Attacking Chess : Part 1 - Niranjan
Hello Chess-mates!
Let us have a look at a successful attack launched by Hungarian Grandmaster & by far the strongest female chess player in the history - Judith Polgar
W: Van Wely
B : Judith Polgar
Hoogoveen, 1997
1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. d4 d5 5. dxc5?! I am not sure about the correctness of this move. It allows black to capture on c5 with the bishop without losing a tempo. 5...e6 6. a3 Bxc5
7. b4 Bd6 8. Nf3 O-O 9.cxd5 exd5 Now we have an IQP Position :
10. Nb5?! White could have played Be2, followed by castles. White's Nb5 only helps black. The bishop is now driven to a better square. The long range h2-b8 may be conveniently used by black to force weaknesses in the future. 10...Bb8
(White castled early and managed to neutralize Black's attack. Have a look : 11.Be2 Re8 12.0–0 a6 13.Nbd4 Qd6 14.Bb2 Bg4 15.g3 Bh3 16.Re1 Ne4 17.Qd3 Qh6 18.Rac1 Ne5 19.Nxe5 Bxe5 20.Rc2 Rad8 21.Nf3 Bb8 22.Qb3 Be6 23.Bd4 Bg4 24.Nh4 Bxe2 25.Rexe2 Qh5 26.f4 Qg4 27.Qd3 h6 28.Bb2 Ba7 29.Kg2 Re6 30.Nf3 Nxg3 31.hxg3 Rg6 32.Rf2 Qxg3+ 33.Kf1 Qh3+ 34.Ke2 Rg3 35.Bd4 Bb8 36.Qd1 g5 37.fxg5 hxg5 38.Rh2 Rg2+ 39.Rxg2 Qxg2+ 40.Kd3 Qh3 41.Ne1 g4 42.Kd2 Re8 43.Nd3 f6 44.Nf2 Qh2 45.Qxg4+ 1–0 Karolyi,T (2200)-Sahl,B (2345)/Ballerup 1985/MCD)
Judith senses that this is the right moment to strike :11...a5! 12. bxa5 Ne4! Judith is in no hurry to grab the pawn as that would give white some time to breathe. (12...Qxa5 + would allow Bc3 & Be2 intending 0-0)
13. Be2 {13.Nc3 is strongly met by Bc7! (not 13...Qxa5? due to 14.Qxd5=) 14.Bd3 Bxa5 The pin along the a5-e1 drains white 15.Qc2 Nxc3 16.Bxc3 d4! 17.Bxa5 Qxa5+ 18.Qd2 dxe3 19.fxe3 Ne5 & white's weak pawns will soon conclude the story. Notice the flexibility of the bishop that switches its functioning diagonal whenever necessary}
13...Qxa5+ 14. Kf1 Rd8 15. h3 It is difficult to suggest a plan for white. He has to try the artificial castling. His play is paralysed on queenside. Black's pieces dominate the important squares.
16. g3 Re8 :
Position after 16...Re8
It seems like the blow on the dark squares will follow shortly. Again, Judith's play is remarkable. Her pieces are consistently being improved.
17. Qe1 Na5 18. Bd4 Qg6!
{17...Na5 had two ideas : 1) Arranges a Queen-shift to g6 2)Knight hop to c4)
19. Kg2 Nc4 20. Nh4 Qc6 21. a4 Ra6!
Now Judith includes her last piece in the attack. Jacob Aagard in his Attacking Chess Manual has devoted a chapter 'Bring all your toys to the nursery'
22.Bg4 {Now 22...g6!? is a Karpov-type approach to the position)
22...f5!?
23. Bxf5 [And 23.Nxf5 is met by Bxf5 24.Bxf5 Nxg3! 25.fxg3 Nxe3+ Boom!! 26.Bxe3 d4+ Discovered check makes sure that the bishop on e3 is attacked 27.Kh2 Rxe3 28.Nxd4 Rxe1 29.Nxc6 Re2+ 30.Kg1 Rxc6 & black's menacing rooks will surely decide the game soon] 23... Rf8 The f2 is a real target, it's show time now.
24. Bxc8 Qxc8 25. Ra2 Rh6 26. Qd1
26...g5! 27. Nf3 g4 28. hxg4 Rxh1 29. Qxh1 Qxg4
30. Nh2 {30.Qd1 is met by the deadly 30...Ncd2) and the final blow : Rxf2+ 0-1 (31.Rxf2 is met by 31...Qxg3 followed by mate on f2)
Lessons from the game :
1) Momentum is very essential in order to launch a successful attack. Note that Judith did not grab the pawn on a5 immediately. She installed the knight on e4, depriving white from castling.
2) Flexibility is another key feature of this game. Judith did not refrain from changing the position of the pieces, whenever required.
3)Including all the pieces in the attack : Judith's attack was correct and met all the demands of the position. She included all her pieces in the attack which crowned her a well-deserved victory.
