Pandolfini’s Ultimate Guide to Chess

by Bruce Pandolfini

  Student: I remember. It all depends. But since endgames usually have less on the board, I presume they’re a little simpler to play than the other phases.

  Teacher: Not really. Because there’s less on the board it’s often harder to find specific places to begin your analysis. Of the three phases, the endgame tends to be the least understood and worst played. Indeed, one of the marks of a really strong player is the ability to convert endgame advantages consistently into victories.

  Student: I realize that endgames can vary tremendously, but what are their most common characteristics?

  Teacher: I think we can at least say the following: (1) Usually, less material is on the board and the queen is gone; (2) Advantages in pieces and pawns in the endgame tend to be decisive, whereas in the opening and the middlegame material superiority can be countered by other factors, such as initiative and king safety; (3) Pawns in the endgame assume greater importance because they may threaten to become new queens by reaching the eighth rank; (4) The most distinctive feature of the endgame is probably that the king can be active without fear of stumbling into a sudden mate, unlike the opening or the middlegame, since there generally aren’t enough enemy men left to pose serious threats; (5) Many endgames pit king and pawns against king and pawns. Victor may hinge on the ability of one king to outmaneuver its opposing counterpart. The king can be a strong piece. Use it.

  Student: Why would a player want to aim for a draw?

  Teacher: All players draw at times. It’s better than losing, right? There are many reasons to strive for a draw when the opportunity arises. You may be feeling ill or too tired to tackle the position. You’d want to achieve a draw if your position were obviously failing. You may choose to draw in a tournament because you’re short of time or to insure your standing. A draw can even lock up first place in a tight race. And there may be any number of personal reasons to steer the game toward a draw—although doing so is often no easier than playing for a win.

  Student: So what does Black do after 12. Nxd5! (diagram 294)?

  Teacher: Naturally, Black snatches his pawn back, 12 … Bxb2 (diagram 298).

  Diagram 298. After the actual 12 … Bxb2.

  Student: With only one safe square for White’s attacked rook, I suppose he should play it over a square, 13. Rb1 (diagram 299), menacing the bishop.

  Diagram 299. After 13. Rb1.

  Teacher: Unfortunately, Black is still unable to safely capture the knight at d5 with his queen because of the discovery Bxh7+. So he’s going to have to move his bishop to safety. Where would you move it to?

  Student: The c3-square is guarded by the knight, so this move is clearly unacceptable. Black could retreat his bishop back where it came from, to f6, I guess. What about moving it to d4, 13 … Bd4 (diagram 300)?

  Diagram 300. After a possible 13 … Bd4.

  Teacher: That fails too, to a similar discovery, 14. Bxh7+. After 14 … Kxh7, White gets back the piece with 15. Qxd4 (diagram 301).

  Diagram 301. After 14. Bxh7+ Kxh7 15. Qxd4.

  Student: Hold on for a second. After 15. Qxd4, can’t Black attack the pinned knight by 15 … c6 (diagram 302), and if it moves, Blacks queen then takes Whites?

  Diagram 302. If Black tries to exploit the pin with 15 … c6.

  Teacher: It may seem that Black, with 15 … c6, can attack White’s knight, since it’s pinned to its queen by the Black queen. But White can get his queen out of the pin with a gain of time by 16. Qd3+ (diagram 303). After Black gets out of check, White can move his knight to safety.

  Diagram 303. After White safeguards his queen with 16. Qd3+, ending the pin with a gain of time.

  Student: Okay, maybe 13 … Bd4 doesn’t succeed. But what about 13 … Be5 (diagram 304) instead?

  Diagram 304. After a possible 13 … Be5.

  Teacher: The defense 13 … Be5 (diagram 304) also flops, a simple winning line being 14. Bxh7+! Kxh7 15. Qh5+ Kg8 16. Qxe5 (diagram 305), and White has gained another pawn.

  Diagram 305. After the line 13 … Be5 14. Bxh7+ Kxh7 15. Qh5+ Kg5 16. Qxe5.

  Student: Couldn’t Black then try 16 … Re8 (diagram 306)?

