Hello Paul et al,
A few brief facts about the two players in this game.
According to CHESSMETRICS the highest ratings and Elos of these players were:
R SCOTT: World No. 28 with a rating of 2497 on the January 1921 list (only 40
players on the list!). He has 75 games on chessgames.com.
A LOUIS: World no. 76 with a rating of 2359 on the July 1923 list (only 79
players on the list.) He has a mere 7 games on chessgames.com.
There are several factors to take into account here. Chessmetrics ratings are
generally inflated by roughly 100 to 150 points above actual FIDE Elos, if a
player had one. (They actually were first officially published in 1970.)
The amount of games taken into consideration will be very small bearing in mind
that this is just after the end of World War One. Events were few and far
between and the first unofficial Soviet Championship was in 1920. As far as I'm
aware only the British Championship is an older national championship.
Some of the players on these lists are unknown to me so its difficult to
objectively compare them all.
Regardless of all that it's a cracking game! More, more!
Regards,
Tyson
On 12 November 2019 at 08:12 Paul Benson <paul.benson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Skype coaching session, 27 October 2019.
Forthcoming coaching session in November will be on Sunday: 24, at 14:00 UTC,
which is 14:00 GMT.
The game discussed (43 moves) is given below with annotations and without
annotations.
Re-structuring of the sessions now offers the option for guests to bring
their own games for group discussion.
Recordings of some previous coaching sessions can be found at:
http://www.open-aurec.com/Skype/PaulBenson/PaulBenson.htm
Paul Benson.
* * *
Annotated Game.
White: R. Scott.
Black: A. Louis.
Event: British Championship (Chester) 1914.
Result: 0-1 in 43 moves.
Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defence, Rubinstein Variation,
D61.
| Editorial.
There can be a variety of reasons for selecting a game for study.
Something has to attract the attention, initially.
How about each player has 4 names?
Sounds ridiculous?
Welcome to the battle between: R. H. V. S. against A. W. E. L.
And since this game is played before FIDE Elo ratings began that method of
assessing the strengths of the players is not available.
However in 1920 white became British Champion, this should give some
indication of strength.
||
1. d4 d5
| Aha, a symmetric response.
This can often lead to development plans on both sides where interactivity is
postponed until the middlegame begins.
Here there will be minimal pawn-tension in the centre before the unspoken,
"Non-Interaction Pact", is broken.
||
2. Nf3 e6
3. c4 Nf6
4. Nc3 Nbd7
5. Bg5 Be7
6. e3 O-O
| As commented above, the opening interactions have been minimal, pieces come
out, pawn formations constructed, no captures, all very peaceful.
Such mutual passivity cannot last much longer.
||
7. Qc2 c6
8. a3
| White continues with the slow-build approach.
Instead similarly patient options of, 8. Rc1, or, 8. Rd1, are more popular
choices here.
Could such a quiet edge-pawn move be the proverbial red flag to a bull for
some players?
||
8. ... Bd6
| Black has made a change in attitude.
Previous slow-build philosophy is replaced with aggressive intent.
Is this due to white playing, 8. a3, which places no pressure on black?
Instead, 8. ... Re8, is the most popular choice here, though as it happens
the limited database reports no less than 11 moves being chosen by black
here.
Furthermore, this is the only game where black chooses, 8. ... Bd6, copy at
your own risk.
||
9. Bd3
| White has deliberately been holding back this piece, perhaps waiting for
black to capture, dxc4.
Of course, it is quite possible that capturing, dxc4, is not planned by black
at all.
When black moved the dark square bishop from e7 to d6 it put the f6 knight
into a pin from the white g5 bishop, does this matter?
This game was played in 1914 and so neither player could call on the
Fischerism: "In chess it is important to know when to punch and when to
duck".
Black to play can either punch or duck.
Punch Clue: The white king is still in the centre, perhaps, "Initiative Over
Material", might provoke the imagination?
Duck Clue: A pinned piece is paralysed, the black f6 knight might not be
working as it should.
||
9. ... e5
| A Punch!
Black is trying to break open the centre to get at the white king, fine, but
is there not a certain lack of queenside development?
