Chapter 37

The attack on f7 (f2)

If you look at the initial position, the weakest squares on the board are f7 and f2. Since these squares are only protected by the king, the enemy pieces will fight to the death to get at them, if there is a not an endgame on the board. In our game’s past, our talented forbears tried with all their forces and means to get at this weak point in the enemy camp, and the idea of a sacrifice on f7 (f2) to draw out the king is the basis of many different combinations.

207 *

Anatoly Karpov

2720

Lajos Portisch

2630

Torino 1982 (6)

The weakness of f7 is obvious, and a small combination tempting:

23.♗xf7+ ♔h8

More tenacious is 23…♔xf7, although after 24.♖xa5 ♕c6 25.♖xa8 ♖xa8 26.♗xd6 cxd6 27.♕e2, White should win – the black king is exposed, and the pawns on d6 and b5 are vulnerable.

24.♗xd6 ♕xf7 25.♖e7 ♕f8 26.♗c5 ♕f4 27.♕e2 h6 28.♖e4 ♕f7 29.♖e5

The bishop is stronger than the knight, and the major pieces are more active – White easily organises a decisive attack.

29…♘c4 30.♖xa8 ♖xa8 31.♖f5 ♕g6 32.♕e4 ♔h7 33.h3 ♖a1+ 34.♔g2 ♖c1 35.♗b4 ♘d6 36.♗xd6 cxd6 37.♕d3 d5 38.f3

The march of the h-pawn is also threatened, so Black resigned.

208 *

Konstantin Landa

2669

Axel Heinz

2244

Bad Wiessee 2004

19.♖xf7!

Ending forever the black king’s quiet life.

19…♗xe4

On 19…♔xf7, there follows 20.♘xe6! ♕xe5 21.♗xb7 ♕xe2 22.♖xe2 ♖ab8 23.♗d5 ♘hf6 24.♘c7+ ♘xd5 25.♘3xd5+–.

20.♘xe4 ♔xf7 21.♘xe6! ♕a7

Black also loses in the main variation 21…♔xe6

analysis diagram

22.♘d6!, the key move, cutting off the black king’s retreat home. There is no way of saving the game:

A) 22…♗g5 23.♕f3! ♖f8 24.♕g4+ ♔e7 25.♕xg5+ ♔e6 26.♕g4+ ♔e7 27.♗c1+–;

B) 22…♗xd6 23.exd6+ ♔xd6 (23…♔f7 24.♕f1++–) 24.♕d2+ ♔c5 25.♗a3+ ♔c6 26.♕d5#; 22…♗h4 23.♕g4+ ♔e7 24.♕xh4+ ♔f8 25.♕f2+ ♘hf6 26.♗a3 ♔g8 27.exf6 ♖xe1+ 28.♕xe1 ♘xf6 29.♕e6+ ♔g7 30.♗b2 ♖f8 31.♗xf6++–.

22.♕d3 ♔g8

He loses after 22…♘c5 23.♖f1+ ♔g8 24.♘6xc5 ♖ad8 (24…♗xc5 25.♕d5+ ♔h8 26.e6+ ♘g7 27.♖f7+–) 25.♘d6 ♕a8 26.♘e6+–.

23.♕d5 ♔h8 24.g4 ♘f8

The other moves are also bad: 24…♗b4 25.♘6g5 ♗xe1 26.e6+ ♘df6 27.♘xf6+–; or 24…♘g7 25.♘xg7 ♔xg7 26.e6+ ♘f6 27.g5+–.

25.gxh5 ♘xe6 26.♕xe6 ♗f8 27.♕d5 ♗g7 28.♘d6 ♖f8 29.h6 ♗xh6 30.e6+ ♗g7 31.♘f7+ ♕xf7 32.exf7 ♗xb2 33.♕xa8

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209 **

Alexander Fominykh

2550

Konstantin Sakaev

2645

Moscow ch-RUS 1999 (3)

Black has the initiative – his bishops point at the white kingside, and his other pieces too, with the exception of the ♖a8, are on the kingside. What does White want to do? He would like to exchange his dark-squared bishop at f6, close one of the black bishops’ diagonals with ♘c3-e4, and limit the other by means of e2-e3. With his next move, Black goes over to an assault, an argument for which is White’s hanging and limited dark-squared bishop.

