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Chessville
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In criminal law, the suspect is entitled to the presumption of innocence until it is proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is guilty. It might help me a lot if I was well-versed in law, but perhaps it would also make my agrumentation bloody boring. So what do I have in mind?
The significance of the right to start varies from game to game. In tennis, for one, the server has an enormous advantage if he serves well. The striker may not even be able to touch the ball, or may return it so feebly that the serves ‘smashes’ it at once. Or take handball. The attacking team has the ball, and the opponent can not do anything but line up in front of the penalty area, with perhaps one of them running about trying to intercept passes - and pray for dear life. All they can hope for is that the other team makes a mistake, or runs out of attacking time - but what they have is play at one goal! Football is different: the referee tosses a coin at the beginning, and the team whose captain got heads or tails right has a choice to make. And what do they usually choose? Always the half of the pitch! It depends on where the sun shines from, or which way the wind blows. The point is that this advantage belongs to them till halftime. Kick-off and the right to launch the first attack are not as important as this. It would be interesting to know exactly how many attacks and counterattacks there are in an average football game. There are a lot in any case, and there are very few goals compared to this number. Therefore both the players and the fans know very well that it is not extremely important which side kicks off. In chess, however, the right to move first still sounds like an achievement. Not too bad, is it: White can move any of his pieces, and some of the possible moves are even good. A whole lot of them, on the other hand, are definitely foolish. Some first moves have been in rivalry since the beginning of things for the title of the best first move. They are 1.e4 and 1.d4, and that is basically it, as 1.c4 and 1.Nf3 often have no individual significance. Sometimes the players just develop their forces quietly, and the stronger one beats his weaker opponent. Which first move is best is an open question, and it is highly debatable whether we will ever answer it. On the other hand, we can tell for sure which moves are out of competition. Such moves are, for example, h4, a4, g4 and b4. There are quite a few first moves after which Black can stop worrying and lay back. The right to move first, however, is an obligation at the same time. We can all remember cases - even from our own practice - when this right became a coercion. This is the so-called zugzwang. Take a simple pawn ending: opposition, and the person to move loses the game, regardless of colours. You can not say ‘No bid!’ in chess, and those who argue that White has the initiative and can decide what course the game takes are partly right. On the other hand - as pointed out by Árpád Földeák -, this involves a certain responsibility, which is not to everyone’s liking. And this takes us to the point when we can ask anyone, from highly-qualified chess professionals to devoted chess fans or people having nothing to do with chess whatsoever, how they think a hypothetical ‘perfect game’ would end? We may get all kinds of answers, especially from those not involved in chess, but qualified players will mostly come up with the same reply as a great number of world champions or chess thinkers since Lasker: the logical outcome of the game is a draw. This view is usually shared even by fierce attacking players who love playing as White. No one has ever won a chess game without his opponent making mistakes. Whether it is blundering a rook or just some minor inaccuracy, the utilization of which takes strategic depth and flawless technique is naturally important from an esthetic or professional point of view, but makes no difference concerning the general point. If one of the players wins the game, his opponent has certainly made some mistake. All games ever played in the history of chess serve as evidence of this statement, whether they took place on benches of public squares or on the stages of world championship matches. The ‘fair’ result of a chess game is draw. Why is it so surprising, then, that BLACK IS OK? If the game is drawn with both players making the best moves from the starting position, then Black can not possibly have any problems if he plays well. Variations in opening theories usually end with Black equalizing all of a sudden. I can not remember any analysis starting from move one where White suddenly makes a good move, which is awarded an exclamation mark by the author, who then decides that the position is equal. That is, in a ‘correct’ game - in the traditional sense of the word - Black equalizes with good play, and then, so to speak, ‘holds’ this equal position, and the game is drawn. Well, that’s where the trouble starts, as it never comes to my mind that any party has to equalize from the starting position. The starting position is equal, at least if you ask me. As far as I am concerned, the whole opening theory - even the works of high standards - is based on a fallacy, because they assume that White - within certain limits of course - can do almost anything. However, if you open an opening book, and start to analyze positions decided to be ‘equal’, then what you will see in seven, or rather eight cases out of ten (a moderate estimate, I am trying to avoid exaggerations) is that it is not equal (Black is better)! But this can not be put on paper, this is taboo for some reason, Black simply can not stand better. I recall the blood-curdling experience of game assessments (including my own games, especially in youth tournaments), where the possibility that the player who had the upper hand loses the game was precluded, although such things happen in practice day by day.
