ZOOM Chess

The out of print book, 'Zoom 001' by Stephan Zeuthen and Bent Larsen was recently discussed on the Tigerchess Yahoo Group.  ZOOM stand for 'ZERO Hour for the OPERATION of OPENING MODELS', the author's aim being to help the reader master a particular strategic pattern which involves one (or both) sides adopting a kingside fianchetto and then playing on the d- and c-files.

This is one of the books that has had a great influence on me throughout my chess career.  I think that developing a good understanding of particular patterns is far more important than attempting to study the latest games and find 'theoretical novelties'.  A new move rarely has great significance and novelties are often worse than the known continuations.  But understanding is a continually acting factor which can guide a player throughout a game.

As a result of studying 'Zoom 001' I have been attracted to Zoom formations throughout my career.  The Catalan and Gruenfeld have been great point scorers for me and most recently I have been playing the Alekhine Defence.  I am also in great company with Zoom positions as many top Grandmasters have played these positions throughout their careers.  The names which come immediately to mind are those of Victor Korchnoi, Vassily Smyslov, Rafael Vaganian, Bent Larsen, Zoltan Ribli and Leonid Stein.

The following game was played during Stein's victory in one of the strongest tournaments of all time, the 1971 Alekhine Memorial tournament in Moscow.  It is a most elegant performance showing Stein at the peak of his powers; superb positional play with a strong underlying tactical grip.

Stein,L - Tal,M
Moscow, 1971

1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4 c6 7.Qc2 b6 8.Rd1 Bb7 9.Nc3 Nbd7 10.b3 Rc8 11.e4!

Two points. White really must play this before Black frees himself with 11 ... c5.

11 ... c5 12.exd5

Probably White's best, but there is an interesting alternative in 12.e5!? after which Catalan expert Neistadt recommends 12 ... Ng4!? 13.cxd5 cxd4 14.Rxd4 Ndxe5.

Less good is 12 cxd5 after which 12 ... exd5 13 e5 Ne4 leaves White's queen exposed on the c-file.

12 ... exd5 13.dxc5

In a later game from the same tournament Stein (as White against Lengyel) was to vary at this point with 13.Bb2 and won after just six more moves: 13 ... Qc7 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.cxd5 Bxd5 16.dxc5 Bxf3 17.Bxf3 Nxc5 18 Qf5 Rfd8? 19 Be5! 1-0

13.cxd5 leads to nothing but simplification after 13 ... Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Ng5 Bxg5 or 15 ... Nf6.

13 ... dxc4 14.b4!

This constitutes White's only chance to play for an advantage.

14.cxb6 leads nowhere after 14 ... cxb3.

14.bxc4!? is also harmless as after 14 ... Rxc5 15.Ba3 Rc8! (rather than 15 ... Rxc4?! 16.Ne5) and White has no compensation for his broken queenside.

One of the points of 14.b4! is that you can meet 14 ... a5!? with 15.bxa5! with a possible sequel being 15 ... Bxc5 16.Bg5! h6 17.Ne5! Bxg2 18.Rxd7 Qe8 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Ng4.  If Black plays 15 ... bxa5 in this line then 16.Na4! stops Black recapturing on c5 because of 16 ... Bxc5 17.Nxc5 Rxc5 18.Ba3.

These last two lines emanate from Tal himself who gave them in his notes to his game against the Swedish IM Thomas Wedberg in Reykjavik 1990.  By that time Tal had switched allegiance to the White side of this opening!

14 ... bxc5 15.b5! Qb6

After the game Tal pointed out that he could have sacrificed his queen with 15 ... Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Ne5!!.  A possible sequel could be 17.Rxd8 Nxf3+ 18.Kh1 (and not 18.Kg2?? Ne1+) 18 ... Rcxd8 19.Be3 Nd4 or 19.Qe2 Rd3! 20.Qxe7 Re8 21.Qxc5 Re5 22.Qxc4 Re1+ 23.Kg2 Rg1+ 24.Kh3 g5 25.Qc8+ (25.Bxg5 Nxg5+ is better for Black) 25 ... Kg7 26.Bb2 g4+ 27.Qxg4+ Nxg4 28.Ne2+ Kg6 29.Nxg1 Nxf2+ 30.Kg2 Nxg1 31.Kxf1 Rd2+ 32.Kxg1 Rxb2 with a likely draw due to the activity of Black's king and rook.

16.Bf4! Rfd8 17.a4

A strong move which threatens 18 a5.

17.Qe2, forking e7 and c4, is another interesting move though 17 ... Qe6 is probably an adequate reply.

17 ... Qa5 18.Nd2

Intending to bring the knight to the superb c4 square.

18 ... Bxg2 19.Nxc4!

An important `zwischenzug'.  After 19 Kxg2 Nb6 20.Nce4 Nfd5 Black gets excellent counterplay.

19 ... Qb4 20.Na2 Be4 21.Nxb4

Correctly going into the endgame.

21 ... Bxc2 22.Nxc2 Nb6 23 Rxd8+

A very precise move which forces Black to make a passive recapture with the bishop. If Black now plays 23 ... Rxd8 there would follow 24.Nxb6 axb6 25.Bc7 Rd2 26.Bxb6! (the point) Rxc2 27.a5 Nd7 28.Bc7 when Black has no answer to the advance of the White pawns.

23 ... Bxd8 24.N2e3

Mikhail Suba would probably describe this move with the words `solid domination'. Blockading the passed c-pawn is certainly the most logical move.

24 ... Nxc4 25.Nxc4 Nd5 26 Rd1!

Again a convincing treatment which intends to meet 26 ... Nxf4 27.gxf4 Kf8 (Korchnoi's recommendation) with 28.Rd7! after which 28 ... Ra8 29 a5 Ke8 30 Rb7 looks miserable indeed.

Another point behind this move is that 26 ... Nc3 is met by 27 Rd7 Nxa4 28 Rxa7 after which neither 28 ... Nc3 (29 b6) nor 28 ... Nb6 (29 Nxb6 Bxb6 30 Ra6 Bd8 31 b6) would hold out for very long.

26 ... Nb6 27.Nd6 Ra8 28.a5

The position is screaming out for the advance of the queenside pawns.

28 ... Na4 29 Nc4 Nc3 30 Re1!

Black's position is now desperate.  The threat of 31.Re8 mate can hardly be met by 31...Bf6 because 32.b6 would shortly cost Black a rook.

30 ... Bxa5 31 Nxa5 Nxb5 32.Re5!

32 ... Rc8 is crushed by 33.Nc6! (33.Nb7 and 33.Nb3 are also good enough, if less stylish).

32 ... Nd4 33.Rxc5 1-0

A beautifully sculptured performance by Stein; to defeat Mikhail Tal, without allowing even the slightest counterchance, is a superb achievement.

GM Davies' Chessville Home Page

Read More	The Trompowsky	Play 1.e4 e5! - A Complete Repertoire for Black in the Open Games
Read More	Visit GM Davies at TigerChess	Taming the Sicilian

Copyright Nigel Davies, 2008. All rights reserved.

For more from GM Davies, see also:
The Wit & Wisdom of Nigel Davies - Part 1     The Wit & Wisdom of Nigel Davies - Part 2

Index of Annotated Games

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