A Lesson On the Center

     Yesterday and today dawned dark and gloomy in Indiana and Ohio. Where I live it rained all day yesterday...3 inches of it and a bit to the east they had severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings until 10pm last night. Yesterday was a good day for holing up with Isaac Lipnitsky's Questions of Modern Chess Theory. 

Wednesday morning weather radar

     The blurb on the back cover calls it a lost masterpiece of Soviet chess and rumor has it that Bobby Fischer learned Russian so he could read the book. Lipnitsky's explanations are clear and simple and if you are still at that place where you are studying to improve then I can recommend picking up a copy. 

     Today's post is about the center which has been a major topic of discussion in instructional books for as far back as chess books have existed. The basic task in the opening is to mobilize one's pieces as quickly as possible and it is evident that in the fight to seize favorable squares that the center is crucial because from that location the pieces attack the most squares and from there they can reach the flanks quickly. 

     Times have changed since those days of yesteryear when it was believed that the player who occupied the center had the advantage. The Hypermoderns demonstrated that simple occupation of the center did not always mean control. In My System, Nimzovich pointed out that Pawns are best suited to building a center, but pieces can take their place. He also proved that pressure exerted on the center from a distance by Rooks and Bishops can also be effective. 

     The important thing to remember is that the occupation of the center is not an end in itself, but is important because it enables one to take the initiative and exert pressure on the opponent. On the other hand, after having set up an imposing  center, a player may find it a target for a counterattack. 

     So, should you occupy the center with Pawns or not? Lipnitsky gives us the answer: it depends on the role the center will play in the coming struggle. I hope that helps (that's sarcasm!) 

     One of chess' greatest teachers, C.J.S. Purdy, had something to say about the center. "Don't be puzzled by what the books say about the center. It's partly nonsense," he wrote. 

     It is useless to put pieces in or near the center if they can be driven away. He added that in the opening all one can do is push Pawns into the center which gives you space behind them and prevents your opponent from getting too much space for himself. Just remember that the number of Pawns in the center means nothing by itself. 

     Purdy gave a simple test for determining how well one stands in the center. According to him, if you have files for your Rooks, then the other pieces will have freedom. Elaborating on this point Purdy added that for beginners (or all of us who are rating- challenged) it is important to develop the Rooks as soon as possible.

Mark Stolberg - Mikhail Botvinnik

Result: 0-1

Site: USSR Championship, Moscow

Date: 1940

Nimzo-Indian: Rubinstein Variation

[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 ♗b4 4.e3 This is White's most common reply. White continues his development before committing to a definite plan. Black has three main moves: 4...0-0, 4...c5 and 4...b6. 4...O-O 5.♗d3 d5 6.cxd5 exd5 7.♘ge2 White often plays this rather than Nf3 so as to be able to recapture on c3 with a N thus avoiding the doubled Ps. Lipnitsky dis not approve of this move because developing the N here is going to prove less effective than placing it on f3 from where it keeps an eye on e5. However, that is not the fault of the move itself, but rather white's later handling of the position. 7...c5 8.O-O ♘c6 9.a3 cxd4 10.exd4 ♗d6 11.h3 This is a poor move. Lipnitsky singles it out as the beginning of white's troubles because it contributes nothing to the fight for the center. A better move was 11.Bf4, at once neutralizing the pressure from black's B. 11...h6 12.b4

12.♗c2 ♖e8 13.♗f4 ♗xf4 14.♘xf4 ♕d6 15.♘ce2 g5 16.♘d3 ♗f5 17.♘b4 ♗e4 18.♘xc6 ♕xc6 19.♖c1 ♕e6 20.♘c3 wiht a fully equal position. Baumegger,S (2495)-Titz,H (2310)/Austria 1998

12.♗e3 ♖e8 13.♖c1 ♗e6 14.♗b1 ♖c8 15.♘f4 ♕d7 16.♘xe6 ♕xe6 17.♖e1 equals. Jussupow,A (2633) -Jenni,F (2487)/Switzerland 2001

12...♖e8 13.♕b3 Attacks the isolani on d5 13...♗e6 A brilliant move! It blocks the R and reduces it's influence on the center, but Botvinnik is beginning a maneuver aimed at weakening white's influence in the center and at the same time his move aids in developing his Q-side. 14.♗d2 ♕d7 15.f4 White takes a precaution against the possible sacrifice 15...Bxh3, but in doing so he weakens e4 even more and Botvinnik is quick to take advantage of it. 15...♗f5 White has two weak squares: e4 and c4 and his light squared B is their defender and so Botvinnik wants to exchange Bs which leaves holes in white's center.

