WOLFGANG UHLMANN

GERHARD SCHMl{>T

OPEN FILS
Uhlmann/Schmidt . Open Files
ProgressinCliess

Volume 28 of the ongoing series

Editorial board
GM Victor Korchnoi
GM Helmut Pfleger
GM Nigel Short
GM Rudolf Teschner

2009
EDITION OlMS

m
Wolfgang Uhlmann
Gerhard Schmidt

Open Files

Translated by Phil Adams

Edited by Ken Neat

2009
EDITION OlMS

m
THE AUTHORS

WoHgang Uhlmann (born in 1935) is one of Gerrnany's rnost successful chess players. A qualified accountant.
for almost two decades he was a contender for the World Chess Championship. His greatest success was
his qualification for the World Championship Candidates matches in 1971. in which he was unfortunate to be
eliminated 3'12-5'12 in the quarter-finals by the Dane Bent Larsen. With his rnarkedly positional style. the eleven­
times champion of East Germany won countless international tournaments. including three victories at Hastings.
The grandmaster from Dresden was also extremely successful in the chess Olyrnpiads; in 1964 in Tel Aviv the
strongest player of the former East Germany gained the gold medal for the best performance on board 1
(15 points from 18 games!). In Belgrade in 1970 Uhlmann. who is regarded as a world expert on the French
Defence. played on board 7 for the Rest of the World in the 'Match of the Century' against the USSR.

Gerhard Schmidt (born in 1940) played for over twenty years on the sarne teams as Wolfgang Uhlmann (SC
Einheit and Post Dresden respectively. in the East German Super League) and also worked for five years as a full­
time chess trainer. Following his move to West Germany in 1984. among other things he played in the German
First League for the three-times German champions SC Bamberg 1886 and also for SC 1836 Munich. He gained
the International Master title for correspondence chess in 2005 and is an 'A-Trainer' for the German Chess
Federation. A qualified engineer and software developer, he has also collaborated with Wolfgang Uhlmann
on the chess instructional manual Bauernschwachen (Pawn Weaknesses).

Bibliographical Information published by The Deutsche

Nationalbibliothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in
the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic
data is available on the Internet at http:;/dnb.ddb.de.

Copyright © 2009 Edition Olms AG

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ISBN 978-3-283-01006-5
5

Co ntents

I n t rod u ct i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Aspects of the evaluation of open files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2 The creation of the open fi le. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2 . 1 Methods of creating an open fi le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2 . 2 Preparing to occupy the open fi le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

3 The struggle for control of the open file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

3 . 1 The conquest of the open file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
3 . 2 Square weaknesses on the open fi le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
3.3 The struggle against the open fi le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

4 The dominant open file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

5 Exploiting the open fi le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 1

5 . 1 Exploiting the open file in association with other positional advantages . . . 1 0 1
5 . 2 Exchanging the advantage of the open fi le for other advantages . . . . . . . . . 1 1 9
5.3 Tactics on the open fi le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 27

6 The connection between the open fi le and the 7th and 8th ranks . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 43
6 . 1 The seventh ran k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 43
6 . 2 The eighth rank (back ran k) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 56

Appe n d i x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 62
I n d ex of P l ayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 62
I n d ex of O p e n i n g s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 64

Intro d u cti o n
First publ ished i n German twenty-five
years ago, this standard work on chess
praxis, m uch soug ht after and long out
of print, is now re -issued in a completely
revised new ed ition .
The structu re and classification - the
backbone of the book i n our view -
have been left u nchanged . The strateg ic
theme of open fi les and the con nections
between positions and the relevant plans
are ti meless. We have, however, incorpor­
ated some new games by lead i ng rep­
resentatives of the younger generation of
players. We have omitted only the chapter
'Games with assessment by poi nts ' .
Read i n g our i ntrod uction , we real ise with
pleasure that we incl uded practically all
sign ificant knowledge on the theme of
open files, which is sti l l just as i m portant
today as i n the previous century ; and the
games are j ust as relevant.
There are many chess books available - on
opening theory, strategy, tactics and the
endgame. Al l these books help the chess
student to enrich his knowledge. So what
does our book bring that is new ? We wish
to establ ish a new basis for the acquisition
of chess knowledge, with a classification
that is appropriate to our chosen strateg ic
subject - open files. Knowledge of how
chess players think has been our g u ide.
It is wel l known that chess masters are
endowed neither with any special abil ity
to calculate m any moves ahead , nor any
exceptional memory. Good players have
acquired a certai n experience and have
the abil ity to combine this experience i n
a creative manner. The Soviet grandmas­
ter Alexander Kotov once formulated the
6
6
characteristic features of a chess master
as follows :
- knowledge of chess models
(typical positions) ;
- correct eval uation of these chess
models ;
- knowledge of appropriate plans.
In the first chapter of this book, which oc ­
cu pies a central position , we show typ­
ical positions for the appearance of open
fi les and explain the general aspects of
the evaluation of open files. Th is chapter
shows the learner the methodology of
deal ing with strateg ic questions which
arise i n con nection with open files. Here
we g ive the most i mportant explanations
of the strategic categories of open fi les,
methods of eval uating these models and
typical proced ures.
The next chapter presents a large number
of grandmaster games, which we annotate
in detail with regard to the appearance of
open files. However, we have only annot­
ated in detail that part of the game in which
the open fi les determ ine the formation of
the strateg ic plans. The assessment of the
position at the start of each commentary
is thus of particular im portance, above all
in relating the open fi les to other strategic
and tactical aspects.
Another word about where open fi les fit
i nto the whole field of chess knowledge :
the open fi le constitutes a strateg ic cat­
egory - just as for example the doubled
pawn, the space advantage, the bishop
pair or the open centre. We have chosen to
deal with the subject of the open file si nce
on the one hand this is one of the most
commonly encountered strateg ic categor-
7
ies. On the other hand the stu dent has
g reat d ifficu lties with the deployment of
the rooks. This may also come from the
fact that i n the open ing phase the rooks
are the last pieces to come into play. Thus
we often see a certai n awkwardness i n
t h e handl i n g o f t h e major pieces - rook
and queen . And so that is one of the tasks
we set ourselves here : to explain system-
7
atically how to handle the most powerful
pieces. The exploitation of open files is
frequently connected with an i nvasion of
the seventh or eig hth ran k by the major
pieces. For this reason the strateg ic cat­
egories of the seventh and eighth rank are
included in the book.
Wolfgang Uhlmann and Gerhard Schmidt
 8

Chapter 1

Aspects of the eva luati o n

of open f i les

A fi le on the chessboard is known as an 2

open file when there are no pawns stand - 8 8
i n g o n it.

'--_______....:_
:.... ---.J 11

jor pieces are posted on it. We also say :

'--_______-=-_---' 11
In Diagram 1 the d -fi le is an open file. The
existence of an open file is only of any
i mportance if there are pieces avai lable
which , owing to the way they m ove, can
take advantage of such a file. These pieces
are the rook and the queen , also known
as the major pieces, which m ove about
the chessboard horizontally and vertically.
I n Diagram 1 there are no major pieces
present, so the open file is of no i mport­
ance at all for the assessment of the pos­
ition .
the open fi le is 'occupied ' . Occupation of
the open fi le is advantageous. The benefit
lies in the i ncreased activity of the major
pieces. The activity of a piece - and thus
also its current value - is based o n the
number of squares that the piece controls.
Let us add to Diagram 1 a white rook and
a black rook respectively.
3
8

Also in Diagram 2 the d -file is an open file.

The m i nor pieces on d2, d3 and d7 are
irrelevant to this characterisation.

The exploitation of the positional features

of an open file thus occurs when ma- '--_______-=-_---' 11
9 Chapter 1 Aspects of the evaluation of open files
In Diag ram 3 the white rook controls the
open d -file from d1. A strictly formal com­
parison, such as how many squares each
of the two rooks can reach , indicates
the superiority of the white rook. Twelve
squares are accessible to the white rook
(a1 , b1 , c1 , e1 , f1 , d 2 , d3, d4, d 5 , d6, d7,
d8), whereas the black rook has only five
squares (b8, c8, d8, e8, f8). These squares
are controll ed by the rooks. At this point
we shall not consider how useful these
rook moves are i n the concrete position.
The most effective way to exploit an open
fi le is by m ultiple occupation with major
pieces. Two standard forms of multiple oc ­
cupation are doubling or tri pling.
4 had avai lable. On the d -fi le the white rook
L-_______-=-_---' 'lf
Diagram 4 shows the doubling of rooks on
the open d -fi le.
5 pieces cannot be expelled by an enemy
8 pawn , bishop or knight (or possibly rook).
L-_______-=-_---' 'lf
Diag ram 5 i l l u strates a form of tripling of
the m ajor pieces. This form of tri pling is
most advantageous when the queen, be ­
ing the most valuable of the major pieces,
stands behind the rooks. This multiple oc ­
cupation of the open fi le increases the
activity of the major pieces, which gain in
strength . Conversely, the defender should
aim to exchange all the major pieces.
I n the previous examples we exam i ned
the forms that occu pation of an open fi le
can take. The major pieces enhanced their
activity through their deployment on the
open file, and in Diagram 3 we were able to
see the superiority of the white rook simply
by add i n g up the n u m ber of squares it
controlled the squares d2-d8. But in fact
not all those squares were safe ones for
the rook, since the moves �d1-d5, �d1 -
d6 and �d1-d8 would subject the rook to
capture by black pieces. In practice only
the moves �d1 -d2 , �d1-d3, �d1 -d4 and
�d1-d7 are possible.
The d7 square is of special i mportance in
connection with the control of the open
file. We cal l this an 'entry square ' .
Entry squares are squares on the open file
which are situated i n the opponent's half
of the board and from which the m ajor
In Diagram 3 the squares d5, d6, d7 and d8
were theoretically possible entry squares
for the wh ite rook, since they are in the
opponent's half of the board . However, the
squares d5 and d6 are defended by the c6
and e7 pawns, and the d8 square by the
black rook. Only the d7 square is an entry
square for the white rook.
(see diagram 6)
 Chapter 1 Aspects of the evaluation of open files 10

6 the f6 -knight and d8 by the e7 -bishop and

8 the c8-rook. With the exchange Ab2 xf6,
Ae7 xf6 White acquires two entry squares :
d6 and d7.

The d7 square is of special i mportance

here, since the rook can attack the a7 -
pawn and Black has to either post his rook
passively with . . ..!�a8, or else create a new
weakness on b6 with . . . a7-a5 or . . . a7-a6.

'--_______-=--_----' 'If The deflection or expulsion of the defend ­

ing pieces is another possible way to con­
Entry squares are for the most part quer entry squares.
jumping -off points for further attacking op­
erations withi n the enemy camp. They al­ 8 a b c d e

low the attack to be widened and they 8 8

can be l i n ked to other advantages, such
7 7
as here for example the i nvasion of the
6 6
seventh rank. Thu s the d efender can be
placed i n an even more passive position , 5 5

since he has to protect further weaknesses 4 4

in his camp. The struggle for entry squares
3 3
is essential for the exploitation of the open
2
file. The way to conquer the entry squares
is generally to deflect or exchange the de­
fend i n g pieces. Let us exami n e a typical '--_______-=--_----' 'If
example of this.

7 I n Diag ram 8 Black has all the possible

8 entry squares on the d-file protected . With
the move g4-g5 the knight can be evicted
from f6. Then the d7 square is no longer
defended by any black pieces and the
white rook can i nvade on d7.

A further aspect of the eval uation of the

2
L..-_______-=--_----' 'lf
I n Diagram 7 White has occupied the open
file with the d2-rook. The entry squares
are al l d efended : d5 by the e6 -pawn and
the f6 -knight ; d6 by the e7 -bishop ; d7 by
open file is the possibility of a ' blockade'.
By blockade we mean the plugging of the
open fi le by a knight or bishop. This minor
piece is generally defended by at least one
pawn and is not vulnerable to eviction by
an enemy pawn . Blockade of the open file
reduces the activity of the opposing rooks.
(see diagram 9)

10
11 Chapter 1 Aspects of the evaluation of open files
9 Another method for evicting the blockad ­
L...-_______--"-_----' '\1
In Diagram 9 the occupation of the open
file is cancelled out by the blockade. The
black bishop on dS is acting as a blockad ­
ing piece and restricting the activity of the
white rooks doubled on d1 and d2. The
invasion of squares in the enemy half of
the board - d6 and d7 - is prevented . Fur­
thermore, the bishop cannot be d islodged
from its position on dS. Such a d u rable
blockade of the open file is always desir­
able for the defender.
The blockade is of a temporary nature if
the blockading piece can be d islodged , by
a pawn for instance.
Diagram 10 shows Wh ite occ u pying the
open c -file, which is blockaded by a
bishop on c4.
10
4
3
'--_______--"-_---' '\1
On the next move White can play b2-b3,
and the black bishop m ust abandon the
blockading square c4. The blockade of the
open fi le is then broken.
11
ing piece can be seen in Diagram 1 1 .
11
L...-_______--"-_---' '\1
The blockading d3-knight will be attacked
by Ag4-e2 . White threatens to win a pawn .
The loss of a pawn cannot be prevented
by defend ing the knight with . . . .!::t a 8-d8 or
. . . .!::tf 8-d8. So the blockading knight m ust
give way.
The blockade of the open file can however
be desirable for many other reasons. Let
us examine Diagram 1 2 for instance.
12
8
'--_______--"-_---' '\1
It is Wh ite to move and he would l i ke to
seize the only open file, the a-file. Neither
.!::t a 1 x a8 nor .!::t a 1 -a7 work. Here blocki ng
the a-file temporari ly with Ad4-a7 is the
only way to ach ieve the goal . White can
then double the major pieces on the a-fi le
behind the blockading piece, with .!::t a1 -a6
and .!::t c 1 -a1 , for instance :
 Chapter 1 Aspects of the evaluation of open files 12

1. Ad4-a7 �g7-f5 This position is favourable for Black, since

2. �a1-a6 �f8-c8 he is now in control of the open file.
3. �c1-a1 e6-e5
I n the following, apparently similar, position
4. Aa7-c5
the conditions are d ifferent. In Diagram 14
With this move White releases the tempor­ Black has one pawn less compared to the
ary blockade of the a-file. Now Black has previous Position 1 3 .
the choice between . . J'!a8xa6 and . . . ga8- 14 ..
b8, and in either case Wh ite controls the
open a-file.

The possibility of exchanging the major

pieces is a further aspect which can d e ­
term ine the value of the open file. The aim
of the defender is, i n many cases, to ex­
change the major pieces. After that the
open file is no longer of any i mportance .

..

Here if Black seeks the exchange the rooks

in the same way with
1. �d8-e8
2. �e2xe8+ �a8xe8
3. �e1 xe8+ �f8xe8,
then we reach a pawn ending which is
lost for Black. The protected passed pawn
on b5 g uarantees Wh ite an easy win i n
t h e pawn endi n g . Material d isadvantage
I n Diag ram 1 3 it is Black to move. He can is a reason n ot to exchange all the ma­
force the exchange of rooks with . . . gd8- jor pieces, since after the exchanges the
e8 and reach an equal pawn end ing, i n endgame is usually lost.
which t h e open fi le is o f no i m portance ;
There can also be positional reasons
for instance :
for avoiding the exchange of the major
1. �d8-e8 pieces. This appl ies especially to pos­
2. �e2xe8+ �a8xe8 itional factors, which stand out particularly
3. �e1 xe8+ �f8xe8 strongly in the endgame.

White cannot prevent the exchange of (see diagram 15)

rooks, since that would leave Black in con­
trol of the open file ; for instance : I n this position Black has pawn weak­
nesses. The pawns at f7 and f6 are isolated
1. �d8-e8 dou bled pawns and the h7 pawn is also
2. �e2xe8+ �a8xe8 isolated . These pawns are especially weak
3. �e1-c1 �e8-e2 in a pawn ending.
13 Chapter 1 Aspects of the evaluation of open files

I n Diagram 1 6 White has the e8 square

firmly u nder control ; Black is u nable to
move a rook to that square.
A final aspect of the evaluation of open
files is how many of them there are. If there
is o n ly one open fi le, its control is of par­
ticular i mportance. If there are two open
files available, this i s generally an equal­
ising factor, since each side has the pos­
sibility of controlling one of the files.
17
8 8
i-=-.�" ';;:;;.o--
After 7 7

6
1. J::i: dS-eS
2. J::i:e 2xeS+ J::i: a SxeS
3. J::i:e1 xeS+ �fSxeS
The contin uation could be :

4. �g3-g4 �eS-fS
5. �g4-f5 �fS-g7
6. g2-g4 h7-h6 '---_______�_ ___' 'if
7. h2-h4 I n Diagram 1 7 both sides control an open
Black is i n zugzwang. He m u st either re ­ file. White has doubled on the e -file, Black
treat with his king and lose the f6 - pawn, on the c -file. The open fi les cannot be
or else play . . . h6-hS, when White wins blocked , and neither side can dislodge the
the h-pawn with g4xhS. I n both cases the other from the open file. The position is
endgame is clearly won for White. equal .
Often it is an aim of the defender, if an
As to the simplest possibility, preventing open file is available but he cannot occupy
the exchange, we need not go further into it, to open other files. I n Diagram 1 8 White
that here. has occupied the open file.

8 8

6 6

5 5

3 3

2 2

'if

•
 Chapter 1 Aspects of the evaluation of open files
Black can neither oppose White on the
e -file nor block it. H owever, he has the
possibil ity, si nce it is him to move, of
opening another fi le for his own use.
With . . . d6-d5 he achieves the open ing
of the d -file. White m ust allow the ex­
change . . . d5xc4 , d3xc4, since the ex­
change c4xd5, . . J�d7xd5 would be bad
for h i m on accou nt of the pawn weak­
ness left at d3. The position after . . . d5 xc4,
d3xc4 is equal ; both sides have occupied
an open fi le.
19
8 case with three open files. If more open
L...-_______....:_
:... ----I 1f
We have now seen positions i n which the
struggle was focused on one or two open
14
fi les. But how many open files do there
need to be, before we can stop talking
about the importance of an open file ?
I n Diag ram 1 9 there are five open files
available. Both rooks have sufficient free ­
dom of movement and can occu py one
of the open files at will. Here the open
files are irrelevant to the assessment of
the position.
With one or two open files, their control is
always significant ; this is possibly also the
files than that are avai lable, their control
is important only in exceptional cases (for
instance an h -file with an attack on the
king).
With this we conclude our survey of the
various aspects of the evaluation of open
files. The aspects we have descri bed are
of course related to concrete plans and
methods, as we explained at the start of
the present chapter. Therefore we also use
example positions to demonstrate the re ­
spective plans in a clear form.
15

Chapter 2

The creati o n of the open f i le

2.1 Methods of creating an open file

To create an open file, the pawns situated 21

on that file have to be rem oved . Various
methods are available for this. We shall
introduce the most frequently occu rring
possibilities here by means of schematic
examples.

a) Direct exchange of pawns

This method of opening a file is the most

common .
L...-_____.:..._
.-- ....:_
:... ---.J 'O'
20

Here the e -file will be opened by the moves

&De4xf6+, e7 xf6. The e7 pawn moves off
the half-open file by capturing.
c) A pawn on a half-open file is captured
22

'---_______-=--_--''0'

In Diagram 20 Wh ite can open the e -file

with e4xd5, e6xd5. The timing of the file ­
open ing is for Wh ite to determine : he can
postpone the exchange of pawns to a later,
possibly more favourable moment. L..-_______....:_
:... ---.J 'O'

b) The pawn moves off a half-open file by The d6 pawn on the half-open file can no
capturing longer be defended by Black. After the
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file
capture gd2 xd6 the d -file becomes an
open fi le.
d) Sacrifice
23
L..-________ � _ ___' lJ
With the piece sacrifice �c3-d5 , e6xd5 ,
e4 xd5+ the e -fi le will become open . The
possibility of a sacrifice can arise in many
d ifferent variations.
In the following games we shal l agai n meet
the fou r methods of file opening that we
have outli ned . We start with an illustrative
example from Max Euwe , which demon­
strates very clearly the creation and the
i mportance of the open file.
24
lJ
L..-_______-"-_---'
The position i n Diagram 24 is materially
equal , and the rook ending looks very
d rawish . But White has the lever a2-a4
available and he can choose the right mo­
ment to open the a -file with a4x b5 . This
possibil ity gives Wh ite a great advantage.
16
16
1. a2-a4
This move threatens to open the a-file and
win two pawns with 2. axb5. Black has
two ways to parry this threat :
a) protect the a-rook, so that the threat
a4x b5 becomes harmless.
b) exchange on a4 and protect the weak
a6 -pawn .
Let us examine the first possibility :
1. �e8-d7
Black scurries with his king to b7, to be
able to defend the a -fi le if it becomes
open.
2. Jla1-a2
The i mmediate capture on b5 achieves
nothing. Therefore White first doubles
rooks on the a -fi le. Black is u nable to do
the same, since if 2 . . . . ga7 then 3 . a x b5
follows.
2. �d7-c7
3. Jlb1-a1
White has improved his position by doub­
ling his rooks on the a-file. Now he again
threatens a4x b5 .
3. �c7-b7
The aforesaid threat is parried . H ow can
we improve the position further? The basis
of our plan l ies i n the fol lowing considera­
tions :
both wh ite rooks are comm itted to the
struggle for the a-fi l e ;
Black needs his k i n g a n d both rooks to
parry the attack;
therefore the wh ite king is free for action
and can improve its own position.
The king cannot intervene on the a-file, so
it must seek action on the kingside. We
need to identify a position for the king,
from where it will be able to i nvade decis­
ively i n the pawn ending that will arise after
a4x b5 and the ensuing general exchange
17 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file
�_���___
' M_'�' ______________________ '_L.�___�_____
- __ �� ___
_______

of rooks. For instance, if the king reaches Let us return to our starting position ( Dia­
eS, after the exchanges it can ensure vic­ gram 24) and exam ine the alternative l i ne
tory in the pawn end ing with 'i!?eS-d6-e7. where Black captures on a4 .
4. �e2-f3 1. a2-a4 �eS-d7
The conti nuation 4. a x bS a x bS S . !:!as The i m m ed i ate capture on a4 loses a
.§.xaS 6. !:!xaS 'i!?b6 7. 'i!?f3 is also good , pawn : 1 . . . . bxa4 2. !:!xa4 'i!?d7 3. !:!ba1 .
but the text move proves to be stronger.
2. a:a1-a2 b5xa4
We should like to emphasise the following 3. a:a2xa4
advice given by Euwe :
The openi n g of the a-fi le has been aver­
'In such positions one should not release ted for the time being. But now we can see
the tension on the critical fi le unless by do­ some other drawbacks to Black's position :
ing so a more decisive (or at least clearer) Wh ite will double rooks on the a-fi le and
advantage is evident.' lay siege to the a6 pawn . Th is will also ex­
4. f7-f6 ert pressure on the dS pawn, i n connection
with the advance e3-e4 . After a possible
Preventing the occupation of eS.
doubling of the rooks on the fifth ran k (at
5. e3-e4 as and cS) Black wi l l be compel led to ex­
change on e4, after which the c4 pawn will
The exchange of pawns will create space
be weak.
for the wh ite king.
5. a:hS-dS 3. �d7-c7
4. a:b1-a1 �c7-b7
After S . . . . dxe4+ 6. 'i!?xe4 White threatens 5. a:a4-a5 a:hS-cS
7. axbS axbS B. !:!xaB !:!xaB 9. !:!xaB 'i!?xaB
10. f4 'i!?b7 1 1 . dS exdS+ 1 2 . 'i!?xdS and Black must remain passive in this variation
wins. too. At the moment, open ing the a-fi le
would not be of any use to White.
6. a4xb5
6. �e2-f3
Now entering the pawn end ing is decisive.
Just as in the previous variation, Wh ite
6. a6xb5
prepares to invade with his king and when
7. a:a2xaS a:dSxaS
appropriate to open the centre with e3-e4.
S. a:a1 xaS �b7xaS
9. e4xd5 e6xd5 6. a:cS-dS
10. �f3-f4 The prevention of e3-e4 by 6 . . . . fS would
Threatening 1 1 . 'i!?fS fol lowed by 'i!?e6. entai l other d isadvantages. Wh ite could
either i nvade with �f3-f4-eS or prepare
10. 97- 9 6 the e3-e4 advance by means of f2-f3.
1 1 . 9 2- 9 4 h7-h6
12. h2-h4 �aS-b7 Z e3-e4 d5xe4+
13. h4-h5 S. �f3xe4
White wins. The king can invade via fS and Wh ite has sti l l not opened a fi le, but he al­
captu re the black pawns. The black king ways has the threats of b4-bS and d4-dS
is too far away to come to the defence of up his sleeve. Black is tied to the defence
its pawns. of a6 and c4.

17
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 18

8. �d8-c8 Game 1
9. �a5-e5 �c8-c6 A . D r u m ev - A . M a t u l ov i c
10. �a1-a5 �a8-c8 St i p 1 975
1 1 . d4-d5 Sicilian Defence [8 30J
The decisive breakthrough. Now the wh ite 1 . e4 c5 2. �f3 �c6 3. 9 3 e6 4. £9 2 �f6
rooks seize the open files. 5. d3 d5 6. �bd2 £e7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. �e1
b5 9. c3 a5 10. a4 b4 1 1 . c4
11. ... e6xd5+
12. �a5xd5 25

Now that White controls the open files his

threats increase : as wel l as 1 3 . �d7+ and
�e7 he also threatens 13. 'i!i> d4 with an at­
tack on the c4 pawn .

12. . . . �c6-c7
13. �e4-d4
Threatening �c5 winning the c-pawn .

13 . ... �b7-b6
If now 1 4 . �c5 then 14 . . . . �xc5 1 5 . �xc5
�xc5 1 6. bxc5+ 'i!i> c6 fol lows, after which n Assessment of the position
the win of the pawn is worthless. Before B lack to move must decide whether to
undertaking the decisive final attack White close the centre with 11 . . . . d4 or open
improves his pawn formation, so that the it with 11 . . . . d xe4. After 11 . . . . d4 the
black rook can not move from c6 with a queenside is com pletely closed up and
s i m u ltaneous attack on a pawn ( . . . �f6, Wh ite can i mmed iately play 1 2 . e5 , to
. . . �g6 or . . . �h6 ) . The black pieces are tied increase the range of the g2-bishop.
to their positions and can only make wait­ White is in any case in a position to be ­
ing moves. gin an attack on the kingside. Therefore
14. f2-f4 �c7-c6 the second way is correct. I n add ition
1 5. to the open d -fi le, of which Black is the
9 2- 9 3 �c8-c7
16. h2-h4 �c7-c8 fi rst to seize control , the outpost at d4
17. h4-h5 �c8-c7 for a kn ight plays an essential role.
18. b4-b5 a6xb5
1 9. �d5xb5+ �b6-a6 11. ... d5xe4
20. �e5-c5 1 2. d3xe4 e6-e5 !
A strong move, which fi rst of all brings the
White wins the c-pawn . With this the game
d4 square completely under Black's con­
is decided .
trol and secondly restricts the range of the
The following games are examples of a file g2-bishop. At the same time the activity
being opened by an exchange of pawns. of the c8-bishop is i ncreased . In the next
Game 1 features the open ing of the d -file few moves the d -fi le will be occupied by
by Black as wel l as the later opening of the means of the clever manoeuvre . . . �a8-
g -fi le to attack the king. a7-d7.

18
19 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file

13. h2-h3 §a8-a7 ! weakened dark squares) 33. 'Wd2 'Wh4

14. b2-b3 �f6-e8 34. 'Wd3 h5 !
With the idea of transferri ng the knight 27
via c7 to e6 and then occ u pying the d4 B

square. 7

1 5. Ac1-b2 f7-f6 6

16. �d2-f1 §a7-d7 5

17. 'Wd1-c2 �c6-d4
Correctly realising that the manoeuvre
tDf1 -e3-d5 must not be perm itted , Black
gives u p the advantage of the open fi le 2

but gains a space advantage, as wel l as a

strong passed pawn in the centre. �------�--� �
When assessing the strateg ic featu res of
the position, it is always also i mportant With this move the game m oves closer
to consider the possible transformation of to a decisio n . The text move forces open
one sort of advantage i nto another. the g -fi le and both Black's rooks g reatly
increase their scope.
18. Ab2xd4 c5xd4
35. g4xh5 g6xh5
26
36. �g1-h2 §f7-g7
B
37. §e1-g1 'Wh4-f4 !
With the deadly th reat of 38 . . . . h4, win­
n i n g a piece. The defence 38. 'lWd2 also
fails to the deflection 38 . . . . d3, after which
the loss of a piece likewise cannot be pre­
vented .
38. �h2-h1 §g7xg3
39. f2xg3 §g8xg3
40. 'Wd3-d2 d4-d3 !
�------�--� � 41 . §g1-f1
White reSigned , without waiting for the
19. §ed1 �c7 20. �e1 �a6 21 . �d3 �c5 reply 41 . . . . 'lWf4-h4.
22. g4 (Wh ite is trying to keep the king­
side closed , since the queenside is com­
pletely blocked . The further course of the
Game 2
struggle revolves entirely round open ing a
A. M i k h a l ch i s h i n - S . J o ks i c
file on the kingside ; Black need not h urry
Vr njacka B a n j a 1 978
and is able to make the necessary pre ­
Du tch Defence fA 86J
parations without being troubled) 2 2. . . .
96 23. �g3 �h8 24. §f1 �xd3 25. 'Wxd3 Th is game i l lustrates the possibilities of ex­
Ac5 26. §ae1 §df7 27. §e2 'Wd6 28. §fe1 changing on the open fi le. After the open­
V!ic7 29. §c2 §g8 30. �h1 'Wd8 31 . §ce2 ing of the e -fi le, White has the option of
V!if8 32. �g1 'Wh6 ( Black is success­ keeping it open or closi ng it again and in
ful in penetrating with the queen on the return opening the d -file.

19
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 20

1. d4 f5 2. �f3 �f6 3. g3 e6 4. J.g2 J.e7 With this fresh occupation of the open fi le
5. 0-0 0-0 6. c4 d5 7. b3 �e4 S. J.a3 White has i ncreased his advantage, the
.td7 9. �e5 c6 10 . .txe7 Y!Jxe7 1 1 . f3 �f6 more so as all Black's pieces stand pass­
12. �c3 J.eS 13. e4 �bd7 14. exf5 exf5 ively.
15. lae1
1 9. ctld7-b6
20. Y!Jc4-d4 J.eS-f7
21 . Y!Jd4-d6
The open file must be clai med . After 21. f4
l::!.ad8 22. Y!Je3 Ae6 Black has survived the
worst dangers.
21 . lafS-eS
22. f3-f4 Y!Je7xd6
23. lad1 xd6 laaS-dS
24. lae1-d1 ladSxd6
25. lad1 xd6 mhS-gS
25 . . . . a5 was better, to prevent 26. b4.

n Assessment of the position 26. b3-b4 J.f7-e6

27. b4-b5 !
As wel l as an obvious space advantage,
White has the further plus of occupation Decisively weakening the black queen­
of the e -file. Also after the forthcoming side. I n addition White is fighting for further
pawn move f3-f4 the g2-bishop will be advanced posts for his pieces. Here the
very effective on the long d iagonal . routine 27. a4 would have been a mistake,
si nce after 27. . . . eDc4 28. l::!. d 4 a6 29. a5
1 5. . . . �d7xe5 eDa3 with the idea of 30 . . . . eDc2 or 30 . . . .
16. d4xe5 ! eDb5, White would have thrown away the
advantage.
An i nteresting method , exchanging one
29
open file for another. It is to be expec ­
ted that the d -file will soon be opened
by the lever action of the c4 and d5
pawns. Furthermore Wh ite gains a dan­
gerous passed pawn on e5 . 1 6. l::!.x e5 Y!Jb4
1 7. Y!Jd3 was also fu lly playable, with ad ­
vantage to White.
16. . . . �f6-d7
17. Y!Jd1-d4
Not 1 7. c x d 5 , since after 1 7. . . . Y!Jc5+
1 8 . <;!;>h1 Y!Jxc3 19. d6 obscure com plic­
ations are conjured up.
17. 27. ... �b6-c4 ?
d5xc4
1S. Y!Jd4xc4+ mgS-hS The win would have been much harder
19. laa1-d1 after 27. . . . c x b5 . A possible continuation

20
21 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file

is 28. �x b5 Axa2 29. Axb7 gb8 30. Aa6

Ac4 , and then White would have to find
the study-l i ke move 31 . �xa7 ! ! , for ex­
ample : 31 . . . . Axa6 32 . �c6 ga8 (or 32 . . . .
§b7 33. e6 g6 34. e7 �f7 35. �d8+ �xe7
36. �x b7 winning the exchange) 33. �b4,
and since his knight and bishop are both
attacked Black has to return the extra
piece. The endgame is then very advant­
ageous for White.
28. �d3 �b2 29. �d4 e5 (the capture on
b5 is always out of the question i n view of
�xb5 with threats of �c7 as well as Axb7
and �xa7 ) 30. �d6 b6 31 . Ae6 (the final
knockout blow) 31 . . . . �e7 32. �d5 ! Axd5
33. �d8+ �f7 34. Axd5+ �g6 35. �d6+
�h5 36. Af3 mate.
Game 3
D. J a n ow s k i - J . R . C a p a b l a n e a
N ew Yo rk 1 9 1 6
Sla v Defence [0 1 5J
1. d4 �f6 2. �f3 d5 3. e4 e6 4. �e3 Af5
5. 'Wb3 'Wb6 6. 'Wxb6 axb6 7. exd5 �xd5
8. �xd5 exd5 (an open fi le has appeared ,
but at the moment it plays no role, since all
the entry squares can be easily defended )
9. e3 �e6 10. Ad2 Ad7 ! (an i nteresting
move fro m the future World Champion ;
he intends to advance with . . . b5 and then
manoeuvre the knight to c4 by . . . �c6-
a5-c4 ; obl ivious to this plan, White makes
some routine moves) 1 1 . Ae2 e6 1 2. 0-0
Ad6 13. �fe1 �e7 14. Ae3 �he8 15. a3 ?
(the rook was tied to the defence of the
a2 pawn, but now there is a fresh weak­
ness at b3) 15 . . . . �a5 ! 16. �d2 f5 17. g3
b5 18. f3 �e4 19. Axe4 (somewhat better
was 19. �xc4 bxc4 20. Ad1 with the idea
of Ac2 , ge1 and e4) 19 . . . . bxe4 20. e4
�f7 21 . e5? (after this pOintless action
White gets into serious d ifficulties ; he had
to play 21. exf5 exf5 22 . f4 fol lowed by �f3
and �e5+ ; then the position should sti l l
b e equal) 21 . . . . Ae7 22. f4 b5
n Assessment of the position
In this case we shal l let Jose Raul Capa­
blanca speak for himself. He outlined his
plan as follows : ' Black has already es­
tabl ished his position ; there is no longer
any danger and his pieces are all wel l
posted . It i s , therefore, t i m e t o evolve
a plan of attack, which in this case wi l l
b e t o fix a s many Wh ite pieces a s pos­
sible on the queenside by th reatening
. . . b5-b4 , then somewhat to break u p
the kingside through . . . g7-g5, and then
through the greater mobil ity of the rooks
to occupy the open g -file. When this is
accomplished Black wi l l then be threat­
ening White's position through the ki ng­
side, and at the same time will always
mai ntain the threat of . . . b5-b4.'
(My Chess Career, 1 920)
23. �g1-f2 �a8-a4
24. �f2-e3 �e8-a8
Now 25 . . . . b4 is threatened .
25. �a1-b1 h7-h6
Preparing . . . g7-g5 . Wh ite should now
have restrai ned this advance with 26. h4.
H e could then occupy the open h -fi le
arising after . . . g7-g5.
26. �d2-f3 g7-g5
27. �f3-e1 �a8-g8

21
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 22

At the right moment Black switches to the 37. Ae4xg2

kingside, while the white pieces are all on 3S. Etgbg2 h5-h4
the queenside. 39. Ag3xh4
2S. �e3-f3
The transposition 39. gxe7+ also loses
28. �g2 is better, in order to be able to re ­ to 39 . . . . <.!>x e7 40. Axh4+ <.!>f7 41 . gxg4
capture with the knight after an exchange (41 . Ag3 gb8) 41 . . . . fxg4 ! 42. <.!>g3 g b8
of pawns on f4 . Now the knight wi ll not be 43. <.!>xg4 gx b4 fol lowed by 44 . . . . gx b2,
able to find a good square. and the c -pawn cannot be stopped .
2S. g5xf4
29. g3xf4 Eta4-aS 39. Etg4xg2+
30. tt)e1-g2 EtgS-g4 40. �f2-f3 Etg2xh2
31 . Etc1-g1 41 . Ah4xe7
Wh ite has no time to d islodge the rook Or 41 . gxe7+ <.!>f8 42 . Af6 ggh8 ! 43 . Ax h8
from g4, for instance 31 . �e3 gh4 32. gh1 (forced , otherwise comes 43 . . . . gSh3
gh3+ followed by 33 . . . . gg8 . mate) 43 . . . . <.!>xe7 and Black wins.
31 . . . . EtaS-gS
32. Ac3-e1 41 . ... Eth2-h3+
With the idea of preparing to exchange the The i m m ediate 41 . . . . gx b2 prod uces the
rooks after Af2 , h3 and �e3 . same result.
32. . . . b5-b4 !
The long awaited advance, at the moment 42. �f3-f2 Eth3-b3
as a pawn sacrifice, opens the way for the 43. Ae7-g5+ �f7-g6
lig ht-squared bishop i nto the wh ite camp 44. Eta7-e7 Etb3xb2+
by . . . Ad7-a4-c2-e4. The bad bishop 45. �f2-f3 EtgS-aS
breaches Wh ite's d efences. If Wh ite ac ­
Now the switch back to the open a-fi l e
cepts the pawn sacrifice with 3 3 . Ax b4
with a mating attack is decisive.
Ax b4 34 . a x b4 , Black can play either
34 . . . . gb8 or . . . h6-h5-h4-h3. 46. Ete7xe6+ �g6-h7
33. a3xb4 Ad7-a4
34. Etb1-a1 Wh ite resigned.
The c2 square can not be d efe n d ed :
34. gc1 ? gxf4+ 35. <'!>xf4 Ag5+.
Game 4
34. ... Aa4-c2 K. B i s ch off - E . Sutovsky
35. Ae1-g3 Ac2-e4+ Essen 2001
In three moves the bishop that was shut i n Nimzo witsch -L arsen Opening fA 0 1J
by its own pawns has become a powerfu l
attacking piece.
1 . b3 e5 2. Ab2 tt)c6 3. e3 tt)f6 4. Ab5
36. �f3-f2 h6-h5 Ad6 5. tt)e2 a6 6. Axc6 dxc6 7. tt)bc3 e4
37. Eta1-a7 S. tt)g3 'fJe7 9. 'fJe2 0-0 10. 0-0-0 Aa3
This attempt to drum u p some counter­ 1 1 . Axa3 'flxa3+ 12. �b1 EteS 13. f3 exf3
play is doomed to fai l , since Black's attack 14. g xf3
cannot be halted . (see diagram 31)

22
23 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file
31
n Assessment of the position
There are no open files yet. But after
the mistaken exchange 1 1 . Axa3 Black
threatens to open the a -fi le eventually
with a6-a5-a4. The black bishop can
rei nforce the attack fro m e6, and the
annoying queen can only be dislodged
from a3 with great d ifficulty. A wh ite at­
tack along the half-open g -file requires
a lot of time. After for exam ple 14 . . . .
a5 15. gdg1 a4 16. Wg2 Black can keep
his king's position closed for a long time
with . . . g7-g6. Black's attack along the
a-file moves much faster.
14. a6-aS !
1 S. �g3-e4 �f6xe4
16. f3xe4
16. tDxe4 a4 1 7. tDc3 axb3 1 8 . c x b3 is no
better.
16 . . . . as-a4
17. d2-d3
The play after 1 7. tDxa4 i l l u strates how
quickly the black attack on the a-file can
get into gear : 1 7. . . . b5 18. tDc3 b4 19. ttla4
gxa4 20. bxa4 .!Le6 and Black wins.
17. .tc8-e6
18. We2-d2
18. ttlxa4 b5 1 9 . ttlc3 b4 20. ttla4 gxa4
with a winning position for Black.
18. ... b7-bS
1 9. Wd2-c1 Wa3-b4
20. Wc1-b2
White has managed to include the queen
in the defence. Nevertheless, the a-fi le will
now be opened . After this Black threatens
to i ncrease the pressu re by doubling the
rooks on the a -fi le. The black pieces are
ideally placed for the attack on the king.
20. . . . a4xb3
21 . a2xb3
It would have been better for White to keep
the a-fi le closed and try to set up a defens­
ive position with c x b3 , followed by bri n g ­
i n g t h e knight t o c 1 t o protect t h e a2 pawn .
Granted , Black would sti l l have the i n itiat­
ive agai nst the wh ite king, but Wh ite can
sti l l offer resistance, for example 21 . c x b3
ga3 22. ghg1 g6 23. ttle2 gea8 24. tDc1
c5.
21 . . . . �a8-a3
22. �c3-e2
If 22. ghg1 then 22 . . . . g6.
22. . . . �e8-a8
The black attack on the a-file is reinforced ;
now he threatens to triple with . . . Wa5 .
23. �h1-g1 g7-g6
24. Wb2-c3 Wb4-d6
This is stronger than 24 . . . . ga1 + 25. Wxa1
gxa1 + 26. *xa1 c5 27. *b2 c4 28. d x c4
bxc4.
2S. �e2-f4
25. tDc1 is better, after which Black can
choose between building up his attack on
� Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 24

the a-fi le or enteri ng an endgame with n Assessment of the position

25 . . . . �a1 + 26. �xa1 �xa1 + 27. r;!,lxa1
With his last move Wh ite declared h i s
�x h2.
i ntention o f launching a n attack on the
2S. . . . bS-b4 ! king by exploiti ng the h -fi le. The ad ­
26. 'Wc3-b2 'Wd6-cS vanced pawn on h5 will open the way
Now that there are no longer any obstacles for this. A further strateg ic featu re i s
on the a-fi le, Black triples his major pieces. t h e active wh ite bishop pair. I n add i ­
White resigned . tion, the pawn o n b 6 restricts the mobi l­
ity of the black pieces. Black must also
I n the fol lowing three games the h-fi le be ­ constantly look after the weak pawn on
comes open , with both kings located on a4 , so that he m u st remain completely
the kingside. I n each case the open h-fi le is passive i n the face of Wh ite's activity.
the basis for attacking operations agai nst The black knight on the rim still requires
the enemy ki ng. a further two tempi to get back into play.

Game 5 37. �aS-b3

W. U h l m a n n - U . B o n s ch 3S. a:e1-h1 �b3-cS
G rod itz 1 976 39. 'Wd3-b1 ! a:eS-fS
Sicilian Defence [8 36] 40. hSxg6
1 . c4 �f6 2. �c3 cS 3. �f3 g6 4. e4 d6 The right time has come to open the fi le.
S. d4 cxd4 6. �xd4 �c6 7. Ae2 �xd4
40. . . . h7xg6
S. 'Wxd4 Ag7 9. AgS 0-0 10. 'Wd2 Ae6
1 1 . a:c1 a:cS 1 2. b3 a6 1 3. 0-0 �d7 If 40 . . . . fxg6 Wh ite sim ply plays 41 . �b4,
14. �dS AxdS 1 S. exdS �cS 16. Af3 winning a pawn .
a:eS 17. a:fe1 Af6 1S. Ae3 as 1 9. g3 'Wb6 41 . 'Wb1-g1 ! Af6-g7
20. a: b1 'Wb4 21 . 'We2 a4 22. Ag4 a:c7 42. 'Wg1-h2 f7-fS
23. Ad2 ! 'Wa3 24. Ac1 'Wb4 2S. a3 'Wb6 If 42 . . . . �e8 then 43. �h7+ r;!,lf8 44. Ah6
(25 . . . . �c3 ? 26. Ab2 �d3 27. Axf6 win­ Axh6 45. �h8 mate.
n i n g a piece) 26. b4 �b3 27. Af4 �d4
2S. 'Wd3 'Wa6 29. bS 'WaS 30. b6 ! a:cS 43. 'Wh2-h7+ �gS-f7
31 . a: b4 a:aS 32. h4 'WdS 33. hS a:a6 44. Ag4xfS
34. Ae3 �b3 3S. a: bS a:aS 36. a:xaS With this fine piece sacrifice the defending
�xaS 37. r;!,l g2 pawn structure is smashed open . [44. flh6
33 also wins easily Ed.]-

44. . . . g6xfS
4S. 'Wh7xfS+ �f7-gS
If 45 . . . . r;!,le8 then 46. �g6+ �f7 47. �h7
r;!,lf8 48. Ah6, followed by mate.
46. 'WfS-h7+ �gS-f7
47. a:h1-hS ! e7-e6
3
If 47. . . . tDd7 48. Ah6 �g8 49. �g5 �f8
2
50. �g6 mate, or 47. . . . �g8 48. �f5+, fol­
lowed by 49. �xg8+.
4S. a:hS-gS a:fS-gS

24
25 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file
-------
Or 48 . . . . �f6 49. d xe6+ �xe6 (49 . . . .
�xe6 50. !:!g6 winning the queen) 50. !:!f5
winning the queen .
49. 'Wh7-g6+ 11f7-e7
SO. Ae3xcS 'WdS-d7
And Black simu ltaneously resigned .
Game 6
w. U h l m a n n - T. Uj t u m e n
Pa l m a d e M a l l o rca 1 970
King 's In dian Defence [E 73J
1 . d4 �f6 2. c4 g6 3. �c3 Ag7 4. e4 d6
S. Ae2 0-0 6. AgS h6 7. Ae3 cS S. dS
e6 9. dxe6 Axe6 10. 'Wd2 'WaS ( 1 0 . . . .
�h7 is better) 1 1 . Axh6 Axh6 1 2. 'Wxh6
�xe4 1 3. �c1 ! �c6 (the acceptance of
the pawn sacrifice is dangerous : 1 3 . . . .
�xc3 14. !:!xc3 'Wxa2 1 5 . 'Wc1 ! 'Wa5 1 6 . h4)
14. h4 �d4 1S. 11f1 ( 1 5. h5 would be pre -
mature in view o f 1 5 . . . . g5 with the threat
of 1 6 . . . . �f5) 1 S . . . . �fS 16. 'Wf4 �xc3
17. �xc3 'Wxa2 1S. 'Wc1 'WaS ( 1 9. !:!a3 was
threatened) 1 9. hS �g7 20. �g3 ! AfS
34
8 Again the best defence. If 23 . . . . Ae6 then
7
6
5
4
3
t--'--'-'
2
n Assessment of the position
After lengthy preparation the rig ht mo­
ment has come to open the h -fi le. The
preced ing moves were all dedicated to
this purpose. The rooks should be man­
oeuvred to the kingside without loss
of time. The attack on the king will be
25
In . . . continued I
demonstrated here i n straig htforward
fashion. The dark squares have been
weakened by the exchange of the dark­
squared bishops, and the wh ite queen
threatens to invade. The squares h6 and
h8 as wel l as the long d iagonal a1 -h8
are especially endangered . The wh ite
bishop will find a convenient active post
on the long d iagonal at f3 , and only
the g 1 -knight is not yet taki ng part i n
the struggle. Although Black is wel l d e ­
veloped , on accou nt o f t h e constant
threats he has no time to adopt a suit­
able defensive position. B lack's extra
pawn on the queenside currently plays
no role.
21 . hSxg6 f7xg6
21 . . . . Axg6 would lose i mm ed i ately to
22. !:!a3 ! 'Wb6 23. 'Wh6 with mate on h8 to
follow.
22. Ae2-f3 �aS-eS
23. Af3-dS+ �g7-e6
White wins with 24. !:!xg6 Axd5 25. !:!xg7+
�xg7 26. �g5+ �f7 27. !:!h7+ �e6 28.
cxd5 mate .
24. �g1-f3 11gS-g7
2S. 11f1-g1 !
This quiet move brings Wh ite a m aterial
advantage. The th reat is 26. �h4. The
i m m ediate 25. �h4 would however have
been a blunder, si nce Black has the parry
25 . . . . �f4 ! available.
2S. . . . �fS-hS
26. �h1 xhS �eSxhS
26. . . . �xh8 is hopeless on account
of 27. �h6+ �g8 28. !:!xg6+ Axg6
29. 'Wxg6+ �f8 30. 'Wf6+ �g8 31 . Axe6+
winning a piece.
27. b2-b4 ! !
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file
After this elegant move, wh ich enables the
white queen to go with gain of tempo to
a1 , b2 or c3, during the game I could not
see any adequate defence for B lack. If
27. . . . cxb4 then 28. Yflb2+ 'i!th7 29. Axe6
fol lowed by 30. eL'!g5+ and wins. Not un­
til years later did the computer d iscover
that 27. . . . Yfld8 ! ? would stil l have provided
Black with some defensive chances, for
instance : 28. bxc5 Yflf6 ! ? [or 28 . . . . eL'!xc5
29. eL'!d4 .§f8 (29. . . . Yflf6 ? 30. eL'!xf5+
Yflxf5 31 . .§f3 fol lowed by .§f7+ ) 30. Yfla1
'i!th7 31 . Yflxa7 with advantage. Black loses
after 28 . . . . d xc5 29. Yfl b2+ eL'!d4 (29 . . . .
Yflf6 30. Yflx b7+ Yflf7 31 . Yflxf7+ 'i!txf7
32 . eL'!g5+ *f6 33. eL'!xe6 Axe6 34. Axe6
'i!txe6 35 . .§xg6+ winning) 30. eL'!xd4 cxd4
31 . Yflxd4+ Yflf6 32. Yflxa7 with advant­
age] 29. Axe6 ( but not 29. cxd6 on ac -
count of 29 . . . eL'!f4 ! ) 29 . . . . Axe6 30. cxd6
Axc4 31 . eL'!d2 Af7 (31 . . . . b5 32. eL'!xc4
.§c8 33 . .§h3 ! ; the best is therefore 32 .. . .
bxc4 33 . .§a3 , with advantage for Wh ite :
Fritz 9 evaluates the position after 33 . .§e3 !
Yfld4 24 . .§e7+ with the u nequ ivocal +-)
32 . �e4 Yfld4 (32 . . . . Yflh4 ? 33. Yflc3+ 'i!tg8
34 . .§h3 winning) 33. Yflc3 ! Yflxc3 34 . .§xc3
.§d8 (34 . . . . Ad5 35 . .§c7+ 'i!th6 36. eL'!f6
Ac6 37. �g4+ 'i!tg5 38. �e5 ! ) 35 . .§c7 'i!tf8
36. '§ x b7 Ad5 37. .§h7 Ag8 38 . .§xa7 and
wins. Th us even after the improvement 27.
. . . Yfld8 this Brill iancy Prize game can sti l l
b e salvaged !
27. WaSxb4
28. AdSxe6 Wb4-b1
A sad necessity, to prevent White from
giving check on a1 . 28 . . . . Axe6 fails to
29. Yfla1 + *h7 30. eL'!g5+ or 29 . . . . *g8
30 . .§xg6+, in either case with an immedi­
ate win.
(see diagram 35)
By exploiti ng the open fi le Wh ite has
gained a decisive material advantage.
26
35
8
�,.....
7
5
4
3
2
L...-_______....:�___l
::... 1t
29. Wc1 xb1 AfSxb1
30. �f3-gS �f8-b8
31 . �g3-f3 !
Now another pawn is lost , since .§f7+ is
threatened . The rest is a matter of tech­
nique. 31 . . . . .tfS (forced ; if 31 . . . . .§f8 then
32 . .§b3 wins) 32 . .txfS gxfS 33. �xfS bS
34. cxbS �xbS 35. �e4 � b1 + 36. <&t>h2
�d1 37. �f3 �d4 38. �g3 �dS (Black has
to parry the threat of 39. eL'!f5 + ) 39. �a3
c4 40. �xa7+ <&t>g6 41 . �c7 �cS 42. �xcS
dxcS 43. �e4 and Black resigned .
Th is game gai ned the Brill iancy Prize at
the Palma de Mallorca I nterzonal Tou rna­
ment. Th is was awarded i n recogn ition of
the deeply conceived strategic manoeuv­
ring, focused on the open h-fi le, as well as
the fine uti lisation of the tactical possibilit­
ies.
Game 7
I. C s o m - V. L i b e r z o n
Bad Lauterberg 1 97 7
King 's Indian Defence [E 63J
1 . d4 �f6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Ag7 4. Ag2
0-0 S. �c3 d6 6. �f3 �c6 7. 0-0 � b8
8. b3 a6 9. Ab2 bS 10. cxbS a x bS
1 1 . �c1 Ad7 1 2. �e1 �aS 1 3. �d3 �e8
14. �dS ! c6 1 S. �Sb4 Wb6 1 6. Wd2 !
�c7 ( but not 1 6 . . . . Axd4 1 7. Axd4
Yflxd4 on account of 18. eL'!a6 threaten­
ing 1 9. Yflxa5 and 1 9 . eL'!xb8) 17. e3 �a6
18. �c2 �xb4 19. �xb4 �fc8 20. �fc1 e6
27 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file

21 . e4 Ae8 22. �d3 ! J:::t d 8 (the d4 pawn I n . . . continued I

is sti l l poisoned ; after 22. . . . Axd4 23.
backward a2 pawn. These strategic fea­
Axd4 Wxd4 24. Wxa5 Wxd3 25. gd2 ga8
tures determ ine the further course of
26. Wxa8 Wxd2 27. Wxc8 Wxc1 + 28. Af1
the game.
\!1f8 29. a4 Black can no longer stop the
a-pawn [This is not so clear - after 29 . .
26. J:::t b 8-a8
. .

bxa4 30. bxa4 �a 1 3 1. �a8 c5 32. a5 c4

the black c-pawn also advances quickly - 27. Ab2-a1 J:::t a 8-aS
Ed.]) 23. 'ti'e3 b4 24. eS dS 2S. h4 �b7 28. Ag2-h3 J:::t d 8-a8
26. hS 29. �g1-g2
Wh ite sacrifices the a2 pawn, so as not to
lose any time for his attack on the king.
29. . . . J:::t a Sxa2
As wel l as winning a pawn , Black has also
taken the open a-fi le under control. How­
ever, a more considered assessment re ­
veals that this has by no means solved his
problems.
30. Aa1-b2
On no account should Wh ite exchange
one of his rooks.
30. Ag7-f8
n Assessment of the position 31 . hSxg6 h7xg6
The pawn structure is fixed , so the fur­ 32. J:::t c 1-h1
ther struggle must be fought almost ex­ With this regrouping on the h -file dangers
clusively by the minor and major pieces. for the black king appear.
The text m ove is the only possibility of 32. . . . 'Wb6-d8
creating an open fi le by means of the
32 . . . . g8a3 would be a m i stake on ac ­
forthco m i n g exchange h5xg6, h7 xg6.
count of 33. tDc1 and Black loses the ex­
This possibil ity must always be incl uded
change.
in the total evaluation of the position.
At present, by doubling his rooks 33. Ah3-g4 J:::t a 2-aS
on the c -file, Wh ite has highlighted the 34. 'We3-c1 ! J:::t a 8-c8
pawn weakness at c6 and prevented 3S. 'Wc1-g1
the advance . . . c6-c5 . Furthermore the The long-prepared manoeuvre to occu py
kn ight is excellently posted on d3. It the h-file. As in Game 5 (page 24) the white
constantly menaces the b4 pawn and queen will be brought i nto an attacking
can quickly take part in the struggle on position via g1-h2.
the kingside via f4. It is thus far superior 35. Af8-g7
to its cou nterpart on b7. All fou r bish­ 36. 'Wg1-h2 c6-cS
ops are restricted in scope by the pawn 37. Ab2-c1 !
chai ns. The fi rst side to activate their
This bishop comes i nto play at j ust the
bishops will have the advantage. The
right moment. 37. . . . cxd4 now loses
only weakness i n the wh ite camp is the
to 38. gxc8 Wxc8 39. Ag5 , and there
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 28

is no defence against the mating threat 43 . . . . 'i!'le7-c7

40. \Wh7+ �f8 41 . \Wxg7+ �xg7 42 . Af6+
If 43. . . . g6c7 then 44. Axe6 fxe6
�g8 43. gh8 mate. 37. . . . c4 also loses to
45. CLlg6 + , winning the queen . Or 43 . . . .
38. Ah6 cxd3 39. Axg7 mating.
g8c7 44. ga8+ gc8 45. gxc8+ gxc8, and
37. . . . �g8-f8
now 46. Axe6 is once again decisive.
38 . .tc1-d2
Now the b4 pawn becomes Black's prob­ 44. �f4xg6+ f7xg6
lem child. 45 . .td2-h6 .tg7xh6
38. . . . .Q.e8-b5 46. 'i!'lh7xh6+ �f8-e8
39. �d3-f4
If 46 . . . . �f7 then Wh ite plays 47. gx b7
Wh ite can already choose how to wi n .
\Wx b7 48. \Wh7+ , winning the queen .
3 9 . CLlxc5 was equally strong, since if
39 . . . . CLlxc5 the zwischenzug 40. Axb4 is 47. 'i!'lh6xg6+ �e8-d8
possible. 48. 'i!'lg6-f6+ �d8-d7
39. §a5-a6 49. §a7xb7
40. 'i!'lh2-h7 'i!'ld8-d7 Black resigned , si nce he loses his queen .
41 . §h1-c1
Now that the queen is lodged at h7, i n
t h e final phase t h e rooks w i l l play a d e ­
cisive role o n the half-open c-fi le and sub­ Game 8
sequently on the a -fi le. N ow the threat of v. A n a n d - N . S h o r t
42. Ax b4 appears. Merida 2001
41 . . . . §a6-c6 Ruy L opez [C 76}
42. §c2-a2 'i!'ld7-e7
There is no defence. If 42 . . . . ga6 then 1 . e4 e5 2. �f3 �c6 3 . .tb5 a6 4 . .ta4
Wh ite wins with 43. gxa6 Axa6 44. d xc5 d6 5. c3 g6 6. d4 .td7 7. 0-0 .tg7 8. §e1
CLlxc5 45. Axb4 \Wb5 46. Axe6 ! fx e6 �ge7 9. d5 �a5 ! ? (9 . . . . CLlb8 1 0 . c4 0-0
(46 . . . . \Wx b4 47. gxc5 [or 4 7. fug6+ - 1 1 . CLlc3 h6 1 2 . Ac2 with a slight advant­
Ed.) 47. . . . \Wxc5 (47. . . . \We4+ 48. f3) age, Al masi - Zsi n ka, 1 997) 10 . .txd7+
48. CLlxg6+ ! fxg6 49. \Wg8+ �e7 50. \Wf7+ 'i!'lxd7 1 1 . b3 ( 1 1 . b4 CLlc4 1 2 . \W b3 b5
�d8 51 . \Wd7 mate) 47. Axc5+ gxc5 1 3 . CLlfd2 CLlb6 14. c4 c6 is u nclear) 11 . . . .
48. CLlxe6+. O-O ? ! ( 1 1 . . . . b5 1 2 . c4 c5 1 3 . Ad2 tLlb7 is
43. §a2-a7 preferable) 1 2. c4 c5 13 . .td2 b6 14. 'i!'lc1
37 .-----..,---:---�--;---, .. ( 1 4 . \Wc2 is more precise) 1 4 . . . . �b7
8 8 1 5. a3 f5 ! ? 1 6. �c3 ( if 1 6 . CLlg5 then
�.-
7 7 16 . . . CLld8 would be a good reply) 16 . . . .
�� f4 ? ( Black i s i n too much of a h urry to at­
6 6
tack on the kingside. 16 . . . . fxe4 17. tLlxe4
5
tLlf5 is correct, with equal ity) 17. 'i!'lc2 .tf6
4 18. §eb1 'i!'lc7 (for better or worse, Black
3 should have tried to attack on the king ­
side by 1 8 . . . . g5 1 9 . b4 g4 20. tLle1 . How­
2
ever, without his lig ht-squared bishop, it
is hard for Black to open files) 19. �e1
g5 20. �a4 �c8 ( Black has ended up i n

28
29 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file
a completely passive position and is d e ­
fenceless in the face of t h e future open ing
of the b -fi le) 21 . b4 Ad8 22. !:t b3 !:ta7
23. !:tab1 Y!lg7 24. bxc5 ? ! (24 . �d3 £c7
25. bxc5 �xc5 26. �axc5 d xc5 27. £c3
was preferable) 24. . . . bxc5 ? !
38
8 8
6 2 9 . Axe5 ! ? h5 ! 30. We2 dxe5 (30 . . . . We8
5
4
3 chances.
a b c d e f 9 h
n Assessment of the position
Wh ite has achieved his fi rst o bjective.
The b -fi le is open , but Wh ite sti l l lacks
entry squares. With his last move 24 . . . .
bxc5 Black m i ssed a good defens­
ive chance. He defi n itely should have
played 24 . . . . �xc5. After 25. �xc5
d xc5 26. �d3 the a7 rook cou ld re ­
main in play with 26 . . . a:e7. This is an im­
portant difference compared with what
happened i n the game ! Now, however,
with �d3 and £c3 Wh ite can increase
the pressure on the pawn formation c5,
d6, e5 und isturbed . Piece sacrifices on
e5 or c5 are i n the air. All of this is only
possible due to the wh ite rooks' com­
plete domi nation of the open b -file.
25. �e1-d3 !:tf8-f7
26. Ad2-c3 !:tf7-e7
Now the pawn move 26. . . . g4 would
already be problematic. After 27. £xe5
dxe5 28. �axc5 �xc5 29. �xc5 White's
activity would be overwhelming.
27. Y!lc2-e2
A cunning move. The threat of 28. Wg4 is
serious. It is also i mportant that 28 . . . . g4
now fails to 29. �xf4.
27. ... !:te7-c7 !
The best defence. Naturally 28. Wg4 was
to be considered now. After 28 . . . . Wf7 ( if
28 . . . . Wd7 ? 29. Wxd7 a:xd7 30. £xe5
d x e5 31 . �xe5 �a5 32 . �xd7 � x b3
33. a:x b3 a:xd7 34. a:b8 White should win . )
31 . £c3 Wxa4 32. Wxh5) 31 . �xe5 We8
32. �c6 a:xc6 33. d x c6 �d6 34. �xc5
White wou ld defi n itely have the better
28. g2-g3 Y!Jg7-d7
29. �a4-b2 Y!Jd7-h3
� 30. �g1-h1 !:tc7-f7
Possibly 30 . . . . a:g7 is a better defence, in
order to defuse White's next move.
31 . g3xf4 !
A cunning m ove. Wh ite has real ised that
the open b -fi le is not i n itself sufficient to
provide h i m with entry squares. With the
text move Wh ite obtains a second open
fi le and suddenly the action sh ifts to the
g -fi le.
31 . g5xf4
32. !:tb1-g1+ �g8-f8
33. Y!Je2-d1
Here the piece sacrifice 33. �xf4 ! ! came
strongly i nto consideration : 33. . . . a:xf4
(33. . . . exf4 ? 34. £g7+ winning the
queen . ) 34. £xe5 Wxb3 35. £xf4 £f6
36. e5 ! dxe5 37. a:g3 Wb6 38. £xe5 with
an overwhel m i n g attack. But the queen
move to d 1 has sufficient poiso n , since
the b3 rook is now protected , thus setting
up threats of both �xf4 and Axe5 .
33. . . . f4-f3
34. !:tg1-g3 Y!Jh3-h4
If 34 . . . . Wh5, then 35. �e1 , and the f3
pawn is lost.
29
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 30

35. 'Wd1-g1 I n the fol lowing illustrative games there

are already half-open fi les avai lable. The
The fascinating thing about this game is
pawn on the half-open file will be elimin­
that suddenly the second open file creates
ated . Either it will be captured , or, usually
fresh winning chances.
i n connection with an exchange, it cap­
35. . . . �cS-e7 tures something itself and leaves the half­
If 35 . . . . �eS, then 3S. !!g4 'Wh5 37. 'Wg3 open fi le. The half-open fi le thus becomes
with a clear advantage. an open file.

