Lesson of the Week

Since the beginning of November, my weekly chess lessons for Spokane area youth have come from the games of Paul Morphy. It is Winter Break for most of my students, so this week's lesson was limited to the groups that met on Tuesday. Likewise, the first lesson in January will be missed by others. In January, lessons will come from Seigbert Tarrasch, 300 Chess Games.

When Adolf Anderssen missed the correct defensive move, Morphy exploited the error.

Morphy,Paul - Anderssen,Adolf [C65]
Paris, 1858

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d4 Nxd4 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.e5 c6 7.0–0 cxb5 8.Bg5 Be7 9.exf6 Bxf6 10.Re1+ Kf8 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.c3 d5 13.cxd4 Be6 14.Nc3 a6 15.Re5 Rd8 16.Qb3 Qe7 17.Rae1 g5 18.Qd1 Qf6 19.R1e3 Rg8

Anderrsen should have played 19...Kg7

White to move

20.Rxe6 1–0

As has become the routine this fall, chess club begins with a set of elementary exercises. These exercises prove challenging, but not out of reach, for the majority of the young players. Those who have completed every Beginning Tactics worksheet, have solved 78 problems. The Beginning Tactics 10 worksheet was given out as holiday homework last week for those who would not be meeting this week. A sample is posted below.


Beginning Tactics 10

Find the correct move for White in each diagram. Draw an arrow showing the move.

Update 22 March 2017: The entire set of Beginning Tactics worksheets have been published as a Kindle book with detailed solutions as Essential Tactics: Building a Foundation for Chess Skills (2017).

CBase Chess iPad/iPhone App: Review

CBase Chess for the iPad/iPhone and compatible iOS devices shines in support of variations. There are a small number of mobile apps that support study of games with variations, but no other app that I have used handles them as well as CBase Chess. When a point is reached in the game where there is a variation in the annotations, a pop-up appears beside the board. This unobtrusive notification is as it should be. It is possible to continue studying the position, and considering each of the candidate moves, before selecting one for further exploration.

Strangely, most mobile apps place the pop-up over the board.

The app is quite limited in features. It is designed for one purpose: a PGN viewer. The user uploads PGN (portable game notation) files to the program, where it is possible to play through the games, and through the variations. The app supports both text commentary and variations, including layers of sub-variations.

I seek a chess app that will permit me to view the exceptional annotated games published in Chess Informant. CBase Chess is the best that I have found. Unfortunately, it does not appear to support Informant codes. Loading Karpov's Golden Games from the Best of Chess Informant CD, made it possible to play through Karpov's games with Grandmaster commentary in the form of variations, but did not leave in place the commentary embedded in Informant's codes (see "A Fingerprint"). To be fair, some of these codes do not translate well in PGN format, but require Informant's proprietary format.

CBase Chess rotates easily between landscape and portrait.

There are features that would be desirable: user choice of chess set and colors, a built in engine, and a feature for adding commentary. I suspect that developer NM Austen Green has these on his to-do list. The app reveals the signature of a developer who seeks tools for chess improvement, rather than someone driven by commercial ambitions. The app is free and does not carry advertising.

I have more than thirty chess apps on my iPad. CBase Chess is one of a few that I use frequently.

Dubious Rule

In Logical Chess: Move by Move (1998) Irving Chernev offers a rule for when the h-pawn can be moved.

The move ...h6 by Black (or h3 by White) should be played only if the h-pawn is to form a base for attack by pawns, i.e. if it supports an advance by the g-pawn. Defensively, the move does more harm than good, as it loosens the pawn structure and weakens its resistance to attack. It is especially dangerous if the king has castled on the kingside, as the pawn itself, standing out from the ranks, provides a convenient target. (31-32)

Although Chernev's book offers several examples that illustrate his prescription, it should be an easy matter to find an abundance of examples of strong players in Chernev's day, and in ours, where the best players in the world violated his prescription.

Lesson of the Week

This week marks the last lesson from the games of Paul Morphy that most of my young pupils will get this school year. The Tuesday clubs get one final Morphy lesson next week, but the others begin their winter holiday instead of meeting next week. In January, the lessons will come from the games of Seigbert Tarrasch.

When Morphy left for Europe, Adolf Anderssen was acknowledged as the world's top player. When Morphy returned home, Anderssen praised Morphy's skill as superior to his own. In Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective (2005), Valeri Beim reproduces several quotes from Anderssen, including this one from Harold C. Schonberg, Die Grossmeister des Schachs (1976).

I consider Mr. Morphy the finest chess player who ever existed. He is far superior to any now living, and would doubtless have beaten Labourdonnais himself. In all his games with me, he has not only played, in every instance, the exact move, but the most exact. He never makes a mistake, but, if his adversary commits the slightest error, he is lost.
Beim, 151.

