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Platonov Chess Academy
Table ot Contents About this Book

Lifelong friends, each of your co-authors holds his own vivid mem-
Platonov's Chess Academy ories of friend and mentor Igor Platonov and writes about him in sep-
arate sections in this book. Lev Alburt wrote Part I. Sam Palatnik wrote
Foreword 6 Parts II, III, and IV. Of course, each helped the other with their work.
8 Sam's daughter Olga Palatnik translated much of the text from Russ-
Part I: Platonov's Methods in Action ian to English.
Chapter One: A Must Win! 9
Chapter Two: First the Destination,
Then the Path 29 Diagrams and svmbols
Part II: Platonov and the Sicilian 48 Used in this Book
Chapter Three: Climbing Aboard the Throughout this book, the bold moves and largest diagrams in a
Sicilian Rollercoaster 49 chapter always show the main line-the actual moves played in the
game. Moves in non-bold type and smaller diagrams explain important,
Chapter Four: Platonov Versus Tal: unplayed variations and ideas behind the moves.
Three Epic Duels 65
We use English algebraic notation to indicate moves, and we employ
Part Ill: Platonov's Heritage 84 the normal annotation symbols given in the table below.
Chapter Five: The Breadth and Depth of
Platonov's Sicilian 85
115 +- White has a decisive advantage.
Chapter Six: My Sicilian ± White has a clear advantage.
Chapter Seven: New Generations, ;!; White has a slight advantage.
Old Inspirations 149 The chances are equal.
'f Black has a slight advantage.
Part IV: Platonov 's Lab 160 + Black has a clear advantage.
-+ Black has a decisive advantage
Chapter Eight: The Two Bishops 161 !! A very good move
Chapter Nine: Warming Up for Your Tournament 171 A good move
? A weak move
174 ?? A blunder
Afterword
!? An interesting or provocative move,
Index of Players 175 often involving some risk
176 ?! A dubious move
Index of Openings
4 5
Platonov s Chess Academy
Foreword
ll chess players are engaged in a search for truth. They seek the Platonov was no stranger to tactics, and could calculate variations
A chess equivalent of the Sorcerer's Stone, a method of play that

will enable them to write their next move on the score sheet in
"golden letters." Winning more games requires making more good
with the best of them. His advice to us was that it is necessary to de-
velop the ability to deeply and accurately calculate variations-how-
ever, as with any powerful weapon, you must use it sparingly. In your
decision-making process, you should lean primarily on your experience
choices. Thus, a player's decision-making method is critical to his re-
and intuition, involving the heavy artillery only as the temperature of
sults.
the conflict rises.
Igor Vladimirovich Platonov was one of the chess grandmasters nur-
tured in the Ukrainian city of Odessa. Your authors were raised in the While still in his early 30s, Igor became a prominent chess coach
same city, and so were at least a dozen other GMs. There must have who inspired many young players. He also collected one of the best
been something in the air of that special place. chess libraries in the world, with some of the rarest books you could
ever find! There was no Internet then, but Platonov had all the infor-
By the standards of those days, Igor was a very late bloomer when mation of the day at his fingertips. Possibly this is why there were few
it came to chess; he started playing the game seriously in 1958, at an or no gaps in his chess knowledge.
advanced age of 24! Nevertheless, he quickly rose to stardom. Igor
soon accumulated many accomplishments, including his participation In his spare time, he also became an avid philatelist, eventually col-
in five straight Soviet Union finals, from 1967 to 1971. This in itself is lecting one of the largest and most diverse stamp collections. He spent
probably his greatest result of all. Igor's other top results included a much of his time with chess friends and followers, but his best friend
tie for first in the Kiev Championship of 1963, a tie for 3rd-4th place throughout the years followed him on four legs-Boba, a mutt named
in the very strong 1964 Trade Union Championship, a tie for 7th-9th after either Bobby Fischer or Boris Spassky. Igor kept us all guessing.
place in the 1969 Soviet Zonal in Moscow, and 2nd place in the Jose Igor's life ended tragically. He was brutally murdered, many believe
Raul Capablanca Memorial tournament in Cienfuegos, Cuba, in 1972. by thieves seeking his valuable stamp collection, in his apartment in
Platonov was unquestionably a chess philosopher. Igor was incalcu- Kiev in 1994. However, his work will live on, and those who knew
lably erudite and possessed a thorough knowledge of chess classics. him best will never forget him.
This background, coupled with his deep understanding of the game, This book has two purposes. First, the authors would like to honor
keen analytical skills, and unique feel for a position, enabled him to their great friend and mentor by memorializing his works and teach-
successfully strike out on his own path. His clearly defined individu- ings. Second, we believe that Platonov's principles, methods, and
ality, in combination with the breadth of his views and powerful intel- ideas-and unique approach-are still applicable today, and can
lect, made Igor Platonov a distinguished star in the chess galaxy, even greatly enhance the understanding of our readers. It is our obligation
ifhe was most often restricted to the borders of the Soviet Union. and pleasure to pass on the knowledge Igor kindly shared with us to
Igor was well known for being able to fight successfully in various the next generation of players.
kinds of positions. It wasn't surprising that he beat Mikhail Tal twice -Lev Alburt and Sam Palatnik
in heated battles, while besting Vassily Smyslov and Efim Geller in April 2012
technical endgames.
6 7
Platonov 's Chess Academy A Must Win!
Chapter One
AMust Wini
0
n October 10, 1969, Igor Platonov was facing the game of
Part I his life. With a win in the 23rct and final round of the 3 7th
Soviet Championship, he would be elevated into the chess
elite, become a grandmaster-in the days when there were fewer
than 40 grandmasters in his homeland, and well under 100 in the
Platonov's Methods whole world.
The odds, however, were strongly against Platonov. Yes, he
in Action had the white pieces, a serious plus-but his opponent, Grand-
master Efim Geller, the leader of the pack in the championship,
was one of the world's top grandmasters and the premier opening
theoretician as well. Platonov's first task was a tall order-to
Bv lev Alburt achieve a position with at least some winning chances.
1. e4
A mini-surprise. Platonov had recently employed, successfully,
1. c4 in the championship (see game 2).
1. ... e5
One of Geller's preferred choices, the second being the some-
what sharper 1.... c5, the Sicilian.
2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
The first real surprise. At that time, Platonov used to play the
Exchange Ruy Lopez: 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6, improving on a
8 9
s
Platonov Chess Academy A Must Win!
famous Lasker-Capablanca game: 5. d4 exd4 6. Qxd4 Qxd4

1mA-~I] ~s
7. Nxd4, where white's minuscule edge was rather symbolic. In-
~~fl~1fi~ Ufif
stead, Platonov played 5. 0-0. If now 5 .... f6, then 6. d4 exd4
7. Nxd4 c5 8. Nb3 Qxdl 9. Rxdl, (D)
s.•.t..••·~~~
~.~~~,,'4.~~
• ' ~"~(
,,~--·~r,•
~·-·~~?,
~w •w '~" •
fj.
~---,~.-
.
,1
B:t~~ ~~:t
·~~'·"·'~ ~~"'4.""'~
,~r;~~~~~-~I ~%--~~%--~~%"~~%"~
~~~ ~~,~~~I ~;a,~~~~/,~~,, ?/fe~} ~~
~!~~~~-
,~~,~~~~,~~
f§4J~~~ B§
1~··· .. , ...... ,~.~~~"""'z, ,,, .... J
~~4Jg§~ ~
4.... dS
The paradoxical 4 .... Bc5, a brainchild of correspondence
with a more substantive, more promising advantage. (In his
world champion Jacob Estrin, is-surprisingly-playable. But
analysis, Platonov did borrow some ideas here from Bobby Fis-
not for Geller, the classicists' classicist.
cher's games, but most of the improvements were Platonov's
own.) 5. exdS NaS
3 .... Nf6 Again, the theoretical main line.
Of the two theoretical, "equalizing" moves: 3.... Bc5 and 6. BbS+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Be2
3.... Nf6, Geller regularly chose the more aggressive 3.... Nf6, A bridge into the 21st century: "Rybka Centaur" (Grandmaster
the Two Knights Defense. Roman Dzindzichashvili in tandem with his Rybka software run-
4. NgS (D) ning on state-of-the-art computers) has discovered an edge for
white after 8. Bd3-but it's not for the fainthearted or forgetful!
Another popular line is 4. d4.
8.... h6 (D)
.~-~f;Pltdanov did borrow trom Fischer.

But most ol his improvements
were his own.
10 11
A Must Win!
Platonov 's Chess Academy
mmJ..-
'=' ~-· "" ~·~~
r.~,,~
. ~~~-
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..U. ig;;,;I ,ttf~;,.-,~~it~~
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'<.. ... ~ .• . ~----~ ~ f§4J~~~g~
11 .... Nd5
In this tabia position, white almost invariably played 9. Nf3
e4 10. Ne5, when black's most common move, 10 .... Bd6, led In the earlier game, against colorful West Berliner Dr.
to enough pull to give him full compensation for a sacrificed Hamann, Geller played 11 .... Nb7 here, and after 12. Nc3 Bb6
pawn. 13. Khl Nc5 (D)
1m..1.•···~~*
9. Nh3!?
~~~~- ~-f~,I
Igor Platonov was a collector and a true lover of old-19th .,~~T~~.- ,~ .
and early 20th century-chess literature, especially magazines,
and got from them many amazing ideas to use in his own chess
1J·.~~J····!W:··~
~~% ·~·· ·'~ ~~I
games. ~~~,~~~!
~% ~% ·~~% ~~% ~
.. ... .. ..
Paraphrasing the old proverb, a chess novelty is a well-forgot- ft~~ ft ~tfl~~.J ~~
~~.M,,~ ~ ~rlh
ten move from more than a half-century ago. The ancient 9. Nh3 ~~
'
I
'
~g-~~'g
was, of course, a trademark of the fearless Wilhelm Steinitz
("The king is a strong piece and can take good care of himself'), 14. f4 (Platonov and I analyzed 14. Ngl here-I have no firm
revitalized in the 1960s by Fischer, another old-stuff aficionado, recollection of our conclusions back then. The later game,
and by Platonov. Kuindzi-Klovan, 1973, went: 14. Bf3 Nd5 15. Ngl f5 16 Nge2
9.... Bc5 Ba6 17. Rel e4! 18. dxe4 fxe4 19. Nxe4 Nxe4 20. Bxe4 Qh4!?
(with compensation, according to ECO). (D)
While Platonov's third, ninth, and perhaps even first moves
were hardly to be expected by Geller, the entire line with 9. Nh3
was indeed well known to ·him. In fact, the next two moves had
occurred in a recent game of Geller's!
10. 0-0 0-0 11. d3 (D)
12 13
Platonov s Chess Academy A Must Win!
s.a a ~S\\'a
%."~m~m~·····'r,,.··~W&A i-A~
~--~ ~~,, .!&~<~~<flm1
.. ·'ff'~~I
.t.•t• •
if0 • • if0
:iL.~~ ..~m~m~~··jr,,.""1;
~r- ,~ ,;~m~~i~
~~~~1~~
J . ;j~W)~~··~~~f'~~~;,.,.,/
..
'~~/~ ~
r~ -t~~
%~ ...... /~
~~~~~~~f .~1 ~1.'~ ~~~~

-·~''""'~ - %~!
~%"~~~~%''~~%"~
ll!ll!~'ll!ll!ll!~
% ....
'·'~j~~0~:bf.~l~~
I;@ ~~~~~@ -~
,~·--·~ M . ~-----~ ~ - ~ff-~% ·~~/ ~%--~~%--~!
4- i~~
.....
4- ~~~ ~i.:ill'1
~ i~~ J1 4- i~~!
J1 i~~ J1 i~~
'\""{""''~··~ %~,.,.,,,~···,,/,.,.,,1
The software engine Houdini, however, favors white here, sug-
gesting 21. Bxd5+ cxd5 22. Be3 ±.
.@ ~~~~~
Let's go back to 14. f4 (Hamann-Geller, bottom of page 13): Platonov decided to deviate from the world championship
14 .... e4! 15. Nf2 exd3 16. Nxd3 Bf5 17. Nxc5 Bxc5. (DJ game Steinitz-Chigorin, 1892: 12. c4 Ii
Ne7 (the 1973 game Veinger-Rytov
s.-u •
F.0."~~~f[ ~~·~!%\\'•
'r,,.,,~~ continued 12 .... Nc7 13. Khl Bxh3
14. gxh3 Ne6 15. Be3 Bd4 16. Nc3, and ~
,I~~ •t~~
.....
!0.
,~m~~~,,
t
•
~-
~
m , ,/, ...... ,_, "., ,
'~ ~ir~ !W~'Xj,\'~~· .~
~~
~~' 7-'~'i!I
~..va black is fine-at least equal after 16 ....
,m • •.-.•
m~-~m~~m~
Rb8 or 16 .... Qh4). (DJ
I~~~~~- .. ,~~ 13. Khl Bxh3 14. gxh3 (DJ
~%"4' ~~~~%"~
'~ ft pi~
~§
..?%ft·~- ft i~1
"'m~ %~~
g~-§-~
.. ?
Ii?'~~~~;;, •
·~ .~~1if£lt!i?'~~
~--%
,.,.,/~ ~~, -~''"'~"~
~~~~F~~
ECO, 1981 (Gligoric), gives the same conclusion: "with com-

pensation," and here Houdini agrees.
?~~r~~i?'~~~il~
~ ~.af m
[.,._.r
L'~fft'.
~ /~ft~
~%"~~~~0 ~ft
~%"~~%"~
?. %.
~ i~~ ~~~ ~ i~~ i~~
Why a new choice now? Perhaps Geller discovered something JJ:. f~?
1cf ·'?$)"'
~~:?~~ fJ._§%
%~,.. ·'~'· '
not to his liking in the 11 .... Nb7 line, or ~§4:)~~-§-~
perhaps he simply wanted to surprise, on
his turn, his lesser-ranked opponent. 14.... Nf5 (14 .... Ng6!?) 15. f4! exf4 16. Bxf4! Ne3 17. Bxe3
Back to the game (after 11. ... Nd5). Bxe3 18. Nc3, with advantage for white. Igor's motto was to
learn from the classics, not necessarily to copy them slavishly.
(DJ
So here he played another surprise: the modest-looking, extra-
12. Nc3 pawn-retuming 12. Nc3.
12 . ... Nxc3 13. bxc3 Qh4
14 15
Platonov's Chess Academy A Must Win!
Here Gligoric suggested "13 .... Nb7!oo."

iB - ,~Sfl
l~f-~~~m% _ .. ./~,,~
14. Khl
Preparing 15. Ngl if black doesn't take the knight on the next
'i~
I~ --
-1~
R1i~
~....~~ %~-~m~K3~,,~
,~ . - ,~f~~
.. /
"•······
move. Geller decides to restore material equality and fight for
the draw.
i-
14.... Bxh3 15. gxh3 Qxh3 16. Bf3 Bd6 17. Bg2 (DJ
B ~S@•
..Z(JJ'···'
~~~.. j~
ftB ~m~,~ tfil
m% ..~~%:.~
.... _,~,t~
-
..... ,
lk~
~,,~~~~~'-----,~,,~~I r---~~~-
B B1i~ ~§ %Q] ~§R~
~L-~~m~,.r~~~~----~w-~1.
~1-·-~..~m~,~f1,
~_,,~m~
l~~-i~ ..... , Now it's time to take a deep breath and look at this just-
emerged ending. White has two bishops versus bishop and
~-----~~mm~-- . ~~m~!
··¥~·-·-·
knight, a plus. But white also has four pawn islands versus
black's three, a minus. On balance, a small edge for white; but
m~~~£m%
ft-ft- .. ~m~ '. could it be enough for a mere master, even a strong master, to
~-----~m~-~~m~i~~i~1
defeat a top GM, a true Weltmeister (in Czar Nicholas II's parl-
.. --~~~ 3
~~ g~m§m~ ance) whose greatness was quite pronounced in endgames as
well? (The stuff of legends, but true, is how Geller found a draw
Defending against black's threat, 17 .... e4. in the endgame of Botvinnik-Fischer, played in the 1962
Olympiad, which everyone, including the participants, consid-
17.... Qh4 18. Qf3
ered won for black.)
Offering to trade queens.
Platonov, however, was up to his task.
18.... e4
21. ... Rfd8 22. Rgl
Geller agrees.
A subtle and strong move, offering black unpleasant choices-
19. Qh3 Qxh3 20. Bxh3 exd3 21. cxd3 (DJ especially unpleasant because Geller, already short of time, had
to choose between moving his king to f8, where it can be checked
if ever his bishop leaves the a3-f8 diagonal, and moving his king
to h8, away from the center. Geller chooses the latter.
22 .... Kh8 23. Rbl Bf8
lier decides to restore materlal,';'.:i,1; If 23 .... Rab8, challenging the file, then 24. Be3.
1111alitv and tight tor the draw. , ., 24. d4 (DJ
16 17
•l~P~w~ . . : :,. %
~~~· ~1
··-~ ~~·~ %:~'/<.!
White frees his king for his true, great destiny.
~~'---··/~ , ~--0,( -~
~'/,
::?!
~«
% ""
~~
,'!fj~~~~~~,
..
28.... Rxbl
,~~ - Rt~~
~~r~~~'····-~~~I Geller, short on time, decides in favor of clarification and sim-
plification,.
'
' ,~~~ijfff~~~~ 29. Rxbl Rxbl+ 30. Bxbl Nc4 (D)
~~"}~~~,
~m'··---~~~~c~~~r-//h.~ IUBU~1
~ ..~~~~~ ~~--ef· !&!
ftB B ~~ ~~ ~~ m a1~~ ..~
-Ef
~ a~.:.~ %m,·····'~~<:?
~ LJ -
'·····'~~~--~~~'·····'~
-tE B ~~
I~~~ - ~ %m,····-~
~~~%'-~-~~~
R m
~ -~~~
24 .... Bd6 25. Be3 Rab8
~ff-~'·····'~r~ ~~i
Only now, with the e3-a7 diagonal line closed (by 24. d4) and ,B%~~----~~r,·=·%~
~~ ~ ..~Bft %~1
white's Bf4 stopped by 24 .... Bd6, does black play this natural
move, convincingly challenging white along the b-file. But Pla-
ftR ~
~ w~~~'·····'~~ ~~ m
tanov has other trumps to press his advantage. R.ilR R R~
31. Kg2
26. Bg2 Rb6 27. Be4
A most unorthodox decision-to give away the coveted bishop
If 27. d5 c5. pair (besides, 31. Bel looks quite promising!) in order to go into
27 .... Rdb8 (D) that most drawish of all endgames, a bishops-of-opposite-color
(BOC) ending, with an equal number of pawns and no passers
as yet. But Platonov excels in BOC endings, both pure ones, like
~s m ~~--~'··~
'.~--~······/m~~ n this one, or with rooks added. He was quite ready to allow a BOC
~~ m -1~~
''·····'~·····~~~--~~~~ ,..... /~--~!.
position to occur, while getting in return a more centralized king
•.....
~"411% 1 fa\]
raiilt,'~ ~
/~.- m ~-~
%~,f~;,;I
..... /
i~~
and (after the recapture fxe3) an even larger central pawn mass.
An interesting alternative: 31. Be 1 Ba3
' ,~~*''<~~~~ 32. Bxa3 Nxa3 33. Bd3 (DJ 33 .... Nb5,
l~~f$.'J.~i~~~I and black holds, for example-34. d5
B ~m ~
~m'·····'~ m
- ~r-~~*'--//h.,d
Kg8.
ftm - ~~/~~<:?
~w~~m,
~ ~
~~
~
.. <.•... ~ 31. ... Nxe3+ 32. fxe3 g6 33. Kf3 (D)
28.h3
18 19
- mB
~:I~.~.,.,
~L.~~~~··~~~~%--~!
-1" ---~
f. . •t•
~~~~~~~~L~
~iW2.~~··~~~~~··"*
~t~.I
-1~%m~~~
Bi~~'? .. ~~~.~~~····
~m~~.
···~'1Y},•.,•.
~~%--~'·--··'%'·~~~~·
R ~~ ~~~~ft
.
~~~....~~~···-~~m~
~~~~,~~~
l~~~ftf···~~-~'
,,~. ~~~~~
~~~~~~~~
1~il- • ~
•.
j•~·~·~·
1RAm R m and if 35. Bxe4, then 35 .... c5!.
Of course! For a defender, a passed pawn, not to mention a po-
33 .... Kg7 tential passed pawn (like the g6-pawn here), is of much lower
Facing a difficult choice in a bad position while short on time, value than a defending pawn, like black's c-pawn. After 36. Bxg6
Geller makes a serious error, allowing the white king quick ac- Kg7 and 3 7 .... Kf6, the draw is quite simple to hold.
cess to d5 and beyond. Or 35. Kxe4 Kg7 36. c4 Kf6 37. c5 Bf8 38. Bc2 (38. Ke3
Black could have prevented this from happening, and hold a Ke6!, giving up the g-pawn, as discussed above, achieves an eas-
draw, with 33 .... f5. (D) ily drawn position) 38 .... Ke6 39. Ba4 Kd7. (D)
~. ~
lf. .
I~~~~~~~
························1 ~~~~1~0.~~~
. ..,.1
....
~iai ~~ ~~~ ~~··~i f..~.,.~.,~
. .
•t~%~ •t~fi %~r·~~iW2.~iW2. ...
••ll•
~~~r· %~f. ~ iai
·~~~~~~,~~
iW2. ~%'·~··
~~fW2. llll1 ii•···
l ~~
'r~~-
·'%..
~~ ~~~-ft
~ ~~~.1~ ~~ ~!
r~····~~···~~~~ ,~~~~~~-I
~~~~~~~~I
~ • I~~~~~~~~·
~--~
Now white can win a pawn: 34. e4 fxe4+, (D) Because the c5-pawn is watched by the black bishop, the pin-ex-
ploiting 40. d5 doesn't work.
20 21
So, going back to the note on page 20,

after 3 3. ... f5 ! (DJ, what else is left for
e ···• 1r····e
~tr~.1--~~~
1
~--~m ~%:.~ ~m ~~ ..~

white to try? Of course, 34. c4 is met by
~ -~~-~~I
%~~- .?ll] %ll]~....?
34 .... c5-easy. More serious is 34. h4,
planning 35. h5. A knee-jerk reaction- m~~~~~-~mi
m ~ ~ m1
'll] '~~~. llJ ~
·~~~~~ll]~~1
,~~~ml1Jm~
to stop h4-h5 at any cost-, namely
34 .... h5, loses after 35. e4 dxe4+ 36.
Bxe4 c5 37. Bxg6 and 38. Bxh5, creating another passed pawn,
on the h-file. Thus, 34 .... Kg7 35. h5 c5, (DJ •llm • •
Black uses a typical BOC technique-targeting, in this case
~~~~-ll]-.
~~~rei· ~!IJm~·- ~~--<'./.
,..... ..
aiming at the dangerous passer. He ties
up the attacker's king, and holds. Or,
• • ~:t~:I
·
1~~~ti '!IJT~~i
~~~ ?~~ll]ll]~~
from the bottom diagram on page 22,
39. dxc5 Kf6 40. c6 (or 40. Kc6 Ke5)
1•1~~~ll]~ll]~~
~~%··<?·\r·~m~m
.
r~,~~~ll]'··
~~\!f
~ll]~~.
40 .... Ke7-just in time! Now back to
the game after 33 .... Kg7 (DJ (page 20):
;mllm • m 34.c4
White threatens to fix, and then win, black's c6-pawn after c4-
and black holds-e.g., 36. e4 (after 36. dxc5, black's task seems c5. Black's reply is forced:
even easier) 36 .... fxe4+ 37. Kxe4 gxh5 38. Kd5 Bf8, (DJ
34 . ... c5 35. Ke4 (DJ
I~ ~~~RB• %%~
-
.. . Z:, ';'
• ~Y~ ~
, . ~~ R0ll]mll]~
lifq,
~~~ . ~!IJ!IJm~~I
..
l~P~~-~
~~ ~~ ~~ 1(/,@
~~ -t·~
!~~~~1ll]ll]~,
.~~iJI· ?!IJm~~
~---j~
- ~%-~~K
%~T~~~~- -~~f'~I
-t~~I~ .
~ ~~m~m~~I
~ii- ••
,,~~... ~ll]!IJ!IJ~~I ~~~ti·
~~ ,.,.,,,%',~~~~~
-ft~~~~
~ ~~, ..... ~,, "0~~ w
I-~~ -~~ ~L~~~~:
~ mtt
-
d~.~-~
and now, if 39. Ke6, cxd4 40. cxd4 Bb4 41. d5 Bd2 42. d6
(42. Ke7 Bg5+) 42 .... Kf8! 43. Kd7 Bf4. (DJ
35.... Kf8 36. Kd5 Ke7 37. Kc6 (DJ
22 23
·~~
~--
-~~
-
~.~--~~~~~, ;/.: ~~~
~1-
!,.,,3~~?~.ref· _!i,:~~%;--~
~1~~1
-~--
-~---
.m:m:m~mj,
~~ ~~ ~~~~--~:
1aft• at~~
I~ ,~~~m~····
_,~,~~rs~~
.@
l~~~fi. %m~~:----~1
~~'-----~%'-~~~~~
-ft~~
~~~,-----'~m
'RRR ,RRR
m1 -r@-T ..
~~~~~~~~
-~-
• R ~R~ R~ R 43 .... gs
MA- - - (Or 43 .... Bc7 44. Kxa6 Kc8 45. Bxg6 (D: below, left)
37 . ... f5 38. a4
and white should
To win, white will need his a-pawn, soon to be a passed pawn eventually win,
(after the a7-pawn falls). So Platonov pushes it forward. creating, for in-
38 . ... f4 39. dxc5 Be5 40. exf4 Bxf4 41. Kb7 (D) stance, the posi-
-
tion at right.) (D)
l.,,~~·0·
I~~~- ~
:•~·
,_ _ _ ,~~m'····!i,:~T~~ After 43 .... g5, white plays 44. Bf5!, cutting off the black
RR&~RR RR~ '

king. 44 .... h5 45. c5 (D)
RR~ \RRw1,RR
'R'RR~R R
••• •1
~~~<,!1~ ~~ ~I
1,1,~·~·~
RRRRRRR'
mR~R~R~R
.~A- - -
A must. If 41. a5, then 41. ... Be3, draw.
i. .•
l...,..... ,.%Ir,•1
~--~~~r-~~IW,~~ ~~n~
i~~
;f~~ i~~
;f~~
~
I~~~~~~~~
!~~~~~~~~
•
I • • •
wa-~ ~;f..&:~
,~
Xi i~,z
i
41. ... g5
Black's other options are 41. ... Kd8 and 41. ... a5. 45 .... Bg3 (If 45 .... g4,. 46. Bxg4, and the bishop is untouch-
If 41. .... Kd8, 42. a5 a6 43. c6 (D) able.) 46. c7+! Bxc7 47. Kxa6, (D)
____________________..____________________...________
24 25
·-·"'""'''"""""""'""""""'-""
%
···········~.
~~ ,«- ~~~ ~ ~
1~·1·~~-1
-~--
%~ -~~~~~
~~~"'1~~~~"'1~ ~~~~"~~~~~I
~--~~ii'f''1~:@2~ ~~JL~
---'~'-~~,.Mil~~
}fu t
~~,,, _ _ ,~I
i~~
:r.ar~ i~~
'jf~'jf~
~~~ i*~
:f~'l ~~~
%~,,,,,,,.
~~~~~~~~·
~~~~~~~,
~~~~~~~~I
I~~-~--~-'
~~~~~~~~
mm m ~,
~--- Followed by c5-c6, and white should win.
~--·
wmnmg.
In the diagram on the bottom of page Back to actual game, after 41. . . . g5,
24, after 41. Kb7 (D), page 24. (D)
••....••
one more try remains: 41 .... a5. (D) 42.a5
~1~~Z1~~~
m
~--~~~ ~·· ---~I
~~,:<~~~
m
,
~~~~,, 5~~~"'1 I~~~~ ~-~~ 0~,

