1/16/2022 – Years ago the great Mikhail Tal pithily expounded a critical aspect of all out attacking chess, noting that it is only possible to capture one piece at a time. In full battle cry, Tal’s instinct was not to retreat attacked pieces, especially minor pieces — but to pour more oil on the fire by putting further units en prise! Jonathan Speelman explores this theme using games by Tal and Fischer, as well as more recent examples. | Pictured: Fischer and Tal in Zurich, 1959 / Photo via skaksogufelagid.is
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One piece at a time
[Note that Jon Speelman also looks at the content of the article in video format, here embedded at the end of the article.]
Years ago the great Mikhail Tal pithily expounded a critical aspect of all out attacking chess: “They can only take one piece at a time” (I don’t have the exact quote but know the gist).
In full battle cry, Tal’s instinct was not to retreat attacked pieces, especially minor pieces: but to pour more oil on the fire by putting further units en prise. Not only was this often the correct tactical decision, but it could also have a powerful psychological effect, though the example we start with is absolutely sound.
Tal vs. Chikovani (1968)
Here Black played 18...h6?, presumably intending to get some play after 19 Bxh6 Ng4, but 19 Bxe6! was utterly devastating, and Tal won a few moves later.
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I've picked this game up only for Black's mistake in the diagram and
Tal's energetic refutation.1.c4c62.e4d53.exd5cxd54.d4Nf65.Nc3e66.Nf3Be77.cxd5Nxd58.Bd3Nc69.0-00-010.Re1Nf611.a3b612.Bc2Ba612...Bb713.Qd3g613...Rc8?14.d5exd515.Bg5Ne415...g616.Rxe7Qxe717.Nxd5+-16.Nxe4dxe417.Qxe4g618.Qh4±14.Bh6Re815.Rad113.Bg513.b4Bc414.b5Na515.Ne5Rc816.Re3g6∞Buturin, V-Savon,V/Lvov/1981/0,5/46/13...Rc814.Qd214.Rc1Nd515.Bxe7Ncxe716.Qd2Qd617.Ne5Nxc318.bxc3f619.Bd3!Bxd320.Nxd3Brinck Claussen,
B-Danielsen,H/Copenhagen/ 1991/1:0/38/14...Qd614...Na5!?15.Rad1Nc416.Qc1Qc717.d5!Nxa318.d6!Novik
M-Vasiukov,E/Leningrad/1991/0, 5/34/15.Rad1Rfd816.Bb116.Bb3Na517.Ba2Bc417...Nc418.Qe2Nd519.Bxe7Nxc320.bxc3Qxe7∞18.Bb1Nd5=16...Qb816...Na5!?17.Qc2g618.Ba2
18...h6?18...Na519.Ne5Bc420.Nxc4Nxc421.Qe2b519.Bxe6!19.Bxh6Ng419...hxg519...fxe620.Qxg6+Kh821.Bxf6++-19...Kg720.Bxf7hxg520...Kxf721.Ne5++-21.Qxg6+Kf822.Nxg5+-20.Qxg6+
Unsurprisingly, Black is now slaughtered on the white squares.Kh821.Qh6+Kg822.Nxg5Rf822...fxe623.Qg6+Kf823...Kh824.Nf7#24.Nxe6#23.Re423.Qg6+Kh824.Bxf7+-23.Re4Qd624.Qg6+Kh825.Rh4+Nh726.Qxh7#1–0
Mikhail Tal in Hoogeveen, 1976 | Photo: Rob Meremiet / Anefo
I was reminded of Tal’s quote by a game played earlier this week in Yerevan, which I saw online as the days ticked down to the beginning of Wijk aan Zee.
Petrov vs. Hovik (2022)
Black had just played 17...Bh4-d8, believing that he could thus keep his position intact. But the beautiful 18 Nf5! crushed his hopes, and in fact he resigned just three moves later faced with mate-in-one!
