1

Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1 - The effect of moving one pawn on the assessment of
the position
Chapter 2 - The relative value of tempi in different positions
Chapter 3 - The relative value of pieces depending on their position
on the board
Chapter 4 - The advantage of the two bishops
Chapter 5 - Opposite-coloured bishops
Chapter 6 - Maximum centralization: the key to success
Chapter 7 - Domination
Chapter 8 - Playing cramped and passive positions
Chapter 9 - Flexibility with castling
Chapter 10 - Choosing a plan depending on your opponent’s style,
your own physical and psychological condition, and position in the
tournament
Conclusion
Bibliography

2
Introduction
It’s amazing how quickly time flies: it’s already been a year since
we published our first book in this series, on typical pawn structures.
It’s nice to remember how, in the fall of 2022, we, together with the
staff of the New in Chess publishing house, polished it to perfection,
and in January 2023 it was published and was then met with
excellent reviews from players and chess critics.
Before the onset of all these events, in the conclusion to our work
Rock Solid Chess: Pawn Structures we promised that we would not
stop there, that there would be a continuation... and now, while we
are waiting for the mass publication of our manuscript, we are
incredibly happy about the fact that we managed to keep our word
to our readers.
We would like to say that the story of the creation of the second
book began earlier than the first. Most of its chapters appeared
during the COVID-19 pandemic – for us it was a creatively
productive time. However, the logic of presenting the educational
material suggested starting the Rock Solid Chess series of books
from the very basics, namely, pawn structures.
In our second volume, Piece Play, a special place is occupied by
chapters devoted to the comparative assessment of positions, the
comparative value of tempi and various pieces, depending on the
position on the board. These moments, in our opinion, are extremely
important in the game, but they receive very little attention in chess
literature. For that reason, we tried to fill this gap.
In addition, on the pages of this book we will talk about popular and
at the same time very important topics, such as ‘The advantage of
the two bishops’, ‘Opposite-coloured bishops’, ‘Centralization’ and
‘Domination’. And it ends with a study of how to play in cramped

3
positions, choosing a game plan and finding an answer to the
question of when and where to castle.
One small point to note is that you will find several games
appearing more than once in this book: in one chapter, they are
examined by reference to a certain theme, and then they re-appear in
a later chapter, on another theme. This is a characteristic of my (ST)
teaching style – I like to examine the same material from different
points of view.
After our long work on the predecessor of this volume, we have
become more experienced, and, as a result, more professional.
Therefore, we guarantee that studying Piece Play will improve your
understanding of many aspects of the game, and everyone will
discover something new, regardless of their chess level.
We wish you pleasant reading!
Sergei Tiviakov and Yulia Gökbulut
Groningen, Netherlands/Kirikkale, Turkey
January 2024

4
Chapter 1
The effect of moving
one pawn on the
assessment of the
position
Our first book was about commonly encountered pawn structures.
True, we did not include chapters on the ‘Isolated Pawn’ or the
‘Isolated Pawn Pair’, since these topics have been carefully
examined by other authors. However, in my previous work I also
did not cover one other important question that haunted my
inquisitive mind: ‘Are there situations in which the location of the
pawns does not matter at all?’ Reflecting on this, I collected relevant
information, studied it and came to the conclusion that the presence
of such positions belongs to the genre of fiction. But I would not
like this chapter to consist of three words, so I will answer the
question posed, as always, in detail, confirming my conclusions
with examples.
The only case in which the location of the pawns does not matter at
all is if they are completely absent from the chessboard. But in other
situations there are always some moments and nuances associated
with their minimal rearrangement. In this regard, it is possible to

5
change the assessment of the position, the strategy and the set of
playing methods that will be used to achieve the goals. Let’s say one
of the sides has an absolute advantage, but if one small detail
appears or disappears, the result of the game can be completely
opposite.
As educational material, I will deliberately use and modify not only
new examples, but also those that occurred in the previous book, so
that you see and understand the difference in the positioning of
pawns, understand certain types of positions and remember them for
life; and sometimes I will dwell on certain points not related to the
specified topic in order to improve your understanding of chess.
Queen’s Indian Defence
Tigran Petrosian
Vasily Smyslov
Moscow ch-URS 1961
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.d4 Bb7 5.a3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.e3
Be7 8.Bb5+ c6 9.Bd3 c5 10.Nxd5 Qxd5 11.dxc5 Qxc5 12.Bd2
Nc6 13.Rc1 Qd6 14.Qc2 Rc8 15.0-0 h6 16.Rfd1 0-0 17.Bc3 Qb8

6
Question:Assess the position and decide how White should play.
SOLUTION
18.Qa4!
Petrosian plays for the attack.
It is interesting to ask whether Black can save himself.

Question:What happens after best play for both sides?

SOLUTION
After 18. Qa4 White wins: he has an advantage which is bordering
on the decisive. In order to survive, Black must give up material and
try to hold without it.
On 18...g6, the attack crashes through as follows: 19.Qg4 Kh7
20.Bxg6+ fxg6 21.Rd7. This means that in this example, the pawn

7
structure is of enormous significance: White’s idea can only be
realized with the black pawn on h6.
18...Rfd8
Black misses his only chance to prolong his resistance.
Let us consider this position from the viewpoint of defence.

Question:Which move was strictly the only one?

SOLUTION
So as not to lose, Black has to play 18...e5, when his opponent can
continue the attack by means of 19.g4.
18...Rfd8
I give the remaining moves, so you can see how White realized his
plan and earned the full point:
19.Qe4 g6 20.Qg4 h5 21.Qh3 f5 22.Bc4 Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1 Kf7
24.e4 Qf4 25.Re1 Qg4 26.exf5 Qxc4 27.fxg6+ Ke8 28.g7! e5
29.Qxh5+ Kd7 30.Rd1+ Bd6 31.Bxe5 Nd4 32.Nxd4 1-0
8
Now let us modify the position, putting the h6-pawn back on h7 and
adding the moves Q e4 and ...g6.

Question:How should we assess the position with the pawn on h7?

SOLUTION
White is slightly better, but now he should bring the queen back
with 1.Qa4, because here 1.Qg4 does not break up the enemy
fortress.
In the following diagram, we put the black kingside pawns back on
their original squares.
1...Rfd8

9
Question:Assess the position and find a move for White.
SOLUTION
It seems that Black has an ideal pawn structure, because he has not
created a single weakness.
2.h4
A totally correct and flexible move, which maintains a clear
advantage!
In this fourth variant from the game between the two world
champions, we have doubled pawns. Traditionally they are regarded
as a serious weakness, because they complicate their owner’s life.
For example, in an endgame with centralized kings, the doubled
pawns will in all likelihood become an indefensible target.
Question:To whom are the doubled pawns favourable here?
SOLUTION

10
In this case, they fulfil the role of an impassable barrier, which is
naturally in Black’s favour, since his king feels much safer.
The position is equal. The white pieces are a little more active, but
they cannot accomplish anything significant.
Since I talked about the endgame earlier, it would be logical to
compare the positions of the pawns at the very end of the game. I
think the chess public will always have a demand for material on
rook endings and even if you have studied them previously, it makes
sense to repeat them.
I first bring to your attention the frequently encountered rook
endgame of three pawns against four on one flank. This is a
theoretical position that has been analysed by many chess gurus.

In this position, Black has very good winning chances using the idea
of ...h5-h4, although the immediate 1...h4 is met by 2.g4, drawing.
Therefore Black should first play 1...f5 . Now White cannot advance
any of his pawns: not 2.h4, nor 2.g4, nor even 2.f3. In the latter case,

11
the white king is cut off from the centre and his rook will have to
defend him passively against checks on the second rank, which
allows Black easily to activate his king and create a passed e-pawn.
The weaker side must instead just wait patiently, for example with
2.Rc2 . Then there follows 2...h4 3.Ra2 , and after the exchange
3...hxg3 4.Kxg3 ( 4.fxg3 loses without a fight) Black will try to
advance the pawn with ...e5-e4, supporting it with his king. Then, if
he puts the king on f4, he wins easily. The stronger side wins if he
can achieve all of this.
But how to clearly oppose this plan is a difficult question. In my
opinion, nowhere has it been said exactly how to defend for White.
One can only guess and make vague assumptions that his position,
despite the absence of a pawn, is somehow tenable. In fact, at the
end of a real game, the weaker side will have a hard time solving
practical problems with a limited amount of time.
Let’s move on to a modified version of this endgame.
Question:What is the difference between the two positions?
SOLUTION
The first example was a ‘theoretical draw’. But when I was young, I
lost this ending against Epishin.
Additional exercise: Look at my childhood game against the well-
known grandmaster.
Queen’s Indian Defence
Vladimir Epishin
Sergei Tiviakov
Croatia tt 1989
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.a3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.e3
Nd7 8.Bd3 c5 9.e4 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Qc7 11.0-0 Be7 12.Re1 0-0
13.Qe2 Rac8 14.Bb2 c4 15.Bc2 b5 16.Bc1 e5 17.Rb1 a6 18.a4
Qa5 19.Bd2 Bd6 20.axb5 axb5 21.dxe5 Nxe5 22.Nd4 Ba6
23.Qh5 g6 24.Qg5 Rfe8 25.Nf5 Qd8 26.Nxd6 Qxd6 27.Be3 Nd3
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28.Bxd3 cxd3 29.Bd4 Rc4 30.Qd5 Rd8 31.Qg5 Rxd4 32.cxd4
Qxd4 33.Qd2 Rc8 34.Qb2 Rc4 35.Qxd4 Rxd4 36.Red1 b4 37.f3
Kg7 38.Rb2 Rc4 39.Rdd2 Bb5 40.Kf2 Ba4 41.Rxd3 Bc2 42.Rd7
b3 43.Ke3 Rc6 44.h4 Kf6 45.Kd4 Ra6 46.Rc7 Ra1 47.Ke3 Rh1
48.g3 h6 49.Rc6+ Kg7 50.Kf4 Rf1 51.Rbxc2 bxc2 52.Rxc2 Ra1
53.Rc5

53...Ra4
53...h5=.
54.h5 g5+
54...gxh5 55.Rxh5 f6².
55.Kg4 Rd4 56.Re5 Kf6 57.Re8 Ra4 58.f4 gxf4 59.gxf4 Ra1
60.e5+ Kg7 61.f5 Rf1 62.Ra8 Rf2??
62...Rh1² .
63.f6+?
63.e6 fxe6 64.fxe6 Re2 65.Kf5 Re3 66.Ra7+ Kf8 67.Kf6 Rf3+
68.Kg6 Re3+ .

13
63...Kh7² 64.Ra3 Kg8 65.Rf3 Rh2 66.Rf1 Re2 67.Kf4 Kf8 68.Ra1
Kg8 69.Ra8+ Kh7 70.Ra3 Kg8 71.Re3 Ra2 72.Rg3+ Kf8 73.Rb3
Ra4+ 74.Kf5 Kg8 75.Rd3 Rh4??
75...Ra8.
76.Rd8+ Kh7 77.e6+ Ra4 78.Rd7 Ra5+ 79.Ke4 Ra4+ 80.Kd3
Ra3+ 81.Kc4 Kg8 82.Rxf7 1-0
The position (below) is of a practical nature: Black has a plan that
can create serious problems for White. Therefore, in such situations,
the weaker side needs to play very carefully. It is especially
dangerous when White does not have a pawn on the h4-square. By
the way, this endgame is discussed in detail in the first chapter of
Viktor Korchnoi’s book on rook endings (see the Bibliography in
the back of this book).
Question:Comment on the sides’ chances.
SOLUTION
Incidentally, this very important endgame of 3 pawns against 4 was
seen recently in the game Abdusattorov-Caruana, Wijk aan Zee
2023.
Additional exercise: Analyse this game yourself.
Nimzo-Indian Defence
Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2713)
Fabiano Caruana (2766)
Wijk aan Zee 2023
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 h6
7.Bh4 0-0 8.e3 Bf5 9.Ne5 c5 10.Be2 cxd4 11.Qxd4 Qb6 12.Qxb6
axb6 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Nd3 Bxd3 15.Bxd3 Nc6 16.Ke2 Bxc3
17.bxc3 Ra3 18.Rhb1 Rfa8 19.Rxb6 Rxa2+ 20.Rxa2 Rxa2+
21.Ke1 Ne5 22.Bb1 Ra3 23.Ke2 Kg7 24.Rxb7 Rxc3 25.Rb5 Rc1
26.Bf5 Nc6 27.Rxd5 Ne7 28.Rb5 Nxf5 29.Rxf5

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29...Ra1 30.Kf3 Ra2 31.Kg4 Kg6 32.Rf3 Rb2 33.Kh4 Ra2 34.Rf4
Rb2 35.Rg4+ Kh7 36.Kg3 Ra2 37.Kf3 Rb2 38.h3 Ra2 39.e4 Rb2
40.Ke3 Ra2 41.f4 Ra1 42.Kd4 Rd1+ 43.Kc5 Re1 44.f5 Rd1 45.h4
h5 46.Rg3 Rd2 47.Kc4 Kh6 48.Kc3 Ra2 49.Kd4 Rd2+ 50.Ke3
Ra2 51.Kf3 Ra3+ 52.Kf4 Ra2 53.Kf3 Ra3+ 54.Kf4 Ra2 ½-½
It seems as though the isolated and doubled pawns should reduce
White’s chances of holding, but the position is in fact a stone-cold
draw and easy for the weaker side to defend. The pawn structure
influences very strongly the quality of the position, but in this
example, the doubled pawns show themselves to be a strength, not a
weakness.
Sicilian Defence
Anatoly Karpov
Vladimir Tukmakov
Leningrad tt 1971

15
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0
Be7 8.f4 0-0 9.Be3 Nc6 10.a4 Qc7 11.Kh1 Na5 12.Qe1 Nc4
13.Bc1 Bd7 14.b3 Na5 15.Bd3 Nc6 16.Nxc6 Bxc6 17.Bb2

Here is a puzzle that will help expand your chess horizons and have
a positive impact on your professional perception.
Question:Your task is to find the strongest continuation from
Black’s point of view.
SOLUTION
The position is equal. Knowing this should help you feel
psychologically confident in it.
17...Nd7! and ...Bf6 is a normal human decision aimed at
neutralizing the b2-bishop. 17...b5 (+0.60²) is another continuation
that deserves serious consideration: counterplay is created on the
queenside. But there is also a computer idea that has an extremely
unusual sense:
17...e5
16
This weakens the light squares, and the opponent gets the advantage
due to this. Black’s strongest idea was to sacrifice a pawn: 17...d5!!
18.e5 Ne4 19.Nxe4 dxe4 20.Bxe4 Bxe4 21.Qxe4 g6. When I
entered this position for computer analysis, I saw that White had
only a minimal advantage, although we are talking about a whole
pawn. The above variation was a revelation for me, although I am
already a ‘chess veteran’.
The assessment ranges from +0.20² to +0.30², but objectively it is
close to a draw. When White starts the game with 1.e4, he already
has more advantage than that. True, a human player is unlikely to
decide on this continuation: he will be afraid to go into a position
close to an endgame, a pawn down. But chess is a game of great
possibilities. And I’m showing this example on purpose, so that you
have this alignment of events in mind.
Point to note:If your opponent has outplayed you, do not give up,
continue to fight in all situations.
18.Qe2 Rad8 19.b4 a5 20.b5 Bd7 21.f5
Black can already prepare to resign.
21...Bc8 22.Nd1?
The direct attack on the king with 22.g4 decides the game.
22...d5
Black has now obtained some drawing chances, since with the help
of a pawn sacrifice, he frees himself. But even so, Karpov went on
to win, even with only a very minimal advantage.
23.exd5 Nxd5 24.Qxe5 Qxe5 25.Bxe5 Rfe8 26.Nb2 Bc5 27.Nc4
b6 28.Bg3 Bb7 29.Rae1 Bb4 30.Rxe8+ Rxe8 31.h4 g6 32.Kh2
Bc5 33.Bf2 Bxf2 34.Rxf2 Re1 35.Kg3 Nb4 36.Kf4 Nd5+ 37.Kg3
Nb4 38.Rd2 Nd5 39.Nd6 Ba8 40.Be4 Nc7 41.Bxa8 Nxa8 42.f6
h6 43.Nc4 Re8 44.Rd6 1-0
Now let us look at a modification of the position after White’s 21st
move:
17
We have put the white pawn on b5 back to b3.
Question:Assess the sides’ chances and find the strongest move for
Black.
SOLUTION
While Black has not yet fallen under the press and his opponent has
not yet started an attack on the king with g4-g5, it is absolutely
essential to play 21...Bc6 , intending ...d5. This plan is sufficient to
save Black, although he still faces a difficult struggle. White’s
advantage is close to a full pawn – 0.93².
Let us consider an illustrative variation. In view of the fact that
Black is ready to break in the centre, White can play 22.Rad1 (
22.Rae1 ), intending 23. Bc4 with a light-square blockade: 22...d5
23.exd5 Bxd5 with a small advantage to White: 24.Nb5 Qb6
25.Bxe5. White has an extra pawn but Black has good drawing
chances.

18
And now let us make another change to the position from Karpov-
Tukmakov:
Let us assume that at move 22, White gets to make a second move
in a row: 23.c4 – now we are examining a position in the diagram
with an extra tempo for White. We have only changed the position
of one pawn, but it deprives Black of all counterplay.
Point to note:When examining a pawn structure, look for the
chances of a kingside attack and for counterplay.
The appearance of a pawn on c4 produces a stabilization of the
centre. It completely removes all dynamics from the position. White
now has a strategically winning position, because he has a plan to
strengthen it: an attack on the king. Black can only hope for a lucky
chance, if White somehow misses something or relaxes.
We have been looking at examples involving counterplay in the
centre and have seen how in such positions moving even one pawn
can have the most fundamental effect on the assessment of the
position.
Now let us examine a well-known and extremely instructive game
between two classics.
King’s Indian Defence
David Bronstein
Tigran Petrosian
Amsterdam/Leeuwarden ct 1956
1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.d4 Nf6 5.e4 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0
Nbd7 8.Re1 c6 9.d5 c5 10.a3 Ne8 11.Bg5 f6 12.Bd2 f5 13.Ng5
Nc7 14.exf5 gxf5 15.f4 e4 16.Be3 h6 17.Nh3

19
This position has appeared in at least ten different textbooks,
devoted to as many different themes. Tigran Petrosian also discusses
it in his Chess Lectures.
Question:So, what do we all know about this position? Find the
strongest continuation for Black.
SOLUTION
If you are familiar with this game, then most likely you will suggest
the move 17...Bxc3, like 99.9% of all chess players on earth who
consider it the best. But in fact (according to Stockfish) it is a
mistake. My statement probably comes as a big surprise to you.
Let’s destroy the idols that have been created and stop believing that
the plan chosen by the ex-World Champion is the right one. Yes, he
managed to make a draw in this game. You can see how it
happened:

20
17...Bxc3 18.bxc3 Nf6 19.a4 Kh8 20.Nf2 Rg8 21.Kh1 Qe8
22.Rg1 Qg6 23.Qd2 Bd7 24.g3 Rae8 25.a5 Re7 26.Rab1 Bc8
27.Rg2 Reg7 28.Rbg1 Nce8 29.h3 h5 ½-½
But Petrosian had a surprising option in the style of the Benko
Gambit, which retains a small advantage for Black: 17...b5 18.cxb5
a6 19.bxa6 Bxa6 20.Bxa6 Rxa6 , then the black queen goes to a8
and the knight on d7 further attacks the d5-pawn via f6 or b6. Given
time, Black will establish material equality, so White should seek a
concrete defence, by taking the dynamic decision 21.g4 . However,
with the light-squared bishops off the board, it will not be easy to
attack the king on g8: 21...Bxc3 22.bxc3 Qh4 23.Nf2 Nf6 , and
White has to fight for equality.
Now, as usual, I will make a slight change to the position: we move
the pawn from a3 to a4.

Question:Is it necessary in this case to take on c3?

SOLUTION
21
An insidious question! Do you remember what plan Petrosian
implemented with the prophylactic move 17... Bxc3 ? In the first
place, White could have created play on the queenside by means of
b4, thanks to the fact that his pawn was on a3. This is what
Petrosian was afraid of. But in this new position, is there any danger
facing Black?
This time, there is no threat of b4. Black can boldly keep his bishop
on g7 and play 1...Nf6 . If 2.Nf2 , then he must fight against 3. g4
by means of 2...Qe8 3.Kh1 Qg6 . On 4.Qd2 , Black can always
prevent b4 with 4...Na6 and ...Nb4.
So now we see how moving a single pawn one square can give rise
to an entirely different plan of play.
I have also prepared one more position, this time reached by moving
the pawn from c3 to b3.
Question:How much better is White here? With the doubled pawns
on c4 and c3, we saw how the tournament game ended in a draw.
SOLUTION
Due to the appearance of two types of advantage, White is much
better. With the disappearance of the doubled pawns, he can
implement a plan related to moving the bishop to the long diagonal:
B e3-d2-c3. Black faces a very difficult fight for a draw, and if his
opponent plays correctly, he is doomed to defeat.
Sicilian Defence
Viktor Kupreichik (2490)
Vladimir Tukmakov (2560)
Ashkhabad ch-URS 1978
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.f4
b5 8.Qf3 Bb7 9.Bd3 Nbd7 10.g4 h6 11.0-0-0 Rc8 12.Nce2 Nc5
13.Ng3 Nxd3+ 14.Rxd3 g6 15.Rf1

22
Another well-known classical example.
Question:Create a threat – the assessment of this position depends
on concrete play.
SOLUTION
15...h5!
If Black had preferred to start with 15...Qc7, then he could not have
done without ...h5 anyway. He can play for a win, but first he must
ward off White ’s attack. Admittedly, 16.f5 is not a danger, since the
strength of the two bishops will tell.
16.gxh5
If 16.h3, then 16...h4 +; and on 16.g5 Nd7³.
16...Nxh5³ 17.f5 exf5 18.Ndxf5 gxf5 19.Nxf5 Rh7 20.Kb1 Qc7
21.Rd2 Qc4 22.Bd4 Qe6 23.Re1 Rc4! 24.Qg2 Nf6 25.Bxf6 Qxf6
26.Nxd6+ Bxd6 27.Qg8+ Bf8 28.Qxh7 Qh6! + 29.Qxh6 Bxh6

23
30.Rde2 Ke7 31.b3 Rd4 32.Kb2 b4 33.c3 Rd2+ 34.Rxd2 Bxd2
35.Re2 bxc3+ 36.Kc2 Ke6 37.Kd3 Ke5 38.h4 a5 0-1
Now let us move the pawn from c2 to d3.
Question:How much worse is this for Black?
SOLUTION
It is very important to know this type of position, as it can occur in
many popular Sicilian variations. When my opponent threatens to
take on d3 (by means of ...Ne5 or ...Nb4), I always reply Kb1, so as
after ...Nxd3 to have the possibility of replying cxd3.
Point to note:Taking with the pawn strengthens the centre, which is
much more important in the middlegame than the endgame, since a
superiority in the centre gives the chance to attack the king.
Whereas in the previous example Black was worse, here it is
completely hopeless for him (+1.70+ ). He can only hope for a
miracle. And yet the only difference between the two positions is
the single pawn on d3!
Sicilian Defence
Vasily Smyslov
Iosif Rudakovsky
Moscow ch-URS 1945
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 Be7 7.0-
0 0-0 8.Be3 Nc6 9.f4 Qc7 10.Qe1 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 e5 12.Be3 Be6
13.f5 Bc4 14.Bxc4 Qxc4

24
Question:Find White’s strongest move and assess the resulting
position.
SOLUTION
15.Bg5!
After this move, White ’s advantage is not in doubt.
Question: How can Black competently save himself in this position?
After all, White’s goal is to exchange on the f6-square and place his
good knight on d5 as opposed to the opponent’s bad bishop.
SOLUTION
15...Rfe8?
Smyslov’s opponent immediately goes wrong. It was essential to
strengthen the pressure against the c2-pawn at once.
Tempting is 15...Rac8. If White plays 16.Rf2, then Black has the
tactical idea 16...d5, intending 17... Bc5, thanks to which he saves

25
himself. If 17.Bхf6, then 17...gхf6, winning a tempo. And although
after 18.Rf3 the white attack seems very threatening, he cannot win
simply: 18...dхe4 19.Rh3 Rfd8 ±. If after 15...Rac8 White continues
16.Kh1, then 16...Rc5, increasing the pressure against d5. Then
17.Nd5?? is impossible because of 17...Nхd5, so 17.Rf2 Rfc8
18.Bхf6 Bхf6 19.Nd5 Rхd5 20.eхd5 Bh4 21.g3 Qхd5+ 22.Kg1
Bd8=.
16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Nd5 Bd8 18.c3 b5 19.b3 Qc5+ 20.Kh1 Rc8
21.Rf3 Kh8 22.f6 gxf6 23.Qh4 Rg8 24.Nxf6 Rg7 25.Rg3 Bxf6
26.Qxf6 Rcg8 27.Rd1 d5 28.Rxg7 1-0
Now let us look at a modification of one moment in the example we
just looked at.

Now the black pawn is on e6 instead of e5, and this changes the
assessment to equal, with it even being White who must fight for a
draw.

26
The only move which allows White to hold the balance is 1.Qg3.
Black can reply 1...Kh8 or 1...Qc6 with equality.
As you see, this time too, a small change in the position of a single
pawn makes a massive difference to the assessment of the position.
The following example will be of benefit to those who play the
Spanish or Italian.
Ruy Lopez
Samuel Shankland (2602)
Marc Esserman (2447)
Las Vegas 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.Re1
Bc5 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.h3 h6 11.Be3 0-0 12.Nbd2 Re8 13.d5
Ne7 14.Bxb6 cxb6 15.a4 bxa4 16.Bxa4 b5 17.Bc2 Qb6 18.Bd3
Rec8
Question:Assess the position and find a plan for Black.

27
 SOLUTION
The position has a purely Spanish structure, but similar pawn
constellations arise even from the Sicilian Defence; for example, in
the variation 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nc6. Black usually avoids
this structure in the Spanish because he doesn’t want to spend the
rest of the game with a bad bishop. With the centre closed by the
pawn chain e4/d5, the black pawns must be in the right positions to
be able to go c6 and undermine White’s structure. Therefore, the
place of one of them is on the c7-square.
Look at this diagram.
Even with the move, White cannot prevent the break 1...c6. Thus,
for example, after 1.b3 c6 2.c4. Now Black has only one plan which
gives him an advantage: ...b4, ...Nf6-d7-c5. White can also not
strengthen his centre with the move 1.Qb3: 1...c6 2.dxc6 Bxc6=.
Now we return to the previous position, with the pawn on a6.

Question:Find a plan for White.

28
 SOLUTION
It consists in the immediate 19.c4, giving White the advantage and
causing Black problems. After 19...Nd7 there follows 20.b4, not
only depriving the opponent of activity on the queenside, but also
allowing the creation of a weak pawn on b5. At some moment
White can exchange cxb5 axb5 and play Qe2, and then include the
knight with Nd2-b1-a3 (or Nc3).
If Black prefers 19...b4, then the consequences of this will be even
worse than simply continuing passive defence.

Question:Find a precise winning plan for White.

SOLUTION
White needs to play accurately, so his opponent cannot organize a
blockade on the dark squares.
19.c4! b4 20.Qa4

29
The American GM chooses the strongest continuation. The second-
best move 20.Nb3 allows the following development of events:
20...Nd7 21.Nfd2 Nc5 22.Nxc5 dxc5 23.Nb3 with permanent
pressure against the square c5. Later White will transfer his bishop
to the open diagonal with Bd3-e2-g4, and he will have a
strategically winning position on account of his permanent static
advantage. The presence of a single pawn on a6 deprives Black of
the possibility of a break in the centre and he finds himself in a
difficult situation.
20...a5 21.Nb3 Ng6 22.Nfd2 Nh5 23.Nxa5 Rcb8 24.c5 dxc5
25.Qb5 1-0
I once played a tournament in Mexico and at some moment, the
draw paired me with a Cuban IM.
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2590)
Orlen Ruiz Sanchez (2449)
Villahermosa 2016
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Nge2 Nf6 4.g3 Nc6 5.Bg2 g6 6.d4 cxd4
7.Nxd4 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.0-0 0-0
In general, this is a variation I play with both colours.
10.Qc4 Be6 11.Nd5 Qd7 12.Re1 Ng4 13.c3 Rfe8 14.a4 Rac8
15.Qb5 Ne5 16.Bg5

30
Question:How can Black most easily equalize? What should he do
about the pawn on e7?
SOLUTION
16...f6?
Don’t repeat my opponent’s mistake. Correct is 16...Kf8 with a
solid position. Also good is 16...Rc6.
17.Be3 Nc6 18.a5
Now Black is doomed to a difficult defence. White’s advantage is as
much as 1.50±.
18...a6 19.Qe2 Bxd5 20.exd5 Ne5 21.f4 Ng4 22.Bb6 f5 23.Qe6+
Qxe6 24.dxe6 Rc6 25.Ra4 Nf6 26.Bxc6 bxc6 27.Bd4 Ne4
28.Bxg7 Kxg7 29.Rb4 c5 30.Rb6 Ra8 31.Kf1 Kf6 32.Ke2 Kxe6
33.Kd3 Ra7 34.g4 Kf7 35.g5 e5 36.fxe5 d5 37.h4 Re7 38.Rxa6
Rxe5 39.Rb6 d4 40.a6 Nf2+ 41.Kd2 Ne4+ 42.Kc2 d3+ 43.Kxd3
c4+ 44.Kxc4 1-0
31
We change the position; now the pawn is on f7. With the move,
Black plays 1...Nc4 2.Qxd7 Bxd7 3.Bxa7 Ra8 4.Nb6 Rxa7 5.Nxc4
Rxa4=. The cardinal difference in the assessment of the two
positions consists in the placement of Black’s bishop: with the pawn
on f6 it is shut out, and so the white knight can never be driven from
d5 (in the event of the exchange Bxd5 exd5, the square e6 is very
weak).
French Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2590)
Jonathan Speelman (2630)
Beijing 1997
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Nxf6+
Nxf6 7.Bd3 c5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.0-0 0-0 10.Bg5 b6 11.Qe2 Bb7
12.Rad1 Qc7 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Be4 Rfd8 15.g3 Bxe4 16.Qxe4 f5
17.Qe2 Be7 18.c3 Bf6 19.Rxd8+ Rxd8 20.Rd1 Rxd1+ 21.Qxd1

32
I am hoping to exploit my queenside pawn majority.
Point to note:If you play this opening in rapid chess, then the
advantage is easier to exploit, and in blitz things tend to go even
better for White! This is because White’ s plan is simple, whereas
Black needs to show definite accuracy.
21...Qc4 22.a3 b5 23.Ne1 a5 24.Nd3 e5? 25.Qd2 Qd5 26.Qe2
Kg7 27.g4 Bg5 28.Nxe5 f6 29.Nf3 fxg4 30.Nd4 f5 31.Nxb5 Bf6
32.b4 axb4 33.axb4 h5 34.c4+ Qa8 35.Nd6 f4 36.Qd1 Be5
37.c5 Qa2 38.b5 f3 39.Nf5+ Kf6 40.Ng3 h4 41.Qd8+ Kf7
42.Qd7+ Kf8 43.Qf5+ Qf7 44.Qxe5 hxg3 45.hxg3 Qb3 46.Qf4+
Ke7 47.Qe3+ 1-0

33
In this new position, Black has a small advantage. With doubled
pawns on f7 and f5, Black could lose with inaccurate play. Now,
however, after the exchange of queens, Black can bring his king into
the centre, without risking losing the h7-pawn.
Torre Attack
Viktor Korchnoi
Anatoly Karpov
Hastings 1971
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 b6 4.e4 h6 5.Bxf6 Qxf6 6.Bd3 Bb7
7.Nbd2 a6 8.Qe2 d6 9.0-0-0 Nd7 10.Kb1 e5 11.c3 Be7 12.Nc4 0-
0 13.Bc2 Rfe8
This position is typical of the theme we have discussed above.
Question:Find the strongest continuation for White.
SOLUTION
Korchnoi takes a very logical decision, which accords with chess
principles. The position belongs to the theme of ‘opposite-side
castling’. White should attack the enemy king as quickly as

34
possible. Therefore, without losing a tempo, he could immediately
commence the direct implementation of this plan.

Question:How can he do this? Find an alternative to 14.d5.

SOLUTION
14.d5
There is a ‘hook’ on h6, which can be used to open lines by means
of h4 and g4-g5. And from the viewpoint of the computer, this plan
is stronger than d5. Evidently, after 14.h4 Korchnoi was afraid of
14...exd4 15.cxd4, and then 15...Bf8, followed by organizing an
attack against the e4-pawn with various tactical ideas. This will not
be easy for a human player to handle and perhaps he will panic.
Therefore, the stabilization of the centre seems like a more solid
continuation: after that, the opponent’s counterplay will be limited.
And indeed, Karpov did not manage to oppose Korchnoi’s attack
effectively.
Let’s look at this position from Black’s point of view:
35
Question:Which defensive principle can be utilized in this situation?
SOLUTION
It is a complicated situation, because in any case, the queenside
counterattack will be somewhat late. Therefore one must ask oneself
the traditional question: ‘Do I have a piece that is not working and,
if so, can I get it into the defence?’
14...c5?
With this move, Black not only creates no counterchances, but also
loses time.
Point to note:When we ask ourselves leading questions, everything
becomes clear.
It was essential to include the bishop via a6: 14...a5 15.Ne3 Ba6
16.c4 Nc5 17.h4 g6 18.h5 Qg7 and White is clearly better, but
Black’s position may still be defensible.
15.Ne3 Bf8 16.g4 Qd8 17.g5 h5

36
17...hxg5 18.Rdg1 f6 19.h4.

Question:How can White win most simply?

SOLUTION
18.g6! fxg6 19.Rhg1 Qf6 20.Ng5
20.Rg3+ is the simplest. Can you see that there is no difference at
all between the position of the pawn on c7 or c5?
20...Be7 21.Ne6 Nf8 22.Nc7 Qf7 23.Rdf1 b5 24.Nxa8 Bxa8
25.c4 Rb8 26.Bd3 Qe8 27.Rc1 Bf6 28.Rg2 Rb6 29.Rcg1 Rb8
30.Qf1 b4 31.Be2 h4 32.Rxg6 Qxg6 33.Rxg6 Nxg6 34.Bg4 Nf4
35.Qd1 b3 36.axb3 Bb7 37.Ng2 Bc8 38.Bxc8 Rxc8 39.Qg4 Re8
40.Nxf4 exf4 41.Qxf4 Be5 42.Qxh4 Rf8 43.b4 Bd4 44.bxc5 1-0
Unfortunately, this game has not become as well known as it
deserves to be. I suspect it was excluded from Soviet books because
of the manner in which Korchnoi crushed Karpov.

37
On the board, we have an important theoretical position type. I have
reached it many times:
Modern Defence
Sergei Tiviakov
Jim Plaskett
Douglas 1998
1.e4 g6 2.d4 d6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 Nd7 6.f4 b5 7.Bd3
Bb7 8.e5 b4 9.Ne4 c5 10.c3 bxc3 11.bxc3 Nh6 12.Nf3 0-0 13.0-0
Qa5 14.exd6 exd6 15.Nxd6 Bxf3 16.Nc4 Qc7 17.Rxf3 cxd4
18.cxd4 Ng4 19.Ne5 Ndxe5 20.dxe5 Bxe5 21.Rc1 Qd7 22.fxe5
Nxe5 23.Be4 Nxf3+ 24.Bxf3 Qxd2 25.Bxd2 Rac8 26.Re1 Rc2
27.Bh6 Rxa2 28.Bxf8 Kxf8 29.Rc1 h5 30.Rc7 Ra5 31.Kf2 Rf5
32.Rxa7 Kg7

Question:Solve the puzzle: how do we win this endgame? To find

the necessary position, you need imagination.

38
 SOLUTION
Note that Black’s h-pawn has already moved and this eases White’s
task.
33.Ke3 Rf6 34.Bd5 Rf5 35.Ke4 Kf8 36.h3 Kg7 37.g4 hxg4
38.hxg4 Rf1 39.Bc4 Rf2 40.g5 Rg2 41.Rxf7+ Kh8 42.Kf4 1-0
I had to play such a structure against the English GM Plaskett (see
above) and managed to find the correct plan at the board. I also had
some help from my opponent: he voluntarily pushed the h-pawn two
squares forward. If White adopts the set-up ‘Bd5-Rb7’, so as to
force the exchange of rooks, then Black can transfer his rook to the
f-file, where it has a good square on f6. In order to win, therefore,
the stronger side must remember one base position, and then strive
to achieve it. The correct idea is to play h4, g4-g5 and Rxf7, going
into a winning pawn endgame.
Question: Where must the white king be placed?
SOLUTION
Point to note:When Black puts his pawn on h6 or h5, then the
simplest winning plan is h2-h3 and g2/3-g4. Indeed, with the pawn
on h5, this is the only winning plan.

39
Now we go on to the more complicated case, where the black h-
pawn stands on its original square. Here White is also winning, but
the plan seen above loses its strength. And it is especially important
to know how the weaker side should proceed in this endgame and
not to be afraid to go into it in the worst case. If the side with the
extra piece does not know how to win this ending, then he will
never find the idea if he is playing on 30-second increments,
because it requires imagination and careful thought.
The move g4 will be a mandatory part of the win, but is not
sufficient in and of itself. Let’s say Black stands and waits, making
moves with his rook along the seventh rank. White must play for
domination (see the corresponding chapter of this book). What do I
mean by this? It is necessary to take away squares from the enemy
rook, to limit its activity. After some approximate manoeuvres, this
position arises:

40
Point to note:It is essential to remember this set-up.This is the only
winning plan in this theoretical ending.
We have analysed the possible effective actions of the stronger side
with different positions of the enemy’s h-pawn at the end of the
game. And now let’s return to the initial stage of the game to answer
one more question related to the topic of this chapter: ‘Is the pawn
structure important in the most critical positions, when there is an
attack on the king, or not?’
French Defence
Thomas Beerdsen (2521)
Sergei Tiviakov (2562)
Groningen ch-NED 2022
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7 5.Nf3 Bc6 6.Neg5 Nd7
7.Nxf7
White sacrifices a piece.
7...Kxf7 8.Ng5+ Ke8 9.Bc4

41
My young opponent is extremely ambitious, but his choice is very
risky. White gets enough compensation after 9.Nxe6 Qe7 10.Qe2
Rc8 ( 10...Kf7 11.Ng5+ Ke8 12.Ne6 ) 11.h4 and Rh1-h3-e3.
9...Bxg2 10.Rg1 Bd5 11.Nxe6 Bxe6 12.Bxe6

Question:What should Black play?

SOLUTION
With correct play, Black has the advantage. Frankly, I did not
manage to get to grips with the position, because by now my
theoretical knowledge had ended. I only knew the first nine moves.
12...Bb4+
I consider my move logical, because I gain time and develop the
bishop, following chess principles. My traditional view of the game
led me to reject 12...Qe7 13.Qe2 Kd8 14.Bf4 g6 when the position
remains complicated.
13.c3 Qe7 14.Qe2?
42
14.Rg3 Nf8 15.Re3 Nxe6 16.d5 Rd8 with a very sharp battle.
14...Bd6
With the bishop on d6, rather than f8, Black has an advantage of
1.50µ. I conducted the rest of the game without any particular
problems.
15.Bg5 Ngf6 16.0-0-0 Kd8 17.Rde1 h6 18.Bd2 Nf8 19.Qc4 Nxe6
20.Rxe6 Qd7 21.Qb3 b6 22.Rge1 Re8 23.Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.Qg8 Rc8
25.Re3 c6 26.Rf3 Rc7 27.h3 Qe7 28.c4 Rd7 29.a3 Bc7 30.Bb4
Qe4 31.Qf8 a5 32.Bd2 Qxd4 33.Re3 Qxc4+ 0-1
It is interesting to see what happens if we move the h7-pawn
forward one square.

White to move mates: 1.Qh5+ Ke7 2.Qf7+ Kd6 3.Qxe6#

Why did I put this position on the board? What relation does it have
to professional chess? I have badly-placed pieces, the king is

43
stranded in the centre and the game is decided by events in the
centre and on the kingside.
Now, if on move 12 of the above-mentioned game we put White’s
c2-pawn on c3 and assume that it is Black’s move, he needs to find
the only defence, otherwise he loses:

1...Qh4! .
The position of the white pawn on c3 deprives Black of many
defensive resources: there is no check on b4 and the d4-pawn is
defended.
2.Rg4 Qxh2 3.Qf3=
I believe that, after having studied this chapter, you will understand
which details you need to pay attention to in a position, and how to
arrange your pawns in accordance with these.

44
Chapter 2
The relative value of
tempi in different
positions
Once, while studying with my students, I noticed that they did not
value tempi and often wasted time making pointless or not entirely
necessary moves, as a result of which the initiative passed to the
opponent. Then the question appeared in my head: ‘How can I
explain to them (and at the same time to other chess players) the
importance of tempo play, so that from now on they will only make
specific moves that meet the requirements of the position?’ From
that moment on, I began to select interesting material regarding this
issue, which formed the basis of a separate topic on the relative
value of tempi for this book.
It is known that in the initial position the one who makes the first
move has an advantage. Since in chess it is customary that White
starts the game, he already has an advantage (‘+0.30-0.40²’,
depending on the module we use). If, for example, the opponents
agree on a training game in which Black makes the first move, then
he has an advantage. And here is the difference in assessment
between the moves of White and Black – this is the price of the
tempo. Thus, summing up the estimates of the two tempi in the
initial position, the price of one move ranges from 0.60 to 0.80

45
points, but as the situation on the board changes, the price of a
tempo changes along with it. It begins to depend on the pawn
structure, the location of the kings, and how the players have
castled.
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Mark Taimanov
Tigran Petrosian
Leningrad tt 1959
1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 0-0 6.e3 b6 7.cxd5
exd5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.Qc2 h6 10.Bxf6 Bxf6
Point to note:If during training, you are unable to solve a particular
position and your teacher shows you the correct move, then it is
likely that the material in question will not be well absorbed by your
brain and you will miss the same correct idea the next time.

46
Question:Which side should White castle and how should he
prevent the move ...c5?
SOLUTION
White needs absolutely to castle short. This can be done at once or a
little later.
11.h4
It was possible to play the solid 11.0-0, which would retain the
advantage for White. But there is a more accurate move, which
prevents the enemy plan, involving the opening of the position and
the activation of the bishop pair. There are two ways of doing this,
one indirect and one direct.
The direct way is 11. b4, pretending to prevent the break 11...c5.
But I would like to point out that the move 11.b4 does not prevent
the break c5: 11...c5 12.bxc5 bxc5 13.dxc5 Qa5. The passive
11.Ne2 does not work either, for the same reason: 11...c5 12.dxc5
bxc5 13.Qxc5 – the white king is trapped in the centre and after
13...Na6 Black is better on account of his strong initiative.
There is also a more indirect method, which does not prevent the
opponent from executing his planned idea, but nonetheless for some
reason persuades him to refrain from it.
Clue:Exploit the opposition of the white rook and the black queen
along the d-file.
11.Rd1 is objectively the strongest move in the position, because
then after 11...c5 12.dxc5 bxc5 13.Bh7+ Kh8 14.Be4 Black loses
the d5-pawn; there is no help from 14...Bxc3+ (better is 14...Qa5
15.Bxd5 Bxd5 16.Rxd5 Na6 17.a3, although here too, White has a
material advantage) because of the simple 15.Qxc3. Therefore,
Black should move his queen from the ‘x-ray’ of the rook with, for
example, 11...Qe7, when after 12.0-0 c5 13.Rfe1, probably followed
in the near future by the move e4, White is slightly better.
11...c5 12.0-0-0 Nc6

47
Question:Assess this position with Black to move.
SOLUTION
We have before us a position with an asymmetrical pawn structure,
and with the kings castled on opposite sides. Such a situation
involves a sharp increase in the value of a tempo and therefore the
players need to play accurately, in order to avoid mistakes.
If the move is with Black, then he has the advantage.

Question: In your opinion, how big is his advantage?

SOLUTION
The correct answer is -1.72 +.

48
Question:Assess the position if it is White’s move.
SOLUTION
The position is roughly equal: -0.17=, and White should choose one
of two moves.
The difference between -0.17= and -1.72 + is 1.55, (well above
average). This is the current price of a tempo.
13.g4 cxd4 14.exd4 Qd6 15.Kb1 Nb4 16.Qd2 Nxd3 17.Qxd3 g6
18.g5 Bc8 19.Ka1 Bf5 20.Qd2 Bg4 21.Nb5 Qe6 22.Rde1 Qf5
23.Ne5 Bxe5 24.dxe5 h5 25.Nd6 Qe6 26.Re3 Rad8 27.Rc1 Rd7
28.Qd4 Bh3 29.Rf3 Re7 30.a3 Rd8 31.Rf6 Qg4 32.Qxd5 Qxh4
33.Rxg6+ Kf8 34.Qf3 Qd4 35.Qxh5 1-0
Depending on the value of a tempo, I would identify three types of
positions: those where it has a positive value, those where it is zero
and those where it is negative.
By way of an example where the value is negative, I can cite an
ending.
49
We see that 1.Kc3?? loses after 1...g5 2.hxg5 h4 3.g6 Ke6 and the
black king is within the square of the enemy pawn.
Situations where the players are in reciprocal zugzwang are the
obvious example where a tempo has a negative value. White wins
by forcing the black king to move first:
1.a5 Kd6 2.Kd4
If 2.b5 Kc5 3.a6 bxa6 4.bxa6 Kb6 5.Ke4 Kxa6 6.Kf4 Kb6 7.Kg5
Kc6 8.Kxg6 Kd6 9.Kxh5 Ke7 10.Kg6 Kf8, Black succeeds in
stopping the enemy pawn in time and drawing.
2...Kc6 3.Kc4 g5 4.b5+ Kc7 5.b6+ Kd7
5...Kc6 6.hxg5 h4 7.g6 h3 8.g7 h2 9.g8Q h1Q 10.Qe6#.
6.a6 bxa6 7.b7 Kc7 8.b8Q+ Kxb8 9.hxg5 1-0
Pirc Defence
Alexander Semeniuk

50
Mark Tseitlin
Moscow 1975
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0
Black has determined the position of his king, whilst White still has
to choose where to castle in a few moves’ time.
6.Bd3 Na6 7.e5 Ne8 8.Be3 c5 9.dxc5 Nxc5 10.Bxc5 dxc5 11.Qe2
Qa5

This position is similar to the first position examined in this chapter:

again we have the themes of ‘an attack on the king’ and ‘opposite-
side castling’.
12.h4 Nc7 13.0-0-0
An extremely risky move. Positions with opposite-side castling
favour the side which has serious positional problems – here Black
suffers from insufficient control of the centre.
13...b5
The situation is heating up: Black has his play involving the advance
of the queenside pawns. This is why White should have castled on
51
the other side: 13.0-0!. Another good choice was 13.Nd2. After
either of these moves, White’s advantage is ‘+0.90±’.
14.h5
Now the position has a double-edged character. Time plays a very
important role and the price of a tempo rises sharply.
14...Ba6 15.hxg6 hxg6 16.Qf2 b4 17.Ng5 Rfd8 18.f5 bxc3
19.Rh8+ Bxh8 20.Qh4 Bg7 21.f6 exf6 22.exf6 cxb2+ 23.Kb1 Bc4
24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Qxg7+ Ke8 26.Qg8+ Kd7 27.Bxc4+ Kc6
28.Rxd8 Qe1+ 29.Kxb2 Qe5+ 30.Kb1 Qe1+ 31.Kb2 Qe5+
32.Kb3 Qe1 33.a3 Qe3+ 34.Ka2 Qc1 35.Bd3 c4 36.Be4+ Kb6
37.Rxa8 Nb5 38.Rb8+ Ka5 39.Rxb5+ Kxb5 40.Qb8+
And Black resigned.
Next, we look at the position from Black’s side after 11...Qa5.

Question:Which badly-placed piece should Black be thinking about?

SOLUTION

52
12...Bg4 comes to nothing after 13.h3 (there is nowhere to retreat
to) 13...Bxf3 14.Qxf3 and Black loses the advantage of the two
bishops. The bishop on c8 is extremely active, even from its starting
square: no pawns are an obstacle to it, so it should not be
exchanged. 12...Nc7 and ...b5 will bring positive results, taking
control of the d5-square. It is important that in this case the
opponent will not be able to take the b-pawn due to the weakness of
the b2-point.
White must still choose to castle short. For example, 13.0-0 Qb6
14.Qe3 Qxb2 15.Qxc5 Ne6 (or 15...Na6 ) 16.Qc4 Qa3 with
approximate equality.
Thus, in this example, we saw a position with a tempo price of 0.90,
approximately one pawn.
And now let us examine an example with a different type of
structure.
Nimzo-Indian Defence
Efim Geller
Joseph Broadbent
London tt 1954
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 c5 6.e3 b6 7.Bd3
Bb7 8.f3 Nc6 9.Ne2 0-0 10.e4 Ne8 11.Be3 d6 12.0-0 Na5 13.Ng3
Rc8 14.d5 e5 15.f4 Rc7 16.f5 f6
Question:Assess this position with White to move and also with
Black to move, and also think about the plans for both sides.
SOLUTION
To determine the value of a tempo, let’s turn our attention to the
level of dynamics of the pawn structure. As you remember, in the
previous position the two sides did not have a stable pawn structure:
the moves ...c4, ...b5, h4 were present, so each tempo was very
important.

53
In this example, Black cannot be creative and do anything useful
with his pawn structure. For example, ...g6 will further aggravate his
situation. Most likely, Black’s only plan is to play on the queenside
and prepare the move ...b5. But his dreams can be easily shattered
by the simple a4. As for White, he will advance h2-h4 and g2-g4-g5.
This means that there are dynamics only from White’s side, while
for Black the position is static. Stockfish estimates it at +0.90±.

Question:If we give Black the move, what will be the computer

assessment of the position, and which typical defensive method can
Black utilize in this position, to retain chances of saving himself?
SOLUTION
It is clear that White will play for the attack and therefore Black
needs somehow to ensure the safety of his monarch: he must
organize a king flight from the danger zone. However, the
immediate 17...Kf7 does not work because of 18.Qh5+, and the h7-
pawn is hanging. Broadbent should play 17...Ba6 with pressure on
54
the c4-pawn (+0.66²). 18.Qe2 Kf7 starts a king march to the other
flank: 19.a4 Ke7, for example, 20.Rf3 Kd7 21.Nf1 Kc8 22.h4 and
then g4-g5. In my opinion, Black’s position remains defensible.
Thus, a single tempo has little influence on the situation in practice:
the difference is about 0.20-0.30, – White has the advantage in both
cases.
Point to note:In closed positions where there is a lack of dynamics
in the pawn structure, the price of a tempo is sharply reduced. This
allows the player to play more quietly, without worrying overly
about losing a bit of time at some point.

17.Qe2 Bc8
A pointless move.
18.h4 Rb7 19.Rf2 Bd7
As a result, Black has lost time (he has done nothing to protect the
king!), namely three tempi. Previously, we found out that the move
price in such closed positions is 0.20-0.30. Let’s make a simple
55
mathematical calculation: 3x 0.20-0.30=0.60-0.90. But the
evaluation of the position, according to my computer, is already
+1.80+ , because White did not sit idle: he put the queen on e2,
advanced the wing pawn and made the prophylactic move a4. Black
now started using the ‘king escape from the danger zone’ method,
but this did not save him any longer – even in such closed positions,
time matters. He could have regrouped his forces to protect the g7-
pawn, but he didn’t.
20.a4 Nc7 21.Nf1 Qe8 22.Bc2 h6 23.g4 Kf7 24.g5 hxg5 25.hxg5
Ke7 26.Rh2 Rh8 27.Nd2 Rb8 28.Rxh8 Qxh8 29.Kg2 Rf8 30.Rh1
Qg8 31.g6 Kd8 32.Nf1 Re8 33.Rh7 Qf8 34.Ng3 Qe7 35.Nh5 Rg8
36.Bh6 Ne8 37.Kf2 Qf8 38.Bd3 Bxa4 39.Qe3 Bd1 40.Nxg7!
Thanks to the presence of the knight on the board, the attack on g7
is crowned with success.
40...Nxg7 41.Bxg7 Qe8 42.Bxf6+ Kc8 43.Qh6 Ba4 44.Re7 1-0
Geller won this game quite confidently by following the plan
outlined above.
Point to note: A knight very effectively complements the advantage
of the two bishops, especially in closed positions. Sometimes the
win is only possible in the presence of knights .
The following game of mine is examined in the chapter on the
advantage of the two bishops, but I want to repeat it here to
comment on the issue of the relative value of tempi.
Caro-Kann Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2609)
Maksim Chigaev (2531)
Haren/Groningen 2016
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nh3 e6
7.Nf4 Bd6 8.Ngh5 Bxh5 9.Nxh5 g6 10.Ng3 Qh4 11.c3 Nd7
12.Qf3 Ngf6

56
A typical position, with an average tempo value of 0.80-0.90
(anything outside this range is an extreme).
Question:Find the strongest move and assess the resulting position.
In doing so, do not forget to comment on the pawn structure and
king positions.
After the correct move, White has a small advantage: +0.20².
Unlike the previous position, here both kings are in the centre but it
is easier for one of them to castle.
Point to note: When the king is in the centre and one side has an
advantage in development, the price of a move rises sharply, – often
the player whose move it is wins.

Question:If it were Black’s move, what would be his strongest

move, given that this is a position with the advantage of the bishop
pair?
SOLUTION

57
Long castling costs an important tempo – although it is a useful
move, it is not so important at this moment.
Point to note: When one side has an advantage in development, he
should strive for concrete play to open the position. If he succeeds in
doing so, then he will have a large advantage on account of the
number of active pieces.
In this case, Black has four pieces developed against two for White,
which affects the value of a tempo. And 13...e5 is a very strong and
natural move, which answers the demands of the position, ‘-0.70µ’.
14.Ne2 e4 15.Qe3 Nd5 16.Qh6 is natural for White. After 16...Qg4
17.h3 Qe6 the position has a dynamic character, the centre is not
blocked and Black can advance his pawns. White has to fight for
equality.
Now we look at the position from Black’s side.

58
Question:Find the strongest move and assess the resulting position.
In doing so, do not forget to comment on the pawn structure and
king positions.
SOLUTION
Point to note: In positions where the price of a move is high, both
sides must play very accurately. One must concentrate like never
before, play with heightened attention, so as to avoid mistakes,
because any one of them can lead to defeat.
White now needs a multifunctional move that prevents 13... e5, that
is, strengthening his own centre, promoting development and
preserving his advantage. ‘How to introduce the bishops into the
game and which one to start with first?’ was the first question to
which I had to find an answer. In essence, White is unable to
prevent 13... e5, but he can prepare for it. In my opinion, this is to
some extent prevention, but not direct opposition to the opponent’s
play; instead, tuning one’s strengths to successfully respond to the
opponent’s next steps.
13.Ne2!
The only correct decision.
13...e5
If 13...Nd5 14.g3 Qe7 15.Bg2 e5 16.0-0, after finishing his
development, White is better; Black, by opening the centre with
15...e5, has not achieved anything.
14.g3 Qg4 15.Qxg4 Nxg4²
We have reached an endgame with White having the two bishops.
16.h3 Ngf6 17.Bg2 0-0-0 18.0-0 Rde8 19.dxe5 Nxe5 20.Rd1 Kc7
21.Kf1 Ned7 22.Be3 Nb6 23.b3 Nbd5 24.Bd2 Ne4 25.Be1 f5
26.c4 Nb6 27.Rac1 Nd7

59
Questions:
1) Is time significant in this position?
2) Is there now any sort of dynamic on Black’s part, which could
cause his opponent problems?
3) What threats does White face?
SOLUTION
Point to note:In studying questions relating to the value of tempi,
first of all you should pay attention to the pawn structure and
dynamics.
Here the pawn structure is symmetrical, with three pawns each on
the queenside and kingside. (Remember the corresponding chapter
in my previous book.) White’s plan is to advance his queenside
pawns with b4 and c5. If it were Black’s move, due to the lack of
dynamics he could use his extra move only to improve the
coordination of his pieces, for example with 28... Rhf8 29. b4 Rf7
30. c5 Bf8...
60
Point to note:If a tempo is used for defence, and not for active play
to seize the initiative, then its value tends to zero: it does not
particularly affect the assessment of this type of position. You can
hold off from ‘concrete’ chess and play ‘on general considerations’.
28.b4 Rhf8 29.c5 Be7 30.f3 Ng5 31.Nd4 Bf6 32.b5 Bxd4 33.Rxd4
f4 34.bxc6 bxc6 35.h4 Ne6 36.Ba5+ Kc8 37.Rd6 Ndxc5 38.Bh3
Kb7 39.Bb4 Kc7 40.Rd2
Black resigned.
In the Queen’s Gambit Accepted (QGA) there’s a theoretical
variation, starting with the moves:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.Qe2 c5 6.dxc5 Bxc5
7.Nf3 a6 8.0-0 Qc7 9.e4 Ng4 10.e5 Nxf2

With his last move, Black grabbed a pawn. The position is difficult,
but still it can be assessed. We always start by calculating the
material: Black has an extra pawn. And White, as compensation, has
an advantage in development, and it is quite noticeable.

