EXAMPLE 65.

1. P - K 4 P - K 4 2. Kt - K B 3 Kt - Q B 3 3. B - Kt 5 P - Q R 3 4. B - R 4 Kt - B 3 5. O - O Kt P 6. P - Q 4 P - Q Kt 4 7. B - Kt 3 P - Q 4 8. P P B - K 3 9. P - B 3 B - K 2 10. R - K 1 Kt - B 4 11. B - B 2 B - Kt 5 12. Q Kt - Q 2 O - O 13. Kt - Kt 3 Kt - K 3

{147}

So far a very well-known variation of the Ruy Lopez. In fact, they are the moves of the Janowski-Lasker game in Paris, 1912.

14. Q - Q 3 P - Kt 3

Let us suppose the game went on, and that in some way White, by playing one of the Knights to Q 4 at the proper time, forced the exchange of both Knights, and then afterwards both the Bishops were exchanged, and we arrived at some such position as shown in the following diagram. (I obtained such a position in a very similar way once at Lodz in Poland. I was playing the White pieces against a consulting team headed by Salwe.)

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Now we would have here the case of the backward Q B P, which will in no way be able to advance to Q B 4. Such a position may be said to be theoretically lost, and in practice a first-cla.s.s master will invariably win it from Black. (If I may be excused the reference, I will say that I won the game above referred to.)

After a few moves the position may be easily thus: {148}

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The Black pieces can be said to be _fixed_. If White plays Q - Q B 3, Black must answer Q - Q 2, otherwise he will lose a p.a.w.n, and if White returns with the Queen to Q R 3 Black will have again to return to Q Kt 2 with the Queen or lose a p.a.w.n. Thus Black can only move according to White's lead, and under such conditions White can easily advance with his p.a.w.ns to K B 4 and K Kt 4, until Black will be forced to stop P - B 5 by playing P - K B 4, and we might finally have some such position as this:

EXAMPLE 66.

[Ill.u.s.tration] {149}

In this situation the game might go on as follows:

1. P P, P P; 2. Q - K B 3, Q - Q 2

White threatened to win a p.a.w.n by Q P, and Black could not play 2...R - K B 1, because 3 R B P would also win a p.a.w.n at least.

3. R (B 5) - B 2, R - Kt 3; 4. R - Kt 2, K - R 1; 5. R (B 1) - K Kt 1, R (B 1) - K Kt 1; 6. Q - R 5, R R; 7. R R, R R; 8. K R, Q - Kt 2 ch; 9. K - R 2, Q - Kt 3; 10. Q Q, P Q; 11. P - Kt 4, and White wins.

Now suppose that in the position in the preceding diagram it were Black's move, and he played R - K B 1. White would then simply defend his K B P by some move like Q - K B 3, threatening R Q B P, and then he would bring his King up to Kt 3, and when the time came, break through, as in the previous case. White might even be able to obtain the following position:

[Ill.u.s.tration] {150}

Black would now be forced to play R - B 1, and White could then play Q - B 2, and follow it up with K B 3, and thus force Black to play P P, which would give White a greater advantage.

A careful examination of all these positions will reveal that, besides the advantage of freedom of manoeuvre on White's part, the power of the p.a.w.n at K 5 is enormous, and that it is the commanding position of this p.a.w.n, and the fact that it is free to advance, once all the pieces are exchanged, that const.i.tute the pivot of all White's manoeuvres.

I have purposely given positions without the moves which lead to them so that the student may become accustomed to build up in his own mind possible positions that may arise (out of any given situation). Thus he will learn to make strategical plans and be on his way to the master cla.s.s. The student can derive enormous benefit by further practice of this kind.

33. THE INFLUENCE OF A "HOLE"

The influence of a so-called "hole" in a game has already been ill.u.s.trated in my game against Blanco (page 81), where has been shown the influence exercised by the different pieces posted in the hole created at White's K 5. {151}

EXAMPLE 67.--In order to further ill.u.s.trate this point, I now give a game played in the Havana International Masters Tournament of 1913. (Queen's Gambit Declined.) White: D. Janowski. Black: A. Kupchick.

