Looking back to Batumi: Wandering Kings

by Johannes Fischer
10/12/2018 – Kings that go walkabout on a full board are rare but charming. At the Chess Olympiad 2018 in Batumi such wandering kings could be admired in two interesting games. In Mamedov vs Shankland (pictured) the voyage of the king was defensive, in the game Hillarp Persson vs Laurusas, which won the brilliancy prize in Batumi, the white king joined a mating attack against the black king. Both games have historical predecessors. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Learn from the Classics Learn from the Classics

Sagar Shah shows you on this DVD how you can use typical patterns used by the Master of the past in your own games. From opening play to middlegame themes.

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The defensive king: Mamedov vs Shankland

2018 was the most successful year in the career of US grandmaster Samuel Shankland so far: in April he won the US Championship, ahead of players such as Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So and Hikaru Nakamura, in May Shankland won the Capablanca Memorial, and in June he followed up with a victory at the American Continental Championship. At the Olympiad in Batumi, Shankland proved that he is indeed strong enough to deserve these successes: he played board four for the US team, scored 7 points from 10 games and thus added 3½ points to his current rating of 2722. Moreover, Shankland scored in important matches.

In round 8, when the US was playing against Azerbaijan and fought for gold, Shankland won with Black against Rauf Mamedov which helped the US to an important 2½-1½ victory. In the middlegame, with a number of pieces still on the board, Shankland suddenly started to walk his king from g8 to b8 to keep it better protected.

 
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1.e41,161,23254%2421---
1.d4943,61155%2434---
1.Nf3280,29556%2441---
1.c4181,39556%2442---
1.g319,64956%2427---
1.b314,14254%2427---
1.f45,86848%2376---
1.Nc33,74951%2385---
1.b41,73548%2378---
1.a31,18753%2403---
1.e31,06348%2408---
1.d394050%2378---
1.g465846%2359---
1.h444152%2372---
1.c341951%2423---
1.h327756%2416---
1.a410659%2469---
1.Nh38866%2510---
1.f38745%2429---
1.Na34063%2477---
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.Bb3 a5 7.Nbd2 0-0 8.Nf1 Be6 9.Ng3 h6 10.0-0 Bxb3 11.axb3 d5 12.Qe2 Re8 13.Bd2 Bf8 14.Rfd1 Qd7 15.exd5 Qxd5 16.c4 Qe6 17.Bc3 Nd7 18.Qc2 Nc5 19.Ne4 Na6 20.Re1 Rad8 21.Rad1 Nab4 22.Qb1 Qg6 23.Nh4 Qh5 24.Nf3 Qg6 25.h3 b6 26.Nh4 Qh5 27.Nf3 Bc5 28.Kh2 Nd4 29.Bxd4 Bxd4 30.g4 Qg6 31.Nh4 Qc6 32.Nf5 Bc5 33.Nxc5 Qxc5 34.Re3 Nc6 35.Rde1 Nd4 36.Nxd4 Rxd4 37.Qc2 Qd6 38.Kg2 f6 39.Rf3 Rd8 40.Ree3 Kf7 41.Kf1 Ke7 42.Ke2 Qc6 43.Qc3 Kd7 44.Qc2 Kc8 45.Kf1 Kb7 46.Rg3 Rf4 47.Kg1 g5 48.Re1 Qe8 49.Kg2 h5 50.Re4 Qc6 51.Rf3 Qd7 52.Rg3 Qh7 53.gxh5 Qxh5 54.c5 Rd4 55.b4 Rxb4 56.Rxb4 Rxb4 57.Rf3 Qf7 58.Kg1 Qe6 59.cxb6 Qxb6 60.b3 Ka7 61.Qa2 Kb7 62.Qc2 Kc8 63.Qa2 g4 64.hxg4 Rxg4+ 65.Kf1 Qc6 66.Ke2 Qb6 67.Kf1 Rb4 68.Qc2 Kb7 69.Kg1 Qd6 70.Qc3 Qd4 71.Qc2 Rb6 72.Rg3 Qd5 73.Qc4 Qxc4 74.dxc4 Kc6 75.Kf1 Kc5 76.Ke2 Kb4 77.Kd2 Rd6+ 78.Kc2 Rd4 79.Rg7 a4 80.bxa4 Rxc4+ 81.Kd3 e4+ 82.Ke3 f5 83.Rf7 Rc3+ 84.Kd4 c5+ 85.Kd5 Rf3 86.a5 Kxa5 87.Kxc5 Ka4 88.Kc4 Ka3 89.Rb7 Rxf2 90.Kc3 Rf3+ 91.Kd4 e3 92.Kc3 Ka4 93.Kd3 f4 94.Kc4 Ka5 95.Rb1 e2 96.Kc5 Rf1 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Mamedov,R2699Shankland,S27220–12018C5443rd Olympiad 20188.4

