Attacking On Open Files

 

    One of my first books on strategy was Modern Chess Strategy by Pachman and it is the one from which I learned the most. As with all those pre-engine books the game commentary is often wrong, but you can still learn from them. 

    Pachman gives the following game as an example of exploiting an open file and how it is a perfect example of the common strategy used in such attacks. It is, but Pachman gives the impression that his opponent never had a chance after an error late in the opening. The truth is Runza’s play was not that bad and, in fact, right when Pachman began lauding his K-side attacking strategy it was black who stood slightly better! 

    As often is the case being on the defensive is harder than attacking because one slip can prove fatal and that’s what happened to Runza here. Does that mean this game is a bad example of conducting an attack on open file? I remember an old high school coach pointing out to us that after a game the first question people ask is, “Who won?” and only then, if at all, “How?” This game is instructive because it illustrates the idea and, even if it was not perfectly played, white’s strategy paid off.

    GM Ludek Pachman (1924-2003) won the 1946 Czechoslovak Championship which was held in Ostrava. It was his first of seven national titles. Om Chessgames.com reader GrahamClayton informs us that Josef Runza was a Prague-based minor aster who was active in Czech chess from the 1930's up to the early 1950's. 

[Event "Czech Championship, Ostrava"] [Site ""] [Date "1946.08.25"] [Round "?"] [White "Ludek Pachman"] [Black "Josef Runza"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C84"] [Annotator "Stockfish 18"] [PlyCount "65"] [EventDate "1946.??.??"] {C90: Closed Ruy Lopez} 1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 e5 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 Na5 9. Bc2 c5 10. d4 Qc7 11. h3 {Now black should castle.} Nc6 (11... O-O 12. Nbd2 Bd7 13. Nf1 {Black's main choices are 13... Mc4 or 13...cxd4}) 12. Nbd2 (12. d5 {leads to a whole different type of game.} Nd8 13. a4 bxa4 14. Bxa4+ Nd7 15. Nbd2 O-O 16. Nc4 {White is better. Ernst,T (2409)-Barkhagen,J (2449) Stockholm 2001}) (12. dxc5 {is also a reaonable try.} dxc5 13. Nbd2 Be6 14. Nh4 g6 15. Nf1 Nd7 16. Nf3 {equal. Mecking,H (2540) -Pilnik,H (2420) Mar del Plata 1971}) 12... Bd7 {Pachman was critical of this move calling it weak because it loses time. After this black has a difficult time getting his pieces into active positions. Black usually castles herem but a better moves is 12...cxd4} (12... cxd4 13. cxd4 O-O 14. Nb3 a5 {Black has at least equality.}) 13. dxc5 (13. d5 {is more promising.} Nd8 14. Nf1 O-O 15. g4 Ne8 16. Ne3 {with a potentially dangerous K-side attack. Szabo,L-Gereben,E Budapest 1936}) 13... dxc5 14. Nf1 {[%mdl 32]} Rd8 15. Qe2 h6 {Black wants to play ...Be6 without being bothered by white playing his N to g5 and so makes this preventative move which is not really necessay. 15...O-O was best.} (15... O-O 16. Ne3 Be6 17. Ng5 c4 {Black does not have to be concerned about Nxe6 because even though he has doubled Ps after ...fxe6 he controls the important d5 and f5 squares.} 18. Nd5 (18. Nxe6 fxe6 {White has little maneuvering space. }) 18... Bxd5 19. exd5 Na7 20. Qxe5 Qxe5 21. Rxe5 Nc8 {with about equal chamces.}) 16. Ne3 Be6 17. a4 c4 {White could play 17.Nf5 at oncem but Pachman felt 17... Bc4 would be annoying.} 18. axb5 axb5 19. Nf5 O-O 20. g4 {Beginning a characteristic attack. White wants to open the g-file. For his part, black tries to prevent this by trying to control the g5 square, but the idea allows the opening of the h-file which is no less dangerous. Black can successfully dend off the attack, bit to do so will require precise defense...something that often proves impossible.} Nh7 21. h4 Ra8 22. Rb1 {He could also have exchanged Rs, but Pachman wanted to keep both Rs for a possible attack on black's K. As it turns out though this R plays no part in the game. Chances remain equal after 22,Be3. After the text black, theoretically at least, has a minuscule advantage.} Rfd8 23. Kg2 {Preparing to open the h-file. Pachman incorrectly wrote that black's counterattack comes too late. What white should have done is play 23.g5! immediately.} (23. g5 h5 24. Ne3 Bc5 25. Nd5 Qa7 26. Be3 Nf8 27. Bxc5 Qxc5 28. b4 cxb3 29. Rxb3 Rdb8 30. Bd3 Bg4 31. Qe3 Qxe3 32. Rxe3 Ng6 33. Bxb5 Bxf3 34. Rxf3 Nxh4 {This position is completely equal. However, with the preceeding moves there were plenty of opportunities for both side to go astray.}) 23... b4 24. g5 {Pachman commented that this comes at the right time because black is burdened with a weak c-Pawn. It appears that he misjudged the position! Engine analysis indicated that after 24...h5! black is slightly better. Even after 24...hxg5 hos position is theoretically not worse, but by opening up the position. he finds himself facing a dangerous attack.} hxg5 {Pachman assigns this a ? commenting that it loses quickly.} ({Better is} 24... h5 {leaves white's attack at a standstill.} 25. Be3 Nf8 26. Rbd1 Ng6 27. Rxd8+ Qxd8 28. Rd1 Qa5 29. cxb4 Qxb4 {and it's white who is in a difficult position after 30.Ne1} 30. Nh2 {This attempt to attack the h-Pawn is fruitless. } Nd4 {is winning for back.}) 25. Nxg5 {Pachman wrote that this is stronger than retaking with the P because now his Q is able to join the attach.} Nxg5 { It's this move whicj Pachman didn't comment on that costs black the game. He needed to tale with the B and either way white recaptures black has the better chances.} (25... Bxg5 26. Bxg5 {Best} (26. hxg5 {is tempting because it opens the h-file, but black has the better of it after} g6 27. Nh6+ Kg7 28. Nf5+ gxf5 29. exf5 Bd5+ 30. f3 Rh8 31. Rh1 Ne7 32. f6+ Nxf6 33. gxf6+ Kxf6 {with an excellent game.}) 26... f6 27. Be3 b3 28. Bd1 Kh8 29. h5 Bxf5 30. exf5 Ne7 { Black is only very slightly better.}) 26. hxg5 b3 {Not that it would have helped much, but 26...f6 preventing white's next move was a bit better.} 27. Qh5 {White makes immediate use of the open file. The game is over.} g6 (27... bxc2 28. Rh1 f6 29. Qh8+ Kf7 30. g6+ Kxg6 31. Qxg7#) 28. Qh4 f6 (28... gxf5 29. Rh1 f6 30. Qh8+ Kf7 31. Rh7+ Kg6 32. Qg7#) 29. Bd1 {The purpose of this move is to prevent the K from slipping away via 29...Kf7} gxf5 (29... fxg5 30. Nxe7+ Qxe7 31. Bxg5 Qg7 32. Bxd8 Nxd8) (29... Kf7 {Fleeong is not possible.} 30. Qh7+ Ke8 {Now comes some nifty tactics.} 31. Ng7+ Kf7 32. Bh5 gxh5 33. g6+ Kf8 34. Nxe6+) 30. Rh1 $1 Kf7 31. Bh5+ {White mates.} Kf8 32. Bg6 Bc5 33. gxf6 { Black resigned. Not a perfect game, but instructive re using open files.} 1-0