Hi there.
In this lecture, we have a really beautiful game example from Anatoly Karpov.
So this is against Wolfgang Hunsicker in 1974 Olympiad final.
So E four from Karpov, E five we have a Roy La Pass, we have a six bishop, a4956.
So carp off with the white pieces.
He cancels here and Zurcher plays Bishop E seven Rookie one We have B five bishop be free rd 6c3.
This looks like all pretty standard royal affairs opening theory so far.
So the bishop goes to C two, c5d4.
Queen C seven here, Knight BD two.
And now the first kind of mistake from an engine perspective, a technical perspective mistake 96 perhaps
in this position it seems better is Bishop D seven So for example, if Knight, if I'm black, could
actually take on D four here and this position, it's a small edge, but once edges contains somewhat
in the game of the C six, Karpov actually pushes forward with D five.
Now sometimes this is a bit controversial.
There are games where black laser can use the C five square because why it has weakened control of C
five.
But in this particular example it seems as though this position is a little bit close.
Then four black already after a four we have rook in this particular configuration, so rook A takes
8/10 and now B four.
So trying to encourage perhaps further commitments so that white can get control for example, of this
diagonal later if that pawn moves forward.
We have 97 holding the pawn.
There might have one Bishop D seven Bishop E, three, Rook eight and now Queen DD two.
And here you can see actually that if black takes white, kind of gets control of the A foul here,
there's no challenge for that rook and this could be really kind of dangerous later this kind of infiltration
potentially.
So we have Rook FC eight and Black is trying to arrange Queen eight just to take off the ropes and then
rook eight challenge the A foul.
We have Bishop D three, G six and now Knight G three.
And there is also a kind of prophylaxis against any future F5 for sure.
It seems as though F five has been ruled out as a strategic pawn break to hit the pawn chain.
We have Bishop F eight, so White has a space advantage here and plays Rook two.
We have C four now.
The bishop drops back to B one, Queen D eight and it looks as though black's about to simplify here
by taking out a pair of rocks and then getting the foul.
Now here is an iconic move played.
I wonder if you can guess it for 200 points.
It's the do of the a foul and prevent simplification and give white more options later on the foul when
black is not ready so it's an iconic move here what would you play here for 200 points.
It's actually Bishop a seven.
Yeah.
Prevents simplification in one respect.
If, for example, though, let's try and contrast what's happening here.
Rook tanks, queen tanks to rook eight.
This position should only be a small edge if black gets that a foul.
So there's possession of the opponent stopping black possess possessing the APO.
And yes, indirectly discouraging simplification.
So we have after Bishop 87, we have actually 98 and now Bishop C2 is played 1997 and now building up
behind the shield of that bishop.
So this means that at some points this is going to be dangerous, a move like bishop sex to try and
get onto the afoul as an infiltration points.
We have Queen E seven, Bishop B one and Black's pieces are not really up too much, especially with
this pawn on B, for it seems the Knights of Restrained Knights haven't got many squares, nor have
the bishops really.
So it's interesting.
Technically it seems Bishop RD one might also be good for, for example, Bishop B six here this position
White holds that a phone can start pinning things and it looks like a torture position for playing.
So the Queen could actually maintain the bishop on B six.
And white does have a definite advantage here.
Black seems to lack legal moves in the sense.
So anyway.
Bishop B one we have Bishop E eight 9298 and then Knight H two So there are options here of playing
for Knight G for later, but also it means that F4 becomes possible.
Now usually F4 gives up the E five square, but if that's not exploitable, the Knights are not in a
great position here to exploit the E five square.
So in fact F4 is a strategic pawn break which is actually made immediately here.
Without further ado, just F4 without any further preparation.
Even though there isn't tradition, you might think, Oh, Rook should be on f one to try and use the
file.
No, it's it's more subtle than that.
It's trying to get other positional advantages sometimes.
For example, there'll be a strong past pawn in the center, a protected passport.
And if that pawns removed and sometimes if black takes, then there's Bishop RD for to actually weaken
Black's King's safety and then pounce on the dark squares.
So plans are afoot.
Here we see f six.
So just to show if E takes a fall, Knight takes F4, there's a problem here that St f6 isn't played
B don't.
Seven White could actually play Bishop RD four and after Bishop takes RD four.
Yeah, the Finn Catto position is very weakened.