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Question: What do you think is more important: the advantage in
development or the extra pawn?
SOLUTION

In positions with a material imbalance, the price of the tempo

increases sharply. An extra pawn is a static form of advantage,
whereas a lead in development is a dynamic advantage. The latter
can easily disappear, so the price of a move here is very high.
Therefore, the side that has sacrificed material needs to play very
accurately and make strong tempo moves, so as not only not to lose
the advantage, but also not to end up worse.
Question: Who do you think is better here?
SOLUTION

White’s advantage in development outweighs Black’s material

advantage, because the king on e8 is in danger: he is still in the
centre. The only way to solve this problem is to castle short, but
then he can come under a very strong attack. If White finds the
strongest move, his advantage is +0.80±.
Question:Is it possible to take on f2 with the rook?
SOLUTION
Point to note:In all positions, consider captures first.
Elementary chess mathematics show that two minor pieces are
usually stronger than a rook in the middlegame, because when
attacking the king there will be an advantage of two pieces against
one. However, 11.Rxf2 loses a piece because the bishop on c4 is
pinned: 11...Bxf2 12.Kxf2 b5.
One would like to defend the king against the discovered check:
11.Be3 Ng4 12.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 13.Kh1 Nc6, but then Black wins
another pawn on e5. In this way, the exchange of pieces, especially

62
the dark-squared bishops, favours Black. The c1-bishop is a very
important active piece in this position, because it is eyeing up the
kingside. But this only becomes clear later.
11.Nc3
White develops his knight with tempo. Now he creates a threat to
take on f2, because the bishop on c1 will no longer hang.
11...b5?
11...Ne4+ 12.Kh1 Nxc3 13.bxc3 h6 14.Nd2 (intending Nd2-e4-d6
or -f6) 14...b5 15.Bd3 Nd7 16.Ne4, sacrificing a second pawn,
16...Bb7 17.a4 0-0 18.Nf6+ with initiative, but Black retains
chances of saving himself.
12.Bb3 Ne4+ 13.Kh1 Nxc3 14.bxc3+
Now we look as this same position with Black to move.

11...b5!

63
Black hits the bishop with tempo. The assessment is -1.00µ. This
means that the price of the move in this position is roughly two
pawns: +0.80+1.00=1.80. This is a big swing.
Point to note: In positions with a material imbalance, the price of a
move rises sharply.
12.Bb3 Nd3+
Exchanging an important attacking piece.
13.Kh1 Nxc1 14.Rxc1 Bb7
Bringing the bishop to an active position.
15.Nbd2 Qe7
The queen steps out of the pin.
16.Bc2 0-0
Black has not only finished his development, but also obtained the
advantage of the two bishops. And all of this is due to the fact that
he correctly exploited one tempo.
Slav Defence
Sergey Volkov (2621)
Ivan Sokolov (2643)
Nakhchivan 2011
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bg4 5.Nc3 e6 6.Qb3 Qc7 7.Bd2
Nbd7 8.Rc1 Rc8 9.Nh4 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nb6 11.Bd3 Be7 12.h3
Bh5 13.g4 Bg6 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.g5 Nfd7 16.Ne4 Nd5 17.h4 a6
18.Ke2 Qb8 19.a3 e5 20.dxe5 Nxe5 21.Bb1 b5 22.Ba2 Rd8

64
In the diagram, we note first that the pawn structure is not
symmetrical and there are dynamics, plus a weakened white king
(he is in the centre and around him are many weak squares: f3, d3,
g4), and he may come under attack.
Consequently, the value of a tempo is very high (one bad move can
have a decisive effect on the outcome of the game). Whoever has
the move, whoever is the more concentrated, will win the game. The
players have no right to make a mistake.
Question 1:What is the assessment with White to move?
Question 2:How does the assessment change with Black to move?
Find his strongest continuation.
SOLUTION
Answer 1: The first computer line is +1.30±, the second +0.30².
Answer 2: On 23...Nc4 there follows the exchange sacrifice
24.Rхc4, which brings White the advantage on account of the two
bishops and the opponent’s weak points at a6 and c6. In addition,
65
24. Qc2 is also possible, directed against the knight on c4, which
shelters behind its back the weak pawn.

23.Ba5?
In a moment, the position goes from a large advantage to close to
losing.
23...Qc8
What a shock! It appears the white player had simply not seen that
his opponent could play 23...Qc8 and 24...Qg4+. Now there is no
defence.
24.Bxd8
24.Rcg1 Qf5 25.Nd2 Rd7 and Black is much better – White avoids
immediate defeat, but ends up in a difficult situation.
24...Qg4+ 25.Kd2 Qxe4

66
If I were in such a terrible position I would quietly resign: there is
absolutely no hope.
26.Bxe7 Nf3+ 27.Kd1 Kxe7
Now the rook on h8 is included in the attack.
28.Rxc6 Ne5 29.Qxd5 Rd8 30.Rc7+ Ke8 31.Kc1 Rxd5 32.Bxd5
Nd3+ 33.Kb1 Qxd5
Black has an extra piece. Sokolov confidently conducts the game to
a successful outcome.
34.Rd1 b4 35.axb4 Qb3 36.Rd2 Nxb4 37.Rc8+ Ke7 38.Rc7+ Ke6
39.Rd8 Qa2+ 40.Kc1 Qa1+ 41.Kd2 Qxb2+ 42.Ke1 Nc2+ 43.Kd1
Qb1+ 44.Kd2 Nb4 45.Ke2 a5 46.Rd4 Qf5 47.Kf1 Qb5+ 48.Kg1
Nd5 49.Ra7 Qb1+ 50.Kg2 Qb6 51.Ra8 Nxe3+ 0-1
Now let’s go back to the position after Black’s 22nd move.

67
Question: Which move instead of 23.Ba5? retains the advantage for
White? Solve the problem of the strong knight on the central square
e5.
SOLUTION
23.f4! Qc8 24.Nf2 Nc4 25.Rхc4 bхc4 26.Qхc4 Qe6 27.Kf3 Nхf4
25.Ba5 and White has a clear advantage.
The unstable position of the white king in the centre shows how the
value of every tempo grows. At the key moment, the white
advantage is +1.30±, and after Black’s 23rd move, it is -3.20 +.
Thus we have an overall swing of 1.30+3.20=4.50, that is each
GM’s move is worth 4.5 pawns.
Nimzo-Indian Defence
Ivan Sokolov (2663)
Peter Leko (2735)
Wijk aan Zee 2013

68
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 c5 6.Nf3 d5 7.0-0
cxd4 8.exd4 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b6 10.Bg5 Bb7 11.Rc1 h6 12.Bh4 Nc6
13.Bd3 Be7 14.Bb1 Rc8
We have reached a typical position with an isolated pawn.

Has Black breached any principle of play?

Question:Assess Ivan Sokolov’s position. What would you play
here?
SOLUTION
For some reason, it may appear to the human player that White is
better here. There is the weakening ...h6, but after the moves ...g6,
...Kg7, ...Nh5, neutralizing the h4-bishop, Black should not have
any problems.
15.Re1
In my opinion, stronger was the equalizing 15.a3.
15...Nh5

69
Black could have played 15...Nb4 16.a3 Nbd5 with a pleasant
position.
16.Qc2 g6 17.Rxe6 Nf4 18.Rxe7 Nxe7 19.Qd2 g5 20.Ne5 Neg6
21.Nxg6 fxg6 22.Bg3 Nxg2 23.Qc2 Qf6 24.Be5 Qf7 25.a3 Nh4
26.Ba2 Qxa2
0-1
Now let us change the move after 14...Rc8 and allow Black to make
another move.
Question:It is interesting to see how one move influences the
position. Find the strongest continuation for Black.
SOLUTION
After Black’s best reply 15...Nb4, it is ‘-0.50³’. So in this position,
the value of the move is below average, just half a tempo, because
of the lack of dynamics (the d4-pawn is securely blockaded).
The next example is an obligatory guest in many books on chess
strategy.
Queen’s Pawn Opening
Efim Bogoljubow
Alexander Alekhine
GER-NED Wch m 1929
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.Nc3 Bb7 4.f3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3
7.bxc3 e6 8.Bb5+ Nd7 9.Ne2 Be7 10.0-0 a6 11.Bd3 c5 12.Bb2
Qc7 13.f4 Nf6 14.Ng3

70
In this position, both sides have pawn dynamics. It is possible, for
example, to exchange in the centre. And this means that the value of
a tempo rises sharply, which requires both players to play very
accurately. Superficial moves played out of general considerations
can easily lead to catastrophe.
The best continuation with White to move again is 15.Qc2 ( +0.50-
0.60² ): first we improve the position and then we go over to
concrete actions. The second-strongest move is 15.f5, a logical
reply: White’s play is connected with the concrete advance of his
central pawns, +0.60².
Black can then already no longer use the plan of attack seen in the
game, as it is just impossible. With him to move, after his strongest
move he will have a notable advantage, -0.60³. This means that the
price of a tempo in this position is +0.60+0.60=1.20 – more than the
average because both sides have dynamics and can advance their
pawns.

71
Question: Alekhine made the strongest move, which meets the
requirements of the position. Can you play like the fourth World
Champion?
SOLUTION
It is clear that Black should castle long.
14...h5!
If Alekhine had not chosen this strictly only plan, then the knight on
g3 would have taken an active part in the attack on the king (by
means of the move f5), and then the balance would have shifted in
favour of White. Whoever first starts dynamic play usually gets the
advantage – the value of a tempo is very high.
15.Qe2 h4 16.Nh1
The knight has to occupy a passive position.
16...Nh5
The strongest move.
72
17.Qg4?
White should have played 17.Bc1 with a defensible position.
Black’s advantage is minimal, for example he could play 17...g6
18.Be3 f5.
17...0-0-0 18.Rae1 Kb8 19.f5 e5 20.d5 c4! 21.Bc2 Bc5+ 22.Nf2
g6! 23.fxg6 Rdg8 24.Bc1 Bc8 25.Qf3 Rxg6 26.Kh1 Ng3+ 27.hxg3
hxg3+ 28.Nh3 Bxh3 29.gxh3 Rxh3+ 30.Kg2 Rh2#
French Defence
Garry Kasparov (2805)
Nigel Short (2655)
Amsterdam 1994
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3
cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 a6 11.h4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 b5
13.Rh3 b4 14.Na4 Bxd4 15.Qxd4

73
Question:The critical position. Find the correct move for Black,
leading to equality.
SOLUTION
15...f6N
Black’s last move was Nigel’s preparation (and/or that of his team).
I remember how in 1994, after my Candidates match with Adams,
local residents in New York advised me to buy a computer. Then I
bought my first NEC laptop for $2,000 (with the Windows 3.11
operating system), but I could only use it as a repository for my own
masterpieces, because the ChessAssistant chess database of that
time consisted of only 300,000 games, and the hard drive could hold
only 180 Mb. Accordingly, it was impossible to analyse with
computer help. I guess that due to the weakness of the technology of
that time, the Englishman prepared this new idea, guided by general
human considerations. Unfortunately, the idea cost the maestro the
game by force.

Question: Which principle is Short breaking?

SOLUTION
Black, who is behind in development (look at his passive pieces!),
strives for concrete play and the opening of the centre. Of course, if
it were his move, he would exchange 16... fxe5, neutralising the
opponent’s pressure: 17. fxe5 a5, and White would have a weak
pawn on e5. But because the laws of chess oblige the opponents to
move alternately, Kasparov wins by force.
Point to note:The value of a move is very high when there are
dynamics in the structure, hanging pawns and extra material
This example is similar to the previously-examined game of
Sokolov against Volkov. Do you remember the moment when he
sacrificed a pawn, but immediately stood better?
Question:How does White win?
74
 SOLUTION
White’s play involves the dynamic break f5, but not at once. Nor
does the preparatory 16.g4 fxe5 17.fxe5 work, as the pawn structure
becomes very static.
16.Qxb4! fxe5 17.Qd6!
Attacking the pawn.
17...Qf6
18.f5!
Kasparov had to find a whole series of precise and very surprising
moves, and he does this in masterly fashion.
18...Qh6+
On 18...Qxf5 White has the serious retort 19.Rf3 Qg4 20.Rxf8+
Nxf8 21.Nb6 with material gains.
19.Kb1 Rxf5
This is one of those very pleasant moments when there are several
ways to win. If 19...Nf6, then 20.fxe6! (or 20.Qxe5 – in general,
everything wins) is decisive.
20.Rf3! Rxf3 21.gxf3
Black is stalemated: the d7-knight cannot move because of Nb6,
whilst the c8-bishop must defend the knight. The rook can go to a7,
but after Qc6 Black loses material, so one can say that White enjoys
total domination.
21...Qf6 22.Bh3 Kf7
23.c4!
A concrete opening of the position.
23...dxc4 24.Nc3 Qe7 25.Qc6 Rb8 26.Ne4 Nb6 27.Ng5+ Kg8
28.Qe4
The victory is already not far away.
75
28...g6 29.Qxe5 Rb7 30.Rd6 c3 31.Bxe6+ Bxe6 32.Rxe6 1-0
Pirc Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2639)
Alexander Rakhmanov (2606)
Minsk 2014
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c3 d6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 0-0 6.0-0 Nc6 7.d5
Nb8 8.c4 a5 9.Nc3 Na6 10.Be3 e5 11.dxe6 Bxe6 12.h3 Nb4
13.Nd4 Nxd3 14.Qxd3 Nd7 15.Qe2!

With Black to move, the current position, on the topic ‘half-open

lines in the centre’, is estimated by the computer at +0.70², and with
White to move +1.20±. The fluctuation is 0.50, which is below the
average (0.80). There is nothing concrete in it: there are no
dynamics on the part of either side. Black cannot play any of ...f5,
...c6 or ...d5, and White cannot actively advance his pawns. I have
stable control over the centre. This circumstance influences the
decrease in the price of tempo, and makes it fall below average.
Note that f4-f5 is a bad plan, since Black will play ...Nc5 and create
counterplay for himself, thanks to the presence of a weak pawn on
76
e4, whilst White will not be able to checkmate with f5-f6. This
means that we are faced with a situation with a tempo value much
lower than average. White can play on general considerations with a
clear conscience. This is what I did, centralising my pieces and
strengthening the centre, using the time to improve my position.
You can play through the game yourself and see how I outplayed
my opponent.
15...Re8 16.Rad1 Qe7 17.Ndb5 Rac8 18.Rfe1 Nf6 19.b3 Bd7
20.f3 h6 21.Qf2 Kh7 22.Bd4 Bxb5 23.cxb5! c6 24.bxc6 bxc6
25.Qd2± Qb7 26.Na4 d5 27.Qc3 Nh5⊡ 28.Bxg7 Nxg7 29.Qxa5
Ne6! 30.exd5 cxd5 31.Qxd5 Qa7+ 32.Kh1 Rc2 33.Qd7 Re7
34.Qxa7 Rxa7 35.a3 Nf4 36.Rc1! Rf2 37.Rf1 Rd2 38.Rg1 g5
39.Nc3 Rd3 40.a4 Rb7 41.Ne4 Rb8 42.Nc5 Rd2 43.a5 Ne2
44.Rgd1 Rb2 45.Rb1 Rc2 46.Ne4 Nf4 47.Rd2 Rc6 48.b4 f5
49.Rd7+ Kg8 50.Nd2 Rc2 51.a6 Ra2 52.b5 1-0
Among the current top players, I like the play of the Chinese GM
Wang Hao. In my opinion, he is a very creative player, whose talent
allows him to overcome some gaps in his theoretical knowledge.
Wang Hao (2724)
Levon Aronian (2783)
Shanghai 2010
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Bb4+
The same variation of the Catalan that I play myself.
5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 c6 7.Qc2 0-0 8.0-0 b6 9.Bf4 Ba6 10.Nbd2
Nbd7 11.Rfe1 Nh5 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 f6 14.Bf4 Nxf4 15.gxf4
Bb4 16.Red1
With the exchange of the f4-bishop, Black now has three types of
strategic advantage: the advantage of two bishops, a better pawn
structure (Wang Hao has doubled pawns), and the weakness of the
White king, which could potentially come under attack. However,
despite the shortcomings, White has his own trump cards, which

77
Black, it seems, did not take into account. Being in such a bleak
situation, Wang Hao had to do something concrete, otherwise
aimless play in a bad position would lead him to an inevitable zero.

Question:How can White create dynamics?

SOLUTION
White’s main strategic plan is the undermining f5, designed to
destroy the opponent’s stable centre. Therefore, Black needs to think
about some kind of preventive measures in order to be fully
prepared for possible provocations in the centre.
With correct play, Black’s advantage will be ‘-1.00µ’, but with
White’s turn it is ‘+0.80’. There is a big difference between the ‘-
1.00µ’ and ‘+0.80’ estimates, almost 2 pawns. The price of a tempo
is above average, because there are dynamics in the position. This is
the very moment when Black had to think seriously in order to make
a series of correct moves, or maybe just one strong move, and win
the game.
78
As well as the threat of f5, White intends to play Qa4 and deprive
Black of the bishop pair. 16...Bb7 leads to an equal position: 17.c5
bxc5 18.dxc5 Bxd2. Black should instead find a more active move,
which will neutralize White’s threats and develop the queen to a
good square.
I would characterize Wang Hao as a player who is exceptionally
strong at playing ‘move by move’. I would speculate that when he
went into this position, he probably placed his hopes on the
dynamics involved with the moves f5 and Qa4, but on this occasion
delved insufficiently deeply into the variations.
On 17.cхd5 cхd5 again there is not the move 18.f5 because of the
reply 18...Bxe2.

Question:After this preliminary assessment, find the strongest move

for Black.
SOLUTION
16...Qd6
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A logical answer according to generally accepted chess
considerations, but somewhat frivolous: Black blocks the way back
for his bishop. White can exploit this: at some point he can capture
the piece. But after 16...Qe8, the strongest move in this position, he
would have had no choice: he would have been obliged to start
concrete play in a hurry in order to try his luck and make a draw in
this difficult position. The pawn on c6 is now defended. Next Black
can simply bring the rook to the centre with 17... Rd8.
On 17.Qa4 we boldly play 17...Bxd2. If 17.f5 Bxd2 18.Rxd2 Bxc4
and Black keeps his extra material. White has some sort of
compensation, but it is not enough.
Point to note:Dynamics are favourable for the side which has
serious positional disadvantages. If you have a static advantage, then
aim for quiet play, so as to retain control over the situation.
17.Nf1
It is not worth considering 17.Nf3: the bishop on g2 needs to be
open so as to exert pressure on the centre. I suspect that Aronian
overlooked White’s last move: he had not noticed that White could
win a tempo by retreating the knight to the first rank. Now, in order
to retain equality, Black needs to play the only move 17...Qe7, after
which there follows 18.f5 with the breaking up of the centre.
17...dxc4
17...b5? 18.c5 Qd8 19.f5 and the bishop on a6 is buried.
18.a3
18.f5 Rae8 (it does not matter where the rook goes) 19.Ne3 – the
difference between the knight’s position on f3 and e3 is obvious and
after 19...b5 (otherwise the pawn c4 is lost), and now there follows
20.a4! with advantage to White.
18...Ba5 19.f5 Kh8?
Black could play 19...Rae8 with advantage. But instead he goes
wrong.
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20.Ne3 b5 21.Qe4
The position is in White’s favour, despite Black’s extra pawn.
21...Bb7? 22.Qxe6
Wang Hao could have obtained the advantage by means of 22.a4 a6
23.fxe6 Rfe8 ( 23...Rae8 24.axb5 and the bishop on a5 is hanging)
24.axb5 axb5 25.Qg4. The rest of the game lies outside our topic.
22...Qc7 23.Qe4 Rae8 24.Qg4 Bb6 25.Nf1 Bc8 26.Ng3 g6 27.e3
gxf5 28.Nxf5 Qd7 29.e4 Qf7 30.Qf3 Bxf5 31.Qxf5 Rg8 32.Kh1
Rg5 33.Qf3 Qg6 34.d5 Rg8 35.Bh3 Bxf2
White resigned.
A complicated but interesting example.
Nimzo-Indian Defence
Ivan Sokolov (2650)
Stan van Gisbergen (2365)
Amsterdam ch-NED 1994
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5 5.dxc5 0-0 6.a3 Bxc5 7.Nf3
Qb6 8.e3 Be7 9.b3 d6 10.Bb2 Nbd7 11.Be2 a6 12.0-0 Qc7
13.Nd4 b6
White is better: he has a spatial advantage and an advantage in
development. According to Stockfish the assessment is ‘1.20±’, that
is, ‘a whole pawn’. The strongest continuation is not easy to find: it
is strictly unique, but it must be played, otherwise the advantage is
minimal.

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Question:Think about White’s plan.
SOLUTION
If Black is given a second successive with move 14... Bb7,
Sokolov’s advantage will be only +0.30², that is, the price of the
tempo is determined by the number ‘0.90’, approximately the
average estimate. Therefore, the strongest plan involves concrete
play: White must immediately use his advantage in development by
attacking the king:
14.g4
A risky plan, which needs to be approached accurately. But because
White has the move, he is able to exchange the light-squared
bishops, and the weakening of the king on g1 becomes less clear.
14...Bb7 15.g5 Ne8 16.f4 g6 17.Bf3 Ng7 18.Qg2 Nc5?
Losing. Better was 18...Bxf3 19.Qxf3 (+1.00±).

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19.Bxb7 Qxb7 20.Qxb7 Nxb7 21.Nc6 Rfe8 22.Ne4 Nc5
23.Nxe7+ Rxe7 24.Nf6+ Kh8 25.Rad1 Rd8 26.Rf3 1-0
Let us now examine this position from Black’s side.

Again it is Black to move: 14...Bb7

Question:How does the tempo affect White’s plan?
SOLUTION
This time, the plan of a battering ram in front of White’s own king
does not work: 15.g4 h6 16.f4 (0.00) and Black has a fantastically
strong continuation.

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Question:Let us find this extraordinary move.
SOLUTION
The move 15...e5, unfortunately, does not serve Black well, because
of 16.Nf5+ , and the knight stands strongly and helps White win.
The human choice is 15...Nc5, the computer’s second line. The
knight is activated and takes control of the e4-square.
But the computer sees an incredible idea. If I had found this
example earlier, I would have inserted it into the computer chess
chapter of my first book to support the hypothesis that computer and
human solutions can be found in almost any position.
Black’s task is to prevent the move 16.Bf3. In my artificially created
example, the value of one tempo is affected. In the game, White was
able to exchange the b7-bishop and neutralize the opponent’s
dangerous piece. But in this position it is Black’s move. To thwart
White’s plan, an imaginative knight sacrifice is made – 15...Ne5!! .
Now not 16.fxe5, because after 16...dхe5 there is a win in all
84
variations: 17.Nf3 Nхg4. Black attacks the g4-pawn, so White’s
strongest move is 16.h3 Rac8. White still can’t be greedy ( 17.fxe5
dxe5 18.Nf3 e4 19.Ne1 Qg3+ 20.Ng2 Bd6 + ). Therefore, White
should play 17.Rad1 Rfd8 18.Rf2 Nc6=.
Thus, one additional tempo deprived the opponent of the
opportunity to go 16.g5 (+ ) and greatly influenced the evaluation
of the position. The move 15...Ne5!! did not enter my head, and in
general it seems that it would not have occurred to anyone else
either. When I first saw it, I thought that some kind of glitch had
occurred. I analysed, double-checked, and it turned out that this is
really the strongest move.
Now I offer for your attention a world-famous game, in which Paul
Keres conducted an excellent attack on the king.
King’s Gambit
Paul Keres
Vladimirs Petrovs
Moscow 1940
1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.d3 Nf6 5.Nd2 exd3 6.Bxd3 Qxd5
7.Ngf3 Bc5 8.Qe2+ Qe6 9.Ne5 0-0 10.Ne4 Nxe4 11.Qxe4 g6
With his last move, Black defended against mate.
The black pieces are not developed, but the white king is trapped in
the centre, so Petrovs has a lead in development. And when one of
the players has succeeded in bringing more pieces into the game, the
value of a tempo rises greatly.

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Question:So what after all is the assessment of the position?
SOLUTION
After White’s best move it is equality: 0.00=, whilst if Black is to
move, the advantage is a solid -1.40µ, so the average value of a
move is above the norm at 1.40, which means that care and attention
is required from both players.
12.b4!=
White energetically uses the tempo for development. Not good is
12.Be3, because of 12...Bxe3 13.Qxe3 Nd7 14.Nc4 Nc5³.
It is important to note that the king on g8 is surrounded by weak
dark squares. In certain circumstances, White himself can play for
the attack. Therefore, in order to retain the chance of this plan, he
should refrain from exchanging dark-squared bishops.
Another good variation, ensuring a positive development of events,
is 12.Bd2 and after 12...Nc6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.0-0-0 Qxa2 15.Bc3

86
Qd5=. White has sacrificed material but has completed his
development and spoiled the enemy pawn structure.

Question:Where should the black bishop retreat to?

SOLUTION
12...Be7?
To all appearances, Petrovs planned to put the bishop on f6. But the
correct decision was to go into the endgame: 12...Bb6 13.Bb2 Nd7
14.0-0-0 Nxe5 15.fxe5 Qg4=.
13.Bb2
After 12...Be7 White needs to play in positional style, when he
would be a little better after 13.0-0. For example, 13...Nc6 14.b5
Nxe5 15.fxe5 Qg4 16.Bf4.
13...Bf6 14.0-0-0 Nc6 15.h4 h5 16.g4 Bxe5 17.fxe5 Qxg4 18.Qe3
Nxb4 19.e6 Nd5 20.exf7+ Rxf7 21.Bc4 c6 22.Rxd5 Qxc4
23.Qe8+ 1-0
87
Petroff Defence
Sergey Rublevsky (2687)
Alexei Shirov (2699)
Sochi 2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3
Be7 7.Bf4 0-0 8.Qd2 Nd7 9.0-0-0 Nc5 10.h4 Bf6 11.Ng5 h6 12.f3
Rb8 13.g4
A typical position with opposite-side castling.

Question:How do things work out here with tempi, assuming the

move is with White or Black?
SOLUTION
The price in this kind of position tends to be above average. If
White is to move, his advantage, according to Stockfish, is three
pawns. Moreover, he can win by force. If it is Black’s move, he has

88
equality. This means the price of tempo in this position is
0.00+3.00=3.00.
Both sides’ kings can come under attack. But the side that starts it
first usually has the better chance of winning. If White moves again
(without waiting for his turn), the computer shows ‘+3.20+ ’, and
over time his score increases. The way to win starts with 13.b4!,
because after 13...Nd7 14.Bc4 b5 15.Bb3 Black can resign. If he
chooses 13...Na4, then the cold-blooded 14.Bc4 follows, and on
14...Bxc3 15.Qd3 with checkmate in all variations.
13...b5 14.Bd3 Re8
Black could have eliminated one of the bishops with 14...Nхd3+
15.Qхd3 g6².
15.Bh7+ Kf8 16.Nh3

Question:How does Black play with Shirovesque aggression?

SOLUTION

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16...b4 17.cxb4 a5 18.g5 Bxh3 19.gxf6 Qxf6 20.c3 axb4 21.cxb4
Na6 22.a3 Bf5 23.Bxf5 Qxf5 24.Rhg1 Nxb4 25.axb4 Ra8 26.b3
Ra1+ 27.Kb2 Qf6+ 0-1
Point to note:In positions with opposite-side castling, every move
must be played with exaggerated concentration. All of your actions
need to be precisely directed to the attack on the king – there is no
time to lose. Any pointless move is liable to lead to defeat.
And finally, I want to show you a position with a zero move cost
that took place in my game against a French international master.
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2613)
Francois Fargère (2425)
Algiers 2016
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nf3 e6 5.0-0 a6 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.b3
Qc7 8.Bb2 Nf6 9.Re1 d6 10.Bf1 Be7 11.d4 cxd4 12.Nxd4 0-0
13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Na4 d5 15.e5 Nd7 16.c4 dxc4 17.Bxc4 Nb6
18.Nxb6 Qxb6 19.Bd4 c5 20.Bc3 Bb7 21.Re3 Rfd8 22.Qg4 a5
23.a4 Ba6 24.h4 Bf8 25.h5 Rd7 26.Kh2 Rad8 27.Qe2 Ra8 28.Rg3
Bxc4 29.bxc4 Qc6

90
The position is not equal, but the price of a tempo is zero. White is
slightly better due to the bishop on c3 (compared to its counterpart
on f8, limited by its own pawns), space advantage and a good
arrangement of pieces.
Point to note:The tempo value is not an assessment of the position.
These are completely different concepts.
In this example, whose turn it is to move is irrelevant. When
determining the price of a tempo, we first of all turn our attention to
the pawn structure. It is symmetrical, without pawn dynamics.
White can try his luck with 30.h6, but that won’t do him any good.
Black can play ...g6 or ...h6, but the situation on the board will
remain the same. In this position, exchanges of pieces are
impossible and there are no sensible pawn moves. This means that
the cost of the tempo is zero, and the positional assessment does not
change.
In order to win, I used the ‘don’t rush’ principle and the
‘triangulation’ technique known from pawn endgames, but not only
with the king, but also with the queen and rook. Watch my next
steps.
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30.Qc2 Qa6 31.Rg4 Rb8 32.Re1 Qb6 33.Ra1 Qa6 34.Qe4 Rb3
35.Rg3 Rb8 36.Rf3 Qb6 37.Qe1 Qc6 38.Qe2 Qb6 39.Qc2 Qa6
40.Rf4 Be7 41.Rg4 Bf8 42.Kh3 Be7 43.Kg3 Bf8 44.Kh2 Be7
45.Qe4 Bf8 46.Re1 Qb7 47.Qe3 Qc6 48.Ra1 Be7?
White’s moves to and fro eventually led to my opponent losing his
attentiveness. In putting the bishop on e7, he weakened the square
g7. Black’s forces were deflected to the queenside, which allowed
me to establish an advantage in the number of attacking pieces.

Question:White wins by force. Find how.

SOLUTION
By comparison with the position after move 29, something has now
changed:
49.Bxa5
Because the a5-pawn turns out to be undefended.
49...Ra8

92
Question:Where should I put the bishop?
SOLUTION
50.Bd2 Rxa4 51.Rxa4 Qxa4

93
Question:How does White carry out a forcing attack on the king?
Small tactics are on the board.
SOLUTION
52.Rxg7+ Kxg7 53.Qg3+ Kh8
53...Kf8 54.Bh6+.
54.Bh6 Bf8 55.Bxf8 f5 56.exf6 Qd1 57.f3 Qd3 58.Be7
And Black resigned.
In the game we have just reviewed, you saw that in a position with
zero tempo cost, when it doesn’t matter who moves, Black or White,
to achieve a win it makes sense to turn to a leisurely style of play
and simply take time to confuse your opponent.
The purpose of this chapter was to form an understanding of in what
situations the price of a move rises and falls, and what actions it
obliges chess players to take.

94
Chapter 3
The relative value of
pieces depending on
their position on the
board
In this chapter, to delve into the topic stated in the title, we will first
study the basic concepts associated with developing pieces in the
opening and establishing control over the centre, and then complex
examples designed for chess players of the highest level.
Everyone knows that in the opening, middlegame and endgame,
pieces can stand on the edge of the board or in the middle of it,
control the central squares, or perform a more modest function in
the game. And every day we ask ourselves the question: ‘How much
is it worth?’ We want to know the price of any phenomenon in exact
equivalent. Using specific examples, I will show how the value of a
piece changes when its location changes and comment on the
resulting difference in the evaluation of the position.
So, when developing pieces at the beginning of the game, you need
to know on which squares they will stand best, how much this will
amount to in numerical terms, and how it will affect the
mathematical assessment of the position.

95
Let’s take the French Defence, for example, and talk about knights:
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5

Question:What is the strongest move for White from the viewpoint

of the computer and in terms of practical results?
In this position, the most common moves are 3.e5, 3.Nc3 and
3.Nd2.
Question:Wheredoes the knight stand better: on c3 or d2, and why?
Possibly you prefer d2, so as after 3...Bb4 to be able to evict the
bishop from your half of the board with 4.c3 and avoid the pin on
the knight after 3.Nc3. But, in my view, the knight stands better on
c3, from where it attacks the squares d5 and e4.
Point to note:The main factor which affects the assessment of the
position is piece control of the centre.
Due to the fact that the move 3.Nd2 does not exert such influence
over the centre of the board, Black has a good chance of equalizing
with the help of the 3...c5 break.
To represent the difference in the position of the knights in
numerical terms, I offered this position to the computer. Its
96
indicators showed equality (+0.08=): neither side has an advantage.
As for the move 3.Nc3, it gives White an advantage of +0.41²,
almost half a pawn. It turns out that the knight is better on c3 than
on d2. The same applies to the position of its colleagues on f3
instead of on e2; on c6 instead of d7 and on f6 instead of e7. In
addition, there is a significant difference between the position of the
knight on the edge of the board and in the centre.
This knowledge helps when choosing opening variations. Fate has
often confronted me with the Catalan as Black, and I have
responded to it in the spirit of the Queen’s Indian Defence.
Question: What is the strongest move for White from the viewpoint
of the computer and in terms of practical results?
SOLUTION
In this position, the most common moves are 3.e5, 3.Nc3 and
3.Nd2.
Question: Where does the knight stand better: on c3 or d2, and why?
SOLUTION
Possibly you prefer d2, so as after 3...Bb4 to be able to evict the
bishop from your half of the board with 4.c3 and avoid the pin on
the knight after 3.Nc3. But, in my view, the knight stands better on
c3, from where it attacks the squares d5 and e4.
Point to note:The main factor which affects the assessment of the
position is piece control of the centre.
Due to the fact that the move 3.Nd2 does not exert such influence
over the centre of the board, Black has a good chance of equalizing
with the help of the 3...c5 break.
To represent the difference in the position of the knights in
numerical terms, I offered this position to the computer. Its
indicators showed equality (+0.08=): neither side has an advantage.
As for the move 3.Nc3, it gives White an advantage of +0.41²,
almost half a pawn. It turns out that the knight is better on c3 than
on d2. The same applies to the position of its colleagues on f3
97
instead of on e2; on c6 instead of d7 and on f6 instead of e7. In
addition, there is a significant difference between the position of the
knight on the edge of the board and in the centre.
This knowledge helps when choosing opening variations. Fate has
often confronted me with the Catalan as Black, and I have
responded to it in the spirit of the Queen’s Indian Defence.
Let us look at the position after the moves
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bb4+,
which is a variation I like very much:

Question:Why is 4...Bb4+ one of the most popular variations of the

Catalan and also appears in variations of the Queen’s Indian
Defence?
SOLUTION
Answer: Because after 5.Bd2 Be7 the bishop stands worse on d2
than on c1.

98
Let us compare two positions: diagram 1 after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3
d5 4.Bg2 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7

and diagram 2 after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7.

Instead of 4...Bb4+, Black could immediately go 4...Be7, and not

waste a whole tempo (the same piece made two moves in a row in
99
the opening!), during which the opponent developed the bishop on
the d2-square. But now, being on its new square, it cannot take an
advantageous position.
In this case, the temporary vulnerability of the d4-pawn does not
matter – it can be supported by the bishop from square c3.

Question: What do you think is the preferable bishop position in this

pawn structure?
SOLUTION
The ideal arrangement of pieces is one that puts maximum pressure
on the centre: b3 and Bb2. With the bishop on d2, White cannot
achieve an optimal position: if he plays Bc3, then the knight will
have to be placed on the unsuccessful square d2; if you give square
c3 to the knight, then the bishop on d2 will remain a ‘bone in the
throat’. To get out of this situation, you need to lose momentum,
returning the bishop to c1, or, developing it on f4, accepting the
worst. Because on other squares than b2, its area of action is much
narrower: it does not have the maximum impact on the centre, does
not protect it from enemy breakthroughs, and leaves the d4-pawn
without support.
Now let us consider what happens in the event of
5.Nd2
(after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bb4+ ):
5...0-0 6.Ngf3 b6
Modern theory prefers the move 6...b6, but 6...dxc4 is also a decent
alternative.
7.0-0 Bb7
Then the bishop retreats, either to d6 or e7. The loss of the tempo
brings Black clear dividends: he has worsened the manoeuverability
of the enemy knight.

100
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0
c6 8.Qc2 b6 9.Bf4 Bb7 10.Rd1

Question:To which square do you think the black knight should be

developed?
SOLUTION
My favourite continuation is 10...Na6. This is how I have played in
many games, carried out deep analyses and had good practical
results. Despite the fact that I have my own personal preferences,
10...Nbd7 is objectively the strongest move due to the large
difference between the knights’ positions: after it, the evaluation of
the position is +0.23², a quarter of a pawn; after 10...Na6 –
‘+0.60²’, which is already more than half a pawn. But even the rarer
10...Na6 has its advantages: the theory of this variation is still not
very well developed, which may puzzle our opponent.
Point to note: Whenever our units are close to the middle of the
playing field, it is good for us. But there is one twist to this
101
statement. Pieces with a short range of action need to spend at least
a couple of moves to cover the distance from the edge to the middle
of the board. Long-range pieces (bishops, queens, rooks) can cover a
large distance in one move. Therefore, the difference in the
assessment of the position with their distant position is not as large
as in the case of knights, kings and pawns.
Let’s talk about one more theoretical position, which is obtained
after the following moves:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.e3
A continuation which to this day is seen regularly at top level.
4...Bb7 5.Bd3 d5 6.0-0

Question:Which piece should Black develop as a priority?

SOLUTION
6...c5?! involves concrete play in the centre whilst the development
is not yet complete and does not bring anything good to its side.

102
Therefore it is necessary to determine where the bishop should be
developed. 6...Bb4 is ruled out at once, not only because it lacks
point but because a piece is lost after 7.Qa4+: 7...Nc6 8.Ne5 Bd6
9.cхd5 Nхd5 10.Bb5+ . That leaves the squares d6 and e7.
In this structure, the bishop clearly stands better on d6: Be7 does not
prevent the enemy plan of b3-Bb2-Nbd2- Ne5 with an attack on the
king, which is possible thanks to the control of e5 (there is more on
this in the chapter on centralization).
From the computer’s viewpoint, ignoring further continuations, the
assessment of the position is 0.20². This is the minimal advantage
that White can achieve from the opening. With subsequent correct
play the move 6...Bd6 gives Black equality. If he prefers 6...Be7,
then the assessment of the position goes up slightly to +0.35². This
is roughly one third of a pawn, a noticeable advantage.
And now I want to turn to a world-famous classic and put the accent
on one important moment.
Queen’s Indian Defence
Boris Spassky
Tigran Petrosian
Moscow Wch m 1969
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.e3 Nbd7
The same variation with 6...Nbd7, which I discussed above.
7.cxd5 exd5

103
8.Be2?

Question:What was the correct move for White?

104
 SOLUTION
8.Bd3 is assessed by the computer as ‘0.00=’, whilst 8.Be2 is ‘-
0.17³’. At the level of an elite GM, a difference of 0.20, 20% of a
pawn, is an impressive difference.
8...Bd6 9.b4 0-0 10.0-0 a6 11.Qb3 Qe7! 12.Rb1 Ne4

Question: What is the assessment of the position after this move

12...Ne4 ?
SOLUTION
Black has a stable plus – ‘-0.40³’.

13.a4 Ndf6 14.b5 Nxc3 15.Qxc3 Ne4 16.Qc2 Rfc8 17.Bb2 c6

18.bxc6 Bxc6 19.Qb3 Qd7 20.Ra1 b5 21.a5? Bb7µ 22.Ne5 Qd8
23.Rfd1 Qh4 24.g3 Qe7 25.f3 Ng5 26.h4 Ne6 27.f4 f6 28.Nf3
Nd8 29.Kf2 Nf7 30.Nd2 Rc4! 31.Qd3 Re8 32.Bf3 Bb4 33.Ba3
Bxa3 34.Rxa3 Nd6 + 35.Re1 f5 36.Raa1 Ne4+ 37.Bxe4 fxe4
38.Qb1 Qd7 39.Ra2 Rec8 40.Nxc4 dxc4 41.d5 Bxd5 42.Rd1 c3
43.Rc2 Qh3 44.Rg1 Qg4 45.Kg2 Qf3+ 46.Kh2 Qxe3 47.f5 Qc5
105
48.Rf1 b4 49.f6 b3 50.Rcf2 c2 51.Qc1 e3 52.f7+ Kf8 53.Rf5 b2
54.Qxb2 c1Q 55.Qxg7+ Kxg7 56.Rg5+ 0-1
Now let us change the position of the bishop from e2 to d3.

Question:How can White obtain an advantage of +0.80±?

SOLUTION
13.Nxd5 Bxd5 14.Qxd5 Nc3.
Point to note:After the exchange sacrifice, we must prevent the
opponent from developing counterplay, so he cannot show any
activity and exploit his rooks on the open lines.
15.Qc6 Nxb1 16.Bxb1+ , which means that after 13.Nxd5 Black
should not reply 13...Bxd5. So as to avoid a lost position, he must
instead choose 13...Qe6 14.Nf4 Qxb3 15.Rxb3 Bxf4 16.eхf4
(0.80±). With the bishop on e2, 13.Nxd5? would have lost after
13...Bxd5 14.Qxd5 Nc3 with a triple fork.
Let us return to the game Spassky-Petrosian, the position after
12...Ne4.
106
Question:With which move can White improve his situation after
12...Ne4 ?
SOLUTION
Spassky did not correct his mistake: he did not play 13.Bd3, and so
Black retained an advantage.
Point to note:If we do not develop our pieces to their best squares,
then we later have to spend tempi to improve their positions. And in
order to avoid loss of time, in the opening it is important to choose
the best possible squares for our fighting units, so they immediately
battle for the centre.
The previous classical example involved the position of a bishop,
and I would like to continue this theme by showing you an example
from my own practice.
French Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2610)

107
Amirreza Pourramezanali (2529)
Bandar-e Anzali 2019
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2
Earlier I explained why 3.Nd2 is not the strongest move in the
French Defence and with which move Black can achieve equality.
But let us see how it works out in practice.
3...c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.dxc5 Nf6 6.Ngf3 Qxc5 7.Bd3 Qc7 8.0-0
Nbd7 9.a4 Nc5 10.Bc4

Question:Which move allows Black to equalize?

SOLUTION
10...Bd6
If you made this move, you deserve praise and applause, because
you already understand where to develop the bishop. On d6 it stands
much better, since it controls the e5-square, puts pressure on the h2-

108
pawn, and will help Black use his pawn majority on the kingside
and in the centre, in pushing the e-pawn forward.
My individual statistics are indicative: of the three games that began
with this variation, in two meetings I won after 10...Be7, as my
opponent’s loss of the centre had its effect, and after 10...Bd6 the
game ended amicably.
Additional task:Look at these games, where Black was crushed
after 10...Be7:
Tiviakov-Diermair, Trieste 2018: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5
Qxd5 5.dxc5 Nf6 6.Ngf3 Qxc5 7.Bd3 Qc7 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.a4 Nc5
10.Bc4 Be7 11.Qe2 0-0 12.a5 Bd7 13.Ne5 Rfd8 14.Nxd7 Rxd7
15.Nf3 Rc8 16.c3 Bd6 17.g3 a6 18.Be3 Ng4 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bd2 Nf6
21.Be3 Ng4 22.Bd4 e5 23.Bxc5 Bxc5 24.Ra4 h5 25.Ba2 Rcd8
26.Rc4 b5 27.Rxg4 hxg4 28.Ng5 Rd2 29.Qe4 Rxf2 30.Rxf2 Bxf2+
31.Kxf2 Rd2+ 32.Ke1 Qd7 33.Qa8+ Qd8 34.Qxd8+ Rxd8 35.Nxf7
Rb8 36.Nxe5+ Kh8 37.Nxg4 b4 38.Bc4 bxc3 39.bxc3 Rc8 40.Bxa6
1-0
Tiviakov-Kuipers, Groningen 2017: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5
4.exd5 Qxd5 5.dxc5 Nf6 6.Ngf3 Qxc5 7.Bd3 Qc7 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.a4
Nc5 10.Bc4 Be7 11.Qe2 0-0 12.a5 b6 13.a6 Bd7 14.Nd4 Rac8
15.Nb5 Qb8 16.b3 Bxb5 17.Bxb5 Nd5 18.Bb2 Bf6 19.Bxf6 Nxf6
20.b4 Ncd7 21.Nf3 Qc7 22.c4 Nb8 23.Rfd1 Qe7 24.Rab1 Ne8
25.Bxe8 Rfxe8 26.b5 Qc7 27.Rbc1 Red8 28.g3 h6 29.Ne5 Nd7
30.Nc6 Re8 31.Rd2 Nc5 32.Rcd1 e5 33.Qg4 Re6 34.Rd8+ Rxd8
35.Rxd8+ Kh7 36.Ra8 Rf6 37.Rc8 Qd6 38.Rd8 Qc7 39.Qc8 1-0
Point to note:Whenever you develop pieces correctly, good results
await you.
11.Bb5+ Bd7 12.Nc4 Be7 13.Qd4 Bxb5 14.axb5 Rd8 15.Qf4
Qxf4 16.Bxf4 Nd5 17.Be5 f6 18.Bg3 a6 19.bxa6 Nxa6 20.Nd4
Kf7 21.Rfe1 e5 22.Nf5 Bb4 23.c3 g6 24.Nxe5+ fxe5 25.Nh6+
Kg7 26.Bxe5+ Kxh6 27.Bxh8 Rxh8 28.cxb4 Naxb4 29.Ra7 Rb8
30.g3 Kg7 31.Ra5 b5 32.Ra7+ Kg8 33.Re6 Rd8 34.Rb7 Nd3
109
35.Re2 Rc8 36.Rd2 N5b4 37.Rxb5 Rc1+ 38.Kg2 h5 39.Re2 Kf7
40.Rb7+ Kf6 41.Rb6+ Kf7 42.Ree6 Nd5 43.Rbc6 Rxc6 44.Rxc6
Nxb2 45.Rd6 Ne7 46.Rd4 ½-½
From the assessment of positions, which fluctuates depending on the
location of the pieces during development, let us move on a little to
other situations on the board.
Slav Defence
Ivan Sokolov (2654)
Dalibor Stojanovic (2481)
Sarajevo 2010
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Nh4 e6 7.Nxf5
exf5 8.e3 Bb4 9.Bxc4 0-0 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Qc2 Nb6 12.Bb3 Qd7
13.a5 Nbd5 14.f3 Rfe8 15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16.e4 Nf6 17.Be3 Bd6

Question:Assess this position and find the strongest move and plan
for White.
110
 SOLUTION
The advantage of two bishops and the possession of a dynamic
centre is estimated by the computer at ‘+1.20±’, one and a fifth of a
pawn. The bishop on b3 occupies an excellent position: it puts
pressure on the f7-pawn. Thus, Ivan Sokolov has two types of
advantage in this position. And he needs to do something not only to
maintain the advantage he has achieved, but also to increase it and
win the game. An attack on the black knight with 18.e5 suggests
itself, but it will lead to the surrender of the d5-square, on which
Black will be able to organize a blockade, removing a piece from
the battle.
Point to note:The advantage of the two bishops works well with a
mobile pawn structure.
18.a6 is possible, but this is not the strongest, because it saves Black
from the hanging pawn on a7 at the end of possible exchanging
variations. The move 18.Bg5 contains a good idea, but in this
position it is not effective due to 18...Bc7 – with Black to move, the
d4-pawn will be taken with a check. 19.Qc3 h6, and even after
spoiling the opponent’s pawn structure, White will lose his
advantage.
And now let us talk about the comparative position of the pieces. If
one of White’s pieces had been on another square, he would have
won easily. I mean the king.
18.Kh1
Absolutely the best move is a preventative move, giving White two
game plans. After the future 19.Bg5, the d4-pawn will not be taken
with check, which gives the attacking side additional opportunities.
When I showed this example to various players during training
sessions, many found this decision. I hope that you also followed
grandmaster Sokolov’s path.
18...a6

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Question:And now what strong move does White have?
SOLUTION
19.Bg5 Bc7 20.Rad1!. A possible continuation is 20...Kh8 21.Bxf6
gxf6 22.e5+ . As well as the move 19.Bg5 White also has another
plan, which is again possible thanks to the safe position of the white
king on h1:
19.g4

112
Question:Find the only move for Black.
SOLUTION
19...fxg4?
Sokolov’s opponent did not find it and so lost the game quickly,
without getting any sort of counterplay.
Both 19...fxe4 and 19...g6 lead to the opening of the f-file and a
further attack on the black king. 19...f4? takes the pressure off the
centre and at the same time deprives Black of any chance to confuse
his opponent.
The only way to save himself is 19...Nd5: with the exchange and
sacrifice of a pawn, one of the opponent’s bishops disappears. The
method of defence used is ‘neutralization of the attacking piece’.
Moreover, Black gains an additional tempo: 20.Bxd5 cxd5 21.gxf5
Rac8 22.Qg2 f6, and he retains good chances of salvation.
Therefore, objectively 19.g4 is not the best answer, but it led White
to a quick victory because it put Stojanovic in the situation of
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having to find a single move, which is a practically impossible task,
especially in such a difficult position.
20.fxg4 Kh8 21.e5 Nd5 22.Bxd5
The simplest win is 22.Rf3: the attack on the weakened king in the
presence of opposite-coloured bishops leads to Black’s immediate
death.
22...cxd5 23.Qf5 Qb5 24.Rf3 Bf8 25.Rh3 h6 26.Qxf7 Qxb2
27.Rg1 Qc2 28.Qxd5 Qc6 29.Qg2 Rad8 30.g5 Re6 31.gxh6 g6
32.Rf3 Bb4 33.Rf7 1-0
Let us return to the position in the game, when the king still stood
on g1. And I will change the position, by putting this most valuable
piece in the corner.

Question:On the basis of what we saw in the previous example,

what do you think is the assessment here?
SOLUTION

114
18.Bg5. White’s advantage is already over two pawns and he wins
in all variations.
Point to note:In the middlegame, the further the king is from the
centre and the better he is protected, the safer his position.
Let us now move from the middlegame to the endgame.

This endgame shows that extra material can be of only secondary

importance and that the main thing is the activity of the king, which
gives Black definite counterplay:
1...Kf5

Question: What is the assessment of the position after 1...Kf5 ?

SOLUTION
The computer prefers White to the extent of ‘+0.56²’, or half a
pawn. His material advantage consists of two pawns, but he cannot
win: with correct play on both sides the game ends in a draw. So it
115
turns out that in this case, the activity of the king is worth two
pawns. However, in other situations its significance can be more
modest, for example one pawn.
Point to note:The closer the king is to the centre, the more active he
is and the more this factor influences the endgame.

Question:Find the strongest move from the point of view of the

computer.
SOLUTION
2.g3?
The game should end in a draw if White answers with the strongest
move 2.Re1, stopping the black king from entering the centre, or
2.Ra1, preventing the activation of the enemy rook, or even 2.h3,
sacrificing the f4-pawn but making a useful bolthole for the king.
2...Ke4 3.Rd1 Ra2 4.Kg1?

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Now White even loses. It was essential to choose 4.b5, so as not to
allow the black bishop to get free.
4...Ba6 5.e6 fxe6 6.Bxg7 Kf3 7.Bd4 Rg2+ 8.Kh1 Rc2 9.Rb1 Bb5
10.Bg1 Kg4 11.Rb3 Rd2 12.Be3 Ra2 13.Bd4 Rd2 14.Be3 Re2
15.Kg1 Kh3 16.Bf2 d4 17.Bxd4 Rg2+ 18.Kh1 Rxh2+ 19.Kg1
Rg2+ 20.Kh1 Bc6! 21.Rc3 Bd5 22.Rc5 Rxg3+ 23.Rxd5 exd5
24.b5 Rb3 25.Kg1 Kg4 26.Be5 Kf5 27.Kf2 Ke4 0-1
Now we move the black king from g6 to g8.

Question:Assess the modification of the position.

SOLUTION
This time White wins in all lines: ‘+2.50+ ’. The enemy king is out
of play and Black does not manage to bring it closer to the centre.
Whatever he does, he loses; for example, 1...Ra2 2.Rd1 Bc6 3.Rc1.
In the previous example it was +0.50². The difference between the
position of the king on g6 and g8 is two pawns: 2.50-0.50=2.00.

117
We can draw the following conclusions:
1) In the middlegame, the best place for the king is a safe square,
far from checks and the risk of coming under attacks.
2) In the endgame, on the contrary, one should remember that the
king’s main job is to support passed pawns, if it can, or fight
successfully in the centre.
Let us analyse another interesting situation, involving opposite-side
castling.
Caro-Kann Defence
Sergei Tiviakov
Michael Adams
Wijk aan Zee 1996
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Bd3 Ngf6 6.Ng5 e6
7.N1f3 Bd6 8.Qe2 h6 9.Ne4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4 Nf6 11.Qe2 b6
12.Bd2 Bb7 13.Ne5 Qc7 14.f4 c5 15.dxc5 Qxc5 16.0-0-0 0-0
Question:What pawn structure do we have here? What is its
assessment with correct play by both sides?
SOLUTION
White has a pawn majority on the queenside and Black on the
kingside. I am better here: +1.14 – an advantage of more than a
pawn, and at this moment, it does not really matter who is to move.
White can even lose a tempo, because Black’s kingside pawn
structure is weakened: h6 is a target, although even with the pawn
on h7 White would have a huge advantage.
Let’s move the white king from the queenside into the right-hand
corner and put the rook in its former place.
Now the pawn on h6 is of no great significance, because White
cannot exploit it and he has no way of starting an attack on the king.
This is a very important factor in the middlegame, ensuring equality.
Now let us return to the game itself.

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17.Kb1!
White intends to play on the opposite flank, but at the same time he
does not wish to lose control over the centre and so he does not play
17.Rdg1. 17.Kb1 is a prophylactic move, putting the king into a safe
zone. In the current position, time is not so important, because in
reply the opponent cannot develop an attack on the queenside.
17...Rfd8 18.Rhe1
Bringing the rook into the centre.
18...Rac8 19.g4
With my last move, I missed the chance to launch a very beautiful
attack on the king, and Black gets a fantastic chance to save himself.
My opponent found it and played the strongest move, which I had
not seen.

119
Question:Correct my mistake.
SOLUTION
19.Nxf7! Kxf7. The sacrifice only works in conjunction with 20.g4!
Bd5 21.g5 hxg5 22.fxg5. Since Black cannot move the knight, he
must give the material back. After 22...Nd7 the only winning move
for White is the remarkable 23.a3!. According to my computer’s
first line, there could then follow 22...Rh8 23.gxf6 gxf6 24.Rg1± . In
my defence, I can say that I saw the sacrifice, of course, but it was
hard to see the quiet second move follow-up. Therefore, it is entirely
natural that the white knight was not sacrificed.

120
Question:How can Black save himself?
SOLUTION
19...Bxe5
19...Ba6?? 20.Bxa6 Qxc2+ 21.Ka1 and the rook on c8 hangs and
Black must lose time saving it.
20.fxe5 Ne4! 21.Bc1
The idea of the sacrifice is as follows: 21.Bxe4 Bxe4 22.Qxe4 Rd4
and the white queen is overloaded: 23.Qe2 (or 23.Qe3 ) 23...Qxc2+
24.Ka1 Rcd8 regaining the bishop with an extra pawn and a
winning position. Therefore White has to settle for 23.Be3 Rxe4
24.Bxc5 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 Rxc5=.

121
Question:I plan to take the knight. How can my opponent react to
the threat?
SOLUTION
21...Qb4
On account of the activity of his pieces Black can maintain equality.
It is important to keep the knight in the centre. Other moves disturb
the balance of the position: 21...Rd4 22.Be3; 21...f5 22.exf6 Nxf6
23.Qxe6+, or 21...Qxe5 22.Bxe4 Rxd1 and there is the discovered
check 23.Bh7+.
22.Ka1 Nc5 23.c3

122
Question:My opponent has already found four consecutive only
moves and now needs to find a fifth. Help him.
SOLUTION
23...Qa5?
23...Qa4 24.Bc2 Bf3 – the series consists of six only moves. If
Black had found them, the position would have remained equal.
24.Bc2+ Rxd1 25.Rxd1 Ba6 26.Qd2
A simple move with two threats: mate on d8 and the advance g5,
whilst at the same time the white queen is activated. In a few moves,
I won a pawn and carried out an attack on the king.
26...Nb7 27.Qd7 Rf8 28.Qd4 Rc8 29.Qe4 g6 30.Bxh6 Bc4 31.a3
Bd5 32.Qf4 Rxc3 33.Rxd5 exd5 34.Qf6 Rxa3+ 35.bxa3 Qxa3+
36.Kb1 Qb4+ 37.Kc1 Qe1+ 38.Kb2 1-0
Caro-Kann Defence

123
Sergei Tiviakov (2652)
Jovanka Houska (2401)
Guernsey 2013
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nh3 e6
7.Nf4 Nf6 8.c3 Bd6 9.Qf3 Nbd7 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Bd3 Qc7
12.Bg5
In the current position, neither side has committed to castling.

Question:What would you do in this position?

SOLUTION
If we take two possibilities of castling for Black and two for White,
then we need to take into account four possible situations on the
board.
Black has a choice of two breaks: ...e5, ...c5, or not to disturb
White’s pawn centre at all. However, each path provides for a
preliminary solution to the king’s ‘housing’ question. The most
obvious option for placing the monarch is ...0-0-0, but not right
124
away. It’s better to wait for the opponent to castle, while making
useful moves. If he sends his king to the short side, then Black can
calmly and safely follow the same path. If White plays 0-0-0, then
Black must copy this action.
However, right now long castling (‘+0.38²’) is not a bad choice for
Black. If the white king shows initiative and moves in the opposite
direction, it may come under attack due to the presence of the half-
open h-file.
12...0-0
Rather dangerous hastiness: I have greater chances of developing an
attack on the king on g8 and Black will need to defend with only
moves.

