Surprising Manoeuvres

“Education in Chess has to be an education in independent thinking and judging. Chess must not be memorized... You should keep in mind only methods…The method it’s applicable in every situation.” Emmanuel Lasker

The infinite possibilities that exist in a chess game creates a wonderful frame for a battle of personalities. Among those infinite possibilities, I would like to highlight the occurrence of the so called typical middle game positions; those are the positions that happen more often and have been thoroughly studied by many brilliant minds. The study of those positions lead to the acceptance of a whole set of strategical values. In spite of it, chess remains difficult to encage; more often than not, recipes won’t work at the practical game.

I will examine an example with the intention to make things clearer:

Space advantage Vs. Cramped position

After advancing our central pawns we got a space advantage, that leaves us in a comfortable position commanding the game. Now we are supposed to:

• take care of the pawns that warrant the space advantage;
• try to avoid exchanges;
• try to increase the space by expanding on either flank;
• or, if possible, trade it for another value that improves your position.

Now it’s time to examine the situation from the other side’s perspective:

We allowed our opponent, on purpose or not, to gain space. When we are already cramped, our policy of action should be more or less the following:

• try to ease the lack of space by trading pieces;
• try to create some kind of counter play to distract your opponent from his plans;
• try to dismantle your opponent’s space advantage with a pawn breakthrough.

It’s very important to keep in mind that, what I've described above are just guidelines; they are not intended to work as recipes, just to describe what usually happens in this kind of battle. Chess is a very concrete game and every position has to be analysed independently.

Our practical example comes from the Accelerated Dragon, a very popular variation from the Sicilian Defence. This variation allows white to play the Maroczy Bind.

The game started like an average, somewhat dull, battle until GM Ivan Morovic, conducting the black pieces, made a couple of surprising moves with his heavy pieces. At the end it became clear that those strange moves where united by the same purpose and constituted a highly effective manoeuvre that achieved great coordination for his pieces.

Kiril Georgiev - Iván Morovic, Novi Sad 1990.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.c4  (The trademark of the Maroczy Bind, e4+c4 on a variation of the open Sicilian or on the English opening.)

5...Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0–0 8.Be2 b6 9.0–0 Bb7 10.f3 Qb8  ( Black's set up is very logical, but his last move leaves you wondering what its intention is? 10...e6 intending d7-d5 is a common alternative.)

11.Qd2 Rd8 12.Ndb5 d6 13.Rfd1 Rd7!  No remorse if you feel absolutely puzzled with this rook move. Despite our first impression, black position is on its way to improve and will be clear very soon. 

14.Rac1 Qf8! 15.Bf1 Rad8! 16.Qf2 e6! (Now black intentions are absolutely clear, the central push d7-d5 is on its way, and white has to be very careful with black’s potential.)

17.Nd4 Ne5 18.h3 Qe7 19.b3 d5 20.f4 (White seems to be in control...)

Neg4! 21.hxg4 Nxg4 22.Qg3 Nxe3 23.Qxe3 dxe4 (After all, ¡black rooks gained the activity they were looking for!)

24.Nc2 f5 25.b4 e5 26.g3 exf4 27.gxf4 (Now black could have achieved his goals with the powerful 27...Qh4. After the mistake made in the game, the position became a complete mess. As the main idea is already covered the remaining moves won't be commented.)

27...Rxd1? 28.Rxd1 Rxd1 29.Nxd1 Bh6 30.Nf2 Qd6 31.Nh3 Bf8 32.Be2 Bc6

33.Ng5 h6 34.c5 bxc5 35.Bc4+ Bd5 36.Qb3 hxg5 37.Bxd5+ Kg7 38.fxg5 Qe5 

39.bxc5 Bxc5+ 40.Kg2 Be7 41.Qb7 e3 42.Nd4 e2 43.Ne6+ Kf7 44.Nf4+ Kg7

45.Ne6+ Kf7 46.Nd4+ Kg7 47.Be6 Qg3+ 48.Kxg3 e1Q+ 49.Kg2 Qd2+ 

50.Kf1 Qd1+ 51.Kg2  Draw

There is no doubt that the play in cramped positions requires patience and inventiveness. Black’s surprising manoeuvre (10…Qb8; 11…Rd8; followed by …d6; …Rd7; …Qf8; …Rad8 and …e6) was first played in this interesting game. It has been repeated a lot of times by many strong players, being the main specialist IM Moldovan. Thinking about all those akward moves black played, I can't help imagining an escape act. For this reason, I'll call this idea The Houdini variation of the Accelerated Dragon. In honor of the great american (hungarian) magician, Harry Houdini (1874 - 1926).