Critical Positions and Pivotal Decisions for Colle System Players

by

David Rudel

Tl}illl{ers' Press. IllC. Bool{s

2009

Davenport, IA
 ©2009 David Rudel

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, except as may be permitted by the 1 97 6
Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. This also includes e-Books ( and
associated publishing ) and information stored or used on or by internet services.

ISBN: 1 -8 8 8 7 1 0-38- 1

First Published June 2009

Version 1.1 Published December 2 009

Contact the author David Rudel at: david@zukertort.com

Requests for permissions and republication rights should be directed to:

Thinkers' Press, Inc. Books
1 5 24 LeClaire St.
Davenport, IA 5 2 803

bob@thinkerspressinc.com
To Wayne Weaver and Irving Chernev, who introduced me to the Colle

3
 Table o f COIlteIlts

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1 Move Order Quandaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2 Slaying the b7-Monster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3 Putting Down an Errant Knight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

4 A Kite of Doom - Double-Bareled Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

5 The Game-Changing Retreat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

6 Charge ! (When to Play g4 ! ? ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 39

7 Classic Greek Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Bonus Tract 1 : Anti-Colle Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Bonus Tract 2 : The Phoenix Attack - A New C-K Line . . . . 249

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

Colophon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

5
 IIltroducP.OIl

T
hree obj ectives guided my writing of Zuke 'Em:

• Promote the Colle-Zukertort and help those who play it.

• Give my own model for the organization and format of opening books.
• Write in a way that untitled players could understand.

Those same goals informed the writing of The Moment oJZuke (TMoZ), but this
work is a very different animal from Zuke 'Em.
TMoZ is an effort to help Colle players make difficult decisions at the chess
board. If Zuke 'Em is a banquet, TMoZ is a Golden Corral™ buffet. It is a practical
guide to situations Colle players (both C-Z [b3-Colle] and C-K [c3-Colle] players)
often run into. Some of these, like when your opponent lu mbers his Knight to e4
on move 5, are endemic to class play. Others, like knowing when to play g4 ! ? or
responding to . . . Nfd7 (threatening . . . f5 and the end of all happiness), are ques­
tions all Colle players must face, but class players are much less likely to have
cultivated a feel for these pivotal points in a game. The Bishop sacrifice material
is so common that I plan on extracti ng and re-releasing it as a separate book for a
general audience. (Just to be clear - you should not buy that upcoming book if
you have already bought this one . )

Format a n d Use
It should be evident from the above that this book is not intended to be any­
one's first guide to the Colle. I'm assuming you already play the Colle and have a
book on whichever variation you prefer.
I am hopeful TMoZ will contribute to the training of a new crop of titled Colle

7
 The Moment of Zuke

players. I ndeed, it started out as a simple exercise book sim ilar to Chang's Prac tical
Chess Exercises, but dedicated to positions from Colle games. H owever, while pre­
paring these exercises I realized that I really wanted to add lessons as well . The book
developed into a collection of modules. Each module contains a lesson, exercises,
and solutions to the exercises. (The shape and size of the book was chosen to ac­
commodate the huge diagrams I wanted used for the exercises . ) Zuke 'Em readers
who requested private lessons on the Colle now have a fair substitute.
The exercises within each module are distributed more or less randomly with
regard to difficulty ( after all, in OTB play no one tells you whether a given position
is hard or easy) . H owever, the modules themselves have been placed in a rough
chronological order based on how far into the game you are most likely to confront
the featured situation. Modules 1 and 3 are aimed at dubious moves encountered
in lower-level play while the other modules treat decisions germane to all players.
The vast maj ority of exercises for modules 4-7 come from positions between strong
(sometimes quite strong) players.
Weaker players ( 1 000- 1 3 00 Elo) m ight j ust want to figure out the best move or
answer the question in each case, but I recommend even modestly skilled players
take time and write down all their ideas, analysis and variations in a j ournal. This is
a very useful way to improve your game, even if your analysis ends up being totally
wrong. You will get much more from this book if you write out all your ideas and
compare them with the analysis in the solutions than if you just try to figure out
the best move or answer the question related to the diagram.
The exercises and solutions have been selected not only as opportunities for
practice, but also as fodder for pattern training. I very much suggest you repeat the
exercises and re-read the solutions as part of your ongoing chess practice.

Usi ng G u idel i nes

I t will not take long for the reader to see I have a certain affinity for giving guide­
l ines to follow. I'm hopeful the principles I've distilled in the various lessons will
prove useful for Colle players, but I would caution you not to treat them as gospel .
I have tried hard to publish rules that really are true in almost all normal situations,
especially up until the early middle game. H owever, the farther a position is away
from what m ight be considered orthodox, the more likely some tactical exception

8
 The Moment of Zuke

occurs. You can trust that the maxims here are true most of the time. In each case
I've tried to give an explanation as to why the rules work.
Some people may use the information as a heuristic for finding candidate
moves to analyze, others will trust them more and save clock time by doing so.
More advanced players can use them for middle-game planning as they get a better
and better feel for what attacks Black's pieces are ( and are not ) set up to meet. It
is up to you to incorporate them into your play in a manner consistent with your
particular style, opponents, and demeanor.

A Note on the Sol utions

All modules have exercises for students to put into practice the information
from the lesson. With the exception of the first module and a few exercises of the
second, they all include notes and analysis. By no means should these be consid­
ered exhaustive. They are meant simply to defend the solution. They may not even
include best play if that "best play" clearly validates the given answer. For example,
if I claim " Bxh 7 + is a val id sacrifice and . . . KfS leaves Black clearly worse, I'll only
/I

analyze . . . Kxh7, even if it ends up being a forced mate. Some solutions include a
fair amount of information in them, so many players should not feel the need to
re-read the lessons on their second or third run-through of the exercises.

C-z versus C-K Coverage

The two Colle variations share nothing in the way of main l ines, but practitio­
ners of each often find themselves facing similar strategic decisions. This is particu­
larly true when meeting pet defenses and variations, which normally deviate before
the two variations diverge. H owever, this is not to say that each module is equally
useful to both players. C-Z players and C-K players may both have to contemplate
Bxh7 +, but C-K players contemplate it more often. They both have to deal with the
threat of . . . Ne4, but it comes up more frequently in C-Z games.
Thus, I figured it made sense to indicate how important each module is for
the different variations. The chart on the next page is based on the content of the
module and the frequency of the featured situation. The percentages add to more
than 1 00% due to overlap.

9
 The Moment of Zuke

C-K C-Z
# Top i c Pages Rel eva ncy Releva ncy Exercises
1 Move Order Issues 12 400/0 75% 8
2 Early ... b6 20 1000/0 50% 12
3 Early ... Ne4 21 400/0 850/0 12
4 Kite Formation 30 5% 1000/0 16
5 Knight Retreat 35 350/0 800/0 20
6 g4 Charge 35 450/0 1000/0 20
7 Classic Bishop Sac 66 850/0 250/0 60

I hope to see you at the Colle-Zukertort Players Forum ( www .zuke-dukes.com/

forum) . Even you C-Kers are welcome, j ust don't be surprised if we try to convert
you.
David Rudel
David@zukertort.com
Charlottesvile, VA

10
 Module 1: Early Move Order Quaqdaries

I
t can be frustrating playing people who Orleans. I suppose I should have known
don't know what they're doing. How better, walking into a chess club having
many times have you sat down across three very large men at the door whose
from someone, ready to show them the black windbreakers had SECURIlY sten­
gospel according to your d3-Bishop, and ciled upon them.
the following happens: 1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 Th e d i sturb i ng th i ng i s that now
d S ( phew, no King's I ndian Defense ! ) you have to think. A cruel chess reality
3 .e3 e6 (great, his Bishop is locked in) - your opponent's errors end up pl ac­
4.Bd3 c61! ing an obl igation on you rather than on
him. H e has taken a misstep, but you
know you are going to stab yourself with
a plastic knife later at the food court if
you don't figure out how to take advan­
tage of it.
Of course, you could j ust play S .b3
or S . c3, figuring . . . c6 didn't give Black
any new opportunities. It might not be
the best way to punish your opponent,
but chewi ng up five m i nutes of your
This isn't i n The Book. own t i m e o n m ove 5 h a rd ly s e e m s
wise . . . especially if you don't come u p
Doesn't he know 4 . . . cS is the move? with anyth ing better.
No. Evidently he does not. U n for­ Unfortunately, this type of thinking
tunately, chess etiquette does not smile in chess can get your goose cooked . . . . c6
upon counsel ing your opponent to take may not have given Black any new active
back a move and play one you'd prefer. options, but it certainly deprives you of
I learned that the hard way once in New the ab il ity to play dxcS on some later

11
 Module 1 : Early Move Order Quandaries

move compared to the normal 5 . . . c5 . cause Black is able to push his e-pawn
Do you really want to think through all before you can push yours. Just push
the variations and move-order options yours in response (perhaps exchanging
to see if this is an issue? off your d-pawn first) and you should
No. Not at the board you don't. always be set to come out ahead.
So, i n our first n itty-gritty module, Players who play the C- K and only
we'l l discuss how to deal with odd move the C-K can skip forward to the Compli­
orders or novelties assuming the game cations with ... c5 section.
has already started I .d4 Nf6 2 . Nf3 d5
3 .e3 e6 4 . Bd3 ( actually, I'll be suggesting Zu kertort Players Have to Think
in module 2 that C-K players no longer S i n ce the Zukertort i s a bit m o re
play thei r Bishop out on move 4, but ambitious with regard to its opening
pretend you don't know that yet. ) These designs, those who use b3 instead of c3
guidelines are designed to engage either must be more careful about move-order
simple transpositions or dub ious play tricks.
by Black. There are several viable pet de­
fenses that fit neither of these categories F ive Early Prio rities
(you wil l find one in the next module) . General ly White plays the moves b3,
Bb2, 0-0, and Nbd2 ( i n some order)
Koltanowski Players Have It Easy during moves 5 through 8. To painlessly
Because fireworks tend to happen in determine the correct order, use the fol­
the C-K earlier than i n the C-Z, players lowing l ist of priorities.
who utilize the c3-version of the Colle 1 . Prevent . . . c4 .
generally h ave an easy time knowing 2 . Castle i m mediately after Bl ack
what they need to do when their oppo­ puts support on the e5 square
nent deviates: Castle (if you have not al­ (e.g . . . . Nc6, . . . Nbd7, . . . Bd6 )
ready), play e4, and if that is i mpossible 3 . Preven t early ch ecks ( . . . Q a 5 +
play Ne5 or prepare it with Re I . o r . . . B b 4 + ) , o r m a ke them
unappealing.
Meeting ...eS 4 . Make sure Black cannot play . . . e5
I f Whi te h as played accurately, he unless he uses 3 pieces (Queen,
never has to worry about Black getting Knight, Bishop)
. . . e5 in. Do not turn timorous j ust be- 5. Prevent . . . Ne4 .

12
 Module 1 : Lesson
Wait, something seems odd here. Isn't
item 4 more important than item 2?
Ah, I was wondering when you were
going to show up !
You b ring up a good point. I t cer­
tainly seems that p reventing . . . eS i s
pretty important.
The short answer is that no move
order guarantees you can accomplish all
S goals. It turns out that you can guar­
antee three of them, but the repertoire
move order needed for that leaves you in
worse shape when Black accompl ishes
one of the two you cannot prevent.
It is better to pick a repertoire move
order that prevents only two of these,
but leaves you well off even when Black
gets to play a move we would generally
want to prevent. Prioritizing as I have
gives better results than i f you make
stopping . . . eS an absolute priority. An
alternative is to switch goals 1 and 3 if
you are happy playing against 1 . d4 NfG
2.Nf3 dS 3 . e3 eG 4 . Bd3 cS S .O-O c4 ? ! I
prefer not to deal with it.
A Demonstration
Okay, I get that you have to prioritize,
but I still don't see what support for •••
has to do with castling. What's going on
there?
That's a great question. To answer
it, let's remove item 2 from the l ist and
see where it would lead us. In fact, we
can use the game that began this lesson:
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d 5 3 .e3 e 6 4.Bd3 c61!
Black's l ast move did not give any
support to eS . He is certainly not threat­
ening . . . c4, so that leaves two ideas we
want to p revent: . . . Ne4 and an early
check. 5 . N b d 2 stops both of these, so
that would be our logical choice.
Assume Bl ack responded with 5 •••
N bd 7 . He now has one piece supporting
eS but can b ring in another on his next
move. This means it's time for 6.b3 so
that after 6 Bd6, White can respond
•••
with 7.B b2, adding a third defender to
the eS-square. But then Black could play
7 Qc7, wh ich puts a third supporter
•••
to eS .
eS White Wishes H e Had Castled.
The ab ove position is not bad for
13
 Module 1 : Early Move Order Quandaries
White. He can still get a good game by
either playing c4 immediately or castling
a bit too late. But he would be much bet­
ter equipped to handle Black's setup had
he been less concerned about stopp ing
. . . eS and more focused on making sure
he was castled before it happened. Then
he could take advantage of B lack's un­
castled King by opening up the middle.
I believe you, but show me anyway.
Fai r enough. Let's step through the
same moves and see what moves our
prioritized goals indicate.
1 .d4 N f6 2.Nf3 d5 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 c61!
Clearly Black is not threatening . . . c4,
and we can castle any time. So priorities
1 and 2 seem safe. Black has noth ing
hitting eS currently, so number 4 isn't
at risk. Both Nbd2 and 0-0 will prevent
a check, but Nbd2 also fulfills priority
14
S. Thus 5.Nbd2 is our move ( Note, this
business about Nbd2 preventing a check
does not work in the 4 . . . cS line due to a
combination of a weak c3-square and a
lack of a e3-pawn after Black exchanges .
For example l . d4 N f6 2 . N f3 d S 3 . e3
e6 4 . Bd3 cS S .b 3 Nc6 6 . Nbd2 ? ! cxd4 !
7 . exd4 Bb4, and White is on his heels. )
After S . Nbd2, let's assume Black con­
tinues with 5 . . . N bd 7 .
Priority two makes our next move,
6.0-0, pretty clear. After 6 Bd6 7.Re 1 ,
•.•
Black is already in trouble.
Black Wishes He Had Castled.
7 . . . eS ? drops a pawn to 8 .e4 regard­
less of how Black responds (e.g. 8 . . . dxe4
9 . Nxe4 Nxe4 1 0. Bxe4 0-0 1 1 .dxeS BxeS
1 2 . NxeS NxeS 1 3 . Bxh7+ ! )
7 . . . Qc7 and 7 . . . 0-0 are not qu ite
as b ad, but they both al l ow White a
tremendous attack on Black's King after
8 .e4.
 Module 1 : Lesson

Respon se to ...eS
Th e ab ove d i scuss i o n sh ows that
we cannot stop . . . e5 co mpl etely, nor
should we be overly concerned about it.
The more important thing is to prepare
for it appropriately.
If you have pl ayed b3 & Bb2 early
on, and B l ack is threatening e 5 , you
should play e4 .
I f you have not played b3 & Bb2 yet,
then prepare to meet . . . e5 by playing Th e co rrect m ove h ere i s 7 .e4. I f
Nbd2. I f you have already played Nbd2, Bl ack plays 7 . . . c4, then White simply
then play Re I . takes with 8. Bxc4. Now, i f Black takes
the B i s h o p , W h i te h a s e 5 . B e tter i s
Com p l ications with . . . cS 8 . . . dxe4, when White has 9 . N gS, and
You m i gh t b e a l l set to p u s h e 4 Black will not be able to hold onto h is
when your opponent plays a very late advanced e-pawn . H ad White i nstead
. . . c5 . The natural question is whether p l ayed the natural 7 . c3 ? ! , B l ack can
you should ignore this play ( ramming vi ndicate himself with 7 . . . cxd4 8 . exd4
through with e4 anyway) or respond and natural moves will get him equality
with your normal Col l e move ( b 3 or (or he can mix things up with . . . Ba6 ! ?
c3 ) . soon ) . I f White were a C-Z player and
This can b e a more critical decision went with 7 .b3, he would likely end up
than you m ight bel ieve. For example, in a normal and decent position, but
consider the p o s i t i o n sh own bel ow. nothing nearly as nice as what he gets
Black is obviously playing a bit whacky, after the immediate 7 . e4 !
but if White makes the wrong choice, his Th e c r i t i c a l p o i n t i s that B l ack's
advantage will evaporate completely. Bishop was on d6, p reventing B l ack
from taking the B ishop on c4 due to the
forking e5 ! H ad the Bishop been on e7
or f8, that would not have worked and
c3 or b3 would be the indicated play.

15
 Module 1 : Early Move Order Quandaries

Exerci ses
There are 8 diagrams on the follow­
ing pages. For each one, determine the
best move for White. H alf the diagrams
are relevant to b oth variations (b3 or
c3 ) , and the other half are only relevant
to one or the other.

16
 Exercises
Exercise 1 Exercise 3
Last Moves: 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd 3 c5 Last Moves: 4.Bd3 c5 5. b3 N b d 7

Exercise 2 Exercise 4
Last Moves: 5.b3 Nc6 6.0-0 Be7 La st Moves: 5.b3 Nc6 6.0-0 Bd6

17
 Module 1 : Early Move Order Quandaries

Exercise 5 Exercise 7
La st Moves: 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 Bd6 Last Moves: 7 .exd4 Be7 8.0-0 Qc7

Exercise 6 Exercise 8
Last Moves: 5 . N bd 2 N bd 7 6.0-0 Bd6 Last Moves: 5.Bd3 a6 6.0-0 c5

18
 Solufioqs
Exercise 1
Last Moves: 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5
Best Move: 5.b3 or 5 .c3 (or 5.0-0)
Commentary
We'll start off with an easy one that is
not a "quandary" at al l . This is the main
l i n e ! Wh ite s h o u l d d i scou rage Bl ack
from playing . . . c4 .
I f White is playing the alternate rep­
ertoi re ( switching priorities 1 and 3 ) ,
then castling i s fine here a s well .
Exercise 2
Last Moves: 5.b3 Nc6 6.0-0 Be7
Best M ove: 7.Nbd2
Commentary
After Black moves the Bishop to e7,
there is little concern about his advanc­
ing his e-pawn any time soon. Thus, it is
best to play Nbd2 to prevent . . . Ne4 .
19
 Module 1 : Early Move Order Quandaries

Exercise 3 Exercise 4
Last Moves: 4.Bd3 c5 5. b3 Nbd7 La st Moves: 5.b3 Nc6 6.0-0 Bd6

Best Move: 6. 0-0 Best Move: 7. Bb2

Commentary Commentary
Based on priority number 2, Wh ite The need to stop . . . eS is more critical
castl e s . I t m i gh t s e e m l i ke 6 . N b d 2 than the need to prevent . . . Ne4 .
makes more sense, a s i t stops . . . Ne4 .
H owever, after 6 . . . Bd6 White would be Exercise 5
in a fix. Responding with 7 . Bb2 would Last Moves: 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 Bd6
hold off . . . eS temporarily, but after 7 . . .
Qc7, White would prefer to have already
been castled to open up the middle. On
the other hand, responding with 7 . 0-0
would allow Black to get . . . eS in before
Wh ite coul d p l ay Re I . Furthermore,
blocking the possible check with 6 . Nbd2
is dubious after . . . cS and b3 have been
played. 6 . . . cxd4 7 . exd4 Bb4 8 . 0-0 Bc3 is
annoying. It is better to play 6 . 0-0 now,
and White is well-positioned to meet all Best m ove: 5.0-0
the various threats.

20
 Module 1 : Solutions

Commentary Exercise 7
c-z pl ayers should castle because Last M oves: 7 .exd4 Be7 8.0-0 Qc7
priority two says so. C- K should castle
because they need to do that b e fo re
pushing forward with e4 . ( Nbd2 would
have been fine for C-K players as wel l .
I don't recom mend this t o C-Z players
unless they develop a way to avoid Prie's
antidote to the mainline; see next mod­
ule for more information. )

Exercise 6
Last Moves: S . N bd 2 Nbd7 6.0-0 Bd6 Best Move: 9.Re1

Commentary
Black has exchanged on d4, so the
correct plan is to post a Kn ight on eS .
Currently th is would l ose a pawn, so
White needs to prepare it with Re 1 .

Exercise 8
La st Moves: S.Bd3 a6 6.0-0 cS

Best Move: 7. Re1

Commentary
White cannot stop Black from ad­
vancing h i s e-pawn, fo r i t takes two
moves to get a Bishop on b 2 . Wh ite
should play his Rook to e 1 and get ready
to blast forward with e4 !

Best Move: 7.c3 or 7.b3

21
 Module 1: Early Move Order Quandaries

Commentary
B l ack h as p l ayed a l ate . . . cS right
when White was planning on pushing
his e-pawn. Since Black's B ishop is not
on d6, White should meet the threat
of . . . c4 using c3 or b 3 ( depending on
which kind of Col l e he p l ays) rather
than pushing forward with e4.

22
 Module 2: SIayiIl8 tile b7-Mollster
�e last module was devoted to
.1 move order q ua ndar ies. In this
module we will treat the special case
of an early ...b6, the venom of which
eclipses any label as tame as q ua ndary
for the Colle-Koltanowski player. Think
how you would describe running your
Dad's new pickup (or "pickup truck"
as people outside Texas insist on call­
ing them) into a telephone pole. That's
roughly what an early ...b6 is for the
Colle-Koltanowski.
c-z players can benefit from some of
the analysis of this chapter (see notes in
the subsection under the heading Line
A), but it is a lower priority. If they do
not want to mess with another variation,
they should be fine after: 1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3
d S 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 b6 S . N bd 2 Bb7 6.0-0,
when Black is not able to make any use
out of the e4-square and White can con­
tinue with b3, etc. It isn't the most thrill­
ing position for White, but it's blueberry
cobbler compared to what a C-K player
can come up against.
The P roblem
The problems that plague C-K play­
ers after an early ...b6 are many, organic,
and discouraging on both a theoretical
and a practical level. For starters, the
move is a harbinger of ...Bb7, threaten­
ing ...Ne4. Koltanowski players do not
often have to worry about such a play
in the early game, for they generally
play Bd3 and Nbd2 very early. However,
should Black actually get ...Ne4 in, C-K
players are less equipped to handle it
than C-Z players. For one thing, the
standard response (c4) would represent
a lost tempo. For another, C-K players
are unable to target g7 with a Bishop on
b2, a tactic their C-Z playing brothers
can do easily.
Furthermore, C-K players' standard
methods of engaging opening devia­
tions have a hard time getting a foothold
against an early ...b6. As mentioned in
the last module, a quick e4 or Stonewall
formation are the bread and butter for
C-K players going up against a non-stan­
dard move order. Unfortunately, e4 is
obviously going to be hard to get in, and
23
 Module 2 : Slaying the b7-Monster
playing a Stonewall when your oppo­
nent can do the same generally gets you
only equality. For example, after 1 .d4
N f6 2 . N f3 d5 3 .e3 e6 4 . B d 3 b6! 5 .0-0
Bb7 6.Ne51! Be7 7. Nd2 0-0 8.f4, Black
can simply plop his Knight into e4, as
Zarnicki did against Yusupov in 2005 .
As Pall iser mentions in his annotations
to that game, there is not much White
can do to punish this.
Worse, Black does not even have to
trade Stonewall formations. All he re­
ally has to do is play . . . Be7 after White
pl ays Nes, and White has equal ity at
best. After 1 .d 4 N f6 2 . N f3 d5 3 .e3 e6
4 . B d 3 b6! 5 .0-0 Bb7 6 . N e 5 1 ! Be7, the
gam e will l i kely drift i nto 7 . N d 2 0-0
8.f4 c5 9.c3 Nbd7 1 0.Qf3 Qc7, a posi­
tion where White has had great practical
success with 1 1 .g41!, but in reality he
is not threatening anything ( as we will
find in module 6 ), and Black is already
sign i fi c a n tly b etter a fter 1 1 . . . Rad 8 ! ,
1 1 . . . Rac8 ! , or 1 1 . . . as !
I 've given 6.Ne5 a " ? ! " i n the l i nes
above, but it is not as though other plays
give White much either. Both Pall iser
and I have suggested this move in the
past. 6 . c4 takes White into a lackluster
line of the Q I D and leads to a type of
game most Colle players are unlikely to
either enj oy or be prepared for. 6 . Nbd2
can be met by simply 6 . . . Be7 now or on
24
the next move, and then Black can play
. . . Ne4 safely.
I 've been using the move order 1 .d4
Nf6 2.Nf3 d 5 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 b6! 5.0-0 Bb7
to display these problems, but White has
similar trouble even when Black delays a
move or two. Black can play 4 . . . c5 5.c3
b6 as wel l as other, more exotic orders.
The Idea
To determine a solution to this prob­
lem, we have to go back to the root of
it. Let's ask ourselves Wha t gives Black
the right to make s uc h a n ugly, arroga nt
move so early? Playing a Knight to such
an advanced post ( as Black no less ! ) so
early seems somehow unj ust, and we
think White should have some way of
punishing Black's brashness.
To understand why Black can make
these m oves safely, we must l o o k at
what weaknesses his play i ntroduces
and ask ourselves why White is unable
to target those weaknesses. Then the an­
swer becomes rather clear. Black's play
has softened the a4-e8 diagonal (you
know, the one Black's King is on . . . since
Black has not taken time to castle) . I n
particular, playing . . . b 6 has weakened
c6 and the Knight that j u m ped to e4
used to cover d 7 .
Unfortunately, normal Colle play is
particularly ill -suited to taking advan-
 Module 2 : Lesson
tage of this weakness. White would like
to play NeS, BbS ( + ) , and perhaps Qa4
to cause problems along this diagonal,
but such plays cut against the grain of
the Koltanowski variation. Obviously,
Wh i te has al ready pl ayed h i s Bishop
to d3, so now BbS + would represent a
wasted tempo in some sense. Secondly,
the Colle is quiet enough that Bl ack
m ay del ay . . . cS, mean i ng he h as the
. . . c6 "biff" in his pocket as a response
to Bb S + . Lastly, the cruel, tragic truth is
that White generally needs to play Qe2
to push e4 (to prevent . . . Ne4 ), but it is
this exact move that often leaves h i m
unable t o meet . . . Ne4 because once the
Queen moves to e2, she cannot go to
a4 ( o r even c2 to at least pressure the
Knight after it lands on e4 ) .
F a s h i o n i n g a s a t i s fa c t o ry s o l u ­
tion involves making use o f a few key
observations:
• White's opportunity for play along
the a4-e8 diagonal increases significant­
ly once Black plays . . . cS .
• Black is unl ikely to play . . . Nc6 if
he is trying to make use of an early fian­
chetto, this means there is less pressure
on d4 and no chance of . . . Nb4, hitting
White's Bishop.
• If Black plays . . . b6 and later plays
. . . bS, it represents a loss of tempo.
The P l a n
Now, what kind o f stew can we make
from the three observations above ?
Good Question! My pot is empty.
Don't feel bad. You have to knock
down a few walls and rip up some floor­
ing to find the solution, which involves
two maj or principles:
1 . When possib le, we will disrupt
Black's Q-side by playing BbS+ imme­
diately after . . . b 6 . To get the most from
this play, we switch up the Colle move
order and play Nbd2 before Bd3 .
2 . I f Black plays . . . b 6 before playing
. . . cS, we do not play c3 in response. We
welcome . . . c4 because we will now be
a tempo up on those lines where Black
had not played . . . b 6 .
Explain that second one.
After . . . c4, Black will have to play
. . . b S soon to defend the pawn. H ow­
ever, he has al ready played . . . b 6 . The
tempo lost in movi ng the b-pawn twice
turns out to be rather critical.
Doesn't playing Nbd2 so soon have some
other problems?
I d o n ' t t h i n k so, not fo r the C- K
25
 M odule 2 : Slaying the b7-Monster
p l ayer at l east. I ndeed, it all ows them
greater flexibil ity in meeting deviations
because the extra defense given to the
Kn ight on f3 can be useful against . . . Bg4
deviati o n s and the option of p l aying
c4 and retaking with the Knight ( rather
than retaking with the B ishop that has
al ready moved ) should be quite usefu l .
You said "not for the C-K player at least, "
does that mean C-Z players should stick
with their normal move order?
Yes . P l aying an early N b d 2 i s s ig­
nificantly more del icate a matter for the
c-z p l ayer. The biggest issue is that i f
he p l ays main-line moves he w i l l fi n d
h i mself i n the j aws of Prie's trap after,
say, 1 . d4 Nf6 2 . Nf3 dS 3 . e3 e6 4 . Nbd2
cS S . b 3 Nc6 6 . Bd3 Bd6 7 . Bb 2 0-0 B . O­
o Qe7 9 . NeS Qc7 ! , when 1 0 . f4 ? ! cxd4
1 1 . exd4 Nb4 forces White to p art with
his Bishop. In a Chessville article, I gave
the improvement on this l ine, but it gets
ruined if White plays an early Nbd2 .
On the other hand, as I mentioned
earli e r, C-Z p l ayers are not in n early
as much o f a p ickle when it comes to
meeting . . . b6. Even better, C-Z players
can transpose i nto one of the l ines I give
here without changing their move order
with 1 . d4 Nf6 2 . Nf3 dS 3 . e3 e6 4 . Bd3 b 6
S . Nbd2 ! B b 7 6 . 0-0 c S 7 . NeS .
26
Oh, you have some lines? Show me.
I ' m about to, but first let's discuss
how the general plan unfolds and why
it works .
Keep in mind that the goal here is
not necessari ly to get a great position.
Th e goal i n these l i n es i s to d o dge a
bullet and make Black think and sweat
a b it for equality. Even when Bl ack gets
an equal position, it will be the kind of
p ositi o n that C- K pl ayers are used to .
H opefully, he will also have a good deal
more ti me on his clock too !
Wh ite's strategy i s b ased o n a few
po ints:
• After Bl ack has played . . . b6, Wh ite
does not need to castle before playing
e4 if either of the two co nditions below
are true:
o Black has also played . . . Bb 7 .
o Wh ite has not played c3 .
• With a proper move order, Wh ite
c a n p ro v o k e . . . cS a ft e r . . . b 6 . Th e n ,
White need n o t worry about . . . c4 . (See
discussion on previous page . )
• B l ack must either p l ay . . . N b d 7 ,
. . . cS o r . . . B e 7 / d 6 b e fo re h e c a n safely
p l ay . . . Ne4 due to the th reat o f N e S
& BbS .
Th e ab ove, w h e n taken togeth e r,
mean that White can always safely play
e4 before Bl ack can play . . . Ne4 .
 Module 2 : Lesson
I see how developing his Bishop helps
him get away with ••• Ne4 (he can castle
quickly), and how ••• Nbd7 helps (he can
lop oHthe Knight that comes to eS), but
how does ••• cS help?
. . . Qc7 lets Bl ack hit the Kn ight that
j ust carne to eS while putting an extra
d e fe n d e r o n the c 6 - squ are, a l l ow i n g
Black t o bl ock the check Wh ite's Bishop
will give on b S .
And how does ••• Bb7 help White play e4
safely even if he has not castled?
It weakens the d7 -square. Th is only
comes up i f B l ack is focusing on get­
ting . . . Ne4 in as quickly as possible. An
exa mple would be 1 . d4 Nf6 2 . N f3 dS
3 . Nbd2 e6 4 . e3 cS S . c3 Nbd7 6 . Bd3 b6
7 . Qe2 Bb7, planning . . . Ne4 afterward .
White can b e at h i m to the punch
by playing B . e4 ! even though he hasn't
castled because B . . . cxd4 9 . Nxd4 ! NcS ? !
(which would typ ically b e a prob l e m
here) can be answered b y 1 0 . Bb S + !
And how does c3 make it harder for
White to play e4 safely?
If White is in a position where he has
to rely on eS ! as an answer to . . . cxd4, he
ends up l osing the pawn marauding war
because Bl ack's pawn has a clear path
to White's King via c3 and d2. If there is
no pawn on c3, Bl ack's pawn becomes
stranded on d4 in this continuation.
Thus, White will end up doing one
of three things:
1 . Play NeS with advantage, either
because B l ack p l ayed . . . Ne4 at a b ad
time or because Black has been coaxed
into playing . . . Bd7.
2. P l ay e4 a fter preparing it with
N b d 2 , Bd3, and perhaps Q e 2 . ( N ote
that in this case Wh ite will delay castl ing
to make sure he can get e4 in. )
3 . Obtain a very good position after
Bl ack plays a misco nceived . . . c4 .
Okay, enough generalities. Show me
those lines!
Fine. We really only need to look at
how the Bb S + fi nesse unfo l d s . White
should p l ay th is any time Bl ack p l ays
27
 Module 2 : Slaying the b7-M onster
. . . b 6 b e fo re deve l o pi n g his Q u e e n' s
Knight. If Black plays his Queen's Knight
out before . . . b6, the moves for White are
pretty easy to find up until at least e4.
Thus, we wil l look at two lines:
A. 1 .d4 Nf6 2 .Nf3 d5 3 .e3 e6 4.N b d 2
b6
B. 1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d 5 3 .e3 e6 4.N bd2
c5 5.c3 b6
The first is the only line that is rel­
evant for C-Z players, who can transpose
to it without changing their move order.
Th at transpositi o n a l line is l . d 4 N f6
2 . Nf3 dS 3 . e3 e6 4 . Bd3 b6 S . Nbd2 ! Bb 7
6 . 0-0 cS 7 . NeS . See notes to move 7 of
the Line A commentary.
line A
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d 5 3 .e3 e6 4.N b d 2 b6
5.Bb5+!1
5 ••• c6
Anything else is fine for White. S . . .
N b d 7 a l l ows the ann oying 6 . Bc6 Rb B
28
7 . Qe2!, when Bl ack should know better
than to rid himself of his "thorn in the
flesh " with 7 . . . Bb 7 ? ! , for after B . Bxb 7
Rxb 7 9 . e4 , the u n d e fended Ro o k o n
b7 adds extra color t o exchanges on e4.
More circumspect lines are also pleasant
for White - Not a huge surprise given
that both pawn b reaks ( c4 and e4 ) are
available to him.
S . . . Bd7 ?! 6 . Bd3! might l o o k odd,
but is actually quite i ntel ligent. After
6 . . . cS , White can ei ther advance his
e-pawn immediately or revert to a typi­
cal C- K setup. To see why White would
want to do the latter, see Line B.
6.Bd3 c5
O f course, other pl ays are possible,
but they are unlikely to pose White any
difficulties. White's plan is to ignore this
move, which means he has fewer op­
tions ( for example, Qe2 is more or l ess
impossible now ) . If White finds himself
" out of moves " in this line, he should
play NeS . He wil l likely find himself up
one move on a more normal variation
by not having pl ayed c3 .
7.0-0 c4
The other way of h o l ding b ack e4
( 7 . . . Bb 7 B . N e S c 4 ) s h o u l d l e a d t o
something similar t o what w e wil l see
here. N ote that this is where Zukerto rt
pl ayers wil l find themselves after 1.d4
Nf6 2 . Nf3 dS 3 . e3 e6 4 . Bd3 b 6 S . Nbd2 !
 M odule 2 : Lesson
Bb 7 6.0-0 cs 7.Nes . Wh ite's plan is to
threaten Bl ack's Q-side pawns and then
either lock them up or grab an advantage
there. Either way he will likely trade off
Bishops with Ba3. He should try to get in
Nes before Bl ack covers that square with
a Kn ight. If Black devel ops with ... Nc6
or . . . Nbd7 before playing . . . c4, White
should immediately play Nes ( not wait­
ing for . . . c4 ) , and he'll be fine.
8. Be2 Bb7
We will soon see that Bl ack ru n s
into d ifficu l ty b ecause h e is sti l l two
moves away from castl ing, so it might
seem like . .. Be7 or ... Bd6 is the smarter
pl ay; h owever, Bl ack can get into b ig
trouble because his a-Rook lacks protec­
ti on ( e.g. 8 . . . Bd6 ? ! 9.b3 b S ? ! 1 0 . a4 a6 ?
1 1 . axbs ) .
8 . .. Qc7 i s really Bl ack's only other
option here, as it requires White to play
9 . c3 before playing b 3. H owever, Black
would sti ll have to play 9 . . . Bb7 to give
his Rook protection, and play would be
similar to the l i ne given here ( and l ikely
will transpose) because 8 . . . Qc7 has not
stopped White from playing Nes .
8 ... N b d 7 would a l s o req u i re 9 . c3
and would put the brakes on Nes, but
it doesn't matter because Bl ack needs to
have a piece supporting a possible ... Bc6
to prevent a future Qa4+ should Wh ite
take on c4. Bl ack would really prefer to
retake with his b-pawn, but would not
be able to after 8 .. . Nbd7 9.c3 Bb7 1 0.b 3
bS I l .bxc4. Wh ite's position after 1 1 . . .
bxc4 ? ! 1 2.Q a4 i s excell ent fo r Wh ite.
9.b3 b5 1 O.a4 a6 1 1 .Ne51
Th is last move might seem a b it op­
timistic, but B l ack does not have time
to play ...c3 due to his under-defended
Ki ng. ( 1 1. . . c3 ? ! 1 2 . Ndf3 b4? 1 3 . Ngs ! ) .
Nor is Bl ack in a position to take those
pawns on the Q - s i d e b ecause Wh ite
can put significant pressure down the
a- and b-files. The diagram position is
quite rich in possibil ities due to threats
on both sides of the board. If nothing
else, Wh ite can lock up the Q-side, play
f4 , and use his space advantage on the
K-side to mount an assault on Bl ack's
King.
lineS
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d 5 3 .e3 e6 4.N b d 2 c5
5.c3 b6 6.Bb5+
29
 Module 2 : Slaying the b7-Monster
6 .•. Nbd7
S h o u l d B l ack play 6 . . . Bd7 i nstead,
White has already won a small victory.
The Bishop there not only gets in the way
of Bl ack's forces but also gives White an
easy plan of retreating the Bishop to d3,
stonewal ling with NeS & f4, and looking
for a g4 ! break.
7.e4! dxe4
7 . . . cxd4 8 . Nxd4 wil l allow White to
play eS with advantage.
8.Nxe4! Nxe4 9.Bc6 Rb8 1 0. Bxe4 Qc7!
The only move. Otherwise Bf4 makes
Bl ack's Rook cry .
1 1 .Qe2
White threatens d S . The problem for
Black from this position is that he would
like to play both . . . Bd6 and . . . Nf6 soon.
The Knight move helps unwind his posi­
tion. In addition to putting his Knight on
a natural square, it shoos White's Bishop
from e4, allowing Bb 7 . A Bishop o n d6
al lows Bl ack to continue contesting the
30
eS-square and stops his positi on from
being generally passive. H owever, trying
to get b oth of those moves in the near
future allows White to sacrifice the mi­
nor exchange for excellent control of the
center and play against Bl ack's K-side.
Bl ack players going for a win might start
down that road, but it is unlikely to take
them where they want to go.
The rest of t h i s l i n e is devoted to
an exa m p l e of how such p l ay might
unfold.
11 ••• Bd6
Th i s makes d S l es s o f a c o n ce rn .
Note that Bl ack cannot get around what
is co m i ng by p l aying 1 1 . . . h 6 ? ! si nce
White can play 1 2 . d S !
1 2 .Bg5 0-0 1 3 .0-0 Nf6?!
There is nothing that says Black has
to play this, but otherwise White has a
pretty free hand.
1 4.Bxf6! gxf6 1 5.d5! f5
C l e a rly, th i s is the way to refute
White's play if such a refutatio n is to be
found.
1 6.Bc2 exd 5 1 7.Rfe 1 Qd8
Covering gS to allow his next move.
1 8.Ra d 1 Be6 1 9.g 3 !
B l ack cannot enj oy t h e prospect of
seeing Nh4 come down .
 Module 2 : Lesson
Sa m p le Exercise
O n e l i n e I h ave not menti o n ed is
shown below.
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 dS 3 .e3 e6 4.Nbd2 cS
S.c3 N bd 7 6.Bd3 b6
W h a t s h o u l d Wh i t e p l ay h e r e ?
Analyze the various options and defend
your choice.
(Solution begins at the top of the nex t
column.)
There are three chief candidates: e4,
Qe2, and 0 - 0 . Let's l o o k at each o n e .
Note that Q c 2 is generally not a good
play in the C-K. White will be pressured
down the c-file and often has to make
concessions to keep his Queen safe o n
c2.
W h ite Adva nces
The obvious candidate is 7 .e4. C- K
players should be quite at h o m e with
the sort of game one expects after this
central pawn b reak. The problem is that
Wh ite's uncastled position gives Black
seri ous tactical options. Remember the
two criteria indicating when White can
p l ay e4 without h aving castl ed. N o te
that neither applies: White has p l ayed
c3, and Bl ack has not played . . . Bb 7 .
After 7 . . cxd4, White would rather
.
not take back wi th a pawn, l eading to
what looks l ike either a l i fel ess IQP or
one with a bit too much l i fe to it (e.g.,
8 . cxd4 dxe4 9 . Nxe4 Bb7 I O . Nxf6 + Qxf6
I l. BgS Bxf3 ! ? ) Unfo rtunately 8 . Nxd4 ? !
NcS ! can not b e adequately an swered
with 9 . Bb S + (which is often a resource
in such l i nes) . Bl ack can s i m p ly meet
t h i s with 9 . . . B d 7 , after which Wh ite
has l i ttl e better than I O . Bxd 7 + Qxd 7
I I . exd S , when Bl ack can p l ay the an­
noying I l . . . Nd3 + or try for more with
1 1 . . . eS ! ? ( Note that Nd3 + would not be
31
 Module 2 : Slaying the b7-Monster
an option if White had castled, and this
is also the move that stops 1 1.eS from
working as well.)
Thus, White may be tempted to play
8.eS?! But this does not work out well
for him either because his King is in the
way of B l ack's m arau d i n g p awn as it
threatens to zig-zag to c3 and then d2.
White Conti n u es Prepa rations
The b e s t m o ve i s 7 . Q e 2 , v i r t u­
ally assuring White can play e4 at some
point.
I f B l a c k i g n o re s t h i s a n d p l ays
7 ... B b 7 anyway, we h ave 8 .e 4 cxd 4
9.Nxd4, and now 9 ... NcS can be met
with 10.BbS ! because Black's Bishop is
no l onger on its home square. Of course,
Bl ack has far better 9th moves, such as
9 ... Qc7. H oweve r, White w i l l be able
to grab the central files, and that should
count for something.
I f Black instead pl ays 7 ... Be7, plan-
n i ng to castle and avo id any nasti ness
on the e-file, White should fol l ow suit.
After 8.0-0 0-0 9.e4, Black sti ll has to do
something about that e-pawn, and after
9 ... dxe4 10.Nxe4 B b 7 1 1.Nxf6 + Nxf6
12.dxcS BxcS 13.BgS, I think Wh ite can
sti l l claim some slim pull. 9 ... cxd4 is
far less common in practical play from
th is position, but might be better. On
the other hand, it gives White the choice
32
between the cal m 10.cxd4 dxe4 1 1.Nxe4
Bb7 12.Nc3 and the considerably less
calm 12.NegS ! ? h6 13.Nxe6 ! ?
White Castles
Wh ile it is generally smart to castle
before opening up the center, it is hard
to see how White can get anything bet­
te r th an a tra n s p o s i t i o n of an e a rlier
l i ne by castling now. Castl ing i s also
discouraged as it allows Black to make
up for be ing a b it lazy in his moves ear­
lier. After 7.0-0 Bb7 8.Qe2 Bl ack has the
option of p l aying 8 ••• Ne4!? s i n ce the
c7-square is available for his Queen, and
he appears to be fine after 9.NeS NxeS
1 0.dxeS Qc7!
Exe rci ses
On the following three pages are 12
diagrams testing your tactics and stra­
tegic understanding in positions where
Black plays an early ...b 6. The first four
only have general co mmentary in their
solutions ( as in the solutions to exercis­
es in module 1 ) . I have provided addi­
tional notes and variations to the l ast 8.
The exercises in the rest of the modules
all have these additional analyses.
 Exercises

Exercise 1 Exercise 9
Last Moves: 5 .c3 b6 6.Bb5+ Bd7 La st Moves: 5.Bb5+ N bd 7 6.Bc6 Rb8

Exercise 2 Exercise 4
Last Moves: 6.Bd3 c5 7.0-0 Be7 Last Moves: 5.Bb5+ c6 6.Bd3 c5

33
 Module 2 : Slaying the b7-Monster

Exercise 5 Exercise 7
Last Moves: 5 .c3 Be7 6.Bd3 b6 Last Moves: 5.c3 b6 6.Bb5+ N b d 7

Exercise 6 Exercise 8
Last Moves: 7 .0-0 c4 S.Be2 Qc7 Last Moves: 5.Bb5+ c6 6.Bd3 N b d 7

34
 M odule 2 : Exercises

Exercise 9 Exercise 1 1
Last Moves: 3 .e3 b6 4.BbS+ N b d 7 Last Moves: 9.Bc6 R b 8 1 0. Bxe4 N f6

Exercise 1 0 Exercise 1 2
Last Moves: 7.0-0 c4 8. Be2 Bd7 Last Moves: 4.Nbd2 N b d 7 S.Bd3 b6

35
 SolutiOilS
Exercise 1
Last Moves: S .c3 b6 6.BbS+ B d 7
Best Move: 7.Bd 3 !
Commentary
White retreats his Bishop and now
plans on establishing a Knight on eS.
He will look for an opportunity to break
with g4.
Exercise 2
Last Moves: 6.Bd3 cS 7.0-0 Be7
Best Move: S.NeS
Commentary
Black has run W hite out of moves,
so N e S is the appr o priate p l ay h er e.
Remember, you should not play c3 in
response to ... cS after Black has already
played ...b 6.
37
 Module 2 : Slaying the b7 -Monster

Exercise 3 Exercise 4
Last Moves: 5.Bb5+ Nbd7 6.Bc6 Rb8 Last Moves: 5.Bb5+ c6 6.Bd3 c5

Best Move: 7.Qe2 Best Move: 7.0-0

Commentary
Th is was the move given in Li ne A
if Black b locks the check with a Knight.
It gives Wh ite an excellent position by
supporting b oth pawn b reaks ( e 4 and
c4 ) while discouraging . . . Bb 7 ? ! due to
tactics involving White's Queen h itting
the undefended Roo k on b7 when she
retakes o n e4 .
Commentary
N ow t h a t B l a c k h as p l ayed . . . c S ,
neither Q e 2 n o r e4 are possible ( . . . c4
squashes b oth ) . Thus, cast l i n g is the
move White has left.
Exercise 5
Last Moves: 5 .c3 Be7 6.Bd3 b6

Best M ove: 7.e4

38
 Module 2 : Solutions
Commentary
Since Bl ack has not played . . . Nbd7
(the source of White's frustration in the
sample exercise discussed in the mod­
ule), White can play e4 immedi ately.
Analysis, Variation, and Notes
7 dxe4
•••
7 ... cxd4 8.Nxd4, a n d B l a ck h a s to be
ca reful about how the center resolves.
S.Nxe4 N bd 7
8... Bb7 9.Nxf6+ Bxf6 1 0.dxcS.
9.Nxf6+ Nxf6
9...Bxf6 1 0.Be4.
1 0.dxeS BxeS 1 1 .Bf4 0-0 1 2 .Qe2
Black's Queen wi l l have a bit of an i s­
sue find i ng a good squa re.
Exercise 6
Last Moves: 7.0-0 e4 S.Be2 Qe7
Best Move: 9.e3
Commentary
White needs to stop Black from play­
ing . . . c3 .
Analysis, Variation, and Notes
9 ••• Bb7
Based on the resu l t s of t h i s l i n e, i t
m ight seem l ike gua rd i ng eS with a m i n o r
piece i s more i m portant, but that does not
work out wel l fo r B l a ck. One probl e m is
that Black knows moving his Ki ng's Bishop
i s a wa sted m ove, but at the sa m e ti m e
he has t o b e ca reful about Wh ite openi ng
up the ga m e with h i s King sti l l two m oves
away from ca stli ng.
9 ...Nbd 7 1 0.b3 cxb3 ( 1 0...bS? 1 1 .a4)
1 1 .Qxb3 Bd6 ( 1 1 ...Bb7 1 2.c4) 1 2.Ba3 0-0
1 3.Rfc 1 ;
9...Nc6 1 0.e4! dxe4 1 1 .NgS.
1 0.NeS
It is i m p o rta nt to get th i s in befo re
B l a ck covers eS. Otherwise you ca n e n d
up w i t h a position t o o l ocked up t o get
a nyt h i ng fro m . Th i s move gives Wh i te
some extra space he w i l l use later.
1 0.b3 cxb3 1 1 .Qxb3 Nc6 i s okay fo r
Wh ite but n ot great.
1 0.Qc2 Nbd 7 1 1 .b3 bS 1 2.a4 a6 a n d
i t l ooks l ike Wh ite w i l l have t o l ose t h e
te m po wa r a n d p l a y B a 3 befo re B l a ck
m oves h i s o w n B i s h o p. De p e n d i ng o n
your technique, you may find this position
quite pro m i s i ng o r quite dul l. Th i s i s why I
39
 Module 2 : Slaying the b7-Monster
suggest playing Ne5 ea rlier.
10 ••• N b d 7 1 1 .f4
Black ca nnot make use of the e4-squa re
due t o the pressure on c4.
Exercise 7
Last Moves: S.c3 b6 6.BbS+ N b d 7
Best Move: 7.e4
Commentary
Th is makes good use of the unde­
fended Rook.
Analysis, Variation, and Notes
7 ••• cxd4
7 . . . d xe4 8 . Nxe4 Nxe4 9 . B c 6 Rb8
1 0.Bxe4 (th reate n i ng Bf4!) 1 0... 0c7 1 1 .0-0
B d 6 1 2.Bg5 h6 1 3. B h4 i s about eq u a l, but
Black has to play some awkwa rd m oves.
He wou l d l ike t o p l a y . . . Nf6 b u t wou l d
rather not have to reca pture with a pawn
after Bxf6.
8.Nxd4 Bb7 9.eS a6 1 0.Ba4 Ne4
40
1 0... b5 1 1 .exf6.
1 1 .Nxe4 dxe4 1 2 . Bf4
Black wi l l have to play pretty scra p p i l y
to manage some sembla nce of equa l ity.
Exercise 8
La st Moves: S . B b S + c 6 6 . B d 3 N b d 7
Best Move: 7.0-0
Commentary
Bl ack has decided to play his Kn ight
out befo re pushing the c-pawn, th is is
the s o rt of i n accu racy strong p l aye rs
know how to punish.
Analysis, Variation, and Notes
7 .e4 d xe4 8 .Nxe4 Nxe4 9 . Bxe4 O c 7
d oe s n 't l o ok too ba d fo r B l a ck. 1 0.Ne 5
N xe 5 1 1 . B f4 B d 6 . Co m pa re t h e s i m i l a r
l i nes bel ow.
7 cS
•••
Not h i ng else puts u p much of a fight
aga i nst e4.
 Module 2 : Solutions

7 ... Be 7 8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 0.Bxe4 Commentary

Q c 7 1 1 .N e 5 B b 7 ( 1 1 ... N x e 5 1 2 . B f4 ) B l ack p u s h e d h i s b - p awn a m ove
1 2.Qg4! b e fore h e pr o b ab ly s h o u l d h ave. H e
7 ... Bd6 8.Qe2 gets good use out of the then compounded this by making the
un protected c-pawn. 8 ...0-0 9.e4 dxe4?! natural beginner error of blocking with
1 0.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 1 .Qxe4. his Knight. W hite should take advan­
8.e4! tage of the locked in Queen and weak
W h ite ca n p l a y e4! because B l a c k 's c6-square.
pawn ca n not d o a Sherman's M a rch to the
Ki ng (. . . cxd4, . . . dxc3, . . . cxd 2+)-there is Analysis, Variation, and Notes
no c3-pawn to ta ke. S ••• Bb7
8 ... c4 5 ...c 5 6.e4 e6 (6... cxd4 7.exd 5 Bb7
8...cxd4?! 9.e5. 8.Qxd4 a6 9.Bc6 Bxc6 1 0.Nxc6 Qc8 1 1 .0-0)
9.Be2 c3 7.exd 5 Nxd 5 (7...exd 5 ? 8.Nc6 Qc7 9.Qe2+)
9...b5 ?! 1 0.a4. 8.c4 Nc7 9.Bc6 cxd4 1 0.Qxd4 f6 1 1 .Nxd 7.
1 0.bxc3 dxe4 1 1 .NeS Qc7 1 2.BbS Be7 6.Qf3 ! c6 7.Nxc6 Bxc6 8.Bxc6 Rc8
1 2 ...a6 1 3.Bc6. 9. Bxd S
1 3 .Rel .
Exercise 10
Exercise 9 Last Moves: 7.0-0 c4 8.Be2 Bd7
Last Moves: 3 .e3 b6 4.BbS+ N b d 7

Best Move: 9.e4

Best Move: S.NeS

41
 Module 2 : Slaying the b 7 -Monster
Commentary
Black has moved his Bishop to d7 in
an effort to reach a stab le Q-side. Th is
Bishop puts support on b S and a4. I n
particular a future Qa4 ( as described i n
the lesso n ) i s now out o f the question.
H owever, Black has overlooked the over­
worked nature of his d-pawn, which has
to both protect c4 and stop e4 .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
9 ••• N c6
Consistent with Black's ea rlier p l a n a s
n o w t h e Queen ca n protect t h e Rook o n
a8. Sti l l, a l l owing White t o get eS i n must
a l ways be considered ca reful ly.
9 . . . dxe4 1 O . N e S and Bl ack cannot
hold the c-pawn . 1O . . . b S 1 1 . a4;
9 . . . Nxe4 1 O . Nxe4 dxe4 gives Wh ite a
choice between a stabl e advantage ( 1 1 .
NeS ) or an active one after 1 1 . NgS Bc6
1 2 .£3 Be7 1 3 . Nxf7 !
1 0.eS Ng4 1 1 .b3 bS 1 2 .a4 a613 . N b 1
White has options on both sides o f
t h e b oard . H i s l ast move foresees push­
ing the Knight back to h6 and then tak­
ing him to introduce doubled, isol ated
h-pawns in Black's camp .
42
Exe rcise 1 1
Last Moves: 9.Bc6 Rb8 1 0.Bxe4 Nf6
Best Move: 1 1 .Bf4!
Commentary
Black has made a natural move, try­
ing to unwind his position by playing
. . . N f6 with tempo against the B ishop
on e4. G iven the compromised state of
his Q-side, this is a luxury he could not
afford . . . . Qc7 was needed instead with
an interesting game ahead ( see lesson
for analysis of that variation ) .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 1 .Bf4 Bd6 1 2. Bc6+ Ke7
1 2 ...B d 7 1 3 .Bxd6 Bxc6 1 4.Bxb8.
1 3 .NeS Qc7
1 3 ...Bb7? 1 4.Bxb7 Rxb7?? l S.Nc6+;
1 3 ...BxeS 1 4.BxeS d rops the excha nge
(for some compensation).
1 4.0-0 Rd8 1 S .Qe2 Kf8 1 6.Rad 1
B l a ck h a s ma d e i t u n s c a t h e d , but
 Module 2 : Solutions

Wh ite sti l l has much the better position.
He w i l l l ikely take o n c 5 soon, giving h i m
ta rgets on the Q-side.
Exercise 12
Last M oves: 4. N b d 2 N b d 7 S.Bd3 b6
fo r Wh ite and h a s performed quite wel l
i n practice.
9. Bxe4 Bxe4 1 0.Qxe4 h 6
If Black wants to play Bd6, he should
play t h i s first to stop Bg5.
1 1 .0-0 Bd6 1 2 .dS NcS 1 3 .Qe2 Qf6
1 3 ...0-0 1 4.b4.
1 4.QbS+ Kf8 l S .dxe6 a6 1 6.Qc6 Rd8
1 7 .Be3
1 7.exf7?? Bxh2+ 1 B.Kxh2 Qxc6.
17 .•. Nxe6 1 8.c3
Wh ite reta i n s an advantage.

