Chess Move 2

French Exchange Variation C01
IM Matthias Thesing
GM Wolfgang Uhlmann
Germany (Bundesliga) 1997

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 c6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bd6

In his book Ein Leben lang Franzosisch, Uhlmann shows an example with 6...Be7 7.Bd3 O-O 8.Be3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nbd7, followed by ...Nd7-Nb6-Nbd5. The plan used here is certainly not an improvement. Everybody knows that eating pawns in the opening at the expense of development is almost always risky business

7.Bd3 Qe7+?! 8.Be3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Ng4? 10.O-O! Nxe3 11.fxe3 b5 12. Bd3 Qxe3+ 13.Kh1 O-O 14.Ne4 Be7 15.Ne5 Be6 16.Bc2 Rd8 17.Rf3 Qxd4 18.Rd3 Qb6 19.Bb3! Rxd3

Black cannot finish his development because, if 19...Na6, then 20.Bxe6 fxe6 21.Qg4 Nc7 (or 21...c5) 22.Rg3 Bf8 23.Nf6+ Kh8 24.Nf7 is a nice two-horsepower mate.

20.Qxd3 Qc7

Allows the following decisive combination. Some defensive chances were offered by 20...Qd8.

21.Nxf7! Bxf7

The other option is no better: 21... Kxf7 22.Ng5+! (also 22.Rf1+ wins) Bxg5 23.Qf5+ Bf6 24.Qxe6+ Kg6 25.Bc2+ Kh6 26.Qh3+ Kg5 27.g3 h5 28.Qf5+ and mate next move.

22.Rf1! Bf6

If 22...Bxb3, then 23.Ng5!! wins.

23.Ng5! 1-0

For if 23...Bxg5 24.Rxf7 Qxf7 25. Bxf7+ Kxf7 26.Qf5+ Bf6 27.Qc8.

It is worth noting that this year the Exchange Variation against French Defense has been very popular, and successful too. Here is another interesting example.

French Exchange Variation C01
Mikael Kallgren
IM Stellan Brynell
Sweden (open ch) 1997

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.exd5 exd5 6.Qf3

Tartakower's idea, revived in the 60's by Larsen.

6...Be6 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.Nge2 Nb4 9.O-O-O Qd7 10.Rhe1 O-O-O 11. Nf4! Nxd3+

If 11...Bg4?, then 12.Rxe7! Bxf3 (12...Qxe7 13.Qxg4+) 13.Rxd7, and White wins two minors for a Rook.

12.Rxd3 Bf5?

13.Rxe7!

A Rook on an open file often stirs up tactics!

13...Qxe7 14.Nfxd5 Qe1+ 15.Rd1 Qe6 16.Bxf6 Rxd5

If 16...gxf6 17.Qf5! Qxf5 18.Ne7+ and 19.Nxf5.

17.Nxd5 Be4 18.Ne7+ Kd8 19.d5!

The Point of White's combination. This move also wins after 18...Kb8.

19...Bxf3 20.dxe6+ Bxd1 21.exf7 1-0

For if 21...gxf6 22.Ng8.

This year Korchnoi won what is probably the shortest tournament game of his long career.

Sicilian Maroczy Bind B38
GM Viktor Korchnoi
Fabrice Liardet
Baden 1997

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 4.e4 d6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Bg7 7.Be2 O-O 8.O-O Nc6 9.Be3 Ng4?? 10.Bxg4 Bxg4 11.Nxc6 1-0

Naturally, this was a blunder, which loses a piece. The maneuver ...Nf6-g4 is possible, but only before ...d7-d6 and Be2 have been played. However, the next two games show that prominent Grandmasters are not immune against huge blunders.

Queens' Pawn D02
GM Ratmir Kholmov
GM Ruslan Sherbakov
Perm 1997

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c6 3.e3 Bf5 4.Nbd2 e6 5.c4 Nd7 6.b3 h6 7.bb2 Ngf6 8.Be2 Bd6 9.Ne5 Ne4 10.Nxe4 Bxe4

Now White should play 11.O-O and if 11...Bxe5, 12.dxe5 Qg5 13.g3 with good chances for an advantage. But, trying to keep his pawn structure intact, Kholmov overlooks a tactical shot.

11.Nxd7??

11...Bxg2! 0-1

For if 12.Rg1 Bb4+ and wins.

Sicilian Dragon B70
GM Simen Agdestein
Brett Tindall
Canberra 1997

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Bg5?!

