The Winning Academy 39: There is an Animal in the Trap!

by Jan Markos
11/5/2024 – Club players love to attack against the king. Perhaps it has something to do with the ancient hunting instincts. After all, most young footballers want to play strikers. Almost no one wants to defend. Grandmasters love to attack as well. However, they understand that there are many more creatures to be hunted, not only the king. Basically, every piece can become a prey! A professional chess player is hunting on the entire board. And he or she is satisfied with a knight or a rook if the monarch can’t be trapped. With a material advantage, the mate will come. Let us have a look at several examples in which a strong player traps and hunts down a piece of the opponent.
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Let us start with a simple example.

Vidit-Pichot, FIDE World Cup 2019, White to move:

Despite the limited material White is pressing. All his pieces are in active positions. But where to strike? Vidit can create a passed pawn on the e-file or push f5-f6 and restrict Black’s king a bit. However, the piece in biggest danger is not the king. It is the c5-knight!

Vidit played 34.Bd5, attacking f7 and robbing the knight of the b3-square. Black responded 34…h6. This might look like a blank move, but Pichot has little to do anyway. 34...g5 does not help, as f5-f6 would come later.

Now it is time to attack the prey:

35.Kd4 Nb3+ 36.Bxb3 Rxc6

It seems that Black found a witty way out of his problems, but now Vidit returns his attention to the king.

37.Ra8+ Ke7 38.Ba4 +-

The rook can’t move because of the mate on e8. White is winning.

Here's the complete game:

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1.Nf3 The first game of Round 1 had ended in a peaceful draw. Going into this game, I didn't know what opening to expect from Alan, as he had been changing his lines quite often. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 1-0 (32) Anand,V (2787)-Topalov,V (2805) Sofia BUL 2010 1...d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 c6!? The first surprise. Everything was blitzed instantly. In fact, throughout the game Alan was playing very quickly. A couple of months ago, Nikita Vitiugov played c6 against me. It was a very sharp game which eventually ended in a draw. I didn't repeat the line, as I expected him to improve on the game. 5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 a5 7.Qc2 Bxd2+ 8.Qxd2 c6 9.a4 is a more common move order to reach the position in the game. 6.a4 A more solid approach. Typical for the World Cup! 6.Ne5 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Be7 8.e3 b5 9.Nxc6 Nxc6 10.Bxc6+ Bd7 11.Bxa8 Qxa8 12.f3 e5 13.dxe5 Ng4 14.0-0 Nxe5 15.Bc3 Nd3 16.b3 0-0 17.bxc4 bxc4 18.Nd2 Bh3 19.Nxc4 Bxf1 20.Kxf1 Rd8 21.Bd4 Bf6 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.Qe2 Qc8 24.Nd2 Nc1 25.Qe1 Nd3 26.Qe2 Nc1 27.Qe1 Nd3 1/2-1/2 (27) Vidit,S (2711) -Vitiugov,N (2726) Prague 2019 6...Bb4+!? 6...c5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.dxc5 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bxc5 10.Nbd2 leads to a typical catalan endgame. I feel White has some pressure here. 7.Bd2 7.Nbd2 b5 leads to more unclear lines. 7...a5 8.Qc2 By a very strange move order, we have transposed into a very topical line. Usually this position is reached via 5...Bb4+. Bxd2+ 9.Qxd2 b5!? Almost a forgotten line. I remember first seeing this in the WCh match Anand-Topalov. 9...Ne4 is more trendy, nowadays. The lines are very complex and fun to analyze :) 10.Qf4 Qb6 11.0-0 Qxb2 12.Ne5 0-0 13.Na3 Nc3 14.Qe3 is one example of a complete mess! 10.axb5 The most common move. 10.Na3 led to the famous Catalan victory of Vishy over Topalov. Bd7 11.Ne5 Nd5 12.e4 Nb4 13.0-0 0-0 14.Rfd1 Be8 15.d5 Qd6 16.Ng4 Qc5 17.Ne3 N8a6 18.dxc6 bxa4 19.Naxc4 Bxc6 20.Rac1 h6 21.Nd6 Qa7 22.Ng4 Rad8 23.Nxh6+ gxh6 24.Qxh6 f6 25.e5 Bxg2 26.exf6 Rxd6 27.Rxd6 Be4 28.Rxe6 Nd3 29.Rc2 Qh7 30.f7+ Qxf7 31.Rxe4 Qf5 32.Re7 1-0 (32) Anand,V (2787)-Topalov,V (2805) Sofia BUL 2010 10...cxb5 11.Qg5 0-0 12.Qxb5 Ba6 13.Qa4 13.Qxa5 Bb7 14.Qxd8 Rxa1! The point of the entire variation. 15.Qxf8+ Kxf8 16.0-0 Ra2!= 13...Qb6 14.0-0 14.Nbd2 I couldn't recall my analysis at this point. I remembered having the position until 18.Ne5. So I just had to figure out the right move order. Over the board I realized that starting with Nbd2 is incorrect. Bb5! 14...Qxb2 15.Rb1 Qc3 16.0-0+- Rfc1 comes next 15.Qa3 Nc6 Black has comfortable development. 14...Qxb2 14...Bb5 is not so effective like in 14.Nbd2, as the knight can come to c3, which is a much better square. 15.Nbd2 Bb5 16.Nxc4 Bxa4 17.Nxb2 Bb5 18.Ne5 Ra7 19.Nbc4N This novelty was suggested by my good friend, Deep Sengupta. It doesn't change the balance much, but at least leads to unknown positions, which worked out quite well in the game. Nbd7 Played within a minute's thought. At this point, I sank into a deep thought. I wanted to squeeze the maximum out of this position. 20.Nxa5 20.Nc6 Rc7! didn't seem much. 20.Rfc1 Nxe5 21.dxe5 Bxc4 22.Rxc4 Nd7= 20.Rxa5 Rxa5 21.Nxa5 Bxe2 22.Re1 Bh5 Compared to the game, Black has won a few tempi. 20...Bxe2 21.Rfe1 Bh5 21...Bb5 22.Nb7! 22.Reb1 Rb8 23.Bb7 During the game, I thought this is quite pretty, but apparently it's not the best. Raxb7 23...Ba6! saves the day, as no fork on c6 seems sufficient. 24.Nxb7 Rxb7 25.Ra5 Ba6 26.Rxb7 Bxb7 27.Ra7± is the point. 22...Rxa1 23.Rxa1 with some pressure. 