,,,,,,~~~~~--
lff''1~~n~~~J ~~ ~--~~%--~~~~ ~%--~KJ
i~ ~~ • •
~---~~~----~~ @W'1i @~!
,~,~~-~~!
~~~~~~~,
~ ~~~~~~ ~
•llm m •
••••• ,.,
1i$d i~d
1i~;;:
~.~.~.~.
m~ i*d
i~'I ~
'""''~'if~ %1]'""''~
i~'I
White plays 42. Kc8 (shouldering the black king) 42 .... g5 (or
!im~~
• ·~·~·
- m
42 .... Be3 43. c6 Kd6 44. Kb7) 43. Bg6. (D)
42 . ... a6
If black plays 42 .... Kd8, allowing 43. a6 and hoping to draw
after the white king's eventual Kxa7, by blocking with ... Kc7,
he's in for a disappointment: 43. a6 h5 44. Bf5 Be5 (44 .... Bd4
45. c6 Bb6 46. c7+) 45. c6 Bf4 (D)
26 27
Platonov 's Chess Academy First the Destination, Then the Path
• ri . • ~~
1~~1~"- y~~~~
~~~~~~~-
, ....
i~i~~~~--~~
• •ll~~t
•~~m~
BftB B •1
~m~m~-~ft,
.~~~~~~~~
,~ 'fu·'~i Chapter Two
First the Destination,
~~~~~~~~
••••
46. c7+, forcing recapture with the bishop, 46 .... Bxc7, so after
Then the Path
47. Kxa7, neither of the saving moves-47 .... Kc7 or 47 ....
T
Kc8-is possible. here is a very effective method in chess, applicable to all
stages of the game: first, imagine a position you want to
43. Kxa6 Bc7 44. Kb5 (DJ achieve, and then look for the right path. All good chess
players use this method, if only occasionally. Igor Platonov used
;-
a - - ~ ,~ B
~1
1.Wda~~ ~~~··;//,~Wda~' it more often, and more effectively, than other great players.
This approach helped Igor to develop a dangerous opening line
'~~~'., ,,R~- ~~~~111
~,,~~~'.f'~R~ ~~,,~;. . ., in a seemingly placid variation. The game below, Platonov-
••••
!~~~~~
_._, B ~~
,_ _ _ ,~,i'fB~~,·----'Ri
•••• -.-.
Smyslov, USSR Championship 1969, 18th round, October 2,
1969, was another center-stage moment.
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e4 Bb7 5. d3 (D)
1-ll-
,
-
~·~·~·~· ~
i ~~w~
%
~~
,
1~11lJ~'tR f
,
~%
.f,
~~,.,-~"'~fl··~
,,.1~ ~
11~:.:
--!~r-•1
~a----·~1
~ ~
/".;;:::
44 . ... Kd8 45. a6 1-0

If 45 .... Kc8, 46. Kc6.
The game we've just examined demonstrates some of
Platonov's finest characteristics-the eruditeness that can chal-
._,_,B.BI
- 'btf
----·-".~
-~~,-~.~
R%,,~"'----~~ ~%''~~%"~
~ i~~ ~~~ i~~ ~ i~~
lenge his opponents with "surprises from the past," the fighting
spirit and imagination to create winning chances against any op-
J1. i.ill'-:<
:~-----{-----'~-·~ ,R;. . .,
%~.,//,;i.ill'-:<
.....
J1. t~~
ponent, and the well-honed expertise in a type of ending his con- ¥9 ~~~~~~
temporaries were not quite as confident in, the This quiet move prepares for a Maroczy Bind position, soon
bishops-of-opposite-color endgame reached (after 10. d4).
28 29
Platonov s Chess Academy First the Destination, Then the Path
5 . ... d6 6. g3 Be7 7. Bg2 0-0 8. 0-0 c5 9. Rel (D)

1m
w-~~W#.~ - ~S<l'~I
~---~~-4-----~~--~~
~~ ... ~-~ ff&\] ti*~ 1
i 0~--~ 0~-,-~.-1
,,~7-~/~/-
~:;:..a..R
~
~
~
~
~a~<l'W/,:@/,-·.1
,
~
. . /~~
~
~
t~:;:
~1~
I.
I".
~
~
~~:I.~
:.:::
~:;:..JiL~
%. . . . . /~~'~
~
f-·----·/mt~:;:
/~--~~:?f·~-----~ .,~·-----/w;,m1
%
R'
'~~~'%.ff 'R"Re
.. 3~--~~~~~
i~~ i*~ 1 !~~ ~-~I
%. . . . .
W},~ -ft~~ft-
0 0 "'«;., .. ,/0~:@/, ~~--0,:~'
t~:;: t~:;: ~~·
~·-----/~~·----·'m7, ......~ ~.
I
--~l-·-·-
·~
~
~ ~~~/:'\.{~~
~%''~% .... ~ ~%"~z..... /ff'0,:
~: "Z...W~
.00~0··m~0~«~0000mft ~~--0,:~
i%~
. ~ -~· Jh
~%--4'·
~
<:.z_.liP~
.a:. i%w~ /:'\. t~~
_;~ ~%--~·-----~%'-~ §~~~~0~-~~~~~§.....f,~;t~://f~
-~
~~
Z'(~
~-t%·~~
~~
~-I.
it~~,,,~--0~, . . . ,~~;t~~ •..... / ... 1... • ..... ,/ .,,,, .. ~
0~~ ~JVV~~~ AH 10. ... cxd4

1r~
...... / ~-?,'.Gr~
..•... .. .... / ~
....... ~
Practically forced, as d4-d5 will clearly favor white, especially
White is ready to play 10. d4, achieving a somewhat favorable with black's bishops on b7 and e7 (compare with the King's In-
Maroczy Bind position. (A loss of tempo here isn't significant dian-bishops on c8 and g7).
enough to alter the judgement of favorable for white.) 11. Nxd4 Nxd412. Qxd4 (D)
9 . ... Nc6
i ~ ~- ~ ~,'!!I~•
If black tries to stop 10. d4 with 9 .... e5, then 10. Nh4 g6 ~--~ ~~~--%'iii}-~~r~<-----~~--ef/////h'
~- ....
11. Bh6 Re8 12. f4. (D) ~~.I.- ~ t ~~ 1
;. . . /~~~~f·-·-----/~
-~~ ~--r.Q,z ~·----·'m··----/m7- . . .m
I':."~ -'~~- ~~ ~~~~
._,~,~--
A~'l'".AI; %15JA~ ..... ~
~11!,~<//"//•;<; . t~<'i/,
"I·"' "I·"' z~~~ t ~'"1
~!0
~~7.41?.~:~%
~/!0
?,i_;j
0
1~~~-"4" -~~~%'-~~
~------'~~------·~~" ~ .
~~i;'; ~~i;'; \f·~~~.."'-<l -~:-ef~
~%''ef __ ;~~%--~----~%--~
,,~,~~~- 0~,-----,~~A~~I
.... ....
~m~ 8 ..id!~ ft~~ kJ'I.

--·~. ~~------·~--~%.
•m~--~~['.lft~ ~~
~~~~---~ff-~
~~~
1?~
~ ~~~ .ffl'
r,··'···
. 0. r~ ~
, ..... ,/
~f.~~m, ,~~f~I
...... / .,,.... ~
t§ m~~~ w Smyslov follows the old axiom "When in a cramped position,

exchange pieces!" Still, white remains better. He has more space
(with plenty of pieces still on the board), a magnificently cen-
White is ready to meet 12 .... exf4 with 13. e5!. tralized queen on d4, and a target on d6. But is it enough to defeat
10. d4 (D) Smyslov?
12 . ... Qc713. b3 Rfd814. Bb2 Ne815. Qd2 (D)
30 31
1m
"//~/r,-· ~s~m@m
'-····'v-,,;··'l'.:~V'/"//~
1
[jJl ,
~s
'R'~s~mct-m1
'" ~m··~
/,/./
0~~ " '
~
~~A~iii}
...
~JM
~ «~
~~
/~~/- -~~~f~·-----/~
t t mt~~ ~~tl~~~t .
t i.~d .. i.•d t fa\] Wh~~'
i.
.~,.~l.··· . . . /~/.,.,,/~ . ~
f.&1~,JiiiL.f.&1~ ~
1~
!
••••••••
%,
·~······
.•.~.,RiRm.,,,•
!~,,,i.t,Jtt.,'l,R,,,/"//~~,,,/ . ,,
fta
k@-~@~
~----~ ~
~ ~~A«~
~----}-:~~L~-~~-----~--!1
~ ....~ ~--~-~
0 : ,/%...ii
''~"··'
~/ "'.%:~---··;//':.'l,~/,//"V~. . ~/ ,o· -,/
~~~~~RH
...
~
1~---·--~ar·--~~~-
~ <..... ~
~g;
c .. ~
~m
/~,·---~
~
~'@}
White's queen leaves the d4-square. But look at black's knight 21. ... Rdc8 22. Qe2 Rd8 23. Qc2
on e8-good for some defensive purposes, but otherwise very Black waits patiently. White probes for weaknesses. Suddenly,
passive. Smyslov decides to change the character of the game drastically.
15. ... a6 16. Rael Bf6 17. h3 Rab8 18. Kh2 Qd7 (DJ 23 .... Bxc3 24. Bxc3 e5 (D)
,,ii:=:p~ ','=!'/ i... ~.,
'R~i;n~'
R ~='R~=~ 11t
~ <~s ~s~m~m1
..... /~< ..... /~ ~ff-~~
~A~'A~J:J.li~~J
t i.•~ i~d t lfE~ Wh~~I. ~·- -t~~t
~~ ..~~~ ..~~~- ..... /~
f.&1~
~------/~/,,,,,/~ . ~ %
f.&1~ ~ I
t~fdJ.~~ m-
••••••••
.•.~.,RiRm.,,,R
l~Jl~tt
4- ~N~
.!.!:. M
. . 'l,~/,//''//~~,Jt
~m~~'@}
~
ffi' ~~ ~
~~....~~K3~ ..~ %~ ~
am~~
T~r~·1r~ ~,
i~~?f)-·~~~~%"~~1
,m ft aA-
I~~~; %~~~ ~~~ft
~0 '~'- ..
m
....
~ . ~gr-~~~---- . /~/---~
%BJ
•Yfi~ ~fil ~
~ ~ '-----~ ~
<.....
RRJ'flffiRJ'flffi
~ ~
,R, ,
~ ~
<.. ... <.....
19.a4
White stops ... b7-b5. White has "won" the two bishops, but black wasn't necessarily
a loser in the transaction. White's c3-bishop is blocked by black's
19 . ... Bc6 central pawn, and white's other bishop is even less active. More-
Black insists. over, black may be able to exploit the weakened h l-a8 diagonal.
20. Bfl 25.b4
White keeps objecting. White starts queenside expansion.
20 .... Qb7 21. Bd3 (DJ 25 .... Qd7 26. b5 Bb7 27. Rcdl Qc7 28. Bb4 Nf6 (DJ
32
"'"""""'''""'"" ..
________________. ____________________________.
33
Platonov's Chess Academy First the Destination, Then the Path
This move creates a passed pawn and forces a trade of queens,

f,?.~ ~s ~s m<11a
.. ·---'~·:·~ ...... ,~~~--~~I
thus securing the position of white's king (or so it seems) .
,-..&_B
1 mt~~t
.~~_,4... 'h~,,'0.~~ w~'"'"~0~~ 34 . ... bxc5 35. Qxc5 Qxc5 36. Bxc5 (D)
t i+'i i•~ ?~: ~~~
t~1.
~'if~,,.,.,/~~% . . .·~ %1
t~,,: ~~·
m ~s,.~ii!".<~
-~-:
.~.,
••
m
,O,Hft'BBHI
1.·b~'
...
~~~~m~--~, ,,,,i
~~- ~~ ~
m
l~~~~~---r····'~'····
B§,§~
/0
•j•.•N~i
~~- ~~~"'0.L •~ ~
WJa
Rfta
~~1t·:%~~-- 3m~~i
~~~~~m~,,~~I
~Ii
..
m
- - ~~ft'«
R/~~~~~_,~,
29. Bfl
B m ~~ ~ .... ,/0
An important prophylactic move, preventing 29 .... Nd7, with

30 .... Nc5 to follow.
B B ,§~iiB ... 'h
l~~~~~--y-----~~<:
29 . ... axb5 30. axb5 d5 36 . ... Ne4 37. Be3 h6 38. Bg2 Rd7 (D)
Smyslov uses a tactic (pinning) to achieve strategic objec-
tives-ridding himself of his vulnerable backward pawn and ex-
changing it for white's e4-pawn, while opening the long diagonal m - -~-I
Wla~~~~~~,,'0.~'
B..l-i!Rt~~
leading to white's king. For the next several moves, the play is
m~~ %%m·-----'~1
·'··;;~··,,
quite dynamic.
31. exd5 Nxd5 32. Ba3 Nf6 33. Rxd8+ Rxd8 (D)
m ~s·
~~~-:·i·----j~~~.,4w,%
1-A~ Bt~~t
~~--~/,_,fh~~~
B<11~/fil
.,,~,,, .. ,/~
····\'···
~~~~~-~~~,.'0.~I
1R/~~~
B R ~~iiW
~~ft
- g ~--~·----·'0
i~~m ~~~·-----'~'- .'h!
, ,_,
~~-~:~
~?'ft~ %%~!{ . . .:~~I ~ ~ <..... ~ ~
··'·,···
~~--~~~m~~%"'0.~,
.•
R R ~~ft
'~.: %~ ~~ %%%.,~----~0
-~- ~~ ~I.'h
''1.
39. Ral
Winning a pawn with 39. Bxe4 Bxe4 40. Bxh6 leads to an easy
draw after 40 .... Bd3-an extra pawn on the kingside would give
~~~~r·r:--~~<:
~ B ,§~AB
.. white no winning chances.
39 . ... f5 40. Ra7 Kti (D)
34.c5
34 35
mm mm'
1~····}~~~~~~--~~
~@AmE~<l'~:E
mm am
.1.1.~.~
...... /~~~ ~,..... /~f-~ ~%'-~~~~~ ~~
--~~IJI
mTm~~~ r~, J .
l1i!l1il l1il1r1\11r1 l1il!fl
. ~J1!@.-~.
, 'ifi.l!i!'flfl ~!fl
~m~~@-~m% ~~ . I
B lfl!fl l1i!wnlfl1r1•
-~~~~
- ~. ~--~'·--··'0'/<1
~~ft . lfllfll!i!B~w~lfliJ
~0~ ~0~,~~A~ m%
i~~% ~~1m
m---
I~
41. g4 g6 42. gxf5 gxf5 (D)

..... ~~~- .!';;
mm mm
The pin on the enemy bishop can't alone bring victory, as
black's king is active on the h-file. White abandoned this pin-it
- mm m1
i.~· · -~~~~~ ~~~'
1~~A-Em@-
has already served its purpose-and finds a suitable target, the
e5-pawn.
<..... /~~~~~~~--~'. 48 . ... Bd5
- ~ ~
1mTm~~11 f ~,~:E
. . ./ The BOC ending after 48 .... Rd5 is
• •!fl!fl, ,!fl.!fl won for white, a bad omen for the de-
!fl •1r11r1a•1r1'
~~~~. ~--~m0,/<!.
fender.
Importantly, white's h-pawn is still on
I- - - - - -
I~~~%%~, ..... ,~,.. ~ ~~A~'.
The goal of this exchange is to free white's king somewhat, in

anticipation of the coming ending with rooks and bishops of op-
h3; thus, white's king can be brought into
action via the h4-square. (D)
49. Rc5 Kg6 (D)
Analysis
posite color (BOC)-Platonov's trademark.

43. Bxe4 fxe4 44. Bxh6 Kg6 45. Be3 Kf5 46. Kg2 Kg6
47. b6 Kh5 48. Ra5 (D) White abandons the Pin
on the bishop.
It has alreadv served its purpose. ·
36 37
.·~if.?·1~~1~
~-~
~-~~ ~~""'"' m m§R
~
-~~~m~~r
m~mm•~~•
~f,Jm•ff . . ~~~
1
l-~~-%~r:-~~-----~m~,,~~~~
..
~@A~~ -
.... ~~~----~~~~ ~v ~z~~~ ~,,,/, .
~ m~~ -tm
0
~w~~0 '/~,~~
--~~1~~~
iR~R~D~li g_t~~~,
-~~ - W~-~
..... ,
~-~~~-,~~ ~m~•~KJ~m
...
,- - m - :~ - - m
50. Rc8 Rh7 51. Rd8 Bc4 White's winning chances are based not so much on his extra
Smyslov-perhaps after home analysis of the adjourned posi- pawn, but rather on having passed pawns on the far-apart b- and
tion-realized that passive defense of the b7-square is hopeless. h-files. But black isn't without counter-play. His pieces occupy
Thus, he goes for white's king. strong positions and are well co-ordinated, while white's king is
somewhat restricted. Besides, there could be a threat of perpetual
52. Kg3 Kf5 53. Rf8+ Ke6 54. Rg8 Be2 55. Rg6+ Kf5
check-in case black's rook reaches the first rank.
56. Rg5+ Ke6 57. h4 (D)
~
----
.~~~~~ml
m~if.?~~1~·~-
..
~~....~% m~,,~~~ -~ml
.
The exchange of the rooks doesn't win either: 60. Ra8 Kc6!
61. Ra7 Rxa7 62. bxa7 Kb7 (D)
d~·~·~·
,.,.,,~~~~~~~
--~~~g
~~~~~....~~r: .... ~%"~ ~·~·~--~~·
~. ~~ ~
l--~~
~~~-~*~~0 ,/fe~I
~~~~.[~· -~~!
..
%R %R..f'R %~
~~~~gfw~-
~~~~ . w.--~· ~~
• 0. 0. . . .,•.
I- - m -
~-~~~KJ~m
57.... Kd6 58. Rg6+ Kd5 59. Rg8 Bf3 (D)
~~
In order to support his h-pawn with his king, white needs first
to capture black's e5-pawn with his bishop. Meanwhile, black's
~
king will take the a7-pawn and then run to the kingside-arriving
just in time to draw: 63. Bc5 Ka8 64. Bd6 Kxa7 65. Bxe5 Kb6
(D)
38 39
s
Platonov Chess Academy First the Destination, Then the Path
~ ~ ~ ~~
~~~~~~~~
·0~·;,·~~~-~
~-·~-~7!~~~~
--~~~I
I~~~,~ ~ %,
Um'!iUuUm , "u
..
~~~~
~~ ~~f~ ,,,,,~~I
l~-~~~~0 .. ,
.~'fig.·~~.,
'~, ~~~ ~~
I-~~~~.~.
•
l ••~ ~.-...
m -tm n
1~~~~al~!1
~% ~~ , , -~,,~~~
.. 30"
66. Kf4 Kc5 67. Kg5 Kd5 68. Be? Ke6 69. h5 e3! (DJ -~~~-I
~~~~~'"'"'~~I
~-~r~~-~BI
-~--
• •
-~~~~~~
Im m~*·
B Wft
~~~~~--Y·
64. Rf5 Rdl 65. Rxe5 Kf6 66. Rg5 Rhl+ 67. Kg3 Rgl+
68. Kf4 (DJ
.%. . . %.
1~~~~%-~~~~I
in •%····'r,~
1.~.~
~~A-
J.~ ····~~--
~~,,~~~ ~~, :<~~'
~~-~-I
B,. . . ,~ 0
m'· -~~~ 1t
~~~~ f~-. ,~I
70. fxe3 Be4 71. Kf4 (or 71. Kh6 Kt7)
71. ... Kd5. Therefore, Platonov played l~~~~@·-ef····~~~
I~ m uJ..m
(from page 39, top diagram) (DJ ... ~~~~ ·~~ '~,
60. Kh3
Prophylaxis a la Nimzovich and
~·~·~~l~·
-~-,I~
Dvoretsky-black will no longer be able 68.... Rhl
to come to the first rank with a tempo (a check) via the g-file.
If 68 .... Rxg5, 69. Bd4+ and 70. Kxg5.
Thus, Smyslov is looking for other routes.
60.... Rd7 61. Rh8 Ke6 62. h5 Kf6 69. Bd4+ Ke6 70. b7! Rbl 71. Bb6! (DJ
If 62 .... Rdl, 63. b7 Kf6, then 64. Rf8+ will secure the white
king's escape.
63. Rf8+ Kg7 (DJ
40 41
.----
1
~.~.~-~
1.•.1
~~=%~~~~-----,~
112~''/~A.~~,-;·z:~~~··~;a
;-'.
~
~~%..__,,m,£/mf
, ,m Wi!• .i[if ,•~
~
~
,
~
%
.~
~ I ~I
~
·m1,
%
~.--~~•I..
%:
?: ~
••,,,t.•.•.
. ,• •
~, ,/~ ~~7-
••••,,••
m - - .. ,J~§fft
.... ..... _
1~~~~~0 ....~~
1
~~~ "'/,/,~~~~--~~]
·····~'Jfffi··I
B
~%--~i.~ m4Ji~
.... ;%"~ ~%--J j%''~ ..
~·~·~('~·
BEm B m
ft ~~ ~JID ft ~~ ~JIDI
l~§{""'~~~~~~,l~f'
~ ...../..... ~.... ~ ~
1-0 5.e4
A tactical shot that ends all resistance. Platonov blocks black's In a somewhat different position from the previous game, the
defense of the queening square with an apparently en prise same move (and plan) works again.
bishop. But, of course, if71. ... Rxb6, then 72. Rg6+. 5.... Bb7 6. d3 (D)
From start to finish, a brilliantly conducted game by Platonov.
i~~/~ ~-·'%:~~~·-~ ~.·---~~%
%
~;
, I
z z...: ' 'I. %1 ~
~/,?:
~ ~
~~A~~i~ f ~~f,
,., ... /~f'~~~~f(' ,,,~'----·'~;
~~~~~~ ~~ ~iii): ~I
I~~----~~ %~ .....: _ %1
.!%!mf;j~~~ &!~
~'.~ ~,m~~~ft B,,,/. ,,m1
In the next game, black tries to avoid "Platonov's Bind." The
contest was again played in what was certainly the strongest na- ~- ~N 4> mr.-..~~
tional championship in the world-the USSR Championship. It ~, .., ~,
,~ ~ ..... :~~,
%~~
.:U. ~,,,/ ..,,~----~,,,/--//!
~~~w
%m 0~~0, 0,(~~0,
was round two, in Leningrad in 1971, against International Mas- ft ~ ~ ~0 .. .,,/~.....~/~/~.....~
~!0
1~----·:r----·'~-·~
~!0 ~!0
/I
ter Karen Grigorian. ~§ ~~~A~§

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 (D)
An already familiar move (from Platonov-Smyslov). Now, if
black continues with 6.... d6, etc., in a few moves both games
would merge. Grigorian, determined to prevent this from hap-
pening, lashes out with ...
6.... d5
Hoping to explore white's weakened hl-a8 diagonal.
7. cxd5 exd5 8. e5 (D)
42 43
W<ll~S I] ~S.
1
.t=t. r~ ~~~ um~
~~..a.•~~SJ
~~~ ?.&~lit'~ % ?QI ,,,,~W
~:1A~hJ/~ f b:l·f' ~ .. '·····', ...
-~~i~~.t
'l. ······// "/, ' · · · · · '
;..... ~~~~-[ii~Jiiff/"'"~~
~~
/~~ ~~"· .!&~;,,,,,/~!
; .....
~.~~----~%--~ ~%"~ .....:~ ~

-~-,~·-·
~~~~~:~
-~~;~~i~~ •a•~rf'a•m
!- . . . ~~;. . . ~~~~!
-
.
~ "'«[Ii~~01"~~ ~~~M"·--~~~~~
-~:~~w
'.0 0
1~%"4~ft-4)1~
;~~ ~~,,J. J%,,~ %%"ef . .:~ %%_,~----~%"~
~ i~d ~-~ i~d i~~
.u. f §1
,-····/·----'~--~ i.ill~ f .ill,,
%0 .. ,,/·····'~;.... ,; 1~,~,~~~r~~i~·~~~.J.~1
~@ %Q]~~A~g ~ .. J
%t=f ~
~:~ ~ ~
~ (::j, L~
8 .... Nfd7 14. Bf4 gS lS. Bxd7+ Nxd7 16. Rael Qxe2 17. Nexe2+ Bes
A typical counter-thrust in such positions, 8.... d4, fails to 18. BxgS Rdg8 19. Bf4 (D)
9. exf6 dxc3 10. Qe2+.
~--~~~ ~~ aa~sne11m
~~"-··'
••_.
9. d4 exd4 10. Nxd4 (D)
~~J..~~mt~.t
!;,.,,,/%"~~~~~ W,:~
t=t~ ~·~ ~,t=tkl
,,m••••
,m
'.
&
,•
r~;
l~~A~,,,~ f
~;..... ~~~%--~~~~!
-t~~ ~
·~~~~-"'f""'~~~
%SJ1it~ 2.
mt, ~-.
-~~.,
[11~{-·-~~~f/@,~~-
.-.~-,;;~·
~ ~- ~
~/ ~/,/~/, ~/
~
/,/ ,"/;'/~. ..... /
m•nrtJ.•;;~•
~ ~~ /.'°'\ ~~ ~~
"/, "// ;
-
.u. ~m ~~~m ~m
~;. . ,/~~ ~~lfl~f~;. . ,
~%--~'/, ~~~ [11%"~;..... /%,,~i
~ i~d ~-~ i~d i~d'
. - ~ ~ <..... ,,,.,,!&
.u. i.ill~ i.ill~

f···i··--·'w~ %0 ,,/..... /~; ..... , %'.ill~!
re ~~~A~g Material is even, and black's position-with four(!) pawn is-

lands (versus two) and an unsafe king-is clearly much worse.
10.... Nxe5 19.... as 20. a3 a4
Grigorian decides that ifhe has to suffer, at least he will do so This move stops b2-b4, but dooms black's brave a-pawn.
with an extra pawn. 21. Rfdl (D)
11. Bb5+ Nbd712. Qe2 Qe713. 0-0 0-0-0 (D)
44 45
u
m@B mE~SI
.~.~.~.,,
•:·~·a•'•'
f'li,{¥11,·.·.~ ,'Jn•.•.•
•••
.~!J,., • '
~Ell~•'-'•'•'
~ B ~s
t-
~~~~~~~~-~~~I
&J: g mi
i~ir·~m~% .. ··~ ... u. ..~~,
~%"~~~t.~~~--~~~~0~
I:'\
i~d ~~~
~:r..u;;~
¥~ ~m
rCj;'/, ~
21. ... h5
I~~--~~
~----~%."~~~~ ~%."~····~%."~
i~d
i~'l.
<..... ;
~-~I:'\ i~d
~i~'l.
!~'·····'~~§~'·····'~'···--
~ ~ ~-
i~d
i.:f..J;;~
.!& ,R 'k.
~~'·····'~······/- ~
• • • • •~'ff#,0
'mi • . "m "'
~ R
,
~
-.
/
This feeble attack can and should be ignored.

