Two lines needed more examination:
a) 35.Kh2 fxg3+ 36.Kxg3
Black to move
b) 36.Kxf3 Qh1+ 37.Kf4
Black to move
Take a Break...Enjoy the Harmonica Duel
20 hours ago
04 April 2025
Remarkable King Pursuit
While exploring with a student some variations in a game with a dynamic imbalance yesterday, we came upon this position with Black to move.
At first it was surprising that the engine found the position equal. Then, we saw 34...Qa1+ 35.Kg2 f3+ 36.exf3 and Black forces stalemate with 36...Qg1+ (or h1).
Two lines needed more examination:
a) 35.Kh2 fxg3+ 36.Kxg3
36...Qg1+ 37.Kf4 Qxf2+ 38.Ke5 and Black's queen should be able to continue checks until there is a repetition or the queen is captured by the king without blocking the bishop's control of h7 nor the rook's control of the g-file.
b) 36.Kxf3 Qh1+ 37.Kf4
Here, Stockfish 16 favors 37...Qc1+, but I like the simple aesthetics of 37...Qf3+, which is easier to calculate. Two moves result in stalemate--capturing the queen with pawn or king. 38.Ke5 drops the rook and shifts the advantage to Black. That leaves 38.Kg5 and Black has a mate in two: stalemate, that is.
Two lines needed more examination:
a) 35.Kh2 fxg3+ 36.Kxg3
b) 36.Kxf3 Qh1+ 37.Kf4
31 March 2025
Clumsy
In an online game yesterday, I managed to trap my own queen. Nonetheless, I had compensation until I missed some things that should have been clear. Later, I dodged my opponent's forced draw with a losing move. Trouble begins at move 24.
24...Rab8?
This move surrenders most of my advantage.
24...Qxd2+ 25.Kxd2 Bc6+-+
That I have been looking at discoveries in Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Tactical Chess Positions (2020) makes this oversight even more distressing.
25.Qxa7 Ne5?
25...Rxb2! 26.Rxd3 exd3 27.Qa3 Rc2 was a little more difficult to see, but I could have done more to find ways to use my greater piece activity and the vulnerability of the White king.
26.Rxd3 Nxd3+
27.Ke2?!
27.Kf1 Rxb2 is equal. White's apparent material superiority includes a rook with near zero prospects of deployment.
27...Rxb2 28.Kd1
28...Kf1 is better.
28...Nxf2+ 29.Kc1 30.Kd1-+
Black has a bishop and rook for the queen. White's rook remains on its starting square.
Rxg2??=
I considered 30...Be8, but failed to see a clear way forward after 31.Qc7. It should not have been difficult to see 31...Nf2+ 32.Ke1 Rdd2 and checkmate should come soon.
30...f4 was an alternative to which I was oblivious. 31.h3 Be8 and now 32.Qc7 is met with a clear mate threat 32...fxe3! White must give up the queen.
31.Qc7 Rc8 32.Qxd7 Nf2+? 33.Ke1?
33.Kd2 gives White an advantage
33...Nd3
Here, I was sure that I could force a draw if necessary, but that is an illusion. However, my threats render it necessary for White to force a draw with checks by the queen.
34.Kf1 Rf2+ 35.Kg1 Rxc3
36.Qd5+ Kf8 37.Qd8+ Kf7 38.Qd7+ Kf8 39.Qd6+ Ke8??
Of course, surrendering to the repetition with either 39...Kg7 or 39...Kf7 was the correct course.
40.Qe6++-
My king is forced to a dark square where the queen can fork my king and rook.
I could have resigned here, but played on as my opponent was behind on the clock. White's rook became active in the final assault on my king.
Black to move
This move surrenders most of my advantage.
24...Qxd2+ 25.Kxd2 Bc6+-+
That I have been looking at discoveries in Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Tactical Chess Positions (2020) makes this oversight even more distressing.
25.Qxa7 Ne5?
25...Rxb2! 26.Rxd3 exd3 27.Qa3 Rc2 was a little more difficult to see, but I could have done more to find ways to use my greater piece activity and the vulnerability of the White king.
26.Rxd3 Nxd3+
White to move
27.Kf1 Rxb2 is equal. White's apparent material superiority includes a rook with near zero prospects of deployment.
27...Rxb2 28.Kd1
28...Kf1 is better.
28...Nxf2+ 29.Kc1 30.Kd1-+
Black has a bishop and rook for the queen. White's rook remains on its starting square.
Black to move
I considered 30...Be8, but failed to see a clear way forward after 31.Qc7. It should not have been difficult to see 31...Nf2+ 32.Ke1 Rdd2 and checkmate should come soon.
30...f4 was an alternative to which I was oblivious. 31.h3 Be8 and now 32.Qc7 is met with a clear mate threat 32...fxe3! White must give up the queen.
31.Qc7 Rc8 32.Qxd7 Nf2+? 33.Ke1?
33.Kd2 gives White an advantage
33...Nd3
Here, I was sure that I could force a draw if necessary, but that is an illusion. However, my threats render it necessary for White to force a draw with checks by the queen.
34.Kf1 Rf2+ 35.Kg1 Rxc3
White to move
36.Qd5+ Kf8 37.Qd8+ Kf7 38.Qd7+ Kf8 39.Qd6+ Ke8??
Of course, surrendering to the repetition with either 39...Kg7 or 39...Kf7 was the correct course.
40.Qe6++-
Black to move
I could have resigned here, but played on as my opponent was behind on the clock. White's rook became active in the final assault on my king.
23 March 2025
Lessons from the Dragonslayer
The Dragonslayer is Spokane's oldest youth chess tournament, dating back to the late-1990s. I have been coaching at the host school since 2011. The prior coach was my opponent in the game featured in the inaugural post for Chess Skills in November 2007.
The 2025 Dragonslayer was held yesterday. There were 36 players representing 17 teams.