22.Nac6 Rxa1 22...Rc7!? 23.Rac1 23.Ne7+ Kh8 24.Rec1 Rxc1+ 25.Rxc1 g5! 26.Rc7 Nxe5 27.dxe5 Ng8 28.Nc6 Bg6 looks like just a draw. 23.Rec1!? 23...Nb6 24.Rc5 23.Rxa1 Nxe5 24.dxe5 Nd7 25.f4 Re8 My opponent didn't take more than 15-20 minutes for his last 5 moves. I guess he felt that the position is just a draw. Objectively it should be, but practically I felt it's awkward to play with Black. 26.Ra7 Nc5 27.Kf2 Kf8 27...h6 with the idea of g5 made more sense. But the move in the game is also good enough. 28.Ke3 At this point I started to get a little ambitious. For example there are ideas of going Kd4 and almost trapping the knight on c5! Bg6 28...h6 still seemed better. 29.g4 29.Kd4 doesn't quite work, as the knight has just enough squares to escape: Nb3+ 30.Kc4 Nd2+ 31.Kc3 Be4!= 29...Rc8?! A strange decision. It made much more sense to exchange one pair of pawns on the kingside. 29...h5! 30.h3 hxg4 31.hxg4 White still keeps some pressure, but obviously compared to the game it's a much better version. 30.Ne7 I thought for a long time on this move. And I was quite low on time. I was trying to work out all the details after Ne7. On the other hand, retreating the knight to d4 also looked tempting. 30.f5 exf5 31.gxf5 Bxf5 32.Ne7 Re8 is the cute point! 33.Nxf5 Rxe5+ 34.Kf4 Nd3+ 35.Kg3 Rxf5 36.Be4 Re5 37.Ra8+ Ke7 38.Ra7+= 30.Nd4 f6 30...Nb3 31.Nxb3 Rc3+ 32.Kd4 Rxb3 33.f5! exf5 34.Ra8+ Ke7 35.Bc6! The point. It's not easy to avoid mate on e8 f6 36.Ra7+ Kd8 37.e6+- 31.h4± with pressure. 30...Rd8 31.f5 exf5 31...Rd3+ starting with check allows some extra options. 32.Ke2 32.Kf2 was my intention. It would transpose to the next note. 32...exf5 33.Nd5!? Surprisingly, the mate threat on a8 is very hard to meet! 33.Nc6!? f6 Only move. 34.e6 fxg4 35.e7+ Kf7 36.Ra8 Ke6! 37.e8Q+ Bxe8 38.Rxe8+ Kf7 39.Ra8 Rd6 and Black survives. 33...Ke8 33...Rxd5 34.Bxd5 fxg4 35.Ke3 Ne6 Although, I believe this should be a fortress. 34.Rc7!+- 32.gxf5 Bh5?! Played within few minutes! I was pleasantly surprised :) Clearly going for active counterplay made more sense. 32...Rd3+ 33.Kf2 Rd2+ 34.Kg1 Rd1+ 35.Bf1 Bh5 36.Nc6 When I played 30.Ne7 I was trying to understand this position. I felt it's dangerous, but objectively Black holds quite easily. 36.f6 Rd8 36...f6! 36...Ke8 37.e6!? 37.Kf2 Ne4+ 38.Kg2 Rd2+ 39.Kg1 Ng5 37...fxe6 38.fxe6 Nxe6 39.Re7+ Kf8 40.Rxe6 I thought this is winning, but Black survives by a miracle. Be8‼ 41.Na7 41.Kf2 Bd7! 41...Bd7 42.Re3 Ra1 36...g5!? 37.f6 Ke8 38.Re7+ Kf8 39.Rc7 I couldn't see further than this, but the position seemed dangerous for Black. Ke8 40.Nb8 Bg4! and Black kind of survives. 37.e6 Be8! 38.e7+ Kg8 39.Nd8 Ne4!= with a series of good moves, Black equalizes. 33.Nc6?! This worked out well in the game, but Nd5 was a better choice as it didn't allow the option of ...Rd3. 33.Nd5! Re8 33...Bg4!? 34.Ra5 Bh3!? Not easy to see! 35.e6! fxe6 36.fxe6 Bxe6 37.Nc7 37.Rxc5 Bxd5 38.Bxd5 g6 might objectively hold, although it's still very unpleasant. 37...Rd3+ 38.Kf2 Bh3 39.Bxh3 Rxh3 40.Kg2 Rc3 41.Rxc5! 34.Kd4 Nb3+ 35.Kc3 Nc1 35...Nc5 36.Kc4 and the knight is trapped! 36.Nb6!± with huge pressure 33...Rc8? Passive defence is terrible. Now all my pieces are centralized. Black had to go for active play. 33...Rd3+ 34.Kf2 34.Kf4 f6 35.exf6 gxf6 36.Rxh7 Bf7 It's not easy to convert the extra pawn. 34...g5! 34...Rd2+ 35.Kg3 35.h3± Black still has some problems to solve, but at least he is active. 34.Bd5+- The knight is trapped on c5! h6 34...g5 35.Kd4 Nb3+ 36.Bxb3 Rxc6 37.f6 Rc8 38.e6 fxe6 39.Rxh7+- 35.Kd4 Nb3+ 36.Bxb3 Rxc6 37.Ra8+ Ke7 38.Ba4+- Black can't save the rook and avoid mate on e8. Bf3 39.Ra7+ Kf8 40.Bxc6 Bxc6 41.Kc5 Be4 42.Kd6 g5 43.e6 1–0
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Vidit,S2718Pichot,A26001–02019E04FIDE World Cup1.2