Anderssen's words clearly contain a bit of hyperbole. Morphy could not have always played the "most exact move" nor avoided all mistakes, and still managed to lose three games to Anderssen. Still, Morphy dominated the match, and the casual games that followed, winning twelve of seventeen games.

This week's lesson is from their seventh match game. As was frequently the case in Morphy's play, his pieces are more active. Beim's study concludes that Morphy had an outstanding feel "for the initiative, piece development, and the factor of the interaction of the pieces" (154).


Morphy,Paul - Anderssen,Adolf [B01]
Paris 1858

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 e5 5.dxe5 Qxe5+ 6.Be2 Bb4 7.Nf3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Qxc3+ 9.Bd2 Qc5 10.Rb1 Nc6 11.0–0 Nf6 12.Bf4 0–0 13.Bxc7 Nd4 14.Qxd4 Qxc7 15.Bd3 Bg4 16.Ng5 Rfd8 17.Qb4 Bc8 18.Rfe1 a5 19.Qe7 Qxe7 20.Rxe7 Nd5

White to move

21.Bxh7+ Kh8

21...Kf8 is worse 22.Rxf7+ Ke8 23.Re1+ Be6 24.Rxe6+ Ne7 25.Rexe7#

22.Rxf7 Nc3 23.Re1 Nxa2

23...Bd7 24.Bg6 Bc6 25.Rfe7 Rd1 26.Nf7+ Kg8 27.Rxd1 Nxd1 28.Nd6+-

24.Rf4 Ra6 25.Bd3 1–0

Prerequisite to discussing this lesson is completion of the week's worksheet.


Beginning Tactics 9

Find the correct move for White in each diagram. Draw an arrow showing the move. If you promote a pawn, write the name of the piece the pawn becomes.

Opening Subtelty: An Historical Transposition

While preparing last week's "Lesson of the Week," I sought to identify where things started to go wrong for Thomas Wilson Barnes. Valeri Beim (Paul Morphy: A Modern Perspective) offers reference to an instructive later game, but more can be said in comparison.

Barnes,Thomas Wilson -- Morphy,Paul [C77]
London m1 London, 1858

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6

As Beim notes, this game was the first time that Paul Morphy played what came to be known as the Morphy Defense. The move had been played twice previously by Charles Henry Stanley in the first U.S. Championship, which was held in New Orleans in Morphy's youth. Stanley lost both games. The move was played a few other times between those games and this one with two Black wins.

White to move

4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nd5

Black to move

6...b5

Beim marks Morphy's sixth move as dubious. He recommends 6...Ba5 and references Tarrasch -- Chigorin, St. Petersburg (m7), 1893. However, 6...Ba5 was also played in the fifth game of that match, which Tarrasch won in 26 moves. Chigorin won game 7. In game 7, Chigorin omitted 7...b5.

In his comments on game 5, Siegbert Tarrasch recommends 6...Be7, "as on a5 this Bishop will remain inactive throughout the game" (Three Hundred Chess Games: Dreihundert Schachpartien, trans, Sol Schwarz, 285).

I recall Dennis Monokrousses mentioning in one of his videos that Black should play b5 only after White protects the e-pawn. Only then is there a credible threat to win Black's e-pawn by exchanging the light-squared bishop for the c6 knight. That has been my rule of thumb.

The diagram position has been rare (49 games in ChessBase Online). Tarrasch's recommended 6...Be7 has been the most frequent move (16 games), while 6...Bc5 (15 games) has been the most successful (46.7% score for White). The number of games, most of which are not from master play, is too small to draw conclusions from statistics.

7.Bb3 d6 8.0–0 Bg4 9.c3 Ba5

White to move

This position already seems difficult for White. While the comments in my two reference books focus upon inaccuracies in Black's play, White also has some problems. The pin on the knight is a source of irritation. In the Italian Opening and some lines of the Spanish, White plays h3 after Black's d6 to prevent such a pin. White's undefended e-pawn also draws attention.

In the Lesson of the Week, Black's misplaced dark-squared bishop asserted an important pin along the a7-g1 diagonal. Morphy's final maneuver to f4 with this piece was central to the lesson. Of course, that finish remains a long way off from the opening position. Knowing the conclusion of even a short game does not answer questions concerning the advantage at this stage.

Nonetheless, I did not like Barnes' move here, and I sought to find an improvement.

10.d4?

We know the rest of Barnes -- Morphy from the Lesson of the Week.

When I found 10.d3!, I discovered to my surprise a transposition to a later game: the fifth match game of Tarrasch -- Chigorin. Tarrasch played 9.d3 and 10.c3.