Some observations:
New players made a difference. A newcomer playing his first tournament led four 4.0 finishers to take home the second place trophy. Two of the second place team's top scorers were playing their first event as well.
Time management made a difference. One player won on time with only two pawns against two queens, a rook, and at least another pawn.
Basic checkmate skills mattered. One game ended in stalemate when the player with the queen did not see the mate in one and moved the queen to the wrong square. Another player in time pressure missed a mate in one. One player who drew a difficult game where both players in time pressure missed chances, did not see a forced mate in two with Nf6+ followed by Rg8# (Arabian mate).
Endgame skills made a difference. There were dozens of pawn promotions, many preventable by the opponent. There were as many as three queens in the possession of one side in games that I witnessed.
Many of my students this next week will see some positions that I recall or was able to capture with my phone.
Here or a few moves later, White brought the knight to g5. Also over several moves Black's rook on f8 went back to its starting square, Black's queen went to c8, and an exchange of bishops left White's queen on e7 with a mate in one. Black won the game.
I was called to the board by a player who was offered a draw and wanted to know whether acceptance was obligatory. I said it was not, and with the material on the board, the offer could be considered rude. This was the position.
Black played Qc7?? instead of Qh6#.
In the last game of the tournament to finish, one of my students missed an opportunity here (creating the position from memory, I reversed the colors).
Earlier is this game, they had this position (reconstructed from a photograph, hence the colors are correct).
Readers, especially young chess players, are encouraged to consider how they would play these positions. Any comments left with suggestions will receive a response.
The 2025 Dragonslayer was held yesterday. There were 36 players representing 17 teams.
Some observations:
New players made a difference. A newcomer playing his first tournament led four 4.0 finishers to take home the second place trophy. Two of the second place team's top scorers were playing their first event as well.
Time management made a difference. One player won on time with only two pawns against two queens, a rook, and at least another pawn.
Basic checkmate skills mattered. One game ended in stalemate when the player with the queen did not see the mate in one and moved the queen to the wrong square. Another player in time pressure missed a mate in one. One player who drew a difficult game where both players in time pressure missed chances, did not see a forced mate in two with Nf6+ followed by Rg8# (Arabian mate).
Endgame skills made a difference. There were dozens of pawn promotions, many preventable by the opponent. There were as many as three queens in the possession of one side in games that I witnessed.
Many of my students this next week will see some positions that I recall or was able to capture with my phone.
White to move
I was called to the board by a player who was offered a draw and wanted to know whether acceptance was obligatory. I said it was not, and with the material on the board, the offer could be considered rude. This was the position.
Black to move
In the last game of the tournament to finish, one of my students missed an opportunity here (creating the position from memory, I reversed the colors).
White to move
Black to move
22 March 2025
Fighting Spirit
As noted in a couple of recent posts,* I prefer to play on in seemingly equal positions. Yesterday, a player rated above 2000 was not having a good game against me and I won a piece through a fork. Later in the game, my own error allowed a fork that returned the material. Then the exchange of queens gave us an ending with two rooks each after only 28 moves. The game went on another 50 moves.
42...Kh5??
Either Ra3 or Rb2 holds things equal.
43.h3?
My failure returns the game to equal. 43.h4 was the winning move.
43...a4?? 44.bxa4+- Rxa4 45.Rxc5 Ra1+ 46.Kg2 Ra2+ 47.Kf3 Ra3+
At this point, I was fairly certain that my position was winning, but spent another full minute finding the way to proceed.
48.Kf2 Ra2+ 49.Ke1 Rg2
58.Rg5
Sensible would be 58.Rf8 Rxc5 59.Kg4 cutting Black's king off from the activity on the g- and h-files. The c-pawn is not important.
58...Kf3 59.Rd5 Rc1 60.Rd3+ Ke4 61.Rd8 Rxc5 62.Rf8 Rc7 63.h5 Rh7 64.Kh4 Ke5 65.g4 Ke6 66.g5 Ke7 67.Rf4
White to move
Stripes,J (1802) -- Internet Opponent (2011) [D09]
Live Chess Chess.com, 21.03.2025
29.Rxe3 Rf2 30.Rd7 Rxa2 31.Ree7
At this point, I knew that I could not lose and considered forcing a draw.
31...a5 32.Rg7+ Kf8 33.Rgf7+ Ke8 34.Rde7+ Kd8 35.Rd7+ Ke8 36.Rfe7+ Kf8
It may have been here that the first draw offer was made by my opponent. He made two.
Live Chess Chess.com, 21.03.2025
29.Rxe3 Rf2 30.Rd7 Rxa2 31.Ree7
At this point, I knew that I could not lose and considered forcing a draw.
31...a5 32.Rg7+ Kf8 33.Rgf7+ Ke8 34.Rde7+ Kd8 35.Rd7+ Ke8 36.Rfe7+ Kf8
It may have been here that the first draw offer was made by my opponent. He made two.
White to move
37.Rxh7 Kg8 38.Rdg7+ Kf8
Here, I spent 90 seconds in a ten minute game considering whether I wanted to play on or force the draw, concluding that best play will result in a draw. Nonetheless, with better pawn structure, I risked very little playing on. Moreover, I could force the exchange of one set of rooks.
39.Rxg6 Rd8
Black threatens checkmate in one.
40.Rh8+ Kf7 41.Rxd8 Kxg6 42.Rd5
Here, I spent 90 seconds in a ten minute game considering whether I wanted to play on or force the draw, concluding that best play will result in a draw. Nonetheless, with better pawn structure, I risked very little playing on. Moreover, I could force the exchange of one set of rooks.
39.Rxg6 Rd8
Black threatens checkmate in one.
40.Rh8+ Kf7 41.Rxd8 Kxg6 42.Rd5
Black to move
42...Kh5??
Either Ra3 or Rb2 holds things equal.
43.h3?
My failure returns the game to equal. 43.h4 was the winning move.
