his
lead in development and active pieces
prove too much for Black.
Game 15
D.Stellwagen-I.Rees
E u ropea n Tea m
Cham pions h i p, Novi Sad 2009
French Defence
A neat finish. When attacking, re
member to always keep an eye out for 1 e4 e6 2 d4 ds
all checks and captures. This move de Another French Defence!
stroys Black's pawn defences. 3 Ci'Jc3 dxe4
1s ...gs This move has a solid reputation,
Black is lost, as 1S .. .fxe6 is mated by but unsurprisingly I am not a huge fan
16 �h S+ and 1S ...it'xe4 by 16 Ci'Jc7 as I don't enjoy defending and I believe
m ate. that White's position is the easier to
16 l2Jf6+! 1-0 play.
67
4 ttJxe4 l2Jd7 5 lDf3 ttJgf6 6 �d3 I.Cheparinov-L.Ljubojevic, Amsterdam

2008.
White develops sensibly and

quickly. 9 .td3!
6 ... ttJxe4 7 �xe4 ttJf6 The critical move - it m akes sense
In theory the exchange of knights to sacrifice a pawn. White has also
should help Black as his position is played 9 .txf6, but after 9 ... gxf6 10 'lie2
more cramped. The problem is that his .td7 11 o-o o-o-o it is hard to claim any
light-squared bishop is a potentially advantage for White as Black has the
bad piece and he does not really want two bishops and good attacking
to be left with this piece. chances along the g-file, Zhou
s .tgs 'ir'd6?! Jianchao-Ni Hua, Jinzhou 2009.
I am not a fan of this approach, as g...'ir'b4+
greed gets the better of Black, and I was The point behind Black's play. He
surprised to find that it has also been grabs a rather hot pawn, but then
employed by some top grandmasters, again I dare say that a pawn is a pawn !
including Anand and Ni Hua. I suppose 10 .td2
it is a matter of style, but if you are Another worthy approach is 10
tempted to play like this, one word of 'lid2 ! ?. White aims for a small advan
warning: make sure you are very well tage after 10 .. .'iVxd2+ (10 ... 'ir'xb2 11 0-0
prepared. This is important because it gives White an improved version of the
is a lot easier for Black to drift in the main game, as the dark-squared bishop
resulting positions than White. is much more active on gS) 11 ..txd2, as
I would have been more eager to in S.Rublevsky-D.Kosic, Serbian Team
finish my development: for example, Championship 2005. That game con
after 8 ... .te7 9 .td3 cs 10 dxcs 'liaS+ 11 tinued 11 ... cs 12 o-o-o .td7 13 dxc s ! ?
c3 'ir'xcs 12 'ir'e2 a6 13 o-o-o bs 14 �b1 .txcs 1 4 ttJes a 6 15 f4 and White was
�b7 Black's position looked fine in slightly better. Instead 14 ... .txf2 was
68
P u n is h i ng t h e Pa w n - G r a b b e rs
obviously critical, although after 15 ..ie3 il..e 7 14 c4 (making good use of

l2Jxd7 lLlxd7 (15 .. .<�xd7! ? looks ex the pawns to open up the position)
tremely risky; it might be playable, but I 14... c5! (a good response) 15 iL.c2 o-o 16
can understand why Black avoided it) 'i*'d3 (White has his pieces lined up
16 ..ib5 ! White would have exerted against h7, so Black has to proceed
awkward pressure against the knight with care) 16 ... g6 17 �ad1 and White
on d7. had sufficient attacking chances for a
10...1r'xb2 pawn, but nothing more. Maybe Stell
wagen's choice is better.
12 ... iL.e7 13 lLles
The knight normally parks itself on
this square: e5 is a great outpost for it,
allowing the knight to radiate influ
ence, while the white queen is freed to
roam over to the kingside via f3.
13 ...1r'd6
This move cannot be a serious mis
take and I can understand why Black
wanted to return his queen to the cen
So Black has grabbed a pawn but tre, but another option was 13 ... 0-0. I
has ceded a fair-sized lead in develop now like the look of 14 ii'f3, which
ment in the process. How should both threatens 15 iL.xh7+ as well as 15 � 3
sides continue? with pressure against h 7 . After
Black needs to find a safe home for 14 ... 1r'd6 15 iL.e3 c5 16 .U.ad1!, like in
his queen and finish his development, Kasparov-Anand, White has pressure,
whereas White needs to start attacking but Black may be able to defend.
with his pieces and pawns. It would be 14 iL.f4!
ideal for White if he could open up the
position, maybe by means of c2-c4 and
d4-d 5. As I have mentioned before,
when a side has an advantage in de
velopment, it is nearly always in their
favour to open the position.
11 o-o 'ili'a3 12 1:te1
This cannot be a bad move, but Kas
parov preferred 12 lLle5 in the game
G.Kasparov-V.Anand, Kopavogur (blitz)
2000, which continued 12 ... 'ili'd6 13
69
This move helps White a s Black's Again Black had a chance t o capture
queen is forced to move yet again. the pawn on d4, but this time it is even
14.. .'iVd8 m ore risky: 16 .. .'*'xd4 17 tt::lg 4 h6 18
14...iVxd4?? 15 �bS+ would not tt::l x h6+ (this looks very dangerous for
have been too clever. Black) 18 ... gxh6 19 iVxh6 l::td8 20 �es!
15 iVf3!? (the most natural way of increasing the
The standard way of continuing in pressure, despite the following tactic)
such positions and a plan well worth 20 ...iVxf2+ 21 'ith 1 (21 'itxf2? tt::l g 4+
rem em bering. The queen heads for its wins for Black) 21...�f8 22 iVg S+!
best square on h3, and d1 is vacated for (stronger than 22 iVxf6 ! ? iVxf6 23 �xf6
a rook; but this move does raise the .l:!d7 24 l::te 3 �e7, although this still
question: can Black capture another looks risky for Black) 22 ... �g7 23 .!:!.f1
pawn? and White has a big advantage.
15 ...0-0?! 17 .l:lad1
A sensible reply, but I would have The last white piece enters the
taken a deep breath, crossed my fin game. It is now rather impressive just
gers and played the critical 1S ...iVxd4 ! ?. how quickly Black's position falls apart.
17 ...l::te 8?!
Black is going to be under pressure

anyway, so why not grab another Again 17 ...1i'xd4 ! ? was an option,
pawn ? White obviously has good com and again it m ay well have been Black's
pensation after 16 �bS+ 'itf8 (16 ... c6? best option: for example, 18 �gs 'Wcs
17 �xc6+ is clearly better for White) 17 19 iVf3 tt::l e 8 and White obviously exerts
.l:.ad1 1i'cs, but here he has nothing heavy pressure, but Black does have his
clear cut. In fact, even though White two extra pawns!
has decent play for the two pawns, the 18 �h6
g ame is actually rather unclear. Preventing Black from capturing on
16 iVh3! g6 d4 in view of 19 �xg6.
70
P u n is h i ng t h e Pa wn - G r a b b e rs
1B...tt::l h s obviously very risky and I would not

This seems rather strange, but I am have fancied playing it myself, but it
not sure about what else to suggest for may have been okay if Black had fol
Black. 18 ... tt::ld s may look more natural, lowed· up by capturing another pawn
but after 19 c4 tt::lb 4 20 .tb1 White has on d4. In cases like this the defender
a dangerous attack; Black's knight on has to be extremely brave and willing
b4 has drifted too far away from its to enter complicated positions. Cer
king. tainly from my practical experience,
19 g4 the best defenders I have faced haven't
Black's position looks horrible and it minded entering a tactical battle.
is probably lost as he lacks a good plan. Passive defence is hardly ever the
19 ...tt::lf6 correct approach, even when material
A stiffer defence than 19 ...tt:lg7 ? 20 up. It is often better to defend with
i.xg7 'it>xg7 21 tt:lxf7 when White wins. sharp, testing moves.
20 gS tt:ld7?
Black grabs another rather hot
pawn in the next game and from then
on has to defend very passively. Once
again we will see that successful pas
sive defence is a very difficult skill to
master.
Game 1 6
A.Adorjan-S.Kudrin
New York 1987
Now after White's reply it is all over, Queen's Indian Defence
but Black was in trouble in any case, as
also shown by 20 ... tt:lh s 21 Vi'f3 !. Per 1 d4 tt:lf6 2 tt:lf3 e6 3 c4 b6 4 g3
haps 20 ... tt:lds was the best chance This variation is very popular nowa
when White should probably continue days and makes a fair amount of sense,
with 21 'iWf3 f6 22 gxf6 .txf6 23 'iWg 3, challenging Black on the long diagonal.
creating threats against g6, although 4....ta6
the gam e does go on this way. Black wants to force a concession
21 tt:lxf7! 1-0 from White before playing ... .tb7.
The winning move, as it is mate af 5 tt:lbd21?
ter 21...'it>xf7 22 Vi'xe6. This is a fairly rare move, but I will
Black's plan of capturing on b2 was have to take a deeper look at it consid-
71
ering the result of this game. I have big initiative. Indeed, Black's position
always played 5 'iVc2, which has been can quickly fall apart, such as after
very trendy of late and involves the sac 10 ... tt:Jd7 11 tt:Jxe4 dxe4 12 �h3 �c8 13
rifice of a pawn after 5 ...�b7 6 il.g2 c5 'iVc6 .ilb8 14 tt:Jxf7, winning for White.
7 d5!?. b) 8 ... tt:Jd6 9 �xb7 lLlxb7 10 'iVf3 and
s �b7
... again White is winning.
Black is trying to prove that the c) 8 ...ctJc3 does not work as Black's
white knight is badly placed on d2. f7-pawn is too weak: 9 'ii'h 5 ! g6 10 'iVh3
6 �g2 cs?! leaves the black knight fatally trapped
on c3.
d) 8 ...f5? 9 lLlxe4 fxe4 10 �5+ g6 11
tt:Jxg6 and once again it's all over.
8 esl
White refrains from recapturing
immediately, preferring to push for
ward and m aintain the initiative.
8 ctJg4?1
...
The start of a suspect plan. Black at

tacks on the dark squares, but neglects
his development. Once again we will
see that it is often a good idea to finish
your development and to get your king
to safety before undertaking any active
operations.
7 e41
A good, active move. Indeed, the e This looks logical, but the knight is
pawn is a major weapon that White badly placed on g4. It is often open to
can and should make good use of. attack on this square and does not
7 cxd4
... have an obvious route back into the
Black's other main option, 7 . ..lt:\xe4?, gam e.
is a clear mistake as he is too weak Kudrin wanted to keep the extra
along the h1-a8 diagonal after 8 tt:Je5 pawn, but a better option would have
and then: been 8 ... tt:Je4, returning the pawn im
a) 8 ... d5 9 cxd5 exd5 (9 ...tt:Jxd2 runs mediately. The position simplifies after
into 10 tt:Jxf7) 10 'iVa4+ and White has a this move which can only help Black as
72
P u n is h in g t h e Pa w n - Gra b b e rs
he has a number of tactical problems Another obvious move. The knight is

to look out for. Following 9 tt::l x e4 i.xe4 well placed on e4 from where it can
10 'ir'xd4 i.xf3 11 i.xf3 tt::l c6 12 'i¥e4 think about jumping into d6 at some
White's light-squared bishop may give point.
him a slight edge, but Black's position 11 d3
...
is very solid and after 12 ... i.b4+ 13 'it>f1 Black is already in trouble. The al
o-o he is planning to play .. .f6 with ternatives were no better, though :
some counterplay along the f-file. a) 11...tt::l c6 12 i.f4 and Black's pawn
9 o-o 'ifc7 10 .!:tel i.cs?! on d4 will drop at some point, whereas
White's pawn on e5 remains a major
thorn in Black's side. Play might con
tinue 12 ... 0-0 13 h3 (taking advantage
of the bad position of Black's knight on
g4) 13 ...tt::lh 6 14 i.xh6 gxh6 15 tt::lf6+
'iii>g 7 16 'ifd3 and I cannot see Black's
king surviving much longer.
b) 11 ... i.xe4 12 J::tx e4 f5 13 .l:te2 tt:Jc6
14 h3 tt::lh 6 15 i.xh6 gxh6 16 a3 and
White will continue with b2-b4 at some
point, with a big advantage.
Black is trying too hard to hold on to 12 tt:Jfgs
his extra pawn. Remember that when
you are m aterial up, it is often worth
returning that material to release the
pressure and sometimes to seize the
initiative.
Here 10.. .f6! was the right way to
continue. It is obviously dangerous for
Black to open up the position, as his
king is still stuck in the centre, but
White's pawn on e5 is too strong and
Black had to remove it. Play might have
continued 11 exf6 tt::l xf6 12 tt:Jxd4 i.xg2 Yet again the most aggressive
13 'it>xg2 tt:Jc6 when Black is much bet move. There was another good option
ter off than in the g ame, although in 12 'ifxd3, though, which also looks
White retains the upper hand after, very promising: for example, 12 ...i.xe4
s ay, 14 'ir'f3. 13 �xe4 i.xf2+ 14 'it>h 1 i.xe1 15 'i¥xg4
11 tt::le4 i.b4 16 �xg7 J::tf8 17 tt::lg 5 and Black's
73
H o w to Win a t Ch ess - Q u i c k ly !
position is falling apart.

12 ...tt::lxe5
Black must play this. At least the
knight has found a way back into the
game.
13 ..tf4 d6
Alternatively, 13 .. .f6 14 �5+ and
there are too many white pieces cir
cling around the black king for it to
survive for long: 14 .. .'it'e7 (or 14 ... g6 15
tt::lxf6+ 'i;;e 7 16 m,6) 15 tt::l x c5 bxc5 16
.!:Ixe5 fxe5 17 'iif7+ 'i;;d8 (it's mate after Pretty and effective, although an
17 ...'i;;d6 18 ..txe5+! 'i;; x e5 19 �f4) 18 other decisive way to proceed was 16
'ii'x g7 lle8 19 tt::lf7+ and the win is not ..txe5 dxe5 17 tt::lxf7! �xf7 18 �xf7+
far off. Wxf7 19 ..txb7.
14 'ii h 5 'i;;f8 16 ... dxe5
Let's again have a look at Black's After 16 ... ..txg2 White can play the
other options: very pretty 17 .!:Ixc5!, which aim s to dis
a) 14...d2 15 tt::lx e6! dxe1'ii+ 16 .!:!.xe1 tract the queen from its essential de
is clearly winning for White, despite fence of f7.
the temporary rook deficit. 17 ..txe5
b) Perhaps the critical test was The finish is very aesthetic and very
14 ... g6, although after 15 tt::lf6+ (15 't!Vh6 brutal. Basically, White just needs to
is also playable, but not half as much keep attackin g !
fun) 15 .. .'�ie7 16 �6 'i;;xf6 17 tt::lxh7+! 17 �d7 18 ..txb7 'iix b7 1 9 tt::lx e6+1
••.
.l:i:xh7 (after 17 ...We7 18 ..tg5+ 'it>e8 19

tt::lf6+ White wins the rook on h8 and
the game) 18 ..tg 5+ Wf5 I really would
not hold out much hope for the sur
vival of Black's king. Indeed, White
should be winning after 19 ..th3+ tt::lg 4
20 ..txg4+ 'it>xg4 21 �xh7, threatening
to check on h4 and then mate on f4.
15 tt::lx c5
White starts eliminating those
pieces which are defending the black
king. Neat, as 19 ...fxe6 fails to 20 ..td6+.
15...bxc5 16 .!:Ixe5 ! 19 ...'it>g8 20 tt::lxg7 tt::lc6 21 tt::lf51 tt::lx e5
74
P u n is h i ng t h e Pa w n - G r a b b e rs
22 'iYgS+ ctJg6 23 'iYf6 1-0 s. . :t!Vg4?!

Kudrin committed a number of in
structive errors in this miniature:
wrongly neglecting his development in
pursuit of early central play, and then
refusing to return the extra pawn in a
necessary bid to simplify the position.
The result was that Black never castled
and was brutally punished for his greed.
Do not hold on to your gold if it
means that you will have to struggle
passivelyfor the rest of the game!
I picked this game partly because I
Black captures another very hot once played this move myself. In theory
pawn in our next game and yet again it is too greedy as it loses too much
pays the price. It is certainly interesting time, but it does at least unbalance the
to see how White kept the pressure up position. Personally I wouldn't play this
and how Black eventually cracked. move again and I would recommend
instead the more usual s ...ct:Jf6 6 ctJc3
g 6 7 d4 cxd4 8 ct:Jxd4 ..tg7.
Game 1 7 6 o-o 'iixe4 7 d4
W.Browne-M.Quinteros White's compensation is evident. He
Wij k aan Zee 1974 has an open e-file, control of the centre,
Sicilian Defence the better development and Black's
queen is exposed.
1 e4 cs 2 ct:Jf3 d6 3 ..tbs+ 7 ...cxd4 8 l.'!.e1
This approach normally leads to dry, Logical, although another sensible
quiet positions. Not in this game, move is 8 ct:Jxd4, which keeps the threat
though, as White destroys his oppo of .l:te1 in reserve and prepares ct:Jbs.
nent in quick time, albeit not without a 8.. .'iVc6
bit of help from Black. 8 .. .'iVg4 was the move I chose, trying
3 .....td7 4 ..txd7+ 'ii'xd7 5 c4 to stop White from moving his knight.
This move indicates that White It may be a better option, but White
wants to close the position. Browne still has great compensation.
was obviously prepared for a slow bat 9 ct:Jxd4 'ii'xc4?1
tle and it would seem that he was also Very greedy! This is pushing the
well prepared for the move that Black boat out too far and Black cannot af
played in the game. ford to waste so much time. Quinteros
75
H o w to Win a t Ch es s - Q u i c k ly !
should have played 9 ..'ifd7, which at

. when Black has to be very careful.
least gets the queen safe and enables
Black to develop some pieces next with
...tt::lc 6 and ...tt::lf6.
For example, 12 .. .'ti'xd6 {12 ...tt::lc 6 13

tt::ld b5 also looks very good for White)
13 tt::l db5 'ii'x d1 14 �axd1 and Black will
10 tt::la 3 lose a rook in the corner. After 14...tt::la 6
Another piece emerges with gain of 15 tt::ld 6+ 'it>d7 16 tt::l xf7+ 'it>e8 17 Qjxh8
time. the position should be good for White,
10 'ifc8
... although there is a chance that the
Black has a very unpleasant position knight on h8 might become trapped.
and he has just given White the c-file 12 es
...
to attack down. He will pay dearly for Black is trying to defend the centre
that mistake! with his fragile pawn formation, but
11 jt_f4 White will quickly wipe the pawns
One threat is 12 ..txd6. away. Another defensive try was
11 .'ilt'd7
.• 12 ... 'it>d8, removing the king from the e
The alternative was 11 ... e5 when file, but it does not exactly have a
play might have continued 12 tt::ld b5 bright future on d8. Indeed, after 13
'ii'd 7 13 'ii'a 4! {now 14 tt::l c 7+ is a threat) 'ii'h 3 ! {the queen targets f7 and the d1-
13 ... tt::lc 6 14 nad1 �d8 15 tt::lc 4 {all of square is now available for a white
White's pieces are attacking) 15 ... a6 16 rook) 13 ... e5 14 jLxe 5 ! {opening up the
tt::lb xd6+ and White is winning. d-file} 14 ... dxe5 15 tt::lf3 Black is lost. He
12 tt::la bs cannot stop the dual threats of 16
Another interesting move was the tt::l x e5 and 16 l:tad1.
immediate blow 12 jLxd6 ! ? 13 jLxes!
This destroys the black king's pawn
(seefollowing diagram) cover. In addition, just where is Black's
development?
76
P u n is h i ng t h e Pa w n - Gra b b e rs
Of course, 1S ... �xd5 runs into 16

tt:Jc7+.
16 tt:Jfs <t>fs
Sidestepping 17 tt:Jd6+, but running
into a killer attack down the central
files.
17 tt:Jxe7 �xe7
It's mate after 17 ... tt:Jxe7 18 l:td8+
'i!Vxd8 19 'i!Vxd8.
18 .:tes+ 1-o
A powerful game which demon
13 ... dxes 14 l:txes+ 1Le7 strates how badly things can go wrong
Black's other options would have for the player who is too greedy too
fared no better: early on. Black might be able to get
a) 14 ... tt:Je7 15 tt:Jf5 appears to be away with a pawn grab if the position
winning for White, as shown by the is fairly closed, but here White had the
line 15 ... tt:Jbc6 16 tt:Jfd6+ 'it>d8 17 tt:Jxf7+ open c-, d- and e-files to attack down !
'it>c8 18 'ili'xd7+ 'it>xd7 19 �d1+ 'it>c8 20 Do not go around capturing pawns
.:tc5 when White threatens the rook on if your pieces are undeveloped and the
h8 and also mate on d8. position is of an open nature.
b) 14 ... 'it>d8 15 'ili'f3 tt:Jf6 16 l:td1 and
White is winning; there are too many Quinteros was a pretty strong
open lines towards the black king. grandmaster back in 1974, but now we
15 .:tdsl will see an even stronger player quickly
coming a cropper, namely Vladimir
Kramnik.
Game 1 8
V.Kramnik-V.Topalov
Wij k aan Zee 2005
Sicilian Defence
1 e4 c5
Topalov is known for his aggressive
White is playing with maximum openings and play in general. For this
en ergy and great precision. reason it was a surprise to see Kramnik
1S 'i!Vc8
... taking on his Najdorf.
77
2 tt::lf3 d6 3 d 4 cxd4 4 tt::lxd4 tt::lf6 5 tt::l c 3 The knight looks a bit sidelined here
a6 6 it.e3 e6 and it can become a target, but White
6 ... g6 would reach my favourite may have a chance to play ti:Jb6 at
'Dragadorf' and was worth certainly some stage. So this is really quite a
considering! double-edged move.
1 f3 bs Instead 10 tt:Jce2 gives Black the op
This is one of the attractions of the tion of playing 10... es, which reminds
Najdorf. Black can start immediate me of a Dragadorf. Black strikes out in
counterplay on the queenside with the the centre, pushing White's pieces to
advance ...bs. bad squares, but at the cost of creating
8 g4 a hole on ds. However, Black might be
White reacts by attacking on the able to meet 11 ti:Jb3 with 11 ... dS!?.
kingside. Both sides' basic plans should 10 ti:Jbd7
...
be pretty easy to follow here: Black will Bringing another piece into play
attack on the queenside, while White and vacating the b8-square for the
will attack on the kingside. rook. Another option here is 10 ... ds 11
8 h6
... es tt:Jfd7 12 f4, which leads to French
This m ove holds up g4-g 5 for the like structure. White has good control
time being. of d4, but his knight on a4 may become
9 'iVd2 b4!? a target.
11 0-0-0
This is preferable to 11 �xb4 dS 12
'iVd2 dxe4, a sequence which has al
lowed Black to exchange one of his
wing pawns for one of White's central
pawns. This is usually a favourable ex
change, which is why White tends to
avoid this plan.
Note too that the greedy 11 tt:Jc6
�c7 12 tt:Jxb4 runs into 12 ... ds with the
threat of 13 ...�as. White actually has
Black starts some action on the to be very careful in this position.
flank before finishing his development. 11 tt:Jes!
...
This is a risky plan, but Topalov had a I am giving this move an exclama
specific, well-prepared idea in mind. tion mark because it was a novelty at
Instead 9 . tt:Jbd7 is the main move
.. the time and one which worked out
here. perfectly for Black . Topalov is not wor
10 ctJa4 ried about the pawn on b4; by sacrific-
78
P u n is h i n g t h e Pa wn - G r a b b e rs
i n g it he will gain good counterplay. to emphasize how important openings

are, especially at the top level. One little
mistake and you will struggle.
Here 13 lLlc3 looks best, but by now
White must play very accurately as his
queen is in immediate danger: for ex
ample, 13 ...it'c7 ! (Black now threatens
... ds without allowing White's queen
into b7) 14 .1f4 g S 15 .1g3 h S ! with a
very complicated position in I.Balinov
I.Stohl, Austria 2004, but I like Black's
chances and he seems to be the one
12 'Wxb4?! pushing for the advantage.
This move may be objectively okay,
but I do not like this decision from a
psychological perspective. When you
are faced with a well-prepared oppo
nent who has just offered you a pawn,
it is surely time to smell a rat. In fact, it
would have been wise for Kramnik to
have rejected the pawn in favour of a
more solid option, such as 12 b 3 ! ?.
Then play might continue 12 ... .i.d7 13
t:Llb2 ds with an unclear g ame.
12 .1d7
... 13 ....:.bs?!
White's pieces are very exposed on A natural move, but it may well
the queenside. The knight on a4 is look have been better to have played
ing rather loose and his queen can be 13 ... as!, which pushes White's queen to
attacked by either ... ds or ... .:.bs. On top a bad square: 14 'iia 3 and now Black
of this, Black has the open b- and c-files can play the simple 14...lLlxf3 with a
to attack White's king down. All in all, promising position.
this must offer Black very good com 14 1lfa3?
p ensation for the pawn. Kramnik makes another mistake! 14
13 lLlb3?! lLlb6 was best, when things would have
Kramnik, who must have been sur been rather unclear.
prised by Black's 11th move, reacts in a 14... lLlxf3
bad way. Basically White has been White now has problems defending
tri cked in the opening, which just goes his pawns on e4 and g4. If the e-pawn
79
H o w to Win a t C h e s s - Q u ic k ly!
goes then Black will have a l arge ad- the threat is often stronger than the
vantage due to his extra central pawns. execution.
On top of this White's pieces are lack
ing any real coordination.
15 h3 tt::lxe4
1 9 ..tc3
Only now that White has lost con
trol of the cS-square does Black play ...
Why not? White's position is already 19...ds
hopeless. ... as after...
16 ..te2 20 tt::l bc s "fia7 o-1
16 ..tg2 gives up control of the c4- .. .White is completely lost. Play
square, but how can Black take advan might conclude 21 b4 tt::l x c3 22 "fixc3
tage of that fact? The answer is tt:Jxb4 23 'it>d2 ..txa4 24 tt::lx a4 ..te7! with
16...tt:Jes ! with a winning position, as a decisive .....tgS+ just around the cor
after 17 ..txe4 tt::lc4 it's goodbye to the ner.
white queen. Topalov made that game look very
16 ...tt:Jes easy. This is a problem with playing the
A dream Sicilian position ! Black's main lines - you really need to know
knights dominate the board; his central your theory very well. Kramnik didn't
pawns will be an advantage in the seem too, but then again he was hav
middlegame; he is ready to play ... ds, ing rather an off day, making a number
attacking the white queen; and, on top of poor psychological choices en route
of all that, Black's king is perfectly safe! to being routed.
Did I forget to mention Black is a pawn
up as well? When faced with a new move and a
17 �he1 "fic7 18 ..td4 tt::lc 6 choice between a greedy capture and a
There is no need for Black to rush safetyjirst response, it is often better to
with ... ds. As I have mentioned before, proceed safely.
80
Chapter Four
G a m bit P l a y
The m ajority of chess players marvel at seems like a mistake when Fritz is on !
a great attacking game. A brilliant at This can really get you down, but one
tack is often the wonder of many an thing which you have to remember is
amateur player, who exclaims: 'how that humans do not play like com
did that player get away with such dar puters. We are very susceptible to mak
ing and crazy play?' ing mistakes, unlike computers, and
The most impressive games often even the world's best players rarely
start with one side gambiting a pawn play perfectly.
in return for an attack, but gambit play I have noticed that many readers of
requires you to be willing to take risks. my previous books rely heavily on their
Such an approach to the gam e is sadly computers. I often get a message back
becoming less frequent, mainly due to from a reader stating something along
the introduction of computers, which the following lines: 'I really liked your
often show the correct way to proceed book which I have put through the lat
through the resulting complications. est version of Fritz. On page 78 you
I often get depressed when I look at state that Black is clearly better after
one of my games with the 'help' of a move 25, but when I left my computer
chess program. Before turning on the to analyse this position overnight it
computer I am feeling on top of the thought that Black's advantage was
world, marvelling at my brilliant play, only +0.25 ..
.'
but within ten minutes of analysis with Such a statement puts me in two
the computer I suddenly realize just minds. On one hand I am glad that
how weak my play was. Every move someone has taken such an interest in
81
the book, but, o n the other hand, the handling of the white pieces. Here we
first thing I think is: 'Oh no, this is not will see him employing one of the most
the most important issue! ' Indeed, the critical lines against the Najdorf.
most important thing is to understand
the main ideas of the opening being
covered - remember the dangers of Game 19
learning a line parrot fashion ? It is also E.Berg-J.Thomassen
far more important for most players to Hei si nger 2009
improve their middlegame and end Sicilian Defence
game play than become bogged down
analysing every sub-variation in an 1 e4 cs 2 lt:Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt:Jxd4 lt:Jf6
openings book. Well, at least until one s lt:Jc3 a6 6 Ji.gs e6 7 f4
becomes a strong grandmaster! We saw Radjabov play this line
The point I am really trying to make against Anand in the previous chapter.
is that you should not put all your faith White basically wants to crush Black as
into a chess program because when it quickly as possible; a plan which works
comes down to actually playing the out perfectly in this game!
game, you have to face your opponent, 1 Ji.e7
.•.
not your computer! Moreover, while I This is one of the main moves. Black
would not recommend playing in a breaks the pin on his knight and no
gambit manner against any strong longer has to worry quite so much
chess program, it is an entirely differ about the e4-e5 advance.
ent story playing like this against a 8 'ii'f3
human. Even if they survive the initial In this variation White nearly al
complications after accepting the ways deploys his queen to this square,
gambit, faced with the prospect of de for a couple of reasons:
fending for the whole game, it is very 1. To deter Black from playing an
likely that they won't be able to defend early ...bs. Indeed, if Black plays the
in the perfect manner. seemingly natural advance 8 ... bs? he
Let us not give up on gambit play! will find both rook and knight attacked
Indeed, as we will see in this chapter, after g es.
there is still plenty of room for Morphy 2. White prepares to castle queen
like play in the 21st Century. Our first side, making the king safer and ena
modern Morphy is the exciting Swedish bling the queen' s rook to generate
grandmaster, Emanuel Berg. I have some pressure down the d-file.
learnt a number of attacking ideas 8 ."�C7
..
from studying his games and have al A very sensible response. From c7
ways been impressed by his aggressive the queen gives extra protection to the
82
G a m b i t Play
e5-square, thereby making it harder for The main alternative is 10 ... b5, as
White to play e4-e5 himself. Black can was played in no lesser game than
also now consider playing ... b5 as he B.Spassky-R.Fischer, World Champion
can meet e5 with ....ib7. Note too that ship (Game 15), Reykjavik 1972, which
it is often not advisable for Black to continued 11 Ithe1 .ib7 12 'iVg 3 o-o-o
castle kingside too early, as his king can (Fischer avoids the critical piece sacri
easily come under a nasty attack there. fice 12 ... b4 13 tt:::ld 5! exd5 14 exd5,
9 0-0-0 tt::l b d7 which opens lines against Black's cen
Providing extra cover to e5. tral king) 13 .ixf6 (13 tt:Jdxb5 is a very
10 .id3 interesting option here) 13 ...tt::lxf6 14
White develops his last piece to a 'ir'xg 7 .Udf8 15 �g3 b4 and Black had
good, aggressive square. Later on in the managed to generate enough play for
game the bishop on d3 may put h7 un the sacrificed pawn.
der pressure, especially if Black castles 11 'ir'h3!?
king side. I like this move. White's queen is ac
10... h6 tually well placed here and begins to
put e6 under some pressure.
11....Ug8?
A number of strong players have

