In this chapter we look at some more combinations. These will be rather harder than the ones you saw in Chapter 10, either because there are more variations to calculate, or because you have to look further ahead.
A COMBINATION, you remember, involves a COMBINATION of ideas: PIN, FORK, DECOY, AMBUSH, MATING THREATS and other themes are combined to win material, checkmate, or force a draw. You are already familiar with all the ideas: this chapter will give you the opportunity to practise more complicated ways of putting them together.
XABCDEFGH
8-+-tr-+k+(
7zp-+-+pzpp'
6-wq-+-+-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-tR-zP-+-#
2P+-+QzPPzP"
1+-+-+-mK-!
xabcdefgh Diagram 213
Black to move
We'll start with one of the most famous moves ever played. Diagram 213 is from Bernstein-Capablanca, Moscow 1914. It's Black to play. Stop and decide what you'd play here before reading on.
It's easy, isn't it? Qb1+ forces Qf1, when Rd1 (PIN!) wins the Queen. Hands up who said that. I hope it wasn't you, because unfortunately White plays Rc8+ (SPLAT!) at the end of your variation! If this was your answer, back to the drawing board. You must try to continue looking ahead until you reach a position where your opponent has no forcing moves.
The correct answer is Qb2!! This is in fact a FORK! The threats are Qxe2 and Qxc3. It's also a DECOY: Qxb2 allows Rd1#. What can White do? He can move his Rook and block the attack on the Queen with Rc2, but this allows Qb1+, DECOYING the Queen to f1, followed by Qxc2. He can move his Queen to defend the Rook with Qe1, when Black has Qxc3 (DECOY!) winning the Rook, or with Qc4, when Black picks up either the Rook with Qxc3 (DECOY again!) or the Queen with Rd1+. Or he can try Qc2, when Black exchanges Queens and then mates.
White also has a few sneaky traps of his own after Qb2. For instance Rd3, hoping for Qxe2, but this allows Qb1+ (FORK!). Or Qd3, hoping for Rxd3, but allowing Qa1+, again netting the Rook. Finally, Rc8!?, hoping for either Qxe2 when White mates, or Rxc8, when White can capture the Queen safely. But this is also met by Qb1+ (or Qa1+), forcing Qf1 when Black exchanges Queens followed by taking the Rook on c8.
In fact Bernstein chose to resign after Qb2. He knew that Capablanca was far too good a player to fall for any of these traps.
In this position you didn't need to see anything more than three moves deep, but there were a lot of variations to consider before you could be certain you'd found the winning move.
The SIGNPOST which should have helped you find the right answer was the weakness of both players' BACK RANKS. The idea of a BACK RANK MATE is a feature of very many combinations. Our second example is a much longer DECOY combination based on a back rank weakness.
XABCDEFGH
8-+r+r+k+(
7+p+q+pzpp'
6-+-zp-vl-+&
5zp-+P+-+-%
4-+-wQ-+-+$
3+-+-+N+-#
2PzP-+RzPPzP"
1+-+-tR-mK-!
xabcdefgh Diagram 214
White to move
Diagram 214 is said to have come from the game EZ Adams-Torre, New Orleans 1920, but historians now believe it wasn't really played at all, just a made-up game. Stop and have a look before you read on. See how far ahead you can see, looking for the best moves for both sides.
White sees that is he can DECOY either the Queen or the Rook on c8 from the defence of e8 be will be able to mate in two moves. Everything that follows is an attempt to force the DECOY of one of these pieces. So...
1. Qg4! Qb5
No choice. He must continue to defend e8. Now White has to be careful because his own back rank is weak. If you haven't already reached this position in your analysis stop again and decide how you would continue.
I hope you didn't suggest a4. This looks good at first sight, doesn't it? But Black can reply Qxe2!, when White either loses his Rook or gets mated. Instead, White plays a double DECOY.
2. Qc4! Qd7
3. Qc7! Qb5
Now what? You still have to be careful. Qxb7 would now be a mistake because of Qxe2, but this time you can play...
