k Welcome to Knackie's Tactics Training. The examples are based on material of a Hungarian Chess School. They have been revised using Fritz and a bit of Knackie's brain. 15 k The 4th Lesson features the theme 'King in the centre'. 10 k In the middlegame, a king in the centre is, of course, subject to sharp attacks. 15 k The attacking side should not fear making big sacrifices to hold the king in the centre; mate will be almost inevitable. 15 k Let's start with a famous example: 8 k Example 1: Lilienthal vs Capablanca, Hastings 1934 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen 2r1k2r/2pn1pp1/1p3n1p/p3PP2/4q2B/P1P5/2Q1N1PP/R4RK1 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Lilienthal 1 bname Capablanca 1 k Capablanca was considered an unbeatable chess machine (an ancestor of Deep Blue) 15 k Watch how Lilienthal sacrified his queen to hold Capablanca's king in the centre, scoring a sensational win: 30 e5f6 e4c2 f6g7 k That was Lilienthal's idea. This pawn not only attacks black's rook but it also prevents black's king from escaping out of the centre via f8. 20 h8g8 e2d4 k Black must play Qe4, giving back the queen. Let's look what happens if he plays Qxc3 instead: 15 c2c3 a1e1 d7e5 e1e5 e8d7 e5e7 d7d6 d4b5 k Winning the queen. 5 k Let's now look at the game continuation: 8 back 8 8 c2e4 a1e1 d7c5 e1e4 c5e4 f1e1 g8g7 e1e4 k Bishop+knight vs rook guarantee an easy win. 10 k Example 2: Filipowics vs Skrobek, 1975 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen 5rk1/p2bp1bp/3p1npB/8/2pNP1P1/2P2P2/PqPK3Q/R6R 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove black 1 bsetup done 1 wname Filipowics 1 bname Skrobek 1 k White threatens BxBg7 followed by Qxh7+. How did Black reverse the situation? 15 k 75 seconds... 75 f6e4 k When the centre is open, the white king is helpless... 10 f3e4 k How does black open the position around white's king still further? 15 g7d4 k If white now plays BxRf8, he will soon be mated by Qxc3, etc., so he takes the bishop. 12 c3d4 b2d4 k The white King cannot escape: if he moves to e2 black plays Bxg4+ followed by Qxc2, whereas if he moves to the first row there comes Qxa1 etc. 30 k Example 3: Tapaszto vs Kossik, Budapest 1951 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen rn2kb1r/p3pppp/b7/1p1qN3/2pP4/2P1PP2/6PP/1RBQKB1R 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Tapaszto 1 bname Kossik 1 k In this position both kings are still in the centre, but neither side has launched an attack yet. How can white start an attack? 15 k 75 seconds... 75 f1c4 b5c4 d1a4 k If black now plays Nb8-d7 there comes NxNd7! Qxd7 QxBa6 when white quickly develops with 0-0, whereas the black king remains in the centre. 25 k So black has no choice... 10 e8d8 k White would like to exploit the loose position of black's piece, but RxNb8 RxRb8 QxBa6 Rb8-B1 is unclear. How can white improve on this? 35 e3e4 k This opens a diagonal for white's bishop. 8 d5e6 b1b8 a8b8 e5c6 d8c7 c1f4 c7b7 a4b4 k Winning easily, e.g. KxNc6 d4-d5 +- 15 k Example 4: Andersson vs Mecking, Wijk aan Zee 1971 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen 4R3/1p2r2p/1P1qk1p1/8/4PQ2/5P2/5PKP/8 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Andersson 1 bname Mecking 1 k In this example we've almost reached the endgame. How does white exploit the central position of black's king? 20 k 75 seconds... 75 e4e5 d6c5 f4f6 e6d7 e5e6 k Winning the rook at e7. The e-pawn has done a fine job. 15 k Example 5: Zeitlin vs Krutanski, Leningrad 1971 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen r3k2r/4n1pp/p2b1p2/Q7/2Bp4/5P1q/PP1B1P1P/R3R1K1 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Zeitlin 1 bname Krutanski 1 k In this position white must play with great energy, as black threatens Bxh2+ with mate to follow. 20 k 75 seconds... 75 e1e7 k White forces the king to the open. Let's first look what happens if black recaptures with the Bishop: 15 d6e7 a5d5 k White now has time for this simple move, as black doesn't threaten mate on h2 anymore. 10 a8d8 d5f7 e8d7 a1e1 h8e8 c4e6 d7c6 e6h3 k So capturing with the bishop was bad. Let's now look at the game: back 10 e8e7 a1e1 k Black played Kf8 here, so let's first look what happens if black plays Be5 instead: 15 d6e5 e1e5 k In the open position, the black king is helpless. 10 f6e5 a5e5 e7d7 e5d5 d7c7 d2a5 c7b8 d5d6 b8b7 d6c7 k So Be5 didn't help. Let's look at the game: 10 back 12 e7f8 k Black still threatens Bxh2, but white has a powerful reply... 35 d2f4 k Very strong!! Black cannot capture the Bishop because the white Queen then gives check on c5, with mate. 25 g7g6 a5d5 k White threatens Qf7 mate and attacks the Ra8 and the Bd6, which is a bit too much for the defense... 