Hi there.
In this lecture, we see the very talented David Hell grandmaster against Michael Adams in 2011, British
Championship round six.
We see E four from David E, five, 93, 96, and now the Scotch game.
So this has been revitalised by Garry Kasparov in recent events, relatively recent.
We have e times d496349569 take c six immediately.
This is actually kind of a dangerous line be takes to avoid the exchange of queens e five Now I know
from bitter experience here that one has to really play Queen E seven in this position.
It's not good to lose sense pawns if you look with engines and lose centre pawns of the engine like
top moves, it can be a very painful experience with 95 hair.
Bad idea y.
It's getting a big positional advantage because this knight has got very low career prospects.
For example, in this position.
Once getting a dominating position here, for example, a five, a four to even just swap it off potentially
with advantage.
But it's pretty uncomfortable if instead.
Of night before.
If night be sex, then the night really sets badly on be sex in this position.
And white has also a freedom that H seven has been abandoned.
It's a softer spot than usual.
So this is going to cause weaknesses if this -- has to move and won't just stand a lot better.
This is an example of where we can't use positional play that easily to improve this piece and all structures
damaged.
It's really uncomfortable.
We can try.
Defined, but it could be ignored.
So this is a safety point with this whole variation that actually Queen E seven creates things in Black's
favor.
So after Queen E to 95, the point is to be able to play Bishop a six sometimes.
So if c four here, which wasn't played immediately, we can play Bishop a six and this justifies black's
play more in the opening in the game is slightly different.
Twist 92 first G six.
This is a very useful move to hit E five That seems to be a potentially weak pawn C four now Bishop
six and Black's position is pretty decent here.
There is a really tactical adventure with 9f4, but it's probably not worth it.
It's a bit wild this position.
Sure.
Black Windsor Pawn, but if Queen e free the point would be Bishop h649g2.
But this isn't such a big deal to try and win the Queen because White can play King D one.
And if we look at this position, even if we win the exchange here, we've compromised our dark squares
around the king.
And yeah, it's a funny position, but it's dynamically equal.
Adams is playing more, avoiding those crazy complications.
Bishop six We have three Queen B for check, though, and this prompts the king to move.
So this is a really interesting position because otherwise B two is likely to be taken.
It looks as though this is a really interesting position.
Rook B eight Queen C2 So that's underpinning the pawn.
So C takes is now threatened.
The knight moves the E seven.
It's not that bad.
The Queen is vacated e seven for the knight to be not such a bad piece.
Queen B three, C five.
So undermining the pawns doesn't seem like a bad idea.
And White obliges.
Queen takes b4 C takes Bishop D free Bishop G seven.
So this whole picture here isn't that bad.
Four Black Black Castles Kings 290 6b4 it and now D five and energetic move exploiting the pinned pawn
against a1c tanks is played and also another point now emerges.
Bishop takes the free check.
King takes Rook 58 we have Bishop and for giving the pawn back if King four There's a tactical point
here.
Can you see what that is for?
Ten points?
Yeah.
Might takes 85.
Yeah.
There's an unprotected rock on E one.
That's a potential downside we can tap into here.
So nine takes Bishop Sykes.
If King takes, we play, check and win the rook.
So, Bishop, for giving the pawn back.
But why still has an edge here?
And David was playing like.
Well, I'm Steinitz here with an aggressive king Rook five rook AC one and now 98.
This is actually an inaccuracy from Michael Adams.
97 seems to be helping to get equality.
So 95 here Knight takes that four rook takes a two.
This should be about even.
But with 98 actually Rook 67 this possession with Roxy to rook d8h4h5g free.
We have Bishop murphy and OC.
Michael Adams has set up a nice Tigran Petrosian style blockade of the extra pawn.
Y is actually a pawn up here, but it seems like an impenetrable fortress in some respects at least.
And in fact White is very attracted to play position that you could say, try and get rid of this knight
for this knight.
But yeah, when we play a position like this to try and trade off certain pieces, we have to be aware
of all the forcing moves which could cost a whole downside on lucrative plans.
So this is a very interesting example where, yeah, we want to look at downsides of the opponent's
position.
Sure.
Or play positioning.
Sure.
Get rid of a bad piece.
But we have to look at the downsides of our implementation.
There is actually a forcing move here.
This is actually a huge mistake giving Black the advantage because of a nasty forcing move.
Before we get into that, if Rook won, this gets more authority on the C file and this position OC
King e free rook.
It's not a big deal for white.
In fact, White's amplifying the authority here soon.
And even if one gives back a pawn, say that pawn is lost.
It doesn't matter.
This resigning position is in White's favor.
Just to take this a bit further, let's say, you know Rook eight now threatens Bishop H six.
Forget taking the pawn on 87.
We've got Bishop H six and if Rook D five check and then attending to that King Jeffrey is strong.
Forget Bishop takes a seven.
For the moment this position is positionally strong for white after Bishop D for nine Central bishop
Central Bishop pardon me.
And then looking at a seven.
So here this is going to be to White's advantage, this kind of end game.
If we look at this again instead of king of free, if we took immediately.
Sure.