Best Move: 6.e41

Commentary
Si nce Wh ite's c-pawn is stil l on c2,
Wh ite can push e4 safely without having
castled first. This leads to a position that
has favored White in the past.

Analysis, Variations, and Notes

6 ... dxe4
6...c5 7.e5 c4 B.Be2 Ng4.
7.Nxe4 Bb7 8.Qe2 Nxe4
B... B e 7 h a s been p l ayed on severa l
occa sions fro m here. The text i s a sharp
try to i mp rove si nce n o rma l p l a y gives
White a good a ga me. 9.0-0 0-0 1 O.R d 1
Nxe4 1 1 .Bxe4 Bxe4 1 2.Qxe4 looks good

43
 Module 3: PuttillS Dowll all Errallt �lliSqt

A
s you almost certa inly know, the Argh .
Colle has the uncommon feature You know it isn't a good move. I t
that its deviati ons are as i mportant to doesn't even qual ify a s a pet defense. It's
study as its m a i n l i n e . We all heave a more like an " i maginary friend " defense.
small sigh of rel ief when . . . e6 graces the But you also know that if you j ust go
score sheet. lumbering away with normal C-Z moves
Col le players know these deviations he is go ing to secu re the Kn ight with
come with the territory, and learn i ng . . . f5 soon, and you will start wondering
how to respond to them is like preposi­ whether the Blackmar- Diemer gambit is
ti ons or to ilet paper-someth i ng you all that bad.
cannot go very long without. Books don't have sections on early
It can be rather disconcerting, then, . . . Ne4 plays because no one above 2000
when B l ack fi rst p l ays n i cely i n to a would be caught dead playing such rub­
standard Col l e structure, and then all bish. (This l ine is one of the better tries
of a sudden th reate n s to take away for Bl ack, and I found only 1 master­
Christmas: level game with it. )
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 dS 3 .e3 e6 (yay! ) 4.Bd3 S t i l l , c h a n ces a re you are n o t a
cS S.b3 Nc6 6.0-0 cxd4 7.exd4 Ne47! m aster. And that you w i l l face such
filthy knight sall ies considerably more
frequently than Anand. I n this module
I ' l l discuss the ideas relevant to these
positions so you are better equipped to
punish your opponent for marring the
chessboard with such ugly and arrogant
moves. ( For we all know that you are the
only one who has the right to play ugly
and arrogant moves. )

U g ly, Arroga nt, and An noyi ng.

45
 Module 3 : Putting Down an Errant Kn ight
P r i m a ry Ta rgets
C o l l e - K o l ta nowski pl ayers w i l l i n g
t o use the move order I gave in the last
m o d u l e [ 1 . d 4 N f6 2 . N f3 d S 3 . e 3 e 6
4 . Nb d 2 rath e r t h a n 4 . B d 3 ] h ave t h e
l uxury o f s i mply exch anging i f B l ack
plays . . . Ne4 very early. Black then has
to hustle to p rotect the p awn after re­
capturing on eS, l eaving him behind i n
development.
Col le-Zukertort players do not have
this luxury, and most of this module is
dedicated to the targets and ideas they
should have in mind when facing this
threat.
There is no set- in-stone c o l l ection
of principles that dictate exactly how to
respond to an early . . . Ne4, but under­
standing your primary targets in such
positions should put you o n the right
track.
Primary Ta rgets
46
One target for White is always the
Knight itsel f. The steed on e4 in itial ly
has o n ly one defender, the dS p awn .
B l ack has p l enty of ways o f s u p p o rt­
ing the Knight. That isn't the issue. The
rules of chess allow him to advance his
f-pawn immediately afterward, and he
could c o n te m p l ate . . . b6 a n d . . . B b 7 .
The p robl e m i s that Bl ack has al ready
put h i m s e l f b e h i n d in deve l o p ment,
and these moves only put him further
behind. Furthermore, no te tha t bo th these
op tio ns ( . . . f5 a nd . . . Bb 7) remov e a de­
fender from the e6-paw n.
To make matters worse for Bl ack, he
cannot i n general want to exchange this
Kn ight. After a l l , h e has i nvested two
moves in putting it on a useful square.
The second maj or target for White is
the d S -pawn. The Knight that moved to
e4 used to defend that pawn, but now it
is defended by the pawn . The pawn might
seem adequately guarded. Currently the
e6-pawn and the Queen on dB protect it.
The issue is that any attack on the pawn
is really an attack on the Knight until the
Knight gets more protectio n . Thus, Nc3
is a triple attack of sorts. I t hits the pawn
on dS directly and h its the Knight on e4
b oth directly and indirectly. G iven that
White woul d be h appy to h ave B l ack
take on c3, Nc3 is a very powerful move
for White i n these l ines.
 Module 3 : Lesson
But my guess is that it would be too
simple tojust say "always play Nc3 when
Black plays ••• Ne4" right?
Qu ite so. I n fact, that is almost never
the right response. It is better to play c4
first. This move not o nly h its the pawn
on d S , b u t co n trib utes in general to
opening up the game so White can pun­
ish Black for neglecting development.
I f these were the only targets, Bl ack
would be o kay. But there is always a
th ird target. I f Bl ack has exchanged on
d4, W h i t e has a s e m i - o p e n e - fi l e to
target the pawn on e 6 . I f Black has not
exchanged o n d4, then Wh ite has the
threat of dxcS fol l owed by Bxg7 .
Standard Piece Placements and Ta rgets
Th reats
The targets from the last section are
th e fu ndamental b ricks fo r building a
response, but nearly as important are a
set of three threats you will rarely get to
execute .
How can they be "nearly as important" if
you rarely get to use them?
I didn't say you rarely get to use them.
I said you rarely get to execute them. You
wi l l be using them ( i n some sense) all
the time because your opponent has to
take them into considerati o n as h e i s
responding t o your moves.
It's l i ke warnings on cigarettes. My
gu ess i s M ar l b o ro wou l d n ever h ave
unil aterally decided " H ey, here's a great
idea for marketing our product - Let's
put a big warn ing l abel apprising any­
one who has been on Pluto for the last
2 0 years that wi l l fu l ly i n h a l ing l a rge
quantities of tar and carbon monoxide
is perhaps not the healthiest thing in the
world. " They would rather be using that
sp ace for any number of things . H ow­
ever, the threat of being fined mill ions
of dollars requires them to package their
cigarettes in a sl ightly different way than
they would l ike.
Same th ing here. These threats wil l
dictate h o w your opponent responds,
and if he fails to adequately consider all
these options, then BOOM he's going to
get smoked .
1. Uncovering the Bishop
47
 Module 3: Putting D own an Errant Knight

2. The Anti -Stonewall Assault

3. The ds-pin

The Lo ng Dista nce Bishop

I f B lack has n o t tr aded p awns o n
d4 before putti ng his Knight on e4, he
has to keep in mi nd the possibili ty of
White capturing the g7 pawn, which is
no longer shielded by the Knight on f6
from the Bishop on b 2 .
The Danger of an Early Stonewa ll.

U nveiling t h e Bishop with a Ca ptu re
The Sta ndard
Anti-Sto newa l l Assa u lt
Since the pawn on dS and Knight on
e4 are standard targets for White, Black
gener ally d e s i res to p l ay . . . fs , taki n g
some of the defensive burden off the em­
battled dS pawn. H owever, if Black has
not castled, White can contemplate Qhs+
prepared by Nes . The point being that
. . . g6 can be met by Nxg6! as the h-pawn
is pinned to the unprotected Rook.
Roya l P(a ) i n on d5
The ds -pawn enj oys support fr o m
the pawn o n e6 and the Queen. It may
appear a poor target si nce White does
not have an easy way to put a third at­
tacker on the pawn. However, you always
have to be co ncerned when a Queen is
required as a defender, especially whe n
you are behi nd in development.
Black may think he has dealt with his
problems after castli ng and playing . . . fS .
I n reality his Queen can find herself the
victi m of a nasty pin after cxds exds ;
Nxds Qxds; Bc4!

48
 Module 3 : Lesson
Why the d-pawn is Fragile
This Bishop can be supported either
by a pawn on b3 or a Knight on es.
A Very M i s p la ced B i s h o p
Should Black play ... B d 6 before o r
soon after playing ... Ne4, you will gen­
erally have reason to cackl e with glee
(but on the inside, of course).
A "Good" Bishop on a Bad Square.
Thi s c o n figurati o n b o d e s p o o rly
for Black in an astounding number of
ways :
• Black can no longer play ... Bf6 to
defend the g7 pawn.
• dxcs ( o r cs ) n o w c o m e s wi t h
tempo against the Bishop.
• The Bishop can fi nd itsel f pinned
to the Queen down the d-file.
• Th e Bishop is vulnerable to Nc4,
which very well may come about due to
the sequence Bxe4 dxe4; Nd2 fs; Nc4
• Any Nxe4 now comes with tempo
on the Bish op.
• The Bishop cuts the Queen away
from the pawn on dS.
The only option the Bishop on d6
gives Black is the possibility of a co mbi­
nation based on ... Bxh 2 + .
Genera l Advice
These guidelines should help you as
you determine the specific ways of using
the targets and tactics described earlier.
• Be patient! The earlier Black pl ays
... Ne4 the less likely he is going to be
able to make up fo r his lack of develop­
ment soon. It is not the end of the world
if he gets to castle or play ...fs. O ften
these just present him other problems.
• K n o w t h a t B l ack c a n m ove his
Bishop to f6 via e7.
49
 Module 3 : Putting D own an Errant Knight

• O ften it is advisab l e to take the on a chess board, you'll get a good feel
Knight on e4, not only to give yourself for the ab ove principles as well as an un­
an u n m oving target o n e4 after B l ack derstanding of the development advantage
recaptures with the dS-pawn, but also you can expect in these lines.
to stop the Knight from going anywhere
more usefu l . This is particularly true if
you plan to take the cS -pawn or i f Black
has j ust taken on d4 with his c-pawn,
which opens the cS -square.
• If B l ack takes o n d4 after h aving
al ready p l ayed . . . Ne4, you w i l l m o re
or l ess never want to recapture with the
e-pawn . Take with the Knight if you are
unsure which p iece to recapture with .
• I f B l ack c a p t u r e d t h e d 4 - p awn After 7 . . . cxd4
before playing . . . Ne4, try to figure out
how to use the open e3 square. This can B l ack p l ayed . . . N e 4 b e fo re Wh i te
either be by p l aying a Queen to e2, a had castled, so White wisely ( remember,
Roo k to e 1 , or l o o king to play Bf4 if you be patient) castled to prevent any nasti­
have not already played Bb2 . ness with . . . QaS + . Then Bl ack took on
• Any p i ece o n d 6 o r d 7 cuts the d4 .
b l ack Queen fro m defending dS. H ow should White respond? Figure
• The longer Black goes without cas­ out the important variations. It wouldn't
tling, the more l i kely NeS is good. hurt to write your conclusions i n a prac­
• When all else fails, and you can­ tice j ournal . In fact, take as much time as
not think o f a good variation, p l ay c4 you need and write down everythi ng.
and Nc3 !
[Solution begins on next page. J
Princi p l es in Action The first thing that came i nto your
Th e d i agram b e l ow t i e s togeth e r
much of this chapter's guidance. I f you
work on this exercise yourself and then
play through all the solution's variations

50
 M odule 3 : Lesson
head should have been Don 't retake with
the pawn because that closes the long diago­
nal while the g7-pawn is still a target.
That makes Bxd4 and Nxd4 the most
immediate candidate moves . Bxd4 al­
l ows Black to take the Bishop, putting a
defin ite ki nk in the plan to target g7 , so
Nxd4 presents itself.
Nxd4 is a perfectly good move that
gives White a good position, but it allows
Black to find a more intelligent square for
his advanced Knight. In general we never
l i ke to see Black play . . . NcS, and here
Black could also simply play . . . Nf6 . This
yields a position that most masters would
love to play against, but many class play­
ers will l ikely prefer more clear advantag­
es before abandoning the C-Z structure.
In particular I would suggest opening the
board up to make use of White's immi­
nent development advantage.
W i t h t h e a b ove i n m i n d , W h i t e
should snip off that Kn ight before i t can
go anywhere and then exchange on d4.
After 8.Bxe4! dxe4 9.Nxd4 Black is faced
with the question of how to defend the
e4-pawn after White pl ays Nd2 .
U s i n g the f-p awn in this p o s i t i o n
can not possibly be good d u e t o QhS +
( e . g . 9 . . . fS ? 1 0 . Q h S + g 6 I l . Nxc6 ! ) .
Instead Black can play his Queen to gS,
whence it can sally to fS or g6 . An option
promoting more develop ment involves
playing the Bishop to c6 after p l aying
. . . Nxd4 .
Defe n d i n g with t h e Queen
Trying to defend with the Q u e e n
leaves Black terribly behind a s h e address­
es Wh ite's fusillade of threats. He should
play 9 . . . Nxd4 immediately to stop NbS,
hitting c7 . After 1 0 . Bxd4 QgS I l . Nd2
Qg6 ( . . . Q fS is met by 1 2 . f3 ) , 1 2 . Qe2
threatens a fork on b S . 12 . . . Bd7 1 3 . Nc4
eyes a fork on eS, and 1 3 . . . f6 1 4 . Rad l
threatens BeS ! ! (e.g., Be7 ? ! I S . BeS ! ! fxeS ?
1 6 . Rxd7 Kxd7 ? 1 7 .NeS + . )
Sane players should prefer 1 4 . . . QfS
because 1 4 . . . eS ? ! I S . BxeS ! Bg4 can be
met by 1 6 . Q d2 ! and there is a heavy
51
 Module 3 : Putting D own an Errant Knight
price on the material White appears to
be giving away. Afte r 14 ... Q f5 1 5.f4,
White should still eventually get Be5 in
with good effect.
Defend i ng with the Bishop
Thus, the most reasonable plan in­
volves defending with the Bishop. I n
this case Bl ack should not exchange the
Knight immediately because 9 . .. Nxd4
1 0. B x d 4 B d 7 a l l o w s W h i te to p l ay
1 1.Q h 5 ! , making ro o m fo r th e Ro o k
t o attai n t h e p owerfu l d 1 p o s t whi l e
leaving t h e black Queen with very few
squares. ( l l.Qg4 ! ? wins the e-pawn im­
mediately, but Bl ack can cause White a
bit of a headache afterward.)
After 9 . . . Bd 7, White has three prom­
ising plans.
1 0.Qh 5 is still quite good since 10 ...
Qf6 appears to j ust give a worse version
of the early Defending with the Queen line
while 1 0... Qa5 1 l.Qxa5 Nxa5 12.Nc3 f5
52
13. Ndb 5 Bxb 5 14.Nxb5 RcB 15.c4 Nc6
16.Rad 1 looks terrible for Black.
The direct 10.N d 2 is fine as long
a s y o u re a li ze that a ft e r 1 0 ... Nxd4
1 l.exd4 Bc6 12.Qe2 you are not actu­
ally assured of winning a p awn as Black
might find 12 ... Bd6 ! , all owing him to
meet 13.Nxe4 with 13 ... Bxh 2 + 14.Kxh 2
Q h 5 + 1S.Kg 1 Qxe4. This doesn't make
10.Nd2 a bad p l ay. White has a great
game after 13.c4 and may well take on
e4 soon anyway.
Si n c e B l a c k i s n o t c a p t u ri n g t h e
Knight, though, White can also answer
9. . . Bd7 with 10.Nb S, threatening to hit
the d6-square when Black would really
rather not exchange his Bishop, which
is defending the g7 -pawn under attack
by the Bishop on b2. Thus, Black may
answer in kind with 10 ... Nb4, hitting c2
and essentially pinning the Knight on d2
before it even gets there ! ( 1 l .N S c3 Bc6
12.Nd2 Be7 1 3.Ndxe4 ? ! Qxd 1 14.Rfxd 1
Nxc2.) Unfo rtun ately for Bl ack, White
has more important things on his mind
than c2 and a l . After 1 l .N d 6 + ! Bxd 6
12.Qxd 6 Nxc2 13.Qg3 , Bl ack's Knight
is not doing him any favors.
Since 10 ... Nb4 has flaws, it l o o ks
like Black has to settle for 10 .. . eS, when
1 l.Nd 6 + Bxd 6 12.Qxd 6 f6 13.Nc3 BfS
14.Q a3 cannot be comfo rtable.
 Module 3 : Lesson

N otes on Com p leting the

Exe rci ses
My guess is th at your j ournal shows
a substantially different answer than the
ab ove . That's okay. Both the solving of
the problem and seeing a thorough solu­
tion improve your chess.
Th e s o luti o n s to the exe rcise di a­
grams shown on the next two pages are
not nearly as tho rough, but I do try to
give the important variations you can
c o m p are with your own a n swers . I n
each diagra m try to find the best move
and write out the variations you see.
Pl ayers under 1600 might just want
to focus th e fi rst ti me around on the
gen eral co m m e n tary describing why
the best move is called fo r. All players
s h o u l d eventua l ly p l ay th rough a n d
thi n k a b o u t t h e Analys is, Variations,
and Notes portion o f the so lutions to
build up their understanding of these
positions. D on't be discouraged if you r
solutions do not match mine. I promise
you that if you take these problems seri­
ously and write down all your analysis
and ideas when working th rough them,
you'll start seeing improvement.

53
 Exercises
Exercise 1 Exercise 3
La st Moves: 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Bb2 N e4 La st Moves: 3 .e3 e6 4.N b d 2 Ne4

Exercise 2 Exercise 4
Last Moves: 4.Bd3 cS S.b3 Ne4 Last Moves: 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 N e4

55
 Module 3 : Putting Down an Errant Knight

Exercise 5 Exercise 7
Last Moves: 6.0-0 Ne4 7.Bb2 Be7 Last Moves: 4.Nbd2 cS S.c3 Ne4

Exercise 6 Exercise 8
La st Moves: 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Bb2 N e4 Last Moves: 9.Nc3 fS 1 O.cxd S exd S

56
 Module 3 : Exercises

Exercise 9 Exercise 1 1
Last Moves: 8.c4 f5 9.cxd 5 exd 5 Last Moves: 7.exd4 Ne4 8.c4 B d 6

Exercise 1 0 Exercise 1 2
Last Moves: 7.Bd3 Bc6 8.0-0 N e4 Last Moves: 9.b3 cxb3 1 0.axb3 N e4

57
 Solutioqs
Exercise 1
La st Moves: 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Bb2 N e4
Best Move: S.Bxe4
Commentary
With only one minor piece on the
d-file, Black has very few options once
Wh i t e b e g i n s exch a n g i n g . S i n c e t h e
Bishop is on d6, dxcs is the natural play.
H owever, it is better to take the Knight
on e4 before taking on cS .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
8 ••• dxe4 9.dxcs Bxcs
9 ...exf3?! l eaves B l a ck no compensa-
tion for a whole pawn lost once the dust
settles. 1 O.Qxd6 fxg2 1 1 .Qxd8+ (not what
a strong co mputer would d o, but sma rt
practica l play given that White is goi ng to
be a whole pawn up.) 1 1 ...Nxd 8 1 2.Rd 1 !?
(perhaps Wh ite w i l l take on g7 now a n d
pick up g 2 later.) 1 2 ...f6 1 3. Kxg2
1 0.QxdS+ NxdS
1 0... Kxd8? 1 1 .NgS.
1 1 .Nfd 2 fS 1 2.Bxg 7
Exercise 2
Last Moves: 4.Bd3 cs s.b3 N e4
Best M ove: 6.0-0
Commentary
White h a s to be carefu l here. Be-
fore he can start bl asting through with
c4, Nc3, etc. he needs to put his King
59
 Module 3: Putting D own an Errant Knight
to safety or else ... QaS + is a pr oblem.
Bl ack's difficulties wil l still be around
after White has castl ed. Catch the ball
first; then you can start looking at the
end zone.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
6 ••• f5 11
Other m oves a re better, but t h i s i s the
o n l y rea s o n abl e o n e t h a t offe rs s o m e-
t h i ng with a d ifferent flavor t h a n what i s
fou n d in other exercises.
7. Bxe4 dxe4
7 . . .fxe4 gives Wh ite a com p l etely open
f-fi le before Black has castled.
8.Ne5 Qf6 9.Nc31
Hitti ng e4 w h i l e t h reate n i ng NbS, a
natura l reply t o Black' s Queen sortie.
9 • • • cxd4
9 ... a 6 sto p s NbS , but a t t h e cost of
e v e n m o r e d e v e l o p m e n t : 1 0 .f3 e xf3
1 1 .Qxf3 Be7 l 2.Qe2 with Ne4 in m i n d .
1 0.exd4 N c6!
A tactica l way of d i ss u a d i ng NbS d u e
t o t h e un protected natu re o f t h e a-Rook
s h o u l d l i q u i d a t i o n o c c u r on e S . Note
that Black i s essenti a l l y meeti ng Wh ite' s
early NeS i n m uch the sa me way I suggest
W h i te a d d ress an early ... Ne4, ta rgeti ng
the a p p ropriate center sq u a res.
1 1 .Bf4
1 1 .NbS Lea d s to exceed i ngly i n terest-
ing and unclea r p lay.
60
11 ••• Bd6 1 2 .Nb5 Bb8 1 3 .Qd2
Th reate n i ng Nxc6 by d efe n d i ng the
Bishop. Black has th ree pieces h itti ng the
Knight, but wi n n i ng a pawn by kicki ng the
Kn ight o n bS away gives White a violent
attack.
13 ••• a611
Oth e r m oves, l i ke Q d 8, Qe7, o r Qh4
a re wiser but a d m it B l a c k' s whole setu p
is bad .
1 4.Na3 Nxe5 1 5 . Bxe5 Bxe5 1 6.dxe5
Qxe511 1 7.Nc4 Qc7 1 8.N d6+ Kf8
l 8 . . . Ke 7 ? Th i s gets t h e Ki ng off t h e
ba c k-ra n k, p reventing a s kewer aga i n st
the Rook, but the King i s more v u l nerable
here a n d g7 n ow has no defe n se.
1 9.Ra d 1
Th reate n i ng to ta ke a pawn with the
Kn ight a n d then i nvad e o n d8.
Exercise 3
Last Moves: 3 .e3 e6 4.N b d 2 N e4
Best M ove: 5.Nxe4
 Module 3 : Solutions
Commentary
Whi l e N e 5 is appealing, it s h o u l d
lead t o b oth Knights getting snipped off
without White h avi ng much to s h ow
for it. I n stead, White simply exchanges,
betting Black cannot make anything of
the space advantage he wil l get on the
K-side.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
5 ••• dxe4 6.Nd2 f5 7.Be2
Th i s l eaves c4 open for the Kn ight or
pawn wh i l e givi ng Wh ite a n other option
for reca pture after a later f3.
7.Bc4 Qh4 8.0-0 Bd6 i s a n noyi ng.
7 ••• Qg5
A bit bold, but Black has trouble devel­
opi ng. He wants to move his Bishop to d6,
but the th reat of Nc4 d i scourages t h i s for
now. P l ayi ng h i s Bishop to e7 blocks h i s
Queen a n d makes it harder for h i m t o use
the one asset he has, h i s K-side space.
7 ... Qh4 8.Nc4;
7 ... c5 8.Nb3 .
8.0-0 Be7 9.Kh 1 !
W h i te p re p a r e s n. I w o u l d t h i nk
m o st p l ayers wou l d be h a p p y sta rti ng
every ga me of chess with Wh ite' s current
position.
Exercise 4
Last Moves: 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 Ne4
Best Move: 5.c4
Commentary
Wi th n o c 5 - p awn to take a n d n o
immediate vu lnerab ility t o a check by
Black's Queen, White should just imme­
diately attack the pawn the errant Knight
had p reviously defended, which also
happens to be the only thing defending
the Knight.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
5 ••• f5
S ... Be7 6.Nc3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 a n d Wh ite
has gotten what he wa nted .
S . . . Nc6 (If B l a ck p l a n s o n d e l a y i ng
castl i ng a n d wants to snap up a n y Kn ight
that a rrives on eS, he m ight choose to go
this route.) 6.Nc3 fS (6 ... Bb4 7.Qc2) 7.0-0
a n d White should strongly consider Qb3
soon . It a d d s an attacker to d5 a n d would
support a later Bc4, bea ring down on e6.
Pressure on b7 i s i c i ng on the cake.
61
 Module 3 : Putting D own an Errant Kn ight
6.Nc3 c6
B l a c k h a s c reated a Dutch Ston ewa l l
formation.
6 ... B b4 7.Qb3;
6 . . . B e 7 7 . N e S 0-0 8 . c x d S N x c 3 ( 8 . . .
exd S ? ! 9.NxdS Qxd S ? 1 0.Bc4) .
7.Ne5
After B l a c k a d d r e s s e s the t h reat of
Q h S +, Wh ite can castl e a n d play f3 .
Exercise 5
last Moves: 6.0-0 Ne4 7.Bb2 Be7
Best M ove: 8.c4
Commentary
B l ack is one move away fro m cas­
tli ng, and you m ight b e feel ing antsy,
thinking you've missed the boat since g7
is soon to be defended. You have to stay
patient here. If you play dxcS , B lack will
resp o n d . . . B f6 . B l ack's p rob l e m s w i l l
not g o away after he castles.
62
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
8 ••• 0-0 9.Nc3 cxd4 1 0.Nxe4 dxe4
1 1 .Bxe4 dxe3 1 2 .fxe3 Qb6 1 3 .Qd3 f5
1 4.Bxc6 bxc6
Ta ki n g w i t h t h e p a w n p r e s e rv e s
B l ack's hope of cou nterplay with a fut u re
... a s a n d m a kes Wh ite's i m m i nent Qd4 at
l ea st a l ittl e less d o m i nati n g .
1 4 ... Qxc6 l S .Rad 1 b6 1 6.Qd4.
1 5 .Qd4 Qxd4 1 6.exd4
Exercise 6
last Moves: 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Bb2 N e4
Best m ove: 8.Bxe4
Commentary
After the exchange on e4, the pawns
on e4 a n d g7 are awkward to h o l d .
8 . Nbd2 i s a perfectly good alternative
but it's a bit harder to see a way to make
use of the advantage it gives.
 Module 3 : Solutions
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
8 ••• dxe4 9.Nfd 2
Si nce Wh ite c a n hit t h e e4 pawn with
two m o re pi eces q u ic kl y, B l a c k ca n o n l y
h o p e t o h o l d t h e pawn t h ro u g h tactics.
9 ••• 0-0!
9 .. .fS ? 1 0.dxcS;
9 ... Nf6 1 O.dxcS BxcS 1 1 .Nc3;
9 ... cxd4 1 0.Nc4 BcS ( 1 O ... Be7?! 1 1 .0xd4)
1 1 .exd4 B b4 ( l 1 ...Be7 1 2. Og4) 1 2.0g4.
1 0.Nxe4 Bxh2+ 1 1 .Kxh2 Q h 4 + 1 2 .Kg 1
Qxe4
Exercise 7
Last Moves: 4.Nbd2 cS S.c3 N e4
Best Move: 6.Nxe4
Commentary
Of course, taking the Knight is fine.
The question is what happens afterward.
H opefully some of what sh ows up here
occurred to you a s you were trying to
figure o u t h o w p l ay s h o u l d go . Th e
advanced c-pawn really hurts Black be­
cause not only is . . . c6 (to block the check
from BbS ) impossible, but the c-pawn
itsel f can become a target.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
6 ••• dxe4 7.NeS
7 . N d 2 i s certa i n l y o ka y a s wel l , b u t I
t h i n k Wh ite ca n press t h i s position m o re.
7 ••• Nd7
7 ... Bd6 8.0g4.
8.BbS
White's a b i l ity to p i n the Kn i g ht that i s
th reate n i n g t o exc h a n g e o n eS g ives l ife
to a position that oth e rwise m i g h t offe r
Wh ite few i m med iate attacki n g o pti o n s.
8 ••• Bd6
8 . . . a6 9 . B x d 7 + B x d 7 1 0 . d x c S B x c S
1 1 . N xf7 Kxf7 1 2.0 hS+
9.Nc4
N o w it i s c l e a r that W h ite wi l l w i n a
pawn ( a ss u m i n g ... Bf8 c a n not be good ) .
The o n l y q u esti o n i s what compensation
Bl ack can get.
9 ••• Bc7
9 ... Be 7 1 0.Og4 0-0 1 1 .0xe4 Nf6 1 2.0f3
N d S 1 3 . N d 2 a nd the boa rd is sta rti ng to
look l i ke a norma l Col l e set u p with Bl ack
a pawn down.
1 O.dxcS 0-0 1 1 .b4
1 1 . Bxd 7 ? ! i s n o t s o m u c h g re e d y
(th o u g h i t is t h a t) b u t s i m p l y d o e s n ot
p a y e n o u g h a tte n t i o n to t h e a va i l a b i l -
63
 Module 3: Putting Down an Errant Knight
ity of d ecent sq u a res fo r W h ite's o t h e r
pieces after the exchange. 1 1 . . . Bxd 7 1 2.b4
B b 5 1 3 .Qxd8 Rfx d 8 a n d i n t h e word s of
Socrates "l swa l l owed what?"
1 1 ... QgS 1 2 .0-0 NeS 1 3 . NxeS QxeS
1 4.g3
Wh ite i s safe eno u g h and a pawn to
the good.
Exercise 8
La st Moves: 9.Nc3 fS 1 O.cxd S exd S
Best Move: 1 1 .NxdS
Commentary
This diagram shows a classic example
of why Bl ack has trouble consolidating
his Kn ight on e4 with .. . f5 . The Queen
cannot recapture due to the open a2 -gB
diagonal .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 1 ... Qxd S 1 1 2.Bc4
64
Exercise 9
Last Moves: 8.c4 fS 9.cxd S exd S
Best Move: 1 0.NeS
Commentary
Black closed the a l-hB diagonal be­
fore pl aying Ne4, so White has delayed
Bb2 to see if perhaps there is a better
p l ace ( l i ke f4 ) fo r h i s d a rk- s q u a red
Bis h o p . With the c l o su re o f the l o ng
diago nal, Ne5 should be strongly con­
sidered after .. . f5 . The threats of Q h 5 +
and Bb5 encourage Bl ack t o take on e 5 ,
which re moves White's isol ated pawn
while exp osing his own .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 0 ... NxeS
We' l l look at 1 0 . . . g6 sepa rately.
1 1 .dxeS BcS 1 2.Ba3 Qa S 1 3 . BxcS QxcS
1 3 ... Nxc5 1 4.Qc2.
1 4.Q hS+ g6 1 S.Qh6 Be6 1 6.Nd2
 Module 3 : Solutions
Let's consider 1 0 . . . g6 now, which
is not a bad move, but Black has to be
very careful that Wh ite does not open
the e-file and kill him before he has cas­
tled. We will consider this as a separate
mainline with bold notation for ease of
reading.
10 • • • g6 1 1 .BbS Qb6
In a d d i t i o n to atta c k i n g the B i s h o p ,
t h i s p r e- p i n s t h e d - p a w n ( s i n c e W h ite
p l a n s o n p l a y i n g f3 o r f4) , t h e o n l y de­
fender of the K n i g h t o n eS.
1 2 .a4!!
Th i s s u p po rts the B i s h o p and th reat­
e n s to k n o c k t h e Q u ee n off b6, w h i c h
removes the p re- p i n fro m t h e d4-pa w n .
Th i s i s i m porta nt beca u se White can p l ay
f3 fo l l owed by Re l to m a ke B l a ck's K i n g
very u n comfo rta ble.
I n stead , 1 2. Bxc6+? ! attem pts to ta ke
a d va n ta g e of t h e B l a c k K i n g ' s c e n t r a l
p l a cement too e a rly. You m u st be ca re­
fu l of yo u r o p p o n e nt's c o u nte r p l ay, es­
pec i a l l y w h e n yo u r f- p a w n has m oved !
1 2 ... bxc6 1 3 .f3 B g 7 ! ! 1 4. Bf4 0-0 l S .fxe4?
Oth e r m oves a re better, b u t t h i s is t h e
p l a y White wo u l d m a ke if he thoug ht he
wa s o n top here. l S .. .fxe4 1 6. B g 3 ? Rxfl + !
1 7.Kxfl Ba6+ 1 8.Kg 1 Rf8.
12 ••• Bg7
1 2 ... a6 doesn't solve B l a c k's p ro b l e m s
beca u s e W h i te ca n p rotect h i s K n i g h t
via Bf4 a n d the Q u ee n o n a 7 no l o n g e r
p rotects c6. F u rthermore, a6 i s n o l o n g e r
ava i l a b l e t o the c8-Bishop. 1 3 . Bxc6+ bxc6
1 4 .f3 N d 6 ( 1 4 . . . B g 7 l S . a S Q a 7 1 6 . B f4 )
l S .Re 1 .)
1 3 .Bxc6+ bxc6 1 4.aS QbS 1 S. Bf4 0-0
Th i n g s g et c razy here, but the critica l
l i ne a p pears to be:
1 6.f3 Ba6 1 7 . Re 1 g S 1 8 .fxe4 gxf4
1 9.exfS RxfS 20. N d 2 .
Exercise 1 0
Last Moves: 7.Bd3 Bc6 8.0-0 N e4
Best Move: 9.NeS
Commentary
Th is position could co me about if
Bl ack decides to post a Kn ight on e4
after Wh ite uses the anti- . . . b6 idea from
the last module. Since White's Bishop is
now on d3, taking with the Knight is ob­
viously not a good idea. White threatens
to undermine the Kn ight by taking the
exposed Bishop.
65
 Module 3 : Putting D own an Errant Kn ight
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
9 . . . N x d 2 1 0. Bxd 2 B d 6 1 1 . N xc6 Nxc6
1 2.e4. Wh ite h a s a n excel lent positi o n .
Exercise 1 1
la st Moves: 7.exd4 N e4 8.c4 Bd6
Best Move: 9.Bb2
Commentary
White would prefer to get some use
fro m the o p e n e 3 -square. 9 . Q e2 ? ! i s
tempting, since after 9 . . . £ 5 1 0 . cxdS exds,
the Knight on e4 is p inned to the b l ack
king, allowing 1 1 . Nc3 without prepara­
tion by Bb 2 . H owever, after 1 1 . . . B b 4 ,
White's Knight does not have anywhere
to go and B l ack has rid h i mself of his
worst l iab ility, the misplaced Bishop o n
d 6 . I nstead, White wil l proceed a s nor-
mal and should stil l arrive at an advan-
tage because Black cannot force through
es, so he will eventually play b 6 ; that is
the correct time to exchange on ds .
66
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
9 ••• N b4
9 .. 0-0 1 0.Nc3 Nxc3 1 1 .Bxc3 b6 1 2.cxd 5
.
exd 5 1 3 . N e 5
1 0. N c3 Nxc3 1 1 .Bxc3 Nxd3 1 2 .Qxd3
0-0 1 3 .c5
Exercise 1 2
last M oves: 9.b3 cxb3 1 0.axb3 N e4
Best Move: 1 1 .Nxe4
Commentary
This is a line you could find yoursel f
in should you use the anti- . . . b 6 plan o f
t h e l ast module a n d B lack accepts your
invitation to push his c-pawn . It is in­
structive to see how deadly a Knight on
es and a Bishop touching bs can be.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
11 ••• dxe4 1 2 .Ne5 a6
T h e o n l y w a y t o stop B b5+. H owever,
n o w both p a w n s a re l i a b l e to beco m e
 Module 3 : Solutions

ta rgets.
The ava i l a b i l ity of 1 2 ... Qc77 can often
l et B l a c k g et away with an ea rly ... N e4 be­
ca u se the Q u een h its Wh ite's Knight o n eS
w h i l e d efe n d i n g both c6 and d7 (neutra l ­
i z i n g the potency o f B b S ) . H e re, t h o u g h ,
Wh ite has the a b i l ity t o play d S, putt i n g
yet a n other attacker o n c 6 . 1 3 . B b S + Bc6
1 4. N xc 6 N xc6 1 S . d S exd S 1 6 .Qxd S R c B
1 7.Ra4.
1 3 .f3 1
Wh ite casts i nto sta rk rel i ef how over­
worked that B i s h o p on b7 i s. Kee p i n g the
f-fi l e c l o sed i s i m p o ss i b l e, and n o w the
Kn i g ht o n eS (su rveyi ng f7) i s sta rti ng to
look m o re l i ke a N o rse god.
1 3 ... Nd7
1 3 ... exf3 1 4. Bxf3 Bxf3 1 S .Qxf3;
1 3 ... Bd6 1 4. N c4;
1 3 ... Be7 1 4.fxe4 Bxe4 1 S . N xf7.
1 3 .. .f6 fo resees t h e d a n g e r of N xf7
with the f-fi l e a bout to open, but Bla ck's
p o s i t i o n h a s a h o st of ot h e r p ro b l e m s,
a n d s p e n d i n g a n ot h e r m ove w i t h o u t
d eve l o p i n g i s u n l i kely t o fix them. 1 4. N c4
Be 7 1 S .fxe4 Bxe4 1 6. B h S + g6 1 7. Bf3 Bxf3
( 1 7 ... Bc6 1 B.e4 t h reate n i ng d S .) 1 B.Qxf3
R a 7 ( l B . . . N d 7 1 9.Qc6 bS 20. N d 6 + B x d 6
2 1 .Qxd6 l ooks terri b l e fo r B l ac k) 1 9. B b 2
a n d White h a s a d o m i nati ng positi o n .
1 4.Nxd7 Qxd7 1 5.fxe4 Bxe4 1 6. Rxa6
Black a p pears to s u rvive "on ly" a pawn
down.

67
 Module 4: � I{ite of Doolt}-Double-Barreled FUll
L
et's break away from the depress-
ing business of examining monkey
wrenches Bl ack can throw at us - in-
stead it is time to start havi ng some fun !
Th is module is dedicated to the attacks
that can come from a setup C-Z pl ayers
often ai m for. To start th ings off, we'll
exa m i ne an i n famous game where a
computer overl ooked the most enj oy­
able tactic in the C-Z player's kit bag.
Krabbe - Dappet (Computer) 1 992
1 .d4 d S 2.b3 e6 3 . Nf3 eS 4.e3 N e6
S.Bd3 Nf6 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Bb2 0-0 S.NeS
Qe7 9.f4 b67!
The same position was reached in
2004 between a class pl ayer and an ex-
pert. The cl ass player did not see the op­
portunity to win a tremendous upset.
1 0.Nxe6! Qxe6 1 1 .dxeS BxeS 7!
( . . . Be? lets Black off just down a pawn )
1 2 .Bxf6 gxf6 1 3 . Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 4.QhS+
Kg 7 1 S .Qg4+ Kh7 1 6.Rf3 Bxe3+ 1 7.Kh 1
1 -0
Whew ! Wasn't that fun ? Sort of the
th ing you impress women with on a first
date, especially those you do not want
bothering you for a second.
Th i s d o u b l e - b a rre l ed sac fl owed
fro m a standard setup that I cal l The
Kite. Th e m i n i m a l req u i re m e n ts a re
shown below.
Kite Skeleton
69
 Module 4 : A Kite of Doom-D ouble-Barreled Fun
Note that the Knight does not have
to be on f6 . If there is no Knight on f6,
White can make it a true double-sac by
playing Bxg7 . Unfo rtunately, the condi­
tions for that version of the sacrifice to
work are a b i t m o re p articul ar, as 1 M
Shereshevski found out against future
GM Vladimirov in the 1 9 7 8 USSR cham­
pionship qualifier:
Shereshevski - V/adimirov 7 978
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 cS 4.Bd3 d S
S.b3 Be7 6.Bb2 0-0 7.Nbd2 b 6 8.0-0
Bb7 9.NeS Nc610.a3 aSl l l .f4 N d 7
W e w i l l d i scuss l ater w h y B l ack's
1 0th move was so useful . I n any event,
the game continued
12 .Nxc6 Bxc6 13 . dxcS BxcS
14.Bxh7+?1
This is o n ly a good move i f White
wants to force a draw.
14 . . • Kxh 71S .Qh S+ Kg816.Bxg 7
70
16 ••• fS
Even if Black takes the B ishop, White
won't win . Not only is there the annoy­
ance of . . . Bxe3 +, but more importantly
Black can get his Queen to f6 and sacri­
fice her for White's Rook.
1 6 . . . Bxe3 + immediately is not good
since a later Rf3 would come with tempo
against the Bishop.
17.Bh6?
1 7 . Rf3 holds the draw. The text loses
and Black was on the right path until he
self-destructed on move 2 0 .
17 • . • Bxe3+18.Kh l Qf619. Rf3 .Qxa l +
20.Nfl Bd4?
Letti ng W h i t e ' s Q u e e n l o o s e l i ke
a Wh irl i ng D ervish . B l ack had to find
2 0 . . . Bf2 ! ! , removing the g3 -square from
the Rook. I f the Roo k takes (which he
will h ave to d o sooner o r l ater given
that White is threatening Qxf1 # ) , it gives
B l ack a crucial couple tempi to put a
maj or p iece o n f6 .
 Module 4 : Lesson
2 1 .Qg6+ 8g7 22.8xg7 Qxg 7 23 .Qxe6+
Rf7 24.Qxc6 Qf8 2S.Rg3+ Kh8 26.Rh3+
Kg8 27.Rg3+ 1/2-1/2.
I n th is module I'll show you when
the sacri fi ce works, the attacks to use
when the sacrifice is called for, and how
to pick a good move when the sacrificial
options are not going to work.
When it Works: Kn i g h t on 16
After White pl ays dxc5 and Bl ack re­
captures, if there is a Knight on f6 whose
only defender is the g7 -pawn, the sacri­
fice will practically always work.
I s ay " p ractica l l y always " b ecause
you stil l have to check obvious things.
For example, if there is a Knight on f8 or
e8 defending the g7- or h 7 -pawns, then
clearly the sacrifice won't work. The only
non- obvious thing to keep in mind is
that a Knight on e7 can rui n your day
by hopping to g6 .
Remember, part of the Kite forma­
tion i nvolves B l ack h aving a Ro o k on
f8 . If there is no Rook on f8, the doub le­
barreled sac wil l al most never work be­
cause not only does the b l ack King have
an extra flight square, but he l i kely has
the defensive resou rce of . . . Bf8 as wel l .
When it Works: No Kn i g ht on 16
To determ i n e w h e n the standard
double-b arreled sequence works when
there is no Knight is on f6 , you can use
the following practical guidance:
(The below refer to the b oard posi­
tion after Black has recaptured on c5)
• I f Bl ack's Queen is on d8, e8, d7, or
e7, the sacrifice does not force a wi n.
• I f Bl ack's Queen is on c7, the sac­
rifice generally works as long as there is
a Kn ight on d7 or a Bishop on e7 but
not b oth .
• I f Bl ack's Queen is anywhere else,
the sacrifice should work.
N ote: if Bl ack recaptures on c5 with
the Queen, White general ly has to play
B d 4 to stop Qxe 3 + . I n that case you
should assume Black's Queen will run
back to c7 .
H ere are a few i l l ustratio n s s how­
ing examples where the sacrifice works
without any special effort.
One piece between O/c7 and f7
71
 Module 4 : A Kite of Doom- Double- Barreled Fun
Queen not on a ny of the magic S squa res
After dxcS QxcS; Bd4 Qc7
Now, if the above were all there was
to it, we could stop here and you'd have
a weapon that required little study and
you could use rarely. The reality is that
if you are will ing to study a bit more,
you get an attack far more often than the
above rules suggest.
There are three reasons for this:
1. Th e ru l e s I gave are p ra ct i c a l
gu i d e s a b o u t w h e n a w i n cou l d b e
72
forced. They take into consideration the
standard sequences and positions. There
are times when those rules will make it
look l ike Black can survive when he re­
ally cannot.
2 . Even when Black can stop mate,
Wh i te o ften h a s a p ro m i s i n g attack
and a wonderfu l p o s i ti o n . Knowing
those attacks increases significantly the
frequency you can use the sacri ficial
sequence.
3. Knowing when and why there are
promising attacks from the Kite position
in general helps you make smart plays
during moves 7 through 9 as you decide
whether the Kite formation is what you
should be going for or if you need to do
someth ing else to maxi m ize your ad­
vantage. I t gives you a stepping stone to
help organize your th inking when there
are too many branches to keep track of
otherwise.
4. With only one significant excep­
tion, Wh ite can always force ( or prac­
tical ly fo rce ) a draw if he kn ows the
proper attack. In practical play, this can
be quite useful to know !
Defe n ses a nd Attac ks
Now for the nitty-gritty. There are
several p o ss i b l e defe n s ive res o u rces
Bl ack h as when there is no Kn ight on
f6 . We will describe each one and how
 Module 4 : Lesson
to react. I'll also describe what outcome
you can hope for.
The four maj or defenses you need to
know, keyed to the placement of Bl ack's
Queen and minor pieces, are:
1 . I f Black's Queen is on d8 or e7,
he can general ly get a piece on f6 or g5,
blocking the attack or exchanging one of
White's maj or pieces.
2 . I f Black's Queen is on d7 (or e8 )
and he has a Bishop on e7, he can set
up the defensive formation P/f5, B/e7,
Q/e8, removing a bunch of real estate
from White's Queen.
3. I f Black's Queen is on c7 and there
is a Bishop on e7 and a Knight on d7,
Bl ack can counter-sac these p i eces to
defend.
4. If Black's Queen is on d7 or c7 and
nothing blocks it from the f7 -pawn, she
can defend adequately by simply sweep­
ing across the 7th rank after pushing the
f-pawn.
Queen on d8 o r e7
The first defensive resource showed
up in the earl ier Sheres hevski - Vladim­
rov match . I f Bl ack has a Queen on the
d8-h4 diagonal that can get to f6, Black
can successfully defend. White can still
get a draw unless Bl ack happens to have
a Queen on d8 and Bishop on e7 after
retaking on c5 .
Th is l ast point is i m perative ! You
have to visual ize what the board looks
like after Black retakes the Knight and
then the p awn o n c5 . If B l ack had a
Queen on d8 but then had to use that
Queen to recapture after Wh ite pl ays
Nxd7, then the Queen is no longer on
the diagonal .
Similarly, if Black had a Bishop on
e7 but uses that Bishop to recapture the
pawn on c5 after White plays dxc5, then
that Bishop is no longer on e 7 . Often
Black has multiple options for retaking,
and each must be considered.
Th is is why it is so useful to know
these defenses cold. Instead of working
through the sacri fi ce in each separate
configuration, you can tell immediately
whether the sacri fice works in a given
l ine by knowing each defense.
Th is defense is totally sol id, so i f
Bl ack's Queen can stay o n this diagonal
( after whatever exchanges happen ), you
should not go in for any sacrificial com­
bination. Instead I recommend playing
a3 if there is any danger of . . . Nb4. As­
suming that consideration is taken care
of, Qe2 is probably a safe bet.
Queen on d 7 (or e8)
If Black has a Queen on d7 or e8, he
can decl ine the second sac and quickly
grab most of the squares on the K-side.
73
 Module 4 : A Kite of Doom- Double- Barreled Fun
Before seeing how this l ine should
play out, l et's make two observations:
• I t is much more likely for B lack's
Queen to be on d7 than eB . She p roba­
bly arrived at d7 by capturing a Knight.
• Black must have a p iece on e7 or
else we would be in the Queen Sweeps 7th
Rank Defense. The natural p iece to be
on e7 is a B ishop (which is fortunate for
White since if it were a Knight or Rook,
there would be practically no hope of a
theoretically sound attack. )
H ence, if we are tal king l ate-open­
ing or early-middle game, the position
has to look pretty close to the diagram
shown below. Wal king through the at­
tack and defense here should prep are
you for similar positions.
After 14.Bxh7+
Th e n ext m oves are n o s u rp r i s e :
14 . . • Kxh 7 1 5 .Qh 5+ Kg8 1 6.Bxg 7
Taking the Bishop is suicide, so Black
p l ays 1 6 • . . f51 Thi s takes away the g4-
74
square from Wh ite's Queen and threat­
ens . . . Bf6, which would severely cripple
White's attack by not only attacking the
Bishop but also putting defense on the
crucial g7-square. All of Bl ack's hopes
are b ased on at l east threatening . . . Bf6,
and it's worth pointing out that if Black's
Roo ks are not connected, th is whole de­
fense fails. Then . . . B f6 would leave the
Rook under-defended and White would
play QhB + fol lowed by QxfB + .
N ote that 1 6 . . . f6 ? all ows Wh ite to
p ick either of two wins. The brute-force
option is simply to play 1 7 . Bh6 and then
murder Bl ack on g7 either via Rf3 -g3 or
Qg4 (the square that would be covered
h a d B l ack p l ayed . . . f5 i n stead ) . Th e
more artistic win makes use of the lack
of space around Black's King: 1 7 . Rf3 QeB
I B . QhB+ Kf7 1 9 . Q h 7 and Black's Queen
has to move to allow an escape route for
the King, but then 2 0 . Q h 5 + coaxes the
King b ack to the g-fi l e to get stomped
on by White's Rook. These l i nes show
important motifs that are useful in other
double-Bishop sac scenarios, so it pays
to be mindful of them.
White needs to play 1 7.Qg6 to stop
B l ack fro m p l aying . . . Bf6 . Th is is a con­
cession because now White cannot play
Q h B + in one play. You saw in the above
lines how that move can cause problems
fo r B l ack. B l ack then p l ays 1 7 • • • Qe8,
 Module 4 : Lesson
wh ich chall enges Wh ite's Queen and
lim its further the places she can go with­
out being exchanged .
The critical g-file squares have been
taken away.
What about g3?
If White goes all the way b ack there,
B l ack can j u st p l ay . . . Q h S a n d t h e n
perch ( i f need be) on g4 .
You said earlier that Black's Queen
should be on d7 when Bxh7+ is played,
but it seems to me that the only thing
that matters is that she can get to eB.
Why wouldn't this work if, say, she were
on cB instead of d7 and moved to eB from
there?
Nothing gets by you, does it? Let's
rol l b ack the position a b it. Instead of
White playing his Queen from hS to g6,
he could instead have si mply retreated
his Bishop b ack to, say, b 2 , threatening
Qg6#
Now, with the Queen o n d7, there
i s n o real d a n ge r b ec a u s e B l ack can
play . . . Bf6 , and he is total ly safe since
his Queen can get to g7 in case Wh ite
played Qg6 + . H owever, if Black's Queen
were not on d 7, he would have no such
defense and Qg6 + would put a second
attacker on f6 . The results would be di­
sastrous for Bl ack.
So, to make this defense work, Black
needs to be ab l e to see the g7 -square
with his Queen once the B ishop moves
and he has to be able to get his Queen
to e8. That is why d7 is the magic square
for this defense. It also happens to be a
very common square for the Queen to
be on.
Oddly enough, it is better for Bl ack
for his Queen to be on d7 and then move
to e8 than it would be for the Queen to
75
 Module 4 : A Kite of Doom- Double- Barreled Fun

have already been on e8. The issue being And that's when it's time to show
that then Black's King can be blocked in your ace in the hole:
by his own pieces after Qh8+ Kf7; Qh7, 20.Ne4!!
threaten i ng a discovered checkm ate . There are other ways to keep some
Black wou ld rather get Wh ite to play advantage, but this move is the best and
his Queen to g6 before playing his own one you have to remember. Taking with
Queen to e8 to prevent this. the d-pawn allows Wh ite to first close
Since Qg3 does not wo rk wel l for the back door with 2 0 . Rad l and then
White, 1 8.Qh6 is the only place for him. simply run the g-pawn up Black's gullet.
White once again has the option of play­ If Bl ack takes with the f-pawn, Wh ite
ing Qh8+, so Black plays 1 8 . . . Kf7 with wi l l exchange on f8 and advance the
the idea of . . . Rh8 . Anythi ng else allows f-pawn with power. Ignoring the Knight
White to win easily with Rf3 . is practical ly not an option due to the
As i s rath er co m m o n after B l ack threat of Nf6 after Bxf8 .
moves his King to f7, White should then
play 1 9.Qh7, threatening mate, so Black Co u nter-sac Defense
opens an escape route with 1 9 . . . Qd7. I f there i s a B i s h o p o n e 7 a n d a
B l ack has to keep his Queen o n the Knight on d7, he can transfer the Knight
7th rank to contest White's Queen (e.g. over to draw. H ere's how:
1 9 . . . Qc8 ? 2 0 . N f3 Ke8 2 1 . Bxf8 ! Kxf8
2 2 . Ng5 ! )
And now it looks like Black is going
to l ive.