22. Nc3 h4 23. Nxa4 hxg3 24. hxg3 Kd8 25. b4 Bxd4 29.bS,1-0
26. Rxd4 (D) In the three games of Part I, we've seen that bishops of oppo-
site color have been the featured combatants. This was hardly ac-
m ~ mm~SI
,_._.
cidental. Platonov worked hard studying these endgames, making
.~.'"•~•'
.,•a••··
____ '
them his friend. Then, whenever possible, he steered his games
into these often-misunderstood endings. His opponents, who
most often didn't understand them as well, usually succumbed.
%_"'.c?~i•@~·~
•4)~~ ~ -
Knowledge is power, and Platonov acquired that knowledge.
~,,~;. ~- ·'~ . %."~~

I~~--~~
;..... ~~~m~~~'····-~~1
.•,fl}~.
~ LJ ~ ~-~-~
'rJJ,.
26 . ... Rg6 27. Rc7 Bc6 28. Ra7 Re6 (D)
46 47
Platonov 's Chess Academy Climbing Aboard the Sicilian Roller Coaster
Chanter Three
Climbing Aboard the
Sicilian Roller Coaster
Part II P latonov described the Sicilian Defense as a widespread net-

work of highways, side streets, and traffic circles, over
which theory dictates its own changing rules of the road and
where some of the drivers pay no heed to traffic signals or even
Platonov and pedestrian zones.
Sometimes it seems like a driver of the white "PorschE-4" car
the Sicilian hasn't checked his breaks and couldn't even pass a breathalyzer
test! If you're driving the black car, in order to make it home suc-
cessfully, you must occasionally get in front of your reckless op-
ponent, swerve just in time, wait for his vehicle to crash into a
wall, and only then calmly call 911 to make a police report (or,
av Sam Palatnik in our case, signal the TD to write 0-1 on the score sheet). Igor
Platonov was not just an expert behind the wheel in Sicilian traf-
fic; he was a daily commuter!
Not Enough Ammunition:

Pavel Kondratiev-Platonov [B83]
Minsk, 1962
1. e4 cS 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 S. Nc3 e6 (D)
The ScheveningenVariation.
48 49
a=' ~~ .. ~·if~ ?,~;;1

~~~A%SJ1it~ ~= B &~
~ .,. L.J ~~fl-I
,,L.J,,_,/,.,,,~
1~~ f.'..... ~-f ~~f/
7
~ ~ ~t~~t
,,, . .,/~~%;"~~~'//~'----·'~ ,_ _ _,m:lm:.t_, _ _ _,mi.
r~ ~sJ ~J,i ~~
B ~~iii): Bl ~,_ _ _ ,m ~m"'----·m ~
!~~~~----~~~-----;~~
···~,···
···~,.····
•m'fi"·······n•rff'1,
if,/'J!J,rf/ftf-.~ ._,j'ffii,,~'ff#,
-
~~ ~~ ~,.,.,,/~f'~ ~~
~%~K~~..~~-;·~~~0
I§~~.,,,;:
-%--~~:~-~ ~%--~
ft~~ ft ~Am ft~~
R l~'----·'m £
0~ .... 0~, _____ ,
?~ ~~~~f~J~ § ~ ~ r.§~§-~
16. Bxe5 Qb717. Bd3 g618. Qh3 b519. Re3 Nh5 20. f5!? (D)
6. Be2 Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. f4 Qc710. Qel (D)
- ~,*,?, ?.,~~·-~
~--~~
~~<--~·J~. ~'·~~1it~
.. J~ ~
mmm
••
..
E-J..B <~S@B 1
!~~it°- ~t ~t
l, .
'l'/,"//~v-··y,~,,_,~ ..... ,,,_,/,"//~I
••• ..,.:d...•• ,..... ,~~~ , ~ w~,
.,••~,·a
.. 0
~~tt:W ilMt~~t
~~ ~SJ ~ ~~
.,/~~~~ ~, ,/~ f .. ,..rflt.~•i,•
~~~~.'"'1,~~r-~~~
- ~;ft~~~~~I
•n" • ••m;.,,
l~~~-- -
~il,/'f!#,i·~•J+J@,
. j.
-·~1t§l•.1
'~m;Z' ~f:
1~~~ft~m§m~
mm
~%:1,
~ft~~I
~~ ~ ~§~
20. N(or B)e4 would keep the game roughly even, but white
insists on being first to open fire from weapons of all calibers.
10... Bd7!?
He gives no thought to conserving his
The idea, as well as the analysis, was a brainchild of Platonov. ammunition. 20. Qxh5?! didn't work be-
Black "economizes," saving a tempo by not playing ... a7-a6. cause of 20. . .. Bxg2+ (20 .... gxh5??
11. Qg3 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Bc6 13. Khl Rad8 14. Rael b6 21. Rg3+ Bg5 22. Rxg5#) 21. Kgl Bxfl
15. e5 dxe5 (D) 22. Bxfl Bc5 23. Qh3 Qb6 24. Ne4
Bxe3+ 25. Khl f5 26. Nf6+ Rxf6
27. Bxf6 Qc6+. (D)
so 51
Platonov's Chess Academy Climbing Aboard the Sicilian Roller Coaster
20 . ... exf5 21. Bxf5 f6

-~~~-~!
~.0, '0,~~r~~~--~~~--,/-1
••••• ••
..
Also possible was 21. ... b4!.
I~~~- ~ ~t
'·····'~i~~J~'i~
.,•• •.•a
22. Be6+ Kg7 23. Bg3 Rd2 24. Re2 Rfd8
Black could also be confident in 24 .... Nxg3+! 25. Qxg3 Rxe2 ,,
26.Nxe2 Rd8.
25. Bel (DJ
m m
~~~~~ ~s~~iffi\'~~~0-~'/~~~
··-·~·-·
~~ ..'0,~m-~~~
ft~~ ft-4J-%~~-
ft~~
1-
~i~~JL,~-~ t~
l~~----~~m~--~ .. -~
..
~..&:~& ~
'·····'~ %~
c. ..
~
.
~
~ ..4· 'fi~-
1m m %Q]~m~
~J..BA~~
1~T~~~'·····'~r
26 .... f5
·········1
UUF'"UUUUU
~~ ..ef~;~-----~~m~~I
ft~~ ft ~~m~,
rB - ft~~
This move is too optimistic. Black
could have gotten a better position with
26 ... b4 27.Bg4 Rd5 28.Bf3 Re5 29.Bxc6
Qxc6. (DJ
~ m ~§m@
~'··--·'~······'~ ..... , 27. Bc3+
Not 27. Bxf5 gxf5 28.Qxh5 Bxg2+ 29.Kgl Bxfl, and black is
The tide of white attack has ebbed, and black's soldiers not winning.
only start to feel comfortable on the long diagonal, they are ready
for greater coordination over the whole board. We're witnessing 27 ... Bf6? 28. Bxf6+?
a characteristic metamorphosis of a Sicilian game. It is impossi- An exchange of errors-quite a common phenomenon. Black
ble to reconstruct the slender columns of white pawns and pieces had to play 27 .... Nf6. And white did not use his chance:
after an unsuccessful attack against black's ramparts. That is pre- 28. Bxf5!, and if 28 .... gxf5?-29. Qxh5 Bxg2+ 30.Kgl Bxfl
cisely why the Open Sicilian is one of the riskiest openings for 31. Qg5+, with a winning position for white!
white.
28 .... Nxf6 29. Nf4 Rd2 30. Bb3 (DJ
25 . ... Rxe2
Instead of this move, 25 .... R2d4 ! leads to domination by the
black pieces.
26. Nxe2 (DJ
An exchange ot errors-
auna acommon phenomenon.
52 53
Platonov s Chess Academy Climbing Aboard the Sicilian Roller Coaster
... -
~mm
!~"~~~ ~~ ~~ ,)~: - 1
Belief in stability:
,~,~~~1~~
Samuel Zhukhovitsky-Platonov [B81]
~~it- ~t
~~.r~ %-t~!
Moscow, 1964
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. g4
~~~~~~-~i White chooses the razor-sharp Keres attack in Scheveningen
.-.~~,.-~ Variation of Sicilian Defense.
mA~f··--~~~m~I.
ft~~ ft ~a - ft ~fil1
6.... a6
1_'. ···'······'-Em~, Platonov instead often played ... h7-h6, in order not to let
white drive away the f6-knight.
30.... g5? 7. g5 Nfd7 8. Be3 b5 9. Bg2 Bb710. 0-0 Nc6 11. f4 (D)
An ill-timed aggression. Stronger was, for instance, 30 .... a5,
'=I' ~- ~r.6!t~AW ~'~~I
~.r~'~n
with advantage for black. a~ %SJ1it~ ~=
31. Qg3? f m'f'
~% m0 "~~~'·····'~
Perhaps Kondratiev was again hypnotized by the confidence ~tm~~tm
~~'··--·'~~~f-~~·~
1mt~ m ~fil
.
of his opponent. After 31. Ne6+ Kh8 32. Qxf5 Bxg2+ 33. Kgl
~% ~~ "'0~%--~'·····'~,
Qb6+ 34. Rf2, white is clearly better (a pawn up in the endgame).
m~R&jft~fil -
~ ~: ~ ~
~0 "'1::% ..... ':;0··~'·· .. ·'~~ %%
31. ... Ne4 32. Ne6+ Kf6 33. Qel Qb6 34. h3 Nf2+ 35. Kh2 ~-~ ~~ g
Qb8+ 36. Kgl Nxh3+(D) 0-1
l~~fii. m. -A~~
~ ~ !w'·····
1~§r···'~~~
Black mates in one.
: •••••• / ~ h ..•
We have to note the role of black's 11 .... Be712. Qh5 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 0-0 14. Rf3 (D)
light-squared bishop in this game. He
began his career with a modest 10 .... Sometimes we may choose a chess opening for its sonorous-
sounding name. But it would be better to be attracted to the main
Bd7, then rolled out to the long diagonal,
strategic ideas inherent in an opening set-up. From Platonov's
from where he observed with interest white's kingside pawns.
point of view, the idea of creating a plastic and dynamic pawn
One by one, they disappeared until His Majesty Himself ap-
structure, not blocked by his own pieces, was the most important
peared in the sights-for if now 37. Khl, 37 .... Bxg2#.
appeal of the Sicilian Defense. We can see such a pawn structure
in the diagram below:
54 55
Em
-~~~-fi1-~~-'4-~~@-I 1m -•m@m
.... ~~:r·~~!
~Lr"~f~r
1
:t-
1-A-~~
~
:t ~~
%~~~--~"·. ,,~~
~;~~t-
t
....~~
..... ,~~~--~~
~i~~ ~~~--J~i
- ,,~~~·~'~
~~~K ~~w~~~f-~~
BtB ..
~: ~~
!~~~~~±(~. . ~~
- ~ft~1fil ~
-. ~%'-~%'0~--1~f- . I~~~'//~~~~: ~~ J~ ....
......~ ~~~%'-~~ ~· .:~ - ~~L-.~~:r·~

,~~r·ef'·
- ~@
tft{b1fil ft~
f.a m
~lib~
,~~~~0
~ ~
,,, ,
,if~i!.nf~
LJ ~ - ~ L.~
14 .... Re8 Black's knight on the e5-outpost is well positioned for both
defense and counter-attack.
Here black could play the bold 14 ... e5!, ready to meet
15. Rh3 with 15 .... h6, and black is bet- ' w;;;. v.•.• ,, • • ~ 19. Nd5 Bxd5 20. exd5 Bf8 21. a4 Bg7 22. axb5 axb5
ter-for instance, 16. Bf2 exf4 17. gxh6 23. Rxa8 Qxa8 24. h4 (D)
g6. (D)
~- m1m\tm
~~~~~~J?n~
1
~~~~~,,,
15. Rg3
•t•~~~K ~ .,,,~,,../,''/. ~
..
Instead, 15. Rh3 at least forces Platonov to play 15 .... Nf8.

11 4!:> ~~
n~~ ~~~ :~-~K ~%--~
•.f.h~~r
.....
0'~
~~
.. .
15 .... e5!
R - %• .g:. ,,~~K~~..~
-~ %~
The normal reaction in the Sicilian-when your opponent
starts a flank operation, respond with a counterattack in the cen-
~~,~~~B
~ '~~~~_,Jf~
ter. ~ -~~ ~
16. Be3 White's badly coordinated forces will soon succumb to black's
assault.
16. Rh3 Nf8! (or 16 .... h6, as in the analysis after 14 .... e5,
above) 17. fxe5 g6. 24 .... Qa4 25. Qcl Rc8 26. b3 Qd4+ 27. Kh2 Qf2 28. c3
Qa2 29. Qdl
16.... exf417. Bxf4 g618. Qdl
White sounds the general retreat!
18 .... Ne5 (D)
56 57
-•m -@m:
.~.~.~71?,~
1
Missed Opportunities:
Nikola Karaklajic-Platonov [B85]
~~~K-~~i~i Capablanca Memorial, Cienfuegos, Cuba, 1972
~ ~~ ~i-
l~i-ft~~
~m~,,..,.,7,"/.q: w~r·~
m~ ~~~ .... }~ ~i~
....~% ~! ..
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6. Be2
e6 7. 0-0 Qc7 8. a4 Nc6
1~~·[~~~.!Jj~~I~ Platonov called this move a natural reaction to a4 .

.~.-
I~ J1 l?m • ~e:::r
'a~.- , , ,, D.1.~<1>1] ~~
a·~·~•jm ~,~~-f~~-f
'·-~~:.--.
1R m~m ~
29 .... Qb2 30. Bd2 Ra8 31. Bel Qbl 32. Qd2 Ral 0-1
R a··a"RR
1• • • •
~~~~ ..~~~ -~
~ ~~ ~i~
_,,J: ,_.~,···I
-·~,,····
~%~. ~"ft·· -~~-~~%~. ~~ft~%~. ~a1
~!0
::r,:;: ~ 7/.0.
~-::r,/.;::
~0,
%','%
~~, ,~~-'~'~'''"'
~.~.,-. ~~·a
0
-i-'if- .
,,,.,..,.... .....
1~fti~ m
~~% ..~~~~r· ..{ .... -' 9. Be3 Be7 10. f4 0-0 11. Qel Bd7 12. Qg3 Rac8
~@
~~~----~~-,-~ %~~---j0 '/<I
~ ~.'h~ ~lt~
l~~~~
~.·····~mw'ef· 0~"· 'h
m ~ ~
•mm
~ t
w::m
....,,,m,,,,., .. ~S<l>R~
~//
t i
~~-.
z.1. 0
~~r,
~'°····',,,/. ..//
! ~% ~1~~:;:
~~
/
fa~~~f--R
~
/
/
!?,'
~ %:::
n•a-·a"
-~~~~-"/~~%"~~~;
R ,
1U
ftm
M ~~
~~£lfti~
'.• WW~~//,,,,,,~ ..... :,,,,,, .. ~~- ... ~//·:·" ~I
~
m
,~ ~: M ~gJ
W~~Yft·~11~,ft~
;~·····/""''~~~~0·,//'""
1~§
-:~
m ~a~
13. Nxc6?!
58 59
This looks a bit simplistic.

...
=' w ~am{ ·~
%%~
~ illH" 'gLig" ~
~
~~ ~,~}, ~·1
13 . ... Bxc6 14. Bd4 g6 lS. fS

1
mJ Hff,,m$4,g'
mEB ~S®BI. i%t~W},~'~f1~ . J~~t~~i
~T~i11~rn1f
~m;;:. -~~:f-~ ~'//1::~~!·
i~~
i'~~
~~~
;..... /,
i~~ ~
lf~
%~;i'~~
..... /~ ~
.. ~
~-H,Hm~o
. .
t-Af~i~:tm1
I~ %~,..... ,~~i'.f~ %.
~% ~~m~~;;:... ~% ~
'Hg~'RgH mft fJIB
.. ..
f~ B
I~~-~
m~//.,}~:~~~
.... ~ lf .. f····'~~~ %w '/<, .....
1~§ ~ ~~~
~~~!~:%%~ '~-~~~
illg ill,, ,.~1
cl~~jH ~~~ ,!!. ~m ,!!. 22 . ... BxaS
~§ ~ ~~~ Stronger was 22 .... Qd5, preparing ... Rc2, with advantage.
lS . ... eS 16. Be3 Kh8 17. BgS Nxe4 18. Nxe4 Bxe4 19. f6 23. Khl Bb6
Even here, much stronger was 23 .... Qd5, with an approxi-
mER
!~~~-~~ ~s --~I
~~-1·····~~~{' -~
mately even game.
,~t~ ~tmt 24. Qh3
~~L.~ff'~ • ff'~ 0~1
,,illH•• fgJlf?,~-
illgm3H" ~.
White wins with 24. Qh4! If24 ..... h5, then 25. Bd2!. Perhaps
both opponents missed this ("backward-bishop move"-a type
of move that is often overlooked in over-the-board analysis).
,.H~,g~g
~% ..~~~~m .... '%..~!.
24 . ... hS
~~;
ffil ft mil- ft f~
. . ./m~ %m~ iw'L.~·····' If 24 .... Rg8, 25. Qh6!, with the winning threat of 26. Rf3.
~ .... ~ 2S. Rael

In a complex fighting game, white challenges black's queue
Black has won a pawn, yet the white pawn on f6 has gone far! on the open file just one move too soon! After 25. Bh6!, if 25 ....
With its help, we can imagine checkmating threats to the black Rg8, then 26. Rael, and 26 .... Qe8 doesn't work because of
king. 26. Rf5!!.
19 . ... Bd8 20. Bd3 Qc6 21. as Bxd3 22. cxd3 2S . ... Qe8!
The only move-but also now a winning idea.
26. Bh6 Rxcl 27. Rxcl Rg8 28. Rc4
60 61
nf~Wfff'I
,~,,,,,,, 0~,,,,/,''0~,,,,/,''0~,,,,,,,
.. ..0:1
- ~s)~~~,,~
lll~lll'
~~*~~~~%t0.~%%
- ~
i ~~
~ ~ ~~
!P~ ~~t~
!P~ ~ .~
tB' lll- «ii~.~1IDtB
~-······~,_,,,,,~;.,,,,,~,.f
lll ,~ -
llllll~~~ illllll~ ~~~~*~~~-i
nllli'~lll~I
~%'-~~~~~~%"~
·~-r··--f\l~
m ~9 ft~~~- . ~~
ft
~%'·~-- .... /~;..... ,~ m;?;? '/<
~~ B ~ft~~I
1~~L.~~m~~~~--3 i~,~~
..... ~~r~- 0~m~~-
mftW. ,
~mm m~ ~ ~ ~ ~
If 28. g4, then 28 .... Qe6. 36.... Qe5+ 37. g3 e2 0-1
28 .... Qb5 29. Bel Rd8 30. Qg3 Qb3 31. Qf3 d5 32. Rc3
Qb4
nf-~S-~'
~· '~flll,J
~~--~~~~%"~~~!
tB M ~~tm . .
1~ . . ~r~; ,~ 1'
lll~lll~~ 'llllll~!
1 It's important, ii vou plav the
I-
~ L.~ ...... ~~~~~~
~K
~~ft-~~ ..~!.,
~%"%""~~~~~%
~~..~~r~m~~~K
- ~ft~~'..~
Sicilian with black, that vou
believe in the stabilitv ot
vour pawn chain and in
~ D m -~
33. h3 Qd4 34. Qfl e4 35. Kh2 e3 36. Qf3 the suniciencv ot the
communication behind
the trenches. You have to
believe, even when white
is readv to open direct tire.
62 63
Platonov 's Chess Academy Platonov Versus Tai: Three Epic Sicilian Duels
Chapter Four
-:, Platonov Versus Tai:

Three Epic
Sicilian Duels
A
person's life can't be an uninterrupted string of pleasures.
And the sporting life of a chess player can hardly be an un-
blemished string of wins. That's why, when you beat a wor-
thy opponent, it is a joyous event. And if you are able to
overcome a true genius, the resulting masterpiece (you can
scarcely beat a genius without creating one) is an achievement
worth commemorating.
Grandmaster Igor Platonov This next game was such an achievement by our friend Igor
with Leonid Stein (standing)
Platonov, who created it against the great chess genius and world
champion Mikhail Tal.
Masterpiece:
Mikhail Tal-Platonov [B95]
USSR Championship, Alma-Ata 1968
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 (D)
Platonov chooses the Najdorf Variation.
64 65
Platonov s Chess Academy Platonov Versus Tai: Three Epic Sicilian Duels
i ~flir0., ~~~~
g~_a.~s31S'~ r= ~,*},I
~ ~,~}, ..
-~~~·
~~-;-~ ~~--~ ~~<~=
~~..a.m1it• ~'*~
~t-
l~~f-~'···-~~~-f ~~-f/
·~~ ~~"0,(""''~ '"1(""'~
RRRfJ'RRR
~~
%~~- ...~~<%-~ ~
.... .:~~]
R~-~
I~ t
·mtm
c ..
~-- -~~,,~~tm
~~~/ B
-~ ~~
..•. ·~ ''0,: :;0~,,~
%~,i~?'.
~~ %~r:fi(~K . ~~
i~~ t !~~
~~· ~~~
..... ,~ ,,,1(···"~.,~, ..... ,I
... _,
i~d
•RrJ"RRRm 1~~~&"M% .... -~~~!@~I

'~"ftRR~'~
~~ ~: ~gJ ~
,., . . /~~~if~'·ci~ ft~
;t_j
'.
0~,,, ,,/"'"'~'""''•
1,,·····•''""'ij'A ..
·~§f ~~~·i:tm ~~-;~

...
- L.~ . ~
m·
·~
'ml,~
L.~
,~ i
~ ~ <. ....
..
6. Bg5 e6 7. Qf3 h6 8. Bh4 Nbd7 9. 0-0-0 Qc710. Be2 (DJ 15. f3 (DJ
White is already on the defensive, and his choice loses an im-
·-J..-~~
~ ~-
~~-;-~~~ , ~,,4•""
1mtfS~Mt~~
portant tempo. White could instead reduce some of the pressure
with 15. f4.
0~~ '---~~ ..~WPA~_,,0 ,..... ,~.,~
~ 0 t !~~/~/i~
t ~-~%~,.,i~~.. ,/~% i~?'. ~~·
....
i~
.....
15.... Nfd7!
RRR~_,,1RRR~q Now the threat of ... Nd7-b6-c4 discourages white's otherwise

attractive plan of Bg3-f2, g2-g3 and f3-f4. White doesn't have
RRr:J'lJilRg time to challenge black's knight on e5.
~%"~%. -~~%"~~%"~.·
10.... Be7!
-
ft~~
I~ m.il~~ ft~~
ft
'··--·'0· ,,,,WPA~, ..... ,~, .....
~~- ~~
16. f4 gxf4 17. Bxf4 b4 (DJ
- ~SJ..m\t'-
•'--···,~·;·~~~-
-~~t-
~Si
~ ~~cJ
~% L.~~,,~ ..•. ~WPAff,~
tB ~~t- ~~1
Avoiding a beautiful trap: 10 .... b5? 11. e5! Bb7 12. Nxe6
~WPA~K ..~~WPA~K31
fxe6 13. Qh5+!, and if 13 .... Nxh5, 14. Bxh5+, with mate next
move!
~,~~~ ~,,7,&J'' ft ~'%. 0~.,,...~~'/,
"/.
~/. ~ ~-. ~
~
.,,/,% .....•.,,...A ..
0-/m 0
~· ~ ~
~?'. :<:; ~% ~
11. Rhel g5!? 12. Bg3 Ne5 13. Qe3 b5 14. a3 Rb8 (DJ
,. . . m
W~'----·'~~'1(···-~·····-~
~.Jffi ~- ~93
~~it:ff~~~ ft~~I
mr. 'w .,Rr tR~r. '
- ~~t§ ~
18. axb4 Rxb4 19. Rfl Qb6 20. b3 Ng6 (DJ
66 67
Black could also play 23 .... e5 24. Rxf7 Bg5, with advantage.
-J.D<li'- ~B
~~-f~f~r
_, ,_, - -•1
While analyzing this game, Tal said that in preliminary calcu-
~?;,-,~~~,,;---~~~~"0,il lations in response to 23 .... Bg5, he prepared 24. e5 dxe5
t~__
~~t-~~~
__ 25. Bxf7 +,(DJ
~~----)~~
~ii:=:r~
,,)~0-1- ~ ~WW~I
M ~ ~M
7~ ~-.!.1~ ~
~<-----~~.--,~-----;?;,.,-~'. ... ·~ ~
Bft&J, ~ m
~~" -·~,.. -~~ ,~,,~I
- ft-~- ft ~~I
~~:-''<~~~~/,,,.,/
Im ~am§m
21. Bh5!?
and if the king departs on e7 or d8, white wins with 26. Rxd7 +.
White is correctly concerned about the double attack . , , e6-
But there is a fine refutation, which
e5 and the pin along the h6-c 1 diagonal. So he decides to attack-
Platonov saw: 25 .... Kf8! 26. Bxe6 +
vintage Tal!
exf4 27. Rxf4+ (DJ
21. ... Rxd4!
27 .... Kg7 28.Rf7 + Kg6, and black
Also promising for black, and also sharp, is 21. , .. Nxf4!. wins. To 27. Qd3, black has 27 .... Qxe6,
22. Rxd4 Nxf4 23. Rxf4 when white has run out of ways to sup-
port the attack.
On 23. Bxf7+, Black can play 23 .... Kd8, and after 24. Rxf4,
... e5, winning. 24. Bxf7+ Kd8 25. e5 Rf8 26. Ne2 Rxfi 27. h4 Bxf4 28. Nxf4
d5 (D)
RJ.~.w~ m
23 .... Bg5! (DJ
•.... ~~-~.r.~
-J.D<li'-
~~-~.~
~?;,-,-~~~~£~~"0,il
i~-~~'-----'~~W~'·----'
~'- ~~i~ ~~I
~SI
t- -t•
~//--~~'~
im LA.~m'4.~.~~'j
!-~~-~~§ti~~~"'1;,~%~"~,
"//
!~~~~----~~~-----~£!_
~ ~ ?.: ;<. : ~ ~
-
1~T~· ~§ft~9
---'~· ,~ -'
m?n'§"RJ
·n?n,,nln
~ ~ ~ ; ~ ~
--
0
'~ " '%% ,, -~~~~f'0 .~0'«~.~.

~-~ -ftR
%%? m~ Rft~~
%~'ff.. J; ~~
-~--
'/<
29. g4 Rg7 30. g5 hxg5 31. hxg5 Ke8 32. Nh5 Rh7! (DJ
68 69
Platonov's Chess Academy Platonov Versus Tai:
•. Three Epic Sicilian Duels
37 .... d4! (37 .... Rg4 38. Rc3, with

mJ..E<!'B ~
111~1111111~111 E counter-play) 38. Rg3 e5 39. g6 Rg4!
,,~111111!111111111
~~ -~~~%--~~~f'~~
...
40. Rh3 Rxg6 41. Rh8 + Kf7 42. Rxc8
Kxf6, (DJ when, with an extra pawn,
black should win this endgame
~ mt~~ ~~4J
~~~~~'····-~~,·----~~
' a '~"111111~
111
111 ·
36 . ... Rh2+ 37. Ka3
•
111111111111,
-lllJs,,lll~lll~lll
~~~mm
.•-a•1•.W,!
~, .,.,,~~~W,, ~q/," ~,
t ~-J
~ •tr~ ~
B'"afa·'~~
~~m~
If white now tries 33. g6, black has ~~~,.. ,~~'--···'%
. ...
33 .... Rxh5 34. g7 Kf7 35. Qf3 + Rf5, -~§-~I
0%--~· ... /~F~ ~~ ~
and if 36. Rg4, (DJ then 36 .... Qd8!-+
(not 36 .... Kg8 37. Qh3, winning for
1%:.' ,,<
~ft~~
1
~
.. ~~"····'~'··. ,~
m w~~
white).
~·~·W,!
mm~R ·~·J
33. Nf6+ Nxf6 34. exf6 37 . ... Rc2
Much stronger was 37 .... a5. After the text move, Tal could
u~BJ..ni'-
~a ~i~al -
~q~~/. ~w-- ~~~
have kept the issue in doubt with 38. b4!.
38. Qh3 QaS+ 39. Ra4 QcS+ 40. Rb4
t %SJ
~ ~~t~~ ~-
.,.,
~~
~r -~~ r~'··---~~ ~ .-,·1·.~
•a•,~•111"'•1
·'•''~·-·
·~ ••. "W,! ••
·····0'4.·~
Ii~~·;·~~;~~%"~!
~ ~t~ ~~
~•Jt•~·~·
l~~-- w~~,... ~-~-'-····'~!
M-'·~,~~ %~- ~-!
, "•I'll!~. •a
~.f..h~m ~ ~'©
34 . ... Rhl + 35. Kb2 Rh4! 36. c3

Or 36. Rd3 Qxe3 37. Rxe3 ••••••••
40 . ... as 41. Qh8+ (DJ
70 71
-J.-<i'~ ~I
DBDBDB!f~f" , m0 m m -
._,_,,,_
DDDD'<~DD
r@., y., '•
~--~~~-; ~~~~---~~r-~~ ~,,.,. ~ "//~ ~
I~~
;. . . ~~~f•tm
--~~~~;~~
. . . ~~I
v._w
·~~
~ wtr~
~m
m~.
~•; !r~
iM··~'r~~~~~~· ~.~~%'-~~~~% ~
l~.U.ir~
~·~·~·~·
mm mm
- ~
L.~~--~~~~~~I
i
,mm mm-ft~f1i~-
·~~;
m-
~-% ~
.... ,,~ ~~~~ u
42 . ... Kd7 42. Qh7+ Kc6 43. Qxc2 axb4+ 44. Ka2 To block the pawn is a lowly task, far beneath Her Majesty.
47. ... Qf2+
If 44. Kb2, then 44. . . . Qxc3+ Platonov maintains his concentration. If 47 .... c2? 48. Qa6+
45. Qxc3 bxc3+ 46. Kxc3 Kd6 47. g6 e5, draws!-for example: 48 .... Kc7 49. f8=Q! Qxf8 50. Qa7+, with
(D) when black detains the enemy pawns a perpetual.
with either his bishop or the king while
48. Ka3 Qa7+ 49. Kb4 Qc5+ 50. Ka4 c2 51. f8=Q Qa7+
advancing his own foot soldiers.
52. Kb4 Qb7+ 53. Ka4 cl=Q (D)
44 . ... bxc3 45. g6 (D)
gi..m ~--···--1
DBDBDBDB
- m
~~~
.m1km m~-I
~~L~~
m~
!~~~~~~f'~~~I m~mAmJtm
_,,~ t ~~ tt U
,~~-r~; ,~~I ... 1
-~.mt~
~."' !~ m
~~
•u'"u•u•u
··'-~~·-···
·•"''•····
1•i·~·~·
im mm m
1'-·'····
••••••••
-~~-;~~~~~~
!~ ~ m •
54. Qffl Qxfl 55. Qxfl Qa7+ 56. Kb4 Qc5+ 57. Ka4 Kb6
45 . ... es 46. ti Be6 47. Qd3 (D) 0-1 (D)
72 73
Platonovs· Chess Academy Platonov Versus Tai: Three Epic Sicilian Duels
BBB m1
.~.~.~.~
This is the Sozin attack.
•:;:,•·····
m~~~-:-~RA~l~
·~t~~
~~~·--·~m~----~~~m
~
6.... e6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. Bb3 bS 9. f4 Bb7
This move makes sense only after white has already advanced
the f-pawn, when the possibility of a sacrifice on e6 diminishes,
.,
since there would be counter-play against the e4-pawn.
1·.·····
•••••• 10. fS eS 11. Nde2 (D)
-·-·-·~·
ait=f 7,~
~~r
~6-
%&J1it~
?,~~~
~~
B B B~B R~ ~%; "1tf
n:Ul' 0tit
,,~w~---~~
m . . . ,~. ~%~~~ m
tB~~ ~~
..; .
It was always a pleasure for me to converse and occasionally

debate with Igor, analyze variations and positions, and explore
new ideas with this unassuming genius who had the gift of lis- •••Jfr.
-~~-,,.,~.~.~
m1 ......
,.~m!a'B
tening. It was often in the back of my mind that I was speaking
to the vanquisher of Tal himselfl
Here's another oflgor's masterpieces in the Sicilian. ~- ... t ..... ,W ~ ~~ ~0 '/~.... J
f.~ ~~-§~
A Timely Surprise:
Platonov-Tal [B87] 11 .... Nbd7
USSR Championship, Moscow, 10th round
Septemeber 19, 1969 After 11. . .. Nxe4 12. Nxe4 Bxe4
1. e4 cS 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 S. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 (D) 13. Nc3 Bb7 14. Nd5, (D)
-= ~~··
a
.. ~ri*t~
~~;.iL~SJ1it~ ~ ~-I
~,-=»
m7,1 . ~". --~~~--1~~-fi
~'-'~~/, R.,,/,"/. K3v, ~----~,~/ '·.,
white's initiative trumps a pawn.
tI~ ~~ ~~ 7,Ji{f;
~~ ~~:
~~~----~m~·- .:~ ~
~-'
~· 12. Bg5 Rc813. Bxf6 (D)
._,~,···
-·~,····
Bir;.,,"· n•m-.,,•~,.,,
$.:z~~0~~R0 •/fe~ww~ft ~~i White's initiative trumps a PIK
r,.:~~ f~~RH ~~
~
Ir~. ~g~ ~!=::.
74 75
,...
Platonov s Chess Academy Platonov Versus Tai: Three Epic Sicilian Duels
m .;;.
m~~-
.,.,,.,~:If
- ~S{'e'~ %m~
?'Q·,,. B R ~~®B
.~.~.n11r
m~m~.,~ ~r~;,.,,,/m
t- ~~
.a m ~/ ~"'/,"//;,,"··%;/ '///,~---·~~,,_.~,,,
.,.,,,
~~~~~~
~~ ~~r ~
~•··-~m1im1tm ~1
%Sf
I- ;~···-~wfft%m %
~.~.L!.~.
•m%,,~"····m~mm%"~.
1rt;j•1•.•
'·'z~•.,,888
,~,,,, •••
ft~~
ft B4J-
~-···f····~~~m %~
f§ m~m8W
ft~~
,JL.'-
~~ '····•"if~~
m ~ ~
m§m~
~ ,.,. •• /I
This position should not evoke special concerns from either

13 . ... Nxf6 14. Qd3 Rc5 15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. Bxd5 0-0 17. c3
side.
(DJ
22. Qf3 Qa7 23. Radl axb3 24. axb3 Ra2 (DJ
~ - -~~ 1····,,~,,~m
1mmm~· ~S~WI
Im -
1
t- .: ~t~f13t
%m~~.,~;,,·
1mT~sA~tii:f:~~
%~,,/?····~m
~~ ~
1~·~-~B
/m
~~ R
~~-~<.~S®R
/m
- ~~~:1~t~~i
/%''~ ~
· ~;. . .
....
1
m•w~,- ••
·~·· ,~,,~·~
1m%,,J~i~mm%,,~1
~
h .•
·a I
•~11,Wfi•.
~Kl~ ~~~Vi~
• • , 'isn"
1r§
ft~~ B4Jm ft ~~1
~····f····~~~m %~ ,/L.~
m m8W
17. ... Qb618. Khl b4 19. c4 a5 20. b3 a4 21. Ng3 Ra5 (DJ
li-
mJ ~~~!~£t "//
Wia~~m
~0 -ft~I
m ~8B§m~
~~K ~, ..
25. Nh5 Rc8 26. Nxf6+ Bxf6 27. Qh5 Rc7 28. Rf3 Rc2
29. Rdfl Ra2 30. h3 (DJ
76 77
....
Platonov :S Chess Academy
Platonov Versus Tal: Three Epic Sicilian Duels
,~-;~~ ~~~'~
38. Rg6!
~ ~~ -t~~i
.....
With Tal's rook voluntarily off the second row, Platonov pro-
LY~c .. ;~--~m~. ~,..... ~~I duces an imaginative try.
-~~~-I
~~~'·····'~--~ . ~m
•0~,,~f1•1
38. ... fxg6
.KJ······
•1•.•1•1
1m1·~·~•j•
mm§-~
Black also holds after 38 .... Qe3.
39. fxg6 Qe3 40. QfS (D)
~~
~r····?,-~~ ~
~~,,_ -~%--~~I
-~~-~~
%~~ L.Jff.~ %~ 1-.. -~%--~.'
30 . ... QcS ~~ i*~ ,,,~ .f1.
~ i*~.'
A mistake that could have been immediately fatal. On another ~
1~~
~A~~~~,
%
. . _,
1~~
day, Platonov would have found 31. g4!, when black has no ef- Bm,.BB,,BBB
fective way to stop the kingside storm, as suddenly all of white's ~r···-~!1£~~~lm~~1
pieces are in optimal positions. There could follow: 31. . .. h6 r~ft-
~--j~~----~~r~
-- -ft
~-m-~~~·~·"
32. h4 Rea? 33. g5, winning. Instead, black should have played,
for instance, 30 .... Qd4, making 31. g4 impossible because of
31. . .. Qd2, winning. m m§m
31. Rd3 Rca7 32. Kh2 h6 33. Rg3 Kf8 34. Rd3 R2a5
35. Rg3 Ra2 36. Rd3 Rc7 37. Rg3 Ra3 (D) 40 . ... Ke8?
I- m .~ii-~%--~~'
i~~~-····?,~~,,,
~~~ ~~
i.~~
wm i*~
m1
1.,r,,:
-t~~
~ ... Jff_~m~.;t-
~
~
. -~%--~
% i*~I
1.,r,,:
~-;~, ..... /%_,~·····~, ..... /
The last move before time control-and the decisive error
(perhaps in zeitnot). Ironically, there are many that maintain the
draw-for example, 40 .... Qxb3 41. Qe6 Qg3+ 42. Kh1Qxg6
43. Qg8+ Ke7 44. Qe6+, etc.
~~~~ft-~
41. Qe6+ Kd8 42. Qg8+ 1-0
-
~~fi:(~'if
1.~·-··x -~-I
.. ···'~m~ ~~-----~ ,
If now 42 .... Ke7, then 43. Rxf6 gxf6 (or 43 ... Kxf6 44.Qe6+
Kg5 45.Qf5+ Kh4 46. Qg4#) 44. Qf7+ Kd8 45. Qxf6+ Re7
i~~ft- -
~- ;~~~m~<.~§ft
.... ;0 ,,<i 46. g7, and white is winning.
~ - -ft~1
l~.~~~m~ w~ .. /
m m m§-
Somewhat stronger, and more solid, was 37 .... Qd4, with a
1 small advantage for black.
78
79
....
Platonov s Chess Academy Platonov Versus Tal: Three Epic Sicilian Duels
Readers might mistakenly start to think that winning against

Tal is easy. In the next game, we'll correct this delusion. i ,~:~·-%m ~s~~,
%~'-----~~r~
~i~A~iBi
No Paper Tiger:
Tal-Platonov [B97]
tm ~~t'm-~
~ ~~; /~ ..... ; ..... / /////h
Dubna, 1973
•.•.•m.,,.Bjt
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5
;~,?{;j·,~~.1
e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 , ,,•.•m·"-
. . • •% .....
~,ft~, ~ft~~
Entering the "Poison Pawn" requires, from both sides, both
bravery and deep analysis.
8.... Qxb2 9. Nb3 Qa3 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Be2 Nc6 12. 0-0
,•
!
n m m§m~ I
I
18.... f5
Bd7 13. Bh5 Bg7 (D) 1
Opening the diagonal for his bishop. Black's strategy relies on

'"·~ ~~
-®-%~-~----~~
•0 ,.J,,•l~l•i
%~ %~ preoccupying white with the defense of his knight on c3 .
19. exf5 Qb4 20. f6!?
. ...
••••,&~··
i~~~~i~~
T~~i-"~·-'f!J
~€J&J. ~ ~
••
~
%~; ,../~; /~i
,, . '~"-· 'r,,·'%: ,~ '~r-~

i
i
'
'
Tal goes for broke. There were "safer" moves, such as 20. Rg3
-but then there would be no chances for Tal to win. Tal was a
master risk-taker. And this time, as they often did, his risks pay
off.
ft ~0~,,
{···~
ft ~Ii,:~ ~0~ft ~JTu 20 .... Bxf6 21. f5! (D)
.e ~ ~§~
;//•••••
!~E-~ ~S®~
There are several reasons, aside from the extra pawn, for black
m %m
,,~,,,.,
%~'-----~~ %
to be optimistic. Specifically, there are the classically-favored
two bishops, and the fact that the white bishop on h5, rather than n ,m,. . ,,miimA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
participating in the attack, only clogs the h-file. Tal, however, has Ml~ Ml.~.~.
his own opinion when it comes to this last matter.
14. Rf3 0-0 15. Raft Na5 ~ftf'J····~
~."
,,,,,,, ~0ft "-'"BBBm~
~0 ~ft~~
~ m m§m~
The knight decides, rather than waiting for a centralized future
on e5, or making a lunge to e7 and g6, to exchange itself for its
1
counterpart on the queenside. 21. ... Rxc3
16. Rh3 Nxb3 17. axb3 Raes 18. Khl (D)
80 81
I
s
Platonov Chess Academy Platonov Versus Tai: Three Epic Sicilian Duels
This natural move misses a win. 21. . ..

exf5 keeps the win in hand-for example
22. Qh6 Bg7 23. Bxt7+ Rxt7 24. Qxh7+ Kf8
(D)
25. Nd5 Qd2. (D) •t
With these three games in mind,

sometime in 1913 I asked Igor lbv
22. Rg3+ (D)
now aspecialist on the subiecu how
m m ~m~.
1
i-
BlBl.m'I/m l
~m~~f-~ ~~··~ ~~
~~t~
1{ml
~~~~----~~~
-~-.·.~.
~
to plav against Tai. ·100 have to fight
him blow for blow!," he replied. ·1ou
have to use Tal's own weapon against
I~~-. ·~r--~~~~r··-~~
l~:n:~~ m ~9
~~<..,,,j~-~-%: 0~< .... ,j~f'~ him-of course, if vou canl"
-ft~ ~ft~~
m
1
0
m·-~mffm~
22 .... Kh8
22 .... Rxg3 fails to 23. Qxb4.
But with a steely 22 .... Bg7! Platonov could have held the
draw. Then if 23. Rxg7+ Kxg7 24. Qg5+ Kh8, draw. If 23. f6,
then 23 .... Rf3, and black holds.
23. Qh61-0
If 23 .... Rxg3, white's bishop at last becomes useful with
24. Bg6!. There is no defense to mate.
82 83
Platonov 's Chess Academy The Breadth and Depth of Platonov's Sicilian
Chanter Five
The Breadth and
Depthol
Platonov's Sicilian
Part 111 n the next half-dozen games, we see Platonov playing
Platonov's I the black side of his beloved Sicilian. Whether the opening
develops into the Poisoned Pawn, Sozin, Scheveningen, or
Sveshnikov variations, Platonov demonstrates his mastery of
Heritage every nuance of the defense.
The Bishop's Long Road to Victory:
Vladimir Tukmakov-Platonov [B97]
USSR Championship, Moscow, Round 5, 1968
Bv Sam Palatnlll 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5
e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 (D)
~Jii{.1 .. -~~~ %~~1

i
•t•~•i•i
~~ ..a.~1SW -r,;;;1
t-
~~ ~~--~ ~~ '//t-.. ~.
~ ~~-~~t-~
/~"""'~?~ ~1
.....
IJ ~// '///,~W,"0~~
m ~ft~~ m
-
~~~ :~~ J~~ ..
~~·:·%:"·····~·: %:~~ ~%"~i
ft~ft~ ~ft~fil1
1~at··~~~. . -~wi~-Ef
;<..~ ~ L.~ ~
84 85
Platonov's Chess Academy The Breadth and Depth of Platonov's Sicilian
9. Rbl 19. Qe2 Nxb3 20. cxb3 Bd8! 21. Rdl Bas 22. Nbl (D)
In a previous game, Tal played 9. Nb3.
9.... Qa3 10. Bxf6 gxf611. Be2 Nc6 12. Nb3 (D) !~ m•m@m ~·~
~ %~ ~~-·····
~~~A~%;t~~~
EmJ.m@E ~s
tm ~~i~~
-r~~----~~~----~~~
~I
HfH~H .f H'.f
·~~~%;"~~~f'~~~!. ~-'·%~~~~%--~~~--~.
m -ft~~A~~
i~~~~i~~ ~I 1-;~ %~'····-~~,~
m~~K3~~.. 3~~1
~~~~ ~ff'~~~
~ -ft~~ ~,
0,"'"%:~~-"/~~~,,..,./~
······-·~?
~ ~~ ~,-~i~~I
mf)m§m -~
•4J~'. - -
"---~~~---···~-,-%:~~~%"0,:
ft ~ ft
~~~f -~~ ~A- ft ~Jlli
/~(
Black has the extra pawn, the advantage of the two good bish-
-§m ~
'/<
mg ....
ops, control of the c-file, and, paradoxically, the safer king. And
white's knight last move to bl is a good indication ofblack's sue-
cess.
12.... hS 22 .... Qcl ! 23. Qfl
The tempos white expended on Rb 1 and Nb3 permit black to 23. Rxcl Rxcl + 24. Qdl Rxdl + 25. Bxdlis even worse for
spend some time on this pawn move. Even here, however, it is white.
possible to play 12 .... Bd7 13. Bh5 Bg7.
23 .... QcS 24. Rhd3 Bc7 2S. Nd2 Bb8 26. Nf3 Bc6 (D)
13. 0-0 Bd7 14. Rf3 Rc8 lS. Khl bS 16. Rel Be7 17. Rh3
h4 18. Bg4 NaS (D) ~~ t!f' ~-~~- ?,t=f,~'
~r•~•'•,,
Ea~1S'~ ~=
--------~--~...-
~ .~@~ ~s
~~ ~~--~ ~~--~~~
~~-1-rn·····/ tmA~~t~~ ~~
mi~'----·/m, /~~. . .
T~~~:lf~ ,B /~'· -~~ ~%--~~~--0;:.
~Tm'·----,~~r----,m~ m
~ ~~ -ft~~A~~
%%~~:---~~ K ..
-----~~-r~~A~~ ,,.,.i,~
~~~~~~----~-§
%iln1f~~-
'~ ~
r~
~ ?'@~'·· -~~~ /~~
<. .... ~ ~
-
~·~·~·~ !'!J
-§-~-~
27. Rel Qb6 28. Rel Bb7 29. Qe2 Ke7 30. Nd4 RcS (D)
86 87
~ m B ~5
m·····m~".:,~m
35. Nxh4 Ba7! 36. Qe2 Rxd3 37. Qxd3 Bf2 0-1 (D)
~A~%--J~I:~~~ msa :.fi---

~~,, './,~// ~-- ~
1
t~ ~~t~~
1~~i~1r·
3 -
~'-----~~~
~~<...--'7.'."'~~%,"~~%"~
-J..~-tm ...
%~,···<;j%--~~ff-~~m
tm ~~t~~
_<;j
~ ~~;.,.,,/~ ;..... /~ ~
~!
~ [)'ft~~~~~
1~r~~1~~{~'-----/~;. . ,,I 1m£Hm-%--~~. ,,~1
'~~~~~~~~--:i~
ft~ -~~ft~~ I~ - %~ -ft~~
%~~.. 3~~~,1
. ..i
I~ ~~~r··~~~,--~
~-,§~-~
_, •i•&·i~i
i•mmr~fN!ijm
For a moment, white is able to keep a strong grouping in the ~~,§~-~
center. But the decisive strengthening of black's position is now
The bishop took side roads but arrived at the main intersection
inevitable.
of white's camp-with decisive effect.
31. Bf3 Rhc8 32. Qe3 Qc7 33. h3 Rc3 (D)
The Failed Blitz-Krieg:
~BB - Bl
Eduard Gufeld-Platonov
a'E~~~r-~
t-w-
~~L.<;j~f-ef··<;j%"~~~
~~t~~
~!~'--···'~'·····'~~·
~~~ ~~."'~~%--~~%--~'
4> i~~
f.R, .£!. i*~I
~I
USSR Championship, Moscow, Round 17
October 1, 1969 [B87]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4
e6 7. Bb3 b5 8. 0-0 Be7 9. f4 (D)
Ia~~~
,_, '~f"•'·
~; :;?'~,;::
:;?'.&:-.:: =' ?,1Jik%.J..~~- ~<=';
m~ 0
'm' ~~r~1tt
1
~s11ii'" ~-
~ ft ~!{!~t~ll~'if
~~~% ~ .,,~'·····'m
~m~•~%m~m tm ~~t-, m .. .
mm,s~m~ ~r-----~~~·····~~~I
~~ ~~ ..,,~~%'-~~~
An amazing picture-all the patriarchs of the familia Siciliana
on the c-file!
- ~'ft~~/~~
~?~"'···'~; ~ ..,.
B.,nt m•m•s~
~,~/~~~IWffiml~~
34. Nf5+!?
A desperate sacrifice ... ~ g ~ ~'©;
rt::},
~ ..... / -d... ~ Cj, / •... ~
34 . ... Kf8
In a game with Tal (see page 74), Platonov plays this same po-
that black wisely rejects. sition from the white side. Not every master is able to play the
same position from both sides, since too often you end up playing
88 89
Platonov s Chess Academy The Breadth and Depth of Platonov's Sicilian
against yourself1
9 . ... Bb7 10. e5 dxe5 11. fxe5 Bc5 12. Be3 Nc6 13. exf6 (DJ
1m m<l'm
~ ~~ ~//''''l, ~, ..... ,
-A~ fliti~t
r~r~:kl~LJ~,
mg• •~<l'B
.~ • • ~;ic%
~,~~~~j~i
~B
.·.·~·-·
~~~·"'~~~··~~~~!
. ,• • • • • •!
t~~~t~~ ~
~T~m~,- ~ .. &S: ~~-
' mft,~
··,.,~····
-r~~~ft·m
~'~~t···'rtl@~-~
~%:,~. ;?WJ;,t'~: «~ ~
~j;t,kl ~%''~.·
~,., ,,~ .
~~ 1~~
~ ~ ~
.,.,,,;
ft~~ft-
..
~·--·r -ft~iff
~~m~~~··-/<, ..... We are left with an impression that white took too much upon
_§ ~~~§~ himself. It is not in every Sicilian that a masterpiece is created.
18. Bd5
13 . ... Bxd4 14. fxg7Bxe3+15. Khl Rg816. Qf3 Rxg7 (DJ
·- -<I'- -
If 18. Nd5, then 18 .... Nd4 19. Qxe3 Bxd5 20. Qxd4 Bxg2+
21. Kgl fxe6-+.
•Lt"•ftsf 18 . ... Nd4 19. Qh3 Nxc2 (D)
'·'·'•''•1
.,
••••••••
•••••• ., •••,til'
~ ~~ B<l'm
1·1•
,.,.,
~~,~~~ ~~--·--~m,1
•••••••
~
i~~0 "''.%~~--~~~~I
BA~
l~ift~~ft-
~§ -
E~~ ..~'
~%:,;r ... :~7'·°'m~%
....f . 3~m~ -ft~~!
~~~....~:
R§-~
••••
~ ~0 ,,,~~~··~~~~I
1-~EB~
~%--~ ..... :~7' .. .«~ ~%:'~!
,
17. Bxe6?! ft~~~-

~----·/ -ft~~
....~~ ~~ ~~K .. ~
A dubious "brilliancy." r§ - -§-~
The natural continuation 17. Qxe3 Black is able to mix business with pleasure. The pawn is eaten,
Nd4 18. Ne4 Rg4 19. Nf6+ Qxf6!? 20. the bishop on e3 is protected, and the rook on al is under attack.
Rxf6 Rxg2 (DJ 21. Bxe6 Re2+ 22. Bd5+
Rxe3 23. Bxb7 leads to equality. 20. Radl Rd8 21. Bxb7 Qxb7 22. Rxd8+ Kxd8 23. Rdl +
(DJ
17 . ... Qe7! (DJ
90 91
29.... Qe4! (D)

~~~-- -~~ ~~----)~
B m- 1
,,_._._. ,-·-·-·-~
••• ~ B<llB
0
!~~-
m~~~ mt~st 0~~-----~~ .~.~.r.
-.-~:F
·-······
~m~ ,,,«~~--~m~~
IB~~-~
~%";/:-·· ;~~-,,,,~~%:·~1
m
.,._.fll
.•.11~.~
••
~iii!~·~~~~
ft~~~~ ft~~ ~%'-~~~% .... .'~~%"~.
1m m§m m~ j
ft~~
~ -~-ft~~
.... 3~m~~~;
m m m m\t> ..... ~
23 .... Ke8
Much stronger was the paradoxical 23 .... Nd4-+, centralizing Black finds the one precise move that wins. The time has come
the knight but putting it in an absolute pin. Note that 24. Qxe3 is for black to realize his advantage. He does it accurately.
not possible because of mate on g2. 30. Rdl Bxh2 31. Rel Bf4 32. Qd2 Kf8 33. Kgl Qe5 34. g3
24. Ne4! Rg6 (D) BgS 35. Qf2 Qe4 (D)
B -<llB B
.1.~.,.1 1--~-!
.~.~.'"•~
·-······
''··-·1·
~~~~~~~~"~!.
iB - m ~~1.
~T~m~~I]; ..... /
·-······
.-.-~·-·
!~%"~~~1]~m~
ft~~~- ft~~
• • • •,
~~~m~ .,,0,~%"~m,
~~-:~~
• . . . . . •i
~~,,~m~~-- . }~~::·?. . ~~1._

ft~~
ra~~
i~ ,..... ,~~~m~, -
...... - . -t··~~-,,<m
~ .... 3~mr -
,m m§m m~ ~ ~
This is a very precise move. 36. b3 b4 0-1
25. Nd6+ Rxd6 26. Rxd6 Bf4 27. Rd3 h6 28. Qg4 Ne3 29.
Qe2
Black finds the one
The losing move. Instead, 29. Qg8+ and 30. Qd8+ lead to
equality. precise move that wins.
92 93
Dentist's Diagnosis: bishop to f3, he is often still unable to keep his opponent from
Yanis Klovans-Platonov [B84] unwinding the Sicilian spring on the queenside.
Uzhgorod, 1972
12. g5 Nd7 13. Ng3 b4 14. Nce2
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2
White sends his knights to pastures closer to the kingside.
e6 7. 0-0 (DJ
~ ~~ M>. ~ft&.t?,f~ ~1).
14.... Bb7 15. Be3 Rfd8 16. c4 (DJ
a ~"·~r..E.-~sJ1it~ ~ ~
~tf)~~- -~~r'.f %Bi~
~W&a ~~.,~~~ '//~'{j····~~
t - ~~t-~ •1 •- ~s
~w~~,--,,,'·····' .,,~ .. w~I
~M>.W~WAMltf~t
~..E.~SJ°".al ~
--.,
~~~K ..~~~ .... .:~~ ~L-~~_,~'. .... ·~,iP~
..... ~~
~~~~-·-.,~~~~ £~~-~~~£~~~~1
~~r::J't;ji~~~
~m-'*."·····~~m '*-~"'-·"
,t j'i!A¥/a~~rfffi~ft,_jfffi
r0 g~~§~
~~--~ ~W&a~%--~{"'''W&ai
I~~~~~
~~ft-ft~~
~-~K ..~~ %%!·~···-~~"'-%
Im ~~~
- ~it~
~"
0% .. :·
-I
.. % ..
%.
~I
~Y'i!A~lil~~'i!A
:LJ ~ · ~ L~
Platonov had no fear of variations in which white castles short
in the Sicilian. In those cases, he quipped, black needs only to This is an interesting idea. It is not every day that you are able
do half the job-he can count on white to do the rest by pushing to find work for the white c-pawn in the Sicilian. Usually, it is
the pawns away from his own king. stuck in the unemployment line behind the knight on c3. (The
issue is resolved in the Smith-Morra gambit, where the c-pawn
7.... Qc7 8. f4 Be7 9. Bf3 0-0 10. g4 Nc6 11. Nde2 b5 (DJ
is sacrificed.)
laE..&.m ~S®m
~ %%~-,~~~r~······ ~.,~
16.... Nc5 17. Qd2 Bf8 18. Rael a519. Bg2 Rab8 20. Rfdl (DJ
I~ ~ ~t~~t
T~~~t~'·····'~, %1~% fl.-~- ~a····~%
0
~ ~ ~ ~n
~~~--~"-~~
~ r, ~ r, r. % W///.&I
'•I•·····'~-f ~ffi'
~i~~~~.,~~~i iiW,i~, ~%'$.~~. -~
- ~ft~~ft-1 !///"//~,,~~,,,~ R,,,/"/, ~I
~~~~~li~~' V/~~
%;x?. 7,-~ ~~~- ~~~~
~%'-~% -·~~~~%"~.
~ ~ ~~
,. . . ,~rif ~ r~~······'~
?'.
-~ :% ~ ~ ?.
ft~~ ft-~~ '//••···

