Alexey Kuzmin: Training of calculation I.

The ability to calculate variants deep and exactly is the very important constituent of chess-player mastership. The technique of variants calculation is evident to be closely intertwined with all other skills components: tactical vision, the ability to evaluate a position, intuition etc. So, when training technique of variants calculation, we are developing the whole complex of necessary skills. The method of the training of variants calculation was proposed by well-knowing Soviet grandmaster, trainer and chess writer Alexander A. Kotov more then half century ago. He wrote about his experience: "Having chosen a complicated well analyzed game from the tournament book and reached the culmination fighting point where different variations were possible I stopped to read these notes any more. The first task that I put was to analyze all variants being able to appear. The book was put apart, sometimes a page was simply covered by a sheet of paper and a long deep thought began ..." Of course, today a book can be partly replaced by a computer. Kotov mentioned three main factors of high calculation technique: a) to determine all the best candidate moves, b) to analyze exactly all determined variations, c) to economize the time strictly. Before passing directly to examples some practical recommendations should be given to trainers. For better training efficiency to see the part of a game previous to the task-position is not always reasonable as this "prehistory" can have an influence on the process of thinking over a task-position by a pupil. FIDE Surveys 2011 Alexey Kuzmin

Sometimes it is reasonable to recommend for a pupil to calculate variants and to choose a move for an opponent's side. Often during a game a search of possibilities for an opponent is less effective then for a player himself. Generally a training of variants calculation is useful to be combined with a work on some weak point in a pupil's play. For instance if a pupil feels unconfident in worse positions where he mainly has to beat off opponent's threats, it will be reasonable to chose exercises in accordance with a work on this defect. I have chosen exactly such three examples from my file. In all of them the Author of the training system played against the Patriarch of Soviet chess... Kotov A. : Botvinnik M. Leningrad 1939 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 Nc6 5.Nf3 d5 6.e3 00 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Qxc3 Bd7 9.b3 a5 10.Bd3 a4 11.Nd2 Re8 12.00 e5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Bb2 axb3 15.Nxb3 Ne4 16.Qc2 Nxc4 17.Bxc4 dxc4 18.Qxc4 Qg5

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White has played an opening passively and, taking advantage of this, Botvinnik has sized an initiative completely. White position is very dangerous. Almost all the Black pieces are ready to take part in an attack. Even the rook a8 can be quickly transferred to the King-side by the sixth rank. There is a concrete treat 19. ... Bh3. Let's list possible defense resources and corresponding candidate moves: The attempt of an exchange sacrifice for the pawn: 1) 19.Qxc7? 1

Probable rook's retreat for getting the possibility to play g2-g3: 2)19.Rfd1 and 3)19.Rfe1. To make free the second rank with tempo to defend the point g2: 4) 19.f4. There is one more possibility: an attempt to disorganize opponent's attacking forces by the pawn sacrifice 5) 19.h4. To organize a defense with an exchange sacrifice doesn't work out: 1) 19.Qxc7? Bh3 20.g3 Qd5! (20...Bxf1 21.Rxf1 Qb5) 21.Nd4 Nd2+; Another possibility to resist a threat Bh3 is to remove the rook from f1: 2) 19.Rfd1?! Bh3 20.Qf1 Ra6+ 21.Nd2 Rg6 22.Nxe4 Rxe4 23.f4 Qxg2+ 24.Qxg2 Rxg2+ 25.Kh1 f6 26.Bd4 b6+; 3) 19.Rfe1?! Bh3 20.Qf1 Ra6 21.Re2 Rg6 22.f4 Qd5 and lack is better. 4) Kotov has chosen 19.f4?! in the game. To make free with tempo the second raw for the defense point g2 is likely to be the first thing coming to anybody's mind. 19...Qg6 20.Rfd1 Relatively better would be 20.Qxc7 Bh3 21.Qc2 but it also couldn't solve problems: 21...Rac8 22.Qe2 Nd6 23.Rf2 Bg4 24.Qf1 Ne4. 20...Nd6! 21.Qd3 Bf5 22.Qc3

23.Rd2 Bc6 24.Qd3 Nf5 25.Be5 f6 26.Bxc7 Rxe3 27.Qc4+ Kh8 28.Bb6 Ree8 29.Qf1 h5 30.Nd4 Nxd4 31.Bxd4 Re4 32.Re1 Rxe1 33.Qxe1 Rxa3 34.Kh1 Ra8 35.Re2 Kh7 36.h3 Re8 37.Qf2 Qxg2+ 38.Qxg2 Rxe2 0:1. 5) 19.h4! The best move allowing to keep balance.