Wh ite has pl ayed Bd4 to kick the

Queen b ack to c 7 . Now the double­
Bishop sac only bri ngs a draw due to
1 5 . Bxh7 + Kxh 7 1 6 . Q h 5 + Kg8 1 7 . Bxg7

76
 Module 4 : Lesson

Kxg7 1 B . Qg4 + KhB 1 9 . Rf3 Nf6 2 0 . Rh 3 + cracks. This attack does not work if Black
N h 7 . H ere it is best for Wh ite to take has a pawn on as .
with the Rook and accept the draw. Go­ Here is a standard example.
ing after more with 2 1 . Q h S ? is met by
2 1 . . . Bh4 ! 2 2 . Rxh4 f6 .
Note that it required both the Bishop
and the Knight to make this work. With­
out the Bishop on e7, White could have
played QgS instead of Qg4, and then
Nf6 would have dropped the Knight.
There is no real attack White can get
here ifhe wants to go for a win (but hav­
ing a forced draw might be useful ) .
1 4.Rf3
Q ueen Sweeps 7th Ra n k This sets up threats against both g7
I f Bl ack winds up with h i s Queen and h7, since White can choose where
on the 7th Rank and there is noth i ng to put the Rook. I nstead of the text, a
between the Queen and the f7 -pawn, he couple of strong players have gone in for
can draw by advancing his f-pawn to let the double-barreled sacrifice and ended
his Queen get to g7 or h7 as needed. up losing.
This plan would work pretty well if 1 4 . . . f6
White all owed him to carry it out. H ow­ This is a most logical choice, plan­
ever, the prepared player has a couple ning on using the f-pawn to bl ock the
tricks up his sleeve. dark-squared Bishop and the g-pawn
to block the l ight-squared one. Strong
Pins and Needles players have opted for 1 4 . . . fS instead,
I f Bl ack has a Bishop on cS and a but after 1 S . Rg3 Rf7 1 6 .b4 Be7, White
Knight on c6, the other Kn ight having hits the Knight with 1 7 .bS ! ! before Black
been exchanged, then Wh ite can take has played . . . Bf6 . It might look l ike the
advantage of this momentary diversion point is to push the Knight while the
of Black's minor pieces by playing Rf3 Bishop is still on e7, but the real point is
and forcing Bl ack to defend with j ust to knock the Kn ight away so that White
his Queen and pawns until his K-side can respond to . . . Bf6 with NeS : 1 B . Nf3

77
 Module 4 : A Kite of Doom-D ouble- Barreled Fun

Bf6 1 9 . NeS . This b S -pawn push is not Note how Black's pawns are all tied
available i f Bl ack has played . . . a6, but up with pins against Black's royalty and
White stil l has a good game. mating squares. Black has not managed
l S.b41 to get any of h i s minor pieces over to
This is the reason I made the com­ help due to the need to meet immediate
ment about the . . . as play in the Shere­ threats.
shevski - Vladimirov game. Th is whole
attack fal l s apart i f Wh ite can not p l ay The Phantom Knight
b4. White can ge neral ly win i f the f6
l S . . .Bd6 square is not protected by any pieces by
I f Black h a s t o decide which square pretending there is a Kn ight on f6 and
to put the Bishop on without knowing playing Bf6 ! ! instead of Bxg7 .
beforehand which square White's Rook
goes to, then th is is the cho i ce he has
to make. Otherwise we h ave 1 S . . . B e 7
1 6 . Rh3 h 6 ( 1 6 . . . g6 1 7 . Rxh7 ! ) 1 7 . Qg4
and Bl ack's days are numbered .
1 6. Rh3 96 1 7.Q94 Qf7
Th is is the only decent way to get
another defender on f6 since White is
threatening Qh4.
1 8.Rf1
This threatens fS . Play Bf6!!, not Bxg7?

Th is sacrifi cial maneuver is an ex­

a m p l e of A lekhine's B lock, a sacri fice
pl ayed to j am up l ines by manipulating
the pl acement of pawns.
Don't trust th is tactic if your oppo­
nent can play Bxe3 +, and it never works
if B l ack h a s a Knight on c6 to swi ng
around to g6 via e 7 .

Is that a K-side or a pin cushion?

78
 M odule 4 : Lesson
Other Defenses
These are the standard defenses . It
is possible that b izarre play wil l allow
others. For exa m p l e, it is conceivab l e
that Bl ack will wind up with a Queen
on d6 that could defend sideways after
playing . . . eS . It possible that a Queen
on c7 could first run down the c-file to
hit c2 then fly up the and across to sac­
rifice herself on h 7 . It j ust does not tend
to happen in n ormal play. For example,
the types of positions that would tend to
leave a Queen on an open c-file after a
double-barrel sac happen to occur in se­
quences where White has al ready played
Nbd2, allowing him to bl ock any such
martyrdom streak with e4 .
I n general, if something l o o ks odd
a b o u t the b o a rd c o n figurat i o n , you
should recheck the attack, but also re­
check lines that normally do not work. If
Black has played his p ieces on ab normal
squares, chances are there is something
b etter to be had to take advantage of
them.
When in Doubt: Qe2
I f you cannot find a sacrificial option
or see how the various exceptional attacks
can be worked into a given situation, first
make sure that Black cannot play . . . Nb4 .
As long a s that tactic is stopped, Q e 2 is
almost always a good play.
There are two maj o r ideas b e h i n d
Q e 2 . Th e fi rst i s that Wh ite can p u t
p ressure o n the d- a n d c- fi l es, h o p e ­
fully causing Black discomfort if he has
no place to put his Queen . This works
hand-in-hand with knowing these sacri­
ficial plays because a Bishop on e7 tends
to make sacri fi ces less l i kely to work,
and that is exactly the square the Queen
would l ike to be on if she is hiding from
White's Rooks.
The second maj or point behind Qe2
has to do with the e4 square. If Black is
threatening to play Ne4, then Qe2 works
against that strategy. General ly, B l ack
would prefer to exchange on d4 imme­
di ately before placing a Knight o n e4,
but with the Queen on e2 exchanging on
d4 all of a sudden adds a third defender
to e4, making . . . Ne4 impossible.
Sa m p le Exe rcise
Before working the exercises, analyze
completely in your j ournal the position
shown below. It does not require any of
the special attacks o r defenses ( except
Alekhine's bl ock, which is just an exotic
version of the double-b arreled sacrifice ) .
Indeed, the configuration of Q/c7, N/c6,
N/d7, and B/d6 is the standard forma­
tion indicating the sacrifice works in all
lines without knowing any of the fancy
stuff.
79
 Module 4 : A Kite o f Doom- Double- Barreled Fun

1 2 .Nxc6
There are two possible recaptures.
We will analyze each separately.

Black Reca ptu res with Bishop

[Analysis begins at top of next column]
1 2 . . . Bxc6 1 3 .dxcS BxcS
1 3 . . . NxcS Connects the Queen to
the K-side pawns, but removes defense
from f6 . 1 4 . Bxh7+ Kxh7 I S . QhS+ KgB
1 6 . Bf6 ! ! And nothing Black tries works.
( 1 6 . Bxg7 ? fS is only good for a draw. )
1 6 . . . gxf6 ( 1 6 . . . Nd7 bl ocks the Queen,
a l l owing Wh ite to retu rn to the n o r­
mal sequence. 1 7 . Bxg7 ) 1 7 . Qg4 + Kh7
I B . Rf3 .
1 3 . . . bxcS seems the worst of all possi­
bil ities - not only is the Queen blocked
down the c-file, but she is still blocked
along the 7th-rank and now the Bishop
cannot even p l ay . . . Bxe3 + . 1 4 . Bxh 7 +
Kxh 7 I S . Q h S + K g B 1 6 . Bx g 7 Kxg 7
1 7 . QgS + KhB I B . Rf3 with mate i n 4 .
1 4.Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 S .Qh S+ Kg8 1 6.Bxg 7
Bxe3+ 1 7.Kh l f6 1 8.Bh6 NeS 1 9.fxeS
Bxh6 20.Qxh6

Black Reca ptu res with Queen

1 2 ... Qxc6
Taking with the Queen means that
Bl ack has the p ossib l e future defense
o f . . . Qxc2 -g6 o r . . . Qxc2 - h 7 . I n th i s
case, though, these defenses are i rrel ­
evant because White h a s already played

80
 Module 4 : Lesson

Nbd2, wh ich allows h i m to block the Exerci ses

diagonal with e4 later. (See Wh ite's 20th The exercises on the following pages
move. ) . allow you to practice your decision-mak­
1 3 .dxcS QxcS ing skills with the Kite. In each case, you
1 3 . . . BxcS 1 4 . Bxh 7+ Kxh7 l S . Qh S + should determine whether a sacrifice is
Kg8 1 6 . Bxg7 Bxe 3 + 1 7 . K h l Kxg7 available ( and if not, why) .
1 8 . QgS + Kh8 1 9 . Qh6+ ( 1 9 . Rf3 ? White is I have selected these with the idea
still ahead here, but not as convincingly. that you will be revisiting them several
1 9 . . . Qxc2 20. Rh3+ Qh7 2 1 . Rxh7 + Kxh7 times as part of your study. Thus, there
2 2 . Qh 4 + Kg7 2 3 . Qg3 + Kh 7 2 4 . Qxe3 ) are some diagrams that come straight
1 9 . . . Kg8 2 0 . Rf3 Qxc2 2 1 . Rg3 + Q g 6 from the chapter, others that come from
2 2 . Rxg6+ fxg6 2 3 . Qxg6+ K h 8 2 4 . Qh6+ your open ing repertoire as standard po­
Kg8 2 S . Qxe6+ Rf7 2 6 . Qxe3 +- sitions, others that allow you to apply
1 3 . . . NxcS 1 4 . Bxh 7 Kxh 7 l S . Q h S + basic Kite analysis techniques, and one
Kg8 1 6 . Bxg7 Kxg7 1 7 . QgS + Kh7 1 8 . Rf3 that is a pretty good challenge !
with mate to follow.
1 4.Bxh7 Kxh 7 1 S .Bd4!
D o n ' t fo rget this move ! After the
Queen moves, Black can no longer play
. . . Qxe3+.
l S . QhS + ? ? Kg8 1 6 . Bxg7 ( 1 6 . Bd4 ? ?
too late now. Black will get her Queen
to the c2-g7 diagonal before White plays
his key QgS + check. 1 6 . . . Qxc2 1 7 . Bxg7
Kxg7 1 8 . QgS + Qg6 ) 1 6 . . . Qxe3+ 1 7 . Kh l
Kxg7 . Now al l Wh ite h a s i s a draw.
1 8 . QgS + Kh7 1 9 . Rf3 Qxf3 20. Nxf3 .
1 S ... Qc7 1 6.QhS+ Kg8 1 7 .Bxg7 Kxg 7
1 8.Qg S+ Kh8
Black cannot stop mate.
1 9.Rf3 Qxc2 20.e4

81
 Exercises
Exercise 1 Exercise 3
Last Moves: 1 0.a3 Qe7 1 1 .f4 Nd7 La st Moves: 9.Bb2 Be7 1 0.f4 0-0

Exercise 2 Exercise 4
La st Moves: 1 0.f4 ReS 1 1 .a 3 N d 7 Last Moves: 1 0.f4 Bb7 1 1 .0-0 RaeS

83
 Module 4 : A Kite of Doom- Double- Barreled Fun

Exercise 5 Exercise 7
La st Moves: 1 O.Nd2 a6 1 1 .f4 bS Last Moves: 1 2 .Rae1 RaeS 1 3 .f4 Bd6

Exercise 6 Exercise 8
Last Moves: 9.NeS Bb7 1 0.f4 ReS La st Moves: 9.Nd2 b6 1 0.f4 Bb7

84
 Module 4 : Exercises

Exercise 9 Exercise 1 1
La st Moves: 9.NeS Nc6 1 0.f4 Rc8 Last Moves: 1 0.NeS Nd7 1 1 .f4 Qc7

Exercise 1 0 Exercise 1 2
Last Moves: 1 1 .NeS Rad8 1 2 .f4 Bd6 Last Moves: 1 0.NeS Be8 1 1 .f4 Qb6

85
 Module 4: A Kite of Doom- Double-Barreled Fun

Exercise 1 3 Exercise 1 5
Last Moves: 1 0.NeS ReS 1 1 .f4 eS La st Moves: 1 0.f4 Ba6 1 1 .e4 QbS

Exercise 1 4 Exercise 1 6
La st Moves: 9.f4 eS 1 0.Bb2 ReS La st Moves: 1 1 .dxeS QxeS 1 2.Qf3 Nd7

86
 Solu tioqs
Exercise 1
Last Moves: 1 0.a3 Qe7 1 1 .f4 N d 7
Best M ove: 1 2 .Nxd7
Commentary
The Queen on e7 makes it unlikely
that any quick attack, sacrificial or oth­
erwise, will work.
D i rect attacks l i ke QhS should be
discouraged since they allow responses
l ike . . . g6 which blunt the attack, require
White to use a move in retreat, and open
up space for Black's King. White should
instead make Black defend his King with
just his Queen and pawns, and eventu­
ally the Queen wil l become overworked
and the pawns will be pinned.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 2 .Q h S ? ! g 6 1 3 . Q h 3 Rac8 1 4. N x d 7
Qxd 7 l S . d x c S bxcS 1 6. Q h4 ( 1 6 . Q h 6 f6)
1 6 ... Be7 1 7.Qh6 d4 a n d Black has su ccess­
fu l ly b ro ken Wh ite's d a rk-sq ua red wa l l .
12 .•• Qxd 7 1 3 .dxeS BxeS
1 3 . . . b x c S 1 4 . Q h S ( 1 4 . Bx h 7 + Kx h 7
l S.QhS+ Kg8 1 6. Bxg 7 f6 1 7.Bh6 i s dyna m i ­
ca l ly eq u a l .) 1 4 .. .fS l S . N f3 a n d Wh ite sti l l
h a s some attacking pros pects.
1 4. Rf3
Bette r t h a n Q h S b e c a u s e i t reta i n s
more fl exi b i l i ty. Wh ite can fo l l ow u p with
Rg 3 or Rh3, and then Wh ite's Queen ca n
go to g4 or h S .
1 4. B x h 7 + ? wa s p l a yed i n t h e actu a l
game. 1 4 ... Kxh 7 l S .QhS+ Kg 8 1 6.Bxg7 fS
1 7 . Bxf8 a n d Wh ite wi l l e n d u p w i t h o u t
e n o u g h t o s h o w fo r h i s lost B i s h ops.
1 4 .f6
••
S i n c e Wh ite has the a b i l ity to tra i n a
B i s h o p a n d Rook on both g 7 a n d h7, the
best d efe n sive set u p fo r B l a c k i s to use
each of the f- a n d g-pawns to b l ock one.
1 4 .. .fS l S .Rg 3 Rf7 1 6. b4 Be7 1 7.bS with
Nf3 to fol l ow
1 S .b4!
87
 Module 4 : A Kite of Doom- Double- Barreled Fun

M a k i n g B l a c k d e c i d e before p l a c i n g Commentary
t h e Rook. It i s then a n easy d ec i s i o n . I hope this was not too hard to see.
15 ••• Bd6
l S ... Be 7? 1 6. R h 3 g6 1 7 .Rxh 7 ! Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 6.Rh3 g6 1 7 .Qg4 Qf7 13 ••• Qxd7 1 3 .dxe5 bxe5
The o n l y g o o d way to g et a n ot h e r 1 3 ... BxcS 1 4. Rf3 f6 l S . b4 Bd6 1 6. R h 3
d efender o n f6 si nce Wh ite i s th reate n i n g g6 with the "pi n s a n d n eed l es" attac k d e-
Qh4. scri bed in the cha pter.
l S.Rf1 1 4.Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 5 .Qh 5 + KgS 1 6.Bxg 7
Th r e a te n i n g fS . N o te h o w W h i t e ' s f5 1 7 .Qg6 QeS 1 S.Qh6 Kf7 1 9.Qh7 Qd7
B i s h o p s a n d a l l h i s m aj o r p i e c e s a r e 20.Ne4!1
tra i ned o n the pawns, p i n n i n g t h e m to T h e key p l a y t o re m e m b e r i n t h i s
the King, Q u een, a n d mati ng s q u a res. atta ck.
1 B. N f3 is natu ra l , but leads to an u n- 20 fxe4
•••

c l e a r p o s i t i o n after 1 B ... eS 1 9.fxeS NxeS 2 0 . . . d x e4 2 1 . R a d 1 N d 4 ( 2 1 . . . Q c 7

2 0 . N xeS BxeS 2 1 . BxeS BcB 2 2 . Q g 3 B x h 3 22.BeS+) 22.Bxd4+
2 3 . Rf1 2 0 . . . K e B 2 1 . B x f B fx e 4 ( 2 1 . . . B x fB
22.Nf6+) 22.Bxe7 N x e 7 ( 2 2. . .Qxe7 2 3 .Qh6
Exercise 2 and W h i te w i l l a d va n ce t h e f- pawn a n d
Last Moves: 1 0.f4 ReS 1 1 .a 3 N d 7 g ra b t h e f-fi le.) 2 3 .Q h B+ Kfl 24.Q h S + Kg 7
2 S .g4 a n d Wh ite wi l l eventu a l l y play QeS
and fS .
2 1 .BxfS+ KxfS 22 .f5 KeS 2 3 .QhS+ BfS
24.fxe6

Exercise 3

Last Moves: 9.Bb2 Be7 1 0.f4 0-0

Best M ove: 1 2 .Nxd 7

88
 Module 4 : Solutions
Best Move: 1 1 .Nxc6
Commentary
We have here a standard position
except Bl ack has played . . . a6, showing
an interest in . . . bS, rather than the more
normal . . . Nb4 . The placement of Black's
Bishop and Queen suggest that there is
still no sacrifice to be had. Nor do I sug­
gest the Rf3 attack since Black's double
control of e4 allows him to totally close
the diagonal should he choose. There is
also the real concern of a slowly build­
ing attack on the K-side being compro­
m i sed by an al ready moving Q - s i d e
pawn rol ler. Si nce the . . . N b 4 l i ne is a
pretty serious try for equality by Black,
simply exchanging the Knight comes as
a natural option. Th is move also frees
Wh ite to p l ay a4 ( rather than a3 ) to
dissuade . . . bS. The solution to this exer­
cise illustrates nicely how the sacrificial
options influence what possibilities are
open. It also highl ights how the option
of . . . bS should change your middlegame
planning.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
11 ••• Bxc6 1 2.a4
Sto p p i n g bS. Why d oes it stop bS? The
th reat of a d o u b l e-barreled sac.
1 2.Qe2 i s not the cu re-a l l here beca u se
B l a ck's fut u re . . . bS w i l l mea n h i s Q u ee n
h a s extra Q-si d e p l a ces t o roost. Th i s i s a n
i m porta nt n ua n ce t o rem e m ber. M u c h of
the benefit to Qe2 comes fro m poss i b l e
press u re d own t h e c-fi l e a n d d -fi l e, where
Bla c k's Q u een i s very l i kely to w i n d u p if
t h e re is a B i s h o p o n e7. W i t h the extra
Q-s i d e spa ce, that merit eva porates.
12 ••• N e4
Th i s i s the l o g i c a l p lay, but the Kn i g ht
on e4 i s u n l i kely to be of m u ch u se. Wh ite
w i l l s i m p l y post h i s own on eS if Black l ets
h i m , a n d both Knig hts wi l l be exc h a n g e d .
There i s a s i g n ificant d ifference between
the K n i g ht o n e4 a n d the K n i g ht Wh ite
can post o n eS - Wh ite ca n reta ke with
the f-pawn.
1 2 ... bS? 1 3 .a x b S axbS 1 4. Rxa8 Qxa8
l S .dxcS Bxc S ? ? Th e K n i g h t that u sed to
h a ve two p i eces d efe n d i n g it n ow h a s
zero. 1 6.Bxf6! a n d it's a l l over b u t t h e c ry­
i n g . 1 6 ... gxf6 1 7.Bxh7+
1 3 .Qe2 Nxd2
1 3 ... Bf6 1 4. N f3 B b 7 1 S . N eS;
89
 Module 4: A Kite of Doom-Double-Barreled Fun

1 3 ... Bb7 1 4. Nxe4 ( 1 4.Nf3 f6) 1 4 ... dxe4 1 3 ... Nxc5 1 4.Bxh 7 + Kxh 7 1 5 .Qh5+ Kg8
1 5 .Bc4 i s p l easant for White. 1 6.Bf6!! and the goose i s cooked.
1 4.Qxd2 1 4.Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 S .Qh S+ Kg8 1 6.Bxg 7
W h i t e s t i l l h a s h o p e of a K-s i d e Bxe3 +
attack. 1 6 ... Kxg 7 1 7.Qg 5+ Kh8 1 8. Rf3 +-
1 7 .Kh 1 f6 1 8.Bh6
Exercise 4 Th reate n i n g Qg6+
Last Moves: 1 0.f4 Bb7 1 1 .0-0 Rae8 18 ••• NeS
1 8 ... Qxc2 1 9.Rf3 .
1 9.Bxf8 Bxd2
1 9 ... Rxf8 2 0 .fx e 5 Bxd 2 2 1 . Rxf6 Rxf6
2 2.exf6 Qf7 2 3 .Qe5 a n d t h e re i s no rea l
solution t o Rd 1 -d3, etc.
20.Bb4
A n d B l a c k ca n n ot w i n d u p w i t h o u t
materi a l d eficit.

Exercise 5
Best Move: 1 2 .Nxd7 Last Moves: 1 0.Nd2 a6 1 1 .f4 bS

Commentary
After a bit of p ractice, you should
be able to easily recognize this a simple
win for White. This diagram also gives
a good exa m p l e o f h ow Nxd 7 forces
. . . Nxd7 when the Knight on f6 is not de­
fended by a piece because otherwise we
have an easy win due to a later Bxf6 .

Analysis, Variations, and Notes Best Move: 1 2 .dxeS

12 ••• Nxd7
1 2 ... Qxd 7 1 3 .dxc5 Bxc5 1 4. Bxf6+- Commentary
1 3 .dxeS BxeS You should take this position as a

90
 Module 4 : Solutions
warning against go ing i nto auto-pilot
during the fi rst B moves of the game.
Inaccuracy has robbed White of any real
opening advantage because the threat of
. . . c4 has to be dealt with . The text is the
proper choice, but then Wh ite h as to
deal with the threat to his e-pawn .
1 2 . c4 dxc4 1 3 . bxc4 cxd 4 1 4 . Nxc6
Bxc6 does not look good for White.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 2 ... BxeS 1 3 .Qe2 NxeS
1 3 . . . d 4 1 4 . N e4 N x e4 l S . B xe4 N x e S
1 6 . B x b 7 d 3 1 7 .Q h S B x e 3 + 1 B . K h 1 N g 6
1 9.Bxa8 Qxa8 20.Rf3
1 4.fxeS N e4 l S .b4 Be7 1 6.Bd4
T h i s p o s i t i o n is p ro b a b l y a b o u t a s
g ood a s Wh ite ca n hope for g iven h i s ear­
l ier i nacc u racies.
Exercise 6
Last Moves: 9.NeS Bb7 1 0.f4 ReS
Best Move: 1 1 .Qe2
Commentary
Since Black's Queen can stay on dB,
White has l ittle hope of a double-Bishop
sacrifice. I ndeed, Black's setup is pretty
sol id, and in Zuke 'Em I did not suggest
going into the Kite formation here. Still,
it is good exercise to see what can be
made from a dynamically equal posi­
tion. Qe2 cuts through Black's general
desire to exchange on d4 and place a
Knight on e4. I f Black exchanges fi rst,
then White has three pieces hitting e4.
I f Black plays . . . Ne4 fi rst, White gener­
ally does fine by taking on e4 with his
Bishop, playing a Knight to c4, exchang­
ing on d7, then exchanging on cS .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 1 .N xd 7 i s the move if you want yo u r
o p ponent t o sweat a l ittle, b u t o n l y if yo u
a re okay ta k i n g a m e re d raw. 1 1 . .. N x d 7
( 1 1 ...Qxd 7 1 2.dxcS wins a pawn si nce
B l a c k ca n n ot reta ke. 1 2 . . . B x c S 1 3 . Bxf6 )
1 2 . d x c S BxcS ( 1 2 . . . N x c S 1 3 . B x h 7 + Kx h 7
1 4.Q h S + Kg 8 l S .Bxg7 does not q u ite g ive
the sa m e attack as when the B i s h o p is on
e7, but Wh ite wou l d have at l ea st a d raw)
1 3 . B x h 7 + Kx h 7 1 4. Q h S + K g 8 l S . B x g 7
B x e 3 + 1 6 . K h 1 Kxg 7 1 7 . Q g 4 + K h 7 a n d
Wh ite o n l y has a d raw.
1 1 ... Qe7
Proba b l y the most l o g i c a l m ove, fo r
often W h ite p l a ys Q e 2 s pe c i fi c a l l y be-
91
 Module 4 : A Kite of Doom- Double- Barreled Fun

ca u se B l a c k ca n n ot safe l y p u t h i s o w n l S . . . dxe4
Q u een on e7. 1 5 . . . Nxe4? 1 6.Nxe4 a nd Wh ite th reat-
1 1 . . . N e4 1 2 . N xe4 d x e4 1 3 . B b 5 N f6 ens both N g 5 a n d Q h 5 .
1 4.Rad 1 . 1 6.Ndc4 Ba6 1 7 .Qf2
1 2 .a4! To dea l with the th reat t o b6, Black has
On the su rface, th i s move threatens to to l et Wh ite o pen u p the l o n g d ia g o n a l ,
merely pu nch a h o l e d own the a-fi l e a n d so there i s s o m e sti l l s o m e rea l attacking
t r y to g et s o m eth i n g fro m B l a c k' s e a r l y potenti a l fo r Wh ite here.
vacation o f the a 8-sq u a re. But there i s a
d ee p e r, m o re i m p o rta nt i d ea . At s o m e Exercise 7
p o i n t i n t h e futu re, B l a c k wi l l need t o play La st Moves: 1 2 .Rac1 Rac8 1 3 .f4 Bd6
. . . cxd4. W h i te d e s i res to reta ke (Bxd4)
with tempo a ga i n st the b6-pawn.
1 2 ...a S l!
1 2 ... N e4 i s a m o re c i rc u m s pect p l ay,
but I th i n k m o st peo p l e wo u l d be fa i rl y
ha ppy with t h e aftermath. 1 3 . Bxe4 dxe4
1 4. N d c4 B b8 1 5 . N x d 7 Qxd 7 1 6.dxc5 bxc5
1 7.Rad l .
1 3 . Rf3 ! N e4 1 4.Rh3 Ndf6
Ot h e rwi se, B l a c k fi n d s h i m se l f a fa i r
a m o u nt of tro u ble. Best Move: 1 4.Nxd7
1 4 ...cxd4 1 5 . N xe4 d xe4 1 6. N x d 7 Qxd 7
1 7. B b 5 Qe7 1 8. Bxd4 i l l u strates the a bove Commentary
point a bout b6. This problem is a good example of
1 4 . . .f5 1 5 . N x d 7 Qxd 7 1 6 . d x c 5 b x c 5 one that would take a wh i l e to work
( 1 6 . . . N xc 5 1 7 . N f3 and t h e re i s b l o o d i n through i f you did not have confidence
t h e w a t e r . ) 1 7 . N x e 4 fx e4 1 8 . B b 5 Q e 7 in the basic rules and motifs described
1 9. R h 5 ! ? in the chapter. There are many lines to
l S .Bxe4 consi der, but each can be easily dis-
T h i s b e g i n s a p r etty st a n d a r d s e - missed if you know what to look for.
q u e n c e I a d v o c a t e fo r d ea l i n g w i t h a
Kn i g ht pla nted on e4.

92
 Module 4 : Solutions
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 4 . . . Nxd7
1 4 ... Qxd 7 mea ns Bxf6 is letha l . l S.dxcS
BxcS 1 6. Bxf6.
l S .dxcS NxcS
A l I 4 ca ptu res a l iow the dou ble-Bishop
sac! J u st re member "Alekhine's block."
l S . . . BxcS 1 6.Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 7.QhS+;
l S ... QxcS 1 6.Bd4;
l S . . . bxcS 1 6. Bxh7+.
1 6.Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 7 .Qh S + Kg8 1 8.Bf6
Exercise 8
La st Moves: 9.Nd2 b6 1 0.f4 Bb7
Best Move: 1 1 .c4
Commentary
Th is is a standard setup, and the
suggested idea is to play c4 and look for
c-fiIe tactics. There are no sacrificial lines
to be had.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
T h e g a m e , fro m t h e 1 9 3 4 R u s s i a n
C h a m p i o n s h i p, conti n u ed : 1 1 ... N e4
1 2.cxd S exdS 1 3 . N xe4 dxe4 1 4.Bc4 Nf6.
At that p o i n t I t h i n k Wh ite co u l d h a ve
e x e c u t e d t h e b a s i c s t r a t e g i c g o a l of
1 1 .c4 by p l a y i n g l S .dxcS QxcS (. . . Bxc S ?
1 6. N g 4 ! ) 1 6. Qe2. P ro m i s i n g m oves fo r
Wh ite s p r i n g u p l i ke b l uebon n ets a l on g
Texa s roa d s i d es.
Exercise 9
La st Moves: 9.NeS Nc6 1 0.f4 Rc8
Best Move: 1 1 .a3
Commentary
White plays to stop Nb4. There is no
hope of any sacrifice right now given the
lineup on d8 and e7. See Zuke 'Em for a
discussion of Bl ack's options here.
93
 Module 4: A Kite of Doom- Double-Barreled Fun
Exercise 1 0
Last Moves: 1 1 .Ne5 Rad8 1 2 .f4 Bd6
Best M ove: 1 3 .Nxd 7
Commentary
I n this game, played in the 1 952
s i a n Champ i o n s h i p s e m i - fi n a l , B l ack
origi nally played his Bishop to e7 before
moving it to d 6 . It should be clear to you
now why this was a grave mistake.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
13 ••• Nxd7
A n y oth e r c a p t u re a l l ows a later
Bxf6, b l o c ki n g u p t h e K-s i d e . T h e p res­
e n ce of the Rook on d B does n ot c h a n g e
a n yth i ng .
1 4.dxc5 Nxc5 1 5.Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 6.Qh 5 +
Kg8 1 7 .Bf61
If B l a c k ta kes the B i s hop, he is h ope­
l es s l y l o st. T h i s is the " A l e k h i ne's B l o c k"
tactic mentioned in the mod u l e.
1 7.Bxg 7 ? was the move played i n the
94
game, a n d Black won 35 moves l ater.
17 ••• Nd7
Everyt h i n g e l s e obvi o u s l y fa i l s:
1 7 . . . gxf6 ? ? 1 B.Og4+ Kh7 1 9. Rf3;
1 7 . . . Be7? 1 B. Bxg 7.
Most others can be m et by Rf3 .
1 8.Bxg 7 Kxg 7 1 9.Qg5+ Kh8 20.Rf3
Qxc2
B l a c k has m a n a g ed to sto p m ate by
t h e rare d efe n s e . . . O x c 2 . H owever, a s
i n d i cated i n the lesson secti on, when t h i s
happens i n practica l play, it a l most n ever
mea n s Bl ack g ets fu l l eq u a l ity.
2 1 .Rh3+ Q h 7 22.Rxh7+ Kxh 7 23 .f51
Be5
Rus­ 23 ... RgB? 24.0h4+ Kg7 25 .fxe6.
24.Nf3 Bg7 2 5 .fxe6 fxe6 26.Qh4+ Kg8
27.Ng5
Exercise 1 1
Last M oves: 1 0.Ne5 N d 7 11 .f4 Qc7
Best Move: 1 2 .Nxd 7
 Module 4 : Solutions
Commentary
You should be able to tel l that the
double-barreled sacrifice does not lead
to a win regardless of which Knight you
take. However, hopefully you found that
White can execute one of the special at­
tacks described in the chapter.
1 2 . Nxc6 is definitely the wrong cap­
ture. Either recapture allows Black to get
to a position where he can survive a dou­
ble-barreled sac and leaves White with
nothing to show for his extra move.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
12 ••• Qxd7 1 3 .dxeS BxeS
1 3 ... bxcS g ives the sta n d a rd atta ck fo r
when a B i s h o p sepa rates the Q u een from
the K-si d e but the Queen ca n sti l l get to
t h e e8 s q u a re. 1 4. B x h 7 + Kx h 7 l S .Q h S +
K g 8 1 6.Bxg 7 f S 1 7 .Qg6 Q e 8 1 8. Q h 6 Kf7
1 9.Qh 7 Q d 7 20.Ne4.
1 4. Rf3
And now Wh ite ca n use the attac k d e­
scri bed i n the lesson sectio n when B l ack's
pieces have been d iverted away from the
K-si d e, l eavi n g o n l y the Queen o n d7 to
h e l p d efe n d .
Exercise 1 2
La st Moves: 1 0.NeS Be8 1 1 .f4 Qb6
Best Move: 1 2 .dxeS
Commentary
Th i s m ight l o o k l i ke a l u d icrous
position, but be advised that an Inter­
national Master was playing the Black
pieces. White, a strong master, upset his
opponent by finding the correct p l ay
OTB. I give the entire game continua­
tion here.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 2. N xc6 is the safer o pti o n . If you d i d
not trust you r a n a lysis o f what happens if
a Queen got to e3, then t h i s l i n e is for you .
H owever, it d oes a l l ow B l a c k t o scra pe out
with j u st t h e l o s s of a pawn. Either way,
you d i d need to make s u re that the Bishop
o n e8 did not change a n yth i n g . 1 2 ... Qxc6
( 1 2 . . . c4 1 3 . N xa 7 Qxa 7 1 4. bxc4) 1 3 .dxcS
Be7 ( 1 3 . . . Q xcS 1 4.Bd4 Qc7 l S . Bxf6; 1 3 . . .
BxcS 1 4. Bxf6).
12 QxeS 1 3 .Nxe6 Qxe3 + 1 4.Kh 1 Bxe6
•••
95
 Module 4 : A Kite of Doom- Double- Barreled Fun
1 5 .Bxf6 Bxf4 1 6.Qg4 Bh6 1 7 .Ra e 1
Qxd2 1 8.Re2 Qa 5 1 9.Re3 K h 8 20.Qh5
[ 1 -0]
Exercise 1 3
Last Moves: 1 0.Ne5 Re8 1 1 .f4 e5
Best M ove(s): 1 2 .Rf3 (or Qe2)
Commentary
When you checked the double-Bish­
op sac, I hope you real ized that it was
only good for a draw because Bl ack can
maintain his Queen on d8 and recapture
with a Bishop on c5 . Assuming you are
not interested in a mere draw, Qe2 is a
good solid move and White has a great
position. Black will probably eventually
play his Bishop back to b7 since White
now has three pieces on c4 .
1 2 . Rf3 is also a perfectly good move,
but be aware that Black's position is a
good deal more resil ient than it might
look. In the game from which this posi-
96
tion was pul led, Wh ite, a n 1 M playing
someone 200 points below him, pl ayed
"
Rh3, as George Koltanowski did decades
earl ier. H owever, rather than pl aying
for a K-side sacrifice, he played for e4,
and when the dust settled his advantage
had evaporated. I'm including notes to
that game just to show that one has to
respect the strength of Black's position.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
12 ••• Re8
Th i s move m a kes a ny Bishop sac m uch
h a rd e r to p u l l off beca u s e the Ki n g now
h a s a retreat path.
1 3 .Rh3
W h i te ' s p l a y m i g h t l o o k a b i t ove r­
method i c a l a n d s l ow, but it fo rces B l a c k
t o deal w i t h a n o n-sacrificia l th reat. G iven
that B l a c k has u sed a co u pl e tem p i to play
... Ba6 a n d ... Rc8, a n yt h i n g that fo rces Black
to react rat h e r than d eve l o p i s proba b l y
worthwh i l e.
In the act u a l g a m e, Wh ite played fo r
the e-pawn advance with 1 3 . N x d 7 ? ! N x d 7
1 4.e4, but it d i d n o t g ive h i m a nyth i n g . It
s h o u l d be n oted, though, that the sacri­
fi c i a l l i ne d oes n ot wo rk either: 1 4.Bxh7
Kx h 7 1 5 . R h 3 + Kg 8 1 6 . Q h S Kf8 1 7 . d x c S
BxcS 1 8. Bxg 7+ K e 7 a n d Bla ck's connected
maj o r p i eces a l o n g the l a st ra n k as wel l a s
h i s control of c4, d4, a n d e4 m a ke i t h a rd
fo r White to b r i n g i n a d d iti o n a l reso u rces
 Module 4 : Solutions

due to th reats to his Queen.

Aft e r the e - p a w n a d va n ce, the a c ­
t u a l g a m e c o n c l u d e d 1 4 . . . cxd 4 l S . e S
d xc4 1 6.Bxc4 Bxc4 1 7 . N xc4 B c S 1 B. R d 3
b S 1 9.Nd6 Bxd6 20.exd6 e S 2 1 .fxeS NxeS
2 2 . R x d 4 Q b 6 2 3 . K h 1 R c d B 2 4 . Q d 2 f6
2 S . Rd 1 Re6 26.h 3 R d 7 2 7.Bc3 Nf7 2B.BaS
Qxd 4 ? ? when a d raw wa s a g reed . I can
only assu m e Wh ite did not see 29.Qxd4
Rexd6 30.Re 1 !
1 3 ... h6 Best Move: 1 1 .Qe2
1 3 ... N fB r e m o v e s t h e K i n g ' s fl i g h t
sq u a re a n d ma kes fl a n d g7 hard to de- Commentary
fen d after 1 4. N df3. There is no way to conjure up the
1 3 ... g6 1 4. N df3 th reaten s N g S . co nditions fo r a doubl e-b arreled sac,
1 4.Rg3 nor any real hope of any in the future
Th i s s h o u l d m a ke B l a c k a l ittl e wor- unless Bl ack decides to play . . . Bd6 for
ried a bout the d efense of h i s K n i g h t on no reason. Si nce there is no threat of
f6. White a l so now has the option of Nxfl . . . . Nb4, the ge n e ral - p u rp o s e Qe2 i s
fol l owed by Bg6. called for. This discourages Black from
1 4 ... exd4 1 5 .exd4 Bb7 1 6.a3 Qe7 exchanging on d4, which would bring
1 6 ... N e4 1 7 .Bxe4 dxe4 1 B.QhS. an extra defender to e4. It also pres­
1 7.Qe2 ages future veiled threats against Black's
I wou l d t h i n k most players wou l d be Queen whose safe haven on e7 is cur­
happy with White's positio n. rently occupied.

Exercise 1 4 Analysis, Variations, and Notes

Last Moves: 9.f4 e5 1 0.Bb2 ReS 1 1 ... N e4 1 2 .Nxe4 dxe4 1 3 .Be4
Th i s is the sta n d a rd l i n e I suggest for
dea l i n g with . . . N e4.

97
 Module 4 : A Kite of Doom-Double- Barreled Fun
Exercise 1 5
Last Moves: 1 0.f4 Ba6 1 1 .c4 Qb8
Best M ove: 1 2 .Nxd7
Commentary
I h ave included this as an exercise
where some rather non-standard moves
have b e e n p l ayed . Th is means certai n
ideas that normally work might not. . .
and certai n ideas that n ormally fail can
succeed.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
12 ••• Nxd7 1 3 .dxcS bxcS
1 3 ... BxcS 1 4.Bxh 7 +!
Here we see a n exa m p l e of why B l ack's
decl i n i n g the sacrifice does not work we l l
i f he h a s n o d efense a l o n g t h e 7th ra n k.
1 4 . . . Kxh 7 1 S.0hS+ KgB 1 6.Bxg 7 fS 1 7.Bb2
th reaten s Og6#.
In a typical boa rd layo ut, Black wo u l d
be i n a position t o b l o c k u p the l o n g d i­
agona l . B u t h i s m i s p la ced p i eces ro b h i m
98
of that opti o n here, l ead i n g to h i s doom.
1 4.Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 S .Qh S+ Kg8 1 6.Bxg 7
fS 1 7.Rf3
It's c e rta i n l y te m pt i n g to j u m p i n to
t h e sta n d a rd seq u e n c e beg i n n i n g with
1 7. 0 g 6 ? , b u t t h e a b n o rm a l boa rd c o n ­
fig u ration s h o u l d m a ke y o u pa u se t o do
you r own a n a lysis. I n t h i s ca se, Bl ack has
a n extra piece h itti n g f6, so you have to
come u p with someth i ng el se. 1 7.0g6 i s
th u m ped b y 1 7 ...0 e B 1 B.Oh6 Bf6.
17 ••• Nf6 1 8.Qh6 Ng4 1 9.Qxe6+ Rf7
20.BeS
With cxdS to fo l low.
Exercise 1 6
Last Moves: 1 1 .dxcS QxcS 1 2.Qf3 N d 7
Best Move: 1 3 .Na4!!
Commentary
I consider this a challenge prob lem.
Na4 ! ! is a resourceful way to use knowl ­
edge a b o u t t h e d o u b l e - b arre l e d s a c .
 Module 4 : Solutions

Where can Black's Queen go ?

Analysis, Variations, and Notes

13 ••• Qc7 1 4.Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 S.QhS+
1 5 . N xd 7 wou l d have a l so wo rked .
lS ••• Kg8 1 6.Nxd7 Qxd 7
Black h a s to recaptu re, sett i n g h i m self
u p for a fo rk ( N b6).
1 6 . . . B x d 7 1 7 . B x g 7 f6 1 8 . R f3 Q x c 2
1 9.Rg3 a n d there i s n o d efen se.
1 7.Bxg 7 fS
1 7 .. .f6 1 8. Bxf8 Bxf8.
1 8.Bxf8 Bxf8 1 9. N b6

99
 Module 5: Tile Gallle-C llaIlSiIlS l\.etreat
! took considerable trouble in Zuke 'Em
to ensure Wh ite would avoid the fol­
lowing variation:
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d S 3 .e3 e6 4 . B d 3 c S
S . b 3 N c 6 6.0-0 B e 7 7 . N b d 2 0-0 8.Bb2
b6 9.NeS N b4 1 0.Be2
Th e re a re seve r a l reas o n s why I
warned agai nst all owing th is l i ne, not
the least of which being that Black could
( were he of a mind to ) simply play 1 0 . .
Nd7, and White is not able to make any
use of the temporary retreat. I t's h ard
to see how White is going to stop Black
from playing . . . f5 or . . . f6 and take the
game in a direction White cannot pos­
sibly desire ( barring any masoch istic
tendencies ).
Rich a rd Pal l i ser m a kes a s i m i l a r
point i n his excellent, cram med-to-the­
brim-with-useful-i nformation book on
the c3-Co l l e . After 1 .d4 d S 2 . N f3 N f6
3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS S .c3 Nc6 6.Nbd2 Be7
7.0-0 0-0 he points out that White can
amble forward with a stonewall forma­
tion (8.NeS) if he absolutely wants to,
but when Black responds with 8 . . . N d 7
about the best White can do is 9.f4 fS
and White's face might resemble that of
a child waking up Christmas morning to
find no presents under the tree.
.
Sa nta is Not Ha ppy with White
You c a n h ave c o n fi d e n c e that a
Knight retreating from f6 marks an im-
1 01
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat
p o rtant moment in al most any Co l l e
System game. B l ack departs from gen­
eral o p e n i ng p r i n c i p l e s to d e a l very
directly with Wh ite's opening strategy.
Th is module will hone your ab i l i ty to
ferret out the p roper resp o n s e . There
are several plans and ideas here, and I
recommend rereading this chapter and
reworking the exercises several times.
Th ree Q uestions
Your best play must be based on the
specifics of the position, but you can at
least sort the candidates from most likely
to least l i kely using three questions.
1 . What are my assets ?
2 . Can Black take my Knight without
negative consequences ?
3 . Can Black advance his f-p awn ?
Assets
M any are t h e ga m e s l o st b e cause
someone did not realize the usefulness
of a resource. The fol l owing questions
can help expose p otentially useful de­
tails you should not ignore.
• If I am i n a kite formation, can one
of the attacks from the l ast module be
used?
• I s the e-file half-open ? If so Qe2 is
a very l i kely candidate, pressuring the
e6-pawn.
• H ow easy it is for the bl ack Queen
1 02
to get off the c- and d-files? If she has
no good square (in particular if e7 is oc­
cupied) elsewhere, then Qe2 is favored
b ecause White can o ften s l ide Ro oks
to b oth c1 and d1 and open up those
files.
• I s f7 defended by something other
than the King? If Bl ack has moved his
Ro o k fro m f8 and nothing else is de­
fending f7 , o ften a Bishop sacrifice is
extra deadly due to Qh5 hitting both h7
and the under-defended f7 -square .
• Do you have a Rook or Kn ight on
f3 ? I f so, that p iece is one move closer to
Black's K-side than normal, and a Bishop
sacrifice might lead to easy victory.
• H ave you p l ayed f4 ? I f so vari ­
ous sacrificial o p t i o n s b e c o m e m o re
plausible.
• Does Black have a B ishop on d6? If
so, it is unlikely he will take on e5 .
• Would Qh5 be a useful move? I f
so, there i s l i ttle danger of B l ack play­
ing . . . f6 . If Black plays . . . f6 and White
responds with Qh5, Black almost always
has to play f5 . Assuming Qh5 had some
value in itse l f, then White w o u l d b e
better off than h ad Black simply pl ayed
. . . f5 i mmediately.
O ptions
Wh ite s h o u l d c o n s i d e r one of six
pl ans when Bl ack retreats his Knight:
 Module
1. Use a Kite formation attack from
the l ast module.
2. Sacrifice the Bishop.
3. Target e 6 .
4 . Target the Queen.
S. Exchange the Knight.
6. Ignore it.
The l ist of questions and assets gives
you a good start toward picking which
option is best. The last module was de­
voted to the first option. Let's look at the
rest in more detail .
S i n g l e Bishop Sacrifice
When most people th ink of the sac­
rifice Bxh 7 + , they envision a pawn o n
eS a n d a Kn ight ready t o j u m p t o gS .
That is the classical version of the Greek
Gift, which we will discuss i n Module 7 .
H owever, Bxh 7 + can work with a Knight
on eS instead of a pawn if the board is
right. We w i l l describe three possib l e
attacks for White here. They a l l assume
that B l ack h as castled K-side and h i s
pawns are on their h o m e squares. They
also assu me White's Queen can get to
hS safely (perhaps after moving a Knight
from f3 ) .
These attacks are unlikely to b e avail­
ab le in high-level games. Most masters
have a enough danger sense to prevent
them. H owever, at l ower levels your op­
po nent will often be more concerned
5: Lesson
with engaging the Knight o n eS than
th inking about a sacrifice.
Under-defended f-pawn
The easiest attack comes if the f- pawn
is only defended by Black's King. This is
one of those nuances that weaker play­
ers are less likely to appreciate, though
to be honest some rather stro ng o n es
h ave overl o o ked the danger as wel l .
I n p racti cally any s e m i - n o rmal C o l l e
System game, such a n under-defended
f-pawn by itself is enough to warrant a
Bishop sacrifice. White does not even
have to have a Knight on f3 or any other
help.
To show how far-ranging this prin­
c i p l e is, I 've c o n c o cted a rath e r s i l ly
diagram.
W h i t e h a s n o t even m o v e d h i s
Q-side Knight, h e put h i s Ro o k on a
rather unavailing square, and he has not
played the often useful b3-move ( many
1 03
 Module 5 : The Ga me-Changing Retreat
are the sacrifices where an earl ier b3
ends up sealing Black's coffi n because
White plays Ba3 at some point, closing
the back door on Black's King. )
The fact is that White won't need any
of these pieces to reap materi al gains
here. After 1 1 .Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 2.Nxf7 the
best Black can do is p l ay 1 2 . . . Bxh2+
1 3 .Kxh 2 Qc7+ 1 4.Kg 1 Kg 8 because the
more knee-j erk 1 2 . . . Qc7 ? leaves h i m
down a n Exchange and two pawns after
1 3 . Nxd6 Qxd6 1 4 . Qh 5 + Kg8 1 5 . Qxe8 .
But didn 't that just work because the
Queen was on dB?
If she had been somewhere else the
Roo k woul d h ave no p rotection and
Qxf7 + forks the King and the Rook.
What if she were on el, protecting the
Rook?
Then f7 is not "under-defended " and
you wouldn't be using this attack.
Okay, but what if the Queen had vacated
the back rank and the Bishop were pro­
tecting the Rook on dl?
Then how did the Knight retreat to
d7 if the Bishop were already there?
1 04
Okay, maybe I'll take your word for it.
That sounds good. You could con­
coct a position, by giving Black several
free moves where the sacrifice would not
lead to material gain, but in any semi­
normal position where Wh ite is using
those moves even somewhat rationally,
he should always find some way to get
an advantage. Even in the worst-case sce­
nario you can draw by perpetual check.
The Knight Assassination Attack
The second kind of attack requi res
White to have a Knight on f3 and either
a pawn on f4 or a Bishop that sees the
g5-square. I will once again show an ul­
tra pared-down version, which occurred
in Bucher-Barbueda, 1 9 9 3 .
1 .d4 dS 2 . Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 cS
S.c3 N c6 6.Nbd2 cxd4 7.exd4 Bd6
8.Qe2 0-0 9.NeS Qc7 1 0.N df3 N d 7
 Module S : Lesson
Wh i te co rrectly p l ayed 1 1 . B x h 7 +
Kxh 7 1 2 .N g 5+ KgS, but then he played
the very typ ical 1 3 .Q h 5 ? after which
there was nothing much for him to do
after 1 3 . . . Nf6.
Bl ack's 1 3th move is a typical way
to deal with a QhS assault. That is one
reason why we normally see a pawn on
eS when White plays Bxh7 + . That pawn
takes away the f6 -square from Bl ack's
Knight. But, we don't have a pawn on
eS, so instead we capture ( Nxd7 ) before
playing QhS. With Black's Knight in the
box, White's attacking prospects are sig­
nificantly enhanced.
Wh ite's Queen and Knight are sur­
prisingly adept at dancing around the
King. After 1 3 .Nxd7 Qxd7 1 4 . QhS ReB
l S . Q h 7 + KfB 1 6 . Q h B + Ke7 1 7 . Qxg7
KdB 1 B . Nxf7 + Kc7 1 9 .Nxd6, White has
three pawns for his piece and stil l NbS+
and Bf4 in reserve.
A better defense would be to sl ide
the Queen past the Rook and eventually
to hB by playing 1 4 . . . RdB l S .Qh7+ KfB
1 6.QhB+ Ke7 1 7 . Qxg7 QeB 1 B . Nh7 QhB
1 9 . BgS+ Kd7 20. Qxf7 + Ne7 .
All Tied U p
Notice how neither Bl ack's Queen
nor his Rook on dB can move due to
the Kn ight o n h7 ( keep i ng in m i n d
the threat of Nf6 + ) . H is Knight is also
p i n ned. I t's uncl ear how much of an
advantage White has here, but my point
is that the sacrifice leads to a decent po­
sition even when White has no maj or
pieces to hel p . I magi ne i f Wh ite had
castled and had the option of Re 1 or
f4-fS at some point.
My general guidel ines for using this
sacrifice are:
• Black needs to have his Rook on fB .
I f there is no Rook on fB, then hopefully
the f7 -pawn is undefended and you can
use the attack in the earlier subsection.
• You need to either h ave p l ayed
f4 or have a Bishop that can see the gS
square. We saw the value of the Bishop
in the above example, the power of the
1 05
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat

f-pawn l ies in the trouble it causes with

a wel l-timed f5 .
• Nxd 7 needs to e l i m i n ate Bl ack's
ability to play . . . Nf6 . For example, if he
can retake with a Knight then he'll sti l l
be able t o play . . . Nf6

Looking at that last bullet, what if Black

retreats . . . NeB instead of . . . Nd7? Our
Knight on eS cannot reach eB.
And th at, of c o u rse, is where the
third option might co me in.
The Impending Doom Attack
The final attack should be considered
any time the Knight on: e5 is very solidly
defended. At the very least White should
have pawns on d4 and f4, and probably
at l east one more defender (depending
on h ow many pieces B lack has trained
on e5 ) . To see the idea behind this at­
tack, l et's look at a game from the 2 0 0 7
World U- 10 Champ ionship.
H ere, White played 13 .bxc4 and after
recapturing B l ack p l ayed . . . f5 . Wh ite
could make no headway against Black's
position and the game was drawn 14
moves later.
H ad White instead pl ayed 1 3 .Bxh7+
Kx h 7 1 4 . N g S + K g 8 1 S . Q h S t h e o n ly
move for Bl ack ( as is normal in these
attacks ) is l S .•. Nf6 but then Wh ite can
play the absurdly cal m 1 6.Qh4! and ask
Black how he plans on stopping Rf3-h3,
threaten ing mate on hB.

