Exeter Chess Club: Towards Simpler Chess

...or, Walk before you run!

"(There has been) created a large population of people ... who have been educated far beyond their capacity to undertake analytic thought." - Sir Peter MEDAWAR, The Art of the Soluble, p.90.

"The reason that Capablanca was supreme during this period was not that his way of playing was more correct than that of his opposition, just that he was more effective in his execution of strategy. ... (Capablanca was) ruthless at exploiting the positional errors which his opponents continued to make in relatively simple positions. Reti, Nimzovitch and Breyer all greatly excelled Capablanca in imagination ... Alas, the lived in the age of Capablanca, the perfect chess machine, whose remorseless play seemed more than an argument against new ideas." - Bill HARTSTON, Kings of Chess, p.101.

"For players in your situation, I recommend studying classical positional chess and improving tactical vision." - GM Nigel DAVIES, to DR, personal communication.

  A slightly provocative session, this, I think. I was prompted to put together these games partly through the last comment quoted above, but also two other observations:

  1. How often club games (especially by juniors) are decided through simple tactical errors

  2. How many games I had seen hypermodern openings treated effectively by contemptuous attacking play

  3. How many times I had missed the strategical point of a position

  The moral I think, is make sure you can walk before you run. There's not much point in studying the delicate handling of complex Ruy Lopez or Nimzo-Indian positions if you keep dropping pieces. A player with a plan will always beat one without, and it may be a simple plan will do fine.

  Here, then, are a few games where the more simple-minded player wins, and fit one of the second two classes; it may be you can supply a couple of games decided through tactical errors?

 

(31) Charity,A - Teichmann,E [B09]

(Cambridge Open), 05.1980 [DR (Dragon 1980)]

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 0-0

+-----------------+
|rhb1.4k+|
|0p0.0pgp|
|.+.0.hp+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+.)P).+|
|+.H.+N+.|
|P)P+.+P)|
|$.GQIB+R|
+-----------------+
White plays a direct attacking line against Black's hypermodern opening. 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.e5 dxe5 8.dxe5 Nd5 9.Bd2 Nb6 10.0-0 f6 11.exf6 Bxf6 12.Ng5 e6

+-----------------+
|r+b1.4k+|
|0p0.+.+p|
|.hn+pgp+|
|+.+.+.H.|
|.+.+.).+|
|+.HB+.+.|
|P)PG.+P)|
|$.+Q+RI.|
+-----------------+
(Wild cheering from crowd, etc.) 13.Nxh7 Kxh7 14.Qh5+ (at this point Erik ceremoniously tore up his score sheet) 14...Kg8 15.Qxg6+ Bg7 16.Qh7+ Kf7 17.Bg6+ Ke7 18.Qxg7+ Kd6 19.Ne4+ Kd5 20.Qc3 Qe7 21.Qb3+ Nc4 22.Qb5+ Kd4 23.Bc3+ (Resigns)[23.Bc3+ Ke3 24.Rae1#] 1-0

(73) Oddie,A - Cock,J [B88]

(Cambridge vs. Hertford), 1970 [AJO Dragon 1971]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 "Isn't this like a cheap trap?" Bent Larsen. 3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 This was the first open Sicilian I had played for six years. At lunch on the day of the match I was instructed by AH Williams how to deal with this system: "Develop your lumps, play P-g4-g5, Qh5, R-d3-h3 and Qxh7 mate". 7.Bb3 Be7 8.Be3 0-0 9.Qe2 a6 10.0-0-0 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Qa5 12.Rhg1 b5 13.g4

+-----------------+
|r+b+.4k+|
|+.+.gp0p|
|p+.0ph.+|
|1p+.+.+.|
|.+.GP+P+|
|+BH.+.+.|
|P)P+Q).)|
|+.IR+.$.|
+-----------------+
13...b4 14.g5 Ne8 15.Qh5 bxc3 16.Rd3 e5 17.Bxc3 Qc7 [17...g6 18.Qh6 Qc7 19.f4 exf4 20.Ba4 Bd7 21.Rh3 Bxh3 22.Bxe8 f6 23.Bxg6 Bd8 24.gxf6] 18.g6 hxg6 19.Rxg6 Rb8 20.Rdg3 Rxb3 21.Rh6 g6

+-----------------+
|.+b+n4k+|
|+.1.gp+.|
|p+.0.+p$|
|+.+.0.+Q|
|.+.+P+.+|
|+rG.+.$.|
|P)P+.).)|
|+.I.+.+.|
+-----------------+
[21...Bg5+ 22.Rxg5 g6 23.Rh8+ Kg7 24.Qh6+ Kf6 25.Rxg6+ fxg6 26.Qxf8+ Qf7 27.Qxf7+ Kxf7 28.axb3] 22.Rhxg6+ fxg6 23.Qxg6+ 1-0

(9) Capablanca,J - Reti,R [C14]

New York (21), 1924

  It is important to study this game to answer two questions:
(1) Why is White winning in the final position? and
(2) Where did Black go wrong?