***

Sometimes, it is not even clear which piece is being hunted.

Nepomniachtchi-Karjakin, Norway Chess Stavanger 2021, White to move:

This complicated position arose from the Berlin Defence. White is a pawn down, but Black’s pieces are scattered around the board. Nepo played the logical 18.b3, trapping the bishop on a2 and creating the threat of a fork on f7.

Now Karjakin can’t defend f7, so he at least moved the king away with 18…Kc8. But now, surprisingly, Nepo turned his attention to a completely different piece! He played 19.Nxf7 Rg6 20.Nh8!, beautifully trapping the black rook.

A fun fact: the a2-bishop survived till the end of the game. However, this did not help Karjakin at all. He lost rather convincingly.

Here's the complete game:

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Ke8 10.h3 h5 11.Bf4 Be7 12.Rad1 Be6 13.Ng5 Rh6 14.Rfe1 Rd8 This move has been played only four times. 14...Bb4 is supposed to be the critical move. It's been played countless times by Nakamura and other top players, Carlsen, Giri, and Karjakin himself. while from the White side you'll find more than 10 games by Vachier-Lagrave only! Did Karjakin really find a problem in this line or did he just want to - finally - go for a change? The future will tell us... 15.Rxd8+ Kxd8 16.Nce4N 16.Nxe6+ was played in the only existing game, but after Rxe6 17.Ne4 Ke8 Black was pretty solid. 16...c5 16...Rg6 17.Nxe6+ Rxe6 17...fxe6 would be awful as the g6-rook would be trapped! 18.g3 and White is better, which may not have been better had the Black pawn been on h4. 16...h4 is nevertheless too slow, as it allows 17.Nf6! as in the game 17.Nf6‼ Superb idea! Bxa2? 17...gxf6? 18.Nxe6+ fxe6 19.Bxh6 Nxh6 20.exf6 Bxf6 21.Rxe6 Ng8 22.c3 just looks lost for Black. White will push his kingside pawns. Black was right to remove his bishop from e6, but he had to move it to c4! 17...Bc4‼ Now Black wants to play ...gxf6, while after something like 18.Nge4 18.b3 gxf6 is just fine for Black. 18...Rh8 19.Rd1+ Kc8 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.Rxd5 Rd8 22.c4 b6 Black should be fine. 17...Rh8?! would be better than the game move, but Black would stand worse. 18.Nxe6+ fxe6 19.Rd1+ Kc8 20.Ne4 17...Bxf6?? 18.Nxe6++- 18.b3 The f7-pawn is undefendable! Kc8 19.Nxf7 Rg6 20.Nh8! The rook is trapped! Rxf6 21.exf6 Bxf6 22.Be5 Bxe5 22...c4 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.b4 should also be an easy win for White. 23.Rxe5 Nd4 24.Rxc5 b6 25.Rc4! c5 26.Ra4 Bb1 27.c3! 27.Rxa7 Bxc2 28.Rxg7 Bxb3 29.Ng6 may also be winning for White, but giving Black two passed pawns on the queenside would just be a nonsense. 27...Nc6 27...Nxb3 28.Rxa7 would be a totally different story, as White remains with a pawn on c3! 28.Nf7 Bc2 29.Ra3! This kind of passive move is generally not advised, but the rook is only temporarily misplaced. White will relocate his knight and later remove his rook from a3. a5 29...Kc7 preventing the white knight from relocating so quickly would allow 30.b4! which surely explains Karjakin's ...a5. 30.Nd6+ Kc7 31.Nc4 Black is now unable to push ...b5 due to Nxa5 and is basically without plan. Even if the king was on a6, after ...b5 White would still have Nxa5! with the idea of ...Nxa5 b4. Na7 32.Ne3 Bh7 33.b4! Nb5 34.Ra1 cxb4 34...Nxc3 35.bxc5 is also hopeless. 35.cxb4 axb4 36.Nd5+ Kd6 37.Nxb4 This may look like a slightly early resignation as Black could dream of some counterplay with his b-pawn, but White could even sac his knight for it if he collects Black's pawns on the kingside, and be completely winning. 1–0
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Nepomniachtchi,I2792Karjakin,S27581–02021C67Norway Chess 9th1

***

When a piece is trapped, it is usually harmless. Therefore, sometimes a player can afford to leave it alive for a while.

Nepomniachtchi-Vachier Lagrave, Jerusalem FIDE GP 2019, White to move:

Of course, White could consume the knight with 24.Kxg2. However, after 24…Qc6+ 25.e4 Qb6 Black has enough compensation for the piece due to the shaky position of White’s monarch.

Nepo understood that he can use his right to move better. After all, the meal on g2 can wait.

24.Ne4!!

Relatively simple, but beautiful. The knight is heading for f6.

24…Rd8 25.Rc1!

Another very precise move. White needs to keep the rook to protect its back rank.

Please, check the full game in the replay window. I will only put the final position here, so that you can see that the poor g2 knight survived till the very end…

Facing mate or material losses, "MVL" gave up.