  Teacher: That would bring the rook to an open file with a gain of time, since it attacks the White queen. But White has the escape 17. Qh5, still keeping his knight protected. The further annoyance 17 … g6 doesn’t disrupt the knights defense either, for White still has 18. Qf3 (diagram 307), when the queen is free of Black threats and still covers the knight.

  Diagram 306. Continuing the line, 16 … Re8.

  Diagram 307. After concluding the line with 17. Qh5 g6 18. Qf3.

  Student: Okay, but I’m not prepared to give up on this so easily. What about moving the bishop the other direction, 13 … Ba3 (diagram 308)?

  Diagram 308. After a different idea, 13 … Ba3.

  Teacher: At a3 the bishop doesn’t contribute to the kingside defense, and may fall victim to an insidious veiled threat if White plays a timely Qf3. In the right circumstances, if the White queen moves to f3 it would menace two potential discoveries: one to the Black bishop at a3, by moving the bishop at d3, and the other to the Black rook at a8, by shifting the knight at d5. Always remember, when looking for possible tactics, to note which pieces line up on the same rank, file, or diagonal.

  Student: Chess is geometrical.

  Teacher: Indeed, as geometrical as any flat surface with figurines can be, whether played on oak with finely crafted wooden pieces, a computer screen with special graphics, or in the head with only a head. Shall we move on ahead by going back to our game?

  LESSON 15

  THE PASSED PAWN AND PAWN MAJORITIES

  Student: Do you remember where we were supposed to start this lesson?

  Teacher: I remember where I was supposed to, I think. Back to our game. So, then, Black elects to retreat the bishop, 13 … Bf6 (diagram 309). Now it’s time to evaluate.

  Diagram 309. After Black retreats the bishop to f6.

  Student: It seems to me that White has the overall advantage, though I’m not entirely sure why.

  Teacher: Let’s analyze the situation: (1) White is better developed; (2) Black must yet develop his queen-bishop; (3) White’s rook occupies the open b-file; (4) Black’s queen-rook doesn’t yet have a safe move, thanks to White controlling the b-file; (5) White’s knight is tactically infuriating from d5; (6) White has the next free move and a decent initiative. So I agree with you. White stands better.

  Student: It’s White’s turn. What do you think of 14. Qf3 (diagram 310)?

  Diagram 310. After the possible 14. Qf3.

  Teacher: This move does threaten a discovery on the a8-rook, as well as smashing up Black’s kingside by 15. Nxf6+. Black could try to cope with the threat by developing the queen-bishop, 14 … Be6, so that Black’s major pieces are connected along his home rank.

  Student: Suppose White plays to set up a different discovery, and decides on playing 14. Be4 (diagram 311)?

  Diagram 311. After another possible fourteenth move, B4.

  Teacher: That, too, would menace winning the exchange, starting with 15. Nxf6+, and hoping subsequently to be able to take the rook at a8 for free, Bxa8. One way Black could try to avert losing the exchange is to block the e4-a8 diagonal with 14 … c6. If White’s knight then takes the bishop, 15. Nxf6+, Black could take back with the queen, 15 … Qxf6 (diagram 312), guarding the pawn at c6 to boot.

  Diagram 312. After the possible continuation 14 … c6 15. Nxf6+ Qxf6.

  Student: Let’s go with 14. Qh5 (diagram 313). I have a feeling about it.

  Diagram 313. After the actual 14. Qh5, threatening mate at h7.

  Teacher: That threatens mate at h7. Black could stop the mate by moving the king-rook pawn one square, 14 … h6 (diagram 314).

  Diagram 314. After the possible defense 14 … h6.

  Student: I think Black should play 14 … g6 (diagram 315). It ends the mate threat and gains time by driving away the queen. I’d go with it if I were Black. What do you think about that?


  Diagram 315. After the actual defense, 14 … g6.

  Teacher: Okay, it’s your instructional funeral. The move 14 … g6 does attack White’s queen, and as a rule, you should drive off enemy pieces whenever you can do so without incurring problems. But in shooing away her ladyship, Black weakens f6. Do you see why?

  Student: The move 14 … g6 weakens the f6-square because there’s no longer any pawn to guard it. After 14 … h6, Black’s f7-pawn still allows Black to control the g6-square.

