How to Play Chess like a Champion

by Fred Reinfeld

  11...a5 12.e5! ... (D)

  A tremendous move which serves as another nail in Black’s coffin. The purpose of White’s last move is to bring his bishop into powerful action by means of Bf3. This puts the white bishop on an ideal square.

  Why is that so important? you may ask. White has more mobility than Black – lots more mobility. His job is to keep widening that margin all the time. The wider that margin becomes, the less chance Black has of defending himself.

  12...Bb7 (D)

  Again poor Black tries to develop this miserable bishop.

  Note that 12...Nf5? is possible now that White’s e-pawn has moved on to e5. But White simply replies 13.R×c6 winning a piece. In other words, Black’s knight at e7 has the tireless duty of acting as bodyguard to his colleague at c6.

  13.Bf3! ... (D)

  The bishop, which was previously inactive, suddenly takes an important part in the play. In fact, White is threatening to win a piece by 14.N×b7 (removing the guardian bishop) 14...R×b7 15.B×c6 N×c6 16.R×c6.

  Now there’s something very significant about this. When we reach the point where a piece in the hostile camp is vulnerable to increased pressure, we have a key to a clear winning process.

  To a player with a killer instinct, such as Reshevsky and most masters, a hint of this kind is enough. He reacts immediately: keep piling up on the vulnerable piece, keep menacing its defenders. Sooner or later the defensive structure must crack! And in cases like this one, where the defender’s mobility is so sadly limited, the day of reckoning must be very close.

  Now what is the weak point in Black’s armor? It is his knight at c6. Note that White’s bishop maneuver (Bf3) is aimed against this weak piece. Remember, White’s immediate threat is N×b7, knocking out a defender of the vulnerable knight and thus winning that knight.

  13...Ba8

  The handwriting on the wall. Condemned to such clumsy moves, Black cannot hold out very long. And yet what choice did the poor man have? He had to preserve his guardian bishop.

  14.Nd7! ...

  This forces the issue. White is finished with strategy (maneuvering according to a general plan – that plan being to constrict Black more and more). In fact, White is ready for tactics (playing forceful moves with a clear, immediate objective).

  Black must lose material. (D)

  Black’s attacked rook must move. Where? If 14...Rb5 15.N(either)b6 Bb7 16.Be2 and Black’s rook is trapped. He has to play 16...Rd5 losing the exchange after 17.N×d5.

  If 14...Rb7 15.B×c6 N×c6 16.R×c6 R×d7 17.Rc8+ (D)

  Analysis after 17.Rc8+

  followed by 18.R×a8 winning a piece. Other rook moves are no better. Black must lose material no matter how he plays.

  14...Rd8 15.Nab6! ... (D)

  This time he threatens 16.N×a8 R×a8 17.B×c6 winning a piece. A stubborn cuss this Reshevsky!

  If Black tries 15...Bb7 then 16.Nc5! wins. Thus if 16...R×d6 17.e×d6 and Black must lose a piece as two of his pieces are attacked.

  I repeat – there is nothing accidental about these tactical finesses. They happen because White’s pieces have more mobility, more striking force.

  15...Nc8 16.N×c8 ...

  By far the simplest.

  16...R×c8 17.Nb6 ... (D)

  “This was the most unkindest cut of all.” After 17...Rb8 16.N×a8 R×a8 19.B×c6 White is a piece to the good. Thus we observe the triumph of encirclement, although in a less sensational way than in the previous example.

  In these first two chapters you have seen how the master gets to work – sometimes by the most startling flights of genius, sometimes by grim, purposeful but gradual penetration into the opponent’s position.

  These two methods are not so far apart as you might think. Both are dedicated to breaking the opponent’s resistance. The first works like a solar-plexus punch, the second like a hammer lock. One is swift, the other slow but sure. But in any event the master knows what he’s doing, and he’s sublimely sure of himself.

  When we look at the games of amateurs, the picture is quite different. But this needs a fresh approach and a new chapter.

