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2 3
Table of Contents
Contents
About the Author 4
Introduction 7
About the Author
1 Improving the Activity of your
Introduction 9
Pieces
2 Stopping the Opponent Playing
52
1 Improving the Activity of your Pieces Good Moves
2 Stopping the Opponent Playing Good 3 Full Grovel Mode 90
Moves 4 Punishing Faulty Freeing Moves 110
3 Full Grovel Mode 5 Exploiting a Hole 134
6 Manoeuvring Against Pawns 193
4 Punishing Faulty Freeing Moves
7 Promoting a Pawn 247
5 Exploiting a Hole
8 Using a Pawn as a Battering Ram 272
6 Manoeuvring Against Pawns
9 Sacrificing to Gain the Initiative 309
7 Promoting a Pawn
10 Deciding the Character of the
8 Using a Pawn as a Battering Ram 345
Game in the Opening
9 Sacrificing to Gain the Initiative
10 Deciding the Character of the Game in
the Opening
6
Introduction
little. If and when he slips up, you will get the
Introduction advantage. Then you will have something to
build upon.
The games have been chosen not just for their
The sixth world champion, Mikhail
instructional value but also because I find
Botvinnik, described chess as the art of logic.
them aesthetically pleasing. I hope you enjoy
Indeed, if music is the art of sound, and
them and pick up some good battle plans.
dance is the art of movement, then chess, as
the greatest of intellectual games, is the art
Neil McDonald,
that most clearly expresses decision making.
Gravesend, January 2020
As the title of the book suggests, chess is
also a war game. Nevertheless, the
competitive pleasure we get in beating our
opponent and notching up a point cannot be
separated from the satisfaction of having our
ideas tested and validated. If this wasn’t so, we
wouldn’t prize a win over a skilful player more
than that over a beginner. And the pain of
losing for most players far outweighs the joy
of winning – not only has our opponent
triumphed over us, but our plans have been
proved wrong.
Perhaps at the moment you see chess in
terms of developing moves, attacking moves
and defensive moves. The purpose of this
book is to show you these things and a lot
more. Imagine you have all your pieces in
play in an equal position where there is
nothing to attack and no threat to deal with.
What should you do then? You should
manoeuvre and probe, stop the opponent
carrying out the advances he wishes, fortify
strong points, try to create or seize control of
holes, and so on. Such play is a direct
challenge to the opponent: it isn’t neutral. It
forces him to keep up, to tread a fine line
between playing with too much energy or too
7 8
1 Improving the Activity of your Pieces
Chapter One
Improving the Activity of
your Pieces
In a nutshell the purpose of a plan is to add
energy to your pieces and pawns while lessening
the power of your opponent’s pieces and pawns.
As the third world champion José Raul
Capablanca observed, the key theme which runs
through all phases of the game is the co-
Question: Can you see the move for White
ordination of the pieces. You have to get them
that persuaded a world-class player
working together.
to resign at once?
As our first venture into planning we’ll study
examples from the endgame. This will allow us
Answer: Black has two extra pawns, but
to examine planning in its purest form.
after 34 g4! he immediately gave up. An
Compared with the middlegame or opening,
extreme example of reducing the energy level of
there is less ‘noise’ or ‘clutter’ to distract us from
the enemy pieces: the black rook is entombed
following the plan in question through its
on h8.
stages. Once we have grasped the basics of
Let’s imagine that Black had played on for a
strategy we can then apply it to the more
bit. If he just waits, a simple winning plan for
complex situations that arise in other phases of
White would be to take on b2 and then march
the game.
his king up the board, capture on a6, and queen
We’ll begin by looking at happy instances
the a-pawn. White’s pieces have almost
where you have succeeded in paralysing or
unopposed power to manoeuvre, though he still
entombing the opponent’s pieces. In other
has to be a tiny bit careful. Let’s consider two
words, you have drained them of their energy.
ways Black might try to free his rook.
Your plan is to find a precise series of moves to
assure victory.
Question: How should White respond to 34
... f5 - ?
Entombing an Enemy Piece
After 34 ... f5, 35 Bxf5?? would be a colossal
Game 1
mistake for White, as it allows Black to extract
And.Volokitin-S.Mamedyarov
his rook with 35 ... Kf7 and then, say, 36 ... Bb4
European Cup, Eilat 2012
and 37 ... Rb8.
Answer: Instead, 35 gxf5! keeps the bind in
place. Black could then try 35 ... h5, hoping to
9 10
1 Improving the Activity of your Pieces
escape with 36 ... h4 and 37 ... h3, when the
rook can emerge via the h4-square. But 36 h4
puts a stop to that. (If you find it aesthetically
unpleasing that White puts his pawn on a dark
square then 36 Kxb2 h4 37 h3! is also good
enough.) Note that giving up the exchange with
36 ... Rh6 and 37 ... Rxg6 is entirely hopeless
for Black, as after 38 fxg6 his king and bishop
remain boxed in.