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19...Qxh4 Later on the game gains a forced character. a) 19...Qg6. It becomes clear that now White can take the pawn! 20.Qxc7 Bh3 21.Qh2! here is the place where White has used the square h2!; b) 19...Qh5 20.Qxc7 Bb5 21.Rfc1 Qxh4 (21...Ra6? 22.f3 Rg6 23.Qf4 Ng3 24.Nd4) 22.Qf4=. 20.Qd4 Qf6 21.Qxe4! Qxb2 22.Qxb7 Rxa3 23.Rxa3 Qxa3 24.Qxc7 Bb5 25.Rb1 Qa2 26.Qc1=. In the second example Alexander A. Kotov has unsuccessfully played an opening one more time and has fallen into a difficult situation. Kotov A. : Botvinnik M. Moscow 1940 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.e3 cxd4 9.exd4 Nc6 10.Bb5 00 11.Nge2 Qb6 12.Qd3 Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 Ne4 14.00 Bf5 15.Ba4 Rfe8 16.Rfe1 Qa5 17.Bb3 g5 18.Bg3 Re6 There is a material equality but white's pieces are placed unsuccessfully and Black forces threats. One cannot still see a decisive jump of 2

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22Be4 Stronger is 22...Bh3! 23.g3 Ne4 24.Qc2 Qg4 and there is no sufficient defense from a sacrifice on g3. FIDE Surveys 2011 Alexey Kuzmin

the knight e4, but it's impossible to drive it off by f2-f3, too. Moreover after doubling Black rooks, threats on the "e" file will be added to White problems and its position will become critical. Let's name all possible defensive ideas and corresponding them candidates moves: 1) 19.Qf3, taking queen away from a dangerous diagonal. 2) 19.Rec1, taking rook away from the pin on "e" file. 3) 19.f4, defending the rook e1. 4) 19.Be5, blocking the "e" file.

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19...Nxe5?! Botvinnik is evidently taken aback. Its not too dangerous 19...Rae8 20.Ng3 Bg6 21.Nxe4 Bxe4 22.Qg3 Nxe5 23.dxe5. And on 19Bg6 it is right 20.f4! The strongest would be 19...Qb6!? or 19...Rc8. 19...Qb6!? 20.Qf3 Bg6 21.Bf4!? Defenselessness of d5 pawn allows White to transfer bishop on e3 where it can stop the pressure on "e" file. (21.Bxd5 Nxe5 22.dxe5 Rxe5 23.Bxe4 Rxe4 24.Nd4 and Black position is more preferable, but White has good chances to retain the position.) 21...Ne7 22.Be3 Qa5 Black is better, but the position is still complicated. For example: 23.c4 dxc4 24.Bxc4 Rf6 25.Qh3 or 23.Ng3 Qxc3 24.Qd1.; After 19...Rc8!? White has not to walk into a trap: 20.f3? Rxe5! 21.dxe5 Qc5+ 22.Nd4 Nxc3+. But after 20.Qe3! the position is still unclear. 20.dxe5 Rxe5 21.Qd4! White has solved all problems due to the pawn.

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1) 19.Qf3 Bg6 20.Red1 Rae8 21.h4 Nf6+. It becomes clear that a new threat appears: 22...Bh5 White cannot escape. 2) 19.Rec1 Nxg3 (Perhaps a stronger 19...Rae8!? is improving threats) 20.Qxg3 Rxe2 21.Qf3 Rae8 22.Qxf5 Qxc3! with an extra pawn. 3) 19.f4 Rae8 20.fxg5 hxg5 21.Bf2 (21.Qf3 Nxg3 22.hxg3 Bg6) 21...Bg6 22.Qe3 (22.Qh3? Nxf2 23.Kxf2 Qa3+) 22...Kg7 23.Qc1 Nxf2 24.Kxf2 Qd8. 4) Kotov played 19.Be5! It's the best move. Although Black is keeping some advantage, White has good chances to retain its bastions. As an argument of the move 19.Be5 appears that it's not good 19...f6? because of 20.Bc7! b6 (20...Qxc7? 21.Bxd5 Nd6 22.Bxe6+ Bxe6 23.Qg6+ Qg7 24.Qxg7+ Kxg7 25.d5) 21.Ng3 Nxg3 22.Qxg3. FIDE Surveys 2011 Alexey Kuzmin

