Yes, indeed, there’s a tremendous amount of stuff to ponder here, but those
three words stood out for me as well.
Thanks very much.
Evan
From: J Thoune
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 8:43 PM
To: usbca_chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [usbca_chess] Re: British Chess Magazine article Part 1
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope every one of our listers takes the time
to read this, and takes particular note of those three words: “Initiative Over
Material!” Yet another fine contribution from our mentors.
Best regards,
Jim T
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:usbca_chess-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tyson Mordue
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 2:44 PM
To: usbca_chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [usbca_chess] British Chess Magazine article Part 1
Hello Everyone.
Below is the first of a three-part article that featured in my British Chess
Magazine 'Club Knight' column. The second and third parts I will post later in
the month. They feature highly instructive moments from my own praxis. Take
your time but have fun!
Best wishes, Tyson
Article begins:
Club Knight
Tyson Mordue
Ideas and Computers
“Where do chess players get their ideas?”
There are many different answers. Certain games that you’ve seen have probably
made big impressions. My list includes Botvinnik-Tal, 6th match game, 1960
(that knight sacrifice!), Spassky-Fischer 3rd match game, 1972 (doubled h-pawns
aren’t a weakness?), Anderssen-Kiezeritzky, London 1851, the Immortal Game,
Miles-Bisguier, Birmingham 1973 (attacking piece sacrifice in a queenless
middle game) and many others. Studies and puzzles lodge in your head as well.
I recall Miles playing Larsen on The Master Game and saying “If this was a
study then d4-d5 would win. Wait a minute! It does win!” Tony won. Little
snippets from experienced players count for a lot. Dave LeMoir at the WECU
Championship, 1984: “I’m not under pressure here. All I have to do is change
the pawn structure ” and very effectively he did too. P.H. Clarke at Winchester
in 1981: “I never dreamed of being attacked!” I didn’t attack very well in that
game, but I learned that certain players can neither comprehend being attacked
nor adjust mentally to the sudden change if they are. To paraphrase Keith
Arkell: “Initiative over material every time.” Useful advice.
Here are examples featuring instructive ideas. At first sight you may think
these positions are dry. They are anything but. Of course, your concept of an
idea may be very different from mine. That’s part of what being a player is
about.
White: DM Adams
Black: AT Mordue
Paignton, 2002
White: King e6, Bishop b1, Pawn g6
Black: King b3, Knight d8, Pawns a3 and b2.
[This was a critical moment. Correct play is based on a tactical nuance and a
bit of technical knowledge which coalesce into an idea. Think now.]
[I can’t go 63…a2 when 64 Bxa2+ Kxa2 65 g7 b1=Q 66 g8=Q+ and 67 Qxd8 draws, so
we start a different way. The following move kept the arbiter, Steve Boniface,
in conversation for weeks afterwards. Stop and think again if you need to.]
63…Ne6!
[Preventing 64 g7. Now 64 Kxe6 a2 65 Bxa2+ Kxa2 66 g7 b1=Q 67 g8=Q loses to the
skewer
67…Qb3+ (the tactical nuance), while 67 Kf7 leaves an endgame of king + queen
versus king + g-pawn on the 7th, a win for the queen. The sensible try 65 Bf5
is met by 65…Ng7! when 66 Kxg7 a2 67 Bf7+ Ka3 68 Bxa2 Kxa2 69 Kf8 b1=Q 70 g7
Qf5+ comes to the same thing. ]
64 Kxe6 a2
65 g7
[Leaving the bishop to its fate and going into an ending of King, Queen + Pawn
on the 7th rank
facing King & Queen.]
65…axb1=Q
66 g8=Q
[This is not check as Adams’s king is in the way, but it seems that when his
majesty moves there will be a host of checks. This is where the technical
knowledge comes in (see note after the resignation.) ]
66…Qe4+
[Occupying a key square.]
67 Kd7+
[Going to other squares doesn't help.]
67…Kc3!
[The only check that isn't met by a crosscheck is 68 Qc8+ and that’s answered
by 68…Qc4 and here 69 Qh8+ Qd4+, while 69 Qb8 or b7 are both answered by
69…Qd3+, forcing promotion.]
0-1.
[Sadly, such is the strength of computers today that mine calculated all the
above in a few seconds.. The key here is to have the king of the superior side
either on the same rank or file as the enemy king, or as close as possible to
it to facilitate cross-checks. Botvinnik demonstrated this principle in his
marathon ending against Minev at Amsterdam, 1954 which is Game 25 in
‘Botvinnik’s Best Games’ (Batsfords 1972) and Game 66 in ‘Half a Century of
Chess’ (Pergamon 1984).]
White: MM Botvinnik (USSR)
Black: NN Minev (Bulgaria)
XI Olympiad
White: King g5, Queen f6, Pawn g6.
Black: King a4, Queen d8.
Play went
74…Qd5+
75 Qf5 Qd8+
76 Kh5 Qe8
77 Qf4+
[It is useful to transfer the queen to d4. The queen should aim for the squares
in the centre of the board.]
77…Ka5
78 Qd2+ Ka4
79 Qd4+ Ka5
80 Kg5 Qe7+
81 Kf5! Qf8+
82 Ke4 Qh6
83 Qe5+ Ka4
84 g7 Qh1+
85 Kd4 Qd1+
86 Kc5 Qc1+
87 Kd6 Qd2+
88 Ke6 Qa2+
89 Qd5 Qe2+
90 Kd6 Qh2+
91 Kc5!! 1–0
Article, part one, ends.