  Chapter Three

  Even As You and I

  Typical Games of Average Players

  The plight of the chess amateur reminds me of the unfortunate child prodigy who once asked the grown Mozart how to write inspired compositions.

  “I couldn’t say,” Mozart replied.

  “But you were a child prodigy once too!”

  “So I was,” Mozart crushed him, “but I didn’t go around asking ‘How?’”

  The amateur is dazzled into hopelessness as he studies the master’s breathtaking brilliancies and his impressive encirclement strategy. How well the amateur realizes that these features are absent from his play.

  In the games of most amateurs we find little brilliancy and even less strategy. Here the story is bleak: aimlessness in the opening; drifting in the middle game; dogged wood shifting in the endgame.

  However, generalized indictments won’t help. So let’s play over two typical games of amateurs, sifting the good from the bad and analyzing the moves to see how they conform to the basic rules for good opening play laid down in How to Be a Winner at Chess.

  In that book, you may recall, I offered five Basic Rules for opening play. Here they are:

  Bring out your pieces and pawns so they bear on the center squares of the board.

  Develop your pieces rapidly.

  Develop your pieces effectively.

  Guard your king against enemy attacks.

  Postpone the development of the queen.

  In the following game I played the black pieces in a high school match when I was fifteen.

  Amateur vs. Fred Reinfeld

  High School Match

  Giuoco Piano

  1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 ... (D)

  Thus far both players have ably followed the precepts of the first three rules. They have developed towards the center and have brought out their pieces rapidly and effectively. So far, so good. What of the future? Being inexperienced players, they have little inkling of what is to come.

  Let’s call on an imaginary master for his opinion. What would he say?

  “Well, the chief thing to note is that the development has been symmetrical. Both players are moving their pieces and pawns to the same squares. This means that White cannot get very far in any fight for the initiative: Black’s position is just as good as White’s.

  “Maybe that’s obvious, maybe it isn’t. But let me point out one danger. If White plays some sloppy moves, he’s likely to find that the initiative is definitely in Black’s hands. I don’t say this must happen; it might happen.”

  That’s the way the master reasons. He sees possible dangers long before they happen. In fact, his foresight may enable him to steer clear of danger.

  5...h6

  This isn’t quite a blunder, but it’s not to be recommended either. Black is afraid that after the natural 5...d6 White will pin his king knight with 6.Bg5, and he therefore wastes a move to stop this pin from taking place.

  And so Black – at least momentarily – neglects his development.

  6.0-0 ...

  White gets his king into safety.

  6...d6 7.Nd5 ... (D)

  By moving the same piece again, White violates Rule 3. Thus he compensates for Black’s shortcomings on move five.

  This of course, is something you often see in the games of amateurs. There is a lack of consecutiveness, an absence of logic. Don’t answer an inexactitude with another inexactitude. Indicated was 7.Be3.

  7...N×d5 8.B×d5 ...

  The right way to recapture. If, after 8.e×d5, White’s new pawn at d5 blocks his bishop’s diagonal.

  8...Be6 9.B×e6? ...

  A serious mistake which gives Black fine prospects in the middle game.

  9...f×e6 (D)

  One look at the diagram and we can see how Black has gained by the foregoing exchange of bishops. In recaptur
ing, Black’s f-pawn has moved to e6. Thus Black has obtained a half-open f-file. This gives him a base for attacking operations in the middle game.

  Here again White has failed to foresee the long term consequence of a thoughtless move.

  10.b3? ... (D)

  And still another boner. What is the master’s comment?

  “This move is laudable in its intention. White want to develop his bishop. But playing Bb2 (the object of White’s last move) is foolish, as it will give the white bishop the dubious privilege of ramming his head at Black’s solidly guarded e5-pawn.

  “Besides, there’s another thoughtless aspect to the idea of developing the bishop at b2. Even at this early stage it’s clear that Black may get some attacking chances on the kingside, thanks to his open f-file. The sensible thing for White is to concentrate his forces on the kingside. This will assure him the maximum power of resistance in case of attack.

