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Confronting Change (Part I)
by FM Amatzia Avni (Inside
Avni's Mind)
|
Sticking to our normal routine, we are
usually capable of performing on a high level. But when
circumstances change and previous behavior is no longer appropriate,
only a few of us manage to adapt swiftly and effectively, retaining the
same level.
In chess, as in other pursuits, coping
with change is crucial to success. I was reminded of this fact
while reading a passage from Paul Hoffman’s recent book “King’s
Gambit: a son, a father, and the world’s most dangerous game”
(Hyperion, 2007). Recalling his 1988 match versus Jonathan
Speelman, which he lost decisively, GM Nigel Short is quoted:
“Jonathan had these two switches.
There’s his vegetarian switch which was usually on - he played quiet
moves, safe but a little dull... Then he had a manic switch,
where he created complete chaos. He had almost nothing in
between dull and chaos... I simply didn’t cope. I would
expect a slow positional encounter and then he’d simply go manic on
me.”
An example of Speelman’s peculiar style can be observed in the
following game: |
|
Speelman - A. Martin
British Championship 1982
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d6 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3
e5 7.Bb2 c5 8.Nc3 Nc6 9.d3 h6 10.e3 Bf5 11.h3 Qd7 12.Kh2 Rab8 13.Qd2
g5 14.Rad1 a6
   
  
  
  
   
Up to now White has acted in a passive,
seemingly insipid way. Now comes the switch to ‘manic’:
15.d4!? c:d4 16.e:d4 e:d4 17.N:d4
N:d4 18.Q:d4 Ng4+ 19.h:g4 B:d4 20.R:d4
For his sacrificed queen White has only
two officers. But the position is totally unbalanced and though,
objectively, Black is no worse, it is difficult for him to acclimatize
properly.
20...Bg6?! 21.c5! Rbe8 22.Nd5 f6?!
23.Ne3 Qb5 24.c:d6 Qe2 25.Bc3 Q:a2 26.d7 Red8 27.Rd6 Kh7 28.Nd5 Qa3
29.b4! Qa4 30.Ra1!
White has developed a huge initiative;
Black cannot bail out with 30...R:d7 as 31.R:f6!! wins the house.
White won
on the 42nd move.
Suppose you are playing an early middlegame when your rival offers a total
liquidation to an endgame; or you concentrate on the fine points of
position-play, while the enemy unleashes an offensive that springs out from
nowhere; or invites you repeatedly to disturb the material balance.
How should one react when one’s adversary attempts to make an abrupt and
dramatic change in the position?
One method is to reverse the trend. To counter an opponent’s
will by bringing calmness to the board, so that you will have your own sort
of game.
Porat - Fischer
Netanya 1968
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 Bg4 8.d5 Na5 9.b3
c5 10.Bb2 Qd7 11.Qd3 a6 12.e4
The late Joseph Porat, a strong IM and six times Israeli champion, was
the personification of solidity. The diagram position seems to
be exactly to his liking, but his esteemed adversary now attempts to
turn the tide.
12...b5! 13.c:b5 c4! 14.b:c4 B:f3 15.B:f3 Rfc8
If Black succeeds in playing ...N:c4, he will acquire an edge.
Porat copes correctly: he returns the two pawns and steers the game
back to solid channels.
16.c5! R:c5 17.Na4! R:b5 18.Bd4 Rab8 19.Nc3 Rb4 20.Rab1 Qc8 21.Rfc1
N:e4!?
Once again, Bobby Fischer shuns tranquil equilibrium. Once
again, his veteran rival restores order to the position.
22.B:g7 Nc5 23.Qe3 K:g7 24.R:b4 R:b4 25.Ne4! Rc4 26.Be2
White regains his pawn and the position is stabilized. The game
was eventually drawn after 64 moves.
Aronian - Mamedyarov
Melody Amber, Monaco 2008 (blind)
White to play
White enjoys a clear positional plus and he now proceeds to make his
gains more concrete.
14.g5 Nh5 15.B:h5 g:h5 16.Q:h5 Nd3
In despair, Black tries to fish in troubled waters.
17.Kh2 f5 18.Qe2 f4 19.Q:d3 Q:g5
The nature of the battle has changed considerably. It seems that
the weakness of h3 has granted Black some chances on the king wing.
However, White’s next move keeps him in control:
20.Ba7! R:a7 21.Nb5 B:b5
Otherwise an exchange is lost.
22.c:b5 Kh8 23.Rg1 Qe7 24.Nf3 Bf6 25.Rac1
White retains a large advantage. His king is safe, the pressure
on the c-file is mounting and he is a pawn up. Unfortunately,
White later erred and the game was drawn on the 52nd move.
Em. Lasker - Napier
Cambridge Springs 1904
White to play
This is one of the wildest positions you could imagine. A rook
short, black nevertheless holds numerous threats: ...Nd2+, ...Ng3+,
R:e8, and ...N:c5.
Lasker’s solution is remarkable: he is ready to give back his extra
rook to reach a better ending!
25.B:h5! B:h5 26.R:h5 Ng3+ 27.Kg2 N:h5 28.R:b7 a5 29.Rb3!
White’s hitherto scattered pieces now cooperate harmoniously and
actively, thus ensuring his victory.
29...Bg7 30.Rh3 Ng3 31.Kf3 Ra6 32.K:f4 Ne2+ 33.Kf5 Nc3 34.a3 Na4
35.Be3 Black resigned.
In view of 36.g6.
So, one method of encountering change is to restore the balance, to shift
the game back into familiar and desired channels.
However, the position’s characteristics do not always lend themselves to
this method. Hence, another method is to acknowledge the change,
to realize that what was logical a move ago will not do now, and adapt to
it.
This will be the subject of the second, and concluding, part of this
article.
Inside
Avni's Mind
© 2008 Amatzia Avni
and Chessville
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Amatzia
Avni is an Israeli psychologist. He is a
FIDE
Master in both
game and composition, a former editor of the Israeli magazine
Schahmat and a regular contributor to Chess Monthly.
His recent book "