But it's not it's not as great as playing more positionally with king of free for the moment.
But yeah, the resulting positions are not bad.
Why It has to be able to invest though here to give a pawn back.
So just to recap here, so a situation here with 93 and Mike takes five.
The rookie is looking at E five and a two.
You know, it is a complex position but if it seems if white gives back the pawn as a possession or
a positional pawn sacrifice, this position is better for mine if white plays the cards right.
But in the game.
Yeah.
Knight G five ruins things because if f five check 200 points if you cf5 check.
So it seems to allow a non parsons but the on parsons, the thing is there's an unprotected rook on
e one and we've just given amplification to that unprotected rook in that there's an accessibility now
thing advantage as we have access to e one via knight takes g five with the express route gaining a
tempo with the check rookie hack pick up the rook.
Thanks very much if King free thanks very much there's folks 94 check 90 9c2 so yeah F five check ruins
things king E free we have now.
Yeah.
So this, this is necessary to minimize the damage.
Bishop C five check.
And now White has to give up the exchange.
If the king moves to e to Fulk, then pick up the exchange like that and Bishop takes F two and more
carnage here like winning the rook.
And you might think, Well, why didn't we move there?
Well, we're going to win it like that.
It's horrible the position.
And if yeah, where does where does the king go free.
There's still 94 check.
So Black's position sprung into life to win material.
Yeah.
So we have we're having to give up the exchange nine takes and there's a bit of work to do here.
This is kind of instructive.
So.
King a free plate If e six, we're just going to take on a two if E seven rook.
Rook D Free is checkmate.
Rook d Free is checkmate.
Let's go all the way there.
So because the rooks controlling the escapes wins the Queen king.
So there's no time for Rook.
Different is checkmate.
And if King, If Free Knight takes be free.
There's no problem here.
The pawn can be stopped.
There's no way of breaking that pawn through.
So, yeah, we have King F3 and now King Fate Rook C1 And now there is potentially a threat of lurking
of rook takes for 96 check 96 check for taking on C five.
So that's addressed simply with King E seven rook C 93.
We have Rook see six and Adams picks up E five swaps set for G six.
So it seems as though, well, maybe White's kind of dismantle Black's pawn chain, but let's see.
So King thinks there still work to do here.
Rook d free check.
King of four Now getting to the time control with some checks, avoiding free fold repetition.
And now rook 85 Rook have seven checking E five check King D six rook eight seven rook d2.
So Adams is going to try and get a pass pawn on this side of the board.
Queenside So rook takes five.
Rook takes a two 2 to 1 pull majority past pawn potential We have rook age six check kings 7h5a for
a pass pawn race Rook 87 check 9796 check king see six rook takes DD seven King takes 8795 check King
E seven The king is there to stop the pawn the h pawn runaway pawn As Nimzowitsch says, pass pawns
like criminals to be kept under lock and key.
You know, active surveillance is not enough by here.
Yeah, we can actually stop this pawn.
We have B takes a four.
If Knight takes a fall, we can open the champagne bottle for the past.
Pawn here with Rook takes a four and be free.
We just queening.
Okay, so B takes a four, but now rook C two might be free.
Nine D free.
And now if might be free, there's rook C free check.
Just mentioned that.
So yeah, this is hopeless.
Basically.
B be free end of game white resigns if H six.
Yeah, we can take the time for King F six or B two is not going anywhere.
We can stop this pawn with H seven king G seven.
So let's see H seven, King G seven King F4 and we're playing B2 and that's absolutely winning.
And by the way, yeah, we might as well.
This is a safety point.
It's good to be a perfectionist or not.
Let the opponent have dangerous pass pawns.
They are their winning probability of the opponent when they have passed pawns.
So if we're taking the knight or taking the pawn, we can take the pawn with Shaq here.
Get rid of the opponent's past pawns where possible.
Yep.
And that's absolutely winning for Black Oak.
So, yeah, an interesting game in the Scotch game.
Very, very interesting.
White's king was aggressive.
Slight downside of White's plan in general.
White has to be careful about all the checks and forcing moves when one is trying to play like Wilhelm
Steinitz following the motto that the king is an attacking piece.
Yeah.
So it's a very tricky business, even a pawn up, and it can lead to some complacency.
So here.
Yeah, not factoring in this F5 is an advanced form of, you know, a particular downside in White's
plan.
Positional plan.
Okay.
Yeah.
So it's important to be looking at the forcing moves, even if you're a positional player and it's absolutely
essential to win games tactics to win games.
But positioning also can contain positional play, like trying to exchange off better pieces can contain
total seeds of destruction as well.
A bit of a warning note.
Don't be too casual about this process of simplifying by trying to get rid of pieces.
You've got to be careful about forcing moves all the time to look at the downsides of your own implementation,
let alone the opponent's possession.
So yeah, we find the downsides of our opponent's position.
But when we have a plan in our moves, what the downsides of our moves, our implementation, and especially
look at the forcing moves, the tempo gainers.
So F5 just refutes it basically, and blacks on the path to victory after this.
So a very interesting game.
I hope you enjoyed this one as much as me.
Very exciting.
Thanks very much.