I saw this game on Monday January 10th and very much liked the tactic in
the diagram.1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3a66.Bg5Nbd77.Bc4e68.Qe2Qa58...b59.Bb39.Bxe6is always to be considered in this type of
position but much more effective when the f8 bishop has moved so that he
can follow up with Nxg7+-Nf5.9...Nc510.0-0-0h611.Bh4Bb712.e5g513.Bg3Nfe414.Nxe4Nxe415.exd6Bg716.d7+Kf817.Rhe1Qb618.Nxe6+fxe619.Qf3+Ke720.Rxe4Bxe421.Qxe41-0 (21) Nepomniachtchi,I (2776)-Ding
Liren (2811) chess.com INT 20199.f4Be710.0-0-0Nb6?!10...h611.Bh411.Bb3?!11.Nb3!Qb412.Bxa6!bxa613.Rd4Nc414.Rxc4Qb8±11...h612.Bh4Nbd713.Kb1Nc514.e5dxe515.fxe5Nd516.Nxd5Bxh417.Qh5Bd8?Trying to keep the position intact, but it loses.
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The pretty self fork set me thinking, and I began by finding a short video by Simon Williams on forks which included a famous game in which Bobby Fischer self forked against Tal and got the advantage but later lost.
Fischer vs. Tal (Candidates, 1959)
13.Bd5! Ra7 followed.
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I'm mainly interested in the self fork rather than the details of this
important and highly complex battle.1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3a66.Bc4e67.Bb37.0-0Be78.Bb3Qc79.f4b510.f5b411.fxe6!?11.Nce2e512.Nf3Bb7-+11...bxc312.exf7+Kf813.Bg5Ng4!-+Fischer,R-Blackstone,J Davis sim 1964
7...b5!7...Be7?8.f40-09.Qf3Qc710.f5!10.0-0?b511.f5b4!12.Na4e513.Ne2Bb710...e510...Nc611.Be311.Nde2b512.a3Bb713.g48.f4!?8.0-0Be78...b49.Na4Nxe410.Re1Nf611.Bg59.Qf3!?Qc79...Bb7?10.Bxe6!10.Qg3b411.Nce2g612.a3?12.Bh6!12...Nxe413.Qe3Nf614.axb40-0∞
Fischer,R-Olafsson, F Buenos Aires 19608.Qf3Bb79.Bg5b410.Na4Nbd711.0-0Qa512.Bxf6Nxf613.Rfe1Be7=Byrne,R-Evans,L ch-USA 19678...b4!9.Na4Nxe49...Bb710.0-0g6?10...Bb711.f5!gxf511...exf512.Bd5Ra713.Nxf5!gxf514.Qd4+-12.Nxf5Rg8
12...d513.Nh6Bxh614.Bxh612...exf5?13.Qd5Ra714.Qd4+-13.Bd5!Ra713...exd514.Qxd5Bxf515.Rxf5Ra716.Qxe4+Re717.Qxb4Re218.Bg5!Rxg519.Rxg5Qxg520.Qxb8++-Panov,V14.Bxe4This was
given a ? in the bulletin and Megabase notes, but my engine thinks that
it's actually best.14.Be3!Nc515.Qh5!Rg615...Nxa416.Bxa7exd517.Rae1+16.Rae1!14...exf515.Bxf515.Bd515.Bf315...Re7!16.Bxc8Qxc817.Bf4?17.c3!Qc618.Rf2±17.Qxd6?Rxg2+18.Kxg2Re2+19.Kf3Bxd620.Kxe2Qxc2+-+17...Qc6!18.Qf3Qxa4!18...Qxf319.Rxf3Re220.Rf2Rxf221.Kxf219.Bxd6Qc6!20.Bxb8Qb6+20...Qxf321.Rxf3Bg722.c3±21.Kh1Qxb822.Qc6+22.Rae1Kd8!22...Rg6?23.Qxf7+Kd724.Rd1+!Rd625.Rxd6+Kxd626.Rf6++-23.Rd1+Kc7!23...Kc8?24.Qc6++-24.Qf4+24.Rd4Qb7!24...Kb725.Rd6Qc726.Qxb4+Kc827.Rxa6Qb7!28.Qxb7+Kxb729.Raf6Rg7=22...Rd723.Rae1+23.Rad1Bd624.Rxf724.Rf6Rg625.Rdxd6?Qxd6!24...Qc723.Rxf7Qd623...Be7