Returning to the diagram, if Black tries the
alternative 34 ... h5, White has to avoid the
abysmal 35 Bxh5??, as after 35 ... Rh6! (even
It’s White to move. The diagram position is
better than the immediate 35 ... g6) there is no
not yet an endgame, but White is going to show
good way to prevent 36 ... g6. Also 35 h3??
us how to exchange to victory: when you have
allows the black rook freedom after 35 ... hxg4
shut an opponent’s piece out of the game, the
36 hxg4 Rh2+. The correct response is 35 gxh5,
simplest way to win is often to swap off the
keeping the rook imprisoned. Black gains a
other pieces to leave his army hopelessly
passed pawn on the f-file, but it doesn’t matter.
outnumbered in an endgame.
For example: 35 ... f5 36 Kxb2 f4 37 Re4 Bd6
38 Re8+ Bf8 39 Kc2 and the white king will
Question: But to start with, can you see the
deal with the passed pawn, leaving Black still
move with which White destroyed
stuck in the bind.
the co-ordination of the black pieces?
Finally, if 34 ... Rh7, then 35 Bxh7+ Kxh7
36 Re6 should win for White in the long run;
White has a huge advantage in the diagram
but why on earth would you play like that rather
position. His knight dominates the entire board
than keep the black rook in torment with 35
and can never be dislodged. In contrast the
Kxb2 etc.
black horse is denied any active squares: it
Notice how the thoughtless 34 Kxb2?? in
cannot go to b6 and, thanks to White’s kingside
the initial position would have allowed Black to
pawns, is shut out of both e5 and f6. White’s
solve his problems with 34 ... h5 and 35 ... Rh6
bishop is also far superior to its opposite number
etc.
which is almost boxed in on f8.
I happened to watch this game live in the
Game 2
tournament hall at the 2019 Blind and Visually
P.Nikac-P.Dukaczewski
Impaired Championships. Influenced by the
IBCA Championship, Cagliari 2019
nasty hole in Black’s structure on f6 and White’s
mobile pawns, I entertained myself by trying to
calculate a decisive breakthrough for White. For
example, 24 fxg6 hxg6 25 Bb6! (a neat shot to
deflect the black knight from its defence of f6)
11 12
1 Improving the Activity of your Pieces
25 ... Nxb6 26 Nf6+ Kg7 27 Qh3 forces Black exchange of queens and rooks both players had
to surrender his queen to stop mate on h6 or h7. pieces (excluding pawns) worth 25 points in
However, 24 ... fxg6! gives Black’s king a total, whereas now it is down to six points (i.e. a
breathing space on f7 and lets him fight on, knight and bishop each). But let’s say Black’s
even if his position remains very unpleasant. imprisoned bishop is only really worth one
When IM Predrag Nikac made his move it point (rather than three points), because it is
was much simpler and stronger than what I had little better than a pawn, while White’s bishop is
been looking at. worth the full three points. We’ll be generous to
Answer: 24 f6! the black knight and say it is worth three points,
Plugging the hole on f6 and renouncing the the same as the white knight.
opportunity to open lines of attack with 24 Then the numerical balance in forces has
fxg6. Nonetheless, this shows excellent changed from 25:23 in White’s favour before
judgment. There was no need to bother the exchanges to 6:4 after them. In other words,
organizing a direct onslaught on the black king White’s superiority has grown from around 8%
with all its attendant risks. Instead, White can to 33%. And this has happened not through
win effortlessly by entombing the black bishop winning any more pieces, but simply through
on f8, and then exchanging off all the other exchanging pieces off.
pieces. It really is very, very easy as the In real terms this means that there are no
remaining moves show: longer other black pieces, apart from the knight,
24 ... Nb8 25 Qg4 Qd7 26 Qxd7 Nxd7 27 available to cover for the inert bishop when it
Rxc8 Rxc8 28 Rc1 Rxc1+ comes to defending key squares and pawns. And
In principle Black should try to keep some the knight is outnumbered by the white pieces
pieces on the board, but 28 ... Rd8 29 Rc7 is by 2-1. Well, it is actually worse than 2-1, as the
ghastly for him. imprisonment of Black’s bishop means that his
29 Bxc1 h6 30 h4 hxg5 31 hxg5 king is also kept out of the game. White can win
by advancing his king to capture the e4-pawn.
What he should not do is go after the a6-pawn
with Nc7 too quickly, as this might allow Black
to free his bishop by ... d6-d5 (he would remain
lost, but it would be criminal to give the bishop
the slightest activity).
31 ... Bh6
Evidently Dukaczewski shares my opinion
of the ‘real’ value of his bishop.
32 gxh6
Even 32 Kf2 would be good enough,
heading for the e4-pawn.
The multiple exchanges have accentuated
32 ... Kh7 33 Kf2 1-0
the disadvantage of having an immured bishop.
