The Colle: Move by Move

This series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer
probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of
vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of opening knowledge. Carefully selected questions and
answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an
excellent way to study any chess opening and at the same time improve your general chess skills and knowledge.
In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala studies the Colle, one of his favourite opening systems. The
Colle is a reliable option for White, and is easy to learn and play. White typically builds on solid foundations before
unleashing an attack on the enemy king. This straightforward plan makes it particularly popular at club level, but the
Colle is played successfully by Grandmasters too. Lakdawala covers both the main lines and the more aggressive
Colle-Zukertort Attack, examines the key positional and tactical ideas for both sides, and tells you everything you
need to know about playing the Colle.
· Essential guidance and training in the Colle System
· Presents a Colle repertoire for White
· Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

Cyrus Lakdawala is an International Master, a former National Open and American Open Champion, and a
six-time State Champion. He has been teaching chess for 30 years.

Publisher Information

The Colle: Move by Move

by Cyrus Lakdawala

First published in 2013 by Gloucester Publishers plc (formerly Everyman Publishers plc)
Northburgh House, 10 Northburgh Street, London EC1V 0AT.
Copyright © 2013 Cyrus Lakdawala
The right of Cyrus Lakdawala to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the
Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without
prior permission of the publisher.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
All other sales enquiries should be directed to Everyman Chess, Northburgh House, 10 Northburgh Street, London
EC1V 0AT
tel: 020 7253 7887; fax: 020 7490 3708
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Everyman is the registered trade mark of Random House Inc. and is used in this work under licence from Random
House Inc.

EVERYMAN CHESS SERIES (formerly Cadogan Chess)

Chief Advisor: Byron Jacobs
Commissioning Editor: John Emms
Assistant Editor: Richard Palliser
Series Foreword
Move by Move is a series of opening books which uses a question-and-answer format. One of our main aims of the
series is to replicate - as much as possible - lessons between chess teachers and students.
All the way through, readers will be challenged to answer searching questions, to test their skills in chess openings
and indeed in other key aspects of the game. It's our firm belief that practising your skills like this is an excellent
way to study chess openings, and to study chess in general.
Many thanks go to all those who have been kind enough to offer inspiration, advice and assistance in the creation
of Move by Move . We're really excited by this series and hope that readers will share our enthusiasm.

John Emms
Everyman Chess

Bibliography
Books
A Ferocious Opening Repertoire, Cyrus Lakdawala (Everyman 2010)
Beating Unusual Chess Defences: 1 e4, Andrew Greet (Everyman 2011)
Capablanca: Move by Move , Cyrus Lakdawala (Everyman Chess 2012)
Colle Plays The Colle System , Adam Harvey, (Chess Enterprises 2002)
Colle System, George Koltanowski (Chess Enterprises 1990)
Das Colle-Koltanowski System , Valeri Bronznik (Schachverlag Kania 2003)
Dealing with d4 Deviations , John Cox (Everyman Chess 2007)
Die Tschigorin Verteidigung , Valeri Bronznik (Schachverlag Kania 2001)
Fighting the Anti King's Indian s, Yelena Dembo (Everyman Chess 2008)
Play 1 d4!, Richard Palliser (Batsford 2003)
Starting Out: d-pawn Attacks, Richard Palliser (Everyman Chess 2008)
Starting Out: The Colle , Richard Palliser (Everyman Chess 2007)
The Modern Defence: Move by Mov e, Cyrus Lakdawala (Everyman 2012)
The Moment of Zuke, David Rudel (Thinker's Press 2009)
The Pirc in Black and White, James Vigus (Everyman Chess 2007)
The Slav: Move by Move , Cyrus Lakdawala (Everyman Chess 2011)
The Taimanov Sicilian: Move by Move , John Emms (Everyman Chess 2012)
The Ultimate Colle , Gary Lane (Batsford 2001)
The Zukertort System: A Guide for White and Black, Grigory Bogdanovich (Mongoose Press 2010)
Winning with the Colle System , Ken Smith & John Hall (Chess Digest 1990)

Electronic/Online
ChessBase 10
Chesslive.com
ChessPublishing.com (with annotations from Aaron Summerscale, Eric Prié, Tony Kosten and Ruslan Scherbakov)
The Week in Chess
Introduction
An Orphaned Opening
If you go back in time to the Palaeolithic age and accidentally step on a resting prehistoric dragonfly, would the
world be completely altered when you returned to the present? The Colle System's tragedy is that its founding
father, Edgar Colle, died very young, only in his thirties, and with his passing the artery of our opening's lineage
and pedigree was mortally severed. I can't help but speculate that perhaps his beloved system would be more
popular today had he lived a long life, producing many more Colle System masterpieces for the opening's portfolio.
For something to reach a level of greatness, there must correspondingly also be history behind it. With Edgar
Colle's premature death, our opening lost a chunk of its history, its potential obliterated with his passing.
My old friend and student of Colle himself, the late IM George Koltanowski, faithfully kept his teacher's opening
barely alive - on life support - realizing it needed a strong GM advocate to truly popularize the system. This is how
our opening earned such low-brand recognition and why so many consider it no more than a by-product of chess
history's rubbish bin. I wrote in Kramnik: Move by Move : "The Colle and its cousin, the London System, tend to be
scapegoated as second rate, milquetoast openings, when in reality, they are not." The Colle is anything but a
spontaneous friend with an amusing personality. Instead, we meet a companion reliably straightforward, loyal and
comfortably uniform in temperament, arriving at solid Semi-Slav positions a move up.
The secret to mastering the Colle is to learn to see the opening through alien eyes - namely, the vastly popular
Semi-Slav triangle formation. How is it, I ask, (quite rationally!) that an opening a move down (the Semi-Slav) is well
respected and popular, while the other, the same position a move up (our beloved Colle) is often the object of
contempt? I hope to impart to you the hidden understanding that the Colle is actually a powerful opening weapon,
which arguably should be on par with blue-blooded counterparts such as the Ruy Lopez and Slav. The tale of the
three diagrams is tabiya positions from ChaptersOne and Two. In them we play White in what is normally a Black
opening - the Semi-Slav - but up a full move. These are specialty positions, which may be honed even further by
studying traditional Black Semi-Slav variations. So we may be tricking our opponent into a Semi-Slav (which he
likely doesn't know or play with the black pieces), and get this position a full move up over normal, since we arrive
here with White, not Black.
Now it may seem rather crazy that Whitecan develop his dark-squared bishop, yet deliberately spurns the
opportunity and insists on burying it on c1 instead, a bit like a hungry person at a buffet, who only chooses raw
carrots and celery rather than sample the eighteen-course fare laid out in front. If we exercise patience, the bishop
always finds a way to poke his head out of the hole eventually.
Unplug and De-theorize with the Colle
Perhaps you are like me and loathe our theoretical McWorld of fashionable, computer-generated, binary openings?
Personally, I am sick and tired of force feeding raw data down the memory hole. The Colle is anything but a set of
collective algorithms to be memorized and altered, only when Anand or Radjabov unearths a shocking theoretical
novelty which radically alters the assessment. Instead, the Colle is an opening system to be understood and
absorbed. For example, you buy a book which advocates the glories of some topical Najdorf, Dragon or King's
Indian variation which ends in the stunningly atonal move 23...a5!!, but a week later it reads 23...a5?!, since some
GM with a newer version of Fritz or Houdini unearths an improvement for the other side, promptly flipping a "-+" into
a "+=". In this book we enter the safe haven of the Colle, cushioned from the terrors of snot-nosed 10-year-old
theoreticians who up-end you through parrot-like memorization, eradicating our advantage of years of experience.
Our "V" (okay, maybe upside down "V"!) formation on c3, d4 and e3 remains our celestial constellation guiding us, a
set-up squarely antithetical to all which is "book".
When I want to play it safe with the white pieces, I turn to my old friend, the Colle, an opening often derisively
touted as a system for beginners - training wheels if you will - to avoid getting slaughtered by stronger, more
experienced club players - and in a sense this is absolutely true. But even an International Master can use it to
avoid loss versus a fearsome Grandmaster opponent. I essayed the Colle eight times versus GMs (I wish now I had
done it a lot more often!) with a score of two wins, a loss and five draws. So I accrued a plus score against eight
superior players by leading them into my familiar realm, certainly not through superior talent or skill levels on my
part. In my experience the nature of the positions you force matters almost as much - if not more - than the
attainment of a theoretical edge. We thought-mapping chess-writers are compelled by some mysterious instinct to
categorize, label, divide, parse and sub-divide every opening. In this book we try and avoid the technical as much
as possible. Instead, we view the Colle as a set of shuffled concepts to be understood - not a nest of variations to
be memorized. Just play over the games of the book and you are ready to face your booked-up opponents, whose
data-driven book knowledge wilts into an ineffective, obsolete weapon when they face our system.

Game 1
E.Colle-E.Grünfeld
Berlin 1926
(View in Game Format)

Colle considered this game the finest of his life.

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6
Grünfeld avoids his own defence.
3 e3 b6
The Queen's Indian versus Colle, a line we cover in Chapter Three.
4 Bd3 Bb7 5 Nbd2 c5 6 0-0 Be7 7 b3

QUESTION: I thought Colle was the c3/d4/e3 pawn triangle, correct?

ANSWER: Correct, that is the mainline Colle which we cover in the bulk of the book. White's last move converts the
position into its more aggressive, mean-spirited cousin, the Zukertort Colle, which we cover inChapter Four. 7 c3 is
position into its more aggressive, mean-spirited cousin, the Zukertort Colle, which we cover inChapter Four. 7 c3 is
the Queen's Indian versus Colle, covered in Chapter Three.
7...cxd4 8 exd4 d6
QUESTION: What is the point of holding the d-pawn back?
ANSWER: By playing the pawn to d6, Black restrains White's pieces from occupation of e5. On the downside, it
doesn't challenge the centre, which allows White to seize space.
9 Bb2 Nbd7 10 c4
Why not? White grabs space since Black allows it.
10...0-0 11 Rc1 Re8 12 Re1 Qc7

This move is actually inaccurate if Black is to follow the plan he did.

QUESTION: How so?
ANSWER: If Black plays the manoeuvre ...Rc8, ...Rc7! and ...Qa8, he saves at least one tempo over the game. For
example: 12...Rc8 13 b4!? (White doesn't always play for a kingside attack in the Colle; sometimes he may just try
and accumulate space in centre and queenside) 13...Bf8 14 Qb3 Rc7 15 a3 Qa8, C.Lakdawala-D.Aldama, San
Diego (rapid) 2012.
13 Qe2 Rac8 14 Nf1
QUESTION: Why the knight retreat?
ANSWER: He redeploys the knight to g3, massing for a future kingside assault.
14...Qb8 15 Ng3 Qa8
"Mirror, mirror on the wall..." Black's powerful queen gazes lovingly into the mirror to satiate her growing vanity.
Soon we discover there are many others in the kingdom more powerful than her. Black follows with the
hypermodern Réti scheme of pressure down the h1-a8 diagonal. He also threatens to damage White's structure by
capturing on f3.
QUESTION: Is ...Bxf3 an actual "threat"? It also hands White the bishop pair and an open g-file for his rooks to
launch an attack.
ANSWER: Good point. In fact, you may want to skip forward to Chapter Three and take a look at Hoi-Gulko, where
White did just that and went on to win brilliantly, but in that case, the weakening ...g7-g5 was first provoked. I
suppose optically at least it is a threat, but in reality ...Bxf3 may actually benefit White.
16 Ng5!
The devil doesn't only tempt with apples. Suddenly, Black's king feels the presence of hidden, watching eyes upon
him. Colle embarks on a fanciful - one could say Aladdinish - plan, plunging into dark, swirling waters without fear of
consequence, yet somehow through access to ancient, arcane magic, manages to pull it off. The knight eyes sac
targets on e6 and f7. White's roving knight, having spent an uneventful childhood in greys, blacks and whites, now
itches for the flash of colour, adventure and the pleasures of the world.

16...g6?
Black fails to conduct himself in consonance with the sinuous flow of events.
QUESTION: But doesn't g2 hang?
ANSWER: Here is Colle's analysis on your line: 16...Bxg2 17 d5! (much stronger than 17 f3 - Black's bishop is
trapped, so this in turn forces Black's next move - 17...h6 18 N5e4 Bh3 19 Nf2! Bf5 20 Nxf5 exf5 21 Bxf5 d5 22 Qd3
where White's bishop pair compensates for his inferior structure) 17...exd5 18 Nf5 (the move Colle had planned;
Houdini improves with 18 Bxf6! Nxf6 19 Bf5 Rc7 20 Kxg2 and a clear advantage for White) 18...Bf8? (this follows
Colle's analysis; but Houdini gives 18...Be4! and claims equality for Black) 19 Qh5!! (a mind-bending shot)

19...g6 (19...Nxh5?? 20 Nh6+! gxh6 21 Bxh7 or 20...Kh8 21 Ngxf7 is mate) 20 Nh6+ Bxh6 21 Qxh6 with a
nightmarish attack along the dark squares.
Defensive technique has come a long way since this game was played. Undoubtedly, today's grandmaster (or even
club player) would play the simple and cold-blooded 16...Bf8!, eliminating White's sacs and ruining his fun as well.
Then 17 f3 looks like approximate equality.
17 Nxf7!
Devo would agree: "Whip it good." Colle wasn't the kind of person who believed only in what he saw or touched. He
speculated, placing trust in intuition, with a promise of glory as the only immediate return on his investment. There
is in a sense a charming predictability to Colle's unpredictability.
QUESTION: Is the sac 100% sound?
ANSWER: Most likely it is. One doesn't necessarily require full empirical evidence as back up for the go-ahead in
such sacs. For most experienced players, the "gut feeling" is good enough. Perhaps unpredictability is the opiate to
which we are drawn. Moral: Relativism exists in chess. There are few absolutes, unless you are a comp.
17...Kxf7 18 Qxe6+ Kg7 19 d5!

QUESTION: Did White get enough compensation for the piece?

ANSWER: More than enough. Multiple factors, when clumped together, bode well for White:
1. Two pawns.
2. An enduring attack.
3. He shuts down Black's queen/bishop duo and places them badly out of play for now. In fact, Black's somewhat
homely queen, quite self-conscious of her looks, insists on dim lighting in the palace. Her slightly nasally admonition
betrays her annoyance at the untoward intrusion created by White's last move.
4. The b2-bishop eyes Black's nervous king on g7.
5. In general, White's forces expand while Black's shrivel in contracted deprivation.
19...Nc5?
Black's woes, far from dissipating, get caught in a trap of self-perpetuation and soon we glimpse the true magnitude
of the catastrophe.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black's last move removed a key defender, which allowed a thunderous shot.
Let's see if you can duplicate Colle's greatest attacking combination.

ANSWER: Lightning spatters across and illuminates a once dark horizon.

20 Nf5+!! Kf8
Black's forces evacuate in a half-bent run, like routed soldiers retreating from a losing battle. The erratic flailings of
Black's king at least have the single benefit of presenting a constantly shifting target. 20...gxf5?? 21 Qxf5,
threatening h7 as well as Rxe7+, leaves Black shy of a reasonable defence.
21 Qe3!
Target: h6. Colle's queen ascends and descends with predatory grace.
21...gxf5
Black's dismal non-choices:
a) 21...Ng4 22 Qf3 is crushing.
b) 21...Ng8 22 Bg7+ Kf7 23 Qe6+! Nxe6 24 dxe6 mate. Behold, the unimaginable bliss of delivering checkmate with
a pawn!
22 Qh6+ Kf7 23 Bxf5 Bxd5

EXERCISE (combination alert): Corrosion and the passage of time render Black's defenders worthless tools, unfit
for the given task. Do you see White's shot?

ANSWER: 24 Rxe7+!
The eternal sentinel on e7, like patience itself, now evaporates. The easy camaraderie which previously existed
between Black's knight and bishop now lies in shards on the ground. Black's position transforms into a triage unit,
with patients sorted by degrees of urgency to their given wounds. The first name on the list: his grievously wounded
king!
24...Rxe7 25 Qxf6+ Ke8 26 Qh8+ Kf7
The king hopes to dismiss his previous questionable decisions as a prelude to his present crisis, but it isn't easy to
outrun your past - it has a way of catching up at the most inopportune moments.
27 Bxc8 1-0
SUMMARY: The Colle isn't as stodgy an opening as many believe. We often generate deadly attacks which tend
to arise magically from the depths of initial tranquillity.

Acknowledgements
Thanks as always to my editor, GM John Emms, for his help and guidance throughout the book, and also to
Jonathan Tait for the final edit. Thanks to Grammar Czar Nancy for proofreading and Tim for his computer
vigilance. May your opponents sigh in frustration upon seeing you play the Colle System.

Cyrus Lakdawala,
Cyrus Lakdawala,
San Diego,
January 2013
 A47
Colle,E
Grünfeld,E
Berlin 1926
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
Colle considered this game the finest of his
life.
1.d4 f6 2.f3 e6 Grünfeld avoids his own
defence.
3.e3 b6 The Queen's Indian versus Colle, a
line we cover in Chapter Three.
4.d3 b7 5.bd2 c5 6.0-0 e7 7.b3
QUESTION: I thought Colle was the c3/d4/e3
pawn triangle, correct?
ANSWER: Correct, that is the mainline Colle
which we cover in the bulk of the book.
White's last move converts the position into
its more aggressive, mean-spirited cousin, the
Zukertort Colle, which we cover in Chapter
Four.
[ 7.c3 is the Queen's Indian versus Colle,
covered in Chapter Three. ]
7...cxd4 8.exd4 d6 QUESTION: What is the
point of holding the d-pawn back?
ANSWER: By playing the pawn to d6, Black
restrains White's pieces from occupation of e5.
On the downside, it doesn't challenge the
centre, which allows White to seize space.
9.b2 bd7 10.c4 Why not? White grabs
space since Black allows it.
0-0 11.c1 e8 12.e1 c7 This move is
actually inaccurate if Black is to follow the
plan he did.
QUESTION: How so?
[ ANSWER: If Black plays the manoeuvre ...
Rc8, ...Rc7! and ...Qa8, he saves at least
one tempo over the game. For example:
12...c8 13.b4!? (White doesn't always play
for a kingside attack in the Colle; sometimes
he may just try and accumulate space in
centre and queenside) f8 14.b3 c7
15.a3 a8 , C.Lakdawala-D.Aldama, San
Diego (rapid) 2012. ]
13.e2 ac8 14.f1 QUESTION: Why the
knight retreat?
ANSWER: He redeploys the knight to g3,
massing for a future kingside assault.
b8 15.g3 a8 "Mirror, mirror on the
wall..." Black's powerful queen gazes lovingly
into the mirror to satiate her growing vanity.
Soon we discover there are many others in
the kingdom more powerful than her. Black
follows with the hypermodern Réti scheme of
pressure down the h1-a8 diagonal. He also
threatens to damage White's structure by
capturing on f3.
QUESTION: Is ...Bxf3 an actual "threat"? It
also hands White the bishop pair and an open
g-file for his rooks to launch an attack.
ANSWER: Good point. In fact, you may want
to skip forward to Chapter Three and take a
look at Hoi-Gulko, where White did just that
and went on to win brilliantly, but in that case,
the weakening ...g7-g5 was first provoked. I
suppose optically at least it is a threat, but in
reality ...Bxf3 may actually benefit White.
16.g5! The devil doesn't only tempt with
apples. Suddenly, Black's king feels the
presence of hidden, watching eyes upon him.
Colle embarks on a fanciful – one could say
Aladdinish – plan, plunging into dark, swirling
waters without fear of consequence, yet
somehow through access to ancient, arcane
magic, manages to pull it off. The knight eyes
sac targets on e6 and f7. White's roving knight,
having spent an uneventful childhood in greys,
blacks and whites, now itches for the flash of
colour, adventure and the pleasures of the
world.
g6? Black fails to conduct himself in
consonance with the sinuous flow of events.
QUESTION: But doesn't g2 hang?
[ ANSWER: Here is Colle's analysis on your
line: 16...xg2 17.d5! ( much stronger than
17.f3 – Black's bishop is trapped, so this in
turn forces Black's next move – h6 18.5e4
h3 19.f2! f5 20.xf5 exf5 21.xf5
d5 22.d3 where White's bishop pair
compensates for his inferior structure )
17...exd5 18.f5 ( the move Colle had
planned; Houdini improves with 18.xf6!
xf6 19.f5 c7 20.xg2 and a clear
advantage for White ) 18...f8? ( this follows
Colle's analysis; but Houdini gives 18...e4!
and claims equality for Black ) 19.h5!!
(a mind-bending shot)
A) 19...xh5?? 20.h6+! gxh6 ( or
20...h8 21.gxf7# ) 21.xh7# is mate;
B) 19...g6 20.h6+ xh6 21.xh6
with a nightmarish attack along the dark
squares. ]
[ Defensive technique has come a long way
since this game was played. Undoubtedly,
today's grandmaster (or even club player)
would play the simple and cold-blooded
16...f8! , eliminating White's sacs and
ruining his fun as well. Then 17.f3
looks like approximate equality. ]
17.xf7! Devo would agree: "Whip it good."
Colle wasn't the kind of person who believed gxf5 Black's dismal non-choices:
only in what he saw or touched. He speculated, [ a) 21...g4 22.f3 is crushing. ]
placing trust in intuition, with a promise of [ b) 21...g8 22.g7+ f7 23.e6+! xe6
glory as the only immediate return on his 24.dxe6# . Behold, the unimaginable bliss of
investment. There is in a sense a charming delivering checkmate with a pawn! ]
predictability to Colle's unpredictability. 22.h6+ f7 23.xf5 xd5 EXERCISE
QUESTION: Is the sac 100% sound? (combination alert): Corrosion and the
ANSWER: Most likely it is. One doesn't passage of time render Black's defenders
necessarily require full empirical evidence as worthless tools, unfit for the given task. Do
back up for the go-ahead in such sacs. For you see White's shot?
most experienced players, the "gut feeling" is ANSWER: 24.xe7+! The eternal sentinel on
good enough. Perhaps unpredictability is the e7, like patience itself, now evaporates. The
opiate to which we are drawn. Moral: easy camaraderie which previously existed
Relativism exists in chess. There are few between Black's knight and bishop now lies in
absolutes, unless you are a comp. shards on the ground. Black's position
xf7 18.xe6+ g7 19.d5! QUESTION: transforms into a triage unit, with patients
Did White get enough compensation for the sorted by degrees of urgency to their given
piece? wounds. The first name on the list: his
ANSWER: More than enough. Multiple factors, grievously wounded king!
when clumped together, bode well for White: xe7 25.xf6+ e8 26.h8+ f7
1. Two pawns. The king hopes to dismiss his previous
2. An enduring attack. questionable decisions as a prelude to his
3. He shuts down Black's queen/bishop duo present crisis, but it isn't easy to outrun your
and places them badly out of play for now. In past – it has a way of catching up at the most
fact, Black's somewhat homely queen, quite inopportune moments.
self-conscious of her looks, insists on dim 27.xc8 SUMMARY: The Colle isn't as
lighting in the palace. Her slightly nasally stodgy an opening as many believe. We often
admonition betrays her annoyance at the generate deadly attacks which tend to arise
untoward intrusion created by White's last magically from the depths of initial tranquillity.
move. 1-0
4. The b2-bishop eyes Black's nervous king on
g7.
5. In general, White's forces expand while
Black's shrivel in contracted deprivation.
c5? Black's woes, far from dissipating, get
caught in a trap of self-perpetuation and soon
we glimpse the true magnitude of the
catastrophe.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black's last
move removed a key defender, which allowed
a thunderous shot. Let's see if you can
duplicate Colle's greatest attacking
combination.
ANSWER: Lightning spatters across and
illuminates a once dark horizon.
20.f5+!! f8 Black's forces evacuate in a
half-bent run, like routed soldiers retreating
from a losing battle. The erratic flailings of
Black's king at least have the single benefit of
presenting a constantly shifting target.
[ 20...gxf5?? 21.xf5 , threatening h7 as
well as Rxe7+, leaves Black shy of a
reasonable defence. ]
21.e3! Target: h6. Colle's queen ascends
and descends with predatory grace.
Chapter One

Main Line with ...Nc6

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 e6 4 Bd3 c5 5 c3 Nc6 6 Nbd2 Bd6 7 0-0 0-0

We enter geologically altered terrain, with the oddly designed, jutting jaw line of pawns on c3, d4 and e3. On the
next move we take on c5, and when Black recaptures we have a choice: We can play for e3-e4, the classical
mainline Colle, or b2-b4, interpreting the position as a pure Semi-Slav a move up as White. If you are just learning
the Colle, I suggest you begin with the classical e3-e4 lines and then, as understanding grows, you can start
tossing in b2-b4 to expand your experience and also keep opponents guessing. Believe it or not, equality does not
come easily for Black, and even when it arrives we Colle players tend to demonstrate superior footing on
understanding, since we play the same structure again and again.

Don't think of Colle as "here" and Semi-Slav as "there". Essentially, they are the same opening, albeit a tempo
distance apart. In the b2-b4 lines, the old fashioned Colle and modernity collide - b2-b4 is a move not normally
indigenous to the Colle, and is more commonly seen in the latitudes of Semi-Slav. Here we borrow another
opening's idea and unleash it a full move up. More good news: there are hardly any games in the database with this
plan, which looks completely playable for White as any other opening choice. This means virtually 100% of your
opponents will be entering the position for the very first time in their lives.
Lakdawala-Van Buskirk
Colle-Yates
Pecot-Tavares
Bakre-Lauridsen
Adly-Juarez Flores
Lakdawala-Lawrence
Lakdawala-Pena
Lakdawala-Hummel
Bareev-Tukmakov
Miltner-Appel
Hillarp Persson-Karlsson
Gausel-Gorecki