1 .d4 d S 2 .e3 e6 3.Bd3 Nf6 4.f4 eS S.e3

Ne6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.0-0 Bd7 8.NeS 0-0
9.Nd2 e4 1 0. Be2 Re8 1 1 .N df3 bS 1 2 .b3
Ne8

Imprisoned by the Knights

1 06
 Module S : Lesson

Black's position is hopeless because e7, but then the B ishop cannot get to fB .
the Knight on f6 is stuck and Black can­ And if the B ishop cannot get to fB, it is
not break through to counter-attack be­ hard to eject the Queen from h6.
cause the eS-Knight is sol idly defended. I f B lack's Queen is bl ocked down
The l ast th ing Bl ack wants is a pawn the c-file and cannot be traded along
showing up on eS ! the d B - h 4 d i agonal, Wh i te ge nerally
I n these s i t u a t i o n s, B l ack's o n l y has enough time to eat up Black on the
defense i s t o play . . . g6, preparing i m ­ K-s i d e . N o te that Col l e- K o l tanowski
mediately . . . NhS, blocking u p the h-file, players will often have this situation for
but also starting the process of getting free, since the c3-pawn supported by a
his Bishop to g7 . After Black plays . . . g6, pawn on b2 is pretty hard to break down
White must make a decision. He has two in time.
ways of continuing the attack, and it is In the case on the board, play should
i mportant to know which works when. then go 1 6 . . . g6 1 7 .Qh6 Qe7 1 8. Rf3 and
O n e option is to p l ay Q h 6 , with there is really no hope.
the threat of Nxg6 . Of course, Qh6 also
makes . . . NhS impossible unless Black Ta rget i n g e6
can capture the Kn ight on gS ( gener­ Bishop sacrifices are fun, but at high­
ally i mpossible) or scare White's Queen er levels they are more often threatened
away (by playing BfB ) . With this reason­ (to accomplish some other goal ) than
ing, we can say this option works as long actually executed. Another plan you can
as Black cannot defend g7 without blocking threaten often ( and execute sometimes)
his Bishop from getting to f8. is the targeting of e6. If Black is playing
The other option is to simply allow standard l ines, he will generally have
. . . N h S and p l a n on p l aying g4, etc. exchanged on d4 before having retreated
That option generally works as long as his Knight. ( I f he hasn't, you may well
Black cannot shoot his Queen down the find yourself in a Kite formation ! ) I f e6
c-file or exchange her by opening up is not defended by anything other than
the dB-h4 diagonal. Note that if Black's the f-pawn, then simply playing Qe2 can
Queen is on this diagonal, that should be a simple, powerful response.
mean she cannot defend g7 without One example where I" suggested this
blocking the Bishop from getting to fB, in Zuke 'Em was after
as in the diagram above. She can go to 1 .d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5

1 07
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat
S.b3 Nc6 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Bb2 0-0 S.NeS
Qc7 9.f4 cxd4 1 0.exd4 b6 1 1 .a3 Bb7
1 2 .Nd2 Nd7
1 3 .Qe2
Since advancing the f-pawn would
drop eG, Black has essentially retreated
the Knight for nothing.
Ta rget i n g the Queen
We touched on this tactic in the last
module, and it generally provokes White
to make the same move as targeting eG.
I ndeed, the two ideas are often devel­
oped i n tandem. For example, i n that
last diagram, White will probably end
up playing Rac l and c4 .
H owever, the idea of targeting the
Queen works even if there is still a pawn
on e3 . In fact, it can be a bit more effec­
tive in that case since White's Queen is
protected on e2 wh ile B lack's Queen,
presumably, has trouble finding cover.
The basic idea, j ust as in the Kite Mod-
1 08
ule, is that e7 i s the safest square fo r
Bl ack's Quee n . I f there is so meth i ng
al ready there, White should strongly
consider simply tucking his own Queen
into e2 and playing his Rooks to c1 and
d 1 before p l aying to open the c- and
d-files.
Exc h a n g i n g the Kn i g h t
You may be able to exchange your
Kn ight fo r one of Bl ack's ponies and
then domi nate the board while Bl ack
re-organ izes his pieces. You can often
aim for an invisible fence along the dark
squ ares h o l d i ng b ack h i s p awns. An
example is shown below where White
has exchanged on d 7 and then taken
on c5 .
An I nvisi ble Fence
While the center is not quite as stable
as a typ ical C-Z game, Wh ite enj oys
for now the best of both worlds. Black
 Module 5 : Lesson
is restrained and stil l has troub le get­
ting h i s p ieces over to h i s K-side, yet
White's dark-Bishop is free ( and rather
powerful ! )
It's worthwh ile to note that th is is
really only an option for Colle-Zukertort
p l ayers. I had troub l e fi nding even a
single normal Colle-Koltanowski game
where White chose to exchange a Knight
in th i s situati o n . Th is should not be
too surprising given the power of that
Bishop we see on b2 in the diagram.
I g no r i n g Black
O cca s i o n a l ly, Wh i te c a n s i m p l y
ignore the Kn ight retreat. White might
bel ieve that e6 wi ll eventual ly become
indefen s i b l e if B l ack p l ays . . . f5 , and
. . . f6 is seldom much of a threat si nce
after Qh5 since Black generally has to
advance the f-pawn to block mate.
If Wh ite decides to ignore the retreat,
he should probably play f4 if he has not
already done so. This will likely threaten
one of the other attacks mentioned in
th is module or the last. Otherwise, con­
sider an immediate Qh5 or Ndf3, eyeing
g5 (and putting more pressure on the e6
pawn at the same ti me . )
Spec i a l Case:
The Cava l ie r Defe n se
O n e defensive try by Black merits
special consideration for the si mple rea­
son that none of the above ideas work
against it !
Those horsemen who were loyal to
King Charles during Britain's Civil Wars
( 1 64 1 - 1 65 1 ) were called Caval iers. I give
that name to a type of defense where
Bl ack slips a Knight in to f8 and then
retreats his other Kn ight to d7 (where
the first Knight had earl ier been ) . This
idea comes up relatively frequently in
both variations of the Colle. An example
played against Colle himself is shown
below:
1 .d4 d 5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 e6 4.Bd3 c5
5.c3 N b d 7 6.Nbd2 cxd4 7.exd4 Bd6
S.O-O 0-0 9.Re l Qc7 1 0.Qe2 ReS
1 1 .Ne5 NfS 1 2.N df3 N6d7
The Cava lier Defense
1 09
 Module S : The Game-Changing Retreat
If you consider this formation a bit,
you should see that it rather defies most
of the strategies d iscussed so far. The
Knight on fB defends both e6 and h 7,
the two squares that many of our various
strategies target. White needs something
different here.
The good news is that White gener­
ally does very well from these positions.
Black's problem l ies in the acre of space
on the K-side where he has no influence
whatsoever. White should therefore sim­
ply transfer as many pieces to that region
as possible. Here are some guidelines:
• Avoid trades and sacrifices.
• Black will generally want to play
. . . f6, so make that move awkward.
• Black only wants to play . . . g6 if he
can transfer a Bishop to g7 easily.
Sa m pl e Exercise
As a sample exercise, determine the
best move i n the Cavalier Defense posi­
tion shown on the last page.
Analysis begins at the top of the next
column.
110
1 3 .Ng4!
I n the actual game, C o l l e p l ayed
1 3 . NgS ? ! instead . He won that game
pretty quickly after 1 3 . . . f6 1 4 . QhS g6
l S . Nxg6 fxgS 1 6 . NxfB N f6 1 7 . QxgS +
Qg7 1 B . Nxh 7 , but had B l ack p l ayed
1 3 . . . Re7 i nstead, I th i n k Wh i te can
cl a i m o n ly a s m a l l a dva n t age a fter
1 4 . Qh S g6 l S . Qh4 f6 1 6 . Nxd7 Bxd 7
1 7 . Nf3 Rf7 .
You should n o t take this aspersion
as an indication that NgS is generally a
bad play here. I would say simply that
White should only make that move if he
has played f4 already.
My suggested m ove ( 1 3 . Ng4 ! ) i s
o n e of several ideas you should keep i n
your k i t bag. Black is rather restrained
because . . . Nf6 now involves disruption
of the King's pawn cover while the more
natural 1 3 . . . f6 can be met with 1 4 . Ne3 !
threate n i n g N fS ! ( Recal l my re mark
about making . . . f6 awkward . )
1 3 . . . Be7
It is hard to say what is obj ectively
best here for Black. White is not target­
ing specific squares yet, and his vague
threats are hard to fully analyze. The text
is at least natural, trying to get some­
thing on f6 . It also unpins the e-pawn by
putting a buffer between the Queen on
e2 and the Rook on eB. 1 3 . . . Ng6 would
only invite 1 4 .h4.
 Module 5 : Lesson

The i m med i ate 1 3 . . . fS is perhaps quite good for White.

Black's safest play, but one can hardly 1 4 . . . BxgS I S . BxgS is fine for White,
look at the position after 1 4 . Nges Nxes leaving Black's K-side rather bare.
I S .dxeS Be7 1 6 . BgS BxgS 1 7 . NxgS and 1 5 .f4 f5 1 6.Ne5 Nxe5 1 7.fxe5
want to be on Black's side of the table. White still has more than a little ini-
I f Black has ice (or silicon) running tiative with g4 and/or Qhs in mind.
through his veins, he m ight call White
out on his previous retreat, believing he Exerc ises
is in no immediate danger. After 1 3 . . . As i n the l ast module, determ i n e
Nb6 ! ? , h e could maneuver h i s Bishop to White's best response for each position
c6, at which point Black has connected sh own on the next five p ages . Write
Rooks, central pressure and a clear 7th- down your reas o n i ng and wh atever
rank for his Queen to defend along. In variations you calculate.
that case we might see something l i ke
1 4 . Bgs Bd7 1 s . h4 Bc6 1 6 .hs h6 1 7 . Bh4.
Note that Black cannot really play . . . h6
until White pushes his pawn all the way
to hs due to various threats against the
f6 and h6 squares coupled with Q h s
when the dust settles. When the pawn
reaches hs, that last idea is removed and
Black can safely play . . . h 6 .
1 4.Ng5
This move makes more sense now
that es needs less support. I t also threat­
ens si mply Nes, when the f7-pawn is
hard to defend.
1 4 . . . Qd61
This adds protection to e6, preparing
. . . fS (which White cannot really stop ) .
1 4 . . . e s backfires due t o the vul ner­
ability of the Rook on e8: I s . Nxes Bxgs
1 6 . Bxgs f6 1 7 . Q h s ! Rxes 1 8 . dxes is

111
 Exercises
Exercise 1 Exercise 3
Last Moves: 9.NeS 0-0 1 0.0-0 N d 7 Last Moves: 1 1 .NeS Re7 1 2 .Ndf3 N d 7

Exercise 2 Exercise 4
Last Moves: 9.Nbd2 Bb7 1 0 .NeS N d 7 Last Moves: 1 2 .0-0 N d 7 1 3 .N df3 RacS

1 13
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat

Exercise 5 Exercise 7
Last Moves: 1 0.f4 ReS 1 1 .a 3 N d 7 Last Moves: 1 0.NeS Q e 7 1 1 .N df3 N d 7

Exercise 6 Exercise 8
Last Moves: 1 0.f4 NfS 1 1 .0-0 N6d7 Last Moves: 9.Re 1 Qe7 1 0.NeS Nd7

1 14
 Module 5 : Exercises

Exercise 9 Exercise 1 1
La st Moves: 1 1 .Ndf3 Qc7 1 2 .c3 NeS La st Moves: 1 0.NeS Bb7 1 1 .0-0 N d 7

Exercise 1 0 Exercise 1 2
Last M oves: 1 2 .N df3 ReS 1 3 .Bd2 N d 7 Last Moves: 1 1 .f4 Q c 7 1 2 .Ndf3 N6d 7

1 15
 Module 5 : The Game-Changi ng Retreat

Exercise 1 3 Exercise 1 5
Last Moves: 1 0.0-0 N c6 1 1 .a 3 N d 7 Last Moves: 1 3 .f4 cxd4 1 4.exd4 N d 7

Exercise 1 4 Exercise 1 6
La st Moves: 1 1 .Qe2 0-0 1 2 .NeS N d 7 Last Moves: 1 1 .NeS Bd6 1 2 .Re 1 Nd7

116
 Module 5 : Exercises

Exercise 1 7 Exercise 1 9
La st Moves: 1 0.Qe2 ReS 1 1 .NeS Nd7 Last Moves: 9.c3 Nc6 1 0 .f4 N d 7

Exercise 1 8 Exercise 20
La st Moves: S.a3 Q e 7 9 . N e S N d 7 Last Moves: 1 0.Qe2 a6 1 1 .NeS N d 7

117
 SolutiollS

Exercise 1 moves have gone poof. The text d efe n d s

La st Moves: 9.NeS 0-0 1 0.0-0 N d 7 e 6 a l l owing the f-pawn t o adva n ce.
1 2 .a4
Th i s i s n ot merely a t h reat to fu rther
e m b a r r a s s B l a c k' s K n i g h t . I t s u p p o rt s
ma ny fut u re idea s, s u c h a s Ba3 a n d B b 5 .
B l a c k ' s a - p a w n c a n a l so b ec o m e wea k
l ater, es peci a l ly if Wh ite takes o n c6 a n d
B l a c k reca ptu res with the b-pawn.
12 ••• a S 1 3 . Rf3 fS 1 4.Rh3
S i nce B l a c k tra n sfe rred h i s K n i g h t to
the Q-s i d e, the h 5-sq u a re is u ng u a rded,
Best Move: 1 1 .Qe2 so t h i s p l a n i s exceptio n a l l y stro n g .
14 NxeS 1 S.fxeS Rf7
•••

Commentary 1 5 . . . B g 5 ? 1 1 6. N f3 Bxc l 1 7 . Rxc l N xa4

The Bishop on e7 puts the kibosh on 1 8.c4 with c5 to fol l ow i s h a rd l y a ba rga i n
the Bishop sacrifice. The Knight on e5 is for w i n n i n g t h e pawn.
solidly defended, so freezing the f-pawn 1 6.Nf3
with Qe2 is the natural choice. A sto rm i s b rew i n g .

Analysis Variations and Notes Exercise 2

1 1 . Rf3 f5 1 2 . N x d 7 Bxd 7 was the g a m e Last Moves: 9.N bd2 Bb7 1 0.NeS N d 7
c o n t i n u a t i o n a n d i s eq u a l . A d ra w w a s
ag reed u pon 30 moves l ater.
11 ••• N b6
Black co u l d j u st move h i s Kn i g ht back,
but that i s rather a n a d m i ssion that two

1 19
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat

fi repower to m a ke Bxh 7 + wo rk, but the

th reat of mate does force Black to a d m it
h i s last move was more or less a wa ste of a
tem po. White can then p u l l Black' s pieces
to poor places a n d tra i n more pieces on
the K-s i d e with 1 2 . . .fS 1 3 .Nxd 7 (1 3 .Qe2
tra nsposes to the text l i ne, which i s a l so
good fo r Wh ite.) 1 3 ... Qxd 7 1 4.dxcS BxcS
l S .Rf3 .
1 2 .Qe2!
Best Move: 1 1 .f4 A shad owy ha lf-move. Wh ite sets h i m­
self u p to use the e-fi le i n case it ever g ets
Commentary o pen, a n d vacates the d l -sq u a re.
White does not have enough piece 1 2 ... Nf6
transport to allow a single-Bishop sacri­ Th i s is a n a m biti o u s try, bel ievi n g that
fice, and the double-barreled sac cannot he ca n settle back i nto his configuration
work because the f-pawn is still at home. (a n d probably try for ... Ne4) with o u t the
It is prob ably not a great idea to play two te m p i he u sed to g et .. .fS making a
Nxd7 i mmediately since the Queen has difference.
good lateral play along the 7th rank and 1 2 ... cxd4 1 3 .Nxd 7 Qxd 7 1 4.exd4 lets
the Bishop on d6 m ight become useful Wh ite ta rget the e-pawn.
for Black. Exchanging on c6 would likely 1 3 .c4 Ne4
lead to a small advantage that is hard to 1 3 ... Be 7 th reatens to take o n eS, cl os­
make anything of. White's best hope is i ng u p the e-fi l e, a n d i s proba b l y Black' s
to allow Black to do whatever he is go­ best o pt i o n . T h o u g h o bv i o u s l y i t a l s o
i ng to do with his f-pawn and prepare m ea n s B l a c k i s th rowi n g a n other tempo
multiple problems for the future. Wh ite overboa rd, Wh ite has to t h i n k hard to fi n d
ends up preparing threats to Bl ack's the best conti n uation. Let's look at what
K-side and along the e- and d-files. m i g ht h a p pen then.
1 4.dxcS NxeS l S .fxeS Ng4 1 6.b4 bxcS
Analysis Variations and Notes 1 7.cxd S B g S 1 8.d6 Bxe3+ 1 9.Kh l a n d
1 1 ... f5 I ' m m o re t h a n h a p py t o t a ke W h i t e ' s
1 1 . . .f6 1 2 .Q h S . T h e re ' s n o t e n o u g h position.

1 20
 Module 5 : Solutions
1 4 . N xc6 Bxc6 1 5 . N f3 g i ves W h i te a
safe, sma l l a dvanta g e since B l a ck' s Bish-
ops a re m i l d ly m i s p l a ced .
1 4.cxd 5 ? ! N x e 5 l S .dxeS N x d S 1 6.e4
fxe4 1 7 .Bxe4 Rxf4 is messy. Taki n g with
the f-pawn i n stead doesn't hel p: l S .fxe5
NxdS 1 6.e4 fxe4 1 7.0xe4 g6 l B.RxfB+ BxfB
1 9.0g4 Bh6 and White has l o st control.
1 4.cxd S exd S 1 S .BbS NxeS 1 6.dxeS a6
1 6 ... Nxd2 1 7.0xd 2 Be7 l B.Be2 l eaves
t h e d S - p a w n h a r d to h o l d w h i l e t h e
eS-pawn is d a ngero u s .
1 6 . . . B e 7 1 7. Nxe4 d xe4?? l B.Rfd l +-;
1 6 . . . B c 7 1 7 . N xe4 fx e4 (1 7 . . . d x e 4 ? ?
l B. Rfd l and Black' s O u een ca n n ot defend
a g a i n st both Rd 7 a n d O h S + e6) l B.Og4
With e6 100m i ng .
1 7 .Nxe4 fxe4 1 8.exd6 axbS 1 9.BeS
W h i t e h a s a d efi n i t e p o s i t i o n a l
advanta g e.
Exercise 3
Last Moves: 1 1 .NeS Re7 1 2 .Ndf3 N d 7
Best Move: 1 3 .Nxc6
Commentary
The Rook on e7 should make White
th ink twice about simply planning to
pressure e6. If Bl ack pl ays f6 or f5, the
e6-pawn would remain quite safe. On
the surface, it looks like a single- Bishop
sac would work fine, especially with the
extra help of the Bishop on c 1 . But the
Rook on e7 manages to thwart that as
wel l . Since the Rook on e7 is the odd
feature o f this position, and the aspect
that's stopping the sacrificial options, it
makes sense to seek to capital ize on its
placement.
I ndeed, the Bishop on d6 h as few
p l aces to go, and that m ight i m p e l
you to move the Kn ight so Black can-
not s i mply get rid of this cooped-up
Bishop with Bxe5 . The mass of Bl ack
pieces might also lead you to find the
alternative attacki ng option Ng5, which
Edgar Colle himsel f pl ayed in this very
position.
Analysis Variations and Notes
1 3 . B x h 7 + ? ! Kx h 7 1 4. N g S + (1 4 . N xd 7
Bxd 7 l S . N g S + Kg6! a n d we have some­
t h i n g c l oser to a n o r m a l G reek sac, but
Wh ite d oes not have the crucial pawn o n
eS.) 1 4 . . . KgB l S.0hS (l S . N x d 7 f6!) l S . . . Nf6
1 6.0h4 BxeS 1 7.Re3 a n d after 1 7 . . . Bxh2
B l a ck w i l l a d va n ce t h e e-p a w n and be
q u ite safe.
121
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat
13 ••• bxc6
1 3...Qxc6 1 4.cS B bB ( 1 4...Bc7?
l S . B b S !+-) l S . b4 a n d Wh ite is th reate n-
i n g t o p u s h B l ack o ff the boa rd .
1 4.c5 Bf4 1 5 .Bxf4 Qxf4
W h ite enj oys extre m e l y good boa rd
contro l .
•
L e t ' s t a ke a l o o k a t C o l l e ' s a c t u a l
m ove, w h i c h i s o n l y good t h e o retica l l y
fo r a d ra w b u t d efi n i t e l y p u t s p re s s u re
on Black to d efend accurately. We' l l con­
sider this a secon d main l i n e (with bol ded
notation) to m a ke it easier to fol l ow the
a n notation.
1 3 . N g 5 Nf8
1 3 ... N dxeS yiel d s Wh ite a very p rom­
ising attack: 1 4. B x h 7 + KfB l S .dxeS BxeS
1 6. B d 3 g 6 1 7.Qg4! Black d oe s n ot h a ve
t i m e to go g ra b b i n g a pawn i n t h i s l i n e
with 1 6 . . . . Bxh2+ i n stead beca use Q h S has
to be sto p ped.
1 4.Nxh7 Nxh7 1 5.Bxh7+ Kxh 7
1 6.Qh5+ K g 8 1 7. Re3
1 22
17 ••• Nxe5
As fa r a s l know, no one has sugg ested
t h i s d efe n s e befo re . It's ra t h e r a m o o t
p o i nt, s i n ce eve ryo n e a g rees 1 7 . . . f6 i s
a l so s u ffi c i e n t to effect a d ra w b y per­
pet u a l c h ec k . However, c o m m e n tators
have va ried widely o n their vi ews of other
d efe n ses, a n d I'd l i ke to th row m y two
pesos i n .
1 7 . . .g6 1 B.Qh6 BxeS (Pa l l i ser i n d icates
that . . . fS i s the best d efense here, when
Wh ite ca n only end a pawn u p i n a messy
position after 1 9. R h 3 BxeS 20.dxeS QxeS
2 1 .Qxg6+ Qg 7 2 2 . Q h S N e S 2 3 . R g 3 N g 4
24.h 3 , but d oesn't 23.Bh6!, w i t h the t h reat
of a later BfB!, win outright?) 1 9.dxeS Rd 7
foreseei n g the need fo r h i s King to esca pe
if t h e Q u ee n i nva d es. 20.f4! a n d B l a ck's
tro u bles a re not over. (A note on that last
move: I p refer adva n c i n g the f-pawn over
the Rook s l i d e beca use after 20. Rh3 QxeS
2 1 .Qh7+ KfB 22.Bh6+ Ke7 1 d o n 't see a ny
knock-out b l ow a n d it seem s fi n d i ng the
right attacking moves i s not much easier
than fi n d i n g the best d efe n se.)
1 7 . . . R e B ? ? wa s t h e m ov e i n C o l l e ' s
g a m e, g o i n g fro m a d ra w n p o s i t i o n to
a forced mate i n 6: 1 B. R h 3 KfB 1 9. B g S f6
20.Bxf6.
1 7 . . . BxeS 1 B.dxeS NxeS 1 9.Rh3 f6 a n d
n o w Pa l l i se r c l a i m s W h ite h a s n ot h i n g
better t h a n a perpetua l c h eck, b u t I d i s­
ag ree. After 20.QhB+ Kf7, Wh ite can s i m -
 Module 5 : Solutions

ply play 2 1 . R g 3 !, forc i n g 21 . . . Ng6. At that Commentary

point both 22.Q h 5 a n d 22.Q h 7 a re g ood
for Wh ite. The fi rst restores materi a l w h i l e
a l lowi ng Wh ite to reta i n the i n itiative with
22.Q h 5 Qxg 3 23.fxg 3 dxc4 24.Bg 5 with Rfl
to fo l l ow. The latter mai nta i n s the attac k
a n d te n s i o n w i t h 2 2 .Q h 7 N fB 2 3 . Rx g 7 +
KeB 24.Qh5+.
1S.Rh3
l B.dxe5 Bxe5 l ets B l a c k safe l y g et a
s m a l l a d va ntage. W h ite's atta c k ca n n ot
w o r k as l o n g as B l a c k ' s d a r k - s q u a r e d
B i s h o p i s a l ive. Ta ki ng the B i s h o p now a l ­
l ows B l a c k t o pick u p the c-pawn.
1S ••• f6
l B . . . N g 6 1 9. Q h 7 + KfB 20.QhB+ N x h B
2 1 .RxhB#
19.dxe5 Bxe5 20.Qh7+ Kf7 21.Qh5+
KfS D rawn
Exercise 4
La st Moves: 12 .0-0 N d 713 .Ndf3 RaeS
I n the module I mentioned that a
pawn on f4 was all it took for the Bishop
sac to work in this situation. This exer­
cise shows why.
Analysis Variations and Notes
14 ••• Kxh 715 . N g 5 + KgS
1 5 ... Kh6 1 6.Qd 3 N f6 1 7. N g4+
16.Nxd7
1 6.Q h 5 ? ? th rows t h e g a m e away
beca u se neither atta c k fo r W h i te works.
B l a c k's Q u ee n ends up with both move­
m e n t d o w n t h e c-fi l e a n d a c r o s s t h e
7th ra n k. 1 6 . . . N f6 1 7 .Qh4 g 6 l B. Rf3 N e 7
1 9. R h 3 N h 5 20.Rc l (20.g4 Qxc2) 20 . . . Nf5
2 1 .Qg4 Nf6 22.Qf3 N e4 is a "Knig ht Ma re"
fo r Wh ite.
16 ••• Qxd717 .Qh5 RfeS 1 S.Qh7+ KfS
1 9.f5
A n d now the f-pawn shows how very
powerfu l it rea l l y i s i n these attac ks.
19 .f6
••

1 9 ... Ke7 20.fxe6 fxe6 2 1 . Rf7+

20.fxe6 Rxe6 21.Rae1 Rxe1 22.QhS+!

Exercise 5
Last Moves: 10.f4 ReS11.a3 N d 7

Best Move: 1 4.Bxh7+

1 23
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat

1 2 ... NcxeS ca n not be good since Wh ite

wi l l th reaten to open the center a n d g ra b
t h e d-fi l e. B l a c k's pieces a re te m pora ri l y
conta i n ed b y White's pawns. 1 3.dxeS c 4 i s
a n i nteresti ng g a m bit, but Black d oes not
get e n o u g h activity. Anyth i ng else a l l ows
Wh ite to play c4 a n d ta ke advantage of
Black's poorly placed pieces. 1 4.bxc4 NcS
(1 4... dxc4?! l S. N xc4 with Rfd 1 to fol l ow.)
l S .Bd4 Nxd3 1 6.cxd 3 .
Best Move: 1 2 .Qe2 1 2 . . . N dxeS 1 3 .dxeS w i t h a p l a n s i m i l a r
t o t h e other Knight captu re l i ne. White wi l l
Commentary play Rad 1 a n d c4.
With no open e-file, no reasonable 1 2 ... Qc7 a l lows an i nteresti n g maneu­
Bishop sacrifices available, and Black's ver where Wh ite fei nts at a d o u b l e-Bishop
Bishop on e7, White's cho ice of plan sac a n d then u ses h i s Queen's placement
should be easy. H e wil l put his heavy o n e2 to bump Black's Bishop back with
pieces on the c- and d-files and let Black powerfu l effect. I wou l d recommend play­
play "hide the Queen. " i n g t h ro u g h t h i s attac k a n d a d d i n g it to
you r kit bag. 1 3 .Nxd 7 Qxd 7 1 4.dxcS BxcS
Analysis Variations and Notes l S . b4! Bd6 (l S ... Be 7 a l lows a sta n d a rd Kite
12 •.• f5 attac k) 1 6.QhS fS 1 7.Rf3 Qf7 1 8.Rg3 QxhS
1 2 .. .f6 1 3 . N xc6! is t h e r i g h t ca pt u re 1 9.Rxg 7+ Kh8 20.RgS+ BeS 2 1 .BxeS+ NxeS
here. The Queen o n d8 i s more hemmed 22.RxhS Nxd 3 2 3 .cxd 3.
i n than s h e wou l d be o n d 7, where she 1 3 .Nxd7 Q x d 7 1 4.dxc5 bxc5 1 5 .Rad 1
cou l d sweep sid eways o n c e the B i s h o p
moved . As i s, t h e f6-pawn i s i n t h e way of Exercise 6
half of Black's a rmy. (1 3.QhS is not as good Last Moves: 1 0.f4 NfS 1 1 .0-0 N 6d 7
in this positi o n beca use it i s White who
l oses a tempo after 1 3 . . . fS . The Queen is
better placed on e2 than it i s o n h S .) 1 3 ...
Bxc6 1 4.Rf3 fS l S.Rg3 and White has pros­
pects of a K-side attack.

1 24
 Module 5 : Solutions
Best M ove: 1 2 .Qh S
Commentary
This move is even better when Black's
Queen has flown the coop, leaving the
Ro ok on e8 u nguarded . H owever, i n
any Cavalier Defense situation, Qh5 i s a
strong candidate if White can play it.
Analysis Variations and Notes
1 2 ... fS 1 3 .Ndf3 Qe7
1 3 . . . N x e 5 1 4 . fx e 5 B e 7 1 5 . g 4 Q d 7
( 1 5 . . . g 6 1 6 . Q h 3 ) 1 6 . Rf2 B d 8 1 7 . R g 2 Qf7
1 8.Qxfl+ Kxfl 1 9.Rfl .
1 4.NgS Nf6 1 S.Qh3
The th reats of Ngf7 and Ba3 tog ether
req u i re B l a c k t o yield h i s good Bishop fo r
one of Wh ite's Knig hts.
1 S . . . BxeS 1 6.dxeS Ne4 1 7.Nxe4 fxe4
1 S.Be2
A n u m be r of rea so n a b l e p l a n s p res-
e n t themselves for White, s u c h a s si m p l y
d o u b l i n g u p o n the d -fi l e.
1 S ... b6 1 9.BhS
Exercise 7
Last Moves: 1 0.NeS Qc7 1 1 .N df3 N d 7
Best M ove: 1 2 .Bxh7+
Commentary
White's Bishop can see g5, and that
is general ly all that is needed for the
Bishop sac to work in this situation.
Analysis Variations and Notes
1 2 ... Kxh 7 1 3 .NgS+ KgS 1 4.Nxd7 Qxd7
1 S.QhS RdS
1 1 5 . . . Re8 p re s e rves d 8 fo r a K n i g ht,
b u t t h e n the Q u ee n is st u c k, b l oc k i n g
the Ki n g later: 1 6.Qh7+ KfB 1 7.QhB+ Ke7
l B . Q x g 7 N d B ( l B . . . Kd B 1 9 . N xf7 + K c 7
20. N xd6+) 1 9. N h 7.
1 6.Qh7+ KfS 1 7.QhS+ Ke7 1 S.Qxg 7
QeS 1 9. N h 7
For t h e sa ke o f Black's Q u e e n , I hope
h e r h u sband had good l ife i n s u ra nce.
1 25
 Module 5 : The G ame-Changing Retreat
Exercise 8
last Moves: 9.Re1 Qc7 1 0.NeS N d 7
Best Move: 1 1 .f4
Commentary
Since the e-file is al ready open and
White has a Roo k on it, there is l ittl e
danger o f B lack advancing h i s f-pawn .
O nce White defends the Knight, the fu ­
til ity of Bl ack's retreat is evident.
Analysis Variations and Notes
I d o n o t l i ke s u p p o rt i n g w i t h t h e
Kn i g ht a s m u c h . I f not h i n g el se, 1 1 . N df3
N cx e 5 1 2 . d x e 5 N c 5 m a ke s f4 a n e a s y
m ove t o choose i n stead .
11 ••• N cxeS 1 2.fxeS fS 1 3 .QhS g6
1 3 ... N b6 a l lows the Q u ee n to s h uffl e
a l o n g the 7 t h ra n k, but a l so t h reate n s
... N c4, w hi c h can o bstruct Wh ite's attac k­
i n g p l a n s if he is not a l ert. Wh ite m u st get
in 1 4.Re3 i m m ed i ately before the s q u a re
i s ta ke n over by B l a c k's K n i g ht. ( 1 4 . N f3
1 26
N c4 1 5 . N g S Bxg S 1 6 .Qxg S B d 7 1 7 . Q g 3
Q a S 1 8 . B h 6 Rf7 ) 1 4 . . . Rf7 l S . R g 3 l o o ks
q u ite p ro m i s i n g for White.
14.Qh6 N b61S.Nf3
With five p i eces on B l a c k' s K-s i d e o r
with i n e a s y tra n s po rt thereto, Wh ite has
to have somet h i n g here.
Exercise 9
last Moves: 11.N df3 Qc7 1 2 .c3 Ne8
Best M ove: 1 3 . Bxh7+
Commentary
The single- Bishop sac works here be­
cause e5 is doubly defended by pawns.
Analysis Variations and Notes
13 ••• Kxh 7 1 4.NgS+ K g 8 l S .QhS
l S . N xd 7 ? d o e s not work, o b v i o u s l y,
since there a re two Knig hts that can h o p
t o f6. l S ... Qxd 7 1 6.QhS Nf6.
lS ••• N d f6
l S . . . N e f6 1 6 . Q h 4 B a 6 1 7 . R f3 B e 2
 M odule
1 B. R h 3 Bhs 1 9.94 Be7.
1 6.Qh4
White wi l l get his materi a l back p l u s
i nterest beca u se Black h a s no good way
of g u a rd i ng the h B-sq u a re.
1 6 ... g6 1 7.Rf3
Beca use Black's Queen ca n slide across
the 7th ra n k but i s blocked d own the c-fi l e,
t h i s i s the i n d i cated play. It turns out that
W h ite has a fo rced win with 1 7 . Q h 6 as
wel l , but he has to know exactly what to
play o r else Black wi l l successfu l l y d efend
with . . . N g 7, . . . RfcB, a n d . . . BfB o r . . . KfB.
17 ••• N h S 1 8.g4
Exercise 1 0
La st M oves: 1 2.N df3 Re8 1 3 .Bd2 N d 7
Best Move: 1 4.Bxh7+
Commentary
Th e single Bishop Sac works here be-
cause B lack's pieces do not defend
5: Solutions
Analysis Variations and Notes
14 ••• Kxh 7 1 S . N g S + Kg8 1 6.QhS N d 8
1 7 .N exf7
Exercise 1 1
La st Moves: 1 0.NeS Bb7 1 1 .0-0 N d 7
Best Move: 1 2 .f4
Commentary
No sacri ficial options are go i ng to
work here . With the e-fi l e open, Qe2
is the natural play. H owever, here it al­
l ows Black to ru in Christmas by getting
a Knight on cS .
Analysis Variations and Notes
1 2.Qe2 Bxes 1 3.dxes Ncs is someth ing
Wh ite genera l l y wa nts to avoid.
1 2 ...fS
T h i s a p p e a r s to p l a y i n t o W h i t e ' s
h a n d s, but other respon ses tend to g ive
f7. h i m a n d ea sy, stro ng K-side i n itiative.
1 2 ...f6 1 3 .Qhs fS l ets Wh ite tra n spose
127
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat
at the very least.
1 2 ... NdxeS 1 3 .fxeS Be7 1 4.QhS g6 ( 1 4...
h6 l S . b4! sto ps Black from ki l l i ng Wh ite's
B i s h o p w i t h . . . as fo l l o w e d b y . . . B a 6 .
Wh ite wi l l try t o p l ay Nf3, Rae l , then Bc l
to p u t m o re pressu re o n B l a ck's K-s i d e .
[ l S.Qh3. It i s u sefu l t o see h o w t h e K n i g h t
o n c6 m a kes the . . . as- . . . Ba6 play more of
a concern. l S ... a S 1 6.Ra e l Ba6 1 7.c4 Nxd4
1 8.Bxd4 dxc4] ) l S .Qh3
1 2. . . N cxeS 1 3 .fxeS B e 7 1 4.QhS g6 ( 1 4...
h6 a l so a l l ows Wh ite a K-si d e attack. Here
t h e c o n ce r n over ... Ba6 i s less. Let's see
w h y . l S . Q h 3 a s 1 6 .Rae l Ba6 1 7 .c4. Th i s
p l a y does n ot work a s wel l when th ere i s
a K n i g h t on c6 t o ta ke o n d4.) l S .Qh3.
1 2 . . .Q e 7 i s a c l ever h a lf-m ove, putti ng
a d efender on e 6 without tota l ly comm it-
t i n g to p u s h i n g t h e f- p a w n . Th i s m o v e
l ea d s to a p o s i t i o n t h a t W h i t e p l a y e r s
n eed to be fa m i l ia r with, so we will a na-
Iyze it sepa rate l y o n the n ext page.
1 3 .Qe2 NdxeS
Most oth er moves l et Wh ite ta rget the
e 6 p a w n . Ta ki n g w i t h t h e o t h e r K n i g ht
removes a l l pressu re o n the d4-pawn. Th i s
i s c ritica l beca u se t h e n W h ite ca n foc u s
a l l h i s p i eces o n the B l a c k K-side. I n pa r-
ticu l a r, the B i s h o p o n b2 i s freed to g o to
a 3 , l i m i t i n g the p l a cement of B l ack's Rook
a nd Queen a s they d efe n d aga i n st Wh ite's
attac k. In th i s position, White wants to get
h i s Q u e e n to g4 s i n c e B l a c k h a s a h a rd
1 28
t i m e kicki ng her off that s q u a re.
A sa m p l e l i n e to see what White ca n
do when he d oes not need to worry a bout
h i s d - p a w n i s 1 3 . . . N c x e S 1 4 .fx e S B e 7
l S .g4 f4 1 6. g S BxgS 1 7.Qg4 Qe7 1 8. N f3
B h 6 1 9.a4 Qe8 20.Ba3 Rf7 2 1 . N g S !
1 4.dxeS
O n e "critica l decision" that d i d not
m a ke it i nto this book i s the q u estion of
w h i c h pawn to reca ptu re with after yo u r
opponent ta kes the K n i g h t o n eS. In t h i s
case, 1 4.dxeS ma kes more sense beca use
it fu rthers the plan that ofte n goes a l o n g
with Qe2: the domi nation of the cen­
tra l fi l e s a n d d i sco mfo rt i n g o f t h e B l a c k
Q ueen . The text m ove o p e n s t h e d -fi l e .
Ta ki n g w i t h t h e f- p a w n i s not b a d , a n d
m i g ht work wel l with a strategy based o n
locki ng u p the Q-si d e a n d s l owly b u i l d i ng
u p a n atta ck on the K-side.
1 4 . . . Be7
1 4 ... BcS+ l S.Kh 1 and Bl a ck has s i m p l y
cha sed White's K i n g to a better sq u a re.
l S . Ra d l
G e n e ra l l y W h i t e p refe r s t o p l a y h i s
f-Rook t o d 1 a n d h i s a-Rook t o c l , but here
W h ite n e e d s to b e m o re c a r efu l a b o u t
protect i n g h i s f-pawn si nce Black ca n eas­
ily play an a n noyi ng . . . Qh4.
l S . . . Qc7
l S ... Qe8 1 6.c4 is an i m porta nt l ever to
remember a ny t i m e yo u can a p ply p res­
s u re to both pawns on d S a n d fS .
 Module 5 : Solutions
1 6.c4
It is n ot pa rti c u l a rl y s i m p l e to defe nd
Black's d-pawn, which i s only d efended by
the over-worked e-pawn.
1 6 ... Rad8 1 7.cxd S Rxd S
1 7 . . .exd 5 g ives B l a c k t h e onerous ta sk
of stopping the e-pawn w h i l e m a i nta i n i ng
defense of h i s f-pawn.
1 8.8c4
A n i n t e re s t i n g p o s i t i o n t h a t l o o k s
good for White.
•
Let' s ta ke a look at the 1 2 . . . Qe7 op-
t i o n a s a sepa rate m a i n l i n e, creati ng the
boa rd shown next:
B l a c k has dealt with the th reat to e6,
but now ta ki ng on e5 is awkward since the
e 7-sq u a re i s not ava i l a b l e fo r h i s Bishop.
Hence B l a c k wi l l want to play . . . f6 soon .
1 3 .Qe2 f6
Any more s i l ent d eve l o p ment s h o u l d
l et Wh ite get a g o o d game by adva n c i n g
b4-b5 or c4.
1 4.Nxd7
If yo u a re h a p py with a d raw a n d wa nt
you r o pponent to sweat j u st for that, then
you can go in fo r the Bishop sac. The basic
attacking plan i s the sa m e a l most no mat­
ter what B l ack d oes: Qh5+, N g 6, Rae l , f5,
a n d if needed Nf3 a n d B c l .
1 4.Bxh7+!? Kxh 7 1 5 .Qh5+ Kg 8 1 6. N g 6
Q e 8 ( 1 6 ... Qd8 1 7.Rae l R e 8 w i l l a l so h o l d
t h e d raw, b u t 1 7 . . . N e 7 ? ! i s n o t nea r l y a s
c l ea r.) 1 7 .Rae l Ne7 1 8.f5 exf5 ( 1 8 ... N xf5
1 9.Rxf5 exf5 20. Rxe8 Raxe8) 1 9. Rxe7 Bxe7
2 0 . R e l Bd6 2 1 . Rxe8 Rfxe8 2 2 . N f3 R a c 8
and it i s proba b l y time for Wh ite to ca l l it
a d raw.
1 4 ... Qxd 7 1 S.Rae1 Rae8
P l a y i n g 1 5 . . . Rfe8 cou l d res u l t in the
R o o k s g etti n g d i s co n n ected by a later
. . . N d 8 . That i s frowned u po n i n genera l ,
but i s wo rse here d u e t o the th reat o f a
fut u re Qh4(+).
1 6.b4
B l a c k w i l l n eed to m ove h i s K n i g h t
away from t h e center, a n d then White ca n
b reak with c4.
Exercise 1 2
La st Moves: 1 1 .f4 Qc7 1 2 .N df3 N6d7
1 29
 Module 5: The Game-Changing Retreat
Best M ove: 1 3 .Ng5
Commentary
This is definitely the way to go in this
Cavalier Defense position, freeing the
Queen and preventing . . . f6 .
Analysis Variations and Notes
13 ••• f5
1 3 .. .f6 1 4.Qh5 !+-;
1 3 ... Re7 coops up Black's Bishop. 1 4.c4
f6 ( 1 4 ... Qb8 1 5 .c5 Bc7 a n d Black's Q u een i s
w a y t o o fa r away from the Ki ng's defen se.)
1 5 . c 5 N x c 5 1 6. d x c 5 B x c 5 + 1 7 . K h 1 fxg 5
1 8.fxg 5 i s fa r too d a n g erou s for B lack.
1 4.Be3
As m u c h a s I'd l i ke j u st to b u m r u s h
the K-side, the adva nce o f t h e f-pawn h a s
c h a n ged t h e g a m e consid era bly. B l a c k i s
sti l l i n a b i t of d a n g er, a n d h e k n o w s i t .
I s u g g est fei n t i n g a bit at c-fi l e play a n d
i ncrea s i ng the genera l i nfl u e n ce o f yo u r
pieces.
130
Exercise 1 3
Last Moves: 1 0.0-0 Nc6 1 1 .a 3 N d 7
Best Move: 1 2 .Nxc6
Commentary
H e r e w e h a v e a g o o d e x a m p l e of
White n ot havi ng a Kite formati o n but set­
ting up the possi b i l ity for a d o u b l e-Bishop
s a c w i t h o u t g i v i n g B l a c k m u c h in t h e
way o f pleasant a l ternatives. It i s a l so a n
exa m p l e o f h o w a position that does n ot
l oo k very d a ngero u s fo r Black ca n ra p i d l y
beco m e so.
Analysis Variations and Notes
12 • • • Qxc6 1 3 .f4 Bb7
1 3 . . .f5 1 4. Nf3 and it i s h a rd fo r B l a c k
t o fi nd a g o o d p l a c e for h i s Q u e e n . Wh ite
ca n o p e n up the c-fi l e a n d/o r the d -fi l e
a n d p u t R o o k s on e i t h e r o n e . W h ite
s h o u l d play a 4 someti me soon t o sto p a ny
chance of B l a c k cou nter-play there.
1 4.dxc5 Qxc5
 Module 5 : Solutions
The only move, for it a l l ows the Queen
event u a l l y to g et b a c k to t h e 7th ra n k.
Other ca ptu res ea s i l y fa i l t o Bxh7+.
1 5 .Bd4 Qc7
H o p e fu l l y y o u k n o w b y n o w t h a t
l S . . . Q c B i s t h e w ro n g retreat beca u se
B l a c k need s h i s Q u ee n o n t h e 7th ra n k
for d efen se. 1 6.Bxh 7 + Kxh 7 1 7.QhS+ Kg B
1 B. Bxg 7 f5 1 9. Bd4 Rf6 20. Rf3 BfB 2 1 . R h 3
B g 7 2 2 . Nf3 R h 6 2 3 . Q g 5 Rf6 24.Qh4 a n d
B l a c k i s l eft t h e u n e n v i a b l e ta s k o f t ry­
i n g to h o l d o n to h i s B i s h o p a ft e r 24 . . .
Kf7 2 S . N g 5 + Ke7 26. N h 7 s i n ce 2 4. . . R h 6 ?
a l l ow s 2 S . Q e 7 a n d o t h e r m ov e s a l l o w
Q h 7 (+} fol l owed b y Rg3.
16.Qh5
As you proba b l y reca l l fro m t h e l a st
mod u l e, the sacrifice d oes n ot work when
the Queen i s o n c7 a n d Black h a s both a
B i s h o p on e7 a n d a Knig ht on d 7 .
1 6.Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 7.QhS+ KgB 1 B.Bxg 7
Kxg 7 1 9 .Qg4+ K h B 20. Rf3 N f6 2 1 . R h 3 +
N h 7 2 2 . R x h 7 + ( 2 2 . Q h 5 B h 4 2 3 . Rx h 4 f6
a n d Black is safe.) 22 ... Kx h 7 23.QhS+ with
a d raw.
1 6 ... h6
1 6 ...g6 1 7.Qh6 Bf6 1 B.Nf3 Bxd4 1 9.exd4
Nf6 ( 1 9 . . . Qc3 2 0 . Ra d 1 RfcB 2 1 .fS [2 1 .g4
m i g ht be even better.] ) 20. N g S poses a
rea l th reat to B l ack's Ki ng s i n ce h i s Q u een
i s cut-off. The poss i b i l ity of f5 and sacrifi c­
i n g the Rook afte r ... exf5 is fo rm i d a b l e .
Note t h a t 2 0 ... Q c 3 d oes n o t solve Black's
p ro b l e m s. T h e Q u ee n w i l l m a ke a later
Rook l ift come with tem po. For exa m p l e
2 1 . R a d 1 B a 6 2 2 . Bxa6 ( 2 2 . . . Qe3+ 2 3 . K h 1
Rxa6 24.Rf3 Qe2 2S.Rg 1 i s n o better) Rxa6
23.Rd3 Qb2! 24.c3 RfcB 2 S . N x h 7 !
1 7.g4 Ba6
Yo u a bsol utely m u st ta ke t h i s option
i nto acco u nt when Black has p l ayed . . . a s
a n d you r B i s h o p is sti l l on d 3 . Th i s i s one of
those ea sy-to-overlook d efen ses that ca n
turn yo u r bruschetta into sog gy toa st.
1 7 . . . N f6 is p roba b l y what Wh ite ex­
pects, after which 1 B.Qh 3 N e4 1 9.Nf3 Bc5
20.gS Bxd4 2 1 . N xd 4 kee p s B l a c k on t h e
h o t seat.
1 8.g5 Bxd 3 1 9.cxd 3 hxg5
1 9 ... BcS 20.Rac 1 ;
1 9. . .eS 20.g x h 6 g 6 2 1 . B x e S N xe S
22.QxeS QxeS 23.fxeS RacB a n d Black o n l y
gets one o f h i s p a w n s back.
20.fxg5
Wh ite i s o n the verge of wi n n i n g by
s i m ply playing a Rook to h 3 . Black's Queen
i s rather stuck o n c7 to d efend a g a i n st the
sti l l poss i b l e sacrifice Bxg 7.
Bl ack's o n l y fea s i b l e way to avoid t h i s
i g n o b l e d eath i nvolves a com b i nation of
. . . eS ( sto p p i n g Bxg 7 a n d h e n ce free i n g
u p B l a ck's Queen) a n d Bxg 5, p u l l i ng the
Q u een off the h-fi l e to gain a critica l tem­
po. T h e re a re two va riati o n s that m a ke
Wh ite work fo r h i s poi nt:
20 ... eS 2 1 . Rxf7 Bxg S ( 2 1 ... Rxf7 22.g6;
131
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat
2 1 . . . N f6 2 2 . R x fB + R x fB 2 3 . g x f6 B x f6
24.e4!!) 22.RxfB+ RxfB 23 .QxgS Qc2 (23...
e x d 4 2 4 . Q x d S + Rf7 2 S . Q x d 4 ) 2 4 . B x e S
NxeS 2S.QxeS Qxd2 26.Qxd S+;
20 . . . N e S 2 1 . R f4 N g 6 2 2 . R f 3 B x g S
2 3 . Q x g S eS 24. B b 2 Q c 2 2 S . B x e S N x e S
( 2 S . . . Qxd 2 2 6 . B d 4 a n d W h ite's h - p a w n
b e c o m e s a rea l m o n ster!) 26.QxeS RaeB
2 7 .Qd4 Qxd2 2B.Kh 1 ! and Wh ite p l a n s o n
d o u b l i n g u p o n the g-fi le after picking u p
the d-pawn.
Exercise 1 4
La st Moves: 1 1 .Qe2 0-0 1 2.NeS N d 7
Best Move: 1 3 .f4
Commentary
Th i s exercise features an al ready
open e-file and White al ready having
played Qe2 . These facets allow White to
execute an interesting feint.
1 32
Analysis Variations and Notes
13 • • • Qe7
If Black is going to adva n ce the f-pawn,
t h i s a p pears necessa ry.
1 3 ... ReB? 1 4.Bxh 7 + Kxh 7 l S .Q h S + KgB
1 6.Qxf7+ Kh7 1 7.Rf3 .
1 4.Rf3
Wh ite th reaten s R h 3 , but h i s rea l p l a n
i s to p re s s u re t h e e 6 - p a w n aft e r B l a c k
dea l s with h i s obvi o u s th reat.
14 • • • fS
1 4 .. .f6 l S . R h 3 fS;
1 4 ... g6 l S . R h 3 a n d Wh ite w i l l s i m p l y
play N df3-g S a n d R h 6 i f possible. It's hard
for Black to do anyt hing provocative with­
out m a k i n g h i s s i t u a t i o n even worse. A
b i g p ro b l e m i s that m ov i n g t h e f-pawn
removes protection from g6, but l eaving it
there keeps the Queen from helping on de­
fense. l S .. .f6 ( l S ... Nf6 1 6.N df3 N h S 1 7.Rxh S
g x h S 1 B. N g S ; l S .. .fS 1 6. N d f3 Nf6 1 7. N g S
N d B 1 B.Nxh 7 N x h 7 1 9.Nxg6) 1 6. Nxg6.
1 S.Nxd7 Qxd7 1 6.93
Re3 i s com i n g soo n .
Exercise 1 5
Last Moves: 1 3 .f4 cxd4 1 4.exd4 N d 7
 Module 5 : Solutions
Best Move: l S .Qe2
Commentary
Th is should not have been a hard
move to find. The sacrificial options are
clearly not on tap here. There is l ittl e
danger of Bl ack taking the e 5 - K n ight
given that the Bishop is on d6, so mov­
ing the Queen to the already-open e-file
to pressure e6 is the natural play. From
there White can either open up the c-file
or build up a K-side attack.
Analysis Variations and Notes
l S ... Rae8
B l a c k d efe n d s the e6-pawn w i t h o u t
g ett i n g h i m se l f i nto a m aj o r j a m . How­
ever, Black i s not rea l l y able to play f6 or
f5 with adva ntage a nyway, so t h i s m ove
is not as u sefu l as it m i g ht oth e rwise have
been.
1 5 ... g6 1 6.c4;
1 5 ... Ra c8 1 6.c4;
1 5 ... Rfe8? 1 6.Bxh 7+;
1 5 ... Nd8 a rather awkwa rd way to de­
fen d e6 if Black is tryi ng to o u st the Knig ht.
1 6.c4 N xe5 ( 1 6 .. .f6 1 7.cx d 5 fxe5 1 8. Ra c l
Nc5 1 9.dxe5) 1 7 .fxe5 Be7 1 8.Qg4.
1 5 . . . f5 1 6 . N xc 6 Bxc6 1 7 .Qxe6+ K h 8
1 8. Ra e l Bxf4 1 9. Rxf4 Qxf4 20.Qxc6 Qxd 2
2 1 . B c 3 R a c 8 2 2 . Bxd 2 Rxc6 2 3 . B b 5 , a n d
B l a c k i s not advi sed t o h o l d onto the Ex­
c h a n ge, fo r 23 . . . Rxc2 ? ! is met by 24. B b4
w h i l e 23 . . . Rc7?! Bf4 i s even less p l ea sa n t.
I n d eed, Wh ite s h o u l d not let B l a ck off the
hook with 23 . . . N b8 24.Bxc6. I n stead h e
s h o u l d p l a y 24.c4 a n d ta ke t h e d - pa w n
next.
1 6.c4 dxc4
Black wo u l d rather not l et Wh ite play
cxd 5 .
1 6 ...f5 g i ves up both the e5- a n d
g 5 -sq u a re s . 1 7 .cxd 5 exd 5 1 8. R a c l Q d 8
1 9.Qf2 Ne7 20.Ndf3 .
1 6 .. .f6 i s c o n s i stent w i t h B l ack's p l ay,
b u t W h i t e i g n o re s t h e t h r e a t . 1 7 . Q h 5
f5 1 8 . Ra c l N f6 ( 1 8 . . . d xc4 1 9 . Bxc4 Bxe5
20.fxe5) 1 9.Qe2.
1 7 .Ndxc4 NdxeS 1 8.fxeS Be7
Wh ite's position i s very p l easa nt.
Exercise 1 6
Last Moves: 1 1 .NeS Bd6 1 2 .Re l N d 7
1 33
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat

Commentary
This position has come up a surpris­
ing number of times given that it is ter­
rible for Black.

Analysis Variations and Notes

12 ••• Kxh 7 1 1
1 2 .. KfB l ets B l a c k su rvive, but i s o bvi­
.

o u s l y not a positi o n h e enjoys.

13 .Q hS+ Kg8 1 4.Qxf7+
Best Move: 1 3 .Bxh7+ Noth i n g can sto p Re3-h3#

Commentary Exercise 1 8
The l ack of defense for f7 and the Last Moves: 8.a3 Qe7 9.NeS Nd7
half-open e-file make the Bishop sac a
lead-pipe cinch.

Analysis Variations and Notes

13 ••• Kxh 7 1 4.QhS+ Kg8 1 S .Qxf7+ Kh7
16. Re3

Exercise 1 7
Last Moves: 10.Qe2 Re8 1 1 .NeS N d 7

Best Move: 1 0.Nxd7

Commentary
White has gone a bit astray, and his
i mprecision has cost him his first-move
advantage. However, it is stil l a good po­
sition to practice with . . . because some­
times you j ust have to find what small
advantage is there rather than look for
Best M ove: 1 2 .Bxh7+

1 34
 Module 5 : Solutions

a larger one that does not exist. Since f4 1 3 .Nd2 f6

has not been played, there is no hope of 1 3 . . . es i s a bit na·ive a n d ta kes away
a double- Bishop sac. There is certainly his Kn i g ht's o n l y g ood sq u a re . 1 4.c4 e4
not the firepower for a single- Bishop 1 s .Bc2 Be6 1 6.cs Bc7 1 7.f4 and Wh ite sti l l
sac, and Black is already defending the h a s a s m a l l advantage. H e wi l l p l a y N b 3
e6-pawn, so Qe2 is not as likely to be a a n d Q d 2 , a n d fi n d d ecent p l a ces fo r a l l
good choice. h i s p i eces.
It's true that Black is unlikely to ex­ 1 4.e4 as
change the Knight with the Bishop on 1 4 ... Nes 1 s . Be2 Rac8 1 6.cs Bc7 1 7.Rc 1
d6, but with the e-file closed . . . f6 is no a n d B l a c k's extra c e n t ra l p a w n s d o n ot
longer a bad play for h i m . The idea is q u ite m a ke u p for h i s l i m ited m o b i l ity.
to disorganize Black's pieces and setup 1 S .exd S exd S 1 6.bxaS NxaS
an invisible wall along the m iddle dark I wou l d c l a i m we have chaotic eq u a l ­
squares, hemming his pieces in. A hid­ ity here.
den resource here is that Black's d-pawn
does not have any defenders other than Exercise 1 9
the e-pawn . Thus keeping a firm grip on Last Moves: 9.e3 Ne6 1 0.f4 N d 7
d4 and having the ability to hit ds can
hold back Black's entire center.

