Piece Mobility

Specific elements about the mobility of each piece were discussed in Month 3 of our
course. In this lesson we present 3 important aspects about the general mobility of the
pieces, precursor of “dynamic” (presented in the next lesson).

1. The Reserves

Until the endgame, rarely all the forces take part to the various local battles on the chess
board. So, at some moment we may have active pieces and pieces that do not take part to
the respective actions. But this classification of active versus non-active pieces should be
conditioned as there are situations when the non-active pieces can enter the fight – this is
often spectacular and can be even decisive.

In the game Fischer - Geller, 1961, after the moves: XABCDEFGHY

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0–0 Bg4
6.h3 Bh5 7.c3 Qf6 Black seems to have a good 8r+-+kvlntr(
position because of the pin from the kingside. 7+pzp-+pzpp'
White’s queenside is still undeveloped but his pieces 6p+nzp-wq-+&
will enter the game extremely fast with a new threat
at every single move: 5+-+-zp-+l%
8.g4! 4L+-+P+-+$
By this move, White is weakening his kingside, but
he gets time for the next actions. 3+-zP-+N+P#
8…Bg6 9.d4! with 2 threats: Bg5 and d5. White’s 2PzP-zP-zPP+"
dark-square bishop will participate to the battle as
an active reserve but only 9 moves later it will be
1tRNvLQ+RmK-!
effectively developed. xabcdefghy
9…Bxe4 White is to move
Black was forced to accept this sacrifice but after
which his king is in danger on the e-file.
10.Nbd2
In just 2 moves, White’s queenside is ready to fight. Black is already in serious troubles
as the following variations show:
10…Bg6
a) 10...Bxf3 11.Nxf3 e4 12.Re1 d5 13.Bg5 Qd6 (13...Qg6 14.Qb3! b5 15.Qxd5 bxa4
16.Rxe4+ Be7 17.Bxe7 Ngxe7 18.Rxe7+ Kxe7 19.Re1+ Kf8 20.Ne5) 14.c4! dxc4 15.d5!
b5 16.dxc6 bxa4 17.Rxe4+ Ne7 18.Bxe7 Bxe7 19.Qe2+-; or
b) 10...Bd3 11.Bxc6+ bxc6 12.Re1 0–0–0 13.Re3 Bg6 14.Qe2
11.Bxc6+ bxc6 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Nxe5 Quod erat demonstrandum.
The material equality is re-established but Black is behind in development, his pawn
structure on the queenside was destroyed and the open files in the center give White a
strong attack. Black could not resist more than 10 more moves:
13…Bd6 14.Nxg6! clears the e-file for the rook.
14…Qxg6 [14...hxg6 15.Ne4 Qe5 16.Nxd6+ Qxd6 17.Re1+ Ne7 18.Qf3]

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15.Re1+ Kf8 [15...Ne7 16.Nc4 0–0–0 17.Qa4] 16.Nc4 h5 17.Nxd6 cxd6 [17...Qxd6
18.Qxd6+ cxd6 19.Bf4 Rd8 20.Rad1 d5 21.Rd4±] 18.Bf4 d5 19.Qb3 hxg4 20.Qb7!
gxh3+ 21.Bg3 Rd8 22.Qb4+ 1–0

The attacks based on sacrifices followed by introducing the reserves into the battle are
very strong and usually unpredictable. The feeling for the position plays the most
important role in the decision making process.

In this position from the game Maroczy – XABCDEFGHY

Tartakower, 1922, Black’s queenside is behind in
development. However, Black correctly evaluates 8r+l+-+k+(
that he can bring these pieces in attack on the 7zpp+n+-+p'
kingside after the following rook sacrifice: 6-+pvlpwq-tr&
17…Rxh2 18.Kxh2 Qxf2+ 19.Kh1 Nf6
The reserves comes slowly in active positions (the 5+-+p+-+-%
knight needs one more move: Nh5 and the rook 4-+PzPp+p+$
needs 2 moves: Bd7, Rf8), but White has not
enough space to set up a good defense in time. 3zPP+-zP-zP-#
20.Re2 Qxg3 21.Nb1 Nh5 22.Qd2 Bd7 23.Rf2 2-vLQsN-zP-zP"
Qh4+ 24.Kg1 Bg3 25.Bc3?
It is very hard to always find the best move like a
1+-+RtRLmK-!
machine, especially when you are under attack. xabcdefghy
After 25.Rg2 Rf8 26.Bc1 Rf3 or 25.Rh2 Bxh2+ Black is to move
26.Qxh2 Qg5 27.Bc1 g3 Black’s attack remains
dangerous, but White could still hope.
25...Bxf2+ 26.Qxf2 g3 27.Qg2 Rf8 28.Be1 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 e5 30.Kg1 Bg4 31.Bxg3
Nxg3 32.Re1 Nf5 33.Qf2 Qg5 34.dxe5 Bf3+ 35.Kf1 Ng3+ 0–1