36. Ac3xe5 ! ! . . . G am e 9
The time is ripe to shatter the pawn bastion G . Sta h l b e r g - E . Sza b a d o s
in the centre by means of a piece sacrifice. Amsterd a m 1 9 50
English Opening fA 14]
36. . . . d6xe5
37. �d3xe5 �b7-d6 1 . c4 �f6 2. �f3 c5 3. g3 b6 4. Ag2
Or 37. . . . 'Wxe4 38. �xf7 �xf7 39. !!e3 and Ab7 5. 0-0 e6 6. �c3 Ae7 7. b3 0-0
wins. S. Ab2 d5 9. cxd5 �xd5 10. �xd5 Axd5
1 1 . Elc1 Af6 12. 'Wc2 Axb2 13. 'Wxb2 �d7
3S. Elb3xf3 ? ... 14. d3 'Wf6 1 5. 'Wa3 ElfdS 1 6. �d2 Axg2
I t i s a g reat pity that Anand did not uti l­ 17. �xg2 �e5 ? 1S. b4 !
ise the power of the second open file � .
to force the win. With 38. !!b8 ! the vic­ 8
tory could easily have been achieved , for
i nstance : 38 . . . . �e8 39. !!g8+ ! �xg8
40. 'Wxg8+ m8 41 . "\l;!feS+ 'We7 (41 . . . .
!!e7 42. 'WxdS !!xe5 43. 'Wxe5+ win­
ning) 42. !!xd8+ �xd8 43. �cS+ �e8
44. �xe7 !!xe7 45. 'WxdS !!xe4 4S. �d3
!!d4 47. 'WeS+ �d8 48. dS !!e8 49. 'WfS+
followed by 'Wxf3.
3S. 'Wh4xe4
39. �e5xf7 �d6xf7
40. �b2-d3 �e7-g6 !
After this the position is once again i n
n Assessment of the position
the balance a n d the chances are equal . With the pawn lever 1 8 . b4 Wh ite pre ­
The remaining moves are therefore in short pares to open the c -fi le. Th is is advant­
notation, si nce they are not relevant to our ageous for him, si nce it will make it pos­
theme. sible for h i m to i nvade on the seventh
ran k. Furthermore Wh ite has the ad ­
41 . �xc5 'Wxc4 40. �e6+ �eS 43. 'Wd1
vantage in the centre, and his knight will
Eld7 44. Eld3 Ab6 45. Elg4 'Wa2 46. Ele4
soon take up a central position on e4.
�fe5 47. Eld2 'Wxa3 4S. f4 �f7 49. Eld3
On consideri ng the black position
(49. Cbc7+ �f8 50. !!e8+ �g7 51 . CbeS+
we notice that there are no pawn
�fS) 49 . . . . 'Wa2 50. El b3 Eld6 ? (50 . . . .
weaknesses. However, the black queen
CbdS) 51 . �c5+ �e7 52. 'We1 AdS
needs time to scurry to the assistance
53. Ele2, and Black resig ned .

30
31 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file
I n . . . continued I
of the queenside. The knight is adm it­
ted ly wel l placed on e5 , yet it can be
dislodged at any moment with f4. Also
Black's king lacks an escape hole and
so i n some variations there is a danger
of a back-rank mate. These featu res il­
lustrate the basis of Wh ite's positional
advantage.
1S. c5xb4
If Black plays 18 . . . . CDd7, then 1 9 . CDe4
We7 20. bxc5 follows and now, in order
not to lose a pawn , Black wou ld have to
weaken h imself with 20 . . . . f5 .
1 9. VfJ.a3xb4 1::I: d S-cS?
Th is apparently log ical rook move - to
keep the a7-pawn d efended - i ncreases
Black's d ifficulties. 19 . . . . .§ac8 is correct,
to answer 20. Wa3 with 20 . . . . CDc6. I n
that case Wh ite would have only a slight
positional advantage.
20. VfJ.b4-e4 ! • • •
With the text m ove Wh ite wins val uable
time for doubling rooks on the c -file. Now
20 . . . . .§ab8 loses right away to 2 1 . W b7 !
winning material .
20 . . . . �e5-g6
21 . 1::I: c 1-c4 ! VfJ.f6-e5 ?
It is just this blunder, attem pting to sim­
pl ify, that leads to a serious disadvantage.
21 . . . . We7 22 . .§fc1 Wd7 is best, when
White's edge is only slight.
22. 1::I:f 1-c1 VfJ.e5xe4+
23. �d2xe4 1::I: cSxc4
The defence 23 . . . . CDe7 fails to 24 . .§c7
<;!;>f8 25 . .§1 c3 .§d8 ( if 25 . . . . .§xc7 Wh ite
continues as in the game) 26 . .§b7 CDd5
27. .§a3 a5 28. CDg5 winning a pawn .
24. 1::I: c 1 xc4 �gS-fS
25. 1::I: c 4-c7
Wh ite's dream has been fulfi lled . The rook
has reached the seventh rank via the open
31
c -file. Thus the enemy's freedom of man­
oeuvre has been red uced . The conti nu­
ation of the game is given i n Part 6. 1 ( The
seventh rank, Game 1 00, page 1 45).
Game 10
W. U h l m a n n - L . P o r t i sch
S ko pj e 1 9 6 8
King 's Indian Defence [E 94J
1 . d4 �f6 2. c4 g6 3. �c3 �g7 4. e4
d6 5. �f3 0-0 6. �e2 e5 7. �e3 c6
S. 0-0 exd4 9. �xd4 VfJ.e7 10. VfJ.c2 �bd7
1 1 . 1::I: fe1 a6 1 2. 1::I: a d1 b5 1 3. b4 ! (pre ­
venting . . . b5-b4 and halting Black's pos­
sible i n itiative on the queenside) 13 . . . .
Ab7 14. �f1 1::I:fdS 1 5. a3 �e5
40
8
a b c d e f 9 h �
n Assessment of the position
Open ing the d -fi le by the piece ex­
change CDf3 xe5 is the right recipe in this
position . A further advantage is that the
opening of the fi le is accom panied by
Ac5 gaining a tempo. Wh ite holds the
initiative on the queenside based on the
levers a4 and c4. The b5 pawn is an
object of attack. Black must ease the
pressure by capturing on a4 or c4, but
this wi l l weaken his pawn structure.
In the evaluation of the position it is
noticeable that both black bishops are
passive. I n contrast, the white bishops
are placed extremely actively. These
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 32

In . . . continued I Black resigned , since there is no defence

against 26. l'ad7.
factors add up to a clear positional ad ­
vantage for White.
Game 11
A. Nirnzowitsch - J. R . Capablanca
16. �f3xe5 d6xe5 N ew Yo rk 1 92 7
17. Ad4-c5 We7-eS Caro - Kann Defence [8 12J
1S. a3-a4 ! b5xc4
Hardly better is 1 8 . . . . bxa4 1 9 . tDxa4 tDd7 1 . e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Af5 4. Ad3
20. Ad6 Af8 2 1 . cS and Black is totally Axd3 5. Wxd3 e6 6. �c3 Wb6 7. �ge2
cram ped . c5 S. dxc5 Axc5 9. 0-0 �e7 10. �a4
Wc6 1 1 . �xc5 Wxc5 1 2. Ae3 Wc7 1 3.
1 9. a4-a5 !
f4 �f5 14. c3 �c6 1 5. §:ad1 g6 16. g4?
Another finesse. U pon the i mmed iate (This leads to a blockade of the kingside,
1 9 . Axc4 Black would sti l l have counter­ whereupon White loses any possibil ity of
play with 1 9 . . . . as . active play) 1 6 . . . . �xe3 17. Wxe3 h5 !
1 9. §:dSxd1 1S. g5 (or 18. h3 hxg4 1 9 . hxg4 0-0-0, in­
20. §:e1 xd1 �f6-d7 tending 20 . . . . l'ah4 or 20 . . . . gS) 1S . . . . 0-0
21 . �c3-a4 ! 19. �d4 Wb6 20. §:f2 §:fcS 21 . a3 §:c7
The grip closes ever tighter. 22. §:d3 �a5 23. §:e2 §:eS 24. �g2 �c6
21 . �d7-fS 25. §:ed2 §:ecS 26. §:e2 �e7 27. §:ed2
22. Af1 xc4 �fS-e6 §:c4 2S. Wh3 �g7 29. §:f2 a5 30. §:e2 �f5
23. �a4-b6 §:as-bS 31 . �xf5+ ( if 31 . l'aed2 then 31 . . . . tDxd4
24. §:d1-d6 32 . l'axd4 l'axd4 33. cxd4 l'ac4 34. We3 a4
or 34 . . . . WbS, and the position is simi lar
41
to what happens i n the game) 31 . . . . gxf5
32. Wf3 ( but not 32. WxhS on account of
32 . . . . l'ah8 33. Wf3 l'ah4, and the pawn will
be regained with advantage) 32 . . . . �g6
33. §:ed2 §:e4 34. §:d4 §:c4 35. Wf2 Wb5
36. �g3 (after 36. l'axc4 Wxc4 37. l'ad4
Wb3 38. l'ax e4 fxe4 the resulting queen
ending is good for Black.) 36 . . . . §:cxd4
37. cxd4
42

7
The strateg ic coup de g race will be dealt
6
to Black by the rook on the open d -file.
The expU lsion of the knight from e6 en­
ables the pressure on the d iagonal a2-g8
to be increased . The defensive try 24 . . . .
Af8 fai ls to 2S. tDd7 with the twin threats
of 26. tDf6+ and 26. tDxb8.
24. �e6-d4
25. Wc2-a2 !

32
33 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file

n Assessment of the position Wxg2+ 44. gxg2 gxd4 with a won rook
After long preparation the c -file was end ing.
opened with an exchange of rooks. 43. . . . �e4-e1
Si nce White had to recapture on d4 with 44. �d3-f3
the pawn, a new pawn weakness arose The threat was 44 . . . . gf1 .
on this square. On the open c -fi le the 44. . . . �e1-d1
black queen has the possibility of in­ 4S. b2-b3 �d1-c1
vad ing the fi rst rank via c4 and c1 . This
Once again Wh ite is i n zugzwang. If
circumstance, along with the rook on
46. �h3 then 46 . . . . �c2 47. Wxc2 Wxf3+,
e4, which l ikewise can be deployed on
followed by mate.
the first rank, suggests to Black the plan
of putting White in zugzwang. This plan 46. �f3-e3 �c1-f1
wi l l be assisted by the pawn advance Wh ite resigned, si nce 47. . . 'Wg1 + followed
. . . b5-b4. As an ancil lary threat in some by 48 . . . . �xf4 is decisive .
lines Black has . . . h5-h4+ to deflect the
white king from the protection of the f4
pawn. Game 12
All this means that Black's advant­ L . P o r t i sch - S . D i tt m a n n
age is already considerable. The white B u d apest 1 9 59
major pieces are tied to the b2 , d4 and King 's Indian Defence [E 93J
f4 pawns and thus condemned to com­
1 . d4 �f6 2. c4 g6 3. �c3 Ag7 4. e4 d6
plete passivity. Furthermore, White has
S. �f3 0-0 6. Ae2 eS 7. dS �bd7 8. AgS
no prospect of cou nterplay against the
h6 9. Ah4 a6 ? ! 10. �d2 cS 1 1 . g4 gS
securely placed black king on g6. Thus
1 2. Ag3 �e8 1 3. h4 ! �f8 14. hS (Wh ite
the loss of the game cannot be preven­
must prevent the manoeuvre . . . tLlg6 and
ted .
. . . tLlf4) 14 . . . . Ad7 1S. f3 'WaS 16. 0-0 bS
17. cxbS axbS 18. a4 !
37. WbS-c4 !
38. mg3-g2 b7-bS
39. mg2-g1 bS-b4
With this Black takes control of the c3
square and the black queen can embark
on further action.
40. a3xb4 aSxb4
41 . mg1-g2 Wc4-c1
A rare case of zugzwang with major pieces
present is achieved . Only king moves are
now possible, otherwise White loses a
pawn. This circumstance allows Black to
double his major pieces on the fi rst rank. n Assessment of the position
42. mg2-g3 Wc1-h1 ! With the text move Wh ite seizes a dan­
43. �d2-d3 gerous initiative on the queenside. Black
is compel led to play 18 . . . . bxa4, since
But not 43. Wg2 on accou nt of 43.

33
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 34
-"-""".,..... -,.'�;... .,."..� ,,,:,-.7. -��•.\......-,,O:u.'.�---.
___. �'..

I n . . . continued I The conti nuation of the game can be

found in Part 5.2 (Exchanging the advant­
1 8 . . . . b4 would be bad on account of
age of the open file for other advantages ,
1 9 . �b5 1:%a6 20. �c7 ! or 1 9 . . . . �b6
page 1 1 9 ft. )
20. �c4 ! or 19 . . . . Axb5 20. Axb5 fol­
lowed by 21. �c4 with great advantage.
With the open ing of the a-fi le Wh ite's In the following two games, a fi le is opened
space advantage gains i n i mportance. by capturing a ( backward ) pawn on the
From c4 the knight will exert strong half-open file.
pressure on the d6 pawn. All the wh ite
In Game 13 (Smyslov-Reshevsky) the d ­
pieces are posted more favourably than
fi le i s opened but then closed again by an
the opponent 's.
exchange of pawns, giving Black a back­
I n assessing the position it is also
ward pawn. Smyslov's manoeuvres to cap­
noticeable that the wh ite bishops in
ture this pawn are very i nstructive. After
particular are far superior i n scope to
the win of the d -pawn and the re -opening
their black cou nterparts. White can very
of the d -fi le Wh ite gains a decisive advant­
qu ickly redeploy all his pieces to the
age.
queenside.
I n Game 1 4 ( Krog i us-Smyslov) after the
18. bSxa4 open ing of the e -fi le the capture of the
19. �d2-c4 'WaS-c7 backward white e-pawn is connected with
20. �c3xa4 lae8-b8 an i nteresting queen sacrifice.
If 20 . . . . Ab5 then the advantage is re ­
tai ned with 21. �cb6 Axe2 22 . �xa8, win­ Game 13
n i n g the exchange. [After 21. . . . £xa4 or V. S m ys l ov - S . R e s h evsky
21 . . . . lJa5 Black avoids losing material. M o scow 1 94 8
But with 2 1. tLJxd6 'i#xd6 (2 1. . . . £xe2 Ruy L opez [C 75J
22. tLJxe8) 22. £xb5 White can win a pawn.
- Ed.] 1. e4 eS 2. �f3 �c6 3 . .tbS a6 4. Aa4 d6
21 . �a4-c3 �f6-e8 S. c3 �e7 6. d4 .td7 7. Ab3 h6 (�g5 was
22. laa1-a3 ! .tg7-f6 threatened) 8. �bd2 �g6 9. �c4 .te7
After 22. . . . 1:%xa3 23. bxa3 a strong 10. 0-0 0-0 1 1 . �e3 .tf6 1 2. �dS lae8
passed pawn appears on the a-fi le. 1 3. dxeS ! .txeS ( but not 1 3 . . . . d x e5 on
account of 14. �xf6+) 14. �xeS dxeS
23. 'Wd1-a1 ! 'Wc7-b7
24. 'Wa1-a2 .tf6-e7 44
2S. laf1-a1
Wh ite has carried out his plan with
great consistency. The tri pling forces
Black either to exchange rooks on a3 ,
whereu pon comes bxa3 , fol lowed by the
advance of the passed pawn, or else
to play the text move 25. . . . �e8-c7,
whereu pon Wh ite gains other advant­
ages i nstead . With the following pseudo­
sacrifice of the bishop 26. Ag3 x e5 the
black pawn formation is shattered . �------�--� �

34
35 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file

n Assessment of the position 25. Ab3xe6 f7xe6

On his last move Black had to open
26. 'Wg4-h4 !
the d -fi le, since 14 . . . . �xe5 wou ld be After this quiet queen move Black can no
unfavou rable in view of a later f2-f4 . longer prevent the exchange of queens.
The opening of the d -file benefits White, Wh ite's reward for his superior strateg ic
since he can be the fi rst to occupy the hand ling of the game is the win of the d6
fi le with a rook. Wh ite's possession of paw n , and thus of the game itself. The
the bishop pair is a factor i n his favour, d -file will be opened once agai n ; 26 . . . .
on accou nt of their g reat scope. The "fixh4 27. gxh4 does not prevent this either.
wh ite knight on d 5 is another poi nt in
White's favour. Black is u nable to find a
good square for his queen . Thus Black
also suffers from a lack of space, and
tactical possibilities arise on the d -file.

1 5. 'Wd1-f3 Ad7-e6
If Black wants to d islodge the knight i n
some other way, he m ust l i kewise reckon
on some positional d i sadvantage, for i n ­
stance 1 5 . . . . �a5 16. Ac2 c 6 1 7. �e3 Ae6
18. eDf5 "fic7 1 9 . "fig4 �h7 20. h4 f6 21. h5
eDf8 22. b3.
16. 13f1-d1 Ae6xd5 26. 'We7-d7
17. 13d1 xd5 'Wd8-e7 27. 'Wh4-d8+ 'Wd7xd8
18. 'Wf3-f5 �g6-f8
28. Ab6xd8 �b8-d7
If 1 8 . . . . gad8 then the tactical shot 29. Ad8-c7 �d7-c5
19. Ax h6 ! g x h6 20. gxd8 fol lowed by 30. 13d1 xd6 13a8-c8
21 . "fixg6+ wins i mmed iately.
If 30 . . . . �xe4 then comes 31 . !%xe6.
19. Ac1-e3 �f8-e6
20. 13a1-d1 13e8-d8 31 . Ac7-b6 �c5-a4
21 . g2-g3 13d8-d6 32. 13d6xe6 �a4xb2
In order not to spectate helplessly, Black 33. 13e6xe5 �b2-c4
tries to close the d -file. The backward d6
pawn wi ll thus become an object of attack. B lack heads for a rook endi n g . 33. . . ,
gxc3 would be dangerous on account of
22. 13d5xd6 c7xd6
34. Ad4 gc2 35. ge8+ �h7 36. !%e7.
23. 'Wf5-g4 �g8-h8
The threat was 24 . Axh6. If 23 . . . . �f8 34. 13e5-e6 �c4xb6
then 24. Ab6, with the threat of 25. Axe6 35. 13e6xb6 13c8xc3
fxe6 26. "fif3+ and 27. "fid3 . 36. 13b6xb7 13c3-c2
24. Ae3-b6 �c6-b8 B lack wins another pawn on the queen­
If 24 . . . . �c7 25. "fif3 gf8 26. "fid3 �e8, side, but the pawn majority on the kingside
then 27. Aa4, and loss of a pawn can no secures Wh ite the victory. The game con­
longer be prevented . cluded :

35
 �
--�---.----
Chapter 2 The creation of the open file
37. h4 fixa2 3S. �g2 as 39. hS a4 40. fia7
�gS 41 . g4 a3 42. �g3 fie2 (a lost rook
ending arises after 42 . . . . !:!.a1 43. �f4
a2 44. f3 �h7 45. e5 �g8 46. �f5 !:!.f1
- or 46 . . . . �h7 47. f4 �g8 48. �g6 and
wins - 47. �g6 !:!'xf3 48. !:!.xa2) 43. �f3
fia2 44. �e3 �fS 4S. f3 fia1 46. �f4 a2
47. eS �gS 4S. �fS fif1 49. fixa2 fixf3+
SO. �g6 �fS S1 . fiaS+ �e7 S2. fia7+ ,
and Black resigned .
Game 14
N . Kro g i u s - V. S m ys l ov
M oscow 1 9 67
Bogo -Indian Defence [E 1 1J
1 . d4 �f6 2. e4 e6 3. �f3 Ab4+ 4. Ad2
as S. g3 d6 6. Ag2 �bd7 7. 0-0 eS S. e3
Axd2 9. Wxd2 e6 10. �e3 e4 1 1 . �h4
�b6 ! 1 2. �xe4 ( 1 2 . b3 loses a piece
after 12 . . . g5) 12 . . . . �xe4 13. Axe4 �xe4
14. We2 dS 1 S. Ad3 �d6 1 6. WhS We7
17. fife1 Ae6 1S. fiae1 g6 1 9. Wd1 ( if
1 9 . Wh6 then Black i ntended 1 9 . . . . f5 ! ;
then 20. Cf)xg6 fai ls to 20 . . . . Cf)f7 21. Cf)xe7
Cf)xh6 22. Cf)xc6 bxc6 23. !:!.xc6 �e7 with
advantage to B lack, since it is hard for
White to get his pawns movi ng ; but after
1 9 . . . . f5 the threat is 20 . . . . Cf)f7, and the
queen cannot then go to g7 on account of
21. . . . 0-0-0 and . . . !:!'dg8 trapping it) 19 . . . .
0-0 20. We2 fifeS 21 . �g2 AfS 22. �f4
Axd3 23. �xd3 fieS 24. �f4 Wf6 2S. fif1
fie7 26. fiee1 fiaeS 27. b3 �e4 2S. f3 ( if
28. Cf)d3, then 28 . . . . 'lWf5 would have been
strong, preventing 29. Cf)c5, since after
29 . . . . Cf)xg3 a pawn would be lost) 2S . . . .
�d6 29. �g2 �fS 30. Wd2 b 6 31 . Wf2
WgS ! 32. g4 (what else ? 32 . !:!.e2 loses a
pawn after 32 . . . . Cf)xd4, and a move such
as 32. f4 is made only as a last resort,
si nce e3 is left weak and the e4 square is
decisively weakened ) 32. . . . �xe3 ! !
(see diagram 46)
36
36
46
8 8
n Assessment of the position
With a beautiful combi nation, c u l m i n ­
ating i n a queen sacrifice, the e -fi le is
opened . This was prepared by dou b ­
l i n g rooks on t h e half-open e -file and
placing the knight on the good square
f5 . I n the calculation of the sacrifice
naturally the move 33. h4 had to be
very precisely checked . 33. f4 would be
bad on accou nt of 33 . . . . Wxg4, and
33. Cf)xe3 would lose a pawn for noth ing
after 33 . . . . !:!.xe3. When consideri ng the
consequences of 33. h4 it is essential to
real ise that the e3 knight cannot be de­
fended. So 33 . . . . 'lWh6 fai ls to 34. Cf)xe3
!:!.xe3 35. g 5 , and the e3 rook is lost.
Thus the queen sacrifice 33 . . . . Cf)xg2
was planned from the outset. The res­
ulting position is favou rable for Black,
since the remai ning wh ite queen and
rook are completely passive. With firm
control of the e -file and the active knight
on e1 , the three black pieces are more
val uable. The i nvasion of the second
rank by the black rooks cannot be pre ­
vented .
33. h2-h4 �e3xg2
34. h4xgS �g2xe1
3S. Wf2-g3 fie7-e3
36. Wg3-f4
37 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file

If 36. Y:!ic7, then 36. . . . eDxf3+ 37. 'it>g2
eDxg5 38. Y:!ixc6 g8e4 39. Y:!ixd5 gxg4+
40. 'it>f2 ggg3, and there is no defence
against . . . eDh3+ or . . . eDe4+ .
36. . . . e6-eS !
The essential poi nt of B lack's deli bera­
tions. White is defenceless against the cre ­
ation and subsequent advance of a passed
pawn .
1 2 . eDf7 g5 1 3 . eDxh8 - after 1 3 . Ac1 f4
1 4 . 'Wh3 Ag7 B lack has sufficient com­
pensation for the exchange - 13 . . . . g x f4
1 4 . 'Wxf4 eDxe5 1 5 . Ae2 d x c3 1 6 . eDxc3
Ag7, and the h8 knight is lost) 11 . . . .
�g6 1 2. �e3 thxf4 1 3. Wxf4 h6 14. h4 ? !
( 1 4. eDe2 was better) 1 4. . . . gS !
47
8

37. mg1-h1 Ele3-e2

3S. d4xeS b6xeS 6

39. Wf4-d6 dS-d4 5 5

40. Wd6xeS d4-d3
4 4
41 . WeS-dS d3-d2
42. WdS-d7 the1 xf3 ! 3 3

43. Elf1 xf3 d2-d1 W+ 2

Liquidation i nto a won rook ending is the

safest winning method . A possible con­ �------�--� �
tin uation is 44. Y:!fxd1 ge1 + 45. 'Wxe1
§xe1 + 46. 'it>g2 ge5 , followed by . . . gxg5.
n Assessment of the position
Wh ite resigned , si nce the passed pawns
on the kingside ensure Black an easy vic­ With the pawn sacrifice on the kingside
tory. Black prepares a dangerous attack. The
principal idea is to open the h -fi le and
use the half-open g -fi le. Furthermore
The Honfi - Portisch game is a good ex­
the f8 bishop can set u p a pi n , with
ample of the m ethod of fi le open ing by
tempo. The d4 pawn wi l l thus lose pro­
means of a sacrifice. By giving up a pawn
tection and come under threat. In the
Black gains the open h -fi le and the half­
forward planning the zwischenzug eDb5
open g -file. Both fi les can be used to at­
must naturally be borne i n mind.
tack the white king castled on the kingside.
Wh ite must accept the pawn sac ­
rifice, since otherwise the d4 pawn is
Game 15
lost. Although Wh ite is well developed ,
G . H o nf i - L . P o r t i s e h
his position quickly fal ls apart, mai n ly
B u d apest 1 9 64
because of the passivity of his rooks.
French Defence [C 02J
1. e4 e6 2. d4 dS 3. eS eS 4. Wg4 fS S. Wg3 1S. h4xgS h6xgS
cxd4 6. �f3 �e6 7. Ad3 Ad7 S. 0-0 We7 16. �f3xgS
9. c3 ! 0-0-0 (accepting the pawn sacri­
Not 16. Y:!fxg5 on accou nt of 16 . . . . Ah6
fice by 9 . . . . d x c3 10. eDxc3 is dangerous
17. Y:!fh4 Ad2 18. 'Wf6 gdf8, and the wh ite
on account of the threats of 1 1 . eDb5 or
queen comes i nto dire straits.
11. �xd5 exd5 1 2 . e6) 10. Af4 ? ( 1 0. cxd4
was better) 10 . . . . thge7 1 1 . exd4 (the 16. AfS-h6
complications after 1 1 . eDg5 would be fa­ 17. �e3-bS We7-b6
vourable for Black, for i nstance 11 . . . . h6 1S. thbS-d6+ meS-bS

..'$T
�
-,,-.�---,
- --
Chapter 2 The creation of the open file
--------�--------------
38

19. �d6-f7 Ah6xg5 n Assessment of the position

20. �f7xg5 If this move is tactically justified , then
Forced , since if 20. 'Wxg5 �dg8 and the Wh ite already has an almost winning
dou bling on the g -fi le is qu ickly decisive. position. The e -file will be opened by
20. means of a piece sacrifice. M any tac ­
�d8-gS
21 . �f1-d1 tical motifs are i nvolved , such as for in­
stance the fact that the wh ite rook and
If 21. etJf3 , then 21 . . . �g4 followed by the black king are on the same fi le, and
. . . �xd4. the wh ite queen is eyeing e6. This tac ­
21 . �c6xd4 tical shot is also justified by the lack of
22. Ad3-f1 �d4-c6 coordi nation among the black pieces.
23. g2-g3 �hS-h5 !
N ow the wh ite position fal ls apart. After 1 2. ... f5xe4
the knight moves, with . . j;!g4 ! Black wins If 1 2 . . . . Axf3 13. Axf3 fxe4 14. �xe4 dxe4
either the e5 pawn or the g3 pawn. 1 5 . 'Wxe6+ 'We? 1 6 . �xe4 �d8 1 7. 'Wd5
24. �g5-f7 �gS-g4 with advantage to Wh ite ; or 1 2 . . . . d x e4
25. 'Wf4-f3 �h5-h7 1 3 . 'Wxe6+ 'We? 1 4 . etJg5 Af? 1 5 . 'Wxe?+
26. �f7-d6 �c6xe5 Axe? 1 6 . etJxf? etJxf? 1 7. f3 exf3 1 8 . etJxf3
27. 'Wf3-a3 f5-f4 l i kewise with advantage to Wh ite.

Wh ite resigned ; Black's main threat is 13. �f3-g5 Ah5-f7

28 . . . . �xg3+. 1 3 . . . . 'Wxg5 1 4 . etJxe4 'We? 1 5 . etJxd6+
'Wxd6 1 6. Af4 'We? 1 7. Axd5, or 1 3 . . . . 'We?
1 4 . etJxe6 ! 'Wxe6 1 5 . �xe4 Ae5 1 6 . �e1 ,
Game 16 and Wh ite has a clear advantage i n both
V. K ra m n i k - A . B e l i a v s k y variations.
B e l g rade 1 9 9 5
14. �d2xe4 ! d5xe4
Re ti Opening fA 0 7J
1 5. �g5xe6 Af7xe6
1. �f3 d5 2. g3 c6 3. Ag2 Ag4 4. 0-0 �d7 Some possible variations, all clearly better
5. d4 e6 6. �bd2 f5 7. c4 Ad6 S. 'Wb3 for Wh ite, are now : 1 5 . . . . 'We? 1 6 . �xe4
� bS 9. �e1 �h6 10. cxd5 cxd5 1 1 . h3 Ae5 1 7. etJxg?+ �f8 1 8 . Ax h6 ! Ax b3
Ah5 12. e4 ! ! 1 9 . �f5+ ; 15 . . . . etJf5 1 6 . �xe4 Ae?
48
1 7. Ag5 ; 1 5 . . . . 'Wb6 1 6 . etJxg?+ �d8
8
17. 'Wx b6+ a x b6 18. Axh6 ; 15 . . . . 'Wf6
1 6 . �xe4 Ae? 1 7. Af4 �d8 1 8 . d5 �f5
1 9 . �ae1 .
16. 'Wb3xe6+ 'WdS-e7
1 6 . . . . Ae? 1 7. Af4 �c8 1 8. Axe4 etJf8
1 9 . 'Wb3, and the black king will be trapped
in the middle.
2 17. �e1 xe4 meS-d8
���____��E __ '��
1 7. . . . 'Wxe6 1 8 . �xe6+ Ae? 1 9 . Axh6 �f?
20. �ae1 Ab4 2 1 . Ad5 Axe1 22. �xe1 +

38
39
__________________
2 1 M ffi h o d s of creati ng an o pe n fi l e
��. ������_�����__�____
<!>g6 23. Af4 , and with the bishop pair
and two pawns agai nst rook and knight,
Wh ite has a clear advantage. [20. £d5
gxh6 2 1. f1ae1 100ks more decisive - Ed.}
1S. ,*,e6-d5
The endgame after the text move is com­
plete misery for Black, for instance : 1 8 . . . .
YHf8 ( 1 8 . . . . eDf6 1 9 . §xe7 eDxd5 20. §e6
eDf5 21 . Axd5 eDxd4 22. §xd6+ <!>e7
23. Ae4 <!>xd6 24. Af4+ <!>c5 25. Axb8
§xb8 26. Ax h7+-) 19. §e6 eDf7 ( 1 9 . . . .
Ac7 20. Ag5+ <!>c8 2 1 . §c1 +-) 20. §xd6
eDxd6 21 . Af4 eDf6 22. YHxd6+ . Thus Black
resigned here.
Game 17
J . P o l g a r - F. B e r kes
B u d a pest 2 0 0 3
French Defence [e 13}
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. �c3 �f6 4 . .tg5 dxe4
5. �xe4 Ae7 6. Axf6 Axf6 7. �f3 0-0
S. '*'d2 �d7 9. 0-0-0 J.e7 10. Ad3 b6
11. �eg5 ! ? (a bold decision , which is typ­
ical of Polgar the tactician ; 1 1 . h4 has also
been played here) 1 1 . h6 1 2. Ah7+ !
. • .
(an interesting interpolation , to prevent the
reply . . . Ab7 after 1 2 . . . . <!>h8 1 3 . Ae4 .
In tou rnament practice 1 2 . h4 has been
played here. After 12 . . . . Ab7 [ 1 2 . . . . hxg5
would be erroneous : 13. hxg5 g6 1 4 . YHf4
<!>g7 1 5 . §h7+ ! <!>x h7 1 6. YHh4+ <!>g8
1 7. §h1 with a winning attack] 13. Ah7+
<!>h8 1 4 . Ae4 Axe4 1 5 . eDxe4 c5 1 6. d5
exd5 17. YHxd5 eDf6 18. YHf5 YHc8 1 9 . YHxc8
§fxc8 20. eDxf6 Axf6 21 . g4 with a small
advantage to Wh ite) 1 2 . . . . �hS 1 3. J.e4
hxg5 ? (the acceptance of the piece sacri­
fice is just too tempti ng. Black calculates
that after 1 4 . Axa8 g4 the knight must
stay put on f3, since after any m ove of
the knight Black has . . . Ag5 winning the
queen . However, White now has a beautiful
shot avai lable. Best was therefore 13 . . . .
§b8 14. h4 Aa6 15. YHf4 with good attack­
ing chances for White) 14. g4 ! !
39
T
_
_�
.�______________ ,�
49
n Assessment of the position
With the pawn move 1 4 . g4 ! ! J u d it has
hit upon a brilliant solution . The threat is
now 15. Axa8, without having to worry
about the zwischenzug 1 5 . . . . g4. But
the main idea is that this pawn move
prepares the open ing of the h -fi le by
m eans of 1 5 . h4, which will bring cer­
tain victory !
14 . . . . §as-bS
1 5. h2-h4 ! g7-g6
It is hard to offer Black any good advice.
If 15 . . . . g x h4 then 1 6 . g5 ! <!>g8 ( 1 6 . . . .
f5 1 7. YHf4 fxe4 1 8 . YHxh4+ <!>g8 1 9 . YHh7+
<!>f7 20. YHh5+ <!>g8 2 1 . g6, followed by
mate. [20. . . . g6 is clearly a better de ­
fence, although after the apparently forced
2 1. 'i!¥xh 7+ r:!?eB 22. 'i!¥xg6+ f1f7 23. f1h 7
£xg5+ 24. �xg5 'i!¥xg5+ 25. 'i!¥xg5 f1xh 7
26. 'i!¥g6+ [1(7 27. 'i!¥xe6+ White is probably
still winning. - Ed.]) 17. YHf4 f5 18. Ac6 <!>f7
19. YHxh4 Ad6 20. §de1 Ab7 21. g6+ <!>xg6
22. §dg1+ <!>f7 23. §xg7+ <!>xg7 24 . YHh7+
<!>f6 25. §h6 mate.
16. h4xg5+ �gS-g7
17. '*'d2-f4 .tcS-b7
If 17. . . . §h8, then 18. §xh8 YHxh8 1 9 . eDe5 !
�e8 ( 1 9. . . . eDxe5 20. YHxe5+ <!>g8
2 1 . �xc7) 20. §h1 Ab7 2 1 . Axb7 §xb7
22. eDxd7 YHxd7 23. YHe5+ f6 24. �h2 ! ,
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 40

and there is no defence against �h8+ or n Assessment of the position

�h7+ .
At an early stage of the game White has
18. §h1-h7+ ! . . . chosen a method i nvolving a pseudo­
Once again a n old motif i s decisive. The sacrifice of a knight to open the h ­
rook sacrifice g uarantees that the wh ite file. Its sign ificance l ies i n t h e fact that
queen , followed by the other rook, can oc ­ B lack's defending knight on f6 will be
cupy the open h -fi le with gain of tempo. i m med iately exchanged and the ki ng's
18. ... �g7xh7 position weakened . G reat dangers will
subsequently arise on the dark squares.
If 1 8 . . . . �g8, then 1 9 . �dh1 f5 20. g x f6
A further advantage for Wh ite is that
Axf6 2 1 . �h8+ ! Ax h8 22. �xh8+ �xh8
after queenside castling the rooks will
23. �h6+ �g8 24 . �xg6+ �h8 25. �h7
be connected and a possible doubling
mate.
of rooks on the h -fi le comes i nto con­
1 9. 'Wf4-h2+ �h7-g8 sideration. The problem for Black is that
20. §d1-h1 Ae7xg5+ he g ets no chance to mount an attack
21 . �f3xg5 'Wd8xg5+ on the queenside i n time.
22. f2-f4 'Wg5xf4+
23. 'Wh2xf4 Ab7xe4
13 . ... h6xg5
24. 'Wf4xe4
13 . . . . �g8 is i m possible on accou nt of
Black resigned .
14. CDxe6 fxe6 1 5 . Axh6 Axh6 1 6. �xh6
�x b2 17. �xg6+ �h8 18. �h6+ �g8
Game 18
19. �c1 with a clear advantage.
w. U h l m a n n - A. Petr u s h i n
Le i pz i g 1 9 80 14. h4xg5+ �h7-g8
King 's In dian Defence [E 74J Forced , si nce 14 . . . . CDh5 fails to 15. g4.
1 . c4 �f6 2. �c3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Ag7 1 5. g5xf6 Ag7xf6
5. Ae2 0-0 6. Ag5 c5 7. d5 h6 8. Af4 'Wb6 16. 0-0-0 �c6-d4
9. 'Wd2 �h7 10. h4 ! e6 1 1 . dxe6 Axe6 17. Ae2-d3 §f8-e8
1 2. �f3 ! (more accu rate than 1 2 . h5 g5 18. §h1-h2 ! 'Wb6-d8
1 3 . Axd6 �d8 1 4 . e5 CDe8 1 5 . �c2+ �g8 With the text move Black wants to prevent
16. Axb8 �axb8 1 7. CDf3 with only a slight 1 9 . Ag5 . H owever, the move 1 8 . . . . �a6
advantage to Wh ite, U h lmann - Sznapik, must be considered superior. Wh ite would
Zakopane 1 980) 12 . . . . �c6 13. �g5+ ! then have a study-like win available, for ex­
50 h .. ample 19. Ag5 Ag7 ( 1 9 . . . . Ae5 20. f4 Ag7
8 21. f5 g xf5 ( if 2 1 . . . . Axc4 22. Axc4 �xc4
23. f6 wins) 22. Ah6 Af6 23. �f4 winning)
20. Ah6 Af6 (20 . . . . Ah8 21. �dh1 Axc4
22. Af8 �xf8 23. CDd5 ! Ae5 24 . �h8+
Axh8 25. �xh8+ �g7 26. �h6 mate)
2 1 . �dh1 Axc4 22. CDd5 ! Ae5 23. Ag7 ! !
Axg7 24. �h8+ ! Axh8 25. �xh8+ �xh8
26. 'Wh6+ �g8 27. CDf6 mate. Or 23 . . . .
�xg7 24. 'Wh6+ �g8 25. �h8+ Axh8
26. �xh8+ �g7 27. �1 h7 mate.
1 9. §d1-h1 a7-a6
41 2 . 1 Methods of creating an open file

20. e4-e5 ! 1 . d4 �f6 2. c4 d6 3. �c3 e5 4. �f3

An u n usual kind of clearance sacrifice.
Black must capture on e5 with the pawn ,
whereupon the bishop is deprived of the
escape square e5 . I n add ition Wh ite o b ­
tains the e4 square for h i s knight with gain
of tempo.
20. . . . d6xe5
21 . Af4-g5 !
The crowning point of Wh ite's attacking
operations. The f6 bishop will be com­
pel led to abandon the defence of the h8
square. There is no longer any d efence.
White chooses the m ost attractive vari­
�bd7 5. Ag5 Ae7 6. e3 �gS 7. Axe7
�xe7 S. Ae2 0-0 9. 0-0 exd4 10. �xd4
�c6 1 1 . �d5 �xd4 1 2. �xd4 a5 1 3. f4
§:eS 14. Af3 �c5 15. e4 c6 16. �c3 �e6 ?
( 1 6 . . . . Wb6) 17. �d2 �f6 1S. f5 ! �c5 (or
1 8 . . . . Wd4+ 19. �xd4 CDxd4 20 . .§ad1 c5
21 . CDb5, and Black can no longer protect
the d6 pawn) 19. §:ad1 §:dS 20. e5 !
51 ...
8
6
5

ation, which ends i n a mating net after a 4

king hunt.
21 . ... �d4-e2+
If 21 . . . . Axg5, then 22. �h8+ �g7 23 .
.§1 h7+ �f6 24. CDe4+ �e7 25. Wxg5+ �d7
26. CDf6+ followed by �xe8.
22. Ad3xe2 Af6xg5 n Assessment of the position
23. §:h2-h8+ �gS-g7
With this subtle pawn sacrifice the e -fi le
24. §:h1-h7+ �g7-f6 will be seized with gain of tempo. This
25. �c3-e4+ ckf6-f5 action is made possible by White's lead
26. g2-g4+ in development as wel l as the weakness
Black resigned , without waiting to be of the opponent 's back ran k. The black
shown the mate after 26 . . . . �xe4 27. f3+. rooks are sti l l not connected , and the
king has no escape square.
Final ly, the following two games show fi les
being opened by other methods. 20. . . . �f6xe5
In Game 19 ( G u l ko - Kochiev) a pawn is 20. . . . �xf5 loses after the d iscovered
sacrificed and another pawn won back in attack 2 1 . Ad5 ! Wxe5 22. Axf7+ �h8
return . Si nce both pawns were on half­ 23. �de1 , when the queen has no flight
open fi les, two open files appear. square.

The open fi le i n Game 20 ( U h l mann ­ 21 . §:f1-e1 �e5-f6

Schm idt) arises from the sacrifice of the
pawn which stood on the half-open file.
Game 19
B . G u l ko - A . Koch i e v
Lvov 1 978
Old Indian Defence fA 54]
21 . . . . Wxf5 is equally hopeless in view of
22. Wxd6 CDd7 (22 . . . . .§f8 23. Wxf8+ �xf8
24. �d8 mate) 23. CDa4 ! �f8 (23 . . . . �f6
24. CDb6 �b8 25. Wxf6 g xf6 26. �e7 �f8
27. CDxc8 and 28. �xd7 winning a piece)
24. CDb6, and Wh ite wins a piece, since
24 . . . . CDxb6 fai ls to 25. Wxf8+.

41
 42

22. 'Wd2xd6 G a m e 20
The point of the breakthroug h . B lack has W. U h l m a n n - W. Sch m i d t
no time to play . . . .!::! x d6 on account of the Po l a n i c a Zd r6j 1 9 67
back rank mate. Queen 's Gambit Accep ted [0 22J
22 . . . . 'Wf6xd6 1. d4 dS 2. e4 dxe4 3. tOf3 tOf6 4. e3 Ag4
23. :lad1 xd6 Aea-d7 S. Axe4 e6 6. tOe3 a6 7. h3 AhS a. 0-0
Now 23 . . . . Axf5 fai ls to 24 . .!::! x d8+ .!::! x d8 tOe6 9. Ae2 Ad6 10. b3 0-0 1 1 . Ab2 'We7
25. .!::! e 5, and the double attack on the 12. :lae1 :lafda 13. tOd2 Axe2 14. 'Wxe2 eS
bishop and knight wins a piece. 1S. dS tOa7 16. tOde4 tOxe4 17. tOxe4 e6
1a. :lafd1 Ab4 19. d6 !
24. :lae1-eS
52
Once again the strongest move. Loss of 8
material can no longer be prevented . It is
i nteresting to see how Wh ite exploits the
open e - and d- fi les with his major pieces, 6

unti l he gains a winning position. 5 5

�I-
24. . . . tOeS-a6 4 4

Even worse would be 24 . . . . b6 25. Axc6 3

Axc6 26 . .!::! x c6 .!::! a b8 27. .!::!e2 , followed by
2
tLld5 , and the b6 pawn is also threatened
with capture.
2S. :laeSxaS Ad7-ea
If 25. . . . f6 Wh ite would have retai ned
n Assessment of the position
the advantage with the beautifu l pseudo­
sacrifice 26. tLld5 ! , for i nstance 26 . . . . File opening by means of a pawn sacri­
cxd5 27. Axd5+ 'i!?f8 28. Ax b7 winning ; or fice is one of the most beautifu l motifs,
26 . . . . Ae8 27. tLle7+ 'i!?f8 28 . .!::!x d8+ .!::! x d8 since the variations can general ly not
29. tLlxc6 Axc6 30. Axc6 b x c6 31 . .!::! x a6 be precisely calculated . Often , as here,
.!::! d 1 + 32. 'i!?f2 .!::! d 2+ 33. <!>f3 .!::! x b2 34. c5 the factors of time and space play the
.!::! c 2 35 . .!::! x c6 .!::! x a2 36 . .!::! c 8+ <!>f7 37. c6 main roles. Wh ite seeks to double on
.!::! c2 38. 'i!?e4 .!::! x g2 39 . .!::! b 8 .!::!c 2 40 . .!::! b7+ the d-fi le with the aim of invad ing on the
'i!?e8 41 . 'i!?d5 with a winning rook end ing. seventh rank. Th is w i l l be made easier
by the off-side position of the knight on
26. tOe3-e4 f7-f6
a7 and the black king's lack of a fl ight
2Z e4-eS :lada-ba
square. I n the background lurks the b2
2a. :lad6-d4 tOa6-e7
bishop, which can possibly capture on
29. :laaSxaa :labaxaa
e5 if the black queen can somehow be
30. :lad4-b4 :laaa-da
deflected . It is i mportant to real ise that
Now the b7 pawn can no longer be held . with the triangular manoeuvre We2-g4-
Thus if 30 . . . . tLlb5 then 31 . a4 wins, while c4 the strategical ly important d7 square
if 30 . . . . .!::! b 8 or 30 . . . . .!::! a7 then 31 . tLld6 could be conquered .
wins i n either case.
31 . :lab4xb7 tOe7-bS 1 9. Ab4xd6
32. a2-a4 20. tOe4xd6 :ladaxd6
Black resigned . 21 . :lad1 xd6 'We7xd6

42
43
-----
..-�- -.-.�--. .- .
2 . 2 Preparing to occupy the open file
22. �c1-d1 'Wd6-e6
If 22 . . . . VJi.e?, then 23. VJi.g4 !!d8 24 . !!xd8+
VJi.xd8 25. Axe5 with the better game for
White, since the bishop is far superior to
the knight and there is a constant threat of
mating attacks. B ut Black can not j ust sit
tight either, for instance 23 . . . . !!b8 24 . !!d7
VJi.e8 25. f4 h5 26. VJi.f5 , and the long d iag ­
onal is decisive.
23. 'We2-g4 ! f7-f5
It is equally hopeless to exchange queens
by 23 . . . . VJi.xg4 on account of 24 . hxg4 f6
25. !!d7 b5 26. f4 exf4 27. exf4 c5 28. g5 ! ,
and after the open ing of the long diagonal
White wins material .
24. 'Wg4-c4 ! ...
Th is forces the exchange of queens,
whereupon the i nvasion of the rook and
2.2 P re p a r i n g t o o c c u py t h e o p e n f i l e
The occu pation of the open fi le is usu­
ally not easy to achieve. The opponent will
make every effort to occupy the open fi les
hi mself, or at least to d i m i n ish their value.
Specific plans are used for the conquest
of open files, both before the open ing of
the file(s) and when open file(s) are already
present. We have grou ped these plans to­
gether into four basic methods.
1 st method: delayed opening
The open fi le is not yet avai lable. One side
has the possibil ity of open ing a file and can
also choose when to do this. Before open­
ing it, this side can double or tri ple the
major pieces on the future open fi le. I n this
way, opposition by the other side's major
pieces, leading to exchanges, is prevented
(see Game 21 , Marco - M O i ler, page 44).
2nd method: choosing which file to open
The open fi le is not yet avai lable. One
side has the possibil ity of open ing two (or
more) files. The decision regard ing which
43
----.-�.�-�-
ttJ
bishop guarantees the victory. Black is tied
to the pawn weaknesses b?, e5 and g7. The
' knight on the rim is very gri m ' .
24. . . . 'We6xc4
25. b3xc4 �a8-f8
If 25 . . . . !!eB then 26. !!d7 wins.
26. .tb2xe5 �f8-f7
27. c4-c5 tDa7-c8
28. f2-f4 b7-b6
Another blu nder in a lost position.
29. �d1-d8+ �f7-f8
30. �d8xc8 !
Black resigned , since after 30 . . . . !!xc8
31 . c x b6 fol lowed by 32 . b7 his rook is
lost.
fi le to open l ies with this side. The op­
ponent can only play a waiting game (see
Game 22, Karpov - Pomar, page 44).
3rd method: the active blockade
The open fi le is available. Simply occu py­
ing it would however give the oppon­
ent defensive possibilities. By means of
a temporary blockade of the fi le, the act­
ive side can double or triple the major
pieces beh ind the blockad ing piece and
only then "un lock" the fi le. Th is form of
blockade has the same advantages as the
first method (delayed open i n g ) . The act­
ive side waits for a favou rable moment
for the " re -open ing" of the open fi le (see
Game 23, Haman n - Uh lmann, page 46).
4th method: tying the opponent to the de ­
fence of weaknesses
The open fi le is available. Sim ply oc ­
cupying it would however give the op­
ponent defensive possibilities. The act­
ive side creates weaknesses in the enemy
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 44

camp. Enemy pieces are tied to their d e ­ 33. �e1-a1 !