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Qd2 0-0 8.f4 c5 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.dxc5 Nxc5 11.Bd3 f6 12.exf6 Qxf6 13.g3 Bd7 14.0-0 Nxd3 15.cxd3 Be8 16.Rfe1 Bg6 17.Nb5 e5 18.Nc3 d4 19.Ne4 Bxe4 20.Rxe4 exf4 21.Rxf4 Qd6 22.Re1 Rxf4 23.Qxf4 Qxf4 24.gxf4

+-----------------+
|r+.+.+k+|
|0p+.+.0p|
|.+n+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|.+.0.).+|
|+.+P+N+.|
|P).+.+.)|
|+.+.$.I.|
+-----------------+
An endgame has arisen in which White may appear to have looser Pawns, although the Pd4 is easier to attack. This is the sort of 'simple' position at which Capa excelled, and while you may be able to predict the result of this game, can you guess how it is decided? 24...Kf8 25.Re4 Re8 26.Kf2 h6 27.Ne5 Nxe5 28.fxe5

+-----------------+
|.+.+ri.+|
|0p+.+.0.|
|.+.+.+.0|
|+.+.).+.|
|.+.0R+.+|
|+.+P+.+.|
|P).+.I.)|
|+.+.+.+.|
+-----------------+
White's "loose" f-Pawn has become a passed e-Pawn. 28...Kf7 29.Kf3 Rd8 30.Rg4 g5 31.h4

+-----------------+
|.+.4.+.+|
|0p+.+k+.|
|.+.+.+.0|
|+.+.).0.|
|.+.0.+R)|
|+.+P+K+.|
|P).+.+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
+-----------------+
31...Kg6 32.hxg5 hxg5 33.Ke4 Kh5 34.Rg1 Kh4 35.e6 g4 36.e7 It is hard to imagine at move 24 that the game would end so suddenly and through such apparently simple means; and if this position at move 24 is bad for Black, where should Black have deviated? Reti, it must be remembered, was an endgame artist of some note. 1-0

(47) Clissold,R (1755) - Regis,D (1740) [A01]

(Devon vs. Cheshire II) (1/4), 1993

1.b3 This is far from a one-idea opening, but my opponent said he often interpreted it as such - and with cooperation from Black like I gave him, whose to argue? 1...e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.c4 [3.e3 ( or 3 g3 ) 3...d6 ( the main lines involve 3...Nf6 and 4...d5 )] 3...f5 ( better must be ...Nf6 or ...d6 ) 4.e3 Nf6 5.d4 ?! [5.Nf3 d6 6.Be2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.d4 e4 9.Ng5 +- BCO] 5...exd4 [5...d6 6.Nf3 e4 7.d5] 6.exd4 Bb4+ 7.Nd2 Ne4 8.Ngf3 Qe7 9.Qe2 0-0 10.a3 Nxd2 [10...Bc3 =/=+ Fritz] 11.Nxd2 Bxd2+ 12.Kxd2 Qg5+ [12...Re8 = Fritz] 13.Kc2 Ne7 ? [13...Rf7 14.Re1 Re7 15.Qd1 d6 16.d5 Ne5] 14.h4 Qf6 15.d5 Qf7 16.h5 h6 17.f4 d6 18.Rh3 Kh7 19.Rg3

+-----------------+
|r+b+.4.+|
|0p0.hq0k|
|.+.0.+.0|
|+.+P+p+P|
|.+P+.).+|
|)P+.+.$.|
|.GK+Q+P+|
|$.+.+B+.|
+-----------------+
The one idea fulfilled. 19...g5 20.Re1 Ng8 21.fxg5 hxg5 22.Rxg5 Nf6 23.Rg6 Ne4 24.Rg7+ Qxg7 25.Bxg7 Kxg7 26.Qf3 Bd7 27.Bd3 Rae8 28.Bxe4 fxe4 29.Qg3+ Kh8 30.Qg6 e3 31.Qh6+ Kg8 32.Rxe3 Rf2+ 33.Kc3 Rxe3+ 34.Qxe3 Rxg2 35.Qxa7 Rg3+ 36.Kb4 c5+ 37.dxc6 Bxc6 38.Qb8+ ( he was very proud of this game, and I wasn't ) 1-0

(45) Booth,C (1800) - Regis,D (1825) [A42]

National Major Plate Final, 1996

1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 Nc6 5.Be3 e5 6.d5 Nce7 7.g4 f5 8.gxf5 gxf5 9.Qh5+ Kf8 [9...Ng6 10.exf5 Qh4] 10.Bg5 Nf6 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Bh3 a6 13.Nf3 Qe8 14.Qxe8+ Kxe8 15.Rg1 Kf7 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.Bxf5 Nxf5 18.Ne4

+-----------------+
|r+.+.+.4|
|+p0.+k+p|
|p+.0.g.+|
|+.+P0n+.|
|.+P+N+.+|
|+.+.+N+.|
|P).+.).)|
|$.+.I.$.|
+-----------------+
This isn't totally straightforward because of the messy King's-side, but in all these King's Indian positions with a good Knight on e4, White can hope to saddle Black with a bad Bishop and break through with c5. I've known this for ages... 18...Rhg8 19.Kd2 Nh4 [19...Bh4] 20.Ke2 Nxf3 21.Kxf3 Raf8 22.b4 b6 23.a4 a5 [23...Bh4 24.a5] 24.Rxg8 Kxg8 25.bxa5 bxa5 26.Rb1 h5 27.Ke3 Bh4 28.Rb5

+-----------------+
|.+.+.4k+|
|+.0.+.+.|
|.+.0.+.+|
|0R+P0.+p|
|P+P+N+.g|
|+.+.I.+.|
|.+.+.).)|
|+.+.+.+.|
+-----------------+
Black is busted. 28...Rf4 29.Rxa5 Bxf2+ 30.Nxf2 Rxc4 31.Ne4 h4 32.Nd2 Rc3+ 33.Ke4 Kf7 34.Ra7 Kf6 35.a5 c6 [35...h3] 36.dxc6 Ke6 37.Rd7 Rxc6 38.Rd8 Rc3 39.Re8+ Kf7 40.Rh8 Ra3 [40...h3] 41.Nc4 Ra4 42.Kd5 Ra1 43.Rxh4 Rd1+ 44.Kc6 e4 45.Nxd6+ 1-0

 

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This document (simpler.html) was last modified on 26 Jan 98 by [cool blue cat]

David Regis