Table Of Content^B^CStrategic Themes in Action
^B^Cby National Master Eric Schiller
The art of strategic planning is not easily acquired from most
teaching materials, yet it is one of the most important aspects of
practical play. I think that the reason for this is primarily because
the pedagogical technique applied in most cases mimics that used in
the teaching of tactics. Tactical skill can be obtained by studying
individual elements of a position using a small set of stock
maneuvers. Positional factors have also been approached in this way,
with examples showing how a certain positional weakness can be
exploited by specific means. This is a fine introduction to strategic
play, and suitable for beginners. The major difficulty, however, lies
in combining the appropriate methods with a solid positional
evaluation and, importantly, recognizing that one's opponent is likely
to counter any plan that arises. In a real game, therefore, a player
has to be prepared to switch plans frequently, to constantly re-
examine the strategy to see if it is still appropriate under new
circumstances. Often a change of plan is required every few moves.
Sometimes a plan which was countered at one point in the game is made
possible again later in the game.
This database file contains complete games where the strategic and
positional factors that you have already acquired are seen in the
complex interplay of the middlegame and endgame. There are few quick
knockouts - most of the games feature a fascinating ebb and flow of
strategic plans. In some cases a single motif runs throughout the
game, in others many ideas are required in order to achieve victory.A
few words of general advice are in order regarding both studying the
games and putting the knowledge gained into action in tournament play.
If tactics are the down-to-earth business of chess, then strategy is
its fine art. As such creativity is needed. It is well-known that
computers do not do well at long-term planning in chess. They can
crunch numbers, but they cannot dream. And indeed it is dreaming that
is necessary in order to amalgamate the positional characteristics one
sees on the board and create a concrete plan.At the board, and
especially when the opponent is on the move, it is useful to fantasize
about the position. Imagine tactical operations which could be carried
out if it were not for the presence of a certain piece. Forget about
the laws of chess for a moment and think about where you would like to
put your pieces if you could simply pick them up and move them to any
square you wish without any intervention on the part of your opponent.
These mental exercises help to focus your mind on the strategic goals
of the position. Once you know what you want to do, it is simply a
matter of figuring out some way of getting your opponent to cooperate.
The desired result can often be achieved by such tactical operations
as deflections and sacrifices.
As you study the games in this database, constantly ask yourself what
each player is trying to accomplish and what means are available to
counter these plans. In some games a player achieves his goal quickly
because his opponent is caught napping, in other the immediate threats
are parried and others take their place. In your own games, do not get
frustrated when your opponent sees what you are up to and takes
measures to prevent it - that is the normal course of a chess game.
Indeed, if you think about the constant references to chess by
sportscasters covering football, baseball or basketball games it is
this aspect of the Royal Game that they usually have in mind. Instead,
simply ask what price your opponent has paid for his defense, and try
to come up with a plan which will exploit any new weakness that may
have been created. You will see this concept at work in many of the
games in this collection.
The annotated games in this database are included in Strategy for
Advanced
Players published by Chess Digest, Inc. All material is copyright
1991 by Eric Schiller.
1
Karpov
Hort
Moskva 1971
[Schiller]
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 ¤f6 5.¤c3 e6 6.g4 ¤c6 7.g5 ¤d7 8.¥e3 a6 9.f4
¥e7 10.¦g1 ¤xd4 Hort played this reluctantly, since it concedes the center to White, who now
has better control of e5. Therefore Black will have to occupy that square while he can. 11.£xd4
e5! 12.£d2 exf4 13.¥xf4 ¤e5 Black has executed his plan to take over the e5-square, but
has had to accept a weak Pd6 in return.
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+lwqk+-tr0
9+p+-vlpzpp0
1
9p+-zp-+-+0
9+-+-sn-zP-0
9-+-+PvL-+0
9+-sN-+-+-0
9PzPPwQ-+-zP0
9tR-+-mKLtR-0[
xiiiiiiiiy
14.¥e2 ¥e6 15.¤d5! White correctly establishes a blockade at d5. If he had castled first, then
Black would have been able to thwart this plan with 15...Qa5! ¥xd5 16.exd5 A difficult choice.
Generally, one uses a piece to blockade a pawn, but here the weakness at d6 wiould have a
counterpart at e4. Karpov's choice also gives more scope to his light-squared bishop. ¤g6
Hort, recognizing the passivity of his position, strives to create counterplay by tactical means.
