Hechos Relevantes, continuación: Patrimonio Común, continuación:

When a player's position is worse or his op- ponent has a big material advantage he seeks every possible way of avoiding defeat.

One way out is perpetual check. That is what Black does in the situation in Diagram 13 7.

Black finds salvation through sacrificing his Bishop and Rook:

1. ... B d 4 + ! 2. R8xd4

It is necessary to take the Bishop. 2. KM? is bad because of 2. ... Q e 4 + !

2. ... R x b 3 + ! 3. axb3

Not, of course, 3. Kxb3?? Q c 3 + + .

3. ... Q c 3 + 4. K b l

Or 4. Ka2 Q c 2 + 5. K a l Q c 3 + .

Diagram 13 7

4. ... Qxb3-f 5. K a l Q a 3 +

Black forces a triple repetition of the posi- tion with the help of perpetual check. A draw.

Another way to get a draw is by forcing a stalemate.

Let us examine two endgame studies.

Diagram 138

In this study by H. Mattison White carries out a combination that winds up in a stalemate.

1. a 4 + ! Kb6 126

Not, of course, 1. ... Kxa4? because of 2. Rxc5, and White wins. If 1. ... Kb4?, there follows 2. Bel -(-, and 3. Rxc5.

2. Bf2 clQ 3. Rxc5! Qxc5 4. Khl!!

That is precisely the point of the endgame. The trite 4. B x c 5 + Kxc5 leads to White's de- feat.

4. ... Qxf2. Stalemate.

Of course, there are also other ways and means of achieving a draw. For instance, by causing a repetition of moves through an attack against an opposing piece in a position where the op- ponent cannot avoid repeating forced moves.

Diagram 139

In this endgame study by Troitsky White forces a draw by a continuous attack on Black's Bishop.

1. c3 Bf8

If 1. ... Ba5, then comes 2. b4! and the Bishop is caught.

2. Ke8 Bg7 3. Kf7 Bh8 4. Kg8 Bf6 5. Kf7 Bd8 6. Ke8! Ba5

The moves 6. ... Bc7 Kd7!, etc., make no difference.

More than 300 years ago chess players knew a drawn combination that was named "Furious Rook".

Diagram 140

1. R h 7 + ! Kg3

Now that White's King is stalemated, the "infuriated" White Rook attacks the opponent's Rook, persistently striving for his own destruction.

2. Re7! Rd8 3. Rd7!, etc. A draw.

Diagram 141

Exercise.

Black to play and draw. 128

SEVERAL IDEAS COMBINED

As noted above, combinations that include several ideas often occur. A striking example is furnished by a game between Andreyev and Dolukhanov in Leningrad in 1935 (see Diagram

White has in readiness the threat 2. Bgl with a simultaneous attack against the King (there threatens 3. Q x a 7 + and 4. Ba6 + + ) and the Rook on h8.

1. ... Rxh2! (an unexpected diversion) 2. Rxh2 Qxa3!!

(an even more unexpected blow on the oppo- site flank!)

3. bxa3 B x a 3 + 4. K b l N c 3 + 5. K a l Bb2 + ! (decoy) 6. Kxb2 N x d l + (the fork is a result of the diversion of the Rook on hi on the first move) 7. KcoNxe3 and as a result Black achieves material advantage.

Let us see whether it would have been better for White to decline the Queen sacrifice by play- ing 3. K b l or 3. c3 (preventing 3. ... Qal + + ) :

a) 3. K b l ? N c 3 + ! 4. bxc3 Ka8! and 5. ... R b 8 + + ; 1 4 2 ) . Diagram 142 129 9 - 9 3 0

b) 3. c3 Qal + ! 4. Kc2 Q a 4 + ! 5. K c l (5. b3? Q a 2 + and 6. ... B a 3 + + ) 5. ... Bc5 (winding up his development and preparing the f2 square for his Knight) 6. Qf3 (if 6. Qe2 or Q e l , then follows 6. ... Nf2!) 6. ... g4! 7. Q f l Nf2! (with the threats 8. ... Nxdl and 8... Q x f 4 + ) . Thus, the brilliant combination was correct from start to finish.

ATTACKING THE KING IN THE CENTRE

If your opponent takes his time about castling and leaves his King in the centre, you should seek ways of opening up the central lines for a direct attack on the King. We have seen classic examples on this theme in Morphy's games. Let us examine examples of an attack against a King standing in the centre.

Diagram 143

Diagram 143 shows a position from a game be- tween Ravinsky and Panov in Moscow in 1943.