43...a4?? 44.bxa4+- Rxa4 45.Rxc5 Ra1+ 46.Kg2 Ra2+ 47.Kf3 Ra3+
White to move
48.Kf2 Ra2+ 49.Ke1 Rg2
White to move
On the second opportunity to take advantage of the pin, I saw it.
50.h4! Kg4
50...Rxg3 51.Rxg5+ Rxg5 52.hxg5 Kxg5 leads to a position where White must move to the left of the pawn to successfully gain control of the key squares. An example appears on the first page of Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (2003).
51.Rxg5+
Two connected passed pawns with a rook leading them down the board are nearly always decisive.
51...Kf3 52.c5 Ke3 53.Kf1 Rf2+ 54.Kg1 Rc2 55.Rf5 Rc1+ 56.Kg2 Rc2+ 57.Kh3 Ke4
50.h4! Kg4
50...Rxg3 51.Rxg5+ Rxg5 52.hxg5 Kxg5 leads to a position where White must move to the left of the pawn to successfully gain control of the key squares. An example appears on the first page of Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (2003).
51.Rxg5+
Two connected passed pawns with a rook leading them down the board are nearly always decisive.
51...Kf3 52.c5 Ke3 53.Kf1 Rf2+ 54.Kg1 Rc2 55.Rf5 Rc1+ 56.Kg2 Rc2+ 57.Kh3 Ke4
White to move
58.Rg5
Sensible would be 58.Rf8 Rxc5 59.Kg4 cutting Black's king off from the activity on the g- and h-files. The c-pawn is not important.
58...Kf3 59.Rd5 Rc1 60.Rd3+ Ke4 61.Rd8 Rxc5 62.Rf8 Rc7 63.h5 Rh7 64.Kh4 Ke5 65.g4 Ke6 66.g5 Ke7 67.Rf4
Black to move
67...Rf7
67...Ke6 at least forces me to show that I know what I'm doing. Offering the trade of rooks makes for a simple pawn ending, which the computer finds that I played perfectly. My opponent took the game all the way to checkmate.
68.Rxf7+ Kxf7 69.Kg4 Kg7 70.Kf5 Kh8 71.Kf6 Kg8 72.g6 Kh8 73.g7+ Kg8 74.h6 Kh7 75.Kf7 Kxh6 76.g8Q Kh5 77.Qg3 Kh6 78.Qh4# 1-0
*"Playing Drawn Endgames" and "Equal is not yet Drawn".
67...Ke6 at least forces me to show that I know what I'm doing. Offering the trade of rooks makes for a simple pawn ending, which the computer finds that I played perfectly. My opponent took the game all the way to checkmate.
68.Rxf7+ Kxf7 69.Kg4 Kg7 70.Kf5 Kh8 71.Kf6 Kg8 72.g6 Kh8 73.g7+ Kg8 74.h6 Kh7 75.Kf7 Kxh6 76.g8Q Kh5 77.Qg3 Kh6 78.Qh4# 1-0
*"Playing Drawn Endgames" and "Equal is not yet Drawn".
21 March 2025
Informant 162
I’ve been a fan of Chess Informant nearly 30 years and have been a subscriber for more than a decade. Sometimes the book gathers dust unread. Other times, I go through many of the games or study an article or two. Since Informant 162 arrived on Monday, I’ve been reading the articles and looking at some games.
I watched some of the World Championship live and looked through all the games, usually the day they were played. Now, with the first article in Informant 162 devoted to the match, I have been revisiting the games. Following a two page synopsis of the ups and downs of the dramatic match by Igor Žveglić, Ivan Ivanišević offers additional narrative and annotated the games.
Ding Liren’s match losing blunder is presented as an exercise: “The position is a draw, but Ding successfully ‘composed’ the loss! Guess how?” (35) Four other positions are presented as exercises.
The second article concerns the European Championship and has seven games or game fragments. I spent a bit of time marveling at the ending in Derakhshani,B.—Ivanišević,I. After 53…d2, this position was reached.
Ding Liren’s match losing blunder is presented as an exercise: “The position is a draw, but Ding successfully ‘composed’ the loss! Guess how?” (35) Four other positions are presented as exercises.
The second article concerns the European Championship and has seven games or game fragments. I spent a bit of time marveling at the ending in Derakhshani,B.—Ivanišević,I. After 53…d2, this position was reached.
White to move
In the end, Black's five passed pawns were more than White's extra rook and bishop could cope with.
The next two articles concern openings: a reasonably thorough exploration of White’s options in the Budapest Gambit and one on the Makogonov variation of the King’s Indian Defense, again with suggestions for the White player looking for a comfortable game.
“Michael’s Musings” by Michael Prusikin looks at long king walks and will command my attention sometime in the next couple of days.
Ivan Martić offers a brief article about Roman Shogdzhiev, who turns ten years old this year, and at the time of writing has met the requirements for the FIDE Master title and has one IM norm. There are four games.
Ian Rogers looks back on Garry Kasparov’s international debut and his own performance in the same event. He includes his loss to Kasparov late in the event. I’ve only started the article. I usually read Rogers’ articles when each new issue arrives.
I have not yet read the article on correspondence chess, nor looked at the usual elements that are standard in Informant: best game of the previous volume, most important novelty of the prior issue, studies, combinations, endings, and 200 games.
The next two articles concern openings: a reasonably thorough exploration of White’s options in the Budapest Gambit and one on the Makogonov variation of the King’s Indian Defense, again with suggestions for the White player looking for a comfortable game.
“Michael’s Musings” by Michael Prusikin looks at long king walks and will command my attention sometime in the next couple of days.
Ivan Martić offers a brief article about Roman Shogdzhiev, who turns ten years old this year, and at the time of writing has met the requirements for the FIDE Master title and has one IM norm. There are four games.