A rarely used continuation which is no better than 6.Be3.

6...Bg7 7.Qd2 Nc6 8.Nb3 Be6 9.f4 O-O 10.Be2 a5!?

A novelty instead of ECO's 10...a6 11.O-O b5, unclear.

11.a4

Black's a-pawn must be stopped. If 11.a3, 11...a4 12.Nd4 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 Nd5! and 14...Nxc3 with an obvious advantage. But the text weakens the b4-square.

11...Rc8 12.Ra3

The explanation for this ugly move is that on 12.O-O Bxb3 13.cxb3 Qb6+ White loses a pawn. Clearly, White feels the absence of his dark-squared Bishop from the g1-a7 diagonal.

12...Nb4 13.Bf3

If 13.O-O, then the typical sacrifice 13...Rxc3! destroys White's position completely.

13...Qb6 14.f5?

This desperate attempt to return the Bishop to the deadly diagonal is practically a blunder.

14...gxf5 15.Be3 Nxc2+ 16.Qxc2 Qxe3+ 17.Kd1 Nxe4 18.Bxe4 fxe4 19.Nc1 Bg4+ 20.N1e2 Qd3+ 0-1

New French star Etienne Bacrot (14) shared first place with Korchnoi in a Category 10 event and earned his third Grandmaster norm, despite the opening disaster in following game.

Queen's Indian Petrosian E12
GM Etienne Bacrot
GM Igors Rausis
Enghiene-les-Bains 1997

1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.Qc2 dxc4 7.Bg5

Perhaps more promising is the immediate 7.e4, and if 7...c5 8.d5 exd5 9.exd5 Bd6 10.Bxc4 O-O 11.O-O, as in I. Sokolov--S.B. Hansen, Torshavn 1997.

7...a6! 8.e4 b5 9.d5 Be7 10.O-O-O

I think that even without this overly optimistic move, White already has difficulties.

10...exd5 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Nxd5

12...O-O! 13.Nb6 cxb6!

The tactical refutation of White's conception. After the sacrifice of the Queen, White's poorly defended King is helpless against the assault of all Black's pieces.

14.Rxd8 Rxd8 15.Be2 Nd7 16.e5 Nc5! 17.Qc3

If 17.exf6, then Black wins by 17... Be4 and 18...Nb3+.

17...Be4 18.b4 cxb3 0-1

For if 19.exf6 Na4 20.Qxb3 Rac8+.

A Rook on an open file represents an ideal coordination of force and space. The possession of an open file by a Rook is rightly considered a strategic advantage and this coordination is also a source of unlimited tactical opportunities.

Posted on an open file as if lying in ambush, the Rook awaits the right moment, a D-day, when its quick, and often surprising, invasion is decisive for final success. The following example is a small tribute to a fine Grandmaster who passed away this year at age of 84. The notes credited to Eliskases are from Wiener Schachzeitung 1929.

QGD Semi-Tarrasch D40
GM Erich Eliskases
IM Franz Holzl
Innsbruck 1929

1.e3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.d4 e6 5.Nc3 d5 6.a3 a6 7.Bd3 dxc4 8.Bxc4 b5 9.Ba2 cxd4 10.exd4 Be7 11.O-O O-O 12.Be3 Bb7 13.Qe2 Qc7

Perhaps 13...b4 is a better continuation.

14.Rac1 Rad8

Black has neglected the only open file and this will cost him dearly.

15.Rfd1 Rfe8 16.h3 Bf8?! 17.Bb1 Qb8 18.Bg5 Be7 19.Ne4 Nd5

If 19...Nxe4?, then 20.Qxe4 g6 21. Rxc6 Qa8 22.Qh4, etc. -- Eliskases.

20.Nc5! Bxg5 21.Nxg5 Nf6 22. Nge4! Ne7

Black can not avoid the destruction of his King's wing. For example, if 22...Nd5, 23.Nxb7 Qxb7 24.Qc2! Nce7 25.Nc5 and 26.Qxh7+, or, if he captures the pawn: 22...Rxd4 23. Rxd4 Nxd4 24.Nxf6+ gxf6 25.Qg4+ and 26.Qxd4 -- Eliskases.

23.Nxf6+ gxf6 24.Qg4+ Ng6 25.h4 Bc8 26.h5 Qf4 27.Qe2 Ne7 28.Ne4!

Liberates the c-file, defends the d4-pawn and hinders ...f6-f5 -- Eliskases.