GM Daniel King had a closer look at the game

Shankland's king's march has a historical predecessor. At the Lone Pine Open 1976 Tigran Petrosian, world champion from 1963 to 1969, won with a similar manoeuvre against the USA International Master Jack Peters.

 
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1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 c5 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 e6 5.Nf3 Be7 6.d4 d5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.a3 a5 12.Ne1 d4 13.Nd3 Bb6 14.Bd2 Re8 15.Rc1 Bg4 16.Re1 Rc8 17.h3 Bf5 18.Qb3 Be4 19.Bxe4 Rxe4 20.Qb5 Na7 21.Rxc8 Nxc8 22.Bg5 Qd6 23.Rc1 Na7 24.Qf5 Re8 25.Bf4 Qd8 26.Rc2 Nc6 27.h4 h6 28.Qb5 Na7 29.Qf5 Nc6 30.Kf1! Beginning a remarkable manoeuvre: White would like to advance his pawns on the kingside to attack the target on h6 but before White advances his pawns he brings his king to safety. He can afford this loss of time because Black has no serious counterplay. Re6 31.Qb5 Na7 32.Qb3 Nc6 33.h5 Ne7 34.Ke1 Nd5 35.Qb5 Nf6 36.Kd1 Nd5 37.Be5 Ne7 38.g4 Nc6 White gradually makes progress while Black is just jumping around with his knight. 39.Bg3 Na7 40.Qb3 Nc6 41.Kc1 Re4 42.f3 Re3 43.Kb1 Ne7? One knight-retreat too many. More stubborn is 43...Re6 44.Bh4! After bringing his king to safety White starts to become active - and after the exchange of the bishop against the knight Black's position quickly collapses. Qd6 45.Bxe7 Rxe7 46.Rc8+ Kh7 47.Rf8 Qc7 48.f4 Black is tied and can only watch how White continues with his attack. Bc5 49.Qd5 Re5 A last tactical trick. After 49...Bb6 50.Qf5+ g6 51.Qf6 Black will be mated. 50.Rxf7 Black resigned. Apparently he did not want to test Petrosian's technique in the endgame arising after 50...Rxd5 51.Rxc7 b6 52. Nxc5 bxc5 53.Kc2. 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
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  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Petrosian,T2635Peters,J23701–01976D41Lone Pine op Louis D. Statham Masters2

Learning from the World Champions

With famous classical examples from the works of the giants, the author talks in detail about principles of chess and methods of play that we can use during every stage of the game.

The aggressive king: Hillarp Persson vs Laurasas

The Swedish grandmaster and author Tiger Hillarp Persson is known for his original ideas and creative attacks. At the Olympiad in Batumi he played on board two for Sweden and scored 3½/7. However, his game against IM Tomas Laurusas from Lithuania in round 7 won the prize for the most brilliant game of the Olympiad.