Ian Rogers looks back on Garry Kasparov’s international debut and his own performance in the same event. He includes his loss to Kasparov late in the event. I’ve only started the article. I usually read Rogers’ articles when each new issue arrives.
I have not yet read the article on correspondence chess, nor looked at the usual elements that are standard in Informant: best game of the previous volume, most important novelty of the prior issue, studies, combinations, endings, and 200 games.
19 March 2025
Lesson of the Week
Last week and this, most of my students are seeing a number of positions where correct play leads to a draw. Some are composed; several are from recent games. This one may be the most difficult. It was composed by Herman Mattison and published in Wiener Neueste Nachrichten (1931).*
The next one is of a different character. After the first move, variations are not forcing. Nonetheless, Black should be able to hold. It arose in a game that I played last week. To confirm that it is indeed drawn, I played the position against Stockfish 16 this morning. The position arose at move 47 and the game against Stockfish ended with a repetition at move 128. In the actual game, we repeated at move 113. My opponent, who had White, was critically short of time.
I also used this one, which is derived from a composition by Gioachino Greco that appears in the Orsini (1620) and Lorraine (1621) manuscripts. I’ve reversed colors.
Several basic pawn endings and rook endings were among those my students were presented to solve. This important position appeared in Gligoric,S.--Fischer,R., Candidates Tournament 1959. It is the first endgame position in Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Chess Positions (2018).
As always, if you post answers in the comments, I will respond.
Clicking on the tag "Problem of the Week" takes you to posts about what I've been teaching in after school chess clubs over several years.
*I did not check the original source, but both Yochanan Afek, Anthology of Miniature Endgame Studies (2022) and Harold van der Heijden Endgame Study Database VI (2020) list the source and date.
White to move
The next one is of a different character. After the first move, variations are not forcing. Nonetheless, Black should be able to hold. It arose in a game that I played last week. To confirm that it is indeed drawn, I played the position against Stockfish 16 this morning. The position arose at move 47 and the game against Stockfish ended with a repetition at move 128. In the actual game, we repeated at move 113. My opponent, who had White, was critically short of time.
Black to move
I also used this one, which is derived from a composition by Gioachino Greco that appears in the Orsini (1620) and Lorraine (1621) manuscripts. I’ve reversed colors.
White to move
Black to move
Clicking on the tag "Problem of the Week" takes you to posts about what I've been teaching in after school chess clubs over several years.
*I did not check the original source, but both Yochanan Afek, Anthology of Miniature Endgame Studies (2022) and Harold van der Heijden Endgame Study Database VI (2020) list the source and date.
15 March 2025
Tactics Training
These days, it seems that I spend more time doing puzzles online (chessdotcom mostly, but also Lichess and Chess Tempo) than working with positions in books. Still, for serious improvement in tactical vision and calculation, books are superior.
After racing through Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Chess Positions (2018) in less than three months, I’m more highly motivated to keep 300 Most Important Tactical Chess Positions (2020) near the center of my chess activities through the rest of 2025. Four of the first five positions in the book have forcing continuations that run deep enough that I anticipate some challenge working through the book. Difficulty makes the enterprise worthwhile.
Today’s position arose in Mason,J.—Winawer,S., Vienna 1882. Engqvist’s analysis is instructive. At least three problems for players at different levels can be extracted from Mason’s combination.
Engqvist's position is before Mason's 40.Rxg5 (see photograph). If Black refuses the rook sacrifice, 40...Qf8 41.Rg6 controls the sixth rank. Then, 41...Rxf5
42.Qxf5! Qxf5 43.Rg7+ Nd7 44.Rxd7+ Kc8 45.Rxb8+ (only move) 45...Kxb8 46.Rb7+ and whichever way Black's king steps, Black's queen is coming off the board and White has a winning endgame.
After the line played in the game (40.Rxg5 hxg5 41.Qh7+ Nd7 42.Bxd7 Qg8--this position appeared as a exercise on chessgames.com in 2003--43.Rb7+ Kxb7), there is a more basic exercise position.
The discovery (44.Bc8+) is Engqvist's theme for this exercise, and the interference is an important aspect of why it works. Posters on chessgames.com and Engqvist valorize Mason's technique bringing home the full point for the resulting ending of queen and bishop vs. two rooks.
Today’s position arose in Mason,J.—Winawer,S., Vienna 1882. Engqvist’s analysis is instructive. At least three problems for players at different levels can be extracted from Mason’s combination.
Engqvist's position is before Mason's 40.Rxg5 (see photograph). If Black refuses the rook sacrifice, 40...Qf8 41.Rg6 controls the sixth rank. Then, 41...Rxf5
White to move
After the line played in the game (40.Rxg5 hxg5 41.Qh7+ Nd7 42.Bxd7 Qg8--this position appeared as a exercise on chessgames.com in 2003--43.Rb7+ Kxb7), there is a more basic exercise position.
White to move
The Superiority of Books
For beginning students, the sequencing in such books as Sergey Ivashchenko, Manual of Chess Combinations (1997) and Susan Polgar, A World Champion’s Guide to Chess (2015) will lead to much more rapid growth in tactics skill than random positions online. Of course, with certain membership levels, chessdotcom and Chess Tempo allow training with particular themes and rating levels, so these can be tweaked with appropriate guidance.
For players who know basic patterns, but need work on strengthening calculation skills and assessing resulting positions after a combination, such books as Mark Dvoretsky, Secrets of Chess Tactics (1992), Paata Gaprindashvili, Imagination in Chess (2004), and Cyrus Lakdawala, Tactical Training (2021) offer abundant exercises.
Yakov Nieshtadt, Improve Your Chess Tactics (2012) is highly regarded for its organizational scheme and definitions, while Yuri Averbakh, Chess Tactics for Advanced Players (1992) articulates a notion of contacts that should be more common in chess literature.
