Mihail Marin: Power Strategy 2

by Davide Nastasio
5/20/2015 – In the first part of his "Power Strategy" series Mihail Marin had a look at the transition from opening to middlegame, focusing on the necessity, the art and the pitfalls of development. In his second "Power Strategy" DVD the Romanian Grandmaster, who is renowned for his historical knowledge and his passion for chess, explains how to handle static positions.

Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

Mihail Marin: "Power Strategy 2" - Review

In the last fourteen years GM Marin has become more involved in writing and coaching. He has written, or contributed to, more than ten books. GM Marin also reveals that this is the second DVD in a series of four about strategy! Power strategy 1 was based on the idea that there is a big difference on "what one would like to do..." and "what one should really do" in the game. Power Strategy 1 was mainly aimed at the opening phase, and its main theme: development, but it wasn't meant to teach opening lines. It was focusing on the struggle for development. Instead, Power Strategy 2 is deeply concerned with another important feature of the middlegame, the static positions. Practically GM Marin shows the strategic plans carried out in typical static positions.

 But what are the elements that GM Marin shows? Here a simple list:

Outposts (with all the ideas concerning such an element, for example how to fight against the piece occupying the outpost, and the pros and cons of an outpost. Or what "stable piece" really means, and how essential is that to the game).

The blocked center, and how the two players can confront it. White's mobile center, and when White has an advantage in the center. (In this case Marin says that Black has to block the center, and adopt a static approach).

Marin also examines the conflict between two static approaches, and of course also the conflict between static versus dynamic. As GM Marin reveals in this DVD, in Power Strategy 3 he will deal with Dynamic versus Dynamic approach to the game.

Tigran Petrosian knew a thing or two about good squares

One player who really knew how to put his pieces on good squares, where they were safe from enemy attack, while exerting strong pressure, was former World Champion Tigran Petrosian. Here's a fine positional game Petrosian won against Bent Larsen.

 
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,173,50054%2421---
1.d4952,12655%2434---
1.Nf3283,50356%2440---
1.c4183,15556%2442---
1.g319,79656%2427---
1.b314,44254%2427---
1.f45,92148%2377---
1.Nc33,85150%2384---
1.b41,77148%2379---
1.a31,23454%2405---
1.e31,07549%2409---
1.d396150%2378---
1.g466846%2360---
1.h446554%2381---
1.c343651%2426---
1.h328356%2419---
1.a411660%2462---
1.f39947%2428---
1.Nh39267%2511---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.b3 g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 0-0 6.Bg2 d6 7.0-0 e5 8.d3 Re8 9.Qc2 c5? Marin: '?!' 9...Nbd7 10.b4 9...a5 /\Na6 10.c5!? e4!? 10.Nc3 Nc6 11.a3 Bg4 12.e3 h6 13.Nd2 Qd7 Marin's video begins here. It is clear that White has an outpost on d5, and that d5 is weak, but how to exploit such weakness? 14.Nd5 14.Nde4 GM Marin shows that if White tries to exchange the Nf6, Black will still be able to attack the Nc3-d5. Nxe4 15.Bxe4 Rad8 16.Nd5 Ne7 So the outpost d5 is not stable for a piece. Because Black can attack both wings. 14...Nxd5 15.cxd5 How to explain this move, with which White robs himself of the outpost d5? White played it because the pawn d6 is weak, and White wants to turn the pawn d5 into a passed pawn, using the c4-square to attack the pawn on d6. 15.Bxd5 Rab8 Here Black would follow a similar idea to destabilize d5. Push the pawn b7-b5 and play Nc6-e7 at the right moment. 15...Nb8? As we can see Black has a problem in finding the right square for this knight, because the pawn d5 controls enemy squares. On the other hand it is strange that this is considered a bad move, since Marin comments negatively on the "natural" Ne7, which gives White time to consolidate. 15...Ne7 16.a4 b6 17.Nc4 And here Marin says that White will continue with f4 or f3 and e4, hampering the Ne7, who has difficulties to join the fight for the e5-square. 16.f3 16.f4 16...Bh3 17.Bxh3 Qxh3 18.Ne4! Marin considers this move to be good, because Petrosian understood that Black is underdeveloped, and Black has to defend the pawn d6, and then develop the Nb8. 18.e4 Marin explains this move wouldn't be good for White. Qc8 19.f4 exf4 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.gxf4 21.Rxf4 This move isn't good, because Black now can control e5 with his knight. Nd7 21...Nd7 22.Nc4 Qc7 23.Qc3+ f6 24.a4 Re7 Marin says that Black is still worse, but at least the position is playable, and Black has a solid position. White has a space advantage. 18...Qd7 19.f4! Na6 Black defends c5, but look what happens now. 19...f6? Marin 20.fxe5 fxe5 21.Rf6! And the rook cannot be touched! 19...f5? Marin inserts a training question here, asking how White should continue after this move. 20.fxe5! fxe4 20...dxe5 21.Nxc5 Rc8 22.Rac1 Qxd5 23.e4 And Black's queenside is still undeveloped and his kingside is weak. 21.e6 Qc7 21...Qd8 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Rf7+ Kg8 24.Qc3+- 22.Rf7 Re7 23.Raf1+- 20.fxe5 dxe5 And now, as if by magic, White's d-pawn is a passed pawn! 20...Bxe5? 21.Bxe5 Rxe5 22.Nf6++- 21.Nc3 Botvinnik said of Petrosian that he knew which piece needed to improve to improve the position, and then was able to improve it. 21.Nf6+! Marin: Why this move is really great? Because it switches from playing on the light squares to the dark squares. Another advantage for White is that he is more active than Black. Bxf6 22.Rxf6 Qxd5 23.Raf1 Re7 24.e4 Qd7 Here White's pieces are more active than Black's. 25.Qc4 This is a very strong move. It threatens Rxg6, and if Black makes the mistake of playing Kg7, White will strike with Bxe5! b5 25...Kg7 26.Bxe5 26.Qc1 With a double attack on h6 and c5. According to Marin Black's position is resignable. Black's Na6 does nothing for the defense of the kingside. 21.Rf6 Marin Rad8 21...Qxd5 22.Rd6 22.d6 Marin: "Once again the fight moved from the light squares to the dark squares. Black also has three main weaknesses: the Na6, the pawn c5, and the pawn f7. 21.d6 Marin f5 21...Nc7 22.e4 Here Marin refers to the rules of Nimzowitsch and observes that the strong square (d5) finally brought White a passed pawn. (This is what I like about Marin: watching his videos gives you a good chess education.) Re7 23.Rf3 Rf8 24.Raf1 h5 25.a4 White pressurizes the kingside, while stabilizing the queenside, and now the knight heads for c4. a5 Black played this move to stop White Ba3 and b4. 26.Nd1 b6 27.Ne3 Ne8 28.Nc4 Qd8 29.Qg2 Nd6 30.g4 Marin: '!' After this move the Black's position is going to collapse. hxg4 31.Qxg4 f5? 32.Qxg6 Rf6 33.Qg5 Nxc4 34.dxc4 f4 35.Kh1 Qd6 36.Rg1 Kh7 37.Rh3+ Kg8 38.Rh5 f3 39.Bxe5 Rxe5?? 40.Qxg7# 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
Petrosian,T-Larsen,B-1–01965A15Zagreb7

