Chess And Checkers

Chess Guide 20

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The above valuation, however, holds good only on the
comparatively vacant board, where the pieces can make full use of
their mobility.

It is the mobility alone which decides the value
of a man, and positions often occur in which a Knight is more
valuable than a Rook or in which a Pawn might be preferable to a
Bishop and so on.

The reason is that sometimes the weaker manoccupies a commanding square while the stronger man is obstructedsomehow or other so that he cannot be made to work. Examples forpositions of this kind will be discussed in the Chapter oncombination.

Although it is impossible to indicate exactly the relative value
of the men in each position, experience enables a fair estimation
of their average strength. The Queen is about as strong as two
Rooks or as three minor pieces (Bishops or Knights). A minor
piece is about equivalent to three Pawns, and a Rook is
consequently equal to a minor piece and one to two Pawns.

The value of a Pawn is the hardest thing to grasp for the
beginner. A Pawn appears to be of so little use on account of his
limited mobility, that it seems hardly worth while to waste time
on saving a Pawn that is attacked, as so much greater things are
apparently at issue. What he overlooks is the latent value of the
Pawn which lies in the possibility of queening him later in the
game.

To realize the importance of the Pawn it is necessary to know
exactly under what conditions he CAN be queened. This knowledge
is all the more indispensable to the Chess player as the vast
majority of all games finally resolve themselves into Pawn
endings in which the advantage of one or more Pawns decides the
issue.

In most of these cases some pieces are on the board in addition
to the Pawns and sometimes it is only by their exchange that the
game can be won. The most elementary example is that shown in the
following Diagram.

+---------------------------------------+
8 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | #Q | | | | ^P | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | #K | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | ^Q | | | | ^K | |
+---------------------------------------+
a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 14.

White is a Pawn ahead and it will be his object to Queen it. The
beginner, in his haste to advance the Pawn, will probably play P-
e5 at once and lose the Pawn, as Black can answer Q-d4 check with
simultaneous attack on the Pawn. The correct way to play for
White is (1) Q-d1+, K-a3 or b4; (2) Qxa4, Kxa4. Now that the
Queens are exchanged White need not any longer worry about any
interference with his plans to queen the Pawn except maneuvers of
the black King, which might still lead to the capture or the
blockade of the Pawn.

Chess Guide 19

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DIAGRAM 12.

White's Bishop being only capable of commanding black squares the
Knight will have to be used to drive the King from white squares.

For instance: K-c8; (4) K-c6, K-d8; (5) Kt-g6, K-c8; (6) Kt-e7,
K-d8; (7) K-d6, K-e8; (8) K-e6, K-d8; (9) B-h2. A waiting move.

White wants to place the Bishop on c7 so as to make d8
inaccessible to Black. (9) K-e8; (10) B-c7, K-f8; (11) Kt-f5, K-
e8; (12) Kt-g7, K-f8; (13) K-f6, K-g8; (14) K-g6, K-f8; (15) B-
d6, K-g8; (16) Kt-f5, K-h8; (17)

+---------------------------------------+
8 | | #K | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | ^K | | ^Kt| | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | ^Kt| | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | | | | | | |
---------------------------------------
a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 13.

B-a3. Again a waiting move. White cannot play Kt-h6 right away as
Black would be stalemate. (17) ..., K-g8; (18) Kt-h6, K-h8; (19)
B-b2 mate.

It is not possible to force a mate with King and two Knights, for
even if a position similar to Diagram 13 is arrived at, in which
the King can be driven into the corner, the Knight who prevents
the King from escaping is never ready to give the checkmate, and
in order to prevent a stalemate the other Knight would have to
let the King out of the corner again. If Black had a spare move,
for instance if he had a Pawn left, then White would win. (1) Kt-
a6, K-a8; (2) Kt-e8, Pawn moves; (3) Kt-c7 mate.