For players who know basic patterns, but need work on strengthening calculation skills and assessing resulting positions after a combination, such books as Mark Dvoretsky, Secrets of Chess Tactics (1992), Paata Gaprindashvili, Imagination in Chess (2004), and Cyrus Lakdawala, Tactical Training (2021) offer abundant exercises.
Yakov Nieshtadt, Improve Your Chess Tactics (2012) is highly regarded for its organizational scheme and definitions, while Yuri Averbakh, Chess Tactics for Advanced Players (1992) articulates a notion of contacts that should be more common in chess literature.
12 March 2025
Fingerslip
Playing chess on the iPad, I will drop a piece one square short of its intended destination from time to time. Often this fingerslip is fatal to the game. Likewise, playing on the computer, mouseslips are a constant danger. One day, I had five mouseslips in five games. When I flipped the rodent over for examination, I discovered that a dog hair had lodged itself where it partially covered the optical reader. Removing the dog hair improved my play.
In Nottingham 1936 (1936), Alexander Alekhine claimed his 4.Bd2 in the first round against Salo Flohr was a "lapsus manus", a slip of the hand (17). He says that his intent was to play 4.e5 and 5.f4, as he had against Aron Nimzowitsch six years earlier. David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld doubt Alekhine's explanation, pointing to the move having been played against him in 1910 (Oxford Companion to Chess, 2nd ed. [1996], 136). It is from Alekhine's remark, apparently, that the Fingerslip variation gets its name:
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2!?
This variation was brought to my attention by two games in P.H. Clarke, 100 Soviet Chess Miniatures (1963), both games won by White with rapid assaults on an uncastled king.
According to ChessBase Mega 2024, this move appears in just over 2% of French Winawer games.
The usual continuation leads to messy tactics and a material advantage for Black.
4...dxe4 5.Qg4 Qxd4
5...Nf6 is safer, according to Clarke, and is more commonly played according to the database. 5...Qxd4 was played in both Soviet miniatures in the text. Both games continued:
6.O-O-O f5 7.Bg5
Here they diverge.
Kunin,V.--Ochsengoit, Moscow 1958 continued:
9...Qa5
Clarke writes, "Black has failed--and who can blame him?" (54).
Clarke offers 9...exf3 10.Qxb4 and then analyzes three possibilities, none of which include 10...Nf6, which Stockfish finds equal. The game ended quickly after Black's ninth move.
10.Bb5 Nc6 11.Ne5+ and Black resigned.
Black struggled longer in the second game, also absent from ChessBase Mega but on chessgames.com: Serebriany -- Ivanov, Magnitogorsk 1959. Mato Jelic also offers the game on his YouTube channel, but incorrectly states that it was played in the Soviet Championship. Perhaps it was a regional qualifier for the championship. Clarke indicates that is was the championship of Magnitogorsk, a city east of the Southern Ural Mountains.
Black continued:
8.Qh3 Bd6
Clarke states that this move is an error, but offers no alternative.
9.Bb5+ Bd7
Clarke offers some analysis of variations after 9...Nc6.
"Now Black gets a nasty shock" (Clarke, 96).
10.Nxe4
10...Bf4+?
Clarke notes correctly that this is a fatal error. He recommends, 10...Qb6, when it is not clear that White can win after 11.Bxd7 Nxd7 12.Nxd6+ cxd6 13.Nf3. However, White has 11.Nxd6+ cxd6 12.Be2 and there are still possibilities of making the Black king uncomfortable.
14.Bxc7!
Eliminates a defender.
14...Qxc7 15.Nd6+ Kf8 16.Nxb5 Qe7 17.Rhe1
All of White's pieces are in play while Black's knights and rooks remain on their starting squares.
17...Nc6 18.Nbd4 Nd8
19.Nxf5! Qc5 20.Ne5 Nf6 21.Nd6 Kg8 22.Nxb7 1-0
In Nottingham 1936 (1936), Alexander Alekhine claimed his 4.Bd2 in the first round against Salo Flohr was a "lapsus manus", a slip of the hand (17). He says that his intent was to play 4.e5 and 5.f4, as he had against Aron Nimzowitsch six years earlier. David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld doubt Alekhine's explanation, pointing to the move having been played against him in 1910 (Oxford Companion to Chess, 2nd ed. [1996], 136). It is from Alekhine's remark, apparently, that the Fingerslip variation gets its name:
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2!?
This variation was brought to my attention by two games in P.H. Clarke, 100 Soviet Chess Miniatures (1963), both games won by White with rapid assaults on an uncastled king.
Black to move
The usual continuation leads to messy tactics and a material advantage for Black.
4...dxe4 5.Qg4 Qxd4
5...Nf6 is safer, according to Clarke, and is more commonly played according to the database. 5...Qxd4 was played in both Soviet miniatures in the text. Both games continued:
6.O-O-O f5 7.Bg5
Black to move
Kunin,V.--Ochsengoit, Moscow 1958 continued:
7...Qe5 8.Rd8+ Kf7 9.Nf3
ChessBase Mega does not have the game, but it can be found on chessgames.com. Clarke notes that the game was published in Shakhmaty v SSSR (2 Nov. 1959).
ChessBase Mega does not have the game, but it can be found on chessgames.com. Clarke notes that the game was published in Shakhmaty v SSSR (2 Nov. 1959).
Black to move
Clarke writes, "Black has failed--and who can blame him?" (54).
Clarke offers 9...exf3 10.Qxb4 and then analyzes three possibilities, none of which include 10...Nf6, which Stockfish finds equal. The game ended quickly after Black's ninth move.
10.Bb5 Nc6 11.Ne5+ and Black resigned.
Black struggled longer in the second game, also absent from ChessBase Mega but on chessgames.com: Serebriany -- Ivanov, Magnitogorsk 1959. Mato Jelic also offers the game on his YouTube channel, but incorrectly states that it was played in the Soviet Championship. Perhaps it was a regional qualifier for the championship. Clarke indicates that is was the championship of Magnitogorsk, a city east of the Southern Ural Mountains.