13…♘g4! 14.h3 ♘xf2 15.♖xf2 ♘xg3

The white king is exposed, whilst the material balance remains good for Black.

16.♕d2 ♘f5 17.♖e1

17.e3 h6 18.b4 ♗xb4 19.♗f4 ♘d6 (also promising is 19…d6, with the idea of …e6-e5) 20.♗xd6 ♗xd6 – the open position of the king, weakness of the dark squares, and broken white pawn structure make the initiative very unpleasant.

17…♕h5

Also possible was 17…♕g6, with similar ideas.

18.♗f4 ♗xf2+ 19.♔xf2 ♘h4 20.♕e3 ♘xg2

Grabbing another pawn, which makes it easier for White to put up a defence. It was simpler just to increase the pressure on the f-file: 20…♖f7 21.♗g3 ♗xf3 22.exf3 ♘xf3 23.♗xf3 ♖af8 24.♔g2 ♖xf3 25.♕e4 ♕g5 26.♕xf3 ♖xf3 27.♔xf3 ♕d2 28.♖e2 ♕d3+ 29.♔g2 ♕xc4–+ – the black queen is supporting too many pawns, and there is no chance of saving the game.

21.♔xg2 ♕h4 22.♗g3 ♕xc4 23.♖d1 ♕c6 24.♖d4 ♖ae8 25.♖e4 ♖f5 26.♔h2 ♕c5 27.♘d4 ♗xe4 28.♘xe4 ♖e5 29.♕d3 ♖xe4 30.♕xe4

30…d6!

So as not to give White any lucky chances, Black does not try to attack something, but simply places his pawns on dark squares, completely restricting the white bishop.

31.♘f3 a5 32.a3 ♕d5 33.♕c2 ♕c5 34.♕e4 ♕b5 35.♕c2 h6 36.♘d4 ♕d7 37.♕e4 e5 38.♘f3 ♖f8 39.a4 ♕f5 40.♕c6 ♖f7 41.♕c4

All of his pieces and pawns have occupied ideal positions, and it is time to tie White down by seizing space:

41…g5! 42.♘e1 h5 43.♘g2 h4 44.♗e1 ♔h7 45.♗d2 ♖g7 46.♗e3 e4 47.♗d4 ♖e7 48.♕c6 ♕f7 49.♔g1 ♕e6 50.♕a8 c5 51.♕h8+ ♔g6 52.♗f2 ♖e8 53.♕c3 ♖f8 54.♗e1 d5 55.♕b3 ♖f6 56.♕b5 d4 57.e3 d3 58.♗c3 ♖f3 59.♕a6 ♖xh3 60.♕b7 ♖f3 61.♕g7+ ♔h5 62.♕h8+ ♔g4 63.♗e1 h3 64.♘f4 gxf4 65.♕h4+ ♔f5 66.♕h5+ ♔f6 67.♗c3+ ♔e7 68.♕g5+ ♔d7 69.exf4 ♔c6

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210 **

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

2699

Andrei Kharlov

2555

Russia tt 2006 (6)

20.♘xf7!!

A standard, though very strong sacrifice.

20…♖xf7

After 20…♕xd4, White wins by 21.♕xd4! ♗xd4 22.♗xe6 ♖xf7 23.♗xf7+ ♔xf7 24.♖c7 ♗f6 25.♗c3 ♖e8 26.♗xf6 ♔xf6 27.♖xb7.

21.♖xe6 ♕d7

Bad is 21…♕xd4 22.♕xd4 ♗xd4 23.♖xe7+–.

Black had counted on the pin, but…

22.♖xf6!

