Safety in the Endgame

With so few pieces on the board, it’s easy to take King safety for granted in the endgame. White was trying to get in position to capture the pawn on g6 (and then the one on h5).

Black to move

Spanking Napoleon

Napoleon lost a famous chess game to the Turk, which was a contraption that looked like a machine but actually hid a chess master inside. In the game, Napoleon brought his Queen out early, which is generally considered a bad idea by serious players (but often done by novices). And that’s the story behind what is now called Napoleon’s Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Qf3).

Recently I played a few games with an opponent who brings his Queen out right away. It’s not always easy punishing a violation of established principles, but it’s a treat when I do! The first diagram shows my opponent’s early aggression with the Queen.

The second diagram shows the checkmate. My opponent had to switch from offense to defense, but it wasn’t enough to stop my better-prepared assault.

Attacking the Modern

I just finished a game versus the Modern Defense–only my second or third playing as White against it. In the position below, I am dominating the kingside, whereas Black dominates the queenside.

White to move

Timing Is Everything

My record as White against the Sicilian is pretty bad, but here is an exception. Black has pressure on the c file and may have plans to get his rook to c2. White has a bishop outpost on b5, and Black may want to exchange it for a knight. White’s bishop on d4 bears down on g7, so I would like to get my queen to g3 and then g7. However, if I try it right away, my plan would be obvious and easy to counter.

White to move

Look at the game to see what I did.

Playing with Fire

In chess, there are many rules of thumb. However, these rules are often broken. When the grandmasters do it, they have probably weighed the costs and benefits and found in favor of breaking a general principle because of the other factors in the particular position. Or they know some nuances of when a rule applies and when it doesn’t.

One guideline I have found useful is, “Avoid opening a file near your castled king.” In the game position below, White has done just that by trading his knight for my bishop on g6. I recaptured with my h pawn, which opened the h file for my rook. On the other hand, Black’s position has its problems: disorganized pieces and bad pawn structure on the kingside.

Black to move

Look at the game to see what happened next.

Nothing for Granted

Black to move

White would like to get his queen to g7, but there is some danger. Check out the game to see what happened.

Those crazy Italians!

In chess, the Italian game is known for wild and dangerous attacks. Giuoco Piano translates to “quiet game,” which it can be, but often it is anything but quiet. I just played as Black in a game where White sacrificed a bishop on move 4. I fended off the attack, traded down material, and entered the endgame a pawn up. With most pieces off the board, White neglected king safety, and thus came this pretty and unusual mate in the middle of the board.