4. a4! Qxa4
5. Re4!
Black still gets mated if he takes the Queen, and 5... Rxe4 6. Qxc8+ also leads to mate.
5... Qb5
6. Qxb7! (Diagram 215)
XABCDEFGH
8-+r+r+k+(
7+Q+-+pzpp'
6-+-zp-vl-+&
5zpq+P+-+-%
4-+-+R+-+$
3+-+-+N+-#
2-zP-+-zPPzP"
1+-+-tR-mK-!
xabcdefgh Diagram 215
Black to move
This time it really does work. Black can no longer save both King and Queen.
XABCDEFGH
8-+-+-trk+(
7zpp+-+-zpp'
6-+-+p+-+&
5+-tR-+-wQ-%
4-+-sn-+-+$
3+-wq-+-+r#
2P+P+-zPPzP"
1+-+-+RmK-!
xabcdefgh Diagram 216
Black to move
In Diagram 216 (Lewitsky-Marshall, Breslau 1912), it's said that the spectators were so impressed with the winning move that they showered the board with gold coins. The winner, Frank Marshall, was the leading American player of his day. Go for gold! Can you find Black's winning move? A game you came across back in Chapter 5 might give you a clue.
Let's stop and take a look at the position to assess what's happening. Last move, Black captured a bishop on h3. White was not able to recapture because of the KNIGHT FORK on f3, so he has retaliated by attacking the Black Queen. He hopes to threaten mate next move with Rc7, when, for instance, he would meet g6 with Qe7, again threatening mate on g7 and giving himself time to take the Rook on h3.
You've had enough time to think about it. What's your answer? Do you collect the gold coins and laugh all the way to the bank? The killer is Qg3!! This threatens Qxh2#, and gxh3 is, of course, illegal (PIN!) So he must take the Queen. If he takes with the h-pawn, it's mate in one (Ne2) and if he takes with the f-pawn, it's mate in two (Ne2 again). There's no choice but to take with the Queen. The variation then runs as follows:
Leaving Black a piece ahead in the ending with an easy win. But of course it would be churlish to play on after such a move as Qg3, so White resigned at once.
XABCDEFGH
8r+-+k+-tr(
7zp-+qsn-vl-'
6-zpp+p+p+&
5+-+p+-vLp%
4-+-zP-+n+$
3wQ-sNL+-+-#
2PzP-+RzPPzP"
1tR-+-+-mK-!
xabcdefgh Diagram 217
White to move
Diagram 217, Penrose-Blau, Hastings 1957-8, is probably something of a record - a four-way DECOY! Given that clue, it's not difficult to find White's next move, but can you work out all the variations? The winner of this game, Dr Jonathan Penrose, was England's leading player in the late fifties and sixties, winning the British Championship no less than ten times. He is now one of the world's strongest Correspondence Chess players.
The first move, of course, is 1. Nxd5. The easiest variation is 1... Qxd5 (undefending e7) 2. Qxe7#. Then we have 1... exd5 (opening the e-file) 2. Rxe7+, winning the Queen. Or Black may prefer 1... Nxd5 (undefending g6) 2. Bxg6+, forcing Qf7. Finally there's 1... cxd5 2. Bb5! (PIN + DECOY!) 2... Nc6 3. Bxc6 (PIN + FORK + DECOY!) 3... Qxc6 4. Qe7#.
Meanwhile, White's threatening the Knight on e7. If the attacked Knight moves to c8 or g8, Bxg6+ wins the Queen. If he defends the Knight with 1... Bf8, White can play 2. Rxe6 (DECOY!) 2... Qxe6 3. Nc7+ (FORK!), or, in this variation, 2... cxd5 3. Bb5 (PIN + DECOY!) 3... Qxb5 4.Rxe7+ Kd8 5. Qd6+. Or if 1... Bf6, 2. Bxf6 Nxf6 3. Nxf6+ (FORK!). This only leaves Black's choice in the game, Nf5. White replies 2. Bxf5 when Black again has an unenviable choice: 2... exf5 and 2... exd5 are both illegal (PIN!), 2... Qxd5 still allows mate on e7 and after 2... cxd5, 3. Bxg6+ Qf7 4. Qe7#. Finally, 2... gxf5 3. Rxe6! (DECOY!) 3... Qxe6 4. Nc7+ (FORK!) wins the Queen. Not fancying any of these options, Black resigned.
