Cyrus Lakdawala - Шахматышахматистам.рф/Bases/Enz/K/KORCHNOI/Lakdawala_Korchnoi... · The right of Cyrus Lakdawala to be identified as the author of this work

Cyrus Lakdawala

Korchnoi move by move

EVERYMAN CHESS

www .everymanchess.com

First published in 2014 by Gloucester Publ ishers Limited, North burgh House, 10 North burgh Street, London EC1V OAT

Copyright© 2014 Cyrus Lakdawala

The right of Cyrus Lakdawala to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988 .

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I SBN : 978 1 78194 139 3

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About the Author

Cyrus Lakdawala is an International Master, a former National Open and American Open Champion, and a six-time State Champion. He has been teaching chess for over 30 years, and coaches some of the top junior players in the US.

Also by the Author:

Pl ay the L ondon System

A Ferocious Opening Repertoire

The Sl av: Move by Move

1 ... d6 : Move by Move

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

The Four Kn ights: Move by Move

Capabl anca: Move by Move

The Modern Defen ce: Move by Move

Kramnik: Move by Move

The Coll e: Move by Move

The Scandinavian: Move by Move

B otvinn ik: Move by Move

Th e Nimzo-L arsen A ttack: Move by Move

The Al ekh ine Defence: Move by Move

Contents

About the Author 3

Series Foreword 5

Bibliography 6

Introduction 7

1 Korchnoi on the Attack 1 8

2 Korchnoi on Defence 90

3 Riding the Dynamic Element 1 8 1

4 Korchnoi on Exploiting Imbalances 243

5 Korchnoi on Accumulating Advantages 330

6 Korchnoi on Ending s 398

Index of Openings 4 59

I ndex of Opponents 460

Series Foreword

The Move by Move format is designed to be interactive, and is based on questions asked by both teachers and students. It aim s - as m uch as possible - to repl icate chess l essons. All the way through, readers will be chal lenged to answer searching questions and to complete exerci ses, to test their ski l ls in key aspects of the game. It 's our firm bel ief that practising your skil ls l ike thi s i s an excellent way to study chess .

Many thanks go to al l those who have been kind enough to offer inspiration, advice and assi stance in the creation of Move by Move. We're really excited by th is series and hope that readers will share our enthusiasm .

John Emms, Everyman Chess

Bibliography

Chess is My L ife, Victor Korchnoi ( Edition Olm s 2005) Karpov-Korchnoi 19 74 , Will iam Hartston & Raymond Keene (Oxford Un iversity Press 1974) Karpov-Korchnoi 19 78: The Inside Story of the Match, Raymond Keene (Batsford 1978) My Best Games Vo1.1: Games with W hite, Victor Korchnoi (Edition Olms 2003) My Best Games Vo1 .2: Games with Black, Victor Korchnoi ( Edition Olms 2003) My Great Predecessors Part V , Garry Kasparov ( Everyman Chess 2006) Play the F rench , John Watson (Everyman Chess 2003) Starting Out: T he Re ti, Nei l McDonald (Everyman Chess 2010) Th e F lexible F rench, Viktor Moskalenko (New in Chess 2008) The W onderf ul W inawer, Viktor Moskalenko (New in Chess 2010)

Electronic/Onl ine Chess Publish ing (with annotations from John Emms, Joe Gal lagher, Rainer Knaak, and Victor Mikhalevski ) Chess Today (with annotations from Nigel Davies, Mikhail Golubev, Tony Kosten , Neil McDonald, Paul Motwani , Ruslan Scherbakov, and Igor Stohl ) Chesslive datab ase

The W eek in Ch ess

Acknowledgements Many thanks as always to my editor and fixer-upper of your writer's goof-ups, Gran dmaster John Emms; to Jonathan Tait for the final edit ; and to grammar-mistress Nancy for proofreading , and her iron -fisted opinions on your eccentric writer's made up words. May our imagination and fighting spirit run amok as a result of studying the m aestro's games .

6

Cyrus Lakdawala, San Diego,

February 2014

Introduction

"I don' t study; I create."- Victor Korchnoi

From the ashes and pain of the Nazi blockade of Leningrad arose the ultimate survivor, the man who I bel ieve was the strongest chess player never to become World Champion . Victor Korchnoi was born March 23rd, 193 1, the unl ikel iest of chess deities . He never really stood out as a junior and looked l ike he was destined to be no more than a high -level grandmaster - but certainly no chess god. Victor Korchnoi proved everyone wrong .

In the old Soviet Union, there were two paths to greatness : l ineage, mixed with the favour of the rul ing authority, or the brute force of the commoner /warlord. Korchnoi, of course, belonged in the latter category. Never the obedient son of the rul ing communists, he was always in trouble with them, and over and over suffered their punishments and veiled threats . He endured a brutal ch i ldhood, faced with crushing poverty, starvation (hi s grandmother's cat, Machek - translating to "Cat" in Pol i sh - disappeared, undoubtedly butchered and consumed by a hungry neighbour), and a pervading sense of impermanence from undergoing existence in a war-torn environment. Perhaps the inten se psychological agony of the experience shaped his style and forged him into the ultimate survivor.

Man Who Would be King On the wal l s of the San Diego Chess Club hang the portraits of all the World Champions . Korchnoi 's portrait i s not among them and I wish it was . Al l through my teens and early adulthood, I knew of only one challenger to the world chess crown : Victor Korchnoi . It began with his 1974 Candidates' Final match against then newcomer and seemingly unstoppable force, Anatoly Karpov. Was thi s a Candidates ' Final , or was it in real ity a World Championship match ? Nobody knew, since the erratic and mentally degrading Bobby Fi scher, having retreated deeper into his delusional world, was unl ikely to defend his crown . So the stakes couldn 't have been higher for Korchnoi and Karpov.

Most American Civil War experts tell us that Robert E. Lee was probably the superior general , who did more with less . Yet in the end, Ulysses S . Grant won the war. The moral : Superior numbers matter. Now the Soviet authorities saw Karpov as their ri sing star, and Korchnoi as a member of the old guard, who really had no chance in a head-to-head match against the god-like chess abilities of Fi scher. The outspoken Korchnoi even had the audacity to announce that both he and Karpov would lose a match to Fischer! So they gifted Kar-

7

Korch n o i : M o ve by M o ve

pov with the weight of their backing, while Korchnoi was subject to intense psychological pressure. At one stage, he couldn't even find a second for the match , all the top Soviet GMs having been intimidated by the rul ing authority. The courageous David Bronstein (h imself a candidate for strongest non-World Champion) stepped forward and offered to be Korch noi 's second - an act for which he was later punished by the Soviet authorities . The psychological pressure proved too great and Korchnoi trailed Karpov 0-3 by mid-match . Nobody thought he had a chance. But h i s critics fai led to appreciate a hidden , monum ental inner wil l . Having a low opinion of your opponent i s a psychological blunder, s ince the next logical step is for you to underestimate him or her. Karpov did just that. After he deci sively defeated Spassky (who he bel ieved was his main threat) , Karpov thought - not unreasonably - that he could walk over Korchnoi, on his inevitabl e col l i sion course with Bobby Fischer. What Korchnoi lacked in raw talent, he made up for through the force of the energy concealed within h i s indomitable personal ity. Korchnoi closed in and won two games, to lose the match by a razor-thin 3 -2 margin at the end.

Rivalry, pushed too far, morphed into full blown enmity. Korchnoi, embittered by the blatantly unfair treatment, defected to the Netherlands in 1976, at the excruciating cost of severing ties with both wife and son, now left behind in mother Russia. He choose freedom over blood and family.

But he was not done with his quest. Not by a long shot. It was Korchnoi who emerged once again as Karpov's chal lenger in their 1978 Baguio match in the Phi l ippines . Once again, the match was permeated with controversy, including bizarre protests over the fol lowing subjects :

1 . The X-raying of chairs. 2 . The legality or i l legal ity of Jolly Roger flags at the table . 3 . Parapsychologist/hypnotists, with all eged mind-disrupting powers. 4. The changing of flavours of yogurt and the timing of the yogurt Oust in case there

were secret messages embedded; e.g. blueberry yogurt, two hours into the match =you stand worse, so play for a draw).

Once again, Karpov opened with a seemingly insurmountable 5-2 lead in a match to six games . Once again the impossible happened. Korchnoi fought back like a man possessed, to reach a 5-5 tied score. The winner of the next game would decide ownership of the title . Audacity sometimes surpasses cunning , but not in thi s in stance. Destiny's fulcrum tilted against Korchnoi when Karpov survived his opponent's gusts and volleys to earn h i s sixth and deci sive victory, and so retained h i s title .

Then came Merano, Italy 1981 . You guessed it. Korchnoi once again emerged as chal lenger. Thi s time the Soviet machine didn't mess around. It arbitrarily sentenced Korchnoi 's son to two and a half years hard labour for evading mil itary service - though everyone knew the crime was really the sin s of the father vi sited upon the chi ld, and a dirty method of adding another psychological burden to a man already burdened. The pressure was too great and there was no comeback thi s time . Korchnoi lost by a lopsided 6-2 score.

Could Korchnoi have beaten Karpov if the Soviets had not appl ied pressure in all three

8

I n tro d u ct i o n

matches? Who knows? I , for one, believe he would have beaten Karpov in one match i f the psychological deck was even. Korchnoi reached the 99% mark, yet faltered somewhere in the final , necessary one percent needed to be World Champion . Simultaneous respect and contempt for a rival i s commonplace in our chess universe. In the case of Korchnoi, I got the feeling in my research readings that he loathed Karpov the man , while deeply admiring Karpov the chess player.

Korchnoi's Style: The Great Stretcher of Limits Imagine genetically altered Emanuel Lasker-like calculation power and defensive resourcefulness, astounding technical endgame aptitude, and psychological craftiness - combine it with Bent Larsen's fighting spirit and unbounded creativity, and within thi s hybrid emerges Korchnoi 's style .

For the elite chosen few - Morphy, Capablanca and Fischer - their faculty of nearperfect intuition greatly outstripped their calculation abil ities . They understood at a glance what other GMs could only prove after laboured periods of number-crunching analysis . Korchnoi represents the diametric opposite, relying almost exclusively on his computerlike power to outcalculate any and all opponents. Korchnoi 's games, unl ike those of Morphy, Capa and Fischer, lacked the penchant for the perfect. In stead, Korchnoi 's moves appear (to me at least ! ) as if he randomly shifts from one folly to the next. Despite encyclopaedic opening knowledge, Korchnoi 's fertil e imagination lures him to reject the safety of the known, in order to reach out to and grasp the dangerous unrevealed.

Throughout the book, we witness some outrageously eccentric opening ideas - not to mention perplexingly inscrutable middlegame and endgame ideas as wel l . Korchnoi has the nasty habit of attempting to solve the unsolvable - and if he can't have h i s way, then he resorts to Plan B: Enter Lasker mode and contrive some bizarro idea (sound or unsound! ) which confuses the l iving daylights out of h is opponents. If you don 't believe me, please fast forward to the diagram in the introduction to Chapter One ! In researching thi s book, as I played through Korchnoi 's games, I felt l ike a ch ild lapping up fairy tales . You experi ence a palpable sense of wonder, of fantasy, engendered by imagination and will ingness to risk all - even his place in history - for experimentation 's sake. So utterly perplexing are his ideas, that it ' s difficult to say whether they merit a " ! ! " , a " ? ?", or maybe both , s ince we pass through phantom landscapes and al ien architecture - and I , your befuddled annotator, at times lack context to prai se or condemn, even with the computer's assistance.

Thi s was probably the most difficult book I h ave ever written . At one point, Korchnoi's preposterous move algorithms, which wandered in and out of some netherworld wherelessness, got so embedded into my head, that I woke up with a start, at 3 :00 a.m. one morning and raced to the computer to look up a Korchnoi game I dreamed and annotated in my sleep ! Unfortunately, the game turned out to be a fi ctional product of REM sleep - he was on the black side of an Exchange Lopez against an unidentified dream opponent, and won with a cascade of perplexing double exclams ! - and I was heartbroken to di scover that my dream labours were wasted.

9

Ko rch n o i : M o ve by M o ve

In the end, a chess player i s the sum of h i s or her ideas over the board. Unlike Capa or Fischer, whose games are imbibed with a qual ity of simplicity and inevitabil ity, Korchnoi 's , in antipodal contrast, feel l ike fevered dreams, full of night sweats, tossings and turnings, of ups and downs, double exclams and double question marks . H is pieces dance tarantell as - never waltzes. H i s pl ay teems with convoluted gyrations and bizarre choices, and the s ing le constant I observe i s that he nearly always rejects the s imple for the complex. Korchnoi, impervious to suggestion s for a peaceful outcome, invariably injects turmoil, even when trapped in the dul lest of position s . So abstruse are Korchnoi 's m ental meanderings , that I often found myself drowning in the attempt to understand the mysterie s of the maestro's unfathomable mind. His motivations and secrets are as closely guarded as a priest confessor's , and the al chemy of his mind is a pl ace where dreams and imagination mingle into a s ingle substance, not quite of thi s world.

Korchnoi: the Greatest Ever? Wel l , yes, as it turns out, Korchnoi i s probably the all -time greatest player when it comes to chess longevity. He ranked 8 5th in the world on the 2007 F I D E l i st, not an achievement to write books about - unless you happen to be a 75 -year-old ! He is the only player ever to have made it on to the top 100 l i st at that age, and his elder statesman status in the chess world perhaps surpasses achievements of senior candidate greats, such as Lasker and Smyslov. In thi s book we routinely see Korchnoi in his 70s, still able to smack down worldclass players. In December of 2012, the then 82-year-old Korchnoi suffered a debilitating stroke, probably ending the legendary, 5000+ game playing career of the maestro - though I, for one, wouldn't be shocked at a triumphant return to the battlefield.

A "Typical" Korchnoi Game!? I s there such a thing as a "typical " Korchnoi game? Perhaps the answer i s to look for a game fil led with exclams and blunders, with outlandish notions and arcane mysteries -l ike the fol lowing game.

Gamel V .Korchnoi-M.Najdorf

Wij k a a n Zee 1971 Semi- Tarrasch Defence

1 c4 tt::lf6 2 tt::lc3 e6 3 tt::lf3 ds 4 d4 cs s cxd s tt:Jxd s The Semi-Tarrasch ; Black hands his opponent a Grunfeld-l ike centre in return for a

queenside pawn majority. s . . . exds i s inadvisable, in my opinion, since White gets a favourable Tarrasch , where the f6-knight has been developed prematurely, with 6 .ig s JJ.e7 7 e3 �e6 8 dxcs .txcs 9 ii.bS+ lt:Jc6 10 ii.xf6 ! ? (the simple 10 o-o looks promising for White as wel l ) 1o . . . 'i!Vxf6 11 lt:Jxds ..txds 12 'ir'xds JJ.b4+ 13 �f1 o-o 14 'i!Vb3 and I 'm not so sure Black

1 0

I n tro d u c t i o n

extracted full compensation for the pawn, despite h i s lead i n development, B .MaciejaR.Jedynak, Pol i sh Team Championship 2009. 6 e4 ttJxc3 7 bxc3 cxd4 8 cxd4 .tb4+ 9 i.d2 i.xd2+ 10 'ii'xd2 0-0 11 i.c4

Success or failure of an eventual d4-d5 break constitutes the universal definer of thi s l ine. 11 . . . b6

As we discover in the book, Korchnoi is attracted to odd opening ideas - sometimes even dubious ones : 11 . . . tiJc6 12 o-o e5 ? ! 13 d5 ltJa5 14 .l.:tac1 ttJxc4 15 .::!.xc4 f6 16 .!:.fc1 .l:.f7 17 tiJe1 b6 18 tiJc2 .ia6 19 .l:.C3 .l:.c8 20 liJb4 (now c6 i s a juicy hole for White's pieces) 20 . . . :txc3 21 .l:.xc3 .i.b7 22 ltJc6 with a clear advantage to White, P.Tregubov-V.Korchnoi , Odessa (rapid) 2008 - although Korchnoi, one of the all -time great defenders, m anaged to hang on to score a draw. 12 0-0

In a later game Korchnoi played 12 d5 ! ? .i.a6 13 i.xa6 ttJxa6 14 d6 ! ? tt:Jc5 15 e5 , when 15 . . .f6 16 0-0 l:tf7 17 :ad1 l:tc8 18 �e3 :d7 19 exf6 gxf6 20 liJd4! 'ilie8 (20 . . . llxd6? i s met by 21 ttJxe6 ! } 21 l:.fe1 1i'f7 (21 . . . .l:txd6? ? hangs the rook to 22 'ii'g 3+) 22 h4 left Black's king feel ing sl ightly insecure, V.Korchnoi -H .Mecking , Hastings 1971/72 . 12 . . . .i.b7 13litfe1 tiJd7 14 l:tad1 l:tc8 15 i.d3 l:leS 16 'iie3 !?


Question: Doesn 't thi s move walk into . . . .l:!.c3 - ?

Answer: It does, but Korchnoi factored that move in . Otherwise 16 i.b1 tllf8 17 h4Zie7 18 l:le3 i s normal, when White's strong centre and kingside attacking chances outweigh Black's queenside pawn majority and potential pressure on White's centre, T. EngqvistV.Golod, Helsingor 2008. 16 . .. l:t.c3 17 es!?

Threatening i.xh7+. White grabs kin gside space and denies Black's knight use of f6, at the cost of weakening ds and d4 and depleting mobility from his centre. 11 • • • 'iic7 1Blbgs

Korchnoi openly di splays hostile intent towards Black's king . 18 ... tllf8

18 . . . h 6 19 tlle4 .txe4 20 'iixe4 tbf8 2 1 h 4 i s similar, and at some point White fans the coming attack by lifting a rook to g 3 . 1 9 tbe4 i.xe4

Black can 't allow tbd6. 20 'ifxe4 .Ud8 21 h4

Korchnoi stakes everything on kingside attacking chances. 21 . . :iWe7 22 'i'g4

22 lle3 i s possible but perhaps he was worried about 2 2 . . . l1a3. 22 ... Iita3 23 .ic4

The bi shop watches ds with the eyes of a troublemaker. 23 ... bs !

Principle : W hen you are in possession of a wing maj ority, push it.

1 2

24 ..tb3 1 The beginning of an impossibly deep idea.

Question: Is thi s revelation or simply madness? I fail tc between thi s move and White's overall plan. Now Wl

into . . . a7-aS-a4 ! . Shouldn 't he have just taken on bs and

Answer: Korchnoi 's move was not made with idl e motives. Thi s i his brute-force calculation abil ities . He provokes a cri sis and isn' of 24 ..txbs .llxa2. Just watch what happens in the game. 24 ... as 25 dSI a4?

Black should have let the offence sl ide with 2 S . . . exds ! 26 .txc bishop free reign on its best square and White to keep attackin� this was infinitely better for Black than what he got in the game


What now? White's bi shop is pressed against the wall with nowhere palatable to run . If he plays 26 d6 'i'a7 27 i.c2, then Black simply captures on a2 with two connected passers.

Exercise (combination alert): Despite appearances, Black's last move was incorrect. Find a better l ine than 26 d6 for White.

Answer: The entity, outside our space/time continuum, comes from nowhere, th irsting for the whereness of our material realm. Aberrant actions are often a symptom of di stress, but not in th is case. 26 dxe6! !

As danger for both sides increases, mutual fates hang on their deci sion s with greater urgency. Korchnoi discards h is bishop without trepidation , as easily as a l oose sweater, to attain a crushing future bind. Korchnoi works out an unbelievably deep combination, which to the ordinary mind (i .e . your writer' s ! ) feel s as if it reaches the l imits of human cogitation. I had the opportunity to watch Korchnoi ' s analysis against opponents at the 1983 US Open in Pasadena. H i s mental clarity and di stance of calculation was staggering - beyond what I thought was humanly possible . 26 . . . axb3 1

The only move. a) 26 . . . ttJxe6?? 27 i.xe6 fxe6 28l:txd8+ 'fixd8 29 'iVxe6+ �f8 30 'iffs+ �g8 and now there

are many ways to win, but 3 1 .l:tc1 ! seems to be the simplest. b) 26 . . .fxe6?? 27 l:txd8 'it'xd8 28 i.xe6+ �h 8 29 .l:Ic1 ! i s the same old story.

27 exf7+ �h8! Najdorf once again sidesteps early loss . 27 . . . cli;xf7?? 28 l:t.xd8 'ili'xd8 (or 28 . . . bxa2 29.l:.a8 !

.l:lxa8 30 'ii'f3+) 29 e6+ �g8 30 e7 'i'e8 3 11i'f3 ! h 6 ! (not 31 . . .lDg6? 32 'ili'ds+ c;t;?h 8 33 'ili'd8 l:.a8 34 'ii'xa8 ! 'ii'xa8 35 e8'i¥ and mates) 32 iids+ 'i£;lh7 33 'ili'd8 .l::ta8 34 'i'xa8 ! (the same theme) 34 . . . 'i'xa8 35 e8'ii' 'iWxe8 36 .:xe8 bxa2 37 lla8 and White wins. 28 .l:!.xd8 'i'xd8 29 axb3 'ike7 30 e6 l:ta61

I f 30 . . J:txb3? then 3 1 'fig s ! 'ifh4 32 'ilfes ! 'fie7 3 3 l:td1, followed by 'ii'd4, destroys the blockade; e.g. 3 3 . . . l:ta3 (or 3 3 . . . 'iWxe6 34 'ii'xe6 ttJxe6 3 5 .:td8 ! and mates) 34 Vi'd6l:.a7 3 5 'it'xe7 .l:.xe7 36 l:t.d8 etc, and 34 l:td7 ! ttJxd7 3 5 exd7 ! i s even stronger.

Answer: No. 31 f4l

1 4

Question: I s the outl ier on e6 now doomed?

I n tro d u c t ion

White plans a death grip with f4-f5 next. 3 1 ... h6

The e6-pawn isn't really hanging , as after 31 ... .l:txe6? 32 .l:.xe6 "ifxe6 (or if 32 ... tt'lxe6 then 33 'it'xe6 ! overloads Black's queen : 33 . . .'ii'xe6 34 f8'ii'+ 'ii'g8 35 �xg8+ ci;xg 8 36 'it>f2 and White wins the king and pawn ending easily) 3 3 'ii'xe6 tt'lxe6 34 f5 tt'lg8 3 5 h 5 g6 3 6 h 6 ! ! ( lvkov), Bl ack's king and knight are trapped on the king side, s o White can march h i s own king across to the queen side and win with h is b-pawn . 3 2 fs Rational thought and compassion are meaningless abstractions to a mindless , heartless mob. Now our inward arguments grow silent and al l i s made clear. The fruits of Korchnoi's calculation : he earned three choking pawns for the piece - way too much . Black i s completely busted. 32 . . . tt'lh7 33 .:tc1 :taB 34 "iif4 tt'lf6 35 'ii'c7 !

Smashing the e7-blockade. 3S . . :ili'b4

Not 3 5 . . . tt'ld5 ? 36 "Yi'xe7 tt'lxe7 37 �c7 tt'lxfs 3 8 e7 tt'lxe7 39 .l:.xe7 and Black has no defence to the coming .l:te8.

1 5


Nevertheless, Black's defence i s spent, and White's numerous winning solutions are a bit like using a thermonuclear device to heat up a frozen burrito. The e7-square is so large and so inviting, that we feel the urge to drive through it. It appears as if White has three winning moves:

a) 36 e7, attempting to force a new queen ; b) 36 'ifcs, attempting to smash the dark square blockade; c) 36 'iic8+, a spectacular queen sac to force promotion .

Exercise (critical decision}: Two of the l ines work; one fails miserably. Which one would you play?

36 'WeB+?? The overeager queen, an unexpected and unwanted out-of-town relative, presents h er

self unbidden at Black's door. Justice delayed is justice denied. Apparently the well of Korchnoi 's patience i sn 't as bottomless as we first imagined. I warned you: Korchnoi 's games seem to contain a crazy high percentage of both double question marks and double exclams ! Occam's razor advises that the simplest path (paths in th is case ! ) i s usually the best one. Korchnoi , with h is love of the dramatic and the arti stic, gets seduced by the most complex and least sound of h is choices. Answer: Both lines a) and b) win easily and either forces Black's immediate resignation. 36 . . . �h71

The counter-argument begins . Perh aps Korchnoi only counted on 36 . . . l1xc8?? 37 l:.xc8+ �h7 ("l et he who is without sin cast the first . . . " Black's king never gets a chance to fin ish his speech , since someone in the mob split h is head open with a flung stone) 38 f8N+ ! and Black must hand back his queen, since 38 . . . �g8 walks into 39 t2Jg6+ 'it>h7 40 l:th8 mate. 37 'ifxa8

Or 37 'ifc3 'i!Vxh4, when 38 e7 i s met by 3 8 . . . l2Jg4! 39 e8'ii (or 39 f8N+ �g8 ! ) 39 . . . 'ii'f2+ 40

1 6

�h 1 �4+ with perpetual check. 37 .. .'iid4+!

I n t ro d u ct ion

Suddenly, White's king has no safe haven free from Black's harassing checks.

38 'iti>fl

We understand Black's dire need, but which path should he take? Find the lost thread which binds Black's dream.

38 ... 'iVf4+??

Exercise (critical decision): The position is drawn if you find

Black's correct l ine. Shoul d he play 38 .. . 'ii'f4+, forking king

and rook, or go for a pure perpetual check with 38 ... 'ii'd3+ - ?

Oops. The wrong one. Answer: Najdorf mi ssed his miracle chance to swindle a draw after 38 . . . 'i!i'd3+ ! 39 �f2 (39 'it>g 1 'ifd4+ simply repeats the position) 39 . . . tbg4+ (the point: Black's knight i s allowed to participate in the attack) 40 'it>e1 (40 �g1?? walks into 40 . . .'ii'e3+ and mate next move) 40 ... 'ife3+ 41 �d1 'ii'd3+ with perpetual check. Such might-have-been l ines, after we botch a game, haunt us for days. 39 �e2 'ti'es+

39 . . .'ii'xc1 i s met by the old, dirty underpromotion trick: 40 f8N+ ! 'it>g8 41 tbg6+ 'iti>h7 42 'ieh8 mate.

40 �d1 1-0

White escapes perpetual attempts after 40 . . . 'ii'd4+ 41 'it>c2 'iif2+ 42 <it?b1 �xfS+ 43 .l:.c2 'i!Vf1+ 44 'it>b2 . Black's queen wipes away tears, the drops to be equally di stributed between herself and her king .

C h a pte r One

Korchnoi on the Attack

The title of th is chapter almost seems like a contradictory statement. Korchnoi in the role of attacker may at first leave the impression of "imposter" written all over it. And in fact, Korchnoi isn 't a natural attacker. It is a skill he honed through long experience. I would place Korchnoi in the camp of opportunistic attackers, meaning that he rarely begins a game with an attack at the forefront. Yet, when opportunity ari ses, he seizes it. Korchnoi 's attacks sometimes have a strained, seeds-scattered-in -the-wind feel to them, as if conducted by a beginner - or a genius.

The game which stands out, to me at least, in this chapter is the one against Amason (Game 5). We marvel at Korchnoi ' s suicidal-looking l:tc4! ! , l':th4 and �h6 ! ? ! ? self-trapping rook lift into the heart a congested middlegame, teeming with black pieces eager to stampede the offending rook into a paste:

Now I ask quite reasonably: Who el se but an 800-rated beginner, or a Laskerian genius,

1 8

Ko rch n o i o n the A t tack

or a madman, would even consider such an "attacking" plan ? So let's buckle up our seat belts and prepare for a liberal dose of crazy in th i s chapter!

1 e4lZ'lf6

Game 2 E.Gel ler-V.Korchnoi

USSR Cha m pion sh i p, Len i ngrad 1960 Alekhine's Defence

Played in order to "force him (Geller) to think from the very first moves" . Korchnoi was a pioneer of the combative Alekhine's Defence, a rarity in the 1960s. This game became a showdown between Geller, who led the 1960 U SSR Championship, and Korchnoi, who trailed by a half point. Previously, Korchnoi had never beaten Geller with the black pieces. 2 estZ'lds 3 d4 d6 4 c4 lZ'lb6 s f4

The Four Pawns Attack, White 's most aggressive option.

s .. . .ifs Normally Black tosses in an exchange on es before developing the bi shop.

Question: Is there any way for White to exploit the move order?

Answer: If there is, I don 't see it; the game will most l ikely transpose to normal l ines in a few moves. 6 4Jc3 dxes

I n the 1980s I experimented with the strange set-up 6 . . . e6 7lZ'lf3lZ'la6 ! ? 8 .ie3 cs, as in D.Durham-C. lakdawala, los Angeles 1986. 7 fxes e6 8 lZ'lf3 i.e7!?

19


I think Korchnoi tried to dodge the theoretical early d4-d5 lines by avoiding . . . tt::\c6 . Oth erwise 8 . . . tt::\c6 and 8 . . . i.b4 are the usual moves here. 9 i.e2

9 .i.e3 tt::\c6 10 d5 i s the l ine Korchnoi wanted to avoid; e.g. 10 . . . exd5 11 cxd5 tt::\b4 12 tt::\d4 i.d7 ! (12 . . . .i.g6? is met by the inconvenient 13 i.b5+! c;t{f8 14 0-0) 13 e6 (or 13 'ilkf3 c5 14 dxc6 bxc6 15 e6!? fxe6 16 a3 tt::\4d5 17 i.d3 tt::\xe3 18 'ii'xe3 0-0 19 'iVe4 g6 , D.Vel imirovicV. Kovacevic, Yugoslav Championship, Bjelovar 1979, when the game may be dynamically balanced after 20 tt::\xe6 i.xe6 21 "iixe6+ 'it>h8 22 0-0-0 tt::\d5) 13 . . .fxe6 14 dxe6 i.c6 15 'iig4 i.h4+ 16 g 3 .i.xh 1 17 0-0-0 'iff6 18 gxh4 0-0, as in A.Grischuk-P.Svidler, Odessa (rapid) 2009. Depressingly enough, th i s is where theory begins ! Black i s doing fine - as long as he or she memori zes 18 moves of theory (and then some ! ) to arrive here ! 9 . . • 0-0 10 0-0 f6

Chipping away at White's enormous centre. Black plays the opening a bit oddly, refraining from the traditional . . . tt::\c6, but remember that Korchnoi was intent on dodging the d4-d5 l ines, which we looked at in the previous note. 11 i.f4?!

An inferior move in the position and never repeated! Geller backs up the head, rather than the base of his pawn chain .

Question: What i s White's normal continuation here?

Answer: White's bishop is better placed on e3, to cover h is most sensitive point: d4. But then after 11 i.e3 tt::\c6, Black has achieved h is aim of reaching a 6 . . . ttJc6 position while avoiding d4-d5 complications ; e.g . 12 exf6 i.xf6 13 'ii'd2 "ile7 14 J:t.ad1 :ad8 with equal chances. 11 • . . tt::\c6 12 exf6

2 0

Korch n o i o n t h e A t tack

Question: Can White go for i t here with 12 dS - ?

Answer: I 'm really not sure what he i s going for, except the di ssolution of his centre after

12 . . . exds 13 cxds .tcs+ 14 'it>h 1lt:\xes 1S lDxes fxes 16 i.xes 'ile7 17 i..g3 l:iad8, when Black

looks fine .

12 . . . .txf6 13 dS No real choice since 13 .ie3 i s a book position a move down for White (see the note with

1 1 i..e3 above).

13 . . . lDaS ! Suddenly c4 fal ls under heavy pressure, which in turn induces Geller into his next spec

ulation . 14 lt:\es

14 lt:\bS? i s met by 14 . . . lt:\axc4, and if 1S lDxc7? ! then 1S . . . lt:\xb2 16 'iih3lt:\xds ! and Black is winning . 14 . . . ..txes?!

"A mistake, typical of the early period of my chess career: in striving to win material as soon as possible, I underestimated the opponent's tactical possibilities." - Korchnoi .

Black should play 14 . . .'ii'e7 ! . Now the threat i s . . . .txes, followed by . . . esxd4, while c4 remains hanging . White has no choice but to proceed with the weakening 15 g4 .ixes 16 �xes exds 17 i..g3 .te6 18 lt:\xds lt:\xds 19 cxds Wics+ 20 lU2 J::txf2 2 1 i.xf2 'ii'xds which leaves him struggling . White's bi shop pair in the open position fail s to fully compensate for the pawn . 15 ..txes lt:\axc4 16 .ixc4 lt:\xc4

Question: I sn 't White just losing?


Answer: Let's do an exerci se to try and solve this one.

Answer: 17 ..txg71

Exercise (combination alert): Find a tactic which enables White to regain his lost pawn.

Korchnoi confessed he overlooked this trick. 17 ... lLle3 1

I f Black takes the bishop then 17 . . . 'iti'xg7 18 �d4+ regains the piece with perhaps an edge, due to Black's more exposed king . 18 'i!Ve2 lLlxf1 19 i.xf8 lLlxh2 1 20 ..tcs

Or 20 dxe6 lLlg4 21 -tcs �4 transposing, but not 20 'iti'xh2? ! 'li'h4+ 21 �g1 'ii'd4+ 22 �f2 'i!Vxf2+ 23 'iti'xf2 llxf8 24 'it>e3 exds 2 S lLlxds .l:.f7 with an extra pawn for Black. 20 ... lLlg4 21 dxe6 "ii'h4 22 e7

Threatening to promote and cutting off all ideas of .. JUS.

Question: Whose king i s in greater danger?

Answer: On the surface, both kings look equally exposed. With hindsight, we discover that Black's king may actually stand slightly safer. Play on . 22 .. . 1i'h2+ 23 'iW1 1i'f4+ 24 �g1?1

Korchnoi criticizes thi s move and suggests 24 'it>e1 ! , when the l ikely result i s a draw by perpetual check; e .g . 24 .. J:te8 (or 24 .. .'it'g3+ 2 5 'it>d1l:1e8 26lLlds b6 27lLlxc7 l:txe7 ! 28 'i!Vxe7 'iVd3+) 2 S lLlds �2 26lLlxc7 ! l:txe7 ! (not 26 . . .'i\t'xc7?? 27 'fic4+! 'it>g7 28 il.d4+, winning the queen) 27 i..xe7 (or 27 'ii'xe7 'ii'g3+) 27 .. .'ii'g 1+ 281i'f1 'iVe3+ 29 �e2 'ii'g1+ 30 'it>d2 'ii'd4+ 31 'it>e111¥g1+ etc. 24 ... :esl

Ko rch n o i o n th e A t tack

Nyet ! No draw! Bril l iantly evaluated - even Houdini is fooled into thinking th i s position is completely even at a 0.00 evaluation .

Question: What is the key factor in White's position which made Korchnoi think he stood better?

Answer: The e7-pawn is chronically weak.

Question: Is there any way to win the pawn ?

Answer: Let's turn this into a planning exercise:

Answer:

Exercise (planning): Take a few minutes and come up with a concrete plan to pick off the stray on e7 .

Step 1 : Play . . . .cte8 (already done !} . Step 2 : Play . . . �7 and block out all checks. Step 3 : Play . . . b7-b6, and if .ia3, then shut out the bishop with . . . c7-cS ! . Step 4 : Simply take the e7-pawn . The steps may not go in this order but thi s i s the general outl ine to win e7 . In the actual

game, Korchnoi never got around to capturing on e7, mainly because he got distracted by playing for a deadly mating attack instead! 25 'ii'f3

White's queen wastes time appealing to her sister's non-existent humanity. 2S .. . 'i�Hh2+1

Korchnoi, a man of nearly invulnerable constitution and resolve, i s not to be dissuaded so easily out of his attack. He gambles that White's king is in greater danger than his own . 26 'it>f1 'ii'h s 21 'i!kds+ �g7 28 �d4+?1

Geller might still have held on after 28 .l:te1 .id3+ ! 29 'jlfxd3 'ii'xcs 30 'ii'g 3 h S 31 'iVf4! (but not 3 1 'ii'h4?? 'ir'c4+ 32 �g1 'ili'd4+ and a di scovered check wins the queen} 31 . . . l'Ixe7 32 l:!.xe7 'ir'xe7 33 tt:\ds ! and White regains the pawn with a drawn endgame. 28 . . . �g61

Black's king looks around at his unfamil iar surroundings, the way a confused first grade kid does when he gets off the bus at the wrong stop. It i sn 't easy to rebuild when you l ive in a ruin, yet Korchnoi manages to achieve a modicum of king safety. Just another day on the job in Korchnoi 's world. From the computer's perspective, there is no perpetual check, and suddenly its·evaluation begins to swing favourably in Black's direction . In such chaotic positions we would do well to think like machines, rather than humans . 29 tt:\e2 !?

29 tt:\ds 'in1 1+ 30 'ifg1 .id3+ 31 'it>e1 'ir'xg 1+ 3 2 .ixg 1..i.c4 3 3 tbe3 I:txe7 leaves Black

23


with an extra pawn in the ending ; while 29l:td1 b6 30 ii'd8 'iVh l+ 3 1 �g1 <liif7 3 2 �dS+

�e6 33 'ife4 'i'h4 34 .l:f.d3 <litxe7 ! again wins a pawn , albeit in an admittedly still messy posi

tion . 29 .. .'ir'h1+

Exercise (critical decision): Should White block the checlc with h i s queen by 30 'ii'g l, essentially agreeing to a pawn down ending

(since e7 falls) , or should he retain pieces on the board with 30 lt:!g1 - ?

The key evaluation factor is king safety. If you believe White's king i s in greater danger, then you should opt for 30 'ifg l. lf your intuition tel ls you Black's king is in more danger, you should keep queens on the board with 30 lL'lg 1. 1n the heat of battle, the reaction time difference of a split second may be the dividing l i ne between life and death . In th is position of haze and perplexity, White must strike a delicate balance between not backing down and not going overboard. Choose wisely. 30 lL'lg1?

It is unwise to start a war which can never be won . After this move Black's fortunes rise, the way a surfer catches and rides a g iant wave. Conscripts (such as White 's unfortunate knight) rarely make for good soldiers, s ince their motivation to join the fight is the simple self-preservatory act of avoiding prison . Furthermore, predictabil ity in battle i s a near certain path to defeat. In th is case, Gel ler, a natural attacker, incorrectly follows his in stincts to keep queens on the board. But it i s his own king who remains in far greater danger. Answer: White should regain a measure of composure and reorgani ze resistance with 30 "i!Vg 1 ! 'itxg l+ 31 Wxg l b6 32'Df4+ �g S 3 3 lL'lh 3+ 'iitf6 34 .ta3lL'le3 ! (threatening .. . 'Dc4) 3 5 ii.b4 i.xh 3 36 gxh3 cs (now e7 fal ls ) 37 i.c3+ 'iii>fs 3 8 c;t>f2 :xe7 39 '>ii>f3 , when Black i s a clean pawn up, but at least White can still resist, due to the reduced number of pawns on both sides.

24

Ko rch n o i o n th e A ttack

30 •.. b6! Step 3 !

3 1 'iVdS tLlf6 The nervous e8-rook beckons h is guard to stand closer.

32 i.a3 32 i.f2 il.e4! is no better.

32 ... .ie4! Targeting g2 .

3 3 'illd2 cs ! Step 3 , Part 2 ! Black severs the l ink between White's bi shop and e7. The once god-like

dark-squared bishop, now abandoned, becomes a self-worshipping deity. It feels as if there exist dozens of potential scenarios, yet only one end result: Black wins . 34 b4!?

Geller clearly misplayed h i s hand and now hopes to salvage whatever he can from the wreckage. In doing so, he solves the problem of the severed link, only to take on an infinitely greater one: h is king ' s safety. 34 ... c4!

Now Black's bishop attains access to d3 . Note how Korchnoi 's l ight square domination keeps his seemingly exposed king remarkably safe. 3 5 bs

The fact that e7 remains standing i s a badge of White's pride, but it won 't help him save his king , the cranky old neighbour who begrudges all forms of help.

Exercise (combination alert}: Black's once veiled threats now appear all too clear. The remainder is merely mopping up. How did Korchnoi finish ?

Answer: King and queen fork.

2 5


3S .. . �d3+ 0-1 Geller resigned in view of 36 'it>f2 l2Je4+, forking the king and queen . "The Lord works in

mysterious ways," the bishop tel ls White 's king , who isn 't consoled in the least by thi s bit of information .

Game 3 V.Korchnoi-A.Karpov

Ca nd idates f i n a l (21st matchga me), Moscow 1974 Queen 's Indian Defence

1 d4 lZ'lf6 2 l2Jf3 e6 3 g3 b6 4 i.g2

Question: I s there a reason Korchnoi avoided the normal route - 1 d4, 2 c4, etc - to the Queen 's Indian ?

Answer: With the game move order he l imits Black's options ; for instance, he rules out the . . . i.a6 lines altogether. 4 . . . i.b7 s c4 �e7 6 l2Jc3 o-o!?

At the time of th is match, early castl ing was a comparatively rare option . Black usually played 6 . . . l2Je4 .

7 'i!Vc2 Fighting for control over e4. Otherwise White can simply castle h imself, all owing

7 . .. lZ'le4 again. 7 .. . cs ! ?

Karpov invites the sharper, Benoni-style alternative to the m ore classical approach 7 . . . ds . Then 8 cxds generally leads to i solani or hanging pawn formations after an eventual

2 6


. . . c7-c5 by Bl ack. For example :

a) 8 . . . tLlxds 9 o-o tLld7 10 tLlxds exds 11 .l:.d1 tLlf6 12 tLles cs 13 dxcs �xes (13 . . . bxcs creates the hanging pawns) 14 tLld3 .id6 15 -ltf4 .l:.e8 16 e3 tLle4, A.Karpov-B.Spassky, USSR Team Championship 1975 , when I don't believe Black's piece activity fully compensates for his i solani, mainly because White managed to remove two pairs of minor pieces after trad

ing on d6. b) 8 . . . exds 9 0-0 lt:la6 10 :d1 I:te8 ll ttJeS with a sharp struggle ahead, V. Korchnoi

B.Spassky, Candidates final ( 17th matchgame), Belgrade 1977.

8 d 5 !

Question: I s thi s a pawn sac on White's part?

Answer: No, White regains ds through tactics . s ... exds g tLlgs

Dual purpose : pinning and regaining ds, while playing for tactics on h7 . The alternative i s 9 lDh4 (eyeing fS) 9 . . . bS ! ? ( 9 . . . g6 keeps the knight out at the cost of

weakening the dark squares around h is king ) 10 cxds b4 11 lDfS ! d6 (after 11 . . . bxc3 ? ! 12 tt'lxe7+ 'i!Vxe7 13 d6 'i'e4! 14 .ixe4 .ixe4 15 ifxc3 i..xh 1 16 f3 , I don't believe in Black's compensation ) 12 liJe4 lt:\xds ? ! ( Black won't be able to hang on to his extra pawn ; the unplayed 12 .. . lt:\xe4 looks l ike a safer and superior move) 13 o-o liJa6 14 !;tdl liJac7 15 liJxcs ! dxcs 16 e4 lDbs 17 exds with a clear advantage to White, whose powerful d-pawn severely l imits Black's possibilities, H . Banikas-E .Tomashevsky, World Team Championship, Bursa 2010. 9 ... lDc6

Other moves: a) 9 . . . h6 10 h4! (no damage i s infl icted on White's brazen knight, who, like an empty fry

ing pan left on a hot stove, continues to just sit there and take the heat without injury; this is stronger than 10 liJxds .ixds 11 .txds liJc6 12 .ixc6 dxc6 13 liJf3 'i¥c8, when Black's

Korch n o i: M o ve by M o ve

piece activity made up for his inferior structure, D .Navara-B.Gelfand, 1st matchgam e, Prague 2006) 10 . . . tt:\a6 11 tt:\xd5 �xd5 12 cxd5 was seen in A.Gri schuk-M.Adams, Spani sh Team Championship 2007. Houdin i proclaim s the game is equal , but to my eyes White looks better, with the bishop pair and looming attacking chances.

b) 9 . . . g6 10 cxd5 ! (in the fifth matchgame, Korchnoi played the passive 10 �dl? ! , and af-ter 10 . . . d6 11 cxd5 tt:\a6 12 o-o tt:ld7 13 tt:lf3 tt:lc7 14 a3 ..if6 15 e4 b5, Karpov achieved an acceptable Benoni -l ike set-up) 10 . . . d6 1 1 o-o tt:\a6 12 f4! tt:\c7 13 e4 b5 14 .l:dl looks like a nice g2-g3 Benoni for White, C .Horvath-R .Guimaraes, Lisbon 2000. 10 tt:\xds

White threatens mate in two. Black has no choice but to weaken his king . 10 ... g6 11 'i' d21!

The board teems with unconventional, radical notions . Korchnoi 's move was a theoreti cal novelty at the time, which had the effect of throwing the normally defensively receptive Karpov into utter confusion .

Question: Karpov i sn't the only one confused. What on earth i s

the point of the move, which voluntarily blocks in h i s c1-bishop?

Answer: The power behind the move isn 't immediately self-evident and each of Korchnoi ' s moves feel s more artificial , more improbable than the last. I can 't tell you the reason for 11 'ii'd2 ! ! , because otherwise I r isk giving away the answer to the coming combination alert ! . 11 ... tt:lxds?!

Karpov inexplicably offers fidel ity to a flawed plan and allows another attacker to enter, free of charge. Now Black's position approaches the l evel of an existential threat of total annihi lation .

Correct was 11 . . . �a6 ! (Botvinnik suggested 11 . . . .l:.e8, but I remain sceptical about Black's survival chances after 12 h4 ! ) 12 b3 tt:\xd5 13 ..ixd5 .i.xg 5 14 'iixg5 tt:lb4! 15 i.xa8 tt:lc2+ 16

2 8

Korchn o i o n th e A t tack

'it>d1 �xa8 17 'it>xc2 'it'xh 1, T.Nyback-H . Banikas, European Championship, Budva 2009 . White may stand a shade better after 18 'i!Vf4 due to the opposite-coloured bi shops, but

Black should be okay after 18 .. .fS .

12 �xds :itbS?? A gradual , incremental improvement strategy tends to fall flat in an environment of

monumental urgency. Black's manoeuvrings grow ever more insular, as he continues to ignore the menace around his king . Before deal ing with a threat, one must first identify it. Karpov's move i s harshly at odds with the position's reality, played after only three minutes' thought, which indicates that Karpov simply didn 't sense the danger to h is king .

Black had to try either 12 . . . j,f6, or suffer an inferior ending after 12 . . . j_xg s 13 'ii'xg s 'Y/Vxg s 14 j,xg s ttJas 15 .i.xb7 ttJxb7 16 o-o-o.

Karpov just blundered big tim e and his position transitions, crossing the dividing l ine between difficult and crushed.

Exercise (combination alert): What did Karpov overlook, which led to one of the most humil iating losses of his career?

In such positions, which vibrate with revolution, our minds may buzz with a dozen questions, but the key i s to ask the essential one: Where lies White's main threat? Answer: Demolition of the black king 's position . Karpov could comfortably resign right here, but he didn 't want to go down in the history books with a 13-move loss in a Candidates' Final match (and actually, as it turned out, a World Championship match, s ince Fischer refused to defend h is title) . 13 tDxh7 1

Glass shatters, concrete crumbles and m etal bends. White attackers flow from nowhere with unified intent. The knight nursed a grudge against h7 for quite some time now, the long -festering resentment bubbles over into violence, and the strain on the defence surpasses capacity. Korchnoi writes with obvious glee: " But as the future World Champion

2 9


(Karpov) reported, it was his notebook that was entirely to blame (for h is l apse) . And those . . . who had dictated to him what to write there."

13 . . . .:es It is too late to do much once the dam has already burst. After 13 . . .'it'xh7 (Black's king is

dead, yet al ive - a walking contradiction) 14 �6+ 'it>g8 ("That woman is intolerable ! " mutters the king at the queen's intrusive behaviour) 15 'li'xg6+ 'it>h 8 16 'ilkh S+ 'it>g8 17 i.e4 fs 18 .idS+, the dying king 's eyes glaze over and stare at whatever it is dying people see. 14 'iih6

Again threatening 'iixg6+. 14 . ..lt::les

Exercise (combination alert): How did Korchnoi now force the win of Black's queen?

Answer: Clearance. 15 lLlg5!

White threatens 'ikh7+ and 'ii'h 8 mate. 15 . . . .ixgs 16 i.xgs

Gulp ! It appears that the have-nots are becoming ever more have not-ier! Obviously . . .f6 i s i l legal , while if Black moves his queen, then .if6 follows. 16 .. .'i!Vxg5

Well, at least he staved off immediate mate. But of course th is is a pointless courtesy, allowing Black's king only a few minutes of reprieve, and appears as redundant as the priest who reassures the condemned pri soner with the words : "Good luck in there ! " a minute before the scheduled execution. 17 \i'xgs .ixd s 18 o-o!

Yes. The move i s legal . Players of Korchnoi 's calibre don 't fall for cheapos l ike 18 cxds?? lLlf3+, when Black regains the queen and i s suddenly the one ahead on material .

30

Korchn o i o n th e A t tack

1 8 ... .txc4 19 f4! 1-0

Resi stance is futil e : after 19 .. .lt:lc6 20 fs the attack surges on and White's wrath displays no s ign of abatem ent.

Game 4 A.Miles-V.Korchnoi Wij k aan Zee 1978

Queen 's Indian Defence

1 d4 t2Jf6 2 ctJf3 e6 3 g3 b6 4 i..g2 i..b7 5 c4 i..e7 6 o-o o-o 7 ctJc3 li:Je4 8 'i'c2 8 �d2 is White's main alternative; e .g . 8 . . . i.f6 9 .l:!.c1 dS 10 cxds exds 11 .tf4 t2Jxc3 12

bxc3, G.Kasparov-R.Ponomariov, Linares 2003 . 8 ... t2Jxc3

3 1


Question: What's the reason behind playing . . . tLlf6, . . . tLle4 and . . . tLlxc3 - ?

Answer: Two reasons : 1 . Black follows the principle : Exchanges help the more cramped s ide.

2. White's queen is lured to c3 , which weakens his grip over e4 and al so places the queen in a sl ightly vulnerable spot, since a future ... it.f6 allows Black to point his darksquared bishop in the queen's direction . 9 'it'xc3 f5

Black's main alternative i s a central challenge by 9 . . . cs 10 l:td1 d6 11 b3 ii.f6 12 ii.b2 'it'e7 13 'ii'c2 l2Jc6 14 e4 es 15 ds tLld4 16 ..txd4 cxd4 with an interesting fight ahead, Camp Deep Fritz-V.Kramnik, Manama (7th m atchgame) 2002. 10 b3 ii.f6 11 ii.b2 l2Jc6 12 l:tad1 'fie7 13 'f/d2

White angles for a thematic d4-dS break. 13 ... l2Jd8 14 ds .i.xb2 15 'iixb2 d6 16 dxe6

This helps Bl ack, but if White doesn 't play it, then Black plays ... e6-es next move. 16 ... l2Jxe6 17 b4? !

Shockingly, this logical and thematic move may be the root of White's coming troubles.

Question: What i s his intention ?

Answer: White plans an eventual break with C4-cS . The trouble is that Miles quickly lands into difficulties around his king and simply never has time to engineer h is dream . Perhaps White's best route is the dull but safe 17 tLld4 ..txg2 18 'ii?i?xg2 tLlxd4 19 .l:lxd4, as in A.Panchenko-A.Kh aritonov, Pavlodar 1987. 17 . . . f4

Meanwhile, Korchnoi bui lds on the other wing .

3 2

Korch n o i o n th e A t tack

18l:!d2 Here 18 li:Jd4 i.xg2 19 <iit;xg2 as 20 a3 tt:Jxd4 21 .l:txd4 axb4 2 2 axb4 .!:f.ae8 looks slightly

favourable for Black, but this i s a lot better than what Miles got in the game. 18 •.. .l:.f6 19 �C3

Still dreaming about a c4-c5 break. Remarkably, Korchnoi never gives his opponent a

single opportunity to play it.

19 ... I:taf8 20 a3 "i'e81

Question: What i s the point of thi s retreat?

Answer: Black plans . . . � s . . . . g7-g 5 and perhaps . .J:th6, with a menacing build-up around White's king . 21 �d3

Question: What i s White waiting for? Why not counter in the centre with 21 li:Jd4-?

Answer: Your move follows the principle : Counter in the centre when ass a ulted on the wing.

However, it violates the principle : Don 't a llow the opponent to eliminate key defenders of

your king. So we have a case of conflicting principles, where the latter one holds sway. Bl ack quickly builds a deci sive attack after 21 ... i.xg2 22 <iit;xg2 ttJg s ! (threatening a fork on e4) 23 f3 c s ! 24 tt:Jbs fxg 3 25 hxg 3 'iie6 ! (threatening invasion on h3 ) 26 .l::th 1 li:Je4! and the knight can 't be touched due to 27 fxe4 l:tf2+ 28 �g1 llf1+ 29 �g2 l:t8f2 mate, so Black wins a full exchange. 21 .. . 'iih 5 22 �ddl

Once again, the thematic 22 li:Jd4?? fai ls miserably to 22 . . . i..xg2 2 3 �xg2 fxg 3 24 hxg 3 .l:.h6. 22 • • . \tlhS 23 li:Jh4

3 3


Essentially a de facto admission of the true potency of Black's attack. Thi s move, a thinly disguised rewrite to his original lLld4 plan, looks wrong but I don 't know what else to sug gest, since waiting around for Black to build up i s tantamount to suicide. I fail to spot a single scenario where White saves himself from his venture. The main reason : White provi sions his king with scant generosity. The remaining defenders simply are not sufficient to accompli sh the job of protecting h im.

Houdini suggests the totally inhuman move 2 3 h 3 ! , which does indeed look like a superior defensive try. The trouble i s that we humans are wired to avoid such self-weakening moves around our kings. 23 . . . ..txg2 24 'itxg21

The correct recapture. 24 lLlxg2 ? f3 ! 25 exf3 'ifh 3 ! 26 f4 I!.h6 27 fDh4 lLlxf4! i s deci sive. 24 . .. gs

As always, Korchnoi submerges himself into the flow of the position and i s wil l ing to go wherever the currents carry him. IM Jeremy Silman wrote an article at chess .com about a player's quirky, favourite move. (Mine is any knight retreat to the first rank. Only a trained psychiatri st can tell me why! ) Korchnoi 's as you will see throughout the book, is g2 -g4 when he is White and . . . g7-g5 when Black. 2 5 lLlf3 :th6

This is getting serious. Black's attackers wait, watching the h ierarchy quietly from the fringes of society, awaiting the correct moment to strike. White's king is always on their mind, the way a guy on the board next to yours constantly clears his throat, which pul l s your attention to him and off the variation you wanted to calculate. The l ight squares h3 and f3 prove to be the weak l ink in White's otherwise healthy-looking whole. 26 h4

White can also try 26 �c3+ 'itg 8 27 g4 (the logical 27 l:.ds ?? gets crushed by 27 . . . 'ii'h3+ 28 'i£tg1 g4 29 lLlh4 f3 30 exf3 l::txh4! 3 1 gxh4 gxf3) 27 . . . 'Wxg4+ 28 �h l 'i!Vh s 29 Ug 1 .l::!.g6 30 J:tds with at least a bit of play for the pawn .

3 4


2 6 . . . gxh4 27 'iic3+ 'iti>g8 28 gxh4? This move does l ittle to appease the dark menace approaching White's king . Instead, 28

g4! (l aunching thi s outburst of quasi-sincere remorse is understandable, since heavy mat

ing threats represent extenuating circumstances) 28 . . :it'xg4+ 29 'iti>h 2 :.g6 30 l:.g 1 'i!i'fs 3 1 :idS 'it'e4 32 \i'd3 was White' s final chance t o offer meaningful resistance.

28 . . .'i!Vg4+ 29 'iti>h2

Chaos to some is a scary place, a gaping abyss into darkness. To others, such as Korch noi, chaos is embraced, and synonymous with opportunity.

Exercise (combination alert): White's king position suffers multiple woes, the compound effect of which i s l ethal . Find the shot which crumples White's defence.

Answer: Interference/overload. 29 . . . lt:lgs! l

Dual purpose: Black blocks the l:r.g 1 p in threat along the open g -file and el iminates the only defender of h4.

Moves l ike this , which clearly reflect the white king 's unfortunate real ity, almost seem unfair, but as noble an attribute as fairness may be, it has no place in a l ife and death struggle. Korchnoi pries open both king positions and then, just as deftly, purges and rearranges it so that only White's king is in danger. 30 lt:lxgs f3 !

Zwischenzug/interference ! White has no choice but to hand over his queen, as 31 etJxf3 l:!.xf3 32 'i:Vxf3 l:txh4+ or 31 llg1 .Uxh4+ leads to m ate next move. 31 it'xf3 l:!.xh4+ 32 'iih3 1!t'xg5 ! 0-1

It i s in the nature of a vigi lante (Black's queen) to settle societal problems herself, without involving the law. After 3 3 .l:f.g 1 (a sweet interplay of pins, one deadly; the other useless) 33 . . . .l';Ixf2+ 34 �h i l:txh3 mate, White's king fal ls , as graceless as Laurel or Hardy slipping on a banana peel .

3 5


Game s V.Korchnoi-J.Arnason

Beersheba 1987 English Opening

1 C4 eS 2 tt'lc3 tt'lf6 3 tt'lf3 tt'lc6 4 g3 dS

Question: I s i t really possible to allow White a Dragon a full move up l ike this?

Answer: Unanimity of opinion suggests the variation is playable to those who are confident and theoretically well prepared. An open reversed position tends to be far more dangerous from Black's perspective (than a closed reversed position) since White's extra tempo is more significant. N evertheless , many top GMs willingly take on Black's side, so I h ave no doubt that the l ine is playable . s cxds tt:Jxds 6 .tg2 tt'lb6

Question: Why did Black, already a move down, retreat a centralized knight?

Answer: The extra tempo alters matters considerably, so Black must proceed with great care and detail to White ' s intentions, which include early d2-d4 tricks, as well as tt:Jxes cheapos, preying on Black's loose dS-knight. 7 o-o .te7 8 b3 !?

Here 8 d3 and 8 a3 are more logical theoretical choices and probably White's best shot at an edge, since White can then try and gain queenside space with an eventual b2-b4.

3 6

Question: Why would Korchnoi refuse to enter l ines which are his best hope of an edge?

Ko rch n o i o n t h e A t tack

Answer: Korchnoi explains : " I have a sceptical regard for attempts to demonstrate an advantage for White by theoretically correct play ... " He admits h is move is "less strong", but there is real value in diverting a theoretically well -prepared opponent into a l ittle played offshoot. Next game we see Korchnoi on the Black side against 8 �b1. s . . . o-o 9 .tb2 .:le8

Black sets up as if White had played the theoretical 8 d3 or 8 a3 l ines . In thi s in stance, perhaps he should buck the trend and counter White's passive formation with a more ambitious set-up of h is own, such as 9 .. .fs ! ? 10 d3 .i.f6 . 10 z:tc1 1i.g4 11 d3 i..f8 12 li::ld2 'ili'd7

Black seeks . . . i.h3 , removing White's l ight-squared bishop and serving two purposes: 1. A swap eases pressure on Black's queenside. 2 . A swap slightly weakens White's king safety. Saying th is , I would offer 2 -1 odds that Korchnoi would have played i..xc6 ! ? if given the

chance, trading his powerful l ight-squared bishop to infl ict permanent damage on Bl ack's structure, in a line like 12 . . .f6 13 i..xc6 bxc6 .

Question: I sn't thi s suicide for White's king?

Answer: Not i f you defend like Korchnoi ! I f White survives the coming attack, he may m ake Black pay for al lowing the weakening of his queens ide. 13 l:te1

Dodging Black's intention . 13 . . . l:Iab8

To enable a future . . . lt::ld4 without hanging his b-pawn . 14 lt::lce4 li::ld4

Korchnoi points out the weird possibil ity 14 . . . lt::lb4! (double attack on a2 and d3) 1S li::lf3 .ixf3 16 .ixf3 li::lxa2 17 I1a1 lt::lb4 18 l:txa7 lt::lc6 (18 . . . lt::la6 19 li::ld2 c6 20 'ii'a1 looks okay for White, since h is "trapped" rook al so exerts pressure on Black's queenside) 19 l:ta1 tt:'ld4 20

3 7


�g2 'ifbs 21 l::tb1 .tb4 22 l:tfl l:tbd8 and Black i s doing well here, since he owns multiple queenside holes, even if Houdin i assesses it as equal . 15 lllcs 'ifcB?!

Too much of a concession just to hang on to his bishops. Black looks fine after 15 . . . -txcs 16 .l:.xcs f6 , when his centrali zed d4-kight and remaining, powerfully posted g4-bishop compensate for the loss of bishop pair. 16 lllf3 !

A clever move which seeks to el iminate the d4-knight, Black's most annoying piece. 16 ... tlld7 !

Black finds the only path which doesn't allow his position to deteriorate: a) 16 . . . tllxf3+? drops a pawn after 17 exf3 .ifs 18 l:txes . b) 16 . . . .ixf3 ? ! 17 exf3 al so leaves Black under pressure, since White threatens the un-

dermining f3 -f4 ! . 17 lllxd4 .ixcs 18 lllf3 ..tb6

38

Ko rch n o i o n th e A t t a c k

First let's assess:

1 . B lack's b8-rook and his queen are for now awkwardly placed.

2. Any d3-d4 break is effectively dealt with the bypass move . . . e5 -e4. 3 . 19 h3 i.h S 20 g4? ! i..g6 2 1 lt:Jh4 i s well met by 2 1 . . . lt:Jf8 ! , when Black's future attacking

chances easily compensate for White's bishop pair. 4. If White pl ays too quietly, Black rearranges his b8-rook and queen to superior loca

tions.

Exercise {planning): Come up with a plan for White, based on the principle: The player who holds a temporary advantage must

create confrontation or attack. Otherwise the advantage evaporates.

This exercise is very difficult and I freely admit I would never be able to come up with Korchnoi's plan, even if given three days to work out the position . White must find a way to engineer d3-d4 without allowing ... e S -e4, and without granting Black's offside queen and b8-rook time to unravel . What would you play here?

Answer: Transfer a rook to h4 and go directly after Black's king . Momentous events often have ins ignificant-looking beginnings . Hum ans still understand chess on a deeper level than computers (even if they beat us over and over ! } and moves like this prove it. Korchnoi 's move is one which can only be found by a weaker player who doesn't understand strategic principles, or by a genius who simply overrides them . 19 .Uc4!1

Question: But i sn 't thi s move in clear violation of the principle : Don 't lift your rooks into a crowded middlegame?

3 9


Answer: It i s a blatant violation - yet Korchnoi, through some hidden sixth sense, sees that h is anomalous idea still works. Don 't ask me how he knew. He just did. 19 ... i.e6?!

The human reply (and the one I would most certainly play as Black), which dares the rook to h4, but greatly underestimates White's attacking potential . Now White's entire universe rearranges itself into di stinctly mal evolent patterns.

In stead, Black should play the psychologically difficult move 19 .. . �fs ! which, admittedly, i s a perplexingly ambiguous, non-committal response to Korchnoi ' s provocation . To deliberately delay the arrival of one's desires takes great force of wil l . Nevertheless, after 20 'i'al f6 21 l2Jh4 .i.e6 22 l::tc2 , the further d3 -d4 cannot be met by ... es -e4, unless Bl ack i s wil l ing to play the ultra-ri sky 22 . . . g s ! ? . Korchnoi adds: "Yes, but pawns cannot move backwards ! " 20 �h41

The tentative rook cl ings to the side, like a non-swimmer taking first steps towards the deep end of the pool . White threatens both lt'lxes and lt'lg s . A violation of principle, true, and yet sometimes one is justified in circumventing the l aw. 20 . . .f6 21 d4!

Black is unabl e to push past with ... e5 -e4, unless he is wil l ing to play his next move.

Question: Should Black take the dare and speculate with . . . g7-g5 , or should he exerci se caution and hold off?

Answer: As th ings turn out in the game, he should have held off. Though if I were Black, I would bang out 2l . . . g s ? ! without hesitation ! 21 . . . gs?!

Again consi stent, and incorrect. But who can blame Amason ? 21 . . . exd4 22 lt'lxd4 gives White a risk-free initiative, and yet is better than the suffering Black accepted in the game. 22 l:th6!

4 0

Korch n o i o n t h e A ttack

Question: A debonair sac, but i s i t perh aps too much so?

Answer: A move l ike thi s can only be attributed to second sight. It shatters all notions of equilibrium . The sudden sunburst of complications from what, a few moves ago, appeared to be an arid environment is cause for astonishment. Korchnoi suffers twinges of his al most instinctive bell icosity and refuses to back down . The brazen rook attempts unauthorized access into Black's territory, like a South Korean sneaking into the North , in order to visit a relative. Maybe I 've just ingested too much caffeine today and, as a result, enthusiasm bubbles over with too many exclams for Korchnoi 's side !

Nevertheless, self-trapping the rook is the only path . Korchnoi admitted that he almost backed off from his original intent, but then decided, correctly, that the brave path is al so the best one. Black gains counterplay if White chickens out with 22 1::te4 .i.d5 23 .l:.e3 e4 24 t'Z:ld2 f5 2 5 lDc4 ltJf6.

2 2 . . . 'it>g7 Why not? Seeing that White's sac appears to constitute a real threat to Black's king, Black

consistently decides to perform a vivisection on the now caged rook. Unfortunately, this leads to a losing position, but then so do alternatives. For example : 2 2 . . . exd4 23 'i'cl ! l:!.e7 (or 23 . . . c5 24 l:txf6 ! ltJxf6 25 'ii'xg5+ 'ittf7 26 ltJe5+ with a decisive attack) 24 l:!.xf6 ! ltJxf6 25 'ifxg 5+ .U.g7 26 'iWxf6 c5 27 lDg S .l:!.g6 28 'ife5 (White has a pawn for the exchange and a raging attack) 28 . . . 1\t'c7 29 'ii'xc7 .i.xc7 30 ltJxe6 llxe6 3 1 ..tds leaves White up a pawn in the ending. From the jungle of possible defences, every l ine seems to work out in White's favour. 23 dxes 'itixh6

23 . . . ltJxe5?? 24 l:txf6 ! i s crushing . Clear proof that the weakened dark squares are Bl ack's disease, with f6 as the origin . 24 exf6

Korchnoi envisioned this position when he lifted his rook. Houdini understands now

4 1

Korc h n o i: M o ve by M o ve

that White is winning - in a position which, to my eyes, seems completely unclear. 24 . . . l:tg8

Korchnoi criticized this move but Black's position is indefensibl e. For example : 24 . . .'�g6 2 5 'ii'c2+ �fs 26 e4 �g4 (or 26 . . . l2Jxf6 27 'i!i'c3 llf8 28 exfS+ 'ii'xfs 29 .l:tes) 27 h4 ! (leaving Black's k ing bare of defenders and hope) 27 . . . l2Jxf6 28 hxg s i.xf3 29 i..xf3 'ifh 3 (29 . . . lt:lg4 30 es+ 'it>g7 31 e6+ mates) 30 eS+ 'iifs 31 'ii'xfS+ 'it>xfs 3 2 gxf6 and Black can resign . 2 5 'i!fd2

Now h2-h4 is coming ; e .g . 2 S . . . 'iYf8 26 h4 'ifcs 27 .i.d4 'i!Vd6 2 8 hxgs+ 'it>h s 29 'ii'c2 ! (targeting h 7) 29 ... lLlf8 30 Jildl .l:rd8 3 1 f7 ! l:.g6 (3 1. . ..i.xf7 32 'iiifS ! mates) 32 'it>h2 ! ! followed by .l:th l ! fin ishes Black off. 2 5 • . /.ii'h5

Black's king hopes to di sassociate h imself from the white queen ' s influence but, i n doing so, draws yet deeper into her web of power. He awaits abjectly for the help which i s destined never to arrive. 26 h3 !

Threatening g3 -g4+. 26 . . . lLlc5

After 26 . . . g4 27 f7 .l:.g6 28 lLlh2 lLlf6 29 jg_f3 ! ! gxf3 30 'iif4, Black h as no reasonable method of dealing with 'ii'h4 mate. 27 g4+ i.xg4 28 hxg4+ 'ii'xg4

Now White is only down an exchange, while his attack rages on . 29 lLle5 'ilfh4

Or 29 ... �e4 30 'ii'dS ! i..xf2+ 3 1 'it>fl 'i'f4 (threatening m ate) 32 i.xe4 i.xe1+ 33 i.f3+ g4 34 lLld3+ 'ilfg s 35 i.xg4+ ! <it>xg4 36 liJeS+ and mates or win s the queen. 30 'ii'c2 !

Targeting h7 again . The queen smiles and thinks to herself: "You, my subjects, think me a tyrant? But your terror has yet to begin . " 30 . . . liJe4

4 2


A tiny reserve of energy in the critical l ater stages of a game can tip i t quickly in our fa

vour.

Exercise (critical decision): Should we pause to cover f2 with the calm 3 1 e3 , or should we ignore it with 31 'ifxe4 - ?

Both variations favour White. Houdini h as White up +1 .39 in one of the variations and a

whopping +9.41 in the other. Your job is to find the +9 .41 l ine ! 31 'i!!Vxe4?!

Answer: In this instance, the calmer move i s al so the superior move: 31 e 3 ! liJxf6 32 ctJd7 !

and the deflection shot is a game ender.

31 . . . ..ltxf2+ 32 �f1 'iVxe4 33 ..ltxe4 ii.xe1 34 �xe1 Fortunately, White is still winning the aftermath, as his deeply passed f-pawn chokes all

counterplay.

34 . . . Il.bd8 35 f7 l:tgf8

Exercise (combination alert): Thi s one is not so hard. White to play and win an exchange.

Answer: 36 �a3 Ilxf7 Black must have been in terrible time pressure. He gives up a full rook rather than an

exchange, though it doesn't really matter. 3 6 .. .<it>h6 3 7 i.xf8+ l::txf8 3 8 i.xb7 'it>g7 39 ..tds is al so without hope. 37 lt:Jxf7 l:1d4 38 i.xb7 g4 39 liJes �h4

43


Exercise (combination alert): Black i s hopelessly busted and things just get worse from there ! Korchnoi found a way to trap the rook in mid-board. How?

Answer: 40 e3 1 1-0 Since 40 .. J1d8 drops the rook to 41 .lte7+. White can al so invert the move order with 40

.lte7+! �h s 41 e3 .

1 C4

Game 6 G.Serper-V . Korch noi

G ron i ngen 1993 English Opening

Compare the current game with thi s classic: 1 e4 cS 2 ltJf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ltJxd4 ltJf6 5 ltJc3 g6 6 .lte2 ii.g7 7 �e3 ltJc6 8 ltJb3 .lte6 9 f4 0-0 10 g4 ! ? (so we see that Korchnoi 's . . . g7 -g 5 move has a precedent, with colours reversed)

44


10 . . . ds (Principle : Counter i n the centre when attacked on the wing) 11 fs i.c8 12 exds tt'lb4 13 d6 'ii'xd6 14 i.cs ..Wf4 15 l;if1 (White win s material but not the game - Botvinnik had worked out a forced draw at this point) 1S . . . 'ilxh 2 16 i.xb4 lLlxg4! 17 i.xg4 'i!Vg 3+ 18 �f2 'Wg 1+ 19 :tf1 �g 3+ 20 .l:f2 'ii'g 1+, A.Alekhine-M.Botvinnik, Nottingham 1936 . I annotate thi s game in Botvinn ik: Move by Move.

1 . . . lLlf6 2 lLlc3 es 3 tDf3 lLlc6 4 g3 d s Now we see Korchnoi on the other side of a reversed Dragon .

s cxds lDxds 6 i.g2 lLlb6 7 o-o i.e7 8 l:.b1 Slightly offbeat, but l ess so than 8 b3 which Korchnoi played as White in the previous

game. s . . . gs!?

A clear violation of White' s king s ide autonomy. Korchnoi lashes out pre-emptively, l ike some wasp who decides to sting you, just for the hel l of it. Anyway, there it i s again : Korch -

4 5


Korchnoi 's favourite move. He refuses to play by the clean rules of accepted theory, where both sides march in lockstep for 17 moves, where theoretical referees monitor l ines , and where there are beginnings and endings .

Question: How can Black get away with a move l ike th i s ?

Answer: Black would have a very difficult time getting away with i t i f White had an easy way to blast open the centre - but as it turns out, he doesn 't.

Perhaps Korchnoi rejected 8 ... 0-0 because White can play the tricky 9 b4! , when he achieves his thematic advance without wasting a tempo on a2-a3. Now he threatens to undermine Black's e-pawn with b4-b5 next, while after 9 . . . lt:Jxb4 10 lt:Jxes , G .KasparovJ .Timman, Wijk aan Zee 2001, White looks better, having swapped off a wing pawn for a centre pawn . 9 d3

White's most common response, but one which seems rather sedate .

Question: What would you recommend?

Answer: Black's last move perh aps deserves a more violent reaction, such as 9 b4! ? g4 (the naive 9 . . . .i.xb4?? is met by the overload shot 10 lt:Jxe s ! which leaves Black's game in a shambles) 10 lt:Je1 lt:Jxb4 11 lt:Jc2 lt:Jc6 12 .i.xc6+ bxc6 13 d4! , when White's lead in development and superior structure offered him full compensation for the pawn, A.Kh alifm anC. Lutz, F ID E World Championship, New Delhi /Tehran 2000. g . . . hs ! ?

No goofing around. Black clearly plays for mate. 10 a3

This move looks too slow and doesn't score very well for White. Experiencing existence with lifelong ADH D, the variety of human being which utterly mystifies me i s the one without a sense of "hurry" in their l ife.

Question: How can White play with more urgency here?

Answer: I would go for 10 .i.e3 fs 11 lt:Jd2 ii.e6, as in Bu Xiangzhi-Wang Li , Chinese Team Championship 2011; and now maybe I'm crazy, but I would risk 12 .i.xc6+ ! ? bxc6 13 lt:Jf3 i..f6 14 d4 (Principle : Meet a wing attack with a central counter) 14 . . . e4 1 S lt:Jes cs 16 .:tel with unclear play. I 'm not sure whose king is in greater danger here, but Houdin i gives White a slight pul l . 10 .. . h4 11 b4 hxg3

The opening of the h-file has to be troubling for White, who must now be on high alert for . . . 'iid6 and . . . 'ifh6 ideas. 12 hxg3

4 6

Korchn o i o n th e A ttack

I f Serper was a bit more worried about h i s king , he could have considered capturing

away from the centre with 12 fxg 3 ! ? . 12 . . . a6 1 3 bS !? tt::ld41?

14 tt::lxd4 And now Korchnoi, in his notes to thi s game, punishes 14 tt::lxd4 with "??" which I don 't

really understand. Serper's move may be inferior, but two question marks seem overly harsh - I 'd say it deserves " ? ! " at most.

Possibly Korchnoi ' s stricture was prompted by White h aving missed 14 tt::lxes ! 'ii'd6 (contemplating a swing to h 6) 15 f4 ! and if 1S ... gxf4 then 16 tt::lxf7 ! �xf7 (or 16 ... 'it'cs 17 e3 ! ) 17 i.xf4 �cs 18 e3 tt::lfs 19 tt::le4 'ifxa3 20 g4 with a clear advantage to White since the fsknight can 't move. Black might try 1 S .. .'iih 6 16 �f2 gxf4 17 .i.xf4 'ii'g7, when he seems to get reasonable compensation for the pawn . All the same, I would still prefer White if given a choice. 14 . . . exd4 15 bxa6?!

There's no reason to grant Black a free rook jump to a6, which may in turn be transferred to h6 . Better to play 1S l'Lle4 fs 16 t'Lld2 axbs 17 l:i.xbs c6 18 l:i.b3 tt::lds 19 �b2 . 1s . . . l:.xa6 16 tt::lbs l?

Again White might have preferred 16 l'Lle4 fS 17 tt::ld2.

4 7


Exercise (combination alert}: Black h as a tricky sequence which forces the win of material . What i s it?

Answer: Double attack. 16 .. . ltJa4!

Black threatens . . . c7-c6 ! , trapping White's wayward knight, with a further complication : if White's knight does move, then Black forks on c3 . 17 e3

No choice. 17 . . . c6 18 CtJxd4 lLlc3 19 'iic2 ttJxb1 20 'it'xb1 �d6!

Intending to swing over to h6 . So Black gets to attack, with a slight material plus as a bonus. 21 �b3?!

White's best chance to hang in there lay in the l ine 21 e4! 'iih6 22 �el 'ii'h2+ (Black shouldn 't take the material ism route since the initiative swings back the other way after 22 . . . .txa3 ? ! 23 ttJfs �f6 24 .te3) 23 �fl .th 3 24 .txh 3 'it'xh3+ 25 �e2 'ili'g4+ 26 �e3 ! 'ii'd7 27 ttJfs and White's powerfully posted knight gives him chances to resist. 21 . . . 'ii'h6 22 �e1

White has a pawn for the exchange and may survive, unless Black finds a way to get at his king .

4 8


2 2 . . . csl This move, which looks weak on the surface s ince it weakens bS and b7, i s the only path

to White's king. In stead, chasing the king to safety g ives White survival chances : a) 22 . . .'ifh2+? ! 23 'it>f1 .ih 3 24 .ixh 3 'ii'xh3+ 25 'i.t>e2. b) 22 . . . Ji.h3 ? 23 'ifxb7 i.xg2 24 'i.t>xg 2 and there i s no m ate.

2 3 tt:'lf3 1

White needs the knight near h i s king . Serper wisely resists the impul se to go off on an adventure on the other side of the board with 2 3 tt:'lbs ? 'iih2+ 24 'it>fl i.h3 (24 . . . .l:!.f6 i s strong too) 2 5 .ixh 3 'ifxh 3+ 26 'it>e2 1i'g4+ 27 'it>d2 (27 'i.t>fl? 'ii'f3 forces mate) 27 . . . :f6 ! 28 %1e2 Ith2 and Black crashes through . 2 3 ... .ih 3 1

Now White's king is in grave danger. The b7-pawn is m erely a decoy. 24 �xb7

Not 24 i.hl??, which walks headlong into 24 ... i.e6 (double attack on b3 and h l) 2 5 �5+ .id7 and White must hand over h i s queen to avoid mate; while after 24 tt:'les .ixg2 25 'it>xg2 ( if 25 'ii'xf7+?? 'it>d8 26 'it>xg2 , then 26 . . . 'ilfh 3+ 27 'it>f3 .l:!.f8 wins at once) .l:te6 26 .ib2 'i'h3+ 27 'it>f3 1i'fs+ 28 �e2 .l:txes 29 'ifxb7 �h2 30 'ifh8+ 'it>d7 31 'i'h7+ <i?e6 32 'it'c8+ �f6 33 'it'xfS+ 'it>xfs 34 i.xes �xes , I have no doubt that a player of Korchnoi 's technical skill s would convert thi s one without trouble. 24 . . . i..xg2 25 'ii'c8+1

Covering h3 . Both queens bel ieve themselves to be leaders in a final confl ict between good and evi l . However, there appears to be some unresolved confusion, since both loudly proclaim themselves to be on the side of good. 2s . . . i..d8 26 �xg2

Black's victory, once believed secure, grows more fragi le and seemingly insubstantial with each passing move. After all , White now has two pawns for the exchange and manages to cover the infiltration squares h3 , h 2 and h l.

49


Exercise (combination alert): Or does he? How to lubricate Black's attacking machine so that it runs efficiently?

Answer: Interference. 26 • • • .l::l.e6!

The rook finally becomes the hero h e previously pretended to be. White's cut off queen just can't seem to work with others and is unwill ing or unable to help her king . She utters the word " I " so much more than "we". 2 7 tLlgl

27 'it>f1 fail s to 27 . . . �3+ 28 'it>e2

Exercise (combination alert): Black to play and win heavy material .

50

Korch n o i o n th e A ttack

Answer: Discovered attack: 28 . . . .l:txe3+ ! 29 .ixe3 'ifxc8 win s the queen.

27 . . ."iih1+ The black queen enters with deci sive effect.

28 'it>f1 �f6 ! White has no good way to cover h is second rank.

29 e4 Both 29 f4 and 29 .S.e2 would meet with the same reply.

29 . . Jlh 2 30 'ite2

30 ..lte3 fails to 30 . . . .l:i.fxf2+ ! 31 ii.xf2 'ifg 2+ and mates, whi le 30 'iixc5 "fig 2+ 3 1 �e2 .:t:xf2+ i s equally hopeless .

30 . . . l:thxf2+ 3 1 �d1 l:t:d6 3 2 �e3 .l:i.xd3+ 33 'iii>c1 l:tc3+ Not 33 . . . I:i.xe3? , intending 34 .l::;t.xe3 ? 'ifxg1+ and mates, due to 34 'ikc6+! �f8 35 'iixc5+

..\te7 36 'ifxe3 and White survives, at least for the time being .

34 \t>d1

Scurrying amidst his three tormentors, the white king gets l ittle rest these days. All which remain are vestigial flashes of White 's resi stance.

Exercise (combination alert}: H aving made it to d1 the king exhales in a gush of relief, bel ieving he escaped the assassination

attempt. He didn 't. How did Korchnoi fin ish the game?

Answer: Offer a rook in order to transfer h i s queen to its optimal attacking post: the third rank - along which she re-enters the fight with vastly magnified powers. 34 . . . "fih6! 0-1

Competence in calculation is a kind of authority Korchnoi wielded. With 34 . . .'t'Nh6, Korchnoi unleashes dark, terrible forces upon White' s world: 35 "fib8 (trying to cover d6 ; if 35 �xf2 then 35 . . ."i!Vd6+ 36 'it>e2 'iVd3 is mate) 35 . . J:i.d3+ 36 �c1 "fia6 ! 37 .ll.xf2 .l:i.c3+ 38 \t>b2 'i'xa3+ 39 \t>b1 .l:i.b3+ ends the gam e.

51


1 e4 e6

Game l V.Kupreichik-V.Korch noi

Munster 1996 French Defence

Korchnoi, along with Botvinnik, Petrosian and Uhlmann, was one of the all -time great French Defence experts . H i s handling of the opening influenced me deeply as a kid, and I have played this mysterious opening for over four decades . 2 d4 d s 3 es

The Advance French , which Korchnoi called the "critical " continuation in h i s best games book. 3 ... cs 4 c3 'iib6 5 'Llf3 'Llc6

s .. . Ji.d7, intending to unload the bad bishop via bs , i s al so quite popular. 6 .ie2

The other two giant branches here are 6 a3 and 6 .id3 (when White later gam bits h i s dpawn). 6 . . . 'Llh61?

Korchnoi , as is h i s usual habit, refuses to conform to norm or precedent. Black prepares to add further pressure to d4, the base of White' s pawn chain . Korchnoi ' s choice is slightly more offbeat than either first swapping on d4 with 6 . . . cxd4 7 cxd4 'Llh6, or 6 . . . .id7.

IM John Watson covers thi s l ine in detail in Dangerous Weapons: The French Defence. In fact, I had the white pieces against John in a game back in the early 'gos and was completely thrown by his 6 . . . 'Llh6 ! ? , confusedly messing th ings up and barely managing to l imp to a draw. After the game, John, with a mischievous smile, remarked: "Cyrus, you really understand thi s l ine well ! "

5 2


Question: Why can 't White damage Black's structure with 7 i.xh6 - ?

Answer: He can, but matters are not so simple. In return , Black gets bishop pair, increased

dark square control and an open g -file . For example : 7 . . . gxh6 (7 . . .'it'xb2? ! isn 't considered as good for Black, since his queen gets into trouble after 8 i.e3 li'xa1 9 'ii'c2) 8 �d2 .1g7 9 0-0 o-o 10 lLJa3 f6 11 exf6 Jaxf6 was V. Kupreichik-A.Huzman, Sverdlovsk 1987, where most French exponents, your writer included, would be okay with Bl ack. Presumably Kupreichik was of a similar opinion and so tried a different variation . 7 . . . cxd4 8 cxd4 ttJfs 9 i.b2 i.d7 ! ?

Normally Black plays 9 . . . i.b4+ here, which forces White's k ing to move to f1, el iminating castl ing privileges.

Question: Shouldn't Black entrench his fs-knight with 9 . . . hs instead?

Answer: That is possibl e, but rare. White can later play i.d3 and i.xfs , after which Black may wish he hadn't pushed the h -pawn, since it weakens the g S -square. In any case, French players are not afraid of g2 -g4, since the move weakens White's structure.

10 g4!? The nuclear option. White can (and perhaps should ! } refrain from lashing out just yet

and opt for the calmer 10 o-o i.e7 11 a3 as 12 h 3 l:tc8, J .Timman-V.Topalov, Wijk aan Zee (bl itz) 1998. But players on the White s ide of Advance French can hold off for only so lon g and Timman played 13 g4! ? anyway. Then I l ike Black's position after 13 . . . lLJh4, though a natural attacker may prefer White. 10 . . . lLJfe7 11 lLJc3 h s

White doesn't have time for h2-h3 . Thi s thematic move i s a novelty and an improve-

5 3


ment over 11 . . .tt:'lg6 12 "Yi'd2 f6 13 tt:'la4 ii.b4 14 tt:'lxb6 ii.xd2+ 15 �xd2 axb6 16 exf6 gxf6 17 h4, when White may have an edge due to his extra kingside space, L.Yudasin-M. I llescas Cordoba, Leon 1993 . 12 tt:'la4 'll!Vd8

It might be worth luring White's bishop to the more vulnerable c3-square by tossing in 12 . . .'i'a5+ 13 i.c3 and only then play 13 . . . 'i*'d8 . 13 gs !?

Question: I sn 't White overextending?

Answer: I would love to play Black here, but th is i s a styl istic bias. The position may be closer to dynamically balanced. Kupreichik's idea is to gum up the king side and then focus h is attention on the other wing . As i t turns out, the kingside i sn 't as closed as White may have beli eved. Korchnoi expected 13 gxh 5 . 1 3 . . . tt:'lg61

Stronger than moving the knight to f5, the obvious square. Black's knight blocks out all g 5-g6 l ine-opening ideas and al so keeps control over f4 and h4. 14 'i!Vd2 .l:i.c8 15 .l:l.c1

Question: Can White play 15 tt:'lc5 in order to pick off the bishop pair?

Answer: Tactics interfere after 15 .. . tt:'lxd4! (undermining) 16 tt:'lxb7 lL'lc2+ 17 'it>f1 \l!Vb6 18 lk1 iixb7 19 .l:l.xc2 l:txc2 20 'iWxc2 tt:'lf4, when Black has managed to swap a wing pawn for a central pawn and now goes after the e2-bishop, guardian of White's l ight squares, and picking off the bi shop pair himself. 1S . . . i..b4 16 i.c3 �a3 17 l:b1?!

A major concession, moving h i s rook off the open file to dodge a draw. Keep in mind

54


what happens to objects which refuse to bend: They break. Korchnoi writes that both he and Kupreichik are often "en slaved by their fighting

spirit". Korchnoi said he would h ave agreed to the draw by repetition h ad Kupreichik played the correct 17 i.b2 .i.b4 18 i.C3, but I bet you if th i s h ad actually happened,

Korchnoi would have had a change of heart and decl ined the draw by withdrawing h i s

bishop to e7.

17 . . . j_e7 18 lbb2

18 ttJcs? i s again met by the undermining tactic 18 . . . tbxd4 ! .

18 . . . tbh4!

A clever tactic. Principle : The cramped side benefits from exchanges.

19 l:tg1

19 ltJxh4?? is obviously fool ish, as 19 . . . �xg s regains the piece with interest. 19 . . • ttJxf3+ 20 .txf3 'ii'b6!

Dual purpose: 1 . Black prevents ltJd3, the knight's optimal spot. 2. Black threatens the combinational sequence ... lt:Jxe s ! followed by ... l:txc3 , after which

White 's queen can 't recapture due to the . . . ..tb4 pin .

Question: Wouldn 't it be wise to toss in 20 . . . g6 just so White can't make the move himself?

Answer: My instinct would have been to make thi s move as wel l , but Korchnoi , a man of unbounded ambition , decides to forego it. H is reasoning may have been to keep the option of . . .f7-f6 later on . Remember, White 's king is pretty much stuck in the centre and will be vulnerable should it open up. 2 1 tba4

It 's very easy to get caught up in your own plans and play something like 21 g6? , which

5 5


walks into the aforementioned combination : 21 . . . tl:lxe s ! 22 dxes J:txc 3 ! when Black's rook i s immune from capture. 21 .. .'t!i'c7 22 .ie2

Question: Why did White retreat?

Answer: Black threatened . . . b7-b5 ! , followed by tactics down the c-fi le . H owever, White missed something .

Exercise (combination alert}: Black has acces s to a mini-tactic which greatly improves his position . What is it?

Answer: Tactics enable .. . b7-b S ! , so play it anyway. 22 . . . bsl 23 i.xbs

No choice since 23 tl:lcs ? fai ls to the now familiar trick 23 .. . tl:lxd4, while 23 tl:lb2 ? ? walks headlong into 23 . . . b4, snaring the bishop. 2 3 ... tl:lxes l

The point: Black favourably regains h is lost pawn . 24 .i..xd7+

After 24 dxes ?! .i..xbs 25 ii.d4 ..txa4 26 bxa4 o-o, White is busted, as his pawn structure is in tatters and king remains unsafe. 24 . . • tl:lxd7

Black now threatens to take on h2 . 2 5 f4 0-0

In the aftermath of the combination White again looks busted, with h i s loose structure and insecure king . Surpri singly, Houdini misassesses, only giving Black an edge. How does a

programmer encode the concept of future king safety to a computer, whose sentience only

5 6

extends to the present moment?

26 'it>e2 i.d6 27 �bf1 .l:Ue8!?

Korchn o i on th e A t tack

Black dreams of engineering an Alekhine-like future involving an . . . e6-e S ! ! break

through.

28 i.b4? White should simply do nothing and await events.

Question: Why criticize the exchange of bad bishop for good?

Answer: Because White's "bad" bi shop was al so the guard against queenside entry into his position, which now evaporates. The active 28 g6? ! fail s to open l ines and revive White 's chances, as Black simply bypasses with 28 . . .fs , followed by . . . lt:Jf6. 28 . . . i.xb4 29 'i'xb4 �C2+

The queen enters with decisive effect. 30 'iid2 'i'ie4+ 31 �d1

Not much choice in the matter since a queen block on e3 would be met by a deadly rook check on c2 .

Exercise (critical decision}: Where i s Black's breakthrough?

Answer: The one he has been playing for all along . From virtually the start of the game White has claimed sole rights to control over es, but now Korchnoi asserts otherwise. 3 1 . . . es ! !

For an average player to commit to such a move i s fraught with h igh risk. But to Korch noi, backed up by astonishing calculation power, there is very l ittle gamble involved. 3 2 fxes

Alternatives fail to ease the pain . 3 2 l:Lel 'iif3+ 33 'ii'e2 'ii'xf4 i s hopeless for White, and


3 2 dxe5 tt:Jxe 5 ! is much the same as the game. 3Z . . . tt:Jxes !

The knight, who manages to outrage the rul ing authority, stands above the law and cannot be touched, since 3 3 dxe5 'iib1+ 34 'it>e2 l:txe5+ 3 5 'it>f2 l::tf5+ ! 36 c;t>g 2 'i/Ve4+ 37 �h 3 l:rxfl 38 l:!.xf1 �g4 is mate. 3 3 tt:Jc3

White's defensive labours are set up against a backdrop of looming m ate threats. 33 . . J�xc3 ! 34 'ii'xc3 lLld 3 !

Threatening mate o n the move. They continue t o pour i n ; quick-breeding predators wreaking havoc on White's fragi le ecosystem. 35 'it>c2

35 'ii'd2 'it'xd4 36 a3 (or 36 c;t>e2 tt:Jb4+) 36 . . . tt:Jb2+ 37 'it>cl l:tc8+ wins the queen . 3 S .. . lLlb4+ 3 6 c;t>bz 'tli'ez+ 3 7 �b1!

The most stubborn defence in a hopeless position still deserves an exclam . Attackers continue to rain down in torrents, yet Kupreichik manages to keep h i s king alive for now. Instead:

a) 37 'itta3 'iia6+! 38 c;t>xb4 .l:.b8+ 39 �c5 .li:tb5 is mate. b) 37 'it>cl?? tt:Jxa2+ drops the queen and gets mated to boot.

37 ... 'ilfxa2+ 38 'it>c1

Exercise (combination alert}: Continue Black's attack. There are several strong continuations. Find one of them.

Answer #1: Deflection . 3 8 ... lLld3+!

Answer #2: 38 . . . l:!.e6 ! is even stronger, after which 39 'ifixb4 .l::tc6+ 40 'ilfc5 l:rxc5+ 41 dxc5 d4 ! 42 .Udl d3 ! ends the game.

5 8

Ko rchn o i o n t h e A t tack

39 'i!fxd 3

Finally, White places the psychotic knight under restraint and orders him to receive

treatment for his megalomania.

39 . . J.tc8+ 40 �d1 'ii'a1+ 41 �e2 'ii'b2+ 42 'ii'd2 The queen falls, no matter where White moves; e .g . 42 �f3 l:k3 or 42 �el l:.cl+.

42 • . • .i:.c2 43 .l:r.d1 'i!Vxb3 No rush ; White's queen isn 't going anywhere.

44 g6 fxg6 4S llxg6 l::txd2+ 46 �xd2

Black's attack is over, but he has cashed out into a winning ending , with queen and two pawns for a pair of rooks. 46 . • .'tih 3 !

The queen 's hospitality leaves much t o b e desired. I f Black wins h 2 it's game over, since it would create a pair of passers on the h- and g -files - too much for the inept rooks to handle . 47 �e1

The king hurries away to avoid the corrupting desires and touch of his unnatural sister. 47 . . .'�fs 48 l:!.gg2 a s

The a-pawn can't get across the a2-square, but i t still has i t s uses as a deflection tool to throw White's rooks out of sync h . 49 '.t>e2 Wie4+ so 'it>f1 h4!

