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The Champion's Mind
with GM Susan Polgar
Written especially with the scholastic player, parent and coach in mind

Brought to you by the good folks at

"The presentation of chess just got better"

Helpful keys to understanding:

• the notation (Notation Basics) and

• annotations (Annotation Symbols) used in this article.

Tarrasch, Siegbert - Mieses, Jacques [C10]
Match Game 3, Berlin 1916

1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5

This is the French Defense.

3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0–0 Nxe4 8.Bxe4 Nf6 9.Bd3

So far, everything seems normal.  In this position, Black should castle.

9...b6?

This is a critical mistake by Black. One of the key opening rules of thumb is to castle as soon as possible (General Principle #5:  Castle Early).  Black will pay for this mistake.  We shall see how White will take advantage of this.

10.Ne5!

Black is facing serious problems.  If Black develops the Bishop to b7, White will play Bb5+ and Black will lose the right to castle.  Now, Black realizes his mistake and castles immediately.  Unfortunately, it is a little too late.  Let’s see how White takes advantage of this.

10...0–0

10...Bb7 11.Bb5+

11.Nc6

An excellent move!  We shall see the purpose of this move shortly.

11...Qd6

11...Qd7 12.Qf3 Bb7 13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.Qxb7+-; 11...Qe8 This unusual move is probably the best response for Black.  12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.Qf3 Rb8 14.Qg3 White has a strong positional advantage with the pair of bishops and the queen aiming at Black's Kingside.

12.Qf3!

Another excellent move!  White is threatening a winning discovery (Discovered Attack) with Nxe7+ (uncovering the attack by the white queen on f3 against the undefended black rook at a8.)

12...Bd7

The only move.  12...Bb7 13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.Qxb7 and Black would be behind a piece.

13.Nxe7+

Why does White exchange a good, active knight for a bad black bishop?  This is a very important question since you would not want to trade a good piece for a bad piece without a good reason.  In this case, White sees a deadly pin potential in the next move.  That is why he is willing to trade.

13...Qxe7 14.Bg5!

Threatening 15.Qe4! Nxe4 16.Bxe7.  Black has no way of getting out of this pin.

14...Rac8 15.Rfe1

Bringing another important piece into action!  Remember, you would need to utilize all your pieces to achieve a winning attack.  15.Qe4 would be less accurate for White.  15...Nxe4 16.Bxe7 Rfe8 17.Bxe4 Rxe7 +=

15...Rfe8

15...c5 16.Qh3 h6 17.Bxh6 gxh6 (17...c4 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qg3+ Kh8 20.Qh4+ Kg7 21.Qg5+ Kh8 22.Qh6+ Kg8 23.Re5) 18.Qxh6 cxd4 19.Qg5+ (19.Re5? Rc5) 19...Kh8 20.Re4 and Black must give up his queen to avoid the mate.

16.Qh3!

This move creates another threat.  Because of the pin of the knight, the h7-pawn is now vulnerable.  White combines pressure against the h7-pawn from the queen at h3 and the bishop at d3; meanwhile the white bishop at g5 threatens to trade off the only black piece protecting h7, the f6-knight.

16...Qd6?

Black's position is very bad.  This move just makes it even worse.  16...h6 17.Bxh6 gxh6 18.Qxh6 Qf8 19.Qxf6; 16...g6 17.Qh4 Kg7 18.Re4!; 16...e5 17.Bxf6 Bxh3 (17...Qxf6 18.Qxd7; 17...gxf6 18.Qxh7+ Kf8 19.Qh8#) 18.Bxe7 Rxe7 19.gxh3; 16...c5 17.Bxh7+ Kf8 18.Be4 Kg8

17.Bxf6

Eliminating the piece that protects the h7-pawn.

17...gxf6 18.Qh6!

Black is hoping to create an escape for the king to f8 then e7.  White wisely cuts the king off.  This is another important move to learn.  When you are on the offensive, do not let your opponent off the hook.

18...f5

18...Qxd4 19.Bxh7+ Kh8 20.Bg6+ Kg8 21.Qh7+ Kf8 22.Qxf7#

19.Re3

Bringing the rook into action and sacrificing the d4-pawn.  In the meantime, Black's pieces are not coordinated to defend the king.

19...Qxd4

19...f6 20.Rg3+ Kf7 21.Qg7#; 19...Kh8 20.Rh3 Kg8 21.Rg3+

20.c3

Attacking the queen.  The black queen will soon run out of squares to stay on from which it can continue to defend the g7 square.  I prefer 20.Rg3+ a little more since it attacks the king immediately.  20...Kh8  Now I would play 21.c3 transposing to what would have happened in the game.  21...Qe5 22.f4  The queen now has no squares to move onto to continue defending g7.

Black resigns since the position is completely hopeless.

1-0
 

SUMMARY:

So what have we learned in this game?

1. Do not violate the Opening Principles of Chess.  Make sure to castle as soon as possible; Black did not do so on move nine - and paid the price later on.

2. When you are attacking, make sure to utilize your pieces.  By bringing the rook into the action, White created a winning attack.
    

Questions from Parents and Coaches

1.  I have two chess playing children at home.  My wife and I do not play chess very well.  Can chess software help my children? (Vinay from Toronto, Canada)

Absolutely!  This is a great thing about chess in the 21st century.  There are many chess software out there that can play 2600-2700 level.  It is like having a grandmaster at home 24/7.

However, there are things you should be aware of.  Chess programs do not understand certain chess position very well even though they are nearly flawless in tactics and combinations.  Therefore, you may want to find a local, qualified coach when your children reach a certain level in chess.
 

2. Which chess software do you recommend?  Fritz, Junior, Shredder, Tiger, Chessmaster 10?  (B. Castilla from Tampa, Florida)

To be honest, you can hardly find the difference between them.  They are all very strong.  I think it is just a matter of preference.  Chessmaster is just a small notch lower in strength but it compensates with cooler graphics.  Any of them can be great playing partners.
 

3. Can you recommend good books on chess tactics?  (Anonymous from Brooklyn, New York)

It actually depends on the level of the players.  For beginners, I recommend World Champion’s Guide to Chess.  It has all the most important tactical motifs.  The next one up would be Chess Tactics for Champions.  I wrote both of these books based on my personal learning and teaching experience of over 30 years.  They are also very affordable at only $17.95 each.
 

4. Should I enter my 6 year old daughter in an all-girls chess tournament?  (Judit from Sacramento, California)

Sure.  If your daughter is not intimidated playing against boys her age or a little older, let her play in both: mixed tournaments and all-girls.  If she has a confidence problem, start her out in all-girls event so she can feel more comfortable with the environment.
 

5. How do I start a scholastic chess club in my area? (Javier from New Mexico)

This is a very good question.  You can contact your school to see if you can have an after-school scholastic chess club.  This is what many parents have done.  It can be done at the cafeteria or library after school.  Some parents started a scholastic chess club at a local café, restaurant or book store.  If you need further help, you can send me a private e-mail.  I may be able to give you a hand with more ideas.  [Editor:  for more information, also visit  Scholastic Chess Club Meetings: A General Framework.]
 

Send in your questions!

Send your questions to me at SusanPolgar@aol.com.  I will try to pick the best or most informative questions.  Even though I am not able to respond to each question, I do read all your e-mail, and sincerely value your personal input.

Index of GM Polgar's Scholastic Columns

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