Table Of ContentThe Chess Player's
Equip yoLnGff fol cntnp.,.ve play
The Chess Player's Battle Manual
..
Nigel Davies
B. T. Batsford Ltd, London
First published 1998
© Nigel Davies 1998
ISBN O 7134 7043 7
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, by any means, without prior pennission
of the publisher.
Typeset and edited by First Rank Publishing, Brighton
and printed in Great Britain by
Redwood Books, Trowbridge, Wilts
for the publishers,
B. T. Batsford Ltd,
583 Fulham Road,
London SW6 5BY
A BA TSFORD CHESS BOOK
General Manager: David Cummings
Advisors: Mark Dvoretsky, Raymond Keene OBE,
Daniel King, Jon Speelman, Chris Ward
Contents
Introduction 5
The Vision Thing 7
2 A Game Plan 20
3 Building an Opening Repertoire 53
4 Defusing the 1 d4 Charge 73
5 Trouncing the Trompovsky! 86
6 Beating the Grand Prix Attack 94
7 Winning in the Endgame 115
8 Man vs. Machine 132
9 Practical Play 143
10 Tactical Training 151
11 Technical Training 156
Introduction
Having had extensive experi to help, so in Chapter 10 I have
ence of coaching players at club included a number of practical
level, I have come to believe exercises. Solving such posi
that much of the existing chess tions is one of the best ways to
literature does not really ad improve your tactical aware
dress their needs. Although it ness.
may be interesting to read about The area of greatest concern
the training method... used by amongst club players is what to
top professionals, these are do in the opening. I have found
hardly relevant to players with that this aspect of the game is
other commitments such as jobs often misunderstood; many
and families. players believe that good open
The limitations of time faced ing play is an exercise in mem
by amateur players mean that if ory rather than understanding.
they want to improve their play, In Chapter 2 I look at the art of
they must efficiently target the developing good positions and
areas of their game that are of hope to convince you to invest
real importance. My aim in this your time in general under
book is to help with this proc standing rather than in at
ess. tempting to memorise single
It is sometimes forgotten that moves. In Chapter 3 I then offer
the biggest cause of victory and some guidance as to how to set
defe at in chess is that one about building your own reper
player will see something that toire of openings.
the other has missed at a crucial In recent years there has been
point in the game. This is never a proliferation of specialist
more true than in club chess and opening literature, including
for this reason I have devoted many book.., which deal with
the first chapter to this question. specific sub-variations of the
Of course simply reading about Sicilian or King's Indian. If
chess vision is not really going someone like Kasparov has
6 Introduction
been practising such an open ticularly good but they can
ing, one might be tempted to go prove devastating at club level
out and buy a book on it, in if Black doesn't know what to
spired by thoughts like: 'If the do about them. I hope to tum
Najdorf's good enough for Kas the element of surprise right
parov, it's good enough for around by providing antidotes
me!' to each of these systems.
Yet, as anyone who has One of the most neglected ar
bought these books will know, eas of club chess is undoubtedly
they sometimes end up doing the endgame; not many players
little more than decorating the reach endgames, and when they
bookshelf. If you do spend the do they don't have the foggiest
massive amount of time and idea how to proceed. This pres
effort required to study them ents the wily club player with a
(and that will usually be after a marvellous opportunity; a
hard day's work and in-between player who knows even a little
family commitments) you will about endgames can wreak
probably then find that your havoc in the later stages. In
opponents don't want to co Chapter 7 I will show you some
operate! After 1 e4 c5 you are basic endgame ideas which tend
more likely to get something to be heavy point-scorers. To
like 2 f 4, 2 4Jc3, 2 c3 or even 2 supplement this I have provided
d3 than a main line Open Sicil a series of endgame exercises in
ian. Chapter 11.
The fact is that the openings One of the most recent and
used in club chess are vastly dramatic developments in chess
different to the ones seen in is the advent of computers,
Grandmaster games. The ten which raises to important ques
dency amongst club players is tions: How should you set about
to get off the beaten track to beating your computer? And
avoid having to study theory can it help you train for your
and hope to catch the opponent human opponents? I will look at
off guard with a simple (but these questions in Chapter 8.
often very dangerous) attacking Last but not least, I have de
plan. voted Chapter 9 to general
In Chapters 4 to 6 l present practical advice and attempted
detailed methods of defusing to address the problems on
three of the most popular which I am most frequently
openings at club level, the ' I d4 consulted.