XABCDEFGH
8r+-+-trk+(
7zpp+-+pzpp'
6-+pwq-snl+&
5+-+-+-sN-%
4-+LzP-+-+$
3+-+-+-+R#
2PzPQ+-zPPzP"
1+-+-tR-mK-!
xabcdefgh Diagram 218
White to move
The next example has an interesting history. Diagram 218 is a position from the Queen's Gambit which was first published in Soviet chess magazines in the 1930s. Since then it has occurred several times in games where White has done his homework better than Black. It's White to move. You'll need to look several moves ahead to find the answer. If you want a clue, turn back to Diagram 155 in Chapter 10. White's trying to set up this sort of combination but he needs to make a couple of preliminary sacrifices first.
Have you found the answer yet, or have you given up? Here goes.
And after sacrificing Queen, Bishop and Rook White comes out just one pawn ahead.
XABCDEFGH
8-+r+-+r+(
7+-+q+-+p'
6p+-+-+-vl&
5zPkzp-vL-+-%
4-zp-zp-zP-+$
3+P+P+Q+-#
2-+R+-+PzP"
1+-tR-+-mK-!
xabcdefgh Diagram 219
White to move
Finally, you might like to look at one of my favourite positions, which entranced me when I first saw it in my teens. White's winning move in Diagram 219 (Tarrasch-Allies Naples 1914) has been described as the most beautiful ever played on the chess board. Black's King has been driven up the board and appears to be in some trouble. One way to approach any position where you suspect a combination might be on is to look at your attacks and your opponent's defences. If there was no Black Rook on c8 White would play Rxc5#. And if Black's Queen could be persuaded to move away from controlling b7, White would mate in two with Qb7+ followed by Ra1# or Ra2#. How can you exploit this?
I'd be very surprised if many readers find the answer to this one. The incredible winning move is Bc7! This move INTERFERES with both Black's lines of defence, so it's a DOUBLE ATTACK, threatening Rxc5# and Qb7+. Black has a choice of two captures.
Firstly, 1... Rxc7. Now the Rook, as well as defending c5, is the first line of defence of b7. It's OVERWORKED, doing two jobs at once. If we force it to capture on b7 it's no longer defending c5. So 2. Qb7+ (DECOY!) 2... Rxb7 3. Rxc5#.
Secondly, 1... Qxc7. Now the same thing happens the other way round. This time the Queen, as well as defending b7, is the first line of defence of c5. Again, an OVERWORKED piece, which can be DECOYED. This time we play the moves in the reverse order. 2. Rxc5+ Qxc5 3. Qb7+ Kxa5 4. Ra1#.
I hope this example will encourage you to look for surprising and beautiful ideas in your own games. Don't worry too much if you lose a few games because you play a sacrifice which doesn't quite work. At this stage in your development it's more important that you learn to use your imagination than that you win all your games with boring, unimaginative chess.
QUIZ
You'll need to find the winning combination in eight of these ten positions to go on to Chapter 15. They're similar to the ones you solved in Chapter 10, but slightly more difficult.
Q1.
XABCDEFGH
8r+nwq-sn-+(
7+-+l+-mk-'
6p+-zp-zp-tR&
5zPp+Pzp-zp-%
4-zPp+P+P+$
3+-zP-vLPsN-#
2-+LwQ-+K+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefgh
White to play
DECOY - FORK OR SKEWER
Q2.
XABCDEFGH
8-+-+-+-+(
7zpr+r+-+p'
6-+-+-+p+&
5+-zp-zpk+-%
4-+-vl-+N+$
3+-+-+-zP-#
2PzP-tR-zPKzP"
1+-+-tR-+-!
xabcdefgh
White to play
DESTROY - MATE
Q3.