So people do win games as Black quite often, Árpád Földeák even wrote an article in the Hungarian chess monthly Sakkélet in 1995, pointing out that at one of the Hastings tournaments at the end of the last century, quite a few top players of that time had better scores as Black than with the White pieces. Naturally, this is just a curiosity, and Földeák did not consider it something typical, either. A lot depends on how one lays the foundation of the game. Lajos Portisch said something to the effect that he had tried almost all openings and defences in his long chess career, and found that about two-thirds of these were disadvantageous for Black. So there is the remaining one-third, and all Black has to do is play these openings and defences, and then he has nothing to fear. Of course he did not give out which ones he considered weak and which he thought were good, you can not expect a tournament player (he laid out his views three years ago)to do so. Moreover, instead of asking a chess player questions, one should look into his games and see which openings he plays and which ones he avoids. I personally think that, although Lajos is a great player and he is right in most cases, the element of subjectivity is present with him as well as any of us. I saw him, for example, experiment with the Grunfeld, and he could not make good use of it. Somehow it was not in his line. On the other hand, I have also seen him play strategies which seemed much more difficult to me with a world-shaking effect. Personally, I do prefer playing as Black, but this is the other extreme. I have invested so much time and energy into the rehabilitation of the Black side and the improvement of my Black repertoire that this way of seeing has simply permeated me. My repertoire is more ambitious, I play openings which suit my style better, and so on. BLACK IS OK means that everything is all right with Black, no more, no less and nothing else! It would be worth surveying whether there is any difference between the statistics of games played by top-level, mediocre and very weak players. I have the impression that White has the better score everywhere. Why? How is it possible that White won eight games at the world champoinship match between Kasparov and Karpov in 1996, while Black won only one? Why does White have a sweeping score at great tournaments, as well as in lower-level chess (at least that’s how I feel)? Why on earth should there be such a big difference? OK, it could be something like 55:45 in 100 games, but it is not like that. This is said to be a fact, a kind of ultimate, unquestionable evidence. What I have devoted a considerable part of my life, however, has been devoted to efforts is that it shouldn’t be like this, because it is not a necessity! I have never been into denying or manipulating facts, but let me remind you that heavy objects had been moved about long before the wheel was invented. However, this was not a sufficient reason for not inventing the wheel. Furthermore, objects had fallen downwards long before Newton published anything on gravity, and everybody had been aware of this circumstance, they only didn’t know the reason. So Newton did not discover anything new; he gave an original and correct interpretation of a well-known phenomenon. The overwhelming majority of chess players try to build up a serious repertoire as White, and aim for safety as Black. They do not really want to win with the Black pieces, or can not imagine how it is possible. The opponent might, of course, overcommit himself, but this is accidental, people do not rely on this as a rule. This is understandable, as it is extremely difficult nowadays to have ambitious, versatile and up-to-date repertoirs with both colours. As I pointed out as early as 1988, people do not win too often with the Black pieces because they do not even want to, and that’s why White has a psychological advantage, although it could be turned around. I managed to do so in my better days. Regretfully, I was so successful in it that I ‘forgot’ how to play with the White pieces. Still, Black has a lot of psychological plusses, which can be turned into a chess advantage, as people usually play for a win as White.
