1. Capítulo: Desarrollo y hábitat
1.3 Aproximación al concepto de hábitat
1.3.1 Confluencias y divergencias en el hábitat: Praxis y teoría
P A R T 1. Thinking techniques
We join the game after Black's 14t h
move (14...#c6). White is to play. Let us begin to consider White's move, and his plan.
Clearly allowing 15...#xf3 16.exf3 leaving ourselves with a weakness on d4 is not an option.
15.4'g2 is possible intending to meet 15...#xD+ with 16.*xf3, however af- ter 16...c5 Black is ridding himself of his weak c-pawn. White would retain only minimal pressure in this case after
17.dxc5 A x c 5 .
Instead White plans the following:
Plan A
Exchange the queens to misplace the black rook, and then play A g 5 with three ideas.
> Capture on f6 and follow up with e2-e3, Had and later <S^e4 and f4, dominate the c5 square and retain the weakness on c7.
> With the c 1 square empty, Black will not be able to ever play ...b5-b4 kicking the knight away, followed by ...Hc2, due t o H c l .
> After Ag5 Black could respond with . . . ^ d 5 , but then we can eliminate all of the minor pieces and play H c l . With the black pawn on d5 the d4-pawn will be very secure (no ...e6-e5) and the weak c5 square will be become more pronounced.
15. #xc6 Hxc6
Now the Black rook stands poorly on c6, preventing the liberating ...c7-c5.
16. Ag5
Reaching a crossroads.
16...^d5
Black chooses to eliminate all of the minor pieces (and almost certainly one pair of rooks). As mentioned before this makes his weaknesses more pronounced and difficult to get rid of, but he believes the reduced material will reduce White's hopes of winning the game.
17. ^xd5 exd5
18.
Axe7
#xe719.1fcl
Clearly White must challenge and take the semi-open c-file.
Lesson 4. Step b y Step — A G u i d e to Little Plans
20.Hxcl * d 6
Time for stage 2
N o w we have reached a new situa- tion, and must make a new plan.
PLAN B
> In situations like this with no obvious breakthrough, but no counter- play for the opponent (...Hc8 can always be met by H c 5 , so Black has no break- out) it is O K to play without a concrete plan but simply optimize the pieces first.
21. f3 c6 22. * f 2 H e 8
With the king position improved, and the structure kept flexible, White must once again decide his plan of action for the next period of play. There are three main ideas he can use.
P L A N C
> Breaking on the queenside with a2-a4.
> Breaking in the center with e2- e4.
> A general space gaining opera- tion on the kingside to cramp Black's position. This may also make space for the white king to advance into a stronger position.
In addition there is an idea to play b2-b4 to fix the weakness on c6 further.
Which one, or combination, of these ideas would give us the best chances?
Breaking on the queenside with a2-a4 would be successful i f Black was forced to react with ...b5-b4. In that case after H c 5 White could attack a new weakness on a6 (or a5 i f the pawn moves). H o w - ever instead Black could capture on a4 and play ...Hb8, the white pawn on b2 becomes a weakness.
P A R T 1. Thinking techniques
On reflection it seems by this we have lost control of the position somewhat, and after
Hxa6 Hxb2
the reduced mate- rial makes Black's task easier. Breaking in the center with e2-e4 and potentially pushing e4-e5 appears desirable, but would require preparation by moving the king t o d 3 .Ready for e2-e4
However, Black could advance with ...f7-f5 and prevent our advance. So we can conclude that e2-e4 is desirable but difficult to achieve.
> Expanding on the kingside will not win the game in itself, but gaining more space and maybe fixing another weakness i n the black camp would be significant progress for White. The ad- vance would involve g3-g4 which serves a dual function as it would also dissuade Black from playing ...f7-f5 (which would prevent a later e2-e4 advance).
> For the moment playing b4 just seems to hand Black counterplay with ...a6-a5.
Returning to the game:
Position after 22...He8 23. g4! a5
24. h4 g6
25.2c2
Freeing the white king to advance.
25...h6 26.*g3 g5?
Black slips
Lesson 4. Step b y Step — A G u i d e to Little Plans
does not want to allow the white king to advance further, but waiting with 26...
He6 would have been a better strategy.
27.*f4 can be met with 27...1f6+ forc- ing the white king to retreat.
27.h5!
A n easy decision to make, as the h6- pawn could become a serious weakness if White manages later to successfully carry out a pawn break i n the center, leading to penetration by his rook.
27. hxg5 hxg5 would only hand addi- tional activity to the black rook.
27...f6 28. *f2
There is nothing else for the king to do on the kingside so it returns to the center.
28...*c7
Success!
Our space-gaining plan has been a
success, but still a breakthrough plan is needed. Preparing e4 suggests itself. If White is allowed to capture on d5 then the weak black pawns on b5 and d5 will leave him with little hope. If Black cap- tures on e4 then White will gain a po- tential passed pawn i n the center and the fifth rank will open up, allowing the maneuver Hc5-f5.
29.e3
Preparing to transfer the king to d3.
29...*b6
Potential play across the fifth rank
The rook is optimally placed here, preventing a breakout with ...c6-c5, and preparing to play across the fifth rank af- ter White achieves e3-e4.
31...ie8 3 2 . * d 3 i e 7
P A R T 1. Thinking techniques
33. e4Hd7
If 33...dxe4 then White need not look any further than his planned 34.fxe4 Hd7 35.Hf5 H d 6 , achieving total domi- nation. H e can then calculate a new plan to finish the game.
After 33...Hd7 now 34.exd5 Hxd5! is ineffective for White, so we need an al- ternative plan.
34. a3
the c5 square, and it is not clear how he will win the game.
35.1cl Id7
36. Hc2Hd8 37. Hc3Hd7 38.ic2 Hd8 3 9 . i c l Hd7 40.Hc5
Hd8 41. b4!Time for plan D!
Plan D Hc5 secured, White is ready for exd5
> A simple plan to play a2-a3 and After wasting some moves to reach b2-b4 securing the H c 5 . Then White the time control (presumably move 40), will follow with exd5 and after ...Hxd5 White plays his b2-b4 trump,
he can play <^e4.
34...id8
41...axb4
Waiting, but it was essential to play 34...a4 (now or on the next sev- eral moves) to cut across White's plan. White's rook is then no longer secure on
42.axb4Hd7 43.exd5 Hxd5 44.*e4Hd8
Lesson 4. Step b y Step — A G u i d e to Little Plans
45.d5
Final breakthrough
Removing the weakness on d4 after which Black's kingside pawns will fall.
45...He8+
46. *f5
Black can no longer put up any re- sistance.
46...cxd5
47. Hxd5 He3
48. *xf6Hxf3+
49. *g7Hf450.2d6+ *c7
51.Hxh6
White wins.Piece by piece, White improved his position without ever looking too far
ahead. Only when his small improve- ments had built up a large advantage did White think directly about winning the game.
Now an example from my own play, but from the wrong side as I am chopped down piece by piece by the little plans of Nigel Short.
This game is a wonderful example of little planning, but also shows the dif- ficultly in playing a position without a clear plan to work with.