Here's the complete game:

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1.e41,166,62354%2421---
1.d4947,29855%2434---
1.Nf3281,60256%2441---
1.c4182,10256%2442---
1.g319,70256%2427---
1.b314,26554%2427---
1.f45,89748%2377---
1.Nc33,80151%2384---
1.b41,75648%2380---
1.a31,20654%2404---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d395450%2378---
1.g466446%2360---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c343351%2426---
1.h328056%2418---
1.a411060%2466---
1.f39246%2436---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.d4 Here we are, the big match of the semi-final of the Jerusalem Grand Prix. MVL needs to win this match to secure a spot in the next candidates tournament, and Nepomniachtchi needs to win this match as well as the final to qualify and eliminate MVL! This is the first game of their encounter. Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 Of course the Frenchman sticks to his beloved Grünfeld Defence. The opening is clearly going to be decisive, as Nepo is also a specialist of the Grünfeld with Black. Let's see what he has prepared for this crucial game. 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 So Nepo choses the Russian variation which is among the main and most complicated lines against the Grünfeld. dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 Nc6!? That's one of the critical attempts by Black and MVL is really used to playing it. True, he has also tried other lines such as 7...a6, 7...c6 or 7...6, but for the important games he usually goes for this one. The basic idea is to get counterplay on the dark central squares by means of ...e5, ...4 and sometimes ...7-b6 to open the diagonal of the bishop on g7. 8.Be3 A first surprise by Nepo. This is not known as a main move, and it has been tried from time to time by players since this game. The idea is quite logical though, White simply defends his central dark squares. 8.Be2 e5 9.d5 Nd4 10.Nxd4 exd4 11.Qxd4 c6 MVL has played this variation many times in the last decades, the first time being in the game 1-0 (43) Morozevich,A (2694)-Vachier Lagrave,M (2722) Biel 2011. Black usually sacrifices pawns after 12.4 b5 and the game is extremely complicated. But in general Black is doing fine and it's totally MVL's type of position 8...Ng4 8...Bg4 This is the other way of playing for Black, instead of challenging the bishop on e3, it challenges the knight on f3. 9.e5 Nd7 10.0-0-0 Nb6 11.Qc5 Bxf3 12.gxf3 e6 13.f4 Ne7 14.h4 1-0 (37) Indjic,A (2607)-McShane,L (2674) Lichess.org INT 2021. White has interesting prospects on the kingside. 9.e5!? Nepo closes the centre. That prevents any reaction such as ...e5 by Black. And a pawn on e5 is always a good thing to start an attack on the kingside. On the other hand, the light squares are not so happy about it. Nxe3?! Black decides to take immediately, that's necessary if he wants to continue with his next move. But that's also what White was waiting for. 9...Be6! 10.Qa4! 0-1 (30) Ivanisevic,I (2606)-Savchenko,B (2538) Tornelo INT 2021. And now, instead of 10...a6 played in the game, it's apparently better to continue with the following line: 10.Qb5?! That's not a great square for the queen. a6! 11.Qc5 11.Qxb7? This is way too dangerous to accept the offer. Nxe3 12.fxe3 Qd7! A very nice quiet move. Black protects the knight and the queen is basically trapped on b7. 13.d5 Bxd5 14.Rd1 Rfb8 15.Nxd5 Rxb7 16.Nf6+ exf6 17.Rxd7 Rxb2 White remains with a poor position. 11...a5 This provides the b4-square to the knight. 12.d5 Nb4 13.dxe6 Nc2+ 14.Ke2 Nxa1 15.h3 Nxe3 16.fxe3 fxe6 0-1 (51) Indjic,A (2607)-Svidler,P (2714) Chess.com INT 2021. And again it's far from being great for White. 10...Nxe3 11.fxe3 Bd7 12.Qb3 Na5 13.Qa3 c5! This sacrifices a pawn for interesting compensation. 10.fxe3 Bg4 10...Na5! instead was probably the best way to go for Black. He wants to play with ...c5 on the next move, and that's something tough to prevent. 