January 2005
Learning Chess (#01), by A.J. Goldsby I
|
Click on links (blue highlighted text) throughout lesson
|
This
article was to be about learning an opening system – in detail – but I think
that I will save that article for next month. (I needed to lay some important
groundwork
first.)
First,
a little about me. I am a USCF {Original} LIFE-Master, and I am 46 years old.
Before I was eight, I had taught my siblings, many family members, (I have lots
of cousins.); and probably half the kids in my neighborhood how to play chess.
[more, or
more]
I took my first serious, paying student when I was around 13 or 14 …
and although I was not that highly rated, I had already been studying and
playing chess seriously for many years. I continue teaching chess today, I have
a few local students, more Internet students than I can possibly ever handle,
and four children of my own.
The
very FIRST thing you should do if you are serious about chess is try to make
some goals. (What do you want out of chess? How high of a rating would you like
to attain?) The next thing you should do is make a training schedule … AND WRITE
IT DOWN!!! (Psychologists and professional motivators agree that if something is
written down, you will be more focused and serious about that idea.) After that,
set up your training schedule, and decide what you are going to study, how often
and what times you will be studying.
[more]
Make sure you include a regular
regimen of {daily} solving problems
in your regular training schedule. [More
problems.]
The
next thing you must do is to find a teacher in your area. A master is
preferable, but NOT
completely necessary! (If there are no masters in your area, then you should
seek out the highest-rated player that is available in your area.)
You
also need to give some serious thought to your equipment, [good chess set,
board, clock, carrying bag, etc.]; the openings that you think you would like to
play, the chess library you will need, and many other topics as well. [more]
Things like chess software must {also} come into consideration … I
highly recommend ChessBase. (Its what I
use, and it is what most top GM’s use as well.)
Below
are some references and further study material that I am sure that the average
student will find useful.
[My system ]
[ Page One
of my Opening School ] [ My ENDGAME School ] [ Monthly Annotated Games ] [ Another Basic Lesson ]
The
first thing I want to do is to remove the “mysticism”
from chess, and also from the learning process as well. What I mean by this, is
that I have seen a VERY disturbing trend lately. (Both in person – and on the
Internet as well.)
What
I am talking about is when a chess teacher will tell you that you cannot learn
an opening system in a day, a week, or even a month. They will cloud this whole
process in secrecy, and tell you it will take a long time, and that you will
need the tutelage of your chess instructor – a process designed to keep you
taking lots of lessons at the current hourly rate.
For an example of my teaching method, see the analysis immediately below. (Click HERE
to see an explanation of the symbols that I use.)
**********************************************************************
GM
I. Khenkin (2622) - GM A. Fishbein (2513)
[E81]
New York Open
New York City, NY, USA (R7);
2000.
***********************************************
***********************************************
A good game ... to teach a few very important lessons.
1.d4 Nf6; 2.c4 g6; 3.Nc3 Bg7; 4.e4 d6;
5.f3!?, (Maybe - '!')
Perhaps the most aggressive line that White can adopt. The main idea of this line is very simple, White strongly supports his center, keeps pieces OFF the critical g4-square, and prepares a simple plan of development. (Be3, Qd2, followed by 0-0-0.) The plan then is to keep the center closed ... and then just attack Black's King!!!
[ The main line is: 5.Nf3. ]
5...0-0; 6.Nge2 c5; 7.d5 e6!?; {Diagram below.}
Not a bad idea ... or a bad line.
(But - obviously - Black must play correctly.)
[ A game I once witnessed, {in a lower-rated section}; in the Alabama State Championships went something like:
7...Nbd7; 8.Be3 b6!?;
Not recommended ... the main fault of this move is that it is too slow.
9.Qd2 Ne5; 10.Nc1!?,
This is OK - even thematic for this variation.
(The move of: >/= 10.Ng3, "+/=" may have been more to the point in this position.)
10...a6;
Black goes for Q-side expansion.
11.Be2 Bd7!?; 12.h4!? Rb8;
13.a4 Qc7; 14.h5!? Nxh5; 15.g4 Nf6?; (ugh)
The obvious ...Ng3; was indicated.
