Copying

Working with very young chess players, I often hear one of them complaining that their opponent is copying their moves. It sounds as though there is some ethical problem with such behavior. When I'm drawn into the discussion, I point out that such imitation is completely within the rules and that it generally favors the first player.

Jose Capablanca offers a comment on symmetry in Chess Fundamentals (1921).

After the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4 5.O-O O-O 6.d3 d6 7.Bg5, we reach the following position.

Black to move

Capablanca asserts. "there is long analysis showing that Black should lose if he also plays 7...Bg4" (27). The reader is left wondering where to find this analysis, but Capablanca offers no clues. ChessBase Mega 2024 contains fifteen games with the resulting position prior to publication of Chess Fundamentals. One is a sixteen move miniature that Capablanca won in a simul in 1918. Another, Alekhine--Marshall, St. Petersburg 1914 was drawn after 45 moves and annotated by Siegbert Tarrasch. Capablanca participated in the tournament where this game was played. Perhaps he and others spent some time analyzing the game.

After 8.Nd5 Nd4, Alekhine played 9.Kh1 and Tarrasch recommends 9.Nxb4 Nxb5 10.Nd5 Nd4.

Tarrasch's recommendation was the continuation in Capablanca's miniature.

The game continued: 11.Qd2 Qd7

White to move

Black carried the imitation too far and will now suffer punishment.

12.Bxf6

12.Nxf6+ may be slightly better. 12...gxf6 13.Bxf6 and now 13...Nxf3+ walks into checkmate in four.

12...Bxf3 13.Ne7+

Checks usually end all chance of further copying.

13...Kh8

13...Qxe7 14.Bxe7 is the only way to avoid immediate checkmate.

White to move

White has forced mate in three.

14.Bxg7+ Kxg7 15.Qg5+ Kh8 16.Qf6#

Yesterday, I found myself in a symmetrical position.

White to move

Ten moves have been played.

11.Ne5

After 11...Qb3 12.Nxb3, the symmetry ends and both players have equal chances.

My opponent, inexplicably, played 11...Nxe5?? 12.Qxb6+-

Black found a way to keep the game interesting, but the win was simply a matter of avoiding a few transparent traps after that.

Capablanca's game and my position from yesterday are today's lesson plan for the beginning students who I meet this afternoon. Do not fear copying as it does not harm you.