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White has a sufficient counter-play. 21...Rae8 22.Ng3 Bg6 23.f3 Nxg3 24.Rxe5 Rxe5 25.hxg3 Qc7 26.Bxd5= Re2 27.Kh2 b6 28.Bc4 Re8 29.Rd1 h5 30.Bb3 h4 31.Qd6 Qxd6 32.Rxd6 hxg3+ 33.Kxg3 Kg7 34.Rd7 Rc8 35.Rxa7 Rxc3 36.Rb7 Rc6 . And in the following game Mikhail Botvinnik has fallen into a difficult situation. Botvinnik M. : Kotov A. Groningen 1946 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 d5 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Bg5 c5 8.f3 h6 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.e3 00 11.Ne2 Re8 12.Kf2 Qe7 13.Qd2 Nd7 14.Nf4 Nf6 15.Bd3 Bd7 16.h3 Qd6 17.Rhb1 b6 18.Bf1 Re7

1) Botvinnik has chosen 19.a4? in the game. The further World champion is evident to underestimate the opponent's threat. 19...Rae8 More precisely is an urgent 19...c4! 20.Re1 g5 21.Ne2 Qh2. 20.Re1 c4! Inescapable now threat g7-g5! is likely to fall down of Mikhail Botvinnik' field of vision. 21.g4 g5! 22.Ne2?! The lesser of evils would be 22.Ng2, but it would be hard to escape too - 22...Qh2. 22...Rxe3 23.Ng3 Qxg3+ 24.Kxg3 Ne4+ 0:1. 2) 19.Re1. It's a preventive move, but even after it White has no time to place pieces in harmony. 19...c4 20.g4 (20.Ne2? Qh2) 20...Rae8 21.Kg1 (21.Bg2 g5) 21...g5 22.Ng2 b5 (22...Qg3 23.Qf2) 23.Qf2 h5. White has avoided some material loss, but its situation is very passive. 3) 19.Bb5. The attempt to simplify the situation with the bishops exchange doesn't solve problems too. 19...Bxb5 20.Rxb5 Rae8 21.dxc5 (21.Re1 g5! 22.Nd3 cxd4 23.cxd4 Qxa3) 21...bxc5 22.Re1 g5 23.Nd3 Ne4+! 24.fxe4 dxe4 25.Rxc5 Rd8 26.Rc4 Qf6+ 27.Kg1 Rxd3. 4) 19.Nd3!? Its an interesting idea. Transferring the knight to e5 White hopes to neutralize a pressure on "e" file. But besides 19...Bf5 20.Re1 c4 21.Ne5 Nd7, with a little bit more pleasant position, Black has a strong resource 19...Qh2! 20.dxc5 Rae8 21.cxb6 axb6 XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+r+k+0 9+-+ltrpzp-0 9-zp-+-sn-zp0 9+-+p+-+-0 9-+-+-+-+0 9zP-zPNzPP+P0 9-+-wQ-mKPwq0 9tRR+-+L+-0 xiiiiiiiiy

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The problem of White consists of an unfaithful king placing, together with an unsuccessful placement of minor pieces. White position would be normal if it managed to realize a typical plan g2-g4 and a knight transfer on g3. Let's name all candidates moves: 1) 19.a4. White ignores opponent's threats and continue developing an initiative on Q-side. 2) 19.Re1. Prophylactic move. You will find other candidates moves during deeper analyzing position probably, when Black's threats will became clear for you. 3) 19.Bb5. 4) 19.Nd3. 5) 19.dxc5.

FIDE Surveys 2011 Alexey Kuzmin

22.Rxb6 (22.Re1 Nh5 23.Nb4 Re5 24.Nxd5 Bxh3 25.e4 Rg5) 22...Rxe3 23.Rxf6 (23.Rbb1 d4! 24.cxd4 Rxf3+! +) 23...gxf6 24.Qxe3 Rxe3 25.Kxe3 Qb8. 4) 19.dxc5! Here is an original decision and the best move!

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At the first sight it is a disadvantageous pawns structure change for White. But it is exactly that allows White to begin a play in the centre and to hold equality. 19...Qxc5 (Nothing promise 19...bxc5 20.e4 20...Rxe4 21.Nxd5! or 20.c4=) 20.Qd4 Qc7 (20...Rc8 21.Rc1 Qa5 22.Qb4=) 21.c4 dxc4 22.Bxc4 with sufficient counter-play.

FIDE Surveys 2011 Alexey Kuzmin