Analysis Variations and Notes

1 O.f4 f6 1 1 .QhS fS a n d I t h i n k it wi l l end
u p bei ng Wh ite who has wa sted a move.
10 ••• Bxd 7
1 O . . . Qxd 7 wo u l d o n l y m a ke s e n s e i f
B l a c k thoug ht t h a t t h e extra d efense o n
d S wo u l d a l low h i m t o adva n ce . . . eS. It
doesn't q u ite work that way. 1 1 .dxcS BxcS Best Move: 1 1 .b3
1 2. b4 Bb6 1 3 . b S .
1 1 .dxeS BxeS 1 2.b4 Bb6 Commentary
1 2 ... Bd6 1 3 .f4 Rac8 ( 1 3 . . . e S ? ! 1 4. N c 3 ) Th is is the kind of position Colle­
1 4.Qf3 g ives Wh ite at lea st t h e h o p e o f a n Koltanowski pl ayers can get into if they
atta ck i n pra cti ca l p l ay. are trying to play a " s l i m med-down "

1 35
 Module 5 : The Game-Changing Retreat

repertoire (for example, meeting the Be­ Exercise 20

noni with e3 or not having a special ized Last Moves: 1 0.Qe2 a6 1 1 .Ne5 N d 7
response for an early . . . b6 by B l ack) .
None of the plans suggested in the mod­
ule j ump right out here. The f7 -pawn
is defended and the e-file is not open.
White could play for a K-side attack with
Rf3 or Qhs, and indeed several strong
players have done exactly that. However,
since Black can easily play . . . fs , these
tries are going to be hard fought lines.
I ' m propos i ng another opti o n . I f
White were playing a C-Z here, h e would Best M ove: 1 2 .f4 ( o r Ndf3 )
simply open up the c- and d-files here
- a standard option when Bl ack's e7 Commentary
square is not available to his Queen. I White needn't worry about . . . fS or
say White should j ust do the same thing . . . f6 yet, but does have to defend the
here, getting some use out of his perhaps Kn ight again. White has some reason
m isconceived earl ier Qe2 . H is Queen to hope for a good game since Black's
is already off those files, let's make the . . . a6 is not going to help him defend his
most of it and transform the position K-side and White would be reasonably
into a latent C-Z of sorts. happy for his Knight on es to be taken
since the pawn that would end up there
Analysis Variations and Notes is pretty useful.
1 1 f5
••• White has two ways of putting an ex­
1 1 . . . N d x e S 1 2 . d x e S f6 1 3 . Q h S fS tra defender on es, and they both allow
1 4.Qe2 should a l low fo r a s i m i l a r i d ea . for a future K-side offensive. Ndf3 would
1 1 .. .f6 1 2. N xc6 Bxc6 1 3 .e4. likely lead to a situation where White
1 2 .Bb2 Nf6 1 3 .Rfd 1 may play Bgs hoping to exchange it for
Th i s may not yield a n yth i n g to write Black's B ishop, allowing a Bxh7 + sacri­
h o m e a bo u t, but at l ea st g ives Wh ite a fice. A sample l ine for that scenario is
reasona b l e p l a n . 1 2 . Ndf3 Ndxes 1 3 . dxes Be7 1 4 . Bc2 Bd7
I s . Bgs Bxgs 1 6 . Bxh7 + Kxh7 1 7 . Nxgs + .

136
 Module 5 : Solutions
Analysis Variations and Notes
12 ••• N b6
If B l a c k i s h o p i n g to a d va n ce t h e
f-pawn, t h i s i s one way of d o i n g it. I hope
you can see w h y 1 2 . . . Re8? is d efi n i tely
not the way.
B l a c k o b v i o u s l y h a s o t h e r o pt i o n s
here. Two a p pea r somewhat natu ra l .
B l a c k m i g ht p l a y 1 2 . . . N e 7, t h i n ki n g
that i t ma kes . . . f6 poss i b l e beca u se n ow
Wh ite ca n n ot p l a y N xc6 w h i l e u n cove r-
i n g the Queen's atta ck o n e6. That seems
d u bi o u s to me. Ng4 a n d N c4 can both be
pretty powe rfu l u ncovering moves, a nd in
a n y event it i s not l i ke B l a c k can ta ke the
Kn i g ht i m mediately a n yway beca use the
B i s h o p o n d6 wou l d have no p l a ce to g o
after Wh ite reca ptu res fxeS.
B l a c k ca n c h o o s e to s h u t d ow n t h e
B i s h o p sacrifi ce by p l ayi n g 1 2 . . . h6. That
a l l ows B l a c k . . . Re8, d efen d i n g e6. How-
eve r, after 1 3 . N d f3 Re8 1 4.g4 f6 1 S . B g 6
Re7 1 6. Bf7+ Kf8 1 7 . B h S , B l a c k i s p roba b l y
won d e r i n g what he g o t h i m self i nto.
1 3 .a4!
Col l e P l ayers of a l l st r i p e s wou l d d o
we l l t o c o n s i d e r t h i s m ove befo re t h e i r
K-side attacks, especia l l y when Black h a s a
Kn i g ht on b6. Wh ite i s th reate n i ng to ta ke
the a s-sq u a re away fro m B l a ck's p i eces.
The only way to sto p this i s to play . . . N a S ,
w h i c h m oves t h a t K n i g ht eve n fu rt h e r
away fro m t h e K-s i d e.
The motivation for a l l this i s that Wh ite
w i l l l i kely wa nt to play b3 at some poi nt,
l etti n g h i s B i s h o p get to a3 a nd/or locking
u p the Q-si de. When that h a p pens, Black
cou l d ruin the pa rty with . . . N a S . If Black
i s going to play that move, Wh ite wa nts
to fo rce h i m to d o it w h i l e his p i eces a re
a ro u n d t o s u p po rt b 4 i n respon se.
13 ••• aS
1 3 . . . N a S 1 4. N df3 with Qc2 a n d b4 to
fo l l ow ta kes the g a m e i n a co m p l etely d if­
ferent d i recti on, but it i s good fo r Wh ite.
1 4.QhS g6 1 S. Qh4 f6 1 6.Ng4 Qg7
1 7 .N h6+
Th i s holds ba ck hS.
17 ••• Kh8 1 8.Nf3 Bd7 1 9.b3
The Q-si d e i s l oc ked u p n ow, so
Wh ite's B i s h o p s can m ove a ro u n d m o re.
W h i l e there i s sti l l a fa i r a m o u nt o f work
to be d o n e, Wh ite h a s every rea son to be
h a p py with his positi o n .
137
 Module 6: Cqar8e! (WqeIl to play 84 ! 9 )

W
hen it comes to moves that do not
i m mediately gain or l ose mate­
rial, few tend to radically transform the
timbre of the game as frequently as the
advance of a g-pawn to the 4th rank.
Let's look at an example of such a play
between two of the strongest American
players of the early 20th century. Sammy
Reshevsky h ardly needs an i n troduc­
tion, but Alexander Kevitz may be a new
name to you. Kevitz was ranked third on 1 3 .g41 1 NfS
the first USCF ratings l ist (behind Reu­ Black makes a hole for his Knight and
ben Fine and Reshevsky) with a rating of puts a defender on the h7-pawn that it
2610. He beat two world champions on is about to abandon. H ad Black pushed
Black in simul play, contributed to the his h- or g-pawns instead, White could
theory of many openings, and won the respond h4, threatening hS or gS .
Manhattan Chess Club championships 1 4.g5 N6d7 1 5 .Nfl Re7 1 6. N g 3 f6
multiple times. He also happened to be
Arthur Bisguier's coach.

Reshevsky-Kevitz
1 936 U.S. Championship
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3 .e3 c5 4.Bd3 d 5
5.c3 N bd 7 6.Nbd2 cxd4 7.exd4 Bd6
S.O-O 0-0 9.Re1 Qc7 1 0.Qe2 b6 1 1 .Ne5
Bb7 1 2 .f4 RfeS

1 39
 Module 6: Charge ! (When to Play g4 ! ? )

This move is not bad (though it ap­

pears to have been played for the wrong
reason). Black can hope his Queen and
Rook will be usefu l along his second
rank.
1 7 .gxf6 gxf6?!
I t's hard to say whether Bl ack j ust
really wanted the Knight to vacate (per­
haps to allow the King to escape via f7 ) ,
or whether he honestly wanted h i s Rook
and Queen to be able to defend the h7- H ad B l ack been a fan o f S a m u e l
pawn. The former is unlikely since Black Tayl or Coleridge, his th oughts m ight
has no real hope of playing . . . Kf7 any have been something like "Air, air, every­
time soon, even if White p l ays rather where, and not a drop to b reathe. "
passively on his next move. The l atter 21 ... KhS 22.Bh6 BeS 2 3 . Rf1 Qe7
seems naive. My guess is that Black had Black goes in for a Queen trade, but
something else in mind entirely. his pawns are too hard to hold.
1 7 . . . Nxf6 I B . Qg2 NBd7 1 9 . Bd2 RfB 24.Qxe7 Bxe7 2S.BxeS RxeS 26. RfS
is much better. RdS 27.Nf4 Ng6 2S.Nxd S N h 4 29.Nxe7
l S.Nxd 7 Rxd 7 1 9. N h S! Rxe7 30.Rf4 Ng6 3 1 . Rxf6 RgS 3 2 .Kf1
Th is m ove causes m o re p roblems Re4 3 3 . Rf2 N h 4 34. Bf4 h S 3 S . Bg3 Reg4
than you might think. Black has to rel- 36.Re1 Ng6 3 7 . Rf3 h4 3S.Bf2 Kh7
egate a Rook to defend a lowly pawn in a 39.h3 Rf4 40.Re7+ KhS 4 1 .Rxf4 Nxf4
position where h is Rooks want freedom 42.Re3 RfS 43 .Rf3 Kg 7 44.Be3 [ 1 -0]
to roam.
19 •.• Rf7 That win illustrates many basic ideas,
1 9 . . . f5, all owing White to win the and I would recommend you play through
Exch ange, is probably better. I would it a few times because I'll be referencing it
actually suggest 1 9 . . . KhB, giving away now and again as we explore the question
the p awn, but White probably would as to when g4 is appropriate.
not have been bought off so easily. I do n o t want to give an i m p res­
20.fS exfS 21.BxfS sion that the above is a " model game. "
I n d eed, there i s n o such th i n g as a

1 40
 Module 6 : Lesson
"model " for how the g-pawn march is
supposed to work (an observation the
reader would do well to keep in mind ) .
Had Black chosen a different 1 3th move,
the game would have looked very differ­
ent. Similarly for move 1 7 .
I n additi o n to the many possib le
eventu a l i ties a g-pawn advancement
might beget, White may have any of sev­
eral possible reasons or goals in mind
when making the play. A casual study of
games involving g4 can leave you hope­
lessly perplexed, seeing little in the way
of recurring themes or basic principles.
So, rather than attempt the Hercu­
lean task of distill ing guiding principles
for playing g4 in all situations, in this
module we will focus on the use of g4 in
the early-middle game. This makes sense
for two reasons. First, the earl ier g4 is
played, the greater the risk to your own
Ki ng. Hence, it is particularly important
to know when not to play g4 during
this ph ase. Secondly, there is generally
only one reason to play g4 in the early­
middle game, so it is easier to study that
decision. Later on g4 might be indicated
due to any number of motivations, or
some amalgam thereof. Trying to cod­
ify and understand these systematically
wou l d require a much larger module
(and likely a desire for self-inflicted psy­
chosis as wel l ) .
For the rest o f this module, when I
refer to the g-pawn advance, it should be
assumed I'm referring to the advance be­
ing played in the early-middle game, in
particular when no more than one pair of
pieces has been exchanged and the c-, d-,
and e- files are not all locked up. Much
of what I say becomes less and less appl i­
cable (or even flat-out wrong) later.
U ndersta n d i n g g4
Before giving more specific guidance,
I want to make sure you have a general
grasp of this tactic.
The Need fo r 94
What niche does g4 claim in the eco­
system of chess moves? What's its role?
Let's first start with a simple obser­
vation: Your attacking options are dic tated
mos t direc tly by the placement of your oppo­
nent's K-s ide paw ns and the nearby pieces.
Okay, noth ing earth-shattering there.
But how do we proceed when Bl ack's
defenses do not allow us to mount an
attack on his King?
You could simply attack elsewhere,
where the pastures may be greener. You
may also exchange a defender. This is
especially disruptive for Black if he has
to retake with a pawn, as in the Bxf6 play
that figured prominently in the attacks
of the last module. If the board (or, if we
1 41
 Module 6 : Charge ! (When to Play g4 ! ? )
are being honest, our disposition) does
not lead us to such choices, we can also
generally coax Black into modifying the
structure by targetting certain squares. I f
you play Rf3 -h3 and then Qe l -h4, you
can be reasonably confident that your
opponent will do something.
The trouble is, these piece maneuvers
often take time and generally the p ieces
you moved were doing something else
useful earl ier. While you are busy repo­
sitioning your p ieces, Black is l i kely to
cash a big reality check at your ATM .
When you are in this situation, when
there are no weaknesses you can feasibly
assail and no time to make new ones by
piece maneuvers, that's when g4 should
be considered. I t p rovokes changes in
your opponent's defensive configuration
while al l owing your p ieces to maintain
their current duties until such time that
they can shift to more aggressive posts
without fear of counter-attack.
To see j ust one example of th is, look
at t h e Res h evs ky g a m e . Wh e n B l ack
retreated h i s Kn ight, it freed White to
m ove his own to fl . P revi o u s l y that
Knight was needed to patrol e4 .
What g4 Acco m plishes
The description of what g4 accom­
pl ishes is much simpler than the above
discussion of when it is needed.
1 42
I n short g4 leads to both sides hav­
ing more K-side space. The expectation
is that White's pieces will get there first
and use that space better. Lo ok at the
third diagram from the Reshevsky game.
The entire K-side is open pasture, but
Bl ack's pieces are all stuck in his home
court because sending them out to hit
White would be suicide.
Th is understanding of the g-p awn
advance should clarify why it is such
a useful weapon for Colle players. I t is
very co mmon for Bl ack to have a pawn
on e6 for a long time while White gener­
ally can get rid of his e-pawn . White also
tends to have an easier time advancing
his f-pawn and moving his Knight from
f3 . These all contribute to White being
able to transfer pieces to the K-side more
easily than Black.
G u ideli nes
A l ittl e reas o n i ng goes a l ong way
when it comes to formulating some ba­
sic pri nciples describ ing when g4 might
make sense and when it is a terrible idea.
Note the U might. u Eventually you have
to look hard at the details regardless of
what these principles say.
I n particular, there are five questions
you should ask yourself:
• D oes g4 cause a reactio n ?
• Does it fi t Black's skeleto n ?
 Module 6 : Lesson
• Are there other options?
• Is there a Bishop on d 7 ?
• Are my pieces ready?
In this section, we'll discuss each.
Ca using a Reaction
Playing g4 almost always causes a re­
action. Generally your opponent either
has to do something to stop gS or needs
to make arrangements so that gS is not
a problem. We saw this in Reshevsky's
game when Kevitz played NfS, which
opened up the d7-square for his other
Kn ight. Someti mes it is not gS that is
the threat but rather fS, supported by the
g-pawn that was j ust advanced.
It is a bad idea to play g4 if your op­
ponent is not compelled to react. For ex­
ample, if you are chasing a Knight on f6
to a square he wants to go to anyway (say
e4), then that's a red flag. Often gS or fS
would only pose a minor inconvenience
for Black - for example he has a satis­
factory retreat or he has played h6 or g6
and an exchange on gS or fS would not
allow an immediate rampage by White.
In those cases g4 might stil l be okay so
long as Black cannot quickly dissolve the
center and attack White's King.
In general, the more awkward it is
for your opponent to deal with the i m­
pending threat of gS (or fS ), the better.
In the Reshevsky game, Sammy played
g4 right after Black had placed his Rook
on eS, meaning the Knight on f6 had no
plausible moves.
Eva l u ate Black's S keleton
The above is probably obvious. But
what is not so obvious is to consider the
likely p awn advances Black will make in
reaction. I f those pawn advances have
sign i ficant side benefits, l i ke opening
up spaces for Black's pieces or increas­
ing the scope of pieces that are already
placed, then that is a mild argument ( at
least) against g4 .
Some examples might clarify what
I mean about considering future pawn
moves. Consider the next position:
Pawn Moves M u lti-Purpose
It does not take much effort to see
t h at B l ack's p awns con strict h i s d e ­
fensive p i eces. The f-p awn blocks h i s
Bishop a n d Rook while his g-pawn i s
1 43
 Module 6 : Charge ! (When to Play g4 ! ? )

on a square where his Knight or Bishop A Ti me for All Th i n g s

might want to be. I f he shifts his pawns As Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, "To
in response to g4 (or if those pawns get everything there is a season, and a time
rem oved ) , h i s p i eces wou l d become to every purpose under heaven. " Before
more active and find homes they earlier you play g4, make sure that it is, in fact,
did not have. the season for it.
Thus, rather than g4 (which Bl ack As I d e s c ri b ed e a rl i e r, g4 m a kes
met well in the actual game by playing s e n s e when t h e re are no l e s s - c o m ­
f6 soon), White should look elsewhere. mittal options to explore. I f you see a
Now consider this diagram: reasonable plan that does not requ ire
g4, you should probably take it. I f you
can easily get to decent squares on the
K-side, there is likely l ittle need to play
g4 in the early-middle game. Note how
Reshevesky p l ayed g4 at a time when
the Knight on f6 was guarding the entry
points for his Queen and his Rook was
unable to lift out.
Don't let this guidel i n e deter you
if the variations that wil l ensue can be
B l ack's K-side p awns do not con­ seen with a fai r degree of confidence
strain his pieces here. I f Black finds it and those lines are pleasant ones. This is
necessary to move or exchange pawns, especially likely in the case where Black
doing so will not be doing much in the has two pieces on the K-side in front of
way of side benefits. his pawns.
I t is p arti cu l a rly useful if Bl ack's
pawns are pinned or otherwise difficult Bishop o n d7
to advance due to specifics of the posi­ You should be particularly mindful of
tion. I f Black has to meet a K-side pawn the g4 lunge if your opponent has placed
thrust without being able to move his a Bishop on d7 rather than on b7. The
own pawns, he can run into problems most obvious reason is that this Bishop
very quickly. takes away a retreat square for Bl ack's
Knight on f6 . Furthermore, the Bishop

1 44
 Module 6 : Lesson
has a hard time not getting in the way of
Black's major pieces if it is on d7 when
White plays g4 . Such a Bishop also will
require at least one extra move to coun­
ter-attack White's King should the center
dissolve. Finally, the lack of pressure on
e4 can end up ruining what would oth­
erwise be good defensive resources for
Black. We will discuss that more soon.
Be Ca refu l What Yo u Wish For
The final gu iding principle for de­
ciding whether g4 makes sense is to ask
yourself whether you are in a position
to benefit from the resulting space. As I
mentioned earl ier, g4 tends to increase
the space for both pl ayers on the K-side.
If your pieces are not in a position to
make use of that space, then you might
find you rself staring down the wrong
end of your own bayonet.
Ask you rse l f "which of my pieces
wou l d take more than two moves to
hit Bl ack's K-side? " Generally, if more
than one minor piece or more than one
maj or piece falls into this category, the
attack is dub ious. You are u n l i kely to
have enough power to force Black on the
defensive and wil l be unable to imme­
diately util ize the li nes you have broken
open and the spaces that will likely form
as his pawn-structure shifts.
It is expected that you have a Rook
on f1 ( if that Rook has been moved to
e I , be careful that you do not get hoisted
on your own petard by Black open ing
and contro l l ing the f- fi l e ! ) H owever,
i f you h ave moved that Ro ok to the
h-file al ready, a g-pawn advance can be
particularly strong. H aving a Rook on
h 3 can make up for having less easily
transferred pieces elsewhere.
Ana lysis G u ides
I'd l ike to offer three bits of advice to
consider as you are doing the analysis.
Th ree Sta ndard Fo l l ow- u ps
Wh i l e there are n o te m p l ates fo r
g-pawn advances, there are three stan­
dard plans to consider. The first option
i s gS . That is w h at B l ack most com­
monly must react to. I f h is resp onse
prevents this (or it would be unwise for
some other reaso n ) , the second most
common continuation is h4, supporting
a possible gS while threatening h S . This
also in creases dramatically the space
you have, a l l owi ng you to reposition
and deploy your heavy units.
Your final alternative is to dominate
the entire board by appropriate play on
both fl anks. Th is l ast, boa-constrictor
method is most common when Bl ack
holes up on the K-side, using his pieces
to discourage further pawn advances.
1 45
 Module 6 : Charge ! (When to Play g4 ! ? )
Unless one of these three plans looks
promising, you should probably recon­
sider g4 .
Bewa re the Piece on e7
As your pawns advance, they can be­
come weak. This may not be a big deal
since you were hoping to exchange them
to open up lines, but sometimes these
weaknesses can ru i n a n attack. S i nce
Bl ack typically has a p awn o n e6 and
White has something ( Knight or pawn )
on e S , the p iece that is most l i kely to
exploit these weaknesses is whatever is
on e7 (or a Queen/ Bishop on dB should
e7 be vacant) .
I t's a good idea, then, to think care­
ful ly about whatever piece is on e 7 . If it
is a Knight, then think through its sup­
p o rt of ( and access to ) the fS -square,
especially weak after a l ater gS . If the
piece is a Bishop or Queen, be aware of
the difficulties this might pose in l ater
advancing h4 ( i f need be) or gS . A dose
of . . . QxgS + can deport you from dream­
l and to the real m of painful reality very
quickly.
But don't you normally have a pawn on
'4 covering g51
That l eads us i nto the next specific.
1 46
Th i n k Th ro u g h Centra l Exchan ges
Since White is b anking on claiming
most of the space that opens up on the
K-side, B l ack may find it to his advan­
tage to trade p ieces. If he captures your
Knight on eS, you may find your f-pawn
overworked (since normally you would
not want to recapture with your d-pawn,
opening the center and a whole new can
of worms) . If Black plays . . . Ne4, several
pieces can co me off. I f one of them is
t h e B/b 7 , t h e n B l ack h a s e s s e n t i a l l y
traded off an attacker with a p iece that
White had hoped would be completely
useless.
This latter play ( . . . Ne4) is more dan­
gerous when combined with the former
( . . . NxeS ) . To see an extremely common
example of this, consider the diagram:
This position has occurred in many
games, and White h a s an excepti o n ­
ally strong record with 1 l .g4, including
several upsets. B l ack has tried 1l . . . h 6 ,
 Module 6 : Lesson

H . . . g6, and H . . . NxeS here with some 1 4.g4 Qe7

frequency, b u t n o n e h as given good A clever move that does many things.
results. The possible entry of the black Queen
I ronically, Bl ack does not need to to gS is a yellow flag. This also freezes
do anything provocative at all . gS is an White's a-Rook for the moment. White
empty threat. After a developing move still has better placed pieces and should
like l l . . . Rac l ! or H . . . Rad l ! ( H . . . aS ! is take his time building up his position
even better, threatening . . . Ba6) White on both sides of the board.
appears to have noth i ng b etter than 1 4 . . . Rac8 is met by l S . Rf2, which
1 2 .gS NxeS 1 3 . fxeS ( 1 3 . dxeS is asking not only p repares to m ove the Rook
fo r tro u b l e, bo th b ecause B l ack can sideways to the g-file, but also puts cru­
open the center, loosing his Bishop, and cial added defense to c2 in case exchang­
because he can maneuver h i s Kn ight es on e4 remove defenders fro m that
to cS via d 7 . ) 1 3 . . . Ne4 1 4 . Nxe4 dxe4 square. Of course, the option to double
l S . Bxe4 Bxe4 1 6 . Qxe4 BxgS, and Black's up on the f-file is another benefit.
K-side pawns are still in their virgin state 1 4 . . . Be7 foresees an exchange on
while the minor pieces White had ready eS, but White gets the upper hand with
to leap into action are now in the box. l S . g S N d 7 1 6 . Nxg6 hxg 6 1 7 . Ra e l .
H e has plenty of time to make use of
Practice Problem h i s m ass ive s p ace advan tage on the
I n Zuke 'Em, I suggested g 4 in the K-side. Black's position has almost no
position below. Work out as many of mobility.
the l i nes as you can i n you r p ractice l S .a4
j ournal . Th is allows the possibil ity of Ba3
later, moves the a-pawn from danger,
and shows a willingness to slowly take
advantage of Black's rather defensively
pl aced pieces. As I mentioned in one
of the l ast modu le's exercises, always
consider this move before moving your
pieces from the center to the K-side.
l S .gS allows Black to get equality by
the tactic described in the Think Through

[Solution begins top of next column.}

1 47
 Module 6 : Charge ! (When to Play g4 ! ? )
Exchanges subsection: l S . . . BxeS 1 6 . fxeS
( 1 6 . dxeS QcS + ) 1 6 . . . Ne4 1 7 . Bxe4 dxe4
I B . Nxe4 Bxe4 1 9 . Qxe4 QxgS +.
1 5 . . . Rac8 1 6.c3!
Wh i t e s e a l s o ff t h e Q - s i d e fro m
B l ack's p i eces ( t h e b 4 - s qu are i s n o
longer avail able) and allows Wh ite to
threaten as and BbS (since the Bishop
no l onger needs to p rotect c2 ) wh i l e
leaving open the option of gS .
No Q-side Squares for Black
1 6 ... a6 1 7.Rf2
Now White can dominate the f-file
and play gS . With the Rooks doubled up
and defending the Bishop on b2 later­
ally, it is no longer a big deal if Black's
Queen gets to play QxgS +
1 7 .gS BxeS I B . Bxg6 ? ! gives Black a
crazy draw by "perpetual check" against
White's Queen ! I B . . . fxg6 1 9 . QxeS Ne4
20. Ba3 Qd7 21 . Nxe4 dxe4 2 2 . BxfB RxfB
and the white Queen i s trapped b e -
1 48
tween two squares. 2 3 . Rae l (23 .dS exdS
2 4 . Qd4 Qg4 is not what White wants ! )
2 3 . . . RfS 2 4 . QbB RfB 2 S . QeS.
1 7 ... Rc7 1 8.Rafl Rfc8
I B . . . Ba3 1 9 . Ba l .
1 9.95 Bxe5 20.fxe5 Ne4 2 1 .Bxe4 dxe4
22.Nxe4 Bxe4 23 .Qxe4 Qxg 5+ 24.Kh l
Qe7 25.c4 Qb4 26.Qd 3
White looks good here.
I l l u strative Exercise
All exercises for this module come
from actual games where g4 was played.
Determ ine whether you th i n k g4 is a
good move or n ot. Write down you r
reasons a s well a s your analysis. Remem­
ber that th is is a complicated tactic, and
there are lots of things to consider. The
exercises are not easy, and you may end
up l ea r n i n g m o re fro m the s o l u t i o n
notes than you do from your own ef­
forts . . . at least the first ti me. These exer­
cises can be revisited again and again.
Th e exercises fo r th is module are
special in that I have included the con­
cl usion of each game so you can see
the aftermath of the g-pawn advances.
Th ink of it as a miniature pack of illus­
trative games on this topic.
 Exercises
Exercise 1 Exercise 3
Last Moves: 1 4.Rf3 h6 l S .Rh3 Ne8 Last Moves: 1 1 .f4 cS 1 2.c3 Qc7

Exercise 2 Exercise 4
Last Moves: 1 2 .Qe2 Bc7 1 3 .f4 NfS Last M oves: 1 1 .Qf3 Bd7 1 2 .Qh3 Qe8

1 49
 Module 6 : Charge ! (When to Play g4 )

Exercise 5 Exercise 7
Last Moves: 9.Qf3 cS 1 0.c3 Qc7 Last Moves: 1 7 .Rae 1 Bb8 1 8.Qf2 NfS

Exercise 6 Exercise 8
La st Moves: 1 3 .c3 Ne8 1 4.Qh3 fS La st Moves: 22.Bb2 g6 2 3 . Re 1 Qc8

1 50
 Module 6 : Exercises

Exercise 9 Exercise 1 1
Last M oves:12.Qe2 Ne7 1 3 .f4 Ng6 Last M oves: 1 1 .Be2 cxd412.exd4 N a 5

Exercise 1 0 Exercise 1 2
Last Moves: 2 7.Qc1 Be7 28.Bd3 N f8 Last Moves: 1 4.f4 Qb6 1 5.Qf3 0-0

1 51
 Module 6 : Charge ! (When to Play g4 )

Exercise 1 3 Exercise 1 S
La st Moves: 1 3 .Qe2 Qc7 1 4.Rf2 Qb8 Last Moves: 1 1 .f4 a6 1 2.a4 Bd7

Exercise 1 4 Exercise 1 6
Last Moves: 1 3 .f4 Ne7 1 4.Rc1 NfS Last Moves: 22.Nxd 7 Rxd 7 23.Rc1 Bf6

1 52
 Module 6 : Exercises

Exercise 1 7 Exercise 1 9
La st M oves: 1 3 .f4 Ne7 1 4.Qf3 NfS Last M oves: 1 1 .NeS 96 1 2 .f4 Ne8

Exercise 1 8 Exercise 20
Last M oves: 1 2 . Rf3 Qc7 1 3 .Rh3 h6 Last M oves: 1 1 .NeS Be8 1 2 .Ndf3 h6

1 53
 Solutioqs
Exercise 1
La st Moves: 1 4. Rf3 h6 1 S.Rh3 N e8
Verd ict: 1 6.g4!
Commentary
The Rook on h3 is the real key here,
and I'm not j ust talking about the pos­
sibil ities on h7 or h8 should the h-pawn
be diverted. I'm also referring to how the
Rook holds the g-pawn back (since the
g-pawn has to protect the h-pawn) . Add
to this the defense of the e3-pawn block­
ing possible counter-attacks along the
a7 -g l diagonal. In addition to the Rook
on h3, there are other p ieces in White's
camp that are better pl aced than you
might imagine for a g4 thrust. White's
Queen has easy entry to g4 and h5 so
long as Black's Knight can be kept from
f6 . The Rook on c1 helps keep the center
stable because dissolution on the c-fie
can turn ugly for Bl ack's Queen given
the possibility of Bh7+, uncovering the
Rook. Finally, even the Bishop on b2 has
a hope of getting i nto the action due to
exchanges along the main diagonal .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 6 ... NxeS
Th i s g ives Black at l east a g l i m me r of
hope that h e can adva n ce his f-pawn.
1 6 .. .f5 1 7. N g 6 Rf7 1 8.g5.
1 7.dxeS
Wh ite d oes n ot often have this l ux u ry
(ta king with the d-pawn) beca u se h i s King
safety depends o n sta b i l ity i n the center.
W h i te ca n tha n k h i s Rooks beca u se t h e
one o n c 1 takes the sti ng from . . . d4 w h i l e
t h e one o n h 3 , b y s u p porti ng e 3 , removes
t h e d a n g e r of . . . c4 (after w h i c h B l a c k
co u l d otherwise g a n g - u p on the e3-pawn
a l o n g the a 7-g 1 d iagona l ) .
Wh ite d oes wel l kee ping h i s f-pawn to
s u p po rt a n d defend the g5 sq u a re. For ex-
1 55
 Module 6 : Charge ! (When to Play g4 )

a m pl e 1 7 .fxe5 ? ! wo u l d a l low . . . Bg5, m a k­

i n g Wh ite's attac k s i g n ificantly h a rder.
1 7 . . . f6 1 S.Nf3
I wo u l d say t h i s is a bad m ove except
it's h a rd to see what Black ca n d o to deal
with the th reats to h i s King. White's Queen
can no l o n g e r q u i c k l y get to g4 o r h 5 , b u t
she can n o w g e t t o d 3 a n d d 5 .
1 8 . exf6 h a s to b e g o o d n o m a tt e r
what B l a c k reca ptu res w i t h . N o t o n l y i s
g 5 g o i n g t o h u rt, b u t n ow t h e B i s h o p o n
b2 may wel l show u p fa s h i o n a b l y l ate, b u t
w i t h a bazooka.
l S ...f5
Th i s l e a d s to q u i c k d efeat. Pe r h a p s,
t h o u g h , there was a s ma l l c h a n ce Wh ite
wou ld d o someth i n g s i l l y a n d a l l ow B l a c k
to s u r v i v e . C o m p a re t h a t w i t h ot h e r
moves that d o noth i n g to stop the th reats
to Black's K-side.
1 9.9xf5 BeS
1 9 . exf5 20.Qxd 5 +
. .
20.f6 gxf6 2 1 .Rxh6 Rf7 22 .Qfl Rg7+
23 . Kh l f5 24.Q h 3 BfS 25.Qh5 [ 1 -0]
Exercise 2
Last Moves: 1 2.Qe2 Be7 1 3 .f4 Nf5
Verd i ct: 1 4.g4?!
Commentary
White had a rather promising game
against his much h igher-rated oppo­
nent. H owever, all he is doing with this
lunge is forcing Black to get a valuable
outpost on e4 by using the d 6-square
Black j ust vacated.
The rest of the game shows this rath­
er clearly, and I do not have anything to
add to that.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 4 ... Nd6 1 5.g5 N fe4 1 6.Nxe4 dxe4
1 7 .Ba6 Bxa6 l S.Qxa6 Nf5 1 9.Qe2 Bxe5
20.dxe5 Qd5 2 1 .Rael e3 22 .e4 Qe4
23.Bel RfdS 24.Bxe3 Rd3 25.Bel Qd4+
26.Qf2 RdS 27.Qxd4 Nxd4 2S.Re3
Nxb3 29.Kf2 Na5 30.Rxd3 Rxd 3 3 1 .Ke2
Rh3 3 2 . Rd l h5 3 3 .gxh6 Rxh 6 34.Rd7
Rxh2+ 3 5. Kd 3 Rh3+ 36.Be3 Nxe4
3 7 . Kxe4 Rxe3 3S.Rxa7 g5 39.fxg 5 Rxe5

1 56
 Module 6 : Solutions
40.Rb7 Rxg S 4 1 .Rxb6 Rg 1 42.a4 Ra 1
43.KbS Kg 7 44.a S eS 4S.a6 e4 46.Ke4
f6 47.Kd S e3 4S. Re6 Kg6 49. Rxe3 Rxa6
SO.Rg 3+ KfS S 1 . Rf3+ Kg S S2.Rf1 Ra4
S 3 . Ke6 Re4+ S4.Kf7 fS S S . Rg 1 + Rg4
S6.Rf1 f4 S7.Ke6 Rg3 SS.KeS Re3+
S9.Kd4 ReS 60.Kd 3 Kg4 6 1 .Kd2 f3
62.Rg 1 + Kh3 63 .Rg7 f2 64. Rf7 Kg 2
6S.Rg7+ Kf1 66.Ra7 RgS [0- 1 ]
Exercise 3
Last Moves: 1 1 .f4 eS 1 2 .e3 Qe7
Verd i ct: 1 3 .g41
Commentary
The perfect way of making some­
th ing out of the small advantage White
has. Notice the Bishop on d7 fai l s to
support the e4-square and gets in the
way of Black's other pieces. Also note
how Bl ack's p i eces do not appear to
gain much from the K-side pawn moves
Black will end up making.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 3 ... e411
I d on't see what Black g a i n s by l ocki ng
up t h e cente r. G e n e ra l l y B l a c k wants to
b rea k open the center to cou nter-attack.
1 4.Be2 NeS 1 S .gS fS 1 6.N df3 11
Wh ite shou l d be h a p py with
exc h a n g i n g .
1 6.gxf6 N xf6 1 7.Qg2 B e B 1 B.Q h 3 a n d
Wh ite sti l l h a s s o m e fu el t o a d d t o t h e fi re
with no d a n g e r to h i s King.
1 6 ... bS 1 7.a3 a s 1 S.h4 g611
B l a c k a l l ow s W h i t e to open up t h e
posit ion, w h i c h h a s t o be t h e l a st t h i n g
h e wa nts.
1 B ... BxeS 1 9. N xeS and Wh ite has the
better positi on, but Black can lock t h i n g s
u p.
1 9. Kg211
1 9 . h S g x h S 2 0 . K h 1 a n d W h i te g ets
d efi n ite p l ay d own the g-fi l e by prepa r­
i n g g6.
1 9 ... N g 7 20.Rfb 1 b4 2 1 .Nxd 7 Qxd 7
22.NeS Qe7 23.Ba4 BxeS 24.dxeS b3
2S.Qd 1 Qb6 26.Qd4 RfbS 27.Rd 1 Kf7
2S.Bd71
Th i s m ove, tryi n g to w i n i n a n eq u a l
position manages to create a l o s i n g o n e.
2S ... a4 29.Rd2 Qxd4 30.Rxd4 Ke7
3 1 .Rad 1 Kxd 7 32.Rxe4 ReS 3 3 .Rb4
RebS 34.Rbd4 RbS 3 S .e4 ReS 36.exd S
exd S 37.Rxd S+ Rxd S 3S.Rxd S+ Ke6
39.Rd6+ Ke7 40.Rb6 Ra7
157
 Module 6 : Charge ! (When to Play g4 )
40 ... Rc8 wo u l d have d ecided matters.
4 1 .Kf3 Ne6 42 .e4 Rd7?
42 .. .fxe4+ 43 . Kxe4 Rc7.
43 .exf5 N d4+ 44.Ke3
44.Kg4! ? d oes n't save White. 44 ... N xf5
45 . h 5 Ne3+ 46. Kf3 N c4.
44 ... Nxf5+ 45.Ke2 Ra7 46.Rf6 Nxh4
47.Kd3 Nf5 4S.Kc3 Ne3 49.Rd6 Nc2
50.Kd 3 Rd7 5 1 . Rxd7+ Kxd 7 52.Kc4 Kc6
53 .e6 Kd6 54.e7 Kxe7 5 5 .Kb5 Nxa3+
56.Kxa4 N c4 57.Kxb3 Nxb2 [0- 1 ]
Exercise 4
Last Moves: 1 1 .Qf3 Bd7 1 2 .Qh3 QeS
Verd ict: 1 3 .g4!
Commentary
B l ack has given h i s Kn ight o n f6
no breathing room with his last move.
Th i s i s a great t i m e to stri ke b e fo re
Black can untangle his pieces. White's
pawn advance does not help Black do
th i s ( someth i ng that always must be
1 58
checked) . Note how awkward and help­
less Black's position is due to the Bishop
on d7 b locking movement of p ieces.
White's King is safe and Black's K-side
pieces get smothered.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
13 ••. g6
1 3 ... B c 6 sto p s the g - p a w n a d va n ce
by a l l ow i n g fo r . . . N e4, b u t t h e n Wh ite
ca n s l ow l y d o m i nate the e n t i re b o a r d .
1 4. N xc6 Qxc6 1 5 .c4 B b4 1 6. N f3 Wh ite c a n
n o w adva nce on the Q-side, play N e5, a n d
prepa re f5 .
1 4.N df3 Kg 7 1 5. N g 5 NegS
1 5 ... h6 had to be p layed.
1 6.Qg2
1 6.c4 100ks p retty powerfu l here. Black
ca n n ot affo rd to l et the d ia g o n a l open u p
g iven h i s K-si d e confi g u ration. I t l oo ks l i ke
Wh ite ca n stuff h i m i nto a box!
1 6 ... N h 6 1 7 .h3 b6 l S.Rf3 N h gS
1 9. Rafl
S u bt l e it i s n ot, but wo rk it d oes.
1 9 ... h6 20.Ngxf7 Rxf7
20 ... N e4 2 1 .f5 .
2 1 .Bxg6 Bxe5 22.Bxf7 Kxf7 2 3 .fxe5
Qe7 24.exf6 Qd6 25.g5 QfS 26.Qg4
KeS 27.f7+ Kd S 2S.fxgS=Q Qxg S
29.RfS+ QxfS 30.RxfS+ [ 1 -0]
Exercise 5
Last M oves: 9.Qf3 c5 1 0.c3 Qc7
 Module 6 : Solutions
Verd ict: 1 1 .g41!
Commentary
Th i s is the position I warned you
about in the lesson. In all honesty, you
might very wel l do fine in an OTB game
here since the best move is not easy to
find for Black. White has had very good
practical results here, but there is no get­
ting a good position if Black finds the
right continuation.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
11 ••• g6 1 2. Rf2 NxeS 1 3 .fxeS N d 7
1 4.Qh 3 f6 l S .exf6 Rxf6 1 6.Nf3 Rf7
1 7. N g S Bxg S 1 8.Rxf7 Kxf7 1 9.Qxh7+
Ke8 20.Qxg6+ Ke7 2 1 .Qxg S+ Kd6
22 .e4 Qd8 2 3 .Bf4+ Kc6 24.exd S+ exd S
2S .Re 1 c4 26.Bxc4 NcS 27.Qg6+ [ 1 -0]
Exercise 6
Last Moves: 1 3 .c3 N e8 1 4.Qh3 fS
Verd ict: l S .g41!
Commentary
The p rob lem with g4 here i s that
Black does not really need to do any­
thing about it. The space he already has
around his King lets him defend along
his 7th rank after the Knight on eS is
exchanged. gxfS is not a maj or threat,
especially if Black is allowed to retake
with a Knight. Ndf3 woul d h ave p re­
served a promising position for White
with several possible plans.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
lS ••• N ef61!
After t h i s one error, Wh ite was a b l e
to b u i l d u p a n attac k even t h o u g h B l a c k
played very wel l for severa l m oves there­
after. Let's look at what co u l d have h a p­
pened if Bl ack had n ot erred here.
1 5 ... Nxe5!
I t i s i m po rta nt to get t h i s m ove i n be-
1 59
 Module 6 : Charge ! ( When to Play g4 )

fore Wh ite can play Ndf3 . As l o n g as Wh ite
has to reca ptu re with a pawn, B l a ck's de­
fen sive tas k i s ea sier beca u se g6 i s under
l ess p ressure a n d the fl-sq u a re beco mes
ava i l a b l e for Black's Rook.
1 6.fxe5 N g 7, and there i s l ittl e Wh ite
c a n h o p e fo r w i t h f5 d e fe n d e d fo u r
times.
U nfo rtu n atel y, the rec kless 1 6.dxe5 ? !
i s worse. After 1 6 . . . fxg4 1 7 .Qxg4 N g 7,
Wh ite wo u l d have to play 1 8.Bxg6? if he
were tryi ng to m a ke a n someth i n g of his
i n itiative. The p ro b l e m fo r Wh ite b e i n g
t h a t a nyth i n g e l se a l l ows B l a c k to p l a y
. . . N f5 , at w h i c h p o i nt t h e re i s n o h o pe
of a ny attac k, at least n ot a g a i n st B l a ck's
K i n g . 1 8 ... hxg6 1 9.Qxg6 d4 i s j u st too easy
to fi n d to put a ny hope i nto t h i s attack.
Wh ite wo u l d l i ke to g et a Rook o n g 2 so
that h e can play Qxe6+, uti l izing the pin
a ga i n st the K n i g ht. U nfo rtu nate l y, there
i s j u st noth i n g t h e re. 20.e4 B h 4 2 1 . R g 2
Rxf4 c r u s h i n g W h i te's h o p e . 2 2 .Qxe6+
Qf7 2 3 .Qxfl + Kxfl 24.cxd4 cxd4 25.Bxd4
Bxe4.
Co m i ng back to the actual g a m e . . .
1 6.gxfS exfS 1 7.Ndf3 Ne4 1 8.Rg2 NxeS
1 9.NxeS
N ote the p ressure a g a i n st g6.
19 ••• Rf6 20.c4
Both p l ayers have p l ayed we l l s i nce
the m i sta ke o n B l a c k's 1 5t h , b u t B l a c k's
p o s i t i o n i s b e co m i n g h a rd to d efe n d .
White now should d o wel l i n all l i nes by
simply excha n g i n g o n e4 a n d then p u s h­
i n g d 5 or f5 (wh ichever Black's reca ptu re
a l l ows) . The g a m e conti n u ed with :
20 ••• Bf8 2 1 .Bxe4 dxe4 22 .dxcS Bg7
23 .Rd 1 Rd8 24.Rg d 2 Rxd 2 2S.Rxd2
bxcS 1
25 ... Bc8 wo u l d have kept B l a c k a l ive.
26.Rd7 Qc8 2 7.Qh4 Bc6 28.Rxg7+
Kxg 7 29.Ng4 [ 1 -0]
Exercise 7
Last Moves: 1 7.Rae 1 Bb8 1 8.Qf2 NfS
Verd ict: 1 9.941
Commentary
This was played in a game between
two IMs and is a good reminder that one
must always look at the consequences of
immediate chaos in the center.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
19 ••• dxc4 20.bxc4 BxeS 2 1 .gxfS

1 60
 Module 6 : Solutions
2 1 .fxe5 Nxg4 22.Qf4 Qh4 and Wh ite i s
n o t d e a d , but p l ayi ng g4 a n d then havi n g
fo u r of B l a c k's pi eces a l l h i tti n g sq u a res
a ro u n d you r King i s a fa i rly re l i a b l e s i g n
t h a t s o m eth i n g h a s g o n e wro n g - b e ­
yo n d " p i c k l e-flavored i ce c ream" wro n g .
M o re l i k e " m a r m a l a d e - a n d -t u n a -fi s h ­
sandwich" wrong.
2 1 . Bxf5 Bxd4;
2 1 .Rxe5 Nxg4.
21 ... Ng4 22 .fxeS Nxf2 2 3 . Rxf2 bS 24.cS
RxcS 2S .f6 g6 26.h4 Rd S 27.Re4 Kh8
28. B b 1 Qc7 29.Rh2 Rg8 30.hS gxhS+
3 1 .Kf1 Rg S 3 2 . Reh4 Qd8 3 3 .Nf3 RdxeS
34.NxeS RxeS 3 S .Bc1 QdS 36.dxeS
Qd 1 + 37.Kf2 Qxc 1 38.Bd3 Qb2+
39.Kf1 Qa 1 + 40.Kf2 QxeS 4 1 .RxhS
Qxf6+ 42.Ke 1 Qc3+ 43.Ke2 Bf3 + [0- 1 ]
Exercise 8
Last Moves: 22.Bb2 g6 23.Re1 Qc8
Verd ict: 24.g4!
Commentary
As l o ng as White is fully aware of
the complexities of this position, the g4
play is a good one. Note that none of
Black's heavy pieces are on the 7th rank,
and it is unlikely for any transformation
of Black's K-side pawns to significantly
help his pieces defend his King.
H owever, Wh ite needs to be a b it
cautious. The Rook on eS means that
advancing the f-pawn is unlikely to work
any time soon. Black is also threatening
the annoying . . . Ba6 . I n the game, White
fi nds the perfect solution to these is­
sues, but then does not quite harvest his
gains. He allows the focus of the game
to drift to the Q-side, where he has less
influence.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
24 ... Nd6 2S.Ba3!
A n exce l l e nt m ove, d ra w i n g B l a c k's
Queen off cS. Th i s removes the i m m ed iate
th reat of ... Ba6, a l l ow i n g Wh ite to m a ke
the K-side the p ri m a ry stage.
2S ... Qc7 26.Bxd6?!
I t h i n k this i s where White went wrong.
I t 's h a rd fo r B l a c k to i m p rove h i s p i ece
p l a c e m e n t w i t h o u t g i v i n g Wh ite s o m e
rea l atta c k i n g c h a n ces, so I th i n k W h i te
s h o u l d m a i nta i n the ten sion h e re.
26.g 5 ! B g 7 2 7 . R h 3 fe i n ts at Qf2 - h 4 .
Then:
1 61
 Module 6 : Charge ! ( When to Play g4 )
2 7 . . . B c B , t h reate n i n g . . . e S , i s n o t a
c o n c e r n fo r Wh ite s i nce B l a c k 's Q u e e n
ca n b e a b u sed. (E.g., 2B.Qf2 e S ? ! 29.Bxd6!
Qxd 6 30.fxd 6);
27 ... RacB frees W h i te's Q u e e n s i n ce
now ... Ba6 i s not a n o pti o n . 2B.Qf2 Qd 7
29.Rc l with ... Qh4 soo n.
2 7 ... RadB d efe n d s the K n i g ht, resu r­
rect i n g the th reat to c3. 2B. B b l is p rob­
a b l y the best way to ma i nta i n the ten s i o n .
(2B.Rc l i s a fi n e response but a l lows Black
t o fi n d a d raw: 2B ... NfS 29.Qf2 f6 30.BxfS
exfS 3 1 .Qh4 fxg S 3 2.Qx h 7 + (32.fxg S B h B
3 3 . Re l , w i t h p l ay d own the e-fi le i s worth
a t r y ) 32 . . . Kf7 3 3 . R h 6 Re6 3 4 . N f3 Qxf4
3 S . N e S + RxeS 36.Qxg6+ Kg B 3 7 .dxeS.)
26 ••• Qxd6 27.g5 Bg7 28.Nf1 Rec8
29.Qd2 Rc7 30.Bb 1 1!
See m s Be2 (su pporti n g h4-hS) makes
m o re s e n se g iven the q u a rry of g ra n ite
the B i s h o p bites o n cu rrently.
30 ••• Rac8 3 1 . Ree3 Ba6 32.Bd3 Bxd 3
3 3 . Rxd 3 b5 34.axb5 Qb6 3 5 .Ne3 Qxb5
36.c4 dxc4 37.bxc4 Qb7 38.d 5 exd 5
39.Rxd 5 a4 40.Ng4 Qb6+ 4 1 .Qe3
Qxe3+ 42.Nxe3 Ra8 43.Rd2 Rb7
44.Ra2 Rb2 45.Rf2 Rxa2 46.Rxa2 Bd4
[0- 1 ]
Exercise 9
La st M oves: 1 2 .Qe2 Ne7 1 3 .f4 Ng6
1 62
Verd ict: 1 4.g41!
Commentary
Even with two pieces on the K-side
and a Bishop on d7, this move is dubi­
ous because Black can force White to let
him open up the center enough to cause
problems. H owever, the game illustrates
wel l how even very strong players can
h ave p roblems defending against the
g-pawn march .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
14 ••• Bb5 1 5 .c4 dxc4 1 6.bxc4 Bc6
I t m i g ht not seem l i ke m uch, but Black
n ow has e n o u g h access to the K i n g to
p rovid e rea l hope of cou nterplay.
1 7 .g5 Bxe51!
1 7 . . . N d 7 ! i s p owerfu l beca u s e n o n e
o f t h e th ree u n its d i rectl y d efe n d i n g the
K n i g ht o n eS co u l d actua l l y reca ptu re if
the K n i g ht were ta ken due to the threats
of QxgS a n d BcS. Wh ite s h o u l d then play
 Module 6 : Solutions
l S. N xc6 when l S ... Rxc6 1 9.Bxg6 hxg6 is
eq u a l .
l S. N e4 ? ! B x e 5 1 9.fxe5 Bxe4 20. Bxe4
Qxg 5+ 2 1 .Kh 1 N b6 and the b u rd e n i s re­
a l ly o n Wh ite to show he can d ru m up a n
atta c k w i t h o u t g i v i n g B l a c k d a n g e ro u s
cou nterplay;
l S. N xg 6 ! ? hxg6 1 9. Bxg6 Qc7 20. B h 5
Bxf4 2 1 .Qf2 Bxg 5 2 2 . Bxf7 + K h S 2 3 . R a e 1
Q d S 24 . d 5 exd 5 2 5 . Q f5 d4 2 6 . N e4 B h 6
2 7 . B x d 4 Q h 4 p r o b a b l y fa vo r s W h i t e a
tad ;
l S.Qf2?? i s t h e sort o f move you m i g ht
ma ke to s u p port h4 if yo u d i d not know
the d a n g e r to W h i te's K i n g . l S ... N d xe 5
1 9. d x e 5 ( 1 9.fx e 5 N x e 5 2 0 . d x e 5 Q xg 5 +
2 1 .Qg3 Bc5+ 22. Rf2 Bxf2+ 2 3 . Kxf2 Qxd 2+)
1 9 ... Bc5 20.Qxc5 N xf4 2 1 . Rxf4 Qxg 5 +)
l S.fxeS N d 7 1 9.Qe3 b S 1!
I t i s n ot a n overstatement to say that
this i s the game e n d i n g m i sta ke, ced i n g
t h e centra l pawn m a s s t o Wh ite. I n stead,
1 9 ... N b6 restra i n s Wh i te's pawns.
20.eS Nh4 2 1 .Ne4 NfS 22.RxfS exfS
23.Nd6 Re7 24.BxfS Qe7 2 S .e6 KhS
26.Rel fxe6 27.Bxe6 Rf3 2S.Qd 2 QfS
29.Bg4
29.g6! opens g 5 to White's Queen a n d
wou l d have ended t h e ga me.
29 ••• BdS 30.Bel hS 3 1 .gxh6 Qf6
32.Bxf3 Bxf3 3 3 .Qf4 Qg6+ 34.Qg3
Qxg 3+ 3 S.hxg3 Nf6 36.Rfl Be6
37.hxg 7+ Kxg 7 3S. Bf4 Kg6 39.BeS Ng4
40.Rf4 Ne3 4 1 .NfS Ng2 42 .Bxe7 Nxf4
43 .N h4+ [ 1 -0]
Exercise 1 0
Last M oves: 27.Qel Be7 2S.Bd3 N fS
Verd i ct: 29.g41
Commentary
I hope th i s one was a p retty easy
one for you . Not only are White's pieces
poorly p l aced to use wh atever space
becomes available on the K-side, but
Black can more or less ignore this ad­
vance. On top of all th is, White has an
easy way to net a material gai n ! Given
the odd nature of the rest of the game,
I'm assuming one or both players were
in time trouble.
Instead, 2 9 . Bf4 wins the Exchange.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
29 ••• QaS
29 ... e5 i s more tha n adequate.
1 63
 Module 6 : Charge ! ( When to Play g4 )
30.Bb1 g5 3 1 .Be4 [ 1 -0]
I a s s u m e Black's flag d ropped.
Exercise 1 1
Last Moves: 1 1 .Be2 cxd4 1 2.exd4 Na5
Verd ict: 1 3 .g4!
Commentary
Th i s m ove m akes a l o t o f s e n s e .
N o t only are White's p ieces reasonably
situated to try to make something of the
thrust, but it's also rather hard to find
anything else in this position for White.
A b-pawn lunge is unl ikely to end well
after the dust settles. Wh ite may only
theoretically get equality here, but that
is better than what he would have with
tamer tries.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
13 ••• Be4
1 3 ... Bc2!? 1 4. N df3 wo u l d be i n terest-
i n g to see play out over the boa rd .
1 64
1 3 ... B h 7 1 4.g 5 hxg5 1 5 .fxg 5 N d 7 1 6.g6
fxg 6 1 7 .RxfS+ N xfS l S. N df3 N c6 1 9.Qg3
i s eq u a l .
I n t h i s l a st va r i a t i o n , m o v i n g t h e
K n i g ht o n move 1 4 i s not a s good:
1 4 ... NeS 1 5 . g x h 6 Bh4 1 6 . Q d 1 g x h 6
1 7 . K h 1 s h o u l d sti l l h a v e s o m et h i n g fo r
Wh ite.
Th e o t h e r K n i g ht m ove, 1 4 . . . N d 7, i s
worse. O n eS, the K n i g ht ca n reac h both
g7 a n d d6. 1 5 .gxh6 gxh6 ( 1 5 ... Bh4 1 6.Qd 1
gxh6 1 7 . N d f3 th reate n i n g f5 . lf the K n i g ht
h a d been on eS, t h e n ... N d 6 wo u l d sto p
t h i s.) 1 6.Qg 3+ KhS 1 7. K h 1 looks g ood for
the fi rst player.
1 4.g5 hxg 5 1 5 .fxg 5 N d 7 1 6.Nxd 7
Qxd 7 1 7.Qh4
1 7. N xe4 d xe4 l S.Qh4 Q d 5 1 9. R e 1 a l ­
l ows Wh ite t o wi n a pawn, but B l a c k wi l l
have some co m p e n sation g iven t h e open
position of his K i n g .
17 ••• Bg6
Th i s i s g ood, but ... Bf5 i s better.
1 8.Bh5?!
I m u st a d m it t h a t I d o n ot s e e w h a t i s
wro n g w i t h Rf3 here. I t i s n't wi n n i ng, but I
d o n't see what the text does fo r White.
18 ••• N c6 1 9.Rf3 e5 20.Bg4 f5 ? ?
20 . . . Qd6 2 1 . R h 3 f5 2 2 .g xf6 Bxf6 wo u l d
have put a n e n d to a n yth i n g rese m b l i n g
an attack.
2 1 .gxf6 Qd6 22 .fxe7 Rxf3 23.Nxf3
exd4 24. N g 5 Nxe7 2 5 . Be6+ Kf8
 Module 6 : Solutions

26.QhS+ NgS 27.Qxg S+ Ke7 2S.Qxg 7+
KdS 29. Bf4 Qe7 30.Qxg6 [ 1 -0]
Exercise 1 2
Last Moves: 1 4.f4 Qb6 1 S .Qf3 0-0
1 7.Q h 3 gxf4 1 S.Nxd7 Nxd7 1 9.Qxh6
Nf6 20.gS N e4 2 1 .Nxe4 dxe4 22. Bxe4
fS 23 .Qg6+ KhS 24. Rf3 [ 1 -0]
Exercise 1 3
Last M oves: 1 3 .Qe2 Qc7 1 4.Rf2 QbS

Verd ict: 1 6.g41!