11.Qd5 11.Qa4 c5= 11...c5 12.Qxc5 Be6 This is a pawn down for Black, but better chances than in the game. 11.h3 This forces Black to take an immediate decision, and there is no other but to take on f3. Bxf3 12.gxf3 So, a little break needs to be taken here. We have a position with opposite coloured bishops on the board. Also White's pawn structure is a little bit odd, but dense in the centre, and with interesting prospects on the kingside. That's the type of position White was wanting to get when he prepared. e6 13.h4! Of course, it stops ...4+ and starts the attack immediately. Ne7 14.f4± White is stable and he already enjoys a great position. Black needs to find a way to react quickly, and that's what he did immediately. b5!? Black seeks for counterplay. After this move, it becomes more complicated for White to consider castling to the queenside, so the king will have to remain in the centre. Positionally speaking, on the other hand, this doesn't look great for Black because of the c5-square. But MVL is playing for the dynamics of the position! 15.Qc5! Nepo ignores the pawn and moves his queen on to an active and safe square. 15.Nxb5?! Nd5 16.Kf2 f6 Contrary to the game, the king doesn't feel really safe there. 15...Nf5 16.Kf2! The king is ok and useful here, it protects the pawn on e3. f6 Of course, he tries to get counterplay on the f-file, where the king stands. 16...Nxh4?! 17.Bxb5 Nf5 18.Ne4+- White has full control over the position, and the pawn he lost on h4 just opened some lines for him. 17.Rd1? The only mistake committed by Nepo in the game. He gives MVL a chance. 17.Ne4!? fxe5 18.dxe5 Bh6 19.Re1! Rf7 20.Bg2+- Black starts to run out of useful moves. White has stabilised his position and he remains much better, and already winning according to computers. 17...b4! MVL takes his chance, he sacrifices the b-pawn again, to activate the rook. This time, it's hard not to take it for White. If the knight moves, the rook is no longer protected on d1. 18.Qxb4 Rb8 19.Qa3 White can't allow himself to give away the pawn on b2. fxe5? A bad mistake. After that, there is no other way for Black is order to break the centre, except sacrificing the bishop on e5. And that's not gonna work. 19...c5! The commentators couldn't believe that MVL didn't go for this move. For a Grünfeld player, it looks so natural. 20.dxc5 Qc7 That's still better for White according to Stockfish, thanks to the two extra pawns, but objectively, everything can happen here. 20.dxe5 Qe8 21.Bg2 Bxe5!? Black can't really do anything else but to try something, otherwise he is almost paralysed. But that's condemned by the computer, and it's going to be refuted by Nepo. 22.fxe5 Nxh4+ 23.Kg1 Nxg2 The bishop is the main defender of the king, so this is the only move that has a chance to work. 24.Ne4‼ The knight is trapped on g2, and Nepo's knight heads toward f6. Black is helpless. 24.Kxg2? This would blow this advantage away! Qc6+ 25.e4 Qb6 26.Rhf1 Qe3 27.Rf6 Rbd8!= And the game should finish into a perpetual somewhere! 24...Rd8 25.Rc1! Keeping the rooks on the board prevents any invasion on the first rank. Qb5 26.Qe7 Rd7 27.Nf6+ 27.Qxe6+ Kh8 28.Nf6+- That was also strong and winning for White. 27...Rxf6 28.Qxf6 Rf7 29.Qd8+ Rf8 29...Kg7 30.Rxc7 Qf1+ That may seem scary, but Black is soon out of checks. 31.Kh2 Qf2 32.Qf6+! This move decides the game. Qxf6 33.exf6+ Kxf6 34.Rxf7+ Kxf7 35.Kxg2+- And the game is over. 30.Qxc7 Rf7 31.Qd8+ Rf8 32.Qe7 Now that there is no longer a pawn on c7, 32...7 loses to 33.8 with a mate to follow. h5 33.Qxe6+ Kg7 34.Rc7+ Kh6 35.Rxh5+! Nepo finishes this game in style. Kxh5 36.Qh3+! MVL doesn't want to see anymore of this game, and he resigned without playing the following variation. Such an important win in Nepo's carreer. He won this semi-final, then he outplayed Wei Yi in the final and qualified for the candidates tounament. So this game was one of his main steps on his way towards the world championship match against Carlsen. 36.Qh3+ Kg5 37.Qxg2+ Kh6 38.Qh2+ Kg5 39.Qg3+ Kf5 39...Kh6 40.Qh4# 39...Kh5 40.Rh7# 40.Qf4+ Ke6 41.Qxf8+- Black has no check, he is a full rook behind and his king is gonna get mated... 1–0
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Nepomniachtchi,I2767Vachier Lagrave,M27801–02019D97Jerusalem FIDE GP3.1