Threatening . . . h4-h 3, followed by . . . Wh l+, picking up h2 after all . 51 'it>g1?

Covering one threat while walking into another. The weary king has no idea how long hi s enemy has detained him, since an interrogation room contains no clocks and no win dows.

5 9

Korc h n o i : M o ve by M o ve

5 1 • • . a4?

Exercise (combination alert}: Well , I don 't know if thi s i s a combination alert or typo alert, but apparently both players

overlooked something rather obvious. Black to play and mate.

Black's awkward queen doesn 't quite know what to do and just stands there, l ike some homely, date-less teen at a high school dance. Answer: I checked several other versions of this game, including in Korchnoi ' s own books, and Sl . . .'i'el mate is not even mentioned. Do we not all despi se others whose weakness mirrors our own ? A chess version of a dual Freudian slip? For White's king , death isn 't so much as a tragedy as it is an escape from suffering . Real ity can be so intrusive when it protrudes upon our illusions. The king's insubordinate stance prompts the queen to make a mental note: "Have him executed".

Can thi s really be true? How can a pair of strong GMs each miss a m ate in one? Kramnik, in a drawn position, once missed a mate in one against Deep Fritz, so perhaps it can happen to anyone. We are not perfect machines and from time to time it is in our nature to short circuit. 52 ilge2

Whew! Covering the mate threat ! 52 . . . 'ii'g4+ 53 �1 �h7 54 l:!.f2 'ii'e4 5 5 ®g1 h 3

Threatening . . .'ii'el+, picking off a rook. Black's pawns crawl to the surface, like bugs who happily buzz and float on green algae pond scum . 56 l:!.fe2 'ii'g4+ 5 7 '>ii>f2 'ii'f4+ 58 �e1 'it'f3 !

Threatening .. .'ii'hl+, winning the h2 -pawn .

6 0

Ko rch n o i o n t h e A t tack

59 �d1! White's bumbling king hopes to sneak by, anxious to avoid detection . He interferes with

his rook's coverage of h2 , and so gets out of the way, hoping to make his way to a2. 59 . . .'iWc3 !

Blocking the king 's further escape to the queenside.

60 �e1 g5 Here they come.

61 '.t>f2 �g6 62 .l:!.e6+ 'lt>fs 63 l:!.ee2 a 3 64 �f1 'it>g4 65 'it>f2

Whenever I see forlorn rooks who huddle together for safety, my heart goes out to them - I can 't help but be reminded of the Brady Bunch epi sode where l ittle Cindy and Bobby got lost in the Grand Canyon .

Exercise {planning}: Black can force the win of White's h2 -pawn, creating a lethal pair of passers on the kings ide. How did Korchnoi accomplish this goal ?

6 1


Answer: Zugzwang . The correct spot for Black's king i s on f4, after which White can 't prevent the tran sfer of the queen to h l. 65 .. .'�f4! 66 'iitg1

Or 66 l:Id1 a2 ! 67 .l:txa2 'iif3+ 68 'iite1 'ii'h l+ 69 'iitd2 �xh2+ 70 'it>c3 'ii'xa2 and the queen scoops up the rook as well with a daintiness which belies her actual power. 66 . . . �C1+ 67 �f2 'ii'h11 0-1

The h-pawn finally fal ls . The queen terrifies everyone when she flies into one of her rag es - and is even scarier when she subsides into a dangerous, sullen si lence.

Game B V.Korch noi-B.Spassky

St Petersbu rg ( ra p id match , 6th ga me) 1999 Griinfeld Defence

Korchnoi and Spassky's styles differ so starkly, that they feel like people who speak different languages, trying to communicate, with absolutely zero chance of successful transl ation . 1 d4 t2Jf6 2 C4 g6 3 f3

Question: What i s White ' s idea behind the early f2 -f3 - ?

Answer: Essentially it's an anti -Grunfeld system . It gives Black the option of transposing to other systems, but if Black has h i s heart set on 3 . . . ds, then White angles for a favourable Grunfeld.

Question: Why favourable?

6 2


Answer: In this version Black is denied the usual knight exchange on c3 , which helps White due to the principle : The s ide with more space should avoid exchanges. Of course it has its downsides as well : f2-f3 isn't a developing move, it blocks the natural square for the g1 -

knight, and may not fit in with all Grunfeld set-ups. Nevertheless, it was a shrewd ploy by Korchnoi, for two reasons : 1 . Spassky was clearly geared up for 3 . . . ds , having already played the Grilnfeld in the

second and fourth games of the match .

2 . B lack's main alternative, 3 . . . ..tg7 4 e4, generally leads to a Samisch King ' s Indian, a

long-time favourite of Spassky's from the White side, with which he has scored many fa

mous victories, not least against Korchnoi himself. And now, unexpectedly, Korchnoi sug

gests that Spassky takes on the Black side of thi s position in a rapid game. 3 • • . d 5

Spassky sticks to h i s Grilnfeld. Another option i s 3 . . . cs 4 ds, leading either to Benoni positions or even a Benko Gambit (after 4 . . . bs ) . 4 cxd s lDxd s s e4 l2Jb6

You see? Black i s denied his traditional c 3 -swap.

6 tt:lc3 i.g7 7 i.e3 o-o 8 f4!?

The Austrian Attack versus the Grilnfeld ! ? As usual , Korchnoi avoids the m ain l ines and goes for an offshoot.

Question: Can White get away with this , s ince he moved his f-pawn twice?

Answer: I am deeply suspicious of thi s sort of variation, but keep in mind that Black's knight al so moved three times out of eight moves, so perhaps White can be allowed such indulgences.

Instead, 8 'ikd2 is the main line. A recent example : 8 . . . tt:lc6 9 o-o-o 'ifd6 10 \tlb1 .l:!.d8 11 tt:lb s 'ii'd7 12 ds a6 13 ctJc3 'i!Ve8 14 "ii'e1 tt:les , L.Aronian-F .Caruana, Moscow 2012 .

6 3


8 . . . c6!? Spassky meets the offshoot with an offshoot of his own . His move strikes me as

strangely placid in a situation where Bl ack should be feverishly ch ipping away at White's centre.

Question: What would you suggest?

Answer: Something more vigorous like 8 . . .'�:Jc6 9 dS tt:Jas 10 �d4 es! 11 �xes ..ixes 12 fxes "i¥h4+ 13 g3 'Uie7 14 'iid4 .l:!.d8 (intending . . . tt:Jc6) 15 b4 tt:Jac4 (or still 1 S . . . tt:Jc6 16 1\Vcs "ifg s

1 7 tDf3 't!r"h s 1 8 it.e2 tt:Jxes 1 9 0-0 .i.h 3 , A.Botez-T.Gara, Mexico City rapid 2012) 1 6 .i.xc4 'ii'xb4 17 tDf3 'iixc4 18 "ife3 c6 with a completely unbalanced situation, G . Kaidanov-Peng Xiaomin, US-China match , Seattle 2001. 9 tDf3 ..ie6

Spassky targets the weak c4-square . The alternative i s 9 . . . i..g4. which fol lows the principle : The cramped side benefits from exchanges.

10 'i¥c2 tt:J8d7! Black waits for i..e2 before following up with . . . it.c4 so as to gain a tempo. After the im

mediate 10 . . . i.c4 11 .1t.xc4 tt:Jxc4 12 ..if2 tDa6 13 o-o WJ/c7 14 �e2, White appeared to extract a slight edge due to his extra space, D . Biro-J .Siroky, Hungarian Team Championship 2008. 11 �e2 �c4 12 g4!?

Korchnoi i s cl early not a believer in the doctrine that a country i s safer when it has fewer borders to defend. When selecting just 60 or so from a lifetime of nearly s .ooo of Korch noi 's games, thi s one caught my eye, mainly due to h is almost irrational last move. Korchnoi mentioned in an interview in 2011 that, even at the ripe old age of 80, he still from time to time found himself unable to resist strategically questionable moves. Once again, he sheds al l pretence of impartiality when it comes to adoration of his g -pawns more than all his other pawns combined. Everyone el se in the world would have castled kingside here.

6 4


kingside here. Korchnoi plans to go for i t on the king side with h2 -h4-h 5 .

Question: I t feels to me like White's tough guy posturing resembles a second grader picking a fight with a sixth grade kid. After al l ,

Black didn 't break any principles . Why would Korchnoi think such an outrageous move is capable of overwhelming an essentially sol id position ?

Answer: Korchnoi doesn't bother with the advice: If you feel lucky one day and decide to play a game of Russian Roulette, make certain to inquire just how m any bul lets the gun's

chamber holds. 1 tend to lean towards your viewpoint - and yet Korchnoi somehow didn't overextend

and won the game. I would say h is move is high-end aggressive but falls just below the threshold of unsound. The key factor in determining whether it i s playable or not i s : Can Black rip open the centre? If he can in the next dozen or so moves, White may deeply regret his decision . In the game Korchnoi gambled on a theory, a kernel of truth , that Black won 't

be able to open the centre so easily. As it turned out h i s judgment was vindicated.

12 . . . e6! Principle : Counter in the centre when attacked on the wing.

Question: How is Black's l ast move a central counter?

Answer: In order to play a future . . . c6-c5 , Black must first engineer a way of denying a bypassing d4-d5 by White. 13 h4

Suddenly 12 g4 doesn't look so bad. White foresees h4-h 5 and an eventual �2, barrell ing down the h -fi le . 13 . . .'i'e7 14 h S cs

6 5


The once inert c-pawn fights back, disallowing White's bullying centre pawns to crowd him out. 15 es ! ?

Question: And now White h ands over dS . Why, when he can castle queenside?

Answer: Korchnoi i s not so sure about king safety on the other side. In stead, he grabs more space and plans to keep his king in the centre, or castle manually with <;t>f2 later on . 15 ... Itfc8

I prefer th i s move to 1S . . . lt'lds 16 ..ig 1 ! cxd4 (I l ike White's chances after 16 . . . .txe2 17 lt'lxds exds 18 'ifxe2 too) 17 ..txd4 l:!.fc8 18 ..txc4 I:!.xc4 19 hxg6 hxg6 20 � 2 and suddenly I wouldn't mind taking on White, even if Houdin i still claims the game is equal . 16 hxg6 hxg6 17 dxcs lt'lxcs

This may be inaccurate. Black should go for 17 .. . lt'lds ! 18 .td4 �xe2 19 lt'lxds ! exds 20 'ifxe2 lt:'lxcs 21 lt'lg s lt'le6 ! , when his position looks okay. 18 i.d4

Both sides miss 18 fS ! exfs 19 .i.xc4! lt'lxc4 20 lt'lds ! 'ifd8 21 Wkxc4 lt'le6 22 �b3, when Black doesn 't get full compensation ; e.g. 22 . . .fxg4 2 3 lt'lh4 lt'lcs 24 �xcs lixcs 25 tt:lxg6 ! .l::!.xds 26 'iVxds 'ifg s 27 o-o! 'iVxg 6 28 I:.ae1 and White should be winning . Then again, who but computers can work out such insanely tricky l ines? 18 . . . �d 5

Spassky has done everything right and opened the game. Yet the computers say the po sition remains equal . Despite initial misgivings, it seems that Korchnoi ' s loony 12 g4 ! ? wasn't as bad as i t looked.

The question is: How did Korchnoi know this at the time? What attracted him to 12 g4! ?, a move nobody else would make? In his autobiography, Korchnoi claims that his po111 er is the product of hard work, not genius. I respectfully disagree. Korchnoi 's hidden geniu

6 6


gen ius is that he knows - when others can 't possibly - to play moves l ike 12 g4 ! ?, and that he won 't be punished for it later on !

19 lid1 �d8?

Evil permitted constitutes another, milder form of evi l . This i s the first sign of a crack in

Black's almost perfect defence. Both 19 .. . ltJe4 and 19 .. . i.c6 held the balance.

20 tt:Jxd s!

Spassky overlooked a subtle distinction on his last move. Now a black knight i s kept out

of dS, a factor which enables White to unravel and begin a dangerous attack.

20 . . . l:txd s

21 'iii>f2?

Exercise {planning}: Assess 21 fs , a move which violates the principle : Don 't create a central disturbance when you are the one attacking

on the wing. Would you override the principle and play it anyway?

Answer: The move is an exception to the principle. 21 fS ! was very strong : 21 . . . exfs (21. . .ltJcd7 22 f6 is hopeless for Black) 22 gxfs gxfs 2 3 'ii'xfs gives White a winning attack, similar to what occurs in the game. 21 . . . l:tc8 2 2 'ilfb1 .:cd8 2 3 b3 ltJa6 24 'i!Ve4 ltJb4 25 fs ! exfs 26 gxfs gxfs?

Now Black's structure suffers a lethal dismemberment. The defensive pressure overcomes Spassky, who by now must have been very short of time in the rapid game. Here 26 . . . ltJc6 ! 27 �xb6 .l:.xd1 28 J:.xd1 1:txd1 hel d the balance. 27 lixfs J:txd4

6 7


Black finally receives del ivery, but g ets damaged goods.

Exercise (combination alert}: White to play and win .

Answer: No need to recapture on d4. Simply add another attacker and Black's position falls apart. 28 l:tdg1! 1-0

It i sn 't necessary to be an expert marksman if you own a 12 gauge, double-barrel led shotgun . Black's king receives a staggering blow from the darkness, as he feel s bones shattering in his body. After 28 l:tdg 1 ! (if you apply for a job and your interviewer abruptly stands up in what you believe to be the middle of the interview, then my guess is you didn 't get the job) 28 .. .'ife6 29 'i*'h 7+ (Black 's king feel s a sense of something being taken from his person , like the faint feel ing of a pi ckpocket' s han d on a wal let as it is being removed) 29 . . !.£i>f8 30 'it'xg7+ �e7 31 'iig S+ ! (forcing the king to block the d8-rook's coverage of d4) 31 .. . �d7 (if your army is in retreat, it needs a place to retreat to) 3 2 lbxd4, the knight defaces that which is already dead, like the soldier who steals a dead foe 's wedding ring from a rigid finger.

Game 9 V .Korchnoi-H.Cireta rsson

Reykjavi k 2003 Slav Defence

1 d4 ds 2 c4 c6 3 liJf3 ltJf6 4 e3 ids Gretarsson 's move is quite popular and I sometimes play it myself, but as much as I lovE

the London System as White, I 'm beginning to th ink that defending the reversed position

6 8

Korc h n o i o n th e A t tack

as Black is a thankless task. Black's best may b e t o transpose t o Semi Sl av with 4 . . . e 6 . Alter

natively, he can enter Chebanenko Slav with 4 ... a6, or even the Schlechter System with 4 . . . g6. 5 liJc3 e6 6 tt::lh4

A topical position from the Slav.

Question: Can White get anything from the bishop pair?

Answer: Probably an edge since the pawn structure remains fluid, with possibil ities of opening up, and White often extracts a space advantage with kingside and/or queenside expansion later on . The trouble (for Black) i s that White tends to hang on to this edge for ages, with not too much risk involved for h i s side. 6 . • . i.e4

Question: What's the point of playing the bishop to e4, if it can 't squirm away from White's knights?

Answer: Black wants to extract some kind of concession for handing over the bishop pair, in this case the move f2-f3 . However, it remains open to question whether f2-f3 harms or helps White, since the move may l ater boost an e3-e4 or g2 -g4 push . The immediate 6 . . . .ig6 i s al so played here; as well as 6 . . . i.g4, which i s met by 7 �3. 7 f3 .tg6 8 'iib3

It i sn 't such a bad idea to delay capturing on g6, since this opens the h -fi l e for Black's rooks. After 8 tt::lxg6 hxg6 9 g 3 i.d6 (threatening . . . ..txg3+) 10 <M2 tt::lbd7 11 i.d2 0-0 12 cs i.c7 13 f4 b6 14 b4 bxcs 15 bxcs i.as ! (Black fights for e4 by preparing to eliminate its most faithful defender) 16 .i.d3 .txc3 17 .txc3 tt::le4+ 18 ..txe4 dxe4 19 'i'a4 1i'c8 20 Itab1 tL'lf6 2 1 h 3 tt::lds , Black's monster knight compensated for h i s structural deficiencies and

6 9


White's space, A.Karpov-A.Shirov, Monte Carlo (rapid) 2001. 8 . . Jlfc7 9 J.d2 tLlbd7 10 cxd s

Question: What i s the point of breaking the central tension ?

Answer: Korchnoi plans to castle queenside and doesn 't want to worry about . . . d5xc4 and . . . b7-b5 on every move, so he removes it from the equation . 10 . . . exd s 11 o-o-o

With the h -file opening, White's king may actually be safer on the queenside. 11 .. . bs? l

A novelty and possibly a dubious one , since it weakens more than it intimidates . Let's try and understand this move, not just from our perspective, but also from Gretarsson 's . I t i sn 't always easy to discriminate between that which is feasible and that which i s folly. I get the feel ing that Black focuses too much on how the world should be, rather than the world as it is . So chafing under confined quarters, he lashes out.

Question: Why criticize? What can be more natural than launching an attack again st White's king , who declared residency on the queenside?

Answer: A plan should be rejected when risks outweigh rewards, no matter how tempting. The trouble i s that White will soon own more space when he plays e3-e4. Thi s in turn means that Black violates the principle : The side with less space shouldn 't launch a n attack.

Perhaps Black should go for 11 . . . 0-0-o, though even then White gets the advantage afte 12 e4! dxe4 13 lLlxg6 hxg6 14 fxe4 l2Jb6 (14 . . . l:!.xh2? 15 l:xh2 'i&'xh 2 16 'ii'xf7 is awful for Black) 15 i.g 5 l:te8 16 .ltd3 with control of the centre and the bi shop pair, P.TregubovS .Volkov, Moscow 2002. 12 l2Jxg6 hxg6 13 e41

7 0


Korchnoi offers a pawn, following the principle : Counter a wing assault with play i n the

centre.

13 . . . tt'lb6

A cautious response. Black can go pawn hunting with 13 . . . b4! ? 14 lt:\a4 J:txh 2 1 S llxh 2

'ifxh2 16 'ii'c2 .Uc8, but I l ike White's chances after the disruptive 17 es lt:lh s 18 e6 ! , when

Black's king finds no peace for some time to come.

14 �b1

14 . . . a6

Question: Why does White leave h 2 hanging and Black continually refuse the offer?

Answer: After 14 . . . .l:txh2? 15 llxh2 'ii'xh 2, White has 16 exds lt:lfxds 17 ttJxds lt:lxds and now 18 .ixbs ! 'iVd6 19 .ia4, followed by �c1 and Black's game i s a wreck.

No better is 14 . . . b4?! 1S lt:la4 dxe4 16 fxe4 lt:\xa4 17 'ifxa4 lt:\xe4 18 l:te1 fS, since White regains the pawn favourably after 19 ..td3 0-0-0 20 .i.xe4 fxe4 21 llxe4 with a clear advantage, as both b4 and c6 are weak. 15 g3

Finally el iminating the threat to h2 . 1S . . . i.e7 1 6 .ltf4 'i'b7

Most certainly not 16 ... i.d6?? 17 es . 17 i.d 3 o-o-ol? The two kings ' eyes lock in mutual comprehension : only one will survive the coming battle . As it turns out, Black's king isn 't so safe on the airy queen side. He could castle kingside, but even then he faces an assault, as GM Ruslan Scherbakov pointed out: 11 . . . 0-0 18 h4 ! , when 18 . . . lt:lh s ? ! 19 �es f6? fai ls to 20 exds ! cxds 21 .ltxg6 fxes 22 i.xh s and Black's king is in deep trouble since dS is very insecure. 18 llc1 lt:\c4

71


The logical continuation of his earl ier . . . b7-b5 move. Gretarsson undoubtedly relied upon this knight block to secure his king , but as events unfold we real ize it i sn 't enough and he finds it difficult to di stance himself from past deci sions , which have a way of h aunting the present.

Question: Why can 't Black play 18 . . . dxe4, after which d4 i s hanging ?

Answer: White has a combination in the position . Let 's d o an exercise :

Exercise (combination alert): White h as access to a crushing shot. Can you find it?

Answer: 19 4:'lxbs ! ! squashes Black, who can 't take either hanging piece: If 19 . . . axbs ? 20 �xbs and Black col lapses, while 19 . . . exd3? i s met by the crushing 20 :txc6+ ! . 1 9 exd s cxds

7 2

Korc h n o i o n t h e A t t a c k

White's attack, for now, plugs along i n the rawest of forms : simple intention. Yet one

can't help but sense that Black's structure feel s i l l -adapted to his king ' s requirements.

Exercise (combination alert}: Black's tauntingly entrenched c4-knight represents a

poisoned well in a wasteland, with a s ign which reads: "Weary traveller : Drink deeply." How did Korchnoi refine his attacking idea into a streamlined weapon?

Answer: Time to set off the charge and undermine Black's powerful knight, h i s core de

fender. Now White's entire universe begins to rearrange itself into distinctly malevolent

patterns .

20 tt:Jxd s l l The wizard's hands reach out into nothingness and pull forth fistfuls of jewel s .

20 . . -'i!ixd s 2 1 lixc4+! Another staggering blow. The rook swats the knight away with barely di ssembled con

tempt. Korchnoi, who debones the defensive barrier - a newly caught trout tossed into the campfire frying pan - appreciates that h i s l ight-squared bishop is worth more than h is rook. Now the defence crumples. 21 . . . bxc4 2 2 i.xc4 1i'b7

There i s nothing better: a) 22 . . . 'it'as 23 l:.c1 'it>d7 24 i.xf7 leaves Black's king helpless . b) 22 . . . 'ii'fs+ 23 'it>al (Black's unenviable forces mil l about i rresolutely, despite h is extra

rook) 23 . . . .l:Ixd4 24 �cl 'it>d8 25 ..te6 ! ! - interference, winning the queen, since 2S .. .'iixe6 i s met by 26 'ii'b8+ it>d7 (escape i s blocked at every turn) 27 lic7 mate.

Exercise (combination alert}: Find one kil l ing blow and Black resigns .

Answer: 2 3 ii.e6+! 1-0

7 3


Black resigned in view of 2 3 . . . :ld7 (23 .. .fxe6 24 lic1+ wins on the spot) 24 .:tel+ 'it>d8 (or 24 .. . .tc5 25 .ixd7+ ttJxd7 26 'ii'xf7 and White regains all his sac'ed material plus more, while retaining a bli stering attack) 25 'ii'xb7 .l::txb7 (the remnants, the final survivors, huddle together, awaiting death) 26 .l:tc8 m ate. Perhaps I was a tad hasty in my pronouncement, in the introduction to thi s chapter, that Korchnoi isn 't a natural attacker!

Game 10 V.Korchnoi-EI.Liu Las Vegas 2007

King 's Indian Defence

This Korchnoi game affected my life directly, since I have taught Ell iot Liu since he was eight years old. He has two IM norms, but Stanford University has put his chess aspirations on hold for a whi le ! I stil l remember the excited email he sent me from Vegas: " I played Korchnoi ! ! ! " 1 d4 tiJf6 2 c4 g6 3 ttJc3 .ig7 4 e4 d6 s .igs

To my mind this , together with Korchnoi 's next move, i s one of White 's most dangerous systems against the King ' s Indian .

Question: Do you play this way as White?

Answer: Not yet ! The trouble i s that I normally open a game with 1 tiJf3 . In th i s system White's f-pawn tends to go to f3 or f4, so my move order messes it up ! However, recently I have thought about opening with 1 c4, which would al low me to get to the diagrammed position, since I don't block the f-pawn with a knight on the f3-square. s . . . o-o 6 'it'd2!

In stead, 6 .ie2 enters the main l ines of the Averbakh System . For example : 6 . . . c5 7 d5 h6

74


g i.f4 e6 9 dxe6 ..txe6 10 i.xd6 l:te8, when Black gets adequate compensation for the sacri

ficed pawn, according to theory. 6 f3 i s sometimes played too and may transpose to the

gam e, but I think Korchnoi ' s move i s more accurate.

Question: Why?

Answer: I prefer the development 'iid2, i.d3 and tt:Jge2 before touching the f-pawn . White may still move it to f3 later. However, if he can manage to play f2-f4 in one go, he gains a tempo over normal l ines . So it's best for White to hold it back for now.

6 . . . cs The Benoni response. Other moves : a ) 6 . . . tt:Jbd7 7 f3 es 8 ds h 6 9 i.e3 (9 i.xh6? fai ls to the trick 9 . . . tt:Jxe4! 10 fxe4 'ii'h4+)

g . ) tJh7 10 0-0-0 and White got an excellent Samisch King ' s Indian since Black had diffi

culty generating play on the queenside without . . . c7-c6, V.Korchnoi -P .Biyiasas, Wijk aan Zee

1980. b) 6 . . . tt:Ja6 7 i.d3 es 8 ds 'i!Ke8 9 tt:Jge2 tt:Jh s 10 f3 fs 11 o-o-o tt:Jcs 12 i..c2 and once again

1 prefer White's chances in thi s pseudo-Samisch , and for the same reason : that Black has trouble playing . . . c7-c6, A.Gri schuk-Ma.Carlsen, Nice (bl indfold rapid) 2010.

c) 6 . . . c6 7 i..d3 (the same set-up as before) 7 . . . a6 8 a4! ? (committal , but White takes strateg ic chances to suppress ... b7-b5 ) 8 ... as ! 9 tt:Jge2 tt:Ja6 10 0-0 ltJb4 11 i.b1 �c7 12 f4 reaches a very odd version of a K I D Four Pawns Attack where chances may be balanced, A.Aleksandrov-T.Witek, Warsaw (rapid) 2005.

Question: Can Black play 6 . . . e s here?

Answer: That's a trap ! The move loses material to 7 dxes dxes 8 'ii'xd8 .l:txd8 9 tt:Jds, when Black either drops an exchange or his c7-pawn . 7 dS e6

7 5


Black can al so play in Benko Gambit style with 7 . . . b5 8 cxb5 a6 9 a4 'ii'a5 10 lla3 ! (to enable recapture on b5 with a pawn if he chooses) 10 . ..ll:\bd7 11 f3 lt:Jb6 with typical Benko compensation, B.Gelfand-V. Ivanchuk, Monte Carlo (rapid) 2007, though I would prefer White here myself. S i.d3

We reach a normal position from the Samisch King 's Indian, with two alterations : 1 . White has swapped f2-f3 for i..d3, which means that i f he l ater achieves f2-f4 in one

shot, he gains a tempo. 2 . White's dark-squared bishop sits on g5 , a more aggressive posting than e3. ( Indeed,

there was a case for Black playing 5 . . . h6 to determine the bi shop's position straight away.) Other moves : a) 8 lt:Jge2 exd5 9 cxd5 (if g tt:Jxd5 ! ? i..e6 10 tt:Jec3, A.Miles-G .Hartmann , German League

1987, Black should keep fighting for d5 with 10 ... lt:Jbd7 11 f3 lt:Jb6, which looks balanced) 9 .. . a6 10 a4 h 5 ! ? 11 lt:Jc1 (maybe White can play 11 lt:Jg 3 ! ? anyway, since . . . h 5 -h4 isn 't yet possible) 11 . . :i!Ve8 12 f3 lt:Jbd7 13 i.e2 lt:Jh7 14 i.h6 f5 15 i£.xg7 �xg7 16 exf5 .l:f.xf5 17 o-o lt:Jdf6 18 ..td3 .:!.e5 19 lt:J1e2, when lt:Jf4 is in the air and I prefer White's chances again st Black's loose kingside, R . Ponomariov-S.Mamedyarov, Foros 2006.

b) 8 f3 i s al so popular here, but it does commit White's f-pawn early. Keep in mind that, in the game, Korchnoi achieved f2-f4 in one shot. s ... exds 9 cxds a6 1o a4 �as

After 1o . . . :.e8 11 lt:Jge2 lt:Jbd7 12 o-o lbe5 13 i.c2 lt:Jc4 14 'i1Vc1 :b8 15 b3 lt:Ja5 16 'iff4 ! , White began an ominous build up in the vicinity of Black's king , V.Milov-O.Cvitan , Bastia (rapid) 2007.

The text attempts to prepare . . . b7-b5 again . 11 lla3 !

Which White promptly prevents.

Question: True enough, but i sn 't White's rook out of play on a3?

Answer: No . The rook can later swing into the attack on the kings ide via the third rank. In fact, thi s i s exactly what happened in the game. 11 . . . l:e8 12 lt:Jge2 lt:Jbd7 13 lt:Jg3 !

A move immeasurably more sneaky and accurate than the rote 13 o-o? ! , which allows 13 . . . lt:Je5 and White i s forced to fork over the bishop pair, S .Skembris -B . Ivanovic, Bar 1997. 13 . . . tt:Jes 14 ..lte2 !

Now we see point of Korchnoi 's move order. He fully intends to h ang on to his bishop. 14 .. . 'il'b4!

7 6

Korc h n o i o n t h e A t ta c k

A new move i n the position and an improvement over 1 4 . . . h s ? ! , which makes less sense with the white bi shop on gS (rather than e3 in a normal Samisch) , since . . . h S-h4 i s prevented, leaving the h -pawn as a target for White sacs. For example, after 15 f4 ttJed7 16 0-0 lt:\h 7 17 .th4 i.h6 18 'iic2 l:tb8 19 'iii>h 1 "iie7, White was successful with the speculative 20 �xh S ! ? gxh s 21 t'Llxh s in A.Nikitin -D .Hausrath , Dortmund 1993 . Houdin i l ikes the piece sac too. Alternatively, White can tone it down a bit and sac a pawn with 20 es ! dxes 21 fS ! g S 22 "ii'd2 'Wb6 (not 22 . . . gxh4?? 23 "it'xh6 hxg 3 , when the clearance shot 24 ttJbs ! wins) 2 3 d6 'ib4 24 tt:Jge4 with a huge attack. 15 �c2 !

The queen swallows her irritation and backs off, stepping out of the way of . . . ltJc4 and preparing l:tb3, if required.

Question: I sn 't White in full retreat?

Answer: Korchnoi astutely deduces the true nature of Black's queenside counterplay: external ly intimidating , yet empty of the capability to inflict real harm if White plays correctly (which he does ! ) . While it 's true that Korchnoi acquiesced to multiple strategic retreats, he can gain the time back on both Black ' s queen, which is now in some danger of being trapped, and es -knight, which subsequently gets the boot with f2 -f4. So, in essence, the retreats produce a coi led spring effect, enabl ing Korchnoi to recoup h i s lost tempi later on . 15 . . . c4

1S . . . ltJc4?? hangs a piece to 16 �b3 . 16 0-0 lDfd7

With ideas of . . . tt:Jcs and . . . lDd3. 16 . . . .td7 would be met by 17 as . 17 tt:Ja2 'ilfa s 18 ..td2 'ii'dB


Exercise (planning}: Come up with a concrete plan to generate a kingside attack for White and weaken Black's defences in that zone.

Answer: Prepare to swap off Black's best defender: his dark-squared bishop. 19 �c3 !

After the exchange of h is key bi shop, Black's game begins slowly to sink into a deep, counterplayless gloom . 19 . . J!i'b6?!

Korchnoi makes it look like a forced loss after this seemingly minor inaccuracy. Black should have preferred 19 . . . h s ! (once White's bishop vacated gS , th i s di sruptive

move becomes more thematic) 20 f4 tt'ld3 ! 21 i..xd3 cxd3 22 'il'xd3 'ii'h6+ 2 3 'it>h l h4 24 ..txg7 'it>xg7 2S llb3 'flia7 26 tt:'le2 tt:Jcs 27 �d4+ f6 28 l1e3 and now the trick 28 ... tt'lxe4! regains the lost pawn , when chances look even.

Question: If f2-f4 i s so scary, then why not play 19 . . . gs , preventing it?

Answer: It al so creates gaping holes on fs and hS, which wil l prove disastrous to Black's king after 20 tt'lh s ..th8 21 i..xc4! tt:Jxc4 22 ..txh8 tt:Jxa3 23 'i!fc3 and if 23 . . . tt'les then 24 .tf6 'iYb6 2 5 ..txg s is decisive. 20 b3 !?

A typical Korchnoi decision, boldly chal lenging Black's assumptions of superiority on the queen side. The alternative would be to forego thi s move and play simply 20 as �a7 21 'it>h l, intending f2-f4. 20 . . . cxb3 21 gxb3 'it'a7

The queen wants to go somewhere - anywhere - and yet to leave, shouldn 't one have a desirable destination ? Her deification doesn't quite go as planned. She i s shorn of her for-

7 8

Korc h n o i o n t h e A t tack

mer power and glory, and must l ive out he r life a s a mortal , subject to aging , s ickness, un

fulfill ed desires and death . She would like to head back to d8, to help out with defensive

chores over on the king side. Unfortunately, 21 . . . 'ii'd8? is met by the simple 22 f4 tt:lcs 2 3

fxeS tt:lxb3 2 4 it'xb3, which costs Black two knights for a rook and pawn - not enough .

22 'iii>h1 Preparing f2-f4.

22 .. . tt:lcs 23 lia3 ! The rook stil l has plans to swing over to the kingside along the third rank.

23 .. . h s !? Threatening . . . h S -h4, while giving the es -knight an escape square at g4. It looks

weakening, but I can't blame Elliot, as 23 . . . tt:led7 24 as i s quite passive for Black.

24 f4 tt:lg4 2 5 ..txg4 Houdin i prefers 25 i.xg7 ! 'iii>xg7 26 fs straight away.

2s .. . ..txg4 25 ... hxg4 26 i.xg7 �xg7 27 fs is even worse for Black.

26 ..txg7 �xg7 27 fs!

White's initiative/attack flows to the roar of a burst of power. Korchnoi twists, kneads and pounds the structure to his will . He strikes directly at Black's king, whi le the opposing queen remains far away on a7. 27 . . . l:tes

Perhaps Black's best shot in a situation where there may be no saving move. Otherwise: a) 27 . . . 'ii'b6 28 'i'f2 tt:ld7 29 'iff4 'ii'h2 30 l:tc3 ! gives White a winning attack after

30 . . . 'iixa2 3 1 .Uc7 'ii'xa4 (or 3 1 .. J:tad8 32 h 3 ) 32 'i'xd6 l:r.ad8 33 fxg6 fxg6 34 h 3 . b) 2 7 . . . g s 28 f6+ �h8 29 h 3 h4 3 0 hxg4 hxg 3 3 1 .:txg 3 tt:\xe4 32 l:th3+ 'it>g 8 3 3 'ii'd3 ! ( in

tending .l:!.h s and 'ii'h 3 ) 3 3 . . . I:tac8 (33 . . . 'i¥f2 34 tt:lc3 ! breaks the e4-blockade and wins) 34 'it>h2 ! 'it'cs 35 Ir.hs and Black has no good way to stop White from doubling on the h-fil e. 28 fxg6 fxg6 29 h3 h4

79


A defence doesn't exist. For example : 29 . . . �d7 30 'ii'f2 'i!Yb8 3 1 'ii'f6+ 'it>h 7 32 l:taf3 b5 i s crushed by 3 3 itJxh 5 ! ! .l:txh 5 34 'ife7+ 'iii>g 8 3 5 'ii'f7+ 'iii>h 8 36 'ii'xg6 llh7 37 'iif6+ l:tg7 38 Ug 3 'it'g8 39 .l:tf4 'ikf7 40 l:.h4+ 'iii>g 8 41 'ifh6 'it>f8 42 .t:tf4 and wins . 30 'iff2 1

If the white queen can 't have the love of her people, she will make do and settle for their fear; what she refuses to tolerate is their indifference. Korchnoi offers a piece in order to force entry on the kingside. White's numbers may be decreasing, but his ferocity continues undiminished. Harmony evaporates from Black's defence and what you now h ear is the incongruent, wheezing rasps of untuned instruments. 30 ... hxg3

Or 30 . . . b6 31 'iff6+ 'it>g8 32 'ii'xh4 and Black col lapses. 31 l:txg3

31 . . . ltJxe4?1 The colony of mice dream of bel l ing the cat, but who will step up and volunteer the at

tempt? a) 31 .. . �h 5 fai ls to 32 'iif7+ 'it>h6 (if 32 . . . 'iii>h8 33 .l::!.f5 ! wins ) 33 'iff6+ 'iii>h 7 (or 33 .. . �g8 34

lhg6+ ! and mates) 34 1Wxd6 l:r.xe4 (or 34 .. . ltJxe4 3 5 'ifxe5 ltJxg 3+ 36 'ii'xg3 with a decisive advantage) 35 .l:!.f7+ 'i2th6 36 "ikc7 li!.h8 37 'i&i>h2 ! and Black h as virtually no moves, while White threatens ltJc3 and wins .

b) 31 . . . b5 was marginally better, though after 32 'ili'f6+ 'it>h7 3 3 .:xg4 'ifg7 34 'iVxd6 ltJxe4 3 5 'ifc6 l'tb8 36 axb5 axb5 3 7 ltJb4, Black still won't be able to save himself. 32 'ii'f7+ 'iii>h8 33 �xg4 gS

80


Exercise (combination alert}: Threats and more threats flit before the bewildered black king 's eyes, like stinging snow in a blizzard. There are multiple methods

for White to force the win . All you h ave to do is to find one of them.

Answer(s}: Lines 'a', 'b ' and 'c ' all work. Take your pick! 34 l:xe4! 1-0

Deflection/removal of a defender. For the bungl ing th ief, the reward is the security alarm and prison time; only the cl ever thief makes off with the loot (e4 ! ) :

a) After 34 J:lxe4 ! , Black resigned due to 34 . . . J:f.xe4 3 5 'ii'h 5 + 'it>g8 ("You don 't scare me!" the black king tells the queen ; but she does , and she knows it - his evasions, sweats, wiggles and blusters are not going to save him) 36 'ili'xg 5+ 'it>h8 37 'ii'h6+ 'it>g8 38 'ii'g6+, when the loose e4-rook is the war's first casualty; Black's king will be the second.

Other wins were : b) 34 'i!fh 5+ ! (the queen 's voice makes the black king's skin crawl , as if fleas infested his

body) 34 . . . 'it>g8 35 'iWg6+ 'it>h8 36 l:txe4, when .:tf7 i s threatened, among other th ings . c ) 34 l'Llc3 ! l'Llxc3 3 5 'iVh 5+ 'it>g8 36 .l::txg 5+ .l:!.xg 5 37 'ii'xg 5+ 'iiih 8 38 l:!f7 mates.

Game 1 1 F.Ca ruana-V.Korchnoi

G ib ra lta r 2011 Ruy Lopez

Here we see the 79-year-old Korchnoi taking down one of the top players in the world with the black pieces. Even more remarkable than that i s how he did it, playing like a reckless high school kid at a coffeehouse !

8 1


1 e4 es 2 liJf3 tLic6 3 �bs a6 4 .i.a4 liJf6 5 d3

Question: I s ee quite a few top players tossing thi s move in early, but isn 't it passive?

Answer: It 's a bit passive, true, but it has the great benefit of dodging both the Marshall Attack and the Open Lopez, the latter being one of Korchnoi 's l ifelong specialties. s .. . d6

In my opinion, the best way to exploit White's move order i s to head for a Archangel set up with s . . . bs 6 .lib3 �cs . Black follows with . . . d7-d6, . . . i..b7, and sometimes even castles queens ide.

Question: How i s thi s line beneficial for Black?

Answer: White's usual path to an advantage against the Archangel is a quick C2-C3 and d2-d4. Here White i s already committed to d2-d3, so he doesn 't have that option, unless he is wil l ing to play the same l ine a full tempo down . All the same, matters may not be so simple, given that such players as Anand and Carl sen are wil l ing to take on the White side con si stently and successfully. For example :

a ) 7 a4 b4 8 o-o d6 9 i..e3 .i.xe3 10 fxe3 0-0 11 liJbd2 ttJas 1 2 i.a2 .lte6 looks approxi mately even , though White later won in V.Anand-S.Karjakin, Stavanger (blitz) 2013 .

b) 7 lt:'lc3 o-o 8 ttJds lt:'lxds 9 i.xds l:.b8 10 o-o ti:Je7 11 ti:Jxes ttJxds 12 exds .:!.e8 gave Black decent compensation for the pawn, but ultimately it wasn't enough as White went on to win, Ma.Carl sen-L.Aronian , London 2012 . 6 c3 il..e7 7 o-o o-o 8 .Ue1 liJd7!?

8 2

Ko rch n o i o n th e A t tack

As i s h i s custom, Korchnoi warmly embraces the strange and rejects the normal , which would be to enter a Chi gorin set-up with 8 . . . bs 9 �b3 tt::las 10 .Jtc2 cs , when Black can reckon to have equal ized, since White normally ends up in this position with his d-pawn on the fourth rank, rather than the third, as in th is case. On the other hand, White has the sort of game he wants and scores reasonably well (56%) in the database.

Question: What i s the idea behind the knight retreat?

Answer: Korchnoi seeks to free his f-pawn and play .. .f7-fS . Alternatively, Black can follow up with . . . . ltf6, and perhaps . . . tt::lcs-e6, to sol idify the dark squares. 9 .te3

V.Gashimov-E .Najer, German League 2011, saw 9 d4 .tf6 10 �e3 tt::lb6 ! ? (ri sky; I would just play 10 . . . bs here) 11 �xc6 bxc6, when Black's bishop pair compensates h im for his weakened structure, e .g . after 12 dxes dxes . 9 . . . tt::lb6 10 �b3 'lt>h8

Preparing . . .f7-f5 again . 11 tt::lbd2 fs 12 �xb6

Caruana hands over the bishop pair to seize control over dS . 12 . . . cxb6 13 �d s gs ! ?

Korchnoi casually tosses h i s g -pawn forward, without even a quiver of apprehension . Until th is moment, the king side represented a vast nothingness , desperate to take form . Korchnoi rejects establ ished practice and follows his basic instinct : doing the exact opposite of what is considered normal ! Not exactly the typical move of an 79-year-old player, but th ere it is. As we have already seen in thi s chapter, Korchnoi just loves to jam h is g pawns forward.

8 3


I n th is case, Black launches a kingside attack and threatens to win a piece with . . . g 5 -g4. Of course, with the centre sti l l fluid, there i s no need for me to inform you that thi s is a ri sky deci sion on Black's part ! To the naked eye, Korchnoi 's move choice seems violently to contradict the essential engineering code of the position - and yet, impossibly, it worked out in his favour, as if out of sheer spite for the law!

Question: How did Korchnoi manage to beat such a strong player after playing such a crazy move?

Answer: 13 . . . g s ! ? isn 't as crazy as it first appears, since White has a hard time applying the principle : Meet a wing attack with a counter in the centre.

14 h3? 1 I think this move i s the root of White's future troubles, since i t allows Black to pry open

the kingside. The alternative was 14 CLlc4! bS 15 CLle3 f4 16 lLlfs ! g4! (16 ... �xfs ? ! 17 exfs l:.xfs 18 d4 offers White excel lent l ight square play for the pawn) 17 CLld2, when my defensive instincts tell me White should be okay - in fact, sl ightly better - due to h is l ight square control , even after 17 .. .f3 ! ? . 14 . . . g4

As we all real ize by now, Korchnoi is not a shy man when it comes to moving h i s pawns forward - especially g-pawns ! 15 hxg4 fxg4 16 ctJh2

The unfortunate knight inserts itself into the uncomfortable, vacant cranny on h2 - not exactly the ideal location . 16 .. . .i.gs l

8 4


Multi -purpose: 1. Black de-bads his bishop (which is now not so bad). 2 . Black clears the path for . . . 1Wf6. 3 . Black continues to protect h i s g4-pawn via tactics.

17 lL'lc4 bS 1B lL'le3 ..txe3

Question: Why did Korchn oi h and over his bishop pair?

Answer: It was a reasonable deci sion . Black rids himself of his formally bad bishop and takes out one of White's best pieces, which was poised to play to fs or dS. 19 I!.xe3

White can 't allow the black g -pawn an extra step; i .e . 19 fxe3 ? ? g3 20 liJf3 ..tg4 21 .l:!.f1 i.xf3 2 2 gxf3 'i'h4 2 3 'it'd2 g 2 ! and White can resign . 19 . . .'�f6

The queen 's eyes brush upon f2 with longing . 2 0 �e1 liJe7

Another attacker approaches. I al ready prefer Black's position . 21 f3!

Obviously ri sky, but White must chal lenge the attack h ead on or ri sk running out of counterplay. If 21 J.b3, then 21. . .liJg6 22 g 3 h S and Black lei surely builds up h i s king side attack. 21 ... liJxds 22 exds .l:.gB

8 5


23 'i'g3? ! Defensively, White just can 't seem to grab hold of anything concrete, the way an up

turned beetle thrashes and kicks at nothing but air. White may hold h is own if he initiates exchanges with 23 fxg4! i.xg4 24 'ii¥f2 'ili'e7 2S ltf1 l:af8 26 'i'd2 �h s 27 llxf8 ltxf8 28 .l:tg3 . 2 3 • . • gxf3 24 'i!Vxf3 �fs ! Another anomalous, yet strong decision .

Question: A self-pinning move?

Answer: Korchnoi correctly foresees that there i s no way White can exploit the pin. 2 5 l:U1 .l:.g5 ! 26 'it>h1

26 g4?? is simply met by 26 . . . 'it'g6 ! and White drops h is g -pawn. 26 • • JIVh6!

Triple purpose : 1 . Black's queen sidesteps the hazards of the f-fi le . 2 . Black may soon threaten . . . l:th s, invading down the h -file . 3 . Black's queen keeps an eye open for future tactical possibil ities against White's e3-

rook. 27 l:tf2

In order to reinforce g2 . 27 • • J:tag8

The last, unused attacker approaches, ingenuous as a baby reaching for a toy (White's king ! ) . Black had the option of 27 . . . .l:Ih s 28 g3 .l:tg8, but it feel s to me as if g 2-g 3 actually helps White co-ordinate his defence. 28 .:tel?

28 'it>g 1 was necessary. 28 .. .'ii'g6

8 6

Ko rch n o i o n th e A tt a c k

Actually 2 8 . . . �h 5 ! was stronger. I can 't tell you why, otherwise I give away the answer to

our coming combination alert!

29 l:i.e3?! Here 29 ltJf1 .txd3 30 ltJe3 was better.

Exercise (combination alert): Now White's offside knight, a blacksmith in the 21st century, has no purpose to h is

existence. How did Korchnoi steal pawns in broad daylight?

Answer: The d3-pawn swings pendulous, ripe for the plucking . 29 . . . .ixd3 ! 30 'it>g1

The brazen bishop can 't be touched: 30 .l:ixd3 ?? runs into 30 . . . e4. 30 . . . e4 31 'i'h3 .l:lxds

Pawn number two fal ls . 32 'i'd7?!

Another mistake, but nothing would have saved White in the long run . 32 .. . .:tgs

Reminding White about his king ' s distress . 33 g4

No choice, since 3 3 'ifh 3 lth s 34 'it'd7 'iih 6 ! i s a game ender. 33 .. ."i'h6!

Black's attackers form a caucus on the periphery to choose a leader for the coming battle . Meanwhile Korchnoi looks for discovery tricks again st White's loose e3-rook. 34 It.f7

The air over White's kingside shimmers and tingles with challenge .

8 7


34 . . . :sg7?

Exercise (combination alert): 34 . . . :t5g7 covers everything, but does Black really need to defend here? Find the kill ing

move that Korchnoi overlooked in his customary t ime trouble.

It's difficult to reconcile this meek move with Korchnoi 's previously brazen play, but we all do dumb things when our flags are h anging . Answer: Double attack: 34 . . -l:ih S ! . No need for words. The bulging, purple veins on the e3-rook and knight's forehead tell the story of their unending frustration - both pieces hang simultaneously. 35 .l:.xg7 ttxg7 36 Wid8+ I.tg8

Korchnoi may h ave missed White's next move. 37 'iib6!

The secret of survival in the wilderness i s to let no tool go unused. In th is case, Caruana fashions a weapon from his bare surroundings to stay alive, and protect both queen and rook. It 's amazing how Caruana managed to avoid mate or heavy material loss with such an exposed king, who is the single is land of tranquillity surrounded by a savage sea of hostiles . Black's queen seems to hold all the power over her desperate si ster on b6, yet with White's vulnerability comes h is correspondingly greater recklessness - which in turn is his own weapon . 37 . . . 'Wf6 38 'i!Vxb7 :fs

Threatening invasion on f2 . 39 'ii'a7 b4? !

Another inaccuracy on the brink of the time control . Black should play 39 . . . 'iff2+ (to pin down White's rook) 40 �hl 'itg8 ! 41 "ilkd4 l:tf7 when White can barely move. 40 �h3 !

8 8

Korch n o i o n th e A tt a c k

Caruana's once-scattered resistance reforms, organizes and surges into a full -fledged

counterattack. Suddenly, White i s the one threatening m ate.

40 . • :iVg1 41 'iie3

White can even out the m aterial with 41 "ifxg7+ �xg7 42 cxb4. Unfortunately, his posi

tion is resignable as there is no reasonable way to halt Black's rol l ing central passed pawns . 41 . . . bxc3 42 bxc3 'ii'xc3 43 :h s

I n order t o h alt . . . d6-dS .

43 . . . d51 Anyway!

44 g5

White won 't get the time for g S-g6, but there was nothing better: a) 44 .l:txdS? 'ii'a1+ 45 �g2 (it's too l ate to fight when the rat is already in the bul ldog's

mouth ) 4S . . . 'iixa2+ hits White with the heartbreak of rejected first love, s ince the rook hangs on dS .

b) 44 'ir'a7 1i'e1+ 45 <it>g 2 i.fl+ 46 lt:lxf1 'iixfl+ 47 �g3 .l:.f3+ 48 �h4 'i'e1+ 49 'it'g s 1Wc1+ so �h4 h6 ! ! 51 1Wd4+ <it>h7 52 'ii'a7+ �g6 53 'ii1>6+ !i.f6 and Black consolidates with an easy win . 44 . . .'�'a1+ 45 �g2 ..tf1+1

Now White's king gets hunted down . 46 'iti>g3

The white king exits his job interview and he isn't smil ing . 46 lt:lxf1 'i'xf1+ 47 �h2 :tf2+ isn't much of a consideration . 46 . . .'�'e5+ 0-1

There i s no reason for White to play on, since 47 �g4 d4 is crushing. Remarkable. Korchnoi defies the l aws of physics, playing so youthfully and powerfully, a

few months before his 8oth birthday!

8 9

C h a pte r Two

Korchnoi on Defence

In this chapter we examine Korchnoi 's legendary, indefatigable survival instincts, which almost constitute a sixth sense, rival l ing defensive greats like Lasker, Petrosian and Fischer.

Korchnoi's defensive philosophy: In battle, the underdog in numbers can't afford a titfor-tat 1 :1 ratio of losses with the opponent, who has the greater supply. So the underdog's trick i s to fight lean and streamlined, with minimal waste and maximum infl iction of casualties upon the enemy. On the other hand, the underdog can 't play it too safe, terrified of even the loss of a single soldier. If risks must be taken, then take wise ones.

Korchnoi, when on defence or counterattack, had the bri l l iant knack of striking the perfect balance between the two. Time and time again, through a combination of astonishing defensive intuition, coupled with h is staggering calculation power, Korchnoi circumvented near-certain death in the most wretched of positions . If I had to pick just one chapter in the book to describe Korchnoi 's style, then thi s Defence chapter would be it. The maestro's defensive technique defies description, but if pressed, I would cal l it abracadabrish !

Game 12 V.Simagin-V. Korchnoi

USSR Cham pionsh i p, Len i ngrad 1956 English Opening

1 d4 tt::\f6 2 tLlf3 cs 3 c4 cxd4 4 tt:Jxd4 g6 5 tt:Jc3 d s Korchnoi 's style i s much better suited t o the dynamism of Grunfeld structures than the

stoic solidity of Mar6czy Bind position s after s . . . tt:Jc6 6 e4.

9 0

Korch n o i o n Defe n ce

Question: I s thi s really a Grilnfeld?

Answer: Let's say the position i s Grilnfeld-like, even if it's more of an English hybrid.

6 i.g5

White seeks to maintain a lead in development in the open position. I generally prefer 6 cxds lt'lxds 7 l2'ldbs lt'lxc3 8 �xd8+ �xd8 9 l2'lxc3 Ag7 10 ..ltd2 lt:'lc6 11 g3 ..te6 12 ..tg2 .l:tc8 13 �c1 'it>d7 14 b3 fs 15 o-o l:Ihd8 16 ..te3 'it'e8 17 l2'lbs ! , which leaves Black sl ightly worse, since his queenside is under assault, C . Lakdawala-J . Friedel , US Championship, San Diego 2004. 6 . . . dxc4

Superior to 6 . . . lt:'le4 7 l2'lxe4 dxe4 8 lt'lbs ! , which left White with a dangerous lead in development in the coming ending, J .Speelman -L.Alburt, London (7th matchgame) 1986. 7 e3 ..ig7 8 ..txc4 o-o 9 o-o a6 10 �e2 bS 11 it..b3 .i.b7 12 .:fd1

White has only a slight l ead in development, but significant, since the position remains open . 12 . . . 'ii'as ! ?

A strange square for the queen seeing as . . . bS -b4 isn 't much of a threat. 12 . . . 'illb6 looks more natural . 13 e4!

Principle : Create confrontation when leading in development. 13 . . . l2'lbd7?

13 . . . lt'lc6 prevented White 's coming combination.

9 1


Exercise (combination alert): Korchnoi 's last move overlooked a trick. How did Simagin exploit it?

Answer: Double attack. 14 lLle61 fxe6 15 i..xe6+ 'it>h8 16 il.xd7 b4

Black responds with a double attack of h is own, but it doesn 't cause White any real trouble. 17 il.xf6 exf6?!

The wrong recapture. Black should rely on piece play and his bishops after 17 . . . .l:!.xf6 18 lZJdS .l:.d6 19 i.g4 (19 lLlxe7?? drops material to 19 . . . 'ifc7 ! ) 19 . . . lilad8 20 i..f3 e6. 1B lLlds?l

White, too, should favour piece activity rather than try and hold on to his extra pawn. Black is in deep trouble at the end of the variation 18 lLla4! 'i!Ves 19 J:tac1 ! 'i!Vxe4 20 'i!Vxe4 i..xe4 21 lZJcs (when you command influence, then it follows that you al so gather power; amazingly, Black's e4-bi shop runs out of squares on an open board) 21 .. . il.fs (ugly but forced; after 21 .. .fs material to 22 lt:le6 .ltxb2 23 litc7 l:Ig8 24 f3 i..es 2 5 .l:.cs ii.b8 26 fxe4 i..a7 27 es, White has a winning ending) 22 i.xfs gxfs , since his structure i s a complete wreck. 1s . . . fs 1

9 2


Suddenly Black's bi shops come al ive, easily amortizing the price of a pawn deficit. 19 tLlf4l "it'es l ?

I f 19 . . .fxe4 20 tLle6 l:If7 21 a3 .:te7 22 axb4 'ilfxb4 23 l.!a4 'ifh6 24 ttJxg7 llxg7 2 5 .l:tad4, White' s centrali zed pieces offer him the edge. 20 ttJe6 'fl.f7

The rook should probably have been lifted to f6 . 21 ttJgs?l

Simagin could have put the squeeze on Korchnoi after 2 1 l:tac1 ! fxe4 22 l:tcs 'ii'f6 23 l:.c7 .U.b8 24 "i¥e3 ! , when White's pieces are centralized deep into Black's territory. 21 •. J:te7 22 'ili'c4

The point of White's idea. He threatens both 'ii'xb4 and lLlf7+. 22 • • . fxe4l

Question: Why did Black h and over the exchange without a fight?

9 3


Answer: Black's defensive force i s already depleted, so he can't afford to treat any of his dwindl ing commodity as expendable - and yet it feel s justified here. Korchnoi ' s move was in fact a far-sighted sacrifice, after which his bishops come al ive.

23 0.f7+ It looks as if White is winning now, but thi s is purely illusion .

23 . • . 1lxf7 Black divides h is forces into two categories : valuable and expendable, with the f7-rook

in the latter category. 24 'ii'xf7 e3 ! 2 5 fxe3?

White holds the balance after 25 Ji.h 3 .Jtc6 26 fxe3 ii'xe3+ 27 �f2 'i!Vxf2+ 28 �xf2 i.xb2 . 2S . . . lU8 26 'ili'b3

Exercise (combination alert): How did Korchnoi begin a vicious counterattack at thi s point?

Answer: The g2-square is where hope and real ity intersect. Time to give the shover a shove by sac'ing a bi shop to decimate the opposing king's shelter. 26 .. . i.xg2 ! 27 'it>xg2

Houdini suggests 27 .l::td2, but it's hard to believe that White's exposed king would survive after 27 . . . i.a8 28 ..lth 3 ..lth6. 27 . . . 'ii'gS+ 28 'it>h1 l:.f2

Threatening mate on the move. 29 �g4! The l ight of energy burns feeble in White's camp, but he does the best he can with what he has . Admittedly, th is i s a band-aid over a mortal wound.

Question: Why does White just toss away a bi shop when he can play 29 i.c6 instead?

9 4

Ko rch n o i o n D efe n ce

Answer: Your suggestion would be met by the unanswerable 29 . . . �e5 ! . Secondly, White's bishop i sn 't really hanging since Black has back rank issues of h is own to deal with ; i .e .

29 . . .'i'xg4? allows 30 �d8+ ..ltf8 31 'ili'ds and White defends. zg . . ."i'h4

Adding another attacker with 29 .. . �es ! was still very strong . White has nothing better

than 30 l:td4 ! ? which offers only a temporary defence, as simply 30 . . . �xd4 (30 ... I!xh2+? ! 31 �9 1 'ili'h4 is less clear after 3 2 'ii'g8+ ! 'it>xg8 33 ..te6+} 31 exd4 �xg4 32 'i'g3 �xg 3 33 hxg 3

l:txb2 gives Black a winning endgame.

30 i.h3?! This isn't desperate enough. A species lacking a powerful survival drive, soon becomes

extinct. White had to toss his opponent a full rook with 30 �d8+ ! �xd8 31 �e6 'ii'd2 3 2 'i'e8+ l:i.f8 3 3 �e4 �xb2 34 �b1 'ii'xa2 3 5 1lfxb4, though even here, Black's extra passed pawn, coupled with his safer king , should be decisive.

Exercise (planning): White's bishop only performs a partial function, the way a store security guard isn't a full-fledged law enforcement officer. Black can't take

on h3 due to his own weak back rank. How should he solve this problem ?

Answer: Triple purpose: 1. Black creates luft for his king . 2 . Black adds a third attacker, targeting h 2 . 3 . Black initiates the principle : Opposite-coloured bishops favour the attacker.

30 . . . �es! 31 �d8+ Deflection. Much like the glitzy Christmas tree in your doctor's office, one doesn't get ei

ther a feel ing of warmth or conviction by thi s di splay. But there's no choice, since everyth ing else leads to mate. 31 . . .'�xd8 32 �e6

9 5


Black's bishop i s threatened and White desperately hopes for time to play ii'c8, swap

ping queens . He doesn 't get it.

32 ... ltxh2+ Even more deadly i s 32 . . .'it'g 5 ! (if it's a battle between the intelligentsia and an angry

mob, put your money on the mob) 33 'ir'c8+ 'it>g7 34 'ilkb7+ 'it>h6 3 5 .ig2 'tWh4 3 6 h3 'ir'g 3 37 'it>g l ::!.f6 and mates. 33 'iitg1 �gS+ 34 �f1

The wreckage of White's army bobs and sinks, nothing but flotsam in the ocean 's currents. White's king stands dumbstruck, stripped even of indignation and ability to speak.

Exercise (critical decision}: 34 . . J:th 1+ wins a rook and pretty much ends the game. But mate i s even better. Does 34 . . .'it'xe3 accomplish the objective?

Answer: It doesn't if it allows perpetual check ! 34 . . . 'i!Vxe3??

A move not exactly engendered to fortify Black with hope of a happy ending . Korchnoi, undoubtedly in severe time pressure, violates the most holy of time pressure precepts : Don 't get fancy. If you see a s imple win , then take it . There is no extra prize for delivery of checkmate. Here we witness the repeated mistake of all the Bond vil lains : When you have 007 tied up, just shoot him ! Don 't set up some ultra-complicated evil death, requiring lasers and conveyor belts !

34 . . . I:.h 1+! 3 5 'iite2 llxal i s admittedly mundane, but a solution to a problem need not be elegant. It simply needs to achieve its end. 3 5 �eB+ 'iitg7 36 'ii'e7+

A "team" really would be more effective if it had more than one member, yet here it is enough. White's only functional piece secures the draw. 36 ... <;.t>h6 37 1i'f8+??

9 6

Korch n o i o n D efe n ce

Or does it? The queen fool ishly places her trust in an unworthy square. The worst mis

take a burglar can make after the commission of a crime is to run with the loot. Simagin,

himself in terrible t ime pressure, hallucinates big time. White's troubles vanish into a haze

of smoke, if he plays the painfully obvious 37 'ii'h4+ �g7 38 'iie7+ with perpetual check. 37 . . ,j_g7 0-1

Hey, I said "secures the draw"! Having missed her chance, White ' s queen appears em

barrassed, an unmasked superhero. Now Black really does mate. Korchnoi, l ike Lasker be

fore him, had a curious knack for producing such blunderfests, and winning some pain

fully ugly games !

Game 1 3 A.G ipsl is-V.Korchnoi

USSR Cham pionsh i p, Tashkent 19 58 Sicilian Defence

1 e4 cs 2 lt.Jf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lt.Jxd4 lt.Jf6 5 lt.Jc3 a6 6 i.gs e6 7 f4 h6!? Black scores quite well after thi s poisonous (no pun intended! ) move, and I 'm surprised

more Najdorfers don 't take it up. The normal move order for the Poisoned Pawn line runs 7 . . .'i'b6 8 'ii'd2 'ifxb2 . 8 .th4

I don 't see any point in swapping on f6, handing Black the bi shop pair. 8 . . . 'i'b6

The standard move here is 8 ... .te7, but I think 8 . . .'�'b6 is a better fit with 7 ... h6 .

We now have a Najdorf Poisoned Pawn variation with one difference: Black tossed in . . . h7-h6 earl ier on .

Question: How does thi s alter matters?

9 7


Answer: White's bishop, which is normally on g 5 , has already been driven back on h4 where

it fail s to protect f4. This rules out the quiet tt::lb3 l ine for White, since 9 tt::lb3 ? walks into 9 . . . �e3+, winning a pawn, as both e4 and f4 hang .

Question: Can White decl ine to gambit and play 9 a3 - ?

Answer: He can. Then 9 . . . i.e7 (9 . . .'ikxb2?? 10 ltJa4 traps the queen) 10 i.f2 ilic7 11 'ii'f3 lLlc6 12 0-0-0 .i.d7, A.Naiditsch -M.Vachier Lagrave, Spanish Team Championship 2011, i s one possible continuation. I am no Najdorf expert (though I did play it - painfully incompetently, I might add - at age 12 , in imitation of Fischer's dazzl ing handl ing of the variation), but it seems to me that the inclusion of a2-a3 may hurt White more than helps, and h is bishop has been driven from g5 to the more passive f2-square. Nevertheless, Houdin i still gives White a tiny plus. 9 'iid2 'ii'xb2 10 lLlb3

Answer: It may be.

For example :

Question: Thi s move looks rather strange to me. I sn 't the natural 10 .:b1 'ii'a3 superior?

a) 11 es dxe5 12 fxe5 ltJfd7 13 lLle4 �xa2 14 l1d1 'iid5 15 �e3 'i'xe5 16 .te2 i.c5 17 ..tg: .i.xd4 18 .l:txd4 'ii'a5+ 19 .l:r.d2 and White receives full compensation for his missing pawns in the form of a giant lead in development, A.Motylev-V.Anand, Wijk aan Zee 2007 (and numerous other games) .

b) 11 f5 1ie7 12 fxe6 fxe6 13 i.c4 ltJxe4! (now we notice another benefit to tossing in ar early . . . h6 : White's h4-bishop is taken with an all - important check) 14 tZ:\xe4 i.xh4+ 15 g3 i.g5 16 tZ:\xg 5 hxg5 17 ltJxe6? (17 o-o 'i!\Yc5 leads to a completely boggl ing, unclear mess)

9 8

Ko rch n o i o n Defe n c e

17 . . . �xe6 1 8 il.xe6 'i!Vxg 3+ ! 1 9 hxg3 l:txh 1+ 2 0 �e2 l:th2+! 21 �e1 :xd2 22 'it>xd2 �a7 and,

amazingly, Houdin i claims full compensation for White's missing pair of pawns, F.Vallejo

p0ns-A.Morozevich , Reggio Emi l ia 2010111 .

The point of 10 lt::lb3 is to threaten a queen trap with a2-a3 and .l::!.a2 . If you recall , Spas

sky thrashed Fischer in their World Championship match with thi s idea (9 tt:'!b3 in their

games) , so it clearly has some bite to it .

10 . . .'ti'a3 11 �d3?1 Showing too much respect for the bishops. White should in stead infl ict structural dam

age upon Black with 11 i.xf6 gxf6 12 il.e2 h s (otherwise White may play i.h s to Black's di sadvantage) 13 0-0 li::ld7 14 fs and White had sufficient attacking chances for the pawn, V.Kotronias-Z. I l incic, Yerevan 2000. u . . . .te7 12 o-ol?

12 i..f2 avoided Black's coming combination.

Exercise (combination alert): On his next move Korchnoi hoped to make White regret his decision to refrain from trading on f6 . How did he do .it? (Hint: The same

combinational theme i s demonstrated in one of the earlier notes above.)

Answer: That loose h4-bishop proves to be a tactical headache for White. As we all understand by now, Korchnoi is not averse to snacking on a pawn or two, even at the cost of development. 12 . . . lt::lxe41 13 .txe41

On the other hand, Gipsl is may well have seen Korchnoi's combination and allowed it.

Question: Why would White allow a combination which drops a pawn?

Answer: White hands over a second pawn, true, but he al so opens central l ines, which ac-

9 9


centuate his already dangerous lead in development.

13 • . . ..ixh4 14 fs White strain s and yanks on e6, the way I tug to uproot a hated weed encroaching one of

my beloved fruit trees in the backyard.

14 . . . 'ifb4!? Houdini prefers simply 14 . . . exfs 15 .txfs i.xfs 16 .l:.xfs o-o.

15 fxe6 ..ixe6 16 lLld4?!

White seems to get plenty of compensation for his missing pawns after 16 .:.ab1. In stead, Gipslis ' last move is inaccurate and drops more material , as Korchnoi forces the win of an exchange.

Step 1 : Lure White 's queen to d3. 16 • • . i..gs ! 17 'ii'd3 i.c4

Step 2: Skewer on c4. 18 ii'h3 ! i.xf1!?

It shouldn 't come as a surprise to us by now: The addict finds it next to impossible to disobey a craving . Thi s i s another one of those bewildering Korchnoi decisions, where fear of unknown consequences bows to curiosity and love of adventure. In a startl ing spasm of raw greed - almost as if a computer were playing Black's side - Korchnoi allows White a dangerous-looking attack for mere profit. Of course, the computers back up his decision, but which human can play like this, besides Korchnoi ?

Early on in h is career, Korchnoi took an almost perverse pride in his material -grabbing deci sions - often at an appal l ing safety cost to his own king - and l ived to talk about it. Everyone else in the universe would have played the safe and sane 18 . . . 0-0. 19 'i!Vc8+ .tdB 20 l2Je6!

With thi s shot, Gipslis seeks to sabotage the heart of Black's infrastructure. Now the po sition melts into anarchy. 20 . . . 'ilkb6+!

1 0 0

Korch n o i o n Defe n c e

Not 20 . . .fxe6? ? 21 1Vxe6+ i..e7 22 'ili'c8+ �f7 (or 22 . . . .td8 2 3 i..g6+ �e7 24 lt:ld5+ �f8 2 5

'i'xd8 mate; White's queen lops the black king's head off and then rai ses the dripping red

bouquet in triumph) 23 i..d5+ �g6 24 li'e6+ i..f6 25 i..e4+ forces Black to cough up a queen

to appease White's attack.

21 'it>xf1

A monarch 's wi shes don 't always coincide with the nation's consent: after Korchnoi's next move, White's king remains exposed for the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, it appears that Black's in surgency i s a fractured community fast losing hope. Annihilation, which Black was threatened with someday, now becomes today. There is no point in merely staving off White's endless threats. Black needs an out - a complete defensive solution to end all his troubles.

Exercise (critical decision}: In thi s l ife or death situation Black must find true N orth . Analyze 21. . .fxe6. Can Black get away with it? If not, then come up with an alternate

defence.

Answer: Deflection . Pain , when self-inflicted, i s somehow less painful . Korchnoi, full of con trition , returns all the extra material to co-ordinate the defence and, most importantly, take over the initiative. As we shall soon see, the presence of opposite-coloured bishops i s the seed of White's undoing . 21 ... lt:Jc6 ! !

I f your boss hands you an unpleasant assignment, your best bet may be to del iberately misunderstand her instructions . Defensively, Korchnoi seems to control a monopoly on comprehension in such seemingly incomprehensible defensive situations.

If you chose the unfortunate 21 . . .fxe6??, you would receive punishment after 22 .tg6+ rl;ey (or 22 . . .<it>f8 23 'ii'xe6) 2 3 lZld5+ ! exd5 24 I!el+ and mates. 22 lLlxg7+!

1 0 1


22 'ifxa8?? fail s to 22 . . .fxe6 2 3 i.g6+ (or 2 3 l:.b1 0-0+) 23 . . .'ite7, and if 24 .Ubl? then

24 . . . l:tf8+ leads to mate.

22 . . . Wf8 23 'ifxa8 'it>xg7 24 li:.b1 'iid4!

Defensive Principle : Centralize with a vengeance when under attack.

25 "it'xb7

Exercise {planning): How did Korchnoi end White's attack for good, take over the initiative, and begin h i s own vicious counterattack?

Answer: 2 S • • . tt:las ! Multi-purpose: 1 . Double attacking White's queen and knight. 2 . Black's knight heads for c4, where it eyes multiple forks and invasions . 3 . When Black's knight reaches c4, thi s clears b6 for his bishop, with deadly effect on t

dark squares. Concepts like honour and fairness evaporate when it comes to deal ing with our ene

mies . Not 2S . . . tt:les ? 26 tt:le2 �cs 27 tt:lg 3 tt:lg4 28 tt:lfS+ �g8 29 �e2 ! , when the game is drawn after 29 . . . 'ii'f2+ 30 �d3 tt:les+ 31 �c3 'fics+ 32 �d2 (or 32 �b3 'ifc4+) 32 . . .'�f2+. 26 'ii"b4 tt:lc4!

Suddenly, White's entire army feels en prise. Black threatens awful knight checks, as well as . . . i.b6, playin g on the principle : Opposite-coloured bishops favour the attacker.

27 .td3 Fragment by fragment, Korchnoi, from this point on, continues to extract new and

greater concessions from his opponent. From this stage, White 's logic grows circular and al l things return to h is king safety. 27 .. . .tb6!

Quite egalitarian . Almost everyone in Black's camp participates in the discourse. Now

1 0 2

Korc h n o i o n Defe n ce

all becomes clear: Black's forces coalesce around the dark squares g 1, f2 , e3 and d2, the way

a flock of birds merges into a single entity.

zs tLle4 'ii"g1+ 29 'i£i>e2 'iixg2+?!

The natural move i s not always the best. Instead, 29 . . .'ile3+ ! (rinse, lather, repeat) 30 r,t>fl (or 30 'itdl .ta5 ! ) 30 . . . �e8 ! 3 1 �e1 'iif4+ 32 �e2 l:txe4+ 3 3 ..txe4 'iWxe4+ 34 Wdl (or 34

�fl tLle3+) 34 . . . 1Wd5+ 35 <Jtc1 .ie3+ i s completely decisive.

30 �d1 'iff3+?

As almost always in Korchnoi's games, matters never seem to conclude smoothly. Here 30 . . Jle8 ! ends resi stance quickly after 3 1 'ii'xc4 'iih l+ 32 .ltf1 l:Ixe4.

31 .ie2 'ii'h1+ 32 'ife1

White's queen humbles herself and makes a great outward show of friendship towards her si ster, in order not to risk a war with a more powerful foe . But it arrives too late. Black's queen already signed the war declaration. 32 .. .'�Vxe4 33 'ii'g3+

33 .txc4 'ii'd4+ 34 .id3 fail s to save White either, whose king remains fatally vulnerable ; e.g . 34 . . . l:tg8 ! 35 'Wb4 'iig l+ 3 6 'ii'e1 'itf8 37 c3 'iWg4+ 3 8 'Ot>c1 'ii'f4+ 39 'Ot>b2 'if'xh2+ 40 <it>a1 l:!.g 1 with two extra pawns . 33 ... �f8?!

Correct was 3 3 . . . 'itf6 ! 34 .ixc4 l:te8 ! 3 5 �xd6+ 'it>g7 36 'ii'g3+ 'Ot>h8 (simultaneously threatening both . . .'�i'xc4 and . . .'ii'h l+) 37 l:txb6 'ii'd4+ and wins . 34 .ixc4 'ii'd4+ 35 'i¥d3 'ii'g1+ 36 'iff1?

Returning the favour. After 3 6 'itd2 ! 'ii'xh2+ ( 36 . . . 'ifxb1 3 7 'ii'xd6+ leads to perpetual check) 37 'itc3 'ii'e5+ 38 �b3 �g7 39 .r.:i.f1, White can still put up resi stance. 36 ... l:tg8!

The once slumbering rook transforms into another attacker. 37 c3 ds ! 38 .ixa6

1 0 3


Exercise (combination alert}: Black to play and win .

Answer: 38 ... �xh2 ! Black's bishop isn't hanging since he threatens . . . .:tg1 .

39 'iff6 White's exasperated king accuses his queen of being di stant and aloof. She merely an

swers "Oh ?" as she wanders away from his cris is . 39 .. . .:g1+ 40 i.f1 i.e3 ! 0-1

I n view of 41 �8+ (or 41 'iid8+ 'it>g7 and White runs out of checks) 41 . . .l:!.g8, which end the game with multiple threats.

Game 14 R.J.Fischer-V.Korchnoi

Ca nd idates Tou rnament, Cu racao 1962 Pirc Defence

To Fischer, enduring the private hell of h is l ife was irrelevant. Only the legacy of his games mattered. In h i s prime, he tossed h is fellow GMs about as if they were eight-yearolds and he was their 12-year old brother - stronger, smarter, meaner, the one who just couldn 't be beaten . In a shocking reversal in thi s game we see a youthful Fischer at his most incompetent, manhandled by the more experienced Korchnoi . 1 e4 d6

Korchnoi wrote that he only played the Pirc "against weak opponents", so thi s game is ; notable exception.

1 0 4


Question: S o why did he make the exception this time?

Answer: Fischer's one weakness was his clock-like predictability. He knew his l ines unbe

lievably deeply but was al so vulnerable to surprise novelties. Korchnoi had just such a nov

elty prepared for him this game.

2 d4 l2Jf6 3 lLlc3 g6 4 f4 Fischer dealt with the Pirc in the most contemptuous fashion, meeting it with the ultra

aggressive Austrian Attack. 4 . . . .tg7 5 tLlf3 o-o 6 i.e2

The Austrian Attack carries all the romantic trappings of the Morphy era - but not if White plays ..te2 here.

Question: I sn 't thi s move awfully passive?

Answer: It is , but at the time, for some strange reason, it was White's main line. Of course, today White normally plays the more aggressive and superior 6 .lid3. 6 . . . cs 7 dxcs

Instead: a) 7 ds tends to lead to feeble-looking Schmid Benoni positions . For example: 7 .. . e6 8 0-0

(8 dxe6 .txe6 i s about equal ) 8 .. . exds 9 exds l2Ja6 10 h3 l2Jc7 11 a4 .U.e8 12 i.c4 a6 13 .l:.a3

i..d7 14 �b3 J:lb8 15 as lLlbS ! and Black had equality at a minimum, A.Kunte-A.Wojtkiewicz,

Dhaka 1999. b) 7 o-o cxd4 8 l2Jxd4 i s a Classical Dragon where White has played f2-f4 sli ghtly too

soon, and either 8 ... l2Jbd7 9 'iiih 1 a6 or 8 ... lLlc6 9 ..ie3 �6 gives Black good play. 7 . . .'iias

Threatening . . . l2Jxe4.

1 0 5

Ko rc h n o i : M o ve by M o ve

8 o-o 'ikxc5+ 9 'it>h1 t2Jc6 Black achieved a favourable Dragon set-up, since White's pieces are posted rather pas-

sively. 10 lDd2

White transfers h is knight to b3 , perhaps to challenge Black on the queenside.

Question: I sn't thi s move a bit contorted?

Answer: A little, but I 'm not sure what el se there is. For example : a ) 10 i.d3 reposts the bishop to a superior square, but at the heavy cost of wasting a

tempo by putting it on e2 in the first place. b) 10 'ii'e1, intending to attack with �4, al so looks out of synch sin ce White normally

needs h is bishop on d3 to play for f4-f5 at some point. 10 . . . as !

Korchnoi 's novelty, suggested by GM Evgeni Vasiukov. Black's queen now gets extra squares, while a knight on b3 is undermined by ... aS-a4.

Question: But isn't this all moot, since White

will play a2-a4 him self, securing the bS-square?

Answer: True, and Fischer did just this ; but as it turns out the b4-square i s weakened as wel l , and White's knight isn 't as stable on b3 as you may believe, as the game's continuation shows. 11 tDb3 �b6 12 a4 tt:lb4!

Now White experiences a difficult time ejecting thi s knight. 13 g4?

1 0 6

Korch n o i o n D efe n c e

I f you are going to start a fight, then make certain it i s about something important. Shades of the famous Alekhine-Botvinnik Dragon game, except a really horrible version for White. Fischer's psychotic last move reminds us of a Star Trek episode where Spock grapples with human feel ings and loses control .

Exercise (combination alert): Korchnoi refuted Fischer's

overly ag gressive pawn spike. How did he accomplish it?

Answer: Deflection/overload/double attack. Now begins Fischer's grim apprenticeship in the fundamental s of Defence and the art of Counterattack. 13 . . . i.xg4! 14 i.xg4 lZ'lxg4 15 'iVxg4 lZ'lxc2

The point: Black gets a nasty double attack on b3 and a1, regaining all his material , with the bonus of overextending White at the end of it. 16 lZ'lbs

Question: Since White looks busted the way he played, can he

go mad dog and keep sac'ing to play for mate with 16 lZ'lds ! ? - ?

Answer: Thi s might be a reasonable practical try but it fail s under the clarity of computer analysis . Thi s fact, backed up by Korchnoi 's astonishing defensive skil l , means a low percentage success rate for White after 16 . . .'t!i'xb3 17 lZ'lxe7+ �h8 18 fs lt'Jxa1 19 f6 i.xf6 20 l:txf6 .l:lfe8 21 lt'Jds �c4 22 lZ'lc3 lZ'lb3 23 .i.h6 lZ'lcs 24 'iif4 rJr>g8 2 S llxd6 tt:lxe4, when Black covers everything and wins . 16 . . . lt'Jxa1 17 lZ'lxa1 'ir'c6

Targeting e4. 1s fs

Weakening further, but the time is long gone for a passive move such as 18 'iVf3 . It be-

1 0 7


comes quite clear that stal l ing fail s to diminish the urgency in White's rotting position.

Fischer taps his final resource : a desperado attack. However, it's hard not to notice that White's initiative drooped a trifle since he banged out his unlucky 13th move.

Exercise (combination alert}: Black to play and win more material .

Answer: Fork. White's obvious overextension - a film of oil over a patch of the ocean - mars the landscape. 18 .. . 'ifc4! 19 'ii'f3 ,.xa4

Vet another cherished pawn is ripped from White's clutching hands, to be sequestered away in Korchnoi's growing bank account. 20 ttJc7

The passive 20 'tJa3 looks completely hopeless . 20 . . . 'ii'xa1 21 ttJds ! ?

Fischer takes your advice and goes mad dog after all . No better is 21 ttJxa8 l::txa8 22 fxg6 fxg 6 2 3 'iff7+ 'it>h8 24 'iixe7 li'h1 ! 2 5 'ii'xb7 liteS 26 :tel (26 'it'xg7+ �xg7 27 .ih6+ 'it>xh6 28 J:txbl .l:.xe4 just leaves White i s two pawns down in the rook ending) 26 . . . 'ikd3 ! (threatening . . . 'i¥f3+ followed by . . . �d4+) 27 'it>g2 'ikc2+ 28 �hl i.es mates. 21 . . . l:tae8 22 i.gs

Fischer's remaining attackers emerge careworn, haggard yet still alive. On 22 .i.h6 Korchnoi planned to respond with 22 .. .'ii'xb2 2 3 ttJxe7+ l:txe7 24 .1Lxg7 and now the practi cal, if ugly, move 24 .. .f6 ! seals Black's victory. 22 ... 'ii'xb2 23 i.xe7

An atheist homeless person may enter a church and pretend to pray if it gets too cold outside. Who cares? Black would love it if White gave up his dark-squared bishop for the f8-rook. Black's citadel , armed and ready for battle, will not be so easy to storm. 23 ... ..tes

1 0 8


The bishop looks down with i l l -concealed contempt over h i s now demoted subordinate on hl. For the first time in the game, Black's pieces begin to exude open antagonism in the direction of Fischer's king , threatening mate. Bit by bit, they reduce White 's ambitions with an air of patronizing serenity. 24 J:tf2 'iicl+ 25 l:If1 'iih6! Dual purpose:

1. Black threatens mate on h2 again . 2 . Black's queen enlists as yet another defender of her king ' s dark squares.

26 h3 gxfs ! ? The straightforward 26 . . . .l:.xe7 27 ttJxe7+ 'ith8 is al so winning.

27 i.xf8 If 27 exfs , then 27 .. .'�xe7 28 ttJxe7+ �h8 29 .l:tg1 'ii'h4 30 ttJds .l:lg8 ends White's attack

ing plans . 27 . . . J:txf8 28 tDe7+ �h8 29 ttJxfs �e6 30 .:tg1

1 0 9


Exercise (planning): White's "attack" (unfortunately, the quotation marks are now necessary) wanders without destination. Come up with a clear plan to convert for Black.

Answer: Distract White's kingside flai l ings by escorting the passed a-pawn down the board.

30 ... a4! 31 l:tg4 'ii'b3 32 'ii'f1 32 "iig2 'ii'dl+ forces queens off the board.

32 . . . a3 33 .l:'i.g3 ! ?

Interesting . The assault which never was, presses on - albeit, one senses, with fading determination.

Question: What they hay ! Didn 't Fischer just hang a rook?

Answer: No comment. Okay, I will comment after all . What are the options in a position exhausted of potentiality? Of course Black can simply chop the rook with h i s bishop. But even better i s : 33 . . .'i!Vxg3 ! 0-1

Simpl ification. You can't kill an enemy extra dead, but thi s comes close ! Black's queen informs the rook: "Sweet words failed to sway you. So now let us see how you fair on the rack." Black gives up h i s queen, and then promptly makes another one: 34 tt'lxg 3 a2 win s .

Game 15 B.lvkov-V.Korchnoi

USSR-Yugos lavia match , S u kh u m i 1966 Griinfeld Defence

1 d4 tt'lf6 2 c4 g6 3 tt'lc3 ds 4 cxds tt'lxd s 5 e4 tt'lxc3 6 bxc3 cs 7 �c4

1 1 0


In those days everyone followed the development scheme: .ic4 and l'be2. Today, 7 l'bf3, 7 .te3 and 7 i.bS+ are more popular.

7 . . . cxd4!? A weird offshoot, played only 14 times in my database, as opposed to 10,699 trials with

] . . . i..g7.

Question: Is there any benefit to Black's early release of central tension like this?

Answer: Not that I can think of, except that it ' s just weird, and perhaps this lone attribute attracted Korchnoi to the l ine ! The early release of central tension can only be harmful to

Black, since he is the one who rel inqui shes options. S cxd4

There is no reason for White to get cute and toss in 8 1li'b3 ! ? e6 9 cxd4 l'bc6 10 lLlf3 i.b4+, when his own king must move.

8 . . .'i'b6?!

The queen peels off from the m ain body and decides to have a go at White's entire army solo ! Matters of opening choice are subjective of course, but in the case of a dubious variation , I just fail to see the justification . Not all theoretical novelties are good ones. In thi s instance, the queen's obvious vuln�rabil ity stands out on b6 . Not only that, Black falls further behind in development. Korchnoi 's moves sometimes feel like an affront to rational thought, even if his opponents must be used to it by now.

Question: What is the idea behind Black's unnatural move?

Answer: All I can think of is that it threaten s the silly cheapo . . :iVb4+, but GM lvkov is hardly unlikely to fall for it. And yet, in a bizarre way, Korchnoi 's preposterous move achieved its intent.

1 1 1


Question: In what way?

Answer: It had a startl ing psychological effect on the normally placid lvkov, who went completely bal l istic and tried to blow Korchnoi off the board from thi s point on ! 9 tt:lf3 !

Perhaps Korchnoi had counted on minor concessions on White's part, such as: a) 9 �b3? ! , M.Meiser-He.Marcus, German League 1998, which Black can exploit by

9 .. :ii'b4+ ! and White must agree to a queen swap (el iminating the problem of Black's exposed queen) or lose castl ing privileges.

b) 9 'ii'h3 ? ! gives Black just what he wants, a queen swap: 9 . . . 'ikxb3 10 axb3 i..g7, V.Zilberstein-B .Katalymov, Odessa 1972, when Black can look forward to a peaceful future with his queenside pawn majority and slight central pressure compensating for White's centre. 9 ... i.g7

Here 9 . . . 'ii'h4+ makes l ittle sense, being met by the simple 10 tt:ld2, when Black remains behind in development and central influence, and his wandering queen i s a target. 10 0-0 0-0

Black would love to put pressure on White's centre with 10 ... i.g4??, but it fall s flat after 11 i..xf7+ �xf7 12 tt:lg S+ 'it>e8 13 ii'xg4, when Black should strongly consider resigning. 11 h3 !

Preventing . . . i..g4, and fol lowing the principle : The s ide with space should avoid ex

changes.

11 ... i.e6! 11 . . . tt:lc6 12 i.e3 l:!.d8 13 .:tb1 'ilc7 14 �c1 ! leaves Black struggling without counterplay.

12 ds l

Exaltation seems to be overriding caution and the landscape creeps into ever increasin�


turmoil . lvkov gives notice that h e will not b e out-crazied by Korchnoi .

Question: Did White have to sac l ike thi s ?

Answer: Not at all , but lvkov, by now burning with a sense of unfulfilled justi ce, decides to

punish Korchnoi for past indiscretions . Perhaps the true refutation of Black's opening i s

not to try and refute i t . Why not just play sane moves? White gets a pleasant strategic ad

vantage after the simple 12 .i.e2 ! ..td7 (or 12 . . .f5 ! ? 13 exf5 j,xf5 14 j,e3) 13 i..e3 'ii'a5 14 'i!Vb3, F .Gheorghiu-M.Nacu, Rumanian Championship, Bucharest 1966.

12 . . • .Jtxh3 Black's position offers three potential s : Stal l , evade or counterattack. Korchnoi opts for

the last of those. Accepting the sacrifice at once leaves Black struggl ing after 12 . . . j,xa1? 13 dxe6 f6 14 j,h6 .:!.c8 (or 14 . . . .i.c3 15 j,xf8 'it>xf8 16 'i'c2) 15 iHd3 .i.b2 16 l:.b1, and if 16 . . . lbc6

then 17 .i.e3 ! . 1 3 gxh3 !?

I 'm not sure what lvkov had for breakfast before this game, but it must not have agreed with him. Rather than continue this path of bravado, White has the simple 13 ..ta3 ! i.g4 14 .i.xe7 ..txa1 (14 ... .ixf3 15 'ii'xf3 i.xa1 16 i.xf8 al so favours White) 15 'ii'xa1 lbd7 (15 . . . i.xf3 ?? loses on the spot to 16 ..txf8 �xf8 17 'ir'h8+ <i;e7 18 e5 ! ) 16 lbh2 ! with strong pressure. 13 . . JWc7 14 'i'e2 !?

lvkov i s absolutely determined to be a hero. Once again he rejects the saner 14 l:Ib1 'i'xc4 15 Iitxb7, which Houdin i assesses at equal . 14 . . . ..1ha1 15 es !

An exchange and a pawn is a lot to invest, no matter how nice your position looks.

Question: What compensation does White get for his material investment?


Answer: What was once thought to be an attack of many pretensions, now asserts itself as

a potent force to be reckoned with . As the price of his material advantage, Black wrestles

with multiple dilemmas:

1 . Black's bi shop has been cut off from his king and i s in danger. 2. White's ominous centre, steeped in shadows, creates a menacing environment.

White i s cosmic overlord of the middle, where he constantly threatens ds -d6 and e5 -e6 ideas - assuming, of course, that he sustains his centre for the long haul .

3 . Dark shapes swirl and seethe, just outside the periphery of the black king 's vi sion . Shorn of defenders, Korchnoi 's king may come under attack with moves like i.h6.

Conclusion : White may actually have full compensation for h is huge material deficit. The one problem with the equation i s that he faces one of the greatest defenders (along with Lasker, Petros ian and Fischer) in the h i story of the game, who is wil l ing to suffer any indignity in order to convert later, and who feel s comfortable in his calculatin g element. 15 . . . tt:Jd7 16 .if4 l:lac8 17 il.b3

After 17 .!:tel tt:Jb6 18 i.b3 'it'xcl+! 19 i.xcl .l:lxcl+ 20 �g2, it's anybody's game. 17 . . . �c3 18 i.g3?

Here 18 .l:lc1 was necessary, which Houdini works out to equality: 18 . . . �d8 19 i.h6 i.as 20 llxc8 �xc8 21 e6 tt:Jcs 22 i.xf8 �xf8 2 3 exf7 �xh 3 24 d6 ! 1\Vg4+ 25 �f1 and now Black might as well take perpetual check with 2 S .. .'ir'h3+, s ince White forces it anyway after 2 S . . . tt:Je4 26 'i'e3 ! , threatening mate on h6 .

Exercise {planning): Come up with a clear plan to dilute the strength of White's initiative.

Answer: Target the powerful l ight-squared bishop. 18 . . . tt:Jcs !

I f an enemy i s fearful , he may be controll ed, merely with threats. I f your enemy is fear-

1 1 4


less, you have n o choice but t o destroy him.

19 e6 After whispered consultations, White's pieces agree to target the e6- and f7-squares . In

stead: a) 19 �c4? walks into 19 ... ctJe4! and Black consol idates. b) 19 �c2 ? ! i s too passive. In the middle of an attack, White can 't suddenly retreat in

confusion . Black beats off the attack with 19 . . . 11i'as 20 �e3 �g7 21 ii.f4 .l:lfe8 22 .th6+ �g8, when I don 't see how White proceeds here.

c) 19 d6 exd6 20 exd6 'fic6 and if 21 ttJes ? 'i'e4, White loses the in itiative - the equivalent of resignation , when down so much material . 19 .. . 'i¥b6 20 exf7+ l:txf7

All of a sudden , White's position doesn 't seem so impressive anymore, and his coming moves look l ike desperation, garbed in a poor mimicry of strategy. 21 ttJgs ttJxb3 1

We observe the same defensive pattern in Korchnoi 's games over and over again : extreme greed, followed by extreme altruism ! Black returns some - but not all - of his material to break White's initiative and consolidate with an extra pawn . 2 2 axb3 �f6!

Please, I in si st. My rook is your rook. Be my guest and partake in my hospitality. 23 ttJxf7

The knight, having nothing better on his plate, g rudgingly accepts. White can't put off a di stasteful task for later if he isn't sure there will actually be a later for him. 2 3 . . . �xf7 24 .l:td1

White has more chances to save the game with 24 .Ue1 ! l:td8 25 d6! (interference) 2 S . . . exd6 26 'ii'e6+ 'it>g7 27 1:tc1, though after 27 .. . l:l.f8 ! 28 �xd6 :l.f7, he remain s a pawn down . 24 .. .'it'xb3 ! 2 5 d6 �dB!

1 1 5


26 d7 One gets the feel ing that lvkov refuses to adjust to his new, unfortunate circumstances,

and is unwill ing to go on the defensive just yet. In stead, after 26 .Uc1 .Ue8 27 '/J.c7 'ii'ds , Black consolidates again . 26 . . .'ii'a4! 27 'i!i'd3

27 'ii'd2 'ii'c6 28 "ii'h6 'ittg 8 doesn't bother Black a bit. 27 .. .'ti'c6

This procedure effectively cauterizes his wounds on the l ight squares. 28 'ii'b3+ 'ittg7 29 'ii'd3

White has nothing better now than to await events. 29 . . . es !

An alert defensive move, el iminating all schemes involving 'Yi'ds (to swap queens) fol lowed by Ji.c7. 30 'itth2

1 1 6


Exercise (planning): Korchnoi may be two pawns up, but White's deeply passed d-pawn ties Black's pieces down. Come up with a clear plan of consolidation .

Answer: The same plan as in h is game with Fi scher. Principle : Passed pawns must be

pushed. Eventually, they distract White from his stronghold on d7.

30 . . . as ! 31 'it>g1 a4 32 'it>h2 bs Don't forget about me !

33 �d5 Total desperation, but nothing i s any good any more. For example: 33 �d2 g S ! (clamp

ing down on all f2 -f4 ideas) 34 -.t>g 1 (White i s almost in zugzwang) 34 . . . h6 35 'ith2 a3 3 6

'it>gl (" Keep breathing," the suffocating king says t o himself, but h i s starved lungs fail to

obey) 36 ... h S ! 37 .i.h2 h4 (Zugzwan g ! - White's position, now powerless as a ventriloquist's dummy, only speaks when Black speaks through him) 38 �el .l:txd7 39 l:!.xd7+ 'i!Vxd7 40 i.xes "i&'xh 3 leaves Black too many pawns ahead in the queen ending .