1. P - Q 4 P - Q 4 2. P - Q B 4 P - K 3 3. Kt - Q B 3 Kt - K B 3 4. B - Kt 5 B - K 2 5. P - K 3 Q Kt - Q 2 6. B - Q 3 P P 7. B P Kt - Kt 3

Of course the idea is to post a Knight at Q 4, but as it is the other Knight which will be posted there this manoeuvre does not seem logical. The Knight at Kt 3 does nothing except to prevent the development of his own Q B. The normal course O - O, followed by P - Q B 4, is more reasonable.

For a beautiful ill.u.s.tration of how to play White in that variation, see the Janowski-Rubinstein game of the St. Petersburg Tournament of 1914.

8. B - Q 3

B - Kt 3 has some points in its favour in this position, the most important being the possibility of advancing the King's p.a.w.n immediately after 8. ... K Kt - Q 4; 9 B B, Q B.

8. ........ K Kt - Q 4 9. B B Q B 10. Kt - B 3

{152} Had White's Bishop been at Q Kt 3 he could now play P - K 4 as indicated in the previous note, a move which he cannot make in the present position, because of Kt - K B 5 threatening, not only the K Kt P, but also Kt B ch. As White's King's Bishop should never be exchanged in this opening without a very good reason White therefore cannot play P - K 4.

10. ........ O - O 11. O - O B - Q 2 12. R - B 1

[Ill.u.s.tration]

White is perfectly developed, and now threatens to win a p.a.w.n as follows: Kt Kt, Kt Kt; P - K 4, followed by R P.

12. ........ P - Q B 3

The fact that Black is practically forced to make this move in order to avoid the loss of a p.a.w.n is sufficient reason in itself to condemn the whole system of development on Black's part. In effect, he plays B - Q 2 and now he has to shut off the action of his {153} own Bishop, which thereby becomes little more than a p.a.w.n for a while. In fact, it is hard to see how this Bishop will ever be able to attack anything. Besides, it can be easily seen that White will soon post his two Knights at K 5 and Q B 5 respectively, and that Black will not be able to dislodge them without seriously weakening his game, if he can do it at all. From all these reasons it can be gathered that it would probably have been better for Black to play Kt Kt and thus get rid of one of the two White Knights before a.s.suming such a defensive position. In such cases, the less the number of pieces on the board, the better chances there are to escape.

13. Kt - K 4 P - K B 4

This practically amounts to committing suicide, since it creates a hole at K 5 for White's Knight, from where it will be practically impossible to dislodge him. If Black intended to make such a move he should have done it before, when at least there would have been an object in preventing the White Knight from reaching B 5.

14. Kt - B 5 B - K 1 15. Kt - K 5

The position of White's Knights, especially the one at K 5, might be said to be ideal, and a single glance shows how they dominate the position. The question henceforth will be how is White going to derive the full benefit from such an advantageous situation, This we shall soon see. {154}

[Ill.u.s.tration]

15. ........ R - Kt 1

There is no object in this move, unless it is to be followed by Kt - Q 2.

As that is not the case, he might have gone with the Rook to B 1, as he does later.

16. R - K 1 R - B 3 17. Q - B 3 R - R 3 18. Q - Kt 3 R - B 1

White threatened to win the exchange by playing either Kt - B 7 or Kt - Kt 4.

19. P - B 3 R - B 2 20. P - Q R 3 K - R 1 21. P - R 3

Perhaps all these precautions are unnecessary, but White feels that he has more than enough time to prepare his attack, and wants to be secure in every way before he begins. {155}

21. ........ P - Kt 4 22. P - K 4 P - B 5 23. Q - B 2 Kt - K 6

He had better have played Kt - B 3; and tried later on to get rid of White's Knights by means of Kt - Q 2.