Alexey Kuzmin: Sometimes it is reasonable to recommend for
a pupil to calculate variants and to choose a
move for an opponent's side. Often during a Training of calculation I. game a search of possibilities for an opponent is less effective then for a player himself. Generally a training of variants calculation is The ability to calculate variants deep and useful to be combined with a work on some exactly is the very important constituent of weak point in a pupil's play. chess-player mastership. The technique of For instance if a pupil feels unconfident in variants calculation is evident to be closely worse positions where he mainly has to beat intertwined with all other skills components: off opponent's threats, it will be reasonable to tactical vision, the ability to evaluate a chose exercises in accordance with a work on position, intuition etc. So, when training this defect. I have chosen exactly such three technique of variants calculation, we are examples from my file. In all of them the developing the whole complex of necessary Author of the training system played against skills. the Patriarch of Soviet chess... The method of the training of variants calculation was proposed by well-knowing Kotov A. : Botvinnik M. Soviet grandmaster, trainer and chess writer Leningrad 1939 Alexander A. Kotov more then half century ago. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 Nc6 5.Nf3 He wrote about his experience: "Having d5 6.e3 0–0 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Qxc3 Bd7 9.b3 a5 chosen a complicated well analyzed game 10.Bd3 a4 11.Nd2 Re8 12.0–0 e5 13.dxe5 from the tournament book and reached the Nxe5 14.Bb2 axb3 15.Nxb3 Ne4 16.Qc2 culmination fighting point where different Nxc4 17.Bxc4 dxc4 18.Qxc4 Qg5 variations were possible I stopped to read XIIIIIIIIY these notes any more. The first task that I put 9r+-+r+k+0 was to analyze all variants being able to 9+pzpl+pzpp0 appear. The book was put apart, sometimes a 9-+-+-+-+0 page was simply covered by a sheet of paper and a long deep thought began ..." 9+-+-+-wq-0 Of course, today a book can be partly replaced 9-+Q+n+-+0 by a computer. 9zPN+-zP-+-0 Kotov mentioned three main factors of high 9-vL-+-zPPzP0 calculation technique: 9tR-+-+RmK-0 a) to determine all the best candidate moves, xiiiiiiiiy b) to analyze exactly all determined White has played an opening passively and, variations, taking advantage of this, Botvinnik has sized c) to economize the time strictly. an initiative completely. Before passing directly to examples some White position is very dangerous. Almost all practical recommendations should be given to the Black pieces are ready to take part in an trainers. attack. Even the rook a8 can be quickly For better training efficiency to see the part of transferred to the King-side by the sixth rank. a game previous to the task-position is not There is a concrete treat 19. ... Bh3. always reasonable as