25 k Example 6: Sibarevic vs Bukic, Banja Luka 1976 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen r1b1kb1r/1q1n1p2/2Np4/1p1Np1pp/5P2/7Q/PPP3PP/2KRR3 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Sibarevic 1 bname Bukic 1 k White has sacrified a piece for a big development advantage, but the centre is still closed. How can white reach the black king? 25 k 75 seconds... 75 e1e5 k That looks good! But it needs some calculation... 15 k Let's look at the easiest variation first: 10 d7e5 k well..., what would you play? 15 d5f6 k Oh! that that was quick! Let's go back: back 2 5 d6e5 k This should cause no problem either... 20 d5f6 d7f6 d1d8 k Surprisingly, mate does not come on the e-file, but on the d-file. Let's go back to the game: 15 back 4 5 f8e7 e5e7 e8f8 h3f5 d7e5 f5f6 h8h7 k Do you see the finish? 20 e7e8 f8e8 f6d8 k mate 8 k Example 7: Friedman vs Thornblom, Stockholm 1974 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen r3r3/p1p2p1k/3p2pp/2p5/2P2n2/2N2B2/PPR1PP1q/3RQK2 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove black 1 bsetup done 1 wname Friedman 1 bname Thornblom 1 k Black has sacrified a piece for the attack. He would like to play Nf4-h3, threatening Qg1 mate, but black then escapes with e2-e3 Qg1+ Ke2. 20 k This is a kind of anti-example to our theme. The question is: How can black prevent the white king escaping to the centre? 15 k 75 seconds... 75 e8e3 k Very nice! white now has no defense against the simple Nf4-h3 followed by Qg1 mate 20 f2e3 f4h3 e1g3 h2g3 f3a8 g3f2 k mate 8 k Example 8: Csiszar vs Ban, Budapest 1945 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen q1r2k2/p4ppB/1p1bp2p/3bN3/P2P1n2/1P3P2/1B4PP/1Q2R1K1 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Csiszar 1 bname Ban 1 k The Bishop h7 nicely prevents the black king from escaping to the corner, but how can white attack? 15 k White could try to find a way to attack f7 with his queen, but how could he achieve this? 15 k 75 seconds... 75 b1f5 k White attacks f7. Simple isn't it? The Queen cannot be captured: 15 e6f5 k There follows... 8 e5d7 k mate. So let's go back to the game: 10 back 2 5 d6e5 k What is the drawback of this defense? 20 b2a3 f8e8 f5e5 k Black resigned in view of the numerous threats: Qe5-d6-e7 mate, or Qe5-g7-f8, or simply QxNf4. 8 k Example 9: Horn vs Jacobsen, Meldorf 1968 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen r3k2r/1bqnbpp1/p3pn1p/1p2p3/3N1P1B/2NB3Q/PPP3PP/2KR3R 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Horn 1 bname Jacobsen 1 k The position of black's king looks quite secure here. How would you launch an attack in the middle? (Some calculation is needed here) 20 k 90 seconds... 90 d4e6 k A typical sacrifice. 10 f7e6 d3g6 k Black cannot play Kf8 here, as white then plays Qe6 followed by Qf7 mate. 15 e8d8 h3e6 b5b4 f4e5 f6g8 k How can the rook at h1 participate? h1f1 k Very strong! White threatens Rf8 mate. 20 c7c6 k Should white be impressed by black's queen? 20 d1d6 e7h4 k White could take black's queen here, but that would not be enough for such a nice position. 30 f1f8 d8c7 k The finish is easy... 15 c3d5 c6d5 e6d7 k mate 8 k Example 10: Aljechin vs Junge, Prag 1942 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen 1r2k2r/5pp1/1q3n1p/1pb1p3/3p4/6P1/1PQ1PPBP/R1BR2K1 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Aljechin 1 bname Junge 1 k In the final example we will see how a World Champion uses the 'king in the centre' theme. 20 k At first sight it seems impossible to prevent black from castling next move. Show some imagination like Aljechin... 20 k 90 seconds... 90 a1a6 k That looks strange... 10 b6a6 c2c5 k That was Aljechin's idea: the Queen prevents the black king from castling and threatens Qxe5+. 15 a6e6 g2c6 k Black played Nf6-d7 here; Kd8 is no better: 10 e8d8 c1d2 k The second bishop comes into action... 10 b5b4 c5a5 d8e7 d2b4 b8b4 a5b4 e6d6 b4b7 e7e6 c6a4 k White now threatens Ba4-b3+ followed by Qxf7. 15 f6d5 a4b3 h8d8 e2e4 k Winning the knight. Let's now look at the game: 10 back 16 5 f6d7 c6d7 k Black cannot recapture with the Queen, as after Qe6xd7 Qc5xe5+, white wins the rook at b8. 20 e8d7 c5a7 k On Kc8, white would answer Bc1-d2 followed by Rc1+. 15 d7c6 c1d2 h8c8 k How does Aljechin take more squares away from the black king? 30 e2e4 k Very strong! 8 e6b3 k How does Aljechin bring his rook into action? 30 d1a1 b5b4 a1a6 c6b5 a6a5 b5c6 a7c5 c6d7 a5a7 k Mate follows. This was a very typical example: 10 k White first played energetically to prevent the black king from castling (sacrifice Ra6!) 15 k Play then slowed down and Aljechin took his time to activate his pieces (Bc1-d2), and took away squares from the king (e2-e4!) 15 k The black king in the centre proved a LONG TERM ADVANTAGE for white; there was no need to look for a quick mate. 15 k I hope you enjoyed the lesson. Many more examples can be found at http://webplaza.pt.lu/public/ckaber in chessbase-format (download file Tactic4.zip) 20