Index

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 e6 4 Bd3 c5 5 c3 Nc6

5...Bd6 6 Nbd2 0-0 7 0-0 b6 – Lakdawala-Lawrence
5...Be7 6 Nbd2 0-0 7 Ne5 – Lakdawala-Pena
5...b6 6 Ne5 – Lakdawala-Hummel
6 Nbd2 Bd6
6...Be7 7 0-0 0-0 8 Ne5 – Bareev-Tukmakov
7 0-0 0-0 8 dxc5 Bxc5 9 e4
9 b4 Bd6 10 Bb2
10...Qc7 – Gausel-Gorecki
10...e5 11 e4 dxe4 12 Nxe4 Nxe4 13 Bxe4
13...f5 – Miltner-Appel
13...Be6 – Hillarp Persson-Karlsson
9...Qc7
9...dxe4 10 Nxe4
10...Nxe4 – Bakre-Lauridsen
10...Be7 – Adly-Juarez Flores
10 exd5
10 Qe2 – Pecot-Tavares
10...exd5 11 Nb3 Bd6 12 h3 Re8
13 Be3 – Lakdawala-Van Buskirk
13 Nbd4 – Colle-Yates
 D05
Lakdawala,C
Van Buskirk,C
SCCF Championship, Irvine 1996
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3
[ The Colle can be reached through multiple
move orders. Compare the current game
with the Tarrasch French position reached in
this Karpov-Korchnoi struggle: 1.e4 e6 2.d4
d5 3.d2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.gf3 c6
6.b5 d6 7.dxc5 xc5 8.0-0 ge7
9.b3 d6 10.c3 g4 11.bd4 0-0
12.e2 e8 13.e1 a6 , A.Karpov-V.
Korchnoi, Candidates (4th matchgame),
Moscow 1974. The Colle position reached
below is quite similar. ]
1...c5 2.c3 QUESTION: What on earth!?
ANSWER: So glad you asked! GM Jesse
Kraai, in a video, dubbed this glorious idea
"The Lakdawala Accelerated".
QUESTION: I have a strong hunch his
declaration was sarcastic. What is the idea
behind such a passive move?
ANSWER: Essentially, White takes all the fun
out of Black's invitation to transpose to a
Sicilian by forcing a Slav position a move up.
Keep in mind that a Colle is basically a Semi-
Slav with colours reversed.
f6 3.d4 e6 4.e3 And here we are, the
Colle System. Obviously, White isn't trying for
some crushing opening advantage. Instead,
we humble Colle folk utilize the white pieces
mainly to steer Black into our comfort zone,
where understanding, not memorization, rules.
[ Instead, 4.g5 is the Torre Attack, ]
[ while 4.f4 is the London System. ]
4...d5 Black stakes out his own claim in the
centre.
[ We take a look at 4...b6 , Colle versus
Queen's Indian, in Chapter Three. ]
5.bd2 c6
[ We cover 5...bd7 next chapter. ]
6.d3 The best spot for the bishop. White
seizes control over the key e4-square. Sooner
or later we play for the e3-e4 pawn break in
the centre.
d6 QUESTION: Is there any difference if
Black plays his bishop to e7?
[ ANSWER: The bishop's development to e7
is also popular. We examine this move order
later in the chapter. I feel that d6 is the most
accurate square for Black's bishop, since if
6...e7 White can simply play as he did this
game and transpose, or he can go for a
Stonewall set-up with 7.0-0 0-0 8.e5
(White intends f2-f4 next, so Black really
should take) xe5 9.dxe5 d7 10.f4
. Essentially, White gets an extra option,
which the move order 6...Bd6 denies. We
examine this exact position later on in
Bareev-Tukmakov. ]
7.0-0 0-0
[ QUESTION: What if Black plays 7...b6
in order to recapture on c5 with a pawn?
ANSWER: ...Bd6 and ...b7-b6 don't mix well
together. The universal answer is a quick e3-
e4!. Take a look at my game against
Lawrence later in the chapter as an example.
Here, 8.e4! has Black squirming: dxe4
9.xe4 xe4 10.xe4 b7 11.e1
leaves Black in deep trouble since the rote
0-0?? is met with the equally rote (but also
winning!) Greek gift sac, 12.xh7+
, when Black's king goes for a ride without
a return ticket. ]
[ QUESTION: Does Black equalize if he
plays the immediate 7...e5 ?
ANSWER: It looks quite risky for Black, who
violates the principle: Avoid opening the
position when behind in development. I
liked White's treatment in the following
game: 8.e4! (Principle: Create confrontation
when leading in development) cxd4 9.cxd4
A) 9...0-0 looks wiser, but I still prefer
White after 10.dxe5 xe5 11.xe5
xe5 12.exd5 xd5 13.f3 b8
( 13...g4? 14.xh7+! just wins a pawn )
14.g5 , G.Soppe-F.Quiroga, Buenos
Aires 1993;
B) 9...dxe4 10.xe4 xe4 11.xe4
xd4 12.xd4 exd4 13.h5! b6
14.e1 and Black was in deep trouble,
despite his extra pawn, M.Scalcione-M.
Sbarra, Corsica 2007. ]
[ QUESTION: Why is it that Black rarely
breaks the central tension with a move like
7...c4 ?
ANSWER: Premature release of central
tension nearly always favours White in such
cases. For example: 8.c2 b5 9.e4 e7
(losing a tempo to get out of the path of e4-
e5) 10.e1 c7 11.exd5! (White logically
opens while leading in development) exd5
12.e5 e6 13.df3 (now Ng5 is in the
air) xe5?! (an overreaction in a passive
position) 14.dxe5 d7 15.d4! b6
, H.Filgueira-J.Maciel, Villa Ballester 2003,
when White's kingside majority and control
 over d4 give him clear advantage after 16.f4
.]
8.dxc5 The main move and generally
regarded as White's best line. Others:
[ a) 8.e2 is inaccurate due to c4! 9.c2
e5! . ]
[ b) 8.e1 e5 9.e4 cxd4 10.exd5 xd5
11.c4 h6! 12.fxe5?! ( 12.e4 is equal )
12...xe5 13.xe5 dxc3 and Black already
stood better since White's compensation for
the missing pawn is highly debatable, K.
Berg-N.De Firmian, Gausdal 1994. ]
[ c) 8.e4 cxd4 9.cxd4 b4! (gaining time
and establishing a blockade on d5) 10.b1
dxe4 11.xe4 e7 , when Black gets a
reasonable-looking isolani position, A.
Khalifman-L.Yudasin, Tilburg 1994. ]
8...xc5 9.e4
[ At the end of the chapter we concentrate on
9.b4 , interpreting the position as a pure
reversed Semi-Slav. ]
9...c7 This is considered Black's best
response. I don't believe Black equalizes with
the most commonly played alternatives:
[ a) 9...dxe4 is examined in Bakre-Lauridsen
and Adly-Juarez Flores. ]
[ b) 9...e5 10.exd5 xd5 ( not 10...xd5?!
11.c4! e8 12.e4! e6 , P.Lomako-S.
Bezgodova, Lipetsk 2009, when 13.g5!
looks even better than winning the e5-
pawn ) 11.c2!? (more optimistic than
playing the queen to e2) g4 ( tempting, but
perhaps 11...h6 should be preferred )
12.e4! xf3 13.gxf3 h8! 14.c4
(tricky, though it doesn't win the piece as
both White and Black expected) d7??
( 14...d8! 15.xc5 and now the calm b6!
, threatening both the c5-knight and ...Nb4,
regains Black's lost piece, though White still
stands better after 16.e3 bxc5 17.xc5 )
15.xc5 h3 16.f5! xf3 17.d3
1-0 M.Narciso Dublan-L.Barczay, Budapest
2001. ]
10.exd5
[ I prefer this simpler path to the main
theoretical move, 10.e2
, which transposes to Pecot-Tavares later in
the chapter. ]
10...exd5! QUESTION: Why does Black
willingly take on a pawn weakness when he
can recapture with the knight?
ANSWER: Van Buskirk suffers no
compunctions about creating a pawn
weakness if doing so allows compensatory
piece activity. Actually, taking on the isolani is
the normally recommended path, as it
enhances Black's dynamic chances:
1. By accepting the isolani, Black immediately
frees his c8-bishop.
2. By taking the isolani, Black is now the one
who controls more central space.
3. The d5-pawn offers Black hooks at e4 and
c4.
QUESTION: If Black gets all this play then
why did you take on d5?
ANSWER: As mentioned before, don't play
the Colle expecting a huge (or any!)
advantage for White. Our power with the line
resides in the fact that we stay within familiar
structures, while very likely forcing an
opponent out of his prep. I'm happy to play
White's side, even if the position is equal,
since I tend to score well against isolanis. In
essence, White gets a position similar to that
in a Tarrasch French – in those lines where
Black takes on an isolani.
[ When Black recaptures on d5 with his
knight, the positions mirror c3-Sicilian
structures, with queenside versus kingside
pawn majorities. For example: 10...xd5
11.c2 h6 ( 11...f5!? , staking out central
space, is an aggressive but risky idea )
12.e4 e7 13.g3 a6 ( 13...f5!? 14.c4
may also come into consideration ) 14.d2
b5 15.ad1 b7 16.c1! (eyeing potential
sacs on h6) f5!? (Black gets nervous and
grabs space to keep his king safer) 17.fe1
f6 , A.Potkin-A.Afonin, St Petersburg 1998,
when White holds a clear advantage after
18.c4! . ]
11.b3 We must be careful.
[ 11.h3? allows Black the shot xh3!
12.gxh3?? g3+ 13.h1 xh3+ 14.g1
g4 , when White has no hope of surviving
Black's raging attack. ]
11...d6 QUESTION: Isn't it more logical to
play to b6 to challenge White on the d4-
square?
[ ANSWER: Both are okay for Black. It's a
matter of taste. By playing to d6, Black sets
his sights on White's king, rather than on the
d4-square. Alternatively, 11...b6 12.c2
g4 , E.Colle-S.Tarrasch, Baden-Baden
1925, and now 13.fd4 fe8 14.e3
looks dynamically balanced. ]
12.h3 QUESTION: Don't you hand Black a
sac target after this move?
ANSWER: White should be fine as long as he
remains vigilant of the sacs, factoring them in
to his future considerations. It's quite helpful
to prevent the irritating ...Bg4 pin.
e8 13.e3 White takes firm control over d4
– but as mentioned above, Black gets full
compensation in the form of piece activity
generated by the d5-pawn.
e4 14.bd4 a6 White desires swaps in
general due to Black's inferior structure, but
not necessarily on c6 which gives Black the
hanging pawns structure and strengthens d5.
15.e1 d7 16.f1 White discourages sacs
on h3 and clears the way to pressure d5.
h6 17.b3!? QUESTION: Aren't you wasting
time with this move?
ANSWER: Perhaps it was unwise, but I
actually wanted to lure his knight to c4.
a5! 18.c2
[ 18.xd5?? f6! would have left me red
faced. ]
18...c4 19.xc4!? xc4 The queen
willingly enters the smoke-filled room, yet
doesn't get burned.
QUESTION: Why did you give up the bishop
pair and why did Black refuse to un-isolate his
d-pawn?
[ ANSWER: My opponent decided to retain
the isolani rather than allow White his
intended 19...dxc4 20.xh6 (discovered
attack) xf2 21.xf2 gxh6 . Right or
wrong, my intuition said that Black's
numerous pawn weaknesses outweigh his
two bishops and dark square control.
Houdini assesses it as equal. ]
20.ed1 ac8 21.b3 a4?! To Nosferatu,
a woman's most attractive body part is her
throat. This pin doesn't bother White's queen
at all. The bishop, lurching to his right due to
a damaged propulsion system, squanders his
time daydreaming when he should be looking
in the other direction, making ready for a
kingside assault. Black's move falls
somewhere between a not-so-great plan and
an eccentric notion, since he appears too
willing to agree to exchanges.
QUESTION: What do you suggest as a
superior plan?
[ ANSWER: 21...b8! , intending a future
kingside attack, retains the balance. ]
22.d4 xb3!? Yet another violation of
principle, but who's counting? More easy
swaps to White's benefit.
[ Perhaps the awkward 22...c6 should be
considered. ]
23.xb3 xb3 24.axb3 f6 25.b4
White stands better. Black has no real
compensation for his isolani and White's
control over the d4-square.
QUESTION: I realize Black stands worse, but
are all your games so technical and – dare I
say it – dull?
ANSWER: Sadly, I must respond in the
affirmative. I conjecture that if Dr. Conrad
Murray, Michael Jackson's doctor, had the
foresight to prescribe a steady dose of my
chess games as a cure to Jackson's insomnia
(rather than the lethal doses of Propofol!),
then the king of pop would still be here with
us today, spinning about, moon walking and
refreshed after a good night's sleep. There
are some in the world (i.e. me) who loathe
enduring harrowing drama and are thankful to
enter positions refreshingly devoid of sudden
scares or astonishing surprises. For a math-
challenged man, boldness or risk-taking is
unprecedented stuff. Each morning upon
arising, I prayerfully thank the universe for
each of my invaluable ten fingers and ten toes,
without which I wouldn't be capable of doing
any calculation at all on the chessboard!
e4 26.f1 Of course, White isn't about to
oblige Black and straighten out his isolani.
ce8 27.d3 c7 EXERCISE (planning):
Time to weigh the evidence and marshal our
various options, switching from the theoretical
to actual praxis. Come up with a concrete plan
to increase the pressure on Black's isolani.
ANSWER: Prepare a knight transfer to e3.
28.e1! White's intention – Nc2, Rad1, Bd4,
Ne3, and then the threat Bxf6 followed by
Rxd5 – hangs over Black.
4e6 29.c2 b6 30.ad1 White threatens
Bxb6 followed by Ne3.
c7 31.d4 White's plan is nearly complete.
e2 32.3d2 xd2 33.xd2 Each trade
helps White, as Black's isolani grows more
destabilized.
e5 He must not allow Bxf6.
34.c5 f4 35.d1 h5 36.d4 e4?!
This is not a time for activity at the cost of
defence.
[ He would be better served repeating the
position with 36...e5 , which forces White
to come up with new ways to exert
pressure. ]
[ The newly escaped fugitive knight walks in
the river, not the path next to it, to remove
his footprints and deprive the hunting dogs
of his scent. After Black's last move, your
uncharacteristically intrepid writer senses
weakness, giving him an opening to seize
power. Most of us are thieves by nature.
 Cooking sherry isn't meant to be drunk, but
all chefs cheat by pulling out the stopper,
looking left and right, and then indulging in
a swig when no one is looking.
EXERCISE (combination alert): After
36...e4 it's White to play and steal Black's
isolani. ]
ANSWER: Double attack. A monk is not
supposed to find delight in ownership. Yet the
greedy white bishop continues to accumulate
wealth as we speak.
37.e3! xe3 38.xe3 Two attackers; zero
defenders. Blood spurts from the severed
artery, and the d5-pawn's life force ebbs away.
g3+ 39.fxg3
[ 39.e1 f5 40.xd5 xe3 41.fxe3
xe3+ 42.f2 also did the job. ]
39...xe3 40.xd5 e7? A blunder on the
eve of time control leaves him down two
pawns, and hopelessly lost in the rook and
pawn ending.
[ Black had to try 40...xg3 . ]
41.xh5 b5 42.c5 e6 EXERCISE
(planning): How does White make progress?
ANSWER: Activate the queenside majority
and create a passed pawn.
43.b3 g6 44.c4 e3 45.cxb5 axb5 46.g4
xb3 47.xb5 f6 48.b7 b2
At this moment the white and black kings keep
to their own counsel, both ignoring shrill
warnings of encroaching danger from their
respective advisors.
49.b5 h8 50.b6 g8 51.b8+ g7
52.b7! QUESTION: Why did Black resign? I
think you mishandled the ending and may
have difficulty making progress, since now
your rook is stuck behind your passed b-pawn,
and your king is cut off as well.
ANSWER: Let's do a calculation exercise.
[ EXERCISE (calculation): Visualize this line
without moving the pieces: 52.b7 g5 53.g3
(White creates a second passer on the
kingside) h7 54.h4 g7 55.h5 h7
56.h6! and zugzwang!
Nine-ply if you saw to the end in your mind's
eye. Black's king and pawns are out of
moves. Black's rook must give way and
allow White's king entry to the game, after
which the win is easy.
QUESTION: How does White actually win,
though? Does he rush the king to the b7-
pawn?
ANSWER: White either wins both remaining
black pawns, or forces a won king and pawn
ending. Like this: b1+ 57.f2 b2+
58.e3 b1 59.e4 b4+ 60.d5! b6
61.c5 b1 62.c6 c1+ 63.d6 b1
( 63...d1+ 64.e6 b1 65.xf6
is also hopeless: b5 66.e6 b1 67.f5
b5+ 68.f6 zugzwang ) 64.e8!
(forcing a won pawn ending) xb7 65.e7+
xe7 66.xe7 g6 67.e6 h7 68.f7
xh6 69.xf6 h7 70.xg5 g7 71.f5
f7 72.g5 etc. This would be a draw with
only one g-pawn. Luckily, White owns a
spare!
SUMMARY: The position after 10 exd5
resembles a Tarrasch French isolani line. It
may not be such a bad idea to go over
Karpov's games from the 1970s with this
variation to familiarize yourself with the
resulting positions. ]
1-0
D05
Colle,E
Yates,F
Budapest 1926
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.f3 e6 3.e3 d5 4.d3 c5 5.c3
c6 6.bd2 c7 QUESTION: Does it make
a difference if Black plays ...Qc7 or ...Bd6
first?
ANSWER: That move order makes no
difference and in the end we normally reach
identical positions.
7.0-0 d6 8.dxc5 xc5 9.e4 0-0 10.exd5
exd5 The isolani contains the seed of its own
risks and rewards. Before agreeing to
undertake this procedure, Black should always
ask the question I put to my doctors: "Will it
hurt?" Before the grand undertaking, Black
should take care of some basic housekeeping
issues, the first and foremost being: Avoid
unnecessary swaps.
11.b3 d6 12.h3 e8 13.bd4
[ Not much change from 13.e3 as played
last game. ]
13...xd4?! Hey, I just said "avoid
unnecessary swaps"! You don't need to like a
law to obey it. Black is ill-served through
embracing the trade, and the heretic violation
of principle is equivalent to the priest who
edits scripture, discarding and adding chunks
as he pleases.
[ Instead, Black can try 13...a6 14.f5 xf5
.
QUESTION: Isn't this a swap as well?
 ANSWER: Sometimes the side with the
isolani must trade. I am saying don't do it
unless absolutely necessary. In this case
Black must take, since it is inadvisable to
allow White's powerful knight to loiter on f5.
After 15.xf5 h6 16.c2 ad8 17.e3
e4 18.e1 Black's piece activity
compensates for his isolated pawn, Z.Von
Balla-Hei.Wolf, Bad Pistyan 1922. ]
14.xd4 d7 15.f3
[ QUESTION: How about 15.b5
with another swap?
ANSWER: There is no rush. White intends
Nf5 instead. ]
15...a6 16.f5
[ 16.e3 is the alternative, retaining a grip
on d4. ]
16...e5 17.e3 e4 18.ad1 e6
Hoping to make White nervous about ...Rf6.
19.c2! c6
[ Black secures d5 and avoids the trap
19...f6?? 20.e7+ f8 21.xd5!
which wins heavy material. ]
20.d4! Colle plays on the edge, trusting in
his calculation powers, and allowing ...Rf6.
Removal of the dark-squared bishops extracts
the vital life energy from Black's attacking
prospects.
f6 21.h5! He continues to dance the
precipice. The threat is Bxe5 followed by
Nh6+.
xd4 22.xd4 h6 23.e2 e8 24.fe1
QUESTION: How would you assess this
position? It looks to me like Black's attacking
chances outweigh White's long-term
structural advantages.
ANSWER: Clearly Yates agreed with you,
playing the position bristling with self-
confidence, engendered in the possibly false
belief that he stood better. My intuition
suggests the opposite. I don't see a real
attack for Black, but his isolani and bad
bishop appear very real if White survives the
next 25 moves or so.
d7 Looking to sac on h3.
25.d3! White isn't afraid of ghost discoveries.
After his last move the fiction of the "attack" is
starkly exposed in black and white. Dual
purpose:
1. White eliminates ...Bxh3 ideas.
2. White prepares to load up on the e-file with
Re3.
f8 Black's rook gets nervous and backs off
the file.
26.e3 f6
[ QUESTION: Shouldn't Black go for 26...f5
in order to attack?
ANSWER: I don't see an attack after 27.b3
c5 28.f3 . ]
27.f5 xf5!? Yates underestimates the
potency of a white knight on f5.
[ He should suffer the rebuke without protest
or lingering resentment and back down once
again with 27...c6 28.e7 b6
, admittedly with a sour, passive position
there as well. ]
28.xf5 h5 The rook veers, flutters and
dives erratically, like a poorly designed kite on
a windy day. His last move looks exceedingly
clunky, but he gets forked if he slides the rook
to g6.
29.e5!? Threat: Ne7+, followed by Rxh5.
[ Colle prefers initiative over material,
spurring the exchange win with 29.g4 xf5
30.gxf5 , when Black may derive practical
chances from White's sickly kingside
structure. ]
29...g6 Self-inflicted damage, but I am unable
to suggest anything better. Now the dark
square weaknesses flare up again and again
with recursive predictability.
30.e7+ h8 31.xh5 gxh5 QUESTION:
Shouldn't Black just give up a pawn rather
than deface his structure like this?
[ ANSWER: Clearly a surreal, jarring shift
altered and stained the landscape, much to
Colle's delight. Think of Black's decision this
way: If you have a choice of walking to the
gallows in two directions, both concluding in
the same fate, then it doesn't make much of
a difference which path you pick. 31...xh5
32.xd5 d6 33.e7 is equally hopeless. ]
32.f3 The weakened dark squares pique the
interest of White's queen, who gazes in that
direction with hunger.
d6 33.f5 b8
[ Or 33...b6 34.g3 g8 35.e5
with too many threats. ]
34.e7 g8 Black's knight limps back home
with the impeded motion of an injured person.
Meanwhile, muffled voices of agitation and
even open talk of revolt penetrate the walls of
the black king's bed chamber, as he continues
to hide under the covers, fearful of every
sound and every shadow thrown on the walls.
EXERCISE (combination alert): How would
you conduct White's attack?
ANSWER: White's hanging but not hanging
pieces dismiss the g8-knight's pleas with an
uncaring stare.
35.h6! xh6
[ 35...xe7 36.f6# at least has the virtue
of ending Black's suffering quickly. ]
36.f6+ g8 37.g5+ h8 38.xh6 d8
Black's queen takes on an abundance of
simultaneous tasks, like a woman late to work
who drives recklessly while juggling a mug of
coffee and applying her lipstick in the front
passenger mirror.
EXERCISE (combination alert): How did Colle
exploit Black's last move?
ANSWER: 39.d7! Overload! The shocked
look on the black queen's face tells the entire
story. She takes umbrage at the slight and
shifts in her car seat.
e8 40.f6+ g8 41.xd5 h6 42.xh5
Black's king realizes the truth. His lips begin
to move as he soundlessly talks to himself, as
if committing to memory his lines in a play.
SUMMARY: These isolani positions are
intrinsically equal. It is our job to master the
subtleties.
1-0
D05
Pecot,L
Tavares,A
Correspondence 1998
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 e6 2.f3 d5 3.e3 c5 4.bd2 f6
5.c3 d6 6.d3 c6 7.0-0 0-0
[ QUESTION: What happens if Black breaks
first with 7...e5 ?
ANSWER: This should favour White since
Black breaks the principle: Avoid opening
the game when behind in development.
White responds by opening as well: 8.e4!
cxd4 9.cxd4 dxe4 10.xe4 xe4 11.xe4
exd4 ( after 11...xd4 12.xd4 exd4
13.d3 h6 14.d1 c7 15.xd4 xh2+
16.h1 e5 17.b4 e7 18.b5+ f8
19.g1 Black may be up a pawn but I would
be awfully nervous so behind in
development ) 12.xc6+ bxc6 13.e1+
e6 14.xd4 0-0 15.xe6 fxe6 16.e3
with a clear structural advantage for White,
C.Lakdawala-F.Amonatov, Internet (blitz)
2005. ]
8.e2 I would avoid this move order.
QUESTION: Why? Don't we just transpose?
c7
[ ANSWER: Not if Black plays 8...c4!
(an exception to the rule for what is normally
a weak move by Black) 9.c2 e5! 10.dxe5
xe5 (my Slav senses tell me to stay away
from this passive position as White)
11.xe5 xe5 12.h3 c7 13.d1 d6
14.f1 e8 and Black stands at least equal,
if not better, L.Bencze-D.Baratosi,
Hungarian Team Championship 2008.
QUESTION: Ugh! Two games ago you told
us ...c5-c4 was bad for Black, didn't you?
ANSWER: I did, but in a slightly different
position. I concede there lies a wide
chasm between the disparity of learning
something from a book and making a
decision over the board. Just remember,
one shift of the position may also change
an assessment. ]
9.dxc5 xc5 10.e4 Now we really do
transpose.
h6 QUESTION: What's the point of this
move?
ANSWER: Black ends all Greek gift ideas of
e4-e5 followed by Bxh7, but not without cost.
First, he expends a tempo. Second, in some
cases a new sac target on h6 can be just as
big a worry as the one on h7.
11.b4 White decides to play in pure, Semi-
Slav style; i.e. as with the black pieces but a
move up.
QUESTION: Why isn't White interested in
playing e4-e5?
[ ANSWER: White would love to play e4-e5,
but if you do, make sure the pawn remains
stable. In this case Black gets excellent play
after 11.e5?! g4 12.b3 b6 13.f4 f6!
A) or 14.ae1 fxe5 15.g3 f7! 16.h4
( while after 16.xe5 cxe5 17.xe5
xf2+ 18.h1 xe5 19.xe5 e7
Black is just up a pawn ) , G.Danner-I.
Novikov, Graz 1996, and now 16...e4!
is strong;
B) 14.bd4 gxe5 15.h1 f7!
16.xe5 fxe5 17.xe5 xe5 18.xe5
, when Black grabbed the initiative, bishop
pair and centre with c7! 19.e3 e5
, J.Papai-K.Schreiber, correspondence
1999. ]
11...b6 12.b2 QUESTION: What is
White's plan?
ANSWER: If given time, White plans a2-a3
and c3-c4, when Black's queen is
uncomfortably placed on the c-file.
dxe4 White tends to hold a small edge if
Black releases the pawn tension on e4.
QUESTION: Why is that?
ANSWER: The move breaks the principle:
Avoid being the one to blink first and release
central pawn tension. In doing so, Black gives
White's pieces a tempo to reach e4.
QUESTION: We now get opposite wing pawn
majorities. Whose majority is superior?
ANSWER: Right now that question is a blank
slate and could go either way. As a Colle
player, my personal preference falls to White,
whose majority seems to flow faster and
smoother, at least from my perspective. Your
job is to push your majority as fast and far as
possible, while stalling your opponent's
majority. Instead:
[ a) 12...g4!? (intending to go to e5 if he is
kicked by h2-h3) 13.a3 dxe4 14.xe4 f5
15.ed2 e5 , D.Delithanasis-M.
Ikonomopoulou, Nikaia 2007, and White
holds a nagging edge after 16.c4! e4 17.c5
.]
[ b) 12...a5 (making it harder for White to
engineer c3-c4) 13.b5 e5 14.xe5 xe5
15.f3 h5 16.e5! d7 , T.Bardoux-S.
Peric, La Fere 2011, and here, too, White
looks better after 17.c4 with a kind of super
Advance French. ]
13.xe4 d5 Eyeing f4 and forcing White's
next move.
14.g3 ce7? A passive reaction, after which
he hands White both the initiative and the
more potent majority.
[ Perhaps Black should just go for it with
14...f5!? 15.ed2 f4!? 16.g4! . Even here I
prefer White, but the position is far more
complex than the one reached in the game. ]
15.a3! White is ready for launch, threatening
c3-c4-c5. The uneasy, mutually suspicious
truce holds for now. Yet both parties grow
more agitated with each passing move. It
doesn't take a clairvoyant to see that the two
sides are destined to soon meet at war's
doorstep.
f5 The Chihuahua on f5 barks with shrill
ferocity yet fails to intimidate the bemused,
approaching 100-pound Akita. Ground level is
Black's poor vantage point in the coming battle.
He fails to see White's true intent. Black
decided to test out his optimistic hypothesis
by charging headlong into an enemy force that,
despite equal numbers, holds an advantage
of superior training.
EXERCISE (planning): White has a way to
take over a ferocious initiative. How?
ANSWER: Ignore Black's threat on e4 and
generate some of our own.
16.c4! This is a promising pawn sac, not a
piece sac as it appears, since White quickly
regains the invested piece.
fxe4 The only move.
17.xe4! The pirate gazes into the endless
ocean of Black's kingside and dreams of
bounteous possibilities for plunder.
f6 18.xf6 xf6 19.c5 Regaining the
piece with a winning position.
xc5 20.bxc5 xc5 21.h7+ f7
Black's king feels to me to be the monarch
who evokes neither affection nor dislike from
his subjects – perhaps like the king Prince
Charles will be one day.
22.d2! White's co-ordinated forces, as if
reading each other's minds, engage in attack
in mutuality. This is the position White
envisioned when he sac'ed a pawn on his 16th
move. Black's game degenerates into a
desolate tundra, and frost begins to form on
the lost black king's beard. He realizes that if
he cannot find his way out of the wilderness
by nightfall, he will freeze to death.
QUESTION: What exactly does White get for
the pawn?
ANSWER: Endless attack!
1. Black's king bounces around the middle.
2. Black's queenside remains undeveloped.
3. The pieces which are developed – queen
and rook – in Black's camp appear clumsy and
in each other's way.
Conclusion: White received promising
compensation for a very small investment.
b6 23.ab1 c7 24.fd1 e5 25.bc1
b6 26.e4 White has a decisive attack.
f5 QUESTION: Why did Black hand over
the exchange?
[ ANSWER: Fear of annihilation is a most
cogent agent of persuasion! If Black tries to
hang on to his rook he gets wiped out after
26...c6 27.xc6 xc6 28.d6+! f6
29.e4 a4 30.c2 c6 31.e4+ f7
32.d8! and Black can resign since f5
is met by 33.b3+ . ]
27.c4+! Just in case Black thought he had
trapped White's queen.
e8 28.xf6+ Time to cash out.
xf6 29.h8+ Simplification. It helps when
the only move possible is also a very good
one.
f8 30.b5+ f7 31.xf8+ xf8 32.c7
White's initiative rages on, even with queens
off the board.
b8 33.e1 e4 EXERCISE (combination
alert): Black, despite his wretched position,
still has a pawn for the exchange. Find a way
to deprive him of even that.
ANSWER: Pin/seventh rank.
34.f3! e3 35.c4!
[ 35.xe3?? d5 would be a careless way
for White to turn an easy win into equality. ]
35...c8 36.xc8+ xc8 37.xe3 b6
38.e6 xe6
[ Or 38...g6 39.c3 e7 40.c8 d5
41.c5! d6 42.a5 , when the nimble
rook and bishop team wins yet another
pawn. ]
39.xe6 c4 40.a4 f7 41.e1 a5
42.b1 e6 43.h4 d7 44.f2 e7
The hermit's single creed is disassociation
with society. Black's problem: his king can't
wander to the queenside to help out since
White's kingside pawn majority – and raiding
king – must be watched.
45.e3 b6 46.e4 White's king, like a
seasoned mountain climber, continues to
ascend.
b7 EXERCISE (planning): Black threatens ...
Nc5+ and ...Nxa4. How do we show him that
his threat is hollow?
ANSWER: Allow it!
47.c1! c5+ The prize stallion prances
about with immoderate pride in his own good
looks.
[ If 47...d7 48.f5 and White's king raids
the kingside pawns. ]
48.xc5! Hasta la vista, baby! Simplification.
The king and pawn ending is easily won.
Polite, rival rulers rarely trade insults face to
face. Instead, they find it more prudent to
transmit their true feelings through
intermediaries. In this case White's king
sends his rook to do his dirty work, as the
exhausted knight, mouth bearded with foam,
finally collapses with a thud on c5 and lies still,
never to wake.
bxc5 49.d5 c4 50.xc4 SUMMARY: My
experience has been that Black cannot
equalize so easily if he breaks the central
tension first with ...d5xe4, either on the 12th
move or at other points in the game.
1-0
D05
Bakre,T
Lauridsen,J
Abu Dhabi 2004
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 d5 2.f3 e6 3.e3 f6 4.d3 c5
5.0-0!?
[ 5.c3 leaves c2 open for White's bishop, ]
[ while 5.b3 , which transposes to the
Zukertort Colle, also prevents ...c5-c4. ]
5...d6 QUESTION: This time ...c5-c4 arrives
with gain of tempo. Should Black go for it?
[ ANSWER: I believe that in case of this
move order, ...c5-c4 is actually playable for
Black. For example: 5...c4 6.e2 b5 7.b3
b7 8.a4 a6 9.c3 bd7 10.bd2 e7
11.a3 0-0 12.c2 c6 13.b2
and Black's extra space compensates for his
soon to be bad light-squared bishop, B.
Kurajica-E.Bareev, Sarajevo 2003. ]
6.c3 Removing the ...c5-c4 scenario from the
table.
0-0 7.bd2 c6 8.dxc5
[ QUESTION: Can White go for an isolani
position himself with 8.e4 ? ]
[ ANSWER: Yes. If you like playing with an
isolani then you can opt for 8.e4 cxd4
9.cxd4 dxe4 10.xe4 xe4 11.xe4 d7
12.d5!? (immediately dissolving the isolani
and instead relying on my development
lead) exd5 13.xd5 e6 14.h5 g6
15.h6 f6?! ( 15...f6 is to be preferred; of
course White then has an immediate draw –
I wasn't going to take it! – which my GM
opponent didn't like ) 16.g5 g7
17.xg7+ xg7 18.xe6+ fxe6 19.xc6
bxc6 20.e3 , when Black stood clearly
worse structurally, C.Lakdawala-E.Lobron,
Internet (blitz) 2007. ]
8...xc5 9.e4 dxe4 QUESTION: This central
exchange is slightly different from last game –
correct?
ANSWER: Correct. In this one Black can take
queens off the board if he chooses.
10.xe4 xe4
[ Next game we look at 10...e7 . ]
11.xe4 c7 QUESTION: Is the ending
approximately equal?
[ ANSWER: White retains pressure, similar
to a favourable c3-Sicilian ending where
Black experiences difficulty developing his
queenside. For example, after 11...xd1
12.xd1 f6 13.b4 e7 ( or 13...b6 14.a4
a5 15.b5 e7 16.a3 e8 17.c4
 and Black gets squeezed, J.Böhm-W.
Burchert, German League 2007 ) 14.e3
d8 15.d4 Black's pieces are in a tangle,
J.Roth-B.Förster, Schwäbisch Gmünd
2003. ]
[ QUESTION: With 11...c7 Black just
allowed the Greek gift sac on h7. Should
White go for it or hold back? ]
12.e2!
[ ANSWER: In this case it is better to refrain.
From time to time you will get the
opportunity of a Greek gift sac. The illusion
is that it works 100% of the time for White.
In this case, Black's queen covers the critical
g3-square and the sac is speculative at best.
Here is Houdini analysis: 12.xh7+!?
(a move on the cusp of dubious;
nevertheless, there are practical chances
for White in such chaotic situations) xh7
13.g5+ g6 14.g4 f5 (if White had
easy access to g3 for his queen the sac
might be sound; in this case Black controls
the square) 15.h4 d7 16.h7+ f6
17.h5 e7 18.e4 fxe4 19.g5+ d6
(Black's emboldened king strolls the well-
tended palatial grounds without fear of
attack, or bodyguards) 20.fd1+ d4
21.cxd4 e8 . Perhaps White retains
practical chances for the piece, but I would
take Black any day.
QUESTION: How are we supposed to know
when to sac and when to refrain?
ANSWER: This comes with intuition. The
more Colles you play, the better your feel
for such decisions. Also, when you engage
in such a sac, don't just wing it. Work hard
and calculate the consequences as best you
can before committing. ]
12...d7 13.d1 ad8 14.g3 QUESTION:
What is the purpose of this move?
ANSWER: White wants to put Bf4 on the
table.
h8
[ QUESTION: Can Black go for 14...f5 ?
ANSWER: White's earlier g2-g3 was
designed specifically against this move. He
stands better after 15.f4! , when e5?
16.xc6 exf4 17.xd7 fxg3 18.c4+ h8
19.g2! gxf2 20.b4 wins a piece. Black
fails to extract sufficient compensation. ]
15.e3 xe3 16.xe3 f5 Black's f-pawn
curls his lips in distaste and throws a punch at
our e4-bishop. If we exchange on c6 we wrest
absolute control over e5. The trouble is we
also give away our light squares which we
further weakened with our earlier g2-g3.
EXERCISE (critical decision): Should we play
17 Bxc6 or back the bishop up?
ANSWER: The probability ratio of successful
implementation of Black's plan fluctuates
between:
1. Terrible.
2. Even worse! Black's last move was a
strategically dubious decision. If you chose to
exchange, then you displayed excellent
strategic judgment. Control over e5 easily
outweighs Black's light square gains.
17.xc6! bxc6? Strategic hara-kiri.
[ Black's only logical path would be 17...xc6
18.e5! b6 19.xd8! xd8 ( 19...xd8?
20.g5 xb2 21.e1 e8 22.xe6 e7
23.d1 b6 24.xf5 e8 25.g5 wins )
20.d4 d5 21.xc6 bxc6 22.e1 xa2
23.d6 c8 24.b4 with advantage to White
in the major piece ending. ]
18.c5! Jumping in before Black plays ...c6-
c5. White's queen, at the forefront of battle
lines, rouses her troops, shaming them to
bravery.
fe8
[ Black can't challenge for c5. 18...b6??
19.xb6 axb6 20.e5 wins a piece due to
the fork on f7 (i.e. c8 21.xd8 xd8
22.f7+ etc). ]
19.d6 c8 20.ad1 xd6 21.xd6 e7
22.e5 Why does time pass so slowly when
you are in misery? A paralysis victim is unable
to act, yet is still able to understand and to be
aware of the world of motion all around him.
Black's pieces freeze in wonder at their
counterparts' newly gained super-powers.
Now White's pieces, leeches on a mortally
wounded soldier, satiate themselves on rich,
nourishing dark squares.
b7? The bishop's reversal of direction
coincides with Black's reversal of fortune. An
infinitesimal yet highly significant shift of
radius and angle just occurred. The true
definition of a nightmare is when your worst
fears – the unthinkable, the unspeakable –
morph from the realm of pure thought to
actual reality.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black's last
move was a blunder in a hopeless position.
Find White's visually stunning, problem-like,
multi-themed shot.
ANSWER: Overload/back rank/pin/fork. A
single motive may still be subdivided into
multiple elements. We all dream of making
moves like this and then basking in the glow
of the adoring spectators.
23.d8!! The power and the glory! This is one
of those "shower the board with gold coins"
moments. The multi-tasking white rook juggles
the disparate professions of military
commander, spiritual guide, faith healer, valet,
chiropractor and hair stylist to White's forces.
xd8 No choice.
24.f7+ g8 25.xd8 xd8 EXERCISE
(combination alert): Black is not having a
good day. He thinks he got a rook and bishop
for the queen. He didn't. White can win
another piece. How?
ANSWER: Double attack/back rank.
26.e7! d1+ Black plays a deadly game of
hide and seek against the hostiles.
[ 26...b8 27.c7 does the job too. ]
27.g2
[ Black can't save his bishop. If 27.g2 a6
Black's pieces congregate in mute witness
to the murder of their king, passively
refusing to offer assistance of any sort, as
Black's king heaves a slow, disgusted sigh
before dying. 28.e8# is mate.
SUMMARY: Be confident that White extracts
an edge in any version of ...d5xe4 lines. ]
1-0
D05
Adly,A
Juarez Flores,C
Dresden Olympiad 2008
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 d5 2.f3 c5 3.e3 c6 4.c3 e6
5.d3 f6 6.bd2 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.dxc5
xc5 9.e4 dxe4 As I mentioned last game,
this move, although routinely played, fails to
equalize.
10.xe4 e7 QUESTION: Why retreat an
already developed piece?
[ ANSWER: The trouble is that the logical
10...xe4 was played last game and, as we
saw, fails to fully equalize either. ]
11.e2 c7 12.fg5
[ Or 12.xf6+ xf6 13.g5! e7 ( after
13...xg5 14.xg5 h6 15.f3 e5 16.e4
e8 17.fe1 Black is still unable to
engineer his ...f5-f5 break ) , E.Colle-G.
Maróczy, San Remo 1930, when White
extracts an edge from 14.xf6 xf6
15.e4! , since d7? walks into 16.d3! . ]
12...xe4 13.xe4 f5
[ Weakening his pawn front, as does 13...g6
14.h4 h5 . ]
14.e2 xg5 Black hands his opponent the
bishop pair to ease the pressure on e6.
[ QUESTION: Why make a concession when
he can play 14...f6 , going on the attack
himself on the kingside?
ANSWER: I don't think Black gets the attack
he is looking for. His pieces are artificially
posted after 15.c4 e5 16.b3 g6
17.f4 xg5 18.xe5 c6 19.f3
, with an iron blockade on e5, not to
mention Black's misplaced rook on g5. ]
15.xg5 e5 Black activates his kingside pawn
majority.
16.c4+ Getting in first, before Black has a
chance for ...Be6.
h8 17.ad1 QUESTION: How would you
assess this position with bishop pair versus
imposing pawn centre?
ANSWER: Advantage White, who owns
multiple pluses over just one for Black:
1. Bishop pair in an open position.
2. Development lead.
3. Control over the only open file.
f4 Black threatens to deface White's pawn
cover with ...f4-f3, and also possibly dreams
of trapping a piece with ...h7-h6 and ...g7-g5
later on.
18.f3 f5 19.fe1 Black's e-pawn is in grave
danger.
ae8?! EXERCISE (combination alert): White
to play and win a pawn.
ANSWER: Pin.
20.xf4! c2!? Black gets cute and possibly
makes matters even worse.
21.xc2 exf4 22.d3
[ Much stronger is 22.xe8! xe8 23.f5
when White dominates. ]
22...e5 23.e4! QUESTION: Why didn't
White just take the free pawn on h7?
[ ANSWER: He avoided Black's trap! After
23.xh7? g6! White must hand over the
exchange, since 24.xg6? is met by b6+
.]
23...c4! Black hopes to emerge with some
compensation for the pawn, based on his
invasion of e3.
24.d4 e3 25.d3 White keeps his eye on
both the h7- and d7-squares.
e7 Black, the would-be victim, feigns
ignorance of the approaching foe, yet is
poised to strike unexpectedly, attacking his
attacker. He offers the tempting target of h7,
believing it to be just outside the perimeter of
White's ambition, and thus sets up a trap. Or
does he? Black plans to meet 26 Bxh7 with
26...Qh4, with a decisive double attack on
White's hanging bishop and e1-rook. The
trouble is White can get away with taking the
pawn.
26.xh7! The bolting purse snatcher leaves a
visible passageway in his wake, as he surges
through the crowded street to elude the police,
whose outraged screams he simply cannot
outrun. Black's intended trap fails.
h4 The preacher ignites the faithful into a
frenzied call to arms, claiming judgment day
is near. Black's queen, attacking both e1 and
h7, smites the air with a fist, as if to give fair
warning to others who would dare approach.
But she is not as powerful as she believes.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Refute Black's
idea with a trap of your own.
ANSWER: 27.xe3! xe3 White's rook is
dead, yet the lingering ghost of his essence
remains to spur his comrades onward.
28.xe3! The queen's unexpected capture
on e3 adds a giant punctuation mark. Black
gets drenched by an icy rain of White's major
pieces' dirty tricks. The apparent
fortuitousness of this saving grace is actually
no matter of good luck, as much as carefully
crafted defensive design.
xh7 29.e4 White emerged two clean
pawns ahead.
h4 30.g3! The same pin theme.
g5 31.d5 h6 32.g4!?
[ 32.g2 looks simpler. ]
32...b6+ 33.g2 xb2+ 34.h3 xc3
Material has been equalized, but now White
attains a decisive attack.
35.h5+ g8 EXERCISE (combination
alert): Black's king is all alone with only
grandma on f8 as protection. White to play
and win.
36.xb7?
[ ANSWER: White missed 36.e6+! f7
37.f5! xf3+ ( 37...c7 fails to 38.e8+ )
38.h4 f2+ 39.g5 and Black runs out of
checks. ]
36...e1? Talk about a love/hate relationship.
Black's mercurial queen alternates between
tender-hearted love for her own king and a
rage bordering on clinical psychosis toward
White's! In this case rage wins the argument,
as she abandons support for her partner to go
after the object of her hate.
[ White would be forced to work harder for
the win after 36...c4! 37.d5+ xd5
38.xd5 f6 . ]
37.d5+! Spotting the winning idea. The
queen surveys her newly gained territory with
the smug eyes of a conquering empress. The
balance of Black's resistance melts quickly
and White salts his opponent with threats.
f7 38.f5! f1+ The queen yells a war cry
and lunges to f1 with maniacal, impotent fury,
as White's king easily outruns the checks.
[ If instead 38...e7 , White simply takes on
f4 and f7, forcing a king and pawn ending
two pawns up. ]
39.h4 The vagabond king wanders about,
seemingly without destination, to who knows
where?
QUESTION: Can White get away with his king
march?
ANSWER: Admittedly, it looks as if White's
king is wearing himself out performing strange
evolutions across the board. Yet, everything
is under control. Adly correctly calculated that
Black had no way to harm his king.
e1+ 40.h5 The once barren wasteland of
the kingside evolves into an overpopulated
landscape of tangled pieces, each haggling for
a piece of prime real estate. White's king
continues to move with the graceful, stealthy
certainty of a more powerful foe about to face
his enemy. Black is out of both checks and
luck.
SUMMARY: 10...Be7 doesn't fully equalize
either.
1-0
D05
Lakdawala,C
Lawrence,D
SCCF Championship, Los Angeles 2008
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3 c5 2.c3 "Brave, brave Sir Robin,
bravely runs away!" How I do so adore my
beloved line.
f6 3.d4 e6 4.e3 d5 5.bd2 d6 6.d3
0-0 QUESTION: Is Black attempting to keep
all his options open?
ANSWER: Correct. He refuses to commit to
either ...Nc6 or ...Nd7, hoping to keep White
guessing. But this doesn't bother White much,
since our plans in Colle tend to veer down
narrow avenues.
7.0-0 b6?
[ Now 7...c6 ]
[ or 7...bd7 should be played. Instead, my
opponent, a Grünfeld player, gets lured
 into unfamiliar territory (like 99% of all your
opponents! – who studies Colle theory,
besides us?). ]
[ EXERCISE (planning): Black's last move,
7...b6 , was incorrect. Find a way for White
to exploit the inaccurate move order. ]
ANSWER: Open the position when leading in
development. His d6-bishop is especially
awkward where it sits.
8.e4! cxd4!? Black validates his ill feelings
with an act of violence, unburdening himself
by leaving the d6-infant on White's doorstep.
Black's game lies in stark disarray. The
contending factions within quibble on the best
way to face their destiny.
My opponent, sensing that things have gone
poorly, overreacts with an unsound piece sac.
Yet behind the show of force, one senses a
silent substratum of misgivings about his
decision. His options:
[ a) 8...e7 (this leads to a rather sorry-
looking French for Black) 9.e5 fd7 10.e1
a6 11.b1! c6 12.a3 (an important
move to remember in such positions; we
prevent ...c5xd4 and ...Nb4 irritations) c8
13.f1 xf1 14.xf1 a5 15.d3 g6
16.h6 and White's position was so strong
that a 1948-rated player drew with an IM! P.
Hess-Y.Lapshun, Philadelphia 2011. ]
[ b) 8...dxe4? 9.xe4 b7 10.xf6+! xf6
( 10...gxf6 11.h6 is also hopeless for
Black ) 11.g5! xf3 12.d2!
– zwischenzug! I was hoping to catch my
opponent in this one! Black has no choice
but to play f4 13.xf4 , but he still drops a
piece since White still threatens Bg5 as well
as g2xf3. ]
9.e5 Zwischenzug again! The pawn studies e5
intently, like a scholar would a page of holy
scripture.
dxc3 10.bxc3 xe5 11.xe5 c7 12.e2
xc3 QUESTION: What is so wrong with
Black's position? He got three pawns for the
piece.
ANSWER: Several things:
1. He also badly lags in development.
2. His dark squares are weak.
3. All of White's pieces suddenly aim at
Black's inadequately defended king.
Conclusion: Black is busted, despite
approximately even material.
13.b3 Dual purpose:
1. Threatening Ba3 followed by either rook to
the c-file, which rounds up Black's straying
queen.
2. White strives to take control over d4.
b4 Necessary. The queen suffers re-entry
trauma while inhaling the thin atmosphere on
b4.
[ Instead, 13...b7?? 14.a3 e8?
15.ac1 walks into White's trap. ]
14.d2 e7 15.ac1 fd7! One shouldn't
stop striving to make good moves just
because we are in a bad position:
[ a) 15...b7? 16.g5 adds an unpleasant
pin to Black's woes. ]
[ b) 15...bd7? 16.c6 e8 ( or 16...d6
17.b4 ) 17.b4 and Black can resign. ]
16.fe1 a5 Black hopes to exchange his
sleeping bishop for White's powerful model on
d3.
[ He is not helped by 16...xe5 17.xe5
, since d7? allows 18.xd5! . ]
17.h5 Inducing dark square weaknesses
around Black's king.
[ 17.c3! (threatening Bxh7+!) ]
[ and 17.c7! were also strong. ]
17...g6 18.f3 xe5 19.xe5 d7
20.ee1 a4 21.d4 f6! The ferocity of the
defender plays every bit as important a role
as the solidity of the castle's defensive barrier.
Black defends well (or is it that I attack badly?
I have a disconcerting knack of turning the
most deadly attacks – one which any other
human on earth would checkmate – into some
kind of favourable ending instead!), surviving
attempts at a direct attack and reaching an
ending, albeit one which is still very much in
White's favour.
22.xf6 xf6 QUESTION: What are White's
advantages in the endgame?
ANSWER: Black's position, sapped of colour
and energy, is a dreary defensive task. What
began as a single crack in the defensive wall,
now elongates into a network of fractures and
fissures all along the queenside coastline:
1. Development lead.
2. Bishop pair.
3. The weakened dark squares grow quite
pronounced, like coffee stains on white
upholstery.
4. Pawn targets on the queenside.
5. Infiltration squares for White on the
queenside: c7, c6 and b5.
23.c6 a6 24.xa6 xa6 Now Black gets
stuck with an awkward rook on a6.
25.a3 d7 26.b4 b8 27.c7 e8
28.ec1 a8
[ If Black attempts freedom with 28...e5??
, he collapses quickly: 29.c8 xc8
 30.xc8+ g7 31.f3 d7 32.c7 c5
33.xe5 . ]
29.b7 a6 30.xb6 White's rook eyes the
black knight with a questioning expression.
ec8 Understandably, Black is reluctant to
exchange further by taking on b4.
31.xc8+ xc8 32.c6! A move with three
functions:
1. White cuts off the back rank mate threat.
2. White threatens Black's knight.
3. White threatens a fork on e7.
[ Whereas 32.xa6?? c1+ 33.e1 xe1#
would be an embarrassing end to the game
indeed! ]
32...a8 The relationship just isn't working.
Black's knight is odd, his rook even. The
haggard black pieces arrive at the realization
that all is not well. They are confined within
an angst-fuelled nightmare which won't end.
EXERCISE (planning): How can we turn
Black's remaining resistance into resigned
hopelessness? Find one paralyzing move and
you reduce Black to near zugzwang.
ANSWER: An indistinct, bishop-shaped
apparition arises on d6.
33.d6! From this point on Black can only
move pawns and his king.
g7 34.f4 f6 35.f2 g5 36.f3 h5
37.h3 f5 38.g3 Since he soon runs out of
pawn and king moves.
SUMMARY: So non-threatening is the Colle
that your opponents often don't believe their
move order matters. It does! Punish a
premature or mistimed...b7-b6 with a quick e3-
e4!.
1-0
D05
Lakdawala,C
Pena,P
San Diego (rapid) 2005
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3 c5 2.c3 f6 3.d4 e6 4.e3 d5
5.bd2 e7 6.d3 0-0 7.e5
Black refrained from an early ...Nc6, so White
jumps in with his knight to clear the path for f2-
f4, creating a Stonewall structure.
QUESTION: Are reversed Stonewall lines
obligatory for White when Black holds back his
b8-knight?
ANSWER: The Reversed Stonewall is
completely optional. You can always
transpose back to normal lines we already
examined with a timely d4xc5 if the Stonewall
ideas don't appeal to you.
c6
[ QUESTION: What if Black tries the French
Defence idea 7...b6 , intending ...Ba6 next
to eliminate White's powerful light-squared
bishop?
ANSWER: Black may get his bishop to a6
but this doesn't compel White to exchange.
For example, 8.f4 a6 9.c2! .
QUESTION: But now didn't White ruin
kingside castling?
ANSWER: He doesn't necessarily need to
castle. He can even attack with his king in
the centre. We examine this exact idea next,
in my game against Hummel. ]
[ Alternatively, 7...fd7 is rare and artificial,
but possibly not so bad. Black opens up ...f7-
f5 options. For example, 8.f4 f5 9.0-0
( White could also get adventurous with
something like 9.f3 b6 10.g4!?
without worrying about a check on h4 )
9...c6 10.f3 (a direct piece assault
strikes me as ineffective – I feel like White
must engineer g2-g4 if he is to attain an
edge) f6 11.h3 g6 was equal in G.
Starcevic-V.Stevanovic, Belgrade 2009. ]
8.f4 cxd4?! It is but a short skip and a jump
for a plan to go from intuitive – which many
not be so bad – to vague, which generally
signals the beginning of drift. A rule of thumb
in the Colle: in the main lines, early ...c5xd4
ideas nearly always favour White.
QUESTION: How so?
ANSWER: Black helpfully opens the
developmental path for White's c1-bishop and
the e-file for White's major pieces.
[ 8...c7 is better, as in S.Hassan-A.Amin,
Sohag 2009. ]
9.exd4
[ QUESTION: Can White recapture toward
the centre with 9.cxd4 ?
ANSWER: White can but it doesn't make
much sense. Black's last move can only
be exploited by recapturing with the e-pawn,
since that opens a developmental path for
the sleeping c1-bishop and the e-file for
White's major pieces. ]
9...d7 10.0-0 g6?! Possibly a second
strategic inaccuracy. Black weakens his pawn
front at the cost of vast, future torment of
spirit.
[ He should play 10...f5 to blunt the power of
White's light-squared bishop. ]
11.e2! Preventing both ...f7-f6 and ...f7-f5.
dxe5?! Strategic error number three. He
greatly enhances White's pawn structure and
attacking chances. The taint of doubt seeps
into Black's moves and his position steadily
deteriorates.
QUESTION: What is your opponent's rating?
ANSWER: If you assumed my opponent is a
weak player you would be mistaken. He is a
master who just last year won a major
tournament in Los Angeles, taking down an IM
and GM on the final day. The reason my
opponent makes so many strategic
inaccuracies is that he is lost in Colle-land,
out of his normal tactical element, where he is
highly competent and very dangerous. The
Colle is a highly specialized system, and has
a nasty way of humbling very strong tacticians
and making them appear rather tame! If I
played the white side of a Sicilian Dragon
against Pablo, then you would be inquiring
about my rating!
QUESTION: How would you set up Black's
defence?
[ ANSWER: I would play 11...f6 12.df3
g7 and then pray that Black survives the
coming kingside assault. ]
12.fxe5 f6 After this move he is left with
numerous weak dark squares, but there was
little choice. White would quickly build up a
decisive attack if Black refrained.
13.exf6 xf6 14.f3 c7?!
[ 14...g7 is more accurate. ]
After the text White achieves a good French
Defence position. An assessment:
1. Black created a hole on e5.
2. For now, e6 is a backward pawn.
3. Black suffers dark square lacerations all
across the kingside.
15.h6 The bishop vows to remain, isolated
from his brethren, until Black's king is brought
to account for past dark square crimes.
e8
[ Black won't survive after 15...g7 16.xg7
xg7 17.g5! . ]
16.e5! The knight aims its snarling snout in
the direction of f7 and g6.
xe5 QUESTION: Why did he give up his
dark squares?
ANSWER: A necessary evil. Let's look at
Black's alternatives:
[ a) 16...xe5 17.xf6 and Black has no
hope of survival on his leaking dark
squares. ]
[ b) 16...e7 17.xf6! (yes, the dark
squares are that important) xf6 18.f1
e7 19.f7 xf7 20.xf7 xf7 21.f3+
e7 22.g5+ and Black's king has next to
zero chances of survival. ]
[ c) 16...g7 17.xg7 xg7 18.f7
is also hopeless. ]
17.dxe5 xe5
[ 17...xe5?? 18.f3 d7 19.f7+ h8
20.ae1 mates. ]
[ How awkward. From childhood on, my
mental synapses had been moulded to
defend rather than attack. Now I must swim
against the current. Contrary to urban chess
legends, the Colle isn't a cause for sleep
apnoea. Our much besmirched opening is
also an attacking line, even if few realize it.
With 17...xe5 , Black just removed our
pesky e5-pawn with a morose sense of
exaltation. He hopes the time of reprisal
and redemption is at hand. He plans to
unravel with ...Nf7, which ejects White's
nasty dark-squared bishop, followed by ...e6-
e5 and ...Be6. His misplaced faith in his
defensive barrier misleads him into a sense
of security for his king's survival.
EXERCISE (planning): Find a way to ruin
Black's plan. ]
ANSWER: The f6-square emanates a
seductive whisper of power.
18.f6! Preventing ...Nf7. It is crucial to
maintain the bishop's outpost on h6.
d7
[ Black gets slaughtered if he insists with
18...f7?? 19.xg6! , ]
[ and 18...xd3 19.xd3 c5+ 20.h1
e7 is no help, as after 21.af1 there is no
reasonable defence to Rxg6+ followed by
Rf7. ]
19.af1 xd3 I have no better suggestions.
20.xd3 c6 The garrotte tightens, and
Black's forces struggle and kick to no avail.
Now White – having only taken tentative,
playful swipes at Black so far – gets down to
business. A single negligent touch sends the
defensive tower tumbling down.
EXERCISE (combination alert): If your
combinationally challenged writer can find
White's thematic next move, then you can too!
How can White force mate?
ANSWER: The miserly black king demands a
high price for entry into his kingdom. So we
pay it!
21.xg6+ And g6 cracks open like an egg.
This is so obvious that I refuse to award the
move an exclam!
[ Even the mundane 21.f3 mates quickly. ]
21...hxg6 22.xg6+ h8 23.f7 xf7
24.xf7 g8 EXERCISE (planning): Find a
final efficient move and Black can resign.
ANSWER: Reroute the bishop and point him
in the direction of e5. The bishop retreats as
precipitously as he arrived. Black's king, with
a weary grin, realizes he is cornered.
25.f4! SUMMARY: The reversed Stonewall
lines are completely optional for White.
1-0
D05
Lakdawala,C
Hummel,P
Los Angeles 1998
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3
[ Compare this game to the following one:
1.d4 f6 2.f3 e6 3.e3 b6 4.bd2 b7
5.d3 d5 6.e5 d6 7.f4 bd7 8.f3!
(seizing control over the key e4-square) c5
9.c3 c7 10.g4!? cxd4?! (as usual, this
move only helps White) 11.exd4 xe5?!
(the prelude to a misguided combination)
12.fxe5 xe5 13.dxe5 d4 14.e2 xh1
15.exf6 dxc3?! 16.e4 (Black got enough
material for his sac but his position
degenerated – there is no king safety to be
found for him across the hemisphere) e5
17.fxg7 xg7 18.b5+ f8 19.xc3 h5
20.g5 d4 21.e3 h4+ 22.f2 b4
(the ending was busted for Black; the
middlegame is even worse!) 23.f6 g8
24.0-0-0 d5 25.h6+ 1-0 S.Tartakower-W.
Winter, London 1932. ]
1...c5 2.c3 No comment. My opponent was at
the time a young, gifted IM, so I enter the
Colle to de-gift him! The Colle, like no other
opening, has a nasty way of shearing away a
talented tactician's power, and leading him to
dark regions of unaccustomed ordinariness.
f6 3.d4 e6 4.e3 b6 QUESTION:
Shouldn't this game be put into the Queen's
Indian chapter?
ANSWER: I suppose I could have put it there,
but if Black starts with a Queen's Indian set-
up and then later plays ...d7-d5, we can
transpose to lines in this chapter, as we do
here.
5.bd2 d5
[ QUESTION: What do we do if Black plays
5...a6 ?
ANSWER: Your suggestion is actually not
so bad, especially if White is already
committed to c2-c3. Yet Black rarely plays
this move. Perhaps White still holds a
microbe of an edge after 6.xa6 xa6
7.e2 c8 8.0-0 e7 9.e4 , D.Sahovic-D.
Velimirovic, Yugoslav Championship,
Skender Vakuf 1980. ]
6.e5 Stonewall again.
d6
[ We can only dream about the trap
6...a6?? 7.xa6 xa6 8.a4+ d7
9.xa6 . ]
7.f4 0-0 8.d3 a6! The bishop savours his
fleeting daydream of promotion while it lasts.
Black utilizes an idea from the French
Defence, hoping to swap off White's powerful
attacking bishop.
9.c2! Nyet! We deny him.
QUESTION: But now his formally bad bishop
cuts a swath through your position and shuts
off castling, doesn't it?
ANSWER: Black's good/bad bishop indeed
received a promotion, yet, oddly, it doesn't
bother White much since we can work around
it.
c7
[ QUESTION: How will White conduct the
attack if Black plays 9...fd7 clearing the
way for ...f7-f6?
ANSWER: This loses time for Black, though
it may still be his best set-up. I would play
something like this: 10.h5 f5 11.df3
f6 12.h3 contemplating both g2-g4 and
Ng5. ]
10.g4!? QUESTION: You? Attacking?
ANSWER: No more mister nice guy! I wonder
if this is what Evelyn Waugh described as
"the double illusion of familiarity and
strangeness"? I realize this move is a bit out
of context when played by a habitual chicken
like your writer, but the design is to throw the
opponent psychologically off balance. Also, in
such situations, you must attack or risk losing
the initiative, since a kingside attack remains
White's only viable plan in the position.
QUESTION: Your move may be brave, but is it
sound as well?
ANSWER: When a gardener plants a sapling
in the garden, he fears for its survival in those
dangerous first few days, uncertain whether
the infant will take root or not. I don't know.
Probably the move is sound, since it is
exceedingly difficult for Black to pry open the
centre to exploit it.
cxd4?!
 [ My anti-...c5xd4 bias remains – yes, even
IMs do it! – and I would have avoided this
move in favour of something like 10...fd7
.]
11.exd4 c6 12.g5 d7
[ QUESTION: How about a defensive plan of
12...e8 , intending ...g7-g6 and ...Ng7 to
blockade on h5?
ANSWER: That is a possible plan but I'm
not so confident it slows White's coming
attack: 13.df3 g6 ( 13...f6!? seems too
radical to count as a solution: White
continues to attack after 14.gxf6 gxf6!?
15.g1+ ) 14.h4 g7 15.xc6 xc6
16.e5 c7 17.h5 looks quite promising
for White. ]
13.df3 ac8 14.e3 a5 15.b1!
A manoeuvre borrowed from my beloved
London System. White forces a weakness
around Black's king.
g6
[ Not 15...f5? 16.gxf6 xf6 17.g5!
with a double attack on e6 and h7. ]
16.h4 You see what I mean about Black's light-
squared bishop? It's all dressed up but
exercises hardly any effect on White's
intentions. It merely cuts through empty
space.
c4 At this point, I blinked, like a confused
and unwise owl, and played the rote...
17.xc4? An overconfident opponent may
not take into account a brazen, insolent
counterattack by a desperate opponent. I am
guilty of just such a crime.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White just
made a careless blunder. How can Black
exploit it?
xc4?
[ ANSWER: Luckily for me, my opponent
missed the tricky zwischenzug 17...xf4!
18.xf4 xf4 19.f2 dxc4 , when Black's
once drooping position suddenly
experiences a transformational renewal as
refreshing as a summer rain to end a
drought. White is in over his head and
outlays exceed investment returns. ]
18.d1 Everything is under control again.
fe8 QUESTION: What is the point of Black's
last move?
ANSWER: Multipurpose:
1. Perhaps Black hopes to engineer some
Alekhine-like ...e6-e5!! break followed by a
piece sac on e5, but it just never materializes.
2. He clears f8 for both his knight and bishop.
3. He clears f8 to enable a possible king run
to the queenside if necessary.
19.d2 f8 Following point #3 above: the
black king hopes to escape to the safety of
the queenside, but he doesn't make it.
20.e5 xe5 A move I would have avoided
since White now gets a dark-square death grip
on the position – but I lack helpful
improvements. Black is simply busted, no
matter how he plays the position.
21.fxe5 e7 22.f2 f8 In a life and death
struggle, Black's brain puts the pain of injuries
he sustained on hold, planning to deliver it
only when the danger has passed. Have you
ever experienced the situation where your
mind is a jumble of vague, questionable ideas
and notions? Then, in a flash everything
comes together and illuminates into a unified
plan.
EXERCISE (planning): Black, permeated with
the stillness of exhaustion, desperately
attempts to fortress it out in a bad position.
Come up with a concrete plan to break in.
ANSWER: Step 1: Lift the rook, which may be
useful on f3 and, more importantly, covers the
c3-square.
23.h3! ce8 24.c1! Step 2: Re-route the
bishop to a3, where it controls the key f8-
square and dominates on d6, rather than
inside the pawn chain, where it lives now.
d8 25.b3! b5 26.a3 g8 27.d6
No one can reason with the deranged bishop.
g7 The old rook realizes he is no more than
a purposeless relic of a bygone era.
28.d2 h8 Hoping for counterplay based
on ...h7-h6.
29.h5 Essentially preventing ...h7-h6.
e8 30.h6 gg8 The only thing the inmates
on g8 and h8 have in surplus is time.
31.f3 f8 When pent-up pressure continues
to increase without a release outlet, you can
be certain a catastrophic explosion follows
shortly after.
EXERCISE (combination alert): We can win
the exchange, but let's not succumb to
temptation when we can strive for so much
more. How can White do even better?
ANSWER: Black's queen, a ruler of a petty
principality on the outskirts of nowhere,
believes herself to be some universal overlord,
since she is incapable of seeing herself in
context with the real world.
32.d3! a5
[ The queen's adoration for her bishop blinds
her to the truth. After 32...a5 33.b4
Black's trapped queen screams in
 consternation, as she is surprised by the
bishop's sudden entry into her chamber.
Then again, everything else loses as well.
SUMMARY: You can launch reversed
Stonewall, g2-g4 based attacks, even with
your king in the middle – but only if the
centre remains firmly closed. ]
1-0
D05
Bareev,E
Tukmakov,V
Tilburg (rapid) 1994
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 c5 2.c3 f6 3.f3 e6 4.bd2 d5
5.e3 c6 6.d3 e7 7.0-0 0-0 8.e5
Once again we revisit reversed Stonewall lines.
Like global warming, this position is a cause
in search of a champion (maybe you!?).
xe5 QUESTION: Doesn't exchanging on e5
disrupt Black's own game?
ANSWER: I feel that Black should trade here
or face that rather nasty version of a reversed
Stonewall Dutch we saw last game.
[ Once again, an early ...c5xd4?! favours
White. For example: 8...cxd4?! 9.exd4
xe5 10.dxe5 d7 11.e1 c5 12.c2
f5 13.exf6 xf6 14.f3 c7 15.e3 d7
16.d4 ae8 17.e5 , when White's
absolute blockade on the central dark
squares and the coming Qh5 gave him an
undisputed advantage, C.Lakdawala-S.
Ibrahim, Irvine 1996. ]
9.dxe5 d7 10.f4 f5 As in most French
Defence positions, this move is necessary
sooner or later.
11.exf6 In order to play e3-e4 next.
QUESTION: Can White avoid exchanging on
f6 and just retain his kingside space, maybe
playing for g2-g4 and an attack down the g-
file?
[ ANSWER: That would be too slow to
extract an edge. White's attack never
materialized after 11.g4 b6 12.gxf5 exf5
13.b3 ( or 13.f3 e6 14.h3 e8
and I just don't see a White attack any time
soon; meanwhile, Black can build for a
strong ...d5-d4! central counter ) 13...e6
14.c2 and if Black is satisfied with equality,
then d4 , as in R.Garcia Ramon-F.Luis
Vitalla, Spanish Team Championship 2006,
looks fine ( though I would try the more
ambitious 14...a5!? ) , e.g. 15.c4 dxe3
16.f3 xd1 17.xd1 e2 . ]
11...xf6 12.e4 c4! QUESTION: Isn't Black's
last move somewhat rash? He hands White
the d4-square.
ANSWER: True but, more importantly, he
gives himself access to c5, which activates
his game.
13.c2
[ White can also play more carefully,
preventing the coming knight invasion on g4.
For example: 13.e2 b5 14.e5 d7
15.f3 c5 16.d4 d7 17.g4 c8
18.f5!? h8! ( 18...exf5?! 19.xf5
favours White ) , D.Root-J.Silman, California
(1st matchgame) 1990. Calm defence.
Black equalized, but as you can see, he had
to play quite accurately to achieve his goal.
Maybe White can now try 19.fxe6 xf1+
20.xf1 xe6 21.xe6 xe6 and play for
control over the d4-square. ]
13...e5! Another key Black idea in the line. He
opens access to g4 for his knight.
14.exd5 c5+ 15.h1 g4 QUESTION:
Isn't White losing? Black has at least three
threats.
ANSWER: Everything is under control. All
three threats (...Ne3, ...Nf2+, and ...Nxh2) are
covered by White's next multipurpose move.
16.e4! h4
[ QUESTION: Can Black get away with
16...xh2!? anyway?
ANSWER: Your suggestion is playable, but I
prefer White's chances at the end of the line
17.xc5 g4 ( or 17...xf1 18.xf1 xd5
19.b4 exf4 20.e4 ) 18.e1 xf1 19.e6!
xe6 20.dxe6 exf4 21.xf1 d5 22.f3
xe6 23.xf4! . ]
17.h3 e3 18.xe3 xe3
Black's overconfident queen thinks to herself:
"Power, honours, glory, adoration and
treasure are all mine! Mine!" Of course it turns
out that her prediction was a tad premature.
Black threatens to sac on h3 and it looks as if
he puts White under pressure, but this is an
illusion. Unearth one simple move and you
take the air out of Black's bluster, and
effectively dissolve the tangled web of
troubles and uncertainties which up to now
have plagued White.
EXERCISE (planning): Force a favourable
ending.
ANSWER: No more queens = no more attack.
I hate these situations where my opponent
spoils delusional attacking revelry by force
feeding me an unwelcome dose of rationality!
19.e1! xe1 20.axe1 exf4 QUESTION:
How is this a favourable ending for White?
Material is even and Black owns the bishop
pair in an open position.
ANSWER: Let's do an exercise to answer
your question:
EXERCISE (combination alert): White has
access to tactics which net him an advantage,
no matter how Black squirms. Do you see it?
ANSWER: Before the battle the forces start at
every quiver of motion from the other side.
21.g5! g6 In the aftermath we assess the
derivative:
[ a) 21...f5 22.xf5 xf5 23.xe3! xg5
24.xf4 xd5 25.xc4 , when Black must
cover his tender second rank with d7
and remains down a pawn. ]
[ b) 21...h6 22.xe3! hxg5 ( not 22...fxe3??
23.h7+ h8 24.xf8# ) 23.e5 g4 24.d6!
gxh3 25.e4! and Black remains under
strong pressure, despite his temporary extra
pawn. ]
22.xh7! The point. The crazed knight rushes
headlong into the attack. After this shot the
black king's shoulders sag in comprehension
of his own likely future defeat.
d8?!
[ He had to agree to the coming
unpleasantness obediently with 22...xh7
23.xe3! . ]
In the heat of battle, a good soldier may
master even horrific pain and shock of bodily
mutilation, and continue to fight, despite his
grievous wounds. Here, Black's nerves are
the first to fray. He spurns the poisoned offer
with a contemptuous snort. But it soon grows
evident that his last move merely degrades
his position further. Now his dream of a
successful counterattack diminishes and fades
even more rapidly. Black's forces abandon all
pretence of order as they gracelessly
scramble in retreat.
23.f6+? There exists no narcotic as sweet
as unforeseen success. White has everything
going for him and then gets overly cute. After
his mistaken move, the lustre of White's
advantage noticeably begins to dull.
[ Instead, after the simple 23.xg6
, he has every chance of winning. ]
23...g7 24.d6 White's clever but artificial
point – but Black can unravel and equalize.
e6
[ Most GMs are likely to avoid the
boneheaded trap 24...xd6?? 25.e8+ . ]
25.e4 f5 26.e2
[ 26.d1 e8! 27.d7 ed8 regains the lost
pawn. ]
26...d7! Exercising patience. White's far
advanced d-pawn isn't running away.
27.g4 e6?! Why get fancy when there is no
need?
[ The simple 27...xe4+ 28.xe4 b8
29.d1 e8 30.f3 ed8 31.g2 b6
did the job. White's d-pawn falls. ]
28.g5?! Counter-fancy. Sometimes I think
GMs' Achilles heel is the fact that they
possess too much talent, and therefore are
vulnerable to dubious ideas the rest of us
don't even see! When one lives in a world of
low-talent black and white absolutes (i.e. me),
devoid of greys and other colours, your
choices become easy!
[ 28.d1! is better, though even then it is
hard to believe White will extract the full
point. ]
28...d5+ 29.e4 xe4+ 30.xe4 e8
31.d2 b5 32.f3 xd6 33.f1 This was
White's idea. He hopes eventually to force a
winning rook or pawn ending. Black has
enough resources to remain alive.
d3 34.g2 g5 35.xe3 dxe3! 36.fxe3
fxe3 37.f3 White reflects on his labours with
only partial satisfaction, as his king stalks e3
doggedly.
h8! This move saves Black.
38.e4 SUMMARY: I'm not so confident that
Black fully equalizes after 8...Nxe5, and when
he does, he must go through a trial requiring
nearly perfect play for many moves. If you
know and understand this line well, my feeling
is that you may rack up a big plus score with it.
½-½
D05
Miltner,A
Appel,R
German League 2004
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6
[ A critical position from the Semi-Slav is
reached after 1...d5 2.c4 c6 3.f3 e6
4.e3 f6 5.c3 bd7 6.d3 dxc4
7.xc4 b5 .
This variation is played on both sides by
virtually all the top ten grandmasters in the
world. In this line of the Colle, we get
Black's side, but with the extra tempo ...
Bd6.
 EXERCISE (homework assignment): Study
this Semi-Slav position and I promise you,
with a written guarantee, that your
absorption of the Colle structure
automatically improves, and with it your
score over the board. ]
2.f3 e6 3.e3 d5 4.bd2 c5 5.c3 c6
6.d3 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.dxc5 xc5 9.b4
QUESTION: How does the pawn thrust benefit
White?
ANSWER: He gains useful queenside territory
and a tempo. Black must also be on the
lookout for b4-b5 later on. Essentially, we
reach a pure Semi-Slav position a full tempo
up. That is the good news.
QUESTION: Is there bad news?
ANSWER: Perhaps! Our extra tempo is Bd3,
which may be vulnerable to both ...e6-e5-e4
and ...Ng4-e5 tempo-gain ideas.
d6 10.b2 QUESTION: Is it better to play
Bb2 or a2-a3 first?
ANSWER: I haven't quite decided yet. Bb2
develops a piece, but a2-a3 stabilizes our b4-
pawn and prepares a quick c3-c4. Both are
playable, so it's a matter of taste. In this book
we cover Bb2 lines. My suggestion is that you
experiment with both, and go with the one
which scores higher for you.
[ The alternative is not to even bother with
Bb2 and just play 10.a3 . For example: e5
11.e4 g4 ( 11...a6?! is too slow for the
requirements of the position: after 12.c2
dxe4 13.xe4 xe4 14.xe4 h6 15.e1
f6 16.b2 g4 17.c4 , C.Lakdawala-C.
Van Buskirk, SCCF Championship, Los
Angeles 1999, White had a strong initiative
– which I bungled later on! ) 12.exd5 xd5
13.e4 ( 13.c2! is an improvement )
13...e7 14.b5!? ( or 14.h3 h5 15.g4!?
g6 16.b5 a5 17.xe5 xe4 18.xe4
xc3 19.xh7+ xh7 20.c2+ g8
21.xc3 , winning a pawn – which Black's
lead in development should compensate
for ) 14...a5 15.c4 f4 16.xf4 exf4
17.c2 xf3 18.gxf3 with a messy position,
E.Colle-M.Euwe, Zutphen (2nd matchgame)
1924. Colle went on to defeat the future
world champion from here (though he lost
the match 5-3). ]
10...e5 The most common response. Black
takes White up on the offer of grabbing
central control.
11.e4 Even in the b2-b4 lines, White
eventually plays e3-e4 at some point.
dxe4 QUESTION: Isn't it more logical for
Black to pin White's knight and retain the
central tension?
[ ANSWER: This is common, but White may
be able to pull off an edge after 11...g4
12.exd5 xd5 13.c4 c7 14.e4!
, A.Najjar-A.Kassis, Lebanon Championship,
Beirut 2001. It feels like Black falls under
the sway of central pressure, despite the
comps' assessment of even. Houdini
analysis runs f4 (one thing to note:
Black's knight has access to f4 once
White's bishop is developed to b2 – if you
don't like this, then go for the a2-a3 lines
over Bb2) 15.xd8 fxd8 16.xc6 bxc6
17.cxe5 xf3 18.xf3 d3 with some
compensation for the pawn. If given a choice,
I would still go with an extra pawn! ]
12.xe4 The game sharpens with an
imbalance: queenside versus kingside pawn
majorities.
xe4 13.xe4 f5?! QUESTION: Why a
dubious mark? It looks to me like Black is on
the cusp of seizing the initiative.
ANSWER: Sometimes in the heat of battle,
misplaced boldness gets the better of
cautious reason. This overly aggressive thrust
is a common mistake in the Colle, as Black
experiences difficulties maintaining his centre.
[ Next game we look at the more restrained
13...e6 . ]
14.d5+ h8 Now White proceeds with a
vigorous counterattack on Black's impressive-
looking centre.
15.b5! e7 16.c4! g6?!
[ 16...xd5 17.xd5 e4 is better, when
18.fd1! grabs the initiative. ]
17.h4! The hypermodern dream: destabilize
the opponent's centre from the wing. What
looks to be a random act of gratuitous
violence actually turns out to be the
instrument increasing Black's discomfort to
his strategic tethers.
xh4?! After this Black's universe is in flux,
where the laws of physics abruptly mutate for
his side only. The net effect of the move leads
to further deterioration of an already troubled
situation. I hate that feeling when your
confidence in a past crucial decision begins to
erode and you second-guess all your moves
from that point on. Probably Black already
regretted playing 16...Ng6?! and tried to
justify it. In such cases it's better to avoid
wasting energy on past decisions which are
already final, and instead expend effort on the
unwritten future, still a blank page which may
yet be moulded to your desires.
[ Here Black was forced to enter 17...e4
18.g5 (threat: Qh5) f4 19.h5 xg5
20.xg5 xg5 21.hxg5 f4 22.fd1
, when he has yet to equalize. ]
18.xe5 g5 19.f4! c5+ 20.d4 xd4+
21.xd4 As if by magic, Black is busted.
White's powerfully centralized forces rule.
f6 22.ad1 Black can barely move.
h6?! Black reels with a mistake in an already
awful position. Here arise the inevitable
consequences of past transgressions.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White can
take advantage of Black's offside h5-knight.
How?
23.fe1?!
[ ANSWER: White misses the devilishly
innocent 23.c5! , when Black has no good
response to the coming g2-g3. For example:
e6 24.xe6 xe6 25.g3 g6 26.d6
picks off the knight. ]
23...h7 24.a4
[ 24.c5 intending c5-c6 is also a thought. ]
24...e8 25.c5 b6? EXERCISE
(combination alert): White has no less than
two forcing sequences which win material.
26.f2!
[ ANSWER: This is one of them. He also
wins with 26.c6! e6 27.d7! xd7
28.xf6! and Black can resign. ]
26...b8 27.g3 The intrusive knight gets a
tutorial on the rules of etiquette and is
banished to the back of the line.
[ 27.c6! xe1+ 28.xe1! b7 29.e8!
is even more brutal. ]
27...g6 When my son Tim was two years old,
and another toddler attempted to take away
his toy at the park, his response was always
the same: "MINE!" In this instance, White
shares my son's anti-sharing sentiments, as
he hangs on to his own property – and even
ups it a notch – attempting to seize Black's
property himself, with ill-concealed
vehemence.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White to play
and win.
ANSWER: Double attack/zwischenzug.
28.f7! xe5 29.xg6+! The zwischenzug!
xg6 30.xe5 White is winning but must be
careful since his king remains insecure.
b7 31.d7 e4 32.ee7 The best way to
protect one's king is to tie the other side down
to his own!
g8 Black sings hymns of praise to glorify a
monarch he secretly lacks faith in. His rook is
a moody, sullen presence, like a teenage girl
forced to accompany her parents to church
when she would rather hang out at the mall
with her friends.
33.f1 h5 34.e1 h1+ 35.d2 b1
36.c3! Black simply lacks the fundamental
resources to hunt down White's king.
c1+ 37.b3 Zugzwang! Black has no
useful moves. The ominous sound of the
approaching white queen to b2 galvanizes
Black's defending attacker into a heightened
state of emergency, but to no avail.
c8 The rook, having made other plans,
abruptly abandons his own king, telling him
"good luck and Godspeed!" With this move
Black decides to write his own obituary and
eulogy, thus ensuring only nice things are
said about his king when he departs to the
hereafter.
[ 37...h8 38.b2 e3+ 39.c3
effectively ends the game. ]
38.xg7+ He lights the fuse and proceeds to
blow the king's cover to smithereens.
h8 39.h7+ g8 EXERCISE (combination
alert): White demands blood for past blood.
He mates in three moves.
ANSWER: The rook, believing himself
destined for greatness, forcefully rejects the
accusation of averageness by martyring
himself on h8.
40.h8+!
[ Mate follows with 40.h8+ xh8 41.d4+
g8 42.g7# .
SUMMARY: The 9 b4 line is simply a Semi-
Slav a full tempo up for White. ]
1-0
D05
Hillarp Persson,T
Karlsson,L
Swedish Championship, Gothenburg 2006
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 e6 2.f3 c5 3.e3 f6 4.d3 d5
5.0-0 c6 6.c3 d6 7.bd2 0-0 8.dxc5
xc5 9.b4 The odds are good and the goods
are odd! I have confidence in White's position,
despite its strange appearance.
d6 10.b2 e5 11.e4 dxe4 12.xe4
xe4 13.xe4 e6 14.e1 c8
[ 14...f6?! doesn't make much sense as
White has 15.c2 . I have grave doubts
about Black's compensation after f5
( while if 15...h8 , Ve.Markov-Ma.Savic,
 Yugoslav Team Championship 1999, then
16.ad1 looks good for White ) 16.xc6
bxc6 17.xe5 c7 18.f4 . ]
15.a3
[ QUESTION: Why can't White win a pawn
with the line 15.xc6 xc6 16.xe5 xe5
17.xe5 ?
ANSWER: He can, but this time Black's
superior opposite-coloured bishop and iron
blockade of c4 offer him full compensation
for the pawn. ]
15...h6 To free himself from Ng5 distractions.
16.e2 QUESTION: What is White's plan?
ANSWER: First and foremost, to activate his
majority by engineering the c3-c4 pawn break.
Secondly, to prevent Black from rolling his
own kingside pawn majority forward. In this
case, the Bxc6 followed by Nxe5 threat hangs
over Black to discourage ...f7-f5.
e8 17.ac1 c7 18.c4 Success!
1. White achieves his freeing move.
2. He regains territory he ceded to Black
earlier in the game.
3. Freedom tastes sweet for the b2-bishop
after a long incarceration within a sunless cell.
4. White stands better, due to the superior
pawn majority.
QUESTION: Why superior?
ANSWER: The key element of pawn majority
differentials is how quickly or slowly (or not at
all!) they move forward. In this case, White
already menaces c4-c5 and c4-b5, both
which undermine the e5-pawn. Meanwhile,
Black's majority remains in stasis.
d4!? Already a sign that Black may be in
some difficulty.
[ QUESTION: I don't really see an issue with
Black's e-pawn being weak. Can't he just
back it up with the simple 18...f6 ?
ANSWER: In doing so, he weakens all the
light squares around his king. White stands
clearly better after 19.c5 f8 20.h4!
, blockading f5, while also threatening to set
up a queen/bishop battery along the b1-h7
diagonal. ]
19.xd4 exd4 20.c5 f4 21.cd1 f5!?
In our own world we are always the star, even
if reality suggests otherwise. The f-pawn is
led forward by some inexplicable instinct,
similar to my dog Al, who mysteriously eats
mouthfuls of grass, only to barf ceremoniously
on the lawn moments later. It's hard to
criticize this loosening move, since his
position lacks better suggestions.
22.d3?!
[ 22.c2! d5 23.d3 xf3 24.xf3
is stronger, when Black suffers a clearly
inferior opposite-coloured bishop. ]
22...d5 23.xe8+ White still holds an edge
in the rooks versus queen situation.
xe8 24.xe8+ f7 25.de1 xf3!?
Possibly the start of a make-believe attack –
very tempting, but the opposite-coloured
bishops hurt Black much more than White. A
bruised, blackened banana may be sweeter
than the yellow one next to it, but this doesn't
mean I will pick the black one next time I am
hungry.
[ Perhaps he should refrain and play 25...g6
.]
26.gxf3 e3! Karlsson boldly refuses to
equivocate and proceeds in unvarnished
hostility with an interference bishop sac. In
effect he tries a desperado, offering White
quite a bit of material to deliver perpetual
check. The general gestalt from Black's side
has been one of unapologetic confrontation,
so it's understandable he rejects more
passive options.
[ 26...xh2+? 27.g2 leaves Black in a bad
way, since f4?? (everything else is busted
as well) 28.c4+ g6 29.1e7 wins the
queen. ]
27.h8 xf2+! The colonel takes inventory
and discovers one of the nukes is missing.
Two rooks and a bishop for a queen is quite a
bit to give away in Black's follow-up idea.
Nevertheless, this is still perhaps his best
practical chance. White must play carefully to
avoid perpetual check.
28.xf2 xh2+ 29.f1 h1+ 30.e2
g2+ 31.d1 xf3+ 32.c2 f2+ 33.e2
g1 34.xf5 a1 35.e6+ Thus far Black's
king existed in his colourless, safe, marginal
world. All he knew as normal is about to end.
g6 36.f8?! Letting Black back in the
game.
[ 36.d8! is more accurate. ]
36...c3+ 37.b1 d3+ 38.c2 d1+?
[ 38...xa3! is Black's best shot at perpetual
check: after 39.g2+ h5 40.g4+ h4
41.f3 xb4+ White's king continues to
send frantic dispatches for reinforcements
yet none have arrived so far. ]
39.b2 No more checks.
d3 Black's king squirms with frantic urgency,
like an eight-year-old trapped in the recesses
of a bear hug from a very large great aunt.
Now a final piece of bad luck neatly
summarizes the unfortunate king's eventful
life.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White to play
and force the win of Black's queen or deliver
checkmate.
ANSWER: 40.g2+ h5
[ Since 40...h5 41.f4! (the rooks
approach in stereo; the threat is Bf7+) g6
(Black finally decides to broach the
sensitive topic of his own king safety by
urgently attempting to stem the profusion of
light square leaks in his position) 42.g4+
wins the queen. A good fairy tale generally
ends with a kiss, but in this case the
princess on d1 doesn't appreciate it a bit.
SUMMARY: 10...e5 is Black's main line, yet
I have doubts about his ability to fully
equalize with it. ]
1-0
D05
Gausel,E
Gorecki,Z
Oslo 2002
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.f3 e6 3.e3 c5 4.d3 c6
5.c3 e7 6.bd2 d5 7.0-0 c7
Black puts an end to reversed Stonewall
ideas.
8.dxc5 xc5 9.b4 d6 10.b2 0-0
[ Or 10...d7 11.a3 g4 12.h3 ge5
13.e2 e7?! ( I still prefer White after the
superior 13...xf3+ 14.xf3 e5 15.c4!
xf3+ 16.xf3 dxc4 17.c1 , when Black
has fallen behind in development ) 14.c4!
xc4 15.xc4 dxc4 16.e4 f5 17.xg7!
with a clear advantage to White, R.Decroix-
M.Leconte, Paris 2000. ]
11.a3
[ White can also opt for the more vigorous
path to c3-c4; i.e. 11.b5 e5 12.xe5
xe5 13.f4 d6 14.c4 with an edge. ]
11...g4 QUESTION: Isn't Black supposed to
play for ...e6-e5?
ANSWER: In this case Black wants to occupy
e5 with a piece rather than a pawn. In doing
so he regains a tempo by attacking the d3-
bishop.
12.h3 ge5 13.xe5 xe5 14.e2
QUESTION: Why not to c2, where the bishop
aims at Black's king?
ANSWER: It is imperative for White to achieve
c3-c4. If he can manage the break, he usually
gets an edge.
QUESTION: Hasn't Black just gained a tempo
on White's bishop?
ANSWER: Not really. Keep in mind that Black
expended a lot of time to gain his tempo,
effectively negating his intended goal!
d8
[ 14...a5 is another idea. ]
15.b3 The fight for c4 continues.
d7 16.f4! Now c3-c4 will not be denied.
g6 After this White holds a clear advantage.
[ Instead, Houdini suggests the mysterious
pawn sac 16...c4!? 17.xc4 dxc4
18.xc4 xc4 19.xc4 a4 20.e2
claiming some compensation for Black. I
don't have much faith in alleged
compensation. ]
17.c4 The rebellious c-pawn, chaffing under
the yolk of Black's rigid, institutional authority
over the c4-square, breaks free and runs.
White's game comes alive after achieving his
thematic break.
f8 18.ac1 Matters grow more and more
awkward for Black, whose queen squirms
uncomfortably on c7.
b6? Black gets cute, but his idea just doesn't
work.
[ He had to suck it up with the admittedly
wretched-looking 18...d6 . ]
19.cxd5 d6 My yoga friend Cathy and I
have know each other for years, yet for some
reason she is convinced my name is Simon.
Also, she isn't quite sure of my name, so she
always calls me "Sim...ugh", hesitating with
and muttering the latter part of my not-name.
So a few weeks ago I finally overcame
embarrassment and told her my name was
actually "Cyrus", not "Simon". Two days later,
next class: I heard behind me: "Good morning
Sim...ugh!" "How are you today Cathy?" I
replied, a broken man, exhaling a weary sigh.
Moral: some problems are just best left
unfixed.
EXERCISE (combination alert): In this
position Black believes he will fix all his
problems and soon regain his pawn. Does he?
ANSWER: He doesn't.
20.c4! e7
[ 20...xd5 drops an exchange to 21.f3
. Instead, Black's queen moves shyly away
from the white knight's amorous stare,
reminding me that all the girls I chased in
high school were, to my deep chagrin, firmly
in the depressing category of not-my-
girlfriend. ]
[ EXERCISE (planning): After 20...e7
 White has a path to a winning attack. Would 40.c1 xc1 41.f7+ g7 42.g5+ h6
you push your d-pawn to d6 or exchange on 43.xh7+ xg5 44.h5# . ]
e6? One of them is clearly superior to the Step 2: Strike at the heart of Black's weakest
other. ] point: f6.
21.d6?! White still retains the advantage after 37.xf6+! xf6 38.e8+!
this move but my old internet buddy, GM Step 3: Discovered attack. Black's queen
Einar Gausel, missed an opportunity to push catches the censorious gaze of three white
his opponent off the board: pieces. One can only look away pityingly upon
[ ANSWER: 21.dxe6! xe6 ( 21...fxe6 22.f5 the black royalty's Hobbesian travails, as they
h8 (I'm not so confident of the net worth of limp forward, living day to day.
Black's quasi-knight, always looking for a SUMMARY: I don't believe Black equalizes
handout, never working his fair share) easily with the ...Ng4-e5 plan. It gains a
23.e5 leaves Black completely busted ) tempo on White's d3-bishop, but paradoxically,
22.f5 xc4 23.xc4! (preventing Black's eats up a lot of time doing so, thus negating
knight from going to e5) h8 (this poor, the intended effect.
quarantined knight remains in his hospital 1-0
room, his degenerative metamorphosis and
desiccation of power resembling the grape's
transformation to a raisin) 24.f6 is utter
destruction. ]
21...e8 22.e4 b5 23.a5 xd6 24.g3
White still holds an advantage with rolling
kingside pawns and better posted pieces.
dc8 25.h4 White hopes to use his h-pawn
as a battering ram to disrupt the black king's
pawn cover.
c7 26.h5 b6+ 27.h2 e7 28.h6 f6
29.hxg7 xg7 30.b7 Eyeing d6.
g6 31.d6 xc1 32.xc1 a6 33.g2
g8 34.f3 c6?
[ Black should play 34...f8 when his king
remains mad King Lear on the heath, hoping
to outrun his own tormented mind. ]
35.f5! Fingers of dread push their way slowly
into the black king's chest. The ruthless,
insincere f-pawn attempts to soothe the
hungry mob of black defenders, nodding
amicably, and telling them he sympathizes
and understands their concerns, all the while
plotting to tax and starve them further. Both
sides hope to attack, but White wins the race
by a luxurious margin.
exf5 EXERCISE (combination alert): Obama
has a way of outflanking his political
opponents by out-cooling and out-hipping
them. In a similar way, work out a path for
White to overcome Black's defences.
ANSWER: Step 1: Remove Black's best
piece.
36.xc6! The execution and logistics of such
a multi-tiered endeavour come across as far-
fetched, but Gausel manages to pull it off.
fxe4
[ 36...xc6 37.exf5 g5 38.xc6 d2
39.d7+ mates in seven moves; e.g. h6
Chapter Two

Lines with ...Nbd7

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 e6 4 Bd3 c5 5 c3 Nbd7 6 Nbd2 Bd6 7 0-0 0-0

We arrive at the other major branch of the Colle. From my experience, I have found that most higher-rated and titled
players prefer this particular set-up for Black. Rather than head for the more natural and central c6-square, Black's
knight instead creeps forward on tippy-toes, in Elmer Fudd, cartoon hunter style, dragging its feet with perverse,
infuriating caution.
The idea behind the move: a knight posted on d7 discourages White's automatic d4xc5 plan, since the recapture
...Nxc5 gains a tempo on our d3-bishop. Black often interprets the odd d7 posting as a flippant evasion, designed to
mess up the Colle side. But embedded within the shifting transition, also lies opportunity (for us!). Our solution: we
abandon the d4xc5, Chapter One plan, change gears and play for Re1 and e3-e4! - in which case, Black's knight,
exerting no central pressure on its current passive square, wishes it were on c6. I have found that equalizing with
Black in this line is not such a trivially easy
process as many believe, and White often retains pressure and attacking chances, well into the middlegame.
Lakdawala-Comp Stockfish
Hansen-Vescovi
Goodman-Conde Poderoso
Lakdawala-Griffith
Colle-O'Hanlon
Colle-Thomas
Colle-Duchamp
Kukov-Enchev
Lakdawala-Akobian
Lakdawala-Maki (Commerce 1998)