33 . . JWxds 34 1bd5 b4 3 5 l:Ibs b3 36 l:.b4 Itxd7 3 7 �xa4 e4!

There is no stopping the passed b-pawn . 38 .l:.b4

If 38 Itxe4 then 38 ... .l:!.d1 39 litb4 b2 ends it. 38 . . . b2 39 .if4 l1d1 40 Zib7+ 'itgS 0-1

Only spite checks remain for White.

Game 1 6 M. Ta 1-V .Korchnoi

Moscow 1971 French Defence

What happens when a genius who attacks at any cost, meets a genius who i s will ing to

1 1 7


suffer any indignity for material ? Strangely enough , Tal was a regular customer of Korchnoi 's , and accrued an abysmal l ifetime score against him, mainly through games l ike this , where Tal ' s normally magical attacks, which worked again st everyone else, just grew i l l , coughed and died against h is Laskerian opponent. Furthermore, Tal 's tactics never seemed to work either on the computer-like n umber-crunching Korchnoi , who actually once had the colossal nerve to call Tal a weak calculator! 1 e4 e6 2 d4 dS 3 tt::ld2 cs 4 tt::lgf3 tt::lc6 5 �bs

Tal ' s favourite move in thi s position . H is style i sn 't suited to the Karpovian 5 exd5 exd5 (Korchnoi ' s favourite response) , when Black gets freedom, in exchange for a future i solated d-pawn . s . . . cxd4

Tal had greater success against other moves : a) s . . . a6 6 exds axb5 7 dxc6 bxc6 8 dxc5 i..xc5 9 'iie2 tt::lf6 10 lLlb3 �b4+ 11 c3 Ad6

(11 . . . �e7 prevents future tt::lfs tricks) 12 tt::lbd4 "ikc7 13 lLlf5 .tf4 14 i.xf4 "ikxf4 15 tt::l 5d4 i.d7? ! (Houdin i suggests 1 5 . . . i.a6 ! ? and if 16 tt::lxc6 then 16 . . . b4 17 'i'e5 'i!VxeS+ 18 tt::lfxe5 bxc3 19 bxc3 CLle4, when Black may have enough compensation for the pawn) 16 tt::le5 and Tal managed to impose a dark square bind, M.Tal -R .Debarnot, Las Palmas 1975 .

b) s . . . dxe4 6 tt::lxe4 .id7 7 i.g 5 ! 'ili'a5+ 8 tt::lc3 cxd4 9 tt::lxd4 .i.b4 10 0-0 i..xc3 11 bxc3 'ii'xc3 ? (only Korchnoi could fall behind in development, and go pawn grabbin g against Tal and get away with it).

1 1 8


Exercise (combination alert}: After Tal ' s next shot, h is attack grew out of control . Can you find it?

Answer: Line opening sac: 12 lbfS ! ! exfs 13 lle1+ i.e6 14 ifd6 ! a6 15 .i.d2 ! (the deep point behind the sac - Tal transfers his bishop to the a3-f8 diagonal with deadly effect) 1S . . . 'ii"xc2 16 .Jtb4! axbs 17 'ii'f8+ Wd7 18 .l::!.ed1+ <t;a 19 1Wxa8 1-o M.Tal-W.Uhlmann, Moscow 1971 . 6 lt:lxd4 .id7 7 lbxc6 bxc6

Question: Shouldn't Black recapture with h is bishop, following the principle: The cramped side should seek exchanges.

Answer: Very true, but by recapturing with the pawn, Black gains something else: A tempo - which is al so a valuable commodity when you lag behind in development. Actually both moves are playable. For example: 7 . . . .ixc6 8 .ixc6+ bxc6 9 c4 �d6 10 cxds cxds 11 exds exds 12 0-0 tbe7 13 lbf3 o-o 14 1!i'd3 'ii'd7 15 :d1 I1fd8 16 i.e3 with just a tiny edge to White, who can play on the d4-square and Black's i solani, V.Topalov-G .Kamsky, Sofia 2009. 8 .id3 'tli'c7 9 'iWe2

1 1 9


Intending to meet 9 . . . lZ'lf6? ! with 10 e5 , embarrassing the knight. 9 . . . lZ'le7

In a later game Korchnoi played 9 . . . J.d6 10 lZ'lf3 dxe4 11 ..txe4 lZ'lf6 12 o-o l:.b8 13 l:te1 lZ'lxe4 14 'ii'xe4 f6 15 b3 0-0 16 .td2 C5 17 .l:!.ad1 l:tf7 18 h 3 .i.f8 19 ..tf4 e5 20 lZ'lxe5 fxe5 21 ..txe5 'i!Vc8 22 .txb8 'i!Vxb8, when the bishop pair allowed Black to face the future with confidence, J .Timman-V.Korchnoi, London 2009 . 10 lZ'lf3 lZ'lg6 11 es

The e-pawn crosses into Black's territory. White seeds h is ambition s upon a future kingside attack, while Black rel ies on his strong centre and open b-fi le to generate counterchances. 11 • • . llb8 12 o-o i.e7 13 .Ue1 cs 14 c4

More natural than the passive 14 c3 0-0 15 b3 f5 ! , when Black already looked better, J . De Mondragon-D.Sibbett, correspondence 1974. 14 . . . 0-0 15 h41?

1 2 0


Here h e comes now. The players engage i n radically divergent hopes and opposing pri mal energies soon col l ide. Tal begins the process of probing Black's defensive barrier.

Question: Can White generate anything from 15 tt:Jg s - ?

Answer: It looks l ike a waste of tempi. After 1S . . . dxc4! (Principle : Meet a wing a ttack with a

central counter) 16 i.xc4 (or 16 .i.xg6 hxg6 17 'ii'xc4 .l:.b4 18 1i'c3 i.c6 and Black looks better with the bishop pair and l i ght square power) 16 ... h6 17 lt:Jf3 i.c6, maybe it's styl istic prefer

ence but I prefer Black and have l ittl e fear of White' s king side attacking chances.

15 . . . dxc4! The same principle applies, as in the previous note. Of course the h -pawn isn't really

hanging : 1S ... tt:lxh4?? 16 tt:Jxh4 i.xh4 17 1i'h 5 and Black can resign.

16 i.e4 Not 16 i.xc4? ! i.xh4! , since the h -pawn really does hang with White's bishop off the b1-

h7 diagonal . 16 . . . 'it>h8!

Now Black threatens to take on es . 11 .tgs ii.bs

Securing c4 for the moment, while al so threatening . . . c4-c3 tricks . 18 't!Ve3 .i:tfd8 19 hS

White's attackers surge forward, al l doing their own thing , but all with similar destinations - which merge into "That way ! " as they point to Black's king in uni son . 19 . . . i.xgs 20 tt:Jxgs

After 20 'ii'xg s h6 ! (before White can play thi s) 21 Vlig 3 tt:le7, White's attack grows cold. 20 . • • tt:lf8!

Question: What was wrong with taking on es ?


Answer: It would be inviting an early and sudden death to allow Tal a l ine like 20 . . . l2Jxes ? !

21 'ii'f4 l:td7 22 h6 ! with clear attacking chances for White.

21 �ad1 Now if 21 h 6, then 21 . . . gxh 6 22 lLlf3 �g7 ! 23 'ii'f4 l2Jg6 24 �f6+ �g8 and Black threatens

to remove queen s from the board with .. .'fie7 next.

21 . . . h6 22 lLlf3 lLld7 Black already stands better. He threatens the es-pawn once again and prepares a de

fens ive cheapo, into which Tal fal ls . 23 'i!Vf4?

White's coming woes are squarely attributable to thi s m ove. 2 3 'iVc3 would keep h i s di sadvantage to a minimum.

A dark mal ignance, seemingly relentless and indestructible, pursues Black's king with a vengeance. But Tal ' s last move was an error, adversely mutating the attacking matrix, after which h is attack sags and sprawls in ungainly fashion .

Exercise {planning}: Korchnoi has a game-changing possibil ity which foils Tal ' s exertions by severing White's l ink to the attack? What is it?

Answer: Pin - taking advantage of the fact that White can't capture en pass ant. 23 ... fs !

Korchnoi secures h i s perimeter, locking out unwanted intruders. For a sniper, patience i s a crucial asset. Sooner or later, the target enters the cross hairs. The common notion that Tal out-tactic-ed h i s opposition 100% of the time i s a fallacy. 24 i.c2

The bishop comes to the sad real ization that he is empty of h i s previous bless ings . 24 • . . l2Jf6!

Tal encounters unexpected truculence from the defenders, who no longer believe they

Korc h n o i o n Defe n c e

are on the defence. I believe it was Shakespeare who warned of the ineffectual ity of a twice-told tale, but in this case it just isn 't so. Korchnoi works the same trick twice, exploit

ing the pin on the es -pawn for a second time. Black's knight scythes through the il lusion

ary barrier, attacking h s and threatening to make itself comfortable on ds, while the fspawn secures his king , the way a car's bumper wards off accidental injury.

25 .l:!.d6 Tal continues along, stil l under the sway of h is now unprovable hypothesis .

25 . • /t:Jd5 Korchnoi knows when to grab and when to refrain . The hasty 2S . . . lLlxh S? 26 'iih4 ..te8

27 .l:!.xe6 allows the advantage to swing to White's side.

26 'iVg3 l:i.b61 Hoping to el iminate White's only active piece.

27 :xd8+? Just like that, White is busted. Thi s stopgap measure fail s to address the core i ssue at

hand. Tal should have retained his rook on d6. Then if Black takes it, the-square es opens for White's knight. 21 . . .'Wxd8 28 :d1

Exercise (combination alert}: How did Korchnoi coax Tal into handing over another pawn?

Answer: Double attack b2 and h s . 28 . . . ..te81

The rearguard scrambles in a poisonous retreat. 29 b3 cxb3

I don 't see any reason to activate White's bishop again . 29 .. . c3 was better. 30 i.xb3 .txhs

1 2 3


Korchnoi continues to slurp up pawns, which to him taste like wet noodles in a bowl of

Udon soup. 31 .l:.c1 lib4!

Another powerful shot. A second squadron enters the fight.

32 .ltc4 After 32 .:txcs? ttJf4! (threatening a monster fork on e2) 33 l:.c2 .l:te4! 34 �h 2 .ltxf3 3 5

gxf3 (not 3 5 'ii'xf3 ? 'ifh4+ 36 �g1 .l:.e1 mate) 3 5 . . . .l:td4, Black's rook and knight dominate and White can comfortably resign . 32 .. . �xf3 1 3 3 'ifxf3 'iligs 34 1Wd1

" Be silent ! " rages White 's retreating queen to the tauntin g voices in her head, as the foraging expedition returns empty handed, tired and hungry. It 's hard to shake off the feeling of inevitability in Black's play. I sn 't it disorienting to watch Korchnoi strategically and tactically manhandle a legendary player such as Tal ? 34 .. Ji'f41

The powerful rarely negotiate when they are in a position simply to reach out and take. The e5-pawn is destined to fall , and the queen emerges with the exultation of one who understands the degree of her true strength . 35 .txds .Ud4 36 'i'c2 .Uxds 37 .:e1 .:xes 38 .l:txes �xes 39 �a4 'ilie1+ 40 'iit>h2 'iixf2 0-1

1 2 4


Question: I realize that, at the top level , White's position is hopeless . But if I had Black, I wouldn 't know exactly how to win the queen ending . How can

Black push h is c-pawn without walking into perpetual check?

Answer: Like this : 40 . . .'i!i'xf2 41 'ii'e8+ 'it>h7 42 'ii'xe6 'Ml4+ 43 'it>g 1 'ii'e4! (the perfect location for Black's queen, where it prevents all perpetual check attempts, while preparing to shepherd the c-pawn forward) 44 'ii'a6 c4! ( Principle : In queen endings, the number of pawns can

be mean ingless; all that matters is who promotes to a new queen first - here a7 isn 't worth the bother to defend, since Black's c-pawn is way ahead in what is essentially a non-race) 45 'i'xa7 c3 46 'ii"c s c2 47 'it>h 2 "ii'f4+ 48 g3 c1'ii' and wins .

Game 1 7 B.Spassky-V . Korch noi

Ca nd idates fi n a l (8th matchgame) , Be lgrade 1977 French Defence

The Spassky-Korchnoi match of 1977 may have been the greatest World Championship Candidates' match of all time. The players went at one another with never-before-seen ferocity and mutual ly fanatical wil l s to win . Korchnoi surged to a s-o lead (with five draws), only to see Spassky storm back to 5-4 by winning four consecutive games. In the end, Korchnoi won the match 101/2-7%, which could easily have gone the other way. 1 e4 e6 2 d4 dS 3 ttJc3 �b4

The Winawer Variation, one of the most combative positions in chess, both strategically and tactically. This match was also a French lover's dream come true, as the players engaged in a series of incendiary Winawers. Fischer once famously opined that the Winawer

1 2 5


might be unsound for Black. To my mind, and perhaps to the minds of many Frenchophiles,

the opposite may be the case. It feels to us as if White must sometimes take desperate ac

tion and frantically di srupt, or el se face the spectre of structural damage in an ending.

4 es cs 5 a3 .ixc3+ 6 bxc3 tiJe7 7 tiJf3

These days, top level players tend to favour the psychotic complications aris ing from 7

"fig4, as Spas sky himself tried in the second and twelfth games of the match (score: 1-1) .

7 . . . .id7 7 . . . "ilc7, 7 . . . tiJbc6 and 7 . . .'ii'as are al so played here.

8 dxcs !?

Radical stuff. We experience the pull of opposing forces : dynamic considerations versus structural elements. White decides that he profits by doing rather than waiting .

Question: Why would White deliberately deface his own structure?

Answer: He gets the following in return : 1. He follows the principle : Open the position when you own the bishop pair.

2. He clears d4 for h i s pieces . In the fourth game of the match , Spas sky tried 8 a4 (actually 7 a4 .ltd7 8 tiJf3) 8 . . .'it'as 9

i.d2 tiJbc6 10 .ie2 f6 11 c4 'ilc7 12 exf6 (here 12 cxds lDxds 13 c4 l2Jde7 14 exf6 gxf6 15 dxcs 0-0-0 16 i.c3 es 17 'ifd6 lDfS 18 'iixc7+ <J:;xc7 reaches an unbalanced ending , J .Timman-V.Korchnoi , Leeuwarden 1976; we examine thi s in the Endings chapter of the book - see Game 54) 12 . . . gxf6 13 cxds ti'lxds 14 c3 o-o-o 15 o-o .l:Ihg 8 16 l;!e1 es 17 c4 .th 3 18 .if1 l2Jb6 19 ds l2Jxc4! (ah , yes, another day on the job; after the routine 19 . . . ltJd4? 20 tDxd4 cxd4 21 'iib3 , White has a winning position) 20 dxc6 (20 .i.xc4? ? i s suicide, since 20 . . . .ixg2 gives Black a crushing attack) 20 . . . 'i\Vxc6 21 g3 .i.xf1 22 Itxf1 e4 23 'i!kb3 ! ..Wds (not 23 . . . ttJxd2?? 24 lt:Jxd2 and Black can't recapture because g8 hangs ) 24 l:!.ac1 ttJxd2 2 5 ttJxd2 'iYxd2 26 :xeS+ �b8 27 l:.bs .l:tg7 28 ltb1, when White had enough for the pawn and the

1 2 6

position balanced out (V2-V2, 34).

s . . :Wc7 9 .td3 Aa4!

Korch n o i on D efe n ce

Question: What i s the point of thi s move, since c2 isn 't weak?

Answer: The point is a blockade; in particular, the prevention of a future a3-a4 and ..ta3 by

White. 10 o-o lbd7

Black regains his pawn . 11 tt:'ld4!?

Throughout h is career, Spassky always bet on piece play over material considerations. Here he is happy to hand over h is e-pawn in order to open l ines . Otherwise White can play the position a bit more safely with something like 11 'ii'e2 lbxcs 12 .l:tb1 b6 13 l:tb4, preparing to reroute the rook to the kingside, P. Laurenc-R .Kilhne, correspondence 2001. u . . . lbxcs!

"No thanks ! " are not often words uttered by the king of pawn grabbers.

Question: I realize it opens l ines but shouldn't Black take on es anyway, since the e-pawn is of such great value?

Answer: That's possible but very risky. In situations of grave danger, sometimes the strategy of passive obedience to the opponent's wishes is our bet - if only to avoid confrontation when in a weakened state. In stead:

a) 11 .. . lbxes ?? (the wrong piece) 12 .i.f4 lb7c6 (12 .. . lb7g6 13 ..ixg6 hxg6 14 :e1 f6 15 lLlxe6 i s equally hopeless for Black) 13 lbxc6 ..txc6 14 1!i'h s wins a piece.

b) 11 . . . 'li'xe s ! ? (ri sky in my opinion) 12 �g4 (threatening sneaky discoveries with lbxe6) 12 . . . hs 13 'iih4 and White gets loads of compensation for the pawn . Note that 13 . . . tt:'lxcs? ?


runs into 14 ..tf4! , winning on the spot, since 14 .. .'iVf6 is met by 15 .tg5 .

12 ..tbS+ Spassky seeks a route for tt::lb5 and lbd6+.

12 ... ..txb5 The more gnarled l ine 12 . . . 'ittf8 ! ? 13 �b1 a6 i s al so possible .

13 ttJxbS �xes 14 Z:.e1 ltJe4!

Question: A self-pin ?

Answer: A n incredibly confident move which displays Korchnoi's l egendary powers of calculation . He overrules a basic rule of war: Never in itiate a battle when your s ide is heavily

outnumbered. Yet thi s position proves to be an exception, s ince White can 't exploit the pin. Korchnoi 's move i s much stronger than the meek 14 . . . Wb8 15 Wd4! . 15 f3

White loses the initiative after 15 j,b2? ! 'ili'f4 16 f3 a6 17 'Wd4 (or 17 fxe4 axb5 18 exd5 l:td8) 17 . . . axb5 18 fxe4 'ilc7 19 �xg7 I:lg8 20 'i!Vxh7 'ires+ 21 �h1 'ii'f2 22 g3 'ii'xc2 23 .l:tab1 .l:ta4 ! , when Black's pieces are more active than White's and his king may be the safer of the two as well . 15 . . . a6 16 lbd4 lbxc3

Forced but strong - and back to normal . Korchnoi accepts all new gifts with deep grati tude. 17 'iid2 ! ?

Spassky i sn 't interested in defending a slightly inferior ending in a l ine l ike 17 .l:.xes lbxd1 18 l::tb1 lbg6 19 .l:.e1 lbc3 20 l:txb7 0-0, where Black stands structurally better. 17 . . .'ific7 18 a4!

Dual purpose: White strands the c3 -knight and opens up possibil ities of .ta3. 18 . . . l:tc8 19 .tb2 bS

1 2 8


Korchnoi secures h is endangered knight. Perhaps he should have entered the stronger,

if riskier l ine 19 . . . "i'c4! (going after a4) 20 .ia3 1k7 21 ttJxe6 ! ? fxe6 22 .l:txe6 ttJxa4 23 .id6 Wd7 ! 24 l:.ae1 ltJc8, when I don't bel ieve in White's attack.

20 i.xc3 'i!Vxc3 21 Wxc3 ftxc3 22 axbs axbs 23 ttJxbs l:txc2 24 ctJd6+ �d7 2 5 ctJxf7

Now begins one of the fiercest endgame fights of all time. Korchnoi remain s a pawn up, yet Spassky's tremendous piece activity, control of es , and the possibil ity of harassing Black's king seem to offer him compensatory activity. 2 S .. . .l:!.b81

Intending to double on the seventh rank, and superior to the rote 2 S . . . .l:r.hc8 . 26 �a7+ 'it>eS 27 ltJes

The human move. In stead, Houdin i offers the computer line 27 ctJd6+! ? �f8 28 h4 (Black still can 't double on the seventh due to his own weak back rank) 28 . . . '2Jg6 29 J:txe6 l:txg 2+ ! 30 'iitxg2 ltJf4+ 31 'ittf2 '2Jxe6 3 2 l:If7+ �g8 3 3 .l:.e7 and White's active pieces should earn him the draw. 27 .. . .l:!.bb2 1

Finally, Black is able to load up his heavy artillery on White's second rank. 28 .l:Ia8+ l2Jc8

I t looks as if White i s in deep trouble, but Spassky conjures a brill iant solution. 29 ctJd3 1 .:.b61

29 . . . l:txg2+ leads to a draw after 30 �f1 J:.bd2 31 :c1! :txh2 3 2 l:!.cxc8+ �d7 33 �g 1 l:thg2+ 34 �f1 l:th2 etc. 30 h41

Now White has no more back rank mates to worry about and can post his knight on f4 without fear of . . . g7 -g 5 . 30 . . .<iti>d7 31 Ita41

Rerouting the rook to g4 to generate counterplay on Black's kingside pawns . A tactical retreat isn 't the same th ing as backing down.

1 2 9


31 .. .'�d6 32 .llg4 lld2 33 tt'lf4 es 34 tt'lhs g6 3 5 tt'lf6 ::tb7 36 tZ'leS+ Here 36 l:tg s ! .l:.e7 37 ::tel tt'la7 38 hS gxh s 39 :xh s , followed by taking on h7, should

draw despite Black's passed d-pawn . 36 . . . 'it>d7 !?

Korchnoi may be pushing too far and now risks a loss . He perhaps feared that Black wouldn't have enough to take the full point after 36 .. .<�r>e6 37 .l:tg S 'ittf7 38 11cl 'it>xe8 39 l:txc8+ �d7 40 l:ta8 .l:r.e2 41 hs . 37 l:txes

White's energetic play has earned him clear-cut returns . 37 . . . .l:tb1+ 38 �h2 tt'le7 39 lb4! tt'lc6 40 tt'lf6+ 'it;d6 41 l:tgs l:tb7 42 lla6! !!f7

1 3 0

Exercise (combination o/ert}: Spassky found a

shot here. How did he bend the game to h i s will ?


Answer: Undermining. It appears that Black's apparent progress is conditional .

43 t2Jxh7 ! Now 43 . . . .l:.xh7 44 .!:txg6+ �es 4S llaxc6 .l:.xh4+ 46 �g3 leaves White a pawn up, with

the only real winning chances. So Korchnoi does something completely unexpected, con

cocting a plan with dire consequences for both sides.

43 . . . �cs !? The king leaves with a hurt expression on his face, and the position erupts as pieces

grapple in dogfight twists and turns . Korchnoi , along with Fischer and Larsen, took fighting spirit to strange new places. Here, unbel ievably, Korchnoi plays for the win, two pawns

down in the ending ! In a normal chess game it i s next to impossible to envi sion every possible move choice

from the opponent and the contingencies which ari se from their choices. In most of my games, I normally get hit with three or four of these moves each game, which I completely failed to consider or appreciate. Psychologically, we must be ready to absorb such nasty shocks - and indeed to expect them - and find a calm, appropriate response.

44 l:!.xg6 t:LJes !

Triple attack : h7, g6 and f3 all hang simultaneously. At first g lance, thi s looks l ike a decisive shot, but Spassky had everything under control . 45 t2Jg5 !

One marvels at Spassky's resurgence from earlier difficulties . He hits upon a solution, either by calculation, intuition or dumb luck ! In a single move, White miraculously covers against all three threats. 45 . .. t2Jxg6

Not 4S ... ttJxf3+?? 46 t2Jxf3 .l:.xf3 47 .:tas+ 'it>c4 48 l:.g4+ d4 49 l:f.a4+ c;t(cs so l:lgxd4! and White wins . 46 lixg6!?

Spassky goes for the full point himself. 46 t2Jxf7 t2Jxh4 47 �g3 t2Jxg2 is drawn .

1 3 1


46 . • Jb7 47 h S

I s the h -pawn, supported by rook and knight, faster than Black's passed d-pawn ? Even

the computers are befuddled. The position feel s somewhat out of reach of human under

standing - in which case both players switch to Plan B: intu ition .

47 . . . l:tda2 48 f4 The direct 48 h6 leads to a draw after 48 . . . l12a6 ! 49 1Ixa6 l:txa6 so h7 1Ih6+ 5 1 �g 3 d4;

e.g . 52 f4 d3 53 �f3 'ifi>c4 54 fs �d4 55 'it>f2 'lt>c3 S6 ll:le4+ <it>c2 57 f6 l:.xh 7 58 g4 .l:th8 ! 59 �f3 l:!e8 60 g s .l::txe4! 61 'it>xe4 d2 62 f7 d1� 63 f8'ii' 'ife2+ 64 'it>ds 'ifg 2+ 65 �e6 'iixg s .

48 . . . d4 49 h6 d3 This i s going to be close. The respective passers represent the connective ti ssue of both

side's striving. so litgs

Not so h7?? Itxh7+ ! S 1 ll:lxh7 d2 and only Black promotes. so .. . .:.2a6

Exercise (critical decision}: Shoul d White play the immediate 51 h 7, or should h e toss in 5 1 .Uc8+ before pushing h i s h -pawn ? Be careful. One draws; the other loses.

51 h7?? The h -pawn, White's long -awaited messiah , turns out to be the devil as Spassky walks

into a cheapo. Answer: S 1 llc8+ ! works out to a draw after S1 . . . 'iiid4 52 h 7 l:txh7+ S 3 ll:lxh7 lth6+ 54 'ifi>g 3 Jixh7 5 5 l::td8+ (or 5 5 'it>f3 ::id7) 5 5 . . . �C3 56 'it>f3 d2 57 fS (or 57 .l:.c8+ it'd3 5 8 l:Id8+ 'ifi>c2) 57 . . . ®c2 58 g4 l:th3+ 59 <it>f4 (or 59 'it>e4 l:lg3) 59 . . . ltd3 60 l:tc8+ �c3 61 l:td8 d1'ii' ! ? (or just 61 . . . l:td3) 62 l:txd1 <it>xd1 63 gS 'iiie2 64 f6 (or 64 g6 l:tc4+ 65 'iitg s 'iiif3 66 f6 �cS+ 67 <it>h6 .l:.fs and now 68 g7 :xf6+ 69 �g s l:lf4, or 68 f7 'ifi>g4 69 <it>g7 �g s) 64 . . . l1c4+ 65 'it>fs l:tcs+ 66 �g6 �f3 67 f7 'ifi>g4 68 f8'if .l:.xg S+ 69 'iii>f7 .l:!fS+ 70 1;e7 llxf8 71 'it>xf8

1 3 2


Fighting spirit or not, I 'm almost certain this position i s a theoretical draw!

51 .. J:txh7+! A move which reveal s an omitted clause in the contract. The innocent h -pawn i s col lat

eral damage in a feud not of his own making , and White's key bargaining chip vanishes as if it never existed. 52 'it>g3

No time to mourn while the battle sti ll rages. After 52 l2Jxh7 (White's knight hesitates, like some confused animal in the forest, unsure if it is being approached by predator or prey) 52 . . . d2, Korchnoi ' s intent i s laid bare for all to see: Black forces a new queen after 5 3 J:tc8+ :!.c6 54 �d8 l:ld6 5 5 l:c8+ �d4. 52 .. Jid7 53 �c8+ 'it>b4 54 l:tb8+ 'itta3 1

No more checks. 55 l2Je4 d2 56 l2Jxd2 l:.xd2

As we saw in the note with 5 1 .l::!.c8+ ! , two pawns are sometimes able to deal with an extra rook - but not when they haven't been pushed far enough. 57 llg8 'ittb4

Black's king journeys back again to help out. 58 �3 �c5 59 g3

Or 59 g4 .l:!.a3+ 60 �e4 .l:!.a4+ 61 'iiif3 (61 'iti15 Itd5+ picks off f4) 61. . . .l:td3+ 62 'it>e2 l:th 3 and the rooks reorganize into a mating menace. 59 .. . l:1a3+ 60 'itte4 I:r.e2+ 61 'ittf5 ..td6 62 g4 .l:i.a5+ 63 'it>g6 :e6+ 64 �h7 l:ta7+ 65 ltg7

1 3 3


Exercise (critical decision}: In thi s game of musical chairs, we have two contestants and only one chair remaining . Should Black swap rooks or retain them?

Answer: With the black king now much closer to the pawns, swapping win s easily. 6S ... .Uxg7+! 66 �xg7 .Ue4! 0-1

Skewer. And after 67 g S .l:xf4 68 g6 �e7 69 �h7 �f6 60 g7 .l:th4+ 61 �g8 :g4, Black picks off the remaining pawn .

Game 1 8 B.Spassky-V .Korchnoi

Ca nd idates fi n a l (loth matchga me) , Be lgrade 1977 French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ll'lc3 .i.b4 4 es cs 5 a3 .i.xc3+ 6 bxc3 ll'le7 7 ll'lf3 ..td7 8 dxcs Spassky repeats, an indication that he didn't scapegoat his opening for his loss in the

eighth game. Once again the parties engage in incommensurable ideas, which are never destined to connect with each other. 8 .. . 'ilic7 9 i.d3 .ta4 10 .:tb1

A change from the previous game. Spassky defers castl ing and posts his rook on the open b-file . Thi s was in fact his third try here - the sixth game had seen 10 ii.e3? ! ll'ld7 11 �1 ll'lc6 12 ll'ld4 ll'ldxes 13 .i.bs 'ii'as 14 .i.xa4 'ii'xa4 15 o-o o-o and White achieved less than nothing from the opening .

1 3 4

10 .. /Lid7 11 l::!b4!


Dual purpose: gaining a tempo on the a4-bishop and preparing to swing to the king side.

Question: Doesn 't thi s move violate the principle : Don 't lift your rook into a crowded middlegame?

Answer: It does just that. But Spassky correctly di scerns that th i s i s an exception to the normal rule, since Black has no way to punish the upstart rook. 11 . . . ..\tc6

Question: Why did Black retreat his bishop when he can just take on cs with his knight, securing h i s bishop in the process?

Answer: The bishop isn't as secure as it first appears. White picks off two pieces for the rook after 11 ... lZ:\xcs? 12 .l:1xa4! lZ:\xa4 13 �bS+. 12 0-0

Offerin g Black a choice of which pawn to recapture. In stead, 12 if..e3 ! ? is interesting, hoping to l imit Black to the e-pawn . Then 12 . . . lZ:\xes conveniently opens l ines for White after 13 lZ:Ixes 'i'xes 14 o-o lZ:Ig6 15 i..d4 'fig s 16 g 3 , intending f2-f4 next, N .De FirmianL. Furman, Las Vegas 2010. So Black should prefer 12 . . .'�Vas ! (insisting on the cs-pawn) 13 o-0 tt:Jxcs , when most Winawer players would be fine with Black's position , R. BurridgeF .Morgan, correspondence 2012 . 12 •• . lZ:\xcs!

The correct pawn .

Question: It doesn't make much sense to me to recapture a tripled c-pawn over the cramping es-pawn. I sn 't it better to take the e-pawn and risk White's open e-fi le?

1 3 5


Answer: 1 don 't think so . In thi s case activity seems to trump structure. Let's see: 12 . . . l2Jxe5

13 l2Jxe5 'i!Vxe5 14 b:te1 'iff6? {but 14 . . . 'ti'c7 15 .1f4 'ii'd8 16 .1d6 looks decidedly unpleasant

anyway) 15 �f4! 'ifxc3 16 .1d2 ! it'xa3 17 Wh 5 o-o-o {17 . . . g6?? 18 'ike5 l:.f8 19 .l:!.a1 'ii'xc5 20

.1e3 f6 2 1 .l:.xf6 'ilfb4 22 l::t.xe6 .l:!.f7 23 .1g 5 is hopeless for Black) 18 'ii'xf7 and White is set to

recoup all his pawns and more besides.

13 l:tg4 The stroll ing rook looks for prey on the king side.

13 ... l2Jg6 14 lZ:ld4!?

Take my e-pawn, please ! Spassky i s generous with his pawns, as long as thi s strategy coincides with increased piece activity. 14 . . . 0-0-0

No thanks. Black's king is actually safer on the queenside. The normally material -hungry Korchnoi wisely refrain s from taking the e-pawn once more, as 14 .. .'�xe5 15 l:te1 'iic7 16 h4 offers White a dangerous initiative. 15 f4

Securing the e-pawn at last. 15 ... .1d7

Perhaps contemplating a future . . .f7-f6, while clearing a path down the c-fi le to White's weak c3 -pawn. 16 l:!.g3 �b8 17 �e1 �a8

Question: What i s the point of th i s move?

Answer: It 's a wi se precaution . Black is weak on the dark squares and so removes his king from that colour. 18 h4!

1 3 6

Intending to target g7 with h4-h 5 next. 18 . .. ltJxd3


Question: I sn 't thi s a concession on Black's part?

Answer: It does feel as if Korchnoi i s conducting his game with a quiver of uncertainty, agreeing to a concession of sorts . Black removes the bishop pair from his opponent's hands, at the cost of repairing his structure. But if he wants to play . . . h7-h5 , Black needs to take on d3 first, otherwise White might simply play .txg6. The only alternative i s the awkward 18 . . . .l:.dg8. 19 cxd3 h5 20 .te3

The new factor: opposite-coloured bishops, which in this case favours the attacker White. 20 . . . .l:Ide8

Perhaps continuing to dream of future . . .f7-f6 counterplay. 21 a4!

A second, brilliant, wing pawn push . 21 .. ..l:Ih7 !

In order to be able to move h is knight again . Taking the pawn with 2 1. . .i..xa4? ! would be met by 22 �al ! bS 23 'i!Va3, and if 23 . . . .:.c8, then 24 .l:!.xg 6 ! fxg6 2S lDxe6 offers White ferocious compensation for the exchange. Note that Black can 't just retreat the bi shop with 2 2 . . . ii.d7?? again :

1 3 7


Exercise (combination alert): White to play and force mate.

Answer: Queen sacrifice: 23 'ii'xa7+ ! ! �xa7 24 tt:Jc6+ �a6 25 .:tal+ �bs 26 t'iJa7 mate. 22 Itgs t'iJe7 23 .if2 g6 24 'i'la1 :cs 25 l:tc1 l:.hh8 26 as !

Spassky continues to build upon his advantages, squeezing the dark squares in a grip like metal tongs. 26 . . . t'iJfs 21 c4

I would swap knights first, which accentuates the power difference between the bishops; i .e . 27 t'iJxfs gxf5 and only then 28 c4! , as Black won't survive after 28 . . . dxc4? 29 "i¥'d4! b6 30 axb6 axb6 3 1 dxc4. 27 . . . t'iJe7

Black might al so consider 27 .. . t'iJh6 ! ?, intending to transfer the knight to g4. 28 11g3

The rook seeks to return to the queenside, the neighbourhood of the enemy king . 28 . . . 1:i.hd8 29 .:.f3 'ii'bB 3 0 'ii'a3 t'iJfs !?

Possibly a strategic error. As mentioned earlier, i t i s in Black's best interest to avoid a pure opposite-coloured bishops situation . Black should try 30 . . . .l::!.e8, albeit with a di smal looking position all the same. 31 t'iJxfs gxfs 32 .ics

Black's game feel s as unresponsive as the engine of an old car striving to ign ite on a sub-zero degree winter's day. However, strangely enough, survival from such emergency situations are routine for Korchnoi 's games. Instead, there is something to be said for 32 cxd5 l:rxcl+ 33 ifxcl .l:.c8 34 1i'a1 exds 3 5 l:tg3 , when Black's kingside i s a wreck. 32 . . . .l::[c6 33 cxds exds 34 d4

Here 34 llg3 ! .l:tg8 35 llg 5 may be sl ightly more accurate. 34 . . . .l:!.g8 35 Jilb1 l:ta61? 36 "1i'b4 .ic6 37 .l:.c3?

1 3 8


The urge to attack flows irresi stibly through White's position, like a shiver on a cold

morning , and Spassky continues hostile gestures in the direction of Korchnoi 's king - but

soon discovers that he will be out-maligned. 37 �a3 ! .l:.g4 38 g 3 maintained White's advan

tage.

Exercise (combination alert}: Spassky, after completely outplaying Korchnoi strateg ically, lets h is guard down. H is last

move is a blunder, effectively nullifying his previous excellent play. How did the ever resourceful Korchnoi now steal a pawn?

Answer: Double attack. The alien entity leaves its dimension and enters the one in which we exist. There are two roads to power: superior ability and manipulation. In thi s instance, Black's queen prefers the latter route. 37 . . . 'i'd8!

That which was once wretched suddenly doesn't look so bad anymore. Korchnoi alertly seizes upon Spassky's lapse and never lets go. H istory doesn't always tilt in the direction of justice. In th is case, Korchnoi pirates the full point from Spassky, who should have been rewarded in this game with a win or a draw at minimum . 38 g3?

Time pressure mixed with the shock of his previous error produces yet another. The subtle retreat 38 "i'b2 ! removes Black's choices and sets a trap : 38 . . . 'iixh4?? 39 i.d6 ! and White wins, who threatens the deadly l:txc6, removing the defender of b7; while 38 . . . l:txas 39 �a3 .l:f.xa3 40 'il'xa3 a6 41 l:tb6 'i!Vc8 42 g3 leaves Black too tied down to play for the win . 38 . . . 'li'xas!

Korchnoi avoids temptation and makes the correct capture. The a-pawn detaches itself from its life source, the way ripe fruit drops of its own accord from the tree's branch . Now White ' s attack is a fleeting th ing, a famil iar face in a crowd, seen only for a split second,

1 3 9


and then lost to sight.

If Black takes the other pawn, White i s able to save himself: 38 . . . 'ifxh4 39 :tbb3 ! 'ii'xf4 40

.if8 ! (threatening :txc6 ! , as well as 'ii'e7) 40 .. .I:txa5 ! ? (or 40 . . . h4 41 �e7 ! 'ii'xd4+ 42 'iii'g2

'ii'e4+, drawing at once) 41 'ifxa5 (not now 41 �xc6?? l:l.a1+ and i t i s White who gets mated) 41 . . . ii'xd4+ 42 '&t>g2 'ii'e4+ 43 'it>f2 .l::txf8 (or 43 . . . �d4+ immediately) 44 .l:.xc6 ! "ii'd4+ ! (if Black

sti l l plays for the win , he gets the opposite result: 44 . . . bxc6?? 45 'i¥c5 ! l:tc8 46 Ib3 l:tc7 47

'iff8+ 'it>b7 48 .:b3+ 'it>a6 49 'ii'a3+ and mates) 45 'it>g 2 'ii'e4+ i s perpetual check.

39 'Wb2 The opposite-coloured bishops don't ensure a draw after 39 'ikxa5 J:!.xa5, since Black's

passed a-pawn will be an eternal worry.

39 . . . 'ii'a2 40 'it'c1! Once again correctly dodging the ending .

40 • . .'i!Ve2 Threatening . . . l:ta2 .

41 l:te3 'ifg4 42 �h2 .l:ta2+ 43 .:.b2 .:.a4 44 l:Lg2 Here 44 'i¥c2 or 44 'ii'h1 looks more accurate.

44 . . • -tbs!

The bishop shines on its new diagonal, a radiant symbol of potentiality. We witness the emergence of the now, not-so-bad cleric, who eagerly awaits participation in Black's assault. Despite 5passky's furious efforts, he fail s to extinguish the growing vital ity of Korch noi 's counterattack. 45 l:ta3 lta6 46 .l:.xa6 .ixa6 47 'ii'a 3 !

Making i t difficult for Black's bishop t o roam, due t o the mate threat o n a7. 47 . . • ltc8 48 l:ta2

48 l:d2 ! prevented Black's next move. 48 • . .'ii'd1

Shredding away even a pretence that White's queen stil l rules.

1 4 0


49 �b2 1i'f1 50 'i'b3?1 Black has a much harder time making progress after so l:ta4! 'ili'd3 51 'i'a2 .

50 .. .'i!Vc4 The irritating black queen is the new-in -town kid, who tries too hard to make a good

impression on the local s .

51 �a3? 1 White should probably have exchanged queens at once, although after 5 1 'ii'xc4 dxc4,

the advancing c-pawn will distract the white rook, enabling Black to free his position ; e .g .

52 'it'g2 c3 5 3 'it>f2 c2 ! 54 l:txc2 b6 55 �a2 (the only way to save the piece) 5 5 . . . i.c4 56 Ita4 i.b5 57 l:tb4 i.c6 58 i.d6 .tds, when the two connected passed queenside pawns will be very dangerous .

Exercise {planning}: Find an unravel l ing plan for Black .

Answer: The key is the removal of White 's powerfully posted bishop, at any cost. 51 . . . b61 52 'ili'xa6

Entering a hopeless ending, but alternatives were equally depressing : a) 5 2 i.d6? 'ili'fl ! (threatening . . . .!!tel) 5 3 'ili'xa6? .l:tc2+ win s the queen. b) 52 i.xb6 axb6 53 'i'xa6+ �xa6 54 .l:txa6+ �b7 5 5 lla1 :c4 looks next to impossible for

White to save. Black's b-pawn, supported by king and rook should be decisive. 52 . . .'iVxa6

The black queen 's secret desire i s to eradicate her hated si ster's taint from the universe. 53 llxa6 'it>b71

An important zwischenzug . 5 3 . . . bxcs? throws everything away: 54 dxcs .l:.xcs 55 .l:tf6 .!::tc7 56 .l:!.xfs as 57 l:txh s a4 58 .l:.h8+ �b7 59 .l:.d8 l:tcs 60 h s a3 61 h6 l:.c6 (or 61 . . . a2 62 h7 l:.c2+ 63 'it>h 3 l:tc1 64 .l:.d7+ ! 'iti>b6 65 :c6+ 'iii>b7 ! with a draw, but not 6S . . . 'iti>cs 66 �g4! J:.hl 67 .l:ta6) 62 h7 :f.h6+ 63 �g2 .l:txh7 64 .l:txds .I:!.h6 65 l:.dl and White doesn't stand worse.

1 4 1


54 lia1 bxcs 5 5 �b1+ Possibly playing for a cheapo in Korchnoi 's habitual time trouble. 5 5 dxc5 .l:txc5 56 �g 2

puts up marginally stiffer resi stance. Nevertheless, Black should win i n the e n d with h i s

two passed pawns.

ss .. . �c6 56 dxcs :as!

Not fal l ing for 56 . . . �xc5? ? 57 l:!.cl+ etc . In stead, Korchnoi waves his passed a-pawn as a battle standard on the field. Principle : Rooks belong behind passed pawns - yours or your opponent's. 57 g4

Absolute desperation. 57 . . . fxg4 ss �g3 a s 59 fs a4 60 �f4 a3 61 �gs a2

Effectively paralyzing White's rook. 62 Ita1 'i2txcs 63 �f6 �d4! 64 �xf7

64 e6 fxe6 65 fxe6 �c3 is similar. 64 . . . �xes 65 f6 �d4! o-1

White resigned in view of 66 'i2fg7 'i2fc3 67 f7 'i2tb2 etc. "Dance for my amusement, puppet, for I am strings and hands," Black's king explains to White's terrified rook.

Game 19 V .Korchnoi-A.Karpov

World Cham pionsh i p (21st matchga me), Bagu io City 1978 Queen 's Gambit Declined

Has there ever been a rivalry as intensely heated and deeply contentious as Korchnoi versus Karpov? Capablanca-Alekhine and Karpov-Kasparov are two others which come to mind.

1 4 2


1 c4 tLlf6 2 tLlc3 e6 3 tLlf3 dS 4 d4 .i.e7 5 .tf4 Thi s sharp variation of the Queen 's Gambit Decl ined was contested by the players three

times in their 1978 World Championship match . s . . . o-o 6 e3 cs

In th is instance the sharpest l ine may al so be Black's best chance to equalize, rather than the duller 6 . . . tLlbd7 or 6 . . . c6 .

7 dxcs

Question: Why does White grant h i s opponent a slight central superiority like this ?

Answer: White plans a future c4xds which leads to an i solani position. Furthermore, Black's dark-squared bishop has moved once already, so White in a sense gain s a tempo. Think of the position as a kind of reversed Queen 's Gambit Accepted, not one, but two moves up. 7 ... �xcs 8 'i!Vc2

In stead, 8 a3 may simply transpose to the game after 8 ... tLlc6 9 'fic2 'fias 10 .l::!.d1. The immediate 8 cxds i s played here as wel l , but I feel that White has a very difficult time extracting anything from the position ; e.g. 8 . . . ttJxds 9 tLlxds exds 10 a3 lLlc6 11 .td3 �b6 12 o-o .tg4 13 h3 .i.h s 14 .i.e2 i:te8, when Bl ack's freedom and piece activity compensate for the isolani , A.Morozevich-Ma.Carlsen, Nice (rapid) 2009. 8 . . . €lc6 9 .l:!.d1

The rook logically repositions itself on the open d-file, pressuring ds and making Black's queen nervous. Here 9 a3 'ii'as 10 o-o-o! ? i s White's sharpest continuation . Kasparov was quite successful with this line in the early 1990s, but theoretically Black seems to be holding his own, in a position where either side may get mated. 9 . . :�a5 10 a3

Lately, a few top GMs have dispensed with a2-a3 and dabbl ed with the immediate 10 �e2.

1 4 3


10 . . • l:.e8?! Black has ideas of . . . e6-e5 and . . . d5-d4 - a plan which, in my opinion , i s inherently in

confl ict with itself. I don 't think this idea works out well for Black, whose best may l ie in the

simple 10 . . . i.e7 11 lbd2 es 12 �g5 d4 13 lbb3 'i'd8 14 �e2 as 15 exd4 a4 16 lbxa4 lbxd4!

17 lbxd4 exd4 18 b3 'iYaS+ 19 'ii'd2 .i.xa3 20 'ii'xas l:txas 21 i.xf6 .i.b4+ 22 'it>fl gxf6 2 3

.l:txd4 .l:i.es, when Black's bishop pair and fantastic piece activity compensated for h i s shat

tered structure and pawn deficit, V.Korchnoi-A.Karpov, World Championship (11th match

game), Merano 1981.

u lbd2 Now lbb3 i s a serious threat.

Question: Does Black get compensation for the piece after 11 b4 - ?

Answer: Way too much . In fact he doesn't lose a piece at all . After 11 b4?? lbxb4 12 axb4 i.xb4 13 i.es llJe4 14 .liicl f6, Black regains h is material with a winning position . 11 . . . es 12 ..tgs lbd41?

The transition from intent to action begins . GM Raymond Keene writes that 12 . . . lbd4 ! ? came a s a "terrible shock" t o Korchnoi 's analytical team. This looks l ike a powerful shot, but it doesn't really threaten anything and Korchnoi, unphased, simply removes h i s queen from the knight's trajectory. 13 'ii'b11

Remove your hand from a pool of water and it won 't leave an imprint. No harm done . White's queen broods on the litany of indignities she has been forced to endure, and then realizes no physical harm has come to her. A strategic retreat isn 't the same thing as backing down . Thi s simple sidestep has the effect of deflating the knight's power to a great degree.

1 4 4


Question: Can White accept the offer?

Answer: Korchnoi, as we know, i s a player wil l ing to endure great hardships in exchange for material , but even he has his l imits. Acceptance of the knight i s unthinkable : 13 exd4??

exd4+ 14 ctJe2 ctJg4! (threatening . . . d4-d3 ! and . . . ..txf2 mate) 1 5 'ifd3 dxc4 16 'il'xc4 ctJe5 is

awful for White.

13 . . . .tfs Seemingly endless ranks of black attackers sprawl across the vista in every direction, all

with eyes upon White's king . But is thi s really the case? Once again, Karpov's move looks crushing, but it's an optical illusion. White's sol id position can 't be cracked open so easily. Bl ack achieved his end at the cost of diverted energy, so who really came out the victor?

Not 13 . . . i.g4? 14 .Jixf6 ! i.xd1 15 'it'xd1 gxf6 16 ltJxdS which left Black completely busted in R . Leitao-H .Mecking, Rio de Janeiro 2009, as White threatens b2-b4, e3xd4 and tt:Jxf6+. 14 i.d3 e4

The only move to have been played in th i s position. Houdin i claims it's weak, in stead suggesting the novelty 14 ... i.xd3 15 'it'xd3 ctJe4, but I don 't see compensation for the pawn after 16 '2Jcxe4 dxe4 17 �xe4 ctJb3 18 i.h4 i.b6 19 1i'd3 ! l2Jxd2 20 �xd2.

15 �c2? ! A few years later the l ine was refuted with the counter-intuitive 15 .tf1 ! (suddenly, d4,

f6 and d5 all destabil ize simultaneously) 15 ... lDg4 16 cxd5 ! (White is winning after this calm capture) 16 . . . b5 17 exd4 (or 17 'tiel ! and Black i s busted with too many hanging pieces) 17 . . . e 3 ? 18 ctJb3 ! 1-0 P.Cunningham-J .Cooper, Welsh Championship 1982 . 1S . . . tt:Jxc2+ 16 1fxc2 'ila6?!

This turns out to be an inequitable bargain from Black's point of view. Karpov sacs a pawn, for which he merely receives fi sh ing chances, and he soon comes to regret his burst of altruistic impul sivity. Black holds his own in the l ine 16 ... dxc4! 17 ..ixf6 gxf6 18 '2Jxc4

1 4 5


'ika6 19 ..Wa4 'ikxa4 20 tLlxa4 �f8.

17 �xf6 "it'xf6 18 tiJb3 i.d6

Perhaps Black should contemplate 18 . . . 'ilVg S ! ? 19 ttJxcs 'i!Vxg2 20 l:t.fl i.h 3 21 'iitd2, when

he at least gets practical chances for the sacrificed material .

19 :txds

Question: I s Black losing ?

Answer: Black has very compensation here - his bishop pair will soon disappear - but even if he is objectively losing , he can at least make White's task extremely difficult over the board. 19 . . J:tes 20 ltJd4 llc8 21 .:!.xes 'ii"xes 22 ttJxfs

Houdin i points out the stronger continuation 22 f4 ! 'ii'f6 23 ttJxe4 i..xe4 24 "it'xe4 !itxc4 25 0-0, when Black has nothing for the pawn . 22 .. Ji'xfs 23 o-o!

Korchnoi temporarily return s the pawn, trading it for the initiative.

Question: Why not win a second pawn by taking on e4?

Answer: Black regains it with a touch of initiative after 23 ttJxe4 (23 'ii'xe4? 'ilt'xe4 24 ttJxe4 llxc4 25 ltJc3 fail s to 2S . . . i.xa3 ! ) 23 . . . b S ! 24 0-0 I:Ixc4 25 'iid2 i.f8 26 ltJc3 as. Moreover, th is would leave White with 4 vs. 3 on the king side, far more difficult to convert than a queenside majority. 2 3 ... �xc4 24 l:!.d1 'i\Yes 2 5 g3 a6 26 �b3 bs

It looks as if White has been outplayed. After all , Black has regained his pawn and now appears to be fine . However, Korchnoi analyzed the position deeply when he returned the pawn on his 23rd move.

1 4 6


Exercise {planning}: H ow did Korchnoi once more force the win of a pawn here?

Answer: Overload/weak back rank.

27 a4! There i s a big difference between theft and extortion . In th is case, Korchnoi seizes what

he wants, backed up by threats . White parlays h is strategic advantage into something more tangible again . 27 • . J.:.b4 28 'iids

The meek white queen grows weary of living in the perpetual shadow of her flam boyant counterpart and decides to boldly issue a challenge. 28 . . JIVxds 29 l:!xds

Double attack. 29 . . . .lii.f8 30 axbs

1 4 7


30 ... as Alternatives fare no better:

a) 30 .. . l:txb2?? 31 bxa6 .l:!.b8 32 a7 l:ta8 3 3 lld7 .tcs 34 li:lbs and Black can resign .

b) 30 . . . axbS 31 l:txbS .l:txbs 3 2 ttJxbs i s i s a reasonable try for Black, but my in stincts say

that White should be able to extract the full point.

31 �dB ltxb2 32 lla8! Once again, White regains h i s pawn .

32 . . .f5 32 . . . I1b3 doesn't help because of 3 3 li:lds ! , threatening lt:le7+ and mates, so White still

gets to take on as . 3 3 l:txas �b4

Double attack? 34 l:ta8+

Nyet. 34 ... 'it>f7 35 ltJa4!

Fighting for control over b6. Korchnoi slowly shepherds the pawn down the board. 3S .. . .l:.b1+ 36 'it>g2 i.d6 37 .l:ta7+ 'it>f6 38 b6 i.bS

39 l:ta8?!

Exercise (combination alert}: After the game, G M Oscar Panna pointed out a win for White here. We must find a pattern within the patternless.

The answer i s there, hovering on the threshold of understanding .

Answer: Panna suggested the problem-like idea 39 .l:r.e7 ! ! , which seems to win in all l ines . For example: 39 . .J::tb4 (39 . . . i.xc7? loses at once to 40 bxc7 l:Ic1 41 li:Jb6 ! �xc7 42 li:JdS+ etc, while 39 . . . h s ! ? can be met by 40 l:tc6+, intending li:Jc3-d5) 40 li:JcS ! .l::txb6 41 li:ld7+ 'ite6 (not 41 . . . �g6? 42 lk8) 42 li:Jf8+ ! �f6 43 li:Jxh7+ <it>g6 44 li:Jf8+ 'ith6 (if now 44 .. .<it>f6, then 45

1 4 8


ti:Jd7+ 'it>e6 46 tLlxb8 :xb8 4 7 :Lxg7 with two extra pawns) 4S llf7 .:tbs (the only move) 46 ttJe6 g6 47 h4! .tes 48 tLlg s .tg7 49 g4! (threatening tLle6) 49 . .J:I e s so l:tb7 (threatening

tDf7+) so . . . l:te8 51 'it>h 3 l:ta8 ( 51. . .fxg4+ 52 'it>xg4 i s equally hopeless) 5 2 gxfs gxfs 53 l:.b6+ r,th s 54 tLle6 .ih6 (54 . . . .ies s s l:tbs wins a second pawn) 55 tLld4 l::tf8 56 tLle2 (threatening ttJg 3 mate) S6 . . .f4 S7 lDc3 fxe3 S8 lDxe4 (and again) S8 . . . .if4 59 lDf6+ win s.

39 . . . i.eS?! The wrong square. 39 . . . d6 was correct, preventing White's next move.

40 tt:lcs! The b-pawn i s untouchable due to the fork on d7 .

40 . . . i.d6 41 b7! The loose knight floats in space but Black can 't touch it , s ince his pieces must guard

over the queening square. Now the fight for control over b8 becomes the crux and leaven of Black's exi stence or non-existence.

41 . . . 'iir>e7 42 �gB! .tes Bishop and knight exchange insincere pleasantries and then go their own way. Not

42. . .'it>f7? 43 .l:.d8 i.es 44 tLld7 ! , winning a piece.

Exercise {planning}: The b-pawn may be deeply entrenched and secure, yet it is unable to go forward. Where lies the catalyst which allows White to make progress?

Answer: Overload. White's king must be introduced into the fight, and the only way to do so is : 43 f4!

The sealed move. 43 . . . exf3+

No choice since Black's bi shop i s overloaded, defending b8 and g7 . 44 '>t>xf3 <M7 45 .l::!.cS?!

1 4 9

Ko rch n o i: M o ve by M o ve

Keene wrote that Team Korchnoi spent most of the adjournment analyzin g 4S l::!.d8 ! <l;e7 46 l:.d7+ 'it>e8 47 e4 l:tbs 48 exfs l:txcs 49 !lxg7, but in the end felt Black should hold.

Question: Do the computers agree?

Answer: The computers disagree and think White should still pull out the win . For instance:

49 . . . h6 so f6 ! ..td6 51 l:te7+! �f8 (or S l . . .'itrd8 52 .:le6 ..tb8 5 3 �e4 lle7 54 'ifrfs .:txb7 55 �g6) s 2 l:td7 i.es 53 <;t>e4 �bs 54 'ifrfs .tc7+ 55 'it>g6 litxb7 S6 l:r.h7 'itre8 57 �xh6 and wins . 45 .. . �e7 46 h3 1 h 5 47 l:igB �f7 48 .l:.d8 g5? Black's patience, a finite entity, runs low. Karpov he decides to risk weakening in order to remain active - and who can blame h im? Desperation has a way of removing the final vestiges of caution . But after thi s overly aggressive move, which allows the white kin g decisive entry, Black's redemption dangles just out of reach .

Karpov m ay well have held the draw if he h ad m aintained a passive stance. For example: 48 . . . �e7 49 11gB (or 49 .l:td7+ 'it>f6 ! so .:tds i.c7) 49 . . . 'it>f7 so .l:tc8 �e7 51 e4 g 6 ! (continuing to keep White's king boxed in) 52 exfs gxfs 53 'ifre2 i.xg 3 54 .Uh8 h4 55 'it>d3 i..e5 5 6 l:.h6 i.b8 57 ctJa6 ..ta7 58 .l:!.xh4 f4 59 .Uh7+ �d6 6 0 'ifre4 'ittc6 61 h4 .l:.xb7 62 l::txb7 �xb7 6 3 ctJb4 'ifrc7 6 4 'it>xf4 i..d4 i s drawn . 49 g41

Even clearer than the immediate 49 ctJd7 g4+ 50 hxg4 hxg4+ 51 �e2 .Ub2+ 52 'it>d3 i..xg 3 53 b8� .ixb8 54 l:xb8 .:a2 55 .l:tb6, which would win as wel l . 49 . . . hxg4+

Not 49 .. .fxg4+ 50 hxg4 h4?, since 5 1 ctJd7 'ifre7 52 b8'ii' i.xb8 53 .Uxb8 wins . 50 hxg4 'it>e7 51 l:tg8 fxg4+ 52 'it>xg4 �f7 53 :cs i..d6

Exercise {planning}: Should White play 54 �xg 5 - ?

54 e41

1 5 0


Answer: The g5 -pawn i s poisoned: 54 'it>xg 5? ? i.xc5 ! 5 5 b8fi i.xe3+ 56 �f5 .U.xb8 57 .l:txb8 rJife7 i s drawn .

Question: What i s the technique to draw with bishop versus rook?

Answer: Endgame principle : The defending side's king must head for the corner of the oppo

s ite colour to h is own bishop. For example : 58 .l:tc8 'it>d7 59 .:te2 'it>d6 ! 60 'it>e4 i.c5 ! 61 Itcl �c6 62 c.t>e5 'it>b6 63 'it>d5 ..if2 64 'it>d6 'it>b7 65 l:tbl+ 'it>a8 66 'i.tc6 .ltg 3 67 �d7 ..if4 68 'it>c8

(threatening mate) 68 . . . .1te3 69 .!:tal+ .i.a7 and White can 't make progress. He must give

Black's king air, or concede stalemate.

54 .. . J:tg1+ 55 'it>f5 g4 56 e5 .l:tf1+ 57 'i.te4 .l:te1+ 58 'i.td5 White's king i s drawn forward by inevitabil ity's pul l .

5S .. . :td1+

Exercise (combination alert}: Find Korchnoi ' s pretty game ending shot and the position erupts into a fanfare of trumpets.

Answer: Interference. 59 lt'ld3 1 ltxd3+ 60 'it>c4 1-0

Suddenly all of Black's pieces hang and the b-pawn goes through.

1 d4 liJf6 2 C4 C5 3 lt'Jf3

Game 20 V.Korch noi-Gi.Hernandez

Merida (5th matchga me) 1996 English Opening


Korchnoi , always slippery in the openings, tends to shift from one l ine to the other. With

thi s move he avoids both h is normal Benoni and Benko Gambit, perhaps simply to dodge

Hernandez' preparation .

3 . . . cxd4 4 ttJxd4 es

Question: I sn 't Black's last move strategically suspect, since he creates a gaping hole on ds?

Answer: This would only be the case if Black avoided his next move. s ttJbs d s

With this pawn sac, Black effectively seal s d s with a white pawn . 6 cxd s .i.cs

It i s a real sacrifice since 6 . . . ttJxds?? hangs a piece to 7 '1i'xds . 1 ttJsc3 o-o 8 g3 !

The most harmonious development plan . Thi s offshoot is White's best l ine , who scores 61% from thi s position, as opposed to m erely 47% from the main line 8 e3 e4.

Question: Is the sac sound?

Answer: It may be so after 8 e3. Black's score i s quite reasonable from thi s point. For the pawn Black gets:

1 . A lead in development. 2 . White's knights are tangled, both seeking to make the c3 -square their home, which

has room for only one. 3. Black's e-pawn cramps White and clogs his development further, whi le offering a

hook to launch an attack. 4. White's d-pawn is artificially isolated and may be in danger in the future.

1 5 2


8 . . . lL'lg4!? Fal l ing behind in development is generally a crime which warrants swift execution -

but not in thi s case, where White presents extenuating circumstances. His position is too solid to bowl over so easily.

Question: I sn 't thi s move a tad too simpli stic?

Answer: I admit it comes off as a bit Fried Liver Attack-ish, but the idea behind it i s logical . Black seeks to introduce .. .f7-f4 and possibly .. .f5 -f4. Alternatively:

a) 8 .. . 'i'b6 ! ? 9 e3 i.g4 10 .ie2 .ixe2 11 'iixe2 e4 12 a3 lL'lbd7 13 tiJd2 l:tfe8 14 b4 i.f8 15 o - o 'ilic7 16 ..tb2 and White stands better, who remains up a pawn, L.Aronian-E .Sutovsky, European Team Championship, Herakl io 2007. Note that Black can 't play ... tiJe5, as then White simply picks off e4 as wel l .

b) 8 . . . e4 9 i.g2 �f5 10 o-o "fle7 11 i.g 5 tiJbd7 12 e3 h 6 13 i.xf6 tiJxf6 14 ltJd2 .i'J.ad8 15 'ifia4 lUe8 (or 15 . . . tiJxd5 16 tiJdxe4) 16 .I:.fd1 i.d6 17 tt:lc4 .ib8, G .Sargissian- I . Sorkin, Dos Hermanas qual ifier (onl ine blitz), and now 18 d6 ! .txd6 19 tiJxd6 .!::txd6 20 l:.xd6 'ii'xd6 2 1 "flxa7 consolidates the extra pawn . 9 e3

Better than 9 lL'le4 ..tb6 10 h 3 f5 11 hxg4 fxe4 12 e3 'ii'f6 13 l:th2 tiJa6 ! , when Black's open f-file and grip on the l ight squares gave him full compensation for the pawn, f . Hausner-R.Mainka, German League 1990. 9 . . . f5 10 .te2

Preventing . . .fS -f4 and al so th inking about taking on g4. 10 . . . l2Jf6 11 a3

Intending b2 -b4 and i..b2 , while delaying castl ing . After 11 0-0 lLlbd7 12 lL\d2 lLlb6 13 lLlc4 lL\xc4 14 .ixc4 a6 15 a4 )£;>h8 16 b3 �d7, S . lonov-E .Najer, Russian Team Championship 2009, White remains up a pawn but doesn 't have much to do, whereas Black can always

1 5 3


build for a king side attack.

11 ... tiJbd7 12 b4 �d6 13 ttJd2 ttJb6 14 e4!

A new move at the time and an improvement over 14 tiJb3 'it>h8 1S l:ta2 �d7, G . PiesinaR.Vaganian , Moscow 1979, which continued 16 ttJcs ? ! �xes ! 17 bxcs .

Exercise (combination alert}: I t looks as if Black i s crushed, but thi s i sn 't the case. Find Black's trick in the position.

Answer: 17 . . . ltJbxds ! 18 liJxds �a4 ! 19 'iid3 (19 'i!Vxa4?? loses 19 . . . ii'xds, forking the two rooks) 19 ... liJxdS 20 o-o i.c6 with advantage to Black, who has regained the lost pawn while retaining his strategic benefits. 14 . . . '&t>h8

14 . . .fxe4? 15 ttJdxe4 is clearly better for White, who owns the e4-square . 15 .ib2

Question: Why isn't White castl ing ?

Answer: Korchnoi was undoubtedly fearful of declaring his king ' s residency, but he probably should have castled h ere. I don 't see anything terrifying after 15 o-o fxe4 (or 1S .. .f4 16 �b2 .th3 17 .l:!.el a6 18 :tel 'ilt'e8 19 i.fl, when I feel White should survive the coming attack and consolidate) 16 liJdxe4 i.h 3 and now 17 �g S ! i..xf1 18 i.xfl with a pawn, the bishop pair and domination of the central l ight squares - more than enough for the exchange . 1S . . . fxe4 16 ttJcxe4!?

1 5 4


Question: Another bizarre-looking decision . What i s the idea?

Answer: Korchnoi unleashes his b2-bishop and i s wil l ing to hand over the ds-pawn for the rights, based on the principle : Counter in the centre when assaulted on the wing.

16 . . . i..h3 ! I n order to keep White from castl ing .

Question: Why not regain the pawn?

Answer: White takes over the in itiative after 16 . . . tt:JbxdS? ! 17 l2'lxf6 'ii'xf6 (17 . . . gxf6 may be better, but suddenly I don 't like the look of Black's king) 18 lt:Je4 "iif7 19 i.h s ! ii'e6 20 o-o, when Black's pieces appear clumsy and his attacking chances have vanished. 17 tt:Jgs !

The knight crouches over e6 , the way my dogs guard a bone. Chaos, to some, i s a gaping abyss into darkness - and to others, synonymous with opportunity. Korchnoi wil l ingly incurs frightful defensive peril in order to win the exch ange . As the game turns out, his instincts prove correct. 17 . . . .ltg2!

Hernandez correctly accepts the challenge, since he gets good practical chances for the sacrifice. Whereas after 17 . . . .td7? 18 lt:Je6 or 17 . . . �d7? ! 18 tt:Jxh 3 'i¥xh 3 19 i.f1 ! "iifs 20 �g2, White stands clearly better. 18 lt:Je6 "iid7 19 I:tg1 ..txds 20 tt:Jxf8 l:.xf8

White is a full exchange up but Black isn 't without compensation . His pieces are terribly active and he threatens to get into White's underbelly with . . .'it'h3 at some point.

1 5 5


21 1:tc1 \\!Ve6 The players agree to a parley in neutral territory, each side feel ing out the other for

strengths and weaknesses. Alternatively, Black could send his queen in at once with 21 ... 'iVh 3, but after 22 tt:lc4 ! , I suspect White remain s better; e .g . 22 ... 'iVxh2 2 3 lifl i.b8 24 tt:lxb6 axb6 25 �f3 (Korchnoi) or 22 . . . i.b8 23 tt:le3 ! ? ..ic6 24 b5 .1t.e4 25 i.f3 . 22 f3

A wise precaution. Black shouldn 't be allowed . . . e5 -e4 any time h e pleases. Now if 22 . . . e4? ! 23 fxe4 tt:lxe4 24 tt:lxe4 iixe4 (or 24 . . . ..txe4? 25 'iVd4 'ii'g6 26 i.h 5 ! and wins) 2 5 'ii'd4 'ilig6 26 .l:If1 .l:te8 27 l:tf2 , i t looks a s though White is beginning t o consolidate. 22 . . . a6?

Too slow, allowing White to consolidate his kingside.

Question: Is Black beginning to run out of ideas?

Answer: There are no obvious attacking plans for Black, but he could have played 22 . . . 'iih3 (the correct timing for thi s move) 2 3 tt:lf1 (23 tt:lc4?? just loses now to 23 . . . tt:lxc4 24 .txc4 'ir'xh2) 23 .. . i.b8 ! (Korchnoi) , with the imaginative idea of .. . a7-a6, . . . i.a7 and .. . tt:lbd7, targeting the g 1-rook. Indeed, it is not easy to see how White consolidates here. 23 fl.fl! 'i¥h3 24 l:tf2 tt:lg4?

A gloved, knife-wielding hand emerges from a shadowed alcove and thrusts towards f2 . Black decides to serve up a big bowl of crazy. Such sacs are l ike a salt shaker: a l ittle sprinkl ed seasons your meal ; too much and your food is ruined. Black's previous exchange sac may have been sound, but th is one crosses over the l ine to unsound. If you dare to accept a

dire risk, then make certain there is a just reward should you survive the ordeal . Hernandez sends who-knows-who, on who-knows-what mission, to who-knows-where.

1 5 6

Ko rch n o i o n Defe n ce

On the other hand, the plan of 24 . . . i.b8 (and . . . i.a7) now founders after 2 5 �fl 'ii'h 6 26 tt::le4! and 'ir'd2, while 24 . . Jld8 might be met by 25 i.d3 followed by Ve2 and tt::le4, so Hernandez chooses death on his own terms, with a defiant fist rai sed and a curse on his lips, before Korchnoi finds a way to unravel . His sac may have practical appl ications, but against a calculator with defensive instincts l ike Korchnoi , simply doesn 't bear out.

Korchnoi 's last few moves lay bare the deficiencies of Black's material deficit and attack, yet Hernandez cl ings to his beliefs, despite evidence to the contrary, and sinks great expense into an essentially unsupportable theory. Such is the nature of faith . 25 fxg4 �xf2 26 �xf2 'ii'xh2+ 27 �e3

Sometimes an only move can al so be a good one. White's king isn 't the pl iant dupe Black's queen imagines and stands his ground. 2 7 .. .'i!t'xg3+

The queen issues a dire fiat to White's king : al l who enter my proximity are condemned to death . But this declaration turns out to be premature. White's king has adequate protection and Black's attack is destined to fizzle out. 2s .i.f3 hs

After 28 . . . e4 29 tt::lxe4 .txe4 30 lit>xe4 or 29 . . . .i.f4+ 30 'it>d3 , Black has no follow-up. 29 'iigl

29 'iih l ! is even stronger. 29 . . . 'ii'f4+ 30 'it>e2 CDc4

30 . . . e4 is met by the counter sac 3 1 i.xe4! �xe4 32 gxh 5 ! i.e5 33 l:tft ! , regaining the piece with an easy win .

1 5 7


Exercise (planning}: Hernandez found a clever m ethod of complicating on h i s last move. How did Korchnoi refute it?

Answer: 31 l:!.xc4! To be the underl ing of a non-entity is even more depressing than being the non-entity

itself. Black's attack vanishes with the knight's removal . Korchnoi continues to absorb vol ley after vol ley unscathed. 31 . • . �XC4+ 32 �e1 h4

32 . . . hxg4 33 'in1 1+ ! 'it>g8 34 ..tdS+ is a game ender. 33 'iVf2 ..te7

Or 33 ... h3 34 lbxc4 'iVxc4 3 5 'ii'h4+ c;.t;>g8 36 'ii'd8+ .i.f8 37 .idS+ and the chief apostle rationalizes the murder of Black's queen, thinking : "I perform God's holy mission ." 34 lbxc4 'ilfxc4 3 5 'ti'e2 'ikb3 36 'ii'xes 1-0

1 5 8

Ko rch n o i o n D efe n ce

White's bishops, once thought to be minor functionaries, now reveal their true power:

36 . . . 'iff7 (or 36 .. . ..tf6 37 'ifh 5+ 'it>g8 38 �e8+ <;tJh7 39 �e4+ and mates) 37 �d5 (the bishop's unwholesome preoccupation with Black's queen gives her the creeps) 37 . . . 'ifg 6 38 'ifb8+ 'it>h7 39 �g8+ 'it'h6 40 �cl+ �g 5 41 'iih8+ 'iff7 42 i.xg 5+ wins the house.

Game 21 V.Korchnoi-B.Spassky

St Petersbu rg ( ra p id match, 8th ga me) 1999 Benko Gambit

1 d4 tt:Jf6 2 c4 cs 3 ds bs The Benko Gambit, a surprise by the normally classical Spassky. Black banks on his

queen side l ines to compensate for the sacrificed pawn. 4 cxbs a6 5 bxa6

The no nonsense, "show-me" approach . Korchnoi, perh aps the greatest chess capital i st of all time, of course i s not the decl ining type. Otherwise, White can consider 5 b6, 5 e3 , 5 tt:Jc3 and 5 f3 . s . . . g6 6 tt::lc3 .txa6 7 e4

Currently the most popular way to combat the Benko at the highest level s . 7 . . . .txf1 8 'it>xf1

Question: I sn 't the l oss of castl ing, coupled with Black's open l ines on the queenside, a serious problem for White?

Answer: According to current theory White may still retain an edge due to the following factors :

1 5 9


1. For now, White has more central influence. 2 . White isn't behind in development. 3 . White has access to a clear developing plan with g 2-g 3 , �g 2 and l:.e1. 4. The most obvious factor: White i s a pawn up.

8 .. . d6 9 l2Jf3 i.g7 10 g3 More natural than the long-winded development plan of 10 h 3 lL:lbd7 11 'it>g 1 0-0 12

�h2, though as White often plays h 2-h3 anyway, it's mostly just a matter of preference. 10 .. . 0-0 11 �g2 l2Jbd7

12 h3

Question: Why would White play thi s rather than central ize h is king 's rook?

Answer: It 's a containment move, denying Black plans based on .. . l2Jg4 and .. . lL:lges , but White can try and do without it. For example :

a) 12 l:.e1 l2Jg4 (trying to exploit White's omission of h 2-h3 ) 13 lLld2 lL:lge5 14 'iVe2 lL:lb6 15 f4 lbed7 16 a4 e6? ! (Black can consider 16 ... .txc 3 ! ?, giving up his most active piece and best defender to regain the sac'ed pawn, though after 17 bxc3 l2Jxa4 18 .l:l.a3 I suspect White stands better due to his big centre and looming, future dark square threats) 17 dxe6 fxe6 18 as, when I don 't believe in Black's compensation , A .Naumann-M.Becker, German League 1995 .

b) 12 ii'e2 'ifu6 13 a4 Ufb8 14 lbbs lbe8 (to challenge the bS-knight; in thi s case Black never played . . . l2Jg4, so White may have saved himself a tempo) 1 5 i.g s 'i!Vd8 16 .l:.a3 lbb6 17 b3 'i¥d7 18 .l:!.a2 f6 19 �c1 fS ? ! (mistimed) 20 exfs gxfs 21 .l:!.d1 lbf6 22 'ilr'e6+ 'ii'xe6 2 3 dxe6 lLle4 24 lLlh4! C 4 2 5 bxc4 lbxc4 26 lbc7 lLlc3 27 lLlxa8 lbxa2 2 8 lbc7 lbc3 29 .l:td3 .l:.c8, Ma.Carl sen-V. Bologan, Biel 2012, and now 30 lbds lbxds 3 1 .l:!.xd5 i.f6 32 i.h6 l:.a8 33 .l:tbS was White's most efficient path to consolidation. 12 . . . �a6 13 l::te1 'ii'aB 14 ii.gs h6 15 i.d2 e61?

1 6 0


Undermining White's impressive centre i s more aggressive than 15 . . . .l:!.b8 16 b3 ctJe8 17 l:le2 ctJC7 18 .:c1 l:ta7 19 'ii'c2 ltJa6 20 ctJa4 ctJb4 21 i.xb4 (this leaves Black's dark-squared bi shop unopposed, but White is consoled by the fact that his l ight squares h ave been forti

fied in the transaction ) 21 . . . .l:txb4 22 'itd3, A.Karpov-B.Gelfand, Sang h i Nagar (6th match

game) 199 5. 16 dxe6 fxe6 17 'ii'c2

Now e4-e5 ! i s in the air, which shows the value in provoking the earlier . . . h7 -h6 : Black's

soft spot, g6, blossoms into a target. 17 . . . g5

The immediate 17 . . . d5 18 a4 (al so possible i s 18 exd5 ltJxd5 ! 19 ctJxds exd5 20 '!J.e7 I:txf3 21 .:xd7 ! d4 22 'itg1 and White stands better) 18 . . . g 5 19 :a3 l:.b6 20 1Lc1 left White with an edge in the complications, L. ljubojevic-V.Topalov, Linares 1995 . 18 a4

Enabling a future ltJb5 . 18 . . . g4!7

We sense a shift, a s l ight change in Black's previous indifference towards White's king . Daring, pushed too far may morph seamlessly into recklessness . But I suppose one person's rational deci sion is another's madness . Rather than return to the previous note with 18 ... d5, Spassky pul ls out a new, ultra-aggressive move, which Houdini frowns upon .

Question: What i s the idea?

Answer: Black goes directly after f2, at grave cost to his own king 's safety. 19 hxg4 ltJxg4 20 i.f4

Houdini prefers 20 ltJb5 ltJde5 21 J:!.a3 c4 22 1Lf4 ctJd3 2 3 ctJC7. 2o . . • ds ! 7

The natural move, after which the advantage swings to White. On the other hand, re-

1 6 1


member that th is was a rapidplay game, where active measures come at a premium. Ob

jectively, Black should perhaps consider 20 .. . �xc3 21 bxc3 es, though I stil l prefer White

after 22 .i.cl. 21 ctJbS

Here 2 1 exds exds 22 l:e7 was stronger. The text threatens a knight fork on C7 .

21 .. . es ! . . . which Spassky cleverly allows.

22 tlJc7 'ii'a7 23 ttJxa6 exf4

The point: the a6-knight is stranded, so Black gets two pieces for the rook. However, White picks up several pawns for the deal and sei zes h i s own attacking chances, so may still stand better. 24 exds 'ifxa6 25 l:te6

Chasing Black's queen to where it wants to go. The immediate 25 :te7 ! looks stronger, and if 2S . . .'ifd6 26 'ili"e4 liJdf6, then 27 'ife6+ 'ii'xe6 28 dxe6 with the better endgame, as the passed a-pawn is very fast. 2S .. . 'iii"b7 26 �e7 fxg3 27 "i¥g6!

The beginning of the incomprehensibly difficult, almost untranslatable idea. 27 .. .'ii'xb2 28 lla2 !

Very cleverly deflecting , whi le covering f2 . Korchnoi rejects the drawing l i ne 28 'iii"xg4 'ii'xa1 29 'ii'xd7 gxf2 30 'it>xf2 .:txf3+ ! 31 <t>xf3 'iWfl+ with perpetual check. 28 ... liJe3+!?

I 'm not certain who stands better after 2 8 . . .'ii'f6 29 'ii'xf6 tlJgxf6 30 fxg 3 . Presumably Spassky rejected thi s due the passed a-pawn, but here it may not be as dangerous; e .g . 30 . . J:td8 3 1 d6 'Dds 3 2 .!::tel liJ7f6 3 3 as liJb4! and Black has the pawn under control . 29 'it>h3 gxf2 !

The bacillus, a new, deadly strain , manages to enter the bloodstream, targeting f1 and threatening to queen with check. Black's accelerated growth and power reminds us of

1 6 2


those sped-up documentaries of a seed, developing rapidly into a mature plant.

30 :txb2

Thoughts of terrible futures haunt White's king . No matter how hard he tries, he can 't unthink them . I 'm not so sure the position 's real ity fits into my brain . All hell has broken loose - a standard by-product in any Korchnoi-Spassky encounter!

Exercise (critical decision}: Black can promote to a new queen with check, or take the f3 -knight with check. One line draws; the other loses. Choose wisely.

30 . • • f11W+? Thi s looks like a no-brainer, but it loses as Black fai ls to implement his basic agenda: de

liver checkmate - or fail ing that, perpetual check. The attack, a rubber band pulled too tightly, suddenly snaps. Now whether by design or h appy accident, White's king thrives and prospers. The same can't be said for h i s counterpart on g8 . Answer: Black draws with 30 . . . I:!.xf3+ ! 3 1 'it>h2 ! (not 3 1 'it>h4?? lLlfS+ 3 2 'it>h s llh 3+ 3 3 'it>g4 l:tg3+ 34 'it>xfs fl'i'+ and mates) 3 1 . . . .l:th3+ ! (deflection - Black's disorganized factions suddenly unite under the charismatic sway of their new leader, who martyrs himself for h is cause) 3 2 'it>xh3 fl'ii'+ 3 3 'it>h2 'i!Vf4+ 34 'it>h3 'ii'f1+ and perpetual check. White can't play for a win with 3 5 l:tg2?? because of 3 S . . . 'Wh 1+ 3 6 :1h2 'ii'f3+ 37 'iig 3 'ii'hS+ 38 'ifl14 'i\Vxh4+! 39 �xh4 i..f6+ and Black wins . 3 1 'it>h2

Black runs out of checks straight away, while h is own king now faces dire threats. 3 1 . . . tt:lfs

Spassky takes h is bitter medicine and abandons his long cheri shed ideal of an attack. A forced retreat in such a dynamic position i s but a manifestation of past sins, an unpleasant residue of Black's mistaken pawn promotion.

1 6 3


Exercise (combination alert}: Spassky may have counted on h is last move, but i t i sn 't enough. H ow did Korchnoi force the win ?

Answer: Overload: Add another attacker to g 7 . The e7-rook isn 't truly hanging since Black's fs-knight i s burdened with defensive duties and simply can 't spare the time to go on offence. 32 l:.g2 !

Rays of strange energy dovetail outward from the wizard's upraised fingers. Soon, unnatural , crooked shapes flit through the murk, all the while drawing closer to Black's mortified king . 32 • • • 'ii'xg2+

3 2 . . . 'iia1 33 :t:!.xd7 is equally hopeless for Black. 33 'it>xg2 tt:Jxe7

It appears as if Black's operation proved moderately successful . After all , he came away with two pieces and a rook for the queen . More than enough if it were really true. One simple move from White shatters the i l lusion . 34 'i!Ve6+

Black's d7-knight is forcibly disassociated from his life, which now feel s distant and abstract. 34 ... �f7 3 5 'i'xd7 tt:Jfs

Spassky plays on for a while - but in battle bravery alone is rarely enough to withstand an overwhelming superiority in forces. 36 'ifc8+ .i.f8 37 tt:Jes :g7+ 38 �h3 tt:Jd6 39 'ii'e6+ 'iii>h7 40 lt:Jd7

Double attack. 40 ... .i.e7 41 tt:Jxcs 1-0

Bl ack loses his last hope.

1 6 4

Game 22 V .Gash imov-V .Korchnoi

Russ ia n Tea m Cha m pionsh i p 2008 French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 ds 3 tt:lc3 tt:lf6 4 .tgs i.b4 The ultra-provocative McCutcheon Variation .


Question: I sn 't Black worried about his pinned f6-knight?

Answer: Black has adequate counters with . . . h7-h6 and . . . g7-g 5 , similar to the plan in the Botvinnik and Moscow Variations of the Semi-Slav Defence. s es h6

6 .1d2 The main l ine . Other moves include: a) 6 exf6? ! hxg5 7 fxg7 I:tg8, when White has given up his bishop pair and central influ

ence for nothing in return. For example: 8 h4 gxh4 9 �5 'i!Vf6 10 llxh4 ttJc6 11 i.b5 i.d7 12 lDf3 0-0-0 13 0-0-o .l:lg7 and Black i s at least equal , J .Timman-H .Ree, Wijk aan Zee 1982 .

b) 6 ..th4 g 5 7 i.g3 tt:le4 8 tt:lge2 c5 9 a3 ..txc3+ 10 ttJxc3 'iia5 11 'ifd3 tt:lc6 12 dxc5 ..td7 13 o-o-o ttJxc3 14 'ii'xc3 �xc3 15 bxc3 l:tc8, when Black's structural benefits easily compensate for White's bishops, K. Landa-Ara.Minasian , Linares 1999.

c) 6 i.e3 (the primary alternative) 6 . ..ltJe4 7 �g4 g6 8 a3 (White offers a pawn to obtain the bishop pair and the dark squares) 8 ... ..txc3+ 9 bxc3 tt:lxc3 ! ? (more usually Bl ack decl ines with 9 . . . c5 ) 10 i.d3 b6 11 h4 .taG 12 h5 g 5 13 f4 gxf4 14 .txf4 'i!td7 ! ? 15 ..td2 tt:le4 16 ..txe4 dxe4 17 'ii'xe4 'i!tc8 ! 18 ltJf3 (not 18 'ifxa8?? .1b7 19 'fixa7 'ii'xd4 and White can resign) 18 . . . ..tb7 19 'ilff4, when White's space and open f-file may give him an edge, V.Gashimov-

1 6 5


H .Nakamura, Monte Carlo (rapid) 2011.

6 • •. ii.xc3 1 bxc3 lDe4 8 'il'g4 'it>f81?

The k ing fl inches, the way a cowed pet does when it sees an abusive owner enter the

room.

Question: Why would Black deliberately deny himself castling rights?

Answer: He does so to avoid weakening his dark squares with 8 . . . g6 , although that move is Bl ack 's main l ine. 9 ..i.d3 tt:lxd2 10 lil>xd2 cs

11 h4 Multi -purpose: 1. White prevents . . . 'il'g S+ simplification ideas. 2 . White gains space on the king side, his theatre of operations. 3 . White has options to l ift the h i-rook to either g3 or f3. After 11 ttlf3 , Black does well to block the centre at once with 11 . . . c4! 12 �e2 tt:lc6 13 h4

bS 14 a3 �d7 15 hS as 16 l:!.h b1 l::tb8 17 'ilff4 �e7! (preparing to run the king over to the queen side, a safer zone where he control s more territory) 18 g4 (18 'i1Yh4+ 'i!?e8 19 'if'f4 <J;e7 is a tacit draw offer) 18 ... 1i'f8 ! 19 'ffe3 �d8 20 tt:le1 <J;;c7 21 f4 b4 (Black's break arrives first) 22 axb4 axb4 23 cxb4 l:!.xb4 24 ltJf3 g6 25 'ifc3 l:!.xb1 26 .Uxb1 gxh s 27 gxh s Wle7 28 'if'a1 .l:b8 and Korchnoi managed to win from thi s dynamically balanced position, L.Chri stiansen -V.Korchnoi, Reykjavik 2000. 11 . . • tt:Jc6 12 l:th3 c41

Question: I sn 't thi s move in violation of the principles : Don 't close the centre when attacked on the wing. And also:

Don't fix your pawns on the same colour of your remaining bishop?

1 6 6


Answer: You are right, and yet the m ove i s correct. Black can 't afford t o allow White's bishop on that diagonal for too long , since he must prevent .ih7 and J.g6 tricks later on. 13 .te2 bS

GM Neil McDonald writes: "The battle l ines are drawn : Black is planning a pawn storm on the queenside, wh ile White is going to probe with his pieces to create holes in Bl ack's kingside structure ." 14 a3

Other moves: a) 14 'ii'f4 'iie7 1S i.h s \t>e8 16 a3 as 17 .l:.g 3 11g8 18 ctJf3 1la7 19 ctJh2 <itd8 20 i.e2 b4,

when Black's break again arrives first and I prefer h i s position, though objectively the position m ay be about even , A.Volokitin -V. Korchnoi, lgualada 200S .

b ) 14 .:lg 3 l:tg8 (note that i f Black refrain s from . . . cS -c4 earl ier, White can play i.h7 in such situations, attacking the defender of g7) 1 S 'iff4 i.d7 16 i.h s i.e8 17 .l:.f3 fs ! 18 i.xe8 (not 18 exf6??, as after 18 . . . J.xh s 19 fxg7+ 'i.t>xg7 20 .l:tg 3+ <ith7 or 20 g4 J.e8, White has no logical follow-up) 18 . . . �xe8 19 hs as 20 g4 .!:tf8 and Black's . . . bS -b4 break follows, whereas I'm not sure how White organizes compensating counterplay on the king side, N .ShukhE .Najer, Russian Team Championship 2010. 14 . . . as 15 'ilff4

Targeting f7 and clearing the way for h is l ight-squared bishop. 15 ... .l:.a7 A theoretical novelty, providing long distance coverage of f7 along the rank. The usual move is 1S . . . .id7, intending 16 .th s i.e8. 16 i.hs ike7 17 l:g3 !

Question: Why an exclamation mark? It looks inconsi stent with the attack on f7.

Answer: White actually attacks both f7 and g7 . Since f7 i s amply protected, Gashimov al ternates targets to keep Black busy.

1 6 7


17 • • • l:!.h7!? Are we not all fettered by the uniqueness of our own styles? Yet another unprecedented

formulation ari ses from Korchnoi 's fertile mind.

Question: I sn 't 17 . . . l:.g8 a more natural move?

Answer: It is , but as we all appreciate by now, the words "natural " and "Korchnoi" don 't mix wel l . This is typically inexpl icable Korchnoi weirdness which I fail to fathom. H i s cramped position has the appearance of being densely packed with bodies, l ike rais ins in a box. 18 1lf3

18 . . :i&i>e8!

Exercise (planning): Black's thematic . . . bS -b4 break beckons. Is the timing correct for thi s move?

Answer: This was a test of your tactical alertness . 18 . . . b4?? is mistimed and loses a full exchange to 19 �g6! �g8 20 .txh7+, since 19 .. . .l:.h8?? only makes matter worse after 20 .txf7 ! 'ii'xf7 21 'ii'g3 , winning the queen. 19 �g3

Threatening f7 again. 19 . . . g6

Gashimov finally induces a pawn weakness . Soon, a dark square pestilence ravages Black's kingside. 20 llf6!

A clever zwi schenzug which allows White ' s bishop to head back to dl, rather than to g4, where it just gets in the way.

1 6 8


20 . . . b4 Correct timing . Most certainly not 20 . . . gxh 5 ?? 21 "i!Vg8+, picking up the loose h 7-rook.

21 .id1! h5 ! It 's important not to allow White h4-h 5 , which further erodes Black's kings ide structure.

But there was a cost: Bl ack weakened g 5 .

22 tt:Jh3 McDonald writes: "Note how Gashimov has cleverly delayed the development of thi s

knight until the f4-square has become available to it ." 22 . . . 'iiid8

23 tt:Jf4! Threatening breakthrough tricks on h 5 .

Question: Wouldn't g 5 be a more n atural square for the knight?

Answer: Optically, yes, but once it gets there, it is difficult to see how White proceeds. All his guns are trained on f7, which Black amply covers .

Question: Why not 23 f4, intending f4-f5 ! next move?

Answer: That sets a clever trap (since either pawn recapture on fs would drop a piece), but if Black sees through it, then matters can get tricky, because you essentially entombed your f6-rook . In general in such McCutcheon l ines, White tends to probe mainly with pieces rather than the pawns (with the exception of the h -pawn) . Having said that, your move seems to be playable. Black might reply 23 . . . bxc3+ 24 'ilt'xc3 (not 24 'it>xc3 ? ft7 25 f5 'i¥b6 26 1¥e3 ltb7 27 fxg6 fxg6 and White is suddenly in deep trouble due to the threat of . . . 'ilt'b2+) 24 .. .'ifb7 2 5 f5 gxfs 26 tt:Jg 5 �g7 27 'it>c1 "ii'b6 28 I:tb1 "ii'xd4 29 'i'xd4 tt:Jxd4 30 iL.xh 5 c3 31 i..xf7 iLd7 with an unclear position .

1 6 9


23 . . . iLd1 24 'ifgs

Question: What is the point of this move?

Answer: Gashimov loads up on his new sacrificial breakthrough target: h s . 24 .. . bxc3+ 25 'it>e3

·

White's king is far more exposed after 2 5 'it>xc3 ? ! .

2 S . . . .l:!.c7 This looks very odd indeed, putting the rook on a completely closed file .

Question: What's the idea?

Answer: Wait and see ! 26 lDxhs l?

Rage is anger spread with an even hand, while i t s cousin hatred is anger pinpointed to a sing le location - in this case h S . White 's thematic breakthrough sac arrives, creating a deadly, passed h -pawn, which he threatens to promote to a queen in the middlegame.

Question: Why must White sac to break through when he can do it without m aterial cost with 26 g4 - ?

Answer: This is possible, but the position remains unclear after 26 . . . hxg4 27 h s .l:!.xh S ! 28 lDxh s gxh s 29 'ii'xh s i.e8 30 'ii'xg4, s ince White lacks the passed h-pawn with which to terrorize his opponent, while being the exchang e up doesn 't mean much here. 26 . . . gxhs ! !

A revelatory insight. Korchnoi decides to act rather than react. This atonal response, which at fi rst glance seems to deserve "? ?" , i s actually Black's only move in the position. The

1 7 0


natural 26 . . . .l:lxh s ? loses to 27 i..xh s gxh s 28 'iVxh S and, oddly enough, Black has no reasonable way to halt the advance of the h-pawn. For example : 28 .. . lbxd4 (28 .. . i..e8? loses without a fight after 29 'i!fg s .:tc8 30 hs and the pawn goes through easily) 29 �xd4 'iVcS+

30 'it>xc3 d4+ 31 �d2 c3+ 3 2 �e2 (but not 32 �c1?? l:tb7 3 3 .l:!.xf7 'ifhs and wins) 3 2 . . . ..tbS+

33 �f3 d3 34 'i¥g s �c8 3 5 cxd3 c2 36 .li!.c1 ..txd3 37 �g 3 'i!fxa3 38 ltf3 , when White consol i dates and his h -pawn is ready to surge forward. 27 'WgB+ �e8 28 'iVxh7

Exercise (combination alert): I t looks like it's time for Black to resign .

After all , he is down the exchange and faces White's raging h-pawn.

Find Korchnoi's trick, which flares up Black's counterattack.

Answer: Annihilation of the opponent's pawn cover. 28 . . . lbxd4!

It was Jerry Garcia who wrote: "A friend of the devil i s a friend of mine." Black reignites a seemingly counterplayless game. Korchnoi 's position may creak in complaint, yet it mi raculously continues to adhere.

Incidentally, the same sacrifice occurs if White takes on hS with the bishop: 26 ..txh s gxh s ! 27 �g8+ �e8 28 'ii'xh7 lbxd4! 29 c,t>xd4 \i'cs+ 30 �xc3 d4+ 3 1 �d2 d3 ! (not 3 1. . . c3+?? 32 �d1) 32 lbxe6+ fxe6 3 3 'ii'e4 and Houdin i rates th is wild position at o.oo - dead even ! 29 'it>f4!