Question:Indicate the move for White which the computer believes

gives the greatest advantage.
SOLUTION

125
13.0-0-0
Not the strongest. After 13.Ne4! White retains a big advantage.
13...Qa5
Concrete play!
13...Bxg3 14.hxg3 e5 15.g4+ (+9.23); 13...Nd5 14.Kb1 Bf4 15.h4
intending Ne2, but this is very slow. To hold the position, Black
needs to do something serious, such as 14...c5.
14.h4

Question:Find the only defence for Black.

SOLUTION
14...Qxa2 15.h5 Qd5 – defending by returning material: when we
have an extra pawn, we can give it back to neutralize the attack and
reach an equal position. White cannot play 16.Qe3 because of
16...Ng4 17.Qd2 Nxf2. Therefore, after 15...Qd5 I would have had

126
to play 16.Qxd5 cxd5 17.hxg6 fxg6, when Black has good chances
of saving himself.
14...c5?
A move played out of general considerations: open the game and
begin one’s own play. But now I get to attack the enemy king, with
equal material.
Point to note:When you come under attack or have serious
positional problems, try to grab some material. If you cannot do this,
then you will suffer for nothing. When you win a piece, the
opponent comes under additional psychological pressure: he needs
to demonstrate that he has compensation for his lost material.
15.Kb1 cxd4 16.cxd4 Rfc8 17.Ne4 Nxe4
The defender on f6 is liquidated.
18.Bxe4 Nb6 19.Bc1 Na4 20.h5
Opening the kingside to give mate.
20...gxh5 21.Rxh5 Qb4 22.Qb3 Rab8 23.Qxb4 Bxb4 24.Bf4 g6
25.Rb5 Bc3 26.Bxb8 Rxb8 27.Bc2 a6 28.Rb3 Ba5 29.Ra3 b5
30.Bxa4 bxa4 31.Rxa4 Bc3 32.Kc2 1-0
Let us examine another example involving the position of the king
in the endgame (diagram 1).

127
Question:Does White have winning chances?
SOLUTION
In this position, there is a difference in the position of the two sides’
pieces: the white king is more active than its black colleague.
Because of this the computer assessment is roughly an extra pawn:
+1.11±.
Now we move the white king to e2.

128
Question:Now what is the assessment of the position?
SOLUTION
The king is only one tempo further from the kingside, but this
deprives White of any advantage: +0.08=.

129
Question in diagram 1:Which continuation gives White good
chances of victory?
SOLUTION
45.f5 leads to a loss of time: the black king occupies the square f6,
whilst the white pawn, on the same colour square as his bishop,
limits its mobility. Not 45.Kg4 because of 45...cxd4 46.cxd4 Ne6
(or 46...Nc6 ) with loss of the d4-pawn. Therefore, first:
45.dxc5 bxc5
But not now 46.Kg4 – this is a move in the wrong direction:
46...Ne6 or 46...f6.
46.c4!
For activation of the white king it is essential to clear the centre.

130
Question:Find the only move for Black which makes a draw.
Hint: To defend, we must use the idea of creating a fortress.
SOLUTION
Point to note:In chess, a fortress is a barrier, a defensive structure,
which is erected in the path of the opponent’s pieces in order to
prevent their penetration into the side that is undesirable for us.
In this example, Black must prevent the approach of the white king
into Black’s half of the board. He loses after 46...dxc4 because of
47.Bxc4 Ke7 48.Ke4. He must not put pawns on the same colour
squares as the enemy bishop, for example f5, because this results in
their loss.
46...d4?
46...Nb7 47.cxd5 Nd6! is a good form of barrier in the path of the
white king. He cannot approach via the centre, because the squares
e4, d4, c4, b4 are controlled. The attempt to bring the king in via a4
can be met by the move ...Kb6.
131
47.Ke4 Ne6 48.f5
Black could now already resign.
48...Nc7 49.Ke5 Ke7 50.f6+ Kd7 51.Bf5+ Ne6

Question:How can White overcome the enemy defences?

SOLUTION
52.b4!
But after the hasty 52.Bxe6+? the white pawn does not promote,
whilst the black pawn is a future queen.
52...d3
52...cxb4 53.Bxe6+! ( 53.c5? d3 + ) 53...fxe6 54.Kxd4 and we
have the so-called ‘trouser-legs’ – two passed pawns two or more
files apart; White wins.
53.Bxd3 Kc7
53...cxb4 54.Bf5.

132
54.b5
And because the black pawn stands on f7, White wins easily:
54...Nd8 55.Be4 1-0
The bishop transfers to d5.
Let’s summarize what was discussed above: with the king on e2,
White lacks centralization, but its active position on the f3-square
gives real chances of winning. The opponent ‘helped’ us win the
game: Black did not build a defensive fortress. Perhaps because he
simply did not know about this method of defence.
So, we have dealt with the positions of kings at different stages of
the game. This time I have prepared an example for you which
concerns the placement of knights in the middlegame (I talked about
their relative value in the opening earlier).
Nimzo-Indian Defence
Vadim Milov (2602)
Judit Polgar (2686)
Moscow m 2001
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.Bd3
Nc6 8.Ne2 b6 9.e4 Ne8 10.0-0 Ba6 11.f4 f5 12.d5 Na5 13.e5
Bxc4 14.Bxc4 Nxc4 15.d6

133
Question:Assess Black’s chances.
SOLUTION
A very well-known position. White has gone in for a variation with
doubled pawns and, as usually happens in this line of the Nimzo-
Indian Defence, he has lost one of them. The position on the board
is one of equality, 0.00. Of course, this time there is no question of
constructing a fortress, because the board is full of pieces.
Unfortunately for Black, he has a ‘dead’ knight on the back rank,
which gives White compensation for the lost material. By
comparison, the bishop on c1 is also not playing yet, but it can come
into play and so it is clearly better than the black knight. In addition,
White has a far-advanced pawn on d6. With correct play by both
sides, the game should end in a draw.
15...b5 16.a4 a6 17.Qd3 g6

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Black tries to bring the knight into play via g7, but there too, its
activity will be limited; it can only take part in the defence of its
king, which is not yet attacked.
18.axb5 axb5 19.Be3 Rxa1 20.Rxa1
20...Qb6
Black should have played 20...Nxe3 21.Qxe3 Qb6 22.Nc1 Ng7
23.Nb3 Rc8 with approximate equality.
21.Nc1
Previously, we turned reproachful glances at White’s dark-squared
bishop, but now he could have started playing with the move
21.Bf2², putting pressure on the c5-pawn. Then the knight could
come to his aid: Ne2-c1-b3. Therefore, Black needed to
immediately exchange the bishop on e3.
21...Ng7 22.Nb3 Rc8 23.Bf2 Nb2 24.Qc2
White is ready to exploit the a-file for the entry of his pieces. For
example, on 24...Nc4 25.Qa2, the appearance of the queen on a6 or
a7 will cost the opponent material.
24...Na4

135
Question:With which move can White settle the outcome of the
game?

136
 SOLUTION
25.c4
Black’s position on the queenside collapses. The villain of the
pieces is the knight on g7, which is still doing nothing. Thus, White
has four pieces taking part in the game, Black only three.
25...Qb8 26.Nd2 Nb6 27.cxb5?
Better was 27.Rb1!+ .
27...c4 28.Nf3 Nh5 29.g3 Qb7 30.Ra3 Kg7 31.Nd4 Kf7 32.Qa2
Qe4 33.Ra7 g5 34.Qe2 Qb1+ 35.Qf1 Qe4 36.Qe2 Qb1+ 37.Kg2
Kg6 38.fxg5 c3 39.Qc2 Qb4 40.Rb7 Rc4 41.Nxe6 dxe6 42.Rxb6
Qb2 43.Qd3 Rf4 44.Qe3 c2 45.d7 c1Q 46.d8Q Rxf2+ 47.Qxf2
Qxe5 48.Qe8+ Kxg5 49.Qxe6 Qxe6 50.Rxe6 f4 51.Re5+ Kg6
52.Rc5 f3+ 53.Kxf3 Qh1+ 54.Ke3 1-0
Let us change the position after move 15 by moving the knight from
e8 to c6.
Now Black has a winning position: his advantage consists of ‘two
computer pawns’. Thanks to the centralized knight on c6, he can
start to exploit his material advantage and queenside pawn majority
without hindrance. Such is the difference between the knight
positions!
Conclusion:The knight is a piece which can cease to play when it
stands on the edge of the board or in the corner, and that can decide
the game.
The next game was the decisive game in the final round of the Wijk
aan Zee Tournament. I needed to win ‘to order’ as Black against a
strong GM and to do this I needed to take some risks.
Nimzo-Indian Defence
Boris Avrukh (2620)
137
Sergei Tiviakov (2567)
Wijk aan Zee 2000
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 b6 5.Bg5 Bb7 6.Nd2 h6 7.Bh4
c5 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 d6 10.f3 Nc6 11.e3 Qe7 12.Bd3 g5 13.Bf2
Nd7 14.Nb3 Ba6 15.0-0 Rc8 16.f4 Kd8 17.Bg3 Kc7 18.Re1 h5
19.d5 Nd8 20.a4 h4 21.Bf2 Ra8 22.a5 Bb7 23.Bf1 e5

Question:Give an assessment of the position with White to move.

SOLUTION
This is a complicated exercise for a player of very high class.
24.Nd2?
We again have a position with the advantage of two bishops, so we
need to open it up. What happens if we put the knight en prise with
24.Nd4 ? 24...exd4 25.exd4 Qf6, and where is White’s
compensation for the piece? 26.dxc5 bxc5 and Black wins.
However, intuition suggests that the idea is good, but the execution

138
flawed. How about 24.fxe5, then 24...Nxe5 25.Nd4 and Black
cannot take, whilst if he plays 25...Ba6, then possible is 26.Nf5 or
26.Ra4+ with the idea of Qa1. If 24...Qxe5, then 25.Nd4! cxd4
26.cxd4 Qe7 27.e4 and the bishop on f2 comes into the game. Black
can try to dig in with 27...f6 28.Qa4 Rc8. White then continues to
improve his position with 29.Be2 Nf7 30.Bg4, preparing the breaks
c5 or e5, winning. If 24...dхe5 25.Nd4 exd4 26.exd4 Qd6.
I admit that my opponent saw the sacrifice on d4 but did not know
how to continue the attack here. But White simply needed to
improve his position, playing positional chess with 27.Bd3 Ba6
28.Ra2. The plan is as follows: transfer the rook to e2-e7, Bf5 – just
as if nothing in particular was happening on the board. The best
defence for Black is 28...Nb7. Because the pawn on a5 is hanging,
White plays 29.axb6+ axb6 30.Qa1. Black begins to suffer from the
overloads: 30...Na5 31.Rxa5 bxa5 32.dхc5+ or 30...Nb8 31.Bf5,
and then Ra2-e2-e7.
24...f5!
The only move for Black to solve his growing problems. White’s
decisive advantage was based on the knight on b3, which could go
to d4. But now Black has no problems (below, after looking at an
amended version of the position, I will give the remaining moves of
the game).
In the following position, I have moved the white knight from b3 to
a4.

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Question:What is the assessment with White to move?
SOLUTION
White is still better (+1.01±), but he does not have a decisive
advantage, because his knight cannot jump into the centre on d4: it
is on the edge of the board. Here it also has definite functions: it
attacks the pawn on b6, but this is insufficient to win in itself. White
only has one plan, which retains the advantage for him; after all
other continuations, the position is equal.
23.fxe5
In my view, this is a difficult decision to find, because giving up the
outpost on e5 seems extremely ‘generous’ gift to the opponent.
Admittedly, his control over this square will only be temporary.
23...Nxe5

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Question:What plan has White prepared after 23...Qxe5 ?
SOLUTION
24.e4 Re8 25.Be2 followed by attacking the defender of b6, the d7-
knight, by means of Bg4. 25...Rb8 26.Nb2 and Nd3, Bg4 or Bh5,
retaining the advantage. But nothing comes from the hasty 26.Bg4
because of 26... Nf6. On 23...dxe5 there would follow 24.e4 when
the bishop on f2 comes to life, and, as a consequence, the pressure
on the c5-pawn becomes significant.
24.Qb1
Question: If Black plays 24...Nd7?, then where does the bishop go?
SOLUTION
25.Bd3 with the idea of attacking the knight from the square f5.
But since the game was completely different, I leave you to look at
the rest of this line by yourself.

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25.Nf3 Nf7 26.fxe5 dxe5 27.a6 Bc8 28.Nd4 cxd4 29.exd4 e4
30.c5! Rh6 31.d6+ Nxd6 32.cxd6+ Rxd6 33.Be3 h3 34.Bc1 hxg2
35.Bxg2 Ne5 36.Qe2 Nc6 37.Qh5 Qg7 38.Bxg5 Rg6 39.Bf4+
Kd8 40.Qh4+ Ke8 41.Bg3 Be6 42.Rad1 Rd8 43.Qf4 Ne7 44.Qf1
Qf7 45.Qb5+ Kf8 46.Qe5 Qg7 47.Qc7 Rc8 48.Qf4 Nd5 49.Qd6+
Kg8 50.Kh1 Rxc3 51.Rc1 Rxc1 52.Rxc1 Kh7 53.Be5 Qh6 54.Rg1
Rg8! 55.Rf1 Qg6 56.Bh3 e3 57.Bg3 Re8 58.Rg1 f4 59.Bxe6 Qe4+
60.Rg2 Qxe6 0-1
I managed to win and this point gained me the right to play in the
main group at Wijk aan Zee the following year.
Thus, we have seen how relocating one knight can fundamentally
change the assessment of the position. Now we move on to positions
with pawns.
Nimzo-Indian Defence
Branko Damljanovic (2530)

142
Bozidar Ivanovic (2530)
Yugoslavia 1989
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5
Nxd5 8.dxc5 Qa5 9.e4 Qxc3+ 10.Bd2 Qe5 11.Ne2 Ne7 12.Rc1
Nbc6 13.Bc3 Qg5 14.h4 Qh6 15.Nd4 Nxd4 16.Bxd4 0-0 17.Qd2
Qxd2+ 18.Kxd2 Nc6 19.Ba1 Bd7 20.Ke3 Rfc8 21.Be2 Rc7
22.Rhd1 Rac8 23.Bc3 Be8 24.f4 h6 25.g4 Rd7 26.Rxd7 Bxd7
27.g5 hxg5 28.hxg5 b6 29.cxb6 axb6 30.Bb2 Nb8 31.Rxc8+ Bxc8
32.Bd4 Nd7

Question:Find the winning plan for White with the pawn on a3.
SOLUTION
33.a4?
Question: How does the assessment change by moving the pawn
forward one square? To which side is this change favourable?
SOLUTION
143
Point to note:When playing with pawns, we should always pay
attention to the existence of weaknesses among them.
33...Kf8
The situation is complicated by the fact that White cannot exchange
his light-squared bishop for the knight, because the opposite-
coloured bishop ending would be a ‘dead draw’ on account of the
black king’s proximity to the centre, which in case of necessity
could stop the passed pawn. Therefore, White must first regroup his
pieces.
34.Bc4
Creating the threat of 35.g6. After the expected 34...g6 the
opponent’s pawns lose mobility. So the task of White’s last move is
to fix the weaknesses. In the absence of 34.Bc4, Black has the
defence involving ...f7-f5.
34...Bb7?
The best defence was 34...g6 35.Bc3 with the idea of giving a check
and carrying out the idea of putting the bishop on d6. If the enemy
king stands on e8, then White wins as follows: his bishop goes to c7
and the king comes via c2 to b4-b5, attacking the b6-pawn. If Black
keeps his king on the neighbouring square d8, then another plan is
used:
A) 35...Bb7 36.Bb4+ Ke8 37.Bd6 (on 37.Bb5 Black simply
waits: 37...Ba8 38.Bd6 Kd8 39.Kd4 Bb7 and again White cannot
strengthen his position, because the bishop on b5 is tied down to its
responsibilities: 40.Bc4 Bc6 – the whole problem is the weak pawn
and it cannot move backwards) 37...Bc6 and the vulnerability of the
a4-pawn tells! (if the pawn stood on a3, after the move 38.e5, White
could realize the plan Bb5, Bc7, with the gradual approach of the
king to b4-b5) 38.Bb5 Bxb5 39.axb5=;

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 B) 35...Ke8 36.Bb5 Kd8 37.Kd4 Kc7 38.Bb4 Bb7 and 39.f5! – a
breakthrough which leads to the win of the f7-pawn. But even so,
with the pawn on a4, the computer assessment is 0.00.
35.g6! Bc6?!
35...fxg6 36.Bxe6 Bc6? ( 36...Nf6 37.e5 Ke7 ±) 37.Bb3+ .
36.gxf7 Kxf7
36...Bxa4?? 37.Bxe6+ .
37.f5! Ke7 38.fxe6 Nf8 39.Bb3 Nxe6 40.Bxb6 Ng5 41.e5 Ne6
42.a5 g5 43.Bd1 Nf4 44.Bg4 Bb7 45.Bc5+ Kd8 46.Kd4 Bc6
47.Bb6+ Ke7 48.a6 Bb5 49.a7 Bc6 50.Bc5+ Kf7 51.Bd6 Ne6+
52.Ke3 Nf4 53.Bf3 Nd5+ 54.Kd4 Ke6 55.Bg4+ Kf7 56.Kc5 Ba8
57.Bd7 1-0
This was an instructive example, concerning the assessment of the
position of pawns in the endgame. And now we will look at an
example concerning their value in particular positions in the
opening.
Italian Game
Sergei Tiviakov (2600)
Laurent Fressinet (2636)
Wijk aan Zee 2004
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.Bb3

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In my enormous experience here, Black has two moves: 6...d6 and
6...d5 .
6...d6
6...d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.Re1 Bg4 (see diagram).

146
Question about this variation:How should White play so as to secure
a small advantage?

SOLUTION
Practice shows that he should play 9.h3 and on 9...Bh5 reply 10.g4
Bg6 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Rxe5= and with the pawn on c2 he has
chances of an advantage: 12...c6 13.Qf3².
But now let us change the position at the end of this line by moving
the white pawn from c2 to c3 and take a brief look...
... to fully appreciate what my opponent came up with next...
7.c3 d5
My opponent went in for something cunning: first he played the
‘half-move’ 6...d6, so it appears that he has simply lost a tempo.

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However, now White cannot bring his knight out to the usual square
c3 and the pawn on d3 is also weak.

Question:How should White play so as to emerge well from the

opening?
SOLUTION
8.Qe2
I was familiar with the nuances of the position. After 8.Bc2 dxe4
9.dxe4 Qxd1 10.Rxd1 Black has no problems. If the pawn were on
c2, then after the exchange on d5 there would be no weakness on d3.
In this new position the old plan should be abandoned: 8.exd5?!
Nxd5 9.Re1 Bg4 10.h3?! Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.Rxe5
c6³ (there could follow 14.Qf3 – see diagram above – 14...Bd6
15.Re1 f5 16.g5 f4 17.h4 Qd7 and the weak pawn on d3 makes its
presence felt).
A situation very similar to the last endgame: we determine the
probability that a certain pawn will be attacked. In this case, the
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weakness on d3 can be ‘fired on’ by the bishop from the g6-square
and the rook from the d-file. In addition, on the move 14.Nd2 there
is 14...Nf4, with the win of the d3-pawn, while moving the knight
away from the king, Na3, will lead to the assessment ‘Black is
better’.
With this specially selected example, I wanted to emphasize one
important rule:
Before moving pawns forward, think through all the details so that
they do not turn out to be weaknesses.
8...dxe4 9.dxe4 Bc5 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Qe7 12.Nbd2 a6 13.Nc4
Be6 14.Bc2 g5 15.Bg3 Bg4 16.b4 b5 17.Ne3 Bxe3 18.Qxe3 Nh5
19.Bb3 Rad8 20.Bd5 Rd6 21.Qc5 Bxf3 22.Bxc6 Nf4 23.gxf3 Qe6
24.Bxf4 gxf4 25.Kh1 Qh3 26.Rg1+ Kh7 27.Rg2 Qxf3 28.Bd7
Rg8 29.Bf5+ Kh8 30.Qxe5+ f6 31.Bg4 Qxg2+ 32.Kxg2 fxe5
33.Kh3 Rd3+ 34.f3 Rxc3 35.Rd1 Kg7 36.Kh4 Kf6 37.Kh5 Rg5+
38.Kh4 Rc2 39.h3 Rxa2 40.Rc1 Ke7 41.Rxc7+ Kd6 42.Rh7 Rg6
43.Kh5 Rf6 44.Rd7+ Kc6 45.Rd5 a5 46.bxa5 Rxa5 47.Rxe5 Ra8
48.Re7 b4 49.e5 Rff8 50.Kg6 b3 51.Bd7+ Kc5 52.Bf5 Ra6+ 53.e6
Rxf5 54.Kxf5 b2 55.Rb7 Rb6 56.Rxb6 Kxb6 57.e7 b1Q+ 0-1
In this chapter, I have already compared various positions
depending on the location of the kings, pawns and knights. Now we
move on to rooks.

149
 diagram with the white rook on a1

Rooks, being long-range pieces, can easily, in one move, correct the
shortcomings of their position, so it may seem that in the endgame it
does not make much difference where to place them. But in reality,
there are positions in which this is an important factor determining
the result of the battle.

Question: Give an assessment of the position.

SOLUTION
White has a winning position, on account of the fact that he has his
rook behind the passed pawn.
Now we swap the rooks around, and it is a theoretical draw:

150
diagram with the white rook on a5

diagram with the white rook on d4

151
Question: And what about this position?
SOLUTION
White is winning (or are you not sure of this?). The white rook
stands better here than on a1. In the centre it can develop additional
activity; for example, by cutting the black king off from the
queenside.
With these three diagrams, I remind you of a rule:The rook should
stand behind a passed pawn.
Four Knights Game
Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2757)
Levon Aronian (2767)
Stavanger 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.e5 dxc3
7.exf6 Qxf6 8.dxc3 Qe5+ 9.Qe2 Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 c6 11.Bd3 d5
12.Re1 Bd6 13.Bf4 Ke7 14.Kf3+ Be6 15.c4 dxc4 16.Bxc4 Bxf4
17.Kxf4 Rad8 18.Bxe6 fxe6 19.Re2 Rd4+ 20.Kg3 Rhd8 21.Rae1
R8d6 22.f4 Kf6 23.Kf3 h5 24.Re3 Rd2 25.R1e2 Rd1 26.g3 g6
27.Re5 b6 28.b3 c5 29.c4 a5 30.Kf2 R1d3 31.R5e3 Rxe3 32.Rxe3
Rd2+ 33.Re2 Rd1 34.Kf3 a4 35.bxa4 Rc1 36.Re3 Rxc4 37.Ra3
Kf5 38.a5 bxa5 39.Rxa5 Rc3+ 40.Ke2 h4 41.gxh4 Kxf4 42.Kd2
Rh3 43.Rxc5 Rxh2+ 44.Ke1 e5 45.Rc4+ e4 46.Rc6 Kf3 47.Rf6+
Ke3

152
In this tricky position, White must choose between 48.Kf1 and
48.Kd1. In accordance with the theory of rook endgames about the
short and long sides of the opponent’s passed pawn, the move
48.Kf1 suggests itself. But in the game this led White to a loss,
because this position is an exception to the rule: there are pawns on
a2, g6, h4 on the board.
Point to note:The main method of defence when the king is
positioned on the short side of the board is side checks with the rook
from the opposite flank.
But here the presence of the a2-pawn neutralizes the white rook.
48.Kd1 is the only move that holds.
But if I change the task: take away the pawn from a2, then in the
new position, the natural move is 48.Kf1.
From this it follows that one must pay attention not only to the
passed pawn in the centre, but also to pawns which may interfere
with the mobility of our pieces.
Let us see how Black wins in the game position after 48.Kf1.
48.Kf1?
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48.Kd1 Rxa2 49.Rxg6 Ra1+ 50.Kc2 Rh1 51.Re6 Rxh4 52.Kd1
Rh1+ 53.Kc2 Re1 54.Rh6 Kf2 55.Rh2+ Kg3 56.Kd2=. White gets
his king across with tempo. However, what a complicated example!
Even a player of the very highest class could easily fail to cope with
this position.
48...Rh1+ 49.Kg2 Rxh4 50.Rxg6 Ke2 51.Kg3
51.a4 Rh5.

Now I give a sample continuation (see the bold script below)

because in the game, Aronian did not play
in the best way, although he won after 51.Kg3 Rh7? 52.Rb6? e3
53.Rb2+ Kd1 54.Rb1+ Kc2 55.Ra1 Rf7 56.a4 e2 57.Kg2 Rf5
58.Ra2+ Kd3 59.Ra1 Ke3 60.Ra3+ Ke4 ( 61.Ra1 Rd5 62.a5 Rd1
63.Ra4+ Kd5 + ) 0-1.
51...Rh5 52.a4
If 52.Rb6, then after 52...e3 the white rook has very little space. He
cannot give checks forever: 53.Rb2+ Kd1 54.Rb1+ Kc2, and Black
wins after 55.Rb3 Re5.

154
52...e3 53.Rb6
53.Re6 Ra5.

Question:Find the only winning move.

SOLUTION
53...Re5 54.a5 Kd3
54...Rxa5 55.Rb2+ Kd3 56.Rb3+ Kd2 57.Kf3.
55.Rd6+
55.Rb1 e2 56.Kf2 Rf5+ 57.Kg2 Kc2 58.Ra1 Rxa5.
55...Kc2
And the pawn queens, because White has no lateral checks and
checks on the file do not help.
56.Rc6+ Kb2 57.Rb6+ Ka2 0-1
The king escapes the checks: the presence of the pawn on a5 has
cost White dearly.

155
The following position is a very important base position in rook
endings.

Question:The diagram is from Black’s side. How does Black make a

draw?
SOLUTION
1...Rh8
The weaker side needs as much distance as possible between his
rook and the white king.
1...Rg7+? loses, because after 2.Kf5 the rook’s bad position tells:
2...Rf7+ ( 2...Rg3 3.Re6+ Kd5 4.Rg6 Re3 5.g4 ) 3.Kg5.
Interestingly, after 3...Rf8 the position is a draw if Black can move
again, but wins for White if it is his move: 4.Ra2 (so as to help the
white king shelter from checks along the sixth rank such as Rg6-f6-
h6) 4...Rg8+ ( 4...Ke6 5.Ra6+, and the passed pawn advances)
5.Kf6 Rg3 ( 5...Rf8+ 6.Kg7 Rf4 7.Kg6 Rg4+ 8.Kf5 Rg8 and White
regroups: 9.Ra6+ Ke7 10.Ra7+ Kd6 11.g4 and wins. We can see the
156
enormous difference in the position of the rooks. This was a
complicated, study-like example) 6.Rd2+ (driving the king to the
side) 6...Kc5 7.Kf5. When there are three or more files between the
passed pawn and the enemy king, it is always a win. To prolong the
end, Black needs to keep checking, but how?!
2.g3
2.Kf5 Rf8+=.
2...Rg8+ 3.Kf3 Rf8+ 4.Kg2 Rg8 5.Re1
A theoretical position, but let us examine it ourselves.
5...Kd5 6.Re3 Kd6 7.Kf3 Rf8+ 8.Kg4 Rg8+ 9.Kh5 Rh8+ 10.Kg6
Kd5
10...Rg8+ 11.Kf7 Rg4 12.Re6+ Kd5 13.Rg6.
11.Kg7 Rh5 12.Kf6 Rh6+ 13.Kf5 Rh5+ 14.Kg6 Rh8 ½-½
I can also show you another endgame from the ‘worth knowing’
category.

157
Question:Black to move draws. How?
SOLUTION
Firstly, you should know that the ending of queen and two pawns
against queen is a theoretical draw. But there is one small detail: it
depends on the location of the weaker side’s king. In this position, if
the black king stands on the h-file, White cannot win.
1...Qf6+?
1...Qf2+? and 1...Qh8+? also lead to defeat. Only two moves lead to
a draw: 1...Kg8 and 1...Kg7. If the black king continues to stand on
the f-file, then it will be cut off from the corner and he loses.
2.Kg3 Qb6
2...Qg7+ 3.Qg4; 2...Kg7 3.Qg4+ followed by the exchange of
heavy pieces: 3...Kh7 4.Qh4+; 2...Qd6+ 3.Qf4+. Cross-checks are
an important winning method in queen endings.
3.Qg4
Black is late in bringing his venerable piece to the edge of the board,
so nothing prevents White from leading the h-pawn to queen: his
king moves forward under its cover. The weaker side may give a
few checks, but this will only slightly delay his death.
3...Qg1 4.h4 Qe1+ 5.Kh2 Qe5+ 6.Kh3 Qa1 7.h5 Qh1+ 8.Kg3
Qe1+ 9.Kh2 Qc1 10.Qg3 Qc5 11.Qg6 Qe5+ 12.Kh3 Qe3+
13.Qg3 Qc1 14.Kh4 Qh1+ 15.Kg5 Qa1 16.Qd6+ Kf7 17.Qc7+
Ke6 18.Qc4+ Ke7 19.Qc5+ Kf7 20.Qf5+ Ke7
As a result, Black cannot place his king where it is needed: all the
time he is threatened with the exchange of queens and transition into
a hopeless pawn endgame.
21.h6 Qc1+ 22.Qf4 Qc5+ 23.Kh4 Qc2 24.Qe5+ Kf7 25.Qg7+
Ke6 26.h7 Qf2+ 27.Kh3 Qe3+ 28.Kh2 Qf4+ 29.Qg3 1-0
In this chapter, I have discussed some basic points relating to the
value of piece placement. The examination of the examples has
158
demonstrated that the value of a piece can be extremely different,
depending on its location, and is by no means so routine and
predictable as appears from the value tables that appear in many
textbooks.

159
Chapter 4
The advantage of the
two bishops
Do you remember your very first chess lessons, when your coach
told you that a bishop and a knight are each worth three pawns? And
you (or others studying with you) asked: ‘Teacher, which piece is
better?’ And then followed a story about the non-material power of
minor pieces, the fact that two bishops gain power in open positions
with a lot of space and diagonals free of pawns.
But this rule, passed down from one book to another, requires
clarification, additions and precise recommendations for various
examples from practice. I am sure that not all of you are familiar
with specific methods of playing with a two-bishops advantage and
have missed countless opportunities in your games.
In this chapter we will look at positions where two bishops are
stronger than, for example, a pair of knights or a bishop and a
knight. Of course, there are also exceptional cases when two bishops
are weaker than other minor-piece tandems. But this is the topic of a
separate chapter. Now we will learn how to plan our game with the
bishop pair advantage and discuss some key points in typical games.
Using the example of the mistakes of my opponent from Indonesia,
International Master Firmansyah, I will show you the course of my
reasoning and actions aimed at gaining an advantage and achieving
victory on the topic of this chapter.
Caro-Kann Defence

160
Sergei Tiviakov (2651)
Farid Firmansyah (2392)
Jakarta 2014
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nh3

The idea of White’s line is to go Nf4, exchange on g6 and in this

way immediately gain the advantage of the bishop pair, and Black
can’t avoid positions in which the enemy carries out this plan.
If you adopt the indicated order of moves (this applies to those who
play 1.e4), then you will get very promising positions as White. By
the way, this continuation against the Caro-Kann Defence is suitable
for beginner players. Since it does not require much theoretical
knowledge, it is easy to use in a tournament game.
6...Nf6 7.Bc4 e6 8.Nf4 Bd6 9.Bb3
I have begun many of my games with this move-order.
9...Qc7 10.Qf3 Nbd7 11.0-0 0-0 12.c3 a5 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.a3

161
Question:How can Black neutralize the advantage of the two
bishops?

162
 SOLUTION
In this typical Caro-Kann position Black must choose between three
possible continuations:
1) keep the central pawn configuration and wait;
2) play 14...c5; or
3) play 14...e5.
To maintain equality with the least effort, Black should create a
symmetrical pawn structure, and therefore the correct way to play is
the move 14...e5.
14...c5
A serious strategic mistake.
15.dxc5 Bxc5
Now we get an asymmetrical pawn structure, in which the strength
of the bishop pair can best show itself.
Point to note:The plan of play should be re-evaluated every time
the pawn structure changes or pawns are exchanged.

Question: How should the position be assessed after the exchange

on c5?
SOLUTION
Black has a very difficult position and if this were reached at the
absolute top professional echelon, such as involving Carlsen or
Caruana, then White will win with absolute precision. But at lower
levels, mistakes occur and the realization tends to be more spotty.

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Question: What is White’s plan?
SOLUTION
To answer this question, you need to have a clear idea of what to
strive for. After exchanging more pieces and going into the
endgame, it will be easier for White to achieve victory. The ideal
ending for him is without queens, rooks and a pair of knights; two
bishops against a bishop and a knight – then his pawn majority on
the queenside sooner or later transforms into a passed pawn. In
addition, Black has doubled pawns on g7 and g6 and his king will
have to stay close and protect them.
Notice that there is only one open file on the board – the d-file.
White will try to capture it, Black, in turn, will resist the pressure,
which will ultimately lead to exchanges of pieces along this line. In
this way, the stronger side will achieve his goal, and Black has
nothing to offer by way of opposition.
16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Qxe4 Nf6 18.Qe2 Rfd8

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Despite his large advantage, White should remain careful, because
his king’s position has some vulnerable points, notably h2 and f2,
and he is also slightly behind in development, which he needs to
nullify.
19.Bg5 Rd7 20.Rad1 Rad8
I set about exchanging heavy pieces on the d-file:
21.Rxd7 Rxd7 22.Rd1 Qb6
Black does not oppose me in this.
23.Rxd7 Nxd7 24.Ba4 Nf6 25.Bc1
Prophylaxis against the tactical blow 25...Bxf2+ 26.Qxf2 Qxf2+
27.Kxf2 Ne4+ and 28...Nxg5 with an extra pawn.
Point to note:If your tactical vision is poor, you can play a good
game, but lose it by making a crude blunder, so you should regularly
practice solving chess combinations.
25...Qd6 26.Bc2
White takes control of d3.
26...Qd5 27.h3
Covering the square g4.
27...Bd6 28.Kf1
For the future, the king needs to stand closer to the centre.
28...Kf8 29.Qd3
Note how White consistently follows the plan outlined earlier, not
for any reason turning aside from it.
29...Ke7 30.Qxd5
If Black had avoided the exchange of queens, I would have started
advancing the queenside pawns to create a passed pawn. But in the
game, it was easier for me to realize my advantage.
30...Nxd5

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31.g3
Defending against 31...Bf4 and placing the pawns on the same
colour squares as the opponent’s bishop, so as to limit its scope and
prevent it seizing key squares.
31...Kd7 32.Ba4+
I would like again to emphasize what I said earlier: Black’s king is
tied to his kingside pawns. He cannot come to c7 because of 33.Be8.
So it is only now, some twenty moves later, that the earlier spoiling
of the black pawn structure has its say. Therefore, always be very
careful in your relationship to doubled pawns!
32...Kd8 33.Bd2
Preparing b4.
33...Nb6 34.Bb5 Nd7 35.Ke2 Nc5 36.Be3 a4

In this way, Black tries to prevent the advance of the white

queenside pawns.
166
Question:Is it worth White going into an opposite-coloured bishop
ending by taking on c5 and a4?
SOLUTION
I was convinced that I could win the game by creating connected
passed pawns on the queenside. Exchanging is a very committal
decision, as the pieces which leave the board cannot be brought
back.
In chess, all moves can be divided into two categories: permanent
and temporary. The exchange on c5 belongs to the first group: there
is no immediate necessity.
37.Bd4
For the moment, I just improve the position of my pieces and hope
for the appearance of new weaknesses in Black’s camp. The a4-
pawn is weakness number one, but to win a game, a single Achilles
Heel is often not enough. It is always desirable to create a second
and even third weakness in another area of the board.
37...f6
The pawn on g6 loses its defender. On 37...e5 I had intended
38.Be3. Then the square d5 might become a convenient outpost for
the bishop, from where it attacks the pawns on f7 and b7.
38.h4
Such moves should be played without any particular thought, since
it is impossible to remain indifferent to the formation of the enemy
pawn chain. In particular here, the weakness on g6 is fixed.
38...Ke7 39.Be3 Kf8
I was still not sure of the necessity to go into the opposite-coloured
bishops ending with 40.Bxc5: I decided to follow the cautionary
principle ‘do not hurry! ’ in the style of Karpov.
40.Kd2 Ke7 41.Kc2 Kf8 42.Bd4 Ke7 43.Kd1 Nb3 44.Be3 Nc5
45.Ke2 Kf7 46.g4

167
The start of concrete play: I transfer my pawns from dark squares to
white ones, so as then to exchange on c5 and go into an ending with
opposite-coloured bishops in the most favourable form. After this
preparation, my king can easily come into via d3 to c4 and b5.
46...e5?
The ‘do not hurry! ’ principle has worked. My opponent commits
the decisive strategic mistake.
47.Bc4+
The white bishop is transferred to d5.
47...Ke7
48.Bd5
I force the move ...b6, and then my king comes into b5. Later I plan
to exchange off the b6-pawn by means of the breaks a5 or c5, so as
to create passed pawns on the queenside.
48...b6 49.Bc6 f5
After this move, the black position collapses completely.
50.Bg5+ Ke6 51.Bd8 Be7 52.Bxb6 Kd6 53.Bxc5+ Kxc5 54.Bxa4
Now I have no fewer than three connected passed pawns instead of
the intended two!
54...Bxh4 55.Be8 Bg5 56.Kd1 fxg4 57.Bxg6 Bh4 58.Ke2 Bg5
59.Kd3 Bh4 60.b4+ Kd6 61.Bf5 Bxf2 62.Bxg4 g6 63.c4 Bd4
64.c5+ Kc7 65.Bf3 Bb2 66.a4 g5 67.Kc4 Bc1 68.b5 1-0
And now let us see my game against the Georgian grandmaster
Quparadze.
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2650)
Giga Quparadze (2489)
Nakhchivan 2013

168
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5
Sveshnikov’s variation, which I often play as White.
5.d4 Nf6
After the exchange of the pawns on d4 and c5, White gets a pawn
majority on the queenside.
6.Na3 Qd8 7.Nc4 Nc6 8.Nce5 cxd4
The main continuation is 8...Nxe5 9.Nxe5 a6 – by transposition, we
reach a position from the French Defence.
9.Bb5 Bd7 10.Nxd7 Nxd7 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Qxd4

Question:How should we assess it?

SOLUTION
And so we have an endgame quite similar to the previous one.
Just the same as the previous example: Black has an extremely
difficult position, which he cannot save even with best defence. But
this assessment refers, of course, to players of the very highest class.
169
12...a6 13.Ba4 b5 14.Bc2 Nf6

I have had this position twice in my practice: once I was playing

White and the other time Black.
Question:Should White exchange queens?
SOLUTION
The stronger side has the maximum winning chances in a simplified
endgame. My opponent when I was Black, Andrew Belozerov,
decided to keep queens on and played 15.Qh4 with the intention of
playing for an attack. As a result, in an inferior position, I managed
to draw with accurate defence, but my saving chances rose sharply
with queens on the board.
Additional task: Familiarize yourself with this game independently:
Belozerov-Tiviakov, Krasnoyarsk 2003:
1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.d4 e6 6.Na3 Qd8 7.Nc4
Nc6 8.Nce5 cxd4 9.Bb5 Bd7 10.Nxd7 Nxd7 11.Nxd4 Nxd4
12.Qxd4 a6 13.Ba4 b5 14.Bc2 Nf6 15.Qh4 Nd5 16.Qe4 Be7 17.0-0
170
Rc8 18.Rd1 Qc7 19.Bd3 Nb6 20.Bf4 Qc6 21.Be5 f6 22.Qg4 fxe5
23.Qxg7 Rf8 24.Qxh7 Nd5 25.a4 Kd7 26.axb5 axb5 27.Rd2 Rh8
28.Qe4 ½-½.
Therefore, after 15...Nd5 White should definitely have exchanged
queens with 16.Qxd8+, leaving Black with an unpleasant position.
Knowing this from experience, I decided to go into the endgame:
15.Qxd8+ Rxd8 16.Ke2 Bc5

Question:By analogy with the previous game, what should White

do?
SOLUTION
My task is to get rid of the rooks and complete the development of
my pieces.
17.Rd1 Ke7 18.Bd2
With the idea of Be1.

171
The immediate exchange of heavy pieces by 18.Rхd8 Rхd8 deprives
my dark-squared bishop of secure squares, since it would be
impossible to play 19.Bd2 because of 19...Bxf2. However, the fact
that there is one open file means that the rooks will come off
anyway.
18...Nd5 19.Bd3 Rd6 20.g3
Note that, as in the previous game, White places his pawns on the
same colour squares as the opposing bishop.
20...b4
Defence by means of blockading the dark squares; otherwise White
will himself fix the enemy pawns by means of 21.b4 and 22. a4 or
21.a4 at once. Regardless of how Black plays now, I have a clear
plan for the further improvement of my position.
21.c4 Nb6 22.b3 Nd7
My opponent has organized a blockade on the dark squares, and so
at this moment I cannot exploit my protected passed pawn.
For the third book we are planning to discuss the topic of how to
play and win positions with a protected passed pawn in my next
book, on methods of realising an advantage.
23.Be4 Rb8 24.Bf4 e5
After this move, Black loses control over the square d5. However,
the exchange of rooks by 24...Rxd1 25.Rxd1 also leads to a
deterioration of his position: White’s two bishops begin to work
well. They can create threats with moves such as Bc6, Bb7, Bc7.
Whatever Black plays, he faces serious problems.
25.Rxd6 Bxd6 26.Bg5+
An important inclusion, forcing a weakening of the light squares.
26...f6 27.Bd2 h6 28.Bf5 Nc5
In his turn, Quparadze sets up a siege of the dark squares.

172
29.Be3 Rb7 30.Rd1 Rc7 31.Rd5
An important strengthening of the position by means of centralizing
the pieces.
31...Nb7 32.h4
Now it is necessary to fix the weakness on g7 and seize the light
squares, and then activate our king.
32...Kf7 33.h5 Ke7
Meanwhile, Black can do nothing except sit and wait.

Question:So far White has made all the natural and useful moves,
but how does he overcome the opponent’s defences?
SOLUTION
34.f4!
A very typical and necessary move! I intend to exchange on e5,
believing that Black will have to recapture with the pawn and this

173
will mean that his bishop is tied down to defending the isolated
pawn.
34...exf4 35.gxf4
Now we have a position where White has an effective extra pawn,
since on the kingside, my two pawns hold the enemy’s three, which
are all paralysed. In addition, I have opened the e-file for my rook,
which can occupy the squares e6 and e8.
35...Nc5 36.Kf3 a5 37.Bc2
Prophylaxis against 37...a4.
37...Kd7 38.Bd4 Kc6 39.Be4
Control over the centre!
39...Kd7
Now I can already force the win! Black has defended incorrectly: he
should have kept his king on e7. However, the exchange of knights
for the light-squared bishop also gains him nothing. In that case, he
would have restricted pieces, whilst the white king can come
unhindered into g6, attacking the black pawns.
40.Be5 fxe5 41.fxe5 Nb7 42.exd6 Rc5 43.Bf5+ Kc6 44.Be6 a4
45.d7 axb3 46.axb3 Nd8 47.Rxc5+ Kxc5 48.Bd5 Kd6 49.Ke4
Kxd7 50.c5 1-0
Sooner or later, the knight will be exchanged for the bishop and we
will reach an endgame with an extra pawn for White.
I have shown you two examples in which I had the bishop pair with
the pawn structure of 3 versus 2 on the queenside.
Now let us move on to the study of a different type of position. For
this, my game against the Polish grandmaster Miton will help.
Ruy Lopez
Sergei Tiviakov (2648)
Kamil Miton (2648)
Montreal 2007
174
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6
The Steinitz Defence is typically a passive set-up for Black.
5.0-0 Bd7 6.c3 Nf6 7.Re1 Be7 8.d4 0-0
All according to theory.
9.d5 Nb8 10.Bc2 c6

Question:How should White continue?

SOLUTION
11.Nxe5
This move is typical for the Sicilian and Spanish. It seems that
Black forgot about this exchanging possibility, but he does not
really have much choice – because of his space advantage, White is
dictating his will.
11...dxe5 12.d6 Bg4

175
A small combination has netted White the two bishops. However,
this time the pawn structure is symmetrical and the position is
relatively closed, so it is not easy to exploit this trump.
13.dxe7 Qe7 14.Qd3
Is it possible to attack on the kingside here? One of the basic chess
principles states, ‘In order to attack in any section of the board, it is
necessary to have a superiority in the number of attacking pieces
over the numbers of defenders in that area ’. And here is the
misfortune: White does not have a single active piece on the
kingside!
My queenside is not developed and so any opening of the centre, for
example with the move f4, would obviously be favourable to the
opposing side. But the moment I have perfected the layout of my
pieces, this plan will work. For this, White should carry out a
concrete Spanish manoeuvre, which is also seen often in the Italian
Game – the knight comes round to f5 via its shortest route: d2-f1
and then on to either g3 or e3.
14...Nbd7 15.Nd2 Rfd8 16.Nf1 Be6 17.Ng3
For the moment, I do not reveal where the queen is going and I am
not afraid of the discovered attack by the rook on d8.
17...Nf8 18.Qf3 Ne8
Black chooses a good method of prophylactic defence, retreating
both knights in a fashion that was used as far back as by Akiba
Rubinstein. The second part of this plan is the move ...f6, setting up
a pawn barrier in front of the white pieces.
19.Be3 Qc7 20.Nf5 f6 21.h4 Nd6 22.b3 Kh8 23.c4?
A serious mistake, which throws away much of the advantage. I felt
I had to continue to strengthen the position, but the problem with the
last move is that it weakens the square d4 and Black can exploit this.
In addition, I am starting action on that part of the board on which I
have no advantage. I am also breaching chess principles, concerning
176
completing the development of the pieces: the rook on a1 has not
yet found work. I should have chosen between 23.Rad1 and 23.g3,
or else 23.h5. The idea of my move in the game was to follow up
with 24.c5, driving away the knight and seizing space on the
queenside. But Black gets counterplay.
23...c5
The opponent’s plan is to put his bishop on g8 and bring the knight
from f8 via e6 to d4. Somehow I completely forgot about this
manoeuvre!
24.Rad1 Bg8 25.h5 Ne6 26.h6 Nxf5 27.exf5 Nd4 28.Qe4
Despite the earlier mistake, I still have the advantage. If Black now
exchanges on c2, a position with opposite-coloured bishops will
appear on the board. We will talk about such positions in the next
chapter. But, looking ahead, I will slightly open this topic.
As we will see, the most important point that determines the chances
of one of the parties to win is the position of the king. In our case,
the king on g1 is absolutely safe, and his enemy counterpart is very
weak, which will allow White chances to carry out a mating attack.
Therefore, Black needs to keep his strong knight on the d4-square.
28...Rd6
The point of this move is to double the rooks on the d-file and
exchange a greater number of pieces.
29.Bb1
White prepares against 29...Ne2+ and 30...Nc3.
29...Ne2+
My opponent evidently thought I had blundered the exchange. If he
had not accepted the sacrifice, I would have continued with 30.Rc1.
30.Rxe2 Rxd1+ 31.Kh2 Rad8 32.Bc2 R1d7

177
Question:How should we assess the situation on the board after the
exchange of the rook on d1 for the knight on d4?
SOLUTION
This situation is typical for positions with an extra exchange. The
rook is stronger than a minor piece in the endgame, but this is a
middlegame. In fact, it would have been a good idea to return the
exchange with 32...R1d4.
33.Qh4
White continues his offensive against the kingside.
33...Qd6 34.Be4 b6
A serious loss of time. Black needed to play 34...b5, to try to
organize counterplay on the queenside.
Remember: If one player has a plan to slowly improve his position,
the other must not play passively!

178
Question:What plan is there to improve White’s position?
SOLUTION
Point to note: When you have two bishops and your opponent only
one, you should attack those squares which his bishop cannot
defend.
So that means that in this position, we should act against the dark
squares g7, f6 and e5.
35.hxg7+ Rxg7 36.Bh6 Rgd7 37.Re3 b5
Black has noticed that White has a concrete strategy to strengthen
his position and so he tries to organize his own play on the
queenside. But it is already too late: this is the type of position in
which time plays an important role.
38.cxb5 axb5 39.Rg3 b4
Black has an extra exchange, but the rook cannot show any
superiority over the bishop in this position.

179
40.Rg4 Rc7 41.f4
Having strengthened the position of my pieces, I go over to the
intended plan.
41...Re7 42.Rg3 Red7 43.Qg4 Qe7 44.fxe5 fxe5
The game has opened up.
45.Bc6 Qf6 46.Bg5 Qxc6 47.Bxd8
White has regained the exchange and reached a position with
opposite-coloured bishops. I won easily, because the black king is
defenceless:
47...Qh6+ 48.Rh3 Qd6 49.Bg5 Rf7 50.Rh6 Qf8 51.Qh4 Kg7
52.Rg6+ 1-0
Caro-Kann Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2609)
Maksim Chigaev (2531)
Haren/Groningen 2016
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nh3 e6
6...Nf6 is more accurate.
7.Nf4 Bd6 8.Ngh5
The strongest move in this position.

180
The attack on the g7-pawn forces the exchange of minor pieces. The
voluntary abandonment of castling with 8...Kf8 will not turn out in
Black’s favour.
8...Bxh5 9.Nxh5 g6 10.Ng3 Qh4

181
So far the game has followed my opponent’s home preparation,
because I had played this way a number of times in my practice.
The idea of Black’s last move is to exchange dark-squared bishops
on the square f4. If he succeeds in doing this, he will have good
chances of equalizing. It seems that White can stop this with
11.Qf3, but then the pawn on d4 is hanging.
11.c3
Now after 11...Bf4 12.Qb3 Bxc1 13.Rxc1 Qf4 14.Rd1 Black has to
play the weakening move 14...b6 (on 14...Qc7 there is 15.Ne4 with
the threat of 16.Qxb7 Qxb7 17.Nd6+). He achieves the desired
exchange, but has spent a lot of time on it and is behind in
development, whilst White has concrete, dynamic play.
11...Nd7 12.Qf3

Question:How should we assess this position and what is the correct

plan for Black from the viewpoint of chess principles?

182
 SOLUTION
The position is complicated. Black, who is better developed, should
have played 12...f5, threatening to open the game immediately by
means of ...e5 and preventing 13.Ne4. Then, after 13.Ba6 bxa6
14.Qxc6 Bxg3 15.Qxa8+ Bb8 16.Qc6 Qe4+ 17.Qxe4 fxe4 18.0-0
Ngf6 the position is unclear.
12...Ngf6
A routine move, aiming at development and preventing 13.Ne4, but
not containing any particularly flexible or deep idea.

Question:How can I exploit Black’s slow play? How should I meet

the threat of 13...e5 ?
SOLUTION
13.Ne2

183
Intending 14.g3 (15.Bg2, 16.0-0), forcing Black to exchange queens
(which favours White) and also strengthening the pawn on d4. After
this, White has a stable advantage.
13...e5 14.g3 Qg4
On 14...e4 15.gxh4 exf3 16.Ng1 wins the pawn on f3.
15.Qxg4 Nxg4

We have reached an endgame with White having the two bishops.

But sooner or later exchanges will occur in the centre on the squares
e5 or d4, and the pawn structure will become symmetrical.
Question:How does Black want to arrange his pawns? Find a strong
move for White, preventing the opponent’s idea.
SOLUTION
Black has prepared 16... f5 (for instance, after 16.Bh3 or 16.Bg2) in
order to take control of the centre. He does not fear the exchange on
g4, because his control of the square e4 would give him counterplay.

184
16.h3
This seems like a loss of time, but I prevent 16...f5.
16...Ngf6 17.Bg2 0-0-0 18.0-0 Rde8
On 18...Rhe8 19.Bg5 there is not the move 19...h6.
19.dxe5
White needs to complete his development. I also looked for a long
time at the move 19.Bh6, but avoided it because of 19...Rhg8 with
the threat of ...g5 and the bishop on h6 is cut off.
19...Nxe5 20.Rd1 Kc7

Question:Find the strongest prophylactic move, facilitating the

development of the bishop on c1.
SOLUTION
21.Kf1

185
I’m proud to have played this variation. It reminds me of classic
examples from chess strategy textbooks. The white king defends the
piece on e2 (which deprives the opponent of the tactical
opportunities associated with the jumps of the e5-knight) and takes
control of the e1-square. In addition, standing on a light square, he
will not be disturbed by the opponent’s bishop on the a7-g1
diagonal, if the f-pawn moves.
21...Ned7 22.Be3 Nb6 23.b3 Nbd5 24.Bd2
My task is to restrict the black knights.

Question:On which part of the board does White intend to execute

his plan?
SOLUTION
My pawns will go on to occupy the squares a3, c4, b4, c5 and in the
process deprive the black knights of secure outposts. In addition, the
white bishop will not be bothered by attacks or exchanges if it goes
to e1.
186
24...Ne4 25.Be1 f5
Nine moves have been played since I played 16.h3 and drove the
enemy knight from my half of the board – Black has needed a lot of
time to get his pawn to f5.
26.c4 Nb6 27.Rac1 Nd7 28.b4
Starting to seize space on the queenside.
28...Rhf8 29.c5 Be7

Question:So, White has fulfilled part of his plan, now what should
he do?
SOLUTION
Point to note:When you have the bishop pair, always bank on the
bishop which cannot be neutralized by the opponent’ s bishop.
In this position, that means the bishop on g2, since its possibilities
are limited by the pawn on c6. In order to get rid of it, we have to
prepare and play b5. This can be achieved in various ways: a4 or
187
Nd4 and b5, or even with the help of the pawn sacrifice b5, – all in
the cause of opening the game.
30.f3
Firstly, we drive away the knight.
30...Ng5?
According to the computer, it was necessary to play 30...Nef6
31.Nf4 Kc8, retaining chances to defend. However, from a purely
human viewpoint, the text looks useful since it takes control of e6.
31.Nd4
My knight comes into the game. It was possible to play the
immediate 31.b5. If he takes the gift on c5, Black gets into a
difficult position: 31...Nxc5 32.Nd4 Rd8 33.Bb4 b6 34.h4 Bf6
35.Nxc6, regaining the material.
Point to note:The side which has the two bishops should strive to
open the position, even at the cost of a pawn.
But I tried to play simple chess: I threaten 32.h4 and a fork on e6
after the knight retreats.
31...Bf6
The bishop has to leave e7, where it was eyeing up my c5-pawn.
32.b5 Bxd4
Black should have played 32...Nb8 33.Ba5+ Kc8 34.bxc6 bxc6
35.Nb3 (or 35.h4 ) with advantage to White.
33.Rxd4 f4?
This leads to a loss. The main continuation 33...cxb5 wins a pawn,
but leads to an unpleasant opening of the position: 34.Ba5+ Kc8
35.c6 Nb6 36.cxb7+ Kxb7 37.h4 Ne6 38.f4+ (the bishop comes to
life!) 38...Ka6 39.Bxb6 axb6 (if 39...Kxb6 an attack suddenly starts
on the king: 40.Rd6+ Ka5 41.Bb7+ ; and on 39...Nxd4 40.Bxd4
Rc8 41.Bc6, two bishops for the rook gives White an enormous
advantage) 40.Rc3 b4 41.Rxb4 b5 42.Bd5+ .
188
Question:Suggest a plan of play, guaranteeing White a full point in
the tournament table.
SOLUTION
If we wish to attack the enemy king successfully, then this requires a
greater quantity of pieces in the relevant area. My bishop on g2 is
inactive, but can be included in the game via h3, if I first put the
pawn on h4.
34.bxc6
It suits White to exchange on c6.
34...bxc6 35.h4 Ne6 36.Ba5+ Kc8 37.Rd6 Ndxc5
If 37...fxg3, in this case 38.Rc6+ Kb7 39.f4 and Black can resign:
the g2-bishop comes into the game and despite it being an endgame,
the opponent will be mated. And if instead 37...Rf5, then 38.Bh3
Rxc5 39.Re1, and again the light-squared bishop plays the main
role: 39...Ndf8 40.Bb4 with material gains.