Charge', the T rompovsky and
the Grand Prix Attack. These Nigel Davies,
lines are not intrinsically par- Wrexham, January 1998
1 The Vision Thing
'Played in the first round, this i.a6 5 'ifc2 i.b7 6 tbc3 cS 7 e4
game showed me that I pos cxd4 8 4Jxd4 tbc6 9 tbxc6
sessed at Liege the primary i.xc6 10 i.f4 tbhS 11 i.e3
condition for success in a tour
nament, which is the power to
see clear and deep.'
Thus wrote Savielly Tartak
ower in the first volume of his
collection of best games; a sen
timent with which I wholeheart
edly agree. Most chess games
are decided not by theoretical
nuances or complex strategy,
but rather by one player missing
a move or idea that his oppo
nent has seen.
This may sound rather basic The game has opened with a
in this hi-tech era of chess, but normal enough Queen's Indian
games are often decided by the Defence. Now Karpov decided
most primitive means even at to develop his king's bishop on
top level. Just in case you be a square from which it would
lieve that World Champions control the e5- and f4-squares.
never miss anything, take a look 11. .. i.d6??
at the following 'game' played I don't know if Karpov real
by Bobby Fischer's successor, ised what he had done as soon
Anatoly Karpov: as he let this bishop go; very
often we only realise our mis
C hristiansen-Karpov take when we 'announce' our
Wijk aan Zee 1993 move to the world by actually
playing it on the board.
1 d4 4Jf6 2 c4 e6 3 tbf3 b6 4 a3 12 'ifdl
8 The Vision Thing
Simply forking Black's bish what helps me win most of my
op and knight and winning a games, even against fellow
piece. Grandmasters. It shows that my
1-0 opponent-; must be missing even
more than I do, even if they
Now take a look at the fol don't admit it. Tartakower was
lowing example from the game very wise when he stated that
between Judit Polgar and Garry the player who wins is the one
Kasparov at Linares 1994: who makes the second to last
mistake.
The following game won the
best game prize at the 1997
Owens Coming tournament in
Wrexham. I have to admit,
however, that my 'brilliant'
concept of allowing the king
side to be broken up with
25 ... ~fc8! was not exactly part
of a grand plan; I had to play
this way because of an over
sight in my original calcula
tions.
This is the famous 'hand of Does this diminish the value
God' position in which Kas of the game? I'm quite sure that
parov played 36 ... t2'lc5, report many people would say that it
edly let the piece go, and then does, but I would argue that
played 36 ... 4Jf8 instead. The those people do not fully appre
problem is that 36 ... 4'\c5 cuts ciate the realities of practical
off the rook's protection of the chess; humans make tactical
c6-square and allows 37 .tc6. oversights all the time even if
If it can happen to the likes of they sometimes try and pretend
Karpov and Kasparov then let's otherwise. If you don't believe
not kid ourselves, it can happen me then ask Kasparov's silicon
to anybody. What is noteworthy conqueror 'Deeper Blue'!
about these mistakes is that they
were one-move blunders; just Bellin-Davies
imagine how many tactics are Wrexham 1997
missed a few moves into our
calculations. l know how many 1 e4 cS 2 4Jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4
oversights I make myself during l;:::ixd4 a6 5 4lc3 d6 6 .te2 4Jd7
my own games; yet I also know 7 f4 bS
that my ability to see ahead is This plan of delaying the de-
The Vision Thing 9
velopment of the king's knight a3 a4 20 t2'id2 bxa3 21 lha3
is very interesting. Black hopes 4Jh6 22 .i.e2 4Jf6 23 4Jc4
to take the sting out of any early After the game Bellin regret
white pawn advances such as ted not having played 23 nh3 at
e4-e5 or g2-g4-g5. this point, after which 23 ... d5
8 .i.f3 .i.b7 9 0-0 b4 10 -'t:Jce2 lead~ to great complications.