Yes, but if black succeeds in destabilising the white king then the black c8
bishop and a8 rook can find their way into the game later.
White to play has to do something about the immediate black threat of, 10.
... e4, forking minor pieces.
||
10. Bxh7+
| The white d3 bishop escapes the fork with a checking snatch of a pawn, and
since the black reply is effectively forced, there is no loss of tempo,
right?
Instead, 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 12. Bxh7+ Kh8, has assisted black in
with the problem of queenside development, the c8 bishop now has a means of
developing.
||
10. ... Kh8
11. Bf5
| When taking the black h7 pawn this bishop was not having a tempo-free
visit.
It was always going to have to retreat next move as black had a couple of
material-winning threats.
Suppose white instead chose, 11. O-O, a couple of ideas run:
(A). If, 11. O-O g6 12. Bxg6 fxg6 13. Qxg6, the white bishop has traded
itself for 3 black kingside pawns, the black king is going to be
uncomfortable for many moves to come.
(B). Or if, 11. O-O e4, attacking the white f3 knight while cutting off the
defensive white c2 queen support to the stranded h7 bishop, white will not
gain sufficient compensation whichever piece is given up.
||
11. ... exd4
| Black needs an open centre in compensation for the h7 pawn.
White to play is about to play an, "Annotator's Nightmare", of a move.
Clue: Fischerism: "Obvious Therefore Dubious".
If however there is a need for creative inspiration then perhaps the phrase:
"Dubious Therefore An Obvious Candidate Move", might set the mind running in
the appropriate direction.
||
12. O-O-O
| Remember, no Elo ratings available, but white only 6 years from now becomes
British Champion, so must know the c3 knight is en prise.
Assuming black takes on c3, then just what compensation can white hope to
receive?
Clue: Castling is not only for the safety of the king.
Instead, 12. Nxd4 c5 13. Nf3 d4, and black persists in trying to open up the
centre, and while nothing concrete seems immediately coming to mind, black
will definitely get activity if white keeps taking on d4.
The lesser attractive, 12. exd4 Re8+, disrupts the white development plans,
the white king might shuffle with, 13. Kd2, or retreats involving, 13. Ne2,
or, 13. Be3, hardly inspire.
||
12. ... dxc3
| Old Trojan proverb: "Do not look a gift-horse in the mouth!"
Fine, but what is the white thinking behind the offer?
This is purely designed to give white a tempo for the attack, black spends a
move capturing while white gets on with development.
||
13. Rd4
This rook is heading kingside, the h-file is the obvious destination, start
searching for mating nets involving a rook on h4.
||
13. ... cxb2+
| A doubler.
Firstly, a white defensive pawn is removed with check, no loss of tempo for
black here.
Secondly, the white a3 pawn is undermined.
||
14. Kb1
| White is going to use the black pawn on b2 as a shield, this invader can be
eliminated later when appropriate.
There have however been a couple of, "Royal Arrangements", set up with the
white b1 king and c2 queen for black to notice and then plan accordingly.
||
14. ... Re8
| This sideways black rook shift has vacated the f8 square which gives the
black king a flight route to the centre.
Instead, 14. ... b5, would be a mutual test of, "Tactical Event Horizons",
some ideas run:
(A). If, 14. ... b5 15. Rh4+ Kg8 16. Bxd7 Bxd7 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Qh7+ mate,
but this is not forcing.
(B). Or if, 14. ... b5 15. Rh4+ Kg8 16. Bxd7 Qxd7 17. Bxf6 Qf5 18. Qxf5 Bxf5+
19. Kxb2 gxf6, black is a piece plus pawn up, but white can improve on this.
(C). Or if, 14. ... b5 15. Rh4+ Kg8 16. Bxd7 Qxd7 17. Bxf6 Qf5 18. Bxb2 Qxc2+
19. Kxc2 Bf5+ 20. Kc1 bxc4, black has emerged from the liquidation with the
bishop pair plus an extra pawn.
(D). Or if the tension is getting to white there is, 14. ... b5 15. Rh4+ Kg8
16. Bh7+ Kh8 17. Bf5+, aiming for 3-fold repetition, unlikely but always a
useful option to have available.
||
15. Rh4+ Kg8
16. Bh7+
| A curious move.