Black continued:
7...Qxf2
White to move
Clarke states that this move is an error, but offers no alternative.
9.Bb5+ Bd7
Clarke offers some analysis of variations after 9...Nc6.
"Now Black gets a nasty shock" (Clarke, 96).
10.Nxe4
Black to move
Clarke notes correctly that this is a fatal error. He recommends, 10...Qb6, when it is not clear that White can win after 11.Bxd7 Nxd7 12.Nxd6+ cxd6 13.Nf3. However, White has 11.Nxd6+ cxd6 12.Be2 and there are still possibilities of making the Black king uncomfortable.
11.Kb1+- Qe3 12.Nf3 Qb6 13.Bxf4 Bb5
White to move
Eliminates a defender.
14...Qxc7 15.Nd6+ Kf8 16.Nxb5 Qe7 17.Rhe1
All of White's pieces are in play while Black's knights and rooks remain on their starting squares.
17...Nc6 18.Nbd4 Nd8
White to move
09 March 2025
300 Most Important Chess Positions
A Book Review
If you follow Chess Skills, then you know that I've been working through Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Chess Positions (2018) at a pace far more accelerated than recommended by the author. When I announced this 60 day effort in December, I noted, “failure may be expected”. I worked through the last four positions this morning, the 74th day.
I heartily recommend this book. Studying five positions per week, as the author suggests, improves retention, and likely long-term benefits from study. Having raced through the book, I will be reviewing and deepening my study of many positions in the book over the coming months.
Engqvist’s 300 positions are selected from classical games, recent master practice, and compositions. Engqvist also includes some of his own most instructive losses. He is guided by a library of chess books, many years of playing, and experience coaching. The core idea of deep study of a limited number of positions developed from the way he was coached by Robert Danielsson while a young player. He studied positions from Ludek Pachman’s books on the middlegame and endgame.
I heartily recommend this book. Studying five positions per week, as the author suggests, improves retention, and likely long-term benefits from study. Having raced through the book, I will be reviewing and deepening my study of many positions in the book over the coming months.
Engqvist’s 300 positions are selected from classical games, recent master practice, and compositions. Engqvist also includes some of his own most instructive losses. He is guided by a library of chess books, many years of playing, and experience coaching. The core idea of deep study of a limited number of positions developed from the way he was coached by Robert Danielsson while a young player. He studied positions from Ludek Pachman’s books on the middlegame and endgame.
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| Alekhine builds his gun |
In the introduction, Engqvist makes a case for careful, disciplined study and focus on a limited number of positions per week. This contrasts markedly with Jeremy Silman's recollection that as a young chess player, he went through "200 to 500 games a day, every day" ("Studying Master Games and Berkmaster's First Over-the-Board Tournament Battle"). Silman claims that he absorbed tactical patterns and positional concepts in this manner. Engqvist advocates reflection and review with intent to "understand, grasp and assimilate the most important idea(s)" (9). He asserts that studying too many positions at once lead you to forget what you have learned. At the core of this learning process, he writes, is "to gain a deeper appreciation of the inner qualities of the pieces, their movements and their actual value in any specific position" (emphasis in original, 9).
By way of illustration, he offers this composition by Paul Rudolf von Bilguer from 1843.
By way of illustration, he offers this composition by Paul Rudolf von Bilguer from 1843.
White to move
The positions that he chooses are interesting, challenging, instructive, and practical. Most of them were tested with chess players who subscribed to an email course where they were presented five positions per week. Rarely is a single move or short sequence the solution that one must find while examining the position. Only a few offer long computer solutions as in the Bilguer study. A considerable number of positions feature equal or near equal positions from games where strong moves and persistent maneuvers eventually provoked error.
Many of the positions are suitable for training with a study partner. Engqvist recommends playing both sides with another person, or against the computer. Teaching the position to someone else improves retention he notes, and in my experience also depth of understanding. My young students often vex me with moves that were not anticipated in master commentary or computer analysis. The positions in this book are excellent resources for coaches. The day that I acquired this book in February 2019, I took it to a lesson with my top student. We looked at six endgames and then the first position in the book (see "A New Book and a Morphy Game"). The next few weeks, this student and I will be playing some of the rook and queen endings.
Emphasis is on positional concepts, rather than tactical operations. The author notes that this emphasis distinguishes his book from Lev Alburt, Chess Training Pocket Book: 300 Most Important Positions and Ideas (1997), which emphasizes tactics. Alburt also limits the number of endgames. He states that becoming a "strong player" requires knowledge of 12 key pawn endings, not hundreds (9). These 12 are in his Pocket Book. Alburt's book is the second one that I list in "Ten Books to Achieve 1800+".
Some positions in 300 Most Important Chess Positions are surprising, such as White’s second move in the English Opening, Sicilian Reversed.
White to move
But this position is placed alongside others (both English Opening and Sicilian Defense) with references to several games played by top players. There is plenty of study material in these games. I might also note that Engqvist’s opening choices reflected in the positions chosen offer more variety than those in another collection of 300 positions that I’ve spent time working through: Rashid Ziyatdinov, GM-RAM: Essential Grandmaster Knowledge (2000). Ziyatdinov’s positions stem from games where 1.e4 is the overwhelming choice.
An instructive sequence of positions that I found highly motivating began with Bologan,V.--Frolov,A., Moscow 1991, a Sicilian Defense, then in a variation continued with Anand,V.--Illescas Cordoba,M., Linares 1992 and reference to Karpov,A.--Kasparov,G., Moscow 1985. It continued with Bologan--Frolov for two more positions, then Marin,M.--Korneev,O., Capo d'Orso 2008 takes us through moves 2-4 through three positions in the English Opening, Sicilian Reversed.
The first position in the book is slightly less surprising, but with two book moves played by Adolf Anderssen and Paul Morphy, as well as many other players before and since, Engqvist’s preference for Morphy’s choice provokes reflection.
