k Welcome to Knackie's Tactics Training. The examples are based on material of an Hungarian Chess School. They have been revised using Fritz and a bit of Knackie's brain. 15 k The 5th Lesson features the theme 'Pulling the king to the open'. 10 k In most middlegames, both sides try to hide their their king behind a pawn shelter. 10 k Sometimes, however, the attacking side finds a way to break through the shelter, pulling the king to the open. 12 l Let's start with a typical example. 8 k Example 1: Dominguez vs Bernard, Romania 1975 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen 2r4r/pb3kb1/1p2pp2/q7/3P2NP/Q5R1/PP3PP1/4R1K1 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Dominguez 1 bname Bernard 1 k White's queen is under attack, but white found a better solution than moving the queen... 15 k Consider the position for yourself for a while. 40 g4e5 k White opens the position around the black king... 10 f6e5 g3g7 k After the second sacrifice, the black king remains completely isolated. 15 f7g7 a3e7 k White finally 'saves' his queen. 10 g7g6 e1e5 k After the black king is isolated, white is in no hurry chasing it with checks. 15 a5e5 k Black had no choice. 7 d4e5 k Considering material, black is almost ok: 2 Rooks + Bishop versus white's Queen + 3 Pawns. 10 k Considering the isolated black king, black is completely lost. 10 b7a8 e7f6 g6h7 f6f7 h7h6 g2g4 k Black is helpless against the threat of g4-g5. 12 k Black resigned. 8 k Example 2: Mikenas vs Lebegyev, USSR 1941 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen r1b1qr2/p4p2/1p2pk2/4N1bp/7P/2PQ2B1/P5P1/1B5K 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Mikenas 1 bname Lebegyev 1 k Not much work to be done here to pull the king to the open. 10 k Can you find the quick mate? 10 k White moves, 45 seconds ... 45 e5g4 k Kg7 now fails to Qh7 mate... 10 k and Ke7 fails to Qd6 mate. 10 k So, black must take the knight... 8 h5g4 g3e5 k Pulling the king further to the open. 10 f6e5 d3d4 k mate 10 k Example 3: Ivkov vs Ingerslev, Moskau 1956 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen 2r3kr/5pp1/7p/3PQRb1/ppq1B3/8/PPP3PP/1K1R4 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Ivkov 1 bname Ingerslev 1 k Black's position already looks strange. (enclosed Rook at h8) 10 k How did white exploit his superior position? 10 k White moves, 45 seconds... 45 f5f7 k Typically destroying the pawn shelter and pulling the king to the open. 12 g8f7 e5e6 f7f8 k White ensured that the black king can't escape. Now he starts thinking about mate. 10 k How would you continue the attack? 15 e4g6 c4c7 k Black narrowly defends against immediate mate. How does white increase the pressure? 20 d1e1 k After this powerful move, white threatens Qe8+ RxQe8 RxRe8 mate. 12 k The only defense against that mate would be Qd8, but that fails to Qf7 mate. 15 k Black resigned. 8 k Example 4: Marjasin vs Kapengut, USSR 1969 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen r1b3r1/pp3kbQ/4pBp1/q1p1Pp2/3p4/2P1P3/1P1KB1P1/3R3R 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Marjasin 1 bname Kapengut 1 k At first sight, it might seem that the white king is more in danger than the black one. 12 k What's your opinion? 10 k White moves, 60 seconds... 60 h7g6 k A very bold method for pulling the king to the open. 10 f7g6 k Having played the queen sacrifice you must have seen all the following... 