Why is white essentially forcing the black king toward the centre?
The answer is not actually to do with the black king but more to prevent a
black defensive re-grouping.
Recall the phrase: "When a unit moves it vacates a square for someone else."
The reverse is also true: "When a unit moves it denies someone else access to
that square."
If white leaves the black king on g8 then black has the option of, Nf8,
covering the important h7 square, how can white then eliminate both black
knights in order for the attack to proceed?
||
16. ... Kf8
17. e4
| White must play actively while waiting for black to try and unravel the
queenside.
||
17. ... Ne5
| Black liberates the c8 bishop, the centre pawns are of lesser importance,
there must be quick development followed by a queenside counter-initiative.
||
18. exd5 cxd5
19. c5
| An indication that the white kingside campaign cannot make progress.
Black to play must move the attacked d6 bishop, right?
||
19. ... Nc4
| Just because a unit is attacked does not force it to move.
If someone else can make better use of the tempo then a surprise might hit
the opponent.
The black knight on c4 is threatening, Nxa3+, a royal fork.
Furthermore the knight on c4 protects the b2 pawn, neither of the white
royalty can escape the fork pattern by capturing it.
||
20. Rxc4
| White, already a piece down, now gives up an exchange to eliminate the
dangerous black c4 knight.
Another indicator that the white kingside attack has, for the time being,
ground to a halt with several units stranded over there.
||
20. ... dxc4
| White to play must immediately capture the black d6 bishop, right?
||
21. Rd1
| White pins the black d6 bishop to the d8 queen.
In this way white will emerge with a protected passed pawn on the 6th rank
with possibilities of advancing, pawn d7, winning material if black is
careless.
||
21. ... Qa5
| Black is aiming for simplifications, intending to win using the material
advantage.
||
22. Bxf6
| A quadrupler.
Firstly, the black kingside pawn formation is weakened.
Secondly, the black control of the d7 square is weakened, should black
permit, cxd6, then white will be threatening, pawn d7, winning a piece.
Thirdly, with doubled f-pawns black can no longer trap the white h7 bishop
with, pawn g6, though it is debatable if this was wise anyway, as white would
capture, Bxg6, with a white queen invasion of, Qxg6, to follow.
Fourthly, after black captures with, gxf6, the white h2 pawn will be passed,
yes, the endgame is a long way off, but such an asset might prove useful in
deflecting some black forces over to the kingside.
||
22. ... gxf6
| Black needed to decide how much material should remain on the board, a
couple of ideas run:
(A). If, 22. ... Bxc5 23. Bxb2 Bxa3 24. Bc3, the dark square bishops are
still in play.
(B). Or if, 22. ... Bxc5 23. Qxb2 gxf6 24. Qxf6 Qb6+, forcing a queen trade,
but white still has an a3 pawn, the black queenside pawn mass is less
formidable than the game continuation.
||
23. cxd6
| Black to play must avoid the white advance of, pawn d7, costing the c8
bishop.
Clue: A strong threat can be countered by an even stronger threat.
||
23. ... Qxa3
| How selfish, the black queen is leaving the c8 bishop to suffer the
consequences of, 24. d7, right?
Clue: An immobilised king is an ideal target for an attack.
||
24. Qxb2
| Forced, anything else fails as follows:
(A). If, 24. d7 Qa1+ mate, shows why an immobilised king should always be
considered a liability just waiting for a mate-in-one attack.
(B). Or if, 24. Qxc4 Be6 25. Qe2 Qa2+ 26. Kc2 b1=Q+ 27. Kc3 Qbb3+ 28. Kd4
Qxe2, white has no queen, black has 2 queens.
(C). Or if, 24. Qxc4 Be6 25. Qb5 Qa2+ 26. Kc2 b1=Q+ 27. Kc3 Qxb5, white has
no queen, black has 2 queens.
||
24. ... Qxb2+
25. Kxb2 Rd8
| The game has simplified, the various plusses are:
White #1, an advanced passed d6 pawn, black must take care not to permit a
material-winning, pawn d7.