The position differs after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nd5 Ba5 7.0–0 b5?! (see comments above) 8.Bb3 d6, where Tarrasch played 9.d3. Nonetheless, his comment has bearing on consideration of Barnes -- Morphy.

9.d3 "is better than 9.d4, which is recommended by the Handbook.* After 9.d4 Bg4! 10.c3 Qd7, White's game is not as comfortable as after 9.d3" (Three Hundred Chess Games, 285).

Black to move

We now shift to game 5 of Tarrasch -- Chigorin.

10...Ne7

Tarrasch calls this move the decisive error, recommending 10...Nd7 "although even then White's position is more solid" (285).

11.Nxe5! dxe5

Black must leave the queen alone 11...Bxd1 12.Nxf6+ gxf6 13.Bxf7+ Kf8 14.Bh6# is the line given by Tarrasch.

12.Nxf6+ gxf6 13.Qxg4

What a contrast this game offers to Barnes -- Morphy. In the earlier game, White's castled king suffered the opening of the g-file. In this game, a half-open g-file helps keep the Black king in the center.

Black to move

13...Ng6 14.Bd5 Rb8 15.f4 c6 16.Bxc6+ Ke7 17.Bd5 b4 18.fxe5 Qb6+ 19.Kh1 Nxe5 20.Qh5 Ng6

White to move

21.Rxf6 Kxf6 22.Bg5+ Kg7 23.Qh6+ Kg8 24.Rf1 Rf8 25.Bf6 Qxf6 26.Rxf6 1–0

Although both games offer errors aplenty, it is worth remembering that by playing 10.d4, Barnes missed a key opportunity to transpose into the future. Had he done so, he might have left history with a very different model game for Paul Morphy's initial use of the Morphy Defense.


*Tarrasch refers to Handbuch des Schachspiels, edited by Tassilo von der Lasa. See "Learning from Errors: Adolf Anderssen".

Lesson of the Week

Thomas Wilson Barnes scored more wins against Paul Morphy than any other adversary. Barnes won seven games. Morphy did not travel well, and Barnes benefited from Morphy playing less than his best as he recovered from the sea voyage. Nonetheless, Morphy dominated the match, winning nineteen games.

This week's lesson comes from one of Morphy's first games in England. Morphy's play offers instruction to young players concerning pins.


Barnes,Thomas Wilson - Morphy,Paul [C77]
London m1 London, 1858

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nd5 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.0–0 Bg4 9.c3 Ba5 10.d4 exd4 11.Nxf6+ Qxf6 12.Bd5 Ne5 13.Bxa8 Nxf3+ 14.gxf3 Bxf3 15.Qd2 dxc3 16.Qg5 cxb2 17.Bc6+ Ke7 18.Qxf6+ gxf6 19.Bf4 Rg8+ 20.Bg3 bxa1Q 21.Rxa1 f5 22.a4 Bb6 23.axb5

Black to move

23...f4 24.bxa6 fxg3 25.hxg3 Rxg3+ 26.Kh2

If 26.Kf1, the game might have continued Rh3 27.Ke1 Rh1+ 28.Kd2 Rxa1

26...Rg6

26...Rg2+ seems obvious, and is more accurate. 27.Kh3 Rg6.

27.Rf1

Black to move

27...Bd4 28.Kh3 Be5 29.Kh4 Bf4 30.a7 Rh6# 0–1


Beginning Tactics

Players in my clubs are becoming accustomed to starting with a worksheet with six to nine problems. White moves first in all problems for the worksheet, Beginning Tactics 8.

Searching for Truth

Chess is a search for truth. Each possible position is even, or one player has the advantage. It is not always easy to determine the truth, especially in the course of play. Earlier this week, I reached the following position in a game against one of the top third graders among those whom I coach.

White to move

The questions that I have been nurturing in the minds of youth chess players are relevant.

1) Which side has the advantage?
2) What are the plans for both sides?

My young opponent lost his way from this position. We reset this position, changed sides and played it again.    Then I played it against some of his teammates.

Bullet Skills

Winning one minute chess often becomes a matter of rodent control. The result hinges less on who plays better than upon who plays faster. Even so, strategy and tactics do come into play. Sometimes, bullet tests elementary checkmate skills. Can you checkmate with two queens in four moves or less? Some players know only one pattern for checkmate with two queens, or a queen and a rook. These players deservedly lose a few won games.

White to move

It is checkmate in two, but White played nine more moves before losing on time. White had 3.8 seconds: enough for two good moves. Black had 6.3 seconds remaining, and was down to 0.3 when White's time expired. Clearly White outplayed Black, but White was found wanting in basic checkmate skills.

After 52.Qg5 Kc5, White missed a checkmate in one. A no point through the last nine moves was White more than three moves from checkmate.