 
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1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.c4 c6 5.b3 Bg7 6.Bb2 0-0 7.0-0 a5 8.Nc3 Ne4 9.Na4 Bxb2 10.Nxb2 Nd7 11.d3 Nef6 12.d4 b6 13.Rc1 Bb7 14.Nd3 Rc8 15.Nfe5 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Nd7 17.Qd2 dxc4 18.Rxc4 Nxe5 19.Rh4 h5 20.Rd1 Nxd3 21.Qh6 Qd6 22.Rxd3 Qf6 23.Be4 Ba6 24.Re3 Qg7 25.Qg5 Rcd8 26.Qxe7 Rd1+ 27.Kg2 Qa1 28.Bxc6 Rg1+ 29.Kf3 Qf1 30.Kf4 Qxf2+ 31.Kg5 Kg7 32.Rf4 Qxh2 33.Qf6+ Kh7 34.Qxg6+ Kh8 35.Kh6 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Hillarp Persson,T2544Laurusas,T24841–02018A1143rd Olympiad 20187.2

GM Daniel King also had a closer look at this game

This king's march also has a historical predecessor. In a famous and spectacular game played at the Tilburg tournament, 1991, Nigel Short sent his king into the middlegame from g1 to h6 to mate his opponent, Dutch grandmaster Jan Timman.

 
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1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Bg7 7.Qe2 Nc6 8.0-0 0-0 9.h3 By preventing ...Bg4 White ensures that Black will be unable to lay siege to the e5 pawn, keeping Black's bishop on g7 permanently out of play. a5 10.a4 dxe5 11.dxe5 Nd4 12.Nxd4 Qxd4 13.Re1 e6 14.Nd2 Nd5 15.Nf3 Qc5 16.Qe4 Qb4 Black is trying to prevent the transfer of White's queen to h4 but Short is prepared to ruin his pawn structure and give up the bishop pair just to gain h4 for his queen. 17.Bc4 Nb6 18.b3 Nxc4 19.bxc4 Re8 20.Rd1 Qc5 21.Qh4 b6 21...Bxe5? 22.Ba3+- 22.Be3 Qc6 Now White is free to pursue his kingside attack without hindrance. 22...Qe7? 23.Qxe7 Rxe7 24.Rd8+ Bf8 25.Bh6 Bb7 26.Bxf8+- 22...Qf8 was necessary. 23.Ng5 h6 23...h5! 24.Ne4 g5 25.Bxg5! hxg5 26.Qxg5 Kh7 26...Qe7 27.Nf6+ Kf8 28.Rd4 followed by Rh4-h7(h8+) 27.Qh5+! Bh6 27...Kg8 28.Nf6+ Bxf6 29.exf6+- and the Rd1 will swing over to the g-file to mate Black's king. 28.Nf6+ Kg7 28...Kh8 29.Rd4 followed by Rg4-g8+ 29.Rd4 Qh8 30.Rg4+ Kf8 31.Qxh6+! Qxh6 32.Rg8+ Ke7 33.Rxe8# 23.Bh6 Bh8 24.Rd8! Bb7 25.Rad1 Bg7 26.R8d7! Against other moves 26.Qe7 (now answered by Bxh6 ) would have been very strong. 26...Rf8 26...Qe4 27.Rxf7! Rogers,I: 'Timman saw this move too late (Anand). ' (Short), with the idea Qxh4 27...Kxf7 28.Ng5+ 28.Rxg7+ Kh8 29.Nxh4+- 26...Bxe5 27.Rxf7! (Short) is also crushing. After 26...Bxh6 27.Qxh6 White threatens 28.Rxf7!. 27.Bxg7 Kxg7 28.R1d4 Rae8 29.Qf6+ Kg8 30.h4! h5 31.Kh2! Rc8?! Now White has a fine attacking position but the immobility of his knight on f3 prevents an immediate knockout. However Short finds a phenomenal idea -to use his king as part of the mating attack. 32.Kg3! Rce8 33.Kf4! Bc8 34.Kg5! After 34... Bxd7 35.Kh6 or 34...Kh7 35.Rxf7+ Rxf7 36.Qxf7+ Kh8 37.Kh6 White mates. 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Short,N2660Timman,J26301–01991B04Tilburg4

Chess trainers, again and again, emphasise how important it is to study "the classics". Games such as Petrosian vs Peters and Short vs Timman show that this advice is more than nostalgia.

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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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