White #2, an outside passed h2 pawn, a long way from promotion, but given
time it might create some threats.
Black #1, a mass of 3 queenside connected passed pawns.
Black #2, an exchange advantage.
Black #3, same colour bishops, should the white h7 bishop gain a powerful
diagonal, black should be able to make a direct challenge, not possible if
the bishops were on opposite colours.
This is a position where a middlegame book would cut off and state: "Black
will convert to a full point using good technique."
Instead, 25. ... Be6, is likely to transpose to game, black must somehow
eliminate the white d6 pawn.
Less favourable for black would be, 25. ... Bd7, when arranging a doubling of
rooks to attack the white d6 pawn would be a little more cumbersome,
requiring, pawn a5 - Ra6 - Re6, which white could prevent by simply placing a
knight on d4.
||
26. Be4 Be6
27. h4
| White has only a single chance of creating confusion, push the h-pawn and
hope black mishandles the position.
Instead, 27. Bxb7 Rab8, pins and wins the erring white b7 bishop.
||
27. ... Rd7
| Appearances might suggest black is protecting the b7 pawn, but in reality
black is preparing the doubling of rooks on the d-file.
Instead, 27. ... Kg7, ready to answer white, pawn h5, with, Kh6, was worth
consideration, there is no hurry to eliminate the white d6 pawn, it is going
nowhere.
||
28. h5
| Passed pawns must be pushed, though here it seems as if the white h-pawn is
advancing just to be eliminated, right?
||
28. ... Kg7
| White to play needs a good answer to an anticipated black, Kh6.
Clue: When losing activity is the best form of defence, just trying to hold
everything together with defensive moves against such a material disadvantage
is playing for the loss.
||
29. g4
| Another pawn joins the white activity, fine, but surely black can simply
take it with the e6 bishop?
||
29. ... Rad8
| The white g4 pawn is poisoned, after, 29. ... Bxg4 30. Rg1 f5 31. Bxf5,
black is losing a piece, the queenside pawn mass will still give white
problems, but there would be much hard work ahead for both sides.
Had black earlier chosen, 27. ... Kg7, instead of, 27. ... Rd7, then black
could have played, 28. ... Kh6, getting the king off the g-file, meaning if
white tries, pawn g4 at any point, then black, Bxg4, is safe, there can be no
g-file pin.
||
30. g5
| White must keep playing actively on the kingside.
Should the passed h-pawn ever reach h7 and be supported by the light square
bishop, then black would need the king on h8.
But if this arose then a white rook on g1 would force a black rook to remain
on the black back rank to prevent white, Rg8+ mate.
In essence, a white pawn on h7 would seriously reduce the number of black
units able to make progress with the queenside pawns.
||
30. ... fxg5
31. Nxg5
| The white kingside, "Active Unit Count" = 3, this is not enough to force
matters, but it sure does create problems to be solved by black.
And remember, the game has had complexity ever since white chose to passively
sacrifice the c3 knight, both players could be running short of time as the
position becomes a little tricky again.
||
31. ... Rxd6
| A, "Jekyll And Hyde", move.
Dr. Jekyll (Good): The restricting white d6 pawn has been removed, the black
rooks are released for activity.
Mr. Hyde (Bad): The black rooks have entered into a potential, "Knight-Fork
Formation", but surely black has the f7 square adequately covered, right?
||
32. Rg1
| The white kingside, "Active Unit Count", = 4, this creates a strong
initiative which black dare not ignore.
Black has a massive centre / queenside advantage, this should ensure a win in
the long-term, but the short-term kingside fight must be dealt with first.
The white rook on g1 puts an x-ray attack on the black g7 king, the immediate
white threat is, Nxe6+, followed by, Nxd8, white would be winning a whole
rook.
||
32. ... Kf6
| Perhaps fearing a mating net on the h-file the black king heads toward the
centre?
Instead, 32. ... Kh6, gives white problems, some ideas run:
(A). If, 32. ... Kh6 33. f4 Kxh5 34. Rh1+ Kg4 35. Bf3+ Kxf4, the black king
escapes.