-'t:Jgf6 11 -'t:Jg3 h5!? 23 ... 4Jxc4 24 .i.xc4 'i'c7!
This may well be the best
move, which is why it gets the
exclamation mark. Unfortu
nately I must rather sheepishly
admit that had I not made a
mistake in my calculations I
might well have played the infe
rior 24 ... .S.fc8.
25 4Jg4!
Whoops! I had seen that this
move was possible but had
originally thought that it could
be met by 25 ... 4Jxe4? Only now
A very sharp move. Black did I realise that this would be
sets about undermining the po disastrous because of 26 1:.xe4!
sition of White's knight on g3, -1Lxe4 27 t2'if6+ ! gxf6 28 'if g4+
which is consistent with his etc., and 25 ... 4Jxg4 26 'i'xg4
general policy of attacking the 'i'xc4 is also hopeless after 27
e4-pawn. The downside is that f6. Black seems to be in trouble;
this renders Black's kingside does he have to play his queen
less habitable. back to e7?
12 llel
12 e5 .i.xf3 13 'if xf3 dxe5 14
-'t:Jc6 'i'b6+ 15 .i.e3 .i.c5 clearly
favours Black.
12 ... h4 13 -'t:Jhl e5 14 -'t:Jb3
An oversight by Bellin who
doesn't see that he can leave the
knight where it is. 14 -'t:Jf2 was
more accurate, when Black
cannot play 14 ... exd4? because
of 15 e5. 1 was preparing to
meet 14 0Jf2 with 14 ... 'i'c7.
14 ... .i.e7 15 -'t:Jf2 0-0 16 f5 a5
17 .i.g5-'t:Je818 .i.xe7 ~xe719 25 .. JUcS!
10 The Vision Thing
I didn't like what was about though this would have been a
to happen to my kingside, but better chance than allowing the
there really isn't any choice. As a-pawn to live.
the game progressed [ was actu 31 ~hl a2 32 l:.b3 'iid4!
ally quite surprised at how safe The simplest way to con
my king turned out to be, clude, though 32 ... 'iif2 would
whereas the white monarch gets also win.
into trouble in several varia 33 'i'xd4
tions. 33 'i'al 1hc2 is also hopeless
26 t2'ixf6+ gxf6 27 lk3 dS! for White.
This time everything was 33 ... exd4 34 .U.al .U.xc2 35 h3
quite intentional. The immedi ~f8!
ate 27 ... '11Vb6+ 28 ~h 1 'i'xb2 29 This is decisive. Black's king
.i.xf7+ ~xf7 30 'i'h5+ gives will easily take care of the d
White at least a draw. Before pawn.
capturing on b2 Black has to 36 ~h2 ~e7 37 .U.b6 d3 38 d6+
neutralise White's bishop. ~d7 39 .:tel .U.e2! 0-1
28 .i.xdS
28 exd5 '11Vb6+ 29 ~ht 'i'xb2 A lucky win? Only when one
once again gives Black a dan starts out from the absurd point
gerous a-pawn. of view that Grandmasters are
28 ... 'i'b6+ 29 I:t.ce3 infallible calculating machines,
White evidently thought that all seeing and all knowing. I'm
he could put this rook into a sure that many other players
temporary pin, no doubt as make moves based on similar
suming that Black's queen miscalculations, which turn out
would capture the b2-pawn. to be the best. But there are very
Unfortunately for him he had few strong players who will
missed my 30th move, but admit it.
Black is better in any case after There were plenty of over
29 ~hl ~xd5 30 'iixd5 'i'xb2. sights and missed opportunities
29 ... .i.xdS 30 exdS at the Wrexham tournament,
Hoping to make some trouble with players choosing the
with the d-pawn. After 30 'i'xd5 wrong move at the critical mo
a3? 31 bxa3 .:lxa3 32 'i'd2 l:.cc3 ment. Yet this is all part of the
33 ~f2 is less effective, so game; it happens in every tour
Black should play simply nament.
30 ... nd8 31 'i'c4 'i'xb2,
30 ... a3! The following position is
Very nasty indeed. After 31 from the game Kinsman
bxa3 :xa3 Black's rooks come Nielsen at the same tournament
in with all kinds of threats, al- with Black to play.