Anyway, chess is an ancient game, and it is still played, so it is simply impossible to claim that Black stands no chance whatsoever. In this was the case, the lines leading to White’s advantage would have been elaborated ages ago. But, as we are all aware, this is not the case. Those speaking about the death of chess, and computers, and the information boom, and all that jazz, are parroting half-truths. As long as it is still possible to come up with novelties of at least equal value as early as move 6, 5 or even 3 (cf. the ‘Adorján-gambit’ 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 e5!?, which ‘went off’ in Kramnik-Lékó, Tilburg, 1998.), this whole line of argumentation is simply rubbish! Another point, mentioned by Árpád Földeák as well, is that counter-attack has a certain advantage over attack. It is a well-known fact that you can not launch an attack without exposing some weaknesses in your own position. When a boxer lifts his arm for a punch, he necessarily leaves some part of his body unprotected, and if the opponent reacts quickly, the outcome of his ‘initiative’ will be two or three blows that he will remember as long as he lives. Moreover, it is common knowledge in the art of war that your troops must outnumber the enemy several times. Most chess sacrifices are aimed at gaining superiority at a certain part of the board (most often in the vicinity of the king). But let us go on! Another common argument is that White starts the game, and thus he determines the course of the battle and the character of the position. All Black can do is adapt to it. To what extent is it true? White plays, say, 1.e4. This is a very good move indeed, as it deprives Black of the possibility of playing any Indian defence... So can we say that White has won the opening battle already? No way! If Black plays 1...c5, White can say farewell to the Spanish Opening, and there will be no Pirc, Modern, French, Caro-Kann, Aljechin or Nimzowitsch, either. And Black has quite a number of alternatives after 2.Nf3, too. ...Nc6, ...d6 or ...e6 are considered the best options. Now it is White’s turn again to make a decision. The main line is 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4, and here Black can decide which variation to go for: Najdorf, Paulsen, Sveshnikov, Dragon, Rauzer or Sozin. All in all, the ‘bidding’ takes a while. How long? It may be six, eight, even ten moves. By that point, the character of the play has been more or less established, and if both players have developed their forces in a normal and healthy way, the position remains equal, at least in terms of opportunities, and it does not, and can not, have any significance whatsoever who is White and who is Black! It is such a simple fact for me that I really wonder why it still seems to be some kind of ‘black magic’ for some people. My thesis is that in chess, the extra tempo can have some significance only if the position has a symmetric character. Even in those positions, it is not always the case! In a sharp position, however, where both players fight hard for the initiative, attack, or counterattack, colours are of no importance. White’s only advantage is that he can avoid sharp play in any opening, exchange the pieces off, and if he does it well, he will have his draw all right. Or he may even win if Black takes too much risk. On the other hand, I think there are three things that can, and do have significance. One of them is who the stronger player is. The second is who is in better ‘shape’, or in a frame of mind more favourable for chess, on that day. And, last but not least, it is also important whose knowledge of that specific variation is deeper, that is, who is more familiar with the spirit of the position. This can make up for several categories of playing strength! So far so good, but if both players make good moves, they will inevitably reach an equal position. This is the point when ‘old salts’ call it a day and agree a draw - if they can. It is not always possible, as they have teammates, team managers, spectators etc., who all expect them to play for a win as White, saying that it is an advantage! This is where Black’s chance lies. If White does not realize that he has reached the point when he has to play carefully to keep the game balanced, the process of the ‘disappearance’ of his ‘advantage’ may become irreversible in a couple of moves. A chess game is never in perfect equilibrium, except for obviously drawn positions. It is more like a seesaw in continuous motion. Perhaps this is what they call dynamic equilibrium, and this may well be the basis of the popular wisdom saying that once Black has equalised, he is already better. The interpretation of this is that, although the game is still balanced, the tendency is against White. If White fails to keep the balance, Black obviously takes over the initiative, which may not mean too much in the strict sense of the word (that is, on the board), but it has important psychological consequences. (This is the difference between human beings and computers.) If someone plays a game, and has a good position in the beginning (at least he thinks so), and then he realizes that his position is not so good any longer, or simply believes that he is worse, he may well play badly from that point on, because he is disappointed, afraid of losing the game, worrying about what people will say etc. All these psychological factors may play an important role on Black’s side. There is another thing, which might be just my personal hobbyhorse, but I do believe in it: it is a moral advantage to play Black, as Black exercises the ancient right of the assaulted party: self-defence. And if he does it in a courageous and active way, he will definitely make the audience sympathize with him, and - what is perhaps even more important in chess - his opponent will be astonished. ‘This guy is playing as Black, and fears nothing!’ - he may think to himself. People play for a win with the White pieces, because they believe in it. They have been taught and expected to do so. (Except for special tournament situations when a draw is sufficient for White. He can surely have his draw if he does not set about it in a passive and cowardly way. In this sense we can say that it is better to play as White.) The beginning of mass psychosis - in my opinion - is when children are taught a lot of useful things like how the pieces move etc., and then the next lesson is that it is better to play as White(?!). Those who play this game at a high level (including my humble self) know very well that there are some basic principles of the game, e.g. the bishop is stronger in an open position than the knight, and all that. Some of them, however, turned out to be nonsense, while some others must be thought over in all specific positions! The thesis that White has an advantage due to the right to make the first move belongs to the latter group. The whole thing is just so naive. In the last century, and even at the beginning of this one, people who rejected sacrifices were dismissed from the club. It has been only for a mere thirty, or perhaps fifty years that chess is played on a scientific basis, instead of just hoping for some Bxf7 check, or some romantic mating attack without preparations. A Russian chess journalist gave a a very witty and sharp answer when I asked him how big White’s advantage was: ‘At least 50 years!’ It may well be even more, as it - most naturally - has its psychological reasons. The so-called ‘opening theory’ has somehow always looked at things from White’s point of view. Game analyses were based on the presupposition that White is better. Nowadays there are attempt at some tournaments to make people fight and avoid quick draws; nevertheless, most people play chess with the White pieces, and try to get their draw as Black! Although once the organiser is so ambitious, and wants to have ‘eternal’ games in his tournament, it would be so much more fun if people set their eyes on the full point with both colours! This is simply the way it works! I am really concerned by the possibility that once the BLACK IS OK repertoir comes out, it will be called the only possible way. But what about the people who do not like playing the openings recommended by me? I can’t claim omnipotence, and tell people to play this or that, can I? Let us not forget that Grandmaster Portisch said ‘two-thirds - one-third’, and the repertoir I recommend is only a small part of this one-third! There are a lot of things I have never played as Black, but if I had to face them as White, I had no idea what to do! I am absolutely sure that the ‘duo’ of the Slav and the Caro-Kann is perfectly capable of solving Black’s problems (in good hands, of course). When I published the BLACK IS OK thesis in practically all chess periodicals, as well as some books, people thought I was crazy. Still, since the moment when I made this discovery, I have been trying to prove and spread this idea in various forms, including ‘philosophical’ writings like this one, as well as analyses, articles and books. Just give it a thought, if ‘White to play and win’ was all chess had to offer, the game would have been buried in oblivion for a long time, wouldn’t?
Dear Readers! Let the real debate start now! Readers can come up with very clever and interesting things, and it is not laid down in the ‘rules of the house’ that everything has to be thought up by me.
So could you please answer the
following questions (lazy people may only care to give the number of the
question and a short answer, although it looks a whole lot better with an
explanation!) 1. Which colour do you prefer? 1/ White 2/ Black 3/ Makes no difference
2. What is the logical outcome of a game if both sides play perfect? 1/ White wins 2/ Black wins 3/ Draw
3. Is there any difference between the statistics of top-level games and games played by mediocre or very weak players? 1/ The higher the level of the players is, the bigger White’s advantage becomes 2/ No difference 3/ Black might even get a ‘plus’ at lower levels
4. How does the type of the tournament (correspondence, rapid, junior, senior, open, round/robin) influence the balance? If you have data of this kind (or perhaps ‘merely’ some decades of experience), please share it with us!
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The Chessville
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I
personally think that Anantoly Karpov can be ‘blamed’ for this one-sided
approach to a certain extent. 