Verd ict: 1 S.g4! 1
Commentary
At fi rst gl ance th is d i agra m l o oks Commentary
like it has good gS potenti al . There is a While all the general signs point to
Bishop on d 7 and no obvious way for this diagram being one where g4 is a fine
Bl ack to open up the center. Fu rth er­ pl ay, Wh ite has to be wary of the Knight
more, Wh ite's pieces are in reasonably on e7 m a k i n g use of the fS - s q u a re.
decent positions. However, the Bishop This game gives an excellent display of
on e7 ru i n s thi ngs, much l i ke taking how Wh ite should ( and should not)
your 3-year-old on a first date. proceed .

Analysis, Variations, and Notes Analysis, Variations, and Notes

1 6 ... g S 1
1 6 . . . N xeS 1 7.fxeS N h 7 a n d not o n l y i s
Whi te's K-s i d e p l ay stu nted, b u t t h e re i s
not m u ch to b e d o n e about Black p l ayi ng
.. .f6, i n c rea s i n g the scope of h i s pi eces.
1 S ... Qc7
l S ... h 6 i s a l u re. I f Wh ite a m b l e s fo r­
wa rd, then Black g ets eq u a l ity. H owever,
if W h i te s h ows m o re fo ret h o u g ht, t h e n
p u s h i n g t h e h-pawn ends u p s i m p l y hel p-

1 65
 Module 6 : Charge ! (When to Play g4 )
i n g h i m by provid i n g a hook he ca n u se
once proper p repa ratio n s a re made. Let's
look at those two options:
1 6.Raf1 Q c 7 1 7. R g 2 . N ote how h a rd
it i s fo r B l a c k to i m prove the p l a cement
of a n y of his p i eces. His Knight o n e 7 i s
the o n l y t h i n g that i s m a k i n g White t h i n k
twice a b o u t g 5 . None o f h i s other pieces
or pawn s a p pea r to rea l ly h ave u sefu l re­
deployments. Wh ite has a l l the time in the
world to reposition his K-side pi eces.
1 6 . g 5 h x g 5 1 7 .fxg 5 N e4 ( 1 7 ... B xe 5 ?
1 B .g xf6 Bxf6 1 9. R xf6 g xf6 20.Qg4+ N g 6
2 1 .Bxg6 fxg6 22.Qxg6+ K h B 23.Qh6+ KgB
24. K h 1 Kf7 2 5 . R g 1 KeB 26.a4 is actua l l y
q u ite good fo r Wh ite beca u se Black can­
n ot ta ke o n c2.) 1 B . N xe4 d xe4 1 9. B xe4
Bxe4 20.Qxe4 Bxe5 2 1 .dxe5 Nf5 .
1 6. Re 1
1 6.g 5 wea ke n s f5 too ea rly.
16 ••• bS
Th i s i s a bold m ove, b u t i t comes back
to h a u n t B l a c k o n ce W h ite m ov e s t h e
K n i g ht o n d 2, a t w h i c h p o i n t h i s h eavy
p i eces can s u p p o r t t h e p a w n t h a t c u r­
rently o n l y h i s B i s h o p on d 3 g u a rds.
1 6 ... g6 1 7.Qf3 NeB 1 B.Qh 3 f6 1 9. N df3
puts u p good res i sta n ce, but shows o n e
o f the p ro b l e m s Black h a s b y m a i nta i n i n g
t h a t K n i g h t o n e7. H i s B i s h o p o n d 6 h a s
nowhere t o g o if h e captu res o n e5.
1 7 .gS Ne8 1 8.Ndf3 b4 1 9.axb4 Bxb4
20.c3 Ba S ?
1 66
It's u n d ersta n d a b l e that Bl ack did not
wa nt to put h i s Bishop back i n its coffi n on
d6, but alas it was necessa ry.
2 1 .b4?
2 1 . N xf7! Rxf7 22.Qxe6 Ng6 23.Ne5 Nd6
24. N xf7 N xf7 25 .Bxg6 hxg6 26.Qxg6.
21 ••• Bb6 22.Nd2 Nd6 2 3 .QhS NefS
The position of B l a ck's Knig hts s h o u l d
g ive Wh ite l ittl e hope fo r a K-si d e attack.
24.Ng4 a s 2S.Rf3 ?1
W h i t e s h ow s a l a c k of re s p e c t fo r
B l a c k's d efe n si ve res o u rces, pa rtic u l a rl y
h i s Kn i g ht o n f5.
25.Re3! i s the m ove. B l ack's entire de­
fense c u rrently depends on his K n i g hts.
White offers the exc h a n g e fo r a h ost of
short- a n d l o ng-term a ssets. 25 ... h6 (25 ...
axb4?? 26. N f6+ gxf6 2 7 .gxf6 Rfd B 2B.Rg2
[o r yo u ca n s h ow off with 2 B . Qx h 7 ! + ] )
26.g x h 6 g 6 2 7 . Q g 5 N xe3 2B. N xe 3 a x b4
2 9 . c x b4 Q d B 3 0 . Q e 5 N e B 3 1 . N b 3 B c 7
3 2.Qg5 g ives Wh ite more than a d eq u ate
co m pe n sati o n a n d a n i nteresti ng g a m e.
If Wh ite d oes n ot see this move, s i m ply
b5 wo u l d g o a l o n g way towa rd d efu s i ng
B l a ck's i m med iate Q-side play.
2S ••• axb4 26.Rh3 h6 27.gxh6?
27.Bxf5 N xf5 2B.gxh6 g6 29.Qg5 Kh 7 i s
n o t nea rly a s bad for Wh ite.
27 ••• g6 28.QgS bxc3 29.Nf3 Qd8
30.Nf6+ Kh8 3 1 .Ba3 c2 32.BxfS exfS
33 .Bb2 BaS 34.Rc1 N e4 3 S .Nxe4 fxe4
36.Qxd8 Rfxd8 37.NeS Rc7 38.Ra 1 Bd2
 Module 6 : Solutions
39.Bc1 e3 40.Nf3 RaS 4 1 . RxaS+ BxaS
42.Nxd2 exd 2 43.Bxd 2 c1 =Q+ 44.Bxc 1
Rxc 1 + 4S.Kf2 Bc6 46. Ra3 B d 7 47.Ra7
Be6 4S.Kg3 Kh7 49.fS gxfS SO.Kf4
Kxh 6 S l .Ra2 Re1 S2.Rd2 Re4+ S 3 . Kf3
Kg S S4.Rg2+ Kf6 S S . Rd 2 f4 S6.Rd 1
KfS S7.Rd2 Re3+ SS.Kf2 Ke4 S9.Rd 1 f3
60.Rd2 Bg4 6 1 .h4 Re2+ 62.Rxe2+ fxe2
[0-1 ]
Exercise 1 4
Last Moves: 1 3 .f4 Ne7 1 4.Rc1 N fS
Verd ict: l S .g41!
Commentary
Don't let the mere existence of two
pieces on the K-side coax you into push-
ing your g-pawn . In this case, Wh ite's
pieces are simply not in good positions
to use the space. The lack of a Rook on f1
really hurts White, not only is the f-pawn
without protection, but Wh ite cannot
grab the f-file when it opens. H ad White
played Qe2 i nstead of Re 1 , the situation
would be drastically different. A related
issue is that Black's Kn ights have per­
fectly fine squares to j ump to.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
lS .•. Ne7
1 5 ... N h4 1 6.g5 N e4 1 7 . N xe4 ( 1 7 .Bxe4
d xe4 1 8. N xe4 Bxe4 1 9.Rxe4 f6) 1 7,..d xe4
1 8.Bxe4 f5.
1 6. Re3
Th i s a l l ows B l a c k to use the e4-sq u a re
d u e to the wea kness on f4. White cou l d
t r y re-posi ti o n i n g h i s h eavy p ieces with
Q e 2 a n d Rf1 , but t h a t g ives B l a c k t i m e
t o p u t h i s Q u ee n o n e 7 , at w h i c h p o i nt
exc h a nges i n the center wi l l u n derm i n e
g 5 i f Wh ite ever adva n ces it.
16 .•• N e4 1 7.c4
I n a d d i t i o n to t h reate n i n g t ro u b l e
d own the c-fi l e, t h i s move ta kes away the
d 5-sq u a re, which may beco m e ava i l a b l e
after exchanges o n e4.
1 7 . N xe4 dxe4 1 8.Bxe4 Bxe4 1 9.Rxe4 f5
20.gxf5 Rxf5 d oes not work wel l beca use
the lack of a d-pawn delays too m u c h the
open i n g of the c-fi le.
1 7 ... QdS1!
B l a c k s h o u l d h ave s i m p l ifi ed by ex­
c h a n g i n g on e5 a n d d 2 . The text m ove
r u n s h i m i nto pro b l ems.
l S.Nxe4 dxe4 1 9.Bxe4 Bxe4 20.Rxe4 fS
2 1 .gxfS RxfS 22.Qe2 Qc7
1 67
 Module 6 : Charge ! ( When to Play g4 )

Black wo u l d have p referred to be a bl e te rri b l e fo r Wh ite. 3 1 . R d 2 g 5 i s d e c i s ive,

t o p l a y . . .N d 5 . th reate n i n g ... ReB.
23.Rc3 11 29 ••• QgS+ 30.Kh 1 Qg4 3 1 .dS Qd 1 +
White's position i s not stro n g e n o u g h 32.Qg 1 Qf3 + 3 3 .Rg2 Nxg 2 34.Qxg 2
t o a l l ow t h i s l uxu ry, momenta rily m a k i n g Qd 1 + [0- 1 ]
two o f h i s pieces usel ess. Defe n d i n g t h e
f-pawn o r u n locking the B i s h o p w i t h d 5 Exercise l S
wo u l d have mai nta i ned a s i g n ificant a d ­ Last M oves: 1 1 .f4 a6 1 2.a4 Bd7
va ntage. N ow w e s e e a stu d y i n h o w the
i n security of White's K i n g ca n be u sed.
23 ••• BxeS 24.RxeS Rxf4 2S.Rxe6 Ref8
B l a ck's owners h i p of the f-fi l e, a s wel l
a s t h e m i s p l a c e m e n t o f W h i te's c-Rook,
g i ve Wh ite tro u b l e i n all l i nes.
26.Rc2
26.Rg 3 wo u l d be a fi ne move, i n c reas­
ing s i g n ificantly the power of two pi eces,
except there is noth i n g sayi ng Black has
to take White's Queen. 26 ... Nf5 (26 ... Rfl + Verd ict: 1 3 .g41 1
2 7 .Qxfl Rxfl + 2 B . Kxfl N f5 29. Rf3 Qx h 2
3 0 . R eB+ Kf7 s h o u l d b e a d ra w ) 2 7 . R g4 Commentary
Rxg4+ 2B.Qxg4 Qf7 29.Qe2 (29.Re l N e 3 ) When Black places his l ight-squared
29 ... N h4 a n d t h i n g s look p retty g r i m once Bishop on d7 instead of b7, it is often
Blac k plays ... Qf5 on h i s next move. particularly appropriate to advance the
26.Rce3 N d 5 ! ! 27.cxd 5 Qf7; g-pawn because it takes away a retreat
2 6 . R d 3 Rf2 2 7 . Q xf2 Rxf2 2 B . Kxf2 square from the Kn ight on f6 . It also
Qxh2+ 29.Ke l Qc2. means Bl ack probably has no real con­
26 ••• Qd8 27.Re411 trol over e4 .
2 7 . Rxe7 Rfl + 2B.Qxfl Rxfl + 2 9 . Kxfl
Qxe7 30. Re2 fo rces Black to fi g ht ha rd e r Analysis, Variations, and Notes
for the w i n . 13 ••• g6
27 ••• N g 6 28.Rxf4 Nxf4 29.Qe3 1 3 ... R b d B . We' l l ta ke a l o o k a t t h i s
29.Qe4 Qg5+ 30.Kh 1 Qh5 i s sti l l p retty move (sugg ested b y a powerfu l com put-

1 68
 Module 6 : Solutions
er) to g et a feel fo r what happens if Black
d o e s n 't pay m u c h m i n d to t h e g-pawn
adva n ce.
1 4 . g 5 N e B 1 5 . Q h 5 f5 1 6 . g xf6 N xf6
1 7.Qh3 leaves Wh ite with plenty of attack­
i n g ideas.
Adva n c i n g the g-pawn i n stea d of the
f- pawn (o n m ove 1 5 ) i s worse s i nce h e
h a s n o w a y o f sto p p i n g Rf3 - h 3 w i t h o u t
s i g n ifi c a n t concess i o n : 1 5 ... g 6 ? ! 1 6. Q h 6
f 5 1 7 . N xg6 hxg6 1 B.Qxg6+ N g 7 1 9.Qh6
BeB 20.Nf3.
1 4.Rf2
1 4.h4 h 5 1 5 . g x h 5 N x h 5 1 6. Q g 2 BeB
1 7 . N d f3 N g 7 1 B . N g 5 i s p r o b a b l y w h a t
Wh ite s h o u l d be shooti ng fo r here.
1 4 ... Be8 l S .h4 hS
1 5 . . . b 5 ! m i g h t have t u r n e d t h e t i d e
here. In that case, Wh ite wou l d rue h i s Rf2.
I t ta kes a bit longer to develop the atta ck
on the K-si d e si nce B l a c k h a s set up the
l i g ht-sq uared razor-wi re.
1 6.gxhS Nxh S 1 7 .Qg4
Th i s is a good sq u a re for the Queen i n
general, particu larly beca u se the press u re
on e6 m a kes it h a rd to p u s h the f-pawn .
T h e text c ra m ps B l a c k 's position, but he
can free h i m self using the dark sq u a res.
I t a ppea rs a better strategy fo r White
i s N df3 w i t h Q c 2 a n d R g 2 (so t h a t t h e
Queen i s t h e 4th piece h itti ng g 6 i n stead
of the 3 rd ) .
1 7 ... Nxe S 7
Th i s c a u ses too m u c h of a p i n c h i n
Black's positio n .
1 7 . . . Bf6 1 B . N d f3 B g 7 1 9 . N g 5 N e 7
l ooks to be a pretty sol i d d efen se. I f Black
gets h i s Kn i g ht to f5, it s h o u l d ice White's
attack.
1 8.fxeS Kg 7 1 9.Rg2 Rh8 20.Nf3 bS
2 1 .axbS axbS 22.NgS Bxg S 2 3 .Bxg S
Rh7 24.Qf3 b4 2 S .Rfl BbS 26.Bf6+ Kg 8
27.BxbS71
27.Bxg6 i s the m ove here.
27 ... RxbS 28.Qd3 Rb7 29.cxb4 Rxb4
30.Rc2 Rc4 3 1 .Rxc4 Qxc4 7
Black shou l d not swa p off h i s o n l y ac­
tive piece.
32 .Qxc4 dxc4 3 3 .Be7 Ng3 34.Ra l fS 71
34 ... g 5 3 5 . Bxg5 N e4 gives Black better
chances.
3 S .exf6 Rf7 36.Rel NfS 37.Re471
37.Rxe6
3 7 ... Rh7 38. Rxe6 Nxd4
3 B ... R x h 4 B l a c k s h o u l d a c t i vate h i s
Rook a n d l et h i s Ki ng d efend with ... Kf7.
39.Re4 NfS 40. Rxc4 Nxe7 41 .fxe7 Rxe7
42.b4 Rel + 7
Black's Rook does belong beh i n d the
Wh ite pawn, but it wou l d be better for it
to wind u p on b2, restra i n i n g White's King,
than on b 1 .
43.Kf2 R b l 44.Ke3 Kg 7 4S.Kd4 Kf7
46.KcS Ke6 47.bS Kd 7 48.Kb6 Rfl
49 .Rc7+ Kd8 SO.Kb7 [ 1 -0]
1 69
 Module 6 : Charge !
Exercise 1 6
La st Moves: 22 .Nxd 7 Rxd 7 23.Rc1 Bf6
Verd ict: 24.g41
Commentary
At first this looks l ike a b ad play. The
expected change in the pawn formation
wou l d a l l ow B l ack to defend beauti­
ful ly. The o n ly prob l e m ( for B l ack ) is
that White's board control makes those
pawn moves rather hard to pull off! The
g7 -pawn has a h ard time moving with­
out dropping the dark-squared Bishop.
M oving the f-pawn drops the e6-pawn.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
24 ••• BdS
M ov i n g the B i s h o p a l l o w s B l a c k to
play ... g6, but u n less h e can adva n ce the
f- p a w n as we l l , a l l h i s ot h e r w i s e w e l l ­
p l a ced pi eces wi l l b e u seless o n d efen se.
24 ... Be7, tryi ng to re-route the B i s h o p
t o g 7 after ... g6, d oes not work. I n a d d i -
1 70
( When to Play g4 )
tion to a l l owi n g Wh ite to j u st m a rc h the
h-pawn up the boa rd, it wo u l d a l so a l l ow
W h ite t i m e to p l a n t a K n i g ht o n f6 v i a
h 2-g4. M o re d i rec t l y, t h e B i s h o p o n e 7
g ets i n the w a y o f t h ree o f Black's pi eces.
(Th o u g h it s h o u l d be noted that playing
the B i s h o p b a c k to dB d o e s a l l ow t h e
fl a s hy QfS s i n ce t h e e6-pawn i s m o re o r
less a bsol utely p i n ned to eB.)
2 S .g S N e7 26.NeS Rdc7 27.h4 Ng6
2S.Qg3
2B.Nxg6 hxg6 29.Kg 2 ! i s more d i rect,
t h reate n i n g R h 1 .
2S ••• BbS 29.BxbS axbS 30.Ng4
N otice how B l a c k, half a d ozen moves
l ater, has sti l l not ma naged to m ove a ny
K-side pawns to a l l ow those major pieces
to hel p o n d efen se. The threat now i s h S .
30 ••• Re7 1
Th i s o p e n s c 7 but i s a m i sca l c u lation
a s it rem oves o n e of the K n i g ht's retreat
s q u a re s a n d b l o c ks t h e B i s h o p's c o m ­
m u n ication with f6. I f B l a c k i nten d ed to
d efe n d by atta c k i n g White's Q u een, ... Rc6
i s the m ove needed.
3 0 ... h S 3 1 .gxh6 Bxh4 3 2.Qe3 i s q u ite
comfo rta b l e fo r the fi rst playe r.
30 ... Rc6 3 1 . h S Bc7 3 2 .Qf3 N h4 3 3.Qh 1
NfS 34.Rce 1 .
31.f41
3 1 . h S i s c r u s h i n g . 3 1 . . . N fB ( 3 1 . . . B c 7
3 2 .cxb6) 3 2 . N f6+
31 ••• Bc7
 Module 6 : Solutions
Co n s i stent, but sti l l n ot good.
32.Rf1 Qb8 3 3 .Bc1 Ree8 34.h S Ne7
3S.Nf6+ Kh8 36.Nxe8 Rxe8 37.Qd3
bxcS
37 ... N f5 g ives tou g h e r d efe n se.
38.bxcS Qb7 3 9.fS exfS 40.QxfS Bh2+
4 1 . Kxh2 [ 1 -0]
Exercise 1 7
La st Moves: 1 3 .f4 Ne7 1 4.Qf3 NfS
Verd i ct: 1 S.g4!
Commentary
We wi l l never know i f the expert
would have upset the 1M here.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1S • • • Nh4
1 5 . . . N e 7 1 6.Qh3 N g 6 tra n sposes.
1 6.Qh3 Ng6 1 7.Ndf3 Rfe8 1 8. N g S
The g a m e was a g reed d rawn h e re. I
s u p pose if I were playi n g someone 3 00
poi nts a bove me, I m i g ht be wi l l i ng to ac-
cept a d raw as wel l. But it wou l d certa i n l y
b e fu n t o beat a n 1 M w h e n you a re a 2 1 00.
18 ••• Re7
1 B . . . RfB 1 9 . N x h 7 ! ! i s t h i s t h e m o v e
B l a c k d i d not wa nt t o g a m b l e o n W h i te
fi nd i n g ? 1 9 ... Bxe5 ( 1 9 ... Nxh 7 20.Nxg6 RfeB
(20 .. .fxg6 2 1 . Bxg6 Nf6 22.g5) 2 1 . N e 7 + KfB
2 2 . N x d 5 ) 2 0 . B x g 6 fxg 6 2 1 . N xfB B x d 4 +
22.cxd4 RxfB 23.95 N h 5 24.Qxe6+
1 9.Nxg6 fxg6.
1 9...hxg6 20.Rfl ! and it's surprisingly hard
to do much about the slow Qh4, Rf3, etc.
20.Nxe6
B l a c k has l ittle for h i s pawn.
Exercise 1 8
Last Moves: 1 2 .Rf3 Qc7 1 3. R h 3 h6
Verd ict: 1 4.g4!
Commentary
Th i s i s a model g a m e with reg a rd to
the power of a Rook o n h3 in these posi­
tions. It's u n clear what Black co u l d d o d if-
1 71
 Module 6 : Charge ! ( When to Play g4 )
ferently over the n ext 6 moves.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
14 ••• Kf8 1 S.gS hxgS 1 6.Nxc6 bxc6
1 7.fxgS Nd7 1 8.Nf3 Ke7
1 8 ... g6 1 9.Qf2 Ke7 20.R h 7.
1 9.96 f6 20.Rh7 e S ?
Theoreti ca l ly t h i s move loses fa ster fo r
B l a c k, but it i s certa i n ly u n d e rsta n d a b l e
that he wo u l d try to c reate somet h i n g out
of noth i ng . I wo u l d too.
20 ... Kd8 2 1 . Rxg 7 Qb6 22.R h 7 Kc7 d oes
not g ive B l a c k m u c h to hope for.
2 1 .dxeS BcS+ 22 .Be3 Qb6 2 3 . BxcS+
NxcS 24.Rxg7+ Kd8 2 S .Kh 1 Nxd 3
26.Qxd 3 fxeS 27.Qd2 Re7 28.Rxe7
Kxe7 29.Qg S+ Kd 7 30.NxeS+ Kc7
3 1 .Qe7+ Kb8 32.Rf1 a s 3 3 . N d 7+ Bxd 7
34.Qxd 7 Q c 7 3 S . Rf8+ [ 1 -0]
Exercise 1 9
Last Moves: 1 1 .NeS g6 1 2 .f4 Ne8
Verd i ct: 1 3 .g4?!
1 72
Commentary
With the Knight having al ready re­
treated, Black has extra time to deal with
Wh ite's threat. I n this case that means
Wh ite's K-side o ffe n sive can be shut
down simply by freezing all of White's
pawns.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
13 ••• fS ?!
1 3 ... Nd6 with ... f5 to fo l l ow a p pears to
s h ut d own the atta ck: 1 4. N d f3 f5 1 5 .gxf5
( 1 5.Qg2 N e4) 1 5 ... N xf5 .
I n stead, Wh ite cou l d try to p l ay o n the
Q - s i d e w i t h 1 4. N b 3 , tryi n g t o g et s o m e
u s e o u t of t h e n o n -sta n d a rd ( b ut effec-
tive) p l acement of the K n i g h t on d6. The
i d ea i s that N c 5 m i g ht l ead to someth i n g .
H owever, I d o n't th i n k t h i s l i n e goes a ny­
w h e re. 1 4 ... Bc8 1 5 . g 5 Q b6 1 6. N d 2 N xe 5
1 7 .fxe5 N f5 .
1 4.gxfS exfS 1 S .Qg2
B l a c k's m i sstep h a s a l l owed Wh ite to
g et a rea l i n itiative from his d u b i o u s pawn
a d va n ce. N ote how m ovi n g the f- pawn
w h i l e the K n i g h t i s sti l l o n e8 d oe s n ot
a p p recia b l y i ncrease the scope of Black's
p i eces.
1S ••• Be6 1 6.N df3 Ng7 1 7.Kf2 ?!
The i d ea of moving the King to g et a
Rook on g 1 is good. Th i s execution is not
very ci rcu m spect given the th reat of ...Qb6.
Kh 1 wa s m u ch the bette r c h o i ce.
 Module 6 : Solutions

17 ••• Bf6 Commentary

1 7 ... Q b6 1 8.B b S N xe S 1 9. N x e S (1 9. I t i s p e rfectly acceptab l e to h ave
fxe S ? ! f4!?) shied away from this. H owever, if you
1 8.Rg 1 Bxe5 1 9.fxe5 Qb6? worked out the i mp o rtant vari ations
I t 's too late now! Black need s to vacate and were happy with them, then this is
fS for a piece. a reasonable move. I can see why White
20.Qg5 Rae8 2 1 .h4 might have wanted to play this. He has
Th i s i s a good position to set u p a n d well-placed pieces but Black's h-pawn is
p l a y o n yo u r c o m p u t e r ove r a n d ove r shutting down his play.
a g a i n to work on you r attacking a b i l ity.
2 1 .Q h 6 R e 7 2 2.N g S N h S l o o ks very Analysis, Variations, and Notes
bad for Black as wel l. 13 ••• Bxe5
21 ••• Nd8 1 3 ... N e4 is the myste ry l i n e h e re. I t
2 1 ... B d 7 ! 2 2 . h S N xe S 2 3 . N xe S R x e S looks l i ke B l a c k h a s t o cede s o m e material,
24.hxg6 hxg6 2S.Qxg6 Qxg6 26.Rxg6 Re6 but the cou nterplay he gets shou ld not be
is the best defense I th i n k, but White sti l l u n d eresti mated. F u rthermore, w hatever
has a g reat position. advanta g e White has i s h a rd to convert.
22.h5 Nf7 2 3 .Qh4 g5 24.Bxg 5 Qxb2+ 1 4.Bxe4 dxe4 l S.Qxe4 NxeS 1 6.dxeS (1 6.
25.Bd2 Nxe5 26.dxe5 Qb6+ 2 7.Qd4 N xeS f6 1 7.Nf3 Rf7 a n d it is Wh ite w h o
Qxd4+ 28.cxd4 [ 1 -0] s h o u l d be wo rried a bo u t h i s Ki n g.) 1 6 ...
BcS 1 7.g S is a stra n g e position. Black has
Exercise 20 to g ive up yet a n other pawn it a p pears
Last Moves: 1 1 .Ne5 B e 8 1 2 .N df3 h6 (or else White g ets a powerful attack), but
then White's own pawns get i n the way of
h i s attack and Black ca n m a ke h i s l ife d if­
ficult w h i l e g ra b b i n g the centra l files.
P re s s u re o n e6 m a kes t h e ot h e r
va riation g o White's way: 1 3 ... N d 7 1 4.g S
h S l S . N xc6 bxc6 1 6.g 6 N f6 (1 6 .. .fx g 6
1 7. N g S ) 1 7.gxf7+ Bxf7 1 8.Bg S ! with the
idea of Bh4-g 3 a n d slowly ta king over the
boa rd.
1 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 1 5.dxe5 Nd7 1 6.g5
Verd ict: 1 3 .g4! ?

1 73
 Module 6: Charge ! (When to Play g4 )

hxg S 1 7.BxgS NxeS 1 8.QxeS QxeS

1 9. RxeS f6 20.Rxe6 fxgS 2 1 .ReS Be6
22 .Rxg S Rf4 23.Re1 Kf7
23 ... Raf8 is better.
24.Re3 Rf8 2S .b4 a6 26.ReeS Rh8
27.BfS ?
Wh ite's g a i n s eva porate beca u se Black
w i l l o bta i n control of too m a n y s q u a res
a l ong White's 5th ra n k, essenti a l l y freez­
i n g White's Rooks fo r a w h i l e.
27 ... Kf6 28.Be2 g6 29.a4 Rhh4 30.h3
Rxh 3 3 1 .bS ?
3 1 .Re3 Rxe3 3 2 . Rxg6+ s h o u l d h o l d a
d raw.
31 ••• axbS 32.axbS BxbS
Th i s l ets Wh ite off ea sy. Ba sed o n the
n ext few m oves, I 'd say there wa s s o m e
time tro u b l e here.
3 2 ... Be8.
3 3 . Rxd S Be6 34.Rg 3 ?
34.Rxg6+
34 ••• Rh6 3 S . Rxg6+
3 5 .Rd6+
3S ••• Rxg 6+ [0- 1 ]

1 74
 Module 7: Classic Gree� Gifts
I
n our final module we will discuss
a decis ive tactic that is so usefu l it
merited an entire chapter in Vukovic's
classic Art of Attack in Chess. Consider
the position below, from a 2000 Olym­
piad game.
After 1 0 . . . 0-0
Different people see different things
in this position. What do you see?
H arpa Ingol fsdottir, playing White,
saw I l . Bxh 7 + ! , a n d after 1 1 . . . Kxh 7
1 2 . N gS + , B l a c k re a l ly s h o u l d h ave
known better than to p l ay 1 2 . . . Kg8 ? ?
1 3 . QhS (threatening mate o n h 7 ) 1 3 . . .
Rfc8 1 4 . Qxf7+ Kh8 I S . Re3 (threatening
Rh3 # ) I S . . . Ng8 and Black resigned in
view of 1 6 . Rh 3 + Nh6 1 7 . Rxh 6 + gxh 6
1 8 . Qh7#
Black has allowed White to execute
one of the most common sacrificial com­
binations in chess: the Greek Gift, also
known as the G reek Bishop Sacrifice,
Greco's Sacrifice, or Colle's Sacrifice.
You said Black should have known better
than to play KgB??, but it certainly looks
safer than putting the King out in front
of the pawns.
Looks are often deceiving in chess.
It is very often the case that . . . Kg6 or
even . . . Kh6 is the critical move in these
l i nes . For example after 1 2 . . . Kg6 ! the
game would likely continue 1 3 . Qg4 fS
1 4 . Qg3 f4 I S . Qh4 (threatening Qh7+ ! )
Rh8 1 6 . Qxf4 Raf8 1 7 . Qg4 Qb8, when
Bl ack's King is not exactly safe, but is
also not yet in the box.
As common as this sacrifice is, it's
pretty uncommon for a master to get
mopped up l ike this with one. It's more
common at higher levels for Black's King
to be flushed out where White can hope
1 75
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
to bring more pieces to bear on him. For
example, consider th is position from a
Norway team championship i n 2006
After 1 5.g3
With his Knight and e6-pawn both
under attack, Bl ack p l ayed 1 5 . . . Nxf2
here. I assume he had in mind 1 6 . Kxf2
Nxd4 1 7 . Nxd4 Qxd4+ 1 8 . Kg2 Qxb 2 + .
Instead White played 1 6. Bxh7+ ! , and
after 1 6 . . . Kxh7 1 7 . Ngs + Kg8 1 8 . Qhs,
B l ac k w a s fo rce d to p l ay 1 8 . . . Rxf4
since White is threatening mate on h7
18 . . . Rd8 could be answered by 1 9 . Q f7 +
K h 8 20. Ng6#.
After 1 9 . 9xf4 , Wh i te i s th reate n ­
i n g Qe8#, so Black had t o throw some
more material overboard- 1 9 . . . N h 3 +
2 0 . Q x h 3 Nxd 4 , t h o u g h 2 0 . . . Q x d 4
would have been a l ittle better, allowing
the Queen to transfer to the K-side and
protect g7 for a b it.
The game concluded 2 1 . Qh 7 + Kf8
1 76
2 2 . Q h 8 + Ke7 2 3 . Qxg 7 + Kd6 2 4 . Kh 1
Bd7 2 s . Nf7+ Kc7 26 . Qes + Kc8 2 7 . Rac 1 +
Nc6 2 8 . Rg 1 , when B l ack resigned i n
view of Rg8 #.
I t's also rather frequent for Wh ite
si mply to come out of the sortie with
a net material gain as seen in another
2 1 00+ game, th is time from the 2007
Slovakian team championsh ip:
After 1 5 . . . Rxf6
After 1 6 . Bxh 7 + Kxh 7 1 7 . Ngs + Kg8
1 8 . Qhs Ne7 ?, White picks up two Ex­
changes with 1 9 . Q h 7 + Kf8 2 0 . Q h 8 +
N g 8 2 1 . N h 7 + K f7 2 2 . N x f6 N x f6
2 3 . Qxa8 . Black soon resigned .
H ad Black played 1 8 . . . Qxd4 things
would not be so clear since trying to win
that a-Rook allows Black to put White's
Queen under lock and key: 1 9 . Qh7+ Kf8
20.Qh8+ Ke7 2 1 . Qxa8 Nd8 !
1 8 . . . Rf4 ! ? also casts m o re than a
l ittle doubt over White's operation.
 Module 7 : Lesson

In this final module we will discuss

the ins and outs of this classic sacrifice.

When Ca n Black Retreat?

As I re marked earl ier, after Wh ite
plays NgS +, often . . . KgB is not the best
move. The first thing to understand is
when and why this retreat fails.

Nowhere to Run

Who Did What?

Clearly the White Queen and Knight
do most of the wo rk, as they wreak
havoc on the f7 and h 7 squares.
What roles do the other men play?
Th e eS p a w n h a s o n l y o n e j o b ,
Classic Sac Model Position stopping the King from going to f6 o r
d 6 . Th i s means a Wh ite Ro ok on a n
The diagram shows a p ared-down open e-file would d o the same j ob due
version of the standard sacrifice setup. to the option of Rxe6 ( so long as e6 is
The e6-pawn does not actually need to undefended ) .
be there, but it often is, so I put it in the The B i s h o p on c l 's only purpose
diagram. here is to protect the Knight, any other
Play th rough the following moves meth od of protecting gS works. h4 is
several times, noting the importance of common but has some problems [ see
the f7- and h7-squares. later discussion. ] Obviously, if gS is not
1 . Bxh 7 + Kx h 7 2 . N g S + K g S 3 . Q h S under attack, no support is needed.
ReS 4.Qxf7+ K h S S . Q h S + K g S 6.Q h 7 + If you don't understand the role of
KfS 7.QhS+ Ke7 S.Qxg 7# the B ishop on d3, perhaps you should
take up tic-tac-toe.
But Black's men also play a role. In

1 77
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
particular, the Rook on f8 takes away a
fl ight square fro m the King ( meaning
Bl ack has to use a move to push it to e8
to avoid mate on f7 ) .
The Black pawns also played a role.
In p arti cu l a r the f7 - p awn m e a n t t h e
R o o k o n l y h a d o n e p l ace to go a n d
could n o t stay on the f-file.
I t turns out that the Queen's being
o n d8 simply made the mate quicker.
H ad the queen not been on the board,
Wh ite wou l d stil l h ave gotten B l ack's
King with his Queen and Knight.
Critica l Elements
So, what was important about this
position ?
• White can safely get a Knight t o gS
and a queen to h S .
• White controlled f6 and d 6 .
• Bl ack has a pawn o n f7 .
• Black h as no p iece t o put o n g8 .
• B l ack had n o way to defend the
h7 -square .
• Black h a d t o u s e a tempo t o move
his Rook.
These l ast three points are important
and intertwined. If Bl ack had a way of
defending h7, he would not h ave need­
ed to move his Rook.
I f a l l 6 b u l l e t s are true B l a c k i s
doo med i f he retreats with . . . Kg8 . That
is very useful information to know !
1 78
What if not 01/ 6 are true?
All is not lost. I t generally j ust means
that you will need one or two more men
to help you in the assault.
Even i n these cases, these guidel ines
will help because you will know what
to watch for.
Ta ki ng Acco u nt of Defects
If Bl ack's Roo k starts off on e8 i n ­
stead of f8, he'll get o n e extra move, but
it only really matters if he can use that
move to protect f7 or g7 .
I f the fifth bullet fails, you know you
can concentrate on lines where Black de­
fends h 7 instead of moving the Rook.
If the fourth bullet fails, you know
you can concentrate on options where
Bl ack bl ocks check from Qh8+ by inter­
posing a piece on g8 .
I f the third b u l l et fails ( l i ke in the
second exa m p l e o f this secti o n ) , you
know you have to consider the option of
Black moving the Rook along the f-file.
I f the second bullet is the only one
that fai l s , you know you can at l east
flush the King out to the center and at­
tack him there.
 Module 7 : Lesson
Stabled Horses
Since Zukertort players typically end
up with their dark-squared B ishop on
b2, they often lack any way to support a
Knight on gS . For this reason, a special
opportunity is presented if Black plays a
Knight to e7, transferring it from c6.
This has particular relevance not only
because it allows the Zukertort player to
contemplate the sac in the early middle­
game, but also it makes the option of
retreat particularly dubious.
A Very Badly Placed Knight
Why? Doesn 't the option of . . . Ng6
help?
In addition to the obvious b locking
of the Queen, the Knight ends up get­
ting in the way of both the Rook and
the King !
Sorry, I still don't see it.
That's okay, neither did Elia Liitiain­
en, a Finnish 2200+. In 1 9 9 6 he took the
black pieces against Olli Hyvarinen.
1 . e4 e6 2. d 3 d S 3 . N d 2 Nf6 4. Ngf3
N c6 S. eS N d 7 6. d4 B b4 7. Bd3 0-0 S.
c3 BaS 9. 0-0 Ne7 1 0. b4 Bb6
The i mportant aspects of the posi­
tion now match the model d i agram
above.
1 1 . Bxh 7+ Kxh 7 1 2 . N g S+ KgS?
Of course, it is quite possible that
Elia saw what was coming . . . it is not like
1 2 . . . Kg6 is any picnic.
1 3 . QhS ReS 1 4. Qxf7+ KhS 1 S. Nxe6
Note that if Wh ite had continued
with the standard procedure, the fact
that Bl ack has . . . Ng8 available m ight
be important ( it wouldn't have saved
Black in this particular game, more on
that later) .
1 79
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
The Knight Blocks the Rook
White has forked the Queen and the
mating square g7 . White could also have
pushed the King to f7 and forked him
and the Queen by playing I S . Qh S + Kg8
1 6 . Qh7+ Kf8 1 7 . Nxe6+
Even if there is nothing valuable to
be forked, the Knight on e7 takes away
a retreat square for Bl ack. Th is is par­
ticularly useful if White has played Ba3,
pinning the Knight to the f8-square.
An example of this showed up in a
game by Steinitz when the World Cham­
pion did not catch the combination !
1 80
Steinitz played 1 4 . NgS and went on
to win 4S moves later while 1 4 . Bxh7 + !
i s far stronger because after 1 4 . . . Kxh 7
I S . NgS+, the retreat I S . . . Kg8 ? allows
1 6 . QhS Re8 1 7 . Qh7+ Kf8 1 8 . Qh8#.
Of course, this whole motif would
work any time the e6-pawn has no pro­
tection. It's j ust particularly common if
Black has played . . . Ne7 .
H owever, even i f t h e e 6 - p awn i s
protected, the Knight on e7 can cause
problems if White can get his Bishop to
gS . The reason is that when White gets his
Queen to h8, Black's only available move
is . . . Ng8. At that point Nh7+ followed by
BgS+ (hitting the King who likely ran off
to e7) is a real crusher if White still has a
pawn on eS . An example of that shows up
in the next section.
Why . . . Kg6 Ra rely Wo rks
The vast maj ority of the time, White
has a winning position if Black chooses
to advance his King to g6 rather than
retreat it to g8 . Taking a look at the po­
sition after White plays Qg4 gives some
clues as to why.
 Module 7 : Lesson
No entry to the f-file
The most i m p o rtant p o i n t i s that
B l ack's K i n g c a n n o t m a ke it to t h e
f-file. Since any movement t o the h-file
typical ly all ows Wh ite to play Qh4+ fol­
lowed by Qh7+, pushing the King up the
board to be ground into Monarch-burg­
er by Wh ite's pawns. This means White
w i l l al most always get to p l ay Nxe6,
discovering an attack on the King while
hitting the g-pawn with two pieces.
This leads into the next layer of un­
derstanding about th is position.
The I m porta nce of f6
Black al most always dies if he loses
control of f6 .
In other words, if White has some­
thing hitting f6 and Black has nothing
but his King defending it, most of the
ti me it is curtains for Black.
O n e reason fo r this is that White
generally has the option of Qxg7 + im­
med i ately after he p l ays Nxe6 + . The
b l ack K i ng o ften takes th e Kn ight i n
response a n d then White ( if h e controls
f6 and Black does not) can play Qf6 + . If
Black survives this, then e6+ is a further
option, etc.
To see an example of th is in action,
let's take a look at a 1 9 7 9 game.
Bellucco G Longo M, Italy J 979
-
1 . e4 e6 2. d4 dS 3. eS cS 4. c3 Qb6 S.
Nf3 Nc6 6. Bd3 cxd4 7 . cxd4 B b4 8. Nc3
Bd 7 9. a 3 Bxc3 1 0. bxc3 Nge7 1 1 . 0-0
0-0 1 2 . Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 3 . NgS+ Kg 6
1 3 . . . KgB ? ? loses because of the BgS +
idea mentioned earl ier. 1 4 . QhS RfbB
I S . Q h 7 + KfB 1 6 . Q h B + NgB 1 7 . N h 7 +
Ke7 I B . BgS + .
1 4. Qg4 f S 1 S . Q g 3 Rh8??
White normally has to coax Black
into doing this, which removes protec­
tion from the f6 square.
1 6. Nxe6+ Kf7 1 7. Qxg 7+
H ere Bl ack resigned since 1 7 . . . Kxe6
allows I B . Qf6#
1 81
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
Cooped u p
Now, this sequence does n o t occur
in master l evel games very often because
masters know better than to l et the f6
square go .
The importance of the f6 square in
this variation has two side-effects
• U n l i ke in the . . . Kg8 variation, a
rook on a half-open e-file is not quite a
perfect substitute for a pawn on eS .
• B lack may wel l sacrifice a Knight
on f6 to pull the pawn off e S .
Bl ack's 1 4th move i n the Bellucco­
Longo game should n ow make sense .
H e is opening up the f7 -square so the
King does not have to go to the h-file af­
ter Nxe6, and the pawn advance all ows
the Rook on f8 to see the f6 square.
This fS advance is practically a Pav­
l ovian response after Qg4 . I n l iterally
90 percent of all games featuring . . . Kg6
after the B ishop sac, B l ack p l ays . . . fS
1 82
immediately after White plays Qg4 . The
b iggest exception is . . . NxeS ( p o ssibly
played as a sacrifice) .
G u idel i nes Tips a n d Tricks
U n l i ke the . . . Kg8 l ine, there is no
standard maneuver for kil l ing the King
in this line. H owever, the fol l owing wis­
dom should help you bri ng home the
ful l point most of the time.
Base Decisions on Health of eS
You can get a g o o d fee l fo r h o w
much you should expect from the attack
by how solid your center pawns are . If
your opponent has 2 or 3 pieces bearing
down on your pawns, he very wel l may
sacrifice one to destroy your eS pawn.
I n this case, not only should you keep
such sacrifices in mind when analyzing
the position, you should also consider
doing something unorthodox or ignore
much of what I have to say here. Once
eS goes, everything changes.
Patience and Imagination
I n the . . . Kg6 l i ne, you are p ract i ­
cally assured two pawns for t h e p iece,
s i nce you w i l l get to take on e6 with
your knight, uncovering a check by your
Queen. I t is generally a b ad idea to sim­
ply take this pawn and assume you have
an attack as compensation.
 Module 7 : Lesson

Find a way to b ring another piece . . . KgB is not going to work. Coric cer­
into the battle if you cannot find a way tainly knew it wouldn't work, and in­
of getting a satisfactory advantage with stead played 22 . . . Kg6.
j ust the Knight, Queen, and eS pawn. There followed 2 3 .Qg4 f5 24.Qh4!
I would even say not to settl e for (threatening Qh7+, which Black really
picking up merely the exchange (giving cannot stop) QdS 2 5 .Qh7+
you a Rook and one or two pawns for
the Bishop and Knight) . There is almost
always some way of getting more out of
the attack.

h-file Assassination
I f your opponent's f-rook does not
have support along the Bth rank from
either his Queen or his other rook, you
can almost always kill h i m by simply
threatening Qh7 +.
For illustration, consider the posi-
tion after 22.Nxg5+ in a game between
CM Yemelin and 1M Coric from 200 1 :
. . . Kg8 Not an Option
H opefully you can quickly tell that get . . . Qg7 or . . . Qe7 in.
His Kingdom for a Horse
25 . . . Kxg 5 26.h4+! Kg4
H ere Black resigned.
Often Black will i m mediately p l ay
the sacrificial . . . Nf6 when White threat­
ens this plan.
Note: Even when B l ack has con­
nected maj or pieces, playing Qh3 [ in­
stead of Qg3 ] can lure the f-Rook over
to hB, and then you can play Qg3 . Now
Black has to decide whether to push the
f-pawn (which has no support) or take
a move to defend the now undefended
f6 square. I would not recommend this
if Black can use it as an opportunity to

1 83
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Consider Qd3 Instead of Qg4

Frequently, Wh ite p l ays Qg4 i m ­
mediately after B l ack p l ays . . . Kg6 a s
a knee-j erk reaction. I n reality, giving
check from d3 is often better. I f Black
responds with . . . f5 then White can get
back to the l ine he would have had any­
way with Qg3 .
This option is particularly useful in
two situations.
• Bl ack has a useful alternative to Fro m here White pl ayed 1 8 . Qg4 ? !
. . . f5 (e.g., . . . Nxe5 ) that you do not want and a draw was agreed on move 3 1 .
to allow. Since Qd3+ is a check and Qg4 Instead, White should have played
is not, Black has fewer legal options. 1 8 . Qd3 + !
• The e6-pawn is not defended by
anything other than the f-pawn . Doesn't that just allow Black to take the
The usefulness of Qd3 + in this sec­ Knight?
ond instance is pretty straightforward
and more or less formulaic. As in the last game (Yemel in - Gor­
H ere's an il lustration from the 1 9 82 ic), the King j ust cannot survive after
Welsh Championship between a pair of 1 8 . . . Kxg5 ? 1 9 . Qh7 !
2 3 00+s.