played this move and it is clearly not a
mistake, but Black does have to be very A slip in concentration that will cost
wary about making pawn moves as Black dearly. This move pays no atten
they can create some serious weak tion to White's last move. The real in
nesses. Here Black has weakened his tention behind 11 'iVh 3 was not to pin
kingside light squares and at some the h-pawn, but rather to line up a sac
point White may be able to start some rifice on e6.
tactics based on e4-e5, tt:Jxe6 and .ig6+ Black should have overprotected the
ideas. This is something that Black has pawn on e6 by moving the knight on
to keep an eye open for. d7, and 11 ...tt::lb6 has been his most
83
popular choice. Two very uncompro- to find good squares for his pieces.
mising players clashed here in E.Berg
T.Hillarp Persson, Swedish Champion
ship, Kungsor 2009, and after 12 .l:!.he1
es 13 liJfs �xfs 14 exfs o-o-o 15 �xf6
�xf6 16 fxes �xes (16 ... dxes ? 17 l2Je4
is very unpleasant for Black) 17 f6+
'it>b8 18 fxg7 �xg7 19 �e4 �xc3 20
'iVxc3 'iVxc3 2 1 bxc3 White had a small
advantage, m ainly because his bishop
was much stronger than Black's knight.
11...l2Jcs is another sensible option,
but 11...0-0? looks like suicide. I would 13 ...fxe6
then be extremely tempted to blow 13 ...'i!Vc6 ! ? may have been worth
open the black king's defences with 12 considering, intending 14 l2Jxg7+ .l:!.xg7
�xh6. 15 'iVxh6 .l:i.g8, although White still has
12 esl very good compensation after 16 .l:i.hel.
Thematic. White opens up the light 14 �g6+ 'it>d8
squared bishop so that it can land on The only option: 14 ... 'it>f8?? 15 'iVxe6
g6 at some moment. The position is leads to checkmate.
obviously very complicated and Black 15 �xf6
must defend with extreme care. White's compensation lies in the
12 ... dxes fact that Black's pieces are cramped,
This seems to be the best way to his king is stuck on d8, the position is
continue. Instead the game J.Jens open and White has a number of open
M.Azadmanesh, Leiden 1998, saw lines down which to attack. This all
12 ... hxg s 13 exf6 g4? 14 l2Jxe6! 'irb6 adds up to excellent compensation !
(14 .. .fxe6 15 'il'h S+ 'it>d8 16 fxe7+ 'it>xe7 15 ... gxf6
17 l2Je4 is winning for White, as the Alternatively, 1S ...�xf6 16 'i!Vxe6 .l:.f8
black king is too exposed) 15 l2Jxg7+ and now White can increase the pres
1-0. sure with 17 l:td6! and, with .l:i.hd1 to
13 l2Jxe6! follow, I suspect that White is winning.
The point of White's play! This is a 16 �f7 l:tg7 17 �xe6
typical sacrifice which offers White Black is tied down to the defence of
very good compensation. My computer his knight on d7. In actual fact I think
actually feels that Black is better here, that his position is pretty hopeless. He
but in a practical sense it is very hard has no active plan or way to continue;
to defend. For a start Black will struggle he just has to sit there and suffer.
84
G a m b it Play
Simple and good. There is no need

to rush as overall Black's pieces lack co
ordination.
20 ... 'ikb6
This makes White's task a lot easier,
but the situation was difficult anyway.
Instead 20 ... .i.d6 m ay have objectively
been best. S aying that, White is win
ning after 21 ll:ld5 ! l:tg7 22 'it'xh6 i.f8
23 'iVh4+ 'ite8 24 i.xd7+ i.xd7 25 lt:Jf6+.
21 'ir'xg2 'it'xe6 22 tt:lxd7 i.xd7 23 'it'xb7
11 ...i.fB 1-0
This is a rather unpleasant and pas
sive way to play, but the rook on g7
needs to assist the defence.
1B ll:lds
Another decent option was 18
'iixh6 ! with the immediate threat of 19
'ifxf6+. Play could continue 18 ... 'ite8 19
fxe5 (trying to open up the e-file)
19 .. .fxe5 20 .l:thfl and White is winning.
1B ...'iic 6 19 ll:lxf6
It was also worth thinking about 19
fxe5 which opens up the f-file. After Black resigned as after 23 ... l:tc8
19 .. .fxe5 20 l:thf1 i.e7 Black is para White will play 24 l:txd7+ and then 25
lysed and White might be able to win l:td1.
immediately with 21 i.xd7 i.xd7 22 Thomassen only really made one
tt.Jxe7 'itxe7 23 'iih 4+ 'ite8 24 l:tf6. mistake in this game and that 11th
19 ....l:lxg2 move slip l ed to a devastating defeat. I
Instead 19 ... exf4 keeps the f-file would, however, have been quite wor
closed, but opens the e-file. You cannot ried about playing such an opening
always have it your own way! After 20 against Berg in any case. You should
llhe1 White should be winning, such as always try to consider your opponent's
With 2o... i.d6 (attempting to close the style and, if you can help it, try to avoid
d-fil e) 21 'it'xh6 l:txg2 22 i.f5 ll:lxf6 23 playing to their strengths. Berg is a tac
'i'xf6+ 'itc7 24 l:txd6! 'it'xd6 25 .l:!.e7+ tical, attacking player so he must have
�c 6 26 i.e4+. been very happy with the way the
20 C3! opening turned out, especially once he
85
H o w to Win a t Chess - Q u ic k ly!
got to land a thematic blow on e6. 7 ds!

In complicated, tricky positions, pay ex-
tra attention!
We will now see an even more dan

gerous attacker behind the white pieces,
Veselin Topalov. He can play either 1 d4
or 1 e4, and more often than not he will
completely destroy his opponent. This
game is no exception. White plays a
trendy pawn sacrifice and maintains
the pressure on his opponent right until
the end of the game. However, White makes this push
anyway! This pawn sacrifice gains time
and also gives White some useful pres
Game 20 sure along the d-file.
V.Topalov-V.Anand 7 exds
..•
B i l bao 2008 Black really must accept the pawn.

Queen's Indian Defence otherwise White's centre will be too
strong after 8 e4 and Black's light
1 d4 tt::lf6 2 c4 e6 3 tLlf3 b6 4 g3 ..1a6 5 squared bishop will become a bad
'i!Vc2 piece.
A dangerous line which I alluded to 8 cxds tt:Jxds
in the notes to Game 16, Adorjan The standard response. The other
Kudrin . 5 'i!Vc2 is by far the most popu capture, 8 ... ..1xd5, has been known to
lar choice at the moment. White plans be bad ever since the game P.Tregubov
to take over the centre with 6 e4 and is A.Greet, Fuegen 2006, which continued
ready to offer a dangerous gambit. 9 tt::lc 3 ..1c6 10 e4 d6 11 ..1f4 tLlh 5 12
s ..tb7
... 0-0-0 tt:Jxf4 13 gxf4 ..1e7 14 e5 0-0 15
This stops 6 e4 and gives extra pro h4! (Tregubov must have had a sneak
tection to the d5-square. We will see preview of the final chapter!} 15 .. .'if'C7
why this is important in a moment. 16 tLlg 5 when White had a big attack
6 ..1g2 cs and won very quickly.
Black can play this counterattacking 9 o-o ..1e7 10 l::td 1
idea as a result of his previous move. In This sets up threats against the
general the two ideal responses to ... c5 knight on d5, as when White moves his
are e2-e4 and d4-d5, but both of these knight from f3 this piece will be at
moves seem to lose a pawn here. tacked. Meanwhile Black's pieces are a
86
G a m bi t Play
little clumsily placed and it will take 11 a3

him a while to rearrange them. A prophylactic move against ...lZ'lb4.
Now White is ready to play e2-e4.
11 'Llf6
...
With this move Black aims to take

the e4-square under his control. Having
vacated the d5-square, he can consider
pushing his own pawn to d5.
12 i.gs!
10 .'ii'c8
..
Black plays this rather strange move

in order to overprotect the bishop on
b7, which avoids a lot of tricks. He has
also tried:
a) 10...lLJc6 11 'ii'f5 (11 �xd5? is a
mistake due to 11...lZ'lb4 when White
loses the exchange) 11...lZ'lf6 12 e4 g6 This is a good move for one main
13 'ii'f4 o-o 14 e5 lZ'lh 5 15 'ii'c4 was reason: at the moment both players are
B.Gelfand-P.Leko, Jermuk 2009, where fighting for control of the d5-square
White had good compensation for the and, by playing i.g5, White indirectly
pawn. He enjoyed pressure down the d increases the pressure on that square.
file, a dangerous, cramping pawn on e5 12 ds
...
and Black had weakened his kingside A very principled decision. If Black
by playing ... g6, while also placing his can maintain his pawn on this square
knight on h 5 . then he will have a good position. In
b ) 1 0. . .0-o?! is a mistake a s White deed, White must act quickly before
can play 11 'ii'e 4! which wins two Black manages to consolidate his mate
pieces for the rook. The game rial advantage.
M.Devereaux-S.Tofte, Gibraltar 2008, 13 i.xf6
continued 11...lLJa6 12 1:txd5 lZ'lb4 13 Removing one defender of the d5-
lLJc3 f5 14 'ir'c4 b5 and now White pawn.
should have captured the pawn : 15 13 i.xf6 14 lZ'lc3
...
'ii'x b5 i.xd5 16 lZ'lxd5 lZ'lxd5 17 'ii'c4 A critical moment. What can Black
with a winning position. do about the threat to his ds-pawn?
87
14... .il.xc3 is fs. There the knight puts pressure on

Probably Black's best move. The g7, d6 and Black's king position in gen
white knight on c3 was stronger than eral. Black's pawn on ds is also now
the bishop on f6, so Anand exchanges under attack. As I said in the introduc
these pieces. Let's take a quick look, tion to this game, Topalov just keeps
though, at one of Black's alternatives, putting Anand under pressure and it is
namely 14 ... Vie6, trying to hold every very hard to defend against such play.
thing together. The most thematic 16...g6
move in this position is 15 e4! ?. White This move feels right as it keeps the
is ahead in development so he natu knight out of f5, although White is
rally tries to open the position. Play guaranteed an advantage after it as
could continue 1S ... dxe4 16 ltJg 5 ! i.. x g5 Black has created some significant
17 ltJxe4 and, due to threats on the dark-squared weaknesses. Maybe Black
long diagonal, White is a lot better. could have tried 16 ... 'i!ie6, but again
15 bxc3 ltJa6 White is better after 17 ltJf5 o-o 18 c4!
Black must develop his remaining and he will win back his pawn while
piece. He might like to get his king to retaining a positional advantage.
safety, but 15 ... 0-0? ! runs into 16 ltJg5 ! 11 i..xds i..xds
when White has a dangerous attack: Black should exchange the bishop
for example, 16 ... g6 17 i.xd5 i..x d5 18 on d5 before White has a chance to
l:txd5 and, by forcing ... g6, White has play c2-c4. Indeed, after 17 ...0-0 18 c4!
created some nasty weaknesses on the i.. x ds White can play 19 cxd5 when the
kingside. He also has control of the d d-pawn will be a real problem for Black.
file and play is actually quite similar to 18 l:txds o-o 19 l:tad1
the main game. White has the advantage. Black has
16 ltJh4 lost his extra pawn and the d-file,
weakened his kingside and his knight
on a6 is very much out of play.
19 ...ltJc7
Anand tries to bring the knight back
into the game.
20 lld7 ltJe6
This looks like a very natural square
for the knight. Another idea was
20 ...ltJbS when there is a threat of
21...ltJd4. In actual fact this positio n
was later reached in V.Bhat-G . Papp,
The best square for White's knight Lubbock 2009, which continued 21
88
G a m b it Play
J:tldS! a6 22 �d2 l.ta? 23 l.td8 and Things are really tough for Black
Wh ite retained the advantage. now!
2 1 �e4 23 ... tt:Jcs 24 l:!.e7 :ds 25 :t1 1-o
White centralizes his queen. Slowly
but surely he wants to bring her
around to either f6 or h6.
21...'ii'e 8?!
Black resigned as 26 tt:Jg s is coming.

This is just about the only game in
this book where the loser ended up in a
difficult position without clearly doing
The black queen is very passive here. anything wrong. This is probably more
It is hard to recommend another move, of a reflection on Topalov's play and
but maybe Black should have tried the strength of White's gambit than
21 ... c4! ? when ... tt:Jcs is an idea. Indeed, Anand's play, though.
after 22 �g4 'ir'cs ! (but not 22 ...tt:Jcs ? 23 Sometimes in chess you do not need
tt:Jfs !) Black is clinging on. to try too hard; just keep the pressure
22 tt:::lf31 up and your opponent's position will
A good move. The knight has per eventually crumble!
formed its duty well on h4, forcing
Black to weaken himself with ... g6, and In the next game Black completely
so now rejoins the play. throws his opponent off track with a
22 ...c4?! wacky opening, the Elephant Gambit.
Uncharacteristically Anand gives in This is quite a dubious opening, but the
without a fight. His position would still g am e we are about to look at actually
have been unenviable after 22 ... tt:::ld4, inspired me to give it a go against
but he might have been able to last a David Howell. Unfortunately I got an
bit longer: 23 tt:Jes tt:Jbs 24 lhd3 tt:Jxa3 awful position from the opening and
25 't:ids and White is better, but game lost in quick fashion. The brave (one
g oes on. might say the foolish !) are not always
2 3 'ii'h4 successful.
89
4...e4 5 tZJes
Game 21 White's knight is very well placed
T Sakelsek P.Corbin
.
- here, blunting Black's dark-squared
Ca lvia Olym piad 2004 bishop and making it tricky for Black to
Elephant Gambit fully develop. As well as being a pawn
up, White may even have the better
1 e4 es 2 lZJf3 ds?! position !
s ...tZJf6
Black would like to play s ...fs?, but
White can answer that with the deci
sive 6 'ii'h s+.
6 i.bS+?I
I can't really recommend this g am

bit, but maybe, just maybe, it could be
used as a surprise weapon.
3 exds
This is the best way to meet 2 ... ds.
White grabs the pawn on offer. This move may well be fine, but it is
3 ... i.d6 a bit greedy. White wins another pawn,
The most popular continuation, giv but he is already a pawn up so this is
ing up a pawn for quick development. not necessary. A safer option would
Other options are no better: have been 6 c4, which is what David
a) 3 ... lifxds 4 lZJc3 llfe6 and White Howell played against me in the 2007
must be better, as Black has lost too British Championship. That game con
much time moving his queen. tinued 6 ... c6 7 lZJc3 cxds 8 cxds o-o 9
b) 3 ... e4 is in Mark H ebden's one i.gs and White had a very pleasant
minute bullet repertoire, but it does advantage.
seem to lose a pawn for not too much 6 ...c6
after 4 llfe2 lZJf6 5 lZJc3 i.e7 6 lZJxe4. I bet that Black was more than
4 d4 happy to sacrifice another pawn !
White needs to g ain some space in 7 dxc6 bxc6 8 lZJxc6
the centre. White goes two pawns ahead. How-
90
G a m b i t Play
ever, things are not all bad for Black as 13 ...f4

h e has managed to remove White's
knigh t from its strong post on e5 and
h as opened some lines for counterplay.
s .'iib 6 9 c4
..
Tempting, but it may have been a

better idea to play 9 tLlc3, which at
least develops a piece.
g ttJxc6
• .•
Black has m anaged to complicate

the game and is ahead in development.
An ideal situation for the g ambiteer!
10 dS o-o 11 i.xc6 tLlg4 12 'iie 2 fSII Forwards men ! This position is ex
tremely hard to assess. Let's just say
that Black has some compensation, but
I doubt that it is quite worth the mate
rial invested. In a practical sense,
though, Black's position is a lot easier
to play.
14 f3
Another option was 14 .!LJd2, which
aims to bring a piece into play. The
game could continue 14... e3 (it looks
correct to force the issue, although
This is where the real fun starts. 14 ... i.f5 ! ? is an option) and then:
Black is not happy being two pawns a) 15 .!LJe4 i.b4+ (15 ...tLlxf2 16 ttJxf2
down, so he decides to throw a rook exf2+ 17 'it>d1 'ir'd4+ 18 i.d2 i.b4 19 d6!
into the mix! This is proper caveman enables White to meet 19 ...i.g4 with
chess and I rather like it. I am still un 20 i.f3, but after 19 ...i.d7! the position
sure how to m ark this move. It may not is still unclear) 16 'it>f1 �f5 with very
be wholly sound, but it rather deserves unclear consequences.
a double exclamation mark for its b) I would want to get my king safe,
brashness and creativity. even at the cost of returning some m a
13 i.xa8 terial, and so play 15 0-0 ! ?, but after
White should capture the rook as 13 15 ... exd2 16 i.xd2 f3 ! 17 gxf3 ttJxh2
h 3 tLle5 gives Black a fair amount of Black's attack rages on regardless.
play, such as after 14 i.xa8 tLld3+ 15 14...ttJes
�fl tLlxc1 16 'i!Vc2 tLld3. The knight moves around to d3. The
91
more I look at the position, the more I ing fine after 1 7...'il'xcs 18 'iti>d1 'il'd4+
like Black's chances! White's king is 19 'i*'d2 tt:'ld3.
stuck on e1 and Black's pawns on e4 17 . �b4+ 18 'iti>d1
..
and f4 are monsters. It was more natural to block with

15 lt:Jc3 the bishop, but after 18 �d2 Black
White needs to develop his queen could continue 18 ...�xd2+ 19 tt:Jxd2
side pieces. lt:Jd3+ with a big attack. Moreover, he
1S ...exf3 always has perpetual check in hand.
Opening up the position and the e That said, I doubt that Black would
file. have been happy to draw such an excit
16 gxf3 �fs ing game and so would have gone 20
'Oti>d1 tt:Jxb2+ 21 'iti>e1 tt:'ld3+ 22 'iti>d1
.ll x a8.
18 'ii'd 4+
••.
White's king is being chased to its

death.
19 'iti>c2
Likewise 19 tt:Jd2 �d3 20 'ii'g 2 tt:'lxc4
is crushing.
19...tt:Jxf31
Black's last piece enters the fray.

Corbin is creating a lovely masterpiece.
17 tt:Je4
White wants to block some lines.
Other options included:
a) 17 �c6 lt:Jd3+ 18 'Oti>d2 'il'd4 looks
scary for White. Indeed, Black is doing
very well after 19 tt:Je4 (or 19 tt:Jbs �b4+
20 'iti>c2 tt:Jcs+ 21 'i*'d3 'i*'xd3 mate)
19 ... tt:Jes+ 20 'iti>e1 �b4+ 21 �d2 �xd2+ After this move White's knight can
22 tt:'lxd2 lt:Jd3+ 23 'iti>d1 tt:Jxb2+ 24 'iti>c1 no longer maintain its blocking role on
lt:Jd3+ when he should be winning. e4.
b) 17 c s ! ? attempts to hinder the co 20 .!:!.d1 �xe4+ 21 'iti>b3 .!:!.bSI
ordination of Black's pieces, but the Going for maximum artistic effect.
pawns on c4 and dS were giving some 22 �c6
protection to White's king. Black is do- After 22 .!:!.xd4 tt:Jxd4+ 23 'Ot>a4 tt:Jxe2
92
G a m b it Play
for the first time in the game Black is

actually material up ! Game22
zz i.. d 2+ 23 �bs l:txbS+!
... J.Palkovi-F.Portisch
Ege r 1987
French Defence
1 e4 e6 2 d4 ds 3 tt:Jc3 �b4 4 es tt:Je7 s

a3 �xc3+ 6 bxc3 cs 7 't!Vg4 cxd4
Along with 7 ... 't!VC7, which usually
transposes, this is the most aggressive
option. Black can also play 7 ... 0-0, but
he will often have to defend against a
kingside attack after it, as we saw in
Game 13, Gullaksen-Williams.
The last beautiful touch. 8 't!Vxg7 l:!.g8 9 't!Vxh7 't!Vc7 10 tt:Je2 tt:Jbc6
24 cxbs 'ii'b4 mate (o-1) 11 f4 �d7 12 't!Vd3 dxc3
A brilliant g ame and my favourite
within the pages of this book. Black
deserved a brilliancy prize for his
imaginative and aggressive play.
What did White do wrong ? Well, as
in many other examples throughout
this book, he got a little bit too greedy.
Instead of winning a second pawn on
c6, White should have maintained his
knight on e s and continued developing
his pieces.
This position has been reached in
The opening variation in the next literally thousands of games. White's
g ame has long been one of the main king is slightly insecure in the middle
battlegrounds within the French De of the board and it has nowhere par
fence. Black sacrifices a pawn in an at ticularly safe to move to, but he will be
tempt to obtain an attack against the a pawn up and it is a very strong pawn,
White king. I suspect that the variation the h-pawn, which has been known to
i s slightly dubious from a theoretical run all the way to h8 in this variation.
perspective, but it has claimed a num 13 .ttb 1 d41?
ber of victims and is m ost certainly a A typical and fashionable idea. Black
dan gerous weapon in practice. sacrifices another pawn in order to
93
Ho w to Win a t C h e s s - Q u ic k ly!
open up the centre. This seems t o b e the best place for

14 lbxd4 the bishop, attacking the knight on fs
Another idea was 14 lbg3 ! ? when and blocking the d-file, but it doe s
the knight tries to take advantage of rather run into Black's next move. Palk
the weak d6- and f6- squares, although ovi is guilty of a typical mistake here:
the position remains rather unclear underestimating Black's counterplay.
after 14. . 0-o-o 15 lbe4 lbfs.
. Remember, if you spot some danger
14...lbxd4 15 'Wxd4 ttJfs and can avoid it, then avoid it!
It was better to play 18 !tb4! , as the
rook can become exposed on b1 and on
b4 it prevents ... lbd4.
Black's pieces spring to life with

tempo. He wants to bring his light
squared bishop to c6 and castle queen
side, after which all his pieces will be 18 .. Jbd3!
working well together, but is it worth This seems to be a very strong sacri
two pawns? That is doubtful I fear. fice. I suspect that Black was thinking
16 'iif2 �c6 along the following lines: 'I am two
White's light-squared bishop is tied pawns down anyway and unlikely to
down to the defence of the g-pawn, so win any endgame, so why not sacrifice
Palkovi decides to free it for action. an exchange as well? This will give me
17 !tg1 a bigger initiative and make it harder
Very sensible. So far White has done for White to defend.' Moreover, White
nothing wrong, but Portisch doesn't has to play really accurately after this
panic and keeps up the pressure. exchange sacrifice.
17 ...�d8 19 cxd3 'ii'd 8 20 ..Wxa7
Unfortunately for Black, 17 ...0-0-0 Active defence, which, as we have
allows 18 'Wxa7 when White is close to seen, is often the best way to defend.
winning. 20...'iix d3
18 �d3?! In for a penny, in for a pound!
94
G a m b i t Play
'i!Vb8+! We7 23 �c7+ 'ite8 (23 ... Wf8? 24

�d8+ 'itg7 25 �dl is good for White)
24 �C8+.
21 :b4
The rook moves out of the way of the
black queen, but this seems a bit passive
and out of sync with White's previous 22 ...'it>f8!
move. He should have played 21 'i!Vb8+! The king removes itself from any
which tries to force the exchange of danger and now White is lost.
some pieces. Moreover, it leads to forc 23 .l:!.xb7?!
ing play and so must be critical. Re White had to try 23 �6 with the
member to analyse such lines first! Fol idea of perpetual check by 'ii'd 8+ and
lowing 21...We7 22 :xb7+ (22 'ii'x g8? 'ii'g 5+, but Black is still doing well after
'ii'x bl 23 i¥g5+ Wd7 wins for Black) 23 ...'itg7 ! 24 g4 .tf3 ! 25 gxf5+ Wh7
22 ... �xb7 23 't:ixb7+ Wf8 24 'ii'a 8+ Wg7 when White cannot stop checkmate:
25 'ii'f3 an exchange of queens would for example, 26 'i!Vb5 l:txg l+ 27 .txgl
obviously leave White well on top, so 'ii'd 2+ 28 Wfl .tg2 m ate.
Black must play 25 ... 'ff'c2 when his 23 ... .txb7 24 .tcs+ Wg7 25 't:ixb7 't:id2+
chances seem okay in this very unclear 0-1
position. Black is again two pawns The c-pawn will queen.
down, but White's king is still very ex White displayed a rather overopti
posed and the c-pawn is strong. mistic approach in this game, underes
21...'1tc2 timating Black's exchange sacrifice and
Now White's position looks very then rejecting a draw by repetition.
precarious, but he may still be able to Try to be unbiased in your assess
defend. ments during the game. This is difficult
2 2 .te3? to do, but it should give you a more
Too optimistic, as again White un honest assessment of the position in
derestimates the danger. He should front of you and so help you to play
h ave forced a draw by playing 22 more accurately.
95
H o w to Win a t Ch ess - Q u ic k ly!
Next we will see me playing an old s...c6 6 e4 bs

and rather forgotten idea, selected to Black must hang on to the c-p awn
get my opponent out of his comfort as this is his main asset.
zone. Mark Hebden is happy in many 7 es h6 8 �h4 gs 9 ttJxgs
positions, but he is not always so happy This is White's invariable choice, but
when the position becomes compli 9 �g 3 ! ? is what I usually play here, tak
cated. Moreover, this game was a ing Black away from his theory. Thi s
morning affair, so both of us were still approach should be closely compared
trying to wake up! with play in our next game, Gershon
Shinkevich, and after 9 ...ltJd5 10 ltJd2
.i.b7 11 .i.e2 ltJd7 12 a4 ifb6 13 ltJde4
Game 23 an interesting position arises. Black is a
M.Hebden-5. Williams pawn up, but his king is a bit weak.
Amersham 2009 What's more, White has a nice pawn
Semi-Slav Defence wedge on e5, giving him chances to
land a knight on d6 or f6, as well as the
1 d4 ttJf6 standard plan of opening queenside
A more normal way of reaching the lines with b2-b3.
main line of the Botvinnik Semi-Slav is g .ttJds!?
..
1 ... d5 2 c4 c6 3 ttJc3 ttJf6 4 ltJf3 e6 5 �g 5

dxc4.
2 ttJf3 ds
The problem with the move I usu
ally play, 2 ... g6, is that Hebden is the
world's leading expert on the Barry At
tack which would arise after 3 ltJc3.
Moreover, this can lead to very dry po
sitions; just the type of game that I was
trying to avoid.
3 c4 e6 4 �gs dxc4
I do not normally play this variation, This is an old move which has not
but this was one game where my been played at the highest level for a
preparation worked out perfectly. long time. Black sacrifices the exchange
5 ltJc3 in order to get an active and messy po
I would not be surprised if Hebden sition. I suspect that this approach
switches to the safer 5 'i!Va4+ after this would completely throw a lot of people
game, rather than debate the m ain line in White's shoes, as happens here. They
Botvinnik. are far more likely to be expecting
96
G a m b i t Play
g ... hxg 5 when play normally continues 12 l:!.c1! is the main move when
10 iLxg5 ttJbd7 11 exf6 iLb7 12 g3 c5 13 12 ... 'i!Ve4+ 13 .ie2 ltJf4 14 a3 ttJxg2+ 15
d 5 'Wb6 14 iLg2 o-o-o 15 o-o b4 with an Wf1 tLle3+ 16 fxe3 �xh1+ 17 'it.rf2 �xh2+
exciting and very theoretical game. 18 We1 is good for White. I was actually
10 ttJxf7?1 planning to play 12...Wd8!?, moving my
White bravely accepts the chal king towards safety on the queenside.
lenge. This is the best move and the Then, after developing my queenside
only way to try and refute Black's set forces, I was hoping that White's king
up, but Hebden was not familiar with would tum out to be the weaker.
the position and it may well have been Instead 12 ... cs has been the m ain
a better idea to have continued in a move, but Black seems to be in trouble
safer fashion. Again my marking of after the accurate sequence 13 dxcs
White's move is based purely on psy tLld7 14 iLe2 ttJxes 15 o-o iLb7 16 iLh S+
chological reasons. �e7 17 Vi'e2 ! I;Ig8 18 �xes ! .l:.xg2+ 19
The safer 10 tLlf3 is roughly equal. Wh1! (but not 19 Wxg2?? ttJf4+ 20 Wg1
Black should aim to attack White's lLlh3 mate) 19 ...tLlf4 20 ttJg6+! .l:lxg6+
queenside as quickly as possible with (20 ...ttJxg6 21 �g7+ Wd8 22 J::tc d1+ Wc8
10 ... 'ihs 11 �d2 and now 11 ... iLb4 23 'it'd7+ Wb8 24 �d6+ Wc8 25 'it'xe6+
looks tempting. Black certainly has Wb8 26 �d6+ �c8 27 f3 should be win
pressure on the queenside, but he is ning for White) 21 f3 ttJxh S 22 'iic 7+
quite weak on the kingside. wf8 23 'iWh8+ Wg7 24 �xb7+ Wh8 25
10 �xh4 11 ttJxhB iLb4
... ttJe2 and White was much better in
P. S an S egundo Carrillo-R.Vera Gon
zalez, Benidorm (rapid) 2002. A crazy
line, but one I thought well worth in
cluding to demonstrate just how com
plicated this variation is.
12 �d2
Hebden took a long time over this
move which was a sign that he was out
of his preparation and this gave me a
g ood deal of confidence.
97
12 ...c s 1 and White cannot stop checkmate.