  Teacher: But since you decided on g6 after all, can you find a strong counter for White?

  Student: I like 15. Qf3 (diagram 316). It threatens the bishop at f6 immediately. Meanwhile, it simultaneously places the White queen on a diagonal that allows a prospective discovered attack to the rook at a8. All White would then have to do is move the d5-knight with a gain of time, and the rook at a8 would be toast.

  Diagram 316. After the actual 15. Qf3.

  Teacher: Very good answer. Black seems to have two choices: he can defend the bishop with his king, 15 … Kg7 (diagram 317), or get it to safety by repositioning the attacked bishop (15 … Bg7). Retreating the bishop would generally be the more reliable defense. You don’t want to rely too much on the king as a defensive piece if there are perfectly plausible options. This doesn’t mean that the king should never be used as a defender. The king is a chessic paradox: vulnerable but potentially quite powerful, since it’s able to guard all the squares surrounding it. As a fighting tool, the king is probably slightly stronger than either a bishop or a knight, worth something like four pawns in native ability, though with no exchange value at all.

  Student: Obviously, given that it’s against the rules to take it or to allow it to be taken.

  Teacher: You bet. Sometimes really young beginners forget that little fact, though.

  Diagram 317. After the alternate defense 15 … Kg7.

  Student: You’ve convinced me once again. Let’s make Black play 15 … Bg7 (diagram 318), but without being sadistic.

  Teacher: You’ve persuaded me. Withdrawing the bishop to g7 also restores control over the two previously weakened squares, f6 and h6. A piece doesn’t guard the square it occupies, which means it can’t protect itself. Strangely enough, a piece can’t guard the square it’s on until it’s no longer on it. When the bishop sat on f6, f6 wasn’t so safe. When the bishop moves off f6, suddenly f6 is strengthened.

  Diagram 318. After the actual 15 … Bg7.

  Student: I suppose White should still be looking for a way to uncover an attack to a8.

  Teacher: If the knight is moved to e3 or f4, for example, Black cannot save the a8-rook by moving it, for b8 is guarded by White’s well-placed rook at b1, currently dominating the open b-file. Black can nonetheless save the a8-rook by finally moving his light-square bishop, clearing the home rank, “connecting” the queen and rook, so that the queen then defends the rook.

  Student: If I had White, and apparently sometimes I do, I might now ask which discovery is the most effective.

  Teacher: That’s asking an intelligent question. Black might indeed be wondering if White could move the knight with a gain of time. That is, could it be moved to give a threat while also posing an additional threat to the rook from White’s queen? If so, White would then have issued two threats, and Black might be unable to guard against both.

  Student: What about 16. Nf6+ (diagram 319)?

  Diagram 319. After the try 16. Nf6+.

  Teacher: This does gain time because it forces Black to save his king. After he does so, say by 16 … Qxf6, developing a new piece, White can go ahead with his other threat and capture the rook with 17. Qxa8 (diagram 320).

  Diagram 320. After the conceivable continuation 16 … Qxf6 17. Qxa8.

  Student: It certainly seems like a reasonable decision.

  Teacher: It is. But a better idea for White is to move the knight and capture something in the process, even if it leaves the knight in a position to be captured. If Black takes the knight, he still loses his a8-rook, and also anything the knight captures in the process.

  Student: I like that idea. You’re not directing me to suggest 16. Nxc7 (diagram 321), are you? Of course you are.

  Teacher: Your idea is clear. White snares a pawn while issuing a double attack to the a8-rook. Now even if Black’s bishop cleared off the back row, so that Black’s queen suddenly defended the rook, White’s knight could still take the rook, gaining at least the exchange.

  Student: Okay. I’ll play the wise guy. What should Black do now?

  Diagram 321. After the actual 16. Nxc7.

  Teacher: One defensive approach is to clear the back rank with a gain of time. If the bishop at c8 could menacingly enter the play, Black might be able to use the time to save the a8-rook. As you’ve probably analyzed, 16 … Qxc7 would win the knight but drop the rook to 17. Qxa8 (diagram 322).