  “To sum up, 10.Be3! should have been played here. This would have the additional value of neutralizing the power of Black’s remaining bishop.”

  10...0-0

  Black gets his king into safety (good); he also gets his h8-rook on the open file (also good).

  11.Bb2 ...

  Consistent and bad. Even at the cost of losing a move White should play 11.Be3! As it is, this unlucky bishop has nothing to do for the rest of the game.

  11...Qf6! (D)

  This is very well played. Now we can consider that the middle game has started.

  In How to Be a Winner at Chess our two Basic Rules for the middle game were:

  Give your pieces mobility.

  Make your pieces cooperate.

  Black’s pieces have been developed so that Black can carry on by following both rules. Black feels instinctively that he can pile up on the f-file. There’s the basis for planning the further course of the game.

  White on the other hand, has lost the thread of the game. His pieces are disorganized and there is little they can do.

  12.Qe2 a5 (D)

  This is would-be high-brow chess. Black creates a false impression of trying to open a file on the queenside by playing ...a4. In this way he hopes to confuse White.

  But since Black is playing to create more pressure on the kingside, he should have gone ahead with his plans there by occupying the f-file with his rooks and queen.

  12.c3?! ...

  “Pathetic,” says the master. “He hopes to play d3-d4 to keep out Black’s bishop. But if he had originally played Be3, he would have achieved the same objective – neutralizing Black’s bishop – much more economically.”

  This is an instructive moment. Because of his lack of foresight, the amateur is later condemned to a lot of hard work.

  13...Kh7? (D)

  Black seems to have lost sight of his general plan. He should play ...Qg6 intending to double rooks on the f-file. This would give him strong pressure. But as he actually plays, his king move is pointless.

  14.Qc2? ...

  A typical amateur’s mistake – answering an inexactitude with another inexactitude. The white queen should remain at e2. Instead, White removes his queen from the threatened sector.

  14...Qg6! (D)

  Enough of this drifting. Now Black gets the hang of the game again. He threatens 15...R×f3 winning a piece as White cannot retake. If White’s queen had remained at e2, the white queen could retake in answer to a possible ...R×f3. In other words, Black, would not be threatening anything – at least for the moment.

  15.Nh4 Qg5 16.g3 ... (D)

  To move a pawn in front of the castled position means a weakening of that position. Yet White cannot help himself, for if 16.Nf3? R×f3 wins a piece for Black.

  Despite his inexactitudes, Black has built up a promising attacking position. With best policy, the game might plausibly proceed: 16...Rf6 17.Rad1 Raf8 18.d4 Bb6.

  In that case Black has all the play, as his queen and rooks are posted aggressively on the kingside. White’s queen, on the other hand, would be idle, and his bishop would be blockaded by his own pawns. Black would have the initiative and the attack – hence the future.

  But he fumbles his opportunity. This vacillation is so typical of amateur games.

  16...Rf4?

  Black’s success has gone to his head. True, he threatens to win a piece by ...R×h4 because of the pin on White’s g3-pawn.

  But Black forgets that he too can be subjected to a pin. And this too is very typical of the amateur’s play. When he has an objective, he becomes deaf and blind to all counter threats.

  17.Bc1! ... (D)

  Because of the gross lapses in the games of amateurs, their play is full of dramatic ups and downs. The advantage changes hands with bewildering rapidity.

  White has taken advantage of Black’s mistake by pinning his advanced rook. That means that White will be able to capture the rook in return for his bishop. Thus he will win the Exchange – a decisive material advantage.

  17...Raf8 (D)

  Of course Black cannot move the pinned rook; this would lose the queen.

  Now all that White need do is the following: 18.B×f4 e×f4 19.d4. (Or else 18.B×f4 R×f4 19.Ng2 and White is safe.) With the exchange ahead, White would have a winning game. Black could fight on, but to no avail. But instead we get another one of those topsyturvy changes of the advantage.