I must play actively. 16 ... �XC5+
13 dxcs All of Black's pieces are attacking
A much better idea was 13 o-o-o and White is already lost.
with a complicated g ame ahead, such 17 'it>h1 CtJe3!
as after 13 .. .t'bc6 14 dxc5 lLlxe5 15 f4!. This unleashes the bishop on b7.
13 ...lbd7 17 ...i.. e 3 was also very strong, as shown
Black's pieces are starting to come by the possible continuation 18 'ii'e 1
to life. My knight wants to jump into lbxf4! 19 'it'xh4 ..txg2 mate.
the g am e via c5 or e5 and my light 18 ..tf3
squared bishop will find a great diago Other moves do not help White's
nal from b7. cause either:
14 ..te2 lbxes 15 o-o? a) 18 fxe5 ..txg 2+ 19 'it>g 1 lLlxf1+ 20
A bad decision; the white king walks Wxg2 VWxh2+ and Black can capture
straight into the attack. Instead 15 g 3 White's queen at will.
i*'f6 1 6 f4 CtJd3+ 17 ..txd3 cxd3 1 8 it'xd3 b) I was amazed to find that 18 .l:!.f3
'it'xh8 would have been roughly equal. had actually been played in a previous
1S i.. b 7
... g ame! White is still completely lost af
The m ain threat here is 16 ...lbf4 ter 18 ...lb3g4.
with 17 ...iih3 ! to follow. An amazing 18 CtJ3g4 0-1
...
idea.
16 f4
This allows my dark-squared bishop to
enter the game with deadly effect, but
the alternatives could have been even
worse: for example, 16 l:tad1 lbf4 17
a3? iih 3 ! !
White resigned here as he cannot

stop checkmate: 19 g 3 (or 19 h3 'it'g3 !
2 0 .i.xg4 lbxg4 21 hxg4 'ifh3 m ate)
19 ... lbxf3 20 iig2 (20 gxh4 lbxd2+)
20 ...'it'xh 2+ 21 'il'xh2 lbfxh2+ 22 l:tf3
..txf3 mate.
Rarely does Hebden lose anything
98
G a m b i t Play
]ike as quickly as this, but this is un

doubtedly a dangerous variation. I
think that Hebden's main mistake was
playing away from his strengths and
into mine. He should have kept the
game simple with the idea of outplay
ing me in a positional battle, as he had
don e so on a number of previous occa
sions.
The following game features an

other line which I like to employ, al 1o ...lL'lhs?!
though I can only wish that my oppo I am not a fan of this move. Why
nents would play in the manner as move the knight to the edge of the
Black does here! board when it can plank itself on ds?
That seems like a much more natural
and better square.
Game 24 11 l2'lxgs!
A.Gershon-V.Shinkevich
Moscow 2002
Semi-Slav Defence
1 d4 d s 2 c4 c6 3 lL'lf3 lL'lf6 4 l2'lc3 e6 5

i.gs
Again we see the sharpest m ethod
of meeting the Semi-Slav.
S ... h6 6 �h4 dxc4 7 e4 gS
Black keeps play within the waters
of the so-called Anti-Moscow Gambit.
Instead 7 ...bs 8 es gS would take play No messing about! Gershon aims to
back into the main line of the Botvinnik rip the pawn protection away from
Variation when 9 lL'lxg s lL'ldS ! ? was Black's king. This may cost him mate
seen in our last g ame. rial, but White is up to the challenge.
8 i. g3 bS 9 i.e2 i.b7 10 eS!? 11 ...lL'lxg3
This is my favourite move. The ll...hxgs lets White play 12 �xh s
pawn is a real thorn in Black's side on when he has won his pawn back with a
e s , but such play does commit the good position. Moreover, the resulting
Pawn structure rather early. pressure against f7 is most unpleasant.
99
H o w to Win a t Ch e s s - Q u ickly !
12 ttJxf7 White can force a draw here if he

This is White's idea. The sacrifice wishes by playing 15 �xc4 bxc4 16
forces Black's king out into the open. ii'g4+ �g7 17 ii'xe6+ �h7 18 'iVf5+ �g8
12 ...�xf7 13 fxg3 19 'i*'e6+, but he might well prefer to
So what does White have in return keep the tension with 15 �h 5 ! ?.
for the sacrificed material ? Well, the Instead 14... c5 does not look as
position really speaks for itself: strong. White has a number of tempt
1. The black king is lacking any real ing ideas here, including 15 �g4 (15
cover. 'i*'c2 keeps the queens on, but matters
2. White has an open f-file to attack are hardly clear after 15 ...1.1h 7! 16 tLlxbs
along. or 16 'iVg6+ 'it>h8} 15 ... 'i*'xd4+ 16 'i*'xd4
3. White's cramping pawn on e5 cxd4 17 �xe6+ �h7 18 1.1f7+ �g7 19
both divides Black's position and acts tLlxbS �e4 20 ttJxd4, although this may
as a bridgehead for the attack. be defensible for Black.
4. White can bring his light-squared 15 tLle4
bishop and queen into the attack via g4 Eyeing a juicy square on f6.
and h 5 . 15 ... �g7
5. The white knight can enter the at This is better than 1S ... c5? when
tack via e4. White can play 16 �xc4! with a win
All in all, White has a lot of compen ning position : for example, 16 ... �xe4
sation and certainly I would not want (or 16 ... bxc4 17 'i*'g4+ �g7 18 'i*'xe6+
to be in Black's shoes. �h7 19 Vi'fS+ �g8 20 Vi'f7+ �h7 21
13 ...�g8 14 o-o ttJa6? tLlf6+ when White wins Black's queen)
17 'i*'g4+ 'i*'g s 18 �xe6+ �h 7 19 'i*'xe4+
ii'g6 20 1.1f7+ �g7 21 1.1xg7+ �xg7 22
'iVh7+ 'it>f8 23 l:.f1+ 'it>e8 24 ii'd7 m ate.
16 �h5!
This is far too slow and 14... tLld7

makes a lot more sense. At least this
way the knight moves the right way,
towards the defence of the black king.
1 00
G a m b it Play
Bringing another couple of units

into the game. Now Black has to con
tend with the threat of 17 .i.f7+ and 18
'iig 4. He is already in huge trouble.
16.. J1h7
Neither do the alternatives help:
a) 16 ...cs 17 lt:lf6+ .i.xf6 18 'ir'g4+!
'iti'f8 (it's mate too after both 18 ... i.g7
19 'ir'xe6+ 'iti'h7 20 i.g6 and 18 ...'iti'h7 19
'ii'g 6) 19 J:!:xf6+ 'iti'e7 20 �xe6 mate.
b) 16 .. .'�e7 leaves White with two
simple ways to win, the easiest option The only remaining defender of the
being 17 ltf7 (17 'ii'g 4 is slightly more black king is the dark-squared bishop,
complicated but just as good) 17 .. ."W/xf7 so White forces its exchange. Note
18 .i.xf7+ 'iti'xf7 19 lt:ld6+ 'iti'e7 20 lt:lxb7. again Gershon's simple and effective
17 i.g6 play, refusing to complicate matters
Simple and strong chess. White just unless there is a good reason to do so.
wants to win some material back, 19 .....txf6 20 �c2+ 'ito>g8 21 J:!.xf6 �xd4+
when he will have a winning position. 22 'iti'h1 �d3 23 �f2
Obviously White does not want to
exchange the queens.
23 ...l:.d8 24 i;If1 1-0
An impressive demolition job.
Black's m ain mistakes were his

strange knight moves, 11 ...lt:lh s and
14 ... lt:la6. Maybe Shinkevich did not
know the opening, but even so ... lt:lh 5
was a bizarre and overly-ambitious
move. When you are given a chance to
1 1...'ii'd s? land your knight on an outpost, it's
After this matters are easy for normally a good idea to do so! Then,
White. Black had to try 17 ... cs!, aiming despite the sacrifice on f7, Black con
to liberate some of his pieces. White is tinued to underestimate the danger.
still doing well after 18 lt:ld6 lt:lb4 19
'ii'g 4, but at least this way Black could When your opponent is throwing
have tried to defend with 19 ... -i.ds. everything at you, slow down and try to
1 8 .i.xh7+ 'iti'xh7 19 lt:lf6+ find the best defence.
101
Next we will see White bamboozle h3, but this runs into 3 ... g3! when 4 fxg3
his opponent with a rather outrageous leaves White's kingside weak.
opening. Every chess player will face 3 ...d s
such an idea at some point. The most This move makes a claim for the
important thing is how to deal with the centre and also defends g4, so it cannot
new situation. It is important to keep be a big mistake. Personally, though, I
your cool and not to proceed too rou would prefer to play 3 ... e s ! ? which is a
tinely. lot safer: for example, 4 dxes tt:'lc6 5
1\Vxg4 d6 6 1\Vg s 1\Vxg s 7 �xg s dxes
with an equal position. Moreover, this
Game 25 forces White away from the type of
K.Movsziszia n-F.Stoll position he was hoping for. It is now a
Bad Worishofen 1997 positional battle as opposed to the
Dutch Defence mess which quickly occurs in our main
g ame.
1 d4 ts 2 g4?1
4 es �fs
The Dutch Wing Gambit! This open It looks like Black should be doing
ing should not be sound, but it can be fine here. He is ready to continue with
dangerous if Black does not pay due ... e6 followed by the development of his
care. pieces. On the other hand, the pawn on
2 .fxg4
.. es could prove to be a pain for Black as
The only way to refute a gambit is he can no longer attack it with .. .f6 and
to accept it! White has chances to open lines on the
3 e4!? kingside with f2-f3 or h 2-h3.
White grabs some space in the centre I honestly think that White has
at the cost of a pawn. It is more normal pretty good compensation for the sac
for White to continue with the quiet 3 rificed pawn in this position. Thus I
1 02
G a m b i t Play
would have given serious consideration take advantage, but 8 ..ltd3 'ir'e6 9 c3
to 4 ... cs ! ?, which is in the spirit of the must be good for him; Black has devel
French Defence and aim s to undermine opment and light square issues.
White's pawn centre. 7 C3
5 t2Je21 This move consolidates the pawn
structure and also prevents any ... lt:Jb4
ideas.
7 ...g6 8 h3!
The best way to continue. White's

knight can no longer be developed to
f3, but it will be well placed on g 3 .
s ..Jid7 A typical idea in this wing gambit.
Black anticipates lt:Jg3 by defending White opens the h-file and brings the
the bishop on fs. light-squared bishop into the g ame.
6 lt:Jg3 8 gxh3 9 tt:Jxfs
...
White is ready to continue with h2- Attempting to take over the light
h3 which opens up the light squares, squares.
especially the h3-c8 diagonal. g . :ti'xfs 10 tt:Jd2
.
6...tt:Jc6 White must stop ... 'iVe4+. This logi

This looks logical, but now Black will cal move develops another piece while
find it hard to ever create counterplay preparing 11 �xh3. I am going to be
on the queenside with the pawn break bold and state that I already think Black
... cs. Other options included: is in trouble. His king has nowhere safe
a) 6 ... �g6! ? aims to retain the light to hide and the queen on fs is also go
s quared bishop and m ay well be best. ing to be targeted.
Then after 7 h3 (7 h4!?) 7 ... gxh3 8 �xh3 10... �h6 11 .txh3 .txd2+ 12 �xd2!
e 6 9 c3 the position is unclear. Bold, but also pretty logical. White is
b) After 6 ... cs 7 tt:Jxfs �xfs the light not worried about Black capturing on
s quares e6, f7 and g6 are very weak. f2, as this will open up the f-file for a
There is no immediate way for White to white rook.
1 03
H o w t o Win a t C h e s s - Q u i c k ly!
unfortunately for him this is not going

to work) 16 'ifg1! 'ii'x g1 17 !taxg1 lLlge7
18 �h6 and Black is close to being in a
state of paralysis. White must be win
ning.
15 dxes l!Vxes 16 �a4+
White's bishops are simply too
strong.
16 ...'it>f7
The final error. 16 ... c6 was slightly
better, although 17 !tae1 would still
There was another, intriguing op have been curtains for Black.
tion available in 12 'it>e2 ! ?, which keeps 17 !taf1+ lLlf6 18 !txf6+!
the f-pawn and can also lead to a crazy
position: 12 . ..lt:Jxd4+! (Black is advised
to try for a draw) 13 cxd4 'ir'e4+ 14
'it>xd2 'ifxd4+ 15 'it>c2 'ifc4+ 16 'it>d2
'ifd4+ 17 'it>e2! �xeS+ 18 Wf1 and
White must be better as his bishops
look far more dangerous than Black's
pawn mass.
12 .. .'iixf2+ 13 'it>d3 'ii'g 3+
This check only helps White's king
find a safer haven, and it would have
been ideal to have kept it in reserve. 18...'ii'xf6
Saying that, it is hard to suggest an Black would have been toast after
alternative. One idea is 13 .. .ltJd8 with both 18 ... 'it>xf6 19 �d4 and 18 ... exf6 19
the plan of continuing with ... e6, but 'it'd7+ 'i*'e7 20 �e6+ 'it>f8 21 �h6+.
after 14 �g4! �fS+ (14... e6 15 .l:!.f1 19 .l:tf1 1-0
traps the black queen) 15 'ir'xfs gxfs 16 It seems that Black's main mistake
�xfs White has a big advantage; the in this game was entering a position
two bishops dominate the board. that White seemed very comfortable in.
14 �e3 lLlxeS+ With hindsight Stoll should really have
A desperate move which falls well considered declining the gambit, which
short of the mark. Stoll's situation was might well have frustrated and unset
already very bad, though, as we can tled his opponent.
also see from 14 ... e6!? 15 �xe6 'ii'g 2 Do not let your opponent have it all
(Black wants to keep his queen on e4; his own way!
1 04
Chapter Five
P l a y with Pu rpose!
Every move should have an intention 1. Study the games of top players
behind it. If your main opening is the French De
When I am teaching beginners, one fence, look at what the highest-rated
of the main things I notice is that they players in the world do in the French
often play moves that make no sense. Defence. An obvious player to start
This is especially true with young play with would be Morozevich. He is a
ers, who might play 1 a3, 2 c3, 3 e3 and great player and he possesses a superb,
4 g3 just because it makes a nice pat if unique, understanding of chess, so
tern. This is obviously an extreme ex we can all learn a lot from seeing what
ample of playing without a purpose, he does in the opening. Look at what he
but such play can still be seen at the plays and try to get into his head. Why
highest levels of the game. Even in did he play that move? What is the idea
g ames involving strong grandmasters, behind it? Are there any typical plans
a player might simply waste time, start that he uses in his games with the
to drift or play superficially. We are French Defence?
going to look at examples of these er I often ask myself these questions,
rors in this chapter, as well as seeing as indeed I did when studying this po
h ow they can be punished. sition from E.lnarkiev-A.Morozevich,
Being able to successfully find the Russian Championship, Krasnoyarsk
key to a position will often come with 2003 (seefollowing diagram).
experience, but there are a number of It would be normal for Black to play
things that you can do to help you find 8 ... cs here, which is a typical way to
the correct plan: break up White's central pawn forma-
1 05
Ho w to Win a t Ch ess - Q u i c k ly !
tion . Morozevich, o n the other hand,

had another idea:
2. Study your own games

8 tt::l b 6!?
••• If you lose a bad game then you really
A very strange-looking move which I must analyse it. Try to work out where
would never have considered. What is you went wrong and where you can
the knight doing on b6? I sn't this plan a improve in the future. Ideally it is use
bit slow? ful to go over the game with a stronger
9 'il'd2 �d7!? player, as they should be able to direct
This is the real idea behind Black's you on the correct course of action. I
play. In the French Defence Black's remain amazed by how often I see
light-squared bishop is his worst piece some players making the same mis
and so Morozevich aims to exchange it take, time and time again.
off. Let's see how I learnt from a painful
10 0-0-0?! loss:
This really seems to play into Black's
hands.
10. � b5!
..
Black's plan has become clear.

What's more, now that I have appreci
ated this idea, I might consider playing
a similar plan in the future with .Jljb6
followed by ...�d7-�bs. The game con
tinued:
11 lLlxbs axbs 12 �xb5+ c6 13 �d3
I!xa2
Black already has a good position, This position is from N .Pert
with the white king looking quite weak. S.Williams, Hastings 2007/08. I should
1 06
Play with P u rp o s e !
point out that the day before this game wasn't on the ball at a critical moment
my rating had popped over 2 500 which towards the end of the opening stage.
confirmed me as a grandmaster. I was
understandably pretty happy and quite
possibly I was not playing at the best of Game 26
my ability. In addition, I had tried out a W Hendriks D Ledger
.
-
.
new opening for the first time and I Hasti ngs Masters 2008
was already feeling quite uncomfort Bishop's Opening
able after White's 5 a4.
s ... bxa4? 1 e4 es 2 ..tc4 tt:'lf6 3 d3 ..tcs 4 tt:'lf3
This has to be an error. For better or White can also try 4 f4! ? as Aronian
worse I had to play s ...b4, as now my did in a rapid game against Anand in
pawns are spilt and White's lead in de 2006. Black should counter aggressively
velopment quickly makes itself felt. as quiet play would allow White to
6 t2Jc3 fkxb2 1 i.d2 fkb6 8 e4 d6 9 es generate unpleasant pressure. Indeed,
dxes 10 tt:'lxes e6 11 �f3! the game saw 4 ... dS ! 5 exds l2Jg4! ?
My position is already on the verge (striving for complications) 6 d4 ..txd4
of collapse and I lost in quick fashion, 7 t2Jf3 i.f2+ 8 'it?f1 ..tb6 9 fxeS ! ? with an
S o what did I learn from this game? extremely messy and unclear position.
To start with I never played this open 4...t2Jc6
ing again, as I realized that it did not Many top players prefer 4... d6,
suit my style. This game also confirmed which is more flexible as the black
in my mind that I prefer to sacrifice knight on b8 m ay wish to develop to d7
pawns rather than capture them! in order to support its comrade on f6.
That way Black can also play ... c6 fol
3. Practice, practice, practice and lowed by either ...ds or ...bs later on.
play, play, play! 5 C3
Common sense. It is very difficult to im
prove without hard work and you can
only really gain the necessary experi
ence by playing as much as possible.
Now on to some further practical

examples, beginning with a game
Which involved a nice little idea that
Black must have missed. Even in quiet
positions you need to keep your wits
ab out you and it seems that here Black
107
White prepares t o play either b2-b4 Black's other common approach is bet
or d3-d4. ter, though, namely 9 . . h6, taking con
.
s . a6
. . trol of the g S-square.
Black gives his dark-squared bishop 10 tl:lh4!
an escape square on a7.
6 0-0 d6 7 �b3
Now that Black has played ... d6,
which gives extra protection to his
pawn on es, White has to prepare him
self for ...tl:las. He does not really want
to allow the exchange of his light
squared bishop for Black's knight, as
that bishop is his best minor piece.
7 ...�a7
The bishop moves here to get out of
the way of d3-d4. Now if White plays A standard reply, preparing to meet
d3-d4 anytime soon, Black will be able ... tl:lg6 while freeing the f-pawn. Note
to meet it with ... �g4, placing White's that 10 Si.xa7 I:txa7 11 tl:lh4 is not as
centre under unpleasant pressure. strong as the game continuation, be
8 �e3 cause Black can exploit his control of
White has played a number of the g S-square to go 11...g 5 ! .
moves here, but the text is very sensi 10...tl:lg6?
ble, exchanging off Black's raking Black's main mistake in this game.
bishop. The text loses too much time and al
8 ... 0-0 lows White to launch a nasty attack.
Again this move cannot be faulted. Better options included:
Instead 8 ... Si.xe3 9 fxe3 strengthens a) With 10 ...Si.e6 Black tries to take
White's centre and gives him chances the sting out of White's attack by ex
to attack along the f-file. changing the light-squared bishops.
9 tl:lbd2 The game Z.Efimenko-B.Avrukh, Euro
White brings his last minor piece pean Club Cup, Saint Vincent 2005,
into play. This system has been a fa continued 11 �xa7 .l:!.xa7 12 f4, retain
vourite of Tiviakov's, but it shouldn't ing some pressure.
threaten Black too much. b) 10 ... Si.xe3 aims to stop White
9 ...tl:le7 from playing f2-f4, but again White
We are still in theory, as Black probably has a small advantage after
brings his knight around to the king 11 fxe3 tl:lg6 12 tl:lfs.
side while freeing his c-pawn. Perhaps 11 tl:lxg6
1 08
After a number of exchanges White tic that does not work. A better idea
starts a dangerous attack along the f would have been 14 ...b5 when the rook
file. on a7 provides some extra protection
11 ... hxg6 12 .txa7! to Black's weak pawn on f7. Perhaps
White should then aim to create a
weakness on the queen side that he can
attack with 15 't!Ye3 .l:.e7 16 a4!.
This is an important part of White's

plan, misplacing the black rook and
making it possible for him to play f2-f4.
12 ... l:f.xa7 13 f4 15 �h1 .tg4 16 't1Yg3 .te2
The standard follow-up. White's The move that Black was relying on,
bishop on b3 and rook on f1 X-ray but it has a serious drawback.
Black's pawn on f7, which can often 17 fxes!
become a weakness in this opening. White is winning after this. How
13 ...c6?1 ever, 17 l:f.fe1? would have allowed
It's hard to suggest a good plan for Black to play 17 ...tt:Jh 5 18 'ilVh4 tt:Jxf4
Black here, but I am not a great fan of which should be fine for him.
this move as it seems rather irrelevant 17 ....txf1 18 exf6
and loses more time. Better may have
been 13 ... exf4, which concedes the cen
tre and so guarantees that White will
have an edge, but at least this way
Black can dig in with 14 l:f.xf4 't!Ye7 15
't!Ye2 .te6, unpleasant though this is.
14 1Yf3
Lining up another piece against f7.
14 ...'t!Yb6+?1
Another time-consuming move.
Black is basing his whole play on a tac-
1 09
The combination of White's light I always used to play this before I

squared bishop, pawn on f6 and queen learnt any theory.
on g3 leaves Black in a hopeless state. 1 ... e6 2 tL'lc3 b6
Unbelievably this position had been The English Defence to the English
reached before, in D.Sadvakasov Opening. This slightly offbeat system
H.Melkumyan, Dubai 2007, which con was popularized by a number of Eng
tinued 18 ... �xg2+ 19 'it>xg2 ds 20 fxg7 lish players, including Miles, Hodgson,
.l:i.e8 21 .l:i.f1 and Black lost very quickly. Short, Plaskett and even Keene. I myself
18 j_e2 19 'ir'xg6 'ir'xb3 20 'ir'xg7 mate
... have become a fan of this opening re
(1-0) cently, as it often leads to exciting tac
Black's plan of moving his knight tical positions that have not been heav
around to g6 was quite risky, losing a ily analysed by theory.
fair bit of time. Hendriks reacted well 3 e4
with 10 tL'lh4!, at which stage Ledger This move makes a lot of sense. The
should have given serious thought of pawn on e4 blocks Black's light
how to continue, rather than making squared bishop which will develop to
the mistake of continuing on autopilot b7.
which landed up costing him the game. 3 ....tb7 4 j_d3!?
When faced with an idea which is A rather odd way of developing as
new, try to crawl inside your opponent's this blocks the d-pawn and therefore
mind, work out what his plan is and, if the dark-squared bishop too. The main
necessary, the best way to stop it. idea is to drop the bishop back to c2
and then to advance with d2-d4,
My next opponent, Alex Wahl, is a thereby giving White quite a harmoni
charming guy who used to be very ous set-up.
good friends with the late, great Tony 4...tL'lc6?!
Miles. Wahl characteristically plays in a
very unorthodox way in this game, but
it does not work out as he loses too
much time in the opening.
Game 2 7
S.Williams-A.Wohl
British League (4NCL) 2003
English Opening
1 C4 This plan looks dubious to me for
110
two main reasons: time and I wanted to take advantage of

1. It blocks the light-squared bishop this by opening lines. Given a chance
i n. Black would have played 8 . ...tcs which
.
2. It does nothing to try and control would have prevented this plan.
the centre. 8 ...exd4 9 l2Jxd4
A better way of developing was I have gained an advantage in
4 ... ..tb4, which aims to cause some dis terms of both space and development,
comfort to White's pawn structure. which must give me the better posi
s lLlf3 tion.
Sensibly developing and stopping 9 ...l2Jxd4 10 'i!Vxd4
...ttJes ideas. Black will now have trouble devel
s ...l2Jge7?! oping his dark-squared bishop, which is
Very slow. I doubt that Black has tied to the defence of g7.
time to play like this, and again I would 1o.. .'iVh4
have preferred to have played s ... ..tb4. Black gets ready to castle queenside
6 o-o l2Jg6 7 ..tc2 as kingside castling was getting trickier
Just one more move and I will be by the minute. The black queen looks
able to play d2-d4, which would give quite scary on h4, but it does not pose
me a great position as I would have White any real problems as it currently
total control of the centre. lacks sufficient support from the rest of
1 ... es the black army.
Black decides to try and take control 11 lLlbs!
of the dark squares, but moving the
same pawn twice loses further time.
8 d4!
This move is very annoying for

Black.
11 ... 0-0-0!?
It was definitely the correct idea to An understandable reaction as
open up the centre. Black has wasted Black's other options did not look too
111
appetizing. At least this way Wohl can move, but there was another tempting
pin his hopes on an attack against the option in 16 'ii'a 3 ! ?, heading for a7.
white king. Black is in a lot of trouble here, as we
12 ttJxa7+ 'it>bS 13 ttJbs can see after 16 ... d6 17 'ii'a 7+ 'it>c8 18
By capturing the pawn on a7 I have �e3 when White may well be able to
not just won a pawn; I have also seri sacrifice on b6 or c7, but if not then a4-
ously weakened the black king's de as should decide the game. The prob
fences. lem I had here was that there were too
13 ...�cs many tempting moves!
Black must develop his minor pieces 16... bxcs
before he has a chance of launching a A horrible move to have to play as
successful attack. now I have on open b-file, but Black's
14 'ii'c 3! position was already lost. 16 .. ."�f6 may
My basic plan is to play b2-b4 and have been slightly better, as an ex
then 'ii'a 3-a7+. change of queens would have made
14...l:f.he8 Black's defence easier, but we also have
Black's pieces are entering the at to remember that White is a pawn up.
tack far too slowly. This rook wants to However, rather than exchange, 17
move around to hS or gS, but there is 'i¥g3 ! is critical, keeping the pressure
no time for such manoeuvres. up on Black's position, especially the
15 b4 �f8 c7- and b6-squares. Note that Black
Black did not have a decent square cannot capture with 17 .. .'�xa1 in view
to move his bishop to, but this retreat of 18 'ti'xc7+ 'it>a8 19 ..Wxb6 'iWxa2 20
is far from ideal. �b3 !, which is a great move that di
16 cs verts the black queen away from the
defence of a7.
17 bxcs z:!.es 18 'ili'as
Threatening 19 'ti'xc7+ so Black's re
ply is pretty much forced.
18 ...1:txcs
Neither would 18 ... �xcs have
helped matters, as after 19 'ti'xc7+ Wa8
20 �e3 White is winning.
19 �b1
Bringing a third piece into the at
tack. Remember normally you need at
Ripping away the remaining pawn least three pieces to checkmate your
cover from Black's king. This is a strong opponent's king, as is the case here.
112
safe home for h i s king. Black also suf

fered from a lack of space. That is not
too uncommon in the English Defence
where Black really has to play actively
to obtain counterplay.
When you have a cramped position,
try to look for an active way to change
the nature of the game and do not
waste time moving your pieces around
to irrelevant squares!
19... ds In the next game I am going to take

Trying to make an escape route for a look at a slightly dubious line. In prin
the black king, but it's too late for such ciple playing suspect variations is
measures. obviously not a good idea, but some
20 .ta4 times the gamble works out well, espe
One of many ways to win, cutting cially at fast time limits.
off the escape route.
20..JWe7 21 �a7+ WeB 22 'it aS+! 1-0
Game 28
C.Dorrington-5. Williams
B ritish Ra pidplay
Cha m pions h i p, Hal ifax 2004
Sicilian Defence
1 e4 cs 2 0,c3 0,c6 3 0,ge2

Play will soon transpose to a
Dragon, but White's move order is
quite flexible. Here he might also play 3
.llb 5, a speciality of the English grand
A move that I really enjoyed playing ! master Gawain Jones, which is actually
Wohl resigned as 22 . .txa8 23 0,a7 is
.. quite tricky to face. Note especially that
mate and 22 ...'iii'd7 23 �xb7 nets a the highly plausible 3 ...0,d4 4 i.c4 0,f6
piece for free. 5 (jjf3 e6 6 0-0 d5? is powerfully re
Black's main error in this game was buffed by 7 exd5 exd5 8 0,xd5 ! 0,xd5 9
hi s early knight moves. Indeed, he lost a 0,xd4 cxd4 10 � 5 when White has a
l ot of time by placing his knights on c6 big attack.
and g6, and was then unable to find a 3 ... g6 4 d4 cxd4 5 0,xd4 .tg7 6 .te3 d6
113
7 'i!Vd2 tt:Jf6 8 f 3 �d7?! 9 .l:tc8