White to move
As I consider Morphy’s 9.Nc3 in the Evans Gambit or Mihai Marin’s view that after 1.c4 e5, 2.g3 is the most precise, I am reminded of my tendency to blitz out opening moves by rote and only begin thinking after an inaccuracy. Engqvist’s positions from very early in the game should help me to develop better habits. Thinking should begin before the first move, even if positions at move 10 are well-studied.
There are positions in this book that I have used with students for many years and there are positions that are wholly new to me. There are many positions with several pages of analysis and variations. There are positions that should be drawn, but one player was able to present sufficient difficulties to provoke error.
Ziyatdinov advocates memorizing the 56 games from which he draws the middlegame positions; Engqvist is more selective in games that he suggests the student commit to memory. Schulten -- Morphy, New York 1857, a King's Gambit that Morphy won in 21 moves, appears in both and I'm close to having it in my long-term memory. I have not yet started the effort to memorize Karpov,A.--Unzicker,W., Nice 1974, which is another suggestion of Engqvist's.
Several endgame positions that I played against Stockfish before or after reading Engqvist's notes drove me to dig into some of the volumes in Yuri Averbakh's eight-volume series.
Engqvist's analysis is fresh, lucid, and thought-provoking. Many of his memorable phrases guide me when they should--appropriate moments during play. For example, "Nimzowitsch tried to make his opponent tired and careless by doing nothing" (230). In Duras -- Nimzowitsch, San Sebastian 1912, more than twenty moves of rooks and kings were played in a completely equal endgame. Only when Duras erred did Nimzowitsch move a pawn.
I reflected on this lesson while playing online a completely drawn ending of bishop and knight versus bishop, and then nine moves prior to a draw by the 50-move rule, my opponent allowed a small combination that allowed me to win his bishop. That game, then, became my first opportunity to checkmate with bishop and knight that did not result from a deliberate underpromotion. Because of Engqvist's choice of positions, I had recently practiced that checkmate, too (see "Recognizing Known Positions").
300 Most Important Chess Positions was on my shelf nearly six years, serving as occasional study material and reference for finding positions suitable for some of my students. Now that I've been through every position, I will use it more actively.
I have a to do list that developed as I was going through the book. The list includes studying Jose Capablanca's analysis of a couple of his games in My Chess Career (1920), the only Capablanca authored book that I did not wholly read in 2021. Engqvist brought to my attention a game that Richard Reti analyzes in Master of the Chessboard (1930), which I intend to study. Some of Engqvist's analysis draws from Victor Bologan, Victor Bologan: Selected Games 1985-2004 (2007), and I added it to my library. The long rook endgames and queen endings are games worth reviewing periodically until I absorb their lessons.
Another task presented to me after racing through this book is that Engqvist has also published 300 Most Important Tactical Chess Positions (2020), 300 Most Important Chess Exercises (2022), and Chess Lessons from a Champion Coach (2023). Any or all of these books would be worth my time. Perhaps I'll continue to ignore Engqvist's advice on pacing, and race through his tactics book in the near future.
07 March 2025
Equal is not yet Drawn
In "Playing Drawn Endings", I noted some cases where grandmasters played on in technically drawn endings. Sometimes a draw offer was made and refused. Sometimes a player erred and lost.
When I awoke this morning, foremost on my mind were memories of a game when my lower rated opponent offered a draw in an equal position with plenty of play. It happens almost every day in online chess. One in particular took me some time to find in my history. It is notable because a position was reached that I use in training my students. Needless to say, I know how to win it. My opponent could have avoided this technically lost position with better endgame play.
Internet Opponent -- Stripes,J [C00]
Live Chess Chess.com, 05.03.2025
42.Ke3 Kd6 43.Nb4 Nd5+ 44.Nxd5 Kxd5 45.Kd3
Now a pawn ending that is equal, but offers plenty of chances to err. Perhaps it was at this point that my opponent offered a draw.
45...b5 46.b3 g5 47.h3
Stockfish slightly favors 47.g4, but both moves maintain equality.
47...h5
48.Kc3
Should one doubt the difficulty of playing this ending correctly, I might note that Komodo 13 sees 48.Ke3 as just as good, while Stockfish 16 sees Kc3 as the only move that holds equality.
48...f5 49.Kd3
After 49.b4 h4 50.gxh4 gxh4, there is only one move that holds, but it is not difficult to find 51.Kd3
49...Kc5
50.g4??
This move loses. White had five other choices that are equal.
50...fxg4-+ 51.fxg4
51.hxg4 h4
51...hxg4 52.hxg4 Kd5 53.Ke3 Ke5 54.a4 bxa4
54...b4 is a shorter distance to mate
55.bxa4
55...a5
The only winning move is easy to find because the position is nearly identical to one reached in Example 27 in Capablanca, Chess Fundamentals (1921), which I have studied carefully. Capablanca's position, which is not original with him, is a standard training position that I use to teach and test students on understanding opposition and outflanking.
56.Ke2
56.Kd3 is more stubborn 56...Kf4 57.Kc4 Kxg4 58.Kb5 Kf4 59.Kxa5 g4 60.Kb5 g3 61.a5 g2 62.a6 g1Q and Black's queen controls the next square for White's pawn.
56...Ke4
56...Kf4 is more accurate
57.Kd2 Kd4 58.Ke2 Ke4 59.Kd2 Kf4 60.Kc3 Kxg4 61.Kd2 Kf4
White can resign, but played on until the clock ran out.
62.Ke2 Ke4 63.Kf2 Kd4 64.Ke2 Kc4 65.Kf3 Kb4 66.Kg4 Kxa4 67.Kxg5 Kb3 Black won on time 0-1
When I awoke this morning, foremost on my mind were memories of a game when my lower rated opponent offered a draw in an equal position with plenty of play. It happens almost every day in online chess. One in particular took me some time to find in my history. It is notable because a position was reached that I use in training my students. Needless to say, I know how to win it. My opponent could have avoided this technically lost position with better endgame play.
