----------------------------------------------------------------------- (12/22/1996 rev. 01/06/1998) Chess Basics, Letter 7 ########################## CB-Swiss Tournament (Swiss 40) ============================== The following game between Richard and Kris I will use for a few words about the Ruy Lopez opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5). In this opening we have an indirect threat against e5, and the N on c6 is pinned after sooner or later playing d6. The 'normal' move here is 3.- a6, to ask the bishop to (a) go back, 4.Ba4 Nf6 asf., with the possibility to play b5, to unpin the knight, or (b) play the exchange variation 4.Bxc6 dxc6 .. (but now _not_ 5.Nxe5?! because of 5.- Qd4). Besides of 3.- a6, 3.- Nf6 is a common move. Rare answers are 3.- Bc5 (Cordel Variation), or 3.- Bb4 (Alapins move). These both moves were played against Richard, from Kris (in Swiss 40) and me in (Swiss 28), see annotated game at the end of this letter. A parallel in both games is, that the black queen capsured a rook on square e1. ------------------------------- Richard Fischer - Kris De Volder, IECC 1996 Swiss 40 Ruy Lopez, Cordelo Defence [C64] [Event "Swiss 40"] [Site "IECC"] [Date "1996.11.25"] [Round "1"] [White "Fischer, Richard"] [Black "De Volder, Kris"] [Result "1-0"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 Nxe5 [? this costs a piece, black can't win the N back by pinninig it in the next move. The main line is 6.- Ne4 7.O-O d5 8.exd6 ep Nxd6 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Re1+ Kf8 (Pachman)- uncomfortable position for black, but defence is possible] 7.Nxe5 Qe7 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Nc3 c6 10.Be2 [N is unpinned] 10.- c5 11.O-O O-O 12.Bd3 [12.Bg5 I would prefer here, a natural move for development] 12.- cxd4 13.Re1 dxc3 14.Ng6 Qxe1+ 15.Qxe1 Re8 16.Qd1 cxb2 17.Bxb2 Re1+ 18.Qxe1 Bxe1 19.Ne7+ 1-0 [Black remains with a piece more, and Blacks Q-side is still undeveloped] A DRAW, How?? /ctd. ======================================================================= Last time we have heard: *** If the 'same position' (important: not the 'same move sequence'), with the same player to move, appears a third time, both players (!- not only the player, who has to move) can declare the game as draw. (And this could be the case by perpetual check, too). RD: Is it repitition if the same position occurs three times in a game, RD: but not necissarily in a row? *DO* the 3 repititions have to occur in RD: a row? I have a computer that suggests otherwise... HT: 'The same position, a third time, with same player to move' ... it doesn't matter, what happened between these 3 repeated 'snapshots'. In principle it could happen after move 28, 30 and then again after move 40. RD2> Actually, the question first came into my head when the computer RD2> claimed 3 times repitition when the same move order had not actually RD2> occured. I went over the game score and I saw that the same position RD2> as when it claimed a draw had occured twice before. Thanx for RD2> answering. *** About 'Perpetual check': In Letter 6 