(B). Or if, 32. ... Kh6 33. f4 Kxh5 34. Bf3+ Kh6, if white tries to chase
with, Rh1+, the black king will escape into the centre, if white keeps the
rook on g1 then the black rooks will activate themselves.
(C). Or if, 32. ... Kh6 33. Nh3 Kxh5 34. Nf4+ Kh6 35. Rh1+ kg7 36. Nh5+ Kf8,
the black king escapes.
So why does the black king prefer the f6 square?
||
33. h6
| Not wishing to labour the point, but the only white hope lies with tricks
involving the passed h-pawn, so get it as far up the board as possible and
hope black miscalculates.
||
33. ... Bf5
| Aha, the point of, 32. ... Kf6, is revealed, the king supports, 33. ...
Bf5, but is there not a little tactic to be worked through here?
Instead, 33. ... R6d7, prevents all the white tricks before they begin, then,
34. ... Bf5, is available, but if calculating tactics is your strength, then
the game move is fine.
||
34. Bxf5 Kxf5
35. Nxf7
| A tripler, and not much of a surprise, all that white activity combined
with the black pieces placing themselves in awkward locations should lead
somewhere.
Firstly, the knight forks the black rooks, though there is an option of a
check for the d6 rook to escape.
Secondly, the knight backwardly guards the important white h6 pawn.
Thirdly, the promotion h8 square is covered by the knight.
It is beginning to look like white has clawed his way back in, ideas of a
drawn rook and pawn ending are appearing on the horizon, right?
||
35. ... Rd1
| The simplest solution.
Black has other ideas which tests calculation skills of both players, some
ideas run:
(A). If, 35. ... R6d7 36. h7 Rxf7 37. Rg8 Rxh7 38. Rxd8 Rc7, the 2 extra
black pawns are a decisive advantage.
(B). Or if, 35. ... R6d7 36. Nxd8 Rxd8 37. Rg7 Rh8 38. Rxb7 Rxh6 39. Rxa7, a
simple drawn ending.
(C). Or if, 35. ... R6d7 36. Nxd8 Rxd8 37. Rg7 Rh8 38. h7 Kf6 39. Rxb7 Kg6
40. Rxa7 Rxh7 41. Rxh7 Kxh7 42. Kc3 Kg6 43. Kxc4 Kf5, the black king is on
the promotion file, a drawn ending.
A bolder approach from black deserves discussion, some ideas run:
(D). Or if, 35. ... Rd2+ 36. Kc1 Ra2 37. Nxd8 Ra1+ 38. Kb2 Rxg1 39. Nf7 Rh1
40. Kc3 Kf6, white would lose the h6 pawn, black has a winning advantage.
(E). Or if, 35. ... Rd2+ 36. Kc1 Ra2 37. Kb1 R8d2 38. h7 c3 39. h8=Q Rdb2+
40. Kc1 Ra1+ mate.
(F). Or if, 35. ... Rd2+ 36. Kc1 Ra2 37. Kb1 R8d2 38. Nd6+ Ke6 39. Nxc4 Rxf2
40. h7 Rh2 41. h8=Q Rxh8 42. Kxa2, a drawn ending.
(G). Or if, 35. ... Rd2+ 36. Kc1 Ra2 37. Kb1 R8d2 38. Nd6+ Rxd6 39. Kxa2 Rxh6
40. Rg7 Rb6
41. Rc7 Rb4 42. Ka3 a5 43. Rc5+, picks off the black a5 pawn, and while
endgame databases probably have the answer to 7 units such as this, aging
bio-organic analytical engine feels white, with some hard grovelling, should
just about hold this.
(H). Or if, 35. ... Rd2+ 36. Kc3 R8d3+ 37. Kxc4 Rh3 38. Rg7 Kf6, the white
kingside units are in zugzwang, black need only play, Rd7, and white must
lose something somewhere, black should win this.
||
36. Rg3
| Trading down does not help white, but black needs to be awake to win, the
ideas run:
(A). If, 36. Rxd1 Rxd1 37. h7 Rh1 38. h8=Q Rxh8 39. Nxh8 Kf4 40. Nf7 Kf3 41.