.·····%''""'%1··~~~~0· ~~ I~'·····'~~~-~'·····'~-,,,~~
f§ ~~~§~ --~l£J:
ft,~ ~4S~l~1
0
Even when white, in the early stages of the game, develops his ~
~ "f~-!i~~~
~ ~ "--~ ,'-.. ..
94 95
20 . ... a4 21. Qel Ba6 22. Nd4 Nxd4 23. Bxd4 (DJ
~'-..~s/~·;·~-·-~
.. ~~ ~~··~
~a~7- ~1·····~
• ~tRt
0
~··~11?,@,~g1
~'fl ····'~Ti· /~ ..-.. ~--~~.
-I I- - m
z""~
%
?'. ;,.; %
~
...
7-;,.; !?,'
7,;! % I
- 'm'···~~--~~m···'···~
i~
~~~·~ mt~f1t
.~~--~~~'----·~% ,~0,,j~% ~)-1
An'7-,,,~'--···'~m~r,~~
.~
~ ~~t~ ~
t'avif~f ~~
m'··--·'~
W'~~~% ·?b'r'./,~' ,, . ,
-~~-~~
,~~--~····_;~}' ~~%"~····~w~% .....
t i~~ .!.h
4> f~ .!.h i~~ ~~~ .~tn ~
~'----·'m · m,, _ _ ,~ ~
4> t.f.1';'1
t~~ ~ '·····'%"~ %~····~~%"0j..
illm ·.,;illillillill" r,n ~ ~~ mA~~-

·····'~·····~m~~~ -
,,<'·····'1
iJ~~1 "ill,,,illAfi ~ f§§- ~

.~ r~§~ W If we submitted this position to a dentist to analyze, his diag-
nosis would probably be as follows: numerous teeth-on b2, c4,
e4 and g5-have been left to rot and can no longer be saved.
23 . ... e5!
\
They will probably fall out on their own. As for the wisdom tooth
A familiar counterpunch in the center. on h7-it will soon face surgical extraction.
24. Be3 exf4 31. Bf2 Re7 32. Rc3 Rbe8 33. Rh3 (DJ
Even stronger was 24 .... d5.

I~~B,,.,.~B,i.B~~
25. Bxf4 Ne6 26. Be3 b3 27. a3 (DJ ~~~tr~t
lm'···~•·····'m·f
7=
~%--~~~
~ ~iB~ ~
I 7= /m f ~~;
~~~ b=t~r.=
l~~··· ./•.....
illill'"m .,;illill. 'ill
W~·-
~.._.B ~~~,,~·-··~%
~
~~~ -. . . -
..... ~,,, ~~
~~~---.~,, ...
i. . .
"//, './,
~t-ft~ft-
~~~~ :~ ~m~~
,illill~fsaill~:will Jx~~%t~~~~,
~.~
-~·~A
illill illillillill,,,,
~''·····'%"~
. t~ ~//mft ~~ft,/,~,, ,,,/,~I
~t~~
i?~
~~ ~~~%" ·%,,~
~~ m ~A~~
~ ~
...
M'·----' ..... ,~,, ... ,,mv···,...:'·--··
-~ ~~§~
~z.j
~
.....
~,~~1
~ -§-
i~~ Wh-~ f~ ~ i~
..,.,/~ %~ ~~t.m
Alas, white's attack is not dangerous at all.

.... ~ .,,,<,,. •.•
~
~----~ ~-.~-~ ~--~-~ 33 . ... Nxe4 34. Qxh7+ Kf8 35. Bxe4 Rxe4 (DJ
27 . ... g6 28. Ne2 Bg7 29. Nd4 Nc5 30. Qh4 Re8 (DJ
96 97
m -·~-~~-~~
~ ~~F~~~~-- ~
A Proud Beginning Ends in Ruins:
A-
David Levy-Platonov [B33]
~ • mt-~
m~~-- -~~r·~~~ -~
Capablanca Memorial, Cienfuegos, Cuba, 1972
~ 0~,~~ mt~.
..... ,~m~
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6 (D)
'·'~'-'-13.
~~'•" •••,
~----~~f-~~~~ ~~- ~~%--~.
1m.1_-~1]4)~li~
,,~--~~~~%--~·····%;"~·-··--'~
-~t-t~~t~~t
i~~
~.ill"~ ~-~ ~ ~N2 ~.ill"~ i~~ ,.,.,,/-·~'·····'~'·····'~
n' ·n•nllln•
~ m§m ~
~ ,..... ~ m~-·
•••. -·ill·
RllJR~'llJRR
w '/<'.....
~%--~~~ ~%'-~~%--~
White has to give up the two bishops.
36. Rf3 Rg4+ 37. Rg3 Rxg3+ 38. hxg3 Qxc4 39. Nf3 Qe2
40. Rel Qxf3 41. Rxe8+ Kxe8 42. Qxg7 Qdl+ 43. Kh2 Bb7 if,§:rt@jt·~ --~-~:@
0-1 (D) .@fJ~~~Jl~§
With this attack by the queen, the white knight is pushed back
.1.•1!~·
from the center.
RRRWP~R'ig
5. Nb3 Nf6 6. Nc3 e6 7. Be3 Qc7
n•n~J.•~• Yes, black loses a tempo, but driving white's knight from the
·-·-·~KJilj
center was worth it.
,,~~~~~~-%--~~ 8. a3 Be7 9. f4 d6 (D)

~tm
/.. ..~%''~~~~~-
m
~~ '/<I
/···-~0·
~,~~m~~I
_____ ,~m~ .. ~"- -~'
·-----~- ~-
~ -~- ~
In response to 44. Qg8+, black plays 44 .... Ke7, and to
,. .
//"//~//""%~-'l/,''0 ~"'/,"//······
{~i~
~~ ~SJ
/~-~~!-'·····'~
llJllJR, 'g
~~~~~~--~~~
~~ix~•
~
il
~~ .&.
--~m ~'·····':;W,~ m
44. Qh8+, 44 .... Kd7. Then comes the inevitable.
~0 -.ft~~
~~J /:'. ~~ M~~ ~~~
''//,:: 00'1 .. ,
~c.z.J~:
'·····'~~~ft-~
..
~ :~~'
~'·····'~~0...'/<~~---···.
~§ -~~JlB§
98 99
,..
10. Bd3 a611. Qf3 b512. 0-0 Bb7 13. Rael (DJ
iB - -~~~~r~~
~:~~- .... J~ .,/~ W§
~ ~ ~ ~,,
'··~''')'
;
i~
~ W§W""- ~~-.,,, W§, "/, <.~-
B<A'B .... /
~---~
~~ B1~~1
~2. ~~
m ,~-~~~ ~
1B~mf~,..... ,~
~.·.·Pf!!'·
!
l.
mi , . . ••• ••
·.~.,~·· a4)•r~
~ ~0
~ 'at¥ ~-~ ~
,,,.,.11.
~{J~~g~~
~.
"".W
.
Ji - mi
,. . . ~&if~'.. -~ 1~
. ~. ~
! 'r~"
~-~
%
··m .
;
_,.,,,,/~-----~
~0~ ~ 0~!lr
~00 '«'·····'
~~
-
~I f.§ ~a~
·····;,···~•,,,
~ ~ f.§§~,,,. .. ,
!
22. Nd2
This move wraps up white's opening configuration, which is It would have been better to play 22. Nc5, with approximate
successful in giving his heavy pieces a threatening look. The equality.
same cannot be said for white's cavalry. Still, it is difficult to ) 22 .... Be7 23. Nde4 Rc8 24. Rcdl h5 25. gxh5 Nxh5 (DJ
imagine that white's seemingly beautiful, harmonic and aggres-
sive configuration will fall into ruins in just a few more moves.
~i~% ~Ef<A'B
11M"Btj11~
~ ~ ~~I.
13 .... b414. axb4 Nxb415. Qg3 0-0 16. e5 Nh5 17. Qh3 g6
18. g4 (DJ
iB%w."R%~r.,,,~·-···'0
~ ~S<A'B%
I
i
,.~.t"•'·
.~.~.~
B m
~r."im4Jr~ m
~fl ljll ~
... '
~----~ ~1-1
ti i
~~L-~~ ..;.-.!%~ ~~ ~ kJ:ft~ ~~
1~ i~1~1~
~ '~'·····'~ft1 0~~
'
~"----
~~
m· m
..~. ~"
0
~
~~
... ,,~•.- '%·"-'··

~~
~-----~~ "'0 ~
~{J~~g
~~ft~%
%~ JL.~~
•
~ ~§~a~
'«' 3
I
I
%"~"·····~ ' ~ ~~
: . - Here, we can see the resulting ruins, which were difficult to i.
W§%"~
. ~ ~. ~
picture after move 13. White is left with nothing but desperate '
~ ~~ft~
~-- 3~ %~·····~ ~ ~~
%0 ,/fi... :~ ideas.
~ ~ r9§~ 26. f5 exf5 27. Rxf5 gxf5!
I
'·
The refutation of a sacrifice is often simply its acceptance. '
18.... Nxd3 19. cxd3 Ng7 20. Rel Qd8 21. exd6 Bxd6
28. Qxh5 Rc6!? 29. Qxf5 Rg6+ 30. Ng3 (DJ
100 101
I
I
~~
~ ~''
~~ ~?~tit~
~r.l:b~-1. i ~~ .. ~·~~ ~,~;
lllflll- "E,fB ~
~~~ ..IL%'Sft=it~ ~-
~~----)~~·-~~7-f %.f
•.IllIll· '• •Ill m~~%"~~7,w?··3~
,.llllllllllllllll im ~~i-~ ~
~i~K3~~----.:~ ~
Blllllllllllllllllll m0m~0~ftR
.,,~~~m~
ww~~0
m~
.,,J~~-~~0~.,J~
~4'~~ ~!~% . ·~ ~~ m.
-~·.!.!.~
~ift···--;~_'. . . ·~~---··;~m
-~·
m,,'!!"··· .m.,'!!m.,,,
~--~lll~B,,<. t!/~1~•'Jti~,~JJ:.
- m§m &; .a ~ &; m§
30 .... Bd6 31. Nce2 Re8 32. Nf4 Bxf4, 0-1 8.... Be7 9. g4 b4 10. Na4 Bb7 11. t3
If 33. Qxf4, 33 .... Qd5. If33. Bxf4, 33 .... Qd4+ and 34 ....
Qxb2. In both cases, white's king can find no hiding place among ! %~'''<',:;
%
~
~ ~-;'~<I>~~-
~
~
z'~~
z ~-~
~
~
~
ml:m-"•f•f
I'
the destruction.
m~~% . ; . . '//?···j~ %7,
im ~~i~; ~
111 ~~'-····'~f······~ /
The Flames of Battle:
~ ~
/.. " ~v~&J~O///,~.V~~/,
m.4JV%'~%°1•~ ft~- ft~~
m~~//~1
Victor Kupreichik-Platonov [B87]
111,,.... ,~% ·~ ~~
~
:<.
%
'.
. 0
m~•.•im.,,,,,
.•...
USSR Cup, 1974
.~~i,•i,m•'
The game below is a good example of a struggle between bat-
tling opposites. GM Kupreichik has his own style of playing
white in the Sicilian Defense-a style that one could compare LJ r-.:.~ L.~ ~
with driving a car with no brakes. 11. Nfd7 12. Be3 0-0 13. 0-0-0 Nc6 14. h4 Na5 15. g5
1. e4 c5 2. Nt3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4
e6 7. Bb3 b5 8. Qe2
't
Kupreichik aims for the Velimirovich Variation of the Sicilian,
one of the sharpest lines.
102 103
Platonov's Chess Academy The Breadth and Depth of Platonov's Sicilian
am - ~s<11m1
m~~t' . ,~ ~······'%;--~~ i ~- ~~~ ~
t-
~ ~a1 ~"Viilf ~,
m.J..m~fi t ~~~~I
~~~%;_,;. .... %~~ t lilf lfili! " ,
rii'Ji;--~~~~,
~~m%; ..
tm ~~ RtB
....
~~tm
'//~ %~,····-~~~%--~~! n 1
~~~'······~ ~~~
~:--~~ ~~lll~liljlilj
'f.
~%'-~~~ ,,,~~~w~~.. 3%,,~

'% .....
r.-... i~~ ~~ ~ ~~~ i~~~
~~
~ 1£~ ···a;~,
~· ~
. . ., ~-
iWJ;,li!Bw~Iii~
lllffe"'llllll . . . ·~ lllli! ~~~m~~i~~
% ..
iii~JtliliB~lll ~~ftm -~~

m ~Bm m8 ~~~ ~~ 0~~
~ m~ '····-~ ,
Castling on opposite sides, the opponents both go into this bat- 24 . ... Bxf3
tle to win. White swings his sword full force, while black answers Paradoxically, this nice-looking move gives away black's ad-
with a shield and a cudgel. vantage. Stronger was 24 .... Qe5, preserving his material supe-
15 . ... Nxb3+ 16. axb3 Qa517. Kbl Rfd8 riority.
25. Qxf3 gxh5
EB ~- ~~%;--~
~~~'---··'~ B<ll
~A-~fit~~i 1m ~Ill ~s,Y.!f~"Iiim
1
~~~~--;. ···%~~ 3~ Iii

~*~m~~~£B%--~~
..
@
'li!llla•'lillll
'~--~~
~-~-~~--~~~_.,,~~~ K ..~~--~i
4J~~ [):ft m ~~ li!li!lll 'Iiili!li!lll
H'if~%·····aft~'·····' li!~llllllli!'li!'
iJ~~~mw~~~ ~
~
lll~,li!~llllllli!
,~lll~lll~li! ~ft~
~%'-~~~ ~~m
. ~~~
~~m8m m8 ~~ft-
Im~m
~'··~ /~~~~~-····~ ~
..
mm
m ,§~
18. g6!?
Such a move substantiates the definition of pawns as firewood. 26. Qxh5?
19 . ... hxg6 19. h5 gxhS 20. Nf5!? White lost his last chance to pour more fuel on the fire by play-
ing 26. Bh6+ Ke8 27. Rg8+ Bf8 28. c4!.
It turns out that the knight can bum just as well in the heat of
battle. Victor Kupreichik always kept gasoline on hand! 26 . ... Bf6 27. BgS
20 . ... exfS 21. Rxh5 g6 22. Rgl Kf8 23. exfS Qb5 24. Qg2
104 105
~Wffe- ~it~ ~ Going With the Flow:

~ ~~,~~':t."~
.. ~ 7~ ~
Alexey Suetin-Platonov [B84]
m~~%"~~~--~m~ Rostov on Don, 1976
tm
~~~~~~
.. 3~~-.%~-~~ - g 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3
~-~~~,g11- e6 7. Be2 Qc7
~,,~~~~~~ i :-:Z11)"'"~.t_~~B~~I]··~
~ ~~~~~ ~
~-
~~.'.~
~
7 ~ ~%
t·---~%--~~~
m~f-f
:%
~~~~~~~m~ ~~"-- ,,~,... ,,~~

~,~~ft-
. ~,,,~ ~~Rwr··~~,
m~m m ~§j
tm ~~t•;
,~ m~K--~~~·-···;~~
~I
27 . ... Qe5 28. Bd2 Qd4 29. Rg2 Ke7 30. Qf3 Rg8
~~~~,~~~
~/. ,,,,,,~. ·-~~~~
--tm - ---1
',//, ·',
-~~-
~%"~·····:~~.:~%'-~ ~%'-~.
~~~:.,~~ . . . ~ . . m L.~ . . . ~
ft~~ ft mil~~ ft~~
~,, ,~;W, ,~,§
m~~ff-ef----~~--~m~
~~ ~ ~
~~~,.,,,,,~ft~
~%"~~~F~~~m~ 8. f4 b5 9. Bf3 Bb7 10. a3 Nbd7 11. Qe2
~~~ -
~, ..... ~~~-- -~~ w~ w H -~m 1m
~ ~, ,,., -~- ~s
~~ '·· w--,./·····
~~ih~~~-~~1~~ BJ..-~-t~~t
~~L.J%,,~ ~~-,,.~.. -~~
~~ft~ ~§~
~ ,,,.,,,~
n~m
. .-. ~~~
mm ,
tm ~~t•;
~~~K,}~~ ~
.... .:~ ~
31. Be3 Qh4 32. Rd2 Be5 0-1 ~,~~,ff!},~~

The knight on a4 was only a silent witness as his distant king-
side went up in battle flames.
~;~~,--~,~~~~-"'"///
:?'.ill'"~ ~,
~-
7
.. :~ ; .. Jww~ ~I
~~
f ·R~B l~
lf~ ~ ~m~
mw
, .....
~~'"' ~ ~§
<. .... j L.~ ~
In his commentary for Chess Informant, Suetin evaluated this
position as ";t ," favorable for white. His further commentary re-
flected the dynamics of the game in the following sequence: a
few moves later, it was "=" (the position is equal); a few more
moves,":;:" (black has a slightly better position); then"+" (black
has a significant advantage); and finally"-+" (black's position
106 107
,.. Platonov s Chess Academy The Breadth and Depth of Platonov's Sicilian
is winning). It was hard for Suetin to pinpoint where his mis-

takes occurred. He even told his opponent at the end of the ~~,
iB .,.,,,~~( B ~!%--'
..... /,,../,'',-;;~
game that "I was just going with the flow, and could not do 1RJ.-
~~~:::::: ~-- -~~r~-tE
~?1 ,,/;. .• .°'~,,~.
anything." t -~
~ i*~ ~~·
~..&::::: f~~ ti*~
~..ar~
~ lm·-----/~7-... ·~·-----/ .
·-~~"'ill~·
11 . ... e5
The position of the bishop on f3 encouraged black to make
this move. ~"·0
{~J
~ill
,,,-~J ~0 "'//,~
~ ~~~~~
~tz.j:
. . . /~~ft . ~,~~ft . ~i
tz.j:
W~J~·~·lml KJ
12. Nf5 h6!?
This ensures displacement of the knight from f5 with the
following move. The mastery of a Sicilian player is largely
- ~§-§-~
determined by his ability to erect barriers in the way of Here, Suetin had to insert the "=" symbol.
white's cavalry. 18. Rf2 Rfe819. Qfl Rad8 20. Bxe5 Rxe5!?
13. 0-0 g6 14. Ng3
- ~s m@~1
am ~1ii'~ ~2
~~ ~m~~~ ~,ii:=t1
~~~,,../, L.~,,_./,., 'Bf
Bf• ~//, ti
~
1~1~:~1~( .
Wa!
. .°'//,,
t 0
t
~-
;{1·~ ~~-/~~• ~1°~%
•• 1f@.,'~;f'B'
~~~ ~ !&~,,~~?1'//~~~,,~
w·
t~ ~~~
....
i•~ !~~ti•/,
i~:::: ~~·
;~······'~~"'······~·······
i~
afa ,•••
w!0
~ :::: % ~ ::::
···•tw;~·- ~
~
"//~ '///,~~ft~ J~
~
. ~ -~~
~,"///,~0 "'//,~~-~····~0 "'//,~ ,.,,,./~~~ft ~~~~if~
~~ ~· ~~~·
'•'·~-<;ti
;{~J ~ if~~~
~ill tz.j: ~~tz.j:
. . . /~ft1~i'.f~ ~~~ft-~~
rr'a•a•0,,,,
r§ ~ ~§~
, !If
Now Suetin gives the position as "=i= ."
14. ... exf4 15. Bxf4 Ne5 16. Radl Bg7 17. Khl 0-0 21. Rfd2 h5 22. Qd3 Rc5 23. Nfl Ne8 24. e5 Rxe5 25. Bxb7
Qxb7 26. Nd5 Nf6
108 109
m ~~ m*
ml~l~mfitr ~~ B ~S<I>
~~:.f/~W//h~I
~/~ ~/,'/,"//~N"'///,r-.., ",,,~~h ~~ ~~ ~//"'"%~/,'/<"~'.
•••• •••r ,•••
••••••
m-
,
..
~- ~~ ~~i~
1: ~
I~ f ~4)~------~~
~~ ~~F ~ ~iE'
~~~~~L.0~~--~
~-.1.•.•
>-----~%--~~~-----~~~~
i~~ ~ r,'r'?r,
:r~~ .!!..
~,_,,,,,~~ ..... /~
•
,,
7~1
~%--~
~ i~
~ .!!.. :rg
. ~~'····· ~~~
,.!.•
~~~~m~~%--~
B ~~~ Rft~~
w~,·---·
~ -~-4)-~ m m -~-~
27. Nxf6+ Bxf6 28. Rf2 Qe7 29.c4 Bg7 30.cxb5 axb5 31. Nd2 42. Qal d2 43. a5 Rc8 44. Nxd2 Qxd2 45. a6
Here, black already has a solid extra pawn:"+."
-·-mmB<l>B
31. ... Rel+ 32. Rxel Qxel+ 33. Rfl Qe8 34. Nf3 Qc6
35. Ng5 Rf8 36. b3 d5 -~-~-~-~
U~UmBiBiin
i•••••••
•••••,.
,
••••••.
mm ~m*
.•
.~.~m«f~ ,
-·-·---~
••••-.,,.
.,1,.·~' ·~ n.,~.•rr,,,
~.Vl1.I~!
~'·'··-~
-.,~'Jr
~-~-~-~~
< ,• • •
~:@'~ ~ ~ ~'©'
Black has a winning position.
/:::j,
,m m -~-~ 45 . ... Rc2 46. Rgl Ra2 47. a7 0-1
37. Qf3 Qd7 38. a4 bxa4 39. bxa4 Bh6 40. Qf6 d4 41. Nf3
d3
110 111
r Platonovs· Chess Academy
- ~ .'\llJ.•
,,,,~ ~d:b~I
The Breadth and Depth of Platonov's Sicilian
%--~m~
1,~~ - Bi_~~ ~
, _____ ,~~~~~~~--~
!fl!fl!fl!fl!fl!fl''
!fl!fl!fl!fl!fl!fl.!fl
!fl·!fl·!fl·!fl·
~~~~·;·~~~~%--~.· Platonov had no tear ot
-~0~~• -~~ ~ft~~
~-;·~ 0;:~···--c . . ~I
.. variations in which white
~~~f§~
It's not difficult to find the coup de grace combination: 47 ....
castles short in the
~ Qxg2+!. Sicilian. In those cases,
he quipped, black needs
onlv to do hall the iob-
he can count on white
to do the rest bv pushing
the pawns awav
trom his own king.
112 113
Platonov s Chess Academy My Sicilian
Chapter Six
MvSicilian
Igor Platonov, grand·

master, chess historian,
N
ext I would like to show you a few of my own Sicilian
researcher, innovator-
and our Sicilian mentor. games, as a tribute to my mentor and inspirer in Sicilian
matters. (I should warn readers that the love for the Sicilian
can take the form of a viral disease!)
The Admiral's Leaky Squadron:

Tamaz Giorgadze-Palatnik [B84]
Tbilisi, 1973
1. e4 cS 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 S. Nc3 e6 6. Be2
a6 7. 0-0 Be7 8. f4 Qc7 9. Be3
We have already established that this natural move has its
downsides. It blocks the e-file, complicates the advance e4-e5,
and the bishop on e3 is left unprotected. It's as ifthat bishop does
not deserve a better use.
9.... 0-0 10. Qel bS 11. Bf3 Bb7 12. eS dxeS 13. fxeS Nfd7
14. Qg3
114 115
~
!~% m
·~':~;;:·~~~ 1·····'~.,~
~s~- ~
1
i ·~·.
l_~;z
~ R
.....:~ ~~ ~
'.. 'ff-4'~
WAMi
-~
~-
,,_.,••• .....
m.1..~~~t~~t
~~/- -~m .. ~'·····'~
,···fl'•··
•••0~·-·
1Rit'R~-~~~t
~~~~m'·····'~
·-·~j···
m ~,, "'/,
~,,,.. ,J~ 1_~~~ ..~~r-· ·~-~~~-;-~~
•. ··
% ..... ',,-,-1 %
I~~
r~~~ft_;~7-_:~~~£~~
aA~ I-~~~~
i~~·1r~ m~i~
14. ... Kh8

~§&·······-1f3J:
LJ ~ ~ ~--~~ . ,~·~·0·.,,..·
~--~
20. Nxe6 (too ambitious) 20 . ... cxb2
Here it is very important that black controls e4, preventing the This pawn seems to develop a kinship to checkers. It now op-
white knight on c3 from using the square to maneuver to the erates under the rules of mandatory capturing.
kingside.
21. h3
15. Rf2 b4 16. Bxb7 Qxb717. Raft White is forced to make a place for his king to "go to the mat-
tresses." He's run out of ammunition: if now 21. Nxf8, then
0l'I·//~• ::w~- ~a~ ::;_:;~,,~ 21. ... bl=Q+ 22. Kf2 Qxc2+, etc .
• %
~ ;
~ ~
~
~
~ ~
,. ..
/.
m¥11le1,01H" 21. ... blQ+ 22. Kh2
'•••'·t'm~j~a
··-·~·-· ~·~ I] ~I
''!l~!l·····wnt"
-
,~~ ..~~~-,,,~-·3m~~1 ,,.&!1~11,
~~~:~-
0'-W~~~:a;.... ~,
~~
l~1fif;m · ·~~fi~~
~( ,~·~
1m m mf!~
~
-~·
,,, 'Z ... :_,,A .. 'l:~'
~
~.~ ~
~gf
'0
.,._,,~
·< J
••••.
v
m-
•••
··-·~ijj,···
~~ ~ ~,,.,.,,,~
~~~~7-: ~ft'"~·
g ~~L-~~
,
.,,
~~~~ Rft~
~ftBftR ~~,, -~
In order to increase the average speed of the squadron, some-
times you have to scuttle the slowest ship. In this case, that is the ~it'm - m
knight on c3. The battle promises to be fleeting, and we can an- 22 . ... Qxa2 23. Ng5
ticipate a chess miniature soon. ,
lf23. Nxf8 Qxf7.
17 . ... bxc3 18. Rxf7 Rxti 19. Rxf7 Bf8
23. . .. h6 24. Qg4 hxg5 25. e6 Bd6+
116 117
s
Platonov Chess Academy My Sicilian
•"·~ - - ~
,.~.~r,,.w[
ID ~-
~ ~~ ~~L /~r~ ~
~S<itm
t-
~i~A~i~~~
~ft- ~,
~£~A~~t~£
••••,,.,
tB~~~t~~ ~I
...
······l'i3.
~ 0~----~m~
.•.•~n•1•
l.!.un!&
~~~~
'
.. 3~ K3~ m
~::·~~~·"'~~~~~ ~
m-
M4J&S:
Dyif § ''gft~
'ifI,~.,".~~,,,,
~·~·~·~'"
~---
26. Khl Nf6 0-1 15. Radl
r§ ~ ~§~
This is nothing other then an attempt to put the brakes on the

