Securing strategic squares
TODAY we are looking at the thirdround game, Euan McDougall (1596) v Tom SlaterJones (2017), at the 2019 Oceania Under20 Chess Championship, in Auckland, in January. This game highlights the importance of squares in chess; giving your pieces good squares, not having weak squares in your position, and identifying them in your opponent’s position.
1 e4e6
2 d4d5
3 e5c5
4 c3
The mainline of the French Defence: Advance Variation (C02, up to White’s 3rd move). 4 —Qb6
5 Qb3 Nc6
Better than 5 Qb3 was 5 Nf3, defending the centre. Instead of 5 — Nc6, Black could have taken advantage of 5 Qb3 by trading down with 5 — Qxb3, 6 axb3 cxd4, 7 cxd4, where White receives doubled and isolated pawns for the open afile.
6 Be3 c4
7 Qc2 Bd7?!
Better was 7 — f6, exerting pressure on White’s centre immediately. From here, White’s best idea is to strike first with 8 b3.
8 f4g5 9 Nf3 g4
10 Ng1 Nge7
11 Ne2 Nf5
12 Bf2 Rg8?
This gives a decent advantage to White because of the available 13 Ng3, forcing a trade of knights and ensuring White keeps a strong centre. Better was the immediate 12 h5, allowing 12 — Ng3, 13 Nce7, because the h5 pawn is still guarded by the rook.
13 Nd2 h5
14 Ng3 Nxg3
15 hxg3 Rh8
16 Be2 Rh6
17 OOO?!
White could have maintained an advantage with 17 b3 cxb3, 18 axb3. But now the position is again more or less equal. A solid idea now for Black is 17 — Qa6, 18 Kb1 Ne7, also allowing the idea of b5, to maintain a pawn on c4 if White ever plays b3. 17 — OOO
18 Be3 f5
19 exf6 Be8
20 f5?
Surprisingly, this doesn’t work. Even though White goes up in the exchange, Black’s bishop ends up cutting across the crucial b1h7 diagonal, and the rest of White’s pieces end up with few good squares.
20 — Rxf6
21 Bg5 Rxf5
22 Bxd8 Qxd8
23 Rdf1?!
A better move was to give up a piece with 23 Nxc4 dxc4, 24 Bxc4, to free up White’s awkward position. Now White has very few good squares.
23 — Bg6
24 Rxf5?
Better was 24 Qd1, with the idea of sacking on g4 to free up White’s pieces with initiative. The game move assists Black in moving in for the kill on the dark squares.
24 — Bxf5
25 Qa4 Qg5!
The dark squares have been correctly identified as the key weakness in White’s position. 26 Qd1 Qe3!
27 Rxh5??
01
Solution: 27 — Qxc3+!,
28 bxc3 Ba3#, is a variation of Boden’s mate. This sneaky one is certainly one to keep in the bank. I first came across this mate in a chess puzzle on the wall in the Otago Chess Club: Lasker v Englund, Netherlands, August 1913.