The safest spot for White's king ! The point of 26 . . . gxh S ! ! i s that accepting the knight sacrifice is now inadvisable : 29 �xd4? �cS+ 30 �xc3 d4+ 31 �d2 C3+ 3 2 �d3 (obviously 3 2 'iii>d1, a s i n the previous note, i s not possible here; while 32 �e2 ??, which White was able to play in the l ine with 16 ... I:!.xh 5 ? above, fail s to 32 ... 'ii'xes+ and ... 'ifxf6 since White's queen is not defending es - thi s is the subtlety Korchnoi saw when he played 26 . . . gxh S ! ! ) 32 ... 'ii'xes (threatening mate on the move) 33 'ii'h8 'ifhS+ 34 �e4 �dS+ 35 'it>f4 'ii'xg2 with a raging


attack, which would be very difficult to defend over the board (even if the computer claims

a draw after 36 iLh S ! es+ 37 �xes lle7+ 3 8 �f4 l:te4+ 39 �fs l:txh4 40 l:!.h6 ! ) .

29 . . :i!fcs? One sl ip and Black may suddenly be losing . He should play 29 . . .<�Jf5 ! first, and if 30 'i!Vxh s

then 30 . . .'iVcs . For example: 3 1 'itf3 (or 3 1 l:r.xf5 'fixf2+) 3 1 . . . d4 32 'it'g s .:.e7 3 3 g4 i.c6+ 34 �f4 d3 ! 3 5 gxfs dxc2 36 fxe6 ! 'iVxf2+ 37 'it>g4 'ilid4+ 38 <it>h s cxdlfi+ 39 .l:txdl 'ii'xdl+ 40 'it>h6 l:txe6 41 1:txe6+ �c7 42 .l1d6 ..We2, when Houdini says White stands better, but in real l ife this is anyone's game. 30 �g3 tiJfS+ 31 l:txfs ! exfs 32 'ii'xfs l:te7 33 l:lb1

Unleashing a new white attacker. 33 .. . ..id7 34 'ii'xhs d4 3 5 11Vh8+ :es

We arrive at one of those maddeningly hazy positions where it's eerily difficult to foresee the consequences of our actions .

Exercise {critical decision): Analyze the variations 3 6 l1b8+ and 38 'ii'f6+. White wins one of them, whereas the other is unclear. Which would you go for?

36 'ii'f6+? Answer: White wins after 36 llb8+ ! .tc8 {36 . . .'it>e7 37 :xe8+ .txe8 38 hS is even simpler) 3 7 'iVf6+ 'it>c7 38 'i'xf7+ �xb8 39 'ii'xe8 d 3 4 0 h S and White 's passed h -pawn i s too fast. The big difference between this variation and the way the game went is that, in the game, Korch noi was all owed to retain rooks, which gave him chances against White's king . 36 . . . �c7 3 7 f4 �g8+ 38 �h2

Ko rc h n o i o n Defe n ce

Exercise {planning): Find one key idea and Black goes from worse to winning. What i s the core element of the position?

Answer: If queens come off the board, then White fal ls from "+=" to "-+" . 38 . . .'ii'c61

Powerful leaders emerge, not in golden ages, but in times of cris is . The key: White's queen was a terror who enabled the h -pawn to run down to the promotion square very quickly. Without the queen, Black is suddenly faster in the race. 39 �XC6+

No choice in the matter. With great effort White' s queen moulds her face into an insincere smile . 39 . . . 'it>xc6

We sense a palpable shift in the power structure. Houdini assesses this position as equal . It isn 't. Black is winning since his central pawns are actually more deeply entrenched than White's h -pawn . 40 i.f3+ 'it>cs 41 l:tb7

The revoltingly passive 41 l:.cl ultimately fai ls as wel l : 41. . .i..fs 42 hS .:Ib8 43 h6 (not 43 g4?? i..xc2 44 l:txc2 l:tb2 45 i..dl d3 and Black wins at once) 43 . . . llb2 44 i.dl J:tb6 ! 45 g4 Itxh6+ 46 'it>g 3 .i.e4 47 .tf3 .i.xf3 48 'it>xf3 'it>ds 49 g s l:th 3+, and if White tries to remain active with so 'it>g4?, then so . . J:le3 ! 51 'it>fs d3 ! 52 cxd3 cxd3 53 l:txc3 d2 promotes and wins .


Exercise (combination alert}: White just attacked the d7-bishop in a desperate attempt at counterplay. How did Korchnoi respond?

Answer: I gnore it. 41 . . • d3! 42 .lac7+

other moves lose quickly: a) 42 .l::txd7? dxc2 43 l!dS+ �b6 44 �d6+ 'it>bs 45 l:tdS+ �a4! 46 it.dl cxdl� 47 :xdl c2

48 .l:.c1 �b3 and it ' s game over. b) 42 cxd3? is met by the zwischenzug 42 . . . ..te6 ! , when the threat of ... c3 -c2 l eaves White

hopelessly busted. 42 ... �b6 43 .:tb7+

43 llxc4 dxc2 44 �xc3 l:tc8 costs White a rook. 43 . . • 'it>a6!

The king scuttles away in crab-like fashion . No more checks. 44 l:!.b1 .i.a4 45 g4 dxc2 !

The ivy slowly creeps up the side of the building . 46 .l:tc1

1 7 4

Ko rch n o i o n D efe n c e

The players crochet hallucinatory pawn patterns .

Exercise {planning): In thi s instance, triple pawns are not a weakness since they are on an assembly l ine for promotion. Find a clear plan to promote before White.

Answer: Transfer the rook to dl. 46 . • • .l:!.d8! 47 hS .lld2+!

More accurate than 47 . . . l:td1 48 h 6 ! lixcl 49 h7 l!hl+ so ii.xh l cl 'iV 51 h8'if 'ifxf4+ 5 2 'it>h 3, which allows White t o fight o n for a while . 48 'it>h3 l:td1! 49 h6 l:txc1 50 h7 l1h1+! 51 �xh1 c1�

The triplets are so closely l inked, that it becomes difficult to know where one ends and the others begin. We see the point of the prel iminary rook check on d2 now: White doesn't have time to queen just yet. 52 ..tg2 'iVe3+ 53 'iiih4

1 7 5


Exercise (critical decision): Believe it or not, Korchnoi has a method of preventing White' s promotion altogether. Thi s one i s really difficult, m aybe beyond what the

puny human brain i s capable of finding . What do the computers see here?

53 . . .'iVxf4 This still wins.

Answer: But Black h as the amazing idea 53 . . . 'ii'f2+ ! ! and then:

a) 54 'it>g 5 'it'xg2 5 5 h8'ii' (okay, White gets to queen in this l ine, but it does him no good) 5 5 ... i.d7 ! (preventing all checks) 56 f5 c2, when Black will soon h ave two queens, and Hou

din i already announces mate in 1 2 ! b ) 5 4 'it>h 3 �c6 ! ! 5 5 .ixc6 'ii'f1+ ! 5 6 'it>h4 (56 i..g2 a n d 5 6 'it>g 3 both al low 56 . . .'i¥d3+ and

there goes h7 , or if 56 �h2 then 56 . . .'i¥xf4+ 57 'iiih 3 'ili'h6+ etc) 56 . . .'it'xf4 57 h 81i' (White queens again) 57 .. .'iVh2+ (but he doesn 't get to keep it) 58 �g 5 'i!¥xh8 and wins . 54 hs'it' 'li'h2+ 5 5 �h3 "it'f2+ 56 'iiih 5

Exerdse (planning): Find one powerful move and White's hopes end.

56 . . . .ic6?! Answer: 56 . . .'�b7! stops any checks, and there i s no answer to . . . c3-c2-cl 'Vi'. 5 7 't'ic8+ 'iitb5 58 a4+ '&ttb6?1

The king can escape after 58 . . . �b4! 59 'it'xc6 c2 60 'li'b5+ 'iiia3 ! 61 'iixc4 'itb2 ! 62 'i1Yh5+ 'it'a1 63 'ii'c4 'ii¥d2, when there are no more checks, and Black queens next. 59 'lidS+ �b7 60 'iixas?

Here 60 We7+ was necessary, though Black should still win after 60 . . .'�a6 61 'fkc7 'li'b6 62 'fi'xf7 'ii'c5 .

1 7 6


60 . . Ji'b6?

Exercise (planning}: Black can again achieve his goal of avoiding perpetual check and promoting his c-pawn. How?

Black's king certainly loves his queen, but only in small doses. The torrent of complications gets to Korchnoi as he miscalculates away his front c-pawn . Suddenly, the g ame i s even ! Answer: White i s helpless after 60 . . . 'Wb2 ! intending . . . c3-c2 -cl"if. 60 . . . c2 ! wins as well . 61 'Wxc3 'i!fb3

Korchnoi 's point: White must swap queens. His plan looks like a bri l l iant idea you h ad while dreaming , only to di scover it i s pure nonsense upon awakening . (Please return to the introduction to thi s book for more on thi s subject ! ) 62 'Wxb3+ cxb3

1 7 7


When the idea for the Move by Move books was created, my friend and editor, G M John Emms, suggested the critical deci sion exerci ses should be used "sparingly", in h i s words almost like a "super exerci se". Yet here we notice the third one in a single gam e, with a fourth one to follow! In my defence: th is game isn 't l ike any other I h ave ever annotated!

Exercise (critical decision}: White must stop the b-pawn from queening . He can play 63 g S, clearing the bishop's way to fS, or

63 .i.fl, intending to transfer it to d3 . Only one of them works. Which one?

63 .i.f1? The wrong one! Thi s rendition l eads White into an unwanted, deviant version of h is

orig inal intent. Answer: 63 g S ! draws: 63 . . . .i.e4 64 e6 ! fxe6 65 ..txe6 b2 66 .i.a2 and the players can shake hands. 63 . . . .i.e4 64 ..tc4 b2

The difference is that Black's f-pawn remain s on the board, which should be fatal for White. 65 .i.a2 �b6 66 gs �as?

Korchnoi makes another mistake. Here 66 . . . -tfs ! was necessary, in order to control the e6-square. Then 67 e6 i.xe6 68 ..tb1 �as 69 g6 fxg6+ 70 �xg6 el iminates the f-pawn, but it has cost White both his king side pawns, so the b-pawn by itself is now sufficient for Black to win . For example: 70 . . . �xa4 71 c.tf6 �g8 72 �es �b3 73 �d4 j_f7 (zugzwang -White must give way) 74 i.e4 (74 �e3 leads to equivalent play to that in the game; see the position after 84 'it>e3) 74 . . . �a2 75 �c3 �a1 76 �b4 �a2 77 �a3 i.b1 78 i.ds ..th7 79 i.a2 i.g6 and Black wins by zugzwang . 67 �h6?

White could have drawn once more with 67 e6! fxe6 68 g6 �xa4 69 g7 i.h7, when the black bishop is al so tied down to a passed knight's pawn ; e .g . 70 �g s �a3 71 .i.b1 ! i.g8 72 �f6 �b3 73 �e7 e s ! 74 Wf6 etc. Black's only chance i s to try 67 . . . -tds ! , but after 68 e7 .ltxa2 69 e8'ii' b1 'it' 70 'l'a8+ �b4 71 'i¥h7+ �xa4 72 'i'c6+ �b4 73 g6 , the g ame will be drawn anyway. 67 ... �xa4?

Again 67 .. . i.fs was correct, when Black wins easily. Can we deduce that th is endgame was played in mutual time trouble? 68 g6!

This i s White's best shot now - which 67 . . . -tfs would h ave prevented. 68 .. .fxg6!

Not 68 . . . i.xg6? 69 e6 ! 'it>a3 70 i.b1 ! and White draws at once. 69 e6 �a3 70 e7! i.c6!

Korchnoi sidesteps the trap 70 . . . �xa2? 71 e8� b1 'i/ 72 'ili'a4+ �b2 73 'M>4+ �c1 7 4 'i¥e1+ �b2 75 'Wb4+ with perpetual check.

1 7 8

Ko rch n o i o n Defe n c e

7 1 i.b1 i.e8 ! 7 2 <;tgs Of course not 72 jLxg6?? ..lii.xg6 73 'i£txg6, since 73 . . . b1'iV+ i s check and Black wins .

72 . • . 'lt>b4 Over to the other side.

73 'i£if4 'it>c3 74 'tt>e3 gs ! Using the g -pawn as a decoy to deflect White's king .

74 . . . gs ! 75 'IW3 �d7

Exercise {critical decision): It looks as if things are nearly all over for White but, amazing ly, he can still draw. How?

Answer: Produce his own deflection . 76 �e3??

The final mistake. This is turning into a nightmare for Gashimov, who could have held on after 76 ..tfs ! ! ..txfs (otherwise there follows simply 77 Wg4 and 'it>xg s ) 77 e8� b1� 78 'iVeS+ and White will either give endless checks or safely capture the crucial remaining black pawn . For example : 78 . . . Wc4 79 'i¥c7+ 'it>ds 80 'iid8+ �e6 81 i:Vg8+ (not yet 81 �xg s? ? 'iffl+ 82 �g3 'ikg1+ 83 �h 2 'i!Vh2 mate) 81 . . .'it>f6 (or 81 . . .'it>d6 82 �d8+ �c6 and now 83 'ti'xg s i s fine) 82 'iWf8+ 'it>g6, when 83 'iVd6+ ! (but not 83 'ikg8+?? Wh S 84 'ikh8+ i.h7 and Black escapes the checks) 8 3 . . . 'it>h s 82 'i!Vh2+ drives the black king out once more. 76 . . . 'it>c4 77 �e4

Because of White' s time-wasting king moves, 77 i.fs is no longer good enough : 77 . . . i..e8 ! 78 Wf3 'it>cs 79 �g4 �d6 80 �xg s 'lt>xe7 81 �f4 'lt>d6 82 �e3 wcs 8 3 �d2 �b4 84 �c2 �a3, when Black defends his b-pawn just in time and wins . n . . . �cs 78 wes g4 79 'lt>f4 �d6 80 e8'ik

Another deflection . Unfortunately for White, thi s one is insufficient to hold the game. 8o . . . i..xe8 81 'it>xg4 'it>es 82 Wf3 'it>d4 83 <it>e2 �c3 84 'it>e3

1 7 9


we are down to the final sprint and it ' s going to be close. At first glance the position might

appear to be drawn but, as White discovers, there are many ways to collect an unpaid debt.

The mutual plans coalesce into a s ingle question : Who in the end will seize control over bl?

84 . . . ..ta4 85 'it>e2 .ic2 The bishop pounds h i s brother's back with a hearty, welcoming slap.

86 i.a2 Night and day are meaningless concepts if you are confined to a tiny, windowless cel l .

The bishop valiantly struggles incommunicado. 86 . . . �b4 87 �d2 �a3 1 o-1

White's bishop makes an involuntary bleatin g sound, as the assassin 's garrotte tightens . Black's king severs the bishop's frail tendri ls of support to bl.

What an analytical n ightmare (perhaps the toughest one in the entire book ! ) for your exhausted, befuddled annotator! This monumental struggle, made even more endearing by the strange mix of blunders and fantastic ideas, i s one of my all -time favourite Korchnoi games . I ask you: Which player in the h istory of the game was capable of producing such a masterpiece (flawed perhaps, but a masterpiece nonetheless) in h i s late seventies . I can only think of a single name: Victor Korchnoi .

1 8 0

C h a pt e r T h r e e

Ri d i n g the Dyna mic E l e ment

In th is chapter, we examine Korchnoi 's handl ing of the initiative. H i s philosophy: An opponent's unanticipated response must always be met by a counter, even crazier, unanticipated response. So strange are some of Korchnoi 's plans to seize the initiative, that if a chess-playing psychiatrist buys thi s book, I 'm certain she will whip out her note pad and jot down : " Patient exhibiting odd behaviour ! " Every so often, Korchnoi seems to fall into the grip of a kind of creativity-psychosis, the impulse of which he follows without a trace of the normal accompanying remorse. Rather, he lean s towards such outrageous ideas with the indulgent eye of an arti st.

If Korchnoi spots a semi-sound idea which is rich in confusion potential , it seems he just can 't get himself to jettison the l ine. For example, in Game 30 (against Gabriel ) , Korchnoi refused to develop a single piece for eight moves. While his opponent was bringing his pieces into play quite sensibly, Korchnoi shot his pawns forward in an outrageous attempt at a bind - and he got away with it! Which player other than Korchnoi could survive, confuse the opponent, and then win the following position with the black pieces against a Grandmaster?

1 8 1


After playing over thi s game, your addled, flustered writer asked himself: "Was Paul Morphy wrong about rapid development in the openin g ! ?"

Game 23 D.Suttles-V . Korch noi

Sousse l nterzona l 1967 Alekhine 's Defence

To Canadian chess players in the 1960s, Duncan Suttles was our messiah . He was the first of my countrymen to reach the exalted rank of Grandmaster, and to the local s he seemed to be the second coming of Nimzowitsch . Imagine the shock to my eight-year-old brain, when I played through thi s game in Canadian Chess Chat magazine the following year. I still recall a sense of utter bewilderment at both sides' moves - and nothing much has changed as I play over the game today! 1 e4 lt:\f6 2 es lt:lds 3 c4 lt:\b6 4 d4 d6 s exd6

I played Alekhine's Defence for about two decades, and then abruptly abandoned it due to this hated Exchange Variation.

Question: What i s so awful about Black's position ?

Answer: The problem i s that the dynamic s . . . cxd6 has fal len under a theoretical cloud, which only leaves s . . . exd6. To me, the positions after s . . . exd6 are rather Petroff-l ike for Black. It isn 't so hard to equalize, but it is agonizingly difficult to play for a win against the symmetry and White's extra space. These days, I would say at least half your opponents opt for the Exchange l ine as White. My dilemma: After the current Korchnoi book, I 'm writing a one on the Alekhine's Defence !

Question: So are you just going to complain about Black's position in the S . . . exd6 Exchange Chapter?

Answer: I probably will do a little gnashing of teeth . As Caissa i s my witness, I desperately want to revive the more dynamic s . . . cxd6 and add a chapter on th is long discarded l ine. My friend, I M John Watson, just moved to San Diego and lives about three blocks away. John writes the Alekhine's Defence section of < chesspubl ishing .com >, and assures me that s . . . cxd6 is actually playable for Black. So my devious plan is to invite him over for tea and then promptly force him into analytical indentured servitude, working day and night on behalf of the theoretically beleaguered, semi-leg itimate s . . . cxd6 variation - all without pay! s . . . exd6 6 lt:\c3 �e7

6 . . . lt:\c6 and 6 . . . g6 are al so played here.

1 8 2

7 �e3 In stead:

R id ing t h e Dyn a m ic E l em e n t

a) 7 �d3 ttJc6 8 ltJge2 .tf6 9 i.e3 0-0 10 b 3 l:le8 1 1 0-0 i.g4 1 2 �d2 d5 1 3 c 5 ..ixe2 ( I 'm not sure Black should hand over the bishop pair; I would prefer 13 . . . ttJc8 and wait for 14 h 3 before playing 1 4 . . . i.xe2) 1 4 ..ixe2 ttJc8 15 Itfe1 ltJ8e7 16 i.g4! g6 17 .l:.e2 i. g 7 18 l:lae1 was V. lvanchuk-Ma.Carl sen, World Blitz Championship, Moscow 2007. Black's position i s sl ightly worse. This prompted Carl sen to try the radical 18 . . . ltJf5 ! ? 19 �xf5 gxf5 20 i.h6 .!:i.xe2 2 1 ttJxe2, when White held a slight but pleasant edge due to h i s superior structure.

b) 7 'ii'f3 ! ? was Korchnoi's own try: 7 .. . ttJc6 8 ..te3 0-0 9 o-o-o f5? ! (9 . . . i.e6 is more sensible) 10 g3 f4 11 gxf4 ..if5 12 c5 ltJd7 13 i.h3 �h8 14 d5 ttJcb8 15 cxd6 cxd6 16 �xf5 .1:1xf5 17 ttJge2 and White had a massive position (and an extra pawn), V.Korchnoi-A.Miles, Biel 1992 . 1 . . . ttJc6 8 .l:tc1

8 i.d3 is more usual , when 8 .. . 0-0 9 ttJge2 i.f6 would transpose to the previous note, but Black might well prefer 9 . . . ltJb4 here. 8 . . . 0-0 9 h4?!

1 8 3


In most Exchange Alekhine's structures, the king side i s White's marketplace to build a

healthy portfol io and embark on ventures . But this i s going too far ! Suttles, the high priest

of weird, s imilarly to Korchnoi never plays any variation like the rest of us.

Question: What i s White's idea?

Answer: He plan s a pawn storm, with the h - and g -pawns racing up the board. But there are inherent problems with thi s plan . Let's take stock:

1. White fal ls behind in development. 2 . The e-file i s open and the centre may soon be di sturbed, so White's plan violates the

principle : Don 't begin a wing attack when your opponent has access to easy central count

ers.

3. Lastly, Black's kingside i s a solid entity, requiring much time and resources to break it down and expose his king - time and resources which White probably lacks. 9 . . . ..tf6 10 g4!?

Consistent with h is previous move, albeit still in violation of the position 's core nature . But if he doesn't play it, then h is last move makes l ittl e sense. 10 . • . i:te8

Threatening .. . i..xd4. 11 Si.e2

We sense that White went overboard with his early pawn storm, but how do we punish his mad excesses ?

1 8 4

Exercise {planning}: Our choice: We can take his dare and play 11 . . . ..txh4, which allows White the open h-fi le . Or we can sac ourselves with 11 . . . i..xg4.

One i s more effective than the other. Which would you play?

R id ing t h e Dyn a m ic E le m e n t

11 . . . .ixg4!? When I was a ch ild, my mother warned me not to pick at scabs or they would never

heal . Korchnoi 's move represents a triumph of emotion and spontaneity over cool logic . He refuses to lose his resolve and speculates, if not out of duty, then perhaps out of a thirst for revenge for White's earlier affronts. It may not be the best move, but it's still logical since it follows the principle : Disrupt a wing attack with a central counter.

Question: How is sac'ing on the g -file a central counter?

Answer: After the sacrifice, Black gets to annihilate both White' s c- and d-pawns. Nevertheless, in this case the simpler route i s al so the superior one: Answer to exercise: 11 . . . .ixh4! looks very good for Black after 12 li:Jf3 .l:.xe3 ! 13 tt:Jxh4 l:.e8, or 12 �d2 .i.xg4! 13 �xg4? ttJxc4, or 12 'it'f1 �g S ! and White's attack i s a dream, while Black's extra pawn and sol id position are very real . 12 .ixg4 ttJxc4 13 ttJds !

The only move. 13 . . .lt:lxe3 14 ttJxe3

After 14 fxe3 .i.xd4 15 �f2 .i.cs, White' s king appears decidedly unhealthy. 14 ... ttJxd4 15 �f1 c6!

Triple purpose: 1 . Denying White's knight access to ds. 2 . Preparing to roll the central majority forward. 3. Preparing to activate h is queen with .. .'iVb6.

16 ttJh3 "fib6 17 'iVd3 17 tt:Jc4 i s met by 17 . . .'ii'a6 ! .

11 . . . d s In the aftermath of the sac, Black picked up three healthy pawns for the piece and ex-

1 8 5


posed White's king - a bargain . 18 ..t>g2 as

It would be fool ish to go pawn hunting here and allow White's rook access to the seventh rank: 18 .. .'�xb2? ! 19 l:!.b1 �xa2 20 l"Llg 5 g6 21 .:txb7.

19 l"Llg5 Suttles hasn't quite given up on his attacking plans . 19 . . . g6 20 .l:f.h3

2o • • :iVbs?l Inexplicably and uncharacteristically, Korchnoi experiences a change of heart and offers

a queen exchange. If Black wants to play it safe, 20 . . . l:!.e7 is a better option, remaining as unresponsive as a statue to White's provocations . In any event Korchnoi refuses to enter the compl ications resulting from 20 .. . h 6 ! ? 21 l"Llf3 (after 2 1 l"Llxf7 rt;xf7 22 h 5 l:!.e4 23 hxg6+ �g8 ! , I l ike Black' s survival chances) 21 . . . h 5 22 il.f5 ! gxf5 (22 .. J:ixe3?? fail s to 2 3 'ilfxe3 ! ) 23 l:tg3+ rt;fs 24 l"Llxf5 l"Llxf5 25 'ifxf5 l:te6 26 l"Llg 5 i..xg 5 27 'ifxg 5 'ii'd8 28 1i'xh 5 'iWf6 29 l:!.cC3 rt;e7, when Black comes out a pawn up, but conversion doesn't look all that easy since his king remains somewhat insecure. 21 'iib1?

Suttles should have taken his chance and the queen. Houdini analyses 21 'ii'xb5 ! l"Llxb5 22 i.d7 ! .lled8 23 l"Llxd5 ! il.xb2 24 -l:tbl il.d4 25 .lld3 l:!.xd7 26 l"Llb6 �ad8 27 l"Llxd7 l:txd7 28 l:!.xb5 (or 28 l"Llf3 �d5 29 a4 l"Llc3 30 l:i.xb7 .i.f6 3 1 l:txd5 cxd5 32 J:la7 l"Llxa4 3 3 11xa5 l"Llc3 reaches a complex equality) 28 . . . cxb5 29 l"Llf3 and the pin on the bishop allows White to regain the piece (for three pawns) with the better chances in the endgame. 21 . . J:tes

Once again Korchnoi rejects the piece win ; i .e . 21 . . . h 6 ! ? 22 l"Llxf7 rj;;xf7 2 3 h5 �e4 24 hxg6+ �g8 ! , when I still prefer Black, who holds all strategic trumps (just as long as he doesn 't get mated! ) . 22 f4? 1

1 8 6

R id ing t h e Dyn a m ic E l e m e n t

Paying too high a price for reinforcing the knight. I n doing so, White weakens e3 . 22 . . . .l:i.e7 23 h S t"De2 !

Simultaneously attacking c1 and f4, while 24 .l::!.f1 ?? runs into 24 . . . t"Dxf4+! (undermining) 2 5 .l:!.xf4 .ixg s which l ooks hopeless for White. 24 t"Dxh7 !

White's plan : Commandeer h7 and from there target Black's king . The sac was no surpri se. The knight's continued presence on g s indicated that it was up to no good. 24 . . . t"Dxf4+ 25 �hl

2S . . ."i!Vxb2! Fantastic defensive intuition and/or calculation power. Korchnoi 's choice seems better

than the alternatives . For instance : a) 2 S . . . Wxh7? ! 26 hxg6+ �g8 27 t"Dfs t"Dxh 3 28 t"Dxe7+ .ixe7 29 gxf7+ ·�h8 30 ..txh3 'ilie2

31 .Ug1 'i�Vf3+ 32 .l:tg2 ! i s anything but clear. b) 2S ... �g7 26 �f3 Wxh7 27 .Uxf4 .l:txe3 28 !lxf7 .l::!.e4 29 .if3 Wg8 ! 30 J:tfl ! .l:th4+ 31 Wg2

"Yixb2+ 3 2 'ii'xb2 .ixb2 33 l:!.xb7 doesn't look so easy to win for Black. 26 hxg6?

After thi s White's kitchen sink attack burns out. He has to try 26 .l:i.h2 'ii'xb1 27 t"Dxf6+ 'lt>g7 28 .Uxb1 .l:txe3 29 .l::!.f2 g S 30 t"Dd7 bS 3 1 1::!.c2 l:!.h8 3 2 .l:txc6 b4 33 l:!.f1 t"Dxh s 34 �xh s .l::!.xh S+ and pray he hangs on against Black's pawn armada. 26 . . . t"Dxh3

In such situations of utter chaos, to find a plan, we must begin with a referent, i f only to orient our own bewildered incomprehensibil ity. In this case, Korchnoi goes with h is instincts to grab material , enriching himself despite what appears to be frightful peril to his king . But as computer analysis bears out, Black's king is safer than it looks. 27 gxf7+ 'lt>h8

The human move. The paranoid monarch , emanating di strust and always on the alert for assassination attempts, gives f7 a wide berth . Houdin i screams for the suicidal -looking 27 . . . Wxf7 ! ! 2 8 �h S+ 'lt>g8 29 W:Vg6+ Wh8 and wins , s ince White has no mate and too many of

1 8 7


his pieces hang simultaneously. 28 t'Llxf6

28 .. . t'Llf2+1? Throwing in a handy-looking check. Otherwise 28 . . Ji'xf6 ! 29 t'Llfs l:txf7 30 .i.xh3 l:th7 31

'ii'd3 l:tf8 32 l:tf1 'iVes should win, as Black owns both the initiative and a material advantage. Whereas your nervous, Woody Allen-l ike writer would have undoubtedly wanted the queens off and played 28 . . . 'iixb1 29 .l:.xb1 t'Llgs, again with excellent winning chances for Black. 29 'ltg2 'iixf6 30 llh1+1?

Recapitulating an already failed argument i s unl ikely to profit White, but Suttles decides to champion a lost cause and go down in a blaze of unsound glory. The surrender of an exchange is a bargain if mate can be acquired as a result - not so much when mate doesn't exist ! On the other hand, White is unlikely to survive after the superior l ine 30 t'Llfs l:txf7 3 1 �xf2 l:f.e8 32 l:.h 1+ �g8 either. 30 . . . t'Llxh1 31 'ifxh1+ 'ltg7 32 t'Llfs+ 'ltf8

1 8 8


Korchnoi 's king , like a skil led wrestler, keeps his centre of gravity low to the ground, ready to shift in either direction . 33 ttJxe7 r:tlxe7 34 i.h5

Nail ing the f7-pawn, his last hope, to a door to make certain it remain s.

34 ... �h8 35 "Yi'e1+ rtlf8 36 �g3 �g7 Black's queen wisely secures the perimeter to lock out intruders, avoiding the rather

brazen cheapo 36 . . . llxh s? ? 37 "ifg8+ �e7 38 �e8+ r:tld6 39 f8'ii'+ and wins . 37 j,g6

Suttles continues to create ever more cheapos. Of course Korchnoi isn't going to fall for one-move mates, so the following redundant phase may be better subtracted from the game. 37 . . ."iib2+

Most certainly not 37 . . . l:th6?? 38 'ii'd6 m ate. 38 �g1 'ii'a1+ 39 <iitg2 �xa2+ 40 �g1 �a1+ 41 'it>g2

Of course 41 'it>f2 wouldn't have saved White either.

Exercise (combination alert): Black to play and win White's queen :

Answer: 41 . . . 'ii'h1+! 0-1 Suttles resigned, in view of 42 'it>f2 (White's beleaguered king indulges in a silent,

mirthless laugh, as if to a private joke) 42 . . J::th2+ 43 We3 l:th3 and there goes his queen.

Game 24 M.Tai-V.Korch noi

Ca nd idates (5th matchga me), Moscow 1968 Ruy Lopez

1 e4 e5 2 lLlf3 tLlc6 3 i.b5 a6 4 i.a4 tiJf6 5 o-o i.e7 6 lle1 b5 1 i.b3 d6

1 8 9


Korchnoi is not a Marshall Gambit kind of player - at least not from Black's side. I bet if

he regularly played 1 e4 and the White side of a Ruy Lopez, he would be happy to take the

Marshall on and accept the pawn .

s c3 o-o 9 h3 tt'las

Chigorin 's variation of the Closed Lopez, Black's most commonly played l ine, from among numerous others. 10 i..c2 cs 11 d4 'fic7 12 tt'lbd2 tt'lc6

12 . . . cxd4 i s the main (and more popular) alternative; e.g . 13 cxd4 �c6 14 tt'lb3 as 1 5 i.e3 a4 16 tt'lbd2 i..d7 1 7 a3 llfe8 18 ..id3 .l::f.ab8 1 9 .l:.c1 'ii'h7 2 0 dxes dxes 21 i..cs and White extracted a tiny edge, V.Anand-V. Ivanchuk, Monte Carlo (bl indfold rapid) 2011. 13 dxcs

A favourite of Fischer's, though I don't really see the logic in refusing to g ain space with a push to ds . If White gets anything at all in a Closed Lopez, it has be through the more common 13 ds. For example : 13 . . . tt'ld8 14 a4 .l:.b8 15 axbs axbs 16 b4 tt'lb7 17 tt'lf1 ..id7 18 i..e3 .l:ta8 19 'ii'd2 .l:I.fc8 20 i..d3 g6 21 tt'lg 3 i..f8 22 :a2 c4 23 .ib1 'ifd8 24 ..ia7 ! (preparing to double or even triple major pieces and seize the a-file) 24 . . . tt'le8 25 i.c2 tt'lc7 26 l:Iea1 and Karpov went on to squeeze h is way to victory as only he could do, A.Karpov-W.Unzicker, Nice Olympiad 1974. 13 ... dxcs 14 tt'lf1

Question: What are the basic plans in thi s position?

Answer: White would love to take control over dS , but thi s i s highly unlikely to happen, so he tends to build on the king side, while Black expands on the queenside, often with . . . cs -c4, and hopes to make headway there. Chances are balanced. 14 . . . ..ie6 15 tt'le3 l:.adB 16 'iie2 c4 17 tt'lfs

Still fol lowing theory.

1 9 0

R id ing th e Dyn a m ic E le m e n t

17 . . . .txfs Now the game sharpens. White gets the bishop pair and increased control over the l ight

squares , at the cost of central influence and some degradation of his structure. The alternative i s 17 .. . l:tfe8 18 ..tgs l2Jd7 19 ..txe7 l2Jxe7 20 tLJg s h6? ! (instead, after 20 .. . .txfs ! 21 exfs h6, Black stands at least equal and maybe better) 21 l2Jxe6 fxe6 22 tDe3 liJg6 2 3 g 3 and Fischer was able to exploit Bl ack's sl ight pawn weakness l ater on and win, R.J . Fi scherA.O' Kelly de Galway, Buenos Aires 1970. 18 exfs �feB 19 ..tgs

White must keep control over e4 at all costs. 19 ... h6 20 i..xf6 i..xf6 21 liJd2

Now White makes immediate use of e4, while Black in turn makes good use of dS, reposting his knight to the square. 21 . . . l2Je7 22 lt'!e4 l2Jds

It 's a stand-off, neither side making headway. The black knight tel ls its white counterpart : "You would do well to get along with me, just as I must learn to tolerate your presence." 23 b3?!

Korchnoi always found Tal ' s candidly open hostility refreshing and preferred such hyper-aggressive opponents over, say, the synthetically polite deviousness of Petrosian or Karpov. Actually, Houdin i says thi s move is okay, but I don 't like it.

1 9 1

Question: What's wrong with it?

Answer: Maybe nothing , but it does violate the principle : Don 't create confrontation on the

wing where your opponent controls more territory.

23 . . . lLlxc3 1 Deflection/double attack.

Question: Did Tal overlook thi s shot?

Answer: I doubt it. I think Tal saw and invited it, turning it into a pawn sac. A crime may have been committed, but Tal feel s as if it was committed in another province, well out of his jurisdiction. 24 lLlxf6+1

Tal ' s idea. He damages Black's king cover in exchange for a pawn . Of course he isn't interested in grovell ing a pawn down in the line 24 lLlxc3? ! cxb3 25 .i.xb3 'ikxc3 26 l:tac1 ifas . 24 . . . gxf6 25 'ii'e3 1

Double attack, but Black has everything under control . 2 5 . . . cxb3 26 .i.xb3

Question: How can Black defend if White sacs his bishop and plays directly for mate with 26 'it'xh6 bxc2 27 l:te3 - ?

Answer: It might appear that Black i s in deep trouble, but thi s i s an optical il lusion . Black continues 27 .. .lld1+ 28 'it>h 2 e4+ 29 .l:tg3+ and now simply hands over h i s queen, realizing he gets a new one after 29 . . .'*i'xg3+ 30 'it>xg 3 :xa1 3 1 'ili'xf6 cl'it' with not even a single check avai lable to White.

1 9 2


26 • • • 'it>h7

Exercise (combination alert}: How can White regain h is lost pawn?

27 .Uec1? White's coming woes are squarely attributable to this move, as Tal clearly fail s to an

ticipate the peril heading his way, and inexpl icably decides not to regain his l ost pawn . Answer: Overload. 27 .txf7 ! 'iixf7 28 'it'xc3 regains the pawn, though I still prefer Black after 28 . . .'iVds since he has the health ier pawn m ajority and may al so make something of the open g -file . 27 . . . b4 28 a3

White's disease, for now hidden from the eyes, l i e s dormant in a period of incubation .

1 9 3


Exercise {planning}: Black clearly holds an edge after 28 . . . a5, the move 1 would probably play without thinking . Korchnoi's response is infin itely

stronger; in fact it leads to a virtually forced win . What did he see?

Answer: Emerging from the vats comes the cloned, dark analogue of his b4-brother.

28 ... e4! ! The insolent e-pawn usurps the white queen's authority to gain entry to d3 and beyond.

Korchnoi grasps the essential core of the position - initiative trumps petty m aterial concern s. As we have seen, Korchnoi i s normally favourably predi sposed to grabbing and running when material is offered, but not thi s time. From this moment on he seizes the initiative and never relinqui shes it. In almost j arring fashion, he tosses Tal ' s helpless pieces about like rag dolls , peppering them with threats and m ore threats, until there is no one left to threaten. I have a feel ing Tal planned for 28 . . . a5 29 axb4 axb4 30 l:.a7 ! ? tt'le2+ 3 1 'ifxe2 'Wxcl+ 32 'iirh2 , though even thi s appears rather fi shy for White after 3 2 . . J:tf8. 29 axb4 l:td3 30 'ii'e1

Not 30 'ii'c5? ? 'it'xc5 31 bxc5 tt'le2+ and wins . 30 • . . e3!

The ulcer on e3 eats away at l ining of White' s defensive barrier. 31 .tc2

No better i s 31 f3 e2 32 i..xf7 �e7 33 .1i.e6 �f4! and White is completely helpless : a} 34 l:txc3 'iie3+ 35 �h2 l:f.xC3 . b ) 34 b5 .l:.g7 ! and f3 (or g2 } fal ls next. c) 34 �h 1 l:lxf3 ! 35 gxf3 �xf3+ 36 'i!th 2 .:lg7 37 'ifg1 l:txg1 3 8 l:txg1 liJd1 ! and the e-pawn

goes through. 31 . . . .lld2

Both White's dignity and his king ' s safety have been compromised by the intrusive rook 32 fxe3 tt'le2+ 33 'i!th1


Exercise (combination alert}: Black to play and annihilate!

Answer #1: 33 . • • lllg3+1 Before the concluding attack, Korchnoi deals with admini strative business of provi sion

ing the troops, enabl ing them to mass at full strength . Tal originally budgeted for a sacrifice of one pawn, yet we see that his debt is about to ri se to so much more. Answer #2: Korchnoi 's move i s even stronger than 33 .. . .l:lxc2, which i s al so good enough to win . But mere material is no longer enough to placate h is wrath . 34 'it>g1 l:!.e2 !

Korchnoi herds h i s forces deeper and deeper into White's camp. 35 �d1 'Wb7 1

Conquest of g2 i s Black's holy grail . White's king, now alone, floats in a dark void. 36 e4

Exercise (combination alert}: Find one move and White's position caves in .

Answer #1: Clearance of a diagonal . 36 . . . ll8xe41 0-1

Black's queen on b7 trai ls the e4-rook like a comet's tail . 37 ..txe4 'i!Vxe4 i s a clear confirmation of White's deepest, secret fear comes to fruition : he can't cover g2. " Incompetent fools ! rages White's helpless king to his defenders. " Everywhere I look, I am beset by fool s ! " Answer #2: I t should be noted that 36 . . . �6+ (or 36 . . . 'ifa7+) 37 �h 2 l!Vf2 38 'it'g 1 'i!Vf4! i s al so utterly decisive.

Thi s almost seems like overki l l . An assassin doesn 't need a thermonuclear warhead to target a single person . I have never seen a Tal game which made him look so completely out of sync with the board's real ity.

1 9 5

1 c4 es 2 g3

Gam e 25 Be.Larsen-V.Korchnoi

Len i ngrad l nterzon a l 1973 English Opening

This move order has gained popularity over the last few years.

Question: What is the point of holding back on 2 ll'lc3 - ?

Answer: By leaving the knight at home for the time being , White deprives Black of any reversed Rossol imo l ines involving .. . �b4. 2 • • • c6

Now it's a variant of a reversed c2-C3 Sicil ian . 3 ll'lf3

Instead: a) 3 d4 is the other reversed main line (similar to 1 e4 cs 2 c3 ds) - for which see Game

29, where Korchnoi has the white pieces. b) 3 .tg2 ds 4 cxds cxds 5 d4 e4 6 ll'lc3 ll'lc6 7 f3 (or 7 ll'lh 3 .1b4) 7 . . . exf3 8 ll'lxf3 .tb4 9 o

o ll'lge7 10 ll'les 0-0 and Black equalized, P . Benko-V. Korchnoi , Rome 1982 . 3 . . . e4 4 ll'ld4 ds s cxds 'ii'xds

The logical capture since it gains a tempo on White's knight. But s . . . cxds is al so possi ble. For example : 6 d3 ll'lf6 7 ll'lc3 .tcs 8 ll'lb3 .i.b4 9 dxe4 ll'lxe4 10 .td2 'i¥b6 11 ll'lxe4 dxe4 12 ..tg2 e3 ! ? 13 fxe3 o-o and the doubled e-pawns m ay offer Black sufficient compensation for the pawn, l . lvanov-J . Benjamin, US Championship, Seattle 2002. 6 ll'lb3 ll'lf6 1 .tg2 'iths

1 9 6


The usual move, redeploying the queen i n advance of d2-d3 or l2Jc3, and preparing

. . . �h 3 - which White quickly prevents . 8 h3 ! "iig6 9 t2Jc3 lDbd7

After 9 . . . l2Ja6 10 0-0 �b4 11 d3 exd3 12 e4 0-0 13 'ii'xd3 .ixc3 14 bxc3 .l:f.e8, White's bishops and central control probably mean more than Black's superior structure, B .GulkoE .Vasiukov, Moscow 1983 . 10 'iWc2

Question: I sn 't Black in trouble with h i s e-pawn now?

Answer: No, the pawn is in no danger. In fact, l et 's turn thi s into an exerci se :

Exercise {planning): Black to play and not drop h is e-pawn.

Answer: Discovered attack/zwischenzug. 10 . . . e3 ! 11 "it'xg6

White 's loose queen means he has no time to grab on e3 . 11 . . . exf2+

The correct capture since White' s king safety later plays a role. Weaker i s 11 . . . exd2+? ! 12 .txd2 hxg6, when White looks comfortably better with a stronger centre and lead in development. 12 'it'xf2 hxg6 13 d4

Question: I sn 't White still better since he controls the centre?

Answer: At first glance it appears that way to me too. But looking at the stats , I di scover that Black actually scores sl ightly higher than White here, which means that Black has ac-

1 9 7


quired hidden compensation. Perhaps White's central pawns will later turn out to be targets on the open d- and e-fi les . A positional player like me would be more inclined to hold

back with 13 d3 .

13 . . . l2Jb6 14 e4 .ie6 15 .if4 The immediate 1S lDcs was tried in S .Smagin - I .Naumkin, Moscow 1984, when Black

should just go for 1S . . . .ixcs 16 dxcs l2Jc4 17 b3 ttJes and his grip on es gives h im equality at a minimum. 1s . . . i.b4 16 l2Jcs l ?

Korchnoi suggests the simple 16 1:!.ad1 ! as an improvement. White can meet 16 . . . l2Jc4 with 17 i.c1 0-0-0 18 g4, when Black doesn 't have much to do and must be on a constant look-out for d4-d5 and e4-e5 ideas. 16 ... 0-0-0!

Not now 16 ... -txcs ? ! 17 dxcs l2Jbd7 18 .id6 and Black is getting squeezed. 17 l2Jxe6 fxe6

Korchnoi writes that Black may even stand better here due to the open f-fi le and White's slightly insecure king . I di sagree and think White may still have an edge, since he owns both the bishop pair and a superior structure. 18 a3? 1

Perhaps an inaccuracy, though nowhere near fatal since it fal ls within the margin of error. Nevertheless, 18 l2Je2 ! is an improvement, as in G .Almer-A. Elkov, correspondence 2005 . Then 18 . . . l2Jh s 19 i.g s l::tdf8+ 20 i.f3 l2Jc4 2 1 b3 l2Jd2 22 .ixd2 i.xd2 el iminates the bishop pair, but I still prefer White after 23 .l:tad1, whose structure remains superior. 18 . . . .ie7

Handing over both bishops with 18 . . . .txc3 19 bxc3 looks excessive for Black. 19 l:tad1 l:thf8 20 �e2?!

Moving off the open file, but as it turns out the king is vulnerable on e2 as wel l . Larsen should have commenced his plan with 20 h4 straight away. 20 i.f3 l2Jc4 21 i.c1 e s ! i s in Black's favour.

1 9 8


2 0 . . . tt::lc4 21 h41?

Question: Why did Larsen mysteriously sac his b-pawn?

Answer: Moves like th is are driven in large measure from dissatisfaction, in an urge to grasp at counterplay where l ittle currently exists. Larsen, in this instance, is wil l ing pay a high price to go after e6 and activate his l ight-squared bishop. But the cost of h i s attacking renovations prove to be prohibitively high and he i s soon forced to budget. 21 . . . tt:Jhst

Korchnoi declines, playing upon White's insecure king . A good practical decision, even if the computers say the pawn can be taken . For example: 21 . . .tt:Jxb2 ! ? 22 l:.bl �xa3 23 �h3 .l:.xd4 24 �xe6+ 'lio'dS 2 5 �es ! :b4 26 �d6 .l:teS 27 �xb4 .ixb4 2S .tf7 .l:!.e7! (2S . . . �xC3 29 �xeS �xeS 30 l:!.hcl tt:Jxe4 31 �e3 ! tt::ld2 3 2 .:txc3 ltJxb1 3 3 :b3 liJc3 34 .d.xb7 is unclear) 29 l:txb2 ..ixc3 30 lldl+ (or 30 l::!.c3 liJxe4 ! ) 30 . . . <iti>c7 3 1 llc2 .:txf7 3 2 .l:Ixc3 liJxe4 and Bl ack's knight and three connected passed pawns outweigh White's extra rook. 22 �h3

Exercise (planning}: How should Black continue?

Answer: Deprive a predator of its prey and you simultaneously remove its source of power. Korchnoi refuses to surrender rights to e6 without a fight. The exchange sac takes over the initiative. 22 . . Jbf41 23 1t.xe6+1?

The field becomes a symphony of battle cries . White's bishop pretends to have abil ities and powers he simply lacks. The unsavoury combination of White's souring position, mixed with his bravado, i s highly unlikely to enhance his king 's l ifespan.

Larsen, seemingly almost out of spite, plays a possibly inferior move just to deny Korch-

1 9 9


Korchnoi his idea. It's a mistake to get overly enmeshed in the psychological games we all play over the board. You know the ones I m ean : "My opponent understands that I understand that he understands that I will soon play X. But I will call his bluff and turn the tables on him by playing V" And so on.

Then again, perhaps Larsen just feared the line 23 gxf4 ltJxf4+! 24 'it>f3 ltJxh 3 25 .Uxh 3 ltJxb2 26 �d2 (or 26 l:t.g 1 es ! 27 dS liJd3 and if 28 .Uxg6? then 28 . . . l:tf8+ followed by . . . ltJf4) 26 . . . ltJc4 27 .tid1 ..txa3, when it is White who appears to be struggling - an exchange up but down too many pawns. 23 . . . 'it>c7 24 ..txc4

Not now 24 gxf4?? ltJxf4+ followed by . . . ltJxe6 with a huge advantage. 24 . . . ltJxg3+ 25 'it>e3 .l:tdf8

White's virtues dwindle in excruciating synchronicity with the decrease of Black's troubles . 26 I:!.hg1

26 l:th2 ..txh4 looks very difficult for White too. 26 . . . ..txh4 27 �d3?

27 .l:tg2 was necessary.

Exercise (combination alert): White i s driven to ever more desperate m easures. How can Black significantly imperil the white king and win material ?

27 .. . llf2? ! Answer: 27 . . . ltJf1 ! (trapping the king uncomfortably in the centre) 28 l:tc1 (White's king is unable to run : 28 'it>c2 ?? loses to 28 . . . liJe3+) 28 . . . �f2 ! (threatening . . . .l:t8f3 mate; White's once sumptuous, manicured grounds now appear as a wasteland, the aftermath of some holocaust) 29 ..te6 as ! (renewing the mating net; i .e. 30 . . .l:t8f3+ 31 �c4 liJd2+ 32 'it>cs b6 mate) 30 'it>c4 liJd2+ (forcing the king back again) 3 1 �d3 l:t8f3+ 3 2 c;t>c2 .l:tf6 ! 3 3 dS liJf3+ and Black wins the exchange.

2 0 0


28 I:f.d2

Exercise (combination alert): Okay, Korchnoi missed the previous one. But how did he cleverly now force the win of White's e-pawn?

Answer: 28 . . . i.gs! 29 lbf2 l:xf2 30 ttJe2 There is nothing better: a) 30 l:txg 3?? runs into 30 . . . l:td2 m ate. b) 30 .te6 is met by 30 . . . �f4, and if White tries to save his b-pawn with 31 b4?? then

31 . . J:tf3+ 32 'it>c2 l:txc3+ ! 33 �xc3 tiJe2+ wins . 30 • • JU3+!

Disconnecting White's king from e4. 31 �c2 ttJxe4 32 i.d3 .l:!.e3 33 tiJc3 tiJg3 34 dS ! ?

To eliminate his isolated pawn . After 34 i..xg6 �f6 3 5 .l:Idl tiJe2 ! 36 'it>e3 (or 36 ttJxe2 l:Ixe2+ 37 'ittb3 l::tg2 ) 36 . . . l:Ig 3 , White has the same problems as in the game, plus the vul nerable d-pawn . 34 . . . i..f6 35 tiJd1

White should try the immediate 35 dxc6, mainly because 35 . . . �xc6? then walks into the cheapo 36 .tb5+! with a knight fork to foll ow: 3 6 . . . �b6 (or 36 . . . 'ittc7) 37 tiJd5+, or 3 6 . . . <it>d6 37 .l:.xg 3 ! l:.xg 3 38 ttJe4+, or 36 . . . 'ittc5 37 b4+ ! <it>d4 38 l:txg 3 ! l:txg3 39 l2Je2+. 3S . . . :tf3 36 dxc6 �xc6 37 i.xg6

Black is only one pawn up with opposite-coloured bishops on the board. The decisive factor is that Black's pieces are posted in dominant positions .

2 0 1


37 •. .'iitd6 38 .l:.e1 ctJfS ! 39 lle8 White doesn't want to take the knight and l ose his opposite-coloured bi shop draw lev

erage. 39 . . • CLJd4+

Suddenly, the white king is in serious danger . 40 �d2

40 'it>bl (the king moves with the sul len indolence of a teen whose mother just ordered him to clean his room) 40 ... litf1 41 .tc2 al lows Black's g -pawn to roll with 41 ... g s , as White i s hopelessly tied down . 40 • • • -igS+ 41 '1t>e1 .Xl.h4+

The cat romps about, chasing the laser's l ight. 42 'it>d2 l:lg3 43 .1e4??

Either 43 .ths or 43 ..td3 was necessary.

2 0 2


U p to th i s point, White's jostled king has been inconvenienced more than harmed by the barrage of checks, surviving round after round of salvos. But now he succumbs to the pounding . There is a sense of imminence in the position, l ike a loose button on a shirt, just waiting to fall off.

Exercise (combination alert): At last, opportunity presents itself. Larsen, exhausted, just blundered in a difficult position . How did Korchnoi end the game?

Answer: The bishop si lences White's king with an uprai sed hand, even before he has time to frame a response. 43 . . . .igS+! 0-1

White resigned since 44 'lt>e1 l:!.g1+ 45 'lt>f2 l:!:xd1 picks up a piece.

Game 26 V.Korchnoi-L. Ljubojevic

E u ropea n Tea m Cham pionsh i p, Bath 1973 Benoni Defence

GM Ljubomir Ljubojevic came to Montreal and won the 1974 Canadian Open, ahead of notables such as Larsen, Browne, Hart, Bisguier and Spraggett. I remember watching his games in awe from the demo boards, marvel l ing at h is command of complications and tactics.

In the current game Ljubo gives it his all but meets an opponent who thrives on crazy even more then he does . Korchnoi has great respect for Ljubo, describing him as "a grandmaster of distinctive chess thinking and striking tactical talent." 1 d4 lt:'lf6 2 c4 e6 3 lt:'lc3 cs 4 ds exds s cxds g6

s . . . d6 is the usual move order, but it doesn't really matter - as long as Black i s not worried about his opponent playing 6 d6 ! ? . 6 e4 d6 7 i.f4

A sneaky l ine against the Benoni , and a Korchnoi favourite.

Question: I t looks pretty straightforward to me. What i s so sneaky about it?

Answer: Please see White's next move ! 7 • • • i.g7?!

Ljubojevic's move may be playable, but 7 . . . a6 ! i s so much s impler, steering the game into more normal channels after 8 a4 i.g7 9 lt:'lf3 i.g4 {early swaps tend to help Black's s ide in the Benoni ) 10 �e2 o-o 11 o-o .l::!.e8 12 lt:'ld2 i.xe2 13 'ii'xe2 lt:'lh s 14 i.e3 lZ'ld7 and the healing exchange allows Bl ack to equalize - although Korchnoi won twice from this posi tion {V.Korchnoi-E .Torre, Leningrad lnterzonal 1973, and V. Korchnoi -J . Nunn, London 1980).

2 0 3

Korchnoi senses a golden opportunity for mischief, and here it i s : the monkey wrench tossed into the factory machinery. Black experiences early and unexpected worries, no matter how he responds. 8 . . . 'ot>e7?

Thi s venture fall s flat. Black ends up with trouble , labour and expense - and no reward at the end of it. His move is an overreaction, after which problems bloom and flourish in lush array for Black's newly centralized king :

The other king move 8 . . . 'ot>f8? i s l ittle better, since Black essentially then has a normal Benoni with the atonal and rather dolti sh . . . 'ot>f8 tossed in - in exchange for 'ili'a4, which doesn 't really harm White. This position i s awful for Black - and yet when I checked the database, I discovered that Black scored 100% from here, winning all three games . Cai ssa certainly works in mysterious ways.

Black's best line is 8 . . . .id7 9 'ii'h3 fkc7 10 lLlf3 0-0 11 l2Jd2 ! (after 11 i.e2, Black can muck things up with 11 . . . b s ! 12 i.xbs l2Jxe4 13 lLlxe4 'ii'as+. R.Vaganian-A. Korelov, Minsk 1972) 11 . . . l2Jh s 12 �e3 fs ! (otherwise Black's pieces on d7 and hs are misplaced) 13 exfs gxfs ? ! (13 . . . .ixf5 14 i.e2 l2Jf6 15 h 3 isn 't so awful for Black) 14 .ie2 ! f4 15 .ixcs f3 ? (1S . . .'i!i'xcs 16 .ixhs was forced) 16 .ixf3 !lxf3 (or 16 . . . 'ili'xcs 17 lLlde4) 17 gxf3 ! fixes 18 'iixb7 left Black busted, V. Korchnoi-J .Nunn, London 1984. g lLlf3 :es

Black hopes to have time for manual castl ing with ... 'ot>f8 . 10 .tbs l2Jbd7 11 o-o a6

Unfortunately 11 . . .�f8? ? now drops the d-pawn . 12 l:tfe1

At first, the interrogator may use a gentle tone to elicit information from a prisoner and the human move isn 't so bad. However, Houdini refutes Black's entire l ine with the bizarre 12 'i*'a3 ! ! .

2 0 4


Question: This l ooks almost like a random move. What i s the computer's idea?

Answer: The incomprehensible i s outl ined in l ines of clarity. 12 'ii'a3 ! ! , which sets off bizarre reverberations across the board adopted with such an air of careless negligence, is actually deviously crafted - the d6-square is the common denominator, which requires undermining . Watch : 12 . . . l:lb8 (12 . . . 'i!Th6 13 lt::ld2 ! i s al so grim for Black) 13 l:tfe 1 ! ! 'Llg4 (13 . . . axbs 14 lt:lxbs 'it>f8 15 i.xd6+ 'it>g8 16 i.c7 ! 'ii'e7 17 .:!.ad1 lt:lg4 18 es i s close to resign able for Black) 14 i.xd7 i.xd7 15 es ! 'iib6 16 lL'le4! tDxes 17 lt::lxes i.xes 18 lt::lxd6 ! 'i2rxd6 (the king hopes to blend into the crowd and elude h i s pursuers) 19 i.xeS+ :xes 20 l:txes 'lii>xes 21 'ii'g3+ and all that remain s l ies in an ocean of Black's tears. 12 . . . lt::lb6!

Ljubo i ssues a sweeping comm and to the entirety of his army: Fight to the death ! Now it appears that White i s in trouble as both h is queen and bishop are en pri se, but he retain s a couple of tempting attacking options .

Exercise (combination alert/critical decision}: White can either sac a piece with 1 3 �3. or go psycho and offer the queen with 13 es . Only one of the l ines l eads to a clear advantage for White. But which one?

Answer: Okay, then , psycho it i s ! 13 es ! !

Death himself comes for Black's king , dreaded scythe clutched in a skeletal hand. The l ine between Korchnoi 's will and reality, now just a thread, suddenly snaps .

If White plays the inferior 13 �3 axbS 14 lt:JxbS, Black remains the game : 14 . . . c4 15 �b4 'Wtf8 16 lt::lc7 ! (or 16 t2Jxd6 l:te7) 16 . . . 'it>g8 ! 17 lt::lxa8 lt:Jxa8. 13 . . . dxes !

2 0 5


Other moves are worse : a) 13 . . . tt:lxa4?? (Black takes the queen and says to White: "Prove it ! " - so he does ! ) 14

exf6+ '<t>f8 15 .l:!.xe8+ 'ii'xe8 16 fxg7+ 'it>xg7 17 �xe8 with two extra pieces in White's ledger. b) 13 . . . '<t>f8 14 �xe8 tt:lxa4 15 exf6 'Yi'xf6 16 1i.xa4! (threatening �e8 mate) 16 . . . bs (or

16 . . . 1Lg4 17 �g S 'Yi'fs 18 1i.e7+ '<t>g8 19 tt:lh4) 17 ii.g s and White's two pieces and a rook are worth more than Black's queen and pawn . 14 'Yi'a3 ! 'it>f8

Not 14 . . . axbs? ? 15 'i!t'xcS+ 'it>d7 (or 1 S . . . �d6 16 .l:.xes+) 16 tt:Jxes+ �xes 17 .ixes and Black is crushed. 15 .ixe8 exf4!

Not 1s ... tt:lxe8?? 16 tt:lxes and Black is the exchange down, with cs about to fal l . Ljubo sees through the ruse and manages to stay alive with only moves, negotiating obstacles and floating chunks whizzing by him with easy grace - the way I used to navigate my sh ip through the rock field and fend off al ien attacks in the old video game Asteroids.

16 't!Wxcs+ 'it>g8 17 .ta4 tt:Jxa4 18 tt:Jxa4 tt:lxds 19 �ad1 .te6 The once furious pace of White's initiative begins to slacken and grow more mechani

cal . Materially, Black nearly h as enough for the exchange, with an extra pawn and the two bishops; unfortunately, his pieces now fall under uncomfortable central pressure. 20 tt:lc3? !

With thi s inaccurate move Korchnoi allows h i s opponent some wiggle room . Instead, White continues to apply pressure after 20 tt:ld4! .ltd7 21 i¥xds �xa4 22 'i'xd8+ .l:!.xd8 23 b3 .te8 (not 23 ... .id7? 24 tt:lc6! bxc6 2 5 .l::te7 wins ) 24 tt:le2 ! (it is in White's interest to swap off Black's remaining rook) 24 . . Jhd1 2 S l:!.xd1 .tes 26 tt:ld4, when White has excellent winning chances since Black's extra pawn i s in the form of a crippled kingside majority. 20 ... .txc3! 21 bxc3 Itc8 22 'Yi'd4 'iYas?!

It was better to send the queen the other way: 22 . . . 'i!t'f6 ! keeps White's advantage to a minimal , since he must now nurse an isolated c-pawn . Of course not the bone headed

2 0 6


2 2 . . . 11xc3??, when 23 �xc3 wins on the spot.

23 l:es?!

Exercise (combination alert): Black's last move allowed Korchnoi a deeply hidden opportunity. What would you play here?

We sense creeping apprehension on White' s part. Korchnoi remains impassive to the provocation and refuses to take precipitous action. His natural inclination to hang on to his gains works against him in thi s instance. Now his attack, rather than ending in triumphant, cinematic conclusion, instead skids to a halt. Answer: White wins with 23 l:txe6 ! ! (returning the exchange sends Black's pieces into spinning disarray) fxe6 24 c4 ti:Jc7 (if 24 . . . tl:JC3 25 �d7 ! or 24 . . . tl:Je7 23 'il'd6 ! ) 25 ti:Je5 ! (this i s the move which i s so difficult to see, or even appreciate - White's knight threatens a deadly transfer to g4 and Black is helpless) 2 5 . . . 'ii'a4 (or 2 5 . . . l:tf8 26 ti:Jd7 .l:tf7 27 ti:Jf6+ 'it>f8 28 lt:\xh7+! .l:Ixh7 29 'ii'f6+ and mates) 26 h4! ti:Je8 27 l:tb1 .l:tc7 28 l:tb6 (l ittle by l ittle, White in fi ltrates) 28 . . . .:.e7 29 tl:Jg4 (threatening ti:Jh6+, followed by 'iih 8 mate) 29 . . . e5 30 �d5+ 'i!if8 31 4Jxe5 'i:Vxa2 (thi s i s as good as anything) 32 ti:Jd7+ ..ti>g7 33 l:!.e6 ! .a.xe6 34 'ii'xe6 lt:\c7 3 5 'iff6+ ..ti>h6 36 'i:Vxf4+ ..ti>g7 37 'ii'f8 mate. 23 . . .'�xa2 24 :xds !

Even here returning the exchange i s the strongest option . After the aggressive alternative 24 ti:Jg 5 lt:\xc3 25 tt:Jxe6 fxe6 (not 25 . . . ti:Jxd1? ? 26 l:te2 ! and the kil l ing double attack ends the game) 26 'i¥d7 l:tf8 27 .:tde1 f3 28 gxf3 1:txf3 29 :xe6 ! 'ii'xf2+ 30 'iiii'h 1 .l:.f8 31 'it'xb7, White's king may be too exposed for him to harbour reali stic winning chances. 24 • • . 'itxds 25 'ir'xds .li.xds 26 l:txds .l:.xc3 27 h4

2 0 7


Question: Who stands better in the ending?

Answer: Black would if h i s pawns were healthy, but since h is f4-pawn isn't of much use, it's almost as if Black has two - not three - pawns for the piece. Therefore White has a slight edge, though it takes monumental technical proficiency to win . 21 . . . bs 2s .l:r.d6!

Principle : Plant your rook behind enemy passed pawns.

28 •. Jla3 29 llb6!

With his last move Korchnoi tries to freeze the queen side pawns. Black has two plans .

Exercise {planning): Black can abandon h i s queen side pawns and go after White's with 29 . . . l:ta1+ 30 �h2 lla2, or play 29 . . . l:ta4 and nurse his pawns forward. One

plan may draw, whereas the other favours White. What does your intuition tell you?

2 0 8


zg • • • !:f.al+?!

The beginning of the wrong plan . Although Ljubojevic continues to offer spirited resi s

tance, in the end it isn 't enough to save him.

Answer: 29 . . . .l:.a4! may hold the game. For example : 30 �b8+ 'it'g7 3 1 lib7 �f6 32 tt:lg s b4 33

ttJxh7+ (or 3 3 .l:.xf7+ 'it>es 34 l::!.xh7 .:tal+ 35 �h2 as 36 .l:tb7 \t>d4 and the black pawns are

becoming dangerous) 33 ... �e5 34 tt:lg s f6 3 5 tt:lf3+ <it'e4 36 'it>fl <it'd3 37 lid7+ �c2 38 l:.d4

:al+ 39 We2 b3 40 ltxf4 fs (not yet 40 ... b2? 41 Itc4+ �b3 42 tt:ld2+ <it'a3 43 litc3+ �a2 44 l:[c6 aS 45 .l:f.a6 ! and White wins) 41 l:.c4+ Wb2 42 tt:ld2 as 43 �d3 a4 (a row of archers l evel their bows at the angry mob, which continues to advance) 44 .l:r.b4 'it'a3 45 .l:.b6 l:tdl (it' s easy to get fatigued, lose concentration, ignore an opponent's intention, and lose in idiotic fashion with something like 45 . . . b2?? 46 tt:lc4+ 'it>a2 47 l:f.xb2 mate) 46 �xg6 (or 46 �e2 l::tcl 47 :txg6 Wb2 ! 48 l:tb7 .l:.c3, fol lowed by . . . a4-a3 etc) 46 . . . b2 47 .l:!.b6 �a2 48 hS a3 49 h6 l:h 1

so f3 'it>al 51 g4 fxg4 52 fxg4 a2 5 3 �e4 (scurrying back to support h is own pawns)

53 . . . !Xxh6 ( 5 3 . . . bl'ii'+ al so works itself out to a draw. 54 tt:lxbl axbl'ii+ 55 l:txbl+ 'itxbl 56 gs �c2 57 'it>fs 'it'd3 58 �g6 We4 59 �g7 �fs 60 h 7 'it>xgs 61 h81i' .l:!.xh8 62 'it'xh8 - the two kings dance in their ceaseless comings and goings, but to what purpose, no one can say) 54 tt:lb3+ Wbl 55 Itxh6 �c2 ! 56 tt:ld4+ �c3 57 l:.c6+ <it'b4 58 .l::!.b6+ 'it'c4 59 .l:.xb2 ! ? (or 59 l:tc6+ �b4 60 .l:!.b6+, repeating) 59 ... al'ii' 60 l:tc2+ �b4 should end in a draw. 30 'it>h2 l:la2

I t may be too late to switch back to the other plan . After 30 . . . l:ta4 31 tt:les b4 32 .l:!.b8+ 'it>g7 33 l:Ib7 J:tas ! 34 tt:lc6 l:ta2 3 5 l:txb4 l:lxf2 36 Wgl , White should convert h is extra piece. 31 tt:lgs ! l:txf2 32 �xa6 h6 33 tt:lh3 1 Forcing Black to surrender either h is b-pawn or f4-pawn . 33 ... .l:!.f1 34 !Xb6 f3 35 g4!

Endgame principle : The piece up side should avoid pawn swaps. The advanced f-pawn will fall later on . 3 5 ... llb1

2 0 9


If Black tries to l iquidate all the pawns with 3 S .. .f2 ! ? 36 �g2 .l::f.h l 37 lLlxf2 :!xh4, White

plays 38 'it>g 3 gS 39 lLle4! (Tal ) and . . . h6-h 5 is prevented.

36 'it>g3 b4 36 ... l1b3 is pointless as 37 l2Jg 1 just picks off the f-pawn .

37 <it>xf3 b3 38 lLlf2 �g7 39 <it>g2 ! ltb2

Black must not push too far. 39 . . . b2?? hangs the pawn to 40 lLld3. 40 �g3 l!b1 41 �f3 �f8 42 �g2 l:tb2 43 l:b7 �g7 44 l:tb6 .l:ib1

Exercise {planning): How does White make progress?

Answer: Gang up on f7 . 45 lLld3 ! 'iirg8 46 flb7 �g7

There is nothing better. 47 lLle5 �f6 48 lLlxf7 .l:.c1

Ljubo seizes the opportunity to reposition his rook more actively while Korchnoi is busy wiping out pawns on the other side. 48 .. . hs is no good, because of 49 g S+ �fs so l2Jh8 and g6 soon fal ls . 49 lLlxh6

A single death i s a tragedy; multiple deaths are merely a statistic. The knight goes for a second helping . 49 . . • ltc2+ 50 �f3 b2 51 �e4 .l:te2+ 52 �d4 :lh2 53 g5+ �e6 54 .Ub6+ �e7 55 �c3 !

The b-pawn fal l s at last. White only needs t o retain a single pawn in order t o win . 55 . . . �fs

Dawn creeps ever so slowly for the insomniac. This must have felt l ike a 200-move game to Ljubojevic. 56 ltxb2 ltxh4 57 :b7 �f4 58 c;!?d3 lU1 59 c;!?d4 1-0

2 1 0


Black resigned, as 59 .Jlg1 i s met by 6 0 'iii>e s ! , when 6 0 . . . I::.xg5+ fails to 6 1 <ti>f6 ! and White threatens both the rook and back rank m ate.

Game 2 7 V .Korchnoi-Y.Seirawan

U S Open, Pasadena 1983 Modern Defence

I played in the 1983 US Open and watched this game in awe. 1 d4 g6 2 lt::lf3 d6 3 g3 i..g7 4 .ig2

4 . . . i.g4 I 'm not a big fan of lines like th i s where Black gives up the bi shop pair for the hell of it.

2 1 1


I n my book on the Modern Defence, I advocate l ines like 4 . . . e5 .

Question: Even if Black loses castl ing rights?

Answer: Yes. With queens off the board, Black's king belongs in the centre - of course this i s under the assumption that he doesn't get himself mated there ! For example : 5 dxe5 dxe5 6 iixd8+ �xd8 7 ttlc3 ! c6 8 �e3 �c7 9 o-o-o tLla6 10 tLle4 f6 ! , G .D izdar-G .Timoshenko, Graz 1994, when it isn 't so easy for White to make anything of his lead in development, since he lacks an obvious entry into Black's position. 11 tiJd6 doesn't bother Black at all , who just continues 11 . . . �e6.

Alternatively, 4 . . . ttJf6 5 o-o o-o 6 c4 transposes to g2 -g3 King 's Indian l ines . 5 h3 �xf3 6 ..itxf3 c6 7 0-0 es?

Seirawan isn 't a player bound by protocol or societal expectations either, but in th i s case he goes too far. This move, which weakens d6 , i s the root of his future difficulties . We sense that Black has just crossed a forbidden boundary and Seirawan , l ike Samson, brings the temple down upon himself.

Black may have been better off playing something like 7 . . . ttJd7 8 e4 e5 9 dxe5 dxe5 10 a4 ttJgf6 11 ..te3 fke7 12 tiJd2 0-0 13 'iie2 with an edge to White due to his bishop pair, but Black's position is far from busted, Z.Doda-A.Maciejewski, Poznan 1983 . 8 dxes dxes

A natural move isn 't always the best one. Black should try 8 . . . i.xe5 , which is still clearly in White's favour after 9 tiJd2, yet is superior to the game's continuation . 9 tLld2 !

Thi s is even stronger than the immediate swap on d8 and may be the m ove Seirawan overlooked when entering the position. Korchnoi targets d6 straight away. 9 . . . ttJa6

Or 9 . . . tLle7 10 tLle4 and now if Black castles away to escape tLld6+, then White comes at


him from a different direction : 1 0 . . . 0-0? 1 1 �xd8 .l:!.xd8 1 2 ..tg s ! �f8 1 3 tt:Jcs b 6 14 l:tad1 !

.:f.e8 15 ti:Jb7 ! and Black is in danger of asphyxiation .

10 tt:Jc4 Threatening tt:Jd6+, followed by tt:Jxb7. The d6-square i s a delicate object, a butterfly

resting on a rose petal . 10 .. ."�e7 11 �d6!

The queen 's cold stare gives her si ster the impression that she is a rel igious statue rather than a woman . Now Black must deal with multiple strategic issues in order of urgency, many of which carry no good answer. Black's unspoken questions:

1. Will h is king remain safe, despite the absence of queens on the board? 2 . Will he be able to regain control over d6, the core of his concern ? 3. Will he be able to stay level on m aterial ? 4. How can Black untangle and catch up in development?

11 . . . �f8 Black's king nervously begins to voice concern .

Question: Why didn't Black gain a tempo with 11 . . . .l:.d8 - ?

Answer: Because of a trap. Let's do an exercise here.

Exercise (combination alert): White to play and refute 11 . . Jid8?? .

Answer: 12 ..txc6+ ! bxc6 (12 . . . �f8 13 'ii'xe7+ tt:Jxe7 14 �xb7 i s no good for Black either) 13 'i'xc6+ 'iVd7 14 iixa6 wins two pawns. 12 .l:td1 'f*'xd6

Trying to make room for the king with 12 ... i..f6 is no better. Play may continue 13 ..te3 �g7 14 c3 tt:Jc7 15 Wixe7 tt:Jxe7 16 l:td7 tt:Jeds 17 ti:Jd6 .l:!.hf8 18 tt:Jxb7 and White i s winning,

2 1 3


s ince 18 . . . ltab8? is strongly met by 19 .ixds lt'lxds 20 ..txa7. 13 lt'lxd6 ltb8

Exercise (combination alert}: Black's excessive strategic expenditures h ave, as a consequence, led to famine across his land. White to play and win a pawn.

Answer: 14 .ie31 Black has no good way of defending a7 . Note that 14 . . . b6 drops the c6-pawn .

14 .. .f5 15 �xa7 .l:!.a8 16 �e3 lt'le7

Question: Why didn 't Black play 16 . . . e4, going after b2?

Answer: The last thing a losing gambler should do is to double the stakes. Taking on b2 only activates White's pieces further. For example : 17 .ig 2 ..txb2 18 l:tabl .i.g7 19 .l:txb7. 17 �g2 lt'lb4 18 .l:td2 e4 19 c4!

Denying Black's knights the ds-square. This i s much stronger than 19 c3 lt'lbdS. 19 . . J�xa2 20 .l:.xa2 lt'lxa2 21 ..tcs !?

Targeting e7, with the threat of 22 lt'lc8 .i.f6 2 3 lt'lxe7 i..xe7 24 1:1d8+ ! and wins . All the same, there's nothing wrong with the immediate 21 lt'lxb7. 21 • . • b6?!

Absolute desperation . Black can put up more resistance after 21 . . . lt'lc1 22 ii.a3 lt'lb3 2 3 :d1 b 6 24 lt'lc8 c s 2S lt'lxb6 �f7 . 22 .ixb6 .if6

2 1 4


Exercise (combination alert): Korchnoi's pieces explode in furious activity after his next move. What did he find?

Answer: The clogged flotsam in the middle begins to come loose and disperses . Only one white piece remained outside the scope of the fight - until now. Korchnoi's sac isn 't really a sac since he regains his piece by force, destroying the final vestiges of Black's resi stance in the process . 23 i.xe4! !

Korchnoi once again demonstrates his extraordinary calculation power. In computerlike fashion, he accurately works out that he regains the piece with interest in all variations. 23 . . . fxe4 24 t2Jxe4 i.g7

24 . . . Wf7 fail s miserably to 25 ttJxf6 and if 25 . . . 'it>xf6? then 26 i.d4+ picking off the rook in the corner. Even the terrible 24 ... t2Jg8 doesn't save him, as after 25 t2Jxf6 t2Jxf6 26 l:.d6 t2Je8 (or 26 . . . �f7 27 l:lxf6+! etc) 27 l:r.d7, Black has virtually no moves and wil l soon lose material ; e .g . 27 . . . t2Jf6 28 l:!.a7 t2Jc1 29 'it>fl t2Jb3 30 i.e3 and 3 1 l:ta3 traps a knight. 2 5 �cs !

On c5 the bishop i s radiant with power. Parameters continue to shift with each passing move, all in White's favour, as the rain of Black's misery never seems to let up. He i s caught in a series of pins and when he tries to evade one, he simply sl ides into another. 2s ... �f7

Black's king continues to amass grievances against his tormentors. On 25 .. .<.t>e8 26 lt:Jd6+ �f8, Korchnoi finally gets to carry out the idea behind his 21st move: 27 t2Jc8 i.f6 28 lt:Jxe7 i..xe7 29 �d8+ <ttf7 30 j__xe7 leaves White three pawns up. Z6 l:f.d7 ..tfB

Or 26 . . . I1e8 27 lt:Jd6+ 'iiie6 28 .l:ta7 ! and the double attack regains the lost piece with a


crushing position. 2 7 t"LlgS+ 'it>eS

The king paces to and fro in indecision. 27 . . .'�f6 walks into 28 f4, followed by 29 �d4+ 'itfs 30 e4 m ate. The gunshot wound leaves a red bib on the king ' s chest. 28 llc7 h6 29 t"Lle6

White's pieces continue to orbit Black's king . Now the simple threat is t"Llxf8, followed by l:txe7+. 29 ... l:th7 30 t"LlxfS 'it>xfS

Exercise (combination alert): How did Korchnoi manage to pick off a knight here?

Answer: Attraction/interference. 31 .l:i.c8+1

The flash of the gun muzzle briefly i l luminates the shocked eyes of the victim on f8 . 31 .. . 'itf7 3 2 i..xe7 1 1-0

Uncertainty melts away into comprehension : Black is unable to recapture due to the skewer along the rank, and so is just three pawns down .

Game 28 Be. La rsen-V.Korchnoi

Brusse ls 1987 English Opening

1 C4 t"Llf6 2 g3 c6 3 t"Llf3 d S 4 b3 1lVb61? As always, Korchnoi strives to weird it up at the earl iest possible opportunity, with a

venomous idea for Larsen to deal with at the board. In a strange way, Korchnoi simultane-

2 1 6


ously stimulates and offends our sen sibilities with plans which spit in the face of everything we were ever taught! Yet in the end, impossibly, he succeeds. Such idiosyncratic, unl ikely ideas (and not just in the opening) , which somehow end up working are Korchnoi 's hidden genius .

Question: This move looks amateurish . What i s Black's point?

5 �g2?! Answer: First, thi s natural reply may acutely be inaccurate. In stead:

a) 5 ..ltb2 ? ! i s met by s . . . dxc4! and White can 't recapture since his b2-bishop is l oose, while after 6 .ixf6 exf6 7 bxc4 Black already looks better with bishop pair in an open position .

b) 5 cxd5 cxds i s a feeble-looking Exchange Slav for White. c) 5 �c2 ! (preventing Korchnoi 's coming trick) s . . . il.g4 6 i.g2 lt:lbd7 7 ..ib2 e6 8 o-o i.d6

9 d3 seems about even, A.Savanovic-D.Solak, Bosnian Team Championship 2007. s .. . es!

This clever idea was a novelty at the time. Al l of a sudden, Black holds a space advan -tage and threatens to play . . . eS -e4 with d4 unavailable for White's knight. GM Paul Mot-wani suggests tossing in s . . . dxc4 6 bxc4 before 6 ... es , but I see no reason Black should swap his d-pawn for a b-pawn, which al so opens the b-fi le for White. 6 0-0

Korchnoi 's idea: Black's e-pawn i s perfectly safe, since 6 ttJxe5? ? is met by the embarrassing 6 . . . �d4 with a deci sive fork. Obviously th is trick doesn't work after 5 �c2 ! , since White can just play 7 i.b2 and wins . 6 . . . e4 7 ltJe1

Question: I 'm not so sure such politeness is mandatory here. Did the knight have to retreat?


Answer: White doesn't have all that much choice: a) 7 l'Lles?? walks into the same trick with 7 . . . 'i¥d4. b) 7 'Llh4?? hangs a piece to 7 . . . g s .

c ) 7 l'Llg s is possible, but then Black might play 7 . . . h6 8 l'Llh 3 g S , or continue a s Korchnoi did in the game with 8 . . . h s ! , intending . . . h S -h4 next, which looks awfully scary for White. 7 . . . h s l

Another brill iant (if barbaric ! ) idea and another violation of principle : I n the open ing

stages of a game, develop your pieces and don 't push too many pawns. Black plans to pry open the h-file .

Question: I sn 't Black's move a blatant violation of another principle : The s ide behind in development shouldn 't be the one attacking?

Answer: Very true, but thi s position may be an exception. Korchnoi follows Steinitz's principle : The side with space must attack, or risk losing the advantage.

8 l'Llc3? 1 This merely compounds White's difficulties .

Question: Shouldn 't White toss in 8 h4 to thwart Black's intention ?

Answer: Your suggestion i s better than the game continuation. The trouble i s that it al lows Black's pieces free access to g4 - a very high price. Larsen actually feared 8 . . . .1td6, threaten ing to chop on g3 , but here Korchnoi gives g l'Llc3 ! , intending 9 . . . .1l.xg3 10 'Lla4 ! . For example : 10 ... i.h2+ 11 �xh2 l'Llg4+ 12 'iit>g 1 'it'c7 13 f4 'it'e7 (thi s looks like curtain s for White but he has a defence) 14 l'Llf3 ! (the only move) 14 . . . exf3 15 exf3 ! l'Llh6 16 l:.e1 i.e6 17 i.b2 reaches an unclear position rated at dead even by Houdini. Several of my students dis puted th i s and claimed a clear advantage for Black . After further analysis, every one of

2 1 8


them changed their mind and preferred White !

Note that the attempt to cover g4 as well with 8 h 3 ? runs into 8 . . . h4 9 g4 lt:lxg4 ! , and if

1o hxg4? then 10 . . . h 3 11 ..th1? (here 11 .i.xe4 dxe4 12 'ii'c2 i s relatively best, but still awful

for White after 12 . . . .l:th4! ) 11 . . . h2+ 12 <iii>g2 J.xg4 and White can resign .

s . . . h4 9 d4

Question: Shouldn 't White play 9 d3 based on the principle : A wing attack is best met by a counter in the centre?

Answer: Once again the tactics seem to favour Black: 9 . . . hxg 3 10 hxg3 'iifd4! (heading for h S,

via a circuitous route) 11 ..tb2 'i!kes 12 dxe4 dxe4 (now White has to try something desper

ate) 13 lt:lbS 'ii'xb2 14 lt:lc7+ '3ile7 1 S lt:lxa8 'i!Ves, when Houdin i only gives Black an edge here but to my mind White looks completely busted:

1. H i s aS-knight is a goner. 2 . Black's kingside attack rages on .

g . . . hxg3 10 fxg3 1 ? In the midst of a bloody and losing battle, the hows and whys are for l ater. For now, Lar

sen lives day to day, with survival at the top of his agenda. He decides to compromise structure to boost king safety and open the f-fi le . He digests the data and comes up with the following inference: Principle : Capture away from the centre if you fear mate.

As it turn s out, 10 hxg 3 ! is apparently playable. Korchnoi gives the line 10 .. .'ii'as 11 i..d2 i..b4 12 'it'c2 and now if Black ins ists on playing for m ate, he gets into trouble : 12 .. . dxc4? (better is 12 .. . ..te6 ! 13 a3 ..txc3 14 �xc3 'ifd8, when I still l ike Black's attacking chances) 13 t"Llxe4 'ifhs 14 lt:lxf6+ gxf6 1S lt:lf3 ..txd2 16 'iixd2 ..th 3 17 lt:lh4 and White survives the ordeal and may now be winning . 1o . . .'i!Va s?l

Larsen's king faces a terrifying array of threats, which arrive from multiple directions . In

2 1 9

Ko rch n o i: M o ve by M o v e

this case, Korchnoi attacks the c3-knight, which is merely incidental - his true intention is

to play . . . d5xc4 at an opportune moment and then transfer his queen to h5. Nevertheless,

Korchnoi i s correctly critical of his move, since it allows White hidden defences. Not all of

Korchnoi 's principle violations worked! Thi s time he would be better off developing .

11 "ii'c2 I nstead: a) 11 �d2?? e3 ! overloads the bishop. b) 11 i.b2? runs into 11 . . .'�Jg4! with a n asty double attack on e3 and h2 . c ) Houdini gives the inhuman defence 11 'iWd2 ! �b4 12 �b2 dxc4 13 t2Jc2 ! �xc3 14

�xc3 'it'h 5 15 h4 cxb3 16 axb3 when, miraculously, White's lead in development, active pieces and dark square control offer full compensation for the pawn - whi le his king looks reasonably safe for now.

d) 11 l2Jc2 ! may be best, negating Black's last move as a winning attempt, since 11 . . .�xc3 merely leads to a draw after 12 i..d2 'iWb2 13 �c1 'i*'c3 14 i.d2; while if 11 . . . l2Jg4 then 12 �d2 l2Jxh 2 13 l:.f4 and Black's centre is about to col lapse. 11 . . . i.b4

The witch 's demonic famil iar trail s along, eager to do her bidding . 12 i.b2 .te6!

Korchnoi avoids the trap 12 . . . l2Jg4? 13 cxd5 cxd5 ?? , which runs into the cheap shot 14 l2Jxd5 ! with a di scovered attack. 13 cxd s l2Jxd s 14 l2Jxd s

After 14 CDxe4 ! ? l2Je3 15 'i*'c1 l2Jxf1 16 .txf1, White fai ls to get full compensation for the exchange. 14 ... cxd s 1 5 a3? !

As it turns out, the only thing Larsen has up his sleeves is h is arms. If White wanted to play a2-a3, he should have done so on move 13 , when the black bishop was obl iged to retreat.

2 2 0


Exercise {planning): Korchnoi refuses to allow his opponent t o conjure a pathway out of h is difficulties. How did he exploit White's last move?

Answer: A single traitor in your pay, behind enemy walls , i s worth more than an army out

side the city's gates. Transfer the bishop to e3 , which entombs White's king .

15 . . . i.d2 ! 16 'iid1?

Here 16 'iith1 i.e3 17 'ilr"c3 ( if 17 �cs? ! , then 17 . . . �a6 ! 18 tt:'Jc2 'i!Vxe2 wins a pawn, s ince 19 1tae1?? loses: 19 .. Jhh2+! 20 ..t>xh2 'ii'h s + and mates) 17 . . . �xc3 18 i.xc3 was Larsen 's final , s l im hope to save himself, though his position remains di smal . Note that 16 .tel?? was impossible, as it cuts off the al-rook's communication to e1 and hangs a piece. 16 . . . .te3+ 17 'iith1

White's dying king decides to confess h i s s ins - which may take a while, s ince there are so many of them. His derel ict world is about to crumble all around him.

Exercise (combination alert): Larsen's defensive powers prove unequal to the task of warding off the wave of attackers engulfing the kingside. Black to play and win .

Answer: 17 .. J\Vc7 ! 0-1 The black queen, the unchallenged universal overlord, casts a meaningful look to her

left and targets g3 - for which there i s no reasonable defence.

1 c4 es 2 g3 c6

Game 29 V.Korchnoi-E.Bacrot

Al be rt {4th matchga me) 1997 English Opening


As we saw earlier in the chapter, Korchnoi has played thi s move himself, and it looks like one of Black's best choices against White' s set-up. 3 d4

Larsen played 3 lLlf3 in Gam e 25 . 3 . . . e4!?

Very ambitious, turning the game into a sort of reversed Caro-Kann Defence, where White has two extra moves : 'iib3 and g2-g 3 . Okay, maybe it's 1Y2 extra moves since g 2-g 3 is not necessarily very useful here. The crucial question i s whether Black's extended centre is a strength or a weakness .

I would prefer 3 . . . exd4, when I think Black equal izes, no m atter how White plays. For example : 4 'ii'xd4 d5 5 i..g 2 (White must be careful not to toss in an early exchange on d5, as Black then gains a tempo with .. . lLlc6, leaving him in a Queen ' s Gambit Tarrasch a move up) 5 . . . lLlf6 6 lLlf3 .i.e7 7 cxd5 (hey, I just said "White must be careful not to toss in an early exchange on d5" - the trouble is that he has to play thi s m ove at some point) 7 ... cxd5 8 o-o

ltJc6 9 'ii'a4 0-0 and Black has achieved equal ity since White's queen took two moves to reach a4.

Actually, the two players reached thi s position in a later game. V. Korchnoi -E .Bacrot, Cannes 1998, continued 10 .te3 ltJg4 11 .td4 ltJxd4 12 lLlxd4 .i.c5 13 o-o .id7 14 'ii'd1 'ii'f6 15 e3 � 6 16 ltJf3 11ad8, when Black's activity and bishop pair balance his weak, isolated dpawn - though Korchnoi l ater won the game anyway. 4 ltJc3 d S 5 cxd s cxd s 6 'ii'b3

6 . . . lLle7!? Black's pieces make up for their odd lack of grace with boundless optimism.

2 2 2

Question: Developing the knight to e7 looks awfully artificial . What is wrong with the more natural 6 . . . lLlf6 - ?


Answer: Black was understandably nervous about i.g 5 . The trouble with f6 i s that it fits

perfectly into White's plans to pressure d5 . For example : 7 i.g 5 tt::lbd7 (7 . . . CLic6 8 e3 ii.b4 9

ttJge2 i.e6 10 a3 i.xc3+ 11 CLixc3 'ii'd7 12 �xf6 gxf6 13 CLia4 al so gives White a pleasant

structural advantage) 8 ctJh 3 'ifb6? (Black has to try 8 . . .'�a5 9 i.d2 �b4 10 CLif4 CLib6) 9 ctJf4

(rather than 9 'ifxb6? ! CLixb6, which merely helps Black defend d5 , J .Veal -J . L.Smith , Stillwa

ter 2010) 9 . . .'it'xb3 10 axb3 .i.b4 11 �h 3 ! (so g2-g 3 came in handy after all ) 11 .. . CLib6 12

,ixc8 .l:.xc8 13 i.xf6 l:!.xc3 14 bxc3 �xc3+ 15 �d1 .ixa1 16 i.xg 7 l;tg8 17 lLih 5 <j;;e7 18 '>t>d2

i..b2 19 �c2 i.a3 20 :a1 and White i s winning . But instead of trying to defend the centre, the counterattacking 6 . . . CLic6 ! does well for

Black. For example: 7 'ii'xd5 'iixd5 8 CLixd5 CLixd4 9 CLic7+ '>t>d8 10 CLixa8 CLic2+ 1 1 '>t>d1 CLixa1 12 i.e3 i.e6 13 i.xa7 lLif6 ! (choosing rapid development over taking on a2) 14 b3 ? ! (too greedy: White doesn't have tim e for thi s and underestim ates Black's coming initiative)

14 . . . i..a3 15 i.d4 <j;e7 16 CLib6 l:td8 17 e3 i.c5 18 ctJa4 .txd4 19 exd4 CLixb3 ! left White's game in ruins , B .Gelfand-S.Karjakin , Odessa (rapid) 2008.

7 i.f4 a6 Preventing any ideas of lLib5 .

8 f3 ! Principle : Open the position when leading in development.

Question: How about the plan to rid White of his bad bishop by 8 i.xb8 - ?

Answer: This looks like a case of White playing too positionally.

Question: What on earth does that mean?

Answer: It means that your plan, although clearly well grounded in the strategic, lacks the necessary energy to extract an edge here. Sometimes a m achete is a superior tool over a scalpel . Black looks okay after 8 . . . l:.xb8 9 ctJh 3 i.e6 10 ctJf4 CLic6 11 e3 i.d6 ! and White can't grab on d5, since 12 lLifxd5? �e7 ! 13 a3 ctJa5 14 'ii'a4+ (or 14 Wa2 .l:.c8 15 i..e2 .l:.xc 3 ! 16 bxc3 'ifxd5 with a winning position) 14 . . . b5 15 CLixb5 axb5 16 i.xb5+ �f8 17 CLixe7 <j;;xe7 is clearly in Black's favour. 8 . . . exf3 9 CLixf3

Korchnoi suggested 9 e4 ! ? , when 9 ... dxe4? 10 i.c4! is terrible for Black. But after 9 . . . CLibc6 ! White best is probably 10 CLixf3, which just transposes to the game. 9 . . . CLibc6 10 e4!


Principle : Open the game when leading in development.

10 ... .i.e6 I nstead: a) 10 .. . tLlas 11 'ii'c2 dxe4 12 'ii'xe4 �fs 13 1i'e2 �e6 14 tLlg s .i.c4 15 'ii'e3 with a scary de

velopment lead for White, whose pieces swim around Black's king making a nuisance of themselves, the way gnats buzz around a face for no other reason than to irritate.

b) 10 . . . .i.g4 11 .i.g2 ! .txf3 12 �xf3 tLlxd4 13 'ii'a4+ tLlec6 14 exds tLlxf3+ (not 14 . . . bs? 15 'ifd1 tLlxf3+ 16 'i'xf3 tLld4 17 'il¥d3 and the black knight i s in trouble) 15 �f2 bs 16 'ilfe4+ tLlces 17 �xes tLlxes 18 1i'xeS+ 'Wie7 19 'ii'f4 �cS+ 20 'ittg2 .i.e7 21 :ad1 o-o 22 d6 and the dangerous passed pawn gives White a clear advantage. 11 l:td11

GM Nigel Davies suggested 11 0-0-0 ! ? , but then it seems to me l ike 11 . . .b5 g ives Black counter-chances against the white king . 11 . . . dxe4?

A violation of the principle : Don 't open the game when Tagging in development. Here we witness an instance of one side taking the stance of a pre-emptive defensive aggressor, which doesn't make much sense. Black should reconcil e himself to inhibiting White's in i tiative before turning to any ambitions of h is own .

Bacrot should continue to dance attendance to White's whims with 11. . .'i'd7 ! , which both Houdini and Korchnoi approved. One of the worst insults in a chess game is when your nonchalant opponent meets your bombast with languid indifference. Then 12 tLlgs .i.g4 13 tLlxds tLlxds 14 'ii'xds i.b4+ 15 'it>f2 'ii'e7 ! 16 .ic4 o-o 17 tLlxf7 .l:!.xf7 18 'i!Vxf7+ �xf7 19 .i.xf7+ �xf7 20 Itd3 leads to a sharp fight with rook and two pawns versus a pair of minor pieces. I prefer White, due to those nasty-looking central pawns, but Houdini assesses it as equal . 12 d s tLlxd s l

Not 12 . . . tLlas ?? 13 'i'a4+ .i.d7 14 �xe4 when Black i s suddenly menaced by both dS-d6 and b2-b4.

2 2 4


Exercise {planning): What i s White's best continuation here?

Answer: Take on d5 with the rook rather than the knight.

