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Introduction
Exercises
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Master Chess
Lesson 7
Text copyright © 2015 Lars Bo Hansen
Introduction
There is nothing a chess player enjoys more than having an
advantage coming out of the opening. But turning that
advantage into a win is not an easy task. The drawing
range in chess is quite broad, and just because you sit on
an advantage does not guarantee a point. This lesson will
help you turn more of your better positions into wins on
the score board.
Sargissian – Bregadze
Chicago 2014
9 Nxc6
9…bxc6 10 Bxc6
10…Bh3!?
Not the most popular move here and possibly not best.
More common is 10…Rb8, seeking counterplay down the
b- and c-files. A recent high-level game Nepomniachtchi –
Jakovenko continued 11 Bg2 Qa5 12 Qa4 Qxa4 13 Nxa4
Ng4! 14 Nc3 Ne5, when White had nothing better than
returning the pawn with 15 c5 with an eventual draw.
12…e6!?
16…d5!?
19…Qa6 20 Re1
20…d4 21 a3 h5 22 h4 Re6
23 Qd3!
23…Qb7
24 Qd2!
24…a5!
25 b4!
28 Be1!
28…Qd7 29 Kg2
29…Bf8
30 Qd3!
30…Rb5 31 Qc4!
31…Qe8 32 Rb2
32…Qd7
34…Qf5?
35 Qxd4
However, it turns out that White can repel the attack and
win with 40 g4! (securing an escape route for the King)
40…hxg4 41 Qe8+! (counterattack!) 41…Kh7 42 Qxf7 gxf3+
(the King also escapes after 42…Qh1+ 43 Kg3 Qh3+ 44 Kf4)
43 Kxf3 Qh1+ 44 Kg3 Rg1+ (only chance; 44…Rc3+ 45 e3
wins) 45 Bxg1 Qxg1+ 46 Kf3 Qf1+ 47 Ke3, and the King
eventually escapes the checks. Understandably, though,
Sargissian did not like his King running around the board
and finds a more practical way of neutralizing Black’s
counterattack.
37 Qe4! Qd1
38 Rxg6+!
44…Qd1!?
45 Qe4+ Kh6
46 Qe7! 1-0
Both the player who has the advantage and the player
who is worse make more mistakes according to Regan’s
findings. As mentioned above, though, the stakes are
higher for the side who is worse – he has a much more
narrow margin of error before the advantage slips beyond
the drawing range and becomes decisive. That is the real
advantage of having an advantage, so to speak. So if you
can cut down on mistakes by remaining focused and
applying the principles in this lesson, it is likely that your
opponent will commit the mistakes you need to push him
off the cliff.
Judit Polgar, the best woman to ever play the game, has
emerged from the opening – a Sicilian Najdorf – with some
advantage. My computer assesses the position as “+0.32”
better for White. Why is that? Mainly because of the
weaknesses of the d6-pawn and the d5-square. How
should White proceed to make something tangible of this
modest edge? Polgar starts by optimizing all pieces. The
knight on f3 is not helpful in the battle for the d5-square,
so it is re-routed with…
16…Nxf6 17 Nd5!?
22 c4 g6 23 g3 Rc5
24 Rd1!
24…a5 25 Nc2!
35 h4!
35…Kg7
43 hxg6!
43…fxg6
44 c5!
47 Qe3!
White has done all the right things, following our principles
and setting problems for Black. Yet, so far it has not paid
any dividends. Black has defended patiently and vigilantly,
and the computer evaluation has not gone up – it is now
+0.69, or about the same as 20 moves go. This goes to
show just how important good defense is in chess and how
broad the drawing range is. But all of this has taken its toll
on Black, and now Anand blunders, missing a devilish little
detail.
54…Bg5??
55 f4!
55…exf4
56 Rh8+! 1-0
Eljanov – Guseinov
Shamkir 2014
14…Nfd7 15 Rae1!
15…f5?!
Black insists, but now this does more harm than good,
creating weaknesses on the kingside. The computer
evaluation goes up to +0.70, a clear advantage.
16 Bd4
16…c5?!
