DAY 318 Black Ambition

Once Black equalizes he needs more than safe moves to make progress.

Vasily Smyslov White
Svetozar Gligoric Black
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade 1959
King’s Indian Defense E61

1 d4 f6 2 c4 g6 3 c3 g7 4 g5 c5 5 dxc5 a6! 6 g3 xc5 7 g2 d6

White planned 8 e4? but 8...a5! would threaten 9...fxe4 (9 d2? b3).

He is also worse after 8 f3 fe4! or 8 h3 xh3 9 xh3 fe4.

8 c1 0-0 9 b4 e6 10 d2

illustration

Black is better but the position will slide back to equality after routine moves like 10...b8 and 11...d7. And 10...c7 11 d5! favors White.

10...a5! 11 a3

If 11 b5, then 11...c7 is stronger (12 d5 xd5 13 cxd5 c5! or 12 b3 c5).

11...axb4 12 axb4 d4

Now 13 f3 xf3+ 14 xf3 h3 and White can’t castle.

13 h3 e6!

White’s queenside pawn are weak after 14 g5 c6 15 b5 e5 or 15...a5.

14 d5? xd5 15 cxd5 d7

The threat is 16...a4!, trapping the queen.

Question 357: What about 16 c3 ?

16 c3 a2 17 b1

Or 17 0-0 xe2+ 18 xe2 xc3.

17...a8 18 c1 f5

In view of 19 e4 xh3 20 xh3 f3+, White resigns.

Bogdan Sliwa White
Jacek Bednarski Black
Glucholazy 1963

1 c4 g6 2 c3 g7 3 d4 f6 4 g5 c5 5 dxc5 a6 6 g3 xc5 7 g2 d6 8 c1 0-0 9 d2 e8 10 e4? g4! 11 ge2 e5 12 0-0 (12 b3 ed3+) xc4 13 c2 e6 14 f4 d7 15 d5 c8 16 ec3 b5 17 e2 d4 18 d3 xb2 19 b1 c4 20 cd1 e6 21 b4 a3 22 b2 xc3! White resigns.