Index

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 e6 4 Bd3 c5 5 c3 Nbd7

5...b6 6 Nbd2 Be7 7 0-0 Bb7 – Lakdawala-Maki (Commerce 1998)
6 Nbd2 Bd6 7 0-0 0-0 8 Re1
8 e4 – Lakdawala-Comp Stockfish
8...Qc7
8...Re8 – Colle-O'Hanlon
8...e5 9 e4 dxe4 10 Nxe4 Nxe4 11 Bxe4 exd4 12 cxd4
12...cxd4 – Colle-Thomas
12...Nf6 – Colle-Duchamp
12...h6 – Kukov-Enchev
8...b6 – Lakdawala-Akobian
9 e4 cxd4
9...dxe4 – Lakdawala-Griffith
10 cxd4 dxe4 11 Nxe4 Nxe4 12 Rxe4
12...b6 – Hansen-Vescovi
12...Nb6 – Goodman-Conde Poderoso
 D05
Lakdawala,C
Comp Stockfish
San Diego (rapid) 2012
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
QUESTION: How did you end up playing a
computer in a rapid event?
ANSWER: Black was a student who, for years
and years, hovered around the 1400 rating
level. Then, as if magically touched by the
hand of an unseen chess god, he started
annihilating everyone – and I mean everyone!
Masters' positions folded into pretzels, like
yoga teachers, while experts and below were
beneath contempt and pummelled into
chutney. In just three short months, his rating
soared, surging from 1400 to around 2100
(and still climbing fast!). When he showed me
his wins against masters, we would reach
positions where he casually left multiple
pieces en prise, only to confidently force mate
12 moves later. I, of course, naively
misinterpreted his remarkable ascendancy as
undeniable confirmation of my own gifted,
extraordinary teaching ability!
Unfortunately this wasn't quite the case. The
reality: my student turned out to be sort of a
chess super-villain, who ingeniously managed
to set up the 3000+ rated Stockfish computer
into, of all things, his shoe! Eventually he got
caught (by those less naive than your writer),
busted and banned from play by the Feds, the
U.S. Chess Federation. I must have been born
under a lucky star to have escaped the net of
his evil clutches. It is in the nature of
understatement that I declare to you that the
biblical Job's ordeal was a pleasant Sunday
stroll in the park when juxtaposed with mine in
this game!
1.f3 c5 2.c3 Yes, your 2572-rated writer
trembled like a little girl at a Justin Bieber
concert, in the presence of his super (villain)
1400/3000-rated student and went into super-
chicken (aka solid) mode with the Colle!
f6 3.d4 e6 4.e3 d5 5.bd2 bd7
In this chapter we examine the development
of Black's knight on d7 rather than on the
traditional c6-square.
QUESTION: What are the differences?
ANSWER: The key difference is White isn't
so inclined to play d4xc5 since recapture with
his knight, ...Nxc5!, gains a tempo on our d3-
bishop, and also clamps down on our e3-e4
break.
6.d3 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.e4!? Opening the
position against a comp is akin to suicide,
given that it calculates 24-ply per move and
butchers masters the way a cruel warlord
orders the village and all its inhabitants
burned alive! The problem was I didn't realize
I was playing a comp!
[ In the next eight games we look at the
superior 8.e1 . ]
8...dxe4 9.xe4 xe4 10.xe4 c7
11.g5 h6! 12.e3
[ I originally intended the shady 12.h4?! f5
13.c2 g5 14.g3 f4 15.xg5 hxg5
16.h5 , until I saw f6! 17.xg5+ g7
and realized Black stood clearly better after
18.xf4 xf4 19.xf4 d5 20.h4 cxd4
21.cxd4 d7 , when White has no trace of
an attack and his pawns fail to compensate
for the missing piece. ]
12...d8 13.e2 b8! Black equalizes
without breaking a sweat. He plans ...b7-b6
and ...Bb7, completing his development.
14.fd1?! The wrong rook as it turns out. I
believe it was Bent Larsen who said,
whichever rook you pick, that one will be the
wrong one! And he was right! The most
natural placement for White's rooks here is the
e- and d-files.
b6 15.h3 f6 16.dxc5?!
[ 16.c2 b7 is still about equal, but
somehow I still prefer Black, whose position
swims with the promise of future menace
toward my king. ]
16...bxc5! I totally underestimated this
recapture. Now Black begins to take over the
initiative.
QUESTION: What about the fact that Black
willingly took on a pair of isolanis and also lost
control over the c4-square?
ANSWER: Offering a starving, destitute
person (me!) a 10% off coupon to an
expensive restaurant doesn't really constitute
a large-hearted gesture of generosity. Rare is
the game where one side gets its way without
resistance. Normally, a game is won by
agreeing to compromises just slightly in our
favour. Black does just that. His accelerated
piece activity, initiative and future attack more
than make up for the minor structural
concessions.
17.d3? Now my position goes downhill fast.
[ I forgot I could play 17.c2 d5 18.ab1
b7 19.c1 , when White only stands
slightly worse. ]
17...e5! Threatening to fork. A wild animal's
mind and senses are acutely attuned to any
unnatural motion around them – in the same
way I now began to sense very real danger.
Black knits conflicting ideas into a single
fabric, as his initiative/attack, once just a
flicker, soon surges forward, taking on a life of
its own.
18.c4 e4 19.e1 Oh merciful Caissa, save
me, a poor miserable wretch of a sinner, and
comfort me through this anguished trial of my
faith in you! What is happening? All my pieces,
having magically been coerced, are relocated
to ridiculous squares. Various components of
White's machinery sustain damage by
corrosion and lack of use.
EXERCISE (planning): Come up with a plan
for Black where he whips up a strong attack.
ANSWER: Black's plan is straightforward,
unadorned and highly effective. White's woes
are the sorry by-product of the following
circumstances...
Step 1: Transfer the queen to view e5.
e7! 20.d2 g5! Black applies doses of the
lash uniformly to White's back and the sand-
castle defences are washed aside by a giant
wave. White's distracted king's guard natter on
as their charge falls under the sway of Black's
coming attack, while the king himself is too
depressed to move out of the way.
[ Step 2: Avoid White's positional cheapo. I
naively expected 20...e5? and planned
the interference move 21.f4! . Black's
excellent last move is designed to prevent
just that. Gulp! Now he threatens ...Qe5,
forcing g2-g3, and then ...Bxh3, winning.
White's squirming king must live out his
days under the tyrannical sway of the queen/
bishop battery aimed at h2. My pathetic next
move is forced. ]
21.f1 To run for one's life generally entails a
drastic diminution of self-esteem as well. My
queen veers to avoid the coming collision.
xb2?? The arsonist puts on a dazzling
display of pyrotechnic wonder. Oh glory be!
Praise Caissa!
QUESTION: How on earth did a 3000+ rated
comp hang a rook for nothing!?
[ ANSWER: It was a shoe transmission error!
The comp probably gave the line 21...h2+!!
(the bishop greets White king with a
ceremonial bow, the fingers of his left hand
sweeping the floor) 22.xh2 xd2 23.xd2
d6+ with a strong initiative for Black. ]
22.xb2 The triumph of righteousness over
super-villainism! Taking the free rook was my
only good move of the game! Once again the
sky shines azure blue and the birds sing their
sweet melodies. All of creation is once again
in accord and balance is restored in the
cosmos.
QUESTION: Is it possible to attain entry to
heaven without deserving it? I am beginning
to suspect that you may be the luckiest player
ever to walk the face of the earth! To what
skill on your part do you attribute your victory?
ANSWER: Good karma! Kim Kardashian is
attractive, rich and famous without having
achieved a single notable accomplishment in
her life. Sometimes to be the recipient of a
gift from the universe is good enough!
SUMMARY: 8 e4 gives White nothing. Better
to stick with 8 Re1, which we examine in
great detail in this chapter.
1-0
D05
Hansen,LB
Vescovi,G
Copenhagen 1995
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 c5 QUESTION: Does this move order
change anything for us?
ANSWER: No change for us.
2.e3
[ I normally prefer to enter Colle via the move
order 2.c3 , when cxd4 3.cxd4 d5
transposes to the Exchange Slav covered in
Chapter Seven. ]
2...f6 3.f3 e6
[ Here 3...cxd4 4.exd4 d5 is the Exchange
Caro-Kann (or reversed Queen's Gambit
Declined), also covered in Chapter Seven ]
4.d3 d5 5.0-0 As I mentioned last chapter,
this move order, although common, is
probably not White's best.
[ I would play 5.c3 , ]
[ or else 5.b3 (to prevent Black from playing
5...c4!). ]
5...bd7 6.c3 d6 7.bd2 0-0
[ C.Lakdawala-R.Dzindzichashvili, Internet
(blitz) 2005, saw 7...e7?! (Black's queen is
misplaced on the e-file) 8.e1! 0-0 9.e2
( the direct 9.e4! is most thematic ) 9...h6?!
( 9...e5! should equalize ) 10.e4 dxe4
11.xe4 xe4 12.xe4 f6 13.h4
(White has a dangerous attack brewing and
an enticing target on h6) cxd4 14.xh6!
gxh6 ( 14...dxc3? fails to 15.g5! ) 15.xh6
 d7 16.g5 f4 17.e4! e5 18.ae1
d6 19.cxd4 exd4 20.g3 d2 21.h4
1-0. Compare this to Hansen's attack in the
main game. ]
8.e1 QUESTION: What is the point behind
White's move?
ANSWER: GM Aaron Summerscale explains:
"An important prelude to e3-e4, allowing the
rook to join the attack when the centre opens."
c7
[ Later in the chapter we look at 8...e8 , ]
[ 8...e5 , ]
[ and 8...b6 . ]
9.e4 As mentioned earlier, when facing ...
Nbd7 lines, White must forego d4xc5 since ...
Nxc5 picks up a tempo for Black.
cxd4
[ 9...dxe4 10.xe4 xe4 11.xe4
would most likely transpose, or at any rate
is very similar to the game, since Black's
refusal to toss in ...c5xd4 doesn't really
alter much. We examine this position in
Lakdawala-Griffith later on. ]
10.cxd4 dxe4 11.xe4 White achieves a
rather ominous-looking isolani position, since
Black's queen and bishop don't mesh well
against the isolani where they stand.
QUESTION: What if I don't want to take on an
isolani?
ANSWER: You would be well advised to do so,
especially if it is a good version, as in this
case. Look at Lakdawala-Maki, the final game
of this chapter, to see how to avoid isolani.
xe4 Summerscale comments: "A
questionable move, inviting White's rook to
attack. Maybe Black should consider
relinquishing the bishop pair with ...Nd5."
12.xe4! White's rook reaches for h4 and
glory. I like this bold recapture, which airlifts
the rook into the attack.
QUESTION: I have read that you shouldn't
bring the rook out in a crowded middlegame
position. Is White's move sound?
ANSWER: Absolutely. I admit that the rook lift,
on outer appearance, seems to sin against his
own survival, yet this is an exception to the
normal rule.
b6 Preparing to develop his final minor piece.
[ QUESTION: Why not 12...f6 to feed his
kingside with a defender?
ANSWER: White gets a powerful attack
anyway after 13.h4 g6 14.h6 e8
15.c1 b6 16.e5 , flooding the kingside
with attackers. ]
13.e2 b7 14.h4! Forcing a breach in
Black's king's guard. The rook refuses to
come to heel and return to his previous
subordinate station. He diligently applies
himself to the highest degree to the fruition of
his psychotic (yet efficient!) dream.
g6
[ 14...h6?? allows the no-brainer sac
15.xh6! with a winning attack. Compare my
game against GM Dzindzichashvili in the
notes above. ]
15.d2! Tentatively, the meek bishop tiptoes
forward just one square, as his comrades yell
their reassurances from the front line,
encouraging him forward.
QUESTION: Why not to h6, in order to
develop with tempo?
ANSWER: Hansen's move is more subtle and
stronger. He leaves h6 vacant, planning Qe3!
and Qh6.
ac8 16.e3 Hungrily eyeing the h6-square.
fd8?
[ Black should go for something like 16...xf3
to remove an attacker. Instead, he steels
himself to the incoming wave – but the
efficacy of his last move remains in doubt,
since he organizes a greeting party of
rabbits to face down the visiting wolf pack.
White now has a shot which sends Black's
defences scattering in the four cardinal
directions like dandelion fluff on a windy day.
The g6-square is crusted thickly by ancient,
psychic scars. Black's kingside, now
reduced to a dank tumble of noxious weeds,
finds itself sorely in need of a clipping from
the gardener. After this the black king's life
is destined to be radically altered, and with
cataclysmic abruptness. ]
17.xg6!! In a ghastly breach of court
etiquette, the jovial bishop slaps Black's
oversensitive king warmly on the back, as the
horrified onlookers and hangers on become
aware of the tactlessness of the gesture. Now
the defensive barrier evaporates into a
lifeless hulk, an empty vessel.
fxg6
[ 17...hxg6 walks into a forced mate after
18.h6 . ]
18.xe6+ g7 Black's king puts aside
reproaches and goes about the undignified
task of running like the wind. Our work isn't
finished.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black's
position seethes in destruction and flame.
White to play and force mate.
ANSWER: 19.xh7+! Black's garden of
otherwise entrancing beauty is somewhat
diminished by the sight of a bloated corpse
floating face down in the fountain.
[ 19.xh7+! xh7 (the king accepts the bad
news with inward perplexity and doubt)
20.g5+ h6 (the amnesia victim,
confused and de-personified, searches for
himself along the h-file) 21.h3+
(the fallow kingside remains a wasteland,
populated only by the anguished wretch on
h6) g7 22.h7+ f6 (Black's king toasts
his own past glories, realizing that there will
soon be no future at all for him) 23.f7#
is mate.
SUMMARY: White's only real chance of
gaining an advantage is to take on an
isolani against the ...Nbd7 lines. Also,
don't discount a rook recapture on e4 if you
can get away with it. ]
1-0
D05
Goodman,C
Conde Poderoso,J
Correspondence 1999
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 e6 2.f3 f6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 d5 5.d3
bd7 6.bd2 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.e1 c7
9.e4 cxd4 10.cxd4 dxe4 11.xe4 xe4
12.xe4! "Same as it ever was."
b6 Black goes for a direct blockade on d5.
13.h4! Which leaves Black's king without
defenders.
h6 White's forces murmur among themselves,
pausing occasionally to give the opposing
king dark looks.
EXERCISE (critical decision): Should White
go for it and sac a bishop on h6? Analyze a
concrete line, rather than just playing by
intuition.
QUESTION: What would you suggest for
Black as an alternative defence?
ANSWER: I have found that a timely ...f7-f5
does wonders at subduing such isolani
attacks.
QUESTION: What is the down side of ...f7-f5?
ANSWER: The move doesn't come without
cost. Black essentially makes a serious
strategic concession, a self-inflicted gash on
e5 and a weakened e6-pawn in exchange for
increased king safety.
14.e5
[ ANSWER to Exercise: War is all about the
transfer and deliverance of energy, from
point A to point B, specifically designed to
inflict harm, be it rocks, spears, swords,
crossbow arrows, bullets, chemical weapons
or nuclear warheads. The difference is
simply degree. In this case, White refuses
to launch and incorrectly avoids delivery,
the mechanism which may have finished his
opponent off, even though Black's last move
is just asking for it.
The immediate sac on h6 looks promising; e.
g. 14.xh6! (a sniper picks off the sentinel
on h6) gxh6 15.xh6 f5 16.g5 g7
17.h5 f6 18.h7 g6 19.h4 d7
20.e1 c8 21.e2! , threatening Bh5!,
and Black won't survive for long. ]
14...xe5?! Black grows weary of the futile,
irksome haggling. Clearly there can be no
common ground with an opponent staunchly
dedicated to your annihilation. So Black
reasons: Annihilate him first. But this is not
the correct path to the goal.
[ He should defend with 14...f5! 15.h5
xe5 16.dxe5 d5 when, admittedly,
White's position still looks promising, but
not quite so much as in the game. ]
15.dxe5 xe5 16.xh6! The bishop renews
his sacred vow to hunt down the enemy
monarch and bring him to justice.
f5 This move arrives too late. Black's king
remains unintimidated by what he feels is a
chest-beating, empty gesture from the bishop.
[ After 16...gxh6 17.g4+ h8 18.d2
h5 19.e2! Black has no good defence to
the rook discovery on g8. Meanwhile, the
black king's despairing wish is simply to be
left alone. ]
17.h5! The indignant headmistress hushes
everyone, demanding decorum and obedience.
d7 QUESTION: Why can't Black accept the
rook?
[ ANSWER: White has the clever
17...gxh6?? 18.g4+! , winning Black's
queen. ]
18.g5 f6 19.xf6 The bishop finds the
hounding knight tedious company and seeks
graceful departure.
xf6 20.g4! Nice. Another attacker joins the
fray, as White threatens g4-g5-g6, sealing
Black's king in.
h6! Finally, Black realizes the danger and
takes evasive action. The simple self-
preservatory instinct accomplishes the goal
where earlier hints, suggestions and throat-
clearing failed miserably. At the bargain price
of one pawn, Black finally rids himself of a
tormenting attacker who bedevils his king.
21.xh6 gxh6 22.xh6 fxg4 23.g6+
[ Houdini likes this move; whereas I would
probably add another attacker with 23.c1!?
.]
23...f7 24.xg4 White's earlier attack netted
him a pawn in the endgame.
d7 25.e4! Before Black's bishop reaches
its optimum post on c6.
fd8 26.b3 Threatening Bxb7.
c6? This move only sets the stage for a
dismal aftermath. The overconfident bishop
attempts to mask his irritation with an
insincere smile, unwisely sliding to c6 to
challenge his more skilled counterpart leader
to ritual combat.
QUESTION: Why give Black a dubious mark
for his last move. I thought the defender's
chances of success increased in a pure
double rook ending – correct?
ANSWER: Correct, but not here. Black paid a
heavy price for the bishop swap: all his pawns
now degrade into target isolanis. Soon the
wretchedness of his position exceeds his
most pessimistic projections.
27.xc6 bxc6 28.a4 d2 29.c1 d6
30.a6 Unequal distribution of wealth in
society may result in a large segment of the
population facing starvation, even when
surrounded by lavish bounty. A second pawn
falls and the rest is easy.
f6 31.cxc6 xc6 32.xc6 g8+
An empty gesture.
33.f1 g6 34.c7 h6 35.xa7 xh2
36.a4 h4 37.b7 h1+ 38.e2 e5
39.a5 d5 40.b5+ c6 41.b6+ d5
42.b4 a1 43.a6 The pawns continue to
labour at their rook's behest, as Black's
ineffective king and rook wear grotesque
masks, caricatures of their former selves.
c4 44.b5 a2+ 45.f3 e5 46.b7 d5
SUMMARY: If you can induce ...h7-h6 at any
point in such positions, a bishop sac on that
square usually hands White a promising
attack.
1-0
D05
Lakdawala,C
Griffith,K
San Diego (rapid) 2012
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.d2 d5 3.e3 e6 4.gf3 bd7
5.d3 c5 6.c3 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.e1 c7
9.e4 dxe4 10.xe4 xe4 11.xe4! e5?
Natural, but incorrect.
QUESTION: Why? Black very sensibly
engages in a central counter to your coming
wing attack.
ANSWER: He may be following principle but
the math must back it up. In this case his
counter is mistimed. Let's do an exercise:
EXERCISE (critical decision): I considered 12
dxe5 and 12 Rh4 here. Both lead to
superiority, but only one of them wins. Can
you do better than I did and find the correct
path? Back up your choice with concrete
variations.
12.h4?! The newly-opened highway on the
h-file is the prism through which the rook eyes
the enemy monarch. King Croesus lived at
ease, in sumptuous wealth and power, until
the army of Cyrus the Great overran his cities
and put all that Croesus cherished to the
flame. Unfortunately, your writer, Cyrus the
Barely Adequate, failed miserably to repeat
my namesake's victory.
[ ANSWER: 12.dxe5! xe5 ( or 12...xe5
13.xe5 xe5 14.f4 f6 15.h5 f7
16.xf7+ xf7 17.e7 and White
dominates the ending with bishop pair,
development lead and rook on the seventh
rank ) 13.xe5 xe5 14.h5 d6
( actually, I didn't take 14...Qd6 into account
in my analysis at the board and only looked
at 14...f5 15.c4+ h8 16.h4 g6
17.xg6 , which is totally hopeless as well )
15.e3 f5 16.c4+ h8 17.h3 h6
18.g5 d7 ( or 18...f4 19.e1 xg5
20.xg5 and there is no reasonable
defence to the coming Re7 ) 19.xh6!
(White explodes on h6 with a cudgel and
the kingside lies defoliated) gxh6 20.d1
c6 21.b5! , when Black's queen wobbles
and gyrates, like a drunk who just got
ejected from the bar for unruly behaviour.
Meanwhile, the black king's guillotined head,
though separated from his body, silently
mouths words, as if to impart one final
message of defiance.
QUESTION: Are you saying you saw up to
 17 Qxg6 after 14...f5 and rejected this line?
ANSWER: I realize that my decision is one
only a qualified psychiatrist can answer, but
yes. I can only tell you that I had some
hallucination in the variation I played and
mistakenly thought it was even more
crushing. ]
12...g6
[ QUESTION: Can he go for a more
aggressive defence with 12...f5 ?
ANSWER: I was praying for that move!
Black gets clobbered after 13.c4+ h8
14.xe5! (threatening Ng6 mate) xe5
15.xh7+! xh7 16.h5# . ]
13.d2?! At the board I thought this won by
force. However, the dubious move issues a
challenge to impossibility itself and soon my
much anticipated victory celebration gets put
on hold. This move has the smell of an
incorrect plan, like rotting fish washed ashore.
White's energy and fury pitches right, in the
direction of the aft cabin, seeing this is the
room where Black's king hides. My delusional
queen looks down on her would-be foe on g8
with the amused, brash condescension of one
who (mistakenly!) believes her own power to
be greater than her opponent's. All the good
fortune the world contains spreads before
White – or so he believes. Despite all the
proper causes and conditions – good soil,
abundant sunshine and rainfall – inexplicably,
the seeds to White's attack fail to take root
due to the fumblings of an incompetent
gardener. In short: another bad decision.
QUESTION: Why a bad decision? You
attacked exactly as Hansen did earlier in the
chapter.
ANSWER: Yes, but the gigantic difference
being, it worked in Hansen's game; it doesn't
in mine!
[ I should have gone for 13.h6! (suggested
by my opponent after the game) e8
14.g5 e7 ( 14...exd4?? 15.f3 e7
16.c4 wins on the spot ) 15.f3! f8
( 15...xg5 16.xg5 exd4 17.xh7
also wins ) 16.e1 , when Black remains
under tremendous pressure. ]
[ QUESTION: Isn't 13.g5 powerful?
ANSWER: I didn't see anything special for
White after the simple e7 14.d5
, though Houdini claims a tiny edge for
White here. ]
13...e7! Oh, the undiluted joy derived in
thwarting an opponent's hopes. Undaunted by
his dilapidated dark square barrier, Black's
defenders seep through, infesting like fast
breeding rats. His ability to survive his
currently opaque future rests in his ability (or
disability!) to deal with the coming assault.
Dang, I forgot about this move. Now my rook
looks awkward on h4. Immediately after my
supposed triumph follows disillusionment, as
Black slowly collects the threads of his porous
position.
14.g5 White's disembodied attackers float
like ghosts in the ether.
[ After the game IM Dionisio Aldama
suggested 14.h6 , when he felt White had
a winning attack. However, Houdini only
sees a draw after cxd4 15.cxd4 exd4
16.xh7 xh7 17.h6+ g8 18.xg6
f6 19.g5 fxg6 20.xg6+ h8 21.h6+
.]
14...exd4 15.xh7?! When logic collapses,
we may as well turn to and inject divination
and shamanism in the hopes of creating
dissonance and rescue. Black's fortress
shudders spasmodically from the blow, yet
remains intact. Black's king, a humble man
unaccustomed to high living, suddenly
receives an unexpected bounty. My rook,
having gone mad, finds itself insensate to pain
of any kind.
[ Instead, after the correct 15.cxd4
, Houdini assesses the position as equal. ]
15...xg5?!
[ Forcing the draw, but he had better:
15...e5! 16.h6 g4 17.h4 , which I
saw at the board but missed e3!
, when White is in deep trouble. ]
16.xg5 xh7 17.xg6+ The bishop greets
the king with a coldly curt nod of his head and
a dour glance. I accepted the reversal of
fortune with stoic fortitude, rationalizing it as
an expiation of past sins.
[ 17.xg6+ fxg6 18.h6+ g8 19.xg6+
is perpetual check.
SUMMARY: 11...e5? simply fails. But
whatever you do, please don't follow up the
way I did! ]
½-½
 D05
Colle,E
O'Hanlon,J
Nice 1930
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 d5 2.f3 f6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 e6 5.d3
d6 6.bd2 bd7 7.0-0 0-0 8.e1 e8
Imitation: the sincerest form of flattery. An
early ...Re8 can be quite useful to Black since
it allows him ...Nf8 defensive options.
QUESTION: It looks like both sides prepare
their respective e-pawn freeing breaks. Will
there be mass exchanges once the game
opens in the middle?
ANSWER: Usually there are multiple
exchanges from the central scramble. I feel
White still holds the edge for one simple
reason: it is his turn first!
9.e4 dxe4
[ We can only dream our opponents will
speculate with the unsound sac 9...cxd4?
10.e5 dxc3 11.bxc3 xe5 12.xe5 c7
13.df3 xc3 14.d2 , S.Limberg-K.Fels,
Schwäbisch Gmünd 2006, when Black lags
massively in development and doesn't get
anywhere near full compensation for the
piece. Compare this to Lakdawala-Lawrence
from the previous chapter. ]
10.xe4 xe4 Otherwise, Black would either
lose a tempo with his d6-bishop or lose the
bishop pair.
11.xe4
[ QUESTION: I realize this position isn't
exactly the same as when White recaptured
on e4 with his rook earlier in the chapter,
since Black hasn't yet committed to giving
White an isolani. But can 11.xe4
still be played here?
ANSWER: I don't see why not. In fact, that
is exactly how I would play it for White. For
example: c7 ( after 11...f6?! 12.h4
White attained his company-issued attack,
S.Niehaus-U.Bierbach, Dortmund 1992 )
12.h4 h6! , when I'm not sure about the
sac on h6, since 13.xh6!? gxh6 14.xh6
f4 15.h4 f5 looks unclear. ]
11...cxd4 12.xh7+!? Do you remember the
psychotic Glenn Close character in 'Fatal
Attraction'? She butchered Michael Douglas'
family pet rabbit and then made a soup of it!
Well, this is White's boil-the-bunny moment.
The ambitious archbishop, in a vulgar power
grab, sentences the black king to penance
upon threat of excommunication, mopping the
floors and cleaning the toilets in the palace.
Colle, after analyzing the test samples and
crunching the variables, decides to speculate
and plunge in with a sac. A calmer spirit like
me would probably just recapture on d4.
QUESTION: Shouldn't White's last move just
be given an exclamation mark? It looks like a
simple, straightforward and sound Greek gift
sac.
ANSWER: It isn't as simple as it appears.
White's hot-headed move isn't actually as
strong as it is dangerous. It offers White
practical chances, since it compels Black to
find "only moves". If you begin with a
straightforward plan and then continue to add
and subtract variables, I guarantee you the
plan no longer appears either simple or
straightforward.
QUESTION: Which way would you recapture?
ANSWER: All three recaptures look okay. I
would take back with the queen. The position
resembles a slightly favourable c3-Sicilian set-
up for White.
xh7 13.g5+ EXERCISE (critical
decision): The crow eyes the worm on h7 with
hungry expectancy. Which way should Black's
king go? Up or down?
g6?
[ ANSWER: The wrong direction. Normally
after a Greek gift sac the king must indeed
emerge on g6, but not here. The normal flow
feels upside down, the way an astronomer
sleeps during the day, to study the stars at
night. Retreat yields Black a perfectly
playable ending.
QUESTION: Ending?
ANSWER: Yes, that's correct. I said
"ending"! Watch. If Black understood the
true nature of the position he would sense
an ill wind on g6 and instead prepare for the
coming storm with a retreat: 13...g8!
14.h5 f6! (the black king is enfolded in
the safety of his mother's arms) 15.h7+
f8 16.e4 e5 17.cxd4! and now Black
should fight greedy urges and return the
material to enter an equal ending after
xh2+! ( 17...xd4?? 18.h8+ e7
19.g5+ f6 20.xg7+ is curtains for Black )
18.xh2 xh2+ 19.xh2 , when White's
extra activity makes up for his isolani. ]
14.h4! With a horrific threat to continue
advancing to h5. Dark shadows of the coming
attack flicker and swirl around Black's king.
h8
[ After 14...f5 15.h5+ f6 16.xd4+ e5
 17.h4! White has a decisive attack. ]
[ EXERCISE (combination alert): With his
next move, Colle ignited yet another mind
bomb. What do you think he played after
14...h8 ? ]
ANSWER: Incinerate e6 like piled up trash.
Sometimes a stricken look can impart more
than any words have the power to describe. If
I had a time machine, I would love to go back
to 1930 to be a spectator to this game and
observe Black's expression right here.
15.xe6+!! f6
[ The rook is immune due to 15...fxe6
16.d3+ f6 17.f3+ g6 18.f7+ h6
19.xe6+ h7 20.xg7# . ]
16.h5+! h6 Some people never know when
to resign! One senses a feeling of past-ness –
that an opportunity which once existed is now
gone, never to return. Black's king angles this
way and that in an effort to disentangle
himself from the web of his own making.
[ Instead, 16...xh5 17.d3+ h6
18.xf7# is a brutal mate worthy of a
diagram. ]
17.xd6
[ Colle toys with his opponent and plays a
move which is even stronger than forking
immediately on f7, but 17.d3!
forces mate. ]
17...a5 18.xf7+ h7 The king is dragged
down by the current, like the swimmer whose
feet get entwined in seaweed.
19.g5+ Back again. The powerhouse knight
is a bastion of stability in an otherwise
tumultuous environment.
g8 The suicidal black king jumps and falls
to his death with terrible, hallucinatory
slowness. Just one final strong move is
needed to finish the game.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White to play
and force mate.
ANSWER: We are reminded of the words
from the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
song: "Mother earth will swallow you. Lay
your body down."
20.b3+! SUMMARY: The Colle, possibly
more than any other opening, offers White
Bxh7+ Greek gift sac possibilities. Always be
on the lookout for it – but don't assume it is
an automatic win! In many cases you will have
the opportunity to sac, and should decline.
Proceed with a case by case decision when
you reach it.
1-0
D05
Colle,E
Thomas,G
Paris 1929
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.f3 e6 3.e3 d5 4.d3 c5 5.c3
bd7 6.bd2 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.e1 e5
9.e4 Absolutely mandatory, as it is the lone
chance of extracting an advantage. The
jumbled position offers scant clues or hints as
to the formation of a clear plan for either side.
It is up to us to take this mess and reconstruct
it to suit us.
cxd4 The opposing sides grapple and
interlock in a tense, central stasis/un-stasis
situation, as the elaborate system of roads
and bridges ramifies into multiple directions.
QUESTION: Will this just transpose to the
positions we got last game?
ANSWER: No, not always. If you go back to
our previous game you will see the pawn
structure was a bit different and may well
have led to an isolani situation. In this case,
all the central pawns are destined for
liquidation.
QUESTION: Does this mean mass exchanges
and a looming draw?
ANSWER: Not at all. All the pieces remain on
the board and White still leads in development,
so Black has yet to prove conclusive equality
for some time to come.
10.cxd4 dxe4 QUESTION: Can Black
maintain the tension still further?
ANSWER: He can, but I'm not so sure he
equalizes if he does so:
[ a) 10...e8 11.exd5 exd4 12.xe8+ xe8
13.c4! c5 14.d6 b6 15.f4 and White's
more deeply entrenched d-pawn looks more
dangerous than Black's, D.Garcia Ilundain-R.
Vera Gonzalez, Leon 1996. ]
[ b) 10...c7 11.exd5 exd4 12.e4! xe4
( 12...xd5 13.xd6 xd6 14.b1!
regains the pawn with the bishop pair and
an edge ) 13.xe4 e5 14.xd4 xd3
15.xd3 , when d7?! ( but even after
15...xh2+ 16.h1 e5 17.b5
White continues to hold a slight pull. )
allowed the familiar 16.h4 with a strong
attack, J.Markos-A.Muir, Scottish
Championship, Glasgow 2008. ]
11.xe4 xe4 12.xe4 exd4 13.xd4
Ah, the wide open spaces of the countryside.
When land is cheap and plentiful, one lacks
incentive to build a skyscraper.
QUESTION: Isn't this position absolutely
equal?
ANSWER: Not yet. Black must prove it by
catching up in development – which he never
manages to do in this game.
f6
[ Perhaps a better unravelling plan for Black
lay in 13...c5 followed by ...Qb6. ]
14.g5 xd4 After enduring averted glances,
awkward feelings and all-round discomfort,
the queens part ways and leave the board.
15.xd4 c5 16.d5 White's annoyingly
centralized pieces continue to hamper Black.
d3 17.e3! White's initiative may not yet be
at full scale, so it is essential that he keeps
the pilot light burning with such probing,
challenging moves. Colle (possibly a Shirov
prototype) always carefully framed his plans,
making absolutely certain that any rational
thoughts of safety are jealously excluded from
the proceedings. Just like the previous game,
he speculates with a pawn offer to increase
his lead in development, which actually looks
quite sound. I get the strange impression that
his pieces operated under a different set of
physical laws than mine!
f4! QUESTION: Can Black get away with
taking on b2?
[ ANSWER: It would be unwise. I don't like
his position at all after 17...xb2?! 18.c1
a4 19.b5! b4 20.e7 d2 21.xf8
, when White threatens infiltration down the
c- and e-files simultaneously. ]
18.b3 g6 19.b5 b8?! As it grows
increasingly likely that Black was about to
indulge in an outburst, he decides upon an
inburst, with an unnecessary introverted
contraction. Questions of self-doubt pour forth
from the darkness. The bishop's position
degrades from yellow to red.
[ He should remain centrally located with
19...e5 20.ae1 xb2 21.e8 d7
22.xa8 xa8 23.d6 e6 24.xe6 fxe6
25.xb7 d4 , when Black should probably
hold the position, albeit with a bit of
difficulty. ]
20.c1 h6 21.e7 xe7
[ Or 21...f4 22.xf8 xe3 23.fxe3 xf8
, when 24.d5! is even better than taking
on f7. White exerts enduring pressure. ]
22.xe7 The bar fight, originally thought to be
a minor scuffle between patrons who had a
few too many, turns serious when Black's
rook approaches White's king with a broken
bottle. The seventh rank at last draws White's
rook out, like a hungry man to the dinner bell.
f4 23.ce1 a6 24.c7 b8
The desperately poor (i.e. Black here)
normally carry their belongings, while the rest
of society entrusts the transport of
possessions to wheels. Black's defences can
absorb no more punishment, the way a
saturated sponge is unable to take on more
water.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White has a
sneaky little trick. Do you see it?
ANSWER: Black's startled king and rook yelp
simultaneously in bulging-eyed shock.
25.xf7! xf7 26.e7 h7 27.xf7
It's a painful thing to endure, when an already
bruised area (the seventh rank) receives a
secondary blow. White takes the fruit of his
gains and puts it in his back pocket.
g6?? The defeated black king closes his
eyes – not so much to avoid seeing – but
more to avoid thinking about the carnage of
his beloved subjects. This looks like a fatigue
error, but Black was in big trouble in any case.
28.xf4 SUMMARY: Central pawn liquidation
doesn't give Black a free pass to equality.
1-0
D05
Colle,E
Duchamp,M
Paris 1929
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
In case you were wondering, yes, Black is
Marcel Duchamp, avid chess player and
leader in the Dadaist and Surrealist schools,
art's equivalent to the chess hypermodern
movement. Art and chess coincided and
blossomed simultaneously in the 1920s. In a
weird way, Colle faced the Nimzowitsch of the
art world!
Duchamp wrote about his art: "The creative
act is not performed by the artist alone; the
spectator brings the work in contact with the
external world by deciphering and interpreting
its inner qualifications and thus adds his
contribution to the creative act." This concept,
of course, applies to chess too, where our
collaborators are your opponent, as well as
the spectators – and maybe we should toss in
the tournament director as well!
1.d4 f6 2.f3 e6 3.e3 d5 4.d3 c5
5.c3 bd7 6.bd2 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.e1
e5 QUESTION: Shouldn't Black's freeing ...e6-
e5 break give him easy equality?
ANSWER: I don't believe equality arrives so
easily. White still holds a sliver of a trump: his
slight lead in development. To exploit it, he
must open the position.
9.e4
[ 9.dxe5 is far too wimpy to produce
anything: xe5 10.xe5 xe5 11.f3
g4 12.h3 xf3 ( 12...h5? 13.g4!
forces Black to sac a piece ) 13.xf3 c7
14.d2 fe8 15.ab1 ad8 and Black's
space and development is at least equal to
White's morose bishop pair, G.Vives-Comp
Shredder 7, Vicente Lopez 2003. ]
9...dxe4 10.xe4 xe4 11.xe4 exd4
12.cxd4 f6 As mentioned before, central
liquidation doesn't necessarily equal an easy
draw.
13.g5 e7
[ QUESTION: Why a passive retreat when he
can kick with 13...h6 ?
ANSWER: In this case White holds on to a
microbe of an edge after 14.dxc5 xc5
15.xd8 xd8 16.xf6 gxf6 17.ac1
, D.Root-B.Bailey, Dallas 2008, since
Black's bishop pair doesn't compensate
100% for his damaged structure. In fact,
Root went on to win this game. ]
14.xf6! QUESTION: Giving away the bishop
pair?
ANSWER: White once again relies on his lead
in development. In this case he wins a pawn
by force.
xf6 15.dxc5! xb2 16.xd8
[ The trick 16.xh7+! also won a pawn. ]
16...xd8 17.ab1 Forcing the bishop to
declare in which direction his allegiance lies.
Now the harasser becomes the harassed.
a3
[ A defensive option for Black runs 17...f5
18.xb7 xb7 19.xb2 xf3 20.gxf3
, when he continues to struggle for the
draw. ]
[ EXERCISE (combination alert): After
17...a3 it's White to play and force the win
of a pawn. ]
ANSWER: Each of Black's failed insurgencies
have the undesired effect of increasing
White's grip on the position.
18.c6! bxc6 19.xc6 f5 20.b3 ac8
21.xa3 xc6 22.xa7 In the aftermath,
Colle reels the pawn in with a fishing line.
e6 23.h3 h6 24.e2
[ 24.a4 is another option. ]
24...c3 Threat: ...Bxh3.
25.e5 d1+ 26.h2 dc1 27.a4 a1?
EXERCISE (combination alert): White has a
trick which pockets another pawn. How?
28.d2?!
[ ANSWER: As the old saying goes: A
broken clock is still correct twice a day.
Colle missed the odd-looking (and very
difficult to work out) trick 28.g6!!
, threatening a rook check on a8 followed by
a Nf8+ windmill which wins the bishop. Black
has nothing better than the dismal c4
29.e8+ h7 30.f8+ h8 31.f4!
(threatening f4-f5, Ng6+ and Rh8 mate) f1
32.c7! f2 33.f5! xf5 34.d7+ h7
35.ec8 and White wins a piece. ]
28...g6? Black believes that all is well and his
king is afforded ample insulation by the pawn
perimeter which snugly surrounds him in
security. However, dark, hidden threats thrive
and flourish within the black king's periphery,
like unspeakable evil bubbling up from the
subconscious mind of an otherwise upright
person. White has access to a tactic which
wins more material and dwindles Black's
already short supply of pawns into the horizon.
EXERCISE (combination alert): The knight
orbits Black's king, agreeing to rendezvous on
a certain square. Which one?
ANSWER: Destroying the defender/pin.
Apparently Black's f-pawn fails to serve as an
effective shock absorber, as White's knight, a
true believer, gives himself up to his cause,
hoping to get to heaven as soon as possible.
29.xf7! xf7 30.d8+ g7 31.dd7
Black can resign.
f6 32.xf7+ e6 33.g7 f6 34.af7+
e6 35.e7+ f6 Were you aware that the
symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning –
headache, dizziness and nausea – are exactly
the same symptoms I suffer when in a losing
position?
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black, in a
hopeless position, falls into a forced mate in
three. Can you solve it?
ANSWER: 36.gf7+! g5 Black's king walks
with the asymmetric locomotion of a person
with a wad of gum on the sole of his shoe.
37.e5+
[ 37.e5+ h4 38.f4# completes the
mate.
SUMMARY: This is worth repeating from last
game: Just because Black erases all the
central pawns doesn't grant him an
automatic draw. White's lead in
development, however tiny, still harasses
 Black deep into the game. ]
1-0
D05
Kukov,V
Enchev,I
Bulgarian Championship, Blagoevgrad 2009
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.f3 e6 3.c3 c5 4.e3 d5 5.d3
bd7 6.bd2 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.e1 e5
9.e4 dxe4 10.xe4 xe4 11.xe4 exd4
12.cxd4 h6 Presto. One pawn move
eliminates the h7 Greek gift sacs.
QUESTION: At what cost?
ANSWER: A precious tempo in an open
position, and also the fact that he now
provides White with another sac target: h6.
13.e3 Principle: Don't be the one to break
the central tension. Goad your opponent into
it.
QUESTION: I don't understand the basis for
this principle. Why is it normally inferior to
break the pawn tension?
[ ANSWER: The one who breaks it magically
leapfrogs the opponent's pieces to better
squares, and at a cost of time as well. For
instance, 13.dxc5 would be a violation of
the principle, since Black gains a tempo and
improves his position with the simple
recapture xc5 .
But keep in mind that all principles have
their exceptions to the general rule. In this
case, Houdini still thinks White has an edge
after 14.b1! , which threatens Qc2. Now
I'm not so certain. Let's say Black plays g4
, then 15.h3 xf3 16.xf3 yields the
bishop pair. ]
13...cxd4?! Success! Black is the first to blink.
[ QUESTION: Can Black go for a queenside
pawn majority, versus White's passed/
isolated d-pawn, with 13...c4 ?
ANSWER: That is exactly how I would play
Black. The resulting position looks
dynamically balanced. ]
14.xd4 c5 15.c2 Intending Qd3. The
tension principle applies with pieces as well
as pawns.
xd4 16.xd4 Probably the wrong
recapture.
[ It was better to go for 16.xd4! f6
17.xd8! . Remember, every principle has
its exceptions! In this case White swaps,
helping Black develop his rook, in order to
get to the seventh rank with his rook: xd8
18.b3! f8 19.ac1 and Black has yet to
equalize. ]
16...f6 17.d3 b6 18.b3 As we saw in
the Colle-Thomas and Colle-Duchamp games,
f7 is a soft spot in Black's camp.
g4 QUESTION: Why didn't Black pin the d4-
knight?
[ ANSWER: If 18...d8 , White can easily
unpin with a deadly threat with 19.c4!
, when Black is in trouble. If he grabs the
knight he loses after xd4?? ( or
19...xd4?? 20.ad1! ) 20.xf7+ h7
21.e7 g4 22.c2+ etc. ]
19.f5 ad8 20.c2 xf5 He can't allow
that dangerous knight to hover over his
kingside.
21.xf5 QUESTION: Would you assess this
position as equal?
ANSWER: It's one of those positions which is
both equal and not equal. Black is equal on
paper and by computer assessment, but not
by the harsher standards of reality.
Technically Black should be capable of
holding the game, but who wouldn't prefer
White here?
1. Following the mutiny, we observe a change
of command. White's bishop, now in charge,
outranks his counterpart knight, while glaring
ominously at f7.
2. In fact, the weakness of f7 ties Black down,
the way a strong wind pins a piece of trash to
the side of a building.
QUESTION: But doesn't Black invade the
seventh rank now?
fe8
[ ANSWER: Black decides to play it safe.
Invading the seventh turns out to be an
empty gesture after 21...d2 22.ac1
, since xb2?! 23.e7 finds Black under
heavy pressure. ]
22.h3 b4 Challenging White on the e-file.
23.ed1 a5 24.xd8 xd8 25.c1! b6
EXERCISE (planning): White has access to
two favourable plans. Find one of them.
ANSWER: 26.c5! White forces a favourable
ending.
[ The second plan is 26.e5! (covertly
launching a yet unseen counterattack along
multiple vectors of the board) d2 27.c8+
h7 28.f4 d7 29.b8! and Black is in
deep trouble. ]
26...xc5 27.xc5 b6 28.c7 d7
[ 28...d7 is the alternative, when Black's
tied pieces spin about in insurmountable
 centrifugal confusion. ]
29.c8+ h7 30.b8 d2? It is unwise to
engage an opponent with a head start in a
race.
[ Black's last chance was to offer White a
rook ending a pawn up with 30...d5! . ]
31.xb6 xb2 32.a6 e4 Black goes on a
desperate counterattack on f2. White, on the
other hand, hopes to achieve his goal with
only minimized meddling interference from
the knight.
EXERCISE (combination alert): What would
you do here?
ANSWER: Ignore the knight and play on
Black's weak back rank.
33.xf7! f6
[ A dismal retreat, but if 33...xf2?? then
34.g6+! forces mate. ]
34.xa5 White is two clean pawns up and
holds the superior minor piece as well.
b1+ 35.h2 b2 36.f3 g5 37.a7 g7
38.c4+ h8 39.a6 g7 40.a7+ h8
41.f7! Vigilant. He foresees that Black may
try and finagle a knight to f4 or g3 with serious
counterplay. White's last move ensures there
is no clear pathway for Black's knight to reach
the dream squares.
h5! Going ahead with his last ditch plan. If
you live in a dilapidated house, a paint job –
even if cosmetic – still helps.
42.a4 h4 Black spanks the obdurate pawn
onward.
43.a5 Meanwhile, it becomes increasingly
clear that the a-pawn breaks into Black's
peace of mind.
d2 44.a6 d7 45.c7 e5! EXERCISE:
What would you play here?
ANSWER: Cover Black's final dirty cheapo
attempt.
46.h5! The bishop avoids daydreaming and
swerves away from Black's last-ditch attempt
at massive retaliation. He sees to it that
Black's satellite on e5 ends its short-lived
orbit around White's king and re-enters the
atmosphere in a blazing funeral pyre.
[ If you jumped the gun with the "obvious"
move 46.a7?? , then Black – not so dead as
previously thought – pulls a surprise
appearance at his own requiem: xf3+
47.h1 (White's king experiences that
unpleasant, disorienting feeling of
awakening and not knowing where he is)
d1# . ]
46...g4 47.xg4 SUMMARY: Black probably
achieves dynamic equality in this line, but
only on condition that he finds 13...c4!.
Otherwise, he gets an equality which turns out
to be not quite equal!
1-0
D05
Lakdawala,C
Akobian,V
SCCF Championship, Los Angeles 2001
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
At the start of a game, there is only the
blankness of an unknown future, which we,
the players, project and fill in with our
imaginations (or lack thereof!). This game
was played in the final round of the State
Championship, with Akobian leading by a half
point. My only chance to tie for first was to try
and beat him. The question arises: How does
one defeat an opponent whose chess skills
are superior to yours in every respect? In fairy
tales the oppressed little guy always triumphs.
However, in real life, Goliath generally kicks
the snot out of us Davids when we do battle. I
felt my one and only chance was to lead him
into a position of unfamiliarity, thus stripping
him of his theory and experience.
1.d4 e6
[ QUESTION: If Black plays the move order
1...c5 then should we push past to d5, or
remain within Colle grounds with 2.c3 ( or
2.e3 ?
ANSWER: Of course this is up to you.
Personally I would go with the latter,
staying within my beloved Colle
neighbourhood where everyone knows my
name. )]
2.f3 No way buddy boy. I veer clear of the
French Defence!
[ QUESTION: A philosophical question for
you: Why does White avoid playing 2.e4
, entering the French, only to play a Colle
and then hope to achieve the e3-e4 break?
ANSWER: It's difficult to fight your iron logic.
When you put it that way, you make the
Colle sound like the inept, mentally-
challenged cousin of the pedigreed, witty
French! All I can tell you is that the Colle
has its own particular flavour. I feel
insecure when on the white side of the
French, and perfectly at ease in a Colle –
possibly with no rational basis attached to
these feelings! ]
2...c5 3.e3
 [ I was sorely tempted to play 3.e4!?
entering the chaotic waters of an open
Sicilian – a line neither of us plays as Black
or White! ]
3...d5 4.bd2 f6 5.c3
[ I wasn't confident enough to Zuke him with
5.b3 . ]
5...bd7 6.d3 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.e1 b6
QUESTION: What are we supposed to do in
the ...b7-b6 lines where Black avoids the ...e6-
e5 liquidating variations?
ANSWER: Same as always: Respond with e3-
e4!.
9.e4 dxe4
[ GMs don't generally fall for our favourite
Colle trap 9...cxd4?? 10.e5! . ]
10.xe4 xe4 11.xe4 b8 12.c2
At this point it dawned on me that I, not my
opponent, was the one who had been duped
in the opening.
QUESTION: How so?
ANSWER: The position looks very close to a
Rubinstein French – an opening my opponent
plays as Black and I don't very often as White!
QUESTION: What is a Rubinstein French?
ANSWER: It goes like this: 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3
Nc3 (or 3 Nd2) 3...dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nbd7. Black
follows with ...Ngf6 and plays for ...c7-c5,
often reaching positions quite similar to the
one we in the game.
QUESTION: I don't see the big problem. You
still have space and some attacking chances,
despite Black's fortress-like solidity.
ANSWER: I answer your question with a
question: What happens when one of the
world's worst attackers (me!) meets one of
the world's best defenders (him!)? But you
are right. I was still familiar enough with such
positions, since they are reached in the Colle
as well.
QUESTION: What is the idea behind your last
move?
ANSWER: It is in preparation for a queen/
bishop battery, aimed at h7.
[ The move looks more logical than 12.g5
c7 13.e2 b7 14.ad1 xe4 15.xe4
h6 , when Black managed to sneak in a
healing exchange, P.Saint Amand-R.Sauve,
Quebec 2003. ]
[ QUESTION: Does the Greek gift sac work
in this instance?
ANSWER: It fails miserably after
12.xh7+?? xh7 13.g5+ g8 14.d3
f6 (generally the sac will not succeed if
Black has a path to cover the sensitive h7-
square) 15.e3 cxd4 16.cxd4 e5!
– Principle: Meet a wing attack with a
vigorous central counter. White's attack is
no more, but he is still burdened by debt,
having given away a full piece for diddly
squat! ]
12...b7
[ Apparently this most natural of moves is a
theoretical novelty, though it's possibly
inferior to 12...c4 which cuts off Qd3 ideas,
F.Cavatorta-D.Carletti, Cento 2011. ]
13.d3 Oh please...oh please! Whenever a
cheapo arises – no matter how utterly vulgar
– there always arises the sweet nectar of
hope!
g6 He sees the mate in one threat.
14.h6 e8 15.ad1?!
[ White's best chance to attain something
was by opening the game with 15.dxc5! . ]
15...f8?! Thank goodness.
[ Akobian rejected the simplifying sequence
15...xf3! 16.xf3 h4 (double attack)
17.h3 ( or 17.h3!? xh3 18.gxh3 c4
when White's bishops compensate for his
structural troubles – Houdini assesses the
position as equal ) 17...xh6 18.c6
when White regains the piece with a
drawish position. ]
16.f4 Advantage White. I also considered
exchanging bishops to further weaken his
dark squares. After its initial conception, the
attack/initiative, at first just a dream, begins
to take shape, breathe and take on a life of its
own as momentum gathers.
c8 17.dxc5 Principle: Open the game when
leading in development.
xc5 18.e3 e7 19.d6 f6 20.e5
e7 21.d6 Dance!
f6 QUESTION: Are you playing for a draw?
ANSWER: Nyet! Your writer tightly embraces
his newly discovered bravery and continues
playing for the win. In situations like this, it
is psychologically beneficial to coerce the
opponent into such undignified prancings, like
a puppet on a string, and then at the last
moment refuse to take the repetition.
22.e5 No draw!
xd6 23.xd6 e4? With this move, made
with the hope of eradicating all further
dissonance, he puts his fate to the test. Oh,
no! I totally overlooked this shot, but lucked
out: It doesn't work! Mutual looks of malice
from bishop to bishop tell the entire story,
without the banality of exchanging verbal
threats. Black would be better served filing
away this idea under the heading Dubious
Plans! My opponent initiates a mistaken
interference/simplification combination which
backfires.
24.g4! Zwischenzug!
[ 24.xe4? xe5 is completely equal. ]
24...e7 Just before hitting the iceberg, the
first-class passengers aboard the Titanic
danced their final minutes away. The door on
White's seemingly impoverished attack closes
fast, but isn't quite locked yet.
[ 24...h4?? loses instantly to 25.f4 . ]
[ EXERCISE (combination alert): After
24...e7 your shamelessly immodest writer
had the unprecedented gall to generously
award himself two exclamation marks for his
25th move. Take your time. This one is
really difficult to see. ]
ANSWER: Out of the blue, the b-pawn,
untroubled by rational thought, strikes with an
unalloyed desire for reprisal for past offences.
The grandmother of all zwischenzugs leaves
Black hanging on for dear life, as if enduring a
cheaply constructed rollercoaster ride at the
State fair.
25.b4!! The heretic warlord orders the
churches razed, the scriptures burned and
the robed ordained put to the sword. Black
experiences loss of control over the far-flung
frontiers of his undermanned empire, as the
enemy marches its way to the capital. The
berserker b-pawn informs Black, with regret,
that the mistaken 23...Be4? was fuelled by
optimism, conjecture and prayer. Now clear
communication between Black's forces grows
tenuous and, with time, soon dissolves into
an every-piece-for-himself-(and herself)-
situation.
xd6 Black's not-so-hot options:
[ a) 25...xc2 26.d4 e5 27.xe5 e6
28.exe6! xe6 ( not 28...fxe6?? 29.h6+
f8 30.h8# ) 29.xe6 xe6 30.h4 h5
31.h6+ h7 32.xf7 and Black's king is
too exposed to survive. ]
[ b) 25...h5 26.bxc5 xc2 27.d7! wins. ]
[ c) 25...b7 26.d7! gets the job done as
well. ]
26.f6+ f8 No choice.
[ 26...g7 27.xe8+ xe8 28.bxc5
leaves White up a piece, since the bishop
on e4 hangs. ]
27.bxc5 d8 28.h6+ e7 29.xe4
White extracted two pieces for the rook, plus
a powerful attack. Black's forces gather to
observe a moment of silence in memorial for
the fallen knight and bishop. Now they
disband and get on with the distasteful task of
propping up their needy king in his moment of
urgency.
d5! Black's best try.
[ 29...bxc5? is met by 30.a4 h8 31.d1
b6 32.d7+ e8 33.f6# . ]
30.b3 e5 31.f4 The alien points his
weapon at the queen and demands: "Take me
to your leader – and be quick about it, my
good woman!"
f5 32.h4+ f8 The lummox of a black
king, caught in the centre, is slow to react to
the taunting.
33.xh7
[ 33.d6?? xc5+ would be a really stupid
way of blowing the game. ]
33...ed8
[ Or 33...xf4 34.f1 e3+ 35.h1 c7
36.d6 ee7 37.h8# . ]
34.cxb6 axb6 35.g5 Loading up on e6.
This knight is the Glock 19 pointed at the
black king's head.
f6 Black's queen wisely reinforces e6 with
trusses to prevent the square from buckling
under the weight of White's pressure, but it is
too late. If a hopelessly incompetent un-Tal
like me can find White's next sac then so can
you! Once senses the pouring forth of an
imminent explosion, as when a child sits on a
water balloon.
EXERCISE (combination alert): e6 is the
coming detonation's location. But with which
piece?
ANSWER: The feverish black king's core
temperature continues to rise, until it enters
the fatal range.
36.xe6! White's rook overcomes his
inhibitions to initiate overtures to the black
king with smiles and guile.
d1+ I missed this clever interference, but
luckily for me it fails to save Black.
[ Instead, 36...fxe6 37.xe6+ e8
38.a4+! mates in three moves. ]
37.xd1 fxe6 EXERCISE (combination alert):
Black's king looks out of sorts and out of place,
like a solo hapless, tormented male at a bridal
shower. Just one more strong move is
required to put Black over the edge.
ANSWER: 38.d7! Triple attack/fork – c8, e6
and h7 all targeted, and Black can only defend
one of them. White's queen and knight visit
carnage upon everything they touch.
SUMMARY: Be prepared to enter Rubinstein
French-like positions from the Colle.
1-0
D05
Lakdawala,C
Maki,J
Commerce (rapid) 1998
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
My opponent, Senior Master Jim Maki, was
my team-mate when he, my brother Jimmy
and I, and 1200-rated (!) Dan Nielson won the
1988 U.S. Amateur Team Championship with
our team name Laki, Laki, Maki and Haki.
1.d4 f6
[ Compare Black's set-up in the game with
this one: 1...d5 2.f3 f6 3.c4 c6 4.e3
e6 5.bd2 bd7 6.d3 e7 7.0-0 0-0
8.e4 dxe4 9.xe4 xe4 10.xe4 f6
11.c2 b6 .
QUESTION: Why are you showing us this
game? It's not a Colle.
ANSWER: This line of the Semi-Slav is what
I was going for in my game against Maki, but
a move up, since we Colle folk get the white
pieces!
Play continued 12.e2 b7 13.f4 c5
14.ad1 cxd4 15.xd4 c8 16.b3 d8
17.b5 (it looks like Black is in grave danger,
but everything is in order) c6 18.f3 a6
19.d4 c5 20.e3 c7 (Black equalized)
21.f2 d7 22.e2 xe3 23.xe3 ad8
24.xd7 xd7 25.d1 xd1+ 26.xd1 f8
27.c2 h6 28.d4 d7 29.b4 f6 30.b3
e7 31.g4 g5 32.d4 ( 32.h5
is met with d6! ) 32...d6 33.xd6+
xd6 34.f2 f5 35.d4 e5 36.c5+
bxc5 37.bxc5+ xc5 38.xe6+ d6
39.d4 c8 40.e2 f4 (Principle: Place
your pawns on the opposite colour of your
remaining bishop) 41.d2 c5 42.c3 a5
43.e6 b7 44.f5 d5 45.a3 c6
46.e2 a7 47.d3 c6 48.c2 e5
49.d4 g4 50.d1 gxf3 51.gxf3 h5 52.h4
g6 53.f5 ("After you.") e5
("No. Please. I insist. After you." –
Apparently, neither side is willing to commit
forces to cross the threshold) 54.d4 g6
½-½ G.Kasparov-C.Lakdawala, Internet
(blitz) 1996. Admittedly not very exciting, but
if you are playing the world champion,
believe me, you don't want excitement!
Moral: The Colle set-up is so stable that a
weaker player may be able to hold an
infinitely stronger one at bay. The
structure's inherent solidity and absolute
soundness mysteriously possesses the
nature of protecting weaker players from
their own deficit of chess ability! ]
2.f3 e6 3.bd2
[ Or 3.e3 d5 4.d3 e7 5.0-0 0-0 6.bd2
bd7 7.e2 c5 8.c3 c7 (this prevents
White's Ne5 followed by f2-f4 Stonewall set-
up).
Now White has a choice of two plans:
Plan 1: Play the way I did in my game
against Maki.
Plan 2: Play for e3-e4.
QUESTION: What is the problem with
playing for e3-e4 here?
ANSWER: The trouble is that, when White
does play e3-e4 and Black responds with ...
d5xe4, White ends up in a Rubinstein
French a full tempo down, since he took two
moves on e2-e3-e4, while Black's bishop
sits on the superior e7-square:
A) An example of Plan 1: 9.b3
(the superior path for White, in my opinion)
b6 10.b2 b7 11.ac1 ac8 12.c4
(now Black's queen sits uncomfortably on
c7 and must lose time, which in turn
makes up for White's loss of time with c2-
c3-c4 – the position basically transposes
to ones we look at in Chapter Four, The
Zukertort Colle) b8 13.e5 xe5!?
( Black decides to break the tension,
perhaps fearing f2-f4 next; he had the
option of going for 13...cxd4 14.exd4
dxc4 15.dxc4 with a dangerous-looking
isolani position for White, since all the
pieces remain on the board ) 14.dxe5 d7
15.cxd5 xd5 16.f4 g6 , O.Kriz-B.Djubek,
Slovakian Team Championship 1999.
White has the advantage with clear
kingside attacking chances, whereas
Black's queenside majority will be very
difficult to activate, since he can't play ...
a7-a6 and ...b6-b5.;
B) An example of Plan 2: 9.e4 dxe4
10.xe4 b6 11.eg5!? ( White can also
play in c3-Sicilian style with 11.xf6+
xf6 12.dxc5 xc5 , though it's still
approximately even ) 11...b7 ( 11...h6??
loses on the spot to 12.xe6 fxe6
13.xe6+ f7 14.c4 ) 12.e5 h6
(Black ejects the knight at the cost of
creating a weakness around his king)
13.gf3 fe8 14.e1 d6 15.d2 ad8
and Black equalized in what may soon turn
 into another isolani position, S.Simonenko-
H.Al Tamimi, Abu Dhabi 2005.;
C) 9.-- ]
3...c5 4.e3 b6 QUESTION: Shouldn't this
game go in the Colle versus Queen's Indian
chapter?
ANSWER: It could go there, but since Black
later played ...d7-d5, I kept it in this one.
[ Another move order with a quick ...Nd7/...
Qc7 (which messes up our Stonewall ideas)
is 4...d5 5.c3 bd7 6.d3 c7 7.0-0
e7! . In that case we can go for my plan
against Maki, or play for e3-e4, as shown in
the previous note. ]
5.d3 b7
[ QUESTION: Should we swap if they play
5...a6 ?
ANSWER: In this position I usually answer it
by 6.c4 and head for a Zukertort set-up with
Black's bishop slightly misplaced on a6,
which compensates for the fact that White
expended two moves on c2-c3-c4. ]
6.0-0 e7 7.c3 d5 8.e2 QUESTION: Why
deviate from the normal Re1 and e3-e4 plan?
ANSWER: This is an option. White intends b2-
b3 with a Semi-Slav line I play as Black, but a
move up. Now the inclusion of c2-c3 is a
waste of time, so Black already achieved
equality.
QUESTION: Why play it then?
ANSWER: I am willing to give up a "+=" edge,
and be satisfied with "=", to lead my tactical
opponent into the sedate strategic waters of
Colle. This game was played in the US G/60
championship in 1998, which I won with the
help of the glorious Colle. I had a good start
in the tournament and was one of the leaders,
so I decided to enter a no-loss mode with this
line of the Colle/Semi-Slav.
[ QUESTION: What is wrong with the
Stonewall plan 8.e5 ?
ANSWER: I hesitate to play it since Black
has such firm control over the e4-square.
For example: 0-0 9.f4 e4 10.f3
(somehow, White's attempted attack just
feels klutzy and out of sorts here) f6 11.g4
d7 12.h3 f5 13.e5 xe5 14.dxe5
e8 and White had nothing, S.Simonenko-
Nguyen Anh Dung, Asian Team
Championship, Esfahan 2005. In fact, if
given the choice, I would take Black, since
the white rook on h3 has the appearance of
a lost sightseer. ]
8...bd7 9.b3 We reach the intended
reversed Semi-Slav set-up.
0-0 10.b2 e4 Logical: White's overtly
passive play emboldens Black a bit, so he
jumps forward with his knight hoping to wrest
the initiative.
[ QUESTION: How would you recapture if
Black exchanged on d4 with 10...cxd4 ?
ANSWER: I would play 11.exd4 . There is
nothing special here. I would eventually go
for a hanging pawns set-up, timing c3-c4 at
the appropriate moment. ]
11.ac1
[ Black can play for a Stonewall set-up
himself with 11.fd1 f5 12.c4 a6 13.f1
e8 14.e5 , E.Eliskases-L.Engels,
German Championship, Bad Oeynhausen
1938. ]
11...e8 12.fd1 f6 Black plays it safe and
temporizes.
13.c4 A good time for c3-c4. The black queen
looks uncomfortable on the d-file.
b8!? My gamble that my opponent would
not be familiar with such structures pays off:
he makes an artificial move. He should slide
his queen over to e7 instead.
14.b1 Keeping him guessing.
[ I could also give him the future hanging
pawns position with 14.cxd5 exd5 15.b5
e7 . ]
14...d6?! Black's desire to complicate gets
the better of him.
[ He should probably go for 14...xd2
15.xd2 dxc4 . ]
15.e5 f8? I'm not sure if this is a plan or
an ornamental flourish. Black, still in don't-
know-what-to-do mode, shuffles without
apparent aim and soon ends up in trouble.
16.g4!
[ Stronger than 16.dxc5 bxc5 17.cxd5 exd5
and the c5-pawn is still safe, since it is
now White's e5-knight which is loose. ]
16...e7 17.dxc5 bxc5 18.e5 QUESTION:
Can't you just win a pawn by exchanging on
d5?
[ ANSWER: Apparently I can! I thought I was
avoiding a trap, but the comps tell me I
should have walked straight into it with
18.cxd5 exd5 19.xc5! . I avoided this
because I thought he had c4
, but evidently this isn't counterplay – only a
facsimile, a fiction which White is easily
capable of riding out. The confederacy of
comps testify that White has a decisive
attack after 20.xc4 xc5 21.xg7!!
(miraculously – don't ask me how – White's
invaders continue to thrive and prosper in
 what looks to be a harsh, unforgiving c6 27.xc8 xc8 28.a4 Principle: Swap
environment, the way an opportunistic weed when ahead in material. The concerned black
pokes through a crack in the sidewalk) xg7 pieces confer in the grim, hushed undertones
22.b2+ d4 23.xd4! . This is too tough a of family members on vigil over a dying
calculation for a G/60, and I don't trust my matriarch.
attacking intuition to enter such chaos xa4 29.xa4 e6 30.b2 c8 31.a3
without math back-up! ] Targeting c5.
18...f6 19.d3 The linchpin is c5, the centre d7 32.d2 f7 33.dc2 f5 34.c3
of gravity to the fulfilment of White's plan. b6 The farmer failed to sow in springtime
Black is forced into structural concessions. and views his empty field with despair now
dxc4 20.xc4 Black's awkward position only that autumn has arrived.
grows more so, as it unfolds gracelessly like 35.xc5 The simplest. White returns the
discount lawn furniture. The open c-file exchange to simplify down to an easy two
becomes a frayed nerve ending, with no other pawns up ending.
purpose than to inflict pain to the c5-pawn. d5 36.c4 d3 37.xa7 xc4 38.xc4
[ The comps keep ruining it – apparently xc4 39.bxc4 b4 40.c3 e6 41.f1 f5
20.xc5! is an improvement. ] 42.f3 g6 43.e2 QUESTION: Is this yet
20...xc4 21.xc4 a6 22.cc1 b6 another game where you won without making
23.g4 e5 24.c3! Merely the rough draft to a single good move?
a more finished product. White clears b2 for ANSWER: You don't have to be brilliant to
the knight, its optimal post. win chess games. Just produce fewer errors
[ 24.a3! was also strong. ] than your opponent and the cumulative effect
24...ac8 is victory.
[ Perhaps he should consider 24...c4 SUMMARY: Don't expect an advantage if you
25.bxc4 a3 with some counterplay for the choose to enter this (admittedly) passive line
pawn. ] of the Colle. However, if you happen to play
25.b2 The knight's aimless perambulations the Slav or Semi-Slav as Black, then you may
turn out to be not so random at all. Now Black want to use it as a surprise weapon, to lure
chafes at the b2-knight's usurpation of c4, an opponent on to unfamiliar ground.
which in turn produces a blunder. 1-0
e6?? I really wish my dogs, Al, Kahless and
Nikki, were infused with more community spirit,
but I'm saddened to report to you that they
live more the life of pampered tourists on the
French Riviera, who rudely regard your writer
as their cook, waiter, maid, valet and trash
collector. Black's queen shares the same
sense of entitlement normally associated with
my dogs. My opponent, distracted by his
weakened queenside, suffers a lapse and
blunders by painting a bull's eye on his own t-
shirt.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black's queen
clutches tightly to her destiny, as if to a purse.
How does White exploit it?
ANSWER: Skewer. The Viking plunders with
the sweet thought that all the world is
essentially his to seize. White finally reveals
his not-so-profound (in fact, kind of obvious!)
concept, as an artist unveils a rather
unoriginal portrait.
26.f5 "Are you okay?" the bishop asks in
thinly veiled mock concern to Black's queen,
and to the unfortunate rook behind her on c8
as well.
Chapter Three