13 llxds ! After 13 ltJxd5? exf3 1 4 'Wxf3 'ii'a5+ 15 'it>f2 .tc5+ 16 'it> g 2 o-o, White suddenly finds him

self in trouble with vulnerable pieces and an exposed king . 13 . . . J.xd s 14 ttJxd s

Threatening a big fork on c7. Dark, misshapen creatures hover over Black's king , swaying and undulating like hungry eel s over a wounded fi sh . 14 . . . ..id6!

lautier finds the single l ine which keeps him afloat. Thi s isn 't a position conducive to wild guesstimates. Precise calculation i s required.

a) 14 . . . exf3 ? 15 ltJc7+ 'it>e7 16 'i!i'e3+ 'it>f6 (16 . . . 'it>d7 17 ..ih 3+ m ates) 17 .i.g5+ picks off the queen .

b) 14 . . . .11c8? 15 ti:Jg5 leaves White with too m any threats, and 15 . . . ttJas ? i s met simply by 16 �a4+ b5 17 'it'xe4+ i..e7 18 .i.e2 ! l::tc 5 19 ttJxe7 1kxe7 20 'iia8+, winning. 15 'ifxb7! o-o!

lautier keeps finding only moves. At long last, Black's harassed king, after what feel s like an endless duration, win s free of h i s tormentors. Not 15 . . . ltJa5 ?? 16 ltJc7+ JJ..xc7 17 'ifxe4+ ! 1ke7 (17 . . . �d7? 18 .i.h3+ and 17 . . . �f8? 18 .i.xc7 are even worse) 18 'ii'xe7+ .i.xe7 19 i.xc7 with two bi shops for a rook. 16 i..xd6 'iixd6


Question: I sn 't White completely busted now with both knights hanging?

Answer: Actually White has the advantage, but only if you find Korchnoi 's tactical solution. Let's do an exercise.

Exercise (combination alert}: Appearances deceive. How did Korchnoi avoid the loss of a piece?

Answer: Attraction/knight fork. White's weaving queen traverses and exits the labyrinth with ease. 17 'ii'xc61 'ili'xc6 18 ti'Je7+ �hB 19 ti'Jxc6 exf3

The complications fi zzled out into an endgame in which White is clearly better with two pieces for rook and pawn . It still needs accurate handling of course. 20 �f2 .l:.acB 2 1 ti'Jb41 :tel

2 2 6

R id ing th e Dyn a m ic E l e m e n t

2 2 lZ'ld3 !

Exercise (planning): Can White unravel and interrupt the flow of Black's initiative with the tactical trick 22 ..tg2 - ?

Answer: It 's a trap ! 22 i..g2? ? is met by the embarrassing 22 . . . l:tc4! when White drops a

piece. 22 . . . l:.a1 23 J..g2 !

Now i t works. Timing is everything in chess.

23 . • • l:!.xa2 24 J..xf3 :ds 2 5 1Ic1! No need to defend the knight just yet.

2 s • • • g6 26 �e3 �g7

Question: How would you assess thi s ending ?

Answer: The only winning chances are with White. The elemental goal for Black is to swap his a-pawn for White's b-pawn, after which h e holds the draw. White must prevent th i s from happening and win Black's a-pawn outright - no easy task. I would say Black has about an 80% chance to hold with correct play. 2 7 .l:tc7

Korchnoi didn 't like thi s move later and suggested 27 .:tcs ! , intending ..tds, to regroup and central ize . 27 • • J::ta s 28 �a7

Now Black can remain active. 28 .l:f.c6 ! was a superior way to go after a7. 2s . • • .l:td6 29 g4 l:.bs 3o b4 h s !

Endgame principle : The defending side should reduce the number of pawns on the board

whenever possible. At thi s stage all pawn swaps are anathema to White, who desperately

2 2 7


requires conscripts for his fading winning chances. 31 gxh 5 gxh5 3 2 i.b7?!

The players continue to scratch , claw and tussle for sole control over a6. White' s bishop continues to aid and abet h is partner on a7.

32 . . J�bb6?!

Exercise (combination alert}: Korchnoi 's last move was inaccurate and allows Black to draw. How can he accompli sh thi s move?

Answer: Due to a tactical anomaly, Black can eliminate the queenside pawns with 32 . . . as ! 3 3 bxas l:.d7 ! 34 .i.c6 (34 a6?? walks into 34 . . . l:.b3 ) 34 . . . :txa7 3 5 i.xbs .l:xas and draws. 3 3 .tcs 'iti>f6?

The careful 33 . . . l:.bc6 would probably have still held a draw.

2 2 8


So far Black has kept himself busy, doing nothing in particular. But here h e violates his own precepts. His once regal king s l ips and fal ls , landing on his royal rear end, much to the wonderment and del ight of his enemies in court.

Exercise (combination alert): Black's last move was a blunder. How did Korchnoi force the win of material?

Answer: Triple attack/knight forks. White threatens a6 , d7 and e4 simultaneously, handing Black a harsh ultimatum.

34 tt:lcs! The knight's rise to power was swifter than he ever dreamed.

34 ... c,t>g6? Black's last hope was 34 . . . l:txb4! ? 35 tt:le4+ l:txe4+ 36 c,t>xe4 ltc6, when White's task i s se

verely complicated by the need to avoid the exchange of rooks (since he has the wrong col oured bishop for his rook's pawn) . For instance, 37 .l:.xa6? �xa6 38 i.xa6 c,t>g7 or 37 .txa6? l:!.c2 38 h3 :ta2 ! both draw at once. 35 :xa6

Korchnoi deprives Bacrot of h i s final bargaining tool : the a6-pawn . Meanwhile, Black's rooks can do nothing but witness the crime in powerless fury. 3 s .. .fs 36 h4

Fixing a target on hs. Houdini suggests simply 36 bS! at once. 36 .. . f4+ 37 c,t>f3 ! �f6 38 l:.xb6 :xb6 39 tt:'ld 3 !

All i s secured - and t o m ake m atters worse, f4 fall s a s wel l . 39 . • . Itc6? 40 �b7?

Presumably both players were bashing out their moves instantly at this point in order to reach the time control, overlooking that Black's last move drops the rook to 40 tt:les+. 40 . . . l:tc3 41 <ittxf4 �f6

2 2 9


The knight can 't be touched, as 41 .. J::txd3 ?? 42 �e4+ wins to the rook by a different fork.

"All life i s sacred," pontificates the bishop, while secretly feel ing that some l ife (mainly h is

own ! ) may be just a tad more sacred than others.

42 .ie4 �b3 43 '>ite3 l:!.b1 44 �d4 1lg1 45 bs �e6 46 b6 1-0

It i sn 't possible to ignore the unignorable. White's passed b-pawn surges forward, the way a horse explodes from her gate at the Kentucky Derby. Bacrot didn 't need to see any further moves, such as 46 ... '>itd6 47 b7 ltb1 48 'iti>c4 �b6 (or 48 . . . �C7 49 lLlb4 Ita1 so 'it>bs with ltJa6+ to follow) 49 lLlb4 with a fatal zugzwang .

Question: Wait a minute. Why can't Black allow a fork here, and hand White a drawn rook's pawn and wrong coloured bishop

ending again with 49 . . . 'iti>c7 so ltJdS+ 'iti>xb7 S 1 lDxb6+ 'iti>xb6 - ?

Answer: This ending is only drawn if the black king reaches h8 , which it can't. For example: 52 'iti>ds 'it>c7 53 �e6 '>itd8 54 i.g6 ! and White forces a queen.

1 ltJf3 dS 2 C4 d4!?

Game 30 C.Gabriei-V.Korchnoi

Germa ny-Switzer la nd match, Zu rich 1999 Reti Opening

Thi s is Black's most aggressive option - and one of his best. Long experience has proven to me that White has a difficult time extracting an edge from this position. 3 b4

Other options are 3 e3 or 3 g3 . For example: 3 e3 lDc6 4 exd4 ltJxd4 s lDxd4 't!ixd4 6 lDc3

2 3 0


e5 7 d3 ltJe7 8 .lie3, C. Lakdawala-A.Chernin , Las Vegas 1998, when White can play d3 -d4

next, but I doubt it offers any advantage.

3 . . . f6

In order to build a big centre with . . . e7-e5 .

4 e3 es

s cs l? "What the devil ! ? " writes Korchnoi of thi s move. Perhaps Gabriel hoped to out-eccentric

Korchnoi thi s game.

Question: Doesn 't 5 exd4 give White a nice-looking reversed Benoni ?

Answer: Black isn 't planning t o recapture. In stead, he repl ies s . . . e4! 6 ..We2 (moving the knight at once allows 6 . . . 'ii'xd4) 6 . . . 'ii'e7 7 lDg1 (7 ltJh4? ! ltJc6 ! i s even better for Black) 7 ... ltJc6 ! , regaining the pawn with advantage. For example : 8 'iie3 ltJxb4 9 ltJa3 ltJh6 ! 10 �b2 ltJfs 11 'i!Vb3 as 12 ltJc2, J .Granda Zuniga-N .Short, Lima (rapid match , Sth game) 2012, and now Black stands clearly better after 12 . . . ltJd3+! 13 �xd3 a4! 14 'iVb4 exd3+ 15 �xe7+ �xe7 16 ltJe3 ltJxe3 17 fxe3 a3 18 .ic3 b6! , when both . . . ..ta6 and . . . l:.a4 are in the air.

A less radical alternative is s 'i!Vb3 cs 6 bxcs ltJc6 7 �e2 .ixcs 8 .ia3 'i'e7 9 .ixcs 'ii'xcs 10 exd4, R.Kempinski - E . Postny, Greek Team Championship 2012 , though I stil l prefer Black's position after 10 . . . ltJxd4 11 ltJxd4 'Wxd4 12 ltJc3 f:tJe7. s .. . d3 1 ?

Wow! Korchnoi unleashes a Laskerian, brazenly ri sky idea, rife with contradiction of principle, yet still very playable from a practical standpoint. The masses generally follow the charismatic over the wise. Thi s plan indeed looks tempting , granted that Black's origi nal premise - that his bind outweighs White's lead in development - is true. GM Tony Kosten gave thi s move two exclamation marks . On more careful reflection, I believe this radi cal refutation attempt objectively deserves a " ? ! " mark instead - though I 've upgraded it to

2 3 1


" ! ?" due to Black's enhanced practical chances. If White is unabl e to di slodge the d3-pawn , he is in danger of asphyxia.

Question: I sn 't Black violating principle by moving only pawns in the opening rather

tha n pieces?

Answer: Well , yes - though at thi s point in the book we should be used to thi s from Korchnoi 's side ! H i s plan does indeed come close to col lapsing under the merciless gaze of computer scrutiny. But against a flesh -and-blood opponent, it may not be so bad.

Otherwise, 5 . . . a5 looks like the routine reaction, but then Black must be ready for 6 it:Jxe5 ! ? fxe5 7 'i!Vh 5+, as in L.Van Wely-V. Kramnik, Nice (rapid) 2008, which continued 7 ... �d7 8 'i'f5+ \t>e8 9 'ii'h 5+ 'it>d7 10 'Yi'f5+ rJile7 11 'iHxe5+ i.e6 (not 11 . . .�f7?? 12 .ltc4+ \t>g6 13 h4! h 5 14 'iVg3+! and wins ; e .g . 14 . . . \t>h6 ? 15 'iVf4+ ! \t>h7 16 .id3+ g6 17 '1Wf7+ and 18 1/Wxg6 m ate) 12 .ic4 '1Wd7 13 b5 c6 14 it:Ja3 it:Jf6 1 5 �b2 �f7 16 i.xd4 cxb5 17 ..txe6+ 'i'xe6 18 'ii'xe6+ �xe6 19 it:Jxb5 it:Ja6 20 i.xf6 gxf6 21 d4 b6 22 cxb6 �b8, when Black survived the ordeal and achieved dynamic equality. 6 'iVb3!?

Gabriel decides to goad Korchnoi on. Preventing . . . e5 -e4 by 6 it:Jc3 would be more prudent. 6 . . . e4

Of course, Korchnoi has no choice but to elaborate on his previous statem ent by backing up the intruder on d3. 1 iLld4 a s

Hoping t o undermine c5 after all . Meanwhile, White's lead i n development keeps growing . 8 it:Jc3 fs

2 3 2


Question: It i s unbelievable to m e that Black can survive here. Korchnoi has indulged in eight pawn pushes in a row, while h i s opponent kept developing . I s Black l ost?

Answer: Black's pawn armada proves to be a more difficult obstacle than we m ay have imagined. Intuitively, I would agree with you and do prefer White's chances, but let's not underestimate Black's . If he manages to keep h i s gargantuan centre intact, then White' s entire k ing side remains in l imbo. Interestingly, Houdini only th inks White has a sl ight edge. Let 's do a planning exercise:

Exercise {planning}: How would you try and exploit White's massive l ead in development?

Answer: Any move but Gabriel 's next one ! 9 ltJe6?

A reaction disconnected from the task of bringing Black's original offence to justice. This feel s like a time-wasting enterprise by White, who swaps off a powerfully central i zed knight for a bishop which has yet to move. (Well , come to think of it, every piece in Black's camp has yet to move ! ) In stead, White might play:

a) 9 b S ! (a promising pawn sac, which attempts a direct refutation) 9 . . . �xcs 10 ltJe6 ! (th is is much stronger now) 10 . . . iie7 (or 10 . . . i.xe6 11 'ti'xe6+ lbe7 12 g4! ) 11 l2Jxcs 'ii'xcs 12 .ia3 'ti'es 13 f4 'i!Vf6 (or 13 . . . exf3 14 �dS ! ) 14 �b2 'iVf7 15 ttJds ! (Black can barely move) 1s ... ltJf6 (1S . . . �e6?? runs into the overload shot 16 l2Jxc7+ ! ) 16 .txf6 gxf6 17 ..txd3 ! exd3 18 .!:tel and now we begin to notice the negative implications of Black's ri sky opening scheme. I like White's chances here.

b) Korchnoi , in My Best Games, invests two and a half pages analyzing the consequences of the undermining move, 9 g4! . Thi s looks very promising too, since it follows the principle: Open the position when leading in development.

In any case, both a) and b) look a lot better than Gabriel 's move. 9 • • .'ii'e7!

Korchnoi understands that it i s crucial to retain h is l ight-squared bishop. After 9 . . . .ixe6? ! 10 'i!Vxe6+ lbe7 11 bS ! , Black has a similar position to that after 9 bS ..txcs 10 lbe6 �xe6 above, without the extra pawn to show for it. But 9 ... a4 ! ? comes into consideration , when 10 'ii'c4 (10 lDxa4? ! 'i!i'd7 forks the two knights) 10 .. . 'i!Ve7 11 ttJxf8 (or 11 lLlf4 c6) 11. . .'it>xf8 might give Black a slightly superior version of the game. 10 ltJxf8?!

losing a tempo. Korchnoi actual ly gave this move "??" , an assessment which seems excessive. He suggests 10 'ii'a4+ 'it>f7 ! 11 ltJxf8 with an extra tempo over the game continuation . But even here, I l ike Black's position after 11 . . .lbf6 ! 12 ltJxh7 l:!.xh7. White may be a pawn up but he continues to be denied the participation of h i s entire kingside. 10 • . . '.t>xf8

2 3 3


Once again Black might consider the sac 10 . ..lt.'lf6 ! ? 11 tt:Jxh7 llxh7 with tremendous compensation for the pawn . 11 bs �e6

And here is the free tempo. Suddenly, I l ike Black, who doesn't seem so far behind in development anymore, yet still retains h i s m assive central bind. We can pinpoint White's n inth move as the source of his coming troubles. 12 �a4 tt::'ld7 13 i.a3

Very intimidating, but not to Korchnoi who goes into h i s famil iar pawn grabbing m ode - which in th is instance happens to be Black's best plan . The immediate 13 c6 is m et by 13 . . . bxc6 14 bxc6 tt::'lb6 and White doesn't have time for �a3. 13 . . . tt:Jxcs!

Everything has been worked out. Korchnoi ' s awesome calculation abil ities allowed him to enter such scary-looking l ines without fear. 14 'ii'd4 b6 15 tt::'la4 'it>f7!

One simple move and all the pin tricks on the a1-f8 diagonal vanish . 16 tt:Jxcs bxcs 17 i.xcs 'ii'gs

2 3 4


18 g41

White's best practical chance. Time has run out: White must show his cards or fold. Gabriel , having reached a frustration point of seemingly eternal impasse, tries to appease dying hopes with a jarring, anarchistic lunge . Unfortunately, at th i s stage the point of di minishing returns may have already been crossed.

Question: This l ooks rather desperate but i s it necessary?

Answer: I don 't blame White for h i s desperation, because of the following factors: 1. Black has only to play . . . lt:lf6 to bring al l h i s remaining pieces out. 2. White 's fl-bishop continues to preside over meaningless ritual and his h i-rook re

mains in a cryogenic state; both are obl ivious to the world around them. 3 . The queen side has opened, which is heavily in Black's favour, since he is in effect a

rook and a bishop up until White discovers a way to activate h is king side. Conclusion : White may actually be busted here, despite Houdin i' s mild, -0. 33 evalua

tion . So radical , even unsound measures may be h i s best shot at complicating Black's task. 18 . . .'1i'xg4

Not 18 . . .fxg4? 19 ..tg 2 lt:lf6 20 o-o and White' s kingside emerges . 19 'iies J:.cs 20 h3 'ii'gs

Neither of White 's h l-rook or fl-bi shop can move, despite h i s pawn sac. 2 1 i..d4 ctJf6 22 'ii'h2

The queen descends to her new throne. Such a retreat i s symptomatic of a position in the throes of decline, but otherwise the rook never gets out. White's once marginal initiative now ever so slowly creeps towards the description of non-exi stent. 22 .. .l�hd8 23 litg1

At last! The fl-bishop, though, remain s in stasis . 2 3 . . .'1i'h4 24 llc1

2 3 5


Targeting c7. 24 . . . tZ'le8 25 �cs g6 26 a4 .:!.d s 27 ltc6 'iid8

The longer the game goes on, the more things remain the same. White's position remains as bereft of counterplay as it did a dozen moves ago, whereas Black's plan is simple : open the queenside and White col lapses with his pieces sti l l log-jammed on the king side. 28 �C3 tZ'ld6 29 h4

Korchnoi isn 't going to allow Gabriel to open the h -file . 29 . . . �d7 3o hs gs

Oh, no you don 't. A sobering microcosm of White's problem all game long : h is bishop and rook's names, much to their chagrin, still don't appear on the guest l i st. 31 h6?!

This merely speeds up Black's victory. But after 3 1 .l:.a6 h 6, White's position is hopeless anyway. His king 's rook and bishop continue to l anguish, and now his queen has been added to the mix, while Black prospers on the other wing . For example : 32 �xas is met by 32 .. .'t!Vf6 ! 3 3 �c3 �cs ! (weak back rank) 34 f3 .:txc3 3 5 dxc3 'ikxc3+ 36 �d2 'i'a3 37 �f2 ttJc4 38 �dl f4 ! , when Black's central pawns traffic in human suffering and White' s king fin ally grasps the true measure of his own predicament. 31 . • • .ixc6 32 'fihs+ 'it>e6 0-1

After 33 bxc6 llb8 34 'i!Vdl (the party returns in absolute disarray) 34 .. . g4, White can only sit and wait as Black's forces rapidly infiltrate the queenside.

Game 31 R.Felgaer-V . Korchnoi B led Olym piad 2002

French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 tZ'lc3 .i.b4 4 es tZ'le7 5 a3 .txc3+ 6 bxc3 cs 7 a4 ii'as

2 3 6


8 'iid2

Question: Wouldn't 8 .i.d2 be more logical ?

Answer: White's move i s very playable . His reasoning : The optimal placement for h is darksquared bishop is on the a3-f8 diagonal , so the queen takes up the task of protecting c3 . Nevertheless, 8 i.d2 is more commonly played. For example: 8 . . . tt:lbc6 9 tt:lf3 Si.d7 10 .1b5 'We? 11 o-o 0-0 12 .Ue1 b6 13 .1d3 h6 ! (alertly preventing a nasty Greek Gift sac on h7) 14 'Wc1 (White his attention to an h6 sac instead) 14 . . . c4 15 Si.e2 f6 (Principle : Stage a central

counter when menaced on the wing) 16 .tf4 tt:lg6 17 .ltg 3 fxe5 18 dxe5 tt:lge7 19 tt:ld4 tt:lxd4 20 cxd4 tt:lf5 and the position is dynamically balanced, R .Byrne-V.Korchnoi, N ice Olympiad 1974. 8 . . . tt:lbc6 9 tt:lf3 f6

Here 9 . . . .1d7 is seen ten times more often, though the text i s actually Black's best scoring l ine. Korchnoi wastes no time and assaults the head of White's pawn chain immediately. 10 .1d3? !

Too routine. Felgaer later improved upon h is play with 10 .1b5 Si.d7 11 exf6 gxf6 12 o-o

o-o-o 13 ii.a3 cxd4 14 tt:lxd4 e5 15 tt:lb3 'Wc7 16 tt:lc5 and I prefer White's chances in his ultra-sharp position, R .Felgaer-A. Rustemov, Dos Hermanas 2005, and R .Felgaer-Y.Shulman , Buenos Aires 2005 . 1o . . . fxes 11 dxes o-o 12 o-o?!

White should probably go for the ending after 12 c4.

2 3 7


Exercise (planning): I s the exchange sac on f3 worth playing?

Answer: In a heartbeat. Such a sac, which really isn 't much of a ri sk at all , can be made on gut instinct, without furnishing it with preci se variation s . 12 • . • .l:.xf3 !

White's last move was a serious error. For the bargain price of just an exchange : 1 . Black gets the powerful white e-pawn . 2. He decimates the pawn structure which surrounds White's king . 3 . And with numbers #1 and #2 , a strong attack on White's king i s sure to follow.

13 gxf3 c4!

Question: Why an exclamation mark, when Black places his pawns on the same colour as his remaining bi shop?

Answer: Positional niceties don 't mean anything in positions where one side i s planning to mate the other. The move al so follows the principle : A rigid pawn structure favours kn ights.

Thi s means that with his last move, Korchnoi managed to: 1 . Send White's attacking bishop to a more passive square. 2 . Secure fs for his knight. 3 . Prevent any game opening c3 -c4 ideas from White. Moreover, Black's supposedly bad bishop soon radiates energy when transferred to g6

or hS . He can even play . . . .tc6 and . . . dS-d4, targeting the weakened f3 -square . 14 Ji.e2 t"Dxes 15 i.a3 l"Dfs 16 f4 l"Dg6 17 .ig4 l"Dgh4!

The knights begin to exhibit the darker side of their nature.

2 3 8


1 8 ..ib4 'Wic7 1 9 a s Wkf7 Korchnoi methodically transfers an overwhelming force into the vicinity of White's

king . 20 f3 ..td7 21 :tae1 'ii'g6!

Threaten ing . . . h7-h 5 . An example of Korchnoi 's remarkable powers of calculation can be seen through the lens of thi s unnatural m ove, which on the surface appears shallow, since White will play �h l and .l:lg l, facing down Black's queen on the g -file . As it turns out, Black's queen is perfectly happy to remain on the file due to hidden tactics. 22 'it'h1 i.c6!

A move heavy with dark impl ication. As we noted on move 13, the target is now f3 , and White l ives in constant fear of .. . dS-d4 tricks . 2 3 �f2 d4!

Thematic and powerful , threatening . . .'ii'xg4. Well , the move arrived sooner than we all

2 3 9


expected. Korchnoi continues to pauper himself, yet simultaneously his position grows

ever more prosperous.

24 .ltxfs !? Giving up his best defender of the l ight squares i s not a good sign. The only alternative

was 24 J:tg1, but then 24 . . . d3 ! 2 5 cxd3 (now 2 5 i.xf5 ?? is met simply by 2 5 . . . 'ii'xf5 26 'ir'xh4 Ji..xf3+ 27 l:tg2 d2 28 l:f1 'ii'd5 and White i s crushed) 2 5 . . . cxd3 26 c4 'i'h6 still l ooks difficult for White. 24 • • • lDxfs 2 5 cxd4 ii..d s

Just look at the firepower of Black's l ight square blockade. 26 c3

Question: Seeing as Black's minor pieces run rampant and find themselves at the top of the food chain with not a single predator to threaten them, can

White break the attack by returning the exchange with 26 l:r.e5 'ii'h 6 27 litxd5 - ?

Answer: In doing so, White merely swaps one problem for another. He remains with an awful structure and the black knight dominates its minor counterpart after 27 . . . exd5 28 �d2 l:!.e8. 26 • • • 'i¥h s

Amazingly, Houdini, i n an example of out of control capital i stic excess, badly mis assesses thi s position, awarding White a slight plus ! No sane human would prefer White here. 27 .:es 'i¥h6 28 l:.e4

The rook refuses to take evasive action and parks himself squarely in the bishop's path . However, clamping a child's band aid over a badly haemorrhaging wound, i s at best a temporary solution . 28 • • • 'ii'h3

2 4 0


White's queen feigns indifference, when i n truth she desperately fears her si ster.

White's king can 't move a muscle without Black's suspicious queen peering over his shoul

der. Of course the offer to take on e4, which repairs White's structure and activates h is

game, i s met by curt refusal .

29 l::tg1 White's king, with a sixth sense for danger, signal s h is guard to draw closer. But not yet

29 �g2?? 'it'xg2+ 30 ..t>xg2 (now Black cashes out) 30 . . . i.xe4! (removal of a defender) 3 1

fxe4 tt::le3+ and wins .

29 . . . b6 1

Black cheekily seeks entry for his single rook into White's position. 30 'it'g2 'it'hs 31 a6 :tcs 32 i.d6??

The long motionless bishop, tired of sitting in a Zen attitude of contemplation, finally makes his move. Felgaer finds it difficult to shake off an increasing sense of foreboding, an d logically attempts to reposition a piece to seize the initiative. H is last move looks l ike a clever overload trick to transfer the bishop (which can't be taken due to mate on g7) to a more active position, but it turns out to be a fatal blunder.

White should have played 32 'i'ig4 ! ir'xg4 (bel ieve it or not, Black is still the one with the initiative, even in the ending , but it seems White can hold) 3 3 l:txg4 .l:.c6 (intending . . . b6-b5 and . . . l:!.xa6) 34 .:f.g s (threatening :f.xfs ! ) 34 . . . g6 35 �g1 ! bs (here 3S . . . tt::lh4 36 l:.gs ! tt::lfs repeats, but not 36 . . . tt::lxf3 ?? 3 7 IIxdS ! exds 38 l:.e8+, followed by l:te7+ and .Uxa7 and suddenly White is winning) 36 �g2 l:txa6 (after 36 ... .ltxe4? ! 37 fxe4 tt::le3+ 38 ..t>f3 tt::lc2 39 .ics l:txa6 40 dS ! , White has dangerous counterplay) 37 .l:!.e2 (finally moving the rook out of danger) 37 . . . .l::!.a4 38 .:b1 �f7 39 ..tcs a6 40 �f2 i.b7, when neither side can do very much .

Exercise (combination alert}: The barrier to Black's wishes have been l owered temporarily. We must act swiftly and decisively. Black to play and win .

2 4 1


Answer: By simply covering g7 . Black sets up a deadly double attack. He threaten s the bishop, as well as . . . t"Llh4, picking off the f3-pawn, the lodestone to which both sides are drawn.

32 . . . g6! 3 3 �es The bishop is the tragic hero who arrives too late to join the battle .

33 . . . t"Llh4 0-1 Black's queen and knight stay close together, with the appearance of conspirators

hatching a plot. Meanwhile, White' s queen, who long cradled f3 like a mother with a newborn, stands mute, commiserating with tears for her child as Black ruthlessly seizes h im.

Gabriel resigned, s ince after 34 'ilke2 'ii'xf3+ (White 's k ing dem ands to know how his fpawn suddenly vanished; " I am at a loss , your m ajesty," responds Black's queen, with a hint of a Mona Li sa smile) 35 iixf3 t"Llxf3 , White crumbles in a tangle of forks and pins .

C h a pt e r F o u r

Korchnoi on E x p loiting I m ba l a n ce s

An imbalance to Korchnoi is like a toy store to the six-year-old, whose nose flattens when pressed against the window, who gazes with longing at the treasures in side. Once an imbalance occurs, Korchnoi drinks in the data, not so much with the eye of a log ician , but with that of a poet. He invariably looks for - and finds - unseen (to me at least ! ) anomalous methods of enhancing his own imbalance and, at the same time, negating the potency of his opponent's.

My favourites from this chapter are Korchnoi 's two battles against his great nemesis , Karpov. In the first (Game 36) , Korchnoi , after handing over the bishop pair, promptly places all h is pawns on the same colour of his remaining bishop - a clear violation of prin ciple. Yet, through hidden incongruities only perceived by Korchnoi, this stil l favoured his side and managed to strategically confuse a positional player as unconfusable as Karpov.

2 4 3


In the second (Game 40), Korchnoi 's queen and pieces, with weaving undulations, ex

ploiting the X-factor of Karpov's desperately weak king, eclipsed and finally routed Kar

pov's pair of queens.

Game 32 V.Korchnoi-M.Botvinnik

Moscow-Len i ngrad match 1960 Nimzo-lndian Defence

1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 e6 3 ltJc3 .tb4 4 e3 The Rubinstein Nimzo- lndian , a bold choice against Botvinnik, who was probably the

variation's greatest practitioner of all time. 4 . . . b6

2 4 4

Korch n o i o n Exp l o i t i ng I m b a l a n ces

Botvinn ik had a fondness for the queenside fianchetto l ines . I just fin ished a book on

the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, and in it White sometimes achieves th i s position with colours

reversed after 1 b3 ds 2 .ib2 cs 3 e3 CiJc6 4 .ibs .

5 CiJe2

Logical - White denies his opponent any kind of doubl ing .

s . . . CiJe4

s . . . i.a6, s . . . cs and; s . . . .ltb7 are the most commonly played moves here.

6 'i'c2 White continues his pol icy of not allowing the doubling of his c-pawns.

6 ... j.b7 7 a3 The first imbalance: White picks up the bishop pair.

7 ,,j_xc3+ 8 CiJxc3 fs

Question: Does Black have compensation for han ding over the two bishops.

Answer: Control over e4 and a lead in development - not such a bad deal .

9 b3 I n a later game Korchnoi diverged here, playing 9 dS CiJxc3 10 "ii'xc3 0-0 11 dxe6 dxe6 12

b3 Wile? 13 �b2 ctJd7 14 0-0-0 ! ? CiJf6 15 f3 l::tad8 16 ..lte2 l:!.xd1+ 17 �xdl tt'ld7 18 .tc2 l:!.f7 19 l:.d1 with a sl ight edge due to the bishop pair , which Korchnoi managed to squeeze out to a win , V.Korchnoi-P .Markland, Hastings 1971/72 . 9 . . . o-o 10 .ltbz d6 11 d s !

The same mechanism, albeit i n a delayed fashion, a s in Korchnoi 's g ame against Markland in the previous n ote. 11 ... tt'lxc3 12 'ii'xc3 es

Principle : If your opponent has the bishop pair, keep the game closed. I n thi s game it comes in handy, since White threatens mate on the move.

2 4 5


13 f4 Korchnoi attempts to apply pressure on the long diagonal , but Black has es adequately

covered. 13 . . . tt::ld7 14 i.d3 �h4+ 15 g3 �h6

15 . . . � 3 would probably induce White to castle long, with a sharper position than the

one reached in the game.

16 0-0 Adding latent pressure to fS , which later proves to be the hub from which all of Black's

sorrows radiate. 16 . . . c6!?

White's forces continue to throw restive glances in the direction of Black's king. Botvin nik, taking a slightly divergent course, logically wants to open h is bishop's diagonal but in so doing violates the principles : Don 't open the game for your opponent's bishop pa ir, and

don 't create backward pawns on open files.

Question: Why i s Black so afraid to open the a1-h 8 diagonal . How would White respond if Black continues with 16 . . . e4 - ?

Answer: The move i s playable, since no immediate peril i s evident in Black's position , but it's unthematic and reduces his counterplay alm ost to zero. H i s bishop, in particular, would be a dismal -looking piece. White could respond with 17 �e2 and then has a choice of two plans :

A: Play for an eventual C4-c5 break, perhaps by m anoeuvring his bi shop to d4. B: Play for an eventual g 3-g4 break after �h 1 and .!:tg 1, while if Black tries to prevent

thi s with ... tt::lf6, then White can switch to Plan A. 17 dxc6 ii.xc6 18 'i'c2!

Korchnoi embarks on a plan innocent of ostentation or treachery, yet stil l quite effec-

2 4 6

Korch n o i o n Exp l o i t i ng I m b a la n ces

tive. Sometimes the simplest course i s al so the best. He works the fs -square, hoping to in

duce . . . eS -e4 or . . . g7-g6, both which weaken Black's position .

18 . • . :tae8? ! A response perhaps disproportionate to the provocation . Botvinnik, who decides to di s

card a pawn as if a nail clipping, certainly had a stubborn streak but here he goes too far in attempting to deny his opponent's wishes . He refuses to bow to defensive m easures and, almost petulantly, assumes an insolent posture.

Question: Since you don't much like . . . eS-e4 plans, what would you suggest?

Answer: Korchnoi's own suggestion 18 . . . ttJcs? looks incorrect, as after 19 i.xfs ttJxb3 (19 .. .l:tae8 would transpose to the game) 20 'i'xb3 .l:lxfs 2 1 cS+ 'it>h8 22 'i'c2 ! , White achieves a clear advantage.

In stead, I would go for 18 . . . exf4! 19 exf4 .!:!.ae8 20 l:tae1 (20 i.xfs ?? loses in stantly to

20 . . . .l:.xfs ! 2 1 'ilfxfs .l:!.e2) 20 . . . 1\Vh s, when Black's super-active pieces m ake up for h i s inferior

structure. 19 i.xfs

Of course Korchnoi requires no second invitation to take the pawn .

19 . . . tDcs If now 19 . . . exf4, then 20 .!:txf4 ! i s good for White, who has options of a later .l:!.h4.

20 b4?! Overeager. After the simple 20 l:tad1, White looks clearly better.

20 . . . .1i.a4? Thi s ornamental adjunct isn 't necessary to the plot. Botvinnik misses another chance to

play 20 ... exf4 ! , when 2 1 l:txf4 (21 exf4 is again m et by 21. .JhfS ! 22 'ii'xfs .l:!.e2, wh ile the greedy 21 bxcs?? gets crushed after 2 1. . .fxg 3 22 ..txh7+ �h8 ! ) 2 1 . . . lDe6 ! 22 i.xe6+ (forced) 22 . . .'t!Vxe6 23 l:txf8+ l:!.xf8 24 .Ue1 .i.e4 offers Black loads of compensation for the pawn, due to the principle: Opposite-coloured bishops favour the attacker.

2 4 7


Exercise (combination alert): Korchnoi anticipated Black's l ast move, which walks into a combination . What did Botvinnik overlook?

Answer: Simplification. The anguished black king and queen, glancing in the direction of

their ancestral home, see a column of smoke ri sing from h7 .

21 .ixh7+! 'iixh7 Only with great effort, the queen restrain s her tongue, reluctantly swallowing the in

sult. 21. . .'it>h8 22 'ifg6 'i!fxh7 2 3 'ifxh7+ �xh7 simply transposes. 22 'it'xh7+ �xh7 23 bxcs

Now there's a new imbalance: opposite-coloured bi shops, which in thi s case help Black since he is a pawn down in the ending . 23 • • • exf4

other moves lose a second pawn . 24 cxb6!

24 • . • axb6 Not 24 . . .fxe3? (Black's debt continues to accrue, as expenses outpace income) 2 S llxf8

.l:lxf8 26 bxa7 .ic6 27 .id4 e2 28 .l:le1 .i.f3 29 h 3 g s 30 g4 �g6 3 1 cs dxcs 32 .txcs and White should convert this to a win . 25 exf4 l:te4 26 :Lae1! l:tfe8

Not yet 26 . . . l:f.xc4??, since 27 .l:te7 l:tg8 28 fs 'it>h 6 29 f6 is decisive. 27 'it>f2 �xc4 28 .i::txe8 .ixe8 29 l:!.c1 .Uxc1 30 .i.xc1

The endgame takes form, built on a lean , angular design : White 's plan is to create two connected passed pawns on the kingside, while Black may draw if the pawns get split. As it turns out in the analysi s , the exact opposite proved to be true ! 30 • • . g6

Black can 't halt g3 -g4 forever. For example: 30 ... i.d7 31 '>tf3 .ic6+ 32 'it>g4 �g6 33 fS+

2 4 8

Korch n o i o n Exp l o i t ing I m b a l a n ces

<;t>f6 34 i.b2+ �f7 35 �g5 and White's kingside pawns begin to rol l .

31 g4 �g7?!

Chess hi story can be evenly divided into two eras : 1. BC: Before computers. 2 . AC: After computers. As a person who l ived in both eras, I look back with longing to the good old pre-comp

days, when players actually read books. Today, it feel s as if we just process data. Of course, we are prisoners of progress and have l ittle choice other than to uti l ize chess computers, or we risk havin g the world l eave us behind. Without computers, the following position would have taken me who-knows-how-long to work out. Today, with Houdini (who I treat fairly but without affection, like a di sliked stepchild), I can sort out the detai l s in about half an hour.

After the game Botvinnik said he missed a deeply hidden draw at this point with 31 . . ..i.c6 ! . Clearly, this i s his best chance, whether it draws or not. A train of thought down thi s particular avenue leads to new, vexing dilemmas for both sides. Let's work out whether Botvinnik's claim is true: 32 �g 3 b5 3 3 'it>h4 ..tg2 34 �g 5 .i.h 3 ! (the bishop accepts the unglamorous job of babysitting, thinking to himself: "Hey, it's a living." ) 35 J.b2 d5 36 i.d4 �g8 37 f5 gxf5 reaches a critical juncture:

2 4 9


a) 38 'itrxf5 ? is a fumbling step, with which White's king fai ls to draw nearer to his goal . Yes, it gives White his two connected passers but, shockingly, thi s may be the wrong recapture. At thi s point I couldn 't win as White against Houdini. Analysi s ran : 38 ... �7 39 Wg 5 'it>g8 40 Wh4 .tf1 41 �g3 Wf7 42 h4 'it>g6 43 h5+ Wg 5 44 i.e3+ '.ttf6 45 g5+ (45 Wf4 �g7 46 g5 �e2 47 i.d4+ '.ttg 8 48 h 6 Wh7 is drawn) 45 .. :�f5 46 'it>h4 1i.d3 47 g6 (Black must now hand over his d-pawn to prevent White from queening) 47 . . . d4! 48 1i.xd4 1i.c4 and despite Houdin i's glowing assessment, White fai ls to make progress.

b) The almost impossible to fathom 38 gxf5 ! ! i s correct. Only by splitting the pawns does White win . The longer I play chess, the less I understand it! After thi s stunning decision , the magical drawing properties of the opposite-coloured bishops begin to wane and dim : 38 . . . 'it>h7 39 �b2 i.g2 40 h4 1i.e4 41 .id4 i.f3 42 h 5 .ie4 43 h 6 .tc2 44 �f6 ! ! �xh6 45 'it>e6 and the f-pawn will cost Black h i s bi shop.

However, thi s i s not the end of the analysis, since White has the wrong coloured bishop

2 5 0

Ko rc h n o i o n Exp l o i t ing I m b a l a n ces

for h i s a-pawn. Thi s means that White must win the piece, while keeping Black's king out

of a8. Incredibly, he can manage both : 4S .. .<�g 5 46 f6 i.g6 47 f7 i.xf7+ 48 'it>xf7 �fs 49 i.g7

d4! so 'it>e7 ! ! (zugzwang ! - not so i..xd4?? �e4 51 i.g1 �dS and the king makes it to a8

with a draw) SO . . .'it>e4 5 1 �d6 d3 52 ii.c3 and White wins .

32 'i!fg3 ii.c6 33 'it'h4 i..g2 ! 34 'it'gs if.h3!

How annoying. Botvinnik blocks off h2-h4. Korchnoi, undaunted, keeps finding ways to

make progress .

35 .ib2+ �f7 36 a41 The power of the h 3-tal isman's m agic charms are not enough for Black to evade ruin . The threat of i.d4 forces him to break h is blockade of the h -pawn .

36 . . . i.g2

37 h4

Exercise {planning}: In thi s position Korchnoi mi ssed a quick win . Do you see what he overlooked?

Okay, White is still winning after thi s m ove. Answer: But 37 'it'h6 ! wins more quickly. For example : 37 .. . .ic6 (or 37 .. . i.h 3 38 fs gxfs 39 g s ! with similar play) 3 8 i.d4 i.xa4 39 fs gxfs 40 gS ! bS 41 g6+ 'iti>g8 42 'i!tg s i..c2 43 h4 and Black can 't stop the white h -pawn from getting to h7 . 37 . . . if.c6 38 h 5 gxh s 39 'iti>xhS I

In the clear l ight of h is previous move, White' s intention becomes apparent: He gets a very favourable version of the connected pawns, since he i s no longer burdened with an h pawn . 39 . . . i.xa4 40 fs i.d1 41 �gs bs 42 i..c3 1-0

White wins with the final imbalance: the superior majority.

2 5 1


Question: I don 't get it. Didn't Botvinnik just resign in a drawn position ?

Answer: No, White is winning . For example: 4 2 . . . i.e2 4 3 Wf4 ..ltd1 44 g S .ih S 4 5 'it>g 3 ! (in-tending 'it>h4, followed by gS -g6+ and 'it>g s) 4S . . . 'it>g8 46 'it>h4 ..ltf7 47 g6 �c4 48 'it>g s i..a2 49 ..ltb4 .tc4 so i..xd6 i.a2 51 f6 ..tb3 52 ..ltb4 ..ltc4 53 'if.if4 �e6 54 'it'es .ta2 5 5 'if.id6 (threatening 'iile7, followed by f6-f7+) s s . . . 'iilf8 56 Wd7+ 'if.ig8 57 'iile7 and it's game over.

Game 33 V.Korchnoi-M.Tal

USSR Cham pionsh i p, Ye reva n 1962 Benoni Defence

1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 cs 3 ds e6 4 ltJc3 exds s cxds The first imbalance appears : Opposite wing pawn majorities .

s . . . d6

Question: I s there a difference between thi s and the 2 . . . e6 3 ltJf3 cs 4 dS move order?

Answer: After Korchnoi 's next move, 6 lDf3 , the two move orders converge - but otherwise, yes, there can be. Many players are only wil l ing to offer the Benoni when White h as played either an early liJf3 or g2 -g 3 . The reason m ay be to avoid critical variations l ike th is : 6 e4 g6 7 f4 i.g7 8 .tbs+, and now if Black plays the natural block 8 . . . ltJbd7, then all hell breaks loose after 9 es dxes 10 fxes ltJh s 11 e6 'i!Vh4+ 12 g 3 ltJxg 3 13 hxg3 'ii'xh 1 14 ..lte3. I bel ieve current theory favours White here, but the position i s still very complicated, and superGMs such as Topalov and lvanchuk have been known to take on the Black side.

2 5 2

Korch n o i o n Exp lo i t ing Im b a l a n ces

6 tDf3 g6 7 g3

Korchnoi has always had a fondness for the g 2-g3 Benoni .

7 . . . .ig7 8 i..g2 0-0 9 0-0

g . . . ttJa6

Question: What is the purpose of decentral iz ing the knight?

Answer: Its position on the side of the board i s only temporary. The knight sometimes goes on to cs (after .. . cS -c4), or el se it can drop back to c7 to support a queenside expansion with . . . .l:!.b8, . . . tDC7, . . . b7-b6 (after a2-a4 by White) , . . . a7-a6, . . . .td7, and . . . b6-bS .

Nevertheless, 9 . . . a6 (or 9 . . . .l:!.e8 first) 10 a4 ttJbd7 i s more common. For example : 11 i..f4 "fie7 12 h 3 lDh s 13 i..g s f6 14 i..d2 fS 15 e4 ! ? fxe4 (1S . . .f4 16 g4 l2Jhf6 is al so possible) 16 .l:i:e1 lDhf6 17 i.f4 l:tb8 with a complex battle ahead, Wang Hao-E .Tomashevsky, Russian Team Championship 2010. 10 h 3

Question: Why not the immediate 1 0 e4 - ?

Answer: White generally wants to avoid swaps in the Benoni , and here 10 e4 allows Black to dump his worst piece with 10 . . . ..ig4. 10 . . . l2Jc7

Question: Why not toss in 10 . . . lte8 to hold back White's e2-e4?

Answer: . . . .l:Ie8 is playable but there may be a couple of reasons Black holds off: 1. White can easily enforce e2-e4 anyway, whether Black plays .. Jle8 or not. 2 . Sometimes Black may want to defend d6, h is most sensitive point, with . . . l2Je8, so he

2 5 3

� Ko rch n o i: M o ve by M o v e

keeps the square open . After 10 . . . .l:.e8, play might continue 11 tt:ld2 tt:le7 12 a4 b6 13 tt:lc4 (now �f4 i s in the air,

so Black hurries to remove the coming pressure from d6) 13 . . . i..a6 14 'i!Vb3 .lii,xc4 15 'it'xc4 a6 16 .:tb1 tt:ld7 17 tt:le4 h6, C.Sandipan-A.Kunte, Subic Bay 2009 . Here White holds a sl ight

edge after 18 't!Vb3 ! (rather than 18 b4 fs 19 bxcs, when Black has 19 . . . b S ! ) 18 . . . il.f8 19 i.f4. 11 e4 tt:ld7 12 .l:le1

In some versions of the g2 -g3 Benoni, White refrains from his typical tt:ld2-c4 pilgrimage, instead keeping the knight on f3 to play for an e4-e5 break (which, admittedly, i sn 't so easy to pull off) . 12 .. . tt:Je8?!

Question: Is thi s one of those stories of twins switched at birth? Why did Tal 's b8-knight take the convoluted tour

to e8, a square normally reserved for the other knight or a rook?

Answer: Tal 's strange move is clearly superfluous to the position's requirements. He probably feared l ines like 12 ... .l:.b8? ! 13 �f4, when he has to play 13 . . . tt:Je8 anyway; while 12 ... bs? i s strongly met by 13 es ! tt:Jxes? 14 tt:Jxes .lii,xes 15 .l:txes ! b4 16 tt:le4! dxe5 17 .lii,g s f6 18 tt:Jxf6+! l:txf6 19 i..xf6 'i¥xf6 20 d6 and White recoups his m aterial with interest.

However, Tal should have gone for 12 .. . tt:Jes ! which m ay be Black's best m ethod of deal ing with his problems. Chances look close to balanced here. 13 .tgs !

A common Benoni di sruptive mechanism. 13 . . . .tf6

Necessary, but as we will see later, on f6 Black's bishop will be vulnerable to tactics later on . 14 i.e3 l:tb8 15 a4

2 5 4

Korch n o i o n Exp lo i t ing I m b a la n ces

White won 't allow . . . b7-b5 without a fight.

1s . . . a6 Again, Tal should probably toss in 1S . . . lLles ! , following the principle: Seek exchanges

when you are cramped.

16 i.f1! Dual purpose: 1. Rul ing out . . . b7-b5 for the moment. 2 . Covering d3 and c4, White's most sensitive squares.

16 . . .'�e7 17 lLld2 ti'Jc7 The c7-square has a famil iar ring to the knight - a basic admission that Black's 12th

move was rather useless .

18 f4 bs?! Tal should have gone retro with the bishop as well and played 18 . . . .i.g7.

Exercise {planning): It appears as if Black i s back on track. After all , he has fin ally achieved his thematic .. . b7-b5 break. How did Korchnoi prove him wrong ?

Answer: Play h i s own thematic break. Despite Black's 4 : 1 ratio o n the es-square, Korchnoi, through tactics, makes the break work. 19 e5!

Now White's e- and d-pawn stars shine in ascendency. 19 .. . dxes 20 ti'Jde4!

This powerful zwischenzug sends Bl ack reel ing . White threatens both dS-d6, winning a piece, and lt::lxf6+, el iminating the defender of Black's dark squares. 20 . . . 'ifd8 21 lLlxf6+ lLlxf6

Not 21 .. .'ii'xf6? 22 fxes ! , since either recapture loses material : 22 . . . lLlxes? 2 3 i.f4 l:.e8 24 d6 lLla8 2 5 'i!Yds lL!b6 26 .l:!.xe s ! lt::lxds 27 l:!:xe8+ �g7 2 8 i.es, or 22 . . . 'ii'xes? 23 i.f4 ii'd4+ 24

2 5 5


'ifxd4 cxd4 2 5 �xc7 dxc3 26 i.xb8 cxb2 27 l:ta2 tt'lxb8 28 axbs axbs 29 l:txb2 and White wins with his extra exchange.

22 d6 tt'le6 22 .. . exf4?? 23 dxc7 'ti'xd1 24 cxb8� leaves Black blushing .

23 fxes White's d- and e-pawns have grown in stature by at least a couple of inches.

23 .. . b4 24 lL'lds tt:'lxds 2 5 "i!Vxds �b7 26 'i1Vd2 'ii'd7 27 'ifi>h2

The position stabilizes, with multiple imbal ances in White's favour: 1. White owns the bishop pair. 2 . Black i s missing his all -important dark-squared bi shop, which means he suffers by

default on the dark squares for the remainder of the game. 3 . White 's central majority, with his embedded, passed d-pawn, is a lot scarier than

Black's queenside majority. 4. Dire threats suspend in perpetuity over the black king's head, again due to his vul

nerability on the punctured dark squares h6, g 7 and f6. 2 7 . . . b3 28 l;Iac11

Brilliant positional play and a display of generosity from Korchnoi , who didn 't want to waste a tempo on 28 as . 28 . . . 'i+'xa4 29 i.c4!

Targeting e6.

Question: What do you mean : "Targeting e6"? Wouldn 't that just hand over White's advantage of the bishop pair?

Answer: Korchnoi relies on the principle: Opposite-coloured bishops (after chopping on e6) favour the attacker - in this case White. 29 .. . i.c8 30 ILf1 .l:.b4 31 i..xe6 i.xe6 32 i.h6 .:tea 33 'ii'gs !

2 5 6

Ko rch n o i o n Exp lo i t ing I m b a la n ces

Threatening to slip into f6 and force mate.

33 ... l:i.e4! Reminding White that he, too, has an exposed king .

34 l:!.f2 Not yet 34 iif6?? as this Black to save himself with 34 . . . l:te2+ 3 5 l:.f2 (forced) 3 S . . . Ilxf2+

3 6 �xf2 'ir'd4! , and if 37 'ii'f6? ! then 3 7 .. .'if'xb2+ 3 8 �g 1 'ifd4+ 39 �h 2 'ilfh2+ with a draw. White's king , for the good of his health , must remain on dark squares . 34 ... fs !

Tal continues to find only moves to remain al ive. 35 �f6

Now White has two deeply entrenched passers, as well as the stronger attack. 35 .. .'if'd7 36 l:txcs

Threatening l:tC7. 36 .. . :c4

Once again , the only move. 36 .. .'ii'f7?? 3 7 .l:.c7 'ii'xf6 38 exf6 i s hopeless for Black. 37 .l::!.xc4 .ixc4 38 :.d2 !

Ensuring that i f Black's queen ever moves, then d6-d7 will be deci sive. 38 .. . .ie6 39 .l:ld1 'i'a7!

The dead queen, once a woman, now arises transformed into something new and not quite human . Tal keeps finding dirty tricks, even when tied up - this time an invasion threat on f2 .

2 5 7


40 l:[d2 'ii'd7 41 l:d1 1i'a7 42 l:ld4! Nyet to your draw offer, buddy! Korchnoi engages in few dirty tricks of his own : Not

only i s the rook immune, White al so threatens to disrupt communications to g7 by pushing h is d-pawn next move. 42 . . J'Nd7

The queen failed in her ambition as a righter of wrongs, and returns empty h anded and chastened, unable to decide which of the two i s the more awful . 43 g4! a s !

Tal avoids a trap and plays on h i s lone hope : h i s queenside pawn majority. 43 . . .fxg4?? loses at once to 44 I1.f4! {threatening mate on f8, starting with a queen sacrifice) 44 . . . i..ts .

2 5 8

Exercise (combination alert}: So far Black's king has been tantalizingly out of reach - until now. White to play and force m ate.


Answer: Overload. Three black pieces cover e6 , and yet they aren 't enough : 45 e6 ! ! and mate follows whichever way the pawn i s captured. This turns into a recurring tactical theme as the game goes on. Black can know no peace if White ever obtain s control over e6.

44 �g3 Korchnoi certainly takes his time about it, the way a cautious driver on the autobahn

refuses to drive over 80 kilometres an hour. He begins a somewhat mutated version of the winning idea, played with the following philosophy: Black's sole asset is White's exposed king , and in losing that Black loses all . So he decides to hide his king on h4 before initiating

action . Korchnoi 's move is still winning, but he missed an immediate knockout with 44 gxf5 !

.txfs 45 :c4 'ir'a7 46 l:tc5 ! 'ii'f7 (or 46 . . . a4? 47 e6 ! �xe6 48 :tc7 and Black has no checks to give) 47 l:te7 'itxf6 48 exf6 ii.e6.

Exercise (combination alert}: White to play and force the win .

Answer: Deflection. 49 f7+! i.xf7 SO d7 l:td8 51 .l:tc8 etc. 44 . . . l:tb8 45 �h4!?

45 gxf5 ! ii.xfs 46 .l:.c4 'il'a7 47 l:tcs ! i s stil l deci sive, as White threatens es-e6 again, while 47 . . . .l:te8 48 �h2 ! just transposes to the previous note. 4s . . :ilff7 46 'it>gs !

I s it just me, or do you too feel a certain Dr. Strange love quality to White's crazy king 's ride into the wild blue yonder?

2 5 9


46 .. .fxg4 47 hxg4 i.d7 Tal does his very best to fake confidence in a hopeless situation by playing for . . . aS-a4-

a3, but it turns out to be a touch slow. 48 .l:.c4!

Still immune. 48 ... a4 49 llc7 a3 !

The a-pawn's claws extend, sensing prey nearby.

Exercise (critical decision}: Tal just offered a piece, on the basis that he i s about to promote to a new queen. Should White accept the offer and trade on f7, followed by taking on d7? Or i s there something better?

Answer: Destruction of the blockade.

2 6 0

Korch n o i o n Exp lo i t i ng I m b a la n ces

so lbd7 ! ! Only by sac'ing does White win . After 50 'ifxf7+? Wxf7 51 llxd7+ �e6 52 .U.e7+ �d5 5 3

d7 axb2 5 4 l:.e8 blli, it's anybody's game. 50 . . .'ifxd7 51 e6!

The gravitational pull to e6 finally breaks the long held blockade.

51 .. .'iVa7 The queen flutters about, displaying annoyance more than legitimate threats. She con

tinues in vain to try and rectify earlier injustices inflicted upon herself and her king . The attempted perpetual with 51 . . . lih5+ 52 'itth4 g5+ fai ls to 53 �h s ! 'i'e8+ 54 �xg s ,

and i f 54 . . .'ii'g6+ 5 5 'ii'xg6+ hxg6, then 56 d7 axb2 57 e7 �f7 5 8 d81V ltxd8 59 exd8'i!k blli 60 'i!kd7+ Wg8 61 'ii'g7 mate. 52 'We5 !

Deadly central i zation. White covers against all checks and threatens e6-e7 next.

52 . . . axb2 53 e7 �f7

Exercise (combination alert}: Find the move which spell s

ominous finality for Black's resistance and forces mate.

Answer: Interference. 54 d7! 1-0

Until thi s moment, the black king ' s precarious existence was based on the support of powerful patrons, who now suddenly abandon him as if on a whim. Black's hopes die at the hands of the very property which brought it to birth : promotion threats. In thi s case, White's are the more potent, since 54 . . .'i!Vxd7 (the queen arrives inopportunely on d7 - as the old saying goes: in the wrong place at the wrong time) 55 'i¥f6+ �e8 56 "ii'f8 is mate. White's queen poses in triumph over the body of her brother and proclaims : "Trial by combat has concluded and God adjudged Us as rightful heir." Note how Korchnoi cleverly plugged up the fl ight square d7.

2 6 1


1 e4!?

Game 34 T.V.Petrosian-V.Korchnoi

Moscow-Len i ngrad match 196 5 Ruy Lopez

Question: I sn 't this strange territory for Petros ian ?

Answer: Don 't we all at times unconsciously ape the style of another? I suppose the unfamil iar tends to lend enchantment to things which, in reality, may just be mundane to another player. Anyway, to answer your question : Yes, it certainly is . A certain percentage of unfortunates in this world (your writer included) are just misdesigned by nature to open with the king's pawn . If you are in thi s group, it seems as though the 1 e4 players have all the fun , while we who open with 1 d4 and flank openings get all the technical endings . So every once in a while I trot out the dreaded move myself. I actually have a decent score with 1 e4 - higher than all the flank and queen 's pawn openings in fact. (So did Petrosian for that matter, on the rare occasions that he played it as a Grandmaster.)

Question: Then why on earth don't you play it more often?

Answer: Because I tend to quiver in undignified fashion for the entire game, l ike a pre-teen girl at a Justin Bieber concert. It feels as if I 've already overextended and it's only move one ! Somehow my brain can handle 1 e4, while my nervous system can 't ! 1 . . . es 2 tt:lf3 tt:lc6 3 i.bs a6 4 i.a4 tt:lf6 5 o-o tt:lxe4!

Korchnoi was a leading expert on the Open Variation of the Ruy Lopez, but it may still

2 6 2


have come as a surprise since he was mostly playing myriad Sicil ian Defences at this point in his career. Moreover, thi s i s an excellent psychological choice against Petrosian, who would likely conduct a Closed Lopez with deadly skill (and sometimes played it from the Black side). Petrosian was a monster in closed games, especially adept in the French Defence and his own variation of the King's Indian . 6 d4 b s 1 .ib3 ds s dxes

Imbalance : Opposite wing pawn majorities .

8 . . . i.e6 9 c3

The traditional main l ine. Currently g lLJbd2 i s favoured at the highest level . 9 . . . i.e7

Question: Why wouldn 't Black post his bi shop on the more aggressive cs -square?

Answer: That move is played as well . For example : 9 . . . .ics 10 lLJbd2 o-o 11 .i.c2 i.fs (Black should probably prefer 11 ... lLJxf2 ! 12 l':txf2 f6 13 exf6 .i.xf2+ 14 'it>xf2 'ili'xf6 - the notorious Dilworth Variation) 12 lLJb3 ii.g6 13 lDfd4! i.xd4 14 cxd4 as 15 ii.e3 with an edge for White, due to Black's potential weakness on the c-file, C . Lakdawala-E .Sevil l iano, Hawkins Memorial (bl itz playoff) 2006 - as well as numerous other more noteworthy g ames.

The reason Black sometimes refrains is that h e seeks to activate his queenside pawn majority with . . . tt:Jas and . . . c7-c5 . If he posts the bishop on cs , h e essentially plugs the square with a piece, impeding h is majority's progress. 10 ii.f4

This move is still being played, but I don 't like it.

Question: Why not? It develops a piece and overprotects White's strong point on es .

Answer: I prefer the plan of playing for l2Jd4 and then pushing the f-pawn . For example: 10

2 6 3


�c2 ttJcs 11 h 3 o-o 12 I:te1 'ii'd7 1 3 lLld4, A. Karpov-V.Korchnoi , World Championship (24th

matchgame) , Baguio City 1978 .

10 . .. ttJcs

Question: Earl ier you said Black that seeks to activate h is majority with . . . c7-cS . Doesn 't this move plug the cs -square as wel l?

Answer: Only temporarily. This i s a common m anoeuvre of the system. Black reshuffles his pieces with . . . .ig4 and . . . lt:le6 next. 11 i.c2 i.g4 12 h3 i.hs 13 \i'e2

A one-off move, which h as not been played before or since. Petros ian clears d1 for his rook but remains in an irritating pin . More normal i s 13 lt:lbd2 . For example : 1 3 . . . lt:le6 14 ..tg 3 i.g6 (14 . . . i.cs retains the pin on f3) 15 lt:lb3 o-o 16 lt:lfd4 lt:lcxd4 17 i.xd4, B . l vanovicE .Grivas, Nea Makri 1990. 13 . . . lt:le6 14 .th2 i.cs ! ?

The idea i s to reorganize his pieces with . . . lt:le7 and . . . i.b6, in order to begin roll ing h i s queenside pawn majority. 1S lt:lbd2 ltle7 16 l:tad1

I would play something like 16 b4 i.b6 17 a4 c6 18 .l:Ifd1, which has the effect of freezing Black's queenside. 16 . . .'�c8!?

Understandably, the white rook's arrival on d1 m ade Korchnoi nervous about retaining h is queen on the d-file . 17 ltlb3 i.b6 18 �h1!?

Question: What i s the point of thi s mysterious move?

2 6 4

Korch n o i o n Exp lo i t i ng Im b a l a n ces

Answer: Petrosian prepares g2 -g4, perhaps followed by lDfd4 and f2 -f4, rol l ing h is own pawns forward.

1S . . . cs

Korchnoi 's undernouri shed majority receives a much needed infusion.

Question: Why isn't Black castl ing?

Answer: This is deliberate on Korchnoi 's part: After g2 -g4 and . . . ..tg6 , White will be hesitant to play .i.xg6, since ... h 7xg6 leaves the black rook facing White's king on the h -file . 19 g4 ..tg6 20 lL'lh4

The d4-square is denied, so the knight takes another route. Now White is ready for f2-f4, and lDfs hangs over Black as wel l . 20 . . . ..txc2 21 'iixc2 'ii'c6

Dual purpose: the queen covers dS and sits on the a8-h 1 diagonal, the same one as White's king . 22 f4

22 lDfs is met by 22 . . . h s . 22 . . . d4+

The majorities plod on , methodically inching towards their respective goal s . However, Black should perhaps have played 22 ... h s ! here too, since after the text, Petros ian effectively douses any attacking scheme Korchnoi had. 23 'iig2 !

After 23 lDg 2? ! h S , Black has the more dangerous attack. 23 . . .'ii'xg2+ 24 lL'lxg2 ! dxc3!

Question: Can Black try 24 . . . d3 , seeing as White can 't capture due to 25 l:f.xd3 c4 - ?

2 6 5


Answer: That is exactly what I would have played, but the computers show it to be a blun

der due to 2 5 fs tt:Jg s (or 2 S . . . tt:\d8 26 .ig l ! llc8 27 �f4 ! , winn ing the d-pawn all the sam e;

while 2 S . . . tt:\C7 i s met by 26 i.g l ! , winn ing the c-pawn) 26 h4 �e4 27 l:de1 c4 28 .l:txe4 cxb3

29 axb3 with an extra pawn for White.

25 f5 tt:\c7 26 i.g1!?

Dare I accuse Petrosian of recklessness? Here he embarks on a high risk venture in his quest for the initiative. Safer i s 26 bxc3 c4 with a dynamically balanced position . 26 . . . �ed5

Black can also try 26 . . . cxb2 ! 27 �xes �c6 . 27 �xes cxb2 28 :ld2

White regains the pawn but it costs him time. 28 . . . 0-0-0!

Question: I sn't Black's king somewhat exposed on the queenside?

Answer: Probably not with queens off the board. Korchn oi far-sightedly understood that his king was needed to h elp push his majority forward later on . 29 �e4!?

Petrosian gets tempted by the win of an exchange, probably misassessing Korchnoi 's coming compensation, which looks more than enough . 29 l:i.xb2 i s the safer alternative. 29 ... .ixg1

Here Houdini throws out the impossible to see and impossible to assess 29 ... �c3 ! ! 30 l:xd8+ ftxd8 31 �xc3 .l::!.d3 32 �bl (not 32 .ixb6? .l:.xc3 33 .ie3 �ds 34 i.d2 l:.xh 3+ 35 c;f;lgl �c3 36 �f4 l:lf3 ! and wins) 32 . . . .l:!.xh 3+ 33 i.h 2 �dS and White, despite having a piece for two pawns, i s struggl ing, s ince the active black forces and b2-passer badly tie h im down . 30 �xg1

White n ow threatens �d6+, but Korchnoi just ignores it. 30 . . . �b6! 31 �d6+ Ilxd6! 32 exd6 �c4 33 d7+ �d8 34 .Ud3

2 6 6


Both sides foresaw this position, which looks dynamically balanced, yet i t i s White who must play accurately to maintain the balance. Each side's deep passed pawn ties the other down, but Black's pawn has potential infantry support waiting to advance.

34 . ./l'laS I The knight goes retro to add heat to d7.

35 tLlf4?1 Now Black takes over the advantage. Houdini works the game out to a draw after 3 5

tLle3 ! (White's plan : trade off a pair of knights, then loosen up Black's queenside structure with a2 -a4 if possible) 3 S . . . ttJab6 36 ttJxc4 ttJxc4 37 'ifi>f2 �c7 38 a4 l:td8 39 axbs axbs 40 l:tfdl f6 41 Wg 3 'it>c6 42 'ittf4 b4 43 .l:.d4 �cs (after 43 .. .'ito>bS ? ! 44 lib1 b3 45 'iii'e4 �b4 46 J:txb2 'it>c3 47 l:!.e2 b2 48 l:.xc4+ 'ittxc4 49 .!::.xb2 .l:xd7 so l:tc2+ �b3 Sl llc8, I 'm not sure whether White can exploit the fact that the black king is cut off, but obviously all the chances l ie with him) 44 .:ds+ 'ittc6 45 .l:.Sd4 �cs , repeating the position . 3 S . • . ttJab6 3 6 l:.fd1

2 6 7


Exercise (planning/combination alert}: The currents of a stasi s often turn on a single wave. Black has a forcible path to the advantage. What would you play here?

36 . . . b4?? Th is looks l ike time pressure, in which the tormented conjuring of a panicked imagina

tion can be a more dangerous opponent than the one sitting across the board. Korchnoi waivers in an agony of indecision, and opportunity loses its vital ity, like a bullet fired into a

body of water. Answer: Black can promote his b-pawn, starting with 36 ... tt'la4 ! 37 'it>f2 lt:Jcs ! (the knights approach with the cold resolve of assailants who don 't care if they l ive or die) 38 .:d4 (38 .U.f3 ?? fails miserably to 38 . . . tt'ld2 ! ) 38 . . . lt:Ja3 (the vexing knights create fear and di sorder in their wake) 39 1Ib4 bl � 40 .Ubxbl tt'lxbl 41 llxbl �xd7 and Black has regained the exchange, leaving him a pawn up in the ending . 3 7 tt'lds??

Even as World Champion , he was occasionally vulnerable to simple oversights, even with plenty of time on the clock (although this one certainly looks l ike a time pressure blunder, so near the move 40 control ) .

In stead, the advantage would swing to White after 3 7 l::td4 ! (threatening tt'ld3, followed by lt:JcS -b7+ or just :tbl) 37 . . . as (or 37 ... h S 38 gxh S ! ) 38 lt:Jd3 ! and Black is virtually in zugzwang . If 38 . . . 'it'c7, then 39 d8'ii+ ! J:txd8 40 .l:.xd8 �xd8 41 tt'lxb2+ �e7 42 lt:Jxc4 tt'lxc4 43 l:ds and White wins.

2 6 8

Exercise (combination alert}: Petrosian glazes over a threat to h i s position in dismissive fashion and, shockingly, Korchnoi i s granted entrance to the previously unattainable. What did Petrosian miss?

Korch n o i o n Exp l o i t ing I m b a l a n ces

Answer: Knight fork.

37 .. .liJxd 5 3 8 .l:!.xd 5 ttJe 3 "My will i s the law," declares the knight to the rooks. The rooks don 't know what to say,

like school girl s caught smoking in the bathroom by a teacher. The edifice of White's authority comes tumbling down . It's a pretty safe bet that Petrosian 's normally cool demean

our suddenly evaporated right here.

39 1:!.5d3 ttJxd1 40 .l:!.xd1 �c7?! Inaccurate. 40 . . . aS ! 41 .l:f.b1 'itlxd7 saves Black a tempo.

41 l:tb1 �xd7 42 !lxb2 as

The rook and pawn ending i s completely lost for White, whose king i s unable to participate. 43 a3

Thi s actually does Black a favour, but White couldn 't have held the position anyway. The key factor i s that White's king i s a mill ion miles away. By the time it arrives on the queenside, Black's passer wil l be embedded too deeply. 43 ... bxa3 44 �a2 c.t>c6 45 llxa3 .l:taB

Endgame principle : Place your rooks behind your passed pawns.

46 �f2 White has nothing better to do but await the consequences of h i s actions, unleashed on

his ill -fated 3 7th move. 46 . • • a4 4 7 �e2 �bs 48 'iiid2 �b4

The black king warns the rook: "You will conform to the destiny which I assign you." 49 .l:!.a1 a 3 0-1

Petrosian resigned, understanding that so .l:tbl+ �a4 51 J::ta1 l:tb8 and . . . llb2 {+) next is utterly hopeless .

2 6 9


Game 35 V.Korch noi-S.Reshevsky

Ca nd idates (6th matchga me), Amste rdam 1968 Catalan Opening

Sammy Reshevsky, like Lasker and Korchnoi , was a defensive genius when in h i s prime. Unfortunately, the great survivor had l ittl e chance at the tail end of his career in a match against Korchnoi, who was in a way just a younger, more powerful version of Reshevsky himself. Korchnoi won the match comfortably s%-2V2 without losing a single game. 1 c4 t2Jf6 2 tLlf3 e6 3 g3 dS 4 �g2 i..e7 5 o-o o-o 6 d4 c6 7 b3

We reach a Closed Catalan . A warm fuzzy feel ing of security is the lone commodity Black receives when entering th i s variation.

Question: Black m ay be secure for now, but doesn't he also deliberately choose to enter a super-passive set-up?

Answer: The Neanderthal 's dilemma: He picks up a rock and must decide its use: 1 . U se the rock as a weapon against predators to protect his family. 2 . U se the rock to build an impervious shelter to keep predators at bay and protect h is

family. Players who go for the Closed Catalan choose #2 .

7 . . . tt:Jbd7 8 i..b2 b6 9 'ir'c2 .tb7 Another, more active option i s 9 . . . �a6 10 tt:Jbd2 cs 11 e4 l:!.c8 12 exds exds 13 l:f.fd1 J:.e8

14 'il'fs (in th is line White ' s queen often takes refuge from Black's c8-rook on fs) 14 . . . g6 15 'i!Vh 3 cxd4 16 tt:Jxd4 tt:Jcs with a balanced position, E . Bareev-K.Miton , Havana 2006. 10 ltJc3

2 7 0

Korc h n o i o n Exp lo i t i ng I m b a l a n ces

Sometimes White develops the knight to d2 to reinforce c4. For example : 10 �bd2 l:rc8

11 e4 cs 12 exds exds 13 dxcs dxc4 14 �xc4 bs 15 �ces �xes 16 �xes i.xg2 17 'it>xg 2 i,xcs 18 .U.ad1 'ii'as 19 it'fs ! and I prefer White, whose pieces loom over Black's king and are more aggressively posted, U .Andersson-Cu.Hansen, Sweden- Denmark match , Hinnerup 199 5. 10 . . .l:tc8 11 �ad1

11 . . . cs On 11. . .b5 , White usually bypasses, seiz ing space with 12 cs b4 13 ti:1b1 i..a6 14 �e1

i.bs 15 �d3 as 16 a4 Si.a6 17 �d2 which gave him an edge due to his extra queen side space, M.Quinteros-S. Reshevsky, Lone Pine 1979.

Instead, Korchnoi suggests 11 . . .�a6 ! ? .

Question: Doesn't thi s just move the bishop twice?

Answer: True enough, but White posting his knight on c3 made the c4-pawn slightly weaker, so Korchnoi , in typical atonal fashion and with no residual memory, proposes moving the bishop again to attack it. Then 12 �d2 (the ambitious 12 e4! ? dxc4 13 �e2 bs 14 bxc4 bxc4 looks at least even for Black, as White may or may not be able to regain his sac'ed pawn) 12 . . . bs looks okay for Black, T.Markowski-A. Krainski, Bydgoszcz 2001 . Note that 13 cs? ? b4 14 �b1 now loses to 14 . . . SLxe2 . 12 cxds �xds?!

Korchnoi critici zed this move, which hands White an initiative. Black should play 12 . . . cxd4 13 .l:.xd4 �xds 14 'i!Kd1 l:txc3 15 l:txds .ixds, M.Quinteros-M.Stean, Bar 1977, where the players agreed a draw in thi s equal position. 13 ll:lxds ..ltxds

Now Black gets kicked around. But 13 . . . cxds 14 dxcs looks uncomfortable as well , when Black gets saddled with either an isolani (14 .. . �xcs 15 'i!kfs) or the hanging pawns


(14 . . . bxcs 1 5 lLles lLlxes 16 .txes) , h is d-pawn looking weak in either case.

14 e4 cxd4 15 'ii'e2 ..ltb7 16 lLlxd4

Advantage White for several reasons : 1. Black lags in development. 2 . Bl ack's queen i s dangerously placed on the d-file, and . . :ilic7 fail s to li:Jbs tricks. 3 . Black must be on constant watch for sacs on e6, with or without �h 3 inserted.

16 . . . -tcs l? Thi s agitated flutter should lead to difficulties for Black, s ince it appears that, after a

brief respite, his troubles re-emerge redoubled. Black can minimize his di scomfort with the contortion suggested by both Korchnoi and Houdini: 16 .. .'ii'e8 ! - the idea being that 17 li:Jbs can be met by 17 . . . .ta6 ! . 17 b41?

Right idea, wrong implementation . White cements his advantage by the insertion of 17 a3 ! , and if 17 . . . as, only then 18 b4! axb4 19 axb4 .txb4 20 lt:Jxe6 ! (effectively ventilating the centre to expedite his wishes) 20 . . . fxe6 2 1 'iib s 'ireS 22 'ii'xb4, when White h as eliminated his weak a-pawn and left Black with a weak b-pawn . In particular, the continuation seen in the next note, 22 . . . .ta6 23 I!fel li:Jcs, just drops the b-pawn at once. 17 • . • .txd4?1

Reshevsky falters, turning his nose up at a chance for real counterplay. He embarks on an irreversible course of action , which haunts him for the remainder of the game, by making a huge concession and handing Korchnoi the two bishops, to go with his greater space and initiative. Moreover, the activity differential between the two camps now grows perceptibly.

In stead, he should fall into the "trap" with 17 ... .txb4! , as after 18 llJxe6 (or 18 'ifbs ? 'ilfe7 ! ) 18 . . .fxe6 19 1\Vbs 'ili'e8 2 0 'ii'xb4 .ta6 21 .!:tfe1 tt:Jcs, Black's newly enhanced piece activity fully compensates for White's bishop pair. 18 .l:.xd4 'ii'e7 19 ,l;1fd1 li:Jf6 20 bs l

2 7 2

Korch n o i o n Exp l o i t i ng I m b a la n ces

Question: What i s the point of White's last move?

Answer: He freezes the opposing pawns on dark squares, which means that Black must watch out for ..tes-b8 tricks should an ending arise. 20 .. JUd8 21 'ii'd3 ::.xd4 22 'ir'xd4 h6 2 3 f3 1

An excellent strategic decision . All the imbalances favour White. Let's take inventory of White's growing resources:

1. White's bishops dominate Black's bishop and knight. 2. White blunts Black's bishop and prepares to redeploy his own bishop to fl . 3. White's rook is more dangerous and more active than its counterpart. 4. White enjoys a considerable territorial advantage.

23 . . . .l:!.c7 Reshevsky allows the queens to leave the board. His plan i s to transfer his knight to cs .

The active 23 . . Jlc2? just loses a pawn after 24 'iVd8+ 'iff8 2 5 11Vxf8+ 'it'xf8 26 1i.xf6 gxf6 27 .l:!d7 i.c8 28 .l:f.xa7. 24 �dB+ 'ii'xd8 25 �xd8+ �h7 26 .ies l

Denying Black h i s intended . . . lt'ld7-c5 manoeuvre. 26 . . . l:tc1+

26 ... :g_d7?? drops a piece to 27 i..xf6 . 27 .if1

Now White threatens ..txf6, followed by .l:!.d7. 27 • • . j_c8 28 i.b2 llc7 1

Reshevsky deftly avoids a trap. Again 2 8 . . . l:.c2?? i s a mistake: here it walks into 29 �d3 .:Ixb2 30 eS+ g6 31 exf6 ..tb7 32 ltf8 �xf3 3 3 l:txf7+ 'it'g8 34 �xg6, when Black's lone king can 't deal with the surrounding mob. 29 l:tf8 ..tb7 30 �d3? 1

Innate gamblers are subject to great temptations. Korchnoi admits he was playing for

traps in Reshevsky's time trouble. But as we all know by now, it isn 't easy for Korchnoi to

restrain himself from such machinations anyway if the mood is upon him. So he engages

in a duplicitous strategic cheapo which borders upon open piracy. Stronger i s 30 ..i.es ! l:td7

31 'it>f2 'itg6 32 l:tb8, when Black is paralyzed.

30 .. . .l:!.d7 31 ..i.c2

Exercise (critical decision): Can Black get away with 3 1. . . .:td2 - ? Analyze a concrete variation which proves or disproves the move's efficacy.

31 .. . l:.d2? Answer: It 's a trap ! A mob boss should never order a hit he i sn 't will ing to carry out. Not al l double attacks work. When the weaker side assumes the role of aggressor, m assive retaliation i s the inevitable consequence. If it's not possible to reconstruct a happy past, then the next step should be to insure a tolerable present to avoid a misery-filled future.

Reshevsky's pent up frustration cascades down the board. In stead, Black had to shuffle passively and indulge in a lazy tolerance with 3 1. . .lk7 3 2 ..i.b3 'it>g6, though he remains clearly worse. 3 2 l:lxf7 !

Now we begin to catch the drift of Korchnoi ' s motivations : White's multiple threats on f6, b7 and g7 outweigh Black's skewer. 32 .. . .:txc2 3 3 �xf6 'it>g6

Forced. "Worst vacation ever ! " mutters Black's disgruntled king . 34 llxb7 !

Not 34 .l:txg7+? r.t>xf6 3 5 .:.xb7 .:txa2 and White's win won't be so easy with only one extra pawn. 34 .. . 'it>xf6 3 5 .U.xa7

2 74

Korc h n o i o n Exp lo i t i ng I m b a l a n ces

3 s • • • gs Or 3 S . . . h S 36 h4 l:tb2 37 a4 .l:ta2 38 f4 l:te2 39 eS+ ! 'it>fs 40 .l:.xg7 'it>e4 41 .l:.b7 'it13 (Black's

deeply infiltrated king won't save him since he is down too many pawns) 42 'it>fl l:.a2 43 'iitel .:txa4 44 l:txb6 'it>xg 3 45 J;;txe6 .l:txf4 46 b6 'it>xh4 (or 46 . . . :txh4 47 'it>d2) 47 b7 l:.b4 48 .Ue7 'i£ilg s 49 l:.f7 and White win s the rook ending easily. 36 .!:f.h7 'iitg6 37 l1b7 .:txa2 38 lbb6 �f6

Black is two pawns down but the pariah on g1 is cut off on the first rank, shunned by all . Surprisingly, this fact fai ls to offer him even remote drawing chances. 39 f4 gxf4 40 gxf4

Threatening f4-fS . 40 . • • 'it>f7 41 .:tb8 1-0

Question: What is White's winning technique?

2 7 5


Answer: Let's turn thi s into a calculation exerci se.

Exercise (calculation}: Fol low the analysis as far as you can in your mind's eye, without moving the pieces:

Answer: White wins after 41. .J:tb2 (or 41 . . . l:la4 42 b6 l:.xe4 43 b7 l:tb4 44 l:th 8 ! .l:Ixb7 3 5 l:!.h7+ etc - a standard combination in rook endgames when one side has a pawn on the seventh rank) 42 b6 'iti>g7 43 f5 exf5 44 exf5 h 5 45 b7 'iti>h7 (or 45 ... 'it>f7 46 .l:.h8 ! again) 46 f6 (threatening f6-f7) 46 . . .<it>g6 47 1Ig8+ and the promoting b-pawn costs Black a rook.


Hasti ngs 1971/72 Torre Attack

Korchnoi 's and Karpov's mutual dislike was inherited from previous encounters such as this . One might think that a game between the two Soviet representatives in an international event would conclude in a prearranged draw. Certainly not in thi s case. The game was played in the penultimate round with Karpov leading by a half point. There was no chance of Korchnoi agreeing to a quick draw with the white pieces and virtually assuring Karpov the tournament victory.

I remember my sense of bafflement when playing thi s game over as an 11-year-old. Korchnoi brazenly violated and defiled every sacred Nimzowitschian precept about colour complexes - and then won ! 1 d4 tLlf6 2 ti:Jf3 e6 3 �gs

The Torre Attack - an innocuous-looking l ine which can lead to sudden attacks for White. I play the Torre myself and used it in thi s must win game against IM Joel Banawa: 3 ... h6 4 �xf6 'iixf6 5 e4 d6 6 tLlc3 tLld7 7 'iVd2 c6 8 o-o-o e5? ! (opening the game too early) 9 dxe5 dxe5 ? (9 . . . 'Llxe5 10 tLld4 g 5 wasn 't pleasant for Black but had to be tried).

2 7 6


Exercise (combination alert): White has a way to flare up an attack. H ow?

Answer: 10 lt:Jbs ! (the knight i s untouchable due to the pin) 10 . . . Wd8 (lO . . . cxb S ? 11 .i.xbs '!We6 12 lt:Jxe s ! wins) 11 'ii'aS+ ! b6 12 "ili'c3 a6 (once again the knight i s immune since 1 2 . . . cxb s ? 13 ..txbs is immediately fatal ) .

Exercise (combination alert): Now the unretreated knight is attacked twice. How does White continue?

Answer: Double attack. 13 lt:Jd6 ! .i.xd6 14 �xc6 and Black resigned in a few moves, C . Lakdawala-J .C .Banawa, Los Angeles 2010. 3 . . . b6


Karpov always remained faithful to his Queen's Indian formation against the queen's

pawn openings . Yet, Korchnoi writes with glee: "Over a period of decades he [Karpov] was

pursued by misfortune in th is set-up with Black. "

4 e4!?

Question: Why is thi s move given an "interesting" mark? White simply takes advantage of the pin to seize the centre.

Answer: In playing his last move, White actually agreed to hand over the bishop pair. 4 . . . h6 5 i.xf6

The first imbalance: White's central control and lead in development versus Black's long-term advantage of the bishop pair.

I remember a game again st a hated chi ldhood rival (who, although slightly lower rated, never failed to paddle me in humiliating fashion) , where he wrote down 5 �xf6 'iixf6 on h i s score sheet with a hateful smirk on his ugly face (is it possible that, even to thi s day, your normally mild-mannered writer nurses a wee bit of a grudge?) , even before I had played my fifth move ! So in a fit of pique, I decided to punish him by banging out the idiotic 5 i.h4?, which dropped a pawn to s . . . gs 6 i.g 3 tt'lxe4, and I lost the game without a fight. The insane part was that I saw it dropped a pawn but played the move anyway, just to make him erase his pre-written moves ! Such is the nature of bl ind hate. Moral : Hatred, when pushed to psychotic level s, makes you stupid ! s . . . 'i'xf6 6 �d3 i.b7 1 tt'lbd2

Question: Why develop the knight to a passive square when c3 i s available?

Answer: 7 tt'lc3 i s quite playable, but Korchnoi undoubtedly wanted to avoid the annoying pin 7 . . . i.b4.

2 7 8

Korch n o i o n Exp lo i t i ng I m b a l a n ces

7 . . • d6 Black is a long way behind in development, so Karpov keeps his position flexible and as

confrontation-free as possible.

s �e2 White prepares queen side castl ing .

s . . . a6 Karpov wants to develop his b8-knight without allowing i.a6, which eliminates his

bishop pair. He al so senses White's forthcoming queenside castl ing , so he prepares a fu

ture . . . b6-bS . 9 0-0-0

The future arrived sooner than we thought. g • . . tDd7 10 'iii>b1

1o . . . es!? Black fights back in the centre at a moment h e feel s h e won't be punished for i t , but I 'm

not sure thi s i s a well-timed thrust. Korchnoi felt it was more accurate for Black to continue a policy of non -confrontation with 10 . . . 'Wd8 . 11 C3

Korchnoi maintains the central pawn tension for now. 11 . • • i.e7

Black's queen looks awkwardly placed on f6, like the big, dumb kid who has to repeat the sixth grade, and who towers over her new classmates. With hindsight, 11 . . . g 6 may have saved Black some time over the way he played in the game. 12 tbc4

Heading for an excellent post on e3 . 12 • • • 0-0

Another major imbalance ari ses : Opposite wing castl ing . 13 .tc2

2 7 9


Clearing the rook's view down the d-file . 13 . . . l:tfe8 14 ds ! ?

Question: Didn't White just fix a lot of his pawns on the wrong colour as h i s remaining bishop?

Answer: He did, but he received two important compensating concessions in return : 1. White increased h i s territorial advantage . 2 . White closed the position, which accords with the principle : If your opponent has the

bishop pair, close the game.

14 . . . cs? !

Karpov attempts to lure Korchnoi into a Closed Lopez position , one which he presumably felt he understood better than h i s rival . In thi s case he was mistaken and Korchnoi had the deeper understanding . White should have kept the position fluid with 14 . . . c6 15 tLle3 bS 16 dxc6 �xc6. Of course thi s l ine has its problems as wel l , since Black just handed h is opponent a juicy hole on ds , but th is i s superior to the way Karpov played it in the game.

Question: What are the factors which favour White over a normal Lopez?

Answer: Let's assess : 1 . Black has the bishop pair , but in a closed position this doesn't constitute an advan

tage . 2 . White is weak on the dark squares and it looks as if he may h ave to nurse a poten

tially bad bishop later on . 3 . Black just violated the principle: Don 't close the game when you have the bishop pa ir.

4. Black violated another principle too: Don 't close the centre when your opponent at

tacks you on the wing.

2 8 0


s . Black's last move had the effect of sealing the queen side, which greatly weakens h i s

attempts to attack in that sector. 6. White has castled queen side, which means he is free to attack on the other wing . 7 . And thi s i s the great game changer: The black queen 's awkward posting on f6 makes

it an obvious target for White's coming g2-g4-g 5 pawn storm . Conclusion : Despite appearances, White stands clearly better. It seems that Karpov is treating his dark square control with too much reverence, over

estimating its potential and underestimating White' s power on the l ight squares . Korchnoi, on the other hand, senses an anomaly, and a deep hypothesis forms in h i s mind: H i s weakened dark squares don 't matter, since his initiative and attack override such longterm strategic concerns. The question is : How did Korchnoi understand that the honeycombing of h is position, with what appear to be irreparable dark square punctures, utterly fail s to bring Black any benefit whatsoever? Such is the depth of his almost supernatural understanding of chess . 15 tDe3 �f8 16 g41

The king side is a perfect venue for a fight from White' s perspective, havin g castled on the opposite fl ank. 16 • . Jlfd8

16 .. . g6 17 g S ! hxg s (or 17 .. . 'ifd8 18 gxh6, transposing to the next note) 18 h4! doesn't look like any improvem ent for Black. 17 g51

Exercise (critical decision}: How should Karpov meet White's last move?

11 . . . hs? l After this bypass, Black's game begins to recede in a g iant wave. Taking the pawn would

be even worse, as 17 . . . hxg 5 ? i s met powerfully by 18 l:!.dg 1, and if 18 . . . �e7 then 19 h4! with

2 8 1


a decisive attack. Black's best hope may be to rule out g 5-g6 ideas by playing 17 ... g6 himself, followed by

1g gxh6 tiJf6 19 h4 ttJh 5, when he remains in the game for the time being, although 20

J:Idg 1 (or 20 ttJg4! ?) 20 . . . �xh6 2 1 tiJf5 ! appears to g ive White a very dangerous attack none

theless. 18 g6!

Clearly, White's attack is now growing out of control .

18 . • . fxg6 19 l::thg1 'ii'f6 20 ttJgs i.e7 21 ttJe6

Threatening a fork on c7. The dominant knight walks into hostil e territory, contemptuously at h i s ease, a haughty prince strol l ing among peasants. 21 . . . ttJf8!

A brill iant defensive deci sion. The rote 21 . . . l:.ac8? loses quickly to 22 l:.g 3 tiJf8 23 l:tdg 1 ttJxe6 24 dxe6 g5 2 5 .:txg 5 'ii'xg 5 26 l:r.xg 5 ..ixg 5 27 tiJf5 l:.cd8 28 'ii'xh 5 .tf6 29 'ilff7+ Wh8 30 ttJxd6, and if 30 . . . l:te7 then 31 'ii'h6+ �g8 32 tiJf7, threatening mate on h8 . 22 tiJc7 'ii'f7 23 :df1

Presumably intending future f2-f4 tricks, though in fact the f-pawn never moves at all . 23 . . • bs 24 ttJxaB .txa8?!

Karpov attempts to revive counterplay which never existed in the first place to avoid having to meet c2-c4 with . . . b5-b4, but putting his bishop out of play i s too high a price. Korchnoi writes : "This game Karpov treats his bi shops without respect." 24 .. . %txa8 25 c4 b4 26 .ta4 .tc8 was better. 25 c4! .:.bs

Karpov busies himself with a project down the b-fi le , which in the end proves futile . 26 .td3

Reinforcing c4 and tying Black down to b5 . 26 . . Ji'e8 27 l:.c1 .tf6 28 �g2 .I:tb6 29 Iicg1 l:rb8

Unfortunately Black has no tim e to reactivate his bishop with 29 . .. i.b7, due to 30 l:txg6 !

2 8 2

Korch n o i o n Exp l o i t ing I m b a la n ces

(trading advantages) 30 . . . lt:lxg6 3 1 'ii'xh s and 3 2 .l:f.xg6 with a winning position. For exam

ple : 31 . . .i..c8 32 l:txg6 (threatening l:xg7+) 3 2 .. .'�f8 3 3 i.e2 ! We7 34 cxbs ! axbs 3 5 ..tg4 Wd8

36 i.xc8 'itxc8 37 lt:lg4.

30 'i'f11 b4

30 . . . bxc4 31 lt:lxc4 only benefits White, whi le after 30 ... l:tb6 White would carry out the sam e plan as in the game.

Karpov freezes his b-file dreams in a paralysis of irresolution . So the move he wanted to avoid is played after all .

Exercise {planning/combination alert): Korchnoi now found a way to break in on the king side. What did he see?

Answer: Aim the bishop at hs and sac back the exchange on g6. Black has no way to halt th is plan . 31 ..te2 1 !

At last, we begin to gather an inkl ing of Korchnoi ' s intent. Queen and bishop engage in an undulating , weaving itinerary to reach their goal . 31 . . . h4

31 . . .g 5 3 2 l::txg s i..xg s 33 �xg s doesn 't help Black a bit. 32 .:txg61 'Wxg6

Absolute desperation, seeing that after 3 2 . . . lt:lxg6 3 3 i..h S White's pieces effortlessly seep in on the light squares. The mad queen, who believes the universe came into existence upon her birth and terminates upon her death, ends up as col lateral damage from the explosion 's recoi l . 3 3 .l:.xg6 lt:lxg6 34 i.g4 lt:lf4 35 'i¥d11 b3

Solely to keep the white queen out of a4. 36 axb3 ii.b7

2 8 3


Exercise (combination alert}: Korchnoi , looking deeply into the heart of Black's weaknesses, unearthed a stunning shot on h is next move. What did he see?

Answer: Deflection/removal of a defender. Black's position collapses if his key defender, the knight, is driven from f4. 37 li:Jg2! ! i..cB

White's knight is immune. 37 . . . li:Jxg2 ? ? 38 i..e6+ �f8 39 'ifh s forces mate. 38 i..xcB l;txcB

Exercise (combination alert): White to play and win a pawn.

Answer: Double attack. The queen folds her arms in smug satisfaction. She rises above oth ers around her, radiating power in solitary splendour.

2 8 4

Korch n o i o n Exp lo i t ing I m b a l a n ces

39 \i'g4! l!e8 40 lbxf4 exf4 41 'ii'xf4 Karpov was unable to offer any kind of resi stance here.

41 . . • .ies Or 41 . . . l:te5 42 'ii'g4 and White's queen infiltrates.

42 'iVxh4 ltf8

Exercise {planning/combination alert): We sense a lack of completion, unfinished business. How did Korchnoi overcome Black's fragile dark square blockade?

Answer: Create a passed pawn . 43 b4!

Korchnoi 's pawns and pieces have a nasty habit of unregulated locomotion - movieworthy stuff and the culmination of White 's strategy. 43 . . . .td4

43 ... cxb4 44 c5 ! (White's pawns slowly trickle forward, the way sweat runs down your back when you pump i ron at the gym) 44 ... dxc5 45 'ti'e7 i.d4 46 d6 is al so game over. 44 bxc5 1-0

White quickly creates passers and then conveys them up the board. For example: 44 . . . i.xc5 (or 44 . . . dxc5 45 d6) 45 'ilfe7 ! .l:f.xf2 46 e5 .id4 47 exd6 and both d-pawns will inevitably promote.

Game 3 7 O.Romanishin-V.Korchnoi

USSR Tea m Cu p, Tbi l i s i 1976 Grunfeld Defence

1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 g6 3 lbc3 d s 4 lbf3 i..g7 s cxds lbxd s 6 'iib3

2 8 5


Thi s is a sort of hybrid of Smyslov's variation.

Question: What i s the difference?

Answer: In Smyslov's l ine, White plays 5 �3. without trading on d5 . 6 . . . lt:Jb6!?

Korchnoi ignores the principle : Swap pieces when cramped.

Question: But doesn 't that just strengthen White's centre?

Answer: It does, but thi s i s the nature of the Grilnfeld. Black nearly always takes on c3 and then pressures the centre with . . . c7-c5. My feel ing i s thi s trade helps more than harms Black. For instance: 6 . . . tt:Jxc3 7 bxc3 c5 8 e3 o-o 9 .i.e2 'iic7 10 0-0 b6 11 .ia3 lt:Jd7 12 :ad1 e6 13 e4 .i.b7 14 d5 exd5 15 exd5 'iid6 16 c4 and Black achieved a satisfactory position, J . Parker-L.Van Wely, Mondariz 2000. 7 e4

White grabs the centre directly. In C. Lakdawala-M.Khachian , Long Beach 2002, I tried a more restrained approach with 7 .i.g 5 i.e6 8 'ii'e2, when 8 . . . c6? ! was awfully passive for Black, who soon got squeezed into a counterplayless future. 8 . . . lt:Jc6 9 l:td1 lt:Jb4 is more in the spirit of this opening . 7 . . . .ig4

If the godfather of pawn grabs decl ines, then we should all decl ine ! After 7 . . . .i.xd4? ! 8 tt:Jxd4 (or 8 i.h6) 8 . . . 'ii'xd4 9 .i.h6, White 's lead in development, bi shop pair and control over the dark squares offers loads of compensation for the pawn, A.Kalka-C.Seel , Gel senkirchen 2001.

