Chess Strategy

“The moves that interrupt an expected or apparently forced tactical sequence by “slipping in”, are called intermediate or in-between moves. They can disturb or completely refute a combination, but sometimes intermediate moves are integral part of the attacking procedure.” - paraphrasing Vladimir Vukovic’s brilliant book “The Art of Chess Sacrifice”.

Intermediate moves are some of the most beautiful occurrences on the chess board. Vukovic also notes that this kind of obstacle is the main fear for every devoted attacker.

In this position, White naively trades the Bishops…

1. Bxb6?
But Black is not obliged to take that back. Instead, his reply carries much stronger threat…

1…g4!!
Now White King is in huge danger as hxg3+ is hanging in the air and Rg8 is ready to join the attack. It also opens diagonal c1-h6 to keep White Queen tied in Rd2 protection.

2. Ba5
An attempt to cover the Rook and escape with extra piece. 2. hxg4 hxg3+ 3. Kxg3 breaks against 3…Rxg4!+

2…Rxb2!!
White is unfortunate enough to have his other Rook also hanging. The point is that after 3. Rxb2 Qxc1 it is not possible to prevent checkmate on h1.

3. Nc2 Rb2 4. Rg1 hxg3+ and White resigned as 5. Rxg3 Qxh3+ 6. Rxh3 Rxh3+ and 7…Rh1 is checkmate.

There are many beautiful examples out there, and I will just mention another game where intermediate move helped the attacker. My original intention was to make an article about highlights from the recent Nanjing Pearl Spring, but then I changed my mind and wanted to devote a special post to Veselin Topalov’s inventive attack. I will also include the notes that I posted during the live commentary on Chessdom.

Veselin Topalov - Peter Svidler
Nanjing Pearl Spring 2008

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Bd7 11. Rb1 Qc7 12. Bd3 Rfd8 13. h3 Be8 14. d5 Ne5 15. c4 e6 16. Nf4 Rab8 17. Be2 Rd6 18. Qc2 Ra6

19. Rb5!
A lightning from the clear sky! Topalov wants the c5 pawn and pays no attention to the material. 19…Bxb5 is critical, of course, then 20. cxb5 attacks the Rook and opens the gate to c5 and e6, and 20…Rd6 gives two pawns for consolidation of forces, but maybe the annoying 20…Ra3!? is worth a shot.
In the end, Svidler is not forced to take on b5, he can play 19…Bf8 to defend the c5 and then Rb5 has to move backwards.

19…Bf8
Without too much thought. Svidler realised that accepting the exchange would be too dangerous. Now Rook goes to b2, and if Black plays Bg7 back, at least White won a tempo for Rooks’ doubling by 21. Rfb1. White won’t get much on the b-file, but it at least discourages Qa5 and Black pieces will have to take care of b7.

20. a4!?
Topalov is insisting, he clearly said good-bye to the exchange. Now there is no turning back because Ra6 and Be8 are hitting on a4.

20…Bxb5?
It wasn’t really necessary to rush with this, the Rook won’t escape (a4 hanging otherwise). Maybe 20…Rbc8!? first?

21. cxb5 Rd6

22. Qc3!!
This beautiful move highlights the weakness on e6. The Rook can’t go back, or White takes on e6, and then there remains only 22…Bg7 to protect the Knight. Only now White takes on c5, because after the exchange, Rd7 is not discovering Bc5-Bf8 contact anymore and so e6 is hanging as well.

This kind of moves are easy to spot in the given position, but extremely difficult to foresee in advance. This is because the position has a semi-forcing character and one would naturally tend to calculate and evaluate longer sequences that involve different captures. Svidler probably missed it when deciding for 20…Bxb5.

The immediate 22. Qxc5 Qxc5 23. Bxc5 Rd7! allows Black to defend because White must lose a tempo to handle Bc5. Then 24. Bxa7 Ra8 25. Bd4 Bg7 and Black is holding somehow, or 24. Bxf8 Kxf8 25. dxe6 fxe6 26. Nxe6 Ke7! when Black is already slightly better thanks to the prospects of invasion by Rd2 or Rd4.

The game finished with…

22…Bg7 23. Qxc5 Rc8 24. Qxa7 b6 25. Qxc7 Rxc7 26. Rd1 Bf6 27. dxe6 Rxd1+ 28. Bxd1 fxe6 29. Bb3! 1-0