Chapter 50
Freeing squares and lines for the attack
It happens that one piece is in the way of another, preventing it reaching an important square for the attack. Sometimes, one’s own pawn can be in the way. In such cases, one must look for a way to throw the ballast overboard, with tempo, and usually by a sacrifice.
309 **
Zaitsev
Builov
Cheliabinsk 1975
24.f6!
White frees the f5-square for his knight. There is no defence against mate. Black resigned.
310 *
Viktor Bologan
2652
Vladimir Akopian
2678
Moscow match rapid 2002 (1)
Both sides have very exposed kings, but it is Black’s move and he has a queen pointing at the white king. The rook on f3 stops a deadly check on f2, so the solution is easy to find:
49…♖e3! 50.♕b7+ ♔h8 51.♖f1 ♕xe5 52.♕b6 ♕g5 53.h4 ♕xh4
White resigned.
311 *
Kaido Külaots
2581
Michal Krasenkow
2628
Warsaw Ech rapid 2012 (9)
How can the rook ‘hurdle’ the knight and give a deadly check on d8? One needs to find the square where the knight will be most effective in the attack, even if that square is empty:
24.♘f5!
The knight is invulnerable (24…exf5 25.♕f6), and by comparison with other squares to which it could have jumped, from here it attacks g7 and e7.
24…♗b7 25.♕c7 exf5 26.e6! fxe6 27.♖d7 ♔e8 28.♗d6
Black resigned.
312 *
Alexander Alekhine
Akiba Rubinstein
Karlsbad 1923 (1)
It is clear that White needs to find a way to bring his queen to the h-file, but how can he do this, as his own bishop is in the queen’s way? The most convincing way is to remove the ‘unnecessary’ piece in such a way as to create additional threats:
25.♗g6!
The bishop puts itself en prise, but Black has no time to take it.
25…♕e5
A) 25…♗b7 26.♕c4 ♖d4 27.♘xf7+ ♔g8 28.♕xe6+–;
B) On 25…fxg6, there follows 26.♕e4 or 26.♕g2.
26.♘xf7+ ♖xf7 27.♗xf7 ♕f5 28.♖fd1 ♖xd1+ 29.♖xd1 ♕xf7 30.♕xc8 ♔h7 31.♕xa6 ♕f3 32.♕d3+
Black resigned.
313 ***
David Bronstein
Miguel Najdorf
Budapest ct 1950
We have a typical position from the Sämisch Nimzo-Indian. White has a powerful pawn centre, but a weakness caused by the doubled c-pawns. He also has the two bishops, which are currently not really felt, because of the large number of pawns in the centre of the board. Even so, White finds a way to begin active operations on the kingside:
13.f6!
A very unpleasant move, freeing the f-file and squares on the kingside for the white pieces. Black must either spoil his pawn structure or walk into a pin.
13…♔h8
On 13…♘xf6 14.♗g5 exd4, as in the game Mirzoev-Benidze, Batumi jr 2010, a strong reply is 15.cxd4!. If Black takes on d4, his position is hard to defend: 15…♘xd4 (15…cxd4 16.♘g3 ♗c8 17.♕d2 ♘e5 18.♘h5 ♘ed7 19.♖xf6 ♘xf6 20.♗xf6 gxf6 21.♕h6+–) 16.♘xd4 cxd4 17.e5 dxe5 18.♗xf6 gxf6 19.♕g4+ ♔h8 20.♕f5+–.
14.d5 ♘a5
15.♘g3
Also possible was the prosaic 15.fxg7+!? ♘xg7 16.♗h6 ♗xc4 17.♘g3, strengthening the threats on the kingside. After 17…f6 18.♗xc4 ♘xc4 19.♕e2 b5 20.a4 a6 21.axb5 axb5 22.♖xa8 ♕xa8 23.♘f5 ♘xf5 24.♗xf8 ♕xf8 25.♖xf5 ♕h6 26.h3, White has a technically winning position.
15…gxf6
15…g6!? 16.♗h6 ♖g8 17.♕e2 ♕d7 18.a4
.
16.♘f5 ♗c8
After 16…♖g8 17.♖f3 ♖g6 18.♖h3 ♘g7 19.♗h6 ♘xf5 20.exf5 ♖xh6 21.♖xh6 ♕g8 22.♕h5 ♗xc4 23.♗xc4 ♘xc4 24.♖e1, Black is defenceless against the appearance of a second rook on the h-file.
17.♕h5 ♗xf5 18.exf5
Despite the closed type of position, the black knights just get under his feet.
18…♖g8 19.♖f3 ♖g7 20.♗h6 ♖g8 21.♖h3
1-0
Additional material
Plachetka-Popovic, Zemun 1980 – White’s 24th move
Mikenas-Polugaevsky, Tallinn 1965 – Black’s 22nd move
Sherbakov-Rublevsky, Cheliabinsk 2000 – White’s 32nd move
Topalov-Ponomariov, Sofia 2006 – Black’s 31st move