1/15/2021 – In this Power Play Show, GM Daniel King takes a look at game by Frank Marshall (1877-1944), U.S. Champion from 1909 to 1936, and a legendary attacking player. | Power Play is on air most Fridays at 17:00 UTC (18:00 CET, 13:00 ET). All the usual puzzles, games and instruction will be on offer.
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Frank Marshall's Octopus Knight
The following game is a splendid example for Marshall's attacking skills and his feel for the initiative. His novelty on move 12 was a crucial part of his strategy.
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1.e4 C58: Two Knights: 4 Ng5 d5 5 exd5 Na5
sidelines Sources: Tartakower & du Mont, 500 Master Games of Chess, pp. 50-51;
Marshall, My 50 Years of Chess, pp.100-102. All comments are Tartakower's
unless otherwise noted. To know how to conduct an attack on the hostile king's
field, and how to create breaches there, is part and parcel of the attacking
player's equipment. A rarer gift is to be able to foresee where the opponent
is going to castle and to weaken that side beforehand. Black does this here on
his 12th move ....Bb4+, by which, for ulterior purposes, he deliberately
provokes a weakening of c3.e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Nf64.Ng5d55.exd5Na56.d3One of Morphy's ideas. He gives back the pawn and strengthens the
centre.Marshall: 6.Bb5+ has been revived of late years with fair success.
The recommended line is6.Bb5+c67.dxc6bxc68.Be28.Bd38...h69.Nf3e410.Ne5Bd611.f40-012.0-0!Bxe513.fxe5Qd4+14.Kh1Qxe515.d4!and White, with his two bishops and superior pawn position, stands well.6...h67.Nf3e48.Qe2Nxc4Of course not8...Bf5at once because of9.dxe4as the White queen indirectly defends the White bishop.9.dxc4Bc5
Strategically, Black occupies an important diagonal, whilst tactically the
move prevents 10.Nd4, which would be playable in reply to either 9....Be7 or 9.
...Bd6.10.Nfd2By this retrograde manoeuvre White tries to consolidate his
position without his Interior lines being weakened,as would be the case
after10.h30-011.Nh2e311...c6is the computer recommendation12.Bxe3Bxe313.fxe3Ne4or after10.c30-011.Nd4Bg4with advantage to
Black.10.0-00-011.Nfd2Bg412.Qe1Qd7with the initiative10...0-011.Nb3Bg4By this intermediate move Black maintains the initiative.After
11...Bd612.Nc3Re813.h3Bb414.0-0etc., White would have
consolidated his position and remained a pawn ahead.12.Qf1
This modest retirement is necessary, because if12.Qd2there follows 12....e313.fxe3Bxe3Marshall: An ugly move which bas been contemptuously
described as "castling with the queen!" But White has no choice, for if12.Qd2e3!It has already become apparent that Black's more rapid and
aggressive development amply compensates for the sacrificed pawn.12...Bb4+Again an intermediary manoeuvre, without which White would have a chance of