fence a n d c a n t h u s no longer partici pate The log ical move, threatening 34. a x b6.
in the struggle for the open file. The weak­ The i mmed iate open ing of the fi le would
ness can be of a pawn or a square (see have made it harder for White to win. After
Game 26, Smyslov - Rabar, page 50). 33. a x b6 a x b6 34. Wa1 gxa4 35. gxa4
.!:!d7 ! Wh ite certainly controls the a-fi le but
it will not be easy to make progress.
G a m e 21
33. . . . laaS-bS
M a rco - M u l l e r
As we mentioned in the assessment of the
53
position , Black is unable to oppose Wh ite
8 on the a-fi le. All the major pieces will be
7 retained, which is favou rable for the at­
tacker.
34. aSxb6 a7xb6
35. laa4-a7+
With the i nvasion of the seventh ran k the
game is decided . Since Black is short of
2
pawn cover, White's major pieces have the
run of the seventh rank.
L----.:a
=-..:.
- b----=c�..:.
d ----=
e
_�
�....:.----l
.:.... {r 3S. . . . �h7-hS
36. laa7-c7
n Assessment of the position Prepari ng to double on the seventh rank.
White has a g reat advantage in space. 36. labS-aS
With a fixed pawn structure such as this, 37. laa2-a7 laaSxa7
the possibility of open ing a file is decis­ 3S. �a1 xa7 ladS-bS
ive in being able to exploit the space 39. lac7-h7+ �hS-gS
advantage. Wh ite is able to choose 40. lah7-h6 �fS-eS
a convenient moment to open the a­ 41 . �a7-h7+ �gS-fS
fi le. Since all the major pieces are sti l l 42. lah6xg6
present, by tripling h i s own major pieces
Black resigned .
on the future open fi le, Wh ite can ex­
ert exceptional pressure. Black cannot
oppose Wh ite on the a-fi le and has no
possibility of counterplay.
Game 22
For the assessment of the position
A. K a r p ov - A. Po m a r
it is i mportant that Black has no other
Las Pal m as 1 97 7
pawns on the seventh rank. This cir­
Queen 's In dian Defence [E 1 8J
cumstance can be exploited to aid
Wh ite's attack. Black cannot capture on 1 . c4 e6 2. d4 ctlf6 3. ctlf3 b6 4. g3 .ab7
a5 h i m self, since then the a7-pawn is S . .ag2 .ae7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. ctlc3 ctle4
lost without any com pensation. Al l of S. �c2 ctlxc3 9. �xc3 cS 10. lad1 d6
this implies that fi rst of all Wh ite m ust 1 1 . b3 �c7 ? ( 1 1 . . . . Af6) 12 . .ab2 .af6
increase the pressure on the a-fi le. 1 3. �c2 ctld7 14. e4 lafdS 1 S. �e2 laacS
16. lad2
45 2 . 2 Preparing to occupy the open file
(see diagram 54)
54
8 8
n Assessment of the position
Wh ite enjoys a space advantage and
makes preparations to open either the
d- or the e -file after doubling his major
pieces. White can decide which file will
be opened . As a prel iminary step he car­
ries out a pawn storm on the kingside,
which i ncreases the space advantage
and at the same time weakens the op­
ponent on the a1 -h8 d iagonal . Wh ite's
space advantage favours the mobility of
his major pieces.
16 . ... ,*,c7-c6
Black tries to thwart the doubling of rooks
on the d -fi le by exerting pressure on the
e4 pawn.
iid8-e8
17. iia1-e1
18. ,*,e2-d1 iic8-d8
There is already a threat of 1 9 . d xc5, win­
ning a pawn.
19. h2-h4 !
With the idea of i ncreasing the space ad ­
vantage and forcing B lack to weaken his
kingside. If 19 . . . . h6 Wh ite sti l l plays g4
and g5. I n view of the passive position of
the black pieces, this attack holds no risks
for White, the more so as he also has the
centre under control.
19 . ... a7-a6
20. g3-g4 g7-g6
• Slig htly better was 20 . . . . cxd4 21 . tDxd4
�c5 22. g5 Ae5, although after 23. Wg4
the wh ite position deserves preference.
21 . g4-g5 Af6-g7
22. d4-d5 !
The preparations are complete, so now the
e -fi le will be opened . The firm control of
this file, in connection with the weakened
squares f6 and d6, guarantees White's ad ­
vantage.
22. . . . e6xd5
Here 22. . . . Wc7 would also be bad :
23. d x e6 .§xe6 24 . Axg7 �xg7 25. Wa1 +
�g8 (or 25. ' " f6 26. Ah3 .§xe4 27. .§xe4
Axe4 28. Axd7 Wxd7 - if 28. . . . '§xd7
then 29. Wxf6+ �g8 30. We6+, fol lowed
by 31 . Wxe4 - 29. Wxf6+ �g8 30. tDe5 !
and 31 . tDf7 wi nning) 26. tDh2 ! , and there
is no defence agai nst the threat of 27. tDg4
followed by tDh6+ .
23. e4xd5 ,*,c6-c8
24. Ab2xg7 �g8xg7
25. iid2-e2
Following the occupation of the e -fi le, the
i nvasion of the seventh ran k decides the
game. Black is helpless to prevent White's
further manoeuvres and can develop no
activity whatsoever.
25. . . . �g8-f8
26. '*'d1-a1 !
Forcing the king back to g8, on account of
the mating threat. In add ition Wh ite occu­
pies the long d iagonal .
26. . . . �f8-g8
27. ,*,a1-b2 �d7-f8 ?
Rel inquishing the f6 square too quickly.
But what else ? 27. . . . .§xe2 loses to
28. Wxe2 tDf8 29. We7 .§d7 (or 29 . . . . Wd7
30. Wf6 .§e8 31 . .§xe8 Wxe8 32 . Wxd6 tDd7
33. Ah3 with a clear endgame advantage)
30. Wf6 Wd8 31. Ah3 ! Wxf6 32. g xf6 .§d8
33 . .§e7 Ac8 34. Axc8 .§xc8 35 . tDg5, win­
ning material . The best try was 27. . . . b5,
although this would only delay the defeat.
45
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file
28. 'Wb2-f6 ! �f8-d7
The threat of 29. 'iJ.e7 is dead ly.
29. 'Wf6xd6 �d7-e5
30. §e2xe5 !
Black resigned .
The fol lowing three games i l l ustrate pos­
sibilities for the active blockade of the
open fi le.
In Game 23 (Hamann - Uhlmann) doubling
the major pieces behind the blockad ing
piece is i mmed iately decisive. The open
g -fi le is exploited to attack the king.
In Game 24 ( Karpov - U nzicker, page 47)
Wh ite blocks the a-fi le in order to double
rooks behind the blockad ing piece i n a
similar fashion to Game 23. This ties u p
t h e black pieces, a n d Wh ite exploits the
greater mobil ity of his own pieces to seize
the i n itiative on the kingside, where the
struggle is then decided .
Game 25 (Polugaevsky - Donner, page 48)
i l l ustrates blockade of the c -fi le with a
wh ite knight and the su bsequent expul­
sion of the black rook from c8. After that,
Black can no longer oppose Wh ite on the
open fi le.
G a m e 23
S . H a m a n n - W. U h l m a n n
Amsterd a m 1 975
King 's Indian Defence [E 92J
1 . c4 g6 2. �c3 £g7 3. d4 �f6 4. e4 d6
5. �f3 0-0 6. £e2 e5 7. d5 a5 8. 0-0
�a6 9. £g5 h6 10. £h4 'We8 1 1 . �e1
�h7 1 2. �d3 £d7 1 3. f3 b6 14. 'Wd2 f5 !
15. g4 h5 16. gxf5 gxf5 17. mh1 f4 18. §g1
mh8 19. �d1 'Wf7 20. �1 f2 Af6 21 . £xf6+
'Wxf6 22. 'Wc3 §g8 23. b3 ( It was n e ­
cessary to exchange rooks, whereupon
Black's advantage would only be only
slight . ) 23. . . . �g5 !
46
46
55
L...-_______....:_
::.... ---J 'lJ
n Assessment of the position
With his last move Black has again
blocked the open file with a piece, so
that he can set about doubling without
al lowi ng an exchange of rooks. The
attack also gains force since the d7
bishop and the g5 knight can occu py
the critical square h3 at any moment.
The g5 knight also exerts pressure on
the f3 pawn and thus ties down the e2
bishop.
Wh ite's chances lie on the queenside
in the pawn advance a3 , followed by
b4 and c5 ; only there can he gain any
i n itiative. The e2 bishop is bad ; it can
only perform a defensive fu nction and
its scope is restricted by its own pawn
chain.
24. a2-a3 §g8-g7
25. §g1-g2
Wh ite has no time to play 25. b4 now.
After 25 . . . . 'iJ.ag8 26. bxa5 CDh3 ! the rook
can no longer be mai ntai ned on g1 , si nce
he loses after both 27. 'iJ.xg7 Wxg7 and
27. CDxh3 Ax h3, with the deadly threat of
28 . . . . Ag2+.
25. . . . §a8-g8
26. §a1-g1 �a6-c5 !
The knight on the rim is brought back into
47 2 . 2 Preparing to occupy the open file
play. It deflects its white counterpart from
d3, thus enabling a beautifu l com bination.
27. �d3xcS Ad7-h3 ! !
Th is bolt from the blue wins i n all vari­
ations.
2S. Jag2xgS
The main l i n e goes 28. tDxh3 tDxh3
29 . .!:!xg7 ( if 29. Af1 or 29. tDe6 then
29 . . . . tDf2+ 30. '!:!xf2 .!:!xg1 mate) 29 . . . .
�f2+ 30. <.!lg2 Wxg7+ 31 . <.!lxf2 Wxg1
mate or 29. We1 tDxg1 and wins. Finally if
28. �cd3 there is a win with 28 . . . . Axg2+
29 . .!:!xg2 tDxe4 ! 30. tDxe4 .!:!xg2 31 . tDg3
(or 31 . We1 Wg7) 31 . . . . .!:!x h2+ 32 . <.!lx h2
�h4+ 33. <.!lg2 Wxg3+ 34. <.!lf1 Wg1 mate.
2S. . . . Jag7xgS
29. �f2-g4
White could have safely resig ned here,
since 29. tDxh3 fai ls to 29 . . . . .!:!xg1 +
30. tDxg1 Wg6, and the mating threats on
g1 and g2 can no longer be parried . .
29 . . . . b6xcS
White resigned .
G a m e 24
A. K a r p ov - W. U n z i cke r
N i ce 1 974
Ruy L opez [C 88J
1. e4 eS 2. �f3 �c6 3. AbS a6 4. Aa4
�f6 S. 0-0 Ae7 6. Jae1 bS 7. Ab3 d6 S. c3
0-0 9. h3 �aS 10. Ac2 cS 1 1 . d4 Y!Jc7
12. �bd2 �c6 1 3. dS �dS 14. a4 Ja bS
1S. axbS a x bS 1 6. b4 �b7 17. �f1 Ad7
1S. Ae3 JaaS 19. Y!Jd2 JafcS 20. Ad3 g6
21 . �g3 AfS 22. Jaa2 c4 ? ! (22 . . . . Ag7 is
better) 23. Ab1 Y!JdS 24. Aa7 !
(see diagram 56)
47
n Assessment of the position
On move 15 the a-fi le was opened by
an exchange of pawns. However, neither
side was able to profit fro m this. With
the text move Wh ite has set up a tem­
porary blockade and now wishes to pre­
pare the doubling of rooks behind the
bishop. Black can only remain passive
while Wh ite increases his advantage i n
this way. After this Wh ite g a i n s t h e ini­
tiative on the queenside and can mass
his forces for going over to the offens­
ive on the kingside as wel l . Both wh ite
knig hts and the light-squared bishop
are desig nated for this. Although Black
makes no crude blunders and creates
no pawn weaknesses, he is almost help­
less agai nst this plan .
24 . . . . �f6-eS
2S. Ab1-c2 �eS-c7
25 . . . . f6, followed by 26 . . . . tDg7, was bet­
ter.
26. Jae1-a1 Y!JdS-e7
27. Ac2-b1 Ad7-eS
2S. �g3-e2 !
The rooks are now dou bled on the a-fi le.
But on its own the control of the a-fi le is
not decisive. Wh ite's pieces are more mo­
bile than Black's. For example the a8 rook
and the c7 knight cannot move ; the knight
"
�
'� " '" � ��' �" '.��-�"'�
Chapter 2
--"--'-
The creation of the open file
. -.---�=-
-.
�. -----
48

b7 and the rook c8 can only move to d8. 41 . Ah5xf7+ �d8xf7

To exploit this advantage in mobi lity, Wh ite Equally hopeless is 41 . . . . �xf7 42 . �h5
now tries to achieve a space advantage �x h5 (otherwise comes 43. �g6 followed
on the kingside as wel l and to open the by 44. tDh5 and tDg4) 43. tDxh5, fol lowed
game up on that side. His pieces can rush tDg4, whereu pon Ab6 with the opening of
to the kingside faster. Wh ite's 28th and the a-fi le brings victory.
29th moves faci l itate the advance of the
42. 'Wd1-h5 �f7-d8
f-pawn. During the whole of the next stage
43. 'Wh5-g6 !
of the game the threat of opening the a-fi le
hangs over the black position like a sword The game is strateg ically over. Black can
of Damocles. no longer avoid loss of material , since
Wh ite is i nfi ltrating with his knig hts on h5
28. �b7-d8
and g4 or f5 .
29. �f3-h2 Af8-g7
30. f2-f4 ! f7-f6 43. . . . �g8-f8
31 . f4-f5 g6-g5 44. �g3-h5
32. Ab1-c2 Black resigned, since after 44 . . . . �e7 the
The bishop joins in the action . It is head ing move 45. tDg4 wins. A masterly perform­
to d1 and then h5. ance by Anatoly Karpov ! With hard ly any
material exchanged , B lack is practically
32. . . . Ae8-f7
stalemated on a fu l l board . The starting
33. �e2-g3 �d8-b7
point of this spendid siege was the occu­
Black is unable to set up a defensive pos­ pation of the a-fi le with the rooks and the
ition with pawns on g5 and h5, i ntending constant threat to open the file by Ab6.
to keep the position closed by answeri ng
g2-g4 with . . . h5 -h4 or h3-h4 with . . . g5- G a m e 25
g4. If 33 . . . . h5 then 34. Ad1 �e8 35. �e2 , L. P o l u g aevs ky - J . H . D o n n e r
and the h5 pawn must move. A m sterdam 1 970
34. Ac2-d1 h7-h6 King 's In dian Defence [E 73]
35. Ad1-h5
1 . c4 �f6 2. �c3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Ag7
A further objective is reached . After the ex­ 5. Ae2 0-0 6. Ag5 h6 7. Ae3 e5 8. d5
change of the light-squared bishops Wh ite �bd7 9. h4 �c5 1 0. 'Wc2 h5 1 1 . f3 c6
threatens to invade with queen and knight 1 2. b4 �a6 ( 1 2 . . . . tDcd7 is better ; on a6
on the l ight squares. the knight is offside and takes a long time
35. 'We7-e8 to come back into the game) 1 3. a3 cxd5
36. 'Wd2-d1 �b7-d8 14. cxd5 Ad7 1 5. �h3 'Wb8 (another bad
37. §a2-a3 �g8-f8 move, since Black cannot gain any in itiat­
38. §a1-a2 ive on the queenside ; the best chance lay
White keeps open the possibil ity of tripling in 1 5 . . . . tDh7 with . . . f5 to fol low) 1 6. �f2
his pieces on the a-fi le with �a1 . b5 17. �d3 �c7 18. 0-0 'Wb7 1 9. �c1 !
(the knight is on its way to a5 , where it
38. . . . �f8-g8
will harrass the queen and control the im­
39. �h2-g4 ! �g8-f8
portant squares c4 and c6) 1 9 . . . . §ac8
Naturally not 39 . . . . Axh5 ? on account of 20. 'Wd2 �a8 21 . �b3 �b6 22. �a5 'Wb8
40. tDxh5 �xh5 41 tDxf6+. 23. §fc1
40. �g4-e3 �f8-g8 (see diagram 5 7)

48
49 2 . 2 Preparing to occupy the open file

57 exchange of the light-squared bishops the

8 8 c6 square would be decisively weakened .
7 26. . . . ttlf6-e8
6
27. YNd2-f2 ttlb6-a8
The repetition is presu mably due to time
pressure.
4

3
28. YNf2-d2 ttla8-b6
29. YNd2-f2 ttlb6-a8
2
30. g2-g3 !
The previously mentioned plan , to ex­
change the lig ht-squared bishops.
30. Ag7-f8
n Assessment of the position
31 . �g1-h2 ttle8-g7
Wh ite enjoys more space and controls 32. Af1-h3 f7-fS
the queenside, the centre and even the In this way Black prevents the exchange of
kingside. The pawn structure is fixed , bishops. However, i n view of the opening
and the struggle for the open file is the of the a2-g8 d iagonal White can take ad ­
central theme. vantage of the pawn advance and i nvade
The fol lowing factors are i n Wh ite's with his knight on c6.
favo u r : both bishops are more active
than their black cou nterparts and can 33. ttlaS-c6 ! YNb8-b7
be transferred much faster to either the Black can not really take on c6, for in­
queenside or the kingside. The knight stance : 33 . . . . Axc6 34. d x c6 .!:!xc6
on a5 is worth its weight in gold , since it 35. ttld5 ! �b7 36 . .!:!xc6 .!:!xc6 37. .!:!xc6
restricts the mobil ity of the enemy major �xc6 38. �a2 ! , and against the dis­
pieces and prevents the occu pation of covered attack on f6 the only move is
the c4 square. It is also i m portant that 38 . . . . �c4 . However, the endgame after
this knight can invade on c6 at the tac ­ 39. �xc4 bxc4 40. Af1 is winning for
tical ly correct moment. Nevertheless, White.
doubling on the c-fi le remains the most 34. ttlc6-aS YNb7-b8
im portant theme. Wh ite's space advant­ 3S. ttlaS-c6 YNb8-b7
age enables him to act faster and create 36. ttlc6-a7 !
threats agai nst the weakened a7 and b5
With this subtle move we return to our
pawns.
theme. By expelling the rook from c8 White
Black has no active plan ; the queen
can control the c -fi le unopposed .
on b8 is too bad ly placed .
36. llc8-e8
23. llc8-c7 37. ttlc3-d1 llc7xc2
24. llc1-c2 llf8-c8 38. llc1 xc2 Af8-e7
2S. lla1-c1 a7-a6 39. ttla7-c6 Ae7-f6
26. Ae2-f1 39 . . . . Ad8 is slightly better.
With the idea of playing �f2 and attack­ 40. ttlc6-aS YNb7-b8
ing the knight ; in add ition it prepares the 41 . Ae3-a7 YNb8-d8
manoeuvre g3, �h2 and Ah3. After the 42. ttlaS-c6

49
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file
The black queen has run out of squares : If
42 . . . . Wc7 then 43 . tLle7+ . So Black must
exchange on c6. However, after 43. d x c6
in exchange for the open file White gains a
dangerous passed pawn. The continuation
of this game wi l l be d iscussed i n Part S . 2
(Exchanging the advantage o f the open file
for other advantages, page 1 1 9 ff. ) .
Game 26
v. S m y s l ov - B . R a b a r
H e l s i n k i 1 9 S2
Queen 's Gambit Declined [0 54]
1 . d4 dS 2. c4 e6 3. �c3 �f6 4. AgS
Ae7 S. e3 0-0 6. E:lc1 �bd7 7. �f3 c6
S. Ad3 dxc4 9. Axc4 �dS 10. Axe7 Y!fxe7
1 1 . �e4 �Sf6 1 2. �g3 eS ? ! 1 3. 0-0 g6
14. Ab3 exd4
n Assessment of the position
With the text move Black has resolved
the tension in the centre, since he has
no reasonable developing moves left.
An open fi le now appears and Wh ite
must sim ply decide whether he prefers
it to be the d- or the e -file. The obvious
choice is to play 1 S . Wxd4 and choose
the d -fi le. A glance shows that White
has an advantage i n development and
all his pieces are ideally placed . The
open file that now appears is Wh ite's
50
50
I n . . . continued I
base of operations for i nvad i ng the en­
emy cam p. White has a pawn majority
on the kingside and he can gain a space
advantage by advancing his e - pawn .
The bishop exerts strong pressu re o n
t h e a2-g8 diagonal .
Black suffers from retarded develop­
ment on the queenside. His problem is
the c8 bishop, which has no good act­
ive possi bil ities. With the pawn move g6
Black has weakened his dark squares.
This plays an essential role i n the fol ­
lowing stage o f t h e game.
1S. Y!fd1 xd4 ! �d7-b6
16. Y!fd4-h4 �gS-g7
1 6 . . . . Ae6 1 7. tLle4 *g7 was better, al­
though then both 1 8. Axe6 and 1 8. tLlfgS
give White the better game.
17. e3-e4 �f6-gS
N ow 17. . . . Ae6 loses to 1 8 . tLld4 Ax b3
1 9 . tLldfS+, winning the queen . [Instead of
18. . . . lixb3 7? Black can simply play 18. . . .
lidZ Therefore 18. e5 (instead of 18. tiJd4)
must be better: 18 . . . . tiJfd5 19. 'lixe7 tiJxe7
20. £xe6 fxe6 2 1. tiJg5, winning at least a
pawn. - Ed.]
1S. Y!fh4-f4 AcS-e6
19. �f3-d4 E:laS-eS
Once agai n 1 9 . . . . Axb3 fails to 20. tLldfS+.
20. �d4xe6+ . . .
Th is move forces the creation of a sensitive
pawn weakness on e6 . Wh ite wi l l weaken
the enemy queenside with the manoeuvre
YfieS+ and YfiaS , advance his pawn to eS
and then post his knight on the ideal e4
square. He will then exert control over the
weakened squares d6 and f6. The action
of the rooks on the open d -fi le will play a
major part in deciding the game.
20. f7xe6
21 . Y!ff4-eS+ Y!fe7-f6
51 2 . 2 Preparing to occupy the open file

22. 'WeS-aS ! �b6-c8 G a m e 27

23. e4-eS L . P o l u g aevs ky - V. S m y s l ov
This move i ncreases Wh ite's space ad ­ M oscow 1 9 60
vantage and clears the e4 square for the Sla v Defence [0 1 1]
white knight . Also the b2 pawn is now no 1 . d4 dS 2. �f3 �f6 3. c4 c6 4. e3 g6
longer u nder attack. S. �c3 Ag7 6. Ad3 0-0 7. 0-0 Ag4 8. h3
Axf3 9. 'Wxf3 e6 10. §d1 �bd7 1 1 . e4
23. 'Wf6-f4 eS ! 12. exdS exd4 13. dxc6 �eS 14. 'We2
24. §c1-c4 ! 'Wf4-f7 (but not 14. 'Wg3 on account of 14 . . . . �h5)
2S. §c4-d4 14 . . . . �xd3 ( 1 4 . . . . d x c3 1 5 . 'Wxe5 �h5
White is able to occupy the d -fi le without 16. c? 'Wh4 17. 'Wb5 gives Black no ad ­
any loss of time. vantage) 1 S. §xd3 bxc6 1 6. AgS 'WaS !
2S. b7-b6 17. Axf6 Axf6 18. �e4 Ag7 19. 'Wf3 iaab8
26. 'WaS-d2 c6-cS 20. b3 §fe8
27. §d4-d7 §e8-e7 59

8 8
Already forced .
28. §f1-d1
The last major piece moves onto the open
d-file. If Black exchanges the major pieces,
the e6 pawn cannot be saved . If 28 . . . .
.§fe8 29. �e4 'lWf5 then 30. �g5 or 30. �d6
with advantage to White. 2

28. . . . b6-bS
29. �g3-e4
With this White has fulfilled all his strateg ic
plans. Black is almost stalemated and can­
not avoid loss of material in the next few
moves. The cri ppl ing effect of the open fi le
is most stri king.
29. �c8-b6
30. §d7-d6 cS-c4
31 . Ab3-c2 h7-h6
32. 'Wd2-d4
Black resigned . Despite material equal­
ity he has no reasonable m oves left and
would have to watch hel plessly while
White captures the queenside pawns.
Wh ite threatens 33. 'lWc5 . If Black protects
this square, the following sam ple variation
is possi ble : 32 . . . . 'fl,c? 33. 'fl,x b6 a x b6
34. �d6 'fl,d8 35. 'Wxb6 'We? 36. 'Wxb5,
and the wh ite a-pawn qu ickly decides
matters.
L..._
.- ______�_--.J 1J
n Assessment of the position
The occupation of the open e -fi le grants
Black a small plus in the assessment
of the position . The strong passed
pawn on d4 confers a space advant­
age. With the present pawn structure on
the queenside Black always has the ad ­
vance a5-a4 available in the future, with
which he can force a weakness in the
wh ite pawn structu re. Both the black
rooks have g reat scope on the open
and half-open files respectively. Wh ite
must decide whether to force the ex­
change of the black bishop by 21. �f6+
or play 2 1 . �g3 as i n the game. After
21. �f6+ Axf6 22. 'Wxf6 c5 the defence
is not easy, since after Black dou bles
rooks on the e -file dangers will qu ickly

51
�
,>rIU"'.....,.<iI'''''=-.�I..-· ..".,.., �__
_
Chapter 2
'''y_�._·�J<lII'I
The creation of the open file
_...",_"_ __ ___-�.<�.-�""��.MIID'II
52

In . . . continued I 32. �f1-g3 �e6-f6

threaten. Nevertheless, for drawing pur­
33. 'Wf3-d1 'Wb8-b7+
poses this was the best chance. Incid­ N ot 33 . . . . �e3 on account of 34. �f5+ !
ental ly, 2 1 . �d6 loses on the spot to gxf5 35. fxe3 �g3+ 36. �h1 dxe3 37. �g2
21 . . . . �e1 + 22. �xe1 �xe1 + 23. �h2 �xh3+ 38. �h2 �g3 39. �g2 with a draw.
Ae5+ , winning a piece. 34. �g2-h2
If 34. �f3 ? then 34 . . . . �e1 .
21 . �e4-g3 c6-c5 34. 'Wb7-c7
22. �g3-e4 �b8-b6 35. �h2-g2 'Wc7-c6+
Black has prevented the exchange on f6 36. �g2-h2 �h4xg3+
and with the doubling of rooks on the e-fi le The time has come to make the ex­
he now ach ieves a clear advantage. change, si nce after . . . �e4 Wh ite's ma­
23. g2-g4 �b6-e6 jor pieces will have no good squares to
24. �e4-g3 'Wa5-a3 go to. I n spel lbinding fashion B lack has
strengthened his position move by move
W i n n i ng a pawn by 24 . . . . �e1 + 25. �xe1
and finally lau nches an attack on the ki ng ­
�xe1 + 26. �g2 �x a2 is unclear on ac ­
side. The creation of a second open file
count of 27. �a8+ Af8 28. �f3 with
seals Wh ite's fate.
cou nter-chances for Wh ite.
37. �d3xg3 'Wc6-e4 !
25. �d3-d2 a7-a5 38. �g3-d3 �e8-e5
26. �a1-d1 �g7-h6 39. �d2-c2 h7-h5 !
27. �d2-c2 'Wa3-b4
The wh ite ki n g 's position is fu rther
28. �g1-g2 weakened , and new roads open for the
If Wh ite tries to exchange rooks with black major pieces to attack the wh ite
28. �e2 , the zwischenzug 28 . . . . �c3 ! is king.
very strong, for instance : 29. �xc3 d x c3 40. �c2-d2 h5xg4
30. �c2 �e1 + 31 . �xe1 �xe1 + 32. �g2 41 . h3xg4
�c1 , and the passed pawn on c3 costs
If 41 . �xg4, then 41 . . . . �xf2+ 42. �xf2
White a piece. 29. �g2 fai ls to 29 . . . . �xe2
�xd3 with a winning position.
30. �xe2 �c2 31 . �g3 �e3 32. �a8+
41 . g6-g5
�g7 33. !'!f1 Af4 ! . Fi nally, the continuation
42. �d3-h3 �e5-e6 !
29. �xe6 is bad on account of 29 . . . . �xf3
43. 'Wd1-c2 'We4-f4+
30. �xe8+ �g7 31 . �ee1 Af4 winning ma­
44. �h3-g3 �e6-e1
terial .
45. �h2-g2 �e1-e3 !
28. �h6-g5 Wh ite resigned . After 46. fxe3 Black wins
29. �d1-d3 with 46 . . . . �f1 + 47. �h2 �h6+, fol lowed
N ow if 29. �e2 sim ply 29 . . . . �xe2 by mate ; or 46. �d1 �xg3+ 47. fxg3 �e4+
30. �xe2 �a3 , and the a2 pawn is lost. followed by 48 . . . . �f3 with an easy wi n .
29. . . . �g5-h4
Black brings all h i s pieces to their best Game 28
squares. Wh ite has no plan to fol low and I. B i l e k - V. S m y s l ov
he m u st look on helplessly as the noose Po l a n i ca Zd r6j 1 9 68
tig htens round his neck. English Opening fA 25J
30. �g3-f1 �g8-g7 1 . g3 e5 2. c4 d6 3. �g2 thc6 4. thc3
31 . �c2-d2 'Wb4-b8 ! g6 5. e3 �g7 6. thge2 thge7 7. d3 0-0

52
53 2 . 2 Preparing to occupy the open file

S. �d5 �xd5 9. cxd5 �e7 10. 0-0 c6 I n . . . continued I

11. dxc6 bxc6 1 2. d4 .ta6 1 3. Ele1 Wb6 ! exchange of bishops on d3 is out of the
14. dxe5 (Al ready i n the open i n g Wh ite question, since then a m i g hty passed
has incu rred a d isadvantage ; he has to
pawn would be created . Wh ite has no
play the text move, si nce the tension
plan with which to cou nter Black's ac ­
in the centre can no longer be main­
tions.
tained . Black was th reatening . . . Axe2 fol­
lowed by . . . exd4, whereupon the d4 pawn 25 . . . . Wb4-a5
would be doomed . ) 14 . . . . dxe5 1 5. Wc2
Captu ring on c3 would be a blunder, for
Elfd8 16 . .td2 .td3 ! ( B l ack has a g reat
instance 25 . . . . Wxc3 26. Axe4 ! Axe4 ? ?
advantage in space ; however, the wh ite
27. �xd8+, and the queen i s lost.
pawn formation presents no weaknesses)
26. Ela1-c1
17. Wc1 �d5 18. �c3 �b4 1 9. �a4 ( n e ­
cessary, si nce there was a threat o f 1 9 . . . . If Wh ite plays 26. c4 h i m self, then 26 . . . .
�c2 winning the exchange) 1 9. . . . Wb5 �b4 27. �c1 �a4, and the a2 pawn is lost.
20. .txb4 Wxb4 21 . �c3 (after 2 1 . Axc6 Or 26. c4 � b4 27. Af1 Axf1 28. �xd8+
�ac8 or 21. �c5 e4 Black has a clear ad ­ Wxd8 29. Wxf1 Wd2 30. a3 � b2 31 . � b1
vantage) 21 . . . . e4 22. Eld1 ElabS 23. Eld2 �a2 32 . �a1 �c2 33. �d1 Wc3 , and the c4
c5 24. We1 .txc3 25. bxc3 pawn cannot be held .
26. . . . c5-c4 !
Cementing the d3 bishop in place.
27. We1-d1 Eld8-d5
2S. Wd1-g4 Eld5-b5
29. Wg4-f4 Wa5-a3 !
Wh ite is forced to abandon the second
ran k. The queen controls the entry square
b2 and ties the c1 rook down.
30. Eld2-d1 Elb8-eS
Defending the e4 pawn and rel ieving the
b5 rook from the protection of the b8 rook.
31 . .tg2-h3 Elb5-b2
32. Ah3-d7 EleS-e7
n Assessment of the position 33. Ad7-g4 Wa3-c5
With the exchange on c3, a second file After 33 . . . . Wxa2 34. �a1 Wb3 35. Wd6
has been opened . Black has both open Wh ite would gain some cou nterplay.
fi les u nder contro l , although naturally 34. Wf4-f6 Wc5-e5
the b-fi le now has priority for the rooks. 35. Wf6-a6
The i m movable bishop on d3 cri pples On no accou nt can Wh ite exchange
White's game. Black's space advantage queens, si nce the queen is his only active
allows h i m to attack the weakened a2 piece.
and c3 pawns undisturbed , as well as to 35 . . . . c;t;>g8-g7
mount an attack on the king should the 36. a2-a4 Ele7-c7 !
opportun ity present itself. Wh ite can do Threatening to trap the wh ite queen with
noth ing to prevent Black from cement­ 37. . . . �b6.
ing the bishop in place with . . . c5-c4. An
37. a4-a5 Elb2-b5

53
 Chapter 2 The creation of the open file 54

38. lac1-a1 lab5-c5 ! I n . . . continued I

Faced with the threat of 39 . . . . .!::!. 5 c6, win­
ning his queen , Wh ite resig ned . By skil­
ful manoeuvri ng of his major pieces Black
has achieved victory without having to play
his trumps on the kingside by attacking
with . . . h5-h4. Th is game demonstrated
the power of the open file in very memor­
able fashion.
bishop to b3 the pressu re against f? is
increased and i n add ition the occupa­
tion of the c -file is prepared . In asso­
ciation with the bishop, which is very
active, the main theme is once again
the open fi le, with a possible i nvasion
of the seventh or eighth rank by White's
major pieces.

G a m e 29 21 . Ac2-b3 mg8-h8
A. Alekhine - Consultation partners 22. laa1-c1 f7-f6
South A m e r i c a 1 9 39 Black can no longer contest the c -fi le. If
Ruy L opez [C 84J 22 . . . . .!::!. c 8 23 . .!::!. x c8 Axc8 24. Wc2 , fol­
1 . e4 e5 2. �f3 �c6 3. Ab5 a6 4. Aa4 lowed by '!::!' c 1 , gives Wh ite a clear advant-
�f6 5. 0-0 Ae7 6. �c3 b5 7. Ab3 d6 age.
8. �d5 0-0 9. c3 �a5 10. �xe7+ Y!/xe7 23. Ah6-e3
1 1 . Ac2 c5 12. d3 �c6 13. h3 �d8 14. a4 With the idea of supporting the centre and
b4 1 5. cxb4 cxb4 1 6. d4 a5 17. lae1 Ab7 attacking the queenside pawns with the
18. �h4 (to provoke g6, after which the manoeuvre �d2-c4 .
bishop can go to h6 with gain of tempo) 23. . . . �d8-e6
18 . . . . g6 19. Ah6 lae8 20. �f3 �h5 ? ! 24. Ab3xe6 !
61 The log ical sequel to the previous moves.
Alekh ine exchanges his strong light­
squared bishop for control of the open fi le.
24. Y!/e7xe6
25. d4-d5 Y!/e6-d7
26. �f3-d2 !
All the white forces are mobi lised to attack
the queenside.
26. . . . Ab7-a6
27. �d2-c4 Aa6xc4
Necessary, to prevent �b6.
28. lac1 xc4 lae8-c8
n Assessment of the position 29. Y!/d1-c2 f6-f5
Black tries a d iversion by attacking the
Black does not realise the dangers of
e4 square. White would also hold the ad ­
the position. I n stead of beco m i ng act­
vantage after 29 . . . . '!::!' x c4 30. Wxc4 .!::!. c 8
ive on the kingside, it is appropriate to
31 . Wa6, or 31 . Wb5, winning material .
occupy the open fi le with 20 . . . . .!::!. c 8.
Likewise, 30 . . . . Wxa4 would not be good
The text move red uces the pressure on
on accou nt of 31 . Wc?, winning the d ­
e4.
pawn. The weakened black kingside and
White i mmed iately punishes this
the passed d5 pawn are the g uarantee of
small error. With the deployment of the
White's victory.
55 2 . 2 Preparing to occupy the open file

30. l::i e 4-e6 make the rest of the game a matter of

technique. The strong bishop on e3 makes
After this i nvasion B lack can only close
an im portant contri bution.
the c -file at the cost of allowi ng Wh ite a
passed pawn . 33 . . . . We7 34. We4 ! �g7 35. l::i e 1 l::i e S
36. �h1 (to avert a possibly awkward
30. eLlh5-f6
check on the g1 -a7 d iagonal ) 36 . . . . eLlgS
31 . f2-f3 f5xe4
37. Wa6 l::i bS 3S. Wa7 ! (plain and simple
32. f3xe4 l::i eSxe6
chess ; after the exchange of queens the
Wh ite threatened 33. �c1 , hence this ex­ black queenside pawns are weak) 3S . . . .
change is unavoidable. Wxa7 39. Axa7 l::i e S 40. Ab6 eLlf6 (or
40 . . . . lfi)e7 41 . Axa5 �xc6 42 . �xc6 lfi)xc6
33. d5xe6
43. Ac7 with an easily winning endgame)
The struggle for the open fi le is over ; con­ 41 . l::i e4 �f7 42. Axa5 b3 43. e7 �e6
trol of the file has been exchanged for a 44. l::i b4 �d7 45. �g1 �e6 46. �f2, and
strong passed pawn on c6. The passed Black resigned , since after �f3 or �e3 the
pawn and the weakened black queenside b3 pawn is also lost.

Chapter 3
T h e st r u g g l e fo r c o n t ro l of t h e
open f i l e
I n this chapter we shal l exam ine games in
which the control and exploitation of the
open fi le are stil l being contested . There is
already an open fi le avai lable. However, the
defender can either oppose on the fi le or
else keep the entry squares defended . The
struggle for the open fi le is in fu l l swi ng,
and the scales can sti l l tip either way. We
3. 1 T h e c o n q u e st of t h e o p e n f i l e
To seize the open fi le, the opponent 's res­
istance m ust be broken. Very often this
is brought about by deflecting the ma­
jor pieces from the open fi le. This can be
ach ieved by forcing pawn weaknesses and
then tyi ng pieces to their defence. Pieces
can also be tied to the defence of a square
weakness. Another poss i b i l ity l ies i n d e ­
veloping a n initiative in a particular area of
the board , (for instance an attack on the
king), whereupon the enemy major pieces
are deflected and kept busy. Further pos­
s i b i l ities lie in contro l l i ng the "opposition
square", or maki ng an exchange that leads
to a qual itative i mbalance in material . We
shal l look at examples of all these methods
and possibilities in the following games.
56
56
have picked out three im portant strateg ic
aspects to this struggle :
1 . the conquest of the open fi le ;
2 . square weaknesses on the open file ;
3. the fight against the open file.
We shall focus on these i n the next three
sections.
G a m e 30
I. B o n d a revsky - E. L u n d i n
Sto c k h o l m 1 948
Queen 's Gambit Declined [0 33J
1 . d4 dS 2. e4 e6 3. �f3 eS 4. exdS
exdS S. g3 �e6 6. Ag2 �f6 7. 0-0 Ae7
8. dxeS AxeS 9. �bd2 0-0 10. �b3 Ab6
1 1 . �bd4 fle8 ? ! ( 1 1 . . . . tLle4 is better, i n
order t o prevent 1 2 . b 3 a n d A b 2 ) 1 2. b3
�xd4 1 3. �xd4 Ad7 (after 1 3 . . . . Axd4
14. \Wxd4 !:!.xe2 15. Ag5 !:!.e6 1 6. !:!.fd1
Wh ite regains the pawn with the better
end ing) 14. Ab2 �e4 1S. e3 Y!le7 16. fle1
(see diagram 62)
57 3 . 1 The conquest of the open file

62 20. 13c2xc8
The temporary surrender of the open c -file
does not mean that White's major pieces
will not be back. White has correctly real­
ised that next he can exchange the l i g ht­
squared bishops with Ah3, after which the
knight can possi bly come i nto action on
f5 . Furthermore the queen will control the
cS square from h3 and recapture the c -fi le
for his rook.
20. 13e8xc8
21 . Ag2-h3 ! Ad7xh3
22. 'Wh4xh3 13c8-e8
n Assessment of the position
N ot 22 . . . . gc7 on accou nt of 23. �b5 !
Wh ite secures a positional advantage �xb2 24 . �xc7 winning the exchange,
with the natural move gc1 . The open since 24 . . . . Axc7 fai ls to 25. �cS+. If
c-file is the j u m ping -off point for fur­ 22 . . . . �eS then 23. �f5 with a big ad ­
ther operations. The isolated d5 pawn vantage.
remains a constant target, but it is the
23. Ab2-a1 Ab6-d8
only weakness i n the black camp. The
24. 13f1-c1 !
b2 bishop is wonderfu lly placed on the
long a1-hS diagonal . One attacking idea Now White has recaptured the c -file with
for Wh ite l ies in the knight manoeuvre a clear advantage. The opponent's l ig ht
�d4-e2-f4 , increasing the pressure on squares are decisively weakened , and the
the d5 pawn. Tarrasch often played the i nvasion on cS wi l l increase Wh ite's dom­
black side of this open i n g , si nce he ination.
considered that B lack's free piece play 24. 'We5-d6
compensated for the isolated pawn . 25. Aa1-b2 a7-a6
26. 13c1-c8 g7-g6
16 . ... 13a8-d8 This move weakens the king's position, but
is forced in view of the threat of 27. �f5.
16 . . , . gacS was defi n itely preferable, to
force Wh ite to fight for the open fi le. 27. 'Wh3-f1
17. 'Wd1-h5 ! ... Even stronger is 27. �e2 fol lowed by
�f4 . The tempting sacrifice 27. �f5 g xf5
The d 5 pawn i s i m med iately attacked .
2S. �h6 does not work, since B lack can
Black must retreat his knight.
play 2S . . . . ge6 .
17. the4-f6 27. 'Wd6-d7
18. 'Wh5-h4 'We7-e5 28. 'Wf1-c1 thf6-e4
Another superficial move. It is obvious that 29. thd4-e2 'Wd7-f5 ?
the queen will come under fire from the b2 This only hastens Black's defeat. 29 . . . .
bishop. 1 S . . . . gcS was sti l l correct. Af6 is better, whereupon he sti l l has de­
1 9. 13c1-c2 13d8-c8 fensive chances, for instance 30. gc7
The threat was 20. �c6, winning the ex­ Ax b2 31 . gxd7 Axc1 32 . �xc1 gcS.
change. 30. the2-f4 g6-g5

57
 Chapter 3 The struggle for control of the open file 58

30 . . . . tLld6 31 . ,!;!c5 ! is also bad , but not fl Assessment of the position

31 . Wc3 Af6 ! , and Black has averted the After an i nteresting opening the further
worst dangers. course of the game will be focused on
31 . 'Wc1-c7 ! ! . . . the conquest of the open d -file. With
The victory wi ll be achieved using the open his last move 20. . . . Wf6 Black in­
file, in con nection with the strong bishop creased the pressu re on Wh ite's only
on b2 . The beautifu l text move is the start pawn weakness at c3. Wh ite is thus
of a mating attack, agai nst which there is compel led to protect the pawn with his
no defence. rook and surrender the open d -file to
31 . g5xf4 Black. Together with the space advant­
32. l1cSxdS �gS-fS age, this is of fundamental i mportance.
33. 'Wc7-bS �e4-f6 Black's centralised knight on e4 is beau­
tifully placed , controlling a lot of squares
Or 33 . . . . We6 34. Aa3+, and wins.
and preventing the wh ite pieces from
34. .tb2xf6 'Wf5-b1 + working together harmoniously. White's
35. �g1-g2 f4-f3+ two bishops are restricted i n their mo­
36. �g2-h3 bil ity and are inactive.
Black resigned .
21 . l1d1 xdS
G a m e 31
Wh ite must give up the open file in any
S. G l i g o r i c - V. S m ys l ov case. If 2 1 . c4 tLlc3, and he must sti l l ex­
Amsterd a m 1 97 1
change on dB.
Chigorin Defence [0 0 7J
21 . l1fSxdS
1. d4 d5 2. c4 �c6 3. �c3 dxc4 4. d5 �e5 22. l1a1-c1 h7-h6
(the variation 4 . . . . tLla5 5. Wa4+ c6 6. b4 23. .te2-d3 �gS-hS !
c x b3 7. a x b3 e6 ! B. Ad2 tLlx b3 9. Wx b3 24. �f3-e1 c5-c4
exd5, when Black has three pawns for
With this tactical move the blockadi n g
the piece, is u nclear) 5 . .tf4 �g6 6 . .tg3
piece will be d islodged . N ow 25. Axc4
e5 7. d xe6 .txe6 S. �f3 �f6 9. �d4
fai ls to 25 . . . . '!;!d2 , fol lowed by 26 .
.td7 10. e3 .tb4 11 . .txc4 0-0 1 2. 'Wc2
tLlxf2 .
c6 1 3. h3 'We7 14. 0-0 .txc3 ! 1 5. bxc3
�e4 16 . .th2 c5 17. �f3 .tc6 1S . .td3 f5 25 . .td3xe4
1 9. l1fd1 l1adS 20 . .te2 'Wf6 Forced , on accou nt of the threat of 25 . . . .
63 '!;!d2 . Now the pawn takes u p a domi nant
8 8 position on e4 and severely restricts the e1
knight. Black has thus gained even more
space.
25. . . . f5xe4
If 25 . . . . Axe4 White could play 26. Wa4.
26. 'Wc2-e2 b7-b5
27. .th2-g3
Wh ite cannot bring the knight to the ideal
square d4, si nce the c3 pawn is always in
L--_______....:_
:... ---1 lf need of protection.

58
59 3 . 1 The conquest of the open file

27. �g6-e7 42. �c2-c1 Wg6-f6

2S. We2-b2 �e7-dS 43. Ag3-e1 Wf6-f4 !
29. Wb2-a3
White resigned . If 44. �d1 (or 44. �c2) then
The threat was 29 . . . . b4 , winning a pawn. 44 . . . . �xf3 ! 45. �xf3 Axe4 winning the
29. . . . a7-aS ! queen .
30. �g1-h2
Natu ral ly not 30. �xa5 on accou nt of G a m e 32
30 . . . . �a8, winning the queen . M. B otvi n n i k - I. B o l e s l a v s k y
M o scow 1 945
30. h6-hS
Ruy Lopez [e 79J
31 . h3-h4 Wf6-fS
32. Wa3-b2
1 . e4 eS 2. �f3 �c6 3. AbS a6 4. Aa4
The exchange of queens would have �f6 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 Ad7 7. d4 g6 S. �bd2
eased White's defence somewhat. We7 9. �e1 Ag7 10. �f1 0-0 1 1 . AgS h6
32. �dS-f6 1 2. Ah4 WeS 1 3. Ac2 (there was a threat
33. �h2-g1 �f6-g4 of 1 3 . . . . tDxd4) 1 3 . . . . �hS 14. �e3 �e7
34. Wb2-e2 WfS-f6 1 S. dxeS dxeS
35. f2-f3
64
White cannot sit tight any longer without
beco m i ng even more constricted . The
threat was s i mply the manoeuvre . . . �d7
and . . . �d8, followed by i nvasion on d2 or
d1. 5

3S. e4xf3 4
36. g2xf3 �g4-eS 3
37. e3-e4 �eS-d3 !
3S. �c1-c2
If 38. tDxd3, then 38 . . . . �xd3, winning a
pawn . �-------=--� �
3S . . . . �d3xe1
39. Ag3xe1 �dS-d3 n Assessment of the position
The open fi le remains the main theme of With the exchange on e5 White has de­
all Black's actions, right to the very end. l i berately resolved the tension i n the
40. �g1-g2 Wf6-g6+ centre and opened the d -file. He was
41 . Ae1-g3 �hS-h7 ! surely relying on the fact that Wh ite's
A quiet, but very effective move. The king rooks can be dou bled on the d -file
evades a possi ble check on the eighth faster than B lack's. The queen on e8
rank and helps bring about a position of can not get out of the way qu ickly
zugzwang. Thus 42 . �h2 loses now to enough to make way for the f8 rook. l n
42 . . . . �xf3 ! 43. �xf3 Axe4, followed by the early stages of the game these con­
44 . . . . Axc2 ; or 42 . �e1 �f6 with a double siderations about the conquest of the
attack on the pawns at f3 and c3 ; and fi­ open file are of extreme im portance. At
nally 42 . �d2 is answered by 42 . . . . Axe4 ! the moment there are no pawn weak­
43. �xd3 cxd3. nesses on either side.

59
 Chapter 3
" o"_."'r->. ·, .�� "__.,_
16. .Q.h4-g3
Th is move reveals a further important con­
sideration by White : the threat against the
e5 pawn forces Black to capture on g3.
Later Wh ite wants to play 'lWe2 , without
being harassed by . . . �f4 . Afterwards he
can seize the d -fi le, the more so as the
queen sortie 'lWc4 , th reatening the c7
pawn, must always be taken into account.
16. �h5xg3
1� h2xg3 �a8-d8
18. �d1-e2 �e7-c8
If 1 8 . . . . Ab5 then 1 9 . c4, or if 1 8 . . . . Ae6
1 9 . Ab3, in either case with a small pos­
itional advantage for White. The g7 bishop
can take no part i n the action for a long
time.
1 9. �a1-d1 c7-c6
20. �d1-d2 �e8-e7
21 . �e1-d1 �c8-b6
If 21 . . . . b5, then 22. b4 with the s u b ­
sequent kn ight manoeuvre �f3-e1 -d3-
c5 .
22. b2-b4 .Q.d7-e6
22 . . . . f5 would be risky ; after 23. exf5 gxf5
24 . !!xd7 ! !!xd7 25. �xf5 Wh ite wou l d
have a decisive attack. [Although this vari­
ation is given by Botvinnik, the attack does
not look at all convincing. There seems
no need for White to sacrifice, since the
simple 23. fJh4 leads to a decisive gain of
material. - Ed.]
23. .Q.c2-b3 �d8xd2
24. �e2xd2 .Q.e6xb3
25. a2xb3
An evaluation of this position shows that
Wh ite 's strateg ic decision on move 1 5 was
correct. With the doubling on the d -file he
has establ ished clear domination. The next
stage in the plan consists of d islodging the
knight from b6 by means of c4-c5 in order
to seize control of the entry square d7.
25. . . . �e7-e6
At the moment 25 . . . . Af6 fails to 26. �g4 .
The struggle for control of the open file 60
__�_�
_�__________
26. c3-c4 .Q.g7-f6
27. c4-c5 !
With this move Wh ite prevents the
manoeuvre 27. . . . !!d8 on account of
28. 'lWxd8+ Axd8 29. !!xd8+ �g7 30. cxb6
with clear material advantage.
27. . . . �b6-c8
28. �d2-d7 ! �e6xb3
Or 28 . . . . !!d8 29. 'lWxe6 !!xd1 + 30. �xd1
fxe6 31 . �e3, followed by �g4 or �c4 ,
winning a pawn.
29. �d7xb7 .Q.f6-g5
If 29 . . . . �e7, then 30. !!d6 and wins.
30. �f3xg5 h6xg5
31 . �b7xa6
After winning a pawn with the clearly bet­
ter position , the exploitation of Wh ite 's
advantage is just a matter of technique.
The clear advantage was ach ieved only
by s i n g l e - m i ndedly focusing on the oc­
cu pation of the d -fi le. This is yet another
example of how decisively the control of
the open fi le can i nfluence the game .
31 . . . . �e7 32. �b7 �e8 33. �d7
�f8 34. Wd6 Wxb4 35. �g4 ! �a8
36. Wxe5 Wb3 37. �d7 �g8 38. Wd6+
�g7 39. Wd4+ �h7 40. �f6+ �xf6
41 . �xf6 �g8 42. �h2 �f8 43. �xc6 �g7
44. Wd6 Wb1 (or 44 . . . . !!h8+ 45. �g1
'lWb1 + 46. 'lWd1 , when 46 . . . . 'lWxe4 allows
47. 'lWa1 + with mate) 45. �d4+ �h7 46. c6 !
Black resigned . If 46. . . . !!h8, then
47. 'lWxh8+ �xh8 48. c7 with an easy win.
G a m e 33
A. K a r p ov - B. S p a s s ky
Len i n g rad 1 974
Sicilian Defence [B 83]
1 . e4 c5 2. �f3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. �xd4
�f6 5. �c3 d6 6 . .Q.e2 .Q.e7 7. 0-0 0-0
8. f4 �c6 9 . .Q.e3 .Q.d7 10. �b3 a5 1 1 . a4
�b4 12 . .Q.f3 .Q.c6 13. �d4 g6 14. �f2 e5
1 5. �xc6 bxc6 16. fxe5 dxe5 1� Wf1 !
60
61 3 . 1 The conquest of the open file

65 20. �g4xd7 'Wc8xd7

21 . 'Wf1-c4 ! �e7-h4
If 21 . . . . 'We6, then 22. 'Wxe6 fxe6 23. �af1
with advantage for White.
22. laf2-d2 'Wd7-e7
23. laa1-f1
Once agai n the combi ned themes of play
on the open and half-open fi les. 23. Ac5
would be premature on accou nt of 23 . . . .
'Wg5 24. �d7 �xc2 25. AxfB �xfB with
unclear com plications.
23. . . . laf8-d8
24. �c3-b1 !
n Assessment of the position
A strong move, with the purpose of ex­
After the open ing of the d -file, two pel ling the knight from b4 by means of
factors are of special i m portance : on c3 and plan n i ng to redeploy Wh ite's own
the one hand the open d -file itself, knight to a more effective square.
where at the moment Black can mai n ­ 24. 'We7-b7
tain t h e balance ; on t h e other hand the 25. �g1-h2 �g8-g7
half-open Hi le, where doubling the ma­ 26. c2-c3 �b4-a6
jor pieces can create some dangers for 27. lad2-e2 !
the f6 and f7 squares.
Preparing the manoeuvre �d2-f3 , intend­
The wh ite pieces have a nice square
ing to take the open file back under control
at c4 , where at the rig ht moment the
later.
queen or the bishop can be deployed to
27. . . . lad8-fB
threaten f7. Another of Wh ite's advant­
ages is the possession of the bishop
28. �b1-d2 �h4-d8
pai r. Naturally not 2B . . . . 'Wx b2 on account of
However, neither side has any ser­ 29. �f3 , winning a piece.
ious weaknesses at present, so that i n 29. �d2-f3 f7-f6
the followi ng stage o f t h e game man­ 30. lae2-d2 !
oeuvri ng and reg rouping are the order At the right moment Wh ite returns once
of the day. more to the open d -fi le, this time i n order
to i nvade the seventh rank decisively. The
17. 'Wd8-c8 defensive move . . . f6 has weakened the e6
18. h2-h3 square, and the wh ite queen now makes
grateful use of this fact.
First . . . �g4 must be prevented .
30. . . . �d8-e7
18. ... �f6-d7 If 30 . . . . �bB then 31 . �g5 wins.
If 1B . . . . 'We6 Wh ite should play 1 9 . �c1 31 . 'Wc4-e6 laa8-d8
with the further conti nuation 19 . . . . �fdB 32. lad1 xd8 ! Ae7xd8
20. Ae2 �d4 2 1 . b3, followed by Ac4 with A sad necessity. 32 . . . . �xdB fai ls to
advantage to White. Or 1 9 . g4, with the 33. �xe5 'Wc7 (33 . . . . fxe5 34. �f7+)
idea of g5 and Ag4. 34. 'Wf7+ �hB 35 . 'Wxe7 ! 'Wxe5+ 36. 'Wxe5
1 9. �f3-g4 h7-h5 fxe5 37. �f6 and wins.

61
 Chapter 3 The struggle for control of the open file 62

33. laf1-d1 ! J fl . . . continued I

The death blow will be dealt Black on the Firstly the direct threat to the d2 and
open file. There is no defence agai nst the c1 squares by the bishop, secondly the
invasion on d7 or d8. domi nant position of the centralised
33. �a6-b8 knight on d5, thirdly the better king pos­
34. .te3-cS laf8-h8 ition and fou rthly the pawn majority on
3S. lad1 xd8 the queenside. These are the ingred i ­
ents that constitute Black's positional
Black resigned . If 35. . . . '§xd8 then , advantage. Black has the possibility of
36. Ae7 wins. seizing the open file. White will be com­
pel led to play 23. e3 , whereupon by a
piece sacrifice Black will seize the open
G a m e 34 fi le and thus the entry square at c2 .
R. H u b n e r - A. Ka rpov
Ti l b u rg 1 97 7
I n the d i ag ram position 23 . .§fd1 fai ls to
English Opening [A 35J
23 . . . . '§xc1 24. Axc1 �c3 25 . .§e1 �a2
1 . c4 cS 2. �f3 �f6 3. �c3 dS 4. cxdS 26. �b3 (26. e3 .§c8 27. Ab2 .§c2 ! wins)
�xdS S. g3 g6 6. d3 .tg7 7. .td2 b6 26 . . . . eDxc1 27. eDxc1 .§c8, and the rook on
8. Wa4+ .td7 9. Wh4 .tc6 10 . .tg2 e6 the open c -file gives Black the advantage.
1 1 . Wxd8+ �xd8 1 2. lac1 �a6 1 3. �xdS 23. e2-e3 .th6xe3 !
.txdS 14 . .tc3 f6 1S. a3 �e7 16. 0-0 lahc8 24. f2xe3 �dSxe3+
17. �d2 �c7 18. b4 .txg2 19. �xg2 cxb4 2S. �g2-f3 �e3xf1
20 . .txb4+ �d7 21 . .tc3 �dS 22 . .tb2 ( if 26. �d2xf1 lac8xc1
22. �e4 , then 22 . . . . �xc3 23. �xc3 f5 27. .tb2xc1 laa8-c8
with advantage for Black) 22 . . . . .th6 ! Black's sacrifice has netted him two pawns
66 and a rook for two m i nor pieces. I n the
8 endgame this is usually a favou rable ex­
change, and here there are some white
pawn weaknesses available as wel l . Es­
sentially we can already tal k about a win­
ning position for Black.
28. .tc1-b2 lac8-c2 !
After 28 . . . . e5 29. �e3 the entry square
2 would be defended . But with . . . .§c2 Black
obtai ns two con nected passed pawn on
the queenside.
'lr
29. .tb2xf6 lac2-a2
'--_______-"-_----'

30. �f3-e3 laa2xa3

fl Assessment of the position
31 . �f1-d2 b6-bS
With the text move Black exerts pres­ 32. �d2-e4 bS-b4
sure on the h6-c1 diagonal , which leads 32 . . . . a5 is preferable, to keep the c4
to the conquest of the c -file. square under control. The rest of the game
What special features are present shows the techn ical exploitation of the
here ? winning position :

62
63 3 . 2 Square weaknesses on the open file
33. �d4 as 34. �e4 §a2 (Wh ite was
threatening 3S . Ab2 followed by �b3 win­
ning the rook) 3S. h4 �eS 3S. Ad4 §e2
37. AeS §e1 38. AfS § b1 39. Ae7 eS
40. g4 §e1 + 41 . �b3 �dS ! 42. AgS (or
42 . Ad8 �d4 43. AxaS �xd3 44. tDf6
3.2 S q u a re we a k n e s s e s o n t h e o p e n f i l e
In order to be able to exploit control of the
open file, it is i m portant that the oppon­
ent has square weaknesses on this file.
For the side controlling the open file, it is
a fundamental objective to i nfl ict square
weaknesses on the opponent. This means
that the enemy pieces defending particular
squares must be deflected or exchanged .
Then the rooks or m i nor pieces can usu­
ally occupy the weak squares. These weak
squares are known as 'entry squares' (for
rooks) , or 'outposts' (for mi nor pieces).
Occupying the weak squares usually in­
creases the i nitiative of the active side.
From these newly acquired bases, the at­
tack can be directed in new directions, for
instance : from the open fi le, to an entry
square on the seventh ran k, to an attack
along the seventh ran k.
The next game is a very beautiful and
instructive example. Wh ite acq u i res the
entry square d6 and his rook lands there
with a gain of tempo. The subsequent trip­
ling on the d -file completely cri pples the
black pieces. They must watch helplessly
while the active wh ite pieces shatter the
ki ng 's position.
G a m e 35
P. B i y i a s a s - W . H u g
Pet ro p o l i s 1 973
Sicilian Defence [8 43]
1. �f3 eS 2. e4 eS 3. �e3 �eS 4. AbS
tOge7 S. 0-0 as S. .txeS �xeS 7. d4 exd4
63
!:!b1 + 4S. �a2 �c2 and wins) 42 . . . . §b1+
43. �e2 §h1 44. �b3 § h3 ! 4S. �fS+
�d4 4S. �xh7 §xd3+ 47. �e2 a4 48. Ae7
§e3+ ! 49. �b1 §e7 !. Now White is losing
a piece and so he gave up the hopeless
struggle.
8. �xd4 Ae7 9. �xeS dxeS (9 . . . . b x c6
is better, i nten d i ng to answer 1 0 . eS with
either f6 or fS) 10. eS O-O ? (now B lack
should at least exchange queens and then
play . . . fS , to deprive the knight of the e4
square) 1 1 . 'We2 'We7 1 2. Af4 eS 1 3. �e4
'WeS 14. §ad1 bS 1 S . .tgS !
fl Assessment of the position
With the text move White acquires the
entry square d6 for his rook and at the
same time prevents counterplay on the
a8-h1 diagonal . I n addition to the threat
of tri pling on the d -file, a further im­
portant theme is the combi ned attack
on the black kingside by Wh ite's queen
and knight. This wi l l force decisive pawn
weaknesses there. Wh ite's two extra
tem p i , the fact that he can be the first
to occupy the d -fi le, plus the backward
development of the c8 bishop, form the
basis of Wh ite's advantage.
 Chapter 3 The struggle for control of the open file 64

In . . . continued I G a m e 36
Although Black has no pawn weak­
A. Kotov - G. Leve n f i s h
M oscow 1 949
nesses, in the d iagram position he has
no defensive chances. Thus 15 . . . . f6 � .
loses to 1 6 . exf6 g x f6 17. Ah6 �f7 8
1 8 . �g4+ 'i!?h8 1 9 . �h5 ! �e8 20. �d8 ! !
7 7
Axd8 (20 . . . . �xd8 2 1 . �xf7, fol lowed
6
by Ag7 mate or the win of a piece)
2 1 . �d6 �d7 (or �e7) 22. �xf7 �xf7 5 5

23. �xf7+ winning a piece. 4 4

3
1 5. . . . J.e7xg5
16. gd1-d6 !
Th is astute zwischenzug prevents Black
from threatening mate on g2 after he
plays . . . Ab7.
Wc6-c7 n Assessment of the position
16. . . .
17. �e4xg5 J.c8-b7 With his 28th move �d4 ! Wh ite has
Black has no time to d islodge the annoy­ come to an i m portant strateg ic d e ­
ing kn i g ht with 17. . . . h6, on accou nt of cision . H e accepts a weakening o f his
1 8 . �e4 ! h x g 5 (or 1 8 . . . . f5 1 9 . �xa8) pawn formation in order to conquer the
1 9 . �xa8 Ab7 20. �a7 fol lowed by �x b6 entry c7 square. He then threatens to
with an easy wi n . win material on the seventh rank. Black
has no choice but to exchange queens,
18. We2-d3 ! g7-g6
si nce after 28 . . . . �d6 29. 1:!c4 he loses
19. gf1-d1 !
either the b4 pawn or the e4 pawn . Fur­
This simple but strong move puts Black thermore Black has no time to oppose
i n a hopeless situation. There is no d e ­ on the c -fi le si nce 28 . . . . �xd4 29. exd4
fence agai nst t h e threats o f � h 3 or �d7. �c8 30. �xc8+ Axc8 31 . Axa6 would
Thus 19 . . . . �e7 fails to 20. f4, with the lose a pawn. H ence we can conclude
twi n th reats of 21. �d7 and 21. �x b6 ; or that after the exchange of queens the
19 . . . . h6 20. �xe6 fxe6 21. �xg6+ �g7 c7 square is incurably weak, and this
22. �xg7+ 'i!?xg7. 23. �d7+ �f7 24. �xf7+ forms the basis of Wh ite's plan, which
�xf7 25. �d7+ with an easily won rook leads to a clear advantage.
end ing.
1 9. J.b7-d5 28 . . . . We5xd4
20. c2-c4 J.d5-c6 29. e3xd4 g6-g5?
21 . Wd3-h3
B lack loses his nerve. The best defence
Forcing the last and decisive weakness. lay i n 29 . . . . �d6 30. �c7 Ab5 ! 31 . �xe7
21 . . . . h7-h5 1:!c8 32. Axb5 axb5 33. g4 ! or 32 . . . . �x b5
22. �g5xe6 33. g3, and it would sti l l not be easy for
Black resigned . After 22. . . . fxe6 Wh ite to win.
23. �xe6+ he loses a lot of material on 30. gc2-c7 ! J.d7-b5
the sixth ran k. 31 . gc7xb7 g5xf4

64
65 3.2 Square weaknesses on the open file
32. �b7xe7 �a8-e8
33. Af1 xbS a6xbS
34. h2-h4 !
With this escape hole all dangers of mate
are removed . Wh ite has transformed the
positional advantage of the open fi le into a
material advantage. The wh ite rook on e7
is active and th reatens to capture further
pawns, and the passed d -pawn is very
dangerous. The continuation was :
34 . . . . fS 3S. �eS �g7 36. �xfS e3 37. fxe3
fxe3 38. �f1 ! (the black pawns are now
blocked ; there is no longer any defence
agai nst the i ntervention of the wh ite king
plus the passed pawn on the d -file) 38. . . .
�e2 39. d6 �xa2 40. d7 �a8 41 . �e2 and
Black resig ned .
G a m e 37
A. Eve n s o n - A. A l e k h i n e
K i ev 1 9 1 6
Philidor Defence [C 4 1J
1. e4 eS 2. �f3 d6 3. d4 �f6 4. �e3 �bd7
S .te4 Ae7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. dxeS (7. �e2 c6
.
8. a4, with positional pressure, is stronger)
7. . . . d xeS 8. AgS e6 9. a4 Y!fe7 10. Y!fe2
tOeS 1 1 . �e1 ? ! (this hands the i n itiative
over to Black ; 1 1 . �ad1 was correct and
logical ) 11 . . . . tOe6 ! 12 . .te3 tOd4 13. 'Wd1
I3d8 14. �d3 Ae6 1S. Axe6 �xe6
69
L...-_______ ....::...
_ ---J 'lr
65
n Assessment of the position
With a few passive moves White has lost
the i n itiative to Black. After both sides
have developed their pieces, Black
has a slight positional advantage. The
struggle for entry squares is now the
main theme. Black's control of the d4
square plays a key role here, simultan­
eously cramping White's game and giv­
ing Black a space advantage. Black's
plan is now aimed at d islodging the
wh ite blockad ing piece from d3.
Wh ite has no outposts in the centre,
and his queen has no good square to go
to, in order to vacate d1 for the rooks.
16. 'Wd1-e1 �d8-d7 !
17. f2-f3 �a8-d8
18. Ae3-f2
N ot 1 8 . Jixa7 on accou nt of 18 . . . . b6,
winning a piece.
18 . ... �f6-hS
Black prevents Jih4 with a possible ex­
change on f6, and prepares . . . tLlh5-f4 ,
whereupon the control of the open d -file
gains i n im portance.
1 9. �e3-e2 e6-eS ? !
20. b2-b3 ?
Wh ite misses his chance to occu py the
d5 square by bringing his knight back to
c3. After 20. tLlc3 the reply 20 . . . . c4 fai ls
to 21. tLlb5. The game is equal after 20 . . . .
tDhf4 21. tDxf4 tDxf4 22. g3 tDh3+ 23. *g2 .
20. . . . tOhS-f4 !
The preparations for cleari ng the d -file
are complete. The avai labil ity of an entry
square at d2 is i m portant for the further
course of the game.
21 . �e2xf4 �e6xf4
22. tOd3xf4 eSxf4
With the exchange of all the knig hts
Wh ite's only active pieces are eliminated .
White is left with a passive bishop and the
u nfortunately placed major pieces on the
back ran k.
 Chapter 3 The struggle for control of the open file 66

23. c2-c3 38. 'Wa3-b2 'Wc6-b6+

This is now necessary, to prevent the man­ 39. mg1-h1 lld3-d1
oeuvre . . . c4-c3. However, now another 40. llc2-c1 'Wb6-e3 !
entry square appears at d3. The total command of the open file, plus
23. 'Wc7-e5 the i mportant entry squares on the first
24. lla1-a2 lld7-d3 and second ran k, mean the game is over.
25. lla2-c2 b7-b6 41 . llc1-a1 lld1 xa1
26. 'We1-c1 'We5-e6 ! 42. 'Wb2xa1 'We3-e2 !
Black attacks the pawn weaknesses at b3 43. llf1-g1 lld8-d1
and c3 in turn . Now he also prepares to Black had to make sure here that the white
bring the bishop into active play at f6. queen can not give perpetual check.
27. 'Wc1-b1 .Q.e7-f6 44. 'Wa1-a8+ mg8-g7
28. b3-b4 c5-c4 45. 'Was-a7+ mg7-g6
Black has no reason to open the c -fi le for 46. 'Wa7-e7 'We2xe1 !
the enemy pieces. 47. 'We7-e8+ mg6-g5
29. 'Wb1-c1 g7-g5 48. 'We8-g8+ mg5-h4
Bolstering the f4 square and preparing the Wh ite resigned.
final attack on the kingside.
30. h2-h3 .Q.f6-e5 G a m e 38
31 . 'Wc1-a1 h7-h5 B. B l u m e n fe l d - A . A l e k h i n e
32. a4-a5 g5-g4 ! M oscow 1 9 08
The preparations are completed for sta­ Philidor Defence [C 4 1J
ging a mating attack. The total control of 1 . e4 e5 2. �f3 d6 3. d4 �d7 4. b3
the open fi le and the space advantage c6 5. .Q.b2 'Wc7 6. �bd2 �e7 7. .Q.e2
on both flan ks decide the game in a few �g6 8. 0-0 .Q.e7 9. a4 0-0 10. �c4 lld8
moves. 1 1 . 'Wc1 ( 1 1 . 1:%e1 was better, fol lowed by
33. a5xb6 a7xb6 Af1 ) 1 1 . . . . �f4 12. lle1 �xe2+ 13. llxe2
34. .Q.f2-h4 f6 14. �h4 �f8 15. �e3 �e6 16. dxe5 (a
If 34. hx g4 hxg4 35. fxg4 \Wxg4 36. Ax b6 bad decision by White, which immed iately
then 36 . . . . 1:%d2 37. 1:%xd2 1:%xd2 38. Af2 f3 gives Black good play si nce he will be the
wins. fi rst to occupy the open fi le ; 1 6. tDf3 or
34. ... f7-f6 1 6 . d5 was correct) 16 . . . . dxe5
35. .Q.h4-e1 g4-g3 70

Black abstains from the possible win of a 8

pawn, so as not to g rant Wh ite an open

file. After the move i n the game a position 6 6
of near-zugzwang arises.
5 5
36. 'Wa1-a6 'We6-c6 !
4
The threat of 37. . . . 1:%a8 forces the wh ite
queen to retreat. 3 3

37. 'Wa6-a3 b6-b5 2 2

The a7-g1 diagonal is opened for the black

queen.