15 e2h5 g6h7 h5f7 g7h6 k Black found some shelter, but... 15 h1h6 h7h6 d1h1 k ate. You would like such a finish in one of your games, wouldn't you? 12 k Example 5: Miles vs Wedberg, Stockholm 1976 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen rnbr4/1pq2pk1/p2p3p/2pP2pQ/2N5/2PB2P1/P5PP/R4RK1 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Miles 1 bname Wedberg 1 k This is a much more 'calm' example. 10 k How did white pull the black king to the open? 10 k White moves, 45 seconds... 45 f1f6 k A calm move, but very strong. White simply threatens Qxh6. 12 k If black defends h6 by means of Rh8, white simply plays Ra-f1, when f7 cannot be protected. 15 k So, black has no choice: he must take the Rook. 10 g7f6 k the rest is simple: 10 h5h6 f6e7 a1e1 e7d7 d3f5 k mate 8 k Example 6: Keres vs Foldesepp, Correspondence 1932 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen rn4qr/p1ppkp1p/bp1b1n2/4N3/2PPP1p1/2N3P1/PP2B1K1/R1B2Q1R 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Keres 1 bname Foldesepp 1 k In this correspondence game, white worked out a brilliant finish. 12 k Can you calculate the variation through the end? 12 k White moves, 75 seconds... 75 f1f6 k That looks nice, but you must have calculated until the end. e7f6 k How does white continue? 18 c3d5 k Kg7 now fails to the beautiful Bh6 mate, so black has no choice... 15 f6e6 k White would like to play Bxg4 here, but the black Queen protects g4. How does white continue? 18 h1h6 k f7-f6 now fails to Rxf6 mate, so black tries. g8g6 k The black queen is now pinned, so white can play... e2g4 f7f5 g4f5 k mate. That looks great, especially if you are on the white side :-) 15 k Example 7: Petrossian vs Pachmann, Bled 1961 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen r1br4/1p2npkp/3Bpbp1/pqp5/2N1R3/1P1P1QP1/1PP2PBP/R5K1 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Petrosian 1 bname Pachmann 1 k Ex World-Champion Petrosian usually played slow strategical chess. 12 k This does not mean he was a bad tactician. 10 k Considering the previous examples, you'll probably guess the first move quickly. Do you also see move 3? 15 k White moves, 75 seconds... 75 f3f6 k Business as usual. 8 g7f6 d6e5 k Preventing the king from going back to g7. 10 k Black can play Kf5 or Kg5 here; let's first consider Kf5: 15 f6f5 k White now has a mate in 3 ... 20 e4f4 f5g5 e5f6 g5h5 f4h4 k mate; let's now go back to the game. 5 back 6 k Black tried Kg5 instead of Kf5. 8 f6g5 k This is the crucial point of Petrosian's combination: 10 k White is now faced with the problem of preventing the king from going back behind the pawn shelter. 15 k What was Petrosian's idea? 20 e5g7 k Extremely strong!! The bishop at g7 controls both the black king's escape squares: f6 and h6. 15 k The black king will soon be mated: e7f5 h2h4 f5h4 g3h4 k On Kf5, Bh3 mate follows, so black tries: g5h5 g2f3 k mate. 5 k You should remember this example, especially the move Bg7!!. 10 k Pulling the king to the open is not sufficient; you must ensure it stays there! 15 k Example 8: Unzicker vs Antoschin, Szocsi 1965 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen 2r1r1k1/5ppp/pq3b2/2pB1P2/2p2B2/5Q1P/Pn3PP1/2R1R1K1 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Unzicker 1 bname Antoschin 1 k Things are getting a bit more difficult now... 10 k The first move might seem obvious, but do you see all the complications? 15 k White moves, 75 seconds... 75 d5f7 k Everyone probably got that. g8f7 f3d5 f7f8 k The next move should be easy... 15 f4d6 k Black now has the choice of Re7 or Be7; let's first consider Be7... f6e7 k The next move is very typical... 