FM Williams - 1M Cooper, 7 982

1 . d4 d 5 2 . c4 e6 3 . Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5.
e3 N bd 7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7 . Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3
Bb7 9. 0-0 b4 1 0. N e4 Be7 1 1 . Nxf6+
Nxf6 1 2. e4 0-0 1 3 . e5 N d 7 1 4. Be4
Qb6 1 5. Bg5 Bxg 5 1 6. Bxh7+ Kxh 7 1 7.
Nxg5+ Kg6
Based on the principles from earlier
in the chapter, you should be able to tell Do You See the I nvisible Fence?
that . . . Kg8 fails. ( Can you ? )

1 84
 Module 7 : Lesson
I know it sounds odd, but even with
his center pawns under attack and no
pieces to the help the Queen, White is
totally winning here.
Th e biggest reason for th is is that
Bl ack cannot get back to safety without
taking on es, which walks into f4 and a
whole new mess of pain.
As an exercise, I would suggest you
take Bl ack in the ab ove di agram and
play a bunch of quick games agai nst a
computer over and over again to get a
feel for the difficulty even when White
seemingly has noth ing to attack with .
Back to the position after 1 8 . Qd3 + !
Fro m h ere W h i te p i cks u p t h e
e6-pawn without losing any attacking
force, and most of the time can pick up
more due to some variation on: 1 8 . . . fs
1 9 . Nxe6 Rae8 2 0 . Qg3 + Kf7 2 1 . Ngs +
Ke7 2 2 . Nh7
Consider h4 Before Qg4
If your dark-squared Bishop can hit
h6 after your Kn ight moves consider
playing h4 before Qg4, particul arly if
you have not yet castled and/or Black's
Queen is no longer on the back rank.
This can easily present Black with a
problem for which there is no good so­
lution. He will want to stop the h-pawn,
but doing so generally means playing
. . . Rh8 ( and even that won't work if you
have a Rook on the h-file. )
But playing . . . Rh8 means giving up
control over the crucial f6-square. Here's
an i l l ustration where a strong j u n i o r
beat a stronger o n e in 1 9 9 5 :
After 1 3 • • • Kg6
The ga me co ntinued 1 4 . Qg4 ? ! fS
l s . Qg3 f4 1 6 . Qg4 Kh6 ? ?
W h a t p o ssessed B l ack, a l ready a
master-level player, to make this move is
beyond me. Had she played 1 6 . . . Nxd4 ! ,
1 85
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
weakening the key eS-pawn, he would
have easily survived the attack after, say
1 7 . Nf3 + Kh7 I B . Nxd4 NfS 1 9 . Nf3 KgB .
White's 1 4th move should have been
1 4 . h4 ! , when 1 4 . . . RhB is the only move
that stops h S +, but it allows a pretty easy
round-up: I S . Qg4 fS 1 6 . Qg3 f4 1 7 . Qg4
RafB ( Bl ack has to keep f6 under con-
tro l l I B . hS + ! when I B . . . Rxh S ? all ows
1 9 . Nxe6 + Kf7 2 0 . Qxg7 + Kxe6 2 1 . QxfB .
Thus B l ack would h ave to go with
l B . . . Kh6, which is never pleasant when
White sti l l has his Bishop on c l . After
1 9 . Bxf4 , B l ack h a s to p l ay 1 9 . . . RhgB
to adequately deal with t h e threats o f
Nxe 6 + a n d Nxf7 + .
After 20 . . . Rhg8
At that point I would o nce again not
suggest White " cash in " with 2 0 . Nxe6 +
K h 7 2 1 . NxfB + RxfB .
With so many of Black's p ieces tied
down, there are several better moves in
1 86
this position, such as 2 0 . Qh4 or 20. Bd2 .
I f you want to come out with a clean
material advantage, the move fo r you
is 2 0 . Rb3 (threatening Rg3 ) . This more
or less forces 2 0 . . . Nxd4. After 2 1 . Nxf3 +
Kh6 2 2 . Nxd4 . White is a clear pawn up .
Th i s e a rly h - p awn m a rch i s even
stronger when White h as a Ro o k on
h I , since then there is no stopping the
h-pawn . You should stil l only do this
i f you have your d ark-squared Bishop
around, otherwise playing h4 is gener­
ally very bad, as the Black King can be-
come quite safe-ish on h 6 .
Beat i n g . . . Kh6
The . . . Kh 6 option is the l east com­
mon possib ility, and generally comes up
i n only one specific type of position:
Standard . . . Kh6 Situation
What's going on here? Why is this the
only position where ... Kh6 matters?
 Module 7 : Lesson
It's possible for . . . Kh6 to work in
other cases, but very rarely. Let's look
at why this is generally the only time
. . . Kh6 comes up.
The h4 pawn is more or less critical.
Playing . . . Kh6 if White has not played
h4 is almost always a fatal error because
Qg4 threatening Q h 4 often wins the
game i mmediately.
The exception to this is if the crucial
f6-square is open for Black's King. If f6
is open ( meaning that White does not
control it and there is no piece on it),
then the threat of Qh7+ is much less.
It is also typically suicidal for Black
to try to play . . . Kh6 if White still has h is
dark-squared Bishop.
Finally, it is important that Wh ite
has not castled. So long as White has a
Rook on h I , the h4 pawn by itself can
support a NgS + move because Bxh 7 +
Kxh7; NgS + BxgS ? ?; hxgS + KgB; Q h S is
likely fatal .
Th e m o s t c o m m o n w ay fo r t h i s
variation t o come up i s for Wh ite to
exchange a Bishop for a Knight on f6 .
This could happen, for example, if you
are one of those players who use a Torre
against certain move orders. I ndeed, if
there is not a Bishop on f6, White has
to strongly consider the option of . . . f6
by Black at some point.
Sta ndard Plans
Wh ite will practically always push
his h-pawn, even if it means giving up
his Kn ight tem p o rarily. H e wants to
open the h-file to flush the King out.
Black has a straightforward way of
surviving (with his material advantage
intact) . H e will play g6 and then mosey
toward the left, generally by way of the
f6 square. If he can pull this off, White
is going to have a hard time even getting
a draw.
Here is an illustration how this can
work for Black. We'll start with the posi­
tion after 1 3 . . . Kh6 from the 1 9 9 1 GM
clash in H ungary between Czebe and
Zagrebelny.
Not Good for White
1 4.Qg4 g6 l S .hS Bxg S 1 6.hxg6+
These are pretty standard moves, and
now Zagrebelny makes a very common
error by playing 1 6 . . . Kg 7 1
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 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
Black's position, even after this error,
is still better theoretically, but it's harder
to play. After 1 7.Rh7+ Kxg6 1 8. QhS+ Kf6
1 9 . f4 Ke7 20.fxgS Ke8 2 1 . Kd2 Qe7 (this
is often a good square for the Queen in
these positions, even with the Rook on
h7. Black wants his Rooks free to sweep
the b ack row in case the g-p awn ad­
vances. I n other variations he may also
want to exchange Rooks without having
to recapture with his Queen . )
2 2 . Rfl Rc8 2 3 . RfS cxd4 24.exd4 Rc4
2 S . Nb S Rc6 2 6 . Rf2 th reate n i ng Re2 .
And here Black did not find . . . Qe4, the
point being that 2 7 . Re2 can be met by
27 . . . Rc2+ !
That is what I meant about Black's
position being better but hard to play.
He j ust has to be concerned about too
many things.
I nstead, Bl ack should have pl ayed
1 6 . . . Kxg6 . Most of the time Bl ack can
afford to take this pawn because White
j ust has too much trouble getting to
h i m . I n this case, after 1 6 . . . Kxg6 we
have the following position:
1 88
White Lacks Fi repower
After 1 7 . f4 Kg7 we have a position
like in the 1 6 . . . Kg? ? ! l ine, but without
the Rook on h7. Black is hard to get to
because he can play . . . Rh8 and . . . Kf8 .
Why White's Attack F a i l s
The game in the l ast secti on il lus­
trates White's problems i n t h i s l i n e .
Black's safety depends o n 2 things:
• White did not control f6
• Wh ite can not hit gS with a piece.
Change either of these, and Wh ite
easily ki lls Black.
If Black cannot move his King to f6,
then QhS+ at some point spells disaster.
The pawn that appears on gS after White
takes the Bishop allows Black's King to
roost on g7 for a while until Black can
shuffle his Rooks over. H ad White been
able to take that pawn off the board,
things would have turned out different.
 Module 7 : Lesson
Too l s, Ti ps, and Tricks
I f everything i s set u p to use the
. . . Kh6 l ine at all, it is general ly a pretty
tough nut to crack. Often it just comes
down to how good a defender Black is.
H owever, here is a l i st of items to
leverage, in order of lethalness.
Missing f7-pawn
I f B l ack i s m i s s i n g h i s f7 - p aw n ,
White often has a quick kill b y playing
Qc2, threatening Qxh7 +. If Black plays
. . . g6, then hS should end th ings.
Knight to e4
If you can safely get a Kn ight to e4,
hitting both gS and f6, look to sacrifice
your other kn ight and mate the King by
opening up the h-file.
Moving Queen to Dark Squares
I f the e3 -square is clear, consider
playing your Queen to d2 (or another
square along the dark diagonal ) , th is
sets up a d i scovered check when the
Knight moves away and puts more pres­
sure on Black to do someth ing.
Knight to f3
A pretty standard option is to play
your Queen to g4 and Knight to f3 . I n
addition to the Kn ight possibly going to
eS , you have the ab il ity to recapture on
gS with a piece rather than a pawn .
No Dark-Squared Bishop?
If Black is missing his dark-colored
Bishop as wel l, stro ngly consider sup­
porting the gS Knight with f4 and then
playing h S . Of course, you'll have to
consider the option of . . . f6 by Bl ack,
si nce there won't be a Bishop blocking
that pawn.
Pri nci pa l Va riation
When considering a Bh7+ sacrifice,
you'll have to give some consideration
to all options, but it helps a lot to know
beforehand which one needs the most
calcul ation.
You can normally dismiss . . . Kh 6 as
an opti on unless you have pl ayed h4
and you h ave l ost your dark-squ ared
Bishop. There are exceptions of course,
in particular if Bl ack can play . . . NfS and
the f6 square is available to his King.
If . . . KgB will lead to a quick kill, then
the l ine to look hardest at is . . . Kg6 .
If . . . KgB is not going to lead to obvi­
ous checkmate, it is probably the one to
look deepest at unless Black has tons of
pressure against your pawn center (or if
you do not have a pawn center) . I f Black
has Knights on d7 and dS, . . . Kg6 can be
particularly hard to refute.
1 89
 M odule 7: Classic Greek G ifts

Exerci ses
I have assembled 6 0 ( ! ) examples of
practical play where the B ishop sacrifice
was used. Decide in each case whether it
was a good sacrifice and defend your an­
swer with appropriate analysis. Weaker
p l ayers s h o u l d focus on determ i n i n g
which of t h e three defenses is t h e most
important to consider.

1 90
 Exercises
Exercise 1 Exercise 3
Last Moves: S .h4 0-0 6.eS N d S Last Moves: 8.h4 Bb7 9.eS Be7

Exercise 2 Exercise 4
Last Moves: 1 4. RxcS 0-0 1 S.Bd3 Nfe7 La st Moves: 1 1 .Ba3 Ne7 1 2.0-0 0-0

1 91
 Module 7 : Cl assic Greek Gifts

Exercise 5 Exercise 7
La st Moves: 9.Nxe4 Rxe4 1 0.Bd3 ReS La st M oves: 1 1 .0-0 c5 1 2 .dxc5 Nxc5

Exercise 6 Exercise 8
Last Moves: 1 7.Nxd5 exd5 1 S.Bxe7 Nxe7 Last Moves: 1 2 .dxe5 Nd7 1 3 .Nf3 ReS

1 92
 Module 7 : Exercises

Exercise 9 Exercise 1 1
La st Moves: 9.Bd3 ReS 1 0.h4 c5 Last Moves: 7 . Nf3 Nge7 S.Bd3 0-0

Exercise 1 0 Exercise 1 2
Last Moves: 1 2. Bxe4 Bd7 1 3 .Re l 0-0 Last Moves: 1 O.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 1 .Bxe4 cxd4

1 93
 Module 7: Cl assic Greek Gifts

Exercise 1 3 Exercise 1 5
La st Moves: 1 7. Ra e 1 Nxe3 1 8.fxe3 8g3 Last Moves: 1 0.c5 dxc5 1 1 .e5 Nd5

Exercise 1 4 Exercise 1 6
La st Moves: 1 4.axb4 dxc3 1 5 .bxc3 Qc7 Last M oves: 1 1 .Nfl cxd4 1 2. N g 3 8 b4

1 94
 Module 7 : Exercises

Exercise 1 7 Exercise 1 9
La st M oves: 1 1 .Bd2 0-0 1 2.Bd3 Ba6 Last M oves: 1 0. Re 1 0-0 1 1 .bS N a S

Exercise 1 8 Exercise 20
La st Moves: 1 2 .Bd3 Q a S + 1 3 .c3 d 4 Last Moves: 2 1 . R b 1 N a 4 22.Rc2 Qxa 3

1 95
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Exercise 2 1 Exercise 2 3
Last Moves: 1 3.exd6 Nxc3 1 4.bxc3 Bxd6 Last Moves: 1 7.BxfS cxd4 1 8.Nxd7 Nxd7

Exercise 22 Exercise 24
Last Moves: 1 3 .Qe2 0-0 1 4.eS NfxdS Last Moves: 1 4.Nf1 cS 1 S.dxcS BxcS

1 96
 Module 7 : Exercises

Exercise 25 Exercise 2 7
Last Moves: 20.b3 Nxa3 2 1 .Bxa 3 Bxa 3 Last Moves: 1 3 .Re 1 Nc6 1 4.Bc2 Ne7

Exercise 26 Exercise 28
Last Moves: 1 3 .Qe2 N a 5 1 4.Bg5 Bxg 5 La st Moves: 1 1 .Qe2 0-0 1 2 .e5 Ne8

197
 Module 7: Classic Greek Gifts

Exercise 29 Exercise 3 1
Last Moves: 1 2 .Nb3 Ba7 1 3 .Re1 Bb7 La st Moves: 1 2 .Bd3 Nf5 1 3 .Ngf3 Ne3

Exercise 3 0 Exercise 3 2
Last Moves: 1 1 .Nf3 b 6 1 2.h4 Ba6 Last Moves: 1 7.Be3 Qc7 1 8. Bxc5 Bxc5

1 98
 Module 7 : Exercises

Exercise 3 3 Exercise 3 5
Last Moves: 1 4.e5 N d 5 1 5 .Bg5 Bxg 5 La st Moves: 1 1 .b5 bxc5 1 2.dxc5 Bxc5

Exercise 34 Exercise 3 6
La st Moves: Q d 6 24.b3 N a 3 2 5 .c4 Qb411 Last Moves: 1 3 .Re1 0-0 1 4.Re3 RfdS

1 99
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Exercise 3 7 Exercise 3 9
La st Moves: 1 8.Nxd7 Nxd7 1 9.dS Re7 La st Moves: 1 2 .eS dxeS 1 3 .fxeS N d S

Exercise 3 8 Exercise 40
Last Moves: 9.0-0 Bd7 1 0.Rel 0-0 Last Moves: 1 4.Re 1 Rfd 8 l S .exd6 Bxd6

2 00
 Module 7 : Exercises

Exercise 4 1 Exercise 43
Last Moves: 1 6.eS NcS 1 7 .exd6 Bxd6 La st Moves: S.Bd3 d6 9.exd 6 0-0

Exercise 42 Exercise 44
Last Moves: 6.Nf3 Ne7 7.Bd3 0-0 Last Moves: 1 3 .Nf3 QcS 1 4.h4 Ba6

201
 Module 7: Classic Greek G ifts

Exercise 45 Exercise 47
La st Moves: 1 3 .Bd3 d6 1 4.h4 N d 7 Last Moves: 1 4.bxc3 0-0 1 S .eS N d S

Exercise 46 Exercise 48
La st Moves: 1 1 .Na3 0-0 1 2 . N b S Qb8 Last Moves: 9.0-0 Bb7 1 0.Bf4 cS

2 02
 Module 7 : Exercises

Exercise 49 Exercise 5 1
Last Moves: 9.Bd2 0-0 1 0.Bd3 N d 7 La st M oves: 6.Nf3 0-0 7 . B d 3 c 5

Exercise 5 0 Exercise 52
Last Moves: 1 2.Nf3 B b 7 1 3 .Bd3 N c4 Last Moves: 1 5 .Bf4 Nc5 1 6.Bc2 Ne7

2 03
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Exercise 5 3 Exercise 5 5
Last Moves: 1 0.Rbl 0-0 1 1 .Bd3 Rd8 La st Moves: 1 0.exf6 Bxf6 1 1 .Qe2 dS

Exercise 54 Exercise 56
Last Moves: 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 1 0 . h 4 c S La st Moves: 1 3 .eS N d 7 1 4.Bxe7 Nxe7

2 04
 Module 7 : Exercises

Exercise 5 7 Exercise 59
Last Moves: 9 . B d 3 N d 7 1 0.0-0 0-0 Last Moves: 7.Bd3 N e6 8. Bf4 0-0

Exercise 5 8 Exercise 60
Last Moves: 1 S.Re1 Qb8 1 6.eS N d S La st Moves: 1 6.Bd3 Bd7 1 7.Bf4 Na6

2 05
 50lutio115

Exercise 1 p l ayer in th is game, G reco, l iteral ly

La st Moves: S.h4 0-0 6.eS N d S "wrote the book" on this sacrifice.

Analysis, Variations, and Notes

7 ••• Kxh 7 8.NgS+ Bxg S
B ... Kh6 9.Nxe6+;
B ... Kg6 9.h S+;
B . . . K g B 9 . Q h S N f6 1 0 . e x f6 g x f 6
1 1 .Q h 7 #
9.hxg S + Kg 6
9 ... Kg B 1 O.Q h S fS 1 1 .g6.
1 O.QhS+ KfS 1 1 .Qh 3 + Kg6 1 2.Qh7#
Verd i ct: 7.Bxh7+!
Exercise 2
Commentary Last Moves: 1 4. RxcS 0-0 1 S .Bd3 N fe7
The only differences between this
and the standard setup are the Bishop
on e7 and the pawn on h4. The pawn
on h4 only hurts White if Black plays
. . . K h 6 , but that vari ation fai l s s i n ce
White still has his Bishop on c l . The
Bishop on e7 cannot help Black in any
other variation since taking the Knight
on gS opens the h-file. So we see that the
. . . KgB and . . . Kh6 defenses will not work.
Playing . . . Kg6 with the pawn already on Verd i ct: 1 6.Bxh7+!
h4 makes little sense. Note, the White

207
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Commentary could make use of your dark-colored

We fi rst do a quick check to see if Bishop by p l ayi ng h4 afterward . The
. . . KgB is a possible defense. Black has a King just has no way to meet the threat
way of moving a piece to the gB-square, of h5 given the l o o m i n g Bc l ! I n the
so we wi l l h ave to consider that l i ne actual game, Wh ite played Qg4, giving
more closely. When Black has the . . . NgB Bl ack the opportunity to equal ize im­
move available, the first thing to look for mediately with .. . f6 .
is the ability to play Bg5 in one move.
White does not have that, but if you look Analysis, Variations, and Notes
deeply enough you will find another way 1 6 ... Kxh 7 1 7 .NgS+ Kg6
to deal with this variation. It is important 1 7 ... Kg B 1 B . Q h 5 Rfd 8 1 9 .Qxf7 + K h 8
that you look for it BEFORE committing 20.Rc3.
to the sacrifice, though. 1 8.Qd3!
S i n ce t h e h - p aw n h a s n o t b e e n 1 B . Q g 4 ? f6 ! 1 9 . N x e 6 + Kf7 2 0 . N x c 7
pushed, . . . K h 6 looks l ike i t cannot go Bxg4 2 1 . N xa 8 Rxa8 l eaves B l a c k s l i g htly
anywhere. What about the . . . Kg6 op­ better. In the actu a l game B l a c k re p l ied
tion? White has very good control of f6, 1 8 . . . f5 ? and l ost after 1 9.Qg 3 Qc8 20.Rc3
so this line looks promising. H owever, f4 2 1 .Qg4 Nf5 2 2 . R h 3 Rh8 2 3 . N xe6+ Kf7
there are two minor warning signs. First, 24.Qxf5+ Ke7 25.Qg5+ Kxe6 26.Qg6+ Ke7
White has not castled and has no way 2 7.Qxg 7+
of quickly moving a Rook to the e-file. 1 8 .. .fS 1 9.h4!!
Secondly, even th ough Nxe 6 h its the 1 9.Qg3 f4 20.Qg4 Q b8±;
Queen on c7, it also all ows a sel f-pin 1 9. Q h 3 ! Rh8 20.Qg3 f4 2 1 .Qxf4 Raf8
against White's own Queen due to the 22.Qg4 Qb8 23 .h4.
Bishop on d7.
Th ese two warn i n g s i g n s s h o u l d Exercise 3
cause Wh ite t o real ize that the . . . f6 ! ? Last Moves: 8.h4 Bb7 9.eS Be7
option ( instead of the more normal . . . f5
play) might b e a real concern . Wh ite
should thus be drawn to consider Qd3+
instead of Qg4 in the . . . Kg6 line because
Qd3+ forces f5 .
Bonus p o i nts i f you real ized you

2 08
 Module 7 : Solutions

Analysis, Variations, and Notes

1 O . Kxh 7 1 1 .NgS+ Kh6
. .

1 1 ... Kg8 1 2.Qh5;

1 1 ... Kg6 1 2 . Q d 3 + f5 1 3 . e xf6 + Kxf6
1 4.Qf3 +
1 2 .Qd2 Qc8
1 2 ... Qe8 1 3 . Nxe6+ Kh 7 1 4.Nxc7;
1 2 ... Bxg 5 1 3 . hxg5+ Kg6 1 4.Qd 3 + Kxg 5
( 1 4 .. .f5 1 5.gxf6+) 1 5 .Q h 7 .
1 3 .0-0-0!
Verd i ct: 1 0.Bxh7+! 1 3 .Nxe6+ Kh 7 1 4. N xf8+ Bxf8 ;!;

Commentary Exercise 4
You should be able to tell immedi­ Last Moves: 1 1 .Ba3 Ne7 1 2.0-0 0-0
ately that Black has no hope of surviving
after . . . KgB ? ? With the h-pawn advanced
and the Rook still on h I , playing . . . Kg6
is also fatal (though that was the game
continuation, but White did not react as
he should have ) .
Two th ings p o i n t t o Wh ite having
an advantage after . . . Kh 6 . First, the lack
of an e3-pawn all ows White to cause
threats with Qd2 . Second, controlling
f6 with a pawn removes many options Verd i ct: 1 3 .Bxh7+!
that wou ld otherwise a l l ow Bl ack to
come out with an advantage. Still, White Commentary
should real ize he has the King cooped The Kn ight on e7 normally puts a
up, but cannot i m mediately kill h i m . wrinkle in the . . . KgB line, but in this case
I n stead of cash i n g i n , Wh ite s h o u l d the Knight is pinned to the fB-square, so
maintain the tension. the Knight will not be able to hop to gB
later. The . . . Kh6 option obviously makes
no sense as h4 has not been played.

2 09
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

When looking at the . . . Kg6 option,

you should note that the e6-pawn will
have no protection after Black pushes his
f-pawn, but the real problem is that the
black Queen has no good place to go .
On dB she will be in danger after White
plays Nxe6. On eB she wil l be in danger
after a l ater Nxg7 . On any other square,
she cannot protect the e7-Knight.

Analysis, Variations, and Notes Verd ict: 1 1 .Bxh7+!

1 3 ... Kxh7 1 4.NgS+ Kg6
1 4 . . . K g B l S . Q h S R e B 1 6 . Q h 7 + Kf8 Commentary
1 7.Qh8# The Bishop on fB norm a l ly spells
l S .Qg4 fS 1 6.Qg3 QeS doom for Black in these situations be­
1 6 ... Qc8 1 7. N xe6+ Kf7 1 B.Qxg7+ Kxe6 cause it defends the wrong square and
1 9.Qxe7# can block up Black's King. In this case,
1 7.Nxe6+ Kf7 l S.Nxg7 though, White is missing the pawn on
1 8.Qxg 7+? Kxe6-+ eS, so we have to be extra careful about
My d a ta b a s e s a y s B l a c k l o s t a ft e r the . . . Kg6 option. H owever, White has
1 B.Qxg 7 ? I a s s u m e t h i s h a d t o b e d u e to one trump, the B ishop on c 1 . To make
t i m e s i n ce he wou l d be wel l ahead after this work you have to use the early h4
1 8 . . . Kxe6. trick. White missed this and Black could
l S ... RgS 1 9.NxeS Rxg 3 20.Nd6+ h ave escaped because White does not
control f6 .
Exercise 5
Last Moves: 9.Nxe4 Rxe4 1 0.Bd3 ReS Analysis, Variations, and Notes
11 .•• Kxh 7 1 2 .NgS+ Kg6 1 3 .h4!
1 3 .Qg4? fS 1 4.Qh4 d S l S .Qh7+ Kf6=;
1 3 .Qd 3+ fS 1 4.d S ! ( 1 4.Qg 3 Bd6 l S .f4
Qe7=) 1 4 ... N e S l S . Q h 3 Be7 1 6. Q h 7 + Kf6
1 7.Qh S g6 1 8.Q h3±
1 3 ...fS

21 0
 Module 7 : Solutions

1 3 .. .f6 ? ? 1 4. h S + Kh6 l S .Qd 3 . Analysis, Variations, and Notes

1 4.hS+ Kf6 l S .d S! 19 ••• Kxh 7 20.N g S + Kg6
l S .h6? Kg 6 + 2 0 . . . K g B 2 1 . Q h S RcB 2 2 . Q xf7 + K h B
lS ••• NeS 1 6.f4+- 2 3 . N e6.
2 1 .Qg4 fS 22 .exf6!
Exercise 6 22.Qg3 is a l so q u ite stro n g : 22 . . . N c6
Last Moves: 1 7.Nxd S exd S 1 8.Bxe7 Nxe7 2 3 . Re l o r 22 . . . N h B 2 3 . N f3 + . The text i s
fa ster, tho u g h .
22 ••• gxf6
22 ... Rxf6 2 3 . N e6+ Kfl 24.Qxg 7+ Kxe6
2S .Re l ++-;
22 ... Kxf6 2 3 . R e l +-;
22 ... NfS 2 3.fxg 7 Kxg 7 24.Re l +-
23.Ne6+ Kf7 24.Qg7+! Kxe6 2 S . Re 1 ++-

Exercise 7
Last Moves: 1 1 .0-0 cS 1 2 .dxcS NxcS
Verd ict: 1 9.Bxh7+!

Commentary
This is an odd position due to the
vast amount of space Black has to run
around i n . Normally there are m o re
squares blocked up by his own pieces.
Th e Knight on e7 can get to gB, but
b ecause the e 6 - square is u nguarded,
Wh ite should have no problem in the
. . . KgB l ine. Verd ict: 1 3 .Bxh7+?
White is running short on attacking
pieces in the . . . Kg6 l ine. To make that Commentary
line work, White needs to play the rather Capablanca must not have thought
uncommon exf6 to allow his Rook to much of his opponent when he made
work on the open e-file. th is m ove . Without the p awn on e S

21 1
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
o r an open e - fi l e o r rea l l y a nyth ing
else to help the attack, it's j ust overly
optimistic.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 3 ... Kxh 7 1 4.Ng5+ Kh6!
With n o d a rk B i s h o p s o n the boa rd
and noth ing b l ocki ng movement t h rough
f6, this i s actua l l y best beca use Black g a i n s
a m o v e s i n c e W h i t e h a s to s h u ffl e h i s
Q u een back a n d fo rth to g et a t the black
monarch.
1 4 ... Kg6 l S .Qg4 fS 1 6.Qg3 Kf6 1 7 . b4
N d 3 ! ? ( 1 7 ... N e4 l B . N cxe4+ Bxe4 1 9.Qf4!
NdS 20. Nxe4+ Kf7 (20 ... Ke7 2 1 .Qh4+ Kd 7
2 2 . N g S±) 2 1 .Qf3 Kg B 22. N g 3 Nxb4 � ; 1 7 ...
N d 7 ? wa s p l ayed in the actua l ga me, los­
i ng.) l B.Rcd l QbB!oo
1 5 .Qg4 Nd5 1 6.Qh4 Kg6 1 7 .Qh7+ Kf6
1 8. Rfd 1 Qb8 1 9. N ce4+ Nxe4 20.Nxe4+
Ke7 2 1 .Qxg 7 Rg8 22.Qd4 +
Exercise 8
Last Moves: 1 2 .dxe5 N d 7 1 3 .Nf3 Re8
Verd ict: 1 4.Bxh7+?!
212
Commentary
Th e sacrifice does not work here.
Because the Rook has al ready moved,
Bl ack gets one free move to save h i s
hide. The strong . . . NfB manages t o put
support on both h7 and f7 .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 4 ... Kxh 7 1 5 .Ng5+ Kg8
l S ... Kg 6 ? ? 1 6.Qd 3 + fS 1 7 .exf6+ Kxf6
l B.Qf3 + Kg 6 1 9.Qf7+ Kh6 20. N xe6+
1 6.Qh5 Nf8 +
Exercise 9
La st Moves: 9.Bd3 Re8 1 O.h4 c5
Verd ict: 1 1 .Bxh 7+?
Commentary
With fB open, Black has a free move.
An extra tempo plus al ready controlling
g7 should give Wh ite pause. Here Black
can also defend f7 with his Bishop, so
the sacrifice is quite unreliable.
 Module 7 : Solutions
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
11 •.. Kxh 7 1 2.NgS+ Kg8
1 2 ... Kh6?? 1 3 . N xf7+
1 3 .QhS Be6 +
Exercise 1 0
La st Moves: 1 2 .Bxe4 Bd7 1 3 .Rel 0-0
Verd ict: 1 4.Bxh 7+?
Commentary
Normally a Queen on an open c-file
is troub le fo r White b ecause she can
get to c2 to defend h7. It turns out that
White has a way of stopping that. How­
ever, White cannot counter the effect of
the Queen-Bishop battery along the dark
squares. Of course, White should expect
probl ems with the . . . Kg6 l ine because he
has no pawn on e5 .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 4 ... Kxh 7 1 S .NgS+ Kg6
1 5 ... Kg 8? 1 6.0h 5 Oc2 1 7. Re4!
1 6.h4
1 6.0g4? Bxh2+ 1 7.Kh l f5-+
1 6 ... Bh2+ 1 7.Kh l Bf4 +
Exercise 1 1
Last Moves: 7.Nf3 Nge7 8.Bd3 0-0
Verd i ct: 9.Bxh7+!
Commentary
The only aspect of this position that
is different from the standard version is
the Kn ight on e7. That Knight can block
a later Queen check on h8 by moving to
g8 . H owever, any time Wh ite can play
his Bishop to g5 in one move, you can
be assured Bl ack is toast in that line.
Th at leaves . . . Kg6 to consider. The
key there is to play an early h4, which
is always someth ing to consider when
your Bishop is sti ll on cl and can "see "
the h6-square through the g5-Kn ight.
213
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Analysis, Variations, and Notes Black wil l h ave one extra move in
9 ... Kxh7 1 O.Ng5+ Kg6 the ... Kg8 l i ne because his Rook is al­
1 0 . . . K g 8 1 1 . Q h S R e 8 1 2 . Q h 7 + Kf8 ready on e8 . He has 3 ways to defend
1 3 .Qh8+ N g 8 1 4. N h 7+ Ke7 1 S .Bg S++- critical squares ( . . . Qf6, . . . NeS, . . . BeS ) ,
1 1 .h4!+- so you should have thought through
1 1 .Qg41 fS 1 2.Qg3 f4 1 3.Qg4 � each one.
11 ••• Nxd4 1 2.Qg4 f5 1 3 .h5+ Kh6
1 4.Nxe6+ g 5 1 5 .hxg6# Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 2 ... Kxh 7 1 3 .Ng5+ Kg8
Exercise 1 2 1 3 ... Kg6 1 4.h4 fS ( 1 4 ... Rh8 l S.Rxe6!!++­
Last Moves: 1 O.Nxe4 Nxe4 1 1 .Bxe4 cxd4 N f6 1 6 . h S + K h 6 1 7 . Rx d 6 Q a S 1 8 . N xf7+
Kh 7 1 9. N g S + Kg8 20.Q b 3 + ) l S . h S + Kf6
1 6.Qxd4 BeS 1 7.Qh4!+-
1 4.Qh5 Qf6
1 4 . . . N e S l S . RxeS BxeS 1 6.Qxf7 + Kh8
1 7 .Q h S + Kg 8 1 8. b 3 !+-;
1 4 ... BeS l S .Qxf7 Kh8 1 6.Re4+-
1 5 .Qh7+ Kf8 1 6.Ne4 Qe5 1 7.cxd4=

Exercise 1 3
La st Moves: 1 7.Rae1 Nxe3 1 8.fxe3 Bg3
Verd i ct: 1 2.Bxh 7+!

Commentary
Stri ctly s p e a k i n g, B l ack c a n sur­
vive (with equality) if he finds perfect
defense.
Colle won the brilliancy prize for this
game. You should notice first the lack of
any eS-pawn; that means the . . . Kg6 l ine
is going to be a bit tricky. However, since
White still has his Bishop on e l , he can Verd ict: 1 9.Bxh 7+!?
use the early h4 idea.

214
 Module 7 : Solutions
Commentary
Th e sacri fi ce does n o t wo rk, b u t
White was in trouble. I personally find it
strange someone as good as Cecil Purdy
did not find the correct defense here !
The prob l e m with the sacrifi ce i s
pretty obvious. Black h a s a free move
and is already defending the f7 -pawn.
With his free move, he will want to de­
fend one of the other pawns ( and make
sure that the open f-file does not give
White any options he might not other­
wise have ) .
Note there are several ways for Black
to use his free move to defend the im­
portant squares, make sure you look at
each one.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 9 ... Kxh 7 20.NgS+ Kg8
20 ... Kg6? 2 1 .Qg4 B h 2 + 22.Kh 1 Q g 3 ? ?
(22 ... Bxg 2+ 2 3 . Kx g 2 Qg 3 + 24.Qxg 3 Bxg 3
2 S . Kx g 3 K x g S 2 6 . R x f7 ;J; ) 2 3 . Q f S + K h S
24. N xf7+
2 1 .QhS Bd S!-+
2 1 ... R d 7 ? ? 22.Qh7+ Kf8 2 3 . Q h 8+ Ke7
24.Rxf7+;
2 1 . . . f6 ? 2 2 . Q h 7 + Kf8 2 3 . Q h 8 + K e 7
2 4 . Q x g 7 + K d 6 2 S . Qxf6+ Kd 7 2 6 . Q fS +
Kc6oo;
2 1 ... g6?? 22.Qh7+ Kf8 2 3 . Rxf7+;
21 ... Re7?? 22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Qh 8#;
21 ... Be4? 22.Nxf7 B h 7 ! +
Exercise 1 4
La st Moves: 1 4.axb4 dxc3 1 S.bxc3 Qc7
Verd ict: 1 6.Bxh7+!
Commentary
The sacrifice is not absolutely win­
ning, but even with perfect defense it
leaves White wel l off. H owever, it does
require a fair amount of analysis.
Black has two pieces hitting the criti­
cal eS-pawn. This means the . . . Kg6 l ine
takes extra care. White needs to make
sure Black cannot destroy the e-pawn .
The . . . Kg8 l ine does not lead to an ob­
vious win, but it should be easy to see
that White easily gets his material back
with a good position. Because the Rook
is stil l on f8, the only defense for Black
involves defending h7 with . . . Be4 .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 6 ... Kxh 7 1 7 .NgS+ Kg8
1 7... Kg6 1 8.Qd 3+! ( 1 8.h4? QxeS=;
215
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
1 8 . 0 g 4 ? N x e S = ) 1 8 . . . fS 1 9 . 0 g 3 O x e S
20.Bf4!+-
1 8.QhS Be4 1 9.Nxe4 QxeS 20.Qf3 ±
Exercise 1 5
Last Moves: 1 0.cS dxcS 1 1 .eS N d S
Verd ict: 1 2 .Bxh 7+!
Commentary
With Kn ights o n d S a n d d 7 a n d
a Queen bearing down on e S , Wh ite
should not expect to get a forced win
out of the sacrifice. Black can easi ly give
back the material by playing a Kn ight to
f6 . H owever, White does come out with
a good position in all lines. As you play
through these l ines note how White's at­
tack j ust loses its pep once the exchange
occurs on f6 .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 2 ... Kxh 7 1 3 .NgS+ Kg6
1 3 . . . K g 8 1 4 . 0 h S N 7f6 l S . exf6 N xf6
21 6
1 6.0h4 e S 1 7.Rac 1 b 6 t
1 4.Qc2+
1 4 . 0 g 4 fS l S . 0 g 3 ( l S . 0 h4 ? T h i s i s
typica l l y a ve ry strong move when Black's
maj o r pi eces a re not co n n ected o n the
back row, but h e re it fa i l s beca u se not
only does Black have two Knig hts tra i n ed
o nto f6, but h i s O u een ca n sweep across
the 7th ra n k to hit the crucia l h 7-sq u a re
a l l owi n g B l a c k to re s p o n d to 1 4 . . . N f6 !
l S . N xf6 ? ! w i t h l S . . . exf6 ! i n stead of t h e
m o r e n o r m a l . . . N xf6 . ) l S . . .f4 1 6 . 0 g 4
( 1 6 . 0 h 3 N 7f6 t ) 1 6 . . . N 7f6 1 7 . exf6 N xf6
1 8.N xe6+ Nxg4t
1 4 ...fS
1 4 ... Kxg S ? ? l S .0h 7+-
1 S .exf6+ Kxg S
l S ... Kxf6 1 6.0 h 7±
1 6.fxg7 Kh6 1 7 .gxf8=Q+ Nxf8
Exercise 1 6
Last Moves: 1 1 .Nf1 cxd4 1 2 .Ng3 B b4
Verd ict: 1 3 .Bxh 7+!1
 Module 7 : Solutions

Commentary Exercise 1 7
The sacrifice doe not "work, " but it is Last Moves: 1 1 .Bd2 0-0 1 2 .Bd3 Ba6
the best option White has. With perfect
defense Black keeps an advantage, but
not a decisive one.
Th e Kn ight on g3 makes anything
other than . . . Kg8 impossible. There are
several ways fo r Bl ack to use his free
move (since the Rook is al ready on e8 )
to defend the various squares. The key is
for Wh ite to figure out how to best use
his extra Kn ight on the K-side.
Verd ict: 1 3 .Bxh 7+?
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 3 ... Kxh 7 1 4.NgS+ Kg8 Commentary
1 4 ... Kg6?? l S .0hS#; White probably should have real ized
1 4...0xg S ? ! l S .BxgS Bxe 1 1 6.0xe 1 his extremely stro ng opponent ( Boris
NdxeSoo Gulko) would not have left hi mself open
1 S.QhS NdxeS to an easy kill. Black has an often-over­
l S ... N fB 1 6.0xf7 + KhB 1 7 . 0 h S + KgB looked way of putting a piece on h7.
1 B.Of7+=;
l S ... N cxeS 1 6.0h7+ KfB 1 7.0hB+ Ke7 Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 B.NfS + Kf6 1 9.0xg 7+ KxfS 20.g4++-; 1 3 ... Kxh 7 1 4.NgS+ Kg8 1 S.QhS Qxc2-+
l S ... Nf6 1 6.0xf7 KhB 1 7.Re4+-; 1 6.g4 Qd3
l S ... Re7 1 6.0h7+ KfB 1 7.0hB#
1 6.RxeS NxeS 1 7.Qh7+ Kf8 1 8. N h S Exercise 1 8
1 B.OhB+?! Ke7 1 9.0xg 7 Kd 7 20.N xf7 Last Moves: 1 2.Bd3 QaS+ 1 3 .c3 d4
N xfl 2 1 .0xf7+ Kc6 2 2 . B g S Od 7 2 3 . 0f6+
Re6 24.0xd4 BcS-+
1 8 ... Ke7 1 9.Qxg 7 Kd 7 20.Nf6+ Kc6
20 ... Kc7? 2 1 . Bf4.
2 1 .Nxe8 Qxe8 22. Bf4oo

21 7
 Module 7 : Cl assic Greek Gifts

Verd i ct: 1 4.Bxh 7+? Verd ict: 1 2.Bxh 7+?

Commentary Commentary
I h o p e this exercise d i d n o t catch I must admit that I don't know what
you . It is true that Black's Roo k is stil l White, a 2 3 00+ player, thought he was
on f8 and he h a s no way of defending going to get here. I hope you saw that
h7 in one move, but you have to check Black can easily defend h 7 .
for checks !
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
Analysis, Variations, and Notes 12 ••. Kxh 7 1 3 . N g S + Kg8 1 4.QhS BfS-+
14 •.• Kxh 7 1 S.QhS+
1 5 . N g 5 + ? Kg8 1 6. Q h 5 Qxe5+ 1 7 . Kfl Exercise 2 0
Qf5-+ Last Moves: 2 1 .Rb 1 N a 4 22.Rc2 Qxa3
lS •.. Kg8 1 6.0-0 f6

Exercise 1 9
Last M oves: 1 0.Re1 0-0 1 1 .bS N a S

Verd i ct: 2 3 .Bxh7+!?

218
 Module 7 : Solutions

Commentary
This sacrifice is theoretically broken,
but B l ack has a formidab l e and easy
plan of advancing his connected passed
pawns, so Wh ite had to try something.
Plus, he's a whole pawn down .
I'm putting the actual game l ine here
so you see for yourself how even very
strong players can lose won games when
they have to defend. Note that Black is
around 2400 and White is around 2 1 00 Verd ict: 1 S.Bxh 7+?
Elo.
Commentary
Analysis, Variations, and Notes B lack has ful ly viab l e ways of de­
23 ••• Kxh 7 24.N g S + Kh6 fending his h7-square, so this sacrifice
24 ... Kg 8 ? ? 2S.QhS Qd3 26.e4+-; cannot be good. White has a perfectly
24 ... Kg6 2 S .Qg4 fS 26.Q h4. Th i s tri c k good game and should have just contin­
d o e s n o t work a s wel l w h e n f6 i s ava i l a b l e ued with c4 here.
for the b l a c k K i n g . 26 . . .Qe7-+. In the actual game, Black decli ned
2S .Qg4 Qe7 26.Qh4+ Kg 6 2 7.f4 the sacrifice ! !
27.Qh7+ Kxg S 28.Qxg 7+ KfS-+
27 ••• fS Analysis, Variations, and Notes
B l a c k i s t h e o re t i c a l l y safe a n d w e l l 1S ••• Kxh 7 1 6.NgS+ Kg8 1 7.QhS Bd3-+
a h ead, but he has to be ca refu l .
Exercise 22
Exercise 2 1 Last Moves: 1 3 .Qe2 0-0 1 4.eS NfxdS
Last Moves: 1 3 .exd6 Nxc3 1 4.bxc3 Bxd6

219
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Verd i ct: l S .Bxh7+! Verd ict: 1 9.Bxh 7+?

Commentary
It's easy to tell there is no hope i n
the . . . KgB line. Th is game sh ows well
the usefulness of playing an early h4 in
the . . . Kg6 line when you have a Bishop
that can "see " h 6 .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
l S . . . Kxh 7 1 6.NgS+ Kg6
1 6 ... KgB 1 7.Qh5 Qxg 5±
1 7 .h4 Rh8 1 8.hS+ Rxh S .
Now w e s e e t h a t Q g 4 wou l d h a v e j u st
been a wa sted m ove.
1 9.Qe4+ f S 20.exf6+ Kxf6 2 1 .Qf3+
Ke7
21 ... Kg6 22.Qf7 Kh6 2 3 . N xe6+
22 .QxhS
Exercise 23
Last Moves: 1 7.BxfS cxd4 1 8.Nxd 7 Nxd7
Commentary
Wh ite has no pawn on e5 or Rook
on e 1 , so he lacks the basic setup for
this sac. Furthermore, Bl ack can defend
h7 via Be4 . Worse, Bl ack can easily bring
his queen in after . . . Bxh2+ and . . . Qg3, so
this sacri fice is very poor.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 9 ... Kxh 7
I n the a c t u a l ga me, B la ck d ec l i ned t h e
sa cr ifi ce ! My a s s u m pt i o n i s that he o n l y
ca l c u l a ted ... Kg 8 rath e r t h a n t h e ot h e r
o pti o n s.
20.N gS+ Kh6!
The sta n d a rd way of d ea l i ng with t h i s
fa i l s m i sera bly.
20 ... Kg6 i s safe a s wel l , but not q u ite a s
good. 2 1 .Qg4 7 1 B x h 2 + 22.Kh 1 f5;
20 ... Kg 8 ? 2 1 .Q h 5 B x h 2 + 2 2 . K h 1 Be4
2 3 . N xe4 Qc6 24. N g S Qh6 2 S .Qxh6 gxh6

22 0
 Module 7 : Solutions
26.Kxh2 hxg 5 27.exd4 g ives White a good
position.
2 1 .Qg41
2 1 . N xf7+ Rxf7 2 2 . Rxf7 B x h 2 + 2 3 . Kfl
Qg 3-+
21 ... Bxh2+ 22.Kh 1 Qg3
Exercise 24
Last Moves: 1 4.Nfl c5 1 5 .dxc5 Bxc5
Verd ict: 1 6.Bxh7+!
Commentary
Th e o n ly va riati on that has to be
l o o ked at is the possib i l i ty of Bxf2 + ,
which might throw a spanner into the
works.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 6 ... Kxh 7 1 7 .Ng5+ Kg8 1 8.Qh5 Bxf2
1 9.Kh 1
1 9.Kxf2? Qb6+ a l l ows Black to get his
Queen to g6 or h6, after which there is no
attack.
1 9 ... Qxg 5
I n t h e g a m e , 1 9 . . . R e B wa s p l a ye d ,
which you s h o u l d recog n ize a s mate i n 5 .
It i s i nterest i n g t o see w h y B l a c k can not
get his material back.
1 9 ... ReB 20.Qxf7+ KhB 2 1 . Q h 5 + Kg B
22.Qh7+ KfB 23.QhB+
20.Bxg 5 Bxe 1 2 1 .Bf6!! gxf6
2 1 ... N xf6 2 2 .exf6 g xf6 2 3 . Rxe l RaeB
24.Qg4+ KhB 2 5 . RxeB RxeB 26.Qd7.
22 .exf6 Nxf6 2 3 .Qg5+ Kh7 24.Qxf6-+
Exercise 25
La st Moves: 2 0 . b 3 N x a 3 2 1 .Bxa3 Bxa 3
Verd ict: 22 .Bxh7+?!
Commentary
White is not in a very good position,
but he should have known th is sacrifice
would not work. Bl ack has two ways of
defending the h7 -square. H e can play
Nf6 or Qxc2, either of which would al-
low adequate defense.
22 1
 Module
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
22 ••• Kxh 7 2 3 . N g S + Kg8 24.QhS Nf6
2 S .Qh4 Qxc2-+
Exercise 26
Last Moves: 1 3 .Qe2 NaS 1 4.BgS Bxg S
Verd i ct: l S .Bxh7+!
Commentary
The sacrifice does not b ring a win-
n i n g position, b u t it a l l ows Wh ite to
move his poorly pl aced Queen (poorly
placed due to the threat of . . . Nb3-c l . )
Because B l ack's Ro o k a n d Q u e e n
have b oth moved, B l ack h a s plenty of
time to s ave h i s king, but he stil l has
to be carefu l . In the actual game, Black
blundered and White missed his oppor­
tunity to win.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
l S .NxgS h6 1 6. N h 3 N b3 .
lS ••• Kxh 7 1 6.Nxg S+ Kg8
222
7: Cl assic Greek Gifts
1 6 . . . K g 6 1 7 . Q g 4 fS 1 8 . Q g 3 ( 1 8 . Q h 4
N f6 ) 1 8 . . . Q e 7 1 9 . N xe6+ Kf7 . N o rm a l l y I
d o n ot s u g g est ca s h i n g i n l i ke t h i s, b u t
here Wh ite can merc i l essly t i e u p Black's
pieces ba sed o n the pin d own the d-fi l e.
2 0 . N x d 8+ Qxd 8 2 1 . R d 1 Be6 2 2 . Qf3 Q d 7
2 3 . N c3 R d 8 24. R d 3 N c 6 2 S . R a d 1 N ce7
26.N e4 Kf8 2 7 . N d 6.
1 7.Qh S + N b3 1 8.Qh7+ Kf8 1 9.Qh8+
Ke7 20.Qxg 7 Rf8 2 1 .Nc3 Nxc3 22.bxc3
Nxa 1 2 3 . N h 7
T h e n B l a c k c r a c ke d , n o t wa n t i n g a
d raw.
23 ••• Bd7? 24.QgS+ Ke8
I n t h e a ct u a l g a m e , W h i t e p l a y e d
2 S . N f6 + , l ea d i n g to a n e q u a l p o s i t i o n
h e l a t e r l o st . 2 S . R d 1 W i t h N f6-d 7-f8 t o
fol l ow.
Exercise 2 7
Last Moves: 1 3 .Rel Nc6 1 4.Bc2 Ne7
Verd ict: l S. Bxh 7+! ?
 Module 7 : Solutions

Commentary he accepts the sacrifice and then retreats.

Black can put double defense on h7, H owever, given the fragility of the eS
but White can foil that defense i n the pawn, White has to be careful that . . . Kg6
. . . KgB l ine. H owever, the . . . Kg6 l ine does not save Black.
leads to an unclear position. In the actual game, Black simply al­
lowed White to keep the pawn.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
lS ••• Kxh 7 1 6.NgS+ Kg6! Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 6 ... Kg B ? 1 7 . Q h S Bxf2+ 1 B . K h 1 Q c 2 13 ••• Kxh 7 1 4.NgS+ Kg6
1 9. N d e4 Bxe4 20.Rxe4 RfcB 2 1 .Qxf7+ K h B 1 4 ... Kg B l S . Q h S N f6 1 6.exf6 is mate
22.Q h S + K g B 2 3 . Q h 7 + (23. Be3 i s n o t q u ite i n six.
as g ood s i n ce Black cou l d p l a y ... NfB a n d l S .Qd3+!
p ray.) 23 . . . KfB 24.QhB+ N g B 2 S . Be3 l S .Qg4 Qc6 forces Wh ite to be satis­
1 7 .h4 Rh8 1 8.Qg4 fS 1 9.exf6 Bxf2+ fi ed w i t h a m i n o r m a t e ri a l a d v a n t a g e :
20.Kxf2 QcS+ 2 1 .Kf1 QfS+ 2 2.QxfS + 1 6 . N xe 6 + K h 7 1 7 . N d B Qxg 2 1 B . Qx g 2 +
NxfSoo Bxg2 1 9.Kx g 2 .
lS fS 1 6.Ne2 QxeS 1 7.Nf4+ Kxg S
•••

Exercise 28 1 7 ... Kf6 1 B.Bc3.

La st Moves: 1 1 .Qe2 0-0 1 2.eS N e8 1 8.Qg3+ Kf6 1 9. N h S + Kf7 20.QxeS

Exercise 29
La st Moves: 1 2 .Nb3 Ba7 1 3 . Re 1 Bb7

Verd ict: 1 3 .Bxh7+!

Commentary
Black is too cooped up to survive if Verd ict: 1 4.Bxh7+!

223
 Module
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
22 ••• Kxh 7 23.NgS+ KgS 24.QhS Nf6
2S.Qh4 Qxc2-+
Exercise 26
La st Moves: 1 3 .Qe2 NaS 1 4.BgS Bxg S
Verd ict: l S.Bxh7+!
Commentary
The sacrifice does not b ring a win-
ning position, but i t a l l ows White to
move his poorly pl aced Queen (poorly
pl aced due to the threat of . . . Nb 3 -c 1 . )
Because B l ack's R o o k and Queen
h ave b oth moved, B l ack has plenty of
time to save h i s ki ng, but he stil l has
to be careful . I n the actual game, Black
blundered and White missed his oppor­
tunity to win.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
l S .NxgS h6 1 6. N h 3 N b3 .
lS ••• Kxh 7 1 6.NxgS+ KgS
222
7: Cl assic Greek Gifts
1 6 . . . K g 6 1 7 . Q g 4 fS 1 8 . Q g 3 ( 1 8 . Q h 4
N f6 ) 1 8 . . . Q e 7 1 9 . N xe6+ Kf7 . N o rm a l l y I
d o not s u g g est ca s h i n g i n l i ke t h i s, b u t
here Wh ite ca n merc i l essly t i e u p Black's
pieces ba sed o n the pin d own the d-fi l e.
2 0 . N x d 8 + Qxd 8 2 1 . R d 1 Be6 22.Qf3 Q d 7
2 3 . N c 3 R d 8 24. R d 3 N c6 2 S . Ra d 1 N c e 7
26. N e4 Kf8 2 7 . N d6.
1 7.Qh S + N b3 1 S.Qh7+ KfS 1 9.QhS+
Ke7 20.Qxg7 RfS 2 1 .Nc3 Nxc3 22.bxc3
Nxa 1 2 3 . N h 7
T h e n B l a c k c ra c ke d , n o t wa n t i n g a
d raw.
23 ••• Bd7? 24.QgS+ KeS
I n t h e a ct u a l g a m e , W h i t e p l a ye d
2 S . N f6 + , l ea d i n g to a n e q u a l p o s i t i o n
h e l a t e r l o st. 2 S . Rd 1 W i t h N f6-d 7 -f8 to
fol l ow.
Exercise 27
Last Moves: 1 3 . Re 1 N c6 1 4. Bc2 Ne7
Verd i ct: l S.Bxh7+!?
 Module 7 : Solutions
Commentary
Black can put double defense on h 7,
but White can foil that defense in the
. . . Kg8 l ine. H owever, the . . . Kg6 l ine
leads to an unclear position.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
l S ... Kxh 7 1 6.NgS+ Kg61
1 6 . . . Kg B ? 1 7 . Q h S Bxf2+ 1 B . K h 1 Q c 2
1 9. N d e4 Bxe4 20.Rxe4 RfcB 2 1 .Qxf7+ K h B
22.Q h S + KgB 2 3 . Q h 7 + (23.Be3 i s n o t q u ite
as good s i n ce Black cou l d p l a y ... NfB a n d
p ray.) 23 . . . Kf8 24.QhB+ N g B 2 S . Be3
1 7 .h4 Rh8 1 8.Qg4 fS 1 9.exf6 Bxf2+
20.Kxf2 QcS+ 2 1 .Kf1 QfS+ 2 2.QxfS+
NxfSoo
Exercise 28
La st Moves: 1 1 .Qe2 0-0 1 2.eS N e8
Verd ict: 1 3 .Bxh7+1
Commentary
Black is too cooped up to survive if
he accepts the sacrifice and then retreats.
H owever, given the fragility of the eS
pawn, White has to be careful that . . . Kg6
does not save Black.
In the actual game, Black simply al­
lowed White to keep the pawn.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 3 ... Kxh 7 1 4.NgS+ Kg6
1 4 ... Kg B 1 S . Q h S N f6 1 6.exf6 is mate
i n six.
l S .Qd3+1
1 S .Qg4 Qc6 forces Wh ite to be satis­
fi ed w i t h a m i n o r m a t e ri a l a d v a n t a g e :
1 6 . N xe 6 + K h 7 1 7 . N d B Q x g 2 1 B . Q x g 2 +
Bxg2 1 9. Kxg2.
l S ...fS 1 6. N e2 QxeS 1 7.Nf4+ Kxg S
1 7 ... Kf6 1 B.Bc3.
1 8.Qg3+ Kf6 1 9. N h S + Kf7 20.QxeS
Exercise 29
La st Moves: 1 2 .Nb3 Ba7 1 3 . Re 1 Bb7
Verd ict: 1 4.Bxh7+1
223
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
Commentary
This was played by the Norwegi an
w u n d e r k i n d M a g n u s C a r l s e n . Th e
Kn ight on e7 more or less means the
. . . KgB option is not going to work wh ile
the poor placement of the Queen and
lack of protection of e6 means . . . Kg6 is
simil arly doomed (since Nxe6 will hit
the Queen . )
Obviously, . . . Kh6 i s not hard to beat
either, though it represents Black's best
option.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 4 ... Kxh 7 1 S .NgS+ Kg6
l S . . . KgB 1 6 . Q h S R e B 1 7 . Qxf7 + K h B
1 B.QhS+;
l S ... Kh6 1 6 . Bf4 Q b6 1 7 . N x e 6 + Kh 7
1 B.NgS+
1 6.Qg4 NxeS 1 7.BxeS fS 1 8.Qg3 f4
1 9.Qg4 NfS 20.Nxe6+
Exercise 30
La st Moves: 1 1 .Nf3 b 6 1 2 .h4 Ba6
Verd i ct: 1 3 . Bxh7+?!
224
Commentary
I f Wh ite had followed up correctly,
he would have had an interesting game,
but it is not clear that even then the sac­
rifice is worthwh ile. I n any event, the
ab ility fo r B l ack to defend h7 should
have made him calcul ate deeply before
doing th is.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 3 ... Kxh 7 1 4.NgS+ Kg8 1 S .fS
l S .Qh S ? Bd 3 +
1 S ... Bd3 1 6.f6 gxf600
Th i s l e a d s to r i c h p o s i t i o n s d efy i n g
clea r eva l uati o n .
1 6. . .dxeS 1 7.fxe7 (1 7.fxg7 Kxg7 1 B.Qg4
KhB a n d Black i s stra ngely safe.) 1 7 ... Qxe7
1 B.Qf3 Bc4 (l B ... e4 1 9. Nxe4 Bxe4 20.Qxe4
N d 7 100ks a l ittle better for Wh ite.) 1 9.QhS
(1 9.QxaB?? BdS) 1 9 ... Bd 3 20.Qf3 Y2-Y2.
1 7 .exf6 Bxf6 1 8.Qf3 Qc4
1 B ... BfS 1 9.94.
1 9 .Qxf6 N d 7
Exercise 3 1
Last Moves: 1 2 .Bd3 NfS 1 3 .N gf3 Ne3
 Module 7 : Solutions
Verd i ct: 1 4.Bxh7+!
Commentary
Th is position is abnormal in that the
Queen is already on the K-side, which
gives Wh i te an o p t i o n he n o rm a l l y
would not have.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 4 . . . Kxh 7 1 S .QhS+!
There i s n o n eed to play Ngs+ if t h e
Queen can g e t t o h s w i t h o u t it.
1 s . N g s + White can sti l l g et an attack
here, but it i s by no mea n s co n c l u sive. 1 5 ...
Kg6 1 6.Qg 3 Nfs 1 7.Qf3 with a pawn storm
com i n g .
l S . . . Kg 8 1 6.NgS+ QxgS 1 7.Qxg S f6
1 8.exf6 Rxf6 1 9.Nf3
Black cannot get enough for his Queen.
Exercise 32
La st Moves: 1 7.Be3 Qc7 1 8.BxcS BxcS
Verd ict: 1 9.Bxh7+!
Commentary
It should not be too hard to see that
the sacrifice should work here, even if
some of the l i nes that come out of it
are longish. Black has no way to defend
the important K-side squares. Whatever
small help is given by the Queen having
vacated dB is more than cancelled by the
open f-file and the extra Knight Wh ite
has on the K-side. Thus . . . KgB should
not work. . . . Kg6 is the natural defense
but once again the extra Kn ight is too
much to handle.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 9 ... Kxh 7 20. N g S + Kg6
20 ... KgB 2 1 . Q h s + RfcB 2 2 .Q h 7+ Kf8
2 3 . N xe6+! The fa stest way to victo ry, but
there a re severa l others.;
20 ... Kh6 2 1 . N g4+ Kg6 (21 ... Kxg s 22.Nf6
gxf6 2 3 . h4+ Kxh4 24. Rf4+ Kg s 2 s .Qg4+
225
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Kh6) 2 2 .Qe4+ fS 2 3 .exf6+ Kxg S 24. h4+ the e6 pawn change all that.
KhS 2S.Qh7+ Kxg4 26.Qg6 Kxh4 27.Rf3 .
2 1 .Qe4+! Analysis, Variations, and Notes
S i n c e B l a c k c a n d e st r o y e S , t h i s i s 1 6 ... Kxh 7 1 7.Nxg5+ Kg6
m u c h better than Qg4. 1 7 . . . KgB 1 B . Q h S N 7f6 1 9 . exf6 N xf6
21 ... f5 22.exf6+ Kxg 5 2 3 . N h 3 + Kh6 20.Qh4 a n d the th reat of Ra3-h3 ca n n ot
24.Qh4+ Kg6 25.Nf4+ be m et.
1 8.Qd3 +
Exercise 3 3 1 8.Qg4 N 7f6 1 9.exf6 N xf6 20.Nxe6+
Last M oves: 1 4.e5 N d 5 1 5.Bg5 Bxg 5 1 8 ...f5 1 9.Qg 3 f4 20.Qd3+ Rf5 2 1 .Nxe6
Nxe5 22.dxe5 Qf7 23.Nc5

Exercise 34
Last Moves: Qd6 24.b3 Na3 25 .c4 Qb41!