66
67 3 . 2 Square weaknesses on the open file

n Assessment of the position and d3 guarantees the further increase of

Black's advantage.
Since both sides can boast a sou nd
pawn formation , the main role is played 22. laaSxdS
here by the fig ht for the open file, i n 23. 'Wc1-c2 'Wc7-d7
connection with t h e fig ht for t h e entry 24. laa1-f1 'Wd7-d3 !
squares. Being fi rst to occupy the open The occupation of the entry square is the
fi le gives Black a small positional plus. strongest move. Wh ite can not exchange
There is also the factor of the well­ queens i n view of his weak second rank.
placed knight at e6 , which can be d e ­ Loss of material as a result of the threat of
ployed at either d4 or f4 . T h e posses­ et:::le 2+ would then be unavoidable.
sion of the bishop pair is likewise a plus 25. 'Wc2-b3+ �gS-hS
for Black. Also the black queen at c7 is 26. tilf5-g3 h7-h5
better placed than the wh ite queen at More accurate is 26 . . . . et:::l e 2+ 27. et:::l x e2
c1 . 'Wxe2 28. Ac1 'Wxe4 29. 'Wf7 c5 30. bxc5
These small positional factors can Axc5 31 . 'Wc7 Ab6 with an easy wi n .
quickly sol id ify i nto a tangi ble advant­ 27. Ab2-c1 ? . . .
age, since Wh ite can find no good act­ The best defence lay i n 27. h4 ! After 27. . . .
ive plan . et:::l e 2+ 28. et:::l x e2 'Wxe2 29. �c1 'Wxe4
30. 'Wf7 c5 31 . 'Wxh5+ �g8 Wh ite's pos­
17. tilh4-f5 Ae7-b4 ! ition would also be bad , but he could sti l l
A strong move, which on account of the resist.
threat 18 . . . . et:::lf4 provokes the move c3. 27. h5-h4 !
Thus Black acq u i res the entry square d3 2S. Ac1 xf4 e5xf4
on the open file. 29. tilg3-f5 h4-h3 !
1S. c2-c3 The text move crowns Black's strategy :
It would be dangerous to play 1 8 . g3 exploitation of the open file ( i ncluding the
et:::l g 5 ! or 18. f3 et:::lf4 19. gf2 �xf5 20. exf5 entry squares) in connection with an attack
(20. et:::l x f5 Ac5 2 1 . et:::l e3 'Wb6 22. a5 Axe3 on the kingside. Here 29 . . . . 'Wxe4 would
23. a x b6 et:::l e2+ , winning a piece) 20 . . . . be less good on account of 30. et:::l x h4.
Ac5 , and Black threatens the awkward 30. 'Wb3-e6 h3xg2
21. . . . 'Wb6. 31 . �g1 xg2
1S. tile6-f4 Or 31 . J::! e1 'Wxc3 32. J::! b1 'Wc2 33. J::! e1 J::! d 1
1 9. lae2-d2 AcSxf5 34. J::! x d1 'Wxd1 + 35. �xg2 'Wg4+ 36. �f1
20. tile3xf5 Ab4-c5 Ax b4 and wins.
21 . b3-b4 31 . . . . f4-f3+
Dislodging the bishop from the strong a7- 32. �g2-g1 'Wd3xf1 +
91 diagonal . Wh ite resigned .
21 . . . . Ac5-fS
22. lad2xdS G a m e 39
An ad m ission of Wh ite's fau lty strategy. V. S my s l ov - L . Po l u g aevsky
The d-fi le can no longer be held. If 22. 'Wc2 Pal m a d e M a l i o rca 1 970
J::! x d2 23. 'Wxd2 gd8 fol lowed by 24 . . . . King 's In dian Defence fA 49J
'MId?, and Black controls the open fi le. The 1 . tilf3 tilf6 2. g3 g6 3. b3 Ag7 4. Ab2 d6
avai labil ity of the entry squares d1 , d2 5. d4 0-0 6. Ag2 e5 7. dxe5 tilg4 S. h3

67
 Chapter 3 The struggle for control of the open file 68

�xe5 9. �xe5 d xe5 10. 'ii'x d8 §:xd8 19. Ab2-a3 �b6-d5

1 1 . ()d2 �d7 1 2. 0-0-0 §:e8 1 3. ()c4 It is already difficult for Black to find a good
�b6 14. ()a5 §: b8 1 5. §:d2 c6 1 6. §:hd1 plan of defence. Thus 1 9 . . . . Af8 fai ls to
f6 ( 1 6 . . . . Ae6 would be bad on account of 20. Axf8 �xf8 21. .§d8+ �f7 22. c4 , when
1 Z tDx b7 ! '§x b7 1 8 . Axc6 .§bb8 1 9 . Axe8
he sim ply has no room to move. The b7
.§xe8 20 . .§d8 with advantage to Wh ite)
pawn will fal l sooner or later. 1 9 . . . . Ae6
17. §:d8 also loses, to 20. Ad6, fol lowed by tDxbZ
71 ...
20. Aa3-d6 §:b8-a8
21 . c2-c4 �d5-e7
22. Ad6-c7
With his bishop manoeuvre Wh ite has
cleverly prepared the occu pation of the
eighth rank. The harmon ious cooperation
of the wh ite pieces is very instructive.
Black's room to manoeuvre is constantly
being restricted more and more.
22. �e8-f7
23. §:d1-d8 f6-f5
24. c4-c5
n Assessment of the position
After sterl i n g work on as the knight now
With his last move Wh ite occupied threatens to invade decisively at d6 via c4.
the eighth ran k, and for the fi rst time
dangers appear for Black. Thus 1Z . . .
24. . . . �e7-d5
Ae6 fai ls to 1 8 . .§xe8 + , fol lowed by
25. Ac7-d6
1 9 . tDx b7, winning a pawn . This is more accu rate than winning
The weak point i n the black camp a paw n , si nce after 2S. AxdS+ cxdS
is the b7 pawn. The strong "knight on 26 . .§xdS Ae6 2Z .§d8 '§xd8 28. Axd8 AdS
the ri m " on as menaces the b7 and c6 Black has defensive chances.
pawns. Th is prevents the development Ag7-f6
25.
of the c8 bishop, and thus the rook
26. §:d8-f8+ �f7-g7
also remains shut in at b8. Furthermore
27. �a5-c4 e5-e4
both white bishops are superior to their
black counterparts. The b2 bishop can Not 21 . . . . tDc3 however, on accou nt of
quickly come i nto action at a3 against 28 . .§xf6 ! tDxe2+ 29. �d2 �xf6 30. AxeS+
the weakened squares cS and d6. At followed by 31 . �xe2 and wins.
present the black king has to prevent 28. f2-f3 e4xf3
the i nvasion of the wh ite rooks on its 29. Ag2xf3 Af6-g5+
own . 30. �c1-d1 �d5-c3+
White's a i m i s , after t h e exchange of 31 . �d1-e1 �c3-b5
one pair rooks, to seize the d8 square
with his other rook. If 31 . . . . tDxa2 , then 32 . tDeS tDb4 33 . .§e8 !
with the th reat of 34. Af8+ followed by
17. �g8-f7 tDc4, and there is no defence against tDd6.
18. §:d8xe8 �f7xe8 32. §:f8-e8 �g7-f7

68
69 3 . 2 Square weaknesses on the open file

33. §e8-h8 Ag5-f6 72

After 33 . . . . c!;}g7 Black loses a piece, for

instance 34. Ae5+ Af6 35. Axf6+ c!;}xf6
36. tDd6 tDxd6 37. cxd6 c!;}e6 38. �d8, fol­
lowed by d7.
34. �c4-e5+ c!;}f7-g7
35. §h8-e8 h7-h5
Black has no defensive chances after
35 . . . . tDxd6 36. cxd6 Axe5 37. �xe5 c!;}f8
38. �e7 ! .
36. e2-e3
n Assessment of the position
Stopping . . . tDd4 and threatening a4 .
With the exchange on c5 and the sub­
36. . . . �b5-c3 sequent occupation of the open b -fi le,
37. �e5xc6 ! . . . a typical position i n the Ki n g 's I n d ian
After a phase of outplaying the oppon­ Defence has arisen. Wh ite seeks to at­
ent strategically, White settles matters with tack on the queenside, exploiti ng the
this piece sacrifice. open file. For this to work he needs
entry squares. The play with the major
37. b7xc6 and minor pieces must be well coordin­
38. Af3xc6 Ac8-b7 ated . There are possi ble entry squares
39. §e8xa8 Ab7xc6 at b8, b7 and c6 ; the struggle for these
40. §a8xa7+ c!;}g7-g8 squares is about to start. At the moment
41 . §a7-a6 Ac6-d5 neither side has any pawn weaknesses.
42. c5-c6 �c3-e4 Wh ite has a space advantage on the
43. c6-c7 ! Ad5-b7 queenside, wh i le Black m ust look for
44. §a6-a8+ mg8-f7 play on the kingside. The strategy for
45. Ad6-b4 ! both sides is clear, and Wh ite has the
advantage that his plan can be i m p l e ­
Black resigned .
mented faster. Black must first regroup
his minor pieces before he can attack.

G a m e 40
19. �e7-g8
W. U h l m a n n - S. Ya n ovsky
L u g a n o 1 9 68
20. 'Wd1-c2 �g8-f6
King 's In dian Defence [E 92J
21 . §b1-b2 �f6-h5
22. §f1-b1
1. d4 �f6 2. c4 g6 3. �c3 Ag7 4. e4 d6 Thus White has doubled rooks on the b ­
5. �f3 0-0 6. Ae2 e5 7. Ae3 �g4 8. Ag5 file i n good time. He can now combine
f6 9. Ah4 �c6 10. d5 �e7 1 1 . 0-0 �h6 attack and defence.
12. §c1 �f7 1 3. �d2 c5 14. a3 f5 1 5. f3 22. . . . �h5-f4
Ah6 16. Af2 mh8 17. b4 b6 18. bxc5 bxc5 23. Ae2-f1
19. §b1 This bishop will defi n itely be required for
(see diagram 72) the defence of the kingside.

69
 Chapter 3 The struggle for control of the open file 70
,�.-�.�'-----

23. WdS-c7 32. a:bSxaS a:fSxaS

24. �g1-h1 AhS-g7 33. e4xf5 gSxf5
25. Wc2-a4 ! 34. Af1-d3 a:aS-fS
With this move the fi rst th reat appears. 35. Af2-h4
Wh ite signals his i ntention to i nvade with The white pieces are cooperating harmon i­
26. Wc6 and increase his space advant­ ously, l i ke clockwork. Th is i nvasion by the
age. white bishop forestalls any play agai nst the
25 . . . . �f7-dS c6 pawn.
25 . . . . Ad7 would be du bious on account 35 . . . . �eS-d4
of 26. �b5 , and Black can no longer con­ 3S. cS-c7 �d4-cS
trol the squares a5 and a6. The wh ite Both 37. �b8 and 37. Ae7 must be preven­
queen stands ready to i nvade. ted .
2S. �c3-b5 ! Wc7-bS 37. g2-g4 !
If 26 . . . . Wd7 or 26 . . . . We7 then 27. Wa5 Th is move i n itiates the final phase of the
would be awkward . game. The e4 and f5 squares will be li ber­
27. �b5-d4 ! . . . ated and the knight will be able to occupy
the ideal square at e4. The possible diver­
A subtle manoeuvre t o seize the entry
sion 37. . . . e4 fai ls to the piece sacrifice
square c6.
38. �xe4 ! fxe4 (or 38 . . . . �e5 39. �xd6
27. . . . WbS-c7 �xd3 40. �b8 with the strong threats
2S. �d4-cS �dSxcS of 41 . Ae7 and 41 . Af6 ! ) 39. Axe4 �e5
If 28 . . . . Ad7 then 29. Wa5 , and the i nva­ 40. �b8, and there is no defence against
sion of the eighth ran k can no longer be 41 . Ae7.
prevented . 73
29. Wa4xcS 'Wc7xcS 8

30. d5xcS 7
"-=-""""".-cc"'--

The passed pawn that has appeared on 6

c6 cri pples Black's defence. The further
course of the game will be determined by
a struggle for the entry square b8 as wel l
a s for the backward d6 pawn ; i f t h i s pawn
fal ls then Black's pawn structure will be 2
decisively weakened .
The next moves are ai med at exploiting the
above mentioned strategic advantages as
wel l as allowing Wh ite's m i nor pieces to The continuation was :
take a lasting part in the game.
37. . . . a:cS (37. . . . fxg4 38. Ae4 �d4
30. . . . �f4-eS 39. fxg4, fol lowed by 40. �b8, would be
31 . a:b2-bS ! AcS-aS hopeless) 3S. Axf5 a:xc7 (even though
Black must at least protect the eighth rank. Black has managed to get rid of the
After 31 . . . . �xb8 32 . �xb8 �d4 33. Axd4 troublemaker at c7, the pawn weakness d6
exd4 34. Ad3 , followed by the knig ht's remains, and the white bishop pair is now a
tour �b3-a5-b7, he would be hopelessly powerful force) 39. AeS AfS 40. �e4 Ae7
lost. (not 40 . . . . �d4 on account of 41 . Af6+)

70
71 3 . 2 Square weaknesses on the open file
41 . Axe7 �xe7 (41 . . . . f!xe7 42 . Ad5 ! )
42. �xd6 §c6 43. § d 1 �g7 44. Ad7
§b6 45. Ab5 ! Axb5 46. �xb5 a6 47. §d6
(White simplifies into a winning knight end ­
ing) 47. . . . �c8 48. §xb6 �xb6 49. �d6
mf8 50. mg2 me7 51 . �f5+ me6 52. �e3
�c8 53. �f2 �d6 54. �e2 �f6 55. h4
�e6 56. �d2 �b7 57. �d5 a5 58. �c3
�d6 59. �d3 h6 60. �e4 ! �b7 61 . �c3
md7 62. h5 ! (preventing 62 . . . . �c6 on ac ­
count of 63. g5 followed by ru nning the h ­
pawn) 62 . . . . me7 63. mc2 �d8 64 . �xc5
�c6 65. md3 �d6 66. �e4+ me7 67. �g3
�f6 68. �f5 a4 69. �xh6 �g5 70. �f5
and Black resigned .
G a m e 41
L. P o r t i s c h - I . R a d u l ov
B u d a p est 1 9 69
Du tch Defence fA 92J
1. c4 f5 2. �f3 �f6 3. g3 e6 4. Ag2 Ae7
5. 0-0 0-0 6. d4 c6 7. 'Wc2 b6 8. �bd2
d5 9. �e5 Ab7 10. �d3 �bd7 1 1 . b4
:Se8 12. a4 Ad6 13. �f3 �e4 14. c5 bxc5
15. bxc5 Ac7
n Assessment of the position
The b -file is open and White, who has
the advantage in space, can occu py it
faster. There is also the fact that the
black pawn at c6 is rather weak.
Jn . . . continued I
The position is better for White, who
should pursue the following objectives :
exchange the dark-squared bishops
( Black's better bishop), to weaken the
dark squares i n the enemy cam p ; oc­
cupy the b -file ; and prevent Black from
exchanging his light-squared bishop by
. . . Aa6, fol lowed by Axd3.
16. Ac1-f4 !
The best move ; 1 6. f!b1 is also playable.
16. . . . Ac7xf4
17. g3xf4
With the text m ove 1 7. g x f4 Wh ite in­
creases his control of the centre.
17. 'Wd8-c7
18. �f3-e5 �e4-f6
19. §f1-b1 a7-a5
75
8
With this move Black would l i ke to pre ­
pare . . . Aa6, which would b e bad at the
moment on account of 20. tbb4.
Let us now consider the featu res of the
position after Black's 1 9th move (plus the
featu res mentioned at move 1 5 , where
these still apply) :
The b-file is opened , White is preparing to
occupy it.
Black's last move . . . a7-a5 weakened the
b6 square.
The fixed pawn structure (with the black
pawns fixed on light squares) means that
 Chapter 3 The struggle for control of the open file
Wh ite has a good bishop and Black a bad
one. White has a space advantage
The pawns at a5 and c6 are weaknesses
in the black position.
The white knights are more active.
The position is better for Wh ite, who has
increased his advantage. White's plan is
based on the conquest of the entry b6
square. This will be achieved by exchan­
ging both the black knig hts, which could
otherwise protect this square.
20. �eSxd7 �f6xd7
21. �d3-eS �d7xeS
22. f4xeS JaeS-bS
23. Jab1-b6
The occu pation of the newly l i berated
entry square is the logical conti nuation of
the plan . At the same time the doubling
or even tri pling of the major pieces is also
prepared .
23. Ab7-a6
24. Jaa1-b1 JabS-b7
2S. 'Wc2-d2
The attack on the weakness at a5 will force
Black to exchange on b6. The same idea
could also be ach ieved with 25. 'Wc3 .
2S . • . . Jab7xb6
26. cSxb6
This is stronger than 26. '§x b6. In dec i d ­
i n g upon the move 2 6 . cxb6, in addition to
the game continuation , the fol lowing vari­
ations had to be calculated : 26 . . . . 'W b7
27. 'Wxa5 Axe2 28. 'Wxa8+ 'Wxa8 29. b7
'Wb8 30. Af1 [After 30. . . . .fJ.b5 3 1. axb5
'l!rxb7 32. b6 f!lf7 33 . .fJ.a6 'l!rb8 34. b 7
f!le7 i t is not clear how White can win. Per­
haps therefore the simple 28. 'l!rb4 is bet­
ter. - Ed.J, and 26 . . . . . 'Wb7 27. 'Wxa5 Ab5
28. �b4 Axa4 29 . .§a1 Ab5 30 . .§xa8+
'Wxa8 31 . 'We? 'Wa1 + 32 . Af1 h6 (32 . . . . h5
33. 'lWe8+) 33. b? Axe2 34. 'lWxe6+ � h7
35. 'lWxf5+ and wins.
72
72
76
With 26. c x b6 the open file is sealed
once agai n. Nevertheless, with his passed
pawn, gain in space, better bishop and the
possibility of invad ing on the dark squares,
Wh ite has ach ieved a big advantage. The
final stage of the game is tactically wel l
calculated , a s we shall see !
26 . . . . 'Wb7 27. 'lWxaS AbS 2S. 'Wb4 Jaxa4
29. 'lWd6 �f7 30. e4 ! ! (with this splen­
did pawn breakthrough the black fort­
ress is taken by storm) 30 . . . . 'lWxb6 ( if
30 . . . . fxe4, then 31 . Ah3 wins ; if 30 . . . .
dxe4 31 . d5 ! wins, since after 31 . . . . exd5
Wh ite continues 32 . e6+ �e8 - 32 . . . . �f6
33. e7+ �f? 34. �d8 �xe7 35. �xe7+
�xe7 36. b? and wins - 33 . .§xb5 ! c x b5
34. Af1 .§a1 35. e7 .§a8 - 35. . . . �f7
36. 'lWd8 'lWxe7 37. 'lWx e?+ �xe7 38. b7
- 36. Axb5+ �f7 37. Ad?, and there is no
defence against 38. 'lWe6+) 31 . exfS 'Wa7
32. 'Wxe6+ �fS 33. AxdS cxdS 34. JaxbS
Jaxd4 35. 'WcS+, and Black resigned .
Game 42
Z . Koz u l - S . Ata l i k
Saraj evo 2 0 0 1
Sla v Defence [0 1 0J
1 . d4 dS 2. c4 c6 3. e3 AfS 4. �c3 e6
S. 94 (a risky pawn advance at this early
stage) S . . . . .196 6. h4 hS ( possi bly 6 . . . .
h6 was a better response. As will become
apparent, in the endgame the h5 pawn
73 3 . 2 Square weaknesses on the open file

is prone to become a weakness) 7. g5 1 5. §f8-e8

�d7 8. �ge2 Ad6 (8 . . . . d x c4 9 . �f4 16. Ab4xe7 §e8xe7
b5 1 0 . �xg6 is inadvisable since Black's 17. 0-0 'Wa6-a5 ? !
light squares are then seriously comprom­ 1 7. . . . 'Wb6 was more accurate, to set u p
ised) 9. 'Wb3 �e7 (9 . . . . d x c4 1 0 . 'Wx b7 t h e th reat o f 1 8 . . . . a6. Wh ite would have
/!i)e7 1 1 . Ag2 gives rise to unclear complic­ only a minimal advantage after 18. a5 'Wd8
ations) 10. Ag2 'Wa5 (an artificial queen 1 9 . �fc1 .
move. 1 0 . . . . dxc4 11. 'Wx b7 �b8 12. 'Wxa7
18. §f1-c1 §e7-e8
/!i)b6 is sti l l defin itely the most promising
19. 'Wb3-c3 !
response) 11. Ad2 'Wa6 1 2. cxd5 cxd5
(Black makes it easier for his opponent to After this has White the c -file firmly u nder
fi nd a plan : seize the open c -fi le before contro l . Black can not exchange q ueens,
Black does ! Therefore 1 2 . . . . exd5 1 3 . e4 since after 1 9 . . . . 'Wxc3 20. �xc3 a6 [20 . . . .

dxe4 14. �xe4 Axe4 15. Axe4 /!i)b6 came �b6! ? Ed.] 21 . �c7 he will lose a pawn .
-

into consideration, with the idea of playing 19. . . . 'Wa5-b6

. . . 'Wc4 or . . . 'Wa4) 13. �b5 Ab8 14. a4 0-0 20. Ag2-f3 !
15. Ab4 ! At the rig ht moment the h5 pawn is at­
tacked and at the same time the e2 knight
77 ..
is defended .
20 . . . . �d7-f8
21 . 'Wc3-c5 'Wb6-a6
Black must avoid the exchange of queens
21 . . . . 'Wxc5 , si nce in that case after
22. �xc5, with the threat of �ac1 and /!i)c7,
it would only be a matter of time before
White won material .
22. §c1-c3 �f8-d7
23. 'Wc5-b4 �d7-b6
24. b2-b3 �b6-c8
Although with his time -consuming kn ight
n Assessment of the position manoeuvre Black has the chance to dis­
lodge the annoying knight from b5 by
With the text move Wh ite has appre ­
. . . /!i)d6, he must accept that this comes at
ciably i ncreased h i s space advantage.
the cost of losing the h5 pawn.
He has realised i n his planning that on
no account m ust the black knight be 25. �b5-c7 Ab8xc7
allowed to occupy the c6 square, si nce After this forced move Black loses control
then the open c -file would be blocked . of the f4 square. Furthermore the b7 pawn
Black must be compel led to play 1 5 . . . . comes under serious threat.
�e8 , whereupon the exchange on e7 26. §c3xc7 �c8-d6
can take place with gain of tempo. After 27. �e2-f4
this White has two strategic objectives : After this the loss of a pawn is only a ques­
firstly the doubling of the rooks on the tion of time.
c-fi le ; secondly to attack the h5 pawn
27. �d6-f5
at the proper time.
28. Af3-e2 !

73

Another finesse, which forces the ex­
change of queens and allows Wh ite suffi­
cient time to exploit his material advant­
age.
28 . . . . Wa6-d6
Or 28 . . . . 't!fb6 29. 't!fxb6 axb6 30. l!xb7
and wins.
29. Wb4xd6 �fSxd6
30. 8:a1-c1 !
More accurate than the i mmed iate
30. Axh5 Axh5 31 . tDxh5 tDf5 32 . l!x b7
tDxh4, when Black would still have swind­
ling chances.
30. . . . 8:a8-d8
After this Wh ite's task is eased some­
what. Relatively best is 30 . . . . l!ab8. White
would have to play precisely in order
not to lose the advantage : 31 . *h2 tDe4
32. *g2 ! tDd2 33. tDxg6 fxg6 34. l!d7
l!ed8 35. l!xd8 l!xd8 36. l!c7 l!b8 37. Ad3
*h7 38. l!e7 and wins.
31 . �g1-h2 �d6-fS
32. �h2-h3 !
N ow that the h4 pawn is protected there
is no longer any adequate defence agai nst
the threat of 33. Axh5. Black now tries to
stir up com pl ications, but it is hopeless :
32 . . . . eS 33. dxe5 8:xeS 34. 8:1 c5 ! 8:de8
3S. AbS 8:8e7 36. 8:c8+ �h7 37. �xdS
8:7e6 38. �f4 8:xcS 39. 8:xc5 8:e7 40. 8:dS
8:c7 41 . �xg6 fxg6 42. Ac4, and Black
resigned .
Game 43
I . P l a t o n ov - V. Savon
U S S R 1 9 68
Pirc Defence [8 0 7J
1 . e4 �f6 2. �c3 d6 3. d4 g6 4. Ae3
c6 S. Wd2 bS 6. f3 Ag7 7. 0-0-0 WaS
8. �b1 �bd7 9. Ah6 Axh6 10. Wxh6 �b6
1 1 . �h3 Axh3 1 2. Wxh3 0-0 1 3. Wh6 !
b4 14. �e2 cS 1 S. g4 eS ( 1 5 . . . . cxd4 is
preferable) 1 6. �g3 ! �e8 ( if now 1 6 . . . .
74
74
cxd4 ? then 1 7. tDf5 ! g x f5 - 1 7. . . . tDe8
1 8 . tDe7+ followed by 't!fxf8 mate - 1 8 .
't!fg5+ * h 8 1 9 . 't!fxf6+ * g 8 20. g xf5 , and
the rook check on g1 is dead ly) 17. dxeS
dxeS 18. �fS ! �c8 (again not 1 8 . . . . gxf5
on accou nt of 1 9 . g xf5 fol lowed by the
rook check on g1 ) 19. Ac4 Wb6 20. 8:d6 ! !
� .
8
6
5
4
3
fl Assessment of the position
With great effect the wh ite rook invades
an apparently protected entry square on
the open file. It can be easily seen that
the bold rook is i m m u n e from captu re
by either black knight, si nce mate would
follow either at g7 or after tDe7+ .
This com binative sol ution makes a
kingside attack possible. All Wh ite's
pieces are deployed effectively. I n the
background the h1 rook sti ll lurks ; it can
join in either after the g -file is opened or
after the h -file is opened by means of
h2-h4-h5 fol lowed by hxg6.
Black's basic problem is that his
rooks are not con nected on the back
ran k. Further d isadvantages are the
passive positions of the knights and the
squares h6 and g7 weakened by the
pawn move . . . g6. The struggle for the
entry square d6 has been decided i n a
surprising manner. I ncidental ly, the fol­
lowi ng switch of the rook from action
on the open fi le to partici pation i n an
attack on the king is very instructive.
75
___
_� ______
3.3 The struggle against the open file
�_�...._
....;; _,_�O__
20. . . . �b6-c7
21 . �d6xg6+
A beautifu l rook sacrifice which ensures
victory. In this concrete case Wh ite is
able to calculate five or six moves ahead ,
without Black being able to deviate from
the forced l i ne.
21 . ... h7xg6
3.3 T h e st r u g g l e a g a i n st t h e o p e n f i l e
In the struggle with an opponent who has
occupied the open file, the defending side
can employ several methods to m itigate
the d isadvantage or remove it altogether.
The most i mportant methods are :
1 st method: block the file
The open file is blocked by a piece ( usu­
ally a m i nor piece). Th is piece should be
defended by one of its own pawns and im­
mune from attack by an enemy pawn . The
blocki ng piece red uces the activity of the
enemy major pieces and prevents them
from i nvad ing the position (see Game 44 ,
Alekh ine - Kostic, page 75).
2nd method: protect any weak squares
If the open file can not be blocked , then
the defender should try to prevent en­
emy pieces from invading along the open
fi le. In the defender's half of the board
all the entry squares are to be defended
by pieces or pawns. I n this respect the
principle of economy i n defence should
be considered (see Game 46, Larsen ­
Sarapu , page 7S).
3rd method: active piece play
The open fi le is just one aspect of the eval­
uation of a position. Th is almost always
75
· �_· ___._
..�
_ .
_
�._
_ ._
ttJ
22. �h6xg6+ �g8-h8
23. �g6-h6+ �h8-g8
24. g4-gS !
This is the point of White's clearance sacri­
fice at g6. Black resigned , si nce there is no
defence against 25. g6. Thus 24 . . . . /!i)e7
loses to 25. g6 ! /!i)xg6 26. Wxg6+ 'i!>hS
27. Wh6+ 'i!>gS 2S. j:!g1 + mati ng.
depends on the conj u nction of many as­
pects. Thus the d isadvantage of having
to struggle agai nst the opponent's control
of the open file can be cou nterbalanced
by other advantages. The most frequent
of these is to make use of active piece
play (see Game 47, U h l mann - Antos h i n ,
page SO).
4th method: exchange the major pieces
The open file can only be exploited by ma­
jor pieces. If the defender manages to ex­
change all the major pieces, then the pres­
ence of an open fi le is no longer a factor
that can be exploited , since neither side
can occupy the open file (see Game 49,
Euwe - Alekh ine, page S2 ) .
Game 44
A . A l e k h i n e - B . Kostic
B l ed 1 9 31
Sla v Defence [0 0 1J
1 . d4 dS 2. �f3 �f6 3. e3 �fS 4. �d3
e6 (4 . . . . �xd3 is simpler) S. �xfS exfS
6. �d3 �c8 7. 0-0 �d6 8. b3 0-0 9. c4
c6 10. �c3 b6 1 1 . cxdS �xdS 1 2. �xdS
cxdS 13. �b2 g6 14. �fc1 �a6 !
(see diagram 79)
 �
·�___
__
__L
Chapter 3 The struggle for control of the open file
___________________________________________________
79
8 position. If 17. �c6 tLlf6 18. tLld7 ! then
'--_______-=--_----'
n Assessment of the position
With the text move Black offers the ex­
change of queens and thus saves a
tempo for development. He m ust con- .
d u ct a struggle against the open file,
since Wh ite has been the fi rst to seize
control of it. However there is a lack of
entry squares, si nce both c7 and c6 can
be controlled by Black's m inor pieces.
Wh ite has the better pawn structure,
si nce Black has an isolated pawn on d5.
However, Black's good bishop consti­
tutes a fundamental advantage. It has
great scope and is su perior to its white
cou nterpart on b2 . Thus Wh ite's ad ­
vantage is only minimal.
1 5. 'Wd3-c3
White avoids the exchange of queens so
that he can occupy the open file with all
his major pieces.
1 5. ... EtfS-dS
Th is preparatory move is necessary to be
able to play 16 . . . . tLld7.
16. t2:}f3-e5
This all looks rather good for White. But
after . . . tLld7 Black will be ready to contest
the c -file.
16. t2:}bS-d7
17. b3-b4
76
It is unclear how White can improve his
18 . . . . <;!,lg7 ! equal ises. But it would be dan­
gerous for Black to answer 17. �c6 with
1 7. . . . tL!xe5 ; after 18. dxe5 �ac8 19. exd6
�xc6 20. �xc6 the th reat of 21 . Af6 fol­
lowed by �ac1 is hard to parry. However,
it would be possible to answer 1 7. �c6
with 17. . . . AxeS 18. dxe5 tLlf8 followed by
. . . tLle6.
17. t2:}d7-f6 ? !
'If
Black i s too casual. The right move was
1 7. . . . b5 ! in order to block the open file
permanently with . . . tLlb6 and . . . tLlc4.
1S. 'Wc3-b3 b6-b5
Wh ite h imself was threatening to play b5.
19. Etc1-c6 'Wa6-b7
20. Eta1-c1 a7-a5 !
This is the only possibility for Black to gain
counterplay.
21 . Ab2-a3 EtaS-cS?
After this the white bishop comes into play
and the black position quickly fal ls apart.
I n terms of the struggle against the open
file it was appropriate to play 21 . . . . a4 .
After 22. �c2 �b8 23. f4 tLld7 ! , with
the idea of . . . tLlb6 and . . . tLlc4, there
would defi n itely be survival chances, for
i nstance : 24. tLlxd7 �xd7 25. �c8+ �xc8
26. �xc8+ �xc8 27. �xc8+ <;!,lg7, and
the position is equal. N ow that Black has
m i ssed his second chance to blockade
the open file, Wh ite is able to gain a clear
advantage.
22. b4xa5
(see diagram 80)
Now there is no defence. I n add ition to
losing a pawn and also control of the open
file, the b5 pawn is now exposed as a
weakness.
77 3.3 The struggle against the open file
80
22 . . . . b4 23. a6 ! ( B lack o bviously over­
looked this move) 23 . . . . 'Was 24. 'Wc2 !
(another finesse ; but not 24. Ax b4 AxeS
2S. .!::! x cB '!::! x cB 26. '!::! x cB+ 'WxcB, and
Wh ite has no time to capture on eS on
accou nt of 27. . . . Y;!fc1 + , followed by mate
[White is still winning after 25. �c2 or 25.
�c3. - Ed.} ) 24 . . . . laxc6 25. et)xc6 lad7
(2S . . . . .!::! c B fai ls to 26. �e7+ , or if 2S . . . .
bxa3 then 26. �xdB Y;!fxdB 27. Y;!fcB wins)
26. Axb4 'Wxa6 27. et)b8 ! (this i n itiates
an elegant wholesale simpl ification lead ­
ing to a winning endgame) 27. . . . Axb8
2B. 'WcB+ 'WxcB 29. laxcB+ mg7 30 . .afB+
mh8 (the only square for the black king
to avoid mate with 31 . Ah6) 31 . laxb8 h5
32. Ad6+ mh7 33. Ae5 ! et)g8 34. h4 f6
35 . .af4 laa7 36. lab5 et)h6 (36 . . . . l:!xa2 is
slightly better, although after 37. .!::! x dS the
position is sti l l lost) 37. a4 ! et)f7 ( now the
a4 pawn is taboo on account of 38 . .!::! b7+ )
3B. a5 et)d8 39. Ab8 ! lad7 40. a6 et)c6
41 . la b6 et)xb8 42. laxb8 mh6 43. la b7
lad6 44. a7 laa6 45. f4 laa2 46. mf1 g5
47. g3, and Black resig ned . There is no
defence against the king march to b8 via
b1 .
G a m e 45
A. A l e k h i n e - J . R. C a p a b l a n c a
B u e n o s Ai res 1 92 7
Queen 's Gambit Declined [0 64}
1. d4 et)f6 2. c4 e6 3. et)c3 d5 4. Ag5
77
et)bd7 5. e3 Ae7 6. et)f3 0-0 7. lac1
c6 B. 'Wc2 a6 9. a3 h6 10. Ah4 lae8
1 1 . lad1 b5 1 2. cxd5 cxd5 1 3. Ad3 Ab7
14. 0-0 lacB 1 5. 'Wb1 'Wa5 (there is no
point i n playi ng 1 S . . .. Axa3 1 6 . b x a3
.!::! x c3 1 7. a4 , since Wh ite wins the pawn
back) 1 6. et)e2 et)b6 ? 17. et)e5 ? (Wh ite
fails to pun ish the opponent's erro r : he
could have gai ned the advantage with 1 7.
Axf6 Axf6 1 B . b4 ! and now i f 1 B . . . 'Wxa3
1 9 . Ah7+ �hB 20 . .!::! d 3 Y;!fa4 2 1 . �c3, or
1 B . . . . Y;!fa4 19 . .!::! d 2 �c4 20 . .!::! a2 Ae7
21. Y;!fa1 tDb6 22 . .!::! b1 , fol lowed by 23. �c3)
17. . . . et)c4 1B. Axf6 Axf6 1 9. Ah7+ mf8
20. et)d7+ me7 21 . et)c5 'Wb6 ? (the ex­
change sacrifice 21 . . . . .!::! x cS would have
g iven Black the advantage, for i nstance :
22. b4 - 22. d xcS �x b2 - 22 . . . . �xa3
23. Y;!fb3 Y;!fa4 24. Y;!fxa4 bxa4 2S. bxcS
g6 ! ) 22. et)xb7 'Wxb7 23 . .ad3 lac7 ? !
81
8 8
7 7
5
4
3
2
'--_______-=-_---' 'if
n Assessment of the position
Black gives his advantage away with
this stereotyped attem pt to double
rooks. He should have realised that the
expUlsion of his knight from c4 had to
be prevented . He could have played
23. . . . �fB, followed by 24. . . . Ae7,
to rule out b2-b3. Another possi bility
would be 23 . . . . Y;!fb6, followed by Y;!faS .
Black's positional advantage is based
 78

r n . . . continued I 34. 'We2-b2 'Wb6-c7 ?

entirely upon the advanced post of the After 34 . . . . 'f1c7 the position would sti ll be
knight at c4 and the subsequent doub­ equal . Now the rook's retreat is cut off.
ling of the rooks that this makes pos­
sible. 3S. �d3-cS Ae7xcS
Since neither side has any pawn 36. d4xcS 'Wc7-eS
weaknesses and there is no pawn ten­ 37. f2-f4 !
sion anywhere, the struggle for the open After this the black queen has not a single
fi le is the central theme. With his next protected square on the long diagonal . The
move Wh ite makes preparations to con­ pin on the c3 rook c3 is dead ly.
test the c -fi le.
37. 'WeS-g7
24. 'Wb1-a2 ! E:teS-cS 3S. Ab1 xe4 dSxe4
2S. b2-b3 �c4-d6 39. �g1-f2
26. 'Wa2-d2 Even sim pler was 39. 'f1f2 followed by
The picture has now been completely 40. 'f1c2 .
transformed . Wh ite threatens the awkward
39. 'Wg7-f6
27. 'I1k'b4 or 27. 'I1k'a5 .
40. g2-g3 g6-gS
26. . . . 'Wb7-b6 41 . E:tf1-c1
27. E:td1-c1
Black resig ned . After 41 . . . . gxf4 42. 'f1xc3
The fru its of his good defensive play.
fxg3+ 43. �g1 ! g x h2+ 44. �xh2 'I1k'h4+
27. �e7-d7 45. �g2 'I1k'g4+ 46. �f1 ! the wh ite king
2S. E:tc1 xc7 E:tcSxc7 escapes to the queenside.
29. Ad3-b1 !
Another deep and ski lfu l strateg ic man­
oeuvre. With the exchange of his second
rook on the c -file Black would have the G am e 46
better endgame on the basis of his more B. L a r s e n - O . S a r a p u
central ised king. The text move follows the S o u s s e 1 9 67
plan of blocking the c -fi le by tDf4-d3-c5 . Queen 's Gambit Declined [0 34J
29. Af6-e7
30. �e2-f4 �d7-cS 1. �f3 dS 2. g3 cS 3. Ag2 �c6 4. 0-0 �f6
31 . 'Wd2-e2 g7-g6 S. c4 e6 6. cxdS exdS 7. d4 Ae7 S. �c3
32. �f4-d3 �d6-e4 0-0 9. Ae3 �g4 10. Af4 Ae6 1 1 . dxcS
33. b3-b4 Axcs 1 2. 'Wc2 h6 13. E:tad1 E:tcS 14. 'Wb1
'Wb6 1S. e3 E:tfdS ( 1 5 . . . . g5 would be bad
With this move the struggle agai nst the on account of 1 6 . Axg5 h x g 5 1 7. tDxg5
open file is successfu lly concluded . Once with an overwhelming attack) 16. h3 �f6
the knight reaches c5 it will be impossible 17. �a4 'WaS 1S. �xcS 'WxcS 19. �eS
to dislodge it and Black will have no active �e4 20. �xc6 'Wxc6 21 . g4 ! E:teS 22. f3
plan . The position is equal . However Black �f6 23. AeS 'Wc2 24. 'Wxc2 E:txc2 2S. E:tf2
now overplays his hand and even em barks E:tecS 26. E:txc2 E:txc2 27. Af1 !
on a course that will end in his defeat.
33. . . . E:tc7-c3 (see diagram 82)

78
79 3.3 The struggle against the open file

.. 32. �d7-eS
33. Ad3-b1 lacS-c4
34. lad1-h1
With the idea of playing gS. The h4 pawn
is now defended .
34. ... lac4-cS
3S. g4-gS
The space advantage keeps on growing. I n
add ition , White threatens t o create a new
open fi le and activate his rook.
3S . . . . lacS-hS
3S. f3-f4 �eS-g4+ ?
n Assessment of the position
The black knight voluntarily goes into cap­
Black controls the open c -fi le. At the
tivity. 36 . . . . eDc6 or 36 . . . . eDc4 would be
moment however this is of no particular
better.
val ue to h i m , since the rook lacks the
support of the minor pieces. And Wh ite 37. �f2-f3 fS-fS
has made provision to d islodge the an­ Not 37. . . . h xgS si nce 38. fS wins a piece.
noying rook from the second ran k by
Ad3. White's advantage consists of his 3S. Ac3-d4 hS-hS
active pair of bishops, the better pawn After 38 . . . . hxgS 39. fxgS White threatens
formation and an advantage in space. hS and �f4.
Black suffers from a pawn weakness at
39. lah1-c1
dS, which ties down his e6 bishop to
defensive d uties. Black's position will White's advantage has increased , since
be made even more passive once White Black can only neutralise his control of the
increases his space advantage on the open file by exchanging rooks. The off­
kingside by advancing his pawns. side position of the black knight is now the
most i m portant factor in the assessment
of the position. Larsen now gives a perfect
27. . . . tLlfS-d7
demonstration of how to use the bishop
2S. Af1-d3
effectively i n the endgame.
28. Ac3 eDcS is no use.
..
2S. lac2-cS
29. AeS-d4 b7-bS
30. �g1-f2 f7-fS
Reducing the pressure of the d4 bishop on
9 7.
31 . Ad4-c3 �gS-f7
32. h3-h4
Preparing gS, whereupon White can create
a second open file, to deflect Black from
the c -fi le.

79
 �
--��,-� �,�" ..�..
Chapter 3 The struggle for control of the open file
,.. ,-���,---=-----,.�---
-...;.-
. --------
39 . . . . §c8 40. §xc8 .txc8 41 . .td3 g6
42. .tb5 .tb7 43. a4 �e7 44. b4 �f7
45. �g2 �e7 46. �g3 �f7 47. .te2 �e6
48. .td1 �f7 49. a5 ! bxa5 50. bxa5
a6 51 . .ta4 ! (an i m portant objective is
achieved ; the mobil ity of the black king
is restricted by the threat of Ae8, attack­
ing the g6 pawn) 51 . . . . �e7 52 . .tc5+
�f7 53 . .td7 ( now the black bishop on
b7 can hardly breathe either) 53 . . . . �g7
54. .te8 .ta8 55. .td4+ �h7 56. .tf7
.tb7 57. .te6 .tc6 58 . .tc8 .tb5 59 . .tb7
.tc4 60 . .tc6 �g8 61 . .te8 �h7 62 . .tf7 !
.td3 ( Black is in zugzwang ; thus 62 . . . .
Aa2 loses to 63. e4 ! ! fxe4 64. f5 g xf5
65 . g6+, and the g -pawn can no longer
be stopped) 63. .txd5 .te4 64. .tc4 .tb7
65 . .te6 .te4 66 . .tc8 .td3 67. .tb7 �g8
68 . .td5+ �f8 69 . .tc5+ �g7 70. �f3
�h2+ 71 . �f2 .te4 72. .tc4 .tb7 73. .tb4
�h7 74. .tc3 �g4+ 75. �e2 �h2 76. e4 !
(the end is near ; no use is 76 . . . . fxe4
77. f5 ! g x f5 - otherwise Wh ite plays f6
- 78 . Af7 followed by 79 . g6+ and g7-
g8�) 76 . . . . .txe4 77. .txa6 �f3 78 . .tc8
�xh4 79. a6 �g2 80 . .te5 h4 81 . .tb7 !
h3 82. .txe4 fxe4 83. a7 and Black
resigned .
G a m e 47
W. U h l m a n n - V. Anto s h i n
Zag re b 1 9 65
Queen 's Gambit Declined [0 4 6J
1 . d4 �f6 2. c4 e6 3. �f3 d5 4. �c3
c6 5. e3 �bd7 6 . .td3 .tb4 7. 0-0 0-0
8 . .td2 Ylfe7 9. �e5 �xe5 10. dxe5 �d7
1 1 . f4 dxc4 12 . .txc4 §d8 1 3. Ylfe2 �b6
14 . .tb3 .td7 1 5. Ylfh5 �d5 1 6. §f3 g6
17. Ylfg4 �xc3 18. bxc3 .tc5 19. §h3 Ylff8
20 . .te1 ! .te7 21 . .th4 h5 22. Ylfg3 .txh4
23. Ylfxh4 .te8
(see diagram 84)
80
80
84
L...-_______ -::....-
_ -.J iJ'
tl Assessment of the position
With his last move Black took control of
the open d-file. However, this is also his
only advantage. By doubling on the h ­
fi le Wh ite has set u p a dangerous attack
and next move he can open another file
with g4. In add ition Wh ite's bishop is
sign ificantly better placed than Black's.
Wh ite's space advantage in the centre
is further testi mony i n his favou r. The
position is better for Wh ite.
24. g2-g4 ! Ylff8-h6
25. §a1-d1 !
A fi nesse, forcing Black to g ive u p the d ­
fi le. The w i n of a pawn by means of gxh5 i s
not urgent and can take place under even
more favourable circumstances.
25. §d8xd1+
26. .tb3xd1 �g8-f8
27. �g1-f2 !
After the immediate win of a pawn 27. gxh5
g x h5 28. �xh5 �xh5 29. Axh5 Black
cou ld i nvade with 29 . . . . .§d8 and .§d2 .
White's king move is directed against this.
27. . . . §a8-c8
28. .td1-b3 §c8-c7
Black should have played 28 . . . . c5 in the
hope that Wh ite would play 29. Axe6 ? ,
s i n c e 29 . . . . fxe6 loses to 30. �f6+ Af7
31 . '§x h5. However, after the fiendish zwis­
chenzug 29 . . . . g5 ! Black would be the
81 3.3 The struggle against the open file

victor. The right way to win is 29. �f6 �g7 14. tbxe7+ 'Wxe7 1 S. axb3 f6 ! (forcing
(29 . . . . c4 30. '§xh5 and wins) 30. g x h5 Wh ite to capture on d6 or f6 ; the knight
gxh5 (30 . . . . c4 ? 31 . h xg6 �xf6 32. exf6 comes back into play with tempo, and the
fxg6 33 . .§h8+ �f7 34. Aa4 ! a6 35 . .§xe8 attack on the king is repelled) 1 6. exd6
.§xe8 36. Axe8+ �xe8 37. e4 and wins) tbxd6 17. �d3
31 . '§x h5 �xf6 32 . exf6 with an easy win.
29. 'Wh4-f6 'Wh6-g7
The threat was 30. '§xh5.
30. g4xhS 'Wg7xf6
30 . . . . gxh5 31 . .§xh5 amounts to no more
than a transposition.
31 . eSxf6 g6xhS
32. �h3xhS �f8-g8
33. �hS-gS+ �g8-h8
Th is is necessary since after 33 . . . . �f8
34. Ac2 followed by Ah7, mate on g8 is
unavoidable.
34. e3-e4 �c7-d7 n Assessment of the position
3S. �f2-e3 ! With his last move White occu pied the
Black is completely hel pless. The pawn open d -fi le. But this only a partial suc­
storm in the centre qu ickly decides the cess, si nce there are no entry squares
game. available yet. Wh ite's main problem l ies
in the passivity of the c1 bishop ; in the
3S. b7-b6
foreseeable future there is no way for it
36. �gS-g7 �d7-d8
to partici pate effectively in the game. As
37. e4-eS c6-cS
far as the pawn structure is concerned ,
38. f4-fS ! Ae8-bS
it should be noted that the endgame
39. fSxe6 �d8-d3+
will be u nfavourable for Wh ite, since
40. �e3-f4 f7xe6
the dou bled pawns on the b -fi le can
41 . Ab3xe6
easily be blocked . His exposed king's
Black resigned . position bodes i l l for Wh ite. The wh ite
king has no escape square, and if Black
G a m e 48 succeeds in posting his bishop on b7
O. N e i k i rch M . Botvi n n i k
-
dangers will qu ickly appear on the long
Le i pz i g 1 9 60 diagonal a8-h1 .
Sicilian Defence [8 88J Next Black must make some consol­
idating moves, to cou nter Wh ite's pres­
1. e4 cS 2. tbf3 tbc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. tbxd4
sure on the open d -fi le. Then he could
tL\f6 S. tbc3 d6 6. Ac4 e6 7. Ab3 Ae7
perhaps start to make use of his pawn
8. 0-0 0-0 9. �h1 tbaS 10. f4 b6 1 1 . eS
majority on the kingside. Whatever hap­
tL\e8 ( 1 1 . . . . dxe5 1 2 . fxe5 tLld7 13 . .§xf7 ! ,
pens, his trump-card will be his bishop,
followed by 1 4 . tLlxe6, would b e bad for
which will combine with his queen to
Black) 12. �f3 tbxb3 13. tbc6 ( if 1 3 . axb3
set up th reats on the light squares.
then 1 3 . . . . Ab7 1 4 . .§h3 g6) 1 3 . . . . 'Wd7

81
 Chapter 3 The struggle for control of the open file 82

17. �d6-f5 White resigned. M ate on d1 or loss of a

18. 8:a1-a4 'We7-e8 ! piece can no longer be prevented . A text­
book example of the struggle agai nst the
This prophylactic move prepares . . . Ab7 by open file, where at the right moment the
ensuring that Black will not be bothered defender himself seizes the open fi le.
by the zwischenzug gd7.

19. �e3-e4 b6-b5 ! G a m e 49

M . Euwe - A. A l e k h i n e
Dislodging the rook from the 4th rank and Amsterd a m 1 92 7
gai n i ng a tempo for the attack by 20 . . . . French Defence [e 1 3]
Ab7.
1 . e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. �e3 �f6 4. Ag5
20. 8:a4-a5 Ae8-b7 dxe4 5. �xe4 Ae7 6. �xf6+ Axf6 7. Axf6
21 . �e4-d6 'Wxf6 8. �f3 0-0 9. Ad3 e5 10. 0-0 exd4
1 1 . �xd4 8:d8 12. �b5 (not 1 2 . c3 on ac­
2 1 . tDc5 would have lost a pawn to 21 . . . . cou nt of 1 2 . . . . e5) 12 . . . . �e6 1 3. 'We1
Axg2+ 22 . �xg2 �c6+ , followed by 23 . . . . �e5 14. Ae4 Ad7 15. �e3 Ae6 16. Axe6
�xc5 . �xe6 17. 'We3 �d4 18. 'We4 8:d7 19. 8:ad1
8:ad8 20. 8:d3 'We7 !
21 . �f5xd6 86
22. 8:d3xd6 8:a8-d8 ! 8 8

Now the tables are turned . It is Black who

6 6
is fighting successfully for the d -fi le. Th is
is made possible by the domi nant position 5 5

of the bishop on b7 and the weakness of 4

White's back ran k. Thus 23. gxa7 fai ls to
3
23 . . . . �c6 ! , and the cross pin wins i m ­
med iately, for instance : 24 . g d 2 �xg2+
25. gxg2 gxd1 mate.
'--_______---=:_
:. _...J 1:r
23. 'Wd1-d2
n Assessment of the position
If 23. gxd8 �xd8 24 . �e1 (24. �xd8 gxd8
25. Ae3 gd1 + 26. Ag1 gd2 ) , then 24 . . . . By doubling on the open fi le Black has
�d5 25. �e2 gd8 26. Ae3 �d1 + and wins. gained a small positional plus. The d4
knight is well placed , controlling a num­
23. 8:d8xd6 ber of central squares. The switch of
24. 'Wd1 xd6 'We8-d8 ! the queen to the queenside will force
the creation of pawn weaknesses. White
wi ll have a hard job combating this plan .
Now Wh ite is defenceless.
Only with best play can he retain equal­
ity in the struggle against Black's grow­
25. 'Wd6xe6+ 8:f8-f7
ing space advantage and open fi le.
26. 'We6-e1 8:f7-e7

82
83 3.3 The struggle against the open file

21 . :i::lf 1-d1 'We7-c5 The only m ove. After 30. 'Wd1 �xe2 the
22. 'We4-e3 i nvasion of the black rooks on the second
Preparing to triple. rank would be too strong.

22. . . . e6-e5 30. . . . e5xd4

23. 'We3-d2 ! 31 . 'Wd2xd4
With the idea of reducing the pressu re on Not 31 . 'Wd1 on accou nt of 31 . . . . �xe2
the d -fi le by Ctle2 . with advantage to Black.
23. 'Wc5-b4 31 . . . . :i::l c 2xe2
24. b2-b3 f7-f5 32. h2-h4
25. f2-f3 After this the game peters out. With active
Preventing e4 and creating an escape measures Wh ite has been successfu l i n
hole. his fight against t h e open fi le.
25. . . . 'Wb4-c5 87 ..
26. mg1-h1 :i::l d 8-c8 8 8

The reg rouping on the half-open c -file is 7

linked with the plan of attacking the pawn 6 6

weakness at c2 .
5 5
27. �c3-e2 4
4

Clarifying the situation. 3 3

27. . . . 'Wc5xc2 2
28. :i::l d 1-c1 !
At first sight this move seems to win . How­
ever, Black has a clever ri poste, after which
the position soon evens out. 32 . . . . :i::l c 1 + 33. mh2 :i::l 1 c2 34. 'Wd5+
28. :i::l d7-c7 ! mf8 35. Wxf5+ me7 36. 'Wg5+ mf7
29. :i::l c 1 xc2 :i::l c 7xc2 37. Wd5+ mf6 38. mg3 :i::l x g2+ 39. mf4
30. :i::l d 3xd4 ! :i::l x a2 40. Wxb7 :i::l gc2 41 . 'Was draw.