This is like this is actually really bad tactically.
Now the the strategy is given the kind of qualities of the position which really favor external qualities
that you could use the position for, like attacking chess, tactical chess, it's all ignited here
in this position.
There's a big threat of g fall and then soon to be mating basically based on this strong position.
So for example, Queen E five, Queen E free this position we play Rook seven and black's in big trouble
here on both sides of the board.
So if f six Knight's afraid this is nice as well.
So 94 and this is just a very nice position and Black can't really do anything.
If black tries to take on E four, then the queen gets trapped.
So if black really can't do anything and white, it's just better here and can play, say, Rook five
And what is black doing?
Black's getting pushed back again.
On the great pressure.
So OC f6 those played immediately and now f5g5 and it seems as though well blacks better Bishop is this
one, This one is really locked in and this becomes a campaign target.
BISHOP See to, to exchange it off for this.
Bishop So Bishop F seven, G three There's a campaign now of exchanging off strategically the lighting
Squire Bishops we have 97 Bishop RD 186, Bishop H five.
So all of these pawns are on dark squares, but the adjacent light squares, it's great for a strategic
bishop exchange to get mighty outpost later on those light squares once they're weakened.
So queenly.
D 198 rook free king of feint rook ones a two King Jane G four And the tactics support 9g4 here because
Bishop takes nine, takes Queen takes there's nine, takes F six check winning the Queen.
So that's fully supported by G four.
We have King F eight, nine, E three we have now King G eight, Bishop takes F seven check, Knight
takes F seven, and now Queen H five.
The Queen is also wanting to exchange off this loin square defender, in effect, and get a mighty pawn
on G six, which would be difficult to actually attack.
So King of eight it will be difficult to actually attack the pawn on G six given that White's also get
gets a massive knight on our five here which could actually be used to win the bishop in a brutal manner
like this.
Ouch.
So if we look at this again, if Bishop F eight knight takes F six, ouch.
So the pain points are starting to be revealed.
Knight H five And this is actually end of game at move 44.
If Queen E seven might do actually to concretely win, well one can play knight G four black really
has limited options here.
So say 98 we can actually now play Knight takes H six as a good move but if we want to be sadistic and
actually use this a file even stronger is Bishop e Frey and the a foul This side of the board becomes
great for meeting this side of the board the resources on this side of the board so rook takes a free
let's say rook takes a free queen of seven, rook a seven.
And let's assume that really doesn't want to allow a pawn on G six, which also gives the F five square
for white.
So let's say rook C seven, Rook eight.
And black's in big trouble here.
If Rook dd seven bishop be six and black starting to be out moves.
So let's say Black doesn't want to lose a piece here and plays like be seven.
We've got this absolute pin now.
This is very, very concrete.
Now all of these positional advantages, they've conspired to join each other on this section of the
board and White can actually play here crushing move.
Can you see what that is?
So it takes G seven.
Yeah, it's an absolute crushing move.
It's winning material.
If Queen St's gg6, we have 96 check and then taking her winning material.
And if Queen takes G seven, we have rook or Queen takes e h at mate.
So we can see in that final possession we actually demonstrate the a file can be super useful for coming
around to help the resources over here.
So it's also, you know, squeezing on both sides of the board, coming together in the end in the final
position where blank resigned.
If Queen takes G six the knights conspiring here again to win the bishop.
What is black doing about the bishop?
Yeah it's just the hope this position.
So yes, what a game.
And the accuracy of this game is phenomenal.
So the tactics were on the control.
It didn't, you know, Black really didn't have any tactical ideas.
It's like average $0.10.
Pawn loss from Anatoly Karpov.
No real issues with any of his moves in this game.
So very logical positional play on both sides of the board.
So at one point, early simplification was avoided.
The file just wasn't any use for black and white made huge progress on the kingside in the end with
huge alliance square occupation and pretty crushing here.
If the bishop moves, then Queen takes H six.
It's just it's just really hopeless to allow the Queen to stay there.
And there's also things like G four occurring if the queen moves to e seven, there are lots of fantastic
possibilities where there's just too much pressure on on F six and H six and everything else.
It's just the nightmare scenario where black really can't do anything, can't actually move anything.
So yes, quite crushing end of game position.
I hope you enjoyed this one and it is pretty inspirational for a lot of positional.
Okay, Thanks very much.