Colle Versus Queen's Indian

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 b6 3 e3 Bb7 4 Bd3 c5 5 0-0 e6 6 Nbd2

The solid Queen's Indian formation is the kid in class who always scores reasonably solid grades but doesn't really
stand out. Yet we face this quite often against the Colle, so we should be thoroughly familiar with the arising
positions.
Unlike the first two chapters, in this one White's pawn structure varies considerably. If Black continues to develop
and leaves his structure unchanged (from the diagram), then we proceed with our normal Colle plan: c2-c3 and
e3-e4. The arising positions often have the feel of a Closed Ruy Lopez or a King's Indian, and often the networks
and passageways of our attacking lines flow with effortless co-ordination. Black can also trade immediately on d4,
as in Hoi-Gulko. In that case we slowly build for a kingside attack, in a position which feels a bit like a Queen's
Gambit Declined Exchange line, except Black holds back his d-pawn to d6 rather than d5. In the final game of the
chapter (Yusupov-Rozentalis) we cover lines where White plays his c-pawn to the fourth, not the third - normally
blasphemy to the Colle player, yet not such a bad idea here - in which case the positions look and feel a bit like a
classical queen's pawn game.
Colle-Capablanca
Guimard-Foguelman
Lakdawala-Khachian
Lakdawala-Longren
Hoi-Gulko
Yusupov-Rozentalis

Index

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 b6 3 e3 Bb7 4 Bd3 c5 5 0-0

5 c3 e6 6 Nbd2
6...d6 – Lakdawala-Khachian
6...d5 – Lakdawala-Longren
5...e6 6 Nbd2
6 c4 – Yusupov-Rozentalis
6...Nc6
6...cxd4 7 exd4 Be7 – Hoi-Gulko
7 c3 Be7 8 e4 cxd4
9 Nxd4 – Colle-Capablanca
9 cxd4 – Guimard-Foguelman
 A47
Colle,E
Capablanca,J
Karlsbad 1929
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
When I was ten-years-old I wrote an
unspeakable, vile, hideously bad series of
short stories and poems (most beginning with
"Roses are red, violets are blue") – bad even
for a ten-year-old! – which to this day makes
me cringe and blush with shame, the colour
of borscht, when painfully thinking back upon
it. Well, this game is Colle's equivalent of my
early writing efforts! Both he and his system
get casually brushed aside in embarrassing
style by Capablanca.
No matter how formidable a player is, it
seems there is always someone greater.
Edgar Colle occasionally got outmatched and
faced opponents who were just too
challenging, even for him playing his own
system. In this game Capa, as he did with
most of his opponents, effortlessly made
Colle look like an incompetent, buffoonish
amateur, when in reality the Belgian GM and
founder of our system was anything but an
amateur.
I thought about putting this game in my book
on Capablanca but lacked the space. It's
actually an instructive schematic chart of how
not to handle the white side of Colle versus
Queen's Indian.
1.d4 f6 2.f3 b6 3.e3 b7 4.bd2 e6
5.d3 The main starting position of Colle
versus Queen's Indian. As you will see in this
chapter, both sides can enter via other move
orders as well.
QUESTION: I realize White will be playing for
e3-e4 at the right moment, but where will
Black put his pawns?
ANSWER: For now, this question remains a
mystery. Black's structure is quite flexible. He
almost always plays ...c7-c5, but we don't
know if he will swap on d4 or not, and we
don't know where his d-pawn ends up: d7, d6
or d5. Be on high alert. It is very easy for us to
get tricked into a tempo down version of
Chapters One and Two by misplacing our
pieces or wasting a move, if and when Black
plays a timely ...d7-d5.
c5 6.0-0 c6 QUESTION: Is there some
significance to Black's move order? I would
think developing his bishop to e7 is more
natural.
ANSWER: We must be very careful of ...Nb4
tricks once Black's knight gets to c6.
7.c3 Next chapter we examine the Zukertort
lines, which continue to grow in popularity –
although I'm not sure if "popularity" is the
correct choice of words when talking about
any line of the Colle!
[ 7.a3 intending c2-c4 (no matter what Black
plays next) is another idea. It can also lead
to the Zukertort lines, ]
[ as does 7.b3 . ]
7...e7 8.e4!
[ QUESTION: Isn't there a need for the
preparatory 8.a3 , in order to play for e3-e4
next without fear of ...Nb4?
ANSWER: This most natural move may be
inaccurate if Black keeps a flexible mind. He
can easily equalize with d5! . Essentially
White has been tricked into Chapter One,
except he has half-wasted a tempo on the
unnecessary a2-a3. ]
[ Alternatively, 8.e2 0-0 9.b3!? c7
10.b2 d5 11.ac1 , G.A.Thomas-R.
Crepeaux, Gent 1926, looks very much like
my game against Maki from Chapter Two.
But don't expect an edge here. Essentially,
White is playing a Zukertort formation with
the non-essential c2-c3, which may
represent a waste of time when White
eventually plays c3-c4. ]
8...cxd4 9.xd4?! Now Colle just ends up in
a passive, milquetoast Open Sicilian position.
QUESTION: Why did he avoid the natural
recapture with his c-pawn.
[ ANSWER: Your suggestion is the correct
response. Colle was undoubtedly afraid to
enter 9.cxd4! b4 10.b1 a6 11.e1
d3 12.xd3 xd3 and assessed the
position as favouring Black. However,
matters are not so simple. In the next game
we look at the very sharp 13.d5!
, after which Black is forced to play very
carefully to maintain equality. ]
9...0-0 10.e2 e5! QUESTION: What is
the point of Black's last move? I understand
that he gains a tempo on White's bishop, but
he will lose it right back in a couple of moves
when White strikes back with f2-f4.
ANSWER: Capa was at least two generations
ahead of his rivals in his strategic
understanding. The other day I was at the
bookstore (I like to feel real books and loathe
e-books – I am a relic from a long dead era,
who hates all things techno and electronic,
even while burning through novels at the pace
of 500 pages a week on my Kindle!),
thumbing through John Emms' book on the
Taimanov Sicilian. In a very similar position, I
remember a diagram where Black played a
similar ...Ne5 which was given an exclam. As
you will see in the coming moves, Capa's
move is a prelude to a deep, light square
strategy. Just watch.
11.c2 c8! 12.f4
[ Capa routinely out-understood and out-
hypermoderned all the elite hypermoderns,
such as Nimzowitsch and Réti. Perhaps
Colle should have anticipated Capa's
strategy (impossible for 1929!) and played
12.a4! to block with Nb5 next. ]
12...a6! 13.d1 c6
[ It would be silly to willingly enter 13...xf1?
14.fxe5 a6 15.exf6 xf6 16.2f3
, when White stands clearly better. ]
14.f3 Colle was one of the most ferocious
attackers of his day, but here Capa envisioned
the future with a far deeper comprehension
level. White's attack isn't as strong as it looks,
yet his weaknesses remain very real.
[ Here, or in the next few moves, Colle
should have tossed in 14.xc6! to avoid the
overextended structure he got in the game. ]
14...g6 He should capture on d4 immediately,
since this gives White another (final) chance
for 15 Nxc6.
15.2b3 xd4 16.xd4
[ Black stands better after 16.cxd4 c6! . ]
16...b7 17.e2 c5! 18.h3?! The attack
looks misguided.
[ It would be better to consolidate with
18.d3 , followed by Bd2. ]
18...c6! Nobody can even blink or cough
without Orwellian Big Sister queen knowing
about it. Her goal: to induce e4-e5, which
permanently weakens White's light squares.
19.e5 Wow. That was quick!
[ Maybe he should offer a pawn for the dark
squares with 19.e3! xd4 20.xd4 xe4
. Of course, no player in their right mind
would willingly enter an ending a pawn
down against Capa, but perhaps here
21.xe4! ( I don't believe White gets full
compensation after 21.h6 f5 22.xe4
xe4 23.f2 , despite his impressive dark
squares, mainly because Black rules the
opposite colour ) 21...xe4 22.xe4 xe4
23.f6! may be hard for Black to win, due to
the opposite-coloured bishops and that
entrenched annoyance on f6. Still, had this
variation occurred, I would bet the farm that
Capa would have converted and walked off
with the full point. ]
19...d5 20.f2 QUESTION: Isn't White's
attack growing out of control?
ANSWER: The unbeliever prays only for
religion-free Sundays. Not according to Capa!
[ 20.e3 xd4! 21.cxd4 is similar. ]
20...xd4! QUESTION: Didn't Capablanca
just hand over the bishop pair and all his dark
squares?
ANSWER: And he displayed stunning
understanding for a game played in 1929 as
he did so. Advantage Black, who has
achieved Nimzowitsch's dream light square
blockade. White's kingside attack goes
nowhere since he is tied down to the defence
of g2. Meanwhile Black's counterattack down
the c-file gathers momentum.
21.cxd4 ac8 EXERCISE (planning): Both
sides furiously attack on their respective wings.
Would you go for 22 Qh4 here?
22.d1!
[ ANSWER: Colle avoided Capa's deep trap:
22.h4? loses to the shocking f6!
(clearance) 23.f2 g4 24.e2 xc2
25.xg4 h5!! 26.xh5 e4! (threatening
mate in one, as well as ...Rc2) 27.g3 e2!
28.g5 d1+ 29.f2 c2+ mates in two
moves. ]
22...f6! QUESTION: I read that it is generally
deemed ineffective to challenge a pawn chain
at its head. Is this correct?
ANSWER: Normally true, but this is an
exception and the move is necessary. It is
also dual purpose. First, Black prepares ...Rf7
to cover the h7-square. Next, he reminds
White that the f-file may open shortly to
Black's advantage.
23.h4?! The relief of finally entering my
doctor's office doesn't make up for the misery
of the 44 wasted minutes he drained from my
very finite life by keeping me trapped in the
bardo netherworld of his waiting room
beforehand. White hastily organizes a posse
and sets forth to hunt down Black's mocking
king to bring him to justice.
I forgot to mention Colle's violent allergic
reaction to any form or shape of defence or
retreat, even when necessary. Still, one must
concede there is an artless charm to how he
keeps trying, despite the flashing signs of
failure all around him. White's queen finally
enters the fiction of attack with a half-hearted
volley. Capa's king is afforded ample
insulation by the pawn perimeter which snugly
surrounds him.
[ 23.f3 is the more rational choice but my
impression is it wouldn't have saved him in
the long run. ]
[ QUESTION: Why not challenge the long
diagonal with 23.f3 ?
ANSWER: A trap! Black wins after xc1+!
.]
23...f7 24.f3 EXERCISE (combination
alert): Black to play and win a pawn – and
demolish all semblance of a White attack.
How did Capa do it?
ANSWER: A little reminder to White that he
who attacks should first put his own house in
order.
c4! White's d4-pawn is the worm on the
hook, tossed into a lake which hasn't been
fished in quarter of a century, where the fish
fight each other to grab at the bait. As always
with Capa's games, it looks too easy, as if we
would all have played the same moves! I have
a feeling he took his staggering natural ability
for granted. If a person of privilege is born in
a sumptuous estate and lives there his entire
life, is he capable of seeing its beauty when
he has nothing to compare it with?
25.e3 xe3! The knight ingenuously
performs the rigours of formality to parlay with
his counterpart on e3.
26.xb7 Double attack?
f5 No, zwischenzug – complete collapse.
White's resistance evaporates into a lifeless
hulk, an empty vessel.
27.e1!? The queen retreats in disgrace,
wearing a grotesque mask, a caricature of her
former self. Colle decides to toss a second
pawn to keep queens on the board.
QUESTION: Isn't his last move a blunder,
making a bad situation even worse?
[ ANSWER: This may sound strange, but in
some instances the correct decision is at the
same time a mistaken one. When nothing
works, your best shot of survival is to
embrace the irrational. He would have no
chance to survive in the marginally less
hopeless line 27.f2? c1+! 28.e1
xe1+ 29.xe1 c7 30.a6 xd4
. In reality, all the Laskers and Alekhines of
the world – in fact, nobody in the world of
1929 – would have a prayer of holding
White's position versus Capa. ]
27...c7 28.e4 xd4+ 29.h1 fxe5
30.xf5 exf5!
[ Trademark Capaplicity. He keeps it simple,
avoiding complications arising from 30...xf5
31.h4 , when White threatens both h7 and
a nasty check on d8. ]
31.fxe5 e7 32.e3 xb2 Another one falls.
33.e6 dxe6 34.xe6 f7! The old king
dances a merry jig, buoyant with
unadulterated joy at the prospect of
participating in the proceedings.
A work of art – in any field of endeavour –
goes beyond merely external beauty. It should
also utter a statement which speaks to the
observer (please return to Colle-Duchamp for
more on this discussion!). This game speaks
to me.
SUMMARY: Against the Queen's Indian
formation, it is important that you recapture
on d4 with your c-pawn if possible. If you
recapture with a knight, as in this game,
White tends to drift into a sorry-looking Open
Sicilian.
0-1
A47
Guimard,C
Foguelman,A
Buenos Aires 1960
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.f3 e6 3.e3 b6 4.d3 b7
5.bd2 c5 6.0-0 e7 7.c3 c6 8.e4 cxd4
9.cxd4! The correct recapture. White remains
undaunted by Black's coming raid on the
queenside light squares.
b4 10.b1 a6 11.e1 d3 The knight,
having found its holy grail on d3, soon
discovers the square is not quite as holy as
he once imagined.
12.xd3 xd3 QUESTION: It looks to me
like White botched the opening. Black has
bishop pair and if White plays e4-e5, this
simply gives Black the d5-square for his knight,
similar to what we saw in the previous game.
Also, Black should be able to castle safely
now there is no more light-squared bishop on
d3, staring at h7. A correct assessment?
ANSWER: Sometimes a beautiful thing can
still carry a taint. They say Berchtesgaden, in
the German/Bavarian Alps, is a breathtakingly
picturesque place. However, Hitler loved to
vacation there, which is a bummer of a selling
point if you happen to be a hotel owner trying
to drum up business in the off-season! Every
point you mentioned is true. But you left out
all of White's pluses! White leads in
development and, with his powerful next move,
causes disarray in Black's camp. The position
may turn out to be equal by computer
assessment, but in reality it is not so easy to
play Black's side over the board.
13.d5! This is the move which gives Black a
headache. I remember studying this move with
a friend, having seen it as a suggestion in
some chess magazine back in the early 1990s.
Black must play exceedingly carefully to
equalize – in fact, I'm not so sure he can. If
you don't believe me: Black scores a dismal
30% from this position.
c5? In this, the original game of the
variation, Black responds with one of the
myriad inaccurate responses available to him.
We often experience the blurred boundary
and vast divide between the glory of our
imagination of speculated futures and our
despairing flubs of the actual execution of our
plans. Such is the case here.
QUESTION: I don't understand what all the
fuss is about. Why not just castle here?
[ ANSWER: A trap! Castling drops a piece to
the surprising 13...0-0?? 14.d6! 1-0 D.Hart-
C.Wagner, San Diego 1992. My buddy
National Master Dave Hart and I had been
looking at this position that same afternoon
this game was played! Here he pulls the
ambush and takes down a Senior Master
with the trap.
QUESTION: Okay I see the idea, but then
why not just eliminate the problem by
eliminating its source on d5? ]
[ ANSWER: This line also puts Black under
heavy pressure after 13...exd5 14.exd5
xd5 ( 14...0-0? 15.b3! wins material
since it threatens both d2-bishop and also
d5-d6! ) 15.f1! (Black finds himself
dreadfully behind in development) b4 ( or
15...xf1 16.xd5 a6 17.xe7+! xe7
18.g5+ f6 19.f4! when my Houdini went
mad, announcing a forced mate in 696
moves! – I swear, I'm not joking! – then,
after further reflection, slightly altered the
assessment to a forced mate in 14 moves! )
16.a3! xf1 ( or 16...c2 17.xd3 xe1
18.xe1 0-0 and Black is unlikely to save
himself ) 17.axb4 b5?? .
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black's
bishop should have gone to c4 last move.
White to play and win a piece.
ANSWER: Double attack: 18.d4!
, White threatens both the bishop and Nf5, F.
Gomez Fontal-R.Vazquez Igarza, Las Tunas
2001. ]
[ Possibly 13...c8! is Black's single hope of
retaining equality. For example: 14.d4
( the immediate 14.d6 is also possible )
14...0-0 15.b3 a6 16.2f3 e8 17.d6!
d8 18.g5 b7 19.a3 c8
, W.Arencibia Rodriguez-L.Psakhis,
Manresa 1996. The players agreed to a
draw here, though I still prefer White. ]
14.b4! Simple as that. Black is busted.
Guimard weaves his way through the tricky
variables and alights upon the correct plan.
xb4
[ There is no real choice, since 14...f8
is just too ugly to contemplate. ]
15.b3! Double attack, which in turn forces
Black's next move. The lost black bishops
inadvertently wander into a bad
neighbourhood. They watch in horror as the
submerged destitute and marginalized of the
city emerge and encircle them.
xd2 16.xd2 a6 17.a3! Paralyzing
Black along the dark squares. White's pieces
encircle the black king like a too tight
engagement ring around the finger of a
woman he doesn't love.
h5 EXERCISE (planning): We all know White
is winning in the abstract. Now come up with
a concrete plan to prove it.
ANSWER: Clearance. White's knight arrives
on e4 with crushing finality.
18.e5! xd5 19.e4 The lioness nuzzles
her cub, encouraging her forward. It seems
personal tragedy has a way of forcing
introspection down the throats of our normally
unexamined lives. Black's game is in ruins and
no one would fault him if he resigned here.
h4 20.a4! Double attack/discovered
attack. White threatens the a6-bishop and
also Nd6+, winning Black's queen. I realize
that I complain an awful lot about my dogs,
but Black's situation reminds me of the
depressing times when I look out of the
window into my backyard and witness one of
my dogs nonchalantly trotting over to my
beloved fig tree, as he lifts his leg in vile
desecration.
[ There is nothing wrong with the pedestrian
20.d6+ either. ]
20...g4 21.xa6 f4 22.d6+ f8
23.b7 Oh no you don't, my friend! With nice
economy of motion, White attacks the a8-rook
while conveniently covering g2, almost as an
afterthought. The aggregate of White's attack
functions with greater efficiency than any of
its individual parts.
d8 24.e3 g8 25.h3 g5 26.ae1 h4
27.f3 Threat: Re4 and Qxf7+.
f5 28.exf6 gxf6 29.e4 e5 I always deeply
appreciate it when opponents refuse to resign
in hopelessly busted positions. They are so
much fun to play. In this case the district
attorney declines the plea deal and refuses to
remove the death penalty from the table.
EXERCISE (combination alert): How can
White end Black's futile resistance?
ANSWER: The dyke fails against the
perpetually invading waters of the ocean.
Eliminate Black's only good piece.
30.xf4! xf4
[ 30...exf4 31.b3+ does the job as well. ]
31.d5+ The queen corroborates the
rumoured media reports about the black king's
poor health.
g7 The nervous king, a supermarket of
phobias, psychic wounds and deeply held
resentments, mostly keeps to himself these
days.
32.c1 Winning the queen or mate. Black's
queen and king simultaneously groan, as one
would after a particularly awful pun.
SUMMARY: Black's position is exceedingly
difficult to navigate after 13 d5. This position
will be a point fountain for you. I promise!
1-0
A47
Lakdawala,C
Khachian,M
SCCF Championship, Los Angeles 2001
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3 c5 2.c3 I never cease to be amused
by the perplexed, incredulous "are-you-
kidding me?" looks my opponents give me at
this point.
e6 3.d4 f6 4.e3 b6 What? This came as
a surprise. I had prepared for some kind of
Grünfeld set-up from Grandmaster Khachian.
The normally anarchistic Melik shocks
everyone with an unexpected display of
orthodoxy, perhaps designed to inoculate
himself from his own vices.
5.bd2 b7 6.d3 d6 Black commits his d-
pawn early, which is not in his best interests
in this line.
QUESTION: Why not?
ANSWER: Black's power in the Queen's
Indian lines is the fact that he keeps White
guessing about ...d7-d6 and ...d7-d5. By
playing the pawn to d6 so early, White
suddenly isn't so worried anymore, as ...d6-d5
would then come with loss of tempo for Black.
7.e4 e7 8.0-0 0-0 9.e1 e8!?
I have also faced:
[ a) 9...bd7 10.e2 ( Colle would most
certainly have played 10.e5 in this position )
10...e5 11.d5 h5 12.f1 g6 13.h6
g7 14.g3 a6 15.c4 f6 16.ab1 c8
17.h3 fe8 18.b4 , when White has an
excellent version of a Lopez/King's Indian
structure, C.Lakdawala-A.Kretchetov,
SCCF Championship, Los Angeles 2008. ]
[ b) 9...c6 10.a3 c8 ( or 10...d7 11.b4
c7 12.b2 f6 13.c1 g6 14.f1 g7
15.b1 ad8 16.e3 f6 17.d5 exd5
18.exd5 e5 19.c4 h5 20.xe5 dxe5
21.f5! with serious advantage to White,
since Black must hand over his dark-
squared bishop for a knight, C.Lakdawala-
E.Sevillano, Los Angeles 2002 ) 11.e2
cxd4 12.cxd4 d7 13.f1 f6 14.e3 e5
15.d5 d4!? (accepting pawn weakness for
dynamic chances) 16.xd4 exd4
and Black has obtained piece play on the
dark squares in exchange for his
weakened structure. Chances look balanced,
C.Lakdawala-E.Sevillano, San Diego (rapid)
2006. ]
10.a3 QUESTION: Why play a2-a3 if Black
isn't even threatening to play ...Nb4?
ANSWER: In order to expand later with b2-b4.
[ Another plan is to play for a direct kingside
attack in c3-Sicilian style with 10.e2 bd7
11.e5 . ]
10...f8 11.f1 e5 Thank heaven. I am a lot
less afraid of Khachian in closed positions!
Black doesn't want e4-e5 hovering over his
head and so goes for a passive King's Indian/
Closed Ruy Lopez formation.
[ The alternative is to toss in 11...cxd4
12.cxd4 and only then play e5 13.d5 . ]
12.d5 bd7 13.g3 c7 Black hopes to
achieve ...c5-c4 and ...b6-b5 to generate
some activity on the queenside.
14.c4 White seizes a territorial advantage.
[ He can also play 14.e2 to leave c4 open
for a piece later on. ]
14...e7 This is a bit odd. I don't claim to
understand the idea behind the move.
QUESTION: What would be a normal plan
here?
[ ANSWER: Begin with 14...g6 and play for
(an admittedly difficult) ...f7-f5 much, much
later on with a manoeuvre like ...Bg7, ...Rf8,
 ...Ne8. Even then it will be next to impossible
to engineer the break. ]
15.f5 d8 QUESTION: Why is Black trying
to preserve his bad bishop?
ANSWER: It may be a bad bishop, but he
can't play ...g7-g6 with the bishop gone,
because of the dark square weakening.
16.h3 f8 17.h2 QUESTION: What is the
idea?
ANSWER: This is a typical Ruy Lopez
manoeuvre, clearing f3 for the queen and
opening up g4 for the knight.
c8 18.f3 g6 19.g3 Cutting off access
to f4 and h4.
xf5? An addict in withdrawal doesn't make
for pleasant company. This hastily considered
plan requires heavy outlays of expense and
energy and, in the end, not much reward on
the initial investment. Melik, chafing under
cramped quarters and an absence of
counterplay, embarks on a huge concession
to swap queens. In doing so he trades one
problem (being under attack) for an even
bigger one (a lousy ending!).
QUESTION: But isn't it okay to swap bishop
for knight in a closed position?
ANSWER: Not if the exchange leaves you
with weak light squares and a bad bishop.
20.xf5 I was happy to enter the endgame
and didn't really consider recapture with my e-
pawn.
c8 Black's idea, but he will suffer in the
ending for some time to come.
21.xc8 xc8 QUESTION: What,
specifically, are White's advantages?
ANSWER: We feel a sense of increase in
White's game, like a coffee percolator
accumulating in calibrated, staccato drips. A
collation of White's advantages and Black's
woes:
1. A huge space advantage, with which White
may prepare both b2-b4 and f2-f4 breaks later
on.
2. The bishop pair, which for now isn't that
scary – but what if the position opens up 21
moves later?
3. Black has a terrible remaining bishop, with
most of his pawns fixed on the same colour
squares.
4. This fact in turn leads to weak light squares.
Conclusion: Black is in deep strategic trouble.
22.d2 e7 23.g4 b7
[ 23...xg4 24.hxg4 would only increase
White's advantage because it would clamp
down on Black's ...f7-f5 break. Also, White
may later double rooks on the h-file,
pressuring h7. ]
24.e3 Principle: Avoid trades when you have
a space advantage.
e8 Intending ...Bg5, activating the bad
bishop.
25.h4! Oh, no you don't! His bishop remains
unemployed.
f8 26.b4 g6 27.eb1 QUESTION: Why
not the undeveloped rook?
ANSWER: I wanted to leave possibilities open
for a3-a4-a5 later on.
f6! QUESTION: What is Black's idea?
ANSWER: He desperately needs ...f7-f5 for
counterplay, but doesn't yet have enough
force to do so. The move played allows ...Rf7
and ...Ng7, to back up the break.
28.g2 To connect the rooks – and later, if
White plays f2-f4, his e-pawn may become
tender and need help with Kf3.
f7 29.a2 With the possibility of doubling
on b2, or subsequent transferring to the
kingside.
g7 30.bxc5 dxc5 Now Black is ready for ...
f7-f5.
[ Instead, 30...bxc5? doesn't give White a
passed pawn, but allows absolute control
over the b-file, which is much worse. ]
31.c3! Preventing ...f7-f5 again.
c7 32.g4 Once again halting ...f7-f5 and
threatening to fork on h6.
h8 33.h6 This costs Black time. The
annoying knight prances about oafishly,
bumping into others, all the while imagining
itself a magical creature in an enchanted
forest.
e7 34.f1 e8 35.f4 White achieves his
second break. It isn't easy to keep all options
open and simultaneously, firmly commit, yet
White's industrious army manages it.
g7 36.g4 h5 37.e3 exf4!?
He hopes to generate play against the centre,
but in doing so opens the game for White's
bishop pair and also hands over a huge centre.
Nonetheless, it's hard to fault his decision,
since it also sharpens the game.
[ 37...d7 38.f5! looks like no fun at all for
Black. ]
38.gxf4 The metastasis spreads its
malignance unabated in Black's camp:
1. White enjoys the bishop pair in an open
position.
2. A rolling pawn centre.
3. A brewing attack down the g-file.
d7 39.f3 d6 40.g2 Target: g6. The
alternating waves and ripples of White's
steadily growing initiative flow with varying,
intermittent success and efficiency.
g8 QUESTION: Why not go after White's
soft spot on e4 instead?
[ ANSWER: Black can indeed pick off the e-
pawn, but at too high a cost to his king. For
example, 40...ce8? 41.fg1 xe4
42.xg6+ h7 ( alternatively: 42...f7
43.g7+ f8 44.g8+ f7 45.1g7#
and the crows bloody their greedy bills,
feeding on the roadkill garter snake;; or
42...h8 43.xe4 xe4 44.h6#
when Black's king passes away without
leaving a penny to his heirs ) 43.f5!
(White's attackers hover over Black
menacingly, the way the psychopath in a
teen horror movie looms, butcher's cleaver
in hand, over the blissfully unaware kissing
couple on the sofa) xc3 44.h6# . ]
[ EXERCISE (combination alert): After
40...g8 White has access to a simple tactic
which wins material. How? ]
ANSWER: Sometimes a conspiratorial group is
forced to add an unwanted new member, if
only to buy his silence. White's knight, a serial
issuer of dire forecasts, upbraids the black
king to repent before it is too late.
41.f5+! xf5 42.exf5 Venal White
corporate interests galvanize their impossible
consumptive demands upon an already
strained ecosystem. Finally, White wrests the
stubborn g6-pawn from Black's now languid
clutches.
f8 43.fxg6 d7 44.f5 The bishop leans
into the wall with crossed arms and a smug
look on his face.
ge8 45.d2 Black's rooks paste artificial
smiles on their faces, pretending to be
delighted in their counterpart's good fortune,
as they are denied all entry points on the e-
file.
f8 46.a4 a5 47.ff2 d6 EXERCISE
(planning): White can't just yet swap rooks
since he would lose his extended and extra g-
pawn. Come up with a plan to make progress
against Black's attempted fortress.
ANSWER: Exchange a single pair of rooks.
This takes away Black's last trump, since
White no longer worries so much about rook
infiltration.
48.d3! c7 49.e2 xe2 50.xe2! e7
[ Not 50...xg6?? 51.d3 . ]
51.c3 d8 52.d3 d7 53.f5 b7
[ 53...e7 opens an avenue for the white
king after 54.d6 b7 55.e4 . ]
54.e6 The posting of White's bishops is in
stark contrast to their lapsed brother and
sister's stereo dislocation on the Black side.
QUESTION: Why did Black resign? It looks
like he has reasonable chances to create a
fortress, doesn't he?
ANSWER: Let's do a planning exercise to
solve your question:
EXERCISE (planning): Come up with a
concrete plan for White to show that
resignation was not premature.
[ ANSWER: Black's h-pawn (and king!) soon
fall after 54.e6 e7 55.e4 d6 56.f5
e7 57.g5! (several sharp rejoinders rise
to the black king's tongue, but he restrains
them all and submits to the slight) b8
58.xh5 b7 59.d2! .
SUMMARY: I often get the White side of
Closed Lopez/King's Indian-like positions in
the Colle versus Queen's Indian. It's not a
bad idea to survey games in both those
variations, just to get a feel of familiarity for
White. ]
1-0
D05
Lakdawala,C
Longren,W
SCCF Championship 1995
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3
[ You can arrive at reversed Stonewall
structures from all sorts of openings.
Compare my not-so-classic game with this
Rubinstein classic: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.c3
f6 4.g5 e7 5.f3 bd7 6.e3 0-0
7.c1 b6 8.cxd5 exd5 9.e5 b7 10.d3
c5 11.f4 (there we go – a reversed
Stonewall) e8 12.0-0 c4 13.b1 a6
14.f3! b5 15.h3 f8? .
EXERCISE (combination alert): White has a
way to crash through Black's flimsy kingside
defensive barrier. How?
ANSWER: Step 1: Elimination of defender.
16.xf6! xf6 Step 2: Crash through on h7.
17.xh7+ xh7 18.h5 c7 19.xh7+
f8 20.e4 dxe4 21.xe4 xe5 22.fxe5
c6 23.e1 d5 24.h8+ e7 25.h4+
d7 26.f2 c7 27.f3 e7 28.c3
e6 29.f4 d8 30.f1 dd7 31.g3
b6 32.e2 c6 .
EXERCISE (combination alert): Once again,
 White has a method of breaching the
defence.
ANSWER: Discovered attack.
33.xf7! b6 ( 33...xf7 34.e6+
does the job ) 34.xe7 xe7 35.f4 e4
36.g6+! xg6 37.xg6 d7 38.d1 b4
39.e6 d6 40.e7 c6 .
EXERCISE (combination alert): White to
play and force resignation.
ANSWER: Double attack/overload: c6 and
c4.
41.e5! 1-0 A.Rubinstein-A.Flamberg, Lodz
1906. ]
1...c5 2.c3 To this day, I still derive great joy
in witnessing the incredulous expressions on
the faces of my opponents whenever I trot out
my beloved Lakdawala Accelerated.
e6 3.d4 f6 4.e3 b6 5.bd2 b7 6.d3
d5 QUESTION: Your opponent played ...d7-
d5, so doesn't this game belong in either of
the first two chapters?
ANSWER: Please keep your voice down or
my editor, John, will hear you and yell at me
(via email) for this flagrant breech of chaptural
(I made up this word) etiquette! You are of
course right, but the main reason I sneaked it
into Chapter Three is that I hoped to reinforce
how these chapters weave in and out of one
another. Stay alert and on your tippy-toes for
transpositions.
7.e5 d6 8.f4 Once again we revisit the
reversed Stonewall Dutch structure.
c7 Black contemplates opposite wing
castling.
[ QUESTION: How would one go about
attacking if Black, without fear, simply plays
the no-nonsense 8...0-0 ?
ANSWER: The first step is to take control
over e4 with 9.f3 . Then xe5!?
A) ANSWER: He alertly foresaw the line
10.fxe5 e4! 11.xe4 dxe4 and White is
unable to recapture, due to Black's queen
check on h4.;
B) After 10.dxe5! fd7 11.h3!
( even the straightforward 11.0-0 a6
12.e4 looks good for White ) 11...f5
12.f3! ( avoiding distractions like
12.exf6?! xf6 13.xe6+ h8
, when Black gets good play down the
newly opened e-file ) 12...e7 13.d2 c4
14.c2 c5 15.g4! e4 16.gxf5 exf5
17.d4 d7 18.xe4 dxe4 19.g1 c5
, R.Cifuentes Parada-J.Hodgson, Ubeda
1996, White can simply take on f5 with a
winning position.;
C) 10.dxe5! .
QUESTION: Why didn't White recapture
with the f-pawn? ]
[ QUESTION: Shouldn't Black play 8...e4
while he can?
ANSWER: The move is premature since it
allows a disruptive check on b5; i.e. 9.b5+
f8 10.xe4 dxe4 11.0-0 with advantage
to White. ]
9.f3 A key point to remember: Take over
control of e4 as quickly as possible.
c6 10.a3 Intending b2-b4.
0-0-0!? Black, nervous about castling short
with such an ominous White build-up in that
sector, decides to castle long.
11.0-0 QUESTION: Does White sometimes
castle long, too, in reversed Stonewall
structures?
ANSWER: From my experience, almost never,
since Black owns the space on that wing.
df8 Perhaps contemplating ...Nd7 and ...f7-
f6.
12.b4 c4 QUESTION: Didn't White just get
tricked? You closed the queenside and, for
now, his king remains very safe, whereas you
are open to attack on the kingside.
ANSWER: Rather than challenging Black on
the queenside, White plays on the kingside
and in the centre, where he holds a space
advantage. White intends a timely e3-e4,
which should retain an edge.
13.c2 d8 14.e4! The correct timing for
the move since the centre is blocked.
QUESTION: When is e3-e4 incorrectly timed?
ANSWER: It is nearly always a bad move if,
for example, Black's c-pawn was still on c5
and central tension remained.
e8 15.exd5 exd5?! QUESTION: Was
Black's last move the correct recapture?
[ ANSWER: I would keep the d5-square open
for pieces with 15...xd5 16.e4 f6
17.xd5 xd5! 18.e4! , when White
continues to hold a slight edge. ( Not
18.dxc4? xe5! 19.xe5 xc3
, which looks slightly better for Black. )]
16.h3+! Exploiting Black's last move.
e6 The knight sits uncomfortably here,
vulnerable to pawn pushes and undermining
tricks.
[ 16...b8?? 17.d7+ picks off an
exchange. ]
17.a4 b8 18.a5 g6?! He should not have
allowed the a-file to open. Nobody wants to
build their dream home on a charmless patch
of real estate. Yet, inexplicably, Black's king
does just that, taking residence in his hovel,
surrounded by grey, colourless concrete.
Black is too eager for a fight, even if it is in
his own neighbourhood, and underestimates
the dangers to his own king.
[ It would be wiser to keep the a-file closed
by playing 18...b5 . ]
19.axb6 axb6 20.a4! Targeting c6 and d7,
both tender squares. Now Black's king lives
half in and half out, with one foot in this world,
the other in the next.
fg8
[ Black's trouble is that he just can't afford
20...xe5 (compare my games against Pena
and Hummel) 21.fxe5 , since it loses all
control over the dark squares and is
equivalent to strategic suicide. ]
21.f5!?
[ The comp says it is better to go for
21.d7+! c8 22.f3! f5 ( or 22...xf4?
23.fe5 and Black is completely busted )
23.fe5 . ]
[ QUESTION: Your last move puzzles me.
Why open the g-file for his rook?
ANSWER: It does indeed open the g-file,
but I thought the pressure White got down
the f-file mattered more. 21.f5 is the human
move but perhaps too straightforward.
When I was a kid, I had this horribly
disconcerting habit of always blurting out
the truth, when all along I had intended to
lie! Freud pointed out that the unconscious
mind (the "Id") enjoys a huge advantage
over the conscious mind (us!), in that the
unconscious mind knows all our dirty little
secrets, while we know next to nothing about
the Id. Thus we are at constant, never-
ending disadvantage over the true nature of
our motivations. In this instance, my Id,
having grown sick and tired of my chess
wimp image wanted to be a hero and attack,
and does so, possibly prematurely. (My
advice to my Id: Just give up. I will never
change! I wasn't born to be a hero.) ]
21...gxf5 22.xf5?!
[ 22.d7+! c8 23.f3! , heading for e5
next, is still very much in White's favour. ]
22...xe5 23.xe5 EXERCISE (calculation):
There is no right or wrong answer to this one.
White just allowed 23...Nf4. Work out the
ramifications. Would you play it as Black?
d6 In the occluded haze of the battlefield,
the stressed soldier sees only what his
subconscious wants him to see.
[ ANSWER: If a genie grants you one, and
only one, non-transferable magic wish, then
it would be unwise to squander it on
something trivial. Sidelines run endlessly,
like credits at the end of a movie, but this is
one sideline Black should have jumped on.
Not because it wins, but because he it is
much better than what he got in the game.
We get a god-awful mess after 23...f4!
(the knight veers violently away from the
moral values of his puritanical upbringing
and goes chasing after White's queen with
the ardour of a teenage nerd in love with the
high school "bad girl") 24.f3! xg2+!?
( a piece sac – which, I admit, looks more
like a guilt-assuaging move made at
significant psychic cost, rather than an
actual sacrifice; instead, 24...xg2??
25.xe8+ xe8 26.xe8 g8 27.h1!
leaves Black without sufficient
compensation ) 25.f1 – nobody can be
cleansed without first undergoing some
degree of suffering. Somehow White's king
reminds me of the words from Goethe's
Faust: "Strive, float, weave, live, tremble,
give!" White wins a piece, but Black gets
attacking chances after hg8 26.xf4
g1+ 27.f2 8g2+ 28.e3 , when it's
anybody's game to win or lose. ]
24.f1! Multipurpose:
1. Covers f4.
2. Sets up a potential battery on f4.
3. Prepares a future Ne3 which pressures d5
and f5.
e4 25.c2 g6 26.xe4 Principle:
Opposite-coloured bishops favour the attacker,
which is White here.
dxe4 27.a2 Reinforcing g2.
hg8 28.f2 Multipurpose again:
1. Continues to cover g2.
2. Adds pressure down the f-file.
3. Tries for Rxe6! and Bf4 pin tricks.
a7?!
[ Black should offer his e-pawn with 28...e3!
, to activate the bishop down the long
diagonal. ]
29.e3 White aims at b6, in the direction of
Black's king. Meanwhile, hermetic relief finally
materializes for White's king, who finds a
safehouse on g1, since all ...e4-e3 tricks are
now halted.
h6 Black begins to run out of ideas. His
attempts at coercion down the g-file have
gotten him nowhere, having issued an
ultimatum, a last chance ultimatum, and an
absolutely last, last, final, "I'm-not-bluffing!-I-
really-really-mean-it!" ultimatum. In response,
White's king merely smiles and gives a
languid yawn.
30.f5 6g7 31.d5
[ Hitting e6 and opening the bishop's
diagonal to Black's king – a strong move, but
31.g3! is superior, when White has a
winning position. ]
31...g5?
[ Black's last chance lay in 31...g5!
32.xg5 xg5 33.h7 xe5 34.dxe6
xe6 35.xf7 b8 36.e3 , though he is
still in deep trouble. ]
32.a2+ b8 33.g3 The fundamentally
inept burglar's expectancy of a clean escape
is dashed when he trips and sprains his ankle
by hooking his foot in a croquet wicket.
[ In time trouble, I miss the sparkling shot
33.e7!! / ]
33...c8 34.f4! g6? The Roman emperor
on b8 misjudges the danger of the
conspiratorial plebeians who casually circle
his royal litter.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Find one
strong move and you force Black's
resignation.
ANSWER: The bride on f4 appears radiant,
while the ill-fitted groom on b8 frowns and
bites his lip. As the now clichéd Zen koan
about "the sound of one hand clapping" so
mysteriously tries to elucidate: an absence of
a thing exudes its own particular beauty. In
this case Black's missing dark square
defenders become a non-object of beauty for
White.
35.e7!
[ 35.xg5 xg5 36.a8+! also works.
SUMMARY: The reversed Stonewall Dutch
formation can arise from the early ...d7-d5
move orders from Chapters One and Two,
or from the Queen's Indian variation, as in
this case. ]
1-0
A47
Hoi,C
Gulko,B
Thessaloniki Olympiad 1988
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 e6 2.f3 c5 3.e3 f6 4.d3 b6
5.0-0 b7 6.bd2 cxd4 A no-nonsense
approach. Black immediately breaks the
central tension and alters the pawn structure.
QUESTION: In whose favour?
ANSWER: Nobody's so far. White benefits
from the opening of the e-file, while Black
gets long-term benefits with the potential for a
queenside minority attack – a fair negotiation.
7.exd4 e7 8.e1
[ White can also play without this move. For
example: 8.c3 0-0 9.e2 d6 10.c4
bd7 11.f4 c7 12.h3 fe8 13.h2
f8 14.fd2 (instructive; White prepares f2-
f4) g6 15.f4! f8 16.f2 e7 17.ae1
ad8 18.g4!? (only a very strong, confident
player or a very weak one would make such
a move!) c6 19.f3 g6 20.g3 h5
21.e3 hxg4 22.hxg4 ed5 23.xd5
xd5 24.h4 xf3?! ( 24...xg4 25.g3
h5 26.xd8 xd8 was a superior method
of sac'ing the exchange ) 25.xf3 xf3
26.xf6 xg4 27.xd8 xd8 and Black fell
short on full compensation, M.Krasenkow-B.
Macieja, Polish Championship, Warsaw
2001. ]
8...0-0 9.c3
[ QUESTION: Can White opt for a more
traditional queen's pawn opening with 9.c4
?
ANSWER: You can; and you may end up in
a hanging pawns situation after d5 10.b3
, similar to those we look at in the next
chapter on Zukertort lines. ]
[ QUESTION: Can White just transpose to a
Zukertort Colle with 9.b3 ?
ANSWER: Yes again; there is no problem
veering away into the Zuke. For example:
c6 10.a3 (halting ...Nb4 ideas) c8
11.b2 e8 12.c1 d5 13.e2
with a normal Zukertort position, A.Yusupov-
L.Polugaevsky, USSR Championship,
Moscow 1983. ]
9...d6 QUESTION: Why not go all the way to
d5 with the pawn?
ANSWER: Playing to d6 is perhaps more
accurate, since it denies White use of the e5-
square and also keeps Black's pawn
formation flexible. For example, White must
remain vigilant about ...e6-e5 breaks.
10.e2 e8 11.f1 The normal plan. White
builds up his forces on the kingside, similar to
the way he plays in reversed Queen's Gambit
Declined Exchange lines.
bd7 12.g3 f8 13.g5 h6 14.d2
Having induced a target on h6.
c7 Gulko is content with the status quo.
[ 14...e5!? 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.c4
sharpens the position. ]
15.c2 Keeping Qd3 options open.
d5
[ Once again Gulko holds back on his break
with 15...e5 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.ad1 . ]
16.b3 b7 Loading up on f3.
17.h4!? So the question for Black is: ...g7-
g5 or not? White tempts his opponent with
luxuries beyond imagination, while secretly
planning to deliver on the promise with
holographic simulacra, the chess version of
worthless monopoly money. He is willing to
allow ...Bxf3, only as long as Black is willing
to weaken his king with ...g7-g5 first.
b5 18.d3 g5!? Gulko, who feels
constrained by rules and regulations, decides
to chuck them away on a whim and weaken
his king's guard, to do the same to his
opponent. Yet he may be underestimating the
force of White's attack, while overestimating
the strength of his own. Clearly, eventful
times lie ahead for both sides, neither of
whom hold back on their zealotry.
19.f3 xf3!? Consistent and possibly
dubious.
[ It isn't too late for something like 19...e5!
20.f5 e6 ( 20...e4?! 21.xg5!
gives White a powerful attack for only a
small initial investment ) 21.d3 d5
, which may lead to a draw by repetition. ]
20.gxf3 QUESTION: Didn't Black get the
better of the deal? Just look at White's pawn
structure.
ANSWER: I admit White's structure looks
awkward, like a man who inadvertently and
loudly passes gas while on a first date with
the woman of his dreams. But the attacking
chances White receives down the open g-file
more than compensate.
g7 21.h4! The black king's self-contented
smile crumples abruptly, as he comes to grips
with the fact that all is not well in his kingdom.
Now White manages to pry open the g-file.
gxh4 22.e4 c6 23.h1 h5 24.g1
f8?!
[ QUESTION: Doesn't 24...f5 trap White's
knight?
ANSWER: It does, but once again he gets a
ferocious attack for it after 25.xh6 fxe4
26.e3! e7 27.xe4 d5 28.g6
, when Black will have a tough time surviving
the coming assault. All the same, your
suggestion may be Black's best, since what
he got in the game looks even worse. ]
25.xg7! Powerful play, waving aside Black's
best defender. The g7-bishop guarded his
doomed king the way a nesting mother bird
continues to protect eggs which will never
hatch.
xg7 EXERCISE (combination alert): White
has more than one powerful continuation
which blows Black away. Can you find them?
ANSWER: 26.xh6+!!
[ 26.g1+ f8 27.e3 e7 28.xh6 h8
29.g5+ f6 30.xf6+! dxf6 31.g7+!
was also winning. ]
26...xh6 The king continues to run and
dodge, as a spray of bullets sink into the
ground all around him.
[ 26...h8 27.xd6! is no help to Black. ]
27.g1! A quiet move after the initial deadly
one. White's rook reaches its primary goal
without challenge: to cage Black's king.
f5
[ 27...g8 28.e3+ h7 29.f6+ h8
30.h6# is mate. ]
28.e3+ f4 Defeated rulers suffer haunted
dreams of ancient glories and victories, which
torment them when they awaken and come to
the shuddering realization of their newly
found powerlessness. The contrast between
the two armies is the evolvement differential
between an adult sabre-toothed tiger and a
domesticated kitten.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White has
access to a beautiful finish. Do you see it?
ANSWER: The ordered mind of a military
leader loathes disarray in his own camp, while
fostering it in the enemy's.
29.xd6! Visually stunning. The threat is
mate on the move.
xd6 When diagnosed as terminal, the
patient lives on infinitely precious, borrowed
time. The dismal alternatives:
[ a) 29...fxe3 30.f7# . ]
[ b) 29...g3+ 30.xg3! and nothing is
altered in the least. ]
30.d3 The creature, once en prise on e3,
thought to be a shattered bloodied thing
destroyed into a thousand pieces, suddenly
reorganizes, re-forms and reanimates to its
original terrifying form. It isn't often that a
2390 player gets the opportunity to offer not
one, but two queen sacs versus a strong GM.
Distressingly, we reach a heightened state of
anguish where the attack feels
simultaneously close by and far away. In a
sense it is just that.
f8 EXERCISE (combination alert): Find the
correct move and glory is yours; miss it and
you blow an opportunity the way disembodied
cigarette smoke curls up to the ceiling. Do
you see the finish?
ANSWER: Even a plain Jane can be blandly
pretty. She knocks on the door of apartment
h7, but there is no answer.
31.h7+! Black's king, helplessly in love,
proposes to White's queen, who believes she
is merely involved in a one-night stand.
[ 31.h7+ xh7 32.g6# is a very unusual
double-knight epaulette mate.
SUMMARY: When Black tosses in an early
...c5xd4, White can go for a normal c2-c3
Colle set-up, or even switch to the Zukertort
Colle. ]
1-0
E14
Yusupov,A
Rozentalis,E
Elista Olympiad 1998
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.f3 e6 3.e3 b6 4.d3 b7
5.0-0 c5 6.c4 QUESTION: How does
pushing the c-pawn two squares alter things
from a normal c2-c3 Colle set-up?
ANSWER: The positions draw closer to
normal queen's pawn games. In some cases
they can transpose to Zukertort lines too.
e7
[ Black can also get funky with 6...g6!?
7.c3 g7 , but then 8.d5!? exd5 9.cxd5
0-0 ( while after 9...xd5 10.xd5 xd5
11.xg6 hxg6 12.xd5 I prefer White's
position due to his iron grip on d5, A.
Yusupov-U.Kersten, German Championship,
Saarbrücken 2002 ) 10.e4 gives White an
excellent Benoni.
QUESTION: Why is this version good for
White?
ANSWER: Black's b7-bishop hits a wall on
d5. ]
7.c3 cxd4
[ 7...d5 is unwise since it opens the position
when behind in development: 8.cxd5 exd5
9.b5+! was awkward for Black in A.
Yusupov-T.Wedberg, Stockholm 2003. ]
8.exd4 d6 Other moves:
[ a) 8...0-0 9.d5! (a familiar theme in this
line) h6 10.c2 and White's d5-wedge
gives him an edge, B.Lalic-L.Pliester, Isle of
Man 1995. ]
[ b) 8...d5 9.cxd5 (taking on an isolani)
xd5 10.e5 0-0 11.g4! (this is very
dangerous for Black, with all of White's
pieces glaring at his king) f6 ( 11...f5
subdues the attack at the cost of weakening
both e5 and e6 ) 12.h4 and now:
A) 12...e4 13.h3 xd4 14.f4 f6
15.e2! xb2? ( losing instantly; though
White's development lead is still pretty
scary after 15...a4 ) 16.a3!! when Rfb1
is coming and, surprisingly, Black has no
good way to extricate his queen, A.Lastin-
A.Gazarian, Elista 2011.;
B) 12...c6? 13.g5 g6? .
EXERCISE (combination alert): This
allows a beautiful shot which short-circuits
Black's position. Can you see it?
ANSWER: Overload. Answer: 14.a6!! h6
(there is nothing better; Black's game
comes apart no matter what) 15.xh6
and White went on to win, S.Halkias-J.
Polgar, Warsaw 2010.;
C) 12...-- ]
9.d5! QUESTION: I take it that the d4-d5 push
is a continual theme in this line?
ANSWER: Correct. If White can get away with
it, then Black's b7-bishop gets blunted.
e5 Now we get opposite wing pawn majorities,
but still in White's favour due to that dead
weight on b7.
QUESTION: Isn't White's far flung d-pawn a
liability if Black just exchanges?
[ ANSWER: In many cases White sacs the
pawn in return for tremendous attacking
chances. For example: 9...exd5 10.cxd5
0-0 11.d4! (the knight simultaneously
eyes c6 and f5) xd5?? (Black can't yet
touch d5) 12.xd5 xd5 13.h5 f5
14.xf5 is annihilation. ]
10.g5! Yusupov, rather than go for a
dartboard plan, instead opts for the kitchen
sink plan.
QUESTION: White's last move looks like a
random move. Can you explain?
ANSWER: Yusupov (I wish chess books and
databases would make up their minds: is it
Yusupov or Jussupow? – the spelling changes
from game to game!) cleverly activates his f-
pawn, intending f2-f4.
bd7
[ QUESTION: What if Black plays 10...h6
to engineer his own ...f7-f5 break as quickly
as possible?
ANSWER: Black isn't ready for this kind of
early confrontation. After 11.ge4 xe4
12.xe4 0-0 13.h5 , then f5 14.g3 e4
15.e2 c8 16.f3! leaves Black is dire
 trouble. ] but soon learns its protective magic is dead.
11.f4! c8 12.b3 a6 13.a4 Yusupov makes 23.b2 e7? It's easy to blunder when under
certain to squelch ...b6-b5. Throughout the such heavy pressure. Now White's attack
game, Black's queenside pawn majority gets completely out of control.
remains as immobile as those frozen, furry- [ A central counter with 23...c5 was Black's
capped guards outside Buckingham Palace. last, dim hope. ]
0-0 14.a2 An instructive rook lift. The 24.ge4! e8 25.fg1 c7 26.d4!
sleeping a1-rook swings into action on the The pressure on f6 and g7 grows to
other wing. unbearable levels.
h6 15.af2!? Yusupov has fantastic h8 Black swims in a stinking, polluted
attacking instincts and can never be mistaken ocean of unwelcome variations, sub-variations
as a man of peace. and sub-sub variations, all in White's favour.
exf4 QUESTION: I take it that it is suicide to EXERCISE (combination alert): Find White's
accept the knight? flashy finish which sends Black's defence to
[ ANSWER: Correct: 15...hxg5? 16.fxg5 an early grave.
, and if Black insists on his greed-at-any- ANSWER: Deflection. White's knight languidly
price philosophy, he gets butchered after steps over the drunk passed out on the
e8?? 17.h5 g6 18.xg6 – so obvious sidewalk, with contemptuous indifference.
that I refuse to give it an exclam! White has 27.xd6!
a crushing attack. ] [ After 27.xd6! xd6 , 28.xg7
16.h3 e5 threatens the horrific Rh7 mate next move.
[ QUESTION: What is wrong with 16...g5 ? The story of the black king is preserved
ANSWER: A lot! White simply sacs a piece and documented within the fossil record.
to shred Black's kingside pawn cover with SUMMARY: It isn't a bad idea to mix up your
17.xf4! gxf4 18.xf4 . When intuition or Colle lines a bit, for variety's sake, and toss
clairvoyance fail to offer a clear verdict, in c2-c4 occasionally. When you do,
then always remember your eyes. No remember the thematic d4-d5! push. ]
analysis is necessary. This looks like a 1-0
King's Gambit from hell for Black, whose
survival odds aren't promising. ]
17.b1 f3!? This may hurt, more than help.
Pursuing a capricious whim often results in
unexpected results. Far from messing White
up, the move simply makes him adjust and
begin attacking along the newly opened g-file.
[ 17...g5 18.xf4! still fails to hold much
appeal for Black. ]
18.gxf3 e8 19.g2 h8 20.f4 ed7
21.g5! The Zombie menace must be
challenged. But how? This guy is the
nightmare relative that comes to visit and
never leaves. The same story applies: the
knight really can't be touched.
g8 Night and day are indistinguishable to a
man in solitary confinement. I'm not sure how
to differentiate the will to survive from the fear
of death.
22.h1! The g7-pawn is the epicentre, the
soft underbelly of Black's woes. White clears
g1 for the other rook. He etches the message
in acid on stone, just so Black won't forget:
White is the one – the only one – attacking.
Soon his forces cover the kingside like an
unpleasant rash.
f8 Black clutches grimly to the g7-talisman
Chapter Four