Chapter 4
The d o m i n a nt o pe n f i l e
In the preced ing chapters we have looked
at games i n which the open file was im­
portant for the evaluation of the position.
But at the same time other factors proved
to be influential for the evaluation .
I n this chapter we wish to exam ine some
game extracts i n which the open fi le is
clearly the most i m portant aspect for the
assessment ; where control of the open fi le
g ives one side total su periority over the
opponent ; where this control is already
practically decisive for the outcome of the
game ; and where all other featu res in the
assessment of the position are completely
in the background .
The existence of such a dominant open fi le
gives rise to two possible consequences :
spl itting the enemy forces into two, or else
paralysing them .
If one side is in complete control of one
of the two central fi les (the d - or e -fi le),
the enemy pieces often have d ifficu lty i n
crossing the file. The enemy camp is virtu­
ally split into two parts. Th is effect can be
observed in Game 54 (Wi nter-Alekhine,
page 90). Wh ite finds g reat d ifficu lty i n
moving his pieces from one flank t o t h e
other. I n contrast, Alekh i ne's pieces can
be qu ickly deployed on either flank. A not­
able feature is the operation of the black
queen on e8, from where it can quickly be ­
come active on the queenside. The bishop
on d6 also operates on both sides of the
board .
The effect of paralysis appears when the
total control of the open fi le is com­
bi ned with a space advantage. Game 53
84
84
( Larsen-N ielsen , page 89) will demon­
strate this brilliantly. Black's pieces are un­
able to 'breathe ' . In the final position after
29. e4 Black has - despite material equal­
ity - such a d i re position that Wh ite can
win almost any way he l i kes. With either
his rook or his king Wh ite can ' clear' the
enemy queenside without Black being able
to l ift a finger to stop h i m . Black is para­
lysed , in an almost zugzwang position.
G a m e 50
A. A l e k h i n e - A. N i mzowitsch
San R e m o 1 9 30
French Defence [C 1 7J
1 . e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. �c3 J.b4 4. e5 c5
5. J.d2 �e7 6. �b5 J.xd2+ 7. YNxd2 0-0
8. c3 b6 9. f4 J.a6 10. �f3 YNd7 1 1 . a4
�bc6 1 2. b4 ! cxb4 1 3. cxb4 J.b7
88
8
6
5
4
'---_______....:_
:... ----' 11
n Assessment of the position
White has a space advantage and the
good bishop. In contrast the black
pieces can hardly move.
85 Chapter 4 The dominant open file

In . . . continued l 18. t'll c8-e7

The c -fi le is open , the d6 square
19. 0-0
is weak, and Wh ite can i nvade with a Or 1 9 . f!c1 .
knight.
1 9. h7-h6
White has a clear advantage and his
plan consists of the fol lowing steps : To prevent a possible kn ight sortie to g5.
- complete development by castl ing ; 20. laf1-c1
- occupy the open c -fi l e ;
Or 20. f!ac1 .
- invade along t h e open fi le ;
- increase the space advantage on the 20 . . . . laf8-c8
queenside. 21 . lac1-c2
A loss of time. 21 . f!c3 is better.
14. t'll b 5-d6 21 . ... 'Wf7-e8
Better than 1 4 . Ae2 or 1 4 . Ad3. Black finally decides to block the open fi le
14. ... f7-f5 ? with the c6 knight. The alternative variation
with an exchange of rooks is no better,
14. . . . a5 was better, to prevent further
for instance : 21 . . . . ttld8 22. f!ac1 f!xc2
constriction . After 15. b5 ttlb4 or 15. bxa5
23. f!xc2 f!c8 24 . f!xc8 tLlxc8 25. \Wc3 tLle7
bxa5 Black gains an outpost on b4 . How­
26. \Wc7 ttlec6 27. \Wc8 \We8 28. Axc6.
ever, in both variations Wh ite's position is
sti l l better. 22. laa1-c1 laa8-b8
1 5. a4-a5 ! Another loss of time ; 22 . . . . f!c7 i m med i­
ately, followed by . . . f!ac8 , is better.
This move exploits Black's omission . Wh ite
increases his space advantage ; Black can­ 23. 'Wd2-e3 lac8-c7
not capture the pawn, for instance 15 . . . . 24. lac2-c3
bxa5 1 6 . b5 ttlb8 1 7. f!xa5 a6 1 8 . \Wa2 . The right move, to i ncrease the pressu re
1 5. ... t'll e7-c8 on the c -fi le.
Black tries to exchange the d6 kn ight d6. 24. . . . 'We8-d7
25. lac1-c2
16. t'll d 6xb7
For the planned tripling of major pieces on
1 6 . ttlxc8 is less good , since then Black
the c-fi le the wh ite queen must take up the
has a firm position .
hind most position .
16 . . . . 'Wd7xb7
25 . . . . �g8-f8
17. a5-a6
The king is cal led up as a last reserve.
The logical conclusion to the com bi nation !
26. 'We3-c1 lab8-c8
17. 'Wb7-f7
27. �b5-a4
18. �f1-b5
Threatening simply b4-b5 , winning mater­
Starting the attack on the open fi le. Now
ial , which Black can only prevent with the
and in the next few moves, Black is faced
pawn sacrifice . . . b5.
with the decision whether to keep the open
fi le blocked with the knight on c6, or move 27. b6-b5
the knight away. 28. �a4xb5 �f8-e8

85
 Chapter 4
29. Ab5-a4
Again threatening b4-bS.
29. . . . me8-d8
30. h2-h4 !
89
Black resigned .
The s i m plest way t o w i n is t o use zug ­
zwang. Black cannot move any piece
without immed iately, or after bS, losing the
c6 knight. White need only wait until Black
runs out of pawn moves.
The final d i ag ram shows the memorable
winning position, which was achieved by
total control of the open file. The tripling of
the white major pieces is exemplary.
Incidental ly, on move 30 Wh ite also had
a tactical way to win : 30. bS ttlaS 31 . b6
�xc3 32. Axd7 �xc2 33. �xc2 �xc2
34. bxa7.
G a m e 51
G . K a s p a rov - R. P o n o m a r i ov
L i n ares 2 0 02
Fren ch Defence [C 1 0J
1 . e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. �c3 dxe4 4. �xe4
�d7 5. �f3 �gf6 6. �xf6+ �xf6 7. c3
c5 8. �e5 �d7 9. Ab5 Ad6 10. 'Wg4
mf8 1 1 .0-0 �xe5 12. dxe5 .txe5 13 . .tg5
.tf6 ! ? 14. �ad1
(see diagram 90)
The dominant open file 86
90
n Assessment of the position
White has sacrificed a pawn in order to
gain a lead in development. Black can
no longer castle and thus has problems
connecting his rooks and bringing them
into play. The black king has difficulties
in fi nding a safe position .
I n connection with this the open d ­
file, controlled by White, is extremely
im portant. The only open fi le will be the
focus of the further struggle.
14. ... 'Wd8-c7
1 4 . . . . �e7 1 S . Axf6 �xf6 (or 1 S . . . . g xf6
1 6 . �h4 hS 1 7. �d3 eS 1 8 . �fd1 , and there
is no safe position for the black king)
16. �g3 g6 17. �c7 with advantage to
White.
1 5. 'Wg4-h4 ! ...
After 1S. Axf6 gxf6 1 6. �h4 �e7 the black
king is relatively safe and B lack can soon
connect his rooks.
1 5. ... Af6xg5
If 1 S . . . . �e7 Kasparov was planning
the fol lowing beautifu l sacrificial variation :
1 6 . f4 a6 1 7. fS ! a x b5 1 8 . fxe6 �eS
1 9 . Axf6+ gxf6 20. l;!de1 l;!a4 21. 'Wh6 'WgS
22. exf7+ Ae6 23. �xe6+ �xe6 24. f8�
�xf8 25. �xf8 with a winning position .
16. 'Wh4xg5 f7-f6
17. 'Wg5-h5 g7-g6
87 Chapter 4 The dominant open file

Neither 17. . . . �e7 nor 1 7. . . . 'fie? is any 91

better. 8

18. 'Wh5-h6+ �f8-f7

But not 1 8 . . . . 'fig? ? on accou nt of
19 . .§d8+ �f? 20. Ae8+ ! with a winning
position .

19. lld1-d3 ? ! . . .
Slightly better was 1 9 . .§d2 , i n order not to
block the bishop's retreat.
'--_______-''-_---' 'If
1 9. . . . a7-a6
The best chance for Black lay i n 2S. . . .
20. lld3-h3
fxg4. After the move i n the game the
This enables Wh ite to keep up the pres­ struggle for the d -file gains in im portance.
sure with the threat of 'fix h?+ . 26. lld3-d6 'Wf6-g7
20. . . . 'Wc7-e7 26. . . . Ae6 27. .§c6 g5 28. 'fixf6+ �xf6
21 . Ab5-d3 29 . .§dd6 .§e? 30. g x fS �xfS 31 . Ad3 + ,
a n d t h e white pieces are more active i n
White would now like to play to the gallery the endgame.
with Axg6+. 27. 'Wh6-e3 lla7-c7
21 . . . . f6-f5 28. a2-a4 !
22. g2-g4 ! White acquires the square c4 for his
bishop.
This is the sharpest continuation, to open
28. . . . e5-e4
up the black king's position . In contrast
22. 'fix h?+ leads to a balanced endgame. Or 28 . . . . c4 29. 'fib6.
29. a4xb5 a6xb5
22 . . . . 'We7-f6 30. Ae2xb5 'Wg7-e5
Slightly better here was 22 . . . . Ad? ; on the 31. 'We3-g5 'We5-e7
other hand after 22 . . . . fxg4 23 . .§h4 �e8 The black defence falls apart ; there is no
24. Axg6+ �d8 2S. Ae4 the black king longer any salvation : 31 . . . . �g? 32 . .§1 dS
remains i n the centre of the board . 'fie? 33 . .§d? ; 31 . . . . c4 32. Axc4+ '§xc4
33 . .§d?+.
23. llf1-d1 b7-b5 ! ?
32. 'Wg5-h6 Ac8-e6
Why not 2 3 . . . . gS, since after 24. 'fihS+ 32 . . . . fxg4 33. Ac4+ �e8 34. 'fif4 ; 32 . . . .
'fig6 2S. g xfS 'fix hS 26. .§xhS exfS c4 33. l:!xg6 hxg6 34. 'fixh8 fxg4 3S . .§d4.
27. .§xgS Ae6 Black is equal ?
33. 'Wh6-f4
24. Ad3-e2 e6-e5 There is a repetition of moves due to time
pressure.
Also 24 . . . . .§a? or 24 . . . . gS is possi ble,
after which the endgame is equal . 33. Ae6-c8
34. 'Wf4-h6 Ac8-e6
25. llh3-d3 lla8-a7 ? 35. g4xf5 g6xf5
 Chapter 4 The dominant open file 88

35 . . . . Axf5 36. Ac4+ c;!;>e8 37. Wf4 with r n . . . continued l

the threats of Ab5+ and .!:!d8+. The knight aims at the ideal square on
36. �b5-e2 ! 'We7-f6 d6, where it can not only block the d-fi le
but also h i nder Black from occu pying
White also wins after 36 . . . . .!:!g8+ 37. c;!;>h1
the c -file .
.!:!g6 38. Wx h7+ c;!;>f6 39 . .!:!xe6+ .
37. �e2-h5+ c;!;>f7-e7 1 5. 'WdS-e7
38. 11d6xe6+ 16. c5xd6 c7xd6
17. �f1-c4
This beautifu l sacrifice ends the game ; if
38 . . . . c;!;>xe6 then 39 . .!:!d6+ , or if 38 . . . . 1 7. ttlxd6 is not good on account of 1 7. . . .
Wx e6 then 39. Wg7+ is decisive. .!:!d8 1 8 . ttlxf7 Ae6 ! .
17. �g6-e5
Black resigned .
1S. �e4xd6 �e5xc4
1 9. 'Wb3xc4 �cS-e6
G a m e 52
20. 'Wc4-d3 a7-a5 !
V. S a l oy - M. I l i e s c a s
Madrid , 1 995 If 20 . . . . Axa2 then 2 1 . b3 .
English Opening fA 28J 21 . �c1-b1 a5-a4
22. e3-e4
1 . c4 �f6 2. �c3 e5 3. �f3 �c6 4. d4 The advanced knight outpost on d6 pre­
exd4 5. tilxd4 �b4 6. �g5 h6 7. �h4 tile5 vents any activity by Black, who cannot
S. 'Wb3 �c5 9. 0-0-0 �g6 10. �g3 0-0 occupy the c -fi le. Wh ite can triple his ma­
1 1 . e3 tilh5 12. tile4 tilxg3 13. hxg3 �xd4 jor pieces on the d -file and then choose
14. 11xd4 d6 1 5. c5 the best time to re -open this file - by mov­
ing his kn ight out of the way.
22. 11aS-a6
23. f2-f4 a4-a3
24. b2-b3 �e6-g4
25. 11h1-c1 �g4-e2
26. 'Wd3-d2 11fS-dS
27. e4-e5
B ut not 27. ttlf5 ? on account of 27.
Wxe4+.
27. �e2-g4
2S. 11c1-c3 h6-h5
29. �d6-cS ! 11dSxcS?
29 . . . . Af5+ 30. c;!;>c1 .!:!xc8 31 . .!:!xc8+ Axc8
n Assessment of the position
32 . .!:!d8+ c;!;>h7 33 . .!:!xc8 .!:!c6+ is better,
Wh ite has a clear advantage in space. although Wh ite has the advantage i n the
As well as a material advantage, the dir­ queen ending that arises.
ect attack on the pin ned d6 pawn also
30. 11c3xcS+ �g4xcS
g ives White the open c- and d- files.
31 . 11d4-dS+ �gS-h7
Since White is better developed , he can
32. 'Wd2-c2+ ! 11a6-g6
be first to make use of the open files.
33. 'Wc2xcS I1g6-c6

88
89 Chapter 4 The dominant open file

If 33 . . . . �xg3 34. �f5+ �g6 (34 . . . . g6 n Assessment of the position

35. �c8) 35. �xh5+ �h6 36. �f5+ and
With his 1 3th move White decided to
wins.
open the c -file. There are possible entry
34. �d8-h8+ ! �h7-g6 squares for his pieces on c6 and c7.
35. 'We8-h3 ! �e6-e1 + As well as the space advantage, Wh ite
This is the last attempt to escape with per­ also has the tactical th reat of trapping
petual check. But Salov has correctly fore ­ the e5 knight. White can favourably link
seen that his king can escape the checks. this possibility with his strateg ic plan to
36. �b1 xe1 'We7-eS+ seize the c -file.
37. �e1-b1 'WeS-g1+
38. �b1-e2 'Wg1-eS+ 16. h2-h3
39. �e2-d3 'WeS-dS+ This th reatens 1 7. f4 . Black is faced with
40. �d3-e3 the unpleasant choice between the text
Natural ly 40. �e2 also wins. move and . . . Ac8, whereu pon the c6
'WdS-eS+ square will be decisively weakened , for in­
40.
stance : 1 6 . . . . Ac8 17. f4 eDd? 18. �d4+
41 . �e3-e4 'WeS-e6+
�g8 1 9 . eDb4 and 20. eDc6 .
42. �e4-d4 'We6-b6+
43. �d4-d3 'Wb6-bS+ 16. . . . 'WdS-b6
44. �d3-d2 'WbS-b4+ 17. 'Wd1-d4 ! ...
4S. �d2-e2 ! 'Wb4-bS+ Th is forces the exchange of queens, si nce
46. �e2-e1 ! once again f4 is threatened. Black's d if­
ficu lties are i ncreased , si nce the entry
Black resigned .
square c? will lose its protection .
Game 53 17. f7-f6
B . L a rs e n - A . N i e l s e n If 1 7. . . . �xd4 1 8 . eDxd4 f6 1 9 . f4 eDf?
E s bj e rg 1 9 53 20. l:!c? �fd8, play proceeds similar to the
English Opening fA 3 1] game continuation. [White seems to win
1 . �f3 �f6 2. e4 eS 3. d4 exd4 4. �xd4 easily with 2 1. <21e6+ £xe6 22. dxe6 and
�e6 S. �e3 d6 6. g3 g6 7. .Q.g2 .Q.d7 23. I1xe7+. - Ed.]
S. �e2 Ag7 9. b3 0-0 10 . .Q.b2 a6 1 1 . 0-0 18. 'Wd4xb6 �bSxb6
labS 1 2. �e1 bS 13. �dS �xdS 14 . .Q.xg7 19. �e2-d4 g6-gS
�xg7 1 S. exdS �eS After 19 . . . . l:!bb8 there follows 20. f4 eDf?
93 2 1 . l:!c7.
8 20. �e1-e7
7 The invasion of c? is achieved . White need
not h urry with f4 and the expulsion of the
knight.
20 . . . . �fS-dS
The exchange of a pai r of rooks (with
. . . �c8) would in no way ease Black's de­
fence, i n fact it would make it easier for
White to attack the weaknesses in Black's
L...-_______-"-_--' {f position, for instance : 20 . . . . l:!c8 21. l:!xc8

89
 Chapter 4 The dominant open file 90

Axc8 22 . .§c1 Ad7 23 . .§c7, and in view

of the threat of 24. f4 Wh ite wins the e7
pawn ; or 22 . . . . Ab7 23 . .§c7 cl;f7 24. tDe6
(threatening 2S. tDd8+) 24 . . . . cl;e8 2S. b4
tDg6 26. Af3 tDeS 27. AhS+ eDg6 28. e4 ,
and Black is in zugzwang .
21 . �g1-h2
At fi rst sight this move seems i ncompre ­
hensi ble. However, i t protects the h 3 pawn ,
so as to be able to play Ae4, followed later
by AfS or tDfS .
21 . . . . h7-h6 The final position deserves a d iag ram .
22. Ag2-e4 �g7-f8 Despite material equal ity, Black has a
Wh ite is ready to play AfS , or f4 fol lowed hopeless position ! Wh ite exerts total dom­
by AfS . The king move rules out a pos­ i nation , based on his control of the open
sible check by tDfS+ and protects the e7 file and the offside position of the en­
pawn. H owever, Black is being hopelesly emy knight. One way to win would be for
outplayed on both flan ks and he has no instance �f1 -c1-c6 and the su bsequent
possibil ity of counterattack. king trek from h2 to bS, followed by cl;xaS
and cl;xb4.
23. f2-f4 �e5-f7
24. Ae4-f3
Wh ite should not rush to play 24 . tDe6+ ?
on accou nt of 24 . . . . Axe6 2S. d x e6 dS, G a m e 54
with d rawing chances. But now Black is E. W i nter - A. A l e k h i n e
defenceless. If 24 . . . . cl;e8 then 2S. AhS, N ott i n g h a m 1 9 36
followed possibly by 26. tDe6. French Defence [C 0 1J
1 . d4 e6 2. e4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Ad3
24. . . . E!b6-b8
�c6 5. �e2 Ad6 6. c3 Wh4 ! (prevent­
25. �d4-e6+ Ad7xe6
i n g 7. Af4 with the exchange of bish­
If 2S. . . . cl;e8 Wh ite does not have to ops) 7. �d2 Ag4 ! 8. Wc2 (after 8 . 'Wb3
win the exchange. It seems better to play 0-0-0 9 . 'WxdS eDf6 Black gains a tre ­
26. AhS ! with complete zugzwang. mendous attack) 8 . . . . 0-0-0 9. �f1 g6
10. Ae3 �ge7 1 1 . 0-0-0 Af5 1 2. �fg3
26. d5xe6 �f7-h8
Axd3 1 3. Wxd3 h6 14. f4? (a serious
The worst possible position for a knight ; positional error, weakening the e3 square)
after 27. fS it is "stalemated" . White is vir­ 14 . . . . Wg4 ! 15. h3 Wd7 16. E!hf1 h5 ! (rul­
tually a piece up. ing out 1 7. fS on account of 17. . . . h4 18. f6
tDg8 1 9 . tDh1 .§e8, with the idea of . . . .§e6,
27. f4-f5 b5-b4
and the f6 pawn is threatened with loss)
28. Af3-b7 a6-a5
17. �g1 h4 18. �3e2 �f5 ! 1 9. �f3 f6 !
29. e2-e4
(preventing 20. tDeS) 20. �h2 E!de8
Black resigned .
(see diagram 94) (see diagram 95)
91 Chapter 4
'--__-=---=---=-�-'!.......:.
.. .....:.... .J
n Assessment of the position
A strateg ic featu re of the French Ex­
change Variation is the open e -fi le,
which arises as early as the third move.
But just look at the h uge d ifferences
in the conduct of the game over the
previous twenty moves ! With the text
move Black prepares to i ncrease d e ­
cisively t h e pressu re on t h e e -file. He
plans to triple with . . . �e6, . . . �e7 and
. . . 'iVe8. Furthermore the knight out­
post at f5 exerts tremendous power;
it prevents any counterplay on the king­
side and threatens at a su itable mo­
ment to i nvade on e3 or g3. Black also
has the better bishop, characterised by
its g reater range and the enemy pawn
weakness at f4 . The space advantage
on the kingside along with the blocked
pawn structure are also i mportant.
As reg ards the wh ite position, what
stands out is the lack of coord i nation
among the m i nor pieces. They can not
develop any activity whatsoever and
they even prevent Wh ite's own major
pieces from taking part in the imminent
struggle for the open fi le. The lack of
space hel ps bring about a quick cata­
strophe.
21 . Ae3-d2 l::i e8-e6
22. �h2-g4 l::i h 8-e8
The dominant open file
23. l::i d 1-e1 l::i e8-e7
Black purposefu lly carries out his plan for
tripling. Now 24 . �g1 fai ls to 24 . . . . �xe1 +,
and Wh ite loses a pawn on account of the
threat of . . . Axf4+.
24. �c1-d1 'iVd7-e8
25. 'iVd3-f3
Wh ite protects the f4 pawn so that he can
move the e2 knight and ease his position
by exchang ing the major pieces.
iJ
25. . . . �c6-a5 !
The activation of the last idle black piece
is vital ly important. Thus 26. 'iVxd5 fails to
26 . . . . �xe2 27. �xe2 �xe2 28. Wxa5 �g3
29. �f3 'iVe4 ! with a powerfu l attack.
26. b2-b3 ?
Wh ite m isses the last opportunity to or­
ganise some resistance with 26. �c1 . After
26 . . . . �c4 27. �xe6 (not 27. 'iVxd5 ? �xe1 +
28. �xe1 �xe1 + 29. 13.xe1 �ce3+ winning
the queen) 27. . . . �xe6 28. Wxd5 �x b2+
29. *c2 �a4 Black would sti ll retain a pos­
itional advantage, since after 30 . . . . �b6
the l ig ht squares are extremely weak. Or
28. b3 �xd2 29. *xd2 �g3 30. �g1 13.a3
with the threat of 31 . . . . 13.xc1 + followed by
the rook i nvasion on the second rank.
26. . . . �a5-c4 !
A simple but elegant sacrifice. If 27. bxc4
then 27. . . . 'iVa4+ 28. *c1 Aa3+ 29. �b1
� b6+ 30. <.!la1 'iVc2 , followed by mate in
two moves.
27. Ad2-c1 �c4-e3+
With the invasion of the third rank the ma­
jor pieces come i nto action. Loss of ma­
terial can no longer be avoided.
28. Ac1 xe3 �f5xe3+
29. �g4xe3 l::ie 6xe3
30. Wf3-f2
If 30. 'iVg4+ then 30 . . . . f5 wins.
 Chapter 4 The dominant open file 92

30 . . . . 'We8-b5 ! 97
8
I n view of the mating threat 31 . . . . �d3 + ,
followed b y 32 . . . . Aa3 , Wh ite must play
31 . �c1 , whereupon the c3 pawn is lost.
Black begins to enjoy the fruits of his con­
sistent play on the e -file. The black m i nor
pieces have cleared the way for the major
pieces.
96
8

�_______�__� 'lt
6

5
4
3
2
'--_______-=--_----'
31 . �c1 laxc3 32. laxe7 Axe7 33. We1
<!>d7 ! (the c3 rook is taboo on accou nt of
34 . . . . 'Wxf1 + , fol lowed by 35 . . . . Y1!lxf4)
34. f5 lae3 ! 35. 'Wf2 g5 36. lae1 lae4 37.
laxe4 dxe4 38. <!>d2 Ad6 ! 39. <!>c2 Af4
and White resigned.
G a m e 55
G. Sta h l b e rg - M. Ta i m a n oY
Z u r i c h 1 9 53
Queen 's Indian Defence [E 1 5J
1 . d4 �f6 2. c4 e6 3. �f3 b6 4. g3 Aa6
5. 'Wa4 ll.e7 6. Il.g2 0-0 7. �c3 c6 8. �e5
We8 9. 0-0 d5 10. lae1 b5 ! (forcing the
c -file open and gai n i ng space with the
fol low-up . . . b4) 1 1 . cxb5 cxb5 1 2. 'Wd1
b4 13. �b1 �c6 14. �xc6 'Wxc6
(see diagram 97)
tl Assessment of the position
White has emerged from the open ing
with a clear positional d isadvantage.
The queen and knight have had to re ­
treat to their starting positions. Wh ite
has no pawn weaknesses but in view of
'lt Black's antici pated doubling the open
c -file is a great d isadvantage for White.
The three factors of space advantage,
lead i n development and the open file
with the entry square at c2 form the
basis of Black's victory.
1 5. �b1-d2 'Wc6-b6
16. e2-e3 laa8-c8
17. Ag2-f1 lac8-c6
18. Af1 xa6 'Wb6xa6
After the exchange of the light-squared
bishops White is hopelessly weak on the
l ight squares.
1 9. �d2-f3 laf8-c8
20. 'Wd1-b3 �f6-e4
21 . �f3-d2 lac6-c2 !
Black's advantage is already so great that
he rightly d isdains the gain of material
with 21. . . . '§xc1 22 . .§axc1 '§xc1 23. '§xc1
�xd2. After the move in the game a pos­
ition of almost zugzwang arises, since the
bishop is completely unable to move. Also
critical is the situation of the two wh ite

92
93 Chapter 4 The dominant open file

rooks, which are disconnected . Stuck be ­ 98 ..

hind their own pawns, the rooks eke out a 8 8

miserable existence. 1.---,,-,

7 7

22. �d2xe4 dSxe4 6

23. a2-a3 h7-hS 5

r-,-"=-
Even stronger was 23 . . . . Wd3 24 . Wxd3 4

exd3 or if 24. Wa4 b3 ! , whereupon Wh ite

literally cannot move. [Simply 24 . . . . bxa3 2
seems stronger, since if 25. bxa3 �c3. -
Ed.} But also the quiet text move under­
a b c d
lines the hopelessness of White's position.

24. d4-dS �cS-c4 ! 32 . 'Wxf4 33. exf4 d4 ! 34. b3 �c6

. • .

2S. �e1-d1 3S. a x b4 fS 36. h3 �a6 37. � bc1 �xc1

3S. �xc1 �a2 ! (even now the white bishop
What else ? If 25. d x e6 Wxe6 threatening has hard ly any mobil ity) 39. Ae1 �b2
26 . . . . .1:%xc1 27. .1:%axc1 .1:%xc1 , and White 40. �g2 �xb3 41 . �cS �b1 42. Ad2 e3 !
loses a piece. Otherwise the th reat of in­ and Wh ite resigned . If 43. fxe3 then 43 . . . .
vad ing with the queen on f3 and playi ng l:!b2 wins a piece.
h5-h4-h3 is unpreventable.
The open c -file was so domi nant that
2S. . . . e6xdS White had no counterplay whatsoever and
26. Ac1-d2 Black had several different ways to achieve
victory.
Finally the bishop sees the light of day. But
the price is very high. G am e 56
26. 'Wa6-f6 ! P. O e l y - L . P o r t i sch
27. �a1-b1 hS-h4 B u d apest 1 97 1
2S. 'Wb3-a4 Ruy L opez [C 88}
1 . e4 eS 2. �f3 �c6 3. AbS a6 4. Aa4
Wh ite wants to prevent the mating attack �f6 S. 0-0 Ae7 6. �e1 bS 7. Ab3 d6 S. c3
by playing 29. Wd7. 0-0 9. h3 Ae6 10. d4 Axb3 1 1 . 'Wxb3 'WbS
2S. . . . 'Wf6-fS ! 1 2. �bd2 ( 1 2 . Ae3 deserves preference)
29. 'Wa4xa7 Ae7-fS 12 . 'Wb6 ! 13 dxeS �xeS 14. �xeS
• • .

dxeS 1 S. 'Wc2 'Wc6 16. �f3 ( 1 6 . CDf1 was

29 . . . . Ag5 is more accurate. better) 16 . . . . �d7 17. Ae3 Ad6 1S. �ad1
30. 'Wa7-bS g7-gS as ! (the start of a dangerous i n itiative on
the q ueenside) 1 9. �h4 ? ! g6 20. Ah6
31 . g3xh4 gSxh4
32. 'WbS-f4 �fdS 21 . 'Wd3 'Wc4 ! 22. b3 ( if 22. Wxc4
then 2 2 . . . . bxc4, and Black threatens both
to play . . . CDc5, fol lowed by . . . CDd3, and
(see diagram 98)
also to attack the b2 pawn with the rook
Necessary, since there is a threat of 32 . . . . on the b -file) 22 . . . . 'Wxd3 23. �xd3 �cS
l:!c6 followed by .1:%g6+. Now an endgame 24. �dS c6 2S. �dd1 Ae7 ! 26. �f3 f6
arises which is easily won . The black 27. �xdS+ ( Black was th reaten i ng 27. . . .
centre pawns cannot be stopped . .1:%xd1 28 . .1:%xd1 CDxe4 winning a pawn)

93
 Chapter 4 The dominant open file 94

27. . . . �xdS 2S. Ae3 �d3 ! (the text move 36 . .!;!c5 Ax b4 37. '!;!x b5 Ad6 ! . Although
forces the exchange on c5 ; Black would Black would sti l l have the better game,
achieve nothing by 28 . . . . eDxe4 29. Ab6 since the a2 and e4 pawns are weak, the
'!;!b8 30. Ac7 .!;!c8 31 . AxeS with equality) position would be hard to win .
29. Axe5 Axe5 30. �e1 33. b5-b4
99
34. g2-g3 c;t>gS-f7
8 8
35. c;t>h2-g2 c;t>f7-e6
7 36. �e2-e2 Ae1-h6
6 37. �f3-h2
5
If 37. .!;!e1 then 37. . . . '!;!d3, followed by .!;!c3,
wins.
4
37. Ah6-fS
3S. �h2-f3 AfS-e5
2 39. �e2-d2 �d1-e1
Black has abandoned the open d -fi le in
order to prepare a queenside break with
. . . a4. Wh ite is unable to profit from the
n Assessment of the position open file, si nce he is tied to the weak­
nesses at a2 and f2 .
Material is equal but Black has two as­
sets : fi rstly, the open fi le, on which his
40. g3-g4 a5-a4 !
rook can constantly attack the weak
41 . �d2-b2
1 00 a b c d
white pawns ; secondly, the wel l-posted e

8 8
bishop, which restricts the mobil ity of
the white pieces ; in add ition it exerts 7

pressure on the f2 pawn. It is also i m ­ 6

portant for t h e assessment that the
black king can quickly join i n the ac ­
tion. After this the advance . . . f5 with
further gain of space is possible.
In contrast to its counterpart, the
white king is confi ned to the edge of
the board . Both the wh ite pieces ap­
pear to be posted normally, but they are
totally restricted in their mobil ity. These
factors give Black a clear advantage.
30. Ae5-a3
31 . �e1-e2 �d3-d1 +
32. c;t>g1-h2 Aa3-e1 !
Preventing the threatened cou nterplay
with 33. '!;!d2 .
33. e3-e4?
The only chance for counterplay l ies i n
opening a fi le for the rook, for i nstance
33. b4 a4 34. c4 Aa3 35. c x b5 c x b5
5
2
Wh ite resigned here. This decision was
defi n itely premature, but adjournment an­
alysis revealed the following winning plan :
41 . . . . a3 42. '!;!d2 '!;!b1 43. h4 h6 44. <!>g3
'!;!b2 45. '!;!x b2 ( if 45. <!>g2 then 45 . . . . f5
46. g xf5+ g xf5 47. exf5+ <!>xf5, and there
is no defence against . . . e4) 45 . . . . ax b2
46. ti:)d2 f5 47. gxf5+ gxf5 48. exf5+ (48. f3
h5, and the h4 pawn is doomed) 48 . . . .
<!>xf5 49. <!>f3 e4+ 50. <!>g3 Ad6+ 51 . <!>h3
<!> f4, and White can no longer avoid losing
a pawn through zugzwang.
95 Chapter 4 The dominant open file

G a m e 57 n Assessment of the position

A. M o i se e n ko - M . Tu rov Black was forced to play 20 . . . . f6 to
Kh arkov 2 0 0 1
prevent the invasion of the knight on eS .
Grun feld Defence [0 94J
As a result a significant pawn weakness
1. d4 dS 2. c4 c6 3. �c3 �f6 4. e3 has appeared at e6. However, Wh ite's
g6 S. �f3 Ag7 6. Ad3 0-0 7. 0-0 AfS main advantage is the open c -file, with
(a very comm itti ng move, which i mm ed i ­ the entry square at c6. The domi nant
ately grants Wh ite a sl ight initiative on the knight on d6 controls the entire centre
queens ide. 7. . . . Ag4 is definitely better, as and Black can d islodge it only at the
in Game 27, Polugaevsky - Smyslov, see cost of other d isadvantages.
page S1 ) 8. AxfS g xfS 9. cxdS cxdS 10. Wh ite has the more active pieces and
'Wb3 (with the momentary weakness of he can target the pawn weaknesses at
b7 and dS White gains a slight space ad ­ a6, b6 and e6.
vantage and a lead in development) 10 . . . .
b6 1 1 . �eS e 6 1 2. Ad2 �fd7 1 3 . �d3 21 . l::!: c 1-c6 l::!: f8-dB
<tlc6 14. �bS a6 1 S. l::!: f c1 ! (the fact that 22. 'Wb4-c3
White is the first to occupy the open c ­ At the right moment Wh ite reacts to the
fi le already indicates that he has a small possible pin with . . . AfB and so prepares
advantage) 1S . . . . l::!: c8 16. <tld6 (this auda­ the manoeuvre ttlcB.
cious knight causes a great deal of anxiety 22 . . . . Ag7-f8
in the black camp. It will be possible to
23. <tld6-c8 �g8-f7
mai ntai n the knight at d6 on a long -term
basis by supporting it with Ab4) 16 • . . .
Black is practically in zugzwang. He has
�c7 17. Ab4 �xb4 (there i s not really any no sensible moves with his queen or rook,
other way for Black to alleviate the pres­ and the only available resource to ease his
sure on the a3 -fB d iagonal . If 1 7. . . . ttlf6 position is the blocking move . . . AcS (or
White gains the advantage with the n ice . . . ttlcS). Wh ite can build up his position
zwischenzug 1B. ttlb7 ! �xb7 - 1B . . . . �bB undisturbed .
19. AxfB AxfB 20. �xb6 -1 9 . �xc6 �eB 24. h2-h3 h7-hS
20. �ac1 ) 18. 'Wxb4 l::!: x c1 1 9. l::!: x c1 'Wb8 2S. �g1-f1 a6-aS
20. f4 ! (an i m portant move which sets up 26. a2-a3 Af8-cS
the threat of 21. ttleS , gaining more space) Black loses patience. However, it is hard to
20 . . . . f6 see any sensible defensive move for Black.
101 r--:-"""7"---;-----:---:-..., 27. <tld3xcS b6xcS
8 8 28. <tlc8-d6+ • • •

\-,....,..
7 The return of the kn ight seals Black's fate.
28. �f7-g6
5 29. d4xcS 'Wb8-a8
t--''-'=- 30. l::!: c 6-c7 'Was-a6+
4
31 . �f1-g1 <tld7xcS
3
32. 'Wc3-e1 !
Suddenly switching play to the kingside,
where the mating threats can no longer be
averted .

95
 �
�,�- �«--
Chapter 4 The dominant open file
�---.----
96

32 . . . . h5-h4 n Assessment 01 the position

If 32 . . . . .!:!d7 then 33. �g3+ �h7 34. ttle8 By clever strateg ic play Black has
.!:!xc7 35. ttlxf6+ followed by mate on g 8 gai ned decisive pressu re on the d -fi le.
or g5. White can no longer avoid losing a
33. 'We1 xh4 �dS-d7 pawn, so with his last move 1 9 . d3 he
34. Wh4-g3+ mg6-h5 tries to make a virtue out of necessity.
35. �c7-cS 'Wa6-a7 He expects to have survival chances
36. �cS-gS based on his pawn structure ; all his
pawn are on l ight squares and cannot
Black resigned. be attacked directly by the rooks or the
dark-squared bishop. Black's doubled
G a m e 58 pawn on the e -file will also be a hand i­
V. S a l oy - A. S h i roy cap. Practice indicates that such pos­
M a d r i d 1 9 96 itions can be tough to break down .
Sicilian Defence [8 52J H owever, Black is in control of the
1. e4 c5 2. ttl13 d6 3. .tb5+ .td7 4. .txd7+ domi nant open d -file. His further plan
'Wxd7 5. 0-0 ttlc6 6. c4 ttl16 7. ttlc3 g6 must be to use his extra pawn on the
S. � b1 JJ.g7 9. a3 0-0 10. b4 ttlg4 ! ? kingside to i ncrease his space advant­
(an i nteresting idea ; with this move Black age or else force another pawn weak­
would l i ke to take control of the d4 and ness.
e5 squares) 1 1 . ttld5 e6 1 2. ttle3 ttlge5
1 3. ttlxe5 dxe5 ! (an u n usual but wel l ­ 19. 'We2xc2
fou nded manoeuvre. Even at t h i s early 20. �b2xc2 �dSxd3
stage Black is putting his money on pres­ 21 . fl11-e1 �1S-dS
sure along the half-open d -fi le. He is not 22. mg1-11 17-15
worried about the capture 1 4 . bxc5 ; after 23. JJ.c1-b2 15-14 !
1 4 . . . . .!:!fd8 1 5 . �b3 .!:!ab8 1 6 . .!:!d1 Af8
he wins back the c5 pawn with positional Black adopts the second plan of attack.
advantage) 14. b5 ttld4 1 5. ttlc2 �adS Si nce Wh ite can only suffer, Black pre­
16. ttlxd4 'Wxd4 17. 'Wc2 'Wd3 1S. fl b2 pares a pawn storm on the kingside.
'We2 ! (after this Black's advantage is ob­ 24. JJ.b2-c3 g6-g5
vious. H e threatens both 1 9 . . . . .!:!d4 and
25. 12-13 mgS-17
19 . . . . .!:!d3) 19. d3
26. �e1-e2 JJ.g7-16
1 02 ... 27. a3-a4
27. .!:!ed2 would be a big blu nder on ac­
count of . . . .!:!xc3.

27. h7-h5
2S. h2-h3 g5-g4 !
29. h3xg4 h5xg4
30. 13xg4 JJ.16-h4 !
Wh ite is fi n d i ng it harder and harder to
breathe. The threat of 31 . . . . .!:!d1 + can only
be averted by a further pawn sacrifice.

96
97 Chapter 4 The dominant open file

31 . g2-g3 Ah4xg3 The only playable continuation .

32. Ab2xe5 f4-f3
21 . gc7xb7 gaS-cS
Wh ite resigned .
22. �f4-d3 ! ...
G a m e 59 Now the wh ite pieces are displaying max­
V . K o rch n o i - R. B e l l i n i m u m activity. Fu rther loss of material on
H a st i n g s 1 975176 the queenside is only a matter of time.
Dutch Defence fA 1 0J
22. a4-a3
1 . c4 f5 2. �f3 �f6 3. g3 e6 4. Ag2 Ae7 23. Ab2-c1 'We7-d6
5. 0-0 0-0 6. b3 as 7. �c3 �a6 S. d4 d6 24. �eSxd7 gdSxd7
9. e3 c6 10. Ab2 �c7 1 1 . 'Wc2 bS 12. �d2 2S. Ac1 xa3
dS 1 3. �f3 �d7 14. cxd5 cxdS 1 5. gfc1
Ab7 1 6. �e2 Ad6 17. �eS 'We7 1S. �f4 Another finesse. The position is resignable.
a4 1 9. 'Wxc7 ! ? The continuation was :

2S. . . . 'Wxa3 26. gxd7 gc2 27. Af1 gS

2S. g b7 hS 29. gxbS h4 30. gcS gd2
31 . gac1 hxg3 32. hxg3 mg7 33. gc7+
mh6 34. g1 c6 and Black resigned .

Game 60
W . U h l m a n n - S . L a n ka
M u n i c h 1 9 96
King 's In dian Defence fE 9 1J

1 . c4 �f6 2. �c3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Ag7

n Assessment of the position S. Ae2 0-0 6. AgS h6 7. Ae3 �bd7 S. tLif3
Now that Wh ite has an excel lently pos­
eS 9. dxeS dxeS 10. �fd2 geS 1 1 . �b3
ted knight pair on f4 and e5 , the fant­
as 12. 0-0 c6 13. 'Wc2 AfS 14. tLia4 ! �h7
astic queen sacrifice on c7 is the lo­
1 S. gad1 'Wc7 16. cS �gS 17. gd2 tLie6
gical sequel . The black minor pieces are
1S. gfd1
com pletely paralysed on the seventh
ran k. The b7 bishop will also fal l , so at
worst White wi l l have won three pieces
for the queen . In working out the queen
sacrifice the only line that needed cal­
culating was 19 . . . . Axc7 20. f!xc7 Ac8.
However, the further sacrifice 2 1 . tLlxd5
exd5 22. Axd5+ <;!,lh8 23. Axa8 also
ends up materially i n Wh ite's favour.

1 9. Ad6xc7
20. gc1 xc7 gfS-dS

97
 98

n Assessment of the position 26. Etd2-d6 EthS-hS

After doubling rooks on the d -fi le Wh ite 27. 'We3-f3 f7-fS
has a clear positional advantage. He has There was a th reat of an n i h i l ation with
more space and is targeting the square 28. �b6 �x b6 29. �f6+.
weaknesses b6 and d6. Soon he will try 2S. e4xfS EthSxfS
to plant a knight on b6. 29. 'Wf3-e3 EtaS-bS
Black suffers from chronic "breathing 30. �a4-b6
d ifficulties " . Sensible d evelopment of Finally the knight can occupy the hole at
his minor pieces is i m possible. Hence b6, after which Black will suffer the knock­
it is already clear that the open d -fi le out blow on the open d -fi le.
w i l l be decisive for the outcome of the 30 �d7xb6
game. 31 . eSxb6 'We7-e7
32. �b3-eS EtfS-f7
1S. . . . h6-hS 33. Etd6-dS 'We7-f6
34. Etd1-d6 'Wf6-f4
19. Ae2-e4 hS-h4 ? !
3S. EtdS-eS
1 9 . . . . �f4 i s essential , t o have at least There is no defence against the th reat of
one active piece to stir up trouble. After !:!odd8.
20. g3 �h3+ 21 . 'it>g2 �f6 22. �b6 !:!oa7
3S. Etf7-fS
23. !:!od6 ! however the tactical chances are
36. 'We3xf4 eSxf4
still clearly favourable to White, e.g. : 23 . . . .
37. Etd6xg6+ mg7xg6
Axd6 ? 24 . c x d 6 �d8 25. �xc8 �xc8
3S. EtdSxfS f4-f3
26. d 7 winning a piece ; or 23 . . . . �g4
39. g2xf3 mg6-g7
24 . !:!oxg6+ 'it>h7 25. �xc8 !:!oxc8 26. !:!oxg4
h xg4 27. �e2 followed by �xg4 with a
40. �eS-e6+ mg7-g6
clear advantage. 41 . f3-f4
Black resigned .
20. Ae4xe6 ! ...
With this move Wh ite exchanges Black's
most active piece and seals his fate.
20. . . . EteSxe6 G a m e 61
21 . Ae3-gS AfS-e7 S . F u r m a n - I. L i p n itsky
U S S R 1 9 51
Or 2 1 . . . . h3 22. �b6 ! �x b6 23. Ad8 ! �b8 Nimzo -Indian Defence [E 5 1J
24. cxb6 and wins.
1 . d4 �f6 2. e4 e6 3. �e3 Ab4 4. e3
22. Ah4xe7 Ete6xe7 0-0 S. Ad3 dS 6. �f3 dxe4 7. Axe4
23. 'We2-e3 �e6 S. 0-0 Ad6 9. AbS eS ! (a subtle
Now Wh ite increases the pressure against pawn sacrifice, for which B lack gains the
the e5 and a5 pawns. I n add ition h3 is bishop pai r and a lead in development) 10.
prevented , on account of �x h3. Axe6 exd4 1 1 . Axb7 (the alternative was
1 1 . �xd4 bxc6 1 2 . �xc6 �e8 or 1 2 . . . .
23. 'it>gS-g7 �d7 with an attack) 1 1 . . . . Axb7 12. �xd4
24. 'We3-e3 Ete7-eS 'Wd7 13. �dbS ( if 13. �a4 then Black gains
2S. h2-h3 EteS-hS a strong attack with 1 3 . . . . �g4) 13 . . . .
B lack has no active moves left and is al­ 'We6 14. f3 AeS ! 1S. 'We2 (or 1 5 . �d4 �d6
most in zugzwang. 16. f4 Axd4 with a positional advantage to

98
99 Chapter 4 The dominant open file

Black) 1S . . . . IUd8 1 6. a4 ( bad would be 20. �bS-a3 'Wc4-b3

16. e4 Aa6 17. a4 �b6+ followed by . . . c6, 21 . �a3-b1
win n i ng the exchange) 16 . . . . 'Wc4 ! (with 2 1 . Ae3 was better, giving back the pawn
the threat of 17. . . . Axh2+ or 17. . . . 'Wh4) for equal play.
17. 'Wf2 �d3
21 . ... AeS-d4
1 05
Now the normal developing move Ae3 is
8 prevented .
22. 'Wf2-e2 Ad4-cS
Now ga3 is also ruled out.
23. �f1-e1 a6-aS !
Preparing to activate the bishop on a6.
24. �b1-d2
24. Ag5 does not help either on accou nt
of 24 . . . . Aa6 25. e5 ge3 26. iDd2 'We6
L...-_______...:_
:.... --...I 'lJ
27. �d1 [After 27. lWxe3 £xe3 28. exf6
White regains the material by the pin on the
e-file. - Ed.] 27. . . . gxe5 with a big advant­
n Assessment of the position age ; or 25. iDd5 g3 xd5 26. 'Wxa6 gxg5 ;
Black has sacrificed a pawn in return for or 25. Axf6 gxf6 26. iDd5 g3xd5 27. �xa6
a lead in development. He has an act­ gd1 28. iDc3 gxa1 29. gxa1 �x b2 30. gd1
ive pair of long -range bishops, which gxd1 + 31 . iDxd1 �d4 32. 'Wf1 'Wxa4 and
can influence both the kingside and the wins.
queenside. The third and most i mport­ 24 . . . . 'Wb3-c2
ant advantage is that, with the occupa­
With this move Black reinforces his dom­
tion of the d -file, the entry square d3 wi ll
i nation of the open fi le.
be conquered . Consequently there is al­
ways the threat to win back the pawn 2S. �d2-f1
with a better position . The space ad ­ Or 25. iDc4 ? gxc3 26. bxc3 'Wxe2
vantage and the active queen are further 27. gxe2 gd1 + mating.
results of Black's strategy. 2S . . . . 'Wc2xe2
Wh ite can do noth ing with his extra 26. �e1 xe2 �d3-d1 !
pawn at present. He must try to solve
106
the problem of the backward develop­
8 8
ment of his bishop. Wh ite has further
problems with both his knights and with
the weakened b3 square. 6

18. c;!?g1-h1 �a8-d8 4

1 9. e3-e4 3

Not however 1 9 . iDxa7 on account of 1 9 . . . . 2

c6, and the knight is lost.

19 . ... a7-a6 L-.-_______...:_--...I

:.... 'lJ

99
 Chapter 4 The dominant open file 100

The struggle for the open file is decided .
With the text move Black gains two m inor
pieces for the rook. The exploitation of the
material advantage presents no problems.
27. �xd1 §xd1 28. h3 §xf1 + 29. �h2
Ag1 + 30. �g3 �h5+ 31 . �g4 g6 32. b3
Ac8+ 33. �g5 Ad4 34. Ab2 Axb2!
35. §xf1 Af6+ 36. �h6 Ag7+ 37. �g5
h6+ 38. �h4 Af6 mate.
The fi n ish is especially attractive for its
beautifu lly woven mating net.

100
101
Chapter 5
Ex p l o i t i n g t h e o p e n f i l e
There is an open fi le and one side is
already i n control of it.
How can this advantage now be tu rned
into victory ?
How can this su periority be exploited , dir­
ectly or indirectly?
Two basic methods can be distingu ished :
5. 1 E x p l o i t i n g t h e o p e n f i l e i n a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h
o t h e r p o s i t i o n a l a d va n t a g e s
The control of the open file i s a positional
advantage, but one which, on its own , is
often i nsufficient to win the game. Thus
the active side tries to use the open fi le to
achieve other objectives.
We have al ready looked at some of these
methods, which have a relationship of
cause and effect with the open fi le, such as
for instance the fight for weak squares on
the open file, or the doubling and tripling of
major pieces. We shall now examine some
other common methods which are con­
nected with the exploitation of the open
file. One side al ready exploits the advant­
age of the open fi le, but at the same time
seeks further possibilities of turn i n g this
to account. Plans in various different stra­
teg ic categories are involved in the overall
plan .
101
1 . exploiting the open fi le in association
with other positional advantages ;
2 . exchanging the advantage of the open
fi le for other advantages (transformation
of advantages) .
I n add ition , w e show s o m e exam ples of
the use of tactics to exploit the open fi le, il­
lustrating the interaction between strategy
and tactics.
I n the fi rst g roup of games, the side
controlling the open fi le s i m u ltaneously
conducts a kingside attack. The active
side makes use of the positional advant­
age afforded by the open fi le to condu ct
operations against the enemy king (see
Game 62 , Larsen - Portisch , page 1 02).
I n the second g roup of games, the con­
trol of the open fi le is connected with
very active piece play. The active hand­
ling of al l pieces, combined with the open
fi le, guarantees the victory (see Game 64,
Portisch - Petrosian , page 1 04).
The last g roup of games illustrates vari­
ous forms of endgame advantage as a
secondary com ponent in the conduct of
the game (see Game 70, M i les - Ligterink,
page 1 1 2).
 102

G a m e 62 I n . . . continued I
B. L a r s e n - L . P o r t i sch and defence. For the defence of his king
Amsterd a m 1 9 64 Black has only a knight and a rook avai l­
French Defence [C 0 1] able. After a future h5-h6, the f6 square
will be weakened , and mating th reats
1 . e4 e6 2. d4 dS 3. �c3 Ab4 4. exdS on g7 will appear. Along with the space
exdS S. 'Wf3 �c6 6. AbS �e7 7. Af4 0-0 advantage, the open fi le and the con­
S. 0-0-0 �aS ? (8 . . . . Af5) 9. �ge2 c6 trol of the dark squares i n the centre,
10. Ad3 bS 1 1 . h4 �c4 1 2. hS f6 1 3. g4 the attack on the king plays the decisive
'WaS ( 1 3 . . . . a5 14. �g3 a4 1 5 . g5 f5 role.
1 6 . Axc4 bxc4 is better) 14. Axc4 dxc4
1S. a3 Axc3 (15 . . . . Axa3 16. bxa3 Wxa3+ 1S . ... laaS-a7
17. �d2 b4 would be bad : 18. j:!a1 ! bxc3+
If 18 . . . . b4 , then 1 9. Ad6 winning material .
1 9 . tDxc3 �b4 20. !%hb1 , trapping the
queen) 16. �xc3 'WdS 17. lahe1 as ? (after 19. hS-h6 ! g7-g6
1 7. . . . tDd5 1 8 . tDxd5 �xd5 1 9 . �xd5+ 20. Af4-d6 lafS-eS
cxd5 20. f3 White would have only a slight Or 20 . . . . !%f7 2 1 . !%e2 with the th reat of
advantage) 1S. 'Wg3 doubling the rooks and i nvad ing on e8.
107 .------,--:--;---;:-., • 21 . 'Wg3-f4 �gS-f7
8 Not 21 . . . . tDd5 on account of 22. tDxd5
cxd5 23. �xf6 �xf6 24 . !%xe8+ �f7
25. !%f8+ �e6 26. j:!e1 +, followed by !%xf6+
winning.
22. Ad6-eS
4
Forcing a further weakness in the pawn
3 structure. Here 22. . . . tDd5 fai ls to
2 23. tDxd5 cxd5 24. Axf6 �xf6 25. �xf6+
�xf6 26. j:!xe8 and 22 . . . . tDg8 to 23. tDe4.
22. f6-fS
23. AeS-bS laa7-b7
24. 'Wf4-eS !
n Assessment of the position
Wh ite has combi ned his plans i n an ex­
With the text move Wh ite prepares to emplary manner : pressu re on the open
exploit the open fi le. After being the fi rst file, plus an attack on the king ! The wh ite
to occupy the e -fi le, Wh ite now moves queen now i nvades on the dark squares.
his queen to prepare the i nvasion of
24. . . . laeS-gS
the bishop on d6. Th is will increase the
pressu re on e7 and provide possibilit­ Mate on g7 m ust be parried .
ies of penetrating with the rooks on the 2S. g4-gS bS-b4
seventh or eig hth ran k. As is often the If 25 . . . . tDd5 then 26. tDxd5 cxd5 27. Ad6 !
case with opposite sides castl ing, flank �x g5+ 28. f4 wins, since there is no de­
attacks feature prom inently. Closer con­ fence against 29. 'Wxd5+.
sideration indicates that Wh ite's bishop
26. 'WeS-f6+ �f7-eS
and knight are useful for both attack
27. 'Wf6xc6+ �eS-f7

102
103 5 . 1 Exploiting the open file in association with other positional advantages CiJ

Or 27. . . . 'Wd7 28. gxe7+ �xe7 29. 'Wf6+, n Assessment of the position
followed by ge1 + . If 27. . . . gd7 then
The manoeuvre c4-c5 will force open
28. tDd5 is ki l l i ng.
the d -fi le. In add ition to his rapid oc ­
28. 'Wc6-f6+ �f7-e8 cu pation of the open fi le White has fur­
29. d4-dS ! ther advantages : after the antici pated
exchange on d4 he can post a knight
With the advance of the d - pawn and the i n the centre ; the d3 bishop com bines
threat of open ing the d -file, Black's fate is with the queen on c2 to exert pressure
sealed . Thus 29 . . . . b x c3 fai ls to 30. d6 on the h7 pawn ; the black knight on the
cxb2+ 31 . �b1 gd7 32. gd2 gfB 33. dxe7, rim must lose a tempo and retreat to f6 .
with a winning position for Wh ite. This assessment of the position in­
29. . . . Etg8-f8 d icates that the advance c5 has been
30. 'Wf6-c6+ 'Wd8-d7 played at the right moment.

