SPACE INVADERS

What are Pawns for? At the end of the game Pawns are there to become Queens. But earlier in the game, Pawns exist to carve out territory behind which you can DEVELOP your pieces. They exist to take squares away from enemy pieces. If you have pawns in the middle of the board and your opponent doesn't he's going to find it very difficult to put his pieces on good squares.

In this game Black decides to curl up in a ball like a hedgehog in the belief that it will make him safe from attack. Watch what happens.

1. e2-e4 e7-e6

Black plays the FRENCH DEFENCE.

2. d2-d4

Why not? If your opponent plays a move which lets you stick a second pawn in the middle of the board you shouldn't hesitate to do so.

2... Ng8-f6?

THREATENING the e-pawn, but this isn't how you play the FRENCH DEFENCE. The correct move here is d7-d5, to attack White's centre.

3. Bf1-d3 Nb8-c6

4. Ng1-f3 Bf8-e7 (Diagram)

Black's already having problems finding good squares for his pieces. If he'd played Bf8-d6 instead, what would you have done? I hope you'd have played e4-e5, a PAWN FORK winning either Bishop or Knight. See how White uses his Pawns to attack the Black pieces. Bf8-b4+ would have been a waste of time - c2-c3 would just drive it back again. So Black tries to play safe.

5. h2-h4

Hardly the best move, but White's seen a plan if Black castles.

5.... 0-0?

6. e4-e5

Using his pawns to drive away the opposing pieces again.

6... Nf6-d5 (Diagram)

Can you guess what White next move is? Think CCT and you might get it right.

7. Bd3xh7+

White SACRIFICES a Bishop to draw out the Black King.

7... Kg8xh7

8. Nf3-g5+

What can Black do? If he goes 8... Kh7-g8 do you see what will happen? CCT: 9. Qd1-h5 (THREATENING the KISS OF DEATH on h7) 9... Rf8-e8 (to try to make room for the King) 10. Qh5-h7 (KISSING the King) 10... Kh8-f8 11. Qh7-h8# (Bringing down the GUILLOTINE). And if Black tries 8... Kh7-g6, what then? Harry gets in on the act with 9. h4-h5+, DECOYING the King into the Bishop's firing line. Then 9... Kg6-h6 and you should be able to find 10. Ng5xf7+ (or Ng5xe6+) - a DISCOVERED CHECK winning the Queen.

Not liking these options, Black zaps the Knight.

8... Be7xg5

9. h4xg5+

DISCOVERED CHECK along the h-file. Now you see what White had in mind on move 5.

9... Kh7-g8 (Diagram)

You should be able to find White's next move.

10. Qd1-h5

THREATENING the KISS OF DEATH on h7 or h8.

10... f7-f5

Trying to make room for his King on f7. Can you work out how White finishes Black off?

Not Qh5-h7+ or Qh5-h8+ when the Black monarch escapes via f7. Instead we close the door first, when Black cannot escape the KISS OF DEATH.

11. g5-g6 Rf8-e8

12. Qh5-h8#

"Someone's left the gate open" said the White King. The Black horses have escaped from the paddock." And he sent out Charlie, Danny, Eddie and Freddie to round them up.

H Borochow - Reuben Fine

Pasadena, 1932

1. e2-e4 Ng8-f6

This is called ALEKHINE'S DEFENCE. It's sometimes played by masters but too difficult for you to try just yet.

2. e4-e5

Eddie tries to catch the first horse.

2... Nf6-d5

He leaps out of the way

3. d2-d4

Danny gets in on the act. (c2-c4 at once is also a popular move. Black should now attack the White pawns with d7-d6.)

3... Nb8-c6?

4. c2-c4

Charlie throws out a rope but the horse escapes again.

4... Nd5-b6 (Diagram)

5. d4-d5

Danny rushes after the horse on c6, but he jumps in the direction of Eddie, knocking him out. Poor Eddie!

5... Nc6xe5

6. c4-c5

Charlie throws his lasso out again, but again the horse on b6 escapes.

6... Nb6-c4 (Diagram)

Can you find White's next move?

The Black Knights are desperately hanging onto each other. The Bishop on f1 ATTACKS the Knight on c4, which is DEFENDED by the Knight on e5. All we have to do is get rid of the Knight on e5. And that's where Freddie comes in.

7. f2-f4

Winning a Knight, but Black can still cause trouble.

7... e7-e6

If White takes the Knight at once Black has a nasty check on h4 (THE FATAL DIAGONAL) so White defuses that idea first. The Knights are tied together now so cannot run away.

8. Qd1-d4 Qd8-h4+

Who's scared of a check? Not me! White's got it all worked out.

9. g2-g3 Qh4-h6 (Diagram)

The Black Queen's still being rather annoying. Now do you see what happens if White plays f4xe5? Yes, Qh6xc1+ (Freddie is PINNED)

10. Nb1-c3

Calmly UNPINNING Freddie by letting the Rook on a1 DEFEND the Bishop on c1. Now there's nothing Black can do.

10... e6xd5

11. f4xe5

Finally, Freddie gets his man, or rather his horse. This is also a DISCOVERED ATTACK on the Black Queen. Black's lost a Knight and his position is falling apart, so he resigned here.

Reuben Fine, who lost that game, a few years later became one of the best players in the world. He thought he could do without pawns in the centre, but he was wrong.

DON'T TRY IT AT HOME, KIDS!

1. Try to keep at least one pawn in the centre of the board at all times. Start your games with 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 to help you do this.

2. Remember the C of DCK - CENTRE CONTROL. If you have pawns in the centre see if you can use them to drive back your opponent's pieces.

3. Use your pawns to carve out territory and keep your pieces safe from attack. In the openings you learn in this course that means trying to get Pawns on e4 and d4 if you're White, on e5 and d5 if you're Black.

4. If you have more SPACE than your opponent try to avoid exchanging pieces. If you have less SPACE than your opponent, try to exchange pieces to free your position.