Internet Opponent -- Stripes,J [C00]
Live Chess Chess.com, 05.03.2025
White to move
42.Ke3 Kd6 43.Nb4 Nd5+ 44.Nxd5 Kxd5 45.Kd3
Now a pawn ending that is equal, but offers plenty of chances to err. Perhaps it was at this point that my opponent offered a draw.
45...b5 46.b3 g5 47.h3
Stockfish slightly favors 47.g4, but both moves maintain equality.
47...h5
White to move
48.Kc3
Should one doubt the difficulty of playing this ending correctly, I might note that Komodo 13 sees 48.Ke3 as just as good, while Stockfish 16 sees Kc3 as the only move that holds equality.
48...f5 49.Kd3
After 49.b4 h4 50.gxh4 gxh4, there is only one move that holds, but it is not difficult to find 51.Kd3
49...Kc5
White to move
50.g4??
This move loses. White had five other choices that are equal.
50...fxg4-+ 51.fxg4
51.hxg4 h4
51...hxg4 52.hxg4 Kd5 53.Ke3 Ke5 54.a4 bxa4
54...b4 is a shorter distance to mate
55.bxa4
Black to move
55...a5
The only winning move is easy to find because the position is nearly identical to one reached in Example 27 in Capablanca, Chess Fundamentals (1921), which I have studied carefully. Capablanca's position, which is not original with him, is a standard training position that I use to teach and test students on understanding opposition and outflanking.
56.Ke2
56.Kd3 is more stubborn 56...Kf4 57.Kc4 Kxg4 58.Kb5 Kf4 59.Kxa5 g4 60.Kb5 g3 61.a5 g2 62.a6 g1Q and Black's queen controls the next square for White's pawn.
56...Ke4
56...Kf4 is more accurate
57.Kd2 Kd4 58.Ke2 Ke4 59.Kd2 Kf4 60.Kc3 Kxg4 61.Kd2 Kf4
White to move
White can resign, but played on until the clock ran out.
62.Ke2 Ke4 63.Kf2 Kd4 64.Ke2 Kc4 65.Kf3 Kb4 66.Kg4 Kxa4 67.Kxg5 Kb3 Black won on time 0-1
25 February 2025
Recognizing Known Positions
Earlier this month at a youth tournament that I ran, I watched one of my students miss an elementary checkmate in two moves. It was a ladder mate (or rolling barrier, as it is called in Bruce Pandolfini, Pandolfini's Endgame Course [1988]). But, a few moved later, this same player executed the checkmate. When he was successful, he controlled the first and second rank. He missed it when the mate could have occurred on the h-file with the g-file also under control.
I suspect that known patterns may be harder for young students to recognize when they are rotated 90°.
Last night, I reached a position where I had to execute a checkmate with knight and bishop. It was the first time that I had such a position that was not due to seeking it, such as when I underpromote a pawn. After I captured my opponent's last piece, I had very nearly the position that I have used in training. The checkmate took me 32 moves, but there were a couple of times when my move extended the distance to mate by six. My opponent answered these with moves that helped me get back on course.
I played 107...Nd6, one of two optimal moves.
After 108.Ka5, Kc6 would have kept me on a known path, but I played 108...Bc5, which is equally good in terms of distance to mate. The move I played shows that I was not recognizing the pattern.
Several moves later, White's king has ventured into territory that I might have controlled.
116...Nc3+ extends the distance to mate by one move.
Had I played 116...Be3, forcing White's king to the edge, I would have been following advice I've given students dozens of times, usually while teaching two bishops against a lone king. Here, that is the best move. Then again:
I was feeling confused when I missed the mate in eleven that forces in three moves a position that I know.
118...Bc3 119.Kb3 Kd3 120.Ka4 Kc4 121.Ka3
121...Bb4+ forcing White to the second rank when 122.Kb2 Ne3 sets up the barrier that I studied in Pandolfini's Endgame Course the first time that I learned this elementary checkmate.
I suspect that known patterns may be harder for young students to recognize when they are rotated 90°.
Last night, I reached a position where I had to execute a checkmate with knight and bishop. It was the first time that I had such a position that was not due to seeking it, such as when I underpromote a pawn. After I captured my opponent's last piece, I had very nearly the position that I have used in training. The checkmate took me 32 moves, but there were a couple of times when my move extended the distance to mate by six. My opponent answered these with moves that helped me get back on course.
Black to move
After 108.Ka5, Kc6 would have kept me on a known path, but I played 108...Bc5, which is equally good in terms of distance to mate. The move I played shows that I was not recognizing the pattern.
Several moves later, White's king has ventured into territory that I might have controlled.
Black to move
Had I played 116...Be3, forcing White's king to the edge, I would have been following advice I've given students dozens of times, usually while teaching two bishops against a lone king. Here, that is the best move. Then again:
Black to move
118...Bc3 119.Kb3 Kd3 120.Ka4 Kc4 121.Ka3
Black to move
White to move
Alas, I made a knight move and it was still mate in 18, as it had been since my move 116.
My work studying Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Chess Positions (2018) resumes today with this position from Timman,J. -- Lutz,C., Wijk aan Zee 1995.
Nonetheless, I finally reached a position where I was able to draw on memory and calculation only two to three moves deep to finish the job.
Black to move, mate in nine
My work studying Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Chess Positions (2018) resumes today with this position from Timman,J. -- Lutz,C., Wijk aan Zee 1995.
Black to move
Here, Black must defend successfully, avoiding the position analyzed by François-André Danican Philidor in 1849, which I spent some time working on Friday, and between rounds in a Swiss tournament this past weekend. It was the previous position in Engqvist's excellent book.
The 90° rotation might vex me the same way it did my young student.
The 90° rotation might vex me the same way it did my young student.
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