15...♗xh3 was quite playable, but Botvinnik didn't like playing moves like this. He preferred clear cut strategical plans rather than embark on murky complications. 16.♘xd5 (16.gxh3 ♕xh3 followed by ...Ng4 is clearly in black's favor.) 16...♘xd5 17.♕xd5 ♗g4 and black has better chances, but nothing like a forced win, so Botvinnik naturally rejected the line.

16.♕c2 ♗e4 There was nothing wrong with 16...Bxd3. In case of 17.Nxe4 black gets a strong passed P, the d5 square for his N plus white has a weak P on d4. 17.b5 This move only results in the further deterioration of white's position.

17.♗xe4 dxe4 18.d5 ♘e7 19.♘xe4 ♘exd5 20.♘2g3 ♘xe4 21.♘xe4 and the position is very nearly equal.

17...♗xd3 Now, thanks to white's weak white squares (c4 and e4), black has a substantial advantage. 18.♕xd3 ♘a5 Heading for c4 which white can prevent by taking the d-Pawn, but black gains too great a positional advantage if white accepts. 19.♘g3 (19.♘xd5 ♘xd5 20.♗xa5 ♖e3 21.♕c4 ♗xa3 black is much better.) 19...♘c4 Again offering then d-Pawn which white does well to decline. 20.♗c1 (20.♘xd5 ♘xd5 21.♕xc4 ♘e3 22.♗xe3 ♖xe3 Here again,white is much better.) 20...♖ac8 21.♖a2 ♗f8 22.a4 On the plus side this removes the P from attack, but on the minus side b3 is weakened. 22...♗b4 23.♘d1 The threat was 23...Bxc3 and 24...Ne3

23.♔h1 A pass to show the threat. 23...♗xc3 24.♕xc3 ♘e3 attacking both the Q and R.

23...♘e4 Botvinnik has now seized complete control of the center and dominates the position. 24.f5 ♘xg3 25.♕xg3 ♗d6 26.♕f3 ♗e7 Intending to attack the d-Pawn with ...Bf6 27.♕g3 This threatening Bxh6 is the losing move. But, how does black defend against the threat?

27.♘c3 Attacking black's own d-Pawn offered somewhat better chances. 27...♗f6 28.♕xd5 ♗xd4+ 29.♔h1 ♕xd5 30.♘xd5 ♖e4 and black's advantage is only minimal. In fact, in spite of his less than stellar play so far, white's position appears defensible. In Shootouts using Stockfish five games (at 9-17 plies) were drawn.

27...♗f6 He doesn't. This move actually serves two purposes: it guards g7 and it attacks the d-Pawn. 28.♗xh6 ♗xd4+ 29.♔h1 f6 Guards g7 and secures e5. 30.♗c1

30.♕d3 is met by 30...♖e4 (30...gxh6 31.♕xd4 is obviously bad as it allows white to equalize.) 31.♗f4 ♖ce8

30...♖e4 What a difference there is in the placement of the white and black pieces! Black has total control of the center and so he dominates the entire board. On the other hands, white's pieces are so scattered and ineffectual that he can't do anything. Is there any question as to the game's outcome? 31.♕d3

31.♘f2 would not drive the R away. Black plays 31...♕xf5 32.♖d1 (32.♘xe4 ♕xf1+ 33.♔h2 ♕g1#) 32...♘e3 black is winning.

31...♘e5 32.♕b1 ♖c4 33.a5 This is a meaningless gesture, but there isn't much he can do. 33...♗c5 34.b6 a6 35.♘b2

35.♘f2 is met the same as in the note to move 31. 35...♕xf5 36.♗a3 ♖f4 37.♕xf5 ♖xf5 38.♗xc5 ♖xc5−⁠+39.♖d1 ♘c6 with a won ending.

35...♖c3 Even more forceful was 35...Qb5 36.♗d2 ♖b3 37.♕c2 ♕b5 38.♖c1 ♗f8 39.♖d1 ♖e2 40.♕c1 This allows a mate in 6, but there was no hope of saving the game. 40...♖xh3+ Mate attack! 41.gxh3 d4 White resigned. (41...d4 42.♕c4+ ♘xc4 43.♖f1 ♕d5+ 44.♖f3 ♕xf3+ 45.♔g1 ♕g2#)

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