The Zukertort Colle

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 e6 4 Bd3 c5 5 b3

In my teen years, when some of my more sinister friends encouraged me to join them in rowdy undertakings, the
haunting image of my very proper mother always loomed, yanking me obediently back to my uneventful life.
Perhaps this is the reason I have always played the c2-c3 Slav-style Colle - where White revives himself with
excruciating slowness - rather than its belligerent cousin, the Zukertort Colle.
With the Zukertort, White, the hunter, strays from the base camp all alone to pursue dangerous game. He aims both
bishops ominously at Black's kingside and often engages in a hybrid Stonewall-style attacking scheme with Nd2,
Ne5 and f2-f4. Bruzon-Anand from this chapter is a good example of the fate which can befall Black's king, if he
makes the smallest defensive slip. White's dark-squared bishop can also easily explode into the attack with a
sudden d4xc5.
Perhaps I am getting braver in my old age, since recently trying the Zuke with some success, which will
undoubtedly encourage future Zuke experimentation. Having researched the chapter, I am hooked and anxious to
give the Zuke more test drives. Admittedly, it is a risky pursuit, but it also contains the promise of a glorious reward.
In any case, the Zukertort is an excellent supplement (or main line, if you are a mad attacking type) to the c2-c3
Colles - as a way of throwing off your opponent's opening preparation, or if you are just in a bad mood and seek to
blow your opponent off the board!
Broeker-De Wolf
Sandipan-Ganguly
Bruzon-Anand
Summerscale-Jimenez Macias
Yusupov-Spiridonov
Lakdawala-Graves
Keres-Taimanov

Index

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 e6 4 Bd3 c5 5 b3 Nc6

5...Be7 6 Bb2
6...0-0 – Summerscale-Jimenez Macias
6...cxd4 7 exd4 b6 – Lakdawala-Graves
6...b6 7 c4 Bb7 8 Nc3 dxc4 9 bxc4 0-0 – Keres-Taimanov
6 Bb2 Bd6
6...Be7 – Yusupov-Spiridonov
7 0-0 0-0
7...Qe7 – Broeker-De Wolf
8 Nbd2
8...b6 9 a3 Bb7 – Sandipan-Ganguly
8...cxd4 9 exd4 b6 10 a3 Bb7 – Bruzon-Anand
 D05
Broeker,C
De Wolf,B
Correspondence 2001
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 d5 2.f3 f6 3.e3 e6 4.d3 c5
[ The Colle is so (seemingly!) non-
threatening that Black sometimes feels he
can set up any way he pleases. Black can
even go for the counter-intuitive 4...g6!?
, with the logic that it blunts White's
dangerous d3-bishop.
QUESTION: Is there some problem with this
move?
ANSWER: Please see White's next move! –
5.b3! (the Zukertort makes sense now;
White's bishop heads for a3 the minute
Black fianchettoes) g7 6.a3 bd7
(Black must shut down the diagonal with ...
c7-c5) 7.bd2 c5 8.0-0 0-0 9.c4 a5
10.b2 ( getting a strange sort of Grünfeld
hybrid; White can also try 10.c1
, stubbornly maintaining the bishop on the
a3-f8 diagonal ) 10...d8 11.e2
(Black would like to play ...b7-b6, but this
would cut his queen off from the
proceedings) cxd4 12.xd4!? ( opting for
piece play over the traditional hanging
pawns situation after 12.exd4 ) 12...c5
13.c2 ce4 14.xe4 dxe4 15.e5 d7
( 15...e8 16.f4! also looks slightly better
for White ) 16.f4! and advantage White, who
has a healthy queenside pawn majority and
the better placed pieces as well, A.Yusupov-
G.Sosonko, Tunis Interzonal 1985. ]
5.0-0 c6 6.b3 The Zukertort Colle, which is
fast growing in popularity. White fianchettoes
rather than go for the traditional c2-c3
reversed Slav structures.
d6 7.b2 e7 QUESTION: Why develop
to e7 when c7 looks more logical?
ANSWER: Actually c7 isn't such a great
square, since White may play Rc1 and c2-c4
later on. Black plays the Capablanca plan
with which he defeated Bogoljubow (see the
note to move 12 below), hoping to take the
steam out of White's attack with a future ...
c5xd4 followed by ...Ba3.
8.e5 Played in the spirit of the Zukertort.
QUESTION: Is White going for a Stonewall
plan with a future f2-f4, as we have seen in
previous chapters?
[ ANSWER: If he can get away with it, yes.
Instead, 8.c4 , as in C.Schlechter-O.Krause,
Copenhagen 1907, leads to a more
traditional double queen's pawn game. ]
8...0-0 9.d2 White doesn't fear the coming ...
Ba3 Capablanca plan.
[ He refuses to use a tempo on 9.a3
, since after d7! 10.f4 f6 Black is fine. ]
9...cxd4
[ QUESTION: Doesn't Black gain a tempo
with 9...b4 ?
ANSWER: Black gains a tempo temporarily
(after 10.e2 ), but then loses it right back
when White tosses in a2-a3. So in reality it
makes little difference to either side. ]
10.exd4 a3 11.xa3 xa3 12.c3!
[ An improvement over E.Bogoljubow-J.R.
Capablanca, New York 1924, which
continued 12.df3 d7 13.xc6 xc6
14.d2 ac8 15.c3 a6 16.e5 b5!
17.f3 xd3 18.xd3 c7 19.ac1 fc8
20.c2 e8 21.fc1 d6 22.e5 a5
(the Capa magic: White finds himself
passively tied down, without a glimmer of a
kingside attack) 23.a4 (Bogo does his best
to be actively passive, which only loosens
his position) b6 24.d3? (an unsound
sac) xb3 25.c5 b6 26.b2 a7
27.e1 b6 28.d3 c4 29.a5?! bxa5
30.c5 b5 31.e2 .
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black has a
devilish combination. Do you see what Capa
saw?
ANSWER: X-ray. xd4! 32.cxd4 8xc5!
and White resigned. This game is annotated
in 'Capablanca: Move by Move'. ]
12...h6? QUESTION: What is the point behind
this move?
ANSWER: Black seems to fear (perhaps with
good reason!) a future sac on h7 – but in
fixing one problem, he simply creates a larger
one, by allowing White an f2-f4, g2-g4-g5
plan.
[ QUESTION: Isn't 12...b2 good for Black
since he forces queens off the board?
ANSWER: It's important to be alert, but if
you are too alert (i.e. me!) you cross the line
to jittery, which has a way of transforming
virtue into a weakness. White has no
intention of obliging with Qc2 or Qc1.
Instead, he offers a pawn: 13.c1! xa2
14.e1 a5 15.e3! (Black lost an awful
lot of time with his pawn grab, while White
gets a dangerous kingside build-up) c7
16.h3 xe5 17.xh7+! xh7 18.h5
left Black on the defensive, R.Tibensky-S.
Vesselovsky, Brno 2005.
 QUESTION: Well then, what do you suggest
for Black? ]
[ ANSWER: Unimpressive as it looks,
perhaps he should go for 12...xe5
13.dxe5 d7 14.e1 c5 15.c2 d7
16.e3 , when the position exudes a French
Defence-like feel, where White's kingside
ambitions are possibly counterbalanced by
Black's on the other side, T.Abergel-G.Vallin,
French Team Championship 2004. ]
13.f4! d7 14.g4! Sometimes the mother
bird pushes the reluctant fledgling, sending it
squawking from the safe haven of the nest,
forced to fly or plunge below to its death. The
players gamble and bicker over the odds:
White bets his attack will work; Black bets it
won't. As always, White is willing to give up
his a-pawn should Black get greedy with ...
Qb2 at any point.
b2 Which he does now! The captain,
abandoning caution, shouts to his first mate:
"Belay that order!" and goes pawn hunting,
harpoon in hand.
15.c1! The general ruthlessly deems a2 as
doomed. The ramifications: White refuses to
allocate precious resources in a rescue
mission for a rather non-essential queenside
pawn, gambling everything on the coming
kingside attack.
xa2 16.g5 hxg5 17.fxg5 xe5
The tally is in. Black fears grievous erosion to
his king safety. However, we must find the
correct move for White.
EXERCISE (critical decision): We have a
choice of taking either knight. One of them
wins for White. Which one do you pick?
ANSWER: Offer our d3-bishop. Soon Black's
king, a-swirl Dorothy/Wizard of Oz-style, finds
himself inadvertently tossed into another
dimension: a cold, vast emptiness with a
population of one.
18.gxf6! g6 The knight tentatively reaches
out to touch d3, then snatches his hand back,
as if from an open flame on a gas stove.
[ After giving the d3-bishop a wistful, longing
look, he wisely refrains, since 18...xd3??
19.g4 g6 20.g5! h7 21.h4+ g8
22.h6 mates. ]
19.c2 a5 20.h5 She swoops in, hands
on hips. From my life experience, nothing is
scarier than an angry woman. Doesn't it strike
you as odd that we fear a spouse's (or
mother's!) displeasure far more than global
climate change, the effects of massive
overpopulation on a finite ecosystem, global
viral pandemics, biological/chemical attacks
and dirty bombs? Apparently all anxiety is
local – and female!
b5 21.c4 The vindictive c-pawn raises a
peremptory, warning hand and, failing that,
prepares a swift kick to the gonads!
[ This is even stronger than 21.xb5 xb5
22.e4! – the knight pops up from nowhere,
like a spring loaded jack-in-the-box – which
is decisive too, but allows Black to prolong
the game after xf1+ 23.xf1 dxe4 . ]
21...a6 22.f3 The fastidious knight leans
forward, like a sunlight-hungry rose, straining
to emerge from the shadows of the bush.
Black's universe suddenly stinks of queens,
rooks, knights, bishops and f-pawns, and his
windblown king sways like a sapling plant.
[ So simple – Ng5 is a deadly threat after
22.f3 – while gxf6 23.xg6 fxg6
24.xg6+ h8 25.h5+ g7 26.g2#
is mate. Black's king posthumously wonders:
"So this is purgatory?"
SUMMARY: The Capablanca anti-Zuke plan,
so deadly in the 1920s, isn't so hot for Black
in 2012. 12 c3! is our improvement over
Bogo's play. ]
1-0
D05
Sandipan,C
Ganguly,S
Dubai 2012
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 e6 2.f3 f6 3.e3 d5 4.d3 c5 5.b3
c6 QUESTION: Can Black develop the
knight to d7 as he did in Chapter Two, to
discourage d4xc5?
ANSWER: He can – we will look at this
development scheme later in the chapter (see
Summerscale-Jimenez) – but it is far more
common for Black to post it on c6 against the
Zukertort.
6.0-0 d6 QUESTION: Are there differences
between developing the bishop to d6 and e7?
ANSWER: The differences:
1. d6 is a more central, active posting, where
Black fights for the critical e5-square, which is
White's normal jumping post for his knight.
2. The trouble with d6 is that if White manages
to achieve Ne5 and f2-f4, then Black can't play
...Nxe5 (as he can with the bishop on e7),
since either d4xe5 or f4xe5 would win a piece.
QUESTION: Which bishop move is more
popular?
ANSWER: In my experience most players
choose d6 over e7, by about a 4:1 margin –
but in all Colles, not just the Zukertort. This
isn't necessarily evidence that ...Bd6 is better,
since in chess we sometimes see the tyranny
of the majority.
7.b2 0-0 8.bd2
[ Or 8.a3 b6 9.e5 b7 10.d2 e7
11.e2 c7 12.c4 cxd4 13.exd4 g6
14.f4 ad8 15.e3 a8 16.ac1 dxc4
17.bxc4 (when playing the Zukertort,
sometimes you must be willing to take on
hanging pawns like these) e7 18.b1
b7 19.h3 and the position may be
dynamically balanced, but I prefer White's
side, Su.Polgar-L.Psakhis, Amsterdam
1990. ]
8...b6 9.a3 b7
[ QUESTION: Why doesn't Black play
9...c7 first? This puts an end to White's
automatic Ne5 attacking ideas.
ANSWER: True, but in doing so you put the
queen on the vulnerable c-file. For example:
10.c4 cxd4 11.exd4 b7 12.e2 fd8
13.fd1 f8 14.ac1 and now Black's
queen, feeling distinctively uncomfortable
where she is, decided to leave, wasting time
with f4 ( perhaps Black should toss in
14...dxc4 first ) , when White secured an
edge with 15.c5! , A.Miles-R.Ramesh,
Commonwealth Championship, Bikaner
1999. We look more at the c4-c5 idea later
on in the chapter in my game against
Graves. ]
10.e2
[ The immediate 10.e5 is more common
(as in Polgar-Psakhis above). Perhaps
White was hoping to entice the black queen
to c7. ]
10...c8 11.e5 e7! QUESTION: Why did
Black retreat the knight?
ANSWER: He fights for control over the key
e4-square, desiring ...Ne4 himself later on. I
feel this is one of Black's best ways to meet
the Zukertort set-up.
12.f4 e4! 13.xe4 White plugs e4 with a
black pawn.
dxe4 14.c4 cxd4 15.exd4 The game
sharpens as the pawn structure grows more
imbalanced.
f5 16.a4 xe5!? 17.dxe5 c7
Thinking about ...Qc5+ and ...Ne3.
18.a3 fd8 19.ad1 h6 20.c3
Houdini loves Black's position here, but that
may be a misassessment.
a6 21.b4! Eliminating any ideas of ...b6-b5.
c6!? 22.xd8+
[ White chooses not to speculate with
22.xa6!? xa6 23.xa6 e3 24.d6
xd6 25.exd6 xf1 26.xf1 . ]
22...xd8 23.d1 xd1+ 24.xd1 e3
25.c2 h4 The knight clears his throat to
get the g2-pawn's attention.
26.f1 QUESTION: Who stands better?
ANSWER: Black holds the initiative, but White
has the long-term chances with his bishop pair
and queenside pawn majority. Then again,
the ponderous bishop pair is in no danger of
being mistaken for a team of gymnasts at the
moment, so maybe the chances are still
somewhere in the range of even.
d5 27.d3! An ending is in White's best
interest. The white queen's once despondent
expression alters and the faintest of ghost
smiles appears for just a flicker of time. She
realizes she may be the conduit of revenge,
due to her ministrations. In this case, Black's
queen gets out-niced by her sweet-talking
sister.
a5?! Black overestimates his position and
begins to overpress.
[ He should go for the positive side of a
probable draw with 27...e2! 28.xe2 a5
29.d6 xb3 30.f2 f5 31.c7 xa4
32.xb6 d5 33.c4 xc4 34.xc4 xc4
35.xa5 , when Black remains (slightly)
better. ]
28.xd5 xd5 29.e7! The bar's impresario
bishop pair challenges the opposing bishop
and knight to arm-wrestle, with the losers
buying the drinks.
g6 30.d8! xf4 31.b5 xb3 32.xb6
g6 33.xa5 xe5 Do you feel it? There is
a palpable diminution from Black's side, like a
picture containing an identical smaller picture
of itself within it, which in turn repeats the
process with yet another miniaturization, and
so on. Suddenly, Black is in deep trouble. His
halted e3-passer gathers dust, like an unloved
car in the garage, while White's bishops
support their own two on the queenside.
Meanwhile, the bored black knight and bishop
drum their fingertips on the wall to pass the
time more quickly. Every ecosystem contains
its own hierarchy, and in this one White's
bishops rule. So it is no surprise that the pig
and cow are viewed with contempt by the
horses on the farm.
34.b6 c4 35.a5 f5 The war machinery
gets cranked, pumped, polished and readied
for the final battle: an unequal pawn race.
Black hopes to jury-rig the contraption to get it
moving, but his majority is just too slow. The
trouble is that Black's pawns receive no
support from the bishop and knight, a couple
long out of love, who remain together to keep
up appearances for the sake of their children.
36.c7 a3 The first-class passenger
expected better accommodations. Instead, he
gets stuck in the aft cabin on a3.
37.e2 d5? The bishop desperately tries to
close the sluice gate before the dam leak
floods the town. Now Black's hopes dim, like
lights going off one by one in a skyscraper.
[ His last prayer is 37...b1 38.c4 c3
39.d3 . ]
38.a6 c4 EXERCISE (planning): Gentle
advice didn't work, so the time has arrived for
a stern rebuke to Black. How do we force the
passed a-pawn through?
ANSWER: Eliminate the defender of the
queening square. The black bishop rolls over
like a dead beetle.
39.f3! SUMMARY: Black's plan of ...Ne7!
and ...Ne4! is one of the better ones against
the Zukertort.
1-0
D05
Bruzon Batista,L
Anand,V
Leon (rapid) 2006
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.f3 e6 3.e3 d5 4.d3 c5 5.b3
d6 6.0-0 0-0 7.b2 c6 8.bd2 cxd4
I realize this move is played quite often, but I
am not convinced of its accuracy. Just as in
Colle proper, I think an early exchange on d4
only helps White.
QUESTION: Why?
ANSWER: Since White usually goes for a
kingside attack, central tension favours the
defender, Black. In this case it is very hard
now for Black to make a dent in White's
queenside fortress. Meanwhile, White easily
builds up on the other wing.
9.exd4 b6 10.a3 Good timing. White
prevents annoying ideas like ...Nb4, followed
by ...Ba6.
b7 11.e5 c7
[ QUESTION: Can Black get central
counterplay with the line 11...xe5 12.dxe5
d7 , intending ...Nc5 next?
ANSWER: Perhaps so, but then White can
continue 13.h5 ( or 13.f4 c5
14.xh7+!? xh7 15.h5+ g8 16.f3
e4 17.ae1 , J.Banoci-P.Trojacek,
Tatranska Lomnica 1997, though I don't fully
trust White's compensation after f6 ) 13...h6
14.b4 a5 15.b5 e7 16.f3 , which has
the feel of a slightly inferior French Defence
for Black. ]
12.e2 e7 Anand – the world's best
defensive player, in my opinion – enlists
reinforcements to assist his king.
13.f4 What I love most about the reversed
Stonewall attacks, in the Zuke and in the
Colle proper, is that they are so easy to play
for White and so difficult for our opponents.
b5 14.f3 Here we go!
ac8 An instructive moment in the Zuke:
Black threatens ...Ne4!. White must defend his
c-pawn on the next move to prevent it.
15.c1
[ I think 15.c3! is an improvement for
White.
QUESTION: Why? That move looks ugly
and unnatural.
ANSWER: Despite the external ugliness, I
prefer it for these reasons:
1. White may then use the a1-rook for the
attack, rather than hire it as a babysitter for
c2.
2. By playing the pawn to c3, White gains a
tempo, since b5 suddenly hangs.
3. White even may go for the plan b3-b4 and
Nb3-c5, negating the bad aftertaste of his
backward (but not-so-weak) c-pawn. ]
15...b4! 16.a4 After this natural move, Anand
makes use of his hold on c3.
[ Perhaps White can try 16.axb4 xb4
17.h3 . ]
16...g6 17.cf1 Slowly, Bruzon's pieces
approach Anand's king.
e4! Principle: Counter in the centre when
attacked on the wing. Anand, in pure
desperation mode, makes the most of his
resources. I read that intense competition has
the effect of producing greater aggression in
the defender as well, from a Darwinian
standpoint. Apparently, in the Palaeolithic era,
even herbivores were more aggressive than
today's models, mainly due to an abundance
of carnivorous predators in their midst. They
were forced to toughen up to survive. The
proof: Don't you play better and more
inventively when you are desperate or busted?
I do!
18.h3
[ 18.xe4? would be a dumb way to get
distracted and mess things up. Black stands
slightly better after dxe4 19.xe4 xe4
20.xe4 xc2 and regains the pawn with
an edge. ]
18...f5 Black defended well.
19.xe4! Destroying a key defender by
depriving Black of ...Nf6.
[ I prefer this line over 19.xe4 dxe4
20.c4 f6 21.h5 f8 which looks okay
for Black. ]
19...dxe4?
[ He had to try 19...xe5! 20.dxe5 fxe4
21.h5 f7! . Even here, Black looks like
he is under some pressure after 22.f5!
. White's pawns entwine, like brambles
around a castle. Houdini says "equal" at
this point, but after fiddling with this
position a few times, the comp humbly
changes its mind and offers an apology if
you play out about eight moves. ]
20.h5 The queen swoons into the waiting
arms of relevance. Self-expression ceases to
exist within the hive mind. White's pieces
mindlessly swarm with unified intent,
simultaneous motion and lethal synchronicity.
Life sometimes obliges us to endure severe
trials. Last year my wife browbeat me into
attending an Abba tribute concert by the San
Diego Symphony. Anand must have felt the
same feelings of helpless despondency here
as I did during the concert when they played
'Dancing Queen'. I remember watching this
game live with depressing trepidation for my
beloved countryman, Anand, at this point. He
is a great defender, but I had a bad feeling
about his one!
xe5 21.fxe5 xc2!? Anything to dredge up
even a morsel of counterplay. The
quarrelsome confederacy of defenders each
do their own thing, at a high cost to the king
they are supposedly protecting. This
questionable indulgence, bordering on rash,
was obviously not the by-product of deep
rumination on Black's part. His heavily taxed
queen can't simultaneously be greedy and
protect her king. She simply takes on too
many tasks. The queen's wanderings remind
me of the Crosby, Still, Nash and Young
song: "Where are you going to now my love?
Where will you be tomorrow? Will you bring
me happiness? Will you bring me sorrow?" My
guess is sorrow!
[ Black's last move makes matters worse, but
if he tries to pull the trick 21...f7
this time, it fails to 22.c4! cd8 23.g4
with a winning attack. ]
22.xh7+ f7 23.g3 xd2
[ 23...xb2 24.xg6+ e7 25.g5+ e8
(the king cycles up and down like a piston)
26.h5+ does the job as well. ]
24.xg6 g8 EXERCISE (combination alert):
The networks and passageways of the
attacking lines flow with effortless co-
ordination. How can White tear away the final
vestiges of Black's resistance?
ANSWER: The rook sac, like a flat tyre, stops
Black cold. Now subtlety and nuance go out of
the window as the game degenerates into a
Benny Hill chase scene.
25.xe6!! xe6 26.xf5+ The queen
stomps by with an "I-won't-discuss-it"-ness to
her expression.
e7 A wild animal caught in a hunter's trap,
twists, corkscrews and flails about to no avail.
[ 26...d5 27.d7# is mate at once. ]
27.f7+ d8 The tipped cow fails to find the
strength to get up again.
28.e6! Forcing mate in nine moves.
e3!? A homeless person doesn't worry much
about robbery. He has no possessions or
wallet to protect. Oops, this allows mate on
the move. Luckily Anand resigned before
Bruzon could deliver the mate.
SUMMARY: Just as in the Colle proper, I feel
Black makes a concession if he goes ahead
with an early ...c5xd4.
1-0
D05
Summerscale,A
Jimenez Macias,S
Andorra 1991
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3
[ Compare the current game with this classic
by Lasker: 1.f4 d5 2.e3 f6 3.b3 e6
4.b2 e7 5.d3 b6 6.f3 b7 7.c3
bd7 8.0-0 0-0 9.e2 c5 10.g3 c7
11.e5 xe5 12.xe5 c6 13.e2 a6
14.h5 xh5 15.xh7+!! (at the time a
completely new sacrificial idea) xh7
16.xh5+ g8 17.xg7! xg7 18.g4+
h7 19.f3! e5 20.h3+ h6 21.xh6+
xh6 22.d7 , winning a piece and the
game, Em.Lasker-J.H.Bauer, Amsterdam
 1889. ]
1...c5 2.e3 The Summerscale Accelerated?
[ White deviates from my beloved 2.c3
move order. ]
2...e6 3.d4 f6 4.d3 d5 5.b3 e7
Black posts on e7 this time, and for the
remainder of the chapter.
6.b2 0-0
[ Here is another game where Black posted
his knight on d7 to discourage d4xc5:
6...bd7 7.bd2 b6 8.0-0 b7 9.e2 0-0
10.e5 c7 11.a3 a6 12.f4 b5 13.xd7!
(driving a defender away from Black's king)
xd7 14.dxc5! xc5 (and now the Lasker
combination reincarnates) 15.xh7+! xh7
16.h5+ g8 17.xg7! xg7 18.g4+
1-0 L.Filatov-S.F.Mayer, Philadelphia 2000. ]
7.0-0 bd7 QUESTION: Why d7 rather than
c6?
ANSWER: GM Aaron Summerscale writes:
"One danger for Black, in the ...Nc6 lines, is
that White will play d4xc5 at an opportune
moment, in preparation for the elimination of
the Nf6. By deploying the knight to this slightly
less active square, Black correctly defends
against this possibility."
8.bd2 b6 9.e5 As always in the Zuke,
our knight whispers along, the way a cheetah
nears her prey.
xe5 QUESTION: Shouldn't Black refrain
from this capture?
ANSWER: If Black refuses to take, then White
backs up the knight with f2-f4 next move.
10.dxe5 d7 11.f4 Stonewall or pseudo-
Stonewall, the f-pawn will not be denied.
b7 12.h5 Provoking a pawn weakness
around Black's king.
g6
[ QUESTION: Wouldn't 12...h6 be better?
ANSWER: Summerscale answers: "If
instead Black had played ...h7-h6, he would
have to watch out for the strong advance g2-
g4-g5." ]
13.h3! QUESTION: Shouldn't White's queen
have infiltrated to h6 instead?
ANSWER: The h3-square is superior for three
reasons:
1. If the queen enters h6 Black gains time and,
more importantly, a defender after ...Re8 and
...Bf8.
2. On h3 the queen prevents ...f7-f6 or ...f7-f5
central counters, since e6 hangs after e5xf6
(en passant).
3. On h3, the queen prepares a pawn storm
attack with g2-g4-g5 and f4-f5.
b5! Admittedly, this is a move permeated
more with optimism than efficiency. Still, it
remains a good practical try. If given a free
hand, White will overwhelm his opponent on
the kingside. So Black sensibly offers a pawn
as a distraction, in order to create his own
central and wing counters.
14.xb5 QUESTION: Must he accept?
ANSWER: Acceptance, is best since Black will
play the annoying ...c5-c4 if given the chance.
a5 Double attack on b5 and d2.
15.xd7 xd2 16.f2 Everything is
covered.
b4 Black counted on this position when he
sac'ed the pawn, hoping to shut White's light-
squared bishop out of play.
17.a3 b6 EXERCISE (planning): White
eyes an f4-f5 break. How can he accomplish
this feat?
ANSWER: By playing it without further
preparation. The not-so-out-of-play d7-bishop
revolves in a distant orbit around f5.
18.f5! gxf5 QUESTION: What happens if he
had captured with his e6-pawn?
[ ANSWER: Much the same theme: 18...exf5
19.xf5! d4 ( 19...gxf5 20.xf5 transposes
to the game ) 20.f2 ad8 21.exd4 cxd4
22.e6 with an extra pawn and the initiative. ]
19.xf5! Given the threat of Rh5, Black has
no choice but to accept the sacrifice.
exf5 20.xf5 h6 EXERCISE (critical
decision): White is down a full rook and must
find the correct path for attack. How would
you proceed?
ANSWER: Interference. White's forces, like
time, only move in one direction.
21.e6! g5
[ 21...fxe6?? 22.xh6 mates quickly. ]
[ After 21...g5 one bishop on g5 is overly
pious, while the other on b7 needs a liberal
dose of faith in the defensive endeavour.
The bony tree, now devoid of leaves and
all variety of green, clings to life in the arid
wasteland.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Find
White's stunning shot and all becomes
clear. ]
ANSWER: Deflection. Once again, Lucy pulls
the football from under Charlie Brown's feet.
The gallivanting bishop greets his counterpart
with courteously cold, guarded recognition and
a respectful nod of the head.
22.f6!! fxe6?
[ Not very tempted, the bishop foregoes the
unenticing offer of a mouldy hors d'oeuvre
 on f6, as 22...xf6?? 23.xh6 mates in
two. ]
[ Black's only path to continued resistance is
22...ae8! 23.xg5 xe6 24.xe6 xe6
25.xh6 xh6 26.xh6 , although the
opposite-coloured bishops probably won't
save Black, two pawns down. ]
23.xe6+ The starved, rival crows contend
with angry cadence over ownership of the
unlucky cricket on g8.
f7 24.xg5! hxg5 25.f1 af8
When a boxer, on his back, looks up at the
blurry, spinning form of the opponent
hovering over him, while the ref counts:
"seven, eight, nine...!", we can surmise that
he experiences a rather undesired vantage
point.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black's king,
shorn of defenders, feels a palpable, naked
sense of not-there-ness. One powerful move
ends it.
ANSWER: The black king's mind spins into a
dark oblivion, as a hidden assailant holds him
down in a vice grip, while a partner applies
the chloroformed rag to mouth and nose.
26.f6! In ancient times, oppressors powered
their ships by chaining galley slaves, row
upon row, and forcing them at whip-point to
strain at their oars. Black must hand over his
queen to prevent Rg6 mate.
SUMMARY: When Black exchanges early on
e5, we still retain a promising attack.
1-0
D05
Yusupov,A
Spiridonov,N
European Team Championship, Plovdiv 1983
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.f3
[ Another game of mine went 2.d2
(we look more at this strange move order in
Chapter Nine) d5 3.gf3 e6 4.e3 bd7
5.d3 e7 6.0-0 0-0 7.c4 b6 8.b3
(now we transpose to a Zukertort) b7
9.b2 c5 10.c1 c8 .
QUESTION: Can White attain anything from
the pure symmetry?
ANSWER: Despite the symmetry, White
holds three advantages:
1. It's his move, so White leads slightly in
development.
2. Black's dark-squared bishop is more
passive than its white counterpart on d3.
3. White's queen is soon out of the line of
fire and Black's is posted uncomfortably on
d8.
C.Lakdawala-K.Arnold, San Diego (rapid)
2004, continued 11.e2 c7 12.cxd5
exd5 13.fd1 e4 14.a6 . Principle:
Trade down when your opponent has the
hanging pawns or isolani. White stands
slightly better. ]
2...e6 3.e3 c5
[ A.Yusupov-R.Dautov, Essen 2000, saw
3...b6 4.d3 b7 5.0-0 d5 6.e5 d6
7.d2 bd7 8.f4 c5 9.b3 0-0 10.b2
cxd4 11.exd4 e4 (Black pounces on his
hole) 12.xe4 (White hurries to seal e4
with a pawn before Black reinforces it) dxe4
13.c4 a6 14.a4 d5 15.e2 a5 16.b5
with a slight edge to White. ]
4.d3 d5 5.b3 c6 6.b2 e7 7.0-0 0-0
8.bd2 b6 9.e5 b4 As mentioned
before, we need not fear this move. The loss
of time is merely a temporary investment,
soon to be recouped.
10.e2 b7
[ QUESTION: How do we respond if Black
tries to simplify with 10...cxd4 11.exd4 a6
?
ANSWER: We play 12.c3! , trapping Black's
knight. ]
11.f4 No rush to toss in a2-a3.
e4 QUESTION: Why does Black engage in
this unforced knight move?
ANSWER: Black wants to eject his
counterpart on e5, so he clears the path for ...
f7-f6.
QUESTION: Do we swap on e4?
ANSWER: Yes, in general, when Black plays
...Ne4, you should take it, since it is in our
best interests to gum up e4 with a black pawn.
12.xe4 dxe4 13.a3 d5 Only a temporary
square for the knight, since c2-c4 is in the air.
14.d2 c8?! Black procrastinates, like a
person who buys a self-help CD titled "How to
Avoid Procrastination" but doesn't bother
opening the package when he gets home.
[ 14...f6 15.g4 should have been played.
Black soon pays for his delay of ...f7-f6. ]
15.c4 f6 Now Black's knight prevents the
needed ...f7-f6.
16.ad1 d6 17.dxc5! xc5 18.c3!
Advantage White, who has a healthy
queenside pawn majority, as opposed to
Black's less effective one on the kingside,
while the white queen and bishop line up a
battery on the a1-h8 diagonal.
e7 Threatening a3.
19.f5! Hey, I said "threatening a3"! The f-
pawn incites a frenetic uprising with great
aplomb. White offers his a-pawn to allow the
f1-rook to enter the fight. In doing so, he
controls the narrative and asserts his
authority by laying down the law.
[ QUESTION: Why didn't White try to clear
the diagonal with 19.g4 ?
ANSWER: It fails to bother Black after e8
, when a knight check on h6 doesn't
accomplish anything. ]
[ QUESTION: I question the need for such a
brashly munificent gesture. Why not toss in
19.b4 first, and then play f4-f5?
ANSWER: Yusu's move wasn't motivated by
pure generosity. If he refuses to sac, his
attack isn't as strong after d6 20.f5 exf5
21.xf5 e8 . ]
19...exf5?! Making matters worse.
[ Houdini says Black must go for 19...cd8
20.b4 d6 21.fxe6 fxe6 with an inferior but
still playable position. ]
20.xf5 xa3 I repent...but not today!
[ The bishop considers the offer with a
surplus of enthusiasm, mainly because he
has no better options. For example:
20...cd8 21.xd8 xd8 22.g4 e7
( 22...e8?? 23.h6+ picks off an
exchange and a pawn ) 23.xf6+ xf6
24.xf6!! gxf6 25.xf6 e8 26.xd8 xd8
27.h5 leaves White with an extra pawn and
the initiative. ]
21.xa3 xa3 Black's queen, swaddled in
her cocoon of luxury, but far away from her
kingdom under siege, issues irrational orders,
which her councillors have no choice but to
follow with grudging fidelity.
EXERCISE (critical decision): Successful
implementation of White's attack remains
evasive and partial. Would you go ahead and
sac the exchange on f6?
ANSWER: In a heartbeat.
22.xf6! Yusupov dismantles Black's king
cover, converting a once efficient whole into
an ineffective, disembodied collective of spent
force. Now the power of White's attack shines
through, like lamplight thrown on ancient
parchment.
gxf6 23.g4 c6 24.xf6+ xf6 25.xf6
xb3 Black's lonely king, ring in hand, drops
to one knee and proposes to his far-away
queen, his soul mate, via Skype. Her
response: "I think we should see other people.
"
[ Instead, 25...c5 26.f2! (Black can
barely move) c6 27.d6 c8 28.h4!
leaves Black curiously helpless against h4-
h5-h6. ]
26.f2! Every white piece participates,
including his king. The attackers busy
themselves with the sound of industry.
Hammers pound, spanners twist, and drills
corkscrew and bore, as the white war engine
nears completion. Meanwhile, Black's pieces
watch in impotent, passive consternation at
the coming wave. His abandoned estate, now
overgrown with surrounding brambles,
progresses in its state of sumptuous
degeneration.
a4 After sputtering about, due to a wrong
turn, Black's queen hopes to expedite her trip
kingward. Meanwhile, her king clearly
overindulged last night. This morning he pays
for it with a splitting headache and bloodshot
eyes, assaulted by the harsh glare of
morning's light.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black just
blundered in a lost position. Can you unearth
the trick that Yusupov found?
ANSWER: Altering the geometry just a shade
allows White a deadly double attack.
27.g5+! The white queen is everywhere,
like the disobedient hairstyle of a punk rocker.
h8 28.e7! White's queen looks down
upon Black's scattered pieces with the eyes of
a disappointed teacher whose wayward
students cut class.
SUMMARY: Exchange and cork e4 with a
pawn when Black plays ...Ne4.
1-0
D05
Lakdawala,C
Graves,P
San Diego (rapid) 2012
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.b3 QUESTION: What happened to the
Colle?
[ ANSWER: Patience. Colles arise in all sorts
of strange shapes, forms and move orders.
Compare the following game to the current
one. In both cases we see favourable
queenside versus kingside pawn majorities
for White: 1.d4 d5 2.f3 f6 3.e3 e6
4.d3 c5 5.b3 cxd4 6.exd4 d6 7.0-0
0-0 8.b2 c6 9.a3 b6 10.bd2 b7
 11.e2 c7 12.e5 e7 13.f4 ac8
14.ac1 g6 15.g4! h5 16.h3 g7 17.c4
d8 18.c5! (daring Black to open the long
a1-h8 diagonal) xe5 19.fxe5 (Black is
strategically busted on the dark squares)
d7 20.b4 hxg4 21.hxg4 h8 22.f3
bxc5 23.bxc5 c6 24.e3 e7 25.g2
f5? (strategic suicide: the f-pawn push
circulates disorder in Black's camp, as if
delivering advertising pamphlets to a car
windshield) 26.exf6+ xf6 27.g5
(the queen presses her heel into the prone
king's windpipe, rendering him helpless) h6
28.h1 ch8 29.xh6 xh6 30.e1 d8
31.e5 g8 32.c1 e8 33.f1 c6
34.f6! xf6 35.xh6+ g8 36.g5
1-0 A.Alekhine-S.Rosselli del Turco, Zürich
1934. ]
1...c5 2.b2 c6 3.e3 e6 4.f3 f6 5.d4
There we go.
cxd4 6.exd4 e7 7.d3 b6 8.0-0 b7
9.a3 c8 Black refuses to commit his d-pawn
in this case, keeping White guessing whether
it will go to d6, d5, or remain where it stands.
10.bd2 c7 11.c1 QUESTION: Your last
move looks odd. Why Rc1 here?
ANSWER: Rc1 is nearly always useful in the
Zukertort. My idea was to meet ...Nd5 with c2-
c4 and Bb1. I didn't want my rook getting stuck
on a1 with a bishop on b1.
a8 Réti would be overjoyed. We see that
my old friend, National Master Peter Graves,
also suffered a misspent youth reading too
much Nimzowitsch, just as your writer did.
12.c4 Now d4-d5 is in the air. So Black halts
it.
d5 13.c5! Another reason for the earlier Rc1:
White plays for a queenside majority over
Black's kingside majority.
QUESTION: Whose majority is the more
favourable?
ANSWER: It depends upon two factors:
1. Who can push his majority faster?
2. Who can blockade or slow down the
other's majority?
In this case I believe White is ahead on both
counts.
0-0 14.b4 bxc5 15.dxc5 a6 16.e1
Keeping watch over Black's ability to surge
forward with ...e6-e5 at some later point.
d7 17.b3 f6 18.c2 xb2 19.xb2
e8 QUESTION: You said that it was
important for you to stop ...e6-e5, yet here
Black can achieve just that. Why did your
opponent decline to play such a thematic
move?
[ ANSWER: His central pawns get blockaded
and are under pressure. Here is some
Houdini analysis: 19...e5 20.f5! e4
21.xd7 xd7 ( 21...exf3? 22.xc6 xc6
23.d4 should be winning ) 22.fd4 e5
23.c3 c6 24.a5 a4 25.c6 c7
26.g3 e8 27.c5 with a clear plus. ]
20.bd4! Removing a controller of e5. The
rhino, a half ton of muscle and malevolence,
begins his enraged, roaring charge.
xd4 21.xd4 f6 QUESTION: It looks like
you didn't achieve your aim. Isn't ...e6-e5
unstoppable now?
ANSWER: Yes, ...e6-e5 may indeed be
coming, but most of Black's pieces are on the
queenside, doing what hypermodern pieces
do. His king looked quite vulnerable to me.
22.h4 f8 The knight veers his boat into
an inlet on f8. Black is about to roll forward
with his ominous-looking central majority. We
see possibilities in all directions, like a single
railroad track which arrives at a multiple-
junction.
EXERCISE (planning): Come up with a plan to
battle Black's intent.
ANSWER: Provoke the move in order to take
control over f5.
23.d4! The interrogator's face, draped in
shadow, becomes all the more frightening
when imagination is left alone to fill in the
details. Now a tug of war begins, with ...e6-e5
or not ...e6-e5 at its fulcrum.
c8
[ QUESTION: Shouldn't Black toss in 23...e5
immediately?
ANSWER: I agree with you that he should.
His idea is to cover the f5-square first, but it
looks too slow. Nevertheless, I still think
White's majority is faster after 24.f5 g6
25.g3 f4 26.d6 d8 27.a4 d4
28.xb7 xb7 29.b5 . ]
24.f4 Now ...e6-e5 weakens Black's king.
d7 With tenuous trust degrading, Black's
pieces eye the newcomer's potential
residence on f5 with surly suspicion. Black
desperately strives to get there, without quite
deciding the whereabouts of "there". If one
sees a bridge, it logically follows that there
will be something on the other side. In this
strange case we have the bridge to nowhere.
Black's original intention, to achieve ...e6-e5
gets garbled and diluted, like a rumour which
gets passed on second, third and fourth hand,
fading further from reality just a bit more each
time.
[ Risky or not, he should have played the
thematic 24...e5 25.fxe5 fxe5 . ]
25.e3 c8 26.ce1 Now the blockade of
d4 and e5 is complete. Black is in deep
trouble.
g6?! The knight would be better off with a
little less zigging – and perhaps he should cut
back on some of the zagging as well. That
was his best defender. All that remains of
Black's castle, worn by time and its
accompanying decrepitude, finally crumbles.
27.xg6 hxg6 The ambitious remaining
minor piece colleagues get caught up in a war
of departmental politics, with the knight camp
seizing power.
28.g4! The queen, obsessed and in thrall to
the prophecy of her own future greatness,
continues on her journey to win the battle
single-handedly. Such is the power of faith.
g5
[ Or 28...e5 29.xg6 and White's knight is
immune. ]
29.fxg5 e5 30.h5 g4 31.h4 f8
A blunder in a lost position. Something is
terribly wrong, like a man who returns home
from work and spots a bloody handprint on the
wall.
32.g6 White's connoisseur queen wafts the
savoury smell toward herself and inhales
deeply, relishing the prospect of fine dining on
h7 ahead.
SUMMARY: If Black holds back on his c-pawn,
then let's expand with ours by playing c2-c4,
grabbing central space.
1-0
E14
Keres,P
Taimanov,M
USSR Championship, Moscow 1951
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
In 1974 the Montreal chess scene was abuzz
with the news: the great Estonian
Grandmaster Paul Keres was in town, giving a
simul against the best of the city. (Sadly, your
broken-hearted writer, despite doing his very
"best" to be one the "best", was not included
in the "best" category, with his not-so-
towering 1600 rating!) My heart pounded in my
ears. A legend, of whom I had only read (and
re-read) came to life and entered my mundane
world in flesh and blood.
1.c4 f6 2.f3 e6 3.c3 d5 4.e3 e7
5.b3 0-0 6.b2 b6 7.d4 b7 8.d3 dxc4
9.bxc4 c5 10.0-0 cxd4 11.exd4 This time,
Black, without reservations, hands White the
hanging pawns, one of the trickiest and most
dynamic structures of the game.
QUESTION: What are the strategies?
ANSWER: This is a subject that almost
requires a book rather than a summary, but
here is the summary anyway:
1. The side with the hanging pawns should
avoid exchanges, since with each one his
pawns become more vulnerable as the
endgame approaches.
2. The defender would generally love to force
one of the pawns forward and blockade the
vacated square.
3. The hanging pawns side should generally
launch an attack, mainly due to the extra
space.
4. The defender seeks exchanges and must
weather the middlegame, his most dangerous
point, hopefully reaching a superior ending.
c6 12.e2! e8 To discourage White from
a future d4-d5 (which he plays anyway!).
[ QUESTION: I realize a player like Keres
doesn't just give away free pawns, but
doesn't Black get away with the crime in the
line 12...xd4 13.xd4 xd4 14.d5
c5 ?
ANSWER: The infallible law of karma
punishes all evildoers, if not in this life, then
the next! All of White's pieces gaze
menacingly at Black's king. From this
position both Keres and Taimanov saw the
combination 15.xf6! gxf6 ( 15...xf6
16.e4! wins instantly ) 16.g4+ h8
17.h4! and wins. ]
13.fd1 c8 14.ac1 d6?! If giants of the
game like Keres and Taimanov mishandle
hanging pawns positions, then imagine the
chaos in store for the rest of us! This move
gives White the opportunity to seize a
powerful initiative.
[ Better was 14...b4! 15.b1 xf3
16.xf3! xc4 17.d5! , when White retains
compensation for his missing material. ]
15.b1?! In positions of such ferocious
complexity, we tend to collate and extrapolate,
but in the end, just best guess! The moment is
now.
[ Keres underestimated the power of
breaking immediately with 15.d5! exd5
( natural, but the resulting positions all
favour White, as they do in the line 15...b4
 16.b5 f4 17.e5 h6 18.d6 ) 16.cxd5
b4 17.b5! d8 18.xc8 xc8 19.d6!
f8 ( 19...xd6?? 20.xf6! gxf6 21.xh7+!
wins ) 20.xf6! (overloading Black's queen)
gxf6 21.xh7+! xh7 22.c4! , when the
double attack on f7 and b4 regains the piece
with a decisive advantage, since a6??
gets crushed after 23.xf7+ g7 24.d4
f5 25.d7 . ]
15...f4 Now Black is okay again. The
enemies glare wordlessly, with only the wind
daring to make a sound. Black dares White to
commit to d4-d5.
16.d5! And he does just that!
QUESTION: This looks crazy. Why is White
opening the e8-rook's line to his own queen?
ANSWER: Keres foresees that there is no
valuable bishop discovery for Black.
exd5 17.cxd5?!
[ 17.xd5! puts Black under tremendous
pressure. ]
17...b8
[ QUESTION: Why not make use of the
discovered attack and play 17...a3 ?
ANSWER: Because White has no plans to
move his queen! He gets way too much for it
after 18.dxc6 xe2 19.cxb7 xc3 20.xc3!
f8 21.c8 . ]
18.d4 "Hit the road, Jack! And don't you
come back no more, no more, no more, no
more!"
d6 19.cd1 f8 20.e4! White's forces
awaken, vibrantly alive, soon turning their fury
toward Black's king.
xe4 21.xe4 xe4 22.xe4 h6?
The black queen's expensive clothes give her
away as a person of substance who
inadvertently strayed into a dangerous
neighbourhood. Now she nervously endures
the raucous laughter and lewd catcalls of the
local thugs, as she quickly tries to outpace
her threatening surroundings. Realization of
the plight begins to take hold and Black
begins evasive manoeuvres.
[ It was necessary to endure 22...g6 23.d4
f6 24.h4! with an inferior but still playable
position. ]
[ EXERCISE (combination alert): In his
attempt to avoid weakening, Taimanov
allows White's attack to grow out of control.
How would you conduct the attack after
22...h6 ? ]
23.g5! ANSWER: Overload. From this point
on, Keres, in his element, grabs the initiative
and never lets go.
d6
[ Black can't even consider 23...g6??
now, since 24.xf7! puts a quick end to the
game. ]
24.h4! Appallingly, every cat I ever had killed
innocent yard birds, not out of hunger for flesh,
but just on principle, to prove to themselves
that they were still hunters in their hearts.
White's forces move assiduously in concert
toward a focused goal. Black is virtually
paralyzed. Keres isn't satisfied with one
measly pawn. He disdains the offer of h7 as
contemptible.
d7 25.f5! f6 26.xf6 gxf6 EXERCISE
(combination alert): How can White obliterate
the flimsy defensive barrier?
ANSWER: The undead knight arises, glowing
with demonic aura, from the centuries' long
stasis in his coffin. He opens his wicked red
eyes with a chilling smile. (Sorry about this.
Please continue to endure. I'm sure by now
you have correctly guessed that your writer is
a wannabesomeday sci-fi/horror novel writer
who now takes his unfulfilled frustration out
on his chess playing readers!) Black can only
helplessly watch as his world pitches and
buckles under him with appalling abruptness
in its ruination.
27.xf7! c1!? Obviously, Black's position
is no longer in accord with his previous
expectations and he experiences bouts of
misery, punctuated with panic attacks.
Irrationality constitutes its own curious form of
energy. The queen's secret propulsion and
fuel source is her own craziness! Having
recently gracelessly tripped and fallen on her
royal butt, the queen, without embarrassment
or loss of dignity, arises with ostentation and
splendour on c1. Taimanov dutifully tries to
confuse the issue with back rank tricks, but
Keres remains one step ahead.
28.xh7+ f8 29.xd6! Eliminating the
back rank threat.
[ There was nothing wrong with the
pedestrian 29.f1! either. ]
29...xd1+ 30.h2 xd5 31.xb7
Nothing riles a person more than when
another, without invitation, pilfers his rightful
property. White is material up and remains
with a strong attack.
e5+ 32.g3 c7 33.h8+ f7 Have you
ever been outside during hurricane-force
winds? It's like getting a merciless beating
from Mother Nature. Black's king consoles
himself in the aftermath with the surprising
fact that he survived the maelstrom and
remains among the living – albeit barely.
34.h5! White comes in with the relief pitcher.
xb7 35.h7+ e6 36.xb7 xh5+
37.g2 SUMMARY: My feeling is that
allowing White hanging pawns is one of
Black's best and most dynamic ways to meet
the Zukertort – despite White's scary initiative,
Black's long-term chances should fully
compensate. The only problem is that the
positions are exceptionally difficult for Black
to play, mainly due to White's seemingly
never-ending initiative. In this game we
witnessed a vivid example of the inverse
corollary between long-term chances and
initiative in the present. In this case, the side
with the initiative emerged as the clear winner.
1-0
Chapter Five

Colle Versus Slav

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 c6 4 c4
Good tidings for the Colle clan - our set-up is currently the darling of the top players in the world, and is actually
considered one of White's best chances to extract an edge against the solid Slav, no matter how Black responds:

1. Black may develop the light-squared bishop to f5, in reversed London style. The bishop believes himself to be of
high status and social breeding - and so our knight, as if settling an old score, hunts him down.

2. Black develops the bishop to g4, in reversed Torre fashion. This time we chase it down with h2-h3, g2-g4 and
Ne5, to obtain the bishop pair. Our knight approaches its target with mingled enthusiasm and confidence. Once
again our belligerent conduct belies our seemingly meek, outer Colle appearance.

3. Black voluntarily locks his bishop inside his pawn chain, in reversed Colle/Semi-Slav style, as Deep Blue did
versus Kasparov. In this case we reach positions from Chapter Two, but in reverse, where our extra tempo matters
in the open symmetry. White simply plays Bd3 and e3-e4 with an edge.
Carlsen-Gelfand
Bareev-Nepomniachtchi
Inarkiev-Postny
Kasparov-Deep Blue

