Hi there.
In this lecture, we see Alexander Alekhine playing against Reuben.
Fine.
In 1957, Hastings lunch around eight.
So we c e for alkaline e five from fine nights f 896 Arroyo Lopez, 8684 96 White Castles, Bishop E
seven Rookie 1b5 Bishop B Frank.
This is all looking fairly standard stuff.
C Frame 95.
Bishop C two C5 the full Queen C seven Knight BD to Black Castles Knights F1 And now we see Bishop G4.
So in this position we can see that Black is potentially volunteering this light squared Bishop And
an underlying theme is this Bishop in Royal appears.
Sometimes it's dangerous on this diagonal against this soft spots in Black's position, but sometimes
it can be dangerous against F7.
So these are the two relevant soft spots.
If White has a bishop without a counterpart, just bear that in mind and the coin encourages bishop
takes are free.
With 93 we have Bishop takes F3, Queen takes F3, and now C takes the fall and here Knights have five
is played.
This is a very interesting move.
If C tanks d fall you might think hold on, isn't Black winning a piece?
Isn't this just a bad accident?
Not really.
Five.
And we're looking at E!
Seven.
But even worse here, forget E surfing for a moment.
There's actually a super clinical move here in this position.
Funny enough.
Can you see what that is for?
100 points.
So the obvious is it takes 87 to get our piece back.
But there's actually bishop age sex.
I mean, with Knight 67, this is more straightforward from a human point of view.
You know, it is an advantage here actually for white.
The structures ranked we have a lot of pressure still.
But funnily enough Bishop H sex if rook he ain't for a moment.
Bishop takes G7 and this position we're now threatening 1986 mates.
If Knights age five 1986, is mate.
What does black do?
H five.
Then Bishop takes f6 J And Black's going to be mated soon.
So you might think, Wow.
Bishop 86.
Okay, forget.
This one.
Then if G takes the fingers, Knight takes E seven.
Shaq might have five.
Shaq.
And let's say the king wants to be taxed back.
1964 actually hits the queen and off six.
So this is just absolutely winning this position.
And we're going to be meeting soon.
So it's funny, but yeah, Bishop, aged six, seems to be absolutely winning.
Basically, it's a really terminal move here.
So.
Gee, thanks.
Just to recap.
1987 is the strongest Queen Jeffrey, you might think is amazing.
But Black has the resource like for that doesn't want to allow Queen you seven might write about 94
but even this position of the age for.
EFF thinks even this position is also very strong for white.
White gets even if it goes to this position with more simplification, white still better.
So it's fascinating stuff.
And I actually.
The C64 stuff is absolutely fascinating.
So yeah, leaving the bishop hanging for Bishop H sinks.
So anyway, nice F five that was played immediately and we have d c frame and here queen thanks friends
played if B takes then sure.
Actually black has rook FCA and this looks like a very pleasant black has a small edge here so Queen
thanks See free though it seems sets more problems hitting the Queen Rook FCA If Queen takes scifri,
we're going to insert nine, takes E seven jack and be a piece up.
So Rook FC eight and now Queen G three looking at Queen 67 mate, we have Bishop F8 if Knights age five,
our Queen Afri.
And this seems to be quite nice for whites, to say the least.
So, for example, if Bishop eight were taking on H five and in this position Queen G four and if King
H eight.
Because if.
Rook eight.
Can you see what y plays here?
Yeah.
This night, 67 for Rage six.
Yeah.
There's all sorts of perils for blacks possession.
This is a way of getting in big trouble.
So if King H eight, Bishop G five, and one does have a big advantage here as example.
If 96.
Let's just say be free.
Creamy to what is my actually French thing here?
Well, one has 96.
Yeah, there's all sorts of things if G takes this is mating and if it's ignored.
Rook C one now threatens.
Mostly things.
And yeah, when I say nasty things, there are lots of key friends.
If the rook supports the other one, one can actually double on C6.
And the point would be Knight takes F7 crashing through on the C file.
This position is very strong for wines.
As an example, this is just fictional, but the play could switch to the queenside with advice for
white.
It's kind of a flexible position for white hair.
So anyway Bishop and was played and this bishop is moved Knight C6 Bishop G5.
So why has this bishop which is quite dangerous but the key thing is this Bishop, this ruler has bishop
is hunting all the time looking for any opportunities generally against F7 or H7.
So just bear that in mind.
This diagonal, the diagonal of def, just bear this in mind, this diagonal, and especially without
the counterpart.
Amplifying this bishop without a counterpart.
We really need a soft spot on online square generally.
So Rook C one, Queen B seven.
And A3 notes that this not only dissuades before it vacates a two, so this could play a part in this
diagonal of death.
G six We have night H six and Black is fully giving up both bishops but gets what seems to be a very
comfortable position at the moment with that knight on D for Rook cd1b for OC.
So Y wants to try and amplify soft spots generally and guess what is played here, which is a good build
up for an attack.
So the Queen passed on Geoffrey F for trying to open up this file and file could be dangerous.
E takes his plate.
If B takes B takes this situation, F takes Queen B free is best.
If D takes here, Queen takes.
And this is dangerous for black, this situation is actually rather precarious for black.
If we look at this, there's things like e five hand.
This is very interesting.
Y could end up with this Bishop power and Black has some difficulties in these scenarios.
These are quite complicated in their own right, these scenarios.
This is just, just showing that one could get an advantage in certain endgames.
If rook to her, Bishop Geoffrey and White could get an advantage here like this, for example, when
you can see that Black's trying to be resourceful on the back row.
But White does have pressure points.
And overall, in fact, there's big trouble with things loose.
If plans to give up, the exchange won't matter.