this "prehistory" can Let's list possible defense resources and have an influence on the process of thinking corresponding candidate moves: over a task-position by a pupil. The attempt of an exchange sacrifice for the pawn: 1) 19.Qxc7? FIDE Surveys 2011 – Alexey Kuzmin 1 Probable rook's retreat for getting the 23.Rd2 Bc6 24.Qd3 Nf5 25.Be5 f6 26.Bxc7 possibility to play g2-g3: 2)19.Rfd1 Rxe3 27.Qc4+ Kh8 28.Bb6 Ree8 29.Qf1 h5 and 3)19.Rfe1. 30.Nd4 Nxd4 31.Bxd4 Re4 32.Re1 Rxe1 To make free the second rank with tempo to 33.Qxe1 Rxa3 34.Kh1 Ra8 35.Re2 Kh7 defend the point g2: 4) 19.f4. 36.h3 Re8 37.Qf2 Qxg2+ 38.Qxg2 Rxe2 0:1. There is one more possibility: an attempt to disorganize opponent's attacking forces by the 5) 19.h4! pawn sacrifice 5) 19.h4. The best move allowing to keep balance. XIIIIIIIIY To organize a defense with an exchange 9r+-+r+k+0 sacrifice doesn't work out: 9+pzpl+pzpp0 1) 19.Qxc7? Bh3 20.g3 Qd5! (20...Bxf1 9-+-+-+-+0 21.Rxf1 Qb5µ) 21.Nd4 Nd2–+; 9+-+-+-wq-0 9-+Q+n+-zP0 Another possibility to resist a threat Bh3 is to remove the rook from f1: 9zPN+-zP-+-0 2) 19.Rfd1?! Bh3 20.Qf1 Ra6–+ 21.Nd2 Rg6 9-vL-+-zPP+0 22.Nxe4 Rxe4 23.f4 Qxg2+ 24.Qxg2 Rxg2+ 9tR-+-+RmK-0 25.Kh1 f6 26.Bd4 b6–+; xiiiiiiiiy 19...Qxh4 3) 19.Rfe1?! Bh3 20.Qf1 Ra6 21.Re2 Rg6 Later on the game gains a forced character. 22.f4 Qd5 and lack is better. a) 19...Qg6. It becomes clear that now White can take the pawn! 20.Qxc7 Bh3 21.Qh2! – 4) Kotov has chosen 19.f4?! in the game. here is the place where White has used the To make free with tempo the second raw for square h2!; the defense point g2 is likely to be the first b) 19...Qh5 20.Qxc7 Bb5 21.Rfc1 Qxh4 thing coming to anybody's mind. (21...Ra6? 22.f3 Rg6 23.Qf4 Ng3 24.Nd4±) 19...Qg6 20.Rfd1 22.Qf4=. Relatively better would be 20.Qxc7 Bh3 20.Qd4 Qf6 21.Qxe4! Qxb2 22.Qxb7 Rxa3 21.Qc2 but it also couldn't solve problems: 23.Rxa3 Qxa3 24.Qxc7 Bb5 25.Rb1 Qa2 21...Rac8 22.Qe2 Nd6 23.Rf2 Bg4 24.Qf1 26.Qc1=. Ne4. 20...Nd6! 21.Qd3 Bf5 22.Qc3 In the second example Alexander A. Kotov XIIIIIIIIY has unsuccessfully played an opening one 9r+-+r+k+0 more time and has fallen into a difficult 9+pzp-+pzpp0 situation. 9-+-sn-+q+0 9+-+-+l+-0 Kotov A. : Botvinnik M. Moscow 1940 9-+-+-zP-+0 9zPNwQ-zP-+-0 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 9-vL-+-+PzP0 exd5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.e3 cxd4 9.exd4 9tR-+R+-mK-0 Nc6 10.Bb5 0–0 11.Nge2 Qb6 12.Qd3 Bxc3+ xiiiiiiiiy 13.bxc3 Ne4 14.0–0 Bf5 15.Ba4 Rfe8 22…Be4 16.Rfe1 Qa5 17.Bb3 g5 18.Bg3 Re6 Stronger is 22...Bh3! 23.g3 Ne4 24.Qc2 Qg4 There is a material equality but white's pieces and there is no sufficient defense from a are placed unsuccessfully and Black forces sacrifice on g3. threats. One cannot still see a decisive jump of FIDE Surveys 2011 – Alexey Kuzmin 2 the knight e4, but it's impossible to drive it off XIIIIIIIIY by f2-f3, too. Moreover after doubling Black 9r+-+-+k+0 rooks, threats on the "e" file will be added to 9zpp+-+p+-0 White problems and its position will become 9-+n+r+-zp0 critical. 