***

Sometimes, a piece is trapped but it can not be consumed. Here is an amusing example.

Grandelius-Karjakin, Tata Steel 2022, White to move:

The h7-knight is trapped. Also the g6-bishop is more or less immobile, as it has to guard the knight for eternity. On the other hand both White’s minor pieces are creating a cage for the black king. So, the black monarch is also trapped! The prey has become the hunter.

Both armies are kind of stuck. Black can’t manoeuvre with his e5-bishop because of his weak back rank, and the c8-bishop is much restricted.

So, both players have nothing to do. In the following three moves White played 30.Re2, 31.Re4 and 32.Re3. After a few more moves, a draw was agreed.

Here's the complete game:

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 The Petroff! As Karjakin was one of Nepomniatschi's seconds for the World Championship match, it was of course a reasonable possibility. On the other hand, Karjakin has never in his life played the Petroff before, and in a previous round of the tournament he already played 2...Nc6 against Esipenko. Therefore, I can't say I focused particularly much on preparing for the Petroff in this game. 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 Nd7!? A rare but smart move order, which I had actually just overlooked in my preparations. 7...0-0 8.Qd3 was my intention, and now after Nd7 9.0-0-0 Nc5 10.Qc4! Black can't play ...d5. 8.Qd3 Qd3 looks like a funny square, but the idea was invented by Jorden Van Foreest and actually makes a lot of sense. The queen on d3 hits h7, which means that a later h4 Ng5 will be tough for Black to handle. I can't say that I'm a big expert on this line, but thought that it looked interesting enough for a game. Nc5! The big difference. By delaying short castle for a move Black gains some extra possibilities. 9.Bxc5?! After a long think I decided not to tempt fate but go for a solid approach, due to misevaluating the arising endgame. 9.Qc4 seemed to me much less impressive here, as Black can go d5! immediately. 10.Qf4 c6 followed by Ne6 and/or Bd6 looks absolutely fine for Black. 9.Qe2!? was the more ambitious option though. It looked a bit too odd for me during the game, but as my move was completely harmless, Qe2 is probably the way. 0-0 10.0-0-0 Ne4 and now for instance something like 11.Rg1!? Intending g4. Certainly not better for White objectively, but still the sort of interesting position one is looking for when playing 8.Qd3. 9...dxc5 10.Qxd8+ Bxd8 11.Bc4 0-0 12.0-0-0 Basically I thought my slight lead in development should give me some initiative, which Karjakin with accurate play would be likely to neutralize. However, this seems to be a bit of a misevaluation. Within the next couple of moves Black easily catches up in development, after which the two bishops are clearly the most important factor. It turns out that White is the one having to be careful here. Re8?! 12...Bf6 was the more natural option, and the move I expected. 13.h3 Was my intention, but now Black has a better version than the game. 13.Rhe1 Bg4 is annoying. 13...Re8! 13...Bf5 14.g4 Be4 15.Bd5! is just equal. 14.Rhe1 Rxe1 15.Rxe1 Bd7 16.Ne5 Be8 Compared to the game Black has gotten Bf6 basically for free. It's of course still not a lot, but I certainly wouldn't enjoy facing Karjakin with White here... 13.Rhe1?! 13.h4!? was even more accurate to equalize the game completely. Bg4 13...h6 14.Ne5! is the tactical point - now there is no Bg5+. 14.Rde1 Bf6 15.Ng5 Black will have to take the knight, after which it's very close to a draw. 13...Rxe1 14.Rxe1 Bd7 15.h4 Kf8 Until now there hasn't really been much content in the game at all, and normally one would ask why I chose to annotate this game at all. But the reason starts from this moment on. Instead of playing a normal move, after which Black is pleasant but perhaps not really better, I decided to go for a line which seemed to me quite risky, but also very unusual and interesting. 16.Ng5?! Although it makes the game enjoyable to watch, I still have to be honest and admit that objectively, my position now turns rather risky. 