In the next example, we will see that the lack of reserves constitute an important factor
for evaluation if an attack based on sacrifices can or cannot succeed.
XABCDEFGHY
This position is from the game Polugaevsky – Tal,
1973. Black sacrificed a pawn in the opening to get 8-+ktr-+-tr(
some lead in development and he could have 7zppzplwqp+p'
enough compensation after 12…Nh5, but he 6-+-+-snp+&
continued in the same style sacrificing a piece:
12…Bc6? 13.exf6 Qe3 14.Rf1 Bxg2 15.Rf2 Bh3 5+-+-zP-+-%
16.Qc1 Rhe8 4-+P+-zP-+$
Black pieces are ideally placed and White hardly
defends his position. The problem is that Black has 3+-+-+-+-#
no pieces in reserve which in this situation could 2PzP-sNL+PzP"
give the final strike. Little by little, White will
improve his position and refute the attack.
1tR-+QmK-+R!
17.Nf1 Qe6 18.Qc3 Bg4 19.Ng3 h5 xabcdefghy
Black tries to bring everything possible in attack, Black is to move

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but this marginal pawn is not enough.
20.Rd1 h4 21.Rxd8+ Kxd8 22.f5 gxf5 23.Qd3+ Kc8 24.Nxf5 Qxf6 25.Ne3 and some
moves later Black resigned.

2. Destroying the barricades

By setting a “barricade” one of the players wants to defend his position against an attack
toward his king, on one of the flanks, block an opponent free pawn and so on.
In fact, in almost any game, the players set up various barricades against opponent’s
active actions. We will see that in adequate circumstances even a barricade that looks
impenetrable can be destroyed or nullified.

In this position from the game Fischer – Panno, XABCDEFGHY

1970, Black’s kingside looks well barricaded by the
black pawns. Moreover, Black has 2 knights ready 8-+n+-+k+(
to come in defense, the white light-square bishop 7+-+n+p+p'
looks non-active and white cannot exploit the 6-wq-+p+pwQ&
weakness of the dark-squares.
Fischer starts to attack Black’s barricade having in 5zpl+pzP-+-%
mind a strong resource: 4-zp-zP-+PzP$
26.h5!
White threatens 27.Ng5 Nf8 28.Nxh7 Nxh7 29.hxg6 3+P+-+NsN-#
fxg6 30.Qxg6+ Kh8 31.Bf1 and 32.Nh5 2P+-+-zPL+"
26…Qd8 27.Ng5
Without well placed pieces, there are no spectacular
1+-+-+-mK-!
moves. Sometimes, the preparatory moves are in xabcdefghy
fact the one that are worth the exclamation marks. White is to move
27…Nf8 28.Be4!! Talking about the reserves…
Black’s barricade doesn’t look impenetrable anymore. White’s bishop jumped on a
square that is controlled by a black pawn but, in fact, the capture is impossible because
after 28…dxe4 29.N3e4, the white knight arrives on f6 (a pawn cannot defend a square
for 2 times…).
Now, White attacks the black pawns on light-squares with Be4, Ng5, Qh6 and h5-pawn.
28…Qe7 29.Nxh7!
In just 3 moves, Black’s barricade was destroyed. White is threatening Nf6+ so Black is
forced to accept the sacrifice:
29…Nxh7 30.hxg6 fxg6 31.Bxg6 Ng5 32.Nh5 Nf3+ 33.Kg2 Nh4+ 34.Kg3 Nxg6
35.Nf6+ Kf7 36.Qh7+ 1–0

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In the game Veresov – Levenfish, 1934, Black got a XABCDEFGHY
bad position, but he tried to set barricades on both
flanks. White seems to have no entrance, but: 8-snl+-tr-+(
30.g4!! 7mk-+n+-+-'
An unexpected move. White destroys the barricade 6-zp-wq-zpp+&
using the g-pawn as after 30...hxg3 31.Rxg3, Black
has problems in defending the g6-pawn. For 5zp-zpPzp-+r%
example: 31…Rg8 32.Qxh5 gxh5 33.Rxg8 4L+P+P+-zp$
30…Rhh8 31.g5 Ka8
Black has no useful moves or counter attacks. 3+-zP-vLR+-#
32.Qf2 fxg5 33.Bxg5 2P+-sNQ+PzP"
The f-file was opened and the white major pieces
can now decisively invade Black’s camp.
1+-+-+R+K!
The game continued: xabcdefghy
33…Rxf3 34.Nxf3 Ba6 35.Nd2 h3 36.Qg3 Bc8 White is to move
37.Rf7 Na6 38.Be7 Qb8 39.Bc6+ Ka7 40.Bf6 Rf8
41.Rxf8 Nxf8 42.Bxe5 1–0

3. Mobility in small space.

Usually, the pieces have possibilities of maneuvers in large space, but there are enough
positions where the pieces do well in limited space too.

Game Bagirov – Vasiukov, 1973. XHGFEDCBAY

Black’s cramped position doesn’t look to promising.
After doubling the rooks on the f-file followed by 1-mK-+-+-tR!
e3-e4-e5, White has a strong attack on the kingside. 2+PtR-wQ-zPP"
The following regrouping of black pieces 3P+NzPLsN-+#
demonstrates the wealth of resources that can be
used by proper maneuvers: 4+-+-+P+-$
14...Ng8! 15.Raf1 f6 16.e4 a6 17.Qf4 Qe7 18.a3 5-+-+Pzp-+%
Nh6 19.Qg3 Nf7 talking about barricades…
Black improved his position a lot setting a strong 6+psn-zp-+-&
barricade on the f-file and against the advance of the 7pmkp+n+pzp'
white e-pawn. Despite the small space, Black has
enough liberty to continue the piece maneuvers, for
8+-+rwql+r(
example: Rf8, Nfe5 with a dynamic position. xhgfedcbay
Black is to move