01 - King Safety - Annotated Games - Game 006.pdf - Month 02 - zajeciaszachowe

USING THE ROOKS IN THE ATTACK

When one of the sides launches an attack against the opposite king, he has in mind the creation of

a quantitative and qualitative superiority, meant to assure the success. This is why the usage of

the rooks in the attack has a remarkable importance, considering their action force. In the

majority of cases, if the attacker succeeds in mobilizing the rooks in the help of the minor pieces,

the created superiority has a decisive character. For bringing the rooks into the attack, there are

two main methods:

1. Opening the files on the side where the opposite king is and using them by the rooks.

2. Using the open ranks for a quick transfer of the rooks to the war zone.

In the following game we will see how White uses with magnificence both methods. But before

starting to present the game, let us say some words about the two players. I don’t think Efim

Geller needs a presentation, being one of the strongest players in the 60’s, all the time in the Top

10 in that period. His contribution to the development of the opening theory was also

remarkable, especially in the Sicilian Defense and King’s Indian Defense. Bela Soos is a less

known name to the chess players, and surprisingly, he is not known in Romania, even if he was

one of the greatest Romanian players in the 60’s and 70’s. This happened due to the communist

censor, which imposed that his name should be pulled out from all the chess books, after Soos

had leaved the country and settled in Germany. We made this presentation because we thing

Bela Soos deserves all our respect for his contribution to the development of the Romanian chess.

The game was played at Varna Olympiad, 1962, in a moment when Geller had 8 points out of 8

games played!

Soos,B - Geller,E

Varna ol (Men) 1962

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7

The King’s Indian Defense is nowadays one of the most popular openings, because it leads to

very complex positions, with chances for both players, in which Black is able to fight for the

initiative. It was developed starting from the 50’s, especially due to the effort of the soviet and

Yugoslav theoreticians. The presence of this opening in the repertoire of players like Tal, Fischer

or Kasparov may be a certificate of quality. In spite of these positive aspects, we recommend for

players with rating < 2000 to choose some less complex opening systems, according to their

capacity to understand the positional game. Many players, especially those who don’t have a

trainer, chose the openings by improper criteria. The fact that Kasparov plays this system with

success doesn’t mean that the opening itself is superior to other opening systems. In fact, in its

complexity, Kasparov has the possibility to use his superior qualities in understanding the

position. On the contrary, a low- or medium-rated player, who doesn’t know the strategic

elements very well, will play such an opening badly, because he is totally surpassed by its

complexity.

4.e4 d6 5.f4

White has obtained an impressive position in the center, but at the same time, he is less

developed. We shouldn’t forget that any pawn move in the opening means one less piece

developed, so it is good the find a balance between the pawn moves, useful for occupying the

center, and the development moves of the pieces.

5...c5

Black starts the undermining operations of the white pawn center.

6.d5 0–0 7.Nf3 a6

It is better directly 7...e6 to weaken the white pawn center. Interposing the moves...a7-a6 and a2-

a4 may be in some cases favorable for White, because Black is deprived of the possibility to

make the maneuver Nb8-a6-c7, useful in some situations to sustain the counter play on the

queenside with b7-b5.

8.a4 e6 9.Be2 exd5 10.exd5

In the latest period White prefers 10.cxd5 in order to maintain a mobile pawn center and to

threaten a pierce in the center with e4-e5. Because of his development advantage, Black is able to

create a pressure on the e4-pawn, but the practice proved that White can solve this problem by

tactical means, for example: 10...Re8 11.Nd2 Ng4 12.Nc4 Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 Rxe4 14.0–0 and

White has compensation for the sacrificed pawn because of the chronic weakness of the black

squares around the black castle.

10...a5

As Bela Soos himself declared to us, this move has surprised him, being a novelty at that time.

