Hi there.
In this lecture, we see an amazing game between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi in the 1974 Karpov
Korchnoi candidates final.
So we have E4, which you might think is a tactical opening, but you can play it Positionally players
like comp often Adams play E4 positionally and even though it's like what seems to be a ferocious tactical
opening, in fact the dragon where we follow the main line dragon and both sides castle on opposite
sides.
So speed is of the essence.
So where does positional play come into this?
So you might think it's just 100% tactics, but let's have a look at what happened here.
Age four This all looks like standard dragon opening theory for the moment.
Bishop be free Knight e5 now Karpov Castle's queenside Knights C4.
Bishop take C4 Rook take C4.
So Black's standard play.
Make sure that the F seven pawn isn't pinned.
Now h five Knight takes h five, g four.
So Knight F six like D two.
Now here, Queen A five.
Perhaps this is actually already an inaccuracy.
Rook E eight might have been safer.
So, for example, Bishop H six.
Bishop H eight isn't even position.
And here if E five.
So this might have been one of the major concerns, this default pressure because there's a tactic here.
If DD takes g five and black is losing a piece because of H five, Queen takes DD seven.
But but in this position Black does actually have Knight takes G four and the position is not so clear
here.
After E takes Queen takes these six this way of playing it well it doesn't really want to open up the
pieces here.
So this way of playing it actually leads to a position where black might actually be absolute fine with
the advantage, in fact.
So there's a lot of pawns for the piece here, and actually black's better overall.
So, you know, there are interesting situations where rookie aids is actually possible.
This is actually possible for black to play this.
So this should be even this E five is a bit dodgy, in fact.
So anyway, Queen five was played.
We have Bishop H six, Bishop takes H six, Queen 6h6, and now black poles on the C file.
So there's a classic exchange sacrifice potentially.
And it's at this point this is a key prophylactic kind of preventative move, maybe for the use of preventative
rather than prophylaxis, which might remind you of something else in the real world.
So but it's a prevention move here.
Temp I'll call it tempo prophylaxis, because sometimes tactics again tempo against the king.
If we expose our king subject to tempo gains, we can't ignore them.
So what I mean by that checks like one of the most powerful tempo gainers.
If you think about it, threats you can sometimes ignore.
If it's to win a piece, you can sometimes have the option of ignoring the stronger France that makes
him one.
It's being checkmated so you know, less likely to ignore but captures you can sometimes not recapture.
But if our king is exposed, we expose it to checks.
And here, guess what Karpov played in terms of kind of longer term tempo prophylaxis to avoid the king
becoming exposed.
What would you play here?
A key move is playing Rook RD free.
It's very, very cute.
Move indeed.
I'll call it tempo prophylaxis and King safety prophylaxis as well.
In general, if one went straight away with G five, this is not convincing.
Rook cites h5g tanks.
Queen takes H five in flat.
Black is not obliged here to even use an exchange sac.
Black actually has the resource Queen e five which is bearing down on C three, but also means Queen
G seven to defend.
So for example, this position is just going to be much better for Black whereas White's attack.
So that would be a premature attack.
And if we go back here and assume hold on four, then indeed we see the power of Rook takes C free.
And this is dangerous for White's king.
Super dangerous.
What does White do here?
This starts to look very, very slow.
So we will be subject to a lot of unpleasant possibilities.
If we take on sea free and if night takes again, it's very unpleasant.
It's just nothing going on.
After Queen E five, the Queen actually controls eight here and threatens mate.
So this is just going to be bad for white.
So, yes, this important, amazing move here, changing changes things considerably.
Brooke De Fray, as another example, if rook h rey rook, take free and rook take C free.
Yeah.
Black can play the exchange sack here and then the tempo gains queen a one.
Check this position.
The king is just fundamentally exposed, which means there's no real time to break open the h file.
This position is going to be homeless.
Check.
And there's just too many checks.
And Black's got a lot of pawns from being down the exchange.
So this position, for example, check and Queen five Black's just sitting on the position outside pawn
here.
White's attack is gone.
It's an even position.
So this is an amazing bit of prophylaxis in what you'd think is a wild tactical opposite side castling
game.
It's a big positional move being inserted here and it considerably slows down Black's counterplay.
If Black's counterplay is not based on exposing the king, it's less effective.