.••
Black's plan of attack is less obvious

and slower, but still packs some punch :
1. Play ...tt:Jes which opens up the
rook on c8.
2. Then ...llfas is often an idea,
which may well threaten a powerful
exchange sacrifice on c3.
3. Another plan is ...b s ! ?, which is of
ten played as a sacrifice to open lines
towards the white king.
10 'it>b1
Making room for ..J:lc8 which gives A useful move. The king feels a bit
the rook some action along the half safer on b1 where it offers extra pro
open c-file, but this is an old and rather tection to a2 in the event of ... llfas.
suspect plan. It takes Black a long time 10 ....!LJes 11 g4 o-o
to generate any real activity on the
queenside, whereas White's plan of
attack on the kingside is very straight
forward. Thus the m ain move is 8 ... 0-0,
threatening to break with ... ds, which
often provokes 9 .i.c4 when 9 ... .i.d7 10
o-o-o l:tc8 11 i.b3 .!LJes followed by
....!LJc4 sees White losing time with his
light-squared bishop.
9 0-0-0
White's plan should be fairly obvi
ous here: This is another risky move as the
1. Push the h- and g-pawns to attack black king is obviously quite exposed
Black's pawn formation on f7, g6 and on g8, but I wanted to finish my devel
h7. This also opens up the rook's path opment. In many cases I will also need
from h1. my king's rook to take part in any
2. Play i.h6, which is especially ef queenside attack.
fective if Black castles kingside. The 12 h4
dark-squared bishop on g7 performs a Full steam ahead!
great j ob of defending Black's king so 12 bs!
...
White should aim to exchange it. This is the best way to generate
3. Checkmate the black king ! counterplay. Time is of the essence and
114
b oth sides must attack as quickly as Black can then sacrifice more material
possible. with 1S ... Il:xc3! 16 bxc3 'ii'a s which
13 h 5 ! opens up the white king. This was first
This is far superior compared to played by Chris Duncan back in 1996
g rab bing the pawn on bs. Material against Ben Savage, a game which fin
does not really count; instead it is more ished brutally in Black favour: 17 �d4
important to go straight for the kill. e5 18 �e3 lLlxe4 19 'i!Vxg4 lLlxc3+ 20
Now White is threatening to destroy Wc1 lLlxa2+ 21 Wb2 b4! and Black was
Black with the simple idea of hxg6, totally winning. Even though this loss
..th6xg7 and �6 followed by mate, a must have been painful for Savage, he
devastating plan which Fischer loved to then went on to play the same idea as
employ. Black against no lesser Sicilian killer
13 ...lLlxf31? than John Nunn and in turn won a
The best chance. This sacrifice opens beautiful game!
up the dark-squared bishop, weakens 15 ..tg2 is also possible and is simi
the pawn on e4 and, crucially, compli lar to the game.
cates matters. I think that it was first 15 ... b4
suggested by Chris Ward in one of his The point of Black's play. I want to
great books on the Dragon. Sadly the be able to capture the white pawn on
idea falls short if White plays correctly, e4 and open up my bishop on g7.
but there are a lot of hurdles that he 16 lLlds lLlxe4
first has to overcome. A critical position.
14 lLlxf3 17 'ii'e 1?
White must accept the sacrifice.
14.....txg4
The reason I g ave this line up is that

White can play 17 �xb4!, which is
1 5 �e2 greedy but good. It looks like Black
White should avoid 15 'ii'g 2?! as should be able to gain good counter-
115
H o w to Win a t Ch e s s - Q u i c k ly !
play o n the b-file, but White can always option, with an unclear position.
sacrifice his queen : for example, 17 ... e6
(or 17 ..J!b8 18 �xe4 �fs when White
should again give up his queen: 19
�xfs ! gxfs 20 c3 and White is better)
18 �xe4 �fs 19 'ti'xfs ! (a great way to
return some material) 19 ... exfs 20
�g S ! leaves Black in serious trouble.
17 ...e6
Black now has sufficient counter
play. It is karma that as soon as White
plays a retreat (17 �e1), he loses his
advantage. In sharp positions like this Now take a moment or two to find
it is important for both sides to play as Black's best move after 20 tZ'lb3. Two
actively as possible. clues are Black's raking bishops and the
18 tZ'lf4 �as fact that I wasn't keen to m ake my first
I was feeling quite confident around retreat of the g ame!
here, as Black has some very danger 20 ...1Z.xc2!!
ously placed pieces ready to attack the
under-defended white king. Black's
king, on the other hand, looks fairly
safe and well protected.
19 tZ'ld4
An attempt to bring a piece around
to help defend White's king. I was
probably threatening 19 ... tZ'lc3+ or
19 ... �xb2 so this was a wise idea. In
stead 19 �4? is too slow as Black can
play 19 ... �xb2! 20 Wxb2 �a3+ 21 Wa1
ktxc2 followed by mate. I enjoyed playing this move, open
19 ...�fs ing up the light-square diagonal for my
This lines up yet another piece bishop on fs. The rook also attacks
against White's king. White's sensitive pawn on b2. Well
20 tZ'lb3? done if you found this m ove!
Attacking Black's queen and trying 21 tZ'lxas
to cover the queenside, but this is a The only other option I had to calcu
fatal mistake. 20 tZ'lxfs !, removing one late was 21 Wxc2 when the simplest
of Black's bishops, was a much better way to win is 21 ...�xa2 !, which stops
1 16
White's king from retreating to b1. time, you will often give your opponent
Then 22 ...�c8+ or 22 ...ttJcs+ will follow: the upper hand. Speed really is of the
for example, 22 ..id4 .!::tc 8+ 23 'it>d3 essence in such situations!
'ti'xb3+ and it's all over.
After the text move, I have a num The Romanian grandmaster Liviu
ber of tempting options, but there are Dieter Nisipeanu tends to crop up in
two ways of forcing checkmate. Can my books. This is usually because when
you find either mate? I am searching for great attacking wins
21...ltJd2+! by Black, I keep coming across his
The quickest and most beautiful name! In the next game he picks an
way of finishing the game. Again it is irregular opening to confuse his oppo
all about unleashing the potential of nent, but it is only later that the real
my bishops. 21 ...�xb2+! also wins, but fireworks begin.
it is a bit slower: 22 �c1 (or 22 �a1
lLld2 ! 23 a3 �c2+ 24 �d4 ..ixd4 mate)
22 ... lLld2! (it's all very picturesque!) 23 Game 29
..id3 �c8+ 24 lLlc4 .l:!.xc4+! 25 .ixc4 �c2 E.Cekro-L.D.Nisipeanu
mate. E u ropean Tea m
22 'iVxd2 l:f.xb2+ 23 �c1 Cham pionship, Novi Sad 2009
Or 23 �a1 l:f.b1 mate. English Opening
23 ...�b1 mate (0-1}
1 C4 b6
The English Defence appears for the
second time in this chapter, but this
time it is Black who scores the crushing
victory!
2 lLlc3 �b7 3 e4 e6 4 g3
This is natural but also provocative
as White weakens himself on the long
diagonal, allowing Black to immedi
ately strike out. Instead 4 ..id3 was my
choice against Wohl.
An exciting game in which neither 4.. fs
.
side played perfectly, but luckily for me A typical idea in this opening, as
my opponent made the last mistake. Black aims to put as much pressure on
It is always important to play as ac e4 as he can.
tively as possible when attacking on 5 ..ig2 lLlf6 6 d3
opposite sides of the boa rd. Ifyou waste White defends e4 and the opening
117
H o w to Win a t Ch es s - Q u ickly !
battle is really about this pawn. Can 7 tiJc6

...
White hold it or will Black destroy it? Black concentrates on taking over
6 fxe4
... control of the dark squares, beginning
with d4.
8 dxe4 .i.cs
7 tt::lge2
It is now White who takes advan
tage of the pressure on the long diago 9 0-0 0-0
nal. other options included: I already like Black's position. He has
a) If White plays 7 dxe4, Black has finished his development and can start
two squares that he can consider mov an attack against f2. Moreover, the
ing his dark-squared bishop to. The half-open f-file will be a useful avenue
thematic choice is 7 ....i.b4, keeping the for Black to attack down.
pawn on e4 under pressure, but 10 h3?!
7 ... .i.cs ! ? is also interesting, taking aim
at White's pawn on f2. However, after
the dubious-looking 8 tt::lg e2 ! ? tt::lg 4
White has an interesting and strong
resource in 9 tt::lf4! (9 0-0? o-o is good
for Black) 9 ... .i.xf2+ (or 9 . .tt::l xf2 10
.
ifhs+! and all of a sudden White is

winning) 10 'it>f1 tt::le 3+ 11 .i.xe3 .i.xe3
12 � 5+ 'it>e7 13 'lies 'iVf8 14 tt::lc dS+
.i.xds 15 exds, after which he is doing
well.
b) 7 tt::l x e4 is not very threatening to Too passive. White should have
Black's set-up. One simple way to con worked out that Black's best piece is his
tinue is 7 ...tt::lc 6 when Black is at least bishop on cs and so considered how to
equal due to his easy development. get rid of it. Thus 10 tt::l a 4! was correct
118
when position would have been White has gained a Jot of space and
roughly equal after 10 ... 'ii'e 7 {another taken over the initiative.
idea is 10 ... es ! ?, angling to keep a grip 12 'ii'c2 lL'lhs!?
on the d4-square) 11 lL'lxcs 'ii'x cs 12 b3. A very aggressive move. The knight
10...lLles! makes way for Black's rook on f8 and it
Black's pieces are beginning to look may also have ideas of capturing on g 3
rather m enacing. at some point.
11 a3!? 13 lLla4?!
White wants to try and push Black's
pieces back by sacrificing a pawn. This
is an understandable reaction, but of
course Black does not have to capture
the pawn.
11 ... as!
Rather slow. White's other main op

tion was 13 g4 which at least aim s to
kick Black's pieces back. I rather doubt,
though, that Nisipeanu was intending
to move his knight back to f6. Rather I
suspect that he had a move like
I think that this was the correct 13 ...'ii'h 4! hidden up his sleeve. This is
move from a psychological perspective. very interesting and guarantees Black a
Black maintains the pressure rather strong attack: for example, 14 gxh s
than baling out. You will often notice �xf2 15 !txf2 'ii'xf2+ 16 Wh 1 {16 Wh2 ? ?
such decisions in the games of grand lLlf3+ 17 Wh1 il'e1+ leads t o mate)
masters; they are very good at waiting 16 ... 'ii'e 1+ {16 .. JU8 17 i.. d2 looks un
until the fruit is ripe for the picking. clear) 17 Wh 2 .l:tf8! , bringing another
Here 11...lL'lxc4 was possible and piece into the attack. White must re
Black may even be better after this turn some material with 18 �f4! if he
move, but it kind of plays into White's is to have any hope of surviving, and
hands. Following 12 'iVc2 lLles 13 b4 after 18 ...'ii'x a1 19 �xes nf2 it looks as
i..e 7 14 f4 lL'lf7 Black has won a pawn if he has managed to m aintain the bal
and has a solid position as well, but ance.
1 19
13 ... ltJf3+ 17 'if'd2 'iVf2.

Moving straight in for the kill! b) 15 'iVc3 tt:ld4! is slightly tricky to
14 'it>h1? find, but Black has a big advantage af
It was safer for White to play 14 ter it, with the idea of 16 �xf2 �xf2 17
Ji.xf3 l:txf3 15 'tt>g 2, again trying to kick t:Dxd4 'iVf6.
some of Black's pieces back. Then 1S ...t:Dd4
15 ... �f6! begins a good plan. Black Black had another strong continua
wants his rook to remain on f3 in order tion available in 15 ...t:Dxf4 16 gxf4 (16
to stop White from playing f2-f4, even t:Dxf4 ..txg 3 is winning for Black)
if it means sacrificing the exchange: 16 16 ...iVh4!.
tt:lxc5 bxc5 17 �f4 �xf4 18 gxf4 t:Dxf4+ 16 t:Dxd4 �xd4
19 t:Dxf4 'i!Vg 5+ 20 'it>h 1 'i!Vxf4 gives Black Black is a pawn up with a good posi
plenty of compensation. tion. The rest is simple for Nisipeanu.
14... �xf2!! 17 iVd3 es 18 ..td2
Again Nisipeanu chooses the most Black's bishop on d4 is a monster

aggressive continuation, and it is a very and White will also have problems with
strong move which win s the game! his g3-pawn.
15 ..tf4 18 Ji.f2
..•
Black's piece sacrifice must have Targeting g3 and effectively ending

shocked Cekro. As we know, he should any resistance that White might have
have taken a deep breath, slowed down had in mind.
and tried to find a defence at this 19 ..tf4 exf4 20 �xf2 t:Dxg3+ 21 'it>h2
point. Unfortunately it is too late, iVgs 22 t:Dc3 �ae8 23 l:td1 d6 24 l:tg1
though, as we can also see from: 'iVh4 0-1
a) 15 .l:txf2? loses immediately to Black played very well in this game,
15 ...t:De1! 16 .!::!.xf8+ (or 16 iVc3 :f.xf2 17 but not without some help from his
iVxe1 .l:txe2! 18 iVxe2 t:Dxg3+) 16 ...iVxf8 opponent. It seemed to me that White
120
played the opening too much on auto lines, but they seem t o favour White. I
pilot, despite Black's slightly irregular expect this is because White is much
set-up. Cekro's main mistake, though, closer to castling. It is always danger
was not driving his opponent's pieces ous to open up the centre when your
back faster, with 10 tt'la4 and later 13 king is stuck there, so maybe Black
g4. should have picked another move.
If your opponent's pieces land on 5 tt'lxes
dangerous squares and you have the This is the critical test of the varia
chance to kick them away, it is usually a tion. White captures a centre pawn and
good idea to do so as quickly as possible. brings his knight to a strong central
square.
We are all taught as beginners not s ...dxe4 6 Vi'e2
to move our queen too much early on. White prepares to capture the pawn
The next g ame is a prime example of on e4 and line the queen up against
what can go wrong if you disregard the black king which could prove useful
this advice. in the future.
6...'ii'd 5
This looks like a natural move. Black
Game 30 attacks the knight on es and defends
V.Baklan-D.Baratosi the pawn on e4.
Roma n i a n Tea m 7 tt:Jxc6 bxc6?
Cha m pions h i p 2009
Ruy Lopez
1 e4 es 2 tt'lf3 tt'lc6 3 .tbs tt'lge7

A rather unusual method of devel
opment. Black blocks in his dark
squared bishop, which in turn makes it
hard for him to castle. Indeed, the main
problem that Black has in this game is
the position of his king.
4 C3
White prepares to play d2-d4 which This is a very strange decision, and
will give him good control of the cen this recapture may well have been the
tre. losing move. Why does Black want to
4... d5 double his pawns and not develop his
Black gets his central advance in knight?
first. This leads to some complicated It makes no sense. Indeed, you
121
H o w to Win a t Ch e s s - Q u ic k ly !
should always b e asking yourself what 10 ...fs ? runs into the crushing 11 fxe4
the most natural move in the position fxe4 12 �f7+.
is. This was 7 .. .<�Jxc6 when at least Black 11 11Yxf3
can develop his dark-squared bishop Ganging up on f7.
and then castle. The game R.Fischer 11... �e6
W.Shipman, Manhattan (blitz) 1971, The alternative was 11...lLlds ! ?,
continued 8 d4 �fs 9 tt:ld2 o-o-o! ? which aims to gam bit a pawn in order
(Black aims for a double-edged game) to relieve some of the pressure. This
10 o-o �g6 when Black was preparing does not help much, though, and after
to play .. .fs, but White's position was 12 .l:!.e1+ �e7 13 �xds cxds 14 'iVxds c6
very solid and he probably had a small 15 'iYcs 11Yf6 Black still has problems
advantage. castling due to the pin on his bishop.
s �c4 'iYfs 9 o-o 12 �xe6 11Yxe6
One of the features I like about this Or 12 .. .fxe6 which hardly helps
game is how simple Baklan makes Black's position. He is suffering from a
things look. weak king and a horrible pawn forma
9 . .11Vg6
. tion.
Another time-consuming queen 13 d4
move, but there weren't any obvious Simple and good. White is prepar
alternatives, especially as 9 ...lLlds? 10 ing to develop his dark-squared bishop
d3 would have been winning for White. and then his knight. Once he has done
10 f3! this, he can move a rook to the open e
file.
13 ...f6?1
This move opens up the e- and f

files. Baratosi is weak on f7 and will
find it hard to develop his king side. Black had a difficult position any
10...exf3 way, but this idea looks dubious. He
This seems to be the only move, as wants to move his king to f7, but it is
122
still going to be in considerable danger 1 6 b4 looks good when White would

on that square. like to continue with tt:::lb 3, tt:Jc5 and
1 would have preferred 13 ... tt:::l g 6, in- 'i¥a6+.
ten ding to continue with ...i.e? and b) 15 ... c5 may have been best. I real
... 0-0. Then 14 �g 5 ! ? has the idea that ize that this move does further open up
after 14 ... h6 White can play 15 tt:Jd2 the position, but at least Black is doing
with a quick :ae1 to follow. Black is something active. Play could continue
probably losing here, but 14.. .f6 is an 16 tt:::lb 3 cxd4 17 tt:Jxd4 iVe5 18 'i!Vc4 and
improvement. At least this way Black White still has a large advantage - just
would have gained a tempo by attack look at Black's kin g !
ing White's bishop.
14 tt:Jd21
Many people would have chosen 14
i.f4 without much thought, which is
still good for White, but the move pre
ferred in the g ame is more accurate. It
is clear that Baklan is considering what
Black is going to play next and prepar
ing for this idea. Indeed, if Black now
plays 14...'it>f7 then White can play 15
tt:Je4 threatening tt:Jg5+.
14...VWds 1 6 tt:Je4
Black would obviously like to take White is now winning as Black can
some of the pressure off his position by not defend against all the threats.
exchanging queens. 16 . 'it>f7
..
15 �e2 otherwise after 16 ... 0-0-0 17 tt:Jc5,

As White is attacking and Black's m ate follows with 18 'i!Va6+, and 16 ... h4
king is stuck in the centre, Baklan 17 .!:!.xf6 ! reveals just one of the threats
avoids the exchange. that White has.
1s ...hs?! 11 i.gs
Black has not got time for this! To There were a number of tempting
be honest I originally had no idea at all moves, but this is the most brutal.
why Black played this move, but then I White aims to sacrifice on f6 to strip
realized just how hard it was for him to away the remaining protection that
find a decent move at all. Other possi the black king has.
bilities included: 1 1 ...tt:Jts
a) 15 . 0-0-0?! looks rather suicidal.
.. This move temporarily blocks the f
The king is hardly safer here. Moreover, file.
123
18 l:!.ae1 veloped and the king safe. It is the mid

White brings his last piece into play. dlegame where you can start playing
18...tt::l d 6 imaginatively.
Instead 18 ...l:i.e8 looks natural. How
ever, White could continue in simple The colourful character sitting be
fashion with 19 'ikd3 when Black's hind the black pieces in our next game
knight on fs is subject to a number of is unquestionably one of the most tal
tricks, such as 19 ... ..te7 20 tt::l xf6 ..txf6 ented players around, and here he pro
2 1 l:lxe8 l:!.xe8 22 l:lxfs which should be vides a good example of counterattack
winning for White. ing play.
19 tt:Jxf6!
Game31
J.Jirka-V.Tkachiev
E u ropea n C l u b C u p,
Ohrid 2009
Modern Defence
1 d4 d6 2 tt::lf3 g6 3 g3
Such an approach normally indi
cates a slow, positional g ame, but here
White loses rather quickly.
Black's king is defenceless. 3 ... ..tg7 4 ..tg2 tt::ld 7 s c4 es
19 ...gxf6 20 ..txf6 l:i.gS 21 ..tes+ 'it>e6 22 Black has played the opening quite
l:txfS! 1-0 cleverly by leaving his knight on g8.
A nice final touch. Black resigned as Thus the move ... es has gained in
22 . l:i.axf8 would run into 23 ..txd6+
. . strength and Black may also wish to
'it>xd6 24 'ike7 mate. play .. .fs in one move; a plan that is not
Baklan instructively combined sim possible with the knight on f6.
ple developing moves with some nifty 6 tt::lc 3 tt::le 7
tactics, and Black never really recovered By placing the knight here, Black
from his early mistake with 7 ...bxc6. leaves the dark-squared bishop and f
Certainly he should have concentrated pawn unblocked.
on developing his pieces rather than 7 o-o o-o 8 e4
playing this strange, time-consuming White has a space advantage, but
idea. Black is solid and has good control of
In the opening do not be too flash. the dark squares.
Concentrate on getting your pieces de- 8 ...exd4
1 24
White could also have played 1 3

ttJds, which looks like a good idea as
this is the ideal square for his knight.
After 13 ...f5 14 ttJef4 a4 15 c 5 ! ? I sus
pect that the position, while unclear, is
still about equal.
13 ...fs!?
An aggressive and risky approach.
This places White's centre under some
pressure, but it does also slightly
weaken Black's kingside.
The start of an interesting plan. 14 l'kd2
Black is aiming to bring his knights to It may have been slightly more ac
some good squares. curate for White to have centralized his
9 ttJxd4 ttJc6 10 ttJde2 rook with 14 .l:.ad1 when he could con
Another option was 10 ttJxc6 bxc6 sider playing c4-c5 at some point. After
when it is not clear whether Black's c 14 .. .fxe4 15 ttJxe4, unlike in the game,
pawns are a strength or a weakness. Black no longer has the option of play-
The g ame U.Adianto-Z.Azmaiparashvili, ing ... ..th 3.
Batumi (rapid} 2001, continued 11 i.d2 14...fxe4 15 ttJxe4?1
ttJe5 12 b3 c5 13 h3 (13 f4! ?} 13 ...i.d7
14 'iii>h 2 ttJc6 when the position looks
about equal as Black has good control
of d4.
10... as
A typical move in such positions.
Black secures the c5-square for his
knight and the a-pawn can be used to
undermine White's queenside.
11 ..te3 .!:!.e8
From e8 the rook can pressure
White along the e-file. This move, though, is definitely a
12 Vi'c2 mistake as it allows Black to either ex
White is playing some perfectly re change the light-squared bishops or
spectable moves and has done nothing gain a tempo. That exchange is clearly
seriously wrong so far. Now Tkachiev in Black's favour, as White's light
tries an active idea. squared bishop is his best minor piece,
12 ...ttJdes 13 b3 covering the kingside and radiating
125
power down the long diagonal. 17 f3 when 17 ... a4 18 tt:lds would still
A better idea was 15 .ixe4, al have been solid enough for him.
though Black still has the initiative af 17 .ixg2 18 �xg2 'ir'fs!
...
ter 1S ... .ih3 16 .!:f.fe1 fr'd7 when maybe

he can play ...fr'g4 at some point. This
position should still be equal, but I
would prefer to have the black pieces.
1S . �h3!
. .
A nice little trick to put some pres

sure on the light squares around
White's king.
Beginning to cause the white king

some problems.
19 f4?
Far too weakening. The alternatives:
a) 19 fr'ds+ �h8 20 f4? does not
work as Black has time to kick the
white queen away with 20 ... tt:lb4!.
Moreover, even 20...tt:lg4 may be possi
16 tt:l2c3 ble, highlighting how bad 17 tt:Jg s? was
16 'if'dS+ avoids the exchange of as White is not really threatening a
light-squared bishops. Black will gain check on f7: 21 tt:lf7+ fr'xf7 ! 22 fr'xf7
some useful time after 16 ... ..te6 17 tt:Jxe3+ 23 Wf3 (23 'lt>h1? .:.e7 traps the
fVd2, although there is nothing too se white queen and wins) 23 ...tt:lxf1 sees
riously wrong with White's position Black winning too m any minor pieces
here. for the queen.
16 .. .'ii'c8 b) 19 tt:lds may be best. I am sur
The queen gets ready to move over prised that Jirka did not play this move
to fS or g4. at some point in this game, as it is an
11 tt:lgs? obvious and thematic idea. Then
Another tempting idea, as the 19 ... kt.ac8 20 f3 h6 21 tt:lh 3 (21 tt:le4?
knight targets the light-square weak tt:lxf3 must be good for Black) 21 ... .!:f.f8
nesses in Black's camp. However, this 22 tt:lg1 �h7 is slightly better for Black,
loses too much time. White had to for but White has defended against most
tify himself on the light squares with of the threats.
1 26
19...lbg4 Nice! White's position falls apart.

I am not sure what move White ex 22 �e2
pected, but this obvious knight lunge After 22 'iVxc2 lbxe3+ 23 �h 3 lbxc2
causes him serious problems. White is a piece down.
20 .:.ae1? 22 ...'iVxd2 23 .l:txd2 lbe3+ 0-1
Going over this game I got the feel
ing that White played rather superfi
cially. It seems that he was moving his
pieces around without any real pur
pose and that an accumulation of little
mistakes led to some maj or errors at
the end.
Try to avoid playing meaningless
moves! Each move should have a pur
pose behind it.
The final error which loses to a nice In the following game it seems that
tactic. White should have tried 20 i.g1, the loser again plays without a real
which at least keeps the bishop out of plan, having not understood the aris
danger for the time being. Black is do ing typical structure and related the
ing well after 20 ... i.xc3 21 'ii'x c3 l:!.e2+ m atic motifs well enough.
22 �h 1 h6, but White can struggle on.
20....Uxe3!
Taking advantage of the loose na Game32
ture of White's pieces with a visually S. Williams-S.Ledger
aesthetic tactic. Southend 2000
21 .Uxe3 'W!Vc2! English Opening
1 C4 eS 2 4Jc3 4Jc6 3 4Jf3 fS

An aggressive set-up. Black aims to
gain space on the kingside and in the
centre.
4 d4
The best answer. White needs to re
spond in the centre, otherwise he will
suffer from a lack of space.
4... e4
In general Black would rather keep
127
the tension i n the centre as this ad waited until White had played a2-a3.
vance is rather committal, although it 8 j_xc3 tt::le 7?
does g ain further space. Another time-consuming move, and
s tt::lg s tt::lf 6?! one that allows me to utilize my dark
squared bishop on an incredibly strong
diagonal.
Instead 8 ... ds makes more sense, at
tempting to block White's dark
squared bishop in. The only problem is
that it opens the position which should
favour White with his two bishops: 9
cxds ti:Jxds (this allows White to carry
out an interesting plan, but after
9 .. .'�xds 10 iia4! White intends to play
j_c4 next with a strong attack) 10
I think that this move is less accu �5+! g6 11 �6 and White is clearly
rate than s ...j_b4, as then it is more better, as Black has some problems
difficult for White to play e2-e3. with his kingside dark squares. Perhaps
6 e3 j_b4?! 8 ... d6 is best, as then Black can meet
This makes less sense now as it will d4-d5 with ... tt:Jes when there is still a
no longer be possible to double White's lot to play for.
pawns. Moreover, we will soon see how 9 dS!
the resulting exchange of bishop for After this simple move Black is in
knight leaves White with an over serious trouble. White's bishop on c3
whelming position. other plans in dominates the board and Black also has
clude: to watch out for dangerous moves like
a) 6 ... h6 7 ti:Jh3 is a typical manoeu ds-d6.
vre. The knight heads for f4 and if Black 9 ti:Jg6
...
stops that with 7 ... gs then 8 tt::lg 1 ! is a White's immediate threat was 10
good response. White wants to con .txf6 which would have destroyed
tinue with either h2-h4 or f2-f3, un Black's kingside. Let's again take a
dermining Black's advanced pawns. quick look at the alternatives:
b) 6 ... j_e7 is a better option, keeping a) 9 ... d6 10 j_xf6 gxf6 11 iih s+ tt::l g 6
the important dark-squared bishop 12 ti:Je6! and Black's f-pawn is going to
safe. drop, so White has a large advantage.
7 j_d2 j_xc3?! b) 9 ... 0-0 may have been best, as at
I am not sure why Black rushed with least this way Black gets his king to
this move. He could at least have relative safety. White still has a big ad-
128
vantage after 10 d6 cxd6 11 'i*'xd6, for White. Black's king i s too exposed,
th ough: strong pressure on the d-file while White is ready to castle queen
and the far superior pieces. side.
10 d6! 13 Vi'h51 Vias+
13 .. J:tg8 may have been a slightly
better defence, but after 14 tt:lh3 one
threat is 15 tt:lf4. Then 14 ... 'ir'a5+ 15
'>t>d1 '>t>f7 16 tt:lf4 d6 leaves White still
doing very well, as Black's pawn forma
tion is such a mess.
14 'it>d1 l:.g8?
The final error. 14.. .fxgs would have
lasted longer, but after 15 'ir'xg6+ 'it>f8
16 h4! g4 17 'io!Vd6+ 'it>f7 18 c 5 ! White's
light-squared bishop is en route to c4
This move cuts Black's position in and Black's king stuck in the firing line.
two. Ledger will now find it very hard 15 tt:Jxe4 'ir'es 16 'ir'xfs!
to ever develop his queenside, whereas
all my pieces are extremely well placed.
Remember, when you feel that your
opponent has played some rather pe
culiar moves in the opening, or when
he has neglected his development, it is
well worth trying to find a way to pun
ish him. That is what the move 10 d6!
does here, putting the utmost pressure
on Black's position.
10... h6
After this it is time for some action. Another pawn drops off.
10... cs was another idea but Black still 16 ... Vi'xfs 11 tt:ld6+ 1-o
suffers horribly after 11 h4!? h6 12 tt:lh 3 Black played natural-looking moves
0-0 13 h S tt:lh8 14 tt:lf4, when his posi in the opening, but too many of these
tion is riddled with holes. made little sense and allowed White's
11 dxc7 Vi'xc7 12 i.xf6! dark-squared bishop to rule the roost.
Destroying Black's kingside after all. It is all too easy to play lazily on autopi
12 ... gxf6 lot.
Alternatively, 12 ...hxg5 13 �xg7 Do not make your opponent's life
l:.xh2 14 ktxh2 Vi'xh2 15 Vi'd4 is winning easy; make it as difficult as possible!
129
C hapter Six
C rossed Wires
More haste, less speed! g ames to see where various strong

players got their wires crossed. Our
This was a favourite phrase of a first game is a brief affair in which
strong chess player that I used to know Black's choice of opening was very
and it applies to a lot of positions. I clever. Stephen Gordon or Stevie G as
have certainly found it very useful as I he is better known in England (named
used to be quite an impatient player, after the great Steven Gerrard of Liver
far too capable of playing too quickly pool fame ) is a solid player whose
and mixing my plans up. Nowadays I knowledge of theory is very good, so
try not to rush and to take my time, Berg plays a slightly offbeat opening.
which helps to avoid getting my wires This catches White off guard and he
crossed. becomes confused in the opening.
You always need to have a clear
idea about what you want to achieve
from a position. If you cannot think of a Game33
good long-term plan, then you should S.Gordon-E.Berg
look at those moves that make small Hasti ngs 2009/10
improvements to your position. Such Albin Counter Gambit
calm thought helps to avoid getting
your wires crossed, aiming for the 1 d4 ds 2 c4 es!
wrong thing or missing your oppo Again I am awarding an exclama
nent's crafty plan. tion mark for purely psychological
Let's now have a look at some value.
130
Crossed Wires
3 dxes d4 puts d4 under more pressure. Black