The Sicilian Freight Train:
Sicilian freight train.
Dirk Paulsen-Palatnik
Teesside, 1974 [B97] 15.... Rac8 16. Nbl Qb4 17. Qxd6 Qxd618. Rxd6 Ne5
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5
e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Nb3 Qa3 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Be2 ~·- ~lf<I'
.~.~.~J~:r
IE-AD<it~
~% .-~~~-··'···~f~i~ ~£~rl~~t~£
~£~~--~~)~~£
tm
••••
~m~~- ...~~~Lj~~
~~~~~%--~~~
. . . ,1
~~t~~ ~ •••••,,.,
tB r,gt~~ m
~~~~----~r-,,(·---~~~
~~~·j•~~
~ -ft~~
I-~~~~, ~~
. -. ,~~ ~~-~-~-%"~.~
~~ -ft~~
ft-ft-
!&~'l. .'//"''l,~~~'-'/"// ~~~ 00: -~-----·
~4)- -§~
, .... ....
{ft-ft~~Bft~~
...~ ~~L-~0 :,,~ ~~~-3
re ~ ~ ~§ If your repertoire includes the song about two bishops in ad-
dition to the Sicilian defense, then you can consider this a suc-
This is a line of the famous Poisoned Pawn Variation, Black cessful show.
has an extra pawn and the notorious two bishops, while white 19. c3 exf5 20. exf5 Rc7 21. Be2 Rfc8 22. g4 Bc6 23. Kf2
can smell the invigorating smoke of the attack. Bf8
11 .... Nc6 12. Bh5 Bg7 13. f5 0-0 14. 0-0 Bd7
118 119
Platonov 's Chess Academy My Sicilian
~·- ~<l'-1
~~~·--)~~·
~t~s
-~~·
-t-t1 II'
. I ·-m - •
~ -~
.~.~.r
~% ~~~~--~~~.t~
,.,.
m~~·····,~·····?,~~--~m~
••••
t-..&.~9 ~la B
~mm~----.~-,:ft~m~I
m!'fl•m•n• "
~~~-j~ ~0 ,/,,~~!P~!.
1
I
:•1 -~~--~~~%
~~ m ,m
m,~:--·/m
~~ ~
- -ft-
%ml.r!ift~R ~~~
0
-
.....
~,4J ~// "//, ~,,, ,,,~~/,"//.

z
ft~ -A~.~~,,,,,,/.
~~~~~"· ~~ 4- ~-
d.!. ~
~~
~R
~'
'~'· ~~''""
-ffi·
~'@j
~~1
~Jffe
~§ mAm -
{ ....?, % ..•..
~{:)- -~-
It turns out that there's indeed a bishop on g7 and not just a 32. Ke2 Nxg4 33. Bc2 Re8+ 34. Kdl Ne3+ 35. Kcl Rc8
large pawn. 36. Nd4 Nxc2 37. Nxc2
24. Rd4
If 24. Rxf6, then ... Nd7. _I mmm m~m
.~.~.,.,
1
~~~~ ~~--~~~--~
-~~~~!
24 .... bS 25. Rfdl aS 26. Rd8 b4 27. Rxc8 Rxc8
~~miBft~m~--
~~--~~~ ~~~~
%i
- · - ~<I'~~
••
1m~m~m~.fmT
~~ -
,.·~··
1~--~~~~fw~----~~~
~llft-
,,,,,,/~--~ 0~%., .. .'~ 0~1
~-,
~,~~~-~I
~~
. . . ,mm~ Wm~
,.!~m•a
%w%·····m ~,_ _ _ ,
L.~ ~ ~
~~ - -ftB1
~4S~m~m~~
<... .. ;
~~K--~~~0-,/,,~~p~ It is not clear if the knights like to serve as a shield. The bish-
ft~ -A~ ~~I
~~~m~~---~~'-----~
~{:)-~- -
28. cxb4 axb4 29. Nld2 Ra8 30. Ral BdS 31. Bdl Bh6
ops, however, definitely love to spear the knights.
37.... Be4 0-1
n11rns out there's indeed alllBllllJ!.( ,,o,,)oC,<'1
on 11 and not iust alarue 1-E/./Ji;~:

120 121
r Platonov s Chess Academy My Sicilian
Song of the Bishop Pair:

Alexander Ivanov-Palatnik [B67] I1m -11m ~&
~.~,,r~~a'
Leningrad, 1976 -~·;·%:m~,,}l]~t~m~
1. e4 cS 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 S. Nc3 Nc6 6. BgS t•A~~
~ ~~ ~
~----~~,.,.,./~,,~'··--·'~~
·~·-~f,.,
e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. 0-0-0 Bd7 9. f4 bS
.~l.·.·~~·
The Richter-Rauzer Variation of the Sicilian.
10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Kbl Qb6 12. Nce2 hS 13. g3 Be7 14. fS
m%"~m~·;·%:m~~----~%"~.
am
.~ •.r.r.,
n11m
~~·;·%:~~f'~··'··~,,~~~I
~·~
ft~~ft~ -
~~~-
m ~ m L
-~~~?~'~
.. •
~~
..... /
' t~~~~t~~
~ri~'·····'~ 1r~T
- This is not a good sign for white. His last move does not con-
tribute anything valuable.
••• ,
··-WJ'···. .~;!'<'-.
m%,,~m~-;%:~~~~~f'~.
ft ~~ft ~4)- ~~
18.... a5 19. Bc4 a4 20. Re2 QcS 21. b3
1n m11n ~~
.~.~.r.
~,.,,.,,~c-~~ ~~'·····
m~m~mAm~
~~~~,,~ ~,,~~~
~ ----~~ ~f;,a ~
,
~~-;·JL--~~,,,/···-~~~
All of the required moves have been made in this variation, a~~"~'··~-~~'--···'~
~~ftmt ~~
and white has begun to weaken the opponent's pawn structure in t~~AmftR
~ ~1
,..... ,~m~ W%,,~~
the center. If only black would allow the exchange of fxe6, then
white's pieces will find gainful employment on the weaknesses nim~·;·%:m~~~%"~
ft-ft~§- ~~
of the h3-c8 diagonal and f- file. To prevent that, black must play
~ ~~-"/{'" -~~ ~'·····
e5. But this pawn advance will forever take away this critical
square (e5) from black's knight now on c6. So it is logical to as-
m~~ti m m§
sume that knight on c6 is no longer useful and can be exchanged, The white bishop signs a lease on the a2-g8 diagonal. But he
especially since white will then have one less contender to oc- occupies only a studio apartment on c4, even though it has a nice
cupy d5. balcony overlooking d5.
14.... Nxd4! lS. Nxd4 eS 16. Ne2 b4! 21. ... Rb8 22. Rdl a3 23. h3
Black could not allow the white knight to get to d5 via c3.
17. Ncl Bc6 18. Rel
122 123
r Platonov 's Chess Academy My Sicilian
~,~}, ~-r.h~m ?,;!;},I mm

~,ii:=t? - ~,;!;ti
~f ;lll~~r~rl lll' 'lll ~~rlll· j

~Qt,
~ ~ ~-
~;;;;{- ~ .,..~ ~Qf
mm~ff'%"·'·%%"~m~
-A~:P ml ~~~ mff'ef'·\;;:%. ~~??.lf&\]~1
..
~, ... ,}L.~w,, ~~
IA • i~~ i•~
~----~m~ ..a.~ f.&r'-' t~~ ~
m ~ ~~ftBt
~&fii.lllr'flll~lll
~ %~,., .. ,/~.,~;..... /~·--·
~ -~~~ftmt
~~,,~~~;., ... /~ %%~
~,,~----~~~~m%,,~~ ~~ -ftm m
~.,~;..... /~~~ 00%,,~~
~~ftm m ~~ft ~~ft-~- ~JID ft
..
':tf~ft§!~'----·'m ':tfmT~~m,, ,~
~~~-"{ -~~~lll
lm~~J~m m , .
. ~lll~~~lll~~
1m~m§m§m
1
1
The quality of life of the white king has significantly decreased ·. I We can hear black singing the "song of two bishops" with
after the appearance of the black pawn on a3. (If 23. Nd3 Qd4 more and more gusto.
24. Nxb4?, then 24 .... Qb2 checkmate.) White now falls into
30. Rt3 Rhc8 31. Rgl Kf8 32. Rg2 Rc3 33. Rgf2 Bg5!
aimless maneuvering, while black finds a plan to rebuild his
ranks, obtaining a significant advantage. The domination of two bishops has lead to Zugzwang.
23 .... Bf8! 24. Bd5 Bb5 25. Nd3 Qd4 34. Kal Rbc8
ma~ ~ ~I
~,~}, -r.h~~
lilLJlll ~lll" '~1' '

~;;;;{- ~.,..~
~,ii:=f,
~.a ~~lll~lll'illl~
~~m%,,~~ff'~~m1
mm~ff'~~l~m~ Am ~~ ~:P..~??.l··~~
~I
l-~~~~~i{it~~~--··%~
~~~~----~%,,~K
~~:P~~-
% ~m~----~%"~----~~~ -~~:Pft~t
~A~A~~,,,~,/,ft 00
m•~t
r~ ~4>• %"~....~f····~~~~%"~~
~
!P~ ~&J .u. - ~r~-4>
~,-~~Wffi-~K~R
,..... ~~ ~~-,-~~~;
.u. ~ ~~ ..... ~~
!Pm .u.
~~ ft ~a~m § ~1ID. . . /~ft
'ifIJif~~~~;
ft-ft~§- ~ p -«~~~~-·~~
~~~'·-''~~~ 1~ mm m
m~m§m m :•1
.,,_i
I
White has decided to exchange queens, but this trade only 35. Nxb4 Be3 36. Nxa6 Rxc2!
crystallizes black's advantage. The rest is forced.
26. Qe3 Qxe3 27. Rxe3 Bh6 28. Reel Ba6 29. Rfl Ke7 37. Rxc2 Rxc2 38. Rf1
124 125
s
The Sicilian Watch Spring:

BB~
.~111~111' "111
~~ ~%."~~~~~~
Sergey Dolmatov-Palatnik [B85]
Daugavpils, 1978
{)~ R ~~
~~~K--~%."~....~~ ~
~~ 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 d6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 6. f4 e6
•.111,~r, . , 7. Be2 Qc7 8. 0-0 Be7
~--~~~~~··~~%"~~ i-AWl<I'- ~-~

I~~······~·:)~~.~~%."%·
~~.ft- -
, ..... /~~~ft 0~ ..•. ~, . ., .. /~
~t• Bt~~t
....
":il;,lrll
&t3 111~ !Ill~.
m m§m i~'-···~mf-'·····'~
111
111 • ,111" Ill
~~~~-.,,~~%--~~~' .•
38. ... Bd4+ 39. Kbl Rb2+ 40. Kcl
- ~tl.ft~~
~~~·····:~~ -
. 3~m
40.Kal Rxb3#
llJn, j!lllJllJllJ%.1'
40 . ... Rxa2 41. Rf3 Ral+ 42. Kd2 a2 43. Nb4 Rdl+ 'f1,,,,fjfgfflft~!ll!illl":il;,f'i!.1
44. Kxdl al =Q+ 45. Ke2 Qb2+ 46. Kf1 Qh2 0-1 .@ ~~~a~
--~
9. Bf3
ll!~ll!~ll!':tn~
~~ ~%."~~%."~~~ It may very well be that it is too early for white to commit his
bishop to the long diagonal.
~~~~~R
~~~~--·j%."~·-3~
@
·~Illffi•i 111 9.... 0-0 10. a4 Nc6
·····111•m·'1111
We have previously highlighted this completely automatic re-
111' action to the move a4, which may be linked to the newly formed
•i 111 111
111 1~~,
~ ~~~~~~~ ~
vacancy on b4.
~ m n~m ... 11. Nb3

The knight's retreat to this square is balm to the rebellious Si-
cilian soul.
11 ... b6 12. Be3
J As long as the bishop has made it to e3, let it stay there.
12 . ... Rb8
126 127
~SA- ~m<!'-
17. ... e5!
~~
m %Sf ...... /v----,,,~,,,,.,,.--;,;······
~ rtlMt~~t
~ ~~
',//,''//~
In the opening, white has made a series of superficial moves,
t ~=l,~11. f-'···--/~
~, _____ ,~, ..... /~0 ..... m giving the opportunity for the Sicilian watch spring to tick away
relentlessly.
m% ~~~%--~ ~~
ft- Bft~~ -~~I
18. fxe5 dxe5 19. Nf5 Bf8 20. Qf2 Be6 21. Khl Bc4
~m0 .//}~~%0"' ..~'--·--,~~
m{J~ gA-
m~ ..~---··:~~: -%~~% ..(0.. ~s -·~~-,
~······'~-,-)~~ , %;"~~
~~ft- -ft~~ '~~f'J{~~~~~'--···,~1
1B -t~~t
~-···"f----,~~mm0.
~§
13. Qe2 Nd7 14. g4
,/, ,.....
~~~§~ t~~
~~, - i~d..~R
...... ,7'''/0m~
IW;-~%~ ''/~%m-
!~l
~%--~m
/."'. i~d
t~~"L.11.m~
.-~ ,.,,,,/~/,,,,./~
....
-1
How can one live without this move? wft ~~:A-
'····~.,,//,m0ft--~R ~m -
14. Nc5 15. g5 I-~~
~%--~% ···~ , ~'~ m
~%--~!
~~ft~
r··r--.,~m~ ~li~~i
~~,· _ _ _,
Unfortunately, pawns do not move backward.
15 . ... Re8 16. Bg2 Nb4 17. Nd4
1r.§~ R m§R~
22. Rgl Ne6 23. Nd5 Bxd5 24. exd5 Nf4
Now we see the return of the "prodigal son."
~- msl]~~:
'°····'v--·-,,,~,,,,,, ...... ,,,/ ..//~I
rS~B,,,l,m*•
w
1
~~ i
~m ~ rt~tr~t
m~&JE~~
~~--4----~%--~······~'-----/~ .f
~m ~
m
1
1• ~-i r~i
m
b,ft "~ ~~- '~
~&1
~ ~----~~m% . ~~%'-~m1
~, _____ ,7 .,~,~~t-
t~~
m~~-~~
m%
J1 ::.-~·
m% ..
~
..... ,~m% ..~~
mw,,/~ .... .:0 "'//,~~--~.. 3W§,~
4> t~ 4> {~J
. . . ~%····-~r----/m
~; J1 ~.ill~
~--.:~~:~~ ~%"(0..
~~~1
~
ft ~~4J~.ftd
-~~W//,- %~~----~~w~···-~~.
1m~·-··-~m~~-----~m~
ft- - -
~%--~m~ .. -~-,-~~%--~
~~ft~ ~li~~I
1 -!
~~ft-~-A~~ ~~,---3~m~~---~~~~I
;···f-----~~~mm0.,/,,, ..... L.J ~ ~ L_j
.@ ~ ~§~
25. Be4
25. Bxf4 was a must.
25 . ... g6
128
·- 129
s
~s maE~m ~s ~~ m~m1
mr ,~~lll f ll!T
lll ef lll lll~ llllll lll'
~ff'~~~,• 'lllfnr
~~ ~%"~.'
~~Am m1 ~.It~
fl
a~~~~ff.~%i)~~
y
t1m'·····'~ %m %~\i'
~ m ft ~~4:J~~ ~0 ~~'·--··'~''/h~~
r~~~ll•----~~:
lll" 'llllll~" llllll
1~%"~~~~.:~~-,.7:-~%"~
~ftm m
~?W -~~F7:-;.',-.... .-~~
~~ft
~'····· - ~-~~~~
~~~'· ~llli I --~-
~%--~ W,:i.:~~-- -~~ 0%',~
~~am m ~~
...... ~ ~ ~ <... .. ~ ,.I I m - <§~~
m~ /~ %%~ '~····f"~"
, . ., ..
26. Nh6+ 35.... Rd3 36. Qel Rbd8 37. Be4 R3d4 0-1
I
26. d6 Qc4
26 .... Bxh6 27. gxh6 Nbxd5 28. Bd2 Nf6 29. Bf3 Qxc2
-,m<...
Sicilian Pleasures:
30. Rael Qf5 31. Bc6 Alexander Beljavski-Palatnik [B97]
Cheljabinsk, 1974
--~--~--~-~--~~~n--~1
/~~~T~T 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5
~~,,~~~~7, '//~~%"~ e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Nb3?!
t~~AB ~1~~
~,,.,.,/~~~~¥~'····· 0
E ?;~"'~_1.~~,m~ il··~ ~a·····~

lll~ R'flll~lllfm'f
~
:% ~, ~ n~
0 ~% ~
?;
~I:.;:I
llllll lll 'f"1lllllj ~~-,.7;~~,,~~7,wf""·~~

i_llllllllllll1J'lll ~ t~ ~~t~: _____ . . ~ .-a
~rf~~~~~~~rf~ I~"· .~_, ,~,,, 0'
~Jill ~ ~gJ ~~ ~~ ~~ %%,,~ . ~I

~, ..... /~~··· ~"· -~~~~
~ <....• ~ ~ <.. ... ~ m mft~~ m
1m~~ /0~,·----~- ~
1
White has two bishops, but they can't compensate for black's ~%--~,,,····~~~~%"1?-
two extra pawns and dominating knights. ft~~ ft-
,,,····r····~~~~··,/-'.-ft~~
~~, ..... >I
31. ... Ne4 32. Qe3 Nxd2 33. Qxd2 Red8 34. Qe3 Qh5
f§ ~~~A~a
35. Rc2 Not the bravest move. However, it is not every day that one
must test his bravery by taking on the Poison Pawn Variation after
8. Qd2 Qxb2.
8.... Nbd7 9. Qd2 Qc7 10. 0-0-0 Be7 11. g4
130 131
,..-
When white castles long, such dynamic pawn moves on the

kingside are natural and inspiring. w ·- m<l'm
~,,.,."-~'l'A
mJ..~ ~:tRl
,~~~s, .. 'l. ..... /
~~~--~%'-~:., .. ·%'-~~~I._
li_A_\t_
l
11 .... bS 12. Bxf6
:tm
~~1~~
l~~~'""·~~, ~,
..... ~~~I
~//''"'l. ~'l'/,""'l. ~/,//,"//

~~ m, "// % ......,, ,,, ~
ft 0~~~'l. m~,,,,,,~,,.,,.
/,//,"//
m ~~~~1~~1
~-J °".II~ ~~
~'·---~~--~ ·'··~-~/ ..... /~
......
~~~
7/.~
1~,. . . /~~-~r····'~ ~
%'. 'l.
z~''l.
~--~
% . ~
ft~~ 1
~~
1~ ~~1~
I~~~,, ,~ ~ - ~ ,.1 m% _ ~m~-,-~~~"'-·····ff-~i
ft~~ft~ - ~~
mim~m~--~~~
.... ·'
~ ~ft~~ft
.,. . ./~/Elm 'm'E~f
v~~~:"~~~/,,..,/~ .
~~f~;~F~m~~~f'~ 16•... d5!?
ft~~ft~ ~ ~~-
~'·····'0·,//'·~~~~/ All of the Sicilian pleasures are now self-evident. Black has
,m ~aBA~a
. .,.,/I
even pushed white's knight from the center by challenging it with
black's infantryman on b4. There is a possibility, as well, to fur-
There is simply no other way to fulfill the promise given to ther advance the d-pawn to increase the pressure from the two
the g- pawn by the previous move. bishops.
12.... gxf6!? 17. Qe3 0-0-0 18. Kbl
This capture significantly decreases the usefulness of white's
· ~\t~s ~ ~s
11. g4. First of all, there is a loss of a tempo, secondly, after gxf6,
the white g-pawn is better off standing on g3, where it supports ~1-
~~,"~,~,~1' ff~~~
,~.,,~fR,~~
the advance f4-f5 and doesn't block white's bishop from the h3-
m~--~% . . . ,,,~~%--~m%
c8 diagonal.
-?,'
13. Bd3 NcS 14. Nd4
~~ ~ft~~ft~i
·~/. . . /~ii~/. .,./~~
The knight has returned!
14.... b4!? 15. Nce2 Bb7 16. Ng3 m% _ ~m% ,_ -~~"'- ·%--~'-
ft~~ft- -
~~----~~~~ %~~-.31 ~~i
.
m~mf!m Bf!,
1,
The next move shows that you cannot forget about small things
in a chess game, even such little matters as a pawn on h7. You
can get handsome returns from taking care of "little brothers."
132 133
11
18.... h5! 19. Nxh5 The queen has joined the aria of the two bishops from the stage
of the king's opera on e5. Now is the time for a bravura finale.
After 19. gxh5 dxe4 20. Nxe4, black will follow up with
20 .... f5 21. Nxc5 Bxc5. 25. c3 bxc3 26. bxc3 Na4 27. Rel Kb8 28. Qel
19.... dxe4 20. Be2
-~SB~~
BJ:m'a~m,
--~
!~.r~·--··/~ ,~ - .. /
~-'I
• •1 .. •.····"iij'",!••
I~~ ~~~ff'~~~-
~ ~t~~ -
tBBl]B'IN! 'B
,-~-,~11.! '~w '.' ""~ -~~~~
'0 ..
~~--~{···-'~ "'~~~f'~~~~, ~-
~.~ ~%--~"~t-ftB
. ·~ ~~-"'~ ~
i*~ J_t'?:, t i~~ ~-~!
1m;. . . /~" ~;. . . /~
i
1B ~10 ~ ~,
Tm~. --~~?m~----;~
-§
i~~ 4!:>
i.ill'1 .f.h
_A_ma
n_j; I
%
l~~f-~~~~- -~~~%"~.i ~~ ... ,~,,-"~' K.~
if.~~ if.
i~; ..... /~~~
~~·
%~,.,.,,,! -~~~
~ · LJ ~
L.~ ~
1m~mam 28 .... Bxd4 29. cxd4 Qxd4 30. Rc2 Rc8 31. Qd2 Nc3+ 0-1
Black finds an interesting plan to improve his position.
Pressing on the Gas and Brakes at the Same Time:
20 .... Na4!? Gufeld-Palatnik [B97]
The knight has been very useful on c5. But now it would be Tbilisi, 1981
great to see him on d5, while simultaneously reminding the white 1. e4
queen that she should not serve as security-guard-blockader
keeping tabs on the e4-pawn. Grandmaster Gufeld always played his games with youthful
enthusiasm, and he often let his emotions come to a boiling point.
•.
21. Ng3 Nb6 22. f5 Bc5+ 23. fxe6 fxe6 24. Qf2 Qe5 That might be why he never learned to play l .d4 throughout his
entire chess carrier.
-11~~,.~.,J
.~ ~ ~5 1. ... c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5
.~~~~~~--~~~ e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Nb3?!
t~; -t~f1 -
~.-"··
.~~~s:B
0
'W&.-fJif··· 'i!W§-
We have already pointed out earlier that this move is defensive,
~~-k1i~Tm
rather than a conscious decision to move the knight away from
~f
the center to keep it in reserve. So it only gives black more con-
'B" BB'!:JB
~/;'/,"//~~mw ~,,---- "···· .., --
fidence. It is always reassuring to see your opponent deviate from
4::> 0'$1- 4!:> ~- ~ ~ ~~! the most fundamental opening sequences.
.f.1. ~~ .f.1. ~~'@} ~d.ffi
I~'·····,~ ~~'· ~~,.,.,,,
1m~mam ma 8.... Nbd7
134 135
r- Platonov 's Chess Academy My Sicilian
White presses the gas on the kingside and then tries to hit the
E~..lB@~ ~SI
R~R~R " 4
~~*~~A~?,tili£
brakes on the queenside !
m 16. ... Bb7 17. g4 Nd7

t~,~,----./~%
~r. ~~t~
RRRRRw.;"R
R!~R,~~Rifl
____ ,,g~
~%--~% ·~~~~%"<7-
..... ..
I
wiB
.!~-.tm B ~s@-1
w~~v---"-~".I',,,..,
~·~~t~~
..a.%SJ~~
~~'·
~Id
~~~~----~%;--~m~~--3
"//~
<..... ,,
~~
-~%;'-~ . ~;,,,,,/%;"~
m ~fdl
ft~~ft-%~C'/<-ft~~
~----{"'"'~ @~,,,,,, RiRu~:liifl~n
:~a ~~&t.t~l~§ 1 --~~0 "/<%~,~,~~
~4J~ R m
.•· ".//,
9. Qe2 h6 10. Bxf6 Nxf6 11. g3 Be7 12. Bg2 Qc7 13. 0-0-0 ~--j~f'~ _:~ ~~~~.
EB..tmiln· . . ~SI R¥~JtRIRjU
1m W§R m§
t-
'.ww~ ~//"'"-~".!',,, %~, '·----~
.. "/.
1
'Ut~
·~ ~IMt~~
~ ~~
~~'· -~ff-~ , ?, '//1;,'"'"'%;"~!.
%SJ 18. Nd2
!~
~~t-1 ~~!
~- ..... /~%,,,,.~;,,,,,/ The knight is begging to come back to active duty on the front
,RDR!fl'~Rifl
~_.R" ..,"ifl• . . . ,"'."'R
lines.
m4J~ m f,~
~%--~···:~~~~--j%"~1•.
18 . ... Rfc8 19. gS!?
White again floors the accelerator on the kingside.
ft~~ ft-~-~~~!
j~K--~0 '/< %~ @~~----~: 19. ... hxgS 20. f6 Bxf6 21. Qg4 gxh4 22. Nf3
!R W§m R§
13 . ... es ·--~ -@~!
~ -----~~~~t"/)~
At the right moment, black highlights the hopelessness of the -..l~~-tr,~
~~ ~- -~%;'-~~~-~---~~
bishop's position on g2 and the uselessness of the knight on b3.
tB ~~ ~~-'
1~T~'-----,~~ ~ -
14.h4
An attempt at a kingside initiative.
•I
iflUUU 'if1Rw~
~~~~~,,i~li1
14 . ... o-o 1s. rs bS ·~ ~ -~
/,j~r-~·-·:~~~~~
It is time to move the bishop to a different diagonal, since c8-
i~ft-
!~ Mil&
·----·'0 //<~~m~ ~
h3 is now closed. :B W~R m~
16.a3 22 . ... g6!
136 137
The Sicilian Defense also has the Dragon variation. Black is For a moment, white has an extra rook and knight. But the
going toward a similar position, with a few extra pawns and a se- bishop on b7 will not let his chance go by!
cure position for his king. 28.... Bxe4+ 29. Kb3 Bxhl 30. Rxhl d5 31. Bg2 e4 32. Rf1
23. Nxh4 Bg7 24. Bh3 Nf6 25. Qe2
mmmm
t-
m~m
mA- mt~
1
~~~---~?;f'~~~w:·~~
Re8 33. Bbl d4 0-1
1m -
R ~--~
~~~~~~~-=~~!
m1R
1'm~~~m.tm
1-i- m -
~~..~% ..~·····;~~
~ m~ K
m~~~, 3%
-
•:tm~
~~~-.,,~ ~~m~~---~IRft-
~~
... m;:/, .,,~
···lll····
1R£~% . ~~~~~. , ~'.
R ~~1- ~-;
,~~~~---·~m~m~·-··;,
, -~~lll·····,
!' ..
w~ kS,
.
'·····'~ ~~---·m~~
~~
/0m ~tj~lll~ •m lll
Im! ¥~0a-•illl~lll !m ~ mamA
m ~am ~a
White has interestingly lined up their pieces on the open h- Sicilian Miniature:
file, while black has the c-file at his disposal, which is what Si- Nektarios Solidakis-Palatnik [B87]
cilian architects envisioned. Crete, 1992
25 .... Nxe4! 26. Nxe4 Qxc2+! 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4
That move shocked Gufeld, who afterward showed very little e6 7. Bb3 b5 8. f4 Bb7 9. 0-0
resistance.
White's last move, as well as the following one, is great to
27. Qxc2 Rxc2+ 28. Kxc2 make in peaceful times. But here it would have been better to
mm m m~m
alm~-r~~!
1
play 9. f5.
9.... Nbd7 10. Khl
r~ ~~ ~~~f%m!
·'·' __llllll•
lll~lll-~-lllif."{
1%"~~ -iJ~~~
~~mm-~
'·····'~ ..~ ~~ ~~ w~
~~~- m m
1m 'mam ma
138 139
~------~.if~ ~,~;
~---l]Ea
•-'•'•f~~i
a • ~&J1itE ~a
'--~'--'•
_,___R" RR
~r~~~f~t~
···-·~:-•.:
,,_.~Ii ••
~m~~:,,~~~f-~~~
-
1~!~«{],ft~~ -
:~~----~-~
~~p~"'· -~~~ ~%--~I
~---ft~~fd~
.
-ft~~.. ,
··"•'"••·,
~~~.,,,~~w--~~~~
nA&J: a m
r~~~ft-~~m ft ~:m
~a
·f--3irl . ~~~~~K
~~~~~~ ~-,~-~-~
m m~mam~
Intrigue now surrounds the fate of the e4-pawn. The opening has concluded, and with it the game.
10 . .. Rc8 11. Qe2 Nc5 17. Rf2 Nxb3 18. axb3 Bd6 0-1
I m~ a%s~1it~
~ ~.rr~ §,~~-
...
!~1 -~~ 1·~~f~i ~-
------~
1m!~~~rmf
~m~~--~~~w/----~WP
i ~ ~~i~: -
1-T~'-----'~"'-···--~~
~~~
~/ /, f,N, ~/
;--~~
% ..... N
~ ~$~
~~~/,~-I
"//, "//
i-
,~~~~-~~~--~~m
•••• .•••
1mT~"'-i~~
-~-----~~ ~~
,
~ii~·~'..!.1.~.:!ffi
:~K ..~~ ~
,
~
~%'-~"' -~~m~%--~
ifft~~
...~~.. 3iflft~m~n ft~~..~
~~~~K
·'~·~···
~%--~,,,, -~ ~ ~~%--~I
..
~~ ft-~rs ft~~
, ....
12.eS
~a ~ ~~~~ m
~,, .... /~
~~
m~m m~
/~, .... ...... ,
It's hard not to feel the joy of black's two bishops.

