An Overloaded Pawn

     Ten years after the famous Moscow tournament of 1925 Nikolai Krylenko, the head of Soviet Chess, decided it was time to test the Soviet players' progress against foreigners and so eight foreign masters, including two former World Champions, were invited to pit their skills against twelve Soviet masters. The tournament began on February 14, 1935 and finished on March 15th. 

     Highlights of the event were the 66-year-old Lasker, in what was to be his last great performance, going undefeated and finishing only a half point behind Botvinnik and Flohr (also undefeated). In the process Lasker also brilliantly defeated his great rival Capablanca. 

     The tournament was a success because it showed that the Soviets were on their way to becoming a major power. Salo Flohr (then of Czechoslovakia) was internationally renowned and considered a world championship contender. The 24-year old Mikhail Botvinnik was recognized as a rising star who two years earlier had drawn a match with Flohr. 

     Botvinnik, Flohr and Levenfish jumped out to an early lead. After 15 rounds Levenfish faded and Flohr was in the lead by a half point ahead of Botvinnik. In round 16, Botvinnik won and Flohr only drew and so they were then tied for first; both drew their remaining games. 

     Naturally with so many great players, this tournament produced a fair share of interesting games. In fact, in his book Strategy and Tactics, Euwe included six games from this tournament as examples of different kinds of tactics. 

     An overload piece (or Pawn) is one that has more than one responsibility, e.g. defending a piece, defending a square, blocking a check and blockading a piece. It was an overloaded e-Pawn that allowed Lasker to pull off an ingenious combination against Pirc in the following game. 

     Vasja Pirc (December 19, 1907 – June 2, 1980) was a leading Yugoslav who is most familiar because of the Pirc Defense. Pirc won the Yugoslav championship in 1935, 1936, 1937, 1951 and 1953. He was awarded the IM title in 1950, GM title in 1953 and became an International Arbiter in 1973. An historian and prolific author he also had a few tournament firsts: Novi Sad 1936, Lodz 1938, Bad Haezburg 1938 and Beverwijk 1954 (with Bouwmeester). In 1949 he drew a match with Euwe (+2, =6, -2).

Emanuel Lasker - Vasja Pirc

Result: 1-0

Site: Moscow

Date: 1935.03.14

Sicilian Scheveningen

[...] 1.e4 c5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘xd4 ♘f6 5.♘c3 d6 6.♗e2 e6 The Scheveningen is characterized by black setting up a small center with Ps on d6 and e6. There are numerous move orders that reach the Scheveningen. The small center affords black a solid defensive barrier, control of the d5 and e5 squares and retains flexibility to break with either . ..e5 or ...d5. Black can proceed with rapid development, and the opening provides sound counterchances and considerable scope for creativity. 7.O-O a6 8.♗e3 ♕c7 9.f4 ♘a5 Not good. Black should finish his development with 9... Be7 10.f5 ♘c4 Another time wasting move.

10...♗e7 Is correct. After 11.♕e1 Here white should castle after which the game is about even. Adorjan, A-Sax,G/Hungary 1972 saw black getting into trouble very quickly after 11...b5 12.♕g3 b4 13.fxe6 fxe6 14.♘a4 ♗d8 15.♘b6 ♖a7 16.♘xc8 ♕xc8 17.♕xd6 and white is already winning.

11.♗xc4 ♕xc4 Black's position already contains the seeds of defeat. 12.fxe6 fxe6 The logical recapture because it avoids the isolated P, but it creates a far worse weakness. Here white has a significant lead in development and black's K has not yet reached safety. IF, black can get his K to safety he would have the better game (two Bs and superiority in the center). Therefore, white must act quickly, but how? Any center attack will fail because black is solid there. But there is a fatal flaw in black's position...his e-Pawn is overloaded because it it guarding two critical square. ..d4 and f5. How will white take advantage of this? Watch!

12...♗xe6 13.♘d5 An interesting position! A fork on b6 is threatened. Black can take the N on one of two ways and even win the d-Pawn, but no matter what he plays white's greater piece activity assures him of a strong attack. Here are some of Komodo's calculations. 13...♗xd5

13...♘xd5 14.exd5 ♗xd5 15.b3 ♕c3 16.♗f2 ♗e4 17.♖e1 d5 18.♖e3 ♕a5 19.♕h5 ♕c5 20.♘e6 ♕xc2 21.♖ae1 g6 22.♕e5 fxe6 23.♖c3 with the advantage.

14.exd5 O-O-O 15.♘f5 ♘xd5 16.♗d4 ♔b8 17.b3 ♕c6 18.c4 ♘f6 19.♗e3 White is slightly better.

13.♖xf6 This sacrifice allows white's Q to enter into the fray. 13...gxf6 14.♕h5+ The game is over. 14...♔d8

14...♔e7 demonstrates the overload theme quite clearly. 15.♘f5+ exf5 16.♘d5+ ♔d7 17.♕f7+ ♗e7 (17...♔c6 18.♕c7+ ♔b5 19.♘c3+ mates in two.) 18.♕xe7+ ♔c6 19.♕c7+ ♔b5 20.♕b6+ mates in two.

14...♔d7 15.♕f7+ ♗e7 16.♘f5 ♖e8 17.♖d1 d5 18.exd5 exf5 19.♕e6+ ♔c7 20.d6+ and wins.

15.♕f7 The important factor here is that the e-Pawn is pinned and so f5 is accessible to the N. 15...♗d7

15...♗e7 Again demonstrates the overload on the e-Pawn. 16.♘f5 Here the best defense is 16...♕c7 17.♘a4 There is no defense against the threat of Bb6 17...♖f8 18.♕xh7 exf5 19.♗b6 and wins

16.♕xf6+ ♔c7 17.♕xh8 ♗h6 The last hope. 18.♘xe6+ (18.♕xa8 ♗xe3+ 19.♔h1 ♗xd4 and black is still kicking.) 18...♕xe6 (18...♗xe6 19.♕xh7+ ♗d7 20.♕xh6 wins easily.) 19.♕xa8 ♗xe3+ 20.♔h1 There is no reason to prolong the game so Pirc resigned.

20.♔h1 For the record here is the Shootout win as performed by Stockfish at 17 plies. 20...♗c6 21.♖f1 ♔b6 22.♘d5+ ♗xd5 23.exd5 ♕e4 24.♕f8 ♗c5 25.♕f4 ♕e2 26.b4 ♗e3 27.♕f3 ♕d2 28.c4 ♔a7 29.♖d1 ♕c3 30.c5 dxc5 31.bxc5 ♕xc5 32.d6 ♗d4 33.d7 ♕e7 34.♕d5 ♗b6 35.h3 ♕h4 36.♖b1 ♕f6 37.♖xb6 ♔xb6 38.d8=♕+

Powered by Aquarium