Nd6 Kxf2 42. Nxb7, a drawn ending, but black has better.
(B). Or if, 36. Rxd1 Rxd1 37. h7 Rh1 38. h8=Q Rxh8 39. Nxh8 Kf6 40. Kc3 Kg7
41. Kxc4 Kxh8 42. Kd5 Kg8 43. Ke6 Kf8, black is winning, the white king
cannot support promotion, the black pawns will deflect him queenside, the
black king then wins the white f-pawn and finally heads queenside to support
promotion of the b-pawn.
||
36. ... R8d2+
| The forked black rooks have saved themselves with a tactical threat against
both the white g-file rook and then the b2 king.
This resource needed to be found before black allowed the white, Nxf7, fork,
aren't tactics wonderful?
||
37. Kc3 Rd3+
| Black must either get a rook onto the h-file before white can play, pawn
h7, or find a means of playing, Kg6, again before white can get in, pawn h7.
||
38. Kxc4
| Trading fails.
Instead, 38. Rxd3 Rxd3+ 39. Kxc4 Rh3 40. Kc5 Kg6 41. Nd6 b6+ 42. Kb5 Ra3,
black has secured the queenside, the black king can then clean up the white
kingside.
||
38. ... Rxg3
39. fxg3 Kg6
| Forcing the white knight away from the defence of the h6 pawn, white has no
sensible means of trying to hold this.
||
40. Ne5+ Kxh6
41. Kb4 Rd5
42. Nc4
| There were no comfortable squares for the knight:
(A). If, 42. Nf3 Rd3, and after the white knight moves again black has, 43.
... Rxg3.
(B). Or if, 42. Ng4+ Kg7 43. Nf2 Kf5, white has no means of putting pressure
on black who will re-group with, Rd8 - Rg8, being prepared to answer white,
pawn g4+, with, Rxg4, reducing to a won pawn ending.
(C). Or if, 42. Nf7+ Kg7, the white knight has no safe squares available, it
is lost due to the black rook controlling the white 5th rank and d-file.
||
42. ... Rd4
43. Kc5 Rxc4+
White resigns, 0-1
| A simple win for black, the white king cannot simultaneously guard the f2
pawn while preventing the advance of the black queenside pawns.
It is also unwise for the white king to capture a black pawn.
Imagine black plays, pawn b6, and should the white king wander forwards to
capture with, Kxa7, black replies, pawn b5, this sprinting b-pawn cannot be
prevented from promotion, the white king when capturing on a7 has wandered
too far up the board.
||
* * *
## Unannotated Game.
White: R. Scott.
Black: A. Louis.
Event: British Championship (Chester) 1914.
Result: 0-1 in 43 moves.
Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defence, Rubinstein Variation,
D61.
1. d4 d5
2. Nf3 e6
3. c4 Nf6
4. Nc3 Nbd7
5. Bg5 Be7
6. e3 O-O
7. Qc2 c6
8. a3 Bd6
9. Bd3 e5
10. Bxh7+ Kh8
11. Bf5 exd4
12. O-O-O dxc3
13. Rd4 cxb2+
14. Kb1 Re8
15. Rh4+ Kg8
16. Bh7+ Kf8
17. e4 Ne5
18. exd5 cxd5
19. c5 Nc4
20. Rxc4 dxc4
21. Rd1 Qa5
22. Bxf6 gxf6
23. cxd6 Qxa3
24. Qxb2 Qxb2+
25. Kxb2 Rd8
26. Be4 Be6
27. h4 Rd7
28. h5 Kg7
29. g4 Rad8
30. g5 fxg5
31. Nxg5 Rxd6
32. Rg1 Kf6
33. h6 Bf5
34. Bxf5 Kxf5
35. Nxf7 Rd1
36. Rg3 R8d2+
37. Kc3 Rd3+
38. Kxc4 Rxg3
39. fxg3 Kg6
40. Ne5+ Kxh6
41. Kb4 Rd5
42. Nc4 Rd4
43. Kc5 Rxc4+
White resigns, 0-1
* * *