We can even express it numerically: before the
13 14
1 Improving the Activity of your Pieces
A similar numerical reasoning to that at straw that breaks the camel’s back.
move 31 above explains the advice: When you
are a piece up, exchange pieces, not pawns. When Game 3
you are a piece down, exchange pawns, not pieces. V.Rasik-V.Laznicka
You can see an example of Caruana saving Czech Championship, Karlovy Vary 2004
himself by exchanging off Carlsen’s last pawn in
Chapter Three.
My mistake when analysing the position
before White’s 24th move was trying to make
the white pieces do something, when the correct
plan was to stop one of the black pieces from
doing something. Incidentally, I think that is a
common fault in post-mortems and when
kibitzing other players’ games. After a game we
sit down and focus on its interesting moments,
maybe investigate a sacrifice not played, or a
lively episode. Given the chance to explore
spectacular opportunities, we aren’t looking for
steady prophylaxis.
Question: It’s White to move. How do you
overwhelm the defence?
Breaking Resistance by Throwing a Knight
into the Attack
Answer: Black’s rooks are just about holding
Famous generals such as Julius Caesar and
out against the white passed pawn. But with
Napoleon showed impeccable judgment when it
their queen hopelessly placed to offer any help, a
came to choosing the right time and place to
charging horse will provide the extra pressure to
throw their reserves into a battle. For example,
break their resistance.
the soldiers on the far left of an enemy’s
30 Nd4! Kf8
defensive line might be holding out resolutely
The threat was 31 Nxe6+.
against a frontal attack. Then, suddenly, fresh
31 Nc6 Kg7 32 Na7 1-0
hostile forces spring out of the cover of a forest
The barrier on c8 collapses. White wins a
at their back and charge towards them.
rook (to start with!).
The shock is too much for the defenders.
There is panic and disorder and they turn and
Game 4
run away. This might save their lives (for a time
F.Caruana-S.Shankland
at least) but it dooms the rest of their army by
US Championship, St. Louis 2016
opening up a gap in their defences.
In chess strategy the entrance of a reserve
piece can overwhelm what had hitherto been a
watertight defence. It becomes the proverbial
15 16
1 Improving the Activity of your Pieces
Black is apparently paralysed, but not quite.
If 48 Nb5?, the black knight escapes its shackles
with 48 ... Ne7!. Then 49 Qxe7 Qxb5 50 Ra7
would win the bishop, but Black has enough for
perpetual check with 50 ... Qb1, intending 51
... Qg1+ etc. If instead 49 Bxe7, Black regains
the piece with 49 ... Rb8 as White’s knight will
fall. Finally, if 49 Ra7 then 49 ... Nf5+ (note the
importance of this being check as otherwise f7
would fall) 50 Kh3 Bg8 and Black has much
improved his chances by getting his previously
terrible knight to the f5-square.
You always have to be vigilant when you
Question: It is White to play. Assess the
have the opponent’s pieces under lock and key.
position and then suggest a
A resourceful opponent will be waiting for just
long-range plan for White.
such a slip-up as 48 Nb5?.
Caruana decides that the best way to prevent
Answer: Black’s queen and rook are tied
any risk of a perpetual check, such as we saw in
down to the defence of their knight. The knight
a variation above, is to move his king over to the
itself has no safe moves going forwards or
queenside. The king will also be well out of the
sideways, while retreating to d8 would drop the
way of ... Nf5 coming with check.
rook and going to b8 allow Ra8 with a fatal pin.
48 ... Bg8 49 Ke3
Meanwhile, the bishop is boxed in on f7 – after
There is no need for White to investigate
Black’s next move it can only hobble between f7
lines like 49 Nb5 Qf7!? (a heroic move) 50
and g8.
Qxc8 Qf4, when 51 Qxc6? Qd2+ again gives
The black pieces are therefore completely
perpetual check.
dominated. Nevertheless, they are holding on, if
49 ... Bf7 50 Kd2 Bg8 51 Kc2 Bf7 52 Kc1
only by a thread. If Caruana wants to win he has
Caruana finally has his king where he wants
to find a way to snip that thread. His queen,
him.
rook and bishop are all excellently placed. What
52 ... Kg8
he needs now is the help of his knight. It begins
If 52 ... Bg8 53 Nb5 Qf7, in the style of the
a long manoeuvre right the way to b5, when the
note to move 49, White can just take all the
threat is Nc7, cutting off the defence of the
pieces with 54 Qxc8 Qxf3 55 Qxc6 as his king
black knight by the rook.
can easily escape perpetual by moving up the
43 Nf4 Kh7 44 Ng2!
queenside.
A bit of readjustment as the route to b5 will
53 Nb5
be through e3.
44 ... Bg8 45 Ne3 Bf7 46 Nc2 Bg8 47 Na3
Bf7 48 Kf2!
17 18