XABCDEFGH
8r+-wq-trk+(
7zpl+p+pvl-'
6-zpn+psn-+&
5+-+-+-wQ-%
4-+P+-+-+$
3+P+-+-zP-#
2PvL-+PzPLzP"
1tRN+R+-mK-!
xabcdefgh
White to play
DECOY - EXPLOIT THE PIN - MATE
Q4.
XABCDEFGH
8-+r+-+k+(
7zp-+-+p+-'
6-zp-vl-+p+&
5+-+Pwq-+-%
4-+-sN-+-+$
3+-+-+-+P#
2PzP-+-+Q+"
1+-+R+-+K!
xabcdefgh
Black to play
DECOY - DECOY - PIN
Q5.
XABCDEFGH
8r+-+r+k+(
7+p+l+pzp-'
6-zp-+-+-zp&
5+-+Pwq-+-%
4-tR-+-+-+$
3zP-+Q+L+-#
2-zP-+-+PzP"
1tR-+-+-+K!
xabcdefgh
Black to play
TRIPLE DECOY - MATE
Q6.
XABCDEFGH
8-+rwq-vlk+(
7tR-+n+r+-'
6-+-zp-+pzp&
5+p+Nzpp+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+Q+-vL-+-#
2-zPP+-zPPzP"
1+-+-+RmK-!
xabcdefgh
White to play
DESTROY - DOUBLE DECOY -
FORK EXPLOITING THE PIN OR MATE
Q7.
XABCDEFGH
8r+-+r+k+(
7+-+-+pzp-'
6p+p+-+-zp&
5+-zPp+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3wq-sNQzP-vLP#
2-+-+-zPP+"
1+-+-mK-+R!
xabcdefgh
Black to play
DECOY - DOUBLE DECOY -
EXPLOIT THE PIN
Q8.
XABCDEFGH
8-+-+r+k+(
7zpp+q+pvlp'
6-+-sN-+-+&
5+-zpP+psN-%
4-+P+-wQn+$
3+-+-+-+-#
2PzP-+-+PzP"
1+-+-+RmK-!
xabcdefgh
Black to play
DECOY - DECOY - MATE EXPLOITING THE PIN OR DISCOVERED CHECK
Q9.
XABCDEFGH
8-+-+r+k+(
7zp-wqr+p+-'
6-+pvl-vLp+&
5+p+-+-+p%
4-+-zP-sn-tR$
3+-+L+P+-#
2PzP-+-zPK+"
1+-wQ-+-+R!
xabcdefgh
White to play
DESTROY - DESTROY - MATE
Q10.
XABCDEFGH
8-+-+-trk+(
7zppwq-+pzpp'
6-+p+-+-+&
5+-+-vlN+-%
4-+-+P+-+$
3+-+-+-wQ-#
2PzPP+-zPPzP"
1+-+R+-mK-!
xabcdefgh
White to play
EXPLOIT PIN - DECOY -
FORK + DECOY - MATE
ACTIVITIES
The next chapter is about endings without pawns. You might like to have a go at the following positions and see whether you can win them.
1. King and Two Bishops against King
2. King, Bishop and Knight against King
3. King and Two Knights against King
4. King and Queen against King and Rook.
In 1, 2 and 3, start with the white pieces on their starting squares and the Black King somewhere in the middle. In 4, try out several different placements of the pieces and see what happens.
Masters of the Universe 14
While Kasparov has been World Champion the English team has also been proving itself one of the best in the world, having finished runner-up to the Soviet Union in the 1984, 1986 and 1988 Olympiads, third in 1990 and fourth in 1996.
All this has come about only in the last few years. In the 1960s England was a second-rate chess nation with no Grandmasters and only a couple of active International Masters. It was not until 1976 that the first modern English player, Tony Miles, became a Grandmaster. Now things are very different: England has more than twenty Grandmasters, and numerous International Masters. Players such as Nigel Short, Michael Adams, Matthew Sadler, Jonathan Speelman and John Nunn rank among the best in the world, and are feared opponents even for Kasparov and Karpov. In this chapter we spotlight two of England's leading players at the time of writing: Nigel Short and Michael Adams.