Index

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 c6
3...Bf5 4 c4 c6 – Carlsen-Gelfand
3...Bg4 4 c4 c6 – Bareev-Nepomniachtchi
4 c4
4 c4
4...a6 – Inarkiev-Postny
4...e6 5 Nbd2 – Kasparov-Deep Blue
 D12
Carlsen,M
Gelfand,B
Wijk aan Zee 2012
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 d5 2.c4
[ Our Colle move order may run 2.f3 f6
3.e3 f5 4.c4 c6 . ]
2...c6 3.f3 f6 4.e3 f5 A critical line of
the Slav arises. We Colle guys never get any
credit. All annotators call this position a Slav,
when it's actually also a Colle!
QUESTION: It looks to me like we handed
Black effortless equality. Black's bad bishop
sits outside of the pawn chain, while ours is
stuck inside. Correct?
ANSWER: Matters are not that simple. At the
highest levels, this set-up is one of White's
most popular choices against the Slav. There
is no way Carlsen, Kasparov, and Kramnik
would play this position with the white pieces
if they didn't believe in it. In my Slav book, I
mentioned that this system is one of the most
challenging for Black.
QUESTION: I don't see a single difficulty for
Black. What is the issue?
ANSWER: For one thing, the bishop on f5
may be more of a liability than an advantage.
White often tosses in an early Nh4, hunts
down the bishop, and then tries to milk the
bishop pair, just as Carlsen did in this game.
5.c3 QUESTION: Heresy? We Colle fans
like to play our knights to d2.
ANSWER: Development to d2 is also possible,
but we should keep an open mind. I see no
good reason to play the knight to a passive
square when we have access to a rung higher
up on the ladder at c3. Other moves:
[ a) 5.cxd5 (while strong GMs play this, I
don't have any faith in White's ability to
extract anything) cxd5 6.b3 c7 7.d2
c6 8.c3 e6 9.c1 , S.Shipov-E.Bareev,
Internet (blitz) 2004. One can argue that
Black's queen is misplaced on the c-file. But
is it enough for White? I doubt it. Black
should equalize without too much difficulty,
since White's dark-squared bishop sits
inside the pawn chain. ]
[ b) 5.d3 (a no-nonsense approach: White
swaps off Black's good/bad bishop and
single-mindedly tries to achieve e3-e4, with
a slight space advantage) xd3 6.xd3 e6
7.0-0 bd7 8.bd2 e7 9.e4 dxe4
10.xe4 0-0 11.f4 xe4 12.xe4 a5
13.fd1 ad8 14.h3 fe8 , Bu Xiangzhi-
Ma.Carlsen, Bilbao (blindfold rapid) 2007.
On paper White seems better with his extra
space. In reality, Black is solid and can
look forward to equality. I have
successfully defended such positions many
times and I can tell you with confidence,
Black really doesn't stand worse here. ]
[ c) 5.b3 b6 6.c3 e6 7.c5 c7
8.h4 (I feel that Black equalizes, even
handing over the bishop pair, if he can
induce c4-c5 from White) e4 9.f3 g6
10.xg6 hxg6 11.f4 bd7 12.g3 b6
(chipping away at White's extra space, who
must now swap his advanced c-pawn for
Black's a-pawn) 13.cxb6 axb6 14.g2 d6
15.d2 g5! 16.fxg5?! (he should have
ignored it) g4 17.g6 xg3+! gave Black a
decisive attack, "sovaco"-C.Lakdawala,
Internet (blitz) 2009. ]
[ d) 5.bd2 (I don't have much trust in the
pure Colle move here; Black should equalize
due to White's passive choice) h6!
(the early ...h7-h6 is possible, only because
of White's knight on d2, rather than c3)
6.e2 e6 7.0-0 bd7 8.b3 d6 9.b2
is equal, A.Graf-A.Beliavsky, Spanish
Team Championship 2005. Essentially Black
has obtained a favourable set-up against a
Zukertort. ]
5...e6
[ QUESTION: Why can't Black just preserve
his bishop with 5...h6 instead?
ANSWER: It doesn't work when White's
knight is posted on c3. For example: 6.cxd5
cxd5 7.b3! (coverage of both b7 and d5 is
very awkward for Black, who lands in an
inferior position, no matter what he plays
here) b6? ( the admittedly nauseating
7...c8 was necessary ) 8.b5+!
(White wins a pawn, with the superior
position) bd7 9.xd5 xd5 10.xd5
e6 11.xe6! fxe6 12.e5 and Black can
resign since the coming ending is hopeless,
G.Vescovi-M.Amaral, Sao Caetano do Sul
1999. ]
6.h4! White's key idea in this line: hunting
down the bishop pair.
g6 This modest bishop retreat may be
Black's best, since it offers him solid if
somewhat passive play.
QUESTION: Isn't it better to make White work
harder by playing the bishop to g4 or e4,
forcing White to weaken, and possibly
overextend, if he wants the bishop pair?
ANSWER: One player's overextension is
another's space advantage! White's extra
pawn pushes probably help more than harm.
Let's look:
[ a) 6...g4 7.b3 b6 8.h3 h5 9.g4
g6 10.xg6 hxg6 11.g2 and White's
extra kingside space only benefits him here,
E.Bareev-A.Shomoev, Krasnoyarsk 2007. ]
[ b) 6...e4 7.f3 g6 8.b3 b6 9.xg6
hxg6 10.d2 d6 and now:
A) 11.h3!? bd7 ( 11...g3+ 12.d1
doesn't bother White ) 12.0-0-0 xb3
13.axb3 a6 14.c2 h5 15.d3 g3
16.he1 , when White's advantage
remains slight but steady, Ma.Carlsen-F.
Vallejo Pons, Sao Paulo/Bilbao 2011.
Carlsen went on to convert his bishop pair
into a full point.;
B) 11.f4 (more normal) bd7?!
(he should swap queens immediately, but
even then White holds an edge for a long
time to come) 12.c5! (a move which
ensures the superior ending) xb3
13.axb3 e7 14.b4 and White's extra
space, queenside initiative and bishop pair
gave him a clear endgame advantage, C.
Lakdawala-"CtAwesome", Internet (blitz)
2012.;
C) 11.-- ]
7.xg6! It's amazing how quickly theory
changes. At the time I wrote my Slav book,
this was thought to give Black good play down
the h-file.
hxg6 8.d3!? Grandmaster Ruslan
Scherbakov writes: "Strangely enough, this
simple developing move is rarely played in
this position."
[ 8.g3 and ]
[ 8.d2 are the main lines. ]
8...bd7
[ 8...dxc4 9.xc4 bd7 may transpose to
the game, ]
[ while 8...c5 opens the position for White's
bishop pair: 9.b3 d7 10.cxd5 exd5
11.dxc5 xc5 12.b5! xb5 13.xb5
with the more pleasant ending for White, V.
Kramnik-B.Gelfand, European Cup, Saint
Vincent 2005. ]
9.0-0! QUESTION: Didn't White just castle
into an attack?
ANSWER: Based on this game, apparently
not!
d6 10.h3
[ 10.g3 also looks quite good for White. For
example: 0-0 ( Black doesn't want to risk
10...e7 , thinking about castling queenside,
since 11.e4 should give White an edge in
the coming complications ) 11.a3 e8 12.c5
c7 13.f4! h7 14.b4 and Black found
himself getting squeezed, P.Tregubov-C.
Marcelin, French Team Championship
2006. ]
10...dxc4 QUESTION: Why hand White the
centre?
ANSWER: If Black retains the tension for too
long, White usually plays c4-c5, followed by f2-
f4, grabbing more space and clamping down
on e5.
11.xc4 0-0
[ Gelfand hoped to improve upon 11...b6
12.b3 e5 13.c2 e7 14.d2 0-0-0
15.d5! e4 16.dxc6 e5 17.f4 exf3
18.xf3 g4 19.cxb7+ b8 20.hxg4 h1+
21.f2 xa1 22.e2 , when Carlsen went
on to win in mad complications, Ma.Carlsen-
B.Gelfand, Moscow 2011. ]
12.c2 e7
[ Gelfand isn't likely to fall for 12...e5??
13.xg6 . ]
13.d1 ac8 14.d2 b6
[ 14...c5 was also possible. ]
15.f1 Just in case his king needs protection.
e5 16.dxe5 xe5 17.ac1 cd8 18.e1
QUESTION: Does White have anything with
his bishop pair? His position looks passive to
me.
ANSWER: Scherbakov answers: "This
unbalanced pawn structure is more promising
for White, who is going to exchange all the
major pieces and enjoy his pair of bishops in
the ending." I add this – please open your
notebooks and yank out your yellow
highlighter pens: The bishop pair matters
when the pawn structure remains fluid.
xd1 19.xd1 d8 20.xd8+ xd8 21.g3
e7 22.g2 d6 23.d2
[ 23.a3! prevents ...Nbd5 and ...Nb4. ]
23...e6 24.b3 bd5 25.e2 b4 26.b1
White's queen squirms and shimmies about,
calling for help with needy beckonings.
f5! Gelfand has conducted a model defence
from Black's side and may stand equal at this
point. He provokes e3-e4, which weakens
White's dark squares.
27.e4 c5 28.f4 g5! 29.e2!
[ 29.d3 d4! holds the balance. ]
29...g4 30.h4 d7? Right square, wrong
piece. This natural, innocent-looking move
costs Gelfand the game.
[ The correct plan eludes like a half-
 remembered dream – e5 cries out, full of
whispered promises. Black is okay if he
utilizes e5 for his bishop instead: 30...e5!
31.e3 d6! , when the a7-pawn really isn't
en prise due to ...c6-c5. ]
31.e3! All eyes fall upon the bishop. He
bows low in ostentatious hauteur upon
entering the room. Out of nowhere, White wins
a pawn. Suddenly Black must watch over a7
and also Qd1, with a pile-up on the d-file.
c2 The sisters pound each other's backs
before hugging.
[ 31...b5 32.d1! doesn't change
anything. ]
32.xc2 xc2 33.xa7 a3 34.c3 b2
35.d1 c1 36.f1 b4
[ 36...e5 puts up greater resistance. ]
37.a4 f6 38.e5 d7 39.d4 c2 40.c3
c5 41.e2 e4 Gelfand's mantra in this
difficult position drives him forward and feeds
him much-needed energy: "Persevere. Survive.
" trusted Carlsen's technique after 52.a5 a3
[ After 41...xb3 42.xg4 f8 43.f4
, White's kingside super-majority should
win. ]
42.xg4 xc3 43.xc3 b2 Gelfand had
counted on this position to save himself.
White's band looks about as intimidating as
those dancing Jets and Sharks gangs from
'West Side Story'.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White's knight
on c3 hangs, as does his e5-pawn behind it.
Is White destined to return the pawn? Or is
there a sneaky way to hang on to it?
ANSWER: 44.e6! Zwischenzug! White
extricates himself with the nasty threat: e6-e7!.
Now Black's position is riddled with too many
defensive liabilities and his game dawdles
into splendid disarray, despite the
exasperated supervision of his minor pieces.
fxe6 Black slams on his brakes and his tyres
screech in grudging resentment.
[ 44...f6 45.e2 d4 46.f4 f8 47.b4
e7 may have required more accuracy from
White, but he should convert after 48.d3
c3 49.a5 c2 50.c5 . ]
45.xe6+ f8 46.e4 The once vibrant
black initiative is no more than a wheat field's
dried husks after the drought.
d4 47.g5 e7 48.g8 f8 49.c4
e7 50.g2 b5?! Gelfand outsources a
portion of his misery to the queenside. This
impatient move hands White a passed a-
pawn.
51.g8 f8 With taut nerves and a hint of
aplomb, Black's king confronts the white
bishop and also the ordeal looming before him.
Is the position a forced draw by repetition?
The toiling servant on f8 dreams of a life of
lazy days and laughter, but he knows in his
heart this will never be.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White's
bishop is under attack. Or is it?
ANSWER: The police are left coughing from
the spewing exhaust trailing from the a-
pawn's getaway car. Ignore the "threat" and
create a deadly passed a-pawn.
52.a5! A bellowed answer to a whispered
question. In his moment of need, Black's
position experiences a dreadful lack.
QUESTION: Why did Black resign?
[ ANSWER: The chairman calls the meeting
to order to discuss the recently failed
venture. Just before giving up we normally
tend to panic, and then, realizing panic is of
no help, we give up on the panic! Gelfand
(the atheist bishop mutters a prayer as he
sees the outline of the avenging angel
approaching a8 impossibly quickly from the
heavens) 53.f7 c5 54.h3 a7
55.g4 , when White should convert without
much difficulty.
SUMMARY: Equality isn't so easy for Black
after the critical 6 Nh4!. ]
1-0
D11
Bareev,E
Nepomniachtchi,I
Russian Cup, St Petersburg 2009
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 d5 2.c4
[ Our normal Colle move order would run
2.f3 f6 3.e3 g4 4.c4 c6 , when we
transpose to the game position. ]
2...c6 3.f3 f6 4.e3 g4 The reversed
Torre Attack.
QUESTION: What is the difference between
this line and last game's reversed London
System?
ANSWER: Not much. The positions and plans
for both sides tend to be quite similar. In this
case, too, White hunts down the bishop pair
for an edge.
5.h3
[ Usually 5.c3 e6 6.h3 just transposes. ]
5...h5 QUESTION: What if Black takes on f3
immediately to lure White's queen to f3,
perhaps an offside square?
[ ANSWER: This may be slightly more
accurate: f3 can indeed be an awkward
square for White's queen, since ...e6-e5 can
be hard to meet later on. White generally
retreats back to d1, reasoning that the
bishop pair is worth more than a tempo. For
example: 5...xf3 6.xf3 e6 7.c3 bd7
8.d2 g6 ( 8...d6 9.d3 0-0 10.0-0 e8
11.d1 and there it is, the queen retreat –
White claims a tiny edge, V.Akobian-C.
Lakdawala, Reno 2006 ) 9.d1 (there it is
again) g7 10.e2 0-0 11.0-0 e7
12.c1 fd8 13.c2 dxc4 14.xc4 c5
15.dxc5 xc5 16.fd1 ac8 17.e1
with a position very similar to the first game
of this chapter; White's bishop pair should
hand him the edge, P.Leko-V.Anand, Nice
(rapid) 2009. ]
6.c3 e6 7.g4 This is the real difference
between the reversed Torre and the reversed
London. In the Torre version White is
obligated to play h2-h3 and g2-g4 to bag the
bishop pair, while in the previous game, Black
responded to Nh4 with ...Bg6 with White's
kingside pawns still intact.
QUESTION: Having played g2-g4, is this a
strength or a weakness for White?
ANSWER: Well, this point is debated. Having
played the Slav for decades, my opinion is
that it actually helps White. So I generally
swap immediately on f3, rather than retreat
the bishop to h5.
g6 8.e5 bd7 9.xg6 QUESTION:
Why is this line so popular for Black, when he
gives away the bishop pair?
ANSWER: Every variation comes with its own
individual issues and worries. In this case,
Black hands over the bishop pair for other
compensations, such as solidity.
hxg6 10.a3 QUESTION: Is this necessary?
ANSWER: No, it's just a preference. White
just wants to rule out ...Bb4 and may also
later go for b2-b4.
[ Also played are 10.d2 , ]
[ 10.cxd5 , ]
[ 10.g5 , ]
[ and 10.g2 . ]
10...c7!? A new move in the position.
[ Black normally plays 10...g5
here to prevent White's next move. For
example: 11.d2 e7 12.f3 g6
13.0-0-0!? ( quite risky; White could take a
safer route with 13.d3 and castle
kingside ) 13...dxc4 14.xc4 b5 15.d3 a5
16.e4 d5 17.b1 with a very sharp
position, E.Bareev-L.Bruzon Bautista, FIDE
World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005. ]
11.g5!? This is not a move I would have
played, since it weakens f5, but again this is a
stylistic difference. I sense that White's
territorial ambitions outnumber his ability to
implement them.
QUESTION: How would you play White?
[ ANSWER: I would keep the pawn structure
more fluid, to enhance the bishop pair, with
something like 11.d2 g5 12.f3 dxc4
13.xc4 0-0-0 14.0-0-0 . Even here,
White's slight edge remains, but Black
retains solidity in return for White's bishop
pair and space. ]
11...g8 Intending ...Ne7-f5.
QUESTION: The retreat looks passive and
unnatural. Why not jump into the hole on h5
instead?
ANSWER: That is also possible. Perhaps
Nepom fears that the knight might find itself in
limbo on h5. White simply puts his bishop on
e2 or g4, and Black's h8-rook must then baby-
sit h5 at White's whim.
12.cxd5 White doesn't want ...d5xc4 hanging
over his head forever, so he exchanges
himself.
exd5 QUESTION: Is this the correct capture?
ANSWER: Both recaptures are playable.
Black simply picked the more dynamic
version.
[ Recapturing with the c-pawn leads to
positions closer to the Exchange Slav. After
12...cxd5 White may prepare an eventual e3-
e4 break. ]
13.d2 e7 14.d3 b6 15.g4
The young heiress puts on airs of superiority,
her tone, her manner immersed in
condescension, despite the fact that all she
owns is due to her father's labours.
[ Perhaps White should consider 15.h4
and retain queens on the board. ]
15...d7 Not a bad idea, aiming to curb
White's attacking ambitions before they have
a chance to flourish.
16.xd7+ xd7 Abruptly, both remaining
kings find themselves bachelors in an Eveless
Eden.
17.b3 f5 18.f4 So far Black has defended
well and may have achieved dynamic equality.
However, his inadvisable next move disturbs
the fragile balance.
f6!? The lush kingside is the Venn diagram,
where both sides' interests overlap. Danger
tends to proliferate when aspirations outrun
prudence. Black percolates, configures and
digests the raw data, finally extracting a
questionable consensus: take over the
initiative! So he prods buttons and cranks
levers in the hopes of reactivating rusty
machinery.
Perhaps this move is okay, but probably not. I
feel like Black's activity spike doesn't make up
for the fact that he opens the position for
White's bishops. His last move essentially
unmoors his king from the safe haven of his
defenders, friends and well-wishers.
QUESTION: Then what would you suggest?
[ ANSWER: I like Black's game after a
calmer move like 18...c8 , intending to
play to d6 next. ]
19.gxf6 gxf6 20.f2 e6 21.a4 c8
22.ag1 h6 23.e4! What on appearance
looks like rage is in reality just tough love.
Hidden behind the mob boss' courteous
request lies a veiled threat of unspeakable
consequences if the request is denied. White
thematically opens the game for his bishops.
Black's king feels the chill more than White's
from the breezes.
xd4? Black mistakenly intends to sac an
exchange for a pawn, hoping to generate
compensation.
24.f5+! Discovered attack.
gxf5 25.exd5+ cxd5 26.e1+ d6
27.f4+!? More just isn't enough when there
is the possibility of a lot more! White is no
longer interested in the exchange on h6.
[ Otherwise he can consolidate with 27.e3!
c6 28.b5+ d7 29.xh6 xh6
30.xf5+ d8 31.e6 . ]
27...c5? Black's harried king pauses briefly,
if only to change bandages and redress his
wounds. After Black's last move, we can make
the king wear despair like a garment. Who
cares about an exchange on h6?
EXERCISE (combination alert): The sight of
Black's still-alive king is a rebuke to White, a
sign of his failure to hunt him down and
deliver mate. Let's fix that problem! How
would you proceed with White's attack?
ANSWER: The amorous b-pawn presses her
body against Black's king, who immediately
backs up, only to receive a sloppy, out-of-
sync kiss. Involve everyone, even the pawns!
Now shots follow one another without end,
repeating rhythms in a symphonic piece, as
White's forces close in with cold efficiency.
28.b4+! c6 Black's king awakens with a
start, struggling, but to no avail. Too many
strong arms hold him down.
[ Acceptance loses as well: 28...xb4
(after climbing the sheer slopes of the cliff,
nothing remains on top but an empty
horizon) 29.xd5+ c5 30.c7 b8
allows 31.c1+ b4 32.d5+ a5
33.d2+ xa4 34.a1+ a3 35.hb1
and White forces mate in two moves. ]
29.b5! xb5
[ 29...b3 30.e6+ d7 31.xf5
crushes Black. ]
30.xb5+ b6 It is human nature to attach
purpose to natural disaster, such as an
earthquake or a flood. In reality, the
unfortunates who perish may just be unlucky.
31.e6+ White's rook scrapes his hands
together in a job-accomplished motion.
SUMMARY: Just as in the ...Bf5 reversed
London set-ups, White extracts an edge in the
...Bg4 reversed Torre by chasing down
Black's bishop, after which he looks forward to
a small edge.
1-0
D11
Inarkiev,E
Postny,E
Greek Team Championship 2006
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 d5 2.c4
[ Our Colle move order would probably go
2.f3 c6 3.e3 f6 4.c4 a6 , when we
transpose to the game position. ]
2...c6 3.f3 f6 4.e3 a6 The popular
Chebanenko Slav.
QUESTION: What is the point of ...a7-a6? It
looks purposeless.
ANSWER: To save time and energy I will cut
and paste, quoting from 'The Slav: Move by
Move' (it is folly bordering on madness if you
don't order this book!): "I admit the move
does look crazy, yet it contains the seed of
many good possibilities:
1. It prepares ...b7-b5, challenging White on
his c4-point. If White pushes to c5, this
stabilizes the centre which nearly always
favours Black, who then plays for an ...e6-e5
break.
2. If White exchanges pawns on d5, he gets a
lame version of the Exchange Slav, since his
dark-squared bishop is stuck behind his pawn
chain.
3. If White plays b2-b3, he must be on high
alert, since it is Black who can break the
tension in several ways on each move.
4. If White plays a2-a4 to prevent ...b7-b5,
then he must also pay the price of weakening
the b4-square."
5.d3 The most popular line. White cuts out
...Bf5.
g4 ..so Black develops his bishop to the
other available square. Black's position is
exceedingly flexible. Other options:
[ a) 5...b5 6.b3 g4 7.bd2 e6
and the continued queenside tension should
favour White. ]
[ b) 5...e6 6.b3 (essentially reaching a
Zukertort where ...c7-c6 is perhaps out of
place for Black and even ...a7-a6 may not
be so useful) c5 , when we get a position
similar to Kasparov's versus Deep Blue in
the last game of this chapter, but possibly
an even better version for White. ]
[ c) 5...dxc4 6.xc4 e6 7.0-0 c5
transposes to a main line of the Queen's
Gambit Accepted. (I'll bet you never
dreamed you needed to study this line when
you chose Colle!)
QUESTION: I don't have a clue how to play
the QGA! What is White supposed to do
here?
ANSWER: There are many ways to go. My
personal preference is for Kramnik's
favourite endgame line 8.dxc5!? , where it is
not so easy for Black to equalize as it
looks. ( A Colle purist may also want to take
on the classical isolani positions, similar to
those we looked at in Chapter One, starting
with 8.a4 c6 9.e2 cxd4 10.d1 e7
11.exd4 0-0 12.c3 , when the side with
greater understanding of how isolanis
function will probably emerge the winner. )]
[ d) 5...g6 (the solid Schlechter Slav
formation, but with the Chebanenko ...a7-a6
move tossed in) 6.0-0 g7 7.b3 0-0 8.b2
bd7 9.bd2 c5 10.e2 reaches a
Zukertort/Grünfeld-like position where I
prefer White's game, since Black took two
moves over his c-pawn break, S.Volkov-D.
Jakovenko, Internet (blitz) 2004. ]
6.bd2 e6 7.b3 QUESTION: Back in the
Zukertort?
ANSWER: Yes, but with these important
differences:
1. In a standard Zukertort, Black's bishop
generally remains inside his pawn chain – as
opposed to here, where Black's bishop is on
the outside.
2. In this case, both ...a7-a6 and ...c7-c6 may
not be very useful for Black, so in essence we
may be tempi up on a normal Zuke.
bd7 8.b2 e7 9.c2 h5! We must be
aware of this manoeuvre. As mentioned in the
notes above, Black plans ...Bg6, swapping off
White's good bishop.
QUESTION: How are we compensated for
this?
ANSWER: In two ways:
1. We gain time, as Black expends several
tempi on his manoeuvre.
2. We seize queenside space with c4-c5 next.
10.c5! g6 The stern bishop walks in,
interpreting the situation as a den of depravity,
and demands decorum from White's attackers
on the b1-h7 diagonal.
11.c3 0-0? A minor-looking error with major
consequences. It turns out Black's king is a
lot safer if he swaps on d3.
12.xg6 White waits for castling before
agreeing to exchange on g6. In this way he
denies Black's rook use of the open h-file.
hxg6 13.b4 e8 14.a4 Clearly, White's b4-
b5 break is more potent and feasible than
Black's almost abstract ...e6-e5 central break.
c7 15.h4! A bold idea. White's motivation
up to now, haze and gossamer, remained
concealed to the world. Now everything
becomes quite clear. White tries to exploit the
fact that he hasn't castled yet to generate a
kingside attack. All the elements of a powerful
assault are present:
1. Space.
2. The defender lacks a central pawn break.
After the slight alteration of just a single move,
if we compare the teeming multiplicity of
adventurous plans and ideas of the now –
admittedly, with his newfound precariousness
as well – with the drab uniformity of the before,
we can clearly conclude that White's lot in life
has changed for the better.
f5 Black takes some central space of his own
to keep his king safer.
16.e2!? e8 17.ag1 a5! 18.bxa5 e5
Possible now that White's c5-pawn has been
weakened.
19.xe5 xe5 20.dxe5 xc5 21.f4
With g2-g4 and h4-h5 coming. Black must
organize a quick central counter or be
overwhelmed.
e6 22.f3 e7! QUESTION: What is the
idea behind the retreat?
ANSWER: Excellent defence. Black's
reception is far from cordial. He hopes to
clear the path for ...c6-c5 and ...d5-d4. It is
crucial for Black's survival that he continues
to harass White with central counters.
23.g4 c5 24.h5 d4 This turns out to be too
slow, perverting and contaminating his
intention, and therefore his destiny. Both
kings are in danger. Perhaps hells come in
different shapes and degrees of suffering?
White's king thinks to himself with a malicious
smile: "Your hell is more painful than mine!"
[ After the plausible defence 24...fxg4
Houdini unearthed a clever win for White:
25.hxg6!! gxf3+ 26.f1! (threatening Rh8+)
f2 27.g2 , planning to double on the h-file
with a decisive attack. ]
25.gxf5 gxf5 Suddenly White's forces work
as a team in perfect harmony. (Perhaps I am
getting off message, but I have never been
interested in competing in team sports, mainly
because I loathe high-fiving team-mates!)
EXERCISE (combination alert): Continue
White's attack.
ANSWER: Ignore the threat to the bishop. The
h-pawn gazes truculently in the direction of g7.
26.h6!! With this move White subordinates
Black's king into the shadows.
g6
[ 26...dxc3? 27.hxg7 xg7 28.e1!
, planning to transfer the queen into the
attack, leaves Black helpless. ]
27.b3 The conceited queen believes her
exceptional good looks promise her an
equally exceptional destiny. And she is right!
h7 Exasperated and bereft of options, the
king throws up his hands in frustration as he
abandons e6. Black's game, laden with sorrow,
is beyond redemption. The variations weave in
and out of one another in a tangle, like a
complex set of criss-crossing railway tracks.
[ Alternatives fail as well: 27...a6 28.exd4
,]
[ or 27...f7 28.xg6+! xg6 29.g1 . ]
28.xe6 dxc3 29.b1! Seeking entry via b7.
a6
[ 29...a7 30.b6 a8 31.xb7 c2
32.b6 is also hopeless. ]
30.d5 xa4 31.xb7 c2+ 32.f1 xa5
33.xe7+ The rook issues a brusque
summons, and Black's king must submit in
nervous compliance.
h8 The wolves on both sides, just outside
the range of sight from the firelight, gather in
the forest, seen only by the ambient glow of
yellow eyes. Black's attack looks ominous,
but ours arrives first. Find one powerful shot
and Black's castle falls. All that remains is a
battered stone staircase ascending to a
roofless nowhere.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White to play
and force mate.
ANSWER: Black's king remains frozen in
shock, mainly due to the blade-handle
protruding from his bleeding belly on h7.
34.h7+!
[ White queen and rook raise arms in
farewell: 34.h7+ xh7 35.d7+ f7
36.xf7+ h8 (Black's tired king has had it
with the grind of life and decides to join a
retirement community for old kings on h8)
37.g7# . Due to her exertions, beads of
sweat appear on the queen's forehead – but
to Black's king, they appear as a jewelled
tiara, enhancing her already radiant
beauty.
SUMMARY: Let's Zuke our opponents when
they play in Chebanenko fashion. In this
case Black's ...a7-a6 may not be such a
useful move for his side. ]
1-0
D30
Kasparov,G
Comp Deep Blue
Philadelphia (6th matchgame) 1996
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3
[ Our move order is 1.d4 d5 2.f3 f6
3.e3 c6 4.c4 e6 5.bd2 . The rest of the
world thinks this is a Semi-Slav. We
Colleites know better. This is actually a kind
of Zukertort Colle, as soon as White tosses
in b2-b3. ]
1...d5 2.d4 c6 3.c4 e6 4.bd2 f6 5.e3
QUESTION: Which side is playing the Colle?
ANSWER: For now Black, since the position is
a Semi-Slav, therefore a reversed Colle. But
the situation soon reverses!
c5 QUESTION: Didn't Black just lose a
tempo?
ANSWER: He did, but the comp's move is
actually a theoretical recommendation based
on the philosophy that he should free himself
("itself" in this case!) with ...c6-c5, since
White's passively posted d2-knight allows it. I
don't agree though. White gets a Zukertort a
full move up in this line, which has to
constitute an advantage for White's side.
[ QUESTION: How do we play it if Black
continues in pure Semi-Slav fashion with
5...bd7 ?
ANSWER: In that case we reach a position
from Chapter Two, but with colours
reversed! After 6.d3 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.e4
e5 White can probably extract an edge due
to his superior development by 9.cxd5 cxd5
10.exd5 exd4 11.e4! , A.Karpov-A.Shirov,
Monte Carlo (blindfold rapid) 1995. We
Colle players are accustomed to such
positions, so we get the added edge of
familiarity as well. ]
6.b3 c6 7.b2 cxd4 Deep B contemplates
a fight against the hanging pawns.
8.exd4 e7 9.c1 Kasparov is ready to take
on hanging pawns, but now the comp refuses
to comply.
[ Alternatively, 9.d3 dxc4 10.bxc4 xd4!?
11.xd4 e5 12.a4+ d7 13.b5 a6
14.b3 axb5 15.cxb5 0-0 was L.Pachman-
M.Botvinnik, Munich Olympiad 1958, when I
prefer White's game just a tad more after
16.c4 . ]
9...0-0 10.d3 d7?! An unnatural and
passive move, perhaps explained by the fact
that Black, a comp, thinks in strange,
unnatural ways.
QUESTION: What would you suggest?
[ ANSWER: Don't stall – challenge White
immediately by 10...dxc4 11.bxc4 b6
12.0-0 b7 13.e2 e8 14.fd1 f8
with a sharp position, A.Shkliar-S.Beshukov,
Krasnodar 2002. ]
11.0-0 h5?! More strange silicon
meanderings.
[ Once again, Black should pull the trigger
and make White choose between hanging
pawns or an isolani after 11...dxc4
. I would probably opt for the knight
recapture, with a nice-looking isolani game
since White owns e5. ]
12.e1
[ 12.g3 doesn't look so bad here either. I
don't see a way for Black to exploit the
weakening. ]
12...f4 13.b1 d6
[ Now after 13...dxc4 14.bxc4 Black's pieces
are oddly out of sync. ]
14.g3 g6 15.e5 c8 16.xd7!
QUESTION: Why did you give White's last
move an exclamation mark? He wasted three
moves (Nf3, Ne5 and Nxd7) to eliminate
Black's worst piece.
ANSWER: Kasparov thinks more long term.
Without this bishop – bad or not – Black is
now discouraged from opening the position
due to White's bishop pair.
xd7 17.f3 b4?! A superficial move. It
doesn't bother White since he is happy to lift
his rook to e3. In fact, he later gains time on
Black's bishop with a2-a3.
18.e3 fd8
[ QUESTION: How about 18...f5 for Black, to
try and generate an attack and make hay
out of White's weakening g2-g3 move? ]
[ ANSWER: Attacks rarely succeed from
positions of strategic inferiority. Your
suggestion favours White after 18...f5?
19.g5! f6 20.a3 d6 21.h5 f8
and now the shot 22.xe6! with a clear
advantage in every line. ]
19.h4
[ Perhaps the immediate 19.c5
is more accurate. The parties continue in a
holding pattern, neither side willing to
commit. Kasparov is slow to play c4-c5,
while the comp refuses to comply and
exchange on c4. ]
19...ge7?! The confused computer drifts,
finding itself at a loss for strategic reference
points among the clutter and confusion
swirling all about. Black's various vendors
jostle for position as they declare their shoddy
wares to passers by. Now the planless comp
gets squeezed, like a mobster's curvy
girlfriend.
[ His last chance for some breathing room
came from 19...dxc4 . Good or bad, Deep
Blue absolutely had to play it. ]
20.a3 a5 21.b4 c7 22.c5 This is a clear
example of a favourable majority: White's
kinetically charged, Black's stagnant.
e8 23.d3 Inducing a weakness.
g6 24.e2 f5 25.c3! h5 26.b5! ce7
The cowed knight, full of apprehension and
defeat, steps aside without resistance.
QUESTION: Is it my imagination or is the
comp playing scared?
ANSWER: Even I don't play this passively!
QUESTION: Wasn't a5 a superior choice for
the knight?
[ ANSWER: The knight may later turn into a
target after 26...a5 27.a2! , but I would
have played there anyway and possibly
sac'ed a pawn with a future ...Nc4. Anything
for some freedom. ]
27.d2 g7 28.a4 a8 29.a5! a6 30.b6
b8 Black's forces coil into themselves like
frightened moles fleeing from predators,
backing into the safety of an underground
tunnel. Word travels quickly in the corridors of
palace gossip. Everyone, apart from the a8-
rook, understands that he is out of favour.
Black's pessimistic bishop, who clearly views
life through crud-encrusted glasses,
stalemates his own queen's rook, who looks
more like some unfortunate, taxidermized
specimen at a natural history museum.
[ 30...d8? is even worse: White punches
through after 31.e5 a4 32.c6! xc6
33.xc6 bxc6 34.c2 b5 35.f4! xd3
36.xd3 xd4 37.b7! . ]
31.c2 c6 32.a4 e7 33.c3 e5?
In the confusion, the computer's displacement
of the real with the imagined continues. It
pursues the mirage of counterplay producing
tactics, where none exists. Deep B tries to
move based on Black's two-part itinerary:
1. Subterfuge.
2. My mistake. There is no part two. Please
return to part one.
"Give me your wallet!" said the comp, as he
brandishes a blade. "I beg to differ," replies
Kasparov, as he responds by pulling out a
Magnum.45. It was Napoleon Bonaparte who
advised: Never engage an enemy who is in
the process of self-destruction. The knight
moves about helter skelter like a tipped over
glass rolling around the deck of a sailboat in
rough weather. Never trust a comp – always
opportunistic, while firmly holding a belief in
its own luck. In this case the comp is a little
too clever for its own good, since after its
"combination" White's position significantly
improves!
QUESTION: Do you think Kasparov
overlooked Black's last move?
ANSWER: Moby Dick remained one step
ahead of Captain Ahab, even though Ahab
was always a harpoon's throw away for most
of the voyage. In other words, it is highly
unlikely. Kasparov probably liked the resulting
position he attained and allowed it.
34.dxe5 xa4 35.d4! Eliminating Black's
only good piece.
xd4 36.xd4 d7 Black won't survive an
ending, as he is playing a rook down in all but
name.
37.d2 e8 38.g5 c8 39.f6+ h7
Now White must pinpoint a target. In this case
he has access to an unencumbered bursting
forth, a rupture, which Black is unable to
reseal.
EXERCISE (planning/combination alert): How
would you go about exploiting White's
overwhelming strategic advantage?
ANSWER: The gash in the fabric of Black's
queenside leads to a declivity which acts as a
sinkhole, a void, sucking the defenders deeper
and deeper below.
40.c6! bxc6
[ 40...xc6 41.ec2 xc2 42.xc2 e8
43.c5 h6 44.c8 is utterly hopeless for
Black. Robinson Crusoe, for so long trapped
on his island of a8, longs for human contact
and companionship. ]
41.c5 h6 42.b2! Threatening b6-b7.
b7 What a treat to witness Kasparov's
towering strategic control. Only Black's king
can move. I suppose, when stripped of a
profusion of options, one's choices become
quite simple. Now the king in the cage
degenerates into a chessic version of a
petting zoo, an exhibit where children fondly
pat the king's head while their parents snap
photos.
43.b4 QUESTION: I understand that Black's
position is awful, yet I fail to see the
breakthrough for White. How would he win if
Black simply shuffled his king?
[ ANSWER: There are many ways, one being
a direct attack on Black's king. But probably
the simplest and most practical line would
be 43.b4 h7 44.e7 xe7 45.xe7
e8 46.b7 a7 47.c5 .
SUMMARY: In general, Black should give
White the hanging pawns, or take them on
himself (or itself in this case). If he takes
half measures and allows c4-c5, as in this
and the previous game, White's majority
tends to be the superior one. ]
1-0
Chapter Six

Gambit Lines for Black

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 dxc5
Below lie images of Black's quest, born of madness. So little respect does Black have for the Colle, that he decides
to gambit a pawn - and with the black pieces - to grab the initiative and teach us a lesson about our poor opening
choice!
All these lines - the Noteboom, Botvinnik Anti-Meran, Geller Gambit, Catalan Gambit - are sound... when played
with the white pieces. I have grave doubts about their soundness when essayed a move down. In essence, Black's
gambit response to the Colle is the stunningly beautiful girlfriend with the alluring smile, who, when examined on a
deeper level, is a shallow person, an empty dress without internal substance.
It would not be a bad idea for you to be familiar with Black's handling of the variations mentioned above. You should
score quite well against all of them, since the removal of a tempo alters matters drastically for your opponents.

Reversed Noteboom

Reversed Anti-Meran

Reversed Catalan Gambit

Zurek-Tischbierek
Capablanca-Spielmann
Shvedchikov-Radomsky

Index

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 dxc5 a5

5...e5 6 b4 – Capablanca-Spielmann
6 Bb5
6 Bb5
6...e6 – Zurek-Tischbierek
6...g6 – Shvedchikov-Radomsky
 D05
Zurek,M
Tischbierek,R
East Berlin 1987
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6
[ Another possible move order for us would
be something like 1...c5 2.c3 and now:
A) 2...f6 3.f3 d5 4.dxc5
when we reach our game position.;
B) 2...d5 3.f3 c6 4.dxc5 a5?!
(if Black plays this move order we can
exploit the omission of ...Nf6 with...) 5.e4!
e6 ( 5...dxe4? 6.xd8+ xd8 7.b5+
is awful for Black ) 6.exd5 exd5 7.e3
, C.Lakdawala-K.Griffith, San Diego (rapid)
2010. Black never regained his lost
pawn.;
C) 2...-- ]
[ QUESTION: What if Black trades on d4
after 1...c5 2.c3 ?
ANSWER: Please see the next chapter,
where we touch upon both Exchange Slav
and reversed Exchange Queen's Gambit
Declined lines. ( 2.e3 is of course also
possible if you don't care for the White side
of an Exchange Slav. )]
[ QUESTION: What does a Noteboom look
like from Black's side?
ANSWER: Here is a recent example of a
Noteboom structure, which you should also
study from Black's side to improve your
Colle versions: 1...d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.f3 c6
4.e3 b5 5.a4 e6 6.axb5 cxb5 7.b3 b4+
8.d2 xd2+ 9.bxd2 a5! 10.bxc4 b4
11.e5 f6 12.d3 b7 13.0-0 0-0 14.f4
bd7 15.c2 h6 16.e1 xe5 17.fxe5
d7 18.e4 b3! 19.b1 a4 20.d6 c6
21.d2 a5 22.d3 f5 23.exf6 xf6
24.xf6 xf6 25.h7+ f8 (believe it or
not Black is winning! – White's attack fails
due to his shut-out queenside forces)
26.h8+ e7 27.xg7+ xd6 28.c5+
d5 (the ironic part is that Black is the one
threatening mate on e1) 29.e4+
A) 29...c4!! was correct; e.g. 30.c1+
( or 30.xf6 xe4 31.xe6+ d3 )
30...b4 31.xc6 af8 32.b7+ a3
when Black dodges the checks and wins
easily;
B) 29...xe4?! 30.xf6 d3?
( 30...d2! still wins for Black: 31.xe6+
d3 32.xc6 xe3+ 33.h1 b2 )
31.f1+ c3 32.c1+ b2 33.b1+
a3 34.a1+ b4 35.e1+ b5
36.e2+ b4 37.e1+ with perpetual
check, N.Croad-I.Khenkin, Istanbul
Olympiad 2012. ]
2.c3 A person after my own heart, who loves
the Slav so much that he plays it as White!
We soon transpose to Colle lines.
[ Our move order would probably go 2.f3
c5 3.c3 d5 4.dxc5 . ]
2...d5 3.f3 c5?! This rash gambit signals a
repackaging, a dramatic shift in emphasis,
where Black refuses to be Black and demands
the white pieces. My heart leaps with joy when
my opponents play any type of Slav Gambit –
in whatever form – a move down with Black.
4.dxc5! Weapons come in various shapes
and forms. Even Monica Lewinsky managed
to weaponize a blue dress. White accepts the
challenge and grabs the pawn in Slav style.
[ QUESTION: Can we still stay in pure Colle
with 4.e3 ?
ANSWER: In the next game Capablanca
does just that, only to take on c5 the move
after. Against this particular move we have
the option to take on c5 at once and head
for a favourable reversed Slav. ]
4...c6
[ I believe the Reversed Noteboom (or a
close facsimile) is the only playable path for
Black in these gambit lines, and even then
may fall short of equality after 4...e6! 5.b4
a5 6.e3 and:
A) 6...b6 7.a4 bxc5 8.b5 d6 ( 8...c4!?
seems an interesting theoretical novelty,
preventing White's next move ) 9.c4 0-0
10.b2 bd7 11.bd2 b7 12.d3
e7 looks like a typically tangled
Noteboom-ish position, A.Summerscale-J.
Plaskett, Edinburgh 1999.;
B) 6...axb4 7.cxb4 b6 8.b5+ ( 8.a4
bxc5 9.b5 d6 10.b2 , O.Kulicov-I.
Derjabin, Alushta 2004, is similar, except
that here the light-squared bishops remain
on the board ) 8...d7 9.xd7+ bxd7
10.a4 bxc5 11.b5 d6 12.0-0 0-0
13.b2 , R.Cifuentes Parada-C.Bauer,
San Sebastian 2009. This is not an exact
Noteboom, so let's call it "Noteboom-like"
instead. I prefer White's queenside
passers over Black's imposing central
majority.
QUESTION: Isn't Black better after e5 ?
ANSWER: Then White plays a trick
borrowed from the Noteboom and
responds 14.e4! d4 15.bd2
 with a strong blockade on c4 and therefore
the superior majority.;
C) 6...-- ]
[ QUESTION: What happens if Black tosses
in 4...a5 first?
ANSWER: We transpose after 5.e3 e6
6.b4 axb4 7.cxb4 b6 8.b5+ . ]
5.e3 a5 6.b5 e6 7.b4 QUESTION: Does
Black get enough compensation for the pawn?
ANSWER: Houdini seems to think so,
assessing this as equal, but I don't have any
faith that he does. I just don't believe Black
gets either compensation or equality in any of
these reversed gambit lines of the Slav or
Semi-Slav. They strike me as similar to a
fourth place finish at the Olympics, just out of
medal range. A gambit played as White, like
some of the Anti-Merans which are so popular
these days, just doesn't have the same punch
when played as Black a move down. That
single tempo matters a lot.
e7
[ Or 7...e4 8.b2 e7 9.bd2 0-0
10.xe4 dxe4 11.xc6 xd1+ 12.xd1
bxc6 13.d4 f6 14.c2 xd4 15.exd4
a6 16.a3 and the opposite-coloured
bishops failed to save Black in the pawn
down ending, C.Lakdawala-C.Holt, Internet
(blitz) 2012. ]
8.b2 0-0 9.a3 White patiently proceeds with
the interminable but necessary ceremony of
unravelling from his temporary strategic
fetters on the queenside. If White manages to
complete development and achieve Nbd2,
Qb3 and c3-c4, I don't see a speck of
compensation for Black. He must do
something quickly to prove the validity of his
sac.
e4 10.bd2 f5 Otherwise White is happy
to swap on e4 and then trade queens to boot.
11.0-0 g5!? Mesmerized, Black begins a
risky course of action, as if against his own
will and drawn by an unseen power. The
wizard's apprentice, spying the book of
incantations, decides to summon dark,
unimaginable forces far beyond his
comprehension or ability to control. Soon his
tribulations begin. With his last move Black
has the appearance of someone who
compounds an original offence with a
secondary crime, hoping to offset the first!
QUESTION: I take it you believe this attack
unsound?
ANSWER: Unfounded and without merit, more
than unsound. There simply is no strategic
basis from which to begin such an attack, and
yet he must justify his earlier sac. A politician
under heavy scrutiny for alleged wrong doing
(gambiting against the reverse Slav comes to
mind!) often feigns fake outrage on another
issue, to distract attention away from himself.
Something like this is a logical progression of
Black's earlier decision to sac. But if so, then
his previous pawn sac is unsound!
12.xc6 Playing for control over e5.
bxc6 13.c4 f6 14.e5 c7 15.f4
Clamping down hard on the e5-hole.
b8 16.xe4 Simple play. White keeps
reducing the attackers by sending them to
oblivion through exchanges.
fxe4 17.c3
[ Houdini points out the startling line 17.fxg5!!
xe5 18.xf8+ xf8 19.h5! , when the
creature emerges from shadow to reveal her
true form. White has a winning position. If
Black doubles down with xb2??
, he gets mated by 20.f1+ g8 21.e8+
g7 22.f8+ g6 23.h6# . ]
17...gxf4? Black's (hoped-for) energetic
initiative, now wan and bleary-eyed, lies down
for a much-needed nap. White's new-found
activity leads in turn to inevitable and swift
good fortune. Suddenly, the meek, bullied kid
realizes, to his delight, that he stands three
inches taller than his aggressor simply by
unhunching his shoulders. By abruptly turning
his gaze in the opposite direction, White
tacitly rescinds his last command to play on
the queenside and exploit his extra pawn,
altering the order to a direct attack upon
Black's king.
18.g4+! The queen enters resplendent,
attended by her military advisors on c3, e5
and f1.
g7
[ 18...h8 19.xf4 is just as hopeless. ]
19.xf4 b7 Black's forces howl a frantic
alarm, as they see the white army approach
from the East, like a wave of unwanted traffic.
EXERCISE: One simple move and Black
collapses. What is it?
ANSWER: Engage the final undeveloped
piece. Soldiers kill without a disposition of
pleasure in the act, and without malice toward
their target. Yet this provides little consolation
to the victim.
20.af1! Houdini's assessment: +8.00 for
White! Black collapses, losing heavy material,
no matter how he responds. It's almost as if
White's forces refuse to bestir themselves,
with the contemptuous ease of a foe who
realizes he has already won the battle.
SUMMARY: The Anti-Meran gambits come
across as limp when played a move down. I
just don't believe in Black's compensation.
1-0
D05
Capablanca,J
Spielmann,R
San Sebastian 1911
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 d5 2.f3 c5
[ 2...f6 3.c4 c6 4.c3 e6 5.g5 dxc4
6.e4 b5 is essentially what we get in the
game, but with the very important difference
that 'Black' (i.e. Capa's side) is a critical
move up, which radically alters the
assessment. ]
3.c3 f6 4.e3 I would take on c5
immediately, not giving Black a chance to bail
out into a normal Colle.
c6?! As I have mentioned over and over
again in this chapter, a gambit which is
completely sound and playable as White is
suddenly relegated to the realm of shady
when played a move down.
[ Black would have been better off heading
back to a normal Colle with 4...e6 . ]
[ Alternatively, 4...bd7 followed by ...g7-g6
is a reversed Catalan, ]
[ as is 4...c7 with ...g7-g6 to follow. ]
5.dxc5! A dog's super-power is her nose. With
one sniff she fills in the dimensions of the
missing information and collates the data into
two distinct categories:
1. Food (good).
2. Not food (bad).
Here, Capa senses food nearby and bites into
c5. In 1911, Capa's move may have been
perceived as a radical notion. Few
abandoned control over the sacrosanct centre,
even for a pawn's bribe.
e5?! QUESTION: I understand that you don't
approve of this line for Black, but do you
concede practical chances for the pawn?
ANSWER: Perhaps Black got practical
chances at the time this game was played; but
in today's world of databases, 3200-rated
comps and a flowing stream of theoretical
articles, the line is just asking for it.
[ I still think the only playable path for Black
may be to enter a facsimile Noteboom (as
we looked at in the previous game) with
5...e6 6.b4 a5 7.b5 d7 8.b2 axb4
9.xc6 xc6 10.cxb4 b6 11.a4! bxc5
12.b5 , G.Drogou-L.Geffroy, Issy les
Moulineaux 2003, but even then I prefer
White's majority over Black's. ]
[ Instead, 5...a5 6.b5 e6 7.b4 comes to
the same thing as the last variation. ]
6.b4 Capa grabs hold and refuses to let go of
his new-found wealth.
c7 Quiet play allows White to catch up in
development, which was Black's only
compensation for his dubious pawn sac.
Instead:
[ a) 6...e4 7.d4 is a move up Geller
Gambit (a line I slander mercilessly in my
Slav book!), which is barely playable with
the white pieces, and must be demoted to
downright unsound when played a tempo
down. ]
[ b) 6...g4 7.bd2 ( 7.h3 h5 8.g4 g6
is a reversed Moscow Variation ) 7...e4 8.h3
h5 9.g4 xg4 10.hxg4 xg4
is a reversed Botvinnik Semi-Slav. If these
positions are dynamic and fully playable as
Black, then how much more so when we
land here with White, a full move up? ]
7.b2 e6 8.bd2 e7 9.e2
[ White can also try and consolidate his
queenside with the immediate 9.a3 0-0
10.c4 . However, this comes with risks since
he opens the position – exactly what Black
wants. ]
9...0-0 10.0-0 ad8 11.c2 g4!
QUESTION: Why did Black move the bishop a
second time?
ANSWER: His plan is ...e5-e4, swap off light-
squared bishops, and then follow up with ...
Ne5, when the knight can enter on d3.
[ 11...e4 12.d4 is the not-very-promising
alternative. ]
12.e4?! This move allows Black counterplay.
[ He should keep still and cultivate patience
with something like 12.h3 h5 13.ae1!?
, when White continues to hold the
advantage. ]
12...dxe4 13.xe4 xe4 14.xe4 f5!
Spielmann's gamble seems to be paying off.
Black activates his kingside pawn majority
and begins to generate serious play for the
pawn.
15.c4+ h8 16.ad1 e4 17.d4 e5
18.b3 xe2 19.xe2 g4 Threatening
mate in one.
20.g3 Capa's play throughout the opening
phase strikes one as strangely confused and,
at the same time, equally strangely
competent!
[ 20.g3 is the alternative. ]
20...f4
[ After 20...e3! 21.fxe3 xd1 22.xd1
xe3 23.e1 f4 Houdini says equal, but
the position doesn't look so easy to defend
from White's side. ]
21.xd8 xd8 22.e6! Principle: Engage in
a central counter when attacked on the wing.
fxg3 23.xg4 gxh2+? The wrong pawn.
[ Black should take the other way, creating a
passed e-pawn for himself with 23...gxf2+!
24.xf2 e3 25.f1 e5 26.e1 g5
, which offers ample compensation for his
deficit. ]
24.h1 Advantage White again. His king
remains safe and his structure stands superior.
White's king thinks to himself: "I can see you
but you can't see me!" He surreptitiously
hides inside h1, the way a person in a limo
with tinted glass sees out, yet nobody can see
inside the car.
e5
[ 24...d2 25.c1 xa2 26.xe4
also favours White. Basically, the h2-pawn
will be picked up in any ending. ]
25.e1 d2?! One of life's great sufferings is
the sting of wanting and not getting.
Spielmann, conditioned only to the precepts
of attack, scoffs at the notion of a defensive
move, even though he is in reality now on the
defensive.
26.xe4 c7?
[ Black has to go for 26...d1+ 27.xd1
xe4 28.c4! xc4 29.f3 , even if White
remains with good chances to convert to a
win. ]
27.c1! xf2 The rook is a walking
contradiction. So much he understands, and
also so little. His hope for insurgency is at an
end, with the initiative firmly in White's control.
Black's forces find themselves without a
concrete plan of action and continue their
insensible drift to nowhere.
[ 27...d7 is also hopeless – the fugitive,
propelled by desperation, continues running
through the forest, with the crackling of
autumn leaves beneath his feet: 28.f4
d8 29.e2 (threat: Bd6!) f8 30.d6!
f7 31.e8 f6 32.xh2 and Black has no
chance to save himself. ]
28.f4 d8 The sullen queen obeys, like a
child listlessly submitting to the teacher's
scolding command. Now Black begins to
understand the shape of his destiny, and it is
not to his liking.
EXERCISE (combination alert): You can short-
circuit Black's defences with a trick. Do you
see it?
ANSWER: Weak back rank/overload. Black's
pieces spring back in alarm and indignant
outcry.
29.xe7! The brash rook is immune.
f8 Black's queen nervously touches her
king's arm, indicating a "let's leave" signal.
However, the unfortunate pair is not going
anywhere. Do you feel it? This isn't just
stillness. Instead, the position exudes a
predatory stillness just before the explosive
lunge. Have you ever entered an outwardly
innocent, bland-looking position, when just at
that point your intuition, just under the surface
of consciousness, begins prickling and fretting,
sensing something big? Well, this is exactly
one of those situations.
Capa can win with the mundane 30 Bd6.
Instead, he found a sparkling finish which
sent Black's king and queen flailing about with
arms swinging haphazardly, as if old, beat-up
dolls carried carelessly by a little girl.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Do you see
Capa's finish?
ANSWER: Weak back rank again – this time
out of nowhere! Black's startled queen erupts
in a soprano wail of grief, intermingled with
outrage.
30.xg7+! The hung-over black king and
queen greet the harsh wash of the morning's
sepia light with ill grace and bloodshot eyes,
the steep price of last evening's revelry. The
incandescent explosion on g7 provides a
fractured backdrop to the din and cries of
battle, as the ground writhes with the
groaning shapes of the wounded.
[ After 30.xg7+ xg7 31.e8+ f8
( the queen sags to her knees with a woeful
sob; 31...g8 32.e5+ f6 33.xf6#
is mate – despite administering CPR, there
is no response, no pulse, no breath from
Black's king ) 32.xf8+ g7 33.h6+ xh6
34.xf2 , the body of the black rook
decomposes into the forest humus.
SUMMARY: The Anti-Meran gambit is
completely sound – but only when played as
White! When our opponents play it a move
down, as in this game, we should rejoice at
their overly optimistic decision to offer a
 shady sac. ]
1-0
D05
Shvedchikov,A
Radomsky,V
World Senior Championship, Arco 2010
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 d5 2.f3 f6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 c6?!
5.dxc5! Of course we happily indulge with the
pawn grab, which hints at a demand of owed
and yet unpaid restitution.
a5 6.b5 g6 Once again there arises a
tempest of contradictory evaluations.
QUESTION: What is this version?
ANSWER: When terrible events occur later on
for Black, it is safe to assume that over-
optimism is the chief architect behind his
sorrows. Black plays a Catalan Gambit a
move down – downright dubious, in my
opinion.
7.b4 The human move.
[ Houdini suggests the bizzaro novelty 7.e4!?
dxe4 ( 7...xe4? 8.e5! is terrible for
Black ) 8.xc6+ bxc6 9.xd8+ xd8
10.e5 e8 and White should stand better
here as well. ]
7...g7 8.b2 0-0 9.a3 Amazingly, Houdini,
in an almost spiritual, anti-materialist fervour,
assesses this as slightly in Black's favour!
QUESTION: I take it you don't agree?
ANSWER: With precious little leverage or
power of inducement of any sort, Black's
negotiation lacks potency. I don't fully trust
the Catalan Gambit (another opening I cruelly
trash-talk in my Slav book) when White plays
it. Then how much more so is my disdain
when Black trots it out a move down?
c7
[ I don't see enough compensation after
9...e4 10.b3 g4 11.bd2 . ]
10.bd2 d8?! This may be the wrong rook.
Now Black's ...f7-f5 lacks potency without a
rook behind it.
QUESTION: What plan do you suggest?
ANSWER: I would go for a plan like: ...e7-e5,
...h7-h6, ...Be6, ...Rad8 and eventually push
for ...f7-f5.
11.0-0 e4 12.c2 xd2
[ QUESTION: Didn't White just walk into a
tempo loss on c2 after 12...f5 ?
ANSWER: Yes, but it won't bother him, who
continues to swap after 13.xe4 dxe4
( 13...xe4 14.e2 fails to bother White
either ) 14.d4 e5 15.xf5 gxf5 16.fd1
g4 17.g3 e5 18.e2 b6 19.cxb6 xb6
20.xd8+ xd8 21.d1 and White should
be able to convert this to a full point. ]
13.xd2 e5 14.e2
[ White might also go for the immediate
14.c4 , intending a7 15.a4 dxc4
16.c3 e6 17.g5 d5 18.e4 c6
19.xc6 xc6 20.xc4 and again, I just
don't believe in Black's compensation. ]
14...g4 15.h3 e6 16.fd1 h6 17.e1
h7 Black hasn't managed to move an iota
closer to even a semblance of compensation.
It's unwise to putz around after giving the
opponent a pawn. Black should try something
more energetic.
QUESTION: What do you suggest?
[ ANSWER: Either 17...e4 ]
[ or 17...f5 . In both cases Black should go
for a desperado attack on the kingside – his
only hope. ]
18.c4?! Mistimed.
[ White should toss in 18.ac1 first. ]
18...dxc4 19.c3 axb4 20.axb4 xa1
21.xa1?! EXERCISE (combination alert):
White just recaptured the wrong way. There is
a method for Black's low-energy position to
receive a much-needed revitalizing boost.
How?
b5?!
[ ANSWER: With this move Black pulls the
problems down around his ears, as if
wearing a snug-fitting cap, missing the
chance to muck things up with 21...d4!!
. Black fails to mould the mood of the
position, so instead he reflects it with an
explosive sac. The slightly built, stooped,
chinless nerd with the coke-bottle glasses
has had enough and decides to confront the
hulk of a class bully. The knight charges in
before any of his comrades can stop him
and talk some sense into him. Now the room
is abruptly abuzz with murmurs of ill-
concealed consternation.
With 21...Nd4!! Black augments the
efficiency of his new-found initiative tenfold:
22.xc4 ( after 22.exd4 exd4 23.a3 c3
White should probably return the piece with
24.d3 cxb2 25.xb2 when he may be the
one fighting for the draw ) 22...xf3+
23.gxf3 xh3 24.f1 and Black is right
back in the game. ]
22.cxb6 xb6 23.xc4 xc4 24.xc4
xb4 25.xb4 xb4 26.xe5 c6
27.xg7 xg7 QUESTION: How would you single-string, forcing variation. ]
assess White's winning chances? I realize he 35...c4 36.d4+ d6 37.xf7
is a pawn up, but all the pawns are on the [ Good enough, but the pawn ending after
same side. 37.xc6+ is simple as well, as we have
ANSWER: This should be a win, mainly due to seen. ]
the pair of knights remaining on the board. 37...xd4 38.exd4 xd4 39.f6+ e5
28.g4 d5 29.g2 c5 30.b1 f6 40.f4+ e4 41.e6+! A jarring
[ If Black attempts to reduce the number of accompaniment to his last move. Black's king
pawns with 30...h5 , White denies him by is cut off from his pawn.
pushing past: 31.g5 e5! 32.d4 c6! d5
33.b5! . ] [ 41...f5 42.e5# is a helpmate study. ]
31.b6 e7? Black's king is the presiding 42.xg6 d3+ 43.h4 e4 44.f6 a3
bureaucrat over his bankrupt position. He is 45.g6 d5 SUMMARY: The Catalan Gambit
determined to oversee that the degeneration a move down is a suspicious proposition for
proceeds along at a smooth, orderly pace. Black.
EXERCISE (planning): Black's last move was 1-0
a serious error. How can we exploit it?
ANSWER: Step 1: Deliver check on the
seventh rank.
32.b7+ e6 Step 2: Place Black in an
eternal pin. Now Black's knight and rook
experience frayed nerves and hurt feelings,
although both feign to the contrary.
33.c7! c2 34.g5! h5 35.g3
It's distressing when a waiter or waitress feels
the need to establish friendship and bond with
the customers before agreeing to take their
orders. I'm happy to be your friend, but
dammit, hurry up, I'm hungry! White's last
move reminds me of this situation.
QUESTION: Are you saying that White wins
the king and pawn ending if he takes
immediately on c6?
ANSWER: He does indeed win. White's rook
and knight burn c6 with a contemptuous stare.
Black awaits his fate in expectation, emotions
astir. White's king is the surly,
uncommunicative child who refuses to
participate in the class discussion. He should
enter the king and pawn endgame. Let's do a
calculation exercise:
[ EXERCISE (calculation): Work out the
following sequence without moving the
pieces.
ANSWER: 35.xc6+! (it works; if you are
offered a cigarette before the firing squad is
scheduled to execute you, then you may as
well go ahead and smoke it – lung cancer is
the least of your worries) xc6 36.d4+
d7 37.xc6 xc6 38.f3 d5 39.f4
d6 40.e4 e6 (Black's king, hands
bound, is jerked into a trot by the pull of the
rope) 41.h4 d6 42.f3! e6 43.f4 d6
44.f5! and Black can resign. 19-ply sounds
very difficult, but it isn't really, since it's a
Chapter Seven

Exchange Slav and Exchange Caro-Kann

1 d4 c5 2 c3 cxd4 3 cxd4 d5 or 1 d4 c5 2 e3 cxd4 3 exd4 d5
In this chapter we examine positions which arise when Black tosses in a quick ...c7-c5 and then swaps on d4. In the
two diagrams, we see the shaping outline of the familiar contour of our choices - and it is our choice, not Black's,
which position we wish to reach. In both cases, theory claims equality for Black, but at club level the positions can't
be distilled so easily to such binary evaluations of ones and zeros.
In the first diagram, the Exchange Slav, the position may be symmetrical but it is our move, and not so easy for
Black to offset and neutralize our extra tempo.