A brilliant queen sacrifice.

22…♕xg4 23.♖xf7 ♔h8 24.♖xe7

For the queen, White has rook, bishop and two pawns, but Black’s biggest problem is the weakness of g7. The attack is unstoppable.

24…♖c8 25.♖xc8+ ♕xc8 26.d5!

Black resigned.

211 ***

Robert Fischer

2785

Boris Spassky

2660

Reykjavik Wch match 1972 (10)

It would seem that Black, with his two bishops in an open position, should have a promising game. But in this case, concrete factors affect the assessment: the passive ♗f8, the weakness of f7, and the distant position of the major pieces on the a-file. Thus, White has some initiative, although Black is not so badly off.

26.♗b3

Taking aim!

There was another, interesting way of getting at the f7-pawn: 26.bxa6!? ♗xa6 27.e5, with the intention of e5-e6. The exchange of a pair of bishops eases the defence of the light squares, but does not completely solve Black’s problems: 27…♗d3 28.♗xd3 ♖xd3 29.♘g5, aiming at f7, and keeping the break e5-e6 in reserve.

26…axb5 27.♕f4

27…♖d7

Black misses the strongest continuation 27…c4! 28.♗xc4 bxc4 29.♖xb7 f6! (29…♕h5? 30.g4) 30.e5 ♕d5 31.♖c7 ♖ac8 32.♖xc8 ♖xc8 33.exf6 c3!, with sufficient counterplay for equality.

28.♘e5 ♕c7 29.♖bd1 ♖e7

29…♖xd1? 30.♗xf7+ ♔h8 31.♘g6++–.

He does not solve his problems with 29…♖ad8 30.♗xf7+ ♖xf7 31.♕xf7+ ♕xf7 32.♘xf7 ♖xd1 33.♖xd1 ♗xe4 34.♘g5 ♗c2 (the same position is reached after 34…♗f5 35.♖d5 ♗c2 36.♖d8) 35.♖d8 b4 36.♘e6 ♔f7 37.♘xf8 b3 38.♖b8 ♔e7 39.♘xh7 ♔d7 40.♘g5 ♔c7 41.♖xb3 ♗xb3 42.f3 – White retains winning chances.

30.♗xf7+ ♖xf7 31.♕xf7+ ♕xf7 32.♘xf7 ♗xe4 33.♖xe4 ♔xf7 34.♖d7+ ♔f6 35.♖b7 ♖a1+ 36.♔h2 ♗d6+ 37.g3 b4

White is better after 37…♖b1 38.♖b6 ♔f5 39.♖h4 ♗e5 40.♖h5+ g5 41.h4+–.

38.♔g2

It is hard for Black to advance his connected passed pawns, and so the initiative remains on White’s side.

38…h5

He could retain excellent chances of a successful defence with 38…♗e5! 39.g4 ♗d4 – here, the bishop is entrenched and defends the g7-pawn.

39.♖b6 ♖d1 40.♔f3 ♔f7

Yet another time-trouble inaccuracy, as a result of which Black ends up shut in his own camp.

He could develop activity by means of 40…♖d3+! 41.♔e2 ♖d5 42.f4 g5!. Here, there is still plenty of fight left ahead.

41.♔e2 ♖d5 42.f4! g6

42…♗f8 43.♖e5 ♖d8 44.♖xh5 c4 45.♖c6 c3 46.♖b5 also offers no illusions about saving the game.

43.g4 hxg4 44.hxg4 g5

If 44…♔f6 45.♖a6 ♔f7 46.g5,

analysis diagram

Black is in zugzwang.

45.f5 ♗e5 46.♖b5 ♔f6 47.♖exb4 ♗d4 48.♖b6+ ♔e5 49.♔f3! ♖d8 50.♖b8 ♖d7 51.♖4b7 ♖d6 52.♖b6 ♖d7 53.♖g6 ♔d5 54.♖xg5 ♗e5 55.f6 ♔d4 56.♖b1

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