Chess Strategy

Vsevolod Rauzer - Nikolay Riumin
Leningrad, 1936

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 d6 7.c3 b5 8.Bb3 Na5 9.Bc2 c5 10.d4 Qc7 11.Nbd2 Nc6 12.a4 Rb8 13.axb5 axb5 14.dxc5 dxc5 15.Nf1 Be6 16.Ne3 O-O 17.Ng5 Rfd8 18.Qf3 Rd6

Black has to cover potential outposts d5 and f5. White controls open a-file and Black controls d-file, but this is not of the major importance because all entry squares are well protected. White’s biggest problem are his passive Bishops and with his next move he’s trying to give them some air. 19. Ne6 is not the best because after fe6 Black is covering d5 and f5 and his single weakness e6 will be easily defended. 19. Ne6 Re6?! 20. Nd5! favors White.

19. Nf5 Bxf5

Russian author Mikhail Yudovich suggested 19…Rdd8 as better, but it seems that after 20. Ne6 fe6 21. Ne7 and Be3, White can create strong pressure on Black queenside pawns. Alexander Koblenz, coach of Mikhail Tal, also mentioned this game in his book but didn’t comment on Bf5.

20. exf5 h6

White’s doubled pawn has gained space allowing good chances for future advance of Kingside pawns. Before the advance, White has to improve his pieces and prevent opponent’s counterplay. The most important feature of exf5 is that White gets e4 square for transfer of his pieces. Instead of h6, better was 20…Rdd8, in order to meet Ne4 with Nd5.

21. Ne4 Nxe4 22. Bxe4

21. Ne4 was played with tempo on Rd6 and Black was forced to trade off one of the Kingside defenders. White Bishop, only few moves ago locked on c2, is now wonderfully placed on e4 controlling large number of squares.

22…Bf6 23. Be3 Ne7 24. b4!

Black had to regroup his pieces because Nc6 would be hanging in some lines. White is now playing excellent multipurpose move whose idea is to prevent counterplay with b5-b4 and clean the diagonal for possible Ra7.

24…c4 25. g3 Rd7 26. Ra7!

g3 was good waiting move. White is building up for the avalanche on the Kingside and waiting to see what will Black do. After Black prepared for doubling Rooks on the d-file, White is trading one pair of Rooks. In general, it is good for attacker (or player with the advantage) to trade off one pair of Rooks in order to prevent opponent’s counterplay. Of course, if you have both Rooks on opponent’s 7th rank, you will try to keep them on the board.

26…Qd8 27. Rxd7 Qxd7 28. h4!

The time has come. The potential of White’s pieces is set on maximum and there is no counterplay. Black gets crushed after only couple of moves.

28…Kh8 29. g4!

29…Ng8

29…Bh4 30. Qh3 Bf6 31. g5 wins the piece for White.

30. g5 Be7 31. Rd1 Qc7 32. f6! Bxf6

32…gf6 33. Qf5 Kg7 34. gh6 Kf8 (34…Nh6 35. Qh7) 35. h7

33. gxf6 Nxf6 34. Bc2 Rd8 35. Bxh6 and White won.