Verd ict: 1 6.Bxh7+!

Commentary
Generally speaking, this position
does not look like one where the sac­
rifice works. The Knights on dS and d7
generally suggest . . . Kg6 will prove an
okay defense, and ( if that proves insuf­
ficient), Black can at least get material
equality after . . . Kg8 by sacrificing on f6 .
However, the ability to play Ra3, the un­
fortunate placement of the black Queen,
and the under-defended condition of
Verd ict: 26.Bxh7+!
Commentary
This position is from a GM clash in
the 2006 Russian championships.
Black's Bishop on f8 takes away a
fl ight square, as a Rook there typically
does. The protection given to g7 is irrel­
evant. ( I t might be relevant if the Bishop

22 6
 Module 7 : Solutions
were on f6 instead. ) However, to make
certain the . . . KgB option fails, White has
to check that Black's ability to protect h7
with his Queen does not spoil things.
The extra Knight on g3 should make
t h e . . . Kg6 o p t i o n i m p o s s i b l e, eve n
though White has no pawn on eS.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
26 ... Kxh 7 27.NgS+ Kg8
2 7 ... Kg6 28.Q h S + Kf6 29.Qxf7+ Kxg S
30.QfS +
28.QhS Qxe 1 + 29.Kh2 Q b 1 30.Qxf7+
Kh8 3 1 .NfS
Exercise 3 5
La st Moves: 1 1 .bS bxcS 1 2.dxcS BxcS
Verd ict: 1 3 .Bxh7+?!
Commentary
This sacrifice should give White only
a small (but definite) advantage. H ow­
ever, had White played NxcS ! first, he
would have gotten much more out of
it since after Bl ack replies . . . NxcS, the
. . . KgB is no longer an option. I nstead,
Black has a more difficult time defend­
ing after . . . Kg6 .
1 3 . N x c S N x c S 1 4 . B x h 7 + Kx h 7
l S . NgS + KgB 1 6 . QhS and Black has to
give up his Queen for the Knight.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 3 ... Kxh 7 1 4.NgS+ Kg8 1 S .NxcS Nf6 ;';;
B l a c k fa i l ed to see what s h o u l d have
b e e n o bv i o u s d a n g e r h e re . I n st ead of
... Nf6, h e p layed ... NxcS?
l S ... NxcS? 1 6. Q h S .
Exercise 36
La st Moves: 1 3 .Re1 0-0 1 4. Re3 Rfd8
Verd ict: 1 S.Bxh7+!
Commentary
The sacri fice wo rks here, but you
have to play some i n-between moves
22 7
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

to prevent monkey wrenches. You also Commentary

have to calcul ate the l ine where Bl ack It's hard to resist the sacrifice here,
can put protection on the f7 -pawn with and it certai n ly makes good p racti ce
his Queen . This game illustrates a useful chess (even at very high levels . . . in this
sacrifice in the . . . Kg6 l ine that is avail­ game Alexander Baburin, the I rishman
able when the e-file is open . who has taught countless people how to
play with I Q P and hanging pawn posi­
Analysis, Variations, and Notes tions, was playing Wh ite. )
1S ••• Kxh 7 1 6.exd 6 It is worth noti ng, if only as a les­
1 6. N g S + ? Bxg S . son in prudence, that the sacrifice is not
16 ••• Bxd6 1 7.NgS+ Kg8 totally sound, even with the powerful
1 7 ... Kg6 1 B . N xe6 fx e6 1 9 . 0 g 4 + Kf7 Bishop on b2 and open f-file. Anytime
20.0xe6+ KfB 2 1 . R h 3 . the stock conditions are not met (as is
1 8.Bxd6 Qxd6 1 9.Qh S Qf4 the case here - the Kn ight on d7 can
1 9 ... Nf6 20.0xf7+ KhB 2 1 . R h 3 + h o p to f8 without prep aratio n ) , you
20.Qh7+ Kf8 2 1 . Rxe6 must take i nto consideration all your
opponent's resources.
Exercise 3 7
Last Moves: 1 8.Nxd7 Nxd7 1 9.dS Re7 Analysis, Variations, and Notes
20 ••• Kxh7+ 2 1 .NgS+ Kg 8
2 1 .. Kg6? i s s u i c i d e g iven the open a 1 -
.

hB d ia g o n a l a n d the open f-fi le.

22.QhS Nf8 2 3 . Rf3 Bxh2+ 24.Kh 1 Rd6
2S .Bxg 7 Kxg7 26.Rcf1 fS!!
26 ... Bf4 wa s played i n the actua l ga me,
but with B l ack's pieces enta n g l ed, Wh ite
has time to tig hten the noose. 27.Rh3 Ng6
2B.Rxf4 Nxf4 29.0hB+ Kg6+-
27.Rh3
Verd ict: 20.Bxh 7+I? 27.RxfS ? ! Bf4 + with ... Rh6 to fo l l ow.
27 ••• Ng6 28.Rxh2
I t ' s a n yo n e ' s g u e s s w h i c h s i d e i s
better.

22 8
 Module 7 : Solutions
Exercise 38
Last Moves: 9.0-0 Bd 7 1 0.Re1 0-0
Verd i ct: 1 1 .Bxh7+!
Commentary
It should be obvious that Black can­
not survive after . . . Kg8 .
For the . . . Kg6 l i ne, the interesti ng
thing about this diagram is the presence
of the Bishop on d2. This suggests that
playing h4 before Qg4 has more than a
little bite.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 1 ... Kxh 7 1 2 . N g S + Kg6
1 2 . . . Kg 8 1 3 . 0 h 5 Rfc 8 1 4 . 0 xf7 +
Kh8 1 5 .Re3 N g 8 1 -0 wa s the g a m e
conti nuation.
1 3 .h4!
1 3 .0g4 f5 ± is not q u ite as good fo r
Wh ite.
1 3 ... Rh8
1 3 . . . 0 c 8 1 4 . h 5 + K h 6 1 5 . 0 g 4 N f5
1 6. N xf7+ K h 7 1 7 .0g6+ Kg8 1 8. N g 5 .
1 4.Qg4 f S 1 S.exf6 eS 1 6.Ne6+ Kf7
1 7 .dxeS
Exercise 39
Last Moves: 1 2 .eS dxeS 1 3 .fxeS N d S
Verd i ct: 1 4.Bxh7+!
Commentary
Th e sacrifice wo rks, but there are
many places for White to go wrong.
In the . . . Kg6 line, White must avoid
playing the standard Qg4 . In the . . . Kg8
l ine, he has to throw everyth ing at Black
and use all his resources. If you man­
aged to see the entire critical line in that
variation, you should go buy yourself a
chocol ate sundae.
(Note: If you are allergic to chocolate
sundaes, ignore that last part. I won't be
held responsible for any harm caused by
my dietary advice. )
229
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Analysis, Variations, and Notes Commentary

1 4 ... Kxh 7 1 S .NgS+ KgS Th e sacrifice does n o t wo rk here
1 5 ... Kg6 1 6.Qd 3 ( 1 6.Qg471 N 7f6) 1 6 ... because Black can safely protect f7 with
f5 1 7.exf6 Kxf6 1 B. Rf1 + his Queen.
1 6.QhS NfS
1 6 . . . N 7f6 1 7 . Qxf7 + K h B 1 B . R e4 Bf5 Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 9.Rh4+ B h 7 was the g a m e conti n uation, 16 ..• Kxh 7 1 7.NgS+ KgS 1 S.Bxd6 Qxd 6
w h e n Wh ite p l ayed 2 0 . exf6 i n st e a d of 1 9.QhS Qf4 20.Qh7+ KfS 2 1 .QhS+ Ke7
20.Qg6I, w i n n i n g a piece without opening 22 .Qxg 7 +
the e-fi l e.
1 7.Qxf7+ KhS 1 S.QhS+ KgS 1 9. Rf1 Be6 Exercise 4 1
20.RxfS+ KxfS 2 1 .QhS+ BgS 22.Bd2 Last M oves: 1 6.eS NcS 1 7 .exd6 Bxd6
Qd7 23 .e6
23.Rf1 +? Ke7 24. N e4 Kd B 2 5 . B g 5 + Nf6
26. N cd 6 Bxd6 2 7 . N xd 6 Kc7 2B.exf6 Kb6!!
29.NxeB Qxd4+ 30.Kh 1 RxeB.
23 .•• Rxe6 24.Rf1 +

Exercise 40
Last Moves: 1 4.Re1 Rfd S 1 S .exd 6 Bxd6

Verd ict: 1 S.Bxh 7+!?

Commentary
This position requires a certain de­
gree of perseverance.
Bl ack's King starts off with a little
extra space, and the f7 -pawn is already
defended once. The problem is that it is
Verd ict: 1 6. Bxh 7+? hard to keep it defended given the pres­
sure of White's Rooks down the central
files. The threat of a Rook lift is the straw

23 0
 Module 7 : Solutions

the breaks the camel's back. Exercise 42

It's good to keep in mind the power Last Moves: 6.Nf3 Ne7 7.Bd3 0-0
of the p i n on the e-pawn here fo r a
critical move or two (when White has
the prospect of Qh8 # ) . White's f-pawn
throws a maj or wrench into Black's hope
of playing . . . Kg6 because it stops his
own f-pawn march ... f5-f4.

Analysis, Variations, and Notes

lS ••• Kxh 7 1 9.NgS+ KgS
1 9 ... Kg6 20.Qg4 f5 2 1 .Qg 3 .
20.QhS N d S
20 . . . Kf8 2 1 . N d 5 ! exd 5 22.Qh8#;
20 .. .f5 2 1 . N d 5 .
2 1 .fS I
Th i s m a kes use of two sepa rate p i n s.
The h i d d e n point to t h i s move is actu a l l y
t o g e t pawn s u p po rt o n e 6 beca use even
though Black has th ree pieces h itti ng that
sq u a re, one of them (th e pawn o n fl) i s
p i n ned t o t h e R o o k o n e8, a n other (th e
K n i g ht o n d 8) i s needed t o p rotect f7.
2 1 .Qh7+?! Kf8 22.Qh8+ Ke7 23 .Qxg 7
Kd 7 24.b4 s h o u l d n ot l ea d to a nyth i n g
g reater tha n a sma l l adva ntage for Wh ite
so long a s Black plays a wel l-ti med . . . Qxc2
o n ce the Knig hts l eave the c-fi le.
21 ••• Qc6
21 ... e5 22.Re3 Kf8 (22 ... N d 7 2 3 . R h 3 Kf8
24.N e6+) 23.N h 7+ Ke7 24.f6+ gxf6 25.Nxf6
Qb8 26. N c d 5 +
22.Rf3
Verd ict: S.Bxh7+1
Commentary
G iven t h a t Wh i t e c a n p l ay B g 5 ,
Black's Knight on e7 more or less spells
doom in the . . . Kg8 variation. That same
Bishop means . . . Kg6 can be met with h4
(especially since White has not castled)
and . . . Kh6 is out of the question.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
S ••• Kxh 7 9.NgS+ KgS
9 ... Kg6 1 0.h4.
1 0.QhS ReS 1 1 .Qh7+ KfS 1 2 .QhS+ NgS
1 3 . N h 7+ Ke7 1 4.BgS+
Exercise 43
La st Moves: S.Bd3 d6 9.exd6 0-0

23 1
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Commentary
With no pawn on eS ( or a surrogate
Ro o k o n an open e-fi l e ) and Bl ack's
bishop already on f6, defending g7, I
can o n ly assume that Wh ite thought
his pawn storm would smother Black.
No such luck. Black's King has plenty of
time to simply move toward the center.

Analysis, Variations, and Notes

Verd ict: 1 0.Bxh 7+? 1 S ... Kxh 7 1 6.NgS+ KgS
1 6 ... Kh6 1 7.Qc2 96 i s fi ne fo r B l ack as
Commentary wel l .
The sacrifice does not work here at 1 7 .Qc2
all because Black can defend h 7 easily. 1 7 .Q h 5 B d 3 .
1 7 ... ReS 1 S.g4 cxd4 1 9.Qh7+ KfS
Analysis, Variations, and Notes 20.cxd4
10 .•• Kxh 7 1 1 .NgS+ KgS 1 2 .Qd3
1 2.Qh5 Bf5 . Exercise 45
12 ..• g6 1 3 .Qg3 ReS+ 1 4.Kf1 Qa S Last Moves: 1 3 .Bd3 d 6 1 4.h4 N d 7
1 S .Bf4 QbS+ 1 6.Kg 1 Nd4

Exercise 44
Last Moves: 1 3 .Nf3 QcS 1 4.h4 Ba6

Verd ict: 1 S.Bxh7+!?

Verd ict: 1 S.Bxh7+?

232
 Module 7 : Solutions
Commentary
This is not a real sacrifice since Black
has to give back the material immedi­
ately. The Bishop on d2 makes . . . Kh6
i mpossible. Furthermore, that Bishop
plus the advanced h4-pawn plus White's
Rook on h I mean . . . Kg6 is equally im­
possible. So the only defense is . . . KgB
followed by . . . Be4 .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 S ... Kxh 7 1 6.NgS+ Kg8
1 6 ... Kg6 1 7. h s +;
1 6 ... Kh6 1 7. Nxe6+
1 7 .QhS Be4 1 8.exd6 Qxd 6
1 B ... Bxd6 does not g ive Black m uch for
h i s materi a l .
1 9.Nxe4 Qc6
Black has active play for the pawn.
20.Qf3
Exercise 46
Last Moves: 1 1 .Na3 0-0 1 2 . N b S Qb8
Verd ict: 1 3 .Bxh 7+?
Commentary
The sacrifice fails for three reasons.
Th e b i ggest p ro b l e m is t h a t t h e
es-pawn i s undefended and under at­
tack. The fact that Black's Queen is safely
out of the range of a Kn ight hitting e6
plus the option for Black to . . . NfS mean
that B l ack c a n d e fe n d even t h o ugh
White still has his Bishop on c 1 .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 3 ... Kxh 7 1 4.NgS+ Kg6
1 4 ... Kg B ? ? was p l a yed i n t h e g a m e.
l s . 0 h s R d B 1 6. 0 h 7+ KfB 1 7 . 0 h B + N g B
1 B. N h 7+ Ke7 1 9.Bgs+
1 S .Qd 3 +
l s .h4 i s genera l ly a good play when
yo u r d a rk-s q u a red Bishop i s sti l l o n the
c 1 - h 6 d i a g o n a l . H owever, w i t h the e s
p a w n s o wea k, i t d o e s n ot w o r k h e re .
l s . . . RhB 1 6.0g4? ( 1 6.hs+?! R x h s 1 7. Nxf7
Nxes!) 1 6 ... N xes;
l s . N d 6 ? ! is an i nteresti n g i d ea , b u t
Black h a s a sacrifice o f h i s o w n that m a kes
t h i s l i n e n o better t h a n the text. l s .. .f6
1 6.Ngfl Nxes 1 7. N xes+ fxes 1 B.Og4+ Kh7
1 9.0 h4+ KgB 20.0xe7 Rxf2 ! 2 1 . Rxf2 OfB
22.0f7+ Oxf7 2 3 . N xf7 RfB.
1 S ... NfS 1 6.g4 NxeS 1 7.gxfS+ exfS
Exercise 47
Last Moves: 1 4.bxc3 0-0 1 S.eS N d S
233
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts

Verd ict: 1 6.Bxh 7+! Verd ict: 1 1 .Bxh7+!

Commentary
Black has ways of defending h7, but
they i nvolve too much material loss.
And ... Kg6 ends up failing due to the h4
idea. The key to White's success i n the
. . . Kg6 l ine is that none of Black's p ieces
are hitting the undefended e5-pawn.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
16 ••• Kxh 7 1 7.Ng5+ Kg6 1 8.h4 Qe7
1 B . . . R h B 1 9 . h S + R x h S 2 0 . 0 d 3 + f5
2 1 .exf6+ Kxf6 2 2.0f3+
1 9.h5+
1 9.0g4 f6 20.h S + Kh6 2 1 . N xe6+ Kh 7
2 2 . N xfB+ OxfB 23.0e4+
Exercise 48
Last Moves: 9.0-0 Bb7 1 0. Bf4 c5
Commentary
The "stabled horses " on d7 and e7
m e a n that . . . KgB c a n n o t work. Th e
. . . Kg6 l i n e requ i re s s o m e t h o u g h t,
though.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
11 ••• Kxh 7 1 2 .Ng5+ Kg6
1 2 . . . K g B 1 3 . 0 h S R e B 1 4 . 0xf7 + K h B
l S . Nxe6.
1 3 .Qg4
1 3 .h4?! i s n o t a s g ood a s it n o r m a l l y
i s w h e n White sti l l h a s h i s d a rk-sq u a red
B i s h o p . S i n ce B l a c k has t h ree p i eces h it­
t i n g f6, he ca n afford to m ove h i s Rook
over to hB. 1 3 ... R h B 1 4.0g4. Th i s i s espe.;.
cia l l y potent with a piece o r pawn o n f4 to
sto p Black fro m playing .. .f4-f5, 1 4 .. .f5 .
1 3 .f5 1 4.Qg3
••

T h e th reat of ... N xe6 ca n n ot b e a d ­

eq u ately m et.

234
 Module 7 : Solutions
14 ••• Qc8 1 5 .Nxe6+ Kf7 1 6.Nxg7
e6 looms.
Exercise 49
La st Moves: 9.Bd2 0-0 1 0.Bd3 N d 7
Verd ict: 1 1 .Bxh7+!
Commentary
Black has all sorts of problems here.
White stil l has his dark-squared Bishop,
Black's maj or pieces are not connected
along the back-rank, the d7-Knight cuts
off protection from e6, White still has
h i s Ro o k on h I , and B l ack's Q u e e n
coul d c o m e under fire should Wh ite
switch to the Q-side.
In short, Black is toast.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
11 ••• Kxh 7 1 2.Ng5+ Kg6
1 2 . . . KgB 1 3 . Q h S R d B 1 4 .Qxf7+ K h B
1 S .Nxe6 ( 1 S .Qxe7 i s better, b u t t h e text i s
more thematic.) 1 S ... NfS 1 6.QxfS .
1 3 .h4
1 3 .Qg4. The i d ea of Qg4-h4 can work
a s wel l, but if Black plays accu rately, Wh ite
h a s to be very ca refu l . 1 3 ...f6 ( 1 3 .. .fS was
t h e m o v e p l a ye d i n t h e a ct u a l g a m e ,
which a l lows Wh ite t o ca rry o u t h i s p l a n .
1 4 . Q h 4 f4 1 S . Q h 7 + K x g S 1 6 . h 4+ K g 4
1 7 .f3+ Kg 3 1 B. Kf1 ) 1 4. N xe6+ Kf7 1 S .cxd S
Qxd S 1 6.Nc7 NxeS 1 7.QhS+ N 7g6 1 B.NxdS
B g 4 1 9 . Q h 7 N d 3 + 2 0 . Kf1 RhB 2 1 . Q x h B
RxhB 2 2 . N e 3 .
13 f5
•••
P roba bly the best d efen se. At least it
keeps Wh ite's Q u een off g4.
1 3 .. .f6 1 4.Qc2+ fS 1 S . h S + Kh6 1 6.Qd 3;
1 3 ... NfS 1 4. h S + Kh6 1 S .Qg4.
1 4.Qf3 !
A u sefu l ta ctic to rem e m be r, it g ives
Wh ite's Queen access to the g-fi l e and the
d 3 -sq u a re.
Exercise SO
Last Moves: 1 2.Nf3 B b 7 1 3 .Bd3 N c4
Verd ict: 1 4.Bxh7+!
235
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
Commentary
H ere we see a good example of the
p rob l e m s caused by a Kn ight on e 7
when the e6-pawn is not defended .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 4 ... Kxh 7 1 S.NgS+ Kg6
l S . . . KgB 1 6 . Q h S ReB 1 7 . Q xf7 + K h B
l B.QhS+ KgB 1 9.Qh7+ KfB 20.Nxe6+
1 6.Qg4 fS 1 7.Qg3
1 7.exf6 works a l so, showi ng the fel ici­
tou s placement of the K n i g h t o n bS i s not
req u i red for the sacrifice to be va l i d .
1 7 ... Qd7 1 S.Nxe6+ Kf7 1 9.Qxg 7+ Kxe6
20.N d4#
Exercise 5 1
Last Moves: 6.Nf3 0-0 7.Bd3 cS
Verd ict: S.Bxh 7+1
Commentary
S i nce Wh i te's B i s h o p h i ts gS and
h6, he can be pretty certain neither the
23 6
. . . KgB (with a later . . . NgB ) nor the . . . Kg6
options are going to suffice.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
S ... Kxh 7 9.NgS+ Kg6
9 . . . K g B 1 0 . Q h S R e B 1 1 . Q h 7 + KfB
1 2.QhB+ N g B 1 3 . N h 7+ Ke7 1 4.BgS+
1 0.h4 QeS 1 1 .Qg4 NfS 1 2 .hS+ Kh6
1 3 .Nge4+ Kh7 1 4.h6 g6 1 S .Nf6+
Exercise 52
Last Moves: 1 S .Bf4 NcS 1 6.Bc2 N e 7
Verd ict: 1 7.Bxh7+1
Commentary
Th is is a textb ook example of the
problems in the . . . Kg6 l ine when Black's
maj or pieces are not connected on the
back row. He si mply has no good way
to meet Qg4-h4 unless he can take on eS
or defend h7 somehow.
It also sh ows the thematic use of
BgS whenever Black's only hope in the
 Module 7 : Solutions
. . . Kg8 variation is an eventual Ng8 play Th e an alysis of the . . . Kg6 l i ne shows
to block a check from a Queen on h 8 .
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 7 Kxh 7 1 8.NgS+ Kg6
•••
1 8 . . . K g 8 1 9 . Q h 5 R d 8 2 0 . Q h 7 + Kf8 commun ication along the back rank of
2 1 .Qh8+ Ng8 22. N h 7+ Ke7 23.Bg5+
1 9.Qg4 fS 20.Qh4
Exercise S 3
Last Moves: 1 0. R b 1 0-0 1 1 .Bd3 Rd8
Verd ict: 1 2 .Bxh 7+?!
Commentary
Whether th is is a desirable sacrifice
or not depends on your aims. If you are
happy with a draw, the sacrifice is good
since you can get your material back in
the ... Kg6 line and the ... Kg8 looks like
a forced draw.
I n t h i s g a m e , Wh i t e h a d g o o d
prospects and was a more highly rated
player, so the sacrifice is not a good idea.
how resilient the black position can b e
b y simply destroying the White central
pawn center.
Normally the Bishop on c8 (cutting
Bl ack's maj or pieces) would mean that
the Qg4-h4 plan works, but here Black
can sacrifice on e5 to muzzle it. Simi­
larly, the Bishop on c1 plus the Rook on
hI would normally mean that simply
pushing the h-pawn would defeat the
. . . Kg6 option, but the pawn on f4, block­
ing the co mmunication of the Bishop to
h6, means that knee-jerk tactic must also
be rethought.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
12 ..• Kxh 7 1 3 .NgS+ Kg6
1 3 . . . K g 8 1 4 . Q h 5 N f8 1 5 . Qxf7 + K h 8
V2-Y2.
1 4.Qg4
1 4. N dxe6! ? is an i nterest i n g way of
h a rvesti n g a m a t e r i a l a d va n ta g e . 1 4 . . .
N dxe5 ( 1 4 .. .fxe6?? 1 5.Qc2+ K h 5 1 6.Qh 7+)
1 5 .Qc2+ f5 1 6.Nxd8 N g4 1 7.h3 Nf2 1 8.Rfl
N e4;
1 4.h4 N xd4 1 5 .h5+ Kh6 1 6. Nxf7+ Kh7
1 7.cxd4 Qb4 ( 1 7 ... Bxd4 1 8.Qd 3+±) 1 8.Qd 2
Qxd 2+ 1 9.Bxd 2 Be7 20.Nxd8 Bxd8=
14 ••• fS
1 4 . . . N cx e 5 1 5 .fx e 5 N x e 5 1 6 . Q g 3 f6
{ 1 6 . . .f5 1 7 . N g x e 6 + N g 4 1 8 . N x c 5 R e 8 +
23 7
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
1 9. Kd 1 } 1 7. N gxe6+ Kf7 1 B.Qxg 7+
l S .Qh4 NdxeS 1 6.fxeS NxeS 1 7.g4 RfS
l S.QhS+ Kf6 1 9.Ne4+ Ke7
1 9 ... dxe4?? 20.Bg5#
20.BgS+ Kd7 2 1 .NxcS+ QxcS 22.Qh 7
Rf7 23 .gxfS exfS±
Exercise 54
La st Moves: 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 1 0.h4 cS
Verd ict: 1 1 .Bxh 7+?
Commentary
Everything is set up for Black to be
safe i n the . . . Kh6 l ine, so there is really
l ittle hope that White will convert his
initiative against the b lack King i nto
anything. Note how safe the black King
is, even without pawns.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
11 ••• Kxh 7 1 2 .NgS+ Kh6 1 3 .Qc2 g6
1 4. h S Kxg S l 1 S .f4+ Kh6 1 6.hxg6 Kg7
1 7.Rh7 KgS 1 S.0-0-0 Bg7 1 9. Rd h 1
23 8
1 9.94 fxg6 20.Qxg6 Qf6 2 1 .Qh5-+
1 9 ... Qf6-+
Exercise 5 5
Last Moves: 1 0.exf6 Bxf6 1 1 .Qe2 d S
Verd ict: 1 2 .Bxh7+1
Commentary
This diagram shows the problems
Black has in the ... Kh6 l ine when he is
missing his f7-pawn.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
12 •.. Kxh 7 1 3 . N g S + Kh6
1 3 . . . Kg B ca n n ot be good si n ce B l a c k
has t o ta ke o n g5, g i v i n g White a Q + R bat­
tery d own the open h-fi l e;
1 3 ... Kg6 1 4.Qd 3 + mate i n 3 .
1 4.Qd3 g6 1 S . h S Ne7 1 6.Nf7+ Rxf7
1 7.hxg6+
Exercise 56
La st Moves: 1 3 .eS N d 7 1 4.Bxe7 Nxe7
 Module 7 : Solutions
Verd ict: l S .Bxh 7+?
Commentary
Th e u n d e fe n d e d n a t u re o f t h e
e6-pawn makes the . . . KgB option impos­
sible, but the . . . Kg6 defense is another
thing entirely.
Even with the pawn on f4 (typically
an element in White's favor since it stops
. . . f5-f4 ) , the control Black exerts on f6
and the pressure on e5 prove more than
adequate for Black's defense.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
l S ... Kxh 7 1 6.NgS+ Kg6
1 6 ... Kg B 1 7 . Q h 5 RfeB 1 B. Qxf7 + K h B
1 9.Qh S + Kg B 20.Q h7+ Kf8 2 1 . Nxe6++-
1 7.Qg4 fS 1 8.Qg 3 dxeS 1 9.Ne2
P roba b l y t h e best Wh ite h a s, n e a r l y
reta i n i ng eq ual ity. But it i s n o t pa rtic u l a rl y
thematic o r d a n gero u s.
1 9. N xe6 Kf7 20.N xf8 (20. N g S Kg 8);
1 9.fxeS f4 20.Rxf4 NfS .
Exercise 5 7
La st Moves: 9.Bd3 N d 7 1 0.0-0 0-0
Verd ict: 1 1 .Bxh7+! ?
Commentary
Th e K n ights on e 7 a n d d 7 make
. . . KgB s u i ci d e , but . . . Kg6 h a s to be
looked at carefu lly. White should be
fine here since Black's Queen is not on
a good square. Furthermore, after she
vacates ( to avoid being hit when White
plays Nxe6 + ) , Black's heavy pieces will
be disconnected. Also, White's control
of e5 and f6 is pretty solid.
Even with all these fundamentals
going White's way, he still has to know
how to play this position. In the actual
game, Wh ite made a natural m istake
costing him the game.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
11 ..• Kxh 7 1 2 .NgS+ Kg6 1 3 .Qg4 fS
1 4.Qg3
239
 Module 7 : Classic Greek Gifts
1 4.exf6 ? wa s p l ayed i n t h e g a m e . I t
i s s o tem pti n g t o do t h i s, b u t it i s a l most
n ever good to rel i n q u i s h pawn control
of f6 without a knock-out punch i n m i nd .
1 4 . . . N xf6 1 S. Bxf6 Kxf6 1 6. Rfe 1 NfS +
1 4 ... f4 1 5 .Qg4 Qb6 1 6.Bd4
Once Black's Queen ca n n ot defend e6,
Wh ite has the option of Qxe6+! ( i n a d d i ­
tion t o the more normal N xe6+)
1 6.Qh4. Ta king adva ntag e of the u n­
co n n ected m aj o r p i eces works h e re a s
wel l . 1 6. . . NfS 1 7.Qh7+ Kxg S 1 8.g4!!
1 6 ... Qxb4
1 6 ... Qxd4 1 7. N xe6+;
1 6 ... Qc6 1 7.bS.
1 7 .c3 Qc4 1 8.Qxe6 Kxg 5 1 9.Qxe7 Kg 6
20.e6 Nf6 2 1 .Qxf8 [0- 1 ]
Exercise 58
Last Moves: 1 5.Rc1 Q b 8 1 6.e5 N d 5
Verd ict: 1 7.Bxh 7+!
240
Com mentary
With the Bishop on f8 , Bl ack h as
no hope of surviving if he pl ays . . . Kg8 .
The . . . Kg6 l ine looks interesting because
Bl ack has Kn ights on both dS and d7
and a wel l - p l aced Quee n . H oweve r,
Wh ite has a firm grip on f6 . The analysis
here shows the plan of playing Nxe6+
Kf7, NgS +, allowing the advance of the
e-pawn .
Bl ack is about 400 Elo points higher
than Wh ite, who could have scored an
upset over a 2400+ pl ayer had he better
understood the critical motifs.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
1 7 ... Kxh 7 1 8.Ng5+ Kg6 1 9.Qd 3 +
Th i s i s the move Wh ite wants to m a ke
h e re. B l a c k h a s too m a n y a n n oyi n g op­
tions (e.g., .. .f6, ... dxeS) he c o u l d play after
the sta ndard Qg4.)
1 9.Qg4?! f6! 2 0 . N xe6 ? ! was the c o n ­
tinuation played i n the game, a n d Black is
a l ready o kay. Black correctly attacked the
eS-pawn a n d fou g ht for control of f6. Play
conti nued 20... Kf7 2 1 .Nxg7 Bxg 7 22.Qxd 7+
Re7 a n d W h ite d i d w h a t m a n y p l ayers
wou l d d o, assume 4 pawns for a piece was
a good enoug h reason to exchange down
towa rd an endgame. After 23 .Qxd6? Qxd6
24.exd6, Wh ite had a terri ble position and
l ost 27 moves later.
 Module 7 : Solutions
Wh ite c o u l d have p u l l ed out of h i s
tai l sp i n by pl ayi ng 20.Qe4+.
1 9 ... f5 20.Qg3 dxe5 2 1 .dxe5 N 5f6
2 1 . . . N 7 f6 2 2 . N d f3 + - t h r e a t e n i n g
N h4+
22.Nxe6 Kf7 2 3 . N g 5 Kg S
2 3 . . . Kg6 24. N d f3 Bxf3 2 S . N xf3 + Kf7
26.e6 Kxe6 (26 ... Rxe6 2 7 . N g S+) 2 7.Qg6.
24.exf6 Nxf6 2 5 .Qh3 Re7 26.Qxf5 QdS
27. Bxf6 gxf6 2S.Nge4+-
Exercise 59
Last Moves: 7.Bd3 Nc6 S. Bf4 0-0
Verd ict: 9.Bxh7+!?
Commentary
Th e un der-defended nature of the
e - p awn ( a s we l l as the u n fo rtu nate
pl acement of Black's Queen ) all ows the
sacri fice to wo rk, but Wh ite h as to be
very accurate due to the pressure on eS.
Black cannot viably defend h7, so the
. . . Kg8 option is easy to dismiss.
Analysis, Variations, and Notes
9 ... Kxh 7 1 0 . N g 5 + Kg 6 1 1 .Qd3+
1 1 .Qg4? Th i s, the m ove played i n the
g a me, a l l ows Black to spend a move on
d e s t royi n g W h i t e ' s pawn c e n te r . 1 1 . . .
N cxeS 1 2.Qg3 fS 1 3 . N xe6+ N g4 1 4. N xcS
Qe 7 + l S . Kf1 QxcS 1 6. h 3 RhB 1 7 .Rg 1 Qxf2
1 B.Qxf2+ N xf2 1 9.Kxf2 Nf6 20.Rad 1 Be6;
1 1 .h4 N dxeS +
1 1 ... f5 1 2 .Qg3 Ndxe5 1 3 .Nxe6 Ng4
1 4.NxdS Bxf2+ 1 5 .Qxf2 Nxf2 1 6.Nxc6
Nxh 1 1 7 .Ne5+±
Exercise 60
La st Moves: 1 6.Bd3 Bd7 1 7.Bf4 Na6
Verd ict: 1 S.Bxh7+!
Commentary
Th e B i shops will end up smother­
i ng the Ki ng if Bl ack retreats. The . . . Kh6
variation should go White's way because
there is no f-pawn .
24 1
 Module 7: Cl assic Greek G ifts

Analysis, Variations, and Notes

1 8 ... Kxh 7 1 9.NgS+ Kh6
1 9 . . . B x g S 2 0 . h x g S Kg8 2 1 . Q h S Rxf4
2 2 . Q h 8 + Kf7 2 3 .g6+ Ke7 24.Qxg 7 + K d 8
2 S .gxf4±;
1 9 . . . Kg 8 2 0 . Q h S B x g S ( 2 0 . . . RfS ? ?
2 1 .Qh7+ Kf8 22.Qh8#) 2 1 .hxgS tra n s poses
to the a bove l i ne.
20.Qd3
Th i s a l m ost a l ways works when Black
h a s n o f-pawn.
20 ... RfS
20 ... g6 2 1 .h S+-
2 1 .Ne2±
P rotect i n g the c e n t ra l p a w n m a s s .
Wh ite wi l l fol l ow u p with g4.

242
 BOllUS Tracts

1: �Ilti-Colle Lilles

2: Tile Piloellix Jdtacl{ - � New C-I{ Lille

 BOllUS Tract 1: �llti-Colle Lilles
Much of Zuke 'Em was devoted to solutions to various pet defenses and challenging
deviations Bl ack can use to avoid the Colle. These recommendations are generally
equally useful to C- K and C-Z players, and I am providing a digest of these antidotes
here. The interested reader can decide if it is worth buying a copy of Zuke 'Em to
read the analysis, side variations, and reasoning behind them.

Early Bishop Deviations

1 .d4 d S 2.Nf3 BfS 3.e4 e 6 4.exd S exdS S .Qb3 N e6 6.Ne3
6 . . . Bb4 7 . a3 Bxc3 8 . Qxc3 Nf6 9 . Bg5
6 . . . Nf6 7 . e4 ! ? ! ( 7 . Bg5 for those with high blood pressure)

1 .d4 dS 2. Nf3 Bg4 3.NeS

3 . . . Bh5 4 . Qd3 ! Qc8 5 . Nc3 ! ( 5 . c4 f6 6 . N f3 for more cowardly types)
3 . . . Bf5 4 . N c3 ! Nf6 5 .g4 ! ! ? ( 5 . f3 for cal mer spirits)

1 .d4 d S 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 BfS 4.e4 e6 S.Ne3 e6 6.Nh4

6 . . . Bg6 7 . Nxg6 hxg6 8 . Qb3 Qc7 9 .g3 Nbd7 1 0. Bg2 Be7 1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2 . cxd5
exd5 1 3 . f3 planning to push e4
6 . . . Be4 7 . f3 Bg6 8 . Qb3 Qb6 ( . . . Qc7 9.g3 ) 9 . Nxg6 hxg6 1 0. Kf2 !
6 . . . Bg4 7 . Qb3 and play g4-g5 at a time when there are no central squares
available to the Kn ight on f6

1 .d4 d S 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 .e3 Bg6 4.h3

4 . . . Bh5 5 .g4 Bg6 6 . Ne5
4 . . . Bxf3 5 . Qxf3 e6 6 . c4 c5 7 . cxd5 Qxd5 8 . Qxd5

2 45
 The Moment of Zuke

Queen's I n d ia n Defense
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3 .e3 c5 4.Bd3 b6 5.0-0 Bb7
Two Options
6 . c4 Be7 7 .Nc3 cxd4 B.exd4 ds 9 . cxdS NxdS 1 0. Bb S + Bc6 1 1 . a4 !
6 . Re l Nc6 7.c4 Be7 B . Nc3 ds ! ? 9 . cxdS exds 1 0. dxcs bxcs 1 1 .e4

1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3 .e3 b6 4.Bd3 Bb7

Two Options
5 . 0-0 Be7 6 . c4 0-0 7 .Nc3 ds B.b3
s . Nbd2 cs 6 . 0-0 Nc6 7 . c3 Be7 B . e4 ! ?

1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3 .e3 c5 4.Bd3 N c61! 5 .0-0

S . . . b6 6.c3
s . . . Be7 6.dxcS Bxcs 7 . a3 with a reversed Meran (two moves up) in mind

Modern Ben o n i
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c 5 3.e3 96 4.dxc5 Qa 5+ 5 . N c3!! B 9 7 6.Qd4 N c 6 7 .Qc4 N e4 8.Bd2
Nxd2 9.Nxd2 d 5 1 0.Nxd 5 Bxb2 1 1 . R b l
1 1 . . . Bg7 1 2. Qbs
1 1 . . . Bes 1 2 . Be2 0-0 1 3 . Rb S QdB 1 4 .Nf3
1 1 . . . Be6 ? ! 1 2 .e4 ! ?

Sneaky G ru nfeld
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d 5 3 .e3 9 6 ! 4.c4! B97 5 .cxd 5 N x d 5 6.e4
6 . . . Nf6 7 . Nc3 0-0 B . Be2 b6 9 .0-0 Bb7 1 0. Qc2
6 . . . Nb 6 7 . a4 ! !

The Queen's Gam bit Reversed

1 .d4 d 5 2.Nf3 c5 3 .c4! 1
3 . . . e6 4 . cxds exdS s.g3 ! ( heading for a Tarrasch flummoxed by White de­
laying Nc3 )
3 . . . dxc4 4 . ds !
3 . . . cxd4 4 . cxds

246
 The Moment of Zuke

1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 dS 3 .e3 cS! 4.c4 e6 S.a3!

s . . . Nc6 6 . dxcs Bxcs 7 .b4
s . . . cxd4 6 . exd4 Be7 7 . Nc3 0-0 B . cs ! ? Ne4 9 . Bd3 ! ! is my improvement over
theory in what has now become a Caro-Kann. The point here is that the obvious
threat of 9 . . . Nxc3 ? is nothing to be concerned about because after 1 0 .bxc3 b6
I l . h4 ! , White has a monster attack.

The E rrot
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d S 3 .e3 c6 4.c4 B94 S.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 e6 7.Nc3 N b d 7 8.Bd2
B . . . Bd6 9 . cs !
B . . . Bb4 9 . Bd3 0-0 1 0. a3

The Anti-Anti-Slav a n d Anti-Anti-Errot

These lines are played with the idea of omitting . . . Nf6, which spoils certain
antidotes to early Bishop plays.
1 .d4 d S 2 .Nf3 c6 (with the idea of answering 3 . e3 with . . . Bg4 or . . . Bfs ) 3 .c4
Now 3 . . . BfS is known to be dubious, 3 . . . Bg4 is worse, 3 . . . Nf6 will transpose
back to a normal Slav, and White can answer 3 . . . e6 with 4 . Nbd2 ! (which Kasp­
arov beat Deep Blue with and some other nose-bleed-high ELO types have also
played) .

The . • . a 6 Slav
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d S 3 .e3 c6 4.c4 a6 S.Qc2! B94 6.Nbd2 e6 7.Bd3 N b d 7 8.h3!
B . . . Bhs 9.b3 Bd6 1 0. Bb2
B . . . Bxf3 ! 9 .Nxf3 Bb4+ ! ? 1 0. Bd2 Bxd2+ 1 1 . Nxd2 0-0 1 2 .0-0 es 1 3 .cxds cxds
1 4 .Nb3 !

The Black Lion

Lion players should be at a loss when . . . es is prevented:
1 .d4 d6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3 . N c3 N b d 7 4.Bf4!
4 . . . c6 s . e4 Qc7 6 . es
4 . . . g6 s . e4 Bg7 6 . Qd2 0-0 7. 0-0-0

247
 The Moment of Zuke

K-Side Fianchetto
Zuke 'Em contained no antidote to an early fianchetto. Instead I recommended
the 1 5 0 and Barry Attacks. H owever for those looki ng for something novel, I pro­
visionally suggest:
1 .d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3 .e3 Bg7 4.c4 0-0 (4 . . . d5 transposes to the Sneaky Griinfeld)
S.Be2 d6 6.Nc3 N bd7 7.0-0 eS 8.Qc2!
In a typical KI D variation (where Wh ite has not pl ayed e3), Black could ex­
change on d4, opening up the diagonal . But here, Wh ite could recapture with a
pawn, making the exchange rather poor for Black. White's plan is to exchange on
e5 and play Rd l . For example: B . . . ReB 9 . dxe5 Nxe5 1 0. Nxe5 dxe5 1 1 . Rd l Qe7
1 2 . Nd5 !
Black may go with 7 . . . c5 instead, leading to an interesting game, but not one
that White should fear.

248
 BOllUS Tract 2: Tile Plloellix AJtacl{ - � New C-I{ Lille
The Col le-Koltanowski mainline needs
rethinking. Let me explain why.
After 1 .d4 d S 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3
cS S.c3 Nc6 6.N bd2 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0 8.dxcS
BxcS White is fi nally able to play 9.e4,
and after 9 . . . Qc7 1 0.Qe2, he has freed
his dark-squared Bishop ( kinda) and is
th reatening to play eS ( kinda ) .
What do you mean " kinda"?
Well, Wh ite "kinda" frees his c- Bish­
op because the e-pawn is no longer in
its way, but the Kn ight still is. And that
Kn ight is stuck for now defending the
e 4 - pawn . Second ly, he only " k i n d a "
th reate ns eS because when B l ack re-
sponds . . . Ng4, he is actually add i ng
two attackers to the battl e for eS, not
just one.
What are you talking about?
When the Kn ight ju mps to g4 , he
is clearly in a position to hit eS . Th e
deeper point is that the Kn ight on g4
allows the Bishop on cS to have a say in
th ings because now White cannot add a
defender to eS via Re 1 due to the threat
of . . . Bxf2 !
So, White's "freeing" move has really
done nothing at all to free his position.
In fact, if anyth ing, it is even more re­
stricted since the pawn on e4 blocks the
prize Bishop on d3 . No wonder Colle
h i mself enj oyed the simple l O . exdS ? !
once upon a time. Unfortunately, that
move gives Black too much activity.
But if . . . Ng4 adds two attackers to the
fight for eS, why doesn 't White just play
h3 to stop it?
249
 The M oment of Zuke
Certainly a reasonable idea, but once
h3 is played, the Bishop on cS ends up
gaining importance for another reason
- the pin on the f-pawn . Bl ack can play
a wel l-timed . . . NhS threatening to hop
to the g3 -square (quite p ossibly forki ng
a Rook on f1 and a Queen on e2 ) . Kh 1 is
no solution either since the other Knight
hop ( . . . Nf4 ) can also be rather painful .
But can't White take advantage of the
Knight's vulnerability on g4? Doesn 't
that just mean the "Colle Sacrific e "
(Bxh7+) is n o sacrifice a t all?
Q u i te s o . W h i t e d o e s get Bxh 7 +
" for free " after, for example, 1 0 . . . ReS ? !
l 1 . e S Ng4 1 2 . Bxh 7 + ! Kxh 7 1 3 . NgS +
KgS 1 4 . Qxg4 QxeS . White gets an attack
on Bl ack's King without having to pay
the B ishop as a fee. And that is why p re­
p ared pl ayers began p l aying 1 0 . . . h 6 ! ,
a d e fense fi rst a n a lyzed by Reyn o l ds
and l ater popul arized by Silman. Theo­
retical ly, B l ack gets equal ity here, but
in practice he has been crushing White.
Among games played by 2000+ p layers,
Bl ack has scored 64% and won outright
over hal f! ( I t must be admitted, though,
that often practical results are unfair to
the Colle side since more often than not
the Colle player has the l ower rating. )
I f this were the whole story, things
250
might not b e s o bad. The Colle System,
e s p e c i a l ly t h e C o l l e - K o l t a n o w s k i , i s
often billed a s o n e where White some­
times settles for comfortable equal ity in
a position they understand. U n fortu­
nately, it turns out that 1 0 . . . h6 ! ( a good
move to be sure) is not even needed.
Wh ite's attack is hampered by Bl ack's
Queen coming immediately to eS, the
l ac k of an e S - p awn or Ro o k on t h e
e - fi l e ( recal l from the last module how
important those co mponents generally
are ) , and the fact that Wh ite's Queen
first must take a move to recapture the
Knight ( Qxg4 ) rather than going imme­
diately to h S .
In particular, Black can get away with
simply playing 1 0 . . . b 6 ! ! , and White is
al ready worse. In the obvious l i n e, l l .
eS Ng4 1 2 . Bxh 7 + Kxh 7 1 3 . NgS + KgS
1 4 . Qxg4 Qxe S , B l a c k ' s d e fe n s e s a re
adequate. P a l l iser quotes an alys i s by
Broznik that goes l S . QhS QfS 1 6 . Ndf3
B a 6 ! ( o n ly avai l ab l e due to 1 0 . . . b 6 )
1 7 . Rd 1 ( attempting t o remove a bunch
of s q u a re s fro m B l a c k ' s Q u e e n a n d
then play . . . g4, forcing a n exchange on
g6 that leaves the e6-pawn vul nerable)
1 7 . . . Be2 l S . Re 1 Bxf3 1 9 . Qxf3 Qxf3
2 0 . Nxf3 , saying the position is " about
even . " Th at might be so, but I th i n k
White is on t h e wrong s i d e o f " ab out
even " and perhaps Black has better ways
 The Moment of Zuke
of responding to the threat of g4 . For
example, 1 7 . . . Bd3 threatens Bc2 while
allowing for the Bishop to retake on
g6 instead of the pawn . 1 7 . . . Rae8 may
be best si nce then Black would l o o k
forward t o 1 8 .g4 ? ! Qg6 1 9 . Qxg6 fxg6,
when . . . Be2 ! is a real threat.
For th is reason, Bronzni k has sug­
gested Wh ite consider I I . b 3 i nstead,
reasoning that after the natural 1 1 . . . Bb7
1 2 . B b 2 , he is p repared fo r wh atever
Black may attempt. This would at least
put Wh ite b ack in the " c o m fo rtab l e
equal ity" category. The problem i s that
Black does not need to play nice. I nstead
of 1 1 . . . Bb7, he could play 1 1 . . . as !
Threatening to open the a-file with
. . . a4?
N a h , t h a t ' s a th reat, o f c o u r s e .
B u t 1 1 . . . a s causes a more profou nd
problem. It comes back to that blasted
Bishop on cs again. I n the l i nes that
wou l d naturally arise after the m o re
tame 1 1 . . . Bb7 1 2 . Bb2, White depends
on the disrupting b4 ! -bs ! pawn incur­
sion to displace Black's well-positioned
Q-side pieces. This can be rather power­
ful if White does it after getting a pawn
on es, removing the d6-square from the
Bishop. So, not only does Wh ite have
to consider his response to a possible
. . . a4, but B l ack's a-pawn keeps h i m
from executing a key b-pawn lunge and
severely constricts his play in the corning
middlegame.
I n retrospect, it should not be so sur­
prising that White runs into a brick wall
here. Knowing what we know now, one
has to wonder whether 1 0 . Qe2 really
makes much sense. After all, White is
preparing a "freeing" e-pawn march that
i nitially ( e4 ) man ages to restrict h i m
instead. And then it turns o u t there i s
n o advantage t o playing es . I ndeed, the
savvy opponent can even punish him for
doing so. Finally, Qe2 represents a loss
of a tempo if White is banking on the
Bxh7+ attack, for the Queen can reach
g4 or hs j ust as easily from d l as she
can from e2 .
I believe it is time for Colle players
to put 9 . e4 on the burn pile, allowing a
new Colle Attack to rise from its ashes.
What do you have in mind?
Well, I've hinted a bit at what I see
as an underesti mated facet of Bl ack's
setup. I believe players have not given
due respect to the power of that Bishop
on cs . I've given some examples so far,
and there are more I haven't mentioned,
as to why that Bishop is really a thorn
in White's side. The key is for White to
251
 The Moment of Zuke
put the question to this Bishop before he
plays e4 and commits his Queen . In fact,
in the new attack I'm proposing White
delays devel o p i ng h i s Queen, wh ich
can be rather well-placed on her home
square. Furthermore, if Black chooses to
play his Queen to c7, Wh ite' ability to
play f4 (supported by the pawn stil l on
e3 ) can be pretty critical .
Let's go back to the position after
8 . . . BxcS:
I nstead of 9 . e4 , Wh i te should i n -
stead play. . .
9.b41
White p l ans on turn i ng the posi­
tion into something closer to a reversed
Meran. It is actually not too far off from
the solution I proposed for fixi ng the
Colle-Zukertort mainline. Rather than
play solely for an e4-break, White will
put his Bishop on b2 and threaten both
c4 and e 4 . Black can make it difficult
to pull c4 off any time soon, and he
252
can match White's threat of e4 with his
own e-pawn march . H owever, putting
the two together favors White because
the dissolution of the center makes the
c4-break (when it finally comes) more
deadly.
I'm writing a book devoted to this
new attack, but I wanted to put it out
there early for the Colle community to
try out a bit. To give some idea of the
l atent ferocity of th is attack, let's step
through what has typically occurred in
practice:
9 . . . Bd6
I h ave n o t fo u n d a s i n g l e ga m e
where a strong p l ayer put h i s B i shop
anywhere else. 9 . . . Bb6 allows White to
cramp Black's position with 9 .bS wh ile
9 . . . Be7 looks passive.
1 0.Bb2 eS
Th is natural m ove was chosen by
GM Sakaev, GM Karlsson, 1 M Sax, 1 M
Raif, and the strong German D i rk Se-
bastian all with in the last decade. It is
more frequent than all other moves here
combined.
1 1 .e4 dxe4
1 1 . . . Bg4, the other move seen in
practice, is met well with 1 2 . h 3 .
1 2 .Nxe4 Nxe4 1 3 . Bxe4 fS 1 4.BdS+ Kh8
 The Moment of Zuke

In general, White should respect the

strength of Bl ack's elf-pawn phal anx.
H owever, in th is particu lar situati on,
Black is kept too much on his heels to
do much with it. Wh ite has a couple
promising possibil ities. Simply playing
c4 is strong, or he could go with Bc 1 ,
threatening NgS . I n some rel ated varia­
tions (where there is no Bishop on dS),
White can often play NgS ! without hav­
ing played Bc 1 , since the Queen is tied
down to defending the Bishop on d6.
1 3 . . . Be6 has also been seen. After
1 4 . Q d 3 ! fS l S . Bd S , Wh i te p l ans o n
maki ng use o f the relatively under-de­
fended Bishop on d6.
Of course, there are plenty of other
ideas and plans in this line, but I sincere­
ly believe that 9 .b4 ! , which I'm dubbing
The Koltanowski- Phoenix Attack, is the
battlefield upon which the C- K players
must wage war in the coming decades.

253
David Rudel is a prize-winning problem solver in math­
e m atics and p hysics, winn ing multiple sch o l astic and
collegiate state-level competitions as a youth in Iowa and
Texas. He was also on the highest ranking team (among un­
dergraduate institutes) in the 1 9 97 national collegiate math
championship (the Putnam Competition) and shared win­
ning honors in the "world championship " of mathematical
modeling in 1 9 9 9 , captaining one of the winning teams in
the international MCM competition.
He works as a senior editor for ExploreLearning, a lead­
ing math & science software company. When not support­
ing the development of the Colle, he writes on Christian
theology and church reform.
 Coloplloll
The Moment of Zuke was typeset in ITC Giovanni, Myriad
Pro, and TPi's c. R. H orowitz® diagram font.

Layout and design : Bob Long &. David Rudel

Cover: Rob Long
Editing: John Wright, Graham Stevens &. Bob Long
Proofing: John Wright, Graham Stevens, David Rudel &.
Bob Long

Thank Yous
Th e auth o r wou l d l i ke to t h a n k G reg D e l a n ey, D a l e
Mclemore, Terese &. David H atch, Victor Spear, Srikanth
Bangalore, Franz Bisson, and James Smith for their help in
previewing The Moment of Zuke.

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