189
38.Bh3
Note how strong the white bishops are! Do you remember how they
were at the start of the game? But thanks to purposeful play, aimed
at opening the position in the centre, White has activated his
reserves. A second possible variation is 38.Rxc6+ Kb7 39.R1xc5
Nxc5 40.Rxc5 Rc8 41.Rxc8 Rxc8 42.gxf4 winning. But when
thinking about this continuation, I was not certain I would be able to
hold the a-pawn.
38...Kb7
On 38...Kb8 there follows 39. Bb4 and Black has to say goodbye to
something.
39.Bb4
Another way to realize the advantage was 39.Rb1+ Ka8 40.Rxc6
fxg3 41.Bb4. White sacrifices anyway and wins material after
41...Nf4 42.Bg4 Na4 43.Bxf8 Rxf8 44.Bc8 Nb6.
39...Kc7
It was better to reply 39...fxg3 40.Bxc5 Nxc5 41.Rxc5 Rxf3+
42.Kg2 Ree3 43.Rc1 Rd3 44.Rxd3 Rxd3 45.Be6, because White
would still have to solve a few technical problems on the way to the
win.
40.Rd2 1-0
The game could continue as follows: 40...fxg3 41.Bxe6 Nxe6
42.Bd6+ Kb7 43.Bxf8 Rxf8 44.Rd7+ Kb6 45.Rb1+ Kc5.
This game is an example of how to realize the advantage of the
bishop pair in accordance with all the laws of chess strategy.
Now let us see how to play the black pieces against an experienced
grandmaster.
Sicilian Defence
Eduardas Rozentalis (2571)
Sergei Tiviakov (2623)
190
Vrachati 2011
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+
A variation which avoids sharp strategic continuations.
3...Nd7
This move states that ‘Black is seriously in the mood to play for a
win ’. By contrast, 3...Bd7 is played with a view to a modest half
point, since after it White has a very solid position.
4.0-0 Ngf6
I have become something of a walking encyclopedia of this line, so
many times has it appeared in my games, as both White and Black!
5.e5
But this is in vain! This hasty attempt to force a draw leads to the
loss of White’s advantage in the centre. Better is 5.Re1 or 5.d4.
5...dxe5 6.Nxe5 a6 7.Bxd7+
Black gets an automatic advantage in space after 7.Nxd7 Nxd7
8.Bc4 Ne5 or 8.Be2 e5.
7...Nxd7

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So, we have a position with the advantage of the two bishops, but
with a small development advantage for White.
8.Qe2 Nxe5 9.Qxe5

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Question:Which plan should we adopt here?
SOLUTION
9...Qd4
The battle is against the white queen, which is very strong on e5 and
prevents me completing my development.
Point to note:The exchange of queens usually favours the side that
is behind in development.
If White refrains from piece exchanges, for example with 10.Qe2,
then 10...e6, and the bishop on f8 comes into the game, since the g7-
pawn no longer needs its defence.
10.Re1 e6
I could immediately have played 10...Qxe5 11.Rxe5 e6³. My choice
of 10...e6 deserves criticism, since White could now avoid the
exchange of queens with 11.Qh5 and create counterplay: 11...Be7
12.Nc3 followed by 13.d3 and 14.Be3 with chances of equalizing.
11.Nc3 Bd7
By analogy with the last note, the better choice was again to take on
e5!
12.d3 Qxe5
Finally, I realized the error of my ways and went over into the
endgame.
13.Rxe5 f6 14.Re2 Kf7 15.a4

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We have before us a typical Sicilian pawn structure.
Question:How should we assess positions of such a type? What is
Black’s long-term plan?
SOLUTION
I stand better but before doing anything concrete I should complete
my development.
15...b6 16.Ne4 Rc8
Intending 17...Rc6, so as to control the square d6 and prevent a
possible entry into this square after 17. Bf4.
In this position, I should strive for play on the kingside, since it is
there that I have a pawn majority of four versus three. (In my first
book, I spoke in detail about this structure.) But on the queenside,
we should not start anything, since that is the side where White
predominates.
17.Nd2 Be7 18.Nc4 Rc6 19.a5 b5 20.Nb6

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We have reached an important moment in the game.

Question:What should Black do with the bishop on d7: keep it or

leave it where it is?
SOLUTION
20...Rd8
I am not opposed to the exchange. In accordance with the principle
of exchanging one advantage for another, I now have the chance of
getting a position with good versus bad bishop, and in addition, a
weak pawn has now appeared on a5, which can soon be lost: Black
has the moves c4 and Bb4.
21.f4 c4
Opening the position for the bishops.
22.dxc4 bxc4
White’s problems are not solved by 23.Nxd7 Rxd7: the two black
pawns on the queenside hold White’s three.
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23.c3 Rd6
So as to regroup my pieces, I make use of a tactical defence:
24.Nxc4 Rd1+ 25.Kf2 Bb5 +. The main thing is that the opponent
cannot develop any counterplay.
24.Be3 Bb5
Here Black had to be prepared for another important decision.

Question: What will happen after 25.Bd4 ?

SOLUTION
Against 25.Bd4 I had prepared the positional exchange sacrifice
25...Rxd4 26.cxd4 Rxd4 – on account of his two bishops, the offside
white knight and the weakness of the a5-pawn, Black stands better.
But White would at least have a small amount of capital for his
positional suffering, whereas as the game proceeds, Black has a
‘free ’ advantage.
25.Rae1 Rd1

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It is important to exchange a pair of rooks, so that White cannot
create anything unpleasant against my weakness on e6.
26.Kf2 Rxe1 27.Rxe1 e5
By creating a passed pawn in the centre, I take control of the square
d4 and the bishop on e3 can no longer take up an active position
there.
28.fxe5 fxe5 29.Ke2 Ke6
Centralization of the king is an important part of the plan.
30.Rf1 h5
I seize space on the kingside.
31.h4?
He should have played 31.Rd1 Rd3µ.
31...Bxh4 32.Rh1 g5 33.g3
If 33.Rh3 then 33...Kf5 34.g3 Kg4 +. I think White had wanted to
trap the bishop but underestimated the activity of my king.
33...Bxg3 34.Bxg5
Now Black has a healthy extra pawn. It was possible to play simply
34...Rh8 35.Rf1 e4! 36.Rf6+ Ke5, and White’s position is hopeless.
Point to note:The strongest moves in the game are the simplest
moves: you attack a pawn, I defend it.
34...Rf8?
I was in time-trouble and this leads to the game becoming sharper.
35.Rxh5 Rf2+ 36.Kd1 Rxb2 37.Rh3 Rg2 38.Bd2 Kf5 39.Nd5 Ke4
The king takes part in a mating attack!
40.Nf6+ Kf5 41.Nd5 Kg4
I cannot bring the king in via e4 to d3 because of 42.Nf6+ and
43.Be1 with a pin on the third rank.
42.Rh1

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If 42.Rh6 Kf3 43.Rf6+ Ke4 44.Nc7 Ba4+ 45.Kc1 Bh4 46.Rf7 (
46.Rxa6 Be7 the activity of the two bishops is very important!)
46...Rg6 with a decisive advantage for Black.
42...Bf2 43.Be3
43.Ne3+ Bxe3 44.Bxe3 Ra2 +, and the opposite-coloured bishops
ending is lost, because the a5-pawn falls.
43...Bc6 44.Bxf2 Rxf2
Finally White has exchanged off one of the bishops, but this does
not save him from defeat.
45.Rg1+ Kf3 46.Nb4
Stronger was 46.Nb6, but then my analysis runs 46...Ra2 47.Rf1+
Ke4 48.Nxc4 Bb5 49.Nd6+ Ke3 50.Rf6 Bd3 51.Nf5+ Bxf5
52.Rxf5 Rxa5 and Black wins.
46...Ba4+ 47.Kc1 e4
And the pawn promotes.
48.Nxa6 e3 49.Nc5 e2 50.Re1 Ke3 51.Rxe2+
51.Nxa4 Rf1.
51...Rxe2 52.Nxa4 Kd3 0-1
White resigned, as both pawns c3 and a5 are lost.
This was another instructive game on the theme of realization of the
advantage of the two bishops.
Let us summarize the results of this chapter. In order to realize his
advantage, the side which has the two bishops should:
• complete development and improve the positioning of his pieces;
• aim for an asymmetrical pawn structure;
• make especial use of the bishop which has no opponent;
• work on producing defects in the opponent’s pawn structure;
• create an attack on the king;

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• act according to a definite plan, but update the plan after any
exchanges or changes in the pawn structure;
• attack those points which the enemy bishop cannot defend.
• seize space on one of the flanks;
• try to create outposts for his bishops;
• deprive the opponent of secure posts for his pieces and drive them
to the edge of the board;
• do not hurry with exchanges, but also do not miss favourable
versions thereof;
• pay attention to tactical motifs in attack and defence;
• control the centre and exploit the opponent’s weak squares;
• oppose the formation of a strong enemy pawn chain;
• create concrete dynamic play, but at the same time prevent enemy
counterplay;
• seek a forced win;
• take care of the bishop which is hemmed in by pawns, prepare and
carry out the opening of the position, even at the cost of one’s own
pawns;
• look for positional exchange sacrifices;
• in the endgame, use his king in a mating attack;
• do not forget about the principle of converting one advantage into
another;
• try to create connected passed pawns or use your pawn majority to
create a passed pawn on the flank;
• have a clear vision of what you are aiming for and know which are
the ideal endings for yourself.
In such positions, the weaker side can be recommended to:
• strive for symmetry in the pawn structure;
• not waste time or play routine moves;
• defend by blockading a definite group of squares and setting up a
pawn barrier;

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• not exchange rooks;
• create counterplay;
• look at the possibility of returning sacrificed material;
• patiently manoeuvre the pieces;
• place his pawns on the colour of the unopposed enemy bishop.
Some of the listed methods are traditionally effective in other
situations, without the advantage of two bishops, but I wanted to
identify them all here, in the middle of my book, in order, on the one
hand, to summarize what was previously learned, and on the other,
to move forward with you on a more conscious basis.

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Chapter 5
Opposite-coloured
bishops
There are many topics in chess that are closely interrelated. In the
previous chapter there were options for possible transition to
positions with opposite-coloured bishops. For this reason, we will
immediately move on to them.
Opposite-coloured bishops are often encountered in practice. But as
far as I know, no specialized books have been written about them.
Of course, you can find some material interspersed in both endgame
manuals and middlegame strategy manuals. Indeed, the theme can
be correctly divided into two parts, depending on the stage of the
game.
When we have opposite-coloured bishops in the middlegame, the
most important factor that influences the evaluation of the position
is the safety of the king. If the number of attacking units is so
numerous that they exceed the forces of the defending side, then the
attack is decisive, since the defender will not be able to oppose
anything to the opponent’s bishop, which has no opposite number.
Therefore, in the middlegame it is important to be very careful and
attentive to the weaknesses of the king’s pawn shelter.
In attacking manuals you can find many classic games, for example,
from the match meetings between Anatoly Karpov and Garry
Kasparov in 1984-86. They are deeply analysed: attacking actions
with opposite-coloured bishops are described in the smallest detail.

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It is noteworthy that a large number of games related to our topic
were played in the Tarrasch Defence.
In addition, in Alexander Panchenko’s book Mastering Chess
Middlegames you will find many examples with opposite-coloured
bishops. But in this chapter I want to show you only my own games
that have not been published in chess literature.
Let’s start our topic with an analysis of my battle against the Dutch
grandmaster Robin van Kampen. As usual, at critical moments I will
pose you questions, the answers to which will allow you to test your
chess understanding.
Caro-Kann Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2657)
Robin van Kampen (2581)
Wijk aan Zee 2013
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nh3 Nf6
7.Bc4 e6 8.Nf4

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In choosing a fairly rare variation for White, I intended to avoid the
main principled lines, which everyone knows well. My opponent
would be forced either to remember the theory or fight in unfamiliar
positions.
The main aim of White’s set-up is to obtain the two bishops.
8...Bd6 9.c3 Qc7 10.Qf3 Nbd7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Re1
With this move, we reach a theoretical position that has been
encountered many times in my practice.

It is obvious that an exchange will take place on the g6-square in the

near future, and White will gain the advantage of the two bishops. I
have a clear plan to realize the advantage by developing the game
on the kingside. Therefore, Black cannot stand passively: he must
carry out some actions. The opponent can choose one of two moves
in this position: 12...c5 or 12...e5.
Question:Taking into account the fact that White will soon have the
two bishops, which move should Black choose and why?
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 SOLUTION
How to react in such situations is a very important problem.
However, in chess there is a rule, which can give us the answer to
this question.
12...c5?
The move 12...e5 is stronger than 12...c5. The fact is that after the
exchange on g6, we get a position with the advantage of the bishop
pair. Using the examples of the fourth chapter, we were convinced
that they are strong when the pawn structure is asymmetrical. That
is, if Black goes 12...c5, he will help White achieve what he wants.
After 12...e5 the chances of equality are higher due to the symmetry.
Therefore, in most of these positions the move 12...e5 is stronger
than 12...c5. This typical mistake was made against me so often that
I was able to score a large number of points thanks to it.
Let’s see how the game could have continued in the case of 12...e5.
13.dxe5 leads to the loss of the advantage of the bishop pair and to
the activation of the enemy pieces due to 13...Nxe5. Therefore
13.Nxg6 hxg6, and White must move the bishop on c4 to the safe
square b3, because there is still 14... Nxe5 on 14.dxe5. Then Black
must move to a position with an isolated pawn with 14...exd4
15.cxd4 or make the move 14...Rae8. In the second case, after the
exchange 15.dxe5 Nxe5, a symmetrical pawn structure is obtained:
three pawns on each flank. The advantage of two bishops in such
positions is insignificant.
Let’s see how events usually unfold on the board after 12...c5. For
example, 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.dxc5 Bxc5 (of course, 14...Ne5 and
...Nc4 is possible, but I’m simplifying the variation) and after
15.Bb3 White’s advantage is much greater than in the line with the
move 12...e5.
Point to note:It is also much easier to exploit the advantage of the
bishop pair in positions with an asymmetrical pawn structure.

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I am skipping over the concrete details, such as play against f2 and
other factors. I hope that you will understand why in most cases it is
necessary to play ...e5, and not ...c5.
13.Nxg6 hxg6
In this game I did not play 13.dxc5. This is because in this position,
Black could play 14... Ne5 (after the preliminary 13...Bxc5 14.Bb3 )
with counterplay based on the weakness of f2, whilst there is also a
possible ...Ng4 or ...Nd3 (according to circumstances).
14.Bb3 cxd4 15.cxd4 Nb6

We have a position typical of two situations: the bishop pair and the
isolated queen’s pawn (IQP).
Question 1:What should White strive for in the resulting position?
Question 2: Which methods of fighting with the IQP do you know?
SOLUTION

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Getting rid of the isolani by exchanging it seems like a logical
choice. However, if White pushes the d4-pawn forward (which,
admittedly, cannot be done at the moment, but let’s assume that it is
possible), then numerous exchanges will take place on the board.
The other main method of playing in a position with an isolated
pawn is to attack the enemy king. In addition, it is useful to place
the rook on the c-file. But in order to use it profitably, invasion
squares are needed. And since there are none, occupying the open
file will not give White anything.
Point to note:When one side has an IQP, this gives him control
over various squares in the centre, such as e5 and c5, assuming we
are talking about a white pawn on d4.
In the current position, I have the advantage and I must not play
passively by defending the pawn on d4. Because the IQP always
remains a weakness White must play energetically for the attack.
16.Bg5
But before doing anything, the bishop must be developed.
16...Nbd5
Black has carried out the standard method against the IQP: he
blockades it.

206
Question:What strategic threat has my opponent created?

207
 SOLUTION
He intends to exchange the bishop on g5 by means of 17...Bf4!.
17.Rac1
White’s last move was not played with the idea of seizing the c-file.

Question:Find the strongest continuation for White in this position.

One move alone is not enough. Be smart: remember that our theme
here is opposite-coloured bishops, but at the moment, we do not
have them. When will they appear?
SOLUTION
It seems that the natural continuation is 18.h4, intending h5 and a
further attack on the h-file. But I rejected this plan because after
18...Bxg3 it is not so easy to turn White’s dream into reality.
18.Bxf6

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A typical method of realizing the advantage – transition into a
position with opposite-coloured bishops.
18...Nxf6 19.Ne4
By exchanging on f6, White has converted one type of advantage
into another. I have got rid of one bishop but in return have achieved
a favourable opposite-coloured bishops position. By ‘favourable ’ I
mean that White now has the possibility of an attack on the king.
The pawn is hanging on f6, so Black has to exchange on e4:
19...Nxe4 20.Qxe4
The desired position with opposite-coloured bishops has appeared.
White has a huge, if not decisive, advantage here, because the
enemy king is weak and Black has doubled pawns that are not
moving anywhere and are susceptible to attack. It is very easy for
me to attack on the kingside: there is the possibility of moving the
rook along the third rank; and, it seems, there is a chance to
checkmate on the open h-file with Rc1-d1-d3-h3 and Qe4-h4-h7#.
Black’s task is not an easy one – to neutralize the attack. At this
time, the white king is absolutely safe, the b3-bishop is aimed at the
e6-, f7- and g6-pawns. And his colleague on d6 does nothing; one
might say, he is an empty bishop, without a specific occupation in
this position: neither in defence nor in attack.
20...Rac8

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Question 1:What should I do now?
Question 2:Whom do piece exchanges favour?
SOLUTION
Black is trying to hold his ground; his method of defence is to
exchange pieces. White must react to this correctly in order to
preserve his attacking reserves.
You should not play the move 21.f4 even if there were no threat of
exchanging rooks. It is bad because after the IQP advances to d5,
the position will open up, and the defects in the position of the white
king will make themselves felt.
21.d5 is also a positional error, because the pawn moves to a square
of the colour of its bishop. Black will immediately play 21...e5, and
the bishop on b3, which was very good before, will become bad.
And the d-pawn will not be able to continue on its path.

210
Question:Which of the four pawns on the black kingside is the
weakest?
SOLUTION
Since the pawn on f7 is the base of the pawn chain, it is the most
vulnerable. Note that after 21.f4 the f-file is blocked and it becomes
impossible to attack f7.
21.Rcd1 Rc7 22.Qg4

211
Question:What idea does White’s last move set up?
SOLUTION
23.Rxe6 – a small tactic. But the more serious idea of 22.Qg4 is a
regrouping of the forces.
22...Qd8 23.Re3 Qf6 24.Rf3
It is important not to allow Black to coordinate his forces – my last
move prevents 24...Qf5.
24...Qe7

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Question 1: Find a prophylactic move for White.
Question 2:How can he avoid the exchange of rooks?
Question 3:How can we double the rooks on the h-file, so as to give
mate on h8?
SOLUTION
Answer 1: Prophylaxis in chess is defending against the opponent’s
threats or plans. Black’s idea after 24...Qe7 is a concrete one: ...Rfc8
and ...Rc1, so as to exchange a pair of rooks. White cannot allow
this.
Answer 2: With the help of 25.g3 Rfc8 and 26.Kg2 I plan to keep
my heavy pieces. Black seizes the c-file but the penetration to c1
does not bring him any benefit because there are no concrete
weaknesses in the white position. Despite the fact that my opponent
forces the move 25.g3, the transfer of the rook along the third rank
is still possible. How? Let us fantasize! Fantasy is very important in
chess.
213
Answer 3: There is the plan of Rh1 and h2-h4-h5, but it is very
slow. But can we achieve our aim without moving the h-pawn? We
cannot play g4, and d5 is no good, because White simply loses all of
his advantage and may even end up in an inferior position.
The plan of h4/Qh3/Rh1 and h5 does not always work in such
positions. After pawn moves on both sides the h-file remains
blocked.
Point to note:In the middlegame, make sure you have multiple
variations; if your opponent neutralizes one of them, then you can
switch to another route.
I had several plans in mind:
1) Rd1-e1-e4, Qh3 and Rh4, with penetration down the h-file;
2) a piece sacrifice on e6 or f7, with the aim of giving mate.
25.g3 Rfc8 26.Kg2
I have four attacking pieces: queen g4, bishop b3, rook f3 and even
rook d1, because it will come into action via Re1 and Re4. How
many black pieces can participate in the defence? There is a
maximum of three: a queen and two rooks, because the bishop on d6
is useless. Moreover, it cannot move, for example, to f6, since a d5-
d6 breakthrough will occur. Consequently, Black suffers from the
lack of one piece in defence. And, according to the principles of
attacking the king, my attack should be decisive.
26...Rc1
An attempt to exchange the rook, but I do not cooperate:
27.Rd2 Re8 28.Re2
All of my pieces stand on light squares and my pawns on dark
squares, which is the optimal arrangement for the middlegame. The
bishop on d6 cannot attack anything and is severly inactive.
28...Rc7 29.Re4
Carrying out the plan outlined earlier.

214
29...g5?

Question:How can White win immediately after Black’s mistake

with 29...g5 ?
SOLUTION
30.Rxf7
Note that with the pawn on g6, this did not work, because after
30...Kxf7 31.Rxe6 Qxe6 there is not the move 32.Qf5+ because of
32...gxf5.
30...Qxf7 31.Rxe6
And Black loses too much material.
31...Be7 32.Re3
White’s bishop again comes to life.
32...Rc4 33.Qd7 b5

215
Losing immediately. The least evil was 33...Kf8, and then 34.Rf3
Bf6 35.Qxf7+ Kxf7 36.Bxc4+ Ke7, and the opposite-coloured
bishops ending with two extra pawns is a technically winning
position.
34.Qxb5 Rec8 35.Bxc4 Rxc4 36.Rxe7 1-0
White won thanks to an accurately carried out attack on the king.
Pirc Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2642)
Ulvi Bajarani (2504)
Nakhchivan 2015
1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6

Question:Which chess principle is Black breaching in choosing such

an opening?
SOLUTION

216
At all levels of chess, it is essential in the opening to fight for the
centre.
3.c3 Bg7
I like putting the pawn on c3 to strengthen the pawn at d4. This is
because Black’s idea in this opening is that his bishop on g7 should
be very, very active. But when we meet his set-up with the c3/d4
formation, the bishop is restricted. This approach to ‘unambitious
openings ’ has brought me very good results.
4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 0-0 6.0-0 Bg4
Black chooses a rare continuation.
7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3
White has the two bishops, but it is very hard to exploit it here, as
there are no open lines in the position.
8...Nc6

217
With his last move, Black intends to play 9...e5, so that after 10. d5
the game will assume a closed character.
Question:How can White interfere with Black’s idea?
SOLUTION
9.Bb5!
A strong prophylactic move, preventing 9...e5: 10.Bxc6 bxc6
11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Bg5± .
9...Nd7

A battle is raging for the centre.

Question:Now how do we again prevent 10...e5 ?
SOLUTION
10.Bg5! a6 11.Ba4 b5 12.Bc2
We have reached a position, the pawn structure of which reminds
one of the Spanish Game. The only difference is that the pawn is on
e7 rather than e5.
218
12...Na5 13.Nd2 c5 14.d5
White secures a space advantage.
14...Ne5 15.Qe2 Nec4 16.Rab1 Nxd2 17.Bxd2 e6
An inaccuracy, giving White the chance to neutralize the enemy
pieces.
18.b3!
A knight on the edge of the board always stands badly. Therefore,
instead of 17...e6 Black should have played 17...Nc4, in order after
18.b3 to move the knight to b6. There it is better placed, because it
can come back into the game via d7.
18...Re8 19.dxe6

Question:How must Black recapture?

SOLUTION
19...fxe6?

219
Strategically the losing move. The mistake made by my opponent is
one that could be repeated by many players and can be regarded as
typical.
Black can seize the centre with the aid of ...d5. But what does this
do? The serious downside of 19...fxe6 consists in the fact that
Bajarani weakens the position of his king: its protection now has
one pawn fewer and the diagonal b1-h7 is opened. After 19...fxe6,
objectively the Azeri grandmaster has no chances of saving the
game. Queens and rooks are still on the board and so the game will
be decided by a direct attack on the black king on g8.
If Black had played 19...Rxe6, then his king would have had three
pawns defending it, which would have increased his chances of
salvation. But even then, the advantage would have remained on my
side due to my control over the d5-square and the opponent having a
backward d6-pawn.
As a retrospective, let me remind you that in the previous game we
had a light-squared bishop, and the enemy pawns were on squares of
its colour. And now we have exactly the same situation. The bishop
on c2 does not have a light-squared opponent and cannot be
neutralized. I have the opportunity to attack the pawns on g6 and h7
by h4-h5, and then the black king will be in trouble.

220
Question:What attacking plan should White choose?
SOLUTION
20.f4!
In this position, it is necessary to open the game for the powerful
bishop on c2, which must be activated at all costs. Except, of course,
by means of the pawn sacrifice 20.e5. The white queen will move
off the opposition of the rook on the e-file and support the break f4-
f5.
20...Nc6
20...d5 21.e5, and the bishop on c2 obtains irresistible strength.
21.Kh1
A prophylactic move.
21...b4 22.cxb4 Nxb4 23.Bxb4 cxb4

221
A position with opposite-coloured bishops has arisen. (The pawn
structure with isolated pairs e6/d6 and h7/g6 was very often
encountered in the Karpov-Kasparov matches.) It is strategically
won for White, because it is impossible to stop his attack. The
computer offers here a straightforward way to attack the enemy
king: 24.Qg4 followed by Bd3 and f5. But I am not a computer, so I
try to play calm positional chess.
24.Bd3 d5 25.Rbd1
Black is not threatening to take on e4 because the rook on a8 would
hang. It was also possible to play 25.e5 at once.
25...Qb6 26.e5
Avoiding the exchange on e4.
26...Re7 27.h4 Bf8
It is interesting that if I play the immediate 28.h5, then my king is
weakened seriously.
Point to note:When we analyse a position and prepare a sequence
of moves, and then see that this sequence does not work for some
reason or other, maybe because the opponent has prepared a defence
against it, we must always be prepared to show flexibility and go
over to another plan.
28.Qg4 Rg7

222
Question:Suggest another plan of play for White.
SOLUTION
The fallback option is to double the rooks along the c-file and
invade Black’s ‘soft underbelly ’ in order to further use the
‘principle of two weaknesses ’ as a method of realizing the
advantage. The opponent’s first weakness is the king on g8, the
second is the pawn on e6, which is located at the base of the pawn
chain and is subject to attack. Considering the above, I regroup my
rooks:
29.Rc1 Re8 30.Rf3 Ree7 31.Kh2 a5 32.Rc8 Qb7 33.Rd8 Qc7
34.Rd6 Re8
The rook, via a labyrinthine route, is attacking the square e6. But
35.Rxe6 cannot be played because of the pin by the queen from the
squares c8 or d7.
35.Ra6 Qc1 36.Bb5 Ree7 37.Rc6 Qd2 38.Rxe6

223
Black suffers the first material losses.
38...h5 39.Qh3 Qxa2 40.Rd6 Rb7 41.Rxd5 1-0
Having lost his second pawn, my opponent resigned. I breathed a
sigh of relief: ‘It’s good that I didn’t have to weaken my king with
h5 to win. ’ Everything turned out to be a simple ‘devouring ’ of the
opponent’s weaknesses: e6 and d5, and in contrast, Black was
unable to create counterplay.
Above we saw examples of playing with opposite-coloured bishops
in the middlegame, and now we move on to the corresponding
endings.
Opposite-coloured bishops in the endgame are a common theme. I
have had a large number of games with this piece relationship. It is a
mistake to think that opposite-coloured bishops lead exclusively to a
draw. In fact, it is precisely when they are present that the side with
the advantage has a high chance of winning, even in practical
endgames that are ‘held’ by the computer.
Below I present the game Tal-Radulov. It was annotated by Paul
Keres and you can find it in the Mega Database.
Sicilian Defence
Mikhail Tal
Ivan Radulov
Skopje 1972
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 Bd7
7.Qd2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Qa5 9.Bd2 e5 10.Qd3 Rc8 11.Be2 a6 12.0-0
Bc6 13.Nd5 Qd8 14.Bg5 Bxd5 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Qxd5 Rc7
17.Bc4 Be7 18.Qd3 0-0 19.Bd5 g6 20.a4 a5 21.Ra3 Bd8 22.Rb3
Qe7 23.Rd1 b6 24.Qd2 Kg7 25.Rd3 Qg5 26.Qe2 f5 27.exf5 Rxf5
28.Be4 Rf6 29.Rxd6 Rxd6 30.Rxd6 Be7 31.Rd1 Bc5 32.Kh1 Rf7
33.f3 Rf8 34.g3 Rd8 35.Bd3 Qe3 36.Qxe3 Bxe3 37.Re1 Bd4 38.b3
Bc3 39.Re2 Kf6 40.Kg2 Rd4 41.h4 h6 42.Kf1 Rd6 43.g4 Bb2
44.Rh2 Bc1 45.h5 g5?
224
Point to remember: When the opponent attacks with pawns in this
way in opposite-coloured bishops endings, one should exchange
45...gxh5 46.Rxh5 Bg5, establishing an impenetrable wall.
The move 45...g5 is a typical mistake. The pawn construction with
h6/g5 and f3/g4/h5 is extremely important for the understanding of
such positions and serves White as the basis of active operations.
46.Re2 Bb2 47.Re3 Rd4 48.Kf2 Bc1 49.Re1 Bd2 50.Rd1 Bc3
51.Ke3 Bb4 52.Be2 Bc5 53.Rxd4 exd4+ 54.Ke4 Ke6 55.Bc4+
Kf6
It seems that the position is a dead draw. Black appears to have built
a fortress, but even so, Tal wins by means of accurate play.

225
Question:Thanks to what factor is White able to win here?
SOLUTION
The c5-bishop is tied to the defence of the pawn on d4, but the black
king can move. If Tal manages to drive Black into zugzwang, then
at some moment he will win a second pawn.
Point to note:Zugzwang is one of the most important methods of
realizing an advantage in endgames with opposite-coloured bishops.
56.Kd5 Kf7
After 56.Kd5 Tal has managed to create a situation in which his
opponent is forced to weaken his position.

226
Question:Where is the white king heading? Indicate its route.
SOLUTION
Tal’s king should attack the pawn on h6.
57.Ke5+ Kg7 58.Bd5 Kh7 59.Kf6 Bf8 60.Be4+ Kg8 61.Kg6
White exploits numerous zugzwangs. He has brought his king to g6
and now the black bishop is tied to the defence of the h6-pawn.
61...Bg7 62.Bd5+ Kh8 63.Be6 Bf8 64.Bc4 Bg7 65.Kf7 Kh7
66.Bd3+ Kh8 67.Be4!
We have another zugzwang – or one could also call it a position of
domination: every white piece stands better than its black opposite
number. In addition, the number of moves the opponent can make is
severely restricted. Radulov has only one move: he turns out to be
practically stalemated.
Black has to play:
67...Be5
227
And after this White wins a pawn.
68.Ke6 Bg7
68...Bf4 69.Kd5 Be3 70.Bd3 followed by 71.Kc6.
69.Kd5! Bf6 70.Kc6 Bd8 71.Kd7 Bf6 72.Kc7
Tal wins material.
72...Be7 73.Kxb6
With two extra pawns the game is easily won.
73...Bb4
Radulov resigned because of the following variation: 74.Kb5 Kg7
75.Kc4 Bc3 76.b4 Bxb4 77.Kxd4 Kf6 78.c4.
I studied this last example very thoroughly when I was a child and
was able to execute similar zugzwangs in practice in the following
game.
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2592)
Nima Fendereski (2221)
Hamedan 2016
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4 Nf6 6.Na3 a6 7.Nc4
Nbd7 8.Be2 cxd4 9.Qxd4 Bc5 10.Qxd5 Nxd5 11.a4 b6 12.Ng5
N7f6 13.Bf3 h6 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4 Rb8

228
Question:How should I continue? Help White with a plan of play.
SOLUTION
Considering the topic of this chapter, we should bear in mind the
possibility that White will be able to reach a favourable opposite-
coloured bishops position. The move 16.b4 leads to a weakening of
the square c3 and the opponent gets counterplay. Instead of this, I
should be flexible because if I undertake any incautious or ill-
thought-out actions, then Black can easily equalize.
16.a5!
White has a pawn majority on the queenside (see my first book) and
therefore it is there that he should build his play, connected with
creating a passed pawn. After exchanges take place on the a-file, as
well as organizing an attack on the a6-pawn, I can set the c-pawn in
motion.
16...b5

229
After the move 16...bxa5 the a6-pawn is weakened.

Question:How can White reach an endgame with opposite-coloured

bishops?
SOLUTION
17.Bxd5 exd5
After the exchange on d5 we get an IQP, but by way of
compensation Black gets the bishop pair. If White follows up
incorrectly in this position, Black will be better.
The only way to complicate the opponent’s life is:
18.Bf4
On 18...Ra8, after 19.Nb6 Bxb6 20.axb6 White has a strong pawn
on b6, supported by the bishop. And I certainly intend to promote it.
18...Rb7
Now we get a transition into an opposite-coloured bishops ending:

230
19.Nd6+ Bxd6 20.Bxd6
A very important factor, which influences the assessment of the
position, namely the weak pawn on a6, is a mirror image of the
position from Tal-Radulov. But here White’s advantage is not so
great, because he cannot achieve the ideal set-up with opposite-
coloured bishops. To obtain the maximum benefit from the situation
which has arisen, I need to blockade the isolated pawn, otherwise
Black will get rid of the weakness by means of ...d4.
20...Kd7 21.Bc5 Re8+ 22.Kd2 Kc6 23.b4 Bd7

Question:Which method of realizing the advantage can be used in

this position?
SOLUTION
I refer to ‘fixing weaknesses ’, meaning freezing the enemy pawn
structure: I have blockaded the pawns on a6 and b5. And now Black
cannot in any circumstances play ...b4. In addition, my bishop on c5

231
controls the important square e7 and the black rooks cannot be
united.
24.Rae1
Because it is not easy to get to the pawn on a6, it is essential to
create a second weakness on the kingside.
24...Rbb8 25.Bd4
With this move Black is forced to change the pawn structure on the
kingside. If he plays 25...g6, then he weakens the dark squares and I
can get at his king via them.
25...f6
The logical way to arrange the pawns, so as to limit the activity of
the enemy bishop.
26.f3 Rxe1 27.Rxe1 Re8
In playing this move, my opponent offered a draw. In a lost
position! Probably he did not understand that Black is already close
to resigning, or maybe he just wanted to try his last chance.

232
Question:How exactly did I refute the opponent’s draw offer?
SOLUTION
28.Rxe8
I snatched his hand off to exchange rooks.
28...Bxe8

Question:Think about what it would be useful to do in this position,

which are Black’s weaknesses and how we are going to win them.
SOLUTION
The bishop can be transferred to f8, so as to force the enemy pawns
onto the squares h5/g6/f5, and then we will have the chance to win
one of the pawns on a6 or g6.
29.Ke3

233
This move was made with the intention of putting the bishop on c5
and the king on d4, occupying the central position.

Question:Why didn’t White play 29. Bc5 ?

SOLUTION
Black would be happy to sacrifice a pawn with 29... d4 to centralize
his king, knowing that the main thing in chess is the activity of the
pieces, even at the cost of material.
29...Bd7 30.Bc5
The threat is created of an attack on the kingside pawns.
30...h5 31.Kd4
An important move – blockade.
31...Be8 32.Bf8 g6 33.Be7 f5 34.Ke5 Kd7 35.Bc5 Bf7 36.Kf6
Be8 37.h4 Kd8

234
A position which reminds one strongly of the previous example.
Admittedly, here everything is shifted along one file to the left.
Question:How does White win the pawn on g6?
SOLUTION
White needs to establish a zugzwang. If the white king gets to the
square b6, then the a6-pawn falls.
38.Ke6

235
Here my opponent resigned, as he understood that his pawns fall.
Question:What about 38... Bd7+ ?
SOLUTION
38...Bd7+ 39.Kf7 Be8+ 40.Kf8 Kd7 ( 40...Bc6 41.Bb6+ Kd7
42.Kf7+ ) 41.Bb6 – Black can only make useless pawn moves, but
they lead to a loss.
Now we mirror this position 180 degrees.

236
Question:How does White win the pawn?
SOLUTION
1.Kc6
The same principle is used – zugzwang.
1...Bd7+ 2.Kb7 Bc8+ 3.Kb8 Kd7
3...Be6 4.Bf6+ Kd7 5.Kb7+ .
4.Bf6
This set-up should be remembered: the opponent has no good moves
and loses a piece and then the pawn on a6.
With the following game, I intend to demonstrate the connection
between middlegame and endgame.
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2661)
Igor Miladinovic (2570)
237
Algiers 2015
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bc4 d6 6.exd6 Bxd6 7.d4
Nc6 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.0-0 0-0
I often use this variation of Sveshnikov’s in the Sicilian Defence. I
leave the opening stage without commentary – the position is
roughly equal.
10.Nbd2 Nb6
Black should not have played this.

Question: Why is 10...Nb6 bad?

SOLUTION
On b6, the knight blockades the pawn behind it, and for this reason,
the bishop on c8 cannot develop to b7. If Black develops this long-
range piece via d7 instead, then it stands passively on this square.
Point to note:In the opening phase, one should observe the
principle ‘do not move the same piece more than once’ and,
secondly, one should complete the development of one’s fighting
pieces as soon as possible.
11.Bb3 Be7 12.Qe2 Qc7 13.Re1 Nd5
My opponent realizes that he needs to free the b7-pawn so as to
develop his bishop by the moves ...b6 and ...Bb7.
14.Bxd5
I aim for a position with an isolated pawn on d5.
14...exd5 15.Qd3 Qd6 16.Nb3 Bg4 17.Nbd4
White has a small advantage – the d5-pawn is blockaded and can
never advance, hence it is a potential weakness.
17...Bf6 18.Ng5 Bxg5 19.Bxg5 Qg6?

238
Question: Why is the exchange of queens favourable for White
here?
SOLUTION
With the exchange of queens, Black spoils his pawn structure.
Later you will see how the black king has to defend the g7-pawn
and therefore cannot come to the queenside. This seems simple, but
sometimes even strong players commit such elementary positional
mistakes!
20.Qxg6 hxg6 21.Be3 Nxd4 22.Bxd4 f6
After the exchange of knights, the game goes into an endgame with
opposite-coloured bishops.

239
Question: What had I prepared against the move 22...g5 ?
SOLUTION
23.Re5 with a double attack.
23.Re7 Rf7 24.Rae1
White can play in other ways but I wanted to seize the open file.
24...Bd7
If 24...g5, then 25.Re8+ Rxe8 26.Rxe8+ Rf8 27.Rxf8+ Kxf8
28.Bxa7 and Black suffers material losses. As forecast earlier, the
black king cannot become active. He is tied to the defence of his
pawns, fixed on squares of the same colour as my bishop. This
characteristic of the position suggests that White will win the game
thanks to the weakness of the kingside.

240
Question:Suggest a strong and very important move for White.
SOLUTION
Tempting is 25.f4?, but this should be avoided, as Black posts his
bishop on f5 and then transfers it to e4, where it turns into a monster
which cannot be driven away.
With his last move, my opponent is thinking of improving his pawn
structure by means of 25...g5. Pawns are strong when they form a
chain, in this case g7/f6/g5. In such a formation, it would be difficult
for me to attack the weaknesses.
25.h4
A simple and natural answer that prevents 25...g5. Black needs to
somehow solve the problem of the queenside pawns, because the
rook on a8 cannot join the game due to its duties in defending the
a7-point. If the opponent prefers 25...a6, then I can transfer the king
to the weak square b6. In case of 25...Bc6 White has the a2-a4/b2-
b4-b5 plan.
241
25...b6 26.R7e3 Rff8 27.f3 Rfe8 28.Kf2 Rxe3 29.Bxe3 Kf7 30.Rd1
Ke6
Because the position has changed following the exchange, it is time
to form a new plan.
31.g4!
A useful move, leading to the seizure of space, so that Black cannot
strengthen his rook with the manoeuvre Rh8-Rh5.
31...Rc8

Question:Now what should we do?

SOLUTION
White can pressurise the pawn on a7 with the moves Ra1 and a4-a5,
or try to create additional weaknesses on the kingside.
32.Bd4 Rh8 33.Kg3
I restrict my opponent’s play.

242
33...Re8 34.b3
Otherwise I cannot play a4.
34...Rc8 35.a4 a6
A bad move, since I can prepare a press with a5.
36.Ra1 b5?
Maybe my opponent did not know the games I have shown you
earlier in this chapter. The correct approach was to defend the b6-
pawn with the rook from b8. Then White would probably play b3-
b4 and a4-a5, and Black would exchange.
37.a5
37...Kf7?
Miladinovic misses his last chance of a draw, which was 37...b4
with the idea after 38.cxb4 to mobilize his passive pieces by means
of 38...Bb5. But the position is still probably objectively lost
anyway, because White has an extra pawn and can organize
additional breakthroughs.

243
Question:Which move did I play without delay?
SOLUTION
38.b4!
The pawn structure becomes similar to the previous game, with a
winning opposite-coloured bishop endgame. In the examples we
have seen, White always wins with an outside passed pawn.

Question:How can I attack the a6-pawn?

244
 SOLUTION
I should exchange rooks and bring the king to b6. In his turn, Black
should oppose this plan, controlling c5 with his rook, so my king
cannot come via that square into his camp. Then White would still
have some work to do to win the position.
38...Re8 39.Kf2 Rh8 40.Rh1 Be6
40...g5 41.h5 Rh6 42.Re1± .
41.Kg3
I could have done without this move.
41...Bd7 42.Bc5 Be6 43.Kf2 Bd7 44.Ke3 Re8+ 45.Kd4 Be6
My king comes into the centre. But there is one problem: if I take
the bishop off the square c5 then Black plays ...Rc8 and ...Rc4+,
closing the approach to the desired square.

Question: How can I send the king to the c-file and exchange rooks?
245
 SOLUTION
My main strategic goal is to simplify the position by exchanging a
pair of rooks. But due to the bishop on e6 blocking the e-file, I
cannot achieve my goal. To force him to leave that square, the
following plan must be put into action: Rg1, protecting the g4-pawn,
then f3-f4-f5, driving the bishop to the d7-square, then at some point
Re3, forcing an exchange of rooks, and only after all this can the
white king sneak onto the squares c5 and b6, winning the pawn on
a6.

46.h5 gxh5 47.Rxh5 Rd8

Black had a chance to activate his position with 47...Kg6, so as after
48.Rh4 to play 48...Kg5. But my opponent does not sense this
moment.
48.Rh4

246
I immediately exploit the situation. Now counterplay with 48...Kg6
is too late. I have 49.f4 f5 50.g5, and the aim is achieved.
48...Bc8 49.f4 Bb7 50.f5 Re8 51.Bd6 Rc8
If 51...Re4+, then 52.Kc5 Kg8 53.Kb6, and then Kc7-Kd7 and
White wins.

Question: Suggest the correct variation to exchange the opponent’s

rook.
SOLUTION
The manoeuvre Rh4-h3-e3-e7 leads to the desired simplification.
52.Rh3! Rc4+ 53.Kd3
Black cannot take the pawn with 53...Rxg4 because of the
unexpected reply 54.Rh8 with the threat of mate. He must give up a
piece with 54...g6 55.Rh7+.
Point to note:King safety is very important in the endgame.
53...Kg8 54.Re3 Re4
247
If 54...Rxg4, then there is the penetration 55.Re7, and after 55...Bc6
56.Ra7 White wins material, and the a5-pawn automatically
promotes by a5-a6-a7-a8Q, and after my passed pawn is far
advanced, nothing matters to me any more.
55.Rxe4 dxe4+ 56.Kd4
As you see, I am aiming for the familiar position: I want to bring the
king into b6 and win the a-pawn.
56...Kf7 57.Kc5 Ke8
Let us consider the variation involving the move 57...e3. It seems
that Black has counterplay on account of his passed pawn, but the
white pawns advance more quickly because his king assists them:
57...e3 58.Kb6 Bf3 ( 58...e2 59.Bg3 Bf3 60.Kxa6 Bxg4 61.Kxb5
Bxf5 62.Kc5 ) 59.Kxa6 Bxg4 60.Kxb5 Bxf5 61.Kc5 with a win.
58.Kb6 Kd7 59.Bf4 Bc8
And now White wins by creating the same zugzwang as in the
previous example – a different game and a different opening, but the
method of play is just the same.

248
Question:Where should the bishop be placed?
SOLUTION
60.Be3 followed by Bc5: the square c5 is the best place for the
bishop, as from there it attacks two key squares: e3 and d6. Other
variations, such as 60.Ka7 Kc6 or 60.Bc7 e3, probably lead to a
draw.
60.Be3
We have the first zugzwang.
60...Kd6 61.Bd4 Kd7
61...Kd5 62.Kc7 and White wins the bishop.
62.Bc5 Kd8
Going over to the implementation of the plan with the move 63.
Kc6. But I keep my eyes open: the e4-pawn should not reach the e2-
square, otherwise it will turn into a dangerous passed pawn.
63.Kc6 Bd7+ 64.Kb7 Be8 65.Kxa6 Kc7

249
Question:Black is thinking of trapping the king on a6, but White can
break out. How?
SOLUTION
66.Be3
The second zugzwang position. Let’s test the idea of 66.c4.
According to Stockfish, it works too: 66.c4 bxc4 67.b5+ . But I
didn’t want to sacrifice pawns. A simple mechanism for freeing the
king from captivity is to move the white bishop to f4. After this,
Black must think: on ...Kc6 the ‘prisoner ’ jumps out through square
b8, and after ...Kc8 the path to freedom lies through square b6.
66...Bd7
If 66...Bc6 Black loses a second pawn: 67.Bf4+ Kd7 68.Kb6.
67.Bf4+ Kc6 68.Ka7
Now I want to play 69.a6 or 69.Kb8 and 70.a6.

250
68...Bc8 69.a6
Reaching the third zugzwang position.
69...Kd5 70.Kb6 Bd7 71.a7 Bc6 72.Bd2 Kd6 73.Be3 Kd5 74.Bf4
1- 0
In order to win this game, White had to create multiple zugzwangs.
You saw how pawns placed in the path of the opponent’s bishop fell
under its attack. If they were located on squares of the opposite
colour, the squares would be weakened.
How to place your pawns in positions with opposite-coloured
bishops is a complex question, and there is no clear answer to it.
You just need to study more practical examples, and then figure out
the situation yourself.
In the games we examined, the outcome of the encounters were
determined by creating a zugzwang. And I have many more
examples on this topic: both in the middlegame and in the endgame.
Additional task: Study the games below independently:
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2631)
Valery Neverov (2566)
Warsaw 2005
1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Bc4 e6 5.d4 d6 6.exd6 cxd4 7.Bxd5
exd5 8.Qxd4 Qxd6 9.Ne2 Nc6 10.Qd3 Be6 11.Bf4 Qd7 12.Nd2
Be7 13.Nb3 0-0 14.0-0 Rfe8 15.Ned4 Nxd4 16.Nxd4 Bc5 17.Rfe1
Bg4 18.Be3 Bf8 19.h3 Bh5 20.Qb5 Rad8 21.Qxd7 Rxd7 22.Nf5
a6 23.Bd4 Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 f6 25.f3 Bg6 26.Ne3 Kf7 27.Kf2 Bd3
28.Rd1 Bb5 29.Bb6 Bc6 30.Nf5 Bd6 31.g4 g6 32.Nxd6+ Rxd6
33.Bc5 Re6 34.h4 h5 35.gxh5 gxh5 36.Be3 Re8 37.Rd4 Re5 38.a4
Re8 39.b3 Ke6 40.Rb4 b5 41.a5 Bd7 42.Rf4 Ke5 43.Rd4 Rc8
44.Rd2 Bf5 45.Bd4+ Ke6 46.Ke3 Kf7 47.Rg2 Bh7 48.Kf4 Re8
49.Rd2 Bg6 50.Bc5 Rd8 51.Ke3 Bf5 52.Kd4 Be6 53.Re2 Rc8
54.Bd6 Rc6 55.Bf4 Rc8 56.Rg2 Ke7 57.Rg7+ Bf7 58.Bd6+ Ke6
251
59.Ba3 Rg8 60.Rxg8 Bxg8 61.Bf8 Bh7 62.Kc5 Kd7 63.Bg7 b4
64.Kxb4 Bd3 65.Bxf6 Kc6 66.Be5 Bc2 67.Ka3 Kd7 68.Kb2 Bd1
69.f4 Ke6 70.Ka3 Bc2 71.Bg7 Bd1 72.Bh6 Bc2 73.Kb4 Bd1
74.Bg5 Bc2 75.c4 dxc4 76.bxc4 Bd3 77.Kc5 Bf1 78.f5+ Kxf5
79.Kd5 Kg6 80.c5 Kf7 81.c6 Ke8 82.Kd6 Bg2 83.c7 Bh3 84.Bd8
Bg4 85.Kc6 Bf3+ 86.Kb6 Kd7 87.Kxa6 Kc8 88.Kb6 Be2 89.a6
Bf1 90.a7 Bg2 91.Bf6 Bf3 92.Be5 Bg2 93.Kc5 Kd7 94.Kd4 Bh1
95.Ke3 Bg2 96.Kf4 Bh1 97.Kg5 Bf3 98.Bf4 Kc8 99.a8Q+ Bxa8
100.Kxh5 Kd7 101.Kg5 Bb7 102.h5 Ke8 103.h6 Kf7 104.Be5 1-
0
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2663)
Nidjat Mamedov (2602)
Al-Ain 2012
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bc4 d6 6.exd6 Bxd6 7.d4
Nc6 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nbd2 Be7 11.Nb3 b6?! 12.Bxd5
exd5 13.Nbd4 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Bf6 15.Be3 Re8 16.Re1 Bxd4
17.Bxd4 Bf5 18.a4 Qd7 19.a5 Rxe1+ 20.Qxe1 Re8 21.Qd1 Qe6
22.h3 Qg6 23.Qf3 h6 24.Kh2 Be4 25.Qg4 Qxg4 26.hxg4 Rb8
27.axb6 axb6 28.Ra6± b5 29.Rd6 b4 30.f3 bxc3 31.Bxc3 Bc2
32.Rxd5 Bb3 33.Rc5 f6 34.Rc7 Rb5 35.Kg3 h5 36.gxh5 Rxh5
37.Rb7 Bc4 38.b4 Rd5 39.Rc7 Bb5 40.Kf4 Rd7 41.Rc5 Bf1
42.Kg3 Kf7 43.Kf2 Bd3 44.Ke3 Bf1 45.g4 Re7+ 46.Kf2 Bd3
47.Bd4 Rb7 48.Ke3 Bb5 49.Kd2 Ke6 50.f4 Bf1 51.Kc3 Be2
52.g5 Rb5 53.Rc8 Kf5 54.Re8 Bf3 55.Be3 Rb7 56.Rc8 Be2
57.Rc5+ Ke4 58.Bd2 Bb5 59.Kb3 Bd7 60.Kc4 Be6+ 61.Kc3 Bd7
62.Rc4+ Kd5 63.Rd4+ Kc6 64.Be3 fxg5 65.fxg5 g6 66.Bf4 Bf5
67.Rd6+ Kb5 68.Rd5+ Kc6 69.Rc5+ Kb6 70.Ra5 Re7 71.Be5 Kc6
72.Bd4 Rc7 73.Be3 Re7 74.b5+ Kd5 75.Kd2 Rb7 76.Ke2 Be4
77.b6+ Ke6 78.Bd4 Bd5 79.Ke3 Rf7 80.Bf6 Rd7 81.Kf4 Bb7
82.Rc5 Rd5 83.Rc7 Rd7 84.Rc3 Rd5 85.Re3+ Kd7 86.Re7+ Kc6
87.Rg7 Rf5+ 88.Kg4 Kxb6 89.Bd4+ 1-0
252
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2569)
Melkior Cotonnec (2314)
France tt 2017/18
1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 e6 5.g3 d6 6.exd6 Bxd6 7.Bg2
Nc6 8.d4 0-0 9.0-0 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Qc7 12.Nd2
Rd8 13.Qc4 Rb8 14.a4 b6 15.Bxd5 exd5 16.Qxc7 Bxc7 17.Nb3
Ba6 18.Re1 Re8 19.Be3 Be5 20.Nd4 Bxd4 21.Bxd4 Bc4 22.Be3
f6 23.Red1 a5 24.b4 Kf7 25.h4 h5 26.Rab1 Kg6 27.Kg2 Kf5
28.Rd4 Kg6 29.Kf3 Ba2 30.Rg1 Kf7 31.g4 hxg4+ 32.Rdxg4 Rg8
33.h5 Bb3 34.b5 Bc2 35.Ke2 Bf5 36.Rf4 Be6 37.Kd2 Rh8 38.Rh1
Rh7 39.Bd4 Rh6 40.Rf3 Bg4 41.Re3 Rxh5 42.Rhe1 Rb7 43.Re8
Rh1 44.Ra8 Rxe1 45.Kxe1 Re7+ 46.Kd2 Re2+ 47.Kd3 Ra2
48.Bxb6 Bf5+ 49.Ke3 Rxa4 50.Bd4 Ra2 51.b6 Rb2 52.Rxa5 Bd7
53.Ra7 Ke6 54.Rc7 Kd6 55.Bc5+ Ke6 56.b7 g5 1-0
Queen’s Indian Defence
Magnus Carlsen (2714)
Sergei Tiviakov (2643)
Heraklion 2007
(This game was analysed in my first book in the chapter on pawn
majorities.)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.Nc3 Na6 7.0-0
0-0 8.Bf4 Ne4 9.Re1 d5 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Rc1 c5 12.dxc5 Bxc5
13.e3 Nxc3 14.bxc3 Qe7 15.Nd4 Rad8 16.h4 Rfe8 17.Bf1 Ba3
18.Rc2 Nc5 19.Nb5 Ne6 20.Be5 Bc6 21.Nxa3 Qxa3 22.Qg4 Qa4
23.Qxa4 Bxa4 24.Rd2 Nc5 25.Bd4 Rc8 26.Rb2 Rc7 27.Rb4 Bc2
28.c4 Nd3 29.Bxd3 Bxd3 30.cxd5 Rd7 31.Rc1 Rxd5 32.Ra4 Rd7
33.g4 h6 34.f3 Kh7 35.Kf2 Ree7 36.Ra3 Bb5 37.Rac3 Rd8
38.Kg3 f6 39.f4 h5 40.g5 Kg6 41.Rb1 Rd5 42.Rc8 Be8 43.Rbc1 f5
44.Rb8 Rd6 45.Rcc8 Rde6 46.Be5 Kf7 47.Rd8 Kg6 48.Kf2 Kf7
49.e4 Kg6 50.Bd6 Rd7 51.Rxd7 Bxd7 52.e5 Bc6 53.Rc8 Be8
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54.Ra8 Bf7 55.Rxa7 Re8 56.a3 Bd5 57.Ke3 b5 58.Kd4 Bg2 59.e6
Rxe6 60.Be5 Kh7 61.Rxg7+ Kh8 62.Re7+ 1-0
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov
Evgeni Maljutin
Montecatini Terme 1994
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Ndb5 Bb4
7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3 d5 9.exd5 exd5 10.Bd3 0-0 11.0-0 d4 12.Ne2
Qd5 13.Nf4 Qd6 14.Nh5 Nxh5 15.Qxh5 h6 16.Re1 Bd7 17.Qh4
Rfe8 18.Bd2 Ne5 19.Bf4 Qc5 20.Qg3 Ng6 21.Bxg6 fxg6 22.Qxg6
Rxe1+ 23.Rxe1 Bf5 24.Qg3 Bxc2 25.Bxh6 Qf8 26.Re5 Kh8
27.Bd2 Qf6 28.h4 Rc8 29.h5 Bh7 30.Bg5 Qf8 31.Re7 Rc1+
32.Kh2 Rc2 33.Qe5 1-0
English Opening
Dmitry Mischuk (2364)
Sergei Tiviakov (2606)
Chelyabinsk 2021
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 0-0 6.Nd5 Be7
7.Be2 d6 8.0-0 Re8 9.Nxe7+ Qxe7 10.d3 e4 11.dxe4 Nxe4
12.Nd4 Nxd4 13.exd4 Ng3 14.fxg3 Qxe2 15.Qxe2 Rxe2 16.Rf2
Re1+ 17.Rf1 Rxf1+ 18.Kxf1 Bf5 19.Kf2 Bd3 20.c5 h5 21.Bf4 Rd8
22.Rc1 Be4 23.Re1 Bc6 24.Re7 dxc5 25.dxc5 Rd5 26.Re5 Rd4
27.b3 f6 28.Re2 Rd7 29.Rd2 Re7 30.Re2 Rf7 31.Rd2 g5 32.Be3
Kg7 33.h4 Kg6 34.Rd8 Kf5 35.Rg8 Ke4 36.Rh8 Kd3 37.Rd8+
Kc2 38.Rd2+ Kc3 39.Rd1 a6 40.Rd4 Rf8 41.Rd1 Rg8 42.Rd4 Re8
43.Rc4+ Kb2 44.hxg5 fxg5 45.Bxg5 Kxa2 46.b4 Kb3 47.Rd4
Rf8+ 48.Kg1 Kc3 49.Rh4 Re8 50.Bf6+ Kb3 51.g4 hxg4 52.Rxg4
Bd5 53.Bh4 Bc4 54.Rg7 Kxb4 55.c6 bxc6 56.Rxc7 Re6 57.Be7+
Kb3 58.Ra7 a5 59.g4 a4 60.g5 Re2 61.Rb7+ Kc2 62.Ra7 Bb3
63.Bd6 Kb2 64.Bf8 Re8 65.Bc5 Re6 66.Kf2 Ka2 67.Bd4 Re4

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68.Bc5 Re5 69.Be3 Rf5+ 70.Ke2 Bc4+ 71.Kd2 a3 72.Kc3 Bb3
73.g6 Rf3 74.Kd2 Rg3 75.Bc5 Bc4 76.g7 Kb2 77.Ra4 Bf7 78.Ra7
Bc4 79.Ra4 a2 80.Rb4+ 0-1
Ruy Lopez
Garry KasparovAnatoly Karpov (2800)
Lyon/New York Wch m 1990
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3
d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nd7 10.d4 Bf6 11.a4 Bb7 12.axb5 axb5 13.Rxa8
Qxa8 14.d5 Na5 15.Bc2 Nc4 16.b3 Ncb6 17.Na3 Ba6 18.Nh2 c6
19.dxc6 Qxc6 20.Bd2 Be7 21.Ng4 Ra8 22.Ne3 Nf6 23.Nf5 Bf8
24.Bg5 Nbd7 25.c4 bxc4 26.bxc4 Bxc4 27.Nxc4 Qxc4 28.Bb3
Qc3 29.Kh2 h6 30.Bxf6 Nxf6 31.Re3 Qc7 32.Rf3 Kh7 33.Ne3
Qe7 34.Nd5 Nxd5 35.Bxd5 Ra7 36.Qb3 f6 37.Qb8 g6 38.Rc3 h5
39.g4 Kh6 40.gxh5 Kxh5 41.Rc8 Bg7 ½-½
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Anatoly Karpov (2720)
Garry Kasparov (2700)
Moscow 1985
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.e3
0-0 8.Qc2 Na6 9.Rd1 c5 10.dxc5 Qa5 11.cxd5 Nxc5 12.Qd2 Rd8
13.Nd4 exd5 14.Be2 Qb6 15.0-0 Ne4 16.Qc2 Nxc3 17.Qxc3 Be6
18.Qc2 Rac8 19.Qb1 Rc7 20.Rd2 Rdc8 21.Nxe6 fxe6 22.Bg4 Rc4
23.h3 Qc6 24.Qd3 Kh8 25.Rfd1 a5 26.b3 Rc3 27.Qe2 Rf8 28.Bh5
b5 29.Bg6 Bd8 30.Bd3 b4 31.Qg4 Qe8 32.e4 Bg5 33.Rc2 Rxc2
34.Bxc2 Qc6 35.Qe2 Qc5 36.Rf1 Qc3 37.exd5 exd5 38.Bb1 Qd2
39.Qe5 Rd8 40.Qf5 Kg8 41.Qe6+ Kh8 42.Qg6 Kg8 43.Qe6+
Kh8 44.Bf5 Qc3 45.Qg6 Kg8 46.Be6+ Kh8 47.Bf5 Kg8 48.g3
Kf8 49.Kg2 Qf6 50.Qh7 Qf7 51.h4 Bd2 52.Rd1 Bc3 53.Rd3 Rd6
54.Rf3 Ke7 55.Qh8 d4 56.Qc8 Rf6 57.Qc5+ Ke8 58.Rf4 Qb7+
59.Re4+ Kf7 60.Qc4+ Kf8 61.Bh7 Rf7 62.Qe6 Qd7 63.Qe5 1-0

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French Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2664)
Emanuel Berg (2554)
Caldas da Rainha 2014
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Ne2
cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.0-0 Bd6 11.Nf3 Qc7 12.Bg5 0-0
13.Rc1 h6 14.Bd2 Bd7 15.Ng3 Qb6 16.Bc3 Bf4 17.Ra1 Be8
18.Qe2 Bf7 19.Rad1 Rae8 20.Ne5 Bxg3 21.hxg3 Bh5 22.f3 Nxd4
23.Bh7+ Kxh7 24.Bxd4 Qd6 25.Qd3+ Kg8 26.g4 Bf7 27.Qe3
Rc8 28.Bxa7 Nd7 29.Bd4 Nxe5 30.Bxe5 Qd7 31.Rfe1 Bg6
32.Bd4 Rc6 33.Rc1 Rfc8 34.Rxc6 Rxc6 35.Qe5 Rc4 36.Re3 Be8
37.b3 Rc6 38.a4 Qf7 39.Kf2 Kh7 40.a5 Qe7 41.Kg3 Qf7 42.Re1
Kg8 43.Rh1 Qc7 44.Kf4 Kf7 45.b4 Qxe5+ 46.Kxe5 Rc2 47.Kd6
Rc6+ 48.Ke5 Rc2 49.g3 Ke7 50.Bc5+ Kd7 51.Bf8 Rf2 52.f4 Re2+
53.Kd4 Re4+ 54.Kc5 Rc4+ 55.Kb6 Kc8 56.Bc5 Bg6 57.Rd1 Be4
58.b5 Rc3 59.Bd4 Rc4 60.Bxg7 Bf3 61.Rd2 Bxg4 62.Bxh6 Bh3
63.Bg7 Bf1 64.Be5 Rb4 65.Rc2+ Bc4 66.Rb2 Rxb2 67.Bxb2 Be2
68.Be5 Bf3 69.a6 bxa6 70.bxa6 d4 71.Bxd4 Kb8 72.a7+ Ka8
73.Kc7 Bg4 74.Kd6 Kb7 75.Ke5 Bf5 76.Kf6 Bg4 77.Kg5 Bf3
78.g4 Be2 79.Kh4 Bd3 80.g5 Bg6 81.Kg4 Ka8 82.Bc5 Kb7
83.Kf3 Ka8 84.Ke3 Kb7 85.Kd4 Ka8 86.Ke5 Bf5 87.Kf6 Kb7
88.g6 1-0
I hope this chapter has helped you to understand that in opposite-
coloured bishop positions, one must always concern oneself with
king safety and not make moves which weaken one’s pawn
structure, and also pay special attention to weaknesses on the edge
of the board, especially the a- and h-pawns.

