Today we’ll be taking a look at a typicle attack against a fianchettoed King’s position. In the game C.H.O’D. Alexander (1909-1974) launches an instructive attack against Ludek Pachman’s fianchettoed King.
The Irish born Alexander was famous for having been a cryptanalyst at Bletchley Park during World War II and after the war he was the head of the cryptanalysis division at the Government Communications Headquarters for 25 years.
An IM of GM strength, Alexander won the British Championship twice: in 1938 and 1956. He played for England n the Chess Olympiad six times: 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1954 and 1958.
He was also awarded the Correspondence IM title in 1970. He was a chess author and columnist for The Sunday Times in the 1960s and 1970s.
Alexander’s opportunities to play outside of England after the war were limited because he was not allowed to play in the Soviet bloc because of his secret work in cryptography.
Chessmetrics estimates his highest ever rating to have been in 1955 when his estimated rating was 2610 placing him at number 53 in the world.
Czech, later West German, GM Ludek Pachman (1924-2003) was a chess writer and author who became a political activist.
In 1972, after being imprisoned and tortured almost to death by the Communist in Czechoslovakia, he was allowed to emigrate to West Germany where he remained for the rest of his like. Chess metrics estimates his highest ever rating to have been 2695 in 1959 placing him number 15 in the world.
When the King is castled behind a fianchettoed formation it has both good and bad points. On the good side there is the ability to resist an attack along the b1-hg7 (or the b8-h2) diagonal, plus the squares f6 and h6 (or (f3 and h3) are guarded by the B. Additionally, the Bishop is not exposed to attack and it can also perform a function on the long diagonal. Also, if the h-file is open the Bishop guards against a possible mate on h8 (or h1).
On the other hand, the presence of the g-Pawn on g6 (or g3) makes it easier for the attacker to open the h-file by the advance of his h-Pawn. Also, as Alexander shows here, if the fianchettoed Bishop gets eliminated the entire castled position is seriously weakened.
[Event "Hilversum Zonal"]
[Site "Hilversum NED"]
[Date "1947.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "C.H.O'D. Alexander"]
[Black "Ludek Pachman"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C97"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 16"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1947.??.??"]
{C98: Ruy Lopez: Chigorin Defense} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {[%mdl 32]} a6 4.
Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4
Qc7 12. Nbd2 Bb7 13. d5 Bc8 14. Nf1 Re8 {All book so far.} 15. Kh2 (15. a4 Bd7
16. Ne3 c4 17. g4 g6 18. Nf1 Bf8 19. Ra3 Nb7 20. Bg5 Bg7 {equals. Bulski,K
(2389)-Gumula,D (2341) Barlinek 2006}) (15. g4 Kh8 16. Ng3 Nb7 17. Kh1 Bf8 18.
Rg1 {White has a strong attack in the mkaing. Averbakh,Y-Zagoriansky,E Moscow
1949}) 15... g6 16. Ne3 Bf8 17. g4 {Aggressive play...typical of Alexander's
style.} Bg7 18. Rg1 Kh8 {Safety first. Another plan was 18...c4 then maneuver
the N via b7 to c5.} 19. Ng5 Rf8 {This overprotects the f-Pawn, but a more
aggressive defense was 19...Bh6} (19... Bh6 20. h4 Nc4 (20... Bxg5 21. hxg5 Ng8
22. Rh1 {and black is in danger on the h-file.}) 21. Nxc4 bxc4 22. Qe2 Qe7 {
White is better, but blacks defensive chances have improved.}) 20. h4 Ng8 {
Black's K's position is quite congested after this so he still should have
tried 20...Nc4} 21. Qe2 Bd7 {It wasn't too late for ...Nc4 either here or on
his next move.} 22. Bd2 Ne7 {The position is now ripe for white's final
assault.} 23. Nf5 {A typical sacrifice in these types of positions. On f5 the
N attacks g7 and h6 and, at the same time, threatens to eliminating the
fianchettoed B. If black doesn't accept the sacrifice white gets a very strong
attack.} gxf5 {[%mdl 8192] A horrible, and surprising, decision by Pachman who
even at the age of 22 was certainly strong enough to have known that this
leads to a lost position.} (23... f6 {offers a much tougher defense.} 24. Nxg7
Kxg7 {forces the N to retreat and now after} 25. Nh3 h6 26. b3 {This
in-between move prevents black for getting counterplay with the previously
mentioned ...Nc4} g5 {The idea is to clog up the K0side and if the h-file
becomes opened black can oppose Rs on it. White is better here, but he is a
long way from winning.}) 24. gxf5 {...and wins might be added here.} f6 {
There was nothing better.} 25. Nxh7 {[%mdl 512] A necessary followup.} (25. Ne6
Bxe6 26. fxe6 Nc4 {White's advantage is only marginally better.}) 25... Be8 {
The only defense as the Q must not be allowed to reach h5.} (25... Kxh7 26.
Qh5+ Kg8 27. Rxg7+ Kxg7 28. Rg1+ Ng6 29. Qxg6+ Kh8 30. Qh6#) 26. Rxg7 {[%mdl
512] The fianchettoed B is removed. He could probably win bt takiung the R,
but it would be much less clear.} Kxg7 (26... Rg8 {is no better.} 27. Nxf6 Rxg7
28. Nxe8 Rxe8 29. Qh5+ Rh7 30. Qxe8+ Ng8 31. Bg5 {Black's position is hopeless.
}) 27. Nxf8 Kxf8 28. Bh6+ {White's position is overwhelming and black can
offer only tokes resistance.} Kf7 29. Qh5+ Ng6 30. fxg6+ Kg8 31. Qf5 {White
wants to mate with Qe6+.} Qe7 32. Rg1 Nc4 {It's way too late for this to be
effective!} 33. Bc1 Bd7 34. Qf3 Rf8 35. b3 Nb6 36. h5 f5 37. Bg5 fxe4 38. Qe2 (
38. Qxe4 {wins but offers black some spite checks, but it's easier for white
if he just avoids them.} Rxf2+ 39. Kg3 Qxg5+ 40. Kxf2 Qd2+ 41. Kf3) 38... Qe8
39. Bxe4 Bf5 40. Bh6 Rf6 {This move may have been played at the end of the
time control. It loses a piece...not that it matters.} (40... Nd7 41. Bxf8 Qxf8
42. g7 Qf6 43. Bxf5 Qxf5 44. Qg4 {wins easily.}) 41. Qf3 {Weighted Error Value:
White=0.33/Black=0.76} (41. Qf3 Nd7 (41... Bxe4 42. Qxf6 Qe7 43. Qxe7 {mate
next move.}) 42. Bxf5 {Whire has won a piece.}) 1-0
I've always thought that Alexander was a bit underrated, as a result of his limited tournament opportunities. Anyone who has beaten Botvinnik, Bronstein, Mikenas, Szabo, and Pachman must have been pretty strong
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