The threat is the capture at f4 followed by Qa5+. 17.¥e3 h6?! This is an error of judgement.
Black reasoned that White would not capture, because that wouldresult in a displacement of his
king. But with the d-file sealed, the White king will rest comfortably at d1. 18.gxh6 ¥h4+
19.¢d1 gxh6 20.¥xh6
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9+p+-+p+-0
2
9p+-zp-+nvL0
9+-+P+-+-0
9-+-+-+-vl0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzPPwQL+-zP0
9tR-+K+-tR-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Black now had to reconsider the situation. White's extra pawn at c2 is not the most important
factor. The question is, where should the Bh4 be posted? ¥f6 21.c3 ¥e5 This is clearly a good
square for the bishop, and there is a serious threat here of kingside infiltration with 22...Qh4, e.g.,
23.Bg5 Qb6 24.Be3 Qc7. But Karpov, recognizing the danger, puts a stop to Black's plans.
22.¦g4! £f6?! Despite White's advantages (bishop pair, open lines in the center) Hort should
1
have taken the opportunity to restore the material balacne with 22...Bxh2. Instead, he chose to
play for complications. 23.h4! A strong positional move, saving and advancing the h-pawn. It is
based on the tactical point that 23...Nxh4? would be countered by 24.Bg7. £f5 24.¦b4
This rook performs the double duty of protecting the fourth rank and attacking on the quenside.
¥f6 25.h5 ¤e7 Not 25...Ne5?, which drops a piece to 27.Rf4! 26.¦f4
[ 26.¦xb7?? ¦xh6! 27.£xh6 £xd5+ picks up the Rb7. ]
26...£e5
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9+p+-snp+-0
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9p+-zp-vl-vL0
9+-+Pwq-+P0
9-+-+-tR-+0
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9PzP-wQL+-+0
9tR-+K+-+-0[
xiiiiiiiiy
Black is almost out of the woods. All he has to do is castle. But the central files can still cause
him problems. 27.¦f3! ¤xd5 28.¦d3 ¦xh6 No better was 28...Ne7 19.Bf4! 29.¦xd5!
Whtie had to avoid the tactical trick 29.Qxh6 Bg5 when 30...Ne3+ would have been very
powerful. £e4
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9r+-+k+-+0
9+p+-+p+-0
4
9p+-zp-vl-tr0
9+-+R+-+P0
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9PzP-wQL+-+0
9tR-+K+-+-0[
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Material equilibrium has been resored, but Black's pieces are not well placed. White's roaming
rook now redeploys to a most menacing position. 30.¦d3! £h1+ The threat of Re3, combined
with pressure at h6, force Black to take this desperate measure. He was in time pressure as well.
31.¢c2 £xa1 32.£xh6 ¥e5 33.£g5 Here Hort's flag fell, but it didn't really matter.
1-0
2
2
Borik
Hort
Bundesliga 1982
[Schiller]
1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.¤c3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 ¥g7 8.¥b5+ ¤fd7
9.¥e2 £h4+ Black spends a tempo in order to weaken the White kingside. 10.g3
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9zpp+n+pvlp0
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9-+-zp-+p+0
9+-zpP+-+-0
9-+-+PzP-wq0
9+-sN-+-zP-0
9PzP-+L+-zP0
9tR-vLQmK-sNR0
xiiiiiiiiy
£d8!? Hort's original idea. The positional basis is that the usual plan with Qe7 leaves the queen
on the e-file, which will eventually be pried open with e4-e5 so her majesty returns home instead.
11.¤f3 0-0 12.0-0 ¦e8 13.¦e1 ¤a6 14.¥f1 A logical move, since White will be attempting to
advance his e-pawn and free the e4-square for occupation by a knight. In addition, it protects h3,
which will be important if White wants to launch a pawnstorm on the kingside. ¤b6 15.h3
White might have productively inserted a2-a4 here, as suggested by Borik. c4! This advance is
an important component of Black's strategy in the Benoni. It frees the c5-square for occupation
by the knight, and opens the a7-g1 diagonal which can be useful for attacks on the White king.
16.e5?! The timing of this advance is critical, and here White acted prematurely. The big center
will soon be liquidated, and Black's activity onthe queenside will proceed unchallenged.
