12...h6
An innocuous-looking but clever little move. Twelve moves into the game and still Petrosian doesn't commit his king, not giving White a target at which to aim his pieces. Of course, it's important to note that this strategy only really works because the center is closed. In Chapter One we saw examples of the king not surviving in the center, but here Petrosian correctly realizes it's okay to keep it there.
13.b4 g5
With such a move Black finally commits... to queenside castle!
14.Bg3 h5
Forcing White to move his h-pawn to save his bishop, and this will then become a target for the pawn storm.
15.h4 gxh4 16.Bf4
If 16.Nxh4 0-0-0 Black has the g-file to work with and the e5-pawn as a target.
16...0-0-0.
An innocuous-looking but clever little move. Twelve moves into the game and still Petrosian doesn't commit his king, not giving White a target at which to aim his pieces. Of course, it's important to note that this strategy only really works because the center is closed. In Chapter One we saw examples of the king not surviving in the center, but here Petrosian correctly realizes it's okay to keep it there.
13.b4 g5
With such a move Black finally commits... to queenside castle!
14.Bg3 h5
Forcing White to move his h-pawn to save his bishop, and this will then become a target for the pawn storm.
15.h4 gxh4 16.Bf4
If 16.Nxh4 0-0-0 Black has the g-file to work with and the e5-pawn as a target.
16...0-0-0.
20.Nd3!
I like this move a lot. The knight avoids being swapped off and stops any counterplay, mainly through the ...c5 break. White aims to play Bc1, f4 and then g5 to prise open the black king position (that pawn on h6 is once again the culprit!), and what can Black do in the meantime? It's not clear what plan there is for him.
20...Rfe8 21.Rhe1 Qb6 22.Be3 Qb5 23.f4!+/-
Helping the g5 idea, but more importantly clamping down on the ...e5 pawn break. Now Black cannot play ...c5 or ...e5 at all, and can only sit and wait! This situation is very similar to the Spassky-Petrosian game earlier in this chapter, where only one side has chances to attack and the opponent is in the unenviable position of only being able to defend.
I like this move a lot. The knight avoids being swapped off and stops any counterplay, mainly through the ...c5 break. White aims to play Bc1, f4 and then g5 to prise open the black king position (that pawn on h6 is once again the culprit!), and what can Black do in the meantime? It's not clear what plan there is for him.
20...Rfe8 21.Rhe1 Qb6 22.Be3 Qb5 23.f4!+/-
Helping the g5 idea, but more importantly clamping down on the ...e5 pawn break. Now Black cannot play ...c5 or ...e5 at all, and can only sit and wait! This situation is very similar to the Spassky-Petrosian game earlier in this chapter, where only one side has chances to attack and the opponent is in the unenviable position of only being able to defend.
Unity Chess Multiple Choice 557
public poll
B: Rg1 – 4
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 44%
@mehrchess, @SteveWongso, @MerissaWongso, Zhenrui
A: Kb1 – 3
👍👍👍👍👍 33%
Gavin, @Afshin3333, Vincent
C: Bd3 – 2
👍👍👍👍 22%
Ehsan, @RichardPeng
👥 9 people voted so far.
public poll
B: Rg1 – 4
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 44%
@mehrchess, @SteveWongso, @MerissaWongso, Zhenrui
A: Kb1 – 3
👍👍👍👍👍 33%
Gavin, @Afshin3333, Vincent
C: Bd3 – 2
👍👍👍👍 22%
Ehsan, @RichardPeng
👥 9 people voted so far.
Unity Chess Multiple Choice 558
public poll
A: Rd2 – 5
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 56%
@mehrchess, Gavin, Vincent, @K_mosaddegh83, @RichardPeng
B: Nd5 – 4
👍👍👍👍👍👍 44%
@Afshin3333, @SteveWongso, @MerissaWongso, Zhenrui
C: h4
▫️ 0%
👥 9 people voted so far.
public poll
A: Rd2 – 5
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 56%
@mehrchess, Gavin, Vincent, @K_mosaddegh83, @RichardPeng
B: Nd5 – 4
👍👍👍👍👍👍 44%
@Afshin3333, @SteveWongso, @MerissaWongso, Zhenrui
C: h4
▫️ 0%
👥 9 people voted so far.
Duda-Kovalev lasted almost 7 hours, but in the end all four games were drawn in Round 1 of Dortmund 2018!
https://bit.ly/2upreGn
https://bit.ly/2upreGn
Lasker, Chigorin, Steinitz, and Pillsbury examining the Two Knights Defense.
Chigorin is also watching from the picture frame. St. Petersburg, 1895-6.
#chesshistory
@UnityChess
Chigorin is also watching from the picture frame. St. Petersburg, 1895-6.