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Chapter 6
Maximum
centralization: the
key to success
This chapter will talk about how to correctly position the pieces
during a game in order to achieve the best result. Those who have
already read my first book know how sensitive I am to the centre
and its control. In my opinion, the middle of the chessboard is so
important that you need to fight for it, starting from the first moves.
But at the beginning, I want to share with you my idea of what the
chess centre is. It is customary to distinguish the immediate centre –
these are the four squares e4/d4/d5/e5, and a more expanded centre,
when additional nearby squares are included – c3/c6/f3/f6.
However, in practice it is almost impossible to find a 100%
distribution of the acting forces on all of the indicated squares.
Every time I comment on a position with the phrase ‘maximum
centralization’, I understand by this the presence of pieces within the
c- and f-files. However, it is worth adding that some long-range
units, such as the queen and bishop, can participate in the fight for
the centre from afar. For example, the bishop located on b2 puts
pressure on the e5-square, which suggests that centralization is
taking place here too.
Caro-Kann Defence

257
Sergei Tiviakov (2678)
Alexey Dreev (2698)
Gothenburg 2005
1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Qc7 4.Ngf3 Nd7 5.exd5 cxd5 6.d4 e6
7.Bd3 Ne7 8.0-0 g6 9.Re1 Bg7 10.Nf1 Nc6 11.c3 0-0 12.Bg5 e5
13.Ne3 Nb6 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.Bf4

All of the white forces (with the exception of the rook on a1) are in
the centre of the board: the bishop on d3, the knight on e3, the
queen, the rook; whilst the bishop on f4 exerts pressure against e5 –
direct centralization of pieces.
15...Nxf3+ 16.Qxf3 Qc6 17.Nc2 Bd7 18.Nd4 Qc5 19.Qg3 Rfe8
20.Bd6 Qc8 21.h4 Na4 22.Nb5 Bxb5 23.Bxb5 Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1
Nxb2 25.Re8+ Qxe8 26.Bxe8 Rxe8 27.Bc5 b6 28.Bd4 Nc4
29.Qg5 Ne5 30.h5 h6 31.Qe3 g5 32.f4 gxf4 33.Qxf4 Re6 34.Qf5
Bf6 35.Kh2 Bg7 36.a4 Bf6 37.Kh3 Bg7 38.g4 Bf6 39.g5 hxg5
40.h6 g4+ 41.Kg2 Kf8 42.h7 Bg7 43.Bxe5 Rxe5 44.Qd7 Re7
45.Qd8+ Re8 46.Qd6+ Re7 47.Qh6 Re2+ 48.Kf1 Bxh6 49.h8Q+
1-0
258
Another example on the same theme.
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2659)
Vlastimil Jansa (2451)
Germany Bundesliga 2012/2013
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nf3 Nxb5 5.Nxb5 g6 6.d4 Bg7
7.c4 cxd4 8.Nfxd4 d6 9.0-0 Nf6 10.f3 0-0 11.Be3 Bd7 12.a4 a6
13.Nc3 Rc8 14.b3 e6 15.Qd2 Qa5 16.Rfd1 Rfd8 17.Rab1 Be8
18.Nde2 d5 19.cxd5 exd5 20.exd5 Qb4 21.Kh1 b5 22.Bb6 Rd6
23.a5 Qh4 24.b4 Rc4 25.Qe3 Bf8 26.Rd4 Rxd4 27.Bxd4 Bd7
28.Qe5

In this game you can see how harmoniously my pieces are

positioned: all pieces but one rook on b1 are in the centre. And
control over it allows the stronger side to choose the section of the
board to play on and freely transfer his reserves in the desired
direction.

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28...Bf5 29.Rg1 Bd3 30.Nf4 Bc2 31.g4 h6 32.Rg2 Bb3 33.Ne4
Qe1+ 34.Rg1
Black resigned.
Turning to the play of the world champions, there is a great quantity
of instructive games, demonstrating the battle for the centre.
English Opening
Georgy Lisitsin
Mikhail Botvinnik
Leningrad 1932
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.0-0
If I were playing White, I would be thinking about 6.Nc3 or 6.d4, so
as not to give the opponent the chance to seize the centre.

Question:How did Botvinnik react to his opponent’s unfortunate

move?

260
 SOLUTION
6...e5 7.d3 Be7 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.Nc4 f6
Point to note: Place the pawns in the centre and take care of the
more valuable pieces.
10.Be3 Be6 11.a4 Qd7 12.Qd2 b6 13.Rfc1 Rac8 14.Qd1 Kh8
15.Bd2 Rfd8 16.Qb3 Nc7
For example, after 16...Ndb4 Black’s advantage is +2.00. In such
situations, because of the hanging bishop on d2, there are tactical
ideas involving the move ...e5-e4 and the exchange on c4. If White
plays 17.Qa3, then Stockfish suggests the rather non-human 17...g5
18.Bc3 g4 19.Ne1 Nd4, and Black wins in all variations.
17.Bc3 Rb8 18.Qc2 Nd5
As a result of Black’s central control, White finds himself deprived
of any counterplay. Due to Black’s complete dominance (which will
be discussed in the next chapter), the machine estimates the position
261
at -1.40µ. All that’s left to do is choose a plan for realizing the
positional advantage.

Question: How would you approach this problem?

SOLUTION
In a few moves, Botvinnik will place his knight on d4 and thereby
achieve maximum centralization.

Point to note: When you control the centre, the opponent does not
have counterplay, and you don’t have to worry about wasting time
and making unnecessary moves.
19.Nfd2 Rbc8 20.Nf1 Nd4
Thus, the knight has occupied one of the key squares.
21.Qd1

262
An extremely instructive position: the maximum centralization of
the black pieces.
21...Bg4 22.Bxd4 exd4 23.Qd2
Now it is possible both to play positionally and to attack the king.
23...Bf8 24.Re1 Re8 25.h4
For reasons I do not understand, White weakens his position.
25...Bh3
I don’t like Black’s last move: with the advantage of two bishops, its
owner should take care of the safety of its pair.
26.Bf3
And White, on the contrary, should have seized the chance to get rid
of the light-squared bishops.
26...Re7 27.Nh2 Rce8 28.Kh1 Be6 29.b3 Nb4 30.Bg2 Bd5 31.Nf3
Rf7 32.Kh2 Bd6 33.Bh3 Qd8 34.Rab1 Rfe7 35.Ng1 Bc7 36.Na3
Bb7 37.Bg2 Bxg2 38.Kxg2 Nd5 39.Nc2 Qd6 40.Na3 Ne3+
41.Kh1 Ng4 42.Qf4 Qxf4 43.gxf4 Nxf2+ 44.Kg2 Nxd3 0-1

263
After going back and forth, Black waited for his opponent’s
mistakes and ended the game with an attack on the king. This
example demonstrated impeccable mobility of the pieces with
maximum control over the centre.
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Susan Polgar (2500)
Uwe Bönsch (2530)
Dortmund 1990
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5
The move-order chosen by Bönsch allows White to obtain a good
version of the Carlsbad structure.
5.Bg5 c6 6.e3

Question:Which plan is now considered the most unpleasant for

Black from the point of view of modern chess theory?
SOLUTION
264
White can confuse the opponent by developing the knight on e2, and
then carrying out e4 after the preliminary f3. There is also the
variation 6...Bf5 7.Qf3 Bg6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Qxf6 gxf6, in which we
get play against the doubled black pawns along the f-file, but that’s
a completely different story...
6...Be7 7.Qc2 Bg4 8.Nge2 Bxe2 9.Bxe2
White has the two bishops and a very pleasant position.
9...0-0 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Bd3 Re8
And now Polgar goes over to the carrying out of the plan with e4.
12.f3 Nf8 13.Bh4

Question:What is the aim of Black’s last move?

SOLUTION
After 12...Nf8 the pawn on h7 is defended and there is now a
strategic threat of 13...Nh5, to exchange one of the white bishops.

265
13...a6
A pointless move, losing time.
Point to note:Usually, when White wants to start play in the centre,
Black must prepare for a counterattack.
Similar Carlsbad structures often arise in my games from the
Nimzo-Indian Defence, and I have to act in such a way as to prevent
the space from being captured. In this position, against e4, Black is
obliged to carry out 13...c5 or 13...Ng6 14.Bf2 c5 – White retains a
slight advantage due to his two bishops, but the black position
remains defensible.
14.Rad1 Ng6 15.Bf2
The white pieces are placed on all the central files: the knight from
c3 controls the squares d5 and e4, and the f2-bishop controls d4.

Question:Can Black play 15...c5 ?

SOLUTION

266
15...Bd6
If 15...c5 16.dxc5 Bxc5 17.Nxd5 ( 16.Bxg6 hxg6 17.dxc5 Bxc5
18.Nxd5 ), then White wins a pawn. Because of the tempo loss with
13...a6 Black cannot prevent this plan.
16.e4
In contemporary chess, the significance of the centre is huge and we
should always try to seize control of it. In the opinion of Stockfish,
White has a winning advantage of ‘+2.40 ’. Frankly, Black could
already resign.
16...dxe4 17.fxe4 Ng4
The current state of affairs on the board favours attacking play;
many games ended in checkmate thanks to the theme of the
‘Isolated Pawn in the Centre’.
18.e5 Bc7 19.Bc4
White improves the position of his pieces with every move.
19...Re7 20.Kh1 Nxf2+ 21.Qxf2 Qd7
White’s central pawns are far advanced and has a great advantage in
space. The computer already assesses his position as +6.00.
22.Ne4
Control of the centre allows pieces to be brought from one part of
the board to another: the knight goes to g5 to attack the targets at f7
and h7.
22...Rf8 23.Qf3
Note that White does not for a moment take his pieces outside the
range of the c- and f-files.
23...Qe8 24.Qh5
Now it is time to realize the advantage obtained.
24...h6 25.Rd3 Kh8
And of course, Black suffers great material losses.
267
26.Rdf3
White wins immediately with 26.Nf6 followed by Ng4.
26...Nxe5
The knight is unavoidably given up.
27.dxe5 Rxe5 28.Rxf7 Rxf7 29.Qxf7
Black resigned, because White simply has an extra piece ( 29...Rхe4
30.Qf8+ Qхf8 31.Rхf8+ Kh7 32.Bd3 ). This was an instructive
game from the point of view of exploiting the centre.
Marshall Defence
Alexander Alekhine
Frank Marshall
Baden-Baden 1925
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.e4 Nf6 5.Bd3 e5 6.dxe5 Ng4
7.Nf3 Nc6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nc3 Ncxe5 11.Nxe5 Qxe5
12.h3 Nf6 13.Qd2 Bd7 14.Qe3 Bc6 15.0-0-0 0-0

268
Question:Let us assess this position and decide what White should
do.
SOLUTION
16.f4
An essential move, directed to the seizure of the centre. White’s
intended next step is 17.e5.
16...Qe6
The queen has nowhere to go. According to Stockfish, after
16...Qa5 White’s advantage is only one pawn, which indicates that
Black has some chances to defend. The engine rejects all other
options. But, of course, no sensible chess player will give up a pawn
without a fight, but will defend it to the very end. 17.e5 Nd5
18.Nxd5 Bxd5, because the computer sees only this defensive line
19.Bxh7+ Kxh7 20.Qd3+ Kg8 21.Qxd5 Qa4, and now I like
22.Rd4 best, although 22.g3 is also possible.
17.e5 Rfe8

269
Question:To the human player, the situation is still not obvious, but
the win can already be achieved in several ways. How should White
play?
SOLUTION
18.Rhe1
This is the simplest human choice. Another winning move is 18.Bc2
Nd7 19.Rhe1, and despite the fact that there are no direct forcing
threats, White has a decisive advantage.
18...Rad8 19.f5 Qe7
Look at the ideal set-up of the white pieces: they all stand in the
centre or near it – maximum centralization!
20.Qg5 Nd5 21.f6 Qf8 22.Bc4 Nxc3 23.Rxd8 Rxd8 24.fxg7
24.e6 also wins.
24...Nxa2+ 25.Kb1 Qe8 26.e6 Be4+
The black position collapses completely.
27.Ka1 f5 28.e7+ Rd5 29.Qf6 Qf7 30.e8Q+
Black resigned.
Pirc Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2613)
Alibek Igambergenov (2410)
Pavlodar 2019
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.c3 d6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 0-0 6.0-0 Nc6
After this move I always play 7.d5. If you are interested in the
opening line, then I recommend you to study the game Tiviakov-
Romanov, published in my first book on the chapter on half-open
lines in the centre.

270
7.d5 Nb8 8.h3 c6 9.c4 Na6 10.Nc3 Nc5 11.Be3

With the exception of the rook on a1, all of my pieces stand in the
centre or on the neighbouring lines.
Point to note:On the pages of my books, I give chess advice that
was formulated based on the creativity and way of thinking of world
champions and other outstanding grandmasters. I myself learned to
play by watching their actions on the chessboard, and I am teaching
you the same.
11...cxd5 12.cxd5 Nfd7 13.Nd4

271
Question:Why didn’t I play 13.Bd4 ?
SOLUTION
My bishop, pointing at the b6-square, is much better than the
opponent on g7. Black has serious problems with his development,
he has very little space, and because of this he cannot find a place
for his poorly placed pieces. In the event of an exchange of dark-
squared bishops, the enemy queen can move to the b6 or a5-square.
13...Nxd3 14.Qxd3 Nc5 15.Qd2 Bd7
Only now did I decide on simplifications, because the position has
changed and new ideas are available.
16.Bh6 Qb6 17.Bxg7 Kxg7
When I exchanged bishops, I had a concrete idea.
18.Rfe1
The strongest computer continuation is 18.Kh2, a prophylactic
move, followed by f4 and the advance of the pawns in the centre
272
and on the kingside. A similar plan was used by Polgar in the earlier
example.
But I chose another idea, second-strongest: strict play in the centre.
18...Rac8
In case of 18...f6, a positional disadvantage appears, in the weakness
of the e6-square. I know this from the Maroczy, which I myself
played as Black; similar pawn structures often arise in it. After the
dark-squared bishops have left the board, Nd5 was played against
me, the knights were exchanged (...Nf6xd5), and further
developments proved that f6 is never a good move.
In the chapter ‘Domination’ we will study a position from the game
Larsen-Nielsen with the same pawn structure d6/e7/f6: the weakness
of the e6-square will give White the plan of 25.Ne6+ Bxe6 26.dxe6
with invasion by rooks on the seventh rank. After this, the black
pieces will be stuck: they will simply have nowhere to move.
19.e5
It was possible to strengthen the position with 19.Re3 or 19.Rab1.
19...dxe5 20.Rxe5 e6
So far, my opponent has defended correctly: Black’s position is
difficult but not lost.
21.Rae1 Rfd8?
The computer recommends playing 21...f6 or 21...Kg8, after which
White could sacrifice an exchange; for example, 21...f6 22.Rxe6
Bxe6 23.dxe6 Rfe8 24.e7 a6 25.Re3 Kh8 26.a3+ ).
Even when on the twentieth move I took the rook on e5, I noticed
one tactical idea. Now the time has come for its immediate
implementation.
But before making the next move, let’s take a look at the position of
my pieces. The knights on d4 and c3, the rook on e5 put pressure on
the central squares – I have positioned everything perfectly!

273
Point to note:In positions where we have nothing left to improve,
we need to look for specific continuations.

Question:The king on g7 is lonely. Find how you can force

checkmate or win a large amount of material equal to +9.00, that is,
the size of a queen.
SOLUTION
Even if you haven’t found this idea, your position remains won due
to the maximum centralization of the pieces. The second strongest
move is 22.a3, estimated by the machine at +6.00. This shows how
good White’s position is: he has complete dominance, so he can
even make such a passive move.
22.Rh5!
Winning by force in all variations: the threat is 23.Qh6, and
therefore Black must accept the sacrifice.
22...gxh5 23.Qg5+ Kf8

274
Here the win can be achieved in various ways, including by the
quiet move 24.Qf6 (threatening Qh8+, Nf5#) 24...Kg8 25.Re5 h6
26.Qxh6 f5 27.Qg6+ Kf8 28.dxe6.
24.Qh6+ Ke8
24...Kg8 25.Re5 f5 26.dxe6+ .
25.Nf5
There were other effective moves: 25.Qf6 or 25.Qg5.
25...Bb5 26.Qxh7 Rc7 27.d6 Nd3 28.Rxe6+ Kd7 29.dxc7 Qxf2+
30.Kh2 Qf4+
Black gives a couple of checks but remains material down.
31.Ng3 Kxc7 32.Nxb5+ Kb8 33.Rd6 Re8 34.Qxd3 1-0
An elegant win of a second piece.
Let us see how, in the pre-computer era, a World Champion
approached centralization of his pieces.
Tarrasch Defence
Boris Spassky
Tigran Petrosian
Moscow Wch m 1969
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.d4 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3
7.bxc3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+
Incidentally, this line is very popular at top level even in our day
and despite the passage of some 54 years (!), the theory has not
changed that much.
9...Qa5 10.Rb1 Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2².
10.Qxd2 0-0 11.Bc4 Nc6 12.0-0 b6

275
Question:What piece formation should White choose? What will his
plan be?
SOLUTION
13.Rad1
Before starting concrete play, involving the advance d5, Spassky
carries out the appropriate preparation: he puts his rook on the
central files.
13...Bb7 14.Rfe1 Rc8?
To neutralize White’s central control, Black should play 14...Na5.
There could follow 15.Bf1 Rc8 16.d5 exd5 17.exd5 Qd6 18.Ng5².

276
Question: All of Spassky’s pieces stand in better positions and it is
time to act. Find the strongest move.
SOLUTION
15.d5! exd5?
Here he should prefer 15...Na5! 16.dxe6 (White can also play
16.Be2 – 16.Bd3 exd5? 17.e5± – since the e4-pawn is not attacked:
16...exd5 17.exd5 Qd6 18.Ng5 and then Bf3, defending the passed
pawn on d5 with maximum centralization) 16...Qxd2 ( 16...Nxc4
17.exf7+ Kh8 18.Qxd8 Rcxd8 19.Rxd8 Rxd8 20.e5+ ) 17.exf7+
Kh8 18.Nxd2 Nxc4 19.Nxc4 Rxc4 20.e5 Bc8 21.e6 Bxe6 22.Rxe6
g6=.
16.Bxd5±
If 16.exd5 Na5 17.Bf1 Qd6 18.Ng5 Rcd8².
16...Na5 17.Qf4

277
Point to note:When you play in the centre, the importance of
calculating variations in detail is reduced and it becomes easier to
play.
17...Qc7
17...Qe7 18.Nd4 followed by Nf5±.
18.Qf5
Pay attention to the centralization of the white pieces: look how his
queen and bishop stand!

Question:In this position, Black has strictly only one answer, which
Petrosian did not play. Find it.
SOLUTION
Remember in my first book I gave you tips? If I give a little hint
now, you will immediately find the saving move, but in the game
we need to give hints to ourselves. 19.Ng5 is a very strong threat.

278
All positions in which only moves need to be made are difficult.
Even such outstanding chess players as Petrosian and Spassky could
not find them, especially during a game, without home analysis.
And even after making a single move, there is no guarantee that
Black will not make mistakes in the future, since his position is
worse. But the forced loss is at least avoided.
18...Bxd5?
The only move was 18...h6, for example: 19.Nd4 Bxd5 20.exd5
Nc4 21.Nc6 Nd6 22.Qf4 Rfe8 and it is not easy for White to break
into his opponent’s camp, even with the knight on c6.
19.exd5

Question:Apart from the continuation in the game, White could win

in another way. Find it.

279
 SOLUTION
19.Ng5! g6 (after 19...Bxe4 20.Qxe4 g6 21.Qh4 h5 22.g4 Black is
defenceless, because he has only one rook on the kingside: 22...Rfd8
23.gxh5 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Qc2 25.Rd4 and Black can resign) 20.Qh3
h5 ( 20...f6 21.Rxd5 fxg5 22.Rd7+ ) 21.exd5+ .
19...Qc2
Should White exchange queens in this position? This is a rhetorical
question.
20.Qf4! Qxa2 21.d6! Rcd8 22.d7 Qc4 23.Qf5
How strong the d7-pawn is!
23...h6 24.Rc1
Centralizing the knight with 24.Ne5 is rated higher by the computer.
24...Qa6 25.Rc7 b5 26.Nd4
An immediate win resulted from 26.Re8!.

280
26...Qb6 27.Rc8 Nb7 28.Nc6 Nd6 29.Nxd8 Nxf5 30.Nc6
Black resigned.
For the last 12-15 moves, not one of Spassky’s pieces moved
outside the precincts bounded by the c- and f-files – all of his pieces
worked exclusively in the centre.
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Viktor Korchnoi (2650)
Anatoly Karpov (2690)
Merano Wch m 1981
In my view, this is not just a very well-known example, but also the
best example of the 12th World Champion’s play, taken from his
best games collection.
1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.Rc1
dxc4 8.e3 c5 9.Bxc4 cxd4 10.exd4 Nc6 11.0-0 Nh5 12.Bxe7 Nxe7

Question:How should White play in this theoretical position?

281
 SOLUTION
Equality results from 13.d5.
13.Bb3

Question: In our day, this move has a bad reputation. Why?

SOLUTION
White’s quiet move allows Black to organize a blockade of the
isolated pawn on d4, and it can later become weak. There was no
good reason to keep the IQP. Probably Korchnoi overrated his
position.

282
13...Nf6 14.Ne5 Bd7
Now it was again possible to play 15.d5, but then we get an
endgame in which Black has the advantage, thanks to his bishop
against the knight.
15.Qe2
The computer sees nothing against 15.d5. In other cases, Black is a
bit better.
15...Rc8 16.Ne4?

283
Question: Why do I accompany White’s last move with a question
mark?
SOLUTION
It is bad (though it does not yet lead to defeat) for two reasons:
firstly, there is an exchange of pieces that is beneficial to the side
that plays against the isolated pawn; secondly, the knight on c3
controls the important square d5. After exchanging it, it will be
easier for Black to organize a blockade of the isolani.

284
White should have waited: 16.Rfe1 Be8 17.Rcd1.
16...Nxe4 17.Qxe4 Bc6 18.Nxc6? Rxc6
On 18...Nxc6 there would have followed 19.d5.

285
Question:Should White transform the pawn structure by exchanging
on c6 or is it better to keep things as they are?
SOLUTION
After 19.Rxc6 bxc6 20.Rc1 the pawn on c6 will not be a weakness,
as it is easily defended.
19.Rc3?
White’s last move weakens the first rank and allows Black to
regroup his forces.
It was necessary to adhere to wait-and-see tactics by 19.g3. In this
case, White’s position would remain slightly worse, but quite
defensible.
19...Qd6 20.g3 Rd8
I love the way Karpov places his pieces – maximum centralization!
21.Rd1

286
An important moment in the game. When the former World
Champion comments on this game in his book, he gives an
exclamation mark to his next move. It seems to me that his choice is
not so strong, but very logical.

Question:What move allows Black to further improve his position?

SOLUTION
For example, 21...Qb8 deserves censure, since it removes control
over the d5-square – you will have to reckon with the corresponding
breakthrough, which will lead to immediate equality. And this
should not be done under any circumstances.
21...Rb6
The idea is to play ...Qd7 and ...Rd6. The immediate retreat of the
queen to the intended square fails to the pin 22.Ba4.
22.Qe1?

287
Korchnoi goes over to defence in depth, but there was no need to
retreat the queen from the centre.

Question:How should White play for equality?

SOLUTION
Passive defence will not bring success, since Black has a specific
plan related to improving the position by building on the d-file and
winning the pawn.
22.Bc2 does not create problems for the opponent, since Korchnoi
will subsequently have to spend time defending the b2-pawn.
Therefore, White should have immediately taken action with 22.h4.
After this he will play h5 and create a queen-bishop battery with the
threat of check on h7. And Black will not be able to place his knight
on f5, because his opponent will carry out a breakthrough on d5.
22...h5 23.Qf3 g6 24.Qf6 Nc6 25.d5 will lead to a weakening of the
king’s position, resulting in a forced endgame with an extra pawn:

288
25...exd5 26.Qxd6 Rxd6 27.Rxd5 Rxd5 28.Bxd5 Rxb2 29.Bxc6
bxc6 30.Rxc6 Rxa2.

Question: How should we evaluate this ending?

SOLUTION
Stockfish is smart in assessing these endgames. It clearly knows that
this is a draw – 0.00. But the human player still needs to hold it.

22...Qd7 23.Rcd3 Rd6

The ideal set-up: all of the black pieces occupy squares in the centre.
24.Qe4 Qc6 25.Qf4
25.Qxc6 Nxc6 26.d5 Nb4.
25...Nd5
Black’s position is extremely promising, because the bishop on b3
does not take part in the defence of the d4-pawn.
289
26.Qd2?
It was essential to place the queen in the centre on e5.
26...Qb6 27.Bxd5?
27.a3 looks better.

Question:What is the drawback of Korchnoi’s last move?

SOLUTION
After
27...Rxd5
Black gets the idea of winning the pawn by ...e5.
28.Rb3 Qc6 29.Qc3 Qd7 30.f4?
The threat was 30...e5. But White’s chosen defence against this
weakens his king severely. In the resulting position, Black gets a
winning plan based on the theme of attacking with heavy pieces.
30...b6 31.Rb4

290
The rook stands badly on b4.
31...b5
The move in the game also wins, but the strongest continuation was
31...e5, a specific decision aimed at starting an attack and creating
checkmating threats. After 32.fxe5 Rxe5 the line is opened, as is the
white king. And White will not be able to protect both the king and
the pawn at the same time – the principle of two weaknesses:
33.Qf3 Rd5 34.Qf4 Re8 35.Rc4 Rde5, followed by an invasion
along the e-file to the square e2 and Black will win.
32.a4 bxa4 33.Qa3
33.Qc4 Rc8.
33...a5 34.Rxa4 Qb5
34...Rc8 35.Rxa5 Rxd4.
35.Rd2 e5
Only now does Karpov decide on 35...e5.
36.fxe5 Rxe5 37.Qa1
Incidentally, Karpov annotates this game in detail and one can learn
an enormous amount from studying his commentary.
37...Qe8 38.dxe5 Rxd2 39.Rxa5 Qc6 40.Ra8+ Kh7 41.Qb1+ g6
42.Qf1 Qc5+ 43.Kh1 Qd5+ 0-1
Black will continue 44...Rd1, winning the queen.
Another example of centralization from a World Championship
match:
Slav Defence
Alexander Alekhine
Max Euwe
Netherlands Wch m 1935
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7
7.Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bf4 Nfd7
291
Surprisingly, this variation is seen quite a lot in practice.
11.Bg2 Be6
As far as I know, the usual move here is 11...f6 12.Nxe5 Nxe5
13.a5².
12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.0-0 Be7?
13...f6 looks more solid.

Question:How do we exploit the fact that Euwe has the loose pieces
Ne5 and Qc7?
SOLUTION
14.Qc2!
White makes the move which allows him to expose the weaknesses
in the enemy position: Alekhine creates a threat which cannot be
defended against: Nc3-b5-d4, Nd5 or simply Ne4 if necessary.

292
Point to note:If you feel that you have the advantage, then you
should look at this moment for the most weakly-defended enemy
piece.
Nothing comes from the premature ‘centralization ’ 14.Qd4,
because after 14...f6 the white queen is hit with tempo.
14...Rd8
14...Qa5 15.Nb5+ ; 14...a6 15.Nd5 Bxd5 16.Bxd5 and White is
clearly better with the two bishops and an asymmetrical pawn
structure (see the earlier chapter).

Question:White has an interesting but unusual manoeuvre, which

allows him to realize his advantage. Alekhine did not play it. Try to
play better than the fourth World Champion.
SOLUTION
15.Rfd1

293
Simple and logical, but there was a specific way to play, in the spirit
of Stockfish, that made it possible to improve the position of the
white knight: 15.Nb5 Qb8 16.Qc3 with an attack. 16...Bf6 17.Nd4.
It seems risky to place your piece under the bishop pin: what if the
opponent has some kind of tactic? But this is a false feeling:
17...Bd5 18.e4 Bc4 19.Rfc1 g5 and White is better.

Question: How should White play in this confusing position?

294
 SOLUTION
He can win a pawn by force:
A) Not 20.Bxe5 Bxe5 and now 21.Nxc6 does not work ( 21.Qxc4
Bxd4 regains the knight. Then we get a position as in the previous
variation, but without the extra pawn, so here Black is fine;
B) 20.Nxc6 bxc6 21.Bxe5 Qxe5 22.Qxc4 0-0 23.Rc2 Rd6, and
despite White’s material superiority, Black retains a good chance of
salvation.
15...0-0 16.Nb5
It was possible to obtain the advantage by means of 16.Nd5.
16...Rxd1+ 17.Rxd1
17...Qa5?
Black should have played the strictly only move 17...Qc8.
18.Nd4

295
The first tempting move: the knight comes into the centre, whilst the
enemy bishop has nowhere to go.
18...Bc8
The g2-bishop is close to the edge of the board, but, as a long-range
piece, puts pressure on the centre. For White, everything is great and
there is nothing to improve in his set-up, which cannot be said about
Black. And when we see such a difference in the disposition of
forces of the two sides, this should give us food for thought that
there must be a concrete solution to the position.

Question:What is strictly the only move that wins now?

SOLUTION
19.b4!
There was no alternative solution. In 1935 Alekhine was already
past his prime and his results were falling off, but even so, he could
still play very well.

296
19...Qc7
Question:How does Black lose material after 19...Bxb4 ?
Hint:The theme is ‘the double attack’.
SOLUTION
20.Nb3 Qc7 21.Qe4 Bc3 ( 21...Bd6 22.Qd4 g5 23.Bxg5 and the
king and the f7-pawn are weak, whilst the a7-pawn hangs: 23...Be7
24.Bxe7 Qxe7 25.Qxa7+ ) 22.Rc1 Bb2 23.Rc2 g5 24.Bxg5 Ba3
25.h3 f6 26.Be3±.
20.b5
One must play against enemy weaknesses, and if he has none, then
it is essential to work to create some. The minority attack helps in
this.
20...c5

Question:Which weakness has appeared in the black position?

SOLUTION
297
21.Nf5
The white knight has the vacant post d5 and will go there via the
square e3.
21...f6
Strongest was 21...g5 22.Be3 b6 23.h4 gxh4 24.Bf4 hxg3 25.Qe4,
but even in this case, according to the computer, White wins in all
lines.
22.Ne3 Be6
22...g5 23.Nd5 Qd6 24.Bc1 and the weaknesses on c5 and h7
determine the assessment.

Question:Find the most effective move.

SOLUTION
23.Bd5! Bxd5 24.Rxd5
Full centralization of the white pieces!

298
24...Qa5
24...Rd8 25.Bxe5 fxe5 26.Qe4 and all moves win, because it is
obvious that the knight is stronger than the bishop.
25.Nf5 Qe1+ 26.Kg2 Bd8 27.Bxe5 fxe5 28.Rd7
White intends to give mate.
28...Bf6 29.Nh6+! Kh8 30.Qxc5 1-0
In this game, I very much like the moment when Alekhine improved
his position by seizing the centre with the manoeuvre of the knight
from b5 to d4.
The following example is a game which seems to be theoretically
significant and a good example of effective piece centralization.
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Smbat Lputian (2545)
Yuri Balashov (2515)
Yerevan 1986
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Rc1
c6
In the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Black often used to play 7...c6, but
nowadays this variation has lost its topicality. I myself used to play
this way when young but then stopped.
8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.0-0 Nxc3 12.Rxc3 e5²
13.Qc2 exd4

299
Question:With what should we recapture on d4?
SOLUTION
White deliberately heads for an IQP structure. Similar set-ups are
reached in the Petroff Defence. There was a very well-known game
along these lines between the ‘two Ks’: Kasparov-Karpov, Moscow
Wch m 1985 (48).
14.exd4 Nf6?
This seems like the only continuation but Black should seriously
consider the question of developing his knight.

300
Question:Why does the knight stand badly on f6 and well on b6?
SOLUTION
The white pieces are prepared for active play. The move 14...Nb6
wins a tempo and thereby reduces Black’s deficit in development,
which is extremely important, because time is often very critical for
the weaker side in this situation. 15.Re1 Qd8.
Now White must spend a tempo retreating the bishop: 16.Bb3 Nd5
(with tempo!), and the rook has no good square – it cannot go to d3
and after 17.Bxd5 Qxd5 Black saves himself by having won another
tempo.
15.Re1
Now White has a large advantage due to the maximum
centralization of his pieces with the IQP.
15...Qd8 16.h3!

301
Question: Explain why White’s last move deserves an exclamation
mark.
SOLUTION
It is prophylaxis against 16...Bg4 – Black has problems developing
this bishop. Lputian plays excellently, finding the strongest moves
from his side. Admittedly, I do not know how much of this was
known to theory at the time.
16...Nd5
Here too White can achieve an advantage in various ways: the first
is the computer way, which no human would play, the second more
human, but also the strongest. Let us discuss both solutions, as this
position seems to be very important.
17.Bxd5
The human move, which was given preference in the game. Had
anyone played the computer’s move back in that pre-computer age,

302
he would have won the prize for the novelty of the century: 17.Re5
– a paradoxical move. It seems just to give away an exchange with
17...Nxc3 18.Ng5 g6 19.Qxc3. However, despite the fact that Black
has an extra exchange, White wins: 19...Kg7 20.Qe3 h6 21.Re7
hxg5 22.Qe5+ Kg8 23.Qf6. In view of the threat to take on f7,
Black has to play 23...Qxe7, 24.Qxe7 b5 25.Bb3 Bf5 26.Qxg5,
retaining an extra pawn and winning the game. Therefore, after
17.Re5 Black has to play 17...h6 18.Bxd5 cxd5 19.Rc7 Qf6 20.Re3
Rb8 21.Qb3± .
17...Qxd5
The strongest move is 17...cxd5, and then 18.Re5 ( 18.Qb3 is also
possible) with a large advantage.
18.Re5
This move has several aims: to prevent the rook being forked,
prepare d5 and free e4 for the knight. In general, White goes in for
the maximum centralization of his pieces.
18...Qd6 19.Ng5
Using his lead in development, Lputian attacks his opponent with
every move.
19...g6 20.Rf3
20.Ne4 also retains a large advantage: 20...Qxd4 21.Nf6+ Kg7
22.Nh5+ Kh8 23.Re4 Bf5 24.Rxd4 Bxc2 25.Rxc2 gxh5 26.Rd7.
Despite the fact that Black has an extra pawn, it is very weak:
26...Rab8 27.Rc5 and White regains his material.

303
Question:What was Black’s only move?
SOLUTION
20...f6?
Point to note:All positions where one has to make only moves tend
to be lost in practice, because defending is extremely difficult.
20...Qxd4 21.Nxf7 ( 21.Qe2 Qd6 22.Ree3 Bf5² ) 21...Rxf7 22.Re8+
Kg7 23.Qe2 Qd6 24.b4 Rхf3 25.Qхf3 c5².
21.Qb3+
Stronger still was 21.Ne4 Qd8, since there is a beautiful tactic based
on the theme of the double attack: 22.Rxf6 Rxf6 23.Re8+ Qxe8
24.Nxf6++ .
21...Kg7 22.Re8 a5 23.Rxc8
Black resigned, because after 23...Raxc8 there follows 24.Qxb7+.
Queen’s Gambit Accepted

304
Rafael Vaganian (2550)
Robert Hübner (2625)
Tilburg 1983
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nc3 e5 4.e3 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Bxc4 Be7
7.Nf3 0-0 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.Re1 Nb6 10.Bb3 c6 11.Bg5

So far both sides have played correctly. Black needs to strive for
exchanges or rapid completion of his development. He has two
continuations which accord with chess principles.
11...Bg4?
Black is seriously behind in development and White can exploit this,
if concrete play starts. For example, 11...Nfd5?? 12.Rxe7 Nxe7
13.Qe2 Re8 14.Re1 winning in all variations: 14...Bg4 15.Bxe7 Qd7
16.Ne5.
Better is 11...Bf5, so as to strengthen the square f7 with 12... Bg6.
12.Re5 ( 12.Ne5 Nbd5 13.Nxd5 cxd5± ) 12...Bg6± . 11...Nbd5 is
another good move, creating a blockade of the IQP and preparing to
develop the bishop to e6. Probably White should then transform the

305
pawn structure by means of 12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Ne5, favouring
White, but Black’s position should be defensible.
12.Qd3
It was simplest to play 12.h3 Bf5, to show the opponent that his
previous move leads to a loss of time.
12...Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Nfd5

Question:Find the silicon solution.

SOLUTION
14.Bxe7
Although Vaganian is a very strong, dynamic player, he chooses a
simple human move. The computer decision looks stronger.
14.Rxe7! Nxe7 15.Re1 Nbc8 (in the previous variation, the square
c8 was occupied by the bishop, but here there is a chance to include
the knight in the defence) 16.Qe2 Re8 17.Ne4 (White is playing an
exchange down, but what play he has!) 17...Nb6 18.Bf6 Nbd5
306
19.Qg4 g6 20.Qf3± . This was a sample computer line, but no
human is going to play that way, to my mind.
14...Nxe7
Although the bishop on b3 does not stand on one of the four central
files, it exerts very strong influence on the square d5 – maximum
centralization!

Question:How does White improve his position? Which moves do

you like for him?
SOLUTION
One method is a central strategy:
15.Re5
15.Rad1 is another good move, as is 15.g3, which says a lot about
the strength of the white position. He can spend as much time as he
wishes, whilst in reply Black has nothing with which to oppose him.
15...Ng6 16.Re4 Nd7
307
I completely condemn Hübner’s decision to close the f-file from the
square f6.
17.Rd1 Qa5 18.Re3 Rad8 19.Ne4
Now we see why the rook retreated earlier.
19...Qc7

Question:Think about White’s next move.

SOLUTION
20.h4!
This leads to a forced win. Black can do nothing against the attack.
20...h6
If 20...Nxh4 then 21.Qh5 Ng6 22.Rh3 winning the knight.
21.Qg4 Kh8 22.h5

308
An instructive moment, showing the main idea of this chapter:
maximum centralization of one’s own pieces facilitates the attack on
the enemy king!
22...Nf4 23.Rg3 g5
A forced weakening of the position.
24.hxg6 fxg6 25.Re1 Rde8 26.Rge3 Nb6 27.Nc5 Qc8 28.Qxf4
And Black acknowledged defeat.
I hope that familiarity with the material in this chapter on
‘maximum centralization’ will help you to score more tournament
points. After all, now you know how to place your pieces, so as to
realize an advantage with the least trouble.

309
Chapter 7
Domination
In previous chapters, when talking about opposite-coloured bishops
and the creation of zugzwang, I used the term ‘domination’.
Domination is the positional superiority of one side over the other,
in which its pieces control the predominant amount of space, which
helps to establish absolute dominance on the chessboard, leading to
a quick end to the game.
To achieve dominance, it is necessary, first of all, to organize
control of the central squares. We will follow how this happens
through my personal work and the games of famous chess players
around the world.
Queen’s Indian Defence
Friedrich Sämisch
Aron Nimzowitsch
Copenhagen 1923
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.Nc3 0-0 7.0-0
d5 8.Ne5 c6

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This set-up is often seen in my games. The main move for White is
9.e4, but it seems Nimzowitsch’s opponent was playing for a draw.
9.cxd5
White already declines to play for the advantage.
9...cxd5 10.Bf4 a6 11.Rc1 b5 12.Qb3 Nc6 13.Nxc6 Bxc6
Nimzowitsch gradually completes his development.
14.h3

311
One can sense Sämisch’s uncertainty. If White was so peaceably
inclined, then he could have immediately simplified the position by
tactical means. For example, 14.Ne4 dxe4 15.Rxc6 Qxd4 16.Rd1
Qb4 17.Qxb4 Bxb4 18.Bg5 Rfc8 19.Rdc1 Rxc6 20.Rxc6 Kf8 21.b3
h6 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.Bxe4 f5 24.Bf3=.
14...Qd7
Before our very eyes, the first part of Nimzowitsch’s plan unfolds –
seizure of the centre.
15.Kh2 Nh5 16.Bd2 f5
Step by step, Black secures squares over the whole board and drives
the enemy pieces back.
17.Qd1 b4 18.Nb1
It is striking how the white knight returns to its starting position in
the very middle of the game.
18...Bb5 19.Rg1 Bd6 20.e4?
SB¤misch is tempted to go for the win of a piece.
20...fxe4 21.Qxh5 Rxf2
312
Despite his material gains, White reaches a tragic position.
22.Qg5 Raf8 23.Kh1 R8f5 24.Qe3 Bd3 25.Rce1 h6 0-1

The board shows a typical example of complete domination: every

piece of the stronger side is worth more than that of the opponent.
The position resembles a zugzwang. Sämisch gave up because he
had nowhere to go – any move leads to the loss of material. White
could delay his end: 26.a3 a5 27.axb4 axb4 28.b3, but after that the
game is completely over.
In the next example, Nimzowitsch himself loses in a similar fashion.
French Defence
Alexander Alekhine
Aron Nimzowitsch
San Remo 1930
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Bd2 Ne7 6.Nb5 Bxd2+
7.Qxd2 0-0 8.c3 b6 9.f4 Ba6 10.Nf3 Qd7 11.a4 Nbc6 12.b4 cxb4
13.cxb4 Bb7 14.Nd6 f5 15.a5 Nc8

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Question:How should White play?
SOLUTION
To realize his advantage, White must use the method of ‘eliminating
defenders’:
16.Nxb7
The bishop on b7 performs a useful role in defending the approaches
to the black position.
16...Qxb7 17.a6!
If 17...Qe7 then 18.Bb5 Nxb4 19.Rb1, winning the knight.
17...Qf7 18.Bb5 N8e7

314
Question: Indicate the further plan of play.
SOLUTION
First you need to answer a series of typical questions: On which part
of the board is White better? Where are the weaknesses in the
opponent’s position? On which flank should we start the fight?
There is no reason to play for an attack: the black king is safe. The
knight on c6 is unstable, so it is an idea to double along the c-file. If
the knight is driven away from there, then the white rook invades on
c7.
19.0-0 h6 20.Rfc1 Rfc8 21.Rc2 Qe8
Alekhine begins to play for total domination.
22.Rac1 Rab8
Black cannot in any circumstances withdraw the knight from c6
because the enemy pieces will invade decisively.
23.Qe3 Rc7
315
It was in this very game that a definite method of realizing an
advantage was first demonstrated.

Question: Which method is named after Alekhine?

SOLUTION
Anyone who reads chess literature in English often comes across
the chess term ‘Alekhine’s gun’. We are talking about a linear
structure: two rooks are located in front, and the queen stands
behind them. To me, it looks more like a cannon.
24.Rc3 Qd7 25.R1c2 Kf8 26.Qc1

White achieves a significant success: the black pieces have no

moves.
26...Rbc8 27.Ba4
The threat is 28.b5.
27...b5 28.Bxb5 Ke8 29.Ba4 Kd8 30.h4

316
And Black resigned.
A brief summary of the game: first, White shifted the balance of
power, achieving a dominant position in the middle of the board,
then he forced the opponent’s pieces to take up positions on the
back row; Black, having made new positional concessions over and
over again, found himself in a deplorable state.
Now I will show you an example from my own play, where I
managed to achieve complete dominance.
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2677)
Pouya Idani (2448)
Mashhad 2012
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+
I quite often play this variation of the Sicilian, to avoid sharp and
highly theoretical variations such as the Najdorf.
3...Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 g6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7
9.f3 0-0 10.Be3 Nc6 11.0-0 Rac8 12.b3

317
White plays for domination: he wants to squeeze Black in a vice so
that he is deprived of any possibility of movement.
Question:What is the main method of play for Black in this
variation?
SOLUTION
Black will almost never be able to play ...a6 and ...b5, because after
...a6 there will come a4. In this non-Hedgehog position it would also
be wrong to go ...h7-h5-h4. 12...a5 will give the white knights an
excellent outpost on b5 with pressure on the d6-pawn; in addition, it
is possible to control the b6-point for further deployment of the
knight.
The main and only plan for Black is to try to break through with
...d5, including the preliminary ...e6. Only by making this liberating
advance can he achieve equality. But White, in turn, is trying to
prevent this in various ways.
12...Rfd8 13.Qd2 e6 14.Rad1
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I cannot directly prevent the advance ...d5, but the idea of my last
move is to reply 15.Nxc6 bxc6 and 16.e5, seizing the centre.
14...a6

Question: Why is the move 14...a6 bad?

SOLUTION
The Iranian player’s last move led to the weakening of the b6-
square. If necessary, White can place a minor piece there. And after
that, the enemy will forever lose the opportunity to carry out ...d5.

15.Nde2 Qe7 16.Bb6

Black is gradually surrounded by the ring of enemy troops.
16...Rd7 17.Rfe1 Qf8 18.Na4 Re8 19.Nec3
The opponent just cannot get in the freeing advance ...d5. Soon he
will run out of useful moves: the knight on f6 cannot leave its place
because of the threat of Nc5.
19...Ree7 20.Be3
319
Increasing the pressure. White has ideas of placing his knight on b6.
20...Rd8 21.Qf2 h6 22.Bb6 Rdd7 23.Rd2
Now White presses in the centre.
23...Nh5 24.Red1 Be5 25.g3 Re8 26.Ne2 Nb8 27.f4 Bg7 28.e5 1-0

My opponent admitted defeat: Black has nowhere to move, whilst

the move 29.g4 is threatened, winning the pawn on d6.
I don’t often have games where I manage to establish complete
dominance in a position. Please note that, by analogy with the
previous examples from this chapter, White captured the centre,
pushing all the enemy pieces to the edge of the board.
Let’s move on to a very famous and, in my opinion, one of
Ivanchuk’s best games. Perhaps not everyone knows it, as it is a
little underrated. In it, White managed to achieve complete
domination – moreover, against the World Champion of those years.
Let’s see this game and learn from Vasily Mikhailovich.
Sicilian Defence
Vasily Ivanchuk (2695)
320
Garry Kasparov (2800)
Linares 1991
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7
The only ambitious continuation for Black. As we saw earlier,
3...Bd7 leads to a more equal position. But Kasparov was fighting
for victory, of course. I think the point of Ivanchuk’s opening was to
provoke the thirteenth World Champion to play for a win, which is
always associated with great risk and responsibility.
4.d4 Ngf6 5.0-0 cxd4 6.Qxd4 a6 7.Bxd7+ Bxd7 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bxf6
gxf6 10.c4

Question: A typical position on the topic of ‘two bishops’ has

emerged. Do you think they are a strength or a weakness here?
SOLUTION
The game is semi-closed, so the pair of bishops is more of a
disadvantage than a reason for pride. Ivanchuk begins to act to limit
the opponent’s activity.
321
Question 1: For the sake of objectivity, how to assess the current
situation? What happens if both colours play correctly?
SOLUTION
White is a little better, but Black should not suffer a fiasco.

Question 2: What should Kasparov strive for now?

SOLUTION
The exchange of queens will not work, since White will simply
avoid it. Black must clear the diagonals for the bishops so that they
can play. The moves that come to mind are ...f5 or ...b5.
10...e6 11.Nc3 Rc8 12.Kh1 h5 13.a4
Instead of the move 12...h5, 12...b5 deserved attention. Then White
could get play based on creating a passed a-pawn. But in any case, it
was necessary to direct all Black’s efforts to activating his pieces.
13...h4 14.h3 Be7
Here Ivanchuk applies a game plan that was first demonstrated by
Anatoly Karpov against Vladimir Tukmakov in the early 1970s.
This is a famous game, commented on in several chess strategy
books.
Karpov-Tukmakov, Leningrad 1971: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.f4 0-0 9.Be3 Nc6 10.a4
Qc7 11.Kh1 Na5 12.Qe1 Nc4 13.Bc1 Bd7 14.b3 Na5 15.Bd3 Nc6
16.Nxc6 Bxc6 17.Bb2 e5 18.Qe2 Rad8 19.b4

322
19...a5 20.b5 Bd7 21.f5 Bc8 22.Nd1 d5 23.exd5 Nxd5 24.Qxe5
Qxe5 25.Bxe5 Rfe8 26.Nb2 Bc5 27.Nc4 b6 28.Bg3 Bb7 29.Rae1
Bb4 30.Rxe8+ Rxe8 31.h4 g6 32.Kh2 Bc5 33.Bf2 Bxf2 34.Rxf2
Re1 35.Kg3 Nb4 36.Kf4 Nd5+ 37.Kg3 Nb4 38.Rd2 Nd5 39.Nd6
Ba8 40.Be4 Nc7 41.Bxa8 Nxa8 42.f6 h6 43.Nc4 Re8 44.Rd6 1-0.
Back to Ivanchuk-Kasparov.

323
Question:Can you indicate the plan that Ivanchuk used?
SOLUTION
15.a5 suggests itself, but Black can get counterplay by playing
15...Rb8 with the opening of the file by ...b6.
The correct strategy should be aimed at limiting one of the pieces
and capturing space with further play for dominance. It is typical
and associated with conducting b4-b5 against the activation of the
d7-bishop, used in some systems of the Sicilian Defence, for
example, in the Paulsen and Scheveningen Variations.
15.b4 a5 16.b5
It appears that White is giving his opponent the square c5.
16...Qc7 17.Nd2 Qc5 18.Qd3
Black cannot play ...f5. If now he decides to make up for lost time,
then after the pawn exchange the white knight will be comfortably
placed on the d5-square.

324
18...Rg8 19.Rae1 Qg5 20.Rg1 Qf4 21.Ref1 b6 22.Ne2 Qh6
Gradually, Ivanchuk improves his position, gaining more and more
space in his hands and driving the opponent’s pieces to the edge of
the board. White is doing so well here that there are two plans for
exploiting his advantage.

Question: Which one do you think Ivanchuk chose?

SOLUTION
23.f4 and f5 is one of the possible plans, leading to an even greater
seizure of space. There are two flaws in Black’s position: the pawns
d6 and b6; White can attack them.
23.c5
Most often we see this typical pawn breakthrough in the endgame,
as one of the methods of realizing an advantage. It has a positional
goal – to place the knight on c4 with an attack on weaknesses.

325
Question:How do you think Black should play in this position?
SOLUTION
23...Rxc5?
This leads to defeat. In any event, it was necessary to play 23...dxc5
and on 24.Nc4 Black needs to find 24...Rb8. Of course, White
retains winning chances after 25.Nd6+ Bd6 26.Qxd6 Rb7 27.Rd1,
but after 25.Nd6+ there is 25...Kf8 with some sort of saving
prospects.
24.Nc4 Kf8 25.Nxb6 Be8
The black pieces are driven further and further off.
26.f4 f5 27.exf5 Rxf5 28.Rc1 Kg7 29.g4
Note that the last move does not expose the white king, as after the
en passant capture 29...hxg3 there follows the immediate win of
material with 30.Qxg3+.
29...Rc5 30.Rxc5 dxc5
326
Observe how Ivanchuk consistently drives the enemy pieces to the
edge of the board.
31.Nc8 Bf8 32.Qd8 Qg6 33.f5 Qh6 34.g5 Qh5 35.Rg4 exf5
36.Nf4 Qh8 37.Qf6+ Kh7 38.Rxh4+ 1-0
This game made and continues to make an indelible impression on
me: it’s not so often at World Championship level that you come
across an example of complete dominance, when all the fighting
forces of one of the sides are in the corner of the playing court.
Have you seen the following fairly well-known game before?
English Opening
Bent Larsen
Axel Nielsen
Esbjerg 1953
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 d6 6.g3 g6 7.Bg2
Bd7 8.Nc2 Bg7 9.b3 0-0 10.Bb2 a6 11.0-0 Rb8 12.Rc1 b5 13.Nd5
Nxd5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.cxd5 Ne5 16.h3 Qb6

327
Question:How can White achieve total domination?
SOLUTION
In this position there is a necessary condition for playing for
domination: White completely prevails in the centre. The pawn on
d5 is very strong: it controls a large number of key squares.
17.Qd4

Question: Why does White want to go into an endgame?

SOLUTION
Usually, when we have more space, we do not exchange pieces,
and vice versa, when we feel a lack of squares, it is beneficial to
reduce the total number of combat units on the board. However, in
this game, by exchanging queens, White violates the spatial
principle. His goal is to push the black knight into a position far
from the centre with the move f4. The queen on b6 is Nielsen’s
only useful piece, guarding the all-important c7-square. Therefore,
in the current situation on the board, the method of realizing an
advantage used is that of eliminating a defender. And as luck
would have it, Black cannot avoid the exchange in view of 18.f4
with the win of the pinned knight.
17...f6 18.Qxb6 Rxb6 19.Nd4

328
Question: Why can’t Black play 19...Rb7 ?
SOLUTION
Nielsen cannot defend c7 with the rook because of 19...Rb7 20.f4
Nf7 21.Ne6+ Bxe6 22.dxe6 with a double attack.
19...g5 20.Rc7 Rd8 21.Kh2
It was also possible to play the immediate 21.f4.
21...h6 22.Be4
Seizing even more space.
22...Kf8 23.f4 Nf7
We have reached the final stage of realizing the advantage.

329
Question: Is it possible to play 24.Ne6+ immediately?
SOLUTION
If White prefers 24.Ne6+, then Black replies 24...Bxe6 25.dxe6 and
25...d5 with improved piece coordination.
24.Bf3
A calculated step backwards.
24...Rbb8 25.Ne6+ Bxe6 26.dxe6 Nh8 27.f5 b4
The h8-knight is ‘packed in the box’.