RELATIVE VALUE OF THE MEN

From the foregoing examples it is possible to form a vague idea
of the strength of the different pieces. The Queen is apparently
the strongest piece. On account of her superior mobility she can
confine the hostile King with a few moves and force him into a
mating net.

Of the other pieces the Rook is no doubt the
strongest for he is sufficient to force a mate in conjunction
with his own King, while Bishop or Knight cannot do so. Two
Bishops apparently are stronger than two Knights, while it is not
possible yet to say anything about the relative value of one
Bishop and one Knight.

Chess Guide 18

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To checkmate with King and two Bishops against King or with
Bishop and Knight against King offers no difficulty.

+---------------------------------------+
8 | #K | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | ^K | ^B | ^B | | | | | |
+---------------------------------------+
a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 11.

The only thing the player must keep in mind is that he needs his
King for the drive. The two pieces are not sufficient to confine
the opposing King to the corner. In Diagram 11 for instance, it
will be the best policy for White to advance right away with his
King in order to prevent Black's King from escaping into the
middle of the board. The following play might then ensue:

(1) K-b2, K-b7; (2) K-c3, K-c6; (3) K-d4, K-d6; (4) B-f5, K-c6;
(5) B-f4, K-b5; (6) B-e4, K-b4; (7) B-d3, K-b3; (8) B-d2, K-b2;
(9) K-c4, K-a3; (10) K-c3, K-a4; 11) K-c2 (not K-b2 which would
stalemate Black's King), K-a3; (12) B-b5, K-a2; (13) B-c1, K-a1;
(14) B-b2, K-a2; (15) B-c4 mate.

In the fight of King, Bishop and Knight against the King the mate
can be enforced only in a corner controlled by the Bishop, if the
lone King always makes the best move. Diagram 12 may serve as an
example of this ending. White has a black Bishop and so he will
have to drive Black's King to either h8 or a1 as it is not
possible to mate him in the white corner a8, unless he makes a
blunder.

After (1) B-e5 for instance, Black must of course not go into the
corner as Kt-b6 would mate him. He will play K-c8 and White will
have to prevent the flight of the black King into the middle of
the board. It is easy to see, by the way, that the Kt cannot be
placed so as to control the square c8, thereby forcing the King
into the corner, and to threaten the mate on b6 at the same time.

For he can control c8 only from a black square while he would
have to stand on a white square to be able to reach b6 in one
move.

After (1) B-e5, K-c8; (2) K-b6, K-d7; (3) Kt-f4 Black's King is
confined to the seventh and eighth ranks and it is only a
question of time when he will be forced to h8.

+---------------------------------------+
8 | | #K | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | ^K | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | ^Kt| | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | | ^B | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | | | | | | |
---------------------------------------
a b c d e f g h

Chess Guide 17

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The two examples discussed show that it is not necessary to drive
the King into the corner but that he can be mated on any square
of the edge by Queen or Rook. It will be observed that in the
mating position three of the six squares at Black's disposal are
controlled by White's King and the other three by the Rook (or
the Queen).

If White had only a Bishop or a Knight in addition to
the King he could never mate Black, for neither Bishop nor Knight
can attack the King and at the same time control a square
adjacent to the King. This, however, is at least necessary to
force the mate, even in the most unfavorable position of the
King, that is, in the corner.

+---------------------------------------+
8 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | ^Kt| | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | | | | | | | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | | | | ^K | | #K |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | | | | | | |
+---------------------------------------+
a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 10.

There are possibilities of a player mating his opponent with only
King and Knight or King and Bishop, but then there must be a man
of the opponent blocking the escape of the King. Diagram 10 is an
example of such a case. White plays (1) Kt-c5, K-h1; (2) Kt-e4.