If 30 . . . . �f7, then 31 . 'Wxc4 . 14 . ... eSxd4

31 . Ab8-d6 ! Etf8-f7 14 . . . . dxc5 15. dxe5 would be weak, when
in add ition to the threat of 1 6. g4, winning
Or 31 . . . . 'Wxc6 32. dxc6 ga7 33. tDd5 gf7
a piece, Wh ite has 1 6. tDe4 avai lable, i n
34. c7, and wins.
order t o occupy the weakened squares d6
32. Ad6xe7 b4xc3 or f6 .
33. Ae7-b4+ 1S. cSxd6 'Wc7xd6
Black resig ned . 16. ttlf3xd4 'Wd6-c7
1 6 . . . . tDf6 would be slightly better.
G a m e 63 17. ttld4xe6 Ete7xe6
L . P o l u g aevsky - E . M o ch a l ov After 17. . . . fxe6 1 8 . Ac4 Black's e6 pawn
U S S R 1 978 would be in constant need of protection .
Old Indian Defence fA 54J
18. Ad3-c4 Ete6-e7
1. c4 eS 2. ttlc3 ttlf6 3. ttlf3 d6 4. d4 ttlbd7 1 8 . . . . gd6 would be a serious blunder.
S. AgS c6 6. e3 Ae7 7. 'Wc2 0-0 8. Ad3 White had in m i nd the bri l l iant combina­
Ete8 9. 0-0 'Wc7 10. h3 ! ttlf8 1 1 . Etad1 tion 19. Axf7+ ! . After 1 9 . . . . �xf7 20. tDb5
Ae6 12. Ah4 ttlhS 13. Axe7 Etxe7 14. cS ! gxd1 21 . tDxc7 gxf1 + 22. �xf1 g b8 ( if
22 . . . . gc8 23. 'Wb3 + , fol lowed by 'Wx b7 )
108 2 3 . 'Wc5 further loss of material cannot be
8 8 prevented .
��-��--,�,--���
7 19. ttlc3-e4 ! ...
6 White's advantage will be further increased
5 by the action of the knight on the central
square e4. The f7 pawn is Black's prob­
lem ch ild. It can come u nder fire from the
bishop, knight and queen .
2
19. Eta8-d8
20. Etd1 xd8 'Wc7xd8
21 . Etf1-d1 'Wd8-aS

.103
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 104

21. . . . .§d7 fai ls to 22. '§xd7 tDxd7 (or 22 . . . . 31 . . . . §e7-e5

'lWxd7 23. tDg5 winning, since 23 . . . . tDe6 32. 'Wc5-b6 �g7-e6
is not playable on accou nt of 24 . 'lWx h7+ ) It is essential for Black to prevent '§d8.
23. 'lWd1 ! tDhf6 ( if 23 . . . . g6 then 24 . g 4 33. Ab3xe6 §e5xe6
tDg7 25. 'lWxd7 'lWxd7 2 6 . tDf6+, win­ 34. §d4-d8
n i ng a piece) 24 . tDg5 , and the f7 pawn 109 ..
is doomed , since 24 . . . . tDd5 loses to
25. 'lWh5. Also i nsufficient is 21 . . . . tDd7
22. tDg5 tDhf6 23. 'lWb3, with a double at­
tack on f7 and b7. Loss of a pawn with the
worse position cannot therefore be pre ­
vented .
22. §d1-d4
With the th reat of 23. b4, i ncreasing the
space advantage.
22. g7-g6
23. g2-g4 �h5-g7
24. b2-b4 'Wa5-c7 The long -sought objective is ach ieved .
25. �e4-f6+ mg8-h8 With the i nvasion of the eighth ran k and
26. 'Wc2-c3 ! the attack on the enemy king White has
A subtle, quiet move, taking control of the the possibility of simpl ifying i nto an easily
weakened long d iagonal. Pin m otifs will winning rook end ing. The next few moves
appear constantly from now on. are forced .
34. 'Wb8-e5
26. . . . h7-h6
35. §d8xf8+ mh8-g7
The black king urgently needs an escape 36. 'Wb6-d8
hole. Thus 26 . . . . tDd7 loses right away to
But not 36. tDd7 on account of 36.
27. '§xd7 '§xd7 28. tDe8 ! with mate on g7
'lWd5+.
or loss of the queen .
36. . . . 'We5xf6
27. Ac4-b3 'Wc7-b8 If 36 . . . . .§xf6 then 37. .§g8+ �h7 38 . .§h8+
Now 27. . . . 'lWe5 is not playable on ac ­ �g7 39. 'lWf8 mate.
count of 28 . .§d8 , with the mating threat 37. §f8-g8+ mg7-h7
on f8. Also 27. . . . tDh7 loses again on ac ­ 38. 'Wd8xf6 §e6xf6
cou nt of 28 . .§d7 ! '§xd7 29. tDe8 with a 39. §g8-b8 mh7-g7
double attack. 40. §b8xb7
28. mg1-g2 a7-a6 Black resigned , since after 41 . .§b6 another
29. a2-a4 'Wb8-c7 pawn is lost.
30. a4-a5 'Wc7-b8
31 . 'Wc3-c5 G a m e 64
Now that the black queenside is weakened L. P o r t i s c h - T. Petro s i a n
and a further entry square on b6 created , Santa M o n i ca 1 966
Wh ite tries to seize the eig hth rank. The King 's In dian Defence [E 63J
struggle will be conducted with one eye 1 . c4 g6 2. d4 Ag7 3. �f3 d6 4. �c3 �f6
always on the king at h8. 5. g3 0-0 6. Ag2 �c6 7. 0-0 a6 8. d5 �a5
105 5.1 Exploiting the open file in association with other positional advantages ttJ

9. �d2 e5 10. 'We2 l;ib8 11. b3 b5 12 . .tb2 Black has no time for the cou nterstroke
bxe4 1 3. bxe4 .th6 14. f4 ! e5 ( if 1 4 . . . . 21 . . . . Axe4 22. �xe4 f5 on account of
�g4 then 1 5 . �d1 �x b2 1 6. 'Wx b2 Ag7 23. �xb7 �xb7 24. �xd6 with a big ad ­
17. 'We1 Axa1 1 8 . �xa1 Ad7 1 9 . h3 vantage.
�f6 20. e4 'W b6 2 1 . e5 with advantage) 22. l;if1-e1 .tf5-d7
15. l;iae1 exf4 1 6. g xf4 �h5 17. e3 l;ie8 23. 'Wa4-e2 .td7-f5
( 1 7. . . . Ag7 was better) 18. �ee4 ! .tf5 24. 'We2-a4
19 . .te3 A manoeuvre to gain time on the clock. If
110
24 . . . . Ad?, then 25. �a3 should follow.
24. �g8-f8
25. l;ib1-b6 l;ib8-d8
26. 'Wa4-b3 .tf5-e8
B lack can i n itially prevent the decisive in­
vasion on the b -file, but to do this he must
shelve his attack on the e -file. Wh ite i m ­
mediately exploits t h e situation a n d re ­
groups his knight. As a result the f6 square
will become very weak.
27. �d2-f1 ! l;id8-d7 ?
111

8 8
n Assessment of the position
With his last move White has indicated
that a regrouping of his pieces on the
queenside will take place. The bad pos­
ition of the enemy kn ight on the rim fa­
vou rs this operation. It is apparent that
all the wh ite pieces are wel l placed The
long diagonal a1-h8 is weakened , and
the f6 square in particular is l iable to '--_______-=-_---' '1}
come u nder attack by White. The open
b-file, which Black has been the first to The only playable continuation is probably
occupy, will be a j u m ping -off poi nt for 27. . . . f5 . Then 28. CLlf2 would be strong,
Wh ite's operations with i n a few moves. i ntending to move the knight from f1 to
Black is unable to increase the pressure g3, followed by the advance e3 -e4. Also
on the pinned knight at e4 and , in view good would be 28. CLleg3 �f6 29. �b2
of the threat of �a4, he must sound the Ag7 30. �b1 �d7 31 . e4 fxe4 32. Ah3,
retreat. winning the exchange.
28. �f1-g3 �h5xg3
29. h2xg3 .th6-g7
Portisch succeeds i n exploiti ng his pos­
30. 'Wb3-b2 ! f7-f5
itional advantage in masterly fashion.
31 . .te3xg7+ 'We7xg7
19. �a5-b7 32. �e4-f6
20. 'We2-a4 a6-a5 Black resigned , since he loses the ex­
21 . l;ie1-b1 'Wd8-e7 change with a hopeless position.
 106

G a m e 65 20. . . . �b6-d7
A. A l e k h i n e - E. E l i s kases 21 . �e5xd7 a:c7xd7
B u e nos A i res 1 9 39 The defence is no easier after 21. . . . �xd7
Caro - Kann Defence [8 14J 22. ge8+ <!>h7 23. �d3+ g6 24. �e2 , and
the open e-file is completely under White 's
1 . e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 control. The invasion of the eighth ran k by
ttlf6 5. ttlc3 e6 6. ttlf3 Ae7 7. cxd5 both Wh ite's major pieces is a constant
ttlxd5 S. Ab5+ Ad7 (S . . . . tDc6 is better) threat.
9. Axd7+ ttlxd7 10. ttlxd5 exd5 1 1 . 'Wb3
22. a:e1-eS+ �gS-h7
ttlb6 1 2. 0-0 0-0 13. Af4 Ad6 14. Axd6
23. h2-h4 !
'Wxd6 15. a:fe1 a:acS 16. a:ac1 h6? (16 . . . .
This manoeuvre prepares h5 with a further
f6 was correct, with equal play) 1 7. ttle5
gain of space. Si nce he can not yet win
a:c7 1S. g3 a:fcS 19. a:xc7 a:xc7 20. 'Wb5
a paw n , White seeks to create a second
112 h .. pawn weakness ( i n add ition to d5). The
8 8
scope of the black pieces is conspicuously
7 reduced .
23. . . . a7-a6
5
23 . . . . h5 wou l d be unfavou rable on ac­
count of 24. ga8 a6 25. �e2 with the twin
4
threats of 26. �xh5 and 26. �e8.
3
24. 'Wb5-e2 a:d7-dS
25. a:eS-e7 a:dS-d7
26. a:e7-e5
Naturally Wh ite avoids the exchange of
rooks, after which Black would be rel ieved
of all his worries.
n Assessment of the position
26. . . . g7-g6
Each side has occupied an open fi le. The active defence 26. . . . �g6 fai ls to
However, the white queen and the wh ite 27. h5 �b1 + 2S. <!>g2 �xa2 29. �d3+
knight are more active. This small ad ­ g6 30. h xg6+ fxg6 31 . �f3 , fol lowed by
vantage m akes Wh ite's operations on 32. geS , and the m ating threats on the
the open e -fi le the more dangerous. eighth ran k are i rresistible. [After 3 1. . . .
Black has no time to start effective �c4 this seems questionable. But there is
counteraction on the c -fi le. He there ­ a forced win by 29. �c2+ g6 30. �c8 �a4
fore tries t o reach a pure m ajor piece 3 1. hxg6+ fxg6 32. .fle8, suggesting that
endgame by exchanging knig hts. How­ 28. . . . �xa2 is too risky, although after, say,
ever, this w i l l not red uce the positional 28 . . . . b5 29. �f3 White still stands better.
pressu re. It is therefore appropriate to - Ed.]
play 20 . . . . ge7, in order su bsequently to 27. h4-h5 'Wd6-f6
dislodge the annoying knight with . . . f6. 2S. 'We2-e3 a:d7-d6
In add ition, the black pawn structure 29. 'We3-b3
on the kingside offers Wh ite the possib­
After some deft manoeuvring suddenly the
i l ity of giving check on the l ight squares
b7 and d5 pawns are menaced .
and thus forcing a further weakness i n
29. a:d6-b6
the pawn formation .
30. h5xg6+ 'Wf6xg6

106
107 5 . 1 Exploiting the open file in association with other positional advantages
Or 30 . . . . fxg6 31 . 'iWxd5 gx b2 32. 'iWd7+
with an easy win. Now however the queen
is deflected from the f2 square, and the
desi red weakening of the pawn structure
is ach ieved .
31 . 'Wb3xd5 §b6xb2
32. §e5-f5 ! §b2-b5 ?
Th is makes it easier for White to w i n . It
would have been more d ifficult to bring
about Black's defeat after 32 . . . . �g8.
Alekhine intended to continue with 33. !!f4,
retai n i n g his queen for active operations.
At the same time the passed pawn should
be quickly advanced .
33. §f5xf7+
But not 33. 'iWxf7+ 'iWxf7 34. !!xf7+ �g6
with a drawn position.
33 . . . . �h7-g8
34. §f7-f6+ !
Black must have overlooked this fi nesse.
Now there arises an easily winning rook
end i n g . As wel l as the extra pawn has
Wh ite a very active rook.
113
34. . . . §xd5 35. §xg6+ �h7 36. § b6
§xd4 (36 . . . . !!d7 is no help, since after
37. d5 the pawn must sti l l be captured ;
otherwise comes d6, and the wh ite king
penetrates) 37. §xb7+ �g8 38. §b6 ! §a4
39. §xh6 (with the creation of two connec ­
ted passed pawns White has ach ieved a
theoretically winning position) 39 . . . . §xa2
107
ttJ
40. �g2 as 41 . §a6 a4 42. §a7 ! a3 43. g4
�f8 44. g5 �g8 45. �g3 §a1 46. �g4
§g1 + ( if 46 . . . . a2 then 47. �f5 with an
easy win) 47. �f5 §g2 48. f4 a2 49. �f6,
and Black resigned .
Game 66
O . R o m a n i s h i n - L . P o l u g aevsky
U S S R 1 975
Reti Opening fA 1 3J
1. c4 �f6 2. �f3 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Ag2 dxc4
5. 'Wa4+ �bd7 6. 'Wxc4 c5 7. 0-0 a6 8. a4
b5 9. 'Wb3 Ab7 10. d3 AdS 1 1 . 'Wc2 Ae7
1 2. �c3 Ac6 1 3. �h4 Axg2 14. �xg2
§b8 1 5. axb5 axb5
114
B
I-t'-
7
6
'--_______-"-_--' 11
n Assessment of the position
With the opening of the a-fi le White
gains a dangerous i n itiative on the
queenside. The b5 pawn must be defen­
ded and this ties down the black rook
on the b -fi le. The white bishop will gain
an important tempo with Af4, attacking
the rook; this will assist the doubling of
the rooks on the a-fi le.
For Black it is a disadvantage that his
queen cannot join i n the action quickly
enough ; the same applies to his king's
rook.
16. Ac1-f4 §b8-b7
 Chapter 5
1 6 . . . . gb6 would be bad on account of
17. gal, with the threat of Ac? winning the
exchange. 16 . . . . e5 comes i nto consider­
ation ; however, after 1 7. Ag5 Wh ite's pos­
ition is sti ll preferable, si nce after 17. . . . 0-0
1S. tDe3 b4 19. Axf6 tDxf6 20. tDe4 ! tDxe4
2 1 . d x e4 the knight takes up a domi nant
position on d5 or c4 and is clearly superior
to the bad bishop (which can only protect
its own pawns).
17. Ila1-a6 0-0
1S. Ilf1-a1 tUd7-bS
Black definitely needs space for his queen .
However, 1 S . . . . b4 is better, with the idea
of answering 1 9 . CDe4 with 1 9 . . . . CDd5 ;
after 20. Ad6 Wh ite's advantage would be
only slight.
19. Ila6-aS WdS-d7
20. tUg2-e1
The knight will be transferred to e5 via f3.
20. . . • tUbS-c6
21 . tUe1-f3 tUe6-d4?
Black m isjudges the situation . N ow after
the exchange on d4 and the su bsequent
opening of the c -fi le Wh ite's advantage
becomes decisive. 21 . . . . tDd5 is the right
move, whereupon White has only a slight
superiority.
22. tUf3xd4 eSxd4
23. tUe3-e4 tUf6-dS
The exchange 23 . . . . tDxe4 brings no relief
to the defence, for instance : 24. d x e4 f6
25. Wd3 ! gxaS 26. gxaS+ �f7 27. e5 f5
2S. g4 g6 29. Wh3 h5 30. g x h5 g5 31 . h6
with the threat of m ate on h5 ; or 25 . . . .
e5 26. Wb3+ �hS 27. gxfS+ AxfS 2S. gaS
Wf7 29. 'tfIxf7 gxf7 30. Ad2 �gS 3 1 . gbS
winning the b5 pawn .
24. .tf4-eS tUdS-b4
Black has no time to play 24 . . . . f5 . After
25. CDc5 'tfIc6 26. Axd4 e5 ( if 26 . . . . gc7
then 27. gSa6 WeS 2S. ga7 ! , and Wh ite
has won a pawn with the better position)
Exploiting the open file 108
27. g1 a6 gb6 (27. . . . tDb6 ? 2S. Wb3+ 'tfId5
29. gxfS+ �xfS 30. gx b6 'tfIx b3 31 . tDx b3
winning a piece) 2S. gxb6 tDx b6 29. ga7 !
CDCS 30. Wb3+ �hS (30 . . . . gf7 31 . ga6
Wc7 32. We6 exd4 33. gc6 and wins)
31 . ga6 Wc? 32 . tDe6 Wc1 + 33. �g2 exd4
34. tDxfS AxfS 35. 'tfIf7 Wc5 36. ge6 Black
is powerless against 37. geS.
2S. We2-e1 ! tUb4-e6
26. tUe4-eS
After this Black is lost. The open a- and
c -fi les as wel l as the active wh ite piece
play enable this i nvasion . N ow back ran k
mate ideas also appear. Thus 2 6 . . . . Axc5
fai ls to 27. �xc5 gcS 2S. gxcS+ �xcS
29. 'tfIxc6 ! , and after 29 . . . . Wxc6 the rook
mates on as .
115 •
26 . WdS 27. tUxb7 tUxeS 2S. We7 tUg6
. . •
29. IlxfS+ .txfS 30. �dS .te7 31 . �e6
.tfS 32. IlaS WeS 33. IleS ! WgS 34. IlxfS+
�xfS 35. tUe7+ �hS 36. WdS. and Black
resigned .
G a m e 67
W. U h l m a n n - J . P r i by l
Tal l i n n 1 97 7
English Opening fA 35J
1 . e4 eS 2. �f3 tUe6 3. �e3 g6 4. e3
�f6 S. d4 exd4 6. exd4 dS 7. .tgS Ag7
S. Axf6 Axf6 9. exdS ( if 9. CDxd5 Ag7
Black wins the pawn back with 10 . . . . e6 or
...w.
109 5 . 1 Exploiting the open file in association with other positional advantages
1 0 . . . . Ag4) 9 . . . . �b8 10. h3 0-0 1 1 . Ac4
�d7 1 2. 0-0 �b6 1 3. Ab3 Af5 14. �e1
�c8 1 5. 'Wd2 �d6 16. 'Wh6 Ag7 17. 'Wh4
�e8 18. g4 ! Ad7 19. �e4 a5 20. a4 �xe4
21 . �xe4 'Wb6 22. �e3 �ad8 (22 . . . . Axd4
would be bad on accou nt of 23. ttlg5 h5
24. gf3) 23. �ae1 'Wb4 24. �c1
116
n Assessment of the position
At the right moment the rook switches
to the open c -fi le and aims at the
entry square c7. The logical response
24 . . . . gc8 is no good on accou nt of
25. gxc8 Axc8 26. �g3 Axd4 27. ttlxd4
Wxd4 28. d6 ! , and Black is defence ­
less against the threats of 29. dxe7 and
29. gd3 followed by d7. [But 24 . . . . .1lxa4
is possible, as after 25. l1c4 Black gains
excellent compensation for the queen
with 25. . . . rfxb3 26. l1xb3 lixb3 fol­
lowed by 27. . . . lixd5. - Ed.}
The combi ned pressure on the open
c -fi le, the half-open e -file and the at­
tack on the king is the basis of Wh ite's
i n itiative. The wh ite dou bled pawns i n
the centre are not a weakness, since
they take a lot of squares away from the
black pieces.
24. . . . h7-h6
25. �c1-c7 'Wb4-b6
If 25 . . . . Wd6 then 26. Wg3 wou l d again
be very strong.
109
ttJ
26. 'Wh4-g3 Ag7xd4
Black has no reasonable moves left and
he decides to capture the d4 pawn.
27. �f3xd4 'Wb6xd4
28. 'Wg3-e5 ! 'Wd4-b4
N ot even the exchange of queens wou l d
ease the black defence. After 2 8 . . . . Wxe5
29. gxe5 b6 30. gb7 a pawn is lost.
29. d5-d6 !
This beautifu l unmasking move brings the
b3 bishop into play.
29. . . . 'Wb4xd6 ?
Losing i mmed iately. However analysis
shows that there is no defence. Thus 29 . . . .
exd6 fai ls to 30. Axf7+ �xf7 31 . gxd7+
gxd7 32. Wxe8+ and wins ; or 29 . . . . e6
30. Ac2 gfB (30 . . . . Ac6 31 . Axg6 gf8
32. Axf7+ gxf7 33. gxf7 �xf7 34. Wxe6+
�g7 35. �e7+ and wins) 31 . gb3 Wxa4 32 .
g b x b7 Wa1 + 33. �h2 Ae8 34. Wf6 gxd6
35. Wxg6+ , fol lowed by mate.
30. 'We5xd6 e7xd6
31 . �c7xd7
Black resigned , since he is losing a piece.
The action of the rook on the open file,
connected with Wh ite's active piece play,
brought about a quick victory.
G a m e 68
A. A l e k h i n e - E. B o g o l j u bow
B u d a pest 1 92 1
Bogo -Indian Defence [E 1 1}
1 . d4 �f6 2. c4 e6 3. �f3 Ab4+ 4. Ad2
Axd2+ 5. 'Wxd2 0-0 6. �c3 d5 7. e3
�bd7 8. Ad3 c6 9. 0-0 (9. gd1 was bet­
ter, to prevent the fol lowing freeing man­
oeuvre) 9. . . . dxc4 10. Axc4 e5 ! 11. Ab3 !
(not 1 1 . d x e5 on account of 1 1 . . . . ttlxe5 ! .
The sacrifice 1 1 . Axf7+ gxf7 1 2 . dxe5 ttlg4
1 3 . e6 is ineffective : 1 3 . . . . gxf3 ! 14. exd7
Axd7 15. gxf3 ttlxh2 16. �xh2 Wh4+, with
perpetual check) 11 . . . . Y!le7 ( Now 1 1 . . . . e4
fai ls to 1 2 . ttlg5 followed by Ac2 ) 1 2. e4 !
exd4 1 3. �xd4 �c5 ( it would be wrong,
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 110

now or on the next move, to capture on With simple measures Wh ite has gained
e4 , si nce after We3 a piece is lost) 14. Ac2 complete control of the d -fi le. I n the fol­
lld8 1 5. llad1 lowing stage of the game he seizes more
117 space on the kingside.
8 1 9. . . . b7-b6
20. h2-h3
6 Preparing to advance the f-pawn without
5 being hassled by CDg4 or £g4.
4 20. c6-c5
3 21 . lld4-d2 lld8xd2
22. 'Wf2xd2 c5-c4
Another move which does nothing to ease
a b c d e
the defence and furthermore makes the
d4 square available for Wh ite. It was best
to play 22 . . . . CDe8 followed by 23 . . . . f6.
n Assessment of the position
Th is was the only way to offer resistance.
With the dou bling on the open d -file
the first dangers are already appearing. 23. f3-f4 g7-g6
Wh ite threatens 16. CDxc6. If 23 . . . . Wc5+ then 24. Wd4 and after the
The development of the c8 bishop, exchange of queens Wh ite gains a clear
which has no good squares avai lable, advantage.
is Black's main problem . I n the next
24. 'Wd2-d4 ! lla8-c8
few moves White's plan consists of sev­
25. g2-g4
eral elements : use of the open file, ad ­
vance of the pawns i n the centre and The wh ite space advantage on the king­
on the kingside to gain space, and the side is very impressive. There is no de­
more harmonious action of all his minor fence against the threats of 26. e5, or
pieces in the centre. The wh ite queen 26. f5 fol lowed by e5. Black lacks man­
will go to the a7-g1 d iagonal i n order oeuvri ng squares on the d -fi le. Here we
to set up threats agai nst Black's queen­ have a textbook demonstration of the in­
side pawns. teraction of the various factors - open fi le,
The use of the open fi le i n conj u n c ­ active piece play and space advantage.
t i o n with t h e other positional pluses
B lack decides on a desperate sacrifice,
g ives Wh ite a clear advantage in a few
but of course his position is beyond rem­
moves.
edy now.

1 5. Ac8-g4 25. Ae6xg4

16. f2-f3 �c5-e6 26. h3xg4 �f6xg4
The purpose of this is to win the e6 square 27. �g1-g2 ! h7-h5
for the bishop, but this goes no way to­ 28. �c3-d5 'We7-h4
wards solving Black's problems. 29. lld1-h1 'Wh4-d8
30. Ac2-d1
17. 'Wd2-f2 �e6xd4
18. lld1 xd4 Ag4-e6 Black resigned . After 30 . . . . Wd7 31 . f5
19. llf1-d1 Wh ite wins.

110
111 5 . 1 Exploiting the open file in association with other positional advantages ltJ

G a m e 69 N ice as it was to d islodge the knight from

A. Ka rpov - V . K u p re i ch i k e4, it was at the cost of weakening the
U S S R 1 976 a1-h8 d iagonal .
Ruy Lopez [e 6 1J 22. c3-c4 thd5-c7
23. Ad2-c3 c6-c5 ?
1. e4 e5 2. thf3 thc6 3. Ab5 thd4 4. thxd4
Black neglects the entry square at b7. The
exd4 5. 0-0 Ac5 6. d3 c6 7. Aa4 the7
defence is not easy, however. Thus 23 . . . .
8. thd2 d5 9. exd5 thxd5 10. a:e1 + Ae6
�e6 fai ls to 24. �xf5 g xf5 25. '?flg3+ �g5
1 1 . the4 Ae7 1 2. Ab3 0-0 1 3. Ad2 'Wd7
26. f4, with advantage. It would be best to
14. 'Wh5 f6 ? ! ( in a balanced position Black
bring about an exchange of all the rooks
does not play pu rposefu l ly enoug h . Bet­
by 23 . . . . .!;!xe2 24 . .!;!xe2 .!;!e8. H owever,
ter was 14 . . . . f5 1 5 . �g5 Axg5 1 6 . Axg5
Wh ite would sti l l have the better chances .
.!;!ae8 17. .!;!e5 Af7 1 8. '?fle2 '?fld6 or 18 . . . .
.!;!xe5 with equal chances) 1 5. h3 a:ae8 24. 'Wf3-b7 ! a:e8xe2
16. a:e2 b6 17. a:ae1 ( by dou b l i ng rooks Not 24 . . . . '?flxd3 25. Ae5, threaten ing both
Wh ite has almost i m perceptibly secured to trap the queen by '!;!d1 and win a piece
the i n itiative) 17. Af7 18. 'Wf3 Ad8 with Axc7.
19. c3 ! 25. thg3xe2 'Wd7xd3
118 To avoid losing his queenside pawns
without com pensation, Black recoups the
d3 pawn.
26. Ac3-e5 'Wd3-e4
27. 'Wb7xe4 f5xe4
28. the2-c3
If we re -assess the position , then we
see that, despite the simplification, Wh ite
has increased his positional pressure. The
black q ueenside pawns are endangered ,
and even now the open file plays an es­
sential role.
28 . . . . a:f8-e8
n Assessment of the position 29. a:e1 xe4 g6-g5
Now that White has ach ieved the doub­ With the text move Black wants to prevent
ling of his rooks, his next aim is obvi­ the enemy bishop being supported by f4
ous : the annoying d4 pawn is to be ex­ and to bri ng his own bishop i nto play on
changed . Then the c-pawn will be given g6.
the m ission of d islodging the wel l pos­ 30. g2-g4 a:e8-e6
ted knight from d5. Without weakening 31 . a:e4-e3 �g8-f8
his own position, Wh ite improves the 32. thc3-d5 !
coord i nation of his pieces, which are Forcing the exchange, whereupon a dan­
already more active than Black's. gerous passed pawn is created . It is awk­
ward for Black that he then has no decent
19. f6-f5 square for his rook.
20. the4-g3 d4xc3 32. thc7xd5
21 . b2xc3 g7-g6 33. c4xd5 a:e6-h6

111
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 112

Forced , since 33 . . . . f!e7 loses to 34. Ad6, S. �c3 0-0 9. cxd5 �xd5 10. �xd5 .txd5
and 33. . . . f!e8 is bad on account of 1 1 . Itc1 c5 12. dxc5 Axc5 13. Ac4 .txc4
34. Aa4. ( 1 3 . . . . Axg2 14. f!g1 Ab7 1 5 . Ah6 winning
34. Ae5-b8 ! ... the exchange) 14. �xc4 'Wxd1+ 15. mxd1

A subtle move, which not only attacks the

119 ...
8
a7 pawn, but fi rst and foremost gets the
passed pawn moving and increases the
activity of the rook on the open file.
34. ... a7-a6
35. d5-d6 Af7xb3 ?
After this the position is lost. The only de- 3
fensive chance lay i n 35 . . . . c4 36. Ac2 �'--
2
f!e6 ! 37. Ae4 Ag6 (37. . . . c3 ? 38. AC7 ! )
38. f!f3+ f!f6, a n d Wh ite m u st play
39. f!e3, whereupon a repetition of moves 9 h
is possible.
36. a2xb3 mfS-f7 tl Assessment of the position
This is forced , since otherwise comes With his last move White has signalled
37. d7, followed by 38. f!e8+. that he wants to bring his king to e2 . He
37. AbS-c7 ! ... can then become active more quickly
in the endgame. The plan is to occu py
White simpl ifies i nto a winning rook end ­ the open c - or d -file, depending on the
ing. opponent 's response.
37. . . . AdSxc7 Although White's advantage is only
3S. Ite3-e7+ slight, the further course of the game
This i ntermed iate check g uarantees the shows the dangers that can lie in simple
victory. positions. The idea of exchang ing the
bishop by Ad6 and then posting the
3S. mf7-fS
knight on that square shows M i les's
39. d6xc7 Ith6-c6
strateg ic maturity.
40. Ite7xh7 mfS-eS
41 . h3-h4
1 5. ... �bS-d7
Black resigned. There is no chance of sal­
B l ack's game wou l d al ready be critical
vation i n 41 . . . . g x h4 42 . g5 b5 43. c8�+
after 15 . . . . tLlc6 1 6 . b4 f!fd8+ 17. �e2 Af8
f!xc8 44. f!h8+ �d7 45. f!xc8 �xc8
1 8 . tLlx b6 a x b6 1 9 . f!xc6 f!xa3 20. f!b1 ! ,
46. g6, and Wh ite converts the g - pawn
and the b-pawn i s u nder threat.
i nto a new queen.
16. md1-e2 �d7-f6
G a m e 70 Black wants to bring his knight to the ideal
A. M i l e s - G. L i g te r i n k square d5.
A m sterd a m 1 978 17. Af4-d6 ! Ac5xd6
Queen 's Indian Defence [E 12J 1 7. . . . f!fc8 1 8 . b4 Axd6 1 9 . tLlxd6 j ust
1 . d4 �f6 2. �f3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. Af4 amou nts to a transposition.
Ab7 5. e3 Ab4+ 6. �fd2 d5 7. a3 Ae7 1S. �c4xd6 ItfS-dS

112
113 5 . 1 Exploiting the open file in association with other positional advantages tt:J

19. 9:c1-c6
The first objective is achieved . Black can­
not oppose on the c -file.
19. ... mg8-f8
If 1 9 . . . . ttldS Wh ite should play 20. �hc1
ttle7 21. �c7 ttldS (or 21 . . . . �xd6 22. �xe7
as 23. � b7 �f8 24 . b4 with the idea of
playing bS and �c6, after which the b6
pawn would be lost) 22. �c8 ! as 23. �xa8
�xa8 24. �c8+ �xc8 2S. ttlxc8, and White
threatens both e4 and the king march
'i!>d3-c4-bS, in either case winning a
pawn. White wins material with this attack on
20. 9:h1-c1 9:d8-d7 the knight and the pawn. By exploiting the
21 . �d6-b5 open file he has completely outplayed his
opponent by simple means.
2 1 . ttlc8 ach ieves nothing on accou nt of
21 . . . . tDdS, followed by tDe7. 29. �d6-b5
21 . 9:a8-d8 30. �d4xb5 a6xb5
22. 9:c1-c2 �f6-e4 31 . 9:c6xb6 9:d7-a7
23. f2-f4 ! 32. 9:b6xb5 9:a7xa3
33. h2-h4
Unfavourable wou l d be 23. f3 �d2+
24. �xd2 �xd2+ 2S. 'i!>e1 �x b2 . If 23. tDd4 Black resig ned . Although this m i g ht
Black would ach ieve equality by means of seem rather premature, extensive analy­
23 . . . . eS. sis shows it was defi n itely justifiable. The
23. . . . mf8-e7 winning conti nuation is as follows : 33 . . . .
�b3 34. hS ! g6 (forced , otherwise comes
The continuation 23 . . . . �d2+ 24. 'i!>f3 fS
g4, with the threat of gS+) 3S. hxg6 'i!>xg6
2S. ttld4 �xc2 26. �xc2 �d6 27. �c7 a6
36. 'i!>e4 ! fS+ (or 36 . . . . �b2 37. �b8 ! 'i!>g7
28. g4 ! winning a pawn gives White a clear
38. g4 �g2 39. 'i!>f3 �b2 40. bS fS 41 . b6
advantage.
'i!>h7 42 . b7 'i!>g7 43. �e8 �xb7 44. �xe6,
24. 9:c6-c7 a7-a6 and the two connected passed pawns
25. �b5-d4 me7-f6 easily triumph) 37. 'i!>d4 �b2 38. �b8 'i!>f6
Here too Black can not exchange the 39. g3 �g2 (39 . . . . �d2+ 40. 'i!>c4 �e2
rooks, for example : 25 . . . . �xc7 26. �xc7+ 41 . bS winning) 40. bS �xg3 41 . b6 �g7
�d7 27. tDc6+ 'i!>d6 28. �xd7+ 'i!>xd7 (41 . . . . �g1 42. b7 �b1 43. �f8+ fol lowed
29. tDb8+, followed by 30. tDxa6. by b8�) 42 . b7 'i!>g6 43. 'i!>cs, followed by
26. b2-b4 h7-h6 ? 44. 'i!>c6 and �h8, winning.
Too passive ; the best defensive chance If Black plays 3S . . . . fxg6, then i m m e ­
lay in 26 . . . . gS. On the other hand, 26 . . . . d i ately 3 6 . �b8 gS 3 7. b S gxf4 3 8 . 'i!>xf4
�xc7 27. �xc7 �d6 would be a mistake on � b4+ 39. 'i!>f3 eS 40. b6 'i!>g7 41 . b7 'i!>h7
account of 28. tDf3, with the threat of tDeS. 42. g4 'i!>g7 43. 'i!>e2 �b3 44. 'i!>d2 'i!>h7
27. 9:c7xd7 9:d8xd7 (44 . . . . 'i!>f7 ? 4S. �h8 �x b7 46. �h7+)
28. me2-f3 �e4-d6 45. 'i!>c2 �bS 46. 'i!>c3 �b1 47. 'i!>c4 �b2
29. 9:c2-c6 48. 'i!>dS with an easy wi n . 48 . . . . �bS+
(see diagram 120) fai ls to 49. 'i!>c6.

113
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file
G a m e 71
G . Sa lwe - A. R u b i nste i n
Carls bad 1 9 07
Giuoco Piano [C 53J
1 . e4 e5 2. �f3 �c6 3 . .lc4 .lc5 4. �c3
�f6 5. d3 d6 6. .le3 .lb6 7. 'Wd2 .lg4
S. �g5 Ah5 (8 . . . . 0-0 9. f3 Ah5 ? 1 0. g4,
fol lowed by h4 wou l d be bad for B lack)
9. f3 h6 10. �h3 'Wd7 1 1 . �f2 �d4
12 . .lxd4 (the threat was 1 2 . . . . �xc2+)
12 . . . . .lxd4 1 3. �cd1 ( 1 3 . �fd1 is bet­
ter, followed by �e3 , to prevent the ad ­
vance . . . d5) 1 3 . . . . d5 ! 14 . .lb3 0-0-0
15. 0-0 95 16. �h1 c6 17. �c3 Ag6 1S. a4
�bS 1 9. a5 a6 20. �a4 'Wc7 21 . 'Wb4
'Wd6 ! ( Black offers to exchange the act­
ive wh ite queen ) 22. 'Wxd6 §xd6 23. c3
.la7 24 . .lc2 �d7 25. §ae1 h5 26. �d1
f6 27. �e3 §dS 2S. b4? (28. �f5 is bet­
ter) 2S . . . . .lxe3 ! (after the exchange of
m i nor pieces and the su bsequent 29 . . . .
d4 Wh ite is left with a backward pawn on
d3 ; the half-open fi le that appears is the
j u m ping -off point for further operations)
29. §xe3 d4 ! 30. §ee1 dxc3 31 . �xc3 h4
(preventi ng counterplay with 32. h4 g x h4
33. f4) 32. �g1 �fS 33. �f2 �e6 34. �e2
.leS 35. Ab3 �c7 36 . .lc4 .ld7 37. §c1
Ae6 ! 3S. §c2 .lxc4 ! 39. dxc4
121 .-------:--;--=---;:--, ...
8 threat of 45 . . . . g4 46. fxg4 �g5, with a
n Assessment of the position
After lengthy manoeuvri ng, the d -fi le is
opened with the text move. Although
114
114
J n . . . continued I
Wh ite has shed his pawn weakness
at d3, the open ing of the file is of
g reater i mportance. Black gains the
entry squares d1 , d2 and d3. The rooks
threaten to attack the weak pawns on
the queenside. Furthermore the knight
will soon be excellently posted on e6,
from where it can go to d4 or f4 at a
suitable moment. Black has a space ad ­
vantage on the kingside. Wh ite can start
no counterplay whatsoever. His top pri­
ority is not to lose any material .
39 . . . . �c7-e6 !
40. §f1-b1 §d6-d2
In order to be able to attack the queenside
pawns effectively, a pair of rooks must be
exchanged .
41 . §b1-b2 §d2xc2
42. §b2xc2 §dS-d3 !
Forcing the next move, since . . . '!;!b3 m ust
defin itely be prevented .
43. §c2-b2 �bS-c7
The king enters the action.
44. c4-c5 �c7-d7
45. g2-g3 ?
With this move Wh ite brings about his own
downfal l . However there was an awkward
clear advantage to B lack. The best de­
fence was 45. h3. After this the fol lowi ng
endgame can arise : 45 . . . . ell e7 46. ell e 1
�f4 ! 47. �xf4 (or 47. ell f2 ell e 6, and White
must sti l l capture on f4, since 48. ellf 1 fai ls
to 48 . . . . '!;!d1 + , fol lowed by �d3+) 47. . . .
exf4 48. ell e 2 .!;!e3+ 49. ell d 2 (or 49. ell f2
ell e 6 50. '!;!d2 - otherwise the king pen­
etrates via e5 to d4 and c4 - 50 . . . . '!;!b3
51 . '!;!d4 ell e 5 52 . .!;!c4 '!;!b2+ 53. ell f 1 '!;!d2 ! ,
and there i s n o defence agai nst . . . '!;!d4) 49 .
. . . ell e6 50. '!;!b1 ell e5 51 . '!;!b2 ell d 4 52. '!;!b1
ell c4 53. '!;!b2 '!;!b3 with an easy win.
45. h4xg3+
46. h2xg3 g5-g4 !
115 5 . 1 Exploiting the open file in association with other positional advantages

Th is pawn advance weakens the wh ite n Assessment of the position

pawn structure. The use of the open file
The text move prepares the open ing of
linked with an endgame advantage is car­
the a-fi le on the queenside. The fi rst
ried out here in masterly fashion. Thus the
step in Wh ite's plan is therefore to oc­
defence 47. f4 fai ls to 47. . . . exf4 48. g xf4
cupy this file The second step will then
ttlxf4 ! 49. ttlxf4 gf3 + , followed by 50 . . . .
be to prepare the advance c4-c5 i n
gxf4 with an easily won endgame. order t o weaken the black pawn chai n .
1 22
These actions will b e faci l itated by the
8 8
u nfortunate position of the bishop on
7 7 b7, which has no su itable square and
6
hinders the mobil ity of its own pieces.
5 5

4 4
1 5. a5xb4
16. a3xb4 lIaSxa1
3 3
17. 'Wd1 xa1 IIfS-aS
2 2 1S. 'fIa1-b2 'fIe7-dS
19 . .tg2-h3 !
a b c d e
'if The action of this bishop on the c8-h3 di­
agonal is an i mportant com ponent of the
The conti nuation was : 47. �g1 �g5 !
plan . The banishment of the black knight
4S. �e2 lIa3 49. f4 �xe4 50. fxe5 fxe5
will weaken Black's queenside defences
51 . �f1 �xg3+ 52. �g2 �h5 ! 53. IIf2
and thus indirectly prepare the c4-c5 ad -
�f4+ 54. �h1 lIa1 55. IId2+ �e7, and
vance.
White resigned .
1 9. �d7-fS
Game 72 20. IIf1-a1 lIaSxa1 +
L . Va d a s z - K . B a ch m a n n 21 . 'fIb2xa1 .tb7-cS
D o rt m u n d 1 97 7 Not however 21 . . . . Y;Va8 on account of
Queen 's In dian Defence [E 18J 22. Y;Vxa8 Jixa8 23. c5 bxc5 24. bxc5 dxc5
1. �f3 �f6 2. g3 b6 3 . .tg2 .tb7 4. c4 e6 (24 . . . . Ae? 25. c6 or 24 . . . . c6 25. cxd6
5. 0-0 .te7 6. d4 0-0 7. �c3 �e4 S. .td2 cxd5 26. Aa5 with a clear advantage)
d6 9. d5 �xc3 10 . .txc3 e5? ! 1 1 . e4 a5 12. 25. Aa5 Ad8 26. d6, and the loss of a
b3 �d7 1 3. �d2 .tf6 14. a3 'fIe7 1 5. b4 piece is unavoidable.
1� • 22 . .th3-f1
8
At the present moment 22. Axc8 would
7 7
ease Black's defence.
6 6
22 . . . . g7-g5
5 5
It is difficult to find a good plan of defence.
4 4
If 22 . . . . ttld? or 22 . . . . Jib? then 23. Y;Va?
3 3
is very strong.
2 2
23. 'fIa1-a7 �fS-d7
24. 'fIa7-aS �d7-fS
a b c d e 25. c4-c5

115
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 116

Wh ite's strateg ic objective is ach ieved . 32. �e4-d6 �f8-e7

The queen has occu pied the a-fi le, and
with the advance c5 the black pawn chain
will be shattered . The active bishop on c3
will decide the game by attacking the black
pawns.
25. . . . b6xe5
If Black plays 25 . . . . eDd7 then 26. cxd6
cxd6 27. �a7 ! Ae7 28. tilc4 with the threat
of Ad2 and Ae3 , whereupon the b - pawn
is lost.
26. b4xe5 d6xe5
If 26 . . . . eDd7 then 27. c6 eDb6 28. �a7
followed by Aa5 is very strong, as is also
27. cxd6 cxd6 28. Aa5 �f8 29. Ab4 Ae7
30. eDc4 eDf6 31 . Ad3 , and Black can no
longer protect the d6 pawn.
27. �d2-e4 �f8-g6
N ot much better is 27. . . . eDd7 28. Aa5
eDb6 29. �a7 eDxc4 30. Axc4, and the c7
pawn is lost. Furthermore the c5 and e5
pawns are endangered , and the passed
d5 pawn threatens constantly to advance.
28. .te3-a5 .te8-g4
29. 'Wa8xd8+ .tf6xd8
If 32 . . . . tile7 then 33. Aa6 winning a piece.
33. �d6-f5+
Black resigned . Th is finesse i m med iately
ends the struggle, since if 33. . . . �d7
34. Ab5+ �c8 35. Aa6+, fol lowed by
36. c8W+.
G a m e 73
B. L a rsen - A. S u et i n
C o p e n h ag e n 1 9 65
Sicilian Defence [8 24J
1 . e4 e5 2. �e3 e6 3. �ge2 �e6 4. g3
�f6 5. .tg2 .te7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. d3 d5
8. exd5 exd5 9 . .tg5 d4 10 . .txf6 .txf6
1 1 . �e4 .te7 1 2. �f4 .tf5 1 3. §e1 §e8
14. �d5 .te6 1 5. �xe7+ �xe7 16. 'Wh5
.tf5 17. §e2 'Wd7 18. §ae1 ! �d5 ( 1 8 . . . .
Ag4 would be bad on account of 1 9 . tilf6+
g xf6 20. );!xe7 with advantage to White)
19. �d6 !
125 ..
8 8

n Assessment of the position

White has systematically made all his
30. d5-d6 preparations to bring the open e -fi le
The arising pin costs a piece. The struggle under his contro l . With the simpl ifying
is decided . manoeuvre tild6 he brings about an ex­
change of pieces, after which the open
30. �g8-f8
file gains in i m portance. The superbly
31 . d6xe7 .td8-f6

'116
117 5 . 1 Exploiting the open file in association with other positional advantages ttJ

I n . . . continued l White simplifies into an endgame in which

he wins a solid extra pawn. The i nvasion
posted bishop on the long d iagonal is
of the enemy position , connected with the
another factor in Wh ite's favour.
In the black position two weaknesses gain of material , was made possible by the
open files.
are apparent : the entry square e7 for the
rooks and the b7 paw n , which can be 29 . . . . �gSxf7
attacked by both the bishop and a rook. 30. laa5xa6 lacS-c7
Black finds the only variation to pre ­ Not 30 . . . . fl,xc2 on accou nt of 31 . fl,xa7+
vent immed iate material loss. However, �g6 32 . fl,a4 winning the d-pawn .
White's positional superiority remains in However, after t h e text move i t is not so
place. easy for Wh ite to win.
126
19 . ... 'Wd7xd6 8 8
�.,...--=-�-
...
There is no relief in 19 . . . . g6 20. 'lWf3 'lWxd6 7

2 1 . 'lWxd5 'lWxd5 22. Axd5 b6 23. fl,e7 a5 6

24. fl, b7, and the loss of a pawn can no 5

longer be prevented .
4

20. 'Wh5xf5 tLld5-f6 3

20 . . . . fl,fd8 2 1 . Axd5 'lWxd5 22. 'lWxd5 2

would be a bad blunder, since 22 . . . . fl,xd5

fai ls to 23. fl,e8+ m ati ng. 20. . . . fl,cd8
�------�--� �
21 . Axd5 'lWx d5 22. 'lWxd5 fl,xd5 23. fl,e7
also loses, since the white rooks invade on 31 . �f1 tLld7 32. laa2 tLlb6 33. Ae4 g6
the seventh rank, winning a pawn. 34. �e1 �f6 35. �d2 g5 36. laa5 h6
21 . Ag2xb7 lacS-bS 37. f3 �e6 3S. laf5 laf7 39. lac5 �f6
22. lae2-e7 'Wd6-b6 40. lac6+ �g7 41 . lag6+ �fS 42. laxh6
23. Ab7-f3 'Wb6xb2 lag7 43. lad6 lad7 44. laf6+ laf7 45. lac6
24. 'Wf5xc5 labS-cS lag7 46. h3 �e7 47. c4 dxc3+ 4S. �xc3
25. lae7-c7 lacSxc7 �d7 49. d4 lagS 50. la h6 tLlcS 51 . �c4
26. 'Wc5xc7 'Wb2xa2 �c7 52. �c5 lag7 53. d5 tLlb6 54. d6+,
and Black resigned .
Although B lack has been able to avoid
im med iate loss of m aterial , with the next
move it becomes clear that Wh ite's major G a m e 74
pieces will break i n via the fifth and sev­ V. S m y s l ov - S . G l i g o r i c
enth ran ks. M oscow 1 978
27. lae1-e5 ! 'Wa2-a6 Queen 's Gambit Declined [0 43J
1 . tLlf3 tLlf6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Ag5
Or 27. . . . 'lWb1 + 28. �g2 'lWb6 29. 'lWxb6
h6 5. Axf6 'Wxf6 6. tLlc3 c6 7. e4 dxe4
axb6 30. fl,b5 fl,b8 31 . fl,b4, winning a
S. tLlxe4 Ab4+ 9. tLled2 c5 10. a3 Axd2+
pawn.
1 1 . 'Wxd2 0-0 12. dxc5 ladS 13. 'Wc2 tLla6
2S. lae5-a5 lUS-cS 14. Ae2 tLlxc5 1 5. 0-0
29. 'Wc7xf7+ (see diagram 127)

117
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 118

127 a b c d e ... 18. gc1 xc3 Aa4-b3 !

8 Blocking Wh ite's queenside pawns. This
7 7 secures the position of the knight on c5
6 6
and also devalues White's pawn majority.
5 5
1 9. gf1-c1 a7-a5
4 4
Th is enables White's plan of c;!;>g1-f1 -e1
and then Ad1 to be answered with the
3 3
move . . . a5-a4 . The wh ite pawns will re ­
2 2
main immobile. 1 9 . . . . 1:'!d6 is also good .
20. c;!;>g1-f1 ga8-a6
20 . . . . 1:'!d6 is j ust as good .
21 . �f1-e1 ga6-d6
n Assessment of the position 22. gc1-b1 a5-a4
Development is almost complete. The 23. h2-h3 f7-f6
d-file is open and Black has occupied it. 24. �f3-h2
Black's pieces are more active, although 1� ...
he is not yet fu lly developed . White has 8 8
the pawn majority on the queenside,
7 7
which is an advantage i n the endgame.
6 6
N evertheless, Black is better, al­
though he does need to complete his 5 5

development. At the same time he has 4 4

to make sure that he retains control
of the d -file. H e needs to fi nd a good
square for the c8 bishop.

1 5. ... Ac8-d7 !
An important move, which secures Black's Black has been able to achieve his object­
advantage. There is a threat of 1 6 . . . . Aa4, ives and thus i ncrease his advantage :
after which Wh ite's major pieces will be
He has occupied the open d -file and
u nable to oppose on the d -file. If 1 6. b3
doubled rooks. White, whose queenside
then 16 . . . . Ac6, followed by 17. . . . Ae4.
pawn majority is blocked , is unable to op­
Also after 1 6 . b4 Aa4 1 7. �b1 tDb3 Black
pose on the d -file.
has the advantage, for instance : 1 8 . Ad1
( 1 8 . 1:'!a2 tDd4 with complete control of All Black's pieces are m uch more active.
the d -file) 1 8 . . . . 1:'!xd1 1 9 . �xd1 �xa1 Now his king can join in and his pawn ma­
20. �xa1 tDxa1 21. 1:'!xa1 1:'!d8 with a great jority on the kingside can be mobil ised .
advantage for Black in the endgame. 24. . . . b7-b6
16. ga1-c1 Ad7-a4 Or 24 . . . . c;!;>f7.
17. Wc2-c3 Wf6xc3 25. �h2-f1 �g8-f7
The exchange of queens is favou rable for 26. f2-f3 f6-f5
Black, since the c1 rook then has to leave 27. �f1-e3 g7-g5
the back ran k. Or 27. . . . c;!;>f6.
119 5.2 Exchanging the advantage of the open file for other advantages

28. �e3-c2 �f7-f6 39. �f1-e1 �f6-e5

29. �c2-a1 h6-h5 40. a3-a4 �e5-d4
30. �a1 xb3 a4xb3 41 . a4-a5 b6xa5
30 . . . . �x b3 is not good on account of 42. §b5xa5 §d6-a6 !
31 . Ad1 . [Although 31 . . . . �c5 seems just After the exchange of rooks the knight vs.
as good for Black as the game continu­ bishop endgame is easily won for Black,
ation. - Ed.} for instance 43. ,!;!xa6 et:)xa6 44. �d1 *e3 .
31 . §b1-d1 §d6xd1 + White can hard ly move and Black will win
32. .te2xd1 �c5-d3+ the c -pawn : 45. �e1 �b4 46. �d1 �c6
33. �e1-f1 47. �e1 �d4 48. �d2 �a5 . However, the
black rook now invades Wh ite's position.
33. �e2 is bad on account of 33 . . . . et:)f4+.
43. §a5-b5 e6-e5
33. �d3xb2
34. .td1-e2 �b2-a4 44. �e1-f2 e5-e4
35. §c3xb3 §d8-d6 45. §b5-b1 §a6-a2
36. g2-g4 �a4-c5 White resigned.
37. §b3-b5 h5xg4 One possible fi n ish is 46. '!;!d1 + �d3+
38. h3xg4 f5-f4 47. �f1 �e3.

5.2 Exch a n g i n g t h e a d va n t a g e of t h e o p e n f i l e
fo r o t h e r a d va n t a g e s

I n this section we consider games i n which
the control of the open fi le is exchanged
for other advantages.
In every game of chess there are pos­
itions i n which a decision has to be made
whether to exchange one particular ad ­
vantage for a different one. For example,
the question often arises : when are we
ready to exchange a positional advantage
for a material one (or conversely) ? We also
cal l this the transformation of the advant­
age.
We have chosen a few games i n which
the control of the open fi le is exchanged
for another concrete advantage. The sur­
render of the open file can arise by an ex­
change of the major pieces, by the removal
of one's major pieces from the open fi le,
or by allowing the opponent to open a file.
The games in this section show three typ­
ical transformations of the advantage :
a) open fi le exchanged for a passed
pawn (see the conclusion of Game 75 ,
Polugaevsky - Donner, page 1 1 9) ;
b ) open fi le exchanged for a gain of ma­
terial (see Game 77, U h l mann - Cso m ,
page 1 21 ) ;
c) open fi le exchanged for a positional ad ­
vantage i n the endgame (see Game 78 ,
U h l mann - Kozma, page 1 22).
G a m e 75
L. Po l u g aevsky - J. H. D o n n e r
A m sterdam 1 970
This is the conti nuation of Game 25 on
page 48 i n Section 2 . 2 (Preparing to oc­
cupy the open file, page 43).
(see diagram 129)

119
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 120

.. 46. Wf2xg3 Af6xh4

47. 'Wg3-g2 Ah4-g5
48. c6-c7 �a8xc7
49. �c2xc7
B lack resigned. The fi n ish of the game
proves that Wh ite's decision to exchange
command of the open fi le for the passed
pawn was absolutely correct. This was the
quickest way to end the game.

G a m e 76
L. P o r t i sch - S. D i tt m a n n
B u d apest 1 9 5 9
n Assessment of the position
T h i s is t h e contin u ation o f G a m e 1 2 ,
With his last move, 40. &Da5 , Wh ite is page 33, in Section 2 . 1 (Methods of creat­
fol lowing the plan of increasing his pos­ ing an open file, page 1 5 ) .
itional advantage by closing the c -fi le,
combined with the creation of a strong 1 30 ..
passed pawn. Black will be compelled
to capture the knight with the bishop on
c6. The newly created passed pawn on
c6 exerts power. I n add ition the ideal
square d 5 is made available for the
white knight.
Black is unable to improve the unfor­
tunate deployment of his mi nor pieces.
The loss of the game is the logical out­
come.

40. Wb7-b8 25. �e8-c7

41 . Ae3-a7 ! 'Wb8-d8 26. Ag3xe5 !
42. �a5-c6
Once again the knight appears at c6. This n Assessment of the position
time Black cannot do other than exchange
With the pseudo-sacrifice on e5 White
it, si nce 42 . . . . Wic? fails to 43. &De?+ .
shatters the black pawn formation and
42. . . . Ad7xc6 also he forces Black to exchange on a3,
43. d5xc6 f5-f4 since the pawn fork d6 w i l l deprive the
There is no longer any defence. If 43 . . . . a8 rook of one of the pieces protect­
&Dc? then Wh ite wins by 44. Ab6 Wib8 ing it. The newly-created wh ite passed
45. Axc? Wix c? 46. &De3, fol lowed by a-pawn w i l l be supported by the ma­
47. ttld5, and the passed pawn on c6 costs jor pieces and w i l l be hard to stop. At
at least a piece. the conclusion of all the exchanges the
central square d5 is cleared for a white
44. �d1-c3 �g8-h7
knight.
45. �c3-d5 f4xg3+
121 5.2 Exchanging the advantage of the open file for other advantages

I n . . . continued I 37. ... �d7-f6

The exchange of the open a-file for a If 37. . . . �b6 then 38. �b1 , followed by
strong passed pawn is the correct stra­ Ac6 and a7.
tegic and tactical decision . 3S. a6-a7 IlbS-aS
The main problem with Black's pos­ 39 . .ta4-c6 �d4xc6
ition is the u nfavourable deployment of 40. dSxc6 �f6-dS
his minor pieces. 41 . �d6-bS
Black resigned , in view of the continuation
26. llaSxa3 41 . . . . �f8 42. c7 �b6 43. �d6, followed
27. b2xa3 d6xeS by 44. c8'fi .
2S. dS-d6 .te7xd6
G a m e 77
Also 28 . . . . �b5 29. �xb5 Axb5 30. dxe7 W. U h l m a n n - I . C s o m
'fixe7 31 . �e3 gives Wh ite a clear advant­ A m sterd a m 1 970
age. Queen 's Gambit Declined [0 63J
29. �c4xd6 'Wb7-b3 1 . d4 �f6 2. c4 e6 3. �f3 dS 4. �c3
30. 'Wa2xb3 IlbSxb3 .te7 S . .tgS �bd7 6. e3 0-0 7. Ilc1 a6
31 . �c3-dS �c7-e6 S. cxdS exdS 9. .td3 c6 10. 0-0 lleS
Equally hopeless would be 31 . . . . �xd5 1 1 . Ab1 �fS 12. �eS Ad6 ( 1 2 . . . . �6d7 is
32. exd5, si nce the black minor pieces are more precise) 1 3. f4 .te7 14. Cit>h1 �6d7
in no position to stop the passed a-pawn. 1S . .txe7 'Wxe7 1 6. e4 dxe4 17. �xe4
�f6 1S. �xf6+ 'Wxf6 19. fS ! (This prevents
32. a3-a4 �e6-d4
Black from developing normal ly and gains
33. Ae2-d1 ! Ilb3-bS
a space advantage) 19 . . . . �d7 20. lle1 !
But not 33 . . . . �xf3+ on accou nt of 1� •
34. �f2 , winning a piece. 8

34. a4-aS .td7-c6

3S. as-a6 .tc6xdS
36. e4xdS �fS-d7
37. Ad1-a4 !
4
With the i ntervention of the bishop on the
3
queenside the game is quickly concluded.
131

n Assessment of the position

Wh ite has a space advantage and a
wel l-posted central kn ight and he now
i n itiates play on the open file. I n view
of the weakness of Black's back rank,
d iscoveries by the white knight m ust
constantly be taken into accou nt. The

121
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 122

In . . . continued I Wh ite has su rrendered the open fi le and

i n return has gained a winning advantage
f5 pawn hinders any harmon ious devel­
in material. With the fol lowing wholesale
opment of the black pieces.
simpl ification he wins a piece.
In contrast, Black must try to make
up his lag in development. The back 26. �a8xf8
ran k weakness and the fact that his 27. Ae4xdS Ad7xfS
rooks are not connected are his main 28. AdS-b3 g7-g6
problems at present. 29. �c1-f1 �g8-g7
30. �eSxf7
20. . . . 'Wf6-d6 Black resigned. After 30 . . . . gxf7 31 . Axf7
21 . �eS-c4 ! �xf7 32. g4 Wh ite is a rook ahead .
An i nteresting pawn sacrifice, after which
G a m e 78
the i nvasion of the eighth ran k will be
W. U h l m a n n - I. K o z m a
ach ieved .
Z i n nowitz 1 9 67
21 . . . . �e8xe1 + GrOnfeld Defence [0 99J
22. 'Wd1 xe1 'Wd6xd4
1 . d4 �f6 2. c4 g6 3. �c3 dS 4. �f3
If 22 . . . . 'MIf8 then 23. 'MIg3 �d8 24. �d6 ! Ag7 S. 'Wb3 dxc4 6. 'Wxc4 0-0 7. e4 Ag4
�e8 (24 . . . . �f8 25. 'MIc7 tDf6 (25 . . . . 'MIe7 8. Ae3 �fd7 9. �d1 �b6 10. 'Wb3 �c6
26. tDd6 �e3 27. gg1 winning a piece) 1 1 . dS �eS 12. Ae2 �xf3+ 13. gxf3 AhS
26. tDb6 tDd5 27. tDxd5 cxd5 28. ge1 and 14. a4 'Wd7 1S. h4 as 16. �bS �c8 (White
the open e -fi le g uarantees a big advant­ was threatening 17. tDxc7 'MIxc7 18. Axb6)
age) 25. f6 ! tDxf6 26. tDb6 ga7 27. �b8, 17. f4 Axe2 18. �xe2 c6 1 9. dxc6 'Wxc6
winning a piece. 20. eS
23. 'We1-e8+ �d7-f8 1 33
24. �c4-eS 8

Th is was the idea behind the pawn sac ­

rifice. The queen has i nvaded on e8 with
gain of tempo and now menaces the f7
5
square.
24. . . . 'Wd4-dS
4

2S. Ab1-e4 ! 3 3

With this deflection manoeuvre the control 2 2

of the open file is converted into a material

advantage. 25 . . . . �xe4 fails to 26. 'MIxf7+
followed by 27. 'MIxf8 mate.
2S. . . . Ac8-d7 n Assessment of the position
Forced , since 25. . . . 'MIxa2 loses to With the text move White has increased
26. gd1 ! with the strong th reat 27. Ad5 . his space advantage. The black bishop
I f 26 . . . . 'MI b 3 then 27. g d 8 wins ; if 26 . . . . is now restricted i n its mobi l ity and
Axf5 then 27. 'MIxa8 Axe4 28. tDd7 is de­ the black knight is deprived of the d6
cisive. square. At the same time White gets rid
26. 'We8xf8+ ... of his weakness on e4.

122
123 5 . 2 Exchanging the advantage of the open file for other advantages

I n . . . continued I Wh ite simplifies i nto an easily winning

endgame of knight against bishop. He
Both the open files are of g reat im­
exchanges control of the open file for
portance, especially as the black queen
can be d islodged with gain of tempo. this favourable endgame position . If Black
The entry squares c7 and d7 are hard avoids the exchange of rooks, the rook
for Black to protect. I n this particular ending after 28 . . . . �a8 29. tDxg7 <!>xg7
case the d raug hty position of Wh ite's 30. �c7 winning a pawn also provides ex­
king is not unfavourable, si nce the only cellent winning chances for White.
black piece available to attack it is the 28. I::! c8xcS
queen . 29. �e6xcS b7-b6
The badly placed knight on c8 pre ­ 30. �cS-d7 f7-f6
vents Black from connecting h i s rooks. 31 . eS-e6 f6-fS
He is defenceless against the i nvasion 32. b2-b4 !
by the white rooks. After this fi ne concluding move Black
resigned. If now 32 . . . . a x b4 33. tDx b6
b3 34. a5 b2 35. <!>c2 the a -pawn is un­
20 . . . . �c8-b6
stoppable.
21 . I::! d 1-c1 !
The text move forces Black to play . . . �d5
and thus exchange queens. The only act­ G a m e 79
ive black piece will thereby be removed . E m . L a s ke r - W. Ste i n itz
The invasion of the seventh rank continues M o ntreal 1 894
to be Wh ite's main objective. Ruy L opez {C 68J
21 . 'Wc6-dS 1 . e4 eS 2. �f3 �c6 3 . .tbS a6 4 . .txc6
22. 'Wb3xdS �b6xdS dxc6 S. d4 exd4 6. 'Wxd4 'Wxd4 7. �xd4
23. �bS-c7 ! cS 8. �e2 .td7 9. �bc3 0-0-0 10 . .tf4
.tc6 1 1 . 0-0 �f6 1 2. f3 .te7 1 3. �g3
Wh ite consistently follows his plan. He
g6 14. I::! fe1 ( 1 4 . �fd1 or 14. Ag5 is bet­
seizes the c7 square with gain of tempo.
ter) 14 . . . . �d7 1 S. �d1 ( 1 5 . tDd5 would
23. . . . �dSxe3 be a blu nder on accou nt of 1 5 . . . . Axd5
16. exd5 Af6, followed by 17. . . . tDb6)
Although this makes it more d ifficult for
1 S . . . . �b6 1 6. �f1 I::! d 7 17. .te3 I::! h d8
White to i nvade with a rook on c7, it im­
18. b3 c4 !
proves White's pawn structure. The black
1 34
bishop is inferior to the white knight, si nce
8 8
its activity is restricted by the e5 pawn.
24. f2xe3 l::! a 8-d8
2S. I::! c 1-cS I::! d 8-d7
26. I::! h 1-d1
With the exchange of a pair of rooks,
Black's defensive capabi l ity is weakened .
26. I::! d 7xd1
27. �e2xd1 I::!f8-c8
28. �c7-e6 ! L..-_
- _____---'''---_--' if

1 23
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 124
-

n Assessment of the position Black has regained his sacrificed pawn

with a sustai ned positional advantage.
With simple measures Black has ac ­
The control of the open d -file, the strong
quired the better position. He is in con­
bishop on c5 and the pawn majority on the
trol of the open d -file and already has
queenside are all in Black's favour.
his rooks dou bled . With the text move
he offers a pawn sacrifice to i ncrease 29. lac1-d1 ladSxd1
the scope of his e? bishop. After ac ­ 30. lae1 xd1 fS-f4 !
ceptance of the pawn sacrifice the black
This pawn restricts the mobi l ity of the
bishop pai r is superior to the white
knight and prevents counterplay with g4.
knights. If White declines the pawn sac ­
rifice, Black can favourably dissolve his 31 . �h1-h2 lagS-eS
dou bled pawns. With both his knights On move 25 a second open fi le appeared .
on the back rank White has played very Black allowed this to happen and permit­
passively. Thus Black can further d e ­ ted Wh ite to occupy one of the two fi les.
velop h i s initiative and fight successfully I n exchange he has gained a tremendous
for the entry squares on the d -file. endgame advantage, as explained in the
note to move 28. The endgame is hopeless
1 9. J.e3xb6 c7xb6 for Wh ite.
20. b3xc4 J.e7-b4 135 a b c d e

Provoking c2-c3 , in order to gain the entry 8 8

square d3. 7
21 . c2-c3 J.b4-cS+ 6 6
22. �g1-h1 ladS-d3
5 5
Both white knights are tied to fulfi l l ing their 4 4
defensive tasks on the back rank.
3
23. laa1-c1 a6-aS
2 2
24. �d1-e3 f7-fS !
2S. e4xfS
Wh ite should at least occupy the d5 out­ '--_______....:_
:.... ---' 'lJ
post and play 25. �d5 ; after 25 . . . . fxe4
26. fxe4 �e8 Black is slightly better.
32. a4 �c7 33. h4 �c6 34. c4 (34 . . . . b5
must be prevented ) 34 . . . . J.b4 3S. �h3
2S. . . . g6xfS lae1 ! 36. laxe1 J.xe1 37. �g4 �cS
26. h2-h3 3S. �xf4 �xc4 39. �e4 (after 39. h5
Or 26. �xf5 �xf3 ! 27. �e?+ Axe? 28. gxf3 b5 40. axb5 a4 41 . �e3+ �d3 the a­
Axf3+ 29. �g1 Ac5+ 30. �e3 �d2 ! , and pawn can no longer be stopped ) 39 . . . .
the black rook exerts tremendous pressure J.xh4 40. g3 J.dS 41 . �e3+ �b4 42. �d3
on Wh ite's second rank. �xa4 43. �c2 �bS 44. f4 �cS 4S. fS
26. . . . ladS-gS �d6 46. g4 bS 47. �d1 �eS 4S. �c3 b4
27. �e3-dS 49. �a4 �d4 SO. �b2 bS S1 . �b3 J.e7
S2. gS (zugzwang , otherwise 52 . . . . a4+
Once again 27. �xf5 fai ls to 27. . . . �xf3. is decisive) S2 . . . . a4+ S3. �xa4 bxa4+
2Z J.c6xdS 54. �xa4 �eS SS. �b3 �xfS, and Wh ite
2S. c4xdS lad3xdS resigned .