So anyway, that's going a bit far.
So anyway he takes her for is played so white gets this foul so F seven is under a little bit of scrutiny
here by this bishop seems just housebound it's a health care at the moment talking of cats and the coins
favorite creatures taking his cats the tournament anyway this is a housebound cat at the moment.
B tanks.
We have rook C free queen f2 knight e6 and now A4 rook aca.
This is actually a slight inaccuracy, it seems Queen A7 might be more to the point and just hold the
full here.
This should be equal.
But Rook asked.
Rook have one and now the wrong rook.
The case of the wrong rook.
If the other rook had been used here.
It seems black's keeping some pressure in White's camp, which keeps white at bay.
For example, Rook be one queen C ain't Queen D two.
This position is going to be difficult to get an advantage.
This position check Rook takes a fall and you know what is the problem with Black's position?
White does have the bishop hair, but black has an extra pawn.
It's kind of solid fortress style position.
It is solid enough anyway.
If we look at this again, if Bishop B one is tried to get onto this diagonal with Bishop A2, then
Queen C six as an example, there's always Roxie two.
It's not that dangerous, it seems.
And then, for example, here Bishop takes queen takes.
Yeah.
The dangers of mostly gone.
It is scary with Rook takes E8 as a threat for Queen G seven, but F6 and White has enough dynamic play
here.
Funny enough to be even two pawns down.
It's crazy possession, but there's a dynamic quality here.
One can get a pull back is definitely equal now but this wrong rook.
So why is this a wrong Rook is a bit of a free hand for y can do rook b one.
Is played.
If Bishop be one trying to get on to this thing.
Yeah, this isn't great because Queen A7 and here if Bishop A2 this rook c to Bishop d5 rook takes after
this is only going to be equal.
So anyway, rook B one we have Queen c6 a5 so that does safeguard that pawn and also marks out B6 and
we see a huge mistake.
All of a sudden the house cat is not a house cat anymore.
After 95, this interferes with the C4 square.
If Black had played rookie seven keeping control of C4, let's say rugby six, this can lead to an advantage
for whites.
Whites hitting the rook there, blacks countering JI to this position.
White's better here.
White is better.
Anyway, there's play on both sides of the board.
Interesting stuff, but it is better for white.
So.
If we look if we look at that again instead of.
95 there.
So yeah, these stories are interesting.
So I pull to make rookie seven.
We said Rook be six using that hook, Bishop takes a six.
Now if we go back here, if also instead of Be6 if King H won, this is also a situation where it's
kind of interesting to consider with the bishop pair.
So fascinating stuff.
What ends up with advantage here?
Yeah.
Play on both sides of the ball this past pawn.
It can be significant.
So anyway in the game though with 95, why now is on this diagonal of death.
This F7 issue emerges with great clarity.
All of a sudden Bishop C four blacks had it all of a sudden move fairly free.
Queen D seven destroyed.
If Knight takes E for Bishop, takes F seven shank King, and there's Queen D for care and then Rook
takes F six is devastating.
If Queen takes E4, there's Bishop takes F seven shank.
And here, what would you play?
There's a crusher here.
A clearance crusher.
Bishop e sinks bolt Only if you found this ten points with tempo Link takes those Queen F eight mating.
Ouch.
And if Ruthie.
Yeah, we just might.
So if 96 Bishop takes e six and then Queen F eight, mate.
So this is very painful stuff.
Queen D seven trying to defend the life of the F seven pawn.
But now to amplify the bishop, what do we need?
We need the battery.
Right.
How do we get the battery?
Queen a two.
Thanks to that square vacation from earlier, Queen two crushing.
Blank tries nine times e four.
If 96 we just take 26.
And here we've got classic make pattern again.
So nine takes EA four and now ALEKHINE.
How does he take on F seven you think.
Yeah, he plays actually, Rook takes F seven.
So this carries the France of Rook fight, mate.
Double check, mate.
So, Queen.
Thanks, Bishop.
Thanks, Rook.
Thanks.
But now there's a weakness of the last move, and the car has been neglected.
That's an unprotected piece from here.
So guess what?
White Plains.
Yeah.
Queenie, Sphinx and the game.
If Knights fall to f6 Queen St, she ain't.
If rugby ain't even stronger than Queen takes E4, we can actually play rugby seven.
What does Black do here to defend that?
It's hopeless.
This is just lost shedding material.
It's just.
It's hopeless that's going to be made it.
So a funny game.
Very interesting dynamic possibilities in all the pairs and.
It does seem, you know, the royal has bishop basically if it can be liberated and become an attacking
weapon, if seven and eight seven plans, I've seen a lot of royal palace games with basically the royal
palace bishop being the hero by here.
Yeah.
Early from the opening if you notice that from the opening stage why did get the light squared bishop
in effect without a counterpart.
So we're just saying that's basically another killer application, this diagonal of death, the default
diagonal death here.
It just seems like this cat was house.
Okay, I hope you're a fan of cats, but it was a housebound cat and there was just one, you know,
one or two slip ups from black, the wrong rook going backwards.
I mean, at this moment in time, who would have dreamt the diagonal?
Is that dangerous?
But yes, Bang!
Bishop C4.
And it works very well with the plan of efforts and takes scrutiny on F seven and also even this plan
of A4 A5.
It's all kind of necessary stuff to bring resources to bear on F seven later if A2 is vacated.
So yes, there's a whole lot of connections around the position here.
So to think about for our own royal of has games for this basic kind of default plan, the diagonal
def plan if we're going to use F seven, this is a remarkable game example in my view.
Fun stuff.
I hope you enjoyed this and got some instructive points and so much.