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What
do you do with your King and why?
by
IM Igor Khmelnitsky
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IM Igor Khmelnitsky
Igor is a winner of many national and
international tournaments in Europe and the United States.
At various points during his career, he has won individual
encounters with many of the game’s best players - including Lev
Alburt, Boris Alterman, Viorel Bologan, Roman Dzindzikhashvili,
Vasily Ivanchuk, Alexander Ivanov, Oleg Romanishin, Alexander
Shabalov, Evgeniy Sveshnikov, Patrick Wolff, and Alex Yermolinsky.
In total, Igor has beaten over 30 different Grandmasters. He
has been a participant in the Ukrainian National Championship as
well as a three times contestant in the US National Championship.
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Take a look at the
following three positions, review the questions and spend 5-10 minutes
considering your answers.
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|
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#1. - Black to Move |
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| #2. - Black to Move |
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In each of the
examples:
STOP
- answers are below. |
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| #3. - White to Move |
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========================================================================
In almost every
game we have to deal with the question – "What to do with the King?"
The basic concept
is to castle as soon as you can. Why? Well, the purpose of castling is to get
the R in the game and to get the K in a safer position. And the bonus – you
move two pieces at once.
Well, as you
advance your skills you certainly should be looking for a better reasoning and
for pointers that would help you to make a decision.
The above 3 quick
examples are from the recent game of my adult student who is rapidly progressing
and is now rated around 1400 (Examples #1 and #2), and from my game against GM Gregory
Kaidanov from the Invitational US Championship 1995.
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Let’s start with
example #1.
Black has advantage
– he has an extra pawn and White has no compensation. Since this is an Endgame,
the first option for Black K I would consider is 19…Ke7. Note that
it is an ideal spot for the K:
-
The K is safe –
protected by the Ps, White B can’t create any threats.
-
The K is also close
to the center and equally distant from the Q-side and K-side. With so few pieces
left, I would be thinking that likely if one pair of Rs is gone (certainly if
all Rs are gone) the K will start his advancement into the enemy territory.
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|
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#1. - Black to Move |
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In the game, Black
played 19…0-0-0?!, and after 20.Bd3 Nf6 21. Rdf1 reached a position
from the Example #2:
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| #2. - Black to Move |
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Black still has a
solid advantage, but it is not easy to find an active plan. This is because the
White Rf1 is pinning the Nf6. Once Black realized that the Pf7 needs protection,
he made a correct adjustment.
The K is not only a
target or an attacker. The K is also a solid defender. Black's best assignment for
the K is to go to e7 to protect Pf7 and free the N.
One of the key
rules of many static endgames is “No Rush.” Once Black realized that he made
a mistake on move 19….0-0-0?!, he correctly adjusted his strategy and played 21…Kd7!
Eventually the K made it’s way to e7 on move 26, some 7 moves later that it
should have (19…Ke7 in Example #1). However, it is better later than never and
Black went on to win the game.
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Example #3
is from my 1st game in my very first US championship. This was round
robin invitational; I was to face the top 13 players in the country in 1995. My
opponent is a super GM, who in 1995 won several of the major tournaments in US.
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The position is
nearly equal, with White holding a minimal advantage due to some pressure on the
K-side. The open e-file is certainly a bad place for my K.
As I was
considering what to do about my K, I immediately dismissed a future long castle
because my K will be in danger on the Q-side. I got very little piece protection
there. Black could possibly mess-up my pawns with Bxc3, after a timely
Pc7-c5, Q could join the attack (Qa5 or Qb6) also the c-file could be opened for
his Rs.
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|
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| #3. - White to Move |
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I do have some
pressure on the K-side with several of my pieces controlling a lot of space
there. My K will feel very safe there protected by the pawns and pieces. Thus,
the decision was made, but what about the execution? Well, after 9.Nf3 or 9.Nge2
and a future 0-0, what would my plan be? Double up on the e-file, trade the Rs
there, trade some minor pieces, and Draw is almost certain. I decided that
the Rh1 would be much more productive if it remained on h1 and supported the
advancement of my Pawn-h.
So, I played 9.Kf1! My K is safe on f1, and,
if necessary could go to g1. My Rh1 will be active on h-file or can get out via
Rh3-g3. The game continued 9…Pc6 10. Nf3 Bh5 11.Ne5 Be7 12.Re1.
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Consider this position with the one 3 moves earlier. White is clearly
gaining some space and improving his pieces, while Black is retreating. The Rh1
will soon enter the game (after Ph2-h4).
I had so much respect for
Gregory, that I offered him a Draw here. Hoping that he would decline and
soon "burn the bridges". I was surprised and disappointed, when
he accepted and the game ended. I wish we did have some rules prohibiting
the short Draws, as this could have been an exciting game. |
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Summary
-
Seek the best
possible squares for your K and your Rs.
-
For the K, consider
the place were it will be a balance between a safety and usefulness. The more
pieces are left on the board, the more emphasis should be on safety. With fewer
pieces left on the board, the focus should shift to usefulness.
-
For the R, consider
what are the best opportunities and then consider what effort is involved in
getting the R there.
=====================================================================
More on chess training (serious and enlightening):
|
Chess Exam and Training
Guide:
Rate Yourself and Learn How to Improve
IM
Igor Khmelnitsky's book, Chess Exam and Training
Guide: Rate Yourself and Learn How to Improve (2004, IamCoach
Press) - winner of Book of the Year from CJA - Chess Journalists
of America (2005).
"...will quickly and
accurately test your
combinational ability, positional judgment and endgame expertise...
Instructive and Entertaining!" - Alex Yermolinsky, Grandmaster,
former US Champion and Olympic team member. |
 |
See more articles at Chessville by IM Igor Khmelnitsky
Center
Squares
Copyright © 2005 by Igor Khmelnitsky &
www.IamCoach.com and is used here by
permission. It may not be reprinted or reposted in any format without
the express written permission of the author.
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