Now Black cannot continue with P-h2, as White would checkmate
with Kt-g3. Therefore, he must play (2) ..., K-h2. White then
gets the Knight in such a position as to deprive Black's King of
the escape to h2 and to keep the square g3 accessible to the
Knight: (3) Kt-d2 (not Kt-g3, which would stalemate Black's
King), K-h1; (4) Kt-f1. The only move left to Black is now P-h2,
and White mates by (5) Kt-g3.

If it were Black's move in the position of the Diagram the game
would be a draw, for after (1) ..., K-h1; (2) Kt-c5, P-h2 Black
is stalemate unless White moves his King so as to make the square
g1 accessible to Black. However, he will not do that as it would
enable Black to queen the Pawn and to win the game.

In the case of King and Bishop against King and another man a
mate can only occur through a blunder. Supposing for instance
White has the King on f3 and a Bishop on d5 and Black has the
King on h1 and a Bishop or a Pawn on h2, then White on the move
would mate by K-f2. But it is evident that Black must have made a
blunder, for on the move preceding the position of the Diagram he
must have either played his King into the corner or moved the
Bishop or Pawn to h2, both moves which were in no way forced.

FUNDAMENTAL ENDINGS

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Considering that the object of the game is the capture of the
opposing King, it seems most important to find out whether there
are positions in which this capture can be accomplished in the
face of the best possible defense. Naturally a player must have a
certain material superiority to be able to force a mate, and the
first question which offers itself is what MINIMUM force is
required to compel the surrender of a King whose men have all
been captured during the game.

It is clear that in order to checkmate the lone King it is
necessary to attack the square on which he stands as well as all
adjacent squares to which he could escape. The most unfavorable
position for the King is, of course, a corner of the board as
there he has only three squares to go to while in the middle of
the board eight squares are accessible to him. Consequently, in
an ending in which one player has only his King left the other
player will try to drive the King into a corner where he needs
control over only three additional squares.

It can easily be seen that this can be done without difficulty
with King and Queen or with King and Rook. Supposing, for
instance, White has his King on c3 and his Queen on h3 while
Black's King stands on d6 as shown in the following diagram.

+---------------------------------------+
8 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | | | #K | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | | ^K | | | | | ^Q |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | | | | | | |
+---------------------------------------+
a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 9.

How will White proceed in order to drive the King into a corner
and checkmate him there?

A direct onslaught with the Queen on e6 or d7 is clearly not
advisable as the Queen would not be protected on these squares,
so that the King could simply capture her. A long range attack
from h2, g3, d3 or h6 is not effective either as it would not
restrict the mobility of the King who could go to either d5 or e6
or e5, that is away from the corner to which he is to be driven.

The correct way of maneuvering for White will be to confine
Black's King to a smaller and smaller territory until he finally
has to back up against the side or the corner of the board. This
consideration indicates the following line of play:

(1)Q-f5, K-c6; (2)Q-e5, K-d7; (3) K-c4, K-c6; (4) Q-e7, K-b6; (5)
Q-d7, K-a6. White must now be very careful to avoid a stalemate
which would result if he deprived the King of all mobility
without attacking him at the same time. This would be the case if
he now moved Q-c7.

For then Black could not move the King to b5,
as this square is controlled by White's King, and he could not go
to any of the other four squares in his range on account of
White's Queen attacking all of them. The correct move is (6) K-
c5. This leaves only the square a5 for Black's King, and White
checkmates by (7) Q-a7 or (7) Q-b5.

If, in Diagram 9, White had a Rook on h3 instead of the Queen,
the mating process would take a few more moves, but there would
be no escape for Black either.

It will again be White's aim to confine Black's King to a smaller
and smaller number of squares. The best way to start will
therefore be (1) R-e3. No matter what Black replies, he cannot
prevent White from driving him to the edge of the board in a
similar way to the one shown in the following example:

(1) ..., K-d5; (2) R-e1. This is a WAITING MOVE. Black must leave
d5, thus enabling either White's King to advance or the Rook to
occupy e5. (2) ..., K-c5; (3) R-e5; K-d6; (4) K-d4, K-c6; (5) R-
d5, K-b6; (6) R-c5, K-b7; (7) K-d5, K-b6; (8) K-d6, K-b7; (9) R-
b5, K-a6; (10) K-c6, K-a7; (11) K-c7, K-a6; (12) R-h5, K-a7; (13)
R-a5 mate.