Nigel Short was born in Lancashire in 1965. He learned the moves when he was six by watching his father teach his older brother. When he was seven the Fischer-Spassky match took place and he was inspired to play through all the games as they took place. There was no junior chess club in his area so he joined the local adult club. He couldn't get into their team so his father started another chess club himself.
Nigel was soon playing regularly in both Junior and open age tournaments, and in league matches against senior club teams. His good results brought him to the notice of the junior selectors and he was chosen to play in a tournament in Jersey.
When he was ten he beat Viktor Korchnoi in a Simultaneous Display, and three days before his twelfth birthday qualified for the British Championship. By the time he was 14 he was among the leading players in the country and playing in strong international tournaments. Our game shows how Nigel played at 14, on top board for England in the World Under 16 Team Championships.
Nigel isn't bringing his Queen out too soon here. The Queen is posted strongly on d4: the only way Black can shift her is by e5. which would weaken him on the d-file.
7... Nf6
8. Bg5 e6
9. Nc3 Bc6?! (Diagram 220)
XABCDEFGH
8r+-wqkvl-tr(
7+p+-+pzpp'
6p+lzppsn-+&
5+-+-+-vL-%
4-+-wQP+-+$
3+-sN-+N+-#
2PzPP+-zPPzP"
1tR-+-+RmK-!
xabcdefgh Diagram 220
White to move
As often happens in the Sicilian Defence, Black gets into trouble by messing about on the Queen-side before completing his development. The natural Be7 was best.
White's next move is a typical sacrificial idea in the Sicilian Defence.
10. Nd5! Bxd5
Black tries to keep the e-file closed. If he accepts the sacrifice he gets mown down in the centre of the board: 10... exd5 11. exd5 Bd7 12. Rfe1+ Be7 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Qxf6 (EXPLOITING THE PIN!) with a crushing advantage for White.
11. exd5 e5
12. Qb4 Qd7
13. Bxf6 gxf6
14. Nd2!
Heading for c4 or e4 to attack Black's pawns. Black should now try f5 to keep White's pieces out of e4 and provide an outlet for his Bishop. Instead he goes pawn-hunting with his Queen.
14... Qb5?
15. Qe4! Qxb2
16. Rab1 Qxa2
17. Rxb7 (Diagram 221)
XABCDEFGH
8r+-+kvl-tr(
7+R+-+p+p'
6p+-zp-zp-+&
5+-+Pzp-+-%
4-+-+Q+-+$
3+-+-+-+-#
2q+PsN-zPPzP"
1+-+-+RmK-!
xabcdefgh Diagram 221
White to move
Stop here and look at Black's position. He's a pawn ahead it's true, but his pieces are scattered round the edges of the board, looking on helplessly. His Queen's out of play, his Bishop's stuck uselessly behind a mass of pawns, his Rooks are undeveloped and his King's a sitting target for White's pieces. It's hardly surprising he loses quickly.
It's easy to find blunders in a bad position. But White was winning easily with his strong d and c-pawns and dominant Knight.
22. Qg4+
Black resigns. 22... Kh8 23. Nxf7#, or 22... Bg7 23. Nf5 followed by Qxg7#.
After that game Nigel went from strength to strength, and has, since the late 1980s, been England's top board and one of the best in the world.
In both 1988 and 1991 Short became a Candidate for the World Championship. In 1988 he lost to Jonathan Speelman in a quarter-final match. In the first round of the Candidates Matches in 1991, Short gained his revenge against Speelman. In the quarter-finals he beat Boris Gelfand, from Belarus, qualifying to meet former champion Anatoly Karpov in the semi-finals in 1992. Nigel played brilliantly against Karpov to score a surprise victory by six points to four. In the final match, in early 1993, he beat Jan Timman of Holland, winning the right to challenge Garry Kasparov for the world title later that year. The match was held in London, but, unfortunately for Nigel, Kasparov went into an early lead, and won the match without difficulty.