I gave a book variation, which ended in a draw by perpetual check. With the same variation I've just now completed a game, but my opponent deviated in move 19. My 'own' game also ended by perpetual check: Opening (and opponent;-): Italian [B81] [Event "CUP II #012"] [Site "IECG"] [Date "1996.12.19"] [Round "1"] [White "Theofel, Heiner (GER)"] [Black "Hirschhorn, Paolo (ITA)"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 9.d5 Bf6 10.Re1 Ne7 11.Rxe4 d6 12.Bg5 Bxg5 13.Nxg5 O-O 14.Nxh7 Kxh7 15.Qh5+ Kg8 16.Rh4 f5 17.Qh7+ Kf7 18.Rh6 Rg8 19.Re1 Kf8 [in the last letter we had the book variation 19.- Qf8 20.Bb5 Rh8 21.Qxh8 gxh6 22.Qh7+ Kf6 23.Rxe7 Qxe7 24.Qxh6+ 1/2] 20.Rh3 Bd7 21.Rhe3 b5 22.Bb3 Nc8 23.Bd1 g6 24.Bh5 gxh5 25.Qh6+ Kf7 26.Qxh5+ 1/2 A nice coincidence was, that on the same day I offered a draw to another Italian player, also by perpetual draw. He accepted the other day. So here's another example for this type of a draw: Opening: Sicilian / Najdorf [B81] [Event "CL3-1996.16"] [Site "IECC"] [Date "1996.12.20"] [White "Theofel, Heiner"] [Black "De Pieri, Filippo"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.g4 Nc6 7.g5 Nd7 8.h4 Nb6 9.Be3 d5 10.Bb5 Bd7 11.exd5 exd5 12.Qe2 Be7 13.O-O-O O-O 14.Nb3 Be6 15.f4 a6 [15.- Re8 'says' the book, 16.h5 Bb4 17.Qd3 Nc4 18.Bc5 Bxc5 Nxc5 +- in Glek-Dydyshko, 1991. Now the wQ has an X-ray against Be7] 16.Bxc6 bxc6 17.Bxb6 Qxb6 18.f5 d4 19.Nxd4 Rab8 [Black fights hard!] 20.Na4 Qb4 21.Nxc6 Qf4+ 22.Rd2 Bb4 23.c3 Bc4 24.Qe5 Qf3 25.Nxb8 Qxh1+ 26.Rd1 Qxh4 27.cxb4 Bxa2 28.f6 Qxb4 29.Nc6 [About this position see task 26 below!] 29.- Qc4+ 30.Qc3 Qf4+ 31.Rd2 Qf1+ 32.Rd1 1/2-1/2 Solutions for tasks 21 - 24 (from letter 6) ================================================================== Task 21 [*]: W.: Kg1, Qb2, Re1, Pf2,g2,h6 (6) B.: Kh8, Qd8, Ra8, Nf6, Pa7,b6,f7,g6,h7 (9) White wins, how? _All_ participants found the solution here: Answer: 1.Re8+ Qxe8 2.Qxf6+ Kg8 3.Qg7++ --------------------------------- +-----------------+ 8 | K>K>K + - + - + | 7 | + - + - + - + - | White to move 6 | - + - + - + - + | *Three* positions in one diagram 5 | + - + - + - + - | A>B>C 4 | - + - + - + - + | 3 | Q>Q>Q - + - + - | 2 | a>a>a + - + - + | 1 | + k>k>k + - + - | +-----------------+ a b c d e f g h Task 22 [**]: *A*) W.: Ka8, Qa3 (2) B.: Kb1, Pa2 (2) *B*) W.: Kb8, Qb3 (2) B.: Kc1, Pb2 (2) *C*) W.: Kc8, Qc3 (2) B.: Kd1, Pc2 (2) Question: All 3 positions the same? If not: which one would you prefer as White? AB: The B position is the prefered one for White. The Black King can be checked of both sides and when k at b1 in front of pawn, the White King approach. In the A position the Black King on a1 and Q on b-line would be stalemate, so the wK can't approach --> draw. And in position C also stalemate if Q gives check from b3, bK moves from b1 to a1! .. wQ can't capsure pawn c2. --> draw. ------------------------------ To summarize it: In positions like B (pawn on line b, d, e or g) White can win, A and C (pawn on line a, c, f or h) are a draw - *if* the other king is far away (compare task 28). --------------------------------- Task 