Chess Strategy

This is how GM James Plaskett described Black’s defence in the game that follows. When I saw the diagrammed position, my first instinct was to push c6-c5 and then after White takes with the Knight (b-pawn is pinned against Qc4) to rush with the Queen towards White King. But there is no good follow-up after Kh2 when Qc5 is also protecting f2-pawn. Pretty soon I gave up and looked forward to see the solution. It left me stunned.

33…g5!!

At first sight paradoxical, this move is, believe it or not, following in the frame of the above-mentioned idea. GM Jonathan Rowson writes in his fabulous “Chess for Zebras”: “…although ingenious and highly impressive, the move is actually quite logical once you start trying to solve Black’s problems.” Further, he explains: “Your heart sinks when you see that there is no perpetual due to 33…c5!? 34. Nxc5 Bxc5 35. Qxc5 Qd1+ 36. Kh2! But then, while some would give up on the whole idea of c6-c5, Keith thought to himself - if only there were a way of checking the King on h2, and he managed to reject the move 33…c5, but hold on to the idea. Black needs a check on the h-file for the check on d1 to become perpetual, and therefore has to get rid of the pawn on h4. Hence 33…g5!!”

34. hxg5

There is hardly anything better for White, because Arkell is threatening to take on h4 in the next move and ruin King’s pawn shelter. But Rowson also mentions: “Apparently, 2557 rated GM Gdanski looked bemused and just whipped the pawn off.”

34…c5!

And only now is possible to strike against White’s queenside composition. Gdanski is not forced to take the pawn, and he didn’t (game continuation bellow), but then Black liquidates pawns on one wing and remains with good prospects of defending the kingside only, even in the situation of being pawn down. Additional problem is that White dark-squared Bishop is limited by its own pawns.

Gdanski only now realized what was Black planning and played 35. Kg2 cxb4 36. axb4 Qa2!, Black still has to be careful about g5-g6 push, 37. Bc1 Bxb4 38. Qc8+ Kg7 39. Nd4 Bc3 40. Nxe6+ fxe6 41. Qd7+ Kh8 42. Qe8+ draw. Let’s see what would happen had White taken on c5.

35. Nxc5 Bxc5 36. Qxc5 Qd1+ 37. Kg2 Nf4+!

And now Black forces a draw with checks along Qg4-Qd1-Qg4-Qh4! where another nuance is that Black has to check on h4 and not on h5. Otherwise White King moves to g3 and there is no perpetual. This is a common problem during the calculation, when you have to slightly alter the route of one of the pieces in order to make your idea work. Rowson says: “If you lock the idea of perpetual check in terms of Qd1-g4-h5+ you might run into problems because your perceptual system might filter out moves like Qg4-h4+ as a ’separate idea’, not associated with the perpetual. This is partly a problem with the linear thinking.”

Hopefully, this inspiring example will help you with expanding your defensive arsenal

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