Chessville Instruction - Difficult Moves (Part 2) - by FM Amatzia Avni

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Difficult Moves (Part 2)
by FM Amatzia Avni (Inside Avni's Mind)

In the first part of this discussion we examined certain types of moves which are hard to spot, because they contradict schemes and rules deeply embedded in our cognitive system.

We mentioned as examples of such occurrences:

Quiet moves
Switch-backs
Retreats
Attacking fortified squares

In this, the second and concluding part of our discussion, we acquaint ourselves with other types of “difficult moves.”

E) Endangering one’s king: All players take particular care for their king’s safety. But sometimes it is essential to put the monarch under risk.

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 latest book "Devious Chess" was released by Batsford in 2006. Read Chessville reviews of two of his earlier works also: Practical Chess Psychology: Understanding the Human Factor (2001); and The Grandmaster's Mind (2004).

Kramnik - Deep Fritz
Bonn, 2006 match (5)

White to play

Black threatens 32...Nd3+ 33.Kd1 Rf1X.

Kramnik finds the only salvation: placing his king on a square open to discovered- checks!

32.Kf1!! Nh3+ 33.Ke1 Nf2

There is nothing better than repeating moves, as 33...R:g2? 34.R:h6 Rg1+ gains material but loses the battle: 35.Ke2 R:b1 36.Rh8X.

F) Non-capture:

Anand - Gelfand
Biel 1997

Black to play

In the game black continued 16...R:c3?, which led to his disadvantage after 17.b:c3 Qa4 18.Kb2. The game ended in white’s victory, after some vicissitudes. Post-mortem analysis suggested the interesting line: 16...B:d4! 17.Q:d4 N:c2

17...Na2+ is also viable: 18.Kb1 (18.N:a2? R:c2+ 19.Kb1 Rc4+) N:c3+ shatters white’s pawn formation. The text seems to be overwhelming, for if 18.Q:h8+ (18.Qd2? Na1!) Kf7, the intruding queen is embarrassed, for instance 19.Bc4+ R:c4 (threatening to return: 20...Rc8!) 20.Qb8 N:a3! Assisted by software, the players later discovered:

18.Qg7!!

An amazing non-capture, which maintains the balance. A plausible conclusion may be 18...Rf8 19.Bd3 Rf7 20.Qh8+ Rf8 21.Qg7, with a draw (Anand).

G) Blocking moves:

Birnboim - De Firmian
Thessaloniki Olympiad, 1984

Black to play

Black unleashed a surprising coup:

30...Bb1!

The immediate 30...Rb2 fails to impress (31.Raa2). With the text move black disrupts the link between Qd1 and Ra1, which enhances his attacking prospects.

31.Ra4 Rb2 White lost on time.

His position is difficult: 32.Rf4 R:f2+ 33.K:f2 Rb2+ 34.Kg1 Rc2 35.Rf8+ Kg7 36.Rf7+ Kh6.

H) Influencing from the corner: Novices learn that a centrally-posted piece exerts more influence than one stationed in the rear. It is hard to cope with situations where it is the other way around.

Mchedlishvili - Makarashvili
Tbilisi 1992

White to play