  18.Ng2? ... (D)

  No doubt of it: the chess amateur’s road to hell is paved with the most marvelous intentions. Instead of winning “only” the Exchange by 18.B×f4, White figures he can do even better by unpinning his g3-pawn through placing his knight at g2.

  Let’s sum up the situation once more: Black’s advanced rook is pinned. White’s g-pawn has been pinned, but it isn’t any more, thanks to White’s last move 18.Ng2? White is therefore in a position – for the first time – to play g3xf4.

  In other words, instead of winning Black’s rook for a bishop, White proposes to win the rook for a mere little pawn. This would be an overwhelming advantage if – if it didn’t lead directly to a lost game! And it does. That’s what makes chess such a tantalizing game: most losing moves are merely good ideas that have turned sour.

  White’s fault is one seen very often in amateur chess: he’s been so delightfully absorbed in his own little plans that he’s overlooked Black’s nefarious counterplot. Consequently White has forgotten this: chess principles are only rule of thumb. Apply them wisely and discretely and they’ll serve you well; but, if you push them too hard, or apply them thoughtlessly, they can have a recoil like a blunderbuss.

  White has been operating on the theory that he can pile up on the pinned rook, which is paralyzed because a rook move would lose Black’s queen. True – but true only up to a point. If Black can find a sufficiently potent counter threat – this is unlikely, I grant you – then he can move his rook and damn the consequences: losing his queen.

  And Black has created a sufficiently potent counterthreat by doubling his rooks on the open f-file. He now has both rooks and his bishop trained on the f2-square, and he ready for action. A Black counterthreat against White’s king outweighs White’s threat to Black’s queen.

  18...R×f2!! (D)

  A blow between the eyes! Who would have imagined that the helplessly pinned rook could move? The whole point is that if 19.B×g5?? Black plays 19...R×f1 double check and checkmate!

  After ...Rf4xf2

  19.R×f2 ...

  Although White has been rocked back on his heels, he does the best he can. He stops the mate and still keeps Black’s queen under attack. Now we begin to wonder. Has Black miscalculated after all? At the moment he’s a rook down and his queen is still attacked.

  19...R×f2

  Here’s the point – but to appreciate it better let’s have another diagram. (D)

  Black has foreseen that if now 20.Q×f2 he plays 20...B×f2 CHECK. In other words, he’s able to save his queen from capture because White must first attend to the check.

  White realizes that after 20.Q×f2 B×f2+ 21.K×f2 Blac
k would have an easy win because of his sizeable advantage in material. And so White tries to close the dangerous diagonal – but the harm has been done.

  20.d4 R×c2 21.B×g5 e×d4 (D)

  Now White’s position is in ruins. His bishop is attacked and if he plays 22.Bc1 then 22...d3+ 23.Be3 R×g2+ 24.K×g2 B×e3 and Black wins easily with bishop, knight, and pawn against a rook.

  22.c×d4? ... (D)

  Allowing Black to wind up with a murderous double attack: 22...B×d4+ winning White’s rook.

  22...N×d4?

  Unbelievable! Black misses the obvious double attack winning the white rook.

  23.Bd8? ... (D)

  White completely misses the vital point – that he must close up the dangerous diagonal and prevent a crushing discovered check.

  23...Nc6+ 24.Kf1 ...

  Or 25.Kh1 N×d8 and Black is a piece ahead. After the move made Black sees his chance to play an even stronger move.

  24...Rf2+ (D)

  For if 25.Kg1 R×a2+ and Black wins the rook. So the white king moves in the other direction.

  25.Ke1 R×g2 (D)

  White cannot hold out any longer. He’s already a piece down about to lose a second one due to the double threat of ...N×d8 or ...Rg1+ followed by ...R×a1.

  This is a typical amateur game, conveying above all the lack of consecutiveness which is so common in such games. There is a lack of an overall plan; ideas are changed in midstream, or else they are forced beyond their degree of usefulness. There is little feeling on the part of both players for getting their pieces to cooperate. They play by fits and starts and pay attention only to scattered factors, instead of seeing the board as a whole.