16.Bh6 Bxh6; 17.Qxh6 Rbd8?!;
Black is just messing around - he never gets any meaningful counterplay going.
18.Nd3!? Nxc4?; 19.g5 Nh5[];
This is forced, if ...Ne8???; White responds with QxP/h7 mate.
White's next move is not a blunder.
(Black cannot capture on f4 due to the impending mate threat on h7.)
20.Nf4! Nxb2!?; ('?') 21.Nxh5!?,
This wins ... but White had a much better move in this position.
(A definite improvement was:
>/= 21.Rxh5!, ("+/-") and White gives mate in three.)
21...gxh5; 22.Rxh5, "+/-" Black Resigns. (1-0)
This is not a good game ... but it DOES illustrate a VERY important point.
(White tries to pry open the h-file ... and then give mate!!)
Unfortunately, although I jotted down the moves on the back of one of my score-sheets,
I never recorded who the contestants were.
]
8.Ng3 exd5; 9.cxd5 Nh5?; {Diagram below.}
It is almost never a good idea to wreck your {own} K-side Pawn structure in this manner.
[ Much better was:
>/= 9...a6; when Black has good play.
See the contest:
GM A. Dreev - GM V. Topalov; {replay}
(FIDE) World Champ. Tournament/(This was a knock-out event.)
New Delhi, India; 2000. (0-1, 45m.)
]
Black goes down in predictable fashion. Fishbein finally decides that he must close lines - however, by move 18, GM Igor Khenkin realizes that he need only open a few lines to be able to win the game.
10.Nxh5 gxh5; 11.Bd3!? f5!?;
12.0-0 Na6; 13.a3! Bd7;
14.Kh1! f4; 15.Ne2 Be5;
16.g3 fxg3; 17.Nxg3 Qh4; {Diagram below.}
Is Black OK here? (Not really.)
White now sacrifices a Pawn ... to open more lines.
18.f4! Bxf4; 19.Bxf4 Rxf4;
20.Rxf4 Qxf4; 21.Nxh5 Qe5?!;
The move, ...Qf7; was probably forced.
22.Qf3 Kh8!? ; 23.Rf1! h6?; ('??')
Suicidal tendencies, the try of playing the Rook to the g-file was forced for Black here.
24.Qf7, ("+/-") Black Resigns.
After ...Bh3; 25.Rg1, Black will be unable to save his King.
Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 2004, and 2005. All rights reserved.
1 - 0
*********************************************************************
RECAP:
#1.) The basic idea of the Samisch formation is to keep the center
solidly supported and closed.
#2.) After castling, White should simply try to open the h-file
and check-mate his opponent's King.
Further
study:
The
following contests should be carefully reviewed and studied ... to reinforce the
lessons of this particular chess game.
-
GM
Boris Spassky - GM Larry M. Evans; (FIDE) World Team
Championships/Olympiad;
Varna, Bulgaria; 1962. {White won a beautiful game 1-0, in 26
moves.}
(This game is wonderfully annotated in the book: "The Best
Chess Games of Boris Spassky,"
by Andrew Soltis. © 1973)
-
GM
Bobby Fischer - GM Bent Larsen; (FIDE) Interzonal
Tournament; / Portoroz, Yugoslavia; 1958.
(1-0, in only 31 moves.) This game is not a King's Indian Samisch.
However, the attacking schemes remain remarkably similar.
{Studying one will certainly enhance your understanding of the best way to
carry out a successful attack in these positions.}
(This game is called, "Slaying The Dragon," and is wonderfully
annotated in Fischer's classic book, "My 60 Memorable
Games.")
Well,
that's about it for me this month. By now you should be convinced that you can
be shown a {relatively} straight-forward example, given some clear instructions and
advice, and you should be able to learn just about any opening, at least on a
simple scale. (However, I must add that I agree with the chess teacher who told
me that it usually takes the average student 2-3 years to thoroughly learn and
grasp any opening system.)
I
think you have enough to study this month, go over each example many times.
Repeated study is the key to success. When I was coming up, I used to spend all
month studying Gligoric's monthly column in 'Chess Life.' It seemed I would
barely finish before the next issue arrived. Have fun - and see you next
month!
Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 2005. All rights reserved.
(Return to Lessons)
|