124
125 5 . 2 E xch a n gi ng t he ad vantag e of t h e op e n fi l e ro r ot h er ad Van tage S
____________
______�������������������������=������
G a m e 80
V. K ra m n i k - A. Yu s u p ov
Dort m u n d 1 9 97
Queen 's Gambit Declined [0 3 7J
1 . �f3 d5 2. d4 �f6 3. c4 e6 4. �c3
Ae7 5. Af4 0-0 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5 Axc5
8. 'Wc2 �c6 9. a3 Ad7 10. §d1 §c8
1 1 . Ae2 dxc4 1 2. 0-0 a6 ( bad would be
12 . . . . 'Wa5 13. �d2 b5 14. �de4, winning
a piece. Equally with 1 2 . . . . �a5 Black
would have no joy after 13. �e5 . 12 . . . .
Ae7 is best) 1 3. Axc4 �h5 14. �g5 !
(With this knight move White provokes the
weakness . . . g6 and prepares the man­
oeuvre �e4. After this the open d -file and
the d6 square provide the basis for fu­
ture operations) 14 . . . . g6 1 5. �ge4 Ae7
( 1 5 . . . . �xf4 would be a bad blu nder
on account of 16 . .!:!xd7) 16. Ad6 Axd6
17. §xd6 ( 1 7. �xd6 also prom ises Wh ite
an advantage) 17. . . . �b8 ! ( better than
17. . . . �e5 1 8 . Ae2 f5 1 9 . Axh5 g x h5
20. �g3) 18. Ae2 �g7 19. §d3 ( if 1 9 . .!:!fd1
Black has the defence . . . .!:!c7 avai lable)
19 . . . . Y!ie7 20. Y!id2 (20. �d6 .!:!c7 21. b4 ! ?
was also worth consideri ng) 20 . . . . Ac6
21 . §d1 §c7 22. �d6 �d7 23. e4 �e8
24. �xe8 §xe8 25. §d6 8:ec8 ? !
1 36 r----;---;---,---.
8
2 30. Ae2-f3 !
n Assessment of the position
Ever si nce the 1 7th move a dogged
struggle for control of the open d -file
125
�
_______
I n . . . continued l
has been i n progress. By tripling his
major pieces White has a positional ad ­
vantage in any event, but what is lacking
is a black pawn weakness.
At first Black was successfu l in al­
leviating the annoying pressure on the
d6 square by the manoeuvre . . . �g7
and . . . �e8 . Now his problem lies in
how to exchange a rook on the d ­
file. I n this respect h i s last move was
i nconsistent ; 25 . . . . �f6 ! would have
done the trick for him. After 26. 'Wf4 (or
26. e5 �e4 27. �xe4 Axe4, with only
a m i n i mal wh ite advantage) 26 . . . . .!:!d7
Black would have ach ieved an i m port­
ant objective in exchanging rooks. The
defence would then have been much
easier.
26. Y!id2-f4 Y!ie7-f6 ? !
Already i n time pressure, Black would un­
derstandably like to exchange the queens.
Natural ly Wh ite does not allow this. There­
fore the immediate 26 . . . . �f8 was better.
27. Y!if4-g3 �d7-f8
There was a th reat of 28. .!:!xc6 bxc6
29. Axa6 winning, which would also have
been the response to 27. . . . <;!1g7.
28. h2-h4 8:c7-d7
29. e4-e5 Y!if6-g7
Black already has serious problems. If
29 . . . . 'We7 then 30. Af3 with an exchange
of bishops, whereupon the wh ite knight
com ing to e4 is unpleasant for Black.
8:d7xd6
Here too, d isaster can no longer be
avoided . 31 . Axc6 followed by 32 . �e4 can
only be prevented by exchanging rooks.
N ow with the appearance of a passed
pawn on d6 a new situation arises.
31 . e5xd6 �f8-d7
32. Af3xc6 8:c8xc6
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 126

33. Wg3-g5 ! . . . 137

8
A strong move which threatens the ex­
tremely awkward 34. Wd8+ and We7. If
Black prevents this by 33 . . . . f6, then
34. We3 Wf7 35. Wa7 ! , with advantage.
33. Wg7-fS
34. Wg5-e7 ! WfS-cS
35. Eid1-d4
2
35. h5 ! is even more accurate.
35. . . . Eic6-c5 '--_______�_ ____' 'if
36. �c3-e4 Eic5-f5
The deadly 37. Wxd7 Wxd7 38. CDf6+ was n Assessment of the position
threatened .
After the inaccurate move 9. Ab3 White
37. �g1-h2 h7-h5 has lost the bishop pair. The typical
3S. f2-f3 �gS-g7 pawn sacrifice 9. f5 would have def­
39. Eid4-d3 ! WcS-c6 initely been better. Now Wh ite will soon
40. Eid3-c3 Wc6-b5 suffer from a weakness on the l i g ht
41 . Eic3-cS ! squares. With 1 6 . exf5 he has also given
up the centre.
There is no defence against the threat of
16 . . . . g xf5 is the key move for
42 . Wd8 . If 41 . . . . We5+ then 42. <;!>h1
Black's strategy. H e com bines play on
Wx b2 43. Wxd7 Wa1 + 44. <;!>h2 We5+
the long l i ght-squared d iagonal with
45. CDg3 �f4 46. Wd8, and wins.
pressure on the half-open g -fi le. Black
41 . Wb5xb2 also has control over the centre so that
42. We7xd7 Eif5xf3 Wh ite has no support poi nts for his
43. Wd7-dS Wb2-e5+ knights. There is no active plan for White
44. g2-g3 We5-b2+ i n sight, so he m ust already switch to
45. �h2-h3 defence.
Black resigned .
17. Eie1-e2 EiaS-eS
1S. Eif1-e1 �gS-hS
G a m e 81 The king is safer on h8, and this move also
S. T i v i a kov - G . K a s p a rov vacates the g -file for the rooks.
W ij k aan Zee 2 0 0 1
Sicilian Defence [8 23J 1 9. Wg3-h3 �c6-d4
20. �f3xd4 Ag7xd4+
1 . e4 c5 2. �c3 d6 3. f4 g6 4. �f3 Ag7 21 . �g1-h1 EifS-gS
5. Ac4 �c6 6.0-0 e6 7. d3 �ge7 S. We1 22. �c3-d1 EigS-g6
0-0 9. Ab3 ? ! �a5 ! 10. Ae3 b6 1 1 . Af2 23. c2-c3 Ad4-g7
Ab7 12. Ah4 �xb3 13. axb3 Wd7 14. Wg3 24. �d1-e3 EieS-fS
f5 ! 1 5. Eiae1 �c6 16. exf5 gxf5 25. Ah4-g5 h7-h6
26. Ag5-h4 b6-b5
(see diagram 137) 27. �e3-f1 b5-b4

126
127 5.3 Tactics on the open file

With this decision Black increases the provides the only cover for Black's king,
range of his dark-squared bishop. yet if it d isappears the black rooks will in­
2S. c3xb4 cSxb4 vade powerfu lly. This move decides the
29. �f1-e3 �fS-gS game.
30. Ah4-g3 Ag7-d4 36. �e1-e2 hS-h4
31 .�e3-c4 �gS-g7 37. Ag3-e1
32. 'Wh3-hS Cit>hS-h7
37. �c4 c;;, g 8 38. Ae1 gg4 39. �e3 gxf4 is
33. �c4-e3 'Wd7-bS
no better.
34. �e2-d2 a7-a6
3S. 'WhS-h3 h6-hS ! 37. Ad4xe3
138 3S. 'Wh3xe3 'WbS-c6
8 8
39. 'We3-h3 'Wc6-c1
40. 'Wh3xh4+ �g6-h6
41 . �d2-c2 'Wc1-d1
42. �c2-d2 'Wd1-b1
43. 'Wh4-f2 �g7xg2
The strategic objective has been achieved .
3 After the constant increase in the pressure
on the long diagonal and on the g -file, the
2
g2 pawn final ly fal ls. There is no longer any
defence agai nst Black's attack.
'--_______-=-_----' 1f 44. 'Wxg2 Axg2+ 4S. Cit>xg2 'Wa2 46. �c2
By analogy with Hans Kmoch's concept �g6+ 47. Ag3 'Wxb3 4S. �ed2 as 49. Cit>f2
of the 'square sweeper' we could call this a4 SO. �c6 a3 S1. bxa3 bxa3 S2. Cit>e2 eS
pawn a 'file sweeper' . The h-pawn is sacri­ 53. fxeS f4,
ficed in order to open the h-file. Th is pawn and Wh ite resigned .

5.3 Ta ct i c s on t h e o p e n f i l e

The strategic plan i n the game of chess
is i m plemented by tactical means. Tac ­
tics help t o underpin plans and achieve
objectives. I n the games that we have ex­
am ined so far, we have seen that, in prac ­
tice, strategy and tactics cannot be di­
vorced from each other.
In this section we shall show games i n
which tactical decisions are faci l itated by
the control of the open fi le. The otherwise
so cumbersome major pieces perform sur­
prising twists. These tactical twists are of-
ten directly aimed at two objectives :
1 . a mating attack ;
2. a gain of material .
We shall beg i n with the mating attack. I n
the attack on the king there are typical
combi nations, a few of which we should
present . Fi rst of all we shall examine the
classic queen sacrifice, which has already
often occurred in this or some simi lar fash­
ion.

127
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 128

G a m e 82 1 . e4 cS 2. d4 dS 3. �c3 dxe4 4. �xe4

R. Reti - S. Ta r t a kowe r �fS S. Ad3 'lNxd4 S. �f3 'lNd8 7. 'lNe2 Af5
V i e n n a 1 91 0 8. �xfS+ g xfS 9. AxfS 'WaS+ 10. Ad2
Caro - Kann Defence [8 1 5J 'WxfS 1 1 . 0-0-0 'WeS ( Black wants to win
the a2 pawn - this is an unsound plan , as
1 . e4 cS 2. d4 dS 3. �c3 dxe4 4. �xe4 White proves ; 1 1 . . . . ti)d7 is better, followed
�fS S. 'Wd3 eS? (5 . . . . tDxe4 6. Wxe4 by queenside castl ing) 1 2. 'lNd3 'lNxa2
\Wd5 is better) S. dxeS 'WaS+ 7. Ad2 'WxeS
8. 0-0-0 140

L...-_______ �_---' 1J

1 3. 'Wd3-d8+ �e8xd8
n Assessment of the position 14. Ad2-aS+ �d8-e8
1 S. l3:d1-d8 mate.
The d- and e -fi les are open . Since the
black king is sti l l on its origi nal square,
tactical twists are i n the air. Thus 8 . . . .
\Wxe4 fai ls to 9 . .§e1 , winning the queen. The fol lowing game i l lustrates a less com­
mon version of the queen sacrifice on the
8. �fSxe4 open d -file. Here the double check follow­
ing the queen sacrifice is g iven not with
The game conti nuation leads to a quick
.§/A but with .§ltD.
and beautiful finish.
9. 'Wd3-d8+ �e8xd8 G a m e 84
10. Ad2-gS+ I . C h i st i a kov - M . K a g a n
Black resigned, si nce he will be mated next U S S R 1 93 3
move : if 10 . . . . �e8 1 1 . .§d8, or 10 . . . . �c7 French Defence [C 1 7J
1 1 . Ad8.
1 . d4 eS 2. e4 dS 3. �c3 Ab4 4. eS cS
A variation on this theme was seen i n the S. 'Wg4 �e7 S. �f3 �bcS 7. Ad3 cxd4
fol lowing game. 8. �xd4 �xeS 9. AbS+ Ad7 10. 'Wxg7
�SgS 1 1 . 'WfS eS 1 2. Axd7+ 'Wxd7
G a m e 83 1 3. �e2 d4 14. a3 Axc3+ 1 S. bxc3 d3
S. Ta rrasch - N . N . 1 S. cxd3 'Wxd3 17. l3:a2 �dS 18. 'WdS ?
S i m u l t a n e o u s g a m e 1 9 31 ( 1 8 . Wf3 is necessary)
Caro - Kann Defence [8 1 5J (see diagram 141)

128
129 5.3 Tactics on the open file

141 Black sees only the threatened attack on

f2 and he misses the following queen sac ­
rifice, acceptance of which leads to a
forced mate.

1 3. 'Wd4-dS+ �eSxdS
14. Ad2-g5+ �dS-eS
1 5. lld1-dS+ �eS-f7
16. e5-e6+
The second point of the combination : If
16 . . . . Axe6, then 17. ttle5 mate.

16. �f7xe6
1S. ... llaS-dS 17. �e2-f4+ �e6-f7
Preparing the queen sacrifice ; Wh ite can 1S. �f3-e5 mate
no longer avoid defeat.
1 9. 'Wd6-c5 'Wd3-d1+
White resigned i n view o f t h e sequel G a m e 86
20. �xd1 ttle3+ 21 . �e1 .§d1 mate. A. N i m zowitsch - S. A l a p i n
Vi l n i u s 1 91 2
The next game again contai ns a queen French Defence [C 1 7J
sacrifice. But the combination is more d if­
ficult since after the double check there is 1 . e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. �c3 �f6 4. exd5
no immed iate mate. �xd5 5. �f3 c5 6. �xd5 'Wxd5 7. Ae3
cxd4 S. �xd4 a6 9. Ae2 'Wxg2 ? (White
G a m e 85 has already developed all his minor pieces,
Vu kovi c - N . N . Black only his queen ; g rabbing a pawn
S i m u ltaneo u s g a m e 1 92 6 when so far behind in development is ob­
Ruy L opez [C 65J viously a mistake) 10. Af3 'W96 1 1 . 'Wd2 e5
( Black wants to d islodge the knight from
1 . e4 e5 2. �f3 �c6 3. Ab5 �f6 4. d4
d4, but White is already so wel l developed
exd4 5. e5 �e4 6. Af4 f5 7. Axc6 dxc6
that he can ignore this threat) 1 2. 0-0-0
S. 'Wxd4 'Wd5 9. �c3 'Wa5 10. lld1 Ae7
exd4 13. Axd4 �c6
1 1 . Ad2 'Wb6 1 2. �e2 Ac5 ?

6 6 6

5 5 5 5

4 4 4 4

3 3 3 3

2 2

'if 'if

-129
 Chapter 5
n Assessment of the position
The open d- and e -files as wel l as the
lead in development already allow a tac ­
tical decision , of which the cli max is
once again a queen sacrifice. The white
position is so superior that there are
also other winning conti nuations.
14. Ad4-f6 ! 'Wg6xf6
If 14 . . . . g xf6 then 1 5 . Axc6+ .
1S. §:h1-e1 + AfS-e7
If 15 . . . . Ae6, then 1 6 . 'Wd7 mate.
16. Af3xe6+ 'i!?eS-fS
Or 1 6 . . . . bxc6 1 7. 'WdS mate.
17. 'Wd2-dS+ Ae7xdS
1S. §:e1-eS mate.
In the fol lowing game the open file is the
precondition for combinations with a mat­
ing attack. The attacking side has two fur­
ther advantages : a lead i n development
and the exposed position of the enemy
king.
G a m e 87
K o s h t e n ko - K. L e r n e r
Od essa 1 9 62
French Defence [C 1 5J
1 . e4 e6 2. d4 dS 3. the3 Ab4 4. the2
dxe4 S. a3 Axe3+ 6. thxe3 thf6 7. AgS
the6 S. AbS 0-0 9. Axe6 bxe6 10. thxe4
'WdS 1 1 . thxf6+ g xf6 1 2. Axf6 'Wxg2 ?
144
'lJ
L...-_______-=-_---I
Once again the g2 pawn is poisoned . How­
ever, it would be easy to overlook Wh ite's
Exploiting the open file 130
imaginative response : a beautiful queen
sacrifice to clear the g -fi le.
13. 'Wd1-f3 ! !
Black resigned . If 1 3 . . . . 'Wxf3 then
1 4 . f!g1 + , while if 1 3 . . . . 'Wg6 then
14. 0-0-0 'Wh6+ 1 5 . 'i!?b1 followed by
1 6 . f!g1 + wins.
G a m e 88
R. F i s c h e r - R. F i n e
U SA 1 963
Evans Gambit [C 52J
1 . e4 eS 2. thf3 the6 3. Ae4 AeS 4. b4
Axb4 S. e3 AaS 6. d4 exd4 7. 0-0 dxe3
S. 'Wb3 'We7 9. thxe3 thf6 10. thdS thxdS
1 1 . exdS theS 1 2. thxeS 'WxeS 1 3. Ab2
'WgS
145
L...-_______-=-_----' 'lJ
n Assessment of the position
Wh ite has a big lead in development
and the black king is sti ll on the open e­
fi le. White conducts the attack energet­
ical ly, without shyi ng away from further
sacrifices.
14. h2-h4 ! 'WgSxh4
Other moves also lose by force, for in­
stance : 1 4 . . . . 'Wg4 15. f!Je1 + Axe1
1 6 . f!xe1 + 'i!?d8 (or 16 . . . . 'i!?f8 17. 'We3)
1 7. 'We3 'Wx h4 18. g3, and the black queen
m ust abandon the d8-h4 d i agonal ; or
14 . . . . 'Wh6 15. gfe1 + Axe1 16. gxe1 + 'i!?f8
130
131 5.3 Tactics on the open file
17. 'Wg3 and Black has no defence agai nst
the threats of 1 8 . £xg7 and 1 8 . 'Wxc7.
1S. Ab2xg7 JahS-gS
16. Jaf1-e1 + ct>eS-dS
17. 'Wb3-g3 !
Black resigned. After this beautifu l final
move, he can no longer g uard the d8-h4
diagonal and he is defenceless against Af6
mate.
G a m e 89
B. L a rs e n - J. B e d n a r s k i
H ava n a 1 9 67
Sicilian Defence [8 52]
1 . e4 cS 2. �f3 d6 3. AbS+ Ad7 4. a4
�f6 S. d3 e6 (5 . . . . tLlc6 is better) 6. 0-0
Ae7 7. eS ! dxeS S. �xeS a6? (a positional
blunder which weakens the b6 square and
thus devalues Black's queenside pawns)
9. Axd7+ �bxd7 10. �xd7 'Wxd7 11. �d2
0-0 1 2. �c4 �dS 1 3. as ! JafeS 14. Jae1
AfS 1 S. Ad2 JaadS 1 6. Jae4 'Wc7 17. 'Wf3
eS ( 1 7. . . . f6 is more solid ; the text move
allows Wh ite very promising play on the
half-open e -file ; he will prepare to open
a file with the pawn lever f2-f4) 1S. 'We2 !
f6 19. f4 Ae7 ! (preventing 20. fxe5 on ac ­
cou nt of 20 . . . . f5 winning the exchange)
20. Jae1 g6 (not 20 . . . . exf4 21 . tLlb6 ! , and
after the removal of the d5 knight the pin
on the e7 bishop is dead ly) 21 . 'Wf3 exf4
( Black is forced to open the e -fi le hi mself,
since the rook now has the retreat square
e2 ) 22. �b6 !
146
8 If 24 . . . . Af8 then 25. f!xe8 f!xe8 26. f!xe8
a White has l!!rf8 mate. - Translator]
131
n Assessment of the position
After the opening of the e -fi le Wh ite ex­
erts strong pressure on e7 and e8 with
his doubled rooks. With the planned ex­
change of knights on b6, Black's only
wel l-placed piece will be removed . This
shows the consequences Black's open­
ing "sin" of weakening the b6 square.
The wh ite pawn that appears on b6 is
taboo, on accou nt of the attack on e7.
H owever, this pawn will deprive Black
of the defensive square c7 and wi ll con­
tri bute to Wh ite's space advantage. I n
add ition to the sign ificant advantage of
the open fi le, Wh ite's bishop is of par­
ticu lar i mportance for the assessment
of the position. In the future it will be
posted on c3 and will exert pressu re
on the long d iagonal a1 -h8. With i n a
few moves it wi ll become clear that the
bishop, together with the q ueen , will
play a decisive role.
Furthermore the open fi le allows
Wh ite tactical shots, since the black
king lacks shelter. Against precise en­
emy play Black al ready has no chance
of defending successfu lly.
22. . . . �dSxb6
22 . . . . tLle3 23. £xe3 fxe3 24. 'Wxe3 ct>f7
25. c4, followed by 26. tLld5 , would be
hopeless.
23. aSxb6 'Wc7-d7
24. 'Wf3xf4 f6-fS
'Wxe8 27. 'Wxf6 'We2 28. 'Wf2 'Wd1 + 29. 'We1
'Wxc2 30. 'We6+ fol lowed by 31 . £c3+ ,
winning ; o r 27. . . . Ag7 28. 'Wf3 , and White
hangs on to his extra pawn. [If now 28. . . .
£xb2 White should play, not 29. 'lfIxb 7 ?,
which allows counterplay with 29 . . . . 'lfIe2,
but the finesse 29. 'lfId5+ ! with the point
that after 29. . . . r;!;h8 (if 29. . . . 'lfIf7 simply
30. l!!rxc5) 30. l!!rxb7 'lfIe2 31. l!!rf3 ! l!!rxd2 ? ?
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 132

25 . .ld2-c3 ! ! . . . G a m e 90
W. U h l m a n n P. L u k a c s
A bri l l iant rook sacrifice, designed to
-

B e r l i n 1 9B2
weave a mating net out of the open file
English Opening fA 34J
and the long d iagonal. The offer can not
really be refused , for instance : 25 . . . . AfB 1 . c4 �f6 2. �c3 c5 3. �f3 d5 4. cxd5
26. !':!xeB !':!xeB 27. �c4+ �f7 2B. !':!xeB, �xd5 5. e4 �b4 6 . .lb5+ �Sc6 7. d4 ! ?
winning a rook. cxd4 S . a 3 .ld7 ( B . . . . d x c3 would be
d u bious. After 9. �xdB+ <!>xdB 1 0 . axb4
25 . . . . f5xe4 eDx b4 1 1 . 0-0 White gains a g reat lead
26. 'Wf4-e5 .le7-fS in development ; or B . . . . 'Wb6 9. Axc6+
Or 26 . . . . Ad6 27. �hB+ <!>f7 2B. �x h7+ bxc6 1 0 . a x b4 d x c3 1 1 . bxc3, with ad ­
<!>e6 29. !':!xe4+ <!>d5 30. �xd7 !':!xd7 vantage) 9. �xd4 �xd4 10. Axd7+ 'Wxd7
31 . !':!xeB with an easy win . 1 1 . a x b4 e6 ( 1 1 . . . . e5 1 2 . eDd5 ! ) 1 2 . .le3
lldS 13. O-O !
27. 'We5-hS+ �gS-f7
148 r-----;---:--;---, ..
2S. lle1-f1 +
8
Faced with the mating threats on e5 or
f6, Black has to g ive u p his queen . Once
again the open fi le is decisive. I ncident­
ally, the strategic aspects of this game are
excel lently combi ned with tactical consid­
erations.
The rest of the game is sti l l noteworthy,
since it is as if White is playing 'Take' with
his queen . By giving check, he simply cap­
tures one pawn after another.
147 .. n Assessment of the position
8
Wh ite has a big lead i n development
7 7
and he offers a pawn sacrifice to cre -
6 ate dangers for Black o n the open d -fi le
5 5 as qu ickly as possible. It is i m portant
to real ise that if the pawn sacrifice is
4 4
accepted , cross pins will appear on the
3 3
d -fi le. Also Black will be prevented from
2 2 castling. Furthermore there will be pres-
sure against the a7 and b7 pawns .

1 3. ... .lfSxb4
2S. . . . 'Wf5 29. llxf5+ g xf5 30. 'Wf6+ Black has no time for 1 3 . . . . a6 on account
�gS 31 . 'Wg5+ �f7 32. 'Wxf5+ �gS of 1 4 . Axd4 'Wxd4 1 5 . 'Wa4+ �d7 1 6 . b5 !
33. 'Wg5+ �f7 34. 'Wf6+ �gS 35. 'WhS+ a x b5 1 7. eDxb5, with the crush ing threats
�f7 36. 'Wxh7+ �e6 37. 'Wxe4+ �d6 of 1 B . eDc7+ or !:!fd1 .
3S. 'Wxb7 lld7 39. 'Wxa6 �e6 40. b7+ Ad6 14. .le3xd4 'Wd7xd4
41 . 'Wc4+, and Black resigned . 1 5. 'Wd1-a4+ �fS-e7

132
133 5.3 Tactics on the open file

White has aimed for this position, in which G a m e 91

Black is forced to move his king. 15 . . . . S . Tat a i - A. Karpov
l::! d 7 would be an error on accou nt of L a s Pa l m as 1 97 7
1 6. Cl:lb5 ! (16. l::!fd1 ? ! is unclear after 16 . . . . English Opening [A 34]
Axc3 ! 1 7. l::! x d4 Axd4) 1 6 . . . . �xe4 ?
1 7. Cl:ld6+ , winning the queen , or 1 6 . 1 . eLlf3 cS 2. c4 eLlf6 3. eLlc3 dS 4. cxdS
�x b2 1 7. l::! a b1 , winning a piece. eLlxdS S. g3 g6 6. Ag2 Ag7 7. 'Wa4+ eLlc6
16. eLlc3-bS ! 'Wd4xe4 8. eLlgS e6 9. eLlge4 eLlb6 ! 10. 'WbS c4
17. Elf1-e1 ! 'We4xe1 + 1 1 . eLla4 0-0 1 2. eLlxb6 axb6 13. 'Wxc4
Again the best defence. If 1 7. . . . �f4 then
18. g3 �g4 1 9 . h3 �c4 20. l::! ac1 , winning
a piece.
18. Ela1 xe1 Ab4xe1
19. 'Wa4-a3+ �e7-f6
Forced , since 1 9 . . . . �d7 fails to 20. �d6+,
followed by mate. Or 1 9 . . . . �e8 20. Cl:ld6+
�e7 21. Cl:lx b7+ �d7 (21 . . . . �f6 22 . Cl:lxd8
l::! x d8 23. �f1 ! Ad2 24 . �xa7) 22. �d6+
�c8 27. �c6+ and wins.
20. eLlbS-d6 ! a7-aS
20. . . . l::! d 7 fai ls to the subtle move
n Assessment of the position
2 1 . �f1 ! , for instance : 2 1 . . . . l::! h d8
22 . Cl:le4+ ! �e5 23. �e3 l::! d 3 24 . f4+ �f5 Black has sacrificed a pawn and gained
25. Cl:ld6+ ! ! l::! 8 xd6 26. �e5+, followed by a big lead in development in return. I n
�g5 mate. addition to the open c -file, the two half­
open fi les (a and d) will play an i mport­
[After 20. . . . £a5 (to clear the first rank for
ant role. The activity of the c6 knight
mating threats by the rook on dB) it does
is now the main focus of operations. It
not seem possible for White to win, e . g.
threatens to go to d4, and also to b4
2 1. <fJe4+ r!?e5 22. \Wxa5+ r!?xe4. - Ed.]
i n several variations. These plans will
21 . eLld6-e4+ �f6-eS be su pported by the bishops, both of
22. eLle4-gS ! �eS-f6 which will be effective on the diagonals
aiming at Wh ite's queenside.
Or 22 . . . . Ab4 23. Cl:lxf7+ <!>f6 24. �f3+
We can conclude that the win of a
�e7 25. Cl:lxh8 l::! x h8 26. �x b7+ with a big
pawn by Wh ite at this early stage was
advantage.
i nappropriate. The queen on c4 is con­
23. h2-h4 ! Ae1-b4 stantly subject to attack and can not
24. 'Wa3-f3+ �f6-e7 protect all the weak squares (a2 , c2 and
2S. 'Wf3xf7+ �e7-d6 e2 ) on its own . The fact that White has
26. 'Wf7xb7 �d6-eS not yet castled is a further d isadvant­
27. 'Wb7xg7+ �eS-dS age, so that tactical l i nes are not long
28. eLlgS-f7 i n com ing. The then World Champion
displays here his great tactical prowess.
Black resigned .

133
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 134

13 . ... e6-e5 Now finally White cou ld have castled . But

1 3 . . . . Ad? also comes strongly i nto con­
sideration .
14. 'Wc4-c2
White retreats vol untari ly. If 1 4 . 0-0 then
14. . . . Ae6 is awkward , or if 14. tbc3
then 14 . . . . Ae6 1 5 . Yfie4 ( 1 5 . Ad5 b5 ! )
1 5 . . . . Af5 1 6 . Yfid5 tbd4, with t h e threat
of . . . tbc2+, or possibly . . . tbb3 after an
exchange of queens on d8. The exposed
wh ite queenside can be further weakened
by . . . b5-b4. In this variation the strateg ic
advantage is suddenly decisive.
even then Black has a clear advantage.
For exam ple 22. 0-0 Yfid2 23. Axe4 Ah3
24 . Ag2 Axg2 25. �xg2 !!xe2 26. Yfic1
Yfid5+ 27. �g1 Ad4 , and White is com­
pletely defenceless against the attack on
the kingside after 28. . . . !!f8, si nce his
pieces are immobilised on the back rank.
22. . . . .tcS-g4 !
With the cunning threat of 23 . . . . Af3 .
23. 'Wb1-c2
This move staves off . . . Af3 , but allows an­
other bri l l iant combination .

14. . . . �c6-d4 23. . . . 'Wd4-d3 ! !

1 5. 'Wc2-b1 150

If 1 5 . Yfid1 then 1 5 . . . . Ae6 ! 1 6. 0-0 Ab3

17. a x b3 !!xa1 , and after winning the ex­
change, the next threat al ready appears :
1 8 . . . . !!xc1 1 9 . Yfixc1 tbxe2+.
1 5. . . . f7-f5
16. �e4-c3 e5-e4
White is gradually being stifled . Now 17. e3
fai ls to both 1 7. . . . tbf3+ and also 1 7. . . .
tbc6, followed by 1 8 . . . . tbe5 or 1 8 . . . . tbb4.
17. d2-d3 b6-b5 !
This superb move wins i n all variations.
1 8 . . . . b4 is threatened , so that Wh ite sti l l
If the queens come off, the wh ite king is
has no t i m e t o castle.
left defenceless. If 24 . tbe3 then 24. . . .
1S. Ac1-e3 Yfixc2 25. tbxc2 Axb2, followed by bxa3,
If 1 8. e3 then Black plays 1 8 . . . . tbf3+ wins ; or 24. !!c1 bxa3, or 24. Yfid2 Yfixd2+
1 9 . Axf3 exf3 20. tbxb5 Yfia5+ 2 1 . tbc3 25. �xd2 !!ad8+ 26. �e1 !!c8, fol lowed
b5 and there is no defence agai nst . . . b4. by !!c2 ; and finally 24 . Yfixd3 exd3 25. e3
d2+ 26. �xd2 !!ed8+ 27. �c2 (27. �e1
1S. b5-b4 !!xa3 ! and now 28. b x a3 Axa1 29. f3
1 9. �c3-d1 llfS-eS b x a3 ! 30. fxg4 a2 wins, or 28. !!c1 !!ad3
20. d3xe4 f5xe4 29. f3 Ae6, followed by Ab3 , and the b2
21 . .te3xd4 and e3 pawns fal l ) 27. . . . !!ac8+ 28. �b3
But not 21 . Axe4 on account of 2 1 . Ae6+, and the white king is caught i n a
!!xe4 2 2 . Yfixe4 Af5 , followed by 23 . . . . mating net.
tbc2+. 24. e2xd3 e4xd3+
21 . 'WdSxd4 25. �e1-d2 lleS-e2+
22. a2-a3 A final finesse.
135 5.3 Tactics on the open file

26. �d2xd3 laaS-dS+ 151

27. �d3-c4 8 8

If 27. Ad5+ then 27. . . . gxd5+ 28. �c4 7

gxc2+ 29. *xd5 Af3+, followed by 30 . . . . 6

Axh1 . 5
1-.0"07'....-
..
27. lae2xc2+ 4
2S. �c4xb4 lac2-d2 ! 3
29. f2-f3
If 29. tDe3 then 29 . . . . gx b2+ 30. *c4
Ae2+ and mate next move.
L...-_______ -=- ---' 'lf
29. . . . J.g7-fS+
_

30. �b4-aS n Assessment of the position

If 30. *b3 Ae6+. With his last move Black forced open a
30 . . . . J.g4-d7 ! file by means of tactical threats. Thus
16. Wxe3 loses to 1 6 . . . . tDc2 and
Wh ite resigned . His king is helpless in the
16. tDxe3 Axf1 17. tDxf1 e6 is bad for
mating net. If 31 . tDe3 or 31 . Af1 then i n
White on account of the threat of 1 8 . . . .
each case 3 1 . . . . Ac5 , a n d mate on a8
Wf6. After two bad white moves ( 1 1
can not be prevented . By using the open
and 1 2) Black has used every pos­
fi le and his lead i n development i n text­
sible means to en hance the activity of
book fashion, the twelfth World Champion
his pieces. After the text move, which
in chess history was able to blend strategy
opens the Hile, Black's two remai n i ng
and tactics into a bri l l iancy.
major pieces fly into action. Then all the
black pieces are effectively deployed ,
and all resistance is hopeless. Owing
G a m e 92
to Wh ite's 'si ns' i n the open ing, his c1
J. R u ka v i n a - B . L a rsen
bishop is sti l l not developed and his
Len i n g rad 1 973
rooks remain unconnected .
Du tch Defence fA 8 7J

1 . c4 g6 2. d4 J.g7 3. g3 cS 4. dS d6 16. f2xe3 lafSxf1 +

S. J.g2 �a6 6. �f3 (6. tDc3 first was 17. �g1 xf1 e7-e6 !
better, to be able to respond to 6 . . . . f5 1S. J.c1-b2
with 7. tDh3) 6 . . . . fS ! ? 7. 0-0 �f6 S. �c3 Natural ly not 1 8 . d x e6 Wf6+, fol lowed by
0-0 9. �e1 (9. gb1 is more precise) 9 . . . . 19 . . . . Wxc3 , winning a piece.
labS 10. 'Wd3 J.d7 1 1 . b3 �e4 12. J.xe4 ?
(White should definitely play 1 2 . Ab2 ; after 1S. . . . e6xdS
1 2 . . . . tDb4 or i m med i ately 1 2 . . . . b5 the 19. c4xdS
black position is preferable i n any case ; If 1 9. tDxd5 Ax b2 20. Wx b2 tDxd5
however, after the text move Wh ite can 21. cxd5 We7 there is no chance of de­
no longer avert catastrophe) 12 . . . . fxe4 fending, si nce there is nothing to be done
13. 'Wc2 J.h3 14. �g2 �b4 1S. 'Wd2 e3 ! against the threats of 22 . . . . We4 or 22 . . . .
Axg2 , followed by Wxe3. I n both cases
(see diagram 151) the endgame is lost.

135
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 136

19. 'WdS-gS White resigned. Mate in a few moves can­

20. Ela1-d1 Ag7-eS not be prevented , for i nstance : 29. i>g1
21 . e3-e4 \Wxg3+ 30. i>f1 \Wh3+ 31 . i>g1 (31 . i>f2
Ag3+ 32 . i>g1 \Wh2+ 33. i>f1 \Wf2 mate)
Forced , since after 21. i>g1 Black wins with 31 . . . . Ah2+ 32. i>f2 \Wg3+ 33. i>f1 \Wg1
21 . . . . Axg3 ! 22. ttJe4 Axh2+. mate.
21 . 'WgS-g4
22. �f1-g1 ElbS-fS
G a m e 93
23. �g2-e3
w. U h l m a n n - V. S m y s l ov
Or 23. !!f1 Ad4+ 24. e3 !!xf1 + 25. i>xf1 H a st i n g s 1 972173
\Wf3+ 26. i>g1 (26. \Wf2 Axg2+) 26. . . . English Opening fA 29J
Axg2 27. \Wxg2 \Wxe3+, with an easy win.
1 . c4 eS 2. �c3 �c6 3. �f3 �f6 4. g3
23. 'Wg4-gS Ab4 S. Ag2 0-0 6. 0-0 e4 7. �gS Axc3
24. �e3-g2 'WgS-hS S. bxc3 EleS 9. f3 exf3 10. �xf3 dS
2S. Eld1-e1 ? . . . 1 1 . cxdS �xdS ( 1 1 . . . . \Wxd5 is better)
1 2. e4 ! �b6 ( 1 2 . . . . !!xe4 1 3 . ttJg5 !!e7
25. e3 would have prolonged the struggle. 1 4 . \Wh5 ! ) 1 3. d4 Ag4 14. h3 AhS 1S. eS
But after 25 . . . . Axg2 26. i>xg2 (26. \Wxg2 �dS 1 6. Ad2 YNd7 17. g4 Ag6 1S. �gS
Axc3) 26 . . . . \Wf3+ 27. i>g1 Black can �aS 19. h4 ! h6
choose whether to win with 27. . . . ttJxa2
1 53
28. ttJxa2 Ax b2 or 27. . . . ttJd3 28. \Wxd3
B
Axg3 29. hxg3 \Wxg3+ 30. i>h1 !!f2 .
7

2S. Ah3xg2 ��
6
26. �g1 xg2 ElfS-f2+ !
5
-,�
152 4

B
3

7
2

5
f-.--=-�- '--_______-=--_---' 'It
4

3 n Assessment of the position

White has a space advantage, the
bishop pair and a dangerous attack on
the kingside. His plan now consists of
'--_______-=--_----' 'It
increasing the pressure on the half-open
f-fi le, and if possible exchanging the de­
With this beautiful sacrifice on the open file
fensive bishop on g6. It also i m portant
Black rounds off this consistently played
that the ' knight on the ri m ' at a5 is not
game.
able to join in the action quickly enough.
27. �g2xf2 'WhSxh2+
2S. �f2-f1 'Wh2-h3+ 20. h4-hS !

136
137
______________________
__ �
�2�_
�_e_.��p_
e n_f�
ile�
This is the consistent conti nuation of the
plan outl ined above, to elimi nate the d e ­
fensive bishop.
20. . . . h6xg5
Best.
If 20 . . . . Ad3 then 2 1 . !:!xf7 �b5 22. �f3
h x g 5 (not 22. . . . c6 or 22. . . . !:!ad8
on account of 23. Af1 ! h x g 5 - 23. . . .
Axf1 24. !:!x g7+ �xg7 25. �f7+ �h8
26. �h7 mate ; or 23 . . . . �b2 24. �xd3
followed by �g6 - 24. Axd3 �b2 25. !:!f1
�xd2 26. !:!xg7+ �xg7 27. �f7+ �h8
28. �h7 mate) 23. �xd5 �xd5 24 . Axd5
c6 25. !:!f3+ cxd5 26. !:!xd3 with clear ad ­
vantage to White.
After 20 . . . . Ah7 2 1 . tDxh7 �xh7 22. c4 !
Black loses a piece, since 22 . . . . tDxc4
fai ls to 23. �c2+ fol lowed by �xc4 ; but
otherwise 23. Axa5 and 23. cxd5 are
threatened .
I n addition to the text move, 20. . . .
Axh5 comes i nto consideration, but after
21. gxh5 hxg5 22. �f3 c6 23. Axg5 White
�ould l i kewise have a clear advantage i n
view of the threat of 24. Ah3 with a n attack
on the kingside.
21 . h5xg6 f7xg6
22. 'Wd1-f3
This gains an important tempo for protect­
ing the c3 pawn. The bishop on d2 can
now capture the g5 pawn.
22. . . . c7-c6
23. Ad2xg5 �a5-c4
Black completely u nderestimates the
dangers that l u rk on the open f- and h­
files. 23 . . . . 1:!fS was essential to exchange
at least one pair of rooks.
24. 'Wf3-h3
Wh ite prepares to activate his bishop on
e4 and also threatens in due course to
double on the h -fi le. 24. �d3 ? would be
a mistake, on account of 24. . . . �xg4
25. �xg6 1:!f8.
137
__________________ ��
�
24. 'Wd7-e6
After this the black position can no longer
be defended. It was sti ll best to play 24 . . . .
ms, although Wh ite then i ntended the
strong manoeuvre 25. Ae4 ! . A possible
continuation would be : 25 . . . . �e6 (25 . . . .
tDx c3 fai ls to 26. �xc3 �xg4+ 27. Ag2 ,
and Black has no time for 2 7. . . . �xg5
on account of 28. �xc4+) 26. Af5 ! ! . This
beautiful piece sacrifice would be decisive
'
as the fol lowing variations show :
26 . . . . g x f5 27. g xf5 �eS 2S. !:!ae1 tDe7
(2S . . . . g6 29. f6 �f7 30. e6 �h7 31 . f7+
with an easy win) 29. Axe7 �xe7 30. 1:!e2
!:!aeS (30 . . . . g6 31 . f6 �h7 32 . �e6+
�f7 33. �g4 winning) 31 . f6 ! �e6 (31 . . . .
gxf6 32 . !:!g2+ �f7 33. e6+ �xe6 34. �h7
mate) 32 . �h5 �f7 33. �g5 ! , and there is
no defence against the threats of e6, !:!g2
or !:!h2.
Another possible continuation is 26. . . .
g xf5 27. g xf5 �d7 2S. e6 �c7 29. !:!f2 g6
30. f6 �h7 31 . f7+ �g7 32 . �x h7+ �x h7
33. !:!h2+ �g7 34. 1:!f1 1:!hS 35. 1:!x hS 1:!xhS
36. e7 11Dxe7 37. Axe7 1:!fS 3S. AxfS+ �xfS
39. !:!f6 with a won endgame for Wh ite.
25. 9:f1-f2 9:e8-f8
26. Ag2-f3 !
Preventing the exchange of rooks and pre­
pari ng the switch to the h -file.
26. . . . �d5xc3
27. 9:a1-f1 9:f8xf3
This is forced , si nce White threatened
28. !:!h2 , with the idea of 29. �h7+ �f7
fol lowed 30. Ad5+.
28. 'Wh3xf3 �c3-b5
28. . . . tDd5 is no better, for instance :
29. �g2 �e8 30. e6 tDd6 31 . �f7+ �xf7
32 . exf7+ �f8 33. !:!h1 and wins.
29. �g1-g2 ! ...
The key move, which wins i n all variations.
The control of the open file permits beau­
tifu l tactical twists.
 Chapter 5
29 . . . . �b5xd4
If 29 . . . . Wd5 then 30. Wxd5+ cxd5 31 . e6
followed by 32. e7 and �!f8 is decisive, or
if 29 . . . . We8 30. e6 ! eDxd4 (30 . . . . eDbd6
31 . e7, followed by Wf8) 31 . Wf7+ Wxf7
32. exf7+ �f8 33. �h1 or 33. �e1 .
30. 'Wf3-f8+
Black resig ned in view of the variation
30 . . . . �xf8 31 . �xf8+ �h7 32. �h1 mate.
G a m e 94
L. P o r t i sch - J . H . D o n n e r
Santa M o n i c a 1 9 66
English Opening [A 33J
1 . c4 c5 2. �f3 �f6 3. �c3 �c6 4. d4
cxd4 5. �xd4 e6 6. g3 .ab4 7. .ag2 0-0
8. 0-0 d5 9. cxd5 exd5 10 . .ae3 §e8
( 1 0 . . . . Axc3 is preferable) 1 1 . §c1 .ag4
12. 'Wb3 ! .axc3 13. §xc3 �xd4 14 . .txd4
.axe2 1 5. §fc1 !
•
n Assessment of the position
The plan of putting pressu re on the c ­
fi le i s the central idea of the earl ier pawn
sacrifice. Al l Wh ite's pieces are beauti­
fully placed . The b7 pawn is menaced
by the queen . The c3 rook threatens to
i nvade on c7, and both bishops are ex­
cellently posted on the long d iagonals.
Exploiting the open file 138
I n . . . continued I
Winning back the pawn is thus only a
question of time. However, it is much
more i mportant to i ncrease the pos­
itional pressure.
Black has no time for 15 . . . . Aa6,
since after 1 6 . Axf6 'MIxf6 1 7. Axd5,
both 18. �f3 and 18. �c7 ensure the ad ­
vantage. Therefore he m ust try to keep
the g2 bishop out of the game for as
long as possible, to prevent it from seiz­
ing the ideal d5 square.
15. . . . �f6-e4 !
16. §c3-c7 .ae2-a6
1 6 . . . . b6 would have weakened his pos­
ition even more, for i nstance 1 7. 'MIa4 !
eDc5 1 8 . 'MIc6 Ab5 ( 1 8 . . . . �e6 1 9 . 'MIxd5 ! )
1 9 . 'MIxb5 'MIxc7 2 0 . b 4 'MId7 2 1 . �xc5 and
wins. [In fact Black can turn the tables with
2 1. . . . l1e1+ 22. il,f1 l1xf1+ 23. ff?xf1 'ifh3+
and 24 . . . . bxc5. Therefore it looks better
for White to play 1 7. 'ifa3, e . g. 1 7. . . . 'ifg5
(or 1 7. . . . �d6 18. fixd5 �b5 19. fixf7+
ff?h8 20. fixg7+ ff?xg7 2 1. fixe8+ �xc7
22. 'ifc3+ ff?g8 23. fia4 and wins) 18. f4
'iff5 19. l1xa 7. - Ed.]
17. 'Wb3-f3 !
Thanks to his g reat space advantage,
Wh ite is able to switch quickly from one
target to another.
17. �e4-g5 ? !
This i s not the best defence. With 1 7. . . .
�e7 Black would at least have set White
the problem of choosing between taki ng a
positional path or seeking a tactical solu­
tion.
First, the positional contin uation : 18. �xe7
'MIxe7 1 9 . 'MIg4 ! f6 ! ( 1 9 . . . . eDf6 ? 20. Axf6
or 1 9 . . . . g6 20. �c8+ �xc8 2 1 . 'MIxc8+
'MIf8 22. Wd7 ! Wd6 23. We8+ Wf8 24. 'MIe5
and wins) 20. 'MIf5 ! �d8 (20 . . . . 'MIf7 ?
2 1 . �c8+ �xc8 22. 'MIxc8+ 'MIf8 23. 'MId7
'MId6 24. 'MIxd6 eDxd6 25. Axd5+ �f8
26. Axa7 and wins) 2 1 . Axa7 and Wh ite
138
139 5.3 Tactics on the open file

has enduring positional pressure as wel l G a m e 95

as the bishop pair. A. A n d e r s s e n - M. L a n g e
The tactical solution culminates in a fant­ B res l a u 1 8 59
astic queen sacrifice : 18. �g4 f5 ! ( if 18 . . . .
g6 ? or 1 8 . . . . f6 ? then 1 9 . .!;!c8 wins the
queen) 19. �xg7+ ! ! .!;!xg7 20 . .!;!xg7+ �f8
21. .!;!cc7 Ik8 (the threat was 22. Axe4 fol­
lowed by 23. Ac5+) 22 . .!;!cf7+ �e8 23. h4 !
This is the poi nt of the sacrifice ; now the
threat is Ag2-f3-h5 with a d iscovered at­
tack. Black is i n an awkward situation ;
for instance : 23 . . . . .!;!c4 24. Af3 '!;!xd4
25. Ah5 and wins or 23 . . . . Ae2 24. '!;!x b7
�f8 25 . .!;!xh7, followed by mate on h8. Fi­
nally 23. . . . tDd2 fai ls to 24 . .!;!xh7 �d6
(Wh ite was threatening 25. '!;!fg7) 25. '!;!f6
�b4 26 . .!;!g6 �f8 ( if 26 . . . . �f8 27. '!;!h8+
�f7 28 . .!;!g7+ , followed by 29. '!;!h6 mate) n Assessment of the position
27. '!;!h8 with an easy win ; or 23 . . . . tDd6
Black has reached this position after
24 . '!;!f6, with the dead ly threat of 25 . .!;!g8+.
sacrificing two pieces. The solution to
H owever, i n the present position there the problems of the position l ies in the
is no longer any viable conti nuation for beautiful move 13 . . . . h5 ! This threatens
Black. Thus after 1 7. . . . '!;!f8 1 8 . �f5 Wh ite to open the h -fi le for the rook to d e ­
has a s i m ple w i n , and if 17. . . . f6, then l iver mate with 1 4 . . . . h xg4. Wh ite is
1 8. �g4 g6 ( 1 8 . . . . tDg5 19 . .!;!xg7+ �xg7 therefore forced to play 14. gxh5, which
20. �xg5+ �f7 21. Axd5+) 1 9 . �h4 .!;!e7 nevertheless only delays the defeat. The
20. Axe4 .!;!xc7 21. gxc7 �xc7 22. Axd5+ threat to open the h-file, combi ned with
�f8 23. �xf6+ quickly leads to victory. the strong bishop on c5 , which controls
18. Wf3-f5 ! Aa6-c4 the a7-g1 diagonal , perm its a beautifu l
quick finish.
If 1 8 . . . . Wxc7 then 1 9 . Wxg5 f6 ( 1 9 . . . .
g6 20. �h6 f6 21. Axd5+) 20. Axd5+ �f8
21. Axf6 �xc1 + 22. �xc1 g xf6 23. �h6+ 13 . . . . h7-h5 !
�e7 24. Ax b7 Ax b7 25. �x h7+ wins. 14. g4xh5
1 9. J3:c7xb7 Not 14 . .!;!xg5 on account of 1 4 . . . . h xg4+
Black resigned . There is no way of parrying 15. '!;!h5 .!;!xh5 mate.
the threats of b3 or h4.
14. Wg5xf5
1 5. g3-g4 Wf5-f2
16. g2-g3 Wf2xg3
17. Wd1-f1 Wg3xg4
White resigned, since on the next move the
rook can sti l l capture on h5 and with the
open ing of the h -fi le i mmediately deliver
mate.
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file 140

G a m e 96 1 57
I . K a n - V. S i m a g i n 8
U S S R 1 9 52 7

1 56
8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

3 3 L-______________�__ ��
2 2
n Assessment of the position
With his last move Black captured the
L-______________�__ ��
c1 bishop from g5 - defi nitely in the ex­
pectation that Wh ite would recapture
n Assessment of the position with 1 6. l::! a xc1 , with just a small ad ­
Wh ite played 35. �f2 ? , and the game vantage. However. the position contains
ended i n a d raw. Even a player as a tactical solution. Based on the excel­
experienced as l Iya Kan clearly did lently posted wh ite pieces, the knight
not appreciate the tactical possibilit­ on f5 , the bishop on b3, the queen on f3
ies of the open file. In contrast, the and finally the rook on the open fi le, the
move 35. l::!d 8+ would have immediately rook sacrifice 1 6 . l::! x d7 is i mmed i ately
brought him the full point. decisive. The queen m ust recapture on
d7, whereupon 17. �g4 wins, since both
�xg7 mate and the d iscovered attack
35. �d2-d8+ �h8xd8
tLlxh6+ are threatened .
36. Ag2-h3+ �d8-d7
37. �d1 xd7
16. �d1 xd7 ! 'Wd8xd7
There is no defence for Black against the 17. 'Wf3-g4 'Wd7xf5
su bsequent d iscovered attack, which will The only defence against the above ­
win a rook or give mate. mentioned threats, otherwise Black loses
In the next two game extracts, gain of ma­ even more material .
terial is ach ieved thanks to control of the 18. e4xf5 Ac1-g5
open file. Both times the same tactical 1 9. h2-h4 Ag5-e7
twist is decisive : a double threat to mate 20. �a1-d1 �a8-d8
or win the queen . We start with the simpler 21 . �d1-d5 Ae7-f6
of the two. 22. �d5xd8 �f8xd8
23. 'Wg4-h5 �d8-d7
24. g2-g4 !
G a m e 97 Black is helpless against this pawn storm
Y. B a l a s h ov - P. B i y i a s a s on the kingside.
M an i l a 1 976 24. e5-e4
(see diagram 157) 25. g4-g5

140
141 5.3 Tactics on the open file
Black resigned. Further loss of material
can not be prevented , for i nstance 25 . . . .
h x g 5 26. h x g 5 Ad8 27. g6, threatening
both 28. �h7+ and 28. g xf7+ .
G a m e 98
L . Z a b a l eta - d e Vicente
Madrid 1 958
158
8 8
7
I-=-o�
'--_______....:_
:... ---'
n Assessment of the position
Than ks to the doubling of rooks on
the d -file Black has a clear positional
advantage. With the blocking move
1 . tDd5, Wh ite wants to sever the
con nection between the enemy rooks . .
However Black can label this move as a
blunder, since he has a clever com bin­
ation avai lable. After the exchanges the
same combi nation arises as in the pre ­
vious game. I n Diag ram 1 58 therefore
White should play 1 . �ad1 or 1 . tDf3.
1. �c3-d5 ? �f6xd5
2. 'Wc2xd3 �d5-f4
3. 'Wd3-c2
Wh ite's joy at winning the exchange will
prove short-l ived . Black has calculated
two moves further and he now sacrifices
the exchange for the second time . . .
3. §d8xd2 !
This shot by the second rook on the open
file is quickly decisive. The white queen is
deflected to the square d2.
4. 'Wc2xd2 'We7-g5
There is no defence against the threats of
5 . . . . 'Wxg2 mate or 5 . . . . tDh3+ winning
the queen . White therefore resigned.
G a m e 99
W. U h l m a n n - R. S c h o n e
B a d N e u e n a h r 1 99 0
Queen 's Gambit Declined [0 43J
1 . c4 e6 2. �c3 d5 3. d4 c6 4. 'Wb3 �f6
5. �f3 a5 6. e3 �bd7 7. Ad3 g6 8. 0-0
lig7 9. e4 ! dxe4 10. �xe4 �xe4 1 1 . lixe4
0-0 12. lif4 ? ! ( 1 2 . �d1 was better, to pre ­
vent . . . c5) 1 2 . . . . c5 ! 13. dxc5 (the most
d ifficult decision of the game. The text
move culminates i n a pawn sacrifice i n
order to occupy t h e open d -file with g a i n
o f tempo. T h e alternatives were risky : a )
1 3 . Axb7 a4 ! 14. 'W b 5 �a5 1 5 . 'Wc6 Ax b7
'If 1 6. 'Wx b7 cxd4 1 7. Ac7 'Was with advant­
age ; b) 1 3 . Ad6 cxd4 14. Axf8 'Wxf8 with
advantage. c) 1 3 . d5 a4 ! fol lowed by e5
and f5 with gain of space) 13 . . . . �xc5
14. 'We3 �xe4 1 5. 'Wxe4 Axb2 16. §ad1
'Wf6 ( 1 6 . . . . 'Wb6 is a mistake on accou nt
of 1 7. � b1 with a deadly pin on the b -file)
17. §d2 Aa3 18. §fd1
n Assessment of the position
By sacrificing the b2 pawn Wh ite has
been able to effect the doubling of his
rooks on the d -fi le. As a result, a white
rook can invade on the 7th or 8th rank at
141
 Chapter 5 Exploiting the open file
In . . . continued I
any moment. In add ition , the black king
is i n need of protection, since Black is
tending to become weak on the dark
squares. Black's main problem is the
passive bishop on c8, which will be
hard to bring i nto play for some time
to come. As a result the black rooks are
also weak.
18. Wf6-e7 ?
Black misjudges the seriousness of the
situation. It was essential to play 18 . . . .
�f5 ! ? 1 9. We5 ! ( 1 9. �e3 ? Ac5 ! ) 1 9 .
. . . �xe5 2 0 . tDxe5 f 6 2 1 . tDd7 ! Axd7
22 . gxd7 with some advantage on account
of the pawn weakness on b7 and the threat
of Ah6. Now 22 . . . . gac8 fai ls to 23. Ah6
gf7 24 . gd8+ gxd8 25. gxd8+ Af8 , and
the Black pieces are tied in a dead ly knot
on the eighth ran k. But Black would have
had another playable continuation in 22 . . . .
g5.
1 9. �f3-e5
This move also prevents the pawn sacrifice
. . . e6 -e5 , so that the c8 bishop must con­
tinue to lead a m i serable existence. The
u nconnected state of the black rooks on
the eig hth ran k quickly leads to a cata­
strophe.
19. . . . f7-f6
20. Af4-h6 !
The time for tactics has come. Black
has no time to accept the piece sacri­
fice : 20 . . . . fxe5 21. Axf8 s!?xf8 22. gd8+
s!?f7 23. �xe5 with the dead ly th reat of
24 . g1 d3 or gh8. And 23 . . . . �f6 loses to
24 . �c7+ .
20. . . . laf8-e8
21 . �e5xg6 !
Th is fi ne pseudo-sacrifice of a piece
makes a breach i n the black ki n g 's de­
fences. Thus more files are guaranteed to
become open . The acceptance of the sac ­
rifice by 21 . . . . h x g 6 loses to 22. �xg6+
142
142
_...
s!?h8 23. gd8 ! gxd8 24 . gxd8+ �xd8
25. �g7 mate.
21 . . . . We7-f7
22. lad2-d8 ! !
A splendid move, which d isplays the fu l l
power o f the domi nant open fi le. Once
again the sacrifice can not be accepted :
22 . . . . h xg6 loses to 23. gxe8+ �xe8
24 . gd8 ! �xd8 25. �xg6+, fol lowed by
�g7 mate.
22. . . . e6-e5
23. �g6xe5 !
The sacrificial storm continues, and Black
will not be allowed the chance to bring his
bishop i nto play in time.
23. f6xe5
24. lad8xe8+ Wf7xe8
25. lad1-d3 ! ! . . .
A new component comes i nto play. This
time the road to victory is via the 8th ran k.
25. . . . laa8-a6
The only playable response to parry the
threats of 26. gxa3 and gg3+. But here
agai n Wh ite has a fantastic shot avai lable .
26. We4-d5+ ! . . .
As if by magnets, the files are opened and
closed .
26 . . . . We8-e6
What can Black do ? There wou ld be a
very nice mate after 26 . . . . s!?h8 27. �xe5+
�xe5 28. gd8+ . 26 . . . . ge6 loses to
27. gxa3 and 26 . . . . Ae6 10ses to 27. Wxe5.
Finally, 26 . . . . �f7 is equally hopeless on
account of 27. gg3+ gg6 28. �d8+ Af8
29. gxg6+ hxg6 30. �xc8, with the dead ly
threat of simpl ifying on f8 , after which the
pawn end ing is winning, of course.
27. Wd5-d8+ �g8-f7
28. lad3-f3+
Black resig ned , since if 28. . . . s!?g6
29. �g5 is mate, and otherwise the game
could be prolonged only by giving up the
queen (28 . . . . �f5).
143
Chapter 6
The c o n necti o n between the open
f i le a n d the 7th a n d 8th ra n ks
The use and exploitation of an open file are
often connected with a transition to other
strategic categories. We have already dealt
with a few such transitions for the purpose
of exploiting an advantage, in Section 5 . 2
(see pages 1 1 9 ff. ) . T h e advantage o f t h e
o p e n fi le was exchanged for s o m e other
advantage.
In this chapter we consider the connection
between the open file and the strateg ic
categories of the 7th and 8th ran ks. Th is
6.1 T h e s e ve n t h ra n k
If major pieces i nvade on the 7th ran k,
they gain in activity. They attack the enemy
pieces or pawns from the side and restrict
the opponent's mobil ity. These forces are
then tied to defensive duties. We shall look
at some typical operations in the following
simpl ified examples.
160 ..
I n Diagram 1 60 the white rook has invaded
on d7 via the open file. The rook attacks
143
connection often appears, si nce the avail­
abil ity of major pieces is a prerequisite for
making use both of the open file and the
7th and 8th ranks. The entry square on the
7th or 8th rank of the open file is thus the
hub for attacking operations.
When we mention the 7th and 8th ranks, it
is always from Wh ite's point of view. Sim­
ilarly we shal l tal k about the 1 st and 2nd
ranks for Black's attacking operations.
the pawns at a7 and h7, thus both the black
king and the black rook are tied to d e ­
fensive d uties. If Black tries t o elimi nate
the pawn weakness at a7 with . . . a7-a6
or . . . a7-a5, then a new pawn weakness
arises on b6 or c5. The wh ite rook cannot
be dislodged from the 7th rank. White thus
has a big positional advantage .
161
8 8
3 3
2 2
�------�--� �
I n this rook end ing Wh ite is two pawns
down . Yet the control of the seventh rank,
� Chapter 6 The connection between the open file and the 7th and 8th ranks 144

the outside passed pawn and the offside The next two diagrams illustrate the power
position of the enemy king ensure that of two rooks that have penetrated to the
White will wi n . The positional su periority seventh rank.
outweighs the d isadvantage in material . 1 63
1. a5-a6 §b8-b1 +
Or 1 . . . . ga8 2 . a7 f4 3. g b7 and 4. g b8+ 7
and the a-pawn is promoted . 6

2. �g1-f2 §b1-a1 5
1-='-'-
Further checks do not alter the situation. 4
The white king can go via f3-f4-g5 to f6, 3 3
when furthermore another back rank mate
2 2
will be threatened with gd8.
3. a6-a7
Next comes 4. gd8+, followed by 5. a8'W,
and the endgame with rook against three It is White to move and he can checkmate
pawns is easily won . using a simple method :
162 1. §b7-h7+ �h8-g8
2. §a7-g7+ �g8-f8
3. h5-h6
Now the rook g7 is defended and it is mate
next move with gh7-h8.