ELEMENTARY TACTICS

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The beginner who thinks he ought to be able to play a good game
of Chess after learning the moves of the men is like the soldier
who is confident that he could lead an army after he has learned
how to march.

He may have great strategical gifts but he will not be able to
use them to any advantage unless he is thoroughly conversant with
the tactical possibilities afforded by the cooperation of the
different units of which his army is composed and by the
topography of the ground on which the battle takes place.

The different conditions of the battle ground in war which make
some positions more easily accessible to infantry than to
artillery and vice versa have their equivalent on the Chess board
in the different ways in which the men move and which make
certain squares accessible to some of them which others cannot
reach.

The first thing, then, for the beginner to do is to acquaint
himself thoroughly with the characteristic features of each man
so that he may know exactly how much work to expect from him. The
best way to accomplish this is the study of the elementary
problems which are in end games, that is, in positions where only
a few men are left on each side.

CHESS LAWS 2

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If a player having the move touches one of his men he is
compelled to move him; if he touches a hostile man he must
capture him. This law is void, however, if the man so touched
cannot be legally moved or captured.

A man may be moved to any square accessible to him as long as the
hand of the player has not left him. If an illegal move has been
made it must be retracted and if possible another move must be
made with the same man. If a player has castled illegally, King
and Rook must be moved back and the King must make another move,
if there is a legal one.

If a player touches a man with the sole object of adjusting his
position, he must indicate his intention by saying "j'adoube"
(French for: I adjust) beforehand. In castling, the King must be
moved first as otherwise a doubt might arise whether castling or
a Rook's move only was intended.

A game is void if a mistake has been made in setting up board or
men or if in the course of the game the position or number of men
have been altered in a manner not in accordance with the rules of
play and the position cannot be reconstructed from the point
where the error was made.

If a player resigns his game before he is actually mated he
acknowledges that in the end mate is unavoidable, and the game is
counted as a loss to him.

If neither player has sufficient material left to enforce a mate
(compare following chapter) the game is considered a draw. A draw
may also be claimed by either player if the moves are repeated so
that the same position occurs three times with the same player on
the move, or if fifty moves have been made without the capture of
a man or the move of a Pawn.

CHESS LAWS

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Chess and Checker 13

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SYMBOLS FOR MOVES

In addition to the symbols used for squares and men, as explained
on page 5, the following are used to indicate the moves:

-- means "moves to"

X means "captures"

o-o means "Castles King's side"

o-o-o means "Castles Queen's side"

+ means "check"

+/- means "checkmate"

Thus: R-f5 means the Rook moves to square f5. If either Rook
could move to f5 then the original square of the Rook to be moved
must also be shown.

Kte3xd5 means the Knight standing on e3 captures the man standing
on d5.

o-o-o means the player castles Queen's side and in so doing
gives check.

[Footnote: In the descriptive notation alluded to on page 5 every
square of the board has two different names, each player counting
the ranks from his own side. The files are named after the pieces
which stand on them at the beginning of the game. Thus, c4 would
be QB4 (Queen's Bishop's fourth) or QB5 depending on whether a
black or a white move is described. If a square is referred to
without relation to a particular move it is necessary to add from
which side of the board the square is counted. It is customary to
say in cases of this kind "White's Queen's fourth" or "Black's
Queen's fourth," etc.

Instead of naming the square on which a capture takes place, the
man captured is named, so that an additional description is
necessary in case more than one man of the same kind can be
captured.

As a matter of comparison the first ten moves of a game are
described above in both notations.]

! signifies a good move.

? signifies a bad move.