16.g3 f6 17.Be6 Be8! Black is very slightly better, although White of course should hold. 16...b5 The critical move. 17.Nxh7+?! Again, the question mark is for the objective evaluation, although by now I am just following what I intended on my last move. Kg8 18.Bd3 Bxh4 19.g3 Bd8 20.f4 f6 The point of the whole tactical sequence over the last few moves. The knight is trapped for basically the rest of the game, but on the other hand Black's king is also trapped and I do have a plan of pushing my kingside pawns. In hindsight, I was a bit too optimistic before reaching the position, as my 'attack' really isn't going anywhere at all. Still, it is also rather difficult for Black to activate the pieces. 20...c4 21.Be4 c6 was of course technically possible, but after 22.Ng5 I have traded a set of pawns and it should be rather drawish. 21.Bg6 c6?! 21...Rb8! was the move I feared the most during the game. Black is trying to untangle slowly with Rb6-d6 etc. 22.Rd1 bothered Karjakin, but Bc6 now 'threatens' Be7, and after 23.Re1 Rb6! Black will be able to regroup. It's still very hard to make further progress after for instance 24.f5 c4 25.g4 Bd7 but at least Black is making progress. 22.c4!? An interesting, perhaps even beautiful, but also rather unnecessary idea. 22.f5 was perfectly possible immediately, just pushing the pawns. Bc7 23.g4 Be5 and now the simplest is probably 24.Kb1 After which the knight is ready to get out to g5. White is at least not worse! 22...bxc4 23.c3?! 23.f5 should definitely have been played. I hadn't yet realized just how important it was to keep Black's bishop out. c3 bothered me during the game, but I have 24.Rd1 cxb2+ 25.Kb1! after which Black should force a draw with Be8! 23...Bc7 24.Re3 In order to play f5 and g4. Rd8? Missing an excellent practical chance. 24...Bh3! The computer points out that this is a very decent try for Black. We both didn't really consider letting my rook enter on e7, but that turns out to be empty activity. 25.Re8+‼ A fantastic resource, pointed out by Karjakin's second Denis Khismatullin. Neither me nor Karjakin were close to spotting it during the game. 25.Re7? Bd6 26.Rb7 Looks active, but after the simple Be6-+ There isn't really any defence against Kh8 Bg8 eventually. 25...Rxe8 26.Nxf6+! is the point. gxf6 27.Bxe8 And although Black is a full bishop up and there is a lot of material on the board, it seems to be fortress. White simply goes with the king to e3/f2/f3 and uses the bishop to never let Black enter g4 with the king. The rest of the board is blocked and the bishop always has enough squares, so at least as far as I and Khismatullin can tell it's just a draw! 25.f5 Now I have time for both f5 and g4, after which the c8-bishop is not stronger than my h7-knight! Bc8 26.Kc2 Be5 27.g4 Rd3 28.Re4 28.Rxd3?? cxd3+ 29.Kxd3 Ba6+ and the bishop is out, after which Black in essence is playing with two extra pieces. 30.c4 Bxb2 would be a draw if I was allowed to pass, but due to zugzwang I am losing the c4-pawn. 28...Rd5 28...Rg3 looks scary for White as Black is entering, but it does allow 29.Ng5! after which Black is the one having to be a bit careful. 29.a4 Making sure that there is no Ba6-b5-a4. a5 30.Re2 It's just a draw, as Black can't really enter. 30.g5 Bd7 31.Rg4 30...Bd7 31.Re4 Bd6 32.Re3 Re5 Doesn't change much, but there is nothing else. 33.Rxe5 Bxe5 34.Kb1 Bf4 35.Kc2 Bc8 36.Kb1 Ba6 37.Ka2 Be3 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Grandelius,N2672Karjakin,S2743½–½2022C42Tata Steel-A 84th7

***

Every piece has three distinct qualities: it is an active weapon, a vulnerable being, and a piece of wood that might stand in a way of other pieces. Quite often, club players are focused mostly on the first of these qualities, the activity.

I hope that this article has helped you to perceive the vulnerability of both your and your opponent’s pieces a bit more.

In this video course, kings will play a role of strong and active pieces. We will explore how Kings can be helpful in defence and prophylaxis, or even in attack!

Links

Jan Markos is a Slovakian chess author, trainer, and grandmaster. His book Under the Surface was the English Chess Federation´s 2018 Book of the Year. His last book, The Secret Ingredient, co-authored with David Navara, focuses on the practical aspects of play, e.g. time-management over the board, how to prepare against a specific opponent, or how to use chess engines during the training process. Markos was the U16 European Champion twenty years ago. At present he helps his pupils from several countries to achieve similar successes. Apart from focusing on the royal game, he is also the author of several non-chess books, focused on critical thinking, moral dilemmas, and phenomenology.
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