9wq-+pvLlzp-0 Let's name all possible defensive ideas and 9-+-zPn+-+0 corresponding them candidates moves: 1) 19.Qf3, taking queen away from a 9+LzPQ+-+-0 dangerous diagonal. 9P+-+NzPPzP0 2) 19.Rec1, taking rook away from the pin on 9tR-+-tR-mK-0 "e" file. xiiiiiiiiy 3) 19.f4, defending the rook e1. 19...Nxe5?! 4) 19.Be5, blocking the "e" file. Botvinnik is evidently taken aback. XIIIIIIIIY It’s not too dangerous 19...Rae8 20.Ng3 Bg6 9r+-+-+k+0 21.Nxe4 Bxe4 22.Qg3 Nxe5 23.dxe5. 9zpp+-+p+-0 And on 19…Bg6 it is right 20.f4! 9-+n+r+-zp0 The strongest would be 19...Qb6!? or 9wq-+p+lzp-0 19...Rc8. 19...Qb6!? 20.Qf3 Bg6 21.Bf4!? 9-+-zPn+-+0 Defenselessness of d5 pawn allows White to 9+LzPQ+-vL-0 transfer bishop on e3 where it can stop the 9P+-+NzPPzP0 pressure on "e" file. (21.Bxd5 Nxe5 22.dxe5 9tR-+-tR-mK-0 Rxe5 23.Bxe4 Rxe4 24.Nd4 and Black xiiiiiiiiy position is more preferable, but White has 1) 19.Qf3 Bg6 20.Red1 Rae8 21.h4 Nf6–+. good chances to retain the position.) 21...Ne7 It becomes clear that a new threat appears: 22.Be3 Qa5 Black is better, but the position is 22...Bh5 – White cannot escape. still complicated. For example: 23.c4 dxc4 24.Bxc4 Rf6 25.Qh3 or 23.Ng3 Qxc3 2) 19.Rec1 Nxg3 (Perhaps a stronger 24.Qd1.; 19...Rae8!? is improving threats) 20.Qxg3 After 19...Rc8!? White has not to walk into a Rxe2 21.Qf3 Rae8 22.Qxf5 Qxc3! with an trap: 20.f3? Rxe5! 21.dxe5 Qc5+ 22.Nd4 extra pawn. Nxc3–+. But after 20.Qe3! the position is still unclear. 3) 19.f4 Rae8 20.fxg5 hxg5 21.Bf2 (21.Qf3 20.dxe5 Rxe5 21.Qd4! Nxg3 22.hxg3 Bg6) 21...Bg6 22.Qe3 White has solved all problems due to the (22.Qh3? Nxf2 23.Kxf2 Qa3–+) 22...Kg7 pawn. 23.Qc1 Nxf2 24.Kxf2 Qd8. XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+-+k+0 4) Kotov played 19.Be5! 9zpp+-+p+-0 It's the best move. Although Black is keeping 9-+-+-+-zp0 some advantage, White has good chances to 9wq-+ptrlzp-0 retain its bastions. 9-+-wQn+-+0 As an argument of the move 19.Be5 appears that it's not good 19...f6? because of 20.Bc7! 9+LzP-+-+-0 b6 (20...Qxc7? 21.Bxd5 Nd6 22.Bxe6+ Bxe6 9P+-+NzPPzP0 23.Qg6+ Qg7 24.Qxg7+ Kxg7 25.d5±) 9tR-+-tR-mK-0 21.Ng3 Nxg3 22.Qxg3. xiiiiiiiiy
the best move! XIIIIIIIIY 9r+-+-+k+0 9zp-+ltrpzp-0 9-zp-wq-sn-zp0 9+-zPp+-+-0 9-+-+-sN-+0 9zP-zP-zPP+P0 9-+-wQ-mKP+0 9tRR+-+L+-0 xiiiiiiiiy At the first sight it is a disadvantageous pawns structure change for White. But it is exactly that allows White to begin a play in the centre and to hold equality. 19...Qxc5 (Nothing promise 19...bxc5 20.e4 20...Rxe4 21.Nxd5! or 20.c4=) 20.Qd4 Qc7 (20...Rc8 21.Rc1 Qa5 22.Qb4=) 21.c4 dxc4 22.Bxc4 with sufficient counter-play.
Shah Fahad (editor), Osman Sönmez (editor), Shah Saud (editor), Depeng Wang (editor), Chao Wu (editor), Muhammad Adnan (editor), Muhammad Arif (editor), Amanullah (editor) - Engineering Tolerance in C.pdf