White's patience has evaporated.
12 . ... dxeS 13. fxeS Qxd4 14. exf6 gxf6 15. Be3 QeS Unemployment:
16. Radl Rg8 Yuri Yanitsky-Palatnik [B56]
Ukraine, 1974
·- 1. e4 cS 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 d6 6. f4
Qb6 7. Nb3 e6 8. Bd3
·-1
·-
140 141
Platonov :S Chess Academy My Sicilian
are rather removed from the liberated e4-square.

EB.AJ~<A'~n'~I
~-'i(~m~m ... 14.... dxe5 15. fxe5 Nd7 16. Bf4
~~£,r~~t~~~£ Note that the bishop arrives at this square in two attempts, not
~SJ~~~ ~~h ~
-'---~~f----'-~-----
one.
~m~mir~~~m n m@m ~s
l.~~~~-;l~~ ~ ~~--~------
~!~!m!'.'mm
miin"···mmmmiin mm,,
mA~~-t ~~ t
-~~ . . m,_ _ _ ,~
/tj;ff@?,/ft,J,mM.,,,~,~;ffg imam~imm~
1¥.a ~~~ ~a
Without hesitation, white aims his light-square bishop at the
kingside to cover the h7-square, just in case the black king makes
~~
1m4Sm?m--m -
~~--~~~K--~W-~~~
~ ~
mrt,'i(mmmmmrc,,,,·
his way there. rift ~;ffg,~~mMft,J~
8. .. . a6 9. Qe2 Qc7 10. Bd2 b5 11. 0-0 Be7 12. Rael b4 ~ ~4Jf§§~
13. Ndl
16.... h5!?
~Ll.D<A'D ~i~,
I~---@~-;-%:m~--~m~--~
l- - Bi~~
Still standing on d3, it's unlikely that white's bishop will be
able to wait for the black king to get to the kingside and runs the
r~~,~~f ~'----·'m risk of going seriously cross-eyed.
mmm 'm"'mm
~~--~~~~%--~~~ 17. h3 g5 18. Bg3 h4 19. Bh2
~~ -ft~~ -~ i - B*m········~~1
1m~mAmK--~mm
~%--~~~:-~~~~%--~
ft ~1fil,m~~~!rir----
ft ~~- ft ~~ mf~t~fm'
m~r"~ ~m~
1m,_ _ _~ c.~ L.~ 1£~!-%t~~--~
•
-~~~~~
m~--~m~~----~~~L-~~--~.-
@ ~~ ~ -~~
By now you've probably already figured out that the higher
~L-~~m~m~K.:
Bfd~im~m;~
the level of unemployment among white knights, the lower all
of the other economic indicators are on the white side of the Si-
cilian Kingdom. ft~~ft-~-ft~
~'-----~m~r---~m~.,/<·····
13 .... Bb7 14. e5
.~ ~4Jf§§~
Now this breakthrough can be allowed, since the white knights
142 143
r
r
19•... g4! .,
iWA-<I'~
Black opens up lines on the kingside. m1'•
t
;. :
~ .f _,m1,
!rJJ~f ... ~rr
'S'
~
,~
~
20. Qxg4
Or 20. hxg4 h3!.
... . . .
~ ~ ~ ~
-~-, ~.----_;a ~
;. :
20 .... Ncxe5 21. Qg7

t
m mft~~-~
..
R4J~ ~~, ~ ,~
r~'jf··n~
0
If 21. Bxe5, then 21. ... Nxe5 22. Qg7 Rh5.
21. ... Qb6+ ,J~J~ ,
0~il-§
i)"l.l •
Attention! c.J ~
22. Rf2 9.... Nbd7 10. Bd3 Qc7 11. 0-0 b5 12. a3 Bb7 13. Rael h6
14. Bh4
Somewhat better is 22. Ne3.
.White does not want to give up the bishop for a knight. But
22 .... Bf6!
this move loses the battle for ownership of the important e5-
t,m,. ·--- ~-
·-
Got you! square.
i
11.11•~,)S
~--~ ~t~
-A~~t: 0~f-~ ...... ,
~ ~ ~,~~ ~t~~,~ .t _,. . .
t~ mt,1r·,~
H,. _,m~--,
!rJ).
~Ztf
iP. ~
'•~Ill"
~
'~4imim ~~K.,~
~ ~:I
•'
·i-~~~
~4J~Am~m·
~ ~ ~~ ?<-«
.,rw~r-~if(?''
.. .. .
~ ~ ~
z-~~~ z~
~ ~ ~- ~
23. Bxe5 Bxg7 24. Bxg7 Rg8 25. Bd4 Qc6 26. Be4 Qxe4 0-1
Ir
~
'WftB~.~~n
~j.~r.~0±tfm
14.... g5!? 15. Bf2

~ t§§~
If 15. fxg5, then 15 .... Ne5 16. Qe2 Nfg4, with advantage for
Platonov's Legacy: " black.
Konstantin Lerner-Palatnik [B97] 15.... gxf4 16. Qxf4 Ne5 17. h3 0-0-0 18. Qe3 Rdg8 19. a4
i
Odessa, 19 72 I
I
b4 20. Ne2 d5!?
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3. a6 6. Bg5 I
e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Nb3 Be7 9. Qf3
• !I
I
144 J 145
r , ~*-
~-~~I
~// .. J~~,,,)~m~ .... J
My Sicilian
~fl- --~..
~~~-~-~~~r~~~L
-f hfJ~lll~fif --;.~
~A-
1~~-:~'/,
Bi~
~mL .. .J~0..,.~0w11,~0n~.
Rt- .....
~~
....
11! 11!
,gJ.~ ~ B
~~~- -~m
1u m1m - ~ ~ .,
~
1~~~ ~~r~/,,,,.~I
'•mil!. ,IJ!mli!
~11!11!'
IJ!4:)1J!f
~~--~~~~-~-~~--~~~ IJ!4:)1J!m~mfJ!
~~f-~~~'···-~~·~'/, -·~
..
~~ ft-4JD ft,}~~
1~'···"'~~~·····~··'···0· M ~,~~ft- ~ft~-
..... ,~m~~§W
'~ ~ ~§§~ ~ ~ ~ L.~
L ..
Everything is as Platonov bequeathed! 24.... Nf3+! 0-1

21. Ng3 dxe4 22. Bxe4 Or 24 .... Qc6.
If 22, Nxe4, 22 .... Nd5.
22 .... Nxe4 23. Nxe4
, ~flm
~//. .,.)~~,-1 ..~ mm~s
~~~// ~ .....~I
~~ ~..
~A~iiiJ. ~~1~
r~~-- -~~ f ~ %~~
~ ~
11!11!11! IJ!•IJ!IJ!~J
11!0'1'11!m·: ,11!ml1!,
i~mm~mli!!
~f~~}f~~-.. ~f~·~I
lV~
~'·····'~~~-····~·-··0
J.l:. - ~
J.l:.,}1~
-
~ ~ ~§§~
White was unable to avoid giving the advantage of two pow-
erful bishops to his opponent.
23 .... f5 24. Ng3
146 147
Platonov s Chess Academy New Generations, Old Inspirations
Igor Platonov alwavs pointed out Chapter Seven

that the main achievement in the New Generations,
studv ot Sicilian Detense is to
understand preciselv where to
Old Inspirations
move each piece and pawn in
accordance with the demand close this section with two contests by the younger generation
ot the position. I of Sicilian players. These games give modem proof of numer-
ous Sicilian axioms established by GM Igor Platonov.
21st Century Battle of the Titans:
Gata Kamsky-Boris Gelfand [B32]
One has to be talented, have a World Championship Candidates' Match
stellar work ethic, and be brave in Kazan, Russia, May 16, 2011
1. e4 cS 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6 5. Nb3
order to handle this kind ol nuance ~RM-. ntibW~ ~ ~,~:ia
I;..... /~'~'·····'~'·····'~!
~--~~~ ~~--~ ff'%""""
in such advnamic opening. a D..2..M~~~~~
~~t~i~~t~~i
,
II is apleasure to see vounu chess

~'"~--~.
·~··'···
plavers ot todav who love the
Sicilian, and who have anatural teel
tor it, much as Grandmaster
Platonov himsell did.
·"······
~/ "0~% ~%"0 ~%"0
ftlft10a•~ Jmi~m
.@4J~~~ll~a
See Levy-Platonov, page 99, for the strategic underpinnings.
5.... Nf6 6. Nc3 e6 7. Bd3 Be7 8. 0-0 0-0 9. a4 d610. Be3
Qc7 11. f4 b6 12. Qf3 Bb7 13. NbS Qb8 14. c3
148 149
Platonov 's Chess Academy New Generations, Old Inspirations
·~ n ~s~n iB
•fn·~•fmT
~EB®
~~:i•~•.:f•t
· ·m!~~t•r·a !~~f-~~~~~'-----/~
ti~~~ m-
·····%"'-••
B4511!······
1~-ft'r~,¥~f!.~
~~c~'----·'~ -· ~ ~% ~
~c.u~~~M'tY~
~~ B -ft~~
..
l~~L.~~
-
~~
~~
"/~~%. ..~~~~
~~
'T~A•ii~~~~!
;9,~&i
.@~~~,~~/~//
i~ft
' - ' ' --~~/

"~~·Jl-./f~
•~·· "/.·
~~!
~ tYMn.~~,
~'·····'~ ~~ ~, ~
~ m mam~
~----"{""''~~~~~--,«""" . .....
~§ ~ ~§~
It was enough for Kamsky to draw with white to win the 23 .... Na5
match. His opening did not end up that badly for him; it was Black is opening fire from the main artillery against e4, but
probably just not the right choice. He is driving a Sicilian Ferrari, underestimates white's sudden attack.
and there are too many roadside restrictions and dangerous road-
blocks. 24. Nxa5 bxa5 25. Qh5
14.... eS!? This is the tum-around move. 25. Bxf7+ puts white on top.
White's cavalry has turned away from d5, so the last move did 25 .... Qc7 26. Bd5 Bxd5 27. exdS Ne4 28. Bgl?
not expose the square to occupation. And now the pawn on e5 Trying to preserve his bishop, Kamsky missed 28. Qe2-and
has established a much closer control over d4. The white knights a very likely draw, and with it, the world championship match!
dramatically lose maneuverability, which has been a strategic Often, in decisive games between equally matched opponents,
cornerstone of the Sicilian configuration from the end of the the tensions are great and errors almost inevitable.
1950s.
28 .... Qc4 29. Raal Qxd5
15. rs a6 16. Na3
Here, the knight is gradually stepping away from any gainful ID ~En@
~ ~~~~~~ ..~
employment. ~ ~ mt~~t
@h~~~~~'--···'~
16.... d5!? 17. Nd2 Qd8 18. Bf2 d4 !/~//~ ~/ .,,,~,~ ~
Black has achieved an advantage in the center here. ~
&.If -JVV
--JL~~ ~ ~g
s ~.If .!1.
rft~~ ~~')~ ~~-
19. Qe2 Re8 20. Nb3 Nd7 21. Khl Bxa3
Better was 21. ... Bh4. .·~•"' '11,!nli,!B
~%"~·---~~~~~ff-~_-
i~ ~ ~fti~
22. Rxa3 NcS 23. Bc4 ~d·---~~~~!g¥
~---j ~ ~ ~-:- % -
150 151
Platonov 's Chess Academy New Generations, Old Inspirations
Black has an extra pawn and a winning position. Even Kam-

- ~ -~~I
sky's renowned tenaciousness cannot help him here.
·Jl·JI-~~~
30. Radl d3 31. Qf3 Rad8 32. Rfel Nf6 33. QxdS RxdS
·.·.·~·~
··Jl!·~l~r ,,.
~•~•!Bi"
i~ m Mt~~t
lr. -~~~-~/&~--~i
ftMft-tB ~~I
'T~~~ ~-,--- /~
l~f'~~~~~--~~·-··-'m~I
. 1.~ ~~0 '/<~~;,,,,,/
Im/~~~,,,
-t~-~~~~ mft
~~ -·~~ft
I
~if~~~;,,,,,/~~~i ••jl!.f,%•j•
~~%--~~~
B
W/,
.
i~tM
~~~
m
~~ta~m
~%--ef----~~ %~~%--~.- 47.... Rxg2 48. cS Re2+ 49. Rxe2 dxe2 SO. Kxe2 Kf8 0-1
1~;~~
~ ~
- -ft~~
. . . /~w~~ ~~~<.... ,/ ,,,
Luxury Suite with a Waterfront View:
JI
34. c4 Rd7 3S. Bb6 e4 36. cS Rc8 37. h3 hS 38. Kgl h4 Karjakin (2763)-Cheparinov (26SO) [B80]
Porto Carras, November 6, 2011
~·- ~~-'
.~.JI. Jiff.~ 1. e4 cS 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 S. Nc3 a6 6. Be3
1
!u•1•N~.
e6 7. f3 bS 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. g4
i~
ff'~ ,, %''~~~~------~~
i~ Mftm
~ft~~K--~~ ;~~~~
··~if····i
•Jl•L"•". .
i ~- Ibo ~·¥~
'~ref ,
~..a..-~&J1ii"~
~~~~~~iJ~Ja
tM i~t!I): -I
?,ii:=t-.
~~·
~$~~-~.,. ~r~~----~~<% .:~ %
• !•''rJf·f!},·
~ ~ LJ ~-~~
39. BxaS RxcS 40. Bc3 Rc4 41. Bxf6 gxf6 42. b3 Rb4
i·.·~'·'•I
··~'~'··
~v ~-----·
~~~~~
- WW~~w ......
~- ??~1
43. Kf2 RdS 44. Ke3 RxfS 4S. Rel RgS 46. Rc4 Rxc4 47. bxc4 ""f"3~,,·-~0 ~~;,,,,,~
.J.1 ~m J1. %'0:
'"<
~§
~ ~ ~~-§
9.... h6!
According to Platonov, this would be the correct reaction.
Black should not allow himself to become cramped.
10. 0-0-0 b4
152 153
Platonov s Chess Academy New Generations, Old Inspirations
It was Bobby Fischer who pointed out that it's an enormous

BBAm@~ ~s
achievement for black to play b4 in the Sicilian and then continue ~~~-:-%:~~·
,m ~ Bti~ '··~--~------"
.U"
l•·.llllllllr/£~
!.
-~~TmK . ~-
with d5. If we believe Fischer, then we have to search for con-
tinuations that can really tilt the scale in black's favor. By the
way, black is correct not to move his bishop to e7 just yet.
11. Nce2
~~~~~M·~-'----·'a'
~~ftll'
~~
~~!I!
~:.!h~ ~
'll'll~llllll
Or 11. Nc6 bxc3.
~llw ,,,~~ ll~~

lm ~§m m§
11 .... Qc7 12. h4 d5 13. Bh3 Nb6!
B-.i.B@~
~.iiWiilfi~t~~;,w,i ..... Jl''4~Sj
1
18.... g6!
mt~• ~~~Bt~~
m%'wd--·-~~~
m;:;;- ''/-%'----·~~--0!
~~,
f mL. _ _ _,
t t~~ ~~~1
t . . /m
1m% Y~'
.-~, iP~~
The white pawns have been robbed of the remainder of their
kinetic energy with this move, and the advantage ofblack's two
m~i~~. ~~~~~"'/,;~~~ ~%--~
~ ~-~ ~ i~~
bishops becomes evident. Just as it was 40 years ago, ownership
of the two bishops is still an important factor.
~.&:;;;: ~- .!h .!h ~~~
~'----·'~f ·w~ %~, _____ ,
m% . ~~~-:P£~i 19. Kbl Bg7 20. Rhfl Qe5
ft~~
~, ft~{)- -
.. ,,,~0·,/l··~~~~-
:m ~gm mg ~~~~~
~ m ~~ ~'-.~SI
BB.i.-@B
mt~
... /
m~,,/~ ,~m~ ··~,

Once again, this is a precise reaction. It threatens Nc4, and the
pawn on e6 is now protected from possible sacrifices. Again, for tat mtat~
~"----·~ ~-;%:m~,,J~
the same purposes (as in earlier games), the bishop is left on c8,
and not automatically moved to b7. (As long as the pair of pawns
~
mff,~ m•
i~ ~:ftB
~~
0~.--4· -~~'-----~~
m
e4-f3 is kept intact, the bishop would simply have nothing to do ~K--~~~ _;~-;-~mm %
on b7.)
14. b3 dxe4
,,,,ll!llll'
~~~~ ~ ~I
m~m§mgm
An important central pawn is destroyed. Now, one just has to
prevent excessive opening of the center lines. For the queen in the Sicilian, a stay on e5 is analogous to the
luxury suite with a waterfront view. The white king can "feel a
15. g5 Nfd516. fxe4 Nxe3 17. Qxe3 hxg5 18. hxg5 breeze" on the long black diagonal.
21. Qf2 Ra7
This is a good Sicilian example of coordination with the pawn
on fl.
154 155
,..

.. New Generations, Old Inspirations
r
22. Ngl Rc7 23. Ngf3 Qc5 24. Qd2 Qc3 25. Bg4 1r
B -~- ~-I
mis~mfu··
I~ BAB~m
m ~~ ·--~~~~w'ef~li~
I ~a mt~ .....
.
..
r~-- /~T~f~
B" ·m•m•r.:'ff!m
••••••••
1£~~~>~~%t0,~I
!--~~~
!~~~~r-i{~lt~'
'.111l1i!'
11
ll'il
!111
II
~~~~~fJim .~,.·····
111111
m·:r;~f .~.~ !i!m!J~••

11111"
f m'£)1!i1~.~. mlmmBti'm•
~·~·"~•~m
,m~m§Ram White was able to deflect black's straightforward threats with 1111,
Sicilian endgames usually favor black. a few tricks. Simplifications, however, have led white to a strate-
gically hopeless endgame. The next stage is not technically chal-
25 .... Qxd2 26. Rxd2 Ke7 27. Rdf2 Nd7 28. Ne2 Bb7 IJ'll
lenging. While whistling the song about two bishops, black
simply chisels away at white's weaknesses and achieves victory. :111
---~SI
r
•. ~~~-
~ ?;~~',<~~ ~c.J
32. Bf3 Rh4 33. Ncl Bxe4 34. Re2 Bxf3 35. Rxe5 Be4
36. Rf2 Bf5
mA~~~-~t~
11
I
.,11
' %~~---j~~- -~~,,,, %~1
B
i•m•i•im .•~Js~i!n~ R@Bmm~I
11
J1·1·
1111
·~~mm!n~ ·~-,~·~·~
1·
mj'tm•n!~m .£R~m~t.~%t~
1l,ll1I!
~ m ~@..t~~
'·'I'
!m!m!J~•• ~%,"'0,~m_~---~~~---\ ....:;;

l
~·~•~.,~m ~~mm~~
1
~~----~~~~~~~---" 111;1 111
~~- mam r
•i·~·f~·~
29. Nel Ne5 30. Nd3 Ke8 31. Nxe5 Bxe5
ft-ft~ ra~ ~I
!~~~_,,,~~~- ~
I-~~: - .
R
'
37. Ra5 Rc6 38. Rg2 Rh3 39. Re5 Rhl 40. Kb2 Rd6 41. Nd3
1
11111
111
1111111
Sicilian enduames 1111111
usuallv tavor black. II:'
156 157 111
~
y,,,
'!
~ New Generations, Old Inspirations
- 8 m<11m
.~.~.,.=
Yet Another Bridge Into the 21st Centurv
Platonov versus Gruenfeld
fn
mmm~rsfnfn,
..... /f····~~~r-~~
~ ?~J.~~
The main Anti-Gruenfeld system, the Exchange Variation,
goes: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3
-
~~~m--····/m'··--·
8 8 m1 6. bxc3 Bg7 (D)
R fta!a n
7 In this position-for half a century-white
8
!w!n
~·"~·~·~·
!m m m mm
nln1 routinely played 7. Bc4 and then 8. Ne2.
Why not 7. N f3-asked Igor Platonov, and
soon found the culprit, an old game which
continued 7. Nf3 0-0 8. Be2 b6 9. 0-0 Bb7
41. ... Bxd3 42. cxd3 Rxd3 43. Re4 a5 44. Re5 Rd5 45. Rxd5 10. Qd3 c5 11. Be3, and soon ended in a col-
exd5 46. Rd2 Rfl 0-1 orless draw. Igor came up with 11. Bg5, (tar-
geting the e7-pawn and ready to play dxc5), with advantage.
1
•••••, ••
- m<11m m
.~.~.~.·
%--~m~~~~%t~~
~~ ~tR ~~
But finding such an improvement is only a first step in opening
research. The question we asked ourselves now was: When our
opponents recognize the merits of 11. Bg5, would they find an
improvement for black? The answer-7 .... c5 !.
'~----~~~~m~mK--~~ Igor, Lev and Sam analyzed a number of moves here, such as:
.~,.·····
~}l~~~- ·--~~mmm
ft~ t9 ~ ~
A. 8. Be2, soon rejected. Here is one sam-
ple line-8 .... Nc6 9. d5 Bxc3+ 10. Bd2
Bxal 11. Qxal Nd4 12. Nxd4 cxd4 13. Qxd4
~'·---~~-·····/~~~m
,m m mmm f6 14. e5 Qb6 15. Qxb6 axb6 16. e6 Rxa2 (DJ
17. Bb5+ Kd8 (17 .... Kf8 leads to a forced
If 47. Rxd5, then 47 .... Rf5, when white loses the g-pawn or mate) 18. Be3 Kc7 19. Bf4+ Kd8 20. Be3,
simplifies into a dead-lost pawn ending. Shades of Suetin- draw.
Platonov!
Nice, but who'd like to draw with white?
B. 8. Bb5+, Lev's favorite in the 1980s.
C. 8. Rbl, Platonov' preference-honed to perfection in the
1990s by Boris Gelfand, Vladimir Kramnik, et al.
Nowadays, 40 years after Platonov's discovery and 90 years
after the first, abortive 7. Nf3 try, the 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rbl system
remains for a second decade white's main anti-Gruenfeld
weapon!
158 159
,.. 1
f
111111
l
1
Platonov s Chess Academy The Two Bishops

':{
J 1111
i 111
II Chapter Eight
1
I
II
111
The Two 11
Bishops 111[1[1,
I~
11 11
Part IV H
ere we showcase Igor Platonov's analysis of two chess clas-
sics, featuring the advantage of two bishops. We'll get a
glimpse of the precision with which he polished his chess
111111
11111
Platonov's Lab sword.