330
Question:What additional move must be made to ensure that not a
single black piece can move?
SOLUTION
28.Bb7 a5 29.e4
And Black resigned (on 29...h5 White had prepared 30.Rd1 ).
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2674)
Sebastien Mazé (2546)
Montreal 2009
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.f4 d6 7.Nf3
Nh6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Kh1 f5?
This leads to a difficult, strategically hopeless position.

331
Question:Which series of moves does Black need to play?
SOLUTION
My practical experience shows that, in order to avoid falling under a
press, Mazé needs to build a solid central construction with ...f6,
...Nf7, ...e5.
10.e5 Nf7 11.Qe2 Qc7 12.Re1 Nd8
Black tries somehow to activate his pieces by means of transferring
his knight or bishop to the square e6.
13.Bd2 Ne6 14.Qf2 Rd8 15.Na4 Nf8 16.b3 Be6 17.c4
Following the principle of domination, I restrict the mobility of my
opponent’s pieces, specifically the e6-bishop.
17...Re8 18.Bc3 Bf7 19.Re2 Ne6

332
Question: What is White’s winning plan?
SOLUTION
The position is closed and therefore knights are superior to bishops.
We need to leave the opponent with long-range pieces, by
exchanging the active knight on e6.
20.Ng5 Qd7 21.Rae1 h6 22.Nxe6 Bxe6 23.Qh4
I am ready to set up the same pattern we saw in the previous game:
‘Alekhine’s Gun’.
23...Kh7 24.Re3 Rad8
After
25.R1e2
the position deserves special attention:
We cannot say Black is in zugzwang, but he can do nothing to
change the sad fate which awaits him.

333
25...Bg8
After this move too, White wins a large amount of material.
26.exd6 g5 27.fxg5 exd6 28.Bxg7 1-0
A convincing victory over a highly-rated GM! To achieve this,
White seized the centre, strongly defended the e5-pawn and
deprived the opponent of counterplay.
Additional task: Study the following game:
Ruy Lopez
Anatoly Karpov
Wolfgang Unzicker
Nice ol 1974
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3
d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Nc6 13.d5
Nd8 14.a4 Rb8 15.axb5 axb5 16.b4 Nb7 17.Nf1 Bd7 18.Be3 Ra8
19.Qd2 Rfc8 20.Bd3 g6 21.Ng3 Bf8 22.Ra2 c4 23.Bb1 Qd8
24.Ba7 Ne8 25.Bc2 Nc7 26.Rea1 Qe7 27.Bb1 Be8 28.Ne2 Nd8
29.Nh2 Bg7 30.f4 f6 31.f5 g5 32.Bc2 Bf7 33.Ng3 Nb7 34.Bd1 h6
35.Bh5 Qe8 36.Qd1 Nd8 37.Ra3 Kf8 38.R1a2 Kg8 39.Ng4 Kf8
40.Ne3 Kg8 41.Bxf7+ Nxf7 42.Qh5 Nd8 43.Qg6 Kf8 44.Nh5 1-
0
Ruy Lopez
Janis Klavins
Viacheslav Ragozin
Riga 1952
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Qe2 b5 7.Bb3
d6 8.c3 0-0 9.a4 Na5 10.Bc2 Be6 11.axb5 axb5 12.Na3 Nc4
13.b3 Nxa3 14.Bxa3 c5 15.Bb2 c4 16.Rxa8 Qxa8 17.Ra1 Qb7
18.b4 Ra8 19.d4 Rxa1+ 20.Bxa1 Bg4 21.d5

334
White has mishandled the Spanish and consequently finds himself in
an unhappy situation.
Question:How does Black play for domination?
SOLUTION
21...Qa8
Black causes a forced doubling of pawns. The white queen is
overloaded: she cannot simultaneously defend the queenside, the
bishops, and the knight on f3. Any move by the queen on the a-line
will lead to Ragozin winning. 22.Qd1 will be followed by 22...Bxf3
23.gxf3 Nh5, capturing the f4-square.
22.Bb2
Black needs to show accuracy, so as to organize a winning blockade
on the f4-square.
22...Bxf3 23.gxf3 Nh5

335
White cannot prevent the threat 24...Bg5, except by means of the
move:
24.Bc1 Qa1
A double threat: attacking the bishop on c1 and the pawn on c3.
25.Qe1 Bg5 26.Bd2 Qxe1+ 27.Bxe1 Bc1
After exchanging queens and placing the bishop on c1, Black has
achieved complete dominance. White’s pieces can’t move anywhere
and they have no prospects for the future. The c2-bishop is limited
by its own pawns. Its partner on e1 is also of little use.
28.Bd1 Nf4 29.Bc2

Question:In this position, there are many ways to win, but which is
the simplest?
SOLUTION
The correct course is to bring the black king to h3:

336
29...f6 30.Kf1 Kf7 31.Bd1 Kg6 32.Bc2 Kg5 33.Bb1 Kh4 34.Bc2
Kh3 35.Kg1 h6 36.Bb1 h5 37.Bc2 Nd3
The final trick, allowing Black to create an unstoppable passed
pawn.
38.Kf1 Kxh2 39.Ke2 Kg2 40.Bxd3 cxd3+
0-1
Sicilian Defence
Rashid Nezhmetdinov
Yuri Sakharov
Leningrad 1957
Nezhmetdinov is famous for his tactical play, but in addition, it
seems to me that he possessed good positional feeling.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 a6 6.Nd6+ Bxd6
7.Qxd6 Qf6 8.Qc7 Nge7 9.Nc3 Nb4 10.Bd3 d5 11.0-0 d4 12.Ne2
Nxd3 13.cxd3 g5 14.Bd2 Nc6 15.Rac1 0-0 16.Ng3 h6 17.b4 Re8
18.a4 Nd8

337
Question:How should White begin to play for domination?
SOLUTION
Before you begin selecting possible moves, you need to ask yourself
the traditional question:‘What does my opponent want? ’ Yuri
Sakharov intends to place the knight on e6 with a possible jump to
f4 in the future. For White this is harmless, but when the game is
about domination, you need to deprive the enemy of all active
moves.
Thus, without calculating the variations, it is clear that the move
19.Rc5!
is best, since it keeps the e5-pawn in its sights.
19...Qg7 20.Rd5
Centralizing the rook!
20...Bg4 21.Rc1
Harmless for White is 21...Rc8, due to 22.Qxc8 Bxc8 23.Rxc8 Qf8
24.Nh5 with crushing material gains.
21...Kh7 22.h3 Be6 23.Nf5 Bxf5 24.exf5
Fewer and fewer Black pieces are able to move.
24...Qf6 25.g4 Re7 26.Rd7 Rxd7 27.Qxd7 Kg7 28.Rc5 b6 29.Rc7
White achieves maximum activity.
29...b5 30.a5 Rb8 31.Qd5 Kg8 32.Be1 Qg7 33.Qc5 Qf8 34.Qa7
1-0
By analogy with previous examples, the stronger side has achieved
complete control over the centre, deprived the opponent’s pieces of
mobility and locked them on the back rank, as a result of which they
lost their strength.

338
By the way, White could have won in a different way, but the final
position delights me because it demonstrates all the beauty of
complete dominance on the chessboard!
Old Indian/Benoni Wall
Mikhail Podgaets
Mark Dvoretsky
Odessa 1973
1.d4 c5 2.d5 e5 3.e4 d6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3
Bg5 8.Bb5+ Kf8 9.Bxg5 Qxg5 10.h4 Qe7 11.Be2 h5 12.a4 g6
13.g3 Kg7 14.0-0 Nh6 15.Nd1 Nd7 16.Ne3 Rhf8 17.a5 f5 18.exf5
e4 19.Qg2 Nxf5 20.Nxf5+ Rxf5 21.a6 b6 22.g4 hxg4 23.Bxg4

Question:It is clear that in the diagram position, Black has the

advantage, but how can he realize it in the most convenient way?
SOLUTION
23...Rf4
339
The rook retreats, but prevents an exchange on the d7-square: a
move later, ...Rg4 will follow with a winning attack. It is important
to keep the knight in this position, for which the supporting square
e5 is intended.
Point to note:The queen-rook-knight combination is usually
stronger than queen-rook-bishop. The combination of ‘queen and
knight’ is superior to the pair of ‘queen and bishop’. This is because
the bishop can only move on squares of one colour, whereas the
knight can move to both colours, so in most such cases, if there are
also heavy pieces, it is stronger.
24.Rae1 Ne5 25.Rxe4 Rxe4 26.Qxe4 Qxh4 27.Bf3

Question:Which move wins for Black?

SOLUTION
27...Rf8
The enemy bishop is driven into the corner.

340
28.Bh1 Ng4
Creating mating threats and also stalemating the opponent along the
way.
29.Qg2 Rf3 30.c4 Kh6
White resigned, since any move of his rook would be followed by
31...Rxf2 and Qh2#.
To consolidate the previously studied material, I present for your
attention an example whose pawn structure is very similar to the
previous game. A Czech grandmaster sat down to play against me,
who, together with Vlastimil Hort, wrote the famous book It’s Your
Move.
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2659)
Vlastimil Jansa (2451)
Germany Bundesliga 2012/13
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nf3 Nxb5 5.Nxb5
I often play this rare continuation and have good results with it.
5...g6 6.d4 Bg7 7.c4 cxd4 8.Nfxd4 d6

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A structure like the Maroczy System has arisen, but without the f1-
bishop, which is advantageous for White, as the bishop is often
limited by its own pawns. Two bishops in this situation are worse
than a bishop and a knight, since they are very difficult to use in this
closed position with its static pawn chain. If Black, instead of the
bishop on c8, had the knight on c6, then the position would only
offer a minimal advantage for White.
At the moment, Black cannot change the nature of the pawn
structure. I will play for dominance: limit the activity of the
opponent’s pieces and prevent his liberating breaks.
9.0-0 Nf6 10.f3 0-0 11.Be3 Bd7 12.a4
A prophylactic move, to prevent ...a7-a6 and ...b7-b5. Jansa, being
an experienced grandmaster, understands that he needs to play ...d5,
but this is not easy, because White can either win the d5-pawn or
play e5.
12...a6 13.Nc3 Rc8 14.b3 e6 15.Qd2 Qa5 16.Rfd1 Rfd8 17.Rab1
Be8 18.Nde2

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Black has no active counterplay.
Question:What happens after 18...b5 ?
SOLUTION
After 18...b5 we change the nature of the advantage: 19.cxb5 axb5
20.b4 and a5, with a protected passed pawn on the a-file.
18...d5
My opponent sacrifices a pawn for the sake of activating his pieces.
19.cxd5 exd5 20.exd5 Qb4 21.Kh1 b5 22.Bb6 Rd6 23.a5
Starting to play for domination: Black will gradually be driven to
the edge of the board.
23...Qh4 24.b4 Rc4 25.Qe3 Bf8 26.Rd4 Rxd4 27.Bxd4 Bd7
28.Qe5
With the exchange of pieces, I occupy the controlling points in the
centre of the board.

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28...Bf5 29.Rg1 Bd3 30.Nf4 Bc2 31.g4
The black pieces have nowhere to go!
31...h6 32.Rg2 Bb3 33.Ne4
Complete centralization by the White player.
33...Qe1+ 34.Rg1 1-0
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2673)
Viswanathan Anand (2799)
Germany Bundesliga 2011/12
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+
Going in for the same variation as in Ivanchuk-Kasparov: it allows
one to play without risk. A draw against the ex-World Champion is
not a bad result for me.
3...Nd7
The main move is 3...Bd7. The position is very quiet and so Anand
tries to disturb the balance of forces by choosing a less common
continuation.
4.d4 cxd4 5.Qxd4 a6 6.Bxd7+ Bxd7 7.c4 e5 8.Qd3

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Question:An important moment in the game. How should Black
continue?
SOLUTION
8...h6?

Question: Why is my opponent’s last move a mistake?

SOLUTION
It deserves censure for the reason that with his next move White will
deprive his opponent of the opportunity to play 9...b5. By the way,
Carlsen chose the same line against Anand a year after this game,
and then the ex-champion chose the correct continuation 8...b5.
Additional task: Analyse the above-mentioned game:
Carlsen-Anand, Stavanger 2013: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.d4
cxd4 5.Qxd4 a6 6.Bxd7+ Bxd7 7.c4 e5 8.Qd3 b5 9.Nc3 bxc4
10.Qxc4 Be6 11.Qd3 h6 12.0-0 Nf6 13.Rd1 Be7 14.Ne1 0-0
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15.Nc2 Qb6 16.Ne3 Rfc8 17.b3 a5 18.Bd2 Qa6 19.Be1 Nd7 20.f3
Rc6 21.Qxa6 Rcxa6 22.Ned5 Bd8 23.Nb5 Rc8 24.Bf2 Kh7 25.Kf1
Rcc6 26.Rac1 Bg5 27.Rc3 Bxd5 28.Rxd5 Rxc3 29.Nxc3 Rc6 30.Be1
Nc5 31.Nb5 Nb7 32.h4 Be3 33.Ke2 Bc5 34.h5 Bb4 35.Bd2 g6
36.a3 Bxd2 37.hxg6+ Kxg6 38.Kxd2 h5 39.g3 f6 40.Na7 Rc7
41.Nb5 Rc6 42.Ke2 Kf7 43.b4 axb4 44.axb4 Ke6 45.Rd3 Rc4
46.Rb3 d5 47.Kd3 Rc6 48.exd5+ Kxd5 49.Rc3 f5 50.Nc7+ Kd6
51.Ne8+ Kd5 52.Rxc6 Kxc6 53.Ng7 Nd6 54.Nxh5 e4+ 55.fxe4
Nxe4 56.Kd4 Kb5 57.g4 fxg4 58.Kxe4 g3 59.Nxg3 Kxb4 ½-½.
9.Nc3 Nf6 10.0-0 Be7 11.a4
A psychological trap: Black can at some moment forget that he
needs to play ...b5, even at the cost of a pawn.
11...b6?
A loss of a tempo, after which White can begin to attack the
weakness in the opponent’s position. Obviously, Anand wanted to
prevent 12.a5.

Question: Which principle of play does the move 11... b6 breach?

SOLUTION
Black has not completed his development.
Point to note: One of the fundamentals of chess is to castle on
emerging from the opening.

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Question:Black has a weak pawn on d6. How can White attack it?
SOLUTION
12.b3
Now Black cannot castle, since 12...0-0 13.Ba3 Qc7 14.Rfd1, loses
a pawn. Anand shows ingenuity: he includes the a8-rook in the
defence of the weakness.
12...Ra7 13.Rd1 Bc8
The black pieces are returning to their initial squares.
14.Ba3

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Question:Find a strong plan for White, which leads to complete
domination.
SOLUTION
To make new positional gains, White needs to transfer the knight on
f3 via e1-c2 to e3. A second plan is also possible: Nf3-d2-f1-e3.
14...Rd7 15.Nd2 0-0 16.Nf1 Bb7 17.Ne3

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My opponent’s position is strategically hopeless.
Question 1: How can Black show at least some activity before he
comes under pressure?
SOLUTION
The pawn structure d6/e5 resembles the Sveshnikov Variation.
However, carrying out the standard plan with ...f5 is impossible with
the White knight on e3.

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Question 2: Which piece should Black activate, similar to the
Sveshnikov Variation of the Sicilian Defence?
SOLUTION
It is necessary to solve the problem of the bishop e7 by transferring
it to the g5-square for further exchange: 17...Nh5 18.Ned5 Bg5.
17...Re8 18.Ncd5 Nxd5 19.Nxd5 Bxd5
Black gives up all of his good pieces. Despite the fact that White has
a space advantage, he does not object to such exchanges.
20.Qxd5 Qa8 21.Qxa8 Rxa8 22.Rd5 f6 23.Rad1

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Question:Undoubtedly, Black’s position was hopeless, but he had a
plan that gave him the opportunity to prolong his resistance. Find it.
SOLUTION
Black’s task is to go into a rook endgame, where the weaker side
has the greatest chance of a draw. In addition, he does not need to
cling to the d6-pawn; he needs to sacrifice it, but in return do
something useful for his position. However, 23...Rb7 is not suitable
for this purpose, since 24.Bxd6 Bxd6 25.Rxd6 b5 26.Rd8+ Rxd8
27.Rd8+ Kf7 28.cxb5 axb5 29.a5 wins for White.
It is better to remember that the king’s activity is important in the
ending: 23...Kf7 -e6, protecting his backward pawn. Therefore,
White will be forced to play 24.Bxd6, then 24...Bxd6 25.Rxd6 Rxd6
26.Rxd6 b5 with little chance of salvation. Theoretically, this
endgame is lost: four pawns against four on the king’s side with one
on the opposite wing. However, we should not forget that the rook

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ending ‘three against three with a distant passed pawn ’ usually ends
in a draw.
23...Rad8?
Anand apparently wants to activate his king, free one of his rooks
from protecting the pawn, and then somehow defend himself
meekly.

Question:How can White deprive his opponent of any chance of

resistance?
SOLUTION
24.g3
Black can do absolutely nothing against the advance f4-f5, after
which his king will be cut off from the centre, which will decide the
game.
24...g5 25.f4 gxf4 26.gxf4 Kf7

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Question:Which important move should White play? Can he play
27.f5 ?
SOLUTION
27.f5 The black rook on d8 can bother White by means of 27...Rg8+
and ...Rg4. Therefore I prevented this:
27.Kf2 exf4 28.Kf3 Ke6 29.Bc1 Rc8 30.Bxf4
White has achieved complete dominance: all of my pieces are worth
more than the corresponding ones of my opponent. In addition, I
have placed the pawns perfectly. On the enemy side, they (with the
exception of one) are on dark squares and block the path of their
own bishop – it has nothing to do in the future, except for defending
the d6 point.
The move 30...Rc5 will be answered by 31.Be3, when the exchange
of rooks will become impossible due to the loss of material on the
b6-square.

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30...Bf8

Question:How can White further improve his position?

SOLUTION
31.h4
I adhere to the principle, when realizing an advantage, of fixing
weaknesses: I push the extreme pawn to h5 and also take control of
the g6-square to reposition the rook.
In addition, after winning the h6-pawn, I will have a passed pawn,
and now it is approaching its future promotion square.
31...Rc6 32.h5 Rb7 33.Be3
Black is not to be envied: he can only await his gradual execution,
whilst White unhurriedly strengthens his position: the rook transfers
to g6 to collect the harvest of black pawns.
33...Rb8 34.Bd4 Rc7 35.Rg1 Bg7 36.Rg6 Rf7 37.Be3 Rd7

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Question:On the 38th move I missed the win. Which move leads to
an immediate victory for White?
SOLUTION
In the game I could have played 38.e5, but I didn’t notice that this
would lead to solid material acquisitions. In my defence, I will say
that most likely I relaxed, enjoying my comfortable position.
38.Rf5 Rf7 39.Kg4 Bf8 40.Bxh6
I win a pawn and allow a transition into a rook ending. Now I must
maintain attention, because such endings have considerable drawing
tendencies.
40...Bxh6 41.Rxh6
Now I have a strong passed h-pawn.
41...Rg7+ 42.Kf4 Rf8 43.a5 Rg1 44.axb6 Rb1 45.b7 Rxb3 46.e5
The technical stage of realizing the advantage.

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46...dxe5+ 47.Rxe5+ Kd6 48.Rf5 Ke6
If Black plays 48...Rxb7, then I (after the preliminary 49.Rhxf6+ )
take on a6 and have two passed pawns and on the c- and h-files,
which is enough for victory.
49.Rh7 Rd8 50.Rd5
Anand resigned, since after the exchange on d5 White advances one
of the passed pawns to queen. In this game I managed to achieve
complete domination, since the ex-World Champion did not play to
his real strength, and I managed to take advantage of all his
mistakes.
Paul Keres
Oscar Panno
Gothenburg 1955
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4
Qb6 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 Qxd4 10.Qxd4 Nxd4 11.Rxd4 Nd7
12.Be2 h6 13.Bh4 g5 14.fxg5 Ne5

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Question:How can White begin to limit his opponent’s pieces?
SOLUTION
This plan is very often found in the Sicilian Defence, in those
systems in which pawns occupy the squares a6 and e6, for example,
in the Najdorf, Paulsen and Scheveningen Variations: Black’s b6-
square is weak, it needs to be occupied by the white knight.
15.Na4 Be7
If the opponent plays 15...b5, then 16.Nb6 Rb8 17.Nxc8 Rxc8
18.a4, and new weaknesses appear in his position.
16.Nb6 Rb8
White cannot keep the g5-pawn.
17.Bg3 hxg5 18.Rhd1
Point to note:An indicator that we played correctly for dominance
is that the opponent’ s pieces cannot do anything, they have no
useful moves.
18...f6 19.c4
Keres takes control of the centre (I have already spoken many times
of the importance of this when playing for domination), so as to
avoid any possibility of aggression by the opponent.
19...0-0 20.R4d2 f5
Black tries to create some sort of activity, understanding that
otherwise he is condemned to be squeezed.
21.c5
The pawn break.
21...f4 22.cxd6 Bxd6 23.Rxd6 fxg3 24.hxg3
Pay attention to how Black’s pieces are tripping over each other on
the queenside. In particular, the c8-bishop is in a trap. After a few
moves, his other comrades will also cease to function.
24...Rf7 25.Kb1 Rc7 26.Rd8+ Kg7 27.Rc1
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Black has only one useful piece at his disposal and so White tries to
exchange it.
27...Nc6 28.e5
This position astonished me: not one of Black’s pieces can move,
except his king
28...Kg6 29.Bd3+ Kf7 30.Rh8 Ke7 31.Bg6
Black resigned.
Complete paralysis! There is a threat of checkmate on e8. How do
you like this?
One also gets domination in endgame studies too, but this is a
completely different topic. It may have something in common with
domination in the classical game. But the theme of the same name in
the studies is limited to capturing the opponent’s piece. It is
deprived of a certain group of squares for retreat, and thus is won.
To confirm my words, I present a couple of studies on domination,
which are taken from ‘Harold van der Heijden Endgame Study
Database VI’.
Richard Réti
Hastings and St. Leonards Post, 1922

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1.Nd4+ Kc5
1...Kb7 2.Kxh2 Ka6 3.Nb3 Bf4+ 4.Kh3 Kb5 5.Kg4 Bb8 6.f4 Kb4
7.f5 Kxb3 8.f6 Kb4 9.f7 Bd6 10.a6+ ; 1...Kd5 2.a6+ .

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Question:Find a move for White.
SOLUTION
Any move by the black bishop will be followed by a knight fork.
His king is seriously busy watching the passed a-pawn, which is
about to queen. This means that White must respond with something
neutral in order to pass the move to the opponent.
2.Kh1! 1-0
2...Bc1 3.Nb3+ Kb5 4.Nxc1;
2...Bd2 3.Nb3+ Kb5 4.Nxd2;
2...Bf4 3.Ne6+ Kb5 4.Nxf4;
2...Bg5 3.Ne6+ Kb5 4.Nxg5;
2...Bg7 3.Ne6+ Kb5 4.Nxg7;
2...Bf8 3.Ne6+ Kb5 4.Nxf8+ . This was a simple example of
domination in a study.

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Question:White to play and win. Calculate some variations. Note
that the knight is again superior to the bishop.
SOLUTION
Troitzky-
Deutsche Schachzeitung #, 1911-1266

1.a6 Kc6 2.d5+! exd5 3.Nf5 1-0

3...Bc1 4.Nd6 with an immediate win;
3...Bf8 4.Nd4+ Kc7 5.Ne6+ Kb8 6.Nxf8;
3...Bg5 4.Nd4+ Kc7 5.Ne6+ Kb8 6.Nxg5;
3...Bf4 4.Nd4+ Kc7 5.Ne6+ Kb8 6.Nxf4+ .
There are many such studies. If you want to improve your
domination play by solving chess compositions, I recommend that
you focus on studying practical problems that are as close as
possible to a real game.

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Additional task:There is an interesting game between Akiba
Rubinstein and Siegbert Tarrasch, where White gains complete
control over the position in the endgame:
Rubinstein-Tarrasch, Berlin 1928:
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nf6
7.Nc3 e5 8.Ndb5 Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1 Na6 10.f3 Bc5 11.Na4 Be7
12.Be3 Bd7 13.Rc1 0-0 14.a3 Rfd8 15.Ke1 Ne8 16.Be2 Nd6
17.Nac3 Nxb5 18.Nxb5 b6 19.b4 Be6 20.Kf2 Rd7 21.Rhd1 Rxd1
22.Rxd1 Kf8 23.g3 Ke8 24.f4 f6 25.fxe5 fxe5 26.Bc1 Bc8 27.Bb2
Bf6 28.Nd6+ Ke7 29.Nc4 Ke6 30.Nxe5 Nc7 31.Bc4+ Ke7
32.Nc6+ Kf8 33.Bxf6 gxf6 34.Rd8+ Ne8 35.b5 Bb7 36.Rd7 Bxc6
37.bxc6 1-0.
And finally, don’t ignore the game between Ljubomir Ljubojevic
and Garry Kasparov, in which the thirteenth World Champion
achieved domination and thereby deprived his opponent of moves:
Ljubojevic-Kasparov, Linares 1992:
1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.g3 e5 4.Bg2 d6 5.d3 f5 6.e4 Nf6 7.Nge2 0-0
8.h3 c6 9.Be3 Be6 10.Qd2 fxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 d5 13.cxd5
cxd5 14.Bg2 Nc6 15.0-0 Qd7 16.Kh2 d4 17.Bg5 Bd5 18.Be4 Rf7
19.Kg2 Qe6 20.Bxd5 Qxd5+ 21.f3 a5 22.h4 a4 23.Ng1 a3 24.Rfb1
Bf8 25.bxa3 Rxa3 26.Rb2 b5 27.Rab1 b4 28.Rc2 Rc3 29.Rbb2 Na5
30.Qd1 Nb7 31.Bd2 Rxd3 32.Qe2 Rdxf3 33.Nxf3 d3 34.Qe3 dxc2
35.Rxc2 Nc5 36.Bxb4 Nd3 37.Bd2 Bc5 38.Rxc5 Nxc5 39.Bc3 Nd3
40.a4 Rc7 41.Bd2 Nb2 42.Bc3 Nc4 43.Qe2 Rf7 44.a5 e4 45.Ne1
e3+ 46.Kg1 Nd2 0-1.
For additional study, I recommend Leonid Verkhovsky’s Russian-
language book Zugzwang. The Advantage of Two Bishops (1989),
in which there are many examples on the topic being studied. Some
of the examples in this chapter are taken from it.

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Chapter 8
Playing cramped and
passive positions
I want to devote an entire chapter to this topic. In my opinion, it is
very complex, and understanding it on your own is not easy. A
cramped passive position is a position in which the opponent has a
clearly defined spatial advantage and, due to the centre he has
captured, has strategic superiority.
My many years of experience show that the weaker party should use
the following methods of defence:
1) exchanging the maximum number of playing units to free up
space and solve the problem of moving pieces from one flank to the
opposite;
2) refusal to fight simultaneously on two flanks.
First let’s look at a classic game.
King’s Indian Defence
David Bronstein
Tigran Petrosian
Amsterdam/Leeuwarden ct 1956
1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.d4 Nf6 5.e4 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0
Nbd7 8.Re1 c6 9.d5 c5 10.a3 Ne8 11.Bg5 f6 12.Bd2 f5 13.Ng5
Nc7 14.exf5 gxf5 15.f4 e4 16.Be3 h6 17.Nh3

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White has a large spatial advantage due to the d5-pawn, which takes
away a significant number of squares from the opponent. White can
easily maneuver his pieces, moving them from one flank to the
other, while his opponent is deprived of this opportunity.
Question:How can Black play so as to avoid simultaneous play on
both flanks?
SOLUTION
17...Bxc3
This is a clean example of how exchanges can be used to prevent the
opponent becoming active on one flank. (The same game is
examined in Chapter 1, where it is suggested that according to my
computer 17...Bxc3 is not the strongest move. But Petrosian’s
simple human decision to reduce the play on the board only to the
king flank accords with both points of our rules of play in passive
positions.)

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Question: If Black had not played 17...Bxc3, then what plan could
White have executed on the queenside?
SOLUTION
White’s plan would be the encircling pawn advance b4, Nf2, h3,
g4.
18.bxc3
But after this exchange, the area of battle is restricted to one flank
only.
18...Nf6 19.a4 Kh8 20.Nf2 Rg8 21.Kh1 Qe8 22.Rg1 Qg6 23.Qd2
Bd7 24.g3 Rae8 25.a5 Re7 26.Rab1 Bc8 27.Rg2 Reg7 28.Rbg1
Nce8 29.h3 h5 ½-½

Let us look at another example of a similar prophylaxis.

King’s Indian Defence
Bukhuti Gurgenidze
Lev Polugaevsky
Tbilisi 1956

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1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Bg5 c6 7.Qd2 a6
8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.Nge2 b5 10.0-0 e5 11.d5 b4 12.Na4 c5 13.g4 Qa5
14.b3 Qc7 15.Ng3 a5 16.Nb2 Nb6

Question:Find the strongest continuation and plan for White.

SOLUTION
17.a4
We will start from this position, because from now on the entire
fight will take place only on the king’s side, which will facilitate
Polugaevsky’s resistance: he will have a chance of salvation.
17...Ne8 18.Rae1 Bf6
Because of his shortage of space, it is essential for Black to
exchange pieces.
19.Bh6 Ng7 20.Re2? Qd8

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A sensible decision was to organize a blockade on the dark squares:
20...Bh4 21.Nd1 ( 21.Nf5 gxf5 22.gxf5 f6 ) 21...f6 22.Nf2 Qe7 and
hold by drawing in his defenders.
21.Rg2 Ra7 22.Kh1 Bh4
Polugaevsky has been able to stabilize the situation and after
23.Bxg7?
he was not worse.
23...Kxg7
By playing only on one flank, the stronger side cannot employ the
principle of two weaknesses. Knowing this, Black defends with all
his might.

Question:What plan should White pursue if he wishes to win the

game?
SOLUTION

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24.Nf5+
Sacrificing the knight on f5 is a standard method of attack in
Spanish positions. To take or not to take – that is the question.
24...Kg8?!
Correct was 24...Bxf5 25.exf5, counting not only on equalizing, but
even on an advantage: 25...Bg5, taking control of the dark squares (
25...Qg5= ), 26.Qc2 Rh8 27.Nd1 Bf4 28.Nf2 – the weaker side has
constructed a blockade and will in the future prepare the move ...h7-
h5.
25.Qh6 Bf6
Now he should have gone for simplification with 25...Bxf5 26.gxf5
Bf6, followed by ...Bg7, defending against all of the white threats.
26.Rfg1?
Bukhuti Gurgenidze was a very strong GM in Soviet times, but here
he plays incorrectly. In attacking the king, one must employ the
appropriate methods: 26.Rg3!.
26...Bh8?
Going totally passive is the decisive mistake. The move 26...Bxf5
looks logical, ensuring his pieces additional space and in the process
eliminating the annoying intruder, 27.gxf5 Bg7=.
27.Nd1
The knight prepares to join the attack.
27...f6 28.Nde3 Bg7 29.Nxg7 Rxg7 30.Nf5 Rgf7 31.g5
And gradually the play opens up on the kingside.
31...Qc7 32.h4 fxg5 33.Rxg5 Rf6 34.Rxg6+ hxg6 35.Rxg6+ Rxg6
36.Qxg6+ Kh8 37.Qh6+ Kg8 38.Qg5+ Kh8 39.Ne7 1-0
In positions with spatial advantage, three types of pawn structures
can arise.

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The first type includes pawn structures in which there is no contact
between pawns; for example, Hedgehog-type positions.
We will first look at a diagram position from my 1993 game against
Kramnik after move 10. We will have a closer look at the game
further below.

Kramnik-Tiviakov, Belgrade 1993,after move 10

In order to successfully defend in such configurations, firstly, you

need to be patient and prepare the liberating advances ...d7-d5
and/or ...b6-b5; secondly, do not allow weaknesses to appear, do not
create ‘hooks’ for your opponent that he can attack.
I will tell you in detail about the purposes of getting into passive
positions in another chapter. And now I will briefly say that if we
still unintentionally find ourselves in them, then we must
painstakingly defend ourselves and wait... for the opponent to start
doing something aggressive.
In Hedgehog positions, Black has no obvious weaknesses, so White
must take some bold steps.

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Question: What kind of winning game plans can you name? Which
one is the most effective?
SOLUTION
For example, the idea f2-f4/e4-e5 does not lead to the set goal,
because after the exchange of pawns dxe5 fxe5, White has a
weakness on the e5-square. But f4 on its own, without the move e5,
helps to capture space. Then, according to the situation, White plays
g4-g5 or h4-h5. To achieve victory by attacking the enemy king,
White will need to play a risky game, but not all chess players are
ready to do it.
My game with Vladimir Kramnik was played at the highest level. I
was in the prime of my life and in 1993 I qualified for the
Candidates matches.
English Opening
Vladimir Kramnik
Sergei Tiviakov
Belgrade 1993
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 Be7 6.Nc3 0-0 7.Re1
c5 8.e4 Nc6 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Rc8 11.b3 a6 12.Bb2 d6 13.Rc1
Re8 14.h3 Bf8

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Question:Offer an assessment of this position.
SOLUTION
Black has a passive position and hopes to overcome his difficulties
with the help of stubborn defence.
15.Rc2 Nxd4 16.Qxd4 Qc7 17.Rd2 Bc6 18.Ba3 Red8
I maintain patience and look for breaks that will free me from my
opponent’s shackles.
19.Red1

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Question:Which move can I make in this position (but unfortunately
did not play) which Stockfish very much likes?
SOLUTION
One must consider breaks. Should it be ...d5 or ...b5 ?
19...Qb7
19...b5 20.cxb5 axb5 21.Bb4 and White has a minimal advantage,
but Black has a defensible position.
20.Qe3 Ne8
20...b5 was again possible, even at the cost of sacrificing a pawn.
21.Bb4 Rb8 22.a4 Rdc8 23.Rd3 Qc7

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Because I have delayed with ...b5, my position lacks counterplay.
Question:What do you think the computer recommends here?
Probably I was lucky that Kramnik refrained from the variation.
SOLUTION
24.Qd2
Since my queenside is completely covered, 24.g4 seems like
absolutely the only ambitious game plan. If Black waits then White
continues g5 and h2-h4-h5, trying to further create weaknesses in
the opponent’s position.
True, throughout my chess career I won many difficult, frankly
hopeless positions: the enemy launched an attack with pawns in
front of his king, thereby weakening him, and the side ‘in distress ’
had counterchances.
24...Qb7 25.Kh2 Qa8 26.f4 Qb7 27.f5?

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I can force a draw.
Question: Find how.
Hint: Black plays a series of active moves, breaking out from his
passive position and then either equalizing or even seizing the
initiative.
SOLUTION
27...exf5 28.exf5 Bxg2 29.Qxg2 Qxg2+ 30.Kxg2
It was essential to include
30...a5
.
There followed:
31.Ba3 d5
Because the bishop on a3 is hanging, Black escapes from his
unenviable position: he gets in ...d5 in a correct form.

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32.Bxf8 dxc4 33.bxc4 Kxf8 34.Rd4 ½-½
Patience brings salvation. Black, like an alligator on the hunt, waited
for his moment, and then took advantage of his opponent’s mistake
and made a draw.
I would like to tell you about another fighting method that I often
use in passive positions: ‘cutting off the opponent’s most advanced
central pawn’. It means the following: the weaker side is obliged to
prevent the possibility of the enemy strengthening his centre with
neighbouring pawns: to play around, flow around it.
King’s Indian Defence
Anton Kovalyov (2623)
Sergei Tiviakov (2621)
Bogota 2010
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.d4 Bg7 6.0-0 0-0 7.d5
Na6
The black knight intends to continue its development to the square
c5, so as to take control of e4.
8.Nc3 Nc5 9.Bf4 a5 10.Rc1 Nh5

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A situation has arisen that rarely occurs in my practice: I did not
make a single pawn move along the c-, d-, e-, f- files. The engine
shows that White is slightly better, but Black’s position is solid.
Task: Follow the operations of the two sides for the rest of the
game.
11.Be5 Bh6 12.e3 d6 13.Bf4 Bg7 14.g4 Nxf4 15.exf4 e6 16.Re1
exd5 17.cxd5 Qd7 18.h3 Rfe8 19.Rxe8+ Rxe8 20.Nd4 Qe7
21.Qd2 Ba6 22.Ndb5 Bxb5 23.Nxb5 Qe2 24.Qxe2 Rxe2 25.Bf1
Rxb2 26.a3 f5 27.f3 Kf7 28.Re1 Nb3 29.Re2 Rb1 30.Rc2 Nc5
31.Kg2 Bb2 32.Bc4 Bc1 33.Nxc7 Bxf4 34.Ne6 Be3 35.f4 b5
36.Ba2 Ra1 37.Kf3 Bg1 38.gxf5 gxf5 39.Nd8+ Kf8 40.Nc6 a4
41.Nb4 Nb3 42.Rc8+ Kg7 43.Rc7+ Kh6 44.Bxb3 axb3 45.Nd3
Rxa3 46.Ke2 Ra2+ 47.Kd1 Bd4 48.Rc6 Ra1+ 49.Kd2 b2
50.Rxd6+ Kh5 51.Nxb2 Bxb2 52.Rd7 Kg6 53.Rd6+ Bf6 54.Rb6
Ra4 55.Ke3 Re4+ 56.Kf3 b4 57.d6 Rd4 58.Ke3 Kf7 59.Rb7+ Ke6
60.Rxh7 Rxd6 61.Rb7 Bd4+ 62.Kd3 Rb6 0-1
To consolidate the method of playing ‘cutting off support’, I offer
you another game of mine for your consideration.

376
Task: Watch how Black first surrounds the enemy centre and then
destroys it.
Queen’s Indian Defence
Loek van Wely
Sergei Tiviakov
Gausdal 1992
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7

Why do I, being an experienced classical grandmaster, sometimes

agree to passive positions? My calculation is this: against less
experienced opponents, I use a strategy of psychological
provocation, hoping for their activity: what if they don’t want to
make a draw with me? And if they get carried away with the process
of playing to win, I take the initiative. I will not hide that such
adventurous conclusions can lead to extreme situations, because
capturing the centre in most cases brings its owner an advantage: I
have to act very carefully so as not to be defeated.
6.0-0 0-0 7.Nc3 Na6 8.d5

377
I have reached this position many times. For example, in my game
against Yuri Razuvaev, where I sacrificed the exchange on e3 in the
style of Petrosian.
Additional task: Look through this game.
Razuvaev-Tiviakov, Rostov-on-Don 1993:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.Nc3 0-0 7.d5 Bb4
8.Bd2 Na6 9.0-0 Nc5 10.Ne1 Re8 11.Nc2 Bxc3 12.Bxc3 exd5
13.cxd5 Nce4 14.Ne3 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Rxe3 16.fxe3 d6 17.Qd4 Nd7
18.Rf4 Qe7 19.Raf1 Ne5 20.Be4 Rf8 21.Bd3 Bc8 22.Qe4 g6 23.Rf6
Kg7 24.c4 Bd7 25.h4 Qxf6 26.Rxf6 Kxf6 27.Qd4 Re8 28.Kf2 Kg7
29.Ke1 f6 30.Kd2 Ng4 31.e4 Ne5 32.Qc3 Re7 33.Qa3 a5 34.Qb2
Nf7 35.Bc2 Re5 36.Qa3 Kf8 37.Ba4 Bg4 38.Qd3 Ke7 39.c5 dxc5
40.Qb5 Nd6 41.Qc6 Kd8 42.Bc2 Bc8 43.Qa8 g5 44.Qc6 gxh4
45.gxh4 Rh5 46.e5 fxe5 47.Qa4 e4 48.Qb3 Bb7 49.Qc3 Bxd5
50.Qf6+ Kd7 51.a4 Kc6 52.Qe7 Kb7 53.Kc3 Bc6 54.Kb2 c4
55.Kc3 Nc8 56.Qf6 Rc5 57.Qh6 Ne7 58.Qxh7 Nd5+ 59.Kd4 c3
60.Bxe4 Nb4 61.Bg6 Bxa4 62.h5 c2 63.Bxc2 Bxc2 64.Qf7 a4 65.h6
a3 0-1.

378
Question:Find a strong move for Black that prevents White from
strengthening his centre.
SOLUTION
The basis of my plan is the method of cutting off the central pawn
d5 from the ‘base ’. Therefore, there is now a lively struggle for the
important square e4.
I have encountered this position in twelve games, in which I scored
75%, that is, 9 points, using the same method of play. Do you agree
that this is a good result for such a defensive situation?
Note that, unlike the previous game against Vladimir Kramnik, this
position refers to a different type of pawn structure. Previously, we
looked at a pattern without pawn contact, but this time exchanges
are possible, there are dynamics.
8...Bb4
8...Nc5? does not act against the c3-knight and White then gets a
decisive advantage: strategically Black’s position is very difficult.
9.Bd2
The player who has seized the centre tries to defend it. But Stockfish
shows that White should have exchanged 9.dxe6 and returned part
of the extra space: 9...dxe6 10.Qc2² with a normal opening position.
9...Nc5
Black continues his policy of cutting the d5-pawn off from its base.
Now this is already a very strong move.
10.Nh4 Re8
With each action, I exert pressure on the centre. Look how
harmoniously my pieces operate!
11.Rc1 a5 12.Re1 d6 13.Qc2 exd5
Black has successfully solved all of his opening problems.

379
14.Nxd5 Nxd5
The computer likes 14...Bxd5 15.cxd5 Nfe4=.
15.cxd5 Re5 16.e4 c6
This time I use the method of ‘breaking up the enemy centre ’ by
attacking the d5-pawn.
17.Bxb4 axb4 18.Nf3 Re8 19.dxc6
19.Nd4± .
19...Bxc6 20.e5
White has lost the thread of the game. Probably Van Wely has
already made a mistake somewhere, because after...
20...dxe5 21.Ng5 e4 22.Nxe4 Qe7
... Black suddenly obtains a large advantage on account of his
unending pressure on the centre, even after the white pawns have
quit the centre of the board.
23.Nd2 Qxe1+ 24.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 25.Nf1 Bxg2 26.Kxg2 Re4
27.Qd2 h6 28.b3 Re6 29.f3 Ra7 30.Kh3 Kh7 31.Ne3 Rd7
32.Qc2+ g6 33.Nc4 Rd5 34.f4 Nd3 35.Ne5 Nxe5 36.fxe5 Rdxe5
37.Qf2 Rf5 38.Qd2 Re4 39.Qd3 Rh5+ 40.Kg2 Rhe5 41.Qd6 Re6
42.Qd7 Kg7 43.Kf3 Re3+ 44.Kf2 Re2+ 45.Kf3 Rxh2 46.Qd4+
Rf6+ 0-1
I have also won other games in similar fashion.
Queen’s Indian Defence
Chandra Purnama Tirta (2380)
Sergei Tiviakov (2651)
Jakarta 2014
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.d5 Na6 7.0-0 0-
0 8.Nc3 Bb4 9.Bd2 Nc5 10.Nh4 Re8 11.Re1 d6 12.Rc1 a5
13.Nb5 exd5 14.cxd5 Nfe4

380
A familiar situation: the pawn on d5 is far from its support and I can
exploit this to force the opponent to weaken his position.
15.Bxb4 axb4 16.Qd4 b3 17.a3 Ra4
Again Black’s play is built on by-passing White’s pawn
fortifications.
18.Rc4 Rxc4 19.Qxc4 Qd7 20.Nd4 Re5 21.Nxb3 Bxd5 22.Nxc5
bxc5 23.Qc2 Re8=

381
Thus, the central problem is solved: it has been destroyed and the
black pieces have become active.
24.Rd1 Bc6 25.f3 Nf6 26.e4 g6 27.Bf1 Rb8 28.Bc4 Qe8 29.Ng2
Nd7 30.Kf2 Ne5 31.Rd2 Rxb2 32.Qxb2 Nxc4 33.Qc3 Nxd2
34.Qxd2 Qe5 35.Ne3 Qa1 36.Nc4 Qh1 37.Ke3 g5 38.g4 Qg1+
39.Ke2 h6 40.Qb2 Qxh2+ 41.Kd3 Qf4 42.Ke2 d5 43.exd5 0-1
Incidentally, White was not obliged to lose this game.
I used to play the Maroczy System as Black and because of the lack
of central control my pieces would often be placed on the last three
ranks.
Sicilian Defence
Nigel Short
Sergei Tiviakov
Douglas 1998
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6

382
Black does not have it any easier in the variation 6...Nxd4 7.Qxd4,
despite the exchange of a pair of knights: White has additional
opportunities due to the centralized queen.
7.Nc2
A dangerous continuation that I don’t like as Black. Mega Database
statistics point to the fact that after playing Short in this variation I
started to experience problems.

Question: Why is it considered one of the strongest lines for White?

SOLUTION
Without calculating any variations, simply based on chess
principles, it is clear that White prefers not to exchange pieces, in
order not to help his opponent solve his space problems.
7...Bg7 8.Be2 Nd7 9.Be3 Nc5 10.f3

383
In this original position, as well as the standard plan, there is an
interesting possibility to sharpen the play.
Question:My situation is not enviable, how can I escape from it?
SOLUTION
10...0-0
Let me remind you that this game took place back in 1998, when I
had to rely on my own analyses and ideas about chess. In the
twenty-first century, the computer exchanges bishop for knight:
10...Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 f6 12.0-0 Qa5, confident that the doubled
pawns will bring trouble to White, who will not be able to organize
a deadly attack on the king with the help of the two bishops.
11.0-0 a5
As a result, emerging from the opening I found myself in a passive
position. Black cannot do anything in the centre: the opponent has
complete control over it, so I plan to play a ‘bypassing ’ strategy.

384
12.Qd2 a4 13.Na3 Be6 14.Rad1 Qa5
Note that all of the pieces are on the board and not a single one has
been exchanged.
15.Nab5 Rfc8 16.f4 f6 17.f5 Bf7
The bishop has to move back.
18.Qc2 Nd7
But we have the possibility of controlling e5.
19.Qb1 Nce5 20.b3 axb3 21.axb3 Qd8
Black’s position is very restrained, but is prepared to repel attacks.
22.Nd5

Question:Which strong move should be played in this position?

Hint: The solution is similar to what I used earlier in the game
against Vladimir Kramnik.
SOLUTION

385
In the Maroczy System, a business partnership between the black
queen and bishop is often concluded: Qf8/Bh6.
22...Bxd5 23.exd5 Qf8 24.Nd4 Bh6 25.Bf2 Kh8
White can put the knight on e6, but I organized my game in such a
way that I can act around it without paying attention to it. We saw
the same thing in the game against Anton Kovalev, in which I gave
the centre to my opponent.
26.Qc2 Qf7 27.g3 Ra5 28.Qb2 Rca8 29.Ra1 Qg8 30.Rxa5 Rxa5
31.Ra1 Qa8 32.Rxa5 Qxa5
White maintains pressure throughout the game. He stands better due
to his control of the middle of the board, but he cannot win because
there are no weaknesses in my position.
33.fxg6 hxg6 34.b4 Qa8 35.Nb5 b6
I prevent the move 36.c5. And now a tough struggle arose with
many mistakes on both sides:
36.Nd4 Kg8 37.h4 Qc8 38.Qc2 Qa6 39.Kg2 Qa3 40.Nc6 Kf8
41.h5 Be3 42.hxg6 Bxf2 43.Kxf2 Kg7 44.Nxe7 Qxb4 45.Nf5+
Kxg6 46.Nxd6+ Kg7 47.Nf5+ Kf8 48.Kf1 Ke8 49.d6 Kd8
50.Qe4 Qa4 51.Ne7 Qa3 52.Qd5 Nf8 53.Nc6+ Nxc6 54.Qxc6
Qc5 55.Qa8+ Qc8 56.Qe4 Qd7 57.c5 Qh3+ 58.Kf2 Qh2+ 59.Kf1
Qh3+ 60.Kf2 Qh2+ 61.Ke3 Qxg3+ 62.Kd2 Qg5+ 63.Kd3 Ng6
64.Qa8+ Kd7 65.Qb7+ Ke6 66.Qc8+ Kf7 67.Qc7+ Ke6 68.Qc8+
Kf7 69.Kc2 Ne5 70.Qb7+ Ke6 71.Qxb6

386
White has at his disposal not only an extra pawn, but also well-
advanced passed pawns. However, after the correct move, the
position is a draw. But I went wrong and lost.
Question:Play better than me.
SOLUTION
71...Qg2?
71...Kd5 and White can’t strengthen his position because 72.d7
Qf5+ 73.Kc3 Qh3+ 74.Kb4 Qxd7 is equal.
72.Qb3+ Kf5 73.Qe3 Ke6 74.Kc3 Qh1 75.Kb4 1-0
Now let us examine a game with a different pawn structure.
Queen’s Indian Defence
Roman Lovkov (2424)
Sergei Tiviakov (2674)
St Petersburg 2012

387
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 d5 6.c4 c6 7.Nc3 Be7
I specially chose the Queen’s Indian Defence, to reach complicated
play with the pawns on b6, c6, d5, e6.
8.Nd2

The strongest continuation, leading to the assessment ‘White is a

little better ’ after the move 9.e4. At the same time, Black’s position
remains very strong due to his lack of weaknesses.
8...0-0 9.e4 Na6 10.e5 Nd7

388
Question:If White does not take on d5, what counterplay does Black
get?
SOLUTION
11.cxd5
The opponent has a dynamic position with a spatial advantage:
pawn exchanges are possible. White wants to relieve the tension in
the centre, so 11.cxd5 is a typical strongest response. With 11.a3
Nc7 12.Re1 Re8 you need to look every time to see if the 12...c5
attack, which creates unwanted counterplay, works.
11...cxd5
Despite the fact that the computer gives White a large advantage, I
very often go into these positions with Black and achieve good
results. For a strong and proactive opponent who knows how to
carry out an attack correctly and at the same time adheres to certain
chess principles, losing under certain conditions is a likely forecast.

389
This has happened to me more than once, but I continue to
optimistically believe in the possibilities of defence and hope for the
human factor, for the opponent to make a mistake.

Question:What should be the plans of both sides with a stable

centre?
SOLUTION
First of all, the opponents must decide who will play in which part
of the board. The spatial advantage motivates White to develop the
attack as quickly as possible. Black will attack on the queenside.
12.a3 Nc7 13.Nf3 b5
We both start advancing our pawns.
14.h4 a5 15.Ne2 Ba6 16.Re1 a4 17.Bg5 Nb6 18.Nf4 b4 19.axb4
Bc4

390
Question:What do you think is the strongest move?
SOLUTION
20.Bf1?
Until this moment, White has played correctly and he still has +1.14
– the advantage is not decisive, but big. As for me, I have defended,
stuck to a certain plan and have not made a single move on the
kingside.
Point to note:Do not make moves on the part of the board where
your opponent is playing, otherwise you will create a ‘hook’ for him
and thereby contribute to his attack.
My play was entirely focused on another part of the board. Over the
past time, I have not worsened the assessment of the position, which
indicates that there is a large margin of safety in it. And when you
play such positions for a long time, you begin to believe in their
hidden resources and do not panic. Defend yourself confidently if
necessary, and do not make impulsive decisions.
391
Point to note:If you start ‘twitching’ and ‘seeing ghosts’, your
opponent will quickly beat you.
The strongest move 20.Nh5 is not easy to find. The idea is to
sacrifice the knight on f6. Against this, Stockfish recommends
playing 20...Ne8 to take control of the f6-square. Then White plays
21.Qd2, increasing the pressure.
20...h6! 21.Bxe7 Qxe7 22.Nh5³
The white attack starts to fade.
22...Rfb8
It was possible bravely to take the pawn: 22...Qxb4 23.Nh2 Rfb8
24.Ng4 Ne8 25.Bxc4? + ( 25.Bh3³ ).
23.Nh2 Ne8
Black can start to play to take over the initiative, if his opponent
delays in carrying out his attack on the king: 23...Bxf1 24.Kxf1 Ne8
25.Ng4 Qxb4µ.
24.Ng4 Bxf1 25.Kxf1 Qxb4 26.Kg2 Nc4 27.Ne3 Nxb2 28.Qg4
Black has a won position due to the extra pawn. But while realizing
my advantage, I made mistakes, and the game ended in a draw:
28...Qe7 29.Rec1 a3 30.Ra2 Nd3 31.Rca1 Rb2 32.Nc2 Nxf2
33.Kxf2 Rc8 34.Rxa3 Rcxc2+ 35.Ke3 Qc7 36.Nf4 Rc3+ 37.Nd3
Rbb3 38.Rxb3 Rxb3 39.Qd1 Qc4? 40.Ra8 Kf8 41.Ra5 h5? 42.Rc5
Qb4 43.Qc1 Qa3? 44.Qd1 g6 45.Rc8 Rc3? 46.Rb8 Qa2 47.Qf1
Qc2 48.Rb7 Rc7? 49.Rb8 Rc8? 50.Rb7 Rc7 51.Rb8 Qc3? 52.Qf6
Rc8 53.Qh8+ Ke7 54.Rb7+ Rc7 55.Rb8 Rc8 56.Rb7+ Rc7 57.Rb8
Rc8 58.Rb7+ Rc7 ½-½
Queen’s Indian Defence
Seyed Khalil Mousavi (2425)
Sergei Tiviakov (2611)
Mashhad 2016

392
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 e6 5.0-0 c6 6.d4 d5 7.Nc3 Be7
8.Nd2 0-0 9.e4 Na6 10.e5 Nd7 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.f4 Nc7

13.f5?
Young players have energy to spare, and with its help they are eager
to beat the ‘old’ chess players.

Question: Based on what chess principles is this aggressive attack

bad?
SOLUTION
The last move is a typical mistake of young players, such as my
opponent from Iran. White has not brought out his bishop, but is
going for concrete play, hoping to attack the enemy king. This
course of events usually benefits the side that has an advantage in
development. A reasonable solution was to improve the position of
the knight – 13.Nf3 with further activation of the bishop on c1, so
that later, after the preliminary g4, he can prepare f5. In this case,
White would retain a slight advantage.

393
Question:How do I play to open up the position and take the
initiative?
SOLUTION
13...exf5
An essential inclusion.
14.Rxf5 f6!

394
Question:Find the strictly only move to maintain the balance.
SOLUTION
Perhaps I should not be quite so categorical in saying ‘only ’, but it
is certainly the most accurate in the position.
15.Qb3?
15.exf6 Nxf6 16.Rf1 and then 17.Nf3=. Notice how White has lost
his centre?
Point to note:A player who starts active play, even with a lack of
‘power’, usually continues to overestimate his position.
15...Kh8
I decided to retain pressure in the centre. 15...fxe5 leads to 16.Nxd5
Bxd5 17.Bxd5+ Nxd5 18.Qxd5+ Kh8 19.Rxf8+ Nxf8 20.Qxd8
Rxd8 21.dxe5 Ne6 22.Nb3 and 22...Rd5=.
16.exf6 Bxf6 17.Nf3 g6
White finds himself in a difficult position.
395
Point to note:When forced to find the only move, most players go
wrong.
18.Rf4?
In my opinion he should have sacrificed the exchange for the
initiative with 18.Rxf6! Qxf6 19.Bh6, winning an additional tempo.
18...Ne6
19.Rxf6 Qxf6 20.Be3 g5µ.
19.Rg4

Black needs to settle on a plan.

Question:Can we trap the white rook?
SOLUTION
19...g5
Playing for domination. After any other move, White can ‘spread
his wings ’. For example, 19...Kg7 with the idea ...h5 20.Qc2²;

396
19...Qe8 20.Bh6 Bg7 and the rook can no longer be caught;
19...Rg8 20.Bh6+ .
20.h4 gxh4 21.gxh4 Bg7 22.Bg5 Nf6 23.Ne5 Nxg4 24.Bxd8
Nxd4 25.Qd1 Nxe5 26.Bc7 Ndf3+ 27.Kh1 d4 28.Bxe5 Bxe5
29.Ne2 Rg8 30.Nf4 Raf8 0-1
Catalan Opening
Upadhyaya Anwesh (2386)
Sergei Tiviakov (2609)
Haren/Groningen 2016
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 c6 7.Qc2
My game against this Indian chess player features the Catalan. It
took place relatively recently, and I still remember my feelings. Due
to the fact that the opponent was inferior to me in age and rating, I
abandoned the idea of going for the main variations leading to
equality, but I also could not imagine that I would find myself in a
‘+8.00 ’ position, in which, however, I did not see a specific win.
7...b6 8.Nbd2 Bb7 9.e4 Na6

397
As you already know, this plan, associated with moving the knight
to c7, is my favourite. In this variation I have had five games,
including against serious professionals such as Andrei Istratescu,
Das Debashis and Nikolay Kopylov.
Next, I stick to a wait-and-see strategy...
10.a3
... and if I am playing with a strong player, I accept a draw as a
reasonable result.
10...Nc7
The move 10...c5 leads to exchanges in the centre: 11.exd5 exd5
12.dxc5 Nxc5 13.b4 Ne6 14.Bb2 dxc4 15.Nxc4, and agreement to a
draw. Therefore, I deliberately rejected the strongest move in order
to preserve the pieces on the board, and with them the creative
potential of the game.
11.Rd1
White has completely seized the centre.
11...a5 12.b3

398
In such positions I always hope that my opponent will play 12.e5.
Then after 12...Nd7 I have the possibility of playing ...c5. If 12.cxd5
cxd5 13.e5 Nd7, I can start play on the queenside, as in one of the
previous examples.
12...Rc8 13.Bb2 Re8 14.Rac1
Point to note:If the atmosphere in the centre is tense, be patient:
with such tension, you cannot start playing on the flank.
14...Bf8 15.Ne5 Na6
We need to await our chance in the shape of a mistake from the
opponent.
16.Qd3 g6 17.Re1 Bg7 18.Rcd1 Rc7 19.Qf1 Qa8 20.Nd3 dxe4
It was also possible to wait with this exchange in the centre.
21.Nxe4 Nxe4 22.Bxe4 Rd8 23.Ne5 Nb8 24.Qe2±
24...Nd7?

