Chess Strategy

Tigran Petrosian - Florian Gheorghiu
Moskow, 1967

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Bb4 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Re8 7. d3 h6 8. Nd5 Bf8 9. Nxf6+ Qxf6 10. Nd2 d6 11. Ne4 Qd8 12. Nc3 Bd7 13. b4 Qc8

With his last move Black is intending to trade light-squared bishops on h3. Petrosian could have played 14. Re1 to avoid the trade but he has something else on his mind. The main point is that Black will lose couple of tempos Qc8-Bh3-Bg2 to complete the trade and White can use that time to fulfill his own plans.

14. Rb1 Bh3 15. e4

Closing the long diagonal but it doesn’t really matter anymore. Black has already lost too many moves and he can’t afford the luxury of not trading Bg2. If bishop retreats to e6 or d7, White can play f4 gaining big advantage.

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Igor Bondarevsky - Alexey Suetin
USSR ch Moskow, 1950

It is well known that player with material advantage should trade pieces and simplify the position. In this complex, dynamic game, Bondarevsky has to carefully choose which pieces to trade and which to keep on the board. Playing 24. Nxb7 now would run into 24…Nd6! and white can choose: either give pawn back (c4, but then d5 becomes isolated) or after 25. Nxd6 cxd6 play with two extra pawns, but with great compensation for black. Opposite colored bishops are on board and black pieces are very active.

Conclusion is that black would love to trade the knights. That would give him nice chances for draw. Therefore, white leaves b7 alone and goes for more active square.

24. Ne6 Rf6

Black is somehow forced to retreat along f-file. 24…Rh4 25. Rg8 Rxh3 26. Nxc7 Nxc7 27. d6+! Kf7 28. dxc7 Rxg8 29. Rd8 with promotion.

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Petar Popovic - Yuri Razuvaev
Novi Sad, 1982

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.g3 Nc6 7.Bg2 Bd7 8.O-O Be7 9.Nb3 a6 10.g4 h6 11.Qe2 g5 12.h3 Ne5 13.f4 gxf4 14.Bxf4 Qc7 15.a4 Bc6 16.a5 Nfd7 17.Nd4 Ng6 18.Be3 Nde5 19.Nf3 Nxf3+ 20.Qxf3 Bg5 21.Bb6 Qe7 22.Rad1 Bf4 23.Ne2 Be5 24.Nd4 Nh4 25.Qf2 Rg8 26.Nxc6 bxc6 27.c3 Kf8 28.Be3 Rg6 29.Kh1 Rb8 30.Rg1 Nxg2 31.Rxg2 c5 32.h4 Qf6 33.Rf1 Qxf2 34.Rfxf2 Kg7 35.h5 Rf6 36.Rxf6 Bxf6 37.Bf4

Both sides have rooks, bishops and pawns, similar force as in Uhlmann-Lukin. Let’s evaluate the diagram. White has weak pawns a5, b2, and somehow e4, g4. His rook is on passive position defending those weak pawns. Black has better pawn chain and only two potential weak pawns a6 and h6. However, it’s almost impossible for white to attack them so we can say those pawns are not weak in short term. Black rook is beautifully placed on semi-open b-file pressing both a5 and b2 pawns.

Last move was 37.Bf4 and this is the only active white piece. Now d6 pawn is under attack, what to do? If e5, black is closing his bishop and creates new weaknesses d5 square and backward d6 pawn. Defending d6 with Rd8 or Be7 brings the pieces to passive squares. Since Bf4 is only active white piece and having in mind that any other move would lead to passivity, black brings rational decision to trade bishops.

37… Be5!

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Wolfgang Uhlmann - Andrei Lukin
Leningrad 1984

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qe3+ Nge7 6.Nd5 Ne5 7.Qc3 c6 8.Ne3 N7g6 9.Nf3 Nxf3+ 10.exf3 Be7 11.Qc2 O-O 12.Bd3 d5 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.O-O Be6 15.Rd1 Rc8 16.Qa4 Qb6 17.f4 Rfd8 18.f5 Bd7 19.Qb3 Nf4 20.Qxb6 axb6 21.Bf1 Bc6 22.Nc2 Ba4 23.b3 Rxc2 24.Bxf4 Be8 25.Bd3 Rcc8 26.Rac1 Bc6 27.Rc2 d4 28.f3 Bc5 29.Kf2 Re8 30.Re1 Rxe1 31.Kxe1 Bb4+ 32.Kf2 Bc3 33.Bd2 Bxd2 34.Rxd2 Kf8 35.f6 h6 36.fxg7+ Kxg7 37.a4 Rd8 38.Bc4 Kf6 39.Ke2 Re8+ 40.Kd3 Rd8 41.Re2 Rd6

This is good moment to evaluate the position and find the best plan for the incoming endgame. White is pawn ahead and all black pawns are weak being separated in 4 islands. But how to win? Black is covering all entry squares on e-file. Since White has material advantage, maybe it would be good idea to trade of some pieces. While considering trades, always have in mind higher levels of this endgame - rook, bishop or pawn endgames. Pawn endgame must be winning for white because he has extra pawn and potentional distant passed pawn (on b-file). However, before going to pawn endgame, we have to play rook or bishop endgame for awhile. Which of these two will give better chances to white? Rook endings, even with material advantage, are always somewhat double-edged. Opponent’s rook can give us big headaches once it becomes active. Bishop endgames are “safer” for stronger side because opponent has limited counter-activity options. Having in mind good position of white king, the above evaluation helps us to determinate correct plan - trade of rooks and transposition to bishop’s endgame. First, white wants to limit black king and bring his rook on the more active 5th rank (Re5).

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