In some suspect positions you can create a magical, impregnable garrison.
Istvan Bilek White
Harry Schussler Black
Sarajevo 1979
English Defense A40
1 c4 b6 2 ♘f3 ♗b7 3 d4 e6 4 g3 ♗xf3!? 5 exf3
White’s pawns are doubled and he is denied e2-e4. But his two bishops have range after, say, 5...c6 6 ♗d3 d5 7 cxd5!.
On 7...cxd5 8 ♕a4+! ♘d7 his queenside faces long-term pressure from ♗a6. And on 7...exd5 8 ♕e2+ ♗e7 9 0-0 and 10 ♖e1 he may never get castled.
5...d5 6 ♘c3 dxc4
A semi-closed center, 6...♘f6 7 cxd5 ♘xd5!, is safer.
7 ♗xc4 c6 8 d5!
Now 8...cxd5 9 ♘xd5! exd5? 10 ♕xd5 loses material. And 9...♘f6 10 ♘xf6+ is unpleasant (10...♕xf6 11 ♕a4+ ♘d7 12 0-0 ♕xf3? 13 ♗b5 and wins).
8...exd5 9 ♘xd5!
It’s looking bad for Black: 9...♗e7 10 0-0 ♘d7 11 ♗f4 cxd5 12 ♕xd5.
9...♘e7! 10 ♘f6+
Question 392: Anything better than the check?
10...gxf6 11 ♗xf7+ ♔xf7 12 ♕xd8 ♘d5!
White is way ahead in material but his queen is trapped and threatened by 13...♗b4+ and 14...♖xd8. For example, 13 ♗d2? ♗g7 14 ♕d6 ♖e8+ and …♗f8.
If 13 0-0, Black can repeat the position with 13...♗g7 14 ♕d6 ♗f8! 15 ♕d8 ♗g7. Note that 13...♖g8, trying to win the queen, fails to 14 ♕c8. So: draw!
Peter Horatschek White
Marco Thinius Black
Jena 2007
1 ♘f3 b6 2 d4 ♗b7 3 c4 e6 4 g3 ♗b4+ 5 ♗d2 ♗xf3 6 exf3 ♗xd2+ 7 ♕xd2 ♘e7 8 ♗g2 d5 9 c5? ♘bc6 10 ♘a3 ♘f5 11 cxb6 cxb6 12 ♘c2 ♕f6 13 ♖d1 0-0 14 0-0 ♖ac8 15 ♗h3 ♘d6 16 ♕e2 ♖c7 17 ♖d3 ♖fc8 18 ♖fd1 ♘c4 19 ♘e3 ♘xe3 20 fxe3 ♘b4 21 ♖a3 ♖c2 22 ♖d2 g6 23 f4 ♕e7 24 e4? ♖xd2 25 ♕xd2 dxe4 26 ♖a4 a5 27 d5 ♕c5+ White resigns.