Black often relies on this pawn to normally responds with 7 ... as and only
ca use White some problems. At least then does White play 8 bS, having
h e now has a space advantage in the gained a tempo to develop his bishop.
centre. 7 lbcxes
...
4 lbf3 Black is already fine as he is very

I normally respond with the less well developed.
common 4 e4!?, intending to play f2-f4 B lbxd4
next when White has a strong centre. The only logical move. It is possible
4...lbc6 5 a3!? that White still thought he was follow
This move and 5 g 3 are White's ing theory, but unfortunately for him
main ideas. With the text White takes the bishop is still on c1.
control of the b4-square which is often B...�cs
used by Black's dark-squared bishop. Developing and gaining time by at
s lbge7
... tacking the white knight.
The ever-imaginative Morozevich 9 i.b2
made this idea popular. Black wants to
play ... lbg6 and then simply regain his
pawn on es.
6 b4 lbg6 1 bs?
White must have realized by now

that things had gone wrong, as Black
can simply capture on c4 or play like he
does in the game. Another option
White's first serious error. He which aim s to develop the light
should not play this move until he is squared bishop and get the white king
forced to. Stevie G later told me that he closer to castling was 9 e3?!, although
thought he was following theory here, Black is doing very well after 9 ... �g4!.
but in actual fact his choice makes lit Indeed, Black's moves pretty much play
tle sense. themselves here. Following 10 �c2 (10
The m ain variation is 7 �b2 which �e2 �xe2 11 lbxe2 l'bd3+ 12 Wf1 lbge5
131
looks very good for Black} 1 0. . .ii.xd4 11 tual fact Black can just capture with
exd4 'il'xd4 Black has established mate 10... lL'lxc4: 11 'il'c3 ii.xd4 12 'ir'xd4 lL'lxb2
rial equality and is much the better 13 'i:Vxb2 0-0 leaves Black ahead in de
developed, leaving White struggling. velopment, while White's king is stuck
9 ..Ji'h41? on el.
An interesting idea. Rather than 10 ...�g4
capturing the pawn on c4, Berg decides Another piece flies out!
to develop and increase the pressure. 11 'il'c2
However, there was no need for Black Again the best move. My version of
to complicate matters and 9 ... lL'lxc4! Fritz actually thinks that White is better
looks simple and strong, especially af here, but I am not at all sure about
ter the logical continuation 10 ii.c3 that.
'ir11 4 !. 11...0-0-0
10 e3 Black has only one piece not playing
a part in the attack, the rook on h8.
Thus he must have at least pretty de
cent compensation.
12 �e2?
This looks best. One of the main

problems that White has is that he
cannot develop his queenside, but let's
still look at some of White's other op
tions: The losing mistake. It is under
a) 10 g3? allows 10...'il'e4, which standable that White wants to castle as
should be very strong for Black: for ex quickly as possible, but this fails to a
ample, 11 f3 (or 11 I!g1 �xd4 12 'i!Vxd4 fairly simple tactical point.
lL'lf3+) 11 ...'We3 (White's king is in mor White should have played 12 lbd2! ,
tal danger) 12 'il'd2 ii.xd4 13 ii.xd4 which develops a piece and takes con
lL'lxf3+ 14 'it>d1 'ii'b 3+ 15 'Wc2 lL'lxd4 and trol of some central squares. He also
wins. wants to continue with lL'l2b3, forcing
b) 10 'ii'd2 achieves little and in ac- Black to make a decision about his
132
Cro s s e d Wires
bishop on cs. The position is very un makes a lot of sense, stripping the
clear after this. I will just demonstrate white king bare.
one possible line: 12 .. .fS ! ? (12 .. .l:�he8 is 15 exd4 'ifxd4 0-1
also very sensible) 13 tLl2b3 �xd4 14 After 16 l:la2 Black would have been
i.xd4 :!:Ihe8 and now maybe White can spoilt for choice between 16 ... 4Jd3+
try 15 b6!, starting a counterattack. and 16 ...ltJf4.
After 1S ... axb6 16 cs f4 the position is Mixing up your lines in the opening
very interesting; White is hacking away is a common mistake. I would recom
on the queenside, while Black is having mend that rather than trying to re
a pop in the centre. member each and every move, it is
12 ... �xe2! more important to try and understand
Now after a number of exchanges the ideas behind the moves. This way it
Black obtains a winning position. Re won't matter so much if your opponent
member that when you reach a com surprises you in the opening. In this
plicated position, you should start your game White should have known the
calculations by analysing all the forcing idea of placing pressure on d4, and had
moves. If you can win by checks or cap he done so he would have continued
tures then it is a done deal ! with 7 �b2 rather than 7 bs. Despite
13 �xe2 this, White's position wasn't so bad,
13 'it>xe2 may have lasted longer, but Stevie G appeared to lose heart at a
but the result would have been the very early stage.
same: 13 ... �xd4 14 �xd4 �xd4! 15 Don 't give up when things go wrong.
exd4 �xd4 and White's king is not go Try to keep your spirit up and fight
ing to l ast long on e2. back!
13 ...�xd4 14 �xd4 �xd4!
I must now apologize to Stephen for
using another of his games, but the
next one does demonstrate some im
portant ideas.
Game34
S.Gordon-5.Williams
B ritish Cham pions h i p,
Swa nsea 2006
Dutch Defence
This is the only slightly tricky move
that Black had to see in advance, but it 1 d4 e6 2 c4 fS
133
A favourite of mine, and a n opening Black's position i s less cramped than in

on which I recently supplied some cov the game.
erage for Dangerous Weapons: The 7 t2Jge2 t2Jc6
Dutch. I was aiming to play ... es, when
3 t2Jc3 t2Jf6 4 'ir'c2 thought that I would stand well.
This line is not the most threatening 8 0-0
for Black, but he must still be aware of Now I had to ask myself: if it was
what the best plan is. White to move here what would be a
4.. ..\tb4
. good plan?
I like this move, making it difficult 8 ....txc3!
.
for White to advance with e2-e4. Given a chance White would play
5 e3 t2Jd1! when my bishop on b4 is in dan
White picks a solid set-up. This is a ger of being trapped. This is why the
fairly popular way of playing, but I do text is a good move. Thankfully I was
not believe that it should challenge awake and alert!
Black's opening. 9 'ii'xc3 es
s ...o-o 6 ..ltd3 d6?! The set-up I was a1mmg for, but
White now comes up with a good plan.
10 d5!
This may not be such a bad idea, but

my opponent plays the next stage of
the game very well. The continuation 10...t2Je7 11 f41
he chose certainly made me doubt my With these two pawn advances
set-up at the time. White has m ade it a lot more difficult
A more logical and sensible move for me to achieve any active play. I was
was 6 ...b6, which is often a good idea not feeling too confident around here,
when White hasn't fianchettoed him as I could not see a constructive plan
self. After 7 t2Jge2 .i.b7 8 f3 d6 the now that the typical advance ...f4 had
bishop has found a good diagonal and been ruled out. The only plausible idea
134
Cro s s e d Wires
1 could see was trying to gain an initia This move pretty much forces my
tive on the e-file, exploiting the weak reply, and it is a good reply! I get the
e ning of e3. feeling that Stephen was not at his best
1 1.. .lbg6 in this game. He was trying to rush
Instead 11 ... e4?! would have been a matters when he should really have
horrible positional mistake, opening been aiming to snuff out any counter
the long diagonal for White's unop play I had.
posed bishop. 13 �b2 looks like the best move, es
12 b3?! pecially as after 13 ... exf4?! 14 exf4
After playing a series of good moves 'ir'e3+ 15 �h1 White is better. Black
White begins to drift. The dark-squared cannot play 15 ... lbg4 due to the mate
bishop will be well placed on the a1-h8 on g7.
diagonal, but only once the pawn on e3 13 ...lbg4 14 h3?!
has been properly defended. Thus a Entering complications. These do
better plan was 12 �d2, as there was not necessarily lead to a bad position
no need to rush. White should first play for White, but there really was no need
.:ae1 and maybe then the knight on e2 for him to give me such an easy plan.
can find a better square. Once again White should have
When the pawn formation is closed, aimed to improve his position slowly
you often have more time to manoeu but surely. Indeed, the bizarre move 14
vre. This does not mean letting your lbh1! may be best. White just wants to
concentration level dip though. You stop any tactical shots that I may have,
still have to keep your eyes peeled for and 14 ... 'iVh4 15 h3 lbf6 16 �d2 must
all of your opponent's possibilities. be a bit better for White.
12 .'ir'e7
.. 14... lbxe3!
With vague ideas along the e-file. Again I am pretty much forced to
13 lbg3?! play this move and I was happy to
complicate matters.
15 �xe3 exf4
At least the position has become
quite messy. Definitely a much better
outcome for Black than the potentially
planless position I'd feared.
16 �xf4
White had two other sensible op
tions:
a) 16 i.d4! sacrifices a pawn in or
der to maximize the potential of
135
White's minor pieces. Then 16 .. .fxg3 17 Here White made my life very easy
.l:lae1 'iff7 18 :e3 f4 19 l:txg 3 ! is pretty when he could have made it very diffi
unclear, but roughly equal. cult. He basically forced me to play the
b) 16 l:!.ae1! ? brings another piece best moves and for no good reason he
into play: 16 ... 1\Vg s ! ? 17 tt::lh s 'iVxh s 18 entered just the type of messy, compli
..td4 1\Vg s is unclear and roughly equal. cated position that I like.
16 ...tt::lxf4 17 �xfs?? Rather than rush, White should
have put himself into Black's shoes and
tried to work out what Black could play.
He would then have appreciated
Black's lack of a constructive plan and
so played much slower and more effec
tively himself. Having said that, I am
sure that Stevie G would not play in
this manner nowadays - he will be
2600 soon !
The next game was rather a painful

The losing error. Psychologically I last-round affair for me. A win would
guess that White was not happy with have given me equal first, but all of a
the situation, but after the forced 17 sudden I mixed my moves up in a posi
l:!.xf4 'iVe3+ 18 ki.f2 'ii'x g3 19 .l:.e1 tion I had previously studied, probably
White's well placed pieces and control due to a combination of nerves and
of the e-file would have fully compen rashness on my part.
sated for the pawn deficit.
17 ...�xfs 18 tt::lxfs tt::le 2+!
This intermezzo leaves me with a Game35
winning position. D.Gormally-5.Williams
19 'it>h2 ..txfs 20 :ae1 ..tg6 EU Cham pionsh i p,
Now it is White who has no plan. Liverpool 2006
21 g4? Dutch Defence
Making a bad situation worse.
White cannot weaken his king in this 1 d4 ts 2 ..tgs
way. An annoying little line, crossing
21....l:te8 0-1 Black's common ideas of ...tt::lf6 and
White is completely lost, as Black's ... e6.
queen will enter the game with devas 2 h6
•..
tating effect. The most testing response. Black
136
Cro s s e d Wires
immediately puts the question to gaining a tempo.

White's bishop. 7 'if'g6 ll'lc6
3 i.h4 g5 A critical position. White has a
Gaining space on the kingside, but number of possibilities, but Gormally
we akening the e8-h 5 diagonal and the picks an inferior variation.
black king. s i.xgs?l
4 e4
Again the most aggressive ap
proach, as both sides battle for the ini
tiative from a very early stage.
4.. J�h71?
The position now takes on a forcing

nature which should lead to at least a
perfectly acceptable position for Black.
Instead a much better idea was either 8
..ic4!, which leads to some crazy com
This is a crazy idea that aims to trap plications, or 8 exf5, which is also very
the dark-squared bishop at all costs. On interesting.
the downside, Black has only moved his 8 . .fxe4 9 tt:Jes
.
kingside pawns and rook so far! White can also play 9 ..ixf6, but
s iihs+ Black is clearly better after 9 ... exf6 ! as
Another amusing idea is 5 i.e2 10 'if'xe4+ fails to 10 ... l:te7. Instead 10
'iii>f7!, which is bizarre but good! The d5 leads to a very pretty variation:
king just wants to run round to h8. For 10 ...exf3 11 dxc6 dxc6 12 ..ic4 'ii'e 7+ 13
more information on this line I must 'it>d1 i.e6 14 l:te1 0-0-0+ 15 'it>c1 i.h 3 ! !
refer you to my coverage in Dangerous (a brilliant move which exposes the
Weapons: The Dutch. weakness of White's back rank) 16
s ...l:tf7 6 tt:'lf3 1:1xe7 .!:txe7 17 b3 fxg2 and Black is
The immediate threat is 7 tt:'le5, so winning, as there is no stopping the g
Black must stop this. pawn.
6...tt:'lf6 9 ...tt:Jxes 10 dxes hxgs 11 exf6
It m akes sense to develop while This had all been seen before and I
137
had analysed this position many times mistake follows another. Black had to
prior to the present game. I should now try 12 ... d5 when play could continue 13
have played 11...e6! when I would have o-o-o ..te6 and now:
obtained a good position. I knew this, a) 14 ..tc4 ! ? c6 15 tt:\xe4 �e7 16
but before I could do anything to stop 11he1 (White must play as actively as
myself, my brain had told my hand to possible to try and stop Black from con
capture the pawn on f6! Oh deary me, solidating his position) 16 ... 0-0-0 and
what an idiot! again it looks like only Black can be bet
11 exf6?
... ter! For example, 17 tt:\xg S l::ig 7 18
WNxg7 ..txg7 19 tt:\xe6 .:.h8 and Black's
extra queen will come in handy.
b) 14 tt:\xe4 'iie 7 (I am obviously in a
hurry to castle, especially considering
the way that the game finished!) 15
.:.e1! ? 0-0-0 (White is clearly better af
ter 15 ... dxe4? 16 'ir'xe4) 16 tt:\g3 11g7 17
'iid3 'it>b8 (17 ... 'iid 7? is a blunder due to
18 'ii'e 3!, hitting e6 and a7) 18 h4 gxh4
19 11xh4 !tg5 leaves Black planning to
contest the e-file with ...l1e5. If anyone
A horrible move which weakens is better in this position then it must be
Black far too much on the light squares. Black, as his two bishops could become
Instead after 11...e6! 12 tt:\d2 ?! (12 ..te2 ! very powerful.
is a better move, but Black is still doing
fine after 12 .. .'i!Vxf6 13 ..th 5 ..tg7 14
'iixf7+ 'iixf7 15 ..txf7+ 'it>xf7 16 tt:\c3 d5;
he is the exchange down here, but has
good compensation due to his strong
centre and two bishops) 12 ... 'iixf6 13
'ii'xf6 l:.xf6 14 tt:\xe4 �f5 Black had a
slight advantage in A.Kharitonov
G.Gajewski, San Agustin 2003.
12 tt:\c3
White sensibly develops and at
tempts to take control of the key d5- 13 0-0-0!
and e4-squares. White continues to develop at top
12 �b4?
... speed. This move also claim s owner
As happens so often in chess, one ship of the d5-square, which is critical.
138
C ro s s e d Wires
As soon as White can play ..ltc4 the what you are going to do next, it is of
game is over. On top of all that, Gor ten worth taking a small time-out just
mally is especially good at attacking, so to slow the pace of your thinking down.
my chances where pretty much zero by Moreover, patience is usually re
this point! warded. Just look at how many promis
1 3 ...�XC3 14 �c4! ing positions young players throw
White does not hesitate with the away by being impatient!
onslaught and now my position quickly There is rarely a good moment in a
collapses. game of chess where you should play
14...�xb2+?! quickly.
This hands another tempo to White,
but I expect that I was already ponder Next we will see a cute little win for
ing a quick exit. Instead 14 .. .'iVe7 would Black in the French Defence. This does
have held on a bit longer, although af not happen often, but when it does it
ter 15 bxc3 f5 16 h4! g4 17 h5 the pawn can leave a very strong impression !
will soon become a queen.
15 'iti>xb2 'iie 7 16 h4!
Game36
I.Kovalenko-Zhou Weiqi
St Petersb u rg 2009
French Defence
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 tt:lc3 tt:lf6 4 e5 tt:lfd7 5

f4
This position is not dissimilar to
that which we saw in Game 12, Ljubo
jevic-Gurevich. Indeed, White could
have aimed to maintain a big pawn
White is winning. centre with 5 tt:lce2 c5 6 c3.
16... d5 17 �xd5 'ife5+ 18 c3 �e6 19 5 ...c5 6 tt:lf3
�xe6 1-0 Here White prefers to keep the cen
White will play 20 'iig B+ next. tre together with his pieces and not his
It is clear where I went wrong in this pawns.
game, but why did I make this 11th 6 ...tt:lc6 7 �e3
move error? A standard position in which Black
Quite simply I was rushing with my has to be careful that after a mass ex
moves, which is a mistake. Even if you change on d4 he is not left with a bad
are extremely happy and sure about light-squared bishop.
139
H o w to Win a t Ch es s - Q u ic k ly !
7... ..te71? Another sensible move is 9 �e2,

which was played in E.Alekseev-Ni Hua,
Ningpo 2008. That game continued
9 ... a6 10 o-o bS 11 a3 'ifb6 12 l2Jd1 as
13 c3 and I prefer White who had man
aged to consolidate his centre, so he
could then turn his attention to the
king side.
g �xcs 10 l2Jd4?!
...
This can be considered a sideline,

but it became popular after Moro
zevich used it to defeat Kramnik in
2003. The other main options that
Black has are:
a) 7 ... a6 takes control of some
queenside squares and prepares to ad
vance with ... bs.
b) 7 ... cxd4 8 l2Jxd4 ..tcs is another An unnecessary move and now
idea, continuing to battle for the d4- White finds himself a tempo down on a
square. position which could have arisen after
8 'ilfd2 7 ... cxd4 8 l2Jxd4 �cs 9 'ilfd2 0-0. Kova
This seems like a perfectly logical lenko appears surprised by Black's 7th
move. Kramnik played 8 dxcs in his move and fails to realise either the
blindfold game against Morozevich tempo loss or that his knight was fine
(Monaco, 2003), which continued on f3.
8 ... 0-o 9 'iVd2 ttJxcs 10 a3 b6 11 .libs After the superior 10 0-0-0 'i!Vas 11
�b7 12 o-o l:tc8 13 .l:!.ad1 'W/c7 14 'W/e1 �xes (White exchanges before Black
nfd8 with a roughly equal position. has a chance to play ... �b4) 11 ... tt:Jxcs
8 0-0
... 12 h4 �d7 13 hS .l:Iab8 14 h6 g6 15
Black needs to castle. The position 'ilfe3 ! White had managed to hold up
is, of course, perfectly acceptable for ... bs for a move in P.Svidler
White, but like in many games in this A.Riazantsev, Russian Championship,
book it is interesting to see just how Moscow 2008, but the position re
quickly his position falls apart. m ained very interesting and double
9 dxcs edged.
140
Cros s e d Wires
10...a6 a bit illogical. Having castled queen side

Preparing queenside counterplay. and gone in for a kingside attack, I
11 0-0-0!? wouldn't have wanted to be so cau
A risky plan. It should be pretty ob tious as White. Moreover, the knight
vious that when you decide to castle on can be targeted on a4 and so the cen
opposite sides there is a greater chance tralizing 14 ctJe2 was a much better try.
of losing quickly, as well as a greater Then White can always defend with
chance of winning quickly! 14 .. .'ir'as 15 Wb1 and ltJc1 if needs be.
I feel that chances are roughly equal
here, but it may have been wiser for
White to have played more simply,
rather than provoking intense compli
cations. After all, why force complica
tions when the position does not de
mand them ?
11 ... �xd4!?
An interesting decision. This bishop
is normally Black's best piece in the
French Defence so exchanging it is a
risky idea, but Black figures that it is 14...'ir'as 15 b3
more important here to gain time by Forced, but I would not be happy
starting an immediate attack. playing such a move, weakening the
12 �xd4 bS 13 h4 king's defences.
Both sides have rather clear-cut 1S ...ltJxd4!
plans, but I think that Black's chances Can you see what Black is planning
are better. It seems easier for him to after this exchange?
break through than it is for White on 16 'ir'xd4 �b7!
the kingside. Already Kovalenko was
probably wishing he had his knight
back on f3 to help his attack!
13 ... b4
Black is most certainly not messing
about. After all, speed is of the essence
when attacking on opposite sides.
14 ltJa4?
Another mistake. I guess that White
moved his knight here to try and hold
up Black's attack, but again this seems
141
Ho w to Win a t C h e s s - Q u i c k ly !
Simple chess! Black just wants to I think we can blame White's defeat
continue with ... �c6 which demon on his two knight moves, 10 tt:Jd4 and
strates just how stupid White's knight 14 tt:Ja4. Both did little to help his at
looks on a4. Kovalenko's 14 tt:Ja4? was a tack and only played into Black's hands.
bit of a howler! Moreover, having decided to attack on
17 'it>b2? the kingside, White should have fol
White is relying on tactics, but these lowed through with that plan, rather
tactics open up his king and so they than try to counter on the queen side.
unsurprisingly backfire on him. There is no point changing plans
The only chance was 17 Wb1, keep midpoint unless you have a very good
ing the b2-square avail able for his reason for doing so.
knight. The position is in fact not so
clear here after 17 ...�c6 (17 ....l:tac8 18 Facing Kasparov with the black
�d3 lic7 19 fs ! would actually give pieces was always an unenviable task,
White decent counterplay) 18 tZ'lb2 but in the next g ame Timman quickly
�bs, although the thematic exchange goes wrong and gives us another ex
of light-squared bishops does leave ample of blindness in the opening.
Black slightly better.
17 ...�c6 18 a3
White was pinning his hopes on this Game3 7
move, but he had missed that after... G.Kasparov-J.Tim man
1B ..J:tfb8! Riga 1995
...his queenside fall s apart. The rest Slav Defence
of the game plays itself.
19 c3 bxa3+ 20 'it>xa3 .l:[xb3+! 0-1 1 d4 d s 2 c4 c6 3 tZ'lf3 tt:Jf6 4 tt:Jc3 dxc4
This is a popular variation that can
lead to slow manoeuvring or to fiend
ishly complicated play, depending on
how aggressive both sides feel.
5 a4
In order to stop Black from playing
... bs which would support the pawn on
C4.
s ... �fs
Black in turn prevents 6 e4.
6 tt:Jes
In view of 21 'it>xb3 �xa4+ 22 'ii'x a4 This is the main line and the critical
tt:Jcs+, winning the queen. approach. The important alternative 6
142
Cro s s e d Wires
e3 generally leads to a much quieter ready pretty much lost.

game. 9 ...tt:Jxes 10 dxes tt:Jg4 11 'iVxb7
6...lbbd7 7 tt:Jxc4 tt:Jb6 Black now has problems defending
the c6-pawn.
11...tt:Jxes 12 f4
Forcing the knight to move away
from the defence of c6.
12 ...tt:Jg6
Black could have tried 12 ... .l:tb8, but
then White is free to capture another
important pawn on a?.
13 e4!
A passive line. It may have been a

better idea to have played the sharper
7 . ..Wiic 7 when Morozevich's idea 8 g3 eS
9 dxes tt:Jxes 10 �f4 tt:Jfd7 11 i.. g 2 g s ! ?
leads t o some fascinating positions.
s tt:Jes tt:Jbd7?
This just loses a pawn ! Why did
such an experienced player as Timman
play such a bad move?
I can only put it down to either This is more promising than captur
nerves or rashness. However, this is a ing on c6, as Kasparov looks for and
further example of why you should finds a stronger continuation. More
never rush in the opening, even in fa over, 13 'irfxc6+ i.d7 14 'irff3 e s ! would
miliar lines. Try not to get into the have given the initiative to Black.
habit of moving without thinking. It is 13 ... �d7
a better idea to always take a bit of Black's bishop is forced to a passive
time in the opening so as to get into square.
the right mood for the rest of the game. 14 f5
Instead 8 ... e6 must be played first in White continues to play as aggres
order to guard the f7-pawn. sively as possible. This move gains time
9 'irfb3! by attacking Black's knight and also
The queen attacks both f7 and b7. cramps his position.
Black cannot defend against both 14... tt:Jes
threats and against Kasparov he is al- It may have been worth playing
143
H o w t o Win a t C h e s s - Q u i c k ly !
1 4. . ..l:.b8, sacrificing a pawn for some

counterplay. Then 15 'ii'x a7 .l:.a8 16 'ii'f2
tLle5 17 �f4 ttJg4 reveals Black's main
idea. Unlike in the g ame he can move
the knight from e5, although after 18
'ii'h 4! e5 19 'ii'x d8+ c;¥;>xd8 White is still
much better.
19 ...g6
Blocking the h5-e8 diagonal for the
time being, but Black's position is still
in tatters.
20 .l:!.f1
Bringing White's last piece into
play. Instead 20 o-o?! would have al
15 .i.f4 lowed Black to relieve some of the pres
Again developing at top speed. sure by swapping queens with
1S .. f6
. 20...'i'b6+ 21 'ii'xb6 .l:!.xb6.
A horrible move to have to play. 20 ... ..tg7
16 .i.xes fxes 17 .l:.d11 Black must attempt to develop his
Setting up threats against the remaining pieces.
bishop on d7. For a start 18 l:txd7 is an 21 fxg6 �d4
immediate threat. This doesn't help, but Black was lost
11 ....l:!.b8 18 'ii'xa7 .l:!.b4 anyway: for example, 21...hxg6 22
Black is struggling to move, espe .l:!.xd7! "it'xd7 23 "it'a8+ l!Vd8 24 l\Vxc6+
cially as 18 ....l:!.xb2 loses to 19 .i.c4, re �d7 25 iVxg6+ and wins.
newing the threat of 20 .l:!.xd7: for ex 22 .i.hs 1-o
ample, 19 ....l:!.b4 20 .l:!.xd7 "it'xd7 21 Again Black got his wires crossed in
'ifa8+ 'ii'd8 22 "it'xc6+ 'ii'd 7 23 "it'a8+ the opening, mixed up his moves and
-.!Vd8 24 .i.f7+! 'itd7 25 ..te6+ c;¥;>c7 26 m ade a serious mistake, which led to a
tLld5+ and White is completely win devastating loss. This can only rein
ning. force the motto:
19 .i.e2 Do not rush your moves!
144
Chapter Seven
Missing the Danger
One of the most important things to do 3. Try not to be too optimistic or

in chess is to remain aware at all times too pessimistic
of what your opponent is trying to do. This is easier said than done, but you
If you can second guess him then you must try to think almost from a third
are half way to stopping all of his plans. person's point of view. Take the follow
A sense of danger comes with experi ing example:
ence, but there are certain factors that
should set the alarm bells ringing. Here
is a list of some 'dangers' that I can
think of:
1. A build-up of pieces near your king

The more enemy pieces that are placed
around your king, the more danger
that you face.
2. Remain open minded!