12 e1e7 e8e7 k Can you find white's next move? 20 d5e6 k Very strong: white attacks both black rooks and prepares the following... 15 c8e8 k There follows of course... 10 d6e7 k Winning the Queen. Let's go back to the game. 10 back 6 k Black tried Re7 instead of Be7. 8 e8e7 k Which strong move now increases the pressure? 20 e1e6 k Preparing Rc-e1 and threatening Bxe7+, winning the Queen. 12 k Let's look what happens if black tries to save his Queen: 10 b6a7 e6f6 k White eliminates a vital defender. 8 g7f6 d5e6 k Attacking both Rooks. c8e8 c1e1 k White now threatens Qxf6+ followed by taking on e7. 12 k Black is helpless, so let's go back to the game. 10 back 6 k Instead of Qa7 black tried the ingenius Rd8. 8 c8d8 k Black pins the Bishop at d6, but white nevertheless gets the better of it: 15 d6e7 f6e7 e6b6 d8d5 b6b2 k Two Rooks versus Rook + Bishop should be no problem. Black resigned. 12 k Example 9: Pinter vs Arhipov, Balatonbereny 1983 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen r1bqkb1r/pp1npppp/4n3/2p1N3/2B1P3/2N5/PP1P1PPP/R1BQ1K1R 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Pinter 1 bname Arhipov 1 k If you plan some sacrifices here, you must ensure the black king won't escape. 15 k White moves, 75 seconds... 75 e5f7 k The first sacrifice... e8f7 c4e6 k The second sacrifice... f7e6 k How would you prevent the black king from escaping? 20 d1b3 k Black now has the choice going to the Queenside or to the Kingside. 10 k Let's look what could happen if he heads for the Queenside. e6d6 c3b5 d6c6 b3e6 c6b5 a2a4 b5a5 b2b4 c5b4 e6d5 a5b6 c1b2 e7e5 a4a5 b6a6 d5c4 b7b5 c4c6 d7b6 a5b6 k mate. Let's go back to the game. 8 back 20 k Black went to the kingside. 8 e6f6 c3d5 f6f7 k How do you prevent Ke8? 12 d5c7 f7g6 k Should white grab on a8 or is there a better choice? 20 c7e6 d8e8 e6f4 k Now the black king won't escape. 8 g6g5 h2h4 g5h6 b3g3 e8g6 k White could, of course, win playing NxQ, but he wants more. 20 g3g5 g6g5 h4g5 h6g5 h1h5 g5f4 k Kf6 now fails to Rf5 mate, so black tried: 10 d2d3 f4g4 h5g5 g4h4 g2g3 h4h3 g5h5 h3g4 h5h4 g4f3 h4f4 k mate. 5 k You might ask if one must calculate this whole 18-move variation on move 1? Of course not! 15 k You just need to ensure the king won't be able to go back behind his pawn shelter. The king won't survive in the long run. 15 k Example 10: Kolcov vs Nikiforov, USSR 1974 3 bsetup 1 bsetup fen r5k1/1p3p1p/p1pqrPp1/3bN3/8/P1P3Q1/1P4PP/4RRK1 1 bsetup wcastle none 1 bsetup bcastle none 1 tomove white 1 bsetup done 1 wname Kolcov 1 bname Nikiforov 1 k In this last example, white found a very imaginative way for using his Queen. 15 k White moves, 75 seconds... 75 e5f7 k QxQ does not help here, because white plays Nh6+ before recapturing the Queen. 15 g8f7 k How does white prepare the decisive attack of his Queen ? 20 e1e6 k Again, QxQ does not help because of Re7+. 10 d6e6 g3c7 f7e8 k How does white prepare further action of his Queen? 20 f6f7 e8f8 k White now finishes the game with a series of beautiful geometrical moves. 12 k Can you find the idea? 20 c7f4 k Threatening Qh6. 8 g6g5 k Which is the next Queen move ? 15 f4d4 k Threatening Qh8. 8 f8e7 k What is the final move? 20 d4c5 k f7-f8Q cannot be prevented. Black resigned. 15 k That final manoeuvre Qc7-f4-d4-c5 shows why chess can be considered an art. 15 k I hope you enjoyed the lesson! These and many more examples can be downloaded in chessbase format at http://webplaza.pt.lu/public/ckaber 20