28...Nd5 29.Rc5 Kh8 30.Rd3 f5 31.Rf3 Qb8

But not 31...Qh6 because of 32. Nd6! Rf8 33.Bxf5! exf5 34.Rxd5 Rxd6 35.Qe5+ Rf6 36.Rd6 Be6 37. Rxf5!! and White wins -- Eliskases.

32.Ng5 Re7 33.Rg3

Threatening 34.Bxf5! exf5 35.Qxe7! Nxe7 36.Nxf7 mate.

35.Rc6!!

The surprising and decisive invasion. Black's Queen must retreat, because 35...Qxc6 36.Qe5+ leads to mate by force.

43.Re5!! 1-0

Some publications claim that White's last move was 43.Rd5!!, which also wins and also truly deserves two exclamation marks. However, Eliskases notes that he preferred Re5, because it more beautifully shows the main, problem-like idea of the deflecton of Black's Queen from one of the two vitally important points: the f6-square and the last rank.

Let's see some recent games where the Rook's invasion is not only surprising and decisive, but also elegant.

Caro Kann Advance B12
IM Giorgi Kacheishvili
GM Emir Dizdarevic
Pula, European Team (ch) 1997

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Ne7 6.O-O Nc8?!

What is the Knight doing here? Theory recommends 6...Nd7, and if 7. Be3, then 7...Bg6 and 8...Nf5.

7.Be3 Be7 8.Nbd2 O-O 9.c3 Nd7 10.Ne1 f6 11.f4 fxe5 12.fxe5 Bg5 13.Bf2 Bh4 14.g3 Be7 15.Ng2 Qb6 16.Ne3!? Bh3

It is obviously very risky, but maybe Black should enter into complications with 16...Qxb2.

24.Rf7! 1-0

For if 24...Kxf7 25.Qh5+ Kf8 (25... Kg8 26.Qxe8+ Nf8 27.Rf1) 26. Rf1+ Nf6 27.exf6, etc.

The penetration of the Rook on the open file deep into the opponent's position very often creates tactical threats along the rank.

Torre Attack A46
GM Ye Rongguang
Eddy van Beers
Groningen 1996

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 c5 4.e3 Qb6 5.Nbd2 Qxb2?! 6.Bxf6 gxf6 7. Bd3 d5 8.Rb1 Qc3 9.O-O c4?

I think that after this game, not only this move, but also 5...Qxb2 will disappear from practice. White already has four (!) extra tempi for the sacrificed pawn. No wonder the following tactical action succeeds very quickly.

10.Bxc4! dxc4 11.Ne4 Qa5 12.Nxf6+ Ke7 13.Ne5! Nc6

13...Kxf6 loses after 14.Qf3+ or 14.Qh5.

22.Rd7! 1-0

The three available attempts at defense against the threatened 23.R1xb7 mate also lead to a forced mate: 22... Qe4 23.Qc7, or 22...b6 23.Rxb6+ axb6 24.Qxb6, or 22...b5 23.Rxb5+ Qxb5 24.Qc7.

Sometimes the seizure of the open file is the final tactical touch of the whole plan.

Semi-Slav Anti-Meran D44
GM Igor Khenkin
IM Sven Pedersen
Liechtenstein 1997

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.g3 Qa5 12.exf6 Ba6 13.Qf3?! b4 14. Ne4 Qd5 15.Be3 c5 16.Rd1 O-O-O! 17.b3

If 17.dxc5?? Ne5! and Black wins.

17...Nxf6 18.Ng5

After this, Black achieves an advantage. Perhaps the complicated position after 18.Qxf6 Qxe4 19.Rg1 offers White more chances.

18...Qxf3 19.Nxf3 Bb7 20.Bg2 c3!

An Energized Pawn! Such positions almost always hide tactical opportunities.

21.Bg5?

21.O-O was mandatory.

21...Bg7 22.dxc5 Rxd1+ 23.Kxd1 Ng4 24.Ke1 c2! 25.h3

If 25.Kd2, 25...Be4!

25...Rd8!! 0-1

For if 26.hxg4 Rd1+ 27.Ke2 Ba6+! 28.Ke3 c1=Q+, or 26.Bc1 Rd1+ 27.Ke2 Ba6 mate, or 26.Bd2 Bb2, and Black wins.

The seizure of an already open file by the Rook and the utilization of the tactical opportunities is sometimes feasible at lightning speed as in the example below. This one deals with the Rook's great specialty -- back-rank mate.

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