Black’s plan is to play Nb8-a6-b4, Bc8-f5 and Rf8-e8. There is also an important disadvantage

of this move. Usually the black play is based on the counter play on the queenside, through the

advance b7-b5. After the move 10…a5, the position on the queenside is blocked and Black

cannot hope more than to activate his knight on b4, from where he is able to hamper the white

pieces. In the absence of a strong black counter play on the queenside, White has more freedom

for action on the kingside.

11.0–0 Na6 12.Bd3

Placing the bishop on the b1-h7 diagonal, White avoids the total control of this diagonal by

Black, through Na6-b4 and Bc8-f5.

12...Nb4 13.Bb1 Re8

QUIZ

Find the best move for White

14.f5!

A positional pawn sacrifice, whose consequences are not far away to be calculated. It is evident

that White obtains compensation because: 1.The black pawn structure is weakened. 2.The

qualitative value of the rook on f1 is increased once the f-file is opened. 3.The qualitative value

of the bishop on c1 is also increased, once the c1-h6 diagonal is opened. 4.In the absence of a

bishop on f5, the knight on b4 alone cannot create problems for White, existing the risk to remain

out of play if the battlefield will be on the kingside.

14...gxf5 15.Nh4!?

A logical continuation of the pawn sacrifice, but not the best one. Better is here 15.Bg5.

15...Ne4?!

Black misses a good defending possibility 15...Nfxd5!! 16.Nxf5 Bxf5 17.Bxf5 Nxc3 18.Bxh7+

(18.bxc3?! Qh4 ƒ ) 18...Kxh7 (18...Kh8? 19.Qh5 Ne2+ 20.Kh1 Re5 21.Bf5+ Kg8 22.Qh7+ Kf8

23.Bh6! Bxh6 24.Bg6!!+-) 19.Qh5+ Kg8 20.Qxf7+ Kh7 and White has no more than perpetual

check.

16.Nxe4 fxe4

After 16...Qxh4 White enters a favorable endgame through 17.Bg5! Qg4 18.Qxg4 fxg4 19.Nxd6

Bd4+ (19...Rf8 20.Be7+-) 20.Kh1 Re2 21.Nxc8 Rxc8 22.Bf5± The pair of bishops and the free d-

pawn offers White a clear advantage

17.Qh5

The presence of the queen in the attack is very important.

17...Qe7?

Being under pressure, Black doesn’t find the best defense 17...Re5! 18.Qxf7+ Kh8 19.Bf4

(19.Nf5 Bxf5 20.Rxf5 Qh4=/+) 19...Re7 (19...Re8 20.Qh5±) 20.Qh5 Qe8 21.Qe2 Ra6 22.Ra3+/=

White’s position is preferable, but Black would have had more chances to defend than in the

game.

QUIZ

Find the best way for White to continue the attack

18.Ra3!!

White transfers the second rook on the kingside, using the open 3 rd rank. As we said in the

beginning of the game, this maneuver is one of the typical methods of bringing the rook in the

attack in order to create a local superiority. Black is now on the edge of the cliff, because all the

white pieces take part in the attack, while Ra8 and Nb4 are out of game.

18...f5?

The pawn sacrifice 18...Nd3 19.Bxd3 exd3 20.Rxd3 can help Black to prolong his agony and it is

logical: the knight on b4, which couldn’t take part to the defense, is exchanged for the bishop on

b1, a potential attacker. After 18...Qf8 19.Rg3! Re5 20.Nf5+- Black’s position collapses in few

moves. A little better is 18...Be5 19.Kh1 (19.Nf5 Bxf5 20.Qxf5 Nd3 21.Bxd3 exd3 22.Rxd3±)

19...Nd3 20.Bxd3 exd3 21.Rxd3± Even if White has clear advantage, Black can still resist.

19.Rg3!

Now both rooks are straightened to the black king.

19...Rf8 20.Bh6 Rf7

QUIZ

Find the best move for White

01 - King Safety - Annotated Games - Game 006.pdf

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