399
In order to achieve victory in positions where there are objectively
no indicators for playing for a win, I resort to a method of play
called ‘provoking the opponent’. This is psychological advice ‘on
the verge of a foul’, the essence of which is that at some point the
opponent may become more ambitious and zealously desire the
whole point.
Question:Suggest an alternative move to 24...Nd7.
SOLUTION
It was necessary to continue passive defence, e.g. 24...Re7 or
24...Re8.

Question:Find a win for White.

SOLUTION
25.Nxf7 Kxf7 26.Bxg6+
A non-obvious exchange sacrifice.
26...Kg8
400
26...Kxg6 loses immediately because of 27.Qg4+. Black, so as to
win, steps onto very shaky ground.
27.d5?
White needed to make a series of four moves in a row: 27.Bf7+ Kh8
28.d5+ . My opponent performed the same steps on the board, but
in a different order, and this opens up a chance for Black to make a
single move and win.

Question:Find that move.

SOLUTION
27...Nf8
The assessment of the position is close to ‘-2.00 + ’.
On 27...e5 there would have followed 28.d6 Rcc8 29.Bf5 – Black’s
pieces are stranded on the queenside and cannot oppose the deadly
30.Qh5.
28.d6 Rcd7 29.Bh5 c5
401
Another accurate move.
30.Bxg7 Rxg7 31.Bg4 Qc8 32.Rd3 Rg6 33.Red1 Qd7 34.h4 Qg7
35.Bh3 Bc6
After this I win a piece, although it may appear at first sight that
White has compensation.
36.Re3 Qf7 37.Bg4 Qf6 38.Kh2 Kh8 39.Bh3 e5 40.d7 e4 41.Bg2
Rxd7 42.Rxd7 Bxd7 43.Bxe4 Rg7 44.Bd5 Bg4 45.Qe1 Bh5
46.Re4 Nd7 47.Rf4 Qd6 48.Qc3 Bg6 49.Rf3 h5 50.Re3 Qf6
51.Qe1 Kh7 52.Qe2 Qd4 53.Re4 Qa1 54.Re6 Nf6 55.Bf3 Rf7
56.a4 Qd4 57.Re7 Kg7 58.Re6 Ng4+ 59.Kg2 Bd3 60.Qe1 Bf1+
61.Kxf1 Rxf3 62.Re7+ Rf7 63.Qe2 Qf6 64.Rxf7+ Kxf7 65.Kg2
Qf5 66.Qd2 Qe4+ 67.Kg1 Nf6 68.Qc3 Qe2 69.Qc1 Qd3 70.Qb2
Ke6 71.Kg2 Qe4+ 72.Kg1 Ng4 73.Qd2 Nf6 74.Qd1 Qd4
75.Qe2+ Kf5 76.Qf3+ Kg6 77.Kh2 Qe4 78.Qc3 Qe2 79.Kg2
Qxf2+ 0-1
This was an exemplary job from the point of view of playing the
waiting game in cramped positions.
I also consider it useful to analyse another game of mine, played
against an Azeri grandmaster (who, by the way, is about half my
age), since a characteristic feature of the Scandinavian Defence is a
passive position for Black and a clear spatial advantage for White.
Vugar Rasulov (2483)
Sergei Tiviakov (2623)
Rasht 2011
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.g3 Bf5
7.Bg2 e6 8.0-0 h6
Black’s last move is directed at preserving the light-squared bishop
with the retreat 9... Bh7 if White plays 9.Nh4.
9.Ne5 Be7 10.Bf4 Qd8

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Question: How should White play for an advantage?
SOLUTION
Black has a passive but solid position: he has no weaknesses and
does not lag behind in development. White, in order to gain an
advantage and maintain it, needs to play intelligently. Otherwise,
the advantage of +0.33² will evaporate over time.
11.g4
The computer likes my young opponent’s plan. If White wants to
achieve something significant, then he cannot do without this move,
although one could start with 11.h3 and g4 or 11.Qe2, and then
continue with 12.Rad1.
11...Bh7 12.h3 Nbd7 13.Qe2 0-0 14.Bg3 Nb6
Despite everything, I try to make useful developing moves.
15.Rad1 Rc8 16.a3 a5 17.Rfe1 Bd6 18.h4
White begins to attack. Yes, it can be dangerous for my king, but in
my chess career I have encountered such positions many times, and
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it is not news to me that the opponent can suddenly start playing for
a win.
18...Nfd5
18...Nbd5 was objectively stronger.
19.Ne4 Bxe4 20.Bxe4 f5
It is all very risky – concrete play aimed at seizing the initiative now
begins.
21.Bf3 f4 22.Bh2 Bxe5 23.Qxe5 Qxh4 24.Qxe6+ Kh8
White is still better but now Black gets some chances.
25.Qg6 Qf6

A psychological moment: the enemy has ‘pounced’ on me, but I am

defending myself and want to go to the endgame.
Question:Do you think it is necessary to exchange queens in this
position?

404
 SOLUTION
This is a difficult question. Of course, you can’t figure it out at the
board so quickly, but only one move retains the opponent’s
advantage.
26.Qh5
If White keeps the queens on, it means that he will continue to play
for the attack. But does he have grounds for this in this position? I
don’t think so. But 26.Qxf6 Rxf6 retained a slight advantage for
him.
26...Qf7
It was worth considering immediately burying the bishop with
26...g5.
27.b3 a4 28.c4 Nf6 29.Qxf7 Rxf7 30.c5?
30.bxa4 Nxc4 31.Bxf4 Nd5 32.Bxd5 cxd5 33.Bc1 with
approximate equality, but possibilities for Black to play for a win.
30...Nbd5
A complicated endgame has been reached.
31.b4?
31.bxa4 Ra8 32.Rd3 Rxa4 33.Bd1 Ra8 34.Rh3 Kg8 35.Re5³.
31...g5
I have an outpost on d5 – in this position, knights are stronger than
bishops.
32.Re6 Kg7 33.Rde1 Nc7 34.Re7 Rxe7 35.Rxe7+ Kf8 36.Re5 Rd8
37.Rf5 Ke7 38.Re5+ Kf7 39.Bd1 Rxd4 40.Bxa4 Nxg4
Later I easily realized my advantage, because White has ‘lost ’ his
bishop and all of his pawns fall:
41.Re1 Rd3 42.Bd1 Nxh2 43.Kxh2 Rxa3 44.Bg4 Rb3 45.Bc8
Rxb4 46.Rd1 Nd5 47.Ra1 Ne7 48.Bg4 Rb5 49.Ra7 Kf6 50.Kg2

405
Ke5 51.Be2 Rb2 52.Bg4 Kd4 53.Ra5 Ng6 54.Bc8 Ne5 55.Kg1
Nd3 0-1
What did I have to go through to achieve victory? At a certain
moment, I gave the opponent play and in response he began to
aggressively push his kingside pawns, then Black tried to exploit the
weaknesses of White’s position and gradually outplayed his
opponent.
I defended the same opening and variation, the same passive type of
position in a meeting against a more high-class opponent, a
grandmaster from Poland, now living in the United States.
Bartlomiej Macieja (2600)
Sergei Tiviakov (2686)
Wolvega 2008
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.g3 Bg4
This time I avoided the risky move 6...Bf5, which allows White to
launch an immediate attack on the kingside, due to the fact that the
bishop on f5 comes under tempo. And although I seem to be a
conservative chess player, my approach still varies depending on the
strength of my opponent. If a professional in his intellectual field
sits opposite me, then I try to play more solidly, because coming
under a direct attack from a 2600+ grandmaster is more likely to
lead to a loss. Therefore, I prefer to observe some safety measures.
7.Bg2 e6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Bf4 Qd8 10.h3 Bh5
A bit of a provocative move: it is not easy for White to get rid of the
pin, so he must show his aggressive character. For your information,
a drawish game arises after the exchange on the f3-square, then
castling and a transition to similar positions discussed in other
chapters of my books on the two bishops and half-open lines.
11.g4
White weakens the position of his king and I hope that this will later
give me some winning chances.
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11...Bg6 12.Ne5 Nfd7
Objectively stronger is 12...Nbd7.

By way of an informational reference: I encountered this position in

several games. In three – against strong grandmasters: Vladimir
Baklan, Bartolomei Macieja and Daniel Alsina Leal. And according
to their total results, I scored one and a half points.
From a computer point of view, White has ‘+0.70± ’; over time the
score grows to ‘+0.90± ’, a noticeable positional advantage. But due
to the fact that Black has no weaknesses, it is not easy for White to
break through the passive enemy position.
13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.Ne4
All of Black’s pieces are on the last two ranks, so an objective
assessment of the position is ‘White has a big advantage ’.
14...Nf6 15.Nc5

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An important psychological moment.
Question:Indicate the strongest move for Black.
SOLUTION
15...b6
I am proud that I played this and I think this game is one of my best.
Point to note:If we see an interesting sacrifice of material, and it is
clear to us that accepting it will lead to negative consequences for
the opponent, then first of all we need to go for this option, because
in nine cases out of ten the player’s aggressive instinct will work.
Inferior alternatives include 15...Bxc5?, leading to a hopeless
position, since White has an outpost at his disposal on the d6-
square; and 15...Nd5, a serious positional error – 16.Bg3 and then
c4 with dynamics in the centre.
As I expected, White swallows the bait. But any of my opponents,
with a high probability, at the sight of such a position, will be

408
mentally indignant: ‘Is it possible to play chess like that?! No
respect: he has given away the advantage of two bishops, activity,
the centre... we must punish him. ’ But for me this is a normal,
typical way of playing.

Question:How should White have played from the point of view of

maintaining an advantage?
SOLUTION
The strongest move was psychologically very difficult. It
represented not just a refusal of the material gift, but a kind of
‘counter-gambit ’, a counter-sacrifice of one’s own pawn. Is it easy
for a responsible chess player to do this?
The correct answer is 16.Nd3, taking control of the f4-square. In
turn, I would take the hanging pawn without hesitation: 16...Qxd4.
After 17.c3 Qd8 18.Qe2 0-0 19.Rfd1 Qc8 20.h4, the computer’s
rating (+1.60±) does not reflect the real danger of the position: there
are no weaknesses in my formation, the position is defensible; and
409
in order to break through Black’s defence, White needs to play very
accurately.
Other options did not benefit the opponent, e.g. 16.Nb3 Nd5 17.Bg3
Bd6 and placing the bishop on f4; or 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 and the
pawn on h3 is a headache for White.
16...Rxb8 17.Bxc6+
Question:Guess the assessment after the exchange.
17...Kf8³
Therefore he should have preferred 17.Nd3 Qxd4 18.Bxc6+ Kf8
19.Qf3 Bd6 20.c3 Qc4=.
18.Na6
18.Nd3 Rxh3 and the enemy king suddenly comes under attack:
19.Kg2 Rh4 20.Ne5 Bd6³.
18...Rc8 19.Bg2
From the very beginning, I aimed for this position, because I was
sure that my opponent would take the ‘free cheese ’. As a payback,
he will now have to come to terms with the transfer of the initiative
to Black, due to the stranding of the knight on a6. I already
understood that I was not risking anything: the game is only for two
results. Meanwhile, the computer in its calculations (0.00) sees a
‘move by move ’ defence, which involves saving the wayward
knight.
19...Nd5
Three in one: an attack on the king, opposite-coloured bishops and
an outpost.
20.c3 Nf4
The square f4 is a wonderful post for my knight, whilst its opposite
number has no way to come back into the game from a6. If it jumps
to b4 then it will be immediately exchanged.

410
21.Qf3 Bd6 22.Rfe1 g5 23.Re3 g6 24.Qb7
Question:Suggest Black’ s next step.
Note that even though the white bishop is on a long open diagonal,
it is extremely bad because it basically does nothing. And it would
be a great crime to exchange it for my beautiful knight.
Point to note:Appreciate your good pieces and don’t exchange
them.
24...Kg7!
Improving the position of my king.
25.Qxa7?
My opponent goes after a second pawn, but it is obvious that taking
it is bad. Those who know me well appreciate that I simply do not
make such sacrifices.
Question: Find a forced positional win for Black.
Hint: Why did Black play 24...Kg7 ?
The rook stands on the h-file, exerting pressure on the enemy pawn,
but it is defended and there is no way to bring any more force to
bear on it.
25...Re8
Such moves often fail to get spotted! I threaten to trap the queen
after the exchange on g2, by means of ...Re7.
26.Qb7 Re7
The queen joins the centre with an additional attack on the knight.
27.Qe4 Ra7
What an interesting rook route: h8-e8-e7-a7! Usually it is difficult to
accomplish in passive positions, but due to the fact that I got rid of
the pawns on c6 and a7, I had space to manoeuvre my pieces.
This forces the move
28.Nb4

411
.
On 28.Bf1 Black wins immediately with 28...Rca8.
28...Bxb4 29.cxb4 Rc4
The position is strategically winning for Black on account of the
strong knight on f4, and soon I will improve the pawn count.
30.Ra3 Rac7?
Up until this point I had been very happy with my creative play.
Unfortunately, when I came to my hotel room after the game and
analysed it, I discovered that I had not seen 30...Rxa3 31.bxa3 Rxd4
32.Qe5+ f6 33.Qb5 Rd3 with a decisive advantage due to the attack
on White’s king: 34.Re1 Nxg2 35.Kxg2 Qa8+ 36.Kh2 and a small
combination at the end: 36...Rxh3+ 37.Kxh3 Qf3+ 38.Kh2 Qxf2+
39.Kh3 Qxe1.
31.Rc3
After my missed chance the position becomes less clear.
31...Kh7 32.Rxc4 Rxc4 33.Rd1 Rxb4 34.b3 Qc7 35.Bf1 Nd5
36.Qe1 b5 37.Qd2 Qe7 38.Re1 Qa7 39.Rd1 Qe7 40.Bg2 Nf4
41.Kf1 e5 42.Qe3 Qa7 43.dxe5 Qxa2 44.Bd5 Qc2 45.Qd2 Qxd2
46.Rxd2 Kg7 47.f3 Kf8 48.Kf2 Nxh3+ 49.Ke3 Nf4 50.Kf2 Ke7
51.Rd1 Nxd5 52.Rxd5 Rxb3 53.Rd6 b4 54.Rb6 Rb1 55.Ke3 b3
56.Kf2 b2 57.Kg2 Kd7 58.Kh2 Kc7 59.Rb3 Kc6 60.Kg2 Kd5
61.Rb5+ Ke6 62.Kh2 Rf1 63.Rxb2 Rxf3 64.Kg2 Rf4 65.Kg3
Kxe5 66.Rb5+ Kf6 67.Rb6+ Kg7 68.Rb7 Rd4 69.Ra7 Rd3+
70.Kg2 Rc3 71.Kf2 Rc4 72.Kf3 Rf4+ 73.Kg3 Kh6 74.Ra8 f5
75.gxf5 gxf5
White resigned.
In the end, I won this game, but after so many adventures!
We have come to the end of this chapter and it is time to draw
conclusions.
So, being in a passive, cramped position, a chess player should
strive:
412
 1) to exchange in order to increase the space for the movement of
his own pieces;
2) to play only on one part of the board;
3) to avoid weaknesses in one’s own position.
In addition, it is important to determine the type of pawn structure in
the centre: whether there is contact between the pawns or not.
We looked at games against Vladimir Kramnik, Bartlomiej Macieja
and Vugar Rasulov, in which there was direct pawn contact. If it
exists on a permanent basis, and the opponent starts playing
somewhere on the flank, then we must counterattack in the centre.
When the pawn structure becomes stable in the centre and the
weaker side has no opportunity to create tension there, it is
necessary to counterattack on that part of the board where the
opponent is not playing.
Practice shows that we usually find ourselves in passive positions
when the opponent has caught us in the opening and/or it is
important for us to avoid forced sharp continuations (moving away
from the main lines often gives the opponent control over the
centre). It may happen that we are not in the mood for a concrete
sharp game, we do not feel ready to fight for the middle of the
board, we leave the centre, do not pretend to have a positional
advantage, and then try to defend ourselves. Then, being under the
pressure of spatial superiority, expect your opponent to play to win,
so you must defend well and confidently, play to seize the initiative,
taking advantage of the weaknesses or mistakes of the opposite side.
Do not forget that sometimes it is useful to provoke your opponent
into some specific actions: weakening the king or making sacrifices,
then under certain circumstances you will be able to win the game.
Be patient! And know this: patience brings skill.

413
Chapter 9
Flexibility with
castling
In my books, I try to choose topics that will be useful in practice. I
have noticed that castling issues are not discussed very often in
modern theory, and many of the world’s strongest players have
made and continue to make serious strategic mistakes when faced
with this complex topic.
Basic chess principles strongly recommend castling. But in this
chapter I want to disregard the generally accepted rules: to highlight
such situations on the board when we can approach this dilemma
flexibly (depending on which side our opponent has castled his
king), that is, to overcome the rigidity of dogma in order to achieve
good results.
As an aperitif, we will look at several positions from the work of
world champions, and then, for dessert, I will show several of my
‘delicious’ games, where I managed to take advantage of the non-
castling of my own king.
Sicilian Defence
Robert Byrne
Bobby Fischer
Sousse izt 1967
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3
b5 8.f4 Bb7 9.f5 e5 10.Nde2 Nbd7 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Ng3

414
In the second half of the twentieth century, the American
grandmaster and chess journalist Robert Byrne was a regular at both
Olympiads and Interzonal tournaments, and showed good results in
them. However, in this game he acted in a formulaic manner. By
this word I mean the typical development of the knight on the g3-
square with the aim of further advancing the f5-pawn. And in the
Sicilian Defence this plan would have worked like a charm if Black
had already castled.

Question:Let us think about this position and decide what Black can
do.
SOLUTION
12...Rc8
Bobby Fischer plays subtly, leaving his king in the centre.
13.0-0 h5

415
The main method of playing when not castled is to use the king’s
rook in the attack. Now, whatever he does, White inevitably loses
control over the centre. His position is extremely difficult: the
computer gives -2.00 +.
14.h4
A pawn that has become separated from its colleagues will hang in
many variations. It was not the best decision to make exchanges of
minor pieces: 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.Nd5 Bxd5 16.Bxd5 Qb6+ 17.Kh1
h4 18.Ne2 h3 +; or watch the development of events after 14.Qe2:
14...Rxc3 (a typical blow for the Sicilian Defence!) 15.bxc3 h4
16.Nh1 Nxe4 17.Bxe7 Qb6+ 18.Nf2 Kxe7 followed by ...Ndf6 –
the king on g1 is always in danger: there are tactical threats
associated with ...Ng3.
14...b4
The obvious reply, which was less strong earlier because of the
absence of a weak pawn on h4.
15.Bxf6?
Even worse was 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.Bxd5 Bxd5 17.Bxe7 Qxe7
18.Qxd5 Qxh4 19.Rf3 0-0 20.Qxd6 Rxc2 21.Qxd7 Rd8 22.Qa4
Rdd2 +.
15...Bxf6 16.Nd5 Bxh4 17.Nxh5 Qg5
Fischer starts an attack on the enemy king.
18.f6 g6
18...Rxh5 19.Rf5 Bf2+ 20.Kxf2 Qh4+ 21.Kg1 Qh2+ 22.Kf2 Rxf5+
23.exf5 Nxf6 winning material.
19.Ng7+ Kd8 20.Rf3 Bg3 21.Qd3 Bh2+ 22.Kf1 Nc5 23.Rh3 Rh4
24.Qf3 Nxb3 25.axb3 Rxh3 26.Qxh3 Bxd5 27.exd5 Qxf6+
28.Ke1 Qf4 0-1
Queen’s Pawn Opening

416
Efim Bogoljubow
Alexander Alekhine
GER-NED Wch m 1929
This game was also presented in Chapter 2 as Game No. 20.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.Nc3 Bb7 4.f3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3
7.bxc3 e6 8.Bb5+ Nd7 9.Ne2 Be7 10.0-0 a6 11.Bd3 c5 12.Bb2
Qc7 13.f4 Nf6 14.Ng3

A typical pawn structure has arisen, reminiscent of the Petrosian

variation of the Queen’s Indian Defence.
Question:Evaluate the position and choose a plan for Black.
SOLUTION
As in the previous example, White played the opening according to
the usual scenario: he played f4 ahead of time, intending to attack
the black king. Alekhine insidiously waited with castling. And his

417
opponent underestimated the fact that in the future Black would be
able to move his king in the opposite direction.
14...h5!
Thus White’s plan of 13.f4 and 14.Ng3 is shown to be premature.
However, the position now assumes a different character and it is
not yet possible to say who stands better.
15.Qe2 h4
This standard plan of attack on the king is sometimes carried out
with the inclusion of ...g7-g5-g4. Incidentally, this battering ram
with the h-pawn is often seen in the Paulsen Variation of the Sicilian
Defence, also with Black often castling long.
16.Nh1

Question:How can Alekhine now play for the attack, since the move
...h5-h4 has disturbed the coordination of his own pieces?
SOLUTION
418
16...Nh5!
Exerting pressure on the weakest point in the enemy position, the
pawn on f4.
17.Qg4?
It was necessary to play 17.Bc1=, but one must admit that it is not
easy to play such a move during a game.
17...0-0-0!
Now we see the depth of Black’s idea, in delaying castling: White
has a problematic position.
18.Rae1 Kb8 19.f5
This is the moment when Black can choose between two
continuations.
19...e5
Or 19...exf5.
20.d5?
20.Nf2 was the only move.

419
Question:Why is White’s last move a mistake? How can Black
continue the attack and obtain a decisive advantage by force?
SOLUTION
20...c4! 21.Bc2
Point to note:Piece sacrifices should always be treated responsibly.
If we have a better position and have a choice between different
ways to realize an advantage, we must choose the safest method,
without the risk of losing.
This means that neither ...h3 nor ...Ng3 is worth playing for Black
for now. By the way, in this typical situation it’s time to remember
what an attack on the king is:
Point to note:An attack on the king is the opening of the
fortifications of the opponent’s king, the destruction of everything
that stands next to him.
21...Bc5+ 22.Nf2 g6!
This accords with the principles of a mating attack.
23.fxg6 Rdg8 24.Bc1 Bc8 25.Qf3 Rxg6
Intending 26...Bg4 + and now the bishop is also included in the
battle.
26.Kh1
A typical position with the g-file opened. Black’s king is castled
long and is absolutely safe. The opponent will most likely get
checkmated, since it is completely unclear how to act against this.
26...Ng3+!
It is time for a small combination.
27.hxg3
27.Kg1 Bg4 +.

420
27...hxg3+ 28.Nh3 Bxh3 29.gxh3 Rxh3+ 30.Kg2 Rh2#
This was a straightforward game by Alekhine, in which the fourth
World Champion showed himself to be an incredibly cunning and
far-sighted player.
Ruy Lopez
Levon Aronian (2794)
Vladimir Kramnik (2800)
Berlin ct 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6

A well-known example in which Levon Aronian chose a variation

popularly called the ‘Anti-Berlin’: this is when White plays d3 on
the fourth move and exchanges on c6. By the way, I myself play this
variation for White.
Question:Which move leads to the main theoretical line that gives
White an advantage?
421
 SOLUTION
If White plays 6.c3, he will weaken the d3-pawn.
Point to note:When you are playing against two bishops, keep the
position closed.
6.0-0?!
6.Be3 is the main move, which I also like, since it deprives the black
bishop of its active position on c5. After 6...Bxe3 ( 6...Bd6 doesn’t
look right at all) 7.fxe3 we get a position without risk for White.
6...Qe7
Short castling in combination with the h3 hook when the opponent’s
king is undecided will bring trouble to White. The methods of
playing for Black in this position have been known for a long time,
although the meeting of these two, who are among the strongest
chess players of the 21st century, took place in the recent past. The
founder of the attack on the king with the white pieces, typical of
the Spanish-Italian games, was Mikhail Chigorin. If you study his
work, you can find dozens of games in which he puts into action a
deadly plan.
7.h3

422
Question:The direct ...h6/...g5-g4 could result in a loss of a tempo.
How can we avoid this?
SOLUTION
7...Rg8!
Not a new idea, indeed one may even call it standard, but this was
the first time it had been used in this position.
8.Kh1 Nh5 9.c3?!
The attempt to counterattack in the centre does not bring success.
9...g5 10.Nxe5
On 10.d4 Black can play 10...exd4 with very strong compensation,
because White cannot attack the king on e8, e.g. 11.cxd4 Bb6
12.Nh2 Nf6 13.e5 Nd5µ.
10...g4

423
When you are attacking the king, material is not especially
important.
11.d4 Bd6 12.g3 Bxe5 13.dxe5 Qxe5 14.Qd4 Qe7
Black logically avoids the exchange of queens – he simply wants to
give mate.
15.h4 c5 16.Qc4 Be6 17.Qb5+ c6 18.Qa4 f5 19.Bg5 Rxg5
20.hxg5 f4
The white defenders are scattered around the board and his king
remains alone, facing three attacking pieces.
21.Qd1 Rd8
Now the rook joins in as well.
22.Qc1 fxg3 23.Na3 Rd3 24.Rd1 Bd5 25.f3 gxf3 26.exd5 Qe2
27.Re1 g2+
And White resigned, because after 28.Kh2 g1Q+ 29.Kxg1 f2+ the
pawn queens.
When the game was played, everyone admired Vladimir Kramnik’s
play, but in fact he did not come up with anything new, it was just
that the meeting was held at a high level and therefore received wide
coverage.
Let’s look at a few games from my work, in which I very cleverly
used similar principles of play, avoiding immediate castling in order
to carry out an attack on the king with White.
Ruy Lopez
Sergei Tiviakov (2625)
Zoltan Almasi (2590)
Wijk aan Zee 1995
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Qe2
All my life I have been playing variations with Qe2 either on the
fourth, the fifth, or the sixth move. The main idea is to avoid the

424
main sharp options like the Berlin, the Open Spanish and the
Marshall Attack. If you want to adopt ‘my signature variation’, you
can refer to the DVD ‘Qe2 in the Spanish Game’, where I show in
detail how to play effectively for White. But keep in mind that
moving away from the main lines will only lead to equality if Black
plays correctly. To be honest, there is no clear advantage in the
central continuations of the Spanish. But still, the possibility of
moving away from the main theory is a big plus for me.
5...b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3 d6 8.d3
A critical moment in the game. The position is very similar to the
Italian Game, the only difference is that Black’s b-pawn is not on
b7, but on b5.

Question:How do you think Black should play to achieve equality?

SOLUTION
8...Ne7 is immediately met by 9.d4. The bishop on c5 holds back
the move d4.
425
Black must think about what to do with his king. 8...Qe7 is a
flexible, normal move. The main theoretical answer is 8...h6. The
principle of play in this position is the same for both sides – wait. As
for Black, his main task is not to rush into castling. If he resolves
this question prematurely, he will come under direct attack. You can
castle only if White is the first to send his king to the short side.
8...0-0
Many strong players make this move automatically. And in vain,
because now White can achieve an advantage. This time the mirror
move 9.Rg1 does not work, because the plan with the move g4-g5
works well only after Black has played ...h6.
By the way, 8...Bg4? is always an unsatisfactory choice, because
after 9.h3 the bishop will have to retreat: 9...Bh5 ( 9...Bxf3 leads to
a bishop pair advantage for White: 10.Qxf3, and the strong white
bishop will have no opposition. ...Bxf3 only makes sense when
Black’s other bishop is on e7, so that, having removed the knight
from square f6, the move ...Bg5 is possible, exchanging the bishop
on c1. When the bishop is on c5, this plan cannot be implemented)
10.Nbd2 with the idea Nd2-f1-g3, Bg6, Nf3-h4-f5.
9.Bg5
A necessary preliminary provocation of the move ...h6, since it is
extremely difficult to get rid of the bishop pin. If White does not
castle, then Black should play ...Qe7, ...Be6 and play ...0-0 at a time
when White has no opportunity to attack his king. I had several
games before this one where Black demonstrated the correct plan of
action. For example, Onischuk and Shirov and others played
correctly against me.
Additional task: Look at the above-mentioned games of mine:
Ruy Lopez
Sergei Tiviakov (2640)
Alexander Onischuk (2610)
426
Beijing 1998
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Qe2 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3
d6 8.d3 h6 9.h3 Be6 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Nf1 d5 12.Ng3 Re8 13.0-0
Bf8 14.Rd1 Qc8!? 15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Nh5 Kh8 17.c4 Nb6 18.Qe4
Bf5! 19.Qh4 bxc4 20.dxc4 Na5 21.c5 Nxb3 22.axb3 Nd7
23.Nxg7 Bxg7 24.Bxh6 Nf8! 25.Bxg7+ Kxg7 26.Qg5+ Bg6
27.Nh4 Qe6 28.Rd3 Qf6 29.Qg3 Qf4 30.Qxf4 exf4 31.Nxg6
Kxg6 32.b4 Reb8 33.Ra4 Ne6 34.Rc3 Rd8 35.g3 Rd4 36.Kg2 Rb8
37.Rb3 a5 38.Rxa5 0-1
Ruy Lopez
Sergei Tiviakov (2637)
Alexei Shirov (2749)
Hoogeveen 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Qe2 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.d3
d6 8.c3 h6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Be3 Bxe3 11.Qxe3 Na5 12.Bc2 c5
13.Nbd2 Nc6 14.a4 Rb8 15.axb5 axb5 16.Rfd1 Qb6 17.Nf1 d5
18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Qe4 Nf6 20.Qe2 Re8 21.Ng3 Be6 22.Re1 Bd5
23.Nd2 ½-½

427
9...Be6
9...h6 10.Bh4 g5 creates a very severe weakening. If White had
already castled short, Black could have opened up like this, but even
then, I have won many games with White.
10.Nbd2
10.Bd5?! Bxd5 11.exd5 Ne7 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.c4 c6=.
10...Qe7?
The decisive mistake, after which Black has a hopeless position. It
was necessary to play 10...Bxb3 11.Nxb3!? ( 11.axb3² ) and White
retains the advantage, although Black can get out of the pin by
means of ...Qe7-e6; or 10...h6 11.Bh4².
11.Bd5!
Premature is 11.Nh4, because after the exchange 11...Bxb3
12.Nxb3 Qe6 my opponent escapes the pin; it was worth
considering 11.Bc2, but the text is stronger.
428
11...Bxd5?
Leading to a loss. On 11...Bd7 follows 12.Nh4 Rab8 13.Nf5 Qd8
14.Qf3 Bxf5 15.Qxf5 Na7 16.b4± and at any moment White can
take on f6, doubling the pawns.
12.exd5 Nb8 13.Ne4 Nbd7 14.Nh4
With the idea Nf5; 14.g4 is still premature.
14...h6
If 14...g6, then 15.Qf3 Kg7 16.Qh3, threatening 17. Nf5+ gхf5 18.
Qh6+ Kh8 19. Nхf6++ . Black is completely stalemated and
cannot free himself from the pin: 16...Kh8 and now it is possible to
play 17.Nxf6 Nxf6 18.Nf5 gxf5 19.Qh4 Bxf2+ ( 19...Kg7
20.Qh6++ ) 20.Qxf2 Rg8 ( 20...e4 21.0-0 Qe5 22.d4+ ) 21.Qxf5
Rxg5 ( 21...Rg6 22.0-0 Kg7 23.Rf2+ ) 22.Qxg5 (the main line of
this variation) 22...Rg8 ( 22...e4 23.0-0+ ) 23.Qd2. In the end,
White wins the exchange and keeps a large advantage: 23...e4
24.Qe3± or 23...Nxd5 24.0-0-0± .
15.Nf5 Qd8 16.Bh4 Kh7 17.Qf3

429
All of the white pieces take part in the attack.
17...Rh8
If 17...g5 then a piece sacrifice is possible: 18.Bxg5 hxg5 19.Qh3+
Kg8 ( 19...Kg6 20.Qh6+ Kxf5 21.Qxg5# ) 20.Nxg5 and 21.
Qh6+ ; 17...Rg8 18.Nxh6! Kxh6 19.Qh3 Kg6 ( 19...g5 20.Bxg5+
Kg6 21.Qh6+ Kf5 22.Ng3+ Kg4 23.h3# ) 20.Ng3 and Qf5+, Bg5#.
And now what can we bring into the attack? The pawn!
18.g4
Usually I try to avoid sacrifices; however, this time I did not miss
the moment, for the lovers of sacrificial play.
18...Kg8
Castling by hand to include the h8-rook in the defence.

Question:It is possible to play positionally, for example long

castling, but there is a forcing solution. Find it.
SOLUTION
430
19.Nxg7!
Or 19.0-0-0 g5 20.Bg3+ .
19...Kxg7 20.Rg1
And there is no defence to g5.
20...Nxe4
My opponent gives up the queen out of necessity.
21.Bxd8 Bxf2+ 22.Ke2 Bxg1 23.dxe4 Bxh2 24.Bxc7 Bf4 25.Bxd6
The end is near: White simply has extra material.
25...f6 26.a4 Nb6 27.b3 bxa4 28.Bc7 1-0
This was a fairly easy win and I have won many games in similar
style.
Now I will show you one of my best attacks in the Italian against the
German GM Buhmann.
Italian Game
Sergei Tiviakov (2685)
Rainer Buhmann (2565)
Neustadt an der Weinstrasse 2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5
This game will be useful study material for those who play the
Italian Game. White usually castles short early: on the 4th, 5th or
6th move. But I try not to rush into this, otherwise I will lose the
opportunity to launch a direct attack on the black king. Even though
my plan is as old as our world, I still manage to score a lot of points
with it, especially when my opponent plays in a trivial way.
5.c3 a6
A redundant move; contemporary theory considers it bad. The
majority of games continue with short castling.
6.Bb3

431
If 6.Bg5 then Black can escape this harmless pin by means of
6...Be7, and then ...Nh5 or ...Nd7.
6...Ba7
Now the bishop is gone from the kingside.
7.h3 d6 8.Nbd2 0-0
Again we have a situation in which Black has castled short and
White has not. The latter can send his king to the opposite side,
where it will be safe and secure.
9.Nf1
I follow the plan – the threat is the pin Bg5.
9...d5 10.Qe2 Be6

On 10...h6 it was possible to play 11.g4!? and g5: 11...Be6 (

11...dxe4 12.dxe4 Nd7 13.Ng3 Nc5 14.Bc2 Ne6 15.Nf5 Re8
16.Rg1 or immediately 16.g5 with a mating attack on the king:
16...Nf4 17.Bxf4 exf4 18.Bd3! and 0-0-0 is a sample plan of play)
12.Bc2
12...dxe4?. Many of my opponents take the pawn.
432
Question:Can you explain why this is a wrong move? What chess
principle does Black’s last move violate?

433
 analysis diagram
SOLUTION
When the pawn structure is stable, it is very easy for the stronger
side to play an attack: 13.dxe4 Nh7 (13...b5 14.Ne3 and the bishop
doesn’t get to c4 anymore) 14.Ng3. One of my games saw 14...Ng5
15.Nxg5 hxg5 16.Nf5 f6 17.Bd2 g6 and, as if nothing had
happened, I went 18.0-0-0 Qe8 19.h4 gxf5 20.gxf5 Bxa2 21.hxg5
fxg5 1-0 Tiviakov-Rodriguez Lopez, training game, Vigo 2008.
White threatens Rg1 and Qg4.
Black’s chances lie with maintaining tension in the centre. For
example, 12...b5 (after 11.g4 Be6 12.Bc2) with the idea of 13...b4.
On 13.Ne3 Black has play connected with the move ...d5-d4.
Point to note:The only chance to create play on the flank is to
maintain counterattacking opportunities in the centre and on the
other side of the board. But for this it is necessary to take care of the
mobility of the pawn structure. When an exchange occurs in the
centre, all dynamics disappear.
11.Bc2
In the case of 11.Ng3 dxe4 12.dxe4 Bxb3 the game is calmer (as,
for example, it was in my games with Sargissian and Leko, see
below). But when I play with an opponent who is inferior to me in
rating, I try to checkmate and for this I play the move 11. Bc2 in
order to preserve the light-squared bishop, which is of primary
importance in the Spanish and Italian games.
11...dxe4?
In my opinion, this is a very bad move. If Buhmann had made the
correct move 11...b5, then according to the computer it would have
been +0.20²: 12.Ng5 Bc8 13.Ng3 h6 14.Nf3, then White exchanges
on d5 and castles.
434
12.dxe4
Now Black’s position is extremely unpleasant.
12...Nh5
12...b5 gives nothing, since there follows 13.Ne3² and then the
white kingside pawns start to advance. It is also possible to castle
long after Bd2.
13.g3
It is important to limit the activity of the knight on h5. 13.Nxe5?
Nxe5 14.Qxh5 Nd3+ 15.Bxd3 Qxd3³; 13.g4 Nf4 14.Bxf4 exf4
15.N1d2=, intending 0-0-0; 13.Ng5 Nf4 14.Bxf4 exf4 15.Nxe6
fxe6 16.Nd2=.
13...h6
The desired hook has appeared: after g3-g4-g5 White can easily
checkmate, and all continuations lead to his advantage.
14.Ne3 b5 15.Nh4 Nf6 16.Nhf5 Ne7 17.g4! Ng6
This idea, associated with a mating attack on the kingside with his
own king uncastled, was used for the first time (see the game at the
end of this chapter) by the Russian master Mikhail Chigorin more
than 100 years ago.

435
Question: Make a move in Chigorin style. White has an
overwhelming position and, of course, it is possible to continue the
attack without sacrificing anything.
SOLUTION
18.Ng2! Nd7 19.h4 Nc5
Threatening ...Bc4 and ...Nd3+. Therefore I prevent this.
20.Qf3 Re8
On 20...Bc4 there is the interesting rook move 21.Rh3± , aimed
against ...Nd3+, and then the black bishop is driven away by means
of b3.
21.Bd2 c6 22.b3
A preparatory move, so that my Bd2 can join in the attack (if 22.0-
0-0 Qa5 with counterplay).

436
22...a5 23.0-0-0 a4 24.Bxh6 Qb6 25.Nxg7 axb3 26.Nxe8 bxa2
27.Nf6+ Kh8
28.Kd2!
And now I do a reverse castling: my king returns to the centre,
where he came from, because it has become dangerous to be on the
queenside.
28...Nf4 29.Nxf4 exf4 30.Qxf4 Bc4 31.Ke1 Rd8 32.Ra1
Reverse castling is completed. The computer suggests a somewhat
more interesting variation: 32.Bg7+ Kxg7 33.Nh5+ Kf8 34.Qh6+
Ke7 35.Qf6+ Ke8 36.Ng7+ Kf8 37.Rxd8++ .
32...Qa5
32...Nd3+ 33.Bxd3 Rxd3 34.Qf5+ .
33.Nd5 1-0
In this game, which was quite simple for me, sacrifices of pieces
were possible, because White had such a comfortable position that
all roads should have led to victory. But I always adhere to such a
reserved style of play when realizing an advantage: ‘Why take risks
if you can do without adrenaline?’
Italian Game
Sergei Tiviakov (2593)
Gabriel Sargissian (2614)
Tripoli 2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bb3 a6

437
7.h3
I play quite cunningly, so that my opponent either moves ...h6 or
castles. Black also has a game plan involving long castling after
...Be6 and ...Qd7. Alexander Onischuk and Mateusz Bartel from
Poland used it against me, but they lost, and since then it has
stopped appearing in my practice.
7...Ba7 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.Nf1
After this move I threaten the pin Bg5. Of course, there is the
continuation ...Nc6-e7-g6, and then White plays Ng3, 0-0 and d4,
seizing the centre.
9...d5
For that reason, the indicated plan with the knight transfer no longer
appears in practice.
10.Qe2 dxe4?
We previously discussed this obvious strategic mistake: Black will
have no counterplay against White’s attack. The correct move was
10...Be6 11.Bc2 – in such positions I always keep the bishop.
438
11.dxe4 Qe7 12.Ng3 Be6 13.Bc2 Rfe8 14.Nh4 Qf8 15.Nhf5 Ne7
16.Bg5 Bxf5 17.exf5 Ned5

18.0-0-0
My favourite move! The king is safe on the queenside.
18...h6 19.Bh4 Qc5 20.Ne4
Now we eliminate the pieces around the enemy king. The light-
squared bishop has no opponent and will be used in the mating
attack.
20...Qc6 21.Bb3 Nf4 22.Nxf6+ Qxf6 23.Qg4 Qc6 24.f6 Qxg2
25.Bg3 g5 26.Qd7
The rook has to occupy the square f8.
26...Rf8 27.Bxf4 exf4 28.Qf5 Rfd8 29.Qg6+ 1-0
Italian Game
Sergei Tiviakov (2658)
Tapani Sammalvuo (2453)
Erbil 2013

439
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.c3 a6 6.Bb3 Ba7 7.h3
d5

A premature step. In the main variations, Black plays ...d6 first, and
only then ...d5. Thus, there is a struggle for the centre. Capturing the
centre presupposes its preservation, otherwise it has no meaning. By
playing ...d5 without castling, the centre cannot be maintained.
After
8.Qe2
it is not clear what Black should do.
8...0-0 9.Bg5
The opponent must either exchange or advance ...d4.
9...dxe4
9...d4 10.Bd5 and everything hangs for Black: the threat is Bхc6 and
Nхe5.
10.dxe4
Later the manoeuvre Nb1-a3-c4 and Rd1 or Nd2 is possible.

440
10...h6 11.Bh4 Qe7 12.Nbd2 Be6 13.Bc2 g5
A mandatory move, otherwise White will play Nh2 and Ng4. Both
black bishops are poorly positioned, which means that Sammalvuo’s
position is extremely difficult.
14.Bg3 Nd7 15.h4
Thanks to the fact that I have not castled, I have the possibility of
beginning an attack on the kingside.
15...f6 16.0-0-0
I am not at all interested in the a2-pawn because I want to give mate.
16...Bg4 17.hxg5 hxg5 18.Bb3+

Question:How does White conduct the game nicely to victory after

18...Kg7 ?
SOLUTION
The elementary win is 19.Nh4!.

441
18...Be6
19.Rh6 Bxb3 20.axb3 Qg7 21.Rdh1 Nd8 22.Nxg5 Qxg5 23.R1h5
Qg7
A temporary piece sacrifice because everything has been calculated
to the end.
24.Rh8+ Qxh8 25.Rxh8+ Kxh8 26.Qh5+ Kg7 27.Qg4+ Kh7
28.Qxd7+ Rf7 29.Qe8 Kg7 30.Nf3 Rb8 31.Nxe5 fxe5 32.Bxe5+
Kh7 33.Qh8+ Kg6 34.g4 1-0
Black is lost after 34...Be3+ 35.fxe3 Rf1+ and Kf7 (to avoid Qh5#).
Now we look at the Italian from Black’s side.
Italian Game
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2779)
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2801)
Saint Louis rapid 2018
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 h6

442
This variation is considered dubious: if played correctly, White has
an advantage. But Mamedyarov chose it in rapid chess.
Question:How should Vachier-Lagrave react to 4... h6, playing on
the flank for general reasons with undeveloped pieces?
SOLUTION
White needs to open up the centre with d4. Therefore, 5.c3 at this
moment in the game is the correct move. This is a flexible solution
that preserves the uncertainty of the king’s position. If you rush to
castle, you can come under attack.
5.0-0
Premature. The drawback of 5.Nc3 is that White cannot keep the
bishop on c4: 5...d6 and ...Na5.
5...d6 6.Re1
This does not meet the needs of the position. Maybe he should have
played 6.d4.
6...g5
White has serious problems: the threat is ...Qe7, ...g4, development
of the bishop to e6 and long castling.
7.d4 g4 8.dxe5 gxf3 9.exf6
9...Ne5!
Black wins an important tempo.
10.Nd2 Qxf6 11.gxf3 Rg8+ 12.Kh1 Nxc4 13.Nxc4 Bh3 14.Ne3
h5 15.Bd2 0-0-0
As you see, the roles are reversed: usually in the Italian White plays
for the attack but this time he himself has fallen under it.
16.Qe2 d5 17.Rg1 Rxg1+ 18.Rxg1 dxe4 19.fxe4 Qxb2 20.Qxh5
Be6 21.Rg8 f6 22.Rh8 Qd4
The battle continues with equal material, but Vachier-Lagrave has
very weak light squares. In a few moves, Mamedyarov forces mate.

443
Task: See how he converts to victory:
23.Qa5 Qxe4+ 24.Kg1 a6 25.Bc3 Bd5 26.Nxd5 Rxd5 27.Rxf8+
Kd7 28.Rf7+ Ke8 29.Re7+ Kxe7 30.Qxc7+ Rd7 31.Qc5+ Kf7
32.Qh5+ Qg6+ 33.Qxg6+ Kxg6 34.Bb4 Rc7 35.c3 b6 0-1
This was an instructive example of play against premature short
castling. In the following game, we see what happens if one plays
excessively stereotyped moves.
Italian Game
Elena Semenova (2328)
Evgeni Polosin (2206)
Chelyabinsk 2021
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.0-0 Bb6 7.a4
This is a very, very fashionable continuation, but I try not to play it.
Undoubtedly, Elena prepared well before the game, studied the
theory and follows other known examples.
7...a6 8.b4 Bg4 9.h3

444
The computer approves of White’s last move and does not see any
danger; it believes that White is better here. But I wouldn’t play this,
because I pay close attention to the position of my own king, I try to
prevent my opponent from attacking.
I would act according to the following scheme: Nbd2-Re1 and Nd2-
f1-e3, take away the queen with Qb3, and try to get rid of the bishop
pin.
Do you remember (from the corresponding chapter of this book)
that when there is an attack on the king, the cost of the move for the
defending side is very high, and just one mistake could be his last?
9...Bd7 10.Re1 h6 11.d4 g5
This is the surprise! Elena had not met this plan before and she fails
to deal with it.
12.a5 Ba7 13.Qb3 Qe7 14.d5?

Question: Why is the move 14.d5 a serious mistake?

SOLUTION

445
Along with the closing of the centre, the dynamics in the position
disappear. And although the computer is convinced that White is
better (on some crazy dynamics), I would prefer to play Black,
because he has a position in which you don’t need to think much:
just go ...g4, open up the game and give checkmate. In addition, the
pawn is hanging on d4.
14...Nd8 15.b5
Elena opens the game on the flank, but there is no black king there,
so she cannot checkmate. Meanwhile, Black continues to open the
position of the white monarch.
15...axb5 16.Bxb5 g4 17.hxg4 Nxg4 18.Re2 c6 19.Bc4 Rg8
20.Kf1

Question:Which beautiful move leads to immediate victory?

SOLUTION
20...Qf6?
446
Elena’s opponent does not find the forcing continuation: 20...Nh2+
21.Nxh2 Qh4 (-4.50 +).
21.Nbd2 Qg6 22.g3 Nxf2 23.dxc6 bxc6 24.Rxf2 Qxg3 25.Rh2
Bg4 26.Bxf7+ Nxf7 27.Qb7 Bc5 28.Qxa8+
White cannot avoid giving up material.
28...Nd8 29.Ke2 Qxh2+ 30.Kd3 Bxf3 31.Nxf3 Rg3 32.Kc4 Qe2+
33.Kb3 Qb5+ 34.Kc2 Rxf3 35.Bd2 Qd3+ 0-1
This was a game about what to consider when we castle first and are
going to attack on the flank and in the centre.
Ruy Lopez
Jose Raul Capablanca
Dawid Janowski
St Petersburg 1914
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3 Bc5
You may have already seen this famous game because it is featured
in many chess strategy textbooks. There is a lot to be learned from
Capablanca’s play, and some time ago there was an analysis of his
games using computer modules. As a result, of all great players, the
largest number of strong moves were found in the work of the third
World Champion.
6.d3 Bg4
This time we have an Exchange Spanish.
Question:Which move did Capablanca make in this position?
SOLUTION
7.Be3
But not 7.h3 – why weaken one’s own position without necessity?
7...Bxe3 8.fxe3

447
In this position, the doubled pawns favour White. Due to them, the
centre is strengthened and the f-file is opened. I often play this way
in the Italian Game if the opponent has doubled pawns on c7 and c6.
8...Qe7 9.0-0 0-0-0

Question: How should one assess castling from the viewpoint of

chess strategy?
SOLUTION
I believe Black’s last move is the decisive strategic mistake.

Question:How should Black have played to defend successfully?

SOLUTION
He should have settled for 9...Nf6 and short castling, or
strengthened the centre with 9... f6, ...Nh6 and then ...0-0.
10.Qe1
448
White’s plan will involve advancing the queenside pawns, but not
immediately – only after several moves, and the attack must begin
not with a3, but with Rb1.
10...Nh6
Black cannot undertake anything to stop the advance of the pawns
with a2-a4 and b2-b4-b5.
11.Rb1 f6
If 11...a5, then a2-a3 and b2-b4, and after axb4 the a-file is opened.
If 11...c5, then the d5-square is weakened. It turns out that the king
has nothing to do on c8. He will have to go on the run, but this is no
longer possible.
12.b4

Question:What is the correct defensive plan for Black to choose?

SOLUTION

449
To reduce the tension in a closed position, you need to resort to a
method of defence such as exchanging pieces, giving preference to
knights.
12...Nf7
Black needed urgently to offload his light-squared bishop with
12...Bxf3.
13.a4 Bxf3 14.Rxf3 b6
A bad move, as a result of which Black loses quickly.

Question:What plan would White have chosen after 14... b5 ?

SOLUTION
After the pawn has advanced two squares, the b6-square is
weakened. When Capablanca comments on this game, he describes
the plan: Nc3-a(e)2-c1-b3-c5, but then Black could move the knight
to a new square via d6 – b7.
15.b5 cxb5 16.axb5 a5 17.Nd5
450
White occupies the important square.
17...Qc5 18.c4 Ng5 19.Rf2 Ne6 20.Qc3 Rd7 21.Rd1 Kb7
22.d4
After 22.Rfd2 White could even lose: 22...Rxd5 23.exd5 Qxe3+
24.Kf1=.
Point to note:Watch accurately the opponent’s tactical play.
22...Qd6 23.Rc2
A breakthrough from c5 is about to take place. And Black did not
create a single threat on the kingside. This happened because White
had doubled pawns, due to which he had complete control over the
centre and it was easier for him to play for the attack, while it was
more difficult for the opponent to defend. In the end he blundered
the rook.
23...exd4 24.exd4 Nf4 25.c5 Nxd5 26.exd5 Qxd5 27.c6+ Kb8
28.cxd7 Qxd7 29.d5 Re8 30.d6 cxd6 31.Qc6 1-0
The losing side made only one mistake: 9...0-0-0 – the wrong
decision regarding castling.
Let’s move on to look at several more similar examples where an
attack on the king took place.
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Mark Taimanov
Tigran Petrosian
Leningrad tt 1959
This game was also examined in Chapter 2 as Game No. 14.
1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 0-0 6.e3 b6 7.cxd5
exd5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.Qc2 h6 10.Bxf6 Bxf6

451
Question:What should White do in this position?
SOLUTION
Taimanov must weigh up all possible moves: either immediately
play 11.g4, or 11.0-0, or 11.0-0-0. But all continuations like g4 and
h4 are wrong. The only correct answer for White is short castling,
which gives an advantage of approximately 0.80². After 11...c5
Black will get hanging pawns, and the bishop on b7 will remain out
of work.

452
Question:Why are the continuations 11.h4, 11.g4 and 11.0-0-0 very
dangerous for White?
SOLUTION
Because after them, Black is at least equal.
Point to note:When we evaluate castling in one direction or
another, first of all, we must pay attention to the stability of the
centre. It is its presence that will ensure that after long castling the
king will be in a safe position.
If we had a symmetrical pawn structure (i.e. if we transfer the c7-
pawn to e6) then it would be possible to play 11.0-0-0, because the
opponent would have no dynamics.
11.h4
Question:Was it worth playing for the attack at the current moment
in time? Why does it work in the Italian or Spanish games, but is not
desirable here? What is the difference?

453
 SOLUTION
The white king is stuck in the middle of the board, and Black will
try to explode the unstable pawn structure. Therefore, playing to
attack is not the strongest continuation in this position.
11...c5 12.0-0-0
White should under no circumstances take on c5, because this will
envigorate the bishop on f6.
Question:How should Black play after 12.dxc5 ?
SOLUTION
12.dxc5 Nd7 0.40³, and if 13.cxb6, then 13...Rc8 with an attack.
Note that although White intended to attack first, in reality he was
unable to create anything and ended up in the role of defender.
In the game a very sharp position has arisen on the board. Let’s look
at it from the Black side.

Question:How would you play if you were Petrosian?

454
 SOLUTION
In case of a dxc5, ...bxc5 and ...d4 would follow. The move ...c4 is a
strategic mistake. Why? Because under no circumstances can the
centre be stabilized. Previously, I have repeatedly noted that when
the opponent attacks on the flank, we must be able to counterattack
in the centre. Thus, dynamics can only be retained by means of:
12...Nc6 13.g4 cxd4!
Creating weaknesses in the opponent’s set-up.
14.exd4

Question:How to play correctly in Petrosian style?

Question:What can be attacked so that the opponent cannot play
15.g5 ?
SOLUTION

455
Point to note:When playing with opposite-side castling, you need
to remember that when both sides play to attack, they must act
concretely: each move must create threats.
14...Qd6 15.Kb1
White did not have time for 15.g5 due to 15...Qf4+, but the position
was equal or a tad better. In my first book, I already said that
Petrosian was strong in positional combat, but in concrete dynamic
play he made mistakes, because it was not easy for him to calculate
the variations. It was at this moment that he made the wrong
decision:
15...Nb4?
Instead of this it was necessary to play 15...Qf4 16.Nxd5 Qxf3 (
16...Nxd4 17.Bh7+ Kh8 18.Rxd4 Qxf3 19.Be4 Qxg4 20.Nxf6 gxf6
21.Rhd1 Bxe4 22.Qxe4 Qg6 23.Qxg6 fxg6 ) and save himself.
16.Qd2 Nxd3 17.Qxd3
We had a similar position on the topic of ‘the advantage of two
bishops ’, in which we discussed situations that favour the long-
range pair. When the pawn structure on the board is symmetrical,
the power of the two bishops drops sharply. White has the
opportunity to continue the attack on the king, but Black has
difficulty with this.
17...g6 18.g5 Bc8 19.Ka1 Bf5 20.Qd2 Bg4
Point to note:More often than not, when calculating variations, we
miss zwischenzugs.
Petrosian missed:
21.Nb5
The queen has no good squares for retreat: on the e-file she comes
under attack from the rook on e1.
21...Qe6 22.Rde1 Qf5 23.Ne5 Bxe5

456
Black has to exchange one of the bishops, because if 23...hxg5, then
24.Nd6 Qf4 25.Qxf4 gxf4 26.Nxg4 with an extra piece.
24.dxe5 h5 25.Nd6
We have a good knight against a bad bishop.
25...Qe6 26.Re3 Rad8 27.Rc1 Rd7 28.Qd4 Bh3 29.Rf3 Re7 30.a3
Rd8 31.Rf6 Qg4 32.Qxd5 Qxh4 33.Rxg6+ Kf8 34.Qf3 Qd4
35.Qxh5 1-0
White won material, and with it the game. After the tenth move,
there was a very instructive situation related to the main questions of
this chapter: ‘When should we castle? In which direction? When
should we refrain from it? ’ We must remember this forever.
And now I want to show you a variation from the Pirc Defence,
which I play for White.
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bg5 Bg7 5.Qd2 c6 6.f4 0-0 7.Nf3 b5
8.Bd3 Bg4
The main theoretical position in the variation with 4.Bg5.

457
Question:Which move is the strongest from the point of view of the
computer and modern theory: castling long, short, or leaving the
king in the centre?
SOLUTION
After getting the better of the opening, I do not want to lose my
advantage and get checkmated by my opponent.
9.0-0
The strongest continuation in terms of computer and practical
experience. True, I didn’t know this before and started with long
castling. Then my king came under attack after the moves ...b4 and
...d5. Over time, I realized that there was no point in taking risks in
such positions, since White had a clear advantage and simple play in
the centre.
In general, the opponent’s attack connected with ...Qa5 and ...b4
should be taken seriously. If he has far advanced pawns, then they
can continue their path further. And the weaknesses and targets we
have will be used by the opposite side.
Point to note:You should always try to castle in the same direction
as your opponent. Then life at the chessboard will be calmer. With
opposite-side castling, the game is for three results, and for each
side the cost of each move increases sharply. And if we lose control
of the situation, then an inevitable tragedy awaits us.
While the king is in the middle of the board, White cannot play in
the centre: 9.e5? is bad in view of 9...b4 10.exf6 ( 10.Ne2 Nd5 and
...f6) 10...exf6 winning back the material and opening the position.
Ruy Lopez
Sergei Tiviakov (2569)
Vahap Sanal (2505)
Nakhchivan 2018

458
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Qe2 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3
0-0 8.d3
Because the Turkish player has castled early, I want to bring my
bishop to g5.
8...h6
This is a target for me, and I will try to start an attack on the enemy
king. 9.Be3 is a safer line that I might play against 2700 players,
when I consider a draw as a good result. But when I play someone
with a 2500 rating, of course, I passionately want to win and am
consciously ready to take risks.