23...Kd824.Rxf7!Be725.Rfxe7Rxe726.Rd1++-24.Rxf7Kxf725.Qe6+Kf8!25...Kg726.Qxd7+-26.Qxd726.Rf1+Kg727.Rf7+Kh828.Qxd7Rd829.Qg4Qe5-+26...Qd6Now Black is clearly better.27.Qb7Rg628.c3!a528...bxc329.Qc8+Bd830.Qxc3=29.Qc8+29.cxb4!Qxb429...axb430.a3!bxa331.bxa3Qxa3=30.Qf3+Kg731.Qe2N29...Kg730.Qc4Bd831.cxb4axb431...Qxb432.Qe2=not sure about the equals. Houdini gives
Rd632.g3?32.Qe4Bc733.Qe7+Kg834.Qe8+Qf835.Qe4=32...Qc6+33.Re4Qxc434.Rxc4Rb6!34...Be7?35.a3b336.Rc7Re637.Rb735.Kg2Kf636.Kf3Ke537.Ke337.a3b3!37...bxa3?38.bxa3=37...Bg5+38.Ke238.Kd3Rd6+39.Kc2Rd2+40.Kb3Be738...Kd539.Kd3Bf640.Rc2?40.b3Be741.Rd4+40...Be541.Re2Rf642.Rc2Rf3+43.Ke2Rf744.Kd3Bd4!45.a345.b3Rf3+46.Ke2Rf2+47.Kd3Rxc248.Kxc2Ke4-+45...b346.Rc846.Re2Rf3+47.Kd2Bxb2-+46.Rd2Rf3+47.Ke2Rf2+-+46...Bxb247.Rd8+Kc648.Rb8Rf3+49.Kc4Rc3+50.Kb4Kc751.Rb5Ba152.a4
Forking your own pieces requires bottle, and I’ve entitled the column with this in mind while taking a small sideswipe at our “Great Leader” as people familiar with UK politics will note.
I began to wonder how (un)common self forking is and searched through a database of just over 3 million games, first for those which reached a position with Nd5, Nf5 versus d6, e6, f7, and then Bd5, Nf5 versus the same pawns. There were about a hundred of the former and fifty odd of the latter, including a well known theoretical position in the Sicilian Velimirovic attack.
And while a good proportion of these saw the e-pawn advance to fork the pieces, there were also many in which the pieces self forked. There must also be occasional instances of self forks with other pieces on other squares or played by Black, but I suspect that they are rarer.
In any case, if you know of any of these, please do mention them in the comments here or email me direct and I’ll publish them in due course.
For the moment, a few more examples of the 2-knight self fork and the bishop-and-knight.
This is a fairly well known theoretical error because it
encourages the hit14...Bf6is one playable move15.Bg5Bxg516.Qxg5Nc617.a3h618.Qe3Rc819.f4Nxd420.Rxd4Bc621.h3a522.g4e523.fxe5dxe524.Rd2Qe725.Nd5Bxd526.exd5a427.Ba2Nd628.Qxe5Qh429.Rde2Rcd830.Kg2Rfe831.Qg3Rxe2+32.Rxe2Qf633.c3Qg634.Qe1Qg535.Re5Qf436.Qe3Qf637.Bb1g638.Qd4Kh739.Bd3Rd740.Qe3Kg741.Kg3Rc742.Qf4Qxf4+43.Kxf4Kf644.h4Kg745.Ke3Kf646.Kd4g547.hxg5+hxg548.Re2Rc849.Rh2Ke750.Rh6Rb851.Rh5Rg852.Kc5Rc8+53.Kb4Nc454.Rxg5Nxb255.Bxb51-0 (55) Vachier Lagrave,M (2758)-Wojtaszek,R (2744) Beijing CHN 201415.Nd5!Bd8If15...exd516.Nxc6Bxc617.exd516.Nf5!exf517.exf5Threatening Rxe8Ne517...Bxf518.Rxe8Bg619.Rxf8+Kxf820.Qxd6+Kg821.Re1Ba522.Nf6+Kh823.c3Bc724.Re8+Rxe825.Bxg7+Kxg726.Nxe8+1-0 (26) Kulaots,K (2566)-Agopov,M (2445) Finland FIN 2016 [Speelman,Jonathan]
18.Rxe5!dxe519.f6!g620.Ne7+Black resigned here a few years
later in a game Rublevsky v ZudeBxe720...Kh821.Qxe5Rg822.Nxg8Kxg823.Qc521.fxe7Ng722.Qxe51–0
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