You must not become preoccupied This position is from the game
with just one plan, as you m ay then J.Rowson-S.Williams, British League
become blind to some other possibili 2010. I had just played 39 ..k:te7-eS ??,
.
ties that the position contains. Make which was an awful move to help reach
sure that you keep every area of the the time control. I was expecting 40
board in mind. �d7+?? .l:i.e7. Then all of a sudden I real-
145
ized that my opponent could play 40 The bishop is coming around to c7,
c7!, which would give him the advan thereby targeting h2. White's position
tage. Play could continue 40 ... !bd5 41 quickly falls apart.
cxd5 'iVe8 42 �xe2 'iVxe2 43 c8=Q j_xg l 42 l:ta1?
44 'iVc3+ �f7 45 �xg l 'iid l+ 46 �f2 42 'iih 5 was a better try.
'iVxd5 when it is only White who can 42 .. .'iVf4 43 J::tge1 j_c7
win. White is losing. A complete tum
I was amazed when after the game around and this was all due to an over
my opponent immediately showed me optimistic outlook from my opponent
this particular variation. He had de in the run-up to the time control. In
cided not to play it as he thought the some ways Rowson's winner takes all
resulting position should be drawn. attitude must be admired but if you
This may be true, but such an attitude want to get the best results that you
shows a very optimistic approach to can, you have to try to approach the
the original position. There Black is the position in an unbiased way.
only player pushing for a win, so White
should have been happy with the 4. Clock Control
aforementioned endgame. As we all know, it is a lot easier to m ake
The game actually continued as fol mistakes when you are short of time. I
lows: know one grandmaster who is always
40 'ifd7+ �e7 41 'iVds leaving himself very short of time. Now
My opponent must have been ex I am sure that this grandmaster would
pecting 41 ...l:!.e5 again, when he would be 2600 if he could handle his clock
have had more time to try and work better, but this has always held him
out the complications, but I now back and, unfortunately for him, he has
played... remained around the 2500 mark.
41 .j_b6!
.. If you are becoming short of time
then it is often a good idea to try and
avoid any complications, aiming to
keep the position simple so there is less
chance for you to go wrong.
On to some illustrative games, be

ginning with one where the dark
squares around White's king just seem
to fall apart, m ainly due to a l ack of
care on his part.
146
M is s i n g t h e D a n g e r
9 ... tt:Jes!?
Game 38
J.Cobb-5.Williams
British League (4NCL} 2003
Sicilian Defence
1 e4 cs 2 ti:Jf3 d6 3 c3
This is a quiet line that was popular
ized by English maverick Mike Basman.
It should not offer White an advantage,
but it can have a nasty bite. White
wants to prepare the advance d2-d4
when he will take control of the centre, This attempts to change the nature
but before he plays this advance he of the game, which is often a good idea
normally concentrates on castling. as it will make your opponent think
3 ...tt:Jf6 from an early stage, rather than letting
The standard response. To meet him bang out his moves on autopilot.
White's plan, Black takes aim at 10 tt:Jxes
White's pawn on e4. The idea is to 10 d4 was also critical. I was sur
make White defend it so that he does prised that my opponent did not play
not have time to play d2-d4. this as it would seem to be the logical
4 .i.e2 tt:Jbd7 follow-up to his previous play. Then
Black has to avoid 4 ... tt:Jxe4?? 5 10. .tt:Jxf3+ 11 'i¥xf3 0-0 reaches a stan
.
'il'a4+ winning a piece, but now the e dard position. The exchange of knights
pawn is attacked. should have benefited Black, as his po
5 d3 b6 sition is the more cramped. White's
A logical move. I want to continue queen is also a little misplaced on f3,
with ... .i.b7, keeping the e4-pawn un but he does have a two-abreast pawn
der attack. centre and all the potential that goes
6 tt:Jbd2 .i.b7 7 0-0 with it.
Again d3-d4 is not possible as I can 10...dxes
capture on e4. I have given myself doubled pawns,
7 ...g6 8 �e1 .i.g7 9 .i.f1 but I now have pressure against d3 and
White has managed to defend the it will be hard for White to play the ad
e4-pawn with two pieces, so he is fi vance d3-d4.
nally ready to advance with d3-d4. For 11 tt:Jc4 'il/c7 12 f41
this reason it is time for me to play an This is a good plan if followed up
active move. correctly. My king is still in the centre
147
and White wants t o open up the posi ing White, I would be tempted to play
tion quickly. 15 f5, closing the problem diagonal.
12 ...tt::ld 7 The pawn on fS could also prove to be a
This is pretty much the only move thorn in Black's side. The chances are
as 12 ... exf4? allows White to play 13 e5 roughly equal after 1S ... 'Wid6 and Black
lt:Jd5 14 lt:Jd6+! when it is likely that he may be able to play ...h s next with an
will win quickly! For example, 14.. .'lt>f8 interesting position.
15 lt:Jxb7 'Wixb7 16 'Wif3 (now 17 c4 is the 14...lt:Jxes 15 fxes ..txes
threat) 16 ...'Wid7 17 �xf4 and Black has It is time to take a deeper look at the
an unenviable position. position. I was very happy around here
13 �g4?! as I was convinced that White would
have to weaken his kingside by playing
h2-h 3 or g 2-g3, either of which leaves
me with a target to attack.
It was tempting to swing the queen

over here, but a more critical move was
13 fxe5!, which has the point that
13 ... tt::l x e5 moves into an uncomfort 16 d4!?
able pin after 14 ..tf4 when Black is in This sharp and risky idea backfires
trouble. Thus I would probably have in the game, although it might not be
played 13 ...b5, but after 14 e6! bxc4 15 so bad. other options included:
exd7+ �xd7 16 ..te3 cxd3 17 'iYxd3 a) 16 WVh4 keeps the kingside pawns
'Wixd3 18 ..txd3 l:lc8 19 ..tb5+ White can intact and also leaves Black with no
claim an advantage. obvious targets to attack. Then 16 ... h s ! ?
13 ... bs 14 tt:Jxes is one plan with the idea of following
I am not convinced about this move up with .. .f6 and ... gs. I expect the posi
either, as it allows me to take control of tion is about equal.
the h2-b8 diagonal and so pressure b) I am sure that against 16 g 3 I
White's kingside. A better approach would have played 16 ... h5 17 'i!Vg 5 h4
was 14 lt:Ja3 a6 and now if I was play- when Black is doing well.
148
M is s i n g th e D a n g e r
c) 16 h3 weakens the dark squares This i s rather a slow plan. White

and Black must have a small advantage should have acted with more urgency
here. as his kingside is about to be stripped
16 ...�xh2+ bare. Indeed, he should have bitten the
The position becomes very compli bullet by capturing the pawn with 20
cated after this, so extreme care was 'iVxc s ! . After all, active defence is often
needed from both players. the best way to proceed. Black would
11 'it>h1 hs then have had a number of options:
My general aim is to push this pawn a) 20 ...h3 21 'iVxc? �xc7 and Black's
all the way down the board in order to attack looks dangerous, but White
open the h-file. might be able to defend. In fact, after
18 �xbS+ 'it>f8 19 'ir'gS?I 22 ds (blocking one of Black's bishops)
22 ... hxg2+ 23 'it>xg 2 .l:f.h 2+ 24 Wf3 he is
actually better!
b) 20 ... 'iVg3 does not work due to 21
.l:f.e3 ! .
c ) 2 0...�xcs 21 dxcs ..t g 3 and now
22 c6! could be the move that White
had missed, after which he has the ad
vantage.
20... h3
Black's attack is now starting to look
very dangerous.
White starts to go wrong around 21 .l:f.f1 hxg2+ 22 'it>xg2 'ii'd 71
here: g S is not the best square for the
queen. He should have played 19 �f3 !
to at least target Black's pawn on f7.
Play could continue 19 .. .'tig3 (it is a pity
to swap the queens, but .l:tf1 was a
strong threat; indeed, 19 ... h4 20 l:tfl
.l:f.h7 21 �c4 looks to be quite a lot bet
ter for White) 20 �e3 cxd4 with a
roughly equal position.
19 ... h4?!
Route one tactics, but this may not
be best! 19 .. ."tig3 was safer and enough All of a sudden White is close to be
for equality. ing lost!
20 �d3? 23 .l:f.f3
149
H o w t o Win a t Chess - Q u i c k ly !
The only good way o f stopping me and easy to telegraph .

from playing 23 ...'iV11 3 +. Ifyou can tell what your opponent is
23 ...'it>g7 intending to do, you must decide
Preparing ... .l:.hs and .. Jlh8. whether or not the plan is worth stop
24 �e3 ping. If it is, you must usually take ac
White has no good defence: for ex tion immediately.
ample, 24 .i.f4 aims to eliminate some
of Black's attacking pieces, but runs When I was a child I found myself
into 24...f6! 25 'iix cs �xf4 26 .nxf4 .nh s ! looking through an old book on the
2 7 'iic4 � 3 + 2 8 Wf2 � 2 + 29 'it>e3 world champions that my dad had. I
'iVg3+ 30 l:tf3 'iig S + 31 �e2 l:th2+ 32 can remember going through this book
.nf2 'iig 4+ when Black is winning. and coming across the next g ame,
24...f6! which certainly l eft a strong impres
sion on me. I imagined that I had
played the g ame and how impressed
everyone would be with such a mas
terpiece! It is a beautiful game and
White's 19th move is well worth re
membering.
Game39
V .Smyslov-T .Florian
Buda pest 1949
Now the white queen hasn't a good Grunfeld Defence
square to move to.
25 'iix c5 i.d6 0-1 1 d4 tt:'lf6 2 c4 g6 3 tt:'lc3 d5
26 ...'iig 4+ is next up. The Grunfeld is a very active way of
An interesting and double-edged meeting 1 d4. Both Fischer and Kas
game where both sides had chances. In parov played many impressive g ames
complicated positions like the ones we in this opening.
have just come across, it is very impor 4 tt:'lf3 �g7 5 'ii b 3 dxc4
tant to try and find the most precise Black gives up control of the centre,
way to continue. It is also important to but in return he hopes to strike against
have a sense of danger. Indeed, White White's resulting central pawn mass,
should have done something before while gaining some time against the
allowing my h-pawn all the way to h3. white queen.
After all, my plan was quite obvious 6 'iVxc4 0-0 7 e4 tt:'la6
150
Black prepares to play ... cs, which is swer this approach with 1 2 'iVh4 ! ?
the standard method of attacking which is similar t o the game. The
White's centre. queen places some of the dark squares
8 j.e2 cs 9 ds around Black's king under a bit of pres
This must be the best way to re sure.
spond to ... cs. The pawn on dS is very 12 a3
strong, being supported by the e-pawn Why did White play this move?
and with possibilities of becoming a To answer this question we need to
passed pawn. ask ourselves what Black was intending
g ... e6 after 11 .. .'�as. I expect that Black was
Black wants to try and prove that planning to play .. .'�b4 next with the
White's d-pawn is more of a weakness idea of exchanging the queens. As we
than a strength. will see in the game, White's queen
10 o-o exds 11 exds causes a lot of discomfort to Black's
In my view White already has an position, so an exchange of queens
advantage which is mainly due to his would have helped Black. 12 a3 rules
strong passed d-pawn. Black has not out any exchange and now Black's
attacked it adequately and must now queen looks a little sidelined on as.
keep an eye on it for the rest of the 12 ...j.f5 13 'ir'h4!
game.
u .. J!Vas?l
White has spotted some weak

nesses around Black's king, so he
Black's main move later became moves his most dangerous piece over
11...j.f5, simply playing around the there. Smyslov is now ready to play
passed pawn. Another possibility is j.gs or j.h6, when Black's king will
11 ... b6, intending . ..tbc7 followed by come under fire.
bringing a knight to d6, as well as the 13 .. J�fe8
bishop to a6. Maybe White should an- Black must start some counterplay
151
along the e-file. of course there wasn't any choice.

14 �h6 18 bxc3 'it>xgs?
The critical choice.
14...lbe4
14 ... tt:lxds? is a tactic that does not
work. White is winning after 15 �xg7
'it>xg7 16 tt:lxds l:txe2 17 'i!t'f6+ 'it>g8 18
lbes as Black is too weak on the dark
squares.
15 �xg7 'itxg7 16 tLlgs!
This move is the real mistake. The

position is very critical and Black really
had to take his time here. Perhaps if
he'd done so he might have found
18 ...l:.xe2 ! when, based on my analysis,
the game might end in a draw: 19 f4
l:If8! (the best defence; instead
19 ...�c7? makes little sense as it allows
A typical and dangerous move when White to play 20 d6 with tempo when
there is a queen on h4 eyeing the h7- Black will find it hard to defend, as
square. shown by the sample line 20 ... �d7 21
16 ...tt:lxc3! l:.ae1 .U.xe1 22 J:.xe1 .!:i.e8 23 l:Ie7 .l:.xe7
This looks too greedy, but it is the 24 'iVh8 m ate) 20 l::la e1 �xe1 21 .U.xe1
critical choice and the best move - �xc3 and now it seems that White is
Black's other options were far worse. advised to take the draw with 22 �4.
Florian had the option between win as 22 .l:!.e8? leaves the back rank too
ning a piece and trying to defend or weak and allows 22 ...'i!Vd4+ 23 'it>fl
aiming to simplify the position with a �d3+ 24 'it>e1 l:Ixe8+ when Black is ob
long struggle ahead. However, the sec viously winning.
ond option with 16 ... lbxgs ? looks very 19 �g7!!
bad for Black after 17 �xg s 'i!Vd8 18 A beautiful move! Sometimes the
�xd8 .U.axd8 19 �xa6 bxa6, with a quietest ones are the most deadly.
miserable endgame. From g7 the queen stops the black king
17 �xh7+ 'it>f6 from running back home and now
The king bravely marches forwards; there is no defence.
152
M is s ing t h e D a n g e r
Black's queen drops, and then so

does his king.
The main mistake that Florian m ade
in this game was 18 ...'it>xg s, which led
to his downfall and the probable loss of
half a point.
To improve as a chess player you
must start to notice and appreciate
critical moments much more. They do
not arise all that often, but when they
do, you really need to knuckle down
19 .. Jl:e4 and try to calculate/find your way to
What else is there? I will demon the right response. Here the position
strate just a couple of other variations: was obviously critical after 18 bxc3
a) 19 ....l:!.xe2 20 f4+ 'it>g4 21 h3+ 'it>g 3 with Black's king having been driven
22 l:tf3+ 'it>h4 23 'Wh6 mate. forwards and so Florian should have
b) 19 ... 'it>f4 20 g3+ 'it>e4 21 l:tad1 and spent more time on it.
White is winning with the black king
feeling far from happy on e4. Back now to one of my favourites,
20 f4+! the Dutch; or to be more precise, the
This leads to mate. Try working out Classical Dutch. I have been playing
the finish if you can. this opening for over 20 years. It is
20...l:!.xf4 21 l:txf4 double-edged and is rarely played at
Another strong move was 21 g 3 the top level, but it does contain some
when h2-h4+ becomes a threat. interesting ideas that should not be
21.. .'it>xf4 22 l:tf1+ 'it>e3 underestimated. The following game
Or 22 ... 'it>e4 23 i.c4! (cutting the by my good friend Richard Pert is a
black king off) 23 ...l:te8 24 l:te1+ 'it>f4 25 model advertisement for the opening.
'ifh6+ g S 26 g3+ 'it>g4 27 h 3 + 'it>f3 28
'ifh s+ 'it>xg 3 29 'i!\i'xg S+ 'it>f3 30 'ifxfS+
'it>g3 31 'i!li'g4 mate, which is quite a Game40
long line. I will let you off if you did not P.Sowray-R.Pert
see right to the end! British Cha m pions h i p,
23 'i!li'es+ 'it>d2 24 �c4! Douglas 2005
This makes room for a queen or English Opening
rook to attack the black king from the
side. 1 tLlf3 fS 2 g3
24 'i!li'xc3 25 .l:!.f2+ 1-0
••. Here 2 d3 is quite an annoying re-
153
sponse, a s e2-e4 will b e a way t o open move. Indeed, I sometimes feel that the
Black up from an early stage. resulting exchange of a-pawns actually
2 CL'lf6 3 �g2 d6
... helps White, because he wants to at
This aims to save a tempo on the tack on the queenside in any case and
line 3 ... e6 4 0-0 .iJ..e7 5 d3 d6 6 C4 e5 will now obtain an open a-file.
where Black has moved his e-pawn 8 �b1
twice. Preparing to launch with a2-a3 and
4 0-0 b2-b4.
White can also play 4 d4 which 8 'it'h8
•..
stops ... e5. Black can then stick to the Black does not need to play this
Classical Dutch with 4... e6 or switch to move straightaway, but it is useful to
a Leningrad set-up with 4... g6. move the king away from the a2-g8
4 es s d3?!
... diagonal. At some point in the future
White will often move his queen to b3
and now Black can avoid any nasty
checks.
9 a3
Let's take a time-out. I was watch
ing this game live and had noticed that
both sides had reached this position
using hardly any time on their clocks. It
was only around now that they started
to knuckle down.
White is planning b2-b4 followed by
I think that this is already a slight b4-b5 and/or c4-c5, aiming to create a
mistake. White is playing the opening weakness on the queenside. Black, on
without too much thought. This just the other hand, is not going to mess
shows how some players can get stuck about. He just wants to checkmate
on playing the same opening moves White's king ! To do this he will need to
against any set-up. Chess is a compli play .. :�WeB, ...'ir'h 5, ...f4, ... ..th3, ...CL'lg4,
cated game and you need to think from .. .fxg3, ... ..txg2, ...nxf3 and .. .'ir'xh2
an early stage, which is especially true m ate. You will be amazed at how many
if your opponent plays something times this plan is successful.
slightly unexpected in the opening. To sum up the position, I would al
Instead 5 d4 was a better move, dis ways say that it is more fun to attack
rupting Black's set-up. your opponent's king than anything
s .....te7 6 c4 o-o 1 Ct:'Jc3 as else! Moreover, while White may win a
Black can also play without this pawn on the queen side if his attack is a
1 54
M is s i n g th e D a n g e r
success, if Black's attack is a success he 1 3 ...axb4 14 axb4

will checkmate White! What would you play here? Black
g ..:�eB 10 b4 Vi'hs has a promising position, but which
piece is not taking part in the game?
14...tt:Jd7!
The queen is well placed here. The

main piece that is holding together
White's kingside is his light-squared Correct! This knight has a bright fu
bishop, so Black prepares ... ..th3 to ture, as Black plans on bringing it
swap it off. around to f6 and then to g4 where it
11 'ir'b3? participates in the attack.
White is playing without a care in 15 ..td2 tt:Jf6!
the world. Having the queen on d1 Black is sending all of his pieces in
gives White more chances to defend the right direction.
and he should have played 11 e 3 ! , aim 16 .l:f.a1
ing to stop .. .f4 and preparing a timely White's counterplay on the queen
exchange of queens by moving the side is far too slow.
knight from f3. 16 ... .l:f.b8 17 .l:f.fc1 ..th3!?
11 ...f4 Slightly risky as this does sacrifice a
Simple and effective. pawn, although if White captures on c7
1 2 tt:Jds then Black will be able to activate his
White hopes that the exchange of dark-squared bishop, which is the only
knights will ease his defence, but Black minor piece that is not doing much at
has another knight! the moment. I quite like Pert's choice,
12 ...tt:Jxds 13 cxds although there was nothing wrong
The open c-file is not a major con with the safer 17 ... ..td8.
cern for Black as he can always defend 18 .tel
c7 with ... �d8. The main factor is Rather passive. Probably White
White's king. should have tried 18 Itxc7 to obtain a
155
H o w to Win a t C h e s s - Q u i ck ly !
material advantage. That said, 1 8 .....td8 Now that White has recaptured
19 .!:!.eel ..tb6 still looks very good for with his h-pawn, he is vulnerable down
Black. Indeed, I would be surprised if the h-file. For this reason Black brings
the White king l asted for another ten his rook to h6. 20 .....txg2 was also very
moves from here! strong: for example, 21 Wxg2 l:!.f6, but
18 ...l2Jg4 not here 21...l:lxf3? as White's king can
Black's opening plan has worked a escape with 22 exf3 �2+ 2 3 Wfl
treat. It is rare that a player can get fi'hl+ 24 We2 when he would be over
away with everything that he wants to, the worst.
but this is the case here. 21 'iVa4?
19 bs It is all over now. A better try was 21
Again I think White should have �hl, but 2 1...-tfl! should still lead to
tried 19 .l:txc7 ..td8 20 .!:!.c4 with some m ate.
defensive chances after 20 ... il.b6 2 1 21.....txg2 22 'it>xg2 l:!.h6 23 ttJg1
.l:.a2. It is mate in two now. I will give you
19 .. .fxg3 just a couple of seconds to solve it...
Opening the f-file. At the moment
White's knight defends the pawn on
h2, so Black aim s to remove the knight.
20 hxg3
The only option as 20 fxg 3 loses to
20 ... ..txg2 21 'it>xg2 .l:txf3 ! (a standard
idea in this type of position, ripping
White's kingside apart) 22 exf3 (or 22
Wxf3 �f8+ 23 We4 �g6 mate)
22 ...i¥xh2+ 23 'it>f1 t2Je3 mate.
20.. JU6
23 ...�h1+ 24 Wf1 l2Jh2 mate (0-1)
A nice game and just the sort that
makes chess look easy!
Again we saw the loser rather ignor
ing his opponent's plans. It was pretty
obvious from an early stage that Black
wanted to attack on the kingside and
White should have done more to stop
it. Moreover, as we can see from the
final position, White didn't really
achieve anything on the queenside.
156
M iss ing t h e D a n g e r
You have to be especially vigilant when amount of theory o n the Sicilian. In

your opponent brings his pieces towards short White is basically aiming to at
your king. Proceed with care and make tack along reversed Classical Dutch
sure that you do not underestimate his lines!
threats! At dinner after the game Stuart
Conquest suggested that 2 �e2 ! ?
In the next game Luke McShane might be a better way of trying to
makes his opponent, Topalov's second, reach the same type of position. I have
look like a complete amateur. Luke to admit that I like his idea, partly be
plays his own pet system which works cause Black's m ain counterstrike
out perfectly. Black just seems to drift against the Big Clamp is ... d5, but if
through the whole game without pay Black plays this now then White can
ing any attention to his opponent's benefit from his development advan
ideas; a recipe for disaster if ever there tage by capturing and playing lbf3 and
was one. tt::l c 3 quickly.
We looked at the following line over
a glass of wine at a l ater point: 2 i.e2
Game41 lbc6 (2 ... d5 3 exd5 �xd5 4 lbf3 lbf6 5
L.McShane-I.Cheparinov tt::lc 3 looks quite promising as White is
E u ropean Tea m developing at speed) 3 d3 d5 4 exd5
Cham pions h i p, Nevi Sad 2009 'ti'xd5 5 tt::lc 3 ! ? 'ir'xg 2 6 �f3 'iVg6 and
Sicilian Defence now in this critical position for the
'Pino Grigio' variation, we thought that
1 e4 cs 2 d3!? 7 tt::lb 5 looked quite interesting and
fully playable for White.
2 lbc6 3 f4
...
The point behind White's play. The

pawns on e4 and f4 give him good con
trol of the centre.
3 g6
...
I am not too keen on this approach

as it gives White an easy ride. Instead I
think that Black should be aiming to
play ... d5 in this variation: 3 ... d5 ! ? 4
�e2 (4 exd5 'it'xd5 5 tt::lf3 �g4 looks
Luke goes for the 'Big Clamp', a sys about equal) 4 ... tt::lf6 (4... dxe4 5 dxe4
tem of development that contains 'iVxdl+ 6 �xdl might be slightly better
some bite while avoiding the vast for White due to the pawns on e4 and
157
f4; note that White can easily control somewhat sensible.

the d4-square with c2-c3) 5 es tt::Jg 8 ! ? 8 't!Vh4 c4
followed by redeploying the knight to This achieves little, but Black had to
fS at a later point. To me this looks like try something. Instead 8 ... tt::Jd4 does not
Black's best approach to the Big Clamp. help him as White can stop any coun
4 tLlf3 ..ltg7 5 ..te2 d6 6 o-o tt::Jf 6?! terplay with 9 tt::J xd4 cxd4 10 tt::Jd2 !
when he will always meet an attack on
the c-file with ..ltd1.
9 'it>h1
A prophylactic move. White is get
ting his king off the g1-a7 diagonal, so
that ... ft6 won't come with check.
9 cxd3 10 cxd3 ..ltg4
...
This is a good plan as White's knight

on f3 can tum out to be a dangerous
piece, so Cheparinov aims to swap it
off.
To my eyes this is clearly a mistake 11 tt::Jc 3 ..ltxf3 12 ..ltxf3 'ir'b6?!
as now White's attack just plays itself.
A much better set-up would have been
6 ... e6, taking control of fs. This is im
portant because most of White's at
tacking ideas are based around playing
f4-f5 himself. If Black can stop this ad
vance then it will be hard for White to
get an attack started. Play could con
tinue 7 c3 l:Ib8 ! 8 �e1 bS and Black has
good counterplay on the queen side.
7 'iVe1!
White's plan is easy: he is intending Another move that I struggle to un
to play �4 and at the right point f4- derstand. The queen is actually better
fs, ..lth6 and tt::Jg s. On the other hand, placed on d8 as it keeps an eye on
what can Black do? White's queen on h4. Ideally Black
7 0-0?!
... would like to exchange queens because
This is really asking for it. Black's then he does not have to worry about
king is actually safer in the centre than being attacked. Just as in our last
on the kingside and beginning queen game, a better plan would have been
side counterplay with 7 .. J!b8 looks 12 ... e6 13 ..lte3 tLld7!, offering the ex-
158
M is s i n g the D a n g e r
change of queens and preparing .. .tt::lc 5. f*'xh6+ �e8 2 2 �g4 and Black can re
After 14 'iif2 'iie 7 15 d4 White is still sign, although at least he has lasted
better, but at least Black's king is safe longer than in the main game!
for the time being. However, 1S ...h6! was the best
13 �d1 choice. Following 16 f5 g 5 17 �xg5
The light-squared bishop is search hxg5 18 'iix g5 'iVb6 19 .i:!.g 3 tt:Je8 20 .ib3
ing for a better role while making way White has some attacking chances, but
for .llf 3. nothing clear cut.
13 ...'i!Va6 16 fs
It may have been better to have
played 13 .. J:tac8, at least aiming to
make White go all in with 14 .llf3 tt:Jd4
15 .llh 3. The attack is dangerous, but if
it fails Black will find himself doing
well in the centre.
14 .llf3 l:tfcB 15 .l:.h3
Black's kingside is too weak.

16 ...t"Lles 11 .igs �fB
The king moves off the a2-g8 diago
nal, which is about to open. Otherwise,
17 ... tt:Jxd3 18 �e2 wins a piece and af
ter 17 ... bs 18 �b3 all of White's army
has suddenly sprung to life.
How does Black defend? Well, it is 18 fxg6 fxg6 19 �b3 tt:Jxd3 20 l:!.f3 1-0
not easy and Black position quickly falls One possible finish would have
apart, m aking it a very bad day for been 20 ... tt:Jes 21 ..txf6 t"Llxf3 (or
Cheparinov! 21...�xf6 22 !Ixf6+ exf6 23 'iVxf6+ �e8
1s ... hs? 24 tt:Jds �d7 25 'iie 7+ �c6 26 ti:Jb4+) 22
Black could have tried 1S ... e6, but �xg7+ �xg7 23 'ifxe7+ �h6 24 gxf3
this is a bit slow and White would have and wins.
continued 16 f5 ! exf5 17 �g S with a An impressive performance from
huge attack: for example, 17 ... tt:Jxe4 18 McShane. If I had not known who was
'ifxh7+ (and not 18 dxe4?? 'iifl mate) behind the black pieces I might have
18 ... �f8 19 tt:Jxe4 fxe4 20 �h6 �xh6 21 guessed that it was a 2100-strength
159
player. I t seemed that Black had n o real with his queenside pawns. I n this line,
idea how to react to White's set-up. It is housing the white king on the kingside
always important when playing an definitely looks like a safer bet!
opening to understand what you and 9 .. es!
.
your opponent are trying to achieve

from it. You should aim to stop your
opponent's plans and carry through
your own ideas.
Look at what the top players do in
the openings you play. Then try to un
derstand the ideas behind their moves
rather than just memorizing the moves
themselves.
Now over to a double-edged Open

Sicilian ! Black needs to strike out and this
break creates good play in the centre.
10 tLlb3 as
Game42 Aiming to cause some problems on
R.Milu-L.D.Nisipeanu the queenside.
Roma n i a n Tea m 11 a4
Cha m pionsh i p 2009 Stopping ... a4 ideas and taking con
Sicilian Defence trol of bS. On the other side of the coin,
this move does give up control of b4,
1 e4 cs 2 tLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 t2Jxd4 tLlf6 which is an ideal home for the black
5 t2Jc3 d6 6 f4 knight.
Thi s is a very unbalanced and com 11 ....lie6
plex position. People play the Sicilian to Nisipeanu improves on a previous
reach positions like this, positions game of his. There he had released the
where both sides can win. tension too quickly with 11 ... exf4 and
6....lie7 7 .lie2 tLlc6 after 12 �xf4 .lie6 13 o-o-o!? (again
The best square for Black's knight. this is risky, but at least this time White
He needs to put White's centre under has good play against Black's d-pawn)
pressure. 13 ... tLlb4 14 �xd6 l:t.c8 15 �f3 tLld7 16
8 .lie3 o-o 9 �d2 �b1 �xd6 17 �xd6 .lixb3 18 cxb3 ttJcs
This is a risky plan if White contin 19 'ii'xd8 J::!.fxd8 20 ttJds White's control
ues with queenside castling, allowing of ds gave him the advantage in
Black to attack down the c-file and/or E.Alekseev-L.D.Nisipeanu, Foros 2008.
160
12 o-o-o?l 14 f5
This is a natural move and hard to
criticize, but White finds himself under
a lot of pressure after Black's active
reply.
14...lt:Jxe4!!
Very brave, but this looks too risky

now that the a-pawn has been ad
vanced. A safer plan was 12 0-0 when
White can still aim to attack on the
kingside with his f- and g-pawns, while
Black no longer has such an easy plan Going for maximum complications.
as in the game. Black could have obtained a perfectly
12 ...'iYc8!? good position by playing 14...�xb3 15
Instead of the logical 12 ....l:tc8, Black cxb3 dS ! (the thematic break in the Si
decides to move his queen to that cilian) 16 tt:Jxds tt:Jfxds 17 exds WkxfS+
square. Why did Nisipeanu do this? 18 �d3 'i1Yd7 when he should be better.
Well, I think Black wants to free the However, the move played in the game
dB-square for his rook on f8, which looks even stronger. It is certainly risk
might make ... ds possible at some ier, but Nisipeanu had calculated very
stage. The queen's rook m ay also prefer deeply and realized that the sacrifice
to stay on a8 rather than go to c8, de was correct.
pending on how events proceed on the 15 tt:Jxe4 �xfs 16 �d3
queen side. This seems to be White's only move,
13 ..tb1 as otherwise c2 will be seriously weak.
This is sensible, as the king was ob 16 ...ds
viously exposed on the c-file. Black's centre is steaming forwards.
13 ...lt:Jb4 17 tt:Jecs
A fine square for the knight and it is other options included:
already clear that Black is doing well. a) 17 lt:Jf2 sees White ready to re
There are a lot of tricks based on e4 and turn the piece: 17 ... d4 18 �xd4 exd4 19
the ... ds break. tt:Jxd4 �xd3 20 tt:Jxd3 Itd8, but having
161
regained h i s piece and made good use have been put off by 20 �h6 ! ? gxh6 21
of the d8-square, Black must be better. .l::i.f3 when Black needs to proceed with
b) 17 lLlg3 was also insufficient due care, but he should be winning after
to 17 ... �xd3 18 cxd3 'iVd7! when a4 21...'it>h8 22 'iVxh6 f6.
falls and with it White's queenside: for 20 tLld7?
example, 19 tt:Jc1 'iVxa4 20 d4 e4 21 tt:Jfs
�f6 22 b3 'ilt'd7 23 l:.hf1 �ac8 and ...l:.c2
is imminent.
17 ...d4
After this White is completely lost. A

better try was 20 �xd4, as White needs
to return the piece to try and contain
the attack, but it still looks unpleasant
Black uses his strong centre to force after, say, 20 ... exd4 21 tLld7 d3! 22 c3
White back. l:lfd8.
18 �xfs 'iVxfs 19 l:thf1 20 ... dxe3 21 tt:Jxf8 �xf8 22 'iVe2 tt:Jxc2
Another possibility was 19 'iVf2. The 0-1
idea is to retreat the dark-squared The potential fork on e2 decides.
bishop to c1 from where it gives extra Nisipeanu took a number of risks, but
protection to White's queenside. Still, played extremely well. Sometimes in
19 ... 'iVg6 keeps the initiative, such as order to win quickly, it is necessary to
with 20 �c1 l':tfc8 increasing the pres take some risks. I guess it is fair to say
sure on White's knight on cs and the that fortune favours the brave! On the
pawn on c2. other hand, White played too aggres
19...'iVg6 sively in the opening and this aggres
This keeps the pressure on rather sion turned out to be unfounded. He
than cashing in straight away. never really obtained anything on the
19 ...'iVc8! ? would have regained the kingside and was completely undone
material without delay. Nisipeanu m ay on the queenside.
1 62
Chapter Eight
Unnecessa ry Pawn Moves
Pawns a re the soul of chess. - Philidor your king.