[ 16.¥e3!? ¤b4 17.a3 ¤d3! takes advantage of the overworked Bf1, which has the
responsibility of holding both d3 and h3. 18.¥xd3 cxd3 19.£xd3 ¥xh3 is fine for Black. ]
16...¤b4 The ideas are the same as in the previous note, but here the simplification will bring
into focus the lack of support of the advanced White pawns. 17.g4
[ 17.a3 ¤d3 18.¥xd3 cxd3 19.£xd3 ¥xh3 is pleasant for Black, who has the bishop pair and
better coordinated pieces. ]
17...dxe5 18.fxe5 ¤6xd5 19.¤xd5 £xd5! The endgames are clearly better for Black, with or
without the extra pawn. 20.£xd5 ¤xd5 21.¥xc4
(Diagram 6)
3
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9zpp+-+pvlp0
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9-+-+-+p+0
9+-+nzP-+-0
9-+L+-+P+0
9+-+-+N+P0
9PzP-+-+-+0
9tR-vL-tR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Material balance is restored, but White has a very weak pawn at e5, the result of his premature
advance at move 16. ¤b6 22.¥b3 ¥e6 23.¥e3 ¤d7
[ 23...¥xb3 24.axb3 only works to White's advantage, since the open a-file ties down the Ra8
and the doubled pawns are not weak. In fact, the Pb3 limits the activity of the enemy knight. ]
24.¥xe6 ¦xe6 25.¥d4 ¦ae8 26.¦ad1
[ 26.¥xa7 ¤xe5 27.¤xe5 ¥xe5! creates the embarassing threat of Bh2+ as well as Bxb2. ]
26...¤xe5 27.¥xe5 ¥xe5 28.¤xe5 ¦xe5 29.¦xe5 ¦xe5 30.¦d7 ¦b5
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9zpp+R+p+p0
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9-+-+-+p+0
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9+-+-+-+P0
9PzP-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-mK-0[
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One extra pawn is often insufficient for a win in single rook endgames, but despite good play by
White, Hort manages to win with good technique. 31.b3 ¢g7 32.¢f2 ¢f6 33.¢f3 a5 34.¦c7
h6 35.¢g3 ¢e6 36.¢f3 h5! Black must try to create a passed pawn. 37.¢g3 hxg4 38.hxg4
g5! It is too soon to play f7-f5. The pawn at f7 limits the mobility of the White rook, while the pawn
at g5 hinders the movement of the White king. 39.¢f3 f6 40.¦h7 ¦b4 Because the Black
pawns are located near the edge of the board, White does not have sufficient maneuvering room
for his rook. Now the Black rook will be able to infiltrate. 41.¢g3 b6! An essential move, as
otherwise the Rb4 is tied down to the defense of the pawn. 42.¦h2 ¦f4 43.¦d2
(Diagram 8)
4
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9-+-+-+-+0{
9+-+-+-+-0
8
9-zp-+kzp-+0
9zp-+-+-zp-0
9-+-+-trP+0
9+P+-+-mK-0
9P+-tR-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
This is an instructive endgame. Even though there are no obvious targets in the White position,
the occupation of the back rank is critical. ¦f1! 44.¢g2 ¦c1 Only in this way can Black insure
that he will be able to defend both of this pawn chains with his rook, freeing the king. Endgames
like this need the support of the monarch if one hopes to achieve victory. 45.¦e2+ ¢d5 46.¦f2
¦c6 47.¢g3 ¢d4 48.¢f3 ¢d3 and White resigned, since Rc2 will be fatal.
0-1
3
Hort
Karpov
Amsterdam 1981
[Schiller]
1.d4 ¤f6 2.¤f3 e6 3.c4 d5 4.¤c3 ¥e7 5.¥g5 h6 6.¥h4 0-0 7.e3 b6 8.¦c1 ¥b7 9.cxd5
exd5 10.¥e2 ¤bd7 11.0-0 c5 12.£c2 a6 13.¦fd1
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+-wq-trk+0{
9+l+nvlpzp-0
9
9pzp-+-sn-zp0
9+-zpp+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-vL0
9+-sN-zPN+-0
9PzPQ+LzPPzP0
9+-tRR+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
The Tartakower Variation requires good positional sense and an understanding of the dynamics
of this particular pawn structure. c4!? Although White did not capture at c5 on move 12, he is
now ready to do so, and that is why Karpov advanced the pawn. His strategy will prove correct if
he can also play b6-b5, but Hort puts an end to that idea. 14.a4! ¥c6? A full question mark for
this positional blunder. The advance b6-b5 has become an idee fixe for Karpov, notwithstanding
Hort's anticipation. While Black has eyes only for the queenside, Hort has not forgotten about the
center! 15.¤e5! White can occupy this outpost since the base of Black's pawn chain at d5 is
without sufficient support. If Black captures at e5, he loses a pawn. But as things stand, White
threatens to remove an important defender. £c7
5
[ 15...¥b7 temporarily keeps the defense intact, but after 16.¥f3 the threat of Ne5xc4 is quite
real, and even after 16...Rac8, an eventual break with e3-e4 is inevitable. ]
16.¤xc6 £xc6 17.¥f3
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9r+-+-trk+0{
9+-+nvlpzp-0
10
9pzpq+-sn-zp0
9+-+p+-+-0
9P+pzP-+-vL0
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9-zPQ+-zPPzP0
9+-tRR+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
There is an immediate threat of 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.Bxe7!, exploiting the pin on the long diagonal.