Taubenhaus-Tarrasch [C67]
I
Monte Carlo, 11th game

February 24, 1903
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0--0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6
dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5
av Sam Palatnlk '='~~·. . *' W•~~ ~~k.1

1~--~ ~~--~'· -~~
am..a.~U'PiiJ~
... ~--4·--·"'
ra1 11i1I
,. . .
~~t~~ -t~~t ..
.•.•w;'ffjt,.•
,m·1,~~m,. ,~I
~J• • •
1111
1111
•••••
••••
.ili1' !.•
•.•m··1'
iI.fi!f;, 'Js,.UUfiff;, ·fPlf,fif~
1111
0
~§4JD~~E!~
111
Platonov studied this game in 1967, when the line, leading to

11
160 161 111
]
Platonov Chess Academy s
..
'
The Two Bishops
Igor Platonov's Notebooks

Below and to the right, two pages from Platonov's notebooks.
~
-
.~'-<"-.
31-
} - ~-
~~- 1;..\-uiu.,,.. A.~+. H..wtiZ... e... ~.e<.\ ~i.l.....ui..... c. ·ltt.

frra/Jp~ ..u .. "1·'Lv,'t1.*' . . . . . __ ~.vr,\Q._.kr{/.\ 11.Jvv... tJ(rit.
_J :A~·· ·;..;.x • ·- 't ... v -V1.a.\U.\ t\..{' v.,,_, ..... u • ...,111.e+u 11~ s.Vi4 ct.rt..
,~ -~- ./~-~/
!r-,./1~;•··;";_~:· ·~i:- ·F.J,u11 l<V I 11
i-"jv...l.~ ~ l~..l..4....w......._ w\"\.l.44114<-<~.~ i
-
Qw-,; "'lll"W)I.,
1.: a.~:.£J. .
,~.,~
,. ;fp t\• C
\t~ ~
<
""i..t.Vl(. .,.1..4..(;'l-..MA..-
. -
(!M.1.\4"4.,.
zJ. I
"'---r'}'rt~.
f-
-4Ci..t..(_
~t
\.\-w e~ v.~~~'-"-" '·~?,I , ........ "-1•"""'- ""'\!'~"' C .. ;_;i>~4,
•• ·u l'M w..;.
i li;f+ '""'-"- C... CJ" ~..;- 1.~f'l'V "'~.11..ui,
y,..,
Jjo,~ ~ ... {1. l.e/ y( 3 ~flt w,..., ... E~.t.v. "'t"-':::::' ·
..,"/W#,~.~'w,,,.·: 11'1>"'"-"'-
i r~ 4'·~ :
ii/."'
~ . ;~;;}/ c-t.AIUL
~
·.
·v~
-~ ~~;~
;/:,&',?)
(', ~.:. r.) '. - ~,,A. ..... )~ [t ... ..,.. ...,,,.; ... 't"'"""'. 'P·('.A.i..i. ~-" ....
¥°?/rei{~ . ~- ... e' L \Jr1_41- i. uh Vr~ &. Yi.tilt- P.i.u ~~ ,,l~·

.;~>11,\1-1(.,f,1.v Jqo~ 4._.. ~ &•1w-~ . ., . . : 1. \/¥;- c: '1'. ~ v.+t; 1a .vrcll ~it
\\, lv\)V\
,, ''I~ 1<1"'' /jl. rMKA, ~ t~:Li ;.u.;;"' 1-v.lUwr«,,,h<J<t;...' '-'"ift"'.4_"-,. "·'"
1
1
~1~ ctA
V1u.~,
9_\lfl WJ lo, \W} Wt \\, ~Ji.J!.:c~.".'.£1l_~ kp,1t
d<ft!~6 ~..(..~ll'J,'/" /,.(, ft"<...0"-J~ ~-if~?l.t(,(_" 1/-iJ.;r..(•.,,.((
1 , . k q, J!i n . ec n . fi.edl o/-k"'
C.>-<....
ti(.'. :,!i"'J..-0'11 ~t:J-(t"·/.t., fi'1-.

tJf•.,/Nw.t.(_. ?/....ft, ff.fJ,1...'-4!__, ~ 1'/ • cl J 1r. cJ. u.i.
13 11..cjrml.(..v... ~' 1'1.-<..o !
~,., .. cJ, l ! 2.,. M C~t S. 11/1=0 !Jo rlr~ lfL _h H. \l. t1 .1. .\IL.-
1
1.j;vv..,
il'il\-0,; l.~ .l<.<>')U•\v<.wtw 511.vo 'I. V\?e-4 1-tu"'1'-I, .,J._,.•,.011u..llA.i<f

i . " l \
v~·,\"{ U-'- S. ('.~ \tf:'f'i ·:.(:(1 M.
,. ·'i I II, \ I• ' ') - j'. ' •
\, i...· IP\\ n'\t IA.. /.J\
•}C'..,.,,,;. '\if µa,,.. \WM< n" ""' ~''~ . Jcyw..1<.<l :>", lif)+ ~ l"fl: J-t<
{;, '. \,{. \1 ( V't t . C, \"1 • {v plv{1·«4 \-\AM~" 1
.'
P.J ~...:.~~· \.<Lt. ·r. LA St,J.ilv"t e~(,,w;. ~Y"'.ri.ll'ii<.;-C

)·, .•, l , 'if~~"'-"'•t..: t.. .;........,;.,..,. llu..'"'""'. t·~f""""'IY> .-... Cc
t ~ \l\'li-1 i. Vt~"l.. 1'4 c.Lt~ '~'"'-"'• l>J.I( ...... .tt-u
Igor Platonov played and studied before the internet and "digital" era.
But his massive chess library gave him access to both new moves and old ones.
His notebooks were filled with original ideas and careful analysis.
162 163
II"'" l'jl'
Platonov's Chess Academy
the Berlin Defense, was already considered old-fashioned. Nearly

one hundred years later, this variation served Grandmaster
r
'
~t
The Two Bishops
18. ... hS 19. Radl c4 20. Kf2 h4 21. Ne2 cS 22. Ngl Kc7
23. Nf3 Kc6
~~~-~-i
Vladimir Kramnik very well as he won the title of world cham-
pion by beating Garry Kasparov in 2000. Platonov would have
1i•d
%.,~~~~ L ..~~- ~~~--J . J
'~ri"-
approved ofKramnik's bringing back the old ideas! i.&r1 t ~-~ t i•~
,. . ./me~----···m, . . ./M1.
ff&\]
~ i~~
~%"~~%."~mm~
1
8. Qe2 m
More common here is 8. Qxd8+. I -~~~~-
~m~----~~K3%.,~ @%.,~1'.
I
mtm ~~ ~~,
8. ... Nd4 9. Nxd4 Qxd4 10. Nc3 Bg4 11. Qe3 Qxe3 12. Bxe3 1m~~~id~mK . ~
m,,.,/,"/. ~----~,.~,~~
....}.:. ffi·,,,m,,.,/,"//·.
Bb413. Ne4 BfS
-i'-m
%, __ 1111
~ ~~ ~ ~~'
.u. ~~ rd .u. ~~
EB
~.,~ r@%''~ ~m r@%"% ..... /I~If J
a-·--··'m·fn1r --~m'·····'1
%9J 1111
,. . .
1~~t~~ mt~~t
1/1
.•.•uf
,~,1,m~m'·--··'~ 1
Illjll.Ji,.~{ llllll "Ill IllIll

24. Nel Be4 2S. Ke2 Rxd2+ 26. Rxd2 Rd8 27. Rxd8 Bxd8
28. Nf3
-E--
1%"~~m~--«~~~.,~~1
1~~tm mt~~
1.111
111,
··lll•illlllllll ~----~m;~mm~----~m1
mzf'~~~@m
~ i~d ~ ~-~ ·····%--~~zf'~
i~d ~ i~d:. 1mm%.,~~%.,~mm~
... . . ./
.f.1. f,,ill'",,: Jh
~~, /~ %m,~~rw,
'----~ ~ m , _ -~
:?.ill~ Jh i.ill~
1.
-~~~~-
~m~----~~~----~%"~~%"~1
l1il
mtmA~~ ~~
m~ff-~m~ ~~-3m~----:
B ~~ ~4JR
l·•
~%",/··--~~Vi···%~ @%'''0.
14. c3 Be7 lS. Ng3 Bd3 16. Rfdl 0-0-0 17. Rd2 cS 18. f4
ft~~ -~-ft ~~I
i~------~~m~~~'····-~
-~~~m·······g ~SI 1m mm m
m "'~m<i
i•dti•d ':I: ~m-4 '
~ ~ti•dt
I
1i.&r1
-m,
i~~
. . .
-·····'~'·····'m
m~%--~m%.,~~~~
WJ
.
0 % i~~
/~1
Platonov was very interested in this endgame position. Black,
with two strong bishops, has a big positional advantage. How- 1111
ever, the weakness of the h4-pawn, coupled with the double

-~~~~
111
~~~----~m~----~~~m~! pawns on the c-file, give white chances to survive.
w-~~ ~%~--~..1.m0~~----~7;~,,,~~
I
%
. 28 . ... Bbl! 29. a3 Bd3+ 30. Kel Be4 31. Ke2 Bd3+ 32. Kel
?,-:
~~ ~ ~ ~.,,.,~~/, "'·
/<·% % ''
Be4 33. Ke2 Bd3+ 34. Kel KdS 3S. Bf2 h3
::"0m ft
rftf ..... /~<. /m ~0
0ij/,"/. , ..... / , ..... , ... , .. % ..... ., "//'··.
0~~~ ~§~ %~0..
?,-:~
~ ~
~%,,
:".
?,-:~~
~
~a ~ m w
.... "<,..... /
164 165
.,.
r Platonov 's Chess Academy
~I]~~'
~1'
~~a R
The Two Bishops
~.,~m%
li~tm
· - ~~~.,~ , I~~~~~-~~~.,~~
1
Rti:P
~-.,·~mmm %~K ~~1 .. -mmmm0,_%m~----~~- ~ii~
~m~.,~m%.,~m~m, ~.,~~~.,~m%.,~~%"~m
i~~i~ - %~
-~m~i~m~----~~~ ~~i~~ ~~ ~~
,_____ ,m,1,m1J~'···--'~ 1
!%"~m%.,~m~~:---~~~
'i~ i~J..-~-t ~,~~
~~
, , mi
--~~%.,~m~ 1 ....~?ffi~
, . . /., ,,, i~~~~~ t
,_____ ,, , m_,,_, , _ . . ·, ,/. ~~~%/,//,"//'.
~~~~-
~'··--·'~ ~~ 0·%~'···--'i
~.. 3%.,~----~?ffi~ %~ ~ %%.,~I ·0
i~~ ~~~ ff~ ~ i~~1· %~~~ ~- 0~/7,~

~· ~~~""~I
;z
~
m
i§1
,..... /~ %~
~ ~
~J1i~~I
'/< - m'
m·····'
?/
~~
m m\t>m m .-..
?/
~~
Another possibility would have been 35, .,. Ke4 36. Ng5+ "ii
;f...,, 44.... b4 45. cxb4 cxb4 46. axb4 axb4 47. Nc2 c3 48. bxc3
;!
Kxf4 37. Nxf7 Be7 38. Bxh4! (D) and white holds. b3 0-1
~~~RI
I~~~~~ ~~~.,~ ~
- ~ii~
-mmmm0·'·%m~----~~
1~~~m%,,~~%'-~m1
36.g3? --i~i~
White should have played 36. gxh3.
Here Platonov disagrees with the line recommended in many
books, 36 .... b6 37. Be3. Now if 37 .... Ke4 38. Kf2, planning
39. Ng5+. Instead, Platonov saw the strong move for black,
37.... Bg6, with winning chances.
mi~~\t-
-~~
~m~m~%:
-t
mmmmA~f!···jm1
~~~.,~~~,,,.3~~
m~'·:···'~m~~m%.'"0
i~..~i
%~K
,m m\t>m m g
Still, as Igor showed, white could have saved the game by
playing, after 36 .... b6, 37. Bg3!. Then if 37 .... Ke4, simply Platonov 's notebook contains much
38. Ng5+, while 37 .... Bg6 would be followed by 38. Kd2; and more than you see in these pages.
finally, if black tries 37 .... f6, then 38. exf6 gxf6 39. Kf2.
He was interested not so much in a
36.... b6 37. Ngl Bf5 38. Nf3 Ke4 39. Nd2+
certain game per se, but in various types
39. Ng5+ would be followed by 39 .... Bxg5 AO. fxg5 Kd3
41. Kdl Bg4+ 42. Kcl Ke2. ofpositions, and thus often analyzed
39 .... Kd3 40. Nfl Be4 41. Ne3 Be7 42. g4 b5 43. g5 a5 even dubious moves, as long as the
44. Kdl
emerging positions were worth studying.
166
I 167
T
The Two Bishops
Richard Teichmann-Max Bier [C67]

Hamburg 1905 r.~~?Jf'~~~-~~~- 1
'-t~~ ~t
- - - %
BBBB r~~t~~-~t~
~~--~~~ ~~:~f'~~! ~~
mm%"~~~m
,.,.f!ffj,_.
%
mt~~~~t~~t
~~'·----'~···'··~'----·'~!
1
••••r.J···
.m~~~~,,,
r,%.
~~J..mt
,,~~~~
~. ~0 ,,,«m~.JL.~~~
mft~
..
~ B
~, "//~ ..... : .,}~.:~w~~~,,,/,'w.·
~~~ foffi ~~~ ~-~%"~' .il. ~m1
• •f.."i.W t • • • ·~'""'~~"···y~
.il.
~~'""'~
. ,/.D/,//,''// m,,,/,.'//
~,,,~/~ttAH BBBB
~ ~$1-
.il. ~~
~1r·--/m"·-~n,
%'©J . . _,_,_ _ _,
~~ ~ ~~
~~ .il. ~~
White is clearly much worse. Black played the rest of the game
very well.
As Euwe mentioned, white could get excellent drawing
In this position, white played ... chances with 27. h3 h4 28. Kf3. Platonov, however, prefers here
an immediate 27. Kf3 and in case of 27 .... f6, 28. exf6 Bxf6
24. f3?
29. b4, because he felt the inclusion of moves h3 and ... h4 favors
This loses a tempo. It would have been stronger to play 24. f4. black.
Even then, however, white's position would have been difficult-
after, for example, 24 .... a5!. (The natural 24 .... Ke6 25. Ke2 27 ... c5 28. a4?!
a5 26. Kf3 h5 27. Ne4 would make it more difficult for black to Moving pawns on the side you're weaker, unless for a good
realize his advantage, even though after 27 .... b6!, black's reason, is not usually a good idea. He would be better off playing
chances are still better.) a waiting move like Ke2.
24 .... h5 28 .... b6 29. Kcl c6 30. Kd2 b5 31. Ket
The move 24 .... a5 is necessary in order to play ... f6 next. If
black immediately plays 24 .... f6, then 25. exf6 Bxf6 26. b4!,
followed by a3, and white's fortress is difficult to breach. ----
1~~~~~-·~~~~'
18 B -tB
T~T~~~t,~1
I.% ~~--~m%--~~~m,
25. Ke2 Ke6 26. f4 g6 27. Kd2?
1
.
Bt~~ ~~J..Rt
_,f!:j.r:Jf ,••
r~~-- ~~K--~~~ ~~!
~%--%' ... ;~7'-- ~~ ~%"~1
~.~ ~~ ~ Bft~~
,,,,,.,0.,}~~~~~,,,,,,'
168
-~-- 169
'f
'~1: Warming Up for Your Tournament
~:
l
31. ... b4 32. Ne2 Be4 33. g3 Kd5 34. Kd2 c4 35. Nd4 cxb3 1
36. Nxb3 c5 37. Net c4
'~ B --
~~~~·l~~~ m- 1
Chapter Nina
I,~~~-,,~ Warming Up tor

~~~~Z"'-~~n Your Tournament
~~--~~1~~%--~~ii.
I- m
Ii
.·~
«~
ft~~t-J..~~ -
l~~L.~m~~·/----~%--~~ ll
~,,~-~----~~~
%~~ %M·: ~~
~,~~~~~~~
~~."'{· .~~ ~~
..... ,, .. 3
B &.S: - B
38. Ne2 c3+ 39. Nxc3+
If 39. bxc3, then 39 .... b3.
o warm up for a tournament, Igor Platonov used to solve
39 .... bxc3+ 40. Kxc3 a5 0-1
T tactical puzzles from Nikolai Shumilin's textbook. Below,

you will find eight puzzles taken from Igor's own games.
We give the solutions on page 173.
~ m
~~~~~~r~
~ ~~~~~~,~
....
-* ~. ~
~~~~~L~~~4J
~~--~~~~~-..... ~~--~
~~---~-!'
t~~,~~~~~
M -~~I
.• ·
~ ...... ......
~
(~
l1
~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~' ,~,-~~'
~ ~~%. ·'~'- ~~~;
i ~ ~ ·--~~~if/,"//. ~if/,"//~~ ~if/,"//~ ft
%%m z.. .-"" ~
-~ ~
'.F~~~~ .. ~~ ~ft~Jr
~f f ....
z~
~ ~m~~~~
...... /~ ~~;~• .... ./~ -
·l'jl.
\' I~~~?§~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Puzzle 1: Black to move Puzzle 2: Black to move
170
I 'l'
171
Platonov s Chess Academy Warming Up for Your Tournament
••
~--~~%--%--~-----~~~-!
. ~:?%J!( ~~r-~ ~ mm
.. ~/,//,"//''~-~~~ ¥S~B
/~~
1
Solutions
... ~ ?.:"l{"'t•t•t
,, ......
~~ ~~t•t~~t ;,,.,,,%,,~------,~ ~~ •~%--~

. .,
.
~ !P~ ~
,,,,,,/0,"0:-'""''0 ,,,_,,)~~------'~'._
r~ ~
J~~i~~.~
B H i~--i~
1~J----~- %~~ %.~ Puzzle 1: 1. ... Qxg2 +! 2. Rxg2 Rx.al+ 3. Rgl Rxgl+ and
:mF ~ ~m ~
' 1!!11!111!1! ~-----:mfr~--j- ~~ 4 .... Be3+ removes all hope (and pieces) away from white .
• •ffi'dl!l!I! ~~~--~~-J~~~ ~
~% ,,,,,/~~~·~f''1 m ~m~• m
%%~------'~~~~%--~
Suetin-Platonov, 1976
_ft~w~~~~ilffi~
~§ ~~~§~ 9_ft~·rtf~~~~~~ft,i~
~§W
Puzzle 2: 1. ... Ke7 2. Qxg7+ Kd6 3. Qxd4+ Kc7 4. Qg7+
Kc6 5. Qxh6+ Kc5 6. b4+ Kxc4 7. Qc6+ Kb3 8. Qd5+ Kxb4
9. Qd6+ Ka5 10. Qd5+ b5 0-1
•• . .••
Puzzle 3a: White to move. Puzzle 3b: White to move.
Klovans-Platonov, 1972
...
'"'"'"'!~~"' ~ mt--~
//"//~"'/,''//~- .,,,,~,,_~,,, ~-- -~ --~1
~t['jt~~~~t Puzzle 3a: 1. Nh6+! gxh6 2. e5 Bxd3 3. Qxd3 Ndc4
&~
·Jim·----'~tf -~~~
~~.A.~SJ
~m1 'I!' l!l!I!'•
l~·~-~~%--~~~~I
~~%--~-----'%--~" w ~
ft i~ m m Puzzle 3b: 4. Rf6! Kh8 5. Bxh6 Qe7 6. Rafl d5 7. Rlf3 Nxe5
•4Ji1W
%%_,~----~~l--.?%,,~~~--~ •%%% ..;~fti~
; %%%~ ~--3% ..~ %%~ ~ 8. dxe5 Qxe5 9. Bxf8 Rxf8 10. Rxt7 Rxt7 11. Rxt7 Qel+
~m ~ft~~ ~ i~d
~g1 ~-~ J1
~ ~.£1~ fa\]
i*d
~
~------'~ . %~------'~ . 12. Rfl 1-0
m·-----,-~~-if~ ·
%~~~,'{(,~~·~f-~ ·~~~~~·%--~
ftm ~ • ~~
Platonov-Tseshkovsky, 1968
~~~ ~--~
ftm -~w m ~~I
~~ ~------" ~~rf~~~~-----·
I~~~ milU§ R~f§~ •ilR§ Puzzle 4a: 1. Nxc7! Nxc7 2. cxd6 Qxd6 3. Bc5 Nxe4 4. fxe4
. ••• Puzzle 4b: White to move.

Qg6
Puzzle 4a: White to move.
Puzzle 4b: 5. Nxf4 exf4 (5 .... Qxe4+ 6. Bd3 Qxf4 7. Qxf4
·"//~'
t
~
.~,,,%~-"~'~a~.L~
t --~-~~!%~%
r~~~-,'{(,~~'- ,~~I exf4 8. Bd4+ Rg7 9. Rxc7+-) 6. Bd4+ Rg7 7. Rxc7 Bf6
I
,~~ ~§~A~~
;,,,,,/~'-
I': ~
~:::;
/~ ~~'- ,/~
:% ~
~:::;
?'. ~ ~ E BtH
;,,,,,,~L~~~~~;:~
8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. Qb2 Qxb2+ 10. Kxb2 Re8
~·~~~~~~
·%--~~£~%--~·~!-. g~-%--~~%--~~~~
i~ i~4J-
~--3~~----~~ %- Puzzle 4c: 11.Rxd7! Rxd7 12.Bb5 + -
i~ •fti~ m ~~ii- ft m ft m
%%% .. Platonov-Gulko, 1969
~~----~~ ~~~----~~ %% ~------'~~~~~
·~ ·%--~~~~£•%--~_
ft~'//~~~~·~--~
'
• m ~:m
~-- ~~ 00~ 0~------
ft~mftm • ~~
~------'~~~~~------
Puzzle 5: 1. g5 ! mates in four, the fastest win. 1-0
g R •ilR§ -~- • R§ Platonov-Savon, 1969
Puzzle 4c White to move. Puzzle 5: White to move.
172 173
Afterword Index 01 Plavers

Numbers refer to pages. Page numbers in
bold indicate the player had white.
Gt-I
Beljavski: 131 Palatnik: 115, 118, 122, 127,

ltimately, it's up to each reader to decide how
U
Bier: 168 131, 135, 139, 141, 144
convincingly these recollections of our de- Cheparinov: 153 Paulsen: 118
parted and keenly missed friend Igor Platonov Dolmatov: 127 Platonov: 9, 29, 42, 49, 55,
show that his games and ideas can be applied effec- Gelfand: 149 59,65, 74,80,85,89,94,
tively to today's praxis. If the answer isn't clear to Geller: 9 99, 102, 107
you by the time you've reached this page, we know Giorgadze: 115 Smyslov: 29
the fault is our own, not Igor's. Grigorian, K.: 42 Solidakis: 139
But if you suddenly develop an increased incen- Gufeld: 89, 135 Suetin: 107
tive to obtain the advantage of the two bishops, or Ivanov, A.: 122 Taubenhaus: 161
an irrepressible urge to meet 1. e4 with the Sicilian Kamsky: 149 Tal: 65, 74, 80
Defense, then the answer is yes! Karaklajic: 59 Tarrasch: 161
Karjakin: 153 Teichmann: 168
Klovans: 94 Tukmakov: 85
Kondratiev: 49 Yanitsky: 141
Kupreichik: 102 Zhukhovitsky: 55
Lerner: 144
Levy:99
174 .\I'
'i
175
, • '' '*II! ._,,.,,.1mmf 1a. z:u:z 1
l
Index ot Openings
Numbers without brackets refer to pages.
Numbers within brackets give the ECO codes.
English: 29 [Al 7], 42 [Al 7]
Sicilian:
Najdorf: 65 [B95], 80 [B97], 85 [B97], 99 [B33], 118
[B97], 127 [B85], 131 [B97], 135 [B97], 144 [B97]
Richter-Rauzer: 122 [B67]
Scheveningen: 49 [B83], 55 [B81], 59 [B85], 94 [B84],
107 [B84], 115 [B84], 153 [B80]
Sozin: 74 [B87], 89 [B87], 102 [B87], 139 [B87]
Others: 141 [B56], 149 [B32]
Ruy Lopez: 161 [C67], 168 [C67]
Two Knights Defense: 9 [C59]
794.122 ALB
Alburt, Lev.
Platonov's chess academy :using Soviet-
era methods to improve 21 st-cer.tu:y
openings. 176 p.
Chess Information and Research Center
176
SEP 2 6 2012 Okl11

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AIBURT
v
l'ILITNIK
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3 9102 09127556 9 __ 1~5
Pd
r PLATON r
CHESS ACADEMY
~ CHESS AC
(
gor Platonov was one of the most profound thinkers and theoreti-
I cians in the old Soviet Union, which held a grip on the world chess
championship for decades as the title passed from one of its stars
to another. Platonov' s visionary insights, examined and explained
0
z0
here for the first time, provide you with the keys to understanding
the foundational concepts of the game - and give you effective meth-
ods of training that will help you to find the most powerful moves. <
CIJ
....
Three-time U.S. Champion Lev Alburt and European Champion Sam

Palatnik, two of the most renowned chess trainers in the world, in-
troduce and explain the revolutionary ideas of their old friend and
mentor, Igor Platonov.
• Reveals top chess training secrets

of Soviet champions.
Deeply examines the theory of the Sicilian
Defense-the most popular chess opening.
~
Provides a unique understanding of how
small changes in a chess position can require
completely different long-range plans.
~m
Offers you a real strengthening of your
mess understanding.
or intermediate players to grandmasters.
~
ISBN 978-1-889323-26-8
$16.95
ISBN 978-1-889323-26-8
51695>
11
9 781889 323268 11 I )> ......
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"'

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Table ot Contents About this Book

A chess equivalent of the Sorcerer's Stone, a method of play that

famous Lasker-Capablanca game: 5. d4 exd4 6. Qxd4 Qxd4

.~-~f;Pltdanov did borrow trom Fischer.

~~~~~~~~ ~%'-~~, ~%'-~~

~~~~~~~f .~1 ~1.'~ ~~~~

ECO, 1981 (Gligoric), gives the same conclusion: "with com-

Here Gligoric suggested "13 .... Nb7!oo."

So, going back to the note on page 20,

~--~m ~%:.~ ~m ~~ ..~

35.... Kf8 36. Kd5 Ke7 37. Kc6 (DJ

RR&~RR RR~ '

~~~~,, 5~~~"'1 I~~~~ ~-~~ 0~,

44 . ... Kd8 45. a6 1-0

5 . ... d6 6. g3 Be7 7. Bg2 0-0 8. 0-0 c5 9. Rel (D)

it~~,,,~--0~, . . . ,~~;t~~ •..... / ... 1... • ..... ,/ .,,,, .. ~

0~~ ~JVV~~~ AH 10. ... cxd4

~m~ 8 ..id!~ ft~~ kJ'I.

t§ m~~~ w Smyslov follows the old axiom "When in a cramped position,

This move creates a passed pawn and forces a trade of queens,

An important prophylactic move, preventing 29 .... Nd7, with

41. g4 g6 42. gxf5 gxf5 (D)

The goal of this exchange is to free white's king somewhat, in

posite color (BOC)-Platonov's trademark.

ter Karen Grigorian. ~§ ~~~A~§

~.~~----~%--~ ~%"~ .....:~ ~

/,/ ,"/;'/~. ..... /

.u. i.ill~ i.ill~

re ~~~A~g Material is even, and black's position-with four(!) pawn is-

This feeble attack can and should be ignored.

~,,~;. ~- ·'~ . %."~~

26 . ... Rg6 27. Rc7 Bc6 28. Ra7 Re6 (D)

Part II P latonov described the Sicilian Defense as a widespread net-

Not Enough Ammunition:

a=' ~~ .. ~·if~ ?,~;;1

••• ..,.:d...•• ,..... ,~~~ , ~ w~,

20 . ... exf5 21. Bxf5 f6

~~~~~~-~i White chooses the razor-sharp Keres attack in Scheveningen

.-.~~,.-~ Variation of Sicilian Defense.

......~ ~~~%'-~~ ~· .:~ - ~~L-.~~:r·~

Instead, 15. Rh3 at least forces Platonov to play 15 .... Nf8.

1~~·[~~~.!Jj~~I~ Platonov called this move a natural reaction to a4 .

This looks a bit simplistic.

13 . ... Bxc6 14. Bd4 g6 lS. fS

~ .... ~ 2S. Rael

-:, Platonov Versus Tai:

•RrJ"RRRm 1~~~&"M% .... -~~~!@~I

·~§f ~~~·i:tm ~~-;~

RRR~_,,1RRR~q Now the threat of ... Nd7-b6-c4 discourages white's otherwise

'~ " '%% ,, -~~~~f'0 .~0'«~.~.­

37 .... d4! (37 .... Rg4 38. Rc3, with

34 . ... Rhl + 35. Kb2 Rh4! 36. c3

It was always a pleasure for me to converse and occasionally

This position should not evoke special concerns from either

Readers might mistakenly start to think that winning against

Opening the diagonal for his bishop. Black's strategy relies on

,, . '~"-· 'r,,·'%: ,~ '~r-~

This natural move misses a win. 21. . ..

25. Nd5 Qd2. (D) •t

With these three games in mind,

~Jii{.1 .. -~~~ %~~1

~A~%--J~I:~~~ msa :.fi---

~~,, 5~"'1 I~~~~ ~-~~ 0~,

it~~,,,~--0~, . . . ,;t •..... / ... 1... • ..... ,/ .,,,, .. ~

......~ ~%'- ~· .:~ - L-.:r·~

1·[~.!Jj~~I~ Platonov called this move a natural reaction to a4 .

•RrJ"RRRm 1~&"M% .... -~!@~I

·~§f ~·i:tm -;~

'~ " '%% ,, -~~~~f'0 .~0'«~.~.

~Jii{.1 .. -~ %1

~~,,~m-- . }::·?. . ~~1._

ft ft- '//••···

illm ·.,;illillillill" r,n ~ mA-

,,~~~~-%-- 8. a3 Be7 9. f4 d6 (D)

~%'-~ ,,,~w~~.. 3%,,~

iii~JtliliB~lll ftm -

~~--;. ···% 3~ Iii

31. Be3 Qh4 32. Rd2 Be5 0-1 ~,,ff!},

~--~··%" i-AWl<I'- ~-~

llllll lll 'f"1lllllj -,.7;,,7,wf""·

~Jill ~ ~gJ ~~ %%,,~ . ~I

~$~~-~.,. ~r----<% .:~ %

~llw ,,, ll

----~~~~~---" 111;1 111

av Sam Palatnlk '='·. . *' W• ~~k.1