When deciding whether or not to
Pawns cannot move backwards! push your pawns, try to keep the fol
lowing considerations in mind:
You have to be very careful when
moving a pawn, as it is the only piece 1. Are my pieces developed?
on the chess board that cannot move If not, this should be the priority.
backwards. Moreover, once you have
pushed a pawn, it often has to stay on 2. By moving a pawn do I create any
the square that you have moved it to horrible weaknesses?
for quite a while. Just take a look at the following dia
One particularly hideous pawn ad gram:
vance would be to meet 1 e4 es 2 d4
exd4 3 'i*'xd4 with the horrible 3 ... cs?,
attacking the white queen but leaving
a gaping hole on dS. For the rest of the
game Black will never be able to cover
the ds-square with a pawn, so White
will always enjoy a fine central outpost.
This is obviously an extreme example,
but you must always bear the resulting
weaknesses in mind, especially when
tempted to move the pawns in front of
1 63
My position was pretty horrible As we have seen, this can be a good

anyway in J.Rowson-S.Williams, British way to try and mix things up from an
Championship, Scarborough 2004, but early stage against the English.
here I played: 2 tt:lc3 cs?!
1s ... gs? I am not convinced that this fits in
I was on 5/5 at this point in the well with 1 ...b6. It is not a big mistake
tournament, so I was probably over if, indeed, it is a mistake at all, but it
confident, but it is clear that this move just seems a bit strange to me. The
is a major mistake, opening up my king standard move is 2 ... i.b7, as in both
and achieving very little. The game Williams-Wohl and Cekro-Nisipeanu.
continued: 3 e4 �b7 4 g3!
19 l:!.bs! h6 20 !Ixb7!
I am not even threatening to cap
ture the bishop on f4.
20 ...tt:ld7 2 1 l:.xc1 tt:lf6 22 �es
White has a winning position. Just
look how 18 ... g 5 ? has merely weakened
my position.
In genera l , do not move pawns in front
of your king for no reason. This is espe
cially important in the early middle
g ame, when there are more pieces on
the board which might exploit any This now makes more sense than 4
newly created weaknesses. i.d3 as per my play against Wohl. Here
Black has better control of the d4-
On to some games, starting with square, so going i.d3 with the idea of
one where in a fairly standard position �c2 and d2-d4 m akes less sense.
my opponent started pushing his h 4... e6
pawn down the board, which was both Black often meet g2-g3 with .. .fs in
unfounded and positionally suspect. this variation Oust look at the game
Cekro-Nisipeanu!), but the problem is
that here he has lost an important
Game43 tempo with ... cs.
S. Williams-A.Cherniaev 5 i.g2 tt:lf6 6 tt:lge2
Hasti ngs 1998/99 The so called Botvinnik set-up, a set
English Opening up which is a tough nut to crack and
offers White chances to expand on the
1 C4 b6!? kingside.
164
U n n e c es s a ry Pa wn M o ves
6 ... d6 7 0-0 tt:'lbd7 g. .. g6?1

At this point I had to make my first
major decision. Do I want to play d2-d4
and enter a Hedgehog set-up or do I
want to keep the position more closed
with d2-d3?
8 d3!
Black has to be a bit careful here

due to some tactics involving e4-eS.
Saying that, I am not sure about the
text, as it gives me more targets to at
tack on the kingside. Remember that
pawns cannot move backwards and by
This was a good practical decision. playing ... g6 Black weakens the dark
My opponent was an experienced, squares around the kingside.
strong Russian IM (nowadays a grand Other options included:
master}, and I suspected that he would a) 9 ... j,e7? is a mistake due to 10 e s !
have had a lot more experience than �xg2 1 1 exf6 �xf1 12 fxe7 'i'xe7 1 3
me in Hedgehog positions. For this rea 'ii'xf1 which should b e very good for
son I decided to play 8 d3 with the aim White. In general in the middlegame it
of getting him out of his comfort zone. is much better having two minor
We can see from the way the game de pieces in exchange for a rook and
veloped that this plan worked out per pawn.
fectly. b) 9 .. 'i'c7 looks very sensible. Black
.
8 ...a6 guards the bishop on b7 before playing

This is quite a useful move, as Black ... �e7. Then 10 fS ! looks critical when
will often try to expand on the queen White must have a small advantage.
side with ... �c6 and ... bs. 10 h3 hs?
9 f4 This is simply an error. Black cannot
In the meantime my plan is very afford to play moves like this, even if he
straightforward. I can use my kingside didn't like my plan of expansion with
pawns to create some weaknesses in g 3-g4. The position is closed which
Black's kingside. makes it harder for any tactics to arise,
1 65
but the black king is stuck i n the centre

and White can try to open things up
with a pawn break.
11 f5! e5?!
15 ...0-0-0?
Black had to try 1 S ... ..th6, but things
would have been very unpleasant after
16 ..txh6 l:lxh6 17 l2Je4. Indeed, what
An attempt to keep the position can Black play here? 17 ... 0-0-0 fail s to a
closed, but I can still attack along the f similar tactic to the game and it is not
file. Here 11...gxfs ! would have made clear which other pieces Black can
more sense. At least this way Black can move. White has a big advantage.
aim to attack White along the g-file if 16 l2Je4
given the chance. Play could continue White is winning and I now enjoyed
12 exfs (12 ..tg s ! ?} 12 .....txg2 13 �xg2 the finish !
and now maybe Black should play 16 ... ..th6 17 ..txh6 l:lxh6 18 l:lf7! 1-0
13 ... es. White is better as he can aim to
control the e4- and d S -squares, but
Black is in no immediate danger.
12 fxg6 fxg6 13 l2Jd51
A big square!
13 ... t2Jxd5 14 exd5
I have now freed the e4-square for
my knight on e2.
14..Ji'e7
Black cannot castle kingside any
more due to my rook on fl, so Cherni
aev desperately tries to get his king to It is clear that Black's major mis
safety on the queen side. takes were the pawn moves ...g 6 and
15 t2Jc3! ... h s . Black did not have time to play
Moving around to e4. these moves.
166
U n n e c e s s a ry P a w n M o ves
Before doing anything flash, make have got their kings safe and now it is
sure that your pieces a re developed and just a matter of how to proceed.
thatyour king is safe. White's obvious plan is to start a pawn
storm on the kingside, but Black will
I thought that the next game was find it harder to attack the white king.
well worth including as it demon This is because the white king has more
strates the dangers of moving a pawn pawn protection around it. Any simpli
in front of a castled king. I can remem fication, though, should benefit Black
ber hearing a story about Fischer, who as he has the better pawn structure.
apparently once spent the best part of 10 'it>b1
a week trying to figure out if a pawn
move in one of his games was correct. I
believe that the move was ... h6 when
he had castled kingside. You should
always be careful when considering
such moves as they can create serious
weaknesses.
Game44
H.Hamdouchi-A.Salard
Corsica 2009 A useful little prophylactic move.
Petroff Defence The king is much safer on b1, tucked
nicely behind the white pawn forma
1 e4 es 2 lbf3 lt:Jf6 tion on a2, b2, c2 and c3.
The Petroff is an opening with a 10 l:!.e8
•••
drawish reputation, but that is not al The most natural square for the
ways well founded. rook. So far Black is playing well as he
3 lt:Jxes d6 4 lbf3 lt:Jxe4 5 lbc3 improves the position of his pieces
This is one of the sharpest varia while waiting for events to develop.
tions. In this line White often castles 11 �C4
queenside, whereas Black castles king White develops his last piece. 11
side. �d3 was another idea. At least this
s ...tt:Jxc3 6 dxc3 �e7 7 �f4 way White avoids some exchanges and
Clearing the way for queenside cas the bishop looks quite well placed on
tling. d3, eyeing up the pawn on h 7. Now
7 lt:Jc6 8 'iVd2 �f6 9 o-o-o o-o
••. Black can try 11 ... ..tg4, which is a stan
This is a critical position. Both sides dard idea. The bishop either wants to
167
capture o n f3 o r move around t o g 6 whereas 1S .. J:txf2? is very risky: for ex

from where i t can give extra protection ample, 16 l!de1 1t'd7 17 ttJg s ! g6 18
to the kingside. The position looks i.. g 3 l!g2 19 'iNf3 is winning for White)
about equal. After 11 �d3 Black can 16 gS 1t'xd3 17 l:txd3 �e7, which looks
also consider simplifying with about equal.
11...tbe s ! ? 12 �xes �xes (12 ... dxes 13 14 �e31
.l:!he1 may be slightly more pleasant for If White's kingside attack is going to
White to play) 13 ttJxes J:txes. be successful then he needs to keep
11 ...�e6 pieces on the board. Here 14 tbxe s ? ! is
Another good move, as Black would just the kind of thing that White
like to reach an endgame with the should avoid as after 14 ... dxes 1S �gs
slightly better structure. 1t'xd2 16 J:txd2 f6 17 �e3 fS Black's
12 �xe6 J:txe6 13 h41 pawn formation is to be preferred. The
position is still rather equal, though, as
White has control of the d-file.
14... h6?
Now that White has fully mobilized

his army this m akes sense. Hamdouchi
wants to use his kingside pawns to
cause Black some grief. This is a big mistake. By playing ...h6
13 ...�e5?! Black gives White a clear target to at
Aiming to simplify, but there was tack with the simple plan of g4-g S.
no need to play this immediately. In 14...1:1e8 was a better idea, removing
deed, 13 ...1t'e7 was more accurate. the rook from the threat of tbg s. White
Black is waiting for White to go g4-g S still has a small advantage after 1S hS,
before playing ...�es. In the meantime but his plan of attack is less obvious.
he takes over control of the e-file. Play 15 g4!
might continue 14 g4 l!e2 1S 1t'd3 Simple. Now g4-g S is coming when
'iVe4! (safest; an exchange of queens White will be able to open up some
takes the sting out of White's attack, lines on the kingside.
1 68
U n n e ces s a ry P a w n M o ves
1S .. .'ir'f6?! terplay at all.

Another slight error and a rather
superficial move. Black does threaten
White's knight on f3, but this is easy for
White to defend against, after which
his threat of g4-g 5 gains in force.
1S .. .'ii'e7 was a better square for the
queen.
16 lbd4
White does not mind some ex
changes now because he still has the
strong threat of playing g4-g 5.
16...�xd4 17 cxd4 21 ...'iVe6?
Hamdouchi has a big advantage, as This makes things very easy for
Black cannot stop the dual threats of White, but Black was still lost after
18 dS and 18 gS. In fact, his position 21 ... a6 22 'iVh3 lbd8 23 !tdh 1 Wf8 24
quickly falls apart. 'iVc3, when he would have had too
17 ...l:te4 18 gS many weaknesses to defend.
22 l:tdh1 'it>f8 23 dS 1-0
Winning a piece and the game.
Black made a couple of mistakes in
this game, but the main one was ... h6.
Tread with care if you are tempted
to push a pawn in front ofyour king.
It is now time to experience the

Grob, an odd opening that was popu
larized by Mike Basman. To be honest
you must have a rather eccentric streak
We can now clearly see the prob to play it!
lems created by the misguided move
14...h6.
18 ... hxgs 19 hxgs Game45
The h-file will be Black's downfall. P.Wolff-T.Wall
19 ...'ir'g6 20 .l:Ih3 !tae8 21 'iVd3 London 1985
I am not sure why White played this Reversed Grob
rather than 21 !tdh 1. It does not matter
so much, though, as Black has no coun- 1 e4 gS?!
1 69
It is a good idea to break up Black's

kingside and now Black will always fin d
it hard to castle kingside.
4...gxh4 5 l2Jf3
Wolff continues with simple devel
opment. This is often the best way to
meet a wacky opening. There is no need
to do anything rash; just keep your cool
and play good developing moves.
s ... d6 6 l2Jxh4
This m akes quite a lot of sense as at
Pawns d o not move backwards! This some point the knight may want to
move creates weaknesses on fs and h s . jump to fS. Another good option was 6
These squares will always b e weak and .l:!:xh4, keeping some pressure up
this game is a good example of how against Black's pawn on h6. White
White can take advantage. must be significantly better here too:
2 d4 h6 for example, 6 ...lLld7 7 �e3 cs 8 �c4
Defending g S, but Black is neglect and White's pieces are working very
ing his development. On top of this he well together, whereas it is not clear
has no stake in the centre of the board how Black develops his remaining
and the centre is where the action is at! pieces. This position resembles a
3 lLlc3 warped Dragon. I say warped because
White could also consider 3 h4! ? no player who plays the Dragon would
immediately. This move looks promis be happy with the state of the black
ing as it will destroy Black's pawn for king side here.
mation on the kingside. 6 l2Jc6
•••
3 ...�g7 4 h4! Another provocative move. In gen

eral if your position is suspect then you
are advised to complicate matters as
much as possible, thereby giving your
opponent chances to go wrong. For this
reason I think that Black made the cor
rect choice here.
1 ds
Accepting the challenge. White
could have tried to maintain the ten
sion by playing 7 �e3, which must also
be good.
1 70
U n n e cess a ry Pa wn M o ves
1 ttJes
... A mistake - there was no reason to
My computer suggests exchanging move this knight away from es. A stan
on c3, but that would m ake Black's dard plan would have been 9 ... c6!, cre
kingside even weaker. Another idea is ating some counterplay in the centre.
7 ...l2Jd4, but the knight is in danger of In such positions the black queen may
being trapped on d4 after 8 l2Jb1! with be able to move out to b6, which can be
the strong threat of 9 c3. Then Black a bit irritating for White. He still has an
may have to play 8 ... a6 which is far edge after 10 ..txes dxes 11 dxc6
from ideal as his knight is pushed all 'iVxd1+ 12 .l:.xd1 bxc6, but it is not as
the way to a7 by 9 c3 ttJbs 10 a4. large as in the game.
s ..te2 10 tt:Jfs
Developing and stopping a black 10 ..tbS+! was an even stronger
piece from moving to g4. Now f2-f4 move. The idea is to force an exchange
may be a threat. of light-squared bishops because then
8 l2Jf6 9 ..tf4
... White can land a knight on fS without
White decides against f2-f4, prefer fearing its exchange: 10 ... ..td7 (1o ...'it>f8
ring to stick to simple development. I is not ideal either; then 11 'iVf3 looks
admire this way of playing as it is risk logical and strong) 11 ..txd7+ �xd7 12
free and ensures Wolff of a good game. tt:Jfs and one of the drawbacks of the
I have to admit that if I was playing move l...g s becomes fully apparent, as
White I would have been very tempted White obtains a monster outpost for
by 9 f4, which tries to immediately kill his knight.
Black! Play could continue 9 ...l2Jeg4 10 1o ..txfs
...
tt:lfs ! ? ..txfs 11 exfs hs 12 ..tbs+, but Pretty much forced.

Black's position doesn't seem so bad 11 exfs hs
after 12 ... tt:ld7 13 ..td2 a6. Black needs to defend the knight on
9 tt:Jeg4?!
... g4.
12 ..tbs+
As well as annoying the black king,
this move also vacates the e2-square
for White's queen. 12 f3 was another
option, but Black's position looks okay
after 12 ...tt:Jes 13 'iVd4 c6.
12 tt:ld7
...
Wall is trying to get a grip on the

es-square.
13 .Uxhs!
Violent! This is a great move and
1 71
White's timing is perfect. At the mo- more lines to attack along.

ment Black's king is stuck on e8 and
the knight on d7 is in a nasty pin, so it
is time for action. This is one of the
problems with playing a dubious open
ing: you run the risk of being blown
away.
1S ...exf6
Black is also losing after 15 ....i.f8 16
0-0-0 a6 17 fxe7 'W\Vxe7 18 .i.xd7+ �xd7
19 .l:!.e1+ Wd8 20 �g8.
16 '1t>d2
The rest is relatively easy. White just
13 . J:txhs
. puts the rook on e1 and everything falls
Black must accept the material. into place!
14 'iVxg4 l:ih7
A desperate attempt at defending
the bishop on g7, but Black's other op
tions were no better:
a) 14....l:th 1+? 15 We2 .l:txa1 16 'iVxg7
and Black cannot successfully stop 17
�g8+. He can try 16 ... c6, so that the
knight on d7 can move, but it is game
over after 17 dxc6 bxc6 18 .i.xc6 e6 19
..txd6.
b) 14 ... .i.xc3+ 15 bxc3 .l:!.h8 16 �g7
.l:!.f8 17 .i.h6 and m ate on f8 is the 16 ...fs
threat. Black can throw in the towel Black could have put up stiffer resis
here. tance by playing 16 ... We7, with the idea
15 f61 of blocking with ... t"Lle5 at some point.
Another great move. When you White still has a very dangerous attack,
have the initiative you must act as though: for example, 17 i.. x d6+! 'it>xd6
swiftly as possible, so White opens up (after 17 ... cxd6 18 �e4+ t"Lle5 19 �xh7
1 72
U n n eces s a ry Pa wn M o ves
Black's king remains in mortal danger To finish off this chapter I thought
and White will open up the e-file by we had better look at how the monster
playing f2-f4) 18 .txd7 'ifxd7 19 �4+ with a thousand eyes refutes the early
(now the black king is chased to its pawn advances of his opponent.
death) 19 .. .<it>e5 20 f4+ <>t>f5 21 'ife4+ White's plan in this g ame is similar to
<>t>g4 22 'i*'f3+ <>t>f5 23 g4+ <>t>g6 24 f5+ that which we saw in McShane
'it>g 5 25 tt:'le4+ 'it>h4 26 J:t.h 1 mate. Cheparinov, except that here White
17 'ifxfs advances his g-pawn. This plan loses
too much time and leaves him with too
many weaknesses in his camp. It is still
impressive, though, to see how Kas
parov refutes White's plan. He never
looks phased, relying on his immense
calculating ability to see him through
the complications.
Game46
A.Fedorov-G.Kasparov
White is completely winning. Wijk a a n Zee 2001
17 ...l:.h4 18 g3 l:.h2 19 l:!.e1+ <>t>f8 Sicilian Defence
After 19 ....te5 20 .txe5 dxe5 21
l:.xe5+ Wf8 22 .txd7 Black cannot stop 1 e4 cs 2 d3
25 l:!.e8+ winning his queen and the White avoids entering the realm of
game. the Open Sicilian, an opening that Kas
20 .txd7 �xf2+ 21 <>t>d1 1-0 parov knows extremely well. The prob
Black's opening choice here was ob lem is Kasparov plays every opening
viously rather dubious. It left the f5- very well and he has a tendency of pun
square very weak which proved to be ishing people who avoid the main lines.
his downfall. You always have to be a 2 ...tt:'lc6 3 g3 g6
bit wary moving a wing pawn two The best way to develop the bishop.
squares, as it may leave significant From g7 the bishop controls the dark
weaknesses behind. White's play was squares in the centre, especially e5 and
still impressive, though. After a princi d4.
pled, solid start, Wolff seized the op 4 .tg2 .tg7 5 f4
portunity to attack and didn't give With vague thoughts of starting a
Black a second chance with his ener kingside attack.
getic play. s ... d6 6 tt:'lf3 tt:'lf6
1 73
Fischer used t o develop i n this stronger than White's king side attack.
manner and Kasparov follows in his 11 ... �a6
footsteps. Another good way to pro Around here I expect that Kasparov
ceed is 6 ... e6 7 o-o 4Jge7, aiming to stop must have seen what was about to
White from ever playing f4-f5. happen. It is likely that he had already
1 o-o o-o s h3 bs calculated that White's attack was
Black's standard method of gaining nothing to fear.
counterplay. 12 �h4 c4!
9 g4?!
Another typical idea, undermining

This is a rather blunt attempt at White's c2-f5 pawn chain. Unable to
starting a kingside attack, and White stabilize it, Fedorov's position quickly
does not have enough pieces on the crumbles.
kingside to justify it. A better idea 13 �h6
would have been 9 ttJc3 b4 10 tt:Je2, at White goes all in with a desperate
least bringing another piece over to attack, but Kasparov has matters under
where the action is going to happen. control. Instead 13 .!:td1 is just the kind
9 ...as of m ove that shows that White's open
Black continues with his plan of ex ing plan of g2-g4 and f4-f5 has not
panding on the queenside. worked. After 13 ... cxd3 14 cxd3 tt:Jes!
10 fS b4 11 �e1?! Black has a big advantage.
This is a typical plan in this type of 13 ...cxd3 14 cxd3 �xd3
position. White brings his queen over Black's attack has clearly landed
to h4 in order to put pressure on the first. White is already pretty much lost.
dark squares around Black's king. The 15 .!:tel �xh6 16 �xh6 �b6+!
problem is this move leaves the d3- By advancing the kingside pawns
pawn very weak and Black's counter White has created a lot of holes in his
play based around ... c4 proves to be position. Indeed, Kasparov can now
1 74
U n n e c es s a ry P a w n M o v es
consider playing moves like ...'iif2 pawn.

which will put the white king under 22 fxg6 hxg6 23 CDb3
some strain. 23 .l:!.xf6 leads nowhere after
11 <it>h1 tbes 23 ... exf6 24 'iVh7+ 'it>f8 25 'iVh8+ 'it>e7
Black aims to swap off White's best when there are no more checks.
minor piece, the knight on f3, fully end 23 ....l:Ixg2!
ing Fedorov's hopes of kingside glory.
18 tbbd2
18 tbg 5 may look dangerous, but
there is no way to exchange off Black's
knight on f6 which is defending h7.
Indeed, 18 .. .'iVf2 would lead to a deci
sive counterattack.
18 ... �ac8 19 tbgs .l:lc2 20 l:rf1!?
A neat way to finish the game off.

Black's attack arrives first.
24 'it>xg2 l:::.c 2+ 2 5 'it>g3
Alternatively, 25 'it>h 1 'ii'e 3 with
...'t!Yg3 or .. .'iVe2 to follow.
2S ...'ii'e 3+ 0-1
Here White's kingside pawn ad
vances really came back to haunt him.
White's best chance in a bad posi It seems that Fedorov rather underes
tion. The idea is to play fxg6 and .l:txf6, timated the speed of Black's counter
removing the defender of the h7-pawn. play. In fact, Black's attack turned out
Unfortunately this plan costs White far to be the faster one, and White never
too much material. had time to bring his queenside pieces
20...�xf1 21 .l:txf1 l:lfc8 over to help his own attack.
Black's vacates the f8-square for his Remember that an attack is rarely
king. Note too how the black knight on successful ifyou have not got the help of
e5 does a great job of defending the f7- your whole army.
1 75
Chapter N ine
S u per h-pawn Power
This chapter is a bit of fun really. I

thought that I would include it as I Game4 7
have had a lot of interesting moments V.Anand-S.Mamedyarov
in my chess life by pushing the h-pawn World Bl itz Cham pion ship,
down the board. Moscow 2007
In general terms it is usually not a Modern Defence
good idea to push the h-pawn too
early. The centre is the most important 1 d4 g6 2 C4
area of the board and this is the area Dare I say that 2 h4 was worth con
that a player should be aiming to con sidering?
trol. Unfortunately, in a number of my 2 i.g7 3 lLlc3 d6 4 e4 es
...
games I suffer a rush of blood to the This is a slightly offbeat opening.

head. The h-pawn is just sitting there, More regular moves include 4...lLlf6,
staring at me, and before I realize what leading to a King's Indian Defence, and
I have done, it has been picked up and 4 ... cs, which often leads to some sort of
moved to h4! Benoni.
Still, there can be some very good 5 lLlge2
reasons for an early h-pawn advance, Trying to keep pieces on the board
especially when your opponent has and hence more tension in the posi
fianchettoed on the kingside. In the tion. A quieter option was 5 dxes dxes
following game, these are amply dem 6 �xd8+ 'itxd8 7 f4, which may be a bit
onstrated by no lesser player than better for White, but is also nothing too
Vishy Anand. serious for Black.
1 76
S u p e r h - Pa wn P o w e r
s ...exd4? ! hard for Black t o break out i n the mid

I am not a fan of this move, even dle. In other words, White figures that
though it is the most common choice he has the centre under control, so he
for Black. I do not like the way that can start an attack on the side of the
Black is releasing the tension in the board where Black is weakest. Good
centre so early, thereby making White's classical play.
play a lot more straightforward. I 2. Black has some weaknesses on
would have preferred s ...ctJd7, waiting the kingside and a slightly misplaced
to see how things develop before mak knight. Had it been on f6 then White
ing a commitment in the centre. would have found it harder to advance
6 ttJxd4 with h4-h 5.
White already enjoys a space advan 3. Black will now have second
tage and the easier development. thoughts about castling kingside. If he
6 ...ttJc6 7 ii.e3 lt:Jge7 does castle kingside he will face an on
This avoids blocking in the dark slaught down the h-file, but if he
squared bishop, but the knight is badly doesn't castle kingside then where
placed on e7. It might get to move to does the king go? Queenside castling is
c6, but for the time being Black has no going to take a long time to arrange.
desire to exchange knights on d4, s fs
...
which would only lead to the likely ex This move is very understandable.
change of his important dark-squared Black cannot just sit still and needs to
bishop. try and create some counterchances. At
8 h4! least if Black can exchange the e4-
pawn then the fs-square will become
available for his knight.
9 hs
Here comes Harry the h-pawn !
9 JUB
..
This looks rather odd, but Black was

never going to castle kingside and at
least .. .f4 is now a threat. Another op
tion was 9 .. .fxe4, which Mamedyarov
had actually previously played against
Kramnik, but the result was still the
This strong move works for a num same. Indeed, I am not surprised that
ber of reasons: Mamedyarov has subsequently given
1. White has control of the centre. this opening up! That game continued
His pawns on c4 and e4 make it very 10 hxg6 hxg6 11 �xh8+ ii.xh8 12 ttJxe4
1 77
d 5 ! ? 13 tt:Jxc6 bxc6 14 jLd4! jl_g4 15 14 tt:Jxc6?!