Exchange Slav

Exchange Caro-Kann

In the second, the Exchange Caro-Kann, we follow the inevitable collision of antithetical world views. Black tends to
get long-term chances with a queenside minority attack, but only if he manages to survive our kingside attack first -
not so easy to achieve from a practical perspective. We essentially play a Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange
Variation with, as usual, an extra tempo. And that extra tempo alters the landscape quite radically from the move
down, Black version, allowing us greater scope for our aggressive agenda.
Lakdawala-Montany
Browne-Larsen

Index

1 d4 c5
2 c3 cxd4 3 cxd4 d5 – Lakdawala-Montany
2 e3 cxd4 3 exd4 d5 – Browne-Larsen
 D13
Lakdawala,C
Montany,E
San Diego (rapid) 2008
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3
[ Colle move orders that reach the Exchange
Slav: 1.d4 d5 ( or 1...c5 2.c3 cxd4 3.cxd4
d5 ) 2.f3 c5 3.c3 cxd4 4.cxd4 . ]
1...d5 2.d4 f6 3.c4 c6 4.cxd5 cxd5
5.c3 c6 6.f4 The main starting position
of the Exchange Slav.
QUESTION: Doesn't the line have a drawish
reputation?
ANSWER: A weapon is still a weapon, no
matter how crude. A thrown rock has the
power to render an enemy just as dead as a
bullet. In other words, yes it does, but this
only really applies at the top GM levels – and
even there, equality isn't so easy for Black to
achieve. I have always scored well with this
line, since I play the Slav as Black, so it's a
position I'm quite familiar with – and here I
have an extra move. I assume the same logic
applies for us Colle players, who are more
likely to be familiar with the structure than our
opponents.
e6 Black has three other main branches:
[ a) 6...f5 (Black responds with symmetry,
hoping the tranquillity inherent in the
position will provide equality) 7.e3 e6
8.b3 ( I have always played this way,
rather than 8.b5 ) 8...b4 9.b5 a5
10.0-0 0-0 11.xc6 bxc6 12.c7! xc7
13.xb4 d7 14.fc1 ab8 15.a3
(White gets a touch of pressure on c5 and
the backward c-pawn).
QUESTION: Why can't Black just dissolve it
with ...c6-c5 next?
ANSWER: My opponent tried this but failed
to equalize after c5?! 16.dxc5 xc5
17.xc5 xc5 18.xd5 d3 19.e7+
h8 20.c3 xb2 21.xf5 exf5 22.d4
g6 23.ac1 a5 24.g3 , C.Lakdawala-A.
Kretchetov, Century City 2002. Black's a-
pawn was weak, and White also took over
the seventh rank, going on to win. This
game is annotated in 'Play the London
System'. ]
[ b) 6...a6 7.c1 ( more accurate than 7.e3
g4 , which allows Black to unload a bad
bishop ) 7...f5 8.e3 c8 9.e2 e6 10.0-0
e7 ( 10...d6 leaves Black with a
remaining inferior bishop ) 11.b3! a5?
( Black must go for 11...d7 12.a4 a5
13.xc8+ xc8 14.b6 d8 15.c5
xc5 16.xc5 , though even here White
holds a slight edge ) 12.a4+ c6
( 12...b5?? 13.xb5! axb5 14.xb5+ f8
15.xc8 wins ) 13.xa6! a8 ( after
13...bxa6 14.e5 b6 15.e2
White favourably regains the piece )
14.xb7! xa4 15.xc6+ f8 16.xa4
and Black was in deep trouble, V.Kramnik-V.
Anand, World Blitz Championship, Moscow
2007. ]
[ c) 6...e4 (an aggressive attempt to
dismantle the symmetry and enter a
Grünfeld-like position – but then I always
wonder: why didn't he play Grünfeld to begin
with?) 7.e3 xc3 8.bxc3 g6 (now White's
next move ensures a long-term edge)
9.e5! g7 10.xc6 bxc6 11.a4
, V.Milov-A.Rustemov, Polanica Zdroj
1999. ]
7.e3 h5!? Dreev's line, which is perhaps
Black's most ambitious attempt to play for the
win. The bickering begins and the fragile
balance of power is disturbed, as is the
similitude of a peaceful outcome.
QUESTION: Won't Black pick off the bishop
pair eventually?
ANSWER: Probably so – but at the heavy cost
of time, when already lagging behind in
development.
8.g5 b6 9.b5 h6 10.h4 d7
[ QUESTION: Why does Black hold back on
10...g5 ?
ANSWER: Black plays a careful move,
perhaps a wise precaution since his
suspicions are amply founded. He fails to
equalize after 11.e5 g7 12.g3 f5
, J.Smejkal-P.Nikolic, Novi Sad 1982, when
13.h5! h7 14.0-0 gives White a vastly
superior position. ]
11.0-0 d6
[ Or 11...g5 12.xc6 xc6 13.e5 g7
14.g3 and Black has yet to achieve
equality, V.Bhat-J.Becerra Rivero, Internet
2005. ]
12.c1 Other ideas:
[ a) 12.e4!? (White seizes upon his lead in
development to open the game) 0-0
13.exd5 exd5 14.e5 xe5 15.dxe5 f4
16.g3 , A.Baburin-A.Dreev, Gorky 1989,
though Black looks fine after d4 17.xf4
dxc3 18.xc6 xc6 . ]
[ b) 12.e5 xe5 13.dxe5 xb5 14.xb5
xe5 15.xh5 xb2 16.ab1 xb5
 17.g3! , when Black found himself in deep
trouble from the dangerous pin and his
lagging development, J.Knap-M.Brzoza,
correspondence 2009. ]
12...g6!? A novelty, but not a great one. Black
should probably castle with just short of
equality.
[ My opponent writes: "Not being very familiar
with this position, I wasn't sure how to deal
with my king. I thought White would be
better after 12...g5 13.d2 g7 14.g3
xg3 15.fxg3! ." ]
13.e2 0-0
[ 13...a6! prevented White's following
manoeuvre. ]
14.a4! My opponent again: "I
underestimated the strength of this move and
the coming pawn sacrifice."
a5 15.c5! The knight slides in through an
unlocked window, determined to rob Black of
all that is dear to him: the dark squares.
White commits to a pawn sacrifice – once
begun, the path is unretractable, like a nasty
story about Paris Hilton already in print.
xc5 16.xc5 xa2 White's queenside
depopulates and shrinks, as Black increases
his tax revenues.
17.xc6 QUESTION: Why give up the bishop
pair?
ANSWER: White swaps one advantage for
another: The creation of opposite-coloured
bishops, which favour the attacker – in this
case, me.
xc6 18.e5 fc8 19.fc1 QUESTION:
What did you get for your pawn sacrifice?
ANSWER: When deciding to sac with a
composite of good intentions and a brave
heart, there must lie the seed of some
strategic or tactical motifs to take hold of as
well, for clarification and the final go ahead.
White obtains the following compensation:
1. Black's pieces are tied down and on the
defensive.
2. The presence of opposite-coloured bishops
greatly enhances White's attacking chances
on the dark squares.
ab8?! Eric writes: "I'm trying to provoke a
weakness from White, g2-g4, but I'm probably
playing with fire."
20.g4 g7 The knight picnics in the
graveyard.
21.g3 a8 22.f3 f8 23.b4 b3
24.xc6 bxc6 25.xc6 e8
[ 25...xb4? 26.d6 snags the exchange. ]
26.e5 The bishop puts on his ceremonial
vestments and prepares to deliver a rousing
sermon to Black's king.
xb4 27.h3 e7? Black, thinly cheered
by the flow of events which elapsed over the
last dozen or so moves, now commits a time
pressure error – though he probably can't
save the game anyway.
[ Sometimes mute acceptance of suffering is
a better way to go than a passionate
defence. 27...h7 28.f4 h5 29.gxh5 g5!
may be his best. ]
28.xh6 Black finds life under the
domineering queen's gaze unendurable as it
stands. The queen enters in uncomfortably
close proximity to Black's king, the way the
most beautiful girl in sixth grade class takes a
seat next to the shy, tongue-tied class nerd.
f6 An attack may be conducted with heat and
passion, or the apparatus of cold machinery.
In this case we see an example of the latter.
Black's king, having experienced good living,
now grows nervous, as the hungry mob
approaches with unspoken menace. White's
restive attackers are ready with the
invigorating prospect of breaching the
defences, and the anticipation of a climber's
first sight of Kilimanjaro.
EXERCISE (combination alert): White to play
and win.
ANSWER: The white attackers approach,
silent as demons ordered to corrupt the
innocent. One rook is malicious; the other
mean spirited. The combined effect is the
same.
29.c7! The queen's legs move frantically,
yet she remains in place, as if travelling in a
dream.
SUMMARY: Perhaps Black can equalize
against the Exchange Slav, but it isn't as easy
as most of the books claim.
1-0
B13
Browne,W
Larsen,B
San Antonio 1972
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.e4
[ Our possible move order could be 1.d4 c5
( or 1...d5 2.e3 c5 3.c3 cxd4 4.exd4 c6
5.d3 ) 2.e3 cxd4 3.exd4 d5
, transposing. ]
1...c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d3
The starting position of the Exchange Caro-
Kann. White develops his bishop to d3, to
deny its counterpart access to f5.
[ White can also play 4.c4 , heading into the
Panov-Botvinnik variation.
QUESTION: So do you believe the
Exchange Caro is White's better shot at an
edge?
ANSWER: Actually, quite the opposite. The
reasons I suggest the Exchange Caro as our
main line are:
1. It's easier to learn and play than the
Panov-Botvinnik.
2. The position is a bit closer to what you
are used to in Colle.
3. Looking at my students' games over the
years, I have noticed that the Exchange line
is deadly for White at club level, even if
Black equalizes at IM and GM levels. Many
of my students who play Caro-Kann as
Black dread the Exchange – no matter how
harmless I tell them it is!
QUESTION: So are you saying we should
go for the Panov-Botvinnik if we are
undaunted by the theoretical challenge?
ANSWER: Correct. If you are familiar and
more comfortable with the Panov-Botvinnik,
then go for it. Theoretically, it's tougher on
Black than the Exchange Caro. ]
4...c6 5.c3 QUESTION: Why not develop
our knight to f3 instead?
[ ANSWER: One of Black's biggest problems
in the Exchange Caro is what to do with his
light-squared bishop. By playing an early
5.f3 we conveniently solve Black's problem
for him by allowing g4 . ]
5...f6 The main line. Others:
[ a) 5...g6 . Black's main plan with this set-up
is to play for ...Bg7, ...Nh6, ...0-0, ...f7-f6,
...Nf7 or ...Nf5, and engineer the ...e7-e5-
pawn break. For example: 6.f3 g7 7.h3
h6 8.0-0 0-0 9.e1 f5 ( if 9...f6
, intending to drop the knight back to f7,
then White should exploit the awkward
nature of Black's last move by disrupting the
centre with 10.c4! , as in E.Perelshteyn-A.
Kretchetov, Chicago 2012 ) 10.f4 f6
11.bd2 e8 12.b3 ( Houdini prefers
12.b3 e5 13.dxe5 fxe5 14.g5 a5
15.ad1 , claiming an edge for White )
12...e5 13.dxe5 fxe5 14.g5 d7?!
( 14...d6! 15.c4! e6 16.cxd5 xd5
17.fd2 should be okay for Black, as his
grip on d4 compensates for his loss of
control over e4 ) 15.c4! e4 16.c5! f7
( 16...d6 17.cxd5 xc5 18.dxc6
is also in White's favour ) 17.cxd5
and White was clearly better, A.Morozevich-
U.Adianto, Amsterdam 1996. ]
[ b) 5...c7! . Advocated in 'The Caro-Kann:
Move by Move', I believe this is Black's best
path against the Exchange. For example:
6.e2 (otherwise White either gets pinned
or wastes time tossing in h2-h3) g4 7.f3
d7! 8.f4 e5! 9.dxe5 xe5 10.0-0 d6
11.d4 e7 12.a3 a6 13.ac2 0-0
and Black equalized, since f2-f3 disrupts
the smooth flow of pressure on Black's d5-
isolani, S.Buchal-D.Fridman, Bad Wiessee
2010. ]
6.f4 g4 Ensuring that his bad bishop will
one day become a respectable member of
society with ...Bh5-g6.
7.b3 c8
[ R.J.Fischer-T.V.Petrosian, Belgrade 1970,
saw 7...a5?! 8.a4+ d7 9.c2 e6
10.f3 b6 11.a4! (preventing ...Bb5) c8
12.bd2 c6 13.b1! h5?! 14.e3 h6
15.e5 f6 16.h3 d6 17.0-0
with an ominous kingside build-up for White,
who is about to go on the offensive. This
game is also annotated in 'Play the London
System'. ]
[ QUESTION: In the current Browne-Larsen
game, why did Black play his queen to c8,
when d7 looks so much more natural?
ANSWER: Black plays his queen to c8
because he fears White's Ne5 arriving with
tempo later on. However, 7...d7
is also playable. For example: 8.d2 e6
9.gf3 d6! 10.g3! (exchanging on d6
and going pawn grabbing on b7 is
inadvisable for White) 0-0 11.0-0 ab8
12.ae1 c7 with mutual chances, N.Short-
R.Wojtaszek, Warsaw (rapid) 2004. ]
8.d2 e6 9.gf3 e7 10.0-0 0-0 11.e5
QUESTION: What kind of structure have we
arrived in?
ANSWER: Essentially, we have entered a
Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation
– as usual a move up. Because of this extra
tempo we are far more aggressively placed as
White than when playing the same structure
as Black.
h5 Playing for ...Bg6, to eliminate his bad
bishop.
12.c2 g6 13.xg6 hxg6 Both sides are
happy from the transaction. White attained
the bishop pair and Black unloaded a problem
piece.
14.f3 h5 QUESTION: Why did Black
decentralize his knight?
ANSWER: White's bishop on f4 was
annoyingly powerful. Black gets to unravel by
playing his queen to c7 next.
15.e3 c7 16.g3 White isn't going to allow
...Nf4.
QUESTION: Didn't White just weaken his
king?
ANSWER: I don't interpret his last move as
weakening. In fact, g2-g3 may be a useful
prelude to a future f2-f4, or a plan like Kg2,
h2-h4, Rh1 and h4-h5.
ac8?! Threatening ...Nb4, to eliminate
White's bishop pair. But really this is just a
cheapo which has a zero percent chance of
working against a player of Browne's calibre.
QUESTION: What do you suggest?
[ ANSWER: How about 16...ab8
, intending ...b7-b5, to begin a minority
attack on the queenside? Perhaps Larsen
feared 17.g5 with sac possibilities all over
the kingside unless he hands over yet
another bishop pair, but after e5!?
I think Black is doing okay in the
complications. ]
17.e2 a6 18.ae1 Browne refuses to play it
safe by leaving a rook to defend his queenside.
He goes all in for a kingside attack by loading
up in that zone.
fe8 19.c1 f6 20.g5 White eyes
potential sacs on e6, f7 and g6.
d6 21.f4! No freeing ...e6-e5 breaks for
Black.
d7 22.f3 f8 23.e5 e7 In order to
play ...f7-f6, to eject the intruder on e5.
24.g2 Perhaps contemplating h2-h4, Rh1
and h4-h5.
f6 He has to play this sooner or later.
25.f3 b8 So we see that Black lost a
tempo when he mistakenly posted his rook on
c8, rather than b8 immediately.
26.h4 b5 Black's minority attack comes with
ponderous slowness, while White's kingside
ambitions are well underway.
27.a3 c6 Hoping to achieve a central
counter with ...e6-e5 at some point.
28.c2 e7
[ This seems too slow; perhaps Black should
think instead about forking over a pawn to
appease White's attack with 28...a5!?
29.xg6 xg6 30.xg6 b4 . ]
29.e2 c6 Larsen refuses to repeat,
despite his inferior position. But my guess is
that Browne was just toying with him and
gaining time on the clock, and wouldn't have
agreed to a draw by repetition anyway.
Black's king is the corrupt politician who
places buffered layers between himself and
the accountability of the law. This way he
entrenches himself in power and distances
himself from the consequences.
EXERCISE (planning): We must find a way
through to get at Black's admittedly heavily
protected and well-connected king. Come up
with a thematic attacking plan for White.
ANSWER: White gives his project a thumbs-
up after computing a cost/benefit analysis:
Transfer a rook to the h-file and pry it open
with h4-h5.
30.h1! a5 31.h5 The h-pawn slips in, the
way a child sneaks into a locked playground
through the slack in a damaged chain link
fence.
b4 Black's minority attack reaches its peak
strength on the queenside.
32.cxb4!
[ 32.axb4 axb4 33.c4! also looks promising
for White. ]
32...axb4 EXERCISE (planning): What is the
best way to slow down Black's queenside
counterattack?
ANSWER: Offer the a-pawn as a distraction.
White sticks out his palm horizontally, as if
offering to shake hands, but inside the palm
lays a hidden 20 dollar bill – a small bribe.
33.a4! xa4 The security alarm is disabled;
the glass container smashed. Now we see the
gloved, grasping hand of the jewel thief float
over the prize.
34.h4 The vulture continues his flight path
in bewildering loops over his intended prey.
gxh5 35.xh5 ec8!? Black is in deep
trouble and perhaps busted no matter how he
plays. In any case, Larsen looked upon
defence as a child would a cruciferous
vegetable on the plate, to be distastefully
swallowed under the stern gaze of his mother.
Upon a detailed reconnaissance, the scout
fails to derive the true size of the approaching
white war party. Black removes a key
defender.
36.f5! The pawn's features alter, transfigured
by defiance. White's attack is out of control.
Now the black king's downward trajectory to
decrepitude travels in slow, undeviating
increments.
b3
[ 36...xf5 37.xf5 exf5 38.f4! c6
( 38...xf4?? 39.e7 mates at once )
 39.xf5 c7 40.h8+ f7 41.xd6 xd6
42.h7! xh7 43.xh7! forces mate. ]
37.fxe6 xe6 38.h7+ The queen bares her
soul, professing her love for the black king.
Yet he remains cold, aloof and unmoved.
f7 39.h5+
[ 39.e3! a4 40.h5+ wins on the spot. ]
39...f8 Black's exasperated king puts his
hands together in a gesture of piety, before
rolling his eyes upward in martyred
forbearance, as if evoking strength from the
heavens. He now retreats into his
asphyxiating closet, hoping his pursuers won't
notice the hiding place.
40.g6+! White's attackers infest, like
maggots in the putrefying flesh of a corpse.
e8
[ 40...xg6 41.xg6 e7 ( 41...xc1
42.h8+ e7 43.xg7# is mate )
42.xe6+! mates in five moves. ]
41.xe6 The attackers approach, flourishing
blades, sardonic smiles, and sinister portent.
d7 The opposing armies speak no words,
yet their eyes converse. Black's king emerges
from his hiding place, only to face his
aggressors once again. What a wonder when
that which we imagine and dream transforms
into the literal.
EXERCISE (combination alert(s!)): White has
two easy paths to a win. Find one of them.
ANSWER: 42.xe7+! The rook takes a sip,
likes the taste, and then pours more into his
parched throat. I'm afraid this self-evident
move falls short of a cataclysmic, history-in-
the-making shot, but it's still a good move!
[ 42.xd6+! is crushing as well. ]
42...xe7 43.f5+ SUMMARY: The
Exchange Caro-Kann is the closest we have
to a Colle structure and is also tough to
defend from Black's side at club level. If you
want to go for the theoretically best chance,
then study the Panov-Botvinnik for a good
shot at "+=" and a long initiative with your
isolani position.
1-0
Chapter Eight

Colle Versus Chigorin

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 e3 Bg4 4 c4

On researching this chapter, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the Colle set-up is a rare but effective
antidote to the Queen's Gambit Chigorin Defence. The Steinitz-Chigorin game below, one of the very first QGD
Chigorins ever played, is an arresting example of Black's inability to make any use whatsoever of his newfound
freedom and imposing development. With our Colle set-up, mixed with a quick Qb3, we regain a modicum of slimly
achieved normalcy, despite Black's frantic attempts to draw us into his realm of knowledge. Our queen on b3 makes
life tough for Black, since we attack both b7 and d5 simultaneously, and Black finds great difficulty in securing his
borders from imminent invasion.
Steinitz-Chigorin
Prang-Malinin

Index

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 e3 Bg4 4 c4

4...e5 – Steinitz-Chigorin
4...e6 – Prang-Malinin
 D07
Steinitz,W
Chigorin,M
World Championship (Game 10), Havana
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3
[ Our most likely move order would run 1.d4
d5 2.f3 c6 3.e3 g4 4.c4 etc. ]
1...d5 2.d4 g4 QUESTION: What do we do
if Black plays a reversed London System?
[ ANSWER: After 2...f5 your best bet is to
go for a Queen's Gambit/Slav-like set-up for
White. Here are a couple of examples:
A) 3.c4 e6 4.c3 f6 ( 4...c6 5.e3 f6
is a Slav – see Carlsen-Gelfand in Chapter
Five ) 5.g5 ( or 5.e3 as in note 'b' ) 5...c6
6.h4 g6 7.xg6 hxg6 8.e3 bd7
9.a3 d6 10.h4 b8 11.cxd5 exd5
12.g3 d8 13.g2 e7 14.c2 0-0
15.f3 h7 16.f4 and White stood
better with the bishop pair and the promise
of a future kingside attack, V.Korchnoi-G.
Seul, Willingen 1999.;
B) 3.e3 f6 4.c4 e6 5.c3 bd7
6.cxd5 xd5!? ( on 6...exd5 I intended
7.b3 ) 7.d2 with an odd-looking pseudo
Semi-Tarrasch position, where I still prefer
White due to his extra central control, C.
Lakdawala-A.Reprintsev, Internet (blitz)
2012.;
C) 3.-- ]
3.c4
[ 3.e3 would be the Colle fan's choice, and
c6 4.c4 transposes. ]
3...c6 Chigorin's somewhat questionable
variation of the Queen's Gambit.
QUESTION: What is the idea behind it?
ANSWER: Essentially, Black goes for a
reversed Veresov formation (which is tough
enough to play a move up as White!) and
generally plays for ...e7-e5.
QUESTION: Is it sound?
ANSWER: It probably is against an Nf3 move
order from White. We are just happy to
remain within Colle realms with our next move.
4.e3 QUESTION: I take it we are not going for
the kill here?
ANSWER: Correct. We aren't interested in a
theoretical discussion with the Chigorin expert
(unless you are booked up and choose to pick
that fight!). Instead, we remain faithful to our
Colle ways and, in doing so, probably dodge
our opponent's prep.
[ 4.cxd5 and ]
[ 4.c3 are the theoretical main lines. ]
4...e5 Black plays his thematic central break.
[ Next game we look at the quieter and
possibly sounder 4...e6 . ]
5.b3! The original is usually better than the
sequel. Nobody raves about 'Home Alone II'!
White has many ways to combat the Chigorin
– and 5 Qb3!, played in one of the original
Chigorin games, is one of the best methods
White has at his disposal.
QUESTION: Hey, you said we wanted to avoid
a fight, didn't you?
ANSWER: I said we wanted to avoid a
theoretical fight, not the fight itself! I like
Steinitz's combative choice, which puts heavy
pressure on b7 and d5. The move scores a
terrific 64% for White and Houdini gives it a
thumbs up as well. Playing around with the
computers, I tried to find a path to equality for
Black and failed to do so.
xf3 6.gxf3 exd4?! Chigorin possibly gets
confused within his own system. His move
looks like the swapping of one vice for another,
like a person who gains 26 pounds in lieu of
smoking cigarettes. Other moves:
[ a) 6...b4+?! 7.d2 dxc4 ( 7...xd2+
8.xd2 is also in White's favour ) 8.xc4
e7 9.dxe5 0-0-0 10.xb4 xb4 11.c3
left Black without compensation for his
missing pawn, G.Soppe-R.Garbarino, San
Martin 1995. ]
[ b) 6...f6?! 7.xb7! b4 8.b5+ c6
( after 8...d7 9.dxe5!! c2+ 10.d1
xa1 11.exf6 Black is busted ) 9.a4 exd4
10.a3 dxe3 , C.Marzolo-D.Borderie, Val
Thorens 2009, and after simply 11.axb4
Black lacks any compensation for the
piece. ]
[ c) 6...dxc4!? 7.xc4 d7 8.dxe5 ( not yet
8.xf7+? xf7 9.xb7 xf3 10.xa8+
d7! , when Black has a dangerous attack;
e.g. 11.f1 exd4 12.exd4 f6 13.c3
b4! 14.xh8 xd4 and mates! ) 8...a5
( 8...xe5? 9.xb7 d8 10.b5
wins for White ) 9.xf7+ xf7 10.b5+ c6
11.xa5 xf3 12.g1 is also good for
White, who enjoys greater central control
and leads in development, while Black's
king remains exposed even if he regains the
pawn. ]
[ d) 6...ge7 (Chigorin's attempted
improvement may be best, but even here, I
can't find equality for Black) 7.c3 exd4
8.xd5 b8 , W.Steinitz-M.Chigorin,
Havana (14th matchgame) 1889, when the
 immediate 9.d2 seems better for White,
since his bishop pair is meaningful in the
open position, ( rather than 9.e4 g6
10.d2 . )]
7.cxd5 e5
[ 7...b4 8.e4 d3 9.xd3 also leaves Black
without adequate compensation. ]
8.exd4 d7 9.c3 A viceless opponent is a
dangerous foe. Steinitz isn't interested in
pawn grabbing on b7 at a cost to his own
development.
QUESTION: Doesn't Black have some
compensation due to all those doubled pawns
on White's side?
ANSWER: I don't think so. Let's assess:
1. White is a pawn up and the extra one (on
d5) itself applies pressure upon Black.
2. White owns the bishop pair in an open
position.
3. White leads in development.
4. White can make good use of the open g-
and c-files for his rooks.
Conclusion: Black has no compensation for
the pawn.
e7+ 10.e3 b4 The queen allows herself
to get distracted with tangential issues. The
lines an actress delivers on stage and those
she formulates and improvises in her mind
are different things. Black's queen, awaiting
congratulations under the belief that she is a
VIP, soon receives a demotion to just solitary
P.
11.c2! Showing that White is the one doing
the attacking. Black's queen is simply a target
on b4 and a hindrance to ...b7-b5-b4 pawn
storms.
gf6 12.b5 I would avoid this and castle
queenside immediately.
d8?! QUESTION: Why didn't Black castle
queenside?
ANSWER: He should have done just that.
Black comes upon a perplexing dilemma. Just
as some religious-minded people attempt to
rationalize and explain away discrepancies
and contradictions in their belief systems, so
does Chigorin's faith in his own system
remain intact, despite growing evidence that
his "compensation" is all but imaginary.
Perhaps Chigorin, caught up in a fever of
optimism, wanted to attack on the queenside
with ...a7-a6 and ...b7-b5, but in doing so, he
agreed to leaves his king precariously in the
centre, or on the kingside – a dangerous
proposition with White's open g-file. Such
moves provide cathartic, rather than actual,
relief to suffering.
13.0-0-0 a6 14.a4 e7 QUESTION: Can
Black go on the attack on the queenside?
[ ANSWER: Too early. White is well
equipped to deal with it. For example:
14...b5?! 15.b3 and now if he insists on
attacking with a5?? , then 16.a3 e7
17.f4! and Black must resign. ]
15.hg1 g6?! Chigorin hopes to galvanize
and reinforce his sagging structure with
added girders and concrete, but only manages
to weaken his dark squares further. Unhappily
for Black, the hoped-for barrier and repellent
begin to lose their cohesiveness, as well as
tensile strength.
[ I'm convinced today's IM or GM would
happily hand over an exchange for the dark
squares with 15...0-0!? 16.h6 g6!?
. The trouble is that White isn't obliged to
take it and may just keep attacking with
something like f3-f4-f5. ]
16.h6! Trapping Black's king in the centre.
b5 17.b3 b6 18.ge1 d7
We are reminded of Abe Lincoln's words: "I
have been driven many times upon my knees
by the overwhelming conviction that I had
nowhere else to go." Black's moves feel
carefully controlled, like a mob boss speaking
to his lieutenants in code, all the while
knowing the Feds are wire-tapping every word.
Chigorin reasons that the defence, if engaged
in a conventional manner, is plainly destined
for failure. So when logic collapses, we must
turn to its tributary: magic! With his last move
Black fumbles about conjuring a spell which
will somehow whisk his king to safety to the
queenside, the destination he should have
castled to in the first place. The defensive
motions grow ever more twisted, weaving
toward a weary decrepitude.
19.f4! c8
[ Black is completely busted: 19...c8??
20.a3 overloads his queen, ]
[ while 19...d6 is met strongly by 20.e5!
.]
20.a3 a5 "But, but, but, you can't speak to
me that way! I'm the little princess!" The
queen backs up wearing a pouty expression
of barely controlled irritation. She is banished
to a5, disconnecting her from e7. Now life for
Black's king in his war-torn hovel is in stark
contrast to the lustre of his antebellum
happiness.
EXERCISE (planning): Come up with an
unstoppable attacking plan for White which
withers and evaporates Black's resistance
with alarming speed.
ANSWER: Raid the weakened dark squares.
21.g5! g8
[ There is no real choice since 21...he8
22.xe7+! xe7 23.e4 is hopeless as
well. ]
22.xe7
[ 22.e4! is also very powerful. ]
22...xe7 23.e4! White generates threats
everywhere.
b8 24.f6+ d8 EXERCISE (combination
alert): Black's position is the final wisp of
smoke curling up from a dying campfire. White
has a way to end resistance for good. How?
ANSWER: Destroy Black's only defender and
crash through on c7.
25.xe7! Not exactly the gift of the Magi,
when you give up an exchange to get a queen
in return.
xe7 26.xc7+ d7
[ 26...xf6 27.e5# ]
[ or 26...f8 27.xb8+ g7 28.h5+!
gxh5 29.g1+ mates. ]
27.xa5 Pressure constricts Henry VIII's heart
as he witnesses the beheading of his
misbehaving queen.
SUMMARY: The Queen's Gambit Chigorin
isn't very popular, but I wish it were. I don't
see a way for Black to fully equalize after 4 e3
e5 5 Qb3!.
1-0
D07
Prang,E
Malinin,V
Correspondence 1998
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.f3 g4 4.e3 e6
[ QUESTION: I assume this line is quieter
than 4...e5 in the previous game? ]
ANSWER: Yes, Black, not trusting (possibly
with good reason!) the early ...e7-e5 break,
slows the game down into a Queen's Gambit
Declined style position.
QUESTION: What are the differences
between this and a normal QGD?
ANSWER: There are several:
1. Black's knight has been developed early to
c6, which in turn hinders either ...c7-c6 or ...
c7-c5.
2. Black's bishop is on the outside of his pawn
chain, rather than on c8. Although this looks
like a plus, it may actually be a minus, since
White can hunt down the bishop pair with a
future h2-h3 and g2-g4, as we saw in the Slav
chapter. Also, with the bishop on g4, the move
Qb3, hitting b7, becomes an issue for Black,
as we saw last game.
3. In a standard QGD, White's dark-squared
bishop is usually developed outside the pawn
chain on g5 or f4. Here it sits inside on c1. Of
course, this rarely bothers us Colle folk, since
we play this way against every variation!
5.c3 b4 Most Chigorinites, like their
founder, are bishop-hating knight-lovers. I
have noticed many Chigorin players hand over
both bishops for both knights, at least in my
games against the system.
[ Instead, after 5...f6 6.h3 xf3 7.xf3
b4 8.cxd5 exd5 9.d3 0-0 10.0-0 e8
11.d2 a6 12.fc1 we reach a Nimzo-
Indian-like position, where White hopes to
make use of his bishop pair later on, H.Ree-
D.Sahovic, Lone Pine 1979. ]
6.b3 xf3 Every Chigorin player in the
world will chop here.
7.gxf3 QUESTION: Don't we suffer a
damaged structure in the aftermath?
ANSWER: I don't interpret the change in
structure as damage. To break up our
kingside Black has:
1 Strengthened our central control.
2. Handed us an open g-file.
3. Given us the bishop pair.
Conclusion: No single problem is deemed
prohibitive for Black, yet the net cumulative
effect of all the various little precedences are
enough to deny him equality.
QUESTION: If this is good for White, then why
did Black exchange on f3?
ANSWER: In order to create imbalance and
play for the win. Chigorin players tend to veer
toward high-end aggression, otherwise they
would play the Slav or orthodox QGD.
ge7 8.d2 0-0 9.f4 Clamping down on ...
e6-e5 breaks.
b8 Discouraging White from queenside
castling.
10.0-0-0!? QUESTION: But he plays it
anyway?
ANSWER: What can I say? Some people are
immune from intimidation. White decides to
castle early and risk his opponent's attacking
caprices on the wing. I believe it was a good
decision.
dxc4 11.xc4 b5 The point of ...Rb8.
QUESTION: Isn't Black's wing attack faster?
ANSWER: His attack is probably faster, but
with his last move Black also weakened a
huge number of squares down the c-file and
made his c7-pawn backward and chronically
weak, so his attacking chances certainly came
with a high strategic price tag.
12.d3 a5 13.b1 a4 14.c2 xc3
15.xc3 b4 QUESTION: Sorry to harp on
this point, but isn't Black making tremendous
progress on the queenside?
ANSWER: Black's rather inopportune passion
to deliver checkmate is destined to remain
unfulfilled. His pawns advance, yet he is
unable to open lines effectively. Also, I repeat,
White gets a lot of play down the c-file. He
can also play positionally in such positions
rather than go for opposite wing attacks.
16.c5 b6 17.c1 a8 18.hg1
Now Qg5 or Qh5 is in the air, reminding Black
that he too must worry about king safety –
and while Black's queenside attack is at
somewhat of an impasse, White can leisurely
build up on the other wing.
g6 19.h4 d8 20.g5 d5 21.g2!
Black must now watch out for Be4 tricks as
well.
a5 22.c4 b7 23.gc1! As I mentioned
earlier, White can also challenge Black down
the c-file.
d5 24.e4
[ I think White was wise to avoid the
complications stemming from 24.e4 a3!
25.b3! ( not 25.exd5?? b3! which gives
Black a decisive attack ) 25...c3+!
, when the focus suddenly turns to White's
king safety. Then again, I don't really see a
problem for White even here – his king
remains safe after 26.a1 , as do his
strategic gains. ]
24...ab5 25.f5! c3+ QUESTION: Is this an
oasis or a mirage?
ANSWER: A mirage. Black sees no effective
pathway to implement a true attack, and so
fashions a desperately constructed makeshift
version by finding a clever way to strip White
of a powerful bishop. Yet, in the end, nothing
much changes and Black remains worse.
26.a1 xe4 27.fxg6! hxg6
[ The bishop is untouchable: 27...xd2??
28.gxh7+ xh7 29.g1 mates in three
moves. ]
28.xe4 All eyes are on c6. Have you ever
met someone with buck teeth – and then you
think to yourself: "Don't stare at her buck
teeth!" – and then, of course, you notice
yourself staring at her teeth, which
impregnate your consciousness against your
will?
e7 Black experiences a well-founded
premonition of ill-omen and decides to
change course from shaky attack to shaky
ending.
[ 28...d5? 29.h5! yields a decisive attack
for White. ]
29.xb7 xb7 30.xc7 The rook continues
its longitudinal ascendancy by winning a pawn
and ensconcing itself on c7.
b3 31.xb7 xb7 32.c4 a7 33.axb3
axb3+ 34.b1 Now the b3-pawn is a further
worry for Black.
b7 35.e4 f6 36.b4 d7
[ Black has no choice since White's king
would just walk over and pick up the b3-
pawn if rooks came off the board. For
example: 36...xb4? 37.xb4 c6 38.c3
f5 39.f3 h7 40.c1 h6 41.d2 h5
42.d5 exd5 43.exd5 b8 44.f6
and the rest is simple. ]
37.e3 f7 38.c1!
[ Stronger than 38.xb3?! c6 39.d3 e5
40.d1 f3! , when Black regains one of his
pawns. ]
38...c6 39.c4 a5 The unnoticed middle
child tends to view life second hand.
40.c3 e8 41.d2! h7 EXERCISE
(combination alert): It looks like White has
blundered away his h-pawn. He didn't. Find a
tactical trick which hangs on to the pawn.
ANSWER: The alien, whose form is shadows
and black light, receives nourishment by
feeding upon the pain of its prey.
42.f4! d8
[ 42...xh4?? 43.c7 h5 44.e5 fxe5
45.dxe5 b7 46.b6 xe5 47.c8+
and 48 Rc7+ picks up the knight. So the king
curbs his vexation and swallows the slight
with an externally meek countenance, even
though his eyes betray his restrained anger,
as he sneaks a sour glance over his
shoulder to cover c7. ]
43.g3 d7 44.d3 b7 45.e3 a5
The spasmodic evolutions of the knight
resemble the frantic flitting of an injured insect
in its death throes.
46.c5 This rook is the knight's most
vociferous critic, dogging its every move with
an annoying counter.
a7 47.b8!? White decides to sweep the
position of distracting debris, and unearths
the elemental plan of entering a won rook and
pawn ending.
[ I would have retained the bishop versus
passive knight imbalance and played
47.d3 . ]
47...b7 48.xa5 xb8 49.a7 White is still
winning the rook endgame:
1. He is up a clean pawn.
2. Both his rook and king are more active
than their black counterparts.
3. Black's b3-pawn and kingside are not easy
to protect.
c8 50.f7 c2 51.xf6 Black pawns squirt
out, as if from a toothpaste tube.
e7 52.xg6 xb2 We are reminded of the
1980s rhythm and blues song: "Just the two of
us. We can make it if we try. Just the two of us.
(Just the two of us.) Just the two of us,
building castles in the sky. Just the two of us,
you and I." Black's rook sprawls in front of his
passer, the worst possible posting – which in
turn means the differential in the race is the
same as the size difference between a house
and Notre Dame cathedral.
53.g7+ f6 54.b7 b1 55.f3 b2
Shades of Tiananmen Square. Unfortunately
for Black, the dissident student blocks the
tank's path on b1.
56.f4 The king erupts in a cheer, the way a
football fan jumps out of his seat with arms
upraised and fists clenched when his team
scores a touchdown. No last cheapo check on
e1 for Black, who can now resign. White's king
and rook ride the royal carriage waving at
their subjects with imperious solidarity.
h1 57.xb2 xh4+ 58.e3 h1 59.b6
e7 60.b5 d6 61.d5 SUMMARY: The 4...
e6 lines are quieter than those with 4...e5.
Play is similar to the QGD or Nimzo-Indian,
but slightly favourable versions for us, since
Black's c6-knight looks offside.
1-0
Chapter Nine

The Ostrich in the Sand

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nd2

As a society, we are easily fooled. A friend of mine once met The Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the flesh.
I was shocked when she related that he was "thinner and smaller than she imagined, in his sixties, with multiple
plastic surgeries on his face!" "But, but, but, Arnold the Barbarian is seven feet tall, in the flower of youth, and
beheads evildoers!" I stammered. "Sorry, no," she replied, by now obviously concerned about my fragile mental
state.
The above diagram, the "Ostrich in the Sand" variation, a targeted anti-King's Indian system, may come as a similar
shock for our opponents. After our strange move, murmured news of a wonderful utopian future spreads among
Black's citizenry. But when exactly it arrives, no one can say for certain. This is a line where data gets the pink slip
while our understanding and experience receive the job offer.
Our idea behind 2 Nd2 may be crude, utterly devoid of aesthetics or subtlety of any kind, yet also quite effective.
We "threaten" 3 e4, turning the game into a Pirc or a Philidor, something your KID-loving opponents probably want
to avoid. The next problem they face is the fact that, after 2...d5, we have tricked them into a Colle position, quite
an alien experience for the KID folk. So whichever way they play it, we deny them their structures. If you go over the
games of this chapter, you will see what I'm talking about.
Lakdawala-Wolski
Lakdawala-Maki (Los Angeles 1999)
Lakdawala-Aldama
Jaracz-Codenotti
Astasio Lopez-Gonzalez de la Torre

Index

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nd2 d5 3 Ngf3 g6

3...Bf5 – Lakdawala-Wolski
4 e3 c5
4...Bg7
5 b4 – Lakdawala-Maki (Los Angeles 1999)
5 c4 – Lakdawala-Aldama
5 dxc5 Qa5 6 a3 Qxc5
7 c4 – Jaracz-Codenotti
7 b4 – Astasio Lopez-Gonzalez de la Torre
 D04
Lakdawala,C
Wolski,T
Las Vegas 1990
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.d2 QUESTION: The meek shall
inherit the earth?
ANSWER: I admit the move may leave you
with an odd first thought of "so many ostriches;
so much sand", but it is a targeted anti-King's
Indian system. Essentially we force the KID
player into an alien structure, perhaps not to
his liking.
QUESTION: How does this move affect the
KID player?
[ ANSWER: Basically, with 2.d2
we "threaten" a Pirc with e2-e4 next move,
so this in turn forces Black into either c5
, after which White can capture, leading to
strange reversed Catalan lines, ( or 2...d5
, a move which most KID players are loathe
to play. )]
[ By the way, Magnus Carlsen is also an
"Ostrich in the Sand" fan, but with a slightly
altered anti-King's Indian move order: 2.f3
g6 3.bd2! . Here we are again, the
Pseudo Ostrich! This move order may be
White's most accurate – it doesn't allow
Black the double queen's pawn lines with ...
e7-e6 of the current game, since he has
already committed to ...g7-g6. As in the
Ostrich proper, Black has two main moves:
A) 3...d5 4.b4! g7 5.e3 transposes to
Lakdawala-Maki, the next game in the
chapter, which incorporates a couple of
Carlsen's games with this variation.;
B) 3...c5 and now in a spirit of adventure,
I usually go for 4.dxc5!? ( 4.e3
is also possible of course ) 4...a6 5.a3
with a standard reversed Catalan, C.
Lakdawala-C.Clawitter, San Diego (rapid)
2012. ( Perhaps White can play in a more
enterprising manner with 5.e4! xc5 6.e5
g4 7.h3 h6 8.b3 , when Black's
game looks cramped and somewhat
unpleasant. );
C) 3...-- ]
2...d5
[ 2...c5 3.dxc5!? ( just for the sake of being
weird; 3.e3 may lead to more normal Colle
lines )
A) 3...e6 4.b3 a6 ( 4...xc5 5.xc5
a5+ , D.Lima-L.Brito, Joao Pessoa 2009,
is playable but hands over the bishop
pair ) 5.d4 c7 ( several blitz opponents
fell for 5...xc5?? 6.xc5 a5+ 7.b4
and White retains his extra piece ) 6.f4!
c6 ( 6...xc5?? 7.xf6! picks off
another piece ) 7.d6 with an edge for
White, C.Barlocco-V.Rapoport, Dresden
2008.;
B) 3...a6 4.e4! (this is close to a
transposition to my analysis of 2 Nf3 g6 3
Nbd2 c5 in the previous note) xc5 5.e5
d5 6.b3 xb3 ( 6...e6 is better )
7.axb3 e6 8.c4 b6 9.d3 and White
landed in a favourable c3-Sicilian-type
position, C.Lakdawala-"jaw", Internet
(blitz).;
C) and now: 3...-- ]
3.gf3 f5 4.e3 e6 5.e5 White's only real
shot at an advantage.
[ QUESTION: Can't we play 5.h4
as in the Slav lines?
ANSWER: Not this time since after g4 6.f3
h5 , 7.g4?? is met by xg4 . Database
statistics: White scores 0% from this
position! ]
5...d6 This natural move allows us our
intended trick. Instead:
[ a) 5...e7?! 6.g4! e4?! (even GMs may
lose their bearings in this bizarro position)
7.f3 g6 8.h4 xg4!? ( 8...h5 9.xg6
fxg6 10.g5 is strategically disastrous for
Black as well ) 9.xg4 xh4+ 10.f2
and Black had insufficient compensation for
the piece, C.Lakdawala-E.Lobron, Internet
(blitz) 2006. ]
[ b) 5...fd7 6.g4 g6 7.xg6 hxg6 8.g2
and White's bishop pair may give him an
edge, similar to ones he gets in the Slav
chapter, C.Lakdawala-L.Christiansen,
Internet (blitz) 2006. ]
[ c) 5...h6! (Akobian and Silman both
showed the path to equality here) 6.d3
bd7 ( 6...xd3 7.cxd3 bd7 was dead
equal and quickly drawn, C.Lakdawala-J.
Silman, Los Angeles 1988 ) 7.0-0 d6
8.df3 ( 8.f4 is more ambitious and
probably superior ) 8...c6 9.b3 e4
10.xd7 xd7 11.b2 g4 12.h3 xf3
13.gxf3 f6 14.g2 g5 15.c4 0-0-0
16.c2 dg8 17.h1 b8 18.c3 h5
19.c5 c7 20.b4 g4 21.hxg4 hxg4
22.xh8 xh8 23.f4 d8 24.h1 xh1
25.xh1 h5 26.e1 f5 27.g1 f6
28.a4 c8 ½-½ C.Lakdawala-V.Akobian,
US Championship, San Diego 2004
(although White stands a shade better now,
 since he has the only viable pawn break in
the position with b4-b5). ]
6.g4! With this tricky move, we hope to
befuddle our opponents.
g6
[ Perhaps Black should go for the calmer
alternative 6...xe5 7.gxf5 d6 8.fxe6
fxe6 9.f4 , even if White has an edge with
the bishop pair, light square power and an
open g-file; he can castle queenside later on
if necessary. ]
7.h4! Threatening h4-h5, snagging a piece.
bd7!
[ Wolski gambles on a speculative piece sac,
rather than endure the misery of 7...h5?
8.xg6 fxg6 9.g5 with a wretched position
for Black. ]
8.h5 e4 All but one of the dancers are in
place... when the choreography goes haywire.
The sum of the pugnacious bishop's
personality is his staunch refusal to bend to
authority of any kind. Black sacs a piece to go
after White's king.
9.f3 xe5 Too late to turn back now. Black
dedicates himself to the derailment of all
further dialogue or negotiation. From this
point on it's kill or be killed.
10.dxe5 xe5 11.fxe4 g3+ 12.e2
It's just a low-gradient hill, yet my out-of-
shape king finds himself sweating and winded.
The kingside bursts with confetti, balloons
and brightly coloured streamers and the
crowd cheers. Why do people think the Colle
is dull?
xg4 QUESTION: Isn't White crushed? Your
opponent has two pawns for the piece,
threatens a fork on f2, and looks like he has a
winning attack too.
ANSWER: I admit my king walks through an
unfamiliar part of town after dark. The black
knight and bishop at the corner speak in low
murmurs, eyeing him with criminal intent.
Black certainly has some compensation for
his piece in this bewildering position, but the
computers say that White is far from being
crushed. The position flows with treacherous
undercurrents, poised to take either side
down upon the slightest misstep. In fact, let's
do an exercise here:
EXERCISE (critical decision): White has two
viable defences in the position. Your hapless
writer unfortunately picked non-existent
defence number three! Can you do better and
find a path to survival for White?
13.g1?! My infallible intuition naturally picks
the worst of White's choices. A thick piece-
clot forms on the g-file. Apparently my
opponent isn't the only one who is confused,
as ever new, reinvigorated threats emerge in
sheets, like a violent squall, strafing the
pavement in a thunderstorm.
ANSWER: White has two reasonable
defences:
[ a) 13.h3! (White's best in my opinion) f6
( 13...f2?! 14.e1 xh3 15.xg3 g5
looks good for White ) 14.f3 dxe4 15.xg3
d8 16.e1 exf3+ 17.xf3 e5 18.f4
xh5 19.g2! is anyone's game. ]
[ b) 13.c3 f2 14.a4+ c6 15.g1 h4
16.xg3 xg3 17.exd5 exd5 18.f4 h1
19.b3 xf4 20.exf4 g3+ 21.f3 xh5
with two bishops against rook and three
pawns. Houdini says equal, but I prefer
Black here. ]
13...d6? When you have an unwanted
dinner date, with the promise of a wretched
evening, the worst thing you can do is to show
up punctually. The queen's tenuous
manoeuvre reeks of the artificial, like an old
woman, immersed in her past and now long-
gone beauty, who bleaches her hair blonde
and wears miniskirts. Black comes right back
with a counter-blunder. My king's seductive
invitation draws the queen in, the way a
salivating wolf, walks closer to the meat in the
trap.
[ Instead, Black missed 13...xe3! 14.xe3
( after 14.xg3? xd1 15.xd1 dxe4
the queen and four pawns will beat White's
three minor pieces ) 14...g5+ 15.d3
dxe4+ 16.c3 e3+ 17.b4 a5+ 18.a4
d4+ 19.c4 b5+! 20.b3 xg1 21.xe4
bxc4+ 22.c2 with a mess. Black probably
stands better, but White is still kicking. ]
[ EXERCISE (combination alert): After
Black's mistaken last move, 13...d6?
, White has a consolidation trick to win the
game. Do you see it? ]
ANSWER: 14.c4! The unexpected winner of
a multi-million dollar lottery is very likely to
hug and kiss the first person he comes into
contact with. My taunting knight (the one
everyone ridiculed!) waves a fluttering,
dandified "hello" in the black queen's direction.
a6!?
[ Desperation, since 14...dxc4
allows simplification with 15.xd6 xd6
16.xg4 , which is hopeless for Black as
well. ]
15.xg3 0-0-0
 [ 15...xc4+ 16.e1! wins a second piece
due to a double attack. ]
16.xg4 dxc4 17.e1 Black's position
plummets from attacking plentitude into
financial crisis, due to market uncertainty and
an inability to raise capital. He remains a pair
of minor pieces down without compensation.
So he feels the most expedient course to
action is to proffer resignation, amble over to
the bar and order a double scotch – no ice.
SUMMARY: 2 Nd2 is fully playable. Black has
one and only one path to equality – Akobian
and Silman's 5...h6, which the vast majority of
your opponents are not likely to find over the
board. Also, keep in mind that White can
avoid this line entirely with Carlsen's Pseudo
Ostrich move order, 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nd2!,
when Black has committed to ...g7-g6, which
we want.
1-0
D02
Lakdawala,C
Maki,J
Los Angeles 1999
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6
[ Compare the following Leningrad Dutch line
with the position I reach against Maki: 1...f5
2.f3 f6 3.c4 g6 4.c3 g7 5.e3!? 0-0
6.b4!? , M.Quinteros-G.Sax, Wijk aan Zee
1973. ]
2.d2 d5
[ 2...e5!? is kind of a poor man's Budapest
Gambit – I feel 2 Nd2 is more useful and
less weakening for White than 2 c4, which is
the normal Budapest Gambit position. After
3.dxe5 g4 White has a good position if he
just plays 4.e4 , ( but whatever you do, don't
fall for 4.h3?? e3! (which, if I neglected to
mention, would prompt you to resign before
your fifth move and also send me an angry
email about the low-grade quality of the
analysis in this book!). )]
3.e3 g6 QUESTION: Doesn't Black's set-up
pretty much refute your 2 Nd2 idea? I have
read that Colle lines don't work so well when
Black fianchettoes on the kingside.
ANSWER: I have read this too, but don't
believe in that theory. I worked out a strange
but very playable system against Black's
kingside fianchetto lines. Stay tuned.
[ The main alternative is 3...c5 4.c3
( 4.dxc5!? is still possible, but I don't really
care for White's game after e5 )
A) 4...c7 may lead to a reversed
Catalan or just normal Colle lines. For
example: 5.gf3 bd7 6.a4!? g6
7.d3 ( 7.dxc5 xc5 8.c4 , intending b2-
b4 next, is the way I would play White )
7...g7 8.e4!? dxe4 9.xe4 xe4
10.xe4 cxd4 11.cxd4 0-0 12.0-0
looks like an equal isolani position, M.
Czerniak-C.Guimard, Buenos Aires 1939.;
B) 4...g6?! 5.dxc5 g7 6.b4 is a version
of a reversed Catalan Gambit, a line which
I believe to be borderline unsound for
Black, as explained in Chapter Six.;
C) 4...bd7 5.f4 (transposing to a
reversed Stonewall Dutch, similar to those
we looked at in Chapter One, seems
logical here) b6 6.d3 a5 7.f3
, S.Brady-A.Muir, Scottish Team
Championship 2002, is the sort of position
most Colle players feel comfortable in.;
D) and then: 4...-- ]
4.gf3 g7
[ We examine the reversed Catalan, 4...c5
5.dxc5 , in the final two games of the
chapter. ]
5.b4!? QUESTION: What? This looks like a
random move.
ANSWER: Not so random.
1. White's idea is eventually to blanket the
entire queenside with pawns: c2-c4, a2-a4 and
Ba3, with a massive queenside spatial
advantage.
2. White also prevents Black's ...c7-c5 break,
his bread and butter move in the Grünfeld,
without which he often flails about in search of
a plan.
[ White can also play 5.c4 , which invites ...
c7-c5, as I do next game versus Aldama. ]
5...0-0
[ 5...e4 6.xe4 dxe4 7.d2 e5 8.c3 0-0
9.e2 g5 10.g3 exd4 11.cxd4 e8
12.0-0 h3 13.e1 c6 14.c2 e7 15.a4
d7 16.a3 ac8 , when each side hopes
to accrue wealth on his respective wing, B.
Grachev-I.Kurnosov, European
Championship (rapid playoff), Rijeka 2010. ]
6.b2 bd7
[ 6...f5 (probably Black's most common set-
up) 7.c4 c6 was seen in two of Magnus
Carlsen's games: 8.a4 ( or 8.e2 bd7
9.0-0 dxc4 10.xc4 b6 11.a5
and Black fails to equalize, since he hasn't
managed to achieve either a ...c6-c5 or ...e7-
 e5 pawn break, Ma.Carlsen-M.Vachier
Lagrave, World Blitz Championship,
Moscow 2010 ) 8...bd7 9.e2 e4
10.0-0 e8 11.xe4 xe4 12.d2 f5
13.b3 e5?! (just because a move is
thematic doesn't necessarily mean it is also
good) 14.cxd5 exd4 , Ma.Carlsen-J.
Hammer, Oslo (blitz) 2009, and now 15.dxc6
bxc6 16.c4 looks good for White. ]
7.c4 c6 8.e2 e8
[ 8...a6 9.c1 ( 9.a4 may be a better move,
discouraging ...b7-b5 in any form ) 9...b5
10.c5 a5?! 11.a4! axb4 12.axb5 cxb5
, when both of Black's b-pawns were in
mortal danger, C.Lakdawala-K.Griffith, San
Diego (rapid) 2012. ]
9.0-0 h6 Unnecessary.
[ Black should go for the immediate 9...e4
, even if White's rook is first to arrive on the
open c-file after 10.cxd5 xd2 11.xd2
cxd5 12.fc1 . ]
10.c1 a6
[ 10...dxc4 11.xc4 b6 12.ce5
gives White a small but nagging edge. ]
11.a4 White continues to gain ground on the
queenside.
f8?! My opponent, unfamiliar with a
Grünfeld set-up, has trouble coming up with a
reasonable plan. He takes his sweet time
about engineering a central pawn break,
despite urgent beckonings from command
control.
QUESTION: What do you suggest for Black?
[ ANSWER: I think his best plan is 11...e4
with a freeing exchange, and the thought of
...e7-e5 at some point. ]
12.a5 Now a hole awaits White's pieces on c5.
e6!?
[ I would have gone for 12...g4 13.h3 xf3
14.xf3 to unload a potentially bad bishop. ]
13.e5 6d7 14.cxd5 xd5
[ 14...cxd5 15.d3 is an unpleasant-looking
type of Exchange Slav for Black. White can
play for control over c5 with Nb3 next. ]
15.e4 White gains central space as well.
e6 16.d3! QUESTION: Why a retreat and
why an exclam?
ANSWER: Principle: It is in the best interests
of the side with the territorial advantage to
avoid exchanges, to keep the opponent
cramped.
f5!? From absolute passivity to absolute
confrontation generally doesn't transition well.
Black compartmentalizes his grief, launching
an offensive, while on the defensive! Such
agitated thrashing about probably works to his
detriment, and I suspect the f-pawn is ill
suited in the extreme to be the flag bearer of
Black's quest for counterplay. It's hard to fault
him though. Interminable patience is not an
easy skill to master. At the gym each morning,
I try eternally to show my old, broken down
body just who is boss, forcing it to its limits;
in the end, my body always wins the argument.
Black's last move has the same strained
quality.
[ Perhaps he should avoid this impatient
lashing out and continue to work quietly for
an ...e7-e5 break with something like
16...f6!? , intending ...Bf7 and ...e7-e5. ]
17.f4 f7 18.exf5 gxf5 19.h5
A juicy new hole (h5) opens up in the
neighbourhood of the black king.
h8 20.c3! Going straight for Black's
weakened king, and drawing him out like
tweezers to a stubborn splinter in a finger.
e6?!
[ Better to play 20...f6 21.g3+ h7
22.c2 e6 23.xf6+ xf6 24.f3 g6 . ]
21.c4 Eyeing holes on b6, d6 and e5.
f6 22.h3 e4 23.c1 g5
The servants scurry about and Black's king
demands ministrations to his considerable
defensive needs.
24.c2 e7 25.e5! In a burst of
uncharacteristic bravado, your normally
cautious writer goes all in with a pawn sac.
Who cares about the queenside pawns?
xb4 The queen thinks to herself: "The
apples, all fallen and rotting, encircle the tree
which gave them their short, meaningless lives.
"
[ Perhaps Black's best chance was the cold-
blooded 25...xe5 26.dxe5 xh5 27.xh5
ed8 28.c1! xb4 29.g4! and even here,
White has a strong attack. ]
26.xf7 xf7 27.f4 Threatening Bh5+.
ed8 28.b3 e7 EXERCISE (combination
alert): White has a method of breaking down
Black's stubborn defensive line. How?
ANSWER: Double attack. h8 and e6 both
hang.
29.d5! My prideful b2-bishop, viewing himself
of high denomination, swats his underling on
h8 to put him in his place.
xb2
[ 29...e5? fails to 30.dxc6! . ]
30.dxe6+?
[ The immediate 30.xb2!
is much stronger. ]
30...g8? The old man on g8 is content to sit
on the park bench, feed the pigeons and
watch the world around him. The complexity of
the position and the approach of time pressure
get to both players.
[ Houdini says Black is okay after 30...xe6!
31.c4 ( or 31.xe6 d2! ) 31...e5
32.xe6 d2 33.b1 g6 34.xb7 d6
when, miraculously, Black's ultra-
centralized defenders keep him alive and
well. ]
31.xb2 d2 32.xb7 The position
degenerates into a confusing blur, similar to
when you go to the ophthalmologist and she
asks: "Which side is more clear? Left or
right?"
[ Here 32.e5! is probably stronger, but my
natural instinct is to bail out into any kind
of ending (the single phase of the game I
actually play competently!) whenever my
clock runs low. ]
32...g5!? The mutating co-ordinates on
Black's radar screen leave him without a clear
target. With this move we get a subliminal
peek of Black's freefall to come.
[ His king is in a lot more trouble than White's,
so he probably should have entered the
dismal ending after 32...xb2 33.xe7 . ]
33.e5 My queen tries her Pygmalion
damnedest to rise higher in society, despite
her humble upbringing.
xe2 A combination which falls below the
threshold of efficiency, but there is nothing
better.
34.xe2
[ 34.h5! is an immediate game-ender. ]
34...d2 Threatening both a fork on f3 and
my rook on f1.
35.d4 xf1 EXERCISE (combination
alert): White's attackers reach the pinnacle of
power limits, like the speed of light, which is
unable to accelerate an iota faster. How can
White force mate?
ANSWER: White's knight clasps the black
king's cheeks with thumb and fingers, as a
mother would, scolding her child.
36.xf5! The worried black queen's puffy
eyes tear up with concern over her old, dying
king's health, as she watches him pass away,
helpless to alter nature or time.
SUMMARY: With this odd set-up, we can lure
Black into Grünfeld-type positions – against
opponents who may never have played a
single Grünfeld in their entire lives!
1-0
D02
Lakdawala,C
Aldama,D
San Diego (rapid) 2012
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.d2 Perfect against my scary
strong tactician opponent who, just a week
before I wrote this, won a GM norm
tournament in Los Angeles and passed the
USCF 2600 mark.
d5 3.gf3 g6 4.e3 g7 5.c4
[ QUESTION: Why not clamp down on his ...
c7-c5 break and play 5.b4 , as in the
previous game? ]
ANSWER: I don't mind giving my opponent
one more chance to play ...c7-c5 (see the
next note).
5...0-0
[ 5...c5 is met by 6.dxc5 .
QUESTION: Is this a reversed Catalan?
ANSWER: Correct. I feel that an extra
tempo, playing it as White, really matters in
such a sharp situation. For example: a5
( on 6...a6 Houdini tries like crazy to hang
on to the extra pawn with 7.a4+!? d7
8.a3 intending b2-b4 next ) 7.a3 c6
, J.Rotstein-P.Wells, Bad Wörishofen 1996,
and now White can try 8.cxd5 xd5 9.c2
, once again making Black sweat to regain
the sac'ed pawn. ]
6.b4 He had his chance. No more ...c7-c5.
a5 QUESTION: A violation of principle? Black
creates confrontation on your strong wing?
ANSWER: He does indeed break that
principle, but he follows one as well: Create
confrontation (anywhere!) when leading in
development.
7.b5 b6
[ 7...c5 8.b2 bd7 9.c1 would lead to
an odd sort of Grünfeld. But keep in mind,
my opponent is a King's Indian player, who
isn't familiar with Grünfeld positions. ]
8.b2 bd7 9.c1 dxc4?! QUESTION:
Didn't he just hand you a tempo? Why didn't
he wait until you played Be2 and only then
take on c4?
[ ANSWER: He did lose a tempo. Perhaps
my opponent feared c4-c5, but without just
cause. For example, after 9...b7 10.c5?!
(I wouldn't have played this move) c6 11.a4
c8 Black looks okay. ]
10.xc4 b7 11.0-0
[ I could play 11.a4 to prevent his next move,
but I was afraid he would eventually play ...
 Nd5 and ...Nb4 at an inopportune moment. ]
11...a4 12.a3 In order to fix his a4-pawn as a
target.
e6 13.c2?!
[ I should have clamped down on c7 as
another target with 13.d3! . ]
13...c6! Dissolving his main weakness.
14.bxc6 xc6 15.d3
[ 15.xe6?! xf3 16.xd7 xg2!
looks good for Black due to my exposed
king. ]
[ QUESTION: Why not seize central space
with 15.e4 ?
ANSWER: I preferred to hold back on this
move to avoid giving my opponent any
targets himself. Nonetheless, your move
seems thematic and strong. For example:
c8 16.a6 b7 17.d3 xa6 18.xa6
a8 19.b5 a5 20.e2 with an edge for
White. ]
15...c8 16.a6 b7 17.d3 xa6
18.xa6 a8 19.b7?!
[ 19.b5 a5 20.e2 looks slightly better
for White here too. ]
19...b5! The b-pawn can't be touched. Now
Black hopes to mobilize his queenside pawn
majority.
20.c7 A tacit draw offer. I realized my
opening advantage had evaporated.
b8 21.a7 e8!? No draw! Black refuses
the repetition.
22.e4?
[ 22.fc1 pretty much forces the repetition
with a8 23.b7 b8 , even if Houdini
claims an edge for White after 24.a6!? . ]
22...e7! Suddenly ...Ne8 is in the air. My
major pieces, far from conquering invaders,
trip over each other.
23.fc1 e8 24.7c2 Gulp! I must allow a
discovery on my queen.
[ 24.b7?? a8 just traps her. ]
24...e5 25.a6 c7 26.a7?! Hi. I'm back
again! My opponent was low on time and I
insisted on dancing with the devil. My queen,
hoping to gain allies and sympathy, issues a
call for help with a calculated tremor in her
voice.
[ 26.a5! was correct. ]
26...e8! His knights continue in their
spasmodic/jerking/halting dragonfly motions.
27.a6 d3?!
[ 27...xf3+ 28.xf3 d6! 29.c6 c4
gives Black the advantage. ]
28.c8 b6 29.xb6 xb6 30.c3
QUESTION: What the hell!? You just hung a
rook!
ANSWER: I wander into the danger zone with
feigned ignorance, hoping to inflate the worth
of my cheapo stock, in my opponent's (and my
own!) time trouble. The rook "hang" (which
isn't so much a mistake as it is an impetuous
crime of passion and impulse) is not as clear
cut as it appears. Does my move cross the
barrier between determined effort and
suicide? Let's do an exercise to see if Black
can take it.
EXERCISE (critical decision/calculation):
Calculate the consequences of my hang/sac
after 30...Nxc1 31 Bb4. Does my sac work?
f6? Black incorrectly settles for an abridged
version.
[ ANSWER: My idea fails! He should accept
the offered rook and then give it right back:
30...xc1! 31.b4 f8! 32.xe7 xe7
33.xe8+ f8 , when White experiences a
palpable feeling of deflation, like a
punctured tyre. My a-pawn is weak and
Black soon creates at least one queenside
passer. ]
31.b1 f7 32.a5 bb7?!
[ 32...a6 held the fragile balance. ]
33.e5! I decide to alter my philosophy of
brotherly love, only to replace it with a
brotherly shove! Don't you find an appealing
crudity to White's last move? Suddenly
Black's kingside transforms into a repository
of dysfunctional defenders.
QUESTION: Why did you give up your e-
pawn?
ANSWER: I sac'ed it to clear g5 for my knight.
Black is in deep trouble.
fxe5 34.g5+ g8 35.dxe5?!
[ 35.ge4! exerts terrible pressure on
Black's position. ]
35...xe5? The wrong recapture.
36.b4! The bishop moves with the sure
quickness and dexterity of the magician who
continues to pull scarves from his sleeves.
After crazy recent ramblings, my mercurial
bishop suffers a mild attack of logic. Black
discovers that control over e8 may no longer
be his. Apparently White's despotic bishop
placed a lien on the property and now the
bank threatens to foreclose.
bc7 37.b8 b7 38.c8 Sinner and saint
reconcile, deciding it is in their mutual interest
to work together.
EXERCISE (critical decision): Did I make the
correct decision in agreeing to the draw by
repetition? Or did I miss something?
 [ ANSWER: Sometimes agreement to a draw
can be a "??" blunder. I was winning but
didn't realize it. White can dodge the
"forced" repetition with 38.c8 bc7
39.d8! , which my opponent showed me
immediately after the game with a big smile
on his face! White wins material. Black's
forlorn e7-rook seems as redundant as the
dreaded single sock in your drawer.
SUMMARY: My 2 Nd2!? line leads to odd
Grünfeld-but-not-Grünfeld positions. ]
½-½
D02
Jaracz,P
Codenotti,M
Forni di Sopra 2011
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3 g6 2.d4 f6 3.bd2 d5 4.e3 c5
QUESTION: Black beat us to it, before we
could toss in b2-b4 to prevent this break. Now
what?
ANSWER: No worries, we enter a reversed
Catalan, an opening sharp enough that the
inverse swing of a tempo matters.
5.dxc5 This position soon drifts into an
unregulated marketplace, since it is hardly
ever played.
QUESTION: Why give up the centre?
ANSWER: Principle: Open the position when
leading in development. We make Black
expend time and energy to regain his
investment.
a5 QUESTION: What if he doesn't care and
gambits the pawn?
[ ANSWER: Then we reach positions similar
to the reversed Catalan Gambit, already
covered in Chapter Six – which, as I have
mentioned, look pretty shaky for Black. For
example: 5...g7 6.a3 a5 ( creating a hole
on b5, but if 6...0-0 then 7.b1 and White
hangs on to the extra pawn with b2-b4 next )
7.b1 a4 8.d4 c7 9.b4 axb3 10.cxb3
( the greedy 10.2xb3!? also looks
interesting ) 10...xc5 11.b2 0-0 12.c1
b6 reaches a sharp position with mutual
chances. Black gets a kingside pawn
majority, while White's is on the queenside,
V.Kovacevic-B.Kurajica, Novi Sad 1984. ]
6.a3 xc5 7.c4
[ In the next game we look at the immediate
7.b4 . ]
7...dxc4
[ After 7...g7 8.b4 d6 9.b2 0-0 10.c1
White extracted a small edge due to his lead
in development, P.Kotsur-R.Khusnutdinov,
Kazakh Championship, Astana 2011. ]
[ Instead, 7...a5?! fails in its intention, since
White plays 8.b4! anyway with advantage. ]
8.xc4 b5 9.e2 g7 10.d4!?
White looks for tricks on b5, and also on the
h1-a8 diagonal.
[ 10.b4 b6 11.b2 would be a more
normal path. ]
10...d7 11.2b3!? Targeting the sensitive
a5- and c5-squares.
b6 12.d2 a5 13.c1 The prosecuting
district attorney skilfully lures the defendant to
the perimeter of self-incrimination. Now Nc5 is
an annoyance. Black begins to feel the sting
of his lack on the queenside, where White's
pieces walk around like they own the place.
The inertia from tuggings and proddings
induce Black to comply in obedience with the
dictates of the axiom: cover your weakened
squares.
e5 14.f3 e4 15.c2 xd2 16.fxd2
a6 17.f3 c8!? This is a test of positional
judgment. The black rook's eyes bathe
White's queen with ugly animus. With the
move, Black hopes to keep the white queen at
bay, like a woman with outstretched arm, who
grips a crucifix tightly to ward off the vampire
climbing over her windowsill.
EXERCISE (critical decision): Does Black's
move push us around or, far from inflicting
damage, is the intended tempo gain no more
than the bite of a still toothless infant? Does
White get enough for the queen if he sacs on
c8?
ANSWER: White receives full compensation
and more for the sac. The queen sees through
the rook's facade, sensing the gap between
the person before her and the inflated
reputation.
18.xc8+! Black's rook is caught off guard
and exposed, as if her dress unexpectedly
billows up from the wind.
xc8 19.xc8+ d7? The needle of his
internal compass goes haywire. The e7-
square was tactically safer for Black's king,
who becomes disoriented.
[ 19...e7! 20.c6 a7 21.xa5
is probably only slightly in White's favour. ]
20.c6 a7?? The queen reaches her
destination and then, to her chagrin,
discovers that the airline screwed everything
up by losing her luggage. White is just a
couple of signatures and a handshake away
from signing the contract.
[ Black should have gone for a pawn down
ending with 20...xc6 21.xc6+ xc6
22.xa5+ b6 23.b4 . ]
[ EXERCISE (combination alert): How can
White exploit Black's last move, 20...a7
? Why was it a terrible blunder? ]
ANSWER: Fork. The merger goes through and
the pair of medium-sized companies forms a
single giant entity. Black can't recapture, so
White gets too much material for the queen.
The black king, feeling out of place, just
stands there, hooking thumbs into pockets,
trying hard not to look foolish on d7, while his
queen mouths words but can't manage to
extract a single sound, except for her uneven,
wheezing breath.
21.xa6! From Black's perspective, this rook
is one of those maddening people he despises,
but for some inexplicable reason, everyone
else loves.
SUMMARY: The extra tempo is meaningful for
White in the odd, and rarely played, reversed
Catalan lines.
1-0
D02
Astasio Lopez,D
Gonzalez de la Torre,S
Donostia 2010
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 f6 2.f3 d5 3.bd2
So we transpose, as if White had played Nd2
on his second move.
c5 4.e3 g6 5.dxc5 a5 6.a3 xc5 7.b4
White decides to gain an immediate tempo on
the queen.
QUESTION: What would be the purpose of
holding back on b2-b4, as in the last game?
ANSWER: The advance b2-b4 gains a tempo
but also creates a target point for Black's ...a7-
a5.
QUESTION: So which one would you go for?
ANSWER: My preference would be to play as
in this game with the immediate 7 b4.
c3 QUESTION: What is the point of this
move? Black doesn't really gain anything, or
take control over a key square, since his
queen will be ejected from c3 soon.
ANSWER: I agree that it fails to gain a tempo
right now. The idea is to lure White's rook to
b1, hoping to gain a tempo in the distant
future with ...Bf5 (assuming the white c-pawn
advances to c4).
8.b1 c7 9.b2 g7 10.c4 White leads
in development and so opens the position.
dxc4 Maybe Black should refrain from this
move and just castle.
[ QUESTION: So why not gain the tempo
now with 10...f5 ?
ANSWER: The move doesn't exactly terrify
White, who wants his rook on the c-file
anyway. After 11.c1 Black's queen is
uncomfortably placed, while the bishop on f5
may not be the tempo gain Black hoped for,
since it is vulnerable to Nd4 ideas. ]
11.xc4 0-0 12.c1 With the not-so-subtle
threat to discover on Black's queen.
d8 Black's hunted queen is in full rewind
mode, and does her best to cover her tracks
from pursuers. After repeated dents to her
dignity, the queen without a kingdom arrives
at her throne with as much grandeur as her
acting skills can muster.
QUESTION: How would you assess this
position?
ANSWER: Black's aging queen is a devolving
sight, with towel draped overhead and face
smeared with cold creams to smooth wrinkles
she knows will never disappear, even though
she dreams of rejuvenation to the way she
looked three decades ago.
After move 12, the queen just made her fifth
move, only to end up on her original square!
Clearly White's strange opening has gone in
his favour. He holds both a lead in
development and a queenside space
advantage.
13.b3? Dual purpose: White pressures f7
and clears the d-file for his other rook, after
which Black's queen may find herself moving
once again. Nevertheless, I believe the move
may be inaccurate. White should just castle
first and keep options like e2 open for his
queen.
QUESTION: Why e2? White's move looks
thematic and strong.
[ ANSWER: Black can exploit White's
inaccuracy with 13.b3 bd7! intending
14.0-0 b6 , when White must either lose
hand over the bishop pair or lose several
tempi after 15.e2 e6 . ]
13...e6? This unnecessary weakening
represents the bullet's entry point, the
burdensome vestige of Black's resistance
gone up in a haze.
14.0-0 bd7 15.fd1 b6 Except that now
Black lacks the critical ...Be6 move.
16.f1 d7 The dirty trick ...Ba4 is in the air.
17.b5! The pawn thrusts an interruptive hand
in Black's face, denying both ...Ba4 and also
...Bc6, while continuing to keep him cramped
and under pressure.
a5 This may hurt more than help.
18.d4 a4 19.b2 c8 EXERCISE
(planning): White has a path toward complete
strategic domination. What is it?
20.b1
[ ANSWER: 20.e4! xc1 21.xc1 e8
( 21...xe4 22.xg7 looks like suicide by
dark squares; this may be Black's best, but
really the situation is one of half a dozen in
one pile, six in the other: both lines lose )
22.xg7 xg7 23.f6+ h8 24.e4
gives White an absolute stranglehold on
the position. ]
20...e8 21.e4 h5 22.e5 The knight
signals surreptitiously.
xe5 Black's bishop, who refuses to recite a
fealty oath to his king, abandons old ties, and
answers with raised eyebrow and a tiny hint
of acknowledgement.
[ Not taking action is just as bad. For
example: 22...h6 23.df3 f6 24.h3
and I am out of helpful suggestions for
Black! He can barely move. ]
23.xe5 f6 24.c3 e5 EXERCISE
(planning): Find one poisonous idea and
Black's lines of transmission break down, so
that central command and the troops are left
incommunicado.
ANSWER: Place Black in an eternal pin.
"Ground control to Major Tom, your circuit's
dead, there's something wrong. Can you hear
me, Major Tom?" Now Black gets tossed into
a substanceless void, unable to cling to
anything solid for support. His cryogenically
frozen pieces hope to awaken in a utopian
society, so unlike the one which exists today.
25.a5! The door on Black's hopes slams
shut with a convulsion of absolute finality.
e6 26.a2 The hovercraft glides, free of
friction, on a cushion of air.
g7 27.c4 xc4 28.xc4 e7
Everyone dives for cover. Implicit in the
remainder is the spectre of gratuitous
violence.
29.xd7! SUMMARY: The reversed Catalan
is an insidious line. The open nature of the
position makes Black work hard to equalize, if
he achieves it at all.
1-0
Chapter Ten

