"You have to know fortresses, just like openings"

by ChessBase
9/23/2024 – If you don't know your opening variations inside out, you can be shipwrecked right from the start. If you don't know how to build a fortress, you will end up resigning some of your games without needing to. In the last issue of ChessBase Magazine, Dorian Rogozenco started his series “The fortress”, which will gradually develop into a systematic collection of classical fortresses. In the new issue CBM #221, he presents two related motifs from the endgame bishop+pawn vs. pawn. The former coach of the German national team starts by explaining the motifs in the video. This is followed by no less than five interactive videos in which you can playfully put your building skills to the test. Take a look at the CBM reading sample of the week!

ChessBase Magazine 221 ChessBase Magazine 221

Biel 2024 Chess Festival with analyses by Le Quang Liem, Donchenko, Bjerre and others. Sokolov, King and Zwirs show new opening ideas in the video. 10 repertoire articles from the Dutch to King's Indian and much more.

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"The fortress"  - free sample from ChessBase Magazine #221

Click on one of the following graphics to download the CBM reading sample as a ChessBase book.

In the second part of his new series, Dorian Rogozenco presents two closely related fortress motifs. Both times the attacker is a bishop up, in the first case the pawns are facing each other on h6 and h7 (or a6 and a7): 

In the second case, the pawn pair is merely shifted to the b- or g-file:

In both cases - provided the defender has reached one of the saving squares with the king - these are fortresses. In the second example, the defender must know a few of the attackers tricks, especially if the bishop has the option of sacrificing itself for the opponent’s pawn. The former coach of the German national team presents the finer points in his introductory video.

Fortress or not? Spassky-Fischer 1972

Following the introduction, Rogozenco makes a small digression: did Bobby Fischer have the chance to build a fortress in the first game of the 1972 World Championship match against Boris Spassky? 

Couldn't he have simply brought his king to c8 instead of the text move 50...a5 and thus  saved himself with a draw? It almost looks like it, because with a slightly different pawn constellation – with the white pawn on a5 instead of on a4 – we would have one of the fortresses on the board that Rogozenco discusses in the introductory video.

But there is just this one small difference. With the pawn on a4, White can create a "Zugzwang" position in which Black has to advance his a-pawn. White then plays Kd6 or Kd7, wins Black's a-pawn and then the game by advancing his own a-pawn.

Interactive training videos

If you really want to memorise the two fortress motifs, you should definitely play through the five interactive videos with which Dorian Rogozenco concludes his article. Here is one of the more advanced training questions (interactive video 3):

Black to move and draw – if you know the fortress motif, the solution to the problem is almost ‘obvious’. Have fun with Dorian Rogozenco's new column!

Tip: If you subscribe to ChessBase Magazine as a download, you already have full access to CBM #221 as a ChessBase Book with your ChessBase account. Simply log in to ChessBase  Books with your ChessBase account. If you have purchased CBM #221 on DVD, unlock the ChessBase Book at the same place using the serial number from your booklet (on page 2)!

Highlights of CBM #221

From the Biel 2024 Chess Festival to a universal setup against the Dutch and Jan Markos' "Practical Tips for the Tournament Player" to the series "The Fortress" with Dorian Rogozenco:

Over 5 hours of video playing time with Daniel King, Rainer Knaak, Jan Markos, Mihail Marin, Karsten Mueller, Oliver Reeh, Robert Ris, Dorian Rogozenco, Ivan Sokolov and Nico Zwirs!

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