Example 43
Rooks and Bishop against the King
8
7
6
5
4
32
1ab
cd
e
f
gh
−3.9
- 1…
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- 4.
Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
Chapter 3 of 5
Planning a Win in Middle-Game Play
Seven winning positions from Capablanca's own games: attacks without Knights, attacks led by Knights, and winning a Pawn by indirect attack.
Every example is on its own board: click a move or use the arrows, and the notes appear beside the board. The number under the board is Stockfish's evaluation for White (minus means Black is better), or the exact result when few enough pieces are left.
I shall now give a few winning positions taken from my own games. I have selected those that I believe can be considered as types, i.e. positions that may easily occur again in a somewhat similar form. A knowledge of such positions is of great help; in fact, one cannot know too many. It often may help the player to find, with little effort, the right move, which he might not be able to find at all without such knowledge.
17. Attacking without the aid of Knights
Example 43. It is Black's move, and as he is a Knight and Pawn behind he must win quickly, if at all. He plays:
7321acfgExample 44. Black's last move was …e3, played with the object of stopping what he thought was White's threat, viz.: Ra5, to which he would have answered …Qc4+ and drawn the game by perpetual check. White, however, has a more forceful move, and he mates in three moves as follows:
Example 44
Mate in three
8765
43
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Mate
- 1.
- 2.
Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
Example 45. White has a beautiful position, but still he had better gain some material, if he can, before Black consolidates his defensive position. He therefore plays:
Example 45
Gaining material first
8
76
543
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h+6.1
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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
We shall now give some examples in which the Knights play a prominent part as an attacking force.
18. Attacking with Knights as a prominent force
Example 46. White is two Pawns behind. He must therefore press on his attack. The game continues:
Example 46
Two Knights against the King
8
76
5
4
3
2
1a
b
cd
e
f
gh
+2.3
- 1.
Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
Example 47. The student should carefully examine the position, as the sacrifice of the Bishop in similar situations is typical, and the chance for it is of frequent occurrence in actual play. The game continues:
Example 47
The Bishop sacrifice on h7
876
5
4
3
21ab
c
de
fgh
+0.6
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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
19. Winning by indirect attack
We have so far given positions where the attacks were of a violent nature and directed against the King's position. Very often, however, in the middle-game attacks are made against a position or against pieces, or even Pawns.
The winning of a Pawn among good players of even strength often means the winning of the game.
Hence the study of such positions is of great importance. We give below two positions in which the attack aims at the gain of a mere Pawn as a means of ultimately winning the game.
Example 48. Black is a Pawn behind, and there is no violent direct attack against White's King. Black's pieces, however, are very well placed and free to act, and by co-ordinating the action of all his pieces he is soon able not only to regain the Pawn but to obtain the better game. The student should carefully consider this position and the subsequent moves. It is a very good example of proper co-ordination in the management of forces. The game continues:
Example 48
Co-ordinating the pieces
8
7
6
5
4
3
21a
bc
d
e
fgh
−0.3
- 1…
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- 8.
- 9.
Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
Example 49. An examination of this position will show that Black's main weakness lies in the exposed position of his King, and in the fact that his a8 Rook has not yet come into the game. Indeed, if it were Black's move, we might conclude that he would have the better game, on account of having three Pawns to two on the Queen's side, and his Bishop commanding the long diagonal.
It is, however, White's move, and he has two courses to choose from. The obvious move, 1.Bc4, might be good enough, since after 1.Bc4 Rad8 2.b4 would make it difficult for Black. But there is another move which completely upsets Black's position and wins a Pawn, besides obtaining the better position. That move is 1.Nd4! The game continues as follows:
Example 49
Winning a Pawn
876
5
4
3
21a
b
cde
f
gh
+1.7
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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.
These positions have been given with the idea of acquainting the student with different types of combinations. I hope they will also help to develop his imagination, a very necessary quality in a good player. The student should note, in all these middle-game positions, that once the opportunity is offered, all the pieces are thrown into action "en masse" when necessary; and that all the pieces smoothly co-ordinate their action with machine-like precision.
That, at least, is what the ideal middle-game play should be, if it is not so altogether in these examples.