1/Vxg4 (15 tt:::lf6+! ? jl_xf6 16 1/Vxg4 looks This is a mistake, but it was only a
good for White) 15 ... �xd4 16 cxd5 blitz game! A better approach would
jLxb2 17 .U.d1 cxd5 18 ..tb5+ with chaos, have been 14 tt:'ld5 tt:Jxd5 when both
but Black's problematic king position recaptures are quite promising:
proved the deciding factor in V.Kram a) 15 cxd5 tt:'ld8 (after 15 ...tt:'lxd4 16
nik-S.Mamedyarov, Moscow 2007. 1\Vxd4 White is just going to castle, play
10 hxg6 .l:te1 and open up the e-file, but what
Time to chip away at Black's king can Black do?) 16 exf5 gxf5 17 �e2+
side. �f7 18 �5+ �g8 19 ..tf6 and White is
10 hxg6 11 l:th7 l:tf7
... winning.
b) 15 exd5 .l:te7+ ! ? (this may be
Black's best chance; otherwise his posi
tion is going to become horribly pas
sive, such as after 15 ...tt:'le7 16 tt:'le6 J:tg8
17 'ii'd4 when White's pieces control
the whole board) 16 ..txe7 'i!Vxe7+ 17
�e2 tt:'le5 and Black has managed to
get a fairly solid position.
Black can also meet 14 tt:'ld5 with
14...l:!.f7 !?, but White can then play the
pretty 15 tt:'le6! reaching a position
Black's position may be okay, but which deserves a diagram.
this way of playing seems very strange
to me. Mamedyarov is defending with
out any real counterplay.
12 .l:txg7!?
Black's dark-squared bishop was his
only good piece so White sacrifices the
exchange to swap it off. A very promis
ing plan.
12 J:txg1 13 ..tgs!
..
This move causes Black some real

development problems as a number of
his pieces are tied down. 14 tt:'lxc6
•.•
13 11id7
... Black takes his chance to bring this
Black's queen removes herself from knight into the g ame.
the pin. 15 tt:'lds?!
1 78
The game becomes rather random 1 7. . .tt:Jg4 1 8 'i¥d4!, bringing the queen
now. A better idea was 15 Vi'd2 ! when to a prominent position.
White just wants to castle as quickly as b) Best was probably 17 ... tt:Jc6! 18 b4
possible and then play .Ue1, while keep fxe4 19 bs ti:Jd8 20 'i¥d4, although I pre
ing tt:Jds options in reserve. fer White here as Black still has a lot of
defending to do!
18 ti:Jf6+ �f8?
A better chance was 18 ...'it>f7, in
tending 19 fxes �xes 20 �d2 f4!.
19 fxes �xes 20 �d2 1If7
The rest deserves little comment.
21 ..th6+ �e7 22 ..tf4!
Let's take a look at one possible line:

1 S ...�f7 (Black m akes room for the
light-squared bishop to enter the
game) 16 0-0-0 ..te6 17 c s ! ? dxcs 18
..tbs and, by threatening 19 Vi'd8+ fol
lowed by checkmate, White is clearly
better.
1S ...Vi'e6 16 ..te2 tt:Jes? 22 .. .'ti'e6 23 tt:Jg8+ �fS 24 ti:Jh6 1-0
16 .. J:tf7 made a lot more sense. At White is about to capture on fs
least this way Black defends against leaving the black king defenceless.
ti:Jf6+. He could even be better here. Mamedyarov's opening looked
17 f4 rather dubious, as he lacked any coun
This looks very logical, although 17 terattacking chances and allowed An
'ii'a4+! ? was another tempting possibil and to seize the initiative with a well
ity. timed advance of the h-pawn. The rest
17 ... c6 of the game wasn't perfect, but it was
Black cracks under the pressure. always a lot easier for Black to stumble
Mamedyarov's knight should have re than White.
treated back the way it had come, but White's attack was built on firm
it is always difficult to bring oneself to principles, as he had control of the cen
play such a move: tre and more space. However, it is very
a) White is well in control after hard to start an attackfrom thin air!
1 79
The plan that White picked i n our This i s Black's main choice and it
next game, pushing the h-pawn, used makes sense to immediately start an
to popular a while back, but has now attack against White's pawn centre.
been superseded by kingside castling. Black can also play an early ... b6, as
However, I still feel that the approach the strong Israeli grandmaster Boris
with an early h2-h4 has more to offer Avrukh once did against me: 7 ... 0-0 8
and maybe we will see a new surge of tt::le 2 'iVd7 (I remember when my oppo
people playing it at some point. nent played this move, my response at
the time was: 'What? Do these 2600+
players really get their ideas from an
Game48 other planet?') 9 �e3 b6 10 h4! (Black
L.Polugaevsky-S.Kudrin wants to play on the light squares, but
New York 1989 such an approach is rather slow and I
Grunfeld Defence was determined to punish him !)
10.....ta6 11 ..td5! (I wanted to force
1 d4 tt::lf6 2 c4 g6 3 tt::lc 3 ds 4 cxds tt::l xds Black's next move, ruling out ... tt::lc6
5 e4 tt::lxc3 6 bxc3 ..tg7 ideas) 11...c6 12 ..tb3 c5 13 h5 and I had
This is the starting point of the a strong attack in S.Williams-B.Avrukh,
m ain line of the Gri.i.nfeld. White has a Amsterdam 2005.
large centre, but Black obtains active
counterplay by attacking it.
7 �C4
For those interested in how this

powerful example of h-pawn power
concluded, here are the remaining
An important alternative is 7 tt::lf3 c5 moves: 13 ... cxd4 14 cxd4 tt::lc6 15 hxg6
8 !l:b1, but with the equally critical text hxg6 16 e5 ..txe2 17 'ii'x e2 !l:ad8 18 !l:d1
White avoids any pin on his king's tt::l a 5 19 e6 fxe6 20 ..tc2 !l:fs 21 lig4 rJ;;f7
knight which is bound for e2. 22 l:th7 l:th8 23 l:txh8 ..txh8 24 ..txfs
7 ...cs exfs 25 'ii'h 4 �g7 26 'ifh7 'it'e6 27 rJ;;f1
180
S u p e r h - Pa w n Po w e r
'iic4+ 28 Wg l 'iVa4 29 l:tcl f4 30 �xf4 b ) 1 0 0-0 has become very popular

'ii'xd4 31 �h6 a6 32 .l:.e1 tt:lc6 33 �xg 7 once again. One key line runs 10 ... cxd4
'ii'x g7 34 'it'xg7+ �xg 7 3 5 .l:.e6 tt:lb4 3 6 11 cxd4 .ig4 12 f3 tt:la5 13 �d3 i.. d 7 14
l:txe7+ 'it>f6 37 l:te2 1-0. d 5 ! ? i..x a1 15 'ii'x a1 when White has
8 tt:le2 tt:lc6 9 �e3 0-0 good compensation for the exchange
This is another important moment. as Black's king is now lacking its main
Nowadays 90% of the time White cas defender, the dark-squared bishop. A
tles here, yet as this g ame shows there word of warning, though : if you want
are some other possibilities. to play like this be prepared to memo
10 .l:!.c1 rize 30+ moves of theory!
10...cxd4 11 cxd4 'ii'a s+
This move aims to disrupt White's
development, just as Black did in Wil
liams-Howell, above.
12 'it>fl!?
There are a couple of other options:

a) I have also played the immediate
10 h4, but I lost an interesting game to
an up-and-coming David Howell:
10... cxd4 11 cxd4 'ii'a 5+! (this is one of
the main problems with 10 h4; White is A brave idea which signals the ad
forced to m ove his king at an early vance of the h-pawn. This is obviously a
stage) 12 'it>f1 'ii'a3 ! ? (this aim s to pre double-edged plan as the king is mis
vent me from playing f2-f3 as then my placed on f1, but it is certainly an in
dark-squared bishop would be en prise; teresting idea.
meanwhile Black wants to continue 12 �d2 is another option, but Black
with ... ..tg4, increasing the pressure on gets enough play against d4. In fact,
d4) 13 �b3 tt:la5 14 h5 �d7 15 hxg6 12 ...'ii'b 6 13 i..c 3 l:ld8 14 d5 tt:le5 actu
hxg6 16 tt:lf4 tt:lxb3 17 axb3 'ii'd6 18 e5 ally looks quite reasonable for Black.
�c6 19 'it>g1 �fd8 20 d5 'ii'c 3 gave rise 12 ... �d7
to a very complex position in This has been Black's m ain choice in
S.Williams-D.Howell, Coventry 2005. this position, aiming for ...l:tc8 followed
181
by playing down the c-file. There is an Wf2 e6 18 g4! White went on to win in
other option in 12 .. .'�a3, which was A.Shirov-G.Kamsky, Linares 1993.
Anand's choice against Kamsky back in 14 hs es
1995. However, here the h-pawn hasn't Black aims to take control of the d4-
advanced and after 13 'ii'h 3 (White square, but White is very quick on the
aims for a small but safe advantage) king side, especially along the h-file.
13 .. .'�xb3 14 ..txb3 ..td7 15 f4! (15 d5 15 hxg6 hxg6 16 ds
was also possible, but Black's pieces White is already better.
become very active after 15 ...lLia5 16 16 ... lt::id 4 17 tt::lxd4 l:txc4?
11C7 ..tb5 17 l:.xe7 I:!.ac8) 15 ....l:tfc8 16 This idea fall s short in the gam e,
'&t>f2 lLia5 17 d5 Kamsky was slightly due to Black getting mated on the h
better. file! Instead 17 ... exd4! 18 ..td2 would
13 h4! have been much less clear, although
after 18 .. .'�a3 19 'iVh3 't!Vxb3 20 axb3 I
suspect that White is slightly better
due to his strong centre.
18 I:!.xc4 't!Va6
Kudrin is trying to take advantage
of the pinned rook, but he has missed
something important.
19 'i'd3 exd4 20 ..txd4 ..tbs 21 't!Vh31
That's the spirit!

13 .. J:tac8?
It would seem that this natural
move is actually an error! Black should
have moved the other rook to this
square: 13 .. J�fc8, making room for the
king to escape if need be. However, af
ter 14 h5 lt::id8 15 f4! ? (a typical, direct
5hirov approach; instead 15 f3 .i.a4 16 All of a sudden Black is completely
i¥d3 b5 17 .i.d5 J:txc1+ 18 ..txc1 J:tc8 lost. A graphic illustration of h-pawn
leads to an unbalanced game and 15 power!
hxg6 hxg6 16 ..td2 'ii'h 6 17 ..th6 ! ? has 21 ... ..txc4+ 22 �g1 f6
not yet been tried but looks quite in The only way to avoid immediate
teresting) 15 .....tb5 16 ..txb5 't!Vxb5 17 mate.
1 82
23 �h7+ rj;f7 24 l:!.h6! 1-0 This strange idea forces Black t o think
There is no defence. for himself from an early stage and is
As so often happens in sharp posi basically aimed against an early ... ds,
tions, just one mistake cost a player the which is nearly always a mistake in this
g ame. This seemed to be the case with variation.
13 ... l:tac8? and Black should really have Originally I spent a lot of time ana
played the other rook to this square. lysing the variation 3 tt::lc 3 ds 4 h4!?,
If you are in a sharp, tactical posi which is very interesting, but there is
tion then you really must rely on your now a fair bit of theory on this move
calculation skills and intuition. It is time and Black has a good response in 4 ... cs!,
to knuckle down and find your way counterattacking in the centre.
through the complications! 3 ds?l
...
This natural move is already a mis

It helps to have a sense of humour take! Instead Black should have either
to appreciate some of the ideas in this transposed to a Kings Indian Defence
chapter and our next game is a prime or a Benko Gambit. Indeed, it is worth
example of that! noting that I only play this 3 h4 idea
when I have a good idea that my oppo
nent is a Gri.i.nfeld player, as I expect
Game49 that the h-pawn advance is only good
S. Williams-A.Piatel against their favourite approach with
Dieppe 2009 ... ds.
Griinfeld Defence Let's take a quick look at some of
Black's other options:
1 d4 liJf6 2 C4 g6 3 h4!? a) 3 ...�g7 is a very natural way to
continue and after 4 tt::lc 3 we have:
al) 4... dS?! is again an error, as 5 h S !
i s good for White: for example,
s ...tt::l xh s 6 cxds (White has captured an
important central pawn) 6 ... c6 7 e4!
(this sacrifice promises White lasting
pressure) 7 ... cxds 8 es! �f8 9 g4 tt::l g 7
10 �g2 and White is better due to the
traffic jam of black pieces on the king
side.
a2) 4... 0-0 is a better approach. In
I am going to be bold and call this deed, h2-h4 looks a little out of place
'the Williams Anti-Gri.i.nfeld variation'. against the Kings Indian Defence, but
1 83
White still has some interesting ideas, 6 il.d2

such as 5 e4 d6 6 h 5 ! ? lLlxh 5 7 il.e2 tLlf6 Logically X-raying the Black queen.
8 il.g5 when Black has to continue with One idea I have is to play e2-e4 and
care. tLld5 which would trap the queen.
b) 3 ... c 5 ! may well be Black's most 6 ... 'if'b6
promising course of action. Black It looks rather strange to move the
wants to play the Benko Gambit which queen yet again. Other options in
is a sharp and dangerous opening. In cluded:
this case Black has gained a tempo be a) 6 ... il.g7 when I would have con
cause White has played h2-h4 which is tinued 7 e4 with a good position.
a fairly harmless move against the b) 6 ... c6 looks like the most sensible
Benko. idea. Black creates an escape route for
Play could continue 4 d5 b5 5 cxbs (I his queen.
once tried 5 h 5 ! ? against Peter Wells; 1 hs!?
that g ame continued s ...ttJxh s 6 d6
with a mess, but Black won the game
very convincingly) s ...a6 and I would
prefer the black pieces.
4 cxds
Only after I captured on dS did my
opponent start to think - bad timing
indeed!
4.. .'i!Vxds
Black's other option is also very
pleasant for White: 4... ttJxd5 5 e4 and
now, compared to the normal Gri.:m H-pawn power! There were two
feld, Black cannot capture White's main reasons that I played this move:
knight on c3 because White's does not 1. To open up the h-file. If Black ever
have a knight on c3! Instead, after castles on the kingside it will be easier
s ...tLlb6 6 hS White has already gener for me to attack his king.
ated some dangerous play on the king 2) To gain time by displacing Black's
side. knight from f6.
5 tLlc3 �as 7 ... gxhs
The queen tries to stay active, but it Now that the kingside is open,
also becomes a target on aS. However, Black's king will not feel so happy rest
5 ... 'ii'd8 allows me to play 6 e4 when I ing over there. My main idea was
have gained a big centre and it is not 7 ... tLlxh 5 8 e4 'iVxd4 9 tLlf3, which is
clear how Black will attack it. similar to the game: White gains a
1 84
number of tempi by attacking the black always pleasant and often worth a
queen. pawn.
8 e4! 9 Ji'b6?!
..
Offering the pawn on d4. I was not I have my doubts about this move. I
too concerned about pawns as I had think that it was time for Black to re
decided that development was more treat with 9 . .'iVd8 when White has
.
important. good compensation after 10 .i.c4 with

8 .. J/Vxd4 'iVb3 and 0-0-0 to follow, but at least
Black can concentrate on developing
some pieces!
10 .i.e3!
This move forces Black to grab an
other pawn, but I had a strong idea in
mind. I was thinking along the follow
ing lines: 'Which of my pieces is not
taking part in the game at the mo
ment? Well, my bishop on d2 is rather
passive, so can I g et it into the game?
Yes, I can, and with tempo!'
Too greedy! This game could easily 10...'iVxb2 11 .i.d41
have gone in Chapter Three on punish
ing the pawn-grabbers. I suppose,
though, that Black was actually trying
to punish me for my strange opening
play, which is understandable, al
though it has also been the downfall
for a number of players. Indeed, it is
generally a more sensible approach not
to overreact when your opponent does
something strange. Just try to keep
your cool and play good moves.
Moreover, Plate] is breaking a num After this move Black's position falls
ber of rules here, including not moving apart. His queen has been rushing
the same piece more than twice in the around the board like Pacman on
opening and not bringing out the drugs, but he has forgotten to castle or
queen too early. to develop his pieces! I am now threat
9 tLlf3 ening a nasty knight jump which
Developing with tempo, which is would unleash a discovered attack
1 85
against Black's queen. The safest square for Black's knight.

11 .. cs
. Let's take a look at some of the other
Black has to take some action. He is options:
lost if he ignores my plan: for example, a) 1S ...tt:Je4 allows 16 �a4! which
11 ...�g7 12 tt:Jds with a double attack threatens the knight on e4 and a dis
against the queen on b2 and the pawn covered mate.
on C7. b) 1S ...'iVxd1+ 16 llxd1 tt:Je4 17 ti:Jc7
12 llb1 mate.
Another move that develops a piece c) 1s ...tt:Jds 16 1Vxds ifxds 17 tt:Jc7+
and gains time. wins a whole piece.
12 ...'�a3 13 tt:Jbs 16 e6 f6
Yet again I attack the black queen I got a lot of joy from the following
with tempo. finish:
13 .. .'�a5+ 17 'ii'a 4!
The only square for Black's queen. I have some big checks in mind!
14 �c3 1i'd8 17 .tt:Jc6
..
Black attempts to block the a4-e8

diagonal. Instead 17 ... �g7 makes some
room for the black king, but not
enough: 18 �d1 1i'b6 19 ti:Jc7+ 'it>f8 20
'it'e8 m ate.
18 l:td1 'it'b6
Can anyone spot the finish?
19 �asl
It is time to take stock. The black

queen has arrived back at its starting
square and in the meantime I have
managed to activate most of my pieces.
The pawn imbalance is irrelevant for
now, but I must continue actively oth
erwise Black m ay be able to coordinate
his forces.
15 es! 19 . ..tt:Jxas
I want to open the a1-h8 diagonal. 19 .. .'�xaS+ also leads to mate after
1S ...tt:Jg4 20 ifxas tt:Jxas 21 ti:JC7.
186
S u p e r h - Pa w n P o w e r
20 tDc7 mate (1-0) 1 . White does not want t o allow

Here Black reacted very quickly and ... cxd4 as then his centre is vulnerable.
badly to my unusual opening idea. He Even if White can recapture with exd4
tried to classically counter in the cen the d-pawn will be weak.
tre, but such basic rules do not apply to 2. Black will have to take time out to
every situation ! recapture the pawn on cs, which may
Remember: never rush when faced allow White to seize the initiative.
with a new idea. Try to think logically 7 .....txcs 8 'iVc2 tt:Jc6 9 a3 'iVas 10 o-o-o!?
about what your opponent is angling to
achieve and react accordingly.
For the final game, we will see the

great man himself making excellent
use of an early h-pawn strike.
Game 50
G.Kasparov-R.Vaganian
Novgorod 1995
Queen's Gambit Declined I am a big fan of this super
aggressive move. It looks a bit crazy but
1 d4 e6 2 c4 ds 3 tt:Jc3 .i.e7 4 tLlf3 tt:Jf6 s it makes a lot of sense:
..tf4 1. The king moves out of the pin.
The other main move is 5 ..tg s. but 2. The rook applies pressure to dS.
the text became very popular in the 3. White is ready to launch his king
nineties and avoids any simplifying side pawns at Black, with h2-h4 or
ideas with ... tt:Je4. maybe g2-g4. I prefer h2-h4 first as it
s ..o-o 6 e3 cs
. secures an outpost on g S.
This is Black's standard counter 10 .....ie7
strike, without which his position The bishop vacates the c-file for a
would be too passive. Moreover, counterattack, while sidestepping
against a slow approach White might ideas of b2-b4.
even castle queenside and aim to at 11 h4!?
tack h7! A very blunt but dangerous ap
7 dxcs proach ! White's straightforward plan is
White should nearly always capture tt:Jg s followed by the combination cxds
on cS as soon as Black plays this move. exdS; tt:Jxds, removing the defender of
This is because: h7. It is amazing how many times I
187
have made this plan work i n this posi cient compensation for the queen.
tion and similar ones. Once you get to 13 ...�a6 14 ttJce4
grips with this plan it can become a
very dangerous weapon !
11 ...dxc4?!
Kasparov is playing very simply.

Again the plan is to remove the knight
on f6 after which Black will be threat
Not best. Black has a number of ened with checkmate on h7. Remember
other options, including: that if you can remove your opponent's
a) 11 ...a6 12 �e2 ! ? (the immediate best defenders then he will find it a lot
12 tLlg 5 is also possible) 12 ... dxc4 13 harder to defend his king.
ttJg 5 h6 14 g4! �d8 (14 ... �xa3 ! ?) 15 14...g6
ttJxf7!? �xf7 16 g 5 and Black's king was This is a move that Black would
subjected to a brutal attack in have liked to have avoided, as now af
G.Sargissian-G.Meier, Mainz (rapid) ter h4-h 5 White will always be able to
2009. start an attack along the h-file. How
b) 11...�d8 is a fairly solid option. ever, after 14...ttJxe4 White would also
The rook guards d5 and in some cases have been doing well: 15 'iVxe4 g6 16
the black king has an escape route via ttJxf7 {16 ttJxe6 looks very strong, but
f8, although after 12 ttJd2 ! ? e5 13 �g 5 allows Black good counterplay with
dxc4 14 �xc4 �d7 15 �xf6 �xf6 16 16 ...�xc4! 17 ttJxf8 il'h5 18 ttJd7 �c8
ttJde4 White had a big advantage in when White has to be very careful)
P.H.Nielsen-K.Van.Beek, Kerner 2007. 16 ... �xc4 17 ttJh6+ �g7 18 'iVxc4 �ac8
12 �XC4 b6 13 tiJgS?! 19 �b1 es 20 �g s and White is press
The superior 13 �b5 ! aims to trap ing with 21 l::td7 next up.
the black queen with ttJd2 and t2Jc4. 15 ttJxf6+
Indeed, Black is in a lot of trouble here, Removing one defender of the black
such as after 13 ... �b7 14 t2Jd2! a6 15 king.
ttJc4 axbs 16 ttJxas ttJxas with insuffi- 1S ...�xf6 16 ttJe4
188
This puts more pressure on Black tried 2 0...hxg6 21 l:th6 which would have
compared to 16 ..ll xa6 l!Vxa6 17 'i¥xc6 been pretty grim for him, but there was a
l:tac8 18 i.. c 7 .!:txc7 19 'i&'xc7 .i:l:c8 20 chance this way of surviving past move
l!Vxc8+ l!Vxc8+ 21 'ot>b1 when White m ay 25! For example, 21...'ot>g7 22 .l:tdh1 .l:th8
be better but not by much. 23 'ii'c 3+ e5 24 l:txh8 l:txh8 25 l:txh8 'ot>xh8
16 .....1le7 26 i..x e5+ when White has won an im
The bishop could have moved the portant pawn and should eventually win
other way with 16 ... i..g 7, but after 17 the game .
..llx a6 l!Vxa6 18 l!Vxc6 e5 {18 ...l:tac8 19 21 gxh7+ Wh8 22 i..e S+!
..lle 7) 19 tLlf6+ i.xf6 20 'i¥xf6 exf4 21 h 5
White is clearly better.
17 i..x a6 li'xa6 18 'ot>b1!
When attacking, you still have to be
aware of your opponent's possibilities.
The king gets off the c-file and White
threatens the knight on c6. However,
18 'i!Vxc6?! would have been a mistake
due to 18 .. Jbc8 19 ii..c 7 nxe7 20 'i!Vxe7
l:tc8 21 'i!Vxc8+ 'ii'x c8+ 22 'ot>b1, which is
okay for Black. White n eeds to keep the
pressure up, not go in for exchanges! The end is nigh.
18...'i1Vb7? 22 .. .f6 23 tLlxf6
Too passive - the queen is more ac Taking advantage of Black's weak
tive on a6 than on b7. Instead 18 ... l:!.ac8 back rank and the presence of the
19 h5 tLlb4 20 Vi'b3 tLld5 21 hxg6 hxg6 pawn on h7.
22 ii..e 5 is still bad for Black, but not as 23 ...i.xf6 24 i..xf6+ 1-0
bad as the game. H ere 24....l:txf6 loses to 25 axb4 l:txc2
19 hS! 26 .!ld8+ and White queens the h
This is only good because Black has pawn. A definite triumph for the h
weakened himself with ... g6. pawn charge beginning on move 11!
19...l:tac8 Vaganian was rather caught out in
Black could also have tried 19 ... e5, the opening. 10 o-o-o combined with
but his king is too exposed after 20 11 h4 proved to be very dangerous and
hxg6 exf4 {20...hxg6 2 1 l:th6) 21 tLlf6+ he did not react in the best way. The
i.. xf6 when 22 g7! should win. moral of this story really is:
20 hxg6 tLlb4?! Make sure you are well prepared,
Black was lost anyway, but this quick and ifyou face an aggressive new move,
ens the process. Vaganian could have aim to play actively against it!
1 89
Index of Openings
Albin Counter Gambit 130

Bishop's Opening 107
Caro-Kann Defence 49
Dutch Defence 34, 102, 133, 136
Elephant Gambit 90
English Opening 110, 117, 127, 153, 164
Four Knights Game 16
French Defence 19, 42, 57, 62, 67, 93, 139
Grunfeld Defence 150, 180, 183
Irregular Opening 37
Modern Benoni 23
Modern Defence 124, 176
Petroff Defence 167
Pirc Defence 53
Queen's Gambit Declined 187
Queen's Indian Defence 28, 71, 86
Reversed Grob 169
Ruy Lopez 121
Semi-Slav Defence 96, 99
Sicilian Defence 32, 65, 75, 77, 82, 113, 147, 157, 160, 173
Slav Defence 38, 142
Tarrasch Defence 46
190
Index of Compl ete Games
Adorjan.A-Kudrin.S, New York 1987 .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 71

Anand.V-Kasparov.G, World Championship (Game 13), New York 1995 ................ 32
Anand.V-Mamedyarov.S, World Blitz Championship, Moscow 2007 .................... 1 76
Baklan.V-Baratosi.D, Romanian Team Championship 2009 ..................................... 121
Beliavsky.A-Larsen.B, Tilburg 1981. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . ............ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Berg.E-Thomassen.J, Helsingor 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Browne.W-Quinteros.M, Wijk aan Zee 1974 . . . . . . . . . . . . ................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Cekro.E-Nisipeanu.L.D, European Team Championship, Novi Sad 2009 ............... 117
Cobb.J-Williams.S, British League (4NCL) 2003 ............................................................. 147
Dorrington.C-Williams.S, British Rapidplay Championship, Halifax 2004 . . . . . . .. . . . 113
Fedorov.A-Kasparov.G, Wijk aan Zee 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 73
Fischer.R-Jovanovac.l, Vin kovci 1968 . . .. . . . . . . . ................... .................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Gershon.A-Shinkevich.V, Moscow 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Gordon.S-Berg.E, Hastings 2009110 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Gordon.S-Williams.S, British Championship, Swansea 2006 .................... ................ 133
Gormally.D-Williams.S, EU Championship, Liverpool 2006 ....................................... 136
Gullaksen.E-Williams.S, Oslo 2004. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .............. . . . . . . . . . . ................ 62
Hamdouchi.H-Salard.A, Corsica 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Hawkins.J-Palliser.R, British Championship, Torquay 2009 ......................................... 23
Hebden.M-Williams.S, Amersham 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................... 96
Hendn"ks.W-Ledger.D, Hastings Masters 2008 . . . ............... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Jirka.J-Tkachiev.V, European Club Cup, Ohrid 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Kasparov.G-Short.N, Zurich (rapid) 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
191
Kasparov.G-Timman.J, Riga 1995 142

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .
Kasparov.G-Vaganian.R, Novgorod 1995 187

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........
Kovalenko.I-Zhou Weiqi, St Petersburg 2009 139 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................... . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kramnik.V-Topalov.V, Wijk aan Zee 2005 77

........................................................................
Lasker.Ed-Thomas.G, London 1912 34

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . ........................
Ljubojevic.L-Gurevich.M, Linares 1991 57

..............................................................................
Mah.K-Vuckovic.B, European U 16 Championship, Zagan 1995 46 . . . . . .. . .........................
McShane.L-Cheparinov.l, European Team Championship, Novi Sad 2009 157 ...........
Milu.R-Nisipeanu.L.D, Romanian Team Championship 2009 1 60 ..................................
Movsziszian.K-Stoll.F, Bad Worishofen 1997 1 02

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Palkovi.J-Portisch.F, Eger 1987 93

.............................................................................................
Polugaevsky.L-Kudrin.S, New York 1989 1 80

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Radjabov.T-Anand.V, World Blitz Championship, Rishon le Zion 2006 65 ...................
Sakelsek.T-Corbin.P, Calvia Olympiad 2004 90

.......................................................................
Short.N-L'Ami.E, Wijk aan Zee 2009 16

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Smyslov.V-Florian.T, Budapest 1949 150

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sondergaard.T-Nielsen.P.H, Helsingor 2009 42

....................................................................
Sowray.P-Pert.R, British Championship, Douglas 2005 1 53 . . . . . . . . . . . ...................... . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spassky.B-Tal.M, Montreal 1979 28

..........................................................................................
Stellwagen.D-Rees.l, European Team Championship, Novi Sad 2009 ...................... 67

Topalov.V-Anand.V, Bilbao 2008 86
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Williams.S-Chemiaev.A, Hastings 1998/99 1 64

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Williams.S-Ledger.S, Southend 2000 127

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Williams.S-Platel.A, Dieppe 2009 1 83

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Williams.S-Wohl.A, British League (4NCL) 2003 110 ............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................
Williams.S-Woodward.T, Hastings 2003/04 38

. . . . .................. ............................ ..... ...............
Wolff.P-Wall.T, London 1985 1 69

... ............................................................................................
192
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EVERYMAN CHESS

Copyright© 2010 Simon Williams

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

ISBN: 978 1 85744 6 3 1 9

Everyman Chess Series

Typeset and edited by First Rank Publishing, Brighton.

1 The Exposed King 13

2 Exploiting an Advantage in Development 37

3 Punishing the Pawn-Grabbers 61

5 Play with Purpose! 105

6 Crossed Wires 130

7 Missing the Danger 145

8 Unnecessary Pawn Moves 163

9 Super h-pawn Power 176

Index of Openings 190

Index of Complete Games 191

danger. There is hope for all of us!

Well, first of all Black should be

6...4Jf61 1 'iib 3 4Jc6!

Black has obtained an ideal attack­

s. Look for active counterplay

6. Spend more time on critical moments

to demonstrate where an opponent

Black's attack looks dangerous, but

Developing the minor pieces would Black is already on the verge of

Chess is a hard pursuit and one mis­

The Exposed King

Basically their attacks only have a mini­ Play continued:

Reykjavik 2009, my opponent was in a be very careful about playing them at

We will explore the preceding play

signed. Opening up the white king and

22 . J!c8+ t o follow, White is defence­

It is now mate in two. 1 e4

4 i.. b s tt:Jd4 L'Ami has been tricked i n the opening

This is a rare move and a good prac­

a) 13 ...h 6 weakens the e8-h 5 diago­

the same after 18 cxds �xds (18 ... exds s es tt:Jfd7 6 c3

how costly a m ajor error can be in the

H aving seen a quick win by Nigel

White's worst piece is his knight on

14... lt:Jbd7 17 ...�d7?!

If I remember correctly, our next

I like this concept as it makes White

Black would now dearly love to play

This looks very logical, but it was also

1S ..Jb 7 dark-squared bishop again dominates

I am not sure why Black did not

of dark-square domination ! Black's A standard continuation. The

dislodge this knight with 11 �c2.

a) 19 'it>g 1! 'i!Vh4 20 tLl2f3 'iVxf2+ 21 attempt at defence would have been

White resigned a s mate follows,

chances to survive. A n exchange of

king screaming out for assistance. Per- 4...�e7?!

I expect that a number of the read­

3 l2Jc3 This is a mistake as it gives White

a) ? ... dS?! is a positional mistake as The losing mistake, as it is now

Indeed, when you are under attack

11. . J:Us 12 'it'h 3 llxes with a good posi­

Black has obtained an ideal attack

Chess is a hard pursuit and one mis

Basically their attacks only have a mini Play continued:

22 . J!c8+ t o follow, White is defence

This is a rare move and a good prac

a) 13 ...h 6 weakens the e8-h 5 diago

I expect that a number of the read

11. . J:Us 12 'it'h 3 llxes with a good posi

What o n earth is this very dodgy If you have an advantage i n devel

4 e4 This natural m ove is already an er

your opponent is trying to do. White decides to keep matters sim

tinuation. White i s ahead in develop

The start of a suspect plan. Black at

We will now see an even more dan

I can't really recommend this g am