#chesshistory
@UnityChess
"Chess is like a language. The top players are very fluent at it. Talent can be developed scientifically, but you have to find first what you are good at."
🔹 Vishy Anand
@UnityChess
🔹 Vishy Anand
@UnityChess
Chess Notes presents a remarkable find: an excellent Swiss film shot at the end of the famous Zurich 1953 Candidates tournament. Follow this link for the full clip showing Bronstein, Keres, Reshevsky, Taimanov and Smyslov: https://bit.ly/2MPMATX
@UnityChess
@UnityChess
🅾️🅾️🅾️🅾️
☑️ Chess History - Tournaments
🔘 London 1851
🔸 In May 1851, London staged the Great Exhibition to showcase British industry and technology, and London's thriving chess community felt obliged to do something similar for chess. Howard Staunton proposed and then took the lead in organizing the first ever international tournament, to be held at the same time. He thought the Great Exhibition presented a unique opportunity because the difficulties that obstructed international participation would be greatly reduced, for example it would be easier for contestants to obtain passports and leave from work.
🔸 In 1848 a letter had been published in which Ludwig Bledow proposed that he and von der Lasa should organize in Trier (Germany) an international tournament whose winner should be recognized as the world champion (Bledow died in 1846; it is not known why publication was delayed). News of this may also have motivated Staunton to organize the London International tournament.
🔸 Staunton and his colleagues had ambitious objectives for this tournament, including convening a "Chess Parliament" to: complete the standardization of the moves and other rules, as there were still very small national differences and a few self-contradictions; to standardize chess notation; to agree time limits, as many players were notorious for simply "out-sitting" opponents. Staunton also proposed the production of a compendium showing what was known about chess openings, preferably as a table. Since he thought there would not be time for a single "Chess Parliament" session to handle this as well, he suggested further congresses, some perhaps including knowledgeable enthusiasts of below top-class playing strength, and a review process for dealing with contentious issues and possible mistakes in earlier decisions.
🔸 Before the tournament started two commentators wrote that the winner should be regarded as "the World’s Chess Champion"; one was Captain Hugh Alexander Kennedy, one of the tournament's organizers and competitors, while the other was the Liberty Weekly Tribune in Missouri. However, there is no indication that crowning a world champion was a formal objective of the tournament.
✔️ The final standings and games results are as above👆
♦️ A memorable and very informative game from London 1851👇
▪️ Adolf Anderssen vs Howard Staunton
▪️ London (1851), London ENG, round 5, ECO: C00
♦️ Review this game and download annotated by GM Julio Becerra Rivero PGN file👇
♦️ Also download London 1851 games database by PGN format👇👇
.............................................................................
#chess_history_tournaments
#London_1851
@unitychess
☑️ Chess History - Tournaments
🔘 London 1851
🔸 In May 1851, London staged the Great Exhibition to showcase British industry and technology, and London's thriving chess community felt obliged to do something similar for chess. Howard Staunton proposed and then took the lead in organizing the first ever international tournament, to be held at the same time. He thought the Great Exhibition presented a unique opportunity because the difficulties that obstructed international participation would be greatly reduced, for example it would be easier for contestants to obtain passports and leave from work.
🔸 In 1848 a letter had been published in which Ludwig Bledow proposed that he and von der Lasa should organize in Trier (Germany) an international tournament whose winner should be recognized as the world champion (Bledow died in 1846; it is not known why publication was delayed). News of this may also have motivated Staunton to organize the London International tournament.
🔸 Staunton and his colleagues had ambitious objectives for this tournament, including convening a "Chess Parliament" to: complete the standardization of the moves and other rules, as there were still very small national differences and a few self-contradictions; to standardize chess notation; to agree time limits, as many players were notorious for simply "out-sitting" opponents. Staunton also proposed the production of a compendium showing what was known about chess openings, preferably as a table. Since he thought there would not be time for a single "Chess Parliament" session to handle this as well, he suggested further congresses, some perhaps including knowledgeable enthusiasts of below top-class playing strength, and a review process for dealing with contentious issues and possible mistakes in earlier decisions.
🔸 Before the tournament started two commentators wrote that the winner should be regarded as "the World’s Chess Champion"; one was Captain Hugh Alexander Kennedy, one of the tournament's organizers and competitors, while the other was the Liberty Weekly Tribune in Missouri. However, there is no indication that crowning a world champion was a formal objective of the tournament.
✔️ The final standings and games results are as above👆
♦️ A memorable and very informative game from London 1851👇
▪️ Adolf Anderssen vs Howard Staunton
▪️ London (1851), London ENG, round 5, ECO: C00
♦️ Review this game and download annotated by GM Julio Becerra Rivero PGN file👇
♦️ Also download London 1851 games database by PGN format👇👇
.............................................................................
#chess_history_tournaments
#London_1851
@unitychess