Hi Robbie, further to Rag’s comments about getting the theory right, I would like to recommend a book to you and to anyone who aspires to crack the 2000 barrier (I’m workin’ on it, but at 60, time’s running out for me):
Chess Strategy for Club Players, The Road to Positional Advantage, by Herman Grooten. I’ve got a meter-wide shelf of chess books, and Grooten’s is the best I’ve seen for explaining the elements of positional analysis. When to exchange rooks, good knight vs. bad bishop, bishop pair, strong/weak squares, passers, color complexes --- all the elements are clearly explained and example games are given.
I’ve had a look at your game while reviewing his book. I’ll take the position from 25. Rc1, Black to move.
The essential features of the position are the following: White has an advanced passer, a centralized active Q supporting the passer, a R on an open file, more space, and a bishop pair. This is a substantial list of advantages, and Capa would have squeezed a win out of even
one of those. Advantages are things you should increase. White’s K is safe, but White must watch out for back-rank mates. White has potential mate threats on g7 and h8. Notes for Black: Black has a slight material advantage. Black’s king is “airy” (too many holes around him, allowing potential access, especially via f6 and the entire 7th rank). The Black Q is doing nothing on the wrong flank; the e8 R is wasted blocking White’s passer, and the f8 R would have control of a half-open file, but the N is blocking it. The only really effectively placed Black piece is the N on f5.
Given the above static analysis, the following suggests itself as a plausible goal for White: he has two threats on the board (mate on g7 or h8, and an advanced passer); he should increase both threats simultaneously, as Black will have trouble meeting two threats simultaneously (due to his poorly coordinated pieces and cramped position).
This suggests the following concrete steps to reach the goal: 1. Exchange the White R for a Black R (Grooten: when in possession of an advanced passer, get heavy pieces off the board); but make sure the White K has an escape square. 2. Force the Black N away from f5, wrong-footing his one really well-posted piece; g2-g4 is the obvious way to do this, and at the same time provide the White K his escape square. 3. Prepare to advance the White K-side pawns, to break open the Black K-position and force an entry (increasing mate threats). 4. Be prepared to advance the e-pawn if consistent with its safety (increasing the other threat).
Now, let’s try to imagine what Black’s optimum defensive set up might look like to counter the above plan. He should get his N to do the job of blockading the e-pawn; so the N should go to e7. This will leave g7 unprotected, so the obvious defender would be a R on g8, to cover both mate threats on g7 and h8. The b7-pawn will also have to be protected, so it will probably have to be advanced to b6. Now where to put the Black Q? Somewhere central: d6 or f5 maybe. In the diagram below, I have placed two Black queens on the board for reference only, but of course there won’t really be two of them; and I have made no moves for White at all; this sort of visualization exercise is essential (as opposed to 'I go here, he goes there, I go here, he goes there' type of thinking--which is very error prone).
This, or something near to this, would minimize Black’s weaknesses. Whether he can actually achieve this set up is another matter, and it will be White’s job to hinder this set up. OK so far with theoretical analysis? Let’s play out a couple of lines and see how White could realize his plan and foil Black’s optimum defensive set up.
[FEN "4rr2/pp5k/4P1pp/3BQn2/1q6/8/PB3PPP/2R3K1 b - - 2 1"]
1... Re7 2. Rc7 { Getting the heavy pieces off increaases the effectiveness of
the threat of advancing the e-pawn. } Re8 { ... RxR; QxR+, Qe7; Qe5 leads to
much the same position as the text. } 3. Rxe7+ Qxe7 { The N should go here, but
cannot on account of Qg7#. } 4. g4 { Robbie played g3 here; too timid. g4
forces the N off its good square. It can go to g7 or h4. We'll look at h4
first. } Nh4 5. f4 Qc5+ 6. Kh1 { Black has no more checks and must cover g7 to
avoid mate. } Qe7 { ... Rg8 is met by e7! Whereas ...Re7 fails to Qh8#. } 7. f5 { And now White gets
connected passers. No further analysis required; Black is doomed. } *
Here is a 'retreat' variation:
[FEN "4rr2/pp5k/4P1pp/3BQn2/1q6/8/PB3PPP/2R3K1 b - - 2 1"]
1... Re7 2. Rc7 Re8 3. Rxe7+ Qxe7 4. g4 Ng7 { So, here is the other line, Black
retreats the N from f5. } 5. f4 Rf8 { ...NxPe6? is met by BxN and the Q cannot
retake on e6 on account of Qg7#. } 6. f5 gxf5 7. gxf5 Qg5+ 8. Kh1 { White now
has connected passers; the threat of f6 followed by Be4+ is devastating.
Although Black now triple attacks the f5-pawn, taking it does not relieve his
position and it does not matter how he takes it: White's reply will be the
same in all cases. For example: } Nxf5 9. Be4 { Black is helpless against the
threatened advance of the e-pawn. If ... Re8; then BxN+ Kg8; Qh8#. } Qe7 10.
Bxf5+ Rxf5 { Forced, for if...Kg8 then Qh8#. } 11. Qxf5+ Kg8 12. Qg6+ Kf8 13.
Qxh6+ Ke8 14. Qg6+ Kf8 15. Ba3 { Crunch !! } *
Ya had 'm, Robbie--ya had 'im, but you relaxed and let him slip away. Shucks.
Help with endgame
26 May '15 10:581 edit
Back to Top