(1) P-d4 P-d5
(2) P-c4 P-e6
(3) Kt-c3 P-c5
(4) Kt-f3 Kt-c6
(5) Pxd5 Pxd5
(6) B-f4 Kt-f6
(7) P-e3 B-e6
(8) B-d3 B-e7
(9) o-o o-o
(10) R-c1 Kt-h5

(1) P-Q4 P-Q4
(2) P-QB4 P-K3
(3) Kt-QB3 P-QB4
(4) Kt-B3 Kt-QB3
(5) PxQP KPxP
(6) B-KB4 Kt-B3
(7) P-K3 B-K3
(8) B-Q3 B-K7
(9) Castles Castles
(10) R-B Kt-KR4

Chess and Checker 12

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DIAGRAM 8
Interposing the Rook on g2 would not help either as the Queen
would simply take him at the same time checkmating the King.
White's only move is, therefore, to play the King into the
corner, and Black then mates by first taking the Knight and then
moving the Queen to g2 or h2.

Perpetual Check

If a player is able to check the opposing King continually and he
indicates his intention to do so the game is considered a draw.

In the following position, for instance, White on the move can
draw the game by giving a perpetual check on e8 and h5. Black
cannot help himself as he has to go back and forth with the King
on h7 and g8. Without the possibility of this perpetual check
White would be lost, for he cannot prevent the Pawn a2 from
queening and with two Queens against one Black would easily win
as will be seen later from the discussion of elementary endings.

Exchange

To exchange means to capture a hostile man when it allows a man
of the same value to be captured by the opponent.

It is rather confusing that the term "exchange" is also used for
the difference in value between a Rook and a Bishop or a Knight.
To win the exchange, in this sense, means to capture a Rook and
to lose for it only a Bishop or a Knight.

Double Pawn

Two Pawns of the same player standing in one file are called a
double Pawn. Three Pawns in one file are called a triple Pawn.

Passed Pawn

A Pawn whose advance to the eighth rank is not blocked by an
opposing Pawn in the same file and who does not have to pass one
on an adjoining file is called a passed Pawn.

Isolated Pawn

A Pawn is called isolated if there are no Pawns of the same
player on the adjoining files.

Backward Pawn

A Pawn is called backward if he cannot advance far enough to be
protected by fellow Pawns in an adjoining file.

Fork

A Pawn is said to fork two pieces if he attacks them
simultaneously.

Minor Piece

The Bishops and the Knights are called minor Pieces as compared
with the Rooks and the Queen.

Sacrifice

To sacrifice means to give up a man without obtaining for him a
man of the opponent or to give up a man for one of lesser value.

Discovered Check and Double Check

A discovered Check is an attack on the King caused by a man
moving out of the line of a piece which he was obstructing. If
the man discovering the Check also attacks the King the Check is
called a double Check.

Chess and Checker 11

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DIAGRAM 6.

Moreover, the latter cannot be taken by the Pawn on f7 as the
black King would be in check by the Bishop on b3. The Pawn is
"pinned" by the Bishop. Black's Knight cannot take White's Queen
either as he is pinned by White's Rook. Finally, there is no
piece available which may be interposed between White's Queen and
Black's King; in other words: Black is checkmate, his game is
lost.

If it were Black's move he would take the Pawn g2 with the Queen.
Now White's King is in check as Black's Queen threatens to take
him on the next move. He may not take the Queen as he would then
be captured by the Bishop b7. Neither may the Knight f4 take the

Queen as he is pinned by the Bishop d6. Moreover, the King may
not escape to g1, h1 or g3, these three squares lying in the
rangeof Black's Queen; and so there is no move on the board with
which to get White's King out of check: He is checkmate, White
loses the game.

Stalemate

If a player, without being in check, cannot make any move which
would not get his King into check, he is said to be STALEMATE. In
this case the game is considered a draw. Diagram 7 shows an
example.