Owen's Defence
1 d4 b6

This is a line we Colle folk dream about encountering. We meet Owen's Defence with the set-up d2-d4, e2-e4,
c2-c3, Bd3, Nf3, Nbd2 - exactly the way we play against the Queen's Indian, but with one twist: we are up a move,
since we achieved e2-e4 in one go. Through strange mutations, we become a new strain of vampire, enabling us to
function and hunt during daylight hours as well.
Alternatively, Black can play as he does in the Ragger-Friedrich game below, when we get a highly favourable
Advance French. Our centre remains unassailable and our e5-pawn often plays the role of a tentacle, rising up from
the murky depths, gripping the black king's leg and sucking him under to a watery, unmarked grave.
Ragger-Friedrich
Oll-Spassky

Index

1 d4 b6 2 e4 Bb7 3 Bd3 e6 4 Nf3

4...Nf6 – Ragger-Friedrich
4...d6 – Oll-Spassky
 B00
Ragger,M
Friedrich,Z
Croatian Team Championship 2011
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 e6
[ Our Owen's Defence move order would
arise as 1...b6 2.e4 b7 3.d3 . ]
2.e4 b6 Now we transpose.
3.d3 QUESTION: In an earlier chapter you
said you preferred to avoid e2-e4 in one move.
But here you want us to do so. Why?
ANSWER: I was speaking about 1 d4 e6 and
saying I normally don't enter the French with 2
d4. But against Owen's Defence, I always
push my e-pawn two squares. The reason is
that we often reach positions either similar to
Queen's Indian versus Colle a full move up,
or else a sour French Defence for Black, as
he gets in this game.
[ QUESTION: Why not seize territory with
3.c4 ?
ANSWER: This is a funky byway called the
English Defence, championed by a group of
adventure-loving British GMs in the 1980s. I
would stay away from this line, which is very
tricky and very un-Colle in its nature! For
example: b7 4.d3 f5 5.exf5 b4+!
( trust me: you don't want to get involved in
5...xg2?! 6.h5+ ) 6.f1 f6
with an irrational position most unsuited to
us calm, law-abiding Colle folk, E.Bareev-E.
Kengis, Warsaw (rapid) 2002. ]
3...b7 4.f3 f6 5.e2! Awarded an
exclam in my book 'A Ferocious Opening
Repertoire'.
QUESTION: What is the idea?
ANSWER: White shuts down ...Ba6, which
swaps off White's powerful light-squared
bishop, and in turn reduces his attacking
chances.
[ QUESTION: Why not 5.bd2 ?
ANSWER: Developing the knight isn't as
accurate since Black can play c5 6.c3 cxd4
7.cxd4 a6! with only a minimal
disadvantage. ]
5...d5 This is quite common, but it allows
White a very promising Advance French
Defence.
[ QUESTION: What do we play against 5...c5
? doesn't contravene the elemental spirit as
ANSWER: We have two good choices: 6.--
( a) 6.c3 and we enter Chapter Three a full
move ahead!
QUESTION: How did we gain the tempo?
ANSWER: We didn't bother with e2-e3 and
then e3-e4. Instead, we pushed our e-pawn
to e4 in one go.
; b) 6.d5! exd5 7.exd5+ e7 8.c4 b5 9.b3
xe2+ 10.xe2 , C.Bauer-Art.Minasian,
New York Open 2000. White has the more
promising ending, with a central space
advantage, while Black's bishop has
fianchettoed into a wall on d5. )]
6.e5 fd7 QUESTION: Why is this promising
when compared to a normal Advance French?
ANSWER: Black's queenside fianchetto looks
ineffective, since he is denied ...Ba6. In a
normal Advance French, White's d-pawn often
comes under fire via ...c7-c5, ...Nc6, ...Qb6, ...
Nh6 (or ...Nge7) and ...Nf5. In the current case,
Black doesn't get any of this, so the resulting
pressure on d4 is virtually non-existent.
[ QUESTION: Why retreat when Black has
the more aggressive 6...e4 ?
ANSWER: After 7.bd2 xd2 8.xd2
he has only helped White develop. I will
include the entire game R.Leitao-A.
Mascarenhas, Sao Paulo 2000, because it
was a thematic example of the
wretchedness inherent in Black's position:
c5 9.c3 c6 10.a3! (halting any ...c5xd4
followed by ...Nb4 counterplay) a5 11.h4!
(stronger than castling kingside; if left
unchecked, White plays h4-h5 and Rh3-g3)
h5!? (handing g5 over to White) 12.0-0 c4
13.c2 a4?! (it is strategic suicide to lock
the queenside, but Black had a poor position
in any case) 14.g5 e7 15.ae1 d7
16.xe7 xe7 17.g5 g8?! 18.d1 b5
19.f4 g6 20.f5! gxf5 21.xf5! 0-0-0
( 21...exf5 22.e6 fxe6 23.xe6 e7
24.c5 c7 25.xe7+! xe7 26.e2+
wins ) 22.h3 h6 .
EXERCISE (combination alert): White to
play and obliterate.
ANSWER: 23.xf7! and Black resigned due
to xf7 24.xe6 . ]
7.0-0 Of course there is nothing wrong with
White's move, but he can also consider
delaying castling to keep the option of tossing
in h2-h4 later on, as in Leitao's game in the
previous note.
e7 8.c3 0-0 9.bd2 c5 10.a3 c4?
This common mistake in such positions
much as flaunt it. Black's intended ...b6-b5, ...
a7-a5, ...b5-b4 comes much too slow to bother
White.
QUESTION: What would you suggest as a
plan for Black?
[ ANSWER: I would go for 10...a5
, hoping to swap off that nasty attacking
light-squared bishop on d3 with ...Ba6 next.
QUESTION: What should White do about
this?
ANSWER: He can actually just allow the
swap and still retain an edge, or he can try
to disrupt Black's plan with something like
11.d1 a6 12.c4!? . White diversifies his
assets to keep pace with a rapidly shifting
market. ]
11.b1! White indulgently allows the
demonstration, knowing it will pass like some
adolescent phase. It has been my observation
that a successful attack should also be
fortified with a hint of arrogance from
someone who knows he cannot fail.
QUESTION: Why to the unnatural square b1,
when c2 was available?
ANSWER: White's odd-looking move contains
the seed of a nasty point: He clears c2 for his
queen, creating a battery in the direction of h7,
which in turn forces Black to weaken his
kingside. One must admit to a certain rustic
charm in White's simple plan, even if it is
sparse in the potential of risk.
c6 12.e1 b5 13.f1 a5 14.c2
White's kingside attack far outstrips Black's
corresponding play on the queenside.
g6 No choice. The uric acid levels are too
high, resulting in the black king's hobbling
bout of gout on the dark squares.
15.d2! QUESTION: This looks unnatural as
well. Why not play his bishop to h6 instead?
ANSWER: Despite Black's attempts to
filibuster, White continues to make significant
progress. Revisit Hansen-Vescovi from
Chapter Two, in which Hansen also avoided
Bh6 so as to send his queen into the kingside
dark squares instead – just as Ragger does
this game.
e8 In order to play ...Bf8.
16.h6 f8 Black beats back another wave
of attackers. Soon it becomes clear his last
move is nothing more than a Band-Aid on a
grievous wound.
17.h3 The sneaky queen affects shock,
when in reality she is delighted by her new
destination on h3. The storm cycles into a
period of lull just before the hurricane. White's
forces hover menacingly over the black king.
e7 All eyes in the room turn to the bishop,
Black's last real defender and only hope.
QUESTION: Is Ng5 so strong a threat that he
must waste a tempo to cover against it?
[ ANSWER: Ng5 is a huge threat. Let's say
Black ignores it and proceeds with his own
queenside attack: 17...b4 18.g5 h6
(now the sac is perfectly sound) 19.xf7!
(the huffy knight isn't exactly an exemplar of
restraint or propriety) xf7 20.xh6
and White's attack is out of control. Black
has no reasonable defence to the coming
Re3 etc. ]
18.e3! Heading for g4 and into dark square
bliss.
b4 19.g4 b3 An egregious error when
committed in an already bad position doesn't
really constitute a mistake, since that which is
lost remains lost, only more so. After this
move, effectively closing the queenside,
Black's counterplay convulses and dies.
[ 19...h8 prolonged resistance, but
wouldn't have saved the game. ]
20.h6+ QUESTION: Why did Black resign?
[ ANSWER: Black's king stepped on too
many toes, gathering enemies like chafe in
the wind. After 20.h6+ g7 White has a
thematic way of brushing aside Black's
defences. Let's do an exercise to discover
the answer:
EXERCISE (combination alert/calculation):
Find one simple move and the champagne
glasses chime like wedding bells, as the
joyous peal of laughter from White's
attackers provide the harmony.
ANSWER: The f7-pawn is the royal orb
upon the black king's sceptre: 21.xf7!
xf7 (Black can only prevent mate at the
cost of handing over his queen) 22.xh7+
f8 23.h6# . Seven-ply if you saw the
position in your mind's eye from the
beginning.
SUMMARY: Owen's Defence is a dream
come true for the Colle player, who either
gets a position from Chapter Three a full
move up, or a fantastic version of an
Advance French. ]
1-0

Oll,L
Spassky,B
Tallinn (rapid)
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.e4
[ Stylistically, Spassky is ill-suited in the
extreme to be the flag bearer for Owen's
Defence and its hypermodern musings.
When he was the world champion, he
played the Queen's Gambit Declined against
queen's pawn openings, and virtually never
lost with it, until he ran into Fischer's
treatment in their Reykjavik match.
On the other hand, there was also this
game: 1.d4 g6 2.e4 g7 3.f3 d6 4.e2
e6!? (Spassky surprises Petrosian with the
Hippopotamus in a world championship
match!) 5.c3 ( I play this set-up too, calling it Black's b7-bishop.
the "Coward's Variation" in my book on the
Modern Defence, as it's one of the safest –
and most harmless! – ways White can meet
the Modern; instead, 5.c4! ensures White of
a pleasant King's Indian formation ) 5...d7
6.0-0 e7 7.bd2 b6 8.a4 a6 9.e1
b7 10.d3 0-0 11.c4 e8 12.d2 f6!?
13.e2 h8 14.h1!? f7 15.g1
(this is not the way to try and refute the
Hippo!) e5! and Black achieved dynamic
equality, T.V.Petrosian-B.Spassky, World
Championship, Moscow (16th matchgame)
1966. ]
1...b6 2.d4 b7 3.d3 e6 4.f3 d6
QUESTION: Why does Black cede so much
space to White?
ANSWER: Spassky prepares to play the
double fianchetto Hippopotamus formation. I
covered this line extensively in my book on
the Modern Defence, but I think it's only okay
for Black under certain circumstances, for
instance when White develops his bishop to
c4.
QUESTION: Do you like it here for Black?
ANSWER: No, I don't. I believe Black is fated
to suffer a rather lame King's Indian-type
position when White later plays c2-c4.
5.0-0 d7 6.c4! The KID formation is
probably White's best bet against the Hippo,
and assures him of an enduring space edge
without much counterplay from Black.
g6 7.g5 Natural, but this move is inaccurate
in virtually all Hippos.
QUESTION: What is not to like? White
develops with tempo.
B00 ANSWER: Does he? Black was going to
develop his knight to e7 anyway, and he will
be the one gaining the tempo with a
1998 subsequent ...h7-h6.
QUESTION: But then didn't White provoke a
weakness in Black's camp?
ANSWER: One player's weakness is
another's expansion. I think ...h7-h6 is useful
for Black, who often plays the move
unprovoked later on.
e7 8.c3 h6 9.e3
[ After 9.h4 g7 White must watch out for
...g6-g5-g4, followed by ...Bxd4 tricks. Black
can also play ...g6-g5 and ...Ng6 with dark-
square ambitions and attacking intent. ]
9...g7 10.d2 g5! Like I said, Black wants
...h7-h6 and ...g6-g5 even more than White
does!
11.d5 To clear d4 for his knight and blunt
g6 Spassky continues his Hippo dark-
square strategy.
[ QUESTION: Why not close the centre
King's Indian style with 11...e5 ?
ANSWER: It would be a bad KID:
1. The f5-square is weak, while if Black gets
...f7-f5 in, White simply takes, clearing e4
for his pieces.
2. If Black avoids ...f7-f5, White can
manoeuvre a knight to g3 or e3, clamping
down on f5.
3. Black has little counterplay, whereas
White can patiently build for a b2-b4, c4-c5
pawn breakthrough on the queenside. ]
12.d4 Eyeing c6 and negating the plan of ...
e6-e5, since his knight will be happy to hop
into f5.
e7
[ QUESTION: Can Black try the plan of
handing over his dark-squared bishop and
then switching the pawn structure with
12...xd4!? 13.xd4 e5 ?
ANSWER: It's an interesting idea but one
which probably fails to generate the
desired counterplay since ...f7-f5 is still
very difficult to achieve – and, even if
achieved, hands over the e4-square. White,
in the meanwhile, simply builds for his
thematic c4-c5 pawn break with a clear
advantage. ]
13.cb5 c5 14.c2 a5!?
[ Interesting. Spassky avoids 14...a6
(sending the knight away) 15.c3
and only then playing a5 . ]
15.b3
 [ QUESTION: Doesn't 15.a3 save a tempo
on the path to b2-b4?
ANSWER: Not if Black replies e5 16.e2
a4! , which messes up White's plan. ]
15...0-0 16.a3 White is now ready for b3-b4
and stands better.
a4!? There are no absolutes in the realm of
psychological motivation behind a move.
Reasoned argument rarely succeeds against a
player with an unmalleable sense of destiny,
and the belief that when logic collapses, there
is always shamanism. Spassky bangs out a
move possibly more brave than wise, sensing
that to remain in stasis is the equivalent of
slow death. So he decides he must disrupt or
perish, riding the position at high velocity,
inured in his new sense of living dangerously.
Nevertheless, it doesn't get him off the hook
from his strategic woes. It's like the defendant
who explains to the judge: "In my defence,
your honour, I had been drinking heavily."
17.b4 b3 The knight lashes out, venting
resentment long buried within his psyche.
18.xb3 axb3 19.b2?!
[ 19.ab1! is the most accurate
continuation. ]
19...exd5
[ 19...a6! 20.ad1 exd5 21.exd5 xd4!
22.xd4 xb5 23.cxb5 d7 looks to be
Black's best shot. ]
20.exd5 f5?!
[ It's not too late to muddy things up with
20...a6! . ]
21.xb3 f4 22.d2 g4 23.ae1 h4 24.f3
White halts the threatened ...f4-f3 with a shrug.
Black, whose attack has grown icy cold, is
busted. Spassky's daring sac, beginning with
16...a4, failed to transform his wretched world
into the hoped-for utopia.
g3 25.h3 In a King's Indian position this
might be met by ...Bxh3!, but here the black
bishop is absent from the c8-h3 diagonal at
the crucial moment.
c8 26.e6 f7 27.e4 e5 28.d3!
[ Oll steers clear of Spassky's trap:
28.bxc7?? xc7! 29.xc7? xh3!
(the bishop is unleashed) 30.gxh3 xh3
with a decisive attack, as 31.e2? runs into
d4+ 32.ff2 h2+ 33.f1 h1# . ]
28...h5 29.fe1
[ The c7-pawn is still immune. For example:
29.bxc7? xc7! 30.xc7 xh3! 31.gxh3
xh3 32.e2 h4 (now ...g2 is a dire
threat) 33.xf4 g2 34.xe5 h1+ 35.f2
gxf1+ 36.xf1 xf3+ and Black is no
longer losing. ]
29...c6 30.bd4 cxd5 31.cxd5 d7
32.c6 Principle: Counter in the centre when
attacked on the wing.
e8 33.xe5 dxe5 34.b3
[ Oll isn't interested in pawn hunting with
34.a6 , even if the computers like it. ]
34...f5? After an uncomfortably long,
wounded pause, the queen takes her leave.
Having been thwarted, Black settles for a
tertiary alternative, grudgingly forsaking his
dream of conquest of the Eastern hemisphere.
EXERCISE (combination alert): Black's last
move was not the best and his margin of
hope dwindles and fades still more. Find
White's shot.
ANSWER: Pin. Now Black's game goes from
bad to reverse. The black roaches dive for
cover behind the refrigerator when White
unexpectedly flips on the kitchen light.
35.xf4! exf4!?
[ 35...xf4 36.xf4 exf4 37.xe8+ xe8
38.xe8+ g7 39.d1 may have put up
more resistance. ]
36.xe8+ xe8 37.xe8+ h7 38.d6
Principle: Passed pawns must be pushed.
h5 39.e6 b1+ 40.e1! f5
The ambitious rook hopes to subvert power
away from his enemies to himself.
41.d7
[ After 41.d7 e5 42.f7+ h6 43.xe5
xe5 44.xf4+ the field mice see the
shadow of the swooping hawk upon them.
SUMMARY: The Hippopotamus, when
played against White's e4/d4/c4 set-up,
only results in a passive KID for Black. ]
1-0
Chapter Eleven

Pirc, Modern and Philidor

The Colle players' sole endearing quality may be our uncanny and infallible ability to annoy our opponents through
religiously strict adherence to our beloved structure. However, in this instance, we must be flexible against Pirc,
Modern and Philidor formations and concede a slight alteration, playing our e-pawn out two squares to e4, rather
than holding it back to e3, as in most traditional Colle set-ups. Yet we remain as close to a Colle as possible, with
our pawns on c3, d4 and e4, and our pieces - knights on d2 and f3, and bishop normally on d3 - exactly as we
would in other Colle lines. For example, this is the position we get against the Pirc:
1 d4 g6 2 e4 Bg7 3 Nf3 d6 4 c3 Nf6 5 Nbd2 0-0 6 Bd3

Our set-up is virtually the same against the Modern and Philidor, so our e-pawn moving up two squares remains the
only erratic variable in the otherwise familiar equation. Essentially, we remain within our Colle world, where play
generally veers toward heavy strategic manoeuvring, rather than early tactical outbursts.
Lakdawala-Wooten
Baker-Lakdawala
Kamsky-Nepomniachtchi
Kalegin-Akhmetov

Index

1 d4 g6
1...Nf6 2 Nd2 d6 3 e4 e5 – Kalegin-Akhmetov
2 e4 Bg7 3 Nf3 d6 4 c3 Nf6
4...b6 – Kamsky-Nepomniachtchi
5 Nbd2 0-0 6 Bd3 Nc6 7 0-0
7...e5 – Lakdawala-Wooten
7...Nh5 – Baker-Lakdawala
 B07
Lakdawala,C
Wooten,A
San Diego (rapid) 2012
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4
[ 1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.d2 e5 4.gf3 d6
5.g3 f6 6.g2 0-0 7.0-0 bd7 .
QUESTION: Why are we looking at the Caro-
Kann?
ANSWER: This is a Caro-Kann versus
King's Indian Attack. We get Black's position
here (or a similar version) but a move up,
because we play it as White. ]
1...f6
[ Black has multiple methods of reaching
basically the same position. For example:
1...g6 2.e4 g7 3.f3 d6 4.bd2 f6 ]
[ and 1...d6 2.e4 f6 3.d2 g6
transpose to the game; ]
[ or 1...d6 2.e4 f6 3.d2 e5 4.c3 bd7
(other moves are examined in Kalegin-
Akhmetov) 5.gf3 g6 (this set-up is one of
the most common for Black) 6.dxe5 ( or
6.d3 g7 7.0-0 0-0 , which is 6...Nbd7 7
0-0 e5 in the main line ) 6...dxe5 7.c2 g7
8.c4 0-0 9.0-0 c6 10.a4 h6 ( he should
probably challenge White's queenside
territorial ambitions with 10...a5 ) 11.a5 a6?
(creating self-inflicted holes in the queenside
– can you tell that Black isn't a Pirc or
Modern player? – this is the magic of the 2
Nd2 order) 12.e1 h8 13.f1 h5
14.c4 and Black's puncture wounds on b6
and d6 proved fatal, C.Lakdawala-K.Griffith,
San Diego (rapid) 2010. ]
2.d2 We revisit my beloved "Ostrich in the
Sand" move order.
QUESTION: Why? We already covered that in
Chapter Nine.
ANSWER: We didn't cover the Pirc, Modern
and Philidor responses to it, which we do in
this chapter.
g6 Some players just can't stand the thought
of ...d7-d5 and insist on the Pirc.
3.e4 d6 4.gf3 g7 5.c3 The Coward's
Variation, my personal favourite versus the
Pirc and Modern. A chapter is devoted to this
line in my Modern Defence book, and again in
this one! I'll just quote myself: "This is about
the safest way White can meet the Modern (or
as in this case, the Pirc): c2-c3 bolsters the
d4-point and White hopes for something with
his space edge, without handing Black even a
trace of counterplay. Tiger calls this the 'Lazy
Variation', because it is so simple to play for
White. Basically, this line vacuums the
position of sharpness and White forces a
game of trench warfare instead."
QUESTION: Can White extract anything here
in the form of an opening edge?
ANSWER: Probably not against a booked-up
opponent. But I think this is the perfect line for
the Colle player for these reasons:
1. We Colle folk like to play it safe, and there
is nothing safer than this line against the Pirc,
Modern or Philidor.
2. If you play the early Nd2 move order, many
of your opponents will be tricked into playing
the Pirc for the first time in their lives, so
it's unlikely you face a "booked-up" opponent.
0-0 6.d3 Now we reach our Caro-Kann
versus KIA position a move up.
QUESTION: Why not develop the bishop to c4
instead?
ANSWER: That is possible, but we play to d3,
just to remain within Colle territory.
e5!? Usually they prepare this by developing
the queen's knight first:
[ a) 6...c6 .
QUESTION: Should we push our d-pawn on
Black's knight?
ANSWER: I would just stick to the script
and ignore the provocation, continuing with
7.0-0 . Now Black will most likely play e5
, after which we reach our desired position,
as in the main game. ]
[ b) 6...bd7 (one of Black's most common
set-ups, the reversed equivalent of the KIA
versus Caro mentioned above; its downside
is that it applies less pressure upon d4)
7.0-0 e5 8.e1 e8 9.f1 ( White plays it
like a Closed Ruy Lopez; I prefer rigid
structures and usually release central
tension here with 9.dxe5 xe5 10.xe5
dxe5 – yes, I know, White has nothing, but I
have around a 90% lifetime score in such
boring positions, so wisdom dictates to go
where the money is ) 9...d5 (Black's freeing
break) 10.xe5 xe5 11.dxe5 xe5 12.f4
( 12.f4 e8 13.g3 is equal ) 12...g4
13.b3 xe4 14.xe4 xe4
with compensation for the exchange, E.
Alekseev-I.Nepomniachtchi, St Petersburg-
Moscow match 2011. Houdini gets greedy
here and wants to take on b7 as well. ]
[ c) 6...c5 is the other main option: 7.dxc5
( play gets a little sharper if you decide to
maintain central tension with 7.0-0 cxd4
 8.cxd4 c6 , when White must be on the
lookout for ...Nd7 or ...e7-e5, both which
increase pressure on d4 ) 7...dxc5 8.e2
c6 9.0-0 c7 10.e1 d8 ( 10...h5
11.g3 g4 12.c4 d7 13.c2 ad8
14.e3 picks off the bishop pair ) 11.c2 b6
with a heavy duty manoeuvring game to
follow, A.Fedorov-M.Dzhumaev, New Delhi
2006. ]
7.0-0 QUESTION: Can you get away with
grabbing the e5-pawn?
[ ANSWER: It just looked wrong to me at the
time and I rejected it without much thought.
But the database has two games where
White did just that and won. So the next
chance I got, versus a 2600-rated IM, I tried
it: 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.xe5!? g4! (Dang! He
worked out the best response over the
board) 9.xg4 xd3 10.e3 . --
( Here Houdini gives 10...a6 11.e2
c5! 12.xd3 xd3+ 13.e2 f4+
14.f3 d3 15.e2 f4+ with a draw by
repetition.
QUESTION: If this is the case, why would
you enter a line where you give Black an
easy draw?
ANSWER: Two reasons:
1. Just because the computer finds a draw
doesn't mean my next opponent will also
find one.
2. My opponent outrates me by 100 points,
so a draw, even with White, is not such a
tragedy.; Anyway, he played instead 10...f5
(the logical, human move: Black opens the
game as quickly as possible to exploit his
lead in development and bishop pair)
11.exf5 gxf5 12.b3+ f7 13.f3 h6
14.c4 xc4 15.xc4 e7+ 16.d1 e6
17.ce5 d5 18.e1 a6 19.g6!
xe1+ 20.xe1 f7 21.f4 c4 22.e3
b5 23.ed3 c6 24.c2 , by which stage I
no longer believe in Black's compensation
for the missing pawn. He had to work hard
(and I had to play rather weakly!) to hold
the draw from this position, C.Lakdawala-D.
Aldama, San Diego (rapid) 2012. )]
7...c6 Now we just transpose.
[ Similarly, 7...bd7 returns to 6...Nbd7 7
0-0 e5 above. ]
8.dxe5 QUESTION: Why break the central
pawn tension so soon?
ANSWER: I tend to break tension early,
simply because I score well in games with
clarified, relatively fixed pawn structures.
[ If you are looking for a more complex game,
you can go for 8.e1 h5 9.b3 . ]
[ QUESTION: Why not 8.d5 ?
ANSWER: It's a strategic error, since after
c3-c4 we reach a King's Indian Defence a
move down (because White will have spent
two tempi to accomplish what he could have
done in one). Also, White's knight is posted
more passively on d2, rather than on the
traditional c3-square. ]
8...dxe5 My opponent is a pure tactician and
desires to keep as many pieces as he can on
the board.
[ Otherwise Black can play to simplify with
8...xe5 9.xe5 dxe5 10.c4 d7
11.e3 b6 12.a4 b7 13.c2 e7 14.b4
, when we arrive at a typically unequally
equal position from the variation.
QUESTION: What do you mean by that?
ANSWER: In this relatively arid position,
White is the only one expanding, while
Black continues to search for something to
do. This was actually C.Lakdawala-P.Graves,
San Diego (rapid) 2010, a game I annotate
in 'The Modern Defence: Move by Move'. ]
9.c4 g4?! It is in our human nature to
invent problems where none previously
existed. This move, quite common in this kind
of position, probably isn't correct here. Black
decides to hand over the bishop pair and
weakens his light squares, all in the name of
creating an imbalance. Pushing to win at all
costs in such arid positions is a bit like a guy
who cheats at solitaire.
[ Better is 9...h5 10.g5 e8 11.e1
, A.Dreev-M.Makarov, Russian
Championship, Elista 1997. Perhaps I
display bias by declaring I still prefer White,
who will eventually expand on the
queenside. ]
10.h3 xf3
[ QUESTION: If he backed up with 10...h5
would you dare to play 11.g4 ?
ANSWER: In a heartbeat. Black's
compensation looks unconvincing after
xg4 12.hxg4 xg4 13.e2 c8 14.e3
h3 15.e1 . ]
11.xf3 QUESTION: You criticized your
opponent's decision to hand over the bishop
pair, but the position is static and somewhat
fixed. Is this not to the knight side's benefit?
ANSWER: Black got what he desired, yet his
level of indebtedness remains high. It isn't a
matter of bishop versus knight, as much as
the fact that he weakened his light squares.
d7 12.d1 e7 13.e3 Dual purpose:
White clamps down on ...f7-f5 pawn breaks
and plans harassment via d5.
b6 14.b4 Queenside pawn expansion is
White's thematic plan in such positions.
a5?! This confrontation works out in White's
favour.
[ He should go for the more restrained
14...fd8 . ]
15.b5 d8 16.a4 e6 So Black created a
hole on c5, but he has no easy time with
occupation due to White's next.
17.a3 c5 18.c2 fd8 Thematic isn't
always best, and this weakens f7.
[ On the other hand, 18...ad8 19.b3
bd7 20.d5 b6 21.c6 f6 22.c4
looks rough for Black as well. ]
19.b3 Targeting f7.
xd1+? The rook's previously unimpeachable
character now comes into question by
violating the principle: Don't unnecessarily
relinquish central tension.
[ His last chance to hang on lay in 19...bd7
20.d5 h4 21.c2 with acute, continuing
discomfort for Black. ]
20.xd1 f8
[ 20...bd7?? failed miserably to 21.xd7 . ]
[ EXERCISE (planning): After 20...f8
Black's despondent rook replaces his
fallen brother on f8, a messenger of ill
tidings. Come up with a plan for White to
reach a winning position. ]
ANSWER: Step 1: Occupy d5.
21.d5 xd5 22.xd5 b6
Step 2: Opposite-coloured bishops favour the
attacking side.
23.xc5 The bishop tips his hat to queen and
knight, and bids them farewell.
bxc5 Step 3: Seize control over the d-file,
enabling a rook invasion to d7, which
increases pressure on both c7 and f7.
24.d3 h6 25.d7 The rook gets up,
brushes his teeth, gets dressed and cleans
his revolver, with bad intentions for the day.
g5 A person with a strong business sense
knows when to acquire and when to bail out in
the event of a sour investment. The queen,
callously indifferent to the suffering of her
comrades, ploughs ahead, determined to put
on a one-woman show. Somehow she
reminds me of those annoying people
downtown, who hand out proselytizing leaflets,
gravely warning me of eternal hellfire when I
toss the leaflet into the nearest trash
container.
26.g3 There is no rush. White gives his king
air on the light squares, which he controls
with an iron grip.
c1+ 27.g2 b2 Step 4: Increase
pressure on f7, which leads to complete
collapse for Black. His attempted counterplay
on f2 is ineffective. Black turns the nut but
finds the threads on the bolt have been
stripped.
28.c4 The vectors of energy all point to f7,
after which Black's king is left all alone. The
crowd makes way and parts. White's pieces
stroll through to f7, as though all others are
merely ephemera. The contentment and
happiness of White's forces has a feel of
permanence, like an old family portrait, all
smiles and frozen in time.
e3 Far from menacing, the well-behaved
black bishop curls up languorously at the
white king's feet, like a sleepy, docile kitten.
Meanwhile, the black king's fawning advisors
continue to shield him from unpleasant truths.
29.xf7 The medium speaks to the dead. The
dead, however, refuse to respond. The
sinister white rook is the clichéd, 1950s movie
Gestapo officer who says: "Vee haf vays of
making you talk!"
SUMMARY: The Coward's Variation is an
insidious line. Black can find himself drifting
and without counterplay very easily, whereas
White always has access to the plan of
queenside expansion.
1-0
B07
Baker,B
Lakdawala,C
San Diego (rapid) 2011
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.f3 g6 2.e4 g7 3.d4 d6 The Modern
Defence move order.
QUESTION: What's the difference?
ANSWER: In the Pirc, Black commits his
knight to f6 early. The two lines often
transpose though.
4.c3 What a low, dirty trick! My sneaky
opponent plays my own favourite line against
me.
c6 QUESTION: Isn't this going to cost you
time if White pushes forward on your knight?
ANSWER: Perhaps so, but the idea is to
provoke White and lure him away from the
womb-like safety zone of the Coward's
Variation, much the same way the Alekhine's
Defence player provokes White forward after 1
e4 Nf6.
5.bd2 He refuses to bite and insists on
remaining within the program. Instead:
[ a) 5.d5 e5 ( retreating the knight is also
fine: 5...b8 6.g5 c6 7.bd2 f6
8.dxc6 xc6 9.c4 0-0 10.0-0 h6 11.h4
g5!? 12.g3 h5 13.e1 xg3 14.hxg3
, when Black's bishop pair compensates for
his slightly weakened kingside structure, B.
Baker-C.Lakdawala, San Diego rapid 2012 )
6.xe5 xe5 7.b5+ d7 8.xd7+ xd7
9.0-0 g7 10.e1 f6 and Black
completed his development harmoniously, G.
Laketic-A.Chernin, Mendrisio 1989. ]
[ b) 5.b5 a6 6.xc6+ ( after 6.a4 b5
7.c2 f6 8.0-0 0-0 9.e2 e5
the game takes on a bit of a Closed Ruy
Lopez flavour, Seb.Fischer-T.Gietl,
Uttenreuth 1996 ) 6...bxc6 7.0-0 f6 8.e1
0-0 9.bd2 a5 10.a4 d7 , when Black's
bishop pair and potential on the light
squares compensate for White's space and
slightly superior structure, M.Taimanov-N.R.
Davies, Tel Aviv 1990. ]
5...f6 6.d3
[ QUESTION: With 5...Nf6 you cut off your
bishop's control over e5. If your opponent
had pushed with 6.d5 would you still go to
e5?
ANSWER: Probably not. I would head home
with b8 , after which Black could chip
away at White's centre with ...c7-c6 and ...
e7-e6 later on.
QUESTION: But then ...Nc6-b8 has just
entailed a loss of time.
ANSWER: True, but White's c2-c3 is now
proven quite useless, and in this structure
his d2-knight looks slightly misplaced. I
think it's a wash, with neither side gaining
or losing much. ]
6...0-0 7.0-0 h5!? I always veer toward the
strange, in all aspects of my life.
[ 7...e5 would be normal, returning to the
previous game. ]
8.c4 e5 9.g5 White maintains the central
pawn tension, avoiding a quick swap on e5
(which I tend to play).
f6 QUESTION: Did your opponent manage to
provoke a weakness?
ANSWER: Not really. As in most King's
Indians as well, ...f7-f6 doesn't constitute
much of a weakness here.
10.e3 h8 11.h3 f4!? Provoking an
imbalance.
12.xf4 exf4 13.e1 e7 14.e5!?
I didn't expect this move.
[ Instead, 14.d2! h6 ( I actually intended
14...g5?! , misassessing the end position
after 15.d5 h6 16.d4 f5 17.xf5 xf5
18.exf5 xf5 19.xf5 xf5 , which is in
certainly White's favour since he controls
the only open file ) 15.d5 leads to messy
play, probably slightly in White's favour. ]
14...fxe5 15.dxe5 d5 Now we reach opposite
wing pawn majorities.
16.cd2 e6?!
[ I should have tossed in an immediate
16...c5 . ]
17.b4! Powerful positional play. Oops, I didn't
take this move into account. White prevents ...
c7-c5 and takes control over d4. Now seeing
the approach of the enemy on d4, I offer the
feeble excuse: "This is all just a big
misunderstanding!"
d7 18.d4 g8 19.2f3 a5 20.a3 b6?!
[ Better to play more patiently with 20...c6!
, intending a future ...b7-b6 and ...c6-c5. ]
21.d2? White agrees to the terms of the
contract with wide-eyed enthusiasm, when he
should have taken the time to read the fine
print. On the eve of the revolution, White has
second thoughts. His last move is a strategic
error which allows Black to activate his
position.
[ White should have clamped down on
Black's coming break and played 21.b5!
with advantage. ]
21...c5 Now Black's bishop pair grows more
meaningful.
22.c2 c7 23.b5!? ae8 Target: e5.
24.a4 f5! The knight drives home the point
– he is the one in charge of operations.
25.xf4?! This overreaction strikes one as an
emotional response, registered in hues of
angry red, enmeshed with a simmering orange.
Or is his move a conciliatory gesture, hoping
to divert Black from his kingside itinerary? I
don't know. His coming sac doesn't make
much sense to me. It's as if a person makes a
donation to Greenpeace with the motivation
of benefiting the environment, and then goes
outside and carelessly litters the street by
tossing a cigarette butt on the ground.
[ White doesn't get enough for the queen,
which he sac'ed to complicate for the
coming time scramble. Still, the self-
preservatory instinct, even when blind and
flailing, is a dangerous force and demands
respect – even if, objectively, White should
 have gone passive and awaited events with
25.xf5 xf5 26.e2 , when Black would
slowly begin to expand on the kingside with
...g6-g5 soon. ]
25...d4 26.xf8 There is no turning back
now.
[ 26.c1?? xf3+ 27.gxf3 xe5
is hopeless for White. ]
26...xf8 27.cxd4 c4 Creating a protected
passed pawn, which White must watch over
for the remainder of the game.
28.e2 e7 Eyeing infiltration points at b4
and a3.
29.e3 e6 Blockading White's single trump,
his passed e-pawn.
30.ed1 EXERCISE (planning): Come up
with a plan to increase Black's advantage.
ANSWER: Dual purpose:
1. Prepare to push forward with the h- and g-
pawns and go for a direct attack on his king.
2. Prepare to activate the dark-squared bishop
via h6.
h5! 31.d2 h6 The once-stunted bishop
suddenly grows in power and renown.
32.aa2 f4 Children forced to endure their
parents' strict religious upbringing, often long
for the pagan freedom of adulthood. Black
pressures d4 and prepares ...g6-g5-g4, as well
as ...Re4.
[ Alternatively, Houdini likes the line
32...xe3 33.fxe3 b4 34.f2 c3 35.d1
f5 . ]
33.g3 e4 34.h4 h7
[ I was also sorely tempted to play 34...xh4
35.gxh4 xe3 36.fxe3 xh4 , when the
shabby attire of White's king bespeaks his
failed fortunes more than any words could
do. ]
35.f3?!
[ He should have played 35.hg2 . ]
[ EXERCISE (combination alert): With 35.f3
White committed a time pressure mistake.
How can Black exploit it? ]
ANSWER: The unencumbered rook's
magnetic personality has the power to win
over the confidence of others within his aura.
Now White's harrowing story is a novel filled
with exclamation marks.
35...xe3! 36.fxe3 xe3+ 37.h2 xd2
38.xd2 a3 Black's queen infiltrates. The
remainder is easy and resistance grows
obsolete, emptied of all meaning.
39.d1 EXERCISE (combination alert):
White's pieces trip over each other. Find a
way to short-circuit the brittle defence and
crack it open, like a fortune cookie.
ANSWER: The black queen slides on to the
floor, props herself on two elbows and says
"Hi!" Now, White's pieces blister, blacken and
curl, like marshmallows toasting on an open
fire.
c1 40.f3 c3 SUMMARY: If Black gets
provocative with an early ...Nc6, we should
probably ignore it and play as White did in
this game (albeit not all the way through).
0-1
B06
Kamsky,G
Nepomniachtchi,I
FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.d4 g6 2.f3 g7 3.c3 Oh, what a
champion! Kamsky, like your writer,
occasionally plays the reversed Slav.
QUESTION: Isn't it a bit of a wimpy choice?
ANSWER: My feeling is (and this is a very
odd thing for a writer of opening books to say)
that it is a mistake to embrace theory as a
crutch, in a mechanical way to obviate critical
thought, replacing it with memorization – a
disease with which many of my younger
students are afflicted. By playing an opening
such as a reversed Slav (or Colle for that
matter!), White essentially refuses to get
bogged down in the noxious morass of
mindless memorization. Instead, he invites
his opponent to a chess game on equal terms,
where understanding overrides and revokes
theoretical knowledge.
d6 4.e4 b6 QUESTION: From your notes to
Oll-Spassky, I take it that you don't approve of
the Hippopotamus, correct?
ANSWER: On the contrary, the Hippo is
actually quite sound against the Coward's
Variation, which is too innocuous to extract an
edge against it (or any other line for that
matter! – we play it more to lure Black into a
Colle-like manoeuvring game). I feel the
Hippo isn't so great against the King's Indian,
the line Oll played against Spassky.
5.d3 b7 6.0-0 d7 7.e1 h6!?
Not surprisingly, a new move.
QUESTION: Can Black get away with this
plan?
[ ANSWER: White's quiet set-up isn't
conducive to early blow-outs, no matter what
the provocation. Black can of course go for
 7...e6 , ]
[ or even get more ambitious with 7...e5 . ]
8.bd2 e6 9.f1 QUESTION: What is the
point of this knight retreat?
ANSWER: It isn't as much a retreat as it is a
redeployment to g3. White masses pieces on
the kingside in Closed Ruy Lopez style, in
anticipation of an attack in that sector later on.
[ White can also play to expand on the
queenside with a move like 9.a4 . ]
9...e7 10.g3 c5!? QUESTION: Isn't Black
violating the principle: Don't create
confrontation when behind in development?
ANSWER: He is, but this position proves to be
an exception. I don't see a good way for White
to exploit his development lead, since the
very nature of the c3/d4/e4 lines means they
are ill-suited for the sudden explosion
necessary to exploit just such a violation.
11.e3
[ 11.f4 , going after the sensitive d6-point,
is also possible, while after e5 12.dxe5
dxe5 13.e3 Black must deal with a hole on
d5 – although this will be exceedingly
difficult for White to exploit, since none of
his pieces are currently anywhere near that
square. ]
11...c7 12.a4 0-0
[ I would have tossed in 12...a6 . ]
13.d2
[ Kamsky is disinclined to begin a fight over
on the queenside with 13.a5 . ]
13...h7 14.h4 Here he comes. By pushing
his h-pawn, White hopes to yank the black
king out of the shadows into the light.
e5
[ QUESTION: Why not 14...f6 intending ...
Ng4?
ANSWER: Your move looks quite logical
since h2-h4 weakened the g4-square. Still, I
prefer White's game after 15.e5 . ]
15.h5 f6 16.e2 To preserve his dark-
squared bishop in case of ...Ng4.
c8
[ QUESTION: Would it be worth the
weakening to play 16...g5 ?
ANSWER: I doubt it. The move creates a
hole on f5 and also creates a tempting sac
target on g5 for the future. ]
17.dxe5 dxe5 18.h2! Keeping an eye out
over g4.
e6 19.c4 Intending to swap light-squared
bishops, which leaves Black with a not-so-
great remaining bishop.
c8 20.a6 QUESTION: Well, why didn't he
go through with the swap?
[ ANSWER: He probably feared that Black,
with a queen on e6, might be able to force ...
c5-c4, which would give him access to the
c5-square. For example: 20.xe6 xe6
21.a5 c4! . ]
20...c7 21.c4 xc4
[ Black should probably have repeated
moves with 21...c8 . ]
22.hxg6+ fxg6 23.xc4 e8 24.ad1 c6
25.f3 c7 26.d2 ad8 27.ed1 xd2
28.xd2 c8 Black's fingers work frantically
to untie the knot, yet it stubbornly holds in
gnarled defiance. Advantage White:
1. He owns the d-file.
2. All his pieces are more active than their
opposing counterparts.
3. Black, for now, must deal with a bad bishop
and a pair of knights that remain pensive and
refuse to participate. His knights, destitute
and homeless, wander into the mission, not
because they seek salvation, but because
they need a hot meal and a bed for the night.
29.d3! Offering a4 in exchange for
infiltration to d7.
xa4?! The bored queen fabricates a rich
fantasy life to submerge her drab, adjacent
reality. She grabs the pawn under the theory
that it doesn't quite work to be a semi-penitent.
Either repent or sin – don't live in the twilight
in the middle. So she decides to sin! However,
the words of Psalm 69 soon come to mind: "O
God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my
sins are not hid from thee." Black shouldn't be
posting guards at the periphery, when woman
power is required in the central fight.
[ Black should have shown more respect for
White's infiltration threat and taken
measures to neutralize it with 29...e8!
, intending 30.d7 xd7 31.xd7 e7
, when Black remains worse but hangs on. ]
QUESTION: But is the infiltration worth a pawn
in an ending?
ANSWER: White soon regains the lost pawn
with a clear advantage. Watch.
30.d7 White's queen passes by the beggars
all around her with a cursory glance, fuelled by
a spirit of callous indifference to their suffering.
xd7 31.xd7 e6 32.xe5 And there it
is: White picks off e5.
d8 33.b7 e8 34.c6 d6?
A misguided pawn sac for a counterattack
which never materializes. Black's knight
careens and whirls madly, free of destination
or aim, like a child's malfunctioning battery-
operated toy.
[ He had to eliminate one of the invaders with
34...d8 35.xd8 xd8 36.e5
, when Black prays for the safety and long
life of his pawns, while White prefers to prey
on them. ]
35.xa7 c4 The knight, an odd composite
of ineptitude and competence rolled into one
body, goes on a counterattack – or so he
believes. He hopes to fulfil the wanderings of
unsatisfied desires by snapping at the bait on
b2.
36.c1 No problem.
c8 37.e7 d8 38.d5 No infiltration for
you today, my friend. This indissolubly
irritating knight entrenches itself in Black's
territory, like a kidney stone which refuses to
break up under the urologist's ultrasound
machine.
h8 39.e2 d6 40.f3 g5!? A perplexing
decision, given that he can just protect his b-
pawn. I don't know if Nepom was in serious
time pressure or was just in a generous mood.
[ Then again, the passive 40...b8
looks pretty hopeless as well. ]
41.xb6 b8 42.d5 c4 43.a2
Market capitalism at its worst. Kamsky takes
and takes, profit his bottom line and be-all-
and-end-all, without giving an iota back to
society.
e5 44.f4 gxf4 45.xf4 b7 46.xe5
xe5 47.a6 g5 48.xh6+ Now he's just
being rude. Kamsky won't return a thing. He
remains three pawns up, while his opponent
starves in the streets.
g7 49.h5 f7 50.b4 c4 51.e3 g6
52.f5 SUMMARY: If Black faces down our
Coward's Variation with the Hippo, you can
play in Closed Lopez fashion, the way Kamsky
did this game.
1-0
B07
Kalegin,E
Akhmetov,A
Ekaterinburg 1996
[Cyrus Lakdawala]
1.e4
[ Of course our Colle move order would go
1.d4 d6 2.e4 . ]
1...d6 2.d4 f6 3.d2 e5
[ QUESTION: What if Black plays 3...c5 ?
ANSWER: Just take it and enter our set-up
like this: 4.dxc5! dxc5 5.gf3 c6 6.c3
e6 ( Black's problem is that 6...e5
would leave a gaping hole on d5 ) 7.c2
e7 8.a4 c7 9.c4 h6 10.e5! d5
11.e4 b6 12.g4 f8 13.h4 left Black
defending a difficult position, E.Limp-F.
Izeta Txabarri, Santos 2001. ]
4.c3 e7 QUESTION: What is this set-up?
ANSWER: Black heads for a Philidor
formation, which is passive but exceedingly
solid. Instead:
[ a) 4...bd7 5.gf3 g6 returns to Pirc/
Modern variations, examined in Lakdawala-
Wooten (see the note to Black's first move
therein for the exact transposition). ]
[ b) 4...c6 5.gf3 e7 6.b5 d7 7.0-0
0-0 8.d5 (gaining time) b8 9.d3
(White can also exchange on d7, leaving
Black with a slightly bad remaining dark-
squared bishop) c6 10.c4 and Black
remains cramped and slightly passive, in
what looks like an Old Indian position, S.
Tiviakov-J.Ehlvest, Polanica Zdroj 1995. ]
[ c) 4...d5!? (a radical attempt to free Black's
game, reasoning that White's passive Nd2
justifies the tempo loss in ...d7-d6-d5)
5.dxe5 xe4 6.xe4 dxe4 7.a4+
(White can also take on d8 and try to exploit
a developmental edge in the ending) c6
8.xe4 e6 9.e3 , when I don't believe in
Black's full compensation for his missing
pawn, since White's pieces have freedom
and will emerge shortly. ]
5.gf3 bd7 This is the classical Philidor set-
up for Black.
6.c2 0-0 7.e2 QUESTION: Why not post
the bishop on d3, a more active square?
ANSWER: White eventually plans to
exchange on e5. When this happens, a d3-
bishop is vulnerable to tempo loss after ...Nc5.
e8
[ QUESTION: Can Black try for a Benoni-
style position by mixing it up with 7...exd4
8.cxd4 c5 ?
ANSWER: Your idea looks interesting, and I
can't find a single game in the database
from this position. White can respond 9.d5
in Benoni style, when I like his position
since Black's e7-bishop is more passively
placed than the traditionally fianchettoed
one on g7. ( Alternatively, White can simply
castle, when he gets one of those cleared
centre positions we looked at back in
Chapter Two. For example: 9.0-0 cxd4
10.xd4 d5 11.exd5 xd5 12.f5
 and it feels to me like White may be just a
shade better. )]
8.0-0 f8 9.d1 c6 10.a4 In order to halt ...
b7-b5 expansion.
b6 Black's plan is ...a7-a6, ...Bb7 and ...b6-b5
– but as you may have noticed, it is
torturously slow.
11.dxe5 dxe5 12.b4 Expanding and denying
Black use of the c5-square.
c7
[ QUESTION: Shouldn't Black challenge
White on the queenside with 12...a5 ?
ANSWER: That would be met by 13.bxa5
bxa5 ( not 13...xa5? 14.c4 ) 14.c4
with an edge for White. But in general, I
agree with you: Black needs to generate
some activity. ]
13.c4 Target: f7.
e7?! This clunky move encourages a future
Nf5.
[ 13...h6 is a better way of safeguarding his
tender f7-square. ]
14.f1 b7 15.g3 g6 He can't allow Nf5.
16.g5 Another downside to 13...Re7?!. This
looks like a Closed Ruy Lopez gone slightly
sour for Black.
g7 17.d2 c8 This just looks too slow.
One gets the impression that Black fails to
sense the scale and scope of the looming
menace ahead for his king.
[ It is high time for 17...a5 . ]
18.h6 e8
[ Not 18...h8?? (Black's bishop places
himself at uncomfortable odds to his more
powerful counterpart and decides to depart,
uttering subservient platitudes as he leaves)
19.f5! , which wins on the spot. ]
19.xg7 Eliminating a key defender of the
dark squares around Black's king.
xg7
[ 19...xg7? 20.g5! threatens Nf5+. ]
20.g5 The ruthless general deems Black's
kingside, with its high population density, a
rich military target.
[ 20.h6! looks even better. ]
20...ce8 21.h4 Another attacking unit
emerges and the tempo of the game
increases radically.
e6 22.h6 The weak dark squares act
parasitically, having the effect of draining the
vitality from Black's position. His king stares in
fascinated disgust at White's queen, like the
conflicted street preacher who can't take his
eyes off the prostitute plying her trade on the
opposite sidewalk.
df8 We reach a familiar place. White's
attack looks very promising but now we must
work out the details.
EXERCISE (combination alert/planning):
White has two good methods of moving
forward – one flashy, the other plodding but
equally strong. Let's see if you can come up
with either (or both) of them.
ANSWER: 23.f5! White unleashes the pent-
up energy in his position which, after a
tranquil opening stage, erupts into madness
and flame. On this recent shot, Black's
formally imperturbable king suddenly grows
rather perturbable after all!
[ ANSWER #2: Houdini thinks the
understated 23.h2! intending Ng4, is just
as strong, if not stronger. ]
23...gxf5 Black presses for material as a form
of a poultice against the inherent injury of his
position.
[ QUESTION: What compels Black to accept
the sac? Why not just play quietly with
23...d7 ?
ANSWER: Silence on the issue is disastrous
for Black and speaks more forcefully than
words. After 24.xd7 xd7 25.xe5 c7
...
EXERCISE (combination alert): White has
access to a dazzling finish. Do you see it?
ANSWER: Interference/deflection. As a
corollary to White's last move, only a
blossom of foam remains on the ocean's
surface at g7, a grim reminder of the body
tossed in just moments earlier. 26.g7+!!
xg7 27.h6+ h8 28.exf7+ xf7
29.xf7+ g8 30.d6+ cleans Black out. ]
24.exf5 e4 25.fxe6 exf3
[ 25...fxe6 26.g5 is also virtually
impossible to defend. ]
26.g5+ The dark square infection continues
to spread like a nasty rumour.
g6 Defenders tumble forth with deft finality,
jumpers from a burning building, who choose
a less painful death.
[ After 26...h8 27.f6+ g8 28.exf7+
xf7 29.e1 xe1+ 30.xe1 Black has no
reasonable response to the coming Re7. ]
27.exf7+ xf7 28.h5 The sadistic
interrogator puts his cigarette out in the
knight's eye, regaining his piece with interest
and a crushing attack. To the black king's
consternation, he is shorn of his guard and
dispossessed from his lands and property.
Resistance is just an afterthought in such
desultory positions.
g7 29.xf7 xf7 30.hxg6 hxg6
The original wound may have healed, yet the
psychological scar tissue remains to torment
Black's king.
31.d6 fxg2 32.ad1 Threatening Rd7.
c8 33.d8 e2 To a condemned man, the
final 24 hours carry as much significance as
all the cumulative preceding years – from birth
to that present moment – almost as if he lives
a second, compacted life.
EXERCISE (planning): Black counterattacks at
f2. White must simultaneously deal with the
threat, while creating a devastating one of his
own. How can he succeed in this aim?
ANSWER: 34.h4! Dual purpose: covering f2
and threatening mate on h8. The h-file serves
as a lever which unleashes White's attack.
As the enemy forces draw near, Black's king
sits upon his throne for a final time, his heart
too full of anguish for words.
SUMMARY: Our set-up allows us to extract a
small edge against the passive but solid
Philidor.
1-0