Hi there.
In this lecture, we see Anatoly Karpov playing against Gerald Loescher.
In 1992, the tournament round one, DH four from Karpov.
We have DH five from here.
C four, C six.
So Queen's Gambit declines semi Slav variation, so of six, E three.
So Kopf doesn't mind blocking in this bishop.
So this is a very interesting variation.
f693 Not too much opening theory here in a way.
Queen C two.
Bishop DH six.
Bishop E two Black Castles White Castle's Rookie eight.
And we have now wrote DX one Queen e7h3, B six and here E four.
There is some strategic intent involved with E four and it's not really to do with this diagonal or
the king or okay, there's a of e five, but it's to do if in this game it seems White wants to get
rid of the dark square bishop and leave this bishop bad so we see night takes E four nights 8c4d takes
and one perk now of Queen takes E four is that it does support Bishop F for if we can get a bind on
the position, especially against this Bishop, this will be very interesting.
And we see how after Bishop B seven, Bishop four trying to get a lock and key over the E five square.
So Rook 88 and these bishops are exchanged off and now this lock and key principle 95 is played black
actually obliges.
Knight takes e5d takes Quincy, seven.
So now there is a move which should be prevented.
C five And what would you play here to prevent it?
Five points.
Yeah, we can play a preventative move.
Bishop free.
So.
Bishop eight And again, it seems as though black's threatening C five because the rook protects the
bishop and maybe that's the end of that story, but it's not.
Couple of exchanges on date.
And guess what?
Here is played which kind of prevents see five again.
So we're inside the mind of a python here or a similar kind of creature trying to restrict the opponents.
So for restriction, until the opponent has no good moves, kind of repeat restriction until no good
moves.
Rook d one So this stops C five because we just take on DE and then take on a eight.
So we have rook takes D one bishop takes D, one, queen D eight and it looks as though, well, this
tempo gain can actually get the Queen to quite an aggressive square d to where it can be to cop off.
Now just accepts that he wants to make sure this bishop is not liberated with C five.
So we do have this Queen DD two and we have to be aware we're using now a positional pawn sacrifice
be free.
We're letting one pawn go.
What we really want to do is change the pawn structure such that the bishop is naturally locked in.
If we have pawns on B four and ac5 pawn, then the bishop would be naturally locked in here.
It seems as though g phrase an alternative queen takes B to Queen D free.
This is another way of playing it with Queen D seven.
Black has to be careful about the back row.
So Queen F is there with Queen before, but say there's a concession like a six.
And queen.
The queen takes B6 winning material.
This is also going to be a way for White to play it, but it's not as nice by a long shot compared to
the game.
So that might be the most technically accurate way of playing it.
But Be Free was played.
We have Queen size A to B for Queen A one.
Check King H two.
And perhaps the reason why engines didn't like this continuation is because Black is not really obliged
to play what Black did, which is Queen 86.
This is an inaccuracy.
It turns out G six, B five, Queen B two.
This is a fascinating position where black actually can play Queen takes F two and in this position,
sack the bishop.
This requires a lot of imagination for Queen and for picking up just about enough pawns to maintain
a dynamic equality.
So perhaps with absolute best play.
Yeah, sure g sex with that bishop sacrifice idea in some variations, but yeah, black is human so
human played queen a six inaccuracy and we have come up off able to fulfill this beautiful idea of locking
in the bishop of C five.
So C five is coming up now.
So we have Queen eight if C five hair Queen A is checkmate.
So Queen eight, we have C five.
So naturally locking in the Bishop B takes.
That's a really, really bad bishop.
Now what else if a five we're just going to take on B six and this position, for example, we can play
queen.
A free bishop takes her free saffron.
It's important here.
What's important?
Play in this position for five points.
It's important we accept the double pawns or Queen's important on the A file, and we have Queen A seven
and B seven in time to be crushing.
So B, C five was played Queen St, C five.
And this doesn't look good for the bishop on eight.
Is it worth a pawn?
So Queen E seven.
We have G six.
So if G6 isn't played, White does have various ideas.
In any case, for example, moving up the H pawn could be dangerous.
So G6 does weaken the dark squares and we have H four now.
H five.
But now, yeah, the dark square roads are opened up for a King walk.
King G three We have Queen B seven.
Queen V seven is actually a terrible mistake and accelerates Black's downfall.
Black could have put up a lot more resistance and maybe even maintain equality for record with King
G seven.
So for example, Queen five, Queen A seven and one is one actually going to win this?
Can we actively win this position?
Let's say this is just a fictional example where it's difficult to see how White actually makes progress
here.
So, yes, it would be about even so, Queen Bee seven actually accelerates blacks demise here with
this queen exchange.
So, yeah, this is what turns out to be the absolute key mistake which completely celebrates White's
position on pawn sac for the bad bishop.
So a game on here.
Cop off took on B seven, Bishop tanks be seven.
So we have King F4, King of eight, King G five.
And we can see that now actually White can prepare to get a passed outside pawn King E seven, Bishop
e four There's a plan to get a passed outside pawn slowly preparing with F three and G four.
What's happening here is that one pawn here is holding two in effect.
This is a Capablanca principle.
If one pawn can hold so well with the king's help, that means that White virtually has a potential
past pawn candidate with F3 and G four.
So this is absolutely beautiful stuff because Black is really helpless here after every bishop b7g for
we have Bishop 88g takes H five, G takes H five.
And not even allowing an inch of council is sent to me at a micro centimeter f4.
If King takes H five, there is a little bit of maybe what you consider a little bit what looks like
potential counterplay, but even this this is this position Black could play C five, but the resulting
compromise is too much.
This would be a winning position anyway for white.
But this is even more careful.
F four just still preventing f61 pawn holding two in effect with the help of the king.
And so that's now a fixed target and it's just picked off with Bishop free.
But wait for it.
Now this is better circumstances.
King takes H five now not minding F six, so much so yeah, a little bit of a twist there.
If f six here we've got our passport ready to roll and say f five is is hopeless for black.
We can come in with our king if nothing else, scoop up loads of pawns.
This pawns also big pass pawn.
It's absolutely a winning position.
So yes, a wonderful kind of simple looking win.
This is really real positional chess.
The intelligence of the logic of the chessboard, the pawns and the pieces where there can be a really
bad lack of harmony between pieces and pawns.
Hindi celebrated for a positional pawn sacrifice.
Sure, there's.
There's technical stuff going on.
The positional pawn sacrifice might have downsides, but its engines will pick up on that.
But against the human.
Yeah.
Queen 86 did help.
It did help.
But.
Okay.
So there was some weird and wonderful path of a bishop sacrifice.
But that's kind of beyond most grandmasters.
Even so, Queen D for Queen.
Yeah.
This this locking in of the bishop restriction of bishop, just pulverizing the bishop.
Basically.
It's a very instructive game.
Example where.
Yeah.
Is it worth a pawn?
Yeah, of course it's worth a pawn, but that's kind of paralyze.
And then yeah, the King King walk was absolutely amazing.
I hope you enjoyed this game as much as me and so much.