Question:Based on the fact that we have already looked at many

games with this pawn structure, indicate the move that I made.
SOLUTION
9.h3
Intending g4.
459
9...d5
Earlier Black saved a tempo by not playing ...d6. And now we have
an interesting situation on the board, which I have met in a number
of games.
10.g4!?
Objectively, I will tell you that playing an attack associated with the
move g4 is very risky. White begins an attack on the king, violating
chess principles. The knight has not yet left its original square b1. If
it were on f1, I would have a couple of extra tempi. Now the c5-
bishop is closer to the king on g8: under some circumstances it may
return to the defence. In the opening I spent an extra three tempi on
Bf1-b5-a4-b3.
Approximate equality results from 10.0-0, as, for example, in the
following game: 10...Bb7 11.Rd1 Re8 12.Nbd2 Bf8 13.a3 Na5
14.Ba2 c5 15.b4 cxb4 16.axb4 Nc6 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Ne4 Re6
19.Bb3 Qd7 20.c4 Ndxb4 21.cxb5 axb5 22.Bxe6 Qxe6 23.Rxa8
Bxa8 24.Nc3 Bb7 25.d4 Qb3 26.Qb2 Qc4 27.dxe5 Bc8 28.Be3 Be6
29.Nd2 Qh4 30.Nxb5 Nd3 31.Qc2 Ncxe5 32.Nd4 Bd5 33.Nf5
Qh5 34.Ng3 Qg6 35.Qc8 Be6 36.Qd8 f5 37.Nf3 Nxf3+ 38.gxf3
Ne5 39.f4 Nc6 40.Qa8 Ne7 41.Rd8 Qf7 42.Bc5 Bd5 43.Qb8 Ng6
44.Qd6 Bb7 45.Rb8 Kh7 46.Rxf8 Qb3 47.Be3 Nxf8 48.Qxf8 Qd1+
49.Kh2 Qf3 50.Qxf5+ Kh8 51.Qf8+ Kh7 52.Qf5+ Kh8 53.Qf8+
½-½ Tiviakov-Bauer, Mondariz Balneario 2000.
But I took a calculated risk, since I had begun the game with a
harmless variation.

460
Question:How can Black punish White for such ambitious play?
SOLUTION
With 10...a5! Black could have started the process of opening up the
f1-a6 diagonal for a quick ...Ba6 after ...dxe4 and ...b5-b4, as well as
harass White’s light-squared bishop with ...a5-a4.
10...Be6 11.g5 dxe4 12.dxe4 Bxb3! 13.axb3 hxg5 14.Bxg5 Qd6
If I had managed to preserve the light-squared bishop the attack
would have been a lot stronger.
15.Nbd2
We have an unclear and double-edged position on the board. Let’s
speculate for which side it is more dangerous. The white king is still
in the centre, but oddly enough it is safe, since it occupies a flexible
position. Black is unsure what to do: by playing to attack with ...a6-
a5-a4, he won’t catch anyone important on that side. He can
exchange queens by ...Rd8 and ...Qd3, but then the a6-pawn will be

461
hanging, and then, after the exchange on f6, the pawns will be
doubled, and White will have play against them.
15...Nh7 16.Rg1 Nxg5 17.Rxg5
The rook joins in the attack and at some moment I am ready to
castle long.
17...Nd8
The knight wants to come to f4 via e6. If 17...Qe6, then things
might continue as follows: 18.0-0-0 Be7 19.Rg3 Rad8 20.Rdg1 Bf6
21.Ng5 Bxg5 22.Rxg5 g6 23.h4± .
18.b4
Winning a tempo.
18...Bb6
18...Ba7 19.Rxe5 Ne6 20.Rf5 f6 ( 20...Nf4 21.e5 Qh6 22.Qe4 ±)
with a very sharp and complicated struggle.
19.0-0-0 Ne6 20.Nc4

462
Question:How should Black play to maintain equality?
SOLUTION
20...Qe7?
In principle, I have now achieved my aim.
Point to note:When you play against a weaker opponent, it is very
important that a real confrontation begins. If you are stronger, then
in difficult positions you can usually outcalculate him. But for this
you need to be in good shape yourself.
The opponent needed to find the very important intermediate move
20...Nf4. Then there could have followed 21.Qc2 Qh6 22.Nxb6 (
22.Ncxe5 f6 23.Ng4 Qxh3 24.Ng1 Qh4 25.Nf3 Qh3 26.Ng1 Qh4=
) 22...cxb6 23.Kb1 a5 24.bxa5 Rxa5 25.Rxe5 Qc6=.
21.Nxb6 Nxg5?
The decisive mistake!
If you are going to take the exchange on offer, then you need to do it
the right way. The correct continuation was 21...cxb6 – White wins
the e5-pawn, but the position is full of fight.

463
Question:What had my opponent overlooked?
SOLUTION
22.Nd5!
His idea was 22.Nxa8 Rxa8 23.Nxg5 Qxg5+ 24.Kc2=.
22...Qd8 23.Nxe5!!
The knights in the centre occupy dominating positions and the
exchange deficit does not matter at all!
23...Ne6
Let us consider the variations: 23...Nh7 24.f4 Qd6 25.Qg2 Rae8,
and it seems the two knights are not as strong as the two bishops,
but White can play for the traditional attack: 26.Rg1 g6 27.Qg3± ;
also, 23...Nxh3 24.f4 Nxf4 25.Nxf4 Qg5 26.Ned3+ .
24.f4 Qh4
24...Nxf4 25.Nxf4 Qg5 26.Ned3 a5 27.bxa5 Rxa5 28.Kc2+ .

464
Question: Find the best move for White.
SOLUTION
25.Qg4
The computer criticizes my choice. I avoided 25.Kb1 because of the
possible check on the back rank.
25...Qh6
Point to note:Place your pieces so that they defend one another.
On 25...Qxg4 I would simply have continued the attack on the king
in the endgame: 26.Ne7+ Kh7 27.hxg4 g6 28.f5 (threatening mate:
f6 and Rh1#) 28...gxf5 29.gxf5 Nf4 30.Nd7+ .
26.Qf5
26.Kc2!+ .
Point to note:When you sacrifice material, play calmly, as usual:
forget that you are material down and do not immediately try to
regain the material.
465
26...Qh4 27.Qg4 Qh6 28.Kc2 Rad8
28...Rae8 29.Nd7 Qg6 30.f5 Qxg4 31.hxg4 Ng5 32.e5 and White
dominates completely; or 28...Kh8 29.Qf5 Qh7 30.Nxf7+ Rxf7
31.Qxe6 Raf8 32.f5 and there is no defence against N d5-f4-g6.
29.f5 Ng5 30.h4 Rfe8
If 30...Nh7 31.Ne7+ Kh8 32.Rxd8 Rxd8 33.Nxf7#.
31.Qxg5 Qxg5 32.hxg5 Rd6 33.Nxc7 1-0
Until the very last moment, White continued to play for the attack. I
am very pleased with this game because I managed to make a
positional exchange sacrifice in the style of my idol Tigran
Petrosian.
Additional task:To consolidate the material covered, look at the
games that follow below.
Ruy Lopez
Mikhail Chigorin
James Mason
Monte Carlo 1901
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 Be7 7.h3
Bd7 8.Nbd2 b5 9.Bc2 d5 10.Qe2 dxe4 11.dxe4 Bd6 12.Nf1 Be6
13.Ne3 Ne7 14.Ng5 Bd7 15.g4 h6 16.Nf3 Bc6 17.Ng2 Ng6 18.g5
hxg5 19.Bxg5 Qd7 20.Ngh4 Nxh4 21.Nxh4 Nh5 22.0-0-0 g6
23.Nf3 Qc8 24.Qd3 f6 25.Bd2 g5 26.Bb3 Qb7 27.Rde1 0-0-0
28.Be6+ Kb8 29.Qe2 Ng7 30.Bg4 Rdf8 31.Rhg1 Re8 32.Nh2 Bc5
33.Nf1 Re7 34.Ng3 Bd7 35.Rh1 Qb6 36.Be3 Qc6 37.Rd1 Be6
38.Kb1 Bf7 39.Rd2 Bg6 40.Bxc5 Qxc5 41.Rhd1 Ne6 42.Rd5 Qc6
43.Qd2 Nd4 44.Ka1 Bxe4 45.Nxe4 Qxd5 46.Ng3 Rd8 47.cxd4
exd4 48.a3 d3 49.Kb1 Re5 50.Rc1 f5 51.Bd1 f4 52.Nf1 Qd6
53.Qc3 c5 54.Nd2 c4 55.Bf3 Rde8 56.Ka2 R8e7 57.b3 cxb3+
58.Kxb3 Rc7 59.Qxc7+ Qxc7 60.Rxc7 Kxc7 61.Be4 Kb6
62.Bxd3 a5 63.Ne4 Kc6 64.f3 Rd5 65.Kc2 Re5 66.Kc3 Rd5

466
67.Bc2 a4 68.Bd3 Kb6 69.Kc2 Re5 70.Kb2 Ka5 71.Kc3 Rd5
72.Bc2 Kb6 73.Bd3 Ka5 74.Be2 Kb6 75.Bd3 Ka5 76.Bc2 Kb6
77.Bb1 Rd1 78.Ba2 Rc1+ 79.Kb2 Rf1 80.Nxg5 Rf2+ 81.Ka1 Rg2
82.Ne6 Rg3 83.Bd5 Rxh3 84.Nxf4 Rh7 85.Nd3 Rd7 86.Be4 Re7
87.Kb1 Kc7 88.Bg6 Rg7 89.Be8 Rg3 90.Bxb5 Rxf3 91.Kc2 Kb6
92.Bxa4 Ka5 93.Bb3 Rg3 94.Kc3 Rh3 95.Bc2 Rg3 96.Kb2 Rg4
97.Nc1 Rg6 98.Na2 Rg4 99.Nc3 Rg2 100.Kb3 Rg3 101.Be4 Re3
102.Bd5 Rh3 103.Bc6 Rh6 104.Bb5 Rh3 105.Be2 Re3 106.Bd1
Rh3 107.Bc2 Rg3 108.Kb2 Rh3 109.Na2 Rh4 110.Nc1 Rh2
111.Nb3+ Kb5 112.Nd4+ Kc4 113.Nf5 Rh3 114.Nd6+ Kc5
115.Ne4+ Kc4 116.Nf2 Rh2 117.Nd3 Kb5 118.Nc1 Rg2 119.Na2
Rh2 120.Nb4 Kc4 121.Nc6 Kb5 122.Ne5 Rg2 123.Kb3 Rg3+
124.Bd3+ Kc5 125.Kc3 Kd5 126.Nc4 Kc5 127.Nb2 Rg4 128.Bc4
Kb6 129.Kb4 Rg5 130.a4 Rg4 131.a5+ Ka7 132.Na4 Rg1
133.Nc3 Rg4 134.Nb5+ Kb7 135.Nd6+ Ka7 136.Nc8+ Kb7
137.Ne7 Ka7 138.Kb5 Rg7 139.Nc6+ Ka8 140.Bd5 Rb7+
141.Kc5 Rb1 142.Be4 Rb2 143.Nb4+ Ka7 144.Bc2 1-0
Italian Game
Sergei Tiviakov (2593)
Merab Gagunashvili (2580)
Go-Makkah Djerba 2020
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bb3 a6 7.h3
Ba7 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.Nf1 d5 10.Qe2 h6 11.g4 a5 12.g5 dxe4
13.dxe4 hxg5 14.Bxg5 a4 15.Bc4 Be6 16.Bb5 Bc5 17.Bxc6 bxc6
18.Nxe5 Re8 19.Rd1 Bd6 20.Ne3 Bd5 21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.N5g4
Qh4 23.exd5 f5 24.dxc6 fxg4 25.Rd4 Ra5 26.Rxg4 Qh6 27.Rhg1
Bf8 28.Qc4+ Kh8 29.Rh4 Rh5 30.Rgg4 g5 31.Rxh5 Qxh5 32.Re4
Rd8 33.h4 Qf3 34.hxg5 Qh1+ 35.Nf1 Qh5 36.Rd4 Re8+ 37.Ne3
Qxg5 38.Rg4 Rxe3+ 39.fxe3 Qxe3+ 40.Kd1 Qf3+ 41.Qe2 Qh1+
42.Kc2 Qh7+ 43.Qe4 Qh2+ 44.Rg2 Qh6 45.Qg6 1-0
Italian Game

467
Sergei Tiviakov (2664)
Gilberto Milos (2583)
Tromsø¸ 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 a6 6.Bb3 Ba7 7.h3 0-
0 8.Bg5 d6 9.Nh2 h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Ne7 12.h4 Ng6 13.hxg5
hxg5 14.Nd2 Kg7 15.Qe2 Rh8 16.0-0-0 Qe7 17.Nc4 Bd7 18.Ne3
Nf4 19.Qc2 Rh5 20.Rhe1 Rah8 21.Nhf1 Rh1 22.f3 Bxe3+
23.Nxe3 Rxe1 24.Bxe1 g4 25.d4 gxf3 26.gxf3 Rh3 27.Qf2 Kf8
28.Kb1 Nh7 29.dxe5 dxe5 30.Nc4 Ng5 31.Qa7 Rxf3 32.Qb8+
Be8 33.Qxb7 f6 34.Bc2 Kg7 35.Qxa6 Qc5 36.Nd2 Rh3 37.Nb3
Qc6 38.Qc8 Bf7 39.Na5 Qb6 40.b4 Rh1 41.Kb2 Qb5 42.c4 Qb6
43.Qb7 Qxb7 44.Nxb7 Bxc4 45.Nc5 Kg6 46.a4 Be2 47.Rc1 Rh2
48.b5 Nd3+ 49.Nxd3 Bxd3 50.Kb3 Bxe4 51.Bxe4+ Nxe4
52.Rxc7 Rh1 53.Rc1 Nf2 54.Bd2 Rh3+ 55.Rc3 Rh8 56.Rc4 f5
57.b6 Ne4 58.Be3 Kf6 59.a5 Ke6 60.a6 Nd6 61.b7 f4 62.Rc6
fxe3 63.a7 e2 64.b8Q e1Q 65.Qxd6+ Kf5 66.Qg6+ Kf4 67.Rc4+
e4 68.Qf6+ Kg4 69.Qxh8 Qd1+ 70.Rc2 Qd5+ 71.Kb4 Qd6+
72.Rc5 Qb6+ 73.Kc4 Qa6+ 74.Kd5 Qxa7 75.Qc8+ Kg3 76.Kxe4
Qe7+ 77.Kd3 Qd6+ 78.Kc2 1-0
Do you agree with me that we have done a lot of serious work in
this chapter?

468
Chapter 10
Choosing a plan
depending on your
opponent’s style,
your own physical
and psychological
condition, and
position in the
tournament
Constantly changing tournament circumstances oblige us, the
players, to constantly solve the problem of choosing a game plan.
The very word ‘choice’ implies the presence of several options for
the development of events on the chessboard. And since the game

469
begins with the playing of the opening, our first priority is to decide
on the first theoretical moves.
When building your opening repertoire, in my opinion, you should
opt for main continuations that are similar to each other: they will
help us, without breaking ties with familiar structures and ideas, to
vary our play depending on what result suits us: win or draw; what
is the skill level of our opponent: high or low.
In my youth, I was confident not only in my physical form, but also
in my accuracy of calculating variations, and therefore I played to
win against many players. The Dragon Variation of the Sicilian
Defence served me faithfully in this regard. It gives Black hope of
winning because it leads to very sharp continuations.

Question: Which opening continuation against 1.e4 is similar to the

Dragon Variation?
SOLUTION
In contrast, the Maroczy Variation, or Accelerated Dragon, is a calm
and reliable start to the game, capable of withstanding the pressure
of very strong opponents.
When we go for a sharp game, as in the case of the above-
mentioned variation, then it is necessary to take into account the
current tournament situation: how much do we need a victory, is the
risk justified? After all, when we choose an adventurous
continuation, we can lose miserably.
Let’s look at two of my games in which I used the Sicilian Defence
against the same grandmaster, Oleg Korneev, but with different
variations.
Sicilian Defence
Oleg Korneev (2590)
Sergei Tiviakov (2600)
Jakarta 1997
470
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6
Frankly speaking, the Dragon Variation is a very bold continuation:
if White plays correctly, Black may have problems. And one day I
excluded it from my opening repertoire, because from my own
experience I was convinced that the opposite side had a clear
advantage.
6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2

In this position, the main move for Black is, of course, short
castling. I had played it in many games, but this time I changed my
playing habit: I chose a different path against Korneev.
8...Bd7 9.0-0-0 Rc8

471
According to my chess database, I played twenty games with this
continuation. At the same time, the statistics are encouraging: White
scored only 20%, and I scored 80%, that is, as many as 16(!) points.

Question: Explain the idea behind Black’s last move.

SOLUTION
I decided to launch an attack on the white king without wasting time
on my own castling. However, the plan I have chosen has a
drawback: White has the right to take his time with the move g4.
After preliminary preparation, the paths to the main positions of the
Dragon Variation will open before him, and with extra tempo.
Due to the fact that I do not determine the position of my king, I
have the opportunity to neutralize the enemy attack on the flank.
This is a good example on the topic we examined in the previous
chapter of the book, or, more precisely, the question of under what
circumstances can you do without castling.
10.g4

472
In my opinion, there was no need to rush with the move 10.g4.
However, the player playing White (as well as Black) does not
always know how to act correctly. The opponent had at his disposal
a very unpleasant move for me: 10.Be2, the idea of which was to go
g4, h2-h4-h5, and maintain tension in the position (until I make a
decisive mistake, because I am playing risky chess: playing to win
with the black pieces).

Question: What is an objective assessment of the position after the

strongest continuation 10.Be2 ?
SOLUTION
White’s advantage is quite high, about +1.3, but not yet decisive.
True, with proper defence, Black may have a chance not only of
salvation, but also of seizing the initiative.

Question:How can we stop the enemy?

473
 SOLUTION
Instead of the calm move 10...h6, Black should stabilize the
structure on the kingside with 10...h5.
10...h5 11.g5
If 11.gxh5, the absence of castling would allow my rook to come
into play on the h-file: 11...Rxh5; 11.h3 does not work because of
the loss of the g-pawn, due to the pin.
11...Nh7
As a result of this move, the kingside has quietened down and the
opponent has to decide how to continue his attack.
12.f4
12.Kb1 is the main move, with prophylactic intentions.

Question:My king is still in the centre of the board. How can Black
turn this to his advantage?
SOLUTION
474
Let us employ the method of comparison: look at the position with
and without castling.

Question: What is the difference between them?

SOLUTION
I’d like to make a lyrical digression (while you are thinking) and tell
you about the tournament situation at the time of this game. It was
the seventh round. I don’t remember exactly how many more rounds
lay ahead of us, but this was definitely not the very end of the
tournament. And this is important information, because if the game
is played at the beginning or in the middle of the competition, then
we can take more risky paths: if we lose, we will still have time to
improve the situation by gaining points later on. However, in the last
round, if the outcome of our game is negative, the situation can no
longer be corrected. And we should be guided by such
considerations when choosing a playing strategy.
Due to the fact that my castling was postponed, the square f8
remains available for Black, and he can carry out the plan associated
with introducing the knight into battle: ...Nh7-f8-e6 in order to put
pressure on the centre. White is still better, but this is a playable
position.
12...0-0
Black also has a choice between moves such as 12...Qa5 and
12...Bg4.
13.Be2 Re8
The square f8 is prepared for the above-mentioned knight
manoeuvre.

475
So, we have a position with opposite-side castling.
Question:How should White continue his attack on the king?
SOLUTION
The basic principle of playing with opposite-side castling is: ‘avoid
unnecessary moves, act as energetically as possible ’. And in this
position the move 14.f5 meets this rule. True, even after this it is not
entirely clear how my opponent can break through the black king’s
cover.
14.h4
Not the strongest choice. The attempt to strengthen the g5-pawn
leads to the loss of an important tempo: after all, Black cannot
exploit its weakness.
14...Nf8
Gradually my knight comes into play.
15.Rhf1
476
Having made two pointless moves, White has lost his advantage. If
another quiet move does not spoil the situation, then the loss of two
tempi in positions of this type is critical.

Question:How should White have played?

SOLUTION
Korneev should still have pushed the pawn forward with 15.f5.

Question: Find the strongest move for Black, after which the
position approaches equality, and 16.f5 is no longer dangerous.
SOLUTION
In a previous chapter we discussed the topic ‘the value of tempi in
different positions’. And I noted that the value rises in positions
with opposite-side castling. This game is a clear example of this.
White has lost two tempi and launched an attack on the king on g8,

477
but Black was able to consolidate the position: bring pieces into play
and solve the problem of the poorly placed knight on h7.

Question:Suggest an option that Black can use to attack the king.

SOLUTION
The typical Sicilian plan associated with the ...a7-a6/...b7-b5
advance is not used in the Dragon Variation due to the weakening of
the b6-square. Instead, Black should put pressure on the knight on
c3 and the pawn on a2. But how? The move 15...Nb4 is still
premature due to 16.a3.
15...Qa5! 16.Kb1=
If White had not attended to prophylaxis and had gone 16.f5, then
Black would have plunged him into thought after 16...Nb4: then
17.a3 fails to 17...Rxc3 18.Qxc3 Na2+. White should play 17.Kb1,
then follows the sacrifice of an exchange on c3, typical of the
Dragon Variation – 17...Rxc3 18.Qxc3 Qxa2+ 19.Kc1 Qa4 and

478
Black has very strong compensation for the exchange: 20.Qb3 Rc8
21.Qxa4 Bxa4 22.Kd2 e5 23.Nf3 (if 23.fxe6, then 23...Nxe6= )
23...Rxc2+ with an unclear position.

In the game position, Black has two follow-up plans.

Question:What should Black pressurize to get equality?
SOLUTION
Usually, being in such cramped positions as now (Black does not
have enough squares for freedom of action, while White, on the
contrary, has a spatial advantage), I try to attack the middle of the
board or make exchanges. And besides, what is also very important
in chess? The centre! And Black has two moves that contribute to
the fight for it.
If 16...e5 17.Nb3 Qd8, then 18.f5 and White will shut in my bishop
on g7. However, the idea is correct, the question is only: ‘How to
implement it in a favourable version for Black? ’ The immediate

479
16...Nb4 would be a waste of time due to 17.a3, since the a2-square
is now protected.

Question:What is the main idea of the Dragon Variation?

SOLUTION
First of all, Black must think about how to use his bishop on g7,
how to create favourable conditions for his play. The plan with ...e6
and ...d5 will lead to the closure of the long diagonal after White’s
move e5. To achieve my goals, 16...Nxd4 17.Bxd4 e5 18.Bxa7
Qxa7 19.f5 (intending 20.f6) 19...Bc6= was suitable. If White
avoids exchanges by 18.Bg1, then the a1-h8 diagonal opens:
18...exf4 19.Qxf4 Be6=.

480
Question on the above variation:What strong move does Black have
after 18.fxe5, after which he is a little better?

481
 SOLUTION
By the way, it is called a zwischenzug.
Point to note:A zwischenzug is an attacking move aimed at
winning material or neutralizing the opponent’ s threat, which is an
insertion into the gap between the forced moves of any variation.
18.fxe5 In theory, it is logical to take the pawn now, but if this is
done with the pawn, then the g7-bishop will be blocked. So, what
move attacks something? – 18...Ne6. Black threatens to capture the
bishop on d4. If it moves away with 19.Be3, then 19...Bxe5, and
White now needs to play for equality. In case of 19.Nd5 there will
be multiple exchanges: 19...Qxd2 20.Rxd2 Nxd4 21.Rxd4 Rxe5=.
16...Ne6 17.Nb3 Bxc3

White must make a choice.

482
Question:What would you do?
SOLUTION
18.Nxa5?
18.bxc3 Qa4 19.f5 Nc7 20.Bf4±.
18...Bxd2 19.Bxd2 Nc5
Black plays to seize the initiative.

White must make a choice.

Question:What only move for White maintains the balance?
SOLUTION
20.Bd3?
It was essential to exchange: 20.Nxc6 Bxc6 21.e5 dxe5 22.fxe5,
because White has the worse pawn structure (the weak pawn on e4)
which neutralizes his two bishops.
20...Bg4 21.Rde1 Nd4

483
The black pieces are encircling, and the opponent begins to have a
lot of material hanging: 22...Nf3 is threatened, winning at least a
pawn.
22.Re3

Question:Find a strong and at the same time strictly the only move
for Black that will give him a big advantage. Otherwise, White can
defend, and I will have to settle for half a point.
SOLUTION
It is important to exploit the advantage very confidently: not to
allow the opponent to rally his troops and not to allow his
counterplay. Black needs to act energetically to take advantage of
the poor coordination of the white pieces. Don’t forget, the a5-
knight is on the edge of the board and cannot take part in the
defence.
22...d5!

484
Not 22...Nxd3 because of 23.cxd3 when White preserves a
defensible pawn structure.
23.exd5 Nxd3 24.cxd3
But now the enemy centre falls!
If 24.Rxd3 Nxc2 25.Bc3 Be2, winning the exchange.
24...Nf5 25.Re4 Nxh4
My h-pawn has a wonderful future awaiting it!
26.Nxb7 Nf5 27.Na5 Ng3 28.Rfe1 Nxe4 29.dxe4 Bd7 30.Bc3 f6
31.gxf6 exf6 32.Nb7 Rxc3 33.bxc3 Rb8 34.c4 Rxb7+ 35.Kc2 Kf7
36.Kc3 Ke7 37.c5 Bg4 38.e5 fxe5 39.fxe5 Bf3 40.c6 Rb8 41.c7
Rc8 42.Kd4 g5 43.Rc1 g4 44.Rc6 g3 45.Rg6 g2 46.d6+ Kd7
47.Rg7+ Kc6 48.Ke3 Bd5 49.d7 g1Q+ 50.Rxg1 Kxd7 51.Rg7+
Kc6 52.Rh7 Rxc7 53.Rxh5 Bxa2 54.Rh2 Bc4 55.Kd4 Kb5
56.Rb2+ Ka4 57.Rc2 Kb4 58.e6 a5 0-1
The passed a-pawn decides the outcome.
Ultimately, my risk paid off: the victory over Korneev allowed me
to take first place at the tournament in Jakarta.
We have seen one option for the development of pieces in the
presence of a bishop on g7, and now we will consider another
possible way of playing against the same opponent. The game took
place in 1998, that is, a year after the previous victory, at a very
strong tournament in Linares, in which the first prize was 10,000
euros.
Sicilian Defence
Oleg Korneev
Sergei Tiviakov
Linares 1998
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Be2
Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bg7 9.Be3 0-0 10.Qd2 Be6 11.0-0 Qa5 12.Rab1
Rfc8 13.b3 Ng4 14.Bd4 Bxd4 15.Qxd4 Qc5 16.Qd3 Nf6 17.Kh1
485
I choose a plan typical of the Maroczy System, very well known
from the game Karpov-Polugaevsky (although the latter occurred
from a Najdorf Sicilian!). The example is discussed in Alexander
Panchenko’s book on the middlegame.
This position requires Black to play defensively. He has already
exchanged two pairs of minor pieces, and now he only has to
improve the position of one inactive piece.

Question: Which black piece does nothing?

SOLUTION
The bishop on e6 is limited by the opponent’s pawn chain. The
correct decision is to transfer it to the square c6 to attack the point
e4.
17...Bd7 18.f4
Now I should create counterplay to oppose White’s actions:
18...a5

486
For the Maroczy System, this is a typical preventative move, aimed
against a possible attack on my queen by 19.b4. Later, the black
pawn can move to a4 to undermine the queenside.
19.a4?!
But White harms himself: he voluntarily surrenders all dynamic
chances on this side of the board.
19...Bc6 20.Nd5?

An interesting situation has arisen. The mobility of pawns is limited,

so I don’t think much of this knight jump into my half of the board.
I think White should have played 20.Bf3 or 20.Rbd1 to maintain
tension in the centre.
Question:Now Black has two good continuations to choose from.
Find them.
Question: Which piece is better in closed positions: knight or
bishop?
SOLUTION

487
In the presence of closed pawn chains, preference is usually given to
the knight, so White had to keep it. But in the game my opponent is
left with a bad piece, the bishop on e2.
20...Re8
Black could have immediately played 20...Bxd5=. But I decided to
hold off on simplifications and make a useful move that preserves
the flexibility of my game: I may or may not exchange on d5. It’s
just that to be 100% confident in the benefits of eliminating the
enemy piece from the d5-square, I needed time.
21.Rbd1 Rad8

Question: What is Black aiming for by arranging his reserves in this

way?
SOLUTION
In one of the previous chapters, I already told you about the
importance of maximum centralization of pieces. Do you
remember that it is the key to success in a chess game? Most of my
pieces stand in the extended centre, on all four verticals: from the
c- to the f-file. And therefore I assess the white position as having
only a symbolic advantage.
22.h4?

Question: Which principle of play does the move 22.h4 breach?

SOLUTION
My opponent, an experienced grandmaster, violates the tenets of
chess strategy: he significantly weakens his own king, trying to play
for the attack. But there is an explanation for this.
The last round was underway, and Oleg Korneev, always full of
energy, really wanted to win the game, because before the final
round ten people shared first place in the tournament table.
488
However, the rules of the competition provided for the awarding of
prizes based on tie-break coefficient, that is, without distributing
them in equal shares. And the difference in cash prizes between
subsequent places was oh so huge!

Question: How does one understand whether a successful attack on

the king in any position is possible?
SOLUTION
First of all, you need to count the forces involved on the
corresponding flank. Does White have an advantage in the number
of attacking fighters? – No. It turns out that he is trying to organize
an attack with small forces. But this contradicts the principles of
chess! And as a result, he will be punished for such risky play.
Question: What do we usually do when the opponent tries to attack
on the flank?
SOLUTION
To seize the initiative, you need to counterattack. For example, we
concentrated our pieces, in this example, in the centre, because
nothing can be done on the queenside due to the presence of a stable
pawn structure there. A capture on d5 suggests itself, but which
piece is better to keep for the upcoming game? The knight is
definitely stronger, because White’s bishop is bad. The tactic
22...Nxe4 23.Qxe4 e6 does not help to simplify the position in view
of 24.Nf6+.
22...Bхd5
Korneev chose:
23.cxd5
But stronger was 23.exd5, after which I would have chosen 23...e6
24.Bf3 e5³.
23...Qb4!

489
A move that targets the centre. Moreover, there is the chance of
transferring the rook via the c8-square to c3, with the gain of a
pawn.
24.Bf3 Rc8 25.Rc1
Here the advantage can be achieved in different ways. The queen on
b4 is very good, it puts pressure on the e4- and b3-pawns, so it
doesn’t need to be touched. The strongest move from the computer’s
point of view in this position was 25...Nd7 to answer 26.Qe3 with
26...Rc5µ. But I took a different path, also logical:
25...Rxc1 26.Rxc1 e5
So as to break up the centre.
27.dxe6 Rxe6

White’s position is difficult but still defensible, although admittedly,

Korneev lost it quite quickly.

490
Question:Which continuation do you think offers the best chance of
defence?
SOLUTION
28.Kh2
28.Rc8+ – as they say: ‘Patzer sees a check, patzer gives a check ’.
This does not lead to anything worthwhile, because after repelling
the threat, Black intends to penetrate with the queen to the first rank
and take one of the pawns: e4 or h4.
Trying to exchange the strongest pieces will not work: 28.Qb5 Qd2
29.Rc8+ Kg7 30.Qxb7 Qe1+ 31.Kh2 Qxh4+ 32.Kg1 Rxe4 +; the
weakness of the lonely king tells, the weakness formed as a result of
that ‘attacking ’ move 22. h4. The defence is very difficult and I
think a human will never find it. However, it was worth considering
28.Qc3, an attempt to make a draw in the endgame by sacrificing:
28...Qxc3 29.Rxc3 Nxe4 30.Rc7 b6 31.g4, and strangely enough,
White still has a chance for a draw: 31...d5 32.Kg2, because this
ending is not so easy to win.
Of course, in the game the chess player opposite me did not give up
his pawn so easily.

491
Once again I draw your attention to the maximum centralization of
the black pieces: the queen, and with it the knight and rook, put
pressure on the e4 point – all my forces are aimed at hitting one
goal. But their efforts to win the coveted pawn are not enough yet.
Question 1:What will follow the immediate capture 28...Nxe4 ?
Find an interesting tactical idea.
Question 2:Find the move which brings Black an immediate win.
SOLUTION
Answer 1: Due to the intermediate move 29.Rc8+ Kg7, Black loses
a piece after 30.Rc4 Nc5 31.Qd4+. But the hasty 29.Rc4, due to the
lack of a check opportunity on the d4-square, allows Black to save
his material – 29...Nc5.
Answer 2:
28...d5!

492
Attacking the centre and preventing the white pieces consolidating
for the defence of the e4-weakness.
29.exd5 Qxf4+ 30.g3
I needed to calculate several lines thoroughly.
30...Re3 31.gxf4 Rxd3
White has many vulnerable pawns: b3, d5, f4, h4.
32.Kg3 Nxd5 33.Rc8+ Kg7 34.Rd8 Nxf4 35.Rxd3 Nxd3 36.Bxb7
f5
I foresaw everything exactly and was satisfied with the quality of
my play. Next comes the technical stage of the game, in which the
black pawn reaches the promotion square.
37.Kf3 Kf6 38.Ke3 Nc5 39.Bd5 Ke5 40.Bf7 f4+ 41.Kf3 Kf5
42.Bc4 h6 43.Kf2 g5 44.hxg5 hxg5 45.b4 axb4 46.a5 Ke4 47.a6
Nxa6 48.Bxa6 b3 49.Bc4 b2 50.Bf7 Kd3 51.Kf3 Kd2 0-1
We looked at two different approaches to fighting in the Sicilian
Defence for Black: one is the Dragon variation, the other is the
Maroczy.
Conclusion:For successful play in any tournament circumstances, it
is important:
1) to have an assortment of opening continuations that are
different in character, but approximately similar in pawn structure;
2) to be able to correctly select theoretical principles.
The next memorable game was played against the Israeli
grandmaster Emil Sutovsky, who was similar in his energy and
efficiency to my previous opponent. It took place in the last round of
the European Championship in Plovdiv in 2008 and was of great
historical significance, because it allowed me to become the sole
European Champion: I overtook all my pursuers by half a point.

493
But let’s go back to the moment when the draw for the next
(decisive!) round appeared, in which opposite my name I saw such a
dangerous chess player as Emil Sutovsky.
Point to note:Before the game starts, it is important to think about
our future strategy and choose a fighting style. At the same time, we
must focus, first of all, on the tournament situation – is it possible to
hit the ‘big jackpot’? – and only then think about the opponent’s
style.
Anyone who has played against Sutovsky and/or studied his chess
knows that he is a chess player of a sharp attacking style, against
whom it is better to switch to positional rails and not allow a change
from calm manoeuvring play, since he is very strong in concrete
sharp play.
I determined my opening choice with these conclusions. I have
three-four different systems in service against the Sicilian Defence.
Question:Based on the huge number of my games you have seen,
which absolutely safe continuation, with only two results: a win or a
draw, did I choose against the Sicilian Defence at the end of this
competition?
And this is the 2.c3 Sicilian! It is an ideal weapon against players
like Sutovsky.
Points to note:
1) In the most important games, when there is a lot at stake, play
those opening continuations that you know well and in which you do
best.
2) Under no circumstances be tempted to go for ‘new ideas’ in
order to surprise your opponent. Such a surprise is usually short-
term in nature, but in the long term you yourself may be confused.
3) In order for the game to be of high quality and bring positive
results, follow those variations in which you have the most
experience, where you feel like a fish in water.

494
 4) My many years of work experience as a professional chess
player shows that a sense of confidence in a position should prevail
over the desire to devalue the opponent’s homework and suppress
your own fear of his acquaintance with your play.
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2634)
Emil Sutovsky (2630)
Plovdiv Ech 2008
1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 e6
My favourite variation. For those who want to keep up with the
times, I recommend 5...Bg4. Modern theory considers it the
strongest move, although after 6.dxc5 sharp positions may arise. But
5...e6 leads to a stable advantage for White.
6.Na3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nb5 Qd8 9.Nbxd4 Nd5

White is at a crossroads.
10.Bg5

495
This is the safest continuation, but there is also a daring move that
leads to crazy clashes on the chessboard. I used it against Lubomir
Ftacnik and Jan Smeets, and it is obvious that this is what my
opponent had prepared for.
10.Bg5 is not the strongest move, but the second strongest;
however, in addition to chess assessments, it is important to take
into account the psychological aspect of the confrontation: a
position that, in the current tournament environment, suits our style,
but is unpleasant for our opponent.

Question:Suggest the strongest continuation from a computer point

of view.
SOLUTION
Let’s look at the obvious moves:
1) 10.Bb5 is a questionable choice, since after 10...Qc7 the
exchange on c6 will only strengthen Black’s centre;

496
 2) Stockfish’s first line is 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bd2 ( 11.Bd4 was
seen in my game against Smeets and led to a breathtaking sequel).
Additional task: Independently study the following two games.
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2678)
Jan Smeets (2537)
Leeuwarden 2005
1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 e6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Na3 Nc6 7.Be3
cxd4 8.Nb5 Qd8 9.Nbxd4 Nd5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bd4 f6 12.Bc4
e5?

Question 1:Is White now better after every move?

Question 2:Can we sacrifice the bishop in the variation 13.Qa4
Bd7?
SOLUTION
13.Qa4 Bd7.
497
14.0-0-0 is tempting but Black is not forced to accept the gift:
14...c5 15.Qc2 Nb6 16.Bxe5 Nxc4 is unclear. In my opinion, the
strongest move is 14.Be3, e.g. 14...Be7 15.0-0-0=.
13.Bxe5 fxe5 14.Nxe5
The prelude to a very sharp struggle.
14...Qd6 15.0-0 Be6 16.Qh5+ g6 17.Nxg6 Nf6 18.Qe2 hxg6
19.Qxe6+ Qxe6 20.Bxe6 Kd8 21.g3 ½-½
Sicilian Defence
Sergei Tiviakov (2668)
Lubomir Ftacnik (2579)
Amsterdam 2006
1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Na3 Nc6 7.Be3
cxd4 8.Nb5 Qd8 9.Nbxd4 Nd5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bd4 f6 12.Bc4
c5 13.Bb5+ Bd7 14.Bxd7+ Qxd7= 15.Be3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Qxd1+
17.Kxd1 Kd7 18.Kc2 Kc6 19.Rad1 Be7 20.Rd2 Rad8 21.Re2 h5
22.Rf1 Rd7 23.e4 Rh6 24.Kb3 Rh8 25.Kc4 Rhd8 26.h3 Rd1
27.Rxd1 Rxd1 28.Ne1 Bf8 29.Nd3 Rf1 30.Rf2 Rxf2 31.Nxf2 g5
32.e5 f5 33.h4 g4 34.Nd3 Be7 35.g3 Bf8 36.a3 a5 37.b4 cxb4
38.cxb4 axb4 39.axb4 Bh6 40.Nc5 f4 41.gxf4 g3 42.Nxe6 g2
43.Nd4+ Kd7 44.Ne2 Bxf4 45.Kd5 Be3 ½-½
We continue with our main game after 10.Bg5.

498
10...Qb6 11.Bc4

499
Question:What move should Black choose now?
SOLUTION
This is my favourite type of position. We have already looked at
them in previous chapters. I’m going to exchange on d5 and move to
a structure with an isolated pawn, ideally in an endgame with
opposite-coloured bishops, where I can test my opponent’s mental
endurance with manoeuvring techniques.
11...Nxd4?²
From the computer’s point of view, the strongest answer is 11...h6.
Then White can retreat 12.Bh4 or play 12.Bc1 Be7 13.Bxd5 exd5
14.Qb3 Bc5. This is exactly the position I wanted to get against
Sutovsky, where you can play for a win without a single risk, for
about 100 moves!
12.Nxd4
Probably 12.Bxd5 was stronger: 12...Qa5 13.Qxd4 Qxd5 14.Qxd5
exd5 15.0-0-0².
12...Bc5
All correct.
13.Bxd5

500
Question:This time a critical moment for Black. How should he
play?
SOLUTION
13...Bxd4
Here too Sutovsky did not stumble.
14.0-0

501
Question:Make a good move for my opponent.
SOLUTION
Point to note:When selecting candidate moves, do not go too deep
into this process. Just look at the board, name the possible answers,
and then eliminate them and start doing detailed calculations.
Shall we take the white bishop? Or can we go...
14...Bc5?
Is castling acceptable?
On 14...0-0? White will simply retreat 15.Be4 or 15.Bb3, and due to
the great activity and the presence of a pawn majority on the
queenside, such positions can turn out to be very difficult for Black.
The simplest answer is 14...exd5, e.g. 15.Re1+ Be6 16.Qa4+ Qc6
17.Qxd4 (capturing the queen is also possible: 17.Qxc6+ bxc6
18.cxd4, because Black is left with a backward pawn on c6 – a
matter of taste).

502
I prefer this option because I play with opposite-coloured bishops
against an isolated pawn (see the chapter on opposite-coloured
bishops). The position is a draw, but every time I had similar
positions before, I brought them to a victorious end. And I believed
that not giving the opponent any chance for a ‘happy ending ’ was
the right strategy. After 17...0-0 my favourite type of position would
appear. Which is what I wanted in the last round of the European
Championship against a famous chess player.
However, the computer’s choice is 14...h6!. Most likely, no one will
dare to play this. Just taking the piece and not thinking is human,
and 14...h6 leads to an accurate move-to-move game. (In the first
volume of this series, I described in detail the difference between
computer chess and human chess.)
15.Qe2 h6 16.Bf4 0-0
If Black is going to castle, he needs to do it right away, because
after 15...h6 a target has appeared: Black’s king is in danger.

503
Question:Where is the white bishop going?
SOLUTION
17.Bc4
I made a logical move: I wanted to take control of the square b5, but
it was not the best move from a computer point of view. The
strongest answer in this position was 17.Bb3. Black needs to play
17...Bd7 18.Rad1 Bb5 19.c4 Bc6, followed by an important
manoeuvre, the ‘rook lift ’ through the d3-square, and a strong
attack will begin on the king g8, because the black pieces are stuck
on the queenside.

Question: What plan does White want to implement?

SOLUTION
Building a queen battery on e4 with a bishop on d3 seems
ineffective, since the attack requires more forces. The correct plan is
to move the rook via d1 and d3 to g3. If this is not prevented, then
Black will definitely get checkmated.
There is a position on the board with multiple advantages for White.
Firstly, due to the queenside pawn majority, which determines the
advantage in a deep endgame. Secondly, due to the advance in
development.
Point to note:When one type of advantage is superimposed on the
second, the principle of two weaknesses is triggered.
My many years of experience show that players with a sharp
attacking style, when they find themselves in a dangerous situation,
defend poorly and cannot take the blow. Thus, an ideal position was
formed for me: I won easily and confidently because my opponent
was unable to show his strong qualities.

504
Question:Let’s find the only move for Black.
SOLUTION
17...Bd7?
Almost losing, although it looks natural. 17...g5 was even worse,
since it exposes his own king. And even 17...e5 is not good: a pawn
is a pawn. 17...Rd8 changes nothing because of 18.Rad1.
The slow plan is 17...Qc6 18.Rad1 b6 19.Bb5+ to drive the queen
to b7, and then transfer the rook to the kingside, or immediately
19.Rd3.
17...Bd6 is an intermediate move that prevents White from bringing
the rook into play due to the attack on the f4-bishop, which under
certain circumstances can join the attack on the g7-pawn.
Point to note:This example shows a method of defence by fighting
the opponent’ s most dangerous piece.

505
If we withdraw the bishop with 18.Be3, Black gains another tempo:
he attacks the h2-pawn – 18...Qc7 19.h3 b6, and develops the
bishop on b7. Therefore, White needs to exchange 18.Bxd6 Qxd6
19.Rad1 Qc7 20.Rd4² with chances for equality.
18.Rad1
And now my opponent’s position is on the verge of defeat.
18...Rad8
He should have played 18...Rfd8, so as to include the bishop in the
defence of the king via f8.
19.Rd3 Bc8
The computer thinks that Black needs to give up the pawn: 19...e5
20.Bxe5 Be6 21.Rg3 g6 and then continue to resist. White will play
22.Bd3 and finish the game in his favour without any problems.
20.Rg3 Bd6 21.Qg4 g6 22.Bxh6 Bxg3
A temporary exchange sacrifice.
23.Qxg3 Qc5

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An important point in the game: by the 24th move I had a won
position.
Question:How should White act?

SOLUTION
Of course, he should not exchange queens, otherwise it will lead to
tragedy.
24.Bxf8?
A typical psychological mistake: I showed greed by taking the
exchange on f8. So to speak, I was in a hurry with the decision. But
my dark-squared bishop was stronger than the enemy’s rook. Even
24.Qh4 is still better than what I did! 24...Qh5 25.Qxh5 gxh5
26.Bxf8 Kxf8 27.Rb1 and objectively White’s position is close to a

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winning ending, although it seems that not everything about it is so
simple.
I needed to withdraw my bishop – 24.Bb3. Then on 24...Rfe8,
25.Bg5 Rd7 26.Qh4 leads to a win for White – Black’s king is
facing checkmate, and I have the advantage of two bishops and a
pawn for an exchange.
24...Kxf8 25.Bb3
My second mistake. 25.Qf4 should have been preferred to prevent
the rook from invading the d2-square. The opponent had a real
chance of salvation.
A depressing situation: Black is a pawn down.
Point to note:When your position looks tragic, you need to strive
for activity of your pieces, creating counterplay, because passive
defence will definitely lead to defeat.

Question 1:What should Black have played, without even thinking?

Question 2:How should White attack the king now?
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 SOLUTION
Answer 1: 25...Rd2 was the last chance, and it had to be used.
Answer 2: When we know the definition of the word ‘attack’, then a
strong move is easy to find! – the last pawn goes forward: 26.h4
followed by h5, at the same time gaining time to make luft.
Point to note:In my understanding, an attack is, first of all, the
actions of pieces aimed at exposing the opponent’s king.
For example, 26...Rxb2 27.h5 Qxh5 ( 27...gxh5 28.Rd1 b6
29.Qh4+ ) 28.Qc7 with a win.
But 26.Rd1 does not lead White to victory. It seems that 26...Rxb2
will be met by 27.Qh4 with forced mate. But Black has a defence in
this position.

Question:What was strictly the only move to save Black?

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 SOLUTION
27...Kg7 is the quiet but correct answer.
Point to note:If you see that some active continuation is losing (as
in the case of the move 25...Rd2), play it anyway, because there is
nothing left to lose. In hopeless positions, you are obliged to take at
least some action.
25...Kg7? 26.Qf4
I regroup and take control of the square d2.
26...b6 27.Rd1 Rxd1+ 28.Bxd1
White has a technically easily winning position, with a simple extra
pawn.
28...e5 29.Qd2 Be6 30.a3 Bd5 31.Bc2 Qc4 32.Bd3 Qc6 33.Qg5
e4 34.Qe5+ Kh7 35.Be2 Bc4 36.Bd1 f5 37.Qd4 Bf7 38.g3 Qe6
39.b3 g5 40.Qd2 Qf6 41.Qd4 Qe7 42.b4 f4 43.Bg4 e3 44.fxe3
fxe3 45.Kf1 b5 46.Ke1 Bc4 47.Qd7 Qxd7 48.Bxd7 Kg6 49.Bg4
510
Kf6 50.Be2 Bd5 51.Bxb5 Bf3 52.h4 gxh4 53.gxh4 Ke5 54.Be2
Be4 55.h5 Kf4 56.c4 Ke5 57.c5 Kd4 58.h6 Ke5 59.b5 1-0
In addition to the style of the opponent and the tournament situation,
in modern chess when choosing an opening it is also important to
take into account the presence of variations leading to a draw. Now I
will show you a very interesting line that I have been playing for
many years.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 c6 7.Qc2
0-0 8.0-0 b6 9.Bf4 Bb7 10.Rd1

One of the theoretical positions in the Catalan Opening, in which I

use three different game plans.
10...Na6
I talked about this move in more detail in the first chapter of this
book. My experience shows that choosing the strongest continuation
often leads to a forced draw. By this I mean that if White wants, he
can put Black in a situation in which he cannot fight for victory.
And this is just one of those continuations leading to the inevitable
half point. The following options are possible here:
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 1) 10...Nh5, but 11.Bc1 leads to a repetition of the position;
2) 10...Nbd7.
As for 10...dxc4, we make this move only when we have the
opportunity to exchange the bishop on f4, but in this case (after the
future Nd5) White will simply move it further away, while e4 is not
a very good place for the knight.
11.Nc3
Now, to justify his strategy connected with the move 10...Na6,
Black must play:
11...dxc4 12.Ne5 Nd5 13.Nxc4 Nxf4 14.gxf4 Nb4
The knight comes to the centre by a roundabout route.
15.Qd2 Nd5 16.Rac1 f5
The game could continue as follows:
17.Nxd5 cxd5 18.Qe3 Qd7 19.Ne5 Qd6 20.Nc4 Qd7
With a threefold repetition.
Point to note:Playing correct chess most often only leads to a draw.
It is obvious that the use of basic opening ramifications will not take
your opponent by surprise: everyone knows the main variations.
This means that the element of surprise will not work either; the
opponent can plan a quick draw. And many chess players took
advantage of my commitment to certain principles. I will name two
of them: Bogdan Lalic, Victor Mikhalevski. These players made that
forced draw with me. The lack of fighting on their part leads me to
believe that, due to the difference in our rankings, they viewed half
a point with White as a good result:
Mikhalevski-Tiviakov, Hoogeveen 2000:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 c6 7.Qc2 0-
0 8.0-0 b6 9.Bf4 Bb7 10.Rd1 Na6 11.Nc3 dxc4 12.Ne5 Nd5
13.Nxc4 Nxf4 14.gxf4 Nb4 15.Qd2 Nd5 16.Rac1 f5 17.Nxd5 cxd5
18.Qe3 Qd7 19.Ne5 Qd6 ½-½.

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Lalic-Tiviakov, Port Erin 2001:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0
c6 8.Qc2 b6 9.Bf4 Bb7 10.Rd1 Na6 11.Nc3 dxc4 12.Ne5 Nd5
13.Nxc4 Nxf4 14.gxf4 Nb4 15.Qd2 Nd5 16.Rac1 ½-½.
Point to note:To avoid unwanted draws, carefully consider your
opening choice and game plan.
I would like to give another example – my game against Nikita
Vitiugov in 2008. At that time, he was not yet known for his strong
play; his Elo rating was more modest.
Queen’s Indian Defence
Nikita Vitiugov (2616)
Sergei Tiviakov (2645)
Bornholm 2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3
If 4.Nc3 I play either 4...Bb4 or 4...Bb7.

This is the Petrosian Variation of the Queen’s Indian Defence.

Frankly speaking, I guessed right with the opening: everything went

513
like clockwork, and during the entire game I did not seriously think
about a single move, but while the chess clock was counting down, I
regretted that I had not gone for another continuation, which would
have led to a more difficult fight. After all, before the start of the
round, I had planned to play to win and wanted to reach a position
with an advantage. Therefore, I never cease to repeat to you (and all
my students) how important it is to have a choice in the opening.
4...Ba6
4...Bb7.
5.Qc2 Bb7 6.Nc3 c5 7.e4
Usually in this line, play assumes a forcing character...
7...cxd4 8.Nxd4
... because Black has lost control of the centre and now needs to
defend carefully. If now I play ‘wrong ’ (but ‘creative! ’) chess, then
I run the risk of getting a bad position.
8...Nc6
From this moment on, all of Black’s moves are strictly unique: he
has no opportunity to move away from the forced line.
Point to note:Strategic problems are solved by concrete play.
9.Nxc6 Bxc6 10.Bf4 Bc5 11.Be2 0-0 12.Rd1 a5 13.0-0

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Black’s moves are virtually forced.
13...Qe7 14.e5
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Ba6 5.Qc2 Bb7 6.Nc3 c5 7.e4 cxd4
8.Nxd4 Nc6 9.Nxc6 Bxc6 10.Bf4 Bc5 11.Be2 0-0 12.Rd1 a5 13.0-0
Qe7 14.e5 Nh5! 15.Bxh5 Qh4 16.Qe2 Qxf4 17.g3 Qg5 18.Bf3
Bxf3 19.Qxf3 Qxe5 20.Rxd7 Rad8= 21.Rfd1 Rxd7 22.Rxd7 Bd4
23.Na4 Qe1+ 24.Kg2 e5 25.Nc3 Qd2 26.Ne2! Qxb2 27.Nxd4
exd4 28.Qd3 g6 29.Rxd4 Re8 30.Rd8 Rxd8 31.Qxd8+ Kg7 32.Qd3
a4 33.Kf3 h5 34.h4 Kh7 35.Ke3 Qc1+ 36.Kf3 Qb2 37.Ke3 Qc1+
½-½.

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Question:Find the only move for Black.
14...Nh5
14...Ne8 15.Ne4 is hopeless, because White has the two bishops.
15.Bxh5 Qh4
At the time I had the feeling that this variation surprised Vitiugov a
little, although this continuation has been known to the chess world
according to the Mega Database since 1993.
See the game Khenkin-Adams, Elenite 1993:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Ba6 5.Qc2 Bb7 6.Nc3 c5 7.e4 cxd4
8.Nxd4 Nc6 9.Nxc6 Bxc6 10.Bf4 Bc5 11.Be2 0-0 12.Rd1 a5 13.0-0
Qe7 14.e5 Nh5! 15.Bxh5 Qh4 16.Qe2 Qxf4 17.g3 Qg5 18.Bf3
Bxf3 19.Qxf3 Qxe5 20.Rxd7 Rad8= 21.Rfd1 Rxd7 22.Rxd7 Bd4
23.Na4 Qe1+ 24.Kg2 e5 25.Nc3 Qd2 26.Ne2! Qxb2 27.Nxd4
exd4 28.Qd3 g6 29.Rxd4 Re8 30.Rd8 Rxd8 31.Qxd8+ Kg7 32.Qd3

516
a4 33.Kf3 h5 34.h4 Kh7 35.Ke3 Qc1+ 36.Kf3 Qb2 37.Ke3 Qc1+
½-½.
But Vitiugov pulled himself together and forced the draw:
16.Qe2
He loses after 16.g4 Qh3 17.Ne4 Qf3.
16...Qxf4 17.g3 Qg5 18.Bf3 Bxf3 19.Qxf3 Qxe5 20.Rxd7 Rad8
21.Rfd1 Rxd7 22.Rxd7

It all ends with a mutual massacre of pieces.

22...Bd4 23.Kg2 Bxc3 24.Qxc3 Qe4+ 25.Kg1 Qb1+ 26.Kg2 ½-½
It’s a shame that the strength of a chess player in such forced
variations does not play any role: even if he had a rating of 2200, the
result will not change, because Black can’t get off the beaten track
anywhere. It’s good that this draw happened with grandmaster
Vitiugov, but it could have been with a very weak chess player.
The topic of choosing a game plan is multifaceted. And in my future
works I would like to highlight another aspect of it: ‘how to play in
situations when we are satisfied with a draw and we definitely want

517
to make it or, on the contrary, how to avoid it when it does not
promise us anything useful’. (The answer to the second question is
partially covered in the chapter ‘Playing in difficult positions’.)
As a conclusion to this chapter, I would like to emphasize that the
correct choice of playing strategy largely determines our success in
chess. Knowing and using solid continuations will help us resist
Carlsen, and sharp variations with a twist will ruin the drawing
plans of a less sophisticated opponent. Create your own choice!

518
Conclusion
Our second book in the Rock Solid Chess series, dedicated to
typical situations on the chessboard, has come to an end. We hope
that your engagement with it was easy and that it exceeded all your
expectations.
We assume that you spent a few weeks or less reading it all. Since
short-term efforts are quickly forgotten, we strongly advise you to
return to the analysis of its chapters from time to time, especially
after those of your tournament games in which the topics mentioned
in the book occur. In this way, you will consolidate the material you
have learned, correct your way of thinking in certain chess
situations, and thereby lay a strong playing foundation for speedily
and correctly making positional decisions.
Undoubtedly, chess is a complex and curious game, so much so that
it can and should be learned for an infinitely long time. Therefore,
the Rock Solid Chess series will not end with the writing of the
second book...
We have accumulated a lot of interesting and important chess
material for the inquisitive reader. In the third book we will continue
to study other practical issues that we did not have time to talk about
in the first two books.
Sergei Tiviakov and Yulia Gökbulut
January 2024

519
Bibliography
BOOKS
Victor Korchnoi, Practical Rook Endings, Edition Olms 2002
Leonid Verhovsky, Alexander Kochyev, Nikolay Yakovlev,
Zugzwang. The advantage of two bishops, Fizkultura i sport 1989
Boris Zlotnik, Zlotnik’s Middlegame Manual, New In Chess 2020
Lajos Portisch & Balazs Sarkozy, 600 Endgames, Pergamon Press
1981
Anatoly Karpov, Anatoly Karpov’s Best Games, Batsford 1996
Alexander Panchenko, Mastering Chess Middlegames, New In
Chess 2020
Alexander Panchenko, Theory and Practice of Chess Endings, vol.
1, 2, Convekta, 2009
Tigran Petrosian, Chess Lectures, Fizkultura i sport 1989

DATABASES
Harold van der Heijden, Endgame Study Database VI, 2020
Sergei Tiviakov, How to play the Ruy Lopez with Qe2, Chessbase
2020

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