Chapter 22

Discovered check and discovered attacks

A discovered check or attack is when the check/attack is made not by the piece which moves, but by a long-range piece standing behind it. Such moves are very dangerous to the opponent, because threats can also be created by the front piece that moves away.

121 *

Rafael Fridman

2482

Artur Jussupow

2589

Netherlands tt 2011 (7)

Black could have won with a simple tactical blow:

1…♘c3!

Attacking the ♗f3. An important nuance is the black rook’s position on b8, defending the bishop.

In the game, Black played the routine 1…♖be8?, and after 2.♔f1 h5 3.♗c1 h4 4.h3 f5 5.b3, a roughly equal position arose, which was eventually drawn.

2.♕xg6

2.♗xb7 ♕xd3 3.cxd3 ♘xe2+ 4.♖xe2 ♖xb7–+; 2.bxc3 ♗xf3–+.

2…♘xe2+ 3.♗xe2 hxg6

Winning.

122 *

Lev Polugaevsky

Joaquim Durao

Lugano ol 1968 (3)

It may appear that Black has chances of a kingside attack, but this is not so. The pawn centre d4-e5 solidly protects the squares that Black might want to use to bring up additional resources to the kingside. Even so, White has to hurry, because Black plans to bring his knight via f8 to g6, and then play …♗d7 and …♖af8. If he manages this, he will stand very well. But White finds a serious defect in Black’s position, namely the poorly-defended ♘g4, and he attacks it:

17.♕d3! ♘f8 18.♕e2 ♘g6

19.♘g1!

An open attack on the ♘g4. Now, Black is simply lost, because he has to exchange queens.

19…♘h6

Or 19…♖g5 20.f4 ♘h4+ 21.gxh4 ♘e3+ 22.♔f2 ♘g4+ 23.♔e1 (23.♔g3+–) 23…♕xh4+ 24.♔d1 ♖g6 25.♔c2+–.

20.♕xh5

20.♗xf5 ♕xf5 21.♖ac1.

20…♖xh5 21.♘df3 ♗d7 22.cxd5 cxd5 23.♖fc1

Black has a serious lack of space, and his rook is stranded on h5.

23…♘f5 24.♖c2 ♘f8 25.♗c1 g5 26.g4 ♘h4+ 27.♔g3 ♘xf3 28.♘xf3 ♖h6 29.♗xg5 ♗xg5 30.♘xg5 ♖g6 31.f4 ♗c6 32.♖h1 a5 33.♗f1 h6 34.♘f3 ♔h7? 35.♗d3

1-0

123 **

Bent Larsen

2620

Boris Spassky

2630

Tilburg 1978

If the rook is allowed into e2, Black gets counterplay. But it turns out that White can not only defend but also counterattack:

46.♘c7!

It turns out that because of the small number of flight squares for the black king, Black must retreat his rook along the 8th rank, after which White has a decisive material advantage.

46.♘c3 is passive – the knight only covers e2 from here, and does not participate actively in the play. After 46…♘g6 47.♔f2 ♖h8, Black organises counterplay with minimal forces.

46…♖e2

It cannot be said that the move chosen in the game, 46…♖g8, caused White any real problems: 47.♘e6+ ♔f6 48.♘xc5+ ♔e5 49.♖h6 ♔f4 50.♖xh4+ ♔e3 51.♘e4! fxe4 52.♖xe4+ ♔d2 53.♔f2, and Black resigned.

47.♘e6+ ♔f6

Nothing changes after 47…♔h5.

48.♘f4+!

A prepared discovered check – White wins.

124 **

Wilhelm Steinitz

Curt von Bardeleben

Hastings 1895 (10)

Exploiting the unstable position of the black queen on d7, White carried out a decisive attack:

21.♘g5+! ♔e8 22.♖xe7+! ♔f8

Taking the rook also loses: 22…♔xe7 23.♖e1+ ♔d6 (23…♔d8 24.♘e6+ ♔e7 25.♘c5+) 24.♕b4+ ♔c7 25.♘e6+ ♔b8 26.♕f4+.

23.♖f7+! ♔g8 24.♖g7+! ♔h8

Or 24…♔f8 25.♘xh7+.

25.♖xh7+

Black resigned. There could follow 25…♔g8 26.♖g7+ ♔h8 27.♕h4+! ♔xg7 28.♕h7+ ♔f8 29.♕h8+ ♔e7 30.♕g7+ ♔e8 31.♕g8+ ♔e7 32.♕f7+ ♔d8 33.♕f8+ ♕e8 34.♘f7+ ♔d7 35.♕d6#.

125 ***

Geza Maroczy

Massimiliano Romi

San Remo 1930 (8)

40…♖d2??

A blunder. The players almost seem to cooperate to allow White’s brilliant, immortal finish.

40…♗xh3 41.♖e2!!.

Black wins with 40…♖d3! 41.♔g1 (41.♕h5 ♖xh3+!) 41…♖xh3 42.gxh3 ♕d4+ 43.♔g2 (43.♔f1 ♕c4+–+) 43…♕d5+ 44.♔g3 ♖xh6 45.♖xh6 ♕d3+ 46.♔f2 ♕d2+.

41.♕h5!!

White sets up a discovered check, which is deadly.

41…♖xg2+ 42.♖xg2+ ♖xh5 43.♖xb2 ♖xh3+ 44.♔g1 ♖h7 45.♖h2 ♖g7+ 46.♔f2 ♖g8 47.♖h6 ♔f7

48.e8♕+ ♖xe8 49.♖h7+

Black resigned.