A special threat that rooks on the sev­

enth rank can set up is the one known as
the 'Windmi l l ' or 'See -saw'. By alternating
checks and d iscovered checks, material
can be won . In this example the wind m i l l
wins easi ly.
I n this example the doubled rooks on the
1. §g2xg7+ �g8-h8 7th are supported by a minor piece. Black
2. §g7xf7+ �h8-g8 cannot offer any resistance to the rooks,
3. §f7-g7+ �g8-h8 and so here too a quick mate is possible.
4. §g7xd7+ �h8-g8 1. §d7xg7+ �g8-h8
5. §d7-g7+ �g8-h8 2. §g7xh7+ �h8-g8
6. §g7-a7+ �h8-g8 3. §b7-g7+ �g8-f8
7. §a7xa8 4. �f4-d6+ �f8-e8
White wins. 5. §g7-e7 mate.
145 6 . 1 The seventh rank

G a m e 1 00 29. gxb8+ tDxb8 30. tDxa7 also wins.

G . Sta h l be r g - E . Sza b a d o s
29 . . . . �c6-d8
Amsterdam 1 9 5 0
30. §:c7xa7
This is t h e conti nuation o f G a m e 9 ,
With the win of the pawn on a7, essentially
page 30, in Section 2 . 1 (Methods o f creat­
the game is already decided , The invasion
ing an open file, page 1 5 ) .
on the c -file and the conquest of the sev­
enth rank have brought White victory. Here
is the continuation in short notation :
1 66 ...
6
8 8
5
7 7
4
6
3
5 5
2
4

n Assessment of the position

The white rook has taken up a dominant
position on the seventh rank. As a res­ 30 . . . . §: b7 31 . §:a8 �e7 32. f4 §:d7
ult Black's rook and king are confined 33. �f3 �c6 34. �e3 �b4 35. a3 �d5+
to the eighth rank. With his knight ac­ 36. �d2 f5 37. §:g8 �f6 38. §: b8 e5
tivated , White threatens to win a pawn 39. �c3 exf4 40. g xf4 �xf4 41 . §:xb6+
both on the kingside and on the queen­ �g5 42. a4 §:a7 43. §:b2 �e6 44. §:a2
side. �c5 45. §:a3 �f6 46. �e3 g5 47. a5 h5
Black is completely passive and has 48. �d5+ �e6 49. �b4 f4+ 50. �f3 �d7
no time to take u p a viable d efensive 51 . a6 �f5 52. §:a5+ �f6 53. �c6 §:c7
position. Th us loss of material can not 54. a7 �b6 55. �b4 §:c8 56. §:a6 �f5
be postponed for long. 57. §:xb6 g4+ 58. �f2 h4 59. §:b5+ �g6
60. §:b8, and Black resigned .
25. . . . �g6-e7
26. §:c7-b7
Preventing the pawn advance . . . b5 fol­ G a m e 1 01
lowed by . . . a6. W. Ste i n itz - C . von B a rd e l e b e n
Hast i n g s 1 89 5
26. f7-f6
Giuoco Piano [e 54]
27. �e4-d6 �e7-c6
28. �d6-b5 !
1 . e4 e5 2. �f3 �c6 3. Ac4 Ac5 4. c3
After this White wins a pawn. He threatens �f6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Ab4+ 7. �c3 d5
both 29. tDc7 and 29. gc7. 8. exd5 �xd5 9. 0-0 Ae6 10. Ag5 Ae7
28. §:a8-b8
29. §:b7-c7 (see diagram 167)
 Chapter 6 The connection between the open file and the 7th and 8th ranks 146

167 With the text move Black prepares artificial

castling : . . . <!>eS-f7, . . . �hS-eS and . . . <!>f7-
gS. At the same time the wh ite knight is
deprived of the squares e5 and g5, but the
square e6 is also weakened .
1 5. Wd1-e2 Wd5-d7
If 1 5 . . . . \Wd6 then 16. \Wb5+ \Wc6 17. \Wb4
\Wd6 1S. \Wx b7.
16. Ela1-c1
The moves 1 6 . \We4 , 1 6 . �ad1 and 1 6 . d5
are also playable.
L-_______ -=- ----' 'U'
16. ... c7-c6
_

Black should have contented hi mself with

n Assessment of the position
The e -fi le is open. Wh ite has a lead i n
development. The black k i n g is sti l l i n
t h e centre. Although Wh ite's isolated
pawn on d4 is a disadvantage, this will
only become a factor i n an endgame.
The position is advantageous for
Wh ite, who needs to make use of
his lead i n development and therefore
should try to prevent Black from cast­
ling.
11. Ac4xd5
1 1 . Axe7 I!i1cxe7 1 2 . l!i1e4 is also possible.
11. ... Ae6xd5
Black has no choice ; if 11 . . . . Axg5 then
1 2 . Axe6 fxe6 13. \Wb3.
12. tLlc3xd5 Wd8xd5
N ow if 12 . . . . Axg5 simply 1 3 . I!i1xc7+
\Wxc7 1 4 . I!i1xg5.
13. Ag5xe7 tLlc6xe7
14. Elf1-e1
After the exchange of six m i nor pieces
Wh ite's positional advantage is clear.
Black cannot castle. If 1 4 . . . . \Wd7 then
15. \We2 , and if 14 . . . . �dS (to protect the
knight with . . . �dS-d7) then 15. \Wa4+.
14. ... f7-f6
16 . . . . <!>f7 1 7. \Wxe7+ \Wxe7 1 S . �xe7+
<!>xe7 1 9 . �xc7+ <!>d6. Then neither
20. �xg7 �acS 2 1 . g3 �c7 nor 20. �xb7
�hbS 21. �xg7 �x b2, winning the a2 pawn,
gives White any advantage. Another pos­
sible conti nuation for Wh ite after 16 . . . .
<!>f7 i s 1 7. l!i1e5+ fxe5 1 S . d x e5 , with the
th reat of 1 9 . e6+ , lead i n g to unclear pos­
itions. Wh ite has an attack for the sacri­
ficed piece, since the black king is sti l l in
the centre.
17. d4-d5 !
With this move the d4 square is cleared
for the knight, which can then reach e6.
In add ition the c -fi le is opened for the
wh ite rook. This positional pawn sacrifice
is therefore justified .
17. c6xd5
17. . . . <!>f7 1 S . d xc6 bxc6 1 9 . \Wc4+ \Wd5
20. \Wxd5+ cxd5 21 . �c7 is also advant­
ageous for White.
18. tLlf3-d4 q;,e8-f7
19. tLld4-e6
Threatening 20. �c7.
19 . ... Elh8-c8
The ki n g 's rook must go to cS ; if 1 9 . . . .
�acS then 20. \Wg4 g 6 2 1 . I!i1g5+ <!>eS
22. �xcS+ \WxcS 23. \WxcS mate. If 19 . . . .
I!i1c6 then 20. I!i1c5 \WcS (20. . . . \Wd6
2 1 . I!i1xb7) 2 1 . \Wh5+ g6 22. \Wxd5+ <!>g7
23. l!i1e6+ <!>h6 24. \Wf3 .
147 6 . 1 The seventh rank

20. We2-g4 g7-g6 with Wh ite's lead in development. The ex­

21 . �e6-g5+ �f7-eS
22. E:le1 xe7+ !
22. ttlxh7 Yfixg4 23. ttlxf6+ �f7 24. ttlxg4
gives White a good endgame.
22. . . . �eS-fS !
The rook is i m m une from capture : if
22 . . . . Yfixe7 23 . .§xcS+ , or if 22 . . . . �xe7
23 . .§e1 + �d6 (23 . . . . �dS 24. ttle6+ �e7
25. ttlc5+) 24 . Wb4+ �c7 25. ttle6+ �b8
26. Yfif4+ .§c7 27. ttlxc7.
23. E:le7-f7+
Black can never take the rook with the
queen, si nce then .§xc8+.
23. . . . �fS-gS
24. E:lf7-g7+ �gS-hS
If 24 . . . . �f8, then 25. ttlx h7+ .
25. E:lg7xh7+
Black resig ned .
After 25. . . . �g8 Wh ite wins as fol­
lows : 26 . .§g7+ �h8 27. Yfih4+ �xg7
28. Yfih7+ �f8 29. Wh8+ �e7 30. Wg7+
�e8 (30 . . . . �d6 31 . Yfixf6+ ; 30 . . . . �d8
31 . Yfif8+ Yfie8 32. ttlf7+ �d7 33. Yfid6
mate) 31 . Yfig8+ �e7 32. �f7+ �d8
33. Yfif8+ Yfie8 34. ttlf7+ �d7 35. Yfid6
mate.
Th is beautifu l game illustrates very graph­
ical ly the use of the open file in connection
ploitation of the positional advantage with
the combinative decision 22 . .§xe7+ and
the switching of the rook from the open
file to the seventh ran k make the game a
classic example of attacking play.
The attraction of this game also lies i n
the m u ltitude o f m utual threats : White is
threatened with a back rank mate, and al­
most all his pieces are en prise.
At this tournament, which was sensa­
tionally won by the American Harry Nel­
son Pillsbury, ahead of M i khail Chigori n ,
t h e World Champion Emanuel Lasker,
Siegbert Tarrasch and Wilhelm Stein itz,
this game was awarded the first Brilliancy
Prize.
G a m e 1 02
M . Botvi n n i k - V. C h e k h ove r
Len i n g rad 1 9 38
Nimzo -Indian Defence [E 2 1J
1. d4 �f6 2. c4 e6 3. �c3 Ab4 4. �f3 0-0
5. Ag5 d6 6. e3 We7 7. Ae2 e5 S. Wc2
E:leS 9. 0-0 Axc3 10. bxc3 ( 1 0 . Yfixc3
ttle4 !) 10 . . . . h6 11. Ah4 c5 12. E:lae1 Ag4
13. Axf6 Wxf6 14. We4 Axf3 ( 1 4 . . . . Ac8
1 5 . ttld2 ttlc6 1 6 . f4 Af5 1 7. fxe5 with ad ­
vantage) 1 5. Axf3 �c6 1 6. dxc5 dxc5
17. E:ld1 E:ladS 1S. E:ld5 b6 (Wh ite gets
good play after 18 . . . . '§xd5 1 9 . cxd5 ttle7
- 1 9 . . . . ttld8 20. �a4 ! - 20. d6 Yfixd6
21. Yfixb7) 1 9. E:lfd1 �a5 20. h3 E:lxd5
21 . E:lxd5 ! (the open fi le is more val uable
than the improvement to the pawn struc -
ture with 2 1 . cxd5 ; after 21 . . . . Yfid6 Black
would have equal ity) 21 . . . . We7 22. Ag4
Wb7 23. Af5 ! WbS (23 . . . . g6 would be
bad , si nce after the sacrifice 24. Axg6
fxg6 25. �xg6+ �f8 26 . .§d6 the black
position is indefensible) 24. E:ld7
(see diagram 169)
 Chapter 6 The connection between the open file and the 7th and 8th ranks 148

1 69 .. N ot 28 . .§xa7 on account of 28 . . . . Ctlb5

8 8 fol lowed by 29 . . . . Ctlxc3.
7 7 28. . . . J;la8-f8
6 6
29. e3-e4 a7-aS
5 5
Or 29 . . . . c4 30 . .§xa7 Ctlb5 31 . .§b7 Ctlxc3
32 . Axc4 �xe4 33 . .§xb6, with a clear ad -
4 4
vantage for Wh ite.
3
30. c3-c4 b6-bS
2 2 31 . c4xbS �a3xbS
32. e4-eS as-a4
33. f2-f4
Threatening the dead ly 34. f5 and 35. e6.
n Assessment of the position 33. �bS-d4
34. �g1-f2 g7-gS
With the rook i nvasion on the seventh
3S. g2-g3 gSxf4
ran k Wh ite has increased his advant­
36. g3xf4 �d4-e6
age. He is already threatening 25. �d5
.§f8 26. Ag6 �e8 27. .§xa7, and Black If 36 . . . . c;!?g7 then 37. e6 c;!?f6 38. exf7, fol­
is in zugzwang . The three white pieces lowed by 39 . .§a7 or 39 . .§c7, and another
are optimally placed and dominate the Black pawn is lost.
whole board . 37. �f2-e3
Black can hard ly breathe. His queen, After this Black's position is real ly
rook and knight have no squares from resignable, si nce the advance f5 and e6
which they can create any counterplay. can no longer be prevented .
The pawns at f7, a7 and e5 are all i n
danger.

24. J;le8-d8
2S. 'We4xeS �aSxc4
Natural ly 25 . . . . �xe5 loses to 26. '§xd8+
mating.
26. 'WeSxb8 J;ld8xb8
27. AfS-e4 !
N ow the bishop will be transferred to its
ideal square, d5. It is interesting to note the
long journey this bishop has made : from 37. cS-c4
f1 , via e2-f3-g4-f5-e4, to d 5 . Instead of 38. f4-fS �e6-cS
the text m ove, 27. .§xa7 is not to be re ­ 39. J;ld7-c7 �cS-d3
commended on account of 27. . . . �d6, 40. eS-e6 f7xe6
after which Black would have good draw­ 41. fSxe6
ing chances.
B lack resigned, since after 41 . . . . .§e8
27. �c4-a3 42 . e7+ c;!?g7 43. Ac6 he l oses the ex­
28. Ae4-dS change.
149 6 . 1 The seventh rank ttJ

G a m e 1 03
R . Va g a n i a n - W. B rowne
B u e n o s A i res 1 978
Queen 's In dian Defence [E 12}
1 . d4 tilf6 2. c4 e6 3. tilf3 b6 4. a3
Ab7 5. tilc3 tile4 6. tilxe4 Axe4 7. Af4
c5 ? ! ( 7. . . . Ae7) 8. d5 exd5 9. cxd5
Ae7 10. Wb3 ! 0-0 1 1 . tild2 Ag6 1 2. e3
d6 13. Ae2 a6 ? ! 14. a4 tild7 1 5. 0-0
tilf6 1 6. h3 b5 ( 1 6 . . . . Wic7 is better, or
1 6 . . . . �e8 followed by �c7) 17. axb5
axb5 18. Axb5 ( but not 1 8 . �xa8 on ac ­
cou nt of 1 8 . . . . Wixa8 with pressu re on
the d5 pawn) 18 . . . . II b8 1 9. IIa7 tile4
20. tilxe4 (20. �c4 f5 ! would be danger­
ous ; Black threatens 21 . . . . Ae8 as well as
21 . . . . Af7 [After 21. lWa4 it isn't clear what
compensation Black has for the pawn. -
Ed.) ) 20 . . . . Axe4 21 . 'Wc4 Axd5 22. 'Wxd5
IIxb5 23. b3 ! IIe8 24. IIfa1 IIb6
I n . . . continued L
pawn and is also avai lable for tactical
operations. The space advantage is a
further feature in White's favour.
B lack already has big problems. I n
add ition t o t h e passive position o f h i s
major pieces, the fact that h i s king does
not yet have an escape hole is i m port­
ant.
25. Af4-g5 !
Th is fine move is based on the weakness
of the seventh ran k. Now 25. . . . Axg5
is i m possible owing to 26. Wixf7+ 'it>h8
27. Wlxg7 mate, while 25 . . . . h6 loses to
26. �xe7 �xe7 27. �a8 �b8 28. �x b8
Wixb8 29. Axe?, winning a piece.
25 . . . . IIb6-b8
26. IIa1-a6 !
After this the weak black d6 pawn is lost,
and White can go into a winning endgame.

26. h7-h6
27. Ag5xe7 IIe8xe7
6 28. IIa6xd6 'Wd8-e8
5 29. IIa7xe7 'We8xe7
4
30. 'Wd5xc5 'We7-e4
There is no relief in 30 . . . . �xb3 31 . Wlc8+
2
'it>h7 (31 . . . . Wlf8 32. �d8 wins the queen)
32 . Wlc2+ 'it>g8 (or 32 . . . . g6 33. Wlxb3
Wixd6 34. Wlxf7+) 33. �xh6, and Wh ite is
L...-_____.:..._
..- ��---l {r two pawns up.

31 . IId6-b6 IIb8-d8
n Assessment of the position 32. IIb6-b4 'We4-b1 +
Although material is sti l l equal, the ad ­ 33. �g1-h2 IId8-d2
vantages of Wh ite's position are clear 34. e3-e4 IId2-d8
to see. The centralised queen on d5 If 34 . . . . Wif1 , then 35. �b8+ with a forced
cripples the whole black position. With mate.
dou bled rooks on the open a-fi le, op­
erations on the seventh ran k are pos­ 35. 'Wc5-c7 IId8-d1
sible. In addition, White's bishop is bet­
And Black resigned in view of the threat of
ter, since it puts pressure on the d6
36. Wic8+ and 37. Wlf5+.

149
 Chapter 6 The connection between the open file and the 7th and 8th ranks 150

G a m e 1 04 In . . . continued I
A. Ka rpov - W. U h l m a n n pawns will be in danger. Last but not
M a d r i d 1 973 least, Black's i nsecure king's position is
French Defence [C 09J a target for attack.

1. e4 e6 2. d4 dS 3. �d2 cS 4. exdS exdS

S. �gf3 �c6 6 . .tbS .td6 7. dxcS .txcS 26. b7-b6
B. 0-0 �e7 9. �b3 .td6 10 . .tgS 0-0 27. lla1-e1 h7-h6
11 . .th4 .tg4 12 . .te2 .thS 1 3. lle1 'Wb6 2B. lle7-b7 lldB-d6
14. �fd4 .tg6 1 S. c3 llfeB 16 . .tf1 .te4 Unfortunately, active play also fai ls. Thus
17. .tg3 .txg3 1B. h xg3 as 1 9. a4 ! �xd4 if 28 . . . . '!:!c2 29 . .!:!e2 .!:!xe2 30. Axe2 .!:!d6
20. �xd4 ! �c6 (but not 20 . . . . Vflx b2 31 . Ab5 , and Black is defenceless against
on account of 2 1 . �b5, with the threats the activation of Wh ite's king.
of 22. �c7 and 22 . .!:!e2) 21 . .tbS lledB
29. lle1-e7 h6-hS
22. g4 ! (a subtle positional move which
makes it d ifficult for the e4 bishop to re ­ Again 29 . . . . .!:!c2 achieves noth ing, this
turn to the centre) 22 . . . . �xd4 23. 'Wxd4 time on account of 30 . .!:!b8+ �h7 31 . .!:!ee8
'Wxd4 24. cxd4 llacB 2S. f3 .tg6 26. lle7 ! .!:!c1 + 32. �h2 Ab1 33. f4 ! Ae4 (or 33 . . . . f5
34 . .!:!h8+ �g6 35 . .!:! bf8, threatening Ae8
mate) 34. f5 g6 35. f6 g5 36 . .!:!g8 '!:!xf6
37. .!:!h8+ �g7 38. '!:!bg8 mate.
30. g4xhS .tg6xhS
31 .g2-g4 ! .thS-g6
32. f3-f4 llcB-c1 +
33. mg1-f2 llc1-c2+
34. mf2-e3 .tg6-e4
The endgame after 34 . . . . .!:!e6+ 35 . .!:!xe6
fxe6 36 . .!:!x b6 would be hopeless.
3S. lle7xf7 lld6-g6
36. g4-gS mgB-h7
37. llf7-e7 llc2xb2
n Assessment of the position
3B . .tbS-eB
With his control of the open e -file
With the i ntervention of the wh ite bishop
and the rook invasion on the seventh
the game is decided .
ran k, Wh ite's positional advantage has
g rown. The domi nant position of the 3B. llb2-b3+
bishop on b5 is also important ; it is far 39. me3-e2 llb3-b2+
more active than its counterpart on g6. 40. me2-e1 llg6-d6
The pawn structure is l i kewise favour­
If 40 . . . . .!:!b1 + then 41 . �d2 .!:!b2+ 42. �c3
able to White. The black pawns at d5
.!:!c2+ 43 . �b3 and wins.
and b7 ( b6 after the next move) are i n
danger. 41 . lle7xg7+ mh7-hB
Once the wh ite rooks are dou bled 42. llg7-e7
on the seventh ran k the black kingside
Black resigned .

150
151 6 . 1 The seventh rank ttJ

G a m e 1 05 I n . . . continued I
A. Ka rpov - S . G l i g o r i c The pawns at b5, d6 and f7 are poten­
Len i n g rad 1 973 tially weak ; White's immed iate objective
Ruy Lopez [e 95J is to win one of them . Black is in no
1 . e4 e5 2. tnf3 tnc6 3. Ab5 a6 4. Aa4 position to make his two bishops count,
tnf6 5. 0-0 Ae7 6. l1e1 b5 7. Ab3 d6 S. c3 si nce they are constantly required for
0-0 9. h3 tnbS 10. d4 tnbd7 1 1 . tnbd2 defensive duties.
Ab7 1 2. Ac2 c5 1 3. d5 tneS 14. tnf1
g6 1 5. Ah6 tng7 1 6. tne3 tnf6 17. a4 30. WdSxc7
�hS 1S. b3 l1 bS 1 9. We2 Acs 20. a x b5 31 . l1a7xc7 l1fS-dS
a x b5 21 . l1a7 ! tngS 22. Axg7+ �xg7 32. l1a1-a7 Ad7-eS
23. l1ea1 Ad7 24. Ad3 tnf6 25. 'Wa2 33. l1a7-b7 ! �g7-gS
tneS 26. Wa6 l1 b6 (Wh ite would have
There was a threat of 34. Ax b5 Axb5
the advantage after 26 . . . . IJt:Jc7 27. �a5
35. �xf7+ with a quick win. After the ex­
�a8 28. �xa8 �xa8 29. �xc7 ! �xa1 +
change of rooks the b5 pawn is lost.
30. �h2 �d8 31 . Axb5 Axb5 32. �xe7
�d7 33. �g5 , and Black is defenceless 34. g2-g4 h7-h6
against the knight check on f5 , for in­ 35. h3-h4
stance : 33 . . . . Wixc3 34. tLlf5+ �f8 35. �f6 This move gains more space and Black
gxf5 36. tLlh4 ! ! �a7 - 36 . . . . Wid2 37. Wih8+ is compelled to seek counterplay. There
�e7 38. IJt:Jxf5 mate - 37. tLlxf5 �e8 is a threat of 36. g5 h xg5 37. h xg5 Ag7
38. IJt:Jxd6+ followed by 39. tLlx b5 and 38. IJt:Jh2 followed by 39. tLlg4 and tLlf6+ ;
wins) 27. Wa5 tnf6 (Wh ite was threatening after Axf6 g xf6 the deflection manoeuvre
28. �xd7) 2S. tng4 l1 bS 29. tnxf6 Axf6 Axb5 Axb5 �xf7 with a mating attack is
30. Wc7 ! possible in due course. The passive move
1 73 35 . . . . g5 l i kewise gives Wh ite a clear ad ­
vantage, for instance 36. h5 Ag7 37. tLld2 ,
and the knight wi ll reach the ideal f5 square
via f1-e3.
35. 11 bSx b7
36. l1c7xb7 c5-c4
37. b3xc4 b5xc4
3S. Ad3-e2 l1dS-aS
Or 38 . . . . Ad7 39. g5 hxg5 40. tLlxg5, and
the c4 pawn is still lost.
39. Ae2xc4 AeS-a4
If 39 . . . . �c8 then 40. Ae2 �xc3 41 . � b8
�f8 42 . g5 h xg5 43. h x g5 and 44. Ab5
n Assessment of the position
winning a piece.
Wh ite has occupied the open a-fi le and 40. Ac4-b3 Aa4xb3
has invaded the seventh rank. He forces 41 . §b7xb3
the exchange of queens with gain of
Taking stock, we see that White's strategy
tempo and thus prepares for both his
of pressure on the seventh rank has won a
rooks to be deployed on the seventh
pawn . The then 22-year-old Anatoly Kar­
rank. Black is condemned to passivity.
pov demonstrated with his characteristic

151
� Chapter 6 The connection between the open file and the 7th and 8th ranks 152

precision how to exploit the material ad ­ 8. exd4 Ae7 9. 0-0 0-0 10. a:e1 b6
vantage. 1 1 . �xd5 exd5 1 2. Ab5 ! Ad7 13. 'Wa4
�b8 ( if 13 . . . . �c8 then 14. Ad2 , threaten­
ing both �c1 and Axc6 followed by 't'lxa7)
14. Af4 Axb5 1 5. 'Wxb5 a6 16. 'Wa4 Ad6
17. Axd6 'Wxd6 18. a:ac1 a:a7 19. 'Wc2 ( it
is important for White to exert control over
the c7 square) 19 . . . . a:e7 20. a:xe7 'Wxe7
21 . 'Wc7
175
8 8
���--��������
7

5
41 . . . . a:c8 42. �g2 h5 43. g x h5 g x h5 4
44. a: b6 (activating the roo k ; now 44 . . . .
3
Ae7 4S. �c6 g ives White a wi n n i ng en­
dgame) 44 . . . . a:xc3 45. a:xd6 �g7
46. a:c6 a:d3 47. a:c7 �g6 (Wh ite was
threatening 48. et:lgS AxgS 49. hxgS 'i!>g6
SO. �e7) 48. a:c8 Ag7 49. a:c6+ �h7
50. �g5+ �g8 51 . a:c8+ Af8 52. a:c7 f6
n Assessment of the position
53. �e6 Ah6 54. a:d7 a:d2 55. �f1 a:d1 +
56. me2 a:d2+ 57. me1 ! a:c2 58. d6 a:c1 + With the i nvasion of the seventh ran k
59. me2 a:c2+ 60. �f1 a:c6 61 . mg2 (now White has achieved a n i mportant o b ­
Black is i n zugzwang ; his rook can only jective. After t h e exchange o f queens,
shuffle to and fro on the 6th rank, and a the white rook will take over the control
bishop move is ruled out on accou nt of of the c -fi le and menace the weakened
l:!g7+ , followed by d7) 61 . . . . a:b6 62. �c7 ! queenside pawns. Black must spend a
a: b7 (there is no longer a defence ; thus fu rther tempo on preventing the i nva­
62 . . . . Af8 loses to 63. et:le8 ; or 62 . . . . sion of the knight at eS. Wh ite's space
Ag7 63. et:le8 Ah8 64. �d8 'i!>f7 6S. �c8 advantage and the passive deployment
'i!>e6 66. �c7 with the threat of mate on e7 ; of the knight on b8 are further charac ­
or finally 62 . . . . 'i!>f8 63. �h7 Ag7 64. d7, teristic features of the position.
followed by et:le6+) 63. �d5, and Black
resigned , si nce White wins further material 21 . 'We7xc7
with the knight fork on f6. 22. a:c1 xc7 f7-f6
23. �g1-f1 a:f8-f7
G a m e 1 06 24. a:c7-c8+ a:f7-f8
M . Botvi n n i k - A. A l e k h i n e 25. a:c8-c3
Amsterd a m 1 93 8
Queen 's Gambit Declined [0 4 1J To avoid the exchange of rooks, White has
to retreat temporarily. However, he is ready
1 . �f3 d5 2. d4 �f6 3. c4 e6 4. �c3 c5 to return to the weakened squares at any
5. cxd5 �xd5 6. e3 �c6 7. Ac4 cxd4 moment.

152
153 6 . 1 The seventh rank

25. . . . g7-g5 42 . gb7, and the b6 pawn is lost) 42. tl}c6 !

26. tl}f3-e1 h7-h5 ( Black can not prevent the check on e7)
42 . . . . §f6 43. tl}e7+ �bS 44. tl}xd5 §d6
If 26. . . . h6 then the manoeuvre 27. �c2
45. §g5 tl}b4 46. tl}xb4 axb4 47. §xh5
<!>f7 28. �e3 <!>e6 29. g4 is very strong,
§c6 (or 47. . . . gxd4 48. gfS with a quick
since next move comes �fS.
win) 4S. §b5 �c7 49. §xb4 §h6 50. §b5
27. h2-h4 tl}bS-d7 §xh4 51 . �d3 ! and Black resigned .
2S. §c3-c7 §fS-f7
29. tl}g1-f3 g5-g4
30. tl}f3-e1 f6-f5
31 . tl}e1-d3 f5-f4 G a m e 1 07
Forced , since otherwise comes 32 . �f4. W. B rowne - U . A n d e r s s o n
B u e n o s A i res 1 978
32. f2-f3 g4xf3 Queen 's Indian Defence [E 1 5}
33. g2xf3 a6-a5
34. a2-a4 �gS-fS 1 . d4 tl}f6 2. c4 e6 3. tl}f3 b6 4. g3
35. §c7-c6 £a6 5. 'Wa4 £b7 6. £g2 c5 7. 0-0 cxd4
�fS-e7
S. tl}xd4 Axg2 9. �xg2 Ae7 10. tl}c3 0-0
36. �f1-f2 §f7-f5
1 1 . §d1 'Wc7 1 2. £f4 'Wb7+ ( 1 2 . . . . eS ?
37. b2-b3 �e7-dS
13. �fS !) 13. f3 a6 14. e4 d6 15. tl}de2 §dS
3S. �f2-e2 tl}d7-bS 1 6. §d2 tl}c6 17. §ad1 tl}eS 1S. a3 §dcS
39. §c6-g6 ! 19. h4 h6 20. h5? ! (20. <!> h3 is better, with
the idea of 2 1 . g4 followed by gS) 20 . . . .
tl}a5 21 . b3 'Wc7 22. e5 §dS (but not 22 . . . .
dxeS on account of 23. gd7 'Wc6 24. gxe7
with the better game for Wh ite) 23. exd6
(th us the d -fi le is opened ; this is not
yet of decisive i m portance to either side,
si nce they can each overprotect all the
entry squares ; on the other hand , 23. tDe4
would not be good on account of 23 . . . .
d x eS 24. AxeS ! 'Wc6 ! 2S. 'Wxc6 �xc6
26. Ab2 fS ! , and the hS pawn wi ll be weak)
23 . . . . Axd6 24. tl}e4 Axf4 25. tl}xf4 §xd2
26. §xd2 tl}c6 27. b4 tl}e5 2S. c5 tl}f6 !
39. gx b6 would be precipitate in view of (the centralised knight must be quickly ex­
39 . . . . <!> c7 and subsequently tDc6 winning changed ; 28 . . . . bxcS 29. �xcS would be
the d4 pawn . Now however B lack is i n a advantageous for White) 29. tl}xf6+ gxf6
critical situation, si nce 39 . . . . �d7 fai ls to 30. cxb6 'Wxb6 31 . 'Wb3 (31 . 'Wc2 deserves
40. ggS , whereupon the f4 or dS pawn is preference, in order to be able to answer
lost. H e must also rel i nquish the ideal eS 31 . . . . 'Wb7 with 32. 'We4 ; the pressu re
square to the white knight. on f3 would be thus immediately null ified ,
and the balance mai ntained [But Black has
39. . . . �c7 40. tl}e5 tl}a6 (Black is in zug ­
3 1. . . . lWe3, with an attack on two pawns. ­
zwang ; the rook cannot move from fS on
Ed.} ) 31 . . . . §cS 32. §e2 §c1
accou nt of 41 . ggS , and 40 . . . . �d7 fai ls
to 41 . gg7) 41 . §g7+ �cS (or 41 . . . . <!>d6 (see diagram 177)

153
 Chapter 6 The connection between the open file and the 7th and 8th ranks 154

1 77 a b c d e f 37. �e2 is not playable in view of 37. . . .

8 8 �c3 , after which the loss of a pawn at a3
7 7 or f3 is unavoidable.
6
37. . . . Elc2-c1
38. 'Wd1-d2 �g8-g7
5
A qu iet move, which puts White i n the
4 4
quandary of having to move something.
3 3
39. a3-a4
2 2
Understandably, Wh ite would l i ke to be
active. However, this pawn move merely
�------�--� � weakens the queenside.
39. 'Wc7-c4 !
n Assessment of the position 40. �f4-d3 Elc1-c2
41 . 'Wd2-d1
With the i nvasion of the fi rst ran k by ,
the black rook, combi ned threats ap­ Not 41 . tL\xe5 on account of 41 . . . . 'Wf1 + .
pear on the first and second ranks. The 41 . ... 'Wc4-a2 !
wh ite king has only a few fl ight squares Threatening mate on h2, which can only
and furthermore it has stil l to protect the be prevented by giving u p a pawn. The
weakened f3 pawn. The knight on f4 is i nvasion of the second ran k decides the
i nferior to its black cou nterpart on e5, game.
since it is fulfi l l i n g exclusively defens­
42. 'Wd1-g1
ive tasks. Wh ite can mobil ise his pawn
majority on the queenside only with dif­ 42 . tL\xe5 10ses immediately to 42 . . . . �h2+
ficulty. 43. �g4 fxe5 44. �xe5 'Wc4+ 45. f4
I n contrast, the pawn structure on (45. �e4 f5+ ) 45 . . . . f5+ 46. �f3 'Wc3+
the kingside securely protects the black 47. �e3 'Wc6+, fol lowed by mate.
king. The knight on e5 has a lot of scope 42. . . . �e5xd3
and carries out both attacking and de­ 43. Ele3xd3 'Wa2xa4
fensive functions. H owever, the most Thus Black has won an i mportant pawn,
i m portant strategic featu re is the har­ without any d i m i n ution i n his attacking
monious cooperation between B lack's pressu re. The win is now only a matter
queen and rook. of techn ique.
All these factors add up to a clear 1 78 a b c d e f
advantage to Black.
8 8

7 7
33. 'Wb3-e3 'Wb6-c7
6
On no accou nt should Black exchange 5
queens ! With the text move the threat
4 4
34 . . . . �c3 appears.
3
34. 'We3-d4 Elc1-c3
35. Ele1-e3 Elc3-c4 2 2

36. 'Wd4-d1 Elc4-c2+

37. �g2-h3 �

;i$4.'.
155 6 . 1 The seventh rank

44. Wb1 §c4 45. §b3 Wb5 46. g4 §d4 J n . . . continued I

47. § b2 Wd5 48. �g3 §d3 49. §f2 ( if the game. Only then can the extra pawn
49. �f1 then 49 . . . . �e5+ 50. 'i!>h3 );!xf3+ in connection with the open c -file con­
51 . �xf3 �x b2 , and the queen ending is stitute an advantage. Vladimir Kramn i k
easily won for Black) 49 . . . . §b3 50. Wa1
manages this i n a n exemplary manner.
'Wd6+ 51 . �g2 I::I: x b4 52. g5 hxg5 53. h6+
�g6 54. h7 I::I: h4 17. �g8-h8
White resigned . 18. �a3-c2 Ac8-d7
19. �c2-e1 I::I:f8-g8
G a m e 1 08 20. Ad3-e2 Ag7-f8
V. Kra m n i k - T. R a dj a b ov Black has the plan of transferring the
Dort m u n d 2 0 0 3
bishop to d6 and su bsequently starting
Sicilian Defence [8 33J an attack on the half-open g -fi le.
1 . e4 c5 2. �f3 �c6 3. d4 cxd4 4. �xd4 21 . �e1-d3 l::I: a8-e8
�f6 5. �c3 e5 6. �db5 d6 7. Ag5 a6 21. . . . Ag4 is tempting. However, after the
8. �a3 b5 9. Axf6 g xf6 10. �d5 Ag7 queen sacrifice 22. �xg4 );!xg4 23. Axg4
1 1 . Ad3 �e7 1 2. �xe7 Wxe7 1 3. c4 f5 Wh ite has the better chances. There is a
14. 0-0 0-0 1 5. Wf3 d5 ! ? (the game threat of 24. );!c6 followed by );!ac1 , and
Shirov - Kramnik, Linares 2000, saw 1 5 . . . . the dominant c -fi le plus the two optimally
);!e8 1 6. );!fe1 b4 1 7. �c2 f4 1 8 . Ae2 );!b8 posted m i nor pieces g ive Wh ite a clear
19. b3 'i!>h8 20. �h5 d5 ! 21. exd5 );!b6, advantage.
with u nclear complications) 1 6. cxd5 f4 We7-d8
22. I::I: c 1-c7
17. I::I:fc1 23. l::I: a 1-c1 I::I: g 8-g6 ? !
1 79 .----,--;--:---;:--, ....
2 3 . . . . Ad6 24 . );!a7 Ag4 25. �xg4 );!xg4
26. Axg4 �b6 27. );!d7 Af8 was defi n itely
better ; Black would su bsequently have
cou nterplay with the queen move . . . �d4.
24. Wf3-h5 Af8-d6
25. I::I: c7-a7 Wd8-e7
Black has no time for 25 . . . . );!eg8 on ac ­
count of 26. �xe5 );!xg2+ 27. 'i!>h1 .
26. h2-h3 f7-f5
Or 26 . . . . );!eg8 27. Ag4 ! Axg4 28. �xg6 !
with a clear advantage to Wh ite.
27. e4xf5 I::I: g6-f6
n Assessment of the position 28. �d3-c5 ! . . .
After this subtle knight move the black
With his last move Wh ite has occupied position collapses. 28. . . . Axc5 fails to
the open file and hopes to beat off the 29. �xc5 �xf5 30. �xf5 Axf5 31 . );!xe7
anticipated attack on the kingside. The );!xe7 32. d6 );!d7 33. );!xe5 and wins.
pawn sacrifice 15 . . . . d5 is theoretic­ l::I:e8-c8
28.
ally controversial and its evaluation is 29. §a7xd7 I::I: c 8xc5
sti l l unclear. The problem for Wh ite is 30. I::I: d 7xe7 I::I: c 5xc1 +
how to bring his two passive pieces,
31 . �g1-h2
the a3 knight and the d3 bishop, i nto
Black resigned.

155
 Chapter 6 The connection between the open file and the 7th and 8th ranks 156

6.2 The eighth rank (back rank)

Familiarity with back ran k threats forms 181

part of the armoury of every chess player. 8
I n the exam ple positions we shall first
show a few of the typical back row threats.
6
M ost commonly the attack on the back
rank is connected with mating threats ; we 5

then speak of a ' back ran k mate ' . A fur­ 4

ther notion , which often appears i n this
con nection, is that of the 'escape hole ' . If
2
there is no escape hole, the attacked king
is unable to leave the back rank ; its es­
cape to the seventh ran k i s barred by its '--_______ ....-.:.:...---l
.::.- iJ
own men .
ing to protect both the queen and the back
180
rank. The typical winning move is 1 . �d1 -
8
d8+ ; Black must capture, after which the
queen is left unprotected .
6
1 82
5

2
I n Diagram 1 80 Black (or more precisely
the black king) has no escape hole. There ­
fore the knight on d6 is not protected by e f 9 h iJ
the d8 rook. White to move wins a piece
by 1. Af4xd6, si nce the black rook is tied I n comparison with the position i n Dia­
to the back rank. g ram 1 81 , here Black already has an es­
In contrast, White (more precisely the cape hole. But this is not actually any help
wh ite king) has an escape hole, since h2- to h i m , since the b8 rook has a third de­
h3 has already been played . In the event fensive task : protecting the a8 rook ! This
of a check on the back row, the king could function can easily be overlooked . White,
move to h2 ; the square h2 is the 'escape whose move it is, takes advantage as fol­
hole ' . lows :
1. §d1-d8+ �g8-h7
I n t h i s position (see d i ag ram 1 81 ) it is 2. 'Wc5xb5 §b8xb5
White to move. The back ran k weakness 3. §d8xa8
means that the b8 rook is overloaded , hav- White wins .

•
157 6.2 The eighth rank (back rank) ttJ

183 G a m e 1 09
8 8 D . R o v n e r - M. K a m ys h ov
7 M oscow 1 947
6
1 85
8

'-- _______ ....;;...

_ ----' 'If

Black apparently has the back ran k se ­

curely defended . However, Wh ite to move
can take advantage of the momentary ty­
ing of both major pieces to the d8 rook �________________�__� 'lf
with the deflecting manoeuvre 1. 'We3-a7.
Black loses at least queen for rook. n Assessment of the position
184
White to move has a dead ly shot avai l­
8 8
able : owing to the pressure on the
eighth rank, the doubled rooks on the
d -fi le make possible a decisive deflect­
ing manoeuvre. The precondition for the
combi nation is the lack of an escape
hole for Black.

1. 'Wf2-a7 ! ! 'Wc7-a5

What else ? The queen on a7 is taboo on

L....-
_ ___ ___ ....;;...
_ ----' 'lf
account of 2. '§xd8+ . 1 . . . . '§xd2 fails to
The following example shows yet another 2. VNxc7, since the bishop on f3 protects
typical mating pattern : the rook on d 1 . Also, 1 . . . . .§dc8 loses to
2. VNxc7 .§xc7 3 . .§d8+, followed by mate.
1. E:lc1-c8+ Ag7-f8
2. Ae3-h6 2. 'Wa7xa6 ! ...
And now 3 . .§xf8 mate is unstoppable.
With the text move White continues on his
merry way. The black queen is deflected
from protecting the d8 square.

2. 'Wa5-c7
3. 'Wa6-a7 !

Black resigned , si nce the square d8 can

no longer be defended .
� Chapter 6 The connection between the open file and the 7th and 8th ranks
Game 110
L . We h n e r t - H . - J . L i e ss
Sass n itz 1 9 62
n Assessment of the position
With the doubling on the open e -file and
the control of White's second rank Black
has obtained a small positional advant­
age. He threatens . . . 'Wg4 and . . . gxa2 .
White meets the threats with counter­
play against the eighth rank.
1. llb5-bS lle2xa2 ? ?
Black completely m isj udges t h e dangers
on the back rank. 1 . . . . h6 or 1 . . . . g6
was correct, whereupon he would have
retai ned a slight advantage. Now however
the game is decided by a cross pin on the
eighth rank in connection with the e -file.
2. llf1-e1 ! lleS-dS
3. 'Wb4-b5 ! . . .
This Black's fate i s sealed . There i s n o de­
fence against the threat of 4. 'Wxd7.
3. lla2xg2+
A last spite check, hoping for perpetual
check after 4. �xg2 with 4 . . . . 'Wg4+ . But
Wh ite can easily avoid it. If 3 . . . . c6 then
4 . 'W b7 ga7 5 . 'Wxd7 gaxd7 6 . ge8+ fol­
lowed by mate.
4. �g1-h1
Black resigned .
158
Game 111
A. A l e k h i n e - E . C o l l e
Par i s 1 92 5
187
8
n Assessment of the position
After the mistake on Black's previous
move (29 . . . . hxg6) Wh ite has a beauti­
ful back rank combination avai lable. The
control of both open files is the precon­
d ition for Wh ite's success.
30. 'Wc6xd7 ! lldSxd7
31 . lle1-eS+ �gS-h7
32. llc1-cS
Now the king is jammed against the other
edge of the board - an unusual twist to the
weakness of the back rank/edge fi l e !
32. . . . lld7-dS
One last attempt, to see whether
Wh ite captures with the correct rook ( if
33. gcxd8 ? then 33 . . . . 'Wc1 +).
33. lleSxdS
Black resigned .
To conclude this last chapter, here are two
more example games which demonstrate
impressively why familiarity with threats on
the back rank must be part of the armoury
of every chess player.
159 6 . 2 The eighth rank (back rank)
Game 112
W. U h l m a n n - G . B r a u n
East G e r m a n y 1 977
English Opening [A 29J
1 . c4 eS 2. �c3 �f6 3. �f3 �c6 4. g3
Ab4 S. Ag2 0-0 6. 0-0 §e8 7. d3 Axc3
8. bxc3 e4 9. �d4 exd3 10. exd3 �xd4
1 1 . cxd4 h6 1 2. 'Wb3 d6 1 3. Af4 § b8
14. 'Wa3 AfS 1 S. §fe1 a6 1 6. h3 'Wd7
17. g4 Ag6 18. Ag3 hS 19. gS �h7 20. h4
'Wg4 21 . cS ! �xgS (a risky sacrifice which
Black has not calculated accurately. But
his problems are al ready not easy to solve ;
thus if 21 . . . . d x cS 22. 'lWxcS, and the
wh ite bishops are tremendous ; if 21 . . . .
d S then 22. 'lWb3 c6 23 . .§xe8+ .§xe8
24 . 'lWx b7 'lWxd4 2S . .§c1 with advantage
to Wh ite) 22. cxd6 cxd6 23. h xgS h4
24. Axd6 h3 2S. Ag3 ! ( Black overlooked
this fi nesse when he made his combina­
tion) 2S . . . . hxgS 26. Axb8 §xb8 (or 26 . . . .
'lWh3 27. .§xe8+ and 28. Ah2) 27. 'Wd6 §f8
28. §e3 'WxgS 29. §ae1
188
..
a Necessary, since once again the threat
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 32. 'Wd6-h2
3 33. �g1 xg2
2
n Assessment of the position
After the game took a sharp cou rse
Wh ite won the exchange and he is thus
ahead on material. But much more im­
portant are the dangers of mate which
are arising on the eighth ran k. Hav­
ing dou bled rooks on the e -fi le, on the
next move Wh ite is already threatening
30. 'lWxf8+ *xf8 31 . .§e8 mate.
159
r n . . . continued l
Owing to the mating motifs, the pos­
sible switching of the rooks from the
open e -fi le to the h -fi le also plays an
i mportant role. If requ i red , the passed
pawns on the d -file can sti l l play a part
in the game.
Although Black has a solid pawn
structure, he has no time to activate his
pieces.
29. 'WgS-bS
29. . . . f6 offered no defensive chances
on accou nt of 30 . .§h3 ! 'lWfS 31 . .§h8+
*xh8 32 . 'lWxf8+ * h7 33 . .§e7 and wins.
Or 30 . . . . AhS (30 . . . . AfS ? 31 . 'lWdS+
.§f7 32 . .§e8 m ate ; 30 . . . . Af7 ? 31 . 'lWh2
AdS 32 . .§h8+ *f7 33 . .§xf8+) 31 . 'lWh2
g6 (31 . . . . 'lWd2 32 . .§e7) 32. 'lWxg2, and
Wh ite simplifies i nto a wi n n i ng endgame,
for instance : 32 . . . . 'lWxg2+ 33. *xg2 .§d8
34 . .§e7 bS 3S . .§h4 with an easy win.
30. §e3-h3 §f8-e8
31 . 'lWxf8+ is loom ing ; if 30 . . . . .§c8 then
31 . 'lWh2, with a dead ly check on h8 to fol­
low.
31 . §e1 xe8+ 'WbSxe8
'We8-e1 +
f7-f6
34. §h3-h8+ �g8-f7
3S. 'Wh2-c7+
Black resig ned . 3S . . . . Yfie7 36. Yfic4+ Yfie6
37. *f3 with the subsequent exchange of
queens would be hopeless.
Game 113
O . R o m a n i s h i n - P. Ve l i kov
K i ev 1 978
Queen 's In dian Defence [E 1 5J
1 . �f3 �f6 2. c4 b6 3. g3 Ab7 4. Ag2
e6 S. d4 cS? ! 6. dS exdS 7. �gS Ae7
8. �c3 0-0 9. 0-0 �a6 10. cxdS d6
1 1 . e4 �d7 1 2. �f3 Af6 1 3. Af4 'We7
� Chapter 6 The connection between the open file and the 7th and 8th ranks
(Wh ite obtains good play after 13 . . . . �e5
1 4 . �xe5 Axe5 1 5 . Axe5 d xe5 1 6 . f4 ! )
14. §e1 �eS 1 S. �xeS AxeS 1 6. AxeS
dxeS 17. 'Wd2 §fdS 1S. §ad1 �c7 ? ( 1 B . . . .
c4 was slightly better) 19. d6 !
...
n Assessment of the position
With the text move Wh ite i ntroduces
a combi nation which culminates i n
a queen sacrifice. T h e passed pawn
which appears at c7, together with
the open d -fi le, gives Wh ite the bet­
ter chances. The weakened eighth rank
plays an important role in this, the more
so as there are constant mating threats
and the c - pawn is threatening to pro­
mote. Furthermore, i n some variations .
the knight can very actively join in the
game.
I n assessing Black's position , it is ob­
vious that his king has no escape hole.
As a result, mating threats qu ickly ap­
pear. The b7 bishop is very passive.
1 9. ... We7-e6
The players must have i nvested a lot
of thinking time to check the possible
consequences of 19 . . . . �f6. The game
m i g ht have gone l i ke this : 20. d x c7 gxd2
21. gxd2 gf8 22. &Db5 ! Aa6 ( but not
22 . . . . a6 on account of 23. &Dd6 winning ;
l i kewise 22 . . . . �c6 fai ls to 23. a4 Aa6
160
24. gd6 ; 22 . . . . �c6 23. a4 a6 also loses
after 24. gd6 �eB 25. gx b6 �cB 26. Ah3 !
�x h3 27. gx b7 axb5 2B. gbB �g4 [see
comment below) 29. h3, since there is
no defence against 30. gd1 ) 23. &Dxa7
Yfie7 (23 . . . . b5 24. ged1 Yfib6 25. gd7 !
g6 26. g1 d6 Yfia5 27. gxa6 Yfixa6 2B. gdB
and wins) 24 . ged1 �xc7 25. gd7 �bB
26. &Dc6 �aB 27. g1 d6 Ab5 2B. gdB ! Yfixc6
29. gxc6 gxd8 (or 29 . . . . Axc6 30. gd6
gc8 31 . Ah3 winning) 30. gx b6 gd1 +
31 . Af1 , and after 3 1 . . . . gxf1 + 32. <;!1g2
f6 33. gxb5 Wh ite can simplify i nto a win­
ning rook end ing.
[Instead of 28. . . . JWg4 ? Black can simply
play 28 . . . . JWd7, winning the c7 pawn. In
this line White can do better with 25. lid8
(instead of 25. lixb6) or 28. axb5 (instead
of 28. lib8 ?), but he appears to have no
more than a draw. Perhaps improvements
for White should be sought earlier. - Ed.}
20. d6xc7 §dSxd2
21 . §d1 xd2 §as-fS
If 21 . . . . �e7 then 22. &Db5, and there is
no defence agai nst 23. ged1 , fol lowed by
gdB+ .
22. §d2-dS g7-g6
Or 22 . . . . �e7 23. &Dd5 Axd5 24. gxfB+
Yfixf8 25. exd5 and wins.
23. §e1-d1 cS-c4
24. §dS-bS !
100 ...
8 8
6
5
4
3
161 6.2 The eighth rank (back rank)

After this Wh ite seizes the eighth ran k 'Wc6 27. laxc8 'Wxb7 28. Ah3, and Black
once a n d for all . Black can o n l y delay the resigned. And justifiably so, since 28 . . . . f5
end for a few moves by sacrificing a piece. fai ls to 29. exf5 'Wxc8 30. f6+.
24 • . . • lac8 25. lad8+ mg7 26. laxb7

161
 162

Ap p e n d i x

I n d ex o f P l a ye r s

Numbers refer t o pages. Normal print means that the player was White; bold print means that the player
was Black.
A E
Alapin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 29 Eliskases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 06
Alekhine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54, 65, 66, 75, 77, 82, 8 4 , 90, 106, Euwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
109, 1 52, 158 Evenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Anand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
F
Anderssen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Fine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 30
Andersson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 53
Fischer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Antoshin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Furman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
.

Atalik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
G
B Gligoric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58, 1 1 7, 1 51
Bachmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 5 Gulko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Balashov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 H
Bardeleben . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 45 Hamann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
.

Bednarski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Honfi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Beliavsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 HObner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Bellin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Hug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
.

Berkes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
.

Bilek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 I
Bischoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
.
Iliescas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Biyiasas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63, 1 40 J
Blumenfeld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
.
Janowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Bogoljubow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 09 Joksic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9
Boleslavsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Bondarevsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
. .
K

Bonsch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
.
Kagan, M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 28
.

Botvinnik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59, 81 , 147, 152 Kamyshov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 57

Braun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 59
.
Kan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Browne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 49, 153
.
Karpov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, 47, 60, 62, 111 , 1 33, 150, 151
.

Kasparov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86, 1 26
Kochiev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
C
Korchnoi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Capablanca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 , 32, 77
Koshtenko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Chekhover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 47
Kostic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Chistiakov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 8
Kotov, A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Colle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 58
Kozma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 22
Consultation partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
.

Kozul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Csom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 1 21
.
.

Kramnik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 1 25, 155

Krogius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
o
Kupreichik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 1
Dely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
.

D e Vicente . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 L
Dittmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 1 20 Lange, M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 39
Donner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48, 1 1 9, 1 38 Lanka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Drumev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 Larsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8 , 8 9 , 1 0 2 , 116, 131 , 1 35

162
163 Appendix • Index of Players

Lasker, Em . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 23 S
Lerner, Konstantin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 30 Salov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88, 96
Levenfish . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Salwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Liberzon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Sarapu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Liess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 1 58 Savon .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ligterink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Schmidt, W ..

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lipnitsky . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Schone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Lukacs . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 32 Shirov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Lundin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Short . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Simagin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 40
Smyslov . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 36, 50, 51 , 52, 58, 67, 1 1 7, 1 36
M
Spassky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Marco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Stahlberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 92, 145
Matulovic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Steinitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 23, 145
Mikhalchishin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Suetin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 6
Miles . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Sutovsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Mochalov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
. . . . . . . . .. . . . . 1 03
Szabados . 30, 1 45
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Moiseenko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 95
MOiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
T
Taimanov ..
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

N Tarrasch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
N. N . 1 28, 129
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tartakower. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 28
Neikirch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Tatai .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 133
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nielsen, A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Tiviakov .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 26
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nimzowitsch . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 84, 1 29

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turov .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p U
Petrosian 1 04
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Uhlmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 25, 31 , 40, 42, 46, 69, 80, 97,
Petrushin .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
108, 1 2 1 , 1 22, 132, 136, 141 , 150, 159
Ujtumen . . 25
Platonov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Polgar, J ...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 . . . . . . .
Unzicker . . 47
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Polugaevsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48, 51 , 67, 103, 1 07, 1 1 9

V
Pomar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Vadasz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Ponomariov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Vaganian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Portisch 31 , 33, 37, 71 , 93, 1 02, 104, 1 20, 138
. . . . . . . . .

Velikov . 1 59
Pribyl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 08
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Vukovic . . 129
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

R W
Rabar .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wehnert . 158
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Radjabov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 55 Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Radulov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Reshevsky . 34
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Y
Reti 128
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yanovsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Romanishin 107, 159
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yusupov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 25
Rovner 157
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rubinstein . 114
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Z
Rukavina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Zabaleta, L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

163
 Appendix • I ndex of Openings 164

I n d ex of O p e n i n g s

The numbers in the Openings Index are page numbers.

Bogo-Indian Defence Nimzowitsch -Larsen Opening

[E 1 1 ] 36, 1 09 [A 01 ] 22

Caro-Kann Defence Old Indian Defence

[8 1 2 ] 32 [ 8 14] 1 06 [8 15] 1 28 [A 54] 41 , 1 03
Chigorin Defence
[ 0 07] 58 Philidor Defence
[C 41 ] 65, 66
Dutch Defence
[A 1 0] 97 [A 86] 1 9 [A 87] 1 35 [A 92] 71 Pirc Defence
[8 07] 74
English Opening
[A 14] 30 [A 25] 52 [A 28] 88 [A 29] 136, 159 Queen's Gambit Accepted
[A 31 ] 89 [A 33] 1 38 [A 34] 1 32 , 1 33 [A 35] 62, [ 0 22] 42
1 08
Queen's Gambit Declined
Evans Gambit [ 0 33] 56 [ 0 34] 78 [ 0 37] 1 25 [ 0 41 ] 1 52 [ 0 43] 1 1 7,
[C 52] 130 141 [ 0 46] 80 [ 0 54] 50 [ 0 63] 1 21 [ 0 64] 77

French Defence Queen's Indian Defence

[C 01 ] 90, 1 02 [C 02] 37 [C 09] 150 [C 1 0] 86 [E 1 2 ] 1 1 2 , 1 49 [E 15] 92, 153, 159 [E 1 8 ] 44, 1 1 5

[C 1 3 ] 39, 82 [C 15] 1 30 [C 1 7 ] 84, 1 28, 1 29
Reti Opening
Giuoco Piano [A 07] 38 [A 1 3 ] 1 07
[C 53] 1 1 4 [C 54] 1 45
Ruy Lopez
Grunfeld Defence [C 61 ] 1 1 1 [C 65] 1 29 [C 68] 1 23 [C 75] 34 [C 76] 28
[ 0 94] 95 [ 0 99] 1 22 [C 79] 59 [C 84] 54 [C 88] 47, 93 [C 95] 1 51

King's Indian Defence

Sicilian Defence
[A 49] 67 [E 63] 26, 1 04 [E 73] 25, 48 [E 74] 40
[8 23] 1 26 [ 8 24] 1 1 6 [8 30] 1 8 [8 33] 1 55 [8 36] 24
[E 91 ] 97 [E 92] 46, 69 [E 93] 33 [E 94] 31
[ 8 43] 63 [8 52] 96, 1 31 [8 83] 60 [8 88] 81

N i mzo- Indian Defence Slav Defence

[E 21 ] 1 47 [E 51 ] 98 [ 0 01 ] 75 [0 1 0 ] 72 [0 1 1 ] 51 [0 15] 21

164
 The outhors Wolfgang Uhlmonn and Gerhard Schmidt.

Over a qucirter of a century ago, the first edition of this book (published in
East Germony in 1981 I was a huge best seller. Yet unfortunately it was
never reprinted and ii soon become a scarce collector's item. The reason:
one of its co-authors, the chess trainer Gerhard Schmidt, left for the West.
He thus become persona non groto in East Germany and the book was
banned there. Despite the book's excellent q ualities, which were acclaimed
in chess circles, from then on its success could only be an underground one.
However, tlhe subject of the book is timeless and transcends frontiers, and
so at last we have a new edition, fully revised by the original authors them·
selves to include modern games by world-class play ers such as Garry
Kasparov, Vishy Anand, Vladimir Kramnik and Judit P61gor.
The book explains, clearly, systematically and comprehensively, the strate­
gy and tactics associated with the open file: how files ore opened, block·
ed, occupi·ed and exploited as roads along which to invade the enemy
position. A brief introduction lays the theoretical foundations and is followed
by carefully selected and organised material in the form of illustrative
games, in oil of which the open file is the dominant or decidin g factor. In
each game' there is a pause at a key position where a clear verbal assess·
ment is givErn; these assessments alone ore of huge instructional value, since
they do nothing less than teach the reader how strong chessplayers think:
what to loc1k for, how to assess, how to pion.
The book benefits not only from Gerhard Schmidt's experience as a trainer
but also from the huge knowledge and skill gained by Grandmaster
Wolfgang Uhlmann during his long and successful career in top-class chess,
which at one point brought him clof
· · · · ' ' · '·

us $35.00
putobly one of Germany's greatest

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ritten by one of Germa ny's greatest players - Timeless topic - Model games - Clear verbal
ssessments - Correct use of the major pieces - Entry squares and their importance