¥b4 This move not only removes the threat at e7, but also creates the possibilty of eliminating
the Nc3 which is putting pressure on d5. But Hort realizes that the pin can be effective
immediately. 18.¤xd5!! ¤xd5 19.£f5! White regains his material, since 19...N7f6 is met by 20.
Bxf6 and the Nd5 falls. £xa4 20.¥xd5 ¦ac8 Karpov should have defended along his second
rank with 20...Ra7, but he must have overlooked White's next move. 21.b3!
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+r+-trk+0{
9+-+n+pzp-0
11
9pzp-+-+-zp0
9+-+L+Q+-0
9qvlpzP-+-vL0
9+P+-zP-+-0
9-+-+-zPPzP0
9+-tRR+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Hort found this move because he was examining positions with the Rf8 moved off the f-file. This
move opens the c-file, and forces the Rf8 to move. cxb3
[ 21...£b5 22.bxc4 £a4 23.¦a1 and the Nd7 is dead horsemeat. ]
22.¦xc8 ¦xc8 23.£xf7+ ¢h8 24.¥xb3 £b5 25.¥e6 and the pin wins! ¦f8 26.¥xd7!
and Karpov resigned, since after 26...Rxf7 27.Bxb5 axb5 28.Rb1 his endgame is lost, while 26...
Qe2 is met by 27.Qb3.
1-0
6
4
Hort
Kurajica
Vinkovci 1976
[Schiller]
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥b5 e6 4.0-0 a6 5.¥xc6 dxc6 6.d3 £c7 7.e5 Already the outline of
White's strategy is clear - the d6 square is mine and I will occupy it with a piece! Of course
nothing can come of this immediately, but this is the central notion out of which plans are built. f5
Inviting White to capture at f6, after which Black's forecourt will be a bit weak. But this would
mean giving up the valuable d6 point, and Hort has no desire to part with his gem. 8.a4 a5
9.¤a3 ¤e7 This must be played right away, or else White will station his knight at c4 and
thereby make it very difficult for the knight to enter the game. 10.¤c4 ¤d5
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9-+p+p+-+0
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9-zPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-vLQ+RmK-0[
xiiiiiiiiy
11.¦e1 Typical overprotection. This is clearly the appropriate position for the rook, since nothing
is going to happen on the f-file. Now one can dream of positions where, after Nc4-d6+, Bxd6 and
exd6, the opposition Re1/Ke8 can be exploited. ¤b6?! Kurajica is playing without much of a
plan, and should have left the knight alone, as it was well placed.
[ 11...b5 12.axb5 cxb5 13.¤d6+ ¥xd6 14.exd6 £xd6 15.c4 ¤b4 16.¤e5! gives White the
strong threat of Qh5+. ]
12.¤xb6 £xb6
XIIIIIIIIY
9r+l+kvl-tr0
9+p+-+-zpp0
13
9-wqp+p+-+0
9zp-zp-zPp+-0
9P+-+-+-+0
9+-+P+N+-0
9-zPP+-zPPzP0
9tR-vLQtR-mK-0[
xiiiiiiiiy
Black is clearly worse, with a very bad Bc8. But how can White take advantage of d6? Somehow,
the Bc1 has to get into the act. 13.b3! Although the path from a3 to d6 is currently blocked, that
can be changed by a timely d3-d4. In addition, the Bc1 is now free to develop at e3, since the b-
pawn will no longer be hanging. £c7 14.d4!
[ 14.¥a3 b5! 15.d4 b4! demonstrates the point behind the retreat of the Black queen. ]
7