We have Rook going to see five forwards on the fifth rank, going to see five if B five, G five this
position would fall is strong for white.
So rook st C free rook tank C free.
It doesn't really matter here because Knight takes h five and here it's very dangerous.
So why is threatening a quick knock out with Queen STS 87 and Queen H eight?
So this position again, Queen H eight being threatened, mating and with rook take to check.
Yeah, this is just hopeless for black.
By contrast, black is the exchange now for not much here.
So anyway.
So look, 45 was chosen, but now this might have been part of Karpov's home preparation in this position
because it's absolutely clockwork tactics.
It's G five rook tanks.
G five If 9 to 5, then nine and four.
And here nine takes F four is a knockout.
So what does black actually do here often for.
Yeah, it's.
It's probably my take if.
Well, if rook tanks G5 as example, Rook D5 gains a tempo, a very important tempo on the Queen and
here Knight C takes the five.
So one is threatening quite a few nasty things if A6 97 Schank and Knight take it as one example.
If rook tanks, C free B tanks.
This position 1995 rotates H5 one strike.
White's attack is strong.
White's one zero up and yes, it's safe for White's king here.
So okay, we have actually rook tanks G5 but now Rook D5 gaining a key tempo.
So yes, tactics now gaining a key tempo.
So Rook takes this played.
If Knight takes then player gets mated with queen Sage seven check and coinage eight.
So rook takes d59 times D five rookie eight knights E to F four.
And we have bishops, he sings.
So the point here is if ace six, then Knight takes F six, check E takes.
There's 95, which takes away an escape square of the king.
So this will be mating again because the king won't have e seven.
So for example, like this, mate.
So Bishop C six.
But now, yeah, this is in the realms of tactics now.
And making sure the opponent's pieces are not.
Getting involved in the fence.
There's a really amazing move played in this position.
There's a flaw in a tactical combination here which is addressed with E5, which makes the tactical
combination work.
So the tactical combination was actually if Knight takes off six, he takes off six and nine, take
five at first.
Seems crushing, but Black would have Queen G5 chunk hair and black would be fine.
Cold shower move even though black might lose the exchange plants.
Quite enough pawns here.
After nine of six check, there's enough pawns to be getting on with.
So if Rook takes keen tanks and if here.
Yeah there's passport potential.
So black should be equal at least but if five stops actually this Queen G5 so it's kind of prophylaxis
here against the Queen G5 resource in that variation.
So Bishop takes the five.
Because if DD tanks, then nine tanks have six check and we can see how this works so much better.
Here, here there's Rook G, One queen takes F six mating.
So Bishop takes D five, and we have E takes up six.
And it's very forced now because the Queen G seven meets, E takes F six, Queen takes H seven, check
king of eight and off the Queen H Black has to resign.
If King E seven, then White actually plays first night 65 check to move the queen away from E one.
Because otherwise I wrote you on Queen's xe1.
So move the Queen away from E one and I'm rookie one.
Check is winning the rook.
Unless Black wants to give up the queen and still be hopeless there.
If that gives up the queen, the Queen six Just take the queen Prince.
Very much so.
It's a hopeless position.
So yes, an interesting game.
So you might think, wow, this is a positional course, but this looks like a tactical game.
I was expecting these long positional grinds.
But you know what?
We can play our tactical openings and it could be the difference between success and failure.
One prophylactic style move on prevention move in the midst of tactical operations can make all the
difference.
So this game kind of amplifies for me the notion of tempo prophylaxis because in opposite side castling
games, tempo is very important for your attack to be faster than the opponent's.
So if you play like one key tempo prophylaxis, move and slow down considerably the opponent's counter
play, it can make all the difference.
And you know, as a Kings engine attack player, I'm also aware over the years of certain moves which
might slow down the opponent's attack kind of prophylaxis modes which you throw in before carrying on
with your own attack.
So prophylaxis moves in even, you know, positions which time is of the essence that they're going
to help you win the battle because they're helping you win the battle of tempo and the race to the opponent's
king without you getting mated yourself or your king getting exposed for perpetual checks, etc..
Okay, so hope that's clear about the prophylaxis.
Stand out move in this game.
The positional move is standing out for me, so we'll go back to having this move.
19 Rook d free an iconic prophylaxis move.
Okay, that's very much.