4)Small tactics : Judith's alertness is evident in her moves. She kept an eye for tactics and blew the cover of white's king at the right time
I hope you enjoyed learning from this game as much as I enjoyed annotating it :) Stay tuned for another attacking game in the Part 2 of the Attacking Chess Series
The PGN Viewer for your convenience :
Wishing you successful attacks ahead :)
- Niranjan
Let us have a look at a successful attack launched by Hungarian Grandmaster & by far the strongest female chess player in the history - Judith Polgar
W: Van Wely
B : Judith Polgar
Hoogoveen, 1997
1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. d4 d5 5. dxc5?! I am not sure about the correctness of this move. It allows black to capture on c5 with the bishop without losing a tempo. 5...e6 6. a3 Bxc5
Position after 6...Bxc5
Symmetrical English Opening offers varieties of position. In this game, we shall see IQP (Isolated Queen Pawn) arising.
10. Nb5?! White could have played Be2, followed by castles. White's Nb5 only helps black. The bishop is now driven to a better square. The long range h2-b8 may be conveniently used by black to force weaknesses in the future. 10...Bb8
Position after 10...Bb8
11. Bb2!? (White castled early and managed to neutralize Black's attack. Have a look : 11.Be2 Re8 12.0–0 a6 13.Nbd4 Qd6 14.Bb2 Bg4 15.g3 Bh3 16.Re1 Ne4 17.Qd3 Qh6 18.Rac1 Ne5 19.Nxe5 Bxe5 20.Rc2 Rad8 21.Nf3 Bb8 22.Qb3 Be6 23.Bd4 Bg4 24.Nh4 Bxe2 25.Rexe2 Qh5 26.f4 Qg4 27.Qd3 h6 28.Bb2 Ba7 29.Kg2 Re6 30.Nf3 Nxg3 31.hxg3 Rg6 32.Rf2 Qxg3+ 33.Kf1 Qh3+ 34.Ke2 Rg3 35.Bd4 Bb8 36.Qd1 g5 37.fxg5 hxg5 38.Rh2 Rg2+ 39.Rxg2 Qxg2+ 40.Kd3 Qh3 41.Ne1 g4 42.Kd2 Re8 43.Nd3 f6 44.Nf2 Qh2 45.Qxg4+ 1–0 Karolyi,T (2200)-Sahl,B (2345)/Ballerup 1985/MCD)
Judith senses that this is the right moment to strike :11...a5! 12. bxa5 Ne4! Judith is in no hurry to grab the pawn as that would give white some time to breathe. (12...Qxa5 + would allow Bc3 & Be2 intending 0-0)
13...Qxa5+ 14. Kf1 Rd8 15. h3 It is difficult to suggest a plan for white. He has to try the artificial castling. His play is paralysed on queenside. Black's pieces dominate the important squares.
Position after 15.h3
I like Black's next move : 15...Qb6! Queen has done its job on a5. It will now hope to attack on the kingside. While attacking, one has to be flexible, shift pieces, shuffle them whenever needed so that their potential is fully unleashed. {Judith states that 15...Ne7 was also possible - intending Nf5 where it looks at g3-e3.}16. g3 Re8 :
Position after 16...Re8
It seems like the blow on the dark squares will follow shortly. Again, Judith's play is remarkable. Her pieces are consistently being improved.
17. Qe1 Na5 18. Bd4 Qg6!
{17...Na5 had two ideas : 1) Arranges a Queen-shift to g6 2)Knight hop to c4)
19. Kg2 Nc4 20. Nh4 Qc6 21. a4 Ra6!
Now Judith includes her last piece in the attack. Jacob Aagard in his Attacking Chess Manual has devoted a chapter 'Bring all your toys to the nursery'
22.Bg4 {Now 22...g6!? is a Karpov-type approach to the position)
22...f5!?
23. Bxf5 [And 23.Nxf5 is met by Bxf5 24.Bxf5 Nxg3! 25.fxg3 Nxe3+ Boom!! 26.Bxe3 d4+ Discovered check makes sure that the bishop on e3 is attacked 27.Kh2 Rxe3 28.Nxd4 Rxe1 29.Nxc6 Re2+ 30.Kg1 Rxc6 & black's menacing rooks will surely decide the game soon] 23... Rf8 The f2 is a real target, it's show time now.
24. Bxc8 Qxc8 25. Ra2 Rh6 26. Qd1
Black to play. Roll the Golden Pawn :)
Lessons from the game :
1) Momentum is very essential in order to launch a successful attack. Note that Judith did not grab the pawn on a5 immediately. She installed the knight on e4, depriving white from castling.
2) Flexibility is another key feature of this game. Judith did not refrain from changing the position of the pieces, whenever required.
3)Including all the pieces in the attack : Judith's attack was correct and met all the demands of the position. She included all her pieces in the attack which crowned her a well-deserved victory.
4)Small tactics : Judith's alertness is evident in her moves. She kept an eye for tactics and blew the cover of white's king at the right time
I hope you enjoyed learning from this game as much as I enjoyed annotating it :) Stay tuned for another attacking game in the Part 2 of the Attacking Chess Series
The PGN Viewer for your convenience :
Wishing you successful attacks ahead :)
- Niranjan
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Wednesday, July 16, 2014|By
Niranjan
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