consolidation, e.g.12...Bd613.h313.Nc3Re814.Be3Be515.h3Bxc3+16.bxc3Bd717.0-0-0b618.g4Nh719.Qg2Qe720.h4Qa3+21.Kb1Qa422.Rd4c523.Rxe4Rxe424.Qxe4Nf625.Qf4Nxg426.Bxc5Rc826...bxc527.Nxc5Qa328.Nxd7+-27.Bd4Qxc428.Rg1f529.Rxg4fxg430.Qe51-0 (30)
Leonhardt,P-Schallopp,E Berlin 190713...Bh514.g4Bg615.Be315.Nc3
etc. This innovation of Marshall's has changed the whole trend of this
opening. Marshall: This important intermediary move was introduced into master
practice in the present game.15...a516.N1d2a417.Nd4Be518.c3Nd719.Qg2Nc520.0-0Nd321.Nxe4Nxb222.Rab1Nxc423.Rxb7Kh824.Nc5Qd625.Rb5Rfe826.Re1Bf627.Qf3Re528.Nb7Qd729.Nc6Ree830.Nc5Qd631.Re2Bxc332.Bf4Qf633.Nd7Rxe234.Nxf6Re1+35.Kh2Bxf636.Be3Nd637.Rb4Re838.Rxa4Be439.Rxe4Rxe440.Kg2Ra141.Bc5Ree142.Qb3Ne443.Be3Bg544.f4Bh445.Nd4Rab146.Qa3Nd647.Nf5Nxf548.gxf5Bf649.Qf8+Kh750.Kf3Rbd151.Qxf7Rd352.Qg6+Kg853.Qe8+1/2-1/2 (53) Zinn,L-Malesic,S
Maribor 196713.c3Plausible, but not good. The weakness at d3 will make
itself felt later.As, however13.Bd2cannot be recommended on account
of 13....Bxd2+14.N1xd2Re815.h3e3etc.he should have resigned
himself to13.Nc3obtaining some counter-chances afterBxc3+13...c614.h3Bh515.g4Bg616.dxc616.Bd2cxd517.cxd517.0-0-0Qc718.Nb5Bxd2+19.Rxd2Qxc420.Qxc4dxc417...e3!18.fxe3Bxc216...bxc617.Bd2e318.fxe318.Bxe3Ne418...Bxc319.bxc3Bxc220.Nd4Ne421.h4c522.Nf3Ng323.Qg2Nxh124.Qxh1Be40-1 (24) Luckis,M-Keres,P
Buenos Aires 193914.bxc3b515.h3Bh516.g4Bg617.Ba3Re818.0-0-0
etc.13...Be713...Bd6is also playable, but not quite as good14.h3Bh515.g4Bg616.Be3Nd717.N1d21-0 (63) Tartakower,S-Bogoljubow,E Bad
Homburg 1927Ne518.0-0-0Nd3+19.Kb10-1 (65) Fossan,A (2149)-Tari,A
(2623) Stavanger 201914.h3Bh515.g4Bg616.Be3Nd7!Reculer pour
mieux sauter! This manoeuvre infuses new energy into the attack.16...b5
isn't as good, but the result was still the same17.cxb517.Nd417...Nxd518.Nd4Nxe319.fxe3Bh4+20.Ke2f521.Qg1a622.gxf5Bh5+23.Kd2axb524.b4Qd525.a3Rxf526.Kc2Rf2+27.Nd2Raf828.Kc1Rxd229.Kxd2Qc430.Rf1Qd3+31.Kc1Qxc3+32.Nc2Bf333.Rh2Bf634.Rxf3exf335.Qg6Rd80-1 (35)
Abergel,T (2399)-Fressinet,L (2705) Paris 201517.N1d2Ne518.0-0-0b5
Thus the compact mass of adverse pawns will be demolished.18...Nd3+
also gives Black a good position:19.Kb1b520.Nd4bxc421.Nc6Qd722.Nxc4Bf623.f4exf324.Rxd3Qxd525.N4e5Be426.Ka1Qe627.Bf4Bxd327...f2!28.Nd4Qe828.Qxd3Bxe529.Nxe5f530.Qxf3fxg431.Qg3Rae832.Nxg4h533.Ne5Rxf434.Qxf4Qxe535.Qf1Qe236.Qc1a537.a3a438.Qf4Qe439.Rf1Re740.Qg5h441.Rd1Rf742.Qc5Kh743.Ka2Qe6+44.c4Qf545.Qb5Qxb546.cxb5g547.Rd4Rf348.Rxa4Rxh349.Rc4Rd350.Rxc7+Kg651.b6Rd852.a4h353.a5h254.Rc1g455.b7g356.a6g257.a7h1Q58.Rc6+Kf559.b8Qg1Q60.Rf6+Kxf661.Qxd8+Kg762.Qe7+Kh80-1 (62) Zeng,C (2561)
-Vidit,S (2707) Xingtai 201919.cxb5Nd3+This Knight's very powerful
position will have a trenchant effect on the course of events.20.Kb1Qxd521.Ka1A little better would have been21.f4at once.exf322.Ka1f222...Qxb523.Bxf2Qxb524.Nf3a521.c4Qe522.Bd4Qe621...Qxb522.f4a522...exf323.Nxf3c524.Ne5c425.Nxd3Bxd326.Nd423.Rb1If23.f5a4and Black scores first.23...f523...a424.Nd4Qd525.f5Bh726.Qg2a327.b3c528.Ne2Nb429.Rhc1Qd3-+24.Nd4Qa425.b3This drives off the hostile queen, but another important square (c3)