Believing that his King is sufficiently covered by his central Pawns, Black, without completing his development (Be7, 0-0) launches active oper- ations on the Q-side and has just played Nxa3, counting on winning a Pawn after the natural 1. bxa3 Rxc3.

1. e5! dxe5

A single Pawn move brings important changes Da the board: a central file and the long diagonal Irl-a8 opened up, and White's timely developed nieces (Rdl, Bg2) are already on these lines. The opening of lines is advantageous for the player whose pieces are better developed.

2. Nc6

The first result of the opening of the lines. 2. ... Qc7 3. Nxe5 Nc4 4. Nxd7 Nxd7 5. Nd5! Qa7

No better is 5. ... Qe5 6. Qg4 with the threat 7. Rfel.

6. Nf4!

Threatening to liquidate the Black King's Pawn cover by sacrificing the Knight on e6.

6. . . . Nce5 7. Rxd7!

A bold sacrifice to expose the King. 7. ... Nxd7 8. Nxe6!

Another sacrifice, the logical consequence of the preceding one.

8. ... fxe6 9. Q x e 6 + Be7

A line of play leads to mate: 9. ... Kd8 10. Bg5+ Kc7 11. Q c 6 + Kb8 12. B f 4 + Rc7 13. B x c 7 + Qxc7 14. Qa8-f + . 10. Rel Qc5 If 10. ... Nb6, there follows 11. Bg5 Rc7 12. B c 6 + Kf8 (12. ... Kd8 13. R d l + Nd7 14. Bxe7 + Kc8 15. B x d 7 + Rxd7 16. Rd6, winning). 13. Re3 and 14. R f 3 + . 11. b4!

To divert the Queen from the g5 square, after which Bg5 is decisive. The move 11. Bf4 does not achieve its aim because of 11. ... Nf8.

11. ... Nf8

If 11. ... Qxb4, there follows 12. Bg5 Qxel + 13. Qxel Nf6 14. Oe6 Rxc2 15. Bb7!, winning.

12. Qg4! Qc3

Or 12. ... Qc7 13. R x e 7 + Qxe7 14. Qxc8 + 131

Kf7 15. B d 5 + Kf6 16. Qc3 + !, with an irresist- ible attack.

13. R x e 7 + ! Kxe7

Now the harmonious interaction of White's Bishops and Queen decides the issue.

14. B g 5 + Kd6

The state of affairs doesn't change in the case of 14. ... Ke8 15. Q e 2 + Kf7 16. Bd5-f Kg6 17. Q e 4 + Kxg5 18. Q f 4 + Kh5 19. B f 7 + g6 and 20. Qh4 + + . 15. Qdl + ! Kc7 16. B f 4 + Kb6 17. Q d 6 + Ka7 18. Q e 7 + . White wins. Sicilian Defence BOLESLAVSKY YANES USSR Team Championship, 1968

I. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 d6 8. f3 Bd7 9. Qd2 At this point Black usually castles short and White on the Q-side, followed by keen play with mutual attacks. In this game Black neglects the castling move and tries to seize the initiative at once.

9. ... Rc8 10. Bb3 Ne5

A premature manoeuvre. Black should have castled

I I . Bh6! Bxh6 12. Qxh6 Nc4 13. 0-0-0! Qa5 Black is attacking, threatening to sacrifice the Knight on b2. However, Boleslavsky finds serious objections that delineate the shortcomings of Black's risky plan.

14. Nd5!! Nxd5 15. exd5 Oxd5 16. R h e l ! Qh5 Now the purpose behind the Pawn sacrifice becomes clear. The central lines are opened up and Black's King falls prey to an attack by White's pieces.

Diagram 170 Diagram 171

Usually the defending side seeks salvation from attack in exchanges.

17. Qg7! Q g 5 + 18. K b l Rf8 19. Bxc4 Rxc4 20. g3 e6 21. f4! Qe7 22. f5! e5

22. ... gxf5? is bad because of 23. Nxf5? Qd8 24. N x d 6 + , winning the Rook.

23. f6! Qd8 24. Nf3 Bf5

The strength of White's attack is illustrated by the variation 24. ... Qb6 25. Nxe5! dxe5 26. Rxd7! Kxd7 27. Qxf8, and White wins.

25. R x e 5 + ! Kd7

The King's move is forced. In the case of 25. ... dxe5 there follows 26. Q x f 8 + ! Kxf8 27. R x d 8 - f + .

26. Rxf5!. Black resigns.

If 26. ... gxf5 White replies 27. N e 5 + , win- ning the Rook. In the following game White is the side that fails to castle on time.

PEEBO KUPREICHIK