White on the move, although his forces are much inferior, can
draw the game by checking with the Rook on f3. Black cannot very
well make a move with his King in reply, as then White's Rook
would take the Queen. Black, therefore, must capture the Rook
with the Queen and with this move he stalemates White, as the
latter has no move left which would not bring his King into
check.

+---------------------------------------+
8 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | | | #Q | | | | #K |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | | | | | ^R | | |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | | | #R | ^Kt| ^K | |
+---------------------------------------+
a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 7.

If it were Black's move he would easily win. In fact he has two
different ways of checkmating White in three moves. One of them
would be to take the Knight with the Rook, attacking the King and
forcing White's Rook to recapture as the King has no square to go
to; then to give check with the Queen on g3 forcing White's King
to h1 and enabling the mate with the Queen on g2 or h2.

The other way would be to start with the check on g3. As White's
Knight is pinned he cannot capture the Queen.

+---------------------------------------+
8 | | | | | | | #K | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | | | | | | #P | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | ^Q | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | #Q | | | | | ^P | |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | #P | | | | | | | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | | | | | | | | ^K |
+---------------------------------------+
a b c d e f g h

Chess Guide 2

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(11) Pa2xb3 B-b7
(12) o-o P-h6!

If Black proceeded to develop his pieces indiscriminately, his
advantage would soon vanish. White needs only two moves--R-e1 and
Kt-e4--to paralyze the effect of Black's powerful Queen's Bishop
and to regain control of the center where at present Black has
the upper hand on account of his center-Pawn.

(13) Kt-f3 B-d6
(14) R-e1 o-o
(15) Ktb1-d2 Ra8-d8
(16) P-c3

White does not risk Kt-e4 as Black, after Ktxe4; (17) Pxe4, can
uncover the Rook by B-b4 attacking White's Queen and Rook at the
same time. White's only defense would be (18) B-d2 or Kt-d2, but
he would pin himself badly in either case and Black would obtain
an overwhelming attack by P-f5, which enables his King's Rook to
join the fray.

With P-c3 White protects himself against B-b4 and now actually
threatens to interrupt the diagonal of Black's Queen's Bishop.

Black will naturally try to prevent this and the first move which
presents itself for the purpose is P-e4, opening a line for the
Bishop d6 and the Queen at the same time. At first sight the move
does not seem playable as on e4 the Pawn is three times attacked
and only twice defended; but White cannot withdraw both the
Knight d2 and the Pawn d3 from the Queen's file on account of the
threat Bxh2+ winning the Queen for Rook and Bishop. Black can,
therefore, safely advance the Pawn.

+---------------------------------------+
8 | | | | #R | | #R | #K | |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | | #B | #Q | | | #P | #P | |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | #P | | | #B | | #Kt| | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
5 | | #P | | | #P | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
4 | | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|
3 | | ^P | ^P | ^P | | ^Kt| | |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | | ^P | | ^Kt| | ^P | ^P | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | ^R | | ^B | ^Q | ^R | | ^K | |
+---------------------------------------+
a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 66.

(16) ... P-e4
(17) Pxe4 Ktxe4
(18) Q-c2

Now that the Queen has left the d-file, unpinning the Knight,
something must be done for the Knight e4 who is twice attacked
and only once protected. Two moves come into consideration.

One is P-f5 which maintains the Knight in the dominating center-
position, as White cannot take him without opening the f-file for
Black's Rook and losing the Pawn h2 who needs the protection of
the Knight f3. The other is Ktxd2, winning the Pawn h2 right away
no matter whether White retakes with the Bishop or with the
Knight.

Which of the two moves is the better is difficult to say
and is more or less a matter of temperament. A player who prefers
a slow and sure advance will choose P-f5. A player who likes a
faster pace will start the hand-to-hand fight without delay by
Ktxd2. It is the latter move on which Black decides.

Chess Guide 1

2008-02-04T05:39:00.000-08:00