is weakened. 25....Remarkably, White is still in the game after25.gxf5Bxf526.Rg126.Qg2Nb427.cxb4axb428.a3Bf626...Ra626...Nb4?27.Qc4+Kh828.cxb4axb427.Nxf5Rxf528.Bd4Bf629.Nxe4Bxd430.Qxd3Bxg131.Qxa6=25.Nxf5Rxf526.gxf5Nb4Marshall26...Bf727.b3Qc628.Bd4Rd829.Nc4Rxd430.cxd4Bf627.cxb4axb428.a3Bf7!First blocking the diagonal28...Bf6Marshall29.Bd429.Ka2Qxa3+30.bxa3Rxa3#29...Bf730.Bxf6Qc231.Nc4Bxc432.Qxc4+Qxc433.Rbg1-+29.Rc1Bf630.Kb1bxa3-+25...Qd726.gxf5Bxf527.Qg2c5
Dislodging White's only well-posted piece. Marshall: A nice move that freshens
up the attack. The occupation of the long diagonal by Black's black bishop
will be decisive.27...Bf6!28.Nxf5Qxf529.Qxe4White has won the
local engagement around the advanced e pawn, but the following beautiful
riposte demonstrates that Black still holds the strategical lead—which is
here the attack against the king's weakened position. 29....29.Rbg1!Bf629...Rf730.Qxe430.Nxe4Rfe831.Nxf6+Qxf632.Qd5+Kh833.Qxd3Rad834.Qc4Rxe335.Rc129...Bf6A temporary sacrifice of
the queen (30.Qxf5 Bxc3+) is offered.30.Qc4+Kh831.Ne4Marshall: White
appears to have consolidated his position, but now comes a fresh surprise.Rae832.Nxf6?Marshall: Relatively best would have been32.Nd6!Qe633.Qxd3Qxe3with an ending in Black's favor.34.Rbd1Bxc3+35.Kb1Re736.Nc4Equal according to the machines32...Rxf633.Bc1Rfe6
Instead of 33....Re2 or 33....Ne1, both of which formidable threats Black
keeps in reserve.34.Ba3Re235.Rhd1
35...Ne1The final assault. This
knight has decidedly been the hero of the piece. Marshall: as Marco shows,
there is no defense now: (a) 36.Rdc1 Nc2+ 37.Rxc2 Qxc2 38.Bb2 Re1 and wins. (b)
36.Rd8 Nc2+ 37.Kb2 Nxa3+ 38.Qxe2 Qxb1+ 39.Kxa3 Rxd8 and wins. (c) 36.Qxe2 Rxe2
37.Rxe1 Rxe1 38.Rxe1 Qxh3 and Black wins easily with his h pawn.36.Bxc5Nc2+37.Kb2Nb4+Marshall: White resigns. One of my best games.
Grandmaster Daniel King presents ten exemplary attacking performances. At key moments he stops and asks you to play a move. King then gives feedback on the most plausible continuations. It’s the next best thing to having your own personal trainer!
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Daniel King is the prolific author of the Power Play series which numbers 28 volumes to date. The Tactic Turbo for the King’s Gambit is the subject of his most recent DVD.
Daniel King presents 50 puzzle positions in video format, all arising from the King's Gambit. They feature typical tactics from the opening, so this is a great way of becoming familiar with the tricks and traps that you can set your opponent.
Daniel KingDaniel King is a regular on playchess.com. Commentating on live events such as the World Championship or analysing themes for his monthly Power Play Show. He also produces a DVD series called Power Play for ChessBase in the Fritztrainer format.
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