2 8 6


8 dS The modern interpretation of the l ine goes 8 �b5+ c6 g l2Jg 5 ! ? o-o 10 i.e2 i.xe2 11

tt:Jxe2. For example : 11 . . .l2Ja6 12 'iih 3 h6 13 lLlf3 h 5 and now 1 would simply castle ; whereas 14 J::!.g1 ? ! , as in D.Jakovenko-E .Sutovsky, Russian Team Championship 2013, strikes me as artificial and I don 't trust White's position after 14 . . . l2Jb4 ! . 8 . . . Jt..xf3 9 gxf3 c6 10 �e3 o-o 11 1:!.d1 cxds 12 l2Jxds?!

It turns out that thi s natural move i sn 't forceful enough. White should try the more radical 12 exd5 ! , taking on a weakness in order to cramp Black, R . Buhmann-K.Van der Weide, European Championship, Dresden 2007. 12 . . . l2Jxds 13 J:.xds

Question: Does White have the zwischenzug 13 �xb7 - ?

Answer: It 's a bad idea to go pawn grabbing when lagging behind in development. I don 't like his position at the end of the l ine 13 . . . it"a5+ 14 Jt..d2 'iib6 ! 15 "ikxd5 (15 �xa8? ? l2Jb4! is hopeless for White, who must deal with threats on c2 , as well as . . . l2J8c6) 15 . . . l2Jc6, when Black's lead in development easily outweighs White's rather shaky extra pawn . 13 . . . "ikc7 14 .lte2 t'Llc6 15 o-o e6 16 .l:.d3

Both players had thi s position in mind but Korchnoi's assessment was superior. Romanishin reasoned that White's bishop pair compensates for his damaged structure, which just isn't the case.

2 8 7


Exercise {planning): How can Black maximize h i s imbalance by strategically exploiting White's structural weakness?

Answer: Play for a blockade on e5 and f4. 16 . . . j_es! 17 h 3 i.f4! 18 i..cs

Question: Can White accept the pawn sac now?

Answer: I wouldn 't. After 18 i..xf4 �xf4 19 �xb7? ! lt:\e5 20 l:tb3 l:tab8 21 'it'xa7 l:txb3 22 axb3 ltJxf3+ 23 i..xf3 Wi'xf3 24 'i!Ve3 Wi'xe3 2 5 fxe3 �b8, Black regains the pawn and White will struggle to hold the draw due to his wretched structure . 18 . . . �fc8!?

More ambitious than 18 . . J1fd8. 19 l::i.fd1 'i!i'es ! 20 i.d6 'ilfgs+ 21 �h1 lt:\es

Black begins to dominate the central and kings ide dark squares. 22 l:tc3

Question: Can White eliminate some of his troubles by entering an opposite-coloured bishops position with 22 i..xe5 - ?

Answer: That would be a serious error, which violates the principle : Opposite-coloured bish

ops favour the attacker. 22 . . . i.xe5 (threatening . . .'ii'f4) 23 l:tg 1 :c1 leaves White hopelessly tied up after 24 �dd1 'ili'f4 25 1:tg2 l:!.d8 ! . 22 . . . b6 2 3 I!.xcB+ I!.xc8

Advantage Black: 1. He control s the dark squares.

2 8 8

Ko rch n o i o n Exp lo i t ing I m b a l a n ces

2 . His pieces hover menacingly over White's king . 3 . White must be watchful for c-fi le infiltration attempts. 4 . White's scarred kingside structure is a sorry sight, with deep fi ssures and precipitous

crags all around. Houdini misassesses th is position at close to even .

24 'ii'a3 'iWh4 25 �2

Exercise {planning): Should we go for infiltration on c2 now?

Answer: We should refrain . 2s .. . a s

The overhasty 2S . . . .l:.c2 ? ? walks into a trap: 26 .ie7 ! f6 27 'ii'xa7! and Black i s busted. If he takes on e2, then mate follows : 27 .. . .:.xe2?? 28 'iia8+ �g7 29 Vi'f8 mate. 26 ..ie7! gS

After 26 . . . -tg s 27 .id6, Black has trouble making progress. 27 .l:!.d8+

White's king i s safer with the rooks removed from the board. 27 • • • l:!.xd8 28 .txd8

" lowborn filth ! " sneers the bishop to the black b-pawn, as he s igns its death warrant. Logic and plans of clarity are hidden in shadow. It seems as if Korchnoi has been outplayed. After all , his king side attack appears at an impasse, and on the queen side the time for White's pawn harvest has arrived.

2 8 9


Exercise {planning}: Black must find a way to make h eadway on the kingside. Find one clear idea and the position remakes itself, as if

Black's inanimate pieces suddenly came to live and attained sentience.

Answer: Transfer the knight to f4, after which Black's attack flares. 28 . . . lZJg6! 29 i.xb6 .i.es

Clearing f4 for the knight to step in . The preparations for the attack have been lengthy, yet eventful . 30 ..ie3?!

The bi shops stay close together with an air of complicity. Romanishin 's last move i s an inferior copy of the original plan . He has better chances at salvaging the game if he goes for 30 'ii'xas ! lLlf4+ 31 'it>f1 i.xb2 32 'itte1, when the passed a-pawn at least makes Black sweat a l ittle. The game could turn into a queening race between the a-pawn and Black's soon-to-be-passed h -pawn (after he picks off h 3) . 30 . . . lZJf4+ 31 �f1

Romanishin seems oddly unperturbed by the fact that h i s king 's l ife hangs by a thread. Up until now, the white king languidly continued to ignore the growing mob gathering at the palace gate, citing : " We, God's Chosen , cannot be bothered with the petty concerns of the bourgeoisie." Perhaps Romanishin had orig inally intended 3 1 i.xf4 'ilfxf4 3 2 �f1 'ifh 2 33 'it>e1 �g 1+ 34 i.f1, but then noticed 34 . . . i..d4! 3 5 'i!Vd3 'ii'xf2+ 36 �d1 h 6 ! and White is unlikely to save himself in the queen and opposite-coloured bishop ending, mainly because his king will never know peace and his king side pawns are fixed on the wrong colour for h is bishop. 31 . . . 'ii'xh3+ 32 �e1 Wh1+ 33 i.f1

The bi shop had hoped to evade his implication in the sorry mess around his king but, unable to do so, grudgingly offered assi stance. 33 'it>d2 ? 'ii'a1 ! is even worse for White.

2 9 0

Korch n o i o n Exp lo i t ing Im b a l a n ces

33 . . . 'ii'xf3 Now White realizes the true extent of the disaster which was once his king side.

34 �xas 'ii'xe4 35 'ii'd8+ �g7 36 'i!Vxgs+ l2Jg6 37 'ii'd8 'i'b1+ 38 'i!Vd1 'iVxa2 39 'i!Vc1

Exercise (planning}: Black is a pawn up. Can he just chop on b2 and increase White's deficit to two pawns?

Answer: Most certainly not! This was a test of your alertness and threat awareness . 39 . . . hs!

39 . . .'�xb2?? walks into 40 �h6+ �g8 (or 40 . . .'it>f6 41 'i'g s mate) 41 'ii'c8+ l2Jf8 42 'i1Vxf8 mate. 40 b4

The passed b-pawn represents White's forlorn hope. 4o . . JWb3 41 �h6+

White can 't just push the b-pawn since 41 bS h4 42 b6?? runs into 42 . . . i.c3+ 43 �e2 (of course 43 �d2 just drops the b-pawn) 43 . . . 1i'c4+ 44 �f3 ctJeS+ 45 �g2 h3+ ! 46 �h 1 'ii'e4+ 47 'iith2 l2Jg4+ 48 �g 3 �eS+ 49 �f4 �d4! , and if so �xg4 then so . . . h2 wins . 41 . . . 'iith7 42 i.d2 i.d4?!

Korchnoi misses a potential game ender with 42 . . . ctJh4 ! 43 �e2 (or 43 f4 .td4 and White's king can't survive the coming attack; 43 �a6 l2Jf3+ 44 �f1 h4 45 i.f4 h3 al so leaves White helpless) 43 ... ctJg2+ 44 'iitf1 'ilfh 3 (Black's queen holds the king's l ife in the hollow of her fi st) 45 �d3+ 'ii'xd3+ 46 'itxg2 h4 and not only is Black faster in the race, he retains h i s attacking threats as wel l . 43 'i'c4

Peril overcome has an emboldening effect.

2 9 1


43 . . . Vb1+ It feels as if Black's queen has circumnavigated virtually the entire board.

Question: Doesn't the side up a pawn normally want to take the queens off?

Answer: Normally, yes, but not in thi s case. Black should keep the queens on because : 1 . He controls the more potent attacking chances. 2 . White's b-pawn may get out of control if the queens are removed from the board.

Conversely, it isn't so easy for Black to force h i s passed h -pawn through. 44 'iti>e2 'ti'b2 45 1i'c1 'i!Vb3 46 .i.g2 tDes 47 .ie4+?!

After 47 'i'h 1 ! 'iti>g8 (or 47 .. . 'i'd3+ 48 'iitdl ! 'il'g6 49 'itte2 ) 48 'iih4 ! , it i sn 't so easy for Black to make progress. Both sides probably only saw the l ine 48 'iVxh s ?? 'i'd3+ 49 'itte1 i..xf2+ ! . 47 .. . fs !

2 9 2


The f-pawn accosts the marauder, intercepting h im from his goal . Korchnoi correctly foresaw that his king wasn't as exposed as it appeared. Now White's bishop is no longer able to cover both d3 and f3 simultaneously. 48 'it'c7+?!

This only helps Black. Romanishin should quell h is frustration and look for a calmer

path with 48 'i'c2 'ili'h 3 49 .i.b7 �g4+ so �f1 l2Jf3 51 .i.xf3 'iixf3 52 'ii'c7+ �g6 53 'i'f4, when White can still put up some resi stance.

48 . . . �g6 49 .ltxfS+!? Playing for tricks . White has nothing better here, since 49 'ifc2 'ii'h3 so ..tb7 1i'g4+ 51

'iitf1 lDf3 i s now completely hopeless .

Question: I real ize that propriety compels such a dramatic outburst, but is thi s really White's best chance?

Answer: It seems that Korchnoi 's "enhanced" interrogation techniques lay waste to even the most determined of wil l s to resi st. Romanishin's last move of extreme desperation merely accelerates h is coming misfortune. But who can blame him ? When one is assail ed with the looming threat of annihi lation, our many thoughts concentrate powerfully into a single one: "How can I survive the ordeal ?" H i s move is a reasonable practical try, even if it fail s miserably to Korchnoi 's laser-like calculation skil ls . Korchnoi h ad probably already worked out that he escaped all perpetual check attempts, even before the sac! 49 • . .'itxfs

Korchnoi is not going to fall for 49 . . . exfs ? ? so 'i'd6+ �f7 5 1 'iixd4. so �h7+ l2Jg6 51 '!WxhS+ �6 52 ..tgs+ �g7

5 3 .i.h6+ Or 53 'ii'h6+ �f7 54 'Wh7+ i.g7 and White's checks run out.

5 3 . . . �6

2 9 3


Probably played to gain time on the clock. After 5 3 . . .<it>f7 White's brief fluny of activity

stops at once. 54 'ii'bs?!

An insignificant error, s ince 54 �g 5+ <tiJf7 or 54 i.g 5+ <tiJf7 55 �7+ �g7 ends the per-

petual check attempt anyway.

54 . . . 'iic2+ 0-1

Game 38 H.Mecking-V .Korchnoi

Wijk a a n Zee 1978 French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 dS 3 l'Llc3 i.b4 4 es cs 5 a 3 ..lii.xc3+ 6 bxc3 l'Lle7 7 'ii'g4

White's sharpest, and possibly best response, giving challenge to the entire Winawer, and attempting virtually to refute the opening . In stead, Spassky played the quieter 7 l'Llf3 in Games 17 and 18, while 7 a4 was seen in Game 3 1 and will be again in G ame 54. 7 ... 0-0

A shrewd choice of system, because Mecking was probably expecting 7 . . . cxd4 here. Moreover, 7 . . . 0-0 l eads to no less a theoretical nest of agitated serpents than the crazy Poi soned Pawn line after 7 . . . cxd4 (or 7 .. .'ii'c7) 8 'i!t'xg7 llg8 9 �xh7 'flc7 10 t'Lle2 t'Llbc6 11 f4, which occurred in B .Spassky-V.Korchnoi, Candidates final (2nd matchgame) , Belgrade 1977. 8 l'Llf3

This natural and - at that time - 'book' move is now considered inaccurate. Nowadays, everyone plays 8 i.d3 ! , which gives White more options . For in stance: 8 . . . t'Llbc6 9 'iY'h 5 h6? 10 i.xh6 ! or 8 . . .f5 9 exf6 %:txf6 10 ..lii.g 5 l:.f7 11 "ith 5 g6 12 'ii'd1 ! , while 8 . . . c4? ! i s met by 9

2 9 4


,th6 ! t2Jg6 10 �xg6 fxg6 11 �e3 , intending h2 -h4-h 5 with a very strong attack.

s . . . ttJbc6 9 .td3 Threatening .txh7+ with devastation to follow.

Question: I sn 't Black about to get mated! ?

Answer: Only i f h e doesn't know or understand the theory. Actually, Black i s probably out of the woods already, as according to my database he scores nearly 55% after h i s next move. The players who get killed are the ones who wing it with the black pieces in th is position, which i s very often suicide in such a computer-friendly, forcing l ine . g . . . fs

Principle : Meet a wing attack with a central counter.

10 exf6 .l:txf6

11 'ii'hs The tempo-gaining 11 .ig 5 i s played more often . For example : 11 . . .l:tf7 12 'ifh 5 (provok

ing dark square weaknesses in Black's camp) 12 . . . g6 (12 . . . h6? ! is met by the di sruptive shot 1 3 �h7+! with advantage to White) 13 'ifh4 (unfortunately 13 'i'd1 is impossible here since the knight i s in the way) 13 . . . c4 14 �e2 'i'a5 15 .id2 tZ'lf5 16 'ii'g 5 1i.d7 17 g4! ? (17 o-o and 17 h4 are White's main alternatives) 17 . . . lLJd6 18 h4? ! l2Je4 19 'i!ke3, L . Ljubojevic-V.Korchnoi, Linares 1985 ; and now Black should strike again in the centre with 19 . . . e 5 ! , after which the complications seem to be in his favour. 11 .. . h6 12 0-0

12 i.g 5 ! ? i s only borderl ine sound: 12 . . . h xg 5 13 t2Jxg 5 .l:Ih6? ! (better to take the plunge with 13 . . . cxd4! 14 'ii'h7+ �f8 15 'ifh8+ t2Jg8 16 �h7 t2Jce7 17 �xg8 t2Jxg8 18 lLJh7+ �f7 19 tt'lg 5+ <t;e7 20 'iWxg7+ �d6 21 lLJf7+ l:txf7 22 'i'ixf7 dxc3 , when Black should consolidate) 14 'i'f7+ �h8 15 h4 (15 'i!Vf4! may force Black to allow a draw by repetition) 15 .. . c4 16 .ie2? ! tt'lf5 and White's attack soon came t o a n end, "Crosis" -C. Lakdawala, online blitz 2006.

2 9 5


12 . . . c4 Black drives the d3-bishop from its aggressive post, aimed at the black king, and seizes

more queen side territory, at the cost of placing more pawns on the wrong colour for h is

own bishop. 13 ..lli.e2 'i!Vas 14 �d 2 �d7 15 l:Ub1?!

Mecking already seems to be at a loss for a constructive plan . More logical here is 15 tt:Jes ..lli.e8 16 'iig4 tt:Jg6 17 tt:Jxc6 (17 f4?? walks into 17 . . . tt:Jxd4 ! ) 17 . . . .i.xc6 18 'ifg 3 l:raf8 19 ..lli.g4 'ii'a4 20 :a2 .i.d7, when mutual restraints settle the position into an uneasy stasi s, J .G .Gal lagher- I . Farago, Hastings 1990. As a French player I prefer Black. Objectively the game is probably even . 1S .. .'it'c7 16 lt:Jh4?

An orig inal idea but not an effective one. Such artificial pot-shots are unl ikely to produce benefit in a position which requires pinpoint targeting .

Question: Why did Mecking decentral ize his knight?

Answer: He wants to play f2 -f4 next, followed by lt:Jf3-es . As it turns out, White simply doesn't have the leisure for such a long -winded plan in such a fluid position . He invests heavily in a subsidiary element, diverting energy from the smooth functioning of his overall welfare .

Question: So what i s your problem with that plan ?

Answer: The trouble i s that f2-f4 probably hurts White more than it helps, Yes, it halts any real possibil ity of . . . e6-eS , but it al so drastically l imits the scope of White's dark-squared bi shop (in effect he creates h is own bad bishop), which in turn dramatically reduces his influence on the dark squares - normally White's strength in thi s l ine. Finally, f2-f4 seri-

2 9 6

Korch n o i o n Exp lo i t i ng Im b a la n ces

ously weakens the l ight squares, especially e4, and after the manoeuvre . . . .i.e8-g6, Black's

supposedly "bad" bishop i s suddenly anything but. White would do better just to recentral ize the rook with 16 llel, as in F .Hellmi.i.ller

B. Ph il ippeit, correspondence 2003, though even here I prefer Black's position .

16 .. Jbf8 17 f4

Consistent with his overall plan, but I quite sensibly ask: Why allow a self-infl icted gash

on e4 that never heals ?

17 . . . .ieS 18 fig4 tt:lg6! Not giving White time for his intended tt:lf3-es , since the f4-pawn is hanging .

19 tt:lxg6 i.xg6 Goodifi cation complete. Black's "bad" bishop transforms into the most envied minor

piece on the board.

20 :ta2 That is one sorry-looking rook, who must hang around on the outskirts to insure the

safety of c2 . 20 . . . tt:le7 21 :tab2 b6 22 'Wh3

Exercise {planning}: White i s utterly without counterplay but appears sol id at least. How did Korchnoi greatly improve h is position?

Answer: Transfer a knight to the weakened e4, which Black now dominates. 22 . . . tt:lf5 23 :e1 'i'e7

Sideswiping the a3-pawn . 24 I1a2

I al ready insensitively offended thi s unfortunate rook once and so I wil l keep quiet here. White has no choice if he wants to maintain material parity, since 24 a4 drops a pawn eventually after 24 .. .'ii'a3 2 5 l:!.b4 'iia2 .

2 9 7


24 . . . tt:Jd6 25 ..if3 tt:Je4 26 il.xe4 .ltxe4

The disease attacking the white blood cell s mutates once more - to fatal l evel s . What a difference in power. In th is case, both remaining bishops are respectively the "bad" bishop, but with some gigantic differences :

1 . Black's bishop, now a creature from a madman's nightmare, awaits menacingly on the outside of his pawn chain and radiates strength, whereas White's is trapped behind his own pawns.

2 . We have a situation of opposite-coloured bishops, which favour the attacker - Black. 3. c2 is perpetually in need of defence. 4. g2 may come under attack soon, after . . . l:tg6. If th i s induces g2-g 3, it only adds to

White's l ight square misery and decreases his king 's safety. 27 g3

Question: Why would White voluntarily weaken when he can easily defend g2 with 27 .:te2 - ?

Answer: You mean that White holds off on g 2-g 3 for later. Of course, th i s i s under the assumption there will be a later! Your suggestion fai ls to reduce White's vulnerability. 27 l:.e2 ? only covers g2 at the cost of a weakened back rank, which Black exploits immediately with 27 . . . g s ! . 2 7 . . .'ii'f7 1

A move charged with a distinctly eruptive vein , as . . . g7-g 5 i s again in the air . 28 'iii'g4 g5 1

Once an attack l ike thi s begins, there i s no turning back, and no way for the defending side to tum off the spigot. 29 .l:taal l:tfsl

Not yet 29 . . . i.xc2? due to 30 fxg s hS 3 1 1i'h 3 .l:!f2 32 ..if4 ..ifs 33 'i!fh4 .!:t.b2 34 �e3, when

2 9 8


White has blocked the f-fi le and consolidated h i s dark squares. Instead, Black's forces

sl ither along the weakened light squares and c2 i s under attack once more. 29 .. . 'ii'g6 ! , in

tending 30 . . . gxf4 or 30 fxg s l::tf2 , may have been even stronger.

30 �f1?! White, now in emergency mode, can 't be bothered with defence of c2, which costs him

the investment of a rook's valuable time. In any case, 30 .l:!.ac1? 'it'g6 31 .:f1 hS 32 'i¥h 3 gxf4 is hopeless . But 30 fxg s hxg s (not 30 . . . l:.f2? 3 1 gxh6+ �h8 32 .l:txe4! dxe4 33 Si.f4 and White is back in the game) 31 �f4! (not 31 .txg s ? 'ii'g6 32 h 2 llf2 and wins) 3 1. . .'ifg7 (or 31 . . .'ii'g6 32 1:tf1) 32 ii.d6 l:t8f7 3 3 .l:lf1 would have put up more resi stance. 30 . . . i.xc2

"This won 't hurt a bit," says the bi shop as he excises c2 . 31 l:!.f2 'ii'g6 32 l:f.e1 ii.e4 33 Itxe4!?

A prisoner may lack freedom, yet stil l has one available : he can choose not to co-operate with h is captors. White seeks to radically alter the parameters of the argument, based upon the philosophy: A feeble response i s better than no response. Such i s the nature of illusory hope.

Question: How can Black win if White remains passive?

Answer: Something like thi s : 33 .:Z.ef1 hS 34 'ir11 3 ii.d3 35 .l:.e1 gxf4 and White can't recapture due to the pin on the g -file. 33 . . . dxe4 34 �f1 :tbs

The rook gains entry through the s ide door. 35 �e2 :b1+ 36 'itr>g2 l:tb2!

Typical of Korchnoi 's absoluti st style . I would probably toss in 3 6 . . . bs without thinking . 37 'i*'xc4

2 9 9


Exercise (combination alert): White' s king side stinks of death . Black has two ways to win . Find one of them - or perhaps both .

Answer #1: Double attack/attraction . 37 • . • e3 !

A sheet of flame greets White's k ing as he attempts to evacuate. Answer #2 : 37 . J :txd2 ! 38 l:.xd2 gxf4 i s al so crushing . 38 .i.xe3 'ii'e4+ 39 'it>h3

Things are not looking good. The white king ' s situation i s the equivalent of Captain Kirk's, with the Enterpri se surrounded and under attack by three uncloaked Kling on birdof-prey warships, and Mr. Scott screaming bloody murder, because shields are down to 12% and fail ing. Kirk always found a way out, but in real l ife the rest of us don't fare as wel l . 39 . . . l:.xf2 40 i.xf2 gxf4 41 gxf4 :;txf4

Mecking 's final prayer is for some lucky kind of perpetual check, s ince the black king is aired out as wel l . He simply lacks the firepower to achieve this result. 42 .tg3 l:.fs

Threatening a nasty check on h s . 43 1i'c8+ .l:!.f8 44 'ii'c4 hs l

Another attacker appears. 45 'ii'bs

3 0 0


Exercise (combination alert}: Perhaps White senses the faintest trickle of counterplay, but if so h i s illusions are quickly dispelled. How did Black end the perpetual check threats and win the bishop to boot?

Answer: Pin . 4S . . JWg4+

"Oh, look everyone : It 's the great and powerful 'King ' ! " declares Black's obnoxious queen, as she rudely wiggles her fingers to make the air quotes motion . 46 Wg2 h4 o-1

Game 39 J.Cirefe-V.Korchnoi

Lone P ine 1979 French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 ds 3 .!Dc3 i..b4 4 es cs 5 .td2 As can be seen several times in thi s book, White usually plays 5 a3 here.

3 0 1

Question: What i s the idea behind Grefe's bishop move?

Answer: For starters, White doesn't allow damage to h i s queens ide pawn structure. And secondly, he threatens a strategic cheapo.

Question: What cheapo?

Answer: Please see the game continuation ! Korchnoi inexpl icably fal l s into the opening trap ! s . . . cxd4?1

Even the greatest goof up from time to time. A legendary GM who just fin i shed a razorclose match for the World Championship fall s for a simple French trap ! I 'm almost certain Korchnoi knew about the trap but just forgot - a fact which should give the rest of us nonWorld Championship cal ibre players great comfort !

Correct is s . . . ltJe7 6 ttJbs (or 6 a3 �xc3 7 .ixc3 b6 8 �bS+ i.d7 9 i.d3 ltJbc6 and Black looks fine, P . Leko-E .Bareev, Wijk aan Zee 1995 ) 6 . . . �xd2+ 7 'ii'xd2 0-0 8 dxcs ltJd7 9 f4 ttJxcs 10 ltJd4 'tlib6 11 0-0-0 ..id7, when I actually prefer Black's chances on the queenside, since he already owns an open c-fi le, A .Karpov-J .Nogueiras Santiago, Rotterdam 1989. 6 ttJbs!

Targeting d6. 6 . . . ..if8!?

Question: This looks terribly passive. Why not 6 . . . i.cs in stead?

Answer: It doesn 't alter much . White simply tosses in 7 1lfg4 and Bl ack has only painful choices about how to cover g7 .

3 0 2


7 'ii"g4

7 . . • h5 ! A preamble to a far-reaching plan , and an improvement over 7 . . . tt::lc6 8 tt::lf3 a6 9

tt:lbxd4 ! , when White has made an excellent start to the game, La.Steiner- I . Kashdan, New York (4th matchgame) Brunswick 1930. Note that 9 tt::ld6+? ! i sn 't as strong as it first appears: 9 . . . i.xd6 10 'i¥xg7 1t.xes 11 tt::lxes 'ii'f6 looks fine for Black.

8 "iVf4

Question: Shouldn't thi s gam e be in the Defence chapter? Black hasn't developed a single piece (havin g returned his dark-squared bishop to its starting square) , com

pared with White's three !

Answer: I 'm beginning to agree with you. But as the game goes on , Korchnoi performs amazing alchemy with the strange imbalances fate hands him (along with bad opening preparation ! ) in this game. 8 . . . 1t.d7 9 tt::lf3

It may have been wiser to play the straightforward 9 tt::lxd4 to avoid the subsequent anarchy. 9 . . Ji'b6

I have a feel ing Korchnoi already foresaw his forthcoming idea. 10 a4 a6 11 a s

For now, the queen side represents ungoverned, uncultivated land, ripe for the seiz ing by either sides.

3 0 3

Korch n o i : M o v e by M o v e

Exercise (critical decision}: Black i s certainly getting pushed around. He can either pursue a policy of restraint with ll . . . 'iMS, or go

bonkers and sac his queen with l l . . . axbs . Which route would you take?

Answer: The computer says both l ines l eads to White's advantage but it misassesses on one of them. The queen sac i s absolutely sound - in fact, I feel it i s White who has the greater number of problems. u . . . axbs!

Those who serve Black's queen fear her s i lences more than her tirades . Thi s universe seems to be devoid of rules and there is little certainty in the order of things . Both parties have been roused to maximum tension, whi ch now bubbles over into open warfare . Somehow Korchnoi has managed to conceal the weakness of his earlier opening moves, and we soon di scover that Black's forces, despite diminutive numbers from a mathematical standpoint, prove superior to White's less efficient army.

Korchnoi 's sac is clearly superior to the passive 11 ... 'iWd8 12 ttJbxd4, with a comfortable strategic edge to White, who controls the central dark squares. 12 axb6

A lower ranking officer may daydream of his commander being killed in battle, leaving the door open for h i s own promotion . 12 • • . :txa1+ 13 �e2

Korchnoi must have been del ighted with the unbalancing turn of events - and Grefe correspondingly annoyed. Suddenly, White's position doesn 't look so easy to play. He secured a slight mathematical superiority in the skirmi sh but at dear cost: White' s jumbled king side development costs him time and energy to ravel and the perilous positioning of his king provides Black with excellent practical chances for his investment. Furthermore, b6 remains weak and is almost certain to fall , which provides Bl ack with rook, knight and pawn for the queen - hardly even a sacrifice from a purely material standpoint.

3 0 4

Korch n o i o n Exp l o i t ing I m b a la n ces

13 . . .t2Je7 Black can al so consider 13 . . . ttJc6 14 ttJxd4 g 5 ! 15 'it'e3 ..tc5 16 c3 ttJge7 17 'iWxg 5 ttJxd4+

18 cxd4 �xd4.

14 tt'lxd4 ttJg6 15 'iie3 ..tcs 16 'i'c3 �xb6

In the aftermath I suddenly prefer Black: 1. White's king dangles awkwardly in the middle of the board and will be in danger for

some time to come. 2. White i s seriously behind in development, due to his constipated king side.

17 tt'lb3 .l:.a4 18 i.e3 ..txe3 19 �xe3 19 'fkxe3? ? .l:te4 would be a regrettable decision for White.

19 . . . 0-0 20 f3? After this passive response White drops h is e-pawn as well , while Black's in itiative con

tinues to grow. Perhaps Grefe was better off cutting his losses with 20 'fic7 l:tc8 21 'Wxb7 tt'lxe5 22 'it>d2 ttJbc6 2 3 ..txb5 .l:.b8 24 'ii'xd7 .:txb 5 ! ? (24 . . . t2Jxd7 2 5 .txa4 looks okay for White) 2 5 'iic8+ 'it>h7 26 'ii'f8, when Houdini says even - though I still prefer Black, whose pieces continue to buzz about and harass White's king . 2o . . J:tc8!

Double attack/overloaded defender. White is unable to cover both c2 and e5 . 21 ii'd2 ttJxes

Korchnoi ' s hit and run strategy begins to take its tol l . Black's pieces continue to strike and then scuttle away into the safety of shadow.

3 0 5

erves to add to the knight's shame, and yet the strongest reoying a2-rook in an attempt to get h i s house in order. On 25 ctJa6 ! , heading for the d3-square.

nge Korchnoi decision . Why not just develop his knight?

tends . . . .1i.e8-f7 and . . . e6-eS . I think the reason he may be hold. to send the knight to d3 (via a6-cS or d7-c5) , if White's knight

Korc h n o i o n Exp l o i t ing I m b a l a n ces

Grefe finds h i s only source of counterplay in the position : An open avowal of cruel in

tentions towards Black's king.

28 . . . hxg4 29 .l:.g1J

Insi sting on open l ines . All of White's motions are complicit with his hostil e intent.

29 . .. lbd7 29 . . . gxf3 30 'iie3 i.f7 3 1 'i'xf3 gives White attacking chances.

30 .:txg4 tDes Sometimes even as obvious a move as a central ization may not be the best one. Black

should counterattack the weakest point in White's camp - the b2-pawn- with 30 . . . .U.cc6 ! ,

intending . . . .l:.a2 and . . . l::b6 next.

31 llg3 l:td6 32 h4 l:c7 33 h5 d41? Principle : Counter in the centre when attacked on the wing.

34 cxd4 lbd3+1? So the knight arrives at its desired destination, if only to be removed at once. The alter

native is 34 ... l:tcd7 35 'iic3 lbc6 36 h6 g S 37 'ii'xc4 lbxd4 38 'Wc8 Ild8 39 'ii'xb7 lbfs , which Houdin i assesses at dead even. 35 lbxd3 cxd3 36 'ii'xd3

It 's so easy to get caught up in your own plans and forget the opponent's : 36 h6?? drops the queen to 36 . . . .l:!.c2. 36 . . . i.xh5

Question: Who stands better now?

Answer: Let's assess : 1. Black has rook, bishop and pawn for the queen - about even materially. 2 . White' s attack has vanished. 3 . Bl ack must be on alert for perpetual check attempts as the game progresses.

3 0 7


4. White must nurse three i solanis - all potential targets. Conclusion : Bl ack has all the chances, despite Houdini's claim of a White edge .

37 l::th3 l::td s 38 �e4 't1e7 39 f4 �f7 40 .Mg3

Exercise (combination alert}: How did Korchnoi , by means of a tactical expedient, manage to put an end to White' s pressure down the g -fi le once and for all ?

Answer: Through the threat of a fork. The bishop spreads h is hands in a "who knew?" gesture. Korchnoi continues to throw obstacle after obstacl e into the path of White's wishes. 40 . . . i.g4! 41 i¥117

After 41 l:txg4?! fs (the threatened fork) 42 .l:txg7+ �xg7 43 i¥g 2+ �f7, I don 't think White wil l achieve perpetual check, whereas Black's rooks should eventually pick off White 's pawns. 41 . . . fs 42 .l:td3 l:ted7 43 'ilfl11 bs 44 'ilfa1 �f6 45 'It>e3? !

Perhaps under the illusion that he has the initiative, White defends the d-pawn with the king so as to leave the queen free, whereas he should have been thinking about containment and a draw. In that respect, 45 'i'el i s preferable, preventing Black's next move (as the e6-pawn hangs) , while if Black tries 4S . . . l:t7d6 (not 4S . . . .l:rxd4?? 46 'ilfeS+) 46 Wg 3 gS ? ! , then 47 fxg S+ 'it>xg s 48 �e3+ �g6 49 �d2 gives White dangerous counterplay on the dark squares. 4s . . . gs !

Creating a newly passed f-pawn. 46 i¥f1 'it>g6

3 0 8


47 'iic1?! A move which forecloses on h is own chances, since it allows Black a pair of passed

pawns. White might still hold the game with 47 fxg s es 48 �1 ! , intending 'ii'h8, when it won't be easy for Black to dodge the endless checks. Or if 48 ... .ih s , then 49 'Ot>f2 (threatening l:th 3) 49 . . . l:txd4 so l:.xd4 l:txd4 51 'ii'c6+ (getting in another way) Sl .. .�xgs 52 'ii'xbs . If the queen is denied her pound of flesh, then she is wil l ing to settle for a few ounces. 47 . . . gxf4+ 48 �xf4 lbd4+ 49 .l:.xd4 llxd4+ 50 'it?e5 J:r.c4 51 'ii'h1 l:i.e4+ 52 �d6 �g5 53 ct;e7

Probably 53 b4! is White's best chance. 53 . . . .l:te2 54 �f7

Grefe fights back with the heroic despair of the damned, but it's probably too late to save the game. Even after 54 'iWh8 es 5 5 b4 'it>f4, it looks l ike Black i s winning. 54 .. .f4 55 'Ot>g7

After this move White's emotionally drained forces are utterly incapable of mounting any kind of final stand. 5 5 'ii'h 8 ..lth S+ 56 �g7 f3 57 '!Wh6+ �h4 58 ct;f6 puts up greater resi stance, even if it still looks futile after S8 . . . .l:tg2 ! . s s . . . f3 The queen 's l ips can be seen silently moving, mouthing curses at the surging f-pawn . Black's pawns are just too advanced and White lacks a perpetual check mechanism. 56 'i'h6+ 'it?f5 57 'it'f6+ �e4 58 'iig5 .i.f5 59 'ili'h4+ 'itte3 6o �f6 f2

Just one step away. 61 �g3+ 'it>d2 62 11Vc3+ 'Ot>d1 63 b4

3 0 9

63 • . • .l!td2

Exercise (planning): If Black promotes his f-pawn, then White's queen checks on a1. What should Black play?

Not al l threats should be believed. Korchnoi takes the 'ili'a1+ "threat" at face value. Answer: Promote to a new queen anyway. 63 . . .f1�! 64 'ii'al+ i s useless, since 64 . . . -tbl+ arrives with check! 64 "ii'f3+ \tlc2 o-1

The queen fail s to exercise the full might of her authority and her checks soon exhaust themselves. " I s it possible for my degradation to sink even further?" asks the queen, to no one in particular. Unfortunately, the answer is "yes" . Black forces promotion after 65 "fic6+ �b2 66 ir'f3 .id3.

1 d4 ltJf6 2 c4 e6 3 ltJf3 b6 4 a3

Game 40 A.Karpov-V .Korchnoi

Dortm u nd 1994 Queen 's Indian Defence

Petrosian's l ine of the Queen's Indian. Before developing h is queen's knight to its most logical square, White spends a move to prevent . . . i.b4. 4 . . . .i.b7

Sometimes Black plays . . . .ia6 to lure White's queen to c2 , and only then plays . . . .i.b7; i .e . 4 . . . i.a6 5 'ii'c2 i.b7.

3 1 0

Ko rch n o i o n Exp lo i t ing I m b a l a n ces

Question: Why would Black waste a tempo l ike thi s - ?

Answer: The point is that White can't meet . . . c7-c5 with d4-d5 anymore, so Black gets a Si

cilian-type position after 6 tLlc3 cs 7 e4 cxd4 8 tLlxd4, M.Gurevich-V. Korchnoi , Biel lnter

zonal 1993 .

s tt:Jc3 ds Lately, top GMs have been toying around with the strange s . . . g 6 ! ? . For example : 6 'ilic2

i.xf3 ! ? 7 exf3 tt'lc6 8 i.e3 ..tg7 9 o-o-o ! ? o-o 10 g4 dS with mutual chances in this sharp,

opposite wing castl ing position, B .Grachev-A.Shirov, Jurmala (rapid) 2013.

6 i.gs The main l ine runs 6 cxds tt'lxds 7 'i!i'c2 tLlxc3 8 bxc3 cS 9 e4 with about even chances.

6 . . . i.e7 7 'ilia4+

This l ine was all the rage in the 1990s.

Question: What's the idea?

Answer: White reasons that any block has a disruptive effect on Black's position. 7 e3 i s the main alternative. 7 . . . c6

Karpov normally finds himself on the Black side of thi s l ine: a) 7 . . . 'ili'd7 8 'iixd7+ tLlbxd7 9 lLlbs �d8 10 cxds tt'lxds 11 e4 tLlsf6 12 .i.f4 tLle8 1 3 i.d3 h6

14 o-o-o, when White' s central control , coupled with Black's awkward king put Karpov on the defensive, L.Van Wely-A.Karpov, Groningen 1995 .

b ) 7 . . . i.c6 8 'iib3 dxc4 9 ifxc4 o-o 10 e3 iLb7 11 i.e2 a6 12 .l:tc1 tLlbd7 13 0-0 bs 14 ii'a2 cs and Black equal ized, Y. Pel letier-A.Karpov, Biel 1997.

c) The most natural -looking move, 7 . . . tLlbd7, doesn't do so well for Black after 8 ii.xf6 !

3 1 1


.txf6 9 cxd5 exd5 10 g 3 c5 11 ..th 3 a6 12 dxc5 bxc5 13 e4! d4 14 tLld5 with advantage to

White due to hi s grip on the l ight squares , L.Van Wely-B.Jonsson, Akureyri 1994.

8 �xf6

Question: Why did Karpov h and over the bishop pair?

Answer: He foresees a possible hanging pawns or isolani future (which, oddly enough, never comes to pass) and logically plays to reduce the number of black pieces on the board. 8 ... ..txf6 9 cxds exds 10 g3 o-o 11 .ig2 tLld7 12 o-o

12 ... ..11i.e7

Question: Wouldn 't . . . c6-c5 be more logical ?

Answer: I t would sharpen the game considerably. Black's normal plan i s t o go for thi s move at some point or other. For example : 12 . . . c5 13 .l:tfd1 cxd4 (13 . . . c4? ! 14 e4! dxe4 1 5 tLle5 favours White) 14 ttJxd4 tLlc5 1 5 �c2 "ii'd7, E .Ghaem Maghami-M.Ardeshi , Asian Team Championship 2005, and White stands slightly better after 16 e 3 .

In this game Korchnoi tries a strange experiment: He never plays . . . c6-c5 at all , in stead opting for . . .f7-f5 , which has the effect of confusing Karpov. 13 lUd1 fs l ?

Korchnoi elects to enter a Stonewall Dutch style position . He cl aimed that the move is "a b i t unsound positionally", yet justified i t by saying that i f Kasparov (World Champion at the time) can play the King ' s Indian (an unsound opening in Korchnoi ' s eyes ! ) , then Korch noi can play the Stonewall Dutch ! 14 e3 .td6 15 ttJe2!

Reshuffling the knight to d3, after which both white knights eye the weakened e5 -square.

3 1 2


15 . . . ii'e7 16 tt'lf4 a s 17 tt'ld3 bs !

Question: Doesn 't thi s move all ow White pressure on the backward c6-pawn ?

Answer: In th i s case, no . Black plans to follow with . . . a4, . . . tt'lb6 and . . . tt'lc4, effectively plugging the c-fi le . 18 'i'c2 a4! 19 Ile1 <Jih8 20 .:Iac1 tt'lb6 21 tt'lfes tt'lc4

White's c-fi le now looks rather useless, loaded up with queen and rook staring at noth ing . 22 f4

Karpov entrenches h i s most powerful piece as wel l . 22 . . . g5 !?

A bold deci sion . Black intends to gain space on the k ing side as well . 23 'i'e2 .l:!.g8 24 �f2 1

Korchnoi writes : "49 out of so grandmasters would have been unable to resist the temptation to put the queen on h s ! "

Question: S o why did Karpov avoid the move?

Answer: He probably felt Black would seal the queen there by a timely . . . g 5 -g4 and then perhaps force queens off the board with an eventual . . :�WeB . 24 . . . .l:[af8 2 5 tt'lf3 h6

Retaining the pawn tension for now. After 2S . . . g4 26 tt'lfes , White plays for .l:th l and an h2-h3 break. 26 tt'lfes �h7

3 1 3

27 'it>g1!? Karpov waivers, perhaps fearing that h i s thoughts h ave been accurately read by Korch

noi . Karpov claimed the correct plan for the position was the set-up l:th l, ii.f3, h 2 -h 3 , l:tcg1, then move his king to dl, followed by g 3-g4 with advantage . But i s thi s really so? Korchnoi correctly mentioned that in thi s plan White's king would be unsafe, since Black could play for a well -timed . . . c6-c S ! break after all .

Alternatively, White might l eave h is king on the kingside after .l:tcgl, and reorganize with :g2 and 'ifi>g 1 before playing g 3 -g4. Even so, it 's not clear what White really achieves by thi s plan - give him the moves absolutely for free and Houdin i slightly prefers Black (as long as he doesn't take on g4 of course) . 21 . • . "ii'e8!

To free the c8-bishop from babysitting duties on c6 . 28 'ii'c2 'it>h8 29 ll'lf2

Karpov plays for a g 3-g4 break, but then decides it is too ri sky when Korchnoi sets his pieces up specifically to deal with it . 29 .. .llg7 30 .Ue2 i.c8 31 .:f.ce1 lUgS!

Thi s pretty much ends White's hopes of g 3 -g4. The position remains in stasi s until White's next risky move. 32 ll'lxc4?

With a throw of the dice, Karpov overpresses, giving up his strong knight, and embarks on a plan inherently at odds with h i s own self-interest. Thi s innocuous-looking move is the driving force which alters White's natural destiny and drives him to strategic penury. 32 . . . bxc4

Not 32 . . . dxc4? 33 fxgs hxg s (or 3 3 .. Jhg s 34 ll'lh 3) 34 e4, breaking strongly in the centre. 33 'ti'xa4

White wins a pawn at the heavy cost of ceding the initiative entirely and, in particular, allowing Black heavy compensating pressure down the newly opened b-fi le .

3 1 4

Korch n o i o n Exp l o i t i ng I m b a l a n ces

33 . . . flb7 34 tt::ld1 Thi s unfortunate knight, which must now protect the b2-pawn ad infinitum, operates

under a sense of estrangement - a disconnect - to those around it.

34 . . . hs !

Question: What i s so ri sky about White's pawn grab. His king looks safe enough, surrounded by so many defenders.

Answer: Let's l i st the position 's imbalances first, in order to assess it properly: 1. White i s a pawn up. 2 . White's a-pawn is passed, meaningless for now, but relevant should pieces be re

moved from the board l ater on . 3 . Black has the bishop pair, meaningless for now, but relevant should the position open

up later on . 4. Black exerts pressure down the b-file, tying down White's kn ight. s. White's exchange effectively condemned his e-pawn to the apparently permanent

status of weak and backward. 6. Black may either try and open the kingside with a future ... h S -h4, or try a slower

squeeze play with the plan ... g 5-g4, ... h S -h4-h 3, after which the weakened back rank uncomfortably adheres to White's king like a filthy garment.

Conclusion : Black has more than enough compensation for the pawn and I actually prefer his chances. 35 'iilf2 .td7 36 \Wc2 'ti'g6

Threatening . . . gsxf4, followed by . . . h S-h4 ! or even . . . .Jtxf4 ! . 37 �f1 h4

Scary stuff. White can only await events . 38 :tf2 g4!

3 1 5

A bril l iant strategic decision . Needless to say, most GMs would retain the kingside pawn tension . In thi s case Korchnoi pl an s to continue with . . . h4-h 3 , with a choking space advantage, and possible back rank tricks if the other side opens up later on . 39 �g1 .l:rgb8 40 'iVe2

40 gxh4 i..e7 simply swaps one problem for another and is no improvement. 40 .. . h3 !

Condemning White's back rank to eternal vulnerabil ity. 41 i.f1 i..c7 42 b4?

A rare instance of a poor strateg ic decision from Karpov (his second in thi s game ! ) . Tal 's most sal ient characteristic was his utter lack of remorse for an unsound sac. So how much more jarring i s it when we see Karpov - normally a model citizen on such matters - engage in shady decision-making? Here we witness a case of degenerage (better not to google this "word") : l ashing out upon seeing your position degenerate. Karpov's thinly disguised confusion attempt i s certainly not an offer made in good faith . White is wil l ing to incur appalling peril to fight the tide. Apparently, resentment reached boi l ing point as Black's forces continued to prosper upon their labours.

Question: Desperation ? Thi s looks more like insanity.

Answer: Korchnoi said he failed to construct a win in the analysis if White simply awaited events and sat tight, but added that the main reason Karpov played this move is that he hated, more than anything el se, to get outplayed strategically! And so Karpov lashed out, allowing his position to degenerate further. 42 . . . cxb3? !

Korchnoi says nothing about thi s natural reply, but I feel i t i s inaccurate. Much stronger is 42 . . . .l:.a7 ! 43 1!ib2 l:tba8, when White's entire queenside structure collapses. 43 lt:lb2 i.d6 44 a4 'iie6 45 .l:tdl?

3 1 6


4S . . . l:!.a7?

Exercise (planning): Karpov reels . H is last move was another error. How can Black exploit it?

Answer: Principle : Open the position if you own the bishop pa ir. Black wins after 4S . . . c s ! 46 dxcs i.xcs 47 .:!.d3 .l:.e8 48 lt:Jd1 b2 ! (deflection) 49 tbxb2 i.xe3 . 46 .i:!.d3 �h7

He should still go for 46 . . . cs ! , though i t doesn't have the force it did last move. 47 'iVdl cs !

Hooray! 48 Itxb3 l:txb3!?

48 . . . c4 ! 49 l:txb8 .txb8 leaves Black with a clear advantage. 49 'ii'xb3 c4 so "it'b6 �as

3 1 7

Exercise (combination alert}: White seems to be battl ing a ri sing tide of helplessness, but appearances deceive. Karpov has an amazing

resource which suddenly takes over the initiative. What did he find?

Answer: Karpov wakes up and makes a fight of it with a visually stunning, impossible-yetpossible pawn break.

51 e4! ! "God's rod strikes harder and more painfully to the wicked when assisted by the hand of

the humble," declares the once backward e-pawn . 5 1 . . . fxe4

No choice. 52 f5 'iie7 53 t2Jd1!

The knight, once sagging and inert, i s transferred back into the fight on its most favourable post, e3 . 53 . . . l:tb8 54 'iia 5 .i.c6 5 5 f6 'itl'e6 56 t2Je3 l1b3

Korchnoi dubbed this move a mistake, preferring 56 . . .'�g6, though in that case 57 'iid2 ! , followed by 5 8 t2Jf5, i s quite dangerous.

57 'ii'a7+!? White can al so opt for the chaotic 57 f7 i.f8 ! (57 . . Jlxe3?? loses on the spot to the clever

zwischenzug 58 'ii'd8 ! ) 58 'iid8 'iie7 59 'ii'xe7 ii.xe7 60 t2Jxg4 �g7 61 l2Je5 �xa4 62 .i.xh3 and it's anybody's game. 5 7 . .. .i.b7?!

Now the advantage swings to Karpov. Black holds the balance by throwing things at the white king : 57 . . . i.d7 ! 58 t2Jxd5 ..txg 3 ! 59 hxg 3 .l:r.xg 3+ 60 <;t>hl e3 61 lLlf4 .l:!.g l+! 62 �xg 1 exf2+ 63 �xf2 g3+ ! 64 �f3 ! 'iig4+ 6 5 'it>e3 g2 66 i.xg2 hxg2 67 t2Jxg2 'ii'g3+ 68 �d2 'itl'xg 2+ 69 �c3 'ifd5 70 'iic5 .ft.e6 71 'ii'xd5 .i.xd5 with a draw, s ince White simply pushes his apawn down the board to el iminate Black's last pawn .

3 1 8


ss as ! Korchnoi 's suggestion 58 ii.e2? ! runs into S8 .. .'i!i'c8 ! and White i s suddenly busted again .

For example : 59 i.xg4 "ii'c7 ! (targeting g3 ) , 59 tbxg4 c3 ! , 59 tbxds e3 ! , or 59 as ! ? i.b8 60 'i'cs 'iVxcs 61 dxcs i.a7 ! .

s s . . . i.fS?

59 l:.f4?

Exercise (combination alert}: Amazingly, Black's last move flat out loses. What did both players miss h ere?

Answer: White wins by the deeply hidden variation 59 a6 ! ! (deflection) 59 . . . 'i!Vxa6 60 'ifb8 ! i. c 8 61 'i!Vc7+ 'it>g8 62 tbxds l:tf3 63 tbe7+ etc. 59 . . . i.h6 60 f7 .txf4!

3 1 9

61 fS'iV??

Exercise (critical decision): White must decide : Under-promote to a knight, forking the black king and queen, or m ake a new queen h imself. One l ine remains even; in the other, White loses . Which would you play?

A fatal misassessment. Korchnoi 's thinking patterns contain the remarkable property of inducing a high percentage of " ! ! " and "??" moves from his opponents - all in the same game! After thi s move White l acks key defenders for his king , who real izes h i s fortunes and his very l ife are forfeit.

Only by underpromoting does White escape defeat: 61 f8N+ ! 'it>h6 62 gxf4! ! (no points unless you saw this move as well : the whole idea of the knight check was to gain time to take the bishop, not to take the queen; Karpov must have missed this trick and only analyzed 62 tl:\xe6?? i.xe3+ 63 'it>h1 .l:!.b1 ! , when 64 .. . ltxf1 mate cannot even be postponed) 62 .. . ii'f7 63 ii'cs :txe3 64 'ii'd6+ 'it>g7 (not 64 ... 'it>h s? ? 65 'ii'e5+ 'it>h6 66 'ii'g 5 m ate) 65 tl:\e6+ �g6 66 tl:\f8+ �g7 67 tl:\e6+ i s drawn . 61 .. . i.xe3+ 62 'ilfh1 i.h6

Houdini assessment i s now -9 .04; i .e. completely resignable for White ! Amazingly, despite h is two queens White is h elpless against Black's mounting threats on the hopelessly weak back rank. 63 'ii'f2 i.g7

Why remove the bishop from its powerful diagonal ? 63 . . . Wg6 ! was stronger. 64 a6 .l::tf3 !

65 'ii'e1 Promotion attempts fai l miserably for White: a) 65 axb7?? l:txf2 66 'it>g l 'fif7 forces mate. b) 6 5 'ii'xf3 ?? exf3 66 axb7 f2 ! 67 b8'ii' (a third queen ! ) 67 . . . 'ii'e4+ 68 i.g2 fl'ii' mate.

3 2 0


6s . • . ii.xa6 66 .ie2 :!f7 67 'iics c3 ! A practical deci sion, swapping off White's key defender of h is weakened l ight squares.

The tempting 67 . . . e 3 ? ! (threatening . . . �e4+) would allow 68 'iVb1+! , when things are less clear, but 67 . . . l:.b7 ! first would win .

68 �cxc3 .lit.xe2 69 'ii'xe2 'iif6 70 �c1?! .lit.h6 Return ing to its optimum diagonal with tempo.

71 'ii'b1 The relatives of a notorious criminal tend to be ashamed, as if they themselves are the

culprits. ( I have a di stant relative who i s apparently the reigning mob kingpin of Mumbai -wanted for multiple murders, drug smuggl ing, extortion and a host of other charges ! Just goog le " Lakdawala" and his name normally pops up ahead of mine. Well , at l east he is good at what he does ! ) White 's queens act in just such a way towards their now desperate

king .

Exercise {planning): There are two paths to Black's win . Find either - or both - of them.

Answer #1: Step 1 : Cover g4. 11 . . ."iffs Answer #2: The simple ]1 . . . 1i'f3+ ! al so wins : 72 'it'xf3 gxf3 (White is helpless against the pawn armada) 73 'iS.?g l �e3+ 74 'if;fl lk7 and .. . .:tel+ follows. 72 'iii>g1

Step 2: Transfer the rook to the c-file and threaten . . . .l:.cl, to which there is no defence. 72 • . J�c7 ! 0-1

A shudder runs through the room at the rook's entry, while 73 'iieel i s met by 73 . . . 'ii'f3, forcing mate. "I will separate them from all that they cherish," thinks Black's queen, as she approaches her brother and two sisters. She derives an exquisitely perverse pleasure from

3 2 1


the knowledge that her family remain s helpless within the net of her dark power.

Korchnoi 's magic often grew cold and inert upon entering Karpov's terrible realm, as if

frozen in a block of i ce - but n ot in thi s game.

Game 41 K.Sasikiran-V .Korchnoi

B led Olym piad 2002 Nimzo-/ndian Defence

1 d4 tt::\f6 2 c4 e6 3 tt::\c3 �b4 4 'iVc2 o-o 5 a3 i.xc3+ The first imbalance arises : White's bishop pair versus Black's lead in development.

6 'ilxc3 d6 Having exchanged off h i s dark-squared bi shop, Black logically seeks to switch h is struc

ture to the opposite colour of h i s remaining bishop with .. . d7-d6 and an eventual ... e6-es . 7 f3 ! ?

An ambitious but ri sky l ine . White seeks to annex central territory with e2-e4.

Question: Why risky?

Answer: White is already behind in development and n ow, rather than trying to catch up, pursues strategic g oals in stead. 7 i.g s and 7 tt::\f3 are m ore commonly played here. 7 • . . cs

3 2 2

Question: Doesn't thi s violate the principle: Don 't open

the game when your opponent has the bishop pair?


Answer: I t i s possible to follow and viol ate principles with the same move. Here Black fol lows the principle: Open the game when leading in development - which, from my experi

ence, tends to be the more potent of the two. Otherwise Black can proceed more cautiously with 7 . . .'�We8 8 e4 es 9 i.e3 tbc6 10 tbe2 as

11 dS 0.e7 with a rather strange hybrid of the Nimzo- lndian and Samisch King ' s Indian, where I prefer White's chances, B .Gulko-M.Adams, Hastings 1989/90. s dxcs dxcs 9 �gs tbc6 10 e3

In N .Castaneda-V.Korchnoi , Montreal (bl itz) 2004, White got too ambitious and played 10 e4?, which weakens the d4-square. But thi s i sn 't the biggest problem for White.

Exercise (combination alert}: Here Korchnoi replied with the logical and consistent 10 . . . es , but he missed a better move. Do you see it?

Answer: Unpinning/double attack/excel sior. 10 . ..ltJXe4! steal s a pawn in broad daylight: 11 i.xd8 (or 11 Vxg7+ �xg7 12 il.xd8 l:txd8 13 fxe4 .l:!.d4 ! ) 11 . . .tbxc3 12 i..c7 tbd4! 13 'ittf2 ltJa4. 1o . . . es 11 ..td3

After 11 l:.d1 'i'as 12 tbe2 i.e6 13 ..txf6 gxf6 14 :lc1 l:tfd8 15 tbg3 fS , Black looks sl ightly better s ince he has deprived White of h is bi shop pair, continues to lead in development, and owns more space, Zhou J ianchao-Zhou Weiqi , Chinese Championship, Xinghua 2013 . 11 . . . \I!Vas!?

The queens trade exasperated glances. Thi s was a new idea at the time.

Question: What is the point of the queen swap?

Answer: There are two: 1. Korchnoi plans to add heat to the c4-pawn with a knight on as and bishop on e6. 2 . Black i s unafraid of i.xf6 since . . . g7xf6 strengthens h is central influence and removes

3 2 3


the bi shop pair from his opponent's hands.

Afterwards, Korchnoi suggested the refinement 11. . .h 6 ! 12 .th4 (or 12 it.xf6 'i!i'xf6 13 �e4 �f5) 12 . . . '1i'a5 . Then 13 liJe2 .te6 (13 . . . e4 14 fxe4? ! liJg4 improves on Korchnoi ' s position in the game, but 14 ..tc2 ! stil l looks good for White, J . Rowson-M.Drasko, French Team Championship 2008) 14 i.xf6 gxf6 15 b3 f5 was equal , M.Mchedl i shvi l i -S .Tiviakov, Nakhchivan 2013 . 12 ttJez e4?1

Question: Is thi s sac sound? After all , White can take queens off the board.

Answer: It 's probably not such a good move, but Korchnoi got away with it ! H i s thought patterns differ starkly from the elegance of Capablanca or Fi scher. Korchnoi ' s move algorithm i s more tortured, atonal, and sometimes outright unsound! Here he offers a pawn sac to damage White's structure and set difficult practical problems. Objectively the move may be dubious but only if White finds the correct response - which he doesn 't.

Thi s i s a typical Korchnoi decision, in that his moves seem to answer our questions with yet more questions . The ulterior motive to Black's generosity is to hand White a set of doubled e-pawns and take control over e5 . The problem is that White can decl ine the sac, after which Black stands worse. 13 fxe4?1

Houdin i says thi s move i s okay for White, but I don 't l ike it . I have a feel ing Sasikiran assessed the position too generously in h i s own favour, whereas the actual assessment i s closer to equality, with all the practical chances on Black's s ide. White's doubled, i solated epawns are an eyesore and Black seizes control over the e5-hole on his next move.

Non-compliance i s White's most promising plan , following the principle : If you own the

bishop pair, then keep the pawn structure fluid. Therefore White should prefer 13 .tc2 ! (but not 13 it.xf6?? , which drops a piece to 13 . . . exd3 14 .txg7 'i!Vxc3+ 15 .ixc3 dxe2 ) 13 .. Ji'xc3+

3 2 4


(or 13 . . . exf3 14 gxf3 'ti'xas 1S b3) 14 CUXC3 exf3 1S gxf3 cues 16 j,xf6 gxf6 17 cuds ! with the

initiative.

13 .. . LZ:lg4!

Preparing to apply the blockade on es . 14 �f4 �e6

The plausible 14 ... CUgeS? ? hangs a piece to 1S �xes . I shudder to think just how many of

my games have ended in such moments of ignominious boneheadedness.

15 .l:!:d1 It 's very difficult to get it right, from White's perspective, but I ask: Just what i s "right"

in this position ? Alternatives lead to unclear positions as well :

a) 1S '1!!Vxas (to deflect the knight away from es ) 1s . . . cuxas 16 h 3 cuf6 17 .l:!.c1 .l:.fd8 18 :c3 li:xd3 ! 19 .l:.xd3 cuxc4 offers Black sufficient compensation for the exchange.

b) 1S b3 (covering the sensitive C4-point) 1S . . .f6 16 'ifxaS CUxaS 17 h 3 CUeS 18 �c2 bS ! ?

19 �xes fxes 2 0 cxbs ..txb3 21 ..txb3+ cuxb3 22 .Ua2 a6 ! and Black may even stand better,

though I feel White should hold the game since he remain s a pawn up after all .

15 .. . f6 ! "Now the es -square is under Black's control and he has at l east enough compensation

for the pawn," writes GM John Emms. 16 h3 lUges 17 .ixes fxes 18 'iVxas cuxas 19 .l!tc1 l!:fd8 20 l:i.c3

Exercise {planning): Black leads both structurally and developmentally. Come up with a plan for Korchnoi to seize the initiative.

Answer: Principle : Create confrontation when leading in development. So Korchnoi decides upon a philosophy of m aximum intervention on the queenside, by playing for . . . b7-b 5 ! while White i s ill prepared t o deal with the fight. 2o . . . .l:.ab8! 21 b3

3 2 5


Not 21 o-o? ! b S ! 2 2 cxbS c4! 2 3 .i.c2 .l:!.xbS 24 l:tb1 l:tdb8 and Black regains h i s pawn with

a clear advantage.

21 .. . bS ! 22 cxbs t:bxb3 23 a4 Sasikiran plays without a sense of urgency, spending time on a move that isn 't yet

completely necessary. In stead, White may just be hanging on after 23 1iif2 (not 2 3 o-o? c4!

24 i.xc4 i..xc4 25 .:.xc4 t:bd2) 23 .. . t:ba5 (or 23 .. . c4 24 .txc4 .i.xc4 25 .l:txc4 t:bd2 26 l:.a4) 24 �b1 c4 25 .i.c2 t:bb3 26 a4. 23 . . J�d6!

Threatening to double on the d-fi le and infiltrate at d2. 24 'it>f2

The human move. Houdini found an amazing defence for White with 24 i..c2 c4 2 5 t:bg 1 ! ! . For example: 2 5 . . . t:ba1 26 t:bf3 t:bxc2+ 27 .l:Ixc2 a6 28 o-o! axb5 2 9 axbs l:txb5 3 0 ltJg5 . White passed a defensive threshold and life from this point will be a lot easier. 24 . . . l:Ibd8 25 JLC2 C4 26 �e1 1Id2 27 �g3? !

The king puts aside h i s crutch and attempts to walk on h i s own . Again, thi s plan feels too laid back, too removed from the dire urgencies swirl ing about White's position . H i s king shouldn 't be running from the action when i t i s needed to cover critical squares .

27 .l:.b1 ! , intending �e1, may yet hold the game. Black can try 27 . . . ltJd4! , but White is under no obl igation to accept the sac and continues to h ave chances to draw after the calm 2 8 i.d1! t:bxe2 29 il.xe2 1:ta2 30 'it>e1 l:lxa4 3 1 b6. 27 .. J1f8!

Korchnoi continues to revise and reshape the position to fit neatly into the mould of his requirements. Sometimes it i s possible to feel our way past the complications, even if we don't fully understand them. White must find a good defensive l ine or he col lapses.

Exercise (critical decision): White's choices are 28 .i.b1, 28 i..xb2, and 28 J.d1. Only one offers room for hope, the other two lose. What would you play here?

3 2 6

28 i.d1?

Korch n o i on Exp lo i t i ng I m b a la n ce s

Flying bl ind is disconcerting for any pilot and White's solution t o h i s troubles evades

him. Bl ack's response proves th is move to be a waste of time. Korchnoi revel s in such con

fusion, where pieces bob and float l ike ramen noodles, until it becomes difficult to distin

guish friend from foe . No better is 28 �xb3? cxb3 29 l:lc6 b2 ! 30 llxe6 l:r.xe2 3 1 l:.b1 .l:f.ff2, when White is para

lysed by the enemy b-pawn .

Answer: 28 �b1 ! i s his best shot to save himself. For example: 28 . . . ttJcs 29 'it>h2 ! ttJxa4!

{29 . . . l:!.f2 is met by 30 l:te2 ! lbxe4 31 l:.xd2 lbxd2 32 'it>g 1 and White survives) 30 l:la3 lt:\cs 3 1 lt:\c3 :ff2 32 .l:.g1, when i t i sn 't easy for Black t o make progress {although I suspect Korchnoi would manage to do so ! ) .

28 . . . lt:\cs! 29 �c2

Exercise {planning}: A single truth is verifiable. We all sense a breakthrough . How did Korchnoi force h i s rooks to the seventh rank?

Answer: Step 1 : Force .i.xd3 . 29 • • • lbd3 !

With this move Black lays bare the underlyin g weakness i n White's position, and Sasikiran has no way to devise any kind of solution to cope with the threat. The prel iminary 29 . . . .l:If6 ! , intending . . . lt:\d3 ! next move, was very strong too, since White has nothing useful to do himself. 30 ..txd3 cxd3 31 lt:\c1

Now White's knight is forced to move, allowing rook entry on f2 . Step 2 : Jump in .

31 . . J1ff2 " It's ' seventh heaven ' for the rooks," writes Emms of this move.


32 lbxd3 capturing the other way with 32 .l:i.xd3 al lows 32 . . . .l:!.xg2+ 33 �h4 �f7, followed by . . . g 7-

g 5 mate.

Question: How does Black break through if White simply defends g2 with 3 2 l:lg1 - ?

Answer: The allure of a breakthrough combination continues to tantal ize . Find it.

Exercise (combinQtion Q/ert}: Black to play and win :

Answer: Deflection/promotion. 3 2 . . . l:.xg2+ ! (anyway! } 3 3 llxg2 llxg 2+ (the accompli ce shares partially in guilt with the one who actually commits the crime} 34 'it>xg 2 d2 and, oddly enough, White has no way to prevent queening . 32 . . . .l:.xg2+ 33 �h4

3 2 8


Exercise (combination alert}: Form a mating net around the white king , who soon breaks under the questioning of the Inquisition .

Answer: Korchnoi 's solution emerges with merci less clarity. Access to hs is the key to the

net. 33 ... i.d71

I ntending . . . .ie8 and . . . g 7-g 5 mate.

34 tt::lxes gS+ 35 'iil>hs .lteS+ 36 Wh6 l:td6+ o-1

C h a pt e r F ive

Korchnoi on Acc u m u l ating Ad vanta ge s

A Master friend of mine once speculated that the reason Korchnoi was able to hang in there against Karpov - when all others withered under the Karpovian strategic g aze - was that Korchnoi relied on his power of tactics, calculation and endgame mastery to make up for his "lousy positional play" !

I was stunned at the last three words of h is sentence. In th is respect, Korchnoi, l ike Lasker before him, is deeply misunderstood. Some players are perfectly capable of excellent positional play, but never seem to get around to it, mainly because some preposterous tactical idea pops into their heads, distracting from the orig inal strategic theme. In Korchnoi's games, tactics and odd (sometimes even unhinged! ) ideas always lurk on the periphery, l ike some anguished, rejected lover, who continues to stalk a former sweetheart. I would place Korchnoi firmly in this category. H i s ambition to create always superseded his need for the practical .

In this chapter, we look at examples of Korchnoi 's praxis where he actually chooses to behave himself and play purely positional ly. Take a look at Game 43 and tell me whether you think Black's moves contain even a trace of "lousy positional play"!

3 3 0

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d v a n ta g e s

I n thi s position, Korchnoi (Black) , doing a perfect imitation of Botvinnik, put a monumental squeeze on Hubner, who was no strategic slouch himself.

Game 42 A.Matanovic-V.Korchnoi

World Student Tea m Cham pionsh i p, U ppsa la 1956 French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 ds 3 tDc3 .lib4 4 es b6

The atonal Bron stein Winawer, one of my favourite l ines from the Black side. In 1956, thi s variation must have come as an affront to rationality to anyone playing White. In thi s game Matanovic looked utterly baffled by the then relatively new idea.

3 3 1


Question: Why wouldn 't Black chip away at White's centre with the normal 4 . . . c5 - ?

Answer: Several reasons : 1. In the main l ines , Black hands over the bishop pair to White, which often produces

headaches on the dark squares for the remainder of the game. 2 . Black plans to cover against 'ii'g4 with the taunting . . . i.f8 ! , when Black remains gross

ly behind in development, yet White, often to his frustration, has no obvious method of opening the position to exploit this fact.

Another option is 4 . . . "ii'd7, intending to meet 5 'ii'g4 with 5 .. .f5, covering g7 laterally, and then follow up with .. . b7-bG and ... .taG as in the main game. 5 "i!Vg4

White goes after g7 . The main alternative i s 5 a3 and then : a) 5 . . . .txc3+ (the sharper response) G bxc3 'iid7 7 'ii'g4 f5 (the point: Black covers g7 lat

erally, as after 4 . . . 'ilkd7 in the previous note) 8 'iVg3 .taG (Black swaps off his bad bishop and eliminates White' s bi shop pair in one swoop) 9 i..xaG tt:JxaG 10 tt:Je2 tt:Jb8 11 t2Jf4 <Jtf7 ! (the old l ine 11 . . . tt:Jc6? 12 tt:JxeG ! 'ii'xeG 13 'ilkxg7 "ii'g G 14 'ilfxh8 has been refuted, as a timely h2-h4-h 5 and/or es -eG frees the white queen) 12 'iif3 t2Je7 13 'iih 5+ 'it>g8 14 h4 tt:JbcG 15 l:th 3 l:tf8 1G .l:.g 3 .l::tf7, when White 's attacking chances balance out Black's superior structure, M .Khachiyan-C.Lakdawala, Century City 2002.

b) s . . . ..tf8 (more consistent ! ) G lDf3 tt:Je7 7 h4 hG 8 hs as 9 .tb5+ cG 10 .ta4 tt:Jd7 11 tt:Je2 b5 12 .i.b3 c5 13 c3 tt:JcG 14 0-0 'ilic7 15 1:le1 c4 (Black stakes all his hopes on the queenside) 1G .tc2 tt:JbG 17 i..f4 i..e7 18 .tg3 l:tb8 19 tt:Jh 2 "ii'd8 20 tt:Jg4 b4 21 axb4 axb4 22 cxb4? ! (opening the queenside only helps Black; I would go for 22 tt:Jf4 b3 23 i.b1 'ilid7 24 tt:Je3 and slowly prepare f2-f4-f5) 22 . . . tt:Jxb4 23 .ltb1 .td7 24 b3 .l:!.a8 2 5 .:txa8 'ifxa8 2G bxc4 tt:Jxc4 (notice that White lacks a single target on the kingside) 27 tt:Jc1?

3 3 2

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u la t i ng A d va n tages

Exercise (combination alert): Black to play and win material .

Answer: 27 . . . i.a4! (step 1 : chase White's queen from defence of d4) 28 'ti'e2 'ifa7 ! (step 2 : attack the d4-pawn, which White is now completely unable to cover) 29 lt::le3 �xd4 30 tt:lxc4 dxc4 3 1 'iifl? ! 0-0 and White resigned, G . Kasparov-V. Ivanchuk, Horgen 1995 . Thi s game, Kasparov's only loss with the white pieces in a ten year period, i s an amazing example of the hidden power of Black's system.

s . . . .i.fs

Question: How can Black be okay here, so far behind in space and development? He is yet to develop a single piece !

Answer: The position i s deceptive. White may have space but Black has access to the quicker pawn breaks with . . . C7-c5 or (a very distant future ! ) .. .f7-f6 . Secondly, White's developmental advantage i sn 't as wonderful as it appears, since he has no easy way to open the game. 6 tt:lf3

Today, most players go for l ines l ike: a) 6 .i.g s 'iid7 7 f4 .ta6 8 lt::lf3 ..txf1 9 .litxf1 lt::lc6 10 o-o-o lbge7 11 'iih s h6 12 i..xe7

i.xe7, followed by . . . g7-g6 and . . . h6 -h S , continuing to frustrate White in his attempts to open the game, A.Shirov-M.Rivas Pastor, Leon 1995 .

b ) 6 a4 lt:Jc6 (to keep a check on a4-as ideas) 7 i..bs .i.b7 8 lt::lf3 (8 as a6 costs White the bi shop pair) 8 . . . a6 9 .i.e2 'ird7 10 0-0 lbge7 11 lt:Jd1 lt::lfs 12 c3 and I was happy with the result of the opening, E .Sevill iano-C. Lakdawala, San Diego (rapid) 2007. 6 . . .'ii'd7 7 a3

This move seems unnecessary (Black has already retreated his bishop ! ) ; both 7 i..g s and

3 3 3


7 i.bS look l ike superior alternatives.

7 . • • .ta6 A standard manoeuvre in thi s variation : Black swaps off White's good bishop, while

el iminating the bishop pair. Black can also try 7 . J iJe7, hoping White moves his f1-bishop, after which .. . �a6 picks up

a tempo. For example : 8 b4! ? (again 8 .tg s looks better) 8 .. . c6 9 .l:lb1 ttJfs 10 .td3 i.a6 11 bs (preventing the exchange of bishops but further weakening his structure) 1 1 . . . cxbS 12 ttJxbS ttJc6 13 o-o h S 14 1i'f4 g6 15 h4 i.e7 16 g3 , R . Bogdanovic-T.V. Petrosian , Sarajevo 1972, and here Black has the trick 16 . . . tLlb4 ! 17 axb4 i.xbs with the advantage due to a superior pawn formation and greater influence on the l ight squares . 8 ..txa6 ttJxa6 9 o-o tLle7 10 tLle2

Question: What is the point of thi s retreat?

Answer: Dual purpose: 1 . White can support the d4-pawn with c2-c3 if Black challenges it later with . . . a-cs . 2 . White tran sfers the knight to the kingside, h i s theatre of operations.

10 . . . tZ:Ib8!?

Question: Okay, same question as last time ! ?

Answer: Black, behind in development, i s unwil l ing to break with . . . c7-c5 so soon . So he redeploys the knight to c6 and plans to castl e queenside. Nevertheless, I would probably have gone for 10 . . . cs , which looks more natural . Even if White tries to open it up with 11 dxcs, I don 't see any great problems for Black after 11 . . . tZ:Ixcs (11 . . . bxcs ! ? 12 c4 would get m e nervous) 12 ttJed4 lL'lg6, despite White's control over d4. 11 i.gs

3 3 4

Ko rch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d va n tages

White finally develops h is bi shop, intending to cause i rritation in Black's camp and pro

voke . . . h7-h6 .

11 . . . ttJbc6 12 b3 White logically hopes to open the game with an eventual c2-c4 but fai ls to take into ac

count that, when he does, Black won 't be all that far behind in development anymore. Furthermore, Black may generate play against d4. 12 .. . ttJfs 13 tDg3

I would prefer 13 :tfd1 h6 14 'M13, to try and keep the irritating bishop on g S for as long as possible . 13 . . . h6 14 .i.d2 g6

Black secures the fs-outpost. 15 'i!Vf4

Question: Does White get any structural benefits if h e exchanges on fs?

Answer: It 's an idea, but thi s may backfire and actually help Black, s ince it allows roll ing kingside pawns. Let's look: 1 5 tDxfS ! ? exfs 16 'ii'g 3 gS (16 . . . tiJd8 might be met by the clearance sac 17 e6 ! ttJxe6 18 ttJes 'iid6 19 .l:tfe1 with the threat of ttJxg6 ! next move) 17 h 3 0-0-0 and Black seems to have benefited more. 15 . . . ..te7 16 I:tfd1 g5 !

A required prelude to Bl ack's attacking ambitions. For the first time in the game, Korchnoi begins to make hostile overtures in the direction of White's king . It's hard to interpret benevolent motivations behind Korchnoi 's move, so now open warfare i s unavoidable . 17 ifg4 ttJxg3

Rejecting a draw, which was h i s if he wanted after 17 .. . hs 18 ttJxh s ti:Jh6 19 'i¥g 3 ttJfs etc. The powerless queen is reduced to a speechless fury and is forced to prance around at Black's whim.

3 3 5


18 ifxg3 0-0-0 19 i..b4? !

Matanovic circl es the truth of the position without actually touching upon it . This looks like a clever way to exchange bi shops but in actuality turns out to be a waste of time. 19 . . . fs!

20 exf6?! Now Black's position begins to generate startling activity. It i s understandable that Ma

tanovic wanted to avoid 20 i.xe7 'Wxe7, which would allow Black's kingside pawn mass free reign to surge forward, while White's queen remains in sullen silence on g3. All the same, I think White's chances were better in thi s version . 20 . . . i.xf6 21 .:tac1

As it turns out, White's attack is slower. 21 . . . h s

More accurate i s 2 1 . . . 'iig7 ! , which slows White down further by forcing h i m t o block his c-pawn with 22 i.c3. 22 C4

22 l2Jxg s ? is fool ish since it only opens l ines against h i s own king and doesn 't even win a pawn after 22 . . . l2Jxd4. 22 ... g4 23 t2Jes

Thi s allows Black to plug the es hole with a pawn . But 23 cxds ? ! 1\Vxds ! i s even worse for White, whose retreating position begins to spin out of synch . 23 . . . i.xes l 24 dxes d4

3 3 6


Ruling out any possibil ity of a n open c-fi le . What was once a single issue dilemma (White 's weak l ight squares), now blossoms into two more:

1. There can be no action without an actor. White's attack i s now at a standsti l l , whereas Black's attack is just beginning .

2 . Black acquired a passed d-pawn, destined t o roll forward with terrible, constricting force.

25 'i'f4

Question: Why can't White continue his attack with 25 cs - ?

Answer: The cost of handing Black control over dS is too high after 2 S . . . 'i'ds ! 26 cxb6 axb6, when es i s loose and Black al so threatens . . . h S -h4-h 3 ! with deadly effect. 2s • . . as ! ?

Korchnoi ' s reckless nature displays itself. Black would be better off omitting thi s move, which only makes him vulnerable to future b3 -b4 l ine-opening ideas. 26 .id2

The bi shop hopes to disengage from the dissension and secure d2. 26 .. .'i'h7 !

Taking control over d3 and the l ight squares . Korchnoi prepares the push of both h i s h and d-pawns. 27 l:te1

If 27 b4 l:Idf8 28 iVg 3 'iifs (threatening .. . h S-h4 ! ) 29 iih4 (or 29 �el h4 30 'i¥d3 'ifxd3 3 1 I!.xd3 axb4 3 2 axb4 1:.f4 and es fal ls ) 29 . . . ltJxes 30 bxas bxas, White i s in no position t o exploit Black's queen side weaknesses since he faces far greater threats on the other side. 27 • . . Ithf8 28 'iig3 d3 !

I t becomes painfully clear that Matanovic i s hopelessly out of h i s depth h ere strategi cally. Let's take stock:

3 3 7

1. Black's advanced d-pawn has a suffocating effect on White' s position . 2 . The stain of White's weakened light squares remains indel ible. 3 . Black's kingside attack i s far more potent than White's non-existent attack on the

other side. We digest the raw data and a consensus emerges: White is strategi cally busted, beyond

hope of repair. 29 cs bS

Stymied again . Black naturally keeps the queen side as blocked as possible . Houdini,

which lives in a strange universe, recommends the baffling 29 . . . bxc s ! ? - a move no sane human would consider, even if computer analysis backs it up. It looks far better to stay simple and go with Korchnoi 's human choice. 30 'i'e3 �ds l

Black's pieces make themselves at home on the light squares . 31 i..c3 b4

Seizing more territory, even in White 's backyard. It is a bad sign when an opponent begins to get ambitious on your strong wing ! 3 2 axb4 axb4 3 3 .id2 'iffs

Absolute domination . es fal ls . The queen moves from the fringes of society to its central hub in one swoop, while hoping to open doors and windows to catch a glimpse of White's weakness at f2. 34 .l:lf1 l'!xes 3 5 1i'h6 �b7

Note how absolutely safe and carefree Black's king remains . 36 :c41

The rook engages in a bit of sophi stry, threatening a last-ditch cheapo with �f4, which fails to fool Korchnoi . 36 . . . .Uf7 37 i.xb4

Technically an error but not really since everything el se loses as wel l .

3 3 8

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d v a n tages

Exercise (planning): Come up with a clear attacking plan for Black.

Answer: Target f2. 3 7 . . . lle2 !

Now the white king ' s i solation grows more acute with each passing move.

38 il..d2 es ! Houdini says thi s i s even stronger than taking on f2 , though everyone el se on planet

earth would have played 38 . . . Itxf2 (shared grief often creates an inseparable bond in a family - in th is case, White ' s ! ) 39 l::tf4 .l:xf4 40 :Ixf4 'ii'xcS+ 41 'it>fl Itxf4+ 42 �xf4 'ii'ds with a completely winning position . 39 i.e3 d2 ! 40 l:ta4

If 40 i.xd2 (the bishop takes umbrage at the d-pawn's intrusion ) , then 40 . . . J::txf2 now mates, since White lacks the .l:.f4 defensive m echanism. Now we see the idea behind Korchnoi's super-accurate 3 8th move.

3 3 9


Exercise (combination alert}: White's brief glimmer of hope is destined to end abruptly and with absolute final ity. How did Korchnoi break through ?

Answer: Annihilation of king's cover/overload.

40 . . . :txf2 ! 0-1 After 41 �xf2 ("the heart of humanity is a wicked abode," bemoans the bishop)

41 . . . 'ifxf2+ ! , Black promotes the d-pawn and forces mate in two moves.

Game 43 R.H ubner-V.Korchnoi

So l i ngen (1st matchga me) 1973 English Opening

1 lL.lf3 lZ:lf6 2 c4 g6 3 lLlc3 d s 4 cxds lZ:lxds

The Neo-Grilnfeld.

Question: What is the "neo" part of the opening ?

Answer: The opening i s a Grilnfeld, with White having withheld d2 -d4. I actually prefer this version to the Grilnfeld proper, since it denies Bl ack the normal pawn target on d4. 5 g3

Alternatives : a) 5 �a4+ .i.d7 6 'tWh4 (6 'Wb3 i s al so played here) 6 . . . lL.lxc3 7 dxc3 e5 8 �g 5 i.e7 9 e4

lLlc6 10 �c4 and I prefer White, who is ready to seize the open d-fi le . b) 5 e4 lLlxc3 6 dxc 3 ! ? ( I have had great success with th is cowardly system ; my philoso-

3 4 0

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d van tages

phy - i f queens come off the board then i t becomes difficult for me to hang mine ! )

6 . . . 'ifxd1+ 7 'iif.?xd1 f6 ! (more accurate than 7 . . . .1g7? ! 8 .if4 cs 9 'iif.?c2 0-0 10 a4 and White

has an edge. especially after 10 .. . a6?! 11 as, intending t2Jd2-c4, C . Lal<dawala-M.Vajapeyam,

San Diego rapid 2011) 8 i.c4 es 9 i.e3 i.d6 ? ! (slightly passive; 9 . . . tLld7 10 'it>e2 ..ltcs 11 l:.hd1 .ixe3 12 'it>xe3 �e7 was equal , V . lvanchuk- I . Nepomniachtchi , Havana 2010) 10 'i.t>c2 'iif.?e7 11 lbd2 tLld7 12 b4 lbb6 13 ..ltb3 ..te6 14 a4 as 1S i.xe6 'i.t>xe6 16 ..ltxb6 cxb6 17 'iif.?b3 and White

had the better chances in the ending, C . Lakdawala-M.Duesterwald, San Diego (rapid) 2007.

s . . . i.g7 6 i..g2 es 1 o-o Here 7 tLlxdS 'Wxds 8 d3, as in H .Mecking-V. Korchnoi, Augusta (10th matchgame) 1974,

is perhaps White's most accurate move order since it lures the black queen to ds. 7 . . . t2Je7!

Question: Why would Black retreat an already developed piece?

Answer: Two reasons : Firstly, he follows the principle : The side with more space should avoid

excha nges. Secondly, he doesn't want his queen forced to dS after all , as in the previous

note. 8 d 3 t2Jbc6 9 i.d2 o-o 10 l::tcl t2Jd4!

A new move at the time - and a good one.

Question: But doesn't it violate the principles: Don 't move a piece more

than once in the opening; and: Don 't swap when you own more space?

Answer: Opening precedent - even centuries old - should be discarded like old rags if you discover it counter-productive. Korchnoi 's move does indeed violate both principles, yet it i s still good. His idea: White has difficulty tolerating the knight sitting on d4 and may swap it away at some stage (in fact straight away in the game) . When this happens, Black increases his space advantage with ... esxd4 and creates a backward pawn on e2 on an open file.

3 4 1


11 tt:Jxd4 Every game bar one in the database has White exchanging on d4 here. I would probably

opt for 11 tt:Je4 ! ? and just try and ignore the knight, as in E .B .Meyer-M.Vukcevich , US Team Championship 1979. 11 . . . exd4 12 tt:Je4 h6

In order to avoid i.gs tricks. 13 �b3?!

Hubner gets lured into a tempting yet incorrect hypothesis . A pure piece-pressure plan against the black queen side doesn't work out well for him, since he simply gets pushed back.

Question: Wouldn't it be more natural for White to seize queen side space with 13 b4 - ?

Answer: The move i s playable and i s what I would have chosen - the trouble i s that it weakens c3. White would need to be on constant alert for . . . lLldS-C3 tricks. 13 . . . b6! 14 �C4

Not 14 tt:Jf6+?? �xf6 15 �xa8, since 1S ... �e6 ! 16 iVa4 'ii'xa8 17 .l:i.xc7 i..h 3 is clearly hopeless for White. 14 . . . c6 15 ..ltb4 ..id7!

The best response, after which White gets pushed back big time. Instead: a) 1S . . . cs ? ? fail s to 16 tt:Jxcs bxcs 17 'ii'xcs ! and White regains his lost piece with interest. b) 1S ... �e6 16 �xe7 �xe7 17 'i'xc6 i..xa2 18 'ii'd6 looks about even . c) 15 . . . 1Lg4 16 h 3 ! �d7! i s similar to the game, except that White has achieved h2-h3 for

free. (16 . . . �xe2?? loses to 17 �fe1 . ) 16 'Yi'a6 cs 17 ..ia3? !

With hindsight, 17 j_e1 may have been the best method of minimiz ing Black's edge.

3 4 2

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u lat ing A d va n tages

Exercise {plonning): ft seems White's strategy has been successful, targeting the queens ide and preparin g b2-b4 to chip away at the pawn

phalanx. How did Korchnoi shake off the pressure and increase his territorial gains ?

Answer: Step 1 : Chase White 's queen from a6.

17 . . . �c8! This move may seem arbitrary but, as we soon discover, it's al so necessary. Trying to

prevent b2-b4 with 17 .. .'�:Jc6 ?? fail s to 18 tt:Jxcs ! bxcs 19 i.xc6.

18 "Wa4 Step 2 : Clamp down on White's b2-b4 break.

18 . . . a5! 19 'ifc2 Hubner decides not to reciprocate or respond in any way to Black's taunts and so enters

upon a pol icy of selective exclusion. In this instance, White's dark-squared bishop soon langui shes in irrelevance on a3. Hubner probably feared the l ine 19 tt:Jxc s ! ? bxcs 20 i.xa8 i.d7, when Bl ack picks off the second piece (on a8) for the rook, leaving White's king in eternal danger on the surrounding l ight squares.

Question: Shouldn't White go for this l ine over the slow death which Hubner chose for himself? At least in thi s one, Black's queen side pawns begin to fall and White

gets a m odicum of counterplay.

Answer: Computer analysi s proves thi s l ine may even be worse for White than the game. For example: 21 'i'c4 (perhaps 21 ..ic6 ..ixc6 should be considered - at least it lures Black's bishop away from h3 ) 21 .. . 'i!fxa8 22 l:tfe1 (not 22 'ii'xcs? ..ih 3 and wins) 22 . . Jk8 23 ..ixcs h s ! 2 4 a 3 ..ih 3 2 5 f3 tt:Jfs i s awful for White. 19 . . . tLids

White experiences serious difficulties and we begin to fathom the magnitude of Korchnoi 's vast ambitions :

1 . Black h as greatly increased his space advantage. 2 . White's dark-squared bishop i s badly out of play, and attempts to revive it with b2-b3

only weaken the c3-square. 3. White's e2-pawn remains backward on an open file , and therefore a perpetual target.

If he tries e2-e3 to swap it off, Black will indeed exchange and saddle White with weak pawns on d3 and e3 .

4. The consequences of 1-3 are that White has l ittle option other than to await events passively. 20 l:!.ce1 .U.eS 21 b3

White picks his poison, deciding to free his a3-bishop at the cost of weakening c3. 21 .. . lla7 !

Methodical play. Black prepares to swing h i s queen's rook over to e7 , targeting e2 .

3 4 3


22 .tb2 �ae7 2 3 'ii'd1 fs l Pushing White's only well -placed piece back, while clearing the e-fi le and weakening

White's control over C3 .

24 lLld2

24 .. . bs l ? Another brilli ant strategic deci sion. What a squeeze ! Black intends . . . b5-b4 and . . . lLlC3

with a crushing bind. There i s something to be said for simplicity too : Black al so gets a fantastic position after 24 . . . ctJc3 25 .ixc3 dxc3 26 ctJc4 bs 27 ctJe3 l:txe 3 ! 28 fxe3 .l:i.xe3 29 l:!.f3 .td4. 2 5 i.xdS+I

A surreal panorama. The voices in the mad bishop's head are not happy about his deci sion to commend his soul to the chess gods and fling himself off the l edge. Intuition i s that miraculous process that overrides logic and external analysis . Hubner's pent up rage burns hotter and hotter, until he has no choice but to lash out. He vetoes his previous way of life and decides to fight back, incurring appall ing risk, with a final shake of the dice, real izing that only bl ind luck can save him at this stage. Yet thi s anomalous move turns out to be White's best shot at saving the game. It was either th is or await the inevitable .. . 'Llc3 . 2 S • • . 'ii'xds 26 f3 a41

Black's territorial ambitions surpass those of any dictator's dreams. Korchnoi turns his gaze to the queen side. 27 ltf2

The a4-pawn can never be taken , as that would allow . . . c 5 -c4-C3, when White can resign. 27 • • • .l:.a7 28 'ilfc2 �e6 29 l:!.b1 gS

Gulp! Korchnoi has gone mad with power and clearly wants to take over the entire world. 30 i.c1 a3 1 31 'Lif1

3 4 4

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d va n ta g e s

Exercise {planning): White's cowering pieces are not a pretty picture. How did Korchnoi increase his advantage and win material ?

Answer: Pawn breakthrough - how el se? By seizing more space ! The position shifts from one context to another, yet in the end nothing really changes for White, who remains busted. 31 . . . c4!

It i sn 't wise to be too tightly bound to a single ideal . Psychologically, I would have great difficulties in playing such a move.

Question: Why?

Answer: Black's position is so awesome and so pretty, I would be fearful of any change which might alter it. To declare that Korchnoi feel s comfortable acting on impulse i s a gross understatement. Yet here he worked out the ramifications and after-effects to perfection . 32 bxc4 bxc4 33 llld2 cxd3 !

The point: a2 fal ls . 34 exd3

34 'iixd3 'it'xa2 is equally miserable for White. 34 .. . 'ii'xa2 35 'ifxa2 .ixa2 36 l:!.a1

Regaining his lost pawn ? 36 . . . l:l.c8!

No. Black hangs on to his extra pawn, as we shall soon see. 37 lllf1 .ids 38 .!:.xa3

White rel ied on this trick, but Korchnoi h ad seen deeper. The game wandered into a

3 4 5


pure calculation battle, Korchnoi 's domain, where all who dare enter are subject to h i s law and his rules.

Exercise (combination alert): Both sides worked the position out to thi s point after Black's 31st move. How did Korchnoi ensure that White didn 't regain h i s pawn?

Answer: Double attack. 38 . . Jba3 39 ..txa3 l:tc3

Simple and effective. 40 ..ib2 l:txd3 41 ltd2 !

A strong defensive move. White uti l izes a trick to exchange off Black's most active piece. 41 ... l:.xd2 42 tt:lxd2 f4!

Fixing a pawn weakness on f3 . 43 gxf4 gxf4 44 ..ic1

44 'itf2 d3 ! 45 ..ixg7 <it>xg7 leaves White helpless , as the black king stroll s over to d4. 44 .. . d3 !

No reverse gear. Throughout th i s game, Korchnoi 's dream i s bound by a s ingle wish : I want more ! Thi s game is one of the most magnifi cent examples of the art of seiz ing and exploiting a space advantage I have ever seen . It takes great judgment to appreciate that the d-pawn will not become weak later on . There i s no real ization more painful than to see with absolute clarity your own bleak and unavoidable future. Hubner must have understood at thi s stage that h is position was beyond salvation . 45 �g2 �f7 46 tt:lb1

Hoping to reorganize by means of a discovered attack on f4. 46 . . . i.a2 !

"The power of the bi shop pair compel s you! Return from whence you came, vile, unnatural creature ! " i ntones the bishop, who fancies himself a GM-strength exorcist. Note

3 4 6

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d va n tages

that 47 tDa3 ?? walks into the clever overload 47 . . . i.b2 ! , winning a piece, since 48 �xb2? allows the d-pawn to promote.

47 lDd2 The itinerant knight stops to rest, but only for a moment, until the forces of zugzwang

drive him away once more. 47 . . . .ltd4 48 ttJf1 .ies 49 lDd2 �ds so lDb1

Compared with the position at move 46, Black has the extra move . . . i.es, defending his f-pawn. so . . . 'it>e6 51 SLd2 h5

Korchnoi i s determined to push every single pawn he owns as far as they'll go ! He in tends to prod this one all the way to h3 . 52 .ib4 �d4 53 ttJd2 i.e3 54 �c3 'it>f5 5 5 tDf1 h4 56 ttJd2 �g6!

Clearing the path for . . . .ie6 and . . . h4-h 3+. 57 i.as .ie6 58 tDe4

58 h 3 stops Black's intention, but then he acquires yet another target in White ' s h3 -pawn. Play may follow: 58 . . . �6 59 .ltc3+ <3;e7 60 lDe4 �d7 61 tDd2 �c6 62 ttJe4 �fs 63 lDd2 <it>b s (almost zugzwang) 64 �h2 (or 64 lDf1 �c4 65 �as 'iit?b3 and ... �c2 etc) 64 .. . �xd2 ! 65 ..ixd2 <;i(c4 66 .ixf4 �c3 and Black wins . Note that he retains the correct coloured bishop for his remaining rook's pawn. ss . . . h3+ 59 'iii>f1 .ids

Threatening to chop the knight. 6o lDd2 <;i(f5 61 .ic3

3 4 7


Exercise (planning): Come up with a clear conversion plan for Black to smash through White's attempted fortress.

Answer: King infiltration via a4. 61 ... '1t>e6 62 �b4 'it>d7 63 ..tc3 'it>d6 64 .i.b4+ �c6 65 i.c3 �bs

Zugzwang . 66 \tel .tg1l

Overloading the knight. 67 'Llf1 i.xf3 68 .td2 1

Hubner continues to put up strong resi stance, l ike a man walking into the wind. Submissive sufferance can be tough on the ego, yet is sometimes a necessary tool to increase our survival chances. Here he manages to reduce the number of pawns on the board, which is generally desirable for the defending s ide. 68 . . . .ie21 69 i.xf4

3 4 8


Exercise (critical decision): What should Black do now? I s it worth chopping the knight on h is next move?

Answer: Yes. Simpl ification i s the best way to consolidate.

69 . . . J.xf1! Accurately calculated. Bl ack gives up the "correct" bishop for h is h-pawn, so White

might draw if he can sacrifice his own bishop for the d-pawn . But Korchnoi has worked it

all out and, with th is sequence, forces through a brand new queen . 70 'it'xf1

The entire foundation of the white king ' s l ife has been ripped from him, the way a sin

gle survivor of a fatal car crash may lose h is entire family and be left alone in the world in

the flash of a single terrible instant. 70 . .. i.cs 71 'it>e1 'ot>c4 72 �d2 i.b4+ 73 �e3

Staying in front of the pawn is no good either, as after 73 �dl �d4 74 ..ic7 'it>e4 75 ..ib8 ..ic3 ! 76 i.d6 ..ie5 ! , Black wins . 73 . . .'�C3 74 'it>f2 'ittc2 0-1

There i s no defence to . . . ..id2 next move : a) 75 'it>g 3 i.d2 76 i.c7 ..iel+ and Black promotes. b) 75 �f3 (or 75 �fl) 75 . . . ..id2 76 i.d6 (76 i.g 3 ..ic1 77 i.el ..ib2 ! is the same theme) 77

i.cl 77 i.b4 i.b2 ! , followed by . . . i.C3 and wins.

Game 44 V.Korch noi-B.Spassky

Ca nd idates fi n a l (7th matchga me}, Be lgrade 1977 Queen 's Gambit Declined

1 c4 e6 2 lDc3 ds 3 d4 �e7 4 lDf3 lDf6 5 ..igs o-o 6 e3 h6 7 ..ih4 b6

3 4 9

Korch n o i: M o ve by M o v e

The Tartakower variation of the Queen 's Gambit Declined is one of Black's most solid

choices against the queen 's pawn openings - and Spas sky is one of the system 's all -time

great practitioners.

8 �c1 i.b7 9 i.xf6 This delayed exchange on f6 was very popular at the time of thi s game - and all

through the 1980s.

Question: It appears to me as if White simply lost a tempo by playing i.h4 and then �xf6. What i s the point in the delay?

Answer: You are correct. White did indeed hand Black a full tempo - the point of which i s to lure Black's bishop to b7. If White had chopped on f6 immediately, Black's bishop could be developed to the more active e6-square. g . • . i.xf6 10 cxds exds 11 b4

Clamping down on Black's . . . c7-c5 break. 11 . . . c6

Or maybe not ! - after 11 . . . c 5 ! ? 12 bxc5 bxc5 13 dxc5 (13 i.b5 ! ? scores well here) 13 . . . tt:ld7 14 tt:lbs l:tc8 15 i.e2 tt:\xc5 16 o-o, White's control over d4 and play against the d5-i solani are compensated by Black's bishop pair and active pieces, V.Akopian -N .Short, Linares 1995 .

Spassky prefers the restrained approach , hoping to make good use of h i s bi shop pair later. This way he can prepare a future .. . c6-c5 or hold back on it. 12 i.e2 tt:ld7 13 o-o as 14 bS

3 5 0

Question: Why does allow Black a bypass l ike this when White can simply play 14 a3 to retain the bind?


Answer: No one has ever tried your suggestion - I assume because Black can trade on b4 at some stage, followed by . . . b6-bS and . . . ltJb6, though White can then play for e3 -e4. Let's

look: 14 . . . l:te8 15 .id3 axb4 16 axb4 bS 17 e4 ctJb6 18 es i...e7 (now b4 i s under attack) 19

e6 ! ? (speculating) 19 . . .fxe6 20 i.b1 ii.xb4 2 1 'ii'd3 'ii'f6 22 ctJeS and if 22 . . .'�i'fs 2 3 'ii'e2 'it'f6, White can either go for it with 24 f4 or offer a draw by repetition after 24 'ii'd3 .

14 . .. cs 15 dxcs Now dS hangs so Black i s forced into an i solani position, but not such a bad one since

his pieces remain active.

1s .. . ltJxcs 16 ctJd4 Eyeing c6.

16 . . . 'ii'd6 Black can't simply dissolve h is i solani away with 1 6 . . . i.xd4 (16 . . . .l:.c8 1 7 .ig4 .l:tc7 18

�a4! al so offers White an edge) 17 'ilfxd4 ctJe6 18 'ii'es d4, s ince White pin s with 19 .l:tfd1 and I don 't believe Black has full compensation for the pawn .

17 .tg4 Rul ing out . . . l:Ic8.

17 . . J1fd8 18 .l:!.e1 ltJe6! Principle : The side with the isolani should fight for the blockading square immediately in

front of it.

19 i.xe6!? Once mischief enters Korchnoi 's head, he just can 't seem to restrain himself. 1 9 ctJce2 i s

the safe alternative. 19 . . . fxe6 20 ltJc6

Korchnoi reveal s his clever idea. 20 . . . i.xc6 21 bxc6

21 . . . .txc3!? Black isn't able simply to wave away his worries in thi s manner. After Spassky's move

3 5 1


Black's position becomes harder to navigate, since White's passer is more deeply embedded than Black's prospective counterpart on the d-fi le . He should meet Korchnoi 's inten tion head on with 21 .. .'it'xc6 ! 22 lLle4 ii'd7 (or 22 .. .'it'b7 23 lLlxf6+ gxf6 24 ii'g4+ c3iff7 25 'ifh5+ �g7 with a draw) 23 lLlxf6+ gxf6 24 'ij'd4, when White regains the pawn with a double attack, but Black looks okay after 24 . . . �g7 25 'it'xb6 l:tdb8! 2 6 'ifd4 .l:!.b4 27 'ii'c5 .l:.a7, as it isn't easy for White to exploit Black's slightly weakened king . 22 l:txc3 .:tacS 23 'i'c2 es

Spassky prepares to create h is own passed d-pawn . 24 c7 l:d7 2 5 l:tc1 d4?

From time to time we all freak out when we sense control over our fate slipping from our grasp. After this move Spassky retreats from the correct plan into the awaiting arms of anguish . In stead, 25 . . . 'it>h8 ! 26 .:tc6 ii'e7 27 g 3 d4 28 'ifc4 d3 (help arrives, as welcome as a fragrant breeze through a rose garden) 29 'ti'a6 l:cxc7 30 .J:.xc7 l:.xc7 31 .l:.xc7 'ij'xc7 32 'ii'xd3 i s a likely draw. 26 l:.c6 'ii'ds 27 'ikb1! d3 28 'ii'xb6 d2

Passers on both sides, humming with reproductive energy, race for the eighth rank spawning grounds. 28 .. .'iixa2 29 h 3 ! d2 30 l:.d1 comes to the same thing, or if 29 ... .l:.f7 then 30 'ii'a6 ! 'ifxf2+ 31 'iti>h 2 'ii'f5 32 e4! 'ir'f4+ 33 'it>h1 �ff8 34 'ir'xd3 and Black has lost h i s passed pawn . 29 .l::!.d1 'iixa2 30 h3 !

White creates luft for his k ing and threatens ii'h7 ! . Not yet 30 'ifb7? because of 30 . . . 'iia4 ! , when play works out to a draw after 3 1 'i¥xc8+ 'iii>h7 3 2 h 3 ! 'ii'xc6 ! 3 3 �xd2 ! "ii'c1+ 34 'iii>h2 'iixd2 35 'i'b8 l:txc7 36 'ti'xc7 ( Donev) . 30 . . .'Wa4

Nor can Black save himself with 30 .. 5.th8 3 1 'iib7 'iig8 32 �c2 a4 3 3 I1dxd2 .Ucxc7 34 'it'xc7 ! .:txc7 35 .l:txc7, as White's rooks should be able to mop up the advanced a-pawn and then target Black's king , without walking into perpetual check.

3 5 2


A chess player's life - at least when at the board - is one of endless deception .

Korchnoi 's resourcefulness of discovering unorthodox solutions to exceedingly difficult

problems is l egendary.

Exercise (combination alert}: Korchnoi found a hidden tactic in the position . With one powerful stroke h e lays bare Black's long concealed weakness. Where?

Answer: Temporarily g ive up a rook to eliminate Black's passed d-pawn .

31 l:.xd2 ! Black carried the freight of all h i s h opes on h i s d-pawn, which now ceases to exist.

31 . .. l:!.xd2 32 �b7! A move which reveal s White's expectations. He regains the lost material with a winning

position at the end.

32 .. . :f.dd8 33 cxdB'iV+ l:txd8 34 l:.c7 ! Black suffers from a deviated septum in his position, with g7 at its root. Spassky must

cough up h i s e-pawn, and his once vibrant activity vanishes, the way the memory of a vivid dream seeps away upon awakening . 34 . . .'i16a1+ 35 'it'h2 e4 36 'ilfxe4 'iVf6 37 f4 'ii'fB 38 lla7

Let's assess: 1 . Korchnoi methodically targets the a-pawn by mingling threats on g7. 2. His king i s safe and free from any worries about perpetual check. 3 . Black's king , on the other h and, isn 't so safe, and h i s queen and rook are relegated to

passive posts in order to defend him. We arrive at an inescapable conclusion : Black is busted.

38 . . .'ifcs 39 'ili'b7 'i'c3 40 �e7 .l:.fB

Exercise {planning}: Come up with an attacking plan for White.

3 5 3

Korch n o i: M o v e by M o ve

Answer: Push the king side pawn majority forward.

41 e4! Threatening to cut off Black's queen next move with e4-e5 , which al so means the f-

pawn is immune.

41 . . . 'ii'd4! 42 fs h s O r 4 2 . . . a4 4 3 l:rd7 ! �f6 (not 4 3 . . .'ilc3 ? 44 es with the same interference theme) 4 4 'ii'xf6

gxf6 45 .l:ta7 wins. 43 l:txas

Pawn number two fal ls . White's only remaining concern i s to avoid perpetual check. 43 .. JWd2

Threatening both .. .'i¥xas and . . . 'ii'f4+. 44 'ii'es !

Multi -purpose central ization : Korchnoi defends the rook, protects against the perpetual check, whi le retaining h is own coverage on g 7. The peripatetic queen seems to exist in multiple locations simultaneously, as if there were two of her . She i s a powerful presence and the centre of the position ' s gravity, with all others gathering in respectful orbit around her. 44 .. . 'ii'gs 45 l:!.a6! .l:tf7 46 :g6 'ilt'd8

Exercise (combination alert}: How did Korchnoi put an end to Spassky's resi stance?

Answer: Pin/overload. 47 f6!

All of White's attackers, who have transformed into monsters from a child's nightmare, point to g7 in accusation . Black's king cal l s them awful names - all of which are true. 47 . . . h4

Nothing can save Black at thi s stage : if 47 .. J:txf6 48 'i!Vxf6 'ilfxf6 49 l:txf6 gxf6 so �g 3,

3 5 4

Ko rch n o i o n A cc u m u la ting A d v a n tages

White easily wins the king and pawn ending .

48 fxg7 1-0 It doesn't matter that 48 'ili'e6 ! was even stronger: 48 .. . 'it'c7+ 49 es �f8 (the king 's grim

ace is that of a man who must bear misery too heavy to be borne) so fxg7+ litxg7 51 'ii'f6+ (or 51 l:.f6+, forcing another winning pawn ending) 51 . . . .l:tf7 52 'iih8+ <ti;e7 (Black's king and queen tumble over each other to depart, l ike embarrassed adulterers caught in the act) 5 3 'i'xh4+ and White wins with three extra pawns .

Game 45 V . Korch noi-A. Karpov

World Cham pionsh i p (13th matchga me}, Mera no 1981 Queen 's Gambit Declined

1 c4 e6 2 lDc3 dS 3 d4 i.e7

Question: Can you explain the point behind Black's move order?

Answer: He seeks to dodge the following set-up: 3 ... lDf6 4 cxds exds s �g s il.e7 6 e3 c6 7 'i'c2 liJbd7 8 �d3 o-o 9 ltJge2, when White can continue with o-o, lDg 3, f2 -f3 , and eventually e3-e4. After Karpov's move order, if White still wants to play an Exchange, he must do so without �g 5 or else commit h i s knight to f3 first, either of whi ch rules out the above plan . 4 CXd5

4 lDf3 lDf6 gets us back to normal QG D l ines, but with White denied the possibility of lL'lge2 in the Exchange Variation . 4 . . . exds 5 �f4 c6 6 e3 �fs 7 g4!

3 5 5


Th is i s White's best chance for an advantage, according to theory. Korchnoi , as always,

refuses to show a legendary, higher rated (albeit only by five points at the time ! ) opponent

any deference over the board.

Question: Didn 't White just weaken by lashing out?

Answer: One player's weakening is another's territorial gain .

7 . . . .te6

Question: Thi s seems like an awfully meek response. Why n ot to the n atural g6-square?

Answer: Karpov showed us the answer in the following game: 7 . . . .i.g6 8 h4 ! h S (8 . . . h6 9 ltJf3 looks good for White too, while 8 . . . i.xh4?? loses to 9 1!t'b3 ! b6 10 J:txh4! 'iixh4 11 ltJxdS ! ) 9 g S .i.d6 10 ttJge2 ltJa6 11 .txd6 'iixd6 12 ltJf4 with a territorial advantage to White, A.Karpov-L. Porti sch , Linares 1989. 8 h3

White has a pleasant territorial edge, and it i sn 't clear just where Black's king should go for safety. 8 . . . tLJf6 g ltJf3 0-0

Question: Did Karpov just castle into an attack?

Answer: In a sense, yes, but he trusts in the in he rent solidity of h is structure . 10 i.d3 cs !

Principle: Meet a wing attack with a counter in the centre.

11 'itii1 White shouldn 't be in any rush to play 11 dxcs , since he may regret his earl ier g2 -g4

thrust if the centre opens too quickly. 11 . . • tLJc6 12 �g2 :cs

E .Geller-B.Spassky, Moscow 1967, saw 12 ... cxd4 13 ltJxd4 i.d6 14 i.xd6 'ifxd6 15 tLJce2 l:.fe8 16 llc1 .td7 17 .tb1, when I prefer White's side, though objectively Black may be fine here.

3 5 6

Korch n o i o n A ccu m u la t ing A d va n tages

13 .l:!.C1 A new move at the time. 13 dxcs still feels a tad early. For example: 13 ... i.xcs 14 tt:Je2

ltJe4 15 l:Ic1, D .Bronstein-F . Kuijpers, Amsterdam 1968, and now rather than retreating again with 1S . . . .lte7, Black i s probably better off supporting h is bishop with 1 S . . . 'ii'e7. 13 . . . :es

Question: Why not go for 13 . . . c4 and then play on h i s queen side pawn m ajority?

Answer: I don 't like that plan since it violates the principle : Don 't close the position when

attacked on the wing. White's king s ide attack looks more formidable than Black's on the other side, which simply seems too slow. 14 dxcs !

Correctly timed, now that White has put the brakes on any . . . dS-d4 ideas from Black. 14 ... i.xcs 15 tt:Jbs .tfs 16 tt:'lfd4!

A deep, non-conformist decision , which opens avenues for White's queen to invade h s . Of course 16 tt:'lbd4 would b e the more natural and orthodox move. 16 ... tt:Jxd4

The point of Korchnoi 's last move l ies in the l ine 16 . . . 'ii'b6? ! 17 tt:Jxe6 fxe6 18 g S ! tt:'ld7 19 'ill s g6 20 .ixg6 hxg6 21 �xg6+ 'ith8 22 tt:'lc7 ! (overload) 22 .. . lle7 (forced) 23 tt:Jxe6 with dangerous attacking chances for White. 17 .l:.xc8

Throwing Black's queen slightly off position for the moment. 17 .. .'ii'xc8 18 exd4l

Another unexpected and powerful idea. Korchnoi spots a tactical anomaly which makes it difficult for Black to protect a7. 18 .. .'�d7

18 . . . a6 19 tt:'lc7 .l:!.e7 20 'ir'c2 g6 21 l:tc1 tt:Je8 22 tt:Jxe6 'ii'xe6 2 3 W*'b3 gives White the edge.

3 5 7


19 t'Dc7 19 t'i:Jxa7 leads nowhere for White after 19 . . Jb8 20 t'Dbs �xa2 .

19 . . . �c8 20 t'Dxe6 fxe6

Forced, since 20 . . . 'i!i'xe6?? hangs an exchang e to 21 -ltfs . So White has picked up the bishop pair and infl i cted some damage on Black's structure. 21 .:te1 a6 22 gsl

As we all know, Korchnoi i s an ambitious man when it comes to territory. 22 . • . l'Lle41?

A sign that al l i s not well in camp Karpov. Seeing that 22 . . . l'Lle8 23 'i'g4 l:tc6 24 h4 puts h is game under strain , Black offers a pawn to ease h i s strategic difficulties - which Korchnoi di sdains . If a player makes a move like thi s, then the time for amending course has long passed. In such positions there i s no retreat option and only one direction is possible : forward. 23 �g41

Korchnoi targets e6 and threaten s f2-f3 . After 23 �xe4 dxe4 24 l:!.xe4 'it'ds 2 5 'ife2 l:tc6, Black is better able to defend. 23 . . . -ltb4 24 .:I.e2 l:If8 2 5 f3

Here 2 S .txe4 dxe4 26 �g3 would be quite good for White, but Korchnoi consistently and correctly chooses the initiative over material gain . 2S . . .'ti'f7

Karpov finds himself increasingly forced to play for tactics to try and repair structural deficiencies. 26 .ltes l

Now the players enter a calculation battle . Both parties produce ideas just beyond their abil ities to work out the ramifications ! 26 . . . t'Dd2 27 a3 1

Dislodging the defender of d2 .

3 5 8


27 . . . lbxf3

The chick breaks free of the fragments of its broken shell and steps out into a dangerous new world. We are in a tricky calculation battle, in which principles go out the window. Black's attack looks dangerous but in real ity is all shadow and little substance.

28 g6?

Exercise (critical decision}: White can either go for it with 28 g6 or attempt to consolidate with 28 .i.g3 . Only one of them works. Li sten carefully to the

unspoken messages emanating from the position and make a decision .

In such a position, accuracy means a lot more than bravery. In the end a move's comprehensibil ity is a luxury; it merely has to be effective - whereas thi s sl ip al lows Black to escape. Answer: White should win after 28 .i.g 3 ! lbh4+! 29 'itth 2 ! (the simple 29 'ii'xh4 ! �f3+ 30 �h2 'fixd3 3 1 'i!i'g4 is good too, e .g . 3 1. . . .i.d2? 32 'iixe6+ �h8 3 3 .id6 ! or 3 1. . . .i.e7 3 2 'ii'xe6+ .l:tf7 33 llf2 'iig6 34 'fixdS; but not 29 .i.xh4? 'iffl+ 30 'it>h2 i.d6+ 3 1 .ig 3 IU2+! and White i s unl ikely even to hold a draw) 29 . . . lDf3+ (otherwise two pieces h ang simultaneously) 30 lt>h 1 ! .i.d2 (or 30 . . . lDxg s 31 'ii'xgs 'i!i'f3+ 32 l::tg2 'ii'xd3 33 axb4) 3 1 .:rf2 .i.e1 32 g6 'ilff6 (not 32 . . . hxg6? 3 3 .i.xg6 'ii'f6 34 Wih s , winning immediately) 3 3 gxh7+ �h8 34 .l:tfl i.xg3 3 5 'fixg3 , followed by .te2. 28 . . . hxg6 29 i.g3

Not 29 .i.xg6? ? lbh4+! and wins .

3 5 9


29 .. . .te7? Karpov contaminates the variation, burying opportunity deeply under the position 's

topsoil . With h is last move he constructs a barrier between himself and the solution , after which his troubles follow in ceaseless flow. As to h i s motivation behind the move, we only catch fleeting speculations . Was Karpov playing for a win ? Or did he simply overlook that he could del iver perpetual check?

Black resolves all dilemmas and draw's, but only if he finds 29 . . . ctJh4+! 30 �h2 ! (the only move; 30 i.xh4? 'ii'fl+ 31 �h 2 i.d6+ 32 i.g3 l:t.f2+ ! is even worse than before, while 30 'ii'xh4? '1Wf3+ 3 1 c.t>h 2 'ii'xd3 32 'ifg4 now fai ls to 32 . . . .td2 3 3 'ii'xe6+ �h 7, when Black up a pawn with the safer king) 30 . . . ctJf3+ {the meddl ing knight continues to irritate those in his l ife by prying into everyone's business) 31 �g2 ctJh4+ is perpetual check. 30 l:.f2!

Truth i s the great purifier of our delusions. Now White i s winning once again . 30 . . . ctJe1+ 31 �hll

Double attack: threatening Black's queen as well as i.xg6. As always in Korchnoi's games, one feels a palpable sense of theatre, of the dramatic. Not 3 1 �f1?? as thi s walks into 31 . . .Vi'xf2+ ! 32 i.xf2 ctJxd3 33 'ii'xe6+ Itf7 34 'ifxds ltJxf2 and Black gets too much material for the queen . 3 1 . . . 'ii'xf2

31 . . .lLJxd3 3 2 l:txf7 �xf7 33 'iWxe6 comes to the same thing . 32 i.xf2 ttJxd3 33 'iWxe6+ .l:.f7 34 i.g3 ltJxb2 3 5 'Wxd s i.f6 36 i.d6 gS 37 iib3 ! i.xd4

3 6 0


Answer:

Exercise (combination alert}: Korchnoi proved a forced win at thi s point by unleashing a withering version of one of h i s patented

counterattacks. Take your time and try to duplicate h i s result.

Step 1 : Threaten 'i!Ve8+, which forces Black's next move. 38 'ife6! g6

Step 2: Drive Black's king to the tacti cally vulnerable g 7-square. 39 'i!te8+

We witness Gulliver's carnage upon the citizenry of Lil l iput. Black's scattered pieces are no match for White queen and bishop. 39 . . • �g7

Step 3 : Induce a deadly fork, which picks off Black's knight. 40 ii.es+!

Black's king emits an involuntary gasp at the offending bishop's brazen entrance into hi s chamber. 40 . • • �xes 41 'ii'xeS+

Double attack: Black's knight hangs . 41 • . .'it>h7 1-0

Game 46 V.Korchnoi-V.Seirawa n

Luga no 1986 English Opening

1 C4 e5 2 g3 li:'Jc6 3 Ji.g2 g6 4 li:'Jc3 il.g7 5 d3 d6

3 6 1


Reaching an English position which is actually a Closed Sicil ian in reverse .

6 .l:tb1 fS

Both sides prepare to expand on their respective strong wings . Normally Black tosses in 6 . . . as . 7 b4

White often delays thi s in favour of 7 e3 , followed by 8 tt:'lge2 and 9 o-o; or 7 tt:'lf3 and 8 0-0. 7 . . . tt:'lf6 8 bs tt:'le7 9 'i¥b3

Korchnoi discourages . . . d6-dS ideas. g . . . h6 10 e3

The alternative development scheme for White, who clamps down on . . .fS -f4 breaks in thi s version . 10 tt:'lf3 .te6 11 a4 (or 11 tt:'ld2 "iVc8) 11 .. . 0-0 12 .ta3 'ii'd7 13 tt:'ld2 l:.ab8 14 tt:'lds i s probably dynamically balanced, V .Gavrikov- I .Morovic Fernandez, Terrassa 1992 . 10 . . . 0-0 11 tt:'lge2 'it>h7

Seirawan's k ing wisely gets off the b3-g8 diagonal to avoid any c4-c5+ surprises later on . 12 a4 l:tb8 13 i.a3

Making certain . . . d6-dS won 't work for Black. 13 . . . ..te6 14 o-o

3 6 2

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d va n tag es

Question: I sn 't White simply castling into an attack?

Answer: Maybe so but there really is no safe spot anywhere for his king. Thi s i s Black's compensation for White's massive territorial advantage on the other side of the board. Anyway, White' s king is surrounded by friends and relatively well protected for now. 14 . . . g5 15 d4!?

Principle : Meet a wing attack with a central counter.

Question: Wasn't White intending to meet the . . . g 6-g 5 advance with f2-f4 instead?

Answer: Correct, but Korchnoi notes a change in thi s circumstance: his e3-pawn is slightly weaker than normal , due to his bishop's posting on a3. So 15 f4 ltlg4 is slightly inconvenient for White, who has to drop his bishop back to c1 again . 15 . . . ltld7!?

Seirawan opts to retain the central tension, but I think thi s plan i s not in his best interests . Black should probably go for 15 ... e4! 16 dS i.f7 17 lLld4 lLlg4, intending . . . ltles, with dynamically balanced chances. 16 .l!tfd1

Another option was 16 dxes ltlxes 17 ltld5 at once, as we all feel more comfortable with an open centre when our king is under fire. 16 . . . i.f7

It may be too late for the 16 . . . e4? ! plan : 17 dS i.f7 18 ltld4, and if 18 . . . ltles then 19 ltle6 ! i.xe6 20 dxe6 b6 21 c s ! looks promising for White, whose attack progresses more quickly than Black's on the other side. 17 dxes

Fol lowing the same principle as above.

3 6 3


11 . . . ttJxes 18 ttJds ttJxds

Question: Doesn 't this h elp White, who now can apply pressure down the c-fi le, as well as play for lL!d4 and lL!e6 - ?

Answer: It does, but Black can't tolerate 18 . . . lLI7g6 19 f4 lL!g4 20 h 3 (no need to drop the bishop back now) 20 . . . lL!f6 21 ltJd4 'ifd7 22 lL!xf6+ ..txf6 23 'ii'd3 ltJe7 24 cs , when White exerts tremendous central pressure. 19 cxds ..thsl?

The first rule of combat is to avoid an open fight with an enemy who possesses superior weapons. Black's idea is seductive with promise - yet, when analyzed with dispassionate eyes, we see leads nowhere. Black's last move only had the effect of provoking Korchnoi 's ire, rather than the inflicting of any actual damage.

Exercise {planning): By all appearances, it looks like Black us beginning to generate king side counterplay. After all , e2 i s attacked and his pieces

eye f3 as wel l . How did Korchnoi deal with his l ight square dilemma?

Answer: Turn a weakness into a strength by offering the exch ange in order to dominate the l ight squares . 20 lL!d41

Computers may be terrific at sifting out variables from complex, organized data, yet what they lack is a gut feel ing about a move because they require hard evidence, whereas human intuition doesn 't. 20 . • . ii.xd1

"Your actions are contrary to the laws of God and man," scolds the bishop. 21 l:.xd1

3 6 4


Question: What did White receive for the exchange?

Answer: A lot ! 1 . Domination of the l ight squares . 2 . Pawn targets on fs and c? . 3 . The e6-square, from which his knight may now enter. 4. The bi shop pair in an open position . s . Suddenly Black's king looks uneasy. White veers wildly to the changing circumstances, the way a virus mutates into a new,

m ore powerful form as it adapts to its environment. 21 . . . .Uf7 22 �C2 �d7

Not 22 . . . �f6? due to 23 tt:lxfs ! and Black can 't recapture because of .ie4.

23 tt:Je6 g4?!

Black's disease takes an inward, ci rcular path , feeding upon itself. The idea is to halt f2-f4 l ine-openers but it only helps White. Seirawan should probably sit tight and passively await events - a plan which most GMs loathe, since this is the chess equivalent of Batman and Robin callously ignoring Commissioner Gordon 's bat signal from Gotham City. 24 e4!

Principle : Open the position if you own the bishop pa ir.

24 . . . fxe4 25 �xe4+ 'it'h8 26 .tb2! Threatening the defender of g4.

26 . . . 'lie7 26 . . . tbf3+ 27 i.xf3 ..ixb2 28 .txg4 i s of no help to Black.

27 .ixes dxes !? Creating another weakness . Seirawan perhaps hoped for counterplay based on . . .'lia3,

but thi s never materiali zed. Bl ack should probably prefer 27 . . . �xes 28 'tiixg4 'ii'f6 29 f4 .ib2

3 6 5


30 .Jte4 l:tg8 3 1 'ilfh s .Ue7, intending . . . c7-c6 next.

28 'ii'xg4 'it'f6 29 'i'e2 .itf8 30 .ile4

The bishop decides to del iver one of his tiresome homilies to Black's king, who just

tunes him out for now.

30 .. . i..d6 31 h4! Planning h4-h 5 and possibly �g6 to work over the tender l ight squares in Black's camp.

31 . • J�g8 This time the geometry is wrong for Black's . . . c7-c6 trick : 3 1 . . . c6?? loses to 3 2 dxc6 ..Wxe6

33 .itds. 32 hs l:ld7 n .:td3 !

White's forces weave their way in . 33 . . . l:tf7 34 .l:.f3 ile7 3 5 �e3

Targeting the vulnerable h 6-pawn, and incidentally the a7-pawn as well , though Korchnoi i s not to be distracted by that. 3s . . . IU6

Exercise (planning): Dreadful threats bloom in profusion before Black's bewildered king , whose position is pressed to its l imits. How can White push it over the edge?

Answer: Interference. 36 i.g6

Thi s bi shop is the enforcer, who not-so-subtly nudges Seirawan 's king into compl iance with Korchnoi 's wishes . 36 • • . J:!.gxg6

The rook col lapses on g6, like exhausted prey after a long chase. There is nothing better, as after 36 . . . l1g7 37 'i1Vxh6+ l:Ih7 38 iie3 .l::.xf3 39 "ii'xf3 .:.h6 40 'i'e3 , Black must return the exchange all the same.

3 6 6

Ko rch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d va n tag es

37 hxg6 �xg6 38 l:tf8+ �h7 39 'ii'e4! Material i s now equal but the position i sn 't . White dominates, threatenin g �fs and

.l:!f7+, as his unstoppable army prepares to swal low up and annihil ate all who oppose it. So Seirawan stakes his entire universe on the th innest of chances, hoping to ride it out with rook and bishop versus queen and pawn . 39 ... 'i'xf8!

Trying for a fortress i s Black's best chance; indeed, it's the only way to continue playing . Yet the plan i s doomed, due to a congenital defect.

40 ttJxf8+ White swallows material in a vast bite.

40 . . . .txf8 41 'iVxes i.d6 42 'iffs b6 Now follows the technical stage.

43 �g2 �g7 44 f4 White pushes his king side majority forward, but it won 't be easy to break the blockade.

44 .. . �f6 45 'ikg4+ �h7 46 'ii'd7+ �g6

Exercise (planning): What is White's most efficient winning plan in the position?

Answer: Deduct another pawn from Black' s already depleted funds. The a7-pawn i s the weak l ink in Seirawan 's defensive formation and is doomed to suffer for the sins of h is king. 47 'i!Ye8+! �g7 48 'ila8 l:!f7

Question: Why must Black lose a pawn when he can counterattack dS?

Answer: If 48 . . . .U.fs 49 'ii'xa7 .l:txds then so aS ! produces a fatal queenside passer, no matter how Black responds.

3 6 7


49 'flixa7 Far from useless, the a7-pawn provides White with extra collateral in his efforts to over-

come Black's resi stance.

49 ... i.b4 so 'iVbB i..cs 51 'ikdS!

Nobody loves the cold queen . She desperately wants to be perceived as human, much

l ike Commander Data, or Pinocchio.

51 ... 'it>h7

Exercise (combination alert}: Black's rook, bishop and king murmur prayers destined to go unanswered. How did Korchnoi break the blockade and force the creation of a second deadly passed pawn?

Answer: Deflection/attraction/overload. 52 as ! bxas 53 b6!

Black's pieces trip over each other, hopelessly out of sync h . 53 ... cxb6

53 . . . Ji.xb6 54 d6! creates the passer all the same. 54 d6

The d-pawn's advance is decisive. s4 . . . .l:!.g7 ss d7 bs 56 �c7 1-o

1 e4 e6 2 d4 ds 3 es

3 6 8

Game 4 7 J .De I a Vil la Garcia-V.Korchnoi

Pa mp lona 1990/91 French Defence

Ko rch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d van tages

The Advance Variation, which we've seen earl ier in Game 7. De la Vill a adopts the same moves as White (c2-c3 , lDf3, il.d2), but Korchnoi goes for a completely different plan . 3 . . . cs 4 c3 lDc6 5 ctJf3 �d7 6 .ie2 lDge7 7 lDa3

Intending lDc2 to bol ster the defence of d4. 7 . . . lDg61?

Question: Doesn't Black's knight normally develop to fS in the Advance French?

Answer: Correct, but this is a strange, newer idea. One of Black's biggest headaches in the Advance i s where to post the g8-knight. If Black stations it on fs , then g2-g4 i s always in the air. So in this version, Korchnoi posts on g6 , but th is virtually begs White to play h2 -h4-h S at some point. ( If White refrains , then an eventual .. .f7-f6 should equal ize for Black.)

Question: But when White plays the inevitable h2 -h4-h 5 , where can Black's knight go except back to e7?

Answer: Believe it or not, the knight then h eads for h 8 and returns to the centre v ia f7 . As it happens, I once indulged in thi s manoeuvre myself: 7 ... cxd4 8 cxd4 "ifb6 (8 ... lDfs is the normal move here, but I 'd already played . . . Wi'b6 earlier on) 9 0-0 .l:tc8 10 b3 lDb4 11 .ib2 lDg6 ! ? 12 g3 .ie7 13 h4 0-0 14 h S lDh8 (surreal stuff) 15 "iid2 f6 and Black's wayward knight emerges on f7, B . Baker-C. Lakdawala, San Diego (rapid) 2011. 8 h4

White logically seeks to punish the exposed g6-knight with tempo loss. 8 . . . .ie7 9 g3

Black doesn't mind 9 h s lDh4 10 lt:Jxh4 .ixh4, as piece exchanges usually benefit the cramped side, A.Grosar-S .Baumegger, Austrian Team Championship 1999. 9 . . . cxd4 10 cxd4 o-o 11 hS lDh8

3 6 9


Mission accomplished!

Question: I sn 't Black busted? He wasted three m oves to develop his knight to h8 !

Answer: Black i s far from busted. In fact, my database shows h im scoring a healthy SO% from this position . Black's idea i s to follow with . . .f6-f6 and . . . 0l7, where the knight appears ideally posted, covering the key es- , g S - and h6-squares. 12 lLlc2

Question: Aren 't the dark squares around Black's king terribly weal< after 12 h6 g6 - ?

Answer: Weakened dark squares are endemic to the variation, almost an unfortunate genetic trait. But th ink about this : Black stil l retains a dark-squared bishop and a knight on f7 covers virtually all the key squares. So it's really not such a terrible weakness for Black. For instance, after 13 �e3 f6 14 exf6 i.xf6 1S lLlb1 lLlf7, Black's pieces are perfectly positioned to cover es and gS, Al .Zaitsev-E .Gleizerov, Kaluga 2003 . 12 . . . f6 13 exf6

Alternatively, White can try and maintain a pawn on es with 1 3 .if4, but I l ike Black's position after 13 . ..ltJf7 and 14 .. . dxes , since the white e-pawn must then be eternally guarded. 13 . • . .ixf6 14 b3 1:i:Jf7 15 i.b2

Thi s makes the d-pawn secure and goes some way to discouraging . . . e6-eS , but otherwise the bi shop has l ittl e to do on b2 , and in fact never moves again until the end of the game. 15 . . .'�a 5+ 16 'ii'd2?!

An incorrect deci sion . Black stands better in the ending due to the weakness of d4. Instead, White should castle by hand with 16 Cit>f1.

3 7 0

Ko rch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d v a n tages

16 . . JWxd2+ 17 tt:'lxd2 !?

17 c.t>xd2 has its risks as well , despite the absence of queens, since White's k ing i s somewhat exposed in the centre .

17 . . . tt:'ld6 18 .1i.g4 De la Vil la targets e6, Black's s ingle vulnerabil ity.

18 • • • .l:i.fc8!

Question: I sn't thi s the wrong rook? Shouldn't thi s one be on the e-file to defend the e6-pawn?

Answer: As Korchnoi plans queenside play and to double rooks on the c-file, it doesn 't really matter, but I think it's the correct rook anyway. By leaving the other rook on a8, Black maintains options of . . . a7-a5 and conceals h i s true intentions temporarily. 19 o-o �c7 20 �fe1

Attacking e6. 20 • • • .l:tac8!

Which Korchnoi ignores ! 21 �g2

De la Vil la resi sts temptation . Black emerges superior in both l ines if White captures on e6:

a) 21 .1i.xe6+ .Yi.xe6 22 l:.xe6 tt:'ld8 23 :txf6 (the only move) 24 . . . gxf6 24 tt:'lb4 <3if7 2 S tt:'lf1 as 26 tt:'lxds llc2 27 i.a3 tt:'lbs 28 ..tcs tt:'le6 and Black will soon be an exchange for a pawn up. Note that 29 �fe3 ? ! fai ls to 29 ... tt:'lexd4 ! .

b) 21 I:txe6 tt:'lf7 ! (not yet 2 1 . . . i.xe6? 22 Ji.xe6+ and 23 ..txc8) 22 tt:'le3 l0b4 (still not 22 . . . �xe6? 2 3 .Yi.xe6 �d8 24 lL'lxds ) 23 lL'lf3 lL'lh6 ! 24 �xf6 (or 24 .Yi.h 3 Wf7 ! ) 24 . . . tt:'lxg4! (even better than 24 ... gxf6) 2S t0xg4 (or 2S �d6 tt:'lxe3 26 fxe3 .Yi.h3) 2S ... ..txg4 26 l:tf4 i..xh S 27 tOes .l:tc2 and Black infiltrates.

3 7 1


21 . . . 'iit>f7 Here 21 . . . ll:ld8 ! was better, intending 2 2 ll:le3 I!.c2 ! (anyway) 2 3 ll:lxc2 l:txc2 24 .i.a3 ll:lbs

2 5 .i.c1 i.xd4 26 J:!.b1 �xa2 with a clear edge to Black, who gets two pawns and the in itia

tive for the exchange .

22 .l:!.ad1 as Seeks to create further confrontation on the queens ide.

23 ll:lf3 ll:le7 24 tDe3 ll:le4 25 l:.c1 bS 26 ..th3 26 a3 ! ? creates a new weakness but does prevent what occurs in the game .

26 . . . b4 27 .l::txc7 l:txc7 Black made clear headway on the queen side, whereas White is at a standstill on the

other side of the board. 28 a3

White, by now obviously concerned with Black's queenside progress, fights back and attempts to reduce the number of pawns. Korchnoi, the great stretcher of l imits, never feared loss, and often pushed h i s positions to the l imits of overextension .

Exercise (combination o/ertlplonning}: I n thi s case Korchnoi concocted a startling idea. What would you play here as Black?

Answer: Sac a pawn to create a passed pawn which ties White's forces down. 28 . . . a41 1

Baffling perfection . Within disorder l ies its own unique beauty. Thi s move h ad the effect of utterly discomposing White. Born problem solvers possess some kind of recessive gene which allows them to fan an impossible idea, even when we, who don 't have the gene, think it's already dead. 29 bxa4 b3 !

"Sir ! s i r ! The faithless are not permitted to enter the holy inner sanctum ! " cries the b2 -bishop at the intruder. White's "extra" a-pawn isn 't going to last for long. Meanwhile,

3 7 2

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u lat ing A dv a n tages

Black's deeply passed b-pawn is safe and exerts a suffocating effect on White.

30 as ll:lc61 Allowing a temporary pin .

31 l:i.c1 �e7 32 a4?1 A move based upon the philosophy that any kind of change i s welcome when we are

miserable. Thi s move fai l s to purge the pain , and De la Vil la's position fades and retreats with alarming abruptness. In his attempts to activate his dark-squared bishop, White weakens b4.

The computer found a hidden defence as startl ing as Korchnoi ' s orig inal i dea: 32 i..fS ! ! (the lost thread, which al so falls outside the scope of normal patterns - it's tim e to chal lenge Black's hypothesis with one of h i s own)

32 . . . exfs 3 3 ll:lxd5+ �d6 34 ll:lxc7 �xc7 3 S ll:les .txes 36 dxes i.e6 37 f3 ll:ld2 38 lic3 ! and the defence maintains integrity, despite Black's attempts to vary course. Black has trouble m aking progress . For example : 38 . . . i..c4 39 l:te3 and now if Black goes for it with 39 . . . ll:lxas then 40 e6 i..f1+ (not 40 . . . i..b s ? 41 :es ! ll:lac4 42 .l:txbs ll:lxb2 43 l:tds and White wins) 41 �f2 .ltbs 42 i..xg7 (now if 42 .l:.es ? ! ll:lac4 43 .l:txbs ll:lxb2 44 I:.ds ?, then 44 .. . lZ'ld1+! followed by 4S . . . b2 win s) 42 . . . ll:ldc4 43 l:.d3 lZ'ld6 44 .l:rc3+ ll:ldc4 45 .l:.d3 draws by repetition . 32 . . . �d8 33 a6 lZ'lb41

Korchnoi deftly unties the knots which bind. 34 l:i.xc7?1

This only helps Black. It would be better for White to keep the rooks on with 34 l:tb1. 34 .. . 'itxc7 35 a7 Wb7

Oh no you don 't ! Both a-pawns fall . 36 lZ'le1

Or 36 i.a3 �xa7 ! since White can 't take the knight, while after 3 7 ll:ld1 lZ'lc6 38 �b2 tt:Jas 39 ll:les i..xes 40 dxes �a6 41 i.a1 ltJc4 42 �d4 'it>as, the b-pawn will cost a piece. 36 . . . 'it>xa7 37 f3 lZ'lg5

3 7 3


The clever 37 . . . 4::\c s ! wins more quickly. 38 ..ig4 r;i;a6

Black's king accrued power within a short span of time and his influence continues to

enhance with each passing move.

39 i..c3 ..ixa4! Black's forces continue to migrate to the queenside. White is unable to exploit the

looseness of either the b4-knight or the e6-pawn . 40 liJd1

Hoping to construct a fortress where nobody enters or leaves. 40 . . . �b5 41 'ittf2

If 41 4Jb2 then 41 . . . t2Jc2 win s the d-pawn . 41 .. . �c4! 0-1

Question: I sn 't White's resignation premature?

Answer: The words " I resign" , when uttered by your opponent, are so beautiful that I al ways hear them accompanied by celestial music. But no. Black's last move points to an el emental truth : White 's attempted blockade fails . For example, 42 'itte3 .te8 43 'ittd2 t2Jc6 44 t2Je3+ (White repels the invading party for the moment) 44 . . . 'ittbs 45 'it>d3 'itta4 (aiming to enter by the side door) 46 ii.b2 (or 46 l2Jd1 eS ! ) 46 . . . t2Jxd4! i s decisive.

1 lt:Jf3 lt:Jf6 2 C4 g6 3 b4

3 7 4

Game 48 V . Korchnoi-O.Renet

Par is (ra p id) 1990 English Opening

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u l a t ing A d va n tages

Do we not all occasionally indulge in secret vices?

Question: What i s the name of thi s opening ?

Answer: Well , s ince 1 b4 i s the Orang-utan, then the delayed version must be the NeeOrang-utan !

Question: What i s White's aim ? I feel as if h e sprays the wall with bullets and yet still misses the target.

Answer: For the moment, there is no target. He simply seeks to blanket the queenside with pawns to seize useful space there. If White pushes far enough, at some point contact occurs. 3 . . . ..tg7 4 J.b2 o-o 5 e3

Richard Reti , who developed this system, used to play 5 g3 here. For example : s . . . b6 6 i.g2 .tb7 7 o-o d6 8 d3 lbbd7 9 lbbd2 e s 10 �c2 was R . Reti -J . R.Capablanca, New York 1924. White went on to win this game, handing Capa his first loss in a decade of play ! s . . . c6

Sometimes Black swipes at the queen side with s . . . as, as in a couple of my own games : 6 a3 (6 bs i s al so possible) 6 . . . axb4 7 axb4 flxa1 8 ..txa1 d6 (or 8 . . . b6 9 .te2 ii.b7 10 o-o lbc6 11 bs lbas 12 d3 l:r.e8 13 lbbd2 ds ! ? 14 'ifc2 dxc4 1S lbxc4 lbxc4 16 'ii'xc4, when White's superior central influence and pressure on c7 give him the advantage, C. Lakdawala-B .Baker, San Diego rapid 2010) 9 d4 lbbd7 10 ..te2 c6 11 0-0 'iic7 12 lbbd2 e s 13 'ili'c2 .l:te8 14 l:td1 and White has a minute edge due to h is queenside space, C . Lakdawala-L.Sussman, San Diego (rapid) 2013 . 6 i.e2 d6 7 o-o

3 7 5


7 . . .'iYb6?! Thi s adventure violates the principle : Don 't challenge the opponent on your weak wing.

More natural is 7 . . . es 8 d3 (I would be more incl ined to opt for a kind of reversed French with the straightforward 8 d4) 8 . . . ttJbd7 9 ttJbd2 'fie7 10 1Wh3 ltJe8 11 Itfe1 �h8, but then 12 cs ! dxcs (or 12 ... ds ! ? 13 e4 and Black's intended counterplay with . . .f7-f5 is pretty much gone) 13 bxcs liJC7 (13 . . . ltJxcs 14 'i'a3 ! �f6 15 .Uac1 ltJd7 16 ltJe4! g ives White tremendous play for the pawn) 14 .Uac1 was good for White, who later util ized the d6-square with ltJc4, ttJfd2, liJd6 and lZJ2c4 manoeuvres, I .Csom-M.Hebden, Hastings 1983/84. 8 a3 as 9 ltJc3 !

Korchnoi ignores the threat to h is b-pawn . g . . . axb4 10 ltJa4! 'flc7

Question: Why doesn't 10 . . . 'ii'as win a pawn?

Answer: The move just wastes time. After 11 axb4, Black can 't recapture with 11. . .'iixb4?? as gets h i s queen trapped by 12 i.c3 . 11 axb4 ttJbd7 12 'ii'b3

The opening has gone well for Korchnoi , who gathered queen side territory without a corresponding increase from Black on the other side of the board. 12 ... es 13 d3 ! ?

The fl exible, laid back approach . As I mentioned earl ier, the alternative i s to go for a reversed French versus King's Indian Attack with 13 d4. 13 • . Jie8 14 liJc3 :bs

Maybe he should swap rooks, following the principle : The cramped side should seek ex

changes, since White gets the a-file in any case. 15 .l:tfc1 liJfS

3 7 6

Ko rch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d v a n tages

When an oppressed people fear a powerful enemy, they have but a single recourse: band together and fight as a team. Black hopes to gather enough force on the kingside eventually to launch an attack against White's king. 16 l:!.a7 i.g4

I 'm not so sure about th is move. Black should probably retain thi s bishop. He might try 16 . . . h 6, intending . . . i.e6 next. 17 'ifa3 h S

Black's kingside attack looks painfully slow. 18 bS

At last, contact. 18 . . . cs

There are no palatable choices here. Renet, fearing a fight on the queenside, attempts to clog it up but in doing so loses the ability to play for ... d6-ds. Perhaps 18 ... �d8 should be considered. 19 tt:'ld2 1

All of Black's central pawns are fixed on dark squares, so Korchnoi offers to swap off the light-squared bishops. 19 . • . tt:'l8h7 20 tt:'lde4 tt:'lxe4?1

Black's defence becomes too heavy a burden to bear after this move, which only results in him ending up with a backward d-pawn, redoubling h is sorrows. Black would be better off playing the calm 20 ... i..e6 and awaiting matters. 21 dxe4 �xe2?1

Now Black trades away a crucial piece which contributes the most to his survival : the steward of h is l ight squares . 22 tt:'lxe2 h4 23 h3 tt:'lgs 24 �d3 .Us 2 5 tt:'lc3


White' s amassed strategic stock i s overwhelming : 1 . Black has a bad bishop, with all central pawns fixed on the same colour. 2 . We note a clear causal relationship between Black's degeneration on the l ight

squares and the absence of his l ight-squared bishop. 3 . A gaping hole exists on ds, which White may occupy with a knight. 4. Black's d6-pawn is backward and on an open file. s . White still owns the a-fi le . 6 . White has the only viable break in the position : f2 -f4. Conclusion : A curtain opens slowly in a long-darkened room, allowing sunlight to

stream in and reveal that Black is irreparably lost. 2 s ... l:.e6 26 f4 li'lh7

Exchanging i s out of the question. 26 . . . exf4? 27 exf4 li'lh7 28 t'Llds 'ii'd8 2 9 'ii'c3 is immediately decisive. 27 t'Llds 'ii'ds 28 .tc3

Simply 28 fS ! at once was even stronger; presumably Korchnoi decided there was no real hurry. 28 . .. i.g7?1

On this path Black receives asphyxiation, rather than the del iverance he hoped for. His position i s too rigid to endure such a pummell ing and lacks the whiplash flexibil ity to organize a counterattack. Black risks rigor morti s if he can 't open the centre. He should seize his chance to open the window and breathe and activate his bishop - whatever the ri sk to his king . Renet probably recoiled at the thought of opening the a1-h8 diagonal with 28 ... exf4 29 exf4 .tg7, but this was h i s only chance. 29 ..tas b6 30 .ie1

30 fS ! was still possible . For example : 30 . . . g xfs 31 exfs e4 32 'i!Vd2 .l:te8 33 t'Llxb6 ! and if 33 . . . .l:.xb6? then 34 l;la6 wins . 3o . . . gs !?

3 7 8


Or 30 . . . exf4 3 1 exf4 i.d4+ 32 'it>h l ll'lf6 3 3 i.xh4 ll'lxe4 34 'ii'xe4! 'ii'xh4 (after 34 . . . .l:!.xe4 3 5 .txd8 ..ixd8 36 ll'lxd6, the b-pawn win s the game easily for White) .

Exercise (combination alert}: White has a devastating trick in the position. Do you see it?

Answer: Removal of a defender/knight fork. After 35 'ii'xe6 ! fxe6 36 ll'le7+, Black must return the queen to reach a lost position the exchange down . 3 1 fS

At last. White responds to an unfed hunger, which continues to grow. Korchnoi 's pieces flow in, fil l ing up empty space, until there i s no place for Black's pieces to hide. 31 . . . .l:.h6?

As awful as it looks, 3 1. . . .I:te8 was forced, when White builds up his position at lei sure.

3 7 9


Where to turn when there are no rational options? The answer i s that we then take ref

uge in the irrational . Black builds a walled compound, rather than the bridge he needs.

Perhaps he still hopes for some kind of . . . g 5 -g4-style kingside attack, but thi s simply never

material izes .

Exercise (combination alert}: White to play and win material :

Answer: Knight fork. Black can comfortably resign h ere, though I have a feel ing that both sides, in th i s rapid game, had very l ittl e time on their clocks. So Renet continued. 32 tt:le7+ �h8 33 tt:lc6 'iig8 34 tt:lxb8 �xb8 35 l:.ca1

Threatening .t:ta8. There was nothing wrong with 35 .l:txf7 either. 35 . . .'t!kg8 36 1i'd5 llf6 37 :as ..tfs

This sorry bishop finds himself excluded from the societal power structure. 38 'ifd1 lth6 39 l::td8 'it>g7 40 .Uaa8 J!tf6 41 1i'h5 .Uh6 42 'ii'g4 f6 43 .Ud7+ 'it>h8 44 'tlie2 g4 45 "ii'xg4

45 . . . tt:lg5 4S .. . iVxc4 (the black royals' tentative embrace ends with their inevitable parting in cruel

haste) 46 'i¥g7 is mate. 46 .i.xh4 l:.h7 47 llxh7+ 1-0

Game 49 V.Korchnoi-P.Thi psay

Ca lcutta 2000 King's Indian Defence

1 d4 tt:lf6 2 c4 g6 3 tt:lc3 i.g7 4 e4 d6 5 f3 o-o 6 tt:lge2

3 8 0

Korch n o i o n A cc u m u l a t ing A d va n tages

White generally plays 6 �e3 here - more than ten times a s often in fact. The point of

Korchnoi 's early knight development is seen after Black's next move.

6 . . . es This l ine, albeit theory, scores poorly and probably deserves a " ? ! " mark. Black does

much better taking the Benoni route with 6 . . . c5 . 7 il.gS I

Developing the bishop more actively, and exploiting Black's inaccurate move order. The point is that, while 6 . . . e 5 is the most popular reply to 6 �e3 (though 6 . . . c5 may be better here too), against 6 J.g 5 Black usually plays 6 . . . c5. Simply by holding his c1-bi shop back for one move, Korchnoi has tricked Thipsay into an inferior variation, where White scores over 75%. 7 . . . c6

Black has also tried 7 . ..CiJc6 (after 7 . . . h6 8 .ie3 and 'it'd2, White gains a tempo attacking the h6 -pawn) 8 dS 0.e7 9 'ii'd2 h5 (otherwise g2-g4 is strangling ) 10 tt:Jc1 0.h7 11 J.e3 f5 12 tt:'ld3 c6 13 0-0-0, I .Sokolov- I .Smirin , Groningen 1993, but I always prefer White in such King's Indian positions . 8 'li"d2 0.bd7

In an earl ier game Korchnoi faced 8 . . . exd4 9 0.xd4 0.bd7 10 o-0-0 "it'b6 11 0.c2 ! 0.c5 12 i.e3 (not only i s d6 hanging , White al so threatens b2-b4, which Black in h is desperation allows) 12 ... .te6 13 b4 l:tfd8 14 .te2 Wic7 15 bxc5 dxc5 16 "fie1 and Black didn 't get enough for the piece, V.Korchnoi - F .Olafsson, Wijk aan Zee 1971. 9 o-o-o "it' as

The immediate 9 . . . a6 is somewhat better, though still not great for Black after 10 d5 ltJb6 11 0.g3 cxd5 12 cxd5 .td7 13 'ito>b1, T.Hil larp Persson-P .Konguvel , Amsterdam 2000. 10 �bl a6

Black follows the standard blueprint on which h is future attack i s built; i .e . with . . . b7-b5. As it turns out, he never has time to unleash it .

3 8 1


u ttJd s !

Real ity's blade cuts deeply. Black i s jolted from his attack-induced reverie and derailed from its natural continuum . This was a theoretical novelty at the time, and a good one. Korchnoi gives Black a choice: accept an unpleasant ending, or a disagreeable middlegame. 11 • . :ifxd2

Thipsay picks the ending and begins to question his original premise of attack.

Question: I fail to see the problem in Black's position . Where does White's advantage l ie?

Answer: First off, White picks up the bi shop pair, starting with h is next move. Secondly, Black remains tangled and short on space. 11 . .J!id8 is the route I would have taken as Black, though 12 liJxf6+ ..txf6 13 h4 still favours White. 12 lDe7+!

Zwischenzug . White en sures himself the two bishops. 12 . . . �h8 13 �xd2 lDb6

Black must defend a thankless ending . Believe it or not, the blame may be laid to his sixth move. I find it astounding that a GM would will ingly re-enter this l ine as Black, yet Thipsay tried it again in A.Dreev-P.Thipsay, New Delhi 2007, which continued 13 . . . .l:te8 14 t:Dxc8 l:taxc8 15 d5 cxd5 16 cxd5 lDg8 ! ? 17 lDg 3 ..th6 and Thipsay managed to trade off one of the bishops, though he lost anyway. White might al so improve with 15 dxe5 dxe5 16 g3 ! , intending i.h 3 with a clear advantage, due to the bi shop pair and control over the newly opened d-file, P. Bodiroga-M.Kukina, Senj 2008. 14 dxes !

Question: Aren't these exchange variations harmless for Black in the King ' s Indian ?

3 8 2

Ko rch n o i o n A c cu m u la t ing A d van tages

Answer: Whether they are or not depends entirely on the particular position . An action which is benign in one l ine doesn 't necessarily transfer over to a similar-looking yet different one. The exchange certainly isn 't harmless h ere. In thi s instance, Korchnoi extracts maximum benefit from the decision, since Black's b6-knight is destined to get tossed by C4-

cs . 14 . . . dxes 15 cs !

White continues to acquire easy territorial gains , along with control over d6. 1S . • • tt'lbd7

The knight, having misplaced his sen se of direction, wanders about aimlessly. 16 ..te3 .lae8 17 lt::lxc8 .l:.axc8 18 lt::lc1

White's advantages : 1 . He owns the bishop pair. 2. The cS-pawn binds Black's queenside. 3. The d6- and as-squares beckon White' s knight with silent invitation . 4. Black lacks an active plan .

Question: I disagree about Black having no active plan. What about . . . tt'lf8-e6 to exploit White' s hole on d4?

Answer: IM Andrew Martin explains : "You may feel that White i s only sl ightly better here, but the problem is that Black has no active plan . Traditionally he would manoeuvre a knight to d4, e .g . . . . tt'lf8-e6, but with a white knight appearing on b3 very shortly, with �e2 and l:.hdl to follow, even thi s i s not so great ." 18 . . . i_f8 19 tt'lb3 'i.t>g7

3 8 3


Exercise (planning): How did Korchnoi strengthen his position still further, infusing it with a burst of energy?

Answer: Transfer his bishop to h3 , which greatly magnifies White 's l ight square power. 20 g3! .l:.c7 21 .ih3

Optically quite intimidating . The bishop helps push Black's knight away from d7, covers e6, and l imits the scope of the c7-rook. 21 . . . .ie7

21. . .a5 22 :thdl a4 23 .ixd7 l:txd7 24 l:txd7 liJxd7 25 .l:.xd7 axb3 26 .:r.xb7 bxa2+ 27 �xa2 leaves White a clean pawn up. 22 .:.hdt l2Jf8

The knight must submit to White's control over d7. 2 3 l2Jas

Black begins to detect an enemy intrusion along the western borders . l2Jc4 is coming. 23 . . . ltJe6?!

After 23 . . . h5 24 ltJc4 ltJ6h7 25 l2Jd6 (even better than 25 ltJxe5) 25 . . . l::td8 26 f4, Black was strategically lost in any case.

3 8 4


The greatest gamble of all i s to declare open rebell ion against a more powerful authority. In th i s case, White' s barrage of strategic threats weighs upon Black's mind. Thipsay fights madly for the right to determine his own agenda, yet there i s no method available, and to attain a goal at immeasurable cost i s no victory.

Exercise (combination alert}: Find Korchnoi ' s answer and Black's fragility is laid bare.

Answer: Step 1: Chop on e6, damaging Black's structure. 24 .i.xe6

The bishop, who always hated the e6-knight, denies a blessing and refuses to grant a prayer. 24 . • • fxe6

Step 2: Transfer the knight to c4, after which es can't be defended. So White wins a pawn, while retaining a dominant position. 2S lLlc4 1-0

Black's position recedes like the tide. I s chess really th is easy?

Game 50 V . Korchnoi-J .G .Gal lagher

Swiss Tea m Cham pionsh i p 2003 King 's Indian Defence

1 l2Jf3 lL\f6 2 c4 g6 3 lL\c3 i.g7 4 e4 d6 5 d4 o-o 6 i.e2 es 7 i.e3 The Gligoric Variation of the King ' s Indian.

7 . . . lt'la6

3 8 5

The main l ine runs 7 . . . lL'lg4 8 li.g 5 f6 9 �h4. We will see this in the next game. s ds!?

Here 8 0-0 and then 8 . . . lL'lg4 9 �g 5 etc i s normal. 8 . . . lL'lg4

Another possibility i s 8 . . . tL'lh 5 , which has only been tried a few times. 9 i..gs f6 10 �h4

Question: I sn 't White' s dark-squared bishop out of play?

Answer: For now it is, but it can emerge later on via f2 . 10 • • • tL'lh6

The trend today i s for Black to play 10 . . . h5 here. For example : 11 lL'ld2 c5 12 a3 "ii'd7 13 h 3 tL'lh6 14 "ifa4 Wi/e7 15 b4 tL'lf7 16 g4 h xg4 17 hxg4 .ih6 with a complicated game, R. Ponomariov-Ba.Jobava, Kharkov 2010. 11 tL'ld2 cs

Gallagher wisely deviates from 11 . . . tLlf7 12 f3 c5 13 a3 h5 14 o-o .ih6 15 l:tb1 li.g5 16 li.f2 f5 17 b4, I . Smirin-J .G .Gal lagher, London 1999. It i s a safe bet that Korchnoi had some new move ready in thi s l ine . 12 a3 'ifd7

Question: Thi s looks artificial . What i s Black's idea?

Answer: GM Gallagher explains : " I came up with a different plan to the Smirin game, just playing for f5 . Sti l l , the text i s rather clumsy and 12 . . . 'ilie8 i s more natural , although I am not the first person to have played in th is fashion ." 13 h3 !?

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Korch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d van tages

The sign of intel l igence in a species : how quickly can i t adapt to change? Korchnoi h its back with a new move in the position, intending g2-g4. " It 's never easy to guess Korchnoi 's moves," writes Gal lagher, with vast understatement ! 13 f3 and 13 1:tb1 fS 14 f3 had been played before. 13 . . . f5 14 �c2 �h8

Question: Can 't Black generate good piece play with . . .fSxe4, followed by . . . lbfs - ?

Answer: The trouble i s that White i sn 't obl iged to recapture immediately. After 14 . . .fxe4? ! White has the zwischenzug 15 g4 ! , denying Black's knight use of fs . The e4-pawn isn't running away. 15 f3 fxe4?1

A strategic misjudgement - perhaps induced by seeing that White can no longer meet it with g2-g4 - after which Black's pieces run out of useful posts. Now Gallagher enters a shabbily dressed version of the correct plan and soon finds the cost of straying from the correct version quite heavy.

Black should probably have gone for 1S .. .f4, followed by king side expansion or reorganizing manoeuvres such as . . . lbg8-f6-h 5 , but was wary about blocking the position with White's king still unaffiliated to one side or the other. 16 fxe4 ..tf6 17 ..tf2

White dodges the trade of his good bishop. 17 . . . �e7

Black i s unable to seize the c1-h 6 diagonal with 17 . . . -tg s , as after 18 tt::lf3 the bishop has neither h6 nor f4 available . 18 ltJf3 tDf7 19 �d2 ttJgs 20 tDg1l

An adroit evasion , which follows the principle : The side with greater space should reta in

pieces on the board. Black's g S -knight soon gets the boot with h 3 -h4.

3 8 7


20 .. .tL'lf7 21 h4! Preventing . . . �gs . White's space advantage begins to take effect. Black covets that

which he lacks and can never have : king side entry for his minor pieces. 21 ... hs ! ?

Preventing g2-g4 at the cost of weakening h i s king . Gal lagher writes that he al so considered the super-ri sky 21 . . . g S ! ? 22 hxgs �xg s 23 'Yid3, when his pieces would at least become more active, albeit at even greater cost to his king ' s security. 22 tLlf3 �g7

Intending . . J�h 8, followed by . . . l2Jh6 and . . . l2Jg4. 23 �e3 �hS 24 g3! t2Jh6 25 tLlh2!

Another parry; another feint. Korchnoi refuses to bend, despite Gallagher's constant prodding and poking. Now Korchnoi makes ... l2Jg4 unpalatable, and Black's king side counterplay grows still and insubstantial . 2 S . . . lLlc7 26 o-o-o ..td7?

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Ko rch n o i o n A ccu m u la t ing A d va n tages

Exercise (combination alert): Black' s last move overlooks a tactic . What did he miss?

Answer: Deflection/double attack. After the tactic White's forces come al ive. Gal lagher says

that Korchnoi played the move instantly and with "a look of utter contempt in my direc

tion" .

21 i.xcs l dxcs Black was under no obl igation to act upon the provocation . Instead, he might try to turn

his dil emma into a semi-sound gambit with 27 . . . b 5 ! ? , playing as if he meant it. Although in

my heart I bel ieve in White 's defensive resources over Black's attacking potential , the sac's soundness remains an open question in practical terms. E ssentially, with thi s continuation ,

Black hovers in that netherworld between desperation and mere worry.

28 d6 Regaining the piece and opening d5 for his knight. The centre i s now a fertile field for

White's ambitions. 28 . . . 'i+'f7 29 dxc7 .i.e6 30 .l:r.hftl l:IhfSI

Gal lagher finds the best defence under heavy duress. 30 .. .'ii'xe7? walks into 3 1 l!txf6 ! 'it>xf6 3 2 liJb5 Wie? 33 'ii'g 5+ �f7 34 liJd6+ �f8 3 5 l::tfl+ Ji..f7 36 'ii'xg6 .Ud8 37 ttJxf7 ttJxf7 38 i.xh 5 I:.xh 5 38 'ii'xh 5 with two extra pawns for White and a continuing attack; while 30 . . . i.xc4?? 3 1 llxf6 ! i s even worse, as Black has no good recapture at all . 3 1 �d6 l:!.ac8?

Black had to try 31 . . . 'i!ie7, when he remains injured but i s not yet broken and still retains chances to fight on; for instance, after 32 'ii'xe7+ .txe7 33 liJd5 l:!.xf1 34 ttJxfl �xd5 3 5 cxd5 i.d6 36 liJe3 .l:tc8 37 ltJc4 lbf7, or 32 l:.xf6 �xd6 33 I:txg6+ 'it>xg6 34 l:!.xd6 .!:tf6 3 5 liJd5 �xd5 36 l:td8 ! (the shadow of c7 l ooms darkly upon Bl ack's mind) 36 . . J:tf8 37 :.xd5 l:tac8 38 J:txe5 l:!.xc7 39 ii.xh 5+ 'it>g7.

3 8 9


Exercise (combination alert}: Gal lagher, nursing copious troubles across the board, was short on time here as well and blundered. Find Korchnoi 's decisive shot.

Answer: Attraction/queen trap. In a single, deft stroke, Korchnoi strips Black's queen of her authority. 32 .l:txf6! ..,xf6

32 . . . �xf6 (the king takes a peek from the narrow confines of h i s bunker) 3 3 .l:tfl+ lLlfs 34 exfs i s equally hopeless for Black. 33 l:tf1

The rook's impure eyes fall upon the black queen 's body with forbidden desire. Korchnoi 's point: Bl ack must hand over a piece to save his queen, who realizes she has become redundant to the realm. 33 . . . .ifs 34 "ifxf6+ &txf6 35 exfs lLlxfs 36 g4 Ci:Je7

Black can't save himself after 36 . . . lZJxh4 37 lLlds .l:txfl+ 38 lLlxf1 hxg4 39 .i.xg4 lZJfs 40 lLlfe3 either. 37 l::!.xf6 'it>xf6 38 lLle4+ 'it>g7

39 Ci:Jxcs 1-0

Exercise (combination alert}: Korchnoi got sl ightly careless (as we all occasionally do in winning positions) and missed

the best continuation. What is White's most accurate move here?

Answer: Fork. 39 lLld6 ! k:txc7 40 lZJe8+ wins the rook, while l ines such as 39 . . . .l:f.h8 40 gxh s gxh s 41 lLlf3 'it>f6 42 lLlg s b 6 4 3 iLf3 lLlc8 44 lLlgf7 are almost even more painful for Black .

Gal lagher writes : " I was getting ready to resign after the obvious 39 lLld6 and didn 't see any reason to change my mind after the text." Albeit not the best, Korchnoi 's move is quite

3 9 0

Ko rch n o i o n A cc u m u la t ing A d van tages

sufficient. After 39 lZlxcs, the game might conclude 39 . . .'it'f7 40 lt:Jf3 l:txe7 41 lZlxeS+ �f6 42 lt:Jed7+ �f7 43 gxh s ! and if 43 . . . b6, White's knights unravel n icely by 44 lt:Jes+ 'iti>f6 4S lt:Ja6 .:!.c8 46 lt:Jxg6 .

Game 51 V.Korchnoi-V.Nevednichy

Pa ks 2004 King 's Indian Defence

1 lt:Jf3 lt:Jf6 2 c4 g6 3 lt:Jc3 i.g7 4 e4 d6 5 d4 o-o 6 .ie2 es 7 i..e3 The Gligoric Variation again, and thi s time we wil l follow the main l ine - at least for a

littl e way. 1 . . . l2:lg4 s .tgs f6 9 i..h4

9 . . . lt:Jc6 Black's most popular continuation . Others: a) 9 . . . gs 10 i..g3 lt:Jh6 11 ds l2:ld7 12 lt:Jd2 fs 13 exfs l2:lf6 14 lZlde4 lt:Jxe4 1S lLlxe4 i..xfs 16

.id3 g4 17 o-o, when White's grip on e4 gives him the edge, L.Aronian-T. Radjabov, Morelia/Linares 2006.

b) 9 .. . lt:Jd7 10 dS as 11 lt:Jd2 lt:Jh6 12 g4 lt:Jf7 13 f3 .ih6 14 i..f2 lt:Jcs 15 h4 ..tf4 16 'iVc2 , again with an edge for White due to h i s extra space, C . Lakdawala-B. Baker, San Diego (rapid) 2013 .

c) 9 . . . lt:Jh6? , seemingly as in the previous gam e, i s just a mistake here, as after 10 dxes ! dxes 11 1i'xd8 .l:.xd8 12 lt:Jds, White win s a pawn for nothing . 10 dxes !?

As usual , Korchnoi veers away from the main l ines into a little-known side issue. 10 dS i s played 90% of the time.

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10 . . . dxes 10 . . . tt:Jgxes i s al so playable but gives White the advantage in the centre.

11 tt:Jds ! ? The devil always shields himself by cloaking all actions as i f they would be of benefit to

others. Korchnoi hands Black orig inal problems with an innocent-looking move.

Question: Won't White's knight eventually get evicted with . . . c7-c6 - ?

Answer: The position gyrates in rhythms, difficult to comprehend. The key word is "eventually". lt takes Black time to implement . . . c7-c6, and then the c6-knight must abandon its best post. Korchnoi plans to make trouble in the centre with a quick queen side castling .

This idea looks like an improvement over 11 'ir'xd8 tt:Jxd8 12 ttJd2 h S 1 3 h 3 ttJh6, when chances look level, J .Granda Zuniga-M.Hebden, Sevil le 1990. 11 • • • lt:Jh6!

An improvement in turn . Black threatens . . . �g4 and . . . �xf3 , to fight for the d4-square. In stead, R .Milovanovic-M.Kaminski, Dallas 2001, saw 11. . .h 5 ? ! 12 h 3 ttJh6 and it's not clear what Black has achieved by inserting . . . h7-h 5 here, apart from weakening his own king side. 12 h3 !

Alert play. Korchnoi prevents the . . . �g4 plan . 12 . . . i.e6 13 'ir'b3!

Dual purpose: threatening b7 and preparing queen side castl ing . 13 . . . 'itc8

Protecting the b7-pawn, whi le moving the queen off the open d-fi le . 14 0-0-0

14 . . . �h8?! Black feel s a touch of anticipatory hesitance and backs off from . . .f7 -fs . His plan ( if he

has one ! ) lacks unity of purpose, and he decides on thi s tentative response. But by triviali z-

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i ng the problem, he allows i t to fester and grow, like mould in a damp environment. I t i s human nature to question other people's beliefs and yet rarely question those we ourselves cl ing to. I am almost certain I would have avoided . . .f7-f5 , fearing the creation of weaknesses, exactly as N evednichy did. And yet, as an annotator, I handed him a " ? ! " for a move I would have played myself!

GM Victor Mikhalevski suggests 14 . . .f5 ! , adding sauce to an otherwise boring meal . Black must strive for compensating central counterplay. For example : 15 .te7 ! ? (after 15 i.d3 fxe4 16 .txe4 lL'lf5 17 �xf5 ..txf5 18 'iVe3, the game looks dynamically balanced)

15 . . . l:if7 (not 15 . . . .:e8? ! 16 lL'lf6+ and Black must give up key bishop) 16 �c5 b6 17 i..e3 (Korchnoi) might be met by 17 . . .fxe4! ? 18 lL'lg 5 lL'ld4 19 i..xd4 exd4 20 ltJxf7 'St>xf7, when the strong centre gives Black reasonable compensation for the exchange . 15 g4!

The mask of White's nonchalance is removed. Korchnoi clamps down, discouraging . . .f7-f5 . Note as well how difficult it i s for Black to eject the d5 intruder. 15 . . . lL'lg8

Very slow, but it is objectively too late for 15 .. .f5 ? , since White gets a far superior version with the open g -file after 16 gxf5 gxf5 17 l:tdg1 ! , when play follows al ien l ines of thought:

a) 17 . . .fxe4 18 .l:.xg7 ! ! (the variations now grow both parenthetical and convoluted in their gyrations and it becomes a chore to keep track of them in our befuddled heads) 18 .. . �xg7 (18 . . . exf3 19 l:.xc7 is winning for White) 19 l:tg 1+ 'it'h 8 20 lL'le7 ! ltJxe7 (moving the queen doesn 't help : 20 . . . 'i!i'd7 21 lL'lxe5 ! ltJxe5 22 'ii'c2 or 20 . . . 1i'e8 21 lL'lxc6 exf3 22 'iic3 ! lL'lg4 ! ? 2 3 lL'lxe 5 ! wins) 2 1 'ii'c3 ! ! and Black's king i s caught in the crossfire.

b) 17 . . . .i:tg8 18 'iVe3 ! (even stronger than 18 l:.xg7 l::txg7 19 .if6, which win s as well ) 18 . . .fxe4 (or 18 . . .f4 19 'i!Vb3 lL'lf7 20 lL'lf6 ! ) 19 I1xg7 ! lhg7 20 'iVxh6 l:tg6 2 1 �f6+ �g8 22 .Ug 1 ! ! 'ii'e8 (or 22 . . . :xg 1+ 2 3 lL'lxg 1 'iid7 24 lL'le7+ etc) 23 'iig7+ ! l:txg 7 24 l:txg7+ 'St>f8 25 lL'lg 5 ! �f5 26 lL'lxc7 iVc8 27 .ih 5 ! with the decisive threat of i.f7 and l:tg8 mate.

Such positions stretch and test the boundaries of comprehension . Of course, it's diffi-

3 9 3


cult to glean practical conclusions from such computer simulations, whose artificial con

structs engender in us the fal se belief that we humans, if given the chance, could find all

these excl ams and double exclams over the board. In real l ife, who knows how th i s varia

tion would h ave played out in the game?

16 Wb1 liJd8 At long last, Black i s ready for . . . C7-c6.

17 �g3 ! Korchnoi focuses on es , which he intends to undermine with g4-g 5 ! .

17 . . . ltJf7 1 8 'ii'c3 ! cs?

Question: I don 't get it? Why did Black avoid . . . C7-c6 - ?

Answer: I don't understand Black's motivation either, and neither did Mikhalevski in h i s notes. Sometimes we chess players hear strange voices which lead us astray. Black had to try 18 ... c6 19 liJe3 .th6, attempting to halt Korchnoi ' s plan, even if only temporarily. 19 g5! f5 ! ?

Black attempts to muck th ings up after all , not liking the looks of 19 . . .fxg 5 20 ltJxes l:.e8 21 liJxf7+ i.xf7 22 1!Vc2 , when White threatens liJC7 and exerts strong pressure.

Exercise {planning}: The biggest and riskiest bet one can make i s to put up your own life a s collateral . Black did just that with h is last

move. How did Korchnoi generate an attack from thi s position ?

Answer: Pry open the h -file . 20 h4!

20 ltJxes ltJxg s or 20 i.xes ltJxes 21 liJxe s fxe4 would be far less clear. 20 . . . f4

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If 20 . . .fxe4 then 21 tZJxes, followed by h4-h 5 , i s now decisive. 21 hS ! gxhs

The bishop can 't be taken , since Black won't survive 21 .. .fxg 3 ? ? 22 hxg6. 22 i.h4

Nevednichy 's position i s enveloped in gloom . He soon drops his h s -pawn, after which the attack along the h -file once again flares up. 22 . . . i.xds? !

This just surrenders the l ight squares. Black had to try 22 . . . .i.g4, though h i s position i s probably strategically lost in any case. 23 cxds lZJe7 24 ttJd2!

Making way for the l ight-squared bishop to enter the game. 24 .. . l2Jd6 2 5 i.xh s l2Jg6 26 1::!.c1

Improving the rook's position with tempo. 26 . . . b6 27 'iff3 !

Question: What is the purpose of thi s move?

Answer: Mikhalevski explains : "White brings the queen into the attack and prepares to regroup the pieces. In particular, the l ight-squared bishop will move to the c8-h 3 diagonal via g4, leaving the h s-square for the queen." 27 . . .l:f.es 28 �g4 'i'b7 29 ..tfs!

Clearing a path to h s for the queen . 29 .. .'ifo>g8 30 ctJC4 �adS

Exercise (critical decision): The position i s an ocean of untapped possibil ity from White' s perspective. He can play 3 1 'it'h s or 31 l2Jxd6. One wins ; the

other allows Black back into the game. Which one would you choose?

3 9 5


31 'ii'hS? Now White's attack lacks the mom entum to carry h im over the boundary.

Answer: Correct was 3 1 tt::lxd6 ! .l:txd6 32 'i¥h 3 with a decisive attack for White, who intends

moves like f2-f3 , i..e1-c3 , i..e6+, l!Vf5 and so on .

31 . . . 'iif7? Black blunders right back, mi ssing his chance for serious counterplay after 31 . . .tt::lxf5 ! 32

exf5 'ii'xd5 3 3 fxg6 'i'e4+ 34 'ita1 hxg6 35 'iig4 b5 . I t should be noted that both players were in time trouble at thi s point. 32 .ie6?!

Here too 32 ctJxd6 ! l:.xd6 33 f3 was stronger, followed by i..e1-c3 etc. In stead, Korchnoi trades h i s attack for a comparatively meagre advantage of being the exchange for a pawn up - which nevertheless proves to be sufficient. 32 .. . .l:txe6

It's a terrible feel ing to sacrifice everything for the sake of a cause, and then real ize it was all for nothing. Black l acks compensation , and Korchnoi gives him no more chances. 33 dxe6 'ii'xe6 34 tt::lxd6 l:txd6 35 f3 ! litd3 36 i..f2 tt::lfS 37 l:thd1 1!f'd7?!

Here 37 . . . l:lxd1 38 :xdl 'ii'c4 would put up more resistance. 38 'i¥h1 tt::le6 39 'i'f1!

Principle: Exchanges favour the side with more material.

39 . . . c4 40 liixd3 cxd3 41 :d1 tt::lxgs 42 'if'xd3 1 Excellent judgment, and following the same principle . Korchnoi correctly assessed that

he can deal with Black's passed h -pawn in the ending . 42 . . .'ii'xd3+ 43 l:.xd3 i..f6 44 'oti>c2 �f7 45 :a3

Or 45 J:l.d7+, which comes to the same thing . 4S . . . 'oti>e6 46 Ii!.xa7 tt::lxf3 47 Wd3 !

47 l:txh7? would complicate things , as after 47 . . . tt::lg s and . . . tt::lxe4, Black gets two connected passed pawns instead of just one.

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Korch n o i o n A cc u m u lat ing A d va n tages

47 . . . hs 48 �h7 h4 49 a4 1-o

Exercise (calculation}: Black's queenside lies in tatters. All that remains i s to halt h i s kingside queening attempts. Work out the

fol lowing l ine in your mind's eye, without moving the pieces.

Answer: 49 .. . �d8 so l::th 6+ Wf7 51 .i.xb6 .txb6 5 2 1Ixb6 Wg7 53 �e2 tLlg s 54 .l::!.b4! (the rook denies the knight's authority, covering the key e4-pawn; now White's king is agile enough to handle the opposing passers, whereas Black gets swept away by the might of the apawn 's mindless urge to advance) 54 ... h3 5 5 ..t>f2 f3 56 '.tg 3 and Black's queening race has ended, while White's i s just beginning . The a-pawn sl ides out to the promotion square, l ike an infant emerging from the womb.

C h a pt e r S i x

Korchnoi on End ga m e s

Korchnoi was never destined to be a world champion but, in my opinion, he orchestrated endings better than the majority of world champions . I rank Korchnoi 's endgame skil l s in the top handful of all time, alongside those of lasker, Capablanca, Fischer, Kramnik and Carl sen . Korchnoi 's strength was in his staggeringly deep problem-solving abil ities .

This position arose in Korchnoi 's candidates match again st Karpov in 1974 (see Game 53) . Black's pawn is close to queening, while White, though a rook up, i s in constant danger of perpetual check. The mystery of the position's truth has yet to be revealed, and behind the veil l ie yet other obscuring vei ls . The solution moves from conception , to incubation, to implementation.

Korchnoi has a nasty habit of demanding the impossibl e from real ity. When 2+2 fai l s to add up to the number he desires, Korchnoi simply changes the equation to suit h i s perception of real ity. In his case 2+2=5 . We arrive at a circular paradox. How to erase the barrier

3 9 8

Korch n o i o n En dg a m es

between White's desire to punish the black king , and Black's fierce resi stance? Somewhere within the bubbling stew l ies our answer.

Exercise (planning/combination alert}: White to play and force mate in 18 ( ! ) moves.

Answer: 70 .l:tb8 ! ! , intending ltb2 ! to ruthlessly hunt down Black's king, who finds himself taken unawares.

Korchnoi unearthed th is incredibly hidden idea over the board. I wonder how many players in the hi story of chess could match this feat if they arrived in the same position, with a possible world championship on the l ine. From thi s point on , if you play through the moves with a computer turned on, you discover that Korchnoi 's moves virtually match Houdin i's analysis, move for move, for the remainder of the game. Such was h is impossibly high, computer-like level of accuracy in technical endings .

Game 52 V.Korchnoi-T.V.Petrosian

Ca nd idates ( 3 rd matchga me}, Odessa 1974 English Opening

1 c4 4Jf6 2 tt:\c3 e6 3 tt:\f3 b6 4 e4 i.b7 5 'ii'e2 c5 6 e5 tt:\g8 1 d4 i.xf3 8 'it'xf3 lDc6 9 d5 tt:\xe5 10 'ti'g3 d6 11 i.f4 tt:\g6 12 dxe6 fxe6 13 0-0-0 tt:\xf4 14 'ikxf4 g6 15 Ve4 t!Of6 16 'ii'xe6+ �e7 17 Itxd6 'ilr'xe6 18 �xe6+

Question: Which factor has more impact upon the position : White's extra pawn and lead in development, or the fact that Black may hold the draw due to opposite-coloured bishops?

3 9 9


Answer: Let's assess: 1 . White i s a pawn up and leads in development.

2 . The presence of opposite-coloured bishops weighs heavily on White's winning chanc-

es . Both of these you noted, but there are other factors too: 3. Black's queenside pawns are fixed on dark squares, the same colour as his remaining

bishop, and are vulnerable to attack by tt:lb5, whi le the white king may gain entry via the queenside l ight squares.

4. The c4-pawn i s fixed on the same colour as White's remaining bi shop, which weakens his dark squares.

Conclusion : This one may be a 50/50 proposition, though the odds are perhaps slightly in White's favour, since Black can 't afford a single slip. 18 . . :;io>f7 1

The best defence. 18 . . . Ji.e7? would allow White to support h is rook: 19 g 3 ! �f7 20 i.h 3 l:'.thd8 (or 20. J !the8 21 tt:lb5) 21 .l:the1 .tf8 22 .l::.c6 (threatening infiltration at c7) 22 . . . tt:'le8 23 tt:'lb5 and White dominates. 19 .l:f.c6

Exercise (combination alert): It appears as if White' s rook entry on the seventh rank will be decisive. However, Petrosian found a clever defensive tactic which effectively cauterizes the wound. What is it?

Answer: Discovered attack. Black's rook isn 't really hanging . 19 . . . l:.c81

The rook's bored gaze slides right over the intruder on c6, as if he were invi sible . 20 l:r.xc8

White's rook notes the diminution of h i s authority, of what he once was to what he is

4 0 0


now, and has no choice but to agree to the swap with begrudging acquiescence. 20 • . • i.h6+ 21 �c2 l:.xc8 22 i.e2 l:td8 23 'iii>b3 !

Thinking about 'it>a4-b5 .

23 . . J::td2? Petrosian, anxious to get rooks off the board, wastes t ime in doing so . Black's best plan

may be to central ize with 2 3 . . . ..tf4! 24 g 3 i.es 2 5 .l:!.dl l:txdl 26 tLlxdl i.d4 27 i.f3 tLld7, when White's win i s an iffy proposition as he has many problems to solve:

1 . His king side pawns are under fire, which fixes his knight on dl for now. 2 . Even if he does unravel , Black can meet any tLlbs with . . . .tes and . . . i.b8, or he can

even post a knight on d6, which prevents tLlbs . Thi s means it won 't be easy for White to force a weakening of Black's queenside pawns. 24 :d1 tLleB 25 :xd2 i.xd2 26 tLlbs!

Creating weakness on the queenside. 26 . . . a6 27 tLlc3

27 . . . .i.xc3 Unfortunately forced, as White threatened both tLlds and tLla4. The only other possibil

ity was 27 . . . tLlc7 28 tLla4 .ias, which leaves Bl ack's pieces completely offside. White would play 29 .i.g4, bring h i s king back to the centre, and then advance the king side pawns.

Question: Why unfortunately? Doesn't White have a bad bishop, with his c4-pawn fixe.d on the same colour?

Answer: We are reminded of Tartakower's statement about the worst bishop being better than the best knight. In endings , the long-range power of the bishop is often deci sive, as in thi s game. The c4-pawn is a hindrance, but not enough of one for Black to save the game. 28 �xc3 as

4 0 1


Question: Won't White 's king infiltrate via bS n ow?

Answer: No. Black simply posts a knight on d6, preventing king entry.

29 i.d3 l2Jf6 30 f4 Activating his kingside pawn majority.

30 ... l2Jhs 31 g3 l2Jf6 32 'it>d2 l2Je8 33 g4 l2Jd6 34 'ite3 �e6 Nothing in the world spawns deep, lasting relationships more than two people with a

shared enemy. Black's king and knight simply lack the necessary weapons to deal with their counterparts' attempts to infiltrate. 35 h4 'it;f7 36 b3 !

Question: Why did White place his queenside pawns on the same colour as h i s bishop?

Answer: An unavoidable evi l . Sometimes we must twist, distort and violate principle to serve our ends. White ' s bishop must be activated at any cost, which means it must be released from its menial job of covering c4. 36 ... 'it;g7 37 gS

Endgame principle : Place as many pawns as possible on the opposite colour to your re

main ing bishop.

Alternatively, White could play 37 fs gxfs 38 i.xfs h S 39 �f4 hxg4 40 i.xg4, when the extra pawn i s decisive. For example: 40 . . . 'itf6 41 a4! (zugzwang trumps the flagrant violation of principle) 41 . . . l2Jf7 42 'it;e4 l2Jes 43 �dl! 'it;e6 44 hS l2Jf7 45 �g4+ and White's king comes in via dS or fS . 37 . . . 'it;f7

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Ko rch n o i o n En dg a m es

Exercise {planning}: Time to enforce justice. How can White' s king gain entry into Black's position ?

Answer: Sac a pawn temporarily to clear f4.

38 f5 1 This self-infl icted dismemberment i s necessary to White's winning strategy.

38 . . . gxfs Or 3 8 . . . l2JxfS+ 39 .txfs gxfs 40 h S ! <Jile7 41 'it>f4 <Jile6 42 h6 and White wins by zugzwang .

39 'iiif4 'iitg6

Exercise (critical decision/calculation}: Now 40 a4 leaves Black in zugzwang -or does it? Work out the pawn ending after 40 . . . l2Je4 41 .txe4 fxe4

42 'it'xe4 'it>h s and evaluate the consequences without moving the pieces.

Answer: I n positions requiring brute force calculation it sometimes feels as if Korchnoi is in full sight of the board, while his opponents are bl indfolded. In my opinion, he is the third greatest pure calculator of all time, behind Kasparov and Lasker. White wins the pawn ending by a tempo. 40 a41 l2Je4

40 . . . 'it>h S 41 i.xfs ! ltJxfs 42 <J;;xfs comes to the same thing, and 40 . . . �f7 41 ..txfs+ 'ii'g7 42 .te6 l2Jd6 43 'it>es i s equally hopeless for Black. 41 .ixe41

Confidently calculated. 41 .tc2 would al so win but Korchnoi 's move is much simpler. 41 . . . fxe4 42 <Ji;xe4 <Ji;h s 43 <J;;fs

43 c.t>ds ?? turns a win into a loss after 43 ... <Ji;xh4 44 'it>c6 'it>xg s 45 'it'xb6 hS and it is Black who comes first in the promotion race.

4 0 3


43 . . . 'iti>xh4 44 g6!

A key detai l . White el iminates the king side pawns before leading the rush to the queenside. 44 . . . hxg6+ 45 'it>xg6 'it>g4

We hear the roaring silence, as if alone in a cathedral . One tempo is all that separates Black from his cherished dream of a draw. Such l ife and death variations make zero allowances for our analytical frailties. 46 �6

White's king attempts to redefine himself in h is new role of Olympic sprinter. Both sides furiously race for the base of the other's pawn chains . 46 . . . �4 47 �e6 �e4 48 'it>d6

"Coward ! Small -hearted coward! Come back ! " implores Black's sweating , out-of-breath king , as h is enemy remains one step ahead to the fin ish l ine . 48 . . . �d4 49 'it>c6 'it>c3 50 Wxb6 'it>xb3

4 0 4


Exercise (combination alert}: Unearth White's single path to victory.

Answer: Zugzwang . 51 ..t>bs ! 1-o

Avoiding the trivial traps 51 <it>xa5?? <it>xc4 and 51 <it>xc5?? �xa4, both of which work out to draws. Whereas now, nothing shields Black's king from his shame. His attempted intervention fail s and he realizes he faces a more formidable enemy, standing across from him at b5. This i s the position Korchnoi envisioned on his 40th move - 2 3-ply ago !

Game 53 V .Korch noi-A.Ka rpov

Ca nd idates fi n a l (19th matchga me), Moscow 1974 Trompowsky Opening

1 d4 l2Jf6 2 .tgs e6 3 e4 h6 4 .i.xf6 'it'xf6 s lLif3 d6 6 lLic3 g6 7 'ii'd2 'ike7 8 o-o-o a6 9 h4 .i.g7 10 g3 bs 11 .i.h3 b4 12 t2Jd s exds 13 .i.xc8 o-o 14 .lib7 .l:Ia7 15 .i.xds c6 16 �b3 'i!Vxe4 17 'iid3 'i!Vxd3 18 J:.xd3

Question: An assessment?

Answer: 1 . The fact that there is only one open fil e on the board signals rook swaps which help

Bl ack. 2. White's bi shop contains more power than Black's . 3 . Black's queenside structure i s just a shade loose.

4 0 5


4. In the endgame, opposite-coloured bishops help the defender: Black.

conclusion : GMs Averbakh , Byrne, Furman and Kotov all predicted a draw as the only

logical outcome. Houdini cal ls it even at thi s stage too. What the GMs failed to factor in

was Korchnoi 's indomitable will to win - even when there should be no win . He was trai l

ing in the match 10V2-1V2 and desperately needed a full point as White to keep his chances

al ive. 18 . . . t2Jd7!?

Question: Why didn 't Black seize the e-fi le?

Answer: Hartston and Keene leave thi s move unannotated in their match book as wel l . Karpov may have been concerned about 18 . . . .lle8 19 �a4 ds 20 .l:.e1 J:.xe1+ 21 t2Jxe1 .l::te7 22 <J.?d2, when his knight is tied down to defence of c6 and his queenside remains weakened. 19 l:Ie1 t2Jb6 20 a4!?

Korchnoi attempts to stir up trouble on the queen side. 20 . . . bxa3

The more pawns off the board, the better for Black. 21 bxa3 as 22 l:.de3 ..tf6

Karpov avoids 22 . . . a4 23 �a2 ds 24 �d2, perhaps fearing the coming .!:!.b1 . 23 a4

23 . . . cs? ! A desperate craving for freedom sometimes overpowers common sense. Karpov i s too

anxious to force exchanges. In doing so he weakens the light squares bs, c4 and ds , which may lead to future infiltration by the white king . He needed to prepare this move with 23 ... llc7, when White has no way to control the c4-square before the black c-pawn advances. Alternatively, he could just conduct a waiting pol icy with something like 23 ... 'iti>g7 . In either case Black has every chance to hold the draw.

4 0 6


24 dxcs dxcs 25 tbd2 Korchnoi takes control over c4. Note that, by playing 23 .. . llc7 first, Karpov could have

prevented this manoeuvre. 2S ... <t>g7 26 .l:.f3

Toying with tt:le4, which Karpov prevents with his next move. 26 . . . l:!c7 27 tt:Jc41

Question: With the knight's removal , doesn't Korchnoi fear the enhancement of drawing potential due to opposite-coloured bishops?

Answer: Korchnoi's idea of tt:Jd2-c4 displays bril l iant insight. 1 can't tell you the reason, or I would give away our coming planning exercise. In any case 27 tt:Je4? ! is no good now, as after 27 . . . i.e7, Black threatens . . . cS -c4. 27 ... tt:Jxc4 28 il.xC4 .:tdS 29 c3 1

A key component of White's plan , seizing control over both d4 and b4. 29 . . . .l:.cd7

Exercise {planning): How did Korchnoi improve his position ?

Answer: Transfer the king to c4 with �c2, �b3 , .tbs and <t>c4. When thi s occurs, Black not only has to watch over h is weak cs -pawn, he must al so worry about a future ct>bs and 'it>xas . 30 <it>c2 l l:!.d2+

Principles don 't always apply. In this case, Black's control over the seventh rank proves to be meaningless . 31 ct>b3 �d1?1

A reduction in the number of pieces often helps the defender, but not in thi s instance.

4 0 7


Black's queens ide pawns become h arder to defend with a pair of rooks off the board. In stead, he might have thwarted Korchnoi 's plan by playing 3 1 . . . .:tb8+ 3 2 i..bs C4+ ! 3 3 'it>xc4 J:tb2, when the white king is exposed to the attentions of the black rooks. 32 �xd1 l::txd1 33 i.bs

Dual purpose: covering a4 and clearing c4 for his king. The queenside light squares begin to flower in furious bloom for White. 33 . . • llds?l

Here Botvinnik proposed 33 . . . l:.c1 ! as the simplest defence, tying White to the defence of h is crucial c3-pawn. In stead, Karpov opts for an active continuation based on White's need to avoid the exchange of rooks . 34 1le3

34 �c4! :fs 35 l:td3 was a quicker route to the game position, but Korchnoi doesn't mind wasting a few moves in order to reach the adjournment. 34 . .. �es

3 S .l:id3 1 Oh, no you don 't! White must retain the final pair of rooks to nurse winning chances,

since the pure opposite-coloured bi shops ending i s drawn . For example: 35 .l:txes ? i.xes 36 '>ii>c4 fs 37 f4 i.f6 38 i.c6 'it>f7 and White's kin g i s impri soned by the need to defend c3 . 3 5 . . . l:!.e2 36 �f3 l:.es 37 �c41 l:tfs 38 l:.d3 1

White's only prayer for victory, turning the game into a race with opposite wing pawn majorities . 38 . . . .l:txf2

Again Karpov takes the active path , even if it means handing Korchnoi a passed c-pawn . The passive 38 . . . ii.e7 39 l:td7 '>ii>f8 (or 39 . . . i.f6 40 l:.d2 l:If3 41 .l:tc2, followed by i.c6) 40 .Ua7 ii.d8 41 f4 leaves Black badly tangled up. 39 ..ti>xcs

Black now has a choice between raw aggression (39 .. . .tes) or submissive defence

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Korc h n o i o n E n dg a m es

( 39 . . . .Uc2) . Both paths should lead to a draw. 39 .. . ..tes

Karpov targets the g3 -pawn . The restrained 39 . . . :c2 should hold the draw as wel l , but Black needs to see - and see quickly with the adjournment approaching - that h i s blockade after 40 c4 .i.C3 41 �b6 ..tb4 cannot be overcome. For instance, 42 l:!.ds �f6 ! 43 cs �e6 ! 44 l:td6+ 'it>es 45 :c6 �d4 46 .l::tf6 !txcs 47 .li!.f4+ �c3 48 l:txf7 is drawn . White best chance is 43 g4! \t>e6 44 h S , but Black should survive anyway after 44 . . . .l:.d2 ! 45 l:txd2 ..txd2 46 cs ..te3 47 g S ! (trying to overload the bishop) 47 . . . hxg s (not 47 . . . Ji.xg 5 ? 48 c6 and wins) 48 h 6 �ds 49 .te8 (or 49 h7 ..txcs+ so \t>xas .td4 5 1 'it>b4 g4 5 2 as g 3 5 3 .tf1 �c6 etc) 49 . . . i.xcs+ so �xas g4 Sl .txf7+ �d6 52 h7 .td4 5 3 ..txg6 �cS ! 54 �a6 g3 55 .te4 �b4 56 as .i.f6 57 �b6 .td4+ 58 �a6, as White i s tied down to as and unable to make progress. 40 'it>b6 �g2

The game was adjourned here. Despite the fact that the race looks so tight to the n aked eye, Karpov and his team, to their chagrin, could find no saving defence for Black. Botvin nik, on the other hand, found two drawing l ines for Black (at moves 48 and SO) , which Houdin i, in today's computer age, i s able to verify. 41 c4 l:.xg3

Not 41 ... .txg 3 ? because of 42 .l:txg 3 ! .l:Ixg 3 43 cs l:lc3 44 c6 g s 45 hxg s hxg s 46 c7 .:txc7 47 \t>xc7 fs 48 �b6 and White win s. 42 :d7 gs

This is going to be close ! Both sides roll their respective majorities . 43 hxgs hxgs 44 cs l:tc3 45 c6 g4 46 c7 g3 47 .tc6

Dual purpose: interference and coverage of g2 . Karpov has no choice on his next move. 47 . . . i.xc7+ 48 .l:txc7 �h6?!

Botvinnik first draw involves Black giving up his rook right here with 48 . . . J:.xc6+ ! . For example : 49 l:txc6 fs so lkl \t>f6 S l l:tgl f4 52 'it>cs �es 53 .l:ie1+ �5 54 <it>d3 �g4 55 .!:g 1 (but not 5 5 �d3 ?? g 2 56 .l:le8 - Botvinnik, due to S6 .. .f3 ! 5 7 l:.g8+ �f4 58 l:tf8+ '.t>es ! and Black

4 0 9


wins) S S .. 5it'h3 56 �e4 �h2 57 l:tcl g2 5 8 'Wt>xf4 g 1 'iV S9 l:txg1 'Wt>xg 1 60 'it>e4 <it>g2 61 �d4 <it>f3 62 <ifi>c4 �e4 63 'Wt>bs 'Wt>ds 64 <it>xas <it>c6 and the black king makes it back across in time.

The text makes things more difficult as it allows the white rook to become more active, but Black is not lost yet. 49 J:tc8

Not fall ing for the cheapo 49 l:txf7?? .l:.xc6+ so �xc6 g2 and Black queens. 49 . . . fs so :fs

Exercise (critical decision): Black is in desperation mode. He can play so . . . �g s , hoping to nurse h is pawns forward, or play the desperado

so . . . l:.xc6+. One l ine holds a draw; the other loses. Choose carefully.

so . . . l:.xc6+?

Question: It looks to me like thi s move deserves " ! ! " and that Black's pawns are too fast. Am I mi staken ?

Answer: Karpov ignites a moment of extreme cogn itive dissonance with a twistedly deep, yet unsound idea, so subtle that it comes across as an untruth within a l ie. He tries to divert funds for his expensive war on the king s ide with a sizeable investment he really can 't afford. Overreaction to a threat is never a good thing ; overreaction to a phantom threat i s even worse.

Hartston and Keene cal led this "A desperately ingenious resource, trusting in the strength of his passed pawns to outwit White's rook." However, it i sn 't so much of a sacri fice as it is the nihi l istic act of a man who already considers himself dead. Korchnoi 's subsequent play proves it to be the decisive mistake.

In stead, Botvinnik's calm so ... �g S ! enables Black to hold the game. For example :

4 1 0

Ko rch n o i o n E n dg a m es

a) S 1 .i.d7 .l:.d3 ! ! draws after either capture: 5 2 �xfS+ �g6 or 5 2 i.xfs ltf3 . b) 5 1 i.a8 f4 52 'it>xas l1b3 ! (fencing in the white king to retard the a-pawn's advance)

53 �a6 (or 53 .tds l:.b2) 53 . . . �g4 54 as f3 55 �a7 g2 56 .l:tg8+ 'it>h3 57 a7 �h 2 and all three pieces will have to be sacrificed to stop one of the pawns promoting .

c) 5 1 .l:f.g8+ 'iti>f6 52 i.a8 'ifi>f7 (driving the rook off the g -file) S 3 lld8 We7 54 .l:.d1 .:!.b3+ ! (again curtail ing the white king ' s movement) 55 'iti>xas 'iti>f6 56 i.ds l:!.b2 57 c;t>a6 f4 58 as

'iti>g s 59 'ifi>a7 �g4 60 a6 g2 etc. 51 'iti>xc6 'it>gs 52 J:tg8+ �f4 53 'iti>bs 'ifi>f3 54 c;t>xas f4

GM Yuri Balashov mistakenly claimed Black could still draw here with 54 . . . g2 5 5 'it>b4 'iiff2, but Botvinnik showed that White win s after 56 'iifc3 ! (rather than Balashov's 56 as ?, which does indeed allow Black a draw)

S6 . . . g 1'iV 57 l:txg1 'iti>xg1 58 'iifd3 ! �g 2 (or S8 . . . �h2 59 as f4 60 a6 f3 61 'it>e3 ! 'ifi>g 3 62 a7 f2 63 c;;f,;>e2 'iifg2 64 a8'ii'+ etc) 59 as f4 60 a6 f3 61 a7 f2 62 a8�+. Normally a bishop's pawn draws against a lone queen, but not here. White's king is too close and assists in the win after 62 ... 'ifi>g 1 63 'Wg8+ 'ifi>f1 (or 63 ... 'it>h 1 64 �e2) 64 'ii'g4 �e1 65 'iVe2 mate. 55 'ifi>b4 �g2

Not SS .. . g 2 ? 56 'ifi>c3 �f2 57 c;;f,;>d3 f3 58 �e4 and White wins quickly. 56 as f3 57 a6 f2 58 a7 f1'Vi' 59 a8'iV+ 'ii'f3 1

A surreal position. " 1 , who am the law, violate the law. Yet who among you dares to extract penalty from me?" taunts Black's free-spirited queen, as she thumbs her nose to the crowd. Karpov, a rook down, proposes to swap queens since his lone pawn holds the draw. White must now be careful not to allow perpetual check (or drop h i s rook ! ) .

Incidentally, computer table bases play these six-piece endings absolutely perfectly. While Korchnoi didn 't manage quite that l evel of accuracy (nobody could), he didn 't make a single mistake either from thi s point on.

4 1 1


60 'ii'a2+ 'ii'f2 61 'i'dS+ 'ii'f3 According to the tablebase, 61 ... \t>gl ! makes things more difficult, when White h as to

play 62 'ii'dl+! �g2 63 'ii'g4! and allow a multitude of checks after 63 ... 'i'b6+, which ulti mately turn out to be futile. 62 'ilfd2+ �f2 63 �c31

This shortens proceedings considerably. Now Black can 't swap queens, as White's king i s too close: 63 . . . 'i'xd2+?? 64 �xd2 �2 65 l:lf8+ �g l 66 �e2 g2 67 l:tg8 'ith 2 68 �f2 i s curtains . 63 ... 'itg1 64 'i'dl+ 'iiti>g2 65 'iid3 'ifcS+ 66 �b31 'ifb6+ 67 <itc2 'ii'c6+ 68 �d2 'ii'h6+ 69 'ii'e3 'ii'h4

Or 69 . . . 'iid6+ 70 �el and Black is out of good checks, since 70 .. . 'i'b4+ fail s to 71 'ii'd2+ (check ! ) , forcing queens off with White's king in range to halt the pawn (as in the previous note).

4 1 2

Korch n o i o n E n dg a m es

Does th i s position look familiar? It 's the same one as in the introduction to this chapter. Here is the same exerci se, just in case you didn 't look at it before.

Exercise (planning}: Come up with a plan for White to make progress.

Answer: Go lateral with the rook. 70 libSI I

Korchnoi finds a study-like solution, circl ing his rook round the angles to a more potent position . The b-fi le is the most effective for thi s plan, since the rook then prevents the check on b4. Not, for in stance, 70 lac8 'ifh4+ 71 '�tel �h2 72 l1c2+?? g 2 ! and Bl ack draws. 1o . • :iif& 11 1:tb6 'iVfs

If 71 . . .'ii'g7 , then 72 'ii'e2+ ! �h 3 73 .:tbs and the tablebase announces mate in 16 ! Black has no defence to the threat of �h S+. For example: 73 ... 'i'd4+ 74 �c2 'ila4+ (or 74 . . . 'ii'f2 75 l:th S+ 'i2rg2 76 �d2 etc) 75 'iiibl and Black has no more checks. Incidentally, White could have won this way on the previous move as well ; i .e . 71 'i¥e2+! �h3 72 1lb5 'i'f4+ 73 �c2 etc. 72 l:tb2!

Korchnoi systematically shuts down every possible defensive avenue Black has at his di sposal . The rook remains within his place of concealment, awaiting the proper moment to ari se and smite Karpov's renegade king, whose connection to reality grows ever more erratic, ever more fragile, with each passing move. 72 . . . �h2 73 'ii'h6+ 'itg1 74 'ii'b6+ 'it'h2 75 'ii'b81 'it>h3

The king 's trembling hands are the equivalent of a full confession . 76 'ii'h8+ 'iti>g4 77 l:Ib4+! 'i.ii>f3 78 'ii'h1+! 'itf2

Or 78 . . . g 2 79 l:tb3+ 'i2tf2 80 'ii'el mate. 79 .l::f.b2! 1-0

Black's king flops about in its death throes, l ike a goldfish that jumped out of its bowl . White's renewed threat of discovered check i s now decisive. For example : 79 . . . 'iVf6 80 'itr>cl+

4 1 3


'it>e3 81 'iVel+ 'itlf4 82 J:.b4+ 'itlfs 83 .l:tbS+ 'ito>g6 (if 8 3 .. .<;t.Jf4 84 'i!Vfl+ or 8 3 .. .'�g4 84 l!Ve2+ 'itJh 3 8 5 lth S+ etc) 84 'irxg 3+ and wins .

As the old saying goes: you win some; you lose some. I don 't know about you, but after a painful loss thi s thought never seems to bring me any measure of comfort!

Game 54 J.Timman-V.Korchnoi

Leeuwa rden ( 3 rd matchga me) 1976 French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d 5 3 lt:Jc3 �b4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 .txc3+ 6 bxc3 lt:Je7 7 a4 lt:Jbc6 8 lt:Jf3 'ii'a 5 9 i..d2 .td7 10 .te2 f6 11 c4 'flc7 12 cxd5 lt:Jxd 5 13 c4 lt:Jde7 14 exf6 gxf6 15 dxc5 o-o-o 16 .tc3 e5 17 Wid6 lt:Jf5 18 it'xc7+ 'itlxc7

Question: Does Black stand better here? White's queen side pawns look l ike they are in bad shape.

Answer: I do prefer Black, but this may be a French Defence player's natural prejudice. Houdini thinks the game i s even . Let's assess:

1 . White has the bishop pair. 2 . White is a pawn up. 3 . White's queenside pawn structure i s badly damaged, with weaknesses on a4, c4 and

cs . 4 . Black has greater central influence. s . Black leads in development. 6 . Black has a grip on d4 and may soon enter with a knight.

4 1 4

Korc h n o i o n E n dg a m e s

7 . Black's active king may later enable him to pick up a pawn or two on the c-fi le . Conclusion: I don 't care what Houdini thinks. I sti l l claim Black stands better!

19 o-o t2Jfd4 20 ttJxd4 t2Jxd4 21 �d1 cJo>c6 Korchnoi immediately goes after c5 .

22 �Xd4?J Timman contradicts his own purpose by handing back the bishop pair in order to pick

off b7. Whatever chance White had of seizing the initiative now goes inert. This i sn 't merely a side i ssue which interferes with his overall goal . If White is to thrive, then he must adapt to changing circumstances. H i s last move just feel s wrong . It would be more thematic for White to play 22 f4 (Principle : Open the position when you own the bishop pair)

22 .. J::thg8 23 fxe5 fxe5 , which Houdin i still assesses as even . 22 . . . exd4

Tim man greatly underestimated the damaging potential of thi s pawn, now a running sore which can never be excised from his position.

23 �f3+?1 White finds a way to pick Black's pocket, but at too high a cost. He would do better to

play 23 .l:tbl before . . . �f5 prevents it. Indeed, 23 . . . �f5 ?? would now lose to 24 �f3+ r;i;lxc5 (or 24 . . .<iif c7 25 �xb7+) 2 5 l::!.b5+ . 23 . • .'it>xcs 24 i.xb7 �fs l

Korchnoi reveal s h is plan : push the d-pawn as far a s i t goes in order to t i e White down . Regaining the pawn can wait until later.

Question: Why not capture on c4?

Answer: Korchnoi isn 't interested in taking the pawn just yet, as it acts as a useful shield for his king . Indeed, 24 . . . \t;xc4? 2 5 �fc1+ 'it>b4 26 .l:labl+ c;i;{a3 leaves the black king in a bad way. 25 i.f3 �heB 26 lta2

4 1 5


Covering the c2 -square. 26 .ids ii.c2 ! , followed by . . . d4-d3, is unpleasant for White. 26 ... l:b8

Korchnoi seizes both open files . Houdini now admits the error of hi s/her/its ways and agrees that Black stands better. 27 :td2

Exercise {planning}: Korchnoi subtly improved h is position with his next move. Hidden within the intricate latticework

l ies the winning idea. What would you play here?

Answer: The simple yet powerful idea, so long unexpressed, now shows its face. If a pair of rooks come off the board, Black's king is no longer in danger and can be activated, assisting the passed d-pawn forward. 27 ... .U.b1! 28 g4 l:tee1 29 l:!.xe1 l:txe1+ 30 'it>g2 ..ie4?

Korchnoi is eager to remove the defender of the light squares, assuming his passed dpawn will then march forward unopposed and win the gam e by itself, but thi s is not the case. His overhasty move actually g ives Timman another chance, albeit a very difficult one.

He should have played 30 . . . ..ig6 ! (keeping the bishop for the time being) 3 1 .l:tb2 (neither 31 .ids d3 32 f4 �d4, nor 31 h4 'iitxc4 32 hs ..id3 i s any better for White) 31 . .J:te7 32 l:tb8 'it>xc4, when the passed d-pawn is indeed decisive. For example : 3 3 'itg 3 d3 34 ktc8+ 'it>b4 3 S ltd8 'iifc3 36 .l:tc8+ 'it'd2 (now threatening 37 . . . .i.e4 ! ) 37 l:tc4 ..if7 3 8 l:.f4 ..ib3 39 .l::txf6 'it>e1 and wins . 31 i.xe4 .l:.xe4 32 'iiff3 l:.e5

4 1 6


Exercise (critical decision): Can White hold the king and pawn ending after 3 3 .l:le2 - ? Or should he rush for counterplay with his kingside pawns after 33 h4 - ? One l ine

l eads to a very difficult draw, the other loses almost trivially. Which would you play?

33 h4? This is far too slow. Now the passed d-pawn 's fawn-like eyes and bleating voice disguise

her true, ruth less personal ity. Answer: Remarkably, White can in fact hold the king and pawn ending after 3 3 l:!e2 ! ! <otxc4 34 l:txes fxes 35 'iite2 <otc3 36 'it>dl and then :

a) 36 . . . ..td3 37 h4 'i£?e4 38 h S <it>f4 39 f3 ! e4 40 fxe4 'it>xe4 41 �d2 'ifi>f4 42 'itd3 'itxg4 43 h 6 ! (White has to push both rooks' pawns as far as possible, to give his king time later to rush across to the opposite corner) 43 . . . 'it>g s 44 �xd4 �xh6 45 as ! <;t>g s 46 a6 ! hS (or

4 1 7

Ko r c h n o i : M o ve by M o ve

46 . . . 'it>g4 47 �cs ! hS 48 'it>c6 h4 49 �b7 h 3 so 'it>xa7 h 2 51 <it>b8 h 1'i!t' 52 a7 etc) 47 'it>e3 �fs (47 . . . 'it>g4 48 �f2 doesn 't help Black) 48 'it?f3 <it>es 49 'it>g3 <it>ds so 'it>h4 'it>cs 51 �xh s <it>b6 (it looks as if White must surely lose this race, but no ... ) 52 'it>g4 'it>xa6 53 <it>f3 'it>bs 54 �e2 'it>b4 55 <it>d1 'it>b3 56 \t>c1 and the king makes it just in time. That's 24 moves after the exercise diagram. As I said, it 's a very difficult draw, which probably nobody could work out over the board.

b) 36 ... e4 36 h4 d3 38 gs 'it>d4 (a switchback to try and stop the white pawns) 39 hs 'it>es 40 g 6 ! hxg6 41 hxg6 <it>f6 42 �d2 <it>xg6 43 f3 ! 'it>fs 44 fxe4+ <it>xe4 45 aS ! (following the same principle as in line 'a') 4S . . . a6 46 'it>d1 ! Wd4 (or 46 . . . We3 47 We1) 47 '>t>d2 Wc4 48 <it>d1! 'it>b4 (with the white a-pawn on a4, thi s move would win) 49 Wd2 'it>xas so Wxd3 'it>b4 5 1 Wc2 etc. 33 ... Wxc4 34 llc2+

We sense a bit of bluff behind this move, which is perhaps more theatre than menace. But what else i s White to do? Everything el se loses as wel l . White's cut-off king nods di stantly to his minister's frantic warnings about the impending dangers of Black's d-pawn, but clearly his mind is el sewhere. The gulf between the king and his l iberation i s too wide, too deep. Black threatens .. . <it>c3, followed by .. . d4-d3, and not much can be done about it. 34 ... <it>b3 35 l:tc7 d3

A fly in your soup defiles the entire bowl, not just the pinpoint location of the fly's floating corpse. Of course, the wing pawns (of either colour) are irrelevant to Korchnoi 's plan . He focuses with single-minded intent on promotion of his passed d-pawn . 36 .l::f.xh7 l:ds l

The shepherd's dilemma: should he leave the other sheep unguarded to attempt a rescue for one lost lamb? In thi s case, absolutely. Black's entire universe ri ses or fal ls upon the strength of his d-pawn . Principle: Post your rooks behind your passed pawns. White's powerless king shakes his head, as if to expunge thoughts too terrible to contempl ate. 37 .l:f.b7+

4 1 8


37 'it>e4 can be met by 37 . . . d2. 37 . . . 'iti>c2 38 1Ic7+ 'it>b1 39 l:lb7+ rJI>a11

No more checks. The d-pawn tugs petulantly at White's peace of mind, the way a small child harasses her mother as they pass by the toy store at the mall . 40 .�:tbs I:!.ds o-1

White has no way to halt the pawn's promotion ; in fact he can no longer even manage to sac his rook for it .

Game 55 A.Ka rpov-V.Korchnoi

World Cha m pions h i p (28th matchga me}, Bagu io C ity 1978 Ruy Lopez

Things looked grim for team Korchnoi before thi s game. He was trailing 5 -2 in wins, with Karpov only requiring one more for victory. The pressure was unbel ievable, since a single blunder for Korchnoi could end the match . Then something amazing happened. A tiring Karpov, who may have underestimated his opponent's monumental will to win, lost three games out of four (beginning with thi s one) to leave the match tied at S -5 .

Korchnoi had not managed to win a single game as Black in their first (Candidates' Final ) match , and that record continued into this match as well , so that Karpov had been un defeated with the white pieces for 25 games in a row - until thi s game. 1 e4 es 2 ltJf3 ltJc6 3 ..ibs a6 4 i.a4 ltJf6 5 o-o ltJxe4 6 d4 bs 7 .ltb3 ds 8 dxes i.e6 9 c3 ltJcs 10 .ltc2 ..ig4 11 �e1 ..ie7 12 ctJbd2 1i'd7 13 ctJb3 ctJe6 14 h3 ..ihs 15 .ltfs lt::lcd8 16 ..ie3 as 17 ..ics a4 18 il..xe7 'i'xe7 19 ctJbd2 c6 20 b4 ctJg5 21 "Yi'e2 g6 22 i.g4 i..xg4 23 hxg4 ltJde6 24 �e3 hs 2 5 ltJxgs 'i'xgs 26 �xgs ltJxgs

4 1 9

K o r c h n o i : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Who stands better?

Answer: Let's assess : 1 . We have opposite wing pawn majorities . 2 . The h -file i s opening in Black's favour. 3. White's queenside structure is slightly weakened by the b2-b4 thrust. 4. Black has the superior majority, with more viable pawn break option s : ... dS -d4 and

. . . c6-cs . s . Black's king can remain in the middle, helping to slow down White's king side major

ity. 6 . White's es -pawn is more a l iability than a strength . Conclusion : An edge for Black, though it should be well within drawing range for Kar

pov. 27 gxh s

Unpleasant but necessary. Karpov avoids 27 f4 liJe6 28 fs ltJg s , rightly fearing overextension . 27 . . . .l:.xh5 28 liJf1 1:h4!

Eyeing the c4-square, as well as the . . . dS-d4 break. 29 l:1ad1 rtle7 30 f3 liJe6

The ideal post for his knight, where it watches over cs , d4 and f4. 31 liJe3 l:tdS 32 liJg4 ltJgs 33 liJe3 liJe6 34 liJg4 ltJg7

After repeating moves to gain time on the clock, Korchnoi decl ines the offer of repetition, despite having barely five minutes to reach move 40. 3 S liJe3 liJfs ! 36 liJc2?

Karpov inexplicably allows Black's rook entry to c4. After thi s mistake, White loses the mandate of heaven and, with it, h is position immediately begins to degenerate.

Question: Why wouldn't White trade on fs , rupturing Black's pawns?

Answer: 36 liJxfS+? gxfs 37 l:td4 f4! leaves the es-pawn artificially isolated and in grave danger.

In stead, while Korchnoi naturally refused the repetition, Karpov could still h ave repeated his own moves. 36 liJg4 was correct, when it's hard to see how Black can make progress. 36 . . J:tc4 37 l!d3

4 2 0

Korch n o i o n E n dg a m es

Exercise (planning/combination alert): The time has arrived to call White to account for previous transgressions. How would you continue as Black?

Answer: Engage in a thematic pawn break, despite White's superior force on the d4-square. As always, Korchnoi succumbs to the temptation to simultaneously weaken/alter/tamper with the structure in order to chase after some abstruse (well , abstruse to your confused writer, at least ! ) notion . In thi s instance, Korchnoi 's move i s dead on . 37 . . . d4! !

Question: Doesn't Black's last move drop a pawn to 3 8 g4 - ?

38 g4 Answer: GM Ray Keene thought that Korchnoi had overlooked thi s move in time trouble, but as it turns out, Korchnoi had seen deeply into the position ' s core. He regains the pawn favourably a few moves down the road, as White has trouble deal ing with the resulting pin on the d-file. 38 . . . lbg7 39 lbxd4 lbe6 40 l:!.ed1 lbxd4!

Black regains his pawn with advantage. 41 cxd4 l:r.xb4 42 'iltf2 cs !

4 2 1


Korchnoi is a player who lacks a sense of enoughness . Absolutely confrontational , he never seems to back down or play it safe and is never satisfied with previous gains . There is no sense of a job well done. As long as h i s opponent i s among the l iving , Korchnoi remains in a perpetual state of agitation.

42 . . . cs was the sealed move and a very strong (albeit risky ! ) one. Keene gave it a "?" , cal l ing it a blunder, and recommending 42 . . . <it>e6. Thi s i s a good move too, but not as strong as Korchnoi 's choice - at least not according to Houdini.

On the other hand, Kasparov suggested that Black should exchange a pair of rooks first: 42 . . J:tb2+ 43 lhd2 (not 43 l:t3d2? .:txd4 ! ) 43 . . . l:.xd2+ 44 l:txd2 and then play 44 . . .'itr>e6 45 'it>e3 cs , but after 46 f4 ! (not 46 dxcs ? �xd2 47 <itr>xd2 'it>ds ! 48 f4 b4! and the pawn endgame is winning for Black) 46 . . . b4 (46 . . . .:txd4 47 l:[xd4 cxd4+ 48 <iir'e4! i s an easy draw) 47 'it>e4 fS+ 48 exf6 <iir>xf6 49 ds b3 so axb3 axb3 5 1 1:tb2 .:tb8 (Kasparov) , White manages to draw with dual deflections : 52 d6 ! <it>e6 53 fS+ gxfs 54 gxfS+ 'it>xd6 55 <it>d3 �ds 56 'it>c3 c4 57 f6 ! .l:i.b7 58 l:th2 etc. So today's computer analysis proves Korchnoi 's judgment correct. 43 ds? !

Tempting , but probably not best. a) Not 43 dxcs ? .l:!.xd3 44 l:txd3 .l:.b2+ 45 <it>e3 l:txa2 and Black's two connected queenside

passers win the day; or if 46 c6 .l:tc2 47 .!:tds l!xc6 48 l:.i.xbs l:a6 49 .!:f.b2 a3 50 .l:.a2 l:ta4, the single passed pawn (immobil izing White's rook) i s sufficient.

b) The stoic 43 �e3 ! may just save the game: 43 . . . .:tdxd4! 44 .l:!.xd4 cxd4+ 45 .l:txd4 l1b2 46 'it>e4! a3 (after 46 .. . l:txa2 47 .l:.b4 .l:.e2+ 48 'it>f4 a3 49 :txbs a2 so .:tas, the difference from l ine 'a' is readily apparent) 47 l:tds g S ! (Black tries to buy himself some time by s lowing White's majority) 48 <it>fs b4 49 l:tbs <it>d7 so 'it>xg s �c6 51 l:tb8 'it>cs 52 l:tc8+ �ds 53 l:.b8 .l::!.b1 ! (threatening 54 ... b3 ! ) 54 l:ta8 ! �xes 55 f4+ 'it>d4 ( S S ... 'it>e6 56 fS+ 1;e7 57 .l:.a6 .l:.b2 58 .l:i.b6 should al so be drawn) 56 �6 llb2 5 7 .l:l.b8 <itr>cs 58 .l:.c8+ (keeping the black king from defending the b-pawn) S8 . . . <iir'd4 59 .li!.b8 �c3 60 I!c8+ <iir'd2 61 llb8 'Ottcl 62 <it>xf7 b3 (after 62 . . .'it'b1 63 gS 'it>xa2 64 g6 , White's pawns are just as dangerous as Black's) 63 axb3 J:g2 64

4 2 2

K o r c h n o i o n E n dg a m es

l:!.a8 �b2 65 g S .l:!.g4 66 g6 Ibf4+ i s drawn . Of course, such a lengthy, computer-generated l ine is impossible to work out over the board; it could only be found through intuition, if one is lucky enough to have it! 43 . . Jib2+ 44 <it>g3!?

Desperation . Karpov feels his plan is in dire need of revi sion . He l ets his a-pawn go and allows Korchnoi three connected passed pawns. Thi s move i s to White's attack as a hydrogen atom is to the sun : a minute speck of the whole. One can't help but feel a sense of toolittle-too-l ateness.

Then again, the alternative looks grim as wel l : 44 113d2 should eventually fail , mainly because an exchange of rooks removes White's power to attack Black's king. I n contrast to the 42 ... .l:.b2+ variations above, here after 44 ... .!:!.xd2+ 45 l:txd2 a3 46 'it>e3 b4 47 d6+ 'it>e6 48 <it>d3 'it>dS ! (the players begin to battle on the queenside, a sector of the board where White is markedly deficient in fighting abil ity) 49 .l:.c2 .l:.a8! (threatening .. . b4-b3 again ) so :tel g S ! , White is too tied down to save himself. 44 .. . .U.xa2

Played to the horror of Team Korchnoi , who had analyzed 44 . . . g s . It seems Korchnoi forgot (or misremembered) the adjournment analysis and played a different move, which as it turns out wasn't so bad. 45 lie3 !

Failure to act leads to unthinkable consequences. Karpov recognizes that h i s only chance is to crash through in the centre and generate counterplay against Black's king . He refuses to go down without a fight and exerts maximum level s of resistance. One of the marks of great players isn 't they don 't make errors, but rather that they adapt seamlessly to the errors and begin course corrections the instant they identify their mistakes. 45 . . . b4 46 e6!

4 2 3


Death looms from the sky with the clear threat of 47 d6+ ! . White's game may seem broken on the outside, yet in its hidden depths the fire of resi stance stil l glows. For instance, 46 . . . a3?? 47 d6+! and White unexpectedly wins . 46 ... .I1a31

The most deceptive aspect of thi s position i s i ts false aura of easy comprehension . Korchnoi 's consol idation gl ides along, pushed by the breeze of some mysterious agency which i s hard to put into words. H ere he takes time out to pin the f-pawn, real iz ing that the exchange of rooks on a3 is no good for White.

Otherwise, the immediate 46 . . .fxe6 ! ? 47 l:.xe6+ rJi1f7 should be good enough, since the fpawn doesn 't ultimately change anything . For example : 48 .l:.c6 l:td7 ! 49 d6 (49 .l:.xcs b3 i s hopeless) 49 . . .'iti>e6 so f4 b3 S l .l:!C7 b2 (but not 5 1 . . . .l:txd6? 5 2 fS+ ! gxfs 53 gxfS+ 'it>xfs 54 .:txd6 b2 s s l:!xcs+ �e4 56 l:tbs a3 and Black only draws) 5 2 fS+ gxfs 5 3 gxfs+ Wf6 54 l:txd7 :tal s s ltb7 .:txdl 56 .:txb2 'it>xfs (again not S6 ... 2:txd6? 57 .l:r.bs J:ds 58 'iitf4 l:lxfs+ 59 �e3 a3 60 :as .l:th s 61 �d2 �e6 62 l:txa3 with another draw) 57 l:tc2 (or 57 �f3 'it>e6) 57 . . . llxd6 5 8 .!:txcS+ 'it>e4 59 l:.as l:.d4 with a book win . 47 J:.e2

Keene claimed that 47 I!xa3 bxa3 48 exf7 i s drawn , but I couldn 't hold White against the computer from thi s position : 48 ... .l::tb8 ! (not 48 ... �xf7 49 l:ta1 ! ) 49 lla1 l:tb3 so �f4 �xf7 51 �es �e7 52 d6+ �d7 53 'it>ds l:txf3 54 �xcs l:lg 3 5 5 'it>ds .:txg4! 56 .l:txa3 .l:tg S+ 57 'it>e4 'it>xd6, followed by ... J:tas and Black win s with the two extra pawns, since 58 �xa4 loses at once to S8 . . . l:tg4+. 47 ... fxe6 48 l:!.xe6+ 'it>f7 49 :del

White hopes to build a l ittl e zoo to contain Black's king, who can only pace back and forth in his enclosure. 49 .. . �d7

Preventing :e7+. so .l:!.b6

4 2 4

Ko rch n o i o n E n dg a m e s

If so l:tc6 b3 5 1 d6 (threatening l:Ic7). then Sl . . .�f6 ! wins ; while so gS (trying to prepare this further) is met simply by so . . . .l:.d3 . 50 • • . .:td3

Now it's all over. 51 .l::tee6 l:t3xd5 52 J::txg6 a3 53 I1bf6+ rJ;;e7 54 :e6+ rJ;;fS 55 l:.ef6+ �e7 56 l:le6+ rJi;dS 57 :a6 l:tb7!

Korchnoi 's happily-ever-after begins, effective immediately. The rook move has two obvious purposes:

1 . Black avoids perpetual check. 2. Black prepares to push his b-pawn towards the promotion square.

58 l:tg8+ Bob Dylan would agree: "When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose." The rest

is futile effort, like a moth beating its wings endlessly on a closed window with no chance of getting to the other side. 58 . • • rJ;;c7 59 l::tg7+ �d7

Black's king i s a perfectly wel l -protected celebrity, flanked by a pair of beefy bodyguards. 60 l:tg5 b3 61 l:txcs+ rJ;;bs 0-1


World Championsh i p ( 3 1st matchga me), Bagu io C ity 1978 Queen 's Gambit Declined

1 c4 e6 2 t'LJc3 d5 3 d4 t'LJf6 4 cxds exd5 5 i.g5 i..e7 6 e3 o-o 7 .id3 t'LJbd7 8 l'LJf3 l:.e8 9 'i!fc2 c6 10 o-o t'LJfs 11 i..xf6 .txf6 12 b4 i..g4 13 l'LJd2 .l:lc8 14 .if5 i.xfs 15 'i!Vxfs 'i'd7 16 'iixd7 ttJxd7

4 2 5


We reach a class ic minority attack ending where, in thi s case, Black's resources are fully adequate.

Question: What i s a minority attack?

Answer: The minority attack comes in many forms and incarnations. Here the most l ikely scenario is for White to play b4-b5 at some point. If Black takes it then his d-pawn turns into an i solani . If Black allows bsxc6 . . . b7xc6, then he gets stuck with a hole on cs and a backward c-pawn on the open file. 17 a4

Question: Given what you just said, why not 17 bs immediately?

Answer: That is a possibility but it is slightly premature. Black looks okay after 17 .. . l2Jb6 18 .l:tac1 (or 18 bxc6 1.:txc6 with plenty of play down the open c-file) 18 ... i.e7 19 bxc6 l:txc6 20 tLlbs l:txc1 21 Jlxc1 a6 22 tLlc3 .l:f.c8 23 l:tb1 .llxc3 24 ktxb6 l:l.c1+ 25 tLlf1 .:tc7. 11 ... il..e1 18 lUb1 tLlf6 19 as ! ?

Question: What does thi s move have to do with Korchnoi 's overall plan?

Answer: Maybe nothing ; perhaps everything . Korchnoi feel s that the standard minority attack won't lead to anything here, so he tries a more unorthodox idea, based on occupation of cs . 19 . . . a6!?

Black may have considered doing without thi s move. Karpov fixes the white pawns and prevents b4-b5 for good; the trouble is that he still leaves cs for White's knight. If Black chops it off, then White responds b4xcs with pressure down the b-fi le . 20 tLla4 il..f8 21 ttJcs .l:te7 22 'iittf1

4 2 6

K o r c h n o i o n E n dg a m e s

Korchnoi begins to central ize his king . 22 . • . ll:le8!

The d6-square i s the ideal post for Black's knight, where it watches over bS, c4 and e4. 23 'it>e2 ll:ld6 24 'it>d3 I:!.ce8 25 l:.e1

Korchnoi prepares an eventual f2-f3 and e3-e4, expanding in the centre. 25 . . . g6 26 l:.e2 f6 27 l:tae1 i.h6 28 ll:ldb3 ..tfs

Karpov is content to wait and is happy for a draw, since every drawn game with Black in a match represents a minor victory. It should be noted that his confidence had probably been shaken by losing two of the previous three games. From a seemingly unassailable 5-2 lead in wins, with Karpov needing just one more to take the match , the score was suddenly S-4. 29 ll:ld2 i.h6 30 h3 c:j;f7 31 g4

As we have seen in other games in this book, Korchnoi has an insatiable and incurable appetite for expansion . 31 . . . i.f8 32 f3

4 2 7


Confining Black's pieces in a sphere of worry over White's impending e3 -e4 break. 32 . . . lid8

Prophylaxi s. Black warns h is opponent: play e3-e4 and your d4-pawn gets targeted. Karpov has l ittl e interest in allowing a central skirmish, and so he labours to di scourage the pawn break. If now 33 e4, then 33 . . . dxe4+ 34 fxe4 lbb5 3 5 t2Jdb3 l:r.c7 (Black suddenly threatens ... .txc5 followed by . . Jlcd7) 36 'it>c4 tba3+ 37 'it>d3 l2Jb5 with a repetition of moves. 33 t2Jdb3 lbbs 34 l:f1 i..h6 35 f41?

Still not 3 5 e4, since 3 S . . . ..tf4 3 6 .l:.fe1 ..tg 3 i s annoying for White. 3S . . . ..tf8 36 l2Jd2 tbd6 37 J:lfel

37 fS ? ! only allows Black winning chances after 37 . . . gxfs 38 gxfs ..th6 39 :l.f3 l:tg8. 37 ; . . h6!?

An unnecessary weakening which Black might have done without. 38 .l:tfl l:Ib8

Feinting at a possible . . . b7-b6. 39 .l:ta1 .l:.be8

Pieces shift about, gazing this way and that way, like bored children trying to get through the seemingly endless Sunday church sermon . But don't be fooled. Korchnoi i s disincl ined to agree to an early truce and continues to press for the win , even if the pace i s at a crawl . 40 .U.ae1 l:tb8 41 e4!?

Korchnoi made l ittle headway against Karpov's impenetrable defensive barrier. So now he ups the ante and presses on. 41 . . . dxe4+ 42 t2Jdxe4 lbbS!

Black may be struggling for the draw after 42 . . . t2Jxe4 43 lixe4 1:lxe4 44 .l:!.xe4 ..txc5 45 bxcs l:td8 46 liel. GM Ruslan Scherbakov explains : " It i s not easy to prevent the following plan : <iitc4, f4-f5 , :l.bl and after . . . .l:.d7, then d4-dS ! ? cxds , 'itd4 with .l:.b6 to follow with problems for Black."

4 2 8


43 tt:lc3 l:txe2 44 .:txe2 �xes 45 bxcs litdS 4S . . . tt:\xc3 46 �xc3 z:f.d8 47 \t>c4 leads to the same difficult endgame for Black as in the

previous note. 46 tt:lxbs axbs

Karpov manages to shield his b7-pawn by closing the b-fi le . The trouble is that he must now watch out for as-a6 and d4-d5 breaks by White, undermining h is queen side in different ways. 47 f5!

Korchnoi's play i s steeped with an extraordinary, Laskerian faculty of inciting equal portions of bedevilment and befuddlement, even in relatively stable positions. In th is case he takes huge chances playing for the win , all owing the weakening of h is king side pawns to make inroads. Korchnoi 's idea seems l ike a perilous half-truth, perhaps just as dangerous to himself. Now it becomes difficult to pin down a plan, or even a point of focus within the turmoil . However, his move has a concrete purpose: The f-pawn combines with its colleague on cs to curtail the black king's movement in the centre, whi le rai sing the possibil ity of J:te6 and as-a6 to attack the queen side pawns.

Incidentally, the last few moves had all been made at the board after the time control at move 40. Karpov now elected to seal h i s reply, enabl ing the players and their teams to analyse the position in the adjournment. 47 • • . gxfs 48 gxfs �gS? !

Karpov goes for the active defence, when it seems that a more cautious approach was warranted. After 48 ... l:ta8 ! (not 48 ... .!:te8 ? due to 49 .l::ta2 ! and Black h as to play 49 ... lita8 anyway) 49 l:ta2 <!;e7 so 'ittc3 'it>d7 5 1 'ittb4 'ittc7 52 dS ! (the only chance) 52 . . . cxds 5 3 'ittxbs J:te8 ! , it appears that Black should hold.

4 2 9


For example : a ) 54 a6 bxa6+ 5 5 .!:!.xa6 .l:Ib8+ ! S6 l:l.b6 .l:tb7 ! 57 'i!?a6 .l:tb8 ! and White cannot make pro

gress: if S8 1ixf6, then S8 ... d4! 59 �d6 d3 60 .Uxd3 'it>c6 draws easily ( Kasparov). b) 54 .Ug2 .Ue7! (there i s no need to allow rook checks on the seventh} s s l!tg6 d4 56 'it>c4

l:ld7 57 'i!?d3 .!:!.ds ! 58 .!:!.xf6 (or 58 .l:Ixh6 .l:f.xfs 59 'i!?d4 'i!?c6} S8 . . . .l:txcs 59 'it>xd4 1Ixas 60 'it>e4 bS with a drawn endgame. 49 'i!?c3?!

Stil l wil l ing to risk all for the win , Korchnoi, unrepentant, decides to double down by sac'ing h is h -pawn. Korchnoi ' s thought processes are part of an almost transcendental universe, previously inconceivable to me before study of h is games. For instance, I would never in a mill ion years take such appall ing ri sks to play for a win in a position which, objectively (before Black's last move anyway}, should be drawn. Yet here we see him confuse no less a legendary player than Karpov to steal the full point.

Nevertheless, Korchnoi later worked out that 49 l!te6 ! was stronger, intending 49 .. . .l:Ia8 so l:td6 ! <l;e7 51 ds llxas S2 l:i.e6+ 'it>d7 S 3 l:txf6, or 49 . . . .!:!.g 3+ so <l;e4 .!:!.xh3 51 a6! l::th4+ 52 'it>e3 .l';Ih3+ 5 3 'i£i>f4 bxa6 54 I:!.xc6 as 5 5 'it>e4 .!:!.c3 5 6 'i!?ds.

4 3 0


In the latter case, while both sides now h ave dangerous connected passed pawns, White's pawns are supported by the king which seems to be enough to tip the balance. The subsequent variations are stil l very complicated, but it seems that 49 l:!.e6 ! might have won by force.

The immediate 49 ds? i s refuted by 49 . . . .l:f.d8 ! so d6 .l:te8 51 l:!.xe8 'it>xe8 with a drawn king and pawn endgame. 49 . . J:te8!?

Karpov decl ines to take the bait, which perhaps he should have accepted. This time 49 . . . :g3+ ! forces a draw after so 'iii'b4 l:!.xh3 51 a6 ! (51 ds fails to 51 . . J:th4+ ! 52 �b3 .l:th 3+ 53 �b2 cxds, driving the king back before taking the pawn) 5 1 . . . bxa6 52 ds ! cxds 5 3 c6 and now 53 . . . d4! (here 5 3 . . . llh4+? 54 �cs l:!.c4+ 5 5 'it>xds only helps White) 54 l:tc2 d3 5 5 c7 ! llh4+ 56 �as dxc2 ! 57 c8'ii' llc4! 58 'ii'e6+ �g7 59 'ii"e7+ �g8, when White has nothing better than to take perpetual check. so :Id2 l:!.e4!

Not now so ... I:!.e3+ 51 �b4 .!:!.xh 3 ? 52 a6 ! bxa6 because of 53 �aS ! , intending �b6 and 'it>xc6, or if 5 3 .. .'it>e7 then 54 'it>xa6 'iii'd7 5 5 <it'b7 b4 56 ds and Black i s busted. Note that this idea does not work for White in the 49 . . . .1:tg3+ l ine, as there 52 �as would simply be met by 52 . . . :d3 ! . 51 �b4 �e8

4 3 1


Exercise (planning}: In thi s position, we must find a way to distil the crucial , the elemental , from the inconsequential and unhelpful Time to prioritize

our thoughts and formulate a plan . How did Korchnoi make progress?

This exerci se shouldn 't prove too difficult if you've been fol lowing the notes . Answer: King infiltration of the now punctured queen side via as . 52 a6! bxa6 53 'it>as 'it>d7 54 <it>b6!

We begin to form judgment as to Korchnoi 's motivation behind his sac. The premise: His dominant king's position more than compensates for Black's extra material . Thi s i s an analogue, a near-identical twin, of the plan we examined previously in the notes. Not 54 �xa6? ! �c7 5 5 lig2 Itxd4 S6 l:tg7+ lid7 and Black holds easily. 54 . . . b4 55 d5

The breakthrough. Korchnoi clears the way for h is c-pawn, hoping that Black's b-pawn represents mere background noise, irrelevant to the issue at hand. 55 . . . cxd5 56 .:xd5+!

White must not get carried away. After 56 c6+? ? c;2td6 ! S7 l:!.c2 b3 (not so irrelevant after all ! ) 58 c7 l:.e8 ! 59 l:Lc6+ <it>d7 60 'it>b7 b2 61 llb6 l::tc8 62 llxb2 llxc7+ 63 'it>xa6 'it>d6, Black i s up a pawn with White's king hopelessly cut off. 56 . . . 'it>c8

Black's king, an old man with gout, takes careful guarded steps and is relegated to a menial role. 57 .l:td3 !

Karpov threatened . . . b4-b3 , followed by . . . lib4+. 57 . . . a5? !

The passed pawns are Black's obvious source of counterplay, but this advance i s slightly mistimed. At thi s moment it was simpler to concentrate on the b-pawn : 57 .J::tc4! 58 c6 (if

4 3 2


now 58 l:f.g 3, then S8 . . . .l:.c3 ! holds) S8 . . . l:.c3 59 �d2 b3 60 .l:te2 'iSI>d8 61 'ittb7 as ! (the right moment) 62 l:rd2+ 'it>e8 63 c7 a4 64 l:td8+ �e7 65 c8'ii :xc8 66 'iSI>xc8 a3 and the pawns on the sixth cannot be stopped, so White has to take perpetual check again : 67 l:.d7+ 'iSI>e8 68 .l::[d8+ etc. S8 llg3 !

ss . • . b3?

Exercise (critical decision}: Before us i s no easy task. Should Black play S8 . . . .:td4 to block a back rank check? Or should he

play a deflection sac with S8 . . . b3 - ? Only one path saves h im.

Answer: Karpov could sti l l have held on with S8 . . . .l:d4! 59 c6 (59 �xas 'ittc7 60 �bs .l:.h4 ! 61 :b3 lth s should draw as wel l ) 59 . . . b 3 ! 60 l:!.g8+ (not 60 .l:txb3?? J::tb4+ 61 J:.xb4 axb4 and White can 't stop the surging b-pawn) 60 . . . .l:.d8 6 1 .l:.g7 b2 , when 62 !tc7+ �b8 6 3 l:tb7+ i s another perpetual check. 59 'iSI>c6!

Threatening mate, as well as Black's b-pawn . Not yet 59 .l:xb3?? l::tb4+ and we already know all about this rudimentary trap. 59 . . . 'iPb8?!

Capitulation . 59 . . . .l:.d4 60 :xb3 a4 61 �g3 �b8 puts up more resi stance, though White is sti l l winning . For example: 62 .l:.a3 ! hS 63 'iSI>bS l:th4 64 l:txa4 l:txh3 6 S l:ia6 l:!.b3+ 66 'it>c4 :tf3 67 I:txf6 h4 68 'iittbs h3 69 lih6 and if 69 .. .l:1xfs then 70 'it'b6 ! etc. 60 llxb3+ 'iSI>a7 61 l::tb7+ 'lt>a6 62 l1b6+ rj;a7 63 'lt>bs!

Black i s completely busted and the maestro converts with ease.

4 3 3


63 . • • a4 64 .l:txf6 :f4 65 l1xh6 a3 66 lta6+ 'it'b8 67 :txa3 .l:.xf5 68 .:!.g3 .l:.f6 69 l:.g8+ <l;c7 70 l:tg7+ �c8 71 l:h7 1-0

Came 5 7 Ci.Sigurjonsson-V.Korchnoi

Wij k aan Zee 1980 French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ltJd2 a6 4 liJgf3 c5 5 dxc5 i.xc5 6 i..d3 ttJc6 7 a3 ltJge7 8 o-o o-o 9 b4 i.a7 10 i.b2 ltJg6 11 C4 d4 12 e5 ltJcxe5 13 tLlxe5 tLlxe5 14 i.xh7+ <l;xh7 15 'ifh5+ c.t>g8 16 'i¥xe5 f6 17 'ili'e4 e5 18 f4

4 3 4

Ko rch n o i o n E n dg a m es

Question: This i s the endgame chapter. Did you misfile thi s gam e in the wrong one?

Answer: Please endeavour to remain calm. This position pertains to a possible ending which may arise. Let's do an exerci se:

Exercise (planning): Assess the ending after 18 . . .f5 19 'ii'xes .:te8 20 •d5+ •xd5 21 cxd5. Does Black get enough for the pawn?

Answer: Not only does Black get compensation. He i s just flat out winning . 18 . . . fSI 19 'ifxes?

White will ingly enters a l ine where his burdens greatly surpass rewards. On the chessboard, as on the internet, falsehoods spread faster than truth . In this case, White mistakenly believes his best chance is to enter an ending which is, in reality, suicide, since Black's activity level grows to fatal levels . White's last move allows Black a crushing attack, perhaps the most seductive of chess attributes. Sometimes our only chance at survival is to still our revulsion and voluntarily accept conscription to a lengthy and thankless defence, if the alternative is immediate annihilation . Here White may have been better off avoiding the ending, though the resulting position is admittedly quite grim for him after 19 'ii'e1 e4 20 c5 b6 21 tt::\b3 d3. 19 . . . l:.e8

Forcing White's next move. 20 'ifds+ 'ifxds 21 cxds J::te2 22 �c1

There i s nothing better: a) 22 %U2 ?? d3 i s just curtains . b) 22 .l:tfd1 .i.d? (threatening . . . �a4) 23 a4 .l:!.c8 24 'it'h1 (24 :ac1 .l:lxc1 2 5 i..xc1 ..ixa4

doesn 't help a bit) 24 ... .l:.c2 (the rook invasion is decisive) 25 i..c1 ..ie8! 26 lita3 �h 5 27 l::tf1 l:texd2 28 i..xd2 .l::txd2 and White's gam e col lapses. 22 • . . d3+ 23 �h1

4 3 5


Question: I see that Black has pressure for the pawn but no forced win . I s my assessment correct?

Answer: Houdin i assesses it at a whopping -4. 3 3 , which is almost the equivalent of a full rook down for White! I think it's time for another exerci se:

Exercise (planning}: What i s Black's best method of maximizing pressure, to the point of collapsing White's defence? Find the

most efficient way to activate Black's sleeping c8-bishop and a8-rook.

Answer: Extended fianchetto. 23 ... bs !

An attempt to custom design a k ind of prosthesis for the l ight-squared bishop, who, for so long remained bedridden, now transforms into a terror down the h 1-a8 diagonal . 24 tt:'lf3 ..tb7 25 .l:!.d1 Jl.xds 26 l::txd3

Exercise (combination alert): Black to play and win .

Answer: Weak back rank/el imination of a key defender. 26 . . • .ltxf3 ! 27 gxf3

No choice, since 27 .Uxf3 .l:te1+ mates. 27 • • J1e1+ 28 '.£tg2 .l::i.gl+ 29 'it>h3

One glance tel ls us White i s fin ished. Do you ever get the feel ing that you are being watched? White' s king i s not paranoid, since he really is being watched.

4 3 6


EKercise (combination alert}: How did Korchnoi force mate?

Answer: Clearance. The interest of Black's king and a8-rook coincides on h8 . 29 • • • 'it>f7! 0-1

"Justice is what We decide, not what you believe i s fair," lectures Black's king to his impri soned, condemned brother on h3 , whose pleadings trail off into nothingness . He can do no more than contemplate a future he will never see. The fact that Black's kin g simply walks over the invi sible, erected barrier can 't have been a comforting sight to Sigurjonsson . Mate follows down the h -file .

Question: This doesn 't look l ike a Korchnoi game ! Matters proceeded too smoothly. Why didn't he try and play like thi s all the time?

Answer: I agree. One might believe that Capablanca at his best was playing the Black side. In Capa's games, we sense cohesion, elegance and singularity of intent. Not so from Korchnoi, who is, in a way, the anti-Capa. Korchnoi's games are laboured, baroque and, above all , struggles, full of exclams and double question marks. If the former is Mozart, then Korchnoi is Prokofiev. Anyway, the simple answer to your question is that we all sometimes play in a style antithetical to our normal , and this game is an exception to Korchnoi 's normal .

Game 58 V . Korchnoi- L. Portisch

Ca nd idates (3 rd matchga me), Bad Kiss i ngen 1983 English Opening

1 c4 cs 2 tt::lf3 tt::lf6 3 tt::lc3 tt::lc6 4 d4 cxd4 5 tt::lxd4 e6 6 tt::ldbS d s 7 .tf4 es 8 cxds exf4 9 dxc6

4 3 7


bxc6 10 'ifxd8+ <txdS

When parties are unable or unwil l ing to reach common ground, confl ict inevitably erupts.

Question: Black's game looks grim. Or am I misassessing it?

Answer: Thi s i s actually a book position and, according to my database, Black scores reasonably from here. Let's assess:

1 . White leads slightly in development, albeit temporarily. 2 . Black's king looks slightly less safe than White's, though it's in no impending danger. 3. Black has the bishop pair in an open position. 4. Black's structure is slightly damaged, with weakened a- and c-pawns. s . Black wil l soon enjoy tremendous piece activity and may exert pressure down the

open b- and e-files; whereas White, conversely, must invest time developing h is king side pieces.

Korchnoi writes in My Best Games: " I have spent at least 80 working hours trying to refute the opinion of theory that the chances are roughly equal ." 11 ll'ld41

Question: Shouldn't White castle with check, or at least give check with h is rook on dl?

Answer: Korchnoi answers : " In fact, the rook check at dl merely aids Black's development." White's rook i s probably better posted on cl, where it targets c6, in concert with a knight on d4 and a bi shop on g2 .

It seems Korchnoi came to thi s real ization later, since he played ll .:f.dl+ �d7 12 ll'ld6 in the Sth and 7th games of the match , both of which Portisch managed to draw. Actually,

4 3 8


after those games he appears to have abandoned 6 lLldbS altogether, in favour of first 6 g 3 and then 6 a3 ! ? . 11 . . . 'iti>c7 12 g3

White prepares to develop his bishop and take aim at Black's most vulnerable point, c6.

Question: But in doing so, didn 't White dissolve Black's weak f4-pawn?

Answer: White's last move i s indigenous to the variation . The f4-pawn isn't weak, since White has no good ways of attacking it. Rather, the f4-pawn hinders White's development.

Nevertheless, 12 .l:tc1 was perhaps more accurate, avoiding Black's possibilities in the next note. For example : 12 . . . .ib7 13 g 3 fxg 3 (13 . . . cs 14 lLlf3 doesn't help Black) 14 hxg3 .l::td8 15 .ig2 ! .i.b4 (not 1S . . . .l::txd4?? 16 lLlbS+) 16 l:.h4 with a sl ight initiative for White, H .Olafsson- l.B .Hansen, Reykjavik 1995 , even if Black defended without too much difficulty: 16 . . . cs 17 lLldbS+ �b8 18 ..txb7 'itfxb7 19 a3 .tas 20 l:l.a4 i..b6 2 1 l2Je4 l2Jxe4 22 .l:.xe4 'it?c6 23 lLlc3 .:he8 24 .l:.c4 lies ! and I don 't think White can make anything of the cS target. Note that 2 5 b4? runs into 2S . . . llh S ! .

12 . . . i.cs Although not exactly a mistake, thi s move does encourage White's plan of attack down

the c-fi le . In stead, Korchnoi suggested 12 . . . i.b4, intending . . . .txc3 to close the file ; whi le Kasparov gives 12 . . . l:tb8 ! , and if 13 i.g2 .:f.xb2 14 l:Ic1, then 14 . . .fxg 3 15 hxg 3 cs 16 l2Ja4 .!:.xa2 17 lLlxcs i.xcs 18 l:i.xcS+ �d6 19 :c6+ �e7 with a clear extra pawn for Black. White might improve with 16 0-0 ! ?, and if 16 . . . .td7 17 lLlb3 i..d6, then 18 lLlxcs ! .txcs 19 lLldS+ lLlxds 20 .l:txcs+ and 21 l:txds, but he clearly has no advantage. Perhaps one reason why Korchnoi never repeated thi s variation . 13 l:tc1!

I gnoring the threat to the knight, since 13 . . . i.xd4? ! 14 lLlbS+ �b6 1S lLlxd4 regains the piece with an edge, as Black has handed over one of his precious bishops.

4 3 9


13 .. .fxg3 on 13 . ..l2:Jg4 (threatening .. . tt'lxf2 ! ) , Korchnoi was planning 14 b4! �xb4 15 �g2 , fol -

lowed by 16 o-o with a strong initiative; or if 13 . . . l:Ib8 14 tt'lb3 �xb3 ! ? 15 axb3 tt'lg4, then 16

lt:JdS+ ! ? �d6 17 l:i.xcs fxg 3 (or 17 . . . �xcs 18 tt'lxf4) 18 �as ! tt'lxf2 (or 18 . . . gxf2+ 19 Wd2 cxds

20 ..tg2) 19 ..tg2 tt'lxh 1 20 tt'le3 gives White a minimal advantage.

14 hxg3 ..lta6? Porti sch gets too ambitious with a surplus of " ! -must-attack ! " ideologi cal baggage. He

concentrates too much on his own initiative and forgets about White's pressure and threats. Either 14 . . J1b8 (again ) or 14 . . . �d7 was to be preferred.

Exercise (combination alert}: Black's l ast move overlooks a stinging shot. How did Korchnoi respond?

Answer: Pin/destruction of king 's cover. 15 tt'lxc61

White uproots the foundation of Black's present and future happiness . 1S . . . �b7

I f Black takes the knight with 1S . . . Wxc6, then 16 tt'la4 tt'le4 17 l:i.h S ! g6 18 �g 2 ! gxh s 19 �xe4+ �d6 20 l:td1+ 'it>es 21 tt'lxcs .l:.ad8 22 f4+ �f6 23 .l::txd8 .l:!.xd8 24 tt'lxa6 wins . 16 tt'la41 1Lxf2+

And here 16 . . . �xc6 17 l:txcs Wd6 18 .l:.xc6+ ! 'it>xc6 19 .ig2+ Wd6 20 .ixa8 l:txa8 leaves White a clean pawn up with a winning position. 17 �xf2 tt'le4+

Still not 17 . . . �xc6, because of 18 �g2 tt'lg4+ 19 'lt>g1 tt'les 20 .l:.h s ! and wins .

4 4 0


18 'it>g1! ! A mind-bending decision of unrevealed depth . The t ime has come to abandon all cau

tion and embrace chaos. Korchnoi 's combination reaches its subl ime apex as he cleverly sidesteps, having seen through every Black subterfuge and evasion . The normally material istic maestro this time spurns taking the loot immediately, realizing that the initiative and attack trump mere worldly concerns . His l ast move i s merely a transitional process, not an end product, since Korchnoi knows the material is not running away. But it requires vast level s of concentration (not to mention incredible self-confidence) to work out the details of such a tricky position accurately, and Korchnoi manages to do just that.

The less arti stically inclined, more cowardly player (your writer included) would have gone for the safe - but not as strong - l ine 18 �e3 .i.xc6 19 .l:r.xc6+ �xc6 20 'iti>xe4. 18 . . . .i.xc6 19 .i.g2

The material may be even at the moment, but Black's exposed king is under fire. 19 . . . .Uae8 20 .l:Ih4!

Both e4 and c6 come under heavy fire. 2o . . . fs


Exercise (planning}: F ind the move which keeps White's initiative raging . How can he wrench control of e4 from Black's grasp?

Answer: Undermining . 21 g4!

Pressure from both sides of the aisle wear out Black's exhausted defenders. 21 . . . f4

There i s nothing better: a) 21 ... g6? 22 gxfs gxfs 23 J:h6 ! is curtains for Black. b) 21 .. .fxg4 22 l:xg4 �d6 23 .li!.xc6+ �xc6 24 i.xe4+ is a winning endgame for White. c) 2l . . .'i!o>b7 22 gxfs i.xa4 23 i.xe4+ �b6 24 i.f3 leaves White a pawn up with a raging

attack.

4 4 2

K o rc h n o i o n E n dg a m e s

Answer: Pin .

Exercise (combination alert}: We just solved one exerci se, but thi s i s no time to rest. White to play and win material .

22 l:xc6+! �xc6 23 'Dc3 When someone we love dies, life ends but not the love. Black's knight fal l s and, with it,

Black's hopes. We arrive at the inevitable outcome of White's labours: he win s another piece, going from material down to material up. 23 . . .'it>cs ! ? 24 �xe4 'it>d4!?

Black's desperate king wipes a tear from his cheek and hardens his resolve, thinking : " If I am to die, then I will take you, my brother, with me ! " His prediction turns out to be only SO% correct. Portisch tries to tum a vice into a virtue by going for a ri sky king raid. 25 Ji.f3 .l:tb8 26 ltJa4 l:tb4?!

Exercise (combination alert}: Rarely do we see so many combination alerts in an ending. Black's king i s in more danger than he believes. Korchnoi reveals a

sorcerous mystery, deeply h idden within the grains of the position. What did he see?

Answer: Mating net/double attack. 27 l'lhs ! !

The net ari ses after 2] . . . .l:txa4? 28 lld5+ �e3 ? 29 .l:td3 mate, whi le 28 . . . 'it>c4 29 b3+ leaves White a full piece up. 27 . . . �d8

Or 27 .. . �e3 28 .l:tas and White picks off a7, after which his two connected queenside passers easily take the day. 28 b3 h6 29 'itJf2 l!d6 30 l:!.fs gs 3 1 llf7 ! �es

4 4 3


There i s no good way for Black to protect h i s a-pawn : 31 . . . .l:ta6? 32 I1e7 threatens a nasty

skewer on e4, and if 32 .. Jlb5 (or 32 . . . J:rb8 3 3 l:Le4+ 'it>ds 34 l:te8+) 3 3 l:te4+ 'it>ds 34 .l:.b4+

wins the rook anyway. Or similarly 31 ... a6? 32 .Ue7 ! and the coming .l::te4+ is devastating .

32 llxa7 l:td2 33 tt:lcs l:Ibd4

Exercise (combination alert}: Sorrow's gash is carved upon the black king's face. White has a forcing method of winning more material . Try and find it.

Answer: Mate threat/attraction/discovered attack. 34 .l:ta6!

Threatening mate on the move which lures Black's rook to the fatal d6-square. 34 • • • .l:.d6 35 :as ! 1-o

Black has no answer to the numerous discoveries and forks . Anxiety, fuelled by undermined self-confidence, once ignited tends to spread. The higher rated Portisch never recovered from this defeat and went on to lose the match by a lopsided 6-3 score, which Korchnoi attributed directly to the shock of th is game.

Game 59 G.Kasparov-V . Korchnoi

Ca nd idates (1st matchga me), London 1983 Queen 's Indian Defence

1 d4 tt:lf6 2 c4 e6 3 tt:lf3 b6 4 tt:lc3 ..tb7 5 a3 dS 6 cxds tt'lxds 7 e3 g6 8 i.bS+ c6 9 .id3 J.g7 10 e4 tt:\xc3 11 bxc3 cs 12 i..gs 'iWd6 13 es 'ii'd7 14 dxcs o-o 15 cxb6 axb6 16 o-o 'flc7 17 .ibs J.xes 18 .ih6 J.g7 19 .ixg7 'it>xg7 20 'ii'd4+ c;tJg8 2 1 tt:lgs h6 22 tt:\e4 i..xe4 23 'i'xe4 tt:\a6 24 'iWe3 'i'cs 25 'i!Vxcs lDxcs

4 4 4

K o rch n o i o n E n dg a m e s

Question: I s White' s extra queenside i solani a cause for worry?

Answer: Not too much . Black's b6-pawn is isolated as well and won't be so easy to protect on the open file . If White manages to swap his a- and c-pawns for Black's single b-pawn, and force the exchange of bishop for knight in the process, he should attain the draw in the resulting rook endgame. 26 l1fb1 l::tfd8 27 �f1

Not 27 ii.c6 .l:tac8 ! 28 l:txb6? , as after 28 . . . .U.d6 29 .i.b7 .l:f.xb6 30 .txc8 l:c6, the bishop is trapped. 27 . . . .l:.d6 28 :b4 'iWB 29 a4 l:.as 30 g3 rJie7 31 �g2 fS

The queenside i s at a standstil l , so Korchnoi begins to mobilize his kingside pawn majority. 32 ii.bs .l:.d2 !

4 4 5


Threatening . . . t'Lle4, with a double attack on f2 and c3 . An astute assessment. As well as

the a4- and c3 -pawns already under pressure, Korchnoi adds f2 as a third target, g reatly

increasing White's worries.

33 l:!.d4? In time trouble Kasparov contradicts his earlier excellent defence, and the gentl e breeze

which once propelled resi stance, suddenly grows sti l l . In stead: a) 33 �c6? tiJd3 34 l:xb6 ttJxf2 3S l:Ibs , as suggested in the ChessBase annotations, fails

to 3S . . . I1a6 36 �b7 (or 36 �f3 tiJdl+ 37 �g l ltJxc3 38 l:tb7+ �f6 39 aS �e2+! 40 i.xe2 .l::txe2 and White i s busted, since the kingside pawns are too strong) 36 . . . .l:tad6 ! 37 as .l:.6d3 ! 38 a6 ltJd1+ 39 �fl .lite3 ! (now White has to dance to Black's constant mating threats) 40 :xdl .l:ixdl+ 41 'it>f2 .!:txc3 42 l:tas ltd2+ 43 'it'e1 l:r.xh2 44 l:tal .l:.xg 3 4S 'ifilfl l:l.hh 3 ! 46 a7 :ta3 and although the a-pawn costs Black a rook, his four kingside pawns easily defeat White's bish op.

b) 33 .l:.abl ! was the hidden path to salvation : 33 .. . ltJe4 34 1hb2 .l:.xb2 3 S l:txb2 ltJxC3 36 .tc6 l2Jxa4 (or 36 . . . .l:ta6 37 .:.b3 l2Jds 38 i.b7 :xa4 39 .txds exds 40 :xb6) 37 ..txa4 l:ha4 38 l:txb6 (Dvoretsky) should draw, as White has achieved his aim outl ined in the first note.

Exercise (combination alert}: Kasparov's move allows a combination. We must discover the elemental constant within the dismantl ing flux which

swirl s about us. How did Korchnoi exploit it to slice White 's queen side to ribbons?

Answer: Pin/undermining. 33 . . . I1xd4! 34 cxd4 l2Jxa4!

After thi s shot, White's chances trickle away, l ike t ime. 35 .:txa4

3 S .txa4? bS regains the piece with a winning position, since White's rook is tied down and d4 remains a chronic weakness . 3 s . . . l:.xbs 36 l:ta7+ �d6!

4 4 6


Black's kingside pawns don 't matter right now. His king is needed to help push forward his passed b-pawn. 37 .l:.h7 hS 38 .l:.g7 l:.dS 39 lbg6 bS 40 �f3

40 . . . b4! A typically contrarian Korchnoi decision . His choice is actually the cleanest path to vic

tory. Most players would have gone for the obvious 40 . . J::txd4. 41 <be3 b3 42 'it>d2!

Avoiding the trap 42 <bd3? J:.bs ! , when nothing can stop the b-pawn's march . 42 .• Jbd4+ 43 'it>c3 b2!

Deflection . White's embarrassed king feels hot blood rushing to his cheeks . As much as Kasparov struggles to save himself, he real i zes the position has bent to another's wil l . Thi s i s much clearer than 43 . . . litb4? ! 44 <bb2 h4 45 .l:th6 hxg3 46 hxg3 <bds 47 l:th4 ! .l:Ib8 48 .l:tf4 ! , when Black's win won 't be so easy to prove, if it i s still there at all . 44 'it>xb2 l::i.d2+ 45 <bc3 .:.xf2 46 h4

4 4 7


Exercise (planning): It transpires that White is completely lost, since his k ing is unable to be of ass istance. How did Korchnoi consolidate?

Answer: Undermining. 46 . . . f4!

All is revealed and Kasparov has no chance to save himself.

47 l:tg5 47 'itd3 fxg 3 48 .=.xg 3 .l:.h2 and 47 .:t.h6 fxg3 48 I:txh s .l:.fs ! are equally hopeless for White.

47 . . J�f3+ 48 'itd4 llxg3 49 ::txh5 .:te31 Preventing �e4. The rook sighs contentedly at the thought of the white king 's impend

ing banishment. The radiance of Black's consolidation intensifies, glowing brighter. 50 .I:f.h6 <l;e7 51 h 5

O r Sl .l:!.h s <l;f6 52 .l:!.h6+ 'it>fs 5 3 l:f.h s+ 'itg4 and White can resign. Indeed, Kasparov says it was only "through inertia" that he hadn't resigned several moves ago. 51 . . . e5+ 52 'itd5 f3 o-1

The f-pawn drifts past, a shadow unseen .

Game 6o M. Tai-V.Korchnoi

Titograd 1984 Tarrasch Defence

1 tt'lf3 c5 2 c4 tt'lf6 3 g3 e6 4 �g2 il..e7 5 d4 d 5 6 cxd5 exd5 7 o-o o-o 8 b3 ttJc6 9 i..b2 ttJe4 10 dxc5 i.xc5 11 tt'lc3 ll'lxc3 12 i.xc3 d4 13 .i.b2 .:tes 14 l:.c1 i.b6 15 'iWd2 i..g4 16 h 3 i..h s 17 l:tfd1 .l:!.c8 18 g4 i.g6 19 ttJxd4 ll'lxd4 20 .txd4 ..txd4 21 :xeS i.xf2+ 22 'iftxf2 'ifxc8 2 3 ..itf3

4 4 8


h6 24 'ifd7 'ifcs+ 2S �d4 'ifc7 26 'ii'd6 �c3 27 �f4 �cS+ 28 �d4 �as 29 'ifd s 'iVxa2 30 �Xb7 �C2 31 'ifbS .Ue6 32 .J:!.d8+ 'i£th7 33 'iVc4 .Ub6 34 .J:!.d7 aS 3S .UdS 'ifb2 36 l:IbS l:!.xbS 37 �xbs 'ifc3 38 �ds �b4 39 �b7 'ii'd4+ 40 'it>g2 f6 41 'i!Vbs �es 42 �xes?

White ends his long silence on the matter and decides to trade queens, judging the resulting ending as drawn . 42 . . . fxes

Question: Why do you believe that Tal ' s decision to swap queens on his last move was unwise?

Answer: Retaining queens on the board was mandatory for White's continued survival . Black's queen may be gone but she leaves a psychic trail of violence in her wake. I think Tal ' s queen exchange has about the equivalent success rate as mine when I was eightyears-old and tried to cajole my father for an advance on my so cents per week allowance.

Anyway, it is a major misjudgement for White to enter the bishop ending, as too many of h is pawns are fixed on the same colour of his remaining bishop. Even if the ending i s drawn (which i t isn't ! ) , i t was stil l a bad idea since White lacked any kind of contingency plan . It 's difficult to say exactly what prompted Tal ' s decision. Was it del iberate forethought, or just played on an intuitive whim? Only Tal could answer that question, and he is no longer here to do so. 43 �ds .iii.es 44 .i.e4+

Question: I see that in the game White played h3 -h4 to shift his pawn off the "wrong" colour, but in doing so he decisively weakened g4. Can White

draw if he simply allows his kingside pawns to remain on the l ight squares?

Answer: White loses whichever plan he opts for. For example: 44 'it>f3 'it>g6 45 'it>g 3 'it>f6 46

4 4 9


<;t>f3 �e? 47 �e4 �d6 48 i.c4 i.g6+ 49 'it'e3 �cs so 'it>d2 �b4 51 i.ds i.bl 5 2 'it>c1 i.h7 5 3

�d2 g S ! (zugzwang : White's bishop i s tied t o d S , since he can't allow . . . i.e4-g2 , and h i s kin g

is glued t o d 2 i n order t o prevent . . . 'ittc3) 54 e3 .i g 6 5 5 e 4 i.e8! and there i s no defence to

. . . i.bS-f1, since 56 i.c4? walks into S 6 . . . a4.

44 ... 'it'g8 45 i.dS+ �f8 46 'it>f3 r3ife7 47 h4

This attempt by Tal to switch the colour of his kingside pawns merely weakens the one

on g4. But as we have just seen, not playin g h 3 -h4 loses as wel l , so it's a case of damned-if

you-do and damned- if-you-don 't.

47 . . . �d6 48 .ig8 i.c6+ 49 We3 g5 Now White must worry about the defence of g4 for the remainder of the game.

so hxg5 hxgs 51 .tc4 i.b7 52 i.f7

We arrive at a crossroads, where Black has a choice of two plans : Plan A: Play 52 . . . -tds to force a pawn ending with a more advanced king position . Plan B : Play 52 . . . .tc8 to attack g4 and lure White's king away from b3 .

Exercise (planning/critical decision}: Think carefully. The two plans are unable to reconcile and only one works. Which would you play?

Answer: Plan B win s. Now we begin to reali ze the true gravity of Tal ' s misguided deci sion to swap queens. 52 . . . i.c81

Snapping the bond between White's forces and his b3 -pawn . This move i s only one facet to Black's multi -tiered path to victory. Plan A ends in miserable failure for Black after 52 ... -tds?? 53 .ixds lt>xds 54 'ittd3, when the chains which bind White are broken :

a) 5 4 . . . e4+ 5 5 'it>c3 WeS 56 e3 r3itds 57 b 4 a4 58 bS �cs 59 b 6 Wxb6 6 0 �b4 Wc6 61 �xa4 'it>cs 62 'it>b3 WbS 63 �c3 wcs is drawn .

b) 54 . . . 'it>cs 5 5 e4 'it>b4 56 �c2 a4 (not S6 . . . 'it>a3 ?? which actually loses to 57 r3itc3 Wa2 58

4 5 0


b4 a4 59 b5 �b1 60 b6 a3 61 b7 a2 62 b8'ii' check ! ) 5 7 bxa4 �xa4 5 8 �c3 �b5 59 �b3 'it>c5 60 �c3 is al so a draw. 53 �3

5 3 �h 5 ? loses at once to 5 3 . . . �e6, so White's king is deflected away from b3 with deci sive effect. 53 . . . �C5

54 e3 Passing with 54 �g8 is no good either: 54 . . .'iltd4 (threatening 55 . . . e4+) 5 5 e3+ �c3 56

.i.d5 �d7 57 'it>e4 (or 55 �g8 �c6+ 58 <ilte2 .i.e4) 57 . . . �d2 ! 58 'it>xe5 (or 58 �f3 ..tc8 ! with zugzwang) 58 ... �xe3 59 �d6 (or 59 �f6 'it'f4) 59 ... .ixg4 60 �c5 .tf5 61 �b5 g4 62 �xa5 g3 (threatening . . . .te4) 63 ..tg2 <iltf2, followed by . . . .te4-f3 and the g-pawn promotes, while White's b-pawn is much too slow. 54 . . • i.b7+ 55 'ito>e2 �a6+ 56 �d2

No choice, as after 56 �f2 (or 56 �f3 i.e4 ! ) 56 . . /�'b4 57 'it>e1 'it>c3 58 i.e6 �d3 59 �f2 i.c2 60 �f3 �xb3 61 �xb3 �xb3 62 'it>e4 a4, White i s miles behind in the queening race. 56 . . . .i.c8!

Forcing White's bishop into a thankless defence of g4 after all . 57 �h5

White's bi shop is a fl awed clone of his brother, copied incorrectly at the genetic level . Tal must have real ized by now that he had no hope of saving the position . 57 . . . �b4

There is no defence to ... �e6. 58 �d3 �e6 59 �e4 �xb3

The b3-pawn falls , as if a tear. 60 i.e8!

4 5 1


White's last move shows a noble sentiment, albeit one which fail s to alter the natural course of the game. Tal hopes to swindle h is way to the draw. If Black plays 60 . . . a4?? White receives an ill -deserved respite from his suffering , simply sac' ing his bishop on a4, taking the other pawns with his king, and securing a draw.

Exercise (planning}: So the question i s : How can Black advance his a-pawn without allowing White to sac his bishop for it?

Answer: 60 • • . ..ia4! 61 ..if7 .i.c2+! Zwischenzug !

62 'iitxes a4 0-1 After 63 �f6 .ib3 64 .tg6 'it>c3 65 'lt>xg S a3 66 �b1 �b2, the a-pawn goes through.

Game 61 J .Nunn-V.Korchnoi

World Tea m Cham pions h i p, Lucerne 1985 French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d s 3 tt:lc3 tt:lf6 4 es tt:Jfd7 5 f4 cs 6 tt:lf3 tt:lc6 7 .i.e3 cxd4 8 tt:lxd4 i.cs 9 'ili'd2 i.xd4 10 .ixd4 tt:lxd4 11 ifxd4 'i'b6 12 'i!Vxb6 tt:lxb6

4 5 2


Question: Why would a player as dynamic as Korchnoi all ow himself to be backed into such a thankless defensive position as Black?

Answer: Korchnoi, like Lasker before him, was a crafty psychologist over the board. John Nunn (who has since retired from tournament play) was phenomenal on the attack, so Korchnoi leads the game into realms of technical tedium, an endgame realm which he rules.

Question: Are we in agreement that the ending promises a clear advantage for White?

Answer: White may stand better, but Korchnoi asks: "how much better, or to put it thi s way, how real are White's winning chances ?" So he cl early believes the position i s quite playable for Black. Let's assess:

1 . White enjoys a slight space advantage and greater freedom of movement, due to the advanced e-pawn.

2. White controls d4, where a white knight may later sit pretty. 3. Black is burdened with a slightly bad bishop for now. 4. Black is virtually weaknesses free, except for an overall debility on dark squares. s . Black has access to an open c-fi le for his rooks. 6 . Black may engage in both . . .f6-f6 and . . . g7-g 5 pawn breaks, though he must be very

careful not to play either too early, since White l eads slightly in development. Conclusion : White has a small edge, but Black's chances to draw are much higher than

White's to win . 13 0-0-0

The 11 . . .1Vb6 variation had just been revived by GM Alexander Chernin, a few weeks

4 5 3


earlier. J .Timman-A.Chernin, Montpell ier Candidates 1985 , continued 13 tt'lb5 rti;e7 14 0-0-0 (14 ..ltd3 .id7 15 tt'ld6 isn 't so scary: Black meets it with 15 . . . l:.ab8 and 16 . . . tt'lc8) 14 .. . .id7 15 tt'ld4 tt'la4 (15 . . . h 5 16 .id3 transposes to the main game) 16 .i.d3 tt'lc5 17 .Ude1 h 5 18 g 3 �ag8 19 l:thf1 g5 2 0 f 5 g4 21 f6+ 'iird8 22 .l:te3 h4 2 3 b4 h x g 3 24 h x g 3 t2Jxd3 2 5 cxd3 l:th2 26 tt'le2 'iirc7 27 rti;d2 d4 ! 28 l:te4 .i.c6 with strong play for Black, who should later have won . Since Korchnoi was at Montpell ier as wel l , it might be guessed that he saw this game and liked Chernin 's play.

13 .. . .td1 14 .id3 h s

Question: I sn 't Black violating the principle : Don 't place

your pawns on the same colour as your remaining bishop?

Answer: Correct. In th is instance Korchnoi will ingly violates the principl e to slow down White's kingside momentum. 15 tbe2 <i;e7 16 tbd4 g6 17 g3

11 . . . .ic6!? A key component of warfare i s the decision : what shal l I reveal to the opponent, and

what should be shrouded from enemy eyes ? Here Korchnoi makes a refinement to Chernin 's plan , clearing d7 for the knight, instead of sending it round via a4.

By the time he faced Nunn again a short tim e later, Korchnoi had refined his defence further, adopting what i s now a normal manoeuvre for Black in such positions : . . . a7-a6 and . . . 4.Jc8-a7-c6. The game ended quickly after 17 . . . a6 18 h3 tt'lc8 19 'iird2 tt'la7 20 c3 .i.b5 2 1 ..txb5 1/2-V2 J .Nunn-V.Korchnoi , Brussel s 1985 . 1 8 .l:Ide1 tt'ld7 1 9 c3 l:.ag8 2 0 l:.hf1?!

A false tranquill ity disguises the coming wave of violence. When we embark on a incorrect plan - or in this case, fai l to account for an opponent's intentions - truth eats away at our decision , reveal ing it for what it is. Korchnoi in h is notes, gives thi s most natural of

4 5 4


moves a double question mark (which seems a bit excessive to me ! ) , claiming that Nunn should have anticipated Black's coming plan and played 20 h3 instead.

Exercise {planning): It appears as if the maestro is content to await White's inevitable h2-h3 , g 3-g4 and f4-f5 advances, but he has something

more proactive in mind. How did Korchnoi fight for the initiative?

Answer: Thematic pawn break. 2o . • . gs!

Hostiliti es flare up after an exhausted silence. A self-reveal ing moment, which al lows us a glimpse into Korchnoi 's mind: He is not the type of player who waits around for his opponent to take action . 21 fs g41

Korchnoi , with infinite patience, sets out to di smantle the barrier of White's once ag gressive posture. Dual purpose:

1 . . . h5 -h4 i s coming, when Black takes control over the h -file . 2 . The move clears g S for a rook, which means that White's semi-weak e-pawn fall s un

der constant scrutiny from now on, and the point of . . . i.c6 and . . . tLld7 reveal s itself. Of course, if Nunn had played 20 h 3 ! (instead of 20 Ithf1? ! ) , this plan would not have

worked, since White could answer 21 . . .g4 by simply 22 h4 ! , putting a stop to Black's kingside shenanigan s straight away. 22 l:te2 h4 23 b4!?

I real ize moves like thi s are a matter of style but one just gets the feel ing that White begins to overstep bounds. In positions of great complexity, sometimes it is best to turn to the lowest common denominator: don 't weaken without good cause. 23 b4 threatens b4-b5, but it's al so terribly ri sky, since:

1 . It weakens White 's king .

4 5 5


2. It creates holes on both c4 and a4. 3. The c3 -pawn may later become a repository for White's pain .

23 . . . hxg3 24 hxg3 24 bs?? isn't much of a combination, fai l ing miserably to 24 . . . gxh2 25 :h 1 g 3 26 .l:.g2

lbxes . 24 . . . �a4

Suddenly the bad bishop doesn't look so bad anymore. 25 <;i;>b2 J:ih3 26 l:.gl .I:Igh8

Korchnoi said that the immediate 26 . . . l:.c8 was to be preferred - although in the game he gets the same position with h im to play ! 27 'itta3 !

Nunn, a World Champion problem solver, discovers a hidden problem for Black: the a4-bishop isn 't as secure as previously believed. 27 • • J:tc8!

The poison has been released into the white king's nervous system and Black merely proposes to sit back and allow it to take effect. Do you remember how boring the opening position looked? Who other than Korchnoi i s capable of unleashing such a firestorm from a position once rooted in such tedium ? Not 27 . . . lbb6? ! 28 bs ! , leaving the worried bi shop in midair. 28 <;i;>b2 ! ?

White's k ing is the inexperienced leader who has never encountered a true cris is , up until now. By backing down, White loses the initiative and gives h is opponent a free move. Korchnoi claims that he should accept the sacrificed bi shop, but Houdin i's analysis kind of gives me the creeps and I feel White risks a high probability of loss if he accepts : 28 'ittxa4 .Uxc3 29 i..c2 lbb6+ 30 <;i;>bs .l:.a3 ! 31 i.b3 lbd7 ! (threatening 32 ... a6 mate ! )

4 5 6


a) 3 2 �a4 .t1hxg3 3 3 f6+ �d8 34 llxg3 l:i.xg3 3 5 �b3 l:id3 36 tt:\c2 llf3 and I prefer Black, since es and f6 will eventually fal l .

b ) 32 tt:\c6+! ? (variations swirl randomly like eddies in a stream; it's a bit early to declare it as a certainty but White now has cause for hope and may just hold the game - if he is capable of finding a bunch of excruciatingly difficult computer moves ! ) 32 ... bxc6+ 33 'iii>xc6 .:ta6+ 34 'iii>c7 exfs 3 5 �xds f4! 36 l:td1 (36 gxf4?? .l!k3+ forces mate) 36 ... tt:\f8 37 .l:te4 fxg3 38 l:tf4 l:te6 ! 39 �b7 tt:\g6 40 l:txg4 :xes 41 'iii>xa7, when Houdini says equal and it's anybody's game. 28 . . . a6

A useful move to have for free, discouraging b4-b5 ideas which strand Black's bishop. 29 .l:.gg2?

With ideas of fsxe6, followed by .l:th2 to swap off Black's irritating rook, but it allows him another possibil ity. In stead, after 29 a3 I 'm not crazy about White's position, but it may be enough to hold it together. 29 . . . �d1!

4 5 7


An annoying intrusion which forces White to undouble h i s rooks again, since both 30

l:tef2 ? ttJxe5 and 30 :d2 ? �f3 are terrible .

30 �e3? ! Better was 30 l:l.e1 .if3 ! , when it appears as if White either surrenders his second rank or

drops his g-pawn, but he still commands some resources. For example: 31 l:tf2 .:!.xg3 32 fxe6

fxe6 33 .if5 ! CiJb6! (not 33 . . . exf5 ? 34 ltJxf5+ etc) 34 l:th2 ctJc4+ 35 �b1 Ith3 36 l:txh3 gxh3 37

.ixh3 .ie4+ 38 �al ltJxe5 39 .txe6 l:txc3 40 .ixd5 ! holds the draw. But this is obviously a

computer line - not so easy to find from White's side with only a puny human brain.

30 . . . ctJb6! 31 .:tf2 White begins to lose control of the position, the way an epileptic enters a seizure. Per

haps his last chance was to play 31 �cl 1:th 1 32 �d2 i.a4. Even then, I don 't think he can save himself. 31 . . . l:.h1! 32 fxe6

32 .l:tfl ctJa4+ 3 3 'it>a1 .l:txfl 34 .txfl ltJxc3 was also hopeless . 32 . . . fxe6

The immediate 32 . . . ctJa4+ ! was more accurate. 33 .l::!.f1 ctJa4+! 34 �c1

All other moves lose as wel l : 34 �a3 ? .l::!.xc3+ 35 ctJb3 :xfl, or 34 �a1 llxf1 3 5 i..xf1 lU8 36 i.d3 .l:.h8 37 ltel .!:.h 2 ! and 38 . . . ltJxc3 is decisive.

Exercise (combination alert}: The white king ' s erratic actions forfeit all considerations for clemency. Find one powerful move and you force White's resignation .

Answer: Pin/overloaded piece. A predator's nature is to take without giving in return . Here c3 fail s to pass through the fire of natural selection and, as the weakest of the pack, fal ls . 34 . . . lixc3+! 0-1

After thi s cruel blow, White loses material , no matter how he responds: 35 Wxdl I!xfl+; 3 5 �d2 .l:txd3+ 36 l:txd3 .l:i.xf1 or 3 5 ctJc2 l:txf1 36 .ixf1 !:f.xc2+ 37 �xd1 l:txa2 .

4 5 8

Index of Openings

(numbers refer to pages ; bold type indicates that Korchnoi had the black pieces)

Al ekh ine's Defence Benko Gambit Benoni Defence Catalan Opening Engl ish Opening

1 . . . c5 1 . . . e 5 1 . . . 'Llf6

French Defence Advance Classical Tarrasch Winawer

Grilnfeld Defence King ' s Indian Defence Modern Defence Nimzo- lndian Defence Pirc Defence Queen 's Gambit Decl ined Queen 's Indian Defence Reti Opening Ruy Lopez Semi-Tarrasch Defence Sicil ian Defence Slav Defence Tarrasch Defence Torre Attack Trompowsky Opening

19, 182 158 203, 2 5 2 270

90, 151, 437 36 , 44, 196, 221, 361 216, 340, 374, 399

52 , 308 165, 452 117, 434 125 , 134, 236 , 294, 301, 331, 414 62 , 110, 285 74 , 380, 385 , 391 211 244, 322 104 142, 349, 3 5 5, 42 5 26 , 31, 310, 444 230 81, 189, 262, 419 10 97 68 448 276 405

4 5 9

I ndex of Complete Games

Caruana.F-Korchnoi.V, G i bra lta r 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

De Ia Vi l la Garcia.J-Korch noi.V, Pa mp lona 1990191 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 68

Felgaer.R-Korchnoi.V, Bled Olym p iad 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 6

Fischer.R-Korchnoi.V, Cand idates Tournament, C u racao 1962 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 04

Gabriei.C-Korchnoi.V, Germa ny-Switze r l and match , Zu r ich 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

Gashimov.V-Korchnoi.V, Russ ia n Tea m Cham pion s h i p 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 65

Gel ler.E-Korchnoi.V, USSR Cham pionsh i p, Len i ngrad 1960 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9

Gipsl is.A-Korchnoi.V, USSR Cham pion sh i p, Tashkent 1958 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 7

Grefe.J-Korchnoi.V, Lone P i ne 1979 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 01

Hiibner.R-Korchnoi.V, Sol i ngen (1st ga me) 1973 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .340

lvkov.B-Korchnoi.V, USSR-Yugos lav ia match , S u k h u m i 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 0

Ka rpov.A-Korchnoi.V, Dortmund 1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 1 0

Karpov.A-Korchnoi.V, World Cham pionsh i p (28th game), Bagu io City 1978 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 9

Kaspa rov.G-Korchnoi.V, Cand idates (1st ga me) , London 1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444

Korchnoi.V-Arnason.J, Beersheba 1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 6

Korchnoi.V-Bacrot.E, Al bert (4th ga me) 1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Korchnoi .V-Botvinnik.M, Moscow- Le n i ngrad match 1960 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Korchnoi.V-Gal lagher.J, Swiss Tea m Cha m pion s h i p 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 85

Korchnoi.V-Gretarsson.H, Reykjavi k 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Korchnoi.V-Hernandez.Gi, Merida (5th ga me) 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 1

Korchnoi.V-Ka rpov.A, Cand idates fi n a l (19th game), Moscow 1974 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

Korchnoi.V-Karpov.A, Ca nd idates fi n a l (2 1st ga me), Moscow 1974 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6

Korchnoi.V-Karpov.A, Hast ings 1971/72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 76

Korchnoi.V-Ka rpov.A, World Champion sh i p (13th ga me), Merano 1981. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .355

Korchnoi.V-Karpov.A, World Cham p ion sh i p (21st game) , Bagu io City 1978 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 42

Korchnoi.V-Karpov.A, World Cham p ionsh i p (3 1st game) , Bagu io C ity 1978 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 5

Korchnoi.V-Liu.EI , La s Vegas 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Korchnoi.V-Ljubojevic.L, E u ropea n Tea m Cham pions h i p, Bath 1973 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Korchnoi.V-Najdorf.M, Wij k a a n Zee 1971 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0

Korchnoi.V-Nevednichy.V, P a k s 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .391

Korchnoi.V-Petrosian.T, Cand idates ( 3 rd ga me) , Odessa 1974 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .399

Korchnoi.V-Portisch.L, Ca nd idates ( 3 rd ga me), Bad K i ss i ngen 1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 7

4 6 0

I n dex of Co m p lete G a m es

Korchnoi.V-Renet.O, Par i s ( ra p id ) 1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 74

Korchnoi.V-Reshevsky.S, Ca nd idates {6th ga me), Amsterd a m 1968 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 70

Korchnoi.V-Seirawan.V, Luga no 1986 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 61

Korchnoi .V-Seirawan.V, US Open, Pasadena 1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 1

Korchnoi.V-Spassky.B, Cand idates fi n a l (7th game) , Be lgrade 1977 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .349

Korchnoi.V-Spassky.B, St Pete rsbu rg (ra p id match , 6th ga me) 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Korchnoi.V-Spassky.B, St Pete rsb u rg (ra p id match , 8th ga me) 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 59

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Timman.J-Korch noi.V, Leeuwa rde n ( 3 rd ga me) 1976 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 14

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Cyrus Lakdawala - Шахматышахматистам.рф/Bases/Enz/K/KORCHNOI/Lakdawala_Korchnoi... · The right of Cyrus Lakdawala to be identified as the author of this work