23 [**]: W.: Kg1, Qh5, Re1,g3, Bg5, Ne3, Pa2,b4,d4,f2,g2,h2 (12) B.: Kg8, Qb5, Ra8,e8, Bb7, Nf8, Pa7,d6,e6,f7,g7,h6 (12) Game Torre - Lasker, Moskau 1925: Torre won. How? The name of the motive is a first hint. The motiv in this task in German is called 'Zwickmu"hle' - in English it's 'see-saw'. Answer: 1.Bf6! Qxh5 2.Rxg7+ Kh8 3.Rxf7+ Kg8 4.Rg7+ Kh8 5.Rxb7+ Kg8 6.Rg8+ Kh8 7.Rg5+ (not taking the a-pawn, to not open the line for Ra8) Kh7 8.Rxh5 and Torre had back the material with sufficient interest. -------------------------------------- Task 24 [***]: W.: Kg2, Qg6, Pa5,c3,d3,e4,f2 (7) B.: Kh8, Qh4, Be3, Pa6,e5 (5) Game Browne-Planinc, 1974. In this position White had advantage, but he played 1.fxe3? here. How could Black use this, to save a half point? Answer: 1.- Qh2+! 1/2-1/2 [2.Kf3 (2.Kf1 Qf2+) Qe2+ 3.Kg3 Qg2+ 4.Kxg2 - stalemate] Better for White: 1.Qe8+ Kh7 2.Qd7+ Kh8 (no the bK can 'breathe') 3.fxe3 --------------------------------- NEW TASKS ======================================================================= +-----------------+ 8 | - + - + - + - k | 7 | + - + - + - a a | White to move 6 | - + - + a + - + | 5 | + - + b A q + - | 4 | - + - + - + - + | 3 | + - + - + - + A | 2 | - + - + - + A + | 1 | + - + Q R - + K | +-----------------+ a b c d e f g h Task 25 [*]: W.: Kh1, Qa1, Re1, Pe5,g2,h3 (6) B.: Kh8, Qf5, Bd5, Pe6,g7,h7 (6) Take the white pieces. Your next move? Answer: 1.- ... +-----------------+ 8 | - + - + - r k + | 7 | + - + - + a a a | Black to move 6 | a + N + - A - + | 5 | + - + - Q - A - | 4 | N q - + - + - + | 3 | + - + - + - + - | 2 | b A - + - + - + | 1 | + - K R + - + - | +-----------------+ a b c d e f g h Task 26 [**]: W.: Kc1, Qe5, Rd1, Na4,c6, Pb2,f6,g5 (8) B.: Kg8, Qb4, Rf8, Ba2, Pa6,f7,g7,h7 (8) Game Theofel-DePieri, 1996. Qc4+ happened in the game in this position: Why didn't Black play Rc8? Answer: 1.- Rc8? 2. .. +-----------------+ 8 | - + - + - r - k | 7 | + - + - + a + a | White to move 6 | - + - a r A - + | 5 | + - a - + - + - | 4 | - + A + N + - q | 3 | + - + n + Q + A | 2 | - + - + - + R K | 1 | + - + - + - R - | +-----------------+ a b c d e f g h Task 27 [**]: W.: Kh2, Qf3, Rg1,g2, Ne4, Pc4,f6,h3 (8) B.: Kh8, Qh4, Re6,f8, Nd3, Pc5,d6,f7,h7 (9) Actual OTB-Game: Charlow - Hulak, European Team Cup, Budapast 1996. In this position White played 33.Nxd6! Ne5 34.Rg8+ 1-0 Give the next white move for the variations (A) 33.- Rxd6 34. ... (B) 33.- Rxf6 34. ... +-----------------+ 8 | - + - + - + - + | 7 | + - + - + - + - | White to move 6 | - + - + - + - + | 5 | K - + - + - + - | 4 | - + - + - + - + | 3 | Q - + - + - + - | 2 | a + - + - + - + | 1 | + k + - + - + - | +-----------------+ a b c d e f g h Task 28 [***]: W.: Ka5, Qa3 (2) B.: Kb1, Pa2 (2) Similar position as in task 22. Here with king closer to the pawn, on a5 instead of a8, White wins! Answer: 1.- ... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | __o Heiner Theofel | | _`\<,_ IECC TD Swiss Tournaments ---> results under: | | (_)/ (_) http://kerouac.pharm.uky.edu/rgbIECC/IECC.html | + ~~~~~~~~~~~ --------------------------------------------------+