Michael Adams comes from Cornwall, where he was born in November 1971. When he was six he expressed an interest in learning to play chess, so Michael and his father learned together. In Autumn 1979 he joined the local chess club and on his eighth birthday played in his first tournament, the Cornwall Under 10 Championship, which he won. Michael competed in tournaments and matches whenever he could and soon started breaking records. In November 1980 he played his first match for Cornwall, and in January 1981 he became the youngest English player to win an adult tournament. At the age of eleven he became the youngest ever county champion. He beat his first International Master at 12 and his first Grandmaster at 13. When he was 14 he scored his first two International Master norms, becoming an International Master at the age of 15. At 17 he became a Grandmaster and won the British Championship. Over the last few years he and Nigel Short have been ranked the best players in England and in the top dozen or so in the world.
This game, played a month before his 11th birthday, demonstrates the importance of opening preparation.
White: Michael Adams Black: G Miller
Golden Coast Tournament 1982
Opening: Sicilian Defence
This is the NAJDORF VARIATION of the Sicilian Defence, named after Miguel Najdorf, an Argentinean Grandmaster who was born in Poland. The idea of a6 is partly to stop White putting a piece on b5, and partly to prepare a pawn advance on the Queen-side with b5.
6. Bg5 e6
7. f4 b5
The Polugaevsky Variation, a very sharp sub-variation of the Najdorf. Lev Polugaevsky was a Russian Grandmaster ranked among the best in the world between the 1960s and the 1980s. Black starts an attack at once, neglecting his development. This is the sort of opening in which the player who has done his homework better will usually win.
8. e5 dxe5
9. fxe5 Qc7 (Diagram 222)
XABCDEFGH
8rsnl+kvl-tr(
7+-wq-+pzpp'
6p+-+psn-+&
5+p+-zP-vL-%
4-+-sN-+-+$
3+-sN-+-+-#
2PzPP+-+PzP"
1tR-+QmKL+R!
xabcdefgh Diagram 222
White to move
The first point of Black's play. If 10. exf6, Qe5+ (FORK!) wins back the piece.
10. Qe2 Nfd7
11. 0-0-0 Bb7
12. Qg4
Two months before this game, Michael had reached this position before, in a Simultaneous Display against Jim Plaskett (then an International Master, now a Grandmaster). In that game play went 12. Nf3 Nc5?? 13. Rd8+, winning Black's Queen. After this game, Michael looked up a book on the opening and discovered that 12. Nf3 gives White nothing after Nc6, but that 12. Qg4 gives Black more problems.
12... Qxe5
13. Bd3 h6
14. Nxe6!? hxg5
15. Rhe1?!
Michael hadn't read far enough ahead in the book. If he had done so, he would have seen that his sacrifice on move 14 was not as good as it looked. On move 15 he should have played Rde1, to give his Queen a retreat on
d1.
15... Nf6? (Diagram 223)
XABCDEFGH
8rsn-+kvl-tr(
7+l+-+pzp-'
6p+-+Nsn-+&
5+p+-wq-zp-%
4-+-+-+Q+$
3+-sNL+-+-#
2PzPP+-+PzP"
1+-mKRtR-+-!
xabcdefgh Diagram 223
White to move
Luckily for Michael his opponent hadn't read that far in the book either. The correct move was 15... Rh4, when White's Queen has nowhere to go, so he must exchange. For instance, 16. Qxh4 gxh4 17. Rxe5 Nxe5 18. Nc7+ Ke7 19. Nxa8 Bxa8, when Black's material advantage should be enough to win.
Instead, Black chooses a different way to attack the White Queen, but it turns out to be a losing blunder.
16. Bxb5+! Nbd7
16...axb5 17. Nc7+ (EXPLOITING THE PIN!) 17... Ke7 18. Rxe5# wins both Queen and King.
17. Bxd7+ Nxd7
18. Nc7+
EXPLOITING THE PIN! Black should resign but doesn't want to lose so quickly against a 10-year-old.