This is another fine example of Petrosian's positional skills, this time taken from a game Bisguier-Petrosian, New York 1954. Marin lucidly analyses this position, explaining the different elements and ideas one must consider to find the right move, and the reasons why Petrosian's move was good. Here's the game.

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Position not in LiveBook
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nf3 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 e6 6.g3 Bc5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 d6 10.e4 Ne5 11.Qe2 Qc7 12.Nd2 a6 13.b3 b5 14.f4 Nc6 15.Bb2 b4 16.Nd1 a5 17.Ne3 a4 18.Rab1 axb3 19.axb3 Ra2 20.g4 Nd7 21.g5 Re8 22.Kh1 Nc5 23.h4 Qd8 24.Rf3 Bf8 25.Rg3 e5 26.f5 Nd4 27.Qf1 Ndxb3 28.Nxb3 Nxb3 29.Qe1 Nc5 30.Qxb4 Bb7 31.Nd5 Ra4 32.Qd2 Bxd5 33.Qxd5 Rb4 34.Bf3 Qa8 35.Qd2 Qb7 36.Rg2 Rb8 37.Bd1 Qxe4 38.Bc2 Qxc4 39.g6 Rxb2 40.gxh7+ Kh8 41.Rbg1 Qxh4+ 42.Rh2 Qf4 0–1
  • 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
Bisguier,A-Petrosian,T-0–11954A33USA-URS4

But the great merit of this example is not really related to the outpost, or to the fact that Marin asks us to find the best move in the position which is a good exercise, but has to do with GM Marin's fondness for educational quotes. Here Marin quotes Bronstein and his famous book about the candidates tournament in Zurich 1953 (if you don't have the book, please buy it right now!). When annotating the first game in his book, Bronstein explains how he had trouble to understand the concept of weak squares until he realized that being weak on the dark squares also meant that your white squares are vulnerable - and vice versa.

Well, I read Bronstein's book, I watched the game Bronstein commented, but, to be honest, I did not really understand what Bronstein was talking about. But when GM Marin showed the game on the DVD, I understood right away!

The DVD contains 16 videos, and a database of 51 additional games and tests. Practically every video is followed by numerous games and tests to better understand the material GM Marin presents.

This DVD uses the new interactice ChessBase training system, which I saw for the first time when I bought the ChessBase Master Class Vol. 2 on Mihail Tal. With the two buttons "solution" and "try again" Marin from time to time stops his lecture at critical moments and asks the student to find the next move. Depending on the move the student proposes, he will get a different feedback, with a different little video clip.

Now what do we get from this DVD? We get a GM showing us critical moments in classical masterpieces, asking us to take decisions, and to find the right move for one side, and then we get the ideas behind the evaluation of the position. Practically we see what GM Marin thinks when he sees a certain position.

When I watch the videos I also open the game file, and I begin to fill that game with written notes, with arrows, with colored squares, so that when I finish the video, I have created a kind of colorful map which will show me the important points of that game. Doing this exercise over and over brings us on the road to strategic mastery.

Now, I'd like to add one game, for the reader's benefit, but I'd like to warn you that to watch the game is not like following GM Marin's warm and nice presentation full of quotes.

As a possible criticism, one of the games used as example in the video Portisch vs Korchnoi, was played by Marin: Marin vs Ponomariov, 2012, this game wasn't in the database provided. So I had to look in my own Megabase 2015, and found it fully annotated, the source was Chessbase Magazine 152. Apart this little game mishap, I consider this DVD a must for those who are seriously interested in deepening their knowledge and understanding of strategy.

Sample video

Mihail Marin: Power Strategy 2
The Middlegame - Static positions

• Video running time: 4 hours 37 min.
• With interactive training including video feedback
• Exclusive training database with 41 annotated games
• Including CB 12 Reader

€29.90
€25.13 without VAT (for Customers outside the EU)
$28.03 (without VAT)

This DVD can be be downloaded directly from the Internet, that way sparing you the few days needed for it to arrive by post.

Order this Fritztrainer in the ChessBase Shop

 


Davide is a chess aficionado who regularly reviews books and DVDs.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.