A lot of players hold a critical outlook on "old" chess.  A century ago there were only a few strong players and their defensive skills were relatively low.  As a consequence, when one contestant unleashed a powerful idea, it usually went unhindered and scored a resounding success.

Nowadays it is much more difficult to gain victories, as players are able to frustrate their opponents' ideas, frequently averting them well in advance, before they materialize.  It was easier for our chess ancestors, who, on many occasions, didn't have to cope with counterplay and obstinate resistance.

Tarrasch – Pillsbury
Vienna 1898

White to play

20.b4 B:d4 21.R:d4

White fights for control of square c5, and it appears that he now gains the upper hand.  His knight is going to be planted at c5, while Black has an extra worry – defending his king, e.g. 21…h6? 22.Rh4 (intending 23.Q:h6+!) Bf5 23.R:g7! Q:h4 24.Q:h4 K:g7 25.Qf6+ and wins.

21…f6?

21…a5! is correct, when Black has a satisfactory defence:

22.Nc5 (22.a3?? a:b4) is met by 22…a:b4 23.c:b4 R:a2.

Attempting to wipe Black off with 22.Rh4 Bf5! 23.Rgh3 (23.Q:f5? Q:h4) is countered by 23…g5!, when White would do best to force a draw with 24.Q:h7+! B:h7 25.R:h7+ Kg8 26.Rh8+ Kg7 27.R8h7+ Kg8 (27…Kg6?? 28.g4! mates) 28.Rh8+ with perpetual check.

With the feeble text move, White is able to prove his concept and win.

22.Nc5 f:e5 23.Q:e5 Qf6?! 24.Q:f6 R:f6 25.Re3 Bg8 26.f3 g6 27.Re7 Rf7 28.Re6 a5 29.a4 Kg7 30.R:c6 (1:0, 41 moves)
 

Nimzowitsch – Johner
Bern 1931

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.b3 d5 3.Bb2 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bg4 6.B:c6+ b:c6 7.h3 B:f3 8.Q:f3 Qc7 9.d3 e6 10.Nc3 Bd6 11.Na4 Be5 12.B:e5 Q:e5 13.0-0 Nd7 14.Qe2 0-0 15.Qd2 f5 16.Qa5

Black allowed his adversary to execute his strategic plan (doubling the black c-pawn and putting pressure on it by transferring the white queen to a5).  Still, with 16…Qd6 17.c4 d4, he could have made it a fight.

16…Rfb8?

17.N:c5! Rb5 18.N:d7 Q:a1

The crux of Black's tactical operation; but he misses White’s rejoinder.  Instead, 18…Qd6 19.Nf6+ g:f6 20.Qc3 is the lesser evil.

19.Qc7! Qc3 20.a4 Rb4 21.Ne5 Rf8

Again, not the best defence.  21…Kh8 is tougher, albeit insufficient after 22.Nf7+ Kg8 23.Nd8.

22.N:c6! Kh8

White intended 23.Ne7+, picking up the queen.

22…Qd2 23.Qa5!; the text move is no improvement…

23.Qd6 1:0
 

O. Bernstein – Mieses
Coburg 1904

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d4 c:d4 5.N:d4 Nf6 6.N:c6 b:c6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4 f5

I think that 8…Qc7 is the modern treatment.

9.e:f6 e.p. N:f6 10.Nd6+ B:d6 11.Q:d6 Ne4 12.Qd4 Nf6 13.Qd6 Ne4 14.Qb4! d5 15.Bd3 Qd6 16.Q:d6 N:d6

The weakness of Black's dark squares is aching to one's eyes.

17.f4! a5 18.Be3 Ba6 19.Kd2 Nc4+? 20.B:c4 B:c4 21.a4

The presence of opposite coloured bishops doesn’t ease Black’s situation: quite the contrary.

21…Kd7 22.b3 Ba6 23.Bb6 Bc8 24.Ke3 Ra6 25.Bc5 Kc7 26.Kd4 Bd7 27.Rhe1 h5 28.Re5 g6 29.Rg5 Rg8 30.Ke5

Total domination. The board is all White, as it was in our former two examples.  Black acts in all cases as a bystander, and this in spite of the fact that in all episodes the Black players were among the strongest of the era.

30…Be8 31.Re1 Ra8 32.Kf6 Bd7 33.g3 Rae8 34.Ree5 Rh8 35.R:g6 Rh7 36.Rg7 Reh8 37.R:h7 R:h7 38.Kg6 Rh8 39.Kg7 Rd8 40.R:h5 (1:0, 49)
 

A similar trend could be observed in the field of chess composition.

In the "old" pieces - in both studies and problems - White was doing the work all by himself.  Modern creations are characterized by powerful counterplay and ingenuity from Black.

The following mate problem was composed in the mid-twentieth century, but is done in the old style.

Herbert Grasemann
Deutsche Schachblatter 1950
Second Prize

Mate in six

If only Bf5 were gone, White would force an immediate mate with 1.Nf5.  So –

1.Qh3+ Ke2 2.Qf1!+ K:f1 3.Bh3+ Ke2 4.Bf1+

The white queen is sacrificed with 'tempo' so that the white bishop will also be sacrificed without allowing Black any air.

4…K:f1 5.Nf5, 6.Ng3X.
 

In modern times we seldom value one-sided battles.  We appreciate when the defeated side poses obstacles to his opponent, not going submissively to slaughter.

However, here and there we meet remarkable ideas, which leave a strong impression upon us, although they are played as if with no opposition.

Pal Benno
Magyar Sakkvilag 2006
First prize

White to play and win

This study, by Benno (not to be confused with GM Pal Benko), is astounding.  I found it hard to believe that a White victory is possible at all.  It is true that Black is very restricted: in the diagram he can only play …Qb8 (1…Ka5? 2.Ra7+) and back to a8.  Still, one wonders how White is going to strengthen his position.

1.Bd4 Qb8+ 2.Kh1

2.Kg2? Qg8+ 3.Rg7 Qd5+.

2…Qa8+ 3.Kg1 Qg8+ 4.Rg7 Qb8 5.Kg2 Qa8+ 6.Kf2 Qb8 7.Ke3

White moves west, but his reasons are yet unclear. On his way he takes care that black's queen will remain on the back rank

7…Qe8+ 8.Kd3 Qb8 9.Rg6+!

The start of a three moves’ maneuver, which enables white to transfer his rook from g7 to f7. The benefit of this will be seen later. 

9…Ka5 10.Rg1! Ka6 11.Rg7 Qa8 12.Rf7! Qb8 13.Kc2 Qa8 14.Kb2 Qg2+ 15.Bf2

It is only now that white allows a check on the second rank, as he is able to shield with the bishop. Now we realize the point of his 12^th move, safeguarding Bf2.

15…Qa8 16.Rh7! Qb8 17.Bd4 Qa8 18.Ka1 Qb8 19.Rh6+ Ka5 20.Rh8!! Qb7

And now, after 20 preparatory moves, the black queen is forced to a square where it self-blocks the black monarch. Notice that Rh8 covers square h1. It is time for white to exploit his marvelous idea:

21.Rh2 Ka6 22.Ra2X.

Return to Inside Avni's Mind
 

© 2006-2009 by Amatzia Avni and Chessville

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