  Diagram 322. After the possible continuation 16 … Qxc7 17. Qxa8.

  Student: I guess I see how Black could gain the time needed to guard his a8-rook. He could create his own threat, moving the c8-bishop to g4, even though it’s not protected. Then, if White takes the bishop, 17. Qxg4, Black could take the knight, 17 … Qxc7. So let’s go with 16 … Bg4 (diagram 323). I like it.

  Diagram 323. After the actual 16 … Bg4.

  Teacher: I like that you like it. But White doesn’t have to take the bishop on g4. He could instead capture the a8-rook with his queen, 17. Qxa8 (diagram 324), since it’s protected by the c7-knight.

  Diagram 324. After the actual 17. Qxa8.

  Student: It seems that Black really now has two choices: he can take White’s c7-knight, uncovering an attack to White’s queen from his f8-rook in the process, or he can take the queen with his own, knowing he would still be able to capture the knight a move later. I’m a little worried about the intervention of White’s queen. I prefer playing 17 … Qxa8 (diagram 325).

  Diagram 325. After the actual 17 … Qxa8.

  Teacher: I think it’s wonderful the way you’ve gotten into the spirit of things: playing White or Black to aid the flow of the discourse. Let’s look at the way you’ve chosen for Black to respond. There are two ways to play defense. You can play passively, taking no chances and, like many beginners, trying to guard everything, trading down to avoid attacks against you. Or, like experienced and solid players, you can play actively combining defense with counterattack. The latter is riskier but more apt to succeed. The best defense tends to be a good offense. Black’s most practical course of action was to play 17 … Qxc7, retaining his queen so as to be able to launch counterattacks. To get back in the game Black is going to need every resource he can find. The capture 17 … Qxa8 (diagram 325) plays into White’s hands. It leads into a cut-and-dried endgame that is quite safe but also, in the end, quite hopeless.

  Student: I’m remembering what I’ve forgotten. When behind in material, you should try to avoid exchanges, and especially of queens. I just planned for Black to voluntarily trade queens in the face of the appropriate strategic policy.

  Teacher: That’s right. Such transactions only kill counterplay and steer the game closer to a situation where the advantage of additional material assumes greater importance. White and Black are now virtually forced to respond in specific ways.

  Student: I assume White has to retake the queen, 18. Nxa8 (diagram 326).

  Diagram 326. After the actual 18. Nxa8.

  Teacher: And Black has to take back, 18 … Rxa8 (diagram 327), before the knight gets a chance to run away Why don’t you try to evaluate the position again?

  Student: Materially, Black has four pawns, while White has five. So far, White is ahead by a pawn in our calculation. Not counting the kings, both sides have three pieces, but White has two rooks and a bishop whereas Black has two bishops and a rook. Since one rook and bishop balance out for each side, we don’t have to factor them into our calculation, and the remaining difference is that Black has a bishop for a rook.

  Diagram 327. After the a
ctual 18 … Rxa8.

  Teacher: Good job. This means that Black is down the so-called exchange. Take into account White’s extra pawn, and the exact equation reads unhappily for Black: White is up a rook and a pawn for a bishop.

  Student: It’s White’s move, and he’s got to find a way to convert his material superiority into a winning game. What should he do?

  Teacher: Chess is, above all, a logical game. Things happen on the board as they are made to happen, not as chance or fate would have it. Organization and consistency are almost always rewarded. It may be difficult at first, but you must strive in every game to form a series of feasible plans and to implement them faithfully and economically. Often a bad strategy is better than none at all. If you lose because of a bad one, you can review afterward to see where you went wrong and how to improve next time. You can always use your loss as a learning experience. But if you’ve played without a plan, there will be little to learn from your defeat other than to play the next time with a plan of some kind.

  Student: I’m still a little uncomfortable with strategizing.

  Teacher: Your strategy at any point in the game needn’t be elaborate. It could be something as basic as determining how best to complete your development, or on which side to castle and why, or whether to attack now or prepare your assault further by improving the position of one or more of your pieces. But whatever you design for your immediate chessic future, try to play in accordance with it. Make sure to have an objective in mind and conform your play to its requirements and the changing conditions on the board.