18…Bxf5 19 Bd3!
19…Kh8?!
20 Be4 Ne5!?
21 Bxf5!?
23 Nf5!
23…Qg6 24 Nxd6!
24…Nxf3+!
29 Rxf4!
29…Qd1+?!
37 Qe4+
46 Kf6! a5
Carlsen – Aronian
Wijk aan Zee 2015
22…Rad8
23 Nd2!
23…Rd7?!
24 g3?!
24…Nf8?!
29…Nf6 30 Nf4!
30…g6?
31 h5!
31…Kg7
32 hxg6 fxg6
33 Nxd5!
36…Rf8?
37 Ne5! Bxe5
39…Kg8
39…Qh7 40 Qxf8+.
42 Rc4!
________________
21 Nf1!
21…Be6 22 Ne3
22…g6
23 Rd1!
23…Ne8
24 Qf1!
24…f6?!
27 Rd3
29 Qd1!
29…Ne8
30 Ra3
30…Ra8?!
37 Qa5
37…Ne6 38 b6
40…Ke6
41 g4! f5
Exercises
This section contains four exercises with multiple sub-
questions. Each sub-question highlights one or more of the
10 principles discussed above. In the exercises, I will ask
you to pause to consider specific questions or decisions.
The questions and the subsequent answers will be in
italics. Take your time before deciding on your answer and
remember to use the 10 principles actively!
EXERCISE 1
15 e4!
17 e5!
17…Nd5 18 Bxe7
22 Rf3!
24 exf6
26 Qg3!
26…Qg5
27 Kh2 Qxg3+
28 Nxg3 Rf8
29 Nh5!
29…f5 30 Kg3!
30…Ne7?!
31 Rc1!
33…Kf7
34 Ke5!
34…Nc6+
35 Kxd5 Bb7!
36 Nf4!
36…Kf6
37 Kc4?
37…Kg5?!
38 g3 h5 39 d5
39…Na5+?
42…Kf4
43 Ne2+ Kf3
44 Nc1!
EXERCISE 2
Carlsen – Vachier-Lagrave
Shamkir 2015
14 Bg5!
14…Nxd5?! 15 Bh6!
15…gxh6
16 Qg4+!
19 Nce3!
21…Rg8
22 Bg4!
24…c6?!
25 dxc6 Rac8
26 Qd1!
35 Kh3!
35…Nd7
38 Ne3!
38…Nf6 39 Be6!
43…a4?!
46 Bd7!
50 Rxh7!
53 Rh7!
53…a2
54 Bd5! 1-0
EXERCISE 3
13 a3 a5 14 axb4 Bxb4
15 Nc5!?
17…Bxc5
18 Bxa5 Bd6
19 e4!
19…Ng4
20 Bc3 Bb8 21 h3
21…Nf6
22 Bxf6!
22…gxf6
23 Ba6!
25 Rxd8+
25…Qxd8
26 Ra3?!
The right idea – toying with a rook lift to the kingside – but
not the most optimal execution. Using the fourth rank with
26 Ra4! was more accurate. Of course White could not
grab the pawn on c6 with 26 Rxc6?? because of 26…Rxc6
27 Qxc6 Qd1+ with mate.
26…c5
28…Bd6?!
29 e5!
29…Bxe5!
30 Rg4+ Kf8
32…Ke7
Black exploits the “run from the bully defense”. His King is
safer in the center.
33 Qh4+
33…Kd6
34 b4!
39 Qa3!
41 Qxc5+!
41…Kxc5 42 Kg3!
42…f5
EXERCISE 4
Kramnik – Adams
Shamkir 2015
16 Nxc4!
16…Bxc4
17 Qd4!
17…Rfc8
20…a5
21 Bg5
21…e5!
22 Qd6
22…Rd8
23 Qb6 Rab8?!
24 Rfd1!
24…Re8 25 Qe3
25…a4
26 Bxf6 gxf6
27 Qe4?!
29 Ra7!
29…Qb2?!
30 Rb1!
30…f5?
32…Rd4
36…Rxd3
37 exd3 f5