The Everything Chess Basics Book (39 page)

7. a3 Ncxe5.

But Black leaves the bishop en prise and recovers his pawn instead. Does this make sense? He could have played 7. ... Bxd2+ easily enough, after all.

8. axb4.

White believes that Black simply overlooked that the bishop was en prise. But it was White who overlooked something important. What did White fail to note?

8.
... Nd3 checkmate.

He was not aware that his king had no possible moves, or perhaps he was unacquainted with this particular checkmate. What a harsh way to find out!

Traps introduced by seemingly absurd giveaways lurk everywhere in the game of chess. Yet you can’t simply avoid capturing anything that is offered. Such an attitude is far too timid, and won’t help win games. The best way to solve this dilemma is to look all gift horses in the mouth before deciding whether or not to make the capture. Analyze the consequences of each and every capture, and you will go a long way toward playing a strong chess game.

Controlling the Center

Here is a plan that both players strive for from the very beginning. At least, they do if they are experienced players. So how can you wrest the center away from someone who is trying as hard as you are for its control?

The simple answer is to focus all your resources on controlling those essential squares. While planning to win material, while planning an attack on the king, while planning to bring all your pieces into the game, while keeping a sharp eye out for tactical opportunities, don’t forget to focus all your moves on the center.

There is more than one way to go about controlling the center. In fact, there are essentially two ways to go about such control: You can strive for the classical pawn center or you can try for the hypermodern center.

The Classical Pawn Center

This approach boils down to “put your pawns in the center and keep them there.” At the end of the nineteenth century, the chess giant and first world champion Wilhelm Steinitz promoted this kind of a center, and at the turn of the twentieth century, the famous chess teacher and author Siegbert Tarrasch codified the idea. Tarrasch went so far as to suggest that without a strong pawn center your game will likely collapse.

The idea is simple enough. Since pawns are the least powerful of the chess family, place them side by side in the center and you deny any central squares to your opponent’s pieces.

A great example of fighting for central control with pawns is the following opening variation:

1. e4 c6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 e5 4. Ngf3.

Black has more pawns in the center than White does, but White has more pieces in play. White also threatens to win the e5-pawn.

4.
... Nd7 5. d4.

Position after 5. d4.

White once again threatens to win the e5-pawn, and he still has more pieces in play. And notice that both sides have filled up the entire center with pawns.

The Hypermodern Center

This is an idea that had always been known, but wasn’t often used early in the game. It is really a counterattacking idea. The so-called
hypermoderns
decided that a big, fat pawn center can make a great target for an attack by the pieces. So they came up with ways to avoid putting pawns in the center. Instead, they set up their positions to attack their opponent’s pawns, which were obligingly always there in the center.

Hypermodern
was a slightly derogatory term when it was first used, after World War I. It was put on chess players and theoreticians who decided that the old classical ways were suspect. There was quite a debate about whether or not the hypermoderns were right. Their ideas became accepted as an alternative method of fighting for the center.

Getting All Your Pieces Involved

This is another plan that every good player uses. It is sometimes difficult to understand how you can get all the pieces into the game when you can move only one with each move. But patience, good judgment, and a sharp eye for tactics will make this plan readily available.

The following game, which you’ve already seen (in Chapter 6), is a model of developing every piece purposefully. Watch how White brings new pieces into play using threats at nearly every turn. Those few moves when a new piece is not brought into play involve capturing and threatening to capture. (White: Paul Morphy; Black: Duke and Count; Paris, 1857.)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3.

A new piece comes to the center, threatening the e5-pawn.

2.
... d6 3. d4.

Lines are opened for the queen and the c1-bishop, while there is a threat to the e5-pawn.

3.
... Bg4 4. dxe5.

This move opens up the d-file for the queen and grabs a pawn.

4.
... Bxf3 5. Qxf3.

This recovers the piece, saves the queen, and gets the queen into the action.

5.
... dxe5 6. Bc4.

A new piece comes into play with a checkmate threat on f7. Kingside castling is also prepared.

6.
... Nf6 7. Qb3.

This transfer of an already developed piece comes with two threats: one to the underdefended f7-pawn and the other to the undefended b7-pawn.

7.
... Qe7 8. Nc3.

A new piece comes into play, defending the e4-pawn.

8.
... c6 9. Bg5.

A new piece comes into play, preparing queenside castling.

9.
... b5 10. Nxb5.

The bishop is saved at the cost of the knight. White will get two pawns for the knight along with an enduring attack on the uncastled Black king.

10.
... cxb5 11. Bxb5+.

The bishop comes into even more powerful play, checking and getting the second pawn.

11.
... Nbd7 12. 0–0–0.

The king gets tucked safely away while the rook commands the d-file.

12.
... Rd8 13. Rxd7.

This move serves to expose the enemy king while making room on d1 for the other rook.

13.
... Rxd7 14. Rd1.

White gets the last piece into play, threatening a destructive exchange on d7.

14.
... Qe6 15. Bxd7+.

This move captures the rook and checks the king, while making extra room on the b-file for the queen.

15.
... Nxd7 16. Qb8+.

This check gives up the queen but forces Black to open the d-file for the White rook.

16.
... Nxb8 17. Rd8 checkmate.

With this checkmate, White has used every piece to its maximum potential.

Develop New Pieces

Developing a new piece with each turn as far as possible is essential to good chess play. Here is an example of what happens when one player heeds this advice and the other player doesn’t:

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3.

White is playing a gambit, in which he gives up a pawn in order to bring more pieces into the center quickly.

4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Nf3 d6.

White’s queen and bishop command nice open lines, while he also has more pieces in play.

7. e5! Nxe5.

Black avoids the horrors of 